Yay me! Here it is Chapter 9! I'm sorry it took so long to update. I've been really busy. Hope you like it. And as always . . . yada, yada, yada . . .


Hermione knew better then to open her eyes. Whoever was in her room, it wasn't Ron. There seemed to be two of them. She hadn't seen them and they hadn't spoken, but somehow she knew it wasn't Ron. Or Ron and Draco. Hermione continued to feign sleep.

"But she's alive." A deep male voice complained. "It doesn't matter if she's not awake. We can get pleasure from her. It's been over a week, and she's my favorite!"

"Don't touch her!" another voice hissed. "The Dark Lord told us to only check and see if she were awake. We are not to touch her."

"The Dark Lord will never know." The first voice insisted. "Just a quick . . ."

He was cut off by a sharp snap.

"Damnit!" he whined. "That hurt!"

There was a loud thud and the sound of someone sliding to the floor.

"You are an adult!" the second voice snarled. "Act like it!"

Hermione felt a hand lift her head and gently tilt her head to the side. She continued to feign sleep. Her head was gently replaced on her pillow.

"She's not awake yet." the second voice said. "Let's go!"

"Y-You're not going to tell the Dark Lord, are you?" the first voice asked.

"Maybe."

The door was slammed shut so hard that the whole room shook.

After they were gone Hermione opened her eyes to make sure they were gone. When she was sure, she turned over and tried to sit up. She took a deep breath and tried to focus her concentration. She quickly became very tired and lay back down. She wasn't strong enough yet to call Ron without speaking. In her mind she begged him to come to her. Even though she couldn't call him, she hoped that somehow he would hear her.

Ron lay in bed thinking. He thought about a way he could get Hermione out of here. He thought about what would happen if his master . . . uh . . . Voldemort found out about their plan to escape. He thought about his parents. They had no idea that he wasn't where he was supposed to be, so he knew they weren't worried about him. He thought about Hermione's parents. They didn't know either. He thought about Quidditch but chastised himself for that one. There would be time to think about Quidditch when they got out of here.

Then he thought about Hermione. She had been waking up off-and-on for nearly a week now. But mostly Ron and Draco had been keeping her asleep. They both knew she wasn't ready for whatever Voldemort had planned for her when she finally awoke. Ron decided to go check on her.

"You heard me." Hermione whispered as he walked in.

"Heard you?" Ron walked over to a chair beside her bed and sat down. "What do you mean?"

"I couldn't call you." she said. "But I thought about you. They were here."

"Who was?"

"I don't know." Hermione said helplessly. "I tried to be asleep. One of them wanted to do things to me. The other one stopped him. He pushed the first one at the wall or something. Ron, we have to get out of here! Please?"

"Draco and I are working on it." Ron said. "He's going to talk to Snape and see if he can't help us."

"Snape?"

"Snape knows we're here." Ron replied.

"Snape?" Hermione suddenly sat up.

"Draco said Snape really is a double-agent." Ron explained. "But he's working for the Order. Not for Voldemort."

"He killed Dumbledore!" Hermione hissed. "You can't trust someone who killed . . . Dumbledore."

Hermione sighed and slid back down.

"Snape's the one who's been giving you all the potions." Ron murmured.

Hermione shook her head.

"I'm hungry." She whispered.

"Do you think you can handle solid food?" Ron asked. "You haven't been able to so far."

"I want food." Hermione insisted. "I'm tired of the liquid diet you and Draco have had me on. I-want-food!"

Ron quickly nodded.

"Bitsy!" he called softly. "Bitsy?"

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Pretend to be asleep." Ron whispered.

He got up and walked to the door. He turned to check and make sure Hermione was "asleep" and then opened the door. Draco nodded at him and walked in.

"The Death Eaters aren't here." He greeted Ron.

Ron looked confused.

"They're celebrating the birth of a new Death Eater." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Huh?"

"One of the Death Eaters had a baby." Draco explained. "They all went over to see it or something. I don't know. But they aren't here right now."

"This would be a good time to escape." Ron said.

Draco shook his head.

"All the fires are blocked." Draco sighed. "There are wards around the mansion and Dementors all over the place. We couldn't get out if we tried. Like I've said before, it would be easier to escape when they're all here."

"Can I at least get up and walk around then?" Hermione asked.

Draco turned to her in shock.

"You're awake? How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like shit." Hermione murmured. "I want food."

"Here I is." Bitsy popped into the room. "What is you wanting Miss Granger ma'am?"

"Anything." Hermione said. "I'm just hungry."

"Okay." Bitsy nodded vigorously and popped out again.

"So can I go for a walk?" Hermione asked.

Draco nodded and he and Ron went over to help Hermione out of bed.

"Where do you want to walk to?" Ron asked.

"The shower." Hermione answered.

Ron and Draco helped her down the hall.

"You look stronger." Draco commented a little while later as he watched Hermione eat.

"I 'eel 'onger." She answered, her mouth full of food. She swallowed and gave him a small smile. "Thanks for helping Ron take care of me."

Draco didn't answer but Hermione saw his face turn two different shades of pink.

"Now." She said as she pushed her tray away. "Let's talk about how to get out of here."

"How long until the Death Eaters come back?" Ron asked.

"At least two more hours." Draco said.

Ron nodded and left the room. When he returned he was carrying Hermione's notebook.

"I added a few things." He said as he handed it to her.

Hermione opened it and a folded piece of parchment fell out.

"It's a map of the mansion." Ron explained. "With all the places you mentioned in your notes, highlighted. And times and shifts and who and where people are."

"You did a lot of work." Hermione said.

"I had to do something while you were asleep." Ron nodded.

Hermione opened the map and spread it across the end of her bed.

"Okay." She pointed. "Let's start here . . ."


Yay! That's the it of this chapter. Please review because I love you all immensely. Yay!