:: Chapter Eleven: Despair ::

But Lucius wasn't quick enough. A strong masculine voice yelled out the killing curse and Lucius fell dead to the ground. All eyes fell to the murder; Draco. His unsteady hand dropped his wand to the ground. Ron and Harry looked at the Dark Lord's son.

"Why did you do that?" Harry asked.

"He needed to be stopped." Was all Draco managed to say before he left the room. He couldn't stand to see the one person he had ever loved and the one person he wanted to love him both lay dead on the ground. Harry rushed over to Hermione's side.

"Why did this happen?" Ron croaked holding back tears. He knew, as a part of the rules of being an Auror you couldn't let your emotions enter the job.

"I'm not sure Ron." Harry said softly. They looked at the lifeless body lying beneath them. Her dark hair encircled her and a calm look rested on her face. She was covered in dirt and grime and her skin was pale. Using a vanishing spell Harry sent Hermione back to his apartment so they could send Hermione to the hospital and be with her later.

"Are you ready to put an end to all of this Death Eater madness?" Ron asked wiping the stray tear off his face.

"Let's go kick some Death Eater butt." Harry said grabbing both Draco and his wands off of the floor. Before they could even begin their search the Death Eaters surrounded them.

"This is the part where we kill you all." Harry said to the Death Eaters. His best friend's death seemed to have left him with a sarcastic wit.

"Evil will prosper." One of the Death Eaters said. With a few flicks of their wands and yells of Avada Kedavra Death Eaters fell dead and Ron lay on the floor in pain. Obviously the Death Eaters believed in slow, painful deaths. The only choice Harry and Ron had was to run. They apparated to Harry's flat where the body of Hermione lay. The two sat next to Hermione where she lay on Harry's bed. They seemed unable to say anything.

"It's twisted how fate works." Ron sighed. He didn't seem to notice when Hermione stirred.

"Ron." Harry said shocked.

"Stop Harry, I'm tired of watching her. Let's just send her to St. Mungo's." He turned away from the bed completely.

"Ron." Harry tried again before Ron cut him off.

"I can't do it Harry!" Ron yelled.

"Ron! I think she's awake."

"Awake? Harry, she's dead."

"No, look!" And as if on cue Hermione shifted. Ron rushed right back to her side.

"Hermione." Ron shoved her arm a little. "Hermione wake up, please." She stirred again.

"Mione." Harry began to help in waking her. Her eyes fluttered open and the boys nearly leapt for joy. "Why do you guys look so glum?" She asked in a weak voice that was barely above a whisper.

"We thought you were dead." Harry said.

"Lucius Malfoy used the killing curse." Ron added.

"It obviously didn't hit me. Maybe he didn't truly mean it." She said thoughtfully.

"Why would killing you be any different?" Harry asked.

"I don't know." Hermione bit her lip recalling the exact reason why he might have found it hard to

kill her.

"Um… what happened to Dra...Malfoy?" She corrected herself quickly. The boys looked at her oddly but didn't question it.

"Actually he was the one that killed Lucius." Ron informed her.

"Really?" She questioned obviously shocked. He just nodded. A small smile graced her lips. 'He actually took my advice and listened to me.' She thought.

"Did he hurt you?" Harry asked.

"No, he didn't do anything. He's a lot of talk." She remembered their conversations in the dark, damp basement. "Um… I know you guys are glad I'm alive and all but would you mind terribly if I said I just wanted to go home and shower?"

"Not at all Mione." Ron shook his head.

"I'm really glad you're okay now Hermione." Harry said; a small rosy blush covered his cheeks.

"Thank you both, for everything." And with that she apparated.

Hermione stepped into her flat. And immediately headed for the shower. As she was undressing and turning the water on her mind wandered. She recalled all the childhood memories of Draco, the girlish crushes on the "Bad Boy" and she recalled the day she was captured. The length of time since that day had never really occurred to her. It had been four months, it didn't seem to be so long but calendars in the wizarding world never lied. She stepped into the warm spray of shower; the water fell onto her filthy body. Again her mind wandered to the day she came face to face with Draco Malfoy after eight years.

"Well, Mudblood, You are in my room, in my house. I think I'm in control. I say what goes. We're talking. What have you been up to Granger?"

"If you must know I'm teaching at Hogwarts now. Defense Against the Dark Arts." He laughed slightly.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts? I see you're not doing that well at the defense part, otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"I can handle myself very well in these situations thank you very much."

"Can you? Then why are you the one tied to the chair?"

"Shut up Malfoy. At least I'm not a Death Eater. I'm not a criminal, you are. Who has the better end of the deal?"

"Why Miss Granger, you underestimate my career. Being a Death Eater does not mean that you're a criminal. It only means that you work for your boss no matter what the situations. Be it anything at all."

"Is being an emotionless wreck part of the job criteria?"

"I am not emotionless."

"Do you love anything?"

Her thoughts trailed off. 'He loves me.' She thought. 'And he said those three vital and dangerous words. But things would never work.' Her tears mixed in with the spray of the shower. She stepped out of the shower shutting the water off and wrapping herself in a fluffy towel.