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Breaking the Chain	By : RynStar15 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 42452 -:- Recommendations : 5 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, that belongs to the glorious J.K Rowling. I don't make any money off of this writing, I simply twist her world for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
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Hermione pushed through the crowds, the deafening roar thrumming through her blood stream and channeling fear throughout her being. She caught a glimpse of messy jet black hair and dragged Ron by the arm towards their friend. He was inches away, his hand outstretched, reaching for her own when a thunderous jolt echoed throughout the hall, more powerful than all the others.
Hermione was launched forward off her feet, her fingers still clasped around Ron’s forearm and she watched as Harry and everyone else around them was tossed mercilessly. The power blew through the room, pressing her into the ground so that she couldn’t move.
When it was over the room was eerily silent. The quiet bore down on them, a palpable dread consuming them. Lifting herself on a shaky elbow, Hermione looked around. People were slowly starting to sit up; Kingsley was already running for the front door with Moody gimping along behind him. She felt Ron stirring beside her but no one made a sound. When Kingsley strode back into the Great Hall he nodded his dark head and they tensed. It had happened, the walls had been breached.

The fight had come to them.

Hermione looked up when she felt someone tugging on her. It was Harry. She allowed him to help her to her feet and looked at him oddly when he didn’t let go of her hand. He refused to meet her eyes but looked into Ron’s instead. She could almost see the words passing between them. If only she could read their minds like they apparently could.
People gathered themselves together and began taking stances around the hall, ushering the younger ones to the middle so the more experienced ones could surround them. Harry’s hand clasped hers so tight she thought it might fall off and when Ron gripped her wand arm tightly she was about to tell them how ridiculous she felt being led by them like a child, but she never got the chance because a blood curdling voice rang through the tall room just then.

“I am wounded for not being invited to your little…get together,” Voldemort’s cruel voice crooned. “Especially after you have taken things from me, things I admit myself to be most aggrieved to be bereft of. You know I cannot allow these actions to remain unpunished. Repirations must be made and I believe you have something I want desperately.”

“You’ve got me,” Harry shouted beside her, ignoring her protests. “Let everyone else go. This is our fight, Tom! Don’t pawn it off on others!”

Hermione yanked at his hand, hissing at him. "Harry stop, this isn't the plan-"

A cold laugh echoed through the chamber, cutting off her words. “We will have our time, my boy. You will see what it is to feel pain. But not just yet. There is someone else who requires my attention first.”

“No one else is involved, this is our fight! It’s me you want!” Harry feigned ignorance, Ron and he tightening their hold on her and Hermione knew they were trying to prevent her from going. She struggled against their holds but the two stood firm.

“Send out that girl whose hand you're holding so tightly and no one else need be.”
He could see them. Everyone looked around at the high windows, their wands drawn, searching for the evil man whose disembodied chuckle sounded once more.

“Come now, Harry. You don’t want to sacrifice more innocent lives now, do you? What about this one?”
A heart rending shriek rang in their ears as Ginny was lifted into the air, writhing and screaming in agony. Arthur and Molly yelled and tried to get to her but she was lifted beyond their grasp, a bright white bubble surrounding her to make it impossible for others to help her, their spells rebounding uselessly.
Hermione’s heart broke at the sight and she tore away from the boys towards the front hall.

“No! No, stop! I’ll come! Please, just let her go!” Hermione screamed, knocking people to the side who tried to stop her. Ginny’s screams ceased as she stumbled through the open doors of the halls while Order members held back Ron and Harry, their shouts ringing in her ears. She stopped at the tall double doors and looked back at them, her breath coming in pants.

“Hermione!” Harry struggled against Remus and Kingsley who held him back. “Hermione stop! Hermione, look at me!”

She lifted her eyes to him. “I know you can do it, Harry. I believe in you. I always have. Be strong, do what you have to do. I love you.”

Tears streaked from behind his glasses. “Hermione, please, don't, I love you-”
Hermione turned from the devestation in his eyes and pulled open the wooden doors, Ron crying her name behind her. She looked back once more at a hysterical Ron, smiled at him with a courage she didn’t feel, and walked out into the grey November morning.

Before her stood a mass of black figures. The doors slammed shut behind her and she took a deep breath, knowing no one could help her now. She walked down the front steps to where they stood, head held high.
The hooded and masked Death Eaters stood sentinel around Voldemort, his snakelike face smiling gruesomely at her. She could see the fury in his eyes and steeled herself.

“How very Gryffindor of you, my dear. I commend your courage.”

The pain coursed through her before she could draw breath for speech. Screams tore from her throat unwillingly and no matter how she tried to stop them, they kept coming. It was unbearable, she was on fire, she had to be. Her skin was melting, boiling, her bones snapping like twigs. She couldn’t think over the pain, didn’t hear the laughs that rang above her or see Draco start forward before being caught subtly by Snape’s hand.
When it finally ended Hermione gasped air into her searing lungs and tried to push herself back up but Voldemort beat her to it by forcing her up with her arms and legs locked to her sides. He closed the few steps between them and took the wand from her pain-slackened grasp. He examined it for a moment before grinding it into dust with one hand. He laughed as she struggled against her bonds uselessly.

“Come, my dear. You didn’t really think I’d let you keep it? It is not as though it will be of any use to you anymore. Not where you are going. Now, tell me. Do you know why you're here?”

“Because you’re a sick, demented man with a Napoleon complex?” she snapped. Then regretted it.

She gasped in agony as invisible knives carved into her skin. She watched in sick horror as the blood ran in rivulets over her torn robes. A spell cracked across her cheek and her face snapped to the side with the force. Spitting blood from her mouth she met his gaze, swallowing back the bile that rose from the pain.

“I’m not afraid of you," she grated out, her eyes never faltering. She smiled up at him disdainfully, knowing she was sealing her own fate by drawing their tête–à–tête to give the Order as much time as possible. "You’re just a hypocritical bastard who feels diminutive because his father was a Muggle. You’re sad, you’re pathetic, you-”

Her words were cut off when her world exploded. She couldn’t take it; no one could survive this kind of agony. Her throat cracked with her yells which fell from her as over and over as she was assailed with the mind numbing pain.
Tears streamed down her face and ran into the grass which is where she found herself when the pain eased, allowing her to think again. She watched through blades of viridian as black robes billowed towards her. Before she could throw her hands up to protect herself one of the feet connected with her face and she felt her nose shatter as blood gushed from both nostrils. She cried out, cupping her face with two broken wrists. The burning pain was indescribable.
A cackling laugh made her freeze. Gods, no. Not her, anyone but her...

“Guess who?” Bellatrix Lestrange giggled maliciously. “My lord has asked you a question. You will answer him or I will make you wish you’d never been born.”

“Knowing you walk on the same earth as me is more than sufficient,” Hermione replied thickly through the blood filling her mouth.
When Bellatrix lifted her by her hair she spit a mouthful of blood onto her masked face. The woman shrieked and threw her from her, lifting her wand but Hermione was faster. She sent the older woman flying with a silent curse and watched her hit the ground, screeching. Her screams were cut off suddenly as her arms and legs snapped together, boils and burns erupting onto her skin.
Hermione felt herself being pulled across the lawn as the group rioted in fury. She was lifted until she floated once again in front of Voldemort whose face was twisted in ire.

“How did you do that?” he demanded. Hermione leaned her head forward as if she were about to tell him a secret.
“Magic,” she whispered.
His hand came out and slapped her hard across the face. If it weren’t for the spell she would have been on the ground. Hermione spat out a molar that had come loose and pushed the throbbing radiating throughout her body to the back of her mind.
“Resorting to Muggle tactics now? How feeble,” she taunted. She didn’t care if she’d be punished for it. She was going to die anyways. The longer she could keep him busy, the better. She hoped they were working on how to get to the snake because she didn’t know how much longer she could hold off. Her damnable body might die on her before she was ready. Forcing herself to work through the pain she detached herself and watched his face convolute with indignation.

“You think you can mock me, girl? Think you can extend your petty life with useless words?" he spat and she knew he was coming unhinged. "You sealed your fate when you thought you could steal my possessions. Well now I will steal yours, everything you have will be mine.”

“Is that what this is about?” she laughed. She probably didn’t make a very intimidating figure with blood running down her face and her robes hanging off her battered body, her hair wild. But she didn’t care. All she cared about was holding on long enough…just long enough and then she could succumb to the welcoming darkness. “Maybe you should have hidden them better. You didn’t seem to be very worried about security when you let me watch where you put every single-”

Hermione crashed to the ground, writhing in agony. He tortured her endlessly and she feared the mind would shatter with the pain. When the spell was finally lifted she didn’t move, couldn’t, could barely do more than pull breath into her aching lungs. She'd never felt anything as devestating as this.
Ignore it, ignore it, she chanted to herself. She let her mind rise above it, floating beyond her mangled body. She watched through slitted eyes as Voldemort knelt next to her head.

“Come, my dear. I believe our conversation would be better suited somewhere a little more…private.”
A steely hand clasped a fractured wrist and she was being sucked through a vacuum. When she landed in a dingy cottage she closed her eyes while he walked around the room doing Merlin knew what. Thinking about Draco, she fought to be strong.

It's time to say goodbye, Hermione...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Harry yanked from his godfather's grasp and dragged an inconsolable Ron to the wall and slammed him against it.

“Pull yourself together! We need to stay focused. She doesn’t have much time. We need to find that snake, kill it, and get back so we can save her. We only have one chance at this! Don’t fuck it up now!”

Ron banged the back of his head against the wall as he gulped in air. “I-I never told h-her! Harry, I n-never told her and now we’ve just s-sent her to be slaughtered! She’ll never make it!”

“She’ll make it, dammit!" Harry snapped, shaking his best friend roughly. "She has to. Now come on, pull it together, I need your help, she needs you to be strong. Can you do this?”

The red head nodded, shoved Harry away, and wiped his streaming nose on his sleeve. “Yeah, yeah I got it. Bloody fucking shit! Okay,” he took a deep breath. “Okay. I got it. Let’s go, let's get that fucking snake.”

They turned to Remus who was conversing with other Aurors and Order members.

“Are you ready?"

“Yeah. We have to hurry, she doesn't have long,” Harry replied.

“Alright. Here’s where we’re at. Mad-Eye was able to communicate with Severus a moment ago through Legilimency. He says the snake is at the Manor. He’s given us directions to the room. Nagini’s guarded like we thought she would be. It should be no problem but we have to wait for Snape's signal that he's lowered the guards. I need everyone to be ready the moment they're down.”

“We’re ready,” Harry said. “How are we getting there?”

“Portkey!” Tonks cried, producing a dinner plate with blue trimming.
"Dora..."
"Remus, don't start," she snapped at her husband. "You need me, Hermione needs me."
Arthur turned to his friend who started to protest. "Remus, she's one of the best fighters we have."
Harry could see Remus struggling with himself but relented and Arthur turned to say goodbye to his wife who was fussing over Ron. Order members crowded at the door, waiting for the signal to attack.
Harry wondered what was taking so long, what the hell was Snape waiting for?
After what seemed an eternity, Moody limped towards their group. "Let's go. Molly, lead the others."
Mrs. Weasley nodded and turned with one last kiss to her eldest son and strode to the front of the awaiting throng.

“Everyone, grab hold!” Remus called out. Harry placed a finger on it and watched as Ron, Tonks, Moody, Kingsley, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Arthur and an Auror woman with bright blonde hair he had never met did the same, everyone else remaining to fight and protect Hermione.

“Ready, set…now!” Remus said and a hook grabbed Harry around the naval and they lifted off.
When they landed Harry didn’t fall for once. They looked around the gleaming hall at where his nemesis had grown as a child. He remembered why he hated the ferret so much, staring around the opulant residence.

“You four,” Mad-Eye said pointing at Harry, Ron, Remus, and Charlie. “Follow me. Arthur, take Tonks, Bill and Fred and spread out. We don’t know who all might still be here. Rita, you and Kingsley go in from the back. Are we clear?”

They all agreed and Harry started forward before he realized Remus hadn't moved. He had caught Tonks’ hand and Harry could hear him murmuring. “If anything goes wrong, get out. Do you understand?"

“Remus, don't start, we both know I need to be here, I have to help.”

“I know, but please just listen to me on this one thing, Dora! We can’t risk-” his hand floated to her flat belly. Harry's heart clenched when she clamped a hand over his. Slowly, she nodded. “Alright. You’re right. I will.”

“I wish you had stayed at the headquarters with Fleur…”

“You know I couldn’t.”

“I know. Stay safe.” His kissed her tenderly and walked quickly away, not looking back to see if they followed. Sparing a sad smile for Tonks, Harry hurried to catch up with Remus who was striding towards a grand staircase where Mad-Eye was limping ahead. Following the gnarled man, he led them through elegant corridors and Harry felt more like he was in a fancy hotel than a house. They dove deeper into the manor until they stopped at a pair of charcoal black double doors that were flanked by two masked Death Eaters. Charlie and Mad-Eye disposed of them both before they were even aware of their presence. They slumped to the floor wordlessly and Remus nodded to Harry who lifted his wand.

“Reducto!”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Severus watched as the Dark Lord disappeared with Granger and grasped Draco’s upper arm. Lucius ran forward to release Bella from her binds and the air was soon filled with her shrieks and cries.

“Come…” he said into Draco’s ear and tried to draw him inconspicuously back but Fenrir caught them.

“Where do you think you’re going, Severus? We’re supposed to attack the castle!”

“Our Master has instructed me to deliver the boy. Not that it’s any of your business, Greyback,” he snarled.

Fenrir growled low in his throat.

“Come, Draco. We mustn’t keep our Lord waiting.”

Severus dragged the boy back and Apparated with him before anyone else could call them out. When they landed on the ground before the Manor he rounded on Draco.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Take me to Hermione!” the insolent teenager yelled.

“Fool! You nearly gave us away! Pull yourself together or you’ll destroy everything we have built! She will have done all this for nothing! Do you understand?”

“Yes! I bloody fucking understand! Now take me to her!” Severus slapped him, once, twice, hard. Draco looked ready to attack him.

“We must lower the wards so the Order can arrive, this is the reason we're doing all of this! Now control yourself!" he snapped, turing the blonde to face the manor. Thankfully the boy did not protest, simply lifted his hands in front in him. Severus followed suit and closed his eyes, forcing his power into the wards, felt them shudder beneath their strength. The damn boy was stronger than he knew.
As soon as every last vestige of protection dissipated, he turned to Draco.
"You must focus now, Draco. He will have you torture her, you must obey, you cannot let your guard slip, not even for a moment. The Order will need every moment possible. Miss Granger is doing the best she can but her body won’t hold out much longer. Draw it out. Taunt her, do whatever it takes but make it good. Are you ready?”

The boy aged drastically before him, every shred of childood dissolving at the knowledge that he was to help destroy the girl he loved. Severus thought fleetingly of dark red hair and bright green eyes and his stomach clenched. He would not wish this fate upon anyone.
“Yes.”

Severus grabbed his arm again and Apparated to the dilapidated Shrieking Shack as he'd been instructed.

It was empty. No screams, no threats, no lights, no sounds of henious torture.

Nothing.

“No…” he said breathlessly. The two men strode from room to room futilely.

Draco was fuming by the time they returned to the main room. “Where the fuck is she?”

“I don’t know," he said honestly. Fear for them all clawed at his chest. "He’s figured us out.”

“We have to find her!” Draco was near hysterics. Severus didn't blame him. If the Dark Lord had found out…he could be at the Manor. He could be anywhere, doing anything to that poor girl, their entire mission could be destroyed...

“Come, we must go.”

Heart suspended in his chest he Apparated back to the Manor and prayed to any gods who were out there that Hermione Granger held out long enough for their plan to work.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A/N:
DaFossil: It's only going to get worse, I have a pretty extensive evil streak...

XOXO
RynStar15
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Breaking the Chain