Chapter 10
Harry looked up at Ron, and then down at the husk of a body lying on the floor in front of them. She was completely unrecognizable.
"How can this possibly work?" Ron asked, his voice shaking. "She's… she's…"
Harry studied the greyish mass that was once Hermione with determination. "No, I don't think she's dead. Vampires don't have corpses, and she still has a body to heal. You see the bits of ash from where he was shielding her?"
Ron looked disbelievingly down at the charred remains before him. " I'll do anything for her. Here."
He took the knife from Harry and sliced his wrist open, wincing as his blood dropped into what was left of Hermione's mouth. Harry gave him his belt and he wrapped it around his forearm, tightening it so that the flow would increase.
The two of them watched the lifeless husk in front of them intently for a few seconds. Nothing appeared to be happening at first, and then, to their astonishment, they saw the beginnings of renewal and regrowth spread throughout her body. Their eyes widened.
"Thank Merlin," Harry said as he sighed in relief. "How did you know that eclipse spell?"
A tinge of shame and regret appeared in Ron's eyes. "Malfoy told me through some form of Legilimency right before you killed Voldemort. He knew he wouldn't live long enough for his spell to keep them covered and needed me to recast it." His voice turned soft. "He really loved her."
They looked down. As the flow of blood increased, so did the pace of her body's regrowth. They could see shriveled, blackened, papery substances slowly inflate and become tissue, muscle, blood vessels and organs. Her charred bones became whole and white. They could see her fangs clearly now.
"Harry, I don't think I can watch this!" Ron said, clutching his stomach.
Alarmed, Harry looked up at him, his skin was much paler than usual, and he was swaying. "Here, you gave her too much. Let's switch. Take this."
He handed Ron the bottle of blood replenishing potion, cut his wrist and held it over Hermione's mouth. Her body began to fill out and take shape. Skin nucleated and grew, covering her insides.
Ron took off his belt and wrapped it around Harry's arm, increasing the flow. Still feeling woozy, he drank another two bottles of blood replenishing potion. Suddenly, Hermione's limbs began twitching and her body convulsed.
"Harry!" Ron yelled, terrified. "What's wrong with her?"
Harry shook his head, intent on making sure that his blood continued pouring into her mouth despite her erratic movements.
"Don't know; hold her still."
Ron pinned her down but her hands shot out and she grabbed Harry's arm, sinking her teeth into his flesh. He grunted in pain as she drank.
Hair sprouted out of her scalp, and her external features took shape and became more recognizable. Harry tried to pull away, but she was much too strong now that she was able to move her limbs.
"Ron!" he called, "Bind her! And I'll need a few."
She opened her eyes and Harry looked down at her in relief. She looked completely feral, and was growling while sucking from him, but she was alive and functioning.
"Hey," he said, brushing her hair back tenderly. "Sorry about this." She didn't alter her death grip on his arm, or give any indication that she had understood him.
"Incarcerous Argentum!"
She screamed as the silver cut into her body and he pulled his arm away. He could see her body degenerating again before his eyes and his voice became panicky.
"Hurry, Ron!"
They switched, with Ron now giving her blood, and she began to immediately heal again. Harry took his share of the blood replenishing potions. He didn't realize how much she had sapped his energy until after being reinvigorated.
She leaned upward, straining to reach Ron's wrist and snapping at the air in between swallows.
"Cover her," Ron said in a strained voice.
Harry looked down, and immediately shut his eyes to block out the image of Hermione, now completely healed, naked and writhing next to him. Quickly, he conjured a blanket and spread it over her.
Ron looked up at him. "When do we stop?"
"Good question." Harry pressed down on his wound, trying to stop the flow until it would be his turn. "I guess, until she doesn't need anymore."
"How much will she need? We might have to get more people, more potions."
"That's enough," came a scratchy voice from below. His wrist tingled as Hermione's magic healed the wound.
They both looked down, and at the sight of Hermione's smiling eyes, an incredible wave of relief washed over them.
She grunted, trying to tolerate the pain from the binding.
"Can we release you?" Ron asked.
"Yes, I've fed enough," her voice was still scratchy. Ron reached for his wand and then she shook her head. A resigned expression was on her face. "No, I don't know. Draco would be a better judge. Ask him."
Harry looked up at Ron, whose mouth had formed a flat line.
She lifted her head up. "He didn't make it?" She looked between Harry and Ron, neither of whom could meet her eyes. She laid her head back down and turned it to the side.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Ron said sincerely. "He gave his life for you."
Harry could see tears slowly leaking from her eyes, but she made no sound, she made no movement.
He squeezed her shoulder. "He won't be remembered as a Death Eater. We'll see to that."
Her voice came out flat. "He knew, you know. Before we even entered the room. He knew what would happen."
She squeezed her eyes shut, and Harry watched silent sobs wrack her body.
Harry looked down at her. He didn't know what to do. She was obviously in so much more pain than the silver could inflict upon her. He felt an empty feeling in his gut. It was just like Lupin said. She had sacrificed her human life to win the war. But now she was alone. She couldn't be with friends, she couldn't be with family, and she had lost Draco—her only companion. He felt her loss and ached for her.
"Hermione," Ron leaned down, unsure of himself, and then wrapped her in a strong and tender hug.
"No, Ron!" she protested, tears streaming out of her eyes. "I'm not safe!"
"Shhhh," he said and held her close. Her sobbing became louder and Harry cradled her too.
The three lay there for a while, holding onto one another while Hermione cried until she wasn't able. After a few heaving shudders, she spoke in a soft, raspy voice.
"My… My parents. How can I..." They pulled away from her. She was exhausted, resigned, and in pain from the silver.
Ron clasped her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "We'll take care of them."
"Tell them..." she squeezed her eyes shut and heaved another sob. "Tell them that I love them. That I'm sorry for everything and…" she swallowed. "Tell them that I died."
"Died a hero," Harry said, his throat constricting as he struggled not to cry himself.
"Like Draco," she whispered. She shut her eyes tight while a few more tears leaked out. Harry tightened his embrace and Ron followed suit. He felt her body shudder and then relax while they held her.
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Six months later, Harry and Ron were again at the kitchen table reading a letter from Hermione, which came with several pictures. She had been putting the camera they sent her to good use, and they had started filling an album to document her travels.
Ron was holding up several photos at the same time and studying them with a furrowed brow. "They all look the same. And they might as well be Muggle pictures; nothing's moving."
Harry grabbed a photo and studied it. "It's Antarctica. What did you expect?"
"I don't know… penguins?"
"She's probably eating them."
Ron grimaced and Harry pulled out some more of her photos.
"Wow, Ron, look at this." The two looked at the slowly rotating bright blue hemisphere of Earth: so bright against the inky black of space. "She must have charmed the picture so it would rotate faster."
Ron lightly touched the rotating globe and said, "She's been spending an awful lot of time between those two places. I mean, I know that she wants to keep away from people, but doesn't this seem a little extreme? She hasn't mentioned going anywhere else. There's just… nothing there. Her photos are bleak. Empty. I'm not exactly one to look for hidden meanings but…"
Harry furrowed his brow. "Yeah, I know. Are you worried?"
Ron picked up Hermione's letter and reread it, somberly. "Harry… she's still mourning him. She doesn't say it, but… her letter sounds forced. It's not really her. You don't think she'd…" His voice trailed off. He didn't want to voice his thoughts; it was too horrible.
Harry's eyes snapped to Ron's. "No. No. She wouldn't. She'll get through it. I just… wish we could be there for her more. I wish she would come."
"She won't," Ron said darkly. "Not after Neville."
The two sat in silence, looking at the stark beauty of her photos.
Ron looked up. "Do you think she's read the books?"
Harry shook his head to the negative. "She would have told us. You know how she is."
Suddenly, Hedwig flew through the window holding a completely ordinary white envelope. She dropped it in front of Harry. He flipped it over, but didn't recognize the return address.
"Huh." Inserting his finger into the flap, he broke the seal of the envelope and pulled out the letter. He got so much shit in the mail nowadays since Voldemort's defeat. Product endorsement offers, fan mail, job offers, marriage proposals…
He quickly skimmed the letter, smiled, and went back to read it more slowly.
"What does it say?" Ron asked, reaching to yank the letter out of Harry's grasp.
Harry stood up, deftly dodging Ron's hand. "'Dear Mr. Potter,'" he began in a mock serious tone, "'I was most deeply honored to hear that the Boy-Who'—Bugger him. I'm twenty-four years old. Why do people still insist on calling me that?"
"Skip the dramatics and tell me what it says," Ron said impatiently.
"We've got Damocles Belby on board."
Ron gave a whoop.
"He says that he's been too idle since he completed the Wolfsbane potion, and that a potion to temper the cravings of vampires would be a"—he adopted his mock serious tone again—"fine academic venture."
Harry read the rest of the letter eagerly. "He says that he'll need sufficient funding and labor at his institute, but that it shouldn't be a problem if we would work on bringing in potential investors with him."
Ron glanced down at his worn T-shirt and groaned. "I'll have to get my dress robes out again, won't I? It will be just like all those damn awards ceremonies. Any news of Hermione's inheritance? That would help."
Harry shook his head to the negative. "The Ministry is making it difficult; trying to find a loophole. Percy is doing his best."
"They'd love nothing better than to get their hands on the Malfoy fortune. If Hermione were able to appear before them, it would make things so much easier. Ungrateful bastards." Ron snorted in disgust. "So what else does Belby say?"
Harry continued reading through the letter. "That there are several different angles from which to attack the problem… eager to embark on this endeavor… virgin field of research… He sounds just a bit too excited about this, if you ask me."
"Good," Ron said. "I want Hermione back and… we owe it to her."
"We do."
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"Hermione, wait! You're not think—"
"Kill the snake!"
"Hermione! No!"
She didn't fault herself for her rashness. Harry and Ron might have died if they had waited any longer. But she still wondered if she had taken a few minutes to think things through, maybe they all would have lived. With all of her power and strength, she couldn't predict the future, or know what could have been.
"I doubt I'll live that long."
Hermione leaned back against the rock, looking at how the skin of her limbs was highlighted against the bluish glow of Earth. Everything was silent and desolate. Nothing had changed here, and yet everything was different.
"This is… this is our place. It's pure. Untouched. After the battle, we'll do whatever you want. I don't care, so long as we're together."
Her stomach churned. She felt so empty and hollow inside. She would never be whole again. To her left, she saw a few of Draco's footprints in the grey dust. They were untouched, preserved by the lack of motion, the lack of life, and the desolation. Tenderly, she reached down and placed her hand inside the depression of dust.
"This is the most real sensation I've had since... then."
Extending her index finger, she traced the outline of his heel, his instep and toes. His footprints would remain here undisturbed for quite some time. Until the next asteroid, she supposed. Or maybe one day, an astronaut would pass by this very spot, wondering how it was possible that footprints from a human's bare foot had come to pass here.
"Thanks for understanding. For helping me through this."
She chuckled, despite herself, and then a few tears began to spill. They evaporated as soon as they lost contact with her body, never reaching the dusty, rocky ground. Hugging her chest and bent over her knees, she started to cry silently.
"I didn't mean to… Hermione… I'm sorry... For everything."
She squeezed her eyes shut and ground her teeth together, sobbing so hard that she fell over onto her side, clutching her body in a foetal position.
"You're different. I've always wanted you."
She cried wretchedly and her stomach heaved. After a time, she felt that she didn't have any tears left to shed. She bit her lip and whimpered as the occasional shudder passed through her.
"I wish… I wish that things were different for us."
"I love you too, Draco."
Opening her eyes, she looked at the camera that Harry and Ron sent her. She could see her tear streaked face reflected in the lens. She wondered if Draco could see her now and wondered what he would think. If he were alive, he would hate himself for what she was going through.
"I just… I just want you to be safe."
She thought about what he would have done if their positions were reversed.
"So you'd off yourself if you were alone?"
"After a time. It's not really… much of a life without the people you love. And I already miss the sunrise."
And here she was. Completely and utterly alone.
She thought back to the night of the battle.
"You're strong."
Was she? She felt like a dry, brittle leaf that would crumble at the slightest touch. Sometimes, she wished that Harry and Ron had just left her to die.
She stared at her reflection in the camera lens for a while longer, and watched herself rub her eyes. She sat up and gazed at the bright blue Earth. It was rotating and it was changing. It was limitless, like her. She glanced over to her right to the stack of packages that had remained untouched since Harry and Ron had started sending them to her a few months ago. They were books, she knew, and she hadn't even opened them.
You're strong.
Maybe it was time.
Taking a breath, she reached out and brought the first package onto her lap, and tore it open. It was a Muggle textbook on geology from the University of Cambridge Press. She flipped through it, looking at color pictures of various rock formations, and noticed their captions stating their locations. She hadn't been to any of those places yet. She had wanted to go... with Draco.
She flipped it shut and read the back cover. It looked like a very comprehensive introduction that any freshman would need.
An interesting choice. This would have been the most recent book they sent.
More curious, she wiped her eyes, pulled over another package and tore it open. The book was published by some niche scientific society that she had never heard of and was entitled 'Recent Findings in Antarctica.' She flipped through it. This was very advanced, very dense reading. She didn't even know if she'd be able to comprehend it, but... she'd try. She had to try, didn't she? How else could she continue to exist if she didn't?
She put that book aside and picked up another package. This was a textbook for a university-level class in Astronomy. She had already taken Astronomy at Hogwarts, but the Muggle science would be completely different. Fascinating. Draco could hardly believe how much more Muggles knew about the universe than wizards.
Hermione closed her eyes and took another breath. Harry and Ron were incredibly thoughtful in their choices. She wished that she had them to help her through this.
She pulled over another book from the pile and it seemed that each tome was thicker than the next. This one was entitled 'Ecosystems,' also from the University of Cambridge Press, and was filled with colorful photographs of plants and animals, including captions stating the location of the subject. She paged through, admiring the pictures, before she turned another page and paused. It was of several colorful fish swimming in a coral reef. She looked at the caption and saw that it was from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. She could… go anywhere she wanted. She could swim in shallow rivers and lakes; she could venture to the deepest parts of the ocean.
She felt a surge of love for them. There was so much knowledge that she could acquire, so much that she could explore without having to be in contact with humans. And what's more, she literally had all the time in the world to do it. If only Draco...
If only.
You're strong.
The thoughtfulness of their choices made her want to start crying all over again. She closed the book on Ecosystems and eagerly brought over the next to last one on the pile.
This book was a compendium of knowledge on vampires. She really should have gotten something like this a long time ago, and scolded herself mentally for being so lax. She opened it and saw that Harry and Ron had inscribed a brief message for her on the inside:
We hope it will help you understand yourself more. We tried reading it, but it was too long. You'll have to come back and explain it to us.
Love,
Harry and Ron
She chuckled lightly, and wiped away the tears that ran down her cheek anew. She looked over at the last package. This would be the first book that they had sent her. Smiling, she lifted the flap. When she saw what it was, she laughed out loud and then sighed in contentment. A rush of warmth passed through her body at the sudden swell of love she felt for Harry and Ron. They had sent her very own, well-worn copy of Hogwarts, A History.
She flipped through it, feeling a comforting nostalgia while looking at the pictures of familiar passageways, portraits, gargoyles, and statues. Tucked into the back flap were two pieces of parchment: one torn, and one neatly folded that had obviously been magicked. She took out the torn piece first.
We thought that this would keep you company since you don't have us to pester you right now. You're not alone, Hermione. We'll always be here for you. Please consider coming back. We'll find a way to make it work. We think about you all the time and miss you.
Love,
Harry and Ron
P.S. Madam Pince prepared a listing of the entirety of the Hogwarts Library for you. It's at your disposal.
P.P.S. Since you have superpowers, it's about time you learned how to ride a broom.
-fin (First ending)-
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Sound of vigorous typing at the keyboard, interrupted by a door slamming. Mistress Lynn jumps a good 6 inches into the air off of her couch.
Draco: The fuck is this?
Mistress Lynn: Excuse me?
Draco *looking incredulous*: You killed me off!
Mistress Lynn: Umm… yeah. It's a tragedy, somebody has to die. Get back in the story, we have the alternate plotline to do.
Draco *crossing his arms*: I know what a goddamn tragedy is. Kill someone else. I'm not doing a fucking thing until you write me back in.
Mistress Lynn *with a pitiful attempt at coyness*: It's only a tragedy when you die. Look at how heartbroken the readers are! Wait until you see the reviews-
Draco *eyebrow raised*: Are you trying to butter me up?
Mistress Lynn *sighing*: Yes. Now will you please get back in the story?
Draco: Not unless the second plotline is better.
Mistress Lynn *angling the screen so that Draco can't see*: Define… "better."
Draco *narrowing eyes*: After this treatment, you owe me.
Mistress Lynn *coughing to cover up laughter*: Owe you?
Draco: Big time.
Mistress Lynn: What did you have in mind?
Draco: Nothing less than three chapters of debauchery with several big breasted young women- *Mistress Lynn looks forlornly down at her 34 barely-B's* -would get me back.
Mistress Lynn *typing while reading aloud from the screen*: One day, Draco found himself staring at Ronald Weasley in a way which was quite uncharacteristic for –
Draco *looking a bit unnerved*: Wait, what are you-
Mistress Lynn: -noticed that his red hair and freckles were actually quite attractive-
Draco *uncrossing arms*: Hey! I didn't sign up for this!
Mistress Lynn: -realized that his animosity towards the youngest male Weasley all those years at Hogwarts was really an expression of his-
Draco: Alright, alright, ALRIGHT! I'll get back in! Just… *shudders* delete that, will you?
Mistress Lynn *smiling sweetly*: Done.
Draco: Bitch.
Chapter end notes:
Sooo... going all the way back to where we left off in Chapter 3 at Malfoy Manor. You're welcome to reread those chapters if you want, to get into the mood for the alternate plotline, but it's not required.
Enjoy!
Also - shoutout to Tamlane (if she's reading this). I totally got the idea of an author/character dialogue from her.