Author's Note- Hello everyone! I apologise for not updating or really writing sooner, I have been a bit busy with many things in my life. So, it has been a bit harder for me to update regularly. BUT... I have kept my promise to write a sequel for my one-shot, 'Torture Should Never Feel This Good,' and here is the first chapter of it! For those who have been patiently waiting for the newest installment of 'When Life Goes On,' I apologise for its delay. This story, as well as another story, has totally pushed out all ideas for that story (for the moment). But I promise I will finish it soon! Allright, enough of the notes... ON TO CHAPTER ONE!
"Anger can start as such a tiny thing,
when fully grown however,
it can be the storm that is felt in hell."
No other houses can be seen from any window of Shell Cottage. It sits as a beacon on the cliff overlooking the sea, just on the outskirts of Tinworth, Cornwall. Hermione thinks that maybe, just maybe the constant ebb and flow of the waves that crashed against the cliff will lull her into a more serene state of mind. Every time she closes her eyes however, all she sees is a waterfall of unruly raven-coloured hair combining with pale porcelain skin and sinful ruby red lips. The sight makes her long for the poisonous caresses and the torturous kisses from the dark witch that had seems to enter her veins like a drug. It is like with every breath, the brunette could feel a little death. The hollowness from being too far away from the object she most craves creates a burden almost too hard to carry.
The boys had thought, that first morning after arriving at the cottage during the middle of the night, that it would be best if they waited until Hermione had gotten over the shock of that dreadful night at Malfoy Manor. She had been so reserved since that fateful eve, that neither one of them pressured her to continue until she felt she was absolutely ready. They never knew that during those sweet yet torturous moments with the deranged raven-haired witch, she had sealed their fate. Moving around her as if walking upon eggshells, Ron and Harry would plan what their next move was, in regards to finding the next Horcrux and how to destroy the one they already had in their possession, while Hermione sat up in the room that Fleur and Bill had let her use and plotted her own schemes. Her mind swam with murderous thoughts of both the boys she had known for nearly seven years of her life. The more time the brunette spent alone in that upstairs room the more she realised how much of a hindrance both wizards had been to her life. Neither were that bright, nor were they level-headed. Emotions sparked their every move, while she had always kept the cool composure and found logic her companion. It was that logic... that, what was normally seen as a cold hard exterior, was crumbling into the rage and anger that she felt the moment that Ron had pulled her along with them, as they Apparated out of the Manor. Where they sought safety, she would graciously long for the sweet surrender of pain from her dark angel, Bellatrix Lestrange.
Nearly a week passed before the boys thought it wise enough to reveal the knowledge of their plan. Quietly, Harry and Ron walk into the room so as not to startle the brunette. "Hermione, we have to talk."
"Oh, so you finally decided to allow me in the conversation, Harry? That is really nice of you. I am sure you both had loads to talk about... without me being there." Hermione lashes out, already annoyed by the fact that they finally decided to invade her space and disrupt her own thoughts.
"Now come on, 'Mione. You know we wanted you to have a chance to get better..." Ron says as he sits down beside her and gently puts a hand on her shoulder.
"You make it sound as if I had the bloody dragon-pox! Now are you going to let me in on your plan, or are you going to sit here and console me?" The brunette's eyes flash dangerously towards the red-haired wizard, who slowly takes his hand off her shoulder. She knew he had often thought that their relationship had grown past the friendship stage, she would often cringe at the very notion of such a thing, but never had the heart to tell him. Now though, she wished that it had been him with Bellatrix's dagger in his chest, not the annoying yet loveable house-elf, Dobby.
"We decided..." Harry looks over at Ron then back to Hermione. "We should break into Gringotts."
"Break into the Goblin bank? Harry... I know that you have had some pretty mental ideas before, but... Gringotts? That is suicidal, that's what that is!" The witch stares at the Boy-Who-Lived incredulously as he slowly rubs the back of his neck with his hand.
"I told you she would take it well, mate." Ron says with a timid smile that diminishes as quickly as it appeared when Hermione casts a withering gaze in his direction.
"Unlike you Ronald, there are some of us who quite fancy living. I know I do. We are being hunted by Snatchers, Death-Eaters, and the bloody Ministry... what makes you so sure we could waltz right down Diagon Alley and into Gringotts? What would we say? 'Oh.. excuse me. We are wondering if You-Know-Who is hiding a horcrux in His or any of His loyal subjects' vaults?" The witch asks in a saccharine voice while rolling her eyes. "How many galleons do you want to bet that we won't even make it two metres down the street before every Death-Eater around would be on us? And besides how do you even know that something is there?"
"If there wasn't anything there, why would Bellatrix have asked you about being in her vault if nothing was there? She seemed awfully sure that we had been inside her vault. Maybe something was there along with the sword, and that's why she had asked Griphook about the sword, as well as the safety of her personal vault." Harry states calmly. "There has to be something there that He is hiding, I just know it."
They all fall silent for a few minutes, each one letting the gravity of Harry's statement sink in. The brunette's mind starts to work in double time as she tries to rearrange her plans in accordance to theirs. Hermione had thought of several ways to try and run back to the sweet poison that was Bellatrix Lestrange, each idea more daring than the last but she could never figure out how to execute them. But as the gears turned in her head she realised that, in their stupidity, the two most reckless Gryffindor wizards that she had the misfortune to know actually came up with the plan that she so desired. Almost immediately, Hermione's eyes light up with the solution to all their problems.
"I have it... there is no way we would be able to walk down Diagon Alley as ourselves. As I said before, there are too many people out there searching for us as we speak. But... what if we take Polyjuice Potion? Or better yet, I take the potion, we can change up Ron's appearance with a Glamour Charm, and Harry you still have your invisibility cloak. That way no one will recognise any of us and we can make our way to Gringotts."
"It's a good plan, but... Won't someone recognise me?" Ron asks as he looks back and forth between his two friends, the beginnings of fear etching its way into his voice.
"Ron... you are the only one out of the three of us that no one is looking for properly." Hermione exhales as she feels her frustration for the boy start to work its way back to a heightened level. "Both mine and Harry's wanted pictures are posted everywhere. We are both considered highly dangerous. Your pure-blood status pretty much has you covered even though they consider you a blood-traitor. So a slight modification to your facial hair and maybe a change in your eye colour will keep them from identifying you properly." The brunette nods to herself as she feels her own quick-made intent interlacing perfectly within the boys' scheme.
Jealously interlocking with pride swarms into her heart before she is able to disclose the other part of her plan to the boys: Her sacred treasure that she had unexpectedly received from the beautiful goddess of a woman that she worshiped. Hermione knew if she spoke of it, it would be forever tarnished by their loathing of her dark angel. But, she knew she must speak of it for her to be able to finally be near the Death-Eater again.
"Okay, 'Mione. That explains how Harry and I'm getting in there. But... how are you getting in?" Ron asks, the sound of his voice tearing the witch out of her thoughts.
"You do realise that when I say 'range of a teaspoon,' I am not just talking about your emotions, right?" Hermione sneers tersely. "I have already said I am going to use a Polyjuice Potion!"
"I think Ron is asking, whose hair are you going to use for the final ingredient? You can't exactly use either Bill or Fleur's since they both work there and the goblins have probably set up some kind of way to check their employees." Harry says softly, trying to calm the witch sitting beside him.
The witch calms down, if only slightly, before continuing with the telling of her plan. "I am going to use a hair from Bellatrix Lestrange..." She pauses to see the reaction of the two boys. To say they were slightly shocked would have been like saying that anyone could see a thestral. Rolling her eyes, she decides to elaborate further about her plan. "Look you two... it is the only way to be able to get in without anyone suspecting anything. Harry, you already stole her wand back at Malfoy Manor. And her hair is the only one that was on my clothes from any of them. It will be the easiest way to enter Gringotts undetected. No one would ever question why she would seek entrance into her own vault. It is the perfect plan." The brunette smiles to herself the more she thinks about it.
The Boy-Who-Lived stares at his female friend as he sees a slight haze of happiness fall over her. He feels a rush of relief at the fact that Hermione, even though still moody, is becoming more like her old self; mistaking her fantasising over becoming the dark witch, as pride for a well thought out plan. Smiling as well, Harry looks to both his friends, "Well, I suggest we all turn in for the night. Tomorrow will be a long day."