Bex Drake: Even I don't understand Nott and I'm writing him. I'm pretty sure he's got his own reasons. Hope your results are good!

SamiSue: Fiddlebottom was actually somethign else orginally but I accidently changed it to 'bottom' halfway through and it stuck... Nott's motives may be somewhat hazy but Hermione is somewhat of the SLytherin in her cunning on occasion. With the Unbreakable Vow I was working on the theory that it was basic magic in that you only have to stand there and hold your wand. But I suppose it's up to interpretation. Mercury has the cunning and sadistic desires of her father... Thanks for you continuing support!

Soul Chaser: Thanks a lot, I hope you like this next chapter.

Clever Witch: Errr... brain a little funny... When you have a twisted view of life it makes writing so much more interesting. I think there is more orignal work out there, it's just a pain to find. Thanks!

Cursed Pixies: She hit a cow... well I'm glad I didn't do that. Did speed but no hitting a cow. Thanks so much, as always great to hear from you. Next chapter has faeries...

Dragon Girl81:Thanks so much!

VillainValkyrie: I hope I spelt your name right, I'm terrible with spelling. Sorry about the confusion, I do have a tendency to do that. Mercury's mother was a Muggle who a young Draco Malfoy raped. As to Draco being able to do that... I'd say yes under the heavy watch of his father and beign brought up to believe something is right and with no punishment forseeable in his actions. And I always thought Mars was the Red Planet, though do correct me if I'm wrong. I named her after the only metal which is liquid at room temperature.

Dragon Navi: In short yes, Hermione will look after little Mercury. Erm.. I make no comment about believabilty (is that a word?) when you put it like that. However I always think you should believe the worst in people...

AN: Yes well I'm posting this because I'm celebrating. Althoguh I got my first ever C, D and E in exams my final results for my AS Levels are AABBC, with full marks in two exams. The 'c' was in English... ANd another reason to celebrate, this story has reached over 20,000 words! Well everyone have a lovely time!

Chapter Nine

Dead Mate

Mercury Malfoy slurped noisily the drink Hermione had brought for her. In fact Hermione had to buy all the drinks. Nott had no Muggle money and Hermione could not risk going into the Wizard parts of London. Milkshakes were being drunk by all, and in fact Mercury was on her second having just discovered the great joys of milk and chocolate ice cream.

Outside the rain had begun hammering on the window of the small coffee shop. And it occurred to Hermione what it looked like to those staring in as they past. A family. They looked like a family. She hurriedly banished the thoughts and turned back to Nott who was staring at her in the way she had not felt for a while. Attraction. She blushed hurriedly and his eyes relocated to the slurping child. "Mercury, Hermione is going to be your mother. You are going to call her mummy and you are going to obey her."

Mercury stared up at Theodore with admiration before transfixing her gaze uncertainly on Hermione. "Mum." She said simply before turning back to the last drops of her drink.

"You said Malfoy had instructed you to get her. Why did you take so long? He died over a year ago." Nott asked watching a Muggle suspiciously. "And why you? He hated you."

"I-.. He... it's to do with the Order." Hermione said unable to tell him what she felt she should. "And... I don't think before he died... he did hate me.. At least not the way he use to. I saw him on the 20th October and he... we had a conversation. Like equals." Hermione stared deep into her strawberry milkshake, feeling her cheeks burning.

"He liked you?" Nott said surprised though reading her like a book. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Hate and love are so close. Did you spend the night with him?"

Hermione choked. She was not drinking anything but had been midway through a routine swallow when she comprehended what he had said. After a coughing fit, which raised more than one eyebrow in the cafe, she attempted to answer the question. "I think that is far too personal to ask." She answered with new standards of prudery even for her. Nott just grinned. "I shall keep Mercury with myself and the boys. She will be safe in our house. I don't know how Harry and Ron will cope. If they'll cope. They don't even know he's returned let alone that I'm in contact with him." She reached the end of the sentence before she realised what she had said.

"What do you mean he's back?" Nott asked, his pupils dilated and his hands into claws which grip the table with animal fury. "Malfoy is dead. I saw him die. He could not have lived. No one could have lived through that." Nott's angry tone stopped the cafe into dead silence again.

Hermione met his eyes wondering what on earth she could tell this man who she trusted yet was not allowed to trust. "He's back. But he's not a wizard any more. I think... I think he's taking revenge. On Voldemort and his followers." Nott shuddered at the name and looked scared. Very scared.

"That's not possible."

"Neither was Harry surviving against the darkest wizard ever to set foot on this Earth at one year old but he did." Hermione reminded him leaning forward. "He asked me to go to Hanover house and do something for him. I think taking Mercury to safety was it." Nott's face was working and Hermione wondered what he was figuring out. When he looked up at her she could still see the fear... Would Draco come for Nott? It seemed unlikely... After all Nott was no Death Eater. "21st of October, what happened?" Hermione asked quietly.

Nott looked up at her confusion and distrust playing on his face. He looked down at Mercury who was now tracing a finger through all the chocolate. "Go get another drink, Mercury." He said in a sweet voice. Hermione gave the girl some coins. "The attack on Hogwarts. Inside information gave us the day and time of the attack twenty four hours in advance. The information I think we received from your Order. Anyway us Aurors spent the day before evacuating the castle and setting up traps. And everything went according to plan. Except that instead of the hundred Death Eaters we were expecting 300 hundred arrived at the castle."

"No one knew that the Dark Lord had managed to recruit and train that many Death Eaters. We still don't know how he managed it without alerting our spies. Anyway we were in the main hall. You and Potter were fighting in the Dungeons if I remember correctly." Hermione nodded numbly, gripped by the story. "I was fighting with my squad of Aurors against about fifteen Death Eaters, Malfoy among them. Then suddenly Malfoy dropped back. None of his comrades noticed. He removed his mask and screamed out the death curse against the Death Eaters. And they fell. I have never seen the curse that powerful before and never hope to see it again. He smiled at our faces, the spell only just out of range for most of us, then turned, dropped his robes and lined up beside us. We had been warned he was likely to switch sides but we never knew he would do it with such an ... impression."

"But then we were overwhelmed. Those who had been fighting in the Entrance Hall were suddenly overwhelmed and were killed. I think they were the members of your Order." Hermione nodded remembering the trampled bodies they had found the following morning. "And then we were seven against fifty. I was early on held upside down by my leg and therefore became the spectator to this massacre. I think they forgot about me. When my squad was dead they took Malfoy, who had been stunned and put him in the centre." Nott's eyes raised to Hermione's. His face filled with compassion for her eyes were wet. "You might be the only one to weep for his death even though it was a terrible one." His voice was soft and deep. "He was tortured. You name a torture curse and it was put on him. And then the werewolves came. He was so weakened he could barely fight the first that leapt at him. I think they removed his organs leaving him alive as long as possible. They would have eaten him to the bone, I think, had the Order and Ministry not attacked the hall at that time. I was let down and fought with such a veracity that I have never felt before nor since. That is how I got my scar. And that is what I saw on the 21st of October."

Hermione felt a shudder pass through her. The terrors of the war were graver every day. She would lay extra flowers on the graves of those who died upon that night. "Thank you." She said. "I suppose I should be going." She felt a hand touch hers as she rose to leave. "Goodbye, Theodore Nott." She said pulling her hand away. She instead put hers gently into that of the small girl who placed down the third mug of milkshake to leave with a stranger.

Hermione did not look back as they made their way to a safe place to return home.

--

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Fucking hell!" Hermione had not heard Harry swear before. He preferred to relieve shock in different ways. However this apparently was an exception.

"Get away from it Hermione! We'll dispose of it!" Ron informed her using a fly swatter to protect himself. He looked a little groggy and was definitely paler than usual, but Hermione was glad to see he was back to his usual self. She entered the kitchen and placed Mercury on a seat in the kitchen before turning to the boys, Ron hiding behind Harry, and both skirting entering the room lest the girl should attack them in some way.

"Ronald Weasley contain yourself." She told the hysterical man. He just whined quieter. "And Harry stop acting as if it was the Dursleys come to stay. She's just a girl."

"She's the spawn of ... him! You know!" Ron said making a complete fool of himself in his attempt to back away from the girl. He tripped over Hermione's coffee table. The girl, behind Hermione's back, was laughing in a cackle which would have made the goblins scared.

"Ron contain yourself. This is Mercury Malfoy. She's a halfblood." Ron stopped trying to get up and looked from one girl to the other. "Harry, please. She needs to be safe. She's got no family and needs to learn about who she is. You know what happened to..." Hermione said carefully trailing off. She implored him with her eyes to understand.

"Hermione," Harry said coming forward and embracing Hermione. "We'll take her for now. But after the danger has past, she'll have to live somewhere else." Hermione grinned and kissed him on the cheek. Behind Harry, Ron flushed a dark pink.

"She's not going anywhere near me." He said sulkily and withdrew. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You didn't welcome him home. He was at death's door, you know." Harry said quietly. "I know you two have a... troubled relationship. But you can welcome him home not matter what you feel-"

"Oh I totally forgot." Hermione said quickly. She had forgotten. What with Nott and Malfoy there was little time to think about Ron. She felt a little guilt quicken her pulse but with Harry's next words, all thoughts of Ron were banished.

"Did Bill give her to you to look after? Is he after her? I was wondering where you were. I thought you were at Bill's a long time. And Ron said he didn't see you before he left." Harry was trying to keep his voice and tone light. Hermione noted this as she prepared some food for Mercury who was watching the interactions with great interest.

"Yes. Yes he did. I said I'd go back to him tomorrow to tell him you're alright about it. Err.. I don't think he knows about her yet, but if anyone hears about her... well. She's a Malfoy and a halfblood." Mercury was watching her intently so Hermione didn't finish what she was saying. This girl was a good eavesdropper.

Harry may or may not have picked up on the lying, but he trusted Hermione and for that she was eternally grateful. She turned the conversation to his progress and he reported remarkable feets which Hermione had not even, with days extra practice, had not been able to achieve. They talked as she prepared dinner for all of them and Hermione felt again what wonderful people she had the fortune to meet.

--

Hogsmeade, the place in the woods, same time as always. Tonight.

Hermione read the note and swallowed. She was tired but there was no time to sleep. She made the pretence of getting ready, placing the child in her own bed and pretending to prepare to sleep on the small sofa in her room. She had an hour and half to while away. A small fear beat into her chest. Was he alright?

Even if he wasn't a wizard surely he was not invincible. And if he were dead... If her were dead why did her heart quicken when she thought of him...? Why did her heart quicken anyway? He was Draco Malfoy... An exquisite, beautiful creature of the night. Not her type... surely... he was no her type. But then why did she feel attracted to Nott as well. He was lanky, which did not appeal to her, but he was intelligent, caring and brave. And why did Ron suddenly fall by the wayside when compared to these Slytherins? Was she becoming enthralled in the darkness of this war? Was it affecting her?

She shook out her thoughts. This was to be a long night. And Hogsmeade awaited her... Going back to a place she had not been in two years to meet a man who was dead. Oh when did life become so utterly fucked?

--

I promise lloooovvvvveeeeee... in the next chapter... if you review... now...