Unforgettable Season- Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: These characters are the property of J.K. Rowling, minus a few OC’s of my own.

A/N: Not much to say. Just…don’t hate me or anything, okay? And please review.

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And so the routine returned.

It was almost as if Charlotte had never been born. Hermione’s routine was strikingly similar to how she had conducted her day to day activities before her daughter’s birth, with a few distinct differences. Her wand would blare out a sound similar to an air raid siren, and she would groan and mutter a few words to turn it off. At that point she would reach out into the empty bed, trying to find Draco before she remembered that he was working and that she in fact should be getting ready for work.

She would roll out of bed, have a hasty shower and change into her robes before heading to Charlotte’s room where the little blonde baby gurgled happily up at her.

“Hello, baby,” she cooed, picking up the child who let out a little gurgle. “How is my little angel?”

Hermione carried the baby out to the living room and waved her wand about simply, the food for her breakfast landing on the table neatly.

“Tully!” she called sharply, and with a loud crack the house elf appeared.

“Yes, Miss Hermione?” the creature simpered.

“Could you please feed Charlotte? Once I finish my breakfast I need to go to work. Is that alright?” she asked, her tone soft.

“Of course, miss. Tully will feed Miss Charlotte right away,” the elf said, hurrying off to pick up the baby who let out a sound of delight at the house elf’s appearance.

Skimming her brown eyes over The Daily Prophet, Hermione ate her toast and drunk her tea whilst Tully moved around silently with Charlotte. Once the cup was drained she stood up and kissed Charlotte’s head softly before apparating to the hospital, and that was how life had carried on for the last two weeks.

It was a quiet autumn afternoon and the weather was dropping steadily outside. Hermione cast a glance out the window of her current patient’s room, her eyes following as a single amber leaf fell from a tree and drifted to the ground. With a regretful sigh she turned back to the patient, noting down their condition and what potions needed to be given by one of the lesser Healers.

As she finished checking over the patient, she heard a quiet chime, telling her that she could return home. Smiling, Hermione headed back to her office, shrugged on her coat and left St. Mungo’s waving at a few people she passed before exiting the building onto the quiet London street. Shivering as the first wave of cool air hit her, she tightened her coat and walked quickly towards the apparition safe-zone, eager to get home where Draco would be waiting with Charlotte. He had sent her an owl on her lunch break, telling her that he would be home early and be waiting for her return.

Smiling at the prospect of returning to the little house she loved so much, Hermione turned on the spot in the deserted alleyway, disappearing with a loud crack and reappearing outside the house. A soft cloud of smoke was drifting from the chimney, and as she walked up the stone path she could hear music playing, mixed with Draco’s voice and squeals of delight from Charlotte. Unlocking the door, she let the warmth of the flames which crackled merrily in the fireplace wrap around her, taking in the sight before her.

From the record player in the corner ‘Here Comes the Sun,’ by The Beatles was playing softly, and she smiled softly at the familiar and favourite song. The music was backed up with sounds of the fire crackling in the grate, casting the room in a soft orange glow. Draco was standing near the fire, grinning broadly with a giggling Charlotte in his arms, dancing around the room with her and stopping to tickle her stomach every now and then, eliciting her high-pitched tinkling laugh.

Watching the scene as happiness and contentment flooded through her, Hermione slowly and quietly walked up to the two most important people in her life. Draco beamed at her, planting a soft kiss on her lips as Charlotte reached out for her mother. Allowing Draco to still keep his hold on Charlotte, Hermione took one of her daughter’s pale hands in one of her own before wrapping her arm around Draco’s waist, the three of them swaying gently as the song faded.

As the last notes slowly died away, Charlotte’s mouth formed a large O and her eyelids began to droop, her head that was covered in a crop of white-blonde curls leaning on Draco’s shoulder. With another kiss to Hermione’s lips, Draco disentangled himself from his wife to go and put Charlotte down in her nursery. Hermione watched his back until it disappeared into Charlotte’s room before moving to turn the music off and put another log in the fire. Her eyes were drawn to the dancing flames in the grate, so much so that she didn’t hear or see Draco return until his arms were wrapped around her waist, pulling her body flush against his.

“How was your day, love?” he murmured, kissing her neck softly.

“Busy and long. How was yours?” she asked quietly, tilting her head slightly.

“Boring until I came home, and it’s much better now that you’re here.”

They stood in that position in silence for a while longer, just enjoying each other’s silent company as the flames flickered and danced before them.

Draco was absorbed in thoughts as he remembered the meeting the previous night, his stomach clenching and unclenching in nervousness as the scene replayed in his mind.

“The time has come!” Nott announced loudly, silencing the crowd that gathered in the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. “Tomorrow night, we will act, and when we do, we shall put in phase something that should have been put in motion long ago. Tomorrow night we will be one step closer to reclaiming what is rightfully ours. Tomorrow night, it will all begin.”

The group cheered loudly, and for once Nott allowed the noise to die down gradually without his abrupt commands.

“Tomorrow evening, at seven o’clock, it will start. We will first send a wave of people through, making sure the area we wish to pay a visit to is deserted, and they will eliminate anyone who is in our way. Once I am alerted that we will be safe, the rest will continue. I am sure that we will end up fighting against those in the Ministry who are willing and ready to fight, and we will incur some losses, but in the end, we will get what we need. Most of you have already received information on when and where you must be for this to be a successful operation. However, I wish to speak to Draco, Rose and Gregory in a moment after I have dismissed the rest of you. Are there any questions?” Nott finished, his tone reminding Draco of the professors at Hogwarts. When it was assured that no one had any questions, the group who had multiplied in size since Draco had joined filed out of the manor, leaving just Rose, Goyle, Nott and himself sitting around.

Draco watched as Nott stared at the back wall, his face hard as the shadow of the flames that flickered in the fireplace danced across his face.

“We are the strongest fighters our side have,” he said after a few minutes had past in silence. “I am relying on all of us to be at the front line of retrieving the information. You three are the most important in this group, and we cannot afford to lose any of you. Tomorrow night, we will be the last to go in. We will be the least likely to be attacked because all potential attackers will be dead, but I must tell you to keep a good eye out. If all goes to plan, we all must be here to continue our work.” With that he waved them away, and Draco immediately told the plans to Harry.

Draco’s eyes flickered towards the clock that was ticking ever so slowly towards seven o’clock. He felt like being sick. Harry had promised him that aurors would be waiting, but he was still so nervous. Harry had no idea what some members were capable of.

“What’s wrong?” Hermione asked, breaking the silence that had consumed the room.

“I have to go soon. I have to be at the Ministry at seven,” was all he said.

“You’re tense and you’re worried, and I don’t care if your work says you can’t tell me. I need to know these things, Draco,” she said quietly, but her voice was firm. He turned her around to face him, delicately holding her face in his hands.

“Hermione,” he breathed, drinking in her face. “What I’m doing tonight is dangerous, but it needs to be done. I need you to know that I love you with all my heart. I need you to know that you are the most important thing in my life, and you always have been. Words can’t describe what I feel. I…I just need you to know this.”

“Draco,” she said, her voice sounding like it was about to crack, “tell me what’s going on.”

“I have to go. I love you more than you will ever know, and I love Charlotte so much,” he shut his eyes and pressed his lips to hers, savouring the warmth and feeling that remained with him after the kiss broke a minute later. He pulled on his coat and planted another chaste kiss on her lips. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

As soon as the door to the house shut behind him, he was aware of just how cold it was outside, or perhaps that was the trickle of fear that was sliding down his spine. He shivered and drew his coat tighter around his body, drawing out his wand for apparition. The sickening method of travel felt all the worse in his situation, but he appeared near the Ministry of Magic with a loud pop, pushing all thoughts of illness from his mind as he approached Nott who was standing with Rose and Goyle. They all nodded to each other, each one too nervous to speak.

And then it began.

Seven o’clock came with a force. The group of four had been standing in the empty foyer of the Ministry of Magic, and then as soon as the clock tolled, the fireplaces along the large foyer all blazed green as every member of The Revival arrived, all dressed in black cloaks. They formed a large triangular mass, Draco, Nott, Rose and Goyle forming a separate group a little way behind them. Moving in sync, they continued onto the Department of Mysteries, directly towards Draco’s office where Nott slipped in, returning a few minutes later with the files Draco had directed him to.

‘Where the hell is Potter?’ Draco thought angrily as Nott began to lead the way down deeper into the Department of Mysteries where all the places that Draco avoided lay. Nott found the one door that Draco had wished he didn’t know existed; the door that led to the Death Chamber.

“Wh-what are we doing here, Theo?” Rose asked in a shaky voice as they entered the stone hall, the whispers capturing Draco’s attention at once.

“This Veil is old magic. Very powerful magic. It’s a pathway to the other side. There are rumours that if one tries correctly, you can bring back someone through the Veil,” Nott said quietly, stepping towards the stone frame with his hand outstretched. Draco looked around, his eyes resting on Rose for a moment who looked utterly terrified, before moving along to Goyle who looked incredibly confused.

Then, all of a sudden, there were several loud pops and flashes of light.

All hell had broken loose.

The aurors had arrived, and were not taking mercy. The room flashed with red as people were stunned and cursed everywhere. Draco saw Nott grab Rose’s hand and make a move to leave, only to be stopped by Harry and Ron. The sounds of cries and metallic clashes as spells bounced off shields was deafening, and Draco wanted nothing more than to leave and go back to Hermione and Charlotte, but he needed to fight.

Taking a deep breath he began to run, shooting curses and hexes at the backs of several members of The Revival as he went by, the people fighting surprising him. It looked like the entire Order of the Phoenix was fighting – he saw George, Kingsley, Harry, Ron, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Bill, Fleur, Molly, Arthur, and countless others. And then he saw her.

Hermione was engaged in a fierce battle dance with one of the large members of The Revival, her face one of utter seriousness as her dodged and weaved each curse that was sent at her. Seeing him out of the corner of her eye she grinned and winked, shooting a harmless spell at the man she was duelling with. As anticipated, the cloaked figure shielded the charm away, allowing Hermione the split-second opportunity she needed to send a very powerful stunning spell at his chest, causing the man to keel over.

She saw Draco running over to her, and he quickly scooped her into his arms, kissing her face, her neck, her hair, her lips. Then as a cry echoed throughout the stone room, the situation crashed down on them again. He placed her on the ground, kissing her head softly once more and issuing a whispered “I love you” before they turned back to the fight.

Ron had been knocked unconscious by Rose, who had clearly changed sides and was now duelling with an unidentifiable auror. Harry was holding his own against Nott, wand slashing violently at the air to repel curses and deliver his own. As Draco watched, Rose sent a flash of green light towards the auror who crumpled to the ground. Hermione stood behind him, already duelling with someone else, completely focused on what she had to do.

Everything seemed to happen in a rush, though she scarcely saw it from the corner of her eye.

A burst of green light was being sent towards her, and there was a metallic clang as a shield that she did not create repelled it. In another second she had defeated the person she was duelling with, and as she turned she saw Gregory Goyle send the Killing Curse towards her saviour, towards Draco. She couldn’t act.

Draco didn’t see it coming.

The curse hit him full force, his face a mask of surprise as he fell backwards, landing on the cold stone floor with his lifeless grey eyes staring up at her.