'Mudblood' would forever be etched into her arm. From now as it bled cherry red, up until it turned into a white scar and would stay that way forever. Hermione didn't have any energy left to even speak, her throat was sore from all the screaming she had done when Bellatrix had carved words into her skin or tortured her just moments ago. The hard, cold, marble floors were comforting compared to what she just went through, and she intended to lay their forever and never get up. She had no stength left. Every cell in her body had been burned to ashes.
Bellatrix was leaning over Griphook now, the knife still red hot in her hands. The goblin remained straight faced, unlike Hermione who couldn't stop screaming and crying the entire time the dereanged woman was hovering over her. She wished more than anything to be able to get up, to pull the knife from her hands and help the poor creature to safety, but she was too weak. Her eyes flickered around the room, most of the present Death Eaters seemed to be happy, they had captured Potter. One particular face caugher her eye.
It was the only face in the room with a frown. The only face that look terrfied and had tears in his grey eyes. Draco Malfoy stared back at her, wishing he could run to her aid. Sure, she was a mudblood and he had disliked her through out his school years, but she was still human. He wouldn't have wished that kind of torture upon anyone, not even her. Every scream she made would hit him like a bullet, he could have helped her. But he didn't.
A loud crack broke their gaze as all eyes flew towards the stairs leading down to the cellar. It sounded like the noise of someone Apparting or Disapparting, but how could they? Everyone clearly knew the cellar was enchanted and it would be impossible.
"What was that?" Lucius Malfoy shouted. "Did you hear that? What was that noise in the cellar?" Draco swoallwed and nodded, knowing that managing the cellar was his job. He took a step before his mothers nails dug into his arm as she pulled him back.
"Draco-no, call Wormtail! Make him go and check!" Narcissa called. The moment her voice ceased, a short stubby man emerged from the corner of the room. Although in his human form, the animagus still appeared to look quite rat like, with his overgrown teeth and bent over posture. He made his way across the room and dissappeared down the stairs. Bellatrix resumed yelling at the goblin, demanding answers.
Hermione shut her eyes, hoping the nightmare would end. She went to her happy place, just a casual day at the Burrow. But it was hard to try to remember all the wonderful memories with Ron, Harry, and Ginny, when all she could feel was the hard floor, tired muscles, and her bleeding arm. All she could hear was Bellatrix's deranged yells and her own slow breathing.
"Well?" The black wild hair looking crazier than ever. "Is is the true sword?" Hermione turned her head to watch them.
"No." Griphook lied. "It is a fake."
"Are you sure? Quite sure?"
"Yes." He repsonded with no fear in his low voice.
"Good." She smiled, showing her disgusting teeth. With a causal flick of her wand, a deep cut emerged into Griphook's face. Hermione gasped, but the pain her throat stopped it in it's tracks. Why would she hurt him after he gave her all the answers she wanted(even if they were lies, but she didn't know that.)? He grabbed his face and toppled over just like Hermione. Bellatrix kicked him as she strolled over to her group of Death Eaters. "And now, we call the Dark Lord!" She said triumphantly, pulling back her sleeve to touch her dark mark.
"And I think," She continued. "we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her." Draco whiped his head to see the werewolf evily grin. He wanted to kill him. If he made step, he would fire a curse at him right in front of everyone. He wouldn't care, he would not watch the innocent girl be hurt anymore tonight.
"NOOOO!" Everyone turned to see Ron running into the room, everyone remembering that they had sent down Wormtail a few minutes ago. Wands went flying and duels began. Draco's father quite litteraly pushed him into battle, and he had no choice but to begin to duel. He just wanted to stop everyone now, he was so tired of the war, and most of all, tired of what side he was forced to be on. Infact, he didn't want to be on a side at all. He just wanted to be happy again.
Hermione saw Bellatrix snatch up her knife and head over to where she was laying. No, please, not again. She cried in her head. The woman grabbed her by the roots of her hear and yanked her off the floor, pressing the knife to her soft throat.
"STOP OR SHE DIES!" The boys turned. "Drop your wands. Drop them or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!"
Draco almost dropped his wand until he remembered that his aunt thought he was on her side. Seeing the knife on the half-concious girls neck was scarier than seeing it digging into her arm.
"I said drop them!" Hermione felt the knife cut ever so slightly into the flesh of her neck. Eyes half closed, she heard the clank of two wands falling to the floor.
"Good!" Her breath was sharp in Hermione's ear, almost making her sick to her stomach. "Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming! Harry Potter, your death approaches!" Hermione suddenly lost concouisness, everyone suddenly aware that her arm was still gushing blood.
Draco saw her body fall limp, Bellatrix ignoring and only tightnening her grip on the brown locks. She turned to the other Death Eaters and intructed them to tie up the boys, and Hermione could be given to Greyback. The same fear went through Draco's body as she said this like she had the first time. But there was no time for her plan to go into effect, a grinding noise from the ceiling silcenced everyone.
The Malfoys reconigzed their old house elf, Dobby, as she unhooked the chandiler, dropping it directly on a fleeing Bellatrix. Shards of glass cut into Draco's pale face before he sheilded himself with his hands. Through his fingers, he saw the Weasly grab Hermione, and Harry running over to him. He struggled for a bit as Harry tried to pry the wands from his hands. Draco actually didn't care if he got the other two wands, he just didn't want Harry to take his own, but he did anyway.
He didn't move after that, he didn't even listen. The lips of Dobby and Bellatrix moved, but all he knew is that Hermione was going to be safe, and that's all he cared about. But seconds before they began to Dissapparate, Greyback had headed towards them, leaning into the mess of people and grabbing ahold of what he thought was Potter.
The crowd of prisonors were gone, except for the one Greyback was holding.
"You got the wrong one, you filthy animal!" Bellatrix screamed as Greyback dropped Hermione, getting out his wand.
"Wait, don't kill her!" The words escaped Draco's mouth before he could stop them. Everyone stared, looking for an answer. "Well, uh, I mean, Potter will come back to get her. She's perfect bait."
"That's very clever, Draco. The Dark Lord-FUCK." Bellatrix screamed. "He's coming and you let Potter get away!"
"It wasn't my fault!" Greyback argued. As everyone aruged about who was at fault, Draco crawled over to Hermione, who was still lying on the ground.
"Hermione?" He whispered.
"M-Malfoy?" Whimpered Hermione. Before he could responded, a snap caused him to turn. Voldemort stood in the center of the room, looking around.
"Well? Where is he!" He yelled.
"I-I'm sorry m-my lord. But he managed to e-escape..." Bellatrix repsonded.
"You let him escape? CRUCIO!" Voldemort aimed his wand at a random death eater, than another, and another, until his eyes fell on Hermione. "Who is that?"
"Potter's friend! Draco's suggested we keep her alive, so Potter will come and try to rescue her. She's bait!" Lucuius called.
"Hm, not too bad, I suppose. Draco, take her to the cellar." Instructed Voldemort.
"Can you walk?" Draco whispered into her ear. Her lack of reponse told him no, so he hoisted her into his arms, and carried her like a baby down to the cellar, happy to escape the furious Voldemort. He placed her gently on the floor, for once wishing he could give the new prisoner some sort of comfort. The floor looked too hard for her soft head, so Draco pulled off his jakcet, tucking it under her head like a pillow.
"Why are you being nice to me?" Hermione suddenly asked, her eyes fluttering open. His warm hand whiped dirt from her cold cheek.
"Because no one deserves to go through what you just did." He paused as she looked up at him confused. Why was he being so nice? His was the boy through out her school years that not only tormented her, but her two best friends along with most other kids who weren't in Slytherin. It was odd seeing him act, well, human. "I won't let anyone hurt you while you're here."
"Draco!" His mothers voice called.
"I'll sneak you some blankets and stuff later." He told her before going back up the stairs. She slowly leaned up, regaining her senses. The floor was even harder than upstairs, and twice as cold. What kind of a house even had a cellar in the first place?
