A/N: Seriously, I need a Beta. Where do these other authors get these magical beings? Anyway, this will be a difficult chapter to read. It includes torture, so if you do not like to read about that sort of thing, I suggest you stop reading.

Hermione lifted her chin in defiance as she quickly looked around the room. She wasn't going to show him or his stupid followers her fear. There were about ten Death Eaters scattered about the large room. Dolohov, Rodolphus Lestrange, Pettigrew, McNair, Snape, and a few others she didn't recognize all gazed at her as if Christmas had come early. She saw Narcissa and Draco Malfoy standing slightly behind the Dark Lord. Narcissa looked deliriously happy as she gazed at Hermione. Draco, however, looked like he was about to be sick. Hermione observed that while he had always been thin, it had been a lean and healthy build from quidditch. Now, he looked thin in a sickly way, like he hadn't been eating properly for weeks. His face, while always pale, had now taken on a pallid appearance. She turned away from her former classmate when Voldemort spoke again.

"Look at me mudblood," he commanded.

Hermione turned her gaze back towards the Dark Lord as he stepped closer to her and locked his eyes on hers. Suddenly, she felt the pressure of someone trying to invade her mind. She quickly threw up blocks around all thoughts and memories of her plans with Harry and her knowledge of the Horcruxes. She allowed him to see trivial memories; getting her Hogwarts letter, birthday parties with her parents, dancing with Krum at the Yule Ball. Bill had told her that focusing all her energy on blocking the important memories rather than trying to block everything, strengthened the block and kept up her energy. She felt Voldemort pushing upon her shields but she held fast. She watched as his face went from one of impassiveness, to confusion, and then to rage.

"What have you done to your mind mudblood?" he asked her. She smiled; apparently no one had been able to keep him out before. He thought she was being aided by a spell or potion.

"Nothing, I'm just able to block you. What's wrong? No one ever been able to resist your Legilimency before?" she asked snottily.

"Hermione!" hissed Fred. He was part horrified and part amazed at Hermione's attitude towards the Dark Lord.

Hermione ignored his warning tone and continued to glare at Voldemort.

"I'm a natural Occlumens, you will not get into my mind unless I allow you in." she said to him. She then turned to the Death Eaters congregated in the room. "You hear that? A lowly mudblood is able to block your precious Dark Lord from her mind. Do you still believe we are undeserving of magic?" she growled looking each one in the eye. Bellatrix stepped forward and slapped Hermione across the face.

"How dare you speak to the Dark Lord that way, you disgusting little bitch!" she screamed. She raised her hand to hit Hermione again but was stopped by Voldemort.

"Patience, Bellatrix. Patience." He hissed as he stepped closer to Hermione and roughly grabbed her chin in his long fingers.

He studied her face as he whispered to her, "You will give me the information I desire mudblood." He turned towards Snape and said, "Severus, bring me a vial of Veritaserum." Snape stepped forward and glanced once at Hermione before addressing Voldemort.

"My lord, if she is truly a natural Occlumens she will be able to fight off the effects of the Veritaserum. Giving it to her will not get you the information you desire," he said in a quiet voice.

Voldemort's snake like nostrils flared in anger but as his gaze moved to Fred his sickening smile spread across his face once more.

"No matter, I'm sure the blood traitor has the information I seek." He moved towards Fred and Hermione saw the glazed over look in his eyes that indicated Voldemort was searching through his mind. Hermione knew Fred had no idea what they were planning, so she was grateful for that, but he was a member of The Order and she did not know what other information he may have. She watched Voldemort's face and sighed in relief when she again saw a look of rage cross his face.

"Nothing of importance, just the names of known Order members and some silly little plan to produce an underground radio show in support of Potter. Nothing concrete and nothing of Potter's plans." Voldemort turned again to Hermione. Bellatrix stepped towards Fred and raised her wand.

"Since he has no important information, shall I dispose of this Weasel, my Lord?" she asked.

Hermione again began to struggle; she couldn't watch Fred die without at least trying to do something, anything. Voldemort watched her struggle for a moment before smiling again. This smile chilled Hermione to the core, she knew that something very bad was about to happen.

"No, leave him alive Bellatrix. He is going to watch as the precious mudblood screams Potter's secrets. Then we will send him back to The Order to bear witness to her betrayal," he said as he stepped closer to Hermione.

"You may be able to keep me from your mind, but there are other ways to access your secrets mudblood. By the time Bellatrix is done with you, you will scream your secrets, just to stop the pain," he whispered. Upon hearing this, Fred began wriggling in earnest trying in vain to get to Hermione.

"Don't you touch her, you fucking freak of nature!" Fred yelled. Voldemort turned his eyes to Fred and flicked his wand while whispering 'crucio'. Fred screamed out in pain and writhed about while floating in the air. Hermione struggled in vain against Lucius' grip as she watched Fred's handsome face scrunch up in agony.

"Stop! Leave him be, it's me you want information from!" she yelled. Voldemort let the unforgivable curse end, but waved his wand ending the hovering spell, causing Fred to fall painfully onto his broken leg.

"Bellatrix," he said.

Bellatrix, with a sick smile on her face, stepped forward and grabbed Hermione by the hair. Lucius released his hold on her, allowing Bellatrix to throw Hermione to the ground. She climbed atop Hermione and withdrew a small silver dagger from her robes. It glinted wickedly in the dim light. Hermione swallowed thickly but readied herself for the pain. She promised herself she would not give these bastards the satisfaction of her screams. Bellatrix leaned forward and pressed the blade into the flesh of her arm. The pain was searing, much more than a normal cut from a knife, the blade must have been cursed to cause more pain, thought Hermione absently. She bit the insides of her cheeks to refrain from crying out. Hot tears spilled from her eyes, but she kept her mouth shut.

A look of shock crossed Bellatrix's face as she realized Hermione was not begging for mercy. She looked towards Voldemort quickly before pressing the blade deeper into Hermione's skin. She began carving the word 'mudblood' into her flesh, adding insult to injury.

Fred watched in horror and awe as Bellatrix carved the vile word into Hermione's arm. He was amazed at Hermione's strength. He was sure he would be crying out by now, and yet Hermione was completely silent. The tears leaking silently from her eyes were the only indication of the pain she was experiencing.

Draco was also amazed at Hermione's strength. He had always known she was tough as nails, she had shown it throughout their time together at Hogwarts. He had been on the receiving end of the blade on more than one occasion and he knew the searing pain it caused. He felt even sicker than he had when his father had first marched his former classmates through the doors when he looked to his mother and saw her smile. She was actually enjoying the torture of this young woman. Draco closed his eyes and looked away from the entire scene and his mind whirred about at a thousand miles an hour.

Once Bellatrix finished carving the slur into Hermione's arm she sat up and proceeded to punch and slap her about the face. Bellatrix took out her rage at Hermione's stubbornness as she pummeled the witch. Blood began leaking from her nose and lips, but she still did not cry out.

Fred cried her name and began crawling towards Hermione, to do what, he didn't know. He just wanted to comfort her in some way. Let her know he was there, that he cared. Lucius saw his movement and swiftly kicked him in the stomach again, forcing the air from Fred's lungs in a painful 'whoosh'. Lucius leaned down and grabbed Fred by the hair, forcing him to watch as Bellatrix beat Hermione bloody. Tears leaked from Fred's eyes and sobs wracked his body as he helplessly watched.

Voldemort stepped forward and held up his hand, indicating Bellatrix to halt her assault. He knelt down beside Hermione and again grabbed her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his.

"No cries for mercy mudblood? You will be harder to break than I thought, but I promise I will hear your screams. Give me what I desire and I will show you mercy, your death will be swift. A quickly cast 'Avada' and your pain will be over," he whispered to her.

Hermione glared into Voldemort's eyes and then opened her mouth and spat directly into his face.

"Fuck you! I would rather suffer a thousand crucios than betray my friends. You will not get the satisfaction of my screams or my secrets," she growled.

Gasps resounded around the room as the Death Eaters watched as Voldemort stood up, vanishing the spit from his face with a wave of his wand. Fred cried harder at her action, he knew now that she would suffer even greater torture. He begged Merlin to help her, to keep her from feeling too much pain. Draco, however, smiled slightly when he witnessed Hermione spit on his "master". The girl had bigger balls than every man in this room. He had a new found respect and admiration for the muggle born.

Voldemort pointed his wand at Hermione's chest and cried 'crucio' with all his might.Hermione's body writhed horribly on the floor and her face twisted in pain, but her mouth stayed closed. Voldemort cast the curse again and again.

"Hermione, oh Merlin! Stop! Please stop!" Fred screamed as he struggled in vain to reach her side.

Hermione vaguely register Fred's screams in the back of her mind. She couldn't tell what he was saying, her mind was reeling from the pain, but she knew he was crying out as he watched helplessly.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Snape stepped forward, "My lord, if you continue to torture her, she will lose her mind and we will never learn what information she has."

Voldemort lowered his wand and glared at Severus, he was right. He would never learn what the girl knew if he tortured into insanity. He had other ways of getting her to talk.

Hermione lay panting on the ground, her chest heaving as she took air in through a burning throat and into aching lungs. She opened her eyes and looked at Fred who was crying in earnest a few feet from her. Their eyes met and she tried to convey to him that she was okay, they hadn't broken her. Their eyes remained locked as Voldemort spoke again.

"Tell me mudblood, have you let that blood traitor side kick of Potter's defile you yet?" he asked cruelly. Fred's eyes grew wide as he took in the Dark Lord's words. He watched as the fear grew in Hermione's eyes. She shook her head silently as fresh tears formed and spilled over.

"No? So, the mudblood is still a virgin? Well we can fix that can't we, Lucius?" said Voldemort cruelly.

A/N: The part about Occlumens not being affected by Veritaserum was taken from the Harry Potter Wiki, in case you guys were wondering.