"From childhood's hour I have not been as others were- I have not seen as others saw." ~ Edgar Allan Poe
Chapter 25: Not Alone
"Alohomora!" The lock clicked out of place. Harry made a mental note to tell Hermione in the future that she should have a more complicated lock on her front door. He led the way into her small apartment, followed by Ron and Ginny.
"What exactly is it we're looking for?" Ron asked, standing awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable at being in Hermione's flat.
Harry flipped over a copy of the Daily Prophet on her dining room table. "This paper is dated two and a half weeks ago. I'm going to guess she's been missing since that day."
"Well thank you Sherlock," Ginny said, wandering over to a black box with a blinking red light. "What's this?"
"Oh, that's a telephone answering machine. She's got a few messages," Harry said walking over to his wife. He pressed the button. Maybe whoever had left her messages would know more information about where she might be.
The messages were all from the same person. A woman named Eve who thought it was very rude that Hermione hadn't been calling her back.
"Who do you think Eve is?" Ron asked.
"A friend, I'm sure. I bet she'd know more about Hermione than any of us knows right now. We should probably talk to her." Ginny began to flip through a few unopened letters from the owl post.
"Yeah, but haven't the Ministry already made their way through her apartment? They'd have already heard those messages and anything they found out from Eve, would've already helped them track down Hermione if it was useful, right?" Ron took a picture off her mantel piece, staring into the face of a scrawny brown-haired man holding Hermione. He opened the frame and took the photo out, anger suddenly boiling through him at the sight of her with another man.
"Well they might have talk to Eve, but they aren't going to share any of that information with us. Besides, it was on an answering machine, which most wizards don't even know what that is. Chances are they didn't hear the message at all," Harry said, taking the photo from Ron's hands. "On the back of this picture it says it's of her and someone named Sean. Maybe it's her boyfriend. We should definitely find this bloke."
Ron's face turned red. "He's at the top of my list," he said, glaring at the floor.
IIII
"Did you know you filthy mudblood, that they care so little about you that you were a mere blip in papers when they realized your disappearance." Lucius slid the Daily Prophet across the bed to Hermione. "They didn't even mention your name. How does that feel?" He set down a tray of food and water.
Hermione didn't say a word but lunged for the paper. It was her only connection to the outside world in what must have been weeks. She flipped through the pages eagerly, while Lucius stood over her, appraisingly. She noticed a section of the paper cut out right through the center. With eyes narrowed, she looked up.
"Noticed have you?" Lucius asked, holding up the scrap of paper he had conveniently cut out before entering her room. "I can't just give something like this to you. I know how much it must mean…" He picked up the remaining pages of the Prophet and slid it smoothly under his arm. "Now, I can give you this article about you, but first you'll have to do something for me."
Hermione scowled at him, not saying a word.
"I want you to beg me for it."
"You want me to what?"
"You heard me, Granger."
Laughing, Hermione said, "That bit of paper doesn't mean enough to me to lose my self-respect."
"You don't think so?" Lucius crumbled up the scrap of paper into a tight, little ball. "Well then," Lucius said, sweeping his robes out of his way dramatically.
"Wait!" Hermione screamed. She couldn't just let her only connection with real life just walk out the door. She needed to see what that paper said. Hermione needed to know that someone, anyone, was looking for her, cared whether she was alive or dead. He turned to her, smirking.
"I'm waiting…" Obnoxiously, his foot tapped the ground.
"I won't beg for it." She stared at him steely.
"Unfortunately, then you won't be reading this." Again he turned to leave. "In fact, a woman who doesn't do what she's told also does not eat." With a flash of his wand her tray of food disappeared.
Hermione gaped at him, distraught. That was the only food she'd probably get that day. She hadn't eaten since early the day before and she was starving. Her stomach growled audibly. Turning, Lucius laughed. Still she was resolute in her decision. Hermione would not beg.
"Beg me, and you'll have both your food and the paper," Lucius said. His eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms like a disobedient child.
"Like hell I'd beg you for anything." Her eyes were like ice and her stomach grumbled again.
"Don't play these games, Mudblood. I know you're starved for both food and signs of life out there. How long do you think you can keep this up? Sooner or later you'll beg me for it. Why don't you just get it over with and save yourself a little misery?" He stood a little surprised. Lucius had been almost positive her stubbornness would have been broken by now.
"This is no game, Malfoy, and every day here is more miserable than the next. What's a little more? Keep your food and keep your paper. I will not beg you."
Anger was boiling up in his chest. "You will, Granger."
"Do you think so? Are you going to use the Imperious Curse again? Bend me to your will. It's not the same thing is it? Forcing me to do something?" She felt the confidence she'd long ago forsaken take over in her mind.
"As I said before, Mudblood, You will do what I desire of you. It is only a matter of time." Again he pushed his robes behind him dramatically and strode from the room, slamming the door behind him.
With a victory in her chest, Hermione beamed to herself. It was the first pure light of hope she'd had in her long time there. She felt it burning in her chest, knowing she could defeat him when it came to a verbal battle. Proudly, she lay back down and wore her growling stomach like a badge, knowing her strength would lie outside of food.
IIII
With a fury he hadn't felt in years he lost his self-control. He walked into his bedroom and slammed the door so ferociously the mirror in his bureau fell and shattered. He could hear the glass breaking across the room. He scowled in that general direction. Wanting to curse and scream, he struggled senselessly to find his willpower and control himself again. He never, ever let himself go this way. He needed a release. Mentally, the image of Eve floated in. Oh, Eve. He hadn't thought about her in nearly a month. Not having visited her bed in quite a while. Longingly he wished he could apparate to her apartment and let out all of his frustration on her.
Unfortunately, the reality of his situation kept him from whipping out his wand and appearing on her doorstep. He couldn't leave except to go about his regular business. He didn't want to draw any attention to himself or anyone who had any connection between him and the mudblood. He growled angrily.
"That little bitch," he half-whispered to himself. A new sense of shock rolled over him as he thought once more of how she'd stood up to him, no sense of fear in her eyes. "Let's see how courageous she is without food for a few days."
He took off his outer robe and loosened his tie. Sooner or later she'll bend to my will, he thought. She had to. No one could keep up this saintly act for long. She'd lose her self-control before long and she'll be begging on her knees for her life from him. The thought of her on her knees her eyes, large and brown, staring up at him made him grin maniacally.
Clearing his throat, he poured himself a drink from the decanter he kept on a side bar in his room. He would be sure she'd do as he pleased, and he knew he'd thoroughly enjoy the image of her doing it. Until then, he took a sip, he'd be sure to enjoy the fantasy regardless of whether or not she sat in her own room patting herself on the back for standing up to him.
IIII
The wand she held in her hand was practically vibrating with the immense power it held within. She smiled with the familiar force of it. She slowly walked over her prey writhing on the floor, watching the brown eyes of Bellatrix darken with the challenge. She growled at Hermione. Hermione laughed and kicked her in the side, and pointed the wand in her face. "Isn't it wonderful to be the one lying on the floor in pain?"
"Child you don't know what it is to cause pain!" The cackling laugh that once more escaped Bella's lips infuriated Hermione. She listened closely to the soft sounds outside the door. Someone was coming. Smiling Hermione pointed the wand close to Bellatrix.
"Petrificus Totalus!" She whispered, and Bella froze completely.
Slowly the door creaked open. She saw him enter; his eyes cast downward, first noticing Bella lying immobile on the floor. "Expelliarmus." She said it with a sense of purpose, but other than that she was extremely calm. His wand, long and white, flew from his hand, into the air where Hermione caught it.
"Now, now. It looks like our little pet has learned a trick or two," he said, looking down at Bella again and back up at Hermione. His voice was so smooth, it unnerved her.
"Shut it, Malfoy. I'm the one with the wands so I'll do the talking." She tried desperately to hide her fear.
"Now you and I both know, this game that you're playing isn't your strong suit. It's a losing battle, Granger." He stepped over Bellatrix and walked towards her. Bella's eyes followed his every move.
"Silencio!" Lucius stopped talking immediately. "I think I might like you better if you don't speak," Hermione said watching him smile obnoxiously. "I wish I could cause you as much pain as you've caused me." She glared at him, her throat contracting with the tears she would not cry. Lucius' voice began to come back as the spell wear off.
"I don't want to cause you pain, Hermione," He whispered her name softly, lulling her anger away. He stepped toward her one step further. She faltered, lowering her wand for a half second before she raised it again, resolute.
"You can't play these games with me, Malfoy. I don't know what you're after—"
He put his hand to her face, shushing her gently. "I'm not after any one thing in particular."
Again, Hermione lowered her wand. She caught his scent, a clean, fresh scent that she thought would sting her nose but surprisingly, it did not. She looked down at the ground away from his eyes, strikingly blue peering into her own. She caught the eyes of Bellatrix, watching her, her body still frozen still. Though her face itself could not move and convey emotion, Hermione could tell with the depth of her eyes that a sadness was overwhelming Bella when she looked at Lucius' hand on her. Hermione smiled.
"Then what is it you want with me?" Hermione asked, watching Bella's eyes darken with fury. Lucius chuckled.
"I want everything of you," his hand skimmed down her face, down her neck, lightly, he tickled her collarbone. Hermione fought a sigh. "There isn't any reason to be afraid. You can drop your defenses," He said, his voice rolling over her melodically. She was lulled into a false sense of security, and her hand was losing grip on her wand.
Stay strong, she thought, but then she looked up into his eyes, the strikingly blue color catching her off guard. Her breath caught in her chest. Without thinking, she looked away back at Bellatrix, still frozen on the floor, her eyes transfixed on what Lucius was doing to Hermione. Revenge would be sweet, Hermione thought. Anyone with a brain could see the way Bella panted after Malfoy like a dog in heat.
Looking up again she met Lucius' gaze. Eagerly, knowingly, she smiled. "Maybe you can have everything you want," Hermione said, keeping her voice level. She leaned in a millimeter farther, grasping his robes for balance. It was so simple. In a flash her lips were on his and her hands were wrapped in his long blonde locks. Lucius himself stood dumbstruck. Fighting his better instincts he kissed back. With a flash she broke the kiss, sending Bella an evil grin over his shoulder. "Two can play your sick little games, Lucius." She rolled his name on her tongue, liking the way it felt.
With a sickened grunt Hermione woke up. Her eyes were wide in horror. It was just a dream, she reminded herself. The image of herself kissing Lucius was fresh in her mind. Had she liked it in her dream? Part of her couldn't remember if she had or if it had been part of a plan. Skipping a step ahead, Hermione couldn't help but think it was a good plan.
Maybe the way to break the ranks between Lucius and Bellatrix was to make them fight amongst themselves. Bella really was always after Malfoy. Maybe if Hermione tried her little control game on Lucius in front of Bellatrix it might sent her raging after him. Lucius himself would hate to have Bella trying to have power over him herself… Hermione smiled to herself, conveniently forgetting that she had spent the night dreaming of kissing Lucius.