AN: Inspired by all the reviewers (and threats on my life) I worked on Chapter Eleven even though I would rather have been sleeping, damn you all. So here it is. And before we begin I'd like to say a few words, and they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

To The Reviewers: You have no idea how happy it makes me to receive such enthusiastic and loyal responses! I never expected to get so many reviews, and all of you have made me so very, very happy! I never understood how much a review would mean to an author until I became one myself, and I can tell you all there's nothing quite like getting reviews! They make me ecstatic and peppy and bouncy (SCARY!) and I'm inspired to write more. So you guys are my inspiration and I dedicate this chapter and every one after it (unless I say otherwise) to my reviewers. (Oh my god gag me! I'm getting all sentimental)

Nicole-HP-fan: I want a snake. A little green gardener snake. DAMN YOU ALL! Everyone else starts in SEPTEMBER and I have to go in AUGUST AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Oreopet: thanks for reviewing! I KNOW Voldemort is an ickle Podunk…but don't worry he'll get his eventually

Haystack8190: Oh no you won't bizznatch! I'd kill you if you stopped reviewing –tries to look threatening but fails miserably as author is still wearing bunny slippers and her pajamas-

Corditheoddball: Yes I know I've seen it! I laughed for sooo long, Dr. Pepper came out of my nose…although that may have been because of something my darling Sally was doing…hm…can't remember. Thailand? AWESOME! I want to go! I love internet cafes! They are just so cool! Except the one where I live has lots of creepy middle aged men named Roy who are looking at Porn…so…scary

DarkAngelB: Yes my love the sleep over was awesome! Must do again with Rosie and Barbeque flavored chips…and Dr. Pepper…nothings better Dr. Pepper

LegolasEStelstar: hehe Draco is a schizo! Split personality is like…the understatement of the year. CONGRATULATIONS –Hermione gives you a big pretty plaque to hang on your wall- I love that line to by the way I was giggling while I wrote it

Oni Tenchi: Nope you haven't reviewed before! Bad you! Young? YOUNG? I've been writing fanfics longer than you've been alive Sonny! Er…not really. Thanks for FINALLY reviewing! Just kidding

RnB Diva Gurl: here it is you faithful reviewer you

Bob: Love your name. My imaginary friend's name is bob, not to be confused with my muse whose name is…muse. Bob isn't very helpful when if comes to writing but he's great for some laughs.

The-sexy-flower: okay! Here it is! Thanks so much for reviewing and offering to beta! I heart you sooo much

Ginny Weasley: Yes…hehehe! Thanks for always reviewing! You've been with me since the beginning of this madness and…I'm eternally grateful

Chibimecools: Damn you! –kills- BUT I GET OUT EARLIER SO THERE!

Dershana: thanks and…to all your questions…plot…damn it to hell

Awww: I don't like caps either but spell check gets it for me so YAY! And Beauty and the Beast? An interesting take but Goustan is so…yicky!

Ashley: I didn't know what I'd do either which is why it was so hard to write

Allayne: FOOD! –munches happily- meep! Don't kill me!

Chapter Eleven: Struggles

"The strongest have their moments of fatigue"

n Friedrich Nietzsche

Hermione struggled and pleaded mightily

She dug her heels into the ground

She screamed

She kicked

She clawed at Harry's hand with her own

Raking her nails across his pale skin, she drew blood

The ruby liquid gleamed in the pale moonlight that filtered in through the trees

She tripped on a root and fell to her knees

But Harry continued on, not stopping, simply dragging her on her knees behind him until she could gain her feet, not turning and looking at her

Something for which Hermione was extremely grateful

She didn't want to see those eyes,

Those glowing crimson eyes

Voldemort's eyes

Harry continued to plow through the forest

Hermione's quick mind was calculating while her body struggled to break free of Harry, no, Voldemort's iron grasp

Voldemort was controlling Harry, that much was obvious

But how?

How was it that Voldemort had been able to seize control of Harry like that?

It must have something to do with how Harry came back

Voldemort must have brought Harry back

But…that didn't explain how Voldemort could be controlling Harry

Hermione stumbled over another root, but Harry continued to drag her forward

Hermione gasped to bring air into her straining lungs, a contrast to how evenly Harry, no, Voldemort was breathing

When you bring somebody back to life, they have free will

And Harry couldn't be controlled by the Imperius curse

Maybe…well it WAS Voldemort we're talking about here, maybe it had something to do with dark magic?

If he had somehow changed the process used to bring Harry back that made him WEAKER, Voldemort could probably control him then

But what….?

Hermione's mind suddenly leapt to the answer.

It was obvious

Voldemort simply used HIS power to bring Harry back, instead of a sacrifice's

Then when Harry had her, Voldemort had taken his power back, leaving Harry weak, and susceptible to the Imperius curse

Hermione would have smacked herself if she hadn't been so busy trying to keep one foot in front of the other

Why hadn't she noticed Voldemort's power tainting Harry's?

'You did' the little voice whispered 'but you were so busy drooling over Harry you chose to overlook it'

Hermione almost smacked herself again

The little voice ALWAYS had the answer

If she had listened to it in the first place she never would have been in this predicament

But at least…at least it would take them several weeks to reach Voldemort

…that was if he was still at Hogwarts

Maybe…in that time…Draco would come for her

Or…she'd be able to escape on her own

Hermione continued to stumble after Harry, tripping over roots and the tattered hem of her dress robe

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Draco paced nervously around the entry hall

Walking through the puddles that the house elves had yet to mop up with out batting an eyelash

He raked a shaky hand through his white blonde hair and stepped over a house elf who was bent on cleaning up the puddles strait ahead of him

The elf squeaked and raced ahead of him to clean up another puddle directly in his path

'Where was she?' thought Draco

She had been gone for two hours

An hour and a half ago she had realized she loved him

He had realized she was coming back

But…why wasn't she here yet?

Was it possible that Harry hadn't let her come back?

Draco clenched his hands into fists

That was possible but…Hermione could wrap Harry around her little finger so easily…hadn't he seen her do it countless times back at Hogwarts?

But then again…

Something hadn't right about Harry

His…power had been tainted

Draco was sure of it

And he recognized the power…so being that he recognized the power it must have come from someone he knew…one of his "friends" so knowing his "friends" the power wasn't a good thing

Draco stopped dead in his tracks and the house elf that had been following him around trying to clean his shoes ran into the back of his legs and fell to the floor

Squeaking its apology, which Draco waved off, the elf rose to its feet and began to polish Draco's boots, trying to get the muddy water off of them

Was it possible that Harry was being controlled?

But…no….Harry wasn't susceptible to the Imperius cures, and if there were any other ways to control someone HE would certainly know of them

Nonetheless something had been wrong with Harry

And Hermione had yet to return

But he couldn't do anything…he had no idea where Potty was taking Hermione, and, though their link was still intact it was severely weakened,

H e couldn't tell where she was, now that she had left him willingly, and Draco had let her go, he wouldn't be able to sense anything through the link but extreme emotions,

And all he could sense was fatigue which could just as likely come from him as from her.

Their souls had begun to separate; yes they would always be bound but…now they were no longer one.

It was painful

Like the pain still resonating in his recently pieced together heart

She would come back

Draco could do nothing but wait…and hope

He continued to pace and the elf squeaked in outrage as Draco ruined his handy work by walking through yet another puddle

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Hermione was so busy plotting she didn't even realize that Harry/ Voldemort had stopped until she ran into the back of him

Hermione let out a startle meep before falling on her rear end

Standing up she rubbed the offended appendage and glared daggers at Harry/Voldemort

It was then that Hermione realized Harry/ Voldemort had released her wrist

Hermione stared at the bruises forming on her wrist blankly for a moment before she began to edge away from him

The voice stopped her "I wouldn't do that if I were you" it hissed

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks

Harry/ Voldemort moved from where he had been standing and headed unerringly for a clump of bushes at the base of a tall tree

Hermione took another step back 'What was he doing?' she thought to herself

Harry/Voldemort stood from where he was crouched next to the bushes and turned, his red eyes glittering in the darkness

It was then that Hermione saw what was in his hand…a portkey

She wasn't quite sure how she knew it was a portkey…she just did

For one, why else would there be a silver dagger with a ruby encrusted blade out in the middle of a forest on Malfoy land?

Hermione gasped, she recognized the blade

She clenched her right hand into a fist, feeling the ridge of the scar the marred the skin of her palm

That was the dagger that Voldemort had used to blood bond her to Draco

Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of Draco

He wouldn't know…wouldn't know that she wanted to come back

He wouldn't be able to rescue her

And if she touched that portkey she would never be able to escape

Although seeing the dagger would have confirmed her suspicions that Voldemort was controlling Draco if she hadn't already known it

…glowing red eyes did dispense with all secrecy

Hermione couldn't let herself be taken to where ever it was the portkey would hurl them off to

She turned to run as Harry/Voldemort advanced another pace

She made four steps before Harry/Voldemort's arm was wrapped securely around her waist

Before she could scream Harry/Voldemort had activated the portkey

Hermione experienced the now familiar sensation that 'a hook just behind her navel had been suddenly jerked irresistibly foreword' (AN: I stole it from HPatGoF MWAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHA…I am SO bad…no really I am…for one I'm writing fanfics…for two I'm INTURUPTING the fanfic I'm writing with pointless babble and three…because I eat ice cream when it's cold out…well…as cold as southern California gets…oh! Oh! And because I will ALWAYS end with a cliffie…and that is why this author is evil heheh…you know you love me)

And than all of a sudden her feet made sudden and abrupt contact with the ground and she fell to her already bruised and scratched knees with Harry/Voldemort draped across her

Cursing she shoved him off and stood up, her legs shaking

She looked up and immediately recognized the Hogwarts' great hall.

Then Harry/Voldemort was standing next to her and once again captured her wrist and began dragging her up the moving stair case

The stair case that lead to the third floor

The stair case with the disappearing step

Hermione began to plot…again…actually she never stopped plotting just paused momentarily

If she could somehow push Harry so that his foot landed in the trick step she could make a break for the doors

She knew exactly how many steps where left before the trick one and she began to count down in her head

The timing had to be perfect

20 steps to go…15…10…nine…eight…almost there…five…four…three…two…NOW

Hermione pretended to trip on the stair before the trick one and shoved Harry/ Voldemort with all her might

Harry stumbled and his leg fell through the stair case leaving him trapped in a rather uncomfortable position

Hermione wrenched her wrist from his slackened grip and tore off down the stairs toward freedom

She was almost to the door, she was reaching for the handle when a man coalesced from the shadows and seized her around her tiny waist

Struggling she looked up, right into the face that tormented her nightly

Voldemort's face

The crimson eyes that she had seen moments before on Harry's face were now set in a snakelike countenance that sent shivers down her spine

She tried to wrestle herself away from him, but his grip stayed true and he held her firmly, then he shoved her away from him, away from the door, and onto the floor

He grinned coldly, his eyes raking across her body "Petrificus Totalus" he whispered "I think you'll have a nice view of the action from there"

Hermione rolled her eyes wildly, trying to break the spell, but her body remained rigid, the only thing she still COULD use was her eyes which were now flickering form Voldemort to Harry to the door, to the ceiling and then back to Voldemort.

"Harry" he hissed "come"

Harry who had managed to pull his leg from the gap came down the stairs, his crimson eyes a mirror of Voldemort's own

Voldemort muttered something under his breath which Hermione couldn't quite make out and Harry's eyes turned green again

Harry's eyes were glazed with confusion and slightly dazed, his eyes fell on Hermione's rigid form and her fear filled eyes, and comprehension dawned

Harry took a threatening step foreword, toward Voldemort "You bastard!" he hissed, his green eyes flashing

Voldemort chuckled softly "Poor naïve Harry. You didn't REALLY think I brought you back for no purposed did you?" he queried in a cold, high pitched voice

Harry clenched his hands into tightly balled fists

He took another menacing step foreword and Voldemort raised his wand so it was pointed right smack dab in the middle of Harry's forehead, aimed directly at the scar, the permanent evidence that he, Lord Voldemort, had once failed

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Draco sat down with a heavy thump on the bottom stair, staring fixedly, patiently and somewhat dejectedly at the door

She wasn't coming

No, no she was

He would continue to wait her arrival here, patiently

But every minuet, every hour that ticked by on the disgustingly ornate grandfather clock on one of the walls, proclaimed him a liar

Draco itched to reach into his pocket and pull out his wand and just innocently, sweetly, kindly, blow the blasted clock to smithereens

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"I finally get to end your infernal life! You have no idea how long I've waited for this." Voldemort whispered coldly and then, right in front of Hermione's shocked, disbelieving and pain filled eyes he whispered

"Avada Kedavra" A blinding flash of green light filled the great hall and Harry crumpled

His beautiful forest green eyes, blank, dead

Hermione would have screamed if she could open her mouth, but alas, all she could do was clench her eyes tightly shut as the tears leaked from their corners

A fear greater than any she had known before filled her as she finally accepted it

She would die

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Draco had just risen to find a house elf to make him a buggering cup of coffee when a wave of fear, so staggering, so immense that when he hit him he doubled over in agony.

He fell to his knees, his hands clawing at his chest and stomach, foolishly attempting to rip the feeling from him

When the feeling abated and he was left feeling hallow, he raised his head his grey eyes glinting with a fraction of the terror that he had just experienced

Hermione was in trouble

With this one coherent thought playing over and over in his mind he stood

Running across the entry hall he summoned a cloak and threw it on before dashing head long into the pouring rain

As he raced across the grounds towards the forest, in the direction he had seen Hermione and Harry take he could form only one thought,

Hermione was in trouble, and he had to rescue her

AN: Well…there it is folks…this was actually supposed to be part of chapter Ten but…Annie is sleepy…so very sleepy. I can't post it now anyways because is experiencing technical difficulties and I can't log in. I have a new little ficlet posted called "Carpe Noctum" Which means seize the light. I may elaborate on what I have posted but I'm not so sure. So two more chapters to go and we are finished. Done. Over. Kaput. Can you imagine? They will be rather long chapters…maybe. I don't know yet. So…

Draco: HAHAHAHAHAH YES! He's dead he's gone no more snogging he's dead he's gone no more snogging he's dead he's gone no more snogging…-continues on in that vein for quiet some time-

Hermione: -grabs OA by the throat- YOU…EVIL…HORRIBLE…DESPICABLE…PIECE…OF…FILTH! HOW DARE YOU KILL HIM??? HOW? DARE? YOU? –beats author into a bloody pulp-

OA: -from heap on floor- …plot

Hermione: -stomps on author until she is sure the author is quite dead or at least comatose, Draco watches with undisguised glee-

OA: please…review…oh the pain! –Hermione continues to stomp in a manner that would make any boy scout proud-