Chapter One: Mudblood
How many days have I been here? The walls are pulling me in, or at least it seems that way. I touch the wall, scratching my fingernail across the paint hard enough to make a tally mark. One. Soon after, as I've already found out, my mark disappears. The enchanted wall does not want me to count, therefore time here remains a mystery. The door to this room has a handle but when I touch it, it burns my skin. I tried to brave it and turn the handle, but to no avail. The only thing that has been provided to me is a single glass of water that refills when it gets low. Whoever put me in here needs me alive. I have to be strong, though I feel like crying. What awaits me beyond the door?
Two years have passed since the battle at Hogwarts.
Harry had been severely injured by Lord Voldemort before we could kill Nagini, the snake. If it hadn't been for myself and Ron, he wouldn't still be alive. Not that the life he has suits him these days. The horrid curse that grazed him had caused the severing of his right arm. While in hiding, I tried desperately to find a way to grow it back, but my efforts were in vain. Maimed and unable to track down the sword of Gryffindor, he is unable to take on the Dark Lord yet. But as long as Harry lives, there is a chance that he can still be defeated. We founded a new headquarters away from Voldemort, and slowly regained the bits and pieces of the Order.
Meanwhile, the Wizarding world has been taken under Voldemort's wing. In only two years, he has already established his intended throne. Self appointed monarch of Wizards and Witches of the world, he had become. With none who would oppose him, who was to say he wasn't?
Under his rule, all muggle born wizards and witches that the Ministry could find were rounded up and shipped off to Azkaban or killed in the process. Those who fought him or tried to protect someone were wiped out. A lot of people went into hiding, successfully. But that is only a small victory in a sea of defeats. Because of Dobby, Kreacher, and all the house elves that had assisted us against the Dark Lord, it was decreed that all of them be executed as they could no longer be trusted. Being bound magically to their masters, most of them didn't stand much of a chance. All those years I had spent trying to free them in vain. Kreacher still lives at our base with a few freed elves, who's master had given them clothes before Voldemort could demand they be handed over. As far as we know, they are the last ones.
About a year ago, Voldemort announced himself to the muggle population and made demands. Those who denied him what he wanted were taken. We assume those taken were killed. But we don't have very good records on the muggle world, and the documents they had kept had been destroyed by Death Eaters. Birth records, newspapers, and all manners of keeping track of who was missing were destroyed.
Part of my job in the Order is to protect muggles. Or at least it was, before I myself was taken.
Some Days Earlier
"Neville? NEVILLE!" Luna shouted enthusiastically, her long blonde hair swaying from side to side as she gradually made her way into a run down looking kitchen.
There was crashing and thudding coming from the stairway until a tall and bearded Neville Longbottom was on the bottom, hurriedly making his way to her side. "What is it, Luna? Are you okay?"
"It kicked." She said calmly before grabbing his hand and placing it gently on her stomach, which was large underneath her blue and green polka dot dress. "Can you feel it?"
"Oh, yes.." Neville had a silly but handsome smile. "You mustn't yell like that though, you scared the daylights out of me."
"I agree." Said another voice. Opening the pantry door, there was a shaggy redheaded man who looked tired and cranky. "Luna, some of us like to sleep in."
"I'm sorry if I woke you, Ronald." Luna said half-heartedly, not really paying attention.
Neville leaned down and kissed Luna on the forehead. "Not long now."
"I bet you can't wait till they're out." Hermione made her entrance, wearing a black robe she bent over and placed a hand on Luna's stomach.
"I certainly can. It's hard enough having to live with everyone, now there's going to be a screaming baby?" Ron interjected.
"Ron.." Hermione looked at him sternly.
"Sorry.." Ron mumbled, gulping down a glass of milk.
"Don't let that grump Ron bother you. We want the both of you and the baby here safe." Hermione said, standing up straight and leaning up against the wall.
"Hermione, can you go with me to that muggle store we went to a few months ago? The one with the cribs? I still need to get a few things before the baby gets here."
Ron shook his head at Hermione. "It's too risky, and we have a rescue tonight."
"Ron, don't tell us what to do. We'll be back long before that. We'll be fine as long as its just the two of us. They won't be suspicious of a pregnant lady and her friend." She said, turning then to Luna. "Yes, but we'll need to utilize our muggle outfits."
Within the hour, both Hermione and Luna had apparated into an alleyway in a bustling town. They both wore modest grey sweaters and similarly colored pants. To hide their faces, they wore shawls around their heads.
"It's busy, good. Don't forget to keep your head down and no use of your wand." Hermione reminded her friend.
"Of course." Luna said as they both quietly entered the plaza.
They walked side by side, blending in with the muggle women who were also wearing grey outfits. Grey was the color chosen for muggles, to wear it was like a white flag of resignation. They were all afraid of being one of the missing faces. So they wore the right clothes, and worked their jobs everyday without saying a word of opposition. Hermione could not find it within herself to blame them.
They passed a large banner on the way to the store and Luna stopped to look up at it. Hermione lifted her gaze and saw none other than the emblem of the Ministry of Magic, with the words "Allegiance To Lord Voldemort". She knew there were banners just like it miles away in various languages.
Hermione's heart dropped as she grabbed Luna's hand and walked her away from it. She felt Luna trembling and turned to see tears leaving the girls eyes. Luna wasn't the type to cry, and so it took Hermione by surprise.
"Hermione.." Luna whispered as they walked along. "Things are getting worse. Why am I bringing a child into this?"
"Luna, stop crying." Hermione whispered sharply. "You'll draw attention to us. Besides, it's not as if you and Neville planned it. This is the place here."
They were swept into a baby shop, with plain looking cribs lining the front window. There were generic jars of food, diapers, and bottles on metal shelves. Luna wiped her eyes and nodded to Hermione before walking over to a saleswoman for assistance. Hermione looked out of the window nervously, but no one seemed to notice there were two wanted witches out and about. She looked up at a television that was mounted to the wall of the store.
"Of course it is a grand thing and we're lucky to have a powerful wizard like Lord Voldemort coming forward to lead us to righteousness. Our lives up until recently have been gluttonous, and self-indulgent. Morality among muggles has been on the rise since the Ministry has stepped in." The muggle man on tv wore a suit to make himself look like someone you could trust, but Hermione knew he was a politician who had most likely been blackmailed into making the appearance. Such theatrics as this were used to keep muggles compliant. To let them know that things were okay, even thought they most certainly were not.
When they were done, Hermione rushed them back into the alleyway and they apparated back to the base. Their headquarters, their home, was an abandoned factory building in a ghost town somewhere in Canada. It was big. Big enough that there was enough space for everyone and the other creatures that came in and out. Hermione wrapped her arm around Luna's back and assisted her in through the door, whispering a password on the way in.
"You two have been to that muggle town, have you?" A familiar voice scolded as soon as they were in.
"Harry.." Luna started, holding her bag to her.
Hermione spoke up. "We were fine. She just needed a couple things. It was so busy-"
"All the more people to recognize you. The Ministry has been cracking down lately. It's not safe."
"I am not unaware of this." Hermione said boldly. "We put ourselves in a lot more danger than this often. And besides- she NEEDS these things."
"That's not the point, Hermione." Harry growled, shaking his head. His left hand was gesturing, making his right side all the more noticeable. Where there should be an arm, his shirt hung loose. "Just tell me before you go in the future."
"Fine. But don't think I don't know that Ron put you up to this." Hermione said, pushing past him with Luna in tow.
Harry followed them into a room that looked a lot like the common room from back when they were in Hogwarts, except it was nowhere near as grand and there was no fireplace. Hermione threw herself onto one of the old couches and looked across to Neville, who was waiting dutifully for Luna to return. She sat very close to him, and put down her bag. Neville pulled her shawl off her head, letting her lean back into him. Hermione looked to them and then to Harry, who was still standing.
"Where's Ginny?" Hermione asked.
"She's with her mother in her parents room. Molly has a hard time before missions when it's Ginny's turn to go." Harry said, taking a seat next to Herminone's feet.
"Her only daughter." Luna said aloud. "She's lost enough of her children, anyways."
George had been killed at the battle of Hogwarts, and Fred was inconsolable. The twins had always been like a single unit, and with the other gone, Fred wasn't himself. A few nights after the battle, when they were still looking for a permanent place to hide out, a couple Death Eaters had found the lot of them and were attacking. Fred ran ahead of the group towards the attackers, telling everyone to stay where they were. They all watched in horror as Fred pulled an explosive trinket he had created out of his pocket and killed himself and the Death Eaters.
The silence in the room was broken by a clomping Ron coming down the stairs. He seemed to be in better spirits than he had been in the morning. "You're back, I see. Good."
Hermione glared at Ron as he walked into the room and squished himself onto the edge of the cushion, pinning her lying body to the couch with his weight. "Ron, honestly!" She objected as she tried to push him off. "I'm angry with you right now. Get off."
"You can't stay mad at me." Ron said, with a playful grin on his face. He re-positioned himself so he was sitting directly on top of Hermione. She let out a groan of annoyance and smacked his arm.
"Get off me or you'll be puking up frogs for a month." She threatened jokingly.
"I'll only get off if you say you forgive me." Ron said, not budging and looking very entertained with himself. "And also that I am the most handsome man you've ever known."
"I'd be lying." Hermione chuckled, pushing at Ron's hip. She could never really stay angry with him for long. "Seriously, get off. I forgive you."
"That'll do." Ron said smirking. He pulled his weight off of her, giving her leg a little smack as he stood up.
"I think we should discuss the plan for tonight." Harry said aloud.
Hermione nodded and sat up straight. Flicking her wand at a bell on the wall, it began to shake, ringing loudly.
There were puffing sounds all around as people apparated into the common room. There was Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Fleur, and Seamus Finnigan.
There was a commotion from the stairway and everyone looked up as a little cat came pattering down the stairs, followed by a gigantic man with a long beard.
"I'm gettin' too old for these ruddy stairs." Hagrid moaned.
The cat stopped at the bottom of the stairs and began to morph into a woman. "Don't tell me about getting old. I dare say, Reubus, these stairs would be much less trying for you if you laid off the sausages for a short while." Came the strict but tender voice of Minerva McGonagall.
Hermione looked up to the old woman who used to be her professor at Hogwarts and smiled. Her grey and brown hair was tied up into a bun, but there were a few strands hanging loosely around her chin.
"I figured even though not everyone is going tonight, everyone should be here for this." Harry said aloud as everyone got comfortable. "Tonight Neville, Ginny, Hermione, Bill, and myself will be going to Bristol. I have it on good authority that the Death Eaters are going to be forcibly taking children from a muggle orphanage tomorrow."
"It's always children. What could they possibly want with them? What good are muggle children to Voldemort?" Ginny cut in.
"I haven't found out yet. Our sources are under a watchful eye and cannot get too nosy without making themselves vulnerable." Harry said. "The plan is to get into the orphanage and gather them without making a scene. I have already arranged for the children to be brought to a safer location. But they need to be delivered there by non-magical means as to avoid being suspicious. We will be using a truck, which I will drive."
Mr. Weasley made an enthusiastic cough until the attention had been shifted to him. "No offense, Harry, but I don't think you've driven enough to transport a bunch of children like that. Having more experience with vehicles, I think I should stand in your place and be the one to drive."
"I think that's a good idea." Ginny said, earning a very angry glare from Harry. "It just makes more sense, Harry, we need you here at base anyways."
Harry was about to argue but then took a deep breath. "Fine. I will give you the coordinates. Minerva, would you mind making a copy of this, please?"
"Of course, Harry." The old woman agreed.
"I've brought us all together because I have news." Harry said. "It seems there has been a sighting of the Sword of Gryffindor. Goblins who work in artifacts have claimed to have seen it and taken it into their keeping. If this is true, it is attainable. We can kill Nagini. Sbe is the last horcrux. I don't know where he keeps her nowadays but if we can find the sword and the snake, we are closer to getting Voldemort."
"I wouldn' promise that, Harry." Hagrid said gloomily. "Even if you kill Voldemort, there'll be the Ministry an the Death Eaters still. They won' jus disappear."
"With their Master gone, a lot of them will run. We can bring our supporters out of hiding and they can help us make things as they were." Ginny said.
"Things will never be as they were." Luna said quietly. "The muggles know everything. They know we exist. They know what we're capable of. How will we ever convince them that wizards will not turn on them again?"
The room fell very silent.
An hour later, Hermione was in her room changing her clothing for the mission. She pulled a black sweater over her head when she felt someone behind her.
"Ron, don't sneak up on me like that." She said plainly, turning around.
"I don't like seeing you go." Ron said softly.
"I'll be fine." She said, kissing him on the nose. "This is one of the smaller jobs. I'll be back before you know it."
"I just can't wait until this is all over." Ron said, wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her into him. "So it can be just the two of us."
"It is the two of us." Hermione said, smiling. "You moved in to this room a year ago."
"And I've never heard the end of it from my mother. She thinks we're making a mistake. She thinks you're going to end up like Luna." Ron shook his head.
"You're a grown man, you can do as you please." Hermione said. "She knows we wouldn't let that happen. Good thing I paid attention in Potions, wouldn't you say?"
"Do you ever think about it, though? Getting married? Having kids?" Ron asked.
"Ronald..." Hermione said softly. "There is a greater purpose right now and we need to fight and make things right before we do anything else."
"Yeah.." Ron said, nodding. "You do want to marry me, right?"
Hermione pulled Ron down, placing her lips on his. "Yes.."
Ron rubbed the area below her navel, meeting his eyes with hers. She liked it. He flicked the button off her pants and let his right hand search lower until he found her warm spot. She breathed erratically into his ear as he let his fingers slide in circles around her core. She grasped at his pants and he shook his head, using his other hand to push hers aside. "No...just you."
Ron dug into her neck with his lips, making her moan lightly. He became rougher with his hand, making her hips buck forward. "Oh.. Ron.."
Biting her ear lightly, he slipped in and out, savoring the little noises he pulled from her throat. She was a woman now, and so eager to allow him below. Hermione felt a shock of pleasure run up her spine and groaned as she released. Her cheeks turned pink as Ron took his hand back and pulled her whole body into him.
"I love you, Hermione."
"I love you too." Hermione leaned into him and they embraced each other silently.
Later that night
"Shhhhh come on." Hermione pulled a crying child into the back of a small truck. "Don't be scared.. come on. We're going to take you somewhere safe."
She looked back towards a large white building. Some of the older children were coming silently in groups, but the younger ones were harder to move. Ginny was carrying a two year old who was screaming her head off.
"How many left in the building?" Hermione asked, looking at the scared lot of orphans on the truck.
"Neville has another toddler. He says that's the last of them." Ginny answered before swinging her head to the side. There had been a huge bang from inside the building and a child screamed.
Pretty soon after, they saw Neville running with a three year old boy in his arms. He was pointing his wand behind him, sweat running down his face. "Death Eaters! Two of them!" He yelled.
"Stay in the truck. When Neville gets in, I close the doors and I want you to go immediately. I'll stay and hold them off."
"No, Hermione." Ginny shook her head.
"There's no time. Do as I say." She argued, jumping out of the truck just as Neville reached it, his ear bleeding.
"GO!" Hermione yelled to Mr. Weasley, flicking her wand at the truck.
The trucks door closed and the vehicle became invisible to the eye, although she knew it was still there. She heard the engine rumble and the wheels turn as it pulled away quickly. She turned around and deflected a curse that was thrown at her.
"Stupefy!" She shouted, standing her ground as the two Death Eaters appeared, moving out of the way.
"That a mudblood?" One of them said. "How dare you interfere?"
"With what? Stealing helpless children?" Hermione answered, stalling them as long as she could so the truck could get as far as possible.
"We don't have time for this. Cru-"
"Expelliarmus!" She cried, flicking her wand, disarming one of the Death Eaters.
The other one pointed his wand at her silently and sent a blast in her direction, which she stumbled backwards to avoid.
Desperately, she pointed her wand forward, sending flames through it to keep them at bay. "GET BACK!" She yelled.
"You go track down that truck! I'll take care of the mudblood." One of them shouted to the other.
Immediately, Hermione knew what she had to do. She threw a freezing curse at the man who was trying to get away, rooting him to the spot. She put her wand away and began to run at the Death Eaters, zigzagging to avoid the other ones attacks. When she was close enough, she grabbed both of them by their arms and closed her eyes, apparating all three of them out of the area.
That should buy them enough time. She thought as she opened her eyes, to a wooded area that was covered in snow, with herself laid in it. Looking around her, she saw one of the Death Eaters, the one she had frozen before, lying down in the snow. She heard a countercurse being thrown at the frozen man and when she turned her head to find the other one, she felt as if she had been hit by a truck, and her head was thrown backwards. The death eater was standing above her, with his wand pointing directly at her face.
"Take her wand while I have her immobile!" That one shouted at the other.
Hermione shook violently as she attempted to reach her wand, but she couldn't. She felt it being torn from her pocket and pointed at her. She looked to one Death Eater and then to the other, trying to find a way out of this. But there wasn't one. She could feel branches wrapping themselves around her body and breathed in, trying not to panic.
"Seeing as we have her subdued, you think we should kill her or send her to the Ministry?"
"Well, we aren't getting those kids, are we? Better to show up with something rather than nothing. And there's something familiar about this mudblood now that I get a good look at her. Perhaps from one of the posters."
"You're right. We failed to get those kids, but if shes a wanted woman, it'll be forgotten."
"Of course she's wanted, look. Mudblood. I know one when I see one."
One of them kneeled down at her side, looking at her bound body and into her eyes. "Oh my dear, I don't envy you." He said before leaning forward and pointing his wand directly at her head. Then everything faded to black.
Present day
Hermione was starting to feel weak. The water wasn't cutting it anymore, she needed food. She laid against the wall of the room and fell in and out of sleep, hoping this would end soon. She awoke hours later to the sound of voices outside the door.
"Five days? You imbeciles! First you fail to retrieve the orphans and then you tell me you've been keeping a wanted woman in this room for FIVE days without food?" The voice was furious, and it sounded familiar. "You'd better hope she is alive. The Dark Lord will have both your necks."
"We're really sorry about this-" The other voice argued.
"Shut up and open that door." The other voice shouted.
A click bounced off the walls and the door swung open, and Hermione tried to stand up but her body didn't allow her to. She was too famished and frightened to move. Her eyes squinted as she looked up to the three figures in the room. The two Death Eaters that she had fought were standing behind a man with long white blonde hair, and a walking cane. Something cracked within Hermione when she saw his face. This was a man she had seen before, many times.
"Dear me, you actually have found something." He said to the others. "This isn't just any mudblood. This is Hermione Granger. A close friend and ally of Harry Potter. I daresay this discovery will more than make up for your mishaps."
"Greetings, Miss Granger."
The man moved towards her and leaned down to take one of her blistered hands. "Lucius Malfoy.. Don't touch me. Don't come near me." She whispered, horrified.
He ignored her and took her hands into his, smoothing a potion onto them, which made the blisters go away. "You have been stripped of your wand. You cannot apparate out of here or anywhere else you will be taken. Do not try to fight or you will only worsen your situation. You will be fed, and cleaned up before being brought to the court."
"And why is that? Why don't you let me die here or just kill me now?" She asked softly.
"Because you are not mine to kill. The Dark Lord is the one that decides your fate."
"How comforting." She said as she was brought to her feet by the two masked men.
Lucius looked older, and his eyes were sunken in. He stared into hers for a moment before turning his back to her as he walked the group to a large room with a few tables and chairs lying about. The men dropped her into a seat and walked away. Lucius sat across from her, his eyes studying her movements.
"How did you manage to go so long without getting caught?" Malfoy asked, astonished.
"Well that's for me to know, don't you think?" Hermione said, looking defiantly at him. Her body wanted more than ever to roll back into slumber but she was resilient.
Lucius put one of his hands on the table and leaned in. "You will not take this attitude with the Dark Lord. You will answer all of his questions honestly and respectfully."
Hermione shook her head when her attention was brought to someone entering the room. It was a short, dark-haired muggle man in a long sleeve grey shirt. In his hands, he was carrying a tray. On the tray was a bowl of tomato soup, and a bread roll. The man didn't look at Hermione at all, but set the tray down in front of her and walked away without a word. She watched as he disappeared out of the doorway.
"Eat, Miss Granger." Lucius ordered.
She shook her head again, even though her insides screamed for her to obey. "Who was that?"
"Miss Granger!" Malfoy was losing his patience. "You are going to see the Dark Lord no matter what. You can go to him fed and untouched, or you can go to him starving and beaten within an inch of your life. The choice is yours."
Hermione glared at Lucius for several moments, breathing in the aroma of the soup. If there were any potions hidden, she would be able to smell them. But it seemed unlikely. She took the spoon and shoveled the hot liquid into her mouth, never removing her eyes from Malfoy. He didn't look away from her as she ate every last bit of food put in front of her. Her insides thanked her but her pride was injured. "Happy?"
"Hardly. You will bathe now." He said standing up.
Hermione stood on shaky legs and followed him down the hallway until they saw a room that had the word "ladies" on it. "Don't dawdle. You will find clean dressings in there waiting for you. I will be waiting out here. And before you try, we have already cast several spells on this entire buildings to stop those inside from getting out. You will not succeed. Bathe yourself, get dressed and come back out in a timely fashion."
"Harry saved your son's life, you know." She said, before disappearing into the room. She thought maybe he'd bust into the room after her for saying it, but he didn't. Looking around the room, she saw a couple stalls and an open shower. On the sink there was a grey dress, and it reminded her of the sweater she had used to disguise herself to go into town. Making her way over the shower, she turned the handle to make it run. The noise of water slapping against the floor resounded across the room, and she slid down the side of the wall into a sitting position.
The fear of what was happening came out in buckets now that she was alone. Covering her mouth with her hands, she let out a stifled cry. No one knew where she was and no one was coming for her. She was smart enough to know that she was going to be interrogated, and most likely tortured for information. She looked down at the scar on her arm. The one that spelled out "mudblood" that Bellatrix had carved into her a couple years ago. A few tears made their way down her cheeks as she looked up to the ceiling.
Be brave, Hermione. Her mind called to her.
She stood up and yanked her filthy sweater off, throwing it aside.
After she bathed, she approached the grey dress at the sink, looking at it with disdain. She had worn this color so many times before, but only for disguise. This time it was real. Muggle born. Second class. They could force her to wear the dress, but she would not let it hurt her pride. She threw it over her head and made her way out of the door, with her head held high.
"Pull up the zipper for me, will you?" She said, turning her back to Lucius and lifting her hair, who looked furious at her for requesting such a thing of him. A purposeful move on her part.
"My pleasure." He said through gritted teeth as he pulled the tab roughly with his fingers until her back was covered. "Come along now."
"Yes, I would like to see the Dark Lord as soon as possible, actually." Hermione said, with almost a cheery tone.
"Spoken like a true fool." Lucius said, turning to lead her away.
Hermione gulped back her true emotions. "I'm not a fool. You know that, Lucius. I'm actually quite smart. I aced all of my classes at Hogwarts. I was a model student. Unlike Draco."
Before she could react, she felt the rough hand of Malfoy around her neck, pinning her to the wall with enough might to make her gasp.
"You will not wear my sons name on your tongue, you filthy little mudblood." He growled.
She gulped as he removed his hand from her neck, and then she managed a weak smile. "Temper, Mr. Malfoy. It is no wonder why Dobby was never loyal to you."
Lucius was no longer putting up the pretense of a gentleman. He grabbed her roughly by the back of her neck and pulled her away with him. Hermione was half-dragged over to a fireplace and Lucius placed his left hand on the wall next to it. When the protection around it faded, Lucius pulled her into it with him. She could not hear what he said before they were in another building. They passed several rooms until they came to a large room that looked much like a courthouse. The doors slammed behind them and she was released. Rubbing her sore neck, she looked around the room wearily.
"Where am I?" She said, turning to Malfoy.
Lucius ignored her, and pulled back his sleeve to reveal his mark. He touched it, closing his eyes. Hermione could hear the sounds of people apparating but it was not from within the building. She closed her eyes as she felt the billowing black clouds of Death Eaters begin to fill the room.
Don't let them see how scared you are. Hermione's mind scolded her, and she opened her eyes, looking above her to the row of people before her. Voldemort's faithful followers were all dressed in black, although they did not wear their masks. Some of the faces she recognized from the past, but she was too focused on finding the one person who had caused the despair of millions. The one who had called for children to be taken from their beds, to the unknown.
And there he was, sitting right in the middle of the black-clad witches and wizards. With haunting eyes and slits for nostrils, Voldemort stood out. Hermione made eye contact with him and breathed in slowly. He broke eye contact as soon as he had looked at her.
"Why is it, Lucius, that you have summoned me and the court? I do not have time to deal with muggle cases, that is why I made it your job to deal with them."
"My Lord, please." Lucius walked to Hermione's side and gestured at her almost desperately. "I think if you will take a good look at this mudblood, you will realize why I've called all of you here today. I believe this one is of importance to you."
The Dark Lord rose from his seat, and Hermione was rooted to the ground as she saw him glide down to her level and walk towards her. She kept a straight face as he approached her, looking into her face to study it. He seemed skeptical at first but then seemed to realize that he had seen her face before.
Before he could say anything, she spoke with a calm voice. "Hermione Granger. My name is Hermione Granger."
"What luck." Voldemort breathed as he turned to his court. "It seems Lucius has brought before us the most wanted of mudbloods. A very close friend and ally of one Harry Potter."
The people in the row all became gleeful as they looked at her and turned to each other. All except for one. A young woman with long wavy blonde hair and lipstick too red for her face looked around gloomily with her grey-blue eyes. In her arms, there was a baby nestled against her breast. She looked to be about seventeen, too young to have a baby but all the same- Luna Lovegood was too young herself and that didn't stop it from happening. The woman merely just looked back and forth between Hermione and Voldemort, not saying a thing.
"I must say, we were hoping to catch Harry but I suppose you'll do. Because you, Miss Granger, can tell us where he is."
Hermione's jaw tightened and she shook her head. "I haven't seen him in over a year. We parted ways, actually, when him and my fiance got into an argument."
It was as if he could smell the lie coming off of her. "And who, might I ask, is your betrothed?"
It had never been official between the two of them, but there was an understanding that Ron and Hermione were going to stay with one another. She felt so far away from him now. But she couldn't give them his name. "Fred Weasley." She hated to use the name of the deceased, but she needed one that would be on a record.
The Dark Lord closed in on her face, and she instinctively backed away. She felt an invisible force push her forward toward him again, and she closed her eyes in defiance. Hermione could feel his cold, pale hand make it way around her chin as it tilted her face upward. "Look at me."
She closed her eyes tighter but then pulled them open. They were more furious than ever, looking up at him. She knew he was trying to looking into her mind, and she shut him out immediately. Harry may not have been grand at Occlumency, but she had taught it to herself over the past two years for good measure. She was relieved that she had. "You aren't telling the truth, Miss Granger. I know when I am being lied to."
Hermione was shoved backwards by her chin and she stumbled back, catching herself. Voldemort turned to the panel and spoke to them. "Shall we show miss Granger what happens to liars?"
Hermione looked to the witches and wizards all lined up, nodding their head in agreement. She tried to prepare herself mentally for pain, but there was a hardly a way to do it.
"Crucio!" His voice rang out, and his wand pointed directly at her.
It was as if her skin was over an open flame. She managed a few moments of silence before she began to cry out, throwing herself on her knees. Clawing at her skin, she could hardly think at all. Her mind was just as ablaze as the rest of her. Holding her head, she let out a scream that filled the room. It seemed to go on forever although it might have only been a couple minutes. And then.. nothing.
"Now, little woman, tell us where Harry Potter is."
"I speak the truth." A tear fell down her cheek, and landed on the floor. "You call yourself a merciful Lord, don't you?"
"I am only merciful with those who deserve it." He said, looking down at her. "A lying mudblood is not deserving of my good nature."
"You have no good nature." She croaked wearily.
"How dare you talk to the Dark Lord like this!" One of the Death Eaters shouted angrily.
Before she knew it, she was on her back, writhing in agony. Her mind prayed for it to stop, but her mouth would never divulge anything they wanted to hear. If this was how she died, so be it. After a couple minutes of this, it stopped yet again.
"WHERE IS HE?" Voldemorts voice bellowed as he looked down at her.
"I've told you I don't know. You might as well just kill me." She managed to choke out, the residuals of the curse making her body lame.
"No. You will not be permitted death until you tell me what I want to hear. I don't care how long it takes." Voldemort said reassuringly as he nodded to another. "Lucius.."
"My Lord." Lucius nodded respectfully to the Dark Lord, pulling a black leather glove onto his right hand. He moved toward Hermione and she flinched as he grabbed her onto her feet.
"After what happened to the Longbottoms, I do take care of how I use the Cruciartus curse. You can't use a brain that's been scrambled, you see." The Dark Lord said, black clouds forming around his feet as he was lifted back up to his spot among the Death Eaters.
"Bellatrix Lestrange.. I remember." Hermione said, lifting her arm to show him the scar that the woman had cut into years before. The one labeling her "Mudblood". "She delighted in harming others."
"I'm afraid my Bellatrix didn't know where to limit herself when it came to torturing those we need information from. But she was by far, the best and most loyal of my flock." Voldemort said aloud, almost as if to himself.
The blonde woman with the baby to his right looked at him, clearly disturbed by his choice of words. Her ruby lips trembled as she stood up with her offspring tightly against her. Her blonde hair fell around in waves as she slammed the chair away with her foot. She became a cloud of black smoke and Hermione's eyes followed her as she swiftly exited the room. The others looked around to each other in surprise and then to the Dark Lord.
"Rest assured, I will deal with that later." He said to them lowly, much more focused on Hermione than his servant who had left without excusing herself.
"It appears someone else thinks they are the best and most loyal of your flock." Hermione said aloud, feeling reckless. If she taunted him, maybe he would kill her. Then he'd never get his information.
"Lucius.." The Dark Lord said almost tiredly.
Hermione was turned to face Malfoy. His gloved hand swung and connected with the side of her face, sending her flying to the ground again. The blow had temporarily deafened her, she could only see the faces around her laughing and jeering at her. She held her face, and tried to stand up but received a vicious kick to her side. The kick sent a jolt of pain through her body, but it seemed to bring back her hearing.
"Up." Lucius growled as he grabbed her roughly by her hair and yanked her up onto her feet. "That is enough of your wise cracks."
There was a ringing noise in Hermione's ears and her lip was bleeding. She wrung her hands together, and took a ragged breath in as she looked down at her scar again. Mudblood. The room spun a little as she became less sure of herself. The blow had put her body into shock, and she couldn't shake it off. She used what little power she had in her to raise her head again.
"Such endurance. Such bravery. You amuse me, girl. But my patience only runs so deep."
"You could kill me." She whispered. Though frightened of her own mortality, her mind repeated to her words she had heard from the Tale of Three Brothers. And then he greeted Death, as an old friend, and they departed together as equals.. It was then she thought of Ron. She prayed silently that he would move forward and find someone else to share his life with. That he would find happiness.
"Oh no. No, I'm afraid you won't be allowed to die just yet." Voldemort shook head before turning his eyes to Lucius. "Veritaserum, Lucius.. I grow tired of this. Shove the potion down her throat if you have to."
"Of course, my Lord." Malfoy nodded, turning to a wizard in the corner of the room who was standing guard. He nodded and excused himself from the room.
Hermione felt a panic begin to rise within her. The serum of truth could cause her to let everything slip. She looked around the room, looking for anything she could use to drive them away. But then the same man came through the door and whispered something to Lucius before exiting again. Hermione backed away.
Lucius took a moment before speaking. "It would seem that a plant needed for the creation of Veritaserum is out of season currently.. and our supplies have been exhausted."
Voldemort eyes were angrily red. "I want the one in charge of the potions storage room punished.. severely."
"Of-of course, my Lord. I will see to it myself." Lucius nodded. "And I'll see that more is made as soon as possible. Perhaps there are ingredients in some of our units. Should be no more than a couple months to get it made."
"A couple months..." Voldemort said darkly, scaring some of his followers around him. "I am very disappointed. I expect you to take full responsibility of getting this serum as soon as possible."
"Yes, my Lord." Lucius whispered. "I will dedicate myself to it."
"And you will also hold Miss Granger in your cellar in the meantime."
"My Lord?" Malfoy seemed thrown back by this suggestion.
"I need her mind. She cannot go to Azkaban, as it is too risky. The Dementors could kiss her, and all information will be lost. She must be kept somewhere safe where she can't escape. I deem your cellar fit to hold our prisoner. I want her alive but I do not want her to be comfortable. She must suffer for her crimes, Lucius. I will be making visits to your manor. Until we get the serum or she gives up the information, she will remain there."
Malfoy did not seem happy with this idea. He took a moment, looking over to Hermione angrily. She wiped the blood off her lip, and looked back at him before he agreed. "It will be done, my Lord."
"Good." Said Voldemort, rising from his seat. "This is finished.. for now."
Hermione met eyes with Voldemort and knew there was no way she was going to hand over her mind to this monster. I have to get out. One way or the other.
((Thanks for reading the first chapter. Go easy on me, as its my first HP fic. Just read the books for the first time and was feeling the itch to write. Hope you liked.))