Disclaimer ~ I own nothing but the plot!
A.N. ~ Hey everyone! So I have a few things to say before you get to the hopefully fabulous chapter that is ahead of you.
First I have to recommend a story to you guys. Its a Dramione fic called "Second Chance" by Alice Lupin. It is an amazing story and anyone who knows me knows I am hard to impress...lol. Definitely check it out if you haven't.
Secondly, as many of my dedicated readers know, I am a stickler about researching anything I write about. I try to keep the characters and world of Harry Potter as close to what JK Rowling wrote as possible. I get all my info from the books and from the Harry Potter Wiki. With this said I have taken a slight liberty in this chapter which I will explain below. Also I like things to make sense and I try to never leave room for speculation so you will see that this chapter is very wordy because I tried to capture every angle of what could have happened.
With that all said, I conclude this horribly long author's note and hope you enjoy this chapter.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy! How could you? How could you just give that poor girl to that monster?" Narcissa yelled at her son who was pulling her through the gates and up the path to the entrance of the school. While everyone was most relieved with the fact that the school had anti-apparation wards, making it impossible to apparate onto the grounds or into the school, it was a moment like this that made Draco wish there weren't. It would have been much easier to have just apparated straight into the school from Hogsmeade instead of having to force his mother across the school grounds while she shrieked at him. He had tried to explain what was happening multiple times but she refused to let him get a word in. As they entered the school it seemed that Narcissa had, had enough with yelling and started hitting him.
"Ow! Mother! If ... you ... would ... just ... listen!" He yelled back at her trying to block the blows that were coming at him.
"I thought you felt something for that girl. I thought you truly felt something for her, but no, you just fed her to that mad man to do whatever he wants with her! I thought I raised you better then that! You are no better then your father!" SMACK! Draco was so stunned my his mother's final sentence that he stopped defending himself and got a swift, firm hand to his cheek. He knew that she didn't know what was happening but her words still devastated him. In the background, he could see Professor McGonagall, and Harry looking shocked, whether by her statement or the fact that she had just hit him, he wasn't sure. Dumbledore just looked at him, a look of understanding in his eyes, and Professor Snape had a mixed look, both one of relief for her return, and horror for what was happening. He could hear his mother ranting on and on but the words just couldn't get past his shock. "I've never been more disa ... "
"Mrs. Malfoy stop! Mrs. Malfoy! Mrs. Malfoy stop I'm fine!" Narcissa stopped and turned to face the young girl that was tugging on her robes and screaming for her to stop. The same girl that she had just watched her son hand over to one of the most vile men she had ever had the displeasure of meeting. Oh yes, when he came to retrieve her to go to the meeting point, he had gone on and on about what he had done to the Granger girl and what he planned on doing to her once he got her again. She was so disgusted that she had rid her stomach of her earlier meals right at his feet, which in turn got her a swift slap to the face and a slowly forming bruise. She turned and faced Hermione, quite confused about what was going on.
"But how? I ... just..." Narcissa said pointing from her to the area from which she had just came. POP! Narcissa was startled by the sound of something apparating in behind her. She turned around to see Hermione, who was still in front of her, also behind her. She tossed her head back and forth between the two before gasping and falling to the floor in a dead faint. Professor Snape ran over to check on his witch, just as Dumbledore stepped forward, his usual twinkle back in his eyes.
"Well now." He said clapping his hands together. "That went well. Wouldn't you say?"
Draco watched as his godfather placed his unconscious mother down on one of the common room sofas and knelt down next to her. He could see the look of worry that etched the man's face as he whispered to her to wake up while ghosting his fingers over her forehead and cheek. Draco wasn't sure what to feel as he watched this, not sure how to react to his godfather's, now obvious, feelings for his mother. This was a man who had been in his life since the day he was born. A man who was there for him in some of his darkest hours and who, if he was being honest with himself, treated him more like a son then his own father. Severus had been everything to Draco that Lucius had not. While Lucius raised Draco with an iron fist, treating him more like one of his lackeys then his own flesh and blood, Severus guided him and helped him actually develop a conscience and become the man he was proud to be today. On the other hand this was his godfather and his mother and while to the general public there was truly nothing illicit about the whole idea, a small part of him felt like it was wrong. A moan coming from his mother caused him to break from his inner turmoil and focus on the woman as she slowly sat up.
"Cissy? Are you alright?" Severus asked. Narcissa shook her head as if trying to clear the fog from it.
"What happened?" She asked as she slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. Everything flooded back to her when her eyes fell on not one but two Hermione Grangers standing off to the side. "Oh!" She gasped, her hand coming up and covering her mouth. "How in the world... I mean obviously Polyjuice Potion has been used, but... " She trailed off, her confused mind trying to comprehend what was happening .Severus stood up and sat next to Narcissa, his hand holding hers and rubbing soothing circles over it. He looked up at the two Hermiones.
"Perhaps it would be best to start from the beginning. Miss Granger, since this was your idea I suggest you explain." The Hermione on the right nodded at the professor and walked forward.
"Well you see Mrs. Malfoy it all started ...
About an hour earlier...
"Simple." She said, turning to smile at Draco. "You're going to give me to him." The entire room had become eerily silent, in fact Hermione was pretty sure she could hear the house elves working in the kitchens floors below them. It seemed as if they had all gone into shock at the same moment ... and then decided to come out of it all together too.
"Over my dead, lifeless..." Harry yelled.
"Miss Granger you can't be..." McGonagall shouted.
"OI! Shes gone batty." Tonks argued.
"Hermione you can't possibly..." Lupin lectured.
"And if you think for one second that I'm going to let another woman I love get put into that mad man's clutches, well you've got another thing coming!" Draco screamed in anger. Everyone just stopped and stared at Draco, because of course the moment he said this the room had gone semi silent. Hermione just stared at him, replaying his words over and over in her head. Did he just say he loved me? She would think that she imagined it but the shocked looks, ( and one knowing look from a certain headmaster) told her the opposite.
Draco was so furious, that he hadn't even noticed the silence that had surrounded his statement. How could she possibly think that he would just hand her over to that... that.. grrr he couldn't even think of a word to fully describe what he thought of Dolohov.
"You love me?" Hermione's words caused him to look up at her and it was then that he noticed the looks he was getting. Looks of shock from McGonagall, Lupin, Snape, and Tonks, a knowing smirk from Blaise, and a very large amount of anger from Potter. Draco replayed what he said and realized that he had in fact told her he loved her even if it was in a round about way. "Draco?" He looked down at her and sighed, before taking her hands in his.
"Yes Hermione. I do love you. I'm not really sure when it happened but it did and I refuse to let you go now that I have you." Hermione smiled and her eyes filled with tears.
"I love you too Draco and thats why we must save your mother." Draco shook his head.
"Not at the expense of your life. I won't allow it!" The sound of someone scoffing to his right had Draco looking at Potter again. "You have something to say Potter?" Harry stepped forward, a menacing look on his face.
"Yea actually I do." He then turned to Hermione. "You really love this git Hermione? After everything hes done to you, to us?" Hermione dropped Draco's hands and turned and took Harry's instead.
"Believe me Harry, I haven't forgotten anything that Draco did to us in the past, but thats just it, its the past. We have all made bad decisions and mistakes in our lives and he has tried to atone for them. Hes changed Harry. I thought you saw that last night. You had no trouble being civil then."
"I know, its just..."
"Just what Harry?" Harry let out a harsh laugh.
"I'm jealous, okay. I'm jealous of Malfoy." He whispered.
"But why Harry?" Hermione asked, shocked by his statement.
"Your my 'Mione. My best friend and sister. All I have ever wanted to do is protect you and keep you safe." He said, his eyes tearing up. He shook his head. "I didn't do that though did I. Instead you were hurt in a horrific way because of me and the only person who was able to help you is one, or was one, of our biggest enemies. Malfoy was able to be there for you when I wasn't and thats killing me inside." Hermione dropped Harry's hands and threw her arms around him, engulfing him in a large hug.
"Oh Harry! Please don't feel that way. I love you Harry. You're like the brother I always wanted, and I understand your need to protect me and such but you can't always be expected to protect everyone. You are only seventeen Harry and you have already had so much put on your shoulders. Its time to let someone else take some of the burden. You can't always be there Harry, no one can."
"I know." He said, glancing over at a slightly irritated Malfoy. "But Malfoy? Really?" Hermione pulled away and slapped his chest.
"As interesting and touching as this all is, can we please get back to the problem at hand." Professor Snape drawled out, frustrated at the whole thing. Hermione turned back to face everyone.
"Oh yes, my idea."
"Granger..." Hermione held up her hand to silence him.
"Now hold on a sec and hear what I have to say... Malfoy." She said giving him her best Malfoy smirk. "Now as I was saying. We will give me to him, only it won't actually be me."
"Someone disguised as you, you mean?" Blaise said. Hermione nodded.
"Yes. I know that the polyjuice potion that our Advanced Potions class made were ready right before school break." She turned to Professor Snape. "I know that it was to be sent to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, however did you keep any?" She asked their Professor Snape.
"Yes, however it will never work." He replied.
"Why not? Is there something wrong with the potions you kept?" Harry asked. Snape sneered at him.
"No Mr. Potter, the potions are usable, however you are not dealing with some school bully, like Crabbe and Goyle. Antonin Dolohov is an extremely skilled duelist, who excels in non-verbal and wandless magic, and was one of the most dangerous and skilled death eaters that Voldemort had. While he may not be able to use his wandless and non-verbal magic, and he may be slightly impaired by having to use a stolen wand, he is still smart and dangerous."
"If you don't mind me asking. Why can he not use wandless magic. I would think it would be stronger then using the stolen wand." Harry asked.
"Did you ever wonder what caused your wand to choose you Harry?" Dumbledore asked. Harry shrugged.
"The unique character of each wand, must match that of the wizard. I believe thats what Mr. Ollivander told me first year." Dumbledore nodded.
"Yes that is true Harry, but that is only part of it. You see the wand is also attracted to your magical essence, which it bonds with the moment you first touch it, hence the feeling of power that you get at that time. Just like a wands magic is traceable, so is your own magical essence. Dolohov knows this and would not dare use it for fear of tipping off the ministry to his whereabouts." Harry let out a hmm and nodded in understanding.
"I'm sorry but I still do not see how any of this effects my plan." Hermione said, slightly angered at it all. Professor Snape gave an exaggerated sigh, before continuing.
"Dolohov will expect something like this and he will check to make sure that you are both who you say you are and he will also check the area to make sure that no one else is around. So unless you have some way to fix those problems, then the idea is null and void." Hermione sat down for a moment and contemplated everything that was said to her. She needed a way to get a polyjuiced Hermione, undetected, into Dolohov's grasp.
"What if, when Dolohov first sees them, it is the real Draco and Hermione ?" Blaise asked. Draco looked over at him.
"What do you mean Blaise?"
"Well you guys go, he casts his spells and right before the exchange we somehow switch the real Hermione for the fake one."
"Its a good idea in thought Mr. Zabini, but how would we hide the fake Hermione close enough to make the switch, but not be detected?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Unless there is a way someone here can go completely invisible and undetected by the Homenum Revelio charm, we're bloody screwed." Tonks replied. Hermione looked up at her.
"Actually, there may be a way." She said before looking at Harry, who was nodding his head.
"My invisibility cloak. He won't know we're there." Harry added.
"I highly doubt that your little cloak will hold up against the Homenum Revelio charm. Do you remember our meeting on the Hogwarts Express last year?" Draco sneered, reminding Harry of how he had caught him snooping and hit him with a full body-bind while under the cloak Harry took a step towards him.
"Oh believe me, I remember it quite well.." Draco started to make some kind of comment but was cut off by Lupin.
"Harry why don't you go get the cloak. We will need to test the spell on it to make absolutely sure that no one will be detected." Harry nodded and hurried out of the room. Lupin then turned back to the rest. "Once the person is with Dolohov, how will they get away or tell us where they are. He will confiscate their wand so it will have to be someone who is skilled in wandless magic, especially wandless apparation."
"Well then, that leaves you Remus, myself, and Severus." Dumbledore told them, receiving a small grimace from Professor Snape.
"What makes Potter's cloak so special that makes you all think it won't be effected by the charm?" Blaise asked curiously. "I mean you've seen one cloak, you've seen them all." All those who knew the secret behind Harry's cloak looked at one another wondering how to explain without giving away the truth.
"I'm back." Everyone turned to see Harry reentering the room.
"Alright, if everyone but Harry would please go into the kitchenette area." Dumbledore asked. Everyone did as they were told, including Dumbledore himself, leaving just Harry standing in the center of the common room. "Alright Harry. I will ask you to please put on your cloak and then move to another spot in the room." Harry nodded before disappearing beneath his cloak. After a few moments everyone watched as Dumbledore raised his wand and said the spell. " Homenum Revelio." They all watched as a light, purple glow suddenly formed around the empty space over by Hermione's desk. "Are you by Miss Granger's desk Harry?" Suddenly they could see a very frustrated Harry standing by her desk as he took off the cloak.
"Well so much for that idea." He said walking towards them all. The group once again entered the living area and started talking, trying to come up with a plan, all that is except for Hermione who was staring at Dobby and Pixie strangely.
"Headmaster?" She said curiously, quieting them all.
"Yes Miss Granger" She glanced at him quickly before setting her sights back on the two house elves in the corner.
"When you cast the spell I noticed that we all had that glow around us." The headmaster nodded.
"Correct. Since the spell was searching for other people in the room it would show everyone excluding the caster themselves. Is there a reason you have asked this?"
"Well yes. As I said. We all had that glow around us. All of us except for you and Dobby and Pixie."
"That is because the spell does not effect them Miss Granger. The spell is specifically to find humans." Professor McGonagall replied. Hermione's eyes widened and she started to mumble to herself.
"Undetectable, can apparate with wandless magic, its perfect! Harry! Pass me your cloak. Dobby? Could you please put Harry's cloak on and hide somewhere in the room." Dobby took the cloak, his eyes filled with pride for being given such an honor as to wear Harry Potter's cloak.
"Why yes, miss. Dobby would love to help Harry Potter's friend miss." Dobby disappeared before their eyes and everyone once again huddled together in the kitchen while Dumbledore once again said the spell, only this time no purple glow showed up in the living area.
"Okay Dobby. You can remove the cloak." Hermione said and they all watched as Dobby's small body appeared sitting on one of the chairs in front of them. Hermione ran to him and gave him a kiss on the head. "Its perfect. Dobby is undetectable and he can apparate from anywhere to anywhere, even into the castle itself."
"Yes but polyjuice potion only works on humans, Hermione." Lupin said with a sigh.
"That is not entirely true." Professor Snape said, causing the older generation to turn and look at him. Remus rolled his eyes.
"Of course its true Severus. Everyone knows that..."
"What everyone knows Lupin, is that polyjuice potion can only be used to take a human form. A lesson I believe, Miss Granger learned the hard way." He drawled, looking over at her now reddening face. Draco looked at her with questioning eyes only to have her shake her head in a not now type response. "As I was saying, it is possible for a house elf to take the potion and have a successful transformation." Remus glared at the potions master before responding.
"Oh really and you know this because..." He trailed off, waiting for an answer. Severus sneered over at him before starting to explain.
"In the beginning, while the Dark Lord had gathered quite a large group of followers for his cause, there were a few pure-bloods who felt that he himself was of inferior blood. They did not feel that a half-blood deserved the right to rule a pure-blooded society, but they also knew that he had power, dark power, that was unmatched by most. Needless to say, many attempts were taken on the Dark Lord's life, most in the form of a food or beverage. The Dark Lord took it upon himself to have everything tried first by one of the many house elves owned by his subjects." Hermione gasped
"That is absolutely horrible. Those poor creatures. How dare he, that vile, disgusting, snake!"
"Yes, yes Miss Granger we all know about your spew..."
"Not spew Professor Snape, its..." The sound of Harry clearing his throat and the sight of him shaking his head stopped her newest S.P.E.W rant. She gave the professor a half smile. "I'm sorry sir. Please continue."
"Long story short, one of the beverages was polyjuice potion. You see the Dark Lord decided that those pure-bloods not loyal to him were no better then the filth he was trying to get rid of, so he asked for their deaths. The elf took form of one of the pure-bloods that the Dark Lord had marked for death, most likely in the attempt that one of his followers would see him and kill him."
"So it will work then. Dobby can take the potion." Draco asked. Severus nodded.
"Yes however the potion does not last as long when consumed by anything other then a human. The elf in question changed back after only a half hour."
"We will need to be quick then." Draco said, coming forward. "Alright, heres the plan. Dobby will take the potion and apparate with us into Hogsmeade, he will be under the cloak, of course. Dolohov will perform his spells to check the area and whether we are who we say we are. Dobby?"
"Yes sir?" The elf said, a proud look on his face.
"You must be extremely close to us the entire time. We are only going to get one chance for the switch."
"And how exactly are you going to switch them? What will you use for a distraction?" Harry asked.
"I'll take care of that Harry." Dumbledore said, before turning to Draco. "Just be sure to be ready Mr. Malfoy. You will know when its time.."
"Yes headmaster." He said before looking down at Hermione. "Are you sure you are okay with all this? We can think of something else you know." Hermione shook her head.
"No we can't." She motioned to the clock on the wall. "We're out of time. We need to get the potion and go. Now."
The present...
"And thats what happened. Dobby took the potion and hid under the cloak, we apparated to Hogsmeade, and well, you know the rest." Narcissa looked at the girl in front of her in pure amazement. Never had she met such a brave and selfless young woman.
"What did happen? If you don't mind me asking." Blaise asked. Draco looked over at Hermione.
"You didn't tell them?"
"I didn't have a chance. I walked into the school only minutes before you did."
"Oh, well it went exactly as we thought it would. When we arrived we found Dolohov standing there with my mother, who was in a full body bind."
Hogsmeade
"Ah Draco my boy. I'm glad to see that you took my letter seriously. After all," he said, turning towards his mother and caressing her frozen cheek. "I would have hated having to kill someone as lovely as your mother." Draco put on a mask of indifference, one he had perfected over the years.
"Of course I did. You know my mother means more to me then some mudblood slag." Draco could feel Hermione tense up at his words, so he gently let his fingers glide over the arm he was holding, letting her know he meant nothing by his words. He felt her relax slightly before he continued on. "Now hand over my mother." Dolohov gave him a sly smirk.
"Not so fast. I'm sure you understand that I don't trust you, after all you are you father's son." Draco's nostrils flared slightly as rage from Dolohov's words engulfed him, however he was quick to keep his mask in place, not wanting to give them away.
"Do what you must." He said. Sure enough Dolohov cast a few spells, one being the Homenum Revelio charm and another was a wand detection charm. Luckily they had left Hermione's wand back at the castle just in case, so that she would not lose it.. Satisfied with the results, he smiled at them.
"The girl has no wand?"
"Of course I didn't let her keep her wand. Do I look stupid to you! Now give me my mother!" He growled out. Dolohov held his hands up in surrender.
"Now, now. No need to get all worked up. You will place the girl in a full body-bind and then we will levitate them to one another. Understood?" Draco nodded confidently, though inside he was panicking. Where the hell was their distraction. They had to switch before he could do the spell otherwise, all would be lost. "Well then? On with it!" Dolohov said impatiently. Draco turned toward a now panicking Hermione and lifted his wand."
"What in the bloody hell is going on over there?" Draco looked up at the shout and saw Aberforth Dumbledore walking towards them. Draco felt Hermione pull away but just as quickly her hand returned. He looked over at Dolohov whose back had been to them but who was now turning to face them. Draco looked quickly at the girl on his arm. "Dobby?" He whispered. The girl nodded once signaling that the switch had been made. He also could see footprints from an invisible source hurrying back the way they came. Sighing with relief, Draco turned to see that Dolohov had crossed the space between them and was now grabbing the fake Hermione from him in a hurry.
"A pleasure doing business with you Draco." He sneered and then turned to the girl he thought was Hermione and said. "My dear mudblood, you and I are going to have some fun." He then apparated them both away, leaving Draco and his still charmed mother to themselves.
Present
"I lifted the spell from my mother and got yelled at all the way back here."
"And what about Dolohov?" Harry asked.
"Oh! I can answer that Mr. Harry Potter sir." Dobby, who had returned to his normal form, said. "He brought us to that horrible shack, he did and started saying just awful things about Miss Granger, dirty, vile things. Once he let go of Dobby's arm sir I apparated back into Hogsmeade where the Aurors were waiting and told them where he was."
"And now he is back in Azkaban where he belongs." They all turned to see Lupin and Tonks walking into the room. "At least until he gets the kiss" Tonks said, her Auror robes flowing out behind her. They all stayed and chatted for a bit but soon everyone left, wanting to give the new couple a moment to themselves.
"Its over Draco. Its finally over." Hermione said once they were alone. Draco came over and wrapped his arms around his witch.
"Yes it is." He said before leaning forward and placing his lips on hers.
So did you like?
As for the liberty I took. In the seventh book Remus Lupin makes a comment about Polyjuice potion being designed for human use only. However Fleur who is not completely human with her being a quarter veela was able to use it. However, it is also possible Lupin meant that a person cannot transform into a half-breed using Polyjuice Potion, but half-breeds themselves can. So I hope you are all okay with my little twist on that.