Chapter One
Hermione's eyes suddenly flew open, as she breathed out a lungful of air she didn't know she had been holding in. As delicately as she could, she maneuvered herself into a seating position against the cold wall she had become so familiar with. Stretching out her sore limbs, she turned her attention towards the small, white lines she had attempted to etch onto the wall. The crumbled pieces of stone she had used sat beside her, unmoved from the last and final time she had been able to use it. There were five lines in total; each representing a day. Or at least, what she thought must have been a day. The truth was; it was impossible for Hermione to tell how long she had been down in the cellar. There was no way of knowing what time of day it was either; for the cellar was constantly lit by a single lamp on the far side of the cavernous room.
For the most part; she slept. She was too weak from lack of sustenance that it was all she could do. It was futile to try and find a way out. She had a morbid feeling that the only way she would be leaving the cellar was if she died.
She missed Harry and Ron terribly, longed for the comfort. Their friendly faces etched into her mind, reminding her of why she had to stay strong. Removing what was left of her ripped and bloodied shirt and discarding it next to her; Hermione studied the cuts and bruises she had already gained. They littered her body, running from her hands and up her arms, across her shoulder blades and down her back. There wasn't much of her skin that had been left unmarked. The torture she had endured had been like nothing Hermione could ever imagine. On the first night she was here; Greyback had come down with another Death Eater – one she couldn't recognise as he wore a mask the whole time – and beat her until she was black and blue all over. She had very nearly passed out from the assault, but somehow her body had managed to keep conscious throughout the whole thing. The final blow was the worse; the Death Eater had struck so hard that Hermione was sent flying into the air, smacking hard into one of the stone pillars that her head wound bled for days. She'd used both her socks to stem the wound and ripped a sleeve from her shirt to wrap around her head, keeping the makeshift bandages in place.
The sudden, loud click of the steel door made Hermione jump as it echoed around the room. She backed herself further into a corner; praying that her unwanted visitor wasn't Greyback. She got her wish; however her slight hopefulness was short lived as Bellatrix came bounding into the cellar, followed by the white haired Malfoy patriarch.
Lucius reached out his arm; forcefully grabbing at Hermione's throat and pulling her into the centre of the room. His grip was iron tight and she struggled for breath; before he dropped her forcefully to the ground. Rubbing her neck tenderly while taking in ragged breaths, Hermione managed to look up to her captors. Lucius trained his wand on her, aiming directly between her eyes as he backed off a few steps to allow space for Bellatrix; a gleeful smile grew across his face.
"Did you miss me?" Bellatrix teased, walking towards Hermione whilst licking her chapped lips. Hermione summoned all of her remaining Gryffindor courage and stared the crazed woman in the eyes. Despite her fear for the Death Eater who stood before her, Hermione refused to let herself feel intimidated by them; even though she knew the punishment could be fatal. If she was going to die; she would do so with her head held high.
With a small flick of Bellatrix's wand; Hermione suddenly cried out in agony as the unforgivable curse hit her already beaten body. Despite the cold of the room; searing heat passed throughout her body, trickling to the very ends of her nerves, setting them all alight. The two Death Eaters watched with grins on their faces as Hermione thrashed around on the floor; eliciting screams that would no doubt be heard from outside the Manor's grounds. All courage seeped from Hermione in an instant and she almost wished for death. Her mind turned to fuzz as the excruciating pain still had hold of her; her eyes rolling into the back of her head. After what seemed like hours, Bellatrix reluctantly ceased the spell.
"Now now, Bellatrix," Lucius spoke in his soft drawl, eyes flashing with delight. "Let's not wear her out just yet." Bellatirx cackled and hopped from foot to foot; brandishing her wand menacingly as Hermione struggled to return to reality.
"Tell us where he is," Lucius said, his bright eyes piercing right through Hermione's. "Tell is where Potter is hiding and no harm will come to you."
Hermione stayed silent; even if she wanted to speak, she was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to form coherent words.
Hermione braced herself as Bellatrix flicked her wand through the air once more; and watched blissfully as the curse wreaked through Hermione's body.
"Tell us," Lucius said again, his voice rising in anger and frustration. "Tell us and we'll let you live."
"Liar," Hermione managed through gritted teeth; focusing all her remaining strength on steadying her voice despite the pain.
The curse came again; more powerful this time. Hermione rolled over as her body contracted; her muscles becoming stiff from the shock. She screamed out once more; releasing her agony as it reverberated from the walls. As the seconds turned into minutes; Hermione could feel herself loosing her grip on reality; her mind was slowly beginning to slip into unconsciousness.