A/N- Thanks for the reviews guys-keep 'em coming!
Disclaimer- Lyrics to the wonderful Dashboard Confessional, most characters to the brilliant J.K.
Reunion
Chapter Four
I Thought It Was Forever
--
I'm reading your note over again
There's not a word that I comprehend,
Except when you signed it
"I will love you always and forever."
I'm missing your laugh
How did it break?
And when did your eyes begin to look fake?
I hope you're as happy as you 're pretending
--
The ride to King's Cross station at the end of their seventh year was heavy with a tense, exhausted silence. Harry looked sullenly out the window, his body still aching from the final battle that had taken place weeks ago, but the wounds still felt fresh and painful. The fear of losing everything and everyone if he was defeated had left a mark as distinct as the scar he still bore, and it haunted him even now, when the danger was really gone. He had won. He was again the most celebrated hero in the wizardering world. But he didn't know if he'd ever be the same.
Harry was leaving in a week to begin training with the British professional Quiddditch team. They had recruited himself and Draco Malfoy right out of Hogwarts, two of the youngest to ever be placed right on the roster. Harry sighed. Malfoy would be the only person he'd see from Hogwarts for a while. Bloody fantastic. But wrapping himself up in Quidditch practices seemed like just the right thing at the moment.
Hermione was used to burying herself in a book during awkward silences. But now school was over, and all the books were read, and she had nothing to hide behind anymore. So she just sat there, looking over at Harry empathetically, and avoiding Ron's eyes as much as possible.
The letter inviting her to France was tucked in her book bag.
Harry sighed heavily, breaking from his brooding for a moment. He looked at his two best friends, anxious for some mindless conversation to distract him for a bit.
"We're finally finished." Harry said, trying to spur discussion.
"Yes. We bloody well are." Ron looked at Hermione pointedly.
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Okay, you two, what happened? Why are both of you in such rotten moods? It's our last train ride from Hogwarts, we should be catching up on the good old days, not pouting in the corner like some Muggle soap opera characters!" Harry said, expasperated.
"Oh, nothing happened, Harry. Just Ronald can't seem to accept the fact that some of us want to do something with our life that matters." Hermione finally spoke.
"Right, because little Ronald's pathetic job at the Ministry couldn't possibly matter as much as some stupid, snobbish academy in France." Ron said, doing a rather uncanny, if rude, impression of her.
"You said it, not me." Hermione shot back.
"Aargh! I can't stand hearing you two bitch at each other the whole way home!" Harry threw his hands up in frustration, quickly leaving the compartment and slamming the door behind him.
Ron and Hermione were left in the compartment, glaring at each other.
"Real nice, Ron." Hermione looked at him angrily.
"Don't you dare blame me for this! This is your decision, and I have every right to be mad!" Ron practically yelled back.
"Keep your voice down." She said through gritted teeth.
"Why should I?"
"No, sorry, you're right. I guess I shouldn't expect anything from you but immaturity."
Ron looked away from her, his thoughts filled with biting retorts, but for once he held his tongue. This was awful. He had been madly in love with her for so long, and knew that she loved him back. They had always fought, but not with the same bitterness their words were heavy with now.
"This isn't right." Ron finally spoke, not looking at her.
"What are you talking about?"
"It shouldn't end like this."
"Well, then how do you think it should end?"
"We should be together. You know it."
Hermione fell silent, her heart twisting slightly. Of course she knew it. Why was she running away from him? But then her selfish voice crept back into her mind. Why can't he just be happy for you, Hermione? Why won't he just say he'll wait for you, or come with you? He could work anywhere, and you have the opportunity of a lifetime.
"Ron, it's not like I'm leaving forever. I don't know why this upsets you so much."
"Yes, you do. You know it upsets me…because you won't come back. You'll find everything you want in France…a perfect job, a perfect life, and probably some seemingly perfect rich bloke to go along with it. You'll never come back if you leave tonight. Why would you?"
Hermione didn't reply, so they lapsed into silence again. She looked out the window, and saw that they were getting closer to the station. Ron was right about something. She couldn't bear to leave things this way between them. So she finally looked at him, tentatively taking his hand.
"Ron…even if all those things happen, and I never do come back, you'll still always be my first. My first kiss, my first love, my first…everything. I'll never forget you-and I'm sorry if this hurts you, but it's just something I have to do. Please try to understand that."
Ron's blue eyes softened slightly.
"I can't lose you."
"You won't."
"You don't know that."
"I've always been yours, Ron. That's something you can't lose."
She kissed him softly, feeling relieved that they weren't fighting for the first time in a long while.
Ron's hands slid into her hair, pulling her closer. Hermione felt that familiar heat spreading through her body, and the kiss deepened…how could anyone ever make her feel like this again?
They breathlessly and reluctantly broke apart as things got more heated, remembering where they were and thinking they didn't want to scar some first year for life.
They sat there for a moment, their foreheads touching.
"Stay with me." Ron said, out of breath but insistent.
It caused Hermione physical pain to reply, but she'd made up her mind along time ago, and she was the most stubborn person at Hogwarts, other than Ron, of course.
"I can't." Her voice was weak and unconvincing.
"Stay with me. Don't go." He said, kissing her again, and for a moment, it was hard to remember why she wanted to go at all.
After a moment, Ron pulled away, his dark blue eyes on hers piercingly.
"Marry me."
She pulled away in shock.
"R-Ron, I can't do that."
He looked at her, and his face didn't really fall, it just went blank.
"Fine." His voice, so passionate a moment ago, was now completely emotionless.
"Ron, I'm sorry. It's just-we're only seventeen, and maybe when I get back, we could-" She grabbed his arm, pleading.
"You're not sorry." Ron said, laughing bitterly.
"Ron, you can't just…" Hermione's voice broke with frustration.
Suddenly, Harry entered.
"We're at the station." He announced, just as the train came to a jolting halt.
After goodbyes to Harry, Ron and Hermione had walked off in two opposite directions without a word to each other. The Weasley family looked at Ron curiously after their chilly goodbye, or lack thereof, searching for an explanation.
He offered none, getting in the car and slamming the door.
And that had been that.
--
Ron remembered that day with acidic clarity. Bloody hell, if he had thought things were bad back then…he remembered being angry that day, but he had never felt such sadistic pleasure from hurting her as he had last night. He hated this, but saw absolutely now way to rectify the situation. He wasn't apologizing, damn it. He hadn't done anything wrong. If she wanted to fix things, which he highly doubted, it was her move.
Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door.
"Ron, it's Harry."
Ron sighed with relief, getting up to answer the door.
Harry stood there with an equally relieved expression.
"I just wanted to make sure you were all right. I got your note."
"Sorry. I just needed to cool off."
"Understood."
A companionable silence fell between them as Harry entered and plopped down in a chair.
"Look, mate, if she's driving you crazy, don't feel like you have to stay because of me. I would not take it personally at all if the combination of your ex-girlfriend and Draco Malfoy made you want to run screaming in the other direction."
"It's okay, Harry. I mean, of course I'd rather not see either of them…ever again, but I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Harry sighed.
"Then can I tell you something?"
"Of course."
"I had an unexpected visitor in my hotel room last night."
"Niiice." Ron grinned.
"No, not like that. I have no idea how she got in. Said her name was Lara, and that she needs my help."
"I bet she did." Ron's grin widened.
"Ron, I'm serious! She started talking about how Bellatrix Lestrange, you remember her?"
"Freakshow." Ron said in a sing-song voice.
"Yeah, well, Bellatrix has found a way to bring people back from the dead. The worst kind of Dark Magic there is. And she wants to bring back Lucius Malfoy…the only other Death Eater ever as powerful and influential as she was."
"Wow."
"Yeah-and they're trying to make this weapon that would kill all the Muggles and Muggle borns. Like ALL of them."
Ron's mind flashed unbidden to Hermione, but he quickly pushed that thought away.
"That's awful, Harry."
"I know. She said she'd contact me today. I just don't know…"
"If you can trust her." Ron finished the thought.
"Exactly. I mean, she gave me her wand to do a truth spell, and I didn't because I figured the gesture was enough- I mean those truth spells are awful. She seemed like she was telling the truth…"
"But sending her to you would be a pretty easy way for Bellatrix to bait you."
"Right."
"I don't know, Harry- you can't afford to gamble wrong here. I say give her the benefit of the doubt for now-I mean, you can take care of yourself, even if it is a trap."
"That's true. Do you think I should ask--"
"No."
"Okay. Fine. I'm going with my instinct here, mate." Harry shrugged, going to leave.
"Hey, Harry, wait."
"What's up?"
"She hot?"
"Oh, yeah."
Ron laughed.
"Going with your instinct. Riiiight."
"Shove off." Harry grinned back, leaving and closing the door behind him.
--
Ginny sat in the hotel lobby, flipping through a fashion magazine with feigned semi-interest. Harry and Ron had called to say they were coming down in a moment. Draco she had not seen since their little alley incident.
She smiled in remembrance. How scandalous of them.
"Hey."
Ginny looked up to see Eric Langly, the British Quidditch beater.
"Hi."
"You're that Quidditch reporter, right?"
"No, I perform sexual favors for anyone on the team who wants them."
Eric blinked. Ginny smacked herself mentally. It was hard to remember not every guy was Draco, and not every guy thought those kind of jokes were funny.
"I'm kidding. Yes, I'm the Quidditch reporter. Ginny Weasley."
"Eric Langly."
"I know." She smiled.
"Oh, right." He grinned as well, sitting down next to her.
"You waiting for someone?" She said, putting down the magazine.
"No. Just don't really have anything left to do until we all apparate out tonight." Eric said, obviously fishing for an invite.
Ginny shrugged. He was cute in a burly sort of way, and seemed nice enough, if a little desperate.
"Well, Harry and an old friend of his, my older brother, Ron, we were all going to hang out today."
"Just the three of you?"
"Well, Hermione Granger, too, probably."
"Really? She seemed kind of…ice queen at the bar last night."
"Yeah, she didn't used to be like that. I think it might all be an act. But what do I know, right?"
Eric smiled, revealing startlingly white teeth, offset nicely by his tanned, freckled skin. Ginny was suddenly reminded of her older brother, Charlie, and felt a little grossed out by being attracted to him earlier.
"So, Ginny, tell me about you." He said, sitting a little closer.
"Not much to tell." She said, wanting Ron and Harry to get down here.
"Are you seeing anyone?"
"Er….no, not really." Ginny said absently.
"Me neither." Eric said, trying to sound offhand.
"That's too bad." She said, trying to think of an excuse to leave.
The elevator doors opened across the lobby. Finally, she thought to herself. But Draco walked out. She felt strangely relieved.
"Draco!" She called out, thankful for an excuse to get up.
She walked over to him, seeing him look over with that familiar face of bemused disinterest. For some reason, it was rather refreshing after Eric breathing down her neck.
"Morning, Gin." He said, walking towards her.
She looked over, and saw Eric watching them with great interest. Ginny smiled slightly to herself.
"So, thanks for last night." She said, in a suddenly seductive voice, walking over and kissing Draco hard.
Draco rather sloppily responded due to her catching him extremely off guard.
"Weasley, what the hell?" He broke the kiss, looking around them.
"Sorry. Just scaring off that guy over there." She indicated Eric with her eyes.
"Oh, Eric? Yeah, he hits on anything with…well, you know."
"Charming. Come on." She laced her fingers through his, walking over to Eric.
Eric looked at her, confused.
"I thought you said you weren't seeing anyone."
Ginny furrowed her eyebrows with mock befuddlement.
"What, Draco and me? We're just friends." She smiled, sliding her hand to his ass and walking out the front door with him.
"Enjoying this a bit much, aren't we?" Draco rolled his eyes.
"Perhaps." Ginny shrugged.
"Shouldn't you wait for Harry and Ron?"
"Yeah-would it kill you to hang out with them for a day? For me?"
"Gin, I'm sorry for any confusion, I don't do things for other people."
"Right, my mistake. I'll make it worth your while later?" She countered.
"That's better. We'll wait out here for them. May I quietly mock them at least?"
"Quietly? Mock away." She conceded.
"Is Granger coming?"
"I don't know. She and Ron kind of tore into it last night…and not in a good way."
"Is there ever a good way with them?" Draco shuddered at the mental image.
"You know what I mean. And come on, some part of you finds Hermione attractive. The whole 'forbidden fruit' thing?" Ginny prodded him.
"I kind of covered that fetish with you, Weasley."
"True."
At that moment, Harry and Ron walked out the sliding door and Ginny made sure to put her hands back in her pockets so her brother wouldn't have a coronary. He had enough problems at the moment, it seemed.
"Morning, Gin." Ron said in greeting, obstinately ignoring Draco.
"Good morning, Ron!" Draco said, in a fake cheerful voice, extending a hand.
Ron looked down at it.
"Are you kidding?"
"You cut me deeply, Weasel." Draco clutched his hand to his chest, and they all fell into step together.
"Is Hermione coming?" Ginny asked as they started to walk off.
"No. She called this morning to say she has to campaign today, but she'll be at the apparating spot tonight to say good-bye."
"She said that?" Ron snorted in disbelief.
"Well, good-bye to me and Ginny was more what she said." Harry clarified.
"Man, just random hits on Draco out of nowhere this morning!" Draco shook his head.
"Don't talk about yourself in the third person. It scares Ginny." Ginny said, laughing slightly.
Ron looked at her, seeing the smile on her face, and felt his stomach twist with revulsion. No, surely he was imagining things.
"So what's on the agenda today?" Ginny said, quickly changing the subject when she saw the look on Ron's face.
"We could go…" Harry's voice trailed off.
"Snorkeling! Skydiving! Skiing! Sailing! My friends and Ron, the world is our oyster!" Draco said with mock excitement.
"It's really amazing how many leisure activities start with the same letter." Ginny mused.
"I'm hungry." Ron interjected.
"And?" Draco looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Draco, stop being annoying. I'm hungry too." Harry rolled his eyes.
They walked by a moving poster plastered on the wall that said VOTE GRANGER. Ron, without even glancing at it, tore it down.
"Rowr! You tell her, Weasel." Draco smiled.
"So, when can we expect you two to stop fighting so we can all hang out again? Because it's reeeally getting old." Ginny sighed.
"I'm never talking to her again." Ron said under his breath.
"Yeah, right." Harry sighed. He had heard that a few times before.
"No, I'm serious. She's awful, Harry. She's turned into like this evil bitch from Hades in our absence."
"Did she make you cry with only her words?" Draco said sympathetically.
"Shut up, Draco, I don't even know why you're here." Ron snapped suddenly.
"Oh Ron, why do you hate me so?" Draco looked at him, trying not to laugh.
"I'm out of here. I'm not putting up with him all day." Ron turned abruptly, walking back towards the hotel.
"Something I said?" Draco shrugged, and Ginny hit him on the arm.
"You two go ahead. I'll go make sure Ron's all right. And Draco-come on, man, know when to stop." Harry shook his head, smiling slightly.
"But that takes all the fun out of life." Draco pouted, leaning up against the wall.
Ginny looked at him disapprovingly.
"Seriously, Draco, lay off. Ron's got enough going on right now. I mean, do you have to be an asshole all of the time? Why don't you try just giving it a break…like five minute intervals of total silence?"
"What, did you expect me and the town idiot just to be insta-pals? Come on."
"He's NOT an idiot. And he's my brother."
"Well, I'm sorry. I solemnly swear to NEVER be friends with Ron Weasley."
"Then have a great day--and night, I might add--all by yourself, Draco Malfoy." Ginny shrugged, following her brother and Harry.
--
Ginny entered the hotel to see Ron and Harry talking on the couches in the lobby.
"What are you doing here?" Ron looked up at her.
"Couldn't resist a good storm-off." Ginny smiled.
Suddenly, a startlingly attractive girl with long, black hair and blue eyes approached the table.
"Harry? Can we talk?" She asked, clearly indicating that she meant alone.
Ginny looked at the girl, then back at Harry and Ron.
"You know what, Harry, I'll field this one. Little sister duties and all that. You go ahead."
He smiled thankfully at her, and they walked off.
"Yowza." Ron could not help but say.
"Oh, do you think I'm someone else?" Ginny looked at him, trying not to smile.
"Sorry, but…wow."
"No, I know what you mean. Go Harry." She giggled slightly, turning back to her brother.
"So, do you want to talk? About anything?"
"No, I don't want to talk about Hermione." Ron said angrily.
"We don't have to talk about her." Ginny prodded.
Ron paused for a moment.
"It's just, she's not the person I knew before, you know? She's like this evil demon in a Hermione shell…like that Muggle movie Dad made us watch once."
Ginny smiled at the reference.
"Go on."
"I didn't think it was possible for someone to change so much. And I hate it the most because I told her this was going to happen, and she wouldn't listen. She was always like that…once she made up her mind, she was GOING to do it, no two ways around it. But no one can be right all of the time, you know?"
"Of course." Ginny conceded, just letting her older brother spew.
"And the worst part?" Ron's voice got a little softer, playing with his watch on his left wrist.
"What?"
"Some part of me really misses her. The real her, the one I…the one I fell in love with. I want to move on, I want to forget her, I know she's not worth this, I just…can't."
Ginny didn't say anything else. He wouldn't have heard her anyway.
--
Lara pulled Harry into a hallway lined with hotel rooms, seeing no one around.
"What's wrong?" He said, looking at her consternated expression.
"I fear we're too late. I fear it's already started." She said breathlessly, and Harry picked up the faintest hint of an accent. He couldn't quite place where it was from, and he had been too groggy to really notice it last night.
"Why do you think that?"
"Ever since I woke up this morning, I've felt a cold hand gripping my throat…do you know what I mean?"
"Actually, yes. That always used to happen--you know, with Voldemort and my scar."
"Right. Then you know you cannot explain why it feels like it does, but you also counted feelings as a valid omen."
"Yeah, sure."
"That's how I've felt all morning."
"So what do we do?"
"We try to find them. You and I. And whoever else you can trust. Whoever else you think could help us."
"What about you?"
"I don't trust anyone. Not anymore."
"Not even me?"
"I think you will be helpful. That doesn't mean I trust you." Lara said in a very businesslike voice.
"Let me talk to my friends tonight. I'll meet you tomorrow morning with anyone who's willing."
"What about your Quidditch team?"
"Maybe it's time I gave someone else a chance to play." Harry said, smiling a little cockily.
"Nice attitude." Lara smiled slightly, and Harry was taken aback with how pretty she was when she smiled.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Yes."
--
A dark corridor led to the room. The stones were wet with condensation, and hundreds of candles feebly held onto their flame.
A woman was looking at her reflection in a cracked mirror. Her sharply angular face was strangely attractive while still frightening to behold. She looked like the devil-alluring and tempting but deadly.
Bellatrix Lestrange was a woman who had always known what she wanted. And all she had ever wanted, even during her years at Hogwarts, was power. She had tasted it before, she bore the mark on her forearm to prove that.
But she had never really held it in her hands, possessed it as her own. Power had been hers, but only the power of a respected underling. And that insulted her. She wanted to be stronger, darker, more great than her former master had ever imagined.
And all that had led her to tonight.
She looked over the cauldron, the blood of so many unnoticed, unloved Muggle victims swirling in a miasma of scarlet fluid.
Bellatrix drew out her wand, gnarled from so much use, small cracks permeated it from her many unforgivable curses. She drank in the aroma of the liquid, almost crying from the sheer joy of what she could accomplish if this worked…WHEN this worked.
She began to speak, her voice raspy from smoke and heavy with pleasure.
"From the blood of the lesser rises my equal-
Their feeble lives unify as a single force-
Deliver him from the chains of death-
DELIVER HIM TO ME!"
Her voice cracked, as she began to laugh maniacally. The liquid began to bubble uncontrollably, spraying blood all over her face and clothes as she began to laugh harder and harder. Finally, a head and shoulders emerged, and she saw his face.
After a moment more, his whole body was free from the liquid, and he levitated slightly above the cauldron.
Bellatrix took his hand, and the spell holding him up was broken. He fell to the floor, weak, exhausted, but alive.
She fell to the floor beside him.
"Open your eyes, my love. Open your eyes and see what I've done. I brought you back."
He slowly complied, his light blue eyes taking in his surroundings with the wide-eyed wonder of an infant.
"Lucius, it's just the two of us now. We can finally do everything we always planned. Death for you was not the end, darling. It has proved to be only the beginning."
She smiled, a strangely eerie smile, and she leaned forward to hear him as he struggled to speak. He finally managed.
"Thank you."
She kissed him in return, the blood still salty and wet on his lips.
--
A/N- Review!
Disclaimer- Lyrics to the wonderful Dashboard Confessional, most characters to the brilliant J.K.
Reunion
Chapter Four
I Thought It Was Forever
--
I'm reading your note over again
There's not a word that I comprehend,
Except when you signed it
"I will love you always and forever."
I'm missing your laugh
How did it break?
And when did your eyes begin to look fake?
I hope you're as happy as you 're pretending
--
The ride to King's Cross station at the end of their seventh year was heavy with a tense, exhausted silence. Harry looked sullenly out the window, his body still aching from the final battle that had taken place weeks ago, but the wounds still felt fresh and painful. The fear of losing everything and everyone if he was defeated had left a mark as distinct as the scar he still bore, and it haunted him even now, when the danger was really gone. He had won. He was again the most celebrated hero in the wizardering world. But he didn't know if he'd ever be the same.
Harry was leaving in a week to begin training with the British professional Quiddditch team. They had recruited himself and Draco Malfoy right out of Hogwarts, two of the youngest to ever be placed right on the roster. Harry sighed. Malfoy would be the only person he'd see from Hogwarts for a while. Bloody fantastic. But wrapping himself up in Quidditch practices seemed like just the right thing at the moment.
Hermione was used to burying herself in a book during awkward silences. But now school was over, and all the books were read, and she had nothing to hide behind anymore. So she just sat there, looking over at Harry empathetically, and avoiding Ron's eyes as much as possible.
The letter inviting her to France was tucked in her book bag.
Harry sighed heavily, breaking from his brooding for a moment. He looked at his two best friends, anxious for some mindless conversation to distract him for a bit.
"We're finally finished." Harry said, trying to spur discussion.
"Yes. We bloody well are." Ron looked at Hermione pointedly.
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Okay, you two, what happened? Why are both of you in such rotten moods? It's our last train ride from Hogwarts, we should be catching up on the good old days, not pouting in the corner like some Muggle soap opera characters!" Harry said, expasperated.
"Oh, nothing happened, Harry. Just Ronald can't seem to accept the fact that some of us want to do something with our life that matters." Hermione finally spoke.
"Right, because little Ronald's pathetic job at the Ministry couldn't possibly matter as much as some stupid, snobbish academy in France." Ron said, doing a rather uncanny, if rude, impression of her.
"You said it, not me." Hermione shot back.
"Aargh! I can't stand hearing you two bitch at each other the whole way home!" Harry threw his hands up in frustration, quickly leaving the compartment and slamming the door behind him.
Ron and Hermione were left in the compartment, glaring at each other.
"Real nice, Ron." Hermione looked at him angrily.
"Don't you dare blame me for this! This is your decision, and I have every right to be mad!" Ron practically yelled back.
"Keep your voice down." She said through gritted teeth.
"Why should I?"
"No, sorry, you're right. I guess I shouldn't expect anything from you but immaturity."
Ron looked away from her, his thoughts filled with biting retorts, but for once he held his tongue. This was awful. He had been madly in love with her for so long, and knew that she loved him back. They had always fought, but not with the same bitterness their words were heavy with now.
"This isn't right." Ron finally spoke, not looking at her.
"What are you talking about?"
"It shouldn't end like this."
"Well, then how do you think it should end?"
"We should be together. You know it."
Hermione fell silent, her heart twisting slightly. Of course she knew it. Why was she running away from him? But then her selfish voice crept back into her mind. Why can't he just be happy for you, Hermione? Why won't he just say he'll wait for you, or come with you? He could work anywhere, and you have the opportunity of a lifetime.
"Ron, it's not like I'm leaving forever. I don't know why this upsets you so much."
"Yes, you do. You know it upsets me…because you won't come back. You'll find everything you want in France…a perfect job, a perfect life, and probably some seemingly perfect rich bloke to go along with it. You'll never come back if you leave tonight. Why would you?"
Hermione didn't reply, so they lapsed into silence again. She looked out the window, and saw that they were getting closer to the station. Ron was right about something. She couldn't bear to leave things this way between them. So she finally looked at him, tentatively taking his hand.
"Ron…even if all those things happen, and I never do come back, you'll still always be my first. My first kiss, my first love, my first…everything. I'll never forget you-and I'm sorry if this hurts you, but it's just something I have to do. Please try to understand that."
Ron's blue eyes softened slightly.
"I can't lose you."
"You won't."
"You don't know that."
"I've always been yours, Ron. That's something you can't lose."
She kissed him softly, feeling relieved that they weren't fighting for the first time in a long while.
Ron's hands slid into her hair, pulling her closer. Hermione felt that familiar heat spreading through her body, and the kiss deepened…how could anyone ever make her feel like this again?
They breathlessly and reluctantly broke apart as things got more heated, remembering where they were and thinking they didn't want to scar some first year for life.
They sat there for a moment, their foreheads touching.
"Stay with me." Ron said, out of breath but insistent.
It caused Hermione physical pain to reply, but she'd made up her mind along time ago, and she was the most stubborn person at Hogwarts, other than Ron, of course.
"I can't." Her voice was weak and unconvincing.
"Stay with me. Don't go." He said, kissing her again, and for a moment, it was hard to remember why she wanted to go at all.
After a moment, Ron pulled away, his dark blue eyes on hers piercingly.
"Marry me."
She pulled away in shock.
"R-Ron, I can't do that."
He looked at her, and his face didn't really fall, it just went blank.
"Fine." His voice, so passionate a moment ago, was now completely emotionless.
"Ron, I'm sorry. It's just-we're only seventeen, and maybe when I get back, we could-" She grabbed his arm, pleading.
"You're not sorry." Ron said, laughing bitterly.
"Ron, you can't just…" Hermione's voice broke with frustration.
Suddenly, Harry entered.
"We're at the station." He announced, just as the train came to a jolting halt.
After goodbyes to Harry, Ron and Hermione had walked off in two opposite directions without a word to each other. The Weasley family looked at Ron curiously after their chilly goodbye, or lack thereof, searching for an explanation.
He offered none, getting in the car and slamming the door.
And that had been that.
--
Ron remembered that day with acidic clarity. Bloody hell, if he had thought things were bad back then…he remembered being angry that day, but he had never felt such sadistic pleasure from hurting her as he had last night. He hated this, but saw absolutely now way to rectify the situation. He wasn't apologizing, damn it. He hadn't done anything wrong. If she wanted to fix things, which he highly doubted, it was her move.
Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door.
"Ron, it's Harry."
Ron sighed with relief, getting up to answer the door.
Harry stood there with an equally relieved expression.
"I just wanted to make sure you were all right. I got your note."
"Sorry. I just needed to cool off."
"Understood."
A companionable silence fell between them as Harry entered and plopped down in a chair.
"Look, mate, if she's driving you crazy, don't feel like you have to stay because of me. I would not take it personally at all if the combination of your ex-girlfriend and Draco Malfoy made you want to run screaming in the other direction."
"It's okay, Harry. I mean, of course I'd rather not see either of them…ever again, but I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Harry sighed.
"Then can I tell you something?"
"Of course."
"I had an unexpected visitor in my hotel room last night."
"Niiice." Ron grinned.
"No, not like that. I have no idea how she got in. Said her name was Lara, and that she needs my help."
"I bet she did." Ron's grin widened.
"Ron, I'm serious! She started talking about how Bellatrix Lestrange, you remember her?"
"Freakshow." Ron said in a sing-song voice.
"Yeah, well, Bellatrix has found a way to bring people back from the dead. The worst kind of Dark Magic there is. And she wants to bring back Lucius Malfoy…the only other Death Eater ever as powerful and influential as she was."
"Wow."
"Yeah-and they're trying to make this weapon that would kill all the Muggles and Muggle borns. Like ALL of them."
Ron's mind flashed unbidden to Hermione, but he quickly pushed that thought away.
"That's awful, Harry."
"I know. She said she'd contact me today. I just don't know…"
"If you can trust her." Ron finished the thought.
"Exactly. I mean, she gave me her wand to do a truth spell, and I didn't because I figured the gesture was enough- I mean those truth spells are awful. She seemed like she was telling the truth…"
"But sending her to you would be a pretty easy way for Bellatrix to bait you."
"Right."
"I don't know, Harry- you can't afford to gamble wrong here. I say give her the benefit of the doubt for now-I mean, you can take care of yourself, even if it is a trap."
"That's true. Do you think I should ask--"
"No."
"Okay. Fine. I'm going with my instinct here, mate." Harry shrugged, going to leave.
"Hey, Harry, wait."
"What's up?"
"She hot?"
"Oh, yeah."
Ron laughed.
"Going with your instinct. Riiiight."
"Shove off." Harry grinned back, leaving and closing the door behind him.
--
Ginny sat in the hotel lobby, flipping through a fashion magazine with feigned semi-interest. Harry and Ron had called to say they were coming down in a moment. Draco she had not seen since their little alley incident.
She smiled in remembrance. How scandalous of them.
"Hey."
Ginny looked up to see Eric Langly, the British Quidditch beater.
"Hi."
"You're that Quidditch reporter, right?"
"No, I perform sexual favors for anyone on the team who wants them."
Eric blinked. Ginny smacked herself mentally. It was hard to remember not every guy was Draco, and not every guy thought those kind of jokes were funny.
"I'm kidding. Yes, I'm the Quidditch reporter. Ginny Weasley."
"Eric Langly."
"I know." She smiled.
"Oh, right." He grinned as well, sitting down next to her.
"You waiting for someone?" She said, putting down the magazine.
"No. Just don't really have anything left to do until we all apparate out tonight." Eric said, obviously fishing for an invite.
Ginny shrugged. He was cute in a burly sort of way, and seemed nice enough, if a little desperate.
"Well, Harry and an old friend of his, my older brother, Ron, we were all going to hang out today."
"Just the three of you?"
"Well, Hermione Granger, too, probably."
"Really? She seemed kind of…ice queen at the bar last night."
"Yeah, she didn't used to be like that. I think it might all be an act. But what do I know, right?"
Eric smiled, revealing startlingly white teeth, offset nicely by his tanned, freckled skin. Ginny was suddenly reminded of her older brother, Charlie, and felt a little grossed out by being attracted to him earlier.
"So, Ginny, tell me about you." He said, sitting a little closer.
"Not much to tell." She said, wanting Ron and Harry to get down here.
"Are you seeing anyone?"
"Er….no, not really." Ginny said absently.
"Me neither." Eric said, trying to sound offhand.
"That's too bad." She said, trying to think of an excuse to leave.
The elevator doors opened across the lobby. Finally, she thought to herself. But Draco walked out. She felt strangely relieved.
"Draco!" She called out, thankful for an excuse to get up.
She walked over to him, seeing him look over with that familiar face of bemused disinterest. For some reason, it was rather refreshing after Eric breathing down her neck.
"Morning, Gin." He said, walking towards her.
She looked over, and saw Eric watching them with great interest. Ginny smiled slightly to herself.
"So, thanks for last night." She said, in a suddenly seductive voice, walking over and kissing Draco hard.
Draco rather sloppily responded due to her catching him extremely off guard.
"Weasley, what the hell?" He broke the kiss, looking around them.
"Sorry. Just scaring off that guy over there." She indicated Eric with her eyes.
"Oh, Eric? Yeah, he hits on anything with…well, you know."
"Charming. Come on." She laced her fingers through his, walking over to Eric.
Eric looked at her, confused.
"I thought you said you weren't seeing anyone."
Ginny furrowed her eyebrows with mock befuddlement.
"What, Draco and me? We're just friends." She smiled, sliding her hand to his ass and walking out the front door with him.
"Enjoying this a bit much, aren't we?" Draco rolled his eyes.
"Perhaps." Ginny shrugged.
"Shouldn't you wait for Harry and Ron?"
"Yeah-would it kill you to hang out with them for a day? For me?"
"Gin, I'm sorry for any confusion, I don't do things for other people."
"Right, my mistake. I'll make it worth your while later?" She countered.
"That's better. We'll wait out here for them. May I quietly mock them at least?"
"Quietly? Mock away." She conceded.
"Is Granger coming?"
"I don't know. She and Ron kind of tore into it last night…and not in a good way."
"Is there ever a good way with them?" Draco shuddered at the mental image.
"You know what I mean. And come on, some part of you finds Hermione attractive. The whole 'forbidden fruit' thing?" Ginny prodded him.
"I kind of covered that fetish with you, Weasley."
"True."
At that moment, Harry and Ron walked out the sliding door and Ginny made sure to put her hands back in her pockets so her brother wouldn't have a coronary. He had enough problems at the moment, it seemed.
"Morning, Gin." Ron said in greeting, obstinately ignoring Draco.
"Good morning, Ron!" Draco said, in a fake cheerful voice, extending a hand.
Ron looked down at it.
"Are you kidding?"
"You cut me deeply, Weasel." Draco clutched his hand to his chest, and they all fell into step together.
"Is Hermione coming?" Ginny asked as they started to walk off.
"No. She called this morning to say she has to campaign today, but she'll be at the apparating spot tonight to say good-bye."
"She said that?" Ron snorted in disbelief.
"Well, good-bye to me and Ginny was more what she said." Harry clarified.
"Man, just random hits on Draco out of nowhere this morning!" Draco shook his head.
"Don't talk about yourself in the third person. It scares Ginny." Ginny said, laughing slightly.
Ron looked at her, seeing the smile on her face, and felt his stomach twist with revulsion. No, surely he was imagining things.
"So what's on the agenda today?" Ginny said, quickly changing the subject when she saw the look on Ron's face.
"We could go…" Harry's voice trailed off.
"Snorkeling! Skydiving! Skiing! Sailing! My friends and Ron, the world is our oyster!" Draco said with mock excitement.
"It's really amazing how many leisure activities start with the same letter." Ginny mused.
"I'm hungry." Ron interjected.
"And?" Draco looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Draco, stop being annoying. I'm hungry too." Harry rolled his eyes.
They walked by a moving poster plastered on the wall that said VOTE GRANGER. Ron, without even glancing at it, tore it down.
"Rowr! You tell her, Weasel." Draco smiled.
"So, when can we expect you two to stop fighting so we can all hang out again? Because it's reeeally getting old." Ginny sighed.
"I'm never talking to her again." Ron said under his breath.
"Yeah, right." Harry sighed. He had heard that a few times before.
"No, I'm serious. She's awful, Harry. She's turned into like this evil bitch from Hades in our absence."
"Did she make you cry with only her words?" Draco said sympathetically.
"Shut up, Draco, I don't even know why you're here." Ron snapped suddenly.
"Oh Ron, why do you hate me so?" Draco looked at him, trying not to laugh.
"I'm out of here. I'm not putting up with him all day." Ron turned abruptly, walking back towards the hotel.
"Something I said?" Draco shrugged, and Ginny hit him on the arm.
"You two go ahead. I'll go make sure Ron's all right. And Draco-come on, man, know when to stop." Harry shook his head, smiling slightly.
"But that takes all the fun out of life." Draco pouted, leaning up against the wall.
Ginny looked at him disapprovingly.
"Seriously, Draco, lay off. Ron's got enough going on right now. I mean, do you have to be an asshole all of the time? Why don't you try just giving it a break…like five minute intervals of total silence?"
"What, did you expect me and the town idiot just to be insta-pals? Come on."
"He's NOT an idiot. And he's my brother."
"Well, I'm sorry. I solemnly swear to NEVER be friends with Ron Weasley."
"Then have a great day--and night, I might add--all by yourself, Draco Malfoy." Ginny shrugged, following her brother and Harry.
--
Ginny entered the hotel to see Ron and Harry talking on the couches in the lobby.
"What are you doing here?" Ron looked up at her.
"Couldn't resist a good storm-off." Ginny smiled.
Suddenly, a startlingly attractive girl with long, black hair and blue eyes approached the table.
"Harry? Can we talk?" She asked, clearly indicating that she meant alone.
Ginny looked at the girl, then back at Harry and Ron.
"You know what, Harry, I'll field this one. Little sister duties and all that. You go ahead."
He smiled thankfully at her, and they walked off.
"Yowza." Ron could not help but say.
"Oh, do you think I'm someone else?" Ginny looked at him, trying not to smile.
"Sorry, but…wow."
"No, I know what you mean. Go Harry." She giggled slightly, turning back to her brother.
"So, do you want to talk? About anything?"
"No, I don't want to talk about Hermione." Ron said angrily.
"We don't have to talk about her." Ginny prodded.
Ron paused for a moment.
"It's just, she's not the person I knew before, you know? She's like this evil demon in a Hermione shell…like that Muggle movie Dad made us watch once."
Ginny smiled at the reference.
"Go on."
"I didn't think it was possible for someone to change so much. And I hate it the most because I told her this was going to happen, and she wouldn't listen. She was always like that…once she made up her mind, she was GOING to do it, no two ways around it. But no one can be right all of the time, you know?"
"Of course." Ginny conceded, just letting her older brother spew.
"And the worst part?" Ron's voice got a little softer, playing with his watch on his left wrist.
"What?"
"Some part of me really misses her. The real her, the one I…the one I fell in love with. I want to move on, I want to forget her, I know she's not worth this, I just…can't."
Ginny didn't say anything else. He wouldn't have heard her anyway.
--
Lara pulled Harry into a hallway lined with hotel rooms, seeing no one around.
"What's wrong?" He said, looking at her consternated expression.
"I fear we're too late. I fear it's already started." She said breathlessly, and Harry picked up the faintest hint of an accent. He couldn't quite place where it was from, and he had been too groggy to really notice it last night.
"Why do you think that?"
"Ever since I woke up this morning, I've felt a cold hand gripping my throat…do you know what I mean?"
"Actually, yes. That always used to happen--you know, with Voldemort and my scar."
"Right. Then you know you cannot explain why it feels like it does, but you also counted feelings as a valid omen."
"Yeah, sure."
"That's how I've felt all morning."
"So what do we do?"
"We try to find them. You and I. And whoever else you can trust. Whoever else you think could help us."
"What about you?"
"I don't trust anyone. Not anymore."
"Not even me?"
"I think you will be helpful. That doesn't mean I trust you." Lara said in a very businesslike voice.
"Let me talk to my friends tonight. I'll meet you tomorrow morning with anyone who's willing."
"What about your Quidditch team?"
"Maybe it's time I gave someone else a chance to play." Harry said, smiling a little cockily.
"Nice attitude." Lara smiled slightly, and Harry was taken aback with how pretty she was when she smiled.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Yes."
--
A dark corridor led to the room. The stones were wet with condensation, and hundreds of candles feebly held onto their flame.
A woman was looking at her reflection in a cracked mirror. Her sharply angular face was strangely attractive while still frightening to behold. She looked like the devil-alluring and tempting but deadly.
Bellatrix Lestrange was a woman who had always known what she wanted. And all she had ever wanted, even during her years at Hogwarts, was power. She had tasted it before, she bore the mark on her forearm to prove that.
But she had never really held it in her hands, possessed it as her own. Power had been hers, but only the power of a respected underling. And that insulted her. She wanted to be stronger, darker, more great than her former master had ever imagined.
And all that had led her to tonight.
She looked over the cauldron, the blood of so many unnoticed, unloved Muggle victims swirling in a miasma of scarlet fluid.
Bellatrix drew out her wand, gnarled from so much use, small cracks permeated it from her many unforgivable curses. She drank in the aroma of the liquid, almost crying from the sheer joy of what she could accomplish if this worked…WHEN this worked.
She began to speak, her voice raspy from smoke and heavy with pleasure.
"From the blood of the lesser rises my equal-
Their feeble lives unify as a single force-
Deliver him from the chains of death-
DELIVER HIM TO ME!"
Her voice cracked, as she began to laugh maniacally. The liquid began to bubble uncontrollably, spraying blood all over her face and clothes as she began to laugh harder and harder. Finally, a head and shoulders emerged, and she saw his face.
After a moment more, his whole body was free from the liquid, and he levitated slightly above the cauldron.
Bellatrix took his hand, and the spell holding him up was broken. He fell to the floor, weak, exhausted, but alive.
She fell to the floor beside him.
"Open your eyes, my love. Open your eyes and see what I've done. I brought you back."
He slowly complied, his light blue eyes taking in his surroundings with the wide-eyed wonder of an infant.
"Lucius, it's just the two of us now. We can finally do everything we always planned. Death for you was not the end, darling. It has proved to be only the beginning."
She smiled, a strangely eerie smile, and she leaned forward to hear him as he struggled to speak. He finally managed.
"Thank you."
She kissed him in return, the blood still salty and wet on his lips.
--
A/N- Review!