What Once Could Never Be...

Recap: He looked back to see what was wrong with her, but instead his eyes fell upon a sight that made his stomach drop and his heart rise to his throat. A group of Death Eaters were flying towards them at top speed, and his father was right in front holding out his wand.

What Once Could Never Be...

Chapter 10: The First Act

Draco whipped his head back around, and willed his broom to go faster turning his attention to getting back to Hogwarts. But in his heart, he knew they would never make it in time. He refused to give up and would not let him or Hermione be captured without a fight. He took out his wand and started to cast spells over his shoulder. Hermione, seeing what he was doing, started doing the same, and their voices rang out in the cool, dark night.

"Impedimenta."

"Expelliarmus."

Then, a voice so cold it chilled Draco and Hermione to the bone growled out a spell that was to be the downfall to their attempted getaway.

"Stupefy duo."

Draco was hit by the spell before he could dodge it. He felt his body go still, and he started to plummet into the darkness below. His broom was no longer underneath him, as he faded into black. The last thing he remembered was Hermione´s piercing scream as she watched Draco fall, helpless to stop him.

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Harry and Ron were still sitting in the Gryffindor common room the next morning when everybody started coming down from the dorms on the way to breakfast. They seemed to be deep in reverent thought as anxiousness was clearly written on both their faces.

Ginny walked down the stairs, her face in mid-yawn, when she eyed her boyfriend and her brother sitting near the fireplace. She hurriedly made her way over to them when she saw their expressions. When they failed to acknowledge or even notice her presence, she began to wonder. I hope nothing bad has happened.

"Hey guys, is something wrong?"

Ron glanced up first. Surprise written all over his face at the sight of his sister like he had never seen her before. Then, he set his face into a blank mask. "Nothing´s wrong. Go to breakfast, Ginny."

She wasn´t giving up yet. "Harry?"

Harry looked up towards his girlfriend. He stood and took her in his arms. He remained silent as he hugged her against him.

Ginny was now very scared. She couldn´t fathom what could have possibly happened to make Harry and Ron act this way. "Guys, you´re really scaring me. Please, tell me what happened."

Harry´s voice crackled above her. It was lined with barely controlled emotion. "Hermione´s been kidnapped. We´ve been up all night waiting to hear some word about her. We do know that Malfoy´s father is the one that kidnapped her, and Malfoy went off to try and rescue her. Dumbledore told me that much."

Ginny gasped. Hermione kidnapped? Why would Malfoy´s father do such a thing? She now understood the reactions of the two people in front of her. Ron looked somewhere caught between disbelief and worry. Harry looked like he had been beating himself up about it. Ginny figured that he probably thought that this whole thing was his fault. She had many questions without answers, but wasn´t sure if this was the time to ask. They both looked like they could crumble at any second. She knew that the fight that Ron and Harry had with Hermione over Malfoy was long forgotten because they would always consider her their best friend. She decided to take a chance at questioning them. "Malfoy´s gone after her?"

Harry and Ron exchanged a knowing glance, but Harry asked Ron a question with his eyes. Ron, at first, shook his head, but as Harry glared at him, he finally shrugged. Harry told Ginny to sit down and proceeded to tell her about the prophecy and all the things that go with it.

After the explanation, Ginny felt very light-headed trying to absorb all the information Harry had just gave. She nodded her head to say that she understood what she had been told.

Harry sighed and sunk back into his chair. "I feel like I should do something. It makes me feel guilty just sitting here doing nothing. Waiting like some inactive person."

Ginny put her hand on his knee and spoke in a calming voice. "You´ve done all that you can. Now, you just have believe that 'Mione will be fine."

Harry nodded at her words, but still looked agitated at having to wait. He gathered his girlfriend into his arms and softly kissed her forehead. "I know that you´re just trying to comfort me, but I´m still going to be worried. What if 'Mione dies and the last thing between us is that stupid fight over Malfoy?"

Ginny gazed into Harry´s eyes and saw the guilt overflowing in him. She gave him a tender kiss on his soft lips. She closed her eyes and let the kiss deepen. When they pulled apart, she spoke in a voice above a whisper. "She knows how much you and Ron really love her. Even if the last thing you did was fight, she knows that you love her and were only trying to protect her."

Harry appeared more confident at her words as he leaned forward to place another kiss upon her rosy lips.

Ron was looking at the scene before him between his best friend and sister with a bemused expression on his face. He screwed up his face in disgust and quickly looked away when the kiss became more intimate. He had turned towards the staircase and jumped in surprise when he saw his own girlfriend, Lavender, coming towards him.

Lavender looked at the people before her with a confused look upon her upturned face. She let out a yawn before settling herself on Ron´s lap. She looked up at her boyfriend and automatically knew that something was wrong. "What´s the matter, Ron? You look like someone died."

Harry and Ginny stopped their snog session to listen as Ron repeated the same story Harry had told Ginny to Lavender. Just as Ginny had done, Lavender looked torn between asking questions and comforting Ron. She decided on comforting Ron. "It´s okay. I´m sure that Hermione will be just fine. You just have to have faith."

Ron just nodded his head and gave Lavender a quick kiss. She embraced him in response. Neither were for much public affection. They liked to keep things private between them.

Lavender crawled out of his lap and stood up. Ron followed her and met Harry´s gaze. He opened his mouth to speak. "Well, I guess we can´t just mope around in here all day, Harry. We might as well get something to eat."

Harry nodded in silent agreement. He rose from his seat in the chair next to the fireplace followed by Ginny. All of them left the common room through the portrait hole and made their way through the corridors to the Great Hall for breakfast.

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Dumbledore was sitting in his office. It was very early, but it was no matter. Harry had left his office hours before with a look of extreme befuddlement on his face. Dumbledore, himself, was unsure of how to approach the situation at hand.

On one hand, if he sat back and did nothing, he might be letting many of his students, who were still at a young age, die. On the other hand, if he interfered, he might be changing the course of the future.

He felt as frustrated as Harry did, and probably even more helpless. He knew he probably should have sent Harry to help Draco find Hermione. Harry was more apt to dealing with drastic events such as this one. He was known for his bravery and ability. But, the prophecy had said that Draco was the only one who could save her.

Dumbledore stared out the window across the grounds to Hagrid´s cabin and the Forbidden Forest. He had complete faith in Draco to save Hermione. It was written all over his face how much he loved her. Dumbledore just hoped that he would be strong enough to face off against his father.

Dumbledore was made aware of Draco´s home life before he came to Hogwarts at the age of eleven. He had tried to protect Draco from his father, but he knew it had been useless without keeping him at Hogwarts. Lucius had made sure of that.

Dumbledore decided to go down to breakfast before he was overcome to do something. He would play his part all in good time. For now, he had to act as a guide and mediator. With that thought, he left.

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Draco swam back to consciousness with an uneasy feeling hanging over him. He felt sore over his body, and his arms ached threatening to fall off. He slowly opened his eyes and felt light pierce through them. He let his eyes adjust to the morning sun streaming in through the window before taking in the scene before him.

Hermione was opposite him in the dungeon strung up in chains by her arms. She was still unconscious. He looked up and realized that he was also restrained by use of chains around his wrists. Draco recognized the room they had been put in as one of the rooms used for torture. He felt, rather than saw, blood trailing down his back and on the sides of his face. The Death Eaters must have beat him while he had been out. He glanced back up at Hermione and saw her bleeding as well. Draco felt the rage building up inside of him at the thought of them even touching his 'Mione. They will pay for this. I don´t care that I´m tied up. Somehow, they WILL pay.

Then, he heard a groan from the other side of the room. Hermione was coming into consciousness. He watched as her eyes grew wide when she took in the surroundings. The pure fear in her eyes was enough to drive Draco over the edge. If he had been stronger, he could have broken out of the chains. For the time being, he would have to wait for the opportunity to present itself.

Hermione found her voice first. "Draco, where are we? What are we going to do? Can we get out? You shouldn´t have come to save me. Now, you´re in danger as well. I´m so sorry." She looked down, but Draco had already seen the tears falling down her cheeks.

Her ramblings were nothing new to Draco, but he always thought she would be the logical one when it came to getting out of these predicaments. As much as her, Potter, and Weasley were adapt to getting into them. Draco felt that he had to calm her down to get her to help him think. "Mione, we´ll be fine. We´re just a little held up for now. We WILL get out of here. Then, you can go back to Hogwarts and ace as many tests as you want." He gave her a small smile.

That cheered up Hermione a little. She always found comfort in Draco´s words. Well, for the last few days anyway. Gosh, has it only been a few days? It feels like its been months since we´ve been together. I do hope we get out of here so I can be with Draco. Oh Goddess! Harry and Ron! If I don´t get out of here, the last thing they´re going to remember is that stupid fight. I wish I had made up with them. They were only trying to look out for me.

Hermione´s train of thought was cut off by the sound of the door opening. Through it stepped Lucius Malfoy. He was followed by two Death Eaters. McNair and Pettigrew.

Lucius had a smile upon his face that was as deceitful as the Devil himself. McNair was concealing something beneath his cloak, and Pettigrew was caught up with trying to look important and failing miserably. Lucius walked over to where Draco was hanging by his wrists. He drew back his hand and slapped his son hard across the face drawing blood. Hermione screamed.

"You are a disgrace to the Malfoy name! If I was forgiving, I would disown you! Lucky for you, the Dark Lord still wishes for you to join him. I would not be so kind. Not only are you associating yourself with mudbloods, but the best friend of the enemy of the Dark Lord!"

Hermione had been stunned by Lucius´ outward display of hate for his own son, but she quickly found her voice. "You leave him alone! You are such a coward to take everything out on your own son! You son of a bitch!"

McNair was upon her in a flash. The dagger that had been concealed was now pressed against her exposed throat. The dagger itself was pretty to look at with the embedded emeralds against the silver hilt, but it was a deadly weapon that looked like it had been saved for this specific purpose. Hermione gasped when she felt the cold metal against her skin.

"No! Hermione! You bastard!" Draco, still having the use of his legs, kicked out and was rewarded to feel his boot connect with his father´s groin. "Let her go! You don´t want her, you want me!"

Lucius fell to his knee gasping in pain. Draco went to kick him again but Pettigrew was too fast.

"Locomoto Mortis."

Draco was unable to do anything, but shout. "You won´t get away with this! You can´t expect to just kill us and nobody will notice! You will PAY!"

Lucius, having recovered from the blow his son delivered him, was sick of hearing Draco. "Enough! If you continue to refuse to join the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort, your precious mudblood will die."

Draco looked helplessly over to Hermione. Her eyes were wide with panic and tears were streaming down her face with full force. She shook her head in his direction as much as the dagger would let her.

Draco turned back to his father. "Fine. You always have to win. I will join Lord Voldemort, but you have to let Mione go."

Lucius smiled that evil smile again. "What would we do with a mudblood anyway?" He nodded towards Pettigrew and he undid the curse and the chains. Draco began to follow his father out of the room when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Lucius had nodded towards McNair.

The world stopped for a split second. Draco lunged for McNair, but he was too late. He had already cut a deep gash across Hermione´s throat and blood was beginning to pour down her skin. Having been let loose from the chains, she fell to the ground below, blood starting to pool around her.

Hot tears were pouring from Draco´s eyes in uncontrolled amounts as he kneeled next to her. "No, Hermione, you can´t die. We´ll get out of here and you´ll see Potter and Weasley again, and you can fight with them about me. PLEASE HERMIONE, DON´T LEAVE ME!!!" He choked up as he buried his face in her chest.

She took one last breath to murmur her dying words. "Don´t worry, Draco. I love you." Then, lying on the floor in Draco´s arms, she was gone.

Draco was overcome with feelings of pain and grief, but also with a feeling of blind rage. He looked up over the dead body of Hermione to his father´s amused face. "You! You did this to her! You killed my Hermione! I hate you and I will never be a Death Eater! You will pay for this! You promised!!!"

Lucius gazed at his son sobbing over a mudblood, and his face broke out in an expression that would scare the Devil. "I lied."