CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
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Hermione could hear a steady dripping noise echoing through the chamber when her eyes groggily blinked open, only to discover that she may as well keep them closed. Wherever she was, it was devoid of any source of light - the space was pitch black. She winced as pain shot through her head and moved her hand to try and figure out if she was injured. Dismayed, she felt her wrists come to an abrupt halt as chains rattled. She groaned as she realised that she was shackled to something.
Her movements felt slow and confused, like her brain and body had stopped communicating with one another. Like the signals were jumbled. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and tried to discern other details about her prison.
She was pleased to find that her ankles were unshackled and free, allowing her some degree of movement, though the chains holding her wrists were short, and she couldn't move her arms any more than a foot in any direction. Spreading her hands out, she felt whatever she was leaned against and found the rough surface of stone. She was shackled to a wall.
With her eyes still closed, she listened intently to the world around her and, other than the dripping, she heard one single noise, a long and eerie creek, like an ancient door being slowly opened. She was completely disorientated in the darkness and the sudden creek seemed to bounce off of the walls, leaving her unable to figure out which direction it had originated from.
Suddenly, another creek, this time much closer and accompanied by a growing strip of light in the room, alerted her to someone entering her place of captivity. She turned towards the light source, wincing as the sudden brightness shot fresh waves of pain through her skull. Even through the pain and panic, though, there was no denying who the silhouetted man stood in the doorway was.
"Ah, the mudblood survives!" He said, coming to her and crouching down directly in front of her. "Welcome back to Malfoy Manor."
She spit in his face.
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Theo fell through the wards of the Hall and lay face down on the cold earth, trying to get enough air in his lungs to call for Harvey but finding it almost impossible to breathe. He rolled himself over and lay on his back, desperate to heal enough to get Hermione back but knowing that it wasn't going to happen any time soon.
"Harvey!" He rasped, pain exploding in his throat as he spoke.
The elf appeared in his sight above him and gasped at the state of his master, frantically asking questions that Theo didn't want to answer, even if he'd had the energy. He shook his head and turned his head to the elf, urging him closer so that he could whisper his instructions.
"Go to… Ministry." He hissed between horrifically difficult and painful breaths, feeling wetness escape from his eyes and roll down his cheeks. "Harry…Potter. Please, Hermione…gone."
The elf's eyes widened and he nodded, clicking his fingers and disappearing. Closing his eyes, Theo gathered all of his remaining strength and lifted his wrists bove his face, tapping his wand against the watch she had gotten for Christmas. The Maya hand was pointing at Moral Peril. Theo howled.
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"What do you want from me, Malfoy?" Hermione hissed as he wiped the saliva from his face.
"I want to teach you a lesson," He said calmly, standing up and walking to lean on the table she could now see in the corner of the room, thanks to the light from the still open door. "You see, though the Dark Lord is dead, there are those of us who still believe in his cause."
Hermione snorted and dropped her head back against the wall, chuckling. Who did Draco Malfoy think he was? Was he hoping to command his own army of loyal death eaters and avenge their insane masters death?
"Fancy yourself the new Dark Lord, huh?" She snickered, promptly feeling a hand make stinging contact with her cheek.
"How dare you mock me!" He snarled and she started to giggle.
"Oh I'm terribly sorry, Lord ferret." She snorted and burst into laughter, abruptly stopping when a strong kick hit her in the ribs, leaving her gasping for breath.
"You think you're so fucking clever. Yet here you are. My prisoner." He chuckled and she nodded.
"It's quite clever if you think about it." She told him angrily, "Do you really think that you'll get away with this? Theo will come for me and you'll end up rotting in Azkaban in a cell next door to dear old daddy."
"You're so sure of that, are you?" He asked and she nodded.
"Of course I am. There is no reason for me to doubt him." She hissed and Draco snorted.
"He was a death eater, just like me." He said and she shrugged.
"The difference being that he hated it, while you bragged to anyone who would listen that Voldemort was hiding away in your precious Manor." She laughed when he shuddered as she said Voldemort, "What? So disgusted by the half-blood muggle hater that his name sends shudder through you?"
"You will die here, mudblood filth." He hissed and she shook her head, grinning.
"No I won't." She said, confidently.
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"Harvey knows nothing more, Mr Harry Potter sir, only what young master told Harvey."
"Thank you, Harvey."
"Young master should wake up soon, Mr Harry Potter sir."
Theo gasped as his eyes suddenly shot open and he coughed as he forced his body into a sitting position. Harry Potter was before him in an instant, looking both angry and worried.
"What did you do to her, Nott?" He growled, pointing his wand towards Theo's throat. Theo shook his head.
"Not me." He rasped, his throat feeling like he'd swallowed shards of glass, "Malfoy."
"What?" Harry whispered.
"Malfoy. Told me…Keep her safe." Theo had to swallow heavily after every couple of words as his throat was so dry, "He threatened… Kill her."
"Fuck!" He heard Harry roar and the sound of a fist connecting with plaster. Harvey appeared before Theo with two vials of potion.
"Pain Reliever and Pepper Up, young master." The elf told him, eyeing Theo carefully as he nodded and downed both potions.
"Did you ever report the threat?" Harry asked and Theo shook his head, sighing.
He could feel the potions working their way through his body and soon felt able to push himself up. Swallowing became less painful and he swallowed before clearing his throat, relieved that he was feeling more normal.
"Listen, Potter. She's been gone about…" he glanced at the clock, paling when he discovered it to be 9 o'clock, "Shit, Potter, she's been gone ten hours. We need to go to Malfoy Manor and we need to go now! Are you in?"
"We can't just go-"
"We can't what?" Theo bellowed, "Save her fucking life? Because he is as mad as his father and he WILL kill her. Now are you coming or not?!"
Potter nodded.