A/N: My attempt at something other than a one-shot. Most likely, this will be a three-part story, but I don't know for sure as of now. Enjoy.
Chapter 1: Nighttime Rendezvous
Fear not the flame of my love's candle
Let it be the sun in your world of darkness
Give unto me all that frightens you
I'll have your nightmares for you
If you sleep soundly
With true love comes a terrible price…
Hermione Granger bolted upright in her bed as her slumber was shattered by a particularly vivid image.
It's not like being plagued by such nightmares was a novelty to her. After all, they visited every single night, ever since Albus Dumbledore's death and the Death Eater attack on Hogwarts.
Every single night, she found herself surrounded by blood and carnage… It was inescapable, even with a potion for Dreamless Sleep. She tried numerously. Not sleeping at all did prevent the nightmares. She tried that too. However, it rendered her completely useless the next day, and no amount of caffeine could help.
Her mother, her father, Ron, Harry, Remus, Tonks, the Weasleys… Every night, one death after another.
Something about this particular dream must've been especially horrid, she remarked to herself, since all the details of the dream fled her mind entirely upon awakening. But, as she yawned and stretched, rubbing the remains of sleep out of her eyes, Hermione found that she was deeply thankful.
Indeed, she was thankful that for once she was waking up not having to remember…
She wouldn't have to spend all day with the image of someone close to her heart as a nameless corpse burned into her mind… All the while trying to act cheerful and pretend that nothing is wrong, lest her boys get worried. It never occurred before, being released from the prison of her mind prior to the coming of dawn.
And she had gotten very good at pretending.
Hermione's attention was quickly redirected as her stomach gave a loud rumble. Mumbling something having to do with `Ron' and `contagious' she untangled herself from the sweat-soaked sheets and swung her legs over the side of the bed, deciding that getting herself some food (and maybe some coffee) would be a good way to ensure not falling asleep again.
Grimmauld Place was daunting in its darkness, with (almost) all of the occupants sound asleep at the late (or early, however you wish to view it) hour of 3 AM. Hermione tiptoed down the stairs, not wanting to wake up any of the portraits. If she were to disturb Mrs. Black, per se, she may as well have paid Lee Jordan to announce her awakening with a magical megaphone.
However… It appeared that she was not the only one up. Hermione was startled, on her way down the stairs, to see the soft light flooding the kitchen and to hear the murmur of male voices. It couldn't be more than two people, but they seemed to be having a heated argument.
For once in her life, curiosity got the better of her.
I could've actually used some Extendable Ears tonight…
What in the world has gotten into me? Bloody Fred and George!
Reaching the bottom of the flight of stairs, she crept along the wall with all the stealth she could muster at the present time, straining to listen, until she was within a comfortable hearing range.
Upon closed inspection, it became evident that the voices belonged to none other than Remus Lupin and Alastor Moody.
"…don't even know what you're thinking!" The latter sounded exasperated.
"Alastor, there's got to be a way! I mean, Albus believed in -"
"Albus believed in a lot of things, and look where it's gotten him!"
Hermione had a feeling that she did not like where this conversation was headed, but nonetheless she remained transfixed in her spot…
"Look, Remus! He's just a child, whether you want to believe it or not!"
"He's not just a child! Look at everything that he has lived through already - he's faced the Dark Lord more times than any adult in the order!"
"And what got him out of every one of those situations? His extraordinary superhero magic skills? I don't think so! It's been luck, or it's been special protection, or it's been others helping him… Perhaps the only thing that's so remarkable about him is his ability to keep a cool head in the face of such dangers! Bloody Gryffindor courage…"
"And even that courage sets him apart from the rest! And his loyalty, and kindness, and friendship… Despite all that he has been through, he has maintained his ability to love! Ron and Hermione? Have you ever seen such a strong bond between any three people? And what about that Weasley girl that Harry was so in love with? You know why they broke up? Because he was afraid to endanger her, he confessed that to me!"
The voices had been gradually escalating. At this rate, thought Hermione, they'll soon wake up the subject of their discussion. Thankfully, it seemed that Alastor chose to back down and make ammends.
"Please, just don't start jumping down my throat - I'm not criticizing Harry, you understand. I don't deny all of those - wonderful - personality traits that set him apart. After all, who could deny his goddamn hero complex? Just explain to me this one thing… That power to love of his? All that loyalty and kindness? How the hell is it going to help him kill Voldemort?"
A tense silence followed afterwards.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about…" Moody's words had an air of finality.
"But there's got to be something… He can't just… It can't just… I mean, we always have to have hope!" Lupin's voice sounded pleading, on the verge of despair.
Moody's tone became much softer, even comforting, "I know he's like a son to you… One last connection to Lily and James, as well… But there really is a fine line between hope and foolishness. I, on the other hand, am facing brutal reality."
"Albus believed… He believed that… H-he was the only one who could defeat Voldemort once and for all."
"I've taught him in Defense Against the Dark Arts. You've taught him yourself, I know. Was there anything extraordinary about him?"
"Well, he did get an O on his OWLs…"
"As did a few other boys and girls. Sure, he's good at dueling and such. But he's only good for someone of his age and skill level… Compared to his classmates, not fully trained murderers. I, for one, believe that Granger could beat him in a duel if she only put her mind to it. That is, if it were possible to get those two to combat each other. Don't know how she didn't get an O…"
Moody paused.
"…then again, that girl could do almost anything she put her mind to."
All of the sudden, Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she sensed someone's gaze boring into her. Just like that, she saw him clearly, as if he was right in front of her: Alastor Moody, his hyperactive magical eye swiveling madly around, searching… Looking through the back of his master's head. Looking through the walls. Looking directly at her.
He knew she was there.
She realized that, from that point on, the conversation was no longer meant just for Lupin's ears.
"So what are you saying? That there's no hope? If he's prophesized to be the only one who can beat him… And he can't beat him… What are we to do, lie low and let Voldemort take over?"
"I would never suggest such a thing, Remus, and you know it!"
"Then what exactly are you suggesting?"
"We can't just blindly place all hope on him and follow. If he's the only one who can give the final blow… All we can do is to enable him to do so. Of course, we can't even attempt to keep him out of battle. Not that anyone could stop him from going anyway."
"But for him to cast the spell to destroy Voldemort… I know no one could stop him from battling the Death Eaters as well… How can we possibly keep him out of harm's way?"
"He will need some sort of protection, undoubtedly. But you do realize… Even if he manages to finally face off with Voldemort… He wouldn't have a chance to cast the Avada Kedavra, if he could manage it at all, before Voldemort would cast it on him. The Dark Lord is not stupid enough to let Priori Incantatem get in his way a second time, either. And Lily's protection no longer works against him…"
"So what you're basically saying is that… If he finally faces Voldemort… He dies?" The final word came as a heart-wrenching whisper.
"The only way he could win that battle would be if somehow the Death Curse cast by Voldemort didn't kill him… And he cast one of his own during Voldemort's confusion. Of course, he would have to be somehow protected while battling the Death Eaters as well."
"So there's no way… How could he possibly escape the Avada Kedavra, without his mother's protection or a link between their wands?"
"There is one other way… A dark, terrible, unimaginable way, which would therefore be completely unexpected by any on the Dark Side."
"Do you mean using dark magic against them?"
"No, Remus, I mean using something… Someone else."
"I'm afraid I don't understand you."
"In time, I think - I know - you will. Just have faith. But for the meantime, our hope needn't be in Harry but elsewhere… Hope that love can be so true as to make someone sacrifice everything."
Hermione knew what she had to do.
She was never a girl prone to crying, but managing to get back to her own room silently, without breaking down in tears, seemed a miracle that night. Moody's voice, speaking to her and not to Remus, was still ringing in her ears.
"We can't just blindly place all hope on him and follow…"
"He will need some sort of protection, undoubtedly…"
"The only way he could win that battle would be if somehow the Death Curse cast by Voldemort didn't kill him… And he cast one of his own during Voldemort's confusion. Of course, he would have to be somehow protected while battling other Death Eaters as well…"
"There is one other way… A dark, terrible, unimaginable way, which would therefore be completely unexpected by any on the Dark Side…"
"Someone else…"
"…our hope needn't be in Harry but elsewhere… Hope that love can be so true as to make someone sacrifice everything…"
"…that girl could do almost anything she put her mind to…"
Anything… Almost anything…
Moody knew. He knew! And Hermione would be lying to say that she wasn't affronted at how easily he managed to manipulate her.
She had a glaring reminder of his manipulations right in front of her: the ancient yellowing tome, lying wide open by her bedside.
A remarkable book, really. Quite simply titled, Cruor Vinculum. Which, in reality, no one could know since the lettering had long since faded from the cover.
A monstrously thick Latin manuscript bound with human skin and written in blood seemed to Hermione a fascinating bedtime read. It also had much potential on having useful information for the war effort, though at the time she couldn't fathom just how much. And she did wonder why Moody was so over-eager to let her borrow it.
But her choice had already been made… Her choice to do whatever was in her power to protect him. Even if it meant giving up everything.
Incapable of restraining her emotions for any longer, Hermione cast a wordless Silencing Spell on her room and allowed herself to break down at last.
Her tears did the job intended for that coffee which she never got: for the rest of the night, sleep eluded her entirely.
That morning, Hermione arrived downstairs for breakfast after everyone else, hoping that they wouldn't notice her puffy red eyes and would believe in the sincerity of her laughter.
A/N: That's it for now. Thanks for reading, and please take a moment to review!
Cruor vinculum = blood bonds (in Latin) according to some random online free translation site, which most likely should not be trusted.
The song segment at the start of the chapter was from the Evanescence song, Give Unto Me.
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