Beta love to CarbConnoisseur
"Are you ready, Madam Malfoy?" Garlag asked, a gleam in his eye that should have made them all nervous. "Gornuck will be beginning the removal process in the next few minutes." Silently, Hermione nodded, her hand tightly clasped in Draco's. Beside them, James and Lily stood to the left, Regulus, Severus, Sirius, and Remus to the right. Everyone else was already in place elsewhere.
"Let's begin!" The noise was overwhelming as an oppressive malevolence almost suffocated them as they stood. There were several shouts that sounded over the sound of Gornuck chanting as several goblins moved, casting their magic into the ring. Vaguely, Hermione registered it was a shield. As quickly as it began, it finished.
"It is done," Gornuck said, sounding exhausted, before the ageing goblin ambled over to Hermione and placed a tiny stone in her hand. "I am not prone to flights of fancy, Madam Malfoy, but I believe that for today, this is yours."
Hermione's wide eyes met the goblins. "I don't… I can't…"
"You have only minutes, Madam Malfoy, before you must leave to do what must be done."
Without conscious thought, Hermione turned the stone in her hand three times, letting out a strangled sob as Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville stood in front of her.
"Huh..where's this then?" Ron asked, looking around the room, ""Not quite what I was expecting…but, before I forget, black and grey fireworks, Mione? Really?"
"I think they look rather distinguished," Luna mused airily. "Do persuade Daddy that a monochrome version of the Spectrespecs is a good idea. It might appeal to some of our readers."
"And I can't believe you married the ferret!" Ron exclaimed, cutting over Luna.
"Hush idiot! Remember how beautiful she looked," Ginny chided him. "I'm glad you had another redhead with a sense of humour to pick wedding lingerie with. You chose well!"
"Gods Ginny!" Neville whined. "You can't discuss 'Miones' knickers!"
Harry snorted, focusing on Hermione's face. "Hello big sister. Look at what you've managed, Love." Silently, his spectral form moved to sit beside her on the ground where she'd slumped. "You can't cry, Love. The ferret will feel compelled to hug you when he's less stunned, and then we'd all be forced to admit he's not that bad, and you wouldn't do that to us, would you?"
Hermione gave a sob-like laugh. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.
"It's not your fault."
"It's really not," the others agreed.
"Look at what you're doing, 'Mione," Neville said gently. "My parents actually have a chance of living."
"I miss you all so much," she whispered.
"We're here, Love. You know we're here. Remember when that wise old dog… well… alright, perhaps not wise." Harry grinned up at a startled Sirius. "Remember what he said? The ones that love us never leave us. You can always find them in here." Hermione looked down to where Harry had pointed, still feeling like her heart was breaking.
"I'd really like you here, though."
"I know, Love. And one day we will be. You'll be Aunt 'Mione, of course, but it'll be us all the same. Think how cool you'll be with all those stories! We rode a dragon, Hermione!"
"Hermione rides a dragon frequently," Ginny muttered, laughing as she dodged the hand Ron had lifted to hit her, only to be caught by Luna.
"We have to go," Harry said softly. "You know we do. We just needed you to know that we're here. We're alright and we love you. So much more than you'll ever know. After all this, go visit Molly. The twins will be there and in a few more months, I'll be there too. And Nev and Ron. You'll need to wait a bit longer for the other two, but it'll be worth it, won't it? Think of how many pranks you can get over on the twins. You know all their tricks now!"
"I don't want you to go though," she sobbed.
"I know love, but we've got to. And you… you need to finish this. And then Hermione, we need you to be happy. Live. Have stupidly clever bushy-haired babies with pointy chins. We'll always be with you, but you deserve to be happy too. Promise, big sister. And you!" Draco jumped as he was startled out of his shock. "Look after her." He nodded slowly. "Hi, Mum! Dad! Gods Sirius, you did not age well!"
James snorted, his face pale with shock as a look of outrage passed over Sirius face. "Remind me to teach you manners this time around, Pup." he muttered.
"Leave it to Aunt 'Mione. She'll do a much better job," Harry replied wryly before turning to Hermione. "It's time to go. We love you. Now go and end this. We'll be with you, even when you can't see us."
Hermione sobbed as her friends faded, waving at her cheerfully, not even noticing as the stone hit the ground.
"Come on, Princess. Let's go," Draco murmured, pulling her up to stand. "I'll never admit it if you tell anyone, but Potter's right. It's time to finish things so we can live." Squeezing her tightly he released her just in time for a crying Lily to take his place.
"Give us a minute," she murmered as Hermione sobbed onto her shoulder.
"We're going to go and do what they asked, sweetheart," she whispered into her hair, "Because that boy of mine was right, you deserve to be happy and you won't be until this is over."
Nodding, Hermione let her go, reaching for Draco's hand.
The group apparated silently to the prearranged meeting point, surrounding Lestrange manor.
"Is it done?" Moody grunted, looking at the group.
"Yes," James agreed, his hand clasped tightly in Lily's.
"Good. We're nearly done with the wards. We're just waiting on the signal."
Suddenly a flash of purple flew into the air, followed by a red, then a green. Hermione felt her heart hammering as she slammed up her occlumency shields, trying to ignore how overwrought she already felt. This was it, the moment they'd been working up to since she was twelve.
"Let's go," Moody commanded. "Fan out. You know the plan."
Silently, Hermine squeezed Draco's hand tightly before she let go. "I'll see you once it's done. I love you."
Looking desperately like he wanted to object, Draco nodded. "I love you too, Princess."
Inside the Manor was carnage. The first wave of the Order had taken the occupants by surprise, but they were quickly rallying. Standing next to Remus, Hermione steadied herself as the cackling laugh that haunted her nightmares rang out with unbridled glee. Forcing her shields more firmly into place, she moved, ignoring Remus's panic as she allowed rational thought to disappear and instinct to take over.
"Holy fuck," Sirius murmured as he watched Hermione move through the throng like a valkyrie. The girl was gone, replaced with a soldier.
"Let's go help," Remus murmured, his blood turning cold as he heard Bellatrix's sickly sweet voice comment on the girl she didn't recognise.
Whatever Sirius had intended to say was lost as they were set upon by a group headed by the younger Lestrange brother.
"The Black Blood traitor and his pet wolf," Rabastan sneered, sending hexes their way. Focused on their own fight, both of them silently prayed that Hermione knew what she was doing with Bella.
Draco moved through the rooms, rounding up the stragglers that thought they could escape the fight, watching as Moody chucked several of his and Hermione's portkeys at them, transporting them directly into the cells at the Ministry. He could hear the roar of a bigger battle somewhere to his left, forcing himself to ignore every instinct that was screaming at him to head there instead of moving through the corridors. They had a plan and he knew they had to follow it. Hermione was with Remus and Sirius. Severus was in there somewhere too. She'd be fine. She had to be.
"All clear!" Dorcas called. She was followed by a similar call from Edgar Bones.
"Right. We move to the main room," Moody barked. "Let's go."
The room was thick with smoke and spellfire. Draco's eyes immediately darted, trying to place Hermione. Finally, he saw her dancing around his aunt. Tamping down the urge to vomit, he fought his way through just in time to see the hex hit Hermione's side.
Dorea beat him there, a look of unbridled fury on her face as she faced down her great niece. "I think not, Bella," she hissed as Charlus dragged Hermione back.
"Are you alright?" Draco asked frantically, attempting to stop the flow of blood and hold a shield charm at the same time.
"It's fine. It's stopped bleeding. What's another scar?"
He whined low in his throat. "Stay beside me. I'm not doing this again."
Nodding her assent, they crept out of their hiding spot, catching a few Death Eaters as they moved. She felt rather than saw Bella turn towards her slightly, before she could do anything about it, she could have sworn she heard a "Not my granddaughter, you bitch," hissed from Dorea but she wasn't sure it wasn't just her imagination
They heard a scream of fury and whipped around quickly enough to see Bella fall, Charlus' and Dorea's wands extended towards her. Hermione's eyes darted, trying to find the source of the noise, feeling an odd sense of calm as she finally pinpointed it.
"Together?" Draco asked quietly, following her gaze as Lord Voldemort finally entered the room, brutally cutting down anyone who was in his way.
"Together," she agreed. Blocking out the cries of her family, they both stepped into his path.
"Hello, Tom." Lord Voldemort faltered, his eyes falling on a witch he had never seen before and a boy who looked more like Lucius than he should. "It's been a long time coming, you know," Hermione mused.
"Who are you?" he hissed.
"Oh me? I suppose it is polite."
"Princess," Draco barked in warning.
"My name is Hermione Malfoy, Tom Riddle."
"Who told you that name?"
Hermione snorted. "Ashamed of it? I have to admit, styling yourself as a Lord does scream of overcompensation. Tell me, Tom, what is it you're compensating for? Your name? Your muggle father? Your inbred mother? Your own fears? Death, isn't it? That's what scares you. Shame really… I've always been told you should face your fears. So let's do that, shall we?"
Tom Riddle blinked, momentarily nonplussed by the diminutive witch who dared to speak to him with such insolence before fury took over. Reluctantly, he was forced to admit that they were good, whoever these two new faces were. They were quick and able to anticipate each other's moves, but he knew he was better.
"I'm going to fucking murder that witch," James muttered, watching his daughter and her husband take on the darkest wizard since Grindelwald, taunting him. Beside him, Lily made a small noise of agreement as they took advantage of the other side's confusion.
"Let's go and help," Severus muttered, fighting his way to their side, dispatching his brothers to the ministry as he went.
"Let's go," Sirius commanded, a battered-looking Remus at his side.
"Joining the party?" Regulus asked, blood slowly oozing from a wound at the side of his head.
"Of course," Dorea agreed as Charlus nodded.
Carefully, they crept through the remaining fighters, noting with relief that the numbers had dwindled significantly, not daring to look at the bodies littering the floor.
Hermione felt someone's hand on her back, backing up her spells. Severus, she realised distractedly, as the scent of rosemary and sandalwood hit her. In front of them, Tom looked surprised.
"Regulus, Severus… how… unexpected."
"Indeed," Severus agreed, blocking his curse before sending one back. If anything, Tom looked amused before his smirk faltered, realising that he was surrounded.
"On three, Little Puff," Severus commanded softly.
"Three!" Charlus yelled from behind the Dark Lord, each of them firing something.
There was a silence as his body fell, hitting the ground with a distinctly human thud.
"It's done," Draco voiced with a touch of disbelief, turning and pulling Hermione to him, beyond caring that he was sobbing as loudly as she was. "Gods, it's finally done."
The remnants of the Order sat in contemplative silence in the living room of Potter Hall. None of them were quite ready to give up the comfort of regular meetings. The Ministry cells were full to almost bursting. All of them knew the next few months would be busy. Silently each of them contemplated the dead, drawing comfort from the living. Thoros Nott had died at the hand of Remus, leaving Hermione as the last living relative of Theodore Nott. They were working on speeding up the paperwork to allow Remus and Sirius to adopt him. Their marriage was a brief moment of joy amongst the chaos, even if it had been rushed and without crups.
Lucius had died running when it became clear that they couldn't win. Narcissa had been torn between relief and grief as she nursed her pregnancy. The future Draco had talked about would never come to pass. But while she had grown to love her husband, the peace she felt knowing that her child wouldn't hate her in this timeline went a long way towards curbing her sadness. It helped that Andromeda had re-entered her life.
Alastor Moody had gone down fighting, taking several prominent Death Eaters with him. He was joined on the list by Edgar Bones, Morag McKinnon, Elphias Doge, Benjy Fenwick, and Pomona Sprout, along with many others who had hovered in the peripheries of the Order. There had been many funerals. The aftermath had been a sobering time where grief had warred with joy that the terror was finally over.
"You're being awarded an Order of Merlin." The deep voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt came from beside Draco. "Most of the room is, actually."
"We only told a story," Hermione murmured.
Kingsley snorted. "Hardly love. Accept it. We all owe you and Draco everything."
She rolled her eyes but didn't comment, a small smile on her face as she watched Remus walk with a fussy Theo.
"It'll be better this time, won't it?" Draco murmured with an arm wrapped around her waist.
"Yes," she murmured. "He'll grow up happy this time."
"And us?"
"Well…" she murmured, pulling his hand to rest on her still flat abdomen. "It would seem as if Harry will have a cousin who's not an arsehole to grow up with this time."
He spun her sharply. "Seriously?"
"Yes," she nodded. "It's… early, but yes. If my calculations are right, there'll be barely a week between them."
"Your grandmother is never going to let any of us move out now," Draco muttered.
She laughed, wrapping her arms around him. "I believe there was talk of three new houses on the grounds," she agreed.