When Hermione Fights

The Cottage Connection

I hope you had a great 2019 and will have an even better 2020. Happy New Year, my beautiful readers.

This will be the last chapter of the year. Following it next will be a special that explores a scene that is mentioned in this chapter. If you haven't yet subscribed to the series or followed the specials, you might want to do that now, so you will be notified as soon as that one goes online. I will also remind you again with chapter 122.

Chapter beta: Livy

Chapter translator: Aivy

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Indeed, I left that same night. I needed and wanted distance, because I was afraid of losing sight of not only myself, but also of my goals. I had decided a long time ago that I would do everything I could to overthrow the Dark Lord, that I would support Harry in everything, and that I would watch and see where that left me because I was not counting on Dumbledore.

It had not been planned that I would enter into a relationship with Draco. I had wanted to fight with all the means at my disposal, but being completely absorbed into this deeply black magical family had never been part of the plan.

But one thing was clear: I belonged to them and that could not be changed. So I would have to make the best of what the future held for me and try to keep a small part of myself. My world became darker and darker. Soon there would be no spark of white magic left in me, because let's be honest, my dead did not pass me by without a trace. But I had gained one insight: killing became easier every time.

I sighed. What else could I do but look at the future pragmatically and take everything as it came? However, in order to find myself again and to make sure I never lost sight of the right way, the good way, I had to leave, even if only for a short time.

Draco said goodbye to me in our suite with hot kisses that made it all the more difficult for me to leave. But it had to be done, because I couldn't hide in here. I had important things to do that I couldn't neglect and so I kissed him back passionately, but then I broke away resolutely.

"You're not leaving because of this morning, are you?" Draco enquired cautiously and held my face in his hands. I smiled benignly.

"Perhaps, a little. I don't want to be your mutual sex object, Draco! But no, not entirely. You know I have to take care of Harry, put the training on the right track and I have to do some things I can't do from here and under Lucius' dissecting eyes," I touched his face as well and cupped it in my hands.

"I understand you and I'm... no, I'm not sorry for what I did this morning," he grinned impishly and winked at me and I giggled. "But I'll come to see you lot tomorrow night! I hope it won't be all that late and I'm glad you're going. It's going to get too dangerous here with Bella on the rampage! Father, Severus and I will leave with you. We'll go, today and immediately, to the Dark Lord to inform him and discuss the next steps," he now laid his forehead against mine and sighed. "It will be a short night."

"Draco, are you sorry that I've hurt Narcissa-" There he recoiled and looked at me fiercely.

"Don't finish saying that, Hermione! No, I'm not! If you hadn't killed her, I might have tortured her to death in the dungeon. Nobody tries to kill you without me paying them back in their own coin. No one! Do you understand? If you hadn't called for this, it would have happened sooner or later anyway! I was just shocked today that you feel the same way. Even I seem to make the mistake of underestimating you and your vindictiveness," he explained his feelings and opinions to me. I was quite happy with the way he saw it; it did my conscience a great deal of good. But on the other side, I wondered if the secret would still someday be revealed to me, why Narcissa had had such bad standing in her own family. I still didn't quite understand the reason for her being such an outsider.