The End's Intent

Chapter 21

Draco didn't know where they'd apparated to, but it was a beach somewhere with very strong wards. He could feel the magic as soon as they'd arrived. Harry released him immediately, but Weasel didn't let go of Hermione.

"Stop touching her, Weasel," Draco hissed, climbing to his feet with Hermione in his arms. "Unless you want me to attack you like Greyback."

Weasel looked annoyed, but let go of Hermione. He led them toward a small cottage nearby, muttering something to Harry that Draco didn't care to listen to. Instead, he focused on Hermione's heartbeats and every time she took a breath. She was still awake but didn't say a word as they rushed to the cottage.

They were almost there when Draco picked up on the scent of another wolf and stopped in his tracks. Both Potter and Weasel glanced back at him, but he refused to move forward.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, stepping toward Draco while Weasel remained where he was.

"There's a werewolf in that house," he said shortly. After Greyback, the last thing he wanted was another werewolf around.

"He's safe," Hermione murmured in his arms. "It's Bill, he's not a full werewolf. He's safe."

"He was attacked by Greyback," Harry explained. Draco's lip curled at the name. "That's probably who you're smelling. He can help Hermione though, I swear it."

Draco glanced down at Hermione who nodded weakly. His wolf hated every step, but he continued to the cottage until a familiar woman answered the door.

"Oh my!" she exclaimed. She called hastily for Bill and the wolf smell became stronger. Soon, a red haired man appeared in the doorframe beside her. "Bring her in," the woman instructed.

Draco followed Potter and Weasel inside while the blonde woman quickly cleared out a spare bedroom for Hermione. She told Draco to lay Hermione on the bed, so he did, immediately sitting beside her and holding her uninjured hand.

"Hermione? How are you feeling?" she asked, leaning over Hermione while Bill brought in a washcloth and some gauze. Hermione just whimpered in response and she nodded as if that's what she'd been expecting.

"Fleur, this is all we have," Bill said. The woman, Fleur, turned around and Draco abruptly remembered her from the Triwizard tournament.

"It will work," Fleur said, taking the supplies from Bill. She glanced at Draco and smiled warmly before leaning over Hermione. "This will hurt, but I must clean it."

As Fleur worked to clean off Hermione's arm, Draco attempted to block out her pained gasps. It took a few minutes to clean Hermione's arm and once it was mostly free of blood, Draco glanced at it.

M-U-D-B-L was written on her arm so far, but it wasn't finished. Draco could see her skin breaking open to form an O. Hermione gasped loudly, arching her back at the pain. More blood trickled down her arm and Fleur hurried to wipe it away. Another O cut sharply into her arm and Hermione writhed on the bed, screaming at the sharp jerk.

"It's still cutting her," Fleur said, hurriedly covering her arm with the washcloth.

"It's almost done," Draco growled, glaring at her bleeding arm and clutching Hermione's other hand tightly.

Just like he'd expected, a D appeared suddenly and Hermione screamed loudly. Nothing else formed on her arm though and while Draco tried to soothe Hermione, Fleur quickly finished cleaning her arm and began to wrap it.

"How is she doing that?" Harry asked from behind him.

Draco didn't take his eyes off Hermione as he said, "It was a cursed blade."

Hermione squeezed his hand tightly as Fleur tugged on her bandage. Draco turned and glared at her, but Fleur didn't seem to notice or care. Once the bandage was secure, she leaned back and smiled at Hermione.

"I'm afraid that's all we can do for now," she said. She scourgified the washcloth and leaned forward to put it on Hermione's sweaty forehead. "We don't have any pain potions, but Bill will try to brew one quickly."

"Thank you," Hermione whispered, her voice scratchy.

"Of course," Fleur replied. She stood up from the bed and ushered Potter and Weasel out of the room, leaving Draco and Hermione alone.

As badly as Draco wanted to demand answers, he knew she was not in the state of mind for what was sure to be an interrogation. Instead, he carefully laid on the bed beside her and rolled onto his stomach. Not wanting to move Hermione, he curled around her. He threw his arm over her waist and rested his head on her chest. She smelled strongly of sweat and blood, but he could still smell her usual rose perfume underneath.

"Go to sleep, Hermione," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "You'll heal faster."

"Don't think I can," she said quietly. Her uninjured arm came up around his back and her fingers tangled in his hair. "I know you're upset and without a pain relief potion, I could really do with a distraction."

"You want me to be upset right now?" Draco asked. He twisted slightly so he could prop himself up on one elbow and lean over her. "Right now? After you've been attacked by my aunt?"

Hermione nodded and Draco frowned. Well, now he wasn't angry. He was certainly confused and worried about why she'd left Hogwarts and how long she'd been gone, but he couldn't be angry. Maybe that was why she'd asked him to get upset now.

"Why did you leave Hogwarts?" he asked quietly, his free hand running up and down her side. "Did you even stay for the holiday?"

"I left this morning," she told him, shying away from his hand when he touched a ticklish spot. "Harry and Ron said they needed my help finding the last few Horcruxes so I apparated to the Burrow at noon to meet them."

"How did Greyback even find you?" Draco whispered. His hand stilled on her side and he could have sworn he smelled Greyback's scent on her for a second.

"You Know Who's name is taboo now," she reminded him. Draco's eyes widened as he realised she probably wouldn't have known that. "I said it on accident and triggered it. When did it become taboo anyway?"

"Only a few days ago," Draco admitted. It had been Greyback's own idea during a Christmas Eve gala at the manor. The Dark Lord had been thrilled with the idea and immediately contacted the Ministry to put it in place. "I should have told you."

"You had no reason to," Hermione told him. Her hand on his neck moved to the back of his head and she smiled. "Your Dark Lord is going to have to try much harder to trap me than a taboo."

Her fingers tugged on the baby hairs at the nape of his neck and Draco was sure she was doing it on purpose. His wolf purred at the touch and Draco leaned closer to her. She smiled a bit more and pulled his head down so she could press her lips to his.

"You don't seem very angry," she murmured, her lips brushing his as she spoke. Draco draped himself over her and without squishing her, he laid on top of her.

"I will be once you're healed," he replied, kissing her again and wrapping his arms around her as best he could.

"Then I'll make sure to never heal," she teased. Draco rolled his eyes and pressed his lips more firmly to hers. Even once she did heal, he probably wouldn't be upset with her. How could he when he was really just glad she was okay?