The Ministry has Fallen
Theo was passed out in her bed–he had managed to convince them all that he needed to be near her because of her sleepwalking. She was sitting at the foot of the bed, her two way journal opened up in her lap and she stared at it under the moonlight.
Draco, please tell me that you’re safe.
There hadn’t been a reply for hours, and the panic that settled in her chest wouldn’t disappear until she got a response. Thousands of different scenarios played out in her head as she thought about the different outcomes of what might have happened to him once he got home. The locket around her neck twisted around her finger as she fidgeted nervously. Sleep was evasive, and thoughts were welcoming her like a warm blanket instead.
Fred had lost an ear, her own father casting the curse that had been cast on Draco at them. Fred assured everybody that Snape had actually been dueling with non-lethal spells the whole time and the spell would’ve missed him, had they not had to veer in a different direction because of another Death Eater. There were now two Weasley boys forever altered because of the War. Moody never made it back. The weight of his death settled into everybody who stood in the house, and Hermione wondered how many of the people in that house would make it out alive at the end of this. Or how many of themselves would lose themselves along the way. She knew she had already lost the version of herself that she used to be already. Closing her eyes, she tried a different approach.
Dad? Are you safe…
It took a few moments before she felt a small tug on the bond and a reply sent through.
Yes. Are you alright?
I’m okay. Is Draco okay? It was silent for a while, and Hermione wondered if he was trying not to lie to her. Suddenly, the book lit up and she scrambled to open it. Draco’s writing appears inside.
I’m alright, darling. Are you harmed? Did you make it back alright?
She sighed, relief unknotting the stress in her chest. Tears suddenly slipped down her cheeks, and she choked back a sob that threatened to break free.
I’m okay, Draco. I couldn’t sleep until I knew that you were safe.
After a few seconds Draco’s message appeared.
Sleep, Granger. I’m safe.
I love you. She saw the words saved against the page and smiled, he had kept the message.
I love you more, Hermione. Please be safe. Be careful.
She tapped the message twice, watching it settle permanently into the pages and tucked into bed beside Theo letting darkness finally pull her under.
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Harry burst into the room and Hermione sat up startled. He furrowed his eyebrows at Theo who was still snoring next to her and she rubbed her eyes. “Gods, Harry. What’s wrong?”
“Somebody is here from the Ministry for us.” Hermione was awake now.
“What?!” She scrambled, yanking the blanket off of herself and elbowing Theo in the ribs. He groaned, pulling her pillow over his head. Rolling her eyes, she made her way downstairs after Harry before realizing that she was in her pajamas still. With a quick transfiguration she followed after him in jeans and a shirt instead. It had been almost a few weeks since their wild excursion at extracting Harry from the Dursleys. Wedding preparations were in full swing and all of them were being worked to the bone with helping prepare. Fleur and Bill were of course lovely, and she didn’t mind helping them–it was the Weasley matriarch that Hermione dreaded. The woman was a perfectionist over a wedding that she used to mock and not want in the first place. Hermione threaded her fingers through her hair, quickly braiding the unruly locks. Ever since the night of retrieving Harry, she hadn’t heard a thing from Draco. The silence and no answers had her sleeping fitfully most nights and because of that–her hair was particularly wild.
They walked into the sitting room, Ronald already sitting on the couch and she saw him glance at her before smirking. She rolled her eyes, positioning herself on the other end of the couch with Harry in between them. It was strange, listening to the Minister of Magic rattle off about Dumbledore’s will. Scrimgeour managed to give Harry a snitch that he had caught during his first win, Ronald got what was called a Deluminator and she received a battered copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. None of it made sense to her, why he would leave these things without any explanation along with the Sword of Gryffindor that was somewhere–the Ministry being clear that it hadn’t been Dumbledore’s to give. When Scimgeour had left Hermione was left with an unsettling sense of dread in her stomach.
When she had made her way back upstairs, Harry and Ron were close at her heels. When they had slipped into the room that now occupied a very awake Theo, Harry perched himself on the bed and Ronald followed suit begrudgingly sitting as far away from Theo as he possibly could. Hermione in turn, took up the space on Ginny’s bed. Theo snorted, slipping off of the bed and coming to sit next to her. “That was a three way I was not asked to join by the way.”
Harry smirked, shaking his head at Theo’s comment while Ron just paled. “I will make sure that I extend an invitation first the next time I have any plans of joining a bed with you, Theo.” Hermione’s eyes almost bugged out of her head at Harry’s comment and Theo merely laughed. The low timbre rattled through the room as Hermione regained her composure enough to cast a silencing charm around them.
“You’re not going by yourself, Harry.” The green eyed wizard simply turned his gaze towards her with raised brows. “Don’t try and tell me that you’re not planning anything, or that searching for what you are is too dangerous. That argument is moot considering all the things that we have been through together. So either accept the fact that I am coming–” A sharp elbow to her ribs from Theo. “--we–are coming with you, or I will hex you enough to rival the courtyard.”
Ronald cleared his throat. “I’m coming too mate–we don’t know exactly what we’re searching for but you’re not doing this alone.”
“What exactly are the ‘them’ that you’re both referring to? I mean, don’t get me wrong, wherever Hermione goes I will go as well, but I just would like to know what I’m getting myself into. I am following the Golden Trio blindly.” Theo smirked and Hermione rolled her eyes. “Where did you get a Deluminator from?”
Theo was staring at the object that Ron was fiddling with and he blinked at him in return. “Dumbledore left it for me…do you know what the bloody thing is?”
“I’ve heard about it…my father is rather interested in collecting things..Dark or not. They’re interesting little trinkets.” Ron leaned towards him, clutching the object tighter in his hands. His blue eyes were lit up with curiosity and Hermione turned back towards Harry.
While the boys were ramzbling on about objects, Hermione turned back towards Harry. He was watching them with a small smile on his lips, seemingly happy that the two were getting along before his green eyes landed on hers. There was a sad determination that had settled there, almost as if he had known all along what all was at risk to lose. Hermione was sure that he had known just as much as she did. When they had all scattered, being pulled from the room from various different Weasley’s to prepare the final touches on the wedding–Hermione’s thoughts drifted back to Draco. Where was he? Was he okay? Guilt twisted in her chest when she thought about the fact that she was there, surrounded by people who wouldn’t dare utter a Dark spell even if their lives depended on it. And he was shrouded in darkness, surrounded so much that she worried about it consuming him. He was without light there–trapped. She wondered what she was going to have to do to pull him out when she saw him next. It was all that she was thinking about as she slipped the black dress on. It was short, landing mid thigh and definitely different from the usual clothes she donned. Partly being that it was Muggle.
The dread that was still situated in her stomach had her slinging the beaded back over her shoulder, tucking the accessory under her arm. It contained everything that she owned including Theo’s belongings and things that she had nicked from Ron and Harry in case an emergency arrived. She wanted to be prepared. Something told her that she needed to be.
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The wedding was beautiful, fairy lights and a big enough group of people that normally would’ve made Hermione nervous. Fleur looked beautiful, her blonde hair swooped into an elegant half-updo and the dress white save for the intricate black design on the front. The faint thrum of anxiety was small enough for her not to notice as the excitement seemed to take over. It was then replaced with nervousness again as Molly shoved her onto the dance floor and into Ronald’s arms as he spun her clumsily across the floor. She was in Ronald’s arms–not wanting to make a scene at the beautiful wedding– when the Patronus shimmered into the center of the dance floor.
“The Ministry has fallen. The Minister is dead.” Hermione turned, frantically searching for Theo when the realization set in. The Wards around the Burrow were going to fall, now that the Ministry had been overthrown and something told her that the place was going to be swarming with Death Eaters. Not a moment after the thought had entered her head, did the cracks of Apparitions echoed around them. Her eyes scanned frantically for Theo and Harry when her wrist was suddenly yanked in a different direction. She spun around, ready to hit whoever had grabbed her when Ronald’s voice billowed into her ear.
“Mione! We have to go!” Glaring, she turned towards the redhead with a tight grip on her wrist.
“Ronald if you don’t let go of me right now I promise that I will hex you twelve ways to Sunday.” He didn’t let up from her snarl, instead cast a hex over her shoulder and dragged her towards the woods surrounding the Burrow. Screams rang out all around along with cracks of Apparitions as people fled. She caught sight of Ginny’s red hair, as George yanked her towards him before they disappeared. Molly and Arthur were scrambling, trying to make sure that their kids got out before disappearing. As Hermione turned she caught sight of a Death Eater lifting his wand towards the turned back of Harry fighting off another Death Eater. Quickly disarming the Death Eater her eyes widened at the wand that flew into her hand as her magic hummed in response. Harry successfully stunned the Death Eater, reaching out to grab Theo’s hand as Sirius ran into the both of them and they disappeared.
She released a breath as the Death Eater’s gaze fell on her, his silver eyes glistening from under the mask as they narrowed onto Ron’s vice grip around her wrist. Before she could do anything, the wand was zipping out of her grasp and into Draco’s at the tug in Hermione’s navel as she vanished. They landed in a field before Hermione grabbed Ron’s hand and spun bringing them to Grimmauld Place. With her wand drawn, they made their way towards the house, the misty veil of Dumbledore’s figure appearing before them frightening her before she made her way towards the door. Ronald was still gripping her hand and she yanked it from his grasp as they approached the door.
The door opened carefully underneath her hand and the quiet house soon turned explosively loud as she stepped through the edges of a silencing charm. “POTTER I WILL FUCKING KILL ALL OF YOU IF YOU DON’T BRING ME BACK.”
“Theo, I can’t bring you back there.” Harry’s voice was calm.
“My fucking sister is there, Potter.” His voice broke in anguish, and Hermione scrambled forward and through the door quickly. Instantly two sets of wands were raised to her, before Theo shoved one down, yanking her into his chest. “Fucking hell, Hermione.”
“I’m fine, I’m right here. You’re okay.” Theo’s fingers were trembling against her shoulders before he released her, turning back towards Harry.
“Give me my wand back, Potter.” Harry rolled his eyes, tossing the wand towards him before pulling Hermione against him as well. Sirius was standing next to Harry, a grim expression on his face. At the sound of scrambling in the hallway all of them twisted, raising their wands towards it until the gangly form of Lupin entered the room. Hermione was breathing hard, comfort blossoming as they made their way upstairs after hours of waiting to see if somebody else was going to show up. Lupin and Sirius had decided that they were going to take the first watch, letting the kids go to bed before them.
Hermione couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning in the room that Theo and her had claimed. The chair transfigured into another bed and she watched Theo staring at the ceiling. It was dark, the quiet admission into the darkness almost slipping past her as she sat with closed eyes. “I thought that you were dead….again.”
She let the words get swallowed up in the darkness before replying. “I know. I’m sorry.”
Theo took a moment to reply before he turned to stare at her, his blue eyes illuminated in the darkness. “Hermione?”
“Yeah, Theo?”
“I’ve lived a life without you in it before, I don’t want to do it again.” Tears threatened to spill as she clamped them shut.
“I don’t either, Theo. I don’t either.” As the words hung in the air between them, Hermione noticed the faint glow inside of her toppled over bag at the end of the bed and she reached over, pulling the notebook from inside. She opened it, seeing Draco’s handwriting.
Hermione?
Tell me that you’re alive.
I swear..Granger if you don’t write me back in the next ten minutes, Potter’s a dead man.
So is Weasley.
He might be dead anyways for the way the git was holding you.
Ten minutes was a generous number
Hermione….
The last message came through and she gasped, scrambling for the Muggle pen that she had swiped and tucked into the bag.
Draco. I’m safe. So is Theo.
It took a moment before another message came through and Theo was sitting behind her now, staring at the page. He took the pen in his hand, writing a reply before Draco’s message fully appeared.
Salazar’s balls, Granger. I thought that I was going to have to tear apart the Order tonight.
She’s fine, Draco. Almost gave me a bloody heart attack, but she’s here. I got her, I promise. Theo handed the pen back to her, before going back to the bed and lying down. “I don’t have my notebook anymore, it's at the Manor. I forgot it the last time that I was there.”
A pang shot through her chest. He must have been worried. Theo and Draco had grown up together before Hermione was even in the picture and her love had made her selfish with the ability to communicate with him. Just when she thought that there wasn’t going to be a reply, Hermione saw the pages light up and she lifted heavy lids instantly awake.
You’re hopefully sleeping, Granger. But I just fuck
This is hell. Every part of this is hell. I don’t
She sat up, scribbling the pen across the paper with her desperate reply. She wanted to hold him, to wrap her arms around him and pull him against her.
I’m awake, Draco. It’s hard to sleep when I don’t know if you’re okay. I don’t like being on separate sides of this, with fleeting moments where we see each other on opposite sides of the war. I miss you. I’m safe, Dad knows where I might be. Tell Cissy and Lucius that I miss them please…I miss you. I miss you so much it hurts, Draco. I love you.
I love you too, Granger.
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Theo, Ron, Harry and Hermione were all cramped into the room that she had been staying, whispering as the silencing charm set in. Lupin and Sirius had been incredibly nervous about all of them meeting behind closed doors, generally appearing to interrupt if only with excuses to dismantle their meetings. They knew that they had to be up to something, never wanting them to be behind closed doors. It was merely a stroke of luck that Sirius and Lupin had run out to get supplies, not wanting the kids to go for the Wolfsbane that Professor Lupin would need when the full moon happened. Still, they took precautions and cast their silencing charms.
“We need a plan in case something happens again, a place to meet if we all get separated.”
Hermione stared at Ron, an idea sprouting in her head. “What about the Manor, Theo?’ Theo blanched, before turning towards her.
“It’s not a bad idea, they would be able to get through the Wards so long as one of them was with one of us. That’s the only way that they would be able to get through. Otherwise it’s going to be a particularly nasty wound trying to get through without either Hermione or I.” Theo didn’t bother glancing up from fidgeting with the locket that Harry had let him see. They were trying to figure out what it meant, what the three letters inside the locket meant. It was fake, much to Hermione and Harry’s dismay. “What the hell does R.A.B. mean?” Theo flicked the locket over in his fingers, fidgeting with the chain.
“We don’t know, we’ve been over this every bloody time.” Ronald ran a hand over his face, freckles standing out the redder he got.
“Ronald. The only hint that we have about Horcruxes is this locket. And the fact that he mentioned the number seven in the memory. If that’s anything to go by, then that means that there might be seven of those things out there. We have to take any hint that we can get.” Harry stared at his friend, rubbing the scar on his forehead. “So, let’s start with what we know.”
“That’s not much though. There isn’t a lot to go on.” Hermione murmured. “I didn’t have access to any books. It was impossible to research anything because I didn’t have any material.”
Theo’s fingers stilled on the locket. “The Manor.” Hermione spun, turning to look at him. “Our books are bloody cursed against leaving the grounds, but if you’re going to find anything that would be where it is. Besides Malfoy Manor of course, but that’s out of the question. We can’t go waltzing in there can we?” Hermione stood, grabbing her bag.
“Alright then, let’s go. We don’t know how long we have before they come back. It’s the only option.”
“What are you suggesting? We just leave and not tell them? Go to the Manor and leave them here to fend for themselves?” Ron was staring at her, breath coming in heavy angry pants and she narrowed her eyes at him.
“I’m not suggesting that we leave them, Ronald but think about it. Dumbledore left us to hunt down these damn Horcruxes, and we all know that Sirius won’t let us go. Not without him. This…we know nothing about this, about what we have to do, about how they’re made. We know nothing. What are we supposed to do, Ronald? Bring them with us while we traipse around and they protest about letting us do anything? We all know that if we let this slip that they won’t help us, they will shield us. Maybe we stay here and wind up not figuring anything out, but I am taking the chance while I still can and doing something.” Theo pushed himself to a standing position, reaching over to grab something before shoving it into his pocket.
“Right then, off we go.” Harry stood too, casting a look towards Ron.
“She’s right, Ronald.” The ginger boy huffed, blinking blue eyes towards her as he stood.
“Isn’t she always, mate?” It wasn’t said with realization, or contentment; his words were laced with an underlying contempt. “What happens if we get there and the place is crawling with Death Eaters?”
Theo swiped an invisible piece of lint from his shirt. “It won’t be.”
“How do you–”
“Because every single time that somebody crosses the wards into Nott Manor, I can feel it. The magic surrounding the Manor is ancient, drawn with blood wards that have been reinforced for hundreds of years. It isn’t anything compared to the Malfoy Manor–that thing is an impenetrable fortress imbued with magic so deeply that if Draco ever decided to tap into it I would be terrified. And there is little that terrifies me, Weasel. What I am trying to say is that there are only three people with permission to step foot on those grounds and two are in this room. I assure you, that there won’t be a single person stepping foot onto that property.” Theo leaned towards Weasley, narrowing his eyes before turning towards the door. “Besides I would never bring Oh Chosen One and especially not my sister into danger on purpose. So believe what you want, Weasley.”
Hermione followed her brother down the hallway, everything she owned tucked into the bag against her hip and a piece of her heart right in front of her, while another walked closely behind her.