Damaged Goods by slytherin_after_dark

Chapter 24

- NOT MY STORY!! ALL CREDITS TO @slytherin_after_dark ON A03!!

The first Inferi came crawling out and jumped on one of the men. Everyone had their wands pulled and she had never felt so calm and in control. More and more Inferi came out of the relic.

Kill them—she told the Inferi in her mind and they listened. The men weren't able to fight them off for long. The Inferi jumped on them and ripped them apart.

One of the Inferi made its way to Malfoy. Leave him. The Inferi looked at her and turned around instantly.

Salinger was fighting two Inferi while three of his men were already dead.

Dark magic was cursing through her veins and she felt invincible.

"Granger," Malfoy's voice seemed distant. Small. "Granger, look at me."

She did and he was beautiful. Almost glowing. His wet hair was slightly hanging into his face. His shirt clung to his body. "Tell them to go back," he said.

What a strange proposition, she thought. "Why?"

"It's too much dark magic for you. For anyone."

"But he needs to die. It's only right." Surely, he must understand.

He placed a hand on her arm and the touch felt strangely warm. Perhaps she was too cold? "Let me take care of that," he said. "Please. Ask them back."

Salinger had killed a few of the Inferi but there were several more, coming for him.

"Granger," Malfoy said again.

She wanted to tell him that she didn't know the spell to recall the Inferi but in that moment, Latin words tumbled from her mouth and the Inferi were sucked back into the relic.

Malfoy jumped into action instantly. He used a shocking spell to immobilize Salinger. Hermione was waiting for him to say the killing curse but instead, Malfoy holstered his wand and she saw the broken piece of glass from the relic container in his hand. He kneeled next to Salinger, who was still withering with shocks.

Malfoy grabbed him by his hair. "I would have given you an easy death, for old-time sake." He clicked his tongue against his teeth. With force, Malfoy rammed the piece of glass into Salinger's neck. 

Hermione closed her eyes as his muffled screams carried across the river.

Malfoy was walking back to her. Specks of blood covered his face. Suddenly all that energy that had surged to her left her just the same. Her knees were wobbly. Malfoy caught her as she was about to go down and steadied her against his chest.

"I'm fine," she said.

His eyes narrowed on her. "I thought we'd agreed you would abolish that word from your vocabulary."

"Right. I'm a bit dizzy but nothing to worry about. Feels like a headrush. As if I got up too quickly."

His arms did not ease around her. "Only instead of getting up too quickly you used an ungodly amount of dark magic."

"At least I didn't stupefy anyone." She smiled at him but he didn't seem in the mood for jokes.

"Perhaps you could have started with something less sinister than the relic of death?" There was an accusation there somewhere but she was too exhausted to dissect it.

"We should get home. And no, I'm not apparating back while you have to walk back. We'll walk together."

He didn't like to be told what to do but he didn't protest this time.

"One more thing," he said, still steadying her against himself. With one hand he brushed her hair gently to the side, his fingers gliding along her jaw to the back of her neck. Then she heard a click as the collar released and he removed it. With everything going on, she had forgotten about that stupid thing. When it fell to the ground, it was blank, no longer bearing his name.