Don't give up on me! I am still writing. Got a lot going on including a wedding, school, and another promotion at my job. I'm trying my best. I promise that if I ever decide to give up on this story I will let you know in advance. If I haven't told you then expect more to come. Thanks for waiting patiently! Love you all!
~SilverSlytherinWitch
"Drake, I have a problem." Hermione said stepping into her boyfriend's room. They had become an official couple about two weeks ago when her father had announced that the Dark Bloods had completed their training. A deathly shadow had fallen over the group. They had all endured the worst in their training but they knew they were better for it. Every member of the Dark Bloods was well educated in killing and torturing to get answers. They were the best.
"What is it Mione?" Draco asked sitting up and patting the bed next to him. Hermione wasted no time in flopping down and snuggling close to him.
"Father has just informed me what the first assignment for the Dark Bloods is." Hermione cringed, "He wants us to get rid of Fred."
Draco frowned. Fred had been locked in the basement since the initiation about two months ago. They had been wondering what the Dark Lord would want done with him. "Get rid of him how?"
"Dealers choice apparently," Hermione answered, "Father just said that he wanted Fred out of this house. He didn't specify if he was supposed to be in a casket when he left."
"So send him back to the Order. No big deal." Draco shrugged.
Hermione shook her head, "Can't. Harry will think that he talked and that's why he's still alive. You know what that means."
"We'll have to torture him to make it believable." Draco realized with a growl, "Bloody hell, Ginny isn't going to like this."
"You said it." Hermione agreed with a sigh, "Our best bet will be Pansy and Theo. They can get the job done without any complications."
Draco agreed, "Blaise will have to take Ginny out or something. We don't need to have to punish Ginny for interfering."
"I agree," Hermione sighed pulling away from him, "Why would Father give me this as the first mission for the Dark Bloods?"
"Probably to severe the last tie you have to the Order. Fred in your only link to them. No Fred, no going back." Draco explained.
"I wouldn't want to go back anyway." Hermione defended standing up and putting her hands on her hips.
Draco rolled his eyes, "Can't blame him for being worried. You spent your whole life with them." He answered getting out of bed and heading over to his dresser.
Hermione turned away with a squeak, "Draco your naked!" Her exclamation was met with a deep chuckle.
"You know I sleep naked Hermione," Draco smirked pulling on a pair of boxers, "What's the problem?"
"The problem is that I'm in here. Which means you should at least tell me to turn around or something before you go flashing your bare ass." Hermione snapped blushing.
"I didn't think you would mind," Draco reasoned pulling on his pants, "After all, you just love seeing me without a shirt on."
Hermione growled, "Oh shut it."
"Stop being such a prude. You've seen me skinny dip before." Draco scoffed.
"We were seven!" Hermione argued finally turning around to face him, "You weren't all…developed then."
Draco snickered trying to keep a straight face, "Developed?"
"Yes Draco as in you had a small penis," Hermione answered narrowing her eyes.
"Ouch," Draco drawled sarcastically, "I had a small dick when I was seven. That hurt."
Hermione huffed, "Can we please get back to the original topic."
"You were the one who changed it to begin with," Draco replied with a smirk.
"So I'll get with Pansy and Theo and you talk to Blaise. Okay?" Hermione asked.
"As you wish my lady," Draco nodded walking over and bending to give her a kiss.
Hermione drew in a deep breath and smiled, "You always smell so good."
"Part of being a Malfoy. The requirements are being blonde and smelling good. Oh and something about pureblood." Draco grinned reaching for a shirt to put on.
"I'm pretty sure it's more about having pureblood than being blonde or smelling good." Hermione giggled.
"Maybe a bit." Draco agreed.
"Ok well I'm off to explain everything to Pansy and Theo." Hermione said heading for the door, "I'll see you later."
Draco nodded, "I'll catch up with you after I talk to Blaise."
"So you're saying that Theo and I are the only two that will be there?" Pansy asked from her seat in the meeting room.
"No," Hermione answered sitting back, "I'll be with you the entire time. Blaise is taking Ginny on a date to get her out of the house and Draco is going to monitor them just in case."
Theo frowned, "We aren't telling Ginny?"
Hermione shook her head, "She'll know eventually. I just don't want her to interfere."
"But we're the only ones who will torture him?" Pansy asked.
"Yes, you have the least emotional connection to Fred. You will be the best to get the job done right." Hermione explained.
"Sounds good to me." Theo grinned leaning back in his seat.
Pansy smirked, "We'll get a chance to use our new torture techniques."
"You're right Pans," Hermione said quietly staring at her sister.
Pansy paused as Hermione's eyes and scars started glowing red, "Hermione, are you ok?"
Hermione smirked evilly rubbing her arm, "Just fine Sister. I want Fred to be a personal warning for Potter. Are we understood?"
Theo's eyes widened as both his mark and Pansy flared into existence shining blood red, "Hermione what is this?"
"Your marks will glow when you accept a mission and then again once your mission is completed." Hermione explained easily.
"Ok." Pansy smiled standing, "Theo and I will start planning. We'll see you later Hermione."
"See ya." Hermione answered heading out of the meeting room to give the two some privacy in their plans. She was very excited to see what Theo and Pansy would do to Fred. Her father had taught them to be the best at torture. Hermione, Draco, and Pansy had excelled at it. Hermione knew that Pansy would make it interesting.
Draco frowned at Blaise's reaction to his explanation, "Why are you being difficult?"
"I'm not trying to be difficult Drake," Blaise defended throwing his hands up, "I'm just pretty sure that deceiving Ginny so that Pansy and Theo can torture him for a night is not the way to win her heart."
"I know that." Draco sneered, "That's why it's a mission and not a real date you idiot."
"Yeah and what happens when she finds out and doesn't want anything to do with me?" Blaise growled sitting forward in his chair and grabbing a bottle of firewhiskey.
"Then you tell her that it was a direct order from me and that you had no choice because your Vows made you do it." Draco snapped jerking the bottle from his friend's grasp, "And you can't drink beforehand. She'll smell it on you."
"Draco, please don't make me do this." Blaise moaned dropping his head into his hands.
Draco frowned setting the firewhiskey down on a nearby shelf, "Would you stop whining and just get the job done? Geez you would think that you would be more excited about your first mission. It's an easy one too!" Blaise was silent for a few minutes before raising his head to meet Draco's gaze.
"You're right. I should be more excited about this. It's my chance to prove I'm dependable. I'll do it. Heaven help me if Ginny ever finds out though." Blaise sighed.
"That's the spirit. Now take a look at your arm." Draco ordered.
Blaise glanced down to see his mark shining blood red, "What's up with the neon glow?"
Draco smirked, "Shows you've accepted the mission. It'll glow again when you complete it, and you'll get a nice little surprise."
"Like what?" Blaise asked standing up.
"Hermione has the marks spelled to give a boost of magical energy to each person who successfully completes a mission." Draco explained, "She pulls it from different sources and directs it into her mark. That's why hers always glows. When you complete your mission some of that stored energy transfers to you as a reward. Don't tell anyone though. I think she wanted to tell everyone at once."
"Damn man," Blaise whistled looking at his mark in a new light, "That's old magic, and really difficult. How'd she manage that?"
Draco shook his head, "She keeps her secrets even from me. Her father taught her something. Other than that I couldn't tell you. But, I can tell you that you'll want to get those power boosts. They will mean everything in the future."
Blaise nodded, "Note taken. Thanks for the tip."
"No problem," Draco smiled, "Now get out of here and start your mission."
"Yes sir!" Blaise barked snapping into attention and running out of the room.
"Smart-ass," Draco called after his friend. He smiled hearing Blaise's laughter from the hall.
At exactly 6pm that night Blaise escorted Ginny out of the manor and they apparated to Diagon Alley together for their date. Ginny had accepted his invitation with a huge smile and mentioned that she would love to do some shopping in Diagon Alley before Christmas rolled around in a few months. They headed to Gringotts first to grab some extra money and then headed to Flourish and Blotts to pick up some books.
As soon as Hermione heard the pop of their apparition she signaled Pansy and Theo to follow her down into the dungeons. Her black combat boots thudded heavily as she jogged downstairs and she grinned as she turned the corner to see Fred standing at the door of his cell. Pansy giggled darkly waving her wand so that her straight black hair was pulled into a ponytail. Theo just stood to Hermione's right with his arms crossed and an evil look on his face.
Fred took at step back noticing the change that had come over the three. They were all dressed in black leather. Hermione and Pansy had on tight fitting leather tank tops and Theo had on a black leather vest. All three had knives clipped to their belts. His gaze found their glowing marks and he swallowed hard. "What's up guys?"
"Oh nothing much Fred," Hermione smiled pulling her wand out of her back pocket, "my father has requested that we send you home."
"Really?" Fred asked confused.
Pansy smirked, "Well he really just wants you out of here but Hermione has decided to send you home."
Fred met Hermione's gaze and tried to smile, "I guess I should be thanking you then huh?"
"I wouldn't do that just yet Fred," Theo laughed, "Everything comes with a price."
Fred nodded, "And what is my price Hermione?"
Hermione met Fred's gaze with a cold stare, "You're magic."
"My magic?" Fred laughed, "How exactly do you expect to take that?"
A slow smile crept over Hermione's face and her eyes blazed red, "By breaking you completely."
"It's not possible to take somebody else's magic Hermione. You know that." Fred snapped seeming slightly scared by the prospect.
"Oh it's possible," Hermione laughed, "You just have to know the right way to go about it."
"Have you gone completely mental?" Fred whispered, "What has he done to you?"
Hermione glared at Fred before answering, "My father has shown me what I am truly capable of doing. He has taught me more in months than I have learned in years at Hogwarts!"
"But Hermione its dark magic. We don't use dark magic." Fred pleaded as Theo stepped forward and opened the cell door.
"You're wrong Fred. It's not dark magic. It's powerful magic. It's only dark if you use it for the wrong reasons. I think defending myself against people who seek to kill me is a pretty good reason to use it." Hermione snapped, "Theo you're up first."
Theo bowed his head to Hermione before performing Crucio on Fred. Hermione closed her eyes as Fred screamed. Theo continued torturing Fred in a variety of ways. Hermione was pretty impressed with the combination of spells that he used. Hermione smiled when Fred began crying and begging for mercy. She held up a hand and Theo paused.
"You are not there yet Fred." Hermione whispered, "I know you have more to give then that. Perhaps a change in style. Pansy."
Theo stepped away from Fred as Pansy stepped up. Instead of pushing Fred to the limits of his pain tolerance Pansy began pushing his emotional control. She planted on image of herself torturing Molly Weasley into his mind and watched him cry out. Fred screamed and tried to cover his ears to block out his mother's cries. Pansy giggled and changed the image to Bill Weasley torturing his mother. Fred choked and curled into a ball.
"No," Fred moaned, "Bill not you too. First Ginny and now you."
Hermione smirked, "Pansy keep that image in his head, Theo I want you to feed a small stream of physical pain into the mix as well."
Both nodded as Hermione walked over to Fred. He was lying curled in a ball in the middle of the floor. Hermione kicked him to roll him over and motioned for Theo to come help her.
"Hold him back so that I can reach his stomach." Hermione ordered.
Theo pulled Fred back and laughed darkly are Hermione pulled a knife and a magical bomb out of her pocket. She quickly sliced his stomach open and shoved the bomb into his abdomen. Hermione waved her wand to heal the wood and stepped back.
"Stake him to the floor with his back facing up." Hermione ordered wiping the knife on her leathers, "This is the fun part."
Theo shoved Fred onto his stomach and drove spikes through his wrists and ankles to keep him from moving. Fred screamed and passed out from the onslaught of emotional and physical pain. Theo moved to revive him but Hermione stopped him.
"No need. He's done," Hermione explained, "We just have to finish up here and we can send him on his way."
"What are you going to do?" Pansy asked from her spot by door.
"Giving my one and only warning." Hermione answered bending over Fred's bare back and carving the message "You have 5 seconds. Next time there will be no warning." into his skin.
"Ha, that's good." Theo laughed.
"Now the hard part. We have to bleed him but he can't die. Understand? He has to hit the brink were his heart slows almost completely but he's still alive." Hermione explained, "You each will slit one of his wrists and monitor his heart rate while I perform the ritual."
Hermione nodded and they both slit one of Fred's wrist. A pool of blood began to form around them and they watched as Hermione bent over Fred and slit her hand open before sticking her knife in his chest. Fred gasped but stayed unconscious so Hermione placed her left hand over the cut by his heart. Her mark glowed bright red and began to flicker between red and blue.
"Magicae audire me." Hermione whispered, "Rogo vos accipere mihi vas novum. Hoc est non amplius accepta domum. Uti me."
Hermione watched closely as her mark slowly flushed into a blue glow instead of red. The blue light thinned into a band and wound its way up her arm to begin circling her chest. She gasped loudly as the light entered her chest and mixed with her own magic. The mark on her arm changed to a bright purple and Hermione smiled. Pansy and Theo took her expression as a good sign and smiled as well.
"Give him blood replenishing potions. Then take him immediately to the Order and drop him on their doorstep. You don't have much time before that bomb blows so make it quick. Don't stick around to see who gets blown up with him. I'm sure we'll hear about it later." Hermione ordered standing from the floor and waving her wand around the basement. The mess from the torture and ritual immediately disappeared.
"Will do. So I take it you have his magic?" Pansy asked looking at her own arm which was no longer glowing.
Hermione smiled, "For the time being."
"What does that mean?" Theo asked levitating Fred and heading up the stairs.
"It means all good things come to those who wait." Hermione explained with a smirk.
"Yeah because that explains it." Theo snorted.
"Just get the mission finished and you'll find out." Hermione laughed turning at the top of the stairs to go see her father.
Ginny smiled as Blaise led her out of the restaurant and back down along Diagon Alley, "I had a really great time tonight Blaise. Thank you for taking me out."
"No problem Ginny," Blaise blushed, "I've wanted to ask you out for a long time now."
"Oh really? Why didn't you?" Ginny asked.
"Just didn't seem like the right time. Draco and Theo gave me a bit of a hard time at first too." Blaise explained, "But with Draco and Hermione together they've kind of eased off me."
"So you're saying that now that your friends are okay with it you decided to grow some balls and ask me out?" Ginny asked taking her hand out of him.
Blaise frowned, "I didn't mean it like that Gin."
"Well that's what you did. You waited until Draco was okay with it because you didn't have the guts to do it without his approval." Ginny snapped.
"Ginny that's not how it happened. Why are you so upset about this?" Blaise defended.
Ginny glared at him, "What's going on? I know that Draco doesn't just change his mind about stuff. Either he put you up to it because Hermione is up to something or you're lying to me."
"Maybe Hermione is playing matchmaker. I don't know." Blaise snapped.
Ginny shook her head, "Hermione doesn't play matchmaker. Hell she can barely stand to be romantic with Draco. So how about you man up and tell me what's going on?"
Blaise sighed, "You don't want to know Gin."
"Last time I checked you aren't my father Blaise Zabini so you better start talking." Ginny growled.
"Fine," Blaise snapped, "The Dark Lord ordered Fred's removal. Hermione is sending him back to the Order."
"Ok," Ginny said, "What's the big deal about that?"
"She's not sending him back in one piece." Blaise explained quietly stepping towards her.
Ginny paled, "Fred."
Draco immediately apparated into the meeting room to inform Hermione that Blaise had dropped the ball. His arrival was met by a glowing Hermione and a beaming Voldemort. They were both calmly discussing the next mission for the Dark Bloods and looked up at his presence. Hermione was still dressed in her combat gear with her dark hair spilling over her shoulders. Draco noticed that her mark was glowing purple instead of red. That must mean that the mission had succeeded. Good. They didn't have much time left.
"Draco what's wrong?" Hermione asked standing up.
"Ginny knows. She will be on her way here shortly." Draco reported.
Hermione smiled, "Let our sister come back. She won't find anything when she does. The mission was a success and Fred is gone for good."
"Don't you think she'll be upset?" Draco asked sitting in a chair.
"For a little while," Hermione agreed sitting back down, "but she will move on."
Draco nodded, "Any word from Theo and Pansy?"
"They should be back any minute." Hermione answered sipping her tea.
The three waited in silence for the others to arrive. Not five minutes later Pansy and Theo walked back into the room in fresh clothes having washed the last of the blood from them. Ginny and Blaise burst into the room ten minutes after Pansy and Theo.
"What the hell Hermione?" Ginny screamed brandishing her wand, "You just off my brother and don't even have the balls to tell me?"
Hermione looked up with an unreadable expression and stared at her friend. Ginny glared back and growled when Hermione didn't defend herself. Draco took her expression and stance as hostile and immediately summoned her wand to him. Ginny snarled as her wand left her grasp and turned to Draco.
"Ginny. Get a lock on that Weasley temper before you do something that you regret." Hermione snapped standing up.
Ginny turned to Hermione and glowered, "I can't believe you didn't tell me."
"We all agreed it was what was best at the time. We knew you would find out eventually but getting you out of the house kept you from interfering. I will not apologize for saving your life. Your Vow would have attacked you the moment you stepped in to defend Fred. As his sibling I know that you would not have been able to stop yourself. Even now when the deed is done you want to change the outcome. Best to accept it. It had to be done." Hermione explained evenly.
"Who did it?" Ginny asked quietly.
"You don't need to know." Hermione answered.
"WHO DID IT HERMIONE!" Ginny screamed.
Hermione snapped, "I will not tell you who was responsible because you do not need to hold a grudge against your family. All you need to know is that the order came directly from my father to me. And it was on my orders that your family tortured Fred. They could not have done anything but complete the mission. It is nobody's fault but mine. Blame me if you wish."
Ginny didn't answer and immediately stomped out of the room. Blaise looked to Hermione and then went after Ginny. Pansy and Theo both let out a breath and sat back in their chairs. The tension slowly left the room. Draco tucked Ginny's wand into his pocket and sat down.
"So mission complete?" Draco asked.
Hermione nodded and reached down the brush her mark. Pansy and Theo's mark blazed blue and they both gasped from the rush of power they received. Draco grinned as his mark glowed slightly as well.
"What was that?" Pansy asked looking at her mark.
Hermione smiled, "Your reward."
~~Translation of ritual: "Magic hear me. I beg you to take me a new. This home is no longer acceptable. Use me."
