Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Bound	By : goldhorse Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 126120 -:- Recommendations : 15 -:- Currently Reading : 31
Disclaimer: JK owns HP. Not me. I also don't own any quotes you might recognize. I make no money doing this, I just get the plot bunnies to quit interrupting my sleep.

Chapter List
- 51
- 52
- 53
“Morning Mafalda!”

“Morning,” Hermione chirped, eager to get inside the Ministry and start her task. She cringed when she came to the toilets but took a deep breath, placed her coin in the slot, and flushed herself down. Draco clung to her shoulder for dear life. Once inside, she’d let him transform into his disguise. As it was, a disillusioned hummingbird was much easier to sneak in.

She tumbled from the floo and into the Atrium of the Ministry. She looked around for a second and skittered to the loo as fast as she could. She tried not to slam the door in haste just in case someone was in there. Seeing that no one was about, she put a tiny repulsion charm up to keep everyone away until Draco could change.

“That was interesting,” Draco said when he transformed back. He took out a vial of polyjuice and added the hairs that they’d plucked from another member of the Muggle-born Registration Commission they’d stunned that morning. He grimaced at the taste and then gritted his teeth as his skin bubbled. Once he’d changed, Hermione threw him a suit suitable of his new station.

“Alright, now we need to do that charm and signal H-him.” She stuttered, cursing herself inwardly that she’d almost slipped Harry’s name out.

“Right. Where do we do this from?” He asked, straightening his new robes.

“The easiest place is going to be at that horrid new statue of the wizards ruling over the muggles.” She shuddered. “It’s right in the middle, has the most traffic, and should be over where the Minister is.”

“Let’s do this then. I don’t want to be in here any longer than we have to be.” It was a futile statement because they both knew how this mission was going to end.

They walked over to the grotesque fountain, trying to act as normal as possible. When they reached it, Hermione sat down under the premise of looking through her bag. She spilled a few things out on purpose and Draco gallantly offered to help her. He touched her knee, seemingly for balance but actually to complete the connection. Concentrating was quite easy since they’d spent the previous night shagging like bunnies. It was even easy to suppress the white light that signified the buildup of magic. They closed their eyes, visualizing the trip wards on the Minister’s office and tugged ever so slightly. It wasn’t enough to dismantle them completely, just enough to trigger the alarms and instigate all the aurors to report immediately. A loud buzzing rang through the halls and Hermione smiled when several wizards ran straight to the lifts. She fingered the gold coin and let Harry and Ron know that they were ready.

A few moments later, a great hulking man in dress robes and a small mousy one in blue Maintenance robes were at their side. “All right there, um, Mafalda?” Harry asked, trying to deepen his voice.

“No worries,” Hermione chirped. “Crescent was just helping me with my things.”

Draco dumped everything in his hands into her purse and stood to shake hands with Harry. “Runcorn, morning mate. Cattermole.”

Harry cocked his head in question at Hermione and then suppressed a smirk when she giggled. “Crescant?”

“Like there’s more than one of me,” Draco said dryly.

“Too right,” Harry grinned. “Well, must be off. Meeting with Delores before the trials.” He took off for the lift to get to Umbridge’s office.

Ron was about to grab Hermione and go searching for the trials when Yaxley walked up. “Cattermole! I requested somebody from Magical Maintenance to sort out my office. It’s still raining in there.”

Ron froze and tried to stutter out a response. “Raining…in your office? That’s – that’s not good, is it?” He laughed nervously.

Yaxley’s eyes widened. “You think it’s funny, Cattermole, do you?”

“No! No, of course-“

“You realize that I am on my way downstairs to interrogate your wife? In fact, I’m quite surprised you’re not down there holding her hand while she waits. Already given her up as a bad job, have you? Probably wise. Be sure and marry a pureblood next time.”

Hermione squeaked in horror and shuffled backwards, almost knocking Draco into the fountain. He steadied her and tried to calm her through his thoughts. Yaxley was a bully, first and foremost and they’d save Cattermole’s wife if they could. She took a deep breath and noticed Ron stammering a response.

“But if my wife were accused of being a Mudblood,” Yaxley continued, “not that any woman I married would ever be mistaken for such filth – and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement needed a job doing, I would make it my priority to do that job. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” Ron whispered.

“Then attend to it, Cattermole, and if my office is not completely dry within an hour, your wife’s blood status will be in even graver doubt than it is now.” Yaxley grinned at Draco and then took off.

“What am I going to do?” Ron asked, looking stricken as they all stepped onto the lift. “If I don’t turn up, my wife-“ he looked up at Draco and clammed up.

“Try Finite Incantatem,” Hermione offered soothingly. “That should stop the rain if it’s a hex or curse; if it doesn’t, something’s gone wrong with an Atmospheric Charm, which will be more difficult to fix, so as an interim measure try Impervius to protect his belonging-“

“Say it again, slowly,” Ron said, searching his pockets for a quill. The lift halted on level two and Hermione gave Ron a little shove.”

They each took a deep breath as the lift doors clinked shut. “I hope he remembers what you said,” Draco said, his voice laced with worry.

“Me too,” Hermione breathed. “I can see why we’re going to get ca-” She stopped short when they hit level one and Umbridge stepped onto the lift, still talking with Thicknesse. The locket was dangling around her neck.

“Ah, Mafalda! Travers sent you, did he?” The toad-like woman simpered.

“Y-yes,” Hermione squeaked.

“Good, you’ll do perfectly well. Crescent, you’ll be there as well. That’s the problem solved, Minister, if Mafalda can be spared for record-keeping we shall be able to start straightaway. Ten people today and one of them the wife of a Ministry employee! Tut, tut…even here, in the heart of the Ministry!”

They all rode down to the courtrooms where they were hit with an icy chill from the Dementors. Draco slid a glance over at Umbridge, who was busy checking her clipboard, and covertly rubbed soothing circles on Hermione’s lower back. Her nerves were getting the better of her and he knew his touch could calm her down. They just needed to get the locket and get out of there but they had to help those muggle-borns as well. They couldn’t just leave them there to their fate.

They met Yaxley outside the courtroom. There were an entire group of frightened muggle-borns with their family members right outside the doors guarded by only one auror and a few Dementors. Draco suppressed a smirk when he realized that was due to the rest of them checking the tripped alarm wards. All they had to do was take out the one auror, cast a patronus, and the others could escape.

“Cattermole, you’re first,” Yaxley said gruffly. A small dark haired woman stood up shaking like a leaf. She was shuffled in the courtroom by the lone auror while the rest of the muggle-borns shivered from the icy despair of the Dementors.

Draco had a thought. “We’ll be there in just a second. Mafalda seems to have dropped her wand.” He immediately bent to look for it. Hermione followed suit and fell to her knees.

“Oh very well,” Umbridge huffed and entered the courtroom with Yaxley; neither appeared suspicious.

Once they were gone, Draco looked up and winked. He and Hermione both threw patronuses. The Dementors scattered. “Quickly,” he snapped. “Get out of here and hide.”

The scared families all got up and sprinted down the hall to a shocked Ron who had just exited the lifts. “Get them out!” Hermione hissed at him and he nodded, showing them the way and protecting them with his wand and a patronus shield.

Draco took a deep breath to steady himself. He jumped when the lone auror came back out the door. Hermione stunned him and dragged him over to the benches. Then she disillusioned him and motioned for Draco to follow. They walked in as calmly as they could and took their places on the board beside Umbridge. They needed Potter with his invisibility cloak if they were going to do this undetected.

“You are Mary Elizabeth Cattermole?” Umbridge asked the terrified woman shackled to the chair in her sickeningly sweet voice. “Married to Reginald Cattermole of the Magical Maintenance Department.”

Mary burst into tears. “I don’t know where he is, he was supposed to meet me here!”

Umbridge ignored her. “Mother to Maisie, Ellie, and Alfred Cattermole?

She sobbed harder. “They’re frightened, they think I might not come home-“

“Spare us,” Yaxley spat. “The brats of mudbloods do not stir our sympathies.”

Draco quickly sent thoughts of restraint to his wife who was now fighting mad. Her blood was boiling at Yaxley’s treatment but they need to keep calm in order for this plan to work. Suddenly, he felt someone behind him and stiffened.

“It’s me!” Harry hissed and he relaxed, glad he’d made it.

Hermione cleared her throat while Umbridge checked her clipboard again. “That’s pretty, Delores.”

“What?” Umbridge snapped and looked down. “Oh yes – an old family heirloom.” She patted the locket. “The S stands for Selwyn. I am related to the Selwyns. Indeed, there are few pureblood family families to whom I am not related. A pity…that the same cannot be said for you, Mrs. Cattermole.”

Suddenly, a red light shot out and a shouted “Stupefy!” caused Umbridge to slump over.

Draco wasted no time and stupefied Yaxley on the spot. Harry snatched the locket from her neck. Hermione quickly replicated it and stuck the fake around her neck so she wouldn’t notice. Draco looked up just in time to see the Dementors converge upon Mrs. Cattermole. “EXPECTO PATRONUM!”

A silver fox shot out of Draco’s hand and drove them out of the courtroom. “Come on, they’ll have alerted the aurors by now!”

Harry grabbed Mary Cattermole and they ran out of the courtroom and back to the lifts. “Go home, pack everything you’ve got, and go into hiding. There isn’t any such thing as a fair trial anymore.”

“But Reg,” Mary gasped.

“He’s at home,” Hermione reassured her. “Grab your stuff and leave.”

“Who are you?”

“Someone who wants to help,” Harry said softly as the lift reached the main lobby. “Run!” He hissed and gave her a shove out of the lift. He looked around with wild eyes and noticed that she’d run across the Atrium and was now kissing Ron, still disguised as Reg Cattermole. The rest of the muggleborns from earlier were in a line at one of the floos. “There he is. Let’s go.”

Ron was already turning back into himself, his red hair visible. “Run!” He yelled at a confused Mary and shoved her to the floo. Aurors converged upon the main floor like wasps to a nest. They were shutting floos off as fast as they could.

“Harry!” Hermione shrieked. “Grab Ron and run. Go back to the house. We’ll meet you there.”

“We’re not leaving without you,” Harry yelled as he ran towards Ron.

“We can handle ourselves. We’ll stay behind and make sure everyone gets out. Just go!”

“No Hermione. They’ll catch you.”

“Harry,” Hermione said softly as they reached the floo. “We’re the protectors. We have to stay. Don’t come back. Stay away.”

Harry’s face morphed back and the look of abject horror and sorrow cracked her heart. She gave him a watery smile as she turned back to herself and shooed him on. A shout sounded out that the aurors had spotted Undesirable No. 1. They converged on them and Hermione took a deep breath to prepare herself. Draco slipped the charmed necklace over his head, cast a glamour on his hair, and tried to calm down. This was it. They turned and put up enough shields so the others could get through the floos. Once Harry and a loudly protesting Ron disappeared, they tried to escape but the floo was already sealed.

“Drop your wands!” The aurors screamed.

Hermione and Draco grinned inwardly. They’d been holding useless sticks and had cast their spells wandlessly. It was an idea they’d gotten from Melody when she’d taken their wands to change their cores. This way, no one would have access to their custom made wands and couldn’t inspect them.

“Well, well, what have we here?” Yaxley purred. “Potter’s little mudblood friend. Who’s the stray?”

Draco couldn’t help the malicious smirk that appeared on his face. “Your wife knows me.”

He was immediately hit with a cruciatis curse. Luckily, Hermione had been able to put up her mental block just before he struck. The curse didn’t last long, much milder than the ones he’d been privy to previously. He was trying to make Yaxley mad enough that he wouldn’t care about his identity…and maybe keep his vitriol on him instead of focused on Hermione.

“Don’t get smart with me mudblood,” Yaxley hissed.

Draco chuckled. “You couldn’t tell blood status if someone slit their wrist and held it over your mouth.”

“Why you!” Yaxley screamed and cursed him again, more powerfully this time but still nothing like he was used to.

“Wait,” Umbridge’s sickening lilt carried over the crowd. “You mean to tell us you aren’t a mudblood.”

“Smart one, she is,” Draco muttered and was hit with a stinging hex.

“That’s enough!” Umbridge screeched and motioned for the lot to take them back to the courtroom.

They were put in magical restraints and hauled into the lifts. Surprisingly, they hadn’t laid a finger on Hermione yet. Draco was both happy and extremely wary about this. His stomach dropped to his shoes when the doors swung open. There were several Death Eaters waiting for them, including his father, his aunt, and a swarm of Dementors. They were going to have to go against what the fates had said. There was no escaping this without a powerful display.

‘We can give them false information,’ Hermione said quietly in the back of his mind. She was strangely calm, resolute even. ‘We can keep them strung out for days looking and then tell Remus where they are. It will work two fold, no one on our side gets caught and we take a few of them with us. It might make them lenient.’

‘They’ll torture you whether you talk or not,’ Draco bit out.

‘Then why not do some good while we are at it?’

‘Fine, but if one of them so much as lays a finger on you, I’ll kill them.’

‘We’ll be alright. Harmony said so. We just have to believe.’

‘I do believe. I’m just not so sure how strong I am. Do you know how hard it is going to be to watch this?’ Draco asked in despair.

‘It was no picnic for me just a second ago, I assure you.’

“Set them down in there,” Lucius drawled and watched dispassionately as they were heaved into a courtroom and shackled to chairs.

The restraints were magically reinforced, strong enough to hold down a werewolf and designed to quell wandless magic, but that was for normal wizards. Draco cast a small charm designed to make a puff of air. To his delight, one of the robes of the Death Daters was lifted a bit. They were so strong; the small drain was like the buzz of a fly.

“So, the elusive Miss Granger,” Lucius drawled as he strolled elegantly in front of them. “Who is your friend?”

Hermione smiled sweetly. “Your worst nightmare.”

“I highly doubt that,” Lucius said sardonically. “Does this nightmare have a name?”

“None of your fucking business,” Draco said smartly. He made sure to cast his voice higher so he couldn’t be placed. His father was more than familiar with his normal tone. He was hit with a stinging curse for his smart tongue.

“That will be enough of that,” Lucius snapped. “No matter, even if you don’t have a name, you are in quite the predicament. Now, Delores here tells me that you are not a mudblood. Why would you sully yourself with this filth?”

“The way I see it, she’s the purest one in here,” Draco spat with venom and was cursed for his gall. Lucius’s curses were much more potent but he was more than used to them. Besides, he had already shut down the nerves in his body as soon as he was seated. Escaping would be painful but at least they couldn’t torment him to insanity.

“You have been misinformed,” Lucius drawled. “Now, let’s do this the easy way shall we? You tell us where Potter is hiding, and we let you live.”

Draco laughed long and loud. “That’s the best joke I’ve heard all year. We tell you what you want to know and you dispose of us.”

“Perhaps,” Lucius said as he fingered his wand. “But it will be a much quicker death than what awaits you if you decide to keep it to yourselves.”

“Such encouraging words,” Draco said sarcastically. “They inspire me to tell my deepest darkest secrets right away.”

“There are other ways,” Lucius’s tone was deadly now.

“Well cursing me is obviously working so well. Let’s try some more of it then,” Draco said softly.

“I think not,” Lucius hissed and then raised his wand to Draco’s forehead. “Legilimens!” He was thrown back a dozen feet or so, his eyes wide with shock.

“Find something you didn’t like?” Draco asked politely.

“Impossible. No one is that strong.”

“I beg to differ.”

Lucius immediately pointed his wand at Hermione and cried the spell again. This time, he was thrown all the way into the wall. The couple was hit with twin cruciatis spells. They sat there and took it in silence, not feeling it but knowing it was causing damage to their bodies.

“Stop!” Lucius called and picked himself up off the ground. He walked towards them, eyes narrowed, hands brushing away the dust. “How?”

“She’s a muggle born,” Draco smirked. “Purer than you because her gift comes from the Gods themselves. She didn’t inherit it, no she was deemed special enough to be bestowed with it.”

“LIES!” Lucius screamed and sent a slicing hex at him.

Draco pushed it back just enough that it barely grazed him. Blood soaked his shirt but it was just a scratch. Still, the ever widening crimson stain gave the illusion of being severely injured. He gave a patronizing smile. “A little too close to home I think.”

“If cursing you won’t loosen your tongue, perhaps watching your young lady suffer will,” Lucius hissed with narrowed eyes.

Draco couldn’t help the fact that his smirk slipped just a bit and he could have cursed himself for that fact. Lucius zeroed in on it in a second, grinning evilly. He couldn’t stop the apologies he sent to Hermione. A stone settled in his stomach.

“Well then, Miss Granger.” Lucius tone was dripping with superiority. “You are reported to be intelligent. Why don’t you do the smart thing and let us know the whereabouts of your friends. We’ll go easy on them.”

Hermione snorted. “Like I would believe your pompous arse. I’d much rather kiss a Dementor.”

“That can be arranged.”

Hermione shrugged. “I’d like to see you try it.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

‘Stop patronizing him. He only gets worse when he’s mad,’ Draco hissed in her mind.

‘And if he gets mad, he won’t notice that I’m not affected by those curses in the least.’

‘But you will be affected Hermione. You might not be able to feel it, but your body will pay the price.’

‘We’ll deal with that when we get to it.’ Hermione sighed aloud.

“Let me!” Bellatrix shrieked and pushed her way past Lucius. She cackled in pleasure as she cast the cruciatis spell.

Hermione shut her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could. She could tell her body would be broken after this but there was no other way. They had to think they were getting to her. It occurred to her that it would be unnatural for her to remain silent for too long so she screamed her most convincing scream, the one she’d perfected at the hands of Severus.

“Now!” Bellatrix shrieked. “I bet her tongue is a bit looser. Where are they?”

Hermione panted, not from pain but from intense concentration. Draco sent her soothing thoughts, his nerves nearly at a breaking point. She opened her eyes and smirked. “I can’t tell what I don’t know.”

“Why you little BITCH!” Bellatrix screamed and cursed her over and over again.

Tears streamed down Hermione’s face as she heard her bones crack in protest. Even if she couldn’t feel the curses, her body jerked around, still trying to destroy itself. She wracked her brain for inane things that she could say without putting anyone in danger. “T-t-the forest of Dean!” She stuttered. She’d remembered her summers there with her parents. It would be almost abandoned this time of year.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere!” Bella cackled. “Now little mudblood, tell me all about the forest.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Draco was sure his hands were bleeding from struggling against his bonds. The manacles were unyielding but he knew he could break them if he chose. They’d been at it for two hours now. Hermione had been a champ, feeding only little bits and pieces of useless information after each bout of torture. When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he screamed for them to have mercy and took some of the curses for himself. If they could get out in one piece without anyone being any worse for wear, they would be successful.

“Enough of this!” Bellatrix screeched. “Pieces and parts, it’s not enough. If they won’t talk from curses, let’s have them feel the tip of my knife!”

That was when Draco snapped. A strong burst of light escaped him and the manacles split open. He lunged for Bellatrix and threw her against the wall with a sickening thud. Then he threw Lucius to the opposite wall. Other Death Eaters converged and he set his sights on them. A silver otter flew after the quickly arriving Dementors and chased them out of the room. Hermione had broken free of her bonds, tired, bleeding, and more than angry enough to fight through her pain.

The other Death Eaters were quickly dispatched. Draco caught Hermione just before she fell to the floor. She was weak and if the pain in his body was anything to go by, there wasn’t much that wasn’t broken inside her. She trembled uncontrollably in his shaking arms. Draco cursed the fact that they had to return their senses to move away. “C-come on love, we’ve g-got to g-get out of here.”

“N-need to c-co-cover,” Hermione stuttered.

“Right. False memory then…or maybe…what if…what if they see my fangs?”

“V-v-vampire would explain strength,” Hermione whimpered.

“W-we’ll do both. They’re broken enough. Wake them up and l-let them see.” Draco looked around spotted his father on the floor. He cast a few obliviates and then woke only Lucius up. He’d heard both his legs snap on impact so he knew he couldn’t go after them. He hissed viciously and smirked as Lucius’s eyes widened in terror, his hands desperately scrambling for purchase to find his wand.

Hermione snapped his wand before he could get to it, a cruel smile plastered on her face. Slowly, they made their way out of the courtroom, knowing that they couldn’t risk going up the lifts. She let out a cry when she saw who waited for them outside the doors. Umbridge. Her face was terrible, her wand lifted straight at them.

“That’s it,” Hermione hissed and lifted her hand. The sounds of a hundred hooves pounded through the hall and Umbridge started screaming. She flicked her wrist again and the apparition of dozens of centaurs surrounded the now shaking woman.

Draco howled with laughter. “Well, if I’d known that…”

He raised his hand and summoned dozens of arrows to come raining down on her. They passed through her, stung her, and left bright red blotches on her pristine pastel pink sweater. It wasn’t blood but it looked damned close. He grinned nastily as the toadish woman collapsed in shock. He cast a surreptitious spell to make her believe what she’d seen and hoisted Hermione up into his arms. He could barely walk but he was in much better shape than her. They ducked into the last courtroom and sealed the door.

“C-come on love, we j-just need to drop the wards long enough disapparate out of here. We’re going to the F-forbidden F-forest. Godfather will meet us there, alright?”

Hermione nodded and lifted her head to his shoulder. She was so tired, so sore, and she knew they needed a deeper connection. Draco loosened his collar and allowed her to bite first, drawing a mouthful of blood. He stifled a moan and held his breath as she closed the wound. He then very gently sank his fangs into her battered wrist, drawing out only what he needed. After that was finished, they concentrated until the magic almost overtook them. The Ministry anti-apparition wards fell and he spun, hoping beyond hope that he didn’t splinch.

When they landed, a searing pain shot through them both. Draco knew he wasn’t strong enough to apparate them both inside and Hermione couldn’t even stand anymore. He opened his watch. “Godfather!” He called, hoping Severus had his pocket watch on him. The wild eyed Headmaster answered him. Draco quickly shouted their location and shut the connection off. “Just a few more moments love.”

Hoof beats behind them caused him to freeze. They were coming quickly and he turned, trying to get a bead on the possessor.

“No Draco, it’s Firenze,” Hermione gasped.

“It is,” Firenze called. “Are you two alright?”

“We will be in a while,” Draco said softly. He didn’t trust him as much as Hermione did but he knew they needed help.

“Put her on my back,” Firenze said. “I’ll carry her out.”

Draco nodded and silently lugged Hermione off her feet. He stumbled over to the Centaur and laid her lovingly across his back. He then trudged along in a stilted gait beside the slow moving creature towards the edge of the forest. It would be easier for godfather to spot them like that anyway.

The next part of the trip was a blur. Severus appeared suddenly with a portkey, hoping it would be less jarring than apparition. They were transported to the Headmaster’s private chambers. Melody was already there with Alex and Celeste, each wearing a look of intense worry.

“Shit,” Alex gasped as he took in their appearance. “How in the hell are you still standing, Draco?” The vampire immediately sat him down beside his wife on Severus’s bed and ran dozens of spells in quick succession. He then started healing internal damage while Severus dumped dozens of vials down their throats. Time seemed to stop and yet spin out of control as potion after potion went down their throats and flashes of lights from spells filled the room.

Melody was over in the corner frantically mixing a few potions. “How bad Alex?”

Alex sighed heavily and administered a shot of Muggle morphine to each of them. It took the edge off but the pain was still almost unbearable. “She’ll need that Botox treatment with the nerve regenerator. He could probably use it too but he’s not as bad as she is.”

Melody growled and started mixing more things together. “I can make it target where he needs it most. I’ve been working on it for a while now.”

Alex hummed grimly as he set Hermione’s broken arm. “It’s mostly his joints. I’m not sure how that happened.”

Draco snorted. “Lucius has the ability to break what he chooses with the curse. It isn’t a very common thing to do and the Dark Lord certainly doesn’t know he can. Aiming for the nerves around joints makes it as painful as possible while prolonging the sufferer’s mental facilities.”

“So why didn’t he do that with her?” Alex asked, flicking his wand and showing them the frayed nerve endings all over Hermione’s body.

“Bellatrix cursed me,” Hermione croaked out. “I doubt she cares whether or not I stay sane.”

“Very good point,” Melody said. “Alright, it shouldn’t be too hard to pin point the nerves. Celeste, can you get me that pennywort and some dandelion leaves?”

Celeste nodded and hustled over to a nearby cabinet and started pulling several beakers and glass jars down to bring to Melody. Then she started cutting the ingredients into precise ½” centimeter lengths as Melody cracked open a vial of muscle relaxer and added it to some headache paste.

Draco took the opportunity to glance around the room while Alex worked on putting Hermione’s bones back together again. The occupants seemed at ease with each other, something he’d wondered about all week. He hadn’t had a chance to sit down and chat with them at all. The Carrows were terrors, demanding the older years practice Unforgivables on the younger ones. It had taken all of Draco’s finesse and a tremendous amount of help from Ginny to protect them. His attention had shifted to full on protection and he’d had to trust that the adults could work out their problems.

Melody gave him a rueful grin as she added the last of the ingredients to the paste. “You’re mind never quits, does it Draco?”

“If it did, I’d be dead,” he shot back.

“Well then let’s hope it keeps spinning, huh?” Melody smiled and walked over to him. “Now, before we do this, you should know that you are going to be almost as helpless as you were before. Hermione will be totally helpless.”

Draco sighed. “How am I going to get her back to the safe house? They’ll be worried sick about her, planning an attack. I’m sure the only reason Potter hasn’t gone barging back in is because the Gods managed to stop him.”

Severus stiffened and set the last empty vial down on his night stand. “You won’t be going alone.”

“What?” Draco yelled and struggled to sit up. “They’ll curse you as soon as you walk through that door.”

“Severus isn’t going,” Melody cut him off. “Alex and Celeste are.”

“I…wait, what?” Draco asked in confusion.

Melody gave him a wan smile. “Well, you can’t very well kill a dead guy, now can you? I was going to go with him and help with Hermione but…”

“I’d die again before I let her,” Alex growled and Melody sighed sadly.

“Besides,” Celeste butt in. “She isn’t strong enough to carry anyone anyway.”

“Levitation,” Melody spouted.

“NOT happening!” Severus shouted.

“STOP IT RIGHT NOW!” Hermione shrieked and sat up, her tiny frame quivering from aftershocks. “Can you not work this out?”

Celeste snickered. “It’s already been worked out. That’s why she isn’t going. None of us are willing to risk the twins should she be cursed. She’s just going to have to accept that she needs to sit on her ass and let others do the work for once.”

“What arrangement did you work out?” Draco asked politely.

Melody sighed and plopped down in the bed beside him. “When the twins are born, Alex is going to do a blood adoption like the one Severus and you made. The difference is that Sev will add his blood and the adoption will be full. They’ll have Sev’s DNA but Alex will have full rights. We’ll raise them as our own and Sev and Celeste will be the godparents.”

Hermione beamed. “That sounds lovely.”

Melody nodded, her eyes still haunted. “It does.”

“Stop,” Alex said softly. “It does no good to dwell on the past. You did everything you could to prevent it and stay alive. I’d say one out of two isn’t too shabby. Besides, you know I’ve always wanted children.”

“But they aren’t truly yours,” Melody whispered, blinking rapidly to try and keep her tears at bay.

“They will be,” Alex said and laid a hand on her stomach. “It’s even better than adoption, you know. They’ll have a little piece of you in them.”

“And him,” Melody said, nodding at Severus.

Alex laughed. “No doubt they will be formidable, fangs, foul temper and all. At least he isn’t too hard on the eyes.”

“Don’t start,” Severus said darkly and took out his pocket watch as it chimed. “Merlin, is that the time?”

“How long have we been here?” Hermione asked in alarm.

“It’s been about six hours,” Celeste said as she looked over Severus’s shoulder. “We’d better hurry up and administer this last potion then. They’ll be sick with worry.”

Alex and Severus snapped on some gloves and set to work rubbing Draco down with the modified Botox solution. Melody and Celeste worked on Hermione. It only took a few moments for the creamy potion to take effect and blessed numbness to settle in.

“Alright, that’s done. Let’s get you two back to the safe house, shall we?” Alex said as he took off his gloves.

“Both of us?” Draco asked.

“You have to stay together,” Melody answered. “The bond has been stretched too far again. Alex and Celeste will stay with you to fend off Harry and Ron and they’ll administer the nerve regenerator when it’s time.”

“What about the Carrows?” Draco asked. “They’ll wonder where I am.”

Severus smirked. “You’ll be convalescing in my private quarters since you caught a muggle sickness on your last raid. It will clear up in a few days but we just can’t take the risk of infecting the rest of the school. I, being a half-blood, am immune.”

“You truly have a talent,” Melody said in awe. “You should take up fish stories.”

Severus chuckled darkly. “It is a talent I hone on a daily basis.”

Hermione took in their easy banter and breathed a sigh of belief. She was tremendously glad that they had worked out their differences. She vowed again that they would protect Melody’s twins as fervently as they would Harmony’s. Her thoughts drifted to what would happen when they got to the safe house. She paled. “What are we going to tell them about you two? They don’t know Dumbledore is alive.”

“I think it’s about time we cleared the air, don’t you?” Alex asked softly. “We can leave it at the fact that we’re still on your side and then once you both recover, we can go further into it.”

Draco chuckled hollowly. “This is going to be great.”

“Just do us a favor,” Celeste said. “Keep a shield up?”

Draco and Hermione agreed readily. They sat patiently while the adults said a few steamy goodbyes. Well, it wasn’t like they could do much anyway. The potions had settled in and they felt like jelly. They were alive though.

“Wait! We have to talk to Remus,” Hermione said in a panic. “We fed them a bunch of false information. If we hurry, we can catch some of them.”

“That’s pretty genius,” Melody grinned. “If we catch some of them now, it levels the field for later.”

“When will later be?” Hermione asked.

“We’ll worry about that after you two are healed,” Severus said. “We still need Potter to disarm Draco and then the Dark Lord will need to gain possession of the wand.”

“But the wand is buried with Dumbledore,” Draco said in frustration. “And I don’t fancy my wand switching allegiances.”

“Maybe we can speed it up a bit.” Melody bit her lip in contemplation. “Alex, go get the wand from the tomb. Draco, when you walk through the doors of Grimmauld, act like you’re going to cast. Hermione, block anyone but Harry from disarming him. It’s his favorite spell, you know. That way, he takes the Elder wand directly, Draco doesn’t have to worry about his wand switching allegiances, and we can replace the wand for Moldy to find later.”

“One problem,” Draco said dryly. “I can’t walk.”

“I’ll levitate you in an upright position then,” Celeste said confidently. “It’ll look like you’re walking and Potter can disarm you then.”

“It’s our only shot,” Hermione said softly. “Let’s do it.

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“Ready?” Alex whispered.

Draco took a deep breath and nodded. It was dusk. Potter and Weasley would probably be beside themselves worrying about Hermione. She’d spent two hours giving Remus detailed information about their torture and the information they’d fed the Death Eaters while Alex retrieved the Elder wand. He had it now, tucked in a hand that he could barely lift. His nerves were shot in more ways than one but they still had to do this.

“Alright, we’re ready,” Celeste said, and took Hermione from Alex’s arms.

They figured that just in case something happened, they wouldn’t hex Celeste if she was holding Hermione. That left Alex to levitate Draco inside. They’d still have to concentrate on shields though. Hermione unlocked the doors after much difficulty and they stepped inside. Alex removed their disillusion charms and stiffened as the dusty specter of Dumbledore crept upon them.

“We didn’t kill you,” Draco shouted, hoping to garner some attention.

It worked. Harry and Ron came flying down the hall, wands at the ready. Hermione quickly disarmed and petrified Ron as Draco leveled his wand at Harry. A quickly executed disarming spell left the terrified brunet with the Elder wand in his hands.

“Stop Harry!” Hermione yelled and breathed a sigh of relief when Harry dropped his wand.

“He tried to hex me!” Harry yelled.

“I was trying to protect everyone you moron,” Draco said tiredly.

Alex canceled the levitation spell and scooped Draco back up into his arms. “Same room as before?”

“Yeah,” was all Draco managed to get out before Harry started shouting again.

“What in the bloody hell is going on here? Where were you? Are you okay? What happened? What are they doing here?”

“They’re on our side Harry,” Hermione whispered.

“What?” Harry stopped short.

“She’s right…son,” Alex said softly. “We’re on your side but right now, we need to get these two upstairs. They have a lot of nerves to regrow.”

“Regrow,” Harry said flatly. “What happened?”

“Just a couple of hours torture, Potter,” Draco sighed. “Nothing to worry yourself about.”

“Torture.”

“Do you have a hearing problem Potter?”

Harry shook his head and closed his eyes. “Are you alright?”

“We’ll be fine Harry. It’s just going to take a few days to heal,” Hermione reassured him before Celeste followed Alex up the stairs.

Harry waited until they were both settled in bed before he started asking questions again. “What happened after we left?”

Draco smirked. “They learned we weren’t push overs. We were taken back to the courtroom where Lucius and Bellatrix and a small contingent of Death Eaters were waiting for us.” He paused, looking over to study Hermione’s face. “She was a champ, took more hexes than most people could, fed them some lies, and then made Umbridge piss herself with fear.”

Harry quirked an eyebrow and looked over to his blushing friend. “What exactly did you do the old toad?”

Hermione grinned. “She just thought a herd of Centaurs were coming after her. Draco put her over though. Those stinging arrows were perfect.”

Harry shook his head. “I-will you be alright?”

Alex patted his shoulder. “They’ll be fine. They were lucky, minor internal damage, a few broken bones, lots of nerve damage, but nothing permanent. Melody’s magical adaptation of muggle Botox solution will allow them to heal faster. They’ll be absolutely useless for the next couple of days though. We’ll start re-growing their nerves tomorrow night.”

“So you are on our side?” Harry asked flatly.

Alex nodded. “We always were but we had to lay low for a few months. It wouldn’t do to let the Dark Lord know about us. As it is, we’re just a couple of wolves that Melody keeps as pets. The Carrows are none the wiser and the older Gryffindors know they can trust us. We’ve spent the better part of the week keeping the younger years from getting hurt.”

“What has Snape done to that school?” Harry’s voice was bitter.

“It isn’t Severus’s doing,” Celeste said quietly. “He has no control, really. He’s got his hands full trying to keep the Carrows at bay while dealing with…” She cleared her throat uncomfortably. “Well, let’s just leave it at that for now.”

“What aren’t you telling me?” Harry hissed, suddenly angry at knowing he was in the dark again.

“Potter, can we drop it tonight?” Draco pleaded in an uncharacteristic move. “We need some rest. I promise we’ll go over everything when we’re well. For now, can you give that wand to Alex? He needs to return it.”

Harry held up the Elder wand twirled it between his fingers. His eye widened in shock. “This is Dumbledore’s wand.”

“It was,” Alex said softly. “I need to return it to its rightful spot.”

“It was buried with him. What was Draco doing with it?”

Draco sighed. “Something important Potter but we’ll have to go over it later.”

“No!” Harry shouted and jumped back, his eyes flitting from person to person.

“Yes son,” Alex said softly and held out his hand expectantly.

“Why are you calling me son?”

“Because you are still my blood son, Harry. I took my vow very seriously. Trust me when I say that I only have your best interests at heart. Now, please, give me the wand so I can return it and come back. I’ll be here all night after that.”

Harry shot a questioning look over to Hermione.

“He’s right Harry. We’ll tell you as soon as we can. Please, just give him the wand and we can pick this up in the morning.”

Harry bowed his head in defeat. He could see the honesty in Hermione’s eyes. “Alright, but I expect an answer first thing in the morning.”

“Thank you,” Alex said sincerely as the wand was placed in his hand. “I’ll be right back. Celeste, stay with them until I return.”

“Of course,” Celeste said with a nod. She crossed the room and sat in an old wicker chair. Alex flew downstairs and out the door. “Might as well get some rest Potter. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”

Harry propped himself up against the wall with a harsh sigh. “It was a long day today. I was worried sick but I didn’t dare go and get them. Do you have any idea how hard that was?”

“Thanks Harry,” Hermione whispered. “Thank you for listening.”

“I had to,” Harry snorted. “I didn’t want to give the Gods a reason to take you away.”

“I’d say they would be pleased,” Celeste said. “But for now, why don’t you go down and talk Ron down and we’ll all get some rest.”

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Hermione tried to sit up and then cursed loudly when her body didn’t respond. How could she have forgotten that she couldn’t move? At least the pain had subsided a bit. She still ached but the tremors were gone. She’d have to thank Melody for that.

‘Morning love,’ Draco thought loudly.

‘Morning. Why not talk aloud?’

‘Because I don’t want to have to deal with Potter this early in the morning.’

‘As if he didn’t already hear me cursing?’

‘You’ve been cursing half the night.’ Draco chuckled as he listened to his wife mumbling.

“Potter’s still dead to the world you two. I know you’re awake,” Alex whispered.

“Damn it, can’t even hide in my own room,” Draco growled.

Alex gave a wry chuckle. “Yes, well. If you want me to try and regrow your nerves, you’ll wake up.”

“I thought we were going to do that tonight?” Hermione asked as her eyes fluttered open. She was thankful that Alex couldn’t handle sunlight. The darkness was much more tolerable than the blinding bright light she normally woke to.

“You two have mended beautifully overnight, much better than I expected. If everything is set, we’ll start the nerve regrowth now. It’ll have two benefits. One, you’ll mend quicker. Two, you’re going to want to be sleeping for this and then you can put off telling Potter everything.”

“That sounds nice,” Hermione said. She was ashamed that she felt that way but she really didn’t feel like she had the strength to face Harry just yet. They had a lot to answer for.

“Let’s get started then.” Alex pushed off the wall and walked over to cast several diagnostics. “Everything looks good. It’s probably a bit too soon to start the regrowth but you should be fine.”

“Just do it,” Draco said. “I’d like to be able to hold my wife again.”

Alex chuckled. “Well, I can help you with that anyway.” He rearranged them so that Hermione was lying in the crook of Draco’s arm and then administered the nerve regenerator. Then he sat down and waited for it to take effect.

“How long?” Draco asked.

“You know it takes about twelve hours. When you start feeling it, I can give you two a sleeping draught. It’ll last for 24.”

“That’s a lot of sleeping,” Draco said in alarm. “What’s going to happen?”

“Well, Potter and Weasley went about fifteen rounds last night over whether or not I was trustworthy, why I called him son, and why Weasley shouldn’t march right up here and kill Draco.”

“I’m guessing Potter won?” Draco asked dryly.

Alex smirked. “He did. I believe it was him dropping a hint that I might be thirsty that did it. He handled the son aspect beautifully though, said I was a father figure of sorts, like the werewolf.”

“Brilliant, really,” Hermione said. She winced when she felt a sharp pain shoot through her.

“That’ll be the signal for it to start working. Would you like the sleeping potion now?”

“Please,” Hermione grimaced as another pain shot through her. She swallowed the potion without protest and shut her eyes.

Blackness consumed the couple.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Draco grimaced as the sounds of arguing filled the air.

“It’s been almost two days! Why in the hell aren’t they awake yet?” Potter’s tone left little to the imagination. He was livid.

“It takes time for them to heal,” Alex said in a calm voice. “You try being held under a cruciatis for two hours.”

Harry growled. “They weren’t asleep this long last time.”

“He was only held under half an hour last time. This time, it was both of them for much longer.”

“Why?” Harry growled in frustration.

“It had to happen.”

“Why did it have to happen?”

“Because they are the protectors,” A feminine voice filled the air.

Draco and Hermione’s eyes popped open. “Nemesis.”

“Hello children. You have done well. I came to let you know that your cover up worked but the fates would grant you a warning. No more actions like that.”

Draco snorted. “We didn’t plan on it this time but I couldn’t let them cut her.”

Nemesis smiled serenely. “They know. That is why this is a warning and you don’t have three crones drooling over your life threads.”

“Any other words of wisdom you wish to bestow upon us?” Draco knew he was being an arse but he couldn’t bring himself to care. His whole body ached, his mind was mush, and they still had so much they had to do.

Nemesis quirked an eyebrow at his tone. “The time has come children. The phenoms must unite in a circle around the pure to protect the many.”

“Not happening,” Harry cut in. “Snape’s a traitor.”

Nemesis turned and smiled at him. “Not everything is as it seems Chosen One. Unravel the web and see it for what it really is.”

“What is it then?” Harry snapped

“A smoke screen to clear the way for the future.”

“And a way to trick Melody into fulfilling the fates’ request,” Alex said darkly.

Nemesis turned. “It wasn’t’ in the original plan but I thought you’d be happy.”

Alex gave a humorless laugh. “I would be if she wasn’t so unhappy.”

Nemesis nodded. “She’ll grow used to them in time. You must understand, even if she does give her soul for yours, there will be no new life where one was lost.”

“In other words,” Alex said. “Even if I regain my soul, I won’t have a legacy.”

“I am so sorry,” Nemesis whispered. She truly looked aggrieved. “It was all I could think of. She deserves to have something she so desperately wants.”

Alex nodded. “Well, thank you for that. I’ll think of them as my own.”

Nemesis nodded. “I knew you would. Besides, magically, they will be, just as the Chosen One is also yours.”

“But what about Severus?” Alex asked.

“He’ll have many more to call his own and he’ll not be cut off from them either,” Nemesis said.

“No. I could never ask him to sever ties with them.” Alex shook his head as if the thought horrified him.

“Them?” Harry cut in. “What is going on?”

Hermione cleared her throat to get Harry’s attention. “Melody is pregnant with twin boys. Severus is the father.”

Harry paled. “What?”

Nemesis chuckled at his response. “You have much to discuss. I leave you now. Have heart children, the end is in sight.” She flickered out a second later.

“What is going on?” Harry asked quietly.

“Sit down Harry. This is going to take a while,” Alex said softly.

Harry walked over to a chair on the other side of the room and flopped down. His face was twisted in an expression between horror and confusion. Hermione felt so badly for him but there was still so much more to go over. A thought occurred to her.

“Alex, can you get Ron? We only want to explain this once.”

“Sure,” Alex said and zipped out of the room.

Draco and Hermione hauled their shaking bodies out of bed and went to the loo to clean up. When they returned, a very angry Ron was tied to a chair beside a still ashen Harry. They walked over to the bed slowly, their legs feeling like those of a new born deer.

“Well, I guess the best place to start is at the beginning.” Hermione said, clearing her throat uncomfortably.

“What are you talking about?” Ron spat angrily. “What is going on?”

Draco growled. “If you’d shut the fuck up, she’d tell you.”

Ron’s eyes promised murder but he sat back and clamped his jaw shut. They breathed a sigh of relief that he was willing to listen.

“As I said, the best place to start is at the beginning,” Hermione said. “Before we tell you this, you must promise not to breathe a word of it to anyone. There are only two others who know besides those involved and they don’t know the whole story. It was that way on purpose, to trick You-Know-Who.”

“Trick him,” Harry said flatly. “How did you trick him?”

“Perhaps,” Alex interrupted, “showing them would be fastest.”

Hermione nodded. “We can show you but you must swear an oath not to say anything to anyone until the proper moment.”

Both boys swore an oath, not at all happy about it but intrigued to know what secret their best friend had been hiding. Once that was squared away, Draco reached for the book on the night stand.

“The secret is in a fairy tale book?” Ron sneered.

Draco shook his head in exasperation and opened the book. He and Hermione each placed their wrist over their Celtic knots and recited the password to open the link. Harry and Ron cackled in delight at hearing Draco repeat the phrase ‘Gryffindor’s Rule.’

“I see it is time,” Dumbledore’s voice floated up from the book.

“Yes sir,” Hermione whispered and turned the book so the boys could see the former headmaster. She was afraid that their jaws would permanently detach if they kept the same look for very long.

“Hello boys. It is so lovely to see you both again,” Dumbledore said pleasantly as he stared out from the pages of the book.

“But-but I saw, w- HOW?” Harry finally yelled.

“Like we said,” Hermione said softly. “Not everything is as it seems. I knew about Draco’s mission that night in the bathroom. Severus made a vow with Draco’s mother that should he fail to complete it, he would kill Dumbledore. We worked almost all year on a way to fulfill the vow so Severus wouldn’t die and we wouldn’t have to lose Dumbledore as well.”

“But Hermione,” Harry insisted. “I saw Snape cast the curse. It hit him. He fell off the wall.”

Hermione quirked her eyebrow. “Really?”

Realization dawned on Harry’s face. “You were up there, weren’t you?”

Hermione nodded. “I was. We were able to absorb the curse before it hit him. Remember when Severus murmured in Melody’s ear?”

Harry nodded, his face still a mask of confusion.

“Well, he was asking if she caught him. You see, we didn’t intend for him to fall off the wall. She caught him before he could hit the ground. Then Alex zipped in after everyone had seen him and transformed a log to look like him. Then he took Dumbledore to the Ranch where he gave him the antidote for that poison he drank in that cave.”

“But Hermione, I felt his pulse. I saw the tests. They said he was human and he was dead.”

“Rather ingenious,” Dumbledore said proudly. “These two, with Severus’s help, were able to recreate Merlin’s potion. It makes the drinker appear dead. In fact, the heart actually does stop beating for a minute or so and then returns too softly to be detected by a spell. The state lasts five days.”

“It was perfect,” Alex broke in. “It takes five days to cure the poison he drank in the cave. Since he was out for it, he didn’t experience any of the side effects that introducing ten poisons of the antidote into the system could have.”

Harry shook his head. “I still don’t get it. Why go to such lengths?”

“Because he had to die to break Snape’s vow,” Ron said suddenly. “If his heart quit beating, then the vow would break because he’d technically be dead. Brilliant.”

“It was,” Dumbledore said, beaming at Ron. “The Death Eaters invaded the school, thus making Draco look loyal. Then they saw Severus cast the killing curse, making him look loyal.”

Ron cleared his throat. “But I thought Malfoy was ordered to kill you.”

“I was,” Draco said softly. “I gave him Merlin’s potion and told the Dark Lord it was a poison. Godfather said he didn’t think it was quick enough. I was cursed, as you know, but I was pardoned as well.”

“So you both look loyal to him but you weren’t,” Ron said softly. His face was a mask of misery and understanding. He wasn’t about to apologize for his behavior, but he seemed to accept everything.

Harry, on the other hand, looked livid. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“We couldn’t,” Hermione said miserably. “You aren’t that good of an actor Harry and they had to believe. Everyone had to believe and if you believed, they would too. Look at it honestly Harry, if you knew Dumbledore was alive, could you have accused Severus so vehemently?”

Harry’s mouth opened and shut a few times and then he bowed his head. “No. I couldn’t have condemned him like that.”

“That’s why we did it,” Draco said softly. “It worked, too.”

Harry nodded. “So why is Melody pregnant with Snape’s kids?”

“She’s what?” Ron asked in shock.

“Melody is posing as his slave, Potter,” Draco said. His voice was flat and hoarse with the memories. “The Dark Lord sees her as godfather’s puppet just as he sees godfather as his puppet. He ordered them to perform and they did. They were so careful, always making sure she was protected but the Dark Lord had one last trick up his sleeve. He wants to breed an army and they were the test dummies.”

“Merlin,” Harry breathed. “That’s-“

“It’s bloody mad!” Ron cut in.

“We’re going to take him down before he can do that to anyone else,” Draco said suddenly. “We need to come up with a date. I’ll have to destroy the locket by then.”

“Halloween,” Harry said in a steely voice. “We’ll take him down on the night he killed my parents.”

“Good choice,” Alex said, making everyone jump. “We’ll have plenty of time to rest and come up with a plan of attack before then.”

“And the Dark Lord will have obtained the Elder wand by then,” Draco said.

“I thought we didn’t want him to get it,” Harry said.

“We do now,” Draco smirked. “Since he will never truly master it.”

Harry cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” Draco drawled. “It wasn’t my wand you took.”

Harry’s eyes were glowing in amusement. “No it wasn’t, was it?”

AN: Hello everyone! It's been AGES hasn't it? I should write a dissertation on why April hasn't been my month. It started with my birthday (I hate getting older), moved on to Easter, then my son's birthday came, and then I bombed a final. Add in a Parent/Teacher conference, a broken vehicle, and a long conversation to convince my little princess that glasses aren't the end of the world, life has been...busy. Anyway, I did manage to get this written. I'm not entirely happy with it but it's the best I could make it. My last final is tomorrow so hopefully, I can get this story back on track. We're sooo close! As always, thank you everyone for the reviews. They mean the world to me. Keep them coming and let me know how I'm doing and if you find any errors. Until next time... love you guys!
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