Hermione's feet scuffed the floor as she was dragged down the street. They stopped in front of a run down looking cottage. The lawn was overgrown with weeds and tall grass. The white paint on the fence was chipping away, revealing the dull wood beneath.
This woman wouldn't let go of Hermione's wrist, no matter how much Hermione struggled.
"Wait!" Hermione moaned, pulling her arm away. "Who are you?" She asked.
The woman stared before waving her hand in front of the front door. The door creaked open, leaving the door slightly ajar. "You'll find out in due time." The woman replied.
Hermione backed away, a jumbled feeling of worry in her stomach.
The woman gestured toward the front door. "Well, are you coming in or not?"
The distant rumble of thunder made the ground vibrate, and the distant clouds light up. Despite her worrying stomach, Hermione followed the woman inside the ramshackle cottage.
The woman didn't say anything but tell Hermione to sit down and make herself comfortable. Hermione obeyed, wedging herself into one of the faded pink armchairs in the living room. The urge to clean grew stronger the longer she waited. On the ceiling, cobwebs hung from every corner. Every surface in the room was covered with a pile of newspapers, all with moving pictures. A fireplace in the corner of the room sat blackened and seemingly unused. On the coffee table in-front of her, Hermione began to dig through the pile of Daily Prophets. Her eyes couldn't focus or pick up on anything she was reading. She didn't know what she was looking for. Her hands were shaking slightly. The fear that Bellatrix could burst in at any moment shook her to the core.
"Here you go, dear."
Hermione jumped and set down the newspaper in her lap.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's alright." Hermione assured, taking a gulp of the water that was set down in front of her. She exhaled in relief after it, her body feeling hydrated already.
The woman sat across the room on another worn armchair. She sipped her tea slowly and casually, as though Hermione was a frequent visitor and they had ran out of things to talk about.
"I'm sorry but.. you still haven't told me who you are." Hermione edged.
"Who I am doesn't matter, Hermione." She said with a small smile. "I know why you're here."
"You do?"
The woman nodded and set down her tea in front of her. "You're looking for the Potter boy aren't you?"
Hermione nodded fervently. "You know where he is?"
The woman eyed Hermione curiously for a moment. "There have been a lot of stories about you in the papers. People calling you one of them. One of the Dark Lord's followers. Why should I tell you where the boy is? How do I know the stories aren't true?"
"Harry's my best friend. I would never betray him."
"Petrificus Totalus."
Hermione's entire body locked in place. The woman walked over and pulled up Hermione's left sleeve. "I might have known." She whispered, staring into Hermione's eyes. "Now I see why you wanted to find him so badly."
Hermione tried to move, but there was nothing. She couldn't feel anything. All she could do was see this woman staring into her eyes with anger.
"There's quite the reward out for you." The woman said. "One owl to the ministry and you'll be carted off the Azkaban. Wingardium Leviosa!"
Hermione felt herself begin to float. The woman waved her hand again, opening a door directly in front of the front-door in the hall. A door to a small closet. Hermione knew what was coming. Before she knew the door was locked behind her.
It seemed like an eternity that Hermione had been stuck in this room. Nothing to do but stare into the darkness and think. Her head was about to explode. Frustration bubbled inside her as she tried to move at least a finger but to no avail. She could hear the woman shuffling around outside the door. She heard pots and pans clunk in the kitchen. She heard the woman talking to herself.
Had she sent the owl? Were the Ministry on their way? What if the owl had been intercepted? What if Bellatrix was right outside? Panic and frustration set in. Internally Hermione screamed her brains out, but nothing exited her mouth.
Hermione didn't know how much time had passed. Her heart froze when she heard a loud knocking noise. She struggled to listen, the only noise she could make out being the blood rushing through her ears.
"Ah, thank goodness you ca-"
The unmistakable flash of green light that filtered through the creaks of the closet door confirmed Hermione's fears. The Death Eaters were here. She had no wand. And there was only a door dividing them.
A:N/ Wow! So long since I've updated. I'm a terrible terrible terrible person. I hope you guys haven't completely abandoned this story, and I hope you like this update. Hopefully I will update again soon! :)