Freedom
I ran as fast as I could. It felt like my legs would collapse beneath me, and my body seemed to shake because of my furious heartbeat. My eyes were blurred with hot tears and mucus that drenched my face and I had to bite my tongue to stop from screaming at the large amount of burning pain caused by the raw tenderness in between my legs.
I looked down at the small bundle in my arms, glowing from the moonlight. There was blood everywhere. My white dress was smudged with red liquid and I felt naked. I was naked. Naked of my dignity, naked of choice, and naked of freedom.
As I stumbled around a large bolder I finally heard my left ankle break beneath me. I gasped out for air as I fell to my knees. The innocent child in my arms cried with me. It didn't deserve the life it would be given. It should not have even been brought into this world. It should have been born from love. Not pain, not jealousy, not abuse.
I could hear a voice yelling in the distance. Calling for me, to bring my child to him. It was not his; he was not worthy to keep the child. Blood did not matter right now. Genes did not matter right now. Love did. And there was no love there.
"Hermione! Hermione!" My name was like a deathly whisper of who I was supposed to be.
I used my nails to pull myself into a small hole in the ground. Sharp sticks grazed and cut my skin, but I held onto the child. I rocked it to sleep in my arms, holding its petite body against me…
The greatest war of all Wizard and muggle History had begun. Lives were lost and souls were never to be found. The sounds of heartbeats faded away as the sound of death rung in everyone's ears. Hermione Granger shook in the arms of Harry Potter just before everything went black. Screams dying out. All explosions and the crackle of flames died away into an unknown blackness.
- - - - - - - - - -
When Hermione awoke it was only to find herself in a cold damp room she had never seen in her lifetime. It did look a lot like a dungeon, dark stone, and a dripping foul, putrid liquid from the ceiling. Perhaps it was the dungeons of her beloved school. The once proud Hogwarts. Dumbledore's death had caused many changes in the school and world as a whole. The man who's name made all tremble, had taken over. Letting live only those who served a purpose for him.
Hermione suddenly began to start weeping, remembering the deaths of her loved ones. The only people she had left were Harry and Ron. Her best friends. Her only friends. But now she didn't even no if they were alive. Was she alive? Where was she? Who brought her here?
Hermione gasped and looked around the room frantically, suddenly afraid of where she was and who would most probably be ending her life.
"You're extremely lucky mudblood." A cold voice spoke into her ear from behind.
She jumped but didn't turn around. The voice was familiar but yet different…
"Yes very lucky…" The voice breathed in her ear and a cold hand ran across her neck.
She was shaking now and her lip was quivering, trying not to cry out or scream.
Suddenly the figure was standing in front of her, his long silvery-blonde hair shining in the small amount of light bouncing off a candle in the far side of the room.
"You remember me don't you mudblood?" He spat. When she didn't answer he raised and eyebrow at her and then walked closer to her, pulling at her hair. "Let me refresh your memory then!"
… "Mum!" Green flash of light. Body falling to the ground. "No! Mum!" "Run Hermione" Her father said. Another flash. "Harry please their dead. Stop him! Stop Lucius!"…I cant…I cant stop Lucius… I'm sorry Hermione. No Harry…
Hermione sniffled.
"Lucius what do you want from me?" She said as strongly as she could.
"Well that's simple. You are the exact disgusting creature that is ruining our world. You are a mudblood and the best friend of the Great Lord's enemy. You are the greatest and most foul piece of filth still living and I want to make you suffer. I want to make you scream and cry and I want you to beg me for death before the end."
"Please don—"
"Crucio!" He yelled just before Hermione was hit with the most agonizing amount of pain she had ever felt.
It tore through her body, crushing all the air from her lungs, ripping apart her muscles and limbs, slicing open her organs and arteries.
After what felt like years it stopped. Her eyes were squeezed shut, trying to control the throbbing. Her body was numb but somehow this didn't stop her head from aching and skin from burning.
She felt a great heaviness atop her and she realized when she opened her eyes that it was Lucius moving on top of her. He was so close she could feel his breathe against her and she could smell his expensive cologne. Then suddenly she felt him inside her. Ripping her apart from inside. Thrusting deeper and deeper into what was left of her.
When he was done and had gotten out and off of her she heard him spit on her though she felt nothing, and heard him walk away. The door creaked open and Lucius' footsteps came to a stop.
"Do with her what you will." His voice whispered then Hermione knew he was gone.
Of course she now knew somebody else was coming towards her. She was too paralyzed with shock and pain to do anything except lie there and wait for the next person to bring her more pain or if she was lucky; end her life.
"Granger."
She knew that voice but somehow all the bite and coldness had left it.
"Draco." She was able to choke out. "Are you here to—" She coughed and her mouth was filled with the metallic, pungent taste of blood. "to finish the job?"
"No."
She didn't say anymore. She didn't have the energy to. All she could remember before she fell into unconsciousness again was the feeling of Draco touching and healing her wounds. His fingers gentle, his touch soothing, his warmth inviting.
…For a short while all I could hear was my ragged breathing and quiet sobbing. My watery eyes darted and searched for the hideous creature that destroyed my life. He was the walking representation of greed, hatred, and power. He seemed to have been put on this world merely to hurt people and to abuse people…like me.
He had always told me how dirty I was. He always told me how I didn't deserve anything better than to live in dirt or to be grasped by the hand of death. And where was I now? In the dirt. He would be so proud.
Lucius had come to me almost everyday to cause me pain...to make me suffer. And here I was with a child who had his eyes. He said he was providing me with a better life than anyone else would have given me. But all he provided me with was a black eye and a round stomach.
I heard a twig snap from behind me and I quickly pressed my child against my chest. It felt cold. My baby felt cold. I had to get it somewhere safe and warm. With this thought I pulled my body up onto my hands and knees. One hand was rapped around the small infant which was the reason for my life, whilst the other grabbed onto tuffs of grass and roots sticking out of the ground. With all my strength I pulled my weak body through the dirt. My skin stung but I kept going. For Rashmi, my daughter.
Rashmi meant 'ray of light'. And she was my ray of light. For nine months I bore her in my womb. She was with me when Lucius hit me. She was with me when I wept. She was with me when my real love Draco's throat bled. She was my ray of light, and always would be.
I backed up against a tree. Its bark pressed firmly into my back, which was somehow comforting. I kept hearing twigs snap, or was it my own imagination? All I could think to do was hold my free hand over my mouth to refrain from making any noise. I could smell and taste the gravel in my nails. And although I knew Rashmi could not stand me delaying our escape, I was frozen. Unable to move in fear of what would happen if I did move…or if I didn't.
Suddenly without warning I felt a second hand over my mouth and a great pull on my hair. I tried to scream but it was muffled by the thickness over my lips. I heard Lucius' heinous laugh echo in my ears. He brought his face close to mine and his breathe danced across my cheek.
"You didn't really think you would get away, did you?" He whispered menacingly.
He snatched Rashmi from my grasp and my body was too tired to stop him. He let go of me and I collapsed to the ground. I suddenly felt cold. For the first time in nine months Rashmi was not with me. She was with him. HIM!
I glared up at Lucius, just in time to see him remove Rashmi's blankets. His sneering façade changed into anger and my heart skipped a beat. I wanted Rashmi. I wanted to kiss and hug her and let her know there was a better life out there.
"What is this?"
I looked at him, confused and worried. I shook my head. What was going on? I heard a growl deep in his throat as I saw little Rashmi fall from his fingers. With my last ounce of strength I caught her in my arms and looked at her face.
It was pale.
A tear rolled down my cheek. She was cold, too cold. There was no heartbeat, no life. Rashmi was gone. My ray of light turned into a dark and dreary shadow. Her body lay lifeless and limp in my shaking, blood stained hands. This was not how it was supposed to be. What happened to my life? Everything had been taken away. I was really alone.
I closed my eyes and wept. I let my body fall back against the tree. In the distance I could hear sharp blows. And I could feel a slight tingle in my cheeks but in front of me all I saw was two faces staring down at me in the sunshine. Draco and Rashmi's faces glowing and smiling at me. I felt soft grass brush against my finger tips and I could smell the sweet aroma of roses and honey. I was floating, floating and smiling, whilst tears of joy soaked my face. I reached out and touched Draco's cheek and kissed Rashmi's forehead. Birds chirped around me and I could hear soft voices singing in the breeze. I was home. I was free.
