"Why do we hunger so for vicious things?

Our wishes bend the statues of the gods."

— Robert Lowell

Draco leaned against a shadowed corner of the room, ignoring the arrogant voice of Cormac fucking Mclaggen. He, Granger, Mclaggen, and six other Order members were meeting in one of the safehouses, going over plans for a raid on one of the larger and more guarded Death Eater laboratories. And they were to be led by none other than Cormac Mclaggen. Draco sneered in his direction.

" — the anti-Apparition wards span approximately within a 50 meter radius of the perimeter. There are three known exits, all guarded. According to our scouts, one is used for importing supplies. That's the entrance we will be using, as we have a schedule of their shipment — "

The plan was simple — too simple — without any contingencies or added protocols should anything go wrong. They were to hide in one of the shipments that a supplier, a secret spy for the Order, would hide them in. Then they were to split up with one group, including Granger and himself, tasked to gather as much information and samples as possible. Another group would be on the lookout and the other was responsible for setting up a distraction on the other side of the building when they needed to leave. Draco was surprised that Granger had not interrupted to point out the obvious holes in the plan. Instead she stood there with her brows furrowed as she mulled over the glowing figure that depicted the blueprints of the lab.

"And what's the backup plan should we need to retreat?" Draco interrupted. "If there are more guards than anticipated or more security measures warding the information we need?" he drawled.

All heads snapped in his direction, Mclaggen's lips curling in evident disdain.

"There are always many ways a mission can go wrong but we can't be afraid and wait around. This may be new to you Malfoy," his tone dripped with distaste, "but here in the True Order we go in with bravery, willing to sacrifice ourselves for the cause — until the very end."

"Stupid Gryffindor bravery will get us all killed," Draco spat.

"Maybe if you had some, Malfoy, then Hogwarts would not be overrun. Hermione wouldn't have that scar on her arm had you not stood there like a fucking coward — "

"Best to shut the fuck up, Mclaggen," Draco said quietly, his voice pitching dangerously. The two men stared at each other, a palpable tension electrifying the room.

"Or what?" Mclaggen replied. Despite the flash of hesitancy in his voice, he stepped closer. Draco smiled.

"A shame really, if it weren't for that blind Gryffindor bravery, maybe Harry Potter would still be alive." Gasps filled the room and a crack resounded through the walls as Mclaggen's fist met Draco's jaw.

"Stop! The both of you!" Hermione yelled, going between them both before Malfoy could launch himself at the other man. "We don't have time for this. Get some space and we'll resume later. Everyone, except Malfoy, out."

"Hermione, he — " Mclaggen began.

"I'll handle it," Hermione said with a clipped voice and a glare. Mclaggen merely nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it, before leaving the room with the others.

When Hermione turned back around, Malfoy was glaring at her shoulder, jaw bruised and lip bleeding. She sighed, waving her wand and healing his lip.

"You shouldn't have done that." His eyes snapped up to hers, narrowing defensively.

"Really, Granger, you can't possibly agree with the so-called 'plans' of that arrogant prick — "

"He was appointed lead, Malfoy!"

He sneered. "And since when does Hermione Granger keep quiet when she knows better, when she knows someone is wrong," he gritted out, stepping closer to her. Hermione stood her ground, glaring up at him.

"Well he wasn't wrong about everything," she said before she could stop herself. His eyes widened a fraction before his expression shut down. Hermione thought she imagined him flinch.

"I see," he murmured, blinking slowly at her with blank eyes.

"Malfoy, I didn't — "

"Save it," he cut her off, looking down at her with a guarded expression. "I'm not surprised. After all, you think I don't notice the way you go rigid every time I walk in the room. Or how you become suspicious or guarded when I'm around. I know what I am, Granger — I know what I've done. And it will always be a part of who I am."

Hermione looked away but held her head high, the atmosphere in the room even more stifling.

"But, I wonder if you remember who you are, Granger." Hermione's head snapped in his direction. "I sometimes wonder if Hermione Granger let herself die that day on the battlefield." Malfoy's head tilted, his gaze piercing through her as if seeing something she could not. "A shame really."

Before she could respond, Malfoy strode past her, leaving her standing alone as the echo of the door shutting resonated into nothingness.

***

The first part of the mission went smoothly — the team had successfully infiltrated the building and the three subgroups had gone into place. Hermione finally dismantled the last of the wards outside the main laboratory, letting her, Malfoy, and Mclaggen in. The room was empty and looked similar to the previous labs she had visited, but this was larger and Hermione couldn't help but feel an air of foreboding as the smell of Dark Magic and decay invaded her senses.

"What is that smell," Mclaggen choked. Malfoy too looked disturbed by the smell, his eyes watering as he grimaced.

"It doesn't seem to be fatal," Hermione coughed out, hiding her nose behind her sleeve. "I didn't detect such fumes when I cast the charm. But the smell seems to be coming from over there." Hermione brightened her lumos then approached a covered pile of what looked like little sacks on the ground. Malfoy and Mclaggen followed her lead, wands in the air while covering their noses as the stench grew stronger.

Hermione bent over, using her wand to flick the sheet backward. Instantly, she recoiled and smashed into a hard chest, but she couldn't take her eyes away from the mutilated bodies before her. No. Not just bodies. Bodies of children.

Vaguely she noticed Mclaggen retching behind her. Neither she nor Malfoy could look away from the little bodies — between one to three years old, piled on top of each other. Their eyes were milky white in contrast to the black veins that sprawled across their delicate faces. Bile rose up her throat upon seeing their peaceful repose, a morbid contrast to their pale, bloated flesh.

Hermione choked on a sob and finally turned away as Draco pulled the sheet back over them.

"Vessels," Draco said in a hollow voice. "That's why he forced the purebloods to have children and it explains why some have disappeared. He's been trying to create vessels, just like he did with Potter as a baby."

Hermione screwed her eyes shut. The other bodies she had found on her previous mission — kissed by Dementors, soulless.

"Something hasn't been working," she finally managed to get out, her voice still shaky. "In the last lab they were using Dementors to suck out the souls of adult bodies — likely an experiment to turn bodies into viable hosts. Additionally, when I caught a glance at Harr — the Dark Lord, he too had those veins sprawled around his face. His current form must be weakening and now he is looking for a new vessel."

It made sense. Voldemort had been successful in imbuing his soul into another being when Harry was a baby and now he is trying to do it again. The magical cores of children were still underdeveloped, making it easier to tamper with. Hermione suspected that's what had happened to Harry when he was turned into a Horcrux — as he grew up, Voldermort's soul and magic acclimated to his. She now suspected that Harry's body was weakening because that's what Dark Magic did to the body — it fed off one's soul, one's life. And now it could no longer sustain itself.

"A horcrux? He's making another horcrux?" Mclaggen rasped, after finally recovering.

"I don't think so. His soul is already mutilated. My theory is that he is trying to recreate what he did to Harry — create another vessel as a backup. Perhaps a stronger one as it seems Harry's body is deteriorating with all the Dark Magic. But it's not that simple. Harry was the first successful victim and he only survived because of his mother's protection. From what I've gathered from the previous labs, they must be experimenting with ways to recreate what happened that night by finding an alternative to Harry's mother's sacrifice as such a spell is nearly impossible to recreate.The Hellebore plant's tears have spiritual protective properties. But," she swallowed, "from these bodies in front of us, there doesn't seem to be much success."

Before anyone could respond, shouts and explosions erupted from the other side of the building.

"Shit," Mclaggen cursed, "it's too early. Something's wrong."

Just then, someone from the subgroup tasked to cover them barged in — Susan Bones.

"It was a trap! Our inside agent was found out and they made him lead us in anyway. They knew we were coming! We've got to go!"

Malfoy glared at Mclaggen before running towards the door.

"How many are there?" Hermione asked, joining Malfoy and Susan by the door.

"Dean and Seamus are near the main hall. We counted five at the time, but more are pouring in. All the entrances are blocked," Susan replied as they jogged through the empty hallways.

"Our best bet is to regroup with the others — " Mclaggen began before Draco cut him off.

"And let them hoard us in one area and corner us? Are you mad, Mclaggen?" Draco growled.

"Get in line, Malfoy, I'm the one in charge — "

"Shut it, both of you!" Hermione seethed. "Malfoy is right — we're outnumbered vastly so even if we regroup it would just make capturing us easier. But I have a plan."

The other three paused, wands still on guard waiting for Hermione to explain.

"When we run into Death Eaters, we shouldn't stun them," Hermione said uneasily waiting for protests but relaxed a fraction when there was none. "Stunning them will just lead a trail in our direction. I've been developing this charm — a variation of the Confundus charm where you can specifically target the information the victim is confused about and redirect it to a false thought. But it only lasts a short period. Nevertheless, it's better that we confuse them into thinking we will be trying to escape through a particular exit so when others join them, they will be misdirected."

"And the last group?" Mclaggen asked.

"We'll just have to hope they make it out with their original route," Malfoy responded, knowing just as the rest did that they had no other choices.

When Hermione taught them the charm and all was set, they continued towards Seamus and Dean. Up ahead, there were noises and they immediately slowed, wands at the ready. A curse shot out from the corner but upon realizing it was a stunner, Susan called out to Dean and Seamus.

"There you lot are!" Seamus said as he limped in their direction. Dean on the other hand had a nasty gash on his cheek but looked unaffected by it.

"We were able to take down five, but another five poured in and we decided to regroup with you guys," Dean added.

Hermione quickly explained the new plan and showed them the charm. Suddenly, two Death Eaters stormed in from the corner. Malfoy cast a protego, followed by Mclaggen, easily deflecting the hexes. Shots fired in each direction, Dean sending an acid curse at them.

While writhing on the ground, Hermione cast the charm on them both. It worked. Both Death Eaters got up and ran in the direction of the opposite hall that led towards the furthest exit away from their intended escape route.

"Should they encounter others, those Death Eaters will be told they've seen us heading in the other direction. But it wont hold for long — let's go," Hermione instructed as they continued to make their way out.

They met thirteen more Death Eaters along the way. Thankfully, however, they didn't meet them all at once. Everyone seemed to have mastered the charm and eventually they got closer to one of the entrances without much interference.

Finally they exited the building, only to find more fighting outside. The last group was surrounded by thirty Death Eaters. Before Draco could even strategize a way out, the rest of the Gryffindors lept into action, immediately stunning as many Death Eaters as they could. Without any choice, Draco joined in the fray, dodging left to right and sending curses in every direction. His muscles burned as he duelled two Death Eaters.

"Get past the anti-Apparition wards!" Mclaggen's voice came from his right. Draco shot a slicing curse at one of the Death Eater's arms, slicing it cleanly off while immediately dodging the other spell coming his way. He recovered by sending a stunner to his attacker.

Draco looked up, the smoke from the spells making it difficult to see who was left on the battlefield. Red and green light sparked in different directions, but it was difficult to make out any faces.

"Malfoy, let's go!" Dean Thomas called, coming to his side along with Seamus. Draco scanned the field quickly before running with them to the edge of the anti-Apparition wards. Other Order members joined them there shortly.

"Where the fuck is Granger?" Draco snapped upon noticing the bushy-haired witch missing.

"Dolohov," Bones answered with labored breaths as she clutched her bleeding arm. "She caught him from behind when he was attacking me. She urged me to go. That's the last I saw of her."

"We have to go, you know the protocol — " a pale-faced girl began.

"Then go." Draco shot her a murderous look and, before anyone could protest, Draco ran back into the haze.

***

"Hello, mudblood," Dolohov spat.

Hermione tried to focus, trying to spot her wand. She had lost it after she had disarmed Dolohov who had been close to killing Susan. A rogue spell from her right had grazed her leg, causing her to stumble and drop her wand.

"Let's see how you do without that wand of yours." Hermione felt paralyzed as Dolohov launched himself at her, his fist meeting the side of her skull. Hermione's vision went blank for a second as she collapsed on the ground. Her head rattled and she tasted the metallic taste of blood in her mouth.

"Get up, mudblood." Dolohov hauled her upwards, her vision clearing fractionally once on her unsteady feet before she collapsed again on the ground. "Pathetic," he laughed and aimed a kick to her stomach, causing her to double over.

"A shame — quite a pretty thing aren't you. I'm sure you'll make a good pet to — "

"Confringo," an angry voice hissed. Dolohov screamed as he was blasted into the air, landing with a resounding crack.

Suddenly, Malfoy was there with her wand in his other hand. "Let's get out of here," he said, helping her to her feet then giving her back her wand. Hermione blindly reached out for him and managed to cling on to his shoulder, her vision still blurred. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before winding his arm around her and supporting her weight. Her ribs felt cracked, but she managed to keep up with him.

Malfoy cursed. "They're surrounding us," he rasped as he blocked another curse. Hermione could barely concentrate, the pain in the chest making it difficult for her to breathe. It felt as if a sudden weight had collapsed on her chest, every breath piercing through her lungs. She didn't even realize that Malfoy had managed to haul her behind a small shack.

"Granger, I'll be back. Stay awake," he commanded, noticing she was going unconscious. Hermione put her weight against the wall, fighting to keep her eyes open as she weakly cast a healing charm to stabilize her breathing for a little while.

A moment later, a roaring sound startled her, two bright lights blinding her vision.

"Get on, Granger." When her vision adjusted, Hermione thought she was hallucinating. Before her was Draco Malfoy on a large sleek motorbike, his blond hair disheveled, falling darkly across his fine face. His pale eyes flickered from beneath the shadows cutting across his hard expression. Is that Sirius Black's motor —

Before she could finish the thought, Malfoy pulled her behind him, telling her to hold on tight as the engine purred then roared to life suddenly. Instinctively, she wound her arms around his torso, holding on tightly as they accelerated, the wind whipping through her hair and the smell of ash and sulfur receding into the distance.

When Hermione gained more of her senses, a weightlessness startled her. Her stomach fluttered uncomfortably as she gripped Malfoy's waist even tighter. The motorcycle sped through the air, going higher and higher as the building and trees disappeared from sight. The dizzying height along with the pain made Hermione's vision blur as the stars began to swirl then wink out little by little, leaving a blanket of darkness all around her. Her head lulled forward, ear pressing against something solid, something warm. In the next breath, she let herself surrender to the steady heartbeat beneath her ear as a soothing numbness overcame her.

A/N: Ahh hello! Early update because I'm absolutely swamped this weekend! I hope you enjoy! I also have a little surprise for you all that I'll be sharing in the next couple of weeks!

EDIT: Lovely commission by @/alienescence of this scene! (Tumblr: https://alienescence.tumblr.com/ instagram: @/alienescence)