Disclaimer: not mine.

A/N: Wow! The responses from the last chapter was well….amazing! Keep up the reviewing guys! Sorry this took longer to get out. My youngest had a friend spend the night for her birthday and well….that was an experience. And then my other daughter was home with a cold. So basically, family matters called. But here it is! Please review!

Chapter 19

Shadow of Life

What time the mighty moon was gathering light
Love paced the thymy plots of Paradise,
And all about him roll'd his lustrous eyes;
When, turning round a cassia, full in view,
Death, walking all alone beneath a yew,
And talking to himself, first met his sight.
'You must begone,' said Death, 'these walks are mine.'
Love wept and spread his sheeny vans for flight;
Yet ere he parted said, 'This hour is thine:
Thou art the shadow of life, and as the tree
Stands in the sun and shadows all beneath,
So in the light of great eternity
Life eminent creates the shade of death.
The shadow passeth when the tree shall fall,
But I shall reign for ever over all.'

--Lord Alfred Tennyson

Hermione's cries echoed in the small clearing. Even the sound of the rain could not drown it out. Slowly, Remus made his way over to Hermione and Lucius. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Remus tried to urge her up.

"NO! NO!"

She held on to Lucius tighter. Remus quickly backed away unsure as to what to do. Harry was unsure as to what to feel. He felt anger at seeing his best friend in the arms of Lucius Malfoy, but relief that he was offering comfort. It was a sight Ron would not be able to handle he knew. Deciding he did not really like seeing Hermione in Lucius' arms and knowing something horrible had happened in this clearing, Harry stepped forward to go to her. Draco saw him move and immediately grabbed his arm to prevent him further movement forward.

"No. Leave them be, Potter."

Harry's eyes narrowed at Draco. Anger rising in his chest he hissed back to Draco.

"Hermione is my best friend Draco. She needs me."

Draco shook his head no.

"Only my father can give her what she needs right now."

Harry's mouth flapped open and then closed.

"Who was the last life you took, Potter?" Draco waited for Harry to respond, but Harry didn't. Instead, he glanced over at McGonagall pointing her wand at Bellatrix's body and it disappearing. When he looked back at Draco, his eyes looked down as if in shame for not realizing. "That's what I thought. Let father handle this one."

As Draco stood there watching his father with Hermione in the rain he saw Hermione in a whole new light. It wasn't even a year ago when Draco was given his task of killing Dumbledore. When it came down to it, Draco just couldn't do it. He didn't have it in him. Yet, here was Granger killing a very loyal, very powerful Death Eater. Why? As he watched his father sooth the girl, something he only did for Draco as a small child in private, Draco decided he already knew why.

Severus stepped over to the couple. Like Draco, he could figure out generally what had happened. Severus was smart enough to realize that Hermione was not going to let go of Lucius.

"Lucius, we need to get you both back to the castle. Are you able to get her to walk?"

Lucius looked up at Severus. Severus shifted. He was quite uncomfortable seeing Lucius on the ground and the emotion filling his eyes. It felt wrong to be there. Lucius felt her arms tighten slightly.

"I will carry her."

Everyone watched Lucius Malfoy slowly stand keeping Hermione Granger protectively in his arms. Hermione felt his chest rumble as he spoke and it comforted her. She felt safe again. When he stood, he noticed how still she had become. He looked down at her in alarm.

"Did Bellatrix use the cruciatus on the girl?"

McGonagall registered Lucius' concern and rushed to look at the girl. When Lucius responded with "yes," McGonagall couldn't help but to feel a bit panicked. Who knew how many times Hermione had been inflicted with the curse.

"We must get her straight to Madam Pomfrey."

With a curt nod, Lucius apparated with Hermione Granger in his arms.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Ron ate quickly while his eyes searched the Great Hall. Harry was not in his bed that morning. The whole school was buzzing about Hermione Granger's possible abduction and the fact that Lucius Malfoy went missing the next day. Rumors circled, helped by Ron that Lucius was up to his old tricks and was behind her disappearance. At breakfast, the Great Hall was buzzing not only about their disappearances now, but the empty seats at the Head table, the Gryffindor table and the Slytherin table. It was well known that Severus was staying at the castle until Hermione was found, but he was not at the table. Also missing was the Headmistress, Harry Potter was not sitting next to Ron and the Slytherin table was missing one Draco Malfoy.

Finally, throngs of students began leaving the Great Hall to go to their first class of the day. Ron was becoming very irate with not knowing where his best friends were and being asked where they were. He followed his sister out the door.

Ginny exited the Great Hall feeling and looking thoroughly harassed. Taking a deep frustrated sigh, she stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned around to face her brother.

"I said I do not know where Harry or Draco went, Ron!"

Ron looked utterly defeated as his sister turned away from him. She turned to head out the front door of the castle when she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks along with everyone else in the corridor. The overwhelming silence in the corridor and the stunned look on his sister's face made Ron look toward the front doors. He felt his body go numb before the anger began to course through his veins. Everyone else was shocked into silence. Everyone knew Lucius was a Death Eater, everyone knew he hated anyone like Hermione and especially Hermione, so the sight before them caused everyone to hold their breath it would seem…to watch and memorize this moment. It was a scene that would travel for years to come. It was a scene legends were borne from.

McGonagall walked briskly through the corridor shooing people aside. Behind her was Remus Lupin. Behind Remus walked Lucius Malfoy with an unconscious and bloody Hermione Granger in his arms. Just barely behind Lucius on either side were Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy. A few gasps echoed in the corridor and a sudden flash caused Lucius to turn an evil glare toward Colin Creevey along with Severus and Draco. Colin quickly dove behind a Slytherin girl who proceeded to shove him away.

Harry was the last to walk in with his hands in his pockets. Ron walked up to Harry and Harry could see the anger in his friend's eyes.

"What did he do to her?"

"Nothing."

Harry was rather subdued. Ginny's forehead crinkled in worry when Harry spoke.

"What do you mean 'nothing'? Did you notice she was unconscious?"

Harry was not in the mood for Ron's temper or accusations right then.

"Yes, Ron. I noticed thanks. It still was not Malfoy." He paused for a moment looking down and sighing deeply he looked back up at Ron. "It was Bellatrix."

A whimper sounded from off to the side and Harry knew it was Neville.

"Bellatrix," Ron asked. "Well, what did they do to her when they got there?"

Harry licked his lips before answering. Ginny noticed the nervousness in this act, but remained silent.

"Bellatrix Lestrange was dead when we arrived."

Like a wave, the whispers of the students traveled through the corridor.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"She will sleep for about a week. There was extensive damage due to the cruciatus curse. I shudder to think what would have happened if Miss Granger had to suffer one more dose of that curse."

Everyone in the hospital wing was silent. The implications of Madame Pomfrey's statement hung in the air.

"Will she be alright," ask McGonagall.

"Yes," answered Madame Pomfrey. "Mainly she needs rest for her body to regain its strength."

Madame Pomfrey looked pointedly around the bed at everyone. Nodding sheepishly, Remus bid his farewell and left followed by Draco and McGonagall. Lucius simply stood there watching Hermione. Severus patted him on the back.

"I'll be staying in my old quarters if you need me."

Severus exited the room.

"Professor Malfoy, I distinctly remember saying the girl needs her rest."

Lucius slowly looked at the medi-witch.

"And it appears she is resting," Lucius snarled.

As Madame Pomfrey walked off, he could have sworn he heard her mumbling to herself something about some students never changing. Once the medi-witch disappeared into her own quarters for the night, Lucius pulled a chair up next to Hermione's bed.

Lucius sat in the dark watching Hermione's still form. The moonlight shinning in to the hospital wing lit up her face. The luminosity of her face seemed to heighten the innocence of the Gryffindor. The shadow was there though. He couldn't help but to realize it. When Hermione Granger finally woke up she would not be the same…she would never be the same. Slowly the vision of Hermione faded as the darkness of sleep engulfed him.

When Lucius was not teaching a class he was in the hospital wing despite Madame Pomfrey's contestations. Things just were not the same without Hermione Granger. Class seemed a bit off without her hand in the air or her voice precisely explaining every detail of an answer. It was as if there was a large gaping hole in each class. Lucius stuck to short lectures without questions and class work. Most students didn't notice any change in Lucius' way of teaching, but Harry, Ron, Draco, and even Ginny noticed.

Ron took the change to mean Lucius' guilt for hurting Hermione was devouring him and the prospect of her waking soon worrying him. Harry didn't think that was it. As he sat in class trying to concentrate on the work he was set to do, he couldn't help but to let his eyes wander up to Lucius sitting at his desk. No, Ron's idea was not right, but then something was not right and hadn't been since they were stuck in that house together. The scene he and the others apparated into in the clearing kept flashing in his head. That was not two enemies in that clearing that was something else and he needed Ron to see what he had. There was only one way.

That evening in the seventh year, boys' dorm Harry sat a pensive on the table between his and Ron's beds. Ron looked at he swirling shimmer and back to Harry.

"I want you to see this, Ron. It's what happened from the time we apparated into the clearing to the time we disapparated."

Ron nodded okay and dove in. Harry waited on his bed hoping it would go well. He didn't go with Ron. This was something Ron needed to view for himself and process on his own. After a bit Ron came out of the pensieve and slowly sat on his bed. He covered his pale face with his hands and sighed. With his elbows still on his knees he looked up at Harry.

"Blimey, Harry! Hermione actually loves that Death Eater."

Harry sighed as he nodded his head. Well, it sort of worked.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Lucius felt Severus' hand on his shoulder.

"She could wake up any moment, Severus."

"I'll sit with her. You have a class to teach."

Lucius didn't move. He remained in his seat watching her face. After a moment he spoke.

"You didn't see it all, Severus. She will never be the same Hermione Granger you remember."

Severus decided to just go ahead and ask what came to mind to ask Lucius. The worst Lucius could do was hex him for even thinking such a thing.

"And do you love her any less for it?"

Lucius stood up and looked at Severus over his shoulder.

"I never said I loved the girl."

Taking a step closer to Hermione's bed, Lucius opened her limp hand and placed the snowflake necklace in it. Severus watched him and when Lucius turned around Severus just shook his head.

"No, you didn't, Lucius. Your actions speak much louder than your words."

Lucius narrowed his eyes.

"Severus, please. I am really not in the mood for any of your Dumbldorian philosophy."

Severus held up his hands as if giving up.

"I apologize, Lucius. Do you remember the first life you ever took?"

Lucius nodded his head.

"Of course. You never forget."

Severus nodded.

"And nor will Miss Granger. You are correct. When she awakes, she will be different. There will always be a shadow hovering over her surface…you and I know what that is like, Lucius. Together I think we could help pull her through this. Besides, I doubt her insufferable friends will allow her to wallow for too long."

"Severus, I don't think I will be the same. You do not know what it was like to see Hermione Granger actually kill someone and the look on her face when she asked me what she had done." Lucius was silent for a moment. "That look is what haunts me at night." With a deep sigh as if trying to collect himself from having exposed so much to a friend, he nodded and swept from the room to teach a class.

Once Lucius was out of the hospital wing, Severus sat in the seat he previously occupied. Hermione was lying on her side still clutching the necklace Lucius placed in her hand. Her eyes were open and tears were slowly gliding onto her pillow. Severus simply looked at her.

"You heard everything?"

She nodded her head very slowly. He could tell she was still rather weak.

"Miss Granger, you must understand. We are born into life dying a little each day. Death is inevitable."

When Hermione spoke, it was with a small weak voice that was just a whisper.

"That does not give me the right to take someone's life. And look at what my actions have done to Lucius."

Hermione grew quiet as she laid there slowly curling up as if to protect herself from some outer force.

"Everything is changing."

Severus nodded.

"Miss Granger, everything always changes. Besides death, there are few constants in life."

Hermione sniffled as she opened up her hand to look at the necklace. The memory of Lucius dropping to his knees and holding her in the rain poured over her. Slowly closing her hand over the necklace again and cradling it to her chest, she closed her eyes with one last whispered statement.

"No, there is one other constant."