Hour of Grace

HOUR OF GRACE

by Strega Brava

Chapter Fourteen: Matters of Love and Danger

Hermione could not help but stare at Draco for several long moments, tears shining in her eyes. She was about to answer when he turned away suddenly.

"I have seen you here before…many times. Standing there…almost as if you are about to free me. But it is always a dream or hallucination of some sort. It is never real. You are never really here…simply a figment of my tortured mind." Hermione felt as if he had taken a knife and twisted it in her heart. What had happened to him all those nights when she had not known what he was enduring? Had it…harmed him?

"Draco, it's me. Really. I am here," Hermione whispered, reaching out to touch his cheek softly. He started violently and looked up at her, disbelief plainly visible in his bleak expression. Thinking that there might not be another way to prove it to him, and not caring much about what Harry might think, Hermione leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. His lips were dry, somewhat rough but that did not matter.

When she pulled away, Draco looked calmer and much more rational.

"Are you convinced now that it is really me?" She asked softly.

"Yes," he replied, shaking his head slightly in confusion. "How did you manage to get in here? How did you find out…" he stopped when he saw Harry stepping out of the Invisibility Cloak and standing there rather sheepishly.

"Felt like I was eavesdropping," Harry muttered.

To her surprise, Draco smiled. "I'm glad you are here with her, Potter. You are both in terrible danger. If my father finds you here…"

"Professor Snape is taking care of your father. We haven't got much time. Let's get you out of these bindings first," Hermione proceeded to take out a knife hidden in her cloak and began sawing through the tough leather which kept Draco a prisoner. Harry positioned himself by the door, wand drawn and listening carefully.

"What's going on?" Hermione whispered as she worked on the last of the bindings.

"Something about Malfoy's mother…Professor Snape is really letting your father have it," Harry whispered back.

"Nothing more than what he deserves," Draco remarked coldly.

Hermione finally freed Draco from the chair and he got up quickly. "Hermione, destroy the chair so that it cannot trap anyone else. My wand is in my room."

She nodded and, pulling out her wand, pointed it at the chair and said, "Extabesco." The chair shimmered briefly and then vanished.

Draco looked at the area where the chair had been and shook his head. He then looked up at Hermione and walked over to her, holding his arms out to her. She rushed into them, her arms finding their way around his neck. She gloried in the sound of his heart beating furiously as she rested her head on his chest and held him as tightly as possible.

"Oh, how I needed to feel you near me," she thought to herself as she closed her eyes and simply inhaled his scent.

"Hermione, I don't know how you came to be here or how you managed to discover my terrible predicament, but I am glad you did. Father was furious with me because I let slip that I love you. I was so careful to hide it deep inside me but last night it was too much. I thought I would lose you forever and I could not bear to think that," he caressed her hair softly. "I do love you, Hermione. I will do anything to prove it to you…prove that who I am right now is the real Draco Malfoy…not the puppet that my father has presented to the world."

"I believe you," she murmured happily.

"I don't mean to be an inconsiderate prat but can we do the spell first and then you can snog to your heart's content?" Harry interrupted awkwardly. Hermione noticed, with a grin, that he was blushing.

"You're right, Potter," Draco replied. "Listen, about all that stuff I said to you…"

"Hey, it's forgotten…don't worry about it," Harry answered.

"I won't forget this," Draco walked over to Harry and held out his hand. Harry looked at it for a moment before taking it and shaking it heartily.

"I won't let you forget this, Malfoy," Harry smiled.

Hermione removed the small bottle hanging around her neck by a chain and removed the stopper.

"What is that?" Draco asked, walking back to Hermione to look at the bottle in her hands with some interest.

"Professor Snape showed me a spell that will remove the evil your father had placed on you. It is called the Omniapurgalis spell and the first part is drinking this potion," Hermione handed the bottle to Draco, who sniffed it cautiously.

"Smells like Crabbe on one of his worse days," he grimaced.

"Glad you're the one drinking it, Malfoy," Harry muttered, keeping his ear to the door.

"You'd best drink it quickly, Draco," Hermione stated quietly, conjuring a chair upon which Draco could sit comfortably. "There is an incantation that I have to perform immediately afterwards and it will then take 10 minutes for it to work."

Draco sat down on the chair and, was about to lift the bottle to his lips, when he reached up and placed a hand behind Hermione's head and brought her face closer to his.

"We don't have much time," she protested feebly.

"I know…that is why I am not going to waste this opportunity…it might not come again."

"Oh, Draco. Don't think like that. This will work and we will get you out of here. You have to believe me…you have to believe in me…the way I have grown to believe in you," she whispered softly.

He smiled at her and kissed her again. "I believe in you, Hermione."

"And I believe in us," she replied.

"And I believe that we are going to run out of time if the two of you don't get on with it," quipped an obviously uncomfortable Harry. "Honestly."

Draco and Hermione chuckled softly. Draco lifted the bottle to his lips.

"For you, Hermione," he said quietly before downing the liquid in one gulp. He frowned for a moment, as if he were analyzing the taste to determine the ingredients.

"Are you all right, Draco?" Hermione asked, concerned at his reaction as she took the bottle from his outstretched hand and placed it around her neck again after ensuring the stopper was secure.

"I'm fine, Hermione. It's just that…well, I have tasted better things in my lifetime," Draco sputtered somewhat.

"Good medicine always tastes bad…that's what my aunt used to tell me," Harry grumbled as he listened at the doorway. "Of course, she always sweetened Dudley's medicine with chocolate syrup."

Hermione grimaced at the thought.

"I won't tell you what that sorry excuse for a father put in mine," Draco whispered. Hermione's eyes widened and she could see that Harry had gone very pale.

"I have to begin the spell. Are you familiar with the Omniapurgalis?" She asked.

"No…if it isn't Dark Magic then I probably don't know it," Draco muttered, a slight blush of anger appearing on his cheeks.

"It isn't Dark Magic but it is very powerful magic. The potion you just drank had to be prepared according to very exact instructions and very specific preparation of the ingredients," Hermione began.

"Was Professor Snape involved?" Draco asked.

"Only as a resource, really. The potion had to be prepared by me alone…although I did have some help with the ingredients," Hermione glanced at Harry.

"It seems I have a lot to thank you for, Potter," Draco remarked sincerely.

"She's worked really hard to prepare for this, Malfoy," Harry replied with a small smile, "Ron and I helped gather a few things here and there…mainly looking up things in books…but Hermione did the work. We can't take much credit. Even Snape…well, he mainly supervised."

Draco smiled as well but then became serious as he turned back to face Hermione. "You said that the potion was the first part. What follows?"

"There is a spell that I have to cast in order to drive away the evil from your soul. When you were born, you were exposed to the Ritual Bath at a very young age. It is my belief that it would have killed you if not for a protective ointment that Dumbledore sent to your mother. The ointment protected your soul from being completely corrupted and protected your body from destruction," Hermione explained, kneeling down to look at Draco, whose eyes suddenly filled with tears.

"My mother…" he started brokenly. Hermione embraced him and held him as he cried. "I never had a chance to cry for her. He killed her…I know he did. She was the only one who loved me."

"That isn't true, Draco. I love you," Hermione murmured into his hair as she patiently waited for the sobs to subside.

"Sorry about breaking down like that," Draco muttered, wiping his eyes with his sleeves.

"Don't worry about it. When we get out of here, I'll tell you about my experience with the Mirror of Erised," Harry replied, compassion for the stricken boy showing in his eyes.

"I guess you should begin the spell, Hermione," Draco said softly. "Is it going to hurt?"

"I don't know, Draco. It might," she whispered.

"Hermione, you had better start quickly. Professor Snape can't argue with Malfoy's father forever," Harry urged.

"There is danger in this spell, isn't there?" Draco asked suddenly.

Hermione looked into his grey eyes and nodded.

"Danger to me?"

She nodded again.

"Danger to you?"

She hesitated before nodding slightly. Draco slumped in the chair and looked at her in disbelief.

"I can't let you do this," he stated firmly.

"You have no choice," Harry replied. "Hermione is willing to take the chance. She seems to think you are worth it."

Draco looked chastened. "I couldn't live with myself if…"

Hermione placed a finger to his lips. "Nothing will happen. Now, just close your eyes and try to relax. Harry is right…we don't have much time…just this hour of grace."

Draco sat up straight and, with a nod to Hermione and Harry, closed his eyes and began to consciously slow down his breathing in an attempt to relax.

"Good luck, Hermione," Harry whispered.

"I have to bind you to the chair…just to be safe," Hermione explained needlessly. Draco nodded and she conjured bindings of a softer leather than that used by his father.

Hermione held out her wand and, taking a deep breath, began to perform the spell. With a steady hand she traced the figure eight along Draco's chest. She could see him tensing slightly at the contact. Upward loop. Sweep into the downward loop. Keep the wrist relaxed and supple. Hermione could almost hear Professor Snape coach her as she completed the figure and, with an expert flick of the wrist, placed the tip of her wand at the exact intersection of the loops…right over Draco's heart.

She took another steadying breath before beginning the chant.

"Expurge corpe et animo te

Ablegate lemuribus malis

Per amorum meum ad virtuum revienes

Per amor meum mihi revienes"

Repeating this over and over quietly, she fell into a strange sort of trance where, although concentrating on the task at hand, she was acutely aware of her surroundings.

Draco began to shake violently and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He clenched his jaw tightly as if he were holding back a scream. Hermione could hear Harry gasp…the sound of it reverberating oddly around the chamber.

One minute gone.

Then she began to feel something herself…an itching. The strangest itching that felt as if a thousand mosquitoes had bitten her. The itching became more and more intense and gradually, not without some degree of horror, the itching became warmth…and the warmth began to burn. Hermione could feel the intensifying pain but did not waver. She felt she could almost smell charred flesh…was certain that the evil that she was siphoning away from Draco would consume her entire body.

Two minutes gone.

And then the images came crashing into her mind. Visions of horror and depravity…wicked deeds that Draco had been forced to witness. Some victims she recognized. Most she did not. Hermione could feel the nausea building inside her but forced it down without stopping the spell.

Three minutes gone.

For a moment, Hermione thought that her vision had gone slightly blurry but then realized that there were dark wispy shapes pouring out of Draco's chest. Her eyes widened slightly as the demonic shapes began to dance menacingly around them.

"Those were inside him?" She could hear Harry say in disbelief.

The shapes were taunting them, whispering hatefully in a language she could not understand. They seemed to be pulled towards the ceiling where they disappeared, moaning as they were dispatched.

Four minutes gone.

She felt a cold wind begin to blow as more and more of the terrible black shapes began to circle around them. The sickening sensation of panic was making her slightly light-headed and she was afraid that she might faint. The shapes touched her…causing her skin to break out in gooseflesh. The cold wind picked up speed and her hair whipped wildly around her, slapping against her face painfully.

Five minutes gone.

"Hermione, we have a bit of a problem. I don't hear Professor Snape and Malfoy's father arguing anymore. It's gone awfully silent," Harry whispered hurriedly.

The black shapes were so thick around them that she could not see past them. They were translucent…the light filtering through them somewhat but they looked viscous…oily…like the residue of a potion gone terribly wrong.

Six minutes gone.

Draco was now clenching his jaws so hard that the veins in his forehead were throbbing from the exertion and she could hear the sickening sound of teeth grinding. He began to struggle against the bindings but they held true and he could not move. Throwing his head back, he began to scream as the dark shapes began to disappear in earnest. Hermione did not waver but continued the incantation.

"Now we're in for it, Hermione. They had to have heard that. I'll barricade the door with some of the spells Professor Snape taught me," Harry yelled. There was no point in being quiet now. Lucius would know something was wrong.

Seven minutes gone.

Hermione could see that the number of dark shapes was starting to diminish. She could see more of the chamber. Draco was still screaming though and she could still feel the intense burning in every pore of her body. She doubted that the Cruciatus Curse could be much worse than this feeling of spontaneously combusting.

Eight minutes gone.

The banging on the door began. She could hear Lucius shouting. She could hear Professor Snape yelling. She could hear Harry launching spell after spell in an effort to protect Hermione and Draco.

There were fewer dark shapes now…she was almost done…so close…

The room almost exploded in fire and light as the door to the chamber was simply incinerated…pieces of wood flew through the air. Some hit her and some hit Draco. He was so absorbed in screaming that he did not notice. Hermione did not even feel the beam that cut her shoulder…the burning was so many times worse.

Nine minutes gone.

She could hear Lucius scream obscenities at her…things that would have made her furious with righteous anger. She could hear Harry and Professor Snape battling with Lucius in an effort to keep him from her. The three men struggled and launched so many hexes and curses that the very room lit up with sparks of wild magic.

So close…only two more shadows left. Draco stopped screaming and his head slumped forward in exhaustion. He had passed out. Hermione was feeling exhausted as well…she felt as if she were simply a skeleton of a person. She felt that she was going to die. The intense evil that had been inside Draco and had somehow coursed through her own veins had left her weakened and ill. She had not expected that. She imagined that Professor Snape had not expected that either. In her bleary mind she thought to herself that she would have to write a book about the spell and its exact effects on both the victim and the rescuer.

She could see that Professor Snape was thrown to the far side of the room, hitting the wall hard. He did not fall but was very groggy. She looked at him in fear and she saw steely determination in his eyes…they glittered like cold obsidian. She could hear Harry tackle Lucius and throw him to the ground where they grappled for position. Professor Snape was trying to aim a disarming hex but could not as he ran the very real risk of hitting Harry by mistake.

So close…the last shadow was almost gone…it was hovering at the ceiling…reluctant to go…

She saw Professor Snape finally aim his wand at Lucius. She heard Harry's gasp of pain as Lucius threw him aside. She felt Lucius' wand aimed at her…the hairs on the back of her neck rising in response to the Dark Magic being aimed at her. Tears came to her eyes as she thought about the things she would miss…arguing with Ron…helping Harry with his homework…listening to Ginny talk about Harry…Potions Class…Arithmancy Class…holding Draco…kissing Draco…

"Please," she prayed silently as she continued to mutter the spell in a hoarse voice that was quickly failing.

"Noooo!" Harry screamed.

So very close…the last shadow…almost…almost…just a few more seconds…

And then everything exploded in light and heat…for a moment, Hermione saw a flash of red and gold…before she succumbed to the total darkness that beckoned her and fell heavily to the ground at Draco's feet…her wand falling out of her nerveless hand.