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Beyond the Pale	By : goldhorse Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 81375 -:- 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
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Hermione stared at the vial in Melody’s hands while they waited for Draco. It wouldn’t be long before Melody would drink the revolting substance and fly to Godric’s Hollow. The thought was driving her crazy. What if she were attacked before then? Melody’s hand on her shoulder startled her.

“Severus will ride with me… as a bat of course. He’ll be in his favorite place in the entire world.”

“Where is that?” Hermione asked slowly.

Melody grinned. “Why, in between my thighs of course.”

The joke was weak but it had the intended affect. Hermione chuckled, her nerves slowly calming. At least her father would be there to help her mother get there. The rest of them would portkey to an alley behind a nearby church and slink over in shadows. Then they’d lie in wait for Bellatrix, and hopefully she was alone. If not, they’d move. There was no way Melody would deal with that alone. Hermione looked to the vial once again, an odd thought cropping up.

“How does it taste?”

Melody chuckled. “Like shit. I know you’re wondering how this works, especially since poison doesn’t. The truth is, potions are fickle and react differently. Poisons and healing potions do very little, considering they are based on life forces…and ours don’t read the same. Other innocuous potions last only moments because our metabolism is much faster than that of humans. Polyjuice is designed to change the appearance of a person though, and that is complex magic. However, it does wear off much faster than normal. Severus spent years tweaking it so I didn’t have to sip this crap every fifteen minutes. It lasts one hour on vampires, four on humans.”

“Impressive,” Hermione breathed, eyeing the substance again when she had another thought. “Don’t you take on the characteristics of the person though?”

Melody nodded. “I know what you’re thinking, and you’d be right… to an extent. Eyesight, gender, appearance, these all shift. Others, like voice and magical ability don’t. And in vampires, we do get a bit weaker if we imbibe the essence of a human. However, you are not a human, are you?”

“Decidedly not.”

“And there we have it,” Melody said happily. “I’ll be just as strong as I ever was. I’ll just have to get used to moving in a smaller package. Shouldn’t be too hard. I’ve maneuvered as smaller women before.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Remus’s voice washed over them as he jogged out of the forest. “Shift change is fifteen minutes away. No one else is aware of your presence here and if you wish to keep it that way-“

“We shall be gone as soon as Draco joins us,” Severus snapped.

“Easy love,” Melody cooed, rubbing her mate’s chest to calm him. He was getting quite aggravated the longer they pondered the mission. “Remus, he’ll be here in a minute. He had to slip out later, alibies and all that.”

Remus nodded. “Tonks will be replacing me. I’ll try to stall her.”

Severus snorted. “Shouldn’t be too hard. Just stick something in her path. She’ll be sure to trip over it.”

Remus growled. “She’s a damn good auror and the best duelist I’ve seen in a long time.”

Melody grinned. “You fancy her.”

Remus spluttered. “I-I do not! I just… admire her abilities.”

“And her assets, no doubt,” Severus drawled, enjoying the stuttering werewolf’s loss of composure.

Melody laughed. “You should ask her out. That’ll kill two birds with one stone.”

Remus huffed. “She’s too young for me.”

“Age is only a number,” Alex said quietly. “There’s over thirty years difference between Nancy and I.”

“But you’re a bloody vampire,” Remus snapped.

“And you are a werewolf,” Alex said. “Glad we were able to get that cleared up. Now, you’re point?”

“You never age!” Remus yelled.

“And werewolves live much longer than the average human,” Alex argued. “I see no issue.”

“Other than me wanting to eat her for breakfast once a month.”

Alex sniffed. “Nonsense. If anything, you’d want her for dinner. Besides, she’ll be your mate. A werewolf would never harm their mate or offspring, no matter how insane they were at the time. In fact, you’d rip anyone apart that dared look at her in a threatening manner. I dare say you’d be the safest mate a human could have.”

Remus looked away. “Until I get angry at her.”

“Would you dare strike a woman?” Alex asked softly.

“Of course not!” Remus growled. “But I forget my own strength some times.”

“It’s all a matter of control,” Severus broke in. “And now you are just making excuses.”

“Sounds familiar,” Hermione muttered, making her grandparents snicker.

Severus hissed, making her cower a little. “Perhaps I am the voice of experience. Admitting my feelings for my mate was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Remus eyed Severus carefully for a few moments. “You’re happy then?”

Severus nodded. “I’ve never been so content. It’s time to stop beating yourself up about your nature Lupin. You can’t change it. You might as well embrace it. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll discover a part of yourself that you’ve been missing all this time. You might even get an edge over Greyback.”

Remus sighed and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “Alright Severus. I’ll give it some thought. Best hurry though. She might run screaming.”

“I doubt that,” Nancy said, sniffing the air. “She smells quite…flustered.”

“She’s that close?” Remus asked in alarm, sniffing the air as well and muttering a curse.

“Best hurry,” Alex said, motioning for Remus to go. The werewolf took off running, hoping to catch Tonks before she could see what was going on.

A few minutes later, Draco raced through the main doors of the castle, a black blur against the grey night. He skidded to a halt, holding his hand out to catch something. Before they could ask what it was, his Nimbus 2001 flew into his hand.

“Here,” he said, handing it to Melody. “Father put every undetectable enhancement charm he could think of on it. It should keep you relatively safe.”

“That’s illegal!” Hermione squealed.

“Haven’t died on it yet,” Draco drawled. “I see no reason not to use it to our advantage.”

Hermione huffed, knowing he had a point. “Let’s get on with it then. No telling how long Remus will be able to hold Tonks at bay.”

Draco sniffed the air, his nose crinkling. “Disgusting. Werewolf pheromones.”

“Means they’ll be occupied for a while,” Melody said, holding her hand out for Hermione to provide her hairs. She quickly deposited them in the vial before Hermione could get her hand back and took a gulp. She smacked a few moments. “Well, that’s odd. You taste like rain and flowers…lilac?”

“And home,” Draco sighed, breathing in her smell.

“Well, it is essence of Hermione I suppose,” Melody said with a shrug.

It turned to shudders in an instant. Severus quickly grabbed the vial from her hands and helped her to the ground where she convulsed for a few minutes. When she was done, she stood again, wobbling a bit until she got her bearings back.

“Damn,” Draco breathed. “That’s just fucking weird.”

“Too right,” Hermione agreed.

“It’s too weird,” Severus said with a frown. “You’re clothes are all wrong.”

“I’m not exactly a fashionista,” Melody snapped, pulling her dress up so she wouldn’t trip on it. She hadn’t realized she was so much taller than Hermione.

“Let’s trade,” Hermione said, quickly stripping off her dress. “I’m sure Draco’s told Bellatrix all about my costume tonight.”

“I did,” Draco said, staring at her intently. “I didn’t mention how delicious you look out of it though.” His gaze shifted to Melody. “This isn’t right.”

Melody chuckled as she slipped into the tight red number. “I suppose seeing two of your mate is a bit unsettling.”

“Getting wood for my mother isn’t my idea of comfortable,” Draco muttered.

“You’re just reacting to her body,” Severus said. “Any male would.”

“So you’re sporting something too then,” Melody jabbed.

Severus quirked an eyebrow at her. “You’re point?”

“Just wondering if you wanted to fuck me like this,” Melody said lightly.

Severus scoffed. “Of course I do. I always want to fuck you, no matter what you look like at the time.”

“I imagine that gets awkward if she looks like a man,” Nancy said with a grin.

“Quite,” Severus said.

“Didn’t deter him though,” Melody said with a snicker, making Alex hum in thought. “Oh gees dad. If you want to, I’ll snatch some hair off a muggle man and we’ll make a batch for Nancy.”

Nancy frowned. “Am I not enough?”

“You are more than enough,” Alex assured her. “But sometimes it is fun to indulge. It would still be you, your voice, your smell, your mind. You’d just have a different package.”

“That you could use to assault him with,” Melody said with a knowing grin.

Alex merely shrugged. “It’s pleasurable.”

“As interesting as this conversation has gotten,” Draco broke in. “I told Bellatrix that Hermione was already gone from the castle. She’ll be wondering what happened.”

“Eh, I can make it up,” Melody said. “No doubt the real Hermione would fly slow… well, the old Hermione anyway. Sev?”

Severus nodded before capturing her lips in a searing kiss. Then he turned into a bat and flew up her dress, making her giggle. She mounted the broom and took a deep breath.

“Here goes nothing,” she breathed, putting her cloak hood up. “Go now.”

They waited until she flew out of sight before gathering around the portkey and activating it. They landed with a soft thud in the alley, scrambling for the safety of shadows. Hermione muttered softly before hemming her too-long dress with a quick charm. She couldn’t afford for anything to get in the way.

Draco pointed the way, having been to the town once before. They blended into the shadows and drifted over, picking a shady spot by the corner of the graveyard. They could survey the whole town from here. Now they only needed to wait… and they weren’t left for long. Two dark figures appeared with a loud pop, scrambling for a nearby gravestone before casting a disillusion spell on themselves.

“I’ll get that little mudblood!” Bellatrix cackled.

“Quiet Bella. You’re going to spook her.”

Hermione almost shifted forms in shock. The second figure was Draco’s father. There was no way he’d let Melody face Lucius again. Severus wouldn’t either. He might actually kill the bastard. Sadly enough, she could feel that Draco wasn’t sure he’d try to stop him.

“Oh please. She’s no match for me,” Bellatrix sniffed.

“She’s the brains of the trio.”

“Just because you were bested by the little brats doesn’t mean I will be.”

“I’m warning you Bella; use the element of surprise.”

Several strenuous minutes later, Melody arrived, flying shakily around the graveyard before touching down and casting a shield. No doubt she could already smell who awaited her. She made a show of scanning the yard before tiptoeing across to James and Lily Potter’s grave. She pulled a vial out of her robes and flourished her wand, making a show of extracting white powder from the grounds. Of course, it was only flour but it certainly looked real enough.

“Well, well, well,” Bellatrix purred. “Looks like the itty bitty mudblood is all by herself.”

Melody dropped the powder, making it look like she was startled. She held her wand out with a shaking hand, more so they couldn’t realize it wasn’t Hermione’s wand than her nerves. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

“What do you want?”

Bellatrix howled with laughter. “Why, you of course.”

“Bollocks,” Melody snapped, relishing the shock across Bellatrix’s face. Hermione wasn’t known for cursing at her enemies. It was subtle enough to get her attention.

Bellatrix was about to throw a hex when her hand was stopped short. Lucius flickered into view, an aloof look on his face.

“Now, now ladies, let’s not get carried away.”

“She’s hardly a lady,” Melody sniffed, making Bellatrix roar in rage and cast a stinging hex. She deflected it easily and laughed. “That was pathetic.”

“Stop,” Lucius said firmly as he grabbed Bellatrix’s hand. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way Miss Granger.”

“Do what?” Melody said, her eyes narrowed.

“Why, introduce you to a new way of life.”

Shit. Lucius was going to try and turn her. Hermione would have laughed if it wasn’t such a horrible situation. She didn’t sense any other vampires near but she couldn’t smell them in this form. Melody didn’t act like she had sensed them, but then again, she was a fabulous actor. Her eyes flickered over behind Lucius for a moment, her breath coming out in a huff. That had to be it.

“I prefer this one,” Melody said, shifting a bit. Severus rustled inside her dress, no doubt shaking himself loose to get at the other vampire.

“I’m afraid you have no choice,” Lucius drawled in amusement. “You see, we’ve brought along a guest, one who could overtake you in a heartbeat.”

Melody tipped her chin up in defiance, a move she’d seen Hermione use a hundred times. “I see no guest.”

“Silly little mudblood,” Bellatrix crooned. “Still believes that she’s invincible.”

“I’m a right sight better than you,” Melody said coldly.

“You filthy little mudblood!” Bellatrix screeched, blasting Lucius backwards and knocking him out.

Melody’s eyes flickered indigo a moment before she started dueling the crazed witch who was practically breathing fire. This was what she was counting on. She could take Bellatrix in a one on one duel easy. She’d been schooled by the wizard who had taken out Grindelwald and her mate who had been schooled by the same wizard and his mortal enemy, the Dark Lord himself. Bellatrix’s eyes were wide, pupils blown in fear and anger and she knew she was going to get the best of her.

Hermione switched back to her human form when Draco and Alex took off after Severus, who had flown out from under Melody’s cloak. They were making a beeline for an unknown vampire she could smell but not see. Lucius had to have disillusioned him. She was torn, help her mate or help her mother. In the end, she decided to stay and help Melody, just in case Lucius hopped up again. Nancy had the same idea. They crouched in the shadows, ready to strike.

“Give it up Bellatrix,” Melody catcalled. “You’re no match for me.”

Bellatrix screamed and threw the killing curse, her fury obviously getting the better of her. Melody easily glided out of the way, much to the shock of her opponent. Bellatrix’s hexes were getting sloppy, which made Melody smirk. This was exactly what she was counting on. Unfortunately, Lucius came to just as she cast another killing curse.

“No you daft bint,” Lucius hissed, stepping in and knocking Bellatrix to the ground. “We need her alive.”

“Shit,” Hermione breathed, quickly clicking her glamour into place and darting up behind the fight. She was going to have to take Lucius out.

“Incarcerous!” she yelled, sighing in relief when Lucius fell to the ground in ropes.

Bellatrix shot up again, casting a slicing spell that grazed her cheek. She countered and ducked when Melody cast another incarcerous at Bellatrix.

“NOW!” Lucius screamed.

Melody merely crossed her arms and cocked her head. “Now what?”

“You’ll see,” Lucius said smugly.

“Oh, you mean that?” Melody asked, pointing behind Lucius.

Hermione spun and chuckled. Draco had his Derik glamour in place and was tossing a bloody head back and forth like it was a quaffle. Severus had his face obscured as he lugged a body behind him. Alex merely traipsed behind them, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. They’d taken out the vampire quickly and Hermione was surprised there was only one of them. Lucius paled, his jaw quivering a moment before that patented Malfoy mask dropped back over his features.

Melody chuckled. “You didn’t honestly think that I would come alone did you?”

“What is this?” Lucius hissed, his eyes locking on Hermione’s face in disbelief.

Melody shrugged. “Assurance.”

Lucius and Bellatrix struggled in their bonds until the male vampires caught up. Draco sniffed and tossed the rogue vampire’s head in Lucius’s lap, smirking in delight when Lucius tried backing away from it. He chuckled and pulled his Hermione into his chest, breathing a sigh of relief. He’d been worried that she had taken a hex.

“Who are you?” Lucius growled at Draco, his eyes shifting to the newcomers.

“Just a concerned friend,” Draco said with a flash of his fangs, avidly watching enlightenment come into his father’s eyes.

“No,” Lucius breathed. “Draco?”

“Oh please,” Melody snorted. “Let’s get this over with shall we?”

“Draco!” Lucius snapped. “Stop these games at once.”

Draco grinned evilly as he gazed at his father over Hermione’s head. “I’m not your son.”

“She is suspiciously quiet,” Alex broke in, his gaze on Bellatrix.

“Oh, I charmed her fucking mouth shut,” Melody said offhand. “And I might have silenced her. Got tired of hearing her voice. Suppose I need to reverse that to finish this.”

“What in the devil are you playing at girl?” Lucius growled.

“Oh, a little of this… a little of that. Don’t worry, you won’t remember any of it come morning.” Melody paused, watching in delight as Lucius struggled. “Ah, ah, ah, don’t try to fight it Lucius. You see, I know all about You-Know-Who’s little plot to rally the vampires. Why do you think I brought my friends? They’re dead useful, as I’m sure you’ve no doubt realized. The difference is, my vampires are unswervingly loyal to me. They’d never turn against me. Would yours?”

Lucius struggled harder. “How do you know this?”

Melody chuckled. “Oh, you’ll find I know a great deal. They don’t call me the brightest witch of my age for nothing. But you wanted to know what I was playing at. It’s quite simple really. I’m looking for something and one of you two knows where it is. I can’t believe my luck. Who would have thought both my main suspects would ensnare themselves in my web?”

“What?” Lucius growled.

“Oh, I do have to thank Draco for helping me.”

“He would never-“ Lucius hissed.

“Well, I didn’t say he knew about it,” Melody said with a smirk. “No, when I noticed him trailing me, I had an epiphany. Why not use Draco? After all, he’s close to both of you and loyal to your Master. Poor bloke, probably thinks he was helping his cause, reporting my comings and goings. Truth is, if I didn’t want him to know what was happening, he wouldn’t have. And my plan has come to fruition.”

“What plan?” Lucius asked softly, his eyes shifting from angry to careful intrigue. He was trying to gather information. Ever the good little servant.

Melody tisked and turned her back to him to take a sip from her polyjuice, shuddering a little at the taste. “I grow tired of this. You will tell me where You-Know-Who is hiding Hufflepuff’s cup.”

Everyone studied the two Death Eaters’ reactions. Lucius looked confused for a split second before his mask slipped back into place. His scent told a different story. He had no clue what she was talking about. Bellatrix, on the other hand, was trembling in fear. Severus renewed her bonds with a flick of his fingers, taking care to sniff her out with the rest of the family. She knew something… and she was nervous.

Lucius scoffed. “What utter nonsense. Hufflepuff’s cup was lost decades ago.”

“Wrong,” Melody said softly. “Tom Riddle took it and murdered its owner, pinning it on a poor defenseless house elf.”

“You’re mad,” he breathed.

“Perhaps. You’d be surprised at how often genius and madness overlap. But, we must be sure, mustn’t we? I know someone who has been dying to get into that head of yours. Don’t worry. He’ll be able to crack you like an egg.”

Hermione’s heart skipped a beat as Melody motioned for Draco to do the honors. She knew why her mother was doing this though. After seeing Draco’s worst fears come out of the last Horcrux, this was a way to gain his confidence back. Lucius had taken it from him for so long. Now he could prove he wasn’t under his father’s thumb anymore.

Lucius snorted. “Draco can’t break through the weakest wall, even if he is a filthy vampire now.”

“I thought I told you,” Draco purred softly, raising his wand to meet his father’s eyes. “I’m. Not. Your. Son.”

“No glamour could disguise your voice,” Lucius said in a clear voice, though his eyes were wary.

“Look into my eyes,” Draco said softly. “And find the truth for yourself.”

Lucius looked into his eyes defiantly, confident that he could resist the thrall of a vampire, especially if his son were that vampire. It only took a minute for Draco to snare him. Snape had taught him the perfect combination, that exact moment when the thrall lowered inhibitions and guards enough to make regular Occlumency walls weak. He searched for a while before breaking off, yelling in anger and knocking Lucius out with a backhand to the temple.

“See something interesting?” Melody asked softly.

Draco turned to her, wide eyed and panting. He rushed over and enveloped her in a hug while whispering in her ear. “I’m so sorry. I never knew. Gods, I’m so, so sorry. He’ll never do it again.”

Melody patted his back for a few moments, shushing him. “It’s okay. He’ll get his. We’ve got to hurry.”

Draco nodded and squeezed her one more time before backing away. He rushed over to Hermione, picking her up and holding her close to his chest. He was trembling like a leaf, a dozen different emotions pouring off of him. They watched in silence as Melody stalked up to Lucius.

“No sense in him remembering any of this, is there Bellatrix? No, best be careful in these matters. Obliviate!” Melody smirked at the shock on the woman’s face before levitating her a few feet in the air and dropping her several feet away from Lucius’s unconscious body. “Now then, shall we continue?”

Bellatrix glared at her with murder in her eyes. This wasn’t going to be easy. For all Lucius’s posturing, his Occlumency walls weren’t nearly as advanced as Bellatrix’s. Severus might have been able to push a little while she wasn’t paying attention, but Melody had her full attention and it wasn’t going to waver.

“Bellatrix, same question.” Melody stood still for a moment before theatrically smacking herself in the forehead. “Oh how silly of me. Finite!”

Bellatrix spat at her before screaming almost illegibly. Words like filth and mudblood and kill were the only ones anyone could make out. She was far too insane with anger to make much sense. Melody stepped back, biding her time until the witch calmed down. It took a few moments for Bellatrix to realize her words fell on deaf ears. She finally fell silent, though if looks could kill Melody would have gone up in ash.

“Are you quite finished?” Melody asked, shifting slightly to get a better footing. Bellatrix didn’t say a word. “I’ll take that as a yes. So Bellatrix, where’s the cup? I know you have it. You’re occlumency skills are shameful, by the way. I can see the fear in your eyes.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” Bellatrix shouted.

“Well then, I suppose this is going to get ugly.”

Melody threw a hex designed to mimic a blow to the back of the head. It rattled Bellatrix, making her eyes roll up for a moment before refocusing. She waited until the witch looked at her to glamour her. It took a few moments before the witch relaxed enough for Melody to begin her assault.

The family watched with baited breath as Melody waded around in the asylum known as Bellatrix’s mind. It took much longer than expected and Melody blanched more than once. After about thirty solid minutes of poking about, she pulled back in disgust. Bellatrix writhed on the ground in her bonds, knowing that she’d given up valuable information. Blood trickled down her nose from the fight she’d put up, but she was no match for Melody.

“It’s in her vault in Gringott’s,” she panted. “And I’m going to need a shower after that.”

“What do we do with her?” Nancy asked.

Melody sighed. “As much as I’d love to offer her up as a meal, she must live. You-Know-Who has a tracking charm on her designed to alert him if she dies or is taken hostage. Since we have yet to actually move her anywhere, it hasn’t been activated. However, she can’t have all of her memories.”

“Allow me,” Severus purred, quickly walking in between the two witches. “Stupify! Mutare Eventuum!”

“How much will she remember?” Hermione asked softly when her father was finished.

“She’ll remember only Melody, or you as it were. You killed the vampire, bested them both, and then proceeded to perform a mind fuck on them. They’ll not know they gave any information away.”

“Will he be able to tell though?” Alex asked with a frown.

Severus shrugged. “He hasn’t noticed yet… and I’ve been doing this for twenty years.”

“Smug bastard,” Melody said affectionately.

Severus squashed the smirk that threatened to take over his face. “I’m merely stating a fact.”

“So now what?” Nancy asked.

“Now,” Melody said, “we make a plan to break into the bank.”

“We’ll have to move fast,” Draco said. “We’ll have to impersonate Bellatrix to get to her vault and if she shows up while we’re doing this, it will be disastrous.”

Melody nodded. “I do believe that particular tracking charm isn’t set to go off until she’s been missing for twelve hours. Though, I wonder if it is her usual modus operandi to travel to Gringotts this late in the evening.”

“Actually, it’s the norm,” Draco said quietly. “I saw it in Lucius’s head. That’s about the only time she can go, as she is still wanted. Goblins don’t care one way or the other most of the time, especially if you pay enough galleons. Her appearance wouldn’t be enough to arouse suspicions.”

“Well then,” Severus said, casting a strong sleeping charm over the unconscious Death Eaters. “We best get moving. Alex, pluck out her hair. We’ll plan on the way.”

Alex yanked a fistful of hair from Bellatrix’s mussed mane and handed it to Severus before pulling out the portkey he’d been given. Severus charmed it to take them to a nearby alley in London so they could access Diagon alley. They’d have to think fast. There was no telling when they’d get a another chance.

AN: We need some soap, huh? I couldn't imagine trotting around in Bellatrix's mind. Anyway, the bank break in is next. I've always wondered how it would go, vampire style. As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed. Keep them coming and let me know how I'm doing. Until next time... love you guys!
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Beyond the Pale