Chapter 34-Vulnerability

Harry should have anticipated the blow but it wasn't until he found himself on his arse, in a dark passage off Diagon Alley, that he realised how pissed Draco was with him.

"Fucking twat," Draco spat out at him as he shook out the knuckles that had just connected with Harry's jaw, "how long was it going to take you to realise the goblet was preventing me from transfiguring myself back?"

Harry felt chastened rather than angry, he had been trying to tease Malfoy and hadn't realised the danger the other man was in. He sighed heavily;

"Sorry," Harry said getting to his feet. The simple apology seemed to take the wind out of Malfoy's sails.

"Well we've got it now next we need to get out of here and destroy it."

Harry simply nodded his acknowledgement before disapperating back to Grimmauld Place.

Hermione had drifted to sleep in Theo's embrace but she sat suddenly bolt upright as she felt a sudden surge of rage.

"Draco, where are you?" she let out before she could stop herself. Hermione quickly realised her mistake as she saw Theo's face. There was an unexpected tenderness there, she might call it pity. She wondered for the first time why Theo was here. She suspected, like Draco, he had been dragged into this role against his will because he was the son of a pureblood family.

"It was just a bad dream," she told him quickly trying to cover her mistake knowing that what she had experienced were Draco's emotions. He's still alive, she told herself. Suddenly she was aware of him again. She had no idea why she had 'lost his signal' but she was beyond relieved to have it back.

Theo nodded but said nothing.

"I can understand what Draco saw in you," he told her suddenly as he rubbed calming circles against her back, "you are very beautiful."

Hermione pulled away from him. This had been a mistake she should never have shown Theo any vulnerability. He might seek to comfort her or worse woe her. As far as Theo knew her husband was dead he didn't even know she and Draco had married.

"I'm sorry," Theo began realising that he had misspoken, "I didn't mean anything by that..."

"It's alright Theo but I feel like... I need to grieve him and…" there cannot be anyone else. Her final words were left unspoken but he seemed to understand.

"I'm here for you Hermione when every you need me," he told her, "but I think we should both get out of here before we are discovered."

Back at Grimmauld Place Draco eyed the Hufflepuff cup with distaste.

"So how do we destroy it?" he asked Harry.

Harry looked lost for a moment.

"You do know how to destroy it, don't you?" Draco questioned. Harry simply nodded, "then let's do it." Draco insisted.

"It's not that simple," Harry began, "there are only 3 things I know would destroy it, two of which we don't have and the third is too dangerous." Draco looked at his former nemesis with incredulity. Harry sighed and began to explain. One is the sword of Gryffindor, another is basilisk venom and the third fiendfyre."

"Ah!" Draco responded acknowledging the difficult by his tone.

"I would never dare risk fiendfyre, I don't think either of us could control it. That leaves the venom and the sword."

"Hogwarts," Draco announced thinking a few steps ahead of Harry.

"Pardon?" Harry asked somewhat confused.

"We should find both at Hogwarts and if I'm not mistaken, that is also where the remaining artefacts associated with the founders are to be found, which may mean another horcruxes can be found. Two birds with one stone! Come on Potter."

"Wait," Harry cautioned as Draco looked about to apparate away, "we need a plan."

"What no Gryffindor bravado, no rush right in and try to avoid getting killed?" Draco said with a sarcastic raise of his eyebrows. "Don't worry Potter I already have a plan!"

Hermione and Theo had barely gone ten meters beyond Draco's room door when they were arrested by an intense burning in their forearms. Grimacing Hermione turned to Theo;

"It appears we have been summoned," she said.

Theo visibly swallowed steeling himself for another encounter with the homicidal maniac that he now called his master.

"Ladies first, My Lady," he said indicating to Hermione to lead the way.

Voldemort paced back and forth before the grand fireplace in the formal drawing room of Malfoy Manor. He was uncharacteristically agitated, his true maniacal nature all too evidence in his movement.

"Ah, at last," he greeted Hermione whilst ignoring Nott entirely, "I have need of your services my dear."

"My Lord," Hermione acknowledge with the merest nod of her head waiting for him to elaborate.

"It is time to teach these blood traitors a lesson. I have tolerated them too long hoping they will see the errors of their ways but my generosity is not boundless."

"Of course My Lord," Hermione played along waiting for the axe to fall.

"Arthur Weasley has interfered once too often. I assume you know where to find him?" the latter was a rhetorical question. Hermione understood all too well she was being tested. "Bring him to me," Voldemort concluded.

"And what of the rest of the Weasleys?" McNair piped up. Hermione gave him a look that could have eviscerated him on the spot.

"You dare to interrupt?" Hermione snapped hoping to distract The Dark Lord from issuing orders that might prove fatal for her friends.

"They are of no importance, do as you will." Voldemort dismissed ignoring Hermione. Greyback looked positively gleeful as he heard those words. Hermione felt positively sick. She schooled her features to be still but inside she was panicking. She had to warn the Weasleys but how? She wondered.

She turned to leave the room;

"Where are you going my dear?" Voldemort enquired.

"To get my cloak and mask," she replied affecting confusion.

"Allow me," Voldemort snapped his fingers and with a harsh crack her things appeared in his hands. He oozed towards her feigning the manners of a gentleman and holding out her cloak for her. Hermione tamped down the shiver of revulsion that threatened to run down her spine as his hands rose to place the cloak around her.

Hermione flinched as she felt the sudden pressure of his cold hand at her throat.

"Sometime I think you forget that you are a witch," he susurrated with low menace. Hermione knew she had little choice now. She either fled and exposed her duplicity or she went along and tried somehow to alert the Burrow and save her friends. She remained silent neither challenging nor confirming his suspicion. She did not dare meet his gaze finally he appeared to lose interest.

"Go" he commanded.

Hermione turned to where she knew Theo stood behind her.

"Nott," she addressed him imperiously, "you're with me."

Author's note

Just to clarify Hermione couldn't sense Draco while he was a cat hence her concern. I was going to explain this but thought it would spoil the flow so the footnote is here just to make clear why she thought she had lost him.

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