A/N: Sorry, this took so long. Finals got in the way. Then I kept coming up with things I wanted to add to this chapter. Anyway here it is. I hope to have chapter 31 out before Christmas. Warning: description of attempted rape included in this chapter. If the subject bothers you, please skip the italicized section.
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Chapter 30: The Little Things
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"Pass me the twelve inch cauldron, Sev," Hermione said, absently thanking him as she perused the list of ingredients for the polyjuice potion. Just seeing the accompanying pictures brought back gruesome memories of the last time. At least this time it would not be her taking the potion, and the working environment was much better, being in Severus' workroom instead of in the girl's bathroom.
She scanned the gathered jars and bowls on the table, frowning as she came to the end. Confused as to why Severus had put out some more dangerous and unneeded ingredients she turned to him and said, "Those aren't part of the polyjuice. In fact if you were to add any of them it would either explode or poison the drinker. You don't have a grudge against Draco for being Lucius' son or something, do you?"
Severus rolled his and gave his patented smirk as he replied, "No, my dear suspicious Gryffindor. They are for the polyjuice. In the early years of my service under the Dark Lord, I was given free reign to do experimentation. Some worked and some didn't. Some of my successes, I am sorry to say, the Dark Lord is aware of. This one though, he does not know about. Shortly before the Dark Lord's fall, I was able to create an extended polyjuice potion which lasts up to four hours instead of the original one hour limit."
Hermione just stared at him in loving awe. Thinking about the implication this would have on the mission, she smiled widely and said, "It's perfect. Since we only need plan to have Draco take it for 48 hours, he will only need to take it 12 times. He should be relieved. That stuff is just awful to taste." She wrinkled her nose at the memory of sand and raw fish. Returning to the present she asked, "So how do these get incorporated into the steps?"
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The beginning steps finished, and the potion simmering nicely in stasis, they retreated to their quarters for dinner. Once the elves had delivered their meal of pot roast and roasted potatoes, they settled on the couch in comfortable silence.
They had both finished and settled, Severus with a stack of essays and Hermione with a large tome of spells, when she broke the silence, "What do you think we should name it?"
Severus looked up at her, his brow wrinkled in confusion, "Name what?"
"The baby. Really, Severus, what did you think I meant?" she berated, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, right. I don't know. I never thought about it. What would you like?" he asked.
She considered for a moment. While she already knew the names of her future children, she didn't know which was the oldest. Besides she wanted Severus to have some sort of role in naming their children. Finally she responded, "What is your middle name? Or do you have one? You never told me."
"Yes, I do. Two actually," he replied. "It's Alexander Anthony. But what makes you think, the baby is a boy? It could be a girl."
Hermione nodded in agreement, though she had a pretty good feeling that this one was a boy. Thinking of something she said, "I have always rather liked my grandmother's name, Eleanor Adriana. What do you think?"
He smiled, and said, "Name the baby however you like. I like what you like. I do have one request." At her encouraging noise, he continued, "We are not naming our child Harry or James." She just rolled her eyes and hit him with a throw pillow.
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"Do I really walk like that?" she asked skeptically. Draco had been showing her his best impression. So far it was almost eerie how accurate it was. She was finding that there were certain things even she didn't know she did. Like the walk. "It seems almost …unfeminine."
The blonde young man just smirked at her slightly, and replied, "Well, it's true. I will concede that you may be a bit more feminine since I am a man and it tends to affect the way I walk. I can't imagine what it will feel like to be a girl. It should be interesting living as a witch for 24 hours." He quirked his eyebrow suggestively.
Half in jest, she said, "Don't you dare do anything. I have a reputation to maintain, thank you." She reached for the list that she had made of things Draco should be able to do or know and scanned down the check marks. "Okay, so that's the walk, the nervous lip biting, the hand twitch, the friends, husband, parents, work, occlumency, and knowledge of Harry." As she came to the end of the list, she realized that she had left off something that might be of vital importance.
Should I tell him. Not many people know. It might not come up. The bastard might not even be there for the kidnapping. But what if he is? He'll expect you to remember him and be afraid. Draco wouldn't know and might react wrong. I have to tell him just in case. But do I have the nerve? With her mind settled she looked up from her lap.
Draco frowned as he sat down. "What's wrong?" he asked. When she looked at him questioningly, he said, "You're doing the lip thing."
She gave a nervous sort of laugh and said, "I'm that obvious, huh? There is something I need to tell you. It may be very important in the way you react to some of the Death Eaters. It has to do with the second attack in sixth year. Not the one by the lake, the one during Easter holidays. You see I … I…I'm sorry I can't say it." Thinking for a moment she got up and went to a cabinet in one of the corners. She took a key from her pocket and unlocked it. Draco strained to see past her at what she was doing but her robes blocked the opening. She seemed to strain slightly as she picked something up off one of the shelves. As she turned around, he saw it was a pensieve.
He had heard of them but never seen or used one, so he was intrigued to say the least. She carefully set it down on the table in front of him and returned to her seat. He was admiring the granite and silver inlay when she started to explain, "It's a bit too complicated for me to explain; besides I don't think I have the courage to relive it verbally. In case you didn't know, this is a pensieve, a place where a person can view memories or thoughts with some detachment. Since I can't find the words to tell you, I thought maybe I could show you. I must warn you though; the events are not pretty and very private. Not even Severus knows what I am about to show you. Do you still want to know?"
When he nodded ascent, a sober look on his face, she placed her wand at her temple and withdrew a silver strand of memory, placing it in the waiting basin. After a few brief instructions on how it works, Draco was ready. With a reassuring look at Hermione and a deep breath, he reached forward and delicately touched the surface of the silvery liquid.
He felt as though he were being sucked down a tunnel until he came to a sudden stop. He was standing in the middle of a dim room. By the dim light of a few burning oil lamps, he saw dingy stone walls and moth-eaten curtains and rugs. Decades of dust washed out the colors. The room was crowded, though only a few people were in it, being very small and filled with drape covered furniture. Looking closer at the faces of those standing next to him, he saw that they were Death Eaters, all men he had grown up knowing or hearing about. The room included his own father, Avery, MacNair, the Lestranges, Snape, and Voldemort himself.
Kneeling on the floor, bound hand and foot, were Hermione, Ron, and Harry. They all looked the worse for wear. Harry had a split lip, a black left eye and several bruises on his arms. Ron was unbruised, but had a nasty cut above his right eye that was still oozing blood. Hermione was unhurt, but her hair was disheveled and she looked exhausted. Knowing that no one could see him he pushed his way forward until he was standing slightly behind Hermione.
Positioned the best he could, he tuned into the conversation. "Finally, I have the infamous Harry Potter in my grasp. You've spoiled my plans, a few times too often. There is no Dumbledore to save you this time. And unlike the night of my return, you will not be getting your wand back," hissed the skeletal figure sitting in front of the captured trio, twirling the wand in question idly. Up close Voldemort looked even worse that rumors bespoke in Draco's opinion, but he could see how this…creature could gather the follower he needed. The room radiated power.
Bellatrix Lestrange spat out, "Why not just kill the little viper, and rid the world of his taint."
Voldemort gave her a cruel smile and responded, in an eerily calm voice, "In due time, Bella. But I think he needs to pay for all the suffering he has caused us." The laughter that followed this statement could hardly be called laughing at all.
Draco expected some rash statement from one of the three captives, but they only glared at the Dark Lord angrily. The lack of reaction seemed to anger the evil man, but instead of yelling, he only smiled. This more than anything scared Draco. Only a madman smiles when he is angry. "Yes, he will suffer before he dies. Leave me. I want no witnesses," he ordered.
"What of the others my Lord," Avery asked, eying Hermione with a glint that Draco didn't trust.
"Do what you wish with them. They are not my concern," their master replied as he stared maniacally at Harry.
Suddenly Avery and MacNair were pulling Ron and Hermione to their feet. Ron was trying to throw his weight against the hold the former executioner had on him, as Hermione screamed to Harry not to give up, that help would come. Draco only then noticed that Potter had struggled to his feet and was being physically restrained by Rodolphus Lestrange as he shouted back at Hermione and Ron.
Knowing that this was Hermione's memory, he followed her and Ron as they were being dragged out of the room. The last he saw of the room was Harry falling as Lucius stunned him.
The witch struggled against her captor's hold, until Avery twisted her arm and there was a resounding crack as it broke. Listening to Hermione's screams, turning into threats and then silence when Avery struck her in the head, Draco wished more than anything that he could do something to help. He followed them down a dank hallway and down a flight of stairs before they entered another room. This one was brightly lit, but that did not reassure Draco one bit.
The extra light revealed a stark stone room. The only furnishing was stone table in the very center. But the walls were not bare by any means. They positively glittered with metal from medieval weapons, manacles and chains, whips, knives and a few ancient looking implements, he highly suspected were for disembowelment.
Avery sauntered up to the table and deposited Hermione on top with a hard sounding thump. Ron tried to protest this treatment of his friend, but at some point had been gagged with a silencing charm. MacNair shackled the red-head into a set of manacles and waited for his partner.
Avery tied the unconscious witch's hands to a peg at one end of the table but unbound her feet. Draco had a horrible suspicion of where this was headed but hoped he was wrong. Once the man was sure that she was secure, he woke her up with a muttered, "Ennervate. Silencio." She slowly opened her eyes and blinked confusedly. She attempted to sit up but discovered that her hands were bound. She looked around to meet the gaze of her captor. What she saw in his face scared her to her core. She began to sweat as he walked over to one of the walls and picked up an exceptionally long and sharp knife.
The Death Eater stared at her in a hungry sort of way, and smiled maliciously as he said, "It has been a long time since I had a little mudblood like you in my possession. Fourteen years in Azkaban, and the Master has kept us hidden here for the last year. Being deprived that long can make a man go crazy you know. I've had my eye on you since the attack at the lake. For a mudblood you are a pretty little thing, so you get to be the lucky witch who sates my appetite. But you aren't prepared properly. You need a little dressing, or should I say undressing."
Draco felt sick as MacNair laughed and Avery proceeded to remove the outer layers of Hermione's clothes, systematically cutting the seams with the knife. It would have been faster to use a vanishing spell, but apparently Avery was the type of sick man who liked to torture his victims by taking his time. Avery set down the knife when he reached her underwear and bra.
Wishing that he could do something…anything, Draco moved to where Hermione's head rested on the table. He expected to see fear or tears in her eyes, but was surprised to see only righteous anger in her face. He looked up at the thump as Avery lifted himself onto the table. Draco turned slightly at the rattle of chains to see Ron straining against his bonds, murder in his face.
He wished he didn't have to watch what he knew was about to happen, but like a possessed man was drawn back to the seen on the table. Avery was at this point straddling her as if she were a broomstick or something. Draco wanted to gag as the wizard leaned over and kissed her.
Suddenly, Avery let out a groan, and Draco was going to throw up. But then he saw the other man's face, which instead of showing lust, was white as a ghost and twisted in pain. The next thing he knew the Death Eater was flying across the room and hit the far wall narrowly missing rack full of pikes. He slid to the floor where he lay in a heap, knocked unconscious.
MacNair stared at his compatriot in shock, before rushing over to check on him. Finding him knocked out cold, he turned to the witch on the table, but found a surprise. She was no longer tied up and was crouched holding the knife in the broken hand and Avery's wand in the other. Draco had watched as the ropes had unraveled themselves and freed her hands. Only when she was free, did she pick up the wand which her attacker had left on the table. It was then that Draco realized that she could do wandless magic.
Hate blazed in her eyes, as she glared at the other Death Eater. Draco actually thought he heard the wizard whimper as he backed away from her. "Stupefy," she whispered hoarsely, having removed the silencing spell. The man fell limp next to his partner.
Her discarded clothes came together as she muttered a quiet, "Reparo." After dressing, careful of her broken arm, she released Ron and removed the silencing charm. She was instantly seized in a tight but careful embrace as she began to cry into her friend's dirty sweater.
They all looked up as shouts rang out down the hall. Ron and Hermione braced themselves as they waited. The door flew open to give entrance to Lupin followed by Tonks and Kingsley. They stared goggle-eyed at the two Death Eaters crumpled on the floor and the battered but alive friends.
Sounds started to fade and the feeling of being sucked through a tunnel returned as the memory ended. Draco blinked as he returned to the couch and found Hermione looking at him worriedly. He did the only thing he could think of and gave her a hug. When he let go he saw that there were tears in her eyes, and said, "Hey, now, none of that. He was a right bastard. It wasn't your fault, and you seemed to handle yourself. If I get the opportunity I promise I will kill the bastard myself."
She laughed shakily and responded, "Thanks but I would like to do that. Just promise me you won't tell Severus. He doesn't know and I would like to keep it that way."
"Of course," he replied. "And now I will be able to react accordingly if I happen to see that git. He truly is insane. But that was some awesome wandless magic. I never want to piss you off, that's for sure." He ducked as she swung a pillow at him.
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Hermione smiled as the potion stopped bubbling and turned a muddy brown. Turning to Draco and Severus, she said, "It's finished." Seeing Severus eyeing the cauldron from across the room she added, "Did you want to check it first?"
Severus stepped back, a bit startled, and replied, "No. Unlike when what I said while you were in school, I trust you to competently make a potion unaided."
Looking at Draco, she asked, "Did you want to try it now? Once you take it should last up to four hours, so you would have to be prepared for that. It would also give you time to practice your impression in the actual form first."
"Now, is as good a time as any," Draco replied. Hermione turned back to the cauldron and ladled a portion into the waiting flask. Using her wand she carefully severed a lock of her hair and added a few strands to the flask. They all watched as it turned an opaque honey brown.
Turning back to the two men she handed the flask to Malfoy. He raised it to them in a salute and raised the flask to his lips. As he swallowed he noticed, with a bit of surprise, that is smelled like roses and had a faint taste of strawberries. The taste belied the effects. With in a few moments he felt like he was going to be sick. He skin felt likeit was going to melt right off. Suddenly the pain stopped and he could stand up again.
Except the view was different, he seemed to have shrunk about seven inches. His clothes, which fit his form perfectly before, were stretched over a few places and falling off others. "Bloody hell, this feels weird," he said. He paused for a second, surprised. It was not his normal baritone voice that he spoke with. He looked at his former professor, and found the older man looking at him with the closest thing to amusement he had ever seen on his face. With a suppressed smile, Hermione mutely handed him a stack of her clothes. Making a face he excused himself to the bathroom to change.
As he pulled off his old robes, he paused to look in the mirror. It was the oddest feeling, knowing you were male, but seeing a woman's reflection instead. He raised his brows questioningly as he held up a simple pink bra and matching underwear. Shaking his head and thanking his ancestors that he had been born male, he put them on. He noted in passing that Hermione had an even better body under all those robes than he had expected. He shrugged on a set of pale blue robes and turned to the mirror.
If he hadn't known better, he would believe he was looking at a portrait of the witch. There was one problem. His hair was a mess. He had no idea what to do with it. He saw a brush on the counter and attempted to get it into some recognizable order. After wrestling with it for a few minutes with no success he gave up and returned to the main room.
As he came out Hermione gave him a weird look that prompted him to ask, "What? Did I put something on wrong? I'm new at this girl thing."
Hermione laughed out loud at that. "There is nothing wrong. Well, except for the hair. It is just so weird seeing yourself come out of the bathroom when you know your still you. Come here and I'll fix your or rather my hair." He came over careful to walk like her, which, as predicted, was easier as a female than male. She waved her wand and he had the sudden sensation of invisible hands running through his waist length hair and lifting locks of it into a simple half pony-tail. She stepped back to admire her work and said, "There that's better. What do you think, Sev? Will he pass?" She turned to stand beside Draco so Snape could compare.
He scrutinized them for a moment, and then shook his head, "No one would be able to tell, so long as you remember that walk."
Hermione looked at the Draco-Hermione and said, "Time to pass the test."
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"Hey, guys. What's happening?" Hermione said as she entered the kitchen of Grimauld Place. Harry, Ron and Lupin looked up from the game of Exploding Snap they had going just as the deck blew up.
"Hermione!" shouted Harry and Ron by way of greeting. She had just sat down across from the boys when the kitchen door opened again to reveal…Hermione. The two younger boys did several confused double takes while Lupin just smiled.
The second Hermione sat next to the first, said, "So what's going on?" The boys looked at each other for a moment, before smiling slightly.
Ron rubbed his hands together in anticipation as Harry said, "Ok. Let's find out who the real Hermione is. The Hermione in blue can answer then the one in purple. First question, when is your birthday?"
"September 18." "September 18."
"Too easy. When is Harry's birthday?" Ron asked.
"July 31." "July 31"
The questions continued for over half an hour. Each question was answered correctly by both girls. Occasionally their answers differed but were still technically correct. The two boys were starting to get frustrated at their failure to decipher the imposter.
In one last attempt Harry asked, "What is the name of the three-headed dog Hagrid used to guard the Sorcerer's Stone?"
"Fluffy." "Fluffy, though it really didn't fit him at all."
Disgusted Ron, threw up his hands and said, "I give up. I can't tell so, Voldemort won't be able to either, I suppose."
Lupin had been watching the interrogation silently, but finally spoke, "I have one question, though. When you had the timeturner accident and went to the past, besides Snape, who did you date?" Harry and Ron looked surprised at this. Hermione had never told them she dated someone else.
There was a slight pause before the Hermione in blue answered, "Sirius Black." A beat behind the Hermione in purple answered, a slight blush tinting her cheeks, "You."
Smiling broadly, Remus shook the blue Hermione's hand and said, "Wonderful job, Draco. Very convincing."
Draco smiled, and said, "Thanks. It's kind of weird, but I kind of like being a girl. It's interesting. I could do with out the restrictive underwear though. I don't know how you can stand it."
They all broke out laughing as the real Hermione said, "You get used to it. Just be happy it's not that time of the month." She laughed harder at the horrified look on his face.
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The two days before Christmas, the plans for the counter-kidnapping were ready to be set in motion. The days had been long and exhausting. So it was with much relief that Severus and Hermione fell into bed that night, too tired to do anything but curl up and sleep.
As the darkness settled around them, a figure appeared in a corner. The firelight glinted off pale hair. Lucius Malfoy was disturbed to say the least. I knew he was a traitor to our Master, but this is beyond what I imagined. To willing sleep next that mudblood's tainted flesh without even taking his pleasure first, is just disgusting. He is a double traitor to blood and honor. He must pay. With a look that could peel paint, he stepped toward the sleeping couple.
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Severus woke with a start. Blearily he looked around for what had woken him up. The room was dark and the typical winter chill pervaded the air. Finding nothing to alarm him he rolled over to hold his wife for warmth. But she wasn't there.
Not immediately worried, he got up and started searching the other rooms. After not finding her anywhere, a thought struck him. What if something had happened with the baby?
Throwing on his dressing he headed for the Hospital Wing. Ten minutes later he swept down the corridors heading for the Library. When his search of her favorite places failed to produce Hermione, he went the last place he could think of: Dumbledore.
Without waiting to knock he entered the Headmaster's office and called for the old wizard. When Albus came out of a painting of Westminster Abbey wearing a blue dressing gown, Severus said, "She is missing."
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A/N: Hehehe. Sorry about the cliffy. Hope to get back to this soon.
