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Beyond the Pale	By : goldhorse Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 81362 -:- Recommendations : 11 -:- Currently Reading : 17
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does, lucky woman. I make no money from this, which is probably why I'm poor as a church mouse.

Chapter List
- 24
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Hermione snuck into the common room, hoping that no one was up yet. It had been almost two weeks since she and Draco had gone searching for horcruxes and ended up being attacked. When she’d finally healed from the curse sent to her with the vampire head, Severus insisted they learn hand to hand combat. The first few days of lessons were tough, fighting the venom so they could move fluidly. Now the movements were second nature but it took them all night to complete them.

“Remembered where you live I see,” Ron said darkly.

She jumped in fright, not expecting him to be on the couch this early in the morning.

“What are you doing up this early?”

“I’ve been here all night. And guess what? You haven’t been.”

“I was in the hospital wing.”

“You weren’t,” Ron spat, throwing the Maurader’s Map at her. “You’ve been outside all bloody night with Snape, that new mediwitch, that guy that came running in here the at the beginning of school with his wife, and Malfoy!”

Her breath hitched, knowing that she couldn’t just explain that away. How could she have been so stupid? She’d forgotten about that bloody map and the map didn’t lie. It wasn’t like she could just blame it on a faulty spell. How was she going to explain her way out of this one?

“Ron, listen to me.”

“No!” Ron shouted. “How could you?”

“What?” She was taken aback at his sudden attack. She quickly put up a silencing spell so he wouldn’t draw any attention to them should someone be up and about at this hour.

“You’re a traitor!”

“No!”

“Hanging with Death Eaters. No wonder Melody spelled you to that ferret. It was probably a cover so you could pass secrets to him. What all have you told them? Are you stalking Harry now? Going to turn him over to You-Know-Who?”

“Ron, stop. It isn’t like that.”

“You can’t fool me. You might have everyone else eating out of the palm of your hand, but I’m not.”

Hermione was in panic mode. She knew from experience that Ron wasn’t the type to calm down until he’d gotten his anger out of his system. His ranting would continue until everyone else woke up, silencing spell or not, and then they’d know too. She wasn’t quite ready for them to learn everything. Her instincts took over and she found herself hovering over Ron, letting her influence settle over him.

“Look into my eyes Ron,” she breathed. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

“What are you…” Ron asked, his eyes full of suspicion until he met her stare. They slid out of focus and he sat docilely on the couch.

“Now then, we’re going to talk to Professor Snape.”

“Snape,” Ron repeated and got off the couch.

She didn’t dare break contact with him, walking backwards as she led him through the halls. Luck was on her side and they made it all the way to her father’s quarters without encountering another soul. She knocked frantically, hoping that her influence wouldn’t break before he answered. The door swung open behind her with enough force to startle her.

“What is the meaning of this Miss Granger?” Severus spat.

“Please let us in,” she whispered, trying to keep contact with Ron. “It’s an emergency.”

“Very well,” Severus said and stepped back to admit entrance.

She backed in and ordered Ron to sit down in the nearest chair. When he was seated, she threw an incarcerous at him and broke connection. Just as she suspected, he started struggling and shouting.

“What the bloody hell Hermione?”

“That’s what I would like to know,” Severus said in a dangerous tone. “Would you care to explain yourself Miss Granger?”

“I panicked. Do you have a pensieve?”

Severus merely pursed his lips and flicked his wand, sending a stone bowl sailing across the room and into her hands. She quickly put the memory of her walking in the common room in it and handed it to him. He hesitated only a moment before viewing it. He was practically seething by the time he was through and she was hard pressed not to hit the floor prostrate in front of him.

“So, Mr. Weasley here believes you to be a traitor.”

“S-She she used an unforgivable!” Ron stammered.

“She did no such thing,” Severus scoffed.

“B-but she used t-the imperius. I had to obey.”

“If she’d used an unforgivable Mr. Weasley, then you wouldn’t remember it. Now, Miss Granger, you have a choice. You can divulge the nature of the method you used to get here or I can obliviate him.”

“NO!” Ron shouted. “You aren’t taking my memories.”

Severus raised an eyebrow until Ron quailed under his gaze. “Miss Granger?”

“I-I’d rather not take his memories…but he might not accept it and it would be dangerous.”

“I agree,” Severus said. “But the choice remains yours.”

Hermione nodded, carefully weighing her options. If she did explain what she was, then she would have to out Draco as well. Even if she kept his nature a secret, she wasn’t sure Ron would buy his sudden defection from Voldemort. If he were to tell anyone, Draco would be an instant target. She was completely torn. An idea suddenly sprung into her mind and she made sure to murmur it softly enough that Ron couldn’t hear.

“Could I tell him and then have him obliviated depending on the severity of his reaction?”

“That would be acceptable,” Severus said softly.

Hermione turned to Ron. “You wanted to know what happened this summer?”

Ron merely glared at her.

She sighed and steeled herself. “When I said I lost my innocence, I was speaking of my soul. I was attacked by a vampire.”

“You expect me to believe that?” Ron yelled.

“You followed me here Ron. You were under my influence.”

“You’re not dead though. I’ve seen you out during the day.”

“Professor Snape has been brewing a potion that allows me to walk in the sunlight.”

“No. I don’t believe you.”

She rubbed her eyes in frustration. Well, there was only one other thing to do. She flashed her eyes at him and bared her fangs, hissing. As she expected, Ron screamed, struggling in his bonds to escape her. She decided to give him some time to get used to it and distanced herself from him. She planted herself on her father’s sofa, wringing her fingers until he placed his hand on hers to stop her.

“What in Merlin’s name is that horrible racket?” Melody asked as she stalked into the room.

“Miss Granger has just divulged her nature to Mr. Weasley. He’s acting worse than a first year Hufflepuff in the Forbidden Forest.”

“No, they’re more mature,” Melody huffed. “Why exactly is Mr. Weasley here?”

Severus pointed to the pensieve and she stuck her finger in to view it. When she came back out, she shook her head sadly and shot a silencing spell at the still yelling Ron.

“So, how long should we give him?” Melody asked.

“I-I don’t know,” Hermione breathed. “No one has acted like this.”

“So the twins were correct in their assessment of his behavior,” Severus said.

“Guess so,” Hermione said sadly. She noticed that Ron had quit screaming and was now look at her in disbelief. She motioned for Melody to take the spell off.

“Well Ron?”

“You told Fred and George?”

“And Ginny and Harry,” Hermione said softly. “They all understood. The twins thought it was amazing. But they said you wouldn’t take it well, so I didn’t say anything.”

“And you believed them.”

“You just proved them right Ron. Besides, every time I started to tell you, you freaked out at the smallest detail. I can’t afford for anyone to know what I am Ron. If-if You-Know-Who found out, I couldn’t imagine.”

“Maybe he should,” Ron spat. “Since you’re on his side and all.”

“I’m not on his side!” Hermione yelled. “I’ve always been with the light Ron.”

“You’re a vampire! A soulless bloodsucking creature. You don’t have any morals anymore. You’re a traitor.”

“I’m a traitor because some monster in the woods attacked me?” Hermione seethed. “I’m a traitor because I chose to come back so I could help Harry succeed?”

“You’ve cast your lot with the dark,” Ron said with bone chilling finality. “You’re not just dead Hermione. You’re dead to me and I’ll make sure Harry knows who you’ve been hanging around with.”

“Malfoy is on our side Ron,” Hermione pleaded.

“Like I’d ever believe that.”

“Obliviate him,” Hermione said sadly. She just didn’t have the strength to fight any longer. “Take his memories from before he saw me on the map. It’s the only way.”

“Of course,” Severus said softly and pointed his wand at Ron’s temple. “Stupify. Obliviate.”

Ron slumped in the chair, his mouth hanging open slightly as Severus erased the memories of discovering Hermione out of bed, stealing Harry’s map, following her to his office, and what she told him. When he was through, he sheathed his wand and picked Hermione up in a comforting hug.

“Perhaps, when this is all over, he’ll react better.”

“I-I’m not sure,” she whispered. “H-he was so cold.”

“Seeing you with Draco was probably a big factor,” Melody said. “He sounded like he’d already made up his mind and refused to change it.”

Hermione nodded. “Well, I should get him back before he wakes up and have a chat with Harry about letting him use the map.”

“I am not pleased to learn of this map,” Severus growled and sat Hermione back down.

“Sorry father, but it’s one of the few things of his father’s that Harry has left.”

Severus nodded. “Off with you. You and Draco will finish hunting the caves tonight.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I believe you are ready. However, Melody and I will be going with you.”

“I thought you two were going to check it out yourselves.”

“We were. However, we’ve been busy looking after you,” Melody said. “But we’re free tonight, so be prepared.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“You okay love?” Draco asked as she walked into her father’s rooms after curfew.

Hermione could only shake her head sadly. The entire day had been a bust. Harry had been understandably angry when he learned what happened. He said that even a bad reaction wasn’t cause to erase Ron’s memories. Hermione hadn’t had the heart to tell him exactly what Ron said. When Ginny found out, she’d been livid and threatened to tell Ron again. That was when she discovered the seriousness of the oath she took as it squeezed the hell out of her throat until she stopped.

All she could think about the rest of the day was her awful experience as Ron was blissfully ignorant of his earlier actions. She needed to focus on her mission but she couldn’t. Between the glares and the snubs, the tantalizing smells of her classmates, and the overwhelming desire to run to her mate, she was spent.

“I’m sorry,” Draco said. “Father told me what happened. It isn’t true. You aren’t dark. You’re the one beacon of light in my life.”

“I’m glad someone thinks so,” she said glumly.

“We all think so,” Melody said as she came in. “But right now, we need to go eat and then get to the beach.”

Twenty minutes later, they were stalking around the back of a restaurant. They’d managed to snag a few patrons who tasted like veal parmesan. Then they disappeared with a crack and arrived at the beach. Hermione felt her breath hitch with memories of being attacked. Draco held her just a bit tighter. Well, that wouldn’t happen this time. They had their mother and father with them and they knew how to fight now.

“The landing is too narrow to apparate to,” Severus said after he inspected the cliff side. “We could fly, if you like. I don’t smell anything on the wind.”

“I’d rather not reacquaint myself with the sea life, if that’s okay with you,” Hermione said, trying not to shudder at the memory of grindylows strangling Draco.

“Flying it is,” Melody said with a small smile.

They floated over to the ledge, careful not to slip on the wet rocks. Draco led the way, pointing to the last cave they were in, the one where they had fought the other coven. Curious, they peeked inside and shuddered at what they saw. Dried black blood covered the walls and scattered body parts were all over the place from where Draco had literally torn the other vampires apart.

“Well, you two aren’t exactly as helpless as you made yourselves out to be,” Melody said, a touch of awe in her voice. “Still, it isn’t right to leave it undone. Shield your eyes. Solarium Totalis!”

A brilliant light as bright as the sun filled the cave, leaving its occupants squinting in pain. The scattered pieces of vampires turned to ash. Even the blood on the walls flaked off and fell gently to the floor. When the spell ended, Severus flicked his hand and made a whirlwind through the cave that swept the floor clean.

“Well, that was fun,” Melody said lightly. “Shall we continue on?”

“I want to learn that spell,” Hermione breathed in wonder.

Maybe if she’d known it, she wouldn’t be a vampire now. All she had known was lumos and her attacker had laughed at her and told her that he wasn’t scared of a torch. She wouldn’t have to worry about feasting on the blood of others now, or keeping her new unlife a secret. Maybe Ron wouldn’t be so estranged and Harry and Ginny wouldn’t be angry with her. They could be the Golden Trio again, as much as she hated that moniker.

Then again, she wouldn’t have met her mother, known this side of her father. They were her family and she wouldn’t have them…or Draco. It made her heart contract painfully at the thought of never knowing what a genuinely great guy he was…once you got past on the snark and posturing that was.

Draco gave her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder as she quietly followed along. Her thoughts weren’t on the hunt though. They were on a new dilemma. She realized that she actually liked being a vampire. Sure, there were a lot of things that were just bloody inconvenient. But there were things she actually enjoyed too. She wondered if this meant that she truly had turned dark. Maybe Ron was right.

“If you think any louder, my ears are going to start ringing,” Melody told her when they entered the next cave.

“Oh, um, sorry.” She hadn’t realized she was being so obvious.

“Come on then, out with it,” Melody said, crossing her arms expectantly.

Hermione blinked in confusion. “Out with what?”

“Whatever has you so preoccupied that you missed the fact that a giant seagull almost ran into you.”

“It did?”

“Yes, your mate is a crack shot, stunned it with a flick of his finger. So come on. Spill.”

Hermione wasn’t sure she wanted to. What if they hated her? Melody had spent her entire youth avoiding becoming a vampire. She and Severus had taken great pains to keep her from turning into a dark vampire. Was she being an ungrateful twat? One look at her mother told her she’d better not dally any longer.

“I l-like being a vampire,” she whispered. “I’m turning dark.”

“Nonsense,” Melody said dismissively. “What’s not to love? We’re practically Superman, only not allergic to Kryptonite.”

“Super who? Crypt a what? Draco asked.

“Superman,” Melody said, “is a fictional muggle character in a comic book –er- a picture book that tells a story. He’s an alien from another planet that has special powers. What was it.. oh yes. Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Sounds scarily like a vampire to me. Anyway, his only weakness was this green rock from his home planet called Kryptonite. It made him just like every other muggle.”

“So, you’re saying that we’re like this muggle karmic book guy who’s allergic to green rocks?” Draco asked with a frown.

Melody chuckled. “Sort of. What I’m saying is that it’s perfectly natural to like your new strengths, even if they come with some drawbacks.”

Hermione frowned. “But vampires aren’t…good.”

“Not normally,” Melody conceded. “But it doesn’t make you an evil person. It makes you content, which is important. Accepting what you are is a large step Hermione. If I might ask, if you could go back and do it all over again, would you give up this life to be human?”

Hermione frowned and thought it over again. Her life had been a wreck since her turning, but she’d found something better. Could she live life as a human and be truly happy? Well, not if she knew then what she knew now. She couldn’t imagine not being able to hug her father or the incredible sex with Draco.

“I- no.”

“And why not?” Melody pushed.

“I don’t want to lose all of you.”

Melody nodded. “That’s the perfect answer. It implies that you aren’t hung up on your powers, but rather the family connections you’ve made. That hardly sounds like a power hungry dark wizard, does it?”

“Well, no I suppose not,” Hermione murmured.

“Then stop worrying,” Melody said. “You are probably the sweetest, most kind hearted and loving creature I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. You aren’t some dark mishap Hermione. Stop thinking like that.”

“I just can’t help thinking that maybe…maybe he was right.”

“Oh and maybe the Chudley Cannons will become the number one Quidditch team overnight. And maybe, perhaps, it will start raining lollypops and jelly beans. Hell, I bet Filtch will come out wearing a tutu and professing his undying love for Hagrid.”

“Okay,” Hermione chuckled. “I get it. I just…I didn’t expect to like being…this.”

“It’s a little upsetting when you realize you’ve accepted it,” Melody hedged. “But accepting and embracing it are worlds away from using it for evil gain and manipulation. It’s a tool, nothing more, just like magic. Think of it as an extension of your wand.”

“A rather bloody one,” Severus said dryly. “Now if we are done having a chat, we need to finish this.”

They searched for the better part of an hour, easily covering the cliffs. They had explored all the obvious caves on the ledge and had climbed down to sea level, quite disheartened. Then, they caught a whiff of something coming from a fissure. It had the cloying scent of dark magic surrounding it, though it looked like a normal break in the rocks. They all swam in, following their noses until they reached a passageway.

They all quickly dried themselves, not so much for warmth as the inconvenience of slopping around in wet clothes. The walk was surreal, the passageway switching back to the left before leading into a large cave. It stunk as badly as the Dark Lord did. Severus and Melody began pacing the cave, running their wands up and down the walls as Draco and Hermione watched with intrigue. A white outline of a door formed and they breathed a sigh of relief. However, when they tried to blast through, they got a powerful shock.

“Blood magic then,” Severus said, frowning. “None of us will be able to gain entry, not with our blood.”

“Whose then?” Draco asked.

“We can take some from a human at Hogwarts,” Melody said. “If I put it under stasis immediately, then it should pass the just spilled requirement.”

“What’s wrong with our blood?” Hermione asked.

“It isn’t human,” Severus said quietly. “And the Dark Lord would have thought of that.”

“But HE isn’t human,” Hermione growled.

“But it is his signature,” Melody said. “And he wouldn’t need to spill blood, would he?”

“Could we at least try it?” Hermione asked. “I mean, we’re not technically dead and we did just feed. What is the worst that would happen? Would it alert him?”

Severus pursed his lips and waved his wand in a few intricate patterns before holding his hand out and pushing a pulse toward the entrance. It glowed for a few minutes with hundreds of tiny runes before falling dark and silent once more.

“It isn’t set up to alert anyone.”

“Of course not,” Melody snorted. “Egotistical maniac. He doesn’t think about being discovered because he believes himself to be superior. That’s his largest flaw.”

“And one we can use against him,” Draco said, whipping out a blade and slicing through his hand. He placed it on the cave and waited.

A sudden shifting of rocks gave way, creating a blazing silver door where the white outline had been. Draco gulped and entered, dragging Hermione close behind. When all four were through, they gasped at the sight. A giant black lake lay before them with a mysterious green light in the middle. The room seemed darker than normal, not a sensation any of them were used to with such perfect night vision.

“I’d bet galleons that the horcrux is in the middle,” Melody said, studying the cave.

There was seemingly no way to it but to swim. Draco was about to go in when Severus jerked him back.

“No,” he snapped, pointing to the lake. “That’s not any ordinary water.”

“How do we get past it?” Hermione asked, inspecting the glass smooth black lake. Normally, she should be able to see beneath it but it was like looking at a big black mirror, reflecting her face.

“Could we fly?” Melody asked inspecting their surroundings.

“We could try,” Severus said. “Be ready to pull me back.”

He hovered a few feet off the ground, slowly pushing himself upward. The water started rippling a bit and Melody quickly yanked him down, shaking her head. The water smoothed back out again. He frowned and leapt into the air, turning into a bat. All was well until he tried crossing again. It almost looked like a hand tried to come out of the water before he sat back down.

“Well, that’s a bust,” Melody said with a frown. “It can tell…whatever it is.”

“What is in there?” Hermione asked.

“More than likely inferi,” Severus said with a frown. “They are his favorite.”

“But aren’t they susceptible to all sorts of things?” Hermione asked.

“Yes but you’ve watched a zombie movie before, haven’t you?” Melody asked.

Hermione nodded.

“Well, it’s the same thing really. By the time you strike one down, ten more are on your case.”

“So it’s a game of numbers,” Hermione said softly.

“Of course,” Severus said. “There are far more dead people in here than living, after all.”

“What about living dead?” Draco asked dryly.

“Oh be serious,” Melody chided. “Vampires might be plentiful but we’re a small percentage of living humans. Still, it appears that this spell is attuned to anything trying to get past a specific condition of crossing.”

“So what’s the condition then,” Draco asked.

Severus frowned and began stalking around the tiny ledge of the lake, hand out waving up and down every so often. It caught on something and he barked a laugh in triumph, pulling at an invisible line. He tapped his wand to it revealing a copper chain. With a tug, a small boat came up from out of the water.

“That little thing doesn’t look big enough for all of us,” Draco said softly.

“It’s built for one wizard, magic wise, no matter their size.” Severus said.

“Which one of us then?” Hermione asked.

“Well,” Severus said, a peculiar look on his face as curled his fingers in the air. “I dare say I am the only one that will register. Neither of you were of age when you were turned.”

“And turning freezes your development,” Melody said with a grin. “Clever.”

“And monumentally stupid,” Draco spat. “Did he honestly not account for that?”

“No,” Severus drawled. “He is exceedingly arrogant. He would have had the mentality that only a very powerful and knowledgeable of age wizard would have gotten this far. Besides, I dare say that this is not the last hurdle we will face.”

“But what about you?” Hermione asked Melody. “You were of age.”

Melody nodded. “But I was also stunted magically at that age. I registered much younger on the power scale. Besides, I’m a woman. I’m not sure he accounted for that.”

“But if he did?” Hermione asked.

Melody shrugged. “Then I’ll stay behind. The boat is extremely small though,” Melody said. “I suggest transforming and riding across as bats, since they are smaller.”

“I will remain in this form,” Severus said, “just in case.”

The other three vampires transformed. His children settled on one shoulder, his mate on the other. When he was sure they had their footing, he stepped across, piling the chain in the boat with them. It started to move of its own volition toward the green light in the middle. He hummed when his children squeaked in fright. The bodies of the Inferi were coming toward the surface.

“I dare say they will stay put unless one of us is unfortunate enough to touch the water,” Severus said soothingly. “They don’t seem to sense Melody’s presence anyway.”

After what seemed like an eternity, the boat came to a halt. The island in the middle of the lake was small, no larger than an office and contained a stone basin filled with an emerald green liquid. The bats turned back to their human forms, turning to Severus in question.

“Well, this puts a damper on things,” Severus said softly. “Can any of you tell me what this liquid is?”

They all took a sniff. It smelled like pure fear with a hint of poison, foxglove if they were correct. However, none of them had quite heard of a potion like that. They shook their heads to say so.

Severus nodded. “I thought not. I wouldn’t have known myself…except I recognize my own brews when I see them.”

“What?” Hermione asked.

Severus looked at her, his eyes unusually sad. “It was a test for joining the Death Eaters, to brew a potion designed to kill as torturously slow as possible. It bombards the drinker with their worst memories and enhances them, making them into exquisite mental torture. There is no cure, only a means to stop the visions and allow the drinker to die a slow death from acute poisoning.”

“What stops the visions?” Hermione asked.

“Water that has been saturated with death,” Severus said hoarsely. “Lucius had been putting a bug in my ear about the Dark Lord long before I went for my initiation. I brewed this in my third year after a particularly nasty run in with the Mauaders.”

“No doubt you had Sirius in mind for it,” Melody said dryly.

“Of course,” Severus said, unable to hide the slight smirk that curled his lips.

“But how would it affect us,” Hermione asked.

“Well, we wouldn’t die,” Severus said. “Poison has little effect on us. However, we would still be tortured by the visions and would still need to consume the antidote to them.”

“We aren’t getting out of here without touching that water,” Melody said, staring at the lake. “Inferi-filled water would qualify, would it not?”

Severus nodded. “And that would trigger the monsters within to attack. Quite cleaver really.”

“And quite dangerous,” Melody said with a frown. “But I suppose that we can cast flames, although I do fear that fiendfyre is most appropriate for the occasion.”

“I-I don’t know how to cast that,” Hermione whispered.

“Simple flames will work,” Severus assured her. “Now then, to the potion.”

He tried to pick up the bowl, only to stop a few inches short. Try as he might, his hand would not touch the bowl. The tried reaching in, only to be met with the same force. Then he drew his wand and cast hundreds of spells at it before growling out a list of obscenities and conjuring a crystal goblet. It did touch the potion but when he tried to pour it out on the ground, it remained in the goblet.

“It’s as I feared. It must be drunk,” he said sadly. “And the horcrux will only be obtained after it is completely gone.”

“Who will drink it?” Draco asked.

“I will,” Severus said.

“No!” Hermione protested. She’d been mulling it over since he’d started trying to get rid of the potion. If that potion enhanced a person’s worst fears, Severus would be the last person that needed to drink it. He had true horrors in his past. Thinking further, she was really the only one who hadn’t experienced a large number of terrible moments in her life. She knew what she’d see if she drank. There was no telling how incapacitated the others would be. Besides, it looked like a large amount of liquid. If Severus were to want to stop, there would be no one who could make him continue.

“It’s the only way,” Severus sighed.

“No,” Hermione said a bit stronger. “Look. You know what that potion does.”

“Of course,” Severus hissed in annoyance.

“And you honestly don’t think you’d be incapacitated by the visions? Besides, that’s an awfully large quantity. What if you wanted to quit before then? Who could make you continue? No one. None of us hold any sway over you.”

“She’s right,” Melody sighed. “Sev, if you were to drink it… Do you honestly want to experience…that again? I’m not so sure that it wouldn’t break you.”

Severus frowned, upset at being reminded of his past failures once again. Finally he nodded. “Fine.”

“It’s settled then,” Melody said. “I’ll drink it.”

“No!” They all cried.

“My dear,” Severus said in a strained voice. “Have you forgotten your own horrors?”

“No,” Melody said. “But you can order me to drink…and I will.”

“I’ll drink it,” Draco said. “Severus can still order me to do it.”

“No,” Hermione cut in. “It has to be me.” She held a hand up to stay their protests. “I haven’t experienced near as many horrors in my life as the rest of you have. I had a healthy and loving childhood and although my years at Hogwarts have been turbulent, I’ve had very few truly painful memories I can be tormented with. You all hold sway over me. Even Melody could order me to drink and I would obey, if my level of incapacitation is as great as I fear it will be.”

Her family looked absolutely stunned at her speech. Taking their silence as an opportunity, she took a deep breath and continued.

“Look, it’s only logical. I’m healthy now. There is no trace of venom in my veins so I am in proper health to fight off a poison. I’m the smallest and easiest to handle, should I not be able to maneuver myself. I have the best chance of standing against the visions and you can all tell me to continue should I refuse. I have to obey if I don’t have the capacity to fight. Besides, I’m the only one who doesn’t know how to cast fiendfyre. That alone makes me a liability in a fight. Why not use it, if I’m going to be a hindrance anyway?”

“You are not a hindrance,” Draco hissed but was quickly silenced by Severus’s hand.

“She’s right,” Severus said gravely. “Daughter, you don’t know what you are getting into.”

“So tell me then,” Hermione pleaded. “Hold nothing back. Don’t sugar coat it just to spare me. I think we’re well past that.”

“Indeed,” Severus sighed. “Very well. From the moment the first sip touches your lips, you’ll be flooded with images. They’ll start out mild and continue to intensify until you get to your absolutely worst memory. Once you reach that point, it will replay, subtly changing the factors until it becomes your worst nightmare. Only when you’ve finished drinking will the visions slow and only the water in the lake will make them stop. Your throat will be parched and no other water will quench it. Now, you must not drink until we have the horcrux secure and are in the boat. Do you understand?”

Hermione nodded. “And the poison?”

“In a normal person, it saps the strength until there is nothing left. The victim will be subject to vomiting and blackouts. In a vampire, you’ll be weak as a kitten but that’s it. You’ll be rather defenseless until it travels through your system.”

“How long?”

“You’ll probably be down for the weekend and you’ll need to feed frequently, but you’ll be fine after that. It’s the same with most poisons. Only the strongest, like Nagini’s venom for instance, will compromise you in any way other than weakness.”

Hermione nodded. “Out of curiosity, what would that snake’s venom do?”

“Paralyze for certain,” Severus said softly. “Slow healing comparable to that of a muggle.”

“Well then,” Hermione gulped. “Glad it’s not snake venom then.”

“Indeed,” Severus said, staring at her for a few minutes with sadness in his eyes. Finally, he opened his arms. “Come here child.”

Hermione threw herself into them, hugging him for all he was worth. She felt Melody come around behind her, sandwiching her in between her parents tightly. She was content and happy in their arms. The only thing that could make it better would be if Draco were to join in, and she felt his hand cover hers on Severus’s back. They stayed that way for a few precious moments, just reaffirming their bond before breaking apart.

“Draco,” Severus said finally. “I believe it best if you feed it to her. You have the strongest connection. She shouldn’t put up as much of a fight.”

Draco nodded, but he looked like he was walking to the gallows as he took the crystal goblet from his father’s hands and dipped it into the liquid. He kissed Hermione as deeply as he possibly could before tipping the contents into her mouth, coaxing her to swallow. He shook his head and went to dip the goblet again.

Hermione grimaced at the taste, sour milk and some sort of dirt flavored slime. She had hoped it wouldn’t be that bad, but even drinking it was a nightmare. Severus really had outdone himself. The visions started immediately, starting with the first time she’d found out she was a witch. Her parents had been frightened of her, going so far as to contact a psychiatrist before they figured out what was going on.

Another goblet was tipped into her mouth, followed by praises from her mate. It made her feel warm inside. This was pleasing him. She would continue. The next visions were of her being teased as a child for being different. She was running as fast as she could, trying to get away from the rocks they were throwing at her. She’d managed to break the bully of the school’s desk in a fit of rage and now they were after her.

“Leave me alone!” she cried out loud, barely registering the grave faces of her family.

Draco tipped another goblet full down her throat, telling her what a good mate she was. She was so brave and strong. She almost smiled but then she saw the troll coming after her and she screamed. It swung it’s club to bash her and she tried to duck to miss it but was held back by a strong arm.

“It’s okay love,” Draco cooed. “Drink this.”

She swallowed obediently even though the taste only got worse. It reminded her of the spoiled blood she’d consumed not too long ago and made her stomach quake. Another vision captured her, this one of watching Diggery fall on the ground dead. They came at light speed now, every fight, every tussle she’d ever had during school came flying at her, each one calling her something worse.

And yet another goblet tipped down her throat. She didn’t register it this time. She was too busy running for her life. Death eaters were after her. She was in the Ministry and running from Lucius. He looked so much like Draco, or was that the other way around? It didn’t matter. They were coming for her.

“RUN!” she screamed. “NO! Don’t hurt him!”

She was watching helplessly as Neville was hit with a bone breaking curse in the nose. Ginny was caught, her leg shattered. Some sort of brain thing suction cupped itself to Ron’s face. Harry was busy dueling Lucius and Bellatrix simultaneously. They were going to lose. She turned to see Dolohov’s face, the permanent sneer revealing his rotten teeth.

“Hello poppet,” he purred as he looked her up and down, deliberately licking his lips. Her stomach bottomed out, knowing what he wanted to do to her immediately. A hand came out before she could blast it back and slapped her full in the face, spinning her around with its force.

“No, make it stop!”

“This will stop it love,” Draco’s voice cut through the image. “Drink.”

“N-n-no!” Hermione protested. It was making all of this happen.

“Yes,” Draco said firmly. “Drink!”

She felt the burning in her soul as she tried to resist and crumbled. Her visions were still vivid. Dolohov was now trying to tear at her shirt and she was doing everything she could think of to get away. She screamed at the top of her lungs to get away, make it stop, anything. But there was no reprieve.

Another goblet full had her choking, the vision turning to that of her vampire attacker. In this new vision, he wasn’t smirking. His long blond hair blew in the wind as he threw a horrifying curse at her before sinking his fangs in. She saw the image morph as he pried off her clothes.

“No more!” she screamed and pleaded.

Draco’s orders weren’t enough now. The pain wasn’t worth the visions. They had to stop. She heard her father’s booming baritone and her mother’s soft coaxing, ordering her to continue. Just a few more. Her neck was torn to shreds and her chest ached.

“NO!” She screeched.

“One more,” Draco said. “Last one, I promise love. I promise.”

She opened her mouth, knowing what would come next. Her attacker would kill her now. There was no backing out. Bloody tears flowed down her cheeks as she watched him viciously part her legs and take himself in hand. He licked the blood flowing down her chest and bit into her breast, causing her to scream at the pain.

Her mouth was dry and the scream stuck in her throat. No matter what she tried, she couldn’t swallow, couldn’t spit, couldn’t anything. She needed water. Blearily, she could see that the Black Lake was right in front of her. She pushed her attacker off weakly and tried crawling to the water, only to be pulled back and held in a vice-like grip.

“Got it,” Melody cried. “Get her to the water, quick!”

Cool water was being poured into her mouth. It felt like the most refreshing substance on the face of the earth. The vision of her attacker faded, turning into one of utmost horror. Her parents were gathered around her, each holding their wands aloft. The water below her was bubbling madly. Draco held her in his arms, the goblet to her lips as he poured another glass down her throat. It tasted stale this time and she spluttered.

“That’s enough,” Severus hissed. “Get up.”

Draco laid her down in the bottom of the boat before springing up to the side, his wand at the ready. Then she saw it, hundreds upon hundreds of dead and decaying bodies rising from the water. She couldn’t move though. Her limbs were dead weight, lying helplessly by her side. All she could do was watch in awe as great bursts of fire shot from her family’s wands, large snake shaped flames that spun in circles around the boat and burned the bodies to a crisp.

The boat rocked heavily as they hit the edge of the lake. Fire continued to swarm around her as she was picked up and hauled over Draco’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The last thing she saw was a fiery head snapping the body of one poor soul in half before she only saw Draco’s rather fine arse. She figured it was as good a sight as any, since she couldn’t move.

“Needs more blood,” Severus hissed.

Hermione never saw who gave it but they moved through the door at incredible speed, only to plunge into the sea again. Draco shifted her quickly, allowing her to float on her back as he paddled them both out to the same little outcropping of rocks they’d stood on the first day. He pulled her out and held onto her tightly, his breathing ragged.

“Hold on tight,” Melody said, grabbing Draco’s arm.

Severus grabbed onto her waist and they went spinning through the air, the sick lurch of apparition in her gut. They landed with a thud in the middle of Hogsmeade. Severus quickly pulled them off the street, his eyes darting this way and that to see if they’d been seen. Luckily, the only souls about at such an hour were already so drunk they couldn’t see straight. He motioned for them to slink through the shadows.

It was rather difficult to transform for Hermione. Her body was mostly numb and sluggish, the potion having worn off just a tad. However, as long as Draco remained solid enough to hold her, she could be flicker into shadow. It was an odd feeling, being weightless and still having to be held. She was lucky she didn’t have to keep it up for long, because they moved lightning fast. Hogwarts was in sight within minutes.

Remus met them at the edge of the Black Lake. He’d already waved the other guards away. His eyes held nothing but concern as he saw Draco lumbering along with Hermione.

“Everything okay?” he breathed.

“It will be,” Melody assured him. “We just have to get her inside and let her rest.”

“What happened?” Remus asked.

“Just a little poison,” Hermione said faintly, trying to smile but failing miserably.

Remus shook his head sadly. “Is every mission going to end up with you coming back barely alive in Draco’s arms?”

“Merlin I hope not,” Draco breathed and held her just a bit tighter to him. “I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.”

“Come on,” Melody sighed sadly. “Let’s get you to Sev’s rooms. I don’t think you’ll be going much of anywhere until that poison is out of your system.”

They ran at top speed, blurring through the halls until they reached Severus’s quarters. Once inside, Draco wasted no time in stripping them both and jumping in the shower. However much she appreciated his form, she was disappointed when he mechanically cleaned them both and stepped out. Her only appeasing thought was that he didn’t reclothe them. Instead, he waited for Severus to transform a spare sofa into a bed and then lay down with her.

“Try to meditate now,” he whispered in her ear. “It’s all over.”

After a few tries, she found herself drifting off, a mixture of the poison and mental exhaustion fueling the way. Maybe when she was rested, she could figure out what it was that they found.

AN: I'm ba-ack. This one came easy, but I'm really starting to feel bad for Hermione. The story is going to speed along now. I've already got the next chapter all laid out. As always, thanks to everyone for your awesome reviews. I love them all. Until next time... Love you guys!
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Beyond the Pale