She blinked, trying to think. Everything came rushing back with almost violent anguish.
She'd passed out from shock and a lack of oxygen.
She swallowed, and her tongue tingled. He'd dosed her with a sedative while she was unconscious, so she'd be pliant and cooperative.
She stared up at him as she tried to find words.
“I'm never going to forgive you for this,” she finally said. The words were vaguely slurred, giving the sentence an irregular lilt, as though her mouth wouldn't quite cooperate with her.
Draco didn't flinch, his hand ghosted along her cheekbone. “You'll be alive and away from the war. Those — were always my terms.”
Hermione pressed her lips together for several seconds as she tried to think through the potion clouding her mind. Whatever he'd given her, it had been a large enough dose that she was surprised she'd managed to regain consciousness. The fact he'd dosed her while she was passed out meant the potion had activated fully before she was conscious to fight against it.
There was a cold rage seething through her that she couldn't quite reach.
She forced herself to think slowly.
The fanfare is in the light, but the execution is in the dark.
It was theoretically possible for an occlumens to make themselves immune to any mind-altering potions, although it was preferable if they were conscious at the time of dosage. Draco had likely known that fact and intentionally given it to her while she was unconscious because of it.
Veritaserum, sedatives, Love Potions, an occlumens could potentially wall them away if their mind was already compartmentalized enough. Hermione stared up at Draco as she laboriously gathered up the effects of the potion he'd given her and walled in it around the events of the day.
Her mind was suddenly crystal clear.
She studied him, calculating.
She could see all the emotion behind his carefully guarded eyes.
“If you force me to leave, and then you die, we may never find the horcrux,” she said, still using the slow sedated lilt.
His eyes flickered, and his expression grew cool. “If the Order had wanted to win, they should have made better choices. If the Dark Lord kills them all, perhaps they will finally realise the consequences of their ideology. I did everything that was asked, but I cannot save an army that will never be willing to pay the price that victory demands. I am sick of watching you try to pay it for them.”
Hermione sat up slowly on the bed.
Draco stepped back and offered his hand. “We're going now.”
“No.”
His eyes narrowed and grew flintlike. “Granger, you gave your word.”
Hermione clenched her jaw. “I know. I will go — per your demands, but I need to speak with Severus first. He'll be the only one left who can find the horcrux, there's — research I need to share with him.”
“No.” The word was snarled.
Hermione stared up at him, her expression deadened but determined. “You know I will always choose the Order first.”
He flinched. His mouth pressed into a hard line and his gaze dropped as he released a short breath and he stared at the floor. She saw his throat contract and the corners of his mouth twitch as he swallowed, his silver eyes looked away from her.
Hermione continued speaking. Slowly. Doggedly. “If you force me to leave without speaking to Severus, it could qualify as a violation of your Unbreakable Vow to aid the Order. You might just collapse and die before we get there.”
Draco looked at her sharply, and she met his gaze coldly and continued. “And — the last thing you will do is betray me. If you let me do this, maybe someday I'll be able to forgive you.”
He stared at her, and she didn't blink until he wavered.
“Fine.” His voice was bitter, and he looked away from her again.
She nodded slowly and stood up, reaching for her wand and tapping twice on the charm on her wrist.
While they waited, she crossed the room to re-examine Ginny.
“You should take Ginny first,” she said after several minutes. “The stasis she's under is going to last a few more hours, I don't have the materials to make the counter-potion, and it will be difficult if she wakes up and I have to explain everything to her here before we go. Especially when I'm drugged like this.”
Draco gave a low scoff in the back of his throat. “You expect me to leave you here with Snape?”
Hermione shrugged. “She's pregnant, and when she wakes up she's going to find out that Harry is dead and her entire family is lost. I won't have much time to say goodbye to you if I'm calming her.”
There was a muffled crack outside. Draco turned to open the door.
Hermione wondered if she could move fast enough to stun him. She shifted, and he immediately looked back at her.
Severus stepped through the door and looked back and forth between them. His mouth curled into a sneer, but she saw a subtle flood of relief in his eyes.
“Of course, I should have realised you somehow had her when she wasn't ever brought to Hogwarts.”
Hermione slid her hands behind her back and curled them into painfully tight fists. “Do they have everyone then?”
Severus gave a infinitesimal nod. “Gabrielle Delacour was secretly caught a week ago. They used her to lure out Fleur.”
Hermione shook her head slowly. “Fleur would never—”
All the safe houses.
Fleur had known every one. She'd warded and maintained them.
Hermione shook her head again. “She wasn't the secret keeper. That couldn't have been enough.”
Severus' mouth twisted derisively. “With Sussex's endless ingenuity, the impossible becomes possible. Something related to the way Veela channel their magic it would seem. They've been working for months to perfect breaking through the Fidelius.” The acidic disdain in his voice was muted. He looked tired.
She wondered if he were carrying equal despair behind his own occlumency walls.
Severus stared at Hermione, his expression wary. “What happened at Hogwarts?”
Hermione dropped her eyes. “Harry was a horcrux. I found out today, after the attack had already started. When I confirmed it, I tried to convince Harry to have the Resistance fall back, but he thought if all the horcruxes were destroyed that letting the Dark Lord kill him would fulfill the prophecy and kill them both.”
Severus' expression flickered. “Just how did you come to realise that?”
“Poppy told me she noticed irregularities in his signature during first year, but Dumbledore dismissed them.” She gave Severus a long look. “Did you know?”
His lip curled. “I did not. I wouldn't have endeavored to teach him occlumency if I had been aware he had a horcrux in his head.”
Hermione gave a small nod. “Well, it hardly matters now. He's dead, and it didn't work. We missed a horcrux, and we have to find it.” Her jaw twitched, and her voice grew tight. “Draco blew his cover getting Ginny out of Sussex. He expects he has less than twelve hours before the Dark Lord learns of his betrayal.”
Severus looked sharply at Draco, who stared back with an indifferent expression.
Hermione swallowed. “I agreed to leave Britain and take Ginny to safety. Severus, you'll have to be the one to find and destroy the last horcrux. My research was lost in Grimmauld Place, but I can explain everything before I go.”
Severus' expression didn't so much as flicker. “Indeed, and what will Draco be doing?”
Hermione steeled herself. “He's going to take Ginny to the safe house first and get everything arranged while I'm giving my research to you. Then he's going to take me and return.”
Severus gave an audible snort and looked at Draco. “Really? That's your plan? And I'm expected to follow orders?”