The End's Intent

Chapter 29

Draco had known something would go wrong. There was really no plan and he'd just made it up as he spoke, but it had been more thought out than their other option so they'd all gone with it. He'd figured someone would get shot down and he'd figured something would go wrong when he tried to cast the killing curse, but he'd hoped to Merlin the thing that went wrong wouldn't involve Hermione standing before the Dark Lord.

What surprised him the most was that none of the Death Eaters moved in on them. They stayed far back and let the Dark Lord loom over them, his wand outstretched with Potter's body floating upright beside him.

Draco felt sick just looking at him, hovering beside the Dark Lord like a toy doll, and wondered how long the image would haunt his dreams. Potter's glasses were cracked and his scar was cracked open and bleeding even though the blood didn't drip down his face. His eyes were closed, though, and his body looked frozen in time, stiff, instead of limp and beginning to decay. Curious, Draco focused his heightened hearing on Potter's body and his lips twitched when he heard blood still flowing through his veins and his heart still beating. He wasn't dead.

As the Dark Lord took a step toward them, Draco became acutely aware of the fact his wand had fallen from his hand when they'd hit the ground. He could see it from where he was lying, but it was too far out of reach. Accio-ing it was out of the question as the Death Eaters would kill him before it had reached his fingers.

In front of him, Hermione attempted to sit up and his arm around her tightened. She twisted slightly then gasped as her eyes landed on Harry's body in front of them. Draco almost pulled her back down to his chest, but he spotted her wand lying where she'd been laying and he knew he needed to grab it. Slowly, acting as though he was just trying to sit up, Draco grabbed Hermione's wand and stuffed it up the sleeve of his robe. No one attacked them and he knew the wand hadn't been spotted.

"Draco Malfoy," the Dark Lord murmured, looking over them both. His eyes stopped on Hermione and he grinned in a way that had Draco's wolf snarling. If Draco hadn't been so worried about what any sudden movement would cause, he would have grabbed Hermione and pulled her away from him. "You've brought us Potter's Mudblood, a toy to play with. Is she a gift for my loyal followers?"

Draco snarled at him and pulled Hermione to his chest. One of her hands reached up to grab one of his that was wrapped around her tightly and the Dark Lord hummed.

"Your Aunt told me what happened at the Manor," he hissed, narrowing his eyes and glaring at him. "You would have been a great soldier, but you've undermined my rule and now you must pay."

Draco was dragged to his feet as Voldemort raised his wand. He willed Hermione's wand to stay hidden and he felt it stay securely in the holster he'd kept his in. Beside him, Hermione was raised as well and Draco felt his wolf panic and try to break through the spell holding him above the ground.

"Can't let disobedient children keep their pathetic toys," Voldemort sneered, pulling Hermione forward and far from Draco's reach. "I believe Greyback laid his claim to this one anyway."

As if he'd been summoned at his name, Greyback slinked forward from the crowd and prowled toward Hermione with clear intent. Draco snarled at him and Greyback paused, turning to smirk at Draco as he reached for Hermione. The instant Greyback touched Hermione, Draco felt his wolf take over. He struggled against Voldemort's spell, keeping his eyes on Greyback the entire time.

A curse hit his back, but he barely felt it as he watched one of Greyback's hands slip down Hermione's waist and reach around the inside of her thigh. His other arm wrapped around her shoulders so that even without a spell holding her still, she wouldn't have been able to move. Greyback's hand moved from her shoulder to grab her chest and Hermione cried out in pain.