28. Where the Light Extends

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter:) Never will!

Note: Super thanks to my awesome beta, Eilonwy! I hope you like this chapter! And oh, nearly 100 reviews for chapter 27! I was flabbergasted:) Thank you all so much! Oh, chapter title from a song by... (dun dun dun) Dar Williams.

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Chapter 28 - Where the Light Extends

They returned not two days later. Hermione was in the kitchen, preparing more potions for their month-long venture that was rapidly approaching. She had six pots boiling and was chopping ingredients in a frenzy. She heard the door open and voices, but she couldn't put down her knife to greet them; she had to finish her task.

"Hey, guys!" she called. "I'm in the kitchen! Arrowroot!"

"Hermione?" said someone very familiar in an incredulous voice.

She froze and slowly turned to the doorway of the kitchen and in doing so, failed to chop the arrowroot in the required sixty seconds. It burst into little blue flames and disappeared.

"Bugger!" she said. "Ron? What in the world are you doing here?" she asked, not sure whether to be happy or not.

"I could ask you the same thing!" he said, clearly flustered.

Just then Ginny walked into the kitchen. "Ginny!" exclaimed Hermione. "What is going on here?!"

"Hermione?" she said weakly. "Oh, this is really too much." Ginny collapsed into a chair.

Then Harry poked his head in and grinned sheepishly at Hermione. "Surprise?"

Hermione turned to Harry, butcher knife in one hand. "Harry Potter, you'd better tell me right now what's going on!" she demanded, shaking the knife at him without realizing it.

She sensed someone behind her, but before she could move, a hand had covered hers and gently pulled the knife away from her.

"That's better," came Draco's voice. "No one needs a knife right now, least of all you."

Hermione looked at him as he set the knife on the counter. She was so relieved, so happy to see him okay, that she nearly flung her arms around him right then. Instead, she simply said, "You're okay."

He looked back at her, frowning slightly. "Yes. Two ounces, every four hours, for two days, right?" Hermione only nodded. "My last dose is due in… three hours, I believe."

"Okay," Hermione said quietly.

Draco continued to stare at her, wondering what it was that had her eyes looking so bright. It hit him that she'd been worried about him. And just him. Not Harry, not both of them. Him. Never before had her concern been directed solely at him and there was…a strange feeling, in his chest, almost as though his lungs would burst if he took a breath. She really and truly was concerned about him. Slowly he smiled at her, their eyes still locked.

Harry cleared his throat, breaking the moment. Hermione looked toward the kitchen door to find Ron scowling furiously and Ginny shaking her head as if she had officially seen everything.

"Uhm, I think we should all go into the sitting room," said Harry. "We might as well be comfortable for this, and as far away from potentially deadly weapons as possible."

"Harry," said Ginny, tiredly. "What is going on? Tell me right now or else."

"Else what?" said Ron.

Ginny smirked at Ron. "Oh, he knows."

Harry tried smiling, but it came out looking as if he were in severe pain.

"All right, everyone, sitting room," said Draco patiently. "This is going to be a bumpy ride, so let's get started so we finish it and move on. I for one am hungry and exhausted."

No one moved at first. Finally Hermione crossed the kitchen and went into the sitting room and sat down heavily on the sofa.

Ginny followed, sitting on the sofa with Hermione. Next came Ron, scowling still, then Harry and finally Draco. Harry sat in a chair, and Ron on Hermione's other side; Draco remained standing.

"I'm not doing anything while he's here," said Ron.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm not exactly thrilled with you being here either, you know. Sitting in my house with a pack of Gryffindors? Not my idea of a good time."

Ron gaped at Draco. "Your house?" he said incredulously. Then he looked at Harry. "What are we doing in his house?"

"It's a long story, Ron," Hermione said patiently. "I'm sure all of your questions will be addressed."

Ron scowled and crossed his arms, glaring at Draco but saying nothing.

"Maybe I should wait outside," said Draco.

"No," insisted Harry. "This involves both you and me. They need to accept it."

Ron's jaw dropped. "You and Malfoy? What, are you mad?"

"Ron, just shut up and listen, all right?" barked Hermione.

He glared at her but said nothing, looking to Harry.

Harry told Ron and Ginny the basic gist of what was going on. They'd been living in this house, working to bring down Voldemort, Hermione was helping them, and they were about to finish what they'd started and were going to be gone a long time.

"Where are you going?" asked Ginny, suddenly worried.

"A mission, Gin. A long one. An important one."

Ginny could only nod.

"What mission?" asked Ron. "Why do I seem to be the only one who seems surprised by this? And will someone please tell me what that pasty-faced, good-for-nothing evil Death Eater is doing in the room, unharmed and unhexed?" Ron asked, obviously highly frustrated. When nobody said anything, he gaped at Harry. "Let me get this straight, then. You and Malfoy are on some mission together? Malfoy. The Malfoy. The ferret. The one we hate. That Malfoy?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, Ron. Him."

"Hey," said Draco, looking at her a little hurt.

Hermione looked at him. "You know we don't hate you," she said.

"Why not?" Ron asked, sulking. Hermione gave him a hard look. He continued. "Anyway, so Hermione, you agreed to come help them?"

"Yes. Harry would have Obliviated my memory if I hadn't."

"To protect you, Hermione, not as a threat," Harry said quickly.

"I know. Still. Ron, I had the option of either returning to a job that I hated and piddling around looking for Death Eaters without Harry, or helping him actually DO something to get rid of that monster. There was really no choice."

Draco smiled to himself at her fierce defense.

"But – HIM! He's evil!"

"Ron… try to understand," Hermione relied. "He was the one with the plan, the ideas, the means to get the goal accomplished. And…" She looked at Draco. "Whatever he was in the past, he's not… that person anymore. If he ever was."

Hermione's comment silenced the room. Draco was staring openly at Hermione who held his gaze, for once his mask of indifference absent, a completely stunned expression on his face. Harry was beaming at her, and she pointedly refused to look at Ginny or Ron.

No one spoke for a few minutes, and in the thick silence, Hermione felt the weight of what she'd said finally sink in. Her heart jumped in her chest, and she looked away from Draco.

"Draco is with us now," said Harry firmly and quietly after a few moments. "We would be nowhere if not for him."

"But – " Ron started.

"Oh, shut up, Ron. Get over it." Ginny sighed wearily. "Hogwarts was forever ago. If Harry and Hermione say he's okay, then you should trust your two best friends. They've not gone loopy, and they're both quite healthy, so he's done them no harm. Get over it already."

Ron looked about to protest, but instead scowled deeply. "Ginny, you aren't nearly as surprised by all this as I am. Why?"

Ginny looked nervously at Harry, who only shrugged. "Ron, I've known since August that Harry was working on a secret project that required him disappearing. I knew nothing about the details, Malfoy, or Hermione's involvement, though, until tonight."

"Why would Harry tell YOU and not ME!"

"Ron, we have something to tell you," said Harry, moving to take Ginny's hand. Ron's eyes widened. "We're married. Have been for almost two years."

"WHAT!?" screamed Ron, jumping up from his seat. Draco was enjoying this scene of the play immensely. "What?" Ron repeated. "Why – how – I – " Then he seemed unable to support himself any longer and sank back onto the sofa.

"Sorry Ron, we didn't tell anyone, I mean no one. Malfoy found out – "

"What!?" Ginny exclaimed, looking at Draco.

" – and mentioned it in front of Hermione, so I had to tell her."

"How did he find out?" demanded Ginny.

"Oh, he won't tell you," assured Hermione. "Not for ten years. Or something. Are we on ten still?" she asked, looking at him.

He only nodded. Ron's eyes widened again. "That parchment you got for Christmas! It was from him!"

"Yes, Ron."

He puzzled, straining to remember. "What was with the bird seal?"

Draco finally spoke. "It was a reminder of something else we have yet to discuss."

Ron shook his head. "I don't understand."

"Ron, we want you and Ginny to be here with Hermione while we're gone. Otherwise, she'll be alone for at least a month, and she's really not supposed to leave, so Draco suggested letting you two in on the secret, since it's nearly over with, so she won't be alone."

Hermione glanced at Draco, who was pointedly looking at the floor. She was surprised at first, but then not at all. It had been his idea to bring Ron and Ginny in, and he'd done it for her.

"Why isn't she supposed to leave? Are we going to be prisoners here?" asked Ron.

"No, of course not. It's just, Hermione is a target, and …. " started Harry, knowing that finishing his sentence would enrage Ron even further.

"Lucius attacked her when she went to her flat in January," said Draco.

Ron couldn't even speak at first. His face was turning red and his knuckles white. "What did you say?" he whispered.

"Lucius attacked her when she went – " Draco started again.

"I heard you, Malfoy," Ron spat. "What do you mean?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Really, Weasley, what do you think?"

"Your dad hurt Hermione?"

Draco's own anger seemed to be just bubbling below the surface. "Yes. He did. But Harry and I were able to prevent further injury."

Ron glared at the man with white-hot hatred written all over his face. "You and your despicable family deserve to be tortured within an inch of your lives, then killed in the most painful way possible, and your bodies left out for the carrion birds to pick at your flesh while you rot."

"Ron!" exclaimed Hermione, astonished by this outburst which revealed such hatred.

Hermione could see Draco's anger swirling in his eyes. He looked at Ron so fiercely that eventually Ron flinched. Then Draco spoke very quietly. "Don't you think I know that, Weasley? Don't you think I know that every single miserable minute of my life? I would have killed my father for what he had done if not for her, thereby further proving that you are right."

No one spoke for a few minutes. Ron continued to glare at Draco, who returned the glare with equal animosity.

Finally, Hermione needed to get them to move past this. "Ron, I'm all right. Harry and Draco saved me, and no harm was done. Don't let it bother you."

"Don't let it bother me that Lucius Malfoy attacked you? How am I supposed to do that?"

"Let it go. It's in the past. He won't hurt me again."

"I will never let it happen again," said Draco firmly, looking into Hermione's eyes. She gave him a weak smile.

"You won't?!" said Ron, "You probably got her into it in the first place!"

Now Draco was very angry and he was unable to remain collected. "I would never, ever, ever allow Hermione to be hurt, and I have done everything in my power to prevent it. And I will continue to do everything in my power to prevent another occasion for her to be hurt. Everything!" He was shouting at the end of his outburst, giving Ron such a look as made even Hermione tremble in fear of him.

Hermione just stared at him. She'd never heard him talk so strongly about her before, ever. The others stared at him as well, Ron's glare slowly disappearing.

"Do not accuse me of being involved with Lucius in any way," said Draco, finally calm enough to speak without yelling. "Our association ended years ago."

"Draco," said Hermione, pleading silently with him to let this go. Hearing her voice, he looked at her and his features softened slightly.

He pulled himself together the rest of the way and resumed staring at the floor.

Still, no one spoke for a few minutes. Finally, Ginny broke the silence.

"Will it be dangerous?" asked Ginny, quietly.

"Yes, it will Ginny. But it's the risk I've been preparing to take. We're ready."

She seemed to pass from fear to anger to resolve in mere seconds. "Okay, Harry. I'll stay, of course I'll stay. Just – just be safe, all right?"

"You know I have every intention of coming back to you," he said sweetly. Hermione couldn't help but think that maybe Harry did have a small clue about romance after all.

"What happens now?" Ginny asked. Harry told her that they would be leaving for a month, maybe more, to first find and kill Lucius, the final Horcrux, and then find and finally battle the Dark Lord.

"But why will it take so long?"

"Because he's constantly on the move," said Draco, "It takes going through channels to find him, and though I deserted him long ago, he does not suspect it. That I've been able to detect, at least. I still have the ability to detect those channels. The length of time it will take is only an estimate. It will be a slow, arduous journey."

"But you'll be with Harry the entire time?" Ginny asked.

"Of course. I will make sure he arrives safely before the Dark Lord. And I will stand beside him while they fight, and do anything and everything I can to make sure Harry comes out the victor."

The finality with which he spoke alarmed Hermione. What did "anything and everything" mean? Would he even offer his own life to continue Harry's? She shuddered at the thought, and then became angry with herself for worrying about Draco more than Harry, if even for a second.

"So, why didn't you tell me before now, Harry? Hermione? Huh?" said Ron, suddenly angry. "We're supposed to be in this together, and you've gone and replaced me with Malfoy." He spat the last name with as much venom as he could muster.

"Ron," started Harry, "I knew this would upset you. But I could only choose one of you. Malfoy insisted. Hermione worked on something completely different from us. You wouldn't have wanted that task, you would've wanted to train with us, and we needed her task finished as well."

"Why did Malfoy get to decide? Why did he make you choose between your best friends?"

"Because, Weasley, it's my plan. Without me, Potter had nothing. My rules were followed. At all times; no exceptions. If you want to blame someone, blame me, not Harry. He made the right choice."

"Draco," Hermione said. He looked at her and she smiled encouragingly. "I would ask you to remember that we did what you said because we chose to, not because you demanded it."

He blinked and understood what she meant – in the end, once all was said and done, she and Harry chose to work with him, chose to trust him. He knew Hermione had done so with no reason other than the fact that Harry trusted him. Now though, she'd grown to trust him on her own.

She turned to her friend. "Ron, Harry needed me to do something I was good at and would enjoy – research. That's what I did for months while I was here. Plus, I went to St. Mungo's and learned all about healing spells so I could, if necessary, heal Harry and Draco.. It's come quite in handy."

Ginny whipped her head around to look at Harry.

"Just me, Ginny," said Draco.

"Good," said Ron, angry still, "You probably got what you deserved."

"Ron!" cried Hermione. "Don't say that! You have no idea! You wouldn't have wanted the tasks I was given. And Harry could only risk one of his friends being exposed to the dangers of embarking on this mission."

"Danger? I've been with him every step of the way, Hermione, as have you. I cannot believe you were with him all this time, fighting Voldemort, without me."

"Ron, please," she said, pleading, nearly in tears for wanting him to understand. "I haven't been fighting with Harry. I've been sitting here, researching, reading, making potions, and the like. Not fighting with Harry. Not once!"

"But Malfoy has," he said darkly. "He chose Malfoy. Over me."

"Ron, that is stupid," said Ginny. "He didn't choose Malfoy over you. He never would. That is just absurd to suggest."

"Draco chose me, Ron, not the other way around. He came to me, offered me this chance. I jumped at it."

"Again, blame me, Weasley, if you must blame someone. Harry had no choice if he wanted the information and training I offered him. He would have had you here if he could, I have no doubt. And it's not as if he and Hermione were here every day sharing stories over tea. We barely saw her over these months. So stop feeling sorry for yourself that you were left out of this. Now you're in it. So be in it."

Hermione saw that Ron was about to protest, if only for the simple fact that Draco had spoken. She cut him off before he started. "Well said. Are you in or not?"

Ron looked at her with a shocked expression. "Of course I'm in! I'm not leaving now, you must be mad!"

Hermione threw her arms around Ron and gave him a long, tight hug. He reddened, but eventually returned the hug. Draco's jealousy train started rumbling and he had to remind himself that she'd already tried that, and it hadn't worked out. Still, she'd never hugged him like that. Nor would she ever, really, he thought. He sighed, and looked at Harry, exhausted.

Harry nodded. "Do you lot have any more questions?"

Ron and Hermione pulled out of their hug, Hermione with tears in her eyes. "No," he mumbled.

"No," said Ginny.

"No questions?" asked Hermione one more time. No one spoke. "Good. Then, I've got a potion to finish, and after that, dinner to cook."

"I can cook," offered Harry, cheerily.

"No!" exclaimed Hermione and Draco together. They looked at each other and had to quickly look away, so as not to laugh.

Harry scowled. "Fine."

"I'll cook," said Draco quietly, and without looking at him, Hermione nodded.

"That's settled. Ron, you can take my room. I prefer sleeping outside. Ginny, I guess you're with Harry."

"What?" yelled Ron, eyes bulging.

"They're married, remember?" said Hermione patiently.

Ron scowled. "Oh. Right. How could I forget? Are you married too, Hermione? That bloke from the book shop? Got any kids running around here? Anything else you want to tell me?"

Hermione reddened and she could feel Draco's gaze on her. "No, Ron. Stop being so thick. Take your stuff upstairs. I'm the first door on the left."

ooo

The meal was mostly quiet. After everyone had eaten, Harry cleared the table.

"Afters, anyone?" Hermione asked. "We've got ice cream."

Ron grinned at her then. "Butter pecan?"

"Naturally," she said, smiling back.

Harry, Ron and Ginny opted for ice cream, and Draco declined.

He excused himself from the table and went outside onto the back porch. He let out his breath in relief at finally being away from the others. The tension had been almost tangible, and he hated feeling so exposed and vulnerable. He also knew that Ron and Ginny were just waiting for a chance to be with Harry and Hermione without him around, most likely to talk about him.

He considered listening in, as he very much wanted to know what Harry and especially Hermione would say about him. But he'd found in the recent past that he couldn't listen in on their conversations anymore without feeling a sense of… guilt.

Draco smiled, thinking that Salazar Slytherin must be turning in his metaphorical grave at the very idea that one of his own would feel bad for eavesdropping. He sighed and sat in Hermione's spot and Summoned a book.

ooo

As soon as Draco had shut the door, Ginny cast an Imperturbable Charm on it.

"So, what's he like?" she asked seriously. "Is he completely unbearable?"

"No, not anymore. He's generally agreeable. Wouldn't you say, Harry?"

He nodded, his mouth full.

Ginny's eyes suddenly widened. "He's him, isn't he?"

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked. "Him who?"

"HIM! The potion guy!"

Ron's eyes got big too, and mean. "I knew I would want to punch that git."

"Yes, but Ginny, Ron, do you remember what I told you? That I'd been wrong about him?"

"He still yelled at you and made you cry," said Ron angrily.

"That's true," Hermione agreed. "He's… done it a few times."

"He killed your parents!" Ginny said, in a horrified whisper, as though she'd just remembered.

Hermione shut her eyes tight and took a few calming breaths. "I know. It's – okay. I've forgiven him."

Ron's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious."

"I am," she said stubbornly. "He's changed."

"Yeah, right," muttered Ron. "People like him don't change. They lie."

"Hey," said Harry sternly. "Draco isn't lying."

"But… still! You're so sure! After everything, Hermione. He called you names and said the worst things about you. And Harry, he hated you from the beginning and treated you just as horribly."

"Ron, it's like Ginny said. Hogwarts was ages ago. A lifetime, it seems. Days when the worst thing anyone did was a harsh word, or a Jelly-Legs curse. Now we live in a world where Death Eaters kill babies. It's a far cry from schoolyard taunting. Now… we've all grown up, we've all changed. Is it really so hard to think he could change too?"

Ron looked at her hard and saw a piece of his Hermione, the one who stood up so adamantly for house-elf rights and Snape's goodness, shining through her eyes – complete and utter conviction that lit a fire in her soul. He smiled. "I guess not, Hermione. I – I'm sorry."

She sniffed her acceptance. "It's to him you should say that, Ron."

"Fat chance," he said, now grinning.

"So tell us about your plan," said Ginny after a moment of silence. When Hermione gave her a grateful look, Ginny smiled.

Harry brought them up to date, telling them everything about the plan from start to finish.

"Let me get this straight. This mission you're about to go on is to find and kill Voldemort?" Ginny asked when he'd finished.

"Yes," Harry replied.

"Only, you've got to kill Lucius Malfoy first."

Harry nodded slowly.

"I've tried to find information about reversing the process whereby a Horcrux is created," said Hermione. "But I haven't had any success at all."

Harry looked at her incredulously. "You have? Why?"

"For both of you, really. I mean, Lucius is his father."

Harry frowned. "Why me? I mean, I get why you'd want to do that for him, but why for me too?"

"Because you've known since we were fifteen you would have to ultimately face Voldemort, and possibly kill him. He killed your parents, he's killed countless others, and he's the most evil wizard of our time. You've become accustomed to the idea of killing him, you're prepared for it. You've accepted it as a reality in order to move past his reign of evil and terror.

"Lucius is completely new. Sure, he's evil too, but you have no personal vendetta against him like you do with Voldemort. He's also very clearly not Voldemort; he's a follower, someone who enjoys being cruel and horrible, but only under the cloak of a black mask and the protection of someone more cruel than he is. Can you really kill him just as easily as Voldemort?"

Harry shifted around in his seat and continued frowning at his empty bowl.

"Harry?" said Ginny, reaching for his hand. "What is it?"

He looked at Hermione. "I was hoping not to have to think about that."

"I'm sorry, Harry. But it's been bothering me."

"Me too," he grumbled. "Maybe Draco can do it."

"No," Hermione said firmly.

"Why not?" asked Ron. "He's done it tons of times already, what's one more?"

"First of all, it's his father. Second, he doesn't kill anymore. Third, it's his father, Ron. How could anyone ask someone to kill his own father?"

Ron scoffed. "I don't get why we're worrying about what he thinks. And who says he doesn't kill anymore, huh?"

"It's true," said Harry.

"And you believe him?" Ron asked.

"Yes, we do." Harry sighed. "Look, it's taken us a lot of time to get to where we trust him. Hermione much longer than me. So we don't expect you to trust him just because we say you can, or should. Just – please trust us."

Ron sighed. "I'm here, aren't I? I do, I trust you guys, but it's Malfoy. Merlin, we've hated him for years."

"Yes, we have, Ron," agreed Hermione. "And now, we don't."

Ron shook his head. "It's going to take some time for me."

"So tell me, Hermione," Harry said, wanting to move away from the more volatile subject of Draco. "What have you done on the subject? I had no idea you were researching Horcruxes."

She gave him a tired smile. "Ever since determining that Lucius was the Horcrux, I've been trying to find ways to attack the Horcrux itself, and not the host. Or to withdraw the Horcrux from the host in order to dispose of it that way. But I've had absolutely no luck. There are only two books in the entire Ministry library that even mention Horcruxes, and they are not at all informative.

"This is very Dark Magic, and would require Dark writings on the subject. Dumbledore didn't even know much about them. So trying to find someone who'd not only created one, or had seen one created, but had also tried to reverse the spell…" She shook her head. "That would be in the Darkest book, in the darkest corner of the Darkest wizard's library."

"Well, you're in luck! You've got him living here!" said Ron.

"He doesn't know anything about them, Ron. At least, not what I'm looking for. Don't you think that if he'd heard it was possible to reverse the Horcrux, he would have looked for it? I haven't even found out what spell creates the thing."

"I bet he knows more than he says," said Ginny quietly.

Harry looked at Hermione. "Have you asked him?"

"No, Harry, I haven't! I don't even know if such a thing is possible, and I don't want to mention my idea without something to back it up."

"What idea?" came Draco's voice from the door.

"What do you know about Horcruxes, Malfoy?" asked Ron accusingly.

"Not much. Why?" he asked, moving further into the room.

Ron looked at Hermione, whose back was to Draco. "Hermione has an idea that maybe it could be reversed."

Draco cocked his head to the side. "Really?"

Hermione turned around to look at him. "It was just an idea I'd had. I haven't had any luck."

"Don't bother," Draco said. "He'll get what he deserves."

She wanted to protest, to ask him how he could say such a thing about his own father, but she knew from the look on his face that he wanted nothing to do with such a conversation.

"And what about you?"

"Ron!"

Draco looked at him hard, not quite glaring, but not a harmless look, either. Ron eventually wavered. "I will too, Weasley," he said quietly. Ron looked at Harry, and Draco turned to Hermione. "Granger, it's going to rain tonight. Not too hard, though."

She nodded, and Draco walked through the kitchen and up the stairs and they soon heard his door shut.

"Why did he tell you it's going to rain?" asked Ginny, unable to think of anything else to say.

Hermione sighed. "So I would know to put up a screen. I'm sleeping outside, remember?"

"Hermione, you can have your room," said Ron. "I don't mind sleeping on the sofa."

"Thank you, but no. I really like sleeping outside." She smiled at her friends. "Ron, I'm really, really glad you're here. I've missed you terribly."

"I've missed you too," he said with a smile, and Hermione knew he meant Harry too.

She smiled back at him, then at Harry. "It's good to be us again."

ooo

A/N: Thanks for reading! Oh, I can't wait until the next chapter! You're all going to freak out:)