A/N I know I've been slacking, but the real world is killing my creativity. -_-

I did finally get some inspiration though!

bold italic text = flashback

/end A/N

Chapter 10

Hermione shrieked as she got hit with a blast of cold water, rousing her from the forced blackout she had suffered.

"About time, Mudblood," Charlie snarled. "I should have killed you sooner instead of depending on Bella's curse. You. Just. Won't. DIE!" Each word was punctuated with a punch to her stomach until she coughed up blood.

"P-please, Charlie- It's not t-too late to st-stop," Hermione wheezed out. "You can st-still go back to your f-family."

"My family?" Charlie roared. "You killed my family! Fred! Percy! B-bella! Their deaths are on you!" He drew his wand. "CRUCIO!"

Hermione screamed in agony, her body spasming against the restraints.

Charlie released the curse, "My family?" He questioned softly, "You got my wife killed. Our unborn child. You DESTROYED EVERYTHING! CRUCIO!" The hatred he felt for her made this bout even worse. Hermione's throat was raw from screaming and her wrists and ankles were bloodied from her body's attempts to protect itself.

When he finally released the curse this time, she had passed out again. even a blast of cold water couldn't rouse her, so Charlie left the room to wait for her to wake up on her own.

"NO!" Draco shouted. "I refuse to allow you to use Hermione as bait!"

"Draco," Lucius hissed. "She will be perfectly safe. We won't allow her to come to harm. Severus' plan is fool-proof."

"I refuse to allow you to do this. Severus," Draco implored, "she won't be safe. You have to see that! He will take her and we won't be able to stop him!" Draco stumbled to his knees and started to hyperventilate at the thought of losing Hermione forever.

Hermione knelt in front of him and grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her. "Draco..." She sighed quietly, "I'll be okay. Severus and Lucius will be under disillusionment charms just a few steps from me. I won't disappear. I still haven't been able to congratulate you and your...significant other," she laughed as Draco flushed red. "Are you planning on telling your parents anytime soon? I saw them in Diagon recently and they were glowing with happiness."

Lucius arched an eyebrow as his son fell over backwards, away from Hermione. "Son?"

Narcissa snickered behind her hand as Draco started stuttering.

Severus crossed his arms and glared at his godson. "Use proper English, Draco. Stuttering is not becoming."

Draco lurched up and glared at Severus. "My love life is not what should be questioned right now! Don't you care at all about what could happen to her?!"

"Of course I do, you brat," Severus sneered. "I'm not as heartless as you apparently thing I am. Here's what we're going to do to make sure that she doesn't get taken..."

Severus looked down at his hands, clenched in anger. I'll kill that fucker if it's the last thing I do. I won't even use an unforgivable, just a simple pruning charm would take off his head with little resistance.

Draco sat, pale and quiet at the back of the room, avoiding looking at the others present. I told them that it was a bad idea.

Narcissa was crying softly into a handkerchief, Lucius rubbing soothing circles on her back. His eyes has a suspicious sheen that would have looked on the verge of tears if he had been anyone else.

Minerva was pacing, lips pursed and a glare on her face. This is the last time a Weasley gets the better of me. I should have known when she said she didn't have any contact with Potter and Weasley that something was amiss.

Neville was slouched in his chair, brooding, while Luna perched on the arm of said chair and watched everyone vacantly around her. Suddenly, Luna bolted up, wand drawn at the door. "Show yourself," she said, all hint of dreaminess gone from her voice.

Eyebrows shot up and wands were drawn as George Weasley walked through the door, hands up and remorse on his face.

Luna shifted subtly, then dropped her wand arm. Everyone followed her lead warily, but George was only paying attention to one person in the room. "Draco," he breathed, then he was at his side, arms around his waist, head in his lap. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I haven't spoken to anyone in my family," the word sounded like a curse as it left his lips, "since they decided to shun Hermione. Please believe me, I would never do anything to hurt her, and I will do anything to bring her back safe." He begged for Draco to believe him and continued on for another full minute, before Draco broke down, hugging the man in return, sobbing.

"G-george, I just got m-my sister back. I-I don't know wh-what to do!" He clung to his long-time boyfriend, tears steaming down his face. George hugged Draco back just as hard and rubbed circles in his back. "What if sh-she doesn't come ba-back?" Sobs wracked his body.

Lucius watched the display with morbid fascination. "You're dating George Weasley?" His voice was incredulous.

Draco's sobs had quieted. George stood, picking up Draco who had passed out from the exhaustion of holding in his fears and anxiety over Hermione's kidnapping. "We were together before the Battle. I won't let you take him from me." He looked at the sleeping blond in his arms fondly, "If it weren't for Hermione, I don't know if I'd have ever realized my feelings for him." He looked at Lucius and Narcissa. "I love your son, and I won't allow you to keep me from him. He means too much to me." George sat down on the chair Draco had been in before he collapsed into George's arms and hugged him close.

Lucius raised an eyebrow and laughed lightly. "Looks like I owe you ten galleons Cissa."

Narcissa sniffed and smiled through her tears. "George? How did Hermione help you two?"

George looked up startled at the exchange. "She locked us in a broom cupboard in the Astronomy Tower. We were in there for hours. She said something along the lines of, 'If you don't sort out what you really want in the time I leave you in here, you are more stupid than Ron and Harry combined.' Then she locked us up and left."

Severus laughed and Minerva smiled. "Actually," Severus said, "Minnerva and I may have helped a bit with that. We cancelled all classes in the Tower that day because we were going to do some reconstructive magic to stabalize the roof. Hermione and Fred were helping out for extra credit in Charms."

George laughed. "I knew my twin had something to do with it! He always gave me sly looks after that day and I couldn't figure out why!" He kissed Draco's forehead and smiled, "He always wanted me to be happy, even at the cost of his own happiness. Draco helped me through his," he took a shuddering breath, "death."

Hermione walked slowly, trying not to fidget with her wand. "Something doesn't feel right..." As soon as the words left her mouth, a dragon launched out of the woods to her right and grabbed her in it's paws before disappearing in front of Lucius and Severus.

"NO!" Severus shouted, sending a stunner in the direction of the missing dragon and girl.

Lucius grabbed his wrist to keep him from sending another spell. "Severus!" He hissed.

"HERMIONE!" Severus fell to his knees, looking lost. "How did this happen?"

Lucius tighened his grip and apparated them both back to the room they had been in the night before.

Severus didn't even flinch from his position on the floor, staring unseeing at the wall in front of him.

Draco lept to his feet. "Where is she? Where is Hermione?!"

Severus flinched at her name.

Draco grabbed his godfather, "Tell me where my sister is!"

Severus turned dead eyes to Draco, "She was taken."

Draco shoved Severus away and turned on his father, "How could you let this happen? I told you that she would be taken. Why would you even consider meeting with him?"

Lucius shook his head as he comforted his wife. 'A fucking dragon took her, Draco. Even eight people together would have a problem taking down a dragon!"