Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Verto Vitae	By : RynStar15 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 40710 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Harry Potter nor do I make any money or intend any copyright infringement by using the characters therein.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
Hermione landed on all fours in mud, her heart pounding, her entire body quaking. Rain poured in torrents onto her and she looked up into the dark sky, fear melting to hysterical relief. She stared at the expanse of sodden field before her, all of it familiar and yet alien at the same time. Where she knew there should be a charming house was only flooded grass.
Had she gone to the right place? Where was Draco? He said he'd meet her, hadn't he?
Hermione cried out as her left arm burned like fire and she clutched it instinctively. On a sob, she moved her hand away to stare down at the Dark Mark branded there for the first time. The sight made her stomach heave and she tugged the silver sleeve over the treacherous stain, her hands shaking so hard that she nearly ripped the sopping silk, her blood smearing from the wound Bellatrix had inflicted.
She felt a tug around her navel, an urge to leave, to find her master. It felt as if he were right beside her, pulling her towards him. She quavered in fear at the sensation. She didn't have much time, they would come for her, find her, drag her back, kill her…
She stared out at the barren fields around her, the torrential downpour making it difficult to see. Where was Draco? Where were the Order members? Had something happened to them? Hermione shook so hard it hurt as she twisted on the spot, searching for anything, anyone.
A clap of thunder snapped through her body, sending her heart racing. She clutched her chest as if to still it, her eyes searching through the sheets of rain when she felt it - the Malfoy pendant. Hot rage boiled through her and she yanked off the offending jewelry, snapping the ribbon, and threw it as if it had bit her.
The Death Eaters would be here any minute, she knew it with a certainty she couldn't explain. She could feel him, feel his ire, his desperation, his eyes upon her as if he were looking through the sky towards her.
With a terrified sob Hermione lunged forward to where her sanctuary should be, not knowing what else to do. Voldemort's cold, cruel laugh rang in her ears, taunting her. He was coming…
Where was Draco? She couldn't get across the barrier without him; she couldn't even see the house! Where was he?
"Draco!" she screamed hysterically into the night, the rain swallowing up her hoarse cry. "Draco! Draco, please!"
Mud sucked at her feet, still strapped in the heels Pansy had put her in. Her ankle twisted beneath her and she cried out in pain and frustration as she tumbled to the ground, her tortured body throbbing in agony. She twisted around, ripping the shoes off and leaving them in the muck before launching back to her feet, ignoring her protesting body, never slowing. Hermione snatched up the hem of her dress after she tripped over it and ran harder, her agonized body faltering, the mire sucking at her like quicksand, pulling her back.
"Draco!" she shrieked again, spinning around, eyes scouring the blackened hills. He had promised, he said he would be here…was she in the right place? The rain was so thick it was hard to see, the night so dark it was impenetrable. No one would ever find her out here in this storm, not unless they were staring right at her...
Shivering, she tried to assess her surroundings. Should she get away from here, go on the run? Would Voldemort find her? Would Draco come looking for her? What if they had found out, captured him, killed him? Hermione stumbled at the thought, catching herself and pushing forward, a strike of lightning illuminating the saturated land.
And then he was there, a hundred yards from her, running flat out, his bright blonde hair plastered to his head, screaming her name.
Hermione sprinted straight into his arms, hitting his chest like a brick wall. She clung to him, sobbing, grasping at any piece of him she could find as her knees gave out and he fell with her, kneeling in the mud, clutching her as if she might fly away. Draco yanked her face up to his, kissing her hard over and over, diving into her mouth to breathe life back into her. She pulled away minutely to look up at him, to ensure he was real, relief flooding her and making her weak.
"You s-said you'd be here, you said-" Hermione blabbered incomprehensibly, her mind numb with relief and shock and fear as the rain drove down at them, the roar of thunder rolling in the distance.
"I know, I know, I'm so sorry, the rain...I'm here, I'm here now, you're safe," he assured her, kissing her again before drawing her back into his arms, holding her tight. She could hear shouts beyond them and she jerked with fear before recognizing their voices as Order members.
"He's coming," she sobbed, clinging to him weakly as Lupin shouted instructions. "They're coming, they're coming for me-"
"I've got you Hermione, I've got you, they can't touch you anymore," Draco swore, holding her tighter. The images of the night were washing over her, stealing her breath, the burning on her arm ripping through her even as he adjusted her in his arms.
"I was so scared, Draco," she cried, burying her face in his neck, needing the reassurance that she was no longer on the brink of death. "Just hold me, please just hold me-"
"I am, I'm holding you, I'm here. But we need to get inside. Hang onto me, alright? Just hang on."
He lifted her into his arms as if she weighed no more than a doll and she clung tightly to him as he jogged with her through the wind and rain, the sounds of footsteps and voices surrounding them, letting her know that she was guarded, protected.
"Is she alright?" came an achingly familiar voice, making Hermione whimper against Draco.
"I don't know, we need to get her inside," Draco replied tersely, his chest rumbling beneath her ear. He was so warm compared to the intense cold she felt, so strong to her weakness.
Hermione felt a shimmer and knew they had crossed the barrier. But how could they have? She was a Death Eater…Death Eaters couldn't get in…
As they made their way into the bustling kitchen heat stole over her along with bright light and voices and smells of home and food.
Oh, gods, food. Her roiling stomach objected to the smell along with the striking pain that was creeping up as the adrenaline wore off and the horror of what she'd done made itself known.
She swallowed back the bile over and over and heard Draco shout for a bowl, heard Mrs. Weasley urge him to set her down on the sofa which she tumbled off instantly to empty the contents of her stomach into a pot on the floor, shuddering harshly as dry heaves wracked through her body while Draco held her up and swept back her hair.
"There you are, dear," Mrs. Weasley said kindly, pressing a wet washcloth into her hand as the heaves lessened. "Get it all up, you'll feel better."
When her stomach finally settled Hermione sagged against Draco. She took a proffered glass of water from Mrs. Weasley, dropping it instantly onto the floor, her quaking hands too weak to hold it up.
"Sorry," she croaked as Draco cursed harshly, yanking up her bloody forearm. Mrs. Weasley gasped. Hermione wanted to reassure her, let her know that it was fine, but her exhausted body was quickly giving up on her.
"Don't you worry about a thing dear, you're alright now," the older woman crooned, cleaning the sick out of the bowl with a wave of her wand, kneeling next to her to assess the damage, but Draco took charge, turning her gently in his arms to gaze down at her. He swore again.
"She's been tortured," he growled, his eyes darkening as he looked down at her. "She needs potions - Numbing, Pain, Strengthening, Blood-Replenishing-"
"How the hell do you know-"
"How do you think I know?" Draco snapped up at Harry who she just now realized was one of many standing around the crowded room. "Do you see how much she's shaking? She's in shock, she needs her magical and physical energies restored. She's lost blood, more than this wound should have caused. Hermione, look at me, what all did they do?"
His gaze was frantic, his eyes wild as he assessed her. Hermione wanted to tell him, to explain that he was overreacting, but nothing more than a weak grunt escaped her lips, her eyelids suddenly leaden...
"Don't you dare pass out on me now!" Draco cried, shaking her slightly. "Dammit, someone help me!"
"Here!" Tonks called from behind Draco's shoulder, skidding to a halt beside them, her edges fuzzy. "This is all I could find in the cupboard-"
Draco snatched one from her fist and tugged the stopper out with his teeth, holding it to Hermione's lips. She drank obligingly, not caring what it was, instantly feeling the effects of a Calming Draught. She slumped heavier into Draco's arms and he cursed.
"Strengthening, NOW!"
Another vial was shoved against her lips and she choked on the burning liquid. As the coughing abated she could feel energy returning to her, the lethargy fading away. The pain began to double, but with the Calming Draught she couldn't get herself to care.
"Do you have a Pain Potion, anything-"
"Ronald, upstairs in our bathroom, quickly-"
Hermione heard footsteps pounding up the staircase as Mrs. Weasley turned her wand on Hermione to run several diagnostic tests while Draco panted above her, nervously running his hands over her, trembling harder than she now that she'd been sedated, though thanks to the second potion she no longer felt as if she might pass out.
"Is she-" Draco's voice cracked and he had to swallow harshly to continue. "Did he-"
Mrs. Weasley met her eyes for the first time, the kindness and concern so calming and familiar. Then she turned to Draco and smiled softly.
"No, I don't believe so."
Draco let out a shuddering sigh, dropping his head into the crux of her shoulder.
"Thanks the gods," he murmured. "You brilliant witch..."
Hermione grabbed the fingers which were digging into her arm, squeezing them comfortingly, moved by his concern.
"Will she be alright?" he croaked, looking up at Mrs. Weasley, his eyes bright. "Can you tell? How much did they-?"
Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips and looked pityingly at Hermione. "I'll have Poppy brew something up for her. You were right, she's been through the mill. But I don't believe there will be any lasting damage."
Draco nodded as Mrs. Weasley turned to the laceration on her wrist and Ron bounded into the room.
"Here mum, I brought everything, I didn't know what you might..."
"Thank you dear, you can set it next to me. Why don't you get some tea started? We're in for a long evening. Leon, I mean, Draco? Could you take her upstairs to the bathroom on the second floor? We'll get her cleaned up."
"Wait, isn't she going to tell us about what happened?" Hermione heard Ron say as Draco lifted her once more, cradling her gently against his strong chest.
"That can very well wait until she has been taken care of, Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley snapped as Draco carted her into the blessed dark of the stairwell.
"Not if they're going to come tearing in here at any minute!"
"Ron, your mother's right," Hermione heard Mr. Weasley's voice say lowly. "You have no idea what she has been through tonight."
Hermione clung tighter to Draco as she tried to push back the images that threatened to shove forth past the medication. She was safe, it was over. She had the Dark Mark, she hadn't gotten the Arcavi, nor had she broken their cover. She was alive; their mission could continue.
She let Draco and Mrs. Weasley take charge as a numb sort of cloud fogged her brain and her mind and body felt thick and useless. She was shivering so hard her hands wouldn't work so Mrs. Weasley removed the gown and Draco cursed at the sight of her corset.
"Dear, maybe you should step out-" Mrs. Weasley started but Draco simply raised his wand and slit the corset down the middle with a Diffindo, yanking her out of the painful fabric. Blood rushed to her head so fast her world went black and her knees buckled. Draco caught her before she hit the floor and heaved her back into his arms as Mr. Weasley peeled off the rest of her clothing.
She was settled in a hot tub of water and cried out in the pain from her body which had been freezing, unnoticed by her. Mrs. Weasley scrubbed her clean, checking her once more for injuries. Hermione hissed when the older woman probed her right ankle, but it was the only outward damage along with her healed wrist. Everything else was internal, her body simply burning in pain until another potion was pressed upon her. Relief swept through her, cool and greatly appreciated.
When the Weasley matriarch ceased her ministrations, Hermione leaned back against the porcelain, closed her eyes, and tried to still the trembling that still wracked through her body. Aware that Mrs. Weasley and Draco were waiting for her to say something, she turned to them and gave them a wan smile.
"I'm alright," she said hoarsely, her throat abraded from her constant screaming. "Thank you for everything."
"Not at all dear," Mrs. Weasley warbled, unfolding and refolding a towel in her hands anxiously.
"Do you think I could have a few minutes?" she asked quietly, not meeting Draco's hard gaze.
"Of course," the older woman said, her eyes watery. "We'll be right downstairs. Give a holler if you need anything at all."
"Thank you."
Mrs. Weasley bustled out but Draco didn't move a muscle, his eyes boring into her. Hermione tried to give him a reassuring smile, knowing her breakdown had unnerved him.
"I'm alright," she reassured him. "Just a little bit shook up. I'll be down in a few minutes."
He looked like he wanted to argue, his knuckles white where he clenched the doorjamb. But finally he strode out and she listened to his heavy footfalls all the way down into the living room and the rumble of his deep voice as he reported on her status.
She listened to the different tones of their voices, the angry one of Ron's, the nervous one of Ginny's, the concerned one of Mrs. Weasley's, the calming one of Mr. Weasley's. She squeezed her eyes shut on a whimper as her forearm burned angrily and she clutched it to her chest, steeling herself.
When she finally looked down at the brand she felt a quiver of fear deep in her belly. She was officially one of them. The terrifying image of the snake slithering out of the skull's mouth was now a part of her, a reminder of what she was in this for.
She ran one slightly wrinkled finger over the Mark, felt the heat emanating from it. There was a sense of power there, the jolt of it unsettling. She wanted to scratch at it, to dig it off, to cast it away.
Clenching her fists into balls she stood and let the hot water cascade off her. She grabbed the soft towel sitting at the edge of the bath and dried herself roughly, scrubbing off every touch and scent from the night until her skin was red and raw.
Wiping the condensation off the mirror with her hand, Hermione stared at herself. Most of the makeup had been gently removed by Mrs. Weasley but a stain of red lipstick still ghosted her lips and the black mascara had left dark smudges under her eyes. So she scrubbed this too until any remnants of the evening were gone and she stood there naked, a skinny girl of no real beauty with mud colored eyes, too thick hair, and a brand of evil. It was surreal that the only person who saw this image was Draco; the rest saw a lovely Malfoy heir. It made it easier, almost, to know it wasn't really her they saw with the Mark, but Valouris Malfoy. Maybe she should stay this way, not take the potion, so her friends never had to see what she did...
Knowing she could over-think this until she was ill again, Hermione grabbed the nightgown Mrs. Weasley had provided and tugged it on, wrapping a robe over it. She glanced at the silver gown crumpled on the floor, the corset her ribs were even now lamenting shredded beside it.
Grabbing her wand off the counter where someone had put it, she used the tip of it to pick up the gown and threw it in the now empty bathtub, hooking the undergarments and shoes in along with it.
"Incendio!" she muttered for the second time that evening and watched as the whole lot of it burst into flames, continued watching until the flames died down and there was nothing left but a black scorch mark on the porcelain tub.
Hermione made her reluctant way down to the living room, aware that every eye was watching her closely as if she might have a fit or something. She sank into an empty armchair and turned to them all.
"I suppose you want to know what happened tonight?" she asked softly. Ron snorted and Harry cuffed him upside the head. Mr. Weasley, however, leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees.
"Yes, we need to know what happened."
So Hermione told them everything; everything she could remember hearing or seeing, everything she felt and did, all of her thoughts and observations. She spared no detail, explaining her ordeal monotonously. By the end of it, Mrs. Weasley was wringing a handkerchief into submission, Ron's mouth was hanging open, Ginny was staring at her wide-eyed, and Harry and Draco were like statues. Mr. Weasley cleared his throat, stabbing into the eerie silence like a knife.
"And, er, you're certain they are still unaware you are not Valouris?" he asked, removing his horn-rimmed glassed and wiping them unnecessarily on his robes.
"They gave no indication they were aware of the change," she replied gravelly, her throat still raw.
"And your, er, Mark…you said it was burning just after you arrived here?" Hermione nodded. "Does it burn now?"
Hermione looked down at her covered arm. "It's hot, but not like before."
"He was calling you," Draco explained, everyone's heads snapping to look at where he brooded against the wall, set apart from the rest of them. "He was trying to bring you back."
Hermione nodded. It was as she had figured.
"I don't mean to be rude or anything," Ginny piped up, glancing at her parents apologetically. "But if You-Know-Who was trying to, well, do you-know-what with you, why wouldn't he have, er, un-dressed you or anything?"
"I was wondering the same thing," Hermione admitted in a small voice, her gaze stuck on the hands in her lap, her cheeks reddening at the memory.
The room was quiet for a moment before Lupin spoke up. "I don't believe this was a, er, sexual arrangement. I don't think he wanted to do any more than was necessary to deposit the Arcavi in Valouris."
It made sense, she supposed, and she was more than thankful for the way it had all turned out.
"Did you really set a bunch of Death Eaters on fire?" Ron blurted suddenly. Hermione looked up at him sheepishly and nodded. "Brilliant!"
"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley snapped, but a smile tugged at Hermione's lips at her friend's exclamation. She'd missed him something terrible and it was comforting to hear he hadn't changed.
"What?" Ron grumbled.
"Do you think Voldemort could make another one?" Harry asked next to his sullen friend.
"I suppose it certainly is possible if he can find a suitable candidate," Mr. Weasley sighed.
"Then we'll just have to make sure he doesn't find one," Harry said darkly. "We already had to find all those fucking Horcruxes, I can't fathom having to hunt down these Arcavi things."
"In a few weeks we won't have to worry about that," Draco said. "As soon as we go back we'll get the plan in motion. With any luck, the Dark Lord will be dead within a fortnight."
"And what exactly is-"
"How was I able to cross your barriers?" Hermione asked suddenly to the room at large, cutting off the conversation she had been hard-pressed to follow. Her eyes finally settled on a harried looking Mrs. Weasley.
"We have temporarily disarmed any ward that would, well, not allow someone with…to, to cross over…" she explained haltingly. Hermione had known something like that had to have been done, but it was like a punch to the chest to realize their vulnerability.
"You can't do this, not for me," Hermione said, a prickly sense of danger creeping over her skin and she jolted up as if her seat had electrocuted her. "It's too dangerous, especially now when they'll be looking for me. It was very gracious of you to open your home to me, but I can't stay here-"
"Stop it, Hermione," Draco snapped harshly, striding to her. "You're not going anywhere."
"I can't stay here and put everyone at risk like this!" Hermione cried rounding on him, anger such as she had hardly felt before spurring her. She didn't know what had caused this sudden outburst, but she felt the truth within every fiber of her being. She had to leave, now.
"Don't be silly, dear!" Mrs. Weasley crooned. "Of course you'll stay, it's the safest place!"
"And these four will be going back to Hogwarts," Mr. Weasley said, rising slowly, nodding to Ron, Harry Draco and Ginny. "It will only be me and Molly here and we have agreed to this. You needn't worry, we are still very well protected. And while you are here there will be extra security."
"It's only for a week," Draco reminded her, moving to put a soothing hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off, shaking her head.
"You said he can track me," Hermione said anxiously, shuddering at the thought of a swarm of Death Eaters surrounding the Burrow, possibly killing Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to get at her…
"Not with the protections they have in place," Draco reassured her, his eyes wide as he watched her, strategically placed between her and the door. "It's going to be fine."
"Of course it will," Mrs. Weasley agreed bracingly. "Now, why don't we all have a spot of hot chocolate before bed?"
"I'll have to get a rain check on that, Molly," Lupin said, grabbing a cloak that was draped over the back of the couch. Hermione knew they were just trying to steer the conversation away from her apprehension. "I need to give everyone a report on all of this. Tonks, you will be stationed out back." He clapped Harry on the shoulder and nodded to Hermione and Draco before taking his leave with a kiss to his wife who followed him into the night.
Mrs. Weasley dragged Ginny into the kitchen to help her prepare the hot chocolate as Hermione shuffled nervously, hugging herself against the sudden chill she felt. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to lay down and sleep for a dozen hours, but her fear had her rooted to the spot, Draco still hovering vigilantly. Mr. Weasley cleared his throat and rose to check on their patrol for the night, leaving the four teenagers alone.
Ron, Harry, and Draco all stared at her for a few moments until Ron broke the tension.
"Can I see it?"
Harry smacked him on the back of the head again. "Ow! What? How do we know she's not lying about the whole thing?"
"I saw it," Draco growled beside her. She could feel his rage emanating from him in waves. Ron snorted.
"Because your opinion matters," he snarled. "We don't even know you."
"Fine, if you don't trust me then ask your mother," Draco replied, his voice wavering with barely-repressed ire.
"Now that you're both Death Eater scum, you likely Confunded her!"
"Come off it, Ron!" Harry snapped. "After everything Mal-er, Hermione, just went through and you still don't trust them?"
"She's a Malfoy, Harry!"
"She's a Granger, you dim-witted ponce!" Draco growled, his hand coming to her back when she began to shake.
"That's what you say and of course you're going to defend her when you're bending her over every flat surface!"
"THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH!" Mrs. Weasley roared, slamming in from the kitchen. "Ronald Bilius Weasley, what on earth has gotten into you?"
"How do we know they aren't going to sell us out to You-Know-Who?" he bellowed, shooting to his feet, his face red. "How do we know they are so fucking good?"
"You watch your tongue!" Mrs. Weasley admonished, wagging her finger. "How could you turn your back on your friends?"
"They are not my friends!" he screamed. "They're imposters! They can't be trusted! We don't even know them! I don't know how they got all of you wrapped around their fu-fingers, but I'm not just going to roll over and let them ruin everything we've been working towards!"
"If the rest of us trust them then it should be enough for you!" Ginny yelled from behind her mother.
"How can you say that?" Ron screamed. "She's going to be staying here with our parents, Ginny! How do you know she won't murder them in their sleep?"
His sister paled and Mrs. Weasley turned to the rest of them, cutting off Ginny's reply. "Harry, Leon, back to school with you. Ginny, please show Hermione to your room. I need a word with my son."
Hermione was more than happy to be excused from the skirmish, hating the way Ginny and Harry looked at her as if they were now plagued with the same worries as Ron. Harry nodded grimly to them and turned to the kitchen but Draco grabbed her elbow instead of following and led her to the stairs behind Ginny, the sounds of Mrs. Weasley's yells echoing behind them.
"This is my room," Ginny said kindly to Hermione, looking nervously up at Draco. "I changed the sheets before you came and there's a bath just down the hall…"
"Thank you," Hermione smiled warily at her, missing the easy connection the ginger and she usually shared.
Ginny bid her goodnight with one last look to Draco who opened the door to her room and dragged Hermione inside. He quickly locked and Silenced the room out of habit while Hermione moved to light the lamp on the bedside table.
She stood nervously by the bed, her eyes on a picture of Harry twirling Ginny in a circle at Bill and Fleur's wedding, both their faces lit with carefree joy. She felt a longing sense of melancholy at the ordinary image, remembering vividly how it had felt to be in Ron's arms that sultry summer evening. It marked the beginning of the end of their childhood. Less than an hour after this picture had been taken Death Eaters had torn apart the happy scene. They'd run and she felt like they hadn't stopped since.
Now she was one of them, a Death Eater. She'd joined their ranks to protect the boy behind her and to put an end to this war. So much had changed since that day and Hermione wondered if she could ever go back to that happy time.
Neither of them moved, the weight of the night pressing in on them, a heavy shroud of the events of the evening hanging over them. She didn't know what to say to Draco and she didn't want to see the look of pity she knew would be on his face if she turned around, so she stood stock-still, waiting.
And then he was suddenly upon her, sweeping her up and kissing her harshly with an underlying desperation. She felt his hands tremble when they dragged her against him, his fingers digging in as his mouth worked her, coaxing her into submission. Hermione tugged him closer, needing his touch, his reassurance, and he groaned softly.
"Gods, Hermione…" He closed his eyes and laid his forehead against hers and they just held each other, neither saying a word, neither having to. Breathing in the scent of him, Hermione ran her hands up his sides and settled them on his chest where she could feel his strong heart throbbing beneath her palms. His long fingers squeezed her upper arms and she heard him suck in a shuddering breath.
She could remember with excruciating clarity laying on black marble, her body all but lifeless. She could remember the fear of that being her last moment on earth. She could remember the pain, could still feel the remnants of it. And she swore she would endure it a thousand thousand times again for this single moment in his arms.
"Stay with me tonight," Hermione whispered, not wanting to be alone, not wanting to give up what she had worked so hard for just yet.
Silently, he scooped her up and placed her gently on the bed, laying next to her and pulling her into his arms. She felt the blankets rise up and over them and Hermione snuggled into the warmth and security, finally feeling safe. She wished she could express her gratitude, but exhaustion was stealing over her as the adrenaline waned and she couldn't find the words anyway.
She hissed when her arm burned again, a frightened shudder rushing through her as she clutched at the appendage. Draco said nothing, only held her tighter, soothing the trembling with one hand, the other covering hers on her Mark, an unspoken reassurance that she didn't have to face this alone.
She turned her mind to the feel of his arms, the sound of the rain lashing against the window, the smell of the laundry soap Mrs. Weasley always used, and let these comforting familiarities lull her to sleep.
.
.
.
A/N: Apologies once more for the delay, so much going on! Now that we're all safe and sound nothing can go wrong, right?

XOXO
RynStar15
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