Disclaimer: not mine
A/N: another chapter! Please oh please review.
Chapter 28
Love on the Battlefield
They stood in Grimmauld Place. All four of them had changed into what the rest of the Order and its supporters were wearing in battle: black pants and a long sleeve black shirt. The boys bore an armband of red and gold. The girls wore a choker around there neck made of clothe in red and gold with a small phoenix dangling from it. Hermione pulled at hers slightly, not used to it.
"Tell me why I am wearing this again?"
Harry smiled nervously.
"Its part of Fed and George's DADA stuff—there is a bit of protection when wearing it. Not a lot, but some is better than none."
Hermione nodded. The three boys looked at her knowing what was going through her head. They were about to apparate right in the middle of a war.
"Are you going to be okay," Harry asked.
Hermione nodded. Draco knew what her problem was though—there were always deaths in war. There was no way around it. Hermione did not look forward to the inevitable possibility of having no choice but to kill or be killed. Draco stood next to her and took her hand squeezing it.
"Our goal is Voldemort, Hermione. Just do what you have to do to get to him."
Hermione nodded and squeezed his hand back. Harry took her hand, squeezing it and smiling. Together the four of them apparated out of Headquarters and into battle.
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Lucius and Severus stood in their spots of the circle. Voldemort was looking up at the stormy skies.
"Battle is beginning as you know. I am pleased you all arrived when called for this final triumph." Voldemort paused. "Though, there are those who are here whose hearts are somewhere else." He looked down and into the eyes of Lucius and then Severus in turn. "I will deal with these traitors later. There is no time right now. I want those four brats brought before me! Snape, Malfoy, you are to remain with me!"
Voldemort swept from the room. Silently, Lucius and Severus followed, each with the same thought running through their head: Four children were joining the battle above ground…the future of the wizarding world depended on four children. Lucius cringed slightly at that thought. No, they were no longer children. In fact, they were never truly allowed to be children with Voldemort running after Harry every year, but defeating this dark lord insured that their children would be children.
Lucius' heart pounded in his chest when he thought of that…their children. The thought of a life with Hermione—a normal life—with children of their own warmed his heart. Voldemort stopped abruptly and turned facing Lucius. It was as if he knew something.
"Maybe, Lucius, I can bring you a gift while we wait for the boy."
Lucius didn't like the sound of that. Silently he followed the dark lord into a throne-like room.
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Hermione felt a surge of fear when they landed on the battlefield. It was a whole new world. The year before, Hermione had been in Snape's office trying to revive Flitwick so she did not fully witness the mayhem that was going on the floor above. She heard the stories from Ginny, Ron, and Harry though. That was a closed in space last year, yet she seemed to be looking at a larger version of that scene…and in a vast open space.
Misguided curses flew past causing them to duck. As the four stood with each other, battling oncoming Death Eaters and avoiding wayward curses, Hermione's mind would wonder to Lucius. Was he okay? Was he one of these masked men trying desperately to kill those around her? Was he with Voldemort right now? Or had Voldemort killed him? Together, the four of them were a force to be reckoned with. It didn't take long for word to travel to Voldemort.
Lucius stood at Voldemort's side in the throne room. He was trying with all his power to block any thought of Hermione from Voldemort. His own deep recesses of his mind would bring up Hermione and the idea that she was amidst the noise and turmoil above—trying to stay alive. His heart thudded loudly in his chest as his eyes shifted to look at Severus on Voldemort's other side. He noticed Severus' eyes shifted toward him and knew Severus was experiencing similar concerns. It did not ease his mind.
The doors flew open creating a sudden burst of sound from the fighting. A masked Death Eater hurried across the room and fell to Voldemort's feet. Lucius couldn't help the sneer of disgust that formed on his lips as the Death Eater groveled at Lord Voldemort's feet, kissing his robes.
"I come with news, my lord."
Voldemort indicated for him to rise and procede.
"They have arrived, my lord. Potter and the other three."
Voldemort looked upon the man with a sterness that sent chills down everyone's spine.
"We knew they would."
"Yes, my lord, but together they are quickly crossing the field. They have already taken about twenty Death Eaters out of commission sir."
The corners of Voldemort's mouth turned up in a sickening smile. Slowly turning he looked at Lucius as he spoke to the Death Eater in front of him.
"Well, we must separate them, mustn't we? Bring me the Mudblood."
As they tried to make it across the field, Hermione noticed an Order Member who was down. He was pale and though he was breathing, he did not look well. Hermione dove down avoiding a curse and scurried over to their downed man. Quickly, she began assessing the damage his body had sustained and began healing.
"NO!"
Hermione's head snapped up to look at Draco. Overhead a loud thunder rumbled in the sky. Ron and Harry were doing their best to prevent Death Eaters approaching her.
"No, Hermione. Leave him there are people out here to take care of that."
Hermione looked up at him with a pained look on her face. The sound of death echoed around her. Could she just leave someone hurt and dying when she could do something?
"I have to help."
She turned back to the man. The three boys exchanged looks that clearly stated they were in trouble. Suddenly a Death Eater fell unconscious right next to this injured man causing Hermione to jump and yelp out in surprise. Lupin stood there.
"Hermione, go! Your goal is Voldemort!"
She looked up at Remus through the cloud of dust and darkness.
"I can't just leave him!"
She felt Draco's hands take hold of her arms from behind and pull her up to her feet.
"Our goal is Voldemort," he said rather forcefully as he turned her quickly to stand next to him instead of in front of him. The sudden forceful movement sent her stumbling out of control and into something, or someone.
"No," Harry and Ron yelled in unison. Draco turned around to see what he had down. Shock and horror on Draco's face were the last things Hermione saw. The Death Eater simply said "thank you," and was gone.
The boys stood there staring at the place Hermione had been.
Hermione was rushed through the double doors of the throne room. She could see Voldemort sitting on a chair with two Death Eaters next to him. As she was pushed forward she recognized the eyes—those smoldering dark eyes and those cool icy grey ones. As the Death Eater halted their movement forward, Hermione noticed the two men. To anyone else they gave the appearance of a cold uncaring Death Eater waiting to enjoy themselves, but Hermione saw different. She knew these two men well enough to see it in their eyes—a flicker of fear and panic.
The Death Eater that held her captive knelt before Voldemort. Upon noticing Hermione still standing, the Death Eater swung his arm across the back of her knees, causing them to buckle and her to collapse onto the ground.
"Insolent Mudblood! You bow before the dark lord!"
Hermione remained on the ground after Voldemort dismissed the Death Eater. The pain from the impact of the stone floor on her knees was traveling through her body in shock waves.
"Lucius, my slippery friend, do go over to the Mudblood. I believe a bit of entertainment is in store."
Lucius did as he was told and stood next to Hermione, looking down at her, wishing he could help her. What could he do? He was no help dead. The malicious glint in Voldemort's eyes told Lucius he was not sure if he would last through this little "game" anyway.
"That's the thing about war," Voldemort said. "people are oh so willing to sacrifice anything for the greater good. Anything." Voldemort turned his head to look at Lucius. "Don't you agree?"
Lucius nodded his head feeling highly uncomfortable with where this was possibly going. Lucius felt exposed and he didn't like it.
"Let's see what kind of sacrifice you are willing to make, Lucius." Lucius' eyes widened as Voldemort pointed his wand at Hermione on the floor. "Imperio!"
Hermione felt herself falling into the back of her mind, as if she were hiding and giving in to whatever blackness was overcoming her. She could hear a soft, almost seductive voice.
"Kill Lucius Malfoy."
Hermione shut her mind and the voice out. No…she couldn't kill him, she couldn't it. Meanwhile, the realization struck Lucius. Voldemort knew his feeling for this girl. Voldemort knew and instead of killing Lucius straight away, he was going to make sure Lucius was forced to kill her and then live with the consequences. His wand held tight in his hand, wondering what he would do, he watched Hermione stirring on the ground.
Hermione could hear the voice and it was so enticing. It caressed her. It relaxed the more conscious part of her sending it into a deep slumber. She took a deep breath.
No, I will not kill Lucius. I do not want to kill Lucius.
Kill him.
No!
The more she fought it, the more she began to gain control. A tingling sensation washed over her as her mind awoke. Her body had squirmed on the ground so that Lucius was now standing in front of her. He watched as she stopped all movement and her head rose from the ground. Her eyes looked up into Lucius' and he saw the clearness and the mischief in them as she said low enough for Lucius to hear.
"Let the games begin."
Slowly, Hermione got back on her feet, still looking deep into Lucius' eyes. A smirk slowly formed on her lips as she winked at Lucius. Suddenly her head jerked to the side to look at Voldemort and a hissing sound of words came from her mouth full of such venom that Lucius was almost taken aback.
"a disparea depe aceasta funest."
She puckered her lips and blew a kiss to the dark lord and then...
She was gone.
A/N: a disperea depe aceasta funest: disappear from this evil