The Family Jewels

“Come not between the Dragon and his Wrath” – King Lear (I, 1)

Chapter 47
The Dragon’s Wrath

“Where the bloody hell have you been woman?” Ron asked his little sister, not bothering to hide his worry.

“With Harry,” Ginny sniffed.

“That’s all you have to say? With Harry?” Ron’s voice was getting louder.

“I had thought that you wouldn’t appreciate a rundown on how I expressed my love and concern for him tonight,” Ginny smiled a smug little smile at her older brother.

That made Ron think for a moment. “No, I don’t want a rundown, but you were gone for hours, no one had seen you, I was worried,” he finished quietly.

Ginny knew this was the truth, so she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, “I know Ron. But Harry has a lot to face, he needs me.”

“I know Ginny. But with Hermione being snatched out of the school, you have no idea what was going through my mind.” Ron lowered his blue eyes to hers, “Harry’s not the only one who loves you at this school, and he’s not the one who will answer to Molly Prewett Weasley if something happens to you.”

“What makes you think Mum wouldn’t lay into him if she felt he should have done something differently? She thinks of him as her eighth child, you know that,” Ginny said, smiling.

“Blimey, do you think I can start blaming things on him? She’d never be as hard on him as she is on me,” Ron started in an excited fashion.

“Ron,” Ginny warned.

“Oh right, well, I’m glad you’re safe, and just leave a note or something next time,” Ron said.

“I promise.” Ginny rolled her eyes at him, but she was glad that he had her back.

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Draco was on his broom high over the Quidditch pitch when he noticed a lone dark haired figure sitting in the Slytherin stands. He reversed direction and landed several rows away, getting off his broom and climbing up. He sat down and looked at his hands.

“I knew you’d be here,” Blaise said. “I’ll never forgive myself that I missed seeing you catch the Snitch out from under Potter’s nose.”

That got a smile from Draco. “I’ll never forgive myself for not understanding what you were trying to tell me at the match.”

“She was already gone at that point. We got her back, now we just need to finish it,” Blaise said, trying to get Draco to meet his eyes.

“Are we going to finish it Blaise?” Grey eyes did meet blue, and a silent pact was made between the two of them.

“Of course. We are Slytherins; we always get what we want in the end.” Blaise smiled a rather cruel smile.

“I’m scared, Blaise. I don’t want anything to happen to you or Hermione,” Draco said slowly.

“We stand together Draco. There is no one else I would rather go into battle with,” Blaise said grimly. “We should be getting back.”

Draco nodded, getting back on his broom. “I’ll be up to the castle in a few minutes.”

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The students who would be going on the mission that night were gathered in the Head common room for a final meal together. Hermione had been calling it The Last Supper in her own mind, but she knew most of the others there would not understand the reference. Harry, Draco, Blaise and Ron were all there. They hadn’t been sure if Ron was going to come with them, but in the end, they knew that he needed to be part of it. They had never faced Voldemort without him. As Harry had said with a very unamused laugh, “Don’t mess with success.” In truth, Hermione was glad that she was going with the four young men that meant the world to her. She was the glue that held them all together.

In the eyes of the wizarding world they were all adults, and Hermione had been deeply gratified that they had been treated as such in the planning meetings that had been held. Professor Snape, especially, had been very deferential to Harry’s opinion about their plans and assigned roles. The freedom of their world depended on a 17 year old boy, and he was stepping up to the task.

At the same time, Hermione was deeply afraid that she would make a mistake that would result in the death of one of them. She remembered Dumbledore’s words, “You must have faith, Miss Granger.”

Draco stood up and went to his bedroom to open the chest. He pulled out the Malfoy ring and stared at it for several long minutes. Finally, he shook his head to clear it and slipped the ring onto his left hand. He would need the ring to reset the wards on Malfoy Manor. He needed to steel himself for what they had planned to do now even more than for what came later. He walked out of his room and looked at the other four, just waiting for him. The other males were dressed all in black, as he was. Hermione was standing there in just a camisole and knickers, shifting uncomfortably back and forth.

“Draco, I am ready. Please let’s just get this over with,” Hermione said bravely, but she couldn’t help the small quiver that was present in her voice.

He walked over to her and silently gave her a tight hug. “I don’t like this plan,” he growled.

“We have to do this, Draco. It’s okay, really,” Hermione pulled back and waited.

“I can’t do it. Maybe someone else should,” Draco looked at the others, and they all shook their heads.

“No, mate, it has to be you. Your father will know,” Blaise said, trying to keep his voice expressionless.

Draco nodded, and whispered a numbing spell, while pointing his wand at Hermione. He reached forward and tore the camisole, exposing most of her left breast. “Please forgive me,” he whispered as he drew back his fist and punched her hard in the mouth. Her head whipped back from the blow and tears came to her eyes. Blood dripped from her mouth, and he hit her again in the eye. Immediately, the eye began to swell shut, but the bruising would come later, right now it was just an angry shade of red.

“Love, I’m so sorry, but right now you do look like you’ve spent two days in the company of my father,” Draco said. He looked to the others, “Let’s go.”

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Hermione was now covered in a black cloak, hood drawn up. Kingsley led her to the room in the safe house where Lucius was being held. Kingsley took her wand before he let her inside. Lucius was lying on his back on the bed, one hand thrown over his face. He obviously knew that someone had come in, but he refused to look at them.

“Lucius,” Hermione said. Her low voice asked for his attention.

Instantly, he was up off the bed and coming toward her. A gentle smile that might not have seen the light of day on his face in over ten years was on his face. “Hermione, angel, you’ve come to see me.” Lucius sounded touched.

Hermione reached up with a shaking hand and pulled the hood off. Her face had been deep in the shadows before; Lucius had recognized her voice. When he saw the swelling and bruising, the dried blood, fury took up residence in his ice cold grey eyes.

“Who did this to you, Hermione?” Lucius asked.

“Draco did this. Your son has decided that he doesn’t want me anymore now that you have had me,” Hermione said, meeting Lucius’ gaze head on. She knew he was a skilled Legimens, and she knew that he would see Draco tearing her clothes, and hitting her. “I have left him, and I wanted to be with you. If we turn Draco over to the Dark Lord tonight, we can go away and be together, just the two of us.”

Lucius couldn’t stop the love that was pounding in his heart now that she had made her wishes known. “Yes, darling, whatever you want.”

“Draco is at the Manor now, going through all your personal papers. Is the revel still set for midnight?” Hermione hoped adding a little fuel to the fire would cause Lucius to lose his temper.

“Yes, I believe it is. We should make sure that my worthless son gets what is coming to him,” Lucius said, eyeing her battered face.

“I managed to send the Aurors that were guarding you off on a wild goose chase with the added promise that I would make sure that you did not escape,” Hermione said.

“You always were a smart witch, darling. Have you removed the wards from this house? Can we Apparate from here?” he asked.

“Of course,” she said smugly, knowing that he would react to her arrogance.

He just nodded and put his arms around her. “Are you ready?” he asked. At her nod, he Side-Along Apparated them to the dungeons of Malfoy Manor.

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A/N – Thank you to all who have read and reviewed. More is coming.