The resilient alliance
Bound, gagged and scared Hermione was attempting to free herself from the chair she was tied to in the damp, dark and empty room with high ceiling and long, gothic styled windows. She had tears streaming down her cheeks and rope burns on her wrists but she wouldn't give up. Her jeans and sweater were stained with droplets of blood, they must of been when she was dragged from Diagon Alley. She could hear footsteps; her bid for freedom became more frantic as the steps got louder. In a burst of blue light, the door blew open and a hooded and masked figure got closer, they leaned in her face and whispered,
"They want to see you mudblood" their voice was familiar, but not enough to identify them, instead she sat back in the chair and tilted her head back,
"Well, if I don't know who they are – I refuse to co-operate. "She growled. The masked figure laughed and stroked her hair in a creepy manner before she flinched and looked at them,
"You are a disgrace to the Wizarding world" she spat, the figure snapped, placed their arm around her neck and growled into her ear –
"Shut up you disgusting, filthy little mudblood!" suddenly it all came back to her, the phrasing, the behaviour and the general creepiness,
"Lucius!" she gasped, he didn't answer but the laugh was the giveaway. He whipped out his wand and in a flash, Hermione was unconscious.
Waking up in a different room, this time surrounded by hooded figures. The room was freezing, she sat shivering. One of the figures stepped forward, the mass of curls and tangled knots made the figure identifiable in an instant. The cackle just topped it all off.
"Well, if it isn't little... miss...Granger" she hissed as she stepped closer and closer. Hermione fought against the binds.
"Now now pet, don't struggle, you will wear yourself out" she was right in Hermione's face now,
"You death eaters are all the same, no sense of personal space." Hermione remarked just quiet enough for Bellatrix to hear. Bellatrix didn't take kindly to being mocked, pointing her want in Hermione's face she pulled back her arm ready to hex Hermione when someone stopped her,
"Bellatrix NO!" the voice was so familiar there was no mistaking it was Draco, Bellatrix lowered her wand and sighed,
"He wants her alive and unharmed, I will stay and watch her while you prepare for his arrival!" his voice was shaky and he was evidently nervous. The figures stood still,
"NOW" shouted Draco, with that, all the figures apperated out of the room, it was just her and Draco.
"What have you done?" Hermione cried out as Draco dropped to the seat in the corner, he looked as if he hadn't slept in days, he looked as though he was ill,
"DRACO! Please!" she pleaded, her voice fluctuating as she refrained her tears,
"I had to Hermione, I had to or they would kill you" he moaned, his head in his hands, he whimpered slightly,
"why do you care if I was killed! You hate me, you hate my blood!" she whispered. He looked her in the face; he walked over to her and crouched down in front of her.
"I couldn't let them get to you, they couldn't touch you" he hung his head, Hermione was furious,
"Why?" she demanded, he didn't look up at her face, he muttered to the ground,
"Because I love you" she could see the tears roll down his face, tears rolled down her face too, she whimpered in pain, fear and shock. The sound of the whimper snapped him out of it,
"D-don't cry, listen – I will help you, I will get you through this, but you have to trust me" she nodded as he loosened the ropes. He explained at how she had been requested by Voldemort to join the death eaters to take down Harry, how if she didn't co-operate she would be used as bait. She had to agree in order to survive, but she could be like Snape, she could be a double agent in effect. But she would have to do what Voldemort wanted. The tears stopped as she realised she was smarter than all the death eaters and possibly Voldemort. The plan seemed flawless as the two decided, and she could save Draco, if she wanted.
Then the door opened and they were summoned through. At the head of the stained mahogany wood table was The Dark Lord himself was sat there, eyeing her up like he was admiring a piece of furniture. She didn't try to conceal her anger and displeasure at being held hostage.
"Welcome Miss Granger, Please Sit" his voice was harsh but almost sympathetic, she sat at the opposite end and crossed her legs like a young lady,
"Miss Granger, I am under the influence Draco has explained to why I brought you here. And the circumstances of you departing us... alive" with that last part of the sentence, the few death eaters laughed. She felt a shiver down her spine,
"Lucius! The fire!" Lucius lit the fire with a flick of his wand and Hermione relaxed slightly due to the warmth.
"Yes. I am aware of it, and I have an answer." He leaned in slightly in anticipation,
"Yes, I will join. BUT on one condition – I do not have a dark mark" she shuddered at the thought of being 'branded'.
"Fine. As long as you know where your loyalties lie" he hissed. She nodded. They discussed the plans and the 'rules' of being his 'minion'.
Back at Hogwarts, Hermione was sat in the library, catching up on studying. It had been a month after the meeting with you-know-who and she was back to normal, she had concocted the perfect plan: work alongside the Voldemort, and when a mission was in its planning stages, she would report to the Order and they would act as necessary and she would just play all innocent and loyal, he should be none the wiser. Of course she didn't tell Harry or Ron for their safety, only the elder members of the order. She loved being a double agent, it filled her with the feeling that she was doing good, but also breaking the rules. Sat in the library indulging in a book when Draco slipped her a note:
Room of requirement, 10 minutes.
Calmly standing up she placed the books back and made her way to the room. When she entered she saw Draco sat by a fire in a big arm chair. Hermione sat next to him as he looked at her.
"How are you?" he examined her face, she smiled, since the meeting, her and Draco had been getting closer,
"I'm okay, thank you. Yourself?" he nodded,
"I didn't invite you here to make small talk, in fact I hoped to avoid it, I wanted to warn you – they are planning to hijack the train, next week when we all go home." His expression seemed distant and worried, Hermione knew there was more to it than just a hijacking,
"What else?" she pressed as he stood up to lean against the fireplace,
"Well, they have ordered for you to be taken down with Potter and Weasel." He sighed, Hermione felt uncomfortable, edgy almost
"W-who will take me down?" Her heart sank, if it were to be anyone, she didn't want it to be Bellatrix, she would make her suffer, cry and beg not to killed.
"Me." Draco didn't even look her in the eyes, he just hung his head, Hermione gasped slightly, knowing he loved her, knowing he couldn't do it – he would be killed.
"Draco, we can think of a plan, we can sort this out! We can get out of this, all five of us, alive." She tried to comfort him. He turned; his white hair was in his eyes as he dropped down in front of Hermione's legs. She brushed the hair from his eyes, he must have got the wrong idea as he shot up, pinned his muscular arms either side of Hermione and kissed her fiercely on the lips, she tried to resist, pushing herself into the back of the chair, but he had her trapped between the chair and his body. Eventually she gave in, she opened her lips slightly as his tongue traced her bottom lip. Their breathing as heavy and erratic. Hermione had never felt like this, so confident, powerful and enjoying the kiss from her former enemy.
The train home was cold and awkward, Ron and Harry were sat discussing girls that had 'nice skin' while Hermione and Ginny read magazines and books. Hermione felt nauseous and very hot every time the train halted slightly, but she had faith in hers and Draco's plan.
Time passed, it felt like they had been on the train for days, but it was in fact just over an hour.
Suddenly, the train jolted to a complete stop, Ginny and Hermione fell to the floor while Harry and Ron hit the opposite sofa, picking the girls up the boys drew their wands, as did Ginny, but Hermione knew what was coming, she simply stood still, waiting for it to happen. Her eyes filled with tears as the screams from pupils grew louder. Ginny, poor, young Ginny cried and whimpered as she clung to Harry. Hermione heard Ron cursing and praying; the screams were coming, then, the cackle of Bellatrix Lestrange filled their cabin. Hermione turned to Ron, grabbing his stripped jumper she lunged for him, pressing her lips to his firmly, Ron returned this gesture, grabbing her waist and forcefully parting her lips with his tongue. Suddenly the passion stopped, Ron went limp and fell to the ground,
"RON!" shrieked Ginny as she fell beside him, "WHAT HAPPENED HERMIONE?" she looked at her, tears ran freely down Ginny's freckled face as Hermione shrugged
"I had to Gin, I had to!" Hermione whispered. Harry grabbed Hermione by the arm, turning her to face him, she then kissed harry, this time not as passionately, just a peck on the lips and harry hit the floor, Ginny screamed louder, patting harry on the face and squeezing Ron's hand. Hermione knew it was now, if the plan was to work she had to do it now,
"DRACO, NOW!" she cried out, Draco removed Harry's cloak and knelt by the bodies of the unconscious boys and grabbed Ginny by the waist, and in a clash of what sounded like thunder, Hermione's best friends and Draco had vanished, Hermione was left to stand alone. The cabin was cold and quiet for a moment, until the death eaters appeared at the glass door. With a flick of the wrist, the glass shattered and the shards cut Hermione's face and arms. She didn't even flinch, she just stood there. Her final stand.
"I will do it M'Lord" sneered Bellatrix, as she pointed her wand into Hermione's throat,
"This one is for Draco to finish, but, where is Potter Miss Granger, if you tell me, he may just kill you and spare the torture!" Voldemort asked cunningly, Hermione could feel her heart in her mouth,
"He didn't get the train, he decided to spend Christmas at Hogwarts!" she smiled. Voldemort erupted with rage,
"DO NOT PLAY GAMES WITH ME MUDBLOOD!" he howled, he pointed his wand at her,
"STUPIFY" he bellowed and sent Hermione across the cabin to the opposite wall, she hit it with a great force then dropped to the ground with a thud. She blew the hair from her face and looked up at Voldemort,
"You will never win this" she said breathlessly as his bare feet stepped closer, the raised his wand,
"AVADA K-" but was thrown off as he heard a clash of thunder, turning to see someone in a death eater mark and cloak -
"Petrificus Totalus!" shouted the masked figure, but Hermione knew exactly who it was! The death eaters and the dark lord himself all went ridged and hit the ground like marble statues, Hermione smiled and wiped her lips and face to clean up the blood. The mask and cloak fell to the ground and Draco scooped Hermione up and apperated out of the train.
Waking up in the common room of Gryffindor tower, Hermione sat up straight.
"Granger, calm down, the others are in bed" Draco moaned as he was drifting in and out of sleep in the oversized arm chair,
"Draco, you knew the plan but you came back? Are you stupid?" Hermione growled as she pulled the blanket over her cold shoulders, Draco smiled slightly,
"I will always come back" he rubbed his eyes gently."Guys, she is up" he called to the others. The sound of footsteps down stone steps filled Hermione's eyes with tears, they were alive. Draco left the room as the three appeared.
"HERMIONE" cried Ginny as she fell beside the sofa, Hermione cried into Ginny's cinnamon hair, holding her close,
"Ginny, I'm so sorry, I had to" she repeated over and over, Ginny just squeezed her tight. Sniffling, Ginny pulled away, next harry was leaning over Hermione and kissed her forehead,
"next time you lace your lips in poison, make sure it doesn't have side effects!" he chuckled as he mocked a headache, clutching his head as he stepped back. Ron stood there, looking at her, not sure how to react. He slowly approached her, not breaking eye contact. He then kissed her on the lips, this kiss was soft, caring and affectionate, Hermione pulled back smiling,
"Ron – I..." she didn't even finish before he cut her off,
"We know, but don't ever get yourself attacked by death eaters again, K?" laughed as he stroked her cheek softly. The four sat in the room, talking about how to spend Christmas when Draco walked in. The conversation stopped mid flow, Draco cleared his throat,
"Mind if I join you?" he muttered, Ginny stood up, Hermione thought a fight was about to break out,
"Please do" Ginny gestured to the empty chair by the fire and Draco sat.
"Don't think me saving you means we are friends Potter" Draco smiled.
"Course not, wouldn't have dreamt it!" Harry replied.