Okay, chapter 11. I know, I know. It's taken a long time for me to post this one. Things have just been pretty hectic and I haven't had time to write anything. But here it is. Yay! And as always . . . I don't own the characters or whatever ... you know how that goes.
"Shh!" Draco soothed. "It's okay! Hermione?"
Hermione continued to cry into her pillows.
Draco sighed helplessly and began stroking her hair. As Hermione's crying became harder he began alternating between stroking her hair and rubbing her back.
"Please calm down." He begged. "Please stop crying?"
Hermione eventually began to calm down. After a while she sniffled and began to sit up. She hiccupped as Draco handed her a glass of water.
"Was she your friend?" he asked.
"Not really." Hermione said. "But I used to talk to her every once in a while. Draco . . . tell me what happened."
"She picked a bad day . . . um night, to try to run away." Draco said. "Last night was the first night of the full moon."
"Tonight is the full moon?" Hermione asked curiously.
Draco nodded.
"Go on." Hermione insisted.
"Well, the werewolves were running last night." Draco continued.
Hermione cringed. She looked up when Draco didn't go on.
"And?" she prodded.
"Well apparently she made it only as far as the edge of the forest when . . . they attacked her." Draco said lightly. "And they . . . they ate her."
Hermione began to look sick. She took a deep breath to try to keep from being sick.
"She said that Mr. Nott Sr. was doing a pregnancy test on her." She murmured. "Was she?"
"The test wasn't done but . . ." Draco paused. "They did find out that she was pregnant."
"How?" Hermione asked, not really wanting to know.
"Are you sure you want to hear this?" Draco asked.
Hermione slowly nodded.
"When Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle found what was left of her body . . ." Draco started. He took a deep breath. "Well, they said that the werewolves had eaten everything except her stomach."
"Huh?" Hermione frowned.
"They had ripped open her stomach." Draco said. "And then just left it."
"But why?"
"Mr. Goyle said that in the remains of her stomach lay a . . . lay a fetus." Draco winced.
Hermione turned a light shade of green and then suddenly leaned over the edge of her bed and threw up.
"Bitsy!" Draco called. "Bitsy! Hurry!"
Bitsy popped in.
"Yes Master Draco sir?" she squeaked.
"Hermione's sick." Draco said. "Can you help her?"
"Oh." Bitsy disappeared.
She reappeared a few minutes later carrying a tray.
"Drink this Miss Granger ma'am." Bitsy handed her a small vial filled with a chalky pink liquid. "It'll make you feel better right away."
Hermione downed the liquid and pulled a face.
"It tastes like dusty peppermint." She said. "But you're right. I feel lots better now."
"You is also needing some fresh air." Bitsy said.
Hermione looked at Draco who nodded.
"I will clean up while you is outside." Bitsy began cleaning up the mess on the floor.
"Thank you Bitsy." Hermione said as she slowly climbed out of bed. She hurried over to her tiny closet and changed into some fresh clothes.
"Where's Ron?" Draco asked as they reached the ground floor. A guard stood at every doorway.
"Probably asleep." Hermione shrugged. "From what he's told me, he hasn't really slept since . . . you know."
Draco nodded. He led the way to a hidden doorway. The door opened to a high-walled courtyard.
"I can tell there's no escape from here." Hermione whispered. "Anymore."
"After . . . last night, you're not allowed to see anything." Draco explained.
"Even from the dining hall?" Hermione asked.
"Um . . . no actually." Draco frowned. "You can still see out of them."
Hermione got a thoughtful look on her face.
"I've seen that look before." Draco said. "You had that look the first time I mentioned helping you get out of here. What are you thinking now?"
"I was just thinking that Professor Snape told me this morning that I had to come downstairs for dinner." Hermione replied. "I told him to go fuck himself because I wasn't going to do it."
"You did what?" Draco interrupted.
"Mr. Pucey was with him." Hermione explained. "Anyway, I think, that if you or Snape will escort me down, I might just go to dinner after all. You never know. It might be fun and educational."
"Well, I can't escort you down." Draco said. "I'm supposed to be taking one of the girls that my mother picks out for me."
"Oh, is your mother here today?" Hermione grinned. "Because if she is, I'd like to talk to her and tell her what I think."
"Yes she's here." Draco said. "But no, you aren't going to talk to her. After that last meeting with her, who knows what you'll do. Anyway, I'm supposed to be finding a 'respectable' girl to 'one day eventually marry'."
"And your mother is choosing from the sex slaves here?" Hermione frowned. "Why?"
"Because there are a few pureblood girls here." Draco said. "But I don't want to marry any of them. But mother says that I can pretty much rule out a respectable pureblood marriage because of the stunt that I pulled. So now I have to make do with what's available."
"You're such a snob Draco." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You should be happy that at least you're going to marry a 'respectable' pureblood. It could be worse and she could force you to marry a blood traitor or something."
"That's true." Draco agreed. He made a face.
Hermione rolled her eyes again. They were silent for a few minutes.
"What would happen if I decided to walk over there and try to climb the wall?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not sure." Draco answered. "But it would probably be instant death or something."
Hermione sighed.
"I want to go back to my room." She said. "I need to look over my notes."
An hour later they were sitting in Hermione's room. Draco was reading the Daily Prophet and Hermione was flipping through her notebook.
"Draco?" Hermione said. "Draco?"
"Hmm?" Draco looked up from his paper.
"When did you say that they found the girl's body?"
Draco thought for a minute.
"Well, they found her early this morning." He said. "The werewolves came in just before sunrise and said they'd eaten something other than . . . whatever they usually eat. Voldemort sent out a few Death Eaters to see what it was and they found the girl."
"That can't be right." Hermione said. "Are we talking about the same girl?"
"She lived on this floor." Draco said. "One door down from the fake door?"
"Strawberry blonde, about my height?" Hermione asked. "She'd run away before?"
"Yeah, that's her." Draco nodded.
"Well then it doesn't add up." Hermione continued. "Yesterday when Ron and I were walking, we met Snape down on two and he told us that we had to come back because one of the girls escaped and was caught. It couldn't be the same . . . holy shit."
"What is it?" Draco asked.
"They killed her." Hermione murmured.
"What?"
"She didn't run away last night." Hermione explained. "She ran away yesterday afternoon. But when they caught her, they must have kept her somewhere and after the werewolves went out, they must have . . . they must have pushed her out there to be eaten."
Hermione looked like she wanted to cry or scream or run away herself. Draco jumped up and grabbed her before she could do anything. Hermione struggled to get free.
"I have to get out of here." She fought his grip. "Please! I have to leave!"
"Calm down." Draco murmured. "You've worked too hard on your escape plan to let something like this make you take chances that could get you killed. Calm down!"
Hermione fought against Draco's grip for a while longer but eventually quit struggling.
"Take deep breaths." Draco stroked her hair. "Just breath deep."
Hermione slowly relaxed into Draco. She laid her head against his chest.
"Shh." Draco continued to stoke her hair. "Hermione?"
Hermione looked up at him and he gently kissed her.
"What the fuck?" Ron exclaimed.
Hermione and Draco both looked towards the door in shock.
"Fucking slut!" Ron hissed before he slammed the door.
"Ron!" Hermione jumped up and quickly ran after him.
A bit confused? I was and I wrote the thing! Oh well, I hope you liked it. The next chapters will hopefully appear soon. Maybe as soon as finals are over. Please review because it makes me happy to know you're there. Thanx!