Blood Ties

A/N: Next one up kiddies. It's hard to believe that there are only four chapters left. I will miss posting this story when it's done...

Chapter 44

"What do you mean, we're going in tonight?" Kingsley asked.

"Just what I said," Dumbledore elaborated. "Draco will lower the wards and we will surprise them. I expect to pick off a good many of them before they even realize what is happening."

"Is that a good idea Dumbledore?" Remus asked, his eyes flickering over Draco and then herself. "Are you sure that it isn't a trap? Are you sure that we can trust him?"

Hermione locked eyes with her former mentor. He knew what they were. He knew by their scent. They couldn't hide their true nature from him. It hurt to see the distrust in his eyes.

"Draco has proven himself more than loyal over the last year, Remus," Dumbledore assured. "He has worked out a way to get Lucius out of the picture so that he can lower the wards and no one be the wiser."

"But surely you aren't going to let them fight?" Molly asked, gesturing to her, Draco, and Harry. "They are just children."

"They're not all children, Molly," Remus muttered, his eyes flitting ever her and Draco once more.

"Go ahead, Remus," she challenged. "You might as well tell them what we are."

Molly sat staring at them. "And what would that be, dearie?" she asked. "You're nothing more than students. You shouldn't be fighting at all."

"They're vampires, Molly. Her and Draco both." Remus bit out between clenched teeth.

He looked like he was ready to attack them. She knew that werewolves and vampires were natural enemies but she didn't feel the urge to attack her onetime professor. She'd thought that they'd been friends.

"Vampires?" Molly shrilled. "But I've seen you out and about during the daytime. How did this happen?"

"It's a long story," Hermione said wearily. "And one that I don't want to get into right now. We're not any different than we used to be. Needless to say, we're going to fight. We are a great deal more durable than you lot."

"You don't eat," Remus growled. "You drink blood to survive."

"But we don't kill," she argued. "I've never taken a life and neither has Draco."

"And what about Harry?" Molly asked, bringing them back to the subject at hand. "He should stay here. He's just a boy."

"Molly," Dumbledore reasoned. "We've known for a long time that this was coming. We knew it was going to happen. Now all that's left to be done is to finish it. We can finish this tonight. No more hiding, no more evil. Harry deserves to live a normal life, without the threat of some madman hanging over his head. So we will do this. We will help him finish it."

Molly didn't voice her fears. What if he didn't live to see all those good things? Luckily they had a contingency plan. One that they certainly didn't know about.

Hermione reached out and squeezed Harry's hand and he squeezed back before he stood and faced the order.

"I'm ready," he announced. "I know that you care about me Mrs. Weasley and I appreciate it. But I know that this has to be done. It won't work if I don't go. The only thing that I can ask is for you to hold them off for as long as you can. I can't face him and try to watch for the others as well."

"You know that we'll do our best," Arthur replied.

"And that's all I can ask," Harry said. "But I'm ready. I'm ready to be done with this reign of darkness. I'm ready to have some kind of normality back in the world even if I don't survive to see it."

Hermione blinked her eyes as they stung, her vision becoming slightly red from the blood in her tears. She knew that Harry would survive but as what. That was the question.

End Note: So, little bit short but keeping in the theme of this being a drabble fic. I'm thinking of doing another prompt challenge next year. Would you all be interested in giving me prompts and I write little vingettes using your words or phrases? That's how this story and two others that I've posted came about. Let me know and I'll start planning when I can begin. Do drop me a line. I love to hear your thoughts.