Oh SHIT!

M. x

Hermione had never felt more aware of herself than in this moment. Her eyes were set with complete focus, her mind clear with only one goal. Kill. All thoughts of the outside world had fled from her brain and she was left running on nothing but pure adrenaline and unforeseen inevitability. However, her logical reasoning had kicked into high gear as she examined the possibilities and the outcomes, her feet stalking quietly through the outskirts of the darkened woods of Wiltshire. The moon was bright with an eerie gloom as she slipped amongst the shadowy trees. She was getting closer.

How, her mind raced, how could Bellatrix be alive? No, it was Umbridge fucking with her head. What other possible explanation could there be? People didn't come back from the dead…. She stopped short with a small gasp. Sirius. Yes, there was something she was missing.

Hermione looked up at the edge of the clearing she had reached, and there it stood, more foreboding and impressively gothic, than ever: Malfoy Manor. Hermione set her jaw with determination before slipping into the once lavish and elaborate gardens that would take her up to the back of the house.

She'd thought that she would never have had to set her eyes on the horrible monstrosity again, but alas, following the night she was tortured, she had visited the Manor several times since. Once, with Harry to escort Lucius to Azkaban to await trial. A few weeks after that, she had returned when they received an emergency floo from a house elf that Narcissa Malfoy was trying to kill herself. And then lastly, a few days after that, to do a final inspection and confiscation of the Manor before it was deemed under investigation, property of the Ministry, and since, abandoned.

That had been the first time she had seen Draco since his own trial. She had found him standing where she was situated exactly now. At the edge of the gardens, at the foot of the stone steps leading up onto a wide terrace. He hadn't acknowledged or noticed her as she approached him, so lost in his thoughts. She was positive, looking back now, that he definitely didn't remember their meeting, himself.

She had been wary, unsure of approaching him…of course there had been so much between them that she was sure she would never be able to forget or understand… but then she'd gotten close enough to him to feel what he was feeling. It was the strangest thing Hermione had ever experienced; an incredibly strong sense of him; who he was, as a person. She had never had that happen with anyone before, and it was startling to say the least. But it was in that moment, Hermione had known that she would give Draco Malfoy a second chance. He had been a victim, just as herself and the grief and regret she felt pouring out of him had kicked her super brain into immediate action. She would save him. He was so far away. She doubted that he even knew or cared what Ministry worker was standing beside him.

"Malfoy…" The sound of his name slipping over her tongue had caused him to jerk into slight awareness. Hermione frowned. "If…there's anything you need-" He huffed in some sort of morbid amusement, before closing his eyes.

"I'll be sure to ask the Ministry. " He spat before turning on his heel and leaving her standing there, amongst the soothing sounds of birds, and the trill of sprinkling fountains. The gardens had been so serene and peaceful…and then there had been Malfoy; the complete contrast; desperately wild with grief yet still so tragically beautiful. Hermione had watched his retreating form and couldn't help but imagine acquiring so much wealth and such little love. How far he had come since that day…and now…

He loved her.

That brought Hermione reeling back into the present. What was she doing wasting time? She scolded herself. There would be no loving Draco if she didn't get her mind focused. The reality of what she was about to face, suddenly came crashing down on her, unnerving her completely. She looked up to the boarded, hauntingly vicious windows and took a deep breath. She could do this. Hermione had but placed one foot on the first step when a horrid, blood-curdling scream ripped through the night, breaking the silence all around her, echoes of chaos, tearing the breath out of her lungs. And she was running again.

The door, double, then triple locked, before Harry Potter raised his wand to the cigarette dangling out of his mouth and watched it spark. His mood was black as death's and if the last twenty minutes indicated anything, he was in for a very long night. He turned to face the monster with relish at the situation they found themselves in. Here she was, Dolores Umbridge, tied up and defenseless; finally the snake had been unable to slither out of trouble. And Harry was going to extract punishment, to say the least.

It had taken Sirius and Kingsley a good fifteen minutes to fix Malfoy up before they would let him proceed with the interrogation. It was mandatory that at least two Aurors were present for a meeting of this magnitude. Harry had huffed in annoyance and thrown daggers at Malfoy while they dressed his wounds. Sirius had been muttering to himself the entire time, looking very distraught and Harry had not gotten a chance to speak to him alone. The entire Ministry was chaos. Kingsley had finally departed once Malfoy came to, and set off to delay the Ministry Officers and reporters from disrupting the proceedings. Sirius had insisted that Harry speak with Umbridge first before he tell him what he thought to be his suspicions of the case.

Malfoy was infinitely displeased with having to cooperate and team up with Potter for questioning. His head felt like it had been smashed open and the last thing he wanted was to be stuck in a tiny room with him and the psychopathic killer who had almost shredded his chest with some nasty spell work. If only she had ripped out what was left of his heart. That at least would have been satisfying. He was just contemplating how nice it would be to get pissed out of his head with the boys, when Potter turned to him with a glare.

"Come on, Malfoy, let's get this over with."

And that was how they found themselves, now standing, in the small cell; Umbridge sitting directly in front of them, her hands bound and a wicked gleam reflecting in her sadistic eyes.

Harry threw down his pack of cigarettes on the table.

"I believe, it says in my medical file, Mr. Potter…that I am asthmatic? Surely you wouldn't think of suffocating me right here at our beloved Ministry?" Umbridge simpered. Harry sat down opposite of her and blew the smoke directly into her face. Draco immediately picked the pack up, lighting one for himself. She sputtered before narrowing her eyes maliciously.

"If you kill me, you'll never find out where your girlfriend is." She smiled, eyeing the two of them.

"You're lying. Hermione is safe." Harry's eyes darkened and he felt Draco tense behind him. Umbridge giggled.

"Oh Mr. Potter….you have been a bad boy. I was referring to Ms. Weasely, of course. But isn't that interesting." She turned her nasty little smirk to Draco who was gazing at her with utter disgust. "Yes. Mr. Malfoy, I would snarl like that too if I had been sullying myself with a Mudblood." A deep growl sounded from the back of his throat as he took a step forward. Harry held out his arm to block him. "But no matter!" Umbridge quipped, a twinkle in her evil eyes. "Miss. Granger will inevitably be the one to meet a tragic and deserved end…very soon. Oh very soon." Harry could feel Draco's body quaking from behind him.

"Why?" Harry growled. "Why are you doing this?"

"For fun, of course." Draco spat. Umbridge turned her incredulous mad eyes to Draco.

"Oh course not, dear. You think this is fun? No, no. This is our duty, our privilege as the rightful owners of magic. They must be eliminated. It is not a game, young Draco, it is the only way to survive. You'll learn that soon. It's only a matter of time before they all turn their backs on you." Something in Malfoy's eyes made her gloating smile turn positively toad-like. "Mr. Potter here is the Prince of false promises, aren't you, Mr. Potter? You are here to help others," She mocked in her ominously girlish tone. "-But when it really comes down to things…it's just a means to an end. You're no better than the rest of us."

Harry slammed his fists down on the table.

"How dare you." He hissed. "You are a disgusting excuse for a human being and deserved to be tortured into insanity. Don't you ever compare yourself to me."

"Mr. Malfoy looks as if he disagrees. Be honest, Draco. You must be intelligent enough to realize that Mr. Potter and his filthy, little slut have been using you."

Malfoy pulled his wand and pointed it Umbridge.

"Enough." Spat Harry. "Tell me where Ginny is. Now." Malfoy had turned to look at Harry. He was eyeing him with insatiable mistrust and raw jealously.

"Ms. Weasely is not in any immediate danger, Mr. Potter. We can't go around taking out our own kind now, can we? That would be…counterproductive."

"Then why are you holding her?"

"Bait." Draco's jaw twitched as he answered her question.

"Very good Mr. Malfoy! Ten points to Slytherin."

"And what is it that you want, Dolores?"

"Just a clean bill. Let me walk free, and all of this goes away. I'll even turn in the one who has been behind the whole movement."

Harry glanced over to Draco, he was looking down at Umbridge with an unreadable expression.

"Why the hell would we let you walk free? You're a murderer."

"Yes, much more than you can say for yourself, Draco. What are you? Accept a pathetic little, child? Another puppet of The Chosen One!" He lunged at her, and Harry dragged him away, slamming him roughly into the wall.

"Get it the fuck together." Draco pushed him back.

"Fuck you, Potter. She's right, you know? You pulled me into this whole fucking mess. You and Snape! I'm out here busting my ass, getting killed for you to come in and take credit? That's what you're going to do, aren't you? You own my life and then, instead of just going on your fucking merry way with your stupid fiancé you have to have a bit more don't you? The fucking Hero gets his reward and then some. After you ransacked my manor, stole my money, put my family away… you have to have her as well?" Draco was near losing his mind and Umbridge looked delighted.

"None of that was yours Malfoy! It was what you were fucking entitled to! All of your money and family connections, it was all political bullshit! Your own father practically served you on a silver platter to Voldemort! You should be thanking me that I saved you from becoming like this!" He threw out his hand in Umbridge's direction.

Draco flew off the handle.

"You didn't save me! You fucking twat!"

"I think you'll find, that in fact, I did." Malfoy's mind flashed back to the room of requirement, the fire…back to Hermione writhing and screaming in pain as his Aunt attempted to destroy her on his living room floor.

"Well I saved you!" He bit back desperately.

Harry hesitated for a moment. "Yes." Draco's tortured eyes swung to his. "And Dumbledore, he saved a bit of you, too. And Hermione."

"What?" Draco breathed.

"This monster, sitting in front of you, is the one who wants her dead. You care about Hermione, no? So do you see what she is trying to do? Divide us, manipulate you into believing that you would have more to gain with her than in an alliance with me."

"We have no alliance. You made sure of that when you decided to you wanted what wasn't yours."

"She's in love with you." Harry closed his eyes as the pain of his words made him retch. "I…was wrong. She made it perfectly clear, that it's not me."

Malfoy narrowed his eyes in savage mockery.

"Don't fucking insult my intelligence, Potter! I saw you. In the library. That Mudblood said she fucking loved you!"

Umbridge cackled in glee as Harry blasted Malfoy clean off his feet, his freshly healed head smacking against the stonewall.

"Don't you ever-" Harry was trembling with rage. But Draco was already on his feet, wand drawn.

"What? What more could you possibly do?" He spat, staggering over to the table, leaning his weight on it in an attempt to regain his equilibrium. "Do you remember Potter? The day we met?"

Harry narrowed his eyes, suspicious, yet curious at the direction in which Draco thoughts had taken him. "You had no idea you who were. You were a lost little boy, in a completely foreign world. Do you remember? I had given you a chance. I thought that you could have done better. Been greater than The Boy Who Followed Dumbledore. I was convinced, positive, that you would be the one to lead us. And what a disappointment that turned out to be. I'll never forget, seeing you in Madame Malkin's and pretending not to know who you were."

"What are you saying Malfoy? Is there a reason we are taking our time to walk down memory lane while my fiancé is missing?"

"Oh. Now she's your fiancé. When not fucking hours ago you were trying to get into Granger's pants."

"I didn't try to do anything."

"Fuck you , Potter. That's a lie."

"Professor Umbridge would agree….I must not tell lies."

"You just said-"

"Just because she's in love with you, that doesn't mean that she won't let me touch her."

Draco had Harry pinned up against the wall so suddenly that even Dolores gasped, startled by the escalation of the argument.

"What do you want from me?" Draco snarled in his face. "I lost. You won. What the fuck else do you want?"

Harry glared at him in silence. And then.

"I want Hermione to be happy." He spoke quietly. "I love her more than you could possibly comprehend. She is everything good in the world. Everything that has always been right and fair and strong in my life. She is a leader, a true spirit of hope and freedom for humanity. I respect her and admire her more than anyone on this planet. And if that means….if she thinks that you, of all people, deserve more than a chance, then….let her heal you." Draco stared at him in utter awe. "Don't listen to this mad woman. Hermione is right. It's about coming together and rebuilding our world as one, not as divided, hateful, miserable people. We haven't come this far just to lose. " He turned away in desperate need of her spirit. " If she believes in you…if she loves you, how I know she does. Then….fine. Just. Understand, that we are in this together. Regardless of our mutual dislike and jealous competition, we are here for her. And that's enough for me." Harry turned away, running his hands through his hair in extravagant worry.

Draco felt a sudden cloud of exhaustion overwhelm him. He sank down into the chair opposite of Umbridge with a feeling of immense hopelessness. He had no idea who the fuck he was anymore. And he had Granger and her gang of Gryffindor's to thank for that. He sighed in defeat.

"I love her, Potter." He whispered violently, shocked at the own intensity of his voice.

"Prove it." Harry spat the words as though they were a nasty taste in his dissatisfied mouth. A small giggled erupted from across the table. Both of the men snapped their heads towards the source of untapped evil.

"Well…isn't this special? I have the perfect, opportunity for you to do so, Mr. Malfoy. You'd agree, it's been a rough couple of years for you and your family, no? You have been humiliated and stripped of everything you were and could have been, all because of a little smear of dirt and of course, Mr. Potter. You lost your courage, and your distinction among a family that's legacy was more important than your own life. Did you know that you're mother was a whore? She was fucking her cousin for ages behind her sister's back."

"What the fuck are you rambling about?" Harry snarled, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her head back to look him in the eyes. Her smiled widened.

"It was a massive scandal. Narcissa Black had been caught, red handed, in the most compromising of situations with one, Sirius Black, while he was engaged to Bellatrix."

"Sirius? Engaged to Bellatrix LaStrange? You must be mad."

"Oh, you little fool. Why not ask him yourself? He's bound to have realized by now, what his foolishness will cost you."

"Where is Ginny?"

"With Draco's Mudblood, I expect, who has probably already been gutted and drained of all her filthy blood by now."

Malfoy had reached his breaking point. He lunged over the desk and grabbed Umbridge by the throat, choking her with every ounce of strength that he possessed. Harry had to use his wand to pry away his fingers and Dolores gulped like a fish out of water trying to catch her breath. And then she was laughing. She spit blood at Malfoy.

"You know, Potter. I'm thinking we ship this cunt off to the centaurs again. Apparently she wasn't broken in properly the first time around." Harry's face split into a grin, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"A brilliant idea, Malfoy. If she won't talk, I'm sure they could put her mouth to better use."

"Is it true they removed your gag reflex, Dolores?" Malfoy taunted. Her eyes narrowed in malicious vengeance.

"Follow the trail of blood. Straight back to your roots, Mr. Malfoy. The Mudblood will die, and her filth will lie on your hands forever."

Draco let out a roar of rage as he pulled his wand and stabbed it against Umbridge's cackling throat.

"Kill me!? My blood is pure, you stupid boy. You foolish failure. You are just like your father, a pathetic disgrace!" Draco hauled back and punched her in the face.

Harry jerked forward, pulling Malfoy behind him.

"This is your final warning Dolores, you either tell us what you know or we take you out of Ministry jurisdiction and give you back to Bane." Umbridge shuddered slightly despite herself. She eyed them with apprehension, several moments passed; only the sound of ragged breaths filled the air with suffocation. And then there was a loud bang and Severus Snape came rushing into the room looking harassed; Pansy Parkinson and Ron Weasley close behind him.

"These two…insisted to see you two." Snape began, glaring daggers at the couple and then back to Draco and Harry.

Pansy was wearing her bathrobe and slippers, Ron was in a tee shirt and boxers. Harry looked at them with incredulity.

"What-" His gasped. "Are you doing here? What's wrong?" Pansy's bottom lip trembled before she burst into tears. She pulled a piece of wrinkled parchment out of her pocket and with shaking hands, handed it over to Harry. His brow creased as he took in the words. His world crumbled within seconds, his knees gave out and he grasped onto the back of the chair as fear and horror saturated every pore of his being; Umbridge let out a particularly triumphant shriek of insanity. Draco tried to rip the parchment from his hand but Harry pulled it away and shoved him back.

"Sirius!" He bellowed, as Black came rushing into the room, as if he was clearly listening right outside the entire time.

"Harry, I can explain."

"Why? Why didn't you tell me!?" Harry screamed. Sirius' eyes filled with hurt and resignation.

"Would you have brought me back if you had known?" He asked quietly. Harry's eyes filled with shock.

"Yes! Yes, of course, I would have. But Sirius-"

"I swear to you, Harry. I didn't know. I had thought that with my denial, the magical binding between us would have been broken. Don't you see! " He yelled like a madman pulling at his hair with angst. "I was trapped. Forced, into a union with my cousin. Did I know she was mad? Of course. Did I have any say in the matter?" He turned his sharp gaze to Draco. "You tell me, did you have any say in the matter? Of course not. You just left sooner than I did. You got out without an unbreakable vow. I was foolish enough to believe that I could break it with some jumbled made up spells and the hate I felt toward the other half of the agreement….Bellatrix." He breathed with dismay.

"What the fuck are you saying Black? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU SAYING?" Draco was pacing uncontrollably.

"I believe….Black is saying that he was incredibly stupid and selfish not to warn us that his reincarnation might also have a similar effect on the soul that he was bound to. But that is you Sirius, arrogant enough to believe that you were some how immune to dark magic, that you could break an unbreakable vow." Snape drawled with the upmost disgust.

For once, Harry was in complete agreement with Severus. "You knew? You knew this was a possibility? And for months and months… while we've been running around like mad men without a clue!"

"I swear, Harry. I only just realized late last night. When I found this." He handed him a marriage certificate that looked like it had tried to be destroyed. "The agreement was nulled. We wouldn't die if we married others….but the bond that was formed…I thought it would disappear…." Harry snarled in disgust, throwing the parchment to the floor before turning back to Umbridge and smacking his hands down on the table.

"Where are they?" He hissed with fury. Draco's head snapped up.

"They?" He turned to Pansy who was shaking with horror. "What does that fucking note say?" He stalked towards her as Ron wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.

"Back off, Malfoy." He growled.

"Parkinson. I swear to God-"

"I…I found it in the Drawing Room. Right after Hermione got home. She was looking for you, Draco." He breathed deeply, closing his eyes as a slice of pain went through him like knives. The last words he had spoken to her had been awful. "She…went upstairs and…minutes later I heard someone apparate. I went to investigate and…." She burst into tears again and Weasely threw him a nasty look.

Harry shoved the note into Malfoy's hand and he looked down, his face turning to a mask of granite. He closed his eyes and tried to block out terror that was constricting his soul. He needed to find her now. He would kill anyone who would dare. She was his. And his animal instinct was taking over. Draco threw down the note, shaking with uncontrollable rage and within seconds was striding towards the door.

Harry snapped into action, throwing one last look at Umbridge he took off after the blonde. Ron hesitated only a second before kissing Pansy deeply and following them out. The door clicked shut with a deafening quietness.

Sirius looked to Pansy.

"So… You and Ron. I guess this means I don't get to shag you anymore, Pans?" She threw him a look that could have turned diamonds to dust but remained silent. Snape however, had apparently had enough.

"Back to headquarters, right…. now, Mrs. Parkinson." With one last look of death upon Sirius, she swept from the room. Snape turned to the prisoner. "You, Dolores Umbridge, will be departing for Azkaban shortly, I wish you the most…. pleasant of stays."

"It doesn't matter if I rot, Severus! It doesn't matter!" She screeched as Snape turned his back and grabbed Sirius, forcefully dragging him towards the door. "I still win! They will all die, just like Lily Potter!" Snape had froze; turning suddenly, his wand raised to eye level.

"You will….regret that statement, Dolores. That… I can promise you." Umbridge's look of glee quickly slid off of her face. She looked scared.

"Wait. Wait! Come back here! Severus, you must-" But Snape had already slammed the door shut with a finality that made Sirius cringe.

"Let's….go." He hissed pushing Sirius into motion.

"Where-?"

"You really think we are going to let those children handle this by themselves? Now is your time, Black. Your moment of glory…don't disappoint me again or I will be forced to ban you from the Drawing Room."

"You wouldn't." Sirius was grinning now, his strides lengthening as he felt a rush of recklessness seize him. What was left to fear? He had already died. Surely, his gut instinct was correct and he had never been more aware. This was his moment.

Someone is going to die, problem is I haven't figured out who yet. Which character should it be? I'd like your suggestions and outrages. It would be a dishonor to Jo NOT to kill someone off. Think on it, please