By the Sea

She has always understood that there is precious little difference between her and him.

She has always been different, better. More intelligent, more astute, borderline oracular. This has always set her apart, made her more special.

And a target.

When he first offered her his hand in camaraderie, she knew she should have hesitated. He was neutral, neither light nor dark, and Hermione Granger was purely light. But light wavers, flickers, and she felt herself fade into grey.

His name was Blaise Zabini, and he shared her love of knowledge. She took his hand and descended into impartiality.

Her friends were too busy fighting the good fight to see her oscillate, fluctuate, into a state of neither here nor there. She answered their questions, read the books they told her to, and all the world was right.

Things would clarify. She did not know whether they would win or lose, and so she and Blaise began to make plans, should the worst happen. He saw her in sharp lines and bold colours, and took pains to ensure that if her friends fell, if her world fell, that Hermione Granger would survive.

He would take no side, and she did not ask him to. It would be unfair of her to do so, and Hermione Granger, spectre in the fog, would not ask a friend to make a decision that they were not prepared to contemplate. But he helped her, and that was enough.

Darkness falls on a cold, cold night.

She is taken somewhere, far away from the sea. In her head, she can hear the waves crashing, hear pages turning, hear him laughing. She doesn't know where she is, or what lies ahead.

She's not sure she really cares.

She is dragged to the feet of Riddle's throne, left there to bleed, as the Dark Lord whispers promises of death and chaos. She watches her parents die, a hundred times, in scenes of what-might-be and what-shall-come.

She only cries a little.

She knows that there is precious little difference between herself and him. Both are logical, powerful. In the minds, they know they are better. It is a matter of choice- Riddle chose darkness, and she clung to the light. But now she slips further in grey. She will not betray her friends, but neither will she scream, flail or kick.

Voices abound.

Someone has come for her.

A stream of silver invades the utter blackness. Blaise has come to save her.

He bargains for her, seemingly fearless. He will give them Potter if they swear, upon bloodlines of their purity and graves of forefathers, if they let him walk away with Granger, both unharmed, and that the Death Eaters will leave them and theirs alone, to never harm them. He will give them what they seek for her freedom. Her safety.

She does not scream for him to stop. She knows there’s always something else.

She is released, and she stumbles into his arms. He portkeys them out after telling them where Potter lies.

Voldemort attacks. Darkness grows.

But Potter is waiting. Blaise has betrayed the Death Eaters. He has sentenced friends and family to death.

He takes her to a village, next to the sea, and nurses her back to health.

Snape comes to talk to her. The Order one. Voldemort is vanquished.

Light returns.

Fudge comes to thank him. Hermione is pale, weak, and Blaise holds her arm.

He did not do it for the Ministry, he sneers, and he did not do it for Potter. He did not do it for good.

She understands. He did it for her.

He offers his hand with timorousness. She takes it affection, and they leave.

The streets are full of cheer, and they do not realise what the red rough lines on her arms mean, what her limp means. They do not acknowledge Blaise's weariness.

She sees her friends. They hug her, kiss her, and she falters. They are lightness, bright, good, right. She is grey, the grey of doubt and uncertanity.

Blaise prepared a place if the worse came, and the time has come. She has fallen; not to hell, not to darkness, but to purgatory, somewhere in between. She does not belong here. There are angels, and there are devils, but she and Blaise are somewhere in between.

So they leave.

And settle in a castle by the sea.

Fin