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Let There Be No More Curse	By : lexiatel Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 61132 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 10
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to Jk Rowling, I do not make any profit in writing this story what so ever, I am just having some fun.

Chapter List
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"Look at this, Scorpius!" Narcissa booped a blue owl puppet to his nose in an effort to distract him. Scorpius paused his high pitched crying just long enough to see what his grandmother was trying to show him. It was not what he wanted though so he went back to his crying.
Narcissa scrunched up her lips. "Are you hungry?" she asked in a sweet tone. "Does Scorpius want some milk?" She conjured up a bottle from the ice box and with a spell, she heated it up to the perfect temperature for him to drink.
"Dah!" he shrieked when she touched it to his lips. He screamed and slapped it away. "Dah!" He shook his arms in his fit.
"What is it, baby?" Narcissa picked him up from the highchair and set him at her hip. "Why is Scorpius so upset?" She actually had a feeling why and hoped everything would sort out soon.
"Still blubbering, hmm?" Lucius asked as he came into the kitchen, checking up on them.
"Yes," Narcissa frowned, straightening the baby's shirt back down that had bunched up under his armpits during his fit. She fought to keep a hold of Scorpius as he threw himself around in her arms, all the while voicing his unhappiness. "He's not normally so fussy," she told Lucius above his screeching. "Did you get to talk with Draco?"
Lucius' face went blank and he gave her a simple shake of his head. "Not at all. He's completely tight-mouthed. I don't doubt he is blaming himself on what happened to Miss Granger this afternoon. He wouldn't acknowledged any of my words." Lucius was now wearing a troubled look. The whole time he spoke, he had kept his eyes on the crying Scorpius. "I am not sure what to do. I gave him another potion, but I doubt it's going to work with this."
"And where's Miss Granger?"
Lucius shrugged and crossed the room to take Scorpius from her. "Perhaps still at the Potters'."
Narcissa frowned. "I can't stand to see him this way. It pains me so."
"I know, dear," he said softly. "It pains me too."
"I thought he was over all that. I thought the bond-"
"It takes time, Narci." He tapped her arm gently. "He's strong though and he's made it this far."
She nodded and kissed the baby on his head. "I just hope she can fix him."
Lucius stood in silence for a moment, lost in his thoughts before he began striding out of the kitchen.
"Where are you going?" Narcissa asked, trying to keep up.
"Floo the Potters! See if she's still there, if she is, tell her to get over here!"
"Scorpius can't be with him right now, Lucius!" she shrieked, hurrying behind Lucius to stop him. "Draco is-"
"They will help him!" he growled in a tone that told her he was in no mood to be argued with. "If you care about our son, you will do what I say!"
Narcissa skipped to a halt, watching her husband continue his way to Draco's part of the Manor. She hadn't heard him use that tone in years. And that meant that whatever he was thinking about was serious.
Her boy was in trouble.
Pursing her lips, she rushed to catch up with him and called up Toogy.
*/*
Hermione was itching to get home. Her friends were asking her far too many questions that she just wasn't up to explaining right now. They didn't know a lot of things about her, as they had had their own problems to deal with after the war ended, and she had not wanted to add to their lists at the time. She could very much enlighten them on the terrors she often experienced, but she had survived this long without having to, why worry them now? They worried about her enough as it was.
"Is it bugging you that much?" Harry asked. "I thought you were pretty accepting of the mark now. Like I am of mine." He brushed his fingers over his scarred hand.
"I just... When I saw that Draco's Dark Mark was faded, I asked him for help," she explained truthfully.
Ginny's brows furrowed. "That's understandable. But the whole process sounds incredibly painful."
"It is. The potion poisons the cursed skin cells, one layer at a time."
"Why would you want to go through that?" Harry asked incredulously.
"I-" Gosh, she really didn't want to tell him the honest truth only to increase their concern for her. They didn't need to know why she really wanted to treat her scar. "The potion is in experimental phase. I was interested in assisting with testing it."
Harry folded his arms across his chest, exhaling slowly. "And what if it backfires, Hermione?"
"It's... safe," she mumbled, setting her eyes down at the hands in her lap.
"It nearly poisoned you to death today!" Ginny pointed out in a shriek. "Not safe at all!"
"Only because I wasn't thinking! I shouldn't have done what I did!"
"And he should have explained every detail to you before even popping the stopper," Harry snarled under his breath.
"Oh, Harry," she scolded hurtfully. "Don't blame this on Draco, please. He's only been trying to help-"
"But you're testing his potion," Ginny interrupted. "So how is he helping you?"
"Yeah," Harry quickly caught on to his wife's point. "How is that helping you?"
Hermione stood up, not wanting this to continue any further. "I can't do this now, guys. I'm tired. I just want to go home and see my kid. Please?"
Harry stared at her, measuring her words before Ginny sighed and said, "Alright, Mione." She gave Hermione a hug. "We're here though if you need us."
"Yeah," Harry added. Hermione did not miss the wary look he gave her, but she nodded.
"Hello? Mr. and Mrs. Potter?" The flames at the floo flashed blue, and they saw it shape into a House-elf's head.
"Toogy?" Hermione recognized Draco's personal elf.
"Oh, Miss! You're here, good!" Toogy sounded relieved. "Please, Miss, would you come to Master's manor?"
"Malfoy Manor?"
"Yes, Miss. Please?"
Hermione made her way to the flames, bending down to talk with Toogy. "Is everything alright?"
Toogy blinked uneasily. "It is nothing that Toogy does not think Miss Granger can't handle," she said carefully.
"I'll be right there."
"Oh, thank you, Miss!" Toogy's face then disapparated from the flames.
Hermione stood back up to her feet, taking a handful of flooing power from the pot on the mantle. "I should go see what is wrong," she told her friends who agreed. "I'll be fine," she assured them with a smile. "Draco's really great to me." She then stepped into the floo. "Malfoy Manor!"
Hermione landed inside the Malfoy's flooing room. "Toogy?" she asked, searching her eyes for the elf.
Someone appeared right in front of her, making Hermione jump back a little. She clutched her chest, breathing hard.
"Miss Granger," she was greeted sullenly .
"Mrs. Malfoy!" Hermione gasped. "You gave me a fright!"
Mrs. Malfoy frowned slightly. "I do apologize. The matter at hand is a bit urgent."
"What's wrong? Is it Scorpius?!" A sudden sickness flooded over her.
"It's Draco," she informed distantly.
"What about him?" Hermione asked. The information didn't cause her pulse to slow. "Is he okay?!"
Mrs. Malfoy's eyes saddened. She shook her head. "Come, please, Miss Granger and you shall see."
Hermione followed Draco's mother through the Manor that must have been half the size of Hogwarts. All the while, her mind wandered nervously on what could be wrong with Draco. She was finding that it was hard to breathe and her stomach was started to bubble with worry.
Finally, Mrs. Malfoy stopped at a closed solid black door with a grey handle and opened it with a wandless spell casting. The door swung inward, revealing a large bedroom decorated in light grey and black accents. Everything was rather plain and solid, with no patterns whatsoever.
By a large bay window, a black chair faced out into the dark night. Draco was slouched into it, unmoving. Mr. Malfoy stood next to him with a screaming Scorpius in his arms.
"What happened?!" Hermione hurried across the room and took her baby from older wizard. "It's okay, Scorpy," she whispered. "Mumma's here." She faced Draco, hitching her breath at his sight.
He honestly looked like he had some sort of illness. His cheeks were sunken in and his eyes were baggy. He stared off in space and took a drink from a bottle that Hermione had first failed to notice due to her being stunned by his condition.
"He's been like that since he came here a couple hours ago," Mr. Malfoy informed. His voice cracked a little.
"Please help him," Mrs. Malfoy pleaded. "Lucius thinks you can."
"I don't know how-"
"Because of the bond, you have the power to help him," Lucius told her coolly. "And you best do whatever it takes."
Hermione took a breath. "Alright..." she whispered shakily, not sure what exactly she was frightened of - Mr. Malfoy's dark order or Draco's current state of health.
In the next moment, she watched Draco's father approach his wife at the door and then she was left alone with the troubled Draco and her crying baby.
The first thing Hermione did was get rid of the bottle of whatever he had chosen to drink. She didn't recognize it, but whatever it was, he certainly didn't need another sip.
Draco didn't appear to notice when she had gotten rid of the drink. "Draco...?"
He swallowed and blinked, but otherwise did nothing to make Hermione believe that he knew she was there. She sat Scorpius in his lap. Her son's wails quieted some and he clutched onto his father's shirt, pulling himself up to stand.
Hermione knelt in front Draco, between his spread out legs and grasped onto the arms of the chair. "Draco...?" she tried again. "It's me, Mione," she whispered.
"Derbla...?" Scorpius asked in a sniveling voice. He touched Draco's cheeks with his tiny hands.
Hermione lifted the baby up into her arms and climbed in Draco's lap, linking an arm around his neck. He set his hand on her back, and she smiled as he rubbed it.
"What's wrong," she asked against his lips as his bitter breath clouded her face. He didn't answer. Nothing moved besides his caressing hand. "Come on," she begged gently. "Tell me." Then she kissed his cheek, hoping to arise something out of him.
His eyes focused on hers, searching. For what, Hermione didn't know, but his expression remained in stone. Blank.
"Derbla!" Scorpius wailed and crashed his forehead into Draco's chest.
Hermione patted Scorpius' back. "He's okay," she lied to her son. "Please, tell me, Draco..." she whispered. "Draco, talk to me," she murmured into his ear.
Draco's chest heaved as if he was emerging from a long dip into a pool of water, taking a much needed breath. "Make it stop," he begged desperately, as if he was begging for someone to spare his life.
"Make what stop?"
He whimpered and set his chin on her shoulder. He choked back a sob. "Just stop screaming..." he whispered. "Please, stop screaming, Hermione..."
"I'm not-"
His arms wrapped snugly around her and Scorpius in a group hug. "Stop screaming," he repeated through a sob. "I just can't take it anymore!" Hermione was then shoved back so suddenly that she let out a yelp from the abrupt movement. She tumbled from his lap and landed on her backside. Scorpius, who was safe in her arms went completely quiet and watched Draco with his wide baby eyes.
Draco pulled himself up to hurl over the side of the chair and he threw up. His head fell onto the arm and he shook it, painfully moaning the whole time. "Make it stop!" he bellowed angrily. "Stop screaming, damn it!"
Wobbily, Hermione stood up to her feet. "What'd you do, Draco?" she asked in horror.
He didn't acknowledge her, too absorbed in his loud sobbing.
"T-Toogy," Hermione called, and instantly the elf responded.
"Miss?"
"I need to know what he took. What was in that bottle?"
Toogy glanced warily over at Draco. "Master hasn't experienced such torment in a while, but when he is in a great deal of pain, Master uses a very bad bandage for his relief."
"And that is...?"
"Master calls the potion, 'Mundabis'. Master says it cleans his mind..."
"More like wipes it!" Hermione gasped. So, that's why he hadn't been respondent to anyone...
At least until we had touched him...
She eyed her silent son who seemed to be studying his father.
And that meant... they had caused him his current state. He was reliving his guilt... It didn't matter how much she assured him that she forgave him, he'd never believe it...
"How long does it take for the potion to wear off usually?"
"Six hours, Miss."
"He would have been lost in his mind for another four hours?" she asked in shocked.
Toogy nodded slowly. "You have to fix him, Miss. The bond-"
"I brought him out of the daze due to the bond," Hermione explained. "I don't know how to help him now, my touch wasn't helping him before he pushed me away..." She watched Draco continue to sprew up a blackish vomit, whimpering the whole time.
"Get his father," Hermione said suddenly. "He might know more about what's going on. That potion is Dark- and I don't know much about it; maybe he will."
*/*
"Derbla!"
'Scorpius shouldn't be here,' he thought. It didn't make sense. Scorpius hadn't even been around during this time.
Draco scanned his eyes across the dark room. In his search, he found Hermione's body, convulsing to his aunt's torturing curse. Hermione's screams echoed off the walls.
'Oh, God.'
He choked on a sob and looked away, telling himself to keep his eyes still and focused on the floor beneath him. His stomach wrenched up a flood of bile in which he swallowed immediately, grimacing at the after flavour of it.
Draco couldn't even hear the joyous cackling of his aunt - somehow able to have tuned that out. Which made no sense either, because Aunt Bellatrix's laugh was one that could keep him from sleeping at night. Though, not nearly as shuddering as the memory of the Dark Lord's arm draped around his shoulders, with his mocking proud smile, pretending that Draco was his most faithful youth follower, all in hopes that whatever friends Draco had would follow his suit.
But Aunt Bellatrix's laugh was still haunting enough. And he had remembered hearing it that frightful day.
What scared him the most lately was her screaming. Hermione's screaming that is. Draco had a feeling why that was; he didn't like causing torture and he didn't like watching it either. It had been a while since he had stewed about what had happened to Hermione that day in his home. His Analyzer had been able to help him through the events that had happened at the Manor when the Dark Lord reigned. But when he had touched Hermione's mark that morning, it triggered something. Something strong. Something that he just couldn't shake loose no matter how much he tried.
It made him angry and sick to his stomach. It was an odd combination for him. Never before had he had the threat of throwing up while he was also angry.
But the visions just wouldn't go away. Not until he had drank some of his Mundabis potion in order to numb his mind.
But the white cloud of nothing vanished when he heard his son crying. And, at that exact same moment, the screaming had came back, invading his mind. He was stuck in the torment of this memory. It had only taken him a few seconds to realize that Scorpius wasn't really there. Not in this memory anyway.
Thank Merlin for that.
It was like he was half sleeping. It felt like a dream but at the same time, it felt like Draco was also awake. He could hear Hermione speaking to him, begging him to talk and explain what was wrong with him. She also screamed (or rather, his memory of her did), stationed at his aunt's feet thrashing around like a person with epilepsy having a seizure.
All he could see was the dark room of the Manor. But it wasn't the room he had last remembered being in. No, he wasn't in his childhood bedroom where he had settled himself into his favourite thinking chair and consumed the risky potion that he had been so desperate enough to take. Instead, he was standing in the room off the one his family used for dining in. The very same room where the Dark Lord had claimed as his own when he had taken over Draco's home.
Deep within his mind, Draco knew what was going on: he was being forced to relive that horrifying moment in his life. The one memory he knew haunted Hermione about every day. Today, it was haunting him too. He was experiencing a new fear. One that he had never had before.
That bloody Mark. If she hadn't been cursed with it, he doubted he'd even be experiencing this right now. But that wasn't something he couldn't stop from happening.
Then again... maybe he actually could... If anything, perhaps he could stop and end her horror. If he was lucky, maybe he could end his guilt too, killing two birds with one stone. He didn't do this to her, that he knew. But he had not helped her either. Not that he would had been able to. But he hadn't even tried to help her. He was ashamed of himself for acting so cowardly.
He clutched his aching stomach with a hand and pointed his wand at his aunt. It shook in his hand at his nervousness. Even in his mind, Draco had trouble being brave and sacrificing himself. But he'd changed since that day. His feelings had changed too. And now he'd do anything for her. Even if it meant that he'd flop like a fish out of water, gasping for air - because he had this sudden horrific thought that he wouldn't be able to go on if something happened to her.
He was sure, with all his tortured heart, that he loved her.
He loved Hermione Granger.
"Leave her alone," he whispered in his effort to be brave. He had intended for his voice to sound much stronger than that - it had failed him miserably. "I won't let you hurt her anymore! I won't let anyone hurt her!" he squeaked fearfully.
Aunt Bellatrix's lips curled up in an amused sneer and she ceased the torture that she was doing to Hermione. Draco wet his lips uneasily. He was no match for her, but if he could save Hermione, it'd be worth it.
"Anything for the Mudblood, Draco?" the evil witch asked cruely.
"Anything," he confirmed seriously, and she burst out into mock laughter.
"Even death?!" she screeched madly.
Draco's eyes narrowed determinedly and then all he saw was a blinding, green light. He closed his eyes from the brightness and, not even a full second later, Aunt Bellatrix's high pitched cackling abruptly stopped.
"You're not allowed to hurt her anymore," he commanded to the lifeless body. "She's mine now."
The next moment, he opened his eyes, finding himself half naked in bed, surrounded by watchful people. Hermione lay next to him, biting her lip, unsure what to make of him. His parents stood at the foot of the bed, eying him hopefully, and Scorpius sat on his chest with a tear stained face, smiling down at him. A blanket draped over his and Hermione's bodies, and he felt the warm, welcoming heat of her bare arm against his.
"Derbla!" the boy cheered, bouncing in excitement.
Draco placed his hand up to Scorpius' sticky face and brushed aside a straying tear with his thumb. "I'm alright," he assured the boy before Scorpius collapsed down to hug him, chest to chest.
"Mmma!" Scorpius shrieked happily.
"He's fine!" Mother breathed out in relief. "Your idea worked, Luci!"
"Indeed," Father's voice drawled, hiding his own relief.
Draco felt a sharp slap hit his naked shoulder. He turned to his left, seeing Hermione's eyes glowing with anger. "Ouch!" he hollered, gaping his mouth in disbelief.
"You take that potion again, Draco Malfoy, and that'll be the least of your worries!" she snapped. "You had us all worried to death!"
He swallowed hard, catching the nods of his agreeing parents. "I'm sorry," he sputtered quickly. "I just-"
"Do you really love me?" she asked with a softer tone, startling him.
His eyes widened. How in the bloody fuck did she know?!
"Would you really face death for me?"
Draco set Scorpius between them and slipped out of bed, staring at her. "How did-"
"Well, would you?!" she pressed for an answer, crossing her arms over her chest.
Draco's lip quivered. Would it really matter if he did? She didn't match his feelings and never would, so why was this even important to her?
He raised a hand to his shirtless chest, rubbing it absentmindedly and stiffened himself with an inhale of a breath. "How dare you," he told her coolly. "How dare you invade my mind!"
"Draco," his mother started.
"What difference does it make?!" he hissed. "The only reason she's nice to me is because I knocked her up! No other reason at all! I was an absolute prick to her! Even if I changed, I don't deserve her! There are people who treated Hermione decent throughout their entire time of knowing her who don't have the mere chance to be with her, and yet, because of how horrible an ancestor of mine was to someone like her- no different than I had treated her, I am rewarded?! Where is the fairness in that?! What's that teaching our children?!" His chest huffed up and down from his outburst. He pursed out his lips when no one made a motion to disagree with him. "Or maybe... this is a punishment," he said, glancing at the near-naked Hermione for a mere second and quickly looking away as shame coursed through his entire body. "Perhaps I'll never really have you," he whispered.
"Draco-"
"Just spare me the pity!" he snarled at her. "I don't want it! I know that you could never love me!" And, before anyone else could say anything, he disapparated away, too embarrassed to face her now that she knew how he felt about her.
He screamed out in pain as tears squeezed from his closed eyes. He fell to his knees, puffing for air. Draco clutched onto his wrist and whimpered when he realized his hand was bleeding.
"You idiot!" He heard someone hiss as he fell all the way down to the ground in a heap. "Essence of Dittany, Draco," the same voice said hurriedly. "Do it now, boy!"
Draco was getting weaker by the pump of each pulse. He grit his teeth, gathering up all his strength to crawl to the drawer where the brew was stored in. He only got a couple of feet before his arms gave out beneath him.
"Do it or die, Draco! Draco...! Draco?!"
The voice faded from his coherence as his eyelids fluttered close. The pain was lessening. It was a welcoming sensation. His breathing became laboured as he found it difficult to inhale. He shut his eyes, embracing the weight lifting up from his chest.
"You idiot!" The words were repeated into Draco's head a second time that night. It wasn't from the same person as last time though.
Potter...?
Pressure was applied to his palm and the pain made him fly his eyes open, bringing him out of his weak, cloudy daze. He howled from the agony. "Fuck!"
"I thought you were smarter than that; self preservation, isn't that a Slytherin quality?"
"Stop!" Draco moaned and tried wiggling away from his childhood enemy. Potter was dabbing his hand with a cloth.
"Hold still, Malfoy!" he ordered. "Or I'll be forced to bind you!"
"You're hurting me!" Draco whimpered.
"Well, you're the one who apparated without a wand!"
"I've done it-" Draco paused to hiss as Potter pressed into his splinched wound again. "-before..."
"Have you?" Potter asked with a bit of surprise layering his question.
Draco blinked back tears of pain and swallowed a sob. He nodded. "Though, only in p-practice and with a very cl-clear mind."
Potter released his hold and leaned back from where he had been kneeling over Draco. "Why did you do it this time? I am assuming that today wasn't the best of days to perform such a practice, right?"
Draco turned his head from the serious look Potter gave him. He stared up at the ceiling and closed his eyes in shame for a second. "No," he agreed, finding his actions of that day incredibly stupid and childish. "Definitely not one of my best decisions. Though, probably not my worst either," he said half-jokingly.
He heard Potter chuckle. "We all have a bit of every house in us, don't we?" Potter then stood up to his feet, sighing. "You should be fine now. I'm no Healer, but I've cured a few splinch wounds before. It shouldn't scar. Use your wand next time you're in distress, alright?"
Draco nodded, dumbfounded over how friendly Potter was acting toward him. "Wait a minute..." Draco said slowly. "How'd you even get here?" He was suddenly aware Potter was in his Potions lab.
A large grin crept across Potter's face. "Wouldn't you like to know," he said cockily before taking his wand from the sleeve of his Muggle sweater and disapparating away.

AN: I know everyone has been eager for the parties to start, but this scene came to me, and I felt it was best to show just how strong Draco is feeling about Hermione now. :) So, sorry about that, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter just the same.
Reviews Since the Last Update:
starr: Haha, well, most little kids are that way, so I had to write them like I did. Otherwise, it just wouldn't seem realistic :D Glad ya enjoyed it.
ssdawning: I think she will. Or I hope she will anyway :)
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Let There Be No More Curse