Draco couldn't help but be distracted by her. He shook that feeling off as he thrust into her. She arched her back reacting to the sensation he filled her with. Her breathing was ragged.
"What sort of spell did you cast on me, Mudblood?" he asked softly. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Did you seduce me? Did you poison my drink? Are you blackmailing me?"
She took in a deep breath as she looked into his face. He shoved his palm into her chest wound. She cried in pain. Tears again started to flow down her cheeks. She couldn't keep her eyes open.
"My father would have never signed off on us!" he said icily as he thrust into her again. He pulled on her hair. She opened her eyes and stared straight into his steely ones. "Is she even mine? How is it that we have a two-year-old daughter yet you say we've only celebrated our second anniversary on Wednesday? Answer me!
"Why would I ever touch you?" he asked softly brushing her cheek with his hand, leaving a streak of her blood. His gentleness ceased. He roughly grabbed her shoulder again, forcing it into the mattress. Pain coursed down her left side. "How?" he asked again, through gritted teeth.
"It was a one night stand, after the war ended. You seduced me," she said softly, biting back the pain. Her eyes began to water again. They fluttered as the tears slowly started to make their way down her cheeks.
Draco thrust one last time into her as he let what she uttered register. She shuddered. Her eyes glazed over as she peered up at him. He collapsed on her for a moment. He could feel her chest trying to expand as she took in air. Her whole body racked with pain. Her wrists ached as the binds cut into them. Draco slowly raised himself off her.
He reached for his wand from the nightstand. He watched her arch her back as she spasmed. She labored with her breathing; taking quick short breaths.
Blood still flowed from the stab wound to her chest. She shut her eyes biting back the pain. Her cheeks were still wet with tears. Her eyes fluttered open. Their eyes locked for a moment.
Draco drew in a breath. His wand hand shook. He aimed again. Then he hesitated. Hermione shut her eyes thinking this was it. Draco pointed his wand at her before lying on his back next to her. It was his turn to take in deep breaths.
Hermione felt her arms drop. She took in another breath as she turned on her right side, facing away from Draco. She knew she was close to bleeding to death. She pressed her right palm to her bleeding shoulder, hoping to apply enough pressure to lessen the flow of blood.
Draco propped himself on his side. He looked down at the crimson on his chest. He ran his fingers over the blood. He had to think twice before he realized it wasn't his. He stared at Hermione's back. He could tell she was having a hard time breathing. Draco shook himself out of his daze.
"I once thought my cancer was going to get the best of me. When Madame Pomfrey first told me I had about six months to live," she said, her voice cracking midway through, "I saw my life flash before me.
"I waited for death to show up," she paused. "When it didn't Mum and Dad thought there was hope. Ten or so specialists later, it still hadn't shown; no matter what their predictions were."
She stifled a sob. "I thought fighting against Voldemort would've gotten me killed. And for a moment in that cell, listening to the screams of the witches that those rogue Death Eaters tortured, I waited for it all to end. I wouldn't have to feel anymore pain. It never did."
She turned slowly to face him. He saw her pale face. "I found myself in your bedroom that same night," she gulped.
"All those years at Hogwarts; it seemed we fought every minute. You were finally going to get your revenge. It would've been so simple to utter those two little words, Draco. I waited for you to kill me that night," she took another labored breath. She choked back a sob. "You never did.
"I guess tonight, you've finished the job," Hermione said as a tear rolled down her cheek. She looked into his eyes as if searching for the Draco she knew.
"I'm not sure now why you ever asked me to marry you, Draco," she paused taking in another breath. "Maybe it was out of pity."
She reached out to touch his face with her blood stained hand. Draco felt her light touch. He breathed in. "I love you anyway."
She coughed. Blood spilled from the side of her mouth. Her hand slid down to his chest, resting there. Draco's eyes grew wider.
"I know I'm not going to make it through tonight. It's all part of the plan isn't it?" she gulped searching his face again. Her hand coursed over the Dark Mark on the inside part of his left forearm, leaving a crimson trail. "He's close isn't he? On the phone, you said you were worried about it pulsating."
She went into another spasm. She stifled another sob. She lay on her back. She turned her head to face him. She looked into his eyes again. "Drew's the key piece isn't she? After I'm out of the way," she paused, gulping, "she'll be the last obstacle to you switching back to their side."
Draco took in a sharp breath. He looked straight into her brown eyes. Hermione turned away. She looked up at the ceiling. "They're going to sacrifice her; a Half-blood for a Half-blood." She coughed again.
She turned her head again to face her husband. "It doesn't matter if you don't believe me, Dra . . . Malfoy, please," her whole body shook. "She's at Malfoy Manor, Mum and Dad are watching her. You have . . . you have to go and keep her . . . keep her safe. Please don't let them hurt our daughter."
She shut her eyes. It was as if she could feel herself drowning from the fluids in her lungs. She breathed shallowly.
Draco got off the bed. He quickly said a spell and their clothes magically appeared on their bodies. Hermione's scrub top was already beginning to stain from the blood from her chest wound. He picked up the dagger that dropped to the floor earlier. He saw her blood on the blade and nearly threw up. He replaced it into its sheath.
He gently touched her shoulder. She took in a sharp breath. Tears streaked silently down her cheek. She kept her eyes shut. "Please finish it, Mal . . . Malfoy."
"Hermione," Draco said with a waver in his voice as he shook her shoulder.
She cried out in pain. She opened her eyes, surprised to hear her name, "Why did you call me that?"
"That's your name," Draco said, as he placed gentle pressure on her shoulder. She winced in pain.
"Hermione, what have I done?" he asked as he saw the crimson through his fingers. He moved a strand of hair away from her eyes with his other hand. She looked up at him. His eyes seemed softer. She cried.
"Hermione," he said. He placed his wand into her hand. "Listen to me. You're going to have to help me out here. You know I was never very good at healing spells."
She actually smiled up at him. She was a doctor. She knew how things worked. "It's too late, Draco."
"NO! It is not too late," he almost screamed, squeezing her shoulder.
She winced in pain. "I love you, Hermione. I can't lose you. Please," he kissed her forehead.
All she could do was nod. She said a short incantation. It would only close the wound. She looked up at him again. He pulled her into his arms. He held her there for a while.
"You have to get out of here, Draco," she said softly, her eyelids heavy. "Make sure Drew's okay."
"We'll do that," he said moving another strand of hair away from her face. He finally saw his handiwork. He had hurt her very badly.
"I'll only slow you down," she shook her head. "You . . . You're better off leaving me."
"I am not going to leave you here with those animals," he said, tilting her chin up so that she would have to look into his face. "I owe you an anniversary dinner."
"Draco."
"Shh," he said putting his fingers on her lips. Hermione could taste the metallic taste of her blood on his hand. "You and I will get out of here together."
All she could do was nod. She admired him for trying. But the truth was, she worked too many emergency room shifts to not recognize the gravity of her situation.
"Draco, listen," Hermione breathed deeply, "I don't think Kellen meant for me to survive tonight. He let slip that there are Muggle weapons and modified ammunition. It's the case Harry and the Ministry are working on.
"Everbleeder technology," she said running her fingertips over his exposed Death Mark. He took in a breath. He looked straight into her eyes. She continued softly, "Just like the dagger."
"We have to get word to Professor McGonagall, or to Harry or Mum and Dad even," he said gulping.
He aimed his wand, attempting to cast his Patronus. He knew through past experience that he would never be able to cast it effectively when he was stressed. He looked at Hermione as he took in a breath, "We need to get to a fucken owl or a fireplace right now!"
Hermione breathed sharply. "My cell phone," she said, her eyes fluttering. Draco didn't know what she was talking about at first.
"In my coat pocket. You can reach them," she looked up into his eyes, hopeful.
"Yes," he said as he kissed her on her lips before bolting towards her lab coat.
He frantically looked through her pockets. He found the small folded cellular phone. He opened it, hoping it still worked. 'Thank Merlin for Muggle devices,' he thought to himself as he hit his parents' speed dial number that Hermione had programmed into the phone's memory. He looked at the phone's clock: 11:44 p.m. He heard it ring.
No answer. His parents were probably asleep. He quickly hung up the phone. He dialed a different number waiting for his friend to pick up on the other end.
"It's ringing, Hermione," he said as he sat next to her. She sat up on her own. Draco smiled to himself. She pitched forward into his chest though. "Everything is going to be all right."
o-o-o
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was bustling with motion. Pansy Parkinson-Zabini and her team had just returned from Malfoy Manor just as Harry and his team returned from the Muggle home almost five minutes ago. It had already been a long week. Frustrated and tired, Harry sat on the floor leaning against one of the walls of the large investigation room. He shut his eyes, trying to figure out how this brash new wave of Death Eaters could have schemed right under the Ministry's watch.
Pansy nodded at him as Harry opened his eyes, both hearing the unmistakable ring of the Muggle device. Harry looked at the caller identification.
"Hermione?" Harry sounded sleepy.
"No, Harry," Draco said a little scared. "It's me, Draco."
Harry bolted upright. Pansy looked at him questioningly.
"Draco, where have you been?" Harry asked. Pansy signaled to the others in the room to be ready to move. She sent a Patronus to Ginny and her team at Hogwarts to expect a possible influx of visitors.
"It's a long story, Harry. We need your help. You need to get some men down to Tanner's mansion. There's a whole host of Death Eaters waiting to retake over the world, Harry. They placed a memory charm on me."
"Draco listen," Harry said as he shot to a standing position. "Hermione's missing."
"She's with me, Harry. I . . . I hurt her really badly," Draco said looking down at his wife, "You have to help us out of here."
"Alright, Draco," Harry said about ready to hang up the receiver.
"Harry, could you send some guys to Mum's and Dad's. Hermione said they were watching Drew."
"Draco," Harry interrupted. "Your parents are at Hogwarts right now; in Madame Pomfrey's hospital wing. Draco, I have a feeling they took Drew."
"She's here," Draco's face paled. "Hurry, Harry, please."
"Don't do anything until we get there, Draco," Harry paused as he picked up his wand. "Draco."
"Hurry, Harry," Draco hung up the phone. He looked into his wife's face. He saw the pain in her eyes.
"You have to stop them, Draco," she said brushing his face with her hand. "Go!"
"I am not leaving you here," he said in a measured tone. He scooped her up quite easily, holding her in his arms. "We will get out of here together, remember."
Hermione's eyes fluttered. She didn't stop him as he carried her out of the room.
11