Black and White

This fic becomes AU after the Goblet of Fire.

Warnings: The story may get a bit dark. I'm flirting with notions that some may understand as abuse, and if you're not comfortable with it I suggest you leave the fic. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Also, I have a group of people I must thank. First, Gildorelf for the plotbunny. Second (but not least) to the group of wonderful people who have helped me betaing this fic. Cynthia, Maddy, Alysya, Venefica, Meg, Tawa, Flourishnblotts.
And in 2005 Nevermore joined the ranks and gave the text a final sweep, getting rid of awkward punctuation and plot holes I didn’t even know were there. You were amazing, and not a pain at all. Thanks for helping me get through the way.


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"No, Ginny, you have to mean it. Let's try again."

"I can't really mean it," Ginny objected. "There's no one behind me I'd be willing to die to protect." Hermione had known Ginny for years, and she appreciated how unique the youngest Weasley was, alone amongst everyone in her family in her ability to hide her emotions. That's why Hermione almost felt guilty at Ginny's unabashed irritation. She knew she was probably pushing too hard.

But if I'm pushing hard, I don't have to think about anything else, Hermione pondered, immediately struggling to shut down that train of thought. She knew where that would lead. Concentrate on the tasks at hand, she commanded herself, relieved at the fact that Ginny would match her own concentration, leaving aside any questions that Hermione was herself not prepared to face. With Ginny, Hermione could be all about business, without being expected to regale everyone with stories about what she had been doing while she was away. All about the work, she reminded herself. Don't forget that this morning that means more than just practice with spellwork.

She'd move on her own pace, in her own way. And that was it.

In words they could understand, she was not open to discussion.

Looking back somewhat philosophically, Hermione was able to identify at least one good thing coming from what she and Ginny called 'The Diary Thing.' The youngest Weasley was the one member of the family whom Hermione could say for sure could keep a secret. The others always let something slip sooner or later- but not Ginny. Even thought it nearly cost her her life once.

Besides, Ginny had both the power, as Draco had painfully discovered, and the will. Strong will was a dominant genetic trait in the clan. If anyone could test the 'Lily Theory,' it was Virginia Weasley.

"Crucio."

As Hermione didn't mean to put Ginny in a paralysing, mind-breaking haze of crippling pain, the curse was a tad weaker than it should have been. That was a fortunate thing, because Ginny was failing miserably in creating a successful shield. After so many hits, she was tired. The Cruciatus was debilitating, even in its paler form, and there would come a point where Ginny would no longer be capable of conjuring any magic at all until she had rested.

"Couldn't we simply go for a protego instead?" the redhead gasped, dragging herself up from the floor where she had fallen.

"Protego won't work with the killing curse," Hermione stated matter-of-factly. She tried to keep her face blank when Ginny winced.

"Well, this little invention of yours isn't doing me any good either," Ginny muttered under her breath, sweeping dust from her jeans.

"Are you all right?"

Ginny raised mutinous brown eyes in a way that very emphatically asked, 'Are you kidding?'

"One hell of a witch spends most the day casting Cruciatus on me, and I can't muster a decent shield. What the hell do you think?"

"Sorry," came the heartfelt apology. "I'm really sorry, but--"

"There's no other way, I know. It might be a good idea to give me a break, though."

"Right."

The two women sat side by side on the ground. Hermione had rented a small country house near Rome, and the Italian afternoon was rather warm even in April, particularly compared to the weather in Britain and Canada. Secrecy was the key; it was the one thing that made the difference between life and death in their line of work, even thought Ginny was not yet officially a member of the resistance. Hermione knew Molly was suspicious Ginny would drop school to join the war efforts, and the matron was not very far off the track. It was very obvious Ginny deserved her place in the house of Hogwarts most known for bravery.

"Maybe I should try to cast the shields," Hermione whispered suddenly, startling her companion.

"We both know you will not use all of your power on something you doubt. It is a matter of trust, Hermione. Don't take this the wrong way, but you'll fail miserably."

Hermione felt her blood singing in spite of herself. Ginny was possibly the sweetest soul in God's chaotic and twisted world, but she was very much Ron's sister. And sometimes, it showed.

The brunette was never one to bear a phrase like 'you'll fail' in the best of spirits.

"I believe it!"

Ginny's eloquent answer was an undeniable snort.

"I do!" Hermione said again, a bit louder this time.

"In this case, you have dragged me out of my family's home, and during Easter break, for no good reason? Do you have any idea how difficult it was to convince mom that we would not be drinking, whoring and/or doing illegal magic? I guess we can argue that we're casting Cruciatus in a research to the Ministry, but that might be stretching a bit. Even dad was suspicious, you know? He asked me if this retreat was truly for recreational purposes or if I had other ideas." Ginny smirked. "I always have ideas, I just don't want people to know them. Anyway, after I basically had to fool my mother and my father, and break so many Laws of Magic I just lost track, you decided my presence here was unnecessary?"

"N-no. It should be easier with your help."

Ginny was firm. "I have six older brothers, Hermione. I can generally tell when someone is lying through his teeth. But you're getting better. Should be good- to your career."

The Unspeakable struggled against tears that seemed to well up from nowhere. Tears for all that had been and would never be again, for the time when she could simply tell whatever she had in mind - even if the boys did not pay the attention she'd like sometimes. And though Hermione won the battle, she was sad for it, because it meant that another part of the old Hermione was gone.

"I'm sorry Ginny." A rueful smile, and she could see Ginny accepted her without judgment or reservation - only mourned the loss of the old Hermione. "Seems like I'm saying that a lot lately."

"You are."

A moment's silence.

"When did you get so wise?" Hermione asked, trying to break the awkwardness.

Ginny focused her brown eyes on her friend. Though the colouring was different, the light in them was exactly like Ron's. They were all honest, trustworthy, simple people with extraordinary hearts. Ginny did not have outstanding beauty, but held instead a natural charm that attracted as much attention as her flaming hair - a charm Hermione had paid dearly to learn.

"It's called common sense, and mom has plenty to spare. I had to get it all because no one else would."

Hermione burst out in laughter. "Too true."

"Well, on second thought, maybe Bill and Charlie got some - but only just," Ginny added maliciously.

"Merlin, I needed that," Hermione said, wiping the tears off her eyes. "Should we try again?"

"It's bloody useless!" Ginny cried.

Hermione armed herself with all the patience she had left. Ginny was as dedicated a partner as one could wish for, but that did not mean she never complained. She did. And rather vehemently sometimes.

"According to my research, it is possible. We just have to find a way to isolate the pure will to block it... Damn, maybe I should not have told you we were trying to re-create it... maybe I should have simply told you to do it, and then you'd believe and things would go on smoothly."

"Your research showed that it is possible for a mother to do it, in order to protect her son. It's rather different."

Hermione was so utterly shocked that she went silent for a couple of minutes. "Ginny, that's nonsense. There's absolutely nothing that would indicate a significant change in the psyche of a woman--"

"That's bullshit. And there's absolutely nothing that should warrant a significant change in the brewing of a concoction whether you mix it twenty-four times clock-wise or twenty four times counter clock-wise. But it does. I think we both remember our dreaded Potions classes enough to recognise that fact."

Hermione hated it when the other party had a valid point against her thesis. Simply hated it.

Not to mention anything that made her remember Severus was absolutely not welcome.

"Perhaps Dumbledore was right," Ginny stated. "Maybe we do need love. Something so powerful it could heighten our will enough to overpower the Killing Curse. Why don't we simply talk to him? It's darn better than undergoing this torture. I'm all for finding a way to stop the AK, but so far all I've accomplished was giving you practice in the brewing of anesthetics. "

"Damn," Hermione muttered, pulling her hair back so forcefully her scalp hurt. Talking to Dumbledore was not at the top of her list; the damn wizard could see way too much and she did not wish anyone to pry into her thoughts and feelings. Not to mention, the research would be even more delayed. Hermione sighed. "This is so not a good thing."

"Why so?"

"Well, it adds a whole new layer to the question, doesn't it? If one does not manage to conjure the shield, is it because for some reason he could not summon the power necessary, like in some dark curses, or simply that he did not love the subject he was trying to protect deeply enough?"

"Well," Ginny replied deadpan. "If we're on the things we have forgotten to check subject, maybe this particular countercurse works on the killing curse only, just as the protego works only with the other curses."

Hermione looked up, startled. "Lily wasn't powerful enough."

Ginny arched a golden-reddish eyebrow. "No shit. She blocked the Worst Unforgivable, cast by one of the greatest wizards of our time, and she wasn't powerful enough? Bugger, Mione, I think it's you who needs a break."

"How could I have been so stupid!" Hermione cried. She sad down, stood up again, and paced to and fro in the quiet cottage's garden. Her face was flushed, her eyes shining, and she was waving her hands wildly as she spoke. "Lily was smart, but she wasn't powerful. She had the spell, but she was too weak. Voldemort is a strong, powerful wizard. So she ran to her bedroom."

"That's it, I'm calling mom," Ginny muttered. "You've officially lost it."

"No, wait." Hermione reached her friend in two strides and grabbed her arms. Ginny swallowed hard. Hermione seemed one of those Muggles that accidentally saw a mermaid and got bespelled by their song. It was magic that dragged them down into the water, since the real mermaids were damn ugly. "You don't see it? I never understood, why didn't she fly? They had to have a Floo fireplace, a Portkey... They were both seasoned warriors, even with the Fidelius they ought to be some defences in place. But Lily didn't run. Why?"

Ginny stopped struggling and stared at her friend, fascinated. Why, indeed? In Lily's place, Ginny would have run the bleeding hell out of the house. "Hmm... the Portkey was upstairs?"

"Too inconvenient, wouldn't it be? An escape route has to be easy to reach. No, Lily ran upstairs because she needed the dragon's blood. That's what was upstairs. That's why she didn't leave the place. She had that one chance to overpower Voldemort, and finish him off!"

"Err... Mione, you just told me she wasn't a match for him."

Hermione beamed. "Indeed."

"So... ?"

"With the dragon's blood, she'd be as powerful as Voldemort or more."

"Bullshit," Ginny said, but it was a weak whisper.

"It makes perfect sense!" Hermione released Ginny and twirled in the garden. "We did not even know about the properties of dragon's blood - why would Lily have it at home? Sna--I mean, my tutor told me she had access to Dumbledore's research. They were friends; the Potters were his right arm, his advisors. And all that crap. Maybe Dumbledore even knew about the thirteenth use of dragon's blood but didn't release it in fear such information could be used by the spies of the Dark Lord. Or maybe Lily put two and two together and came up with four. She was smart. She had a talent for improvising. Weren't these his words?" Hermione went silent, staring at the emptiness. "Yes, I believe these were. So there. We didn't use dragon's blood. I knew it, I knew it was part of the equation, but I didn't use it. Stupid."

"The thirteen what?"

"... uses of dragon blood. Much like unicorn's blood, if I got it right. Extremely powerful stuff. A tad on the unstable side, unless the whole drain-your-power-and-give-it-to-the-baby thing was planned. Not putting my money on it, though. I'll have to think of a way to neutralize the instability, if possible."

"I am not entirely sure I follow you," Ginny said. She sat down on the grass and craned her head to stare at Hermione.

"She was not powerful enough. Do I need to fucking spell it out for you? Dragon blood augments the strength of the caster. She probably had an inkling about the countercurse and was willing to bet it would work. A lot of people hate Voldemort enough to risk their lives if it means getting him killed. She was a warrior, a member of the Order of the Phoenix. She was either desperate enough or confident enough to think that spell would work - with the proper power boost. It's simple, really."

"All right... if you say so."

"Of course I say so. Now we only need to figure out whether that spell only works against the Killing curse."

"You're NOT trying it, Hermione," Ginny stated firmly. The older girl had the grace to look chastised.

"Of course not."

"Some things simply cannot be controlled, Hermione."

"They have to be," Hermione replied tersely, "or else we're defenceless before the curse."

"We have been 'defenceless before the curse' for centuries, and somehow we survived."

"Lily countered it." Damn, why was Ginny suddenly so bent on getting out of the enterprise. "Look, if you don't want--"

"You just don't listen!" the redhead cried. "Lily took the secret to her grave! No -- listen. This time you'll listen, young lady." Ginny had a fairly good mimicry of Molly's no-nonsense-now lecture expression, and Hermione could not help but feel a tad intimidated, even though Ginny was not nearly as good a duellist as Hermione was. The power of suggestion, indeed. "You'll have to concede that magic has its mystery. That mystery is exactly what makes Herbology different from Muggle Botany, or Potions different from Chemistry. There are things that cannot be measured or tamed- and yes, sometimes, most of the time, Will and Energy too. You might want to... hell, I want to. Imagine the power to counter the killing curse!"

Ginny raised her hand, efficiently stopping the flow of words that Hermione had ready to argue.

"But I just don't know if we can ever get the precise... energy or level of consciousness or whatever that allowed Lily to be as powerful as the Dark Lord. All your Unspeakable stuff seems nice enough - the planning, investigation, the traps. But the real thing, what is really going to save us all, Hermione, is us. You and I and all who'll stand up and fight."

"I think... you're right, Ginny. But I am on the right path. I can feel it. And I cannot give up this chance, the possibility of recreating a spell that could stop the killing curse. Even if we go back to square one later. Even if they come up with something else."

"It wouldn't be you," Ginny agreed with a very calm nod. It was remarkable how she could cool down after being excited, something Ron could not do so easily. "But I'd rather you didn't forget what's important."

"Saving lives is important."

"Then we have to go see Dumbledore. Look, I'm not as clever as you are. My head hurts. Can we please have a break now? I need some ice cream."

Hermione felt the last vestiges of irritation fade, and smiled openly at Ginny. "I don't recall you being so fond of ice cream before."

"I had not tried Italian ice cream before. I have to enjoy it while I can, my break is nearly over anyway, and there are only a couple months left of school..."

"You can hardly wait, can you?"

"No. I can't help the feeling I have to do something. You know, because of--"

"I know. And you don't, Ginny, not really. Thought we can't spare you, anyway. We're so short of personnel."

Ginny sighed quietly. But then the girl laughed a little and turned around, her eyes alight and alive. "Hey, what do you say we go to town and celebrate a little? Not to be self-indulgent, but I think I deserve some fun. Not to mention, anything that gets my sweet, overprotective brother upset is a plus."

"You're evil," Hermione countered, laughing along. Yes, she'd go to Dumbledore. There was no other way. But for now, she could let Ginny infect her with some of that joie de vivre. What could be better than a little partying with a childhood friend?

Hermione knew Ginny would just love Rome.