A/N: I apologize for the seven month hiatus from this story. Writer's block hit me hard. Hopefully you all haven't skipped out on the story. I hope you enjoy this next installment. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 27

"Greengrass…" Draco muttered.

"This is surprising for sure." Harry commented.

Narcissa doubled checked herself before confirming once again that Hermione was truly at the Greengrass estate. Draco clenched his hands into fisted even tighter than he had before. There was still so much he didn't understand about his relationship with Hermione; but there was one thing for certain he did know. He loved her and wasn't about to loose her, just when he knew that she was it for him.

Harry studied his former rival and current auror for a moment. He could see the terror behind his blue-gray eyes that rendered him very muggle-like. "I'm going after her." Draco announced.

"Think first! You have no idea what's waiting for you!" Narcissa argued.

"I'm not going to let her die, mother. I've already failed her once and I'll be damned if it happens a second time."

"Your mother is right. We need a plan before we just walk right in there."

"Then what do you suggest?"

XxXxXxXxXx

Hermione continued to stare at the lanterns hanging from the stone pillars. Astoria leaned against one of those pillars, her dark hair caked to her dirty face. She couldn't understand why her sister would do such a thing to flesh and blood. Had jealousy really consumed Daphne? If only she had her wand, things would be so very different.

"Damnit…" She cursed softly.

"I am sorry...my sister is doing this to you…" Astoria apologized.

"It's not your fault and you shouldn't apologize for anything she does."

Hermione shifted across the cold concrete floor to get closer to her fellow prisoner. Astoria turned her head to look at the muggle born witch. She and her sister had been taught that muggle-borns weren't anything; but somewhere along the way, she started to resent the lessons that were being taught by her parents. Muggle-born wizards and witches were just the same as any other magic user in the world and should be treated equally.

Before any words could be exchanged between them, they heard the door unlock and creak open. Looking up from the floor, they made eye contact with Daphne herself. She stood in a slim fitted emerald green dress with boots made of the finest leather clad on her legs. Her long blonde hair was tied up with curls cascading down her back.

"Looks like you found my sister." She commented with a chuckle in her voice.

"This really show how heartless you really are. You put your own flesh and blood down here!" Hermione said standing up from the floor.

"She sided with the likes of you, apparently she needs retaught everything our parents originally taught us growing up."

Hermione felt sick to her stomach listening to Daphne speak. Her eyes narrowed, wanting nothing more than to take action against her. Arrest her for harboring a known level five creature; but to her, it wasn't enough with just an arrest. Daphne had been tormenting her and everyone in her life for far too long.

Daphne took a couple steps in her direction, just enough to stand a foot away from Hermione. "Without your wand, you are powerless. Mudbloods don't need to ruin such a pure line like Draco's."

A small smile tugged at Hermione's lips when the word 'powerless' came out of Daphne's mouth. Out of sheer overconfidence, Daphne took another couple steps closer. Astoria could see her fellow prisoner's hands curl into fists at her side and when the moment was perfect, Hermione struck Daphne was a fist across the jaw.

Daphne crumbled down the to the floor holding her face. Hermione quickly grabbed Astoria's arm and dragged her up. "We need to go now!"

Astoria got her feet and followed Hermione out of the dungeon, up the stairs and into a room that just seemed endless. They kept running until Astoria took the lead. Opening one of the side doors that would lead them to a courtyard, Hermione came face to face with the Chimera that had taken Janey's life.

It's tail curled up to the top if it's head that indeed mirrored that of a lions. The tail was scaled just like a dragon's and its body was covered in brown coarse hair that resembled a goat. The glare of it's demonic looking eyes ran a shiver up Hermione's spine.

"Hermione...that…" Astoria started to say before fear took over.

"I know…"

They could hear Daphne start to laugh from the open doorway behind them. Hermione knew that there was nowhere she could go and knew that she couldn't fight back without her wand. Curling in her bottom lip, she outstretched her arms and gave into the fact that she didn't have a way to save herself.

Astoria could hear her sister's laugh even louder than before. Was there nothing she could do to help? She turned away from Daphne to look at the Chimera on the other side of her. The creature was building up the flames, almost ready to release it upon them.

"I'm sorry I got you into this mess, Astoria…" Hermione apologized.

"There is nothing to apologize for…"

"You want me! Not your sister, now let her go!"

"Hermione!"

Daphne took a step closer through the threshold of the open door. A red mark was clearly seeable on the side of her face; but it didn't matter, because she held all the cards and decided who lived and who died.

She obviously was thinking about what Hermione suggested. The flames were getting hotter by the second, singeing the fabric of the clothing on their backs. "Sister, please stop this madness. She's a human being, made of flesh and blood. Think about what you're doing, please!" Astoria pleaded.

"Burn them both, Chimera." Daphne stated without a single shred of remorse.

"No!" Hermione yelled, pushing Astoria out of the way.

She fully intended to take the killing blow herself. There was no reason for someone else to die when the root cause of everything had been Hermione herself. Astoria fell roughly into the bushes on the opposite side of the Chimera. She quickly looked up to see the flames expel from the mouth of the creature.

Closing her eyes, she couldn't bear to see the incineration of one of the war heroes that had brought peace to wizards and witches from all over. The chimera growled low and took a step back. Astoria opened her eyes to see a shield surrounding Hermione, protecting her from the flames.

"What the hell?" Daphne stated looking on at the failed attempt to take Hermione's life.

"Did you really think we wouldn't find her?" Harry's voice thundered from behind Daphne.

Everyone turned around to see Harry standing next to Draco holding their wands in the direction of Hermione. Astoria smiled, realizing that they just had saved Hermione from certain death. The sheer determination radiated in their eyes, pulsing with a life of its own. "Hopefully now, this will end…"