A/N: Hey all. Thanks for the reviews and on with the story!
DISCLAIMER: Only the plot.
Chapter ThreeHermione sat on the lounge staring at the wall opposite her. Ron came out of the kitchen with a strong cup of coffee. He placed it in front of her and sat down beside her, waiting for her to talk. Hermione leaned back on the lounge with tears streaming down her face. She looked at Ron who looked back at her with a brotherly worry. He pulled Hermione towards him and hugged her tightly.
"You were hoping he hadn't changed," said Ron knowing it was the truth, "The same Draco you fell in love with."
Hermione nodded into his chest as she sobbed until her chest ached. Why was she foolish enough to think he'd remain the same? He most likely used her for valuable information to give to Lucius. Suddenly Hermione pulled from Ron and wiped her face clean of her tears.
"He used me," she said venomously, "That lying bastard used me!"
"Who, Draco?" frowned Ron.
"Of course him!"
"What do you think he used you for?"
"Information, sex… freedom. He used me and I foolishly fell for his Malfoy charm," said Hermione pacing the lounge room, "I'm done with him Ron. When I see him next time I will hex him until he is an inch from his death!"
Ron looked at Hermione in shock as she stopped and stared out the lounge room window panting. As she stared she saw movement in the bushes.
"They're here," said Hermione stepping back from the window casually, "Death Eaters. Get your wand."
HD
Draco laid down low behind a thick bush that was in need of pruning. His father and Snape had seen Hermione get away and Draco needed to prove he was truly on their side. Power pumped through his veins and Draco knew it could only mean his father's was increasing more day by day. Staring at the small house he spotted Hermione standing at the lounge room window. Her face looked flushed with red as she stared out it before stepping back and saying something to whoever lived with her.
"They know we are here," hissed Snape too Draco, "Let's go around the back, Lucius."
Lucius nodded and him, Snape and Draco quickly ran around the house to the back door. As they reached it, it burst open with Ron firing a stunning charm at Snape and knocking him out cold unaware. Hermione ran down the steps beside Ron, her wand aimed directly at Draco, while Ron kept his on Lucius as he took Snape's wand and snapped it in half.
"Kill her now," hissed Lucius glancing at Draco before looking at Hermione and then back at Ron, his own wand at the ready.
Hermione looked at Draco, no fear showing on her face, "Go on kill me. Least I know you won't be able to use me again. Kill me, Malfoy… kill what's left of me."
Draco felt his hand begin to shake and quickly gathered his composure before glaring harder at Hermione, "Me use you? I think it's the other way around."
"Who initiated the sexual act, Malfoy?" snapped back Hermione coldly looking at Lucius to see a stunned look on his face, "Yeah, Lucius, your son and I had sex. Does it mortify you?"
Without warning Lucius fired a spell at Hermione. She quickly ducked having it smash into the bricks of the house. Hermione fired one at Lucius but he rebounded it off knocking Ron out in the process. Both Lucius and Draco looked at Hermione with the same smirks. Hermione held her wand up going back and forth between them.
"Dear me, Draco," said Lucius in a mocking tone, "The mudblood is defenseless, really. We could kill her right now."
"STUPEFY!" cried Hermione only to watch Lucius rebound it again with ease.
"Scossa del corpo," hissed Lucius his wand aimed at Hermione.
Draco watched with his heart pounding as Hermione fell too her knees as the electric shock ran through her body causing her to cry out in agony. Her whole body was locking up; tears were running down her cheeks. She fell onto her back before Draco pushed his fathers wand away.
"Let this be her warning," he said as cracking noises echoed around them.
The Order had arrived upon discovering from captured Death Eaters that Lucius, Snape and Draco were at Ron and Hermione's.
Draco looked his father in the eyes telling him they should leave. Lucius nodded and the two left with a crack as Lupin fired a spell. Sirius ran to Hermione's side and rolled her onto her back and checked her pulse.
"She's unconscious," he said, "Let's get her and Ron inside."
Sirius lifted Hermione up into his arms and carried her inside and down to her room. Behind him Arthur and Bill carried Ron in whilst Lupin, Charlie, Fred and George bound Snape with ropes and lugged him inside before tying him to a kitchen chair.
"What do you need?" asked Narcissa rushing to Sirius' side in Hermione's bedroom.
"A cold cloth for now. She is reacting to the electric currents that went through her body by having a slight fever. I can't do anything else until she wakes up. That could range from now till tomorrow. It depends on how strong her body is."
Hermione groaned and moved her head a little but remained silent otherwise. Sirius sighed and took the cloth from Narcissa when she returned. He pressed it gently to Hermione's forehead and turned to Narcissa looking angry.
"Your own son let your husband do this to her," he said in disgust before walking out of the room.
Narcissa looked at Hermione with tears in her eyes. Even she couldn't believe Draco would let this happen to someone he once loved, possibly still did love.
HD
Draco watched his father pace back and forth. Both knew the attack didn't go as planned but Draco also knew Lucius was furious at him for the way he acted around Hermione. Lucius stopped his pacing and looked at Draco in disgust.
"You still love her don't you?" he said coldly glaring at Draco, "You have never stoppedloving her!"
"Father-"
"Stop Draco… just stop before you say something that will infuriate me even more. It's time you put your feelings for that mudblood aside once and for all. Tonight I want you to go to her and tell her you don't love her. Once you do that I am sure you will find it easier to let go of what was doomed from the start. After tonight I never want to hear about this pathetic little romance again."
Draco nodded and let out a sigh, "What about Snape? How do we get him back? No doubt they'll throw him into Azkaban… that is if Potter doesn't kill him in revenge for killing Dumbledore."
"I will work something out. Severus should be smart enough to lie. Unless they use Veritaserum on him."
"Which they will," pointed out Draco, "Snape knows everything about what you have planned… he is going to be the reason why this plan comes crumbling down before our very eyes."
"I know Draco!" snapped Lucius in anger, "Do not keep telling me things I know!"
Draco held his hands up in peace, "I'm going to shower and get ready for tonight… why don't you mull over your thoughts with some whiskey or something?"
Lucius grunted but walked over to his whiskey stash as Draco left the office shaking his head at his father's temper.
HD
Ron yawned and looked at his watch. It was ten to nine that night and Hermione had still not woken up. Sirius had revived Ron from his knocked out state a few minutes after checking on Hermione. He looked up in surprise to see Sirius walking into the room.
"Go have some soup. Narcissa has made some," said Sirius holding a vial in his hand, "I got this sent to me from Poppy. She said it wakes most people who have been effected from shock charms of all strength and types."
"Alright," said Ron standing and leaving.
Sirius walked over to Hermione and opened her mouth after taking the stopper of the vial. He slowly poured the clear contents into her mouth and stopped as soon as Hermione began squirming. He stepped back and saw her eyes flutter open in confusion. She rubbed her eyes again before opening them and pushing herself up into a sitting position.
"How are you feeling?" asked Sirius softly.
Hermione looked at Sirius and swallowed a lump in her throat, "Sore but other then that I need a shower."
"No headaches?"
Hermione shook her head before looking down at her hands with tears falling down her cheeks, "He let him torture me."
Sirius placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder, "I know. He's not himself at all, is he?"
Hermione shook her head, "And here I was, hoping his father had forced him into joining him again."
Sirius stood up and Hermione pushed her blankets back and walked over to her cupboard to pull out clothing she needed to wear after her shower.
"I'll be in the kitchen with Ron and Narcissa," said Sirius, "Narcissa made some soup for all of us."
Hermione nodded, "Is Ron alright?"
"He's perfectly fine."
Hermione nodded again and Sirius left as Hermione walked into her bathroom. She showered and dressed into her pajama's and braided her hair tidily making sure there were no bumps. She hung her towel up and walked into her bedroom fixing up things out of place around her room. As she was placing her white ballet shoes back in her closet soft footsteps hit the ground behind her. She stood upright and turned around before gasping at who was in her room.
"You," she said looking around her discreetly for her wand only to see it on her bedside table behind the one she was looking at, "What are you doing here? You know I can easily call for help."
"But you won't," replied Draco stepping closer to Hermione, "I know you won't."
Hermione stepped away from him side ward's shaking her head, "You know nothing about me anymore."
"Then why aren't you screaming for help?"
Hermione quickly dashed over to her bedside table and grabbed her wand. She turned to Draco pointing it at him, with him doing the same to her.
"Doesn't this feel familiar?" said Hermione coldly, "Too bad your dear father isn't here to torture me… but hey, why don't you do it?"
Draco said nothing. Instead he tightened his grip on his wand.
"Why are you here Malfoy?" snapped Hermione, "Obviously this visit has a purpose."
"It does," he said a quiver evident in his voice.
"What is it?"
Draco looked at Hermione taking in her angry face, the brown eyes full of immense anger, her mouth in a thin angry line, her body posture ready for him to attack. How could he say he didn't love her? She was the reason why his heart beat everyday. He would do anything for her, even turn against his father again, even if that put his life on the line.
"I-I can't do it," he said lowering his wand with it falling to the ground.
He looked at Hermione with helpless eyes, but she remained ready for an attack from him.
"Can't what? Kill me?"
"I can't say I don't love you… I do love you with all my heart. I'm sorry Hermione!" cried Draco tears filling his eyes, "I'm a fool… I should never of left you four years ago… I messed up… I'm sorry."
"I don't believe you!" cried back Hermione backing towards the door, "How can I when today you said you were with your father? And then later you watched your father torture me?"
"Hermione!" came a yell with people running to her bedroom door.
Ron ran in first, pulling Hermione towards him protectively before seeing Draco staring at Hermione with tears falling down his cheeks. He pulled his wand out and Sirius and Narcissa arrived with theirs already drawn.
"I'm sorry, Hermione!" cried Draco again.
"What do you want?" snarled Sirius, "Have you come to hurt her even more?"
"No! I swear… I was… but I can't… I love her too much," said Draco falling to his knees, "Please… I want to fight with the Order. I will do anything to prove I am telling the truth."
"I don't believe him," said Hermione coldly glaring at Draco with disgust, "Everything he says confuses me more."
"I believe him," said Narcissa lowering her wand and looking at her broken son, "Sirius lower your wand!"
"You only believe him because he is your son!" cried Hermione angrily, "Use Veritaserum on him! If the Order and Ministry is going to use it on Snape do the same with Malfoy."
Hermione pushed past the others and stormed down the hall and into the kitchen.
"We have to bind him for safety," said Ron muttering a spell.
Golden ropes weaved out of his wand and wrapped themselves around Draco's body and wrists. Ron stepped forward and took Draco's wand and stuck it in his back pocket.
"Let's take him to the kitchen. Narcissa contact Lupin and tell him to bring the truth potion with him," ordered Sirius.
"He can work around that you now," said Ron as they both moved Draco to the kitchen, "He can declare innocence and seal his throat. Plus he is good at Occlumency."
"Which is why," said Hermione coming out of the kitchen, "I am going to test this spell I have been working on in private. It's foolproof. No matter how skilled you are at Occlumency or whether you declare innocence it will detect whether the person is lying or not."
"How?" frowned Sirius.
"When the person lies a red glow appears around them. When they are being truthful no glow is evident."
"Sounds good," said Ron binding Draco to a seat in the kitchen.
Narcissa entered the kitchen looking glum, "The letter is on its way to Lupin."
Ron nodded and turned to Hermione, "Harry will be coming home tomorrow. He is bound to hear about today's attack."
"I know," sighed Hermione sitting at the kitchen table and avoiding looking at Draco, "It's not fair on them."
Ron nodded, "Coffee everyone?"
Narcissa and Sirius nodded but Hermione declined as she left the kitchen and sat down in the lounge room. She stared down at her hands as a knock came from the front door. Hermione sighed and stood up. She undid the lock and opened the door looking slightly annoyed but smiled when she saw who was standing on the front porch.
"Oliver. Hey," she said smiling at him.
"Hi… I came to see how you were. I would have come earlier but I had training on… sorry," replied Oliver.
"That's fine. Come on in… we are in the middle of something but you can stay."
"You sure?" he asked.
"I am," smiled Hermione stepping aside to let Oliver in. She locked the door behind him and turned around smiling at him.
Oliver smiled back and let Hermione hug him tightly. He held her back and Hermione stepped back a little.
"Sorry about today," said Hermione with a guilty look on her face.
"Hey, its not your fault Death Eater's attacked," replied Oliver cupping Hermione's chin in his hand, "No one knew that was going to happen."
Hermione smiled and grinned as Oliver leaned in, brushing his lips softly over hers, before kissing her slowly and gently. Hermione leaned into the kiss enjoying every minute of it.
"Sorry to intrude," said Ron loudly breaking the kiss, "But Lupin is here. Hermione you need to do that spell."
"Oh right," said Hermione stepping away from Oliver blushing.
"I should go anyway. I'll talk to you tomorrow?" asked Oliver with raised brown eyebrows.
"Tomorrow night. I'll send you a letter tomorrow and let you know," said Hermione kissing him goodbye before he left.
She turned around to Ron who looked rather… torn.
"What?" she asked.
"Malfoy heard all of that. The guy looks crushed."
"Yeah well, he asked for it. I didn't."
Ron just nodded as Hermione walked into the kitchen. She smiled at Lupin who nodded back glad to see she was okay.
"Are you sure it will work?" he asked glancing at Draco to Hermione.
"He will be the first to have it done to him," explained Hermione, "But I am certain it will work."
"I trust you," said Lupin as him and Hermione walked over to Draco, "Open your mouth."
Draco opened his mouth and Lupin poured in a strong enough dose to ensure it worked. Hermione pulled her wand out and looked at Draco ignoring his eyes.
"Verità Conosciuta," she said with confidence.
The sound of soft wind blowing came from Hermione's wand as a red liquid like substance bound its way around his body. A pleased look came across Hermione's face.
"It works," she said.
"Good," said Lupin pulling a chair over till he sat in front of Draco, "Draco Malfoy, do you want to work for your father?"
"No I don't," answered Draco in a monotone.
"Do you want to work for the Order?"
"Yes I do."
"How many people does your father have working for him?"
"Over fifty."
Lupin nodded, "Snape said the same thing. Is your father planning on re-creating the Death Eater domination like four years ago?"
"He wants too. But I know he won't."
"How do you know that?" frowned Lupin.
Draco looked up at Lupin his grey eyes flowing with seriousness, "Only I can stop him. I am the key to defeating him once and for all."
The room was filled with silence. No one knew what to say. Hermione looked at Ron in shock as Narcissa nodded. She knew this having spoken to him about it before along with the dark magic inside, but still only her, Draco and Lucius knew of it, for now at least.
"What are your intentions with the Order?" asked Lupin after a while.
"To help it defeat my father. His power is getting stronger day by day. We need to strike him down soon."
Lupin nodded, "You do realize that you are putting yourself in danger doing this?"
"Yes I do."
"Are there any other reasons why you are doing this?"
"N-no."
A sudden red glow flowed around Draco making Hermione, Ron and Sirius step closer towards him.
"Tell the truth," said Lupin firmly.
"F-for Hermione," he said finally.
Everyone looked at Hermione who glanced at them all before looking down at the ground.
"Very well," said Lupin, "Sirius, Hermione, and Ron. Let's talk in the lounge room. Narcissa you can stay here with Draco."
Hermione followed them out ignoring Draco's pleading eyes.
"What do we do?" asked Sirius, "We need to keep him safe from Lucius. He knows our hideouts including Grimmauld Place, the Burrow, Hogwarts and the hideout in the forest outside Hogsmeade."
"We need someplace he wouldn't suspect," said Lupin.
Hermione remained looking at the ground as Ron looked at her and realized something.
"Your parents place," said Ron pointing at Hermione causing her to look up in surprise.
"What?" she frowned.
"Hermione your parents home. You haven't sold it or rented it out since they died. It would be perfect. Lucius would never think to look there. We could add protection charms on it to make it extra safe."
"That's a good idea," said Sirius.
"No," said Hermione firmly, "No way. Ron how could you even consider such a thing? Its my parents home!"
"Hermione, he is the key!" cried Ron, "Put your feelings towards him aside and just think about it logically."
"Logically? That is my parents home and you all want to turn it into a hideout!"
"Hermione, I know this must be hard for you," said Lupin softly, "But this will help us save the world from Lucius' evil ways again."
Hermione turned away from them one hand over her mouth, the other crossed over her stomach, "You are asking a lot from me."
"We know," said Sirius.
Hermione turned back around and nodded, "Alright then. But as much as I am going to hate it I will be staying there as well. He is not going to be alone in my parents place."
"Good. Ron can go as well. You two are a team with or without Harry. Plus both of you are skilled fighters should anything go wrong. You both can do your normal daily things such as work and go on dates. But you must be able to get to the house should anything happen," said Lupin firmly, "Hermione, give me the address and Sirius and I will go and put protection spells on the house."
Hermione found some parchment and wrote down the address. She handed it to Lupin as Sirius went and explained the situation.
"Do we start packing?" she asked.
Lupin nodded, "I'm sure you know the quick pack charms?"
Hermione nodded and headed to her room to begin packing her belongings.
A/N: There you go… he may be on the light side but that doesn't mean they are going to get back together! Please review!
Until next time…
Love yas…
Love Coz…