A/N Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and liked the drama, I know I said this would be up in a few days ... but hey you gusy deserve it for giving me such fantastic reviews!
Hermione's breathing hitched, her fear at its all-time highest since the war. Looking into Pucey's raged filled eyes she finally understood what Severus had meant by 'he stares at women with a hunger in his eyes'.
"Missed me my pet? I did say I would come for you and come for you I have"
She audibly gulped praying the contents of her dinner would not make an embarrassing show.
"Now I am going to take my hand away from your mouth but you must promise not to scream" Unwillingly she nodded her head for 'yes', she wanted to stay alive even if it meant being in such a close proximity with him.
Adrian slowly but surely removed his hand from her mouth but kept his leg in between her Luscious thighs.
"Have you missed me?" Was he mad?
"Terribly" She swallowed back down the vile in her throat.
"She's lying" Someone screeched from the corner of the darkened room.
"Be quiet wench" For a split second he diverted his eyes away from her.
"What you did wasn't very nice now was it? It separated me and you for a very long time and when I finally escape I am terrorised to see you on the arm of another Wizard." A finger gently caressed her cheek in somewhat of a loving crazed manner, with only a candle lighting up the entire room she could sense there was more than herself, Adrian and the screeching corner person.
"I think you should be severely punished for the hell I have been through my pet but until then …" With a nod of his head Hermione was carried off into a room by two gentlemen with extremely cold hands, never one to go quietly she kicked and screamed the entire way.
"Do keep her quiet, I want her submissive when I attend to her" Hermione's eyes nearly bulged from her sockets, her nightmare would be relived.
The two gentlemen dragged her off into her bedroom and threw her inside where her bottom came into contact with the cold flooring. A ball of fear rose into her throat bringing on a small panic attack. Her windows had been bordered up by planks of wood and surly by magic, her door was locked, her room had been totally emptied and the raised voices down the corridor did nothing to clench her need for escape.
Hermione didn't know how long she had been sat there until her door opened slightly.
"Pucey just give me five minutes with her … yes yes I won't hurt her much" That voice, Hermione would recognize the haughty tone anywhere.
"I am sure you know who I am" No crap Sherlock.
"Greengrass" Hermione nodded her head to the shadowed figure.
"Don't speak until spoken too mudblood" Something cold and thin was pressed into her throat.
"It wouldn't take much for me to whisper those little words; I have killed before so one less filth to grace this world will do nothing to my conscience . .patience"
The wand came from her throat as she watched Astoria's manic shadow pace the room.
"I had this planed from the very beginning, all of it. You were to come into Draco's life for you to have relations, Lucius and Narcissa to adore you, than all of a sudden you would just simply disappear leaving me my grand entrance to walk back into my family's life. You wasn't however, meant to be so involved with my son nor was you to be his nanny so what am I missing? The plan would have gone perfectly well if there wasn't one thing missing …. Oh yes that's right. You stole my Husband from under my nose, he fell for your whorish ways more than I had planned" The Witch screeched as she sat across the room. Astoria had no clue of the course did she?.
"And then I found out about your incident with Pucey who of course dotes on the ground you walk on, would do anything for you if you just forget the slight mishap of his drinking problem. I helped him escape Azkaban with the help of a few others you know … but they aren't important. Adrian wants you on his arm, to be his wife, bore the children he so desires and to stand by him until death do you part. Quite simple if you ask me."
Hermione shuddered at the mere thought of being Mrs Adrian Pucey it was enough to send anyone bonkers.
"Do you love my Husband" Hermione shook her head at the obvious question.
"I really thought I did, but he did nothing but let me down, he is all yours" Hermione spoke nothing but the truth … or was it the Alcohol affecting her judgement? The wine was vintage that had been passed down through her family's generations, she wasn't even totally sure if it was safe to drink.
"I expect you to gracefully bow out, I can deal with Scorpious. A new broom here and some new dragon teddy's there and you will be history, in no time at all he will forget all about you and return to calling me Mummy" She saw Astoria's shadow creep back up the wall as she stood to her full height.
"This will be the last time I see you Granger … if you know what is good for you" For a good measure of her threat, Astoria cut –via slicing hex- Hermione's upper chest. Cackling as she slammed the door behind her, were all pure blooded woman mental? Hermione mused, mentally kicking herself of dropping her wand. Taking her cardigan off of her she patted the cut delicately.
The room had begun to grow chilly and the sounds of owls awakening in distance could be heard. Her fear was bubbling constantly but she felt relatively calm considering the circumstances.
"Here you must be hungry" Hermione's head snapped around to Pucey's food offering she hadn't even noticed he entered the room, how long had he been standing there?.
"I am not" she turned to glare back out of the boarded up window, hoping to see … well anything.
"God damn it Granger" Hermione flinched as the china plate came into contact with a wall, smashing it into smithereens.
"Yes?" Her eyebrow hitched slightly, not that he would be able to see it.
"Your owl has sent word to Severus you will be staying here over night; it should reach him just about now. By tomorrow we won't be here, we will have moved on" Pucey said indifferently. Azkaban has done a number on him and he just wanted his witch back.
"Where do you plan on taking me?" His facial features softened as he sat down beside her.
"Somewhere safe my darling, If you cooperate all tomorrow I will let you sleep on the couch"
"How very kind of you" Hermione sneered in a very Snape like fashion.
"I don't have to be nice to you, I can have my wicked way with you and not take things slowly, If that's what you want …" His hand lingered by her voluptuous breasts.
"No … no slow is good, we can get retuned to each other's needs" The thought did nothing to her current nauseous state.
"Very well, get a good night sleep" He kissed her hair and swiftly left the room.
Holding her hand tightly around her Garnet pendant she prayed and hoped Severus was in tune to their blood magic. She needed the little hope she had to stay sane, without it she was a goner. The pendant was a gift from Severus as soon as their bond had become complete and she hadn't taken it off since that day.
Severus Snape buttoned his frock coat up, ready to departure for the evening.
"Must you go Sev? Teddy is staying at Cissy's, we have the whole house to ourselves" His witch placed a hand on his chest suggestively and reached on her tippy toes to nibble his ear.
"As much as your offer entices me my dear, my greater need is to be there for Hermione this evening. Something isn't right …. I can feel it in my bones" Andy nodded, knowing full well what he meant, her Nymphadora was always giving her that feeling when she too was troubled.
"Then go my dear" She patted his chest, making sure his buttons were all correctly positioned.
"I leave with the promise I shall visit you soon" With that promise he swooped down to claim her lips with his own.
'Peck Peck' 'Peck Peck' Severus pulled away with a frown, it was far too late in the evening for his witch to receive mail.
"A secret lover on the side I should know about my dear?" He quizzed half-heartedly as she let the bird in.
"Nope, it is for you love" Handing the letter across, she shooed the bird away with a bit of left over bread. Severus untied the parchment and rolled it out to read.
"It's signed from Hermione but it is a poor mimic of her handwriting"
Infact it looked a lot like Hermione's own penmanship and if Severus hadn't spent most of his life living as a spy he might not have noticed the slight differences.
"Well what does it say already?" Andy grew impatient by the second as she snatched the letter from his hands.
Dear Severus,
After much deliberating I have come to the conclusion of staying at the apartment this evening, I shall return to Spinners End for Lunch tomorrow.
Yours Hermione.
"Right well let's think of this logically, Hermione obviously hasn't written this letter, but who has? Why? What would they gain?" Different scenarios of his Hermione popped up into his head each one more terrifying then the last.
"It has been too long for someone to claim ransom on the War Heroine but it is not unlikely, the letter could be true and she could be staying at her apartment but why ask someone else to write the letter for her? My only other way of thinking of is she has been kidnapped" Severus paced the length of the hallway with his hands tightly clasped behind his back as he listened to his witch.
"I didn't like the way the Greengrass girl smirked at Hermione as she left" Severus steps faltered.
"I will bloody murder her" Severus growled as he span in apparition. It didn't take a minor second to know she was involved, of course it all made sense they were all eating the bread in the palm of her hand from the very beginning.
He didn't give his legs time to recover as he stormed throughout the manor and into the parlour room.
"Where is she" He roared as soon as he's eyes locked with the young witch.
"I have no idea what you are going on about you deranged man" Severus gripped the girl up by her dress, leaving a good foot between her slippers and the floor.
"Now Severus my old friend" Lucius placed a hand on his friends arm.
"Tell me where she is or so Merlin help me I will kill you on the spot girl" He spat angrily.
"Where who has gone?" Cissy asked joining her Husband's side.
"Hermione, she wrote me a letter saying she wouldn't be returning but somebody else wrote it, care to enlighten me with whom?" Astoria's legs still hung uncomfortably in the air.
"Severus that doesn't mean something has happened to her … now put Astoria down" Lucius commended, doing as he was asked Severus practically threw her on the sofa.
"You don't understand, she would never ask someone else to write a letter for her, they are so private even if it only contains one word she has to write the letter. It has been that way since her school days." Severus rubbed his forehead in hopes to ease his headache.
"Even if I knew where she was … which I don't …. She will be long gone by now" Astoria leaned back into the sofa with a sly smirk on her face"
"Astoria what do you know" Narcissa's narrowed her steely eyes on the witch.
"Nothing Lady Malfoy, I came home upon your request … remember?" Cissy's patient wore patient with the witch.
Stalking towards the sofa she placed two hands on the either side of Astoria's face, closed her eyes in concentration and looked into the witches head.
Lucius knew how strong his witch was, she could break down anyone's mental barriers with just one touch.
"What do you see my love" He caressed her back lovingly.
Narcissa zoomed through many memory's over the last few weeks … months even.
"Be quiet girl … they are jumbled. She's with someone, a male … he's wearing prison robes. Identification number 34627 … mumbling something about Hermione" Narcissa pulled out, slightly tired she needn't exuberate herself so early on in the guaranteed long evening to come.
"Draco take the boy's back to Andy's and make sure her wards are up to scratch, Severus contact Potter, he knows everything so it makes sense to have someone on the inside and Lucius please drag her to the cellar … where she belongs" The Malfoy matriarch all but screeched as she patted the back of her bun into its original place.
Watching her boys walk away with each task in hand, Narcissa sat on the floor with her legs crossed and channelled her magical energy.
"Gods above I call upon you to make sure our Sister Witch Hermione Granger is safe, protect her, keep her sane and for merlin's sake point us in the right direction, we need her for the greater good of our family" Shaking out if her state she didn't like people knowing the stoned faced witch actually prayed in dire need. White wisps of magic flowed from her magical essence and out of the window. Smiling triumphantly, Narcissa knew she had done the right thing.
Hermione sat on the cold floor playing with the hem of her cardigan; she wished Severus would come to her. Merlin she wished anyone would come to her help even if it was Malfoy. Twinkling in unison the stars sat in the dark sky unaware of her predicament. It reminded her of the story of Jesus's birth; a bright star led the three wise men to the chosen one. Her Mother would read her the story of Jesus every year on Christmas Eve, obviously when she found out she was a witch Jean Granger stopped reading such story's. A bright wisp of translucent energy flew through a crack in the boarded up window and swam around her body. Once the wisp stopped it absorbed into her magical core making Hermione scream out in pain. Pucey ran into the room to a grey glowing Granger floating two feet from the ground.
"Pack up the float boys, they're coming" Pucey cackled and threw Hermione over his shoulder –fireman lift style-.
"Potter is on his way" Severus re-entered the room with the Malfoy boys in tow.
"Did she go in ok my dear?" Narcissa asked her Husband as if it was an animal they were referring to.
"No she bloody scratched me" Ok so maybe she was animal.
"Come here" Narcissa called upon her medical kit to see to her Husband's wounds. It wasn't the first time she would tend to her Husband's cuts and grazes and it definitely would be the last.
"Master Potter" The house elf bowed and disappeared with a 'pop before Harry could enter the room.
"I gathered as much information as I could" He plopped onto the sofa and laid various papers out in front of them on the coffee table.
"Did you use a time turner or something boy?" Lucius asked slightly impressed with his findings.
"No, the Missus didn't exactly agree with Hermione's judgement considering your son, waffling on about there being more than just mutual attractions so she has been following Draco and Astoria around for the last month or so." Harry didn't bother to look up to Draco's offended gaze.
"Astoria met Azkaban inmate 34627 The Wednesday after last, guard's say she didn't stay for long before 34627 was escorted back to the cells. However Ginny said the meeting lasted longer than an hour. Inmate 34627 broke out of Azkaban earlier this morning with the help of one Astoria Greengrass …"
"Just spit it out boy, who is inmate 34627?" Severus growled impatiently.
"You're not going to like this Sev …"
"Put me out of my misery, confirm my worst fear Potter" Severus willed his eyes to stay open.
"Adrian Pucey … we will get her back Sev I promise. There is already a team of Auror's … I trust at her apartment now" Harry started to slightly panic at the predatory gaze in Snape's eyes.
"No there isn't, Auror Nott dropped by with an update. They fled the apartment before the Auror team arrived" Mrs Ginny Potter entered the doorway in all her finery.
"I told you to stay at home" Harry's gaze almost pleading with the witch.
"Oh hush will you Potter, this is my best friend we are talking about" Draco procured a whip from the end of his wand; swishing it into thin air it made a cracking sound.
"You can be quiet as well Malfoy … I don't want to know what Hermione is going to do with you once she's found, you will be lucky to be with her when your 30" Ginny placed her hands on her hips, meaning business. Of course she knew about the Malfoy curse it wasn't hard to figure it out really when you're following people all day and all they go on about is some blooming curse. Her brother Bill knew curses within families, the families didn't even know about.
"Now, I tried to reach out to Hermione using Woman's magic but I couldn't she has already been reached via another Witch."
"What in the name is Woman's magic?" Severus asked confused, the boys nodded in agreement.
"Woman's magic is passed down through generation of witches; Each magical woman can reach out to two of age females in their life, be their friend, guardian, support system. My Mother couldn't have done it because she reached out to me and Luna. Andromeda couldn't have because if I am correct Narcissa you are the youngest of the Black sisters which meant Andy used her first womanly magic essence on you and her second on her daughter. Care to enlighten us who has then? Unless any other woman knows of Hermione's disappearance there is only one other witch that springs to mind" She glared knowingly at Narcissa.
"Ok so I reached out to her, what was I meant to do? Leave her to think she has no one"
"But that's just it Narcissa, you know how this works. If you are not informed of the magic via your guardian then you know not of it. Hermione is a muggle born witch with no one to guard her. There is only so much you can read about magic in the books and this is something you cannot find, it's like an oath between women besides each family practice differently." Ginny explained feeling slightly exasperated.
"Well, what do we do now?" Lucius asked somewhat surprised.
"We can try and channel her, Narcissa would have created half a bond with Hermione now she has reached her, but it will be weak for Hermione knows nothing of it."