To all my lovely readers,

Alas, i must begin as i always do, I am so sorry for the delay! I hope you enjoy the chapter.


The Room At The End Of The Corridor

RECAP:

I find a noisy brook near a cave, where I tie the horse behind a dark ambush of trees. Then I make my way towards the cave, careful not to slip on the moss covered rocks. Exhaustion overcomes me as soon as I lie down on the cold, wet ground, the discomfort hardly noticeable as I surrender to sweet slumber.

A river streams underneath me as I stand over the water, smiling and screaming at Harry who stands across the bank. His eyes are full of mischief as he motions for me to come towards him. But I stand still, waiting for him to come get me. He laughs and falls into the stream, unable to walk on it like I am. Rushing towards him, I grasp his hand, pulling him out, but instead he pulls me underneath. Laughing, we both float face up in the cool water, gazing at the stars. His hand reaches out to grasp mine, and he pulls me closer towards him, his lips touching mine as I near his face. My heart soars as he deepens the kiss, and I kiss back, with a ferocity I didn't know I possessed. His hand tightens around my neck in a gesture of possessiveness, as I pull away from the kiss, giggling loudly. He pulls me back, applying more pressure, but I resist, tired of this game, but the pressure only increases, till I can barely breathe. His arms, brutally strong, are all over me, but I am motionless, gasping for breath. The only thing I see is darkness… Black….

"NO!" I shout pushing frantically as my eyes flutter open, and I waken to a hollow cave. But my nightmare is not over, for crouching in the corner of the cave, sits a solitary figure, his eyes glinting green and gold.

No. It cannot be.


"Harry!" I scream, as I run towards him in an ecstatic frenzy.

"Never thought I'd find you here Mione," he says a lop-sided grin on his face. Burying my face within his chest, I hug him fiercely, unbidden tears streaming down my face.

"I t-t-thought you were d-d-dead. Saw them k-k-kill you."

"That's impossible Mione, I escaped before the execution," he whispers softly, as if to a child.

"B-b-but he had your h-h-hair and he l-looked…" my voice chokes as I recall the moment of horror I had suppressed for so long.

"It wasn't me Mione. I'm here. I will not leave you now."

That brings on a fresh fit of tears, as every dreadful memory from the past few weeks comes flooding back.

"Come now, Hermione the Heroic crying, what would your many admirers say?" he says, in a teasing voice, his grip around me tightening ever so slightly.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU WRITE TO ME, TELL YOU WERE ALIVE, YOU UNCOUTH, IRRESPONSIBLE, RASH, ADDLEBRAINED, FICKL-"

I am cut off as his lips descend upon mine, hungry, demanding, starved. For a second, I freeze, immobilized by the suddenness of his caress. And then I react, slowly kissing him back, responding to his kiss with a wild passion that comes easily. It lasts for seconds, minutes, hours, I do not know, I just know that it is with great reluctance that we both stop.

I see a faint blush upon his cheek as he withdraws his face from mine. "Hermione I apologize, I shouldn't ha-"

I place a finger on his lips, hushing his words, fighting against the reality that slowly begins to seep in, as I gaze upon his bruised face. A selfish part of me wishes to suppress the truth, to stay in the cave, to forget about the madness outside. But I know I cannot.

"Harry I need to tell you something, while you and father were gone I-"

"I know." He says flatly, his face impassive, unreadable.

"I didn't want to, I despise him."

"I know Mione. He's a monster. I wish I could have done something, stopped this…" his voice trails off, as he averts his gaze from me, staring into the wall.

"You were fighting for Emmeria, for us. You did all you could." I say fiercely, unable to bear the crushing sadness in his voice.

"How did you find me?" I say, desperate to change the topic.

"I saw the horse outside, was actually going to steal it, but thought I'd come pay a visit to its owner first, pay my respects to an old friend," he says, his voice laced with anger.

"Whose horse is it?" I ask, curiously.

"General Snape, the snake that betrayed our trust."

His eyes darken as the name crosses his lips. "What happened to all our soldiers Harry? And the lords that paid allegiance to us, why did they not come to our aid?"

"The soldiers are dead, most of them anyway, and the lords have a new hand to feed them, so they sit cozied up in their grand homes," he says, his voice full of malice.

"Is there no chance of defeating them then? No resistance?" I ask, dreading the answer.

"They're too powerful Hermione, they own the lands that feed the kingdom, rebelling against the Dragon Islers is cutting one's own stomach, there is little hope," he says quietly, his voice devoid of emotion.

"But father-"

"Your father is the only hope left to the resistance, so they rally around him at Elderon. I was travelling to find him."

"I'm coming with you," I say resolutely.

"Hermione I don't think that's a good id-"

"I want to see Father, and you cannot think to leave me here. They'll find me. They'll take me back to him." The thought makes me shudder.

"We should make haste then, get to Gully's Bay, it stands a day's ride from here. We can find shelter there for the night."

I am taken aback by his sudden acquiescence, but do not comment, fearing he will change his mind. I feel a strange ache in my heart as we leave the cave, knowing that things cannot be the same. We had both been forced on different paths and no matter how much we fought our lives, they would infringe upon us all the same.

The ride to Gully's Bay is a quiet one, a sort of awkwardness descends upon us, now that the euphoria of our reunion has worn off. But we make good time, and reach there as the sky puts on its blanket of stars.

"Wait here." Harry whispers, as we enter the wooden gates of the sleepy little village. Tying the horse behind a decrepit little Inn, I watch Harry's figure fade into the dark night. My mind reels back to a similar night involving a horse and a silver eyed man. A man whose face I would never forget. Whose presence clings to me like a second skin, a cursed shadow I cannot rid myself off.

I wait patiently, trying hard to rid myself of the feeling of unease that deepens with every passing minute. Where was Harry? What was taking so long? The inn we had stopped at seemed deserted, with only a tiny light flickering inside. It should not have taken this long to procure a roof for the night.

I begin pacing around the horse, reluctant to leave it alone in the dark, for fear it may be stolen. But as the minutes melt into an hour, I decide to go looking for him.

As I near the decrepit little Inn, the tiny light flickering inside vanishes, leaving the place swamped in darkness. I stop in my tracks, frozen in fear, what in the seven hells is going on inside?

I lurch towards the entrance, half-fearful, half-anxious, and knock on the ancient, moss covered door.

There is silence.

I knock again, my heart quickening with every passing minute.

Was Harry in danger? What was happening inside?

When no one answers, I begin beating on the wooden door, pushing against the rotten wood till my body begins to ache. Giving up, I walk towards the back of the Inn in hope of an open window.

The mist from the forest creeps into the back, crawling towards me like a hunting panther. But I resist the urge to go back to the horse, knowing I cannot lose Harry again. But the back, too, provides me with no way in; for the windows are clamped shut with no light emanating from within, my only company is the eerie glow of the starry sky.

I growl in frustration, deprived of sleep, rest and my only companion. But the noise is drowned out by the thunderous sound of a hundred hooves beating down on stone and mud.

I run frantically into the darkened woods, terrified for the first time that night. The hooves continue their relentless dance, coming closer…

Thick branches tear at me, cutting my face, tearing at my clothes, but I run deeper into the dark, knowing that behind me lies a fate far worse than death in an old forest. And then the noise ceases.

I collapse onto the grassy floor, rubbing dirt off my face, as I realize the horses are not after me. A surge of fresh fear creeps back into my heart as I realize Harry is still back there.

He's on the run Hermione. They're after him, not you.

I lie in the blackness, unmoving, trying to devise a way to run back and enter the Inn, but my mind draws a blank, suffused in the darkness that envelops me.

Finally, I decide on creeping back to the Inn, and hiding in the abandoned stable at the back, till everyone inside falls asleep. It is ridiculous and risky, but I have no other choice.

Lifting up my dirty skirt, I begin crawling back towards the Inn, moving quietly through the dark drenched trees.

As I near the old lodge, a twinkle of shimmering lights catch my attention. Whoever is inside there is not sleeping.

Taking a deep intake of breath, I continue onwards, trying to think of alternative ways of getting inside. And then out of nowhere, strong metal-like arms pull me backwards, sending me tumbling into the coarse dry grass that grows on the outskirts of the forest.

I scream loudly, wildly clawing at my dark captor.

"HERMIONE, IT'S ME HARRY!"

"Harry where were you?" I scream, in a tone mingled with relief and fury.

"Ssh… not here," he motions towards the abandoned stable, putting his arms protectively around me.

I let him lead me into the mess of earth and wood, while my eyes remain fixed on the shimmering lights within.

"What took you so long?" I whisper.

"I went to search for the man that was supposed to meet us here."

"Did you see the horses?"

"They're not a threat to us."

I stare at him quizzically in the dark. "They're the king's horses are they not?"

"The man that's supposed to meet us here is part of the King's Guard."

A thousand questions erupt in my mind. "Is it Sir Blaise?"

"Sir Blaise? The King's knight? Why would he meet us here?"

Sir Snape's voice comes haunting back, "he was simply interested in ransoming you both to the highest bidder."

I had been a fool to trust him.

"No reason," I say abruptly.

"The lights are off," Harry whispers, putting his hand over mine.

"Harry, are you sure this is not a trap?" I say quietly, trying to keep the panic from my voice.

"No Princess, this man cannot betray me. I have something he needs." Squeezing my hand tightly, he leads me towards the back of the gloomy building.

In the yard, a Green flag lays strewn across the muddied floor. I tense as Harry eases open the back door.

"It was open?" I whisper, incredulously.

"He left it open."

"Who?" but I am met with silence.

"Harry please what if they catch you?" I whisper, as my eyes fall upon the remains of a grand feast.

"Hermione, I promise, we shall be safe," he says, in a voice so calm, I cannot help but feel secure.

I nod quietly, ignoring the pangs of panic that erupt as we cross a corridor full of sleeping soldiers. Motioning towards me in the dark, he points towards the stairs.

I follow his lead, quietly creeping up the winding staircase. We move slowly, careful to skip over the missing steps. The upper part of the Inn too remains shrouded in darkness, the only light coming from a room at the end of the corridor.

"There," he whispers, pointing towards the light. And for the first time I feel a sense of relief, there are no soldiers stationed in the corridor, it is empty.

Gliding towards the light, we move as if one and it is not long before we stand outside the handsome oaken door.

For the first time Harry hesitates, and I squeeze his hand, reassuring him that all will be well. It is also the first time I notice the crushing sadness in his eyes and it hits me that it has been there since the cave. I am not the only one that has suffered because of this marriage…

"Come in," a voice rasps from inside.

Quietly clicking the door open, we slip inside, to a room of baroque carpets and a handsome oaken dresser. The man in the room stands near the window, cloaked in a dark red robe that hides his face from view. His hands, covered in rings, motions towards a handsome velvet box on the bed.

"Have you done as you promised?" Harry asks in a wary voice.

The strange figure nods, and Harry moves towards the bed, collecting the box.

It is then that the Inn descends into chaos. A dozen voices begin roaring obscenities all at once, as a shrieking guard comes banging up the stairs.

"Stay here!" Harry shouts, as he deposits the box in his cloak, and goes running into the darkness.

"Harry N-"he is gone before the words leave my mouth.

I turn around, examining the man in the red cloak, waiting for him to say something. But he stays silent, continuing to gaze into the moonlit sky.

I wait for a few moments, and then turn to go downstairs, but a sharp voice stops me.

"Stay where you are Princess."

Ignoring the man, I open the door, anxious to find Harry. This prompts the stranger to turn backwards , "Stay where you are or you shall be hurt."

I hesitate as the pale bloated face comes into sight.

"Sir. Vincent?"

"He wanted you safe. You had better stay here, he should be here soon."

"No, there are about a dozen soldiers downstairs, he will not be able to fight all of them, you have to help him." I say forcefully.

"Princess, the knight can handle himself, he's an able-bodied fighter."

Gritting my teeth in frustration, I say again, "You do not understand, it's not about capability, he is outnumbered."

"Ah well, these were his orders, if you wish to disobey him, so be it."

"Well unfortunately for him, I never follow orders," I say, shoving open the door and fleeing down the dark corridor.

Outside, I hear Harry's voice screaming at the soldiers downstairs. Quickening my pace, I begin descending the winding staircase, thinking of ways to create a diversion.

"Ah, little bird, you do have a habit of bumping into me in dark places."

I freeze.

No. No. No. How?

"Harry!" I scream, as the vice-like grip of Draco Malfoy pushes me back upstairs.

"It's good to see you too little one," he says maliciously, his hand tightening around my waist.

"Get away from me!" I shout, pushing at him with all my strength, but against his might, I am like a rag doll - helpless, meek, and useless.

"NO!" I shout wildly, as he drags me into the room at the end of the corridor.

Inside the room, Vincent Crabbe stands still, almost a part of the furniture.

"You betrayed us!" I scream, tears running down my face.

"He didn't betray you, Princess." Draco says, his casual sneer back in place, as he dismisses the man with a flick of his wrists.

"He did."

My eyes alight upon the man being dragged through the doorway.

"Heart-breaking isn't it?" He whispers from the back, as I look confusedly at the floor.

"Harry?"

"Hermione, it isn't-"his words are cut off as the man holding him smashes his head into the floor.

"STOP" I scream, running towards him.

"He sold you to me Princess, for a title and a piece of land."

"You Filthy Liar," I growl, as I frantically try to assuage the blood leaking down Harry's neck.

His laugh cuts through the air like cold ice. "Show her the papers."

The ugly oaf at the door begins rummaging through Harry's torn cloak, till he chances upon a red velvet box.

"Dis wat you vant Sire?"

"Yes you fool, now give it to the Princess."

Holding up the now bloodied box in the palm of his enormous hand, he moves away as I snatch it out of his hand.

"You are truly mad if you think this is going to make me doubt the man I love," I whisper, with extra venom in my voice.

His eyes darken as he gazes upon me. "Open the box."

The box clicks open easily as a swathe of documents fall from within it. I blink twice as they clutter together on the floor. Deeds to lands, Titles, a pardon from the King, riches…

"Harry?" I whisper uneasily.

"He bought you here tonight because he wanted to be free. He cared naught about you. Why else would he sneak you into a house full of my soldiers, Princess?"

I ignore Draco, as I continue prodding Harry for an answer.

"Hermione, please," Harry whispers, his voice dangerously low.

I look at him, frozen, as I withdraw my hand from his bleeding neck. "Answer me. Or I will believe him."

I hear Draco chuckling in the back, as Harry continues to ignore my gaze.

"Did you want your freedom back? Is that why you bought me here?" I say, forcing myself to remain calm.

"No Hermione, it was never like that, I just-"

"Harry, just admit that this is all a lie, a rouse to turn me against you."

Silence.

I stand up, sickened by the two men before me, liars, traitors; they were all liars and traitors.

"Y-y-you were m-my…," I struggle with words, as my throat burns with hot tears.

"Hermione, I can explain, I wanted to-"

"YOU WANTED TO LEAVE ME HERE AND ESCAPE, THAT'S WHY YOU WENT DOWNSTAIRS ISN'T IT? YOU WEREN'T FIGHTING THE SOLDIERS, YOU WERE SIMPLY TALKING TO THEM; THEY KNEW YOU WERE COMING."

"No, I wanted to keep you sa-"

"YOU SICK, TWISTED BASTARD, I TRUSTED YOU; I WOULD HAVE DIED FOR YOU."

"No," I see his eyes shine with tears.

"Get him out of here," I hear Draco's curt voice whisper from the back.

"No, please, let me explain," Harry says, his eyes wild.

I block his voice out, turning away from him. The oaf at the door wrestles with him, pushing him into the corridor.

"No please, take me back, I must…" his voice is cut off by a loud groan as a big knuckle crashes into his face.

"Paisley," Draco's voice cuts through the commotion.

"Yus Sire?" the oaf screams from the hallway.

"Make sure that Duke Potter gets all his papers, he did deliver what he promised too, may it never be said I am not a man of my word."

I hear a grunt from the hallway, as Draco throws the clutter out of the room and bolts the door.


And back I am in the gilded cage from whence I left.

The pain in my chest feels almost physical, beating down viciously, strangling my heart.

"Turns out gold can buy everything," Draco chirps in the background.

His voice, ceaselessly calm, unnerves me.

"Y-y-you sought out the m-man I lo-"

"Yes. I sought him out." He says pleasantly, "It was actually very convenient. He was languishing away in the prison, and I needed someone you trusted to bring you back."

"B-b-but Harry," I say, sobbing silently, the agony too great to bear.

"Yes, the Honourable Sir. Potter, I thought we'd have to torture him for a day or two, but the man readily agreed."

"Y-y-your lying," I say weakly.

"Seems your family never granted him the favours he felt he deserved. That's why he was interested in you of course; they would be forced to give him a dukedom if he married you."

The words pierce through me, like tiny shards cutting into my skin.

"That m-m-makes little sense, why would he-"

"Why would he make a deal with a man he clearly despises? Well that's the thing Princess, he never despised me, he tried making a deal with Snape the knight before the battle, but well, we had little need for a spy then. We knew the battle would be ours."

Harry's disgust at Sir Snape's horse rings in my mind, as the pieces of the puzzle begin coming together.

"How did he find me?"

"Well Princess, Raven isn't really an inconspicuous horse, is she? Dark black in a green forest, your trail wasn't difficult to follow."

I press my knuckles into the dresser, feeling nauseous with every passing moment.

"You must be famished, come dine with me," he says, abruptly changing the topic.

His handsome face looks eerily bright in the dim light of the room, too waxen, too perfect, almost inhumane.

"I-I'm not hungry," I mutter, as the thought of having to dine with him makes me want to empty the sparse contents of my stomach on the dresser.

"You're hungry Princess, you must eat, come dine with me." His words brook no argument, and I find myself sitting opposite him, staring miserably at the rich food before me.

He takes a large piece of meat and places it in my plate.

"Eat."

I want to scream at him for treating me like a child, but I say nothing, instead I begin fiddling with my fork and spoon.

Giving me a hard look, he bites into his roast, all the while keeping his eyes trained onto me.

"I don't see you eating Princess. Maybe you need a little persuasion?" His tone is so bland, so devoid of emotion, that it frightens me.

"I'm just tired, I want to s-s-sleep," I say, hating my weakness, my fear, my inability to defend myself.

"You're not sleeping tonight, a week's worth of punishments await you," he says the words casually, as if having a boring dinner table conversation.

"W-w-what?"

"You heard what I said little one. You didn't just run away, you ran away with your lover," at this he pokes his knife into the remaining roast, carving it out with great ferocity.

"Did you fuck him?"

The swift turn in conversation leaves me grappling for words. "N-n-no, I mean y-y-yes, I just k-"

"Which was it Princess, yes or no? You fucked him, or you didn't?"

"NO!" I almost shout, setting aside my untouched platter of food and rising to my feet.

"Sit down." The words are uttered with such menace that I force myself to sit back down.

The blood from the meat now flows freely on the table, as Draco drowns his food with wine.

"So you kissed him?"

"Yes," I say not meeting his eyes, knowing the fire within them will burn me.

"Do you understand the concept of being married Princess? Maybe your mother never explained it to you, but it means not lifting your skirts for every man willing to peek beneath them."

"I did not lift my skirt for anyone," I say stiffly, concentrating on the dripping red mess before me.

"But you would have, wouldn't you? A night or two more, Gods, the traitor would have loved to fuck the royal Princess right under my nose."

"STOP IT!" I scream, unable to bear the tension, the vulgarity of his tone, Harry's betrayal.

A thunderous look darkens his face as he pauses, putting down his fork.

"Get into bed and take of your clothes."

"No. I am not your creature. I will not take off my clothes."

"YOU ARE MY CREATURE, MY DOLL, MY PLAYTHING, FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY YOU ARE MINE, AND WHEN I TELL YOU TO LIE DOWN IN BED AND FUCK ME YOU WILL FUCK ME. DO YOU UNDERSTAND PRINCESS," he screams, his eyes bulging out of his head.

Desperate tears begin streaming down my face, as he overturns the table, consumed in a howling rage. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? RUNNING AWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY MEN WOULD RAPE YOU JUST TO GET BACK AT ME? MURDERING YOU WOULD FURTHER THEIR CAUSE. NO ONE CAN BE TRUSTED IN A WAR, NOT YOUR FAMILY, NOT YOUR FRIENDS, NO ONE."

"D-D-Draco p-p-please…"

"YOU THINK EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD IS LIKE YOU HERMIONE, PURE, UNTAINTED, HONEST, THAT'S WHY YOU TRUST PEOPLE SO EASILY. I PICKED THAT FILTHY SWINE TO TEACH YOU A LESSON, OR I WOULD HAVE NEVER ALLOWED HIM WITHIN FIFTY FEET OF YOU."

I say nothing. I have never seen him so angry, so out of control.

His face blazes with fire, his golden hair strewn maniacally all over his face. "I was weak before, blinded, but I've learnt my lesson now Hermione, you will never dare to disobey me again."

A nightmarish night of leather belts and silken cords comes flashing to my mind, and I retreat further into the room, clutching the small fork in my hand.

"Don't you dare touch me," I say, with far more courage than I feel.

A hollow laugh escapes his lips as he sits down on the bed. "Isn't it ironic little one? That in trying to destroy our monsters, we become more like them?"

"You don't have to do this," I say quietly.

"Oh but I do, if I had punished you, you wouldn't have run away, and if you hadn't run away, you would have never have been in danger."

"I'm only in danger from you."

"There are things in this world far worse than me, far worse than anything you could imagine, now come sit on my lap, and let me be done with this night."

My grip around the fork tightens. "I will not be your slave."

"You are my slave princess, whether you wish to admit it or not, the sooner you accept that fact, the better it will be for both of us," he says, any hint of regret gone from his voice.

"Then you truly are a fool," I spit out.

His gaze rests upon mine, fiery brown against silver, as the room descends into silence. And then he begins walking towards me, a panther circling his prey. The outline of a powerful silver buckle shines in the hazy candle light, as he comes towards me.

I inch backwards, thrusting the fork towards him, as he whips the leather belt across the wooden floor. A smirk stretches across his face, as his eyes alight upon my weapon. "Who's the fool now?"


Thank you so much for reading and commenting! It makes my day.

23Nelly: You guessed right :)

EndlessDelenaObsessedDesire: I'm so sorry for the delay! hope you enjoy this chapter.

bushyhaired-american-nerd: Haha, the cliffhangers are a must.

sam853: Thank you for the lovely comments!

Sahasra: I'm honored that my story made your day!

smcintyre44: Why thank you :)

CajunWitch: Thank you for appreciating the dream sequence, i was a bit nervous about writing it, but it turned out pretty okay!

Randomfan17: I actually completely agree with you

Miz-Corky-Dearr97: You will soon find out all the answers to your questions :)

frayedvanilla: Thank you so much!

venefica-de-animarum: I had to torture you with another cliffhanger ;)

RooneyNix: Thanks alot!

TheNewCompanion: Thank you so much!

LochMonarch: So glad your still reading!

Sin-and-smokin: thank you for the great comments!

SkeeterBeetle: Do not worry, there is still quite a bit of the story left

Nenarae: I tried painting a diverse picture of Draco, because yeah he's messed up, but come on, with Lucius Crazy Malfoy as a father, who wouldn't be? So glad you tapped into that!

Cider Zero: I completely get your point of view! that's why i guess it is problematic for Hermione to love him.

xxEnigma: Thanks, your comments mad my day!

xxBlackMorphinexx: I actually translated all your comments, they were lovely!

skari: Glad i could hook you in ;)

Sooko3: I completely agree, those parallels make a lot of sense!

kitcatscratch: Thanks alot! and glad someone appreciated the use of the word hoyden :)

Tashytoot: Dont worry, all the characters will be appearing soon!