In The Light - Chapter 7

"I am married Draco."

An eerie silence swept over them. Hermione was remaining quiet as Draco was thinking as fast as wizardly possible. His body suddenly felt extremely heavy.

"I thought you said…" he broke off not really knowing what to say to her.

"I know what I said. I lied because I'm running away from it."

"So you run to someone who lost their wife?!" he barked standing up from his bed to yell down at her. Hermione looked up at him knowing full well that he was angrier than she thought he would be. His eyes were steely and his mouth was pursed into a tight frown.

"No. There is more to it–" she said meekly before he cut her off.

"Like what? I'd give anything to have my wife back and I'm sure your husband feels the same bloody way. Was he not good enough for you?"

Hermione shook her head no as she said, "That's not it."

"Then what the fuck is it?!"

"He wants me dead Draco!"

Draco was suddenly at a complete loss for words. Hermione's face was not visible to Draco for she had pulled her knees up to her body and buried her sobs into them. She had only screamed at him to get his attention, but now suddenly felt as though her voice was gone.

Draco let out a haggard sigh before he moved back to the bed rubbing a hand across his face. He sat down on it gently not wanting to really move her. He was not really sure how to approach her so he simply did what his instinct told him to do: he put an arm around her. He waited on her to see what she would do before he finally realized that she was just going to keep crying.

"He wants you dead?" he asked somewhat needing reassurance. She nodded at him before he said, "You didn't run away from Death Eaters, but from him."

"Draco if only it were that simple." Her voice was low and meek. He didn't really understand what she was getting at.

"How complicated is it?"

"Let's just say that it could be a movie and one which isn't a comedy."

Draco looked away from her still unsure of what she meant. He had to know so he asked, "Hermione what do you mean? I get that it's complicated, but un-complicate it for me. Tell me what's going on."

He kept his gaze on her as she wiped away a few tears that were falling freely down her soft skin. She looked up to meet his eyes noticing that the silver in them had returned and he no longer looked angry. In fact, she thought that he looked somewhat scared.

"His name is Alan and he is certainly no Taylor. I thought he was. He was perfect when we met. He was handsome and charming and everything a girl would want. I guess that should have been the foreboding clue since a guy like that doesn't fall for a girl me. A guy like that falls for a girl like Taylor," she said looking back up at Draco. He was about to speak when she said, "Don't. If I tell you this then I need you to be quiet or else I will never be able to finish."

He fell silent.

"As you know I was once a member for the Order. You probably still thought I was, but I haven't been for a while and I'll get to that. You see I met Alan while I was on a mission which was entirely about me. I had no back up with Harry or with Ron or with anyone. This was strictly me and it went alright for a while."

Draco was unaware of it, but he had begun to rub soft circles into her back as though to soothe her as she spoke. Hermione, on the other hand, did notice and it actually made her more nervous if anything.

"This mission required me to leave everyone behind for a while. I was to go locate Bellatrix Lestrange."

Draco looked down when she mentioned his aunt's name. The last time that she had seen the woman was an experience he would never forget. As a witch capable of some of the darkest curses, during their last encounter he was hit with several.

"I knew where she was and I went to Bulgaria before I went. I knew that several problems were bound to arise which is why I...well I slept with Victor. It was not what I expected, but it has certainly been better then..." she trailed away which Draco wanted desperately to ask about, but did not dare speak. He needed to let Hermione finish.

"Once the morning came, I left without uttering a word to Victor. I knew he wouldn't let me go if I didn't leave then. Romance aside, he is a very good friend," she said with a smile touching her lips. "Anyways, I left and went to the area I suspected her to be in. I was not suppose to approach her in a manner that would gain attention. I didn't mean to do what I did."

She looked down as though apologizing. Draco knew she was apologizing to herself, perhaps her lost innocence.

"I found her castle. It was late and I knew better than to go at night, but it's me and curiosity often times gets the better of me. So I approached the outer rims. It was surrounded by a lake and I didn't know the area very well for it was outside of Britain. I got closer to the castle and it was as though the evil lurking inside was palpable. I don't know why, but I continued to get closer. I look back now and I know that I shouldn't have."

Draco could feel her growing even more tense to which he gave her a reassuring squeeze. It was that which made him realize that he had in fact been tracing soothing circles over her back. His mind was asking why he was doing it, but he ignored it. He had to focus on Hermione and her past.

"I found a door and it led inside. If I had been thinking coherently then I wouldn't have gone in. I wasn't thinking though. All I knew is that she was in there and I thought about everything that could ensue simply by capturing her. I honestly was not thinking about any sort of gain other than gaining for the Order. I wanted to stop Voldemort."

Draco probably would have not believed anyone else had they said that. It would have been the perfect opportunity to gain attention and be seen as someone great for capturing such a malicious and dangerous death eater, but not from Hermione's stand point. He knew that she genuinely wanted her captured strictly on the grounds of getting closer to Voldemort.

"I went inside and immediately I smelled death. Having been around it for so long, I guess...well I guess I just know that scent. It's not one that ever really leaves you once you first smell it," she said with Draco agree completely. "I found another door and I knew based on my knowledge of this type of castle that the main hallway was near. I thought that by getting to that hallway, I would have a better opportunity to find her. I had no idea who was there other than her and that of course kept me at the disadvantage. By not planning better and finding out exactly what I was up against, well it nearly killed me."

She took in a heavy breath, her chest heaving outwardly. Draco continued to keep his arm around her not wanting to let her go.

"I got to the main hallway and sure enough she was there along with four other death eaters," she said before she looked in the opposite direction from Draco to whisper, "I don't remember what happened after that."

Draco was completely confused at that point. What the hell is she getting at?

"What I do remember is waking up in St. Mungos having apparently been out for several weeks. Sitting up was virtually impossible considering that I could barely open my eyes. I just had to wait until somebody realized I was awake. He was the first person that I saw. Wow it was as though I was looking at beauty in human form."

Draco felt something odd building up in his stomach. He couldn't quite comprehend what it was, but he would later realize that jealousy was arising over his body.

"He was so handsome with dark, nearly black hair. He had these dark brown eyes that encompassed me. The dimples were what did it. I was infatuated with his dimples," she squeaked out with a smile. The smile did not last as she continued, "He took my hand and explained to me how he had found me. Looking back I should have realized that his story was a complete lie, but I had just woken up and didn't really comprehend anything. All I knew was just how wonderful he looked and how amazing he was for saving me."

She was starting to shake again which immediately alerted Draco that the worst of the story had yet to come.

"When I was released a few weeks later, I started seeing him. He was a great guy who worked for the ministry, was well liked, and so much more. He um...he told me how he wanted nothing more than for justice to be brought to the world of magic. I just was unaware that our definition of justice was the exact opposite."

She looked up to meet Draco's eyes, but only for a moment. It was as though she couldn't speak to him while their eyes were connected.

"He proposed to me eight months after that. Actually he had proposed sooner, twice before, but I thought it was too soon. I finally gave in on the third try. I just knew we'd be together forever and I didn't know how true that was." It was as though her words were hollow, like she was telling it from an outside source. Draco didn't know what to make of her demeanor so he merely continued to listen.

"Harry and Ron were excited for me considering they liked him. Everyone liked him. I liked him. Actually I was in love with him. It was as soon as we had our first kiss as man and wife that I realized my life was over."

Over? Mine began with that first kiss.

"It was small with merely the magic minister reading the enchantment which bound us together as man and wife and one witness. He said he didn't want a big wedding and I took to that. Directly after that kiss, and I'm not exaggerating when I say directly, he pulled me out of the room. We apparated back to that same castle where I had found Bellatrix and revealed to me...he...well he..." she couldn't bring herself to finish.

She began to sob openly into her hands which made Draco worry all the way down to his bones. A part of him did not want to hear what the man revealed to her.

"He revealed that he is a death eater."

Draco felt himself become dizzy and his body cold upon those words. Hermione Granger, the Gryffindor good-girl and Harry Potter's best friend, had married a death eater.

"Please...don't ask me how I did not see the Dark Mark. I feel foolish and ashamed enough as it is. I mean I did not sleep with him before then and it was not uncommon for him to wear long sleeves. I just...I guess that I didn't want to see it."

She licked her lips as Draco continued to feel the air being sucked out of the room.

"That was five years ago. I've been with him for five years because you know that by marrying him, I was bound to him. I must say that I want to change the laws in regards to wizarding marriages. It's ridiculous really," she looked down with a chuckle.

"That night, before we first engaged into the physical acts between a man and wife," she said emphasizing the engaged part. Draco cringed knowing full well that he strictly dominated over her. It was not like his first night with Taylor where he made love to her the entire night. No, he knew that the guy fucked her and hard. That made his stomach churn. "He told me that it was in his plan all along. He had been there that night serving right next to Bellatrix. They had concocted a plan to get me and they did it well. He had been working in the Ministry of Magic for two years gaining information about all the happenings. They thought that by him saving me and bringing me to Mungos that he could earn my trust. They told him that his task was to manage to marry me without alerting anyone that he was a death eater. They thought that by gaining me, they could use it to their advantage and they were right. My life was gone and the Order didn't know any of it. I haven't been out of that castle for five years."

The silence was deafening for a few moments.

"So when you were in that alley…that was…" began Draco, but he couldn't bring himself to say the rest of it aloud. Hermione understood this.

"Yeah. He was the one that performed the Cruciatus Curse on me. I was running away from him. I had managed to find a way out of the castle and it's a long, long story that I'll tell you another time, but it did happen. It took a year of planning and when I finally did break out, I went to London to escape him. He found me."

Hermione was shivering and he held her even tighter. He wanted her to look at him when he asked the next question so he pulled her face towards him making their eyes meet.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why? It's not as though it's an easy thing to say."

"Screw that. You've been here for all of this time. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Several reasons. One was for your own protection considering we are talking about death eaters here. Maybe because I'm ashamed Draco. You speak of this beautiful relationship with your wife and I never had that. You talk about her as though she was the only person for you. You obviously treated her with so much respect and love. You probably never raised a hand to her, right?" Draco didn't respond, but Hermione already knew that answer. "I've never had that. With Alan, it's his way and that's it. I do what he says and I am what he says. I don't work for the ministry like I told you. I don't do anything. I sleep with him when he says which is usually every night. If I object, he hits me or worse. I can't imagine that I'm a great lay considering these last few years I've just rather laid limp. I don't bother considering it's not love making, but...I think you get the point."

Draco never felt so angry to be associated with the male species in his life. Forget about the guy being a death eater, doing all of that to her...he could never lay a hand on a woman and couldn't fathom why anyone would.

"They often times use me as a test subject. I'm surprised that my body is in the shape that it is in. I have tasted so many vile potions that I have practically lost all of the feeling on my tongue and I do not have any feeling in my toes. Alan usually proceeds to tell me that I'm nothing and that I'm worthless. I love being in this house because there is so much love even though she's gone. You still love her like no other. I would die for that kind of love. Hell I would die for freedom."

More tears fell down her sad face.

"That's why I nearly cried when you took me out shopping. I mean, I haven't been out in so long. I'm just broken. I hate what he turned me into. I'm so jealous of your wife. That's why when you said her name instead of mine, it reminded me so much of Alan. I hated that. He cheats on me all the time with darker, more evil witches than I and he has often said other names."

"I didn't mean to."

"I know that. It just still hurt."

"So that's what that bruise was. On your cheek the first night, right?"

"Yeah. I finally got the courage to just run and carry out my plan. That's when I met up with you. You saved me that night from him."

"How could anyone hurt you?" he asked as he rubbed her cheek gently as though it was still swollen and bruised. "I'm so sorry.

"I don't want to go back to him. I can't go back there. Being the wife of a death eater has not been something that I have enjoyed. They bound me to him through marriage to hurt Harry Potter's best friend. They did just that."

"You won't go back to him. I won't let that happen."

"He'll find me here Draco. I shouldn't have stayed as long as I have."

"You're not leaving." he said with a firm tone.

"What?" she asked looking up at him with worry.

"You're not leaving. I'm not going to let you leave just so he can hurt you again. I won't let him hurt you again. Fuck he'll kill you now and I sure as hell will not let that happen."

Her face softened. "Oh." she muttered in a low voice. "He just…I guess that I'm just paranoid about–"

"I was not ordering you. Oh Merlin Hermione I didn't mean it that way. He really does have you broken." She nodded at him before he asked, "That's why you jump when I yell?" She didn't really need to answer him.

"I'm so sorry Hermione. Look…no man hits a woman. A real man doesn't need to do that. You didn't run away from a man and certainly not a husband. You're right, I never hit my wife because that's wrong. I don't care what the reason is. Whether it's because of anger or sadness, you just can't hit a girl. It's wrong. He stole your whole life. How could somebody break you like that?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I mean I was bad I guess and–"

"Don't do that. That is an order," he said making her look up at him with crying eyes. "Nothing you did ever gave him the right to lay a hand on you. Nothing you did ever gave him the right to break you. You are a person. You were his wife. You should be the most precious thing to him and the one he tries to protect–" he stopped himself remembering who they were talking about. She was never his wife, but merely an object, a task. He needed to remember that they were dealing with a death eater here. He never cared about Hermione and he never would.

"I'm so sorry that he did that to you."

"He's done worse than just hitting me and using me to test things. I mean he once punched me so hard that I lapsed into a coma for a few days. He nearly drowned me once."

He held her tighter.

"I don't know what to do. I don't want to go back to him or that l-life."

"You won't Hermione. I promise you that."

Draco pulled her in and hugged her as tight as he possibly could. She started crying into his strong chest as he put one hand to the back of her head lacing his fingers between the brown locks of her hair. He placed his chin on top of her head which made her feel more safe than she had felt in years. It was his strong, firm grip around her that was comforting and a remedy really.

After a few moments, he looked down as she looked up letting their eyes meet. Her face was stained with tears and fresh ones were beginning to fall from her big eyes, but he wouldn't have it. He wiped away the falling tears.

"How could anyone ever hurt you?"

"I shouldn't stay. I knew it was a mistake to begin with. When he does in fact find me, whether it's him or no doubt all the other death eaters out there pursuing me, he'll not only kill me, but he'll kill you. I didn't plan on staying in London. I was planning on leaving everything. I was going to go to America since I know that it's the one place he is unfamiliar with. However, he found me before then. I was too stupid to leave when it was right because I wanted to spend Christmas here. I wanted to spend a Christmas the way I did when I was a kid for one last time. It was stupid of me."

"He won't find you. I won't let him."

"Draco he's a big guy. Okay forget about a wand right now since he's six foot one and he's built like an American football player."

"Well I'm six foot two and what in the bloody hell is an American football player?"

"It's like three quidditch players."

"Look Hermione, he's a fucking death eater. I will not let you go back to him."

"I don't want to. I mean being here with you has been a dream. Just talking with you. You treat me like an equal."

"You are. You're more intelligent than me. Hermione he married you to hurt you and he has done just that. You're beautiful, smart, funny, and brave and you deserve better than that."

"Like what? Like you? Like Harry? Like what?" she asked allowing him to sense the anger in her voice. "You, Harry, and most of the people I grew up with are all successful. I'm the wife of a fucking death eater. I'm a broken–"

"No. You're better than that Hermione. You're so much better. You deserve better. Yes, you deserve me. You deserve Harry. You deserve anyone over him. You sure as hell don't deserve that life."

She managed to smile weakly at him. He saw her shivering since he left the window open and it had been snowing the entire day. He pulled a blanket up and covered her trying to warm her up. She laid down next to him and he kept an arm around her as his chin was resting upon her head.

"I'll do whatever it takes. I'll take you away from here. I'll get you that bloody divorce and we'll expose him so he can no longer have any ownership over you. The law is only in effect when you're married. I'll help you Hermione."

"You've already done that."

He looked down meeting her chocolate eyes which were still brimmed with tears. He moved his left hand to caress her face.

"No death eater, no wizard nor witch will ever hurt you again. I promise."

Hermione leaned into him smiling weakly at his words. He held her closer in his protective arms as she began to fall asleep, the night's events obviously causing much exhaustion. She hadn't slept so peacefully in years.

"Merlin don't do this to me twice," uttered Draco before he too fell asleep. His sleep, however, was not as peaceful.

A/N: Alright so I hope that clears up a few things. You'll learn more about different parts of her life with Alan that she simply brushed upon later. I write everything for a reason so you can all bet your ass that if anything was left kind of sketchy then I'll be going over it later.

The song "In The Light" is by a rock band called Full Blown Rose. It is sung by a girl who screams in the lyrics for somebody to save her. I thought that kind of fit with the theme of this chapter.

READ AND REVIEW!! If you can read it, you can review it.

Iris is a work of fanfiction. The characters belong to J.K. Rowling, but the featured story is mine.