Manacled

Chapter 62

She swallowed and drew her feet back. "I didn't know—until today. I only realised it after the battle had started. There was a prophecy made twenty years ago, 'either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.' Harry thought if all the other horcruxes were destroyed, that having the Dark Lord kill him would cause them both to die."

The sight of Harry's expression going blank flashed before her eyes. Her throat contracted, and her whole body shook. Her cheekbones and chest ached. She felt as though she were on the verge of breaking into pieces.

She was glass, only a breath away from shattering.

She gripped the edge of the bed and watched her knuckles turn white. "We missed one. There's another horcrux. I thought—I thought we'd found them all—but I was wrong."

There was a stabbing pain in the back of her throat as she swallowed. "We have to find it."

"The Resistance has lost," Draco said in a flat voice. "The war is over."

Hermione jerked sharply at Draco's words, and there was a flush of heat that burst through her.

"I know. You don't need to tell me. I know we lost!" Her voice was ragged.

She drew a sharp breath, and it burned in her lungs. She pressed her lips together and pressed her hands against her eyes as she exhaled and tried control herself.

"I'm not saying the war isn't over." Her voice was still shaking slightly. "I'm saying we have to find the horcrux. We have to find it. If we can destroy it, he'll die—maybe not immediately, but if he loses all his horcruxes, he'll die." She kept speaking, faster and faster. "The Death Eaters don't share goals with the Dark Beings, the regime will crumble without him. It's not as though he'll ever groom a successor. We just—we have to find it."

There was physically fractured sensation laced through her as she sat there. She felt as though her heart had broken, but she was still too shocked to feel it.

She dropped her head down and pressed her jaw against her shoulder. "The Resistance—is lost. I know. There are maybe a few cells left that were less involved with the Order, but most of our able force was at Hogwarts today. A few people may escape, but otherwise, Severus and I are the only active members of the Order left. We—" she felt as though she were being ground into dust. The weight of everything was too much. "Until we find the remaining horcrux, we can't try to rescue anyone. They'll all be traced, we can't risk both you and Severus trying to get them free. The horcrux has to be the priority. That's the only way for us to actually end this and really save them."

"There's no us. You're leaving Britain."

Hermione looked up at Draco.

His eyes were still burning with rage, but his expression was set. "I'll find it. You're leaving. There's no Order left to keep you. Potter is dead."

She flinched.

He paused for a moment and seemed to be weighing what he was about to say next. "Weasley will be dead within the week. There's no reason for you to stay. You can't remain active; it will be easier for me to work if the Dark Lord assumes a victory. If he thinks the Order is still a threat, it will make finding any remaining horcruxes more difficult."

Hermione's mouth twitched. "Fine," she finally said in a tight voice. "I can collaborate long-distance initially."

Draco's eyes flickered for the briefest moment, and she knew it was his intention to make the arrangement permanent. He would do everything in his power to prevent her from ever returning to Britain if he thought there was any risk from it.