CHAPTER 10
Eighteen hours. It had been eighteen hours since they noticed that Hermione was missing. Ron sat with his head in his hands, shoulders slumped –defeated. He had no idea what to do, where to search. He had scoured every inch of the castle with his classmates but it was done in vain. Hermione was seen last entering her dorm; she seemed to have vanished in thin air. On checking her room, her trunk was found wide open, clothes and other things scattering the bed and the floor. Nothing more. All sorts of questions and speculations were put forth. Had Hermione gone somewhere on purpose to fetch something? Was she kidnapped by some vile Death Eater? Was –was she dead?
The last question made everybody shudder. Ron felt an arm snake around his' –Ginny. He accepted the comfort she provided by burying his face in the crook of her neck. He felt a pang of affection for his little sister who was taking care of him when it should be the other way around.
Ginny herself felt dizzy from exhaustion. Her other elder brother had yet to pull through and all the sorrow and fighting and deaths had drained all joy and energy from her. She watched with red-rimmed, tired eyes as Theo, Harry, Neville and Blaise made their way to the duo.
"We –we searched everywhere." Theo panted; he was sweating from running everywhere with Harry, Blaise, Neville and a couple of others. "We didn't find her." His voice was softer and lower than a whisper.
"And there's –there's something else..." Harry said looking hesitant. A look was exchanged between the boys while Ginny and Ron waited for an explanation.
"Well, what is it?" Ron barked, irritated that he was left out of the loop. Ginny squeezed her brother's hand to calm him.
"Well, its, -we did a head count to see who all are missing." Neville began looking exhausted. "Well, it turns out Hermione isn't the only person who is missing."
Ron's blue eyes searched Neville's. Ron started shaking his head. No.
"Wh –What are you saying, Neville?" Ginny asked, her voice trembled. Her eyes were wide with apprehension. She searched Theo's face for answers; his face was set in stone, his eyes cold. "Theo?" She asked, scared of the answer he might give her. "Not –not him."
Theo gave her a curt nod. Ginny could swear she heard an extremely loud and agonized scream –it was born from her own mouth.
"Draco Malfoy." Ron whispered while Ginny sobbed heavily next to him. Theo nodded at him again.
A cold shiver ran down his spine as horrifying thoughts plagued his mind. He shook those thoughts away as he met the Slytherin's gaze and said, "What are we going to do about this now?"
"We have a plan."
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Beams of sunlight streamed in through the window and grazed Hermione's face. Hermione cracked an eyelid open and cringed at the sharp stab of light and reality which seeped in.
A week. That's how long it had been. She knew Harry and Ron and Theo would never give up on her. They would find her. They would. And although it had only been a week, Hermione could feel herself going slowly insane. She felt claustrophobic within the two rooms she was locked up in. She would spend most of her time in the library, reading books and writing in her journal –the only two things which kept her sane. The only human contact was Draco and it wasn't helping her.
A tear drop found its way down her face. Angry at herself for being so weak she turned away on her side to come face to face with one Draco Malfoy. She gasped and her hands ran to her pounding chest –to calm her heart down. She was about to shriek and throw him off the bed when she noticed that he was indeed sleeping. She was surprised at how different he looked. All the tension from his face had been relaxed. She scrutinized him disgusted at the peaceful expression he adorned. She jumped when his mouth moved and he said with his grey eyes boring into hers, "What are you staring at?"
"Wondering how you manage to sleep so peacefully after destroying so many lives." She retorted coldly. The tension seeped back into Malfoy's face and she could hear him grit his teeth angrily. In an instant he shot up, swinging his feet on the side and thrust his hands into his pockets.
"It's time for breakfast." He said flatly. She let out a dark chuckle and shook her head. She refused to have breakfast with him. "Hermione..." He said warningly, "You're already weak. You need food. Come on, now." His voice had softened a bit. Hermione's head snapped up at this and she couldn't help angrily retort by saying, "You don't get to talk to me like that. Like everything is okay. Like you actually care about me."
Draco was about to say something but he was interrupted when the house elves appeared to set the table for breakfast. He pulled out the chair for Hermione, waiting patiently for her to come sit in it. She knew Malfoy was pulling such an act because Hermione hated making Pepper cry. Grudgingly, Hermione staggered towards the seating arrangement and allowed Draco to tuck her in. When the elves left, Draco said in a deceptively calm and soft voice,
"I do care about you." He felt extremely angry that Hermione wouldn't believe that he cared about her. What else did he have to do to prove his love for her?
She could literally feel the anger bubbling beneath his skin. But she didn't care. His actions always contradicted his words.
"What else am I supposed to do to make you believe? Can't you see how much it hurts me when you're in pain?" Draco growled angrily, his knuckles white as they clamped down tightly on the table.
Hermione didn't know why she did what she did next. Maybe the isolation was getting to her, maybe the whole situation was messing with her psyche. She wasn't sure. But she did it. She reached for the knife and stabbed her wrist with it. She whimpered at the pain but she dragged it vertically and said, "Then I hope this hurts you tenfold."
Horrified at what was taking place, Draco snatched the knife out of her hand angrily. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
"Hurting you." She said simply as Draco watched her with incredulous and angry eyes. He couldn't retort as he was busy summoning elves and muttering healing spells. But he didn't miss the strange look in Hermione's eyes. They were...vacant for sometime before life plunged into them. Draco knew he should've done or said something right then but he shook the disturbing thoughts away and buried the matter as nothing. She'll be fine, He told himself. She just needs to get used to living here. Then everything will be fine.
"I'll never get used to living here. I don't want to be here." Hermione's cry cut through his consciousness. Angry tears were streaming down her face. Draco didn't realize he had spoken his thoughts aloud. "Nothing will ever be okay!" She threw a plate at him which he dodged.
"Stop behaving like this, Hermione. Stop fighting. Give up."
"Never!" She snarled. "Theo and Ron will come for me. They will never give up. So I will never give up."
His eyes became stormy at the mention of Ronald and he let out a dark laugh, "It's been a week, Hermione. And even if they know where you are, they will never be able to penetrate through the ancient wards and-" He was about to retort when his forearm burned. He hissed in pain.
"Duty calls?" She hissed, angrily.
"Be a good girl, while I'm gone." He said approaching her to bid her goodbye when she backed away. Anger took hold of him at her blatant rejection; jealousy crippled him when he thought she wouldn't have rejected the gesture if it were made by the rotten Weasel. He wanted to shake her stubbornness out of her and she looked like she knew what was coming. She had squeezed her eyes shut tightly bracing herself for whatever Draco was about to do –and that was what made Draco stop or maybe it was his mother's words –or maybe both.
When he saw her like that –scared and helpless; and the reason for that was himself made him stop abruptly in his tracks, his eyes wide with disbelief and horror. He turned and left the room wondering how he had become such a vile person. Hermione jumped when she heard the door shut with a loud bang. She was relieved that Malfoy hadn't done anything violent to her.
She sprawled on the bed, exhausted. Her arm still stung from where she had cut. She didn't know why she had cut herself. It had been an impulsive and perhaps a foolish action but she had to do it. Truth was that the pain was the only thing she was feeling. Despair and depression had worn her out terribly. Her once strong body was weak –because of the excessive potions she was to take because of being splinched. She had refused any sorts of dark magic near her and allowed only potions she recognized. The potions healed her body, but internally, too many of them could cause harm too.
She could feel her aching limbs being pulled into sleep's embrace but she admonished herself for entertaining the idea of sleeping when there were other much more important things to be attended to; prepare herself for the attack she was going to be subjected to.
The house elves apparated and she allowed them to run the bath for her. As she lowered herself into the hot water, Hermione's mind wandered to that fateful night when she realized that Draco wasn't the only person she had to fight against –defend herself from.
It was precisely eighteen hours after Hermione was kidnapped that she heard noises from behind the door which Malfoy had used and was locked for her. She had picked up the lamp placed near the bed stand and braced herself to attack the intruder. She could hear a female voice she didn't recognize and a male voice –Draco's.
Her heart pounded in her chest as sweat trickled down her face in anticipation and fear. The door knob turned and the door opened a crack; the voices became clearer and more comprehensible.
"But Aunt Bella, she isn't well right now. Can you not come some other day?" Malfoy's irritated but fearful voice froze Hermione on spot. Infamous Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange was at her door? She was related to Draco? Draco was related to Bellatrix Lestrange? Hermione felt dizzy with the horrifying information and because her body was already weak. The furious pounding of her heart was the only sound she could hear now. She did what she thought was best –slip under the covers and go with the excuse Malfoy was giving.
"But Draco, that is precisely why it is wise to strike now. When the filthy mudblood is weak –she won't be able to resist much. Of course, I could just Crucio the little bitch if the need be!" Bellatrix's cackling laughter chilled Hermione's bones.
"Aunt Bella, could you not call her that?" Draco's irritation was more pronounced now.
"I will call that filthy mudblood exactly what she is. Now move, before I forget you are my nephew." It seemed Draco had no choice in matter as the door flew open with a loud bang making Hermione wince but she held her ground and tried to calm her screaming heart.
"You allowed filth to occupy your bed, Draco? I will never understand your attraction towards such filth." Hermione could feel the footsteps approaching her –she didn't know who it was, Bellatrix or Draco. This didn't help her nerves.
"Aunt Bella, can you not –"
"'Aunt Bella, can you not'" Bellatrix mimicked Draco and let out an evil bout of giggles before sharply saying, "No, Draco I cannot. I need information and-"
"It can surely wait a day or two!" Draco growled angrily
"What is all this commotion?" A third voice broke in. Hermione immediately recognized this voice as she had heard it several times when she had come to Malfoy Manor of her own volition–Narcissa Malfoy. She heard someone release a sigh –Draco.
"Oh Cissa, can you ask your son to kindly move. He is not allowing me to do my job. Quite the nuisance he has grown up to be." The malice and thinly veiled threat in Bellatrix's voice was not lost on anybody. Hermione didn't miss the pet name used by Bellatrix Lestrange to refer to Narcissa Malfoy and it was then that she was reminded of being told by someone that Narcissa Malfoy belonged to the Black Family and was therefore a sister to Bellatrix and Andromeda Black and a cousin of Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather.
"Bella, I expect you to speak respectfully to my son when you are in my home." Narcissa Malfoy said in a sharp voice. "Now what is it that you've come here for?"
"I've come here to do the Dark Lord's bidding and why, Cissa, you don't seem to be happy to see me at all!" Bellatrix said maliciously.
"That is beside the point now, Bella. What bidding are you here to do?"
"Extract information from the mudblood Draco brought home. Say, how can you allow this nonsense to take place, Cissa? What would mother say if she knew your son was a blood traitor like our filthy sister Andromeda?"
Hermione heard someone, probably Narcissa, take a sharp inhale of breath before saying, "Whatever my son did, it was a consequence of the deal he entered into with the Dark Lord. Now are you questioning the Dark Lord's decision for allowing Draco to keep what this –girl?"
It took every ounce of self-control to not scream and shout at the women who spoke for saying that Draco was allowed to 'keep' her like she was some possession to be exchanged and owned.
"N –Now that is not what I –I meant! I would never question the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix snarled angrily making the fine hairs on Hermione's arms stand.
"That is not how it looked like, Bella." Narcissa replied curtly. Her voice was devoid of any emotion. "Such words can be taken as treason, you know?" Narcissa said flatly. The threat lingering in her words could not be missed.
"H-how dare you? Y –you would threaten your own sister for this –this filthy mu-" Bellatrix was saying but Narcissa cut her off by saying "Maybe you should come back after a few days to complete the Dark Lord's bidding."
"Fine!" Bellatrix snarled and Hermione heard the door shut with a loud bang.
"Th-thank you, Mother." Hermione heard Draco say. She had completely forgotten he was there.
Hermione didn't hear Narcissa reply but she did hear the door open and close again.
Several things had become clear to Hermione –the reason she was locked in was probably related to Bellatrix Lestrange or other Death Eaters and that Bellatrix Lestrange was going to come back to use Leglimency on Hermione and probably use the Cruciatius Curse on her too to extract information Voldemort wanted. Hermione had a feeling that Bellatrix Lestrange was going to use the latter more than the former. She also discovered that Narcissa Malfoy wasn't even half as malicious as her sister.
She wondered for a fleeting second if she could depend on the lady to get her out of here but then she was reminded that she was Draco's mother and there was a reason why Malfoy was so spoiled. She was sure that Narcissa would take her son's side.
And it was since then that Hermione had divided her time between writing in her journal and practicing Occlumency. During the winter vacation, one of the eldest of Weasely brothers, Bill, had taught her, Ron and Harry a bit of Occlumency so Hermione had a clue of how to proceed. He had also given them ideas on how to practice it on their own –they were to set an object as a target which they weren't supposed to think about and then do everything in their power to not think about it.
Ridiculously difficult, really, but since Hermione had no choice, she had resorted to practicing it and she had even succeeded quite a few times. Harry and Ron were absolutely miserable at it. There were a few times when Bill wasn't able to penetrate through, or get the information he wanted from Hermione's mind.
And now Hermione was determined to practice it until she mastered the art of Occlumency. It had been a week and Bellatrix Lestrange hadn't shown up, but Hermione couldn't let herself believe that she was forgotten and safe.
Hermione stepped out of the bath gingerly and dried herself to put on the robes set out for her. She was going to resign herself into the library when she was startled by a pop! Pepper apparated before her and said,
"Miss? Mrs. Malfoy wishes to see you."
The strange request left Hermione baffled. Apart from that night, Hermione had spent only a few minutes in Narcissa Malfoy's company when things weren't so hostile as they were now. Hermione would've refused but the offer was so tempting. Not only would it satiate her cravings for human contact and Hermione was exceedingly curious and desperate to get out of the two rooms in which she was imprisoned in. And most importantly, it would also clear any doubts she had about whether or not Narcissa would help her escape from this place.
So Hermione followed Pepper out through a long corridor where she was escorted into a door on the left. The parlour was large and well lit. Narcissa sat near the window and smiled when she saw Hermione.
"Miss. Granger, please have a seat."
Hermione warily studied her environment before she took her seat across from Narcissa Malfoy.
"Would you like some tea?" She asked politely. Was this woman crazy? Hermione was kidnapped and she's making conversation like Hermione was a normal visitor? Hermione studied the woman for any fallacy before nodding her head. "Lovely."Narcissa said and motioned Pepper to serve them tea. After several moments of silence Narcissa finally said,
"I hope you're keeping well?"
The question seemed absolutely ridiculous to Hermione and this is why she retorted by saying,
"As well as a person can keep after being kidnapped and caged in two rooms."
Narcissa seemed to consider this for a while before saying, "I see." She put her cup down, all hints of warmth removed from her face.
"I know my son's actions are wrong. –"
"WRONG? Wrong is an understatement! He kidnapped me! Surely you can clearly see that there is more than just something 'wrong' with it!" Hermione cried indignantly. Narcissa, however, looked unperturbed and let the young lady vent.
"Yes, I agree. But you must know he loves you."
"He does not. His way of loving his wrong." Hermione said stubbornly, as she raised her chin in the hair, biting her lower lip. "Even I loved him but I –I would never do something so, so low..." Hermione's voice trailed off. She was surprised when Narcissa let out a sharp short laugh.
"Love? Don't insult me child, by saying that you loved him." Narcissa took a sip of her tea as Hermione processed her words.
"What is that supposed to mean? I did love your son." Hermione said, getting miffed that this woman was taking her for a liar.
"You left him as soon as things got hard. That is not love. I am not blaming you. I am not saying you did the wrong thing. You did the absolute, most prudent thing a girl of your age should've done. But it's not a girl who was in love would've done –could've done." Narcissa's words seeped into Hermione's brain. Did Hermione really not love Draco ? Because her whole being had said otherwise when they were together...she knew she loved him. This woman knew nothing about her. Hermione was going to retort coldly when Narcissa beat her to it,
"Didn't you enter into a relationship with the Weasely boy?" Narcissa's voice was calm and cool and dislike at Ron's name was thinly veiled.
"I am in a relationship with him." Hermione said raising her head proudly. Narcissa looked unfazed.
"Are you in love with him?"
Hermione felt a bit jittered at the question but nevertheless answered, "Yes. I am."
"Then, my dear, how do you explain loving the Weasely boy when you say you love Draco?"
Hermione's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I never said I love Draco I said I loved Draco. Past tense. And for that matter, people move on all the time. And I moved on from Draco. Ron is a better person. He loves me. I love him." She was starting to sound like a child. Her explanation felt lame and baseless to herself. Nevertheless she held her ground and confident facade.
"Do you even hear yourself, darling? You sound absolutely ridiculous." The cool voice in which Narcissa had said this was much more harsher and Hermione felt that it would've been much less harsher if she had been screamed at. "You may be in love with that Weasely boy but you were never in love with my Draco. You were merely infatuated with him...or you can say that you really cared about him. But love him, you did not. So please do not make a fool out of my age and experience by claiming the opposite." Narcissa said coldly. Hermione felt really angry and irritated –at being made to feel like a fool and like she was wrong. And Hermione was hardly wrong. Funnily, most of the times she found herself wrong were in cases regarding one platinum haired Draco Malfoy.
"Why did you summon me here?" Hermione asked irritably. She preferred isolation rather than this mental torture.
"To warn you that my sister Bellatrix is due to come on next Sunday to extract information from your mind." Narcissa said in a deceptively calm voice that reminded her much of Draco.
Hermione's head snapped up at this. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Well, I know you already know that Bella seeks the knowledge you hold." Narcissa said. Hermione stared at her incredulously wondering how she knew that Hermione knew about this. As if reading her thoughts, Narcissa replied, "You aren't the most talented of actors, dear. I could clearly tell you were awake the way your hand twitched when Bella raised her voice or the slight furrow of your brow –you should learn to control all that, by the way. And I figured since you know the first half, you should also know the second half."
"But why do you care?"
Narcissa's steely gaze cut into Hermione's as the former said, "I love my son, Miss. Granger. And for reasons that aren't entirely clear to me, he loved you more than he has loved anything in his life. So I owe it to him to protect that what he loves."
Hermione considered this for a while before whispering a hesitant 'Thank You.' Narcissa only gave a curt nod in response.
"Do tell me if I can be of any assistance." Narcissa said as Hermione got up to take her leave. Hermione shrugged at her offer but stopped when an idea entered her head.
"Actually, there is something you can help me with."
Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "You can practice leglimency on me and I can try to deflect it."
"I am not providing you with a wand, Miss. Granger." Narcissa said warily.
"You don't need to. I –I know wandless magic. Though I'm quite weak at it I think as my strength replenishes I can try to shield my mind better but I need practice."
Narcissa considered this for a while before she said, "Okay. We can do this at eleven every morning. In the parlour. I will send Pepper to fetch you each morning. The moment you try to do something other than what is required –like escape or attack me, I will make sure you are locked up in that bedroom until eternity." Hermione didn't undermine this threat and gave a curt nod to assure the woman that she understood.
"Oh, and Hermione?" Narcissa called out just as Hermione was about to exit. "Keep this from Draco. I don't want him finding out about this."
Hermione was escorted out of the room by Pepper. After Hermione had left, Narcissa said aloud,
"You can lift the Disillusionment Charm now, Draco."
Draco lifted the disillusionment Charm from himself and came to life. He kissed his mother's cheek and said "Thank you." Before taking a seat opposite her.
"I still don't understand why you don't want her to know that it's you who want her to be able to protect herself." Narcissa said eyeing her son with concerned eyes. He seemed to have lost weight again.
"She won't accept help from me." Draco said simply. The hurt in his words was not missed by his mother whose heart ached terribly knowing that her son was in pain.
"You heard the girl. She loves that Weasely kid."
Draco grimaced and said, "Yeah, I did. Thanks for that, by the way. And don't worry, I'm taking care of it."
Narcissa raised an eyebrow, "Taking care of it? What do you mean?"
Draco merely shrugged in response.
"Don't do anything rash Draco. Don't do anything that will make her hate you."
"She won't." Draco said as he got up to take his leave before his mother could ask for more details. He needed to work out the plan for himself and he didn't want to be talked out of it. Things will get better. One way or the other. He would make sure of it.
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A/N – Hey, I will not be posting until a very long time...probably april or something cause I have major exams coming up! These are like NEWTs. THEREFORE, VERY IMPORTANT. I am a very bad girl for updating this chapter when I should be studying for my Sociology Practical for day after tomorrow but I just wanted to give an update before I take my long leave.
Hope you liked it.
I have a very vague idea as to where I am going with this and how I am going to end it.
Do give me suggestions and advice if U think U can better the plot
Love you guys
See you...soon.