Haunted

She didn’t react the way Draco thought she would. She wasn’t angry, she didn’t cry, she didn’t seem affected at all. The fact that Remus had been willing to sacrifice her life, to leave her in that pit of demons seemed to mean nothing to her. She simply said:

“He was making the best choice. There was no need to be risking the lives of others for mine. I’m no longer of use; it makes no sense to put the rest of you in danger for my stupidity. There’s no reason for you guys to be upset about it.”

“Hermione, are you hearing what we just said? He would have left you there!” Ginny yelled. “They weren’t even going to go back for you!” For as reluctant as the girl had seemed at first to tell Hermione, she was doing a good job of pounding the painful truth into her head. At first she’d fought him about it, sided with Remus. Now that she was listening to Granger, however, she had changed sides and joined his.

“I understand what you said perfectly, Gin. And it’s what I would have done.”

“Bullocks.”

Her face lifted and she turned in his general direction, looking a few feet from where he stood.

“I would if I was a leader. He had a choice to make. I know it probably wasn’t easy for him. He did what he had to do. If you were in his shoes, who would you take?”

“I thought I’d made that obvious when I was willing to risk my neck to get you out of there.”

“That was very valiant, Malfoy, and I appreciate it. But look at things from Remus’ prospective.” She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. “What I did was stupid. It put a lot of people in unnecessary danger. If they had indeed killed my parents, would it have been the end of the war? No. They were just two people, two Muggles. They mean nothing to anybody in this world but me. What you guys risked going to the Manor was far greater than what we would have lost if we had just left my parents there. What I did was rash. I’m glad they are safe, but if I had time to think it through, I wouldn’t do it again. We lost a good man who should be home right now with his wife. Don’t think I won’t remember that every day of my life. If I had been in Remus’ position…to save me with your sacrifice? I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.”

“Hermione, what are you talking about?” Ginny asked, her voice irritated. “You know none of us would ever put you in danger like that!”

“And that’s exactly why you’re not a leader!” Hermione snapped. “Stop thinking of me as a friend, Gin, and start thinking of me in terms. We are at war, there’s no room for fun and games and picking friends. Think about it! Would you save a blind and ultimately useless witch for a wizard who, if in the hands of the Death Eaters, could cause our side a great deal of harm? Malfoy is at least of use to you guys; he got you into the Manor, didn’t he? Have I ever done that?”

“You’ve done tons, Hermione-,”

“I did. But what have I done since I lost my vision? All I’ve done is caused everybody a great deal of grief and burden. To be rid of me would not be the worst thing that has happened to our side. Malfoy can help us too much, he’s too important. You just have to accept the fact that I’m all but worthless now. I have.”

The room was quiet and Draco seethed. “Through with your pity party, Granger?”

“Look, I’m not trying to get your pity and I certainly don’t feel it for myself. This is the way things are. I know you want to be mad at Lupin, but he made the right choice. I can’t fault him for it.”

Draco’s teeth clenched so hard he swore they would break off. “Red, you want to give us a few minutes?” he ground out.

“Draco-,”

“Now.”

He watched her hesitate until he stared her down and she finally left, the door snapping shut behind her. Draco lifted his wand in a quick Locking Charm, glad that Arthur had found out a way to keep his chair hovering while he used his wand.

“Alright, Malfoy. Say your piece so I can go. I’m very tired,” Hermione said from where she sat on his bed. He had to focus on the situation at hand thoroughly to avoid thinking about getting her on her back where she was.

“Granger,” he said, thoughts whirling through his mind faster than he can grab at them. There were so many things he wanted to say, wanted to tell her. He wanted to hit her and kiss her all at once, yell at her, make her understand how insane she drove him. “I am so sick of you.”

“Well, that’s a pleasant thought. On that note, I should be going.” She stood and started slowly for the door but he headed her off. Grabbing her by the shoulders he wished so much that she could see so she could look into his eyes and he wouldn’t have to describe the torment within him.

“I am sick of you being so noble and acting like it doesn’t bother you. I’m not the one blind, here, and I can see it on your face. It kills you that they wouldn’t go back and yet you defend them. Why?”

“I already told you why,” she said, sounding breathless. He let his lips tickle her sensitive skin below her ear and received the shiver he had hoped for. He didn’t know how she had gotten under his skin, but he knew that he wouldn’t be satisfied until she felt the same for him that he did for her; crazy. Utterly madly insane. She annoyed the shite out of him, her stupid frizzy hair made him cringe, but gods, that body, that fiery attitude, her fierce loyalty, her strength and kindness and stubbornness; it ate at him until he could ignore it no longer. There was nothing keeping him from her, the boundaries were wilting. And she was his for the taking.

“I would never leave you,” he whispered and felt her body sag against his chest. He wished more than ever that his legs would work and he could hold her, carry her to that bed and shag her brains out.

“Why?” she whispered back.

“You know why.”

He turned her then and kissed her. For once she didn’t fight. A soft sound escaped her lips and drove straight to his loins. He drew her as close as the damned chair would allow and wanted desperately to move against her, to allow her to feel what she did to him. But until he could, he would have to wait. When he finally had her, and he wouldn’t rest until he did, he was going to show her what no man had before. He was going to make her forget the pain he had caused her; he would make her forget the pain she felt now. All she would feel was his need for her and he hoped it would be enough to bring back that Hermione he knew was deep within, the one who would never surrender a fight. So for now, he pulled away and grinned when she leaned in for more.

“Not now, poppet. I need a favor of you.”

“What is it?”

“Help me walk.”

*********************************************************************

Hours later Draco was screaming, cursing Hermione’s name, heritage, eyebrows, mother, hair and everything else he could think of. But she never stopped. She worked his legs over and over, bending and rotating and stretching and it was so painful he could barely stand it. And still, nothing had happened.

“Arrgh! Alright! Enough already, you sadistic slag! Can’t you see nothing’s working?”

“It would if you would just shut up and work with me for five minutes!” she screamed back, shoving her hair from her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand. “Now bend your toes.”

“I can’t!”

“Bend your toes.”

“Are you fucking listening to me, Granger?”

“Bend your toes, Malfoy!”

The roar he let out reverberated from the ceiling as pain soared through his leg. He swore the air blue as he focused all his energy on moving that damned big toe but it was like the signal wasn’t making it.

“I fucking can’t!” he yelled, giving up.

“Yes, you can! Just press it against my palm! We’re not leaving here until you do!”

“Then you’re going to be here a long fucking time, Granger!”

“Just do it, Malfoy!”

“I-,”

“DO IT!” she shrieked. And then it happened. He sat forward to grab her hair and his leg jerked, the knee bent slightly, tugging from Granger’s grasp. They went silent and Draco just stared.

“Malfoy,” she whispered.

“I-I…”

“You did it! Malfoy, you did it! Do it again!”

Draco thought about that spot behind his knee and it jerked again. Hermione laughed out loud, her face shining in pride and happiness as she raised her face to his.

“Malfoy, you can do it! You can move your leg! You’re going to walk again!”

Draco couldn’t stop grinning. He couldn’t believe such a small achievement could make him so happy, but it did. And the look on her face, all sweaty and red from her exertion, that look of complete and utter delight at his success was more than he could bear. He grabbed her upper arm and dragged her forward until she was slumped over him on the chair they’d sat him on to do his exercises.

“Thank you,” he muttered before taking her lips, plundering them ruthlessly until she was grabbing his shoulders, kissing him back just as hard. He slipped his tongue into her slack mouth and delved inside, scouring her hot cavern. She whimpered and he pulled her closer so they were chest to chest and she was having to arch up to his mouth. His hands twisted their way into her thick, wavy, tangled hair and held her tightly to him until he couldn’t breathe and he had to pull her away for oxygen purposes. They were both panting and he kissed her cheek, her jaw, her ear. She shuddered.

“I wish I could see you,” she said so softly he almost didn’t hear. His heart must have stopped beating right then by the way she was looking at him. Except that she would never look at him. She would never be able to see the emotions she wreaked inside of him. One of her hands lifted until it almost touched his cheek, but she hesitated.

“Can I-?” she asked. He nodded, swallowed then finally ground out a yes.

Her hand was cool against his warm cheek and her fingers played over his face, feeling the contours, the arch of his brows, the hollow of his cheeks, his chin, his lips. They even fluttered over his eyelids and lashes. It was, by far, the most erotic experience of his life as he watched her brows draw in concentration, her just-been-kissed lips slightly parted.

“It’s like…I can almost see you. I’m so close to you, I can feel you…”

He stopped her hands before she pushed him over the brink of no return. Never had such an innocent touch affected him so much.

“We’ll find those bastards who took your eyesight. We’ll get it back,” he promised. What the fuck was wrong with him?

She smiled sadly at him. “No, Draco. We won’t.”

The silence was thick. For a second she looked appalled, then she paled and ripped out of his romantic embrace. She stumbled backward so fast she tripped over the chair she’d been seated in previous to their little interlude and hit the ground with a squeal. Then she scrambled to her feet and ran back to the wall, using it to find her way out of his room. She slammed the door, hard, and it made him jump even though he’d watched it close.

What the hell had gotten into him? This was Granger, Granger, for Merlin’s sake! What was he thinking, kissing her like that, saying things like that?

He didn’t know, but he knew that, Salazar strike him down for saying this, it felt good. Fuck, it felt good to kiss her and hold her and take care of her when no one else would. Shit, she was everything he could never be, she was the epitome of good and pure and he was a sick, dark, twisted creature. He had no right to be touching her. Besides, what would his father think?

Wait a minute. He didn’t give a fuck what that bastard thought. So what if she was a Mudblood? It wasn’t as though he was going to be making babies with her. He wanted to fuck her; he wanted to take her virginity he was certain she had. And bloody hell, he didn’t care who thought otherwise, even himself. She was the only bright light in his life of bleak terror. Was it written somewhere that he wasn’t allowed to be happy? Isn’t that why he’d chosen this side in the first place?

Fucking, shit. Why did everything have to be so messed up? He was just supposed to hide out in this gods-forsaken house until the war was over, then he’d be free to slink under a rock like the coward he was and never be seen again. He wasn’t supposed to be running all over the place saving Mudbloods and helping the Order into his childhood home. Why couldn’t they have ended up like they were supposed to? A prominent family in society whom everyone feared and envied; the right hand of the most powerful man in the world. Instead, he was cowering with the wrong -or right, who knew anymore- side, crippled, motherless and at a complete loss as to where his life was going to end up when this was all over. If the Dark Lord won, he would be killed for betraying them, there was no doubt about that. But if Potter managed to defeat the Dark Lord, a tall order, then where would that leave him? Would everyone just forget the fact that he was joined the Death Eaters? Pretend not to see the Dark Mark which was, even now, burning upon his left arm? Would they turn a blind eye and allow him to live as he should or would he be put to trial to spend the rest of his days in Azkaban for treachery? The unforeseeable future scared him more than anything, but his thoughts and feelings about Granger were gathering steam on this front, warring to overtake that consuming fear.

He looked down at his lame legs and twitched his right knee again. He tried the left leg, but nothing happened. Was Granger right? Would he really walk again? It seemed a century since he had and the thought of it made him more determined to keep working. So he whiled away the hours massaging the putty-like muscles as Granger did (although, he had to admit that he liked it much better when she did it). Every time he heard movement he looked up, hoping to see her face at his door. But she didn’t return and he knew she needed time to cool down. She deserved it. He thought about what Red had said to him about after he’d left the first time. He she really had feelings for him even then? How could he not have noticed? Had he really hurt her so much to make her this terrified of getting close to him again?

A part of him wanted to show her that she needn’t fear. He wanted her. But the larger part knew that he could never give her what she really wanted, what a girl like her needed. He couldn’t give her promises, long term commitments. It wasn’t in him. There was too much bad shit…how could he ever get passed it? He sure as hell would never bring a child into something like this. Most days he wished his parents had never kept him. He knew he was never wanted, his father reminded him constantly.

Most days, he just wished he were never born.

A knock came at the door and he looked up. Mrs. Weasley sidled in with a small smile. “Hello, dear. How are you feeling?”

Draco bit back a smart-arsed retort and said simply, “Fine.”

“Good, good,” she said, fidgeting with her hands. She scurried forward and picked up a sock on the floor muttering about “needing to do laundry”. She folded the sock over and over and Draco wondered how she could stand the smell. Even he couldn’t stomach it and it was his own damn sock.

“Er, is there something you needed?” he asked, hoping to get whatever it was over with so he could hurry her along.

“No, no, not me. Remus would like to see you down in the kitchen.” She didn’t look happy about telling him and when he started forward she stopped him with a touch on his arm.

“Now, you know that you are welcome here as long as you wish?” Her pale green eyes swam with unshed tears and his stomach tightened with worry. What was it Remus wanted with him? “As long as you’re here, you’re family. We take good care of our family. Remember that.” Her strong fingers squeezed his shoulder before releasing him with a small smile. Just looking as this plump, caring woman with her curly red hair and her mismatched clothes made Draco long for something he’d never felt before. He couldn’t put his finger on it so he just gave her a weak smile and urged his gliding chair forward.

When he got to the kitchen Remus was waiting for him along with several other people…including-

“Snape?” Draco said, dumbfounded. What the hell was his godfather doing here? The bottom of his stomach dropped out. With Snape’s precarious position with the Dark Lord it was dangerous for all of them for him to be here. He’d only show if something had happened. Something very, very bad.

“Draco,” he nodded. “Why don’t you come to the table? There are some things we wish to discuss with you.”

Nevermind. The bottom of his stomach hadn’t dropped out because right this moment it twisted itself into painful knots. If his godfather wanted to sit down and talk, nothing good could come of it. Draco glided into the spot dedicated for him next to Lupin where a chair had been removed. Snape sat across for him and Mad Eye Moody next to the oily man. Draco remembered the night in his sixth year when he’d told Snape to take a shower. It had not boded so well for him as he’d spent the next few hours throwing up soap while the rest of him was covered in excrement that he couldn’t wash off. He never mentioned the idea again.

“As you are no doubt aware, I dare not linger. The Dark Lord has been exceedingly demanding of my time,” Snape drawled, the tips of his long, white fingers finding each other and steepling. “I have come across some information which has given me not a small amount of uneasiness. There have been…rumors.”

“Rumors?” Draco asked. “About what?”

“About the day you decided to save Miss Granger’s life.”

Draco would have blanched had he not been trained from birth to never show the slightest bit of emotion. Lucky for him, he had. “Which time?”

“Do not play daft, boy!” he snapped, causing Draco to worry ever more. Whatever it was that had caused Snape to act so upset could not be good.

Draco leaned back in his chair. “What kind of rumors?”

Snape pierced him with his black eyes. “Do you know how the spell the Dark Lord placed upon that Horcrux worked?”

Draco’s eyebrows came together. “No, I was never told. All I knew was if the Dark Lord placed them there, nothing good could come of it.”

Snape leaned back in his chair as well and studied Draco. “The spell the Dark Lord placed on the Horcrux was supposed to steal the sight from the person attempting to destroy it. By sight, I do not mean merely the ability to see, but all that they have ever seen because the second a person attempts to extract the soul from the object, they would be tortured into madness. I need not explain why if you have any idea what resides in the Dark Lord’s soul.”

Draco nodded. What the hell had Hermione seen?

“The curse does not end there. The person would then be incapacitated and the Dark Lord would have the ability to collect said person and extract from them any information he needed. And there would lay a strategically placed Horcrux.”

Draco struggled to put the pieces of what Snape had just said together. “So, you’re saying that Granger is a Horcrux?”

“Not yet,” Snape said, leaning forward. “You intercepted the curse. Somewhere inside that girl is a wealth of information that could bring down the Dark Lord with no means to extract it. You were able to stop the curse from turning her into a vegetable, but her lack of eyesight signifies that the spell advanced far enough to allow the information to be placed inside her.”

“But why would the Dark Lord chance something like that?” Draco asked.

“Because to have someone with all the same thoughts and experiences as him would have made the ultimate weapon. Adding that next piece of soul would have completed his Horcrux, effectively giving his side two Dark Lords,” Sanpe explained. Draco couldn’t help the shiver of disgust and dread. Two sick, twisted fuckers like him?

“It’s a good idea and all, but I still don’t understand why he would allow an Order member to learn all that information when he had to know that they would not be alone when they went to destroy the Horcux?” Draco wondered aloud. Lupin shifted uncomfortably beside him.

“Hermione was not supposed to destroy the Horcrux,” Lupin said. “Harry was. If Harry had tried to destroy it, the spell would have given Voldemort the information he needed to kill Harry and the ability to turn Harry into a valuable candidate if possible. He knew Harry would not willingly come to his side, so he needed a way to ensure his success. If he was unable to turn Harry to his side, Harry would have become his final Horcrux and any chance for our side would have vanished.”

It still didn’t settle with Draco. “So he did all this on the chance that Harry would have destroyed the Horcrux?”

“The Dark Lord leaves nothing to chance,” Sanpe said. “Until the Horcrux was recovered, Potter had every intention of destroying it himself in revenge of Regulus Black. No one knew Miss Granger was going to go all gallant on us. But even in the event that Potter was not the possessor of the curse, there would be no way for anyone to extract the information without the Horcrux which would be sent directly to the Dark Lord as soon as the curse was complete.”

“Wait,” Draco looked around. “So you’re saying we don’t have the Horcrux?”

“Correct,” Lupin said heavily. “We have not been able to locate it and were unaware of its whereabouts until Severus enlightened us.”

Draco leaned back, working through this newfound information. So the curse would have given Hermione all of Voldemort’s deepest secrets but her secrets would be locked away inside the Horcrux along with her eyesight and memory. But she had her memory… Then again, the curse was also supposed to cripple her and he assumed that he had been at the receiving end of that particular part. Had his involvement messed up the curse? Had he intercepted it before it was able to wreak its havoc on Hermione?

“Draco, your interception saved Hermione as well as the rest of us,” Lupin said. “Not only did you save her memory, but you were able to break into the spell before the link Voldemort would have had on her was made. If he had taken her, he would have been in possession of one of our strongest pawns. He could have sent her back to us and no one would have thought the wiser. He could have destroyed us from the inside. He could have had Hermione on his side and we all know what that might have done,” he smiled a little. “She’s a very powerful witch. With the wrong influence, the two of them could have ripped the Order to shreds.”

“Bully for me,” Draco said. “But why are you telling me this?”

Snape stood. “Draco, somewhere inside of Miss Granger is that information. Until yesterday, the Dark Lord was unaware of what happened that day. He received an empty Horcrux and the realization that somewhere, someone had the ability to bring him down. He was on his way to infiltrate when you gave them the information they needed.”

“What?” he said. “I never said anything!” Did they think he was a traitor? He had helped them, for fuck’s sake!

“Not on purpose,” Lupin hurriedly assured him. “When you warned us that the impersonator was not blind, Voldemort knew that the person he was looking for was the one person he was using to get the information. He now knows that Hermione has that information and that you are the one who intercepted the curse. There is a chance that you might have that information as well. We just don’t know enough at this point.”

Fuck.

Hermione had the ability to bring down the Dark Lord locked away inside of her, somewhere they couldn’t unlock without that Horcrux. Voldemort would do anything to get at her. Hermione was now the ultimate weapon. His Hermione.

And he had led them straight to her.

********************************************************************

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this took so FREAKING long! But here it is. I know this might be really confusing, so if at any point you need a little clarification, let me know! Next chapter will be up soon and I think you’ll like it. :)

Love you all! Thank you so much for your patience!

XOXO

RynStar15

P.S. Find me on LiveJournal under the same name!