Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Blood on the Ground	By : pepperdoc Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 15292 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Universe, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Draco stood in the interview room staring at the red-headed boy whose memory charm had just been removed. He noticed that a lot of the boy’s confidence was suddenly gone, and that he seemed to not understand where he was. There was a blankness about his face which told Draco that the boy had been at least partially Imperioed before coming to 12 Grimmauld Place. Draco knew the signs. There was a curious hollowness to everyone’s voices as the questioning continued.

“Ronald, how did you get information from Voldemort?” Kingsley asked severely.

“I was just given it.”

“What do you mean? Did you talk to him in person?”

“Yes. I was shown into the room and I told him I wanted Draco Malfoy dead in exchange for information. He told me it could be arranged, and I told him about the plans for Harry’s birthday. He told me it wasn’t enough for Malfoy to die, so I asked him what would be. He told me all the information I knew about everyone who is an Order Member would be enough.” Draco came to the realization that Ron’s face was changing. His hair seemed less red, too. His nose was shortening and the nostrils were flattening slightly. His eyes were becoming larger and- it seemed to Draco- older. His skin seemed darker and his freckles were disappearing as the boy spoke.

The Members gasped at the information, Draco along with them. But he realized suddenly that he was dreaming. “How much did you tell him?” Came from McGonagall’s surprised face.

“I told him where we all live and about the Headquarters,” His voice was becoming higher pitched and reedy. Suddenly he looked right at Draco and in his new form said, “Your life is mine to control. You know your village is lost; your family’s blood is on your hands. Nothing can be done but to accept defeat and grovel at my feet.”

At the end of this sentence, the statue given to him on his birthday by Hermione came from behind him and blew fire across the table at the stranger, and the figure which had once been Ron erupted into flames. The dragon turned its head to look at Draco and he spoke, “A wolf’s bane is not the same as a man’s shame. Beware the one who knows this. He will arrive tomorrow night.”

“Take care of your words when you’ve this company, Dreugan.” Came from the man on the back of the dragon, his accent thickly Scottish.

Draco woke with a start, the thunder in the hills against a pattering of rain and the occasional howl of his former Professor carried by the wind were not the only things he heard. Granger was breathing shakily next to him, as though she were frightened, she whispered his name in the dark. Just before he could ask her if she was alright, she asked him, “Can I come lay with you?”

As he wrapped his long arms around her, he put the dream to the back of his mind.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Hermione left the tent to speak with Lupin again and so Draco could put clothes on. Draco watched that perfect little ass leaving the tent with mild frustration. If only the wolf weren’t here… The dream occurred to him again. He needed to talk to her about it.

He began contemplating telling Lupin about it. If Greyback were coming to attack them- even injured- they would need the strength of Lupin’s dark side to be present. There was a great many things which Draco feared in this world, but the Dark werewolf was top of his list. He analyzed the message over again and wondered if it could possibly be any other wolf. He rejected the notion. The message seemed to be pointing him towards a werewolf which had not only accepted the dichotomy of the change, but perhaps had lost the split altogether. Only Greyback fit that bill.

He was buttoning his shirt when he heard a rustle in the bushes. The soft voice of Hermione he’d not been paying particular attention to was silenced by the noise, also. That meant that Lupin had tensed to protect them. Draco grabbed his wand and crouched next to the opening of the tent, prepared to attack if necessary. He pulled up his mental map of the campsite and guessed about where Hermione was based on her voice’s direction from a moment ago. He was prepared to jump out as soon as he felt he could get the jump on their attacker.

He heard a whisper and relaxed minutely when he heard his woman answer- challenging the newcomer for the password. He heard another whisper and the leaves surrounding them move as the newcomer entered their clearing. “Good morning, Mr. Potter,” He heard Lupin say, slightly louder than was needed. He mentally thanked the wolf for the courtesy and buttoned the last two buttons on his shirt before climbing out of the tent flap and back into the morning sunlight.

Harry stood there just letting go of Hermione from a hug as Draco stood. “Potter,” He sneered in greeting. “Learn how to aim a wand already.”

Harry stepped forward and offered Draco his hand. His face was serious and he answered, “I’d say you ought to pay more attention to your surroundings, but I feel right awful about hitting you.” Draco shook his hand. “I am sorry, mate.” Harry finished.

Draco shrugged and let himself smile. “No hard feelings, Potter. How are Arthur and Molly?”

Harry looked sadly away. “Heartbroken. Their son…” He sighed and seemed to shake himself. He pulled a container out of his bag and handed it to Draco with a lopsided grin, “From Molly for ya.”

Draco opened the container to find biscuits and mini pies. He grinned at Harry again. “Thanks.”

They cooked breakfast and made coffee before Draco finally figured out that he needed Harry to be there this evening also. He decided after breakfast would be a good time to talk about it.

They finished eating and he cleared his throat before speaking- reminding himself of Ron and wanting to punch himself. “We need to talk about some things.”

Hermione looked at him sharply and he nodded to her. “Harry, remember that statue Hermione got me for my birthday?”

He explained to them briefly what had been happening in his dreams. Hermione, being the type of girl she was, fetched the journal with the information in it in case he or she wanted to reference it.

“So for the past few nights it’s been the same message, Stay secret. Keep hidden. Your light will come unbidden. And last night after,” He had a near slip of the tongue but corrected it, “The storm, I had another dream. In this one,” He went over the dream in detail. Lupin frowned darkly at the first part of the dragon’s message. “I take it to mean that Greyback is coming looking for us.” He finished, aware that he had rarely spoken this much in either of the men’s presence.

Lupin picked up a rock and began messing with it in his hand as he thought. Harry leaned back in the grass, resting his weight on his hands and staring at the leaves surrounding them.

“So what changed before the dream changed?” Harry asked distantly.

Lupin answered before either Draco or Hermione could respond, “Snape came yesterday and the last thing he said was ‘Keep hidden’. The light that comes unbidden though…” He thought about it. Suddenly Draco found Lupin staring at him fiercely. “Did you…?” He asked. Draco nodded. Lupin smiled softly and told him, “Was he dream before or after that? And the truth this time.”

Draco thought about it for a second, “I said after, but I’m pretty sure it was before now that I think of it.” He glanced at Hermione and she was blushing profusely. Harry looked a little green.

“And we’re sure this is a prophetic dream?” Harry asked.

“They’ve been that way for the other dreams involving the dragon,” Draco answered. “I don’t think there’s much difference in this one, other than the guy calling me Dreugan. That was the only weird bit.”

“Dreugan is Gaelic for Dragon, Draco. He was calling you by your name, I think,” Hermione answered him.

“So the wolf is coming for a visit.” Lupin mused, leaning back. “I suppose we ought to prepare. Hermione, can I have another Wolf’s Bane potion?” She handed it to him after digging it out again. “Let’s get started.”

The rest of the day was spent rigging pressure traps around the easiest entry points. Hermione exhausted her travelling library trying to research possible defenses against werewolves and so began weaving nets for the traps at the request of Lupin. Harry and Draco took turns climbing trees for the nets to swing from.

By nightfall, Lupin’s condition was beginning to affect him and he was panting in pain. They ate light and waited for the moon to rise.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Draco lay on his back morosely staring at the reddening clouds above them, wondering about Ron’s decision to turn to the Dark. He tried and failed putting himself in the place of the ginger. He knew that Weasley had an inferiority complex, and maybe it had been exasperated by Draco’s friendship with the Weasleys, Granger, and of course Potter. But the Weasel never caught on that me and Harry had become friends… are we friends? Probably. He probably thought since I had taken his place, he would go off and take mine, or something retarded like that. He smirked to himself in the slowly reddening light.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ Flashback ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

-I told him where we all live and about the Headquarters, and then we talked about our resources. That man wanted to know so much for the life of Malfoy that I thought even Snake-Face thought him more important than anyone else.

-Were you tortured? Did he simply ask you and you answered?

-They used Crucio a few times when I first came in, because they thought I was there to kill them or something. But I wasn’t. They proved me honest before they led me to that place.

-What about after?

-Afterward they took me into a room with Greyback. He told me they had ordered him not to bite me. He told me he wouldn’t want me in their ranks either, since I’d turned to fast. And then he Crucioed me again just for the fun of it, I think. Then he cast Imperius on me. It was a wonderful feeling. Like flying. I don’t remember much of what happened until I was returned to the Burrow.

-Why? Why did you do this, son?

-Because you always left me behind. There was no way for me to ever succeed in your eyes. You left me behind for Malfoy, Hermione did too. I had no family left, no girlfriend. Only Harry was still my friend and even he was defending that Death Eater! Voldemort could give me what I wanted. He could make me important…

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ End Flashback ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Draco heard a distant howl and sat up, staring at Lupin’s face. The professor was smelling the air with his eyes half-lidded. He opened them fully to look at the sky and told them, “I’ll change shortly…” He had a deep frown on his face when he looked at Draco again.

“What is it?” Draco asked with concern.

“That’s not Greyback.” The professor told him.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

The pain had been unbearable.

His new father had warned him.

It didn’t help the pain go away. He was finally done with his transformation and there was a creak when his cage was opened.

He stood on his back legs and howled at the glowing sphere which allowed him to smell in colors and to see in shades of rage. It was a wonderful division. He no longer had to be ashamed of his emotions, he could attack and eat everyone he came across.

He sang a song of meat in his new throat.

There was someone he was supposed to find, his father reminded him in yips and growls. The one who stunk of deceit, who had stolen his life. Malfoy. He would be in his belly by the end of the night. He rubbed against the legs of the lady who had freed him and ran. He heard another howl in the distance and ran in that direction.

He never wanted to stop running.

He found His scent. It looped around trees and crossed streams, but the nose which came with this new body wouldn’t lose it. He bounded down and up through valley and over hill. There was a wood coming up, the scent was stronger.

He could smell Her. He wanted to tear off her face and leave her to change for her betrayal. And yet the color of her scent was the most lovely one he’d seen so far. He wanted to destroy it and roll in it to drown himself at the same time. He growled ferociously, the feeling of it rumbling through his chest was indescribable. He heard gasps of fear coming from the wood before him, a little inward.

His ears perked forward, and he understood exactly where they were from the sound. He stalked silently forward preparing himself to destroy them. The darkness intensified around him as he came under the tops of the trees, but he was made to hunt and it bothered him not. He crept forward, hearing everything around him. They were frozen in fear, and he drank their pheromones in like it was the finest wine. They would be his first kill and then he would kill without need. Forever.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

“What do you mean that isn’t Greyback?” Harry asked incredulously.

“That is not the sound of my maker. Exactly as I said.” Lupin said distractedly. He was grimacing in what appeared to be pain.

“Greyback is your maker?” Draco asked, shocked.

Lupin nodded at him and gripped his stomach, bending forward in his agony. His voice was becoming deeper and more animalistic as he answered, “Yes. The change comes soooon.” The end nearly a howl.

Draco was afraid. Lupin took his Wolfsbane, right? He wouldn’t hurt them. Right? He grabbed Hermione’s hand and stepped partially in front of her- between her and Lupin’s wavering form. She released his hand and he felt her small hand on his shoulder instead. He was grateful to have both hands free, and a sick wave of gratitude for her brilliance washed over him.

“You’ll be fine,” Lupin growled at them, while he seemed to be growing in front of them. His legs were changing as he knelt to the floor, gripping his face in his hands. His feet were becoming thinner and the heel was becoming elongated. His thighs thickened and his back arched as his shoulders began moving under the skin. There were sickening pops as his ribs broke and realigned. Draco began realizing that the hair on his head was spreading across the back of his neck, and the hands which covered his face were becoming more like claws as he watched. The clothes that Lupin was wearing had been stretching but in a moment of harsh tears and rips across his body, they came off in shreds around him.

Lupin lowered his hands to reveal an elongated snout and burning yellow eyes. Draco was relieved to see Lupin’s concern across his expression. Lupin threw back his head and howled, the sound terrifyingly beautiful to Draco’s ear, it seemed to call on some ancient wisdom within him that he needed to hunt down the creature who made it, but he easily ignored the feeling. Lupin stood still on all fours, looking at them, as though worried. Draco forced his body to relax, and tried to remember that this wolf was a man he respected greatly.

Hermione, from behind him, spoke in a wavering voice, “Professor?”

Lupin grinned and walked cautiously over to her. He affectionately rubbed his head on her leg as he passed. He went to Harry and strained his neck a bit to look the boy in the eye. He threw his head in the direction of where Harry was to hide, as though reminding them that they still had a plan to execute.

Draco and Hermione were to be sitting around the fire, pretending to know nothing of the ambush. Harry would be hiding in a tree near the entrance they most frequently used, at Lupin’s advice since the smell would be strongest there. Lupin and Harry were already masking their scent by using mud on their skin, and Lupin was running off to rub himself over again, since the change had probably released his scent anew. It would only take Lupin a second to return from the bank of the stream, and with his enhanced senses he would have plenty of time to return if the Wolf got there before him.

Draco sat and Hermione joined him, looking a bit shaken. He was sure his own face looked the same. It is a terrifying thing to see a man change into a wolf before you for the first time. He took her hand to comfort her and she smiled at him. He kissed her hand, as he had done countless times before when they had a moment to themselves, and Potter cleared his throat dramatically from behind them. Hermione rolled her eyes and flipped Potter the bird over her shoulder, causing a chuckle to come from a tree. A minute passed, and Draco was becoming anxious.

It was a couple more minutes of waiting before they heard a coming silence from beyond their camp. There was a sniffing noise. Hermione looked at him with wide, terrified eyes and a fierce protectiveness washed over him. He pulled his wand. There was a deep growl and both of them cried out in fear. He pulled her close to his chest and held his wand steady in front of them. They stayed frozen, listening for any movement around them.

Draco whistled through his teeth as soon as he heard a muffled scratch against the tree Harry was hidden in. Another growl permeated the clearing and Draco forced himself to remain still.

He felt eyes watching them and finally looked behind him. Through the bushes he saw a pair of gleaming eyes reflecting the firelight. He tried to not let himself jump in his surprise, but the tightening of his arm around Hermione must have alerted her to his fear, because she started to turn also. “No,” He whispered. “Stand. Get behind me.” He told her as he stood himself.

The wolf finally stepped through the bushes with some difficulty, but not where one of the traps were, Draco noticed with disappointment.

The wolf lazily walked around them in a semi-circle, growling. He stood on his back legs, slouching forward and roared at them. He went to charge but in a blur of motion, Lupin jumped from his own hiding spot and tackled the strange wolf to the ground.

It was vicious- to say the least. Both wolves were going for blood, both growling, it was hard to figure out who was winning. They snapped their jaws with hard clicks and swiped at each other with their paws, trying to grab the other so their teeth could become the weapons they were. The red wolf had Lupin pinned for a moment, but Lupin wriggled out of the hold and went after the other’s throat in a swift move. The red haired wolf froze, unsure of what to do, and Lupin cruelly threw him onto his back and managed a better pin on the other wolf.

Lupin looked up at Hermione and nodded his head. She waved her wand extravagantly and shouted “Homomorphae!” But nothing happened. She shrugged, “Worth a try anyway.” Instead she bound the red wolf with ropes from her wand.

Harry and Draco lifted the tied wolf and threw him into one of the traps. The trap enclosed the wolf in a net and hung him from the tree which the trap was suspended from. Harry added a muzzle onto the wolf and grunted his satisfaction.

“Well, that was anticlimactic.” Hermione said, staring up at the wolf.

The wolf growled menacingly at them.

“As always when it comes to Weasley.” Draco spat.

“Wait, that’s Ron??” Harry stared hard at the wolf who jumped forward as though to snap its jaws closed around Harry’s throat. Hermione was examining him closely also.

Draco didn’t answer. Take care of your words when you’ve this company, Dreugan, was running through his head.

“Well, I think we ought to take turns on watch.” Hermione said, changing the subject.

“Unless Lupin can stay in the area and keep an eye?” Harry asked looking at Lupin.

Lupin looked at Harry hard and then looked longingly toward the forest to the side of them.

“No, he’s right, that’s unfair to ask of him.” Draco said, and regretted it. Everything which came out of his mouth this evening seemed to be a backhanded insult to the captured Weasley.

Hermione yawned, “I suppose being the lady, I ought to go first.”

Draco smirked, “To bed, that is. Get to bed. Potter and I will argue about who should go first.”

Hermione frowned but listened to his instructions.

They walked to the rock which Lupin had favored earlier in the day and spoke in hushed tones. Lupin paced around the net, sniffing the captured wolf.

“I can go first, Malfoy. Hermione will want to talk to you, I’m sure. Make sure to keep your voice down, Weasley can hear very well.”

“He’s Weasley now?”

“When he became an enemy of everyone who ever loved him, he did. We’ve avoided the topic without argument, which I appreciate, Malfoy. I’ve never been so betrayed.” He was frowning horribly and his eyes were bright with anger. “And for him to try to come kill you. He’s not the guy I thought I knew. Is this what growing up is? You find out you never know who someone is until it’s nearly too late?”

“I think… you don’t always get to find out beforehand, other times, you don’t get to know because they’re standing over your grave. We’ve been lucky up till now. Maybe it’s just the harshest lesson of war.”

Harry looked into the distance without seeing. Draco had learned already that this meant he was deep in thought about something. “Are we at war? Or are these just skirmishes?”

“You don’t know the start of a war until historians tell of it.” Draco answered, rubbing his forehead.

“Hm. I guess you’re right.” Harry grinned at him, “Ya hear that? I just told you you’re right. I reckon the world must come to a stop soon enough.”

Draco smiled thinly and asked, “Are we friends Potter? Or is this a situation like the old adage, ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’?”

“Well, I’m not watching you in your sleep, now am I?” Harry told him with a nod toward Ron.

Draco smirked, “Good. Then I’ll turn in, wake me around…” he calculated, “One A.M.?”

Harry nodded and clapped his hand on Draco’s shoulder. “Hermione used magic. We’ll have to leave in the morning.”

Draco nodded and looked at the bound wolf. He was saddened, to his own surprise, that the boy who was forever suspicious of Draco’s actions would never be free again. Things can never be simple. He thought to himself. He tucked his hands in his pockets and slowly walked toward the tent with his head lowered. He pondered to himself, He’s broken his parents’ hearts and broken Hermione and Harry’s along the way. A cursed life is one he deserves. Maybe more than he deserves. Maybe he deserves no life at all for his betrayal. He pulled back the flap still deep in thought.

His interior monologue was interrupted by Hermione’s angry voice, “I’m sure you told me that you wouldn’t order me around outside of the bedroom, Draco.” She said in greeting.

Having no drive to fight with her he answered, “My apologies, Love, but I did not intend it to be an order.”

“Oh.” She looked surprised.

He sighed. “Were you angry about it or did you want a fight?”

“I was a bit angry. Sorry. I took it the wrong way.” She took a deep breath and looked away for a moment.

“We’ve had a hard day. Sleep?” He asked once he counted to ten.

She smiled at him gently. “Ok. We can’t really talk about other things at the moment.”

Draco nodded.

A/N: Ok, a day late, and a bit short, I know. But there were a bunch of stories from one person, and I wanted to read them too! Plus work has me worn out this week. But enough of excuses! Ron being a werewolf kinda came out of nowhere. I was surprised, and I hope you guys were too!! Observer/varying POV coming up, gotta figure out what to do about that f*&%ing ginger!

I love reviews!! You should leave me one! It helps my muse! She’s a fickle bitch!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draconis! Welcome! Thanks! Glad you like it! J

Thanks to my favorite reviewer Margiere for that amazingly insightful review. In answer to your questions, I don’t see Lucius coming back anytime soon. No kiss, and Draco remains the heir, not head of house yet.
- 11
- 12
- 13
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Blood on the Ground