Sensitive subject below-death of a child. If triggered please skip chapter.
Present Day, The Party
The scream pierced the air causing the violinists to cease playing and partygoers to crane their necks in a vain attempt to seek out the evening's disruptor. Several pairs of eyes landed on the host's wife as she gasped for air. Others turned their attention to the woman in the entranceway to the ballroom. Her eyes flashed with fury and many furrowed their brows in confusion at her out of place anger during what was deemed to be a most joyous occasion.
The young woman clutched her belly, as the pain of fire and ice gripped her body and she shivered. She didn't feel the soft hand of the waitress on her back, and she didn't hear her name being called over the triumphant shout and cackle of a woman.
Only moments before she had seen Bellatrix standing in the entranceway staring at her. The hurt in the woman's eyes caused Hermione to turn away and seek out her husband. She found him drink in one hand and Narcissa in the other her head thrown back slightly in flirtatious laugther; she turned her attention back to dark witch the hurt and disappointment in Hermione's eyes mirrored that of the older witch's. The determination in the older woman's eyes caused her own troubles to be forgotten.
The dark witch raised her wand; before the young woman could react, Hermione saw the light and felt the pain along with a rush of fluid between her legs.
Darkness closed in quickly and she barely registered that she was falling to the floor.
She couldn't remember anymore and it had become uncomfortably dark.
The Dark Lord had dropped his glass and let out a great roar. His wand high in the air, his gaze fiery and he moved through the astonished crowd swiftly. Some had gathered around Hermione, two of the guards had made a move toward Bellatrix only to have her fire off curses at them causing them to duck behind columns and statues.
The Dark Lord sent a curse that hit Bellatrix in the chest sending her flying into the wall.
Having knocked the woman unconscious he looked around frantically, "where's Hermione!?" he shouted continuing to look around.
He grabbed a waiter that was attempting to rush by unseen, he pointed his wand at the man's face, "where is she?"
The waiter stuttered before he opened his mouth to answer, "I don't know, sir. I…"
Severus cut in, "my lord, Lucius took her."
Voldemort immediately released the man. "Took her where Severus? Is this an attack by the Resistance?" He grabbed Severus by the collar.
Ginny reached for her wand Blaise noticing her movements, grabbed her wrist.
"Don't," was all he whispered before releasing her. His grip had been gentle and his tone non-threatening; the moment left her puzzled as she moved closer.
Ginny was scared and worried for both Hermione and her husband.
Severus remained calm, "no my lord, Lucius took her to St. Mungo's. I told him to remove her out of harm's way."
The Dark Lord seemed pleased with his answer and let go of the man's collar, "deal with this Severus."
Severus nodded before the Dark Lord vanished in a swirl.
Lucius
He hated these soirees even before his side came into power. He could only sip his drink and watch as his master and wife flirted back and forth. He was embarrassed by such a lack of respect from both parties.
He scanned the crowd his eyes seeking out Hermione and he breathed a sigh of relief when their eyes locked. She gave him a polite smile before looking away. From her behavior you would have never known any affections were spoken between them and he felt confused.
It had been two weeks since the letter and had hoped to catch her alone. He had longed for her. The desire for an explanation as to the letter's content had gnawed at him. Due to her avoidance of him, dread began to fill him at the possibility that she had decided to forget about that night and to forget about him. He downed the scotched and went to the bar to grab another.
He heard the scream and Lucius had watched in horror as she crumpled to the floor. In that moment, he didn't care how it looked for him rushing to another man's wife nor did he care how it looked for him to cradle her in his arms.
He thought her dead and had almost drawn his wand ready to kill Bellatrix and the Dark Lord for being so careless with her safety. The trembling of her petite frame and the pained gasp that left her body confirmed that she was still with him sparing him the pain of further breaking his heart.
He held her close to his chest thanking whatever deity listening for sparing her life; he saw the front of her dress and started to scream for someone to get a healer.
No one heard him over the screams of Bellatrix or the roaring anger of the Dark Lord.
Severus had rushed to him, "get her out of here," the man whispered harshly.
He held her tight and apparated them to St. Mungo's. A nurse took immediate note of them and rushed forward.
"What happened sir?"
"She was hit with a curse, she's pregnant, please," his voice was hoarse.
"We will do all we can to save her and the child sir, but you have to let her go; we need to get her to the diagnostics room quickly, there could still be time for them both."
Reluctantly, he stood and stepped back allowing the nurse to levitate the young woman onto a gurney. In the time from the party to him bringing her here she had grown considerably pale she looked the picture of beautiful death and his concern was quickly replaced with anger.
His mark burned and he placed his wand tip to it summoning his master.
Lord Voldemort arrived his magic cracking the air around him momentarily before it calmed, he looked around his eyes landing on Lucius.
"Where is she?" he rushed forward grabbing Lucius around his throat.
"Were you in on this with Bellatrix? I will have both of you ripped to pieces!"
He placed the tip of his wand to Lucius' cheek, the wood scratching his pale unblemished face.
"My lord, no. I had no knowledge of what Bellatrix was going to do. If I need to remind you my lord, it was you that placed Hermione in her care whilst she stayed at my home. You shouldn't have taunted her like that."
Voldemort's eyes darkened and he pushed the tip of the wand further into Lucius' check. The blond continued to hold his gaze.
"Careful with your words," Voldemort stared at him; after determining his follower was telling the truth, he released his hold on him lowering his wand.
He sighed, and Lucius could tell his master was worried, "where is she?"
"The nurses took her to run tests."
A healer approached the two of them and bowed, "my Lord, please follow me."
Both wizards followed the middle-aged woman to a small family room.
She addressed them both.
She had heard of the dark wizard's great power and fair-weather temperament she wanted to end this visit as quickly as possible.
"My lord, we want you to know that the Dark Lady is our top priority, we have run preliminary tests. We are unsure of the curse used but whatever it was did its intended job. I am sorry to say but the child, your son did not make it. Whatever the curse caused your wife to have a spontaneous abortion."
Voldemort let out a grasp and a sound that was foreign to Lucius, he had never seen the man display half the emotion he had revealed this evening.
"What about Hermione? Is she…"?
"No, no my Lord, she's not dead but after further examination it may be difficult in the future for her to conceive, although it is not impossible. She was placed in a coma to allow her body to heal from the internal damage the curse caused but in time she will be well."
"In about an hour, I will take you to see her."
Voldemort's breathing had become heavy and he had begun to pace the room, "my son." He whispered to himself; the healer looked from the Dark Lord to Lucius; he nodded toward the door, giving the woman permission and the cue to leave. She nodded her thanks in return before quietly departing.
He stopped in front of Lucius.
"You've done enough Lucius you may go."
He wanted to protest to find a reason to stay but he didn't bow and exited the room silently. He rushed down the hall nearly knocking over a rack of fresh linen. He made his way to the floo and grabbing a handful of powder he entered mumbling his destination.
He arrived back to the manor and sat in his study drinking and gripping the bottle of whiskey to his chest. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, he had seen his sister-in-law's madness the way her eyes would linger on the young woman's belly. The hurt and jealousy in her gaze knowing that another woman, a mudblood to boot, carried the coveted male heir.
The Dark Lord should have known better than to taunt Bellatrix. The man then added insult to injury by installing Bellatrix as the young woman's personal guard. He shook his head and took another swig.
"Damn fool!" he hissed into the room.
He wasn't sure if his anger was geared toward his master or himself. Hell, he had seen the signs, he knew of her emotional instability. Her years in Azkaban only exacerbated her fragile mental state, and yet, he had written Bellatrix off as a delusional woman bitter and yet he figured she would get bored or wake up and move on.
He had underestimated her, just like he and the other men, The Dark Lord, had done before, and even now she had proven them wrong.
He should have known that Bellatrix didn't move on she dwelled and harbored hatred then she enacted revenge at all costs.
Lucius knew that for her transgression tonight death would be the only acceptable remission; from the gratification in her eyes and the joy in her voice he knew she wouldn't care.
Hermione
Hermione woke to find Ginny looking at her from over the cover of an old tome. The young woman's expression was forlorn and sad.
Hermione sat up slowly reaching for her belly and finding it lacking its firm roundness. She looked up in panic and Ginny returned her gaze knowingly.
"Hermione," she whispered standing her book falling to the floor. She sat on the bed and held her best friend.
Hermione's panic grew and she pulled at the covers and scratched at her gown as she rose onto her knees. Ginny held onto her firmly as she almost fell.
"Ginny!" Hermione screamed, "Ginny, my baby? Where's my baby?" she looked around frantic and Ginny let the unshed tears that had gathered fall.
She stopped and focused on the redhead her expression now hopeful.
"He came earlier than expected right?" she nodded tears shining in her eyes, "I always knew Healer Daniel was too old to be doing…"
She paused as Ginny slowly shook her head, "I am so sorry Hermione."
Ginny had promised she would be strong for her friend the sister she had always wanted but her resolve broke and she sobbed.
"I am so sorry Hermione. Nobody knew what she was going to do, nobody…"
"Ginny, tell me! Please tell me, she?"
She stopped crying and looked deep into Hermione's eyes, "the spell, whatever it was he didn't make it. I'm sorry, the Dark Lord has been beside himself. He has been accusing everyone of helping her, he's rounding people up again like before, killing them. It's awful," she shook her head and started to sob.
"Bellatrix, she was insane Hermione, she cast the spell."
Hermione became weak and gripped her stomach squeezing the soft flesh where her son once lived.
"What spell, Ginny?"
Ginny loosened her hold on Hermione's upper arms and started rubbing them trying her best to comfort the muggleborn.
Ginny shook her head, "no one knows, Hermione. She cast the spell during the party. The spell was cast with the intention to kill…"
Ginny looked down at Hermione's belly, "her intentions, it seems, were to kill the baby. The main reason she didn't cast the killing curse. She wanted you to suffer, she wanted the Dark Lord to suffer."
Ginny stood and turned wrapping her arms around herself.
Hermione drew her knees to her chest.
"How do you know all of this Ginny?"
"Bellatirx told them before...," she trailed off and sighed. "The Dark Lord had McNair and Ward torture her and that's what she told them. Severus had to watch, and he told me what she said."
She turned facing Hermione and after watching the young woman rock for a moment she sat in the chair.
Hermione's head snapped up, "I want to see her, now."
"I am afraid that's not possible.".
"Why can't I see the woman that murdered my child!?"
"She's dead, she's been dead for some time now."
Chestnut eyes locked onto sea green ones. Hermione furrowed her brow in confusion.
"Hermione, you've been here for a while."
She rotated her body toward Ginny her legs now hanging over the edge of the bed.
"How long is awhile and where is Michela?"
"Over a month, Hermione."
The room began to spin, and Ginny rose ready to summon the healer. Hermione placed her hand over her mouth as a wave of nausea hit.
"Oh my God, Ginny."
Her breathing became labored and she closed her eyes, "I can't keep doing this."
Ginny lightly gripped her shoulders guiding her to lie back down, "yes you can, you are strong, and Michela is fine, she's safe."
"I can't deal with this, this is too much Gin, too much. How much more do we have to give? This is too much. I am so sorry about Ron and Harry and the Order, there was nothing I could do. We did everything Dumbledore told us we…I read those stupid books. I..."
Her voice trailed off as she continued whispering. Ginny took the opportunity to guide to lie down.
Ginny could tell she was on the verge of a panic attack.
Hermione felt angry and weak. She felt stupid. She felt a fool for believing that she could forget them, forget who she was married to and what he had done to her friends, to her world, to her.
"I am going to leave you alone to rest." She grabbed the small bottle of sleeping draught and brought it to Hermione's lips, "drink."
Hesitantly, she parted her lips and allowed the bitter fluid in and instantly felt at ease. Her lids became heavy until they closed.
The redhead sighed and once she had confirmation that Hermione was asleep, she sat down in the chair and wept.
"I'm sorry Hermione that I couldn't do more." She leaned forward gripping her friend's hand, "I'm sorry that I was a child too afraid to join and fight. I wish that things could have been different, but they aren't.".
Ginny sat for another hour, before picking her book up from the floor. She stood and headed toward the door; she would let the Dark Lord know his wife was out of her coma.
She didn't know, Ginny had thought on Hermione's question long after Lord Voldemort had dismissed her. As she lay in Severus' arms, she pondered the question again, 'how much more do we have to give?'
Hermione had given her child and almost her life. She wondered what she would be required to give when her turn came.
Could she afford the price that Karma would demand?
She felt her husband pull her closer; sometimes she swore he could read her thoughts and she shivered internally.
What all had he seen?
Severus
Severus had heard her troubled thoughts and briefly, he peered into her mind watching in the memory's shadow her visit with Hermione.
How much more do we have to give?
He heard that question repeating itself on a loop in her mind. He had sat across the table at dinner watching her as she stared at the children before flicking her eyes to him and then back to her plate.
He felt her anxiety at the thought of losing the children but what stunned him was the thought she had of his demise. It is as if he could feel her heart break. Her love for him wasn't earth shattering, no, he didn't expect it to be, but it was there, and it was fairly strong. It was enough for him to know that whatever she needed of him he would give it and he would do so whole heartedly.
Severus pulled her body flush against his placing a kiss on her head. His mind fluttered back to the party.
He had watched from the back of the room; he had been lost in thought thinking of Ginevra and his children. It occasionally flashed across his mind how ridiculous and out of place this grandiose display was and he wished he could have declined.
Even after a month he still rolled his eyes; the Dark Lord's knack for boasting caused him to lose the one thing he held dear.
His mind lingered on Hermione and how broken she looked. He knew his former student was smart and strong, but he doubted if even she could return whole from this tragedy. No one would blame her if she didn't.
Thoughts quickly turned to Bellatrix and how even during her torture she laughed.
Finally proud to have inflicted an ounce of the pain the Dark Lord had caused her for years. Payback was a real bitch. His most loyal, his former lover, his most zealous follower had turned against her master; killing the unborn son of the Dark Lord was her ultimate act of defiance.
She went to her grave laughing the sound bouncing off the walls echoing the madness the Dark Lord had exploited for years.