Draco
Hogwarts
June 30th 1997
Draco stared at the parchment, burning her words, her writing, every bit of it into the fibers of his brain.
It hit him suddenly, as if he was seeing clear for the first time in days, that if they failed, if he couldn't find her on the other side of this, none of it was worth it to him.
His eyes moved from the parchment to the other inhabitants of the Slytherin common room until they latched onto Theo and Pansy.
"Pansy, Theo, I have to talk to you two," Draco said tightly, abruptly standing from his armchair.
Pansy and Theo exchanged a glance between one another, then stood slowly to follow Draco's lead.
"You need me Draco?" Goyle asked eagerly, a glint in his eye in hoping to be included in possible Death Eater related business.
"No," Draco shut down promptly. He didn't give Goyle a second look.
A thousand thoughts and things he needed to do jockeyed for focus with each step he took away from the Slytherin common room.
He tried to keep them in order: Clear Theo and Pansy's memory of any knowledge of his relationship with Granger, implant a new one, then send them to protect the non-Slytherin houses for when the Death Eaters came (Granger had Gryffindor covered). After that, he had to send word to Borgin and Burke that the time was now to call the other Death Eaters. Finally he had to get to the Room of Requirement and receive his guests.
A painful knot burrowed in his gut.
But after the Death Eaters came in, he could only hope for the order of events that would follow. Namely, that he would be able to plausibly fake his death at some point in time, and also sneak back through to the Room of Requirement to get out of Hogwarts, modify Borgin's memory, then apparate to a Malfoy estate.
With each heavy step taken, he grew wary that there was no possibility of success.
But this whole scheme was concocted with Granger alongside him, and she had a funny way of always making things work. Because of her involvement, there still existed a glimmer of hope.
Pansy and Theo had tried their best to keep up with Draco's hasty speed, but had fallen several steps behind him as the two cleared the landing from the Slytherin common room stairs. They caught a glimpse of Draco as he rounded a corner towards a classroom.
"Do you think he's going to kill us?" Pansy joked over her shoulder to Theo, shuffling her steps a bit to catch up.
Draco broke into a classroom easily. After they all were in, he shut the door and locked it.
Pansy looked properly confused, but Theo, after a moment of pondering, seemed to piece together what was happening.
"This is about you and Granger isn't it?" Theo asked, his head cocking to the side in question.
"Well at least you've confirmed my need to do this," Draco sighed, moving his neck back and forth uncomfortably. Pansy's eyes went wide, then her head tipped back in acceptance.
"Well shit," she muttered.
"I don't want to do this, but it's the only way to make sure everyone is safe," Draco said, his hand already in position around his wand.
"Safe from what?" Pansy asked, but was interrupted by Theo.
"Who is doing Luna's memory?" he questioned. Pansy's face turned quickly to Theo's.
"Luny's?" Pansy cocked a brow, looking quickly between Theo and Draco. Theo returned a stern look.
"It's a risk, but we're not modifying her memory. We don't have time and it's likely she won't be in proximity to have her mind searched by any Death Eaters, or give them any reason to look for this."
Pansy's wide eyes turned back to Draco with a stark realization. "Draco," her voice was soft as her eyes flickered to his left arm, then back to his face. "You didn't."
"I had to," the words ripped out of him quicker than he expected. "I can't tell you anything else."
"It's OK, Draco. We have your back." Theo said, his mouth pursing seriously to the side. Pansy's expression stilled, looking furtively at Theo, then back at Draco. She nodded.
"Do what you have to do," she said, her voice breaking in sadness for her friend.
He wasn't capable of saying anything else. "Obliviate."
Twenty minutes after obliviating Pansy and Theo, Draco was positioned in front of the vanishing cabinet inside the Room of Requirement, tensely waiting for the first of the Death Eaters to arrive after having sent word to Borgin and Burke.
His hand kept itching to pull out the parchment, wanting to see some trace of her, but there was nothing there. He cleared the parchment as a precaution. He couldn't risk someone finding the proof of their scheme.
Draco looked at his watch. By that point, Granger would have sent her patronus down to Tonks to give word that the Death Eaters were in the building, even though at that point they wouldn't be. The additional head start should give the Order enough time to get their act together, show up right as the Death Eaters came strolling out, fire a few curses that could give Draco an excuse to feign death, and then have the rest of the lot taken into custody.
A sick, sucking sound came from the vanishing cabinet. Draco braced himself, knowing that the sound only meant everything was about to begin.
There was a stillness, then, the cabinet door slowly pushed back, creaking viciously. Bellatrix poked her head out of the narrow space she made with the door, eyes bulging in wonder at the location she had materialized in. Hopping down from the cabinet, Bellatrix turned her attention to Draco and grabbed his cheeks in an obnoxious way.
"Look at how good you did!" she squealed, pushing his cheeks in more. He ripped his face away from her grip.
"How many are coming?" Draco asked firmly, putting distance between the two.
"Seven," Bellatrix responded, no longer looking at Draco, rather casting her gaze over the expansive lot of knick knacks and contraband. His stomach turned seeing her in such a sacred place to him.
Another sucking sound. This time three smaller wizards fell out.
Then another sucking sound; two more tumbled through. Draco hadn't recognized a single one of them, each of their faces looking muddled and typical, all stereotypes of the usual power grubbing, sniveling Death Eater.
One last sucking sound, and then, out walked Fenrir Greyback.
A psychotic werewolf that hunts people for sport, and has an appetite for witches, was now in Hogwarts.
Draco's blood became ice. Without pretense, Draco turned and moved aggressively into Bellatrix's space, giving a look that could kill.
"You brought Fenrir?" he rasped out, his voice sounding on the edge of deranged.
Bellatrix looked amused and shrugged. "He wanted to come."
"Of course he wanted to come!" Draco snapped back, the words restrained but on the verge of toppling over to shouts. Draco was now inches away from his aunt's face. "Do you think he will know the difference between a pureblood, a blood traitor, and a mudblood?"
Bellatrix's look cooled, then her eyes flickered, showing a moment of panic. Yes of course she didn't think about that.
Turning suddenly on a heel, Bellatrix marched up to Fenrir. "Fenrir, don't touch anyone," she barked at him, holding her finger level with his face.
Fenrir nodded and gave a cavalier smile. Internally, Draco felt as if the wind had been pummeled out of him, but tried to hold it together.
But before he could regain any pretense of control, Bellatrix pointed her wand at the vanishing cabinet, and obliterated it.
Whatever air was left in his body was blown out of him the minute the vanishing cabinet had combusted in front of them. His mouth was ajar as he watched. It was as if he was screaming but nothing came out.
Their entire plan revolved around him being able to exit through that cabinet. And Bellatrix just demolished it.
Bellatrix looked innocently between the cabinet and Draco.
"Oops," she said, shrugging casually.
Draco closed the small distance between the two and beared down on his aunt. "What have you done?"
She cocked her head and maintained deadly eye contact with Draco. "What had to be done."
Draco paled. Did she know about a plan for him to escape? But how could she? That would be impossible.
"How do you expect we get out of Hogwarts after the job is done?" Draco asked evenly. He was doing his best to keep cool, to not betray anything about his true motivations for that night.
"We were only blocked getting into Hogwarts, not out," Bellatrix spat back at Draco, their faces still close together. Their voices were low enough so only theywould be privy to what was being said. "This way, no one can follow us in."
She was right. He and Granger hadn't considered it. The Death Eaters didn't need the cabinet to get back out, but Draco did.
Draco didn't say anything. For a few charged seconds, his Aunt wouldn't tear her analytic gaze off of him, her look dripping with suspicion. He held her stare defiantly, and eventually, she broke contact.
Once Bellatrix's eyes were off him, he let himself feel the weight of what just happened. With the cabinet destroyed, that only left them with their backup plan: the nuclear option.
Bellatrix turned to Draco, and he instantly switched himself back to unreadable.
"Draco, this is your operation. What is the plan?" Bellatrix asked, holding her wand jauntily in one hand, gesturing to him to take the proverbial stage.
He took one, tight painful breath in. That was all he could stomach. "Dumbledore is down at Hogsmeade. We need to lure him up to the Astronomy tower where I will position myself. You all will wait down below, blocking any escape he could make if I happen to fail."
Surprisingly, Bellatrix had no snarky comments to make. She looked at the other Death Eaters.
"Follow Draco, we're going to the Astronomy Tower," Bellatrix instructed.
Draco had to find a second to write to Granger. The plan was completely torn apart and he had to warn her.
He had the briefest of windows to fire off a Wingardium Leviosa in the distance which lifted and toppled a pile of chairs. It caused enough concern where he could, without much doubt, suggest they inspect the noise before they proceeded.
Ducking behind a pile of discarded suits of armor, and pretending to investigate the sound, Draco took out the parchment hastily wrote:
Astronomy tower, nuclear option, be careful Fenrir is here. I'm sorry
He cleared his writing and stuffed the paper back into his pocket.
Before turning and rejoining the group, he took a deep breath, forcing his chest to expand to make room for the resolve he needed.
The nuclear option meant that Draco couldn't escape, and would likely remain a Death Eater after tonight. That meant returning to the belly of the beast, and Granger remaining on the other side.
Draco knew that if she were to ever be apprehended, she would be tortured and then subjected to an invasive search of her mind, which would reveal the truth. Without question, Granger would be used as his punishment. He couldn't even go so far as to describe what he thought they may do to her.
She had tried to fight him on that reasoning, saying that if that was what happened, so be it. Putting aside the insurmountable torture that would put Draco through, he also suggested that with her knowing their past, she may not be able to fight the fight she had already sacrificed so much for if he was on the opposing side.
They couldn't get around it: the only option if they would be on opposite sides was to clear Hermione's memory of their relationship.
Rowle, the missing Death Eater, or at least that was who Draco could assume was missing by the shouts of his name, had been found and the group was being ushered back to the entryway where Draco had reemerged without being detected.
Draco felt like he was going to be sick as he opened the door to Hogwarts.
The crisp but clammy almost summer air hit the group once in the corridor. Down the hall, a set of windows were open, letting in the night breeze.
Draco caught Bellatrix's expression and swore the fearsome witch looked scared. It was the look of a child who had just ventured out on their own for the first time, terrified at how they may survive against all the scary things in the real world.
It had never been a thought in his mind what Bellatrix would have been like at school. For as long as he knew her, she had been intense and unlikable, so only his imagination could conjure what she could have been like in her early years. Perhaps her time in Hogwarts was not kind to her.
Not wanting to waste more time or risk an untimely run in with Granger while he was flush with seven Death Eaters and a werewolf, Draco started off towards the Astronomy tower, taking a route that he knew no one else would consider taking.
As they walked, Draco arranged the order of what he needed to do.
First, he had to get the Death Eaters to the top of the tower. He would then need to find an excuse to go back down below, find Granger, and modify her memory. He'll send her away to stay safe before he sends the Death Eaters back down to guard the entrance, setting them up to be apprehended by the Order, leaving Draco alone with Dumbledore.
Draco now had to reckon with what he'd do if he did face Dumbledore.
In his mind, there were only a handful of outcomes: Kill Dumbledore, be killed by Dumbledore, fail and return to Voldemort and be killed by him, be killed in a fight between the Order, or be apprehended by the Order.
He was rooting for apprehension by the Order. That would put him in close proximity to Granger, even if by that point she'd have no clue of their past.
They ascended the steep stairs up to the platform of the Astronomy tower. After giving extra time for the older, and out of shape Death Eaters to catch their breath, they finally emerged at the landing. Draco assembled them and then launched into the plan.
"Dumbledore is down at Hogsmeade for a drink," Draco lied, his voice rising to carry over the natural elements that whipped around them from their exposed point on the platform.
"Dumbledore will have full view of the tower from town. We will cast a Dark Mark above the tower. This will drive him back to the castle quickly, specifically the tower, likely by broom or apparition." Draco looked around at the Death Eaters who were nodding solemnly at his instructions.
"What do we do when Dumbledore arrives?" a squat one asked.
Draco was about to speak, but Bellatrix spoke for him.
"No one is to kill Dumbledore but Draco," she said, eyes for slits as she stared down her own nephew. She then turned to the rest of the Death Eaters. "If he fails, you may make your attempts."
Draco nodded, more or less expecting that sentiment from her.
"In addition to those reassuring words," Draco turned back to the group, "you will need to position yourselves down at the entrance to the Astronomy tower, ensuring no one can disturb my efforts."
Bellatrix gave Draco a tight look, then rolled her eyes away from him.
"Before I send you down, I need to survey and secure the entrance below. You all wait here." Draco ordered them, his voice staying steady and assertive.
His Aunt eyed him carefully, but he had already turned to make his way back down the stairs.
When Draco came out from the staircase, he looked up and down the hallway for any sign of her.
No more than half a minute after leaving them, voices began floating down from the stairs Draco just descended from. Then, dark hooded bodies passed by him into the hallway.
"Get back up there," Draco ordered to the five Death Eaters that stood in front of him, now wearing their Death Eater hoods. Fenrir Greyback stepped out last, not bothering to conceal himself at all.
The Death Eaters chuckled to themselves under the anonymity of their hoods. Fenrir cracked a wicked smile.
"Bellatrix said we could wander for a bit," Fenrir crooned down at Draco, exceeding Draco's height by a few inches.
Draco held Fenrir's glare but then realized that even under a disillusionment, if Hermione was approaching their location, Fenrir would smell her.
After Fenrir broke their stare, Draco quickly snapped his eyes up and down the hallway for any sign of her.
He needed to tell her not to come. He needed to warn her.
"Bellatrix says you need to go up and see her," Fenrir said to Draco offhandedly. The werewolf had become distracted with the opportunities Hogwarts provided him.
"I'm securing matters down here," Draco spoke evenly. Fenir looked up and down the hallway, then turned his attention back to Draco and cocked his head.
"Looks secure," Fenir huffed haughtily, letting a sly smile spread across his face.
Fuck this, Draco thought. He needed to message Granger and tell her not to come anywhere near the tower, they'd have to figure something else out.
Without another word, Draco turned back into the stairwell and after ascending a few steps, tore out his parchment.
DO NOT come to the Astronomy Tower. We have to think of something else. Fenrir is in the castle. You stay away, send the Order this way.
Draco looked briefly at his own handwriting which was unnaturally messy. He was tempted to add more to his message. Something that he wanted her to know.
He stared at the paper and considered what good it would do telling her how he felt about her. If anything it could rattle her, possibly make her not think clearly. Knowing Granger, if he told her then, she would run through fire to find him.
He removed his writing and ran back up the steps, taking them two at a time, until he was back in the cool night air.
Bellatrix had cast the Dark Mark before he had instructed her to. The sadistic witch now stood by the edge of the tower ledge, looking down onto the Hogwarts grounds with a torn expression.
His hand twitched towards his wand. He could send her over that ledge right then and there. Next to the Dark Lord, his aunt was perhaps the most dangerous within their ranks. It would be so easy.
Reaching for his wand stowed in his pocket, his fingers brushed up against the metal otter Granger had given him. It was a reminder that he didn't need to be a murderer.
"Bellatrix," Draco bellowed, startling her. She recovered cooly, and turned around. "Go down there right now and wrangle in your clowns. You just set Fenrir off into the castle. Are you insane?"
Her head cocked at the accusation. "He won't do anything," Bellatrix replied in an overly polite manner.
"Bullshit!" Draco spat back. His Aunt lasered in on his expression, trying to decipher his motivations.
"Why do you care so much, Draco?" She cooed, holding his stare.
He didn't miss a beat. "Because there are purebloods down there and he won't know the goddamn difference!" Draco bellowed back, his deep voice carrying clear over the wind.
Bellatrix's penetrating regard remained fixed on him until her eye twitched, and he heard, "Legimmens."
Without hesitation, he cultivated visions of precious purebloods looking terrified of the scary Fenrir Greyback, showing Bellatrix exactly what he wanted her to see.
His Aunt tried to have a look around, Draco creating an environment within his mind that he was helpless to her attack, but he merely sent her on paths that led to dead ends.
She pulled back, and looked halfway satisfied.
"I will go manage Fenrir, you stay here." Bellatrix ordered, sounding softer.
It did not settle well that she would be down there where Hermione could be, but likely the Order was nearing their point of attack, and he had to count on that.
"I'm sealing the entrance to the tower," Bellatrix told him as she stepped through the doorway to the stairs. "Only those with the Dark Mark will be able to pass,"
Draco gave his left arm a cursory look, and then glanced at the sky where his mark was mimicked in a ghostly green glimmer.
When his eyes turned back down, Bellatrix was staring at him with a look that could almost resemble pity. It didn't suit her.
"Get the job done nephew," she said, her voice lower, not at all sounding right on her.
This version of her made her more unsettling than ever to Draco. He didn't want her pity, or sympathy. He wanted her gone.
Bellatrix disappeared down the stairwell, leaving only Draco once more.
The late spring wind blew violently across his face, prickling his cheeks slightly with the beginnings of the cold evening air coming in.
He pulled out his parchment once more.
Bellatrix now in castle. I'm barricaded up in the astronomy tower, only dark marks can ascend the stairway now. Order needs to get them before they come back up.
He cleared the writing and shoved it in his pocket. Then, he just stood there, at the highest peaks of Hogwarts castle, his hand turning a metal otter over and over in his fingers in thought, dreading whatever came next.
Before he had too long to contemplate his next moves, Draco heard a faint whistling sound from the other side of the Astronomy tower, then two light thuds.
He turned to face the sound. In a flash, Draco recognized the white hair and white beard of his target. Not knowing what else to do, and not ready to cast the killing curse, he cast the only spell he thought may buy him time.
"Expelliarmus" Draco shouted, wand leveled at Dumbledore. And to Draco's utter shock, Dumbledore's wand flew from his hand.
A weird thrill cast over Draco in the act of disarming Dumbledore that he couldn't quite describe. If he had to try, it was something like pure power.
"Draco," Dumbledore's old, gravely voice barked out.
The Headmaster looked more worn for the wear than Draco had ever seen him, his frail body was devoid of any pep, his posture hunched over already giving signs of pain.
The two wizards faced each other near the ledge of the northernmost point of the Astronomy Tower.
Draco stood there, mouth slightly open, his wand hand steady on his target, not sure what to say.
He could do it right now. He could kill Dumbledore. He was wandless, and he knew how to cast the killing curse. Bile rose to the back of his throat.
He swallowed hard, pushing back the feeling of acid climbing up his chest. He looked at his Headmaster, and despite loathing him at times, he did not want to kill him. Draco did not want to kill anyone. The man that was good enough for Hermione Granger was not a killer.
"Draco," Dumbledore spoke again, taking a step closer. The old wizard's hands were hovering at chest level, trying to calm the situation down.
"Stop!" Draco shouted, his voice wavering as he did. His wand hand had begun to shake. Dumbledore noticed too.
"I know you have to kill me Draco," Dumbledore explained to him softly, just loud enough to carry over the blustering wind.
Draco's wand lowered a fraction of an inch.
"There are other ways," Dumbledore said again, taking another step. Draco's wand arm tensed, which slowed Dumbledore's forward approach.
"We had other ways of handling this, but those plans blew up in our faces!" Draco yelled back, angry at Dumbledore for making it all sound so simple. "There aren't any other ways left!"
"Who is 'we' Draco?" Dumbledore asked, looking sincerely perplexed. "You and Professor Snape?"
Draco cast a perplexed look back, and shook his head.
"What choice do I have?" Draco took a step into Dumbledore now, his hand still extended out, locked onto his Headmaster's chest. Would it be simpler to just kill him, Draco thought with darkness in his veins. After tonight, Hermione would have to forget him anyway. She was better off without him.
"You always have a choice," Dumbledore said kindly.
A mirthless laugh ripped up and through Draco's chest until it burst through his lips. "Do not talk to me about choices, Dumbledore. I do not get to make choices!"
Dumbledore's features were slowly morphing into purified sympathy. For a fraction of a second, Draco thought he may be moved enough by the care shown from his Headmaster, but his attention was diverted.
"Draco!" A tiny voice cried out from behind him. The sound of it nearly brought him to his knees.
"Ms Granger!" Dumbledore called out, sounding as if he was trying to warn her, but she was not listening to the Headmaster. Granger ran full force from the stairs, directly into Draco's arms, almost knocking him over.
Draco wrung his arms tightly around her, not caring for a fraction of a second how she got up there, but only relieved that she was there. Grasping her shoulders, he moved her a pace away to understand.
"Hermione, what are you doing? You shouldn't be anywhere near the tower. Didn't you get my messages?" Draco asked, his words pouring out of him in a rush. His hands were moving across her body, then to her face, taking stock to make sure she was alright.
"I couldn't let you do this alone," she told him, a resolute yet torn look gracing her perfect features. "I'm so sorry I know you said for me to stay away, but I couldn't. I couldn't."
He pulled her tightly into him for what was likely to be the last time.
"How did you get up here?" he asked into her hair, pulling her back to face him again.
"I figured it was just a ward blocking anyone without a morsmordre mark to pass through, not specific to the Dark Mark," Hermione answered. Her head turned down to her left wrist. "I knew the spell from placing the dark mark on your duplicate. So I marked myself."
His eyes trailed down to her left arm.
The tiny cluster of freckles that he had traced with his finger earlier that day, the ones resembling the consolation from his namesake were connected by a very faint line. She had made it a permanent mark on her.
"That is quite impressive Ms. Granger" Dumbledore commented, startling both of them out of their private moment.
And to Draco's shock, Granger rounded on Dumbledore and began to yell. "I don't care if it is impressive!" her eyes were blistering, barely slits staring down Dumbledore. "I don't care. All I care about is saving Draco now tell me Professor how do we do that!"
Dumbledore looked between Draco and Hermione a few times, then let out an even sigh.
"This is unexpected," he said, almost to himself. Hermione shook her head and stepped closer into the Headmaster, more subdued now.
"Professor please," her voice was thick with desperation. "We need to save him."
"Granger," Draco had called to her from behind where she now stood. Her body was so coiled up with nerves, she whipped her body rigidly back to him.
"I still have to clear your memory," Draco announced, his voice brimming with heartache. He looked down at her small frame that had scurried back to him as she deflated. Her mouth was squeezed tight, like she was forcing herself out of an argument.
"If it keeps you safe, do whatever you have to do," she said, her eyes trying to fight off the fear she felt.
Draco's hand found her wrist, and gently brought her mark to his lips, brushing a soft kiss against it. "You are… the most intelligent, beautiful, and perfect witch I will ever meet," Draco told her, keeping her eyes held with his as he spoke.
Hermione looked as if she was going to say something, but he continued.
"And I love you," he told her, the words feeling raw on his voice.
Hermione's eyes were bright with tears and a mixture of sadness and awe. She reached up desperately for his face, bringing his lips to hers, each tasting the salty brine of her tears against their lips.
"Draco," she whispered back, her lips inches from his. Her eyes had turned to his face, and he could see her irises dance back and forth, taking in everything she could. But panic began to settle in. She knew that in a matter of minutes, whatever she was feeling, would be forgotten.
"Draco…I-" she tried to find her words again, but new sobs began to rip through her.
He knew what she wanted to say, and he knew what it was doing to her knowing she was about to forget it all.
"Hey," he said, his voice even, doing his best to give her comfort and stability in this impossible moment. Her eyes found his again. "I know."
She shook her head softly, sniffling as she did. He could see it all over her face that she wanted to say it, to tell him how she felt, but it was too much for her.
Draco held her face in his hands. "I needed to say it," he reassured her. Traces of boldness began to creep back into her expression. "I will do everything to get back to you. To have you remember. You tell me then."
Hermione nodded feverishly, her dry sobs shaking her as she watched Draco's face at close range.
"Promise?" was all she could manage.
"Promise," he told her, and kissed her once more. Her arms flew around his neck, and he thought she may never let him go, and he so badly wished that could be true.
Slowly, she sunk back down from her tiptoes to the ground, Draco's hand lingering against her arm until he had to let her go. They turned in unison back to Dumbledore, who they were both surprised to see, had tears glistening his cheeks.
Dumbledore shook his head absentmindedly. "I had no idea," he spoke.
Hermione and Draco didn't respond. Neither seemed affected by the wizard Draco was supposed to kill in that moment.
"This is the best path forward, yes?" Draco asked Dumbledore.
The Headmaster nodded, wiping a tear from his cheek. "If Ms. Granger is not as good as occlumency as you are Mr. Malfoy, then yes, I dare say that it is safest if we all leave this moment with her memory clear of her attachment to you."
Draco was unclear how Dumbledore knew his expertise with occlumency, but did not press it.
Hermione nodded bravely and turned to Draco. He did the same to her. Each was doing their best to be as professional with the transaction as possible. The slightest whiff of emotion could topple the effort.
"I'll see you on the other side Draco," Hermione spoke, her eyes moving up to meet his one last time. She did her best to give him a resolute smile.
Making his heart nearly break in two.
"I'll see you on the other side, Granger," he replied, his voice catching in the back of his throat.
Draco reached into his pocket, and as he pulled out his wand, his knuckle grazed the otter totem that he would always keep with him.
"Obliviate."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a harsh ragged gasp leapt from his throat, and he felt his eyes burning. Her eyes had gone glassy, leaving nothing behind them.
He gulped in two hasty breaths, trying to regain his composure, but he continued to feel the tears build. Shaking his head tightly, he focused, beginning the process of restructuring her memory, leaving certain bits to justify the rumor that went around months earlier, but taking away any evidence of how deep their relationship went, or any hint of how Draco felt about her.
He didn't know how long it took to do. It could have taken a lifetime the way it felt. But when he was done, he let out a breath and realized he hadn't been breathing while he cast the spell.
Out of the corner of his eye, as he was finishing the spell, he saw a thick tear splash down below at his feet. He became aware of wetness against his cheeks as he completed the spell.
With Hermione still looking in a daze, Draco led her to an alcove that was completely hidden from anyone who would be up on the tower. He gently sat her down, leaning her back against the stones like her body was as fragile as glass.
Draco pointed his wand at Hermione and whispered a complicated incantation. When he was finished, she slumped down, looking at peace in a fitless dream. He then cast a disillusionment over her body that would fade once he was out of range.
Slowly, he walked back out to Dumbledore, who was still staring at Draco with deep regard. On his path towards the headmaster, Draco moved to pick up the discarded wand and held it in his non-dominant hand.
"I'm not going to kill you," Draco said to Dumbledore. Dumbledore gave him a knowing look. "And I don't think you will kill me."
"I will not Draco," Dumbledore said softly.
He took a breath, his heart still beating fiercely at the act of removing himself from Hermione's mind.
"You will need to cast a significant curse on me to give the appearance that I at least tried to kill you. That you had to defend yourself." Draco proposed.
Dumbledore looked at him sadly.
"He will still kill you Draco."
And Draco knew this. The Dark Lord would kill him for failing.
"I know," was all Draco could say.
"And what about Ms. Granger?" Dumbledore asked.
"She won't mourn my death now," he said stiffly, no longer looking at Dumbledore.
When Draco looked back up, Dumbledore was staring at him in an intense way. Then, his eyes snapped to the Astronomy Tower stairwell, then back to Draco.
The familiar cackle of his aunt echoed up the stairs. The Order hadn't captured her, and now there was no time left.
He threw Dumbledore's wand to the side, out of sight. He did not want his sadistic aunt having it.
"Draco!" she squealed, looking in glee at the scene. Draco resumed pointing his wand at Dumbledore. "You disarmed him!"
A second later Draco looked over his shoulder to see Fenrir clear the stairs. Draco's eyes flickered to where Hermione was, and then back to Fenrir. The werewolf's nose twitched subtly, but then the wind picked up, and thankfully, made it near impossible for him to hold onto any scent.
Draco had to act fast and get them all off the tower so no one would discover Hermione.
"Bellatrix," Dumbledore called out casually. She returned the gesture by spitting at his feet.
"Do it Draco!" Bellatrix yelled into his ear, standing only inches from where he stood.
Dumbledore was wandless. Draco was poised to fire a killing curse directly at Dumbledore's chest.
With an audience, there was no way out of his situation. Either he had to kill Dumbledore, or would be killed by Voldemort. Bellatrix would make sure of that.
Draco looked at Dumbledore, who glanced at the stairwell, then back to Draco.
"Bellatrix, I'm surprised you brought Fenrir to the school grounds," Dumbledore commented conversationally. Bellatrix craned her head back towards the gray wizard.
"Why do you care Dumbledore, you're about to die," Bellatrix clucked.
"Has he maimed any of the students?" Dumbledore asked seriously.
"Only one of your precious Order members, likely dead though," Bellatrix clarified coldly. "It was most unwelcome that the Order was here tonight…"
"Yes, that does seem inopportune for you," Dumbledore replied kindly.
Bellatrix narrowed her eyes. "Do not make conversation with me," she snapped, looking back at Draco. "Do it now, he's buying time."
And it did seem like Dumbledore was buying time. But for what Draco had no clue. And it made no difference anyway. He had to get the Death Eaters off the Astronomy Tower to protect Granger. He had to make a decision.
His free hand found the otter again in his pocket.
"Bellatrix," Draco started, casting a blank look down towards his Aunt. Her gaze violently shifted to him, her eyes dilated, beads of sweat pouring down her forehead.
He was going to tell her he wasn't going to do it.
Even if he could never be with Granger, he still wanted to be good enough for her. He wanted to be brave enough to not take the cowards way out.
He was about to tell Bellatrix his decision, when another figure flew through the stairwell doorway.
"Snape!" Bellatrix barked. Draco spun around to see Severus approaching his side.
A breathless moment passed before the silence was broken.
"Severus," Dumbledore spoke, his tone polite and kind. All eyes on the tower were now back on Dumbledore. "Please."
Draco looked to Snape and saw something deep within his professor's returned look to Dumbledore. It was complicated, and tortured, and impossible to understand.
Then, in a quick movement, Snape had his wand pointed at Dumbledore and spoke clearly.
"Avada Kedavra."
Time slowed as Dumbledore was hit squarely in the chest with the green orb of magic. The force pushed the old wizard's body back, now looking more frail than ever, limbs lifeless at his sides, until he was at the ledge of the tower. There he hung for a breath, until the wind made a final push, and Dumbledore crumpled over the ledge, falling out of view.
"Snape!" Bellatrix shrieked, but her dissent sounded hollow to Draco. "The boy was supposed to kill him!"
"It is done," Snape said in a deadly tone. Bellatrix snapped her mouth shut, then looked back over her shoulder to where Dumbledore fell. A cheshire grin creeped inch by inch at her lips.
"Dumbledore is DEAD!" Bellatrix howled up to the Dark Mark that still hung over the tower.
Draco cast a wary glance at the glimmering green light above them, feeling as if the Dark Mark had always planned to foreshow the paramount death that was to happen directly under it.
There were several whoops and hollers from the other Death Eaters that had made it up the stairwell with Bellatrix and Fenrir. It wasn't their whole party though. Had the others been caught or killed, Draco thought?
"We need to go," Snape commanded the others. The dark haired professor that had just killed one of the most powerful wizards of their time turned and ushered the other Death Eaters to leave. "Make your way out the front gate and we'll exit into Hogsmeade."
"Dumbledore is DEAD!" Bellatrix shrieked again, firing a haphazard killing curse into the sky as she headed for the stairwell.
Draco's feet didn't move. He would not leave the tower's platform until everyone else, especially Fenir, had gone ahead of him.
His eyes lingered at the spot where Hermione rested, disillusioned and unaware of anything that had happened that night.
"Draco!" Snape growled from the stairwell.
His attention moved back to his Professor and a sigh of relief escaped him. Snape was the only one left.
Draco knew there was still a strong chance the Dark Lord would kill him for not casting the curse. There was a possibility though, that because there were witnesses who could claim Draco was poised to kill the headmaster, but Snape overshadowed him, that he would be spared.
Draco moved like a ghost down through the dark stairwell. The sounds of battle carrying on below finally hit him.
Mercilessly dodging the spells cast in every direction, Draco barreled through the castle and out across the grounds of Hogwarts to Hogsmade. He felt shame at rejoining the Death Eaters, but this was what they had agreed he'd do if their initial plan collapsed.
Boldness built in Draco as he continued to rush down across grass.
On the other side, he would protect her from afar. He would fight on her behalf from the belly of the beast. Whatever he had to do to end this, he would.
It never sat right with him that he would let her fight while he waited it out anyway.
Even though every onlooker would see him as being on the side of evil, he would do his part to stop it.
Not that public perception mattered to Draco. Every effort he gave would be for the witch he loved, even if she never remembered him for the way they once were.