Inside Your Mind

where does the good go

Where Does the Good Go - Tegan and Sara

November 2nd 1999

With a deep breath, Draco placed one last kiss on Hermione's forehead.

A flutter of air tickled Draco's throat.

A cold hand grasped his.

Brown eyes snapped open and bored into his soul and Draco let a single tear roll down his face.

'Granger...' he muttered, not quite believing his eyes.

'Draco, what's wrong?' Hermione asked, her brows pulling together in concern as she noticed the emotion on his face.

'You... Hermione you... how...?' Draco couldn't say it. He had seen it. He had seen the green light hit her right in the chest with his own two eyes. He knew what that green light had meant. He couldn't say it out loud but he knew that Hermione Granger should be dead right now.

But she was alive.

Hermione's eyes widened when she remembered what happened with Dolohov.

She had felt the Killing Curse hit her right in the middle of her sternum; felt it hit the metal of the Malfoy ring that still hung on a chain around her neck and ricochet off in a faint golden glow. The impact of the spell, despite it bouncing right off, had pushed her back and the force knocked her unconscious.

But she was alive. It was a miracle.

Hermione untangled her hand from Draco's and let it creep up to pull the necklace from beneath her jumper.

Draco didn't say a word as a second tear dribbled down his cheek. Despite the shock, his hand joined back with Hermione's in holding the ring and they simply sat in silence while they registered what had happened.

'What does this ring do?' Hermione asked in a whisper, finally breaking the two minute long silence that had stretched between them.

'Malfoy family heirloom. They have generations of Pureblood magic, protection spells mostly, laced into the metal.' Draco replied, clearing his throat, his eyes now dry.

'How?' Hermione muttered.

'Can I explain once we're out of here?' Draco asked, now anxious to get Hermione away from the place that always seemed to cause her pain. He wasn't sure if there were any remaining Death Eaters in the Manor, though if things had gone to plan then the Aurors would be here any minute, but he didn't want to hang around to find out the hard way.

'No, Draco.' She snapped as she finally looked into his eyes, sitting up with a slight wince. 'I need to know now.'

Draco sighed, adjusting Hermione's position on his lap - he didn't want to let go of her just yet - so that they were more comfortable, and ran a hand through his hair.

'There are two kinds of magic in that ring. When my Mother and Father gave it to me they said it would protect me because of our blood. Family blood. It was the only sign of love I ever saw from my Father. Mother told me that, when I found the right person, I could pass my ring to them and protect them with it a different way.' Draco said quietly.

'You gave it to me.' Hermione whispered.

'I wanted it to protect you the way it would have protected me. I never imagined that it could go as far as to protect you from the Killing Curse.'

'But I'm not family blood.'

'You're smarter than that, Granger.' Draco said with a faint smirk. 'Family blood is the first kind of magic.'