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Serpentine Series	By : HarmonyB Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Hermione/Voldemort Views: 12060 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING IN REGARDS TO THE HARRY POTTER FANDOM NOR DO I MAKE MONEY OFF OF THIS STORY.

Chapter List
- 68
- 69
- 70
He had enjoyed his little free rein around the Wizarding world. He had almost forgotten what it was like to truly be capable of walking around without fear of prosecution. Certainly, he had to keep away from Ministry officials while in his Death Eater garb as Marek, but it had been fun. He had worn his faux personage well, and when it came time to reveal himself to her, the satisfaction in seeing her surprise shot a torrent of thrills through his body. He would have traded years of his life in exchange to experience that moment over and again.
Spending time with his chosen one as Marek had been more entertaining than he had expected. He had to admit, keeping an eye on her while undercover was almost preferable compared to whenever he was with her as himself. A pang of envy had crawled its way through his belly when he thought about how quickly she seemed to warm up to Marek—silly as it was, since they were one and the same. She had feared the Death Eater at first for his chasing her, but at the Underground tournament, she had embraced him, even convinced him to dance. Of course, if he had been there as himself, she would have had to do a lot more to convince him to dance in front of such people. He liked to think it was the fact that they shared the same soul that helped her warm up to him as Marek, but…he was unsure. As Marek, he had been more carefree with his actions. For example, he had tried to kiss her amid their dancing without fear of scrutiny from his Death Eaters. Perhaps it was that which made her more comfortable: his ability to act without fear of judgment.
Was that what people did when they were in love? Kiss? It seemed only right after what they had done all those weeks ago at Shell cottage. It seemed appropriateto touch her in such a way. But at the same time he was wary. These thoughts—thesefeelings—toward her distracted him day in and day out. A distraction was the last thing he needed, but the lust for her was unavoidable. They plagued his mind from the dawn of morning to the darkest point at night.
The affinity with his chosen one always remained, even in solitude. But while holding her in his arms on the way to Riddle mansion, as he looked down at her to see her staring in return, he felt powerful magic coursing through his veins stronger than ever before. Her presence, while at once demanding, made him feel as though he had found an oasis in the middle of a desert, a paradise amid hell. Did she know of the effect she had on him? Did she have any idea of the thoughts that would race through his mind at the sight of her?
The effect was maddening, and when he had her up in his chambers he wanted to throw it in her face how much her lies had almost ruined him. He wanted her to feel what he had felt when she relayed the truth of her betrayal to him. He was sure her thoughts of him would change. When they dreamed together last, she had been begging him to take her, and—damn it—the temptation nearly killed him to refuse, but after she knew his truth, would she still want him to touch her in the same way?
He was sure her affections for him would crack and fade, like his Muggle father's love for his mother after she told him the truth of her witchcraft. Deep down he knew love never lasted.
But that look in her eyes when she told him how her feeling could never change, even after his confession, tantalized every particle of his being.
How was it possible to still care, still feel compassion and desire for someone who has wronged you?
The question stumped him and, as in his nature, he wanted to know the answer, to understand. He wanted to comprehend her feelings and why her love for him had not wavered. He was actually envious of her fortitude. It was a comfort to know someone would stand by him, no matter what. He wished more of his Death Eaters showed the same loyalty, but then again, she was the only one on the face of the planet who would ever possess the Serpentine charm, she was unique. She was one of a kind.
She was his only exception.
~~~~~
Riddle mansion was burning.
The Aurors' wand lights cut through the shadows like large fireflies and each shot increased the size of the threatening flames. Luckily, Voldemort's room was on the opposite end of the mansion to the fire but that was little consolation; within minutes the entire house was going to be engulfed.
Voldemort grabbed her hand the same moment Death Eaters came flying out the front door, and he tore her out of the room so fast her arm was nearly pulled from its socket. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Voldemort shouted something to one of his followers. Harmony didn't hear; she was too focused on the thought of the fire burning all the paintings, all the rooms, all the books. She whimpered from the longing that shot through her chest.
Instead of taking the front door where Aurors waited outside, Voldemort sped down a hallway to a back door. This route was riskier, forcing them to run towards the growing fire, but he kicked down the door before they could be licked by the flames. He pushed her through first and wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her steady. Harmony was wobbly on her feet and muttered somberly.
"The books," she moaned, "all those books, your whole library…gone. We have to save them-"
"Books can be replaced," Voldemort shouted in her ear over the roar of the fire. "We are leaving, now!"
It was so hot, like they were standing right next to the sun. Sweat was breaking out on both their brows as Voldemort had to tug her away forcibly by the waist. Harmony gazed achingly up at Riddle mansion, but she let herself be taken away. He was guiding her towards the protection of the forest where they would be able to avoid the Aurors as well as the heat.
They were at the edge of the forest in the field when Voldemort froze. Harmony watched with perplexity as he unhanded her and began searching his pockets. His disappointment was evident when he swore harshly under his breath. He spun around to face Riddle mansion and the flames flashed in his eyes like water set on fire. She could see the battle transpiring behind those eyes, and she feared she knew exactly what he was thinking.
"No," she said firmly.
Her voice interrupted his thoughts and he turned back to her. "I have to go back."
"No," she said through gritted teeth.
He shook his head and took a step closer to the inferno. "You don't understand. I must go back. I have to retrieve something that is very important."
"Don't be absurd!" she shouted and she had to restrain herself from slapping him across the face. "You're not going near there. Like you said about the books, they can be replaced-"
"I know what I said about the books!" he shouted, taking another heart wrenching step away from her. "But this isn't like the books. This can't be replaced! Go into the forest-"
"I'm not leaving you!" she screamed, tears welling in her eyes.
"Go into the forest," he ordered, ignoring her cry. "Hide nearby. If I don't return in ten minutes then you find my followers."
"I don't want anything to do with your followers!" She hated how her voice sounded high and childish, but the grief overfilled her insides, making her uncontrollable. "You said so yourself! It's you I want. I just got you back, you're not leaving me!"
He opened his mouth to retort, but the words caught in his throat. He looked at her, eyes intense, as the mansion burned behind him making the flames glow about his head like a demented halo. For a split second, Harmony was caught up in the radiance and could have easily imagined him to be some kind of beautiful angel from hell.
Then he gave a slight shake of the head and suddenly he was gone. She watched helplessly as he grew in distance from her and disappeared into Riddle mansion, completely swallowed now by the angry fire. She stared at the brilliant, blinding light, not daring to look away. Images of him ducking and dodging the collapsing debris impeded her rational thought, and instead of retreating into the forest to hide, she stood there paralyzed. The seconds ticked off in her mind with each crackle of the flames; each moment he was gone was another reminder that she was, again, completely alone. She saw flashes of green and red light up the trees near the front of the mansion and that reassured her that the Aurors were being held back by the Death Eaters, giving her a chance to wait, wait just a little bit longer.
At five minutes, she began to pace, wringing her hands over her middle. She found herself running her fingertips delicately over her stomach, imagining the child growing inside her. This isn't how it should be, she thought, he can't die. Not before she could even tell him about the child. She cried out, running fingers roughly through her hair, I haven't even told him yet. She cast her eyes back to the fire, squinting, trying to make out any moving figures through the flames.
Half of Riddle mansion collapsed. The large movement took her by surprise and she screamed aloud, her hands going over her mouth. The once brilliant architecture fell to the ground like charred toothpicks. Sparks flew up into the sky and fell back down slowly as ash. The other half of Riddle mansion still remained and if he was still alive, that was the only place he could be.
She gnashed her teeth together and forced back a cry of exasperation. She should be doing something. Standing there as her world fell down by the ears wasn't going to solve anything. Her feet itched to sprint into the fire and search for him, pull him out if she needed to, but she had to do something.
Looking over her shoulder, she looked into the dark forest. It was safe in there; she could hide, lay low, and wait. If she ran into the fire, survival was next to none. She had a choice and the answer depended on life or death. Was it worth it?
Harmony faced Riddle mansion and shot like a bullet towards the flames. The roar of the fire was muted from her ears and all she heard was her own frantic breathing. The heat was overwhelming, hitting her like a brick wall. The back door they had escaped through was still hanging open and she could see the furious red and yellow flames dancing inside like the gateway to hell. Her foot was a couple yards from the threshold and her body clenched, preparing to run through the fire without hesitation.
Suddenly the window beside the door exploded and glass shards flew outward as a flaming figure crashed through. Harmony gasped, falling backward with surprise and she slipped onto the ground. There she saw Voldemort writhing there beneath the broken window with half his torso on fire. What scared her most was he made no move to defuse the flames; his face was intensely skewed with pain. Before she could even take a breath of relief, she crawled over to him on the ground. Taking out her wand, she used Aqua Eructo to put out the flames. But she could see it was too late, the fire had already burned through his right sleeve and shoulder leaving his once pale skin furiously red.
There was no time to spare. Harmony immediately started talking to him, begging him to stand. He moaned in response, teeth clenched. She grabbed the arm opposite of the burned one and wrapped it around her neck. Using every ounce of strength she had left, she heaved him up to his feet. He hissed in pain, but was able to move his legs under him to support his weight.
Harmony half dragged him away from Riddle mansion and eventually made it safely to the forest. But she couldn't handle his weight for long and had to stop to prop him against a tree.
Voldemort gasped, but his breath was ragged. "I…I had a place for us to…to Disapparate, but I can't." He shook his head and frustration flooded his blue eyes.
"Not yet," Harmony assured him. "We have to deal with your burns."
He scoffed. "That could take days."
Harmony scanned between the trees. "Isn't there a stream nearby?"
He nodded his head forward. "About fifty yards east from here."
She fasted his arm around her neck and began walking him on. They staggered and Voldemort complained, "This is getting us nowhere. The damned Aurors will be on us soon enough. Go on. Leave me here until I can walk myself."
Harmony ignored his complaints. She knew he was only trying to preserve his dignity. She wanted to tell him to damn his pride, but only wrapped her other arm around his waist for more support. He grumbled for the next thirty yards, but silenced when he accepted she wasn't going to comply.
The large stream cut through the forest like a snake slithering between the tree trunks. Voldemort's knees buckled when they reached the bank, and they fell together to the ground. He let Harmony undo what was left of his shirt, which she dunked into the water and then laid on his burns. He gasped, wincing, but relief eased on his face and he sighed deeply. The damage was done on his entire right arm, over his shoulder and up his neck. The fire had melted his skin and it was shiny with blisters. The burns were worst on his forearm, as though he had reached directly into a furnace.
She wondered what had been so important to him that he would risk his life so willingly to possess it. He wasn't carrying anything, so she assumed he had failed in retrieving whatever it was. She was curious though and itched to ask. But now wasn't the time.
She peeled the wet shirt off his burns, replenished it in the stream and laid it on again. Voldemort closed his eyes as the water cooled his skin. She still had her burn balm Snape made in her sac and she took it out.
"What's that?" he asked, eyeing the canister suspiciously.
"I got burned during the Underground tournament. I made it to the finals without getting too badly hurt, but this one wizard-"
"I know," he interrupted. "I was there."
Right, she thought, he was Marek. "Anyway, Snape made this to apply to my burns."
"Then you use them," he said, pulling away slightly. "They're for you. I can do without them."
"Don't be silly," she chided. "My burns aren't as bad as yours. Besides, he made more than I needed. Please just," she laid a hand on his bare chest to keep him close, "let me help you."
Voldemort looked away, but didn't move.
"Thank you," she said and opened the canister. She scooped the balm out with her fingers and started with the worst of the damage on his forearm.
"This will increase the healing," she said as she worked. "You should be fine to travel in a day or less." She could see the irritation in his eyes, but he said nothing. "These are too serious to be healed completely, though. You'll have scars, bad ones." Her eyes flickered up to his neck where the flaming red skin crept all the way up to his jawline; that would be difficult to conceal.
"I do not mind the scars," he replied simply. His hard blue eyes looked over at her. "Do you?"
She was taken aback by the question but answered honestly, "Of course not." She smiled slightly. "My parents always told me scars were a sign of character. They tell a story." Her smile slipped, "My parents taught me a lot of things. I miss them."
He cleared his throat. "They are…uh…Muggles, aren't they?"
"Yes," she said defensively, "They are successful dentists, very good at what they do."
"I'm sure they are. Your stubbornness had to come from somewhere."
She looked up at him, but saw that he was grinning at her and she blushed, returning the smile. She now worked her fingers around the muscles in his shoulders. Voldemort closed his eyes, like stars snuffing out their lights, and sighed at her touch. She tried being as gentle as possible as her fingers caressed down his chest to the burns over his right lung. His skin absorbed the balm quickly and the pain etched on his brow faded away. When she rubbed his neck, he opened his eyes and looked at her. Their eyes met and he held her gaze. Her fingers slowed until she was merely holding her hand at the base of his neck, brushing her thumb over his collarbone.
Swiftly, he leaned forward and brought his lips to hers. When he closed his eyes, his lashes brushed on her cheek. Harmony hummed with pleasure when his tongue slipped inside her. She floated on a cloud of bliss at his gentleness. His affection instantly put her at ease, and she leaned against him. Even after he had pulled his lips delicately away they sat closely beside each other by the stream. She tucked her head under his chin and he buried his face in her hair, breathing deeply. His heart thudded in her ear—quick at first then back to normal—and she smiled against his skin.
Unable to Apparate and reluctant to leave the water source from the stream, they decided to make camp there for the night. Harmony found a group of trees nearby where Voldemort would be able to lay protected from the elements. She severed several large branches to prop up against the side of the trees to conceal them underneath. When their small makeshift home was finished, Harmony crawled in and lay on his side that was free of burns. She slipped off her cloak and draped it over the both of them. Voldemort wrapped his left arm around her, allowing her to rest her head on his chest.
Harmony didn't know where she was going to be tomorrow, or the day after that. All she knew was that at that moment she was right where she wanted to be.
She slowly fell asleep to the feel of his heart beating against her cheek.
- 68
- 69
- 70
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Serpentine Series