Chapter 16 – Alternate Ending

Hermione's eyes flashed at Ron as he stood up from his kitchen chair. After attempting to murder Draco post-Horcrux delivery, Ron couldn't possibly think that anyone would let him come meet Draco a second time. She brought herself up to her full, 5'2" frame and stepped directly in front of him, not intimidated by his height in the least. His bright blue eyes glared down at her, expecting a fight.

"You aren't going anywhere near him. Do I make myself clear?" Her voice was low, with an undercurrent of violence. Ron looked to Lupin to come to his defense and ground his teeth when he saw none.

"You know she's right, Ron." Lupin admonished. "You're not in school anymore, and your behavior is endangering all of us."

Ron flinched at Lupin's dress down and exhaled loudly through his nose. He was clearly struggling with his hatred and distrust of Draco when everyone else was convinced there was no reason for it.

Hermione's gaze flicked to Harry. His eye twitched, but he otherwise said nothing, flexing his forearms crossed in front of his chest. She knew he was doing his best to accept the radically different situation and not verbalize his worries, cognizant of the fact that it would only anger her further. She wanted to see Draco alone, but it would be smarter to compromise tonight. The stakes were high. She needed everyone concentrating on defeating Voldemort, which meant using whatever Draco had to offer.

"Lupin will come with me. Alright?"

Lupin understood that Draco was an ally and could be trusted so long as he was in control of himself. However tenuous that control was. Hermione supposed it was similar to what he and Bill struggled with around the full moon, being werewolves. They would never intentionally hurt those they loved, but it was a risk all the same. Lupin's dark eyes met hers, showing that he understood the intention behind her request.

Harry pushed his glasses up his nose and peered up at Hermione from his chair.

"Alright," he reluctantly agreed, nudging Ron's leg when he didn't respond. Hermione saw Ron's jaw moving as he loomed over her, grinding his teeth.

"Alright?" she repeated to Ron, inching closer to him.

"Fucking hell." He muttered in defeat and collapsed back down in his chair, causing the legs to scrape loudly against the tile floor.

Hermione was glad Harry could be reasoned with. Ron was much more difficult to get through to. Given Draco's history with Ron and Harry, his transformation to a vampire and her now obvious feelings for him, it was only natural that her two best friends would have difficulty processing everything. Harry had come around, but Ron still hadn't. Both held grudges, but Harry had nearly killed Draco back in Sixth Year. His guilt likely made him better equipped to see reason. She glared at Ron fidgeting moodily in his seat. Draco was on their side. Ron would need to accept that and work with him. They couldn't afford his violent outbursts. Angrily, she grabbed a scarf to cover her neck and handed one to Lupin.

"We're lucky he came back after that stunt you pulled. He's helping us." She paused, took a breath, and steeled her gaze at Ron, who continued glaring at her. "And… And I really care about him." He flinched at her words, but she felt freer after admitting a portion of her feelings out loud. Ron looked to the side, unable to meet her eyes anymore. She turned and walked from the kitchen with Lupin.

"Get over it," she called harshly over her shoulder, following the werewolf towards the door. She thought she heard Tonks mutter something about toxic masculinity.

"Wait!" Ron's voice cracked in desperation.

Hermione turned around and snarled at him. "What?"

"Can't you—" She watched him struggle to gather his thoughts. "Something could be done to protect you. What if—"

Quickly, while he still had her attention, his eyes scanned the kitchen until he zeroed in on what he wanted. Ron Accio'd garlic from its storage basket and mashed it on the table with a swish of his wand.

Bill raised an appreciative eyebrow and reached for some cooking oil. "Occasionally my brother makes use of that grey mass between his ears."

They all watched in silence as Bill poured the oil in a bowl and set it on the kitchen table with a clank. Ron collected the mashed garlic and dissolved it magically in with the oil. He stood up and extended his arm, offering his concoction to Hermione as a non-verbal apology.

The heels of her boots clicked against the wooden foyer, the sound changing once she reached the tiled kitchen. She maintained her glare as she took the bowl, but wordlessly dipped her fingers in the oil. She rubbed it over her neck and behind her ears while he watched her. She handed the bowl to Lupin for him to do the same and once more turned to leave.

"Wait—" Ron protested again.

Sighing, she turned around and looked at him impatiently, but without anger. If he was sincerely trying to help and get past his schooldays rivalry with Draco, she needed to move forward as well and forgive him.

"That takes care of his sense of smell. You're covering up your throat with the scarf. What about other senses, like hearing? Could we…" He cracked his knuckles, trying to translate his ideas into words. "I don't know, prevent him from hearing your heartbeat?"

He ran his hand through his hair when she didn't react and sighed. "Never mind, that's stupid."

Hermione's eyes softened as she looked up at him. "No, actually. That's a really good idea."

Ron looked down at her and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You'll have more time with him then." He slowly exhaled. "I'm sorry. You're right, he's helping us."

She reached out to his elbow, knowing how hard this was for him. Looking up into his face, she felt a surge of affection for the man who defeated a troll with her in the bathroom. He had always been supportive. Always there for her, albeit in his sometimes misguided way.

"Thank you."

He gave her a sad smile. She squeezed his elbow reassuringly. This was going to work. The odds of the war were changing in their favor, and she would ensure that they played their cards right.

Seeing as flashes of brilliance were rare for Ron and apologies even more so, Bill muttered something about Polyjuice Potion under his breath. Without turning, Ron smacked the back of his head, dislodging some hair from Bill's ponytail. Everyone chuckled, and the tension in the room slowly dissipated.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Tonks looked up at Lupin and Hermione pensively for a few minutes before pointing her wand at them. "Silencio Cor! Silencio Sangre!"

Bill looked up from his chair and readjusted his ponytail. His werewolf- enhanced senses immediately noticed the silencing of two cardiovascular systems.

"Nice, that worked!" he affirmed.

Lupin nodded his approval to Tonks, as he, too, could hear the difference after her simple solution. She kissed her fingers and touched his lips with a smile.

Lupin's eyes crinkled with a smile. He turned to Hermione. "Ready?"

She turned to leave for the final time, feeling everyone's eyes on her back. Her stomach sank in anticipation as Lupin opened the door.

"After you." He extended his arm to allow her to exit first.

She was excited to see Draco and eager to hear what he had to say.

They exited 12 Grimmauld Place, and Hermione felt her heartbeat quicken as she glanced down the block at the dark, imposing, cloaked figure leaning against the street lamp. Even though Ron hadn't killed Draco, she still breathed a sigh of relief. He was alive and didn't look damaged from what she was able to see. She had to consciously slow her pace to counter her need to run into his arms. She reminded herself that he could lose control at any time, and gripped her wand, not knowing what to expect from him.

Again, she wished she could see him alone but knew the compromise had been necessary to get Harry and Ron to agree to their meeting.

As she and Lupin approached, she could see Draco's eyes glittering from underneath his hood. His teeth reflected the streetlamp's light. He would have fed on someone before coming here. These meetings were costly, but pragmatically, she knew they were worth the price. They were going to win. She could feel it.

Draco's arms were crossed before his chest, and his long fingers curled around his upper arm, drumming a rhythm into the cloth of his robe. She felt a warm coil of desire at the memories of his hands roaming under her clothes beneath this very streetlamp and wished Lupin wasn't there. When they were ten feet away, Draco held up his hand, pale against his black cloak. They stopped so he could adjust to their presence. She appraised his tall, foreboding figure and felt a thrill of excitement when she noticed his other hand.

He was carrying another sack!

She glanced to Lupin and saw he was staring at the sack as well, but had revealed nothing. Like her, he maintained a calm exterior to prevent from exciting Draco. Her mind ran through the possibilities. This sack was larger than the one with the Hufflepuff cup. Was it a weapon? Books? Information? The Elder Wand? Whatever it was, it must have been incredibly important for him to return after Ron's attempt to kill him. Speaking of which…

"Draco," she spoke apologetically. "It's my fault for not verifying that everyone had left. I've ensured you won't be attacked again."

Being a strategist, she often took responsibility for the group's actions and, in this case, for Ron's actions in particular. She should have expected some kind of outburst from him. Ron hadn't fully understood the situation and, not knowing Draco would return, she hadn't thought it was necessary to explain.

He scoffed dismissively. "As if Weasel could…" He paused mid-sentence and sniffed once. Slowly, he lowered his hood to stare at her and Lupin, revealing his blond hair. Her stomach fluttered as he studied them. His facial expression morphed from bored superiority to surprise as he noticed their attempts at camouflage to delay the onset of his bloodlust. Draco's eyes appraised them, and she felt heat under his scrutiny.

"Well played."

Lupin, not wanting to waste any more time, got right to the point. "What's in the bag, Draco? Should we move to a less conspicuous location?"

Like Hermione, Lupin did not know the limits of Draco's power. He wasn't sure how well Draco could conceal them out in the open. Neither one of them really knew what to make of wizard vampires. From the look on his face, her former professor was just as curious about this new, uncharted territory as she was.

Draco shook his head. "No need." He shifted his glance to Hermione and licked his lips with a quick, sensual motion. "Not yet, anyway."

Hermione blushed at his veiled promise of sex and sin.

"Well?" Lupin asked expectantly, keeping the meeting on track.

Delicately, Draco extended his arm and placed the sack down on the sidewalk. It didn't clank like the cup. It settled, containing something soft. Hermione wondered if he had brought her some Death Eater's head or internal organs and curled her lip in disgust. While his vampiric nature may have affected his moral compunctions towards murder or repugnance towards viscera, body parts would hardly be worth contacting her for.

Seeing her hesitation, he crooked a finger at her with a smirk, enticing her to come closer. She and Lupin slowly approached until they stood before him.

Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Hermione lifted the sack, undid the tie, pulled the opening wider to look inside, and blinked. Her stomach dropped. Inside the bag was the one complication to her plan this evening. Indeed, the complication to many of her plans and discussions over the past few days. If it hadn't been here in front of her, she never would have believed it. Draco must have been eavesdropping on their planning discussions the past few days and acted on his own accord.

Inside the bag was Nagini's head, obviously torn from its body. He would have had to not only penetrate the wards, but also get inside the fortress and stay there long enough to find and leave with the snake— all without getting himself killed. Her mind started racing with new possibilities, and her heart pounded with excitement. She had to count to three before she trusted herself to speak calmly and looked up at him.

"Dead and destroyed?" she asked, voice steady so as not to excite him. "Or just dead?"

He gave her a sultry look. "You know I wouldn't leave you unsatisfied, Hermione."

He had that predatory look in his eyes that she remembered from the Manor. Lupin cleared his throat to rid himself of the awkwardness of witnessing Draco's blatantly sexual innuendo.

"It was destroyed when I killed it," Draco clarified. "But you already knew that would happen."

She re-tied the sack and glanced wide-eyed back at Lupin, trying to convey her amazement to him without words.

"Your mission?" Lupin guessed, also keeping his voice matter- of- fact.

"Finished," she confirmed. Lupin raised his eyebrows in surprise. She gave him the sack and turned back to Draco.

Lupin gazed inside, blinked in surprise, and then barked a laugh. "Arthur would enjoy seeing this."

"Indeed, he would," Hermione said with a wry smile. "Give it to Harry first," she told him before turning to Draco. "When did you kill it?" The snake's severed head looked as fresh as a severed snake head could possibly be.

"Fifteen minutes ago."

Gob smacked, her eyes widened and she sucked in a gasp, quickly covering her mouth when she saw Draco tense. Even Lupin took a surprised breath.

"Didn't take long at all," he paused, looking down at her. "In…" His eyes were hungry. "And out."

His word choice reminded her of him naked, thrusting into her from behind on blood- spattered floors while he latched onto her neck. She felt a tightening in her core at the memory. Draco must have known exactly what she was thinking about from her expression. He slid closer, eyes glinting down at her.

Lupin stiffened, and she sensed him slowly reaching for his wand. She took a half step backwards and struggled to bring her thoughts back to the implications of Draco's actions tonight. Her mind raced at the thought of what was going on in the fortress this very moment. Their next move depended on what Voldemort knew, or didn't know.

"Does he know?" she asked.

He shook his head to the negative. "I didn't set off any alarms, but he'll notice the snake and a few Death Eaters are missing at some point tonight."

There would be confusion as he tried to figure out exactly what had happened. And how. Would it be all hands on deck, or would he send people away to search for her? Would he know that the other Horcruxes had been destroyed?

"Will he find out it was you?"

"No. He might consider my involvement. He knows I'm a traitor because you were never returned for questioning," Draco answered. "You were…" He gazed devilishly down at her. "Otherwise occupied."

Hermione flushed again at the memory of him sniffing, nuzzling, and licking all up and down her body, and his jaw clenched as his eyes traced the path that his tongue had made last week. He stepped forward, and she took a cautious step back. She needed to think this through. Lupin slowly brought his wand out, not quite threatening, but ready.

"He'll think it's an inside job then," she concluded. "That's the only possible explanation."

Voldemort already knew that Draco was a traitor and would have modified his security measures to prevent him from accessing the fortress. But he wouldn't think Draco capable of pulling this off without inside help because he was unaware of Draco's powers. Certainly the Order had been unable to penetrate the Fortress in the past. He would be looking for a traitor, or multiple traitors. He would be turning on his own followers, and there would be complete pandemonium. They had to attack tonight. But no, they couldn't prepare in time. Even with Draco's help. She looked up to see him studying her hungrily while she contemplated the Order's next move.

She glanced up at Lupin and saw that he was also thinking through the implications of Draco's information. "We have to attack as soon as possible," she told him.

"Yes," Lupin agreed. "We do."

"On that note…" Draco reached into his robes and pulled out several rolled up pieces of parchment. Lupin moved forward to accept them and stowed his wand. "These are accurate plans of the fortress. From what I overheard, you have false information planted by—"

"Mundungus Fletcher," Lupin finished, unsurprised. "Thank you," he added.

Draco nodded, continuing to eye- fuck her. She flushed under his unwavering gaze.

"We were never sure of our plans' veracity," Hermione explained, reaching out for the rolled parchments that Lupin began to unfurl, "but we didn't have anything else to work with. And then he disappeared."

Draco rubbed the side of his face with his thumb. "He played both sides and was executed."

She narrowed her eyes at him, and he stared right back at her, unyielding, daring her to judge him. Draco was probably the one who had performed the execution. There were others that were captured and no doubt killed by him. She didn't want to think about the implications of that right now. They had more important things to consider. Hermione pushed her musings on who else Draco might have killed to the back of her mind.

"Draco," Lupin's voice lilted slightly, and Draco turned to him. "You've been incredibly helpful. What exactly are you offering?"

Draco leaned back against the street lamp, crossed his arms, and shrugged his shoulders. "What do you want, werewolf?" He used the word like a curse, and Lupin gritted his teeth, on edge from the vampire's hostility. "I can get everyone though the wards without detection. I can rid you of a good chunck of his army within 15 to 20 minutes. You could be outnumbered by as much as 4 to 1 but still have the advantage." He shifted his gaze to Hermione. "I can ensure the bait and switch works should you lure him to the Gaunt house with Potter."

His voice lowered with dark promise.

"Tell me what you need, Hermione." She shivered at the way his words rolled off his tongue. He was raw sex, and she was unable to suppress her involuntary reaction to his innuendo. The corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.

"Use me."

The low growl of his voice made her shiver.

The possibility of a final battle that could very well end in their victory and his relentless sensuality had her heart pounding in her chest and sent a tingly warmth spreading between her legs. All this anticipation and adrenaline had her nerve endings on fire. She was grateful for Tonks' spell and Ron's foresight. She had no doubt Draco would have lost control by now.

"I will," she answered, and Draco's eyes flickered silver with heat.

"Just like that?" Lupin asked suspiciously. Draco's gaze shifted back to him. "You don't want anything in return, vampire?" The way Lupin said "vampire" implied that he knew exactly what Draco wanted in return. Hermione flushed at how she was being discussed by the two men.

Fascinated, Hermione watched Draco's fangs extend involuntarily, eliciting a quiet grunt from him. Quickly, Lupin dropped the sack and drew his wand, teeth bared in a way she had never seen before, ready to attack. Hermione angled her wand from below and stepped back from both of them. She wasn't sure who she should be ready to hex at this point. She had never seen Lupin so on edge and wondered if it was the presence of a vampire that made him so. Draco turned his predatory stare towards her as a low growl escaped his chest.

After taking a few measured breaths, he answered gruffly, "What I want and what I am given are two different things."

Hermione's blood raced, and her chest and neck prickled with warmth under his penetrating eyes, promising a pain and pleasure that only he could give. She counted to pace her breathing. After confirming that Draco was in control and not going to attack, Lupin relaxed his wand arm and slowly lowered it.

"However…" Draco stepped forward from the lamp post and slowly reached out, delicately lacing his fingers in Hermione's. Her hand tingled at his touch, and she reflexively tightened her hold. Draco sent a mischievous glance towards Lupin. "I don't want a chaperone." His expression morphed into one of disdain. "Werewolf."

Lupin moved to pounce right before they Disapparated with a crack.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Hermione almost toppled over from the sudden Side-Along Apparition to a nameless field, and Draco steadied her with a hand on her waist. Before she could catch her breath, his fingers were in her hair, grasping the back of her head. His erection pushed against her pelvis, and his tongue was in her mouth. She shoved her wand into her thigh holster and reached under his robe, around his chest and arms to pull him closer. His muscles flexed under his shirt as he touched her. They had time—more time than before thanks to Ron and Tonks—but she didn't know how much.

She grabbed his rear, pressing him closer and eliciting a growl.

"How long?" she gasped into his mouth while his hands groped her body under her clothing, roughly squeezing everywhere he could. He was hungry, mauling her as if he were starving, which he probably was. It wasn't fair. They never had enough time. Here he was, free of Voldemort, and they still didn't have enough time.

"Don't know," he rasped, hungrily attacking her lips, chin, and jaw. She threaded her fingers through his hair.

She groaned into his mouth and he massaged her bum, lifting her so she could wrap her legs around him. He moved her over his erection and rolled his hips into her, giving little grunts and moans each time he thrust forward. She pulled his head back and sucked on his neck while he groaned. He dropped to his knees with a thud, overcome with pleasure.

The way he pawed and grabbed at her with abandon, licking and kissing her skin, she felt he was trying to inhale her, to suck her inside of him, to commit the taste and feel of her to memory. The desperate moans and gasps and groans belied his intent. This would be their last chance, she could feel it. He was going to leave after the battle.

She grasped the sides of his head and broke the kiss, breathing heavily. His eyes blazed grey-silver at her.

"Don't leave me." Her voice broke, thick with emotion.

His brows furrowed, and Hermione felt his hot breath coming out in pants. But he didn't say anything.

"Don't you leave me," she repeated more forcefully, her hands trembling with emotion. She felt tears form; she didn't want him to leave. How could she make him stay?

His face fell, and his voice broke. "There's no future. Don't talk about it. Just let me…" He tightened his arms around her, lowered his face to her neck and shuddered. "Just let me."

Draco lifted his head to kiss her again, and she felt his need and desperation in the movements of his lips and tongue. He squeezed her rear, her upper thigh, her breast, and he shook. His tongue swept through the corners of her mouth as he kissed her deeply and thoroughly. His hands roamed her body, rough and tender, and he inhaled her scent with a shuddering gasp. She was hot and wet between her legs. He would smell her arousal over the garlic.

Suddenly, his whole body tensed and went rigid. Hermione could feel the transition from lover to predator. He ripped her scarf away, and she felt the cold night air on her neck. His head pulled away from her grasp to bite her. Adrenaline raced through her body as she reached for her wand.

"Incarcerous Argentum!"

Silver ropes bound his arms and chest, and she toppled to the ground before him, no longer held upright by his arms.

She laid on her back, chest heaving, staring up at the night stars. She felt cold and empty at the sudden loss of his chest, his arms, his lips, and his heat. Draco gritted his teeth in pain and looked down at her. The silver burned through his clothing and his flesh disintegrated through his shirt, exposing muscle.

"I wish I didn't have to hurt you," she said as she raised herself to her knees.

His eyes flashed with inhuman silver.

"Worth it," he rasped.

She swallowed and cupped his chin tenderly. "I have to get back."

"So soon?" He turned into her hand and made to bite her wrist, teasing her, but she could see the sadness and desperation in his eyes.

"We need to plan our attack." She flicked her eyes to his mouth, still feeling his hot, panting kisses from mere minutes before. "Tomorrow night, I think. Voldemort will be desperate to find Nagini and the traitor. We have to exploit their confusion. Listen in when you're ready so you know what to do."

He nodded in agreement and suddenly bent over in pain with a muffled cry.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried as she stood, not able to bear watching him like this. "I'm leaving now."

"Wait!" he called out, gazing up at her. He lowered his voice. "One more."

She stilled.

"Please," he whispered, fangs exposed.

Hermione bent down, cradled his face in her hands, and gave him a slow, sweet, tender kiss on the lips. He whimpered into her mouth as she pulled away, and she felt a tear fall down her cheek. She never thought further than the war, but what kind of life could he lead? Breaking away, she pressed her forehead to his and whispered, "When the war is over, we will solve this. Don't you dare leave me."

He nodded silently.

"Don't you dare."

She Disapparated with a crack.

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Everyone turned around as Hermione entered 12 Grimmauld Place. They were all bent over the kitchen table, studying the fortress layouts provided by Draco.

"See?" Tonks admonished Harry and Ron. "She already handled him without a wand. Why do you think she needs help when fully armed?" Hermione gave Tonks an appreciative smile as she entered the kitchen from the foyer. Tonks glanced across the table at Lupin with a smirk. "Some of us like a little danger now and then." He raised an eyebrow in return.

Harry let his head drop to the table with a thunk. "Can we not?" his muffled voice begged.

Bill laughed and reached across the table to the bowl of corn nuts.

Hermione looked around the kitchen, glad things had returned to normal. It seemed that Bill and Tonks were able to talk some sense into them. She wished she could give that sense of normalcy among friends and family to Draco. He was alone. Completely and utterly alone. She would help him after the war.

After the war.

And they were going to win.

"Tonks?" The Metamorphagus looked up at her. "Can we attack tomorrow night? Can the other safe houses prepare in time if we give them plans by the morning? We have to exploit the confusion caused by Nagini's disappearance."

"Yes, that's also what Remus suggested." Tonks stood and began casting Patronus charms. "They should be ready. They've all been on high alert and waiting for attack plans since Malfoy's last visit. I'll find out in 10 minutes."

A series of silvery, scruffy dogs blasted out of her wand while Hermione slid into an empty chair. She flattened one of the parchments with the fortress layouts out on the table. "Okay, what do you have so far?"

Chapter end notes:

Next chapter is the final battle!