Impossible Reality
Author's Notes: You might notice that I've taken down the Prologue chapter. I've thought about it and decided that that should have come up at the end so… it's going to resurface by the end of this story… when I get around to it. ^^
I've used some Spanish words here as a supplement for the kinds of spells that I'm looking for. I've included the meaning of the words as I used it so I feel no need to explain further what those words meant except for one word.
Anyways, this is my usual length. It's not long like the previous chapter. And warning… fluff, waff, mush ahead. AND some OotP spoiler. Some, alright. Just some.
And… thanks to Shulltiger (I miss you already! *grins*) and Sila-chan who guessed the villain correctly.
Disclaimers: *sigh* I wish Draco was mine but he isn't… JK Rowling owns him and so does Protego, Relashio, Tarantallegra, Crucio, Stupefy, Impedimenta, and Silencio.
Falling
He had felt her stiffen, before her cry of disbelief echoed in the night. Then she slumped on her place until she was seated on the ground right after their enemy Disapparated. He looked at her and saw that she was shaking very hard and was staring blankly where their foe disappeared. Glancing at the gadget on his left hand, he walked over to her and squatted at her side.
"Mine," he said tentatively, using the nickname that began as joke but which he now uses when they are alone. Seeing no response, he gingerly touched her knee. "Hermione," he said a little louder, snapping his fingers in front of her.
Her head snapped to the side to meet his gaze. It was clouded with confusion. Then slowly, as if realizing that it was he, Draco, who is looking at her, she flung herself to him, clutching his robes. He slipped the gadget into his pocket and held her tightly, smoothing her back, as he fell on his knees and sat on his legs. He caught a movement on his left and he turned to see their back up running towards them.
"Sir?" Angel said, as he and Belle came to a halt at their side.
He snatched the gadget back up and tossed it to his subordinate.
"Watch it," he ordered Angel, as he continued soothing Hermione. All this time, she kept muttering incoherently, only catching snippets like "Merlin!" or "Why her?!" then "I must…" He just rocked her gently, caressing her back, as he waited for her to calm down while his senses are alert for any suspicious movement or sound in the night. Angel and Belle had stationed themselves on his right and left side, their wands out and stance ready for any possibility.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, but only five minutes in reality, Hermione released her hold on his robes and slowly stood up. He followed suit, dusting his pants as he did so, and caught the gadget that Angel tossed back to him. He faced Hermione and looked at her face, looking for signs that she can go through with the mission, that she's alright.
"Let's go," she quietly, her eyes shining with determination, masking the uncertainty that he senses in her.
"Are you sure?" he asked, grasping her arm and peering more closely to her face.
She looked at him in the eye and said, "I want to do it. I have to do it."
He nodded at her then faced Angel and Belle who had positioned themselves at their back the moment Hermione stood up.
"Thirty paces," he told them. "Starting in… Birmingham," he added after checking his locator.
He glanced at Hermione then grabbed her left hand, and together they Disapparated…
~*~
…To Apparate in Birmingham, where they saw who they thought was Drimvle, standing atop a tower, obviously waiting for them. She hadn't seen them yet, and he took it as opportunity to discreetly pour the potion they had brought on her shoes. He took out the vial, uncapped up, and then whispered, "Wingardium Leviosa," carefully directing it towards her direction. The vial is near enough to her shoes that he can already tip it over, but he wants to be sure, when a red jet of light sped towards him.
"Protego," Hermione shouted, her wand pointing at him.
He lost connection with the vial as he fell backwards when it hit him, the spell minimized to only a tenth of its force by Hermione's Shield Charm. He kept his eyes on the vial as it dropped on the enemy's shoes, its contents spilling out, before he landed roughly on his backside.
"Drake!" Hermione cried out, as she hurriedly knelt as his side, her eyes shining with worry as he searched for any sign that he had been hurt.
"I'm ok," he told her, reaching for the locator in his robe. "The potion's taking effect. Her signal flickered before stabilizing in Cambridge," he informed her as she helped him stand up.
"Cambridge," he repeated, a little louder than before, then he took her hand again and disappeared.
~*~
"I've been waiting for you," a woman's voice spoke up from behind them. They whipped around and saw her several feet away, wand raised and a menacing gleam in her eyes. It was a good thing that they have their wands ready.
"Lestrange," Hermione spoke with a definite bite on that one word.
Bellatrix Lestrange faced her with fury in her eyes. "Don't you say my name again, you filthy Mudblood!" she said furiously as she made a slashing movement with her wand.
"Protego," he shouted, this time, as he tried to block Hermione from the spell, at the same time protecting him and her with the charm.
"Don't fall behind," Bellatrix taunted as she Disapparated.
He had fallen to his knees from the impact of the spell, his hands braced on the ground as support, and his breath came in gasps.
"Draco!" Hermione cried out for the second time that night and dropped to his side. She gripped his shoulders and peered at him, tears brimming in her eyes.
Belle and Angel came running towards them from their hiding place.
"Curar," Belle whispered, pointing her wand at him.
When his breathing returned to normal and he could already stand up on his own, the tears on Hermione's eyes promptly fell down on her cheeks and without much warning, she hugged him tightly. He felt as if she wouldn't let him go.
"Never do that again, you hear?" she mumbled against his shirt. "I swear, if you put yourself in danger again, I'll…" she didn't continue as she just quietly sobbed, tightening her hold on him.
"Hush… I'm alright," he told her, as he rubbed his hands on her arms. Trying to soothe her, he said teasingly, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you have a crush on me."
The reaction he got was a resounding slap on the cheek.
"Do you know how much that scared me?" she demanded. "I thought you were going to die! I thought I wouldn't have to see that same spell that almost killed me years ago in the same lifetime! When she slashed her wand, I thought it would be the end of me this time… Then you threw yourself between us and received her attack! Merlin! My heartbeat almost stopped at that instant… If it weren't for that Shield Charm, you'd be lying on the ground right now and I…"
He kissed her. It was the only way he knew to shut her up. He had intended it to be short but when she started to respond, he lost all train of thought and proceeded to kiss her fully, delving deeper into her mouth that she clung to him. He almost forgot that Angel and Belle are there, watching them… That they are on a mission… Almost… and he had to stop before he completely do.
He kissed her forehead as she sagged against him, not releasing her hold on him.
"I don't care if I die on this mission," he whispered gruffly. "As long as you don't."
She looked up to him with that chocolate eyes of hers.
"What about me?" she asked quietly. "Did you think of what I'd feel if you died?"
He sighed. "I'm sorry," he said, touching his forehead against hers.
"You should be," she answered with a smile.
"Um, sir?"
He turned his head to look at Belle, who was trying hard to look at everything but him. Remembering where they are, he reluctantly released Hermione and fished up the locator from his pocket.
His eyebrows shot up when he saw where Lestrange had headed.
"The Ministry of Magic," he told them, and he heard a sharp intake of air from Hermione. He looked at her with a question in his eyes.
She grabbed his hand in answer and said, "Let's go."
He nodded and with that, they appeared at the top of the ruined building that hides the office of the Ministry, a few feet from Lestrange.
"Lestrange," he drawled, making Bellatrix turn around quickly to face them.
"How did you manage it?" she asked them, as they slowly spread out, increasing the distance between them, forming a triangle with Bellatrix as the apex.
"Managed what?" Hermione asked, wand pointing at her.
"Don't talk to me, Mudblood!" she spat out, before turning her head towards him again. "Following me."
"You forget who you're dealing with," he answered her with a smirk.
"Why you-"
"Tarantallegra!" Hermione shouted.
Bellatrix barely had time to react as she hastily screamed, "Protego!"
"Relashio," he attacked next, sending a set of firey sparks towards her direction before she had time to recover from Hermione's spell.
Some of the sparks reached her robes, as she tried to diffuse those that come near her skin, and bore holes on it.
Bellatrix looked at them in contempt, before forming a triumphant smile. She disappeared for a few seconds from their sight, before reappearing, her image flickering before them, and then steadied. She had her hand on her head and a confused look on her face.
"It seems you've got something more up on your sleeves," she said disbelievingly, shaking her head at them. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should know better than to infuriate me."
He ignored her threat and instead, started asking questions.
"Why did you come back?" he asked, at the same time, sending her another set of firey sparks.
She dodged the sparks as she sent her own. "To revive him, of course."
"Bola fuego," Hermione casted, creating a huge ball of fire towards Bellatrix. "But he's dead."
"Agua muro," and a wall of water rose, extinguishing the fireball. "The dead can be resurrected."
"How?" he asked. And then, "Espiga acero," sending sharp steel spikes in her direction.
"Impedimenta." She reacted too late, as one spike already grazed her arm, giving her a deep wound that started bleeding. "Why should I tell you?"
"You shouldn't have bothered trying to revive Voldemort," Hermione told her. "Abrir," pointing her wand at the wound, causing for it to open wider and bleed more.
Bellatrix gasped in pain as she grabbed her arm. "Play time is over," she said in a steely voice. "It's time for you to die, missy," she told Hermione. "Rayo!" And a beam of light struck the ground inches from where Hermione is standing.
Hermione backed up slowly, as Bellatrix continued her assault and advanced towards her,
"Silencio," he shouted.
That didn't deter her however, as Bellatrix continued sending beams of light to Hermione.
Not knowing what else to do, he continued sending spells over to Bellatrix as he tried to keep an eye on where Hermione is going.
But Bellatrix merely deflected his attacks with a weak Shield Charm as she continued attacking Hermione.
She's good, he had to give her that. But she has to be stopped.
"Stupefy!" he shouted, at the same time Bellatrix silently mouthed, "Crucio."
He watched Bellatrix slump on the ground and that's when he heard her scream.
"Draco…"
He turned his head in time to see Hermione topple backwards…
And fall.
Last Notes: If memory serves me right, that "slash of the wand" thing was done to Hermione in OotP by some guy and that's when she received a major wound on her head. Then, the office of the Ministry is hiding in a ruined building. I'm just basing these from my memory as my book is on loan. I'll correct them if they're wrong as soon as I get my hands on book again. :)
Curar means to heal in Spanish. I'm not sure of the order of some of the words I used since I don't know any Spanish. I just looked them up from the dictionary here at home as I wanted to use my own, erm, spells, instead of borrowing from other authors. ^^;
Lastly… I've been told that it was a bit too fluffy. What do you think?
And oh… Some of you might wonder why Hermione and Draco didn't attack Bellatrix at the same time. I've thought about it while I wrote that scene and came to the conclusion that since, they're playing the good guys, they'd take turns. *lolz* But honestly, that was just easier to write.
Thanks for reading and please do leave a review.
