Hermione struggled to open her eyes. Her body seemed to be shackled in a death-grip of pain. Her head throbbed ferociously and her body felt battered and bruised. As the memory of what had just occurred flooded her mind, Hermione bit her lip against a gasp. Her eyes slowly focused to the dark of the night and she was able to take in her surroundings.
She was slumped onto a looming, sinister-looking tree, which was in the center of what seemed to be a clearing in a forest. The muddy ground was littered with jagged rocks and dead leaves. A ring of soaring trees framed the clearing, obstructing virtually all of the moon's rays. Looking around at the shadowy unfamiliar grounds surrounding her, Hermione felt a shiver of fear run down her spine. The combination of the cold rain and all that she had witnessed had left her feeling emotionally stricken and exceedingly weak. With her heart pounding in fear, Hermione braced herself and stealthily brought herself to her feet. Her entire body shook in fear and in protest of the bitterly cold winds that whipped around her. Her legs were shockingly weak and Hermione felt as if she would collapse.
"I have to get out of here. I have to get away. Please God help me get out of here." She prayed fervently.
Gritting her teeth as she gripped the trees rough trunk for support, Hermione forced her legs to move. Silently she stepped, closer and closer to the outer ring of trees. Closer and closer to freedom. Her heart was firing like a piston, and finally Hermione gave into her instincts and began to run with all her might. The muscles in her legs tightened in protest, but the adrenaline pulsating through her veins pushed her onwards.
Though she knew not where she was or where she was going, once Hermione made it passed the outer ring of trees, she allowed herself a ray of hope. Even more determined to escape, Hermione quickened her already grueling pace.
"I did it! I got away. I got away from that evil son of a bitch." She whispered to herself reassuringly.
Hermione was suddenly struck by a pang of heart-wrenching loneliness. She desperately longed to be safe in Draco's comforting embrace.
"I have to get home. I have to go ho-."
Unexpectedly, Hermione felt as if all the bones in her body were being crushed in a vice-like grip. Her entire body stood frozen against her will. A cloud of silvery mist appeared in front of her, and Hermione watched as Lucius Malfoy swaggered through the haze with an expression of mocking delight on his pointed face. Hermione let out a devastated sob in fear and defeat. Mentally she urged her body to move, to escape whatever sardonic plans Lucius Malfoy had in store for her. But to no avail. Each breath she inhaled was excruciatingly painful as she struggled against the magical bounds that held her.
Tilting his head to the side, Lucius studied the pathetic female standing before him. He chuckled viciously as he gripped Hermione's chin, roughly turning her badly bruised cheek towards him. He watched in delight as she tried desperately to twist and turn away from him.
Hermione's lip was bleeding from her biting it previously. The scarlet blood dripped from her lip to taint Lucius' gloved hand. An evil grin spread across the elder Malfoy's face. His reaction startlingly reminded her of a wolf who had smelt the blood of their prey. Lucius held Hermione's head up towards him, ran a not too gentle hand down her bruised cheek and leaned down towards her. Despite her incredible longing to struggle and escape, Lucius' vice-like grip held Hermione still. All she could do was shut her eyes against what was happening. Lucius Malfoy took great pleasure in slowly licking the blood away from Hermione's bottom lip. Hermione felt sickened to the core by this and felt herself retching.
With surprising speed and grace, Lucius managed to step away from Hermione. Once again he began to laugh vindictively, his gloved hand moving from her face into Hermione's sodden hair, as he walked around her. Once he was standing behind her, the grip on her hair tightened and Hermione winced as he pulled her head towards him. With his free hand he gently swept her unruly hair behind one ear. He leant down close to her ear and sardonically drawled;
"Now, now Miss Granger, don't tell me you were going to leave before the guests of honor arrived. And you didn't even stop to say goodbye. How very rude of you child."
"What the hell are you talking about? If you're going to kill me just hurry up and be done with it. I'd rather die than stay in your company for a moment longer." Hermione spat.
"What? And here I thought I was the utmost of charming behaviour?" He chuckled at her anger. "Well my dear, you will have to bear my company for just a while longer."
"Why!?" she screamed in desperation. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"If I remember correctly, it was you who ran into me. I certainly wasn't expecting to be barreled into by the likes of you…but now, I find your presence useful… Yes useful."
Before Hermione could utter another confused question, Lucius covered her mouth violently.
"Shhhh. Look, the guests of honor are finally here."
Hermione looked up and realized that someone was coming.
~*~
As she skipped daintily through the darkness of the forest, with her wand in front of her to ensure Draco floated along, Grace continued to hum and whistle. She was certain of each step she took, knowing the exact path that would lead her to Lucius. The path which would lead to her wedding. Grace felt deliriously happy. Tonight, Draco and herself would be joined as they were destined to be. He would love her forever and nobody would ever come between them again, especially not that whore Hermione!
The sudden image of a lone Hermione standing in the pouring rain, looking sodden and lost, struck Grace. She froze at the power of the disbelief and hurt that emanated from that image.
"Grace"
Grace's head turned sharply at the sound of her name. "Who's there? Lucius is that you?"
Her sharp eyes penetrated the darkness but found nothing but Draco's seemingly lifeless body floating in front of her. She tightened the grip on her wand and began to walk once more, this time silently aware of her surroundings. Her steps were no longer jaunty, but quickened and scared. She had to get to Lucius.
"Grace"
She span around rapidly, thinking to face the voice that haunted her. Her hand trembled as she raised her wand higher. As before, there was nothing in the surrounding silent forest. Grace was suddenly gripped by a sense of extreme paranoia and fear. She had to get to Lucius. Grace turned hurriedly and began to sprint through the looming trees. The spell that she had cast on Draco ensured that his floating form followed behind her.
The fear that struck her encouraged her to escape from the soft voice that haunted her. But it seemed there would be no escape. As her pace quickened the voice became more insistent.
"Grace"
With each step she took.
"Grace"
With each breath she inhaled.
"Grace"
Grace continued to run, her heart pounding an erratic rhythm in her chest. Tears of fear began to blur her vision as she sprinted through the darkness of the forest.
"Grace"
With a cry of shock, Grace felt herself trip over the rotting log. The rough wet bark scrapped violently across the delicate skin of her legs. The palms of her hands were shredded by the jagged sticks and stones that littered the ground. Her chin was jarred as it hit the muddy ground of the forest. Her tears of fear had turned into sobs, which racked her body. Grace trembled as she pushed herself off the sodden forest floor. She could feel blood dripping from the slashes on her palms and legs.
"Stop it! Just stop it and leave me alone!" Finally realizing that the voice that haunted her could not be escaped, for it came from the depths of her own mind.
"Grace"
"Shut up! Shut the fuck up and leave me alone!" Grace screamed hysterically, covering her eyes with her bloody and trembling hands.
"Grace. Why are you doing this? Why are you hurting these people? Why are you hurting your friends?"
Grace felt her chest tighten as images of Hermione began to flash through her mind.
Hermione stood in front of her, clutching at her belly, with tears of laughter running down her face. "Belly!"… Hermione cheering and screaming with delight as Harry captured the snitch… Hermione pulling faces and chuckling with Ron and Ginny… Hermione looking serenely happy as she walked hand in hand with Draco…Draco and Hermione were happy…
"I want to be happy too, dammit! Why should she be the only one who gets to experience the joys of life? She's nothing but a filthy know-it-all. She stole him from ME! Her happiness is at the expense of mine, and I'm just taking back what's mine. Do you hear me? He's mine!" she screeched frantically "Lucius promised that Draco and I would be bound together. We're going to be happy! Together!"
"Will this really make you truly happy?"
"Shut up!" she cried, as her pointed fingernails dug into her temple in an attempt to gouge the voice out.
"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up." Grace ranted, rocking back and forth. She gasped as her nails pierced the skin of her forehead and she felt blood begin to drip over her eyebrow and into her eyes. She took her hands away from her face and blinked the red from her vision, realizing that the haunting whispers had finally subsided. Her entire body trembled furiously as she looked up to see Draco's still and floating body.
Grace frantically turned in search of her wand and once she finally located it amongst the sticks that littered the forest ground she grasped it quickly and ran with all her might. Her legs throbbed with pain from the scratches that covered them and from her grueling pace, but she refused to stop.
"Not long now!" she thought desperately. "Just passed these trees and I'll get to Lucius. Then I'll be happy. He promised…"
Her destination clearly in front of her, Grace quickened her pace. Each ragged breath she took tore at her lungs as she broke passed a group of sinister looking trees, then halted, looking into Lucius Malfoy's cold grey eyes.
Hope began to balloon inside of Grace as she looked into the eyes that were identical to that of Draco Malfoy's.
"He promised that I would be happy…"
When Grace heard a startled gasp, she tore her eyes from his piercing gaze, and noticed for the first time that Lucius held Hermione in his grip.
"She's your friend…"
Grace tightened her jaw as the voice returned, then schooled her features into a mask of serenity. "What is she doing here?"
~*~
Hermione was shocked as she looked into Grace's cold, emotionless eyes. She was suddenly struck by a devastating sense of loss. The loss of the wonderful friendship, which she and Grace had shared. As she stared into soulless eyes of a stranger she felt a surge of anger, for all the pain and hurt that had lead to this moment.
"Why are you doing this? What could you possibly stand to gain by allying yourself with this snake?" Hermione spat viciously.
Without answering her, Grace tilted her head to one side and stared. Then with the grace, which she was named for, she stepped aside and revealed Draco's seemingly lifeless floating body.
Hermione's heart was gripped by a cold hand as she saw Draco floating so still.
"What have you done?" Hermione sobbed at the thought of losing Draco forever. "Grace, what have you done to him?"
A smile played on Grace's lips at the sound of Hermione's anguished sobs. With slow precise movements, she lifted her hand to Draco's head and ran her fingers through his pale blonde hair. Keeping her gaze on Hermione, she lowered her head towards Draco's and gently placed a kiss on his cold lips.
Hermione tried to turn her head away but Lucius held his tight grip on her hair, forcing her to watch. Hermione tried to feel relief as she watched Draco slowly floating to the ground, till he rested against the trunk of a tree, but the sight of Grace touching him sickened her.
"Grace, what happened to you? You look disgraceful"
Grace looked up at Lucius' sharp remark about her disheveled state.
"Go get yourself cleaned up. A bride must look her best for her wedding."
Hermione gasped as she finally realized Lucius' plans. She turned to stare at Grace as the other girl made her way through the trees and into the clearing.
Grace could feel Hermione watching her, and was unable to prevent herself from looking back.
"She was your friend…"
She shook her head against the voice and continued into the clearing.
~*~
Draco's body felt stiff and sore all over as his eyes began to flutter open. He was suddenly overcome by an overwhelming sense of wrongness. Everything was wrong, from the cool air that surrounded him to the muddy ground he felt under his palms. The sense of wrongness only intensified as he opened his eyes to see that he was lying on the filthy floor of a dark forest. He heard a faint sobbing and looked up. Draco felt his heart splinter into a million pieces at the sight of a sobbing Hermione in his father's grip. He scrambled to his feet with his heart in his throat.
"Let go of her, you sick bastard." Draco shouted as he stormed towards them.
"Now Draco, that's no way to greet your father is it?" Lucius smiled as he swiftly reached into his robes and pulled out his wand. In a quick movement the wand was settled over Hermione's heart. Draco halted, fearful of his father's actions.
"Well aren't you the fired up groom?" Lucius chuckled, digging his wand into Hermione's chest.
"Groom?" Draco snarled. "What the he-?" He stopped, looking into Hermione's fearful eyes, then up to his father's grinning face.
"Oh no, son! You won't be marrying this filthy piece of shit. No… You're going to marry Grace." Lucius quipped gleefully, then tightened the grip on his wand as Draco started forward. "Not another step, son!"
"Why? Why the fuck are you doing this you sick, son of a whore!" Draco screamed.
"Why else, you insolent fool, but for power. The Leigh family are the most powerful purebloods in Australia. Their family holds a wealth of powerful secrets that can only be accessed by the Leigh kin. Grace is the only heir of Michael Leigh, the head of the clan. To ensure the survival of the Leigh name, Michael announced that the man whom Grace wed would bear the Leigh name and not his own. He who bears the Leigh name is apart of the Leigh family. Once I learnt that Grace Leigh was attending Hogwarts I saw my opportunity. I had her captured and persuaded her that marriage to you would only bring her immense happiness. As a member of the Leigh family you would reveal the secret to their power to me."
"To what purpose? So you can run along to your precious Dark Lord and grovel at his knees with the secrets to everlasting power? I would rather die than help you gain more power and destroy the lives of others, as you've destroyed mine." Draco shouted.
"You'd rather die than see me gain more power? God Draco, you're beginning to sound like Potter… Let's see if you're as weak as he is… Crucius"
Hermione's tortured screams rang through the forest. Every fibre of her being was being burnt, twisted and torn apart. The blood in her veins felt acidic and ran a fiery course through her body. She felt a thousand knives pierce at her skin, ripping and shredding. Her throat had closed up, but her agonized screams continued to ring through her mind. Hermione's eyes began to roll back into her head as she tried to escape the pain. But to no avail, there was no escape from this torture. As she blinked away the uncontrollable tears of pain, Hermione saw Draco's anguished face and was struck by the greatest longing to be safe in his arms.
"I'm sorry I didn't trust you Draco." Hermione managed to whisper over the pain.
Suddenly, every ounce of the pain that had tormented her was gone. Leaving only the tortured screams that echoed in Hermione's mind.
Watching his son with narrowed eyes, Lucius growled,
"Life can be funny, don't you think? You can imagine my surprise when I was innocently standing around waiting for my son and his bride to arrive when I was almost bowled over by this piece of filth. Oh, God does work in mysterious ways does he not? Here I was planning to force my son to marry, by using my fists, when God sends me…leverage." Lucius held Hermione tighter. "You disappoint me son. You let yourself get attached to things and you're going to get hurt… Now are you going to go get married or am I going to have to do another demonstration of the lengths I will go to, to get what I want?"
Draco refused to look at his father, and held Hermione's gaze as the silent tears streamed down his face. He had felt every second of Hermione's torture and cursed himself for putting her in this position. An image of Hermione laughing as he showered her with kisses flashed through his mind. He hated himself for causing so much pain for her. She didn't deserve it…He didn't deserve her.
"Let go of Hermione and I'll do it." Draco choked.
"You're in no position to be demanding anything." Lucius snarled at his son as he turned away, dragging Hermione with him. "Come son, the priest awaits"
Hermione turned her head, her face filled with fear and anguish as she saw Draco helplessly look back at her.
"GO!" she mouthed to him. "You can escape!"
"I can't Hermione. Not without you." He whispered sadly.
~*~
"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to celebrate the joyous union of two of the wizarding world's most powerful families." The priest paused as he surveyed the couple standing before him. The dark-haired chit was desperately clutching at the pale boy's hand, but he seemed disgusted by her touch and pulled his hand away.
"Hurry up you old fool. You're not being paid to ogle at them, Marry them!" Lucius snarled from the background.
"I didn't know that I was getting paid at all." The priest said defiantly as he glared at Lucius. At the sight of the frizzy-haired girl in his grip, the priest immediately regretted his impudence. The girl's eyes were glazed from pain, but still she stood stiff and proud as she watched this mockery of a ceremony. Every thing about this was wrong. God save them from the devil that was Lucius Malfoy.
"I won't say it again old man! Finish the ceremony or I will finish you!"
Grace turned at Lucius' harsh words, before returning her gaze to Draco, who was standing listlessly beside her. He wasn't happy. She didn't feel happy. Why wasn't this making her happy?
"Grace. You're never going to be happy if you do this."
Grace shook her head against the voice that returned to haunt her.
"Grace, look at Hermione. Look at her! She is your friend and your hurting her will not make YOU happy. Your taking her happiness away from her will not make YOU happy… Your friendship with her made you happy, Grace. If you want to be truly happy you have to save her. Save your friendship…"
Grace was looking at Hermione when the priest questioned Draco;
"Do you take Grace Leigh to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
Draco turned to glare at his father, but paled when he saw Lucius hold his wand closer to Hermione.
"I will" he growled.
Grace watched Lucius tighten his hold on Hermione's hair, hurting her, and suddenly everything became clear. It was as if the blinders that had covered her eyes were suddenly lifted off, enabling her to see the truth. Lucius Malfoy was an evil man. A man that evil could never bring Grace the true happiness she sought. What had he done to her to turn her into such a heartless creature? Grace's revelatory thoughts were interrupted by the priest.
"Do you, Grace Leigh, take Draco Malfoy to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I will…not." Grace trembled as she uttered the words. "I will not marry Draco!" she screamed as she whipped out her wand and faced Lucius.
"What are you doing you stupid girl?" Lucius roared shoving Hermione from him.
As Hermione fell to the ground, the spell that gripped her body broke, and she regained control of the movement in her body. As quickly as her weak muscles allowed her, Hermione got to her feet and turned towards the battle that had ensued.
Grace had her wand raised high as she faced Lucius.
"You're a sick bastard Lucius Malfoy! I hate you and I hate what you've made me become!" Grace screamed with hatred and fired a spell at him.
Dodging the shot Grace had fired at him, Lucius swiftly threw a curse back at her. Grace tried to avoid the red sparks but they hit her squarely on the shoulder. Immediately blood began to seep down her arm.
Hermione cried out and forced her weak legs to move forward. She had to help Grace.
As Lucius was distracted by Grace, Draco saw his opportune moment and ran at his father, tackling him to the ground. Draco slammed Lucius' body onto the ground causing him to drop his wand. As Draco reached out to grasp the wand, he received a kick to his chest that heaved him off Lucius' body. Draco scrambled to his feet at the same moment his father did. Lucius had his wand in his grip and was pointing the wand, not at Draco but at Hermione, who was reaching out to Grace.
"No! Not Herm-." Draco screamed reaching out to stop his father, but he was too late. A blinding flash of light flew at Hermione.
Hermione had nearly reached Grace, who was grasping her injured shoulder, when she noticed a flash of green light coming towards her. She heard Draco's cry but before she could react, Hermione felt herself being pushed to the ground. She looked up to see Grace being hit in the chest by a bolt of red light, her wand flung helplessly into the air, then she fall silently to the ground.
"No! Grace! Oh God!" Hermione shrieked as she scrambled to Grace's body. "Please God save her. She doesn't deserve to die."
Draco ran towards Grace's discarded wand and faced his father. But Lucius laughed in his face;
"You think you can defeat me. You're nothing but a pathetic filth. That whore that you fancy yourself in love with will bring you nothing but pain. You are unworthy of the Malfoy name. You disg-."
Lucius Malfoy never finished his sentence and was dead before he hit the ground.
Draco was stunned as he watched his father fall, and turned to see the priest standing behind him, with his wand in one hand and making the sign of the cross with the other.
"God sends his servants to smite the evil." The priest whispered before dropping to his knees in a silent prayer.
Draco turned to find Hermione kneeling on the ground besides Grace's still body.
"Please Grace. Please wake up, Grace. You saved my life, you can't die!" Hermione cried desperately.
She grasped at Grace's still warm hand as she watched the tears stream down her face and fall on to Grace's smooth skin. The injustice of it all made Hermione sob harder as she clutched at Grace's hand, pleading her to live.
Draco moved to Hermione's side and tried desperately to calm her down, when suddenly Grace's eyes fluttered open. Hermione began to sob harder and laugh at the same time.
"Grace. Thank God you're alive, Grace." Hermione choked, grasping her hand tighter.
Grace solemnly looked up into Hermione's tear filled eyes.
"Hermione, I am so sorry for all the pain I caused you. I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop what I was doing. When I saw how happy you were with Draco I became jealous. Lucius used my jealousy and turned me into a monster. He promised me happiness but I didn't see that my happiness would come at the cost of your life. I'm sorry, Hermione."
"Shhh. Don't talk, Grace. You don't need to say anything. You're my friend; of course you didn't do this willingly. You don't have to say anything. We're going to get you home now. We're going to make sure your okay." Hermione sobbed trying to pull Grace up.
But Grace refused to be lifted.
"No Hermione I have to! Lucius promised me true happiness, but I didn't need him to find it for me. I had it all along. I was truly happy when we were friends. Hermione, will you forgive me for all the pain and sorrow I've caused you?" Grace whispered.
"Of course Grace. Of course I will, you're my friend and we'll always be friends. But right now we need to get you home, okay. We need to get you some help." Hermione whispered desperately.
Grace smiled. A radiant smile that reached
her eyes and made her face glow with happiness. She reached up and
patted Hermione on the cheek.
"I'm so tired, Hermione. I just want to rest for a little while, okay."
"No!" Hermione screamed but Draco pulled her away from Grace. "No Grace, don't go!"
Grace Leigh closed her eyes, and died with a happy smile on her face…
~*~
Disclaimer: I own nothing and it would be a horrendous insult to J.K to even believe I have even the teensy bit of her talent for writing.
First thing I'd like to say is that take note of the flash of red light which means Lucius didn't avada kadavra Grace thus she wouldn't have necessarily died instantaneously.. I thought I'd mention that because I got a few bewildered comments from my darling proof reader. Oh wait hold on I just finished reading her message and I've decided she is no longer darling. Get out you have failed!
I hope you all enjoyed that chapter, and no that is not the end…. I made this chapter a teensy bit longer then my previous ones. And although I'm sure none of you expect me to update soon anyway (you should know me by now and know that it takes me yonks to get off my backside and update) since I have exams coming up, I'm planning to do a Hermione and study until I go cross eyed.
Shout outs:
To everyone whose read and reviewed my story. You're all bloody wonderful
(Especially those of you who have gone through it with me from the beginning, patiently waiting for my updates)
Special thanks to Gracie-Leigh who inspires me. (You could inspire me to make Grace mysteriously come back to life if you sang and played the guitar for me!!!)
And to Mads who will hopefully have proofread this before I sent it off and told me whether I have made a ruddy mess of it or not….
So that means if you all hate this chapter and want somebody to blame direct your flames to her… Nah just kidding I take full responsibility for all the crappiness in my story.
