Somehow I was able to get a few hours of sleep and when I woke the next morning I found my hand in Hermione's. I don't remember grabbing her hand in the middle of the night. When I pulled away she jarred awake and looked around frantically.

"It's okay," I said calmly.

She nodded before reaching for the hem of my shirt. When she began to pull it up, I jumped away from her. "What are you doing?"

"You were complaining about your chest last night. I just want to make sure it is not infected," she said, waiting for me to nod my permission this time before she reached for my shirt.

She carefully lifted the shirt up to my neck and inhaled sharply. I watched her face go from mild panic to contemplation. It was almost like she was trying to figure out how to make a really difficult potion.

"Is it bad?" I asked, keeping my eyes on her face. I didn't want to see what was making her brain work so hard.

"No, this is nothing. I've seen a lot worse," she laughed a little too high and I knew she may have seen a lot worse but nothing she couldn't handle when she had her wand. Without a wand a witch or wizard was useless. By the look on Hermione's face she didn't like feeling useless.

"Hey, it's okay. It doesn't hurt anymore," I lied.

She gave me a disbelieving look when we heard the steel door open. I put my shirt back down and stood. It was just Roy and Cliff this time. I waited for them to open the bars before taking a step forward.

"No, we are not here for you today," Roy said, putting his hand out to stop me.

My eyes widened and before I could stop him Cliff was grabbing for Hermione. I leapt forward and got as far as inches away from hitting Cliff but Roy was on me in a second. He hit me in my ribs and I flew to the ground gasping for air. Hermione was struggling to get away but Cliff was too strong for her.

"Draco!" She sounded terrified as they pulled her from the cell. She didn't make it easy for them though, by twisting and turning in Cliffs arms, and clawing his arms with her nails. I reached for her but it was useless. I was useless without magic.

Roy slammed the bars closed and I curled in on myself. They took her. They took Hermione and I couldn't do anything about it.

It isn't even ten minutes later before I hear her let out a bloodcurdling scream. I began rocking back and forward, covering my ears. The sound of her screams has haunted my nightmares since I first heard them at the manor. I've heard a lot of people scream in agony from the hand of my aunt but nothing like the screams Hermione released that day. They sounded as if they were being ripped from her throat and a part of her soul was being hacked from her body. Hearing them again was hurting me worse than the tortures Roy and Cliff had inflicted on me.

The screaming lasted for hours. I began pacing in the cell hoping they stopped soon. Her screaming was getting weaker and weaker as the third hour passed until it stopped altogether. But I could still hear something.

I walked closer to the bars and strained to hear what that sound was. It almost sounded like a child crying noisily. A little boy. Hugo! He was alive!

I exhaled loudly and let a smile slip onto my face. He was alive. If there was any good in Hermione being taken it was this.

Her screaming started back up again fifteen minutes later and the little joy that I got from knowing her son was actually alive vanished. I went back to rocking back and forward against the wall counting dragons. One dragon. Two dragon. Three dragon.

Another couple hours passed and I began to wonder if Hermione was ever going to come back. I knew they had no problem killing her and that petrified me.

She did return though sometime later. Cliff threw her into the cell and she stumbled and fell hard. I waited until he left before rushing to her side. I didn't want them knowing I cared for Hermione because Astoria would have her killed in a second. I'm sure they were torturing her only because Astoria heard we were cuddling the night before.

When I saw how pale Hermione's face was I swallowed hard. I don't know what they did to her but she didn't look good. I was scared to touch her so I held my hands awkwardly in my lap

"Hey," I said, not knowing what else to say.

She twitched and shut her eyes. A tremor shot down her spine and I badly wanted to help her in some way.

"What can I do?" I asked her powerlessly.

"It hurts," she cried.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm so sorry," I said and tentatively pulled her into my lap.

I maneuvered us so I was leaning against the wall and had her sitting sideways in my lap, her head resting against my shoulder. When we were both situated I wrapped my arms around her and began stroking soothingly up and down her arm. She twitched now and then and began breathing hard after each tremor that ran through her body, but she seemed as relaxed as she would ever get.

"Hey, want to hear something good?" I asked when the twitches were far between each other.

She moved her head slightly so she could look up at me, waiting to hear anything I had to say.

"Your son is alive. I heard him. He's okay," I smiled down at her.

I watched as the relief slapped her in the face and tears began streaming down her cheeks in earnest. She wrapped her arms around my neck and burrowed her face in the crook of my collar bone.

"My baby is alive. Thank you," she sobbed. "Thank you."

I looked down at her confused before saying, "For what?"

"For not being an insufferable git," she chortled.

The confusion swept off my face and was replaced by a smile.

"Anything for the know-it-all."


The next day happens in very much the same way as the day before. Cliff grabs for Hermione and I have to take a hit to the broken rib to prevent me from helping her. It feels like they keep her longer than before. The only thing keeping me from going insane was counting dragons or listing the constellations, trying in vain to ignore Hermione's screams.

When Cliff threw her in the cell for the night along with some bread and a water bottle, I felt calmer. I pulled her into my lap again and we shared the water bottle back and forward as we ate our bread in silence.

"They've been asking me about Harry," she finally says.

I was about to put the last of my bread in my mouth when the words sank in. They are keeping her here because she is Potter's best friend. They wanted any information they could get because they wanted to kill him. They weren't getting anything from me so they have turned to torturing Hermione for information, looking for any way to kill Potter. It was my fault she was in pain.

"What did they ask you?" I asked, trying to push away the overwhelming guilt.

"They wanted me to tell them where he lives."

"What did you tell them?"

"Nothing," she sucked in a breath as a new wave of pain hit her.

Good. Hermione was a lot stronger than she looked. She didn't break underneath my aunt's interrogation and she was only seventeen at the time. Of course she wouldn't break now. If Harry's life is in Hermione's hands he will be safe. But how long until they realize that? When they do there will be no reason to keep her alive. The thought of Hermione dying made my chest ache. She couldn't die. I didn't know what I would do if they were to kill her. I was barely surviving as it was. I inhaled sharply when I realized what I just thought. I needed Hermione to survive. When did that happen?

"You know something," she swallowed and cringed as she got more comfortable in my arms.

I looked down at her and found her watching me. I should tell her about Potter. She had a right to know. "That potion they want me to make, it's for Potter."

She didn't look surprised and I am sure she figured it out for herself. "Why?"

"Astoria blames him for the death of her parents and Potter had her uncle, Duncan Greengrass, placed in Azkaban. Duncan took part in many murders during the Second Wizarding War."

"Why does she blame Harry for the death of her parents? He didn't kill them," she said.

"She thinks he is responsible for everyone who died in the war."

"That's ridiculous," Hermione scoffed.

"That's Astoria."

We are both quiet after that and I rested my head against the wall. Just another reason being in love with Astoria was stupid on my part. How could I have loved her for so long? This wasn't how it was supposed to be. We were supposed to be happy. The war was supposed to be the end of all the bad things in my life and a new beginning. I was living with the guilt of doing things I now regret from the war, but I was able to obtain a little bit of happiness by marrying Astoria. But it was all fake. Everything about that marriage was fake.

"Malfoy," she said hesitantly.

"Hmm?"

"What...why is Ast—"

"Why am I being kept locked up in a cell by my wife?" I helped her out. She nodded slowly at me and gave my arm a compassionate squeeze. "She never loved me or Scorpius. Marriage was just a game to her but she got bored and began sleeping with other people."

"I'm sorry," she said but I shook my head at her. She had no reason to be sorry.

"It's my fault for falling for her. I knew she was a spoiled brat who thought only of herself when I met her but I still let her take my heart." I felt the sting of betrayal wash over me before continuing. "She didn't even bat an eyelash when we were taken."

She gave me a sympathetic look. "What happened?"

"I had the day off from work that day and was working in the study when four men came. Astoria must have turned off the alarm system because I got no warning before they burst through the front door..."

I walked out of my study when I heard the front door slam open. Four men were spreading out throughout the house and my heart began to beat faster. Scorpius. I have to get to Scorpius. Without looking back I ran up the stairs, heading toward Scorpius' room. He was walking out just as I reached the second landing.

"Dad?" He looked confusedly at me as I grabbed him by the hand and took off running.

"We have to find your mother," I said frantically.

Scorpius looked down the stairs when we heard something break. He didn't need telling twice and we ran down the hallway together toward the master bedroom. Need to find Astoria so we can get out of here. We both slammed into the door and I got it open just as a surly man ran up the stairs. He saw us run inside and I shut the door as fast as I could. I quickly locked it and chastised myself for not grabbing my wand.

"Scorpius, do you have your wand?" I held the door closed as someone banged into the other side.

His gray eyes were widened and I could feel the fear radiating off of him as he shook his head back and forward.

"Go into the bathroom and lock the door," I said.

"But dad, what about you?" His lip was quivering and he looked petrified.

"Now, son!" I demanded.

I heard the lock click into place just as the door was blasted off its hinges. The force of it threw me halfway cross the room and I crashed into Astoria's vanity table. Her makeup and other items flew to the floor as I got my balance back. The surly man entered and I flew at him, tackling him around the waist. We fell to the floor and I was able to hit his wand away from him. Our shouting must have alerted the others because suddenly I had two pairs of hands throwing me back against the wall.

"The other one is hiding in the bathroom," the surly man growled before standing and picking up his wand. He then walked over to me, pointed his wand, and ropes flew around me.

I fought against the ropes as they broke down the bathroom door. Scorpius yelled for me and I struggled harder to get out of my restraints and to my son. He came running out a few seconds later and surly man caught him around his waist.

"Dad!" he yelled.

"Let him go!" I growled.

Scorpius was kicking his legs out trying to escape when a woman spoke from the doorway.

"Stop swinging the kid around. If he scratches my vanity table I will curse you." I saw Astoria standing there running her fingers through her hair lazily.

"Astoria, run!" I shouted.

She looked down at me and began to laugh. "Oh sweetie, they aren't here for me."

My heart was slamming against my chest as I realized the implications of her words. They weren't here for her because they were working for her. Her bright blue eyes were the last thing I saw before another man grabbed me and disapparated us both away.

"She didn't even care. I've never seen Scorpius so scared and all she cared about was her vanity table," I shook my head at how appalling the whole story sounded.

Hermione began rubbing my arm comfortingly and I sighed. Here she was in pain and she was still trying to comfort me. Her selflessness was beyond anything I've ever experienced. My skin was tingling at her touch and my heart sped up. I don't deserve this. She should hate me. It was my wife and her family that placed her in here. She was sitting in my arms groaning and twitching from the aftershocks of the day's tortures and it was because of me.

I needed to do something for her. Anything that would stop the pain coursing through her body. So the next day when Roy and Cliff came I stood up, my mind set. Hermione cowered in the corner, her body already beginning to shake in anticipation. But she would be safe for today. She had to be.

"I want to talk to Duncan," I said before Cliff could walk towards Hermione.

"Get out of the way," Cliff snarled.

"Let me talk Duncan," I said, not moving an inch.

"What do you want to talk to Duncan for?" Roy challenged, holding his hand out to Cliff who let out a breath of frustration.

I could feel Hermione's eyes on the back of my head but I didn't look back at her when I said, "I'll do it. I'll make the potion."

Arthur's Note: I appreciate all your reviews and I hope you guys are liking the story so far! Keep telling me what you think!