“Dolores will be back soon,” Andromeda said, her voice flat, empty. “She’ll be… less kind. Please, Hermione, just think about what I’ve said.”
The smirk on Narcissa’s face didn’t fade. Instead, she took a step closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Oh, but I do, dear sister. You see, I’m here to remind you of where your loyalty should lie. To ensure that you don’t forget what’s at stake.”
She forced herself to meet Narcissa’s gaze, swallowing the surge of fear that threatened to overwhelm her. “I know my place,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly, though she hated herself for it. “I won’t forget.”
Content Set to Go Live: Sep 30th, 2024 on Ao3
As Hermione lies broken and weakened in her cell, Andromeda enters, not as an ally but as a pawn of the Death Eaters. Begging Hermione to give up her fight, Andromeda reveals the heartbreaking truth behind her presence, leaving Hermione torn between the temptation to surrender and the will to resist.
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“Mrs. Tonks?” Hermione whispered, her voice cracked and barely audible. Andromeda flinched, a small, involuntary movement that spoke volumes. Her sad smile faltered for a moment before she quickly masked it, but the pain in her eyes remained. “It’s Black now, sweetie,” she said softly, her voice tinged with a bittersweet sadness. “As it should be.” Hermione’s heart lurched in her chest. Andromeda—no, Mrs. Black—looked so different from the last time she had seen her. The years of loss and suffering had hollowed out the vibrant woman she once knew, leaving behind a shadow of her former self. Her once bright features were now etched with lines of grief, and her hair, now streaked with gray, hung limply around her face. “Yes, Hermione,” Andromeda continued, her voice warm and soothing, like a mother comforting a child. “It’s me.”
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With Andromeda’s plea hanging over her, can Hermione hold on to her will to fight, or will the crushing weight of despair finally break her?
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