And thanks to my totally awesome beta, Schmergo!
I did have a lot of fun writing this one. I hope it clears stuff up for you all. This is Hermione's dream. Vuala. Now the plot is rolling! Even though it goes from PoVs to PoVs, it's just Hermione recalling that night. The part at the bottom is present time. Enjoy!
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“Harry, dear!" Ginny shrieked, refraining desperately from cracking up into hysterical fits of laughter.
"Oh, Ronald!" Hermione called.
Harry and Ron came whipping around the corner, Harry's tie casually untied around his neck. Ron's sleeves were rolled up informally, and he was swinging his very long arms rhythmically as walked down the hallway. He folded them as he leaned up against the wall.
"What, darlings?" Ron asked, grinning maliciously. Hermione and Ginny exchanged glances.
"We, er, have to go to, er, Gringotts to take some money out of the account," Hermione lied unconvincingly.
Ron looked addled. "But Hermione, Harry and I already have plenty of money on us. You don't need to - "
Ginny took over. "Oh, my dear brother, look at the time! Seven o'clock, we said, and it's already seven-thirty! There's not a moment to lose! What's one coin too many, you always say? We will be back soon!"
Ginny and Hermione grabbed their coats as they tore open the door and rushed outside to the dry winds.
"Oh-ho, this will be one anniversary present," Ginny said, giggling. "Imagine - we can do something like this for your anniversary, too!"
Hermione nodded. "Just wait until we send the note! This'll be great!"
"All right, I grabbed the quill and ink. Have the parchment?" Ginny asked, pulling out an eagle quill and some plain black ink.
Hermione took the other objects and laid them out on a picnic bench that was
sitting in the yard.
Hermione wrote:
Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley,
We have captured your wives. Meet us by the birch tree
in the cemetery for their exchange. They will be dead
by eight o'clock. Come immediately, or see the
remains of their flesh. All of us will be present, or the
Dark Lord will kill us, as we shall kill your loved
ones.
Hermione grabbed a red berry and smeared it all over the envelope.
"Perfect," Ginny said, looking over her sister-in-law's shoulder. "I'll go run and knock and then we'll Disapparate away." Hermione nodded.
Ginny pulled her hood up, hiding her face, and she ran to the door and knocked twice. She lay the note on the doorstep and as the door opened slowly, she Disapparated with a crack.
"What on Earth is going on?" Ron asked, looking around. "Oi, Harry! Come here! Someone just knocked and - "
And then Ron saw the letter and picked it up. "H-harry...." he said faintly.
"What, Ron? We have to go!" Harry snapped.
Ron read the letter to Harry. His friend was in shock.
Ron looked frightened. "Why did we let them go? WHY?!"
"RON! This is no time to think about it! We have to get there right now!"
Ron let go of the letter absent-mindedly, letting it float away in the heavy winds.
"We have to go tell Molly! Quick! We have twenty-five minutes!" Harry shouted. With a crack, Harry and Ron Disapparated.
"Oh honestly, Bellatrix, you think they will come here?"
A man with a crooked nose ran a thin hand through his greasy black hair.
A woman with heavy-lidded eyes and thick dark hair shook her head. "Master told us to wait here for them. 'Bring them back alive' - wait, what's that?"
Bellatrix caught sight of a thin piece of parchment flitting in the wind. She reached for it, but a fat man sitting on a broken bench got hit in the face with
the paper and grunted, roused from his sleep.
Bellatrix snatched it off his face.
"Severus! We're supposed to be in the graveyard, you bloke! Take Goyle! I'll get the others!"
Snape and Goyle ran to the graveyard, the fatter man's chins wobbling with every step he took.
At the same time, Hermione and Ginny were giggling.
"They'll be so freaked out! And then we'll jump up and say, 'Happy Anniversary!' and then Apparate to that restaurant we found " Hermione giggled.
"Shhhhh! I hear them now!"
Hermione heard two deep voices.
"Where did they say to meet?"
"I don't see anyone here!"
Hermione and Ginny exchanged glances and winked. Ginny put her fingers up. "One, two three - "
The stood up and bellowed, "HAPPY ANN - " They were cut off by coming face to face with not their friendly husbands but.... "Snape?!"
Goyle looked confused. "They're not captured?"
"Well, well," Snape scoffed, ignoring Goyle's remark, "What have we here?"
Hermione looked frightened. "Listen, you wouldn't, er, mind us going, would you? We really should be g-going...." But as she reached for her wand, she felt frozen to the spot, unable to move.
"Oh, no. I think you'll stay."
A voice was heard behind the two women and standing there was Lucius Malfoy, a broad smirk upon his face. Beside him stood his son, Draco, who was wearing an identical grin.
"Malfoy!"
"Mudblood. Weasel. Or should I say, Potter. You married Potter, of course, how could I forget? How inconceivable - " Malfoy Junior started.
"Draco! Leave them alone. We must wait for Master to finish them," his father snapped.
Before either of the women could draw their wands, ropes tied tightly around them.
"Couldn't let you get away," Lucius said. "I wondered why in the name of Dumbledore - oh, rest his soul- the Dark Lord would not tell Bellatrix this sort of thing. I figured it was something very remarkably pathetic of you two to do.
"Think we were gone? No, we're still here. The few of us left, thanks to the whole Harry Potter troop on the look out. Not like they haven't always been, but now
they are looking even more so," he ranted, circling the two of them.
"Master has put a charm on this whole area. You can not Disapparate- though only a few selected others can Apparate in," Bellatrix said, her entrance
apparently unnoticed. "Our master will be here any moment. And so will your husbands."
"No!" Hermione cried. “Harry, Ron, no! Don't come! It's a trap!”
"LET ME GO!" Ginny roared, struggling in her bonds. “Stay there! Stay put, both of you. Harry! Ron! Don't come!”
"How about no?" Snape jeered. He cackled. "Do you think sore love will help you? No, no, we have shields against it now."
"Snape," Hermione murmured. "Please! Let us go! Our children - "
"Will have to suffer," Avery growled. "Who cares about sodding children when there is flesh to tear. Your children and whole families will be gone as we speak."
"That's where you're wrong."
"Ron! Harry! NO!" Hermione shouted. "GO BACK!"
"No, Hermione, we're not leaving you," Ron said, his bright red hair very clear in the raw moonlight.
Snape cackled. "Then you shall stay, too! Ex -"
"EXPELLIARMUS MAXIMA!" Harry roared. Snape was thrown back,
his wand landing in Harry's outstretched hand.
Ron yelled, "Protego!" as Avery aimed a spell at him.
"Stupefy!" Harry yelled, aiming at Bellatrix.
Bellatrix ducked the spell
“Want to play dirty?” She said provokingly.
"Crucio!" Ron crumbled at Bellatrix's spell. A million daggers were grinding his skin, the blood was bubbling in his veins, he would die, he was sure of it....
Harry turned around and whispered the incantation to create a large shield in
front of Hermione and Ginny while ducking from an oncoming jet of red light.
"IMPEDIMENTA" Harry yelled. Bellatrix was thrown back and fell back, her stomach lurching. Her head hit a gravestone and split open with a crack. She did not move again.
"Well, well," a voice said behind him. "It would seem you have killed yet another of my Death Eaters."
All fighting stopped. Harry whipped around to see a hooded cloak, red eyes gleaming from beneath it.
"Senfirgo."
Harry and Ron were tied to their wives, unable to move.
"It would seem I have," Harry said. He bit his lip, his eyes darting the the limp body sprawled over the grass. He felt terrible for what he did, his heart was pounding, and he felt pressure under the weight of the sin.
"You have matured, Harry. Only eight years ago you were trying to make fun of me," Voldemort rambled.
"Look at you." Voldemort came up to Harry and touched his face. Harry clenched his teeth, trying to ignore the searing pain like knives stabbing his forehead. "A
family. A wife. I am weak. What an opportunity. Yet, I have tied you up. You shall die tonight once and for all."
"No!" Ginny screamed.
"Oh, yes, Mrs. Potter," Voldemort whispered. "All four of you shall die. I would have brought the children if there had not been such short notice."
"What do you mean 'short notice'? You've had them here the whole time!" Ron croaked softly, trying to escape from the ropes that held him there.
Voldemort seemed filled with glee. "You have not told them yet? Dear me, lovers' quarrels indeed."
"Ginny," Harry whispered, not looking away from the Dark Lord's face, "what is he talking about?"
Ginny and Hermione looked away. "Harry..."
Voldemort cackled. "Your intelligent wives decided to pull a prank on you," he gloated. "We would not be here right now if it were not for them. They have made it so easy for us all."
"Ron - Harry - I'm sorry. It was a joke. I didn't mean for it to go this way," Hermione apologized.
"Draco," Voldemort said shrewdly before anyone could say anything. "Torture the women. Right here. Let these two watch."
Draco looked alarmed. "Father - "
"Do it, Draco," Lucius said sternly.
"May I untie them to see them suffer more?" Draco asked finally, the fear gone from his eyes.
"Yes, Draco. Very good," the evil wizard praised.
Draco went behind them and pretended to untie them both. He stretched his neck and whispered into their ears, "Pretend to be hurt. Here are your wands. Use
the incantation 'Flanic Oran'. It will take away all of the pain of the curses I will use."
"Draco! Enough!"
"Sorry, Father, these knots are very tight," Draco said helplessly.
Lucius tutted. "Use magic, you idiot."
"Thank you," Ginny whispered quietly. Draco nodded silently.
Hermione smiled but then stopped when she realize that she shouldn't be. Fingering her wand, she thought desperately, Block your mind. Be strong.
Ginny sighed. Block your mind, Ginny. Don't let him read it.
Draco pulled out his wand and untied the two women. Don't let Voldemort see in. Come on Draco....
He pointed his wand at Ginny. "You first, Weasel. Er - Potter. Banedum!"
"Flanic Oran," Ginny muttered. She screamed falsely, and crumbled over in a heap. Voldemort looked pleased.
Harry and Ron looked terrified. "NO!"
"Silencio," Draco cast at the two others. "Now you, Mudblood. Denivian!"
"Flanic Oran!" Hermione squeaked softly. She let out a blood-curdling scream and pretended to be knocked off her feet.
Ron opened his mouth in anger, but nothing came out.
After this process, everyone was very exhausted. Hermione and Ginny did their best to seem as weak as they could.
"They are dead," Draco lied.
"Excellent. Be rid of them."
Draco waved his wand as Ginny and Hermione gave one last look at their husbands. The two of them Disapparated and landed silently behind a grave stone.
Voldemort said, "Now, kill Ron."
Draco looked shocked. "Very well."
He came over to Ron to untie him. He took the Silencing Charm off Ron as he said loudly, "I will kill you." More softly, he told Ron so only he could hear, "Fall to the ground. I won’t say a real killing curse. Stay 'dead' for a few days. You will live unless you are buried before then. If all goes well, you will be free soon."
Ron nodded. "Okay. Thanks," he said.
"Thanks for what? Oh, that's right. Your wives are dead, what have you got to lose?" Draco snarled. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
But for real, he whispered, "Pentemuliate!"
Ron fell to the ground. Dead.
"Kill Potter."
"But don't you - ?" Draco asked.
"You're right. I'm going to kill you, Harry," Voldemort said.
Harry was released.
"Just do it, Master," Avery said. "Don't speak. He'll get away."
"You're right. Good bye, Harry Potter." Beneath his cloak, Voldemort’s face looked sour. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
"Pentemuliate!" Draco yelled. The beam of white light hit the green jet of light and turned yellow. It just missed Harry, however no one saw it. Harry tumbled over with the force of the air.
"What was that, Draco?" Lucius asked.
"I won’t let you kill him!" Draco yelled suddenly.
"Draco!" Lucius said sharply.
Harry stood up quietly "AVADA KEDAVRA!" he roared. Voldemort was hit in the back. The Dark Lord was pushed forward, his face crumbling into pieces.
With a high-pitched scream, a blast of red light erupted from his body. Blue blood flowed from him, and he turned to shreds of nothingness.
"MASTER!"
Harry and Draco shot Stunning Spells everywhere as Hermione and Ginny stood up to help.
Soon, Avery, Macnair, and Snape had been Harry, enraged further, began shooting stronger Stunning Spells everywhere and soon only three Death Eaters remained conscious on the battle field.
Last standing was Lucius.
"Going to kill your own father?"
"No. But I could turn you in to the Dementors easily after I disarm you," Draco warned.
Lucius turned around and ran away.
A stream of blue light hit Harry directly in the chest.
Harry and Draco exchanged glances. "Thank you."
With another weak smile, Harry fell down dead.
Draco ran after his father, who had sent the jet of light back at Harry.
"NOOOOOOO!"
Hermione and Ginny grabbed the men's bodies. They Apparated on the spot.
They found themselves in Saint Mungo's. "I have - Harry Potter and Ron Weasley," Ginny said.
Two available Healers showed up and laid them on their own beds.
Hermione followed the Healers, and Ginny wrote a letter to her mother, briefly telling her that they would be home soon.
Sending the letter off, Ginny ran upstairs. She and Hermione put on some of the uncomfortable Healer's extra clothes while they awaited the terrible pounding of their hearts to learn their husbands' tragedies.
The moon shines tonight, full and bright through the spidery windows. The glass is framed on a strongly made building. Inside the hospital, the silvery moonlight lays idly on two weak faces.
Deep in a vacant room inside the structure, a man with black hair and scabbed eyelids is still.
The thin air lays silent on his figure as a wolf cries somewhere in the distance.
The man is dead.
Yet, as the howl is heard again, one could see his eyes flicker softly.
It must be a trick of the light.
But this time, his eyes open wide as his chest pumps itself. His deep emerald eyes look blank and his gaze is reserved. As he views his surroundings he sees
another man with red hair and blue eyes with the same confused look on his freckled face.
They look at each other very distantly. The blue-eyed man regains composure as the two men note each others’ company, unsure of what to make of this new atmosphere.
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A/N: Whoa. That was very long. Very VERY long. It should clear things up!
And yes, I HAD to make Draco good. :] Please keep reading, it'll get better really soon! The next chapter makes it start rolling!
Please review and check out my other story, Meet the - Children?, if you would.