A/N: Here it is! Chapter 10! Read, and I'll talk afterward.
"You really should have that looked at."
Draco's hands instinctively covered the decent-sized lump on his head where it made contact with the wall days previously.
"It's fine. What do you care anyway?"
"Just because we're on different sides and you happen to be holding me hostage doesn't mean—"
"Must you open your mouth every time someone asks you a question? We're not in class, Granger, you can shut up."
Hermione clamped her mouth closed and tried to hide her reddening complexion. Draco snorted and left.
Of course she didn't care that he let his injury go unchecked. It even gave her a grim satisfaction to see his arrogance knocked around a bit.
Serves him right if he did get a concussion, she thought.
She had already dismissed the matter and had begun eating the food Draco had placed in front of her when Draco stormed back around the corner and glared at her.
"Why do you care?"
"I thought you wanted me to shut up."
Draco ignored her.
"How the hell can you possibly care about me when everyone you know has a price on their head? When your lives are threatened by the mere existence of us? How can you care about a stupid bump on a head when any day now you can be killed? How can you care?"
Hermione looked at him half amused, half thoughtful.
"Same way you can, Draco."
"What?"
"You can't tell me that torturing me was the most mundane thing you've ever done."
"What?" he repeated.
"I may have been preoccupied with my own, but I recognized the pain in your voice. The pain when you told me to scream so it could be over. Why do you think I complied?"
"You're delusional, Granger."
"Am I?" she countered swiftly. "I am completely at your mercy. You could easily let me starve down here."
"I'm under orders—"
"—to keep me alive, yes. But to give me this much food this often? I haven't gotten hungry once since I've been here. And you have never raised your wand against me."
"That could easily be changed."
"I'm not complaining. I'm simply stating that if you truly believed what your family believes, if you truly believed that I'm a filthy Mudblood that isn't worth the nourishment or space of this earth, then I would definitely look the part a little bit more, wouldn't I?"
Draco's eyes roamed her. She immediately became self-conscious. Sure, she hadn't properly showered since she'd been held captive, but she hoped there was nothing about her to suggest dirt or muck. She had always been naturally slim, but she didn't look undernourished. He'd been feeding her well. She stared back at him, trying to make sense of his piercing look.
Something broke his concentration.
His hand slowly moved to his chest, and his gaze followed. When he lifted his head again, the look of wonderment and something else took Hermione entirely by surprise.
Before she could open her mouth to ask, he was gone.
Terror, Hermione thought, placing the other expression on his face.
He's terrified.
Draco's mind frantically tried to come up with a better plan. Granger was getting to him, and ever since she brought to his attention that he had nowhere to go, that he was trapped, he had been desperately wracking his brain for a solution that would prove her wrong. It was all he could think about, her staring at him with those sympathetic eyes. The eyes he needed to see in a couple of minutes if he didn't want his body to break down in sheer pain.
The bond was different now, more complex. The pain was most definitely there when Granger was not, but there was something else. He wished to be in her presence and talk with her.
She's the only living creature I see anymore besides the pathetic house elves.
Draco's vain attempt to convince himself that this was the reason behind the new bond occupied his mind as he roamed the catacombs of the castle for the rest of the day. Once his stomach began to rumble he made his way to the kitchen to fetch both his and Granger's dinner.
He barely took notice of the house elves as they thrust food into his hands. The service was better than what he was used to, but it was not worth noting. He left the kitchens with an armful of food and a brain full of Granger.
Then he ran into the Carrows.
"Draco," Alecto cooed in mock excitement. "How we've missed you."
"Yes," Amycus hissed. "Particularly in those lovely detention sessions. You should see how well they have progressed, Draco. You'd be so proud of your friends. They've taken quite a liking to torturing their peers."
"If 'peers' is even the right word for those filthy blood-traitors," Alecto added.
Draco had no response so he merely ducked his head and mumbled, "Right." He attempted to slide past the siblings, but they moved to block his path.
"Such an abundance of food," Amycus remarked.
"Well, you have to remember, dear brother, that Draco has been skipping out on the Great Hall."
"Ah, yes. Now why would that be?"
Draco panicked. They knew.
They knew Granger was still in the castle, hidden from them by Snape.
Why should that bother me? He thought, trying to push his panic aside. Let them find Granger. Then this madness can finally end. She'll tell them where Potter is, the Dark Lord can kill him, and then all of this will be over.
A dim memory flickered to the forefront of his mind. Hermione Granger, writhing on the ground under the power of his wand. The blood running down the side of her mouth as she threw her head back and finally screamed after ages of nobly keeping her silence.
Draco barely kept down the bile that the memory triggered. It was sickening to watch the first time, her body twitching in such an unnatural way, he couldn't bear to let it happen again.
"Orders," he said, finally deciding that the excuse that he used for every crumbling piece of his life would suffice.
"Of course," Amycus nodded, moving closer to Draco. "Must be for that new soup kitchen the Dark Lord wants to open."
"Tell us where she is," Alecto demanded, all sarcasm dropped.
"I said I'm under orders," Draco repeated, more haughtiness to his voice, "Unless you idiots can't hear—"
"Tell us where the Mudblood is!" Amycus leveled his wand at Draco's chest.
"You can't be serious. I haven't got time for this."
No sooner had Draco made an attempt to pass when Amycus shoved him back, causing a bowl of noodles and some bread rolls to spill out of his arms.
"I know she's here! She's the key to winning this war, Draco! She knows where Potter is. She knows his plans! With a little persuasion, we can get her to tell us anything! The war will end because of you! The Dark Lord won't overlook that service. You and your sorry excuse for parents can finally have a life again instead of weaseling in and out of the woodwork," Amycus sneered.
Draco felt the familiar anger take over. Any insult to his family, any reminder of their reduced circumstances shot adrenaline through his veins faster than any magic.
"How dare you—"
Amycus raised his wand.
"The Dark Lord won't like it if you curse me," Draco said.
"The hell he won't," scoffed Amycus. "You're nothing to him. Filth that he's keeping around for who knows what reason. I'm wasting my time just talking to you."
The elder Death Eater slashed the air with his wand.
"STUPEF—"
A blinding white light flooded the room in an instant, blocking the Carrows from view and causing Draco to shield his eyes. He heard two thick thuds.
As quickly as it had come, the light vanished. Quickly, Draco took in his surroundings. The Carrows were on the ground, unconscious. Blood trickled from both their hairlines, as if something had clobbered them over the head.
Draco wasted no time leaving the hall. He sprinted back to the safety of the dungeons. His chest heaved and his brain reeled. He felt as if he would burst out of his skin at any moment.
Because he could have sworn that the light burst from his own chest.
Right where the tether is.
A/N: I know, I know. I totally missed my weekly update. By a lot. In my defense, finals are coming up and I had a lot of work to get done. I really hoped you like this chapter. For some reason I really enjoyed writing it. Not that I don't enjoy writing the others, it's just that this one was really fun. I got it done in about two days.
Please review. My motto concerning that is as always: it takes two seconds and makes me happy for a very long time. Thank you to KellyLane for adding this story to your favorites! And to All That is Goode for adding this to your story alerts! Have a great weekend, guys.