Penance

A/N: Possible tissue alert.

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Hermione felt his presence, like a plague. She knew Draco had no idea of their new arrival as he was unconscious, one arm flung unceremoniously over her waist. She moved slowly so as not to disturb him. Her eyes met those of the cold grey ones above her. Clutching the blanket Draco had wrapped around her to her chest, she stood, making sure none of her movements jostled Draco and woke him. He slept on, unaware of the danger.

“Surprised to see me?” Lucius drawled quietly. Hermione was thankful.

“Simply how long it took you,” she answered, equally as quiet.

“I had other things to attend to. Do you plan on coming quietly? Or shall I have to wake my son for further incitement?”

“No. Allow me a minute to make myself presentable,” she bid him in undertones.

“One.”

Her eyes on the tall, steely man she moved to the bathroom to don her clothes. Clutching her wand in her pocket, she strode out to meet him. With a glance to the still sleeping form of her lover, she stepped up to Lucius. She allowed him to grasp her arm and, with eyes on the naked blonde form sprawled on the bed, they disappeared into the night.

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Draco woke slowly, his heart content. He had found Hermione cowering in the shower and had loved her. He’d felt the connection, knew she felt it. She hadn’t fought him, but embraced him. He’d finally gotten through to her.

Yesterday, when they’d noticed her missing, he’d panicked. He’d thrown a fit worthy of a four-year-old and torn the Den and Hogwarts apart. He’d gone to the Minister, had a search begun. He’d gone berserk until Ginny had slowed him down, asked him where she would go and he knew. He’d gone to her. He’d seen the bags and boxes, everything in neat order. His Hermione. He’d heard the shower and his heart had broken, seeing her thus. She looked defeated. So he’d taken her in his arms and shown her they hadn’t lost yet. He wasn’t going to give up. He would never give up. Not on her. They would keep at it, keep battling this curse. It wouldn’t take her, not his Hermione. He couldn’t lose her again. So he opened his eyes to the weak moonlight streaming in from the one window her tiny apartment held. And nothing else. Grinning, he rolled onto his back and saw the bathroom door cracked open. He rolled to his feet and sauntered, naked, to the bathroom. He opened the door the rest of the way, his grin fading. Her clothes were gone. She’d gotten dressed so she had probably gone down to the market or the office.

He knew even as he said the words that he was lying to himself. His heart turned to ice as he moved back into the main room and smelled something else, something familiar. He looked to the floor and something long and silvery white glinted up at him. He picked up the strand of hair and knew it had been purposefully dropped.

His father had Hermione.

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Hermione held her ground, the crystal glass in her hand, untouched.

“Come, Miss Granger. A little liquid courage might do you some good,” Lucius said with a sneer, bringing his own amber liquid to his lips.

“I don’t need any,” she said, setting the glass on a side table with a snap. His sneer faltered and he set down his own glass.

“Indeed. Are you ready to talk?”

“Depends on what you’re wagering.”

“I don’t wager, Miss Granger.”

“You will. I know what you want, I know what you did. You know that you’ll never get what you’re looking for without me. Too bad I don’t relieve that sort of information for free. Give me what I want, and I’ll do the same for you.”

“What makes you think that I won’t just kill you if you don’t do as I say?” he drawled, twirling his wand in his long fingers.

“Because then you’ll never know where he is.”

“You aren’t in the position to make demands, my sweet.”

“But I will. Or you won’t get what you want.”

“Do you want to bet my son’s life on that?”

“He’s not a part of the bargain.”

“Oh, really? Well, we’ll just see about that-,”

Hermione leapt forward, flicking her wand. Lucius cried out as angry boils erupted on his wand hand, causing him to drop his wand.

“Accio wand!” she cried, the black wood flying straight into her hand. “Leave him be. This has nothing to do with him. If you want that child you go by my rules because I will die before telling you if you hurt Draco!”

“What is it you want, girl?” he snarled, grasping his burning hand.

“Get your master out of Harry.”

Lucius smiled, an evil, twisted look. “I see. I believe something can be arranged. You bring him to me and I will do as you ask. But then you must give me what I want.”

“Deal.”

He stepped forward, closing the distance between them. “We shall make a wizard’s deal, my dear.”

Hermione knew what that meant. If one of them did not fulfill their promise they would die. Hermione was already on her way, what did a couple days difference make?

“Alright.”

“I’ll need my wand to perform it.”

Hermione handed it over silently, feeling like she was somehow selling her soul to the devil. He took her hand and she worked her throat so she wouldn’t be sick. He slit her hand with an invisible knife and did the same to his. He conjured a rope and they dripped their blood onto it.

“Make your promise,” he said.

“”I promise to reveal the information about the whereabouts of our child if you promise to remove Voldemort from Harry.”

“I promise to remove the Dark Lord from Harry Potter if you promise to tell me where our child is.”

The rope then twisted its way around their connected hands, tighter, tighter until it disappeared into this air, a soft hum flowing up her arm.

“It is done. You have one hour to retrieve Harry.”

“Then I will see you in one hour.”

Hermione aparated on the spot, landing on the floor of the Den. She ran to the empty kitchen and jumped into the fireplace, floo powder in hand. Screaming for Hogwarts, she toppled back out of the fireplace and onto the floor of the Headmistress’ office.

“Hermione! Thank Merlin!”

Draco, white faced and terrified looking ran to her and enveloped her in his embrace. She held onto him hard, taking the comfort he offered. He stroked her hair and she could feel him trembling.

“You can’t keep doing this to me,” he murmured. “I’m going out of my mind. No more disappearing, alright?”

She nodded against his shoulder, breathing in his scent. It gave her strength.

“Where were you?” he asked. She slid slowly out of his grasp, looking around at the relieved faces in the room. Ginny, McGonagall and Kingsley all looked at her.

“Well?” Draco prompted.

“I was with your father,” she answered softly.

“What? I knew that fucking bastard took you! Are you alright?” Draco thundered, taking her shoulders in his hands, his stormy grey eyes travelling her body as if looking for scratches. “How did you get away?”

“I’m fine, Draco. He didn’t hurt me.”

“Hermione, what’s going on?” Ginny asked.

“It’s hard to explain, I don’t have much time…”

“What do you mean?” Draco asked, his features drawn, confused. He looked older than he should.

“I mean that I only have an hour to get Harry and get back to the Malfoy Manor,” she said calmly, watching Draco’s eyes. At first they widened in shock, then hardened in anger.

“What are you talking about?”

She heard McGonagall in the background (“That’s absurd!”) but she kept her eyes on Draco. She had to make him understand.

“We made a deal.”

“Then break it!” he yelled, throwing his arms in the air as if there was no other option.

“I can’t.”

He stared at her for a second before grabbing her right hand. He cursed loudly seeing the still oozing gash which throbbed on her palm and the light blue ribbon of light on her wrist which would stay there until she fulfilled her end of the bargain.

“Have you gone mad?” he roared. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“I didn’t have a choice!” she screamed back, tears welling in her eyes. “It was the only way to keep you safe, it was the only way to save Harry!”

“And what do you have to do, huh? What’s the deal?”

He looked so angry, so hurt that it killed Hermione to tell him what she knew she must. She had hoped to keep this from them forever, but she couldn’t lie anymore. She wouldn’t.

“He’ll extract Voldemort from Harry if I tell him where his son is.”

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Draco’s mind went white. He couldn’t think, he couldn’t breathe. She just stood there, looking up at him with her big chocolate eyes swimming in tears telling him that his father had another child. With her. She’d given birth to his father’s child, a product of rape. The love of his life had been raped and impregnated by his father. He had a brother.

Draco brought a shaky hand to his face, scrubbed it as Ginny sank onto a chair, hands over her mouth. McGonagall clutched the desk so hard her knuckles went white and her lips disappeared into her face while Kingsley’s face hardened into granite. Draco saw none of this, only Hermione.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Draco’s hands clasped behind his head. He felt as if he didn’t hang on he was going to burst into a million pieces. His world was falling apart around him. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he finally ground out.

“I didn’t want anyone to know.”

His mind was spinning in a thousand different directions.

“Where is he?” he asked shakily. He didn’t know why this was more important than any of his other questions like how she’d gone through the pregnancy alone, how she’d taken care of a child alone, how she hadn’t told him, how she could have kept this from him. But somehow, he needed to know where Lucius’ bastard son was, his brother. Birthed by his lover.

“Somewhere no one can hurt him,” she said so quietly he almost didn’t catch it. A tear leaked out of the corner of her left eye, another following quickly on its heels. He felt his own tears tickling at the edges of his eyes as he imagined her giving birth by herself, no one there to help her, in some dirty alley to a child she never wanted. He could only imagine her pain, her loneliness. He knew now why she hadn’t come back, why she’d stayed away and it broke his heart. He closed the distance between them and grabbed her, yanking her roughly against him as the tears fell. He clutched her, harder than he should; trying to make up for those years of pain she’d endured. He couldn’t stop shaking, images flashing through his mind of her belly rounded with child, with his fathers child and he felt ill.

“I’m so sorry, Draco,” she whispered into his ear, her voice breaking. “I should have told you but I couldn’t-,”

“Stop. Stop.” He couldn’t hear more, he couldn’t take it. The reality of the situation cut him into a thousand knives. She was giving up her child for Potter. He could only imagine the torment she was going through. He knew she would love the child no matter what.

“Draco,” Hermione said. “I don’t have much time.”

He drew away, his hands clutching her face, his thumbs stroking away her tears. He nodded and she leaned up to kiss him, their lips salty and wet. He held on for as long as he dared and then released her. She slipped out of his grasp and backed away towards the door. She turned and left, quickly. Draco followed her, ignoring Ginny’s yell. He ran after her as she sprinted down the corridors, one hand grasping her cursed stomach.

“Hermione, wait!” he called, but she didn’t stop. He cursed at her speed and pumped his long legs faster, finally overtaking her in the Charms corridor. He stopped in front of her, causing her to grind to a halt. He grabbed her as she tried to wrench away.

“Hermione, listen to me!”

“Draco, just let me go!” she cried, the tears rampant now.

“No, I won’t. Look at me!” he shook her until her eyes met his.

“I don’t fucking care that you have a child, I don’t care that it’s my father’s. What happened is in the past, it belongs there. It doesn’t change the way I feel about you.” She blanched as his grip tightened. “Hermione, I love you. No matter what happens, you’re not alone anymore. I promise, you’ll never be alone again. I’ve loved you for years, nothing can stop me now. I’ll take care of the child; I’ll take care of you. You can’t go back to that bastard, we’ll figure out another way-,”

“There isn’t any! I made my promise, I made the deal. This is the only way to save Harry. I’m sorry.”

She made to pull away from him but he held strong. “Then I’m going with you.”

“No! I made this deal so you wouldn’t be dragged into it! I’ve worked so hard for this, don’t fuck it up now with your hero complex! Draco, I’m as good as dead anyways, it doesn’t matter if I die now or a week from now, either way, I don’t have much longer. You’re in love with a walking corpse.”

“I’m not giving up on you, so you can’t either.”

“Draco, there’s nothing to give up on! This is it! The curse will run its course and I would rather die on my own terms than the curse’s. Please, understand.” Her voice broke but she went on. “I have to do this. I left my best friend to rot in a cell for two years. I’m going to do what I can. If you love me…if you love me you’ll let me go.”

Draco’s heart stuttered. “That’s not fair. You can’t say that to me. You can’t make me choose.”

“Then don’t. I’ve already chosen.”

Draco heard footsteps, knew the others were catching up. He grabbed Hermione and kissed her roughly. He had to trust her. Because he loved her, he would help her clear her conscious, because he knew she wouldn’t be able to live without doing this.

“I love you,” he growled. “Don’t make me lose you again.”

She pulled him along the corridor towards the hospital wing. Calling for the nurse, Hermione knelt next to an unconscious Potter.

“I need you to wake him,” Hermione to Madam Pomfrey when she joined them by the bed, wrapping a robe around herself.

“But he needs his rest-,”

“After tonight, he’ll be fine. Please, just get me the potion.”

At Hermione’s deadly tone, the ample woman hurried to the office as the others hurried in.

“Miss Granger, you can’t possibly be thinking about taking this boy to Lucius Malfoy!” McGonagall said, sounding harassed. “He is far too weak!”

“It’s the only way.”

“Hermione, no, this is mad! Draco, are you listening to this?” Ginny yelled, pulling at his heartstrings. Hermione looked at him with pleading eyes, begging him to take her side.

“Yeah. I am. She’s right; this may be our only chance to get Voldemort out of Harry. Maybe then we can kill him.”

“I won’t allow it-,” McGonagall started but was stopped by Kingsley who placed a large hand on her shoulder. He said nothing, but Kingsley didn’t need words. He looked at Hermione who nodded. He was submitting, just as Draco was. They trusted her, but they hated it.

Madam Pomfrey snuck past them and poured the potion into Harry’s mouth. He coughed, choking on the liquid before swallowing. He woke suddenly with a gasp and Hermione leaned over him, her hand on his face.

“Harry? Can you hear me?”

Harry nodded, his hand coming up to cup hers.

“Hermione…I can still feel him…”

“I know, love, but you won’t have to anymore. Do you trust me?”

“With my life, Hermione. You know that.”

“Then you have to come with me. Alright? I know it will see odd, but it will all work out, I swear. We’re going to get him out of you.”

He nodded. “I’m really weak, Hermione. I don’t know how much I can-,”

“You won’t have to do anything. But we have to hurry.”

He sat up shakily and Hermione helped to pull him up. Draco hurried forward with Kingsley and together they hefted the boy from the bed. He was so light, so thin and weak. Draco could feel the bones in his arm as he wrapped one around his shoulder, his other hand holding his skeletal side. Potter had always been gangly, but this was bad. Draco knew he would die soon if this didn’t work. Together, he and Kingsley walked him outside to the apparition point outside. Hermione took Kingsley’s side and nodded to Draco.

“I’ll see you in a bit. I can take him now.”

Draco relented and let go of Potter, making sure he could hold his weight. Potter nodded his thanks and Hermione smiled weakly at Ginny. Then she turned her eyes on Draco’s one last time. She looked away and turned. Draco leapt then, catching hold of Potter and felt the sucking that told him he had jumped on her apparition. When they landed, they overbalanced, falling into a heap on the ground.

“Draco, no! What are you doing? Go back! Please!”

“Yes, Draco. You really shouldn’t invite yourself when you aren’t wanted. It’s rude. Didn’t I teach you anything?”

“Not anything worth learning,” Draco growled and stood, facing his father for the first time since Hermione had told him about the rape.

“Hello, father. I believe we have a few things to discuss.”

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A/N: Wrapping up here. Just a few more chapters. Let me know how you’re liking it and check out my new story, Haunted!

XOXO

RynStar15