The sound of Astoria's body hitting the floor nearly made Hermione vomit. Almost as if a priceless glass urn displayed at a world class museum had fallen to the floor and shattered. Hermione ran, pushing through the crowd of people that had surrounded her. Astoria's nose was bloodied and the side of her face swelled from where it crashed into the cold marble.
In a blink of an eye, Twinkle was beside them, holding several potions that she began to administer to the unconscious witch. Blood Replenishing, Essence of Dittany, and several others that Luna had given to her were being poured into her mouth.
"Lady Malfoy told Twinkle not to hover tonight. Told Twinkle she was fine. Twinkle should have known better," the rickety, old voice mumbled to herself. Twinkle snapped, and Astoria's body levitated off the ground, lying prone in the air.
"Astoria?" Daphne yelled as she pushed through the bodies looking in horror. "Is she okay? Is she breathing?"
"She's breathing," Hermione assured, trying to remain calm.
"Everyone get the fuck out! Weddings over!" Daphne barked at the guests, shooing them away. "Tappy, make sure everyone's gone."
Twinkle and Daphne brought Astoria upstairs, laying her on the bed. Daphne sat at her side, dabbing a cool towel to her forehead. Astoria winced, groaning in her daze.
"Can you get Luna?" she asked, still in her gown. Astoria's bleeding nose has dripped onto the white fabric on her sleeves, but Daphne didn't seem to care. She didn't seem to care about anything other than the witch in front of her.
"I can try," Hermione said, standing at the window, sending her otter with a message to Luna, counting each second she waited for a response. After several grueling minutes, Tappy entered Asttoria's chambers, Luna standing next to him.
"Oh my," Luna gasped, seeing the state Astoria was in. Pulling out her medical kit, she ran several diagnostic spells, and administered several pain medications and an IV. Astoria's eyes hadn't opened as she laid there, being poked and prodded without reaction. When Luna drew a vial of her blood, Hermione saw the dark hue. It looked unnatural, almost black as it filled the glass. She packed it away in her kit, giving Astoria's limp hand a slight squeeze before beckoning Hermione to follow her. They walked into the hallway together, and Hermione closed the door, giving them some privacy.
"Do you know what's wrong?" Hermione asked, hoping Luna had answers she wanted to hear and not have to face the reality of what was going on.
"I do. And I think you all know what's wrong too," Luna replied. "When I gave her the results of her last blood test, I told her she needed to rest and that she should limit activity. Has she been following those suggestions?"
Astoria had been doing quite the opposite, running around, stressing herself out beyond belief. Hermione didn't even have an idea of what the results of the last test were, and it seemed that no one else around them did either. "No, she hasn't. She didn't mention anything about the result you gave her."
"When I first started seeing Astoria, her infection rate was at fifty percent. The results of her blood work last month was nearing eighty five percent. The curse has been rapidly spreading. It seems as if nearly all the blood cells have been infected now, just looking at it visually. Her time is running out, Hermione."
She had always liked the way Luna had said her name. Even when she was being serious, it always sounded so playful. Her-my-oh-nee. If only she could hear it under different circumstances now. If only her name weren't being uttered alongside bad news, she could smile with her friend and they could go home together. But this was her home now, and her other friend was lying in bed dying.
"Do you know how much longer she can hang on?" Hermione inquired, trying to run the calculations in her head of how much longer her cure for vampirism would take.
Luna shrugged, "I'm not quite sure. These blood curses are rare, little is known about them. Could be days, could be weeks."
"You should go, before Draco gets back. He won't take this news well," Hermione whispered, her heart breaking in her chest.
Luna nodded, but looked concerned. "Do you know what's going on? There was a lot of commotion back at Grimmauld. Something about Hogwarts. Is that where Draco is?"
Lying to Luna Lovegood was not something she had ever done since their school days. They were always honest with each other, even if that meant that it would hurt. There wasn't another choice though, she had to shrug and look as confused as she did. It broke her heart even more when Luna's arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a warm embrace.
"Stay safe, Hermione," she said as she gave her a squeeze. "I'll see you soon."
Dread filled Hermione's core when she walked back into the room. Daphne sat up as soon as she heard the door open. She knew the first thing she'd ask was if Astoria was going to be okay, but she couldn't figure out how to answer that question just yet. There weren't any words that would make any of this easier, but at least she could still hold onto hope that Astoria would come back.
Come back as something different. Something unruly and nightmarish. Something so far from what Astoria was.
"What did she say?" Daphne asked, panicked as she held onto Astoria's hand.
Hermione shook her head, lowering her gaze to the floor. "There isn't anything she can do."
Daphne began to laugh hysterically, cackling and tilting her head back, tears falling from the corners of her eyes. "You're joking, right?"
Hermione shook her head again, sitting at the end of the bed. Daphne's laughter stopped, and she went completely cold, a dead look in her eyes she was all too familiar with. Shock, denial, pain, whatever she had been experiencing, Hermione wished she could take it away. She watched as Daphne crawled into bed next to her sister, curling up next to her, setting her hand on her chest. Soft cries escaped her as she buried her face into Astoria's shoulder, and pleaded for her sister to get up.
There wasn't anything she could do for them there, so she stormed to her laboratory where she began to work. She ground chips of the dragon scales, into fine powers, crushing billywigs, and mixing them with dittany leaves. With her magic, she attempted to amplify the effects using every spell she could think of, even referring to several potion brewing books just in case she had forgotten something.
Hours had passed, and she didn't even notice how much time had passed. It was nearly five in the morning before she heard the front door of the manor open. Two sets of heavy boots came up the stairs, making their way to the west wing of the manor. As much as she wanted to know what happened during the night, she wanted to give them space. It wasn't long until she heard footsteps come down the hall of the east wing. Just by the sound, she knew it wasn't Draco.
"Hey Hermione," Theodore said, giving a small, forced smile. There was a cut on his cheek, and he was covered in dirt.
"Did you see Astoria?" she asked him. "Is she awake?"
Theodore sighed, staking his head, jostling his curly brown hair. "No, she's still out. Draco's with them now. I wanted to tell you that last night was a success. Hogwarts is now under control of the Order."
Finally, she felt like she could take a breath, like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. But as quickly as that relief came, Astoria came to the forefront of her mind. There was still so much more to do.
"That's great news, Teddy," she said, capping a vial with a cork and giving it a light shake. "You should rest and be with them."
"What about you, Hermione? You should come be with us too," he pleaded. "You're family."
Family. Something she had wanted for so long. One that was hers. Actually hers. She was included not because they felt bad for her or because they had some long history, but because they wanted her. And she wanted them. But she wanted them to be around for a long time, and though she wanted to be by Astoria's side, she needed to work.
"I have to get this to work. I need to get it done soon," Hermione almost choked on her desperation. A lump formed in her throat, making it hard to swallow.
"He needs you. And I think we all do. Take a break, Hermione. Be with us," Theodore said, holding his hand out and walking her back down the hall.
Seeing Draco distraught nearly broke her. He was kneeling at the bedside, holding Astoria's hand to his cheek. Still in Death Eater robes that were charred and ripped from battle. His white hair was covered in soot and ash, making it look gray. To him, Astoria was everything. Hermione knew that. She was the first person to make him feel human again.
"Whatever good I have is her," she remembered him saying at a time when all she wanted was for him to be gone.
He wouldn't let her go. That was a fact. But he hated who he was, would he really damn her to the same fate? What if she couldn't find a cure for them? Would Astoria still be herself? Hermione was sure of one thing though, that if Draco had her create a horcrux, she wouldn't be the same after. But that reality looked more and more possible as Astoria laid in bed, wilting away. It was all the motivation she needed to finish the counter curse before Astoria was turned.
Daphne sat in a recliner by the sickly witch, she had finally changed out of her dress and was wearing simple pajamas. It didn't look like she slept at all, heavy bags were pulling down at her eyes, begging for them to close. It was haunting seeing her like this. They all hadn't slept, running on fumes, scared to close their eyes for even just a second.
Hermione rested her hands on Draco's shoulders, trying to comfort him. He felt tense and cold.
"What did Lovegood say?" he asked, not looking in her direction.
"The curse is spreading quickly," Hermione replied.
"How long does she have?" His voice was gruff and strained.
"Could be days or weeks, no one can be sure."
He stood up and turned towards her with a blank face. Not a single emotion peaked out. Not a crease in his forehead or a twitch of his lip. "How far along are you on the counter curse?"
It didn't feel threatening, nor did she fear him, but she was scared to answer because of what he felt he would have to do.
"Not far enough," her voice shook.
Draco held his hand out towards her, the coin in the center of his palm. She didn't even need to touch it to know what it meant and that they were being called by Harry. Reaching out, she placed her hand against his, feeling the warmth of the coin and the slight vibrations of it.
"You didn't know a single damn thing," he said, his eyes meeting hers. "It was my decision."
"You're not going to get burned for the fire I started," she replied.
"Don't fucking argue," he barked at her. "Listen to me this one time, please."
And in an instant, they were at the old, white house. Kingsley and Moody sat on the bench, whispering to themselves while Harry paced back and forth until they came closer.
"You've betrayed us, Malfoy. You broke your end of the deal," Harry angrily called, looking down at the both of them. "Ron told us you assisted George in direct defiance of the Order."
"What I did helped the Order, didn't it?" Draco retorted, a nonchalance about him that Hermione knew would rile Harry.
"How are we supposed to trust you any further?" Harry's voice was defeated. "Hermione is coming back with me."
"This is my punishment? I give you Hogwarts and lose Granger?" Draco shook his head. "I think you're gravely mistaken, Potter."
Kingsley stood up, clearing his throat, stopping Harry from speaking again. "Malfoy, when we made our deal, you swore your loyalty to the Order, not a group of Weasleys. How do you expect us to uphold our end of the deal in a time like this?"
"Is this a threat?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.
It was a threat, Hermione knew Kingsley. She could read his every intention. He was dangling the people Draco cared about over a pit of lions, and at any second, he could cut the rope.
She took a step forward, making eye contact with him. "He's done more than enough for you to make good on your word. He deserves much more than the shit offer you gave him."
"The damage he's done to the wizarding world cannot be so easily forgiven, Granger," Kingsley reiterated. "And what he's done has shown us that he won't be so willing to cooperate."
Hermione wanted to scream. They had no idea who he was or what he had to go through to end up here, and even if she told them every detail, they wouldn't care. They wanted him dead, and she wouldn't let that happen.
"It was my idea. He begged me not to go through with it, but I made him," she said through gritted teeth. "If you're going to punish someone, it should be me."
Harry scoffed. "Don't cover for him, Hermione. He doesn't deserve your protection."
No one had protected Draco. Not since he was a boy has someone looked after him. Draco had taken the helm and had cared for others, to the point where he agreed to give his life for them. It was time someone did the same for him.
"Granger…" Draco said, trying to pull her back.
"I forced him to, ask George. He'll tell you the truth, unlike Ron. And I would do it again. You now have an entire stronghold full of supplies and safety." She stood her ground, not wavering.
Harry was stunned, looking at her in disbelief. "Ginny was nearly killed trying to pull Ron out of that mess."
"Is she okay?" Hermione asked, the feeling of shock coming over her.
"Did you not think of her? Did you not think of how dangerous it could have been?" Harry fumed.
Hermione pleaded with him, "Harry, I didn't mean for that to happen. But you have to understand I'm doing this for us. To end the war."
"I don't want you around the kids anymore. Not with him," Harry said, staring at Draco.
"Hang on a minute, will ya? This true, Malfoy? Did Hermione put ya up to this?" Moody asked curiously. If anyone were to give him the benefit of the doubt, it would be Moody. Sometimes, Hermione felt he was the only sensible one. "If that's the case, then he was following the Order. Yous forgetting that Granger is one of us?"
"No, but I think she's forgotten," Harry said, shaking his head and turning away. Her heart felt heavy, watching him turn his back to her. Hermione had always been loyal to him to a fault, and now, she had sealed her fate. Harry, the boy she had loved for so long. The person she had killed for and had mirrored her life around. Never did she ever think that she would ruin everything she had built with him. Harry had been everything to her.
But she was willing to give up everything for Draco. At a moment's notice, she would burn down everything to have him.
Kingsley looked at them both with a disappointment that he wore clearly, as if he lost all faith in his Golden Girl. The person who he had propped up so highly in the past. "Granger, you're relieved from duty. You are not to speak on behalf of the Order unless given direction by myself or Harry to do so." His attention moved directly towards Draco, "One more slip up, and I can't promise we will make good on those terms. Remember what we agreed upon, Malfoy."
They left quickly, Hermione couldn't even get another word in. She wished she had said sorry for what she had done, but they were gone. There was too much heartbreak happening all around her. It felt overwhelming, and as her pulse hastened and her ears began to ring, she tried to soothe herself to stop thinking so much. To just calm down and stop thinking.
"Breathe, Granger," Draco whispered, his hand went to the small of her back, making small circular motions. "You need to calm down and breathe."
"I just need a second," Hermione mumbled, holding her hands over her ears, trying to make the ringing stop.
"Let's go home and get you a calming draught."
"I love him so much, do you understand that? I love him, but I will cast him aside for you."
"I know, Granger."
Hermione faced him, breathing deeply, trying to get a grip on reality. Draco was real, he was in front of her. He was hers. She couldn't let herself wallow in losing Harry, not now.
"I'm going to take care of you, Draco."
A cold hand reached out to touch her cheek. His thumb brushed her skin softly, soothing her. Hermione closed her eyes, reminding herself that it would all be worth it. Every second of pain was worth this.
"I know."
—
Draco took Hermione back to the manor, gave her a calming draught, and put her to bed. They all needed rest, and he had hoped that Daphne was sleeping, but when he entered Astoria's chambers, she was still sitting in the recliner, watching over her baby sister. Theodore laid at the foot of the bed, snoring away, still in his robes that were bloodied from battle. They all almost looked peaceful, like they were taking a nap or relaxing on a Sunday afternoon.
But that wasn't the case. Astoria was dying, he didn't need a healer or Hermione to tell him that. When he had first seen her, all he felt was anger. Why her? Of all people. Astoria hadn't hurt anyone or had done anything to deserve the fate she was being dealt.
"Daphne, take Teddy and go get some sleep," Draco said softly, tapping her on the shoulder. "I'll come get you if she wakes."
The blonde witch sleepily nodded, waking Theodore, and going across the hall. Draco took the place where she sat, right next to the bed. He watched as Astoria's chest rose and fell and listened to her slowed heartbeat in her chest. It was irregular, so different from how it had been just days before.
It was hard to notice the differences in the patterns over a period of time. It slowly changed, so slow that it seemed normal in the moment. Now that he had time to really sit and observe it, it seemed so foreign.
"Master Draco," Twinkle said softly as she brought over a glass and bottle of fire whiskey. Draco nodded a thank you to her, looking at the deep wrinkles on her face and the white tufts of hair coming from her ears.
"Twinkle, take a break. You look like you haven't slept either," he told her.
"Lady Malfoy needs Twinkle's assistance," she replied shakily.
"You can be of assistance when you are fully rested," he demanded, making sure she understood he was being serious.
Twinkle nodded, snapping her finger and disappearing, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Draco drank the whiskey because he was tired and wanted to stop thinking. Stop thinking about the fucking night he had. Though the plan went accordingly, it wasn't without its own complications. Voldemort had lashed out in a rage, but it was his own doing. He was the one that ordered all of the Dementors away from the school and to the Ministry. His paranoia had been his downfall.
And even after dealing out punishments and receiving it himself, he couldn't have a single second of reprieve. Astoria's blood curse advancing, the Order on his ass, and Hermione making things complicated. Now that Harry had disowned her, he was all she had. Though it pleased him in every way that she put him before Harry, she was playing a risky game, gambling everything on him. At any point, he could be exposed, and then what would she have?
Hopefully Astoria. Astoria as a human, and not another vampire. The thought of her turning made him sick, but there wasn't another way. She would find a way to be happy until Hermione cured her, he knew that would be true. Or perhaps he was just telling himself that to ease the guilt that lingered in his mind.
"Dr… Draco?" Astoria's voice weakly called out.
He sat up, moving closer to her. "Hey Tori, how are you feeling?"
"Like… shit," she managed to say, her voice was strained and eyes were still closed.
Draco stood up to fetch Daphne, but Astoria's hand reached out for him. "Don't go."
"I'm just going to get Daph," he assured her.
"Don't. I'll be fine," she whispered. "I won't die tonight."
Her brow was covered in sweat, and she was as pale as Draco was, but she was talking and seemingly alert, so not wanting to stress her further, he sat down. "You're not going to die, Tori. We're gonna get you back to normal soon."
"I will die though… to be turned," she rasped.
She would have to die for him to turn her, but it would be peaceful, he'd make sure of that. "Dying's not so bad. I can barely remember it."
"I'm not scared," she breathed out.
Draco chuckled, holding her hand that was as cold as his. He grabbed the vial of medicine and poured it into her mouth. "You're not scared of anything, are you?"
"I'm braver than you," she smiled, the color in her cheeks returning. What little strength she had was inching its way back with the medicine, but how long it could hold up, he didn't know. "Don't know why you and Daph are so scared."
"Because we love you, Tori," he replied.
She sighed softly, looking at him. "You got other people to love now, you don't need me anymore."
"I'm always going to need you, Tori. Who else is going to make me wear shitty costumes and host dinner parties?" he asked playfully, trying to lighten the situation.
"Hermione," she coughed.
"Hermione's going to do all that stuff with us. Don't you want her to? It'll be the three of us," Draco said, lifting her head up and holding a glass of water to her lips. Draco saw how tired she was, more tired than him. "You're going to have an entire life ahead of you where you can do what you want because you're not sick or in pain. Don't you want that?"
Resting back, she closed her eyes again. She laid there quietly for a few moments. He didn't dare read her mind, even though he wanted to. Likely, she'd just tell him what he wanted to hear like she always did.
"I don't want you to live with guilt if I can't turn back," she finally said. "I don't want you to look at me with the same, sad eyes you do now. I don't want you to feel like you still have to care for me."
"Tori, you're going to turn back. You and me. And when we do, we're going to have a good life. Eat a lot of tarts and candy," he said. "I promise I'll stop being so mopey around you."
Draco hadn't realized how awful it must be to have everyone look at you with such sadness. He couldn't help it though, because he did feel sad when he saw how weak she had gotten or how much she looked like her father.
"I've lived a good life, Draco." She took another long pause, breathing deeply, catching her breath. "A good life because I had you and Daphne. All the bad stuff, I can't even remember right now."
Draco signed, laying down in the bed next to her. Her fingers intertwined with his, and she gave a gentle squeeze.
"I can't let you go if there's something I can do about it," he mumbled. "I can't lose any more than I already have."
Selfishness was the only word to describe how he felt now. Selfish for making her stay with him. But she deserved a good life, and he knew she wouldn't do it on her own accord. She deserved to have a real first kiss and to fall in love and all of the other sappy things humans did.
"I know, Draco. Just promise me one thing," she asked softly.
"Anything," he replied. "What is it?"
"Don't give me bunny blood. They're too cute."