Chapter Sixteen

In Solitude

There was a small wooden house a mile into the woods. It was the same woods that Harry, Ron, and her once hid in while they searched for Horcruxes, but they never came by this house. Vines twined their way up the sides like snakes, the grass overgrown, little flowers of yellow and purple. It was a quaint, quiet place. Right away, she adored it. It reminded her of the cottage that her and her parents used to stay in on their vacation to Scotland. Except theirs was better taken care of, but as far as she was concerned then, it added to the character.

"Who's the owner?" She half expected him to say himself.

Out of nowhere he asked, "do you still believe in House unity."

Before she could answer a dark man with a wand in his grip stepped out. He raised a scarred brow. Though his whole body appeared to be marred (a particular deep gash set into the crook of his neck) she recognized him at once.

"Blaise Zabini?!"

Zabini nodded and motioned them forward through the door. Inside it was neat, tidy, with limited room, much like Malfoy's. It had a small bed, a wardrobe beside it, a speckled gray counter, sink, and a fridge. The door to their left was ajar and she saw shadows of a bathroom. It was so plain that it was almost painful, but there was a sweet smell, like freshly baked pies.

Their host was silent as he went over to his table and chair in the center of the room. He sat down and began writing, acting as if they weren't there. It was insulting but being that he was gracious enough to allow them to stay, she did the polite thing.

"Thank you for this," she said, but he didn't look up. As she moved to go closer (for what, she didn't know) Nott grasped her arm.

"He's deaf, Hermione."

Zabini didn't raise his head. He continued working, his eyes squinted on his project. He didn't hear them.

Nott went on. "At the final battle an explosion took place beside him. He lost his hearing."

"Why doesn't he sign?"

"Never learned... He took it hard, Blaise did. He stayed here in solitude, cut off from everyone else. He can read lips though, very well, but I reckon he picked that up somewhere else."

Zabini stood and handed Hermione the slip of parchment he'd been scratching on. His face was straight and serious, not a sense of welcoming coming from him, and when she read what he wrote her feelings became confirmed.

Granger, don't dirty the house with your mudblood germs. I'm only doing this for Theo.

Her face turned pink with indignation and she shoved the parchment into his chest. "No problem." She spun on her heel and went over to the corner. It was the only safe place she felt she could stay with her "mudblood germs."

She once did believe in House unity, but she wasn't so sure anymore. Slytherin's weren't ever conformable towards the idea. Perhaps Harry and Ron were right, and it was a dream to let go. She had a lot of them, and though with her choice career she felt she hadn't done a lot of good. Not as much as she had wanted, she was once more doing an Auror's job.

Nott snatched the paper from Zabini giving it a once-over. "Can't behave yourself, can you?"

Zabini grinned.

"Lie on the bed, Granger, get some rest. We're going to be here for a while."

"Write Potter," she ordered bossily. It made her smile a little thinking of how she used to boss Harry and Ron around when they were younger, in the simpler times of their lives. If she had to be honest she never stopped bossing them around. "Let them know I'm alright, they'll be worried." She hoped so at least.

"Sure," he sat against the far wall adding, "but bugger them if they're not."

She bowed her head as she smiled. She lied down on the bed, it sinking considerably. She curled the pillow under her and watched through the curtain of her hair.

Nott rested a parchment against his knee writing what appeared to be a quick note. Zabini stared right at her, as if observing every facet of her. She lowered her eyes to the floor below, but as she did a hole caught her attention. It was the right size for a finger. She reached down, to see if it lifted up, but the chair scraped loudly against the floor and she froze. Zabini had stood glaring at her plenty hard for her to retract.

Nott glimpsed up. "That's for emergency."

"Why?"

"I think he got hit with a boulder too," he joked and a closed ink bottle flew at him, him ducking just in time for it to bounce off the wall.

Zabini and him grinned at each other and started laughing. It was boisterous and easily she was joining in. She held her stomach happy tears stinging her eyes as the lovely sound vibrated off the walls returning to them. She forgot what they were laughing about or for, but they kept on.

Then a sound crashed outside and the happy noise ceased.

Hermione stood, feeling for Malfoy's wand. "What was that?"

Nott and Zabini stood as well, their wands out. Nott peered out of the window.

"Don't know. How many wards did you set on this place, Blaise?"

In the air he wrote with his wand in slanted green fire. "Two."

"That's all? You didn't protect against anyone finding this house?!"

"Only you know where I live and now this mudblood."

"Don't call her that," he bellowed.

The world jerked. The walls shook, dust fell, and Hermione tumbled to the floor, sneezing from the inhalation of stirred grime. She groaned, pain in her hip, loud footsteps surrounding her, and a dark hand shoved her under the bed.

There was no doubt what was happening. The place was under attack. Her mind reeled. It was too soon, she didn't even get settled in. How? The wards... How did they find them?

"Watch her," Nott yelled and a door slammed.

Zabini came in beside her blocking the light, shrouding them in darkness. She tried to squirm past him, but he held her shoulder keeping her still. She laid her hand over his with the intention of pulling it off, but he placed his other hand on top of hers. In her ear, he stumbled over raspy words.

"I don't care about you."

She understood. He wouldn't defend her or the box like Nott had. She didn't care, she kicked him, the toe of her sneaker connecting with his shin. He growled and slammed her down, her head hitting with a sickening crack, stars bursting behind her lids. She cried out, "Zabini, don't," but he couldn't hear her, and she was trapped with her enemy as her enemy-turned-friend was fighting her fight.

With her free hand she got her wand. In the air she wrote quickly, burning words of red like fire under the mattress. Only one word, a name.

"Gryffindor."

He released her and the words went up in smoke. She blasted the bed off of her, landing with a breaking crash on the counter, and abruptly, the trembling stopped.

The light didn't blind her the way she assumed it would, for something else was blocking it from the windows. Eight Death Eaters, Nott in front, a wand at his throat.

She had four seconds to think through a plan, but there was none, none that wouldn't get them all killed. They were outnumbered and she had never felt more alone or even more scared. Through all of her experiences with Harry and Ron, even being tortured and near death in the Malfoy Manor, it wasn't that bad. Harry and Ron were there. However, Zabini would gladly hand her over and Nott had no choice but to watch in her struggle and death.

They were as good as dead and her last memories would be of Draco, the memories she rejected, pushed back until she swore they didn't exist. Then there was him...

She curled herself between his legs, her back on Draco's chest. Their fingers linked on her stomach. He kissed her hair and she leaned up to kiss his neck.

From a window in the corridor where they sat they watched the snow fall from the navy blue sky. Little crystalline flakes swirling down onto the frosted grounds. She wished never to move from his warm embrace. He was better than a warm fire and hot chocolate.

Her lids became heavy as he whispered sweet dreams in her ear. That's all they were though. Just sweet dreams they had together that would never come true. Nonetheless she held them close. She could dream.

***

Arms ladened with books she moved carefully through the crowd on the third corridor. He strolled past her, slapping his hand on the top most book under her chin, effectively making them tumble to the floor. He laughed loudly with his mates as they left, and she glared, but as she bowed to pick up her books, she grinned knowing that it was nothing short of an act, and a good plan. He wasn't that sneaky.

As she piled them she opened the front cover. Tucked inside was a square cut note. In his straight handwriting he had written,"looking forward to tonight."

***

She walked past the One-Eyed-Witch statue when a hand shot and tugged her into its darkness. She was against the wall, hands roughly on her hips, lips roughly on hers. She kissed him back with as much fervor not caring that she was in need of breath, the musky scent of him filling her depraved lungs.

He moved over her, his hands caressing her hair and cheeks until he tilted her head up to his. He whispered against her, "I love you."

"How much," she sighed..

"More than my wand."

She was officially out of breath. She gasped. "Tha-That's a strong thing to say."

"Nothing matters more than you, Hermione. Nothing ever will."

She brushed his hair from his eyes. "I love you too."

"How much?"

"More than my magic."

***

Hermione raised her brow at Nott who had joined her in the darkest corner of the library. He was being quite a pest lately, insisting that she stay out of it all. She knew what the conversation would entail before it begun. Even Draco was becoming annoyed by it, and he never became annoyed at his best friend. He owed him too much...

"I think what happens between Draco and I is our business. Don't you agree," she said softly, albeit rudely. She never attempted rudeness to anyone before, but there came a time when there was enough for one person.

"Not when it can bring down all of us," he responded just as quietly, leaning towards her.

"Why does this concern you so much?"

"He's my friend! You two can get us all killed! Be careful, Granger. I reckon I'd hate killing you."

She smiled understandingly. "Yeah, I suppose I wouldn't like killing you either."

"I really wouldn't."

"Because of Draco?"

"Because of you." He shifted in his seat. "Because of Draco and the damage it would do to this world that you're so intent on saving."

Surprised, she said nothing. Awkwardly he left, shoving the chair out of his way. She didn't get up to chase him, she couldn't even move.

What did he mean? Because of her?

***

He waited for her in her and Draco's usual spot. It couldn't have been a good sign. Something punched her in her gut.

"Where is he," she demanded harshly.

"Hospital Wing."

Her breath halted halfway into her windpipe, and Nott immediately began explaining his hands out as if ready to catch her.

"He's fine. You're friend, Potter slashed him up pretty badly. He lost a lot of blood, but nothing that won't heal." He took a kind demeanor to her suddenly.

"He's fine," he added.

"Harry wouldn't do something like that," she said mostly to herself. She had more or less forgotten that Nott was there and that he was speaking, but she wasn't listening. She took off down the corridor, her feet making much more noise than she would have usually allowed. She had to know, whether Harry hurt Draco.

***

Nott peaked into the Hospital Wing as she pretended to be looking through her books. The titles blurred in her vision as she waited.

"They're gone, come on. Quickly."

She made her way past him and gasped as she saw Draco in the first bed. He was nearly as white as the sheet. He looked... Dead. There was no life in him, no blood, and if it wasn't for his light breathing, his chest rising and falling, she would have thought so.

She slowly sat beside him, taking his hand in hers. "Draco?"

He didn't answer of course, he didn't even stir. The tears spilled over and she let them silently. "He's okay?"

"Madam Promfrey said he would be in good shape tomorrow. Professor Snape saved his life."

"Thank you, for your help. I wouldn't have been able to see him otherwise."

"I know." He sat on the other side of him but looked only at her. "I see that you really do love him."

She nodded. "I do."

"You know how this is going to end too, don't you?"

The tears came faster. "That's why I need to be here now. I need as much time with him as I can. It'll end," she choked. "There's no other way, but I can hope, keep a part of it alive that maybe one day we'll find each other again. If we're... Alive."

"There can be someone else for you."

"Maybe... But no one will be him." She gazed up at him. "You're not him, you know? You follow in his footsteps but you're not him as much as he's not his father. You're different, you can't always protect him like he protects me. Who will protect you?"

"I can protect myself."

"You can change sides. I can help you -"

"I'm not leaving him. I would, if I could, but I can't. He needs me more than your side needs me. Sometimes, we do crazy things for friends. We'll do evil things if it keeps them alive."

"Yes," she whispered. "When we love them, there really are no bounds."

He reached over and took her hand. He squeezed it, and grimaced. "One day," he said ominously.

She didn't have time to ask him what he meant, for Draco woke then.

Her head pounded. Draco said he loved her. They did say it to one another... Nott always cared... She cared too... Her brain throbbed against her skull as the buried memories she fought resurfaced. They bubbled and burned and she could see them more clearly than she ever had before.

Her eyes captured Nott's and she brought herself back to the present.

Four seconds had passed and no idea came. She looked into each of their masks, unable to see any of their faces. She couldn't identify any of them. She wondered who they were and why they hadn't been captured. Another mistake they made.

When she was about to admit defeat Zabini grabbed her, pulling her tightly onto his chest. He twisted her wand out of her grip and pointed it at her jugular. She froze as the two wands poked her, heating at the ends.

Nott announced in a deadened voice, "hurt us and she dies."

One of the Death Eaters giggled, a girly shrill. "Very Slytherin. There's hope for you yet."

"Shut it, Pansy."

"You're in no position to give orders, Theo. I've waited a long time to see this mudblood bitch die." She cocked her head and snarled. "Unless, that is, she wants to give us the book."

Hermione made certain that she didn't make a move to show that it was hidden on her body. She kept unnaturally still. "Do you even know what the book is, or did your new master keep that little bit of information from you?"

The closest Death Eater to her drew back his hand and in a flash of blinding pain he hit her jaw. She bit her tongue, blood filling her mouth, the taste of copper strong and bile rose in the back of her throat.

"Stand back, Rowle," Pansy ordered. "She's mine."

"I'm no one's," she said.

Rowle hit her again.

"Stop it," Nott yelled, freezing them all. There was a fire of fury in his eyes, his lips twisted in anguish. "Quit it. We'll give you whatever you want, just let her go."

Pansy laughed coldly. "What is this? You have a thing for the mudblood?" She shook her head. "Search her."

Rowle ran his hands down her sides. She twisted, fought as much as she could to get away from his disgusting touch, but with Zabini's arm constricting her chest, she couldn't move. She swallowed and gritted her teeth and waited for it to be over. She prayed that he wouldn't feel the slender box that was pressed against her backside.

"Careful with those wands," he warned Zabini gruffly. It sounded like he swallowed nails.

Over her shoulders, her arms, and then her rib cage. She squirmed again to keep his hands off her breasts but he moved over them anyway, slower than any other part of her body.

She met Nott's stare and surprised that he looked capable of murder. He fought too, straining against the bonds of hands that held him in his place. His wand was no longer in his pocket having been confiscated by what looked to be a big burly man.

Rowle felt over her hips and she held her breath. Stop, stop, please, stop. He did, but it wasn't the box that he was feeling, it was Malfoy's wand. She jerked and Zabini's arm moved to her neck, and she choked from lack of air.

The house jerked again like an earthquake beneath them. It happened in sheer moments. The Death Eaters steeled themselves looking up to the crashing ceiling and with that Nott was released. Zabini let her go as he wound his arms around her waist pulling her off his friend and on to the floor. He covered her, and everything disappeared as a chunk of wood cut into her brow.