Chapter III
Hermione slowly opened her eyes. She didn't immediately take in her surrounding as it swam, hazy and unfocused, in her eyes. On the third time she blinked, everything became clearer, more distinct. She glanced around the white room, unable to recognize it. She tried to get up but her body felt stiff and sore. Heaving a breath, she closed her eyes again. As she did so, flashes of memory appeared in her mind: her daughter's tear-stained face, her plea for mercy, Lucius advancing, staring into Sophie's grey orbs, his eyebrows furrowed as if contemplating where he had seen those familiar eyes…
Hermione's eyes shot open and her heart thudded in her chest. Despite her body's painful protest, she bolted up and stood. Her sudden movement alerted the black-haired boy dozing in the corner. He immediately strode towards her and tried to put her back to bed.
"Hermione-"
"Harry, where's Sophie?" She frantically asked, pushing Harry who was trying to restrain her from running out the door.
"Hermione, please, you have to lie back down!" He nearly shouted and pushed her with more force to the bed this time. "You shouldn't move – oh no! You're bleeding again! Wait here, I'll get the Healer!"
He went for the door but Hermione pulled him back.
"S-Sophie…where is she…?" Hermione clutched her chest, the bandage in it now scarlet. Indeed, the pain was intense and every breath she took was like a knife searing in her flesh. But she didn't care; she had to make sure her daughter was safe.
"Lie down Hermione!" Harry shouted, really worried for she had turned pale. "Listen, I'll tell you but please, you're bleeding!"
"I-I don't care!" Hermione shouted back. "I want my daughter! Where's Sophie?! Where is-"
The door burst open, Ginny and a blonde woman came in.
"Hermione!" Ginny shrieked. "Oh Merlin!"
The Healer rushed to the frantic woman but to no avail. Finally, she was forced to petrify her. Harry, who caught her, carried her to bed. Tears were still rolling down her face.
"I'm sorry Ms. Granger but it was necessary, you're opening your wounds." She rushed to her side and examined her injury. She muttered spells to remove her bandage. She stopped the bleeding, cleaned the wound and replaced a clean bandage. "The Flagarate Curse was so strong that your wound would take a few days to heal. Until then, I implore you to refrain from straining yourself. I will let you move again but you must not move too much or I'll have to put you to sleep."
She gazed sternly to her before swishing her wand. Hermione felt able to move again. She looked sideways at Harry. Eyes pleading, she asked what she's been asking since she woke up…
"Where's Sophie?"
Ginny went beside her and gripped her hand, Harry looked grave, his eyes glassy. Hermione didn't like their reaction one bit and her heart started pounding again.
"Harry-"
"Sh-She was taken." Harry whispered.
Hermione felt like everything came crashing down. Her body started to shake and she put a hand to her mouth to stop her sobbing.
"Hermione, I'm sorry. It was too late when Ron and I came. They were already hoisting the two of you to Disapparate." Harry swallowed and put a hand on her shoulder. "I dueled with Nott and I managed to get you. Ron ran for Sophie but Lucius overpowered him. H-He Disapparated with Sophie a-and we couldn't stop him. Ron was injured and you were severely bleeding, I-I had no choice but to rush you here in St. Mungos."
"Why…." She choked out but was unable to finish.
"Hermione…"
"Why did you save me?!" She bellowed and Harry and Ginny's eyes widened. "Why did you bother with me when you could've dueled Malfoy and saved her?! Why did you even save me?! YOU SHOULD'VE SAVED HER NOT ME!"
She started screaming and thrashing again. The Healer tried to stop her but again, the attempt was futile.
"You could have just let them take me so I can be with my daughter wherever she is!" Hermione continued to yell. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE HER?! WHY?! She's…she…"
Hermione slowly slumped on her bed. Harry and Ginny looked at the Healer to see her wand raised.
"I just put her to sleep." She said at Ginny's accusing glare. "I had to."
"When will she wake up?" Harry asked, his hands trembling as he wiped the tears off his best friend's face.
"Not until I lift the spell. Frankly, I don't think she ought to wake up until she's healed."
"But-"
"You saw her today Mr. Potter, she'll do that again and again if I let her wake. It's for her own good."
And with that, she left the room.
Harry and Ginny stared at the sleeping Hermione.
"What are we going to do?" Ginny cried. "We have to get Sophie back."
"Yes." Harry firmly said. "We'll round up everyone. I'll do everything I can to get back my goddaughter."
OOO
"Throw that brat in the dungeons."
Theodore Nott unceremoniously threw the unconscious child to a tall, burly man. He leered, showing several pointy and yellowing teeth, and walked off to do as ordered.
"Fuck!" Nott kicked the nearby chair, sending it toppling over. "We failed!"
"Calm down Nott." Lucius barked as he sat down at the armchair.
"Calm down?!" Nott rounded on him, his eyes blazing. "How the fuck do you expect me to calm down?! We didn't get what we came for! We didn't get the Mudblood! How're we supposed to-"
"Shut the bloody hell up!" Lucius shouted at him. Nott fell silent immediately and gritted his teeth.
Theodore picked up the overturned chair and sat on it. "It'll take too long. We planned this for so long Lucius and we're finally closer, I don't want everything to fail."
"We will not…it will be soon Nott."
Theodore didn't answer and stared at the crackling fire. Lucius looked at him as the fire danced in his own black orbs.
"Why didn't you seek him?" Nott asked all of a sudden.
"Who?"
"You know who I'm talking about." He shrugged. "He could've helped us."
"I do not seek help from those who doesn't want to." Lucius's face hardened. "I have disowned him, he's a bloody traitor. He is no son of mine."
"Do you know where he is?"
Lucius didn't answer and Nott shrugged again and continued looking at the fireplace.
"The kid's at place."
Both of them looked up to see the burly man at the doorway.
"She's also awake. Maybe I shouldn't have shoved her in that hard." He laughed harshly.
"Yes, good job." Nott drawled. "Where're you going?"
Lucius had stood up. "I'm going to see her."
"What for?"
"For questioning…"
Before Nott can even reply, Lucius was already out the door.
OOO
Lucius's footsteps echoed down the grimy, dimly lit dungeon. He stopped in front of the first cell and looked down at the crying little girl clutching the bars. He noticed her bruised arm and bloody lip and she was clutching her stomach. Lucius looked in her eyes, her familiar grey eyes. Everything about her was her mother, her hair…her face. Except for those eyes. It really unnerved him.
"Let me out!" She screamed at him. "Let me out! What do you want?!"
Lucius looked coldly down at her. "You were the one who interfered you brat."
"You were going to take my mum! Let me out!" She repeated.
"Yes…" He leered. "We were going to take her and because of you, we couldn't."
She continued to cry and rattle the bars. Lucius's eyes furrowed, clearly annoyed. He raised his wand and she was blasted off, hitting the stone wall. But it didn't stop her wails. Lucius raised his wand and pointed it at her again, she whimpered. He was half way through the Cruciatus Curse but stopped. She was looking at him again with pleading grey eyes. He cursed and gritted his teeth.
Silencio
Sophie opened her mouth but no sound came. She tried to scream over and over again but to no avail. And when she looked up again, all she saw was the billowing cloak of the tall blond man as he swiftly walked away without another word.
OOO
"What do you mean it will be bloody hard?!" Harry Potter fumed. He thumped the desk with his hand, sending the tea cups crashing down the floor.
"Harry, please calm down." Kingsley Shacklebolt placated the angry man. "I'm only saying the truth. We have no leads, no evidence. I'm not saying it's impossible to track them down, all I'm telling you is that it's going to be hard and it will take long."
"How long?! My goddaughter could be dead by then! You're the Minister of Magic for fuckssake! Can't you do anything?!" He continued to yell.
"Yes Potter, I 'am the Minister of Magic so I will appreciate it if you show some respect." Kingsley sternly said. "We will do everything we can. This is not only a threat to you and your friends but to the whole wizarding world as well. If someone is trying to be the second Voldemort, we may be looking at the third war and we will stop at nothing to prevent that."
Harry looked away and slumped on the chair.
"Thank you Minister." He said stiffly. "I'll be going now."
"Harry-"
But the door closed before Kingsley can even utter a goodbye.
"What happened?" Ginny rushed to her husband as he strode out of the lift.
Harry shook his head. "I have to do something." He mumbled.
"What?" Ginny asked worriedly.
"I have to write a letter."
"To whom?"
"To the least likely person." He replied and hurried off outside, Ginny at his wake.
to be continued...
A/N: Thanks for reading. Read and Review! :)