Penance

Tissue Alert

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Hermione watched in horror as Draco faced his father. She knew Draco, knew how volatile he was, what he could do. But she also knew Lucius and how sick and twisted and demented he was.

“Draco, please, just go back. This isn’t your fight!” she plead. She would beg, she would get down on her knees if she had to, anything to get him out of here.

“It is now.”

She could see the hardness of his stormy eyes, could feel the power radiating off of him as he walked towards his father. Hermione clutched Harry to her who was shivering, his weak body trying to hold out.

They dueled. She screamed when Lucius sent the first killer his way but Draco dodged it easily. There were hardly any words, a silent battle of wills. Flashes of light swirled around them, bouncing off of quickly erected shields and smashing into windows, tapestries, a couch. Hermione put out a fire and pulled Harry to the side. She bent over him, one eye on the blonde battle before her.

“Harry, are you listening?”

“Yes…Hermione…please…”

“I know Harry, it’ll be real soon. Please, just hold on for a few more minutes, alright? This will work, I swear. Just think of me, think of Ginny. We love you, we all love you. Think of what your mum and dad gave for you to be here. You can be strong. I won’t be far, alright? Just stay here, stay where it’s safe.”

She could see that Harry was fighting his own inner war and wished she could help him. Laying a quick kiss on his forehead she entered the fray.

Death Eater swarmed from the two sets of doors leading into the parlor. Hermione threw up a quick barrier to stem the flood and stunned one headed towards Draco. She felt herself flying through the air and hit the ground with a thud. She rolled, missing a spell and bounded to her feet, an Impediment Jinx on her lips. The Death Eater fell back, taking out a smaller one and Hermione wrapped them together with cords while ducking another spell. Hermione was hit in the back with a Stinging Hex and fell to her knees. She set the nearest Death Eater on fire and threw him into the crowd still stuck at the door. Hermione couldn’t understand it, why were they hitting her with meaningless spells? She never known a single one to take pity and now they were hitting her with a Stinging Hex? It didn’t make sense.

Hermione spared a glance at Draco and saw he was holding his own. He was on a coffee table, dueling Lucius back into a corner, yelling something. She could see the thirst for revenge in his eyes and knew she had to get to him before he killed the man. She needed Lucius.

Leaping over a toppled table Hermione cast a powerful protection spell against Harry and Disillusioned him while running for the two Malfoys. Lucius fell to his knees and Draco bombarded him with spells.

“Draco, no!” she screamed, throwing back two Death Eaters who had broken down her barrier. It was then she realized that Lucius didn’t want her dead anymore than she wanted him. They needed what only the other could bring them.

“Draco, stop! Stop it!” she cried, flinging herself in front of him. She wrapped her body around his and could feel the anger, the rage that filled him. Pressing her lips to his ear she spoke to him.

“Draco, please. I need him he’s the only one who can save Harry. Don’t kill him, not yet. I know you’re angry, but understand. We might never have been together if he hadn’t done what he did. I would do it all over again if I had to just so I would end up right back here. I love you, Draco. Please, don’t do this. Not because of me.”

She could feel his body stiffen, then relax. His left arm came around her, holding her to him while he lowered his right.

“She just saved your worthless life,” he growled, the rumble in his chest a comforting song. “But not for long. If you ever touch her again, ever look at her or think her name after this deal is over, I will kill you. I will slaughter you and make you pay. You taught me some things, father, and I will show you what it is to be a Malfoy. Nothing you will say or do will matter. You will be begging for mercy.”

Lucius laughed and Hermione turned to him. “Do you really think I intend to let you live that long?”

“Lucius, we made a deal,” Hermione said in a steely voice. “Now perform your end of the bargain.”

“Tell me where my son is.”

“Not until you free Harry of that bastard.”

Lucius looked up at them and stood. “Come, my dear. Let us settle this.”

Hermione pulled away from Draco and started towards Harry. Then Lucius turned on Draco, moving fast, faster than Hermione. She screamed and Draco raised his wand, but it was too late. Lucius bellowed the curse as Hermione threw Draco back with the most powerful spell she could, watching him crash into the wall. She couldn’t tell if the green flash had hit him, she couldn’t tell. He lay there, facedown, still. His face was away from her. She was screaming, trying to get to him but she was grabbed roughly, whipped around. She looked into the eyes that had haunted her dreams and she turned into a madwoman. She hit and kicked until he slapped her so hard her legs gave out. He wrenched her against his tall length and brought her face to his.

“Look at me!” he spat.

“I’ll kill you!” she screamed. “I told you you weren’t to hurt him!”

“We never put it in our agreement, my dear, now stop your pathetic rambling, it is your own fault he is dead!”

She spat in his face as she had before and tugged herself away from him, her wand trained on his stature.

“Uphold the deal, now,” she said, her voice deadly calm. He wiped the spittle from his cheek and reached out, grabbing her hair tightly in his grasp.

“I am sick of your foolish behavior,” he stated, throwing her to the ground. She was soon writhing in agony under the Cruciatus Curse. When it lifted she pushed herself up to her elbows, breathing hard, the pain nearly unbearable.

“Are you ready to behave?” he asked, his wand still trained on her. She glared up at him and reached for her wand which had clattered to the floor during her attack. The wood sped from her fingertips into Lucius’ hand and she scurried back towards Harry. She couldn’t defend them; the only thing keeping any of them alive was the deal. She could feel the burning on her wrist indicating that the deal had not yet been satisfied and she knew it would only increase the longer they stalled. She also knew that Harry was slowly fading away.

“Where is Potter?” Lucius asked. Hermione held out her hand for her wand.

“I Disillusioned him. I’ll need my wand to lift the spell.”

He grinned. “I believe I can do that. Finite Incatatum!”

Harry appeared beside her, his eyes at half mast, Hermione stroked his cheek. She could see the sweat springing up on his head, knew he was fighting Voldemort in his own body. His green eyes rolled.

“Unless you want a very angry master on your hands I suggest you do it now,” Hermione said. “He can’t hold him off much longer.”

Lucius sneered. “As you wish.”

It was then that Hermione knew she should not have made this bargain, but it was too late. Lucius trained his wand on Harry who jerked beneath her and for a moment Hermione though Lucius was killing him. Slowly, a black substance made its way out of Harry’s mouth, dripping red-black blood. It twisted and screamed and finally bobbed above Harry’s head who gave a great gasp and opened his huge green eyes.

“Harry!” Hermione cried, ecstatic. She went to throw her arms around him but was suddenly hit with a bucket of ice cold water. She watched in horror as the black essence surrounded her, enveloping her in cold and…evil…

She gasped, sucking in freezing air, not able to stop as the black smoke filled her, pulling itself into her body. She could hear screaming from far off, someone was calling her name. Then her ears were filled with a roar and pain as she’d never felt before consumed her, making the Cruciatus Curse seem like child’s play. She couldn’t scream, couldn’t yell. It filled her, that evil. And then she heard it.

We meet at last, my dear.

Voldemort. It didn’t come from next to her or in front of her. The voice came from inside her. Her mind whirled but was shrouded with that thick black smoke again. She couldn’t feel her body; all she could feel was that mind-numbing pain.

Calm yourself. You’ll get used to it in time, the cold voice laughed. She tried to push him back, push him away but he was too strong. She had forced Harry to do it, she could too.

Harry…Draco…

She thought of them, through of others. It was how she had forced Harry back. It was like swimming through thick tar. Voices came back but as if from over a vast ocean. Hermione…someone was saying her name. Yes, she was Hermione.

Not anymore. You are merely a repository for me. You are disposable, you are nothing. Your foul Mudblood cannot compare to me.

You’re only a half-blood! she snapped.

Do not mock me! he screamed. And then she was the one screaming. She felt it ripping from her lungs as the pain stabbed at her, killing her but not.

“Hermione!” someone was screaming. Draco, it was Draco. But it couldn’t be…he’d died…

Gods, Draco…she had to get back to him, get back to Harry. She had to keep them safe. She brought images of their faces to mind, picturing them, Ginny, the Weasleys. She thought of them, of her parents who had died to save her, had died in the hands of this specter who was stealing her body. She wouldn’t allow it. With an almighty yell, she pulled herself away from the black and into the light. She panted for air, filling her lungs with it and looked up into the sad grey eyes of her lover.

“Hermione, oh gods, Hermione…”

He was holding her, cradling her body to his. She could hear fighting, something was happening.

“Harry…where is he?” she asked, pulling away from Draco. Her movements were forced, difficult as she felt Voldemort pulling at her, tugging her back down.

Then she saw him, Harry, standing and fighting with Lucius. His weak body threw curse after curse with what she recognized as her wand.

“No,” she breathed. “Harry, no!”

This time, she screamed. He turned to her and was hit with a stunner. He fell back as Lucius leapt forward towards where she and Draco sat. Draco pulled her back, away from him and Hermione watched as Harry rolled over slowly onto his stomach, his hands pushing up from the floor. He was alright.

“Now keep your end of the bargain, girl!”

“Get away from her!” Draco screamed, pulling her back and up. Her knees gave out as the blackness swirled over her eyes. She could hear Voldemort calling to her, his voice quiet, she couldn’t hear the words. “You didn’t keep your end, why should she?”

“Fool! She said nothing about what to do with the Dark Lord when I was done, simply that I remove it from Mr. Potter. Am I right?”

Hermione nodded. Her wrist burned, she knew she had to keep the deal. She looked to Harry where he was standing.

“You’ll find him on the corner of Fifth and Harrison Street in Glencoe, Tennessee.”

Draco’s arms tightened around her as her legs gave out completely, her eyes closed. He wouldn’t be hers anymore. Her son would belong to someone else. They knew and Lucius would find him. With an evil grin Lucius yelled at the Death Eaters standing outside the parlor to keep an eye on them and vanished on the spot. Harry ran forward as Draco sat, bringing her slowly with him. Her body shook with the effort of keeping Voldemort at bay. He was pulling at her, telling her about all the horrible things she’d done, how she’d betrayed her friends. She didn’t deserve to live. She was scum. She knew it and now so did he.

“Don’t listen to him, Hermione,” Harry said, his face hovering above hers. “I know you’re listening to him, I know he’s pulling at you but you have to fight back. It’s lies, it’s all lies. Listen to me, your friend. I know you better than he does. You’re wonderful, Hermione. You saved me. You’ve saved me over and over through the years. Remember when you stayed up all night with me to teach me how to summon my broom? Remember how you walked with me to the tower in our first year to take Norbert to Charlie’s friends? Hermione, you were always there for me. You turned Rita Skeeter into a bug, you had my broom confiscated because you though Sirius had sent it to me. You were right, by the way.” He smiled at her and the blackness started to fade, Voldemort’s voice grew further away. Her stomach ached, but she could handle it, she could think. “Hermione, I love you, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had. Now fight it, fight him. I know you can.”

Hermione leaned back against Draco’s chest as Harry took her hand. Exhausted. She was so exhausted.

“Harry…”

“I’m here.”

“I need you to do it.”

“Do what?”

Hermione steeled herself. “Kill me. I need you to kill me and take this bastard with me.”

It was an explosion. Both men started yelling at the same time.

“Stop!” she said and panted. The black smoke was coming back. “I can’t hold him back much longer. Please, just do this last thing for me.”

“Hermione, no way. We’ll figure this out, we’ll save you-,”

“Harry, I’m dying anyways! I’ll be dead in a week no matter what you do. I’m ready, just do it.”

“Hermione, we’re not going to just kill you,” Draco said, stroking her hair. “You’re fine, we just need to get you back to Hogwarts…”

“Draco…please. No more. I can’t do it anymore. It’s only going to get worse. I don’t want to die in some hospital bed in so much pain I can’t think. I want to die here, with the two people I love most in this world on my own terms and taking out an evil bastard with me. Please, Harry…if you’re my friend-,”

“She pulled this one on me too,” Draco said, she could hear the smile in his face. “She told me if I loved her I would let her walk into Lucius’ trap by herself. Don’t let her fool you.”

“So…you guys…?”

“It’s a long story,” Draco said, placing a kiss on her sweaty forehead.

“Can we get back to the situation here?” Hermione asked, her head pounding. Things were starting to get…dizzy…

“Hermione, stay with us. I know it’s hard, but you’ve got to listen to me. Hold him back, just until we can get to the school. That potion Madam Pomfrey gave me is a miracle. You can get some rest, we’ll talk this over-,”

“No, Harry! No more. No more talking or debating. My choice is made. Harry, the prophecy said you were the only one with the power to kill him. You have to do it. You’re only saving me a world full of misery by taking me as well. Hurry and do it before Lucius gets back or these fools figure out how to get through my second barrier.”

The men were quiet and Hermione closed her eyes. She tried to focus on the good things she’d done and seen. She thought of making love to Draco and meeting Harry and Ron on the train. She thought about her first embarrassed conversation about sex with Ginny and snowball fights on Hogwarts grounds. She thought about Hagrid’s treacle fudge, Mrs. Weasley’s sweaters.

“Hermione, can you hear me?”

She nodded and nuzzled against Draco’s chest. His arms tightened and she looked up at him. His face was drawn, old.

“Hermione…are you sure about this?”

She reached up and felt his smooth cheek. She brushed back his soft blonde hair.

“I’m sure.”

Tears leaked out of his eyes and he pulled her tight against him. Hermione wrapped her arms around him, reveling in the feel of him, of love. He sobbed quietly and Hermione just held him.

“I love you,” she whispered. “Thank you for everything. Thank you for giving my life back. I swear I’ll wait for you this time,” she promised, referring to their very first kiss when he’d begged her to wait for him. She hadn’t, but now she would. She didn’t know where she would be going, but she would wait for Draco there. They’d be together again someday.

“I love you, I’ve always loved you,” he whispered back.

“We need to hurry,” Harry said in a rough voice. Hermione pulled back slightly and touched her lips to Draco’s one last time. One last kiss. She could taste the tears, the promises, the future she could have had. She could taste him. She turned to Harry and hugged him as well. They said their goodbyes.

“Will you hold me while it…while it happens?”

He nodded wordlessly and the two men passed a look between each other. Hermione turned to Harry.

“This is what I want. You’re not killing me, Harry. You’re releasing me. Thank you.”

She didn’t want him to spend the rest of his life hating himself. The tears stole down his face.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered.

With Draco at her back, her head resting against his shoulder she moved his arms to his sides and held his hands. She wanted Harry to have a good target. Taking a deep breath she said, “I’m ready,” and closed her eyes.

“Avada Kedavra!”

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XOXO

RynStar15