AN: Thank you to Guest and I was BOTWP for reviewing, I love hearing from my readers, it makes sharing this story worthwhile. I hope everyone enjoy the next instalment.
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Chapter Fifty One: Left Behind.
"Harry's at Hogwarts!" Hermione exclaimed, scrambling to get out of bed, "They're alive!"
Lupin turned without a word and strode out of the infirmary. As the doors closed behind him, Draco and Hermione could hear his calls for the senior members of the Order to meet him in the library, no doubt to make battle plans. Hermione grinned at Draco and felt around for her wand on the bedside table. Grasping it in hand, she turned to him with a stubborn expression.
"Don't even think about it, Granger, you're going nowhere." Draco warned her sternly, predicting her motives before her lips even moved, "You're not recovered enough."
"That's ridiculous!" Angry sparks erupted from her wand, "With all the training we've done, I'm more than ready!"
"You can barely walk a mile without pain relieving potion!" Draco snapped back.
"Then give me a double dose with extras on hand!" She argued, "You know I can do this, Malfoy! I've been training all my life to fight this battle!"
"Are you even listening to yourself, Granger?" He thundered, "You're a liability in battle!"
"This is my battle, Malfoy! I'm the one fighting for my own and every other muggleborns' future!" Her chest heaved with angry breaths, as she glared through closed lids at him, "I'm the mudblood and this is my fight!"
"Don't call yourself that!" Malfoy yelled back.
Sudden silence dropped between the two as Draco's words resonated. Draco's signature scowl was in place, but there was a new edge to it, a defensive edge. He had long stopped thinking of her as a mudblood. After all that he had seen and done in this war, he knew no blood was muddy; all blood ran red at the bitter end. He'd seen rivers of red pouring from corpses, murdered witches and wizards, purebloods and muggleborns alike, and all of their blood ran a sickening, thick red from their magical veins. There was no difference physically, as there was no difference regardless. The genetics of a witch or wizard mattered not, only their skill. Everyone died the same anyway. To him, there was no longer mudbloods, only in the corrupted minds of those too small minded and twisted to see the truth. Mudblood was a discriminatory slur, one of the worst insults he knew, and Granger was not one. Granger was pure hearted and brave and far more magically talented than most the 'purebloods' he knew. Mudblood was reserved for use by bigots and psychopaths now, not to be used for anyone worth their magic.
Hermione's glare softened and her shoulders lowered. Malfoy had been the one who introduced her to the derogatory term, taunted and tormented her for her impure blood. It had been hissed and spat and screamed at her over the years. Each time, it questioned her magical abilities and rights. Every time she heard it, it would break her mind and build a hard wall around it too. She let it tortured her and helped her remain resilient. After all these years, the word had become a sign of pride and prejudice. While people questioned her right to magic, causing her to doubt, she also used it to claw her way to the top. She used its hatred to fuel her academia and abilities, besting purebloods and muggleborns alike. Purebloods like Malfoy, who had bullied her mercilessly for her background. Yet, here he stood, defending her. She realised how far the world was coming, how far he had come. Reaching out, she placed a hand on his arm.
"Draco-" Her lips parted carefully around the word, but he shrugged her off and stepped away.
"You're not going, Granger, end of story." Malfoy's sharp tone cut her off. Again, her mouth opened to protest, but their argument was interrupted by Mrs Weasley and Ginny storming into the infirmary.
"You can't be serious, Mum!" Ginny shouted.
"I am deadly serious, Ginevra, you are staying here." Mrs Weasley replied in a severe tone, "You're underage and its not safe!"
"I can fight better than any of the boys; why are you letting them go and not me?" She replied harshly.
"I refuse to have you in danger. I can't stop the boys from making their own decisions, they're men now. You are under age, therefore, I'm telling you that you're not going, and that is the end of it!" Molly's temper nearly rivalled her daughter's, as the air fizzed with overwhelming magic. She glanced at Hermione, before looking back at Ginny, "You need to be here to defend the bunker. Andromeda will be here to help, but if you're attacked, it'll take more than one witch to defend all of you."
"No one is going to attack here! All the Death Eaters will be at Hogwarts!" Ginny stormed back.
"You never know what they'll do!" Molly said tartly, "Are you going to risk them attacking Lavender and the babies or Teddy and Hermione?" Ginny's argument died in her throat. Her mother's logic seeped into her argument and turned it useless. Was she really willing to leave everyone left behind defenceless? No, she couldn't live with herself if something happened to them all, if the Death Eaters were to impossibly find their safe house. Satisfaction flitted across Mrs Weasley's face before it hardened to solemn realisation. Suddenly, Ginny found herself in a smothering embrace, "Stay safe." She murmured to her daughter, before tugging Hermione to her too, "Both of you." Molly touched Ginny's cheek once more, "I love you."
"I love you too, Mum." Ginny vowed as Mrs Weasley bustled out of the room, tears glistening in her warm brown eyes.
"I'll try not to die." Draco smirked, following Mrs Weasley out, "We all know what a disappointment that would be, if I did." Ginny snorted at this, but Hermione looked slightly panicked at the prospect. Draco nodded to the two witches, "Stay out of trouble." With that, he departed, leaving the two disgruntled witches to stew in their disappointment and anger.