i got really great feedback for the last chapter so thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, they're always welcome and very very loved :)
now this chapter isn't as bad as the last one but i'll warn you anyway that there's some more whip whip happening.. and maybe the reappearance of a dirty traitor and the good old whiskey bottle! enjoy!
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Hermione didn't wake up until the next evening. She groaned in agony, every muscle aching, and then she suddenly realised that someone was sponging the cuts on her back with a warm cloth.
'Lavender?' she muttered groggily, rolling over carefully.
'No, miss, it's Flopsy!' squeaked the elf, smiling at her reassuringly. 'You is been hurt quite badly, miss!'
Hermione closed her eyes and moaned as she remembered the events of last night.
'The other elves, are they okay?'
Flopsy's ears flapped and he nodded.
'They is doing fine, miss. We fixed them up straight away!' Hermione let out a sigh of relief and sat up slowly, testing her feet to see if they were working alright.
'Miss, you should rest!' Flopsy said nervously, holding up a bloody cloth. Hermione shook her head.
'Please call me Hermione. And I can't rest, I have to apologise to those elves.' She stood up but Flopsy followed her out of the room, looking agitated, and down the dingy tunnel to the kitchens.
'Please, miss, there's no time! Master Malfoy requested that you go to his room as soon as you woke up!'
Hermione stopped dead and Flopsy ran into the back of her legs with a small squeak. Slowly rounding on him, Hermione's jaw quivered in fear.
'Draco's room, you mean?' Flopsy nodded, looking apologetic.
'Please, miss, you must hurry or he'll whip me again.'
Hermione felt a terrible guilt flooding through her veins and nodded determinedly. She set off once again for the third floor, Flopsy accompanying her. Hermione couldn't help but notice a large scar running across the back of his neck and sudden comprehension dawned on her about why all the house elves were so scarred. She felt a quiver of hatred unlike anything she'd ever felt building up inside her.
I'm going to kill that sick bastard.
All her fear, all her panic from the horrors she had endured from the previous night seemed to vanish as she as overcome by an unsuppressed rage. It was boiling her blood, recharging her batteries, and she didn't care what punishment lay ahead of her. All she cared about was inflicting as much pain as possible to this disgusting creature who had never felt pain before in his life. Had Hermione been given a moment to think and calm down, she would have changed her mind. If there was one thing she had learned from the camps, it was that thinking irrationally only got you into trouble…bad, bad trouble.
But as she stormed her way up the stairs, all of her old indignation on behalf of house elves came flooding back to her. It was something that she hadn't thought about in years, as if it had been completely erased from her memory after two years of being told only to remember, 'You're our property now.' And it was more than that…suddenly remembering her old S.P.E.W. campaigning made her think of Harry and Ron, and for once this didn't scare her. It seemed to give her strength, like they were urging her on. Although, Hermione should have realised, they wouldn't have wanted her to go picking a fight with Malfoy when she was in such a hopeless situation.
But Hermione didn't pause to think about any of this, she just plunged on down the corridor recklessly. After all, Malfoy had told her himself that he had only chosen her because he wanted to break her spirit…well, she was going to give him one hell of a spirit to break.
Flopsy said goodbye to her at the top of the stairs and ran all the way back to the kitchens while Hermione stomped down the rest of the corridor right to the end. Again she knocked on the cool, black doors, this time with her fist. She didn't stop banging until the doors opened and she almost fell forwards.
Malfoy was lounging on his bed, reading a book, but he looked up when she stormed in and his eyes glinted maliciously.
'I see I still haven't managed to break you,' he remarked, taking in the look of fury on her face. But he didn't look angry - yet - and Hermione knew she had been right in thinking that the more she resisted him, the happier he would be.
'You are a sick, perverted, evil, foul, stinking piece of shit!' she screamed, looking wildly around for something to throw at him. Her eyes fell on the liquor cabinet and she remembered how heavy that whiskey bottle was - perfect.
She started towards it but Malfoy waved his wand lazily and she found herself suddenly stuck to the floor, unable to move her feet.
'Stop it!' she yelled. 'I'm going to kick your ass!' Malfoy laughed as he stood up and approached her. Still in a fury, Hermione swung at him with all her might, but he stood just out of her reach and continued to laugh at her until she tired herself out and settled down.
'Are you done?' he asked her, yawning obviously. Hermione spat at him in reply. She missed, but Malfoy slapped her anyway. Her cheek aching along with her still tender back, Hermione grew silent, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself. This is not going to end well.
'We will continue your punishment from last night,' Malfoy said quietly, pacing back and forwards before her. 'You will come here every night until you are ready to obey me.'
Hermione felt the panic rising inside her again, that had minutes ago been stifled by her anger. She didn't think she could take any more, not after last night…
But she still wasn't ready to give in to him. Stupid though she knew she was being, practically inviting him to torture and kill her, Hermione didn't care. She just couldn't give in to him, not yet anyway. It went against everything the old Hermione stood for - bravery, daring, loyalty - to who at this point, she wasn't sure.
But as Hermione reflected sadly to herself, she didn't have much to live for anyway - there was no chance of escaping from the manor, and even if she did she had nowhere to go - her parents were dead, her friends were dead…she supposed she could go into hiding, but what good would that do? She would never touch a wand again if the stories from the camps were true, and how could she even try to bring down the Dark Wizarding World without one? Besides, she was just one girl. She may as well live - or die - for herself and for herself only - except for the occasional house elf, of course. Maybe she was a little crazy…but after everything she'd seen and heard, who wouldn't be?
So instead of screaming and begging for mercy like she wanted to, Hermione sneered.
'Punishment? I was enjoying myself,' she said daringly. Malfoy smiled a cruel smile at her.
'That's the spirit I'm going to whip out of you, Granger. Now, over to the bed.'
He waved his wand and Hermione's feet were free to move again. She glanced at the liquor cabinet - it was nearby, maybe she could make it-
'Don't even think about it, mudblood.' Malfoy had seen where she was looking and pointed his wand at her again, forcing her to walk to the bed. Hermione refused to turn her back to him and stared at him defiantly.
'Would you rather I whip your front?' Malfoy asked, his eyes travelling down her chest. 'It would be a pity to waste it, though…'
Hermione blushed furiously and crossed her arms over her chest as Malfoy laughed at her.
'Turn around.' he ordered.
'Make me.' Sighing, Malfoy raised his wand again and Hermione felt her spine bend as she was forced to her knees. Malfoy strolled over to her and pulled the long, black whip out of the loop on his pants. Just as he was raising it above his head, the doors slid open.
'Malfoy, I have a letter for yo-' it was Seamus Finnigan. He stopped when he saw Hermione and his eyes lit up.
'What was that, Finnigan?' Malfoy asked casually, as if he had been caught in the middle of something completely normal - which, for him, this probably was, Hermione reminded herself. Seamus grinned cruelly at Hermione as she glared up at him.
'Don't let me interrupt,' he said, holding out his arms in apology. Taking the seat by Malfoy's desk, he crossed his hands behind his head and leaned back, looking utterly content. Hermione couldn't believe this was the happy, laughing boy she had once known. What had they done to him?
'Where was I?' Malfoy mused, scratching his chin. 'Oh, yes-' he brought the whip down on Hermione's back and she bit her tongue so hard it began to bleed. She was determined not to scream in front of Seamus - she wouldn't give the dirty traitor the satisfaction.
'Good day?' Seamus asked Malfoy over Hermione's head, as if they were having a chat over coffees.
'Not bad,' Malfoy answered just as casually. 'Went over to Ireland, tortured a family of muggles.'
'Nice,' Seamus said, grinning.
'Seamus!' Hermione gasped, unable to stop herself. She couldn't believe her ears - Seamus was laughing at the torturing of his own people! He had always been an avid Ireland supporter in Quidditch…now it was clear that he didn't give a rat's ass about the whole lot of them.
Malfoy hit her again with his whip and she shut her mouth.
'Did I say you could speak? Well?' Hermione shook her head quickly, her eyes still on Seamus. She wanted to make him feel guilty for everything he'd done. But he stared back at her, unfazed, clearly enjoying her torture.
'Had enough yet, mudblood?' Malfoy asked, towering over her.
'Not by a long shot,' she spat, still glaring at Seamus. Malfoy shrugged at Seamus, puzzled, and whipped her again, harder. He wanted to hear her scream.
'As I was saying, I have a letter for you,' Seamus continued as if there had been no interruption.
'From?' Seamus glanced at Hermione, and deciding that she was no threat, went on.
'Your father.'
Malfoy threw down his whip and started forwards to snatch the letter from Seamus' hand. He read it quickly, and as Hermione watched she noticed some of the colour drain from his face. Now that Hermione thought about it, she hadn't seen Lucius Malfoy once since arriving at the manor. Malfoy finished his letter and scrunched it up in his fist.
'Why didn't he tell me this in person?' he asked in annoyance. Seamus raised his eyebrows.
'I didn't ask,' Seamus got to his feet. 'This will take some planning, Malfoy. Let's get started.'
'Fine,' Malfoy barked, looking disappointed as he glanced back to Hermione. 'Leave now!'
Hermione got to her feet and left, wondering what they were up to, why she had managed to get so lucky, and if there was some way she could find out…
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hmm, interesting! what did you think?? seamus is so so evil...you dont even know the half of it yet ;)
also this will be the last update for a few days because im going away for a night or two, and im meant to be studying for exams anyway...but dont worry, ill be back soon, i just cant keep you waiting! xx
