Accepting Fate
Chapter Two
Extinguishing the Flame
Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain there would be no life.
--John Updike
The battle had ended soon after the death of Lucius Malfoy. Death Eaters began to realize one-by-one that Voldemort was dead. Some had tried to continue fighting after they grasped the meaning behind the Dark Mark suddenly disappearing from their arms, but most simply surrendered—too exhausted to do anything but offer their wrists to the person with whom they had been dueling with at the time.
Hermione had found herself very faint after the unmasking of Draco Malfoy. His gaze had been locked with hers as he lay on the ground regaining his breath during those moments just after Snape had interfered. He had a piercing gaze. The icy silver-blue of his irises and the deep black pupils they framed contrasted greatly against one another. Hermione thought she could drown in those eyes and when her knees buckled for the second time, she could not stop herself from crashing to the ground. She could not stop the black coming in from all sides, and just before she lost all consciousness, she actually thought she had been pulled into his eyes and that she would be lost forever.
Hermione had awoken to the sound of rain pattering against a window. At first, everything was a bit fuzzy, but the room soon came into focus and Hermione saw where she was. All around her, injured wizards and witches lay uncomfortably in their beds, half of them asleep, and the other half awake either talking quietly amongst each other or weeping softly to themselves.
Madame Pomfrey hustled between those who were awake, checking up on them and shushing them if they were getting too loud. As Hermione sat up in her bed, the old witch shuffled towards her with a vial of potion in each hand. She offered her the potion in her left hand first. Hermione recognized it to be the Pepper-up Potion and she gulped it down eagerly. Her entire body ached.
After a satisfactory amount of steam shot out of her ears, Madame Pomfrey offered her the second vial. Hermione grimaced at its contents. It wasn't that she disliked the taste of the Dreamless Sleeping Draught, it was more that she did not want to go back to sleep. She wanted to talk to someone about what had happened, to anyone, but before she could protest, Madame Pomfrey put her hand over Hermione's mouth and told her that there would be all the time in the world the next day and now was the time to sleep. Hermione knew there wasn't going to be anything she could do until the morning, and rather unceremoniously, she downed the vial in one large gulp.
Meanwhile, Draco had also awoken, hundreds of miles away from Hermione. Confused, he tried to sit up in his bed and found it hurt far too much so he fell back into his pillows again. Looking around, he noticed he was in a small white room, every inch of which was covered in padding.
Please don't tell me I've been sent to live amongst the loons.
At this thought a voice penetrated his small padded chamber. "Malfoy, Draco. Battle victim number 216. Injured by Cruciatus Curse."
A hidden doorway opened from the wall opposite his bed and an aging medi-wizard walked in with Severus Snape, Narcissa Malfoy, and Albus Dumbledore in tow. After the medi-wizard gave him a few potions to drink in order to relieve some of the pain he was feeling, he left him to visit with three of the four people he was most nervous to see again.
For a moment, everyone was silent. The waiting was agonizing for Draco because he knew that at some point one of them was bound to get hostile with him. He just wondered which of them it would be. Glancing between the odd trio, Draco took a shaky breath and opened his mouth to speak. Narcissa held her hand in the air for him to stop.
"Oh, Draco. I've been so worried. I was so afraid that you wouldn't make it…the curse your father accidentally hit you with was so strong."
Draco swallowed. "It-it wasn't an accident, Mum. I ran in front of the curse. I couldn't help it. It was like someone had pulled me over and thrust me directly into its pathway. I had absolutely no control over what happened out there."
Draco's mother watched her son through watery eyes. "Do you mean someone put you under the Imperious Curse in order to kill you? Oh, I'll bet it was that Granger girl. She was the one you ran in front of."
Dumbledore tutted softly from behind Narcissa. "Mrs. Malfoy, it was not Miss Granger. We checked her wand soon after she passed out on the battlefield. She has never cast the Imperious Spell."
Narcissa looked appalled. "I demand to know who risked my son's life out there today in order to save that…filthy mudblood. One of her friends, no doubt, if it hadn't been her. They always did think of her as some sort of queen."
A solemn look shrouded Dumbledore's pale blue eyes. "All of Miss Granger's closest friends died in battle today, save one, who was knocked completely unconscious during the time in question. No, dear Mrs. Malfoy, I suspect we are dealing with something far more powerful than a curse. What happened out there today was a very powerful form of old magic that Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy should discuss in private before they talk about it with any of us."
"But he is my son!" Narcissa exclaimed.
"You are lucky, Narcissa, that your son is here in a padded room of St. Mungo's, rather than in a dank cell in Azkaban Prison right now," Snape had finally decided to speak.
Narcissa looked towards Draco in confusion. "What is he talking about Draco? Why are you lucky to be here rather than in Azkaban?"
Snape looked stunned. "Are you telling me," he said as he turned to face Draco, "that your mother has no idea what you have been doing during your extracurricular time since the day you turned seventeen?"
Draco merely shook his head as he silently stared at his hands.
Narcissa's hand flew to her mouth. "No. You couldn't have. You told me you would never do such a thing, Draco. You told me the week before your birthday that you would never get mixed up with your father's wrong-doings. But here you are. A little over a year later telling me that you are. Oh God, what did I do to deserve this from you? Why, Draco? Why did you lie to me? And why did you ever join a group as…horrible as that one? Especially run by someone who isn't even an appropriate leader for a cause like that? Why would you ever choose to follow a half-blood who's notions were to get rid of all half-bloods and mudbloods in the wizarding world? Draco…how could you have been…so-so stupid? And I always thought you were so smart. Oh how could you do this to me? I learned to deal with it when your father did it, but you? I thought you were so much smarter and better than Lucius." Draco noticed his mother had begun crying.
He had no idea what to say. He knew he had been wrong to never stand up to his father and tell him he didn't want to join the Death Eaters, but somehow that didn't seem like a very appropriate excuse to tell his mother. She would probably consider him a liar and a coward.
Luckily, Snape spoke up before Draco could. "It is my belief, Narcissa, and I daresay I hope I am correct in thinking this, that Draco's involvement with the Death Eaters was beyond his control. I believe that if he had gone against his father's will that he would probably be in St. Mungo's today for an entirely different reason. And I'm very sure you wouldn't want your beloved son sharing a room with the ever popular Gilderoy Lockhart, would you?"
Narcissa weakly shook her head as she stared at her son. "Even if that is true, Draco, I am still incredibly disappointed with you. I'm not much for mudbloods, but I certainly do not wish them all dead. Your father and I always disagreed about that. It was also something my sister Bellatrix and I always disagreed about. And now she's back in Azkaban. She was found petrified in the same field you got hit by the curse."
Draco looked from his mother to Dumbledore. He was sure Dumbledore would send him to Azkaban, but that was before the old man spoke.
"Mr. Malfoy, as the head of the Wizengamot, I hereby declare you cleared of all charges, so long as you are in accordance with the law for the remainder of your life, and if you dare step a foot outside of that line, I will personally escort you to Azkaban Prison. Now, you shall be sentenced to a few, well, lets just say, community services, for the next few years of your life. Is everything copasetic?"
Draco nodded his agreement. He knew exactly what Dumbledore meant by community services, having taken Muggle Studies during his fourth year, and although he was upset about it, he knew it was a lot better than what he truly deserved.
"You may be wondering, Mr. Malfoy, why I have decided not to give you a hearing for your actions."
Draco nodded again.
"Simply put, I felt that this should be a private matter between us. Not many people knew you were a Death Eater, and I would like to keep it that way. After I leave here tonight, I will put down the notes in the Wizengamot's official files, which, I assure you, are all locked away safely to ensure privacy and I am the only one who knows how to unlock them. Don't worry, this will not follow you throughout your life. After your three years of service are up, you will be free to do anything your heart desires, as long as it is within the codes of the law, and I personally will see to it that you get a decent job."
Narcissa looked as if she could kiss Dumbledore. "Thank you, Albus. You needn't be so helpful, but I am very grateful you are."
"It is perfectly fine, Mrs. Malfoy. I expect Draco will fulfill everything he is asked to do."
Draco looked up at the sound of his name. "Professor? What exactly will I be doing during my community service?"
Dumbledore smiled and Draco noticed a slight twinkle in his eye. "An excellent question, Mr. Malfoy. I will not ask you to do something that requires actual servitude, because I doubt that would do any good. No, no Mr. Malfoy, what I want you to do will really help you learn things on your own. All your life you have been fed information on Muggle-borns. For the most part, everything you have heard has been a complete lie. I believe one muggle-born, in particular, has gone against everything you have ever heard. She is intelligent, witty, loyal, challenging, a bit cunning, and if you do not mind an old man saying, quite beautiful."
Dumbledore paused for a moment as if he expected Draco to speak. And so he did. "You're talking about Hermione Granger, aren't you?"
"I knew you would agree with me on all of her attributes. It goes to show that you should not judge a book by its cover. Now, what I would like for you to do, is befriend Miss Granger—" Draco scowled slightly at this. "—you will get to know her and you will do whatever she asks you to do. God knows she needs friends right now."
Snape looked at Dumbledore incredulously. "Are you saying that the only thing Mr. Malfoy has to do is become friends with Miss Granger?"
"Hmm? Oh, no no no, he will also be helping the staff at St. Mungo's here on the fourth floor. The entire fourth floor. He will have to learn about those people who were sent here for life. He must meet them, see exactly what happened to them because of the Death Eaters, and talk to them during the weekends. Just watching some of the people here is heart wrenching, and I hope that will be the case for Mr. Malfoy. He needs to know these things."
Snape looked appeased by this. "Good. Now that that is settled, I think it is time we let Mr. Malfoy get his rest. We will arrive here tomorrow morning at 9:30 to pick you up, so be ready."
Narcissa waited for the two men to leave before she turned back to her son. "Please know, my dear child, that I will always love you. I may be disappointed in you, but I will never stop loving you." Then she stood, bent down to kiss his forehead, and left the room, leaving Draco feeling more alone than he had ever felt before.
When Hermione awoke the next morning, it was still raining. After Madame Pomfrey cleared her to leave, she began walking to Dumbledore's office. It was the longest trek she had ever made. The events of the day before flooded her mind. Her friends were dead. Ron was still unconscious. Draco Malfoy had blocked a curse meant for her. She wanted the rain to last forever.
For the first time in her life, Hermione felt completely helpless. Everything she knew to be stable in her life was gone now. There was no more Harry to talk to about things, no more Ginny to be a girl with, no more Neville to help in Potions, no more Luna to talk about things that couldn't possibly be real…The only other link she had to her past life was lying in St. Mungo's in a coma. Not even magic could rouse Ron from his deep slumber.
And then there was Draco Malfoy. A Death Eater. A git. An aristocratic Mudblood hater. Her savior. She wondered how the world could have become so topsy-turvy in just one day. When she got to the stone Gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office, she realized she had no idea what the password was to get in, so she sat down against the wall, intent on waiting for someone who did know.
She needn't wait for very long. Only five minutes had passed when she heard the Gargoyle move from its post to let someone out of the office. She looked up to find Snape staring at her. "If you would like to go in, Miss Granger, you may. The headmaster won't mind."
Hermione nodded her thanks and stepped onto the rotating staircase. At the top, she knocked on the door and heard someone clear their throat from the other side. She turned the knob cautiously and stepped in.
Professor Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk filling out a parchment, and to Hermione's surprise, Draco Malfoy was sitting in one of the chairs directly in front of her. Without looking up from his parchment Dumbledore said, "Please be seated Miss Granger. I will be with you in just a moment."
Hermione warily sat down in the chair next to Draco's. They sat very still, the only sound coming from the scratching of Dumbledore's quill on the parchment. Hermione glanced around the office, noticing the old headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts wide awake in their portraits, staring between the parchment and Draco, and then to Hermione, a hushed whispering here and there.
There was a slight rumpling sound, and Hermione turned to see Dumbledore sealing the parchment together murmuring something under his breath. Suddenly, the parchment disappeared, and Dumbledore turned to face Draco and Hermione.
"Mr. Malfoy, if you would please go wait downstairs while I talk to Miss Granger. I will send for you when we are finished." Draco nodded and slipped out the door shutting it softly behind him.
There were tears in Hermione's eyes when Dumbledore turned back to her. "Miss Granger, please have a lemon drop," the old man offered solemnly. Hermione took one but did not unwrap it. Instead, she fidgeted with it, unsure of how to begin.
"I know why you are here, Miss Granger, but I would like to hear you say it."
So, after taking a deep breath, she asked the question that had been bothering her since she had woken up the night before.
"Why did Malfoy jump in front of the curse?"
Dumbledore smiled to himself. "Have you never done anything in the past that might have spurned him to do something so unconventional?"
Hermione was completely confused. "For years he's riled me up, called me names, threatened me with death…but when what should have been the ultimate joy for him happened, he stopped it, and I don't know why."
The smile on his face was becoming rather unsettling. How could he smile at a time like this? So many people were dead or injured, and all he could do was sit comfortably behind his desk smiling as gleefully as a child in Honeydukes. "Stop it. Stop smiling. It's unnerving."
And then Dumbledore laughed. "Oh, Miss Granger. I thought you would have worked this out by now. Has there not ever been a time when you felt something different should have happened and therefore tried to change it?"
Hermione began to shake her head but then stopped suddenly as a certain memory shot into her mind like a bullet, causing her to gasp in shock.
"Ah, yes, you understand now, I see. And unless you have any other questions, I must get back to Mr. Malfoy. Will you please inform him I'm ready to see him again when you go down there?"
Nodding, Hermione left the room still astonished by her sudden epiphany.
When the Gargoyle stepped aside for her, she gestured to Draco to go back up. He paused for a moment, looking at her, and she caught something strange in his eyes. He seemed conflicted and Hermione began to wonder if he knew too.
Not wanting to go back to an empty dormitory, Hermione headed outside. The rain was coming down in sheets. Walking down the hill toward the lake, Hermione allowed herself to think. How could she have not remembered something so crucial? But then she realized it was something she hadn't ever forgotten, just something she never thought about. But how could she have been so ignorant to the answer before? Not once did she realize…not once did she think to look back in time…
A door slammed in the distance, knocking Hermione out of her thoughts. She glanced toward the castle and saw a blond head bobbing its way toward her. The sight of him terrified her, as usual. Did he know? What would he say? She had kept it secret for years, afraid of what would happen if anyone found out. Every question flew through her mind as she watched him draw nearer.
And then he was there.
The rain had plastered his hair to his head, the bangs dripping water down his face. A mixture of contempt and confusion was brewing in his expression and she moved backward slightly. She was afraid, yes. Her heart was pounding in her throat, her stomach had plummeted to her knees, and her feet were pulling her backwards with each passing moment.
Draco stood there watching her. He had no idea what to say, so he just watched. Vaguely, he noticed her getting closer to the lake's edge but he made no move to stop her. At this point, tears were beginning to trickle out of her eyes. How he knew they were tears and not the rain, he wasn't sure.
Then she slipped.
Hermione landed hard on her back, halfway in the water. Draco smirked slightly at the sight but didn't comment. Hermione was livid. She wasn't sure why. She knew Draco would have never told her she was about to step onto the slick muddy shore of the lake. She knew it was her own fault for being so afraid of him. And so she stood.
Draco still watched as the angry mud-coated Hermione Granger walked back to him.
"Well, aren't you going to say anything?" She asked him.
Draco shrugged. "I'm only here because I want to talk to you about one thing in particular, and I know that if I make fun of you, you probably won't tell me anything, so I feel it is best in this situation to stay quiet."
Hermione looked stunned. "Oh. Well, then…start talking."
"Why exactly did I jump in front of my father's very powerful Cruciatus Curse in order to save your life, the girl that I've loathed since I was eleven? I, for one, am at a loss. According to Dumbledore, however, you know just the answer to this question and I want to hear it."
"You mean Dumbledore didn't tell you?"
"He told me that it was best if the two of us discussed it on our own before he says anything."
"So, in other words," she said taking a very deep breath, "he felt it wasn't his place to tell you that you have owed me a life-debt since our third year…"