Thanks everyone who favorited, reviewed, and followed! I really appreciate the response I've gotten from this story, and I apologize for the delay! Work and finals had me bogged down (okay, and maybe Minecraft), but I got you an update! This one was giving me loads of trouble. Enjoy!
Chapter 4
The door swung open so harshly that it seemed as if it would shake right off its hinges. Hermione's attention snapped up to the Death Eater now hovering in the doorway. Bellatrix Lestrange. The door once again slammed back into place with such violence that Hermione could swear that she could see the bricks shake with fear.
The proud Death Eater stomped through the room, sweeping right past the girl hovering near the doorway. She didn't seem particularly angry, but Hermione was wary nonetheless. You could never be too cautious with Bellatrix Lestrange. She glared defiantly at the woman's back as she transfigured one of the barrels in the corner into a comfortable looking ornate throne. She levitated it over to the center of the room and let it drop with a dull thud. She fell lazily onto the chair, propping one leg up over its arm. Overall it was a very unladylike posture. Bellatrix's eyes slid over the room and landed on the young witch, as if only just realizing she were there. She raised her eyebrows in expectance.
"Well?" Bellatrix asked. She seemed frustrated, but gave no clue as to what she wanted from the girl.
Hermione was at a loss. "Well…what?" What could the Death Eater possibly want from her? She lingered off to the side of the doorway, not wanting to be anywhere near the poisonous woman she was suddenly trapped with.
"Come closer, Mudblood," Bellatrix commanded, still not alluding to what she was after.
"And if I refuse?" Hermione asked, angry at the demeaning way the Death Eater spoke to her.
Bellatrix's eyes flashed with fury. She sat forward, and lashed her wand at Hermione. A thick black whip like cord exploded from the end of her wand, and wrapping itself around Hermione, who had managed to throw an arm up before the whip snaked around her throat, effectively binding her arm uncomfortably to her neck. Bellatrix yanked her wand towards herself, jerking the girl forward and onto her knees. Hermione vaguely recalled the woman doing something similar to one of the snatchers the previous night when she had been captured. Maybe it was a favorite spell of Bellatrix's.
Bellatrix dragged the girl forward, bruising the soft flesh around Hermione's wrist and neck. Her knees and free hand scraped painfully against the stone floor as she fought the pull of the deranged Death Eater. When Hermione was a few inches away from the older witch's knees, the dragging stopped, but Hermione was not set free from the unyielding magical whip.
"No use being all defiant, muddy," Bellatrix sneered. With another yank, Hermione's face collided painfully against the woman's knee and her free hand somehow wound up under the heel of Bellatrix's boot. She had split her lip again, and blood stained the dark fabric of Bellatrix's dress.
Bellatrix gave a mocking tut and looked down sympathetically at the girl.
"See what happens when we misbehave?"
This enraged Hermione. She tried to struggle but the crushing weight of the heel digging into the back of her hand stilled her movements. Tears of shame and fury burned in her eyes.
"I am no animal!" She shouted, fury overcoming her. Despite her words, that was exactly how she felt; a pet for the deranged psychopath's own personal enjoyment.
"Oh dear, of course not," Bellatrix gripped the girl's chin and turned her face so she could peer directly into her eyes. Her eyes swam with mock sympathy as a lone tear escaped from the girl's sodden eyelashes. "After all, an animal would be much more appealing," Bellatrix said, her fake sympathy contorting into a look of twisted delight as Hermione's face flushed with anger. She pressed the heel of her boot down, steadily adding pressure until it became unbearable. Hermione felt the bones in her hand grind together miserably.
She felt her stomach churn. She could vomit she was so disgusted with the evil woman. That is, if she had had any food recently. Constantly being on the run had taken its toll on their supply of food, and her and the boys had been rationing their food. Hermione had not eaten or drank since she had been captured.
"Oh, and that reminds me, you must be quite thirsty as well," Hermione had the sinking feeling that her mind had just been invaded. She shuddered at the sheer ease the woman had when practicing Legilimency on her. That would not do, she had to keep a constant lockdown on her thoughts, lest the woman discover things she shouldn't.
Bellatrix summoned a simple cup out of thin air. The cup filled itself with what appeared to be water, but Hermione didn't trust anything the Death Eater was willing to offer her.
"You'll have to excuse my forgetfulness; I have had the worst of luck with pets. Such trouble when you have to remember to feed and water them every day. They don't seem to survive long under my watch," she rambled with an amused chuckle.
Hermione scowled at the woman and looked down disdainfully at the cup.
A pet? She wanted to shriek. How dare she?
"Come now child, I assure you it isn't poisoned. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't use such a messy and imprecise method. However…," She paused, head crooked in thought, before giving an excited snap of her fingers. A tiny glass phial materialized into her outstretched palm. She unstoppered the phial and tipped a few drops of the clear liquid into the cup. "…Well, it is poisoned now." Hermione gave the woman a look of bewildered shock that caused Bellatrix to burst out into mad laughter. She dropped both cup and phial to the floor, and both dissolved and disappeared before they could shatter.
"You are quite entertaining Mudblood," Bellatrix smirked, "Never have I met someone who took such offense at the tiniest of things! I'll have you know that I've been discussing you with Draco. He tells me you are also quite intelligent. Tell me, what was your best subject in school?"
Hermione was so flabbergasted by the sudden strange turn in conversation that she couldn't have responded even if she wanted to. She stared at the woman open-mouthed.
"Then again," Bellatrix whispered darkly when Hermione failed to respond, her eyes turning cold, "My dearest nephew may have been mistaken."
"He wasn't," Hermione said with a defiant glare. If there were ever a moment in her life that she wished a look could kill, it would be now. Bellatrix would have been dead three times over. It was one thing to mock her blood status, but another thing entirely to insinuate that she was stupid. The woman clearly had no idea who she was dealing with. Hermione Granger was top of every class for a reason, and she would be damned if she let Bellatrix Lestrange think any different.
"I was the top student in every class, and I do not get offended at the tiniest of things. I don't know if you recall, but you have attempted to murder me and my friends, and you have tortured and wounded me. Those aren't exactly the tiniest of offenses."
"No need to lie to impress me child," Bellatrix said with a mixture between a sneer and a grin. Hermione wondered how a person could accomplish such complexly opposing facial expressions. She attributed the skill to the woman's madness. "And come now, all that is water under the bridge Mudchild, can't we just move on past that?"
"I'm not lying, I got more OWLs than any one of my peers," Hermione replied icily. As much as the Death Eater tried, Hermione refused to allow herself to be belittled, and chose to ignore the latter comment so she could focus on defending her pride. Water under the bridge her ass.
"Of course you are. But I understand. It's difficult to acknowledge your shortcomings. You can't help not being as talented as a real witch or wizard."
Hermione wanted to reach up and smack the pompous grin off of her smug face. Fortunately, the boot crushing her hand held her sudden rage in check, for if she were to attack the woman it would be the equivalent of signing a death warrant. However, she couldn't stop the words that tumbled from her lips. Not that she wanted to.
"More talented than you, I'd wager…," Hermione muttered disdainfully to herself. Unfortunately, Bellatrix had remarkably good hearing.
"Is that so?" Bellatrix snorted in amusement.
Hermione gave the older witch a challenging glare when she realized she had been caught. She didn't intend for the witch to hear that comment, let alone take her up on it. Truthfully, Hermione knew she wouldn't stand a chance. Even so, she was willing to take her on, even without her wand. Just one good self righteous punch right in the Death Eater's foul mouth would make Hermione feel loads better.
"Fine, now's your chance. Take it." Bellatrix said calmly. She picked up her boot and released the girl from the confining whip. She relaxed back into her chair, once again throwing a leg up over the arm of the out of place throne. Hermione shuddered, realizing that once again her mind had been invaded. She absentmindedly rubbed her raw wrist and neck with her free hand as she considered the Death Eater's words. Bellatrix was daring her to take a swing at her.
Hermione stood and gave a smirk. Before she could fathom the consequences, she took a mighty swing right at the Death Eater's face. She felt her fist make contact with the woman's mouth and split open Bellatrix's lower lip. Hermione's fist collided painfully with a few of the woman's teeth, causing the skin covering her knuckles to split, but she didn't care. She felt faintly victorious for spilling the woman's blood.
Bellatrix closed her eyes her eyes upon impact, but she didn't seem react in any sort of pain. She had hardly even flinched. She opened her golden brown eyes and her gaze zeroed in on Hermione's. Bellatrix slowly smiled, stretching her injured lip, causing blood to drip down her chin.
Hermione jerked her hand back, as if suddenly realizing that punching Bellatrix might have been a mistake. The empowering feeling she had evaporated. She hadn't quite expected her body to follow through with her outlandishly horrible desires. Well, at least now their injuries matched, Hermione thought ruefully.
"Draco was quite right about one thing…" Bellatrix grinned evilly, "You do have a quite the mean right hook."
Before Hermione could ponder the woman's words, she found herself slammed to the ground, pinned beneath Bellatrix on the cold stone floors. The older woman was holding her hands onto either side of her, straddling her hips to help constrict her movements. The pure excitement that Bellatrix emanated turned Hermione's blood to ice.
Oh yes, striking the woman may have been the worst decision she had ever made in her life.
"I have… a particular fondness for breaking the more defiant ones," Bellatrix leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Usually, if I get bored, I dump them on Greyback, but you…" Bellatrix let out a breathy sigh, "I think I'll keep you."
Hermione shuddered at the thought of being turned over to the werewolf. She had seen the scars plainly on the faces of those in the Order who had been attacked by the beast, and did not want to meet the same fate. However, remaining with Bellatrix was no guaranteed safe haven either.
Pick your poison, I suppose. Hermione thought.
Don't worry. I picked for you…, and you chose wrong. Bellatrix's cruel voice echoed through her unshielded mind. Her voice was sharper and undampened by anything, it echoed about Hermione's brain for ages. It was almost as painful as having the woman screech directly into her ear with a megaphone. Hermione shuddered as the voice left her mind, cursed internally for leaving her guard down, and began to struggle against the Death Eater's grasp.
The struggle was fruitless. The woman's grip was like a steel vice, and Hermione was physically weak. After months of being on the run and food being so difficult to come by, the recent torture put her at a disadvantage to her normal state. Bucking the woman off of her was not possible now, but she struggled nonetheless. Bellatrix snickered at her feeble attempts, and Hermione could only wonder how the deranged woman had stayed so physically strong after fifteen years in Azkaban. From what Hermione could tell, the older witch's body was solid and unyielding.
She got the silly image of a butch Bellatrix weightlifting in a Muggle prison yard. She internally scolded herself at the thought. This was the most inappropriate situation to make light of.
"So, Muddy, what shall we do today? Hmm?" Bellatrix asked, snapping Hermione away from her distant thoughts. "I feel like a bit of fun, don't you?" Bellatrix purred, dipping her face down low towards the prone girl below her. "Well, first things first, your punishment for striking me."
Hermione hadn't noticed the wand secured in Bellatrix's grasp, but was keenly aware of it now that it was being pressed into her throat.
"Crucio." The curse left Bellatrix's lips and soon Hermione was crying out in agony. The pain was intensified from her past exposure to the Cruciatus curse. Hermione assumed it was because the woman wanted to see her in as much pain as possible to make up for the hit. Nothing made her regret her rash actions more than that moment.
After what felt like a solid hour, but was only a few minutes at best, the curse let up. Hermione was pitifully gasping for air, pathetically attempting to retrieve the air that had been spent screaming. Bellatrix had released her hands, but it didn't matter, for Hermione could not have put up a fight even if she tried. Bellatrix sat back and looked at the girl in thought. She reached up and wiped her blood from her chin. She examined her bloody hand for a bit, and just as Hermione started to wonder what was going on in the Death Eater's head, the woman's hand swung down and smacked her viciously across her face. The smack stung and left a bloody smear in its wake.
Serves you right. Maybe a little bit of pure blood would help cleanse you, you filthy beast. The cruel voice echoed through Hermione's head. But… I doubt it.
I hate you. Hermione thought as Bellatrix slipped out of her weight of the Death Eater was uncomfortable and made it awkward to breathe. The slap still stung with as much shame as it did pain. Bellatrix leaned forward until her breath hissed into her ear and fogged her mind.
"Do not hate me girl," Bellatrix cooed gently into her ear, "You just needed to be shown your place. You are below me. You are inferior. You are weak. Those faults are not mine, so you cannot blame me for them."
"However," Bellatrix whispered, laying her head down on Hermione's shoulder, "I see more use to you than the others do. I know how important you are to the boy. I know how much you helped him. He would not be alive were it not for you, isn't that true? He would not be anything without your knowledge."
Hermione whimpered. She did not like where this conversation was headed.
"Let me put it this way; I know what you know."
Hermione's stomach dropped and her eyes grew wide. Bellatrix figured out that they were hunting Horcruxes. Their secret mission had been discovered by Voldemort's right hand Death Eater, and now the task was certainly fated for an ill outcome.
How did she know?
Bellatrix suddenly giggled. Hermione turned to face her and found her nose nearly touched the nose of the demented Death Eater that was now practically curled up on top of her.
"I didn't." Bellatrix smiled, curling her fingers idly in one of Hermione's stray ringlets.
Hermione's heart stopped.
In her moment of panic, she had played right into the manipulative woman's hands. Bellatrix hadn't known about the search for Horcruxes, and now, thanks to her, she did. The information was dangerous to have lost. Now that Bellatrix knew, soon Voldemort would as well. They would move the Horcruxes, and Voldemort may go as far as making a few new ones to replace the ones lost.
Hermione wished she had taken the cup Bellatrix had offered and downed the poison. She wished she had been thrown to Greyback. She wished she had been smashed by the chandelier, crushed to death along with her secrets. More than anything, she wished she had escaped to continue the journey in destroying Voldemort and all he stood for, to have stayed by Harry's side instead of sacrificing herself for their escape. Instead she just had to be a martyr. She just had to go and act all heroic and noble. She had betrayed them all.
Hermione felt the mission was doomed for failure. Now Voldemort would forever hold power. Now, all because of her slip up and her horrible Occlumency skills, the war was lost. She just signed her best friends' death warrants.
"Thanks for the information, dearest Muddy." Bellatrix stood and dusted off her skirt, "I believe it is almost time for dinner, and afterwards, I think I have some research to do."
"Please… just kill me now," Hermione whispered, her voice cracking through her tears. She couldn't handle this. If she died now she wouldn't have to worry about giving away any more information. She wouldn't be a danger to those still fighting the good fight.
"Maybe if you are lucky, you'll get some table scraps. …But don't count on it." Bellatrix outright laughed at this as she left the room.
She should have known better. She was afraid for all the wrong reasons. She thought death would be the worst thing that would befall her while captured by the enemy. No, she was wrong. The worst punishment was to remain alive, forever a servant to the mad desires and manipulative prowess of the one and only Bellatrix Lestrange.
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