AN: This is it, the very last chapter of my very first chaptered story. I admit to it having a bittersweet feeling for me! However, I've written many more since and I still love this one! I'd really like to know what you think about, not only the chapter itself, but the story as a whole. (I did notice in rereading this before posting that, during the posting process, the format changes a bit. I hope if that happened in previous chapters you were able to overlook it without much difficulty!)
Also, just a quick note...Granger Enchanted is my 'home page', meaning it's where I post all my fanfiction first. I have several more stories up there that aren't up on or . If you're interested, check them out!! I LOVE that site!
Now, enjoy the ending of Filthy Little Mudblood!
Severus stood completely still, fear and guilt gripping his chest and making it hard for him to breathe. Only decades of experience as a spy left him able to separate the emotions running rampant within himself and the duty he still had to Hermione. People rushed all around him--some screaming orders, others begging for their lives or freedom--but his own mind was fully concentrated on the anomaly known to him simply as 'the veil'. The only other presence he remotely acknowledged was Lucius, who was at that very moment crumpled to his knees, the pain and devastation of his loss written clearly on his usually stoic features.
'Hermione, damn it! Answer me!' 'Severus? I'm here. We're in a room through the veil.'
He jerked back as though stabbed by a knife through his head, her voice rushing at him faster than normal and making him quickly cover his ears before he realized it was her. He recognized, or assumed he did, that time would have two different definitions for them, and hers appeared to be the faster one. Harry screamed again, and Severus glanced in his direction, noticing that he was fighting against a one-armed Shacklebolt in an attempt to get to the veil himself. Bloody ridiculous git.
'Thank Merlin you're alive! Your words are too rushed, slow down. We're thinking of a way to get you out. I know you just went through, but hang in there and I'll get you out! That is if I can keep Potter from going in with you.'
"What is it, Severus?" Lucius asked, his face now the fake picture of indifference those around him had come to expect from the prestigious pureblood, his slightly tangled hair the only thing detracting from his impeccable appearance.
"She is alive," he hissed.
"Thank Salazar," Lucius murmured with emotion, but kept quiet otherwise as he watched Severus closely and waited with patience honed by decades of training.
'Just? Are you serious? I feel like it's been hours. The Dark Lord is dying slowly, and Remus and Sirius are both in here with us.'
Great, Lupin and Black had survived, his day was now complete. The sarcastic thought filtered into his brain before he began to wonder exactly how it was possible for those two to still be there. 'Interesting. The Aurors have been called. Rodolphus has disappeared, but the other Death Eaters have been detained. Do not break this connection, Hermione. I need to think for a moment.'
How could he get her out of there? If Black had been trapped in the veil for all these years, surely there was a way, knowing that someone on the outside was actually able to speak to someone on the inside. The question was, could it be done and, if so, how could he do it without losing his own life? Still, her life was more important than his own; his purpose had been fulfilled and there was little left for him now.
Her panicked voice cut through his thoughts and he struggled to keep up with her words. 'Severus! You must send Harry through the veil! You must do it now!'
Send Harry Potter through the veil? Had she gone mental? Or perhaps, as he had feared only hours ago, she had indeed traded sides. NO! He refused to believe that of her, but still, how could she ask such a thing of him?
'I will not!' 'You must, Severus!'
"What is it, Severus?" Lucius asked quietly so as not to draw unwanted attention to them.
"Potter. He must go through the veil as well."
'This is insane, even for you.' 'We don't have time and this is the only way to truly stop him! Send Harry through the veil now!'
"She says it's the only way," he said to Lucius, unsure exactly whom he was trying to convince.
'And Severus, tell Lucius I love him, that it has always been him for me and no one else.'
"And," he added impatiently, his gaze already roaming the bustling room in search for his target and finding him sobbing over the dead bodies of the Weasleys, "she also says that she loves you. Apparently, it has always been you."
Lucius stood dumbfounded at the declaration. No matter how harshly the words were spoken, he heard only her soft, passionate voice speaking them as she caressed his cheek with her soft fingers. Severus, however, refused to allow him the pleasure and spoke quickly, his voice cutting, yet slightly hesitant and unsure. "Keep them away from me until it is done."
'Hermione, what-' 'NOW SEVERUS! DO IT NOW!'
He tried Banishing Harry quickly, but only served to catch his attention. Bright green eyes bored into him as the young man stood up and walked closer.
"You need something?" he asked warily, while he wiped all evidence of emotion from his face.
Through closed lips, Lucius murmured, "Together," and Severus nodded his agreement.
Severus looked at Harry and saw, for the first time, the man before him and not the reminder of his father. He also saw the eyes of a woman he had once deeply cared for. "Forgive me, Lily," he said through a cloud of emotion, as both he and Lucius pointed their wands at the Saviour of the World and sent him, wide-eyed, into the veil.
Within seconds, strong arms wrapped around them both, forcibly removing their wands before binding both their submissive bodies and their magic.
Suddenly, a bright light shone from the veil, catching everyone's attention moments before it exploded and sent them all staggering backwards. When Severus looked back to the veil, dread churning in his stomach, it was to see Sirius Black holding the body of Harry Potter, but his accusing gaze bored directly into Severus himself. That failed to bother him nearly as much as the need to find Hermione. When his eyes swept to the left, his heart jumped to his throat. Remus Lupin was openly weeping over Hermione's lifeless body…the Dark Lord was nowhere to be found.
"HERMIONE!" Lucius screamed loudly, fighting desperately to reach her as an Auror began roughly dragging them both out of the room, all the while hissing about Death Eater scum. Severus' only concern was that Hermione was, once again, not answering his call.
She hated it. She didn't even know what the 'it' was she hated, she just knew she hated it with an unrelenting passion. And the voices! Gods, would those damnable voices never cease? Were they so completely moronic that they could not tell she was lying there and hating them for breathing?
Hermione took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing her body and her anger to calm down to a reasonable level. The darkness must have invaded her more fully while she had lain unconscious, and now it was threatening to take over. Still, she fought for herself, for her humanity, and, before long, she lay quiet and peaceful.
"I know you're awake, Hermione."
Her eyes opened slowly, and she waited impatiently for the blurriness to dissipate before looking around the room. Remus and Sirius were sitting on the bed beside hers, Kingsley had taken up a post near the door as he stood and observed those around him and Harry was sitting on her bed, his hand holding hers and a sudden look of relief showing on his handsome face.
"Hello, boys," she said sweetly, before dragging herself up to a sitting position and wincing at the stiffness in her body. "And thank you for pointing out the obvious, Remus."
"You're welcome," he said, a smirk gracing his handsome, happy face as he looked at her. It was then she noticed Sirius' hand on his thigh and realized they must be open in their relationship at last.
Sirius followed her gaze and chuckled. "I think I've lost too much time to hide what makes me happy now."
"Agreed," she said.
Kingsley cleared his throat, and they all looked at Harry, his expression slightly ashamed and regretful. "What am I missing?" Hermione asked coldly, finding it harder to fight the darkness now than ever before. "Think it will take the four of you to send me to Azkaban?"
"That's not something to joke about, Hermione."
"Who said I was joking? You all know where I've been, what I've done. Unlike Severus and Lucius, I didn't decide to turn good."
"You're not being sent off until we know all the facts, Miss Granger," Kingsley said coldly.
"I'm not? Seems to me," she said, looking pointedly at his now missing arm, "that you've already found me guilty."
"In my opinion, you are guilty, but not of the charges actually put against you. You are guilty of selfishness, of acting the part of the gods, but not of being a Death Eater or of the attempted murder of Harry."
Hermione chuckled, a cold, mirthless sound that made them all cringe as she eyed her Dark Mark. Instead of fighting the darkness inside her now, she felt as though there was something else, something new growing deep inside her; it felt cold and dark, and she revelled in it.
"Playing the gods? Hardly. But attempting to kill Harry," she said, looking at her friend without regret, "possibly."
"Lucky for you, the two who actually committed the act have already been detained and thrown in Azkaban for the rest of their miserable lives," Sirius grumbled.
"What?!" Hermione snarled angrily, as she jumped from the bed and wandlessly transfigured her hospital robe to witches' robes. Turning to the other four, she added in a cold, dark voice that surprised them, "I am the one who told Severus to send Harry into the veil, I am the one who made the decisions of what we were doing, and I am the one who made it happen! If anyone is to be punished, it is to be me and NOT them. Is that understood?"
"Are you forgetting you do not have the power here that you think you do?" Kingsley asked.
"I believe, Minister, that I have more power than you realise. I have the power to kill the four of you where you stand before you could even raise your wands in defence. I also have the power to break them both out of Azkaban and hide us all. However," she added, willing herself to calm down, "I can refrain from such acts for the time being."
"Hermione, please. Just answer our questions and we'll go from there. You're not going for a full trial due to the nature of your involvement, so it's up to us to figure out what happened and then come to an agreement," Harry explained.
"Haven't Remus and Sirius already told you what you needed to hear?"
"They've told us their part; now it is your turn."
"And I'm supposed to believe you would be understanding, Kingsley? No matter how close we once were, it's obvious you blame me for what happened to you."
"I will be objective. I haven't forgotten our past, Hermione; I simply wish to understand your present." His tone was softer, and she felt her anger dissipating slightly. "What was the nature of your relationship with You-Know-Who?"
Rolling her eyes at his continued refusal to say the name, she sighed before responding. "Complicated. However, my relationship is of no consequence to the charges and will not be discussed."
"That's fair," Remus interjected.
"Fine," Kingsley's agreement was reluctant at best. "What is your relationship to Severus and Malfoy?"
"When I was taken, Lucius took care of me. He kept me safe from the others, and I began to care for him. Severus and I share a bond that can't be readily explained using the simple terms of English. But we do share the ability of telepathy and can hear each other's thoughts."
"Why was Harry sent into the veil then? If it was at your command, as you say, what was your reasoning?"
"Simple. I knew the Dark Lord wished to kill himself rather than to die by my hand. When he finished discussing his plans for rebirth, I knew Harry was the key and that he must die with Remus, Sirius, and myself. I didn't know we'd survive, but I did know that Harry would rather die himself than allow the Dark Lord's return."
"She's right, I would. I didn't know there had been a part of him in me until I regained consciousness. I always battled with this darkness inside myself and now," he said with obvious relief, "it's not there. I just feel like myself. I can grieve for our losses and know that the emotions are mine, and mine alone."
Kingsley nodded and continued. "Why did you fail to save the members of the Order you swore to protect when you were inducted?"
She laughed coldly once more. "Save those who abandoned me? Do you think I cared any longer about their fate when it was the Dark Lord that remained my main target? Do you think the option to kill Harry would have been afforded to me had I saved the life of a blood-traitor?"
"So you were simply playing a part? When your best friend stood before you and was killed by You-Know-Who, you showed no remorse at all!"
"OF COURSE I DIDN'T! He was going to kill me, and, had the Dark Lord not have killed him first, I would be dead now. I was too shocked by what I thought were the deaths of Severus and Remus to even react to Ron's curses. The Dark Lord was protecting me when he killed Ron."
"Protecting you? Why?"
"That is what I said. As for why, you'll have to ask him that yourself."
"We can't. He is gone, along with his body."
"His body is gone as well?" she asked, showing surprise for the first time since she recovered.
"The room exploded and knocked you and Harry unconscious," Sirius explained. "When we began looking for him his body had disappeared, just like before."
"Why is that?" Kingsley asked her.
"Does it look like I know?" she snapped. "I've answered your questions. Now, either release Severus and Lucius or prepare my cell next to theirs. I do not abandon those loyal to me just because the situation is undesirable," she hissed coldly, making Harry flinch.
"Kings, you can't charge her for saving the world. It may not have happened the way we all thought it would, but it did happen, and we have her to thank for it," Remus said, his voice soft yet stern as he faced the Minister of Magic as the Leader of the Order; two powerful and respected men only seeking the truth.
"You're right, of course," he relented at last. "Did Severus or Malfoy do anything untoward during the battle?"
"No, they merely deflected curses or sent badly aimed ones," Remus answered, his voice leaving no room for argument.
"Then they are to be released. Hermione, go home, clean yourself up, and I will bring you their papers. I dare say you want to personally see that they are released."
"Bloody right, I do," she said, disappearing on the spot and leaving them all staring gobsmacked at the place she had just vacated. St. Mungo's had the best anti-Apparation wards, and Hermione had treated them as though they were nothing.
Reappearing at the Manor, Hermione quickly made her way from the Dark Lord's chamber to the Sitting Room just beyond. She was met by a rather angry, rather large snake that she had learned not to fear. However, upon seeing Nagini, Hermione felt her eyes burn and the darkness surge through her. Instead of hatred, though, she felt a connection with the loathsome snake. Surprisingly, Nagini bowed her head and slithered away; to where, Hermione knew not.
She quickly forced herself to the dungeon, before walking to Draco's cell and calling to him. "Wake up, you prat. You missed all the fun," she taunted.
"What do you want now, Mudblood?" His eyes widened when she waved her hand in front of the door and the lock clicked open.
"What I want, Malfoy, is to kill you in the most foul way I can imagine. What I will do, instead, is keep my promise to your father and send you away."
"What? You can't!" he squeaked, scooting closer to the wall as if to get away from her.
"You're going to Atlantis, and that is final. The Dark Lord has fallen, and you won't be safe anywhere the Ministry can find you. When the dust has settled, so to speak, your father and I will come for you. In the meantime, you'll remain there, trapped and living as a Muggle on an island even the Muggles that could help you cannot find." She grinned wickedly before raising her hand and laying it on his shaking shoulder. His eyes grew fearful, and she found the expression made her intensely happy.
"You…your…but your…" he stammered as he stared at her in shock.
"My what? Never mind, your distractions won't work. Good bye, Draco." Removing her hand from his shoulder, she snapped her fingers and watched as he disappeared before disappearing herself to the library. Her research notes would still prove useful, and she couldn't risk anyone else finding and destroying them.
As she began collecting her things, the door opened and she glanced up into the eyes of a very angry and murderous looking Rodolphus.
"What is it?" she asked heatedly, shrinking her books, along with several others.
He raised his wand quickly and a Binding curse flew in her direction. With a smile and casual flick of her hand, the curse was deflected easily, and she glared at him.
"You betrayed us! Because of you the Dark Lord is dead!" His eyes were cold, even though slight shock registered at her gesture.
Her anger was fierce as she stared at him without an ounce of fear. "The Dark Lord is gone, not dead. And you would do well to-"
"Sweet Salazar, forgive me!" he gasped, before quickly dropping to his knees and bowing before her.
To say she was confused would be an understatement, more so when the Death Eaters behind him also bowed before her. She had learned a thing or two from her dark lover and, without missing a beat, while thanking the gods they didn't all draw their wands on her instead of bowing, Hermione said coldly, "All of you go. The Ministry will be looking for anyone with a link to our Master and, if found, you will be prosecuted fully. I have managed to convince them to release Severus and Lucius and, when the time is right, our Lord will come for us again. Go quickly, and remember him!" she hissed, watching as they bowed their heads and then turned away. She smiled as she watched them leave, intoxicated from the power that commanding others gave her.
Taking the rest of her belongings, she quickly Apparated to her father's rooms and held onto him, his face a mixture of surprise and love as she Apparated them both to Grimmauld Place, shocking Kingsley when she appeared directly beside him.
"I hope you did not assume this to be my home. Do you have the papers?" she asked without preamble as her father stumbled into the room and looked around.
His brows were furrowed as he handed them over with his remaining hand. "Right here. You shouldn't encounter any problems. I have sent an owl ahead of you so that you may-"
"Hermione!"
Looking over quickly, she barely caught a glimpse of red before Ophelia threw her arms around Hermione and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're here, that you didn't leave without me! When are we going?"
A grin overtook Hermione's face and she nodded slowly.
"Can you leave now?"
"Of course!"
"Great. Give me just a minute." Hermione closed the short distance between her and Kingsley, looking at his wary face, but remembering their past. He had let her go free against his better judgement, as well as Severus and Lucius, and she had the power to reward him. Power. Reaching out and feeling slight irritation at the way he flinched away from her touch, she waved her hand along where his arm should be, silver strands flowing from her fingers and weaving themselves into a new arm.
With a gasp of surprise, he flexed his new arm experimentally before scowling. "I did not ask for this, nor do I want it. Practice your magic in front of me again, and I will rescind your pardon and throw you in Azkaban."
She laughed softly. "That is not Dark Magic, my friend. It is simply magic. Feel free to look it up, and make sure you take care of my parents in the meantime." Her irritation flared, and she felt her eyes burn.
Grabbing Ophelia's hand, she nodded goodbye to the others and, as her eyes met Remus', she almost missed the same shocked and horrified expression on his face that she had been seeing entirely too often in the last several hours. Without a sound, the two women were gone, only to reappear on the outskirts of Azkaban.
"We'll walk in from here. I'd hate to surprise them and have a wand happy Auror curse us."
"Have you talked to him? Does he know we're coming?"
"No. As long as he's in Azkaban, I can't reach him. When they come out, he'll see you. I daresay he'll be thrilled to know you came of your own free will."
"Snarky git grew on me," she muttered, a slight blush trailing up her cheeks that made Hermione laugh outright. "It's a British thing, I think," Ophelia added quickly.
'Severus, do you think you can walk any slower? If you leave me alone with her much longer, I may very well make you a widower before your wedding.'
"Hermione!" He said her name as though he'd been doing nothing but waiting to hear her voice, but failed to realise she couldn't hear him from this far away. 'Who are you talking about?' he asked, using the connection he knew she could hear.
She laughed to herself as she imagined him rolling his eyes. Down the stone lane, just as she had expected, two figures were walking quickly their way. When they suddenly stopped walking, she looked at Severus again before her eyes locked on Lucius and her feet picked up speed without her acknowledgement. He was stunning. Fresh out of a prison and the man looked ready to attend any number of pureblood functions. Her eyes burned again, but this time, the feeling was caused only by the tears that came unbidden and threatened to damage her newly self-proclaimed 'cold and powerful witch' title.
Lucius stopped in his tracks and stared at his friend. Two days, two long, disastrous days where he had finally convinced himself that his witch was dead and his life was not worth living except for his son, only to hear Severus was calling out her name as though he expected her to answer. When he saw the expression on the cracked man's face, he followed his gaze. His breath flew from his lungs as he stood there, staring at the witch quickly walking towards him. His witch.
When they were only meters away, Ophelia squealed loudly, making Hermione wince at the noise as her one true female friend threw herself into Severus' arms, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist as she kissed him hard. When they broke apart, Hermione nodded slightly to him and he smiled in return, before taking his wand from Ophelia's hand and Apparating them both away. Words were not needed between them, they never were; their bond was stronger than that.
"Where have they gone, do you suppose?" Lucius asked quietly.
"I have no idea. Wish he would have told us though. That's somewhere I want to avoid for a good long while."
They were nervous and making idle chit-chat. It was a bit comical, two powerful beings nervous to be left alone with each other, forced to finally admit to the other what they had barely admitted to themselves.
"Come here, witch," Lucius said gruffly. Pulling her to him, he whispered into her ear. "I thought I lost you. I thought…it no longer matters," he said, holding onto her tightly as he looked longingly into her eyes.
Hermione held on to his broad shoulders and smiled up at him, her heart lighter than it had been in months as his lips slowly came down to caress hers. When he pulled back slightly, she smiled again. "I have missed you, my love," she whispered softly.
"And I you." They kissed again, their lips growing more demanding, their bodies more needy the longer they remained touching until, after a strong squeezing sensation, Hermione felt herself being laid down on a bed. Looking around in surprise, she saw an immaculately decorated bedroom and Lucius standing over her, setting his wand on the table as she tried to remember ever giving it back to him.
"Welcome to your new home, love," Lucius whispered, his own body coming above hers and his lips teasing along her neck. "What is mine now belongs to you. All I ask in return is your loyalty…and your heart. You belong to me, witch, and I could not bear for another to touch you."
"Do I get the same in return?" she asked, her hands trailing along his chest as she unfastened his robes. His gaze snapped to hers. "I have already told you, Lucius, your material possessions mean little to me. If I cannot have the promise of your loyalty and your own heart in exchange for mine, then I want nothing at all."
His voice was clogged with emotion when he looked in her eyes and replied, "All that you ask is yours."
Then he kissed her again, a kiss so full of emotion and words that she felt her heart beating inside her chest for the first time and knew her fate with this man was sealed. She had always belonged to him, but now he, too, belonged to her. There would be time later for her to tell him about Draco, for them to decide where to go from there. Until then, she wanted to kiss this man and feel his lips on hers for eternity.
She didn't know that his thoughts had strayed in the same direction. His own heart was beating in tune with hers, and there was so much he wanted to say, but didn't know how. However, he would wait. He would wait to tell her she was no longer a filthy, little Mudblood, no longer a slave or a Death Eater. He would wait, and when the time was right, he would tell her that he loved her, that he would be by her side for the rest of their lives. Nothing would change that, he silently swore, even as her eyes blazed red while she looked at him. He would love her.