For a Loaf of Bread

Chapter 2

By: hermioneeeeeee

A/N: THIS STORY IS NOT HISTORICALLY ACCURATE! ALSO, I REALIZE THAT DRACO AND HERMIONE WOULD NOT BE ALIVE IN THIS TIME PERIOD WITH THE PERSON WHO MAKES AN APPEARANCE IN THIS CHAPTER (CAN'T TELL YO RIGHT NOW). PLEASE OVERLOOK THIS FACT.

Hermione lay on the floor, wishing for sleep to come. She felt dead, even though nobody had yet killed her. Suddenly, she heard the lock click. Hermione stayed unmoving anyway. Ahem. A voice said.

"What do you want?" Hermione demanded, facing the wall away from the stranger.

"To get you out of here." the voice said calmly.

"Why would you want to do that?" Hermione laughed a mirthless laugh.

"You don't deserve to die. You only steal so you can stay alive."

"Why don't you just give everybody else in this awful village a bag of gold coins, then?"

"I'm not allowed to."

"Well, I'm guessing you aren't allowed to do this either."

"No, but, you first. Then I'll take care of the village."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Wait, who are you?"

"Draco Malfoy."


Hermione followed the prince upstairs silently, wondering if all of this was only a dream.

"You can stay up here tonight, my chambers are just down this hallway." he said smiling.

"Thank you very much. You didn't have to do this." Hermione thanked him.

"I know. I wanted to. I just think that it's not quite fair that the rich are too rich and the poor are too poor. Mum and dad are typical privileged royals; sometimes I think that dad just sentences people for fun. Spiteful, isn't it?"

Hermione listened to him, fascinated by his opinion of his own family. Draco fiddled with the door until it creaked open.

"Your room." Draco announced grandly. Hermione's eyes widened in awe.

"It's amazing! Absolutely brilliant!" she gushed.

"It's one of the less nice rooms here, actually."

"Never mind that!" Hermione laughed. The two talked late into the night until Draco decided that it would be best if she went to sleep.

"I'll wake you so we can get you back to the dungeons before anybody realizes that you're gone."

"Thank you ever so much. I really enjoyed our talk. Goodnight!" Hermione called as he left the room. She circled the large room again. The bookshelf was taller than she was which found Hermione wishing that she could read. The bed was wonderfully soft as Hermione flopped onto it. She gazed at the ceiling which was ornately painted with stars and moons. Hermione fell onto her pillows and felt sleep coming swiftly.


Draco crept down the corridor and unlocked Hermione's door. She looked so peaceful and elegant lying there that Draco almost didn't want to wake her. He had to, though. If he didn't, she would end up dying on the spot for 'intrusion' and 'escaping'. Draco had a mind to convince his father to leave Hermione alone. He knew that she was a wanted criminal. He knew that she was a penniless peasant. But he admired her bravery and courage. Two things he knew he didn't have. Draco walked closer to the bed where Hermione was sleeping and rubbed her shoulder.

"Hermione. You've got to wake up!" he whispered. She opened her eyes and stretched. Hermione slid off of the mattress and helped remake the bed. They then tiptoed downstairs to the dungeons.

"Draco? What are you doing?" a shrill voice asked.

"Aunt Bellatrix! Um, walking this prisoner to the dungeons." Draco said convincingly.

"I see. Carry on then, dear!" she said, walking off.

"Lady Lestrange. My aunt. She believes in keeping the royals rich and mighty while the peasants are scrambling for food and money." Draco said rolling his eyes.

"Oh. Alright." Hermione said, still walking. The two walked faster down into the cells and Draco locked her back in her cell.

"Goodbye?" he asked.

"I suppose. Thank you for everything. Even if it doesn't really matter anyway." Hermione said gloomily.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've got this feeling that I'm going to die today." Hermione whispered on the verge of tears.

"Don't say that! Please don't. You won't die. I'll make sure of it. Now stay here and I-"

"Master Malfoy! What might you be doing in the dungeons?" a guard asked bowing deeply.

"Oh. Doing rounds." Draco answered, his voice rising at the end which made his statement sound more like a question.

"Alright. Well, this prisoner needs to come upstairs immediately. King Malfoy has made his decision." the guard said solemnly.

"Right away, then. I'll see to her." Draco said nervously.

"No need, sir. I have strict orders to take her to the Throne Room." the guard said diligently, unlocking Hermione's door. He tied her hands again and dragged her upstairs. Hermione's scared eyes met Draco's anxious ones, both thinking the same thing. Death would get another visitor today.


"Public torture via the Breaking Wheel. Takes place in half of an hour." King Malfoy said with an evil glint in his eye. Hermione started to scream and cry. She had seen three other villagers die from being tortured this way. They placed the prisoner on a wagon wheel and tied them up which automatically hurt them. Then, the torturers were allowed to hit the victim with iron bats or other hard clubs. It was terribly gruesome and horrid. Hermione was frightened and wished that she hadn't stolen anything ever. She wished that she had died with her parents. Hermione continued to sob as the guard expressionlessly dragged her back down into the dark.

Draco heard Hermione's cries of despair and desperately wanted to see her. He ran back to the dungeons to see if she had been brought back yet. She had and he could hear her uncontrollably weeping. He unlocked the door and raced inside the cell to comfort her. Hermione sat in his lap as he put his arms around her.

"The Breaking Wheel." he heard her whisper cry.

"No! For theft?" he asked outraged. She nodded and put her arms around his neck and her head on his shoulder. The pair stayed like this until it was time.


"Hermione Jean Granger, accused of theft will now be receiving her sentence of torture. Any who wish to watch may watch." announced an official. Mothers covered the eyes of their children as they led them back indoors. Hermione stood on the stage shaking as they proceeded to tie her onto the wheel. She felt tears coming as the clubs came into view. They were just about to start beating her when Draco came onto the stage.

"Wait!" he yelled. King Malfoy motioned for them to stop. Hermione's heart skipped a beat.

"Don't kill her! She doesn't deserve this!" Draco continued. Villagers paused. Time paused. Draco carried on.

"She only stole so she wouldn't die! It's unfair, the royals get everything they want and the poor get absolutely nothing! It's madness! We are all equal; nobody is better than anyone else! Father, release her please!" Draco pleaded.

"Guards, untie her! We have wrongly accused this girl!" King Malfoy spoke. Hermione breathed normally again.

"It is not theft at all that is her crime, it is witchcraft! She has bewitched my son into thinking that she is innocent! Therefore, we must burn her at stake. Her soul is impure and does not deserve to be kept alive. Fetch the pole! Fetch the poker! We are having a witchburning!" he shouted.

"NO!" Draco shouted. The guards held him back. Hermione was untied from the wheel and retied onto a pole. She stood silently and closed her eyes. The poker was hot and the sticks were set up. The flames began to crawl up and up and up... Just then, a figure came into view. It kicked the guards out of the way and released Hermione from the pole. The King demanded to know who interrupted. It didn't answer. Instead, it created a dark cloud of blackness that shrouded the whole confused village. It snatched Hermione and Draco out of the way and rolled to safety.

"Who are you?" Hermione gasped.

"Call me Rowena." the lady answered.