A/N--Okay, fourth chapter of Emerald...sorry it's taking so long. I've got a lot of stuff on my mind, but I'm already working on the next chapter!! Enjoy!

The Unbreakable Vow

***Emerald Edition***

Disclaimer: I own nothing. It's quite sad.

Chapter Four

Draco looked down and, sure enough, the slender piece of wood was held in the palm of his friend's hand. After a long moment, he reached over and took it himself. His fingers wrapped around the cool wand before snapping it into two decisive pieces and letting them fall to the grassy floor. He looked back up at Blaise who regarded him curiously. Draco glanced down at Granger before looking back at the wizard and explaining with a sigh.

"She won't be needing it."

"I still don't understand."

Draco let out a low growl of impatience at the sound of his questioning friend, grateful that the darkness of the surrounding forest could hide his aggravation. He owed Blaise after his impressive display of loyalty, but the constant curiosity was beginning to bother him.

"She's a mudblood," the Death Eater continued, a note of disgust in his voice. "Why would you make an agreement like that?"

"I didn't have much of a choice," Draco said resolutely, his tone daring Blaise to question any further.

A moment of silence passed between the two young men. Draco stole a glance at the Death Eaters who were filing along the vague trail ahead of them; they were still buzzing with the excitement from their earlier success.

"Do you really think you can protect her?"

Draco's eyes flashed to Blaise who was staring straight ahead, obviously avoiding his gaze; a firm frown had settled on his face and his dark eyes were narrowed wearily. He was obviously thinking about the consequences that he too would inevitably face with the task…should he decide to remain faithful.

The blonde-haired wizard let his gaze travel to the young woman in his arms. Granger was curled carefully against his chest, his arms holding her limp body with unsettling ease; she felt like a broken doll against his body. He couldn't see her face but he was almost certain it held the same innocence that he had seen when she first slipped into unconsciousness. A stray curl caressed his chin harmlessly as he gently readjusted her before responding.

"I have to."

Blaise said nothing in return but out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw him nod decisively.

The girl in his arms suddenly inhaled sharply, and Draco spared her a short glance; the pain she was feeling was obvious and the desire to protect her was nagging at him once again. He looked up at his fellow Death Eaters before slowing his pace. If she were to wake up, it would be safer for her if they were further away. He kept his eyes on them, trying to gauge a safe distance even as he felt her jerk in his arms.

Suddenly she was coughing, her body jerking against his. Even through the coughing, Draco could tell her throat was raw from the earlier screams and her shortness of breath indicated how tight her lungs were. He stopped suddenly, eyeing her closely as her coughing subsided.

She looked up at him, obviously disoriented and confused. Her brown eyes captured his for a moment before narrowing into a cold glare.

"You can put me down. I can walk myself."

Draco flinched internally at the sound of her voice; despite the obvious attempt at intimidation, it was weak and more pathetic than he could have ever imagined. However, he maintained his look of disinterest and slowly lowered her to her feet.

She had barely left his arms before her legs locked beneath her and she stumbled forward. Grateful for his quick reflexes, Draco's arms wrapped around her waist before she could hit the ground and held her there a short moment. Granger struggled away from his aid and fell to the ground, hissing in pain as she landed.

Draco stared at her in irritation as she groped blindly towards her back pocket where her wand typically was kept.

"It's not there," he said, his voice colder than he had intended. He took a step towards her to help her back to her feet; if they delayed much longer the other Death Eaters would grow suspicious.

Granger grew very still for a short moment before getting to her feet shakily. She looked at him for a split moment and beyond the fatigue, Draco could see the rebellion in her warm brown eyes. She glanced ahead, towards the path of the other Death Eaters. Her eyes flashed in the opposite direction. He could tell she was calculating her chances of escape.

A short look was the only warning he received before she fled.

She was obviously struggling, her legs moved awkwardly beneath her and her arms swung stiffly at her sides. Draco wondered how far she would be able to run before collapsing; the horrors she had faced in the past few hours was taking a greater toll on her body than even she could realize.

Blaise shifted uneasily behind him, obviously unsure of how to proceed.

"I'll go find her," Draco said quietly before taking a step after the young witch.

In her current state, Granger was unable to cover the sound of her escape, and Draco knew immediately when she ventured off the trail. He followed his ears until her a heard a muffled cry and a soft thump.

She got farther than I would have anticipated, Draco thought vaguely as he pulled out his wand. Now it's just a matter of finding her.

"Lumos," he said loudly.

The forest exploded with light and Draco let his eyes wander through the trees with decided care. He stood very still, waiting, hoping Granger would make a mistake. After a short moment, there was a faint rustling of leaves.

Perfect, he thought, his feet automatically moving towards the sound.

His eyes scanned the forest floor, taking in every small detail before his gaze finally landed on a small girl hunched against a tree a tangle of dark curls hiding her face. Draco approached her slowly, realizing that she was trembling slightly. He stopped a few feet away, staring down at her warily.

She looked up, not bothering to hide the tears that streamed down her face. She would not meet his gaze, and her eyes were glazed and so distant that Draco felt a frown settle on his lips; this was a Granger he was unfamiliar with.

"You're going to get yourself killed," he said quietly

She met his gaze then.

Draco felt his breath get caught at the dimness in her eyes and the small smile on her face

"That would certainly make things easier for you," she said faintly, a childish giggle barely hidden in the inflection of her voice before she looked away carelessly.

She was losing it.

Draco took another step forward, his eyes narrowing. Startled, he looked up at him again, meeting his gaze.

Then, her smile cracked.

Suddenly, she was sobbing, her entire body shaking as she cried out desperately to no one. She buried her face in her hands and curled her knees to her body, making herself seem even smaller than Draco thought possible. Was she reaching her breaking point?

He was so utterly unprepared for this.

"Please," she cried pitifully, looking up at him frantically. "Please just kill me."

Draco could hear the sheer panic in her voice. The blind fear he saw in her teary eyes was unsettling; she was terrified of what awaited her, terrified of what would happen if she wasn't strong enough to protect her allies.

And in one split moment, he felt an unfamiliar wave of sympathy wash over him conflicting with the mild irritation he felt.

He knelt beside her, the protectiveness of her tugging again; it was beginning to get very tiresome caring about the well-being of a mudblood. Part of him wished he could fulfill her demand; to free them both from the dark future they inevitably faced. Unfortunately, his pride made her request was an impossible one; a pureblood could handle the simple task of keeping a filthy witch alive.

"I'm sorry," he said with a resigned sigh. "I can't do that."

She shook her head, eyes closed as she fought another sob, muttering words that he couldn't understand. Draco slipped her into his arms, and stood up, slowly making his way back to Blaise.

Granger flailed against his hold for a short moment, her arms pushing against him pitifully, her legs kicking at the air, but Draco held her firmly against him until she stilled. Her head fell against his chest with a soft whimper before growing silent.

What am I going to do with you? he thought frustrated.

He heard the rain before he felt it; the gentle rhythm of the water hitting the towering trees. It was refreshing despite the situation. Draco could hear the growing distant storm and was relieved to feel Granger relax more readily against his body.

He saw Blaise standing almost exactly where he had left him, his wand still held tightly in his hand. Draco spared him a short nod before the two continued along the path in a momentary silence. In his arms, Granger took deep even breaths, sniffling ever so often and he vaguely wondered how long it would take before she fell asleep.

"Where will you take her?" Blaise questioned cautiously.

"Malfoy Manor," he responded quietly. "It will be easier to keep an eye on her if she is closer."

After a moment of hesitation, his friend turned to him with a troubled expression.

"What about your father?"

Draco cringed.

Lucius Malfoy. No matter how much Draco despised what he had become, he knew his father would always be worse. The man was the very definition of evil; his ruthless mannerisms and cold demeanor had only intensified when the Dark Lord named Draco as his most loyal follower. Draco had struggled his way into the Dark Lord's inner circle for the sole purpose of earning his father's praise and was rewarded only with his bitter jealousy.

Dealing with the elder Malfoy was not something Draco had thoroughly considered; he had hoped he could face the issues as they arose, and he answered his friend's question with an honest answer.

"I'm not exactly sure."

He suddenly remembered Granger was with them, undoubtedly listening as she shifted uneasily in his hold. Her breathing had accelerated and Draco could feel the tenseness returning to her small body.

Great, he thought sarcastically, just as she is starting to calm down, I scare her again.

He glanced down at her, surprised to see her looking up at him. The innocent expression on her face was unbearable, the childlike curiosity making Draco feel uncomfortable; she was much too good to get mixed up with someone like him. As filthy as her blood was, Draco accepted that he was much more tainted than she would ever become.

Yet again, he felt himself regretting his decision to make the Unbreakable Vow.

Granger searched his face before jerking her head away, her eyes returning to her hands which were clasped tightly across her stomach.

Draco frowned and looked ahead; the other Death Eaters were beginning to come into view. The ominous whispers indicated that they had nearly arrived at the checkpoint and Draco nearly sighed in relief, his own exhaustion was beginning to catch up with him.

"Close your eyes, Granger," he whispered lightly as they stepped closer to the throng of cloaked figures.

"The Inner Serpents shall retire to Malfoy Manor," a voice called out as Draco and Blaise came to a stop. "The rest of you may return to your respective checkpoints. Enjoy the night; now with Harry Potter defeated, the Dark Lord will finally take his rightful place in the wizarding world as the Grand Master."

Death Eaters were suddenly apparating with small victorious cheers, leaving small clouds of black smoke in their wake. Draco spared a quick glance at Granger, smirking when he saw that she had obeyed his earlier request.

She's learning.

"Ah, the mudblood," a deep voice commented dumbly.

Draco turned to see Walden Macnair staring at the young girl with an almost hungry expression; his black hair was not long enough to hide the hard glint that shone in his eyes. The older wizard was a retired member of the Inner Serpents, one of the few followers from the first great war that remained. Despite no longer being one of the five closest Death Eaters, he was a trusted ally of the Dark Lord.

"She will be of great use to us," Draco said coldly, a cruel smirk forming on his face. It was so easy to slip back into his old habits; years of unforgiving instruction were hard to escape. His smirk grew as he continued. "And once we have what we need, I will enjoy ending her pathetic life."

He felt a slight shift in Granger and gave her shoulder a light squeeze, imploring her to stay still and quiet.

"Well, good luck to you, Master Draco," Macnair said with a short nod, which Draco stiffly returned. In the next moment, the older Death Eater had apparated.

Soon, it was just Draco and Blaise standing in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. Granger must have sensed it because she stirred restlessly against Draco.

"If you think I'm going to tell you and your precious Voldemort anything, you're more daft than I ever thought," she growled darkly.

Blaise visibly flinched at the sound of the Dark Lord's name, but Draco couldn't help but smirk; the moment of weakness that he had witnessed earlier was only a faint memory, washed out by the sound of her now courageously stubborn voice. If she was still willing to fight, there was a chance they could both survive.

"I would expect nothing less from a insufferable little know-it-all," he said. The insult slid off his tongue with natural ease, but even he could not deny the hint of pride in his voice.

"Stupid coward," she shot back immediately.

Coward?

Draco froze at the sound of the word, his stomach twisting into itself painfully. He felt rage pulse through his body heatedly until he was forced to let out a long breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He felt Hermione take another breath, apparently not done with her verbal assault.

"You're a foul sniveling prat," she said, though the venom in her voice was receding, her exhaustion quickly deflating her fiery temper. Draco felt her prepare to continue, but cut her off.

"Shut your filthy mouth," he demanded coldly, accentuating every word.

Granger shuddered at his tone and remained mercifully quiet.

Blaise suddenly cleared his throat uncomfortably, catching Draco's attention.

Glancing at his friend, Draco nodded and pulled out his wand. With a short flick and a quiet 'pop', he was suddenly standing on a stony pathway at a tall wrought iron gate that the young wizard was all too familiar with.

The gate to Malfoy Manor.

There was another quiet pop as Blaise apparated next to him, hunching over to put his hands on his knees.

"I swear," he groaned, "apparition will never get easier.

Draco rolled his eyes, glancing down at Granger who seemed to enjoy the experience even less than his friend; her eyes were struggling to stay open and her hand was clinging to his robe in obvious discomfort. The vague nagging in his head was back again but was somewhat nullified by the fact that she soon she would lose consciousness again.

"Are you ready for this?" Blaise asked after a short moment, his voice uncharacteristically solemn.

Draco's gaze turned to the tall stone manor that stood proudly before them, dimly lit by numerous torches and the pale moonlight. It was a symbol of everything he had struggled for in his life: power, reputation, and wealth. He had achieved all of these things and was still miserable; thus the manor, his home, was a painful reminder of how inescapable it was.

This was the life he was destined to have, the person he was destined to become.

His gaze slid to Granger who, as expected, was drifting somewhere between sleep and consciousness, her hand still twisted in his robes. Her innocence concealed her strength, and though Draco knew this, she felt so fragile and helpless cradled against his chest. Whether she realized it or not, she needed him.

And in that moment, Draco felt the pieces start to fall together. Suddenly, it was clear why he had accepted the Unbreakable Bond in the first place. This witch, this filthy, unworthy mudblood was his only chance to escape his destiny. By protecting her, he was defying fate and openly questioning his own destiny. A loyal Death Eater, protecting a mudblood? Could the two truths exist? He had to know if his life was as inexorable as he was raised to believe. As much as he despised her, he needed her.

Granger was his salvation

He looked back towards Blaise who was waiting for a response before turning to face his home. With narrowed eyes and a firm nod, he finally answered his friend.

"I'm ready."

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