Twenty-Seven
February 3rd 2018:
Hermione opened her eyes. She looked around the room and saw Draco tied to a chair. He was looking right at her.
“Draco? What happened?”
“Someone attacked the hospital. All I remember is the lights going out and then I was here.”
“Do you think it was Lucius?”
“I would wager it was.” Draco nodded his head across the room. Hermione turned and Lucius was sitting with them.
“Hello.” Lucius spoke.
“Fuck you.” Lucius laughed at Hermione’s words.
“Now that’s not any way to speak to your child’s grandfather, is it?”
“I will speak to you however I wish to speak to you. Tied to a chair or not, I will never cower in front of you.”
“Again. You mean you’ll never cower in front of me, again. Because the last time the three of us were in this room together, you were on this floor screaming.” Hermione looked around.
“We’re at the manor?” Draco asked
“How observant you are, Draco.”
“Oh, I am sorry I was a little distracted by being kidnapped to recognize my family home.”
“Cut the dramatics, Draco. You’re an adult.”
“You really want to play that card? You are a grown ass man who kidnapped a teenager. Who in this room is more mature?”
“Just tell us what you want.”
“I want you to die, Minister Granger.”
“Of course you do. Why didn’t I guess?”
“I know you think me to be insane, Miss Granger. But the same way you dedicated your life to what you believe, I have dedicated my life to what I believe. I believe that Mudbloods have no place in my world. You are a fluke. You do not belong here. Twenty-Six years ago, when Draco came home complaining about the Mudblood, I took it upon myself to look into your family ancestry. I looked back two hundred years. There was never a wizard or witch that attended Hogwarts or Durmstrang that has a relation to you. You should not exist.”
“I may not have ancestry that dates back as long as yours, but I am just as much a witch as your son is a wizard.”
“I think she’s more deserving of her magic than I am. I was born into this world knowing I would have magic. Hermione beat all odds against her. She is so much more special and extraordinary for being a witch. She is unique. I am just another stain on a long list of privileged, undeserving wizards.” Under different circumstances, Hermione would have thought Draco’s words to be romantic. However, being tied to a chair in his childhood home where she was once tortured, was not the most romantic place.
“She is nothing more than a cosmic fluke.” Hermione just laughed. She laughed like a mad man. Draco and Lucius looked at her confused.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh. You are just so delusional. It’s hilarious.” Hermione kept laughing. “It’s so ironic that you stand here and tell me what a waste of magic I am, but between the two of us, who fought a war and won? Who beat your son every year in school? Who is a well beloved person of the wizarding community? It’s me. You lived through two wars and lost them both. I fought in one, as a teenager, and won. Me! A mudblood! I was top of my class for seven years! Me! Not Draco! Sorry, love.”
“No offense here.” Draco smirked at Hermione.
“You are nothing compared to me! I am loved and cherished by ‘your world’. Everyone in the wizarding world knows my name and they applaud it. What do they do when they hear yours? They scowl with disgust.” If Hermione had anymore to say, she was cut off by Lucius’ hand meeting her cheek. “You hit like an old man.” Hermione watched as Lucius grew angrier. He slapped her again and she laughed. “That’s a very muggle way to hit me. For a wizard, I would have thought you could conjure up a little more strength. But maybe you aren’t as strong as you think you are. I mean, I was thirteen when I broke your son’s nose. Maybe you are just like any other regular muggle, smacking me around, thinking you can hurt me. I would think that as a death eater, you’d be able to actually inflict some pain.
“Funny, your daughter said something similar to me right before I crucio-ed her.” The smile from Hermione’s face fell. “Oh, didn’t you know. I think I hit her with it, four times? Or maybe it was fourteen.”
“Are you proud of yourself for torturing an innocent child?”
“She’s not so innocent. She’s a whore and a dirty half-blood.”
“In case you didn’t know, your son was a whore too. I mean, he did knock me up right before getting married to another witch. How does that look in the eyes of your sacred pureblood community?” Hermione paused. “And as for being a half-blood. Wasn’t your Lord a dirty half-blood too?”
“Do not speak of the Dark Lord! You have no right!”
“Well I helped defeat him, I think that gives me the right.”
“Enough of this!” Lucius yelled. “You are an insolent, little brat and you will pay.” Lucius waved his wand and a door opened and through it came Garret and Lyra.
“Lyra!”
“Mom!”
“I swear to merlin if you touch her, I will kill you myself.”
“Oh don’t worry. Nothing will happen to her yet. Not until I ensure the next Malfoy Heir.”
“What?” Draco, Hermione, and Lyra all asked.
“While we are stuck with a half-blood bitch, Garret is both a pure-blood and a Malfoy. It would not be the first time our family lines have crossed to ensure the protection of the lineage.”
“I will kill you.” Draco’s voice was steady. He held no hesitation.
“So now you speak! You sat quietly as you watched me slap your whore around.”
“You never get tired of hearing yourself speak. You see how the three of us, we do not fear you! You’ve beaten me more times in my life than I can count. Everything bad in my life has happened because of you!”
“Father, what would you like to do?” Garret asked and Draco scoffed.
“I am going to spend a little more quality time with my son and his whore. Take her upstairs and do what you’d like. I’ll call for you when I need you.”
“Garret, if you touch her, I will kill you!” Hermione yelled and Draco fought against his restraints.
“Fight me like a man! Release my binds and fight me!”
“You challenge me? Do you not remember all the times you cowered at my feet? Begging me to stop.”
“I was a boy. I’m an adult now.” Lucius laughed. The binds around his body fell to the ground. Draco watched them fall to the ground and immediately lunged at his father.
Draco’s body was thrown to the ground as Lucius sent a curse at him.
“Draco!” Hermione yelled his name. Lucius sent a silencing spell at Hermione.
“Is that all you got, old man?” Draco stood and charged at his father again. He was once again thrown backwards. Draco started laughing.
“What is so funny?” Lucius seemed bored.
“This reminds me a lot of the time I broke the bust of Abraxas Malfoy in the library.” Draco smirked.
“You always have been a disappointment, but I never thought you would be the ruin of our family.”
“You say I ruined our family but by the time I was born, this family was already ruined. You ruined the family name by joining Voldemort. You destroyed this family when you were arrested in fifth year.”
“And you are tainting our family with the person who put me in Azkaban!”
“You deserve to be there! You let a Mad Lord of Darkness into our home! And you weren’t here to protect us! You left mother alone! I protected her! I stopped the death eaters who wanted to hurt her! I took the mark because you failed! I took the mark so my mother would be safe! I did what you failed to do!” Draco was breathing heavily now, his heart racing. “I only ever wanted to be you. So if I am such a disappointment, it’s because I’m your son.”
“We may share blood but you are not my son. I am tired of this pointless bickering. I was going to force the two of you to kill each other but now, “Lucius raised his wand. “I think I would rather be the last face you ever see. Avada-” Lucius’ voice was replaced with someone else’s. When Lucius dropped to the ground, it was Lyra standing with a wand pointed to where her grandfather had just been standing.
The binds that wrapped around Hermione fell to the ground and her voice returned. Hermione shot from her chair and ran to Lyra who was frozen in place.
“Lyra,” Hermione lowered Lyra’s arm. “Lyra, love?” Lyra turned to look at her mom.
“I’ve read that when you use an unforgivable, a piece of your soul dies. I’ve also read that you have to really mean it and if there is any doubt in your mind, it won’t work. I honestly didn’t think it would work. I didn’t know what else to do. I shouldn’t have done that. I killed him. Oh merlin, I used the killing curse. I killed someone.” Lyra fell to her knees and Hermione wrapped her arms around her daughter.
“Lyra, honey, breath. Take a deep breath.” Hermione Placed her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and tried to guide her in deep breaths.
“Lyra,” It was Draco now that spoke to their daughter. “You saved my life.” Lyra looked to her dad. “You saved me.” Lyra moved away from her mom and into her dad’s arms.
“I was so scared. I heard his voice and the next thing I know, he’s dead.”
“Lyra, where is Garret?” Hermione asked. “Did you take his wand?”
“I punched him in the nose, took the wand, and stupefied him.”
“What is it with you two and noses?” Draco attempted to ease the tension in the air.
“Not the time.” Hermione practically growled at him. “Lyra, let me have the wand. I’ll send Harry a Patronas.” Lyra handed her mom the wand, and Hermione left the drawing room.
“So this is where you grew up?” Lyra and Draco were both sitting on the floor.
“I did.”
“It’s huge.
“It’s not that big.”
“I’m pretty sure this room alone is bigger than our house.” Draco looked around.
“I think you’re right.”
“You’ve been to the house?”
“Yes. After Perseus and Abby told us that you had been receiving hate letters, Hermione and I went to the house and got the letters.”
“So you also were in my room? And you were looking for the letters? Did you-”
“See the dirty letters my godson sent you? Yes, I did.” Lyra’s face was covered in an embarrassing flush. “I have decided to forget about them and forget that I am the one who encouraged that behavior.” Lyra’s eyes went wide.
“Oh merlin. That is mortifying.” Lyra paused. “He never told you, like details, right?”
“I say we both forget everything and don’t tell your mother any of it.”
“What are we not telling your mother?” Hermeione walked in. Lyra and Draco looked at each other.
“Nothing.” The two said.
“I don’t like that.” lyra and draco laughed.
“Sorry mom. This one is between me and dad.” Draco threw his arm around Lyra and kissed the top of her head.
“I’m really glad you’re okay.” He told her.
“I knew I would be. I knew mom or Harry would find me.”
“I was so worried about you.” Hermione brushed hair out of Lyra’s face. “Once we get out of here, and things calm down, we’ll have a real talk about all of this.” Lyra nodded at her mother’s words.
“I do really like being a blonde.” Draco laughed.
“You’re lucky you got my hair. Have you seen how crazy your mother’s hair used to be?”
“Don’t be a dick, Draco.” Lrya laughed.
“Hermione!” Harry’s voice rang through the Manor.
“In the drawing room!” Hermione yelled back. Harry, Ron, and an army of Aurors came running into the room.
“Lyra!” Ron and Harry both yelled and Lyra went to hug them both.
“I’m so glad you’re alright.” Ron said to her.
“I’m okay, Uncle Ron. I promise.”
“I’m okay too, Weasley”
“Did you want a hug, Malfoy?” Ron walked to him with his arms open.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Oh come on.” Ron wrapped his arms around Draco and Harry joined the hug too.
“Nineteen year old me would freak out if she knew what was happening right now.” Hermione mumbled but everyone heard it, and laughed.
“We should get you all to the ministry.” An auror said.
“Merlin, there is going to be so much paperwork.” Harry groaned.
“Come on, Potter. We will all help you.” Draco slapped his hand onto Harry’s back. “Let’s get out of here. The next time I want to be on these grounds is when I decide to burn it to the ground.”
“After clearing out the library.” Hermione added.
“Yes, after we clear out the library.”
The team of Aurors were sent to make sure the Manor was clear. Hermione guided them to where Garret was bound to the stairs and a team was already making plans to remove Lucius’ body from the grounds.
Lyra, Draco, and Hermione left the Manor. They were to go to the Ministry so they could record their version of events.