Bellatrix looked at me cruelly, pinning my arms to the dark floor of Malfoy Manor, I screamed for help on deaf ears, no one was going to help me. She demanded to know more about how we got the sword, what else we had taken from her vault, I tried to scream, when more pain ran through my veins.
She smiled and took out a knife with a sharp looking blade, she carved into my arm, blood dripping on the floor. I couldn't cry anymore, I couldn't make a sound. The word Mudblood, shining with freshly drawn blood, burned on my arm.
I look around, a few people stand around me, Bellatrix smiles gleefully and licks my blood off her knife. The Malfoys, seemingly tired and distraught looking away from me, I start to accept death, knowing there is no hope for me now. Bellatrix, and the rest of the rooms inhabitants walk out of the room, leaving me alone.
"Let's go deal with the others." Lucius hisses. I try not to cry as I think of the fate of Harry and Ron.
I lay there for what seems like hours, the blood nearly dry on my arm. The soft clap of a pair of feet in expensive shoes makes me will my death, they have sent Draco to torture me more. I close my eyes, "Granger." He says. I let out a soft sob and await the pain, but it doesn't come.
He kneels beside me, brings his lips next to my ear, and lets out a breath. "Play along," he whispers, standing up. He isn't holding a wand, but he shouts Crucio at the top of his lungs. I understand now, he wants me to scream. But why? Doesn't he have the stomach to do it? It won't make a difference, Bellatrix will be here to finish me off any minute, I'll be driven mad by the end of this, and then killed. Unless that's what Draco is here to do.
I scream, it sounds raspy and sick. Draco shouts Crucio again, and I let out a loud sob. Hoping I'm convincing whoever I need to convince. He kneels beside me again, I search his face, holding back tears I open my mouth, "What are you doing?" I ask, he looks around, then leaves the room. He has gone to get Bellatrix, I think, I look at the carving in my arm, when I hear the clap of his shoes,
"Sit up." He commands, his eyes darting around the room.
I do as he says, he doesn't look capable of hurting me, even if he is holding a wand now. He throws me it, and I recognize my own. "How did you-" I start,
"Follow me, we don't have much time." Draco says, walking to the door,
"Why should I trust you?" I ask.
"I promised Harry and Ron I would get you out. Dobby aparated them and the others to a safe house, Bill and Fleur are there,"
"How do you know about the-"
"Safe house?" He says, smirking. "Harry told me about it. Now come on." I refuse to move, I stand there like a block of stone, my mouth open. "Do you want to stay here, where they will torture you to madness? Or do you want to put a little fucking Gryffindor faith in me?" I decide, either way I'm going to die, so I follow him. We get out to the main doors. He intertwines my fingers in his and at first it seems like we are aparating, but I soon realize we are flying through the sky in a blur of black smoke. It's a weird experience, nothing like what I'm used to. It takes a bit longer, and we are engulfed in the thick black smoke. But when we are finished, I open my eyes to see we are indeed at the safe house.
"Didn't trust me, did you?" Draco says snidely, and we make our way inside. Everyone, Harry, Ron, Luna, Bill, and Fleur, and waiting nervously in the sitting room. When we walk in Ron and Harry jump up and run to embrace me at the same time.
"Never thought I'd see you again, 'Mione!" Ron says, Harry smiles and hugs me again.
"Where's….where's Dobby?" I ask after everyone is through greeting me. I miss the little elf, even if I haven't seen him in weeks. Harry looks at me and opens his mouth like he's about to say something, but Fleur speaks up before he can.
"The vittle ef died." She says, "ve buried him, just a vew moments bevore your arrival." I look around, Ron and Harry sit back down, it seems I don't have enough tears, because I only manage a few weak sobs on Draco's shoulder. Ron is behind me in an instant when I turn to Draco, I hadn't realized who Draco was for a moment, he was practically unrecognizable, he had changed. He was still Draco, but he had changed. He looks the same, although his hair is a bit messy and he is a tad on the thin side. But the Draco I knew a few months ago wouldn't have done any of this for a muggle-born, let alone me.
Ron reaches out for me and I turn to give him another hug, he kisses my forehead, and I notice his face turning red.
"I think we have all earned some rest." Bill says, he stands up and pats Harry on the back. Harry gives him a strained smile and clutches on to a wand.
"Who's wand is that?" I ask, reaching for it, he pulls it away and Malfoy looks at me.
"Its-uh-it's Malfoy's." he says. "He offered it to me."
"I didn't offer it to you Potter, my mother did."
"No offense but I really don't care, this will do."
Malfoy rolls his eyes, Luna offers to show me to my room. I'll be sharing with Ron and Harry.
I follow her up the rickety steps to a small bright room at the back of a long hallway, there are three twin sized beds and a day bed by the window. I walk to it and sit down, watching the sun set on the horizon, this would be a really nice place to vacation, but this is no vacation.
"You should trust Draco, you know. He really has changed." Luna says, standing behind me, I turn to her and see she is looking at something in the distance.
"I-why is that?" I ask, Luna looks at me for a moment before turning away and walking out the door. I hear the soft pats of her feet on the stairs and realize how alone I feel. I'm also confused, what made Malfoy change? He was still a deatheater, why should I trust him? It occurs to me that Harry trusted him first, with my life. That is still not enough to make me trust the prat, since Harry trusts so easily. He does have a people saving thing.
Someone knocks on the door, "It's me." Harry says, "Malfoy would like to speak with you." I turn around to see Harry opening the door for Draco, in his black tux he walks for me. I must look frightened because Harry gives me a subtle thumbs up and shuts the door, and Malfoy holds up both his hands and says,
"Unarmed."
I glance back at the door, and Malfoy looks at me. I bite my lip and he asks if he can sit down, I let him, scooting a few inches away.
"Granger, I wanted to….to tell you why it's okay to trust me." Malfoy plays with the snake ring on his finger, "Potter, er, Harry says it would be for the best if I told you myself."
"Go on then, I don't have all day." I say.
"Fuck Granger, you never even thanked me for saving your life."
"Why should I? I think that little stunt was you repaying me for all the stuff you've brought on me. All the stuff you've done." I feel tears coming on, and they blur my vision. I remember all the times Draco called me a Mudblood, all the mean things he's said and done to me, my friends.
"Granger, please." Draco says, taking one of my hands and intertwining his fingers with mine, I want to pull away but he looks so desperate, so apologetic. "I'm sorry." He whispers. I don't say anything, but I pull my hand from his. He looks at his hand, then at me.
"Tell me why I should trust you." I say, once again searching his face.
"My mother, my mother is a spy for the order," he says, "My father doesn't know, and until recently neither did I. Po-Harry knew though, and I guess he trusted me, or the heart of my mother, to get you home. Back to him and Ron, I mean." I blink, realizing I haven't been, then I'm angry. If Harry knew, why didn't I? Why didn't he tell me or Ron? Who were we to tell?
Malfoy gets up to leave, and something, maybe guilt, maybe pride, makes me utter the words, "Thank you for saving my life, Draco Malfoy." He turns around and smirks, then he opens the door and I'm alone again.