A/N: Thanks to SereniteRose, Grovek26 and Aryaa for the reviews on last chapter. Thanks everyone for the follows and favourites.
For adult theme and words, this chapter is rated M.
Disclaimer: The copyright to Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling. Any other characters are purely work of fiction and any resemblances are co-incidental.
Chapter 74: Unexpected Unification.
Hermione checked the time.
It read quarter to ten. There was still half an hour before she could go to bed with Adrian but she was already feeling extremely sleepy.
It was strange. She was accustomed to staying up late at night from an early age.
Maybe her immense workload has finally taken its toll on her. Hermione has been working overtime for last five days to finish the extra work she had earned during her leave. She was grateful that Friday has finally arrived. It meant she could spend a few extra hours on her research.
She stifled another yawn and looked over her shoulder. Her son was learning to play chess from his beloved aunt Lilli in while she worked on her project of Permanent Curses. To Hermione, her sister-in-law looked prettier than ever. The Italy tour seemed to have bloomed her.
The scene was otherwise fine where a little boy in his red pajamas was playing chess but his owlet's presence was making it extremely entertaining. Hedwig, the greedy owlet, was standing beside the chess board and watching the aunt-nephew duo play. She was even nodding wisely occasionally. But Hermione knew better than to trust an owlet hovering over a chess board. Her suspicions were confirmed when Hedwig received another outcry from Adrian for trying to eat one of the moving chessmen, mistaking it as a fascinating mouse.
"Mama! Hedwig is trying to eat the pieces!" he cried desperately, "Hedwig, they are not mice!" he reminded the owlet who didn't pay a heed to her master and tried to bite another moving Knight that swore loudly at her and scurried off.
"Then give her some mouse." Hermione turned to her parchment and offered sleepily. It was the most logical idea for an over clogged brain like hers. "I think she might be hungry."
"But she took dinner just half an hour ago! With us." Adrian reminded her, "I am not hungry now. How could she?" he had a good point.
"Well you don't eat dead mice." Hermione was having difficulty in keeping her eyes open, "I guess those who live on them get hungry earlier than those who don't."
"How about giving her some persimmons?" Lillian offered Hedwig the strange red-orange fruit she has brought from Italy.
To her immense dislike, Hermione was informed this evening that her husband was back and batter. But he hasn't returned empty handed. She has seen a rich collection of olives, persimmons, walnuts and mushrooms that were served during the dinner. Narcissa was seen delighted after a very long time. She has spoke highly of the farmhouse Draco was presented on his birth by his grandfather as per blueblood traditions. It was in Tuscany and had a strange name: Podere Cipressi. Glad and proud, Narcissa had offered Hermione to take some of the persimmons which she refused politely. Nothing with the name of Malfoy on it would ever go down her throat. But Adrian, out of innocent childish curiosity, took some persimmons and to his mother's surprise, took liking to the foreign fruits. The detested Slytherin, however, was absent from table to see that his son liked the fruits he had brought with him.
"No. She'll eat them all." Adrian was very possessive over his new found passion for persimmons and snatched the bowl out of Hedwig's greedy beak, "I think I should put her to bed."
"But owls don't sleep at night, little nephew." Lillian reminded him kindly, "They stay awake and prey."
The rest of the conversation tuned out when Hermione's sleepy eyes closed on their own and she fell asleep resting her head on the piece of parchment she was writing on.
She discovered herself clad in a white wedding gown; its unknown material flowing gracefully around her. Her usual unruly curls were all neatly combed and arranged loosely; it covered most of her back and came down upon her shoulder. She looked like a medieval bride whose only beauty lied in her young innocence.
The next thing she noticed was the wind playing gently with her gown and hair. Slightly astonished, Hermione looked around.
She was standing on a field full of daisies, its delicate white petals gently caressing her skin as it created a rippling effect. The field seemed endless. It stretched to the horizon and Hermione, skeptic now, wondered what she was doing standing on a daisy field clad in a wedding gown.
She remembered Alexis's recounting of his dream on her. He had said that there was an olive tree under which she was sitting with Adrian. She was also pregnant at that time. Hermione looked down at her stomach. It was flat. There was no sign of an imminent pregnancy. Neither was there any olive tree under which she could take shelter or her son running to and fro.
'What am I doing here?' she thought, 'What is this place?' she looked around but no answer came.
Clueless, she decided to explore her surroundings when she finally spotted the shadow of a man trudging towards her.
Hermione narrowed her eyes. The figure seemed strangely familiar.
The same tall and lean stature…
The same prowling and boisterous gait…
The same silvery blonde hair…
It was none other than Draco Malfoy!
What the hell was she doing with Draco Malfoy on a daisy field donning in a wedding gown?
Was he going to force her into marrying him again?
It couldn't be. She wouldn't let him.
Hermione looked around helplessly.
She had nothing but her wand. She grasped it tightly and looked for a possible route of escape.
But to her dismay, there was none.
She stood firmly on her grounds when Draco came and knelt down before her. She was at loss of words when he silently took the hem of her wedding gown and touched it to his lips as if kissing it. For some unexplained reasons her fears were eliminated and the sincerity of the scene brought her to tears.
Draco's voice was shaking with unadultered emotion when spoke next.
"Forgive me, Hermione, I couldn't do it…I couldn't give it back to you…Forgive me, I hurt you…forgive me that I couldn't stop myself that day…forgive me I brought this upon you and Adrian…forgive me Hermione….forgive me…forgive me and please let me die in peace!"
Hermione didn't know what happened to her suddenly. Not caring a jot about her white gown, she dropped to her knees before him and wiped his tears. She was horrified when she looked at his eyes.
They looked blind. There was no indication of any life or light in them.
Her heart filled with such tenderness that she didn't know she was capable of containing, "No, Draco, no…" she addressed him by his given name, "…don't cry…you will not die… I won't let you…" she promised to herself.
"Don't try to stop me…I know I am done for…" Draco croaked. He seemed like a different man, "…they are too many and I am…so weak and alone…just tell me…just tell me that you forgave me…tell me before they suck out my soul and I can never hear you…tell me, Hermione, tell me…"
His words brought fresh tears in her eyes and not knowing why, Hermione embraced Draco tightly. In his arms she found an unknown sense of safety, as if she would never be harmed again. Draco Malfoy was there to protect her no matter what.
And her heart? It seemed to have a mind of its own when she said:
"I forgive you, Draco…I forgive you…don't die now…please…fight back, Draco…fight back…"
Her words seemed to have paralyzed Draco momentarily for his blind eyes widened and fixed on Hermione's face as if he could see her. For a long moment, they stared at each other. Then he embraced her tightly and plunged his left hand into her curls. With the other one, he gripped his wand and cried:
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
Hermione saw a blinding flash of light and then, without warning, two shimmering Patronuses erupted from two wands: Draco's and hers. One was her own - the otter. The other she knew to belong to him – the osprey.
Together they charged at something and the last thing Hermione remembered was slumping on the field and fainting in Draco's arms.
When she opened her eyes again, she expected to find herself lying beside Draco on the daisy field. It had been so vivid as if it was real. But she was on her bed in the Fideliused quarter wrapped in a strange warmth that had nothing to do with the blanket on her.
The sky outside the window suggested it was already late in morning and Hermione's still sleepy eyes automatically moved to the large wall clock.
It read ten thirty. Almost twelve hours have passed since she had last checked it.
Hermione wanted to leave the bed immediately. She had many errands to perform this weekend, one of them being her long awaited meeting with Pasteur. But she didn't feel like leaving the strange warmth behind. It was so comfortable.
It was then that she slowly remembered the absurd dream she has had. It was on Draco and her. They were hugging on a daisy field and she said she has forgiven him. The feeling of his arms around her and on her hair was still fresh. Could it be real?
Hermione sat bolt upright as soon as the horrible possibility hit her.
Why would she dream of hugging her rapist in a dream?
It was impossible!
Utter rubbish!
A trick of her tired mind!
But no matter Hermione tried to convince herself, she couldn't get rid of the feeling that the dream was strangely true. Where could she find some answer?
The name came in with the actual person.
Audré walked in with a knock and a smile. She was carrying a tray of breakfast.
"You look appalled, Jean." she commented, placing the tray on her bed and drawing a chair to sit beside it, "I hope you haven't been curse breaking in your dreams."
Hermione fumbled for an appropriate word. How was she going to tell her about her absurd dream? Would it sound like she was becoming weak for Draco?
The very possibility almost choked her to death.
"Where is Adrian, aunt?" she asked Audré instead, finally realizing that her son wasn't on the bed next to her. Neither was he in the vicinity.
"Your son…" Audré handed Hermione a cup of bed tea, "…is with the rest of the family. Herr Nicolas Furrer is here to visit his fiancé."
"Nicolas is here?" Hermione took a sip and asked, astonished, "Already?"
Audré smiled and nodded, "It seems that the young hearts have taken quite some liking for each other." She commented pleasantly, "Besides, the minister and I have decided that Lillian and Nicolas would be allowed to court before they can reach any decision on marriage. So when he learned that my daughter has returned from her short trip to Italy, he thought it would be civil to pay a formal visit to her family and introduce himself to them. I must admit that it's a good idea. Narcissa, Julian, Lillian and Adrian are all there talking to him. I just came to check on you to see if you are awake."
Hermione tsk'ed on self-annoyance, "I am sorry, I couldn't be present. I was so tired last night that I didn't know when I…" she realized it suddenly, "Aunt, who brought me to bed?"
Audré was still smiling when she replied curtly, "Your man, of course."
"My man?" even while drinking tea, Hermione's throat went dry suddenly, "Which man?" she asked, horrified.
"Your son." Audré seemed to have deciphered the wild look on her features correctly, "Draco can't enter here, Jean. The place is under Fidelius Charm and I am the Secret Keeper." She reminded her.
"Adrian?" Hermione was even more surprised than the idea that she has been carried to her bed in Draco's arms, "How?"
"Well, that's easy." Audré shrugged, "When he saw that his tired and overworked Mama has fallen asleep resting her head on the table, like a good gentleman in charge of his lady, he asked Aunt Lillian to help him. She used a Hover Charm and brought you here. He then tucked in his sleeping Mama and went to sleep next to her like a good boy. He woke up early in the morning, took his bath, had his breakfast with us and made sure that his dear Mama is not disturbed while she sleeps."
"He took his bath? Alone?" Hermione was stunned, "I never leave him unattended in the tub. Adrian likes to play with water. What if he drowned himself? I have read that kids sometimes accidentally drown themselves while playing with water."
"Don't worry, Jean, his grandma Audré was there when he took bath." Audré assured her, "But I must say that your son is truly a gentleman in the making." She said and laughed as if remembering something amusing.
"Is it something funny?" Hermione couldn't fathom the reason behind her sudden laughter, "To try to become a gentleman?"
"Of course not." Audré replied, still laughing, "It's the chivalry that your son sometimes puts upon that makes me laugh. Like this morning. When I told him take off his pajama, he wouldn't take off his boxers before me."
"Really?" Hermione was half-amazed and half-amused at her son's behaviour.
Audré nodded, "He said that his grandpa Gustave has taught him that gentlemen don't take off their boxers before ladies. Not that I was expecting him to. I have reared a son and I know that boys can be very shy in these matters; even to their mothers. It was his bold proclamation that surprised me and to test him a bit further I said, 'you take it off before Mama and she is a lady too. Isn't she?' Do you know what he said in reply?"
Hermione sipped her tea silently, waiting for Audré to continue.
"He said 'Mama is Mama.'" Audré mimicked Adrian's innocent feature and tender voice, "So since you are his Mama, Jean, he can take his boxers off before you but he wouldn't do it before anyone even if it means death for not doing so."
It was Hermione's turn to laugh now. Breakfast on bed was one of the luxuries she has never allowed herself to have. But this morning was different. She needed to know the explanation of that strange dream she had and it was good idea to have it under the guise of a normal conversation on breakfast. She wasn't planning to give Audré a fright or make an impression that she was still somewhat intimidated by Draco.
"Father Gustave always takes kid's proper upbringing very seriously, aunt. It was he who told me to enroll Adrian to St. Joan's." she said conversationally, "He was the one who brought up Alexis and you have seen what a real gentleman he is. That reminds me, how do you find Nicolas? Is he to your liking?"
"He's fine." Audré replied, seemingly considering her question with care, "But I still need to know more about him before I can reach a decision. Men can be deceiving, Jean." she said thoughtfully and Hermione frowned, "They say one thing in love and another when the trance is over. I am not saying that Nicolas is being nice just because it's initial stage of his affection. But he is a Swissman and I hardly know anything about him except for what his father has told me. I need to be very sure of his love for my daughter before I can agree on their marriage."
"But Uncle Morpheus was an Englishman and you knew hardly anything about him when you decided to accept his proposal." Hermione supplied evenly, "How is it that you didn't doubt him or his love then? Does it mean that being a foreigner Nicolas is supposed to be insincere in his feelings for Lillian?"
"No." Audré replied solemnly, "It has nothing to do with being a foreigner, Jean. But Lillian and I are not the same. At her age I was an overcritical person who questioned everything she saw. It wasn't easy to hoodwink me in the name of love as most men around me tried to do. I was brought up by men to be a man, to think like them, to understand them, to be practical like them. I never had a mother to teach me the delicacies of a ladies nature. That's why I was called the Iron Maiden. But I didn't bring up my daughter to be a man or think like a man. She isn't as critical as me. She has a mother who tried hard to teach her the delicate female side – to love unconditionally, to forgive, to be happy with what she has or earns. So it's pretty easy to earn and break her trust in the name of love."
"I can understand, aunt." Hermione said honestly, "I'd have felt the same if I were mother to a daughter. But I am pretty sure Lillian is a very clever witch and won't be fooled even if Nicolas's interests in her are not genuine."
"She is clever but not as much as you are, Jean." Audré commented, giving Hermione a pensive look almost like Dumbledore used to give over his half-moon spectacles, "I know there is a reason you are not going after your son and whiling away your time with me. You want to ask me something. But before you proceed, let's clear the clouds surrounding Morpheus's issue."
"Morpheus and I were completely opposite souls, Jean." Audré said, "While he was a kind and quite man, I was and still am a vindictive woman. He forgave his brother for defaming us but I never did." she shook her head, "I will never forgive Lucius just like you will not forgive his son. Morpheus was a down to earth guy; I was haughty and pretty arrogant. He was logical but I was critical; I asked question in everything but he let go of some of them telling me that time would answer them. He believed in fate and I didn't, I still don't. He believed in mankind and their humanity; I didn't and still don't. The only thing that was common between us was that both of us were very lonely. I was a lonely girl all my life; had no friends of my age. Morpheus was also alone in entire the Malfoy household. His brother didn't like him for his soft nature. Together we used to give each other company. It was he, who gave me the support that I looked for from a very young age. It was he who melted the ice in me and made me believe in man like him. He made me everything that I am today, Jean – the mother, the aunt, the grandmother. In fact, before I met him, I never thought I'd ever get married."
Hermione snorted skeptically, "You sound quite like me, aunt. I also never thought I'd consider getting married before I met Alexis."
"Your reasons for unwillingness in marriage are very different than mine, Jean." Audré contradicted, "You had male friends from a very young age. I had none. I was the male here. You suffered in their hands, especially Draco's. But I never did. In fact it was my specialty to make them suffer. The reason why I was never eager to marry like the young ladies of my age was that I never fully trusted them, I still don't. Most of them are ignorant and consider us as breeding machines or sex objects. Even many educated men are like this. I wasn't very willing to end up as a pureblood trophy wife with a dozen kids to look after. I had more brain and talent than most of them. Then why should I stand behind and let them take over me?"
"But Morpheus was different. I was never his sex toy or his breeding machine. I was his life partner, his better half. He considered me as a human, Jean, as an equal not as a woman with low I . Q . He valued my opinions, cared for my thoughts and understood my feelings. He changed my view on men considerably. His love made me realize that there are still some good men on earth and they are worth living and dying for."
"I am eager to find out if Nicolas can be the same for my daughter, Lillian, as Morpheus was for me. I'd hate to see her as trophy wife with no dreams of her own. My daughter is very special, Jean and I want to see her happy with her new life. That's the reason I allowed them to court. It's the best and most civil way to know a man before marriage."
Listening to her, Hermione couldn't help but feel a wave of resentment. She never got to court the man she married. In fact she had to leave both of them and was forced to marry a third who had raped her.
"I had a very strange dream, aunt." she said after a while, remembering the dream she had been planning to ask her about, "It was on Malfoy." She said plainly.
"I knew something was troubling you, Jean. Your face is so easily readable." Audré commented with a confident smile, "So what is it this time? Did he try to molest or torture you again?" she asked solemnly.
"No!" Hermione didn't know why she exclaimed, though what Audré suggested were her prime dreams of Draco for last six years. "It's nothing like that, aunt. It's very strange…I dreamt…" she concentrated on her dream, "…I saw myself in a wedding gown…a flowing white one…like those we see on medieval brides…you know with long trains and loose hairs and everything…and I was standing on a field of daisies…they were rippling around me…the field was endless…almost touching the horizon…I was wondering what I was doing there on a wedding gown. I never wore one on my wedding. It was so sudden and shocking that I had nothing in my mind expect for saving Adrian. But mother Apolline insisted that I put on something white and so I… just selected a plain white robe. After that night, I folded and kept it in my old trunk. I plan never to set my eyes on it."
"What about the dream?" Audré reminded Hermione of her original topic, "What happened after that? Did you get married to someone else?"
"No." Hermione shook her head thoughtfully, "Like I said before, I was wondering what I was doing in that field when I saw a man's shadow. He was coming to me. I identified him from his gait and physical features. It was Malfoy."
"He stopped right before me, dropped to his knees and took up the hem of my dress. He touched it to his lips and said…" Hermione could actually visualize the scene again as she spoke.
"And said?" Audré's blue eyes were boring on Hermione's brown pair.
"He said, 'Forgive me, Hermione, I couldn't do it…I couldn't give it back to you…Forgive me, I hurt you…forgive me that I couldn't stop myself that day…forgive me I brought this upon you and Adrian…forgive me Hermione….forgive me…forgive me and please let me die in peace!'"
Hermione didn't know how she could remember it all so accurately as if she has memorized the Draco's words by her heart. "I don't know what he meant by 'give it back to you'." she confessed, "…and…"
"And?" Audré supplied.
"I don't know what happened to me aunt. He was talking about death and was crying and…and I knelt down before him and wiped his tears. When I looked at his eyes… I received the biggest shock of all."
"Malfoy was blind! He couldn't see me but he was looking at me as if he could sense me!"
"What next?"
"My eyes filled with tears and I don't know why, aunt, I felt so bad for him…it was almost like I was…"
"You were?"
"…I felt a strange tenderness for him…for my rapist…I don't know where it was coming from…but watching him cry helplessly… when he was blind…I couldn't contain myself and I told him not to die."
"Die? Why would he die, Jean? Was there anyone there who would kill him?"
"No, I told you. We were alone in the field." Hermione tried to remember every single detail of the dream, "I even told him… that I'll not let him die… but he continued asking for forgiveness… he said, 'tell me before they suck out my soul and I can never hear you.' I don't know what he meant by it. There were no Dementors."
Audré was more silent than a grave.
"Then…I…I…I…" Hermione was horrified and embarrassed to confess it, "I…I…hugged him aunt and… I told him that I… forgave him."
She didn't know where the words were coming from. She knew it was a dream but forgiving Draco even in her dream struck to her like a very odd and horrifying idea, especially when she knew she could never consciously do so.
"I…I told him that I forgave him….and told him to fight back and…he… he hugged me…and his hand was in my hair…" Hermione's voice was trembling as she recounted the dream, "and he yelled…"
"…Expecto Patronum… the Patronus Charm…"
"Nostradamus! Merlin!" Audré exclaimed and stood up suddenly. She looked stunned, appalled and petrified as she looked around frantically and finally spotted Hermione's wand lying on her nightstand.
"Can I check your wand, Jean?" she didn't wait for Hermione's permission and almost snatched it before whipping out her own, "What was the last spell that you cast with it?"
Hermione's heart was beating in her very dry mouth when she replied, "S….Summoning Charm to summon my books and parchments. Why?" she cried.
Audré, very pale, didn't reply and instead pointed the tip of her wand to Hermione's.
"Priori Incantatum." She announced solemnly.
Slowly the wisp of a bright silver smoke appeared that formed itself into a bright but small otter.
"NO!" Hermione screamed in disbelief. The thought that she has indeed hugged Draco and forgiven him without her own knowledge was enough to kill her on the spot.
Audré was staring dumbfounded at the miniature otter before it disappeared into thin air.
"…aunt…wh..at…does…it…me…an?" Hermione was shaking so violently that she was having difficulty in articulating words, "…whe…re…did…my…Patro…nus…co…me…from?"
Audré dropped on the chair next to Hermione, looking very grave. She placed Hermione's wand on the nightstand and took a solemn breath.
"It means, Jean, please don't kill me or yourself after I say it to you…" she took Hermione's hands and squeezed them tightly, "It means that last night, you consummated your marriage with Draco."
"NO!" Hermione heart almost burst from the agony of hearing her worst suspicion being confirmed, "AUNT, I NEVER CONSUMMATED MY MARRIAGE WITH HIM. I NEVER HAD…SEX WITH HIM…NEVER…HE DIDN'T EVEN TOUCH ME THERE…HE…HE…I…I…" she broke off, horrified and perplexed.
"Listen, Jean, listen to me!" Audré shook Hermione, trying to pour some sense into her, "Will you please listen?" she asked and Hermione fixed her puzzled eyes on her, "Don't panic, okay, don't panic."
"Aunt, I didn't consummate that bloody marriage, please, believe me, I didn't." Hermione shook her head violently, trying to assure herself rather than Audré, "I didn't consummate it. He never touched me." she started crying helplessly.
"Okay, okay, I know he didn't touch you…I know he didn't touch you…" Audré hugged a shaking Hermione and stroked her spine gently, "How could he? He wasn't home last night; sent a note in the morning telling his mother that he was busy with his work. Here, take some water." She released and handed her a goblet of water.
"Aunt…I didn't…" Hermione's tears mixed with the water she strived to drink and choked, "…he can't…I won't allow him…"
"Listen, Jean, I know nothing like that happened between you and Draco. Okay?" Audré held up her hand and tried to pacify a sobbing Hermione, "You didn't consummate it."
"But you just said that I did it." she reminded Audré, breathless from fear, "Just now."
"Jean, I am well aware of what I said." Audré admitted solemnly, "I apologize if I made any impression that suggested you and Draco were intimate last night. It isn't like that at all."
"How is it like then?" Hermione wasn't sure she wanted to continue the horrible conversation. But she needed to know the truth behind that awful dream.
Audré took a deep breath and gave Hermione a solemn look. For some inexplicable reason it quickened her heart beat.
"Marriage, Jean, be it magical or Muggle, is not only a union of two bodies; it's also union of two souls." She started, as if a teacher was lecturing her pupil, "So when I said that you consummated it, I didn't mean physical consummation. What I meant was that it was a union of two souls that were bonded through a marriage. It was a spiritual consummation."
Hermione didn't know which one was worse, the union of her body with Draco's or her soul with his. She gulped and listened.
"Humans, like every other living being, have two elements – a body and a soul or spirit. The body ages with time and dies. Spirits, on the other hand are eternal and indestructible. It's also known that spirits are above all kind of common physical needs, like hunger, thirst, nature's call and sex. Yes, sex." She nodded when Hermione's eyes widened, "Sex is a physical need, Jean, it isn't quite spiritual. It's true that one gets immense pleasure out of it but that's also mostly physical."
"But love? That's spiritual." Audré arched a confident eyebrow n Hermione's puzzled look, "So in other words, sex is a physical display of a spiritual feeling that's called love. While true love, like soul or spirit is eternal, sex isn't. Like our body, sexual need also wanes out with time until nothing is left of it. But love? It endures time and space. Like I love Morpheus and you still love Alexis even though they aren't physically with us. That's the reason love and sex are not synonymous, Jean. Sex is a part of love but not in entirety. There are many people who only loved but never had sex and there are also those who only had sex but never fell in love with their partners. Now the question is why am I whiling away my time in explaining the difference between love and sex when I am pretty sure that you know it very well?"
Hermione didn't reply. She knew Audré would answer her own question in due time.
"Because consummation in marriage can be of two types, Jean: physical and spiritual and in order to make a marriage work, both should be present. Why? Because I told you before that a marriage isn't only a union of two bodies, it's also a union of two souls. That union, Jean, is the spiritual consummation, the very thing I am talking about. Souls, as we know, are above physical needs, dear. They don't need sex to consummate their union and for reasons unknown to us, your soul united with its husband's one last night."
Hermione couldn't be more appalled. How could her own soul go against her and consummate a marriage that didn't matter to her?
"But how's that even possible?" she cried incredulously, "I mean…it's my soul…I am supposed to have control over it…how can it just leave my body and consummate that bloody marriage?"
"In all honesty, Jean, I don't know." Audré slowly shook her head, "Soul Magic isn't like normal magic. It's immensely complicated and beyond any kind of logical explanation. For example, consider a Horcrux or the Dementors sucking out souls. As per normal explanation it isn't possible to suck out souls or split a soul into several pieces since we all know that only Death has that power to remove a soul from a body. But we have also seen how it's made possible through Dark Magic. We have seen how a Horcrux prevents Death or a Demented person can't truly die. I am not saying any Dark Magic was involved in your case. All I can say for the time being is that since your soul and Draco's are connected through a marriage anything is possible here."
Listening to her, a horrible possibility suddenly crossed Hermione's mind, "Aunt, do you think Malfoy Summoned my soul through Dark Arts? I mean, he was a Death Eater and there are chances that he might have learned it from Voldemort."
"No, Jean. I don't think it's possible." Audré replied thoughtfully, "Draco has never practiced Dark Arts. He father did but he didn't. True that he was a Death Eater but that Mark was forged on his skin forcibly. Besides, it sounded like his soul was in some kind of imminent danger and yours responded since it's bonded with his one."
"How can you be so sure?" Hermione croaked. Everything was so confusing to her.
"Because I have worked with dreams and memories enough to tell that which one was a dream, a nightmare, a hallucination, a confounding and a real one." Audré replied, frowning deeply now, "That dream you had wasn't an ordinary one, Jean, you were there: in your wedding dress, on that daisy field in real time."
"I wasn't." Hermione shook her head fervently, "I was here. On my bed." She patted on the bed.
"Your body was on your bed. Your soul, the very soul who is following the vows, was there with Draco's." Audré explained patiently, as if Hermione was a three year old, "Why? Because Draco's soul was in some kind of imminent danger and yours had sensed it beforehand. So it left your body and went to help him as his wife. In the meantime, you slept and had that dream."
Hermione couldn't deny that the explanation was extremely feasible.
"But, aunt…it's my soul we are talking about." She wasn't letting go of her hopes until forced to do so, "I should have some idea if it went to save Malfoy's!" she cried desperately.
"Not necessarily." Audré replied pensively, "I told you this is Soul Magic, Jean, things are very vague here. But there is another way of explaining it. An easy way." she furrowed her brows, "As far as I know you had two rites when you got married to Draco: a Scared Marriage and a Handfasting. While any one of them is enough to declare a couple as a married one, you had two. I am taking it that it was done to make you twice protected from Draco's violence. Right?"
Hermione nodded feebly. Things were not looking up for her.
"I am also taking that Sorceress Marianne designed the vows in a way to keep you safe. Am I correct?" was Audré's next enigmatic query.
Hermione nodded again. Apolline had explained it to her once Alexis returned home that fateful night.
"What were they? The vows?" Audré asked her solemnly.
Even in her very anxious state, Hermione never wanted to go back to the memory of her marriage with Draco; it was as painful as getting raped again. But like her violation she remembered every single moment of it and recited them like a parrot.
"The first vow said that we will respect and honour each other and would never seek to break it. The second vow said we will share each other's pain and seek to ease it. The third vow said we'll share each other's burden and the final vow said we'll share our laughter and look for brightness and the positive side of each other. Sorceress Marianne said if we break any of these vows our magic will be affected."
"Have you ever consciously followed any of the vows, Jean?" Audré asked her pensively.
"No." Hermione shook her head, "I can never respect and honour my rapist. Nor can I share my true feelings with him, be it pain or laughter. No vow or power on this earth can make me do so. I never fully accepted Malfoy as my husband."
"But Draco did it as soon as he married you." Audré said thoughtfully, "He considered you as his lawfully wedded wife from the moment he took those vows. True that, like you, he never consciously followed the vows but like you, he also never broke them. That's the loophole, Jean that I am very sure the clever Sorceress Marianne must have planted to save you. She knew it wasn't possible to make someone to respect a person forcibly. So she created this space between two commands: following and breaking. The vows said your magical abilities will be hampered if you break them. It didn't say that the abilities will be affected if you didn't follow them. You can't break a vow that you never followed consciously first. But even with that loophole, Jean, did you ever wonder why your magical abilities were not affected when you screamed at Draco or called him names?"
"No." Hermione confessed that the possibility never crossed her mind.
"That's because both you and Draco are following the vows unconsciously; unbeknownst to yourself." Audré's eyes were gleaming strangely now, "In your minds, Jean, you are his wife and he is your husband. One of your vows states that you'd share each other's pain and seek to ease it. So, you did it. Not physically. Spiritually. Your soul fulfilled its vows last night and went save its partner. What more do you need? Another thing. What was the date that you got married to Draco?"
Hermione would never ever forget the cursed night. "5th September 2004. Sunday."
"Yesterday was 5th November, Friday." Audré commented thoughtfully, "Exactly two monthes after your marriage."
Hermione didn't know what to say. In one hand she knew it was never possible for her to forgive Draco but on the other, the pieces were falling together perfectly.
"Does that mean that I am trapped in this marriage just because my bloody soul is acting against my conscious mind?" Hermione asked, suddenly feeling very helpless against her own self. "Does that mean that I have forgiven him internally?" she asked the most crucial question that was troubling her.
Audré didn't reply for a very long time. She seemed lost in her own thoughts.
"Aunt?" Hermione asked again impatiently, "Does that mean that I am trapped here?"
Her words brought Audré out of her silent musings and she sat straight, focusing on Hermione.
"Listen, Jean, I am sorry for keeping this a secret until now but I had no choice. I didn't want to give you any false hopes unless I am very sure." She sounded very serious. "I know you have been seeking ways to nullify this marriage ever since you were forced to enter it and so have been I. I know two innocent lives are at stake – yours and Adrian's and that you are not happy in this marriage. Neither is Draco. So for the sake of everyone's happiness, I have found a way to nullify the marriage. It is very difficult but I have found it."
"No, it isn't difficult, aunt." There was no way Hermione would let her last hope go, even though her soul was conspiring against her, "I can apply for a divorce when Adrian turns…" she tried to counter when Audré held up her hand to silence her.
"Draco will never divorce you. Not that it's his prestige issues; he has other reasons. Rest assured that he'll find out a way so that you can never divorce him. Even if Adrian comes of age."
"What reasons?" Hermione's mouth was suddenly very dry. What was the Slytherin planning now?
"I am sorry to say, Jean, but I can't tell you anything about it." Audré shook her head sympathetically, "It's his job, not mine. But have you ever considered the fact that you know nothing about Draco at all." she was solemn but meant business.
Hermione remained silent. She has never considered knowing her rapist more that it was required. In fact, had it not been for Adrian she wouldn't have made the truce with him to be civil before their son.
Audré shook her head, "I am taking that as a 'no'." she sighed, "But don't think I am blaming you for it. It's very natural to not to want to know someone who haunted you half of your life. But Jean it's essential now that you start concentrating on this man."
"I told you, aunt, I will." Hermione affirmed, "I need to know what he did to Rochés for Adrian."
"No, dear, no; not like that." Audré shook her head, "That's a completely different strategy and isn't going to pay you well. You need to know Draco as a man. As a person wants to know another."
Hermione sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "It's very difficult, aunt. Besides, why should I know him when I am planning to divorce him in the end?"
"Because after last night, your plan isn't going to work." Audré let out an exasperated sigh.
"Why?" Hermione was desperate to find the truth.
"Because your soul doesn't seem to abide by the golden rule of avoiding Draco, Jean." Audré said evenly, "It consummated the marriage and now it is stronger than it was before last night. Breaking it won't be easy as it as I thought it would be."
"Why not? I don't care what my soul did. It can all be a delusion." Hermione cried helplessly. The notion that she'd be forced to spend the rest of her life with Draco was killing her internally.
"Then pray tell me where did that Patronus come from?" Audré asked her solemnly.
"All of it just because of a Patronus?" Hermione exclaimed, "I can get a divorce, aunt, I can."
Audré seemed pained by Hermione's troubles as she spoke. "Listen, Jean, the Wizarding marriages don't dissolute as easily as the Muggles' do. You can't take or give divorce just by going to the court or signing on a piece of paper. The Law of Wizarding Divorce is very clear about it, Jean and is designed to discourage and prevent it at all costs. Why? Because the lawmakers think that kids from divorced parents don't grow up to be good Wizarding citizens. That is the reason there is no fighting over a child's custody in our Law. But in extreme cases, where the partners aren't getting along no matter how hard they try and it is proven that their conflict is affecting their children, they are allowed to separate. But there are conditions even to that. Both the partners should be willing to divorce each other and none of their children should be under Claimship. Claim can't be broken, Jean, it's an irreversible bond. It can only be withdrawn by the person who Claimed it, that is the father of the child. So, both ways you are going to be defeated in the end because neither will Draco divorce you nor will he let go of his Claim."
Hermione was on the verge of tears now. Audré was very clear in her explanation and there was no point where Hermione could argue with her. Her logic was infallible.
"Please don't think I am trying to intimidate you, Jean." Audré said gently, "I am just trying to make you see what is wrong with your plan. There is a reason Draco took that job in the Ministry. There is a reason he works day and night. There is a reason he is trying to be different from what he was brought up to be. Who do you think has that extent of influence on a Slytherin?"
A cold shiver went down Hermione's spine. The answer was clearer than ever now.
Malfoy has targeted her.
"Draco is also a very focused man, Jean." Audré confirmed her worst suspicion, "Slytherins are ambitious and cunning by nature and when focus is added to those qualities they become lethal enemies. They are also very loyal to their families, like Morpheus was. Like Draco is now."
Hermione didn't know if Audré was exaggerating about her nephew. She had never taken Draco anything more than a filthy rapist and a proud bully.
"Nothing that Draco does is ever simple, Jean." Audré's demeanor calm and sincere, "Think how he found Adrian in a foreign country by organizing a Drawing Competition. Think how he forced you into marrying him by Claiming your son. Think how he made you accept that wedding ring. Every single one of those acts speaks on themselves. In a nutshell this immensely complex, stubborn man with a very focused mind is now concentrating on his wife, on you and he'll never let you go no matter how hard you try. Therefore your plans to make Adrian see his blunders or find out what he is up to under the guise of his apologies are not going to work well for a very long time. They are bound to fail in the long run. Why? Because Draco is refining himself; he'll not make blunders once he learns what they are. So if you really want to free yourself from this marriage there is only one way left for you."
"What?" Hermione couldn't recognize her own voice as she asked Audré.
"Know Draco." Audré replied simply, "Not to point out his blunders, not to find his mistakes, not for any other reason, Jean. Just. Know. Draco." she emphasized every word, "Why? Firstly, you have to know the man you'll be dealing with. Secondly, you are in dire need to find out why your soul forgave him while your conscious mind didn't; what did your soul see in Draco that your eyes didn't. It is very important because unless you give me a solid decision I can't start executing my final plan."
"I can assure you, aunt I don't want to live with him. Not now, not ever." Hermione protested firmly, "And I can also assure you that my decision will never change no matter how much I know him as a man."
"Don't think I want you to be stuck in here." Audré seemed on the verge of her patience with Hermione, "Listen, Jean, I don't want you to sacrifice all your life's happiness for Adrian; neither do I want you to be defeated in the end after twelve years of imprisonment in this marriage just because Draco wouldn't let go of you. You are an innocent woman who suffered a lot and is still suffering. There is a way I can help you and for that I need to be absolutely sure about your verdict. But unfortunately, your verdict on Draco is hanging now. Your soul is doing something that your body and conscious mind isn't accepting. You saw the proof in your wand. You cast that Patronus without your knowledge."
Hermione was speechless. Her own Patronus, the charm conjured for her protection, was making her immensely uncomfortable and unprotected.
Audré took Hermione's hands and squeezed them gently, deciphering her look very well, "Jean, dearest, when I call you my daughter, it's not for mere words; I consider you as one. I love as my own daughter and like any mother I just want you to be happy. I want Adrian to be happy too. But for that you need to find out where that happiness lies: is it with Draco as your soul claims or without him as your conscious mind says? Am I clear now?"
Hermione nodded. Audré's words were finally making sense to her.
"I need to be absolutely sure before I act." Audré's words were so heavy that Hermione almost suffocated under their weight, "Because according to you if a man can claim that he destroyed Rochés for Adrian, imagine what he is capable of doing to prevent the dissolution of Claim. But for you, as your mother, Jean, I am willing to fight even against Draco. I will not let him torment you with this marriage. But for that I need your verdict, your decision on him. So discard every other plan that you had for him and do as I said. Know Draco. I am certain that you'll find all your answers in that process."
Hermione sighed. It was so tough to want to know her rapist. But the way Audré explained it, there was no other way left. It was no longer a battle between her and Draco over who'd get the child; it was now her own search for a few unknown answers.
Why her soul had gone save Draco's?
Why her wand cast a Patronus?
Why her wand cast a Patronus?
And last but not the least, why Draco said he destroyed Rochés for Adrian?
"Aunt, I have been planning to ask you this but didn't get the chance." She said after while, overcoming the shock of her new mission, "Do you know why Malfoy chose the Rochés Hotel of all places?"
Audré seemed to consider Hermione's question before replying.
"He announced it one night during dinner when he was informed that the caviar he was eating was from the Rochés. He had just found out Adrian and behaving very oddly then. So I decided not to ask him about it. Like Lillian I relied on my observation to find out the real motive."
"What was the real motive?" Hermione asked, trying to make a meaning out of Audré's words.
Audré shrugged, "At first I thought he wanted to reinforce his father's old friendship with Rochés. But then it turned out that I was wrong. He didn't know anything about Rochés at all. Besides, Augustus got caught red handed while trying to poison the Minister and it never came to my mind that Draco might be somehow involved in it until you told me that he said that he is behind Rochés' downfall."
"It's strange, aunt, it's very strange." Hermione rubbed her face wearily, "I mean you never suspected any foul play?"
"Why should I?" Audré asked back, "He was fresh in France and we knew nothing of him; how much he knew about us and how much he didn't. He was also very secretive and sensitive after Astoria's death. Rochés was his dead father's friend and it was quite natural for him to want to strengthen that relationship."
"But he said he did for Adrian." Hermione said thoughtfully, "Even that day in the kitchen before he screamed at me, aunt, Malfoy did something very strange. He said Adrian isn't like Pierre. I know I have told you this boy's story over the dinner but with the firmness he said it made it sound like he knew Pierre personally."
"How can he?" Audré arched a skeptic eyebrow, "Anyways Jean, I think you'll find out all your answers in due time; about your dream, your soul, Pierre, Rochés and everything. You know why?"
"Why?"
"Because the truth is still out there. With Draco."