Chapter Twenty-One
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Hermione was almost climbing the walls. All she saw day in and day out was the inside of her room and the ocean. Draco was now avoiding her, she had no books, she had nothing! Mallory slept so much, but Hermione did enjoy the few moments she was awake. Playing with her was wonderful. Mallory was slightly grumpy these days, though, because she was teething.
Hermione was sitting in her window again. It gave her a small sense of freedom to look out at the open sea. Hermione looked down at her ring; while it comforted her to know that she had a small connection with Harry, she knew she could never use it. She still wondered what he was doing, though. She closed her eyes and walked over to the bed. She let her hand gently grace the soft cover and finally sat down. She pictured Harry's beautiful face and felt a bit better. She leaned back and her head hit her pillow. She started undressing him in her mind and felt a tingle in her stomach. She remembered their last evening together, it had been so sexy. She remembered Harry shaving, half-naked, in front of the mirror and knew so definitely that she had never seen anything as beautiful.
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Draco was becoming exceedingly agitated; he had nothing to do. He missed his life, he missed the parties and, more than anything, he missed the women. He usually bedded many different women every week and now it had been more than a month since he had last been given the chance to release his…frustrations.
He looked over at the mirror and gently touched his cheek, noticing that he looked paler than he had a few days prior. What a shame to waste such good looks, he thought.
A maid entered his room at that moment and began cleaning. This was something that occurred every day, but never had Draco reflected on it. He never looked twice at the "hired help". He leaned back in his chair and watched the maid bend down and pick up his clothes off the floor.
"Hi, there," he said and raised an eyebrow. She turned and smiled shyly at him.
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Hermione leaned back again, what was the harm in thinking about Harry for a while? So what if he wasn't really there? What was the harm in pretending? She could feel his hands all over her, they felt better than anything. Hermione felt Harry's warm hand on her face, she giggled loudly and the sound of her own voice made her open her eyes. She rolled over on her side and looked right into Harry's green eyes. He was just looking at her, smiling. She reached out and touched his face and he laughed. The sight of his smile made her heart physically hurt.
"I'm losing my bloody mind!" she swore and sat up. She needed to work things out with Draco, if she continued this way, she would go crazy. She needed to talk to someone before she actually would see Harry. She got up and walked over to his door, hoping he wouldn't be angry with her. Well, in all fairness - she should be mad at him! She stopped in front of the door for a moment and thought about it. They were friends; he even seemed to like her…sometimes. Surely he would forgive her; they only had each other at this god-forsaken place!
She opened the door and gasped in shock.
Draco had a girl on his bed, on all fours, and he was standing behind her thrusting hard into her. He looked up and saw Hermione, their eyes met for a fraction of an instant before she swiftly turned around.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" she shrieked and, utterly embarrassed, closed the door.
"Oh, fuck!" Draco roared. He pulled himself away from the girl and went over to put on his robe.
"Why don't we finish?" the girl complained.
"Does it look like I'm in the mood?" he bellowed and she pouted. He looked at her voluptuous body and added, "Maybe tomorrow!" He walked into Hermione's room and found her pacing beside the window. She turned and saw him.
"I'm so sorry Draco, I had no idea!" Her cheeks were red with shame.
"It wasn't what it looked like," Draco started to explain. He searched his brain: wasn't that what one was supposed to say? It wasn't what it looked like, it meant nothing, it was a one time thing, he thought. He had never explained himself to anyone before. She held up her hand.
"Please, it's my fault. I should have knocked! Forgive me!"
"It was the first time, it just happened…."
Hermione turned and looked at him; he was explaining and making excuses to her as if she was entitled to answers, she stopped him quickly. This was not at all what she wanted from him; she wanted to honestly apologize for walking into his room without knocking.
"So where did you two meet, at the local pub?" she tried to joke but he looked defeated.
"I didn't want you to see that," he said honestly and sat down on one of the pillows next to the fire. Hermione couldn't help but notice the look of defeat on him. She walked over and sat down on the floor next to the bed.
"Draco, we have to get out of here, I'm losing my mind here."
"Yeah, me too. But we can't, Hermione. Honestly, this is the only way I know how to keep us alive."
"If you could just talk to Harry!" she put her hand on his shoulder.
"Harry, Harry, Harry; look, your bloody hero isn't perfect, you know! He won't be able to get you out of
this!" Draco raised his voice and smacked her hand away.
"Draco, you shouldn't be so hard on him. You have no idea the weight he has on his shoulders."
"Yeah, being the Chosen One - the Boy Who Lived - must be a real pain!" Draco snarled. Hermione sighed; she wouldn't be able to explain to Draco.
"Everyone relies on him. Everyone wants something from him; no one cares what he wants. Everyone wants him to be the way they believe he should be, and he is just too nice to say no."
"Poor Potter."
"Just try to stop hating him for a moment, Draco, and just try to see him as a man your age. A man robbed of his parents who has been pushed into this - he never chose it. All he has ever done is try to do the right thing!"
"Honestly, Hermione, you practically drool when you talk about him!" Draco snarled evilly. "Why
don't you start a fan club?"
"There are many Harry Potter fan clubs, Draco, but they don't know him at all!"
"Well, not everyone has been in his bed," Draco spat nastily and he could see the hurt on Hermione's
face.
"I was his friends for many, many years before…." She stopped herself; she didn't have to excuse herself to Draco. "Look, you don't have to like him, Draco, but I just don't get why you hate him so. He doesn't deserve it!" Draco looked away from her, she would never understand… Hermione dropped the subject.
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Bellatrix took a drink from her goblet. She looked at the piece of parchment in front of her; it was the list of her next victims. As soon as Potter and his followers were dead the whole wizarding world would loose faith in the "good". They would surrender without a fight, she was sure of it. All those weak ones wanted were to survive. Every mother she had ever met was willing to die or sell their soul for their children. Her pathetic sister was perfect proof of that. Just thinking of Narcissa betraying the Dark Lord for her son made Bellatrix fume with anger and disgust. Her dear darling Voldemort had been a true hero, and she would never abandon him. She would live up to what he had dreamed for her, for them. Her heart beat faster just thinking of him, what he could have been. She reached for her goblet again.
She knew who she wanted next, the Weasley boy, the one living abroad. Yes, his hand would look nice in her collection and, as a bonus, she knew it was bother Draco's nasty muggle-whore severely. She laughed to herself. It was especially sweet knowing that Potter held this particular Weasley so dear to his heart. A guard came into the room dragging a young girl by the hair.
"Who is this? What is this?" she spat. She hated being interrupted.
"She spent far too long in the room with Malfoy!" the guard answered. Bellatrix smiled and walked over to the girl.
"Did he fuck you?" she hissed in her ear and the girl looked petrified at her. "I can smell him on you, girl. How was he? Oh never mind answering, I will find out soon enough." The girl stared at Bellatrix, who had now turned to the guard.
"Draco can have his liberties with any girl in the castle, it's in his nature. But I don't like this one. She is too quiet!"
"But please, Madame," the girl stuttered, but Bellatrix waved her finger. She grabbed the girl by the hair and pulled her to the throne.
"Do you see this?" she screamed and shoved the girls face down to Bellatrix's forearm. Her face was now touching the dark mark still on her arm. The girl whimpered and cried in fear. "Have you ever seen anything as beautiful?" Bellatrix asked honestly. "No, of course you haven't. This is what it means to be pure. This is what…." Bellatrix went quiet again, obviously thinking about what the rest of the sentence should be. "This is what love, life, and the world should be. This is - was a man with a vision greater than any!"
Bellatrix let go of the girl and stood up. She looked like she was preaching to an audience, but only the girl and some guards were there. "This is what I am trying to resurrect." She turned to the girl and ran forward, again thrusting the arm in her face. "It should be the last thing you see," Bellatrix hissed and with a snap she broke the girl's neck. Bellatrix walked back to her goblet and took a large sip.
"What should I do with the body?" the guard asked.
"What do I care? Toss her out of the window, set her on fire, eat her!" she shrugged and the guard picked up the small body and heaved it out the window. He didn't even look at her as her lifeless body crashed into the black ice-cold waves beneath them.
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"So Draco, did you find out where Weasley is hiding?" she demanded.
Draco was back in the room with Bellatrix, she had demanded his presence. He had been allowed to spend two days in London now, but he always returned every evening to the castle to report on anything he could find. He was ordered to trail Harry and, at times, others Bellatrix took interest in. It always varied, but every time he returned he was always searched thoroughly, no portkeys, wands or anything like it was allowed.
"No."
She eyed him heatedly. "No what?"
"No, I haven't found anything you've asked for."
"That just isn't good enough, and it has been too long!" she answered.
Draco felt ice in his stomach, he knew that look on her face. Even before the door opened her heard Hermione's screams down the corridor. A man threw her on the floor before Bellatrix.
"I was only to keep her alive if you helped me when I needed you, is that not so?"
Bellatrix said in a pretend-sweet voice. "So why should she be alive when you are giving me nothing," she screamed the last word. Bellatrix even mimicked the way she spoke after Voldemort. It hardly seemed intentional. It was just him being the biggest part of her; after all, he was all she had ever lived for.
She flicked her wand and Hermione flew up to a standing position. Bellatrix walked over to the large oak table on one side of the room.
"I will find out more, I promise. It's just that I have to keep such a low profile, Potter is looking for me!" Draco stammered. He tried to sound confident, but he had seen Bellatrix torture people. In fact, he had seen her torture Hermione twice and he didn't want to see it again.
Bellatrix flicked her wand again and Hermione flew over to the table. Bellatrix walked close behind her, she smelled Hermione's hair. Hermione mumbled to herself, this was all wrong. She was a bloody trained Auror, and she was being kept by this lunatic. She should be allowed to fight; she had always wanted to be the one to give Bellatrix what she deserved. And now she was being served on a bloody platter to the mad witch.
"You even smell dirty," Bellatrix hissed and Hermione looked over at Draco. She couldn't move at all.
"All right, Bellatrix. I will head out right now, okay?" he offered trying not to sound too eager.
"Which hand is your wand hand?" Bellatrix asked sweetly to Hermione, who didn't answer. Bellatrix's
wand twitched and both Hermione's hand flew up on the table next to Bellatrix.
"I think she's right handed," Pansy called out from the corner. Bellatrix took Hermione's right hand in hers.
"Yes, this would look good on my wall," she said and ran a small knife across the palm without breaking the skin. "So you will go back to London tomorrow and find out what I need to know?" Bellatrix assured.
"Yes, I'll do whatever it takes. I'm going to keep our deal!" Draco said. Bellatrix nodded and dropped Hermione's right hand. Draco eyed her suspiciously.
"So, Potter is looking for her? Are they in love?" Bellatrix asked apprehensively.
"No," Draco quickly answered. He could see Bellatrix's mind work fixedly, her eyes closing slightly. She had counted on Harry looking for his best friend, his darling mudblood friend. But if he was in love with her he would surely come out to play sooner! She just needed to draw him where she wanted him to go.
Bellatrix took charge and then, with a swift motion, she jabbed the knife through Hermione's left hand, making it stick solidly to the table. The satisfying feeling running through Bellatrix's body was indescribable. The hex holding Hermione up was immediately broken and she screamed and fell to her knees, her hand still stuck to the table. Bellatrix looked at her and smiled sincerely.
Draco's heart almost jumped out of his chest and he made to run for her, but Bellatrix kept him still with her wand. He looked at Hermione; she was keeping still, being brave, even though the blood was dripping on the floor, staining her knees red. She was clenching her eyes shut, pain obviously very close to taking over.
"Oh, look at her, she won't even beg for mercy. What a brave little Gryffindor!" Bellatrix laughed and Pansy snickered. "Maybe I should take her during the night, when you're not here, Draco, put her on this table, in another position, let the guards do what they want. Maybe she'll want cooperate then! That usually makes the women obey me. It works even better when you make their men, the ones who love them, watch…." she added thoughtfully. Bellatrix turned to Draco; he looked panicky, just as she thought he would. Bellatrix waved towards a guard.
"Do you see him, the fat big one; he has been lusting for her. And I should tell you, the things he wished to do - his lust for blood… almost makes me sick!"
Hermione turned to Draco, Bellatrix was setting a trap for Draco - she wanted to see what he could take. Don't do it, Draco, don't show her anything! Hermione thought pleadingly, begging him.
"And the tools he carries are so…"
"I will do anything you want, Bellatrix!" he yelled at her, tears filling his eyes.
"Will you get me the Lovegood girls head on a platter?" Bellatrix screamed even louder than Draco. Draco glanced over at Hermione, nailed to the table. She shook her head fiercely, tears streaming down her face.
"Anything!" he answered.
"I've had enough of this, leave!" Bellatrix ordered Draco and he ran up to Hermione. He looked at the knife sticking out of her hand.
"I'm sorry, I have to…." he eyed the knife.
"Just do it," she murmured through clenched teeth and with a jerk he pulled the knife out. Hermione bit her lip so not to scream. She wouldn't give Bellatrix the pleasure. Draco helped Hermione up and they hurried to their rooms.
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Pansy approached Bellatrix. "Bellatrix, how will you know when he is ready to marry me?"
"I will."
Pansy looked intolerant at Bellatrix. "But he seems so reluctant. If he is only doing this for her, then why would he betray her? The things he is willing to do… She must have hexed him, that's the only way -."
"A man will say anything for what he thinks he wants. Believe me…." she was thoughtful for a moment. "It's not real, but it works so good for us Pansy."
"I don't understand." Bellatrix shot Pansy an angry look. "Because I'm not as smart as you!" Pansy quickly added and kneeled.
"Draco will soon realize that it's the only way. And believe me, a Malfoy cares most about himself. And if you doubt me again, Parkinson, you are going to loose both of your hands!" Bellatrix turned to one her dogs and patted its head.
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Draco hurried over to the basin and ripped a piece of his shirt. He hurried back with the wet rag and started cleaning Hermione's hand.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…." he kept mumbling.
Hermione whimpered as he wrapped a cloth around her hand. Hermione looked at Draco, what she was seeing was scaring her. He was losing it! What she saw was the Draco Harry had spoken of in sixth year, the Draco who was going to kill Dumbledore just to be a hero to his own kind.
He looked panicked and all Hermione had to compare him with was Harry, who had been under similar pressure. Harry who always stood against evil in hard situations. Her mind still came back to third year when the only thing in Harry's mind was saving Sirius. He was willing to sacrifice his own sanity, and Hermione's, to save Sirius and capture Pettigrew. She looked at Draco again; he was desperately trying to stop her bleeding. He couldn't be feeling anything like that, could he? He could hardly care about her like Harry had cared about Sirius.
Yet, somewhere in her heart she knew, she couldn't pretend anymore. She knew Draco had feelings for her. Bellatrix was using Hermione to get what she wanted from Draco. He had brought her here for a reason.
Exhausted from the pain, Hermione soon fell asleep on her bed. Draco watched over her from the armchair. He was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. He had felt it tonight, he knew it now. Bellatrix had no intention of keeping her promise. How could he have been so foolish? He had seen the restraint on Bellatrix tonight, she wanted to kill Hermione. She had used all the power in her not to…. She was going to kill Hermione as soon as Draco had delivered Harry and Ron. He knew this for a fact.
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Harry returned to Grimmauld Place late, he had been looking around Knockturn Alley, waiting for something…anything. He was about to unlock the door when someone hissed from behind the stairs leading up to the house.
"Potter!"
He knew that voice. He had been waiting to hear a voice like it, similar to it since Hermione had been taken, stolen, robbed from him. Harry jumped off the stairs and grabbed Draco by the collar.
"You are dead!" he promised Draco and raised his fist, ready to kill.
"If you kill me, then Hermione is dead for sure!" Draco quickly said, Harry pulled his fist back and eyed Draco with hatred.
"Come inside. You better have a good story or I swear you will die tonight!" he warned him.
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AN: Finally Draco and Harry meet : - )
And to answer a few questions: Why didn't the ministry do Legilimens on Hermione when she was accused of the murders? In my mind I just pictured that Aurors would be good enough to alter their memories, so they might not even look. And we all know that the ministry has thrown innocent people in jail before - just look at poor Sirius.
And why Draco and Hermione can't do wandless magic? Bellatrix has the castle guarded in all kinds of way, by many different measures…
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