Disclaimer: Most characters in this story are not mine, some I made up myself. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Author's Note: This is the shortest chapter I've had written, I think. I apologize for that. I had a little writer's block and school activities had been keeping me away from writing. Please leave a review.
Chapter Ten
The metal bars were very cold that day. Warm flesh that would contact with them would definitely feel stabbing pain. Cold water dripped from the tiny crevices. It was already raining and it wouldn't be long before Azkaban would once again be engulfed with total coldness. If the despairing aura of the Dementors weren't enough, the wind that blew across and seeps in the windows would definitely kill any prisoner weak enough to die.
But amidst the howling wind and the gloomy atmosphere, one prisoner was laughing quietly in his cell. It was a weak, yet cold laugh. Laughing was a foreign activity in Azkaban. Had there been a Dementor passing by, it would have wondered what the prisoner was doing.
"Father," the prisoner said in a very hoarse voice. It had been days since he used his voice. His father across his cell was less than helpful to engage even in small talks. Lucius Malfoy was becoming less and less healthier and stronger everyday. Draco had been very worried about him. The composure that his father had been keeping earlier during his imprisonment was now gone. His hair had become lank and black circles were under his eyes. His cheeks began to sink, and his bones were now becoming prominent. It crossed Draco's mind that he would definitely look like what Lucius Malfoy was now if he couldn't escape Azkaban soon.
Every day, he was hoping that Yaxley and the others would arrive with a bang, and open his cell in a victorious manner. "Draco!" Yaxley would say. "Let's go! We don't have much time. The Dementors are coming in here in less than a minute..."
But of course, Draco knew this was far from happening sooner. Azkaban was a hard place to break in and out. For some time in his imprisonment, Draco was jealous of the idiot Sirius Black and his ability to transform to his Animagus form. If only Draco had the time and inclination to learn the spell, maybe he was out of here months ago.
But today was different from any other day. He had some celebrating to do. It had been hours since his left forearm had consistently hurt. Draco was sure it was during the early morning. He couldn't sleep that night. He thrashed and turned on his cot to find a soft side to sleep on to no avail. It was just so cold and dark that he thought only death could make him sleep.
Earlier this morning, he yelped when suddenly the Dark Mark on his arm had hurt. It was the first time since You-Know-Who had fallen. For a moment, he thought the Dark Lord was back but shook the thought off. He saw the Dark Lord die in front of his eyes. He was dead. And then his mind went to Yaxley. They must have found a way to get them out of here. Maybe they were signaling the Death Eaters inside Azkaban that they would be out in a just a matter of short time. As glad as he was with the piece of thought, he wanted to share it with his father. But he had tried waking Lucius Malfoy up. His father was just curled up on his cot and grunting from time to time. Malfoy had squinted his eyes to make sure Lucius was still breathing, and fortunately he was.
But it was this day that Lucius hadn't moved from his fetal position. Draco picked up small portions of rocks from the wall he had diligently broken up with a piece of wood and threw it at his father. It had hit the target but Lucius didn't move.
"Father," he called again, this time louder. But the limp figure still did not make a move. Draco crawled on his knees and went to the metal bars. He squirmed with displeasure as his hands felt the painful coldness of the metal. "Dad!"
Realizing what was happening, a lump formed on Draco throat. No! This can't be! "Someone!" he screamed. "Help!" He didn't mind the rawness of his throat. His eyes became hot and the remaining fluids in his body started to drip down his cold and thin face. "HELP!"
No one came. The sound of the wind continued. Nobody cared. The Aurors doing their duty were as cold as the place. Draco wanted to be reassured that his father was alright. That he was only sleeping off a headache, or anything like that. He gripped the bars hard and tried to shake it with every ounce of strength he had left. "SOMEBODY!"
"Shut up, will ya?" one of the disgruntled prisoner not far away from Draco shouted.
"HELP! MY FATHER!"
"I said shut up! He's dead, boy, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"HE'S NOT DEAD!"
"SHUT UP!"
Draco slumped on the floor and cried. The floor was beginning to get wet and the temperature was approaching freezing. But so what? Life wasn't worth living anymore. He just wanted to die and be done with it. He wanted to be with his father. What would it be like dying? he wondered. Peaceful, maybe. But he doubted he would go anywhere warm and nice. His soul was tarnished by this Mark on his arm. He would never be clean anymore.
They said that before dying, your whole life would flash in front of your eyes. But Draco wasn't dying. In fact, far from it. He was very much alive.
Draco's parents were smiling proudly at him. He had just successfully ridden on his broom and was zooming in and out of the family library, knocking over some shelves and armors and with it the ugly noise of metal and wood.
...
His first time with a wand. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever felt. Power surged through him.
...
He hit Harry Potter with a Leg-Locking Curse. Draco laughed so hard he almost peed on his pants. They were duelling in front of the whole school and the oaf Lockhart must have been admiring his quick skill with a wand.
...
The crowds roared twenty feet beneath him. His eyes scanned the sky for a glint of gold. He must catch it before friggin' Potter would.
...
"Scream!" the Dark Lord hissed. Draco was writhing on the floor with pain. The Cruciatus was the worst thing that ever happened to him. He wished he was dead. The fresh Dark Mark burned on his arm.
Draco came back to his senses. His whole life was a sham and he knew it. If there was any way to turn back time, he would. He wished he had a Time Turner and go back in time to kill himself. Draco Malfoy wouldn't exist anymore.
His clammy hand went to his forearm. No, there was still hope.
o O o
Yaxley laughed maliciously. The other two Death Eaters were grinning at each other. They had never been this happy for a very long time, and the feeling was surreal.
"Do you know what this means, Macmillan, Prutton?" Yaxley crackled. They nodded. The three had been on the run for quite a while now. Aurors were everywhere, constantly looking for them. Although they had been careful all the time, a bloke or two would recognize them and immediately Aurors would come chasing. The Auror Department had developed a new spell which could summon any available Aurors to the place where they had been called. There had been various pranks with the spell, but still, it was a small price to pay. It was speed that the Aurors needed for the moment.
Disguises had been unavailable. None of them was good at Potions, and even if there was, they wouldn't have the time to brew a Polyjuice Potion since they don't stay at one place for more than two days.
He admired the sight of the Dark Mark. His arms were thin, but was as strong as ever, nonetheless. Their days of being outcasts were drawing to a near. The Dark Lord was back. He did not abandon them. Yaxley felt free again.
The plan would go on as usual. There were things that Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix did not know, and so did Snape. Snape thought the Dark Lord trusted him enough to reveal all his secrets to him. Yaxley sneered. After all this time of hiding, now he could make Snape pay for his treachery. Yaxley had his doubts of the half-blood Slytherin, but never had he imagined that Snape would go very far of betraying their Master. He was playing on the other side all along. That slimy git wouldn't know what was coming.
The war was far from over.
It was shameful to think that he thought the Dark Lord would not fulfill his promise. Of course, he would. Even though the Dark Lord had not warned them of his temporary leaving, he still had enough faith. Now, it was time to get the Malfoys out of Azkaban. They were more influential people than him and would therefore influence more followers to fight for their side again.
"The Dark Lord is back!" said George Macmillan dramatically. His once handsome face was now sunken and gaunt. But his eyes shone.
Prutton whooped. "What do we do next, Yaxley?"
Of all the three of them, only Yaxley was the one who belonged in the Inner Circle, and so, had the privilege of relaying information to the Dark Lord. "We must get the Malfoys out of Azkaban as soon as possible. They know things that we don't. After that, we get rid of them. Lucius had proven he was a weakling, crying over his pathetic son like that. He almost turned us in."
"How about Narcissa?"
"She is useless. The last thing we want is someone who whines like a mule over silly little things. Besides, she is like her husband. Too weak." It wouldn't be easy to work with Lucius Malfoy again. The man might not want to work against the Ministry for the millionth time, and Yaxley was ready to use the Imperius if necessary. As for his son, he could be of use in the future. The Dark Lord would need a young blood to carry out his plans. "Snape has a Dark Mark and I don't doubt the Order of the Phoenix knows this by now. We must hurry."
"But how? We can't break inside Azkaban! And if we do, we would be dead before we could go out," Prutton said.
Yaxley sighed. "I am still working on it, Prutton. It is a tricky puzzle that we must solve. And maybe who knows, the gods are on our side this time."
o O o
Severus and Granger left the Ministry after talking to Potter. Granger wanted to stay and talk with her friend but Severus would not allow her. Even though it was Potter they were talking about, it was even more dangerous to be near him. Miss Granger was still not in her right state if something bad happened. She was his responsibility he now realized for the past months, and he would do everything in his power to protect her. Somehow, he had become attached to the girl and was only a little disturbed about the fact since she would be her apprentice for the next two terms.
When they had gone from the Ministry, Severus had wondered, if the Dark Lord was back, then what form was he in? What kind of body would he be possessing? He had his suspicions but was not ready to share it with anybody. For now, he had to meet with McGonagall and tell her what he thought he knew. And from that, they could take some precautions. A few Death Eaters were still on the run, and all of them, also those in Azkaban, were now probably feeling what he was now. The Death Eaters must be having a blast.
Granger had been very quiet since his revelation about the Dark Lord, and he couldn't blame her. They all thought it was over. And he was tired. But tired as he was, they must act as soon as possible. The Dark Lord had just come back from the dead. He still must be very weak. The Order had still got enough time.
The two went out of the building and the damp air hit their faces. Severus led Granger towards an empty alley where they could Apparate. He held out his hand for the coming Apparition.
"Miss Granger," he drawled.
Granger was looking blankly at the ground, her hair wild around her face. She looked pale and sweaty. Moments later, her shoulders started to shake. Severus was horrified at the sight. Granger was crying in front of him. [Couldn't it wait until we reach Hogwarts?] he asked himself. That way, she could be in the comfort of her own room, and he might avoid the awkward scene if he flee to the dungeons.
Drops of something wet started to fall. The cold rain awakened Severus' senses. Feeling that he should do something, Severus said, in his most comforting voice, "It's alright to be scared, Miss Granger."
She shook her head and sniffed. "I'm not scared, Professor."
He frowned. "Then why are you crying?"
"I was just thinking about all those people who died at the last battle. They died for nothing."
"That's where you're wrong, Miss Granger." Granger's head shot up and looked at him with the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Her cheeks were flushed, and her lips were soft and red. Something inside Severus flipped, and he had the sudden feeling of a schoolboy. Right there and then, he wanted to kiss her and tell her it's alright. That he's there to protect her no matter what.
As quickly as the thought came to his mind, he mentally shook it off. He must be out of his mind. Kissing a former student was not one of his plans in life. But doing that exact thing right now seemed so tempting and right.
"That's where you're wrong," he repeated. Severus returned his gaze to her eyes. "They didn't die for nothing, Miss Granger. We defeated the Dark Lord that night. Death Eaters were captured and killed, as were werewolves and giants that were on his side. The Dark Lord's army had been reduced to almost nothing. Without his pawns, he cannot do anything. He is but a mere spirit now. And we must take it to our advantage and try and send him back where he belongs."
As though reassured, Granger wiped here eyes with the sleeves of her shirt and forced a smile on her face. God, she looked so beautiful. He offered his hand again. "Shall we?"
She nodded and then took it. But without any warning, Granger buried her face on his chest and started to sob. She put her arms around him and was hugging him like they had been friends for years. Severus froze. He didn't know what to do. Should he push her away and tell her to not do it again? Or should he just stay there and let her cry her heart out?
Against his better judgment, Severus slowly and awkwardly put a gentle hand on her back and started patting her. "It's alright, Miss Granger. You are safe with m-- us." He stumbled on the word. Somehow, their friendship had started to mold into something comfortable and Severus couldn't help but feel elated. Hermione Granger was a friend he never had before. Lily was never like this to him.
His chin was at the top of her head and he smelled the beautiful scent she was emanating. Severus wished they could be like this forever.
Finally, after what seemed like a long time, Granger pulled back, her eyes were very red and puffy. "I'm sorry, Professor. I shouldn't have--" Severus' front robe was quite wet from her tears. If she had been someone else, Severus would have wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"It's quite alright, Miss Granger. I do understand. You are scared, even though you don't want to admit that. I, too, am afraid. The Dark Lord was never an easy opponent. I cannot promise you any comforting words except for these: We will defeat him."
They looked at each other again. Even at the darkness of the alley, Severus could see the lines on her irises. Her eyes were full of compassion and something else he couldn't recognize. Granger smiled and Severus felt his heart melt.
"I'm just happy you are still here to fight with us, Professor."
Unexpectedly, he smiled back. For Hermione, it was the sweetest smile she had ever received.
Author's Note: Please leave a review. Thanks.