antidote ✞ dramione

part four

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as the two drove back to the manor—much faster than it took to reach the town—draco filled hermione in on the missing gaps in his 'blood traitor' theory.

"voldemort always looked for loyalty, you know?" draco started, one hand on the steering wheel and the other in the air which he used to make wild gestures to fit with his explanations. usually hermione would demand he put two hands on the wheel but the road was deserted, so she didn't see anything wrong with it right now.

"he was huge on it, bellatrix and a few others included. if they smelled a rat..." draco trailed off, letting out a low, noisy breath, his spare hand moving onto the the steering wheel. "it didn't end well. i should know, i saw some of that shit first-hand."

"and what is 'some of that shit', actually?" hermione asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

draco bit her lip. "a very slow and painful death."

hermione sighed, leaning her head back against the seats. "but the reports didn't show anything of torture—"

"no, just a lot of spilt blood," draco said, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes momentarily. "slit veins, arteries, sensitive spots. the bodies were next to drained like a fucking vampire feasted on them."

"that's fucking gruesome," hermione whispered, thinking of ginny and lavender. "but at least we have something to go on, right?"

draco nodded slowly. "yeah, something."

hermione glanced at him worriedly. "you don't sound too confident."

"how are we to know who's considered a blood traitor?" draco asked, leaning back against his seat. "we're dealing with fucked up death eaters here. hell, i could be considered a blood traitor if news got out about my role in the war."

hermione blew out a noisy breath as she watched the scenery speed past so fast it was pretty much a blur of green and blue. "the weasley's were always considered blood traitors, being purebloods yet having sympathy for those of lesser statuses."

"what about the brown girl?" draco asked. "lavender, right?"

hermione nodded. "yes, lavender. i guess... she was bitten by fenrir in the war. maybe that's why they consider her a blood traitor. she's not exactly pure now, is she?"

"was she," draco corrected quietly. "she's not around anymore."

hermione felt the tears but she refused to cry. she's not going to break down on the job. she can't.

"what about marcus flint?" hermione asked, a little breathlessly. once again she just proved she's not as stone-cold as draco, but maybe that's a good thing. "i'm surprised he's a victim."

draco's knuckled clenched the steering wheel tightly. "he wouldn't take the mark," he said. "didn't want it ruining his future in the quidditch field."

"oh," she murmured. "but why didn't they just..."

"threaten him like they did me?" draco asked rhetorically, shrugging one shoulder. "he may be a part of the sacred twenty-eight, but he's not nearly as powerful, or influential, as the malfoys and i'm the last of that family line. why waste their time and energy on him when there's a bigger picture?"

"what about the first murder, joshua?" hermione asked, closing her eyes briefly. she reopened her eyelids then fixed them onto draco. "what makes him a blood traitor?"

draco drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, thinking. "his name is familiar," he admitted, speeding up a tiny bit. "give me some time. for now, we need a list."