Chapter 23: The Heart in her Hands

The Heart in her Hands

In the wake of my scream my ears were ringing. All the furniture had been stripped from the room. The curtains were closed and only a sliver of light dared to brave the pervading darkness. The was a lump, a breathing lump at the back of the room. The rusty smell of blood permeated the environment.

It swallowed trying to keep the contents of my stomach within me. My scream had been unnecessary, but this room had the same feeling of desolation and utter despair as the one I had spent months in at Malfoy Manor.

I would do anything never to find myself in a place such as that ever again. I had forgotten how much I owed Draco, he had saved me from my own personal hell. He had returned to me hope, and nourished my starved body.

Brightest witch of my age! And I still managed to forget the man standing beside me was a monster. How much blood and gore would it take for me to come to my senses? The fact that I hadn't been at the receiving end of his wrath had made me slip into fake sense of security. He was still and would forever be a monster. The only thing that remained to be seen was if I would forever play the part of the fool.

The lump on the wall, upon hearing our footsteps raised its head. A trace of blonde in his hair made me miss a step.

Tom steadied me, and placed a kiss on my forehead. Utter revulsion filled my body, an instant later I was kneeling on the floor, emptying the contents of my stomach right there, the acrid smell kept me coughing till there was nothing left for me to throw up.

"Tom I would in all seriousness advice you take better care of your pregnant wife. A scene such as this could make her go into labor given the sort of memories this sort of place brings to her mind. If you ever tire of him lovely, know that I would take much better care of you," Antoine rasped, his little speech taking a great deal of effort on his part.

It was Antoine, not Draco. Tom's hand came into my line of vision, with a swish of my wand my mess was taken care of. I ignored his hand and stood on my own. I conjured a glass of water and breathed through my mouth, slow paced breaths to ensure I did not have a repeat of the episode which had just occurred.

I took this time to analyze the surroundings. Antoine was hanging from black chains forged to keep his kind in place. Whatever sort of torture he had been subjected to, as was evident from the state of his skin which was filled with bruises and marks to the state of his clothes. I was certain this particular Veela would rather face a painful death than be caught in anything but a perfect attire. The degree of his torture was blatantly obvious in the fact that his chest had been opened, leaving his organs exposed. The heart was missing, in its place a gaping hole stood.

I approached him and was amazed to discover the muscles surrounding the heart still moved as if the heart were pumping blood. It was surreal to see the insides of his body functioning. Not a single drop of blood was out of place. His ribs were open completely straight; the flesh that should cover his chest was hanging from to the side. He was pale and his eyes had lost all of their light.

My mind raced trying to understand the predicament this person was in. It was the work of dark magic, but the only explanation that could allow for his organs to continue functioning was if his heart was still alive and very much infused with magic. Then it hit me. Would there ever be a time when Tom was unable to horrify me?

I felt myself shaking.

"Tom, what is the meaning of this?" I said, taking shaking breaths to regain my composure.

"Well, I thought it would be a fitting core for your wand, his heart that is," he said this as if it were the most obvious of all answers.

So I had been right in my deductions. Being right most of the times was not a good thing, especially when in the company of a power hungry Dark Lord.

I took the wand from my pocket and held it, repulsion coursing through my veins. I approached Antoine and started reshaping his ribs back into their appropriate place, when that was done I fixed his skin. Last I released him from his bonds.

He was too weak to stand. He fell like a discarded doll to the ground. It pained me to see such a proud and magnificent individual reduced to this. I transfigured some clothes in the style he preferred and cast an energy replenishing spell. He incorporated and looked into my eyes with gratitude.

"I am terribly sorry you have gone through this. It is an unforgivable crime for him to have done this. If I could I would return your heart to you I would," I murmured feeling ashamed of it all, "my wand is yours if you'll have it."

Antoine sighed.

"This is not something I didn't deserve child. I've had it coming my way for centuries now. It is almost ironic that the time I get to be tortured is as payment not for my crimes, but for my plots to save the world," he smirked, "I knew the risks I was facing when I had Draco look as Tom and enter your room, that day not so long ago in my house. I regret it not Please Hermione, don't make the mistake of underestimating Tom. Do you really think he would let me take my heart back? The moment I come into contact with that wand I die. Besides if I am not mistaken you yourself wished I would face a dreadful end a Tom's hands. I have, we are even now."

Contrary to what I would expect, there was no hardness of resentment in his eyes when he said this.

"Back then I was angry and scared. I never wanted this to happen," I mumbled unable to meet his forgiving eyes.

"Words that are spoken in anger are rarely not regretted. As I mentioned, I cannot take that wand from you child. You must do me the honor of caring for it for the rest of your life," he said, his voice full of air, full of hope, "it gives me some degree of peace that you will literally hold my heart in your hands for the rest of your life."

"But you will die if anything happens to this wand. How can you be so calmed about it?" I inquired.

"Dear child, you and I both know there are worse things than death. You just happened to be subjected to a fate way worse than death, marrying Tom," he said tauntingly.

Tom smirked.

"It is good to see your spirit remains the same. I must admit I would have been dreadfully disappointed in you if you couldn't handle a little pain. I am glad time hasn't made you soft, my friend," he said the smirk vanishing from his face, "but you are dreadfully mistaken if you think you are even with us. Your betrayal has cost me dearly, I do not forget and I do not forgive. I'll tolerate you for now. Let's go love, there are many things we have to get done today. Antoine I expect to see you at sundown in the Ministry."

Antoine started laughing.

"You despicable wizard, how dull my life has been without you. Hermione here has definitely softened you. When we met you would have had me tortured a great deal more for a lot less," he said and proceeded to give me a peck in the cheek, accompanied by a wink.

This being said Antoine proceeded to leave the room. I was flabbergasted. Just like that Antoine had forgiven Tom. I was surrounded by lunatics. That was the only reasonable explanation. I sighed and informed Tom I had some research to carry out before our meeting later that day.

I sat in the library and lost myself on the topic that I was to discuss with Tom. After several hours, I stopped reading and deposited the book on the table. A thought crossed my mind, Antoine did truly love Tom as a friend should. He had forgiven Tom on the spot. I on the other hand hadn't, not really and truly. Even though I knew I loved the demented man, I was unable to forgive and forget all the pain he had caused me and those I loved. Perhaps if he had only harmed me I would be able to forgive him, but the vacant eyes of Harry still haunted me.

A Death-Eater interrupted my musings. "My Lord has cancelled his appointment with you. He will inform you at his leisure of the new date and time when it will occur," he said and left the room.

I grabbed the book and continued reading, or at least tried to continue reading. I felt the tears sliding down my cheeks and quickly put the book a good distance away from myself. It was of no use allowing a perfectly innocent book to be ruined with my tears.

I started sobbing, as I hadn't allowed myself to cry in the longest time. Once more he had chosen power over me, over my love, over my advice. Would it ever stop hurting? I hoped so. I really did. After I had composed myself I started reading once more, no longer interested in the material, but needing something to occupy my thoughts for a time.

If my fears were true Tom had started the slaughter of trolls and giants at the Ministry. The time for me to act had come, no more doubting, no more fooling myself. Darkness accompanied me all around the mansion. My bare feet touching the cold floor, sending chills up my spine, making the baby kick inside of me, all of it was too surreal. I was out hunting a snake, while my husband was practicing dark magic at the Ministry, far from home. This was the only time I had found where he wouldn't notice my absence and where Nagigi was not warded and protected. I entered his study, a fire illuminated the room in cozy shades, warm reds and oranges flickered close to the fireplace; all of it to keep the reptilian inhabitant comfortable. Nagigi was coiled up next to the fire. To the world it appeared as if that magnificent specimen was coiled in a tranquil sleep, but I knew better. It opened both of its eyes and stretched its neck in a deceptively slow manner, as if trying to lull me into a false sense of security.

I smirked. There was no way any warm blooded being would have felt comfortable in the presence of a snake this big. Nagigi was at least fifteen feet long and thirteen inches wide. Its colors were earthy and musty, like the floor of a forest at the beginning of fall, in that instant when most of the leaves have just fallen and haven't quite rotten yet.

Against my better judgment and ignoring that sense of self-preservation which had saved me on more occasions than I dared to count I allowed Nagigi to slither across the floor that separated us. I allowed its red tongue to taste the air, as if wanting to savor my presence. Little by little I felt its cold body begin to wrap around my own. I knew I could have killed it without facing the part of Tom that was dormant inside of Nagigi, but I wanted to say goodbye to every bit of my husband.

For all the latent power of the snake, it never applied any sort of pressure as it ascended along my body. Its cold coils worked firmly but not harshly its way around my body making sure to avoid my very pregnant tummy at all times. Once its head reached my shoulder it rested its head there. The pull of magical power that covered my body came as I thought it would. As I had sensed it before, sometimes when Tom and I had fallen asleep I felt Nagigi climb into bed with us and a little nudge to my consciousness would let me know that the part of Tom's soul inside of the reptile was ensuring the baby and I were alright. It was a caress to my consciousness. Tom's body next to me would always stiffen during these exchanges and his arm would always wrap around my middle protectively when they were over.

As all the times before I found myself with Tom, but this time his appearance was different. Voldemort stood in front of me.

"So it has come to this, my darling girl," he stated, "you would murder me, even while I have cared for you all this time. Do your vows mean nothing to you? Where will you ever find a man to be your match? Who will raise that boy inside your womb? Who will outsmart you? Why are you doing this?"

"So many questions, inquisitive as always my love; I guess our thirst for knowledge was the one trait that marked our souls as soul mates. I see no harm in answering your questions, my vows left a special loophole for I promised not to harm the man I married, more specifically the one wearing a wedding band, who even as we speak is trying to create an army I begged him not to create. Life and more importantly love is not always about finding my match, but about being there for the other person unconditionally and that is something you have failed to do. You might choose to selectively forget our history together but I haven't been able to do the same. My boy will have a father, Draco is his father and as such he shall remain," I lowered my eyes, a melancholic smile playing on my lips. "I hope that when this boy is old enough he will outsmart me, and even if he doesn't, raising him will be challenge enough for me. I am doing this, because every child deserves a happy childhood. The sort that was denied to you by your own mother, the sort you have denied a whole generation of wizards and witches. I have stood by your side when I should've fought harder. I am hoping your downfall will come to you by your own hand. If the last bit of your soul gives up and doesn't manage to create the army he so wishes, then you will live a long happy life. If in the contrary he ignores my warnings and pleas, it will be a matter of time before the power he has unleashed turns against him."

Saying this I performed the killing curse. It was ironic that he would overlook the fact that a wand with the heart of a Veela for core could very well destroy his Horocrux. Tom's disregard for non dark magic had cost him dearly.

My dear readers! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was quite a difficult one for me to write. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

Hugs,

SW