Voldemort walked around the room, surveying everyones terrified faces. His red eyes gleamed in satisfaction, everyone was fearing him, just what he wanted. Everyone standing before him had enduraed a minute of the Cruciatis Curse for allowing Potter to escape, Greyback receving an extra minute for grabbing ahold of the wrong person, and Bellatrix getting less since she manged to get the knife to go with them, probably killing or injuring someone.
"Bellatrix, Luciuis, Narcissa, Draco, and Greyback," Voldemort began. "You five musn't leave this house. Not only is it your punishment, but you need to stay and watch for Potter."
"Draco needs to return to school, though." Narcissa pipped up. The Dark Lord turned, staring at her as if she were an idiot.
"If his education means that much to you, home school him. I don't care, but he musn't leave." He turned to the other Death Eaters present. "As for all of you, come with me. We have work to do." With those words, Voldemort and the group of Death Eaters Disapparated. Draco gripped his mothers wand, which she had lent to him, insisting that he use it instead of one of
the wands Voldemort had dumped into the room.
Bellatrix grunted in frustation and left the room, followed by Luicius who deciced to go to his study. Narcissa sighed as she went to the library to search for books so she could use to home school her son. Draco slipped back down the stairs and quietly entered the cellar, where Hermione was still laying where he left her. With a flick of his wand, he lighted the single lantern. It sent a warm orange glow through out the room.
The light relfected along her face, illumnating the dried tears all down her cheeks. Her eyes were vacant as she stared at the wall, praying someone would come and rescue her soon. She felt warmth as Draco sat next to her, examing her arm which had finally stopped bleeding. Her arm was red and stained from all the dried blood, her skin was snowy white and she looked incredibly ill.
"How long will I be here?" Asked Hermione weakly as his eyes drifted to the word 'Mudblood'.
"However long it takes Potter and Weasly to come get you." He responded
"Why can't you just let me go?" She turned her head to watch him.
"Because then he'll kill both of us." Draco choked out, terrfied at the thought. This was the worst part about being on Voldemort's side. If you did something wrong, you were eitheir tortured or just plain out killed. On Potters side, you were forgiven, welcomed back by all your friends. And then there was the indifferent people, where no one cared if you messed up because you weren't fighting anything.
"I don't understand why you're on his side." She spoke just as the thoughts went through his head.
"Because I was forced to be." With that, he stood up and fled the cellar, trying to keep his face clean from all emotions. He headed through the dark, cold halls of his home until he reached his room. The chair to the writing desk with still over turned and a hole was still in the wall. Stress had been getting to him latley and he tended to destroy things when he was stressed or angry.
With a flick of his wand, the hole cealed itself and the chair turned upright. He made his way to his desk where a half-finished essay was. He discarded it seeing as he wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts. A part him wanted to stay, and a part didn't. The part that wanted to say wanted to be here to protect Granger. The part that wanted to returned wanted to escape everything and just be a student, ignoring everything that would go on outside the school walls.
Draco gathered the warmest blanket from his bed and a fluffy pillow. He quickly hurried down the halls, hoping no one would see him. Hermione turned when she heard feet coming down the stairs, relieved to see Draco instead of someone else. This is when her eyes first shifted to the floor next to the cellar door.
"Oh my god!" She screamed as she spotted Wormtails dead body. Draco turned confused to what she was referring to.
"Shit!" He yelled in surprise. Dropping the pillow and blanket, he pulled at his wand. He gave it a flick and Wormtails body floated into the air and zoomed up the steps, making a thumping noise where it landed. "Here." He said, pulling the blanket over to her and sliding it over her frail body. Hermione grasped it and snuggled closer into the warmth of the blanket as a soft pillow slid under her head.
A screech caused Draco to head upstairs. His mother was standing at the edge of the room, her hand to her heart as she saw the dead body, the mechianl hand still locked around the blue throat.
"I-I found him in the cellar." Draco told her. She swollaed and overcame the shock.
"Greyback!" Narcissa called as the werewolf entered the room. "Dispose of this."
"I'm not your servant." He huffed.
"Would you rather clean and cook while the house elves took care of him?" Hissed Narcissa. Greyback growled as he walked over and hoisted the man into his arms, dissappearing down the hall. "Draco, dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes."
She turned to walk away, but her sons voice made her stop.
"What about Hermione?" He asked.
"Hmm?" She turned around.
"I mean, are we gonna feed her?" Asked Draco.
"Oh, yes." Narcissa was the only other Death Eater that was as sick of the war as her son was. She, too, was one of the people that was horrifed when watching the poor girl get tortued, imaging what it'd be like to see her own son being in that much pain. "I'll have an elf send her down some bread and water after we eat. How is she?"
"She looks kinda sick. She almost bled to death." Narcissa nodded before leaving, once again, imagining what it'd be like if it was her child locked in a cellar, her child that almost bled to death. The thought was almost too much to bear.
For dinner that night, they were joined by Voldemort, Snape, and few other fellow Death Eaters. The house elves had prepared some sort of meat soup, that no one seemed to be eating. Most eyes were fixed either on their hands or the Dark Lord himself. The only two people who seemed to show no fear were Bellatrix and Snape, like usual.
"How long do you think it will take Potter to come and try to rescue the Mudblood?" Greyback asked as Nagini slithered up and down the long table.
"Not long. Friends are Harry Potter's weakness." Voldemort paused. "In fact, I think I'd like to send him some images, something to taunt him. I will return shortly." He said as he left his seat and headed for the stairs of the cellar. Draco almost threw up, what was he going to do to her? He felt his mothers hand on his knee, giving him a stern look. Hush, don't do anything. Her eyes said.
Hermione looked up when she heard the door swing open, hoping to see the comforting face of Draco. But instead, she saw possbily one of her worst fears. Voldemort entered with a smile, shutting the door behind him. She leapt up from her place on the floor and moved to the back, trying to stay as far away as possible.
"Do you know where Potter is, dear girl?" He asked, aiming his wand at her.
"I-I don't." She cried.
"Pity. Crucio!" Once again, Hermione fell to the floor, writhering and screaming in pain. Every cell was burning as fire raged through her veins. But she wouldn't do more than scream, she wouldn never beg for death just like Volemort liked when he tortued his victims. She did want to die, the pain was too much, but she would never say it out loud.
Draco's heart pounded as her screams echoed up her stairs. Him and his mother sat rigid as others laughed, especially Bellatrix, the sound of pain was mucis to her ears. Slowly, her screams decreased. Hermione's breathing was broken, short gasps would escape her mouth before all her breath was gone again. The pain lingered like a scar in her body.
Voldemort returned to the table with a triumphant smile. "He should be here soon, after what he just saw. I must depart though, I still have much to do. Come, Nagini."
Elevs came to clear the table as the guests departed. Hermione listened as each crack sent another horrible person away. She yipped in fright as the door opened, relaxing when she saw it was only a small house elf with a tray. She crawled back over to her blanket, the elf meeting her there.
"Food." The elf stated in a sqeaky voice, handing her a tray with bread and a goblet of water.
"T-thankyou." She managed, still shaky. "What's your name?" Hermione asked, gesturing for the elf to sit down.
"Emilia." It repsonded, shocked by the kindness. "I'm sorry madam, I cannot sit. I must get back to work." He departed as Hermione nibbled on the bread. She was hungry, they never got much to eat while they were camping, not to mention tortue works up an appetite. But she had no energy to chew, and she was still feeling ill from blood loss and all the mental damage from the curse.
She knew Volemort sent those images to Harry, trying to lure him, just like he had done with Sirius, even though Sirius's torture was fake and hers was real. For once, she didn't want to be rescued. She wanted Harry to find the remaining horcruxes and destroy Voldemort first. The entire world should come before her, but she knew Harry would never just leave her there. She knew the two boys would put their entire lives on hold until they got her back.
The water soothed her sore throat, and made her senses a little sharper. Draco entered the cellar and made his way over to her. She gave him a nod before resuming to eat her bread.
"Are you okay?" He asked. She gave him another nod. "Well, it's getting late. Sleep well." The last thing Hermione expected was to feel his cool lips brush her forehead. Draco didn't even know why he did it either, he just acted on his sudden impulse to comfort her. They stood frozen for moment after his face came back down. Draco left quickly after, and Hermione couldn't help but fall into a dreamless sleep.