Spillage
It was late in the afternoon by the time Granger woke.
The filthy fucking mudblood. Draco stood by the window as he watched her blearily open her eyes. Once she located Draco, her eyes flitted down the floor. Good. It was good that she knew better than to stare openly at the Malfoy heir.
He slowly released the bonds he had spelled on her, and Hermione stood and stumbled up from her chair, rubbing her wrists. “Draco.” She rasped.
“She’s awake!” He yelled, his voice echoing throughout the empty barn. Hermione stopped in her tracks and looked at him in horror.
A few moments later, Stefen shuffled into the room, and Hermione stood, frozen in her spot, her eyes flitting between the two men.
“Miss Granger.” Stefen stood before her, deep black robes billowing around him, his blonde hair contrasted against his clothes. “Is that any way to address me?”
Draco watched as she swayed on the spot, almost as if she was confused by the whole situation, before bending into a deep bow. “Stefen.”
“How do you feel darling?” Stefen walked forwards to hold Granger by the face. He turned her chin up to look her in the eyes.
“Pleasant.” She breathed. Draco thought Stefen was mad for even going near her.
“Hm. Hermione Granger.” Stefen’s blue eyes twinkled. “Heroine of our times, Golden Girl. Look at you now darling, fitting in with the rest of us.”
“Sir—”
“Don’t fucking speak to me unless you’re spoken to.”
Hermione’s chest rose and fell, a dark blush forming on her cheeks.
Draco leaned against the wall, his brows furrowed. Why were they wasting time here? “Stefen, I grow tired of you harassing the mudblood.”
Hermione’s eyes turned dark at that, and Draco hissed as she raised a hand toward him. Draco threw his head back as he gulped for air—he felt an invisible pair of hands gripping his throat. “Anapneo.” He growled.
He felt the spell take place as his airway cleared, and Hermione dropped her arm and gasped as Stefen grabbed her by her hair, pushing her against him. “What did I just fucking say?”
She gave him a smirk. “Your aunt taught me that, Malfoy.” She said ignoring Stefen who still held a fistful of hair in his hands.
Draco felt his blood run cold. “You worked for Bella?”
“She did her tasks, faithfully.” Stefen snarked. “I suppose a part of the Imperius curse could take the blame but, Miss Granger here is quite the talent at the Dark Arts.” He let go of her hair and pushed her forwards. “I almost feel sorry for sending her out of England. What barren wasteland would she deserve?”
“If she is talented, she could assist the uprising from behind the scenes.” Draco said staring at the witch that was staring back at him. A disheveled, small thing.
“We have enough purebloods that are capable of the same magic.”
Draco doubted that, though he did not care to argue. “Shall we proceed then? Do you know your role mudblood?”
Hermione’s face took a dazed look once more before she spoke. “I—I will leave England. I’ll leave the wizarding community and…”
“We don’t care what you do as long as we never have to see you again bitch.” Stefen said quietly staring at her. “With you gone, there will be no risk, no one to save Potter from leading the pureblood front himself.” He grinned. “Oh, the slaughter that will take place.”
She turned back to look at him, her face expressionless.
Stefen stepped forwards to cup her face once more. “And if we do find you, Hermione. I’ll have your lover boy here kill you by himself.”
Lover? Draco frowned. He shook his head. He had a mission—to fulfill the true purebood role in the wizarding community once again. If Stefen needed Granger out of the picture—it made no difference to him.
“We need to get going, Granger.”
Hermione turned to face him, her expression blank. “As you wish.”
Draco felt something unsettling pool in his stomach as she held onto his arm. He looked back at Stefen. “We’ll see you at the conference.”
The familiar crack of Disapparation rang through his ears as he thought of the manor.
***
Several people were shouting as Hermione and Draco Apparated into the middle of the foyer of the manor.
“Draco!” Pansy’s familiar scream shrilled through Draco’s eardrums.
“Pansy.” Draco breathed, letting go of Granger to envelop her into a hug. “What are you doing here?” He looked up to see Blaise, Theo, Potter, and Weasley staring at him and Hermione.
Pansy stared straight at Hermione who gave her an unflinching look. “Miss Parkinson.” She mused.
Pansy took a step back in confusion. “Draco, what is going on?”
Theo moved in front of her. “Granger—are the two of you alright? Potter’s been uttering straight bullshit—said you two had…” His voice trailed off as he looked at Hermione’s hands. “Where’s your ring?”
“What ring?” She questioned, her eyes wide.
Draco rolled his eyes. “Why are we speaking to the mudblood?”
A slap stung Draco’s face as Pansy stood before him once more. “What the fuck did you just say?”
Ron had reached for his wand before Harry was pulling him back.
Draco looked down at Pansy, anger slowly making its way into him. “Step back Pansy. I’m not your betrothed anymore—you don’t need to drool over me.”
“Mate, what the hell—” Blaise stepped forward to grab Pansy, who was staring at Draco with hurt etched across her face.
Theo stood in the same spot, his eyes flitting between Draco and Hermione. “No.” He breathed, his chest falling and rising rapidly. “No.”
“Get your things, Hermione.” Harry finally spoke. “You need to leave soon. We’ll see you at the conference at last.”
“Harry?” Ron asked, the same fear as Theo’s etched into his voice. He strode towards Hermione and took her by the hands. “’Mione? Where are you going? You need to get away from this fucker—” He tried to pull her away from Malfoy but she pulled back.
Theo swiveled to Harry. “Are you all bewitched?”
“Ron, you shouldn’t touch me—”
“Shouldn’t touch you? Hermione, what are you saying?”
“Ron, let go of me—”
“Let go of her, Weasel.” Draco’s voice sliced through the room. He gave a laugh. “You wouldn’t want to be on the side of her hex’s.” He looked down to Hermione. “Taught by Bella herself.” He let out a chuckle. “Has the whole fucking wizarding world wrapped around her little Golden finger, isn’t that right, Granger?”
Ron took a step back, knocking into Theo who stood motionless, staring at Draco. “Draco, please. This isn’t what we do. We aren’t at war.” Theo whispered.
“What do you mean Bella?” Blaise asked, staring at Draco in horror. “What the fuck do you mean Bella, Draco?”
“Enough. She needs to leave.” Harry cut through.
“Go where?” Ron yelled grabbing Harry by the robes. “WHERE ARE YOU TAKING HER?”
“Granger’s a Death Eater.” Pansy whispered. “It was you that night… when we—you took my place.”
Blaise looked down at his fiancé. “Pans, what are you—”
“I was supposed to go on a muggle hunt with Bellatrix—I—Astoria said she’d take over for me, but when I met her next, she was fine. I—" Pansy had tears in her eyes as she stared at Hermione. “That was you.”
“Bullshit.” Blaise spoke.
“Blaise—” Theo warned.
“I don’t know what sick fucking thing you all have going on, but—” His breath hitched as Hermione raised her palm towards him, her fingers unfurling.
“Do you doubt me, Blaise?” She cocked her head.
Blaise paled as deep red scratch marks appeared on his neck, creeping down his shoulder.
“Hermione!” Theo shouted. “Stop!” He threw himself in front of Blaise, and a deafening crack echoed throughout the room.
Pax appeared, a carrot in hand. “Don’t hurt THEO!” He screamed.
If Hermione appeared startled, it was only for a moment before she grinned. “Let me show you what we did to elves.”
Draco turned to face her. “Don’t you fucking—” He threw himself at Hermione and they tumbled to the floor. Glass shattering sounded along with Pax’s screaming.
Hermione had fallen into his lap, and whatever had been in her back pocket had shattered and soaked through his pants.
“You fucking wench.” He breathed at her, pinning her to the ground, his hand around her throat. “How dare you look at my elf—” Draco closed his eyes as he felt something overcome him. The room was suddenly spinning as he leaned back, away from Hermione’s intoxicating scent.
“Granger—” He groaned, his head pounding.
Hermione had taken the chance to squirm away from the Malfoy heir. “Harry—I—I’m going to leave now. I’ll see you at the conference to announce my departure.”
"Granger, wait—" Draco saw tendrils of black smoke where Hermione once stood, reminding him of how his godfather had fled from Hogwarts once.
The room was slowly rightening itself as Draco understood that it was Pansy screaming at Harry that was making the high-pitched noise that was reverberating in his ears. Weasley had disappeared.
Fuck.
He groaned once more. What had happened? There was Stefen, and Granger and…
He paused, remembering what he had called her countless of times in the last day. “Granger.” He wheezed, standing.
“Draco?” Theo gripped him by the shoulders. “Are you with me?”
“Theo.” Draco gasped, doubling over. Whatever potion that had been spilled on him had absorbed whatever the fuck Stefen had given him. Shit—the potion batch he and Granger had brewed over the last few weeks. It was meant to annihilate any Dark objects it came in contact with, to neutralize. Granger had it stored it in her pocket.
“Malfoy, are you alright?” Harry’s voice cut through to him.
“Potter.” Draco said narrowing his eyes, and straightening. “I need you to come with me.”
“What?”
“There’s a potion—” He made eye contact with Theo who immediately understood and turned to face Harry. “That we’ve been developing. You need to see it.”
“The one that enhances Dark magic?” Theo asked Draco, his eyes flitting to Blaise and Pansy who slowly understood what was occurring. Pansy stopped struggling against Blaise.
“The very one.”
“Show me.”
***
To say a duel happened in the potions room of the manor was an understatement. Potter being the Auror that he was quickly understood that Draco had the intention of drowning him in the anti-magic potion.
It had taken a disarming charm, a bombard that exploded at least half a dozen cauldrons, and all three male Slytherins tackling Harry to keep him down long enough to get the potion onto his skin.
Harry had laid on the floor vomiting as the potion took effect.
Once everyone had calmed down, and Harry remembered what had occurred, he left immediately to the Ministry. It was most likely where Ron had gone to. Blaise, Pansy, and Theo left to Wizarding London in the hopes Hermione would have stopped there with vials of the potion she had brewed with Draco with them.
All Draco was left with was the cold signet ring he cradled that occupied his pinky, in the once again empty manor with the taste of mudblood and regret still fresh on his tongue.