I Surrender

I Surrender

Hermione gazed helplessly into Draco's unforgiving eyes as the hooded Death Eaters pulled her away from the ceremonial circle made of unicorn blood. This was Draco's night, the night he became a man, a man just like his father. In a sense, he was proud that he was following in his father's footsteps, but at the same time he had an overwhelming fear slowly building in his gut. He was beginning to realize just what he was getting into, and what he was leaving behind. He also realized that he was now abandoning everything he had been secretly fighting for. However, he knew what he had to do if he wanted to save who he cared for most.

There were millions of things Hermione could have yelled out to save herself, and of course, Draco from destroying his life. They shared something, something that should have never happened. Hermione now blamed herself for getting into this whole mess, now she was going to die and Draco was going to suffer. She would have never thought that in a thousand years she and Draco Malfoy would have sprouted so much as a friend ship, but here they had formed a forbidden love.

"Draco we don't have all night," Lucius Malfoy hissed as the surrounding Death Eaters started to get restless. "Make your decision now."

Draco could hear Hermione's soft sobs break through the barrier he had attempted to build to keep her safe from a most certain death. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, at the girl who he had become rather fond of over the last year. Her once putrid features were now beautiful, and her once boring brown eyes were alive with determination and passion. The once mudblood was now a wondrous woman.

"Draco," his father growled slowly in a threatening manner, "it's either you, or the mudblood."

Hermione had been working on the silk gag that had been skillfully tied around her mouth to keep her quiet. Lucius knew that if anyone were to convince Draco to go against the dark side, it was Hermione, and he couldn't risk his own death because of a careless love affair. She felt the gag become loose and she ripped her arms out of the grasps of the Death Eaters holding her back. She felt her legs take on a life of their own and she started to run to Draco.

"Draco don't do it!" Hermione cried as she dashed towards him, free of all her bindings. Immediately, all of the Death Eaters snapped their gaze to the brave girl. "I know your better then this Draco, I know you can do better!" she cried as she continued to run to him. "Please, don't do this-,"

Hermione's rant had been short lived, for Voldemort, whom had been sitting silently amused with the current happenings, had thrown a hard winding curse into Hermione's back. She landed only inches from the brilliant raging fire that seemed to be just as angry as Draco at this unfair attack.

Draco was about to rush to her side when Lucius pulled out his wand. "You promised me you wouldn't use any magic on her!" Draco yelled. His helpless eyes were now alight with a fiery hatred. "You promised me you wouldn't hurt her!"

Lucius smiled a crooked immoral smile and aimed his wand at Draco's heart. "I promised you I wouldn't let her hurt," he replied slyly, "too much, of course. Besides, promises never count. I'm disappointed Draco, you have already forgotten one of the most important rules of gaining respect in the dark world."

Draco knew he should have never believed his father. "Promises never count," was one of the very first rules Draco ever learned in the Malfoy household. And was constantly reminded of how useful it was in the Dark World.

"However, do you know what the most important rule is Draco?" Lucius continued. "The rule that is honored high above all others?"

Draco glared fiercely into his father's eyes, yet continued to glance at Hermione who was pulling herself up from the ground. "I don't know what you're talking about," he lied, though he knew what was coming.

"Oh, but I think you do Draco," Lucius told him, articulating every syllable, as if to make sure Draco understood perfectly well what he was going to say. "The most important rule that is remembered high above others so as to gain power without distraction is to not fall in love."

Hermione kneeled on the ground and stared at the man just barely taller than Draco. This man had so much hate in his eyes. He had hate for everything, like he wanted revenge for something he had lost and something Draco now had but was about to loose as well just because he too had lost it when he was young. However, Lucius was confident because he was feared by all, and he had power over Draco and could decide his fate. Just as his father had done when he was young he was going to do to his son.

"Draco," Hermione whimpered as she extended her arm out to him, "we're strong. We're so much stronger then them, we can fight!" she pleaded with him. "Think about what you're doing. You're giving up your life to kill others who aren't like you, who don't see things the same way they do. You know what will happen if you become one of those monsters."

"Quiet mudblood!" Lucius snapped as he moved his wand in Hermione's direction. However, Draco grabbed a hold of his wand, much to his father's surprise, and threw it to the ground.

"No, you can't hurt her," Draco told him simply in the calmest tone imaginable. The Death Eaters, and Voldemort, were all finding this rather amusing and didn't want to interrupt; they were waiting to see just how far Lucius would go until he cracked.

Draco left his shocked father's gaze and turned to Hermione who still kneeled on the ground, holding her stomach in pain. "Hermione," he began softly, "if I don't do this they will kill you. You will die because of me and I won't be able to live-"

"You won't be able to live to kill others?" Hermione interrupted with a sudden burst of anger. "Draco, don't you understand? If you become a Death Eater you will be miserable and you will hate yourself and your life!"

"Well at least you would be alive!" Draco cried as Hermione pulled herself up from the ground.

"Not for long," she told him truthfully. "There will be a war against good and evil. I will fight on the good side and of course you will be forced to fight on the evil side. In the end we will probably both be dead, and if we aren't we will never be able to be together because...it just won't work. Either way Draco, I'm probably going to die, so you might as well let me die happy then die thinking about how it could have been and save yourself!"

Draco, along with everyone else in this little clearing in the middle of the forbidden forest, was beyond shocked. Hermione had made several good points, but Draco still could not let her go, he could not let her die.

"Hermione," he said softly, "why are you doing this?"

Hermione smacked her forehead as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "God Draco, do I really have to explain this to you? Is it really not that obvious?"

Draco stared at his feet for a moment, "Er...no?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and stared at Draco with the up most disbelief. "Draco," she began in an impatient tone, "I love you."

"Oh," was the only thing Draco could think of at the moment. "Well, if you really love me then why are you making this so hard on me?"

"Draco I care for you, I don't want you to live in pain-"

"Um, Hermione, if you die because of me I think I will be living in pain."

"I'll die willingly! I'll die happy! And at least you will have a chance to start a good life! Have kids, get married--"

"Do you really think kids should come before marriage?"

"Draco!"

"And besides, how am I suppose to get married if you're dead?!"

"Draco, you are missing the point."

"Are you two almost done," Lucius hissed, "because it seems to me you are just wasting time and we need to get this done before the sun rises which will be very soon and we have a long way to go!"

"This is fun, let them continue!" Voldemort jumped with excited glee in his portable throne.

"Draco," Lucius growled, "now."

"Draco," Hermione pleaded, "please."

Draco thought hard. He had to choose between life and death and love or loss. He glanced cautiously around the circle of unicorn blood and at the dark hooded figures that represented his future death and Hermione's future life. He hung his head in despair.

Even if he did become evil and devote himself to the dark world, at least Hermione would be living and breathing and safe. Well, for the time being at least.

Draco turned to Hermione and took hold of her small frozen hand. "Don't forget me," he whispered and watched her eyes cloud over and her grip release. She took several steps back until she ran into the Death Eater that had been holding her earlier.

"Don't worry," she told him quietly while trying to hold back her tears, "I won't forget you." Draco dropped his head, he knew he was putting her in pain right now, and he hated to have to watch her try and be strong when he was hurting her most. "I'll forever remember you as the-boy-who-lost...the boy that gave up and went against what he believed in, just so he could gain power," she continued in a sour tone.

"I'm sorry," Draco told her as Voldemort reluctantly stood from his chair and made his way into the ceremonial circle.

Hermione's eyes were hard and Draco could see the flames from the fire dancing in them, only adding to the rage that was building up inside of her. Hermione stared straight into Draco's eyes, as if to make her next statement heard, "I hate you."

Draco knew, just as well as Hermione did, that she didn't really hate him. However, he knew that right now it was probably true that she didn't want anything to do with him.

Hermione watched as Voldemort took Draco's arm and pulled back the robe sleeve to reveal his slender arm. He knew this was going to be painful, yet he was prepared, as long as Hermione lived.

Voldemort muttered his branding curse, and out of his wand shot a bright green ray that sank deep into Draco's arm. He gritted his teeth and he felt his knees go weak, but he remained standing.

Hermione watched in terror as the dark mark came to life on Draco's arm, black as ebony, across his arm. She saw the pain that filled his face as he closed his eyes tight, away from the blinding green light that lit the whole clearing and somehow managed to put the giant blazing fire out.

The unicorn's blood seeped into the ground as if to draw energy from the earth into this magic that would ultimately end Draco's life years later.

Just as soon as it had happened, all of the buzzing and the howling winds, caused by the curse, stopped. Hermione opened her eyes, surprised at the sudden silence, only to find that she was alone. Everyone and everything had disappeared, leaving Hermione standing by herself in the middle of the dark forest.

She wiped away a single tear and started to make her way back to Hogwarts. She had given up and surrendered her life to the one she loved, she always managed to loose. She hugged herself in the bitter wind just to make sure she was still alive and breathing.

As she stepped out of the forest she saw Harry and Ron standing on the doorsteps with Professor Dumbledore. They all caught sight of her and waited for her at the stairs. She glanced up the dungeons tower and saw a boy staring back at her. She quickly looked away and continued towards Ron and Harry.

Draco stood at his dormitory window, staring at Hermione. He knew what he did was stupid, but she was alive and that was all that mattered to him. He held his arm gingerly for it still hurt from the burn. He was in so much pain, and he knew she was too, but they were alive. Draco smiled, as he watched Hermione fall first into Harry's arms, much to Ron's dismay.

Dumbledore looked up at Draco, he never missed a thing. He smiled and nodded at him and Draco nodded back and then sank into the wall. At least there was still hope.