Title: All Nights (6/?)
Keywords: Hermione, Harry, Ron, plot
Summary: Will Harry, Ron, and Hermione get their hands on the next horcrux? Will Harry and Hermione ever talk about what's happening between them? Do you really think this chapter is going to answer any of those questions?
Author's Notes: Consider this my first and only cliffhanger in this series. I'm not generally a big fan of cliffies, but this chapter seemed to call for it. *grin*
This cloak hardly fits us anymore, Hermione thought grumpily. Why did Harry and Ron insist on growing so?
They kept her squashed in the middle between them. A sweet gesture to be sure, but Hermione resisted the urge to point out that she could take care of herself.
They had to be extra careful not to run into anyone. It wouldn't do to be discovered before they'd even reached the shop.
"Ugh," Hermione whispered as they passed a particularly foul smelling man.
They turned another corner, nearly running into two people shagging like it was the end of the world. For a moment, Hermione stared, horrified. Nothing about the woman's position seemed comfortable.
Harry and Ron closed tighter around her and this time she was grateful. They saw similar sights on their way to Burgin & Burkes. Witches and wizards exchanging hallucinogens, alcohol, and smuggled goods. Hermione's skin crawled and she vowed to do something about it. One day.
When they reached Borgin & Burkes, it was closed, its lights out and the door locked.
"Seems like he'd get some of his best business at this time of night," Ron said.
"Too dangerous, I suspect," said Harry. "Who knows what kind of customer would show up?"
Ron shuddered. "Good point."
"Any ideas on how to get in?" Harry whispered in her ear.
Hermione shrugged. She raised her wand and gave a half-hearted, "Alohamora."
The lock clicked, the door opening a crack.
"Okay…" Harry said uncertainly.
Hermione knew he was thinking the same thing she was. It was too easy.
"Well, that's a fair bit of luck!" Ron said, pushing the door open and stepping inside.
Hermione's breath caught and Harry lunged forward, just missing the back of Ron's arm. "Ron, wait!"
Hermione steeled herself for something awful to happen; the bright green light of Avada Kedavra that would strike down her best friend in front of her.
A moment passed and Hermione released a slow breath, her heartbeat thundering in her ears.
Ron stood in the entranceway, a puzzled expression on his face. "What?"
Hermione entered the store and smacked Ron on the shoulder. "You daft git."
Harry came in behind them, throwing the Invisibility Cloak around them over Ron's protests.
"Safer this way," he said shortly. "Merlin, Ron, you're quite thick sometimes."
"Hey!" Ron said.
"Shhh!" Hermione hissed, stamping on both their feet. "Yes, do talk as loudly as possible."
They shuffled around in the dark store, their breathing sounding unbearably loud. They tripped over displays, prompting Ron to ask sarcastically if he was allowed to at least cast some light.
"You know," Hermione whispered. "He's right. We'll never be able to find anything at this rate."
"Well, what do you propose we do, then?" Harry asked.
"I'll just… nip out of the cloak and take a quick look around."
"No."
Harry," she rolled her eyes and reminded herself to keep her voice down. "We're never going to find it at this rate."
"Fine, you and Ron stay under the cloak and I'll take a look around."
Hermione shook her head. "It has to be me. I was just here last year, remember? I have a better idea of how things are arranged."
Without waiting for an answer, Hermione ducked out from under the Invisibility Cloak. She heard Harry hiss her name and ignored him.
She wandered around, her eyes wide in the darkness. She was careful not to touch anything, passing by jewelry in the display cases with only the barest of glances.
If Hufflepuff's cup really is here, well, would it be for sale? He'd know its origin, of course, but I doubt he'd have any idea what its tie is to Voldemort…
Hermione paused in her search, nibbling on her bottom lip. I'm a witch! Of course! There must be some sort of spell that would summon it to me.
She glanced around, her eyes scanning the shelves lined with merchandise. An idea formed in her mind. She went to the middle of the store and stopped.
"Harry!" she said. It was odd yelling for someone she knew was there but could not see. "Harry!"
She turned around and collided with something.
"Ow," Ron mumbled.
"Oh, sorry," Hermione said.
"What's up?" Harry said.
Hermione stared at where the voices were coming from, frowning. "Will you take off the stupid cloak? This is ridiculous."
"No," Harry said irritably. "There's something about this I don't like."
"Fine," Hermione said. "But I'd like to do this as quickly as possible."
"Okay. What do you need?"
"You remember what the cup looks like, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"Think of it as hard as you can-every detail you can remember. Focus on it." Hermione paused. "Are you thinking of it?"
Harry sounded skeptical. "Sure."
"Well, think harder," she snapped. She waited for half a minute before raising her wand in Harry's general direction. "Show me."
Her wand spun around in her hand before point slightly to her left. Swallowing, Hermione started in that direction, turning and going as her wand directed her. She came to a stop in front of a cup concealed in a glass case.
The accompanying price tag was more money than Hermione could hope to earn in her life.
"Got you," she whispered.
The cup wasn't particularly ornate. Its once gold edges were tarnished, leaving it a dirty brown colour. Small jewels sparkling on the sides spoke of the cup it had once been. The history behind it…
Without thinking, Hermione reached out a hand towards the glass case, flinching when someone's hand closed around her wrist.
"What are you doing?" Harry demanded.
Hermione wrenched her arm backwards, blinking. "I don't-I don't know."
"Are you mad?" Ron said. "You could have set off any kind of alarm."
"Don't be silly, Ron," Hermione said, secretly unnerved. "I knew what I was doing."
"Fine, great," Harry said. "We know it's here. Let's go."
"What?" Hermione said. "No way! Not when we're so close."
"I told you, there's something strange going on," Harry said. "This doesn't feel right."
Hermione spoke urgently. "Oh, hang it, Harry. You were the one who said we were wasting time! Do you think Voldemort's going to wait patiently while we try and figure out how to get this cup out of here? This is our chance! We have to do this."
Harry didn't reply, but his obvious tension was a palpable presence. Hermione scanned the case for protective spells, still feeling an odd pull towards the cup.
"Nothing," she whispered. "There's nothing."
"Don't touch it," Harry said sharply. "This isn't right. It can't be this easy."
"I'm telling you, there's nothing there."
"Hermione, one of these things killed Dumbledore! Don't tell me there's nothing there that can hurt you!"
In a burst of sudden impulse, Hermione reached for the glass case, lifting it up and setting it down on the floor. Her heart was beating very fast. She heard Harry suck in a deep gasp of air.
"Hermione…" he whispered.
Her fingers were shaking as they brushed the top of the cup, its surface hard and smooth. She picked it up, mentally steeling herself for the burning sensation the locket had caused. The cup stayed cool in her hand, its diamonds shining in the dark.
"Not a problem," she said, a victorious smile on her mouth. "Not a problem at all."
"Yeah, alright," Harry said. "Can we please go?"
"Okay," she said. She passed him the cup when something caught her eye.
Harry and Ron groaned. "Hermione, come on."
"Hang on…" she said.
She paused in front of the item. It was a circular ball, no larger than her fist. It was rough when she touched it, like it needed to be sandpapered. She read the label.
Defractor…
She could not say what attracted her to the item, only that she was certain it was important in some way. She checked the price, unsurprised to see it worth several hundred galleons.
Defractor, Defractor… she turned the name around in her mind, hoping to jog some far-off memory. She was certain she read it somewhere-during her trip to Hogwarts when she raided the library. It had been in one of the books from the Restricted Section, she was sure of it.
She was about to lift it from the shelf when she felt the tip of someone's wand press against the back of her neck.
"Very good, Miss Granger," said a familiar voice in her ear. "Now turn around-slowly."
There was a quick flutter and Professor Severus Snape stared at her, his hooked noise turned upwards in dislike. She gasped, her hand flying to her throat.
"Drop your wand," he said.
Hermione bit her lip, her eyes scanning the store for some sight of Harry and Ron.
She released her wand, tensing when she heard it clutter to the floor. Snape dug his wand into her throat until she struggled to breathe. There was a second flutter and Draco Malfoy appeared on her other side, his wand aimed at her chest.
"Mr. Potter isn't the only one that can get his hands on Invisibility Cloaks," Snape said, smiling at her terrified expression. "Miss Granger, let us cut right to the chase. It was so kind of you to fetch Miss Hufflepuff's cup for us."
"You're too late," she whispered. "It's gone."
Snape leaned closer to her, his hand clenched tightly on his wand. "I'm not stupid, girl. I know Potter is here. What do you think will happen to you if he doesn't give me what I want?"
Hermione thought quickly. He knew Harry was there, but couldn't detect him through the Invisibility Cloak. Perhaps Harry would have time to formulate a plan… if she could keep Snape talking…
"I'm not sure I understand."
Malfoy's lip curled. "Granger, let's make it simple. If Potter doesn't give us the cup, we'll kill you."
Hermione bit the inside of her cheek until the thick taste of blood filled her mouth. She didn't say anything.
Snape changed his position until he was addressing the rest of the store.
"You heard the boy, Potter. Give us the cup or she'll die."
Hermione closed her eyes, body tense. It had never occurred to her that Harry would choose the horcrux over her life. But, then, weren't those the choices he'd inevitably be faced with? With the horcrux gone, he'd be one step closer to destroying Voldemort and winning the war. If he saved her life now, he could be dooming countless others.
He should choose the horcrux, she reasoned. It was the rational choice after all. Her life paled in comparison to the rest of the world.
But she couldn't stop her desperate thought that it shouldn't be rational. If Harry cared for her, even as his best friend, he wouldn't let Snape kill her. She was sure of it-it would destroy him to stand by and watch as she was murdered.
And she didn't want to die.
There was so much life left to live, sensations and feelings left to explore. She'd never hear Harry tell her he loved her.
"Come on, Potter," Snape said, his voice cold and collected. "I killed Dumbledore without pause. I'll do the same to Granger."
Silence.
Hermione opened her eyes, searching for Harry, for some sign he was doing something to get her out of this…
"Very well," Snape said. He turned to Hermione, his face unapologetic.
Hermione steeled herself. She didn't even have time to say good-bye.
"Avada-"
"Wait," Malfoy said.
Hermione held back a sob, clenching her hands until her wrists hurt.
"There are worse things than death, Professor," Malfoy said, his eyes glinting with excitement. "Ever been under the Cruciatus Curse, Granger?"
Hermione stayed quiet, her eyes focused on a point over Malfoy's shoulder. She wasn't here, it wasn't real, she'd wake up any moment at Grimmauld Place, Harry's arms around her.
Harry. She didn't want him to have to see this. He'd witnessed too many deaths already.
"Fine, Mr. Malfoy," Snape said. "But I haven't got all day."
Malfoy's smirk grew. Hermione felt sick-he was enjoying this.
"I bet you're a screamer, Granger." Without hesitation, he pointed his wand at her. "Crucio."
It was agony. At first, she tried to burrow in her mind, hanging into her name, her sanity, but the pain consumed her until that was all that was left. She screamed, she begged, she curled up on the floor and shrieked.
When it stopped, she lay panting, sweat trickling along her brow. She pulled herself to her knees, Snape and Malfoy's hard faces staring down at her.
"You bastard," she whispered, her throat dry. She couldn't believe this was the same boy that failed to kill Dumbledore. It no longer seemed possible that he lacked the cruelty.
"Come on, Potter," Malfoy said, ignoring her curled form on the floor. "This is your fault, you know. She's suffering because of you."
"That's not true," Hermione said, standing up. She was shaking. "This isn't Harry's fault."
"Oh, yeah?" Malfoy sneered. He paused and Hermione balled her fists. She knew what was coming. "Crucio!"
It was worse this time. It set her limbs on fire, her skin crawling. She could hear yelling from far away, barely registering that it was her own screams of pain. Stop, she wanted to beg. I'll do anything…
When the curse lifted, she barely had enough energy to open her eyes. Yes, she could understand why the Longbottoms had chosen madness over this kind of agony.
"C'mon, Granger," Malfoy said. "I thought you'd have more resilience."
The floor was cold under her forehead. She tried to control her breathing. She didn't think she could go through it again. She bit her lip to keeping from begging, her hands braced on the floor.
Malfoy bent down in front of her, yanking her chin up to look in his eyes.
"Is there something you'd like to ask Potter to do?"
Hermione shook her head.
Malfoy leaned closer to her, his mouth twisted into a grimace. His fingers dug into her jaw.
"Do you want me to use the Cruciatus Curse again, Granger?"
She shook her head a second time, tears stinging her eyes. She could see Snape standing alert to the slightest signs of movement.
"Does it hurt?" Malfoy whispered. "Worse than anything you've felt in your life?"
Hermione swallowed and nodded her head. Malfoy let a moment of silence pass.
"Good," he said.
He let go of her and took a few steps backwards. "Cru-"
"Alright, fine! You can have the stupid cup!"
It was Harry's voice. Hermione felt only one emotion-relief. The pain would stop.
Malfoy stilled. "Potter, nice of you to join us. I could've gone on all night. At least."
Hermione pulled her knees to her chest, unsettled to find Malfoy's wand still pointed at her chest, Snape behind him. Harry and Ron stood opposite them, their wands pointed at Hufflepuff's cup.
Hermione closed her eyes, only aware that she was saved. She was going to be fine…
"Malfoy," Ron croaked. "When I get my hands on you…"
"Aww, Weasley, you're hurting my feelings."
Ron's face was the colour of sour milk. Harry was composed, but he looked furious.
"The cup, Mr. Malfoy," Snape said, his eyes on Hufflepuff's heirloom.
"Ron will give Malfoy the cup at the same time you let Hermione go," Harry said, his wand now on Snape.
They made the exchange. Ron handed Malfoy the cup and stood in front of her. Malfoy backed up, raising his eyebrows. Ron shook with rage and Hermione forced herself to her feet. Harry appeared on her other side, slipping an arm around her waist to hold her steady.
It was only then that she felt how stiff he was-like every muscle was wound tight.
"Get the fuck out of here," he said in a low voice.
"Letting your emotions control you, Potter," Snape said. "As always."
"And, like always, you don't seem to have any idea what it means to care for other people. Too bad. I hope your boss knows that," Harry said, but he was looking at Malfoy.
"Caring for other people brought upon the Headmaster's defeat," Snape said softly. "Don't forget that."
Harry took a deep breath and almost seemed to sway on his feet. "Take the cup and leave."
"Very well," Snape said. "Mr. Malfoy."
Snape spoke Draco's name like he was summoning a pet. There was a large crack and Snape Disapparated.
It took Hermione a few seconds to realize Malfoy had stayed behind. For a long moment, all they did was stare at each other.
"Looking for something?" Malfoy asked, pulling an object out of his pocket.
It was Hufflepuff's cup.