Chapter 32- The Greater Good

The ancient rusting lock whined as the bolts on Bellatrix's vault slowly fell away. Draco let out a breath he had not known he was holding as the door gradually creaked open.

"Be careful Harry," Draco warned, "there could be any number of curses and dark magic in this vault, whilst I'm not known for my bravery I think I had better go first my blood should offer me a greater measure of protection."

"After you," Harry said with a mock bow he couldn't resist.

"Cute Potter," Draco scoffed as he eased his way into the vault.

Bellatrix's vault was packed to the rafters; there was barely a square meter of space for them to stand in. Gold and gemstones littered the floor as if it were the lair of some avaricious dragon.

"Any ideas?" Draco questioned turning to look over his shoulder at Harry. Harry didn't respond instead closing his eyes in concentration.

"There," Harry pointed in the direction of the back of the Vault.

"You have to be kidding me," Draco let out in exasperation as he viewed the vast expanse of loot they would need to climb over to reach whatever Potter had spotted.

Harry just shrugged and began to wade his way across the room. Before he had taken more than a couple of strides the two wizards realised they had a large problem; the Gemini Curse. Everything they touched multiplied, in the already cramped space there was a real danger they would be crushed. They needed to get above the mass of treasure that was expanding at an alarming rate. Draco took a leap reaching up for the edge of a shelf that lined the walls of the vault. He reached to pull Harry up behind him. It would give them a few moments. Harry took off along the shelves stopping before what appeared to be a small gold cup.

"Catch," he called as he threw it towards Draco. Draco thanked Merlin for his seekers reflexes, if he had dropped it they might never have found the real one in time. "Get out," Harry urged, "I'm right behind you."

Draco scrambled through the door but as soon as he had he realised their mistake realising that Draco, whose blood was from the ancient house of Black, had left the vault the doors began to close.

"Potter," he hollered, "hurry!"

Potter emerged just in time, surfing a wave of galleons as the doors finally sealed themselves shut.

"That was close," Harry let out on a sigh of relief, "now how do we get out of here?"

"Nott!" Hermione snapped, "don't you know better than to sneak up on a witch like that? I could have 'aveda' you."

He didn't answer her asking instead asking;

"What are you doing here?"

Hermione was lucky that she was a quick thinker.

"I was looking for a hair for some pollyjuice…"

He looked at her unconvinced and Hermione felt a sudden well of rising panic, why had she mentioned pollyjuice? She chastised herself. Nott was smart, it might not take him much to put two and two together.

"Why did you do it?" he asked. Hermione was momentarily confused,

"Do what?" she demanded,

"Kill him." Nott replied.

Hermione instantly knew who he meant but she needed to play for time, she needed to think her way out.

"Who?" she enquired.

"Don't play stupid," Nott snapped waving his wand to indicate the contents of the room, "Draco!"

"Why do you care?" she asked dismissively.

"He was my friend!" he screamed at her. Hermione could not miss the anguish in his voice and she swallowed the thick thump that formed in her throat. Nott didn't know, he would be mourning his friend, she wished she could ease his pain but she knew she couldn't.

"It was him or me, the Dark Lord made that clear," she stated.

He looked at her with utter contempt;

"You don't fool me My Lady," he spit out her title as if it was bitter poison, "I saw you."

Hermione blanched but she knew she had to hold her nerve. She steeled her features to give nothing away.

"I saw your face, you cared for him."

Hermione scoffed dismissively and moved to leave the room. Nott grabbed her wrist, she looked at him trying to make her eyes burn with rage that he had dared to touch but he was braver that she had given him credit for. Nott neither flinched nor let her go he was not done with her.

"And just now, tell me My Lady," he pressed on, "what was that? Why would you breathe in his clothes as if they were a life line?"

"I don't know what you mean…" she began in panicked denial

"Don't!" he shouted, "don't lie to me. I had to watch my oldest friend destroyed at your hands. It will haunt me all my life. I wanted to kill you for that and then afterwards I watched you. I saw you brush your lips to his ring like a lover. I saw the tears brimming in your eyes."

Hermione was frantic now, Nott suspected something.

"And I asked myself," he continued his voice quiet almost a whisper, "why would Hermione Granger, the bleeding heart of Gryffindor, kill anyone even her worst enemy?" He paused for a moment but clearly did not expect her to answer before he concluded. "I knew the answer was that you wouldn't, you couldn't, not even for the greater good. Where is he Granger?"

"Dead!" she said emphatically she dare not show weakness.

"And he meant nothing to you?" Nott persisted

"No more than you!" she told him it was a veiled threat and he narrowed his eyes at her. Hermione made to leave again this time he let her pass.

"You're wrong about me Nott, you would be surprised what I am capable of." She told him making swift strides for the door but before she reached it Theo had one parting shot;

"He was in love with you, you know."

Hermione froze.

"He had loved you for years," Nott continued to reminisce, "He used to complain you'd be the death of him, it's tragic that he was right." He concluded almost to himself.

Hermione couldn't take anymore and she fled Draco's shirt still clutched tightly in her arms.

Author's note

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