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"I killed Sirius Black." The words echoed all around her in the otherwise silent field, sharp twigs slapping against her cheeks as she bolted after Harry.
" I killed Sirius Black." Bellatrix voice sent a chill up her spine, but Hermione kept pushing herself to run as fast as her feet would allow.
Flames engulfed the surrounding area, heat rising all around as her lungs burned from exertion. Just before she reached the clearing, a large hand covered her mouth and her body was crushed to the ground, her scream muffled beneath the man's palm. Dried wheat stalks and dust filled her nose, her face hitting the sandy terrain.
"You're meant to be the smart one." the familiar voice said against the shell of her ear. "What the hell were you thinking?"
Malfoy rolled off her, still holding Hermione to the ground with a strong arm around her waist.
"I was thinking my best friend needs me." she snapped, struggling against his hold before a sound in the distance stilled them both.
Molly Weasley's scream came from the opposite direction, Hermione raising her head just enough to see the top of the Burrow turning to ash before her eyes. Turning away from the painful sight, she flipped onto her back and grabbed for Draco's arm. Before he could stop her, she'd wrenched his sleeve up to reveal a dark, slithering serpent against his pale skin. She dropped it with a gasp, flinching away from him with pained, glassy eyes.
"You took the mark." she whispered, ignoring the sounds of hurried footsteps around her undoubtedly racing back towards the house. Her voice was filled with anguish and it sent his heart plummeting deep into his stomach.
"I made a choice."
She bolted to her feet before he could continue, gripping her sore forearm from where it had slammed against the cold ground beneath his weight. "You chose Him."
Malfoy shook his head, grabbing for her wrist before she could take off towards the Burrow. "I chose to protect my mother."
She froze, processing the unexpected words. She didn't have the energy to stop him from pulling her close, his touch gentle as it examined her arm.
Brushing his fingers along the bruised skin, he looked down at her until her gaze was forced up. "I needed to prove my loyalty so I could gain His trust. That's how I knew they'd be targeting you tonight."
Hermione narrowed her eyes, pulling her arm back with a wince. "They were after Harry, not me." she corrected, the cold night air making her teeth chatter briefly. Slipping off his thick, black sweatshirt, he pulled it around her shoulders with an agitated sigh.
"Potter is nothing more then a stupid, impulsive little boy. Without you, he'd be dead in a week and the Dark Lord knows it." he spat, continuing before Hermione could jump to her best friends defense. "They were using him to draw you out."
Realization crossed Hermione's features as she pulled the jacket tighter around her small, shivering frame. "That doesn't explain why you stopped me." she sneered, trying to ignore the strong scent of cedar and smoke that clung to his sweater and enveloped all her senses. "If what you're saying is true, I was about to step right into their trap."
"You're a bossy little know it all, Granger, and you irritate me off to no end." he said firmly, looking her up and down. Framing her face in his warm hands, she gripped his wrist, silently urging him to continue. "But the things they have planned for you.." he trailed off, brushing his thumb softly over the tops of her cheeks. "I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy."
"You can make a different choice" she breathed, recalling his earlier words as tears filled her eyes. She hastily blinked them away. "You can switch sides."
Pity was clear in his eyes as he let her go, Hermione stepping back and looking over her shoulder at the ash filled sky. The Burrow was barely visible above the wheat stalks, the top levels burned to dust. "My father is one of the highest ranked Death Eater in His army." he explained, chewing the inside of his cheek. "And every time he fails, He uses my mother as a way of keeping us both in line." Hermione's lips parted as she stepped towards him again, touching the side of his throat gently. "Some of us are born into our choices, Granger. If I were to disappear now, she'd be as good as dead."
"Then why risk your position tonight?" she asked insistently, looking at Malfoy's large hand as it covered her raised forearm, her fingers splayed across his neck.
"Because Greyback is at the Manor right now waiting for you." He barely got the words out through his gritted teeth. "And as much as I may have bullied you in school, the thought of you being raped and bitten on the floor of my childhood home was too much for me to be a part of."
She shuddered at his depiction, her jaw trembling as she tried to reign in her fear. She opened her mouth to speak but Ron's voice called her name in the distance and she instinctively looked over her shoulder towards the sound. By the time she turned back, Malfoy was gone.
Ron's voice grew closer as his footsteps sounded from the right. Before she could turn to meet the redhead in the field, a sliver of moonlight reflected off the dirt and she bent down to take a closer look.
Against the dusty ground sat a slim, silver band, a large emerald placed directly in the center with two smaller ones at it's side. She heard Ron's voice just over her shoulder and she quickly pocketed the ring, righting herself just as he came into view.
"Thank Merlin, Hermione." he exclaimed, doubling over as he breathed heavily beside her. "Ginny said you ran after Harry and then when you didn't show up back at the Burrow, we thought something must've happened to you."
"I'm fine." she muttered unconvincingly, letting him lead her back to the house without another word spoken between them.
As she lay awake that night, Ginny sound asleep in the bed across the way in the cramped room, she turned the ring over in her palm with careful attention. Examining the antique, she couldn't help but admire the simplistic beautify of the piece, the gems shining with incredible clarity. Before she could think better of it, she slipped the band over her finger and bit back a gasp.
Powerful magic surged through her body as the ring resized itself to her slim finger, the stone heavy against her skin. Turning her hand over, she let her eyes roam over the metal, searching for any signs of runes or protective symbols carved into the silver.
"That's Malfoy's, isn't it?" Ginny's voice was still raspy from sleep.
Yes." Hermione answered, crossing her legs as she sat. "He saved me tonight. Out in the field."
Ginny nodded slowly at the revelation, sitting up against the wall to face her friend. "He's staying for his mother."
Hermione's face must have shown her surprise because Ginny continued with a laugh.
"Dad has hated Lucius Malfoy for as long as I can remember. You hear things..." she trailed off, wringing her hands in her lap.
"What kinds of things?" Hermione questioned, staring down her friend until she couldn't help but speak.
"Come on, Hermione. How do you suppose a man like Lucius Malfoy treats his wife?" she asked with a saddened expression. "I don't imagine his son receives much better treatment."
"You've always hated Draco." Hermione pointed out, moving across the bed until her legs hung off the side, her knees brushing Ginny's in the tiny room as she did the same.
"No," Ginny corrected firmly. "Ron hates him. The rest of us feel sorry for him. With a father like that..." she trailed off because taking a much needed breath. "He didn't stand a chance."
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It wasn't until she was trapped inside Hogwarts between Dolohov's hard, unmoving body and the rough stone wall behind her that she realized the ring was more then just an antique piece of jewelry. Her wand had been knocked away from her only moments ago, Nagini in clear sight off to her left as the Death Eater inches closer.
"Such a pretty little thing for a Mudblood." he cooed, touching her hair with a long, pointed finger as Hermione gripped the strap across her chest.
She knew there was no hope for Muggleborns in Voldemort's new world, her expression hardening as Nagini slowly slithered further and further from view. Distracted by the need to kill the snake, she barely registered Dolohov's angered expression as he snarled from above her.
"I think I'll keep you for myself." He dragged his finger down a long, tangled curl until it touched the top of her cheek.
Hermione bit back the urge to gag as he openly admired her delicate features. Before she could push him off with a nonverbal hex, he yanked his arm back with a howl, his teeth barred as he examined his fingers.
The skin melted away from the bone like liquid, full layers of flesh falling down his wrist onto the stone floor. Looking back at her with anger as he cradled his injured hand, he gripped his wand tight and drove it straight into her throat. She winced in anticipation of the impending curse, but found the dark wizard forced to the floor as his skin continued to bubble.
Whatever happened to his hand had spread to the rest of his body, acid like welts appearing down his arms and up his neck until all of his visible skin was falling away from the bone. "What did you do to me, Girl?" he demanded, black ink pouring from his mouth as he spoke.
She didn't waste another moment considering what had happened, choosing instead to jump over his crumpled form and race after the snake, her wand safely in her hand once again.
Harry barreled around the corner, slamming into her chest as he wrapped his arms around her to steady them both. "Hermione." he breathed, his voice raspy and out of breath.
"The snake went this way." she explained urgently, gripping his wrist and pulling him down the stairs leading to the dungeons.
They both skidded to a halt as they pushed into the Potion's classroom, Draco standing over the bloodied snake with a dripping basilisk fang.
"If he's still waiting for you in the forest Potter, I'd say now is your best chance to finish it." Malfoy's voice was even as he let the weapon fall from his fingers and clatter quietly to the floor.
With urgency at an all time high, Harry found the instinctive childish refusal died quickly on his tongue, choosing instead to press a hasty kiss to Hermione's hair and dash out of the classroom with his wand at the ready.
"Where on earth did you get one of those?" Of all the questions buzzing around her mind, she was slightly disappointed that had been the one to come out first.
He chuckled weakly at the unimportant detail, choosing to humor her with an answer none the less.
"You're not the only smart one at this school." he commented lightly, letting his wand slide into his hand from the holster beneath his sleeve. "Let's go. I need to find my mother, and I imagine you'll be looking for your boyfriend." He pushed the classroom door open, holding his arm out before she could step through.
Pushing her back, he snapped his wand harshly to the left, knocking back two Death Eaters who charged at him with a jet of fire. He apparated out of sight with a loud crack that startled Hermione enough to flinch.
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The train ride back home was a sobering one, Hermione excusing herself from the crowded compartment to find a secluded one by herself near the back. The thought of returning to an empty house without her parents had made her eyes burn since she boarded earlier that morning, keeping the tears at bay with a forced smile and polite, tense conversation with her best friends.
She made sure to pull the privacy curtains down before falling onto the padded bench, letting the back of her head rest against the cool glass window as the tears rolled freely down her cheeks. A sob caught in her throat as she tried to keep it in, holding her palm over her mouth to muffle the sound. The sight of the emerald on her finger caught her eye and she slowly extended her fingers out in front of her, examining the piece of jewelry carefully for the first time.
The door opened just enough for Malfoy to slid through, the blonde shutting it quietly behind him. "I don't know why you keep those two idiots around." he said suddenly, making himself comfortable on the opposite bench. "If it's not one making you upset, it's the other."
Hermione was silent for a moment as she let the surprise of his appearance fade away, slowly replacing itself with annoyance. "They're good friends, despite their pigheadedness sometimes bringing me to tears."
"I find it hard to believe that even two imbeciles like Potter and Weasley would make their best friend cry at the end of such a traumatizing school year." he offered, kicking his feet up on the spot beside her and leaning back with his fingers laced behind his head.
"Why did you leave this behind that night in the field?" she said, ignoring his own inquiry.
"Why did you find the need to wear it?" he countered, closing his eyes now as he let his head lull back comfortably towards the ceiling of the train car. "For all you know, I could've cursed the damn thing to kill you."
"You might find this hard to believe, Malfoy." She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. "But throughout all your bullying and overall abhorrent behavior of a spoiled, arrogant child," She narrowed her gaze on him as one of his gray eyes opened with an amused stare in her direction, waiting for her to continue. "I've never been worried about you hurting me."
Both eyes were open now and on her with an offended expression. "And they say you're smart." he puffed out sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the statement.
"Do you hate yourself so much that you wont even allow the slightest bit of goodness to shine through enough for someone else to see?" she dared, her arms still crossed in aggravation. "Because I've seen it in you this whole time, so you can try the big bad wolf act on someone else." she snapped, leaning back in her own seat. He opened his mouth to dispute her defense of his upstanding character, but she went on before he had the chance. "You left your book behind in Potions back in first year."
Malfoy's eyes were set in a harsh expression as they met hers, silently allowing her continue. "I was the last to leave the classroom, so Snape made it my responsibility to return it. I remember how annoyed I was at the thought of having to have any interaction with you once so ever." Malfoy rolled his eyes, letting his arm fall over the back of the bench beside him. "You had a piece of paper slid between the pages as a marker from where you must've left off reading. The chapter on Devil's Snare."
He pushed his sleeves up without a word, relaxing once again with his Mark clearly on display. She refused to look at the fading serpent moving subtly against his skin, instead fixing her gaze on his silver eyes. "I hardly think you sticking your nose in my book without permission is a vote in favor of my good nature and overall redemption." he said sarcastically, the train slowing noticeable as the breaks squeaked quietly beneath them.
"Then what about at the World Cup?" she continued, growing agitated at his denial. His face blanched at that, remembering the night with vivid clarity. "I got separated from Ron and Harry and you showed up out of nowhere, out of breath like you'd been running for miles."
"Watch it, Granger." he warned, pushing the words through his teeth. "The things I've done can't be forgiven with something so simple."
"Simple?" she repeated, disbelieving. "Greyback had his teeth to my throat and you stunned him in the back. You think something like that is simple? The world is hardly black and white. I understand that now more then I ever have." As if knowing he planned on refuting her claim, she settled her narrowed eyes on his face before glancing to the onyx ring on his left hand. "It's a dead giveaway."
He slipped his hand into his pocket, flexing his fingers stiffly. "I'm not sure I've ever hated someone before I met that piece of shit werewolf." he admitted, finally giving up on refuting her claims. "Voldemort was a right prick, sure," he said much too casually. "But Greyback." he shuttered at the thought, his jaw tight. "I've seen his rip a witch apart piece by piece with the most genuine look of pleasure on his face. Dueling to the death is one thing, but using your bare hands against a woman half your size.." he trailed off, a low growl in his throat. He glanced at the ring on her hand, the answer to her previous question slipping weakly from his lips. "I knew you planned on running head first after those two morons without any thought to your own safety. Figured you needed it more then I did."
Hermione let out an embarrassing snort, rolling her eyes in response. "That's a lie." she muttered, taking the ring from her finger and turning it around in her hand. "You made this. It's not just some trinket you bought in a shop."
He stayed quiet, his face unreadable as he controlled his features.
"All I want to know is when." she begged, her voice more pleading then he'd ever heard it, even with a wand to her throat.
Malfoy leaned forward on his knees, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. "After you were petrified I started looking into it." he admitted, keeping his voice calm as if this was not important enough to be worth discussing. "Muggleborns were being taken off the streets every day, but none had a bigger price on their head then you. Best friend to The Boy Who Lived." he explained dryly.
Taking his words to heart, she pushed down the rest of her questions and simply met his gaze with a softened one of her own, her voice quieter now as the irritation left it. "Dolohov tried to hurt me back at the castle." she explained, remembering the jarring sight behind her eyes as she closed them briefly. "His skin burned right off the bone." she finished in a whisper.
"Good to know it works." Malfoy muttered, standing as the train finally pulled to a complete stop.
"Here." She stood as well, the bright green gem sitting in the center of her outstretched palm. "You'll want it back."
A hint of the mischievous boy she knew shone in his eyes as he pulled the briefcase over his shoulder. "It wouldn't work for me." he said with a shrug, turning towards the door. It closed shut between them before she could prod him further, Hermione standing in silence for a full minute before forcing herself out onto the platform and reuniting with her friends.