We Are Angels

Chapter Two

"Angel of Death...Hermione can't be the next Angel of Death" sputtered Ginny dropping her mug on the ground. Before it could crash Draco maneuvered his hand and a light rush of gold glitter lifted the fallen china back to the counter.

"Yes she can," he said shortly.

"I want to save Hermione, not kill her."

"Too late," he said tapping a rhythm on the thigh of his jeans with his fingers.

"No! It can't be too late! There has to be a way!"

His face softening Draco said, "Ginny, I get that you don't want her killing to consume her, but dove, you're too late. She's gone and there is no chance to bring her back."

Scoffing through blinding tears Ginny replied, "Bullshit, there's always a chance." When he looked at his feet with hands stuffed in his pockets Ginny felt her suspicions confirmed. "What chance?"

Draco smiled wisely, "You can't save her, if she wants a rescue she'll have to save herself."

"Save herself?"

Rolling his eyes Draco quietly replied, "Humanity is a rare oddity, few can hold the strands they've been born with. All it takes is one slap, one hit to lose humanity. That's all it took for Hermione."

"I don't believe it."

"I do," said Draco gently rubbing his face. "In our third year, she bitch slapped me. And then it started, her morals were literally trashed, and by the time this war actually got the spells flying she was primeval with the power to kill. She had little humanity left, very little. And now it's gone."

"Gone?" choked Ginny, tears flowing down her cheeks drawing trails over the scars from the siege.

"Gone," Draco confirmed. "And when that happens things go awry. It either means that you're next in line as an Angel, or you're dead. People can't survive like that. She's lucky she's considered chosen."

"Lucky?" Ginny gasped, shocked at the audacity of his claim, pissed and wracked with tear's tremors she dashed out of the kitchen back into the biting air that clung to the rest of the castle.

An amused expression riddled Draco's face, muttering to himself he said, "Luck saved me."

***

Hermione's feet crashed into the stone floor of the armory hidden inside Malfoy Manor, it paid to have a rich lover who was missing in action; action for the dark side. This next extermination would be her biggest yet, her chance to prove what she had, to present her one and only superior with a large platter of in your face. She needed all the help she could get help in the form of really big sharp pointy objects.

Looking around the room, and absorbing the large paintings on the walls, even in the armory, she saw they all resembled Draco. Oddly it didn't really phase her that she wasn't missing him, missing his assets was more the drift. Reaching down she hefted a large leather belt off the ground.

Her Christmas gift to Draco at the peak of their relationship, not an association Harry and Ron had approved of, but Harry and Ron's opinions hadn't mattered for a long time now.

She deftly clasped the belt around her waist. A series of sharp, palm sized daggers bounced off her thigh. She fingered the points nonchalantly, noting how well they had apparently been cared for. Hanging off the opposite of her body, slapping her hip, was her sword. The blade laced with the strongest potion she and Snape had been able to conjure.

Under her arms she loaded vials of deadly potions, wand clasped in her hand Hermione glanced over the room and evaporated. She never felt the pain that soaked from the cut on her fingertip, cut losing black blood.

***

Snape saluted Harry mockingly as he left the dungeon. Severus didn't even bother asking why he had to leave his own dungeon, and he left without complaint.

Stretching his arms he let a pair of wings escape their confines in his back, where he kept them folded through out the day. The gray limbs extended and retracted themselves several times before settling in so as not to scrape along the walls. So natural was the transformation from Potions' Master to Angel he didn't even notice his robes lost their dank hue and a neutral gray fell about them. His hair shortened itself, and he looked behind him, thrilled he didn't leave a trail of gold glitter.

Rubbing his palms together expectantly he became aroused at the thought of a challenge. So Potter wanted to know Granger's greatest most inter-hidden fear?

Snape knew he could deliver. Being the Angel of Fear had its distinct advantages.

***

Hermione felt the presence enter the room before Ginny even crossed the threshold. "Where have you been?" she asked frantically.

"Out," answered Hermione not turning around, just cracking her knuckles.

Angry and scared Ginny reached out and turned Hermione toward her, making the older and stronger girl look her in the eye, "Out? I've been worried sick, literally, the house elves can attest to that. Hermione you've got to stop just doing things for the sake of doing them. Or..." she trailed off, partially fearing what Draco might do to her if she told Hermione anything, and partially terrified of the glint and excitement in Hermione's eyes.

"Harry wanted to see me. Rally the troops we're off to battle."

Ginny stood agape, they had just taken this castle, and they didn't have the forces to do much more. All their field hospitals were packed tightly with the injured, and many of the battalion were lost in the siege. "No fucking way, Hermione we can't manage to feed all of our troops let alone drive them to a battle we will assuredly loose." Distracted by a silver gleam Ginny added, "You went to the Manor, Hermione, if you go there the Ministry will just accuse you of killing Draco."

"No Gin, they won't. Not a second time, first they think Dumbdlore will represent me again, and secondly they want to win this war and Harry can't do it alone."

"Damn Hermione, you can't possibly expect me to walk out there and tell those soldiers that they've got to duel for their cause again?" she whispered sarcastically.

Swiftly, and without warning Hermione stepped forward and her fist connected with Ginny's jaw. Her head spun, red hair waving, and her limp body crumpled to the floor. Shaking her fist out Hermione stepped over the body just as a bruise started to blossom over Ginny's face.

As darkness threatened to engulf her Ginny recalled Draco saying something about crossing the line between human and killer...

***

Draco scoffed to himself. To Hermione there was no longer a line. Catching Ginny's soul as it headed toward sleep he urged her to wake up. She had to stop Hermione; it was the only way to cancel the slaughter that was about to ruin the grass.

In quick procession things began to happen. As Draco's life enhancing talents woke Ginny, Hermione arched backward before her army a scream filled the air, high pitched and agonizing. Below her the bravest of warriors stared in awe at their commander bending back above in the tower, their hands pressed over their ears blocking the pain. When she straightened back up ebony wings unfurled from her back, and as one swift unit her soldiers dropped to one knee enthralled by her dangerous beauty. Finally Snape looked at her from behind and as he left the tower he knew what Hermione Granger feared above all else in the world.

***

Snape cursed to himself as he withdrew his imposing form and stormed up to Harry, knowing they had no chance of keeping Hermione from shredding every thing in her warpath tomorrow.

You can't stop a person whose greatest fear is life.