For months the battles raged on and on, each one more brutal than the last. Millions of dead and critically wounded were dragged away from each confrontation. After one final battle, the Light side retreated, and Lord Voldemort stepped forward to assume his role as supreme leader.
The snow was finally beginning to melt. Ron was walking around the camp looking for extra scraps of wood or metal to repair the damage done to his house in the snow. He rounded a corner to see a small girl crouched in the mud, crying as though her life depended on it. Ron winced to hear her sobs punctuated by the harsh cough that also polluted his younger sister's lungs. Stepping a little closer, he bent to see who it was, and recognized her almost immediately.
"Pansy?" He asked, his voice full of concern. The girl looked up and him, and before his mind could register, she was in his arms, crying in to his shoulder. Not knowing what else to do, Ron rubbed her back gently. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" He ventured, hoping she would say no. Pansy sobbed louder, and Ron was sorry he said anything.
"I had an owl, from Breena, but the guards yanked the letter away before I could see what she had to say. And they killed the owl," she added, gesturing to a lump of feathers a few feet away. "They didn't even leave it for someone to eat," she mourned, burying her face in Ron's shoulder again. He rolled his eyes and patted her back.
"I'm sure owl meat isn't all that great anyway," he murmured, not sure what else to say. Pansy pulled away from him then, only to succumb to a coughing fit. Ron turned away, unable to watch her suffering. Pulling a hand away from her mouth, Pansy quickly wiped the blood on her robes. She closed her eyes, trying for a moment to step outside of the harsh realities she now faced.
"Ron?" she asked quietly. He turned around to see what she wanted. "Will you stay with me for a while? I don't like to be alone when the guards change shifts," she said the last part softly so only Ron could hear, but he picked up her meaning anyway. He nodded and slipped a protective arm around her as they headed back towards her shack.
* * *
Breena sat on her windowsill, waiting for a return owl from Pansy. A cool breeze blew in around her shoulders making her shiver a little bit. Behind her, Sorcha came into the room and sat down on her bed.
"Don't wait up too long, I haven't heard from Ron in an eternity," Sorcha informed her sister. Breena shrugged and shut the window. She crossed the room to sit on her own bed. The room was smaller than the one she'd had at Hogwarts, but she only shared it with her sister. The school itself was smaller, and comprised of witchcraft and wizarding students from all around the world.
Sorcha leaned backwards across her bed, letting her long black hair fall in a fan around her pale face. She and Breena had agreed to be identical again when they transferred. The students were nicer and less exclusive here, which Sorcha assumed was due to the lack of house rivalries. There were no houses at their new school.
Breena sighed and wondered why Ron and Pansy weren't writing. There was no news from Europe about the Dark Lord, which made Breena wonder why her father had moved in the first place. She crawled under the covers, vowing to ask her father the next time she saw him.
* * *
Hermione awoke early one morning to find herself alone in the castle. Even Severus was nowhere to be found. She found her breakfast set out on the terrace, which she ate calmly, enjoying the silence.
On her way to take a bath, Hermione peered out the window in Draco's study, overlooking the camp below. It had been a month since the Dark Lord had decided to relax the boundaries. The people were now spread out over a somewhat larger piece of land, including a clean river, and some forest. They had primitive tools, but even so, Hermione was surprised at the transformation of the camp. Gone were the straight rows of shacks, and now somewhat more respectable dwellings were scattered around the area. Magic was still strictly forbidden to all except those in the Lord's confidence.
Hermione smiled at the people, who were growing more tolerant of their new Lord, and headed for the bath. She soaked for a long time in the hot lavendar-scented water. After her bath, she dressed in one of the ornate dress robes given to her by the Dark Lord. Two house elves patiently brushed her hair until it was dry, then twisted it up onto her head for her. She then affixed a small tiara to her head. As she was doing so, Draco burst through the doors of the room, startling her. Hermione spun to look at him, and gasped, seeing tears in his eyes. He fell at her feet and put his head in her lap.
"Hermione, our Lord is dead," Draco choked.
* * *
Ron and Pansy lay out in a green field, just beyond the edge of the town. The two had grown closer as their time in the camp went on. As he absently stroked Pansy's hair, Ron wondered aloud how much time they had left in the camp.
"When he is dead, we will be free," Pansy said softly. Ron closed his eyes, cherishing her innocent hope.
"Do you honestly believe that?" he asked her. Pansy turned to look at him with tears in her eyes.
"I do, because I know Hermione. She knows what is right and she will set us free," Pansy said decidedly.
"She has broken one of our most absolute laws!" Ron exclaimed.
"Do you think that will matter if she is the one to free us from this tyranny?" Pansy asked. Ron shook his head. Pansy sat up and walked a few feet away, hugging her stomach. "Hermione Granger, I don't know what is going to become of you," she whispered to herself before Ron's strong arms descended comfortingly around her shoulders. Pansy turned to face him and put her cheek against his chest. She closed her eyes, feeling safe as long as she was with Ron.
Before he knew what he was doing, Ron leaned in and softly kissed Pansy's lips. She looked up at him with wide eyes that seemed to ask what he was doing. Ignoring the plainly written apprehension on Pansy's face, he took her face in his hands and kissed her again. She was unresponsive at first, but at his insistence she soon began to return the kiss.
Just then the bells started to ring, signifying that the people should gather in front of Draco's Palace to hear him speak. The palace guards were out front defining a pathway from Lord Voldemort's Palace to Draco's. Ron and Pansy took their places near the front. They watched as Draco and Hermione, both dressed in somber black dress robes, walked up the path to their palace.
Hermione took a deep breath, wondering if she would be able to make it safely to the palace promenade. She felt lightheaded and slightly queasy and, for the first time in longer than she could remember, she had no idea what to do or say. As she walked along the crowd, she looked at the faces of the people she was passing by. Suddenly she began to feel very ill, recognizing this walk from her nightmares. The faces all swirled around her, terrified and angry. Hermione tore her eyes away from them and forced herself to look straight ahead. She felt Draco squeeze her hand encouragingly, and relaxed a little bit. They reached the stairs of the palace and slowly ascended.
Taking their places on the promenade, Hermione surveyed the people around her. Lucius Malfoy was standing nearby, beaming at his son proudly. Severus was next to Lucius, his eyes fixed on the ground. Several guards stood around her. Draco stepped forward to address the crowd.
"It is my sad duty to inform you, that our most esteemed and powerful leader, Lord Voldemort, passed away this morning," Draco announced. A hush fell over the crowd, but Draco did not miss the few smiles that graced the lips of a few people. "With a heavy heart, I willingly and most humbly accept my role as your new Monarch," he finished. He listened to the applause of the people, and smiled graciously before stepping back to stand by Hermione. Lucius stepped forward to announce the time of the coronation, and the memorial service. Draco waved in motion for the people to disperse, then he and Hermione stepped inside.
Their palace was now filled with soldiers and death eaters. The blissful solitude that Hermione had once enjoyed so much was now shattered. Days were spent in meetings, planning how to keep the people under control and at the same time turn them to the Dark Side. Hermione couldn't help but struggle to keep awake as day after day her fiancé discussed the same things over and over with his advisors.
She was growing restless with nothing to do. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't seem to remember what she did before her true lineage had been revealed to her. School seemed far away and very hazy, and she had no recollection of her friends or what she had studied.
Completely at a loss for ways to pass the time one afternoon, Hermione went looking for Severus. She hoped he could at least suggest a few things for her to occupy her time with, if not tell her what she needed to do. As she walked down the stairs, she began to feel extremely light headed. Reaching for the wall, Hermione sat down on the stone stairs and rested her head against the cool surface. The moment passed and she felt better, so she stood up and headed down the hallway.
* * *
Ginny walked along the edge of the camp. She felt silly and childish, but in her heart she couldn't help but feel like things had improved around the camp once Draco had come to power. The boundaries remained, now marked clearly by a stonewall; however the houses had improved vastly. The people were still starving, and wearing shreds of the old gray robes they had been issued when they had first arrived, but Ginny could tell their spirits had lifted.
Rounding a corner, Ginny heard a familiar laugh and paused. Cautiously she edged closer, her curiosity getting the best of her. For what seemed only like the billionth time since she'd arrived at the camp, Ginny wished she had her wand back so she could make herself invisible.
"Oh, Severus," the familiar voice was saying, once Ginny was close enough to hear clearly.
"Hush, someone will hear us. I couldn't stand for our secret to be out, it would tear me apart to lose you," a male voice said softly. Ginny's eyes grew wide. Snape had a lover? The suspense was killing her, so Ginny peered around the corner. To her shock and somewhat disgust, clutched in Severus Snape's warm embrace was none other than Minerva McGonagall.
Ginny pulled back around the corner and headed far away from the secluded spot. Unfortunately the image was burned in her mind. Shaking it off, Ginny headed back home.
* * *
Lucius Malfoy hummed to himself as he walked down the hall. It was exactly a week from his son's eighteenth birthday, and things could not be going any better for the Malfoys. Narcissa and Lucius had been invited to live in Lord Voldemort's old palace, along with a few of Draco's other most trusted advisors. Passing through the French doors, Lucius joined his son on the terrace for lunch, alone for the first time since Draco had been crowned.
Draco sat at the table already, impatiently waiting for his father to arrive. The lunch idea hadn't been his own which he resented somewhat, yet he couldn't think of a good reason why he couldn't meet with his father. Lucius sat down across from Draco and looked expectantly at his son.
"Glad you could make it," Draco began. Lucius nodded.
"Thank you for the invitation," Lucius replied. Draco suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. The formal, stiff conversation that followed was almost worse than the time Draco had been turned into a weasel. After a while the two men fell silent.
"Father, why is it that-"
"Draco, why don't you-" Lucius began at the same time as Draco. They glanced at each other then burst into laughter. "Call me Dad, Draco. You've already demonstrated your respect enough by following my wishes for you."
"Alright," Draco said, somewhat surprised by this admission. "Well then, Dad," Draco began placing an emphasis on the word dad that sent them both back into laughter. "Why is it that- I seem to have completely forgotten what I was going to ask you."
"That's alright, It will come to you," Lucius assured. He smiled at his son, a mischievous grin crossing his face. "So tell me about Miss Hermione," Lucius pressed.
"What about her?" Draco asked, wondering why his father was suddenly taking interest in her.
"Well, she is your fiancée, I was hoping that you could tell me more about her. She seems like a very nice girl from the few times I've met her," Lucius said.
"She's wonderful," Draco agreed, a huge smile crossing his face. Lucius couldn't help but smile as well. The boy was undeniably in love.
"So I suppose I should return your birthday gifts?" Lucius joked. Draco raised an eyebrow, imploring his father to continue. "Well, I was going to follow the Malfoy tradition and hire you a prostitute for your birthday, but I suppose that won't be necessary now will it?" Lucius flashed another smile at Draco, which quickly faded as soon as he saw the expression on his son's face. Draco wasn't smiling in appreciation of the joke, but he wasn't angry either. His gaze was directed at some unattainable point in the distance. "Draco?"
"No, that won't be necessary," Draco choked the words out. Lucius raised an eyebrow at his son.
"I should be going," Lucius suggested, getting to his feet. Draco stood up to say goodbye, but couldn't look his father in the eye. Lucius started to walk away, but then turned back before he left the terrace. "Draco, if you ever need anything, you know, even just some advice, I'm always here for you," Lucius offered, watching his son's face carefully. Draco nodded absently and waved a hand goodbye. Lucius left the palace wondering what he could do to help his son.
* * *
A week later, Draco was sitting in his office looking over some papers when a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Snape opened the door and closed it quickly behind him.
"Your father has brought your present, and requests an audience with you," Severus informed Draco. Draco nodded. "Sir, a token of my esteem."
"Severus, you shouldn't have!" Draco exclaimed with more sincerity than he felt. Severus shrugged and placed a thin box on the boy's desk. Draco opened it to see a silver watch lying on a cushion. He smiled at Snape and motioned for him to send his father in.
Lucius burst through the doors, beaming from ear to ear.
"Happy Birthday, Draco!" He exclaimed. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Thanks, Dad," he replied. Looking past his father as Snape closed the doors, Draco caught a glimpse of a girl standing in the hallway. "Dad, you didn't!" he hissed, glancing nervously at the now-closed doors.
"Of course not, Draco, I wouldn't want to cause any trouble," Lucius replied flatly. "I just brought you a companion," he informed his son. Draco raised an eyebrow warily. Lucius motioned for Snape to send the girl in.
Draco looked at her feet first, almost afraid to see what the girl looked like. He raised his eyes slowly, until he reached her waist. She was wearing tight-fitted satin dress robes. Her long black hair hung to her waist, curled at the ends. Draco looked away for a second, before he had enough courage to look back. His heart was racing as his eyes moved up to her face. Somehow he felt he should have seen this coming.
"Happy Birthday, Draco," Breena said. Lucius and Snape headed for the door, trying not to attract Draco's attention. Draco saw them leaving but chose to ignore it.
"Thank you, Breena," he replied. "You're looking well"
"As are you," she said calmly.
"Thank you," said Draco, not sure what else to say. The room fell silent for a few moments. "Um, if you want, Severus can give you a tour."
"Maybe later," she agreed. "I think I'll go get settled in, if you could just show me to my room?"
"Uh, yeah," Draco stood up and headed for the doors. Breena followed him up the stairs to the third level and down the hall to a spare bedroom. "The bathroom is right across the hall."
"Thank you, Draco," Breena said. She looked around the room, which was very elaborately decorated. "I think I'm all set."
"Alright, well, um, dinner will be later. It's uh- Severus will let you know when and where," Draco stumbled over his words, and then chose to exit quickly. He berated himself mentally as he headed down the stairs to his office. Opening the door he headed straight for his desk, not noticing Hermione sitting in on of the overstuffed armchairs waiting patiently for him.
"Draco, is everything alright?" she asked, noticing his clearly shaken demeanor. He looked up, surprised to see her there.
"Hermione! What are you doing here?" He snapped. Her eyes grew wide, and then clouded over.
"I came to have tea with you. You've been working all morning, I thought you'd like some company," she replied, standing up. Her tone indicated that she wasn't very happy with him.
"I'm sorry, my father stopped by unexpectedly with my uh- present and I still haven't recovered," Draco sank into his chair and rested his forehead on his fingertips. "What time are we having dinner?"
"I don't know, what time do you want to have dinner?" Hermione asked, still a little frustrated.
"Never mind," Draco replied, turning to look out the window. The sky outside was filled with dark black clouds, casting a shadow over the village below. He watched the people hurry along the narrow dirt streets, casting nervous glances at the sky. Looking straight ahead he could see Hermione's reflection in the glass. She was watching him with a concerned look in her eyes. Suddenly the events of that morning seemed to fade away and he felt a smirk cross his face. He spun his chair around to look at her.
Hermione could see a familiar look in Draco's eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her and stood up to walk towards her.
"Tell me, Hermione, what did you get me for my birthday?" He asked, taking hold of her arm. With his other hand he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, grazing her cheek with his fingertips. He tipped her chin up and gently pulled her towards him until their lips met. His hand moved to her lower back, pulling her body close to his. After a few minutes, Hermione broke the kiss with an amused look on her face.
"Do you think you've been good enough to deserve a present?" Hermione teased. Draco raised an eyebrow; completely serious for a few seconds before he and Hermione both started to laugh. As her head tipped back, Draco bent to kiss her neck, his arms wrapped around her waist so she wouldn't fall. The doors to the office swung open as Severus brought in the tea, followed closely by Lucius.
"So sorry!" Severus squeaked, turning around immediately only to crash into Lucius and spill the tea all over the floor. Severus let out another squeak, and quickly pulled out his wand to clean the mess up.
"Severus!" Draco allowed a smile to cross his face after a few moments pause. Severus spun on his heel to face Draco. "I want to ask you a question about something. I was walking down the hall the other day and came across the most curious thing," Draco began, he led Severus from the room. Lucius pulled out his own wand to clean up the stains that were forming on his robe. "Oh, Dad, you'll want to see this too, Hermione? Come on," Draco added, leading them all down the hall. They came close to the kitchen, and Draco paused suddenly. He opened the door to the currently empty broom closet and gestured inside it.
"Draco, it's a broom closet, it just happens to be empty," Lucius said. "Really, is that what you had to drag us down here to see?"
"Oh, Dad, don't be silly," Draco said with a mocking tone of voice. "Go in there and actually look at what I'm trying to show you." Lucius peered in and saw nothing.
"Really, Draco, I can assure you there is nothing in there out of the ordinary," Lucius was beginning to lose patience. Severus waltzed confidently into the closet.
"Master Draco, I too promise there is nothing strange about this closet. Look, all the stonework is in tact, there are no enchantments of any sort," Severus said. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Honestly, you too aren't looking hard enough," Draco patted his pocket for his wand, but pretended that it wasn't there. "Severus, do you mind?"
"Not at all, Sir," Severus tossed his wand to Draco. Draco took it and held it in his hand for a second. He moved it about, trying to get a proper grip.
"Oh, for god's sakes, use mine it's almost identical to yours," Lucius said, tossing his wand at Draco as well. Draco caught it and held it for a moment. Then a devilish grin crossed his face. He quickly murmured a spell and the door flew shut and locked. Severus and Lucius sat, looking at each other for a few moments before they realized what had happened.
"Very clever, Draco, you did the same thing when you were six," Lucius called. "Open the door." Dead silence followed. Lucius pounded the door once with his fist and then sat down. Severus did the same and the two men sat in silence for a while.
Down the hall, Draco and Hermione sat laughing about the trick they had played on the two men.
"I never thought they'd fall for it," Draco admitted. "It worked almost too well. I should have thought of it sooner."
"How long are you going to keep them in there?" Hermione asked.
"We'll see," Draco shrugged.
* * *
Ron Weasley sat on an empty hill, staring at the setting sun. His mind couldn't focus on any one thing. He was full of questions that he was dying to ask someone; full of emotions that were driving him crazy. The six months he had spent in the camp had worn him down. The physical labor had built up his muscles and broken down his spirit. He could feel that he had changed from the Ron Weasley he had been at Hogwart's. What he wanted most was to be free again. To go back to school, to see Harry alive and well, to see Sorcha again. He wanted to be able to say what he wanted whenever he wanted. And even if it meant having to deal with double potions with the Slytherins, he wanted to see Hermione back to her normal self.
He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't hear anyone approaching behind him, until decidedly feminine hands covered his eyes.
"Guess who," a voice whispered softly. Ron's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly spun around to see who it was. His eyes widened and a huge smile crossed his face as he recognized the girl.
"Sorcha!" He exclaimed, taking her in his arms and spinning her around. "How did you find me?" He asked.
"We were coming to visit on vacation and the port key brought us here," Sorcha explained. "They took Breena away," she added softly. "Her loyalties lie up there," Sorcha gestured towards the palace. Ron nodded and hugged her tightly again, as if he were afraid to let her go.
* * *
"So, how long do you think we'll be in here?" Severus asked cheerily. Lucius rolled his eyes.
"Do you think my son thought of this neat trick all on his own, or did miss brainy Hermione have to help him out?" Lucius wondered sarcastically. Severus thought for a moment.
"Was Hermione in on it?" Severus asked.
"Does it matter?" Lucius replied.
"Do you think we'll get out today?" Severus changed the subject. Lucius shrugged.
"When do you think my son will remember he locked us away?"
"Do you think he'd forget about us?"
"Have you met my son?"
"Is his memory that poor?" Severus tried hard to remember.
"Am I hallucinating, or do you spend more time with him than I do these days?" Lucius replied. The men sat in silence, listening to the scurry of house-elves back and forth in the hall.
"Do you think they'll remember to lay dinner out in the west dining room?" Severus worried.
"Do you honestly think it matters that much?" Lucius snapped, his patience wearing thin.
"Doesn't it?" Severus replied softly after a few moments. Lucius faced his friend.
"Severus, what has come over you?" Lucius asked. The Severus Snape sitting in front of him wasn't the stern potions master and strong death eater that Lucius Malfoy had once been proud to stand next to. The man locked in a broom closet with him was a docile, subservient, emotional man that Lucius wanted very little to do with.
"What do you mean?" Severus asked.
"Why are you acting like this?" Lucius rephrased the question.
"Isn't it obvious?" Severus replied.
"Isn't what obvious?" Lucius asked.
"You mean you haven't noticed?"
"Noticed what?" Lucius had reached his last nerve.
"Are you serious?" Severus wasn't sure he could believe Lucius. A smile spread across his face.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Lucius replied, as if he'd never laughed in his life.
"So, it's not obvious?" Severus wondered aloud.
"What are we talking about?" Lucius asked through his teeth. The other man didn't reply, his eyes gazing off into the distance.
"I'm sorry, what was the question?"
* * *
Hermione sat at her dressing table, applying the finishing touches to her hair and makeup. She made sure her tiara was securely firmly to her head, and then put on the matching necklace. Draco appeared behind her, and came straight to her side. He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
"Miss Hermione, you look ravishing," he told her. Hermione smiled and turned to stand up.
"Thank you," she replied, quickly adjusting his robes so that they hung just right. Taking his arm, he escorted her from the room, and down the stairs into the foyer. They turned down the hall and then entered the west dining room from the stairs. As they entered the room everyone stood up until they had taken their seats, and Draco gestured for them to sit.
The dinner progressed slowly, and Hermione found herself getting bored of the guests fairly early in the evening. She all of a sudden felt very self-conscious and wondered what she was doing sitting in such elegant dress robes in a room full of people who were looking to her and Draco for support and guidance.
"Tell me, Hermione, when do you and Draco plan to get married?" The woman to her left asked. Hermione turned to look at the woman, and could think of no answer. Her mind froze, and nothing would come out of her mouth.
"What am I doing? I don't belong here," Hermione thought to herself. She smiled politely at the woman, but couldn't form an answer.
"I'm sorry, I'm not feeling so well, I'm just going to go lie down," Hermione excused herself and all but ran out of the room. She ran down two hallways and took a few more turns before she stopped to catch her breath. Looking around she realized that she had no idea where she was. A chill ran through her body, and she began to feel very lightheaded. Sinking to the floor, Hermione wondered if she was going to be lost in the palace forever.
Moments later, Draco came around the corner to find Hermione in a slump on the floor. He dashed to her side and tried to revive her.
"Hermione!" he exclaimed, shaking her. Her eyes opened slowly but she sat up very quickly once they were open.
"You found me," Hermione said, looking around.
"Yes," Draco said slowly, wondering what she was getting at. "Were you hiding?" He asked.
"No, I was lost," she replied, sounding so confident that Draco was taken aback.
"You were lost?" He repeated. Hermione nodded. "In your own house?"
"I don't think I've ever been here before," Hermione said, looking around the hall. Draco raised an eyebrow and stood up. He walked to the nearest set of doors and flung them open to reveal the library. Hermione's eyes widened.
"Draco, what's wrong with me?" she asked, geniunely frightened. "I know that I go to the library everyday, and yet I don't remember walking down this hallway ever."
"I don't know, but I'm going to have someone come and see you, because this worries me," Draco replied. He scooped her up in his arms and headed up to their bedroom. Tucking her into bed only a few minutes later, he kissed her forehead and pulled the covers up snugly around her. Hermione smiled, closed her eyes and was asleep before Draco had left the room. He wondered what could be wrong with her the entire walk back to the dining room.
"Is she alright?" a voice called. Draco turned to see Breena standing at one end of the foyer. She was wearing tight, low cut, red and black dress robes.
"Yes, yes she's fine," Draco replied with more confidence than he felt. He headed towards the dining room, but Breena stopped him again.
"They've all gone home," she explained. "They weren't sure you were coming back this evening," she said jokingly. Draco shrugged and turned to head back up the stairs. "You know, there was cake for you," Breena added quickly. Draco sighed and followed her to the empty dining room, conspicuously free from house elves trying to clean up.
A giant tiered cake sat in the corner of the room. Perching on the table, Breena cut a slice and put it on a plate. She picked up a fork and cut a little bite off the end of the slice. Raising the fork to Draco's lips, she managed not to break eye contact with him until the entire slice was gone. As she set the plate down, Draco looked down at the floor.
"Breena, you, I uh, what I mean is," Draco paused. He couldn't stand falling over his words like this. He felt incredibly guilty, but couldn't think why. It wasn't like he had done anything wrong.
"Draco, don't worry about Hermione. What she doesn't know, won't hurt her," Breena assured him.