Thanks for the reviews guys, I appreciate you taking the time to tell me I'm not an appalling writer :) Things are about to get rocky (no pun intended). Enjoy!
Hermione felt as though she was being squeezed through time and space, and there was a ringing in her ears. Falling onto a hard, rough surface she saw that they'd landed on some desolate hills by the sea. The wind whipped her face and there was a storm on the dark sea ahead. Hermione snapped into survival mode and her eyes fixed on the wand in the woman's hand. She was holding it steadily pointed at Hermione's chest. She heaved herself from the ground and stared into the woman's silver eyes, between those eyes, her high cheekbones and shiny grey hair the woman was stunningly beautiful.
"Who are you?" Hermione asked.
"Be quiet girl and come over her," the woman said coldly. Hermione did as she was told and the woman proceeded checking the pockets of her coat and jeans. Hermione gathered the woman was looking for her wand, however, she didn't have it. Her wand was still in the house in London, resting on top of the dresser in her bedroom.
"Silly girl, leaving the house without bringing the means to defend yourself," the woman sneered and Hermione couldn't agree more. How could she have been so stupid? Then she watched the woman pull something from her robes with her wand-free hand. It was a black piece of silk.
"Turn around," the woman said and Hermione reluctantly turned her back towards her. Then she felt the woman tie the fabric around her eyes blindfolding her, successfully cutting off Hermione's vision. All she could see was black and Hermione wished there was a spell for x-ray vision, since not being able to see made her even more nervous than she already was.
Harry wasn't staying at the Burrow for Christmas, instead he'd gone to the Order HQ to work with Kingsley, Dawlish and a couple other Aurors in hopes to uncover where Nightshade had their base. It was tiresome work and Dawlish was getting on his nerves with all his comments on Harry being the Chosen One. Harry suspected that he thought that Harry being on the mission meant the issue was in the bag. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Harry was just as clueless as the others and all they'd managed to do so far had been to rule out Britain as the base of Nightshade's operation. Granted, this was his first day. They'd been sitting at the big dining room table buried in piles of papers all day and Harry was starting to feel restless. Stretching he rose from his seat and told the other's he was going for a walk. Stepping out from the doorway of number 12 Grimmauld place, he breathed in the cold winter air and was just about to walked down the stairs, when there was a loud crack.
"Kreacher," he said when he saw the tired-looking elf look up at him from the top step.
"It appears that Hermione Granger has been kidnapped," the elf said matter-of-factly.
Harry looked at him incredulous.
"What?"
"She was walking in the cemetery when a grey-haired witch, who Kreacher doesn't know, disapparated with her," the elf said and Harry snapped into action. Leaving the elf on the stairs, he ran down the street until he found a phone booth. He had Hermione's number memorized and dialling it, he could see his hands where shaking. Kreacher must be mistaken, he prayed listening to the signals go through.
"Granger", a male's voice answered on the other line.
"Hi, Mr Granger, it's Harry Potter," he hastened.
"Oh, Harry, how are you?", the man asked.
"I'm fine, thanks. But I need to talk to Hermione. Is she there?" he said urgently.
"No, I'm afraid she's out for a walk. But I can take your number and have her call you back," the man answered and Harry felt his chest fall as the truth hit him. Hermione was gone, she was really gone.
"No, that's okay, I'll call back later," he said to Mr Granger, struggling to keep his voice levelled. Then he hung up, resting his head against the cool glass. This isn't happening, he thought. He realized he was falling apart and forced to pull himself together, he stared walking back to Headquarters.
Draco had been lounging around doing nothing all day and had just decided to take a break from his idleness, when he heard an owl tap on the window in front of where he was sitting. Frowning, he rose from his chair and opened it. The small bird stumbled onto the ground, clearly exhausted, but it stuck its leg out nonetheless and on it there was a small note attached. Draco unfolded it, it read:
Hermione has been kidnapped. Come to the Burrow as soon as you can. HP
He flipped it over. Was this a joke? It couldn't be true could it? HP, Harry Potter. Dread filled his every particle. Granger had been kidnapped, someone had taken her, he thought and then he fell to his knees screaming in rage. Draco didn't know how long he'd stayed on the stone floor in the library, but the sky outside had turned dark by the time he came to. Snapping into action he rushed to collect his broom from the dormitory, opened a window and charged through the air. He landed on the field just outside the school grounds, then concentrating hard he thought the Burrow and disapparated.
He landed on the snow covered lawn outside the ugliest house he'd ever seen and was sure this must be the place. Wasn't Lucius always going on about Arthur Weasley living in a shack? Draco charged towards it and slammed open the door when he got there. He fell into a small kitchen and he could see people gathered by the fireplace in the living room in front.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" bellowed a middle-aged man with thinning ginger hair as he caught sight of him. Arthur Weasley.
"It's okay, Mr Weasley, he's Hermione's boyfriend" Harry said in a grimace.
"Where is she? What do you know?" Draco demanded in hysteria.
"You need to calm down Malfoy, you're not going to be of any help to us in the state you're in," Harry said flatly.
Draco knew Potter was right, he needed to find his composure and focus. For fuck's sake, he was a Malfoy, he thought forcing his breathing to calm before speaking again.
"You're right. I will, I mean I am. What can I do?" he asked, using all his might to keep his voice levelled, but then he almost fell apart again catching sight of Weasley. The man looked destroyed, with his hands clutching his head and staring blankly ahead with his mouth half opened. Draco felt certain Ron hadn't even notice his presence. Looking around the room, he saw several of the people the Death Eaters had fought against during the war. All the Weasley's children were there. And there was that blond chick who'd competed in the Triwizard's tournament, Draco couldn't remember her name. Luna and Neville was there. And a few other wizards and witches, he didn't know. They all look sombre.
"What do you know about Nightshade?" Harry asked him.
"Only that what has been written in the Prophet," Draco answered.
"I think your dad is one of their members," Harry said and Draco felt sick knowing he was probably right.
"Does your father know about you and Hermione?" Harry asked, looking piercingly at him.
"No", Draco answered.
"Good, that gives us an advantage. How far are you willing to go to save her, Malfoy?" Harry questioned.
"I'd die for her," Draco said unflinching, surprised at his own words though he knew them to be true. There was nothing he wouldn't do to ensure the safety of Granger. She was his entire world now. And if something had happened to her, he cut the thought short. He mustn't think like that now.
"Even better," Harry said, and then "I need you to go to the Manor for Christmas and be your parent's son, do you think you can do that?"
Draco felt his stomach turn, he was going to have to pretend that he'd never changed, that he was the proud son of Lucius Malfoy, the very man who was working for the organization who'd likely kidnapped his girlfriend.
"Yes," he answered Harry, knowing there was no other option.
"Then go," Harry said and Draco gave him a look of determination before disapparating.
He appeared in the great room on the first floor and he had to bite back the bile in his throat seeing the familiar setting and all the memories it held. He heard his mother's quick footsteps running down the stairs and steeling himself he thought Act.
"Draco," his mother said in disbelief standing in the vaulted entrance to the great room. She looked thin and he felt a twinge of guilt, knowing he was the cause of her anxiety.
"Mother," he said, forcing a smile.
"You're home," she said weakly, running towards him and embracing him. Having her this close, he realized he'd missed her and he didn't have to pretend when he told her "It's good to see you mother."
"Let me look at you," Narcissa said, clutching his chin "You haven't shaved and what is this you're wearing?". She creased her nose looking at his wrinkled and stained white shirt.
"I haven't heard from you in eight months. I've been so worried. You are staying for Christmas?" she asked sounding manic.
"Yes, mother, I'm staying for Christmas," he answered.
"Well then, we must get word to Lucius that you're here," she said smiling before holding out her wand. Draco watched her cast a spell to break the safety enchantments and protections that were on the Manor and thought it must mean Lucius was far away, otherwise he was certain Narcissa would've used the Floo Network to get hold of her husband.
Hermione stood swaying on the rocks focusing on keeping her balance in the powerful wind, when she heard the woman mutter to herself.
"Finally. About time," and then she grabbed Hermione's arm, boring her nails into it. What was about time? Hermione wondered before feeling herself being led over the rocks in what she figured was the direction of the sea. She could hear the sound of the waves growing louder, and then the steady rock underneath her was replaced by a moving surface. If the woman hadn't been holding onto her so tightly, Hermione felt sure she would've fallen into the water. They walked upwards at an angle and Hermione realized they were entering a boat or ship of some kind. She felt nauseous.
Then she felt herself being pushed, but her arms caught her before she hit the ground, there was pain in her wrist and she could tell she'd fallen onto a wooden floor.
"Get up" a harsh voice demanded and she sat up, panting on the floor. Someone lifted the blindfold and once her eyes had adjusted, she saw a man standing before her, he was tall with long white hair and his face looked as though carved in marble. For a moment she thought it was him and felt relived only to have her hopes squashed when realization finally hit her. It wasn't Draco. It was Lucius. And next to him stood the woman who'd brought her from the graveyard. She must be working for him, Hermione thought getting to her feet. They were on what looked like a vast ghost ship and Hermione's eyes wandered over the lines of the ship's deck while its grey sails strained in the wind. Behind Lucius and the woman stood a thick row of black-hooded figures. Death Eaters, Hermione thought, or members of Nightshade. She remembered Harry saying they were one and the same. Well he'd been right about Lucius.
"Lucius," she said once she'd found herself.
"Mudblood," he said contemptuously.
"Bring her to the downstairs!" the grey-haired witch yelled at Malfoy and Hermione immediately felt him grab her arm. She realized she'd been wrong in thinking she was working for him.