Chapter 5 – Falling
Tom was in the library reading about wards. He had so little time left, but he needed to know he had done what he could to protect the castle and his friends living there. He didn't have much time to finish his preparations since both his energy and his magic was already failing him, badly. So far his fingers were the worst; he had already lost the feeling in them and often times dropped whatever he was holding. He could no longer brew potions and even working magic spells had become difficult.
"Tom?" Mrs Potts called opening the door making him look up from his book. She didn't call him by his name usually, so why the change?
"Come in," he said slowly rising from the chair, but he winced in pain. Damnation! Even moving now caused him pain; he could not have long to live. "What can I do for you, Poppy?" he asked trying to sound calm.
"I have to talk to you," Mrs Potts informed him as she closed the door behind her. She stood before him with a slight smile and soft eyes. "I remember," she whispered. "I remember everything!" she spoke gently, but Tom flinched as if she had hit him.
"When?"
"The day Hermione left," she said. "My memories have slowly been returning over the last month but it was only the day she left that I remembered everything."
"You must hate me," he whispered with his head bent not daring to look at her.
Instead of replying she pulled Tom into a hug and held him close. His arms hang still at his side unsure what to do. He hated himself for entrapping the servants in the castle, for being the reason Frank died, for hurting everyone around him.
"I killed Frank," he admitted with a strained voice.
"No, you didn't," she replied softly caressing his back. "Your father did."
"Because of me," he argued. "Frank held my secrets."
"Do not blame yourself, Tom. Frank never did."
"You and Frank were more like parents to me than my own mother and father ever were," he admitted. His arms encircled her and he hugged her as fiercely as she hugged him. The pain in his body had returned tenfold, but he needed the forgiveness Poppy was offering, so he hung on to her.
"Frank was so proud of you," she whispered. "He loved you like a son, and he would do all in his power to protect you."
"You both protected me. I wish I could have done the same for you."
"You did the best you could," she informed him leaning back a little to look straight into his eyes, "both then and now."
For a while neither of them spoke, they were reminiscing about the past while they hugged each other.
"I'm dying," he eventually said.
"I know," she said hugging him closer before releasing him. "Your mother's curse."
"I don't have much time. You've seen the rose tree."
"Can't something be done?"
"I've tried all I can think of on the tree, but it is wilting and when it dies so do I. I have tried to prepare the castle. I will protect you all this time," he swore, but before the last word was out of his mouth his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed. Only Mrs Potts quick action to catch him stopped him from hitting the floor hard.
She called his name loudly, but he was completely unresponsive and limp in her arms. Then she felt the tears run down her cheeks, as she left him gently on the floor while rushing for help.
…
"Hermione, what do we do?" Draco asked after they had just been ejected from the Pensieve. She stood immobile with tears running down her cheeks. She had just seen snippets from Tom's life and the murders he had committed, yet she could not consider him a monster. After years of abuse and psychological torture, he had finally broken down and ended the reign of terror by killing his father, only to be cursed by his own mother for it. She respected him for not losing his control earlier and, though there probably had been other options, she could not blame him for the killings.
"I have to go back," she whispered looking at Draco. She didn't consider the reason for her burning need to be back at the castle with Tom, she just knew she had to be there. "I need to go back to him."
"Of course," he replied, "but I don't know if we can save him."
"You would help me?" she asked surprised.
"Yeah," he agreed giving her a small smile, "but we cannot leave today. The evening is too dark to enter the forest safely."
It was surprisingly easy to convince Mrs Malfoy to take care of Mr Granger for a few days, and Mr Granger readily accepted their story of needing some fresh air and new surroundings, Mrs Malfoy did not, but they promised to explain everything later, so she let them go.
Early the next morning, just after the sun had risen, they set out. Walking through the forest took longer than she had expected. Her mad dash on Philippe the day before had twisted her expectations of the distance.
"What happened to your father?" she asked in an attempt to keep her mind off Tom and the castle.
"He died just after I was born," Draco said.
"What happened?" she asked, "if you don't mind be asking."
"I'm not sure," he admitted, "Mother wouldn't say."
"I'm sorry."
"What happened to your mother?" he asked.
"The fever claimed her," she said. "I still miss her."
"When?"
"Little over three years ago."
"I never knew my father," he said after a while, "so I have a hard time missing him. Losing your mother when you were… what?... fifteen?"
"Fourteen, actually," she admitted.
"I don't know what I would have done without my mother," he said reminiscing. "She was the rock that kept our family strong even when others judged us or looked down at us."
"Your mother seems to be a very strong woman," she admitted missing her own mother even more.
They walked on in silence for a while, before Draco finally asked the question Hermione dreaded.
"How are we going to save him?"
"I don't know," she snapped having considered the same question since they saw the memories. She had no answer and her mind was too caught up in the fear for Tom's life to function properly. She had absolutely no idea about what to do, but she had to try anyway.
"You know him best," Draco snapped back. "You must have an idea!"
She looked at him almost hopeless, but then she had an idea. "I guess we should save the tree?"
"How? If he cannot save the tree why should we be able to?" he asked.
"I can't just give up, Draco."
"I'm not asking you to. You need to think further than just the tree!" he tried to reason. Didn't she realise that she had knowledge of the curse, the monster, and the magic of the castle, so if they were going to save the monster, she had to be more decisive! Now she was just lost in her own thoughts and not thinking further than going to the castle.
"Like what?" she snapped.
He sighed, why was she so stubbornly not willing to think? "What do we know about the curse?" he asked gently.
"That it affects all the people living in the castle and caused an enchantment so all the servants forgot their past."
"And it didn't affect you when you were there, so you'd probably had to be there when the curse was cast," he supplied. "What else do we know?"
"Why don't you just tell me the answer since you so clearly know?" she snapped at him.
He looked at her in frustration. "I don't know everything. You know so much more about the curse. If we are going to save the monster and the castle, we are going to need all your knowledge."
"Right, sorry," she whispered. "The curse was cast by his mother," she pointed out trying to be helpful. She was finally catching on to what Draco was doing. Discussing what they knew, might provide more information that they could use.
"But she seemed crazy when she cast," he reminded her. "And she's dead anyway. Suicide, you said?"
"Yes, that's what Tom said."
"Tom is the only one who remembers everything?"
"Yes, because the curse is linked to him," she replied.
"And to the rose tree. But what links Tom to the tree and vice versa?" he asked her. "Apart from the curse there has to be a connection between them."
"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe his heart?"
"The heart, the mother removed, which flew through the window," he considered. "So where did the heart actually end up?"
"Outside. The heart ended up outside…," she stopped walked and actually considered the problem. "He could have gotten the heart back, but I don't think so. I think it was no joke, when he called himself a heartless monster. He truly is heartless. So the heart is still outside? Is it…?" she turned to Draco with a question burning on her lips. "Is the rose tree the heart? Is that how they are connected?"
Draco looked at her in confusion before his eyes cleared in understanding, "actually, I think that might be possible."
"But that tree is magical and when it dies so does he," she cried in frustration. "He needs his heart back!"
"So how do we put a tree inside a person?" he asked.
"I don't know, but he was turned into a monster when his heart was removed. Is it not likely that giving back his heart will reverse it?"
"Sure, let's just hope we don't kill your monster doing it," he said with a wry smile, but she didn't find it funny.
…
After walking for hours, they finally reached the clearing and the castle. With a deep sigh Hermione pushed the gate open and felt the magic wash over her. She looked at Draco and saw him easily walk towards her.
"Why can you cross the barrier?" she asked surprised. "Tom said it would protect the castle from intruders.
"Ah, well," Draco started. "I might have sneaked up to the castle once or twice."
"You… what?" Hermione turned to him her eyes burning with questions. "How, when…?"
"I told you I know the forest very well. A big magical castle was too tempting to not look a little closer at."
"But why did the servants never mention you?"
"I never went inside," he admitted. "The castle has such a strong magical feel to it, but it didn't feel inviting."
"Why didn't you say anything before?"
"I figured it wasn't important."
She looked at him. Had he really been to the castle before, but why hadn't he said anything? Could she actually trust him? Apart from not telling her about his trips to the castle, he had not actually lied to her and, she had to admit, he had also been quite helpful. She sighed and trusted her gut feeling that Draco was on her side and that she was not bringing the devil to the castle. She looked to the castle, but was scared when seeing it dark and deserted. What would they find? Were they already too late?
She rushed to the front door, all thoughts of Draco and whether he could be trusted aside. Once inside the hall the lights lit up like they used to for her, and she followed the direction they were leading her. Whatever Tom said, the lights were guiding her and never had she appreciated it more. She was led to the library, and hurried inside. There she saw two people sitting and one person lying down on a couch. Her heart stopped as she recognised Tom on the couch.
At the sound of someone rushing into the library Mrs Potts rose from her chair to tell them to be quiet and leave.
"Hermione," Mrs Potts sighed in relief seeing who the intruder was, but she froze at the sight of Draco. "Abraxas?"
"This is Draco. He's a friend," Hermione said not focusing on them as she moved over to where Tom was lying. He was unmoving. He looked as if he was dead. No! He couldn't be. "Tom? Tom, can you hear me?" she whispered shaking him gently. She looked at his pale face, and could not imagine a world where he didn't live. She could not imagine a world where he didn't live with her , she corrected in her mind surprising herself.
"He's been unresponsive since yesterday," Plumette informed her.
"What happened?" Hermione asked stroking Tom's cheek. He looked so peaceful, so calm, and so friendly, how had she ever seen him as a monster?
"He collapsed in Mrs Potts' arms," Plumette said. "We think he's been working himself too hard lately to protect the castle."
"How do we save him?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know," Plumette admitted.
"I will not give up," Hermione swore standing up looking fondly at Tom. She would do anything in her power to save him
"The rose tree?" Draco suggested.
"What?" Plumette asked.
"Stay away from the rose tree," Mrs Potts told Draco sternly. "I will not let you kill my Master."
"Tom is already dying," Hermione said emotionless staring at the others. "I will try everything to save him even going to the rose tree!"
"But…," Mrs Potts said.
"I don't want him to die," Hermione said harshly. "Do you have any other suggestions?"
"No," Mrs Potts deflated.
…
Hermione stood before the rose tree; it looked much worse than last time she saw it. The blackness had completely covered the tree. If she was honest, she would have to admit the tree was dead, but she would lie to herself if she had to. Yes, the tree looked wilted but it was not dead. It was not!
"What do we do?" Draco asked looking to her for guidance.
"We have to bring the heart to Tom," she replied staring at the tree.
"So you want to dig it up and bring it inside?"
"Yes. The tree has to be the heart."
"Then let us do it," Draco said trusting her intuition.
They used magic to meticulously remove the dirt from around the tree and the roots. They wanted to be as careful as possible so it took a long time.
"Hey, look here!" Draco called as the dirt fell away revealing the base of the tree. "Do roses grow from bulbs?"
"No, they grow from seeds," she replied before looking where he was pointing. It did look like a big flower bulb was at the base of the tree, but that couldn't be. As they looked the bulb moved a little. She leaned closer and with her fingers she removed the surrounding dirt from the bulb, but as she did she could feel the bulb contract.
"The heart," she whispered in awe looking at Draco, "help me free it." Roots were sticking out from the heart and also the stem of the rose tree. They worked slowly to remove the roots, the dirt, and the stem, but every time they removed a root the heartbeat was a little fainter.
"This might kill him," Draco said looking at the tears running freely from her eyes.
"If we don't help him then he will die," Hermione whispered even as her heart was breaking.
They successfully freed the heart from the rose tree, but as Hermione held it in her hands, she could feel it beating very faintly.
She needed to go to Tom. She had to be in the library with him, and then the world spun around her and she suddenly just was in the library. Startled, Mrs Potts looked up from where she sat on a chair next to Tom holding his lifeless hand.
"How did you..?" she whispered before she shook her head. "Hermione, there is not much time. His pulse is slowing down."
Hermione stood frozen holding the heart out towards Tom, but she didn't actually know how to put the heart back in his body. Carefully she laid it on his chest, but nothing happened. "I'm not sure how to…," she started, but as she spoke the heart stopped beating completely. "No!" she exclaimed in panic. "Start beating!" she screamed to the heart, but it didn't listen and remained frozen. The tears were running freely from her eyes. He had to live whatever the cost; she would give anything to save him! "He needs a heart!" she whispered in torment, before she realised she herself had a heart. She would gladly give her life to save his, because she loved him. The sudden realisation of her love for him surprised her. She loved him!
With a smile on her face, but focused only on how to save him, she wished with all of her being to remove her own heart. She didn't consider it or the consequence to herself; she just acted and willed her heart to leave her body. Slowly a golden light erupted from her chest and following it came her heart.
Mrs Potts looked on in stunned disbelief as Hermione removed her own heart. The door to the library burst open and Draco came rushing in with Plumette running after him. Hermione didn't notice them, but Mrs Potts told them not to interfere. She trusted Hermione to do what she could for Tom.
Hermione looked at her own heart now fully out of her body and in her hands. It was beating strong and it would save Tom. She was certain. Slowly she pushed his dead heart away and lay her own on his cold chest. "Save him," she whispered and the same golden light now erupted from his chest and slowly sucked the heart in. She smiled when the last bit of the heart disappeared into his body. She could feel the heart beating under her hands still placed on his chest and she knew he would survive. As she watched colour rushed to his cheeks and his body filled out. His face lost its skeleton features. She beheld his beloved face, but then the world turned black and she collapsed on the floor.
Her collapse caused Plumette and Draco to act. Mrs Potts was still frozen in shock.
"What do we do?" Plumette asked rushing to Hermione. "She's not breathing!"
"She doesn't have a heart anymore," Draco said before an idea struck him. "I know what to do. Please, step back."
Plumette didn't question him and did what he asked. She took Mrs Potts' hand and the two women looked on as Draco worked. He placed a hand on Hermione's chest and the other hand on Tom's chest.
" Simul cor ," he whispered over and over again while he kept his hands on their chests. Slowly a white light rose from them both. The light went upwards from their chests, but then the light from Hermione's chest bent and combined with the light from Tom's chest in an explosion that blinded everyone looking. When the light died down Hermione was still lying on the floor and Tom was still lying on the couch, but they were both breathing.
"I think they'll survive. They just need rest now," Draco said swaying on his feet. "I need to sit," the last was said only moments before his legs gave out and he fell to the floor. Plumette hurried over and helped him to sit on a chair.
"Thank you," Mrs Potts whispered to Draco while making sure both Hermione and Tom was lying down sleeping peacefully.
...
Slowly light floated into Hermione's mind and she opened her eyes. She groaned as the pain from a headache burned her skull. She looked around the room and noticed she was lying on a couch in the library. Memories rushed back and fear gripped her heart. She gave her heart away, so how could she possibly be alive? Had someone returned it to her, but then what had happened to Tom? She saw a body lying on another couch. He looked like the Tom from the memories, but he was not moving so fearing the worst she jumped up and ran over.
"No, no, no," she whispered as she kneeled on the floor next to him. Her eyes were watering, so she could hardly see straight. "You can't be dead," she whispered caressing his cheek.
"I'm not dead," he replied as his hand moving slowly to capture hers. He opened his eyes and looked at her. As his eyes locked with hers, her emotions broke free and the tears fell freely. Somehow they had both survived.
"Don't cry," he whispered as he rose to a sitting position on the couch. He picked her up from the floor and sat her on his lap to comfort her. His arms encircled her and she buried her head in his neck, but her tears didn't stop. "Don't cry, my dear," he whispered into her hair as she slowly got her emotions under control.
"I thought…," she started. "I thought you were dead."
"You came back… to me?"
"Of course," she whispered back smiling, "I had to come back. This is where I belong."
"But why? I have been nothing but a beast to you."
"Because I love you," she admitted.
"I love you too," he whispered hugging her close to his body, before planting a kiss on top of her head. "But I don't understand how you could possibly love me. I have been nothing but unkind to you since you arrived."
She leaned back so that she could see his face. Did he not realize how different he was from the Monster? "You are so much more than the monster that locked up my father and scared me," she said and he looked at her in confusion. "You taught me about magic, let me roam free in the castle, and showed me kindness and friendship. You let me go to my father when he needed me."
"But that should have been the norm and not something to be considered extraordinary," he angrily spat.
"Then promise it will be," she said quickly. "Promise me that from now on you are the man you were up until I left and not the Monster who didn't trust anyone."
"I promise," he smiled. "You've been nothing but forgiving of all my sins."
"I believe the Monster is not who you really are."
"I don't deserve your love," he admitted awed that such an angel would lay her love on him. "How can you see goodness in me when I can't even see it myself?"
"If you can't see it, then I suppose I just need to keep you near me so I can remind you again and again for the rest of our lives," she said matter-of-factly.
"You better do just that," he agreed laughing before he leaned in and kissed her passionately. "You should marry me."
"Is that supposed to be a proposal?" she laughed. "I guess you need to practise it a bit."
"Insolent woman," he grinned not at all bothered and kissed her again.
…
Draco was still weak hours after having used magic to save Hermione and Tom. He probably had to sleep to regenerate his energy, but found himself otherwise pleasantly engaged as Plumette was fussing around him making sure he had not suffered too greatly.
"I don't know what magic you did," she told him, "but I am grateful to you for saving them."
"I can't believe Hermione would… could remove her own heart and give it so freely to him," Draco mused. He had seen her do it, but magic didn't work like that. His vast knowledge of magic didn't cover anything like that.
"Her love is pure," Plumette said as if that explained everything, "and she gave her heart freely."
"She better be ready for the consequences," he warned. "As soon as they wake up, I must speak with them. Tom has to know what she did and what it means for her life."
"What does it mean?" Plumette asked picking up on his alarmed tone.
Just as Draco was about to answer, Mrs Potts rushed passed yelling, "they are awaken!" in happiness.
Soon thereafter every inhabitant of the castle knew Tom and Hermione had woken up and everyone wanted to discuss their memories with Tom and thank Hermione for all her help in breaking the curse. Everyone had their memories back, which Draco assumed had to do with Tom actually being dead for a few moments. With Tom's death the curse was effectively broken.
Draco quickly asked Tom and Hermione to talk in private. He knew he had to tell them about the heart. Looking at how happy they were together he hoped they would take the news well.
"When Hermione saved your life," Draco started looking at Tom, "she sacrificed her own."
"Tell me?" Tom asked surprised.
"A heart was returned to your body but it was not your own. Your heart could not be saved; it is dead," Draco paused remembering the dead heart, and Tom looked at him not knowing what to expect. "The heart that beats in your body is her heart."
"What?" Tom exclaimed looking at Hermione in confusion. "But how?"
"I couldn't let you die," she whispered. "I had to try something."
"Even if it killed her," Draco added making her blush. "She removed her own heart and gave it to you."
"How is that even possible?" Tom asked looking between the two.
"I don't know. It really shouldn't have worked, but it did."
"But she doesn't have a heart then," Tom realised in anguish. "How is she alive?"
"She's right here," Hermione interrupted feeling a bit frustrated by the way they were talking about her as if she wasn't even there.
"And you probably have to stay right there for the rest of your life?" Draco replied in frustration.
"How so?" she asked.
"There is no heart in your body, Hermione," Draco started. "To save you I connected your body to Tom's new heart. If that magic fails, you will die."
"And separation weakens magical connections," Tom clarified looking at her horrified. "I need to keep you near me forever to make sure the magic never fails."
"I am not adverse to that plan," she replied laughing.
"You shouldn't have to be forced to be by my side…," Tom said before Hermione cut him off.
"There is no place I would rather be than by your side for the rest of our lives," she admitted honestly, interrupting him.
"Hermione, you do not realise what you have done!" he exclaimed hotly. "You've signed your life away!"
"I gave my heart freely," she said.
"Your sacrifice is too great. I don't deserve…"
"Stop it!" she interrupted indignantly. "Do you not realise that I would not be able to live if you had died? I would give much more than just my life to see you live."
"But…"
"I would gladly do it again," she interrupted again.
He sighed deeply instead of replying. How could he make Hermione realise the wrongness of her action? He didn't deserve her sacrifice. She didn't deserve a fate tied to his.
"What would you have done had it been me dying like that?" she asked weakly. She could not regret her decision to save him, but why was he pushing her away? "Would you have just let me die?"
"No, of course not!" he exclaimed. "I would have done everything I could to save you, to keep you alive."
"Even if you were risking your life?"
"Of course!"
"Why would you?" she challenged trying to hide her smile. Could he not see the parallel?
"Because I love you!"
"So it is just fine for you to risk everything to save me but not for me to risk everything for you?" she challenged poking him in the chest.
"Yes!" he cried
"Silly me! I never realized there was one set of rules for you and a completely different set for me," she shouted. "You… you… hypocrite!"
He had no answer to that. Perhaps, just maybe, she had a point, but he would not admit it out loud. "I love you," was all he said. He visibly deflated and Hermione knew she had him and that he finally understood. "I love you so much."
"Even when I challenge your archaic views?" she laughed as her anger left her.
"Always," he smiled looking at her fondly.
"I love you too," she informed him. "Even when you are being an idiot."
Instead of replying Tom hugged her close and kissed her senseless, both having completely forgotten about Draco, who had been watching them argue with a wry smile on his face. When their argument turned to passionate kisses and hands reaching for the other, he suddenly remembered some place better to be and went in search of Plumette leaving the two lovebirds to their own devices.