Burn it to the Ground

Authors Notes: Ah-ha! I bet you thought I was gone forever, never to return with an update. Well, here I am, back in action. I'm ready for some juicy new chapters for this story, were approaching that H/Hr/D triangle. Oh me oh my. This one is pretty long, enjoy. Thanks for all the reviews.


Chapter 5: Potter Is Waiting For You


Hermione stepped towards the door but paused and thought better than to open it. She knew it was a bad idea. Every fear, every emotion, every piece of her soul should be running rampant inside of her, but she stood cold and unmoved to the sound of the voice through the door.
“What do you want Malfoy” Her voice remained low, but she knew he could hear her through the thick wood of the old oak door.


“I want you to tell me what happened Granger. Meet me tonight in the garden.” his voice was a low whisper but there was a certain strain he put behind his words. He put his hand against the old wood and waited. He could feel her pause, her indecisiveness.


What happened to you...


“There is nothing to tell Malfoy.” her voice was still numb and distant. A shuffle could be heard from the other side of the door and she look down to see the shadow under the door move slightly. Was he nervous? What was he doing?

“Then prove it. Meet me at midnight, I'll be outside waiting.” She leaned against the door and he could feel her weight, sense her presence on the wood. Draco closed his eyes and breathed out deeply and swept down the hallway as quickly as he had come before Potter caught him near her door. On the other side Hermione slowly slid down to the ground and breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes weighed heavy, all of her clothes still muddy from the burrow. She found herself drifting off against the door with one last thought.


He was gone.

A loud crash woke Hermione with a start, her back ached against the cold surface of the door. Voices carried to the top of the steps and all the way down the hallway. Her mind felt foggy but as her brian started sending alarms at the familiarity of the voices she shot up and struggled with the door handle. Her legs felt like jello as she clumsily ran down the stairs, still in a state of disarray. She stopped dead in her tracks at the bottom of the stairs, no one seemed to notice her right away.


Harry was leaned against the wall near the kitchen, head tucked near his chest in deep thought, Draco not far off in the background standing behind him in the shadows of the dark kitchen. “What do you mean they think we've taken him? Now Lucius and the whole lot of them will be on the hunt for him!” Lupin paced frantically on the foyer. A bloody and disheveled Severus Snape was the first to notice her as his eyes peeled up from Remus to gaze at her momentarily.


“I came to deliver this message, I don't know if I shall be returning, for everyones safety. I refuse to reveal to them that Draco has taken refuge here, we don't know the outcome of this fight, His alleged allegiance to them may prove useful. I'm afraid my loyalties have been questioned. I must go.” Snape glanced at her one more time, and for a moment, she saw a hint of remorse in his eyes. “Severus, this is preposterous, were leaving these kids to do this on their own! We need more information!” Lupin raised his voice.


“Let him go.” Harry's voice was low and dangerous. “We're not kids anymore Remus. Malfoy stays, it's late, once everyone can regroup in the morning we can talk about where this is going to go. Where we are going to go. Snape has done everything he can.” Harry raised his head to meet eyes with his former teacher, his fathers former enemy, his mothers friend. A look of understanding crossed between the two, and he was gone. Nothing but smoke as he apparated from Grimmwald Place.

Remus let out a heavy sigh and climbed the landing without even glancing or saying a word to a dirty and mussed Hermione. His will gone, his mind tired from the short discussion. She looked down to see that Draco was no longer standing behind Harry, but had disappeared into the shadows of the house. His godfathers admission making it near impossible for him to stay around. She was sure he was going somewhere dark, somewhere to think. She could respect that.


Harry looked up at her and Hermione couldn't help but feel the gripping at her chest. She felt it, as tiny as it was, it was feeling. A moment of silence crossed between the two of them. Ron wasn't there with them. Something about it all just didn't feel right. They had all grown so close, hunting the horcruxes, living on minimum means, taking everything day by day. Personal space and boundaries had little or no meaning in times of war, that much Hermione knew.

Harry stepped toward her first, his move was cautious, as if he didn't want to scare her away. “Hey, I figured you were sleeping. It's already ten thirty and you haven't even changed, Come on, lets go upstairs and get you cleaned up.” He took another step towards her but Hermione instinctively stepped back up a stair, nearly tripping in the process.


He stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes held a pain that she couldn't quite comprehend. They were missing a piece of themselves. She held her breath and took a step forward and grabbed his hand and the tension in his body fled and he visibly relaxed. She coaxed him with a tug on his fingers. “Come on.” she whispered.

They both walked slowly up to her room and shut the door quietly behind them. Little did they both know a pair of grey eyes watched them from the shadows.

Harry looked around the room and inhaled deeply. This room would forever be Hermione's room. The smell, the organized stacks of parchment and endless supply of research information that littered the room. He couldn't help but catch the scent of lingering smoke.


He knew she started indulging in that habit, but never brought it up. After everything he had put her though, everything she had been through for all of them, he never would question her. He shuffled to her dresser and riffled through her belongings and found a change of clothes for her while she rummaged through the laundry hamper for a clean towel.


“Can I sit with you?” Harry's voice was quiet and full of sorrow. She turned to see him with the articles of clothes in his hands looking lost without a sense of purpose. She hesitated, but then remembered who she was talking to. “No need to ask Harry.” she said. They both moved the adjoined bathroom and Harry did what he used to do while they were out in the wilderness. He turned towards the sink and looked down while Hermione moved around and prepared her shower.


She turned the water on as hot as it would go and looked over her shoulder to make sure Harry was turned away. She couldn't help but smile lightly as Harry played with invisible particles of the sinks surface so as to not look up and invade her privacy. She turned around and went to move into the shower.


Harry couldn't resist and glanced up and caught sight of her bare back and long legs. A heavy blush crept into his cheeks but he couldn't tear his eyes away. Along the sides of her inner thighs were tiny slices that covered the smooth pale surface. Her back was marred with fading welts and and large scars. A searing hot pain hit the inside of his heart as he placed his gaze back down and the shower curtain closed with a snap. He heard Hermione sigh in relief and he turned towards the shower and propped his hands behind him to support his weight on the vanity sinks surface. He waited a few minutes before he began to speak, soaking in the personal atmosphere of the situation.


“Hermione?” his voice was quiet against the pelting of water against tile. “Yes Harry?” Hermione called. There was another pause. “Please tell me what happened, I know you didn't tell Ron, somehow only Snape knows, please, talk to me.” His voice was begging in tone.


Tears welled up in her eyes and she slid to the shower floor, the tiles cold in comparison to the hot water. She chose her words carefully “One day Harry, I'll tell you. Today is not that day, I'm not ready. Please don't hold that against me.” she choked back a sob at her last sentence.


His anger began to overpower the situation “What did they do to you...what...what is that on your body...Hermione, I'll kill them, please, don't close up to me. Ron's gone, I need you, don't push away from me.” he raised his voice a few notches and Hermione closed her eyes at the vibrations it caused throughout the bathroom.


“Not today Harry.” she tried to make her voice as firm as possible and was met with a pregnant silence.

“Fine, I'm here, and I'll be waiting.” his voice lowered and Hermione visibly relaxed. Harry's next question left her in a state of shock though “Hermione, do you trust Malfoy?” she turned the water off and reached for the shower curtain and peeled it away to peek her face out to peer and Harry who looked at her expectantly. “Something happened to him to Harry” she said as she grabbed for the towel that Harry was holding towards her in his hands. “Terrible things have happened to all of us, and I think that Malfoy has seen those terrible things too.” Her voice began to trail off as she disappeared behind the curtain again to dry off.


“I read the prophet when we got back. His mom is dead.” Hermione froze at Harry's words and a slow realization began to creep into her blood. “I don't think he's here to help...them.” He sensed that she was getting ready to open the shower curtain and turned away to brace his arms back on the sink. She slowly stepped out of the shower and moved behind Harry to grab the pile of clothes he had grabbed for her out of the dresser.


His eyes moved to look up into the mirror and they both stared at one another for briefest of moments. The moment was only broken with her next words. “I don't think so either.” Harry's eyes moved back down and Hermione slowly slipped the towel off and turned around to dress away from her best friends gaze.


She knew Harry was stalling around her. He fumbled with this and that around her room while she tried to pick up a bit after exiting the bathroom. His nervous voice interjected the silence “Hermione, we need to leave soon, we're running out of time and we still haven't found all of them. Tomorrow morning we brief everyone on the research, or some of it. Then we need to start setting plans and putting them into action.” He said.


Hermione stopped what she was doing and glanced up at him, he looked terrible, they both did. She looked up at the clock at her bedside and it read eleven forty five. She knew that she had made up her mind to speak to Malfoy again. Deep in the darkness of the night he offered her a reminder of her pain, of feeling.


She walked towards Harry and touched his arm causing him to turn around quickly to face her. She looked up at him and wiped some of the sweat forming at his temple near the line of his glasses. “Go to bed Harry, you're worn out and need to sleep.” she whispered. “So do you, you know.” he mumbled.


She gave him a sad smile and pinched his right arm. “You know I have trouble sleeping.” she said. He nodded and broke the space in between them and hugged her tightly to him. She returned the hug instinctively as he bowed his head into her hair. “When you decide you can sleep, please come sleep with me. I can't stay in there by myself..with Ron being gone...it's not the same.” he whispered.


She nodded and sadly and broke the hug. “I'll be in later, now go to bed.” he nodded and headed for the door giving her one last look before he disappeared. Hermione waited for his footsteps to fade down the hallway and for the door at the end of the hall to close by the time she made a move to grab her cigarettes and leave the room to creep down the stairs.


She could see him before he could see her through the back door window. His hair was so very pale, even in the darkness. She opened the door slowly so as to not startle him. But Draco Malfoy really didn't seem like the easily startled type. So she wasn't surprised when he didn't make a move at the noise.


The backyard was very small with a sitting bench and a few flower boxes that had withered away from limited care. Draco Malfoy sat rigid on the bench as Hermione stopped near the other end that he was not occupying. He turned his body toward her in one fluid motion. His presence overwhelming even in the dark.


“I figured you weren't going to show, seeing as you had company.” His voice was drawled and lazy “Sit.” he motioned towards the other side of the bench and Hermione reluctantly sat neat the edge.


She handed him a smoke without a thought and one for herself and lit them up for each the both of them. She didn't skip a beat. “It's not what you think you know, our best friend just died.” she scoffed and leaned back into the cold wood. He didn't skip a beat either. “Tell me what my father did to you.” his voice was scratchy and worn.


“You're not the first person to ask me that tonight.” she whispered. “What are you on about Granger?” he said. “Nothing, It's none of your fucking business Malfoy.”


“I'm making it my business Granger, tell me.” she stood up abruptly and snubbed out her cigarette and in one fluid movement Malfoy did the same. His height almost intimidated her, almost. “Why didn't you tell me they killed your mother.” the words spewed from her mouth before she could take them back and she felt a tingle of regret fall down to the base of her spine.


He froze in place for a second before he grabbed by the waist before she knew and and pushed her violently into the fence hooking the right side of the bench. “Who told you that.” he whispered. “Who told you that!” This time he shouted, and she found her voice as quickly as she could. “The news, it's everywhere. Why are you here Malfoy?” she could feel his breath on her face, and she could feel her own breath quickening.


“I want in, whatever you guys have going on here, I want to do whatever it takes to kill this fucker and if teaming up with you people means accomplishing this, so be it.” his words were laced with venom but sounded honest, or as honest as any Malfoy could sound.


She thought carefully before she spoke“There's a meeting tomorrow, we're regrouping, if Harry says yes, we can brief you.” she raised her eyes to his.
The pain that his stormy eyes shone almost took Hermione aback.

He has seen pain...pain that burns everything you know to the ground.

Without warning he pushed her harder against the fence and his lips crashed onto hers with such force she could taste the blood on her lips. Something inside of her that burned was brought out of her in seconds. All of the pain, the emotions she lacked and had numbed herself to burst forth as she returned his kiss violently. Why, she did not know, but she felt everything. There was nothing tender or soft about this kiss it reaped everything they both felt, everything they needed.


It was nothing like she has ever experienced before. His rough hands grabbed her leg roughly and brought it up near his slender hip as he shoved himself against her. Hermione gasped and felt panic slowly grip her as she gave into the ache inside of her and pushed back against him, but it was too late. Draco had felt her hesitate for that one second and pushed away from her using the rickety wood fence as leverage. He stood a few feet away from her staring and her with a look in his eyes she couldn't describe. His pale lips covered in her blood, but he made no move to wipe it away.


“Potters waiting for you. We'll be talking again soon Granger.” his voice was cold and full of malice.

She felt her emotions temper down again, pushed back into boxes within her soul that Draco Malfoy had brought out of her. She struggled to not let the tears escape her eyes, as she tried to find words for a rebuttal but was lost in the pain she felt. She brushed past him and he didn't make a move as she ran towards the door and slammed it behind her.


She ran towards the downstairs bathroom and shut the door more quietly. She looked at her reflection and was shocked. Her hair is a state of complete disarray, her eyes full of fear and shock, full of emotions. Her cheeks were bright and blood tainted her small mouth. She brought her fingers to her lips and touched her mouth and choked back a scream. She quickly turned on the tap and washed her mouth out with the warm water. She watched as the water turned red, to pink, to clear. She turned off the water as it slowed to a drip. She closed her eyes tightly.


Images flashed into her mind


Lucius was on top of her, his breath reeked of fire whiskey as she struggled against the chained bonds. Blood poured off of her small wrists and she could hear it hit the floor as she screamed over and over.

Drip

Drip

Drip

Her eyes snapped open.


Get it together Hermione. Go to bed.

After steeling herself once again behind her walls and barriers she slowly opened the bathroom door with a creek. Her socked footsteps were heavy and automatic as she made her way to Harry and Ron's room. She stood outside of the door and shuffled uncomfortably.


Potter is waiting for you...

She pulled open the door without a second thought and crept quietly. Harry needed her, where Harry was, was where she would always belong. She closed the door quietly and padded softly towards his bed. She saw his form breathing heavily in the darkness and at first glance she thought she had not woken him. She made her way towards the twin bed across the room, but as she made her way over she saw Harry turn towards her and squint in the bleary fashion that he usually did without his glasses.

He instinctively pulled the covers up on his bed and motioned her over.

Hermione paused only for a second and looked over at the empty bed where Ron once lay. She moved back over to Harry's side of the room and crawled into bed with him, the covers warm from her best friends body heat. They faced each other eyes open. Nothing needed to be said, that was the one thing she loved about Harry, there was never need for words. He gripped her fingers lightly and closed his eyes slowly. Hermione watched him for a few moments before closing her eyes and forcing darkness upon herself.


Outside Draco still stood in place, much time had passed, but he remained. Completely unmoving, still and silent. He slowly closed his eyes and licked his lips, tasting what he could believe was life, for the first time in years.


Authors Notes: Hope you guys liked it, It's starting to get quite sticky for our three lovely characters. Reviews are welcome.