Chapter 33: Rude awakening
Hermione awoke in an unknown room and for a moment she thought she might be back to Grimmauld Place until the memories came rushing back to her. The Ministry, the blocked killing curse and then You-Know-Who taking her with him, she remembered all of it with growing horror. She had even tried to duel him on her own and the man hadn't even seen the need to pull his wand in defence. How could she ever be able to beat him? The simple answer was: she couldn't, which only led to the conclusion that she needed to try to escape.
She couldn't hope to be found by the Order, couldn't rely on them. They hadn't been able to locate Lavender, after all, Hermione wasn't even sure if they tried. And then there was Severus. Did he already know she was gone? Would he try finding or even rescuing her? Her former friend had been right on all accounts. It was her own stupidity that broke her neck in the end. Merlin, she should have known better than just following Harry head-along into the Ministry to duel Lord Voldemort on their own.
How had she expected that would end? Five teenagers that only had two or three decent defence teachers over the years against the man that had almost taken over wizarding Britain. Had they really expected to stand a chance? The sad truth was: Hermione had realized that leaving the security of Hogwarts had been a bad idea but nevertheless she had allowed Harry to run over her again and pull her along into this madness. He was her friend, yes, but it also wasn't the first time he decided to take matters into his own hands and not only endanger his own life but also his friend's like it was the most natural thing on earth.
Yes, he couldn't have known that Hermione was the Open Link, but she had known. She had known that things would go south, as soon as the Dark Lord got his hands on the Open Link. And what did she do? She dragged Fred and George into the Ministry, even though she knew that they had painted a target onto their backs. Merlin, Severus had been right. She was an idiot and the worst of it: even though he had tried to shake her awake, she hadn't learned. Again she had shied to make the painful but right decision.
Five teenagers storming into the ministry trying to save one man and probably losing all their lives as a consequence should not have been an option. Sirius would never have wanted that and would probably have gladly suffered to know his godson was safe. Hermione should have held Harry back and gone for help, even if that would have broken their friendship. But again she had not been able to sacrifice her relationship to Harry and Ron and instead went along with this madness. She deserved everything that came her way now as it was her own fault and so she had no right to complain to anyone but herself.
With a sigh, she lifted the heavy, dark purple blanket and swung her legs out of bed. Her feet were bare and when she looked down at herself she realized with a gasp, that she no longer wore her clothes from the day before but a long expensive-looking nightshirt, a male nightshirt. She could only pray that the man himself hadn't changed her clothes, because the mere thought of it made her feel sick. But as You-Know-Who regarded himself as some kind of leader or master, he had probably asked some poor house-elf to bother with the mudblood. Like to confirm her thoughts, she suddenly heard a silent plop to her right, and when Hermione turned around she saw a wide-eyes house-elf greet her with a deep bow. The little being was clad in a richly-decorated kitchen towel and to Hermione's relief, there were no signs of mistreatment visible to her.
"Mistress is finally awake," the small creature squeaked, staring at her with large, green eyes. "I is Hurry. Master has assigned Hurry as Mistress' personal house-elf." Hermione didn't know whether to be relieved or upset. She didn't want a personal servant, but Hurry's presence probably meant that her keeper hadn't bothered with her unconscious body. And who knew in which state her body and mind would be in if she didn't manage to escape this place, soon? She'd rather have a house-elf caring for her than any of these monsters.
"It's nice to meet you, Hurry," Hermione finally replied with a little smile. "My name is Hermione, Hermione Granger. I am not your mistress though. As far as I know, I am just a prisoner at this place."
The elf looked at her with contemplating eyes before he replied stubbornly: "Hurry was told by Master, that Miss Hermione is Hurry's Mistress. Hurry will, therefore, do as Mistress commands."
"Could you help me escape this place, hurry?" she hastily asked staring at him with a hopeful expression.
Hurry shook his head with hanging ears. "Hurry cannot, Mistress. Hurry is forbidden to do so and must advise Mistress to not try running away. The house is very well warded and Hurry doesn't want Mistress to get hurt."
She sighed. Of course, that bastard had warded the place to prevent her from leaving. He couldn't guard her day and night, after all. "Forgive me Hurry. But I had to ask," Hermione said with a sad smile. "Alright. Could you show me something to dress in? I don't want to leave the room like this but more importantly, I could use something to eat. I'm starving."
"Hurry is happy to serve," the small elf chirped making a happy little jump into the air. Hermione sighed. For now, she'd play along but sooner or later she'd have to take a look at those wards.
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His girl came down the stairs with the cautiousness of a frightened animal. He had given her the second-largest bedroom of the house, as was traditional for the Lady of the Manor to have - she was destined to be his queen after all. Lord Voldemort waited patiently for her in the large dining room he had instructed the house elves to prepare for their first breakfast together, but as the door to the hallway was left wide open, he could see her walking towards the room with measured steps. Luckily he was nothing if not patient, for her at least. It had taken him years to track all of the Founder's items down, but in the end, his efforts had paid off. With her, it would be the same. He had time to pull her to his side because she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon or ever.
Finally, after what felt like ages, the house-elf led her into the room, disapparating as soon as she had passed the double-winged doors, which immediately closed upon her entrance. There she remained, frozen in place and stared at him with an expression he couldn't quite interpret. He could see a stubborn glimmer in her eyes, but her mouth remained glued into a straight line. Only one thing he could say with certainty: that girl was not afraid of him. That would make it even easier to let her see, who he truly was.
"Good morning, Miss Granger," he greeted her liberally and motioned to the table. "I'm sure you're hungry after you spent all of your magical energy."
She stared at the table in disbelief and took in all of the dishes he had the elves prepare for her. As he didn't know her favourites yet, he let the elves prepare everything they had put on the Hogwarts-breakfast-tables during his time at school. He would only serve her favourites as he discovered them. What was that old saying? Oh yes, Happy wife Happy life.
"You want me to eat breakfast with you," she said tonelessly and he could tell, that her brain was carefully analysing the situation at hand. It was almost amusing to watch and he was curious, what she'd make of it. It was almost a minute that she needed to come to terms with his invitation, while he just waited with a patient smile on his lips. But finally, she nodded with a heavy sigh.
"Very well," Miss Granger agreed before sitting down at the chair he had had the elves set up for her at the other front end of the table. While she moved, he finally allowed his eyes to roam her body. The simple black robe she had chosen for herself fitted her curves stunningly well, without showing to much of her petite figure. It was obvious, that she tried to be as inconsiderable as possible which was very refreshing as he was usually surrounded by followers who tried to gain his eye and interest in every way possible to them. It was tiring after the first few years. But this girl was refreshingly different, even if she wasn't aware of it.
For a moment she just stared at the offered food and for a moment he asked himself if she would even eat or simply sit while watching him eat. He could tell that the thought crossed her mind, but he unimpressedly summoned himself an omelette from the middle of the table and started to eat. And after another moment of hesitation, she followed along. Good.
The girl chose buttered toast and fruit. Following his example, she summoned the food with her wand, before she started to eat in small cautious bites. Going by the amount of power she spent the day before, she must be hungry, but she didn't let it show and ate while her eyes remained fixed on her plate. She avoided looking at him, the Dark Lord realized – a fact he'd have to change sooner or later if he wanted to convince the girl that linking herself to him would be in her best interest.
"You're without a doubt a very intelligent woman, Miss Granger," he finally said after he saw her having finished her first slice of toast and several grapes. "Therefore I assume you're aware of the reason you're here."
Carefully she lifted her head her caramel brown eyes staring at him without fear. "I'm the Open Link," she said neutrally and waited.
"That, you are," he confirmed with a small smile. "After your little display in the Ministry, there's no doubt of it." He folded his hands under his chin and for a while, they just looked at each other without blinking. But he quickly grew tired of that and continued: "As this is my first proper chance to talk to you, I'd like to establish some rules for our acquaintance. You are allowed to walk the house freely and without fear. Apart from myself and another … guest, there're only a few house-elves at the house. No one here means you any harm Miss Granger, as hard as that might be for you to believe."
Her lips twitched at his words. "It is indeed hard to believe. You are known for taking what you desire, for torturing people to death or insanity and killing orphans. You are known for hating muggles and muggleborns. My parents are muggles, did you know that?" That stubborn look was back in her eyes and he could only congratulate himself for having gotten his hands on such a fabulous witch. This girl was a fighter and when she finally devoted herself to him, she would be an invaluable asset to his side.
"I am aware of your heritage," he replied neutrally and looked at her contemplatively. "But it also came to my knowledge, that you are a bright and talented witch, the brightest witch of your age, they say. I was praised to be equally brilliant, did you know?"
He could see the glint of surprise on her face, even though she tried hiding it, and smirked. "You didn't know, didn't you? It's alright. There're a lot of things about me, you do not know, which is the reason why I think we should get to know each other. There is usually so much more to a person than what is commonly known, don't you think? Because I do see more in you than a simple muggle-born."
He had gotten her thinking, he could see it on her expression. That girl wore her heart on her sleeve which would it make so much easier to manipulate her. She wouldn't even realize he was doing it.
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"Hey guys, where's Hermione?" Neville's sleepy voice greeted him, as soon as he and Ron made it down to the Gryffindor common room. It had been a long day yesterday and the events still left Harry shaken.
"She's gone," Harry replied, scowling darkly at the floor in front of him. "Voldemort's got her."
Their Gryffindor-friend stared at them with a dumbstruck expression on his face. " 's not funny Harry. You can just tell me if she's sick or doesn't want to help with my homework. Or do you three have a row or something?"
"No, it's true," Ron mumbled and looked at the boy with a sad expression. "We… went to the Ministry yesterday. Harry's had a vision or something, you know?"
Harry nodded a lump forming in his throat. The memory was still fresh in his mind. "I saw Sirius, my godfather, being tortured. I saw Voldemort Crucio him, he was writhing on the floor, screaming…" he explained, staring at the plump boy with wide eyes.
Neville looked back at him with a pained expression on his face. "Merlin… I'm so sorry Harry. Could you save him? Is he alright?"
Harry stared back at his toes, unable to answer for a moment. Instead, it was Ron, who said: "It wasn't real, Nev. It was all just a trap to lure Harry out or something."
The boy blinked at them in confusion. "So you just walked into a trap? How did you get to the Ministry anyway, because it doesn't really sound to me like there was an adult with you? You just went off on your own again, didn't you?"
"It's not like we had a choice, Neville. We went to McGonagall first, but she wasn't there. Time was running and it wasn't like we could search the whole castle to get her, right? And even then, Dumbledore wasn't even here, as he was out looking for Fred and George…" Harry tried to explain, but Neville didn't look impressed.
"So you just decided to just go on your own like you always do, didn't you? Three teenagers taking on You-Know-Who. Really Harry? That's just stupid!" Neville stared at him will balled fists and Harry could slowly feel his hackles rise.
"It wasn't like this," he defended himself, staring at his dorm-mate with wild, green eyes. "I don't expect you to understand this, Nev. But Sirius is all I have left of a family. I thought he was being tortured! It's not like he could lose him, too, just standing by watching him slowly lose his mind."
He didn't see the hand coming, just felt it when it connected painfully with his cheek, the slap sounding loudly through the common room. Harry stared back at the other Gryffindor with wide eyes, holding his buzzing cheek. "What was that for?"
"You think I don't get it? Really? I don't have a family any longer, because my parents are at St Mungo's because of the exact same thing! They were tortured into insanity, remember?"
Harry nodded dumbly. "Yeah, sorry. Listen, Neville…"
But he didn't get any further. "No Harry, now you listen to me. You can't simply make the same mistakes over and over again. Every year someone gets hurt or worse because you're getting them in danger, every single year. What do you think will happen to Hermione now? Did you even ask yourself? Does it make it better now, that she's getting hurt and not Sirius because she's not family? Do your friends mean so little to you?"
It was like Harry had just received another blow and he stumbled backwards in shock. "Of course not!" he said, shaking his head while looking at Ron, who was standing next to him. "Merlin Neville, do you think I want these horrible things happening around me? Do you think I want to stumble into danger over and over again? I didn't ask to be the Chosen One."
Neville looked at him with a sad expression on his face. "You don't want to stumble in danger? Then stop acting like an idiot Harry and think, before you rush off the next time. Because obviously, apart from Sirius, Ron is the last friend you've got left."
Harry didn't have time saying something in return, as Neville simply walked past him with a grim expression on his face. And for the first time since Harry knew him, Neville didn't look like the sweet-tempered boy he had known for years.
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To Severus, it was almost impossible to resume his daily routine after everything had gone so spectacularly wrong. He'd been a fucking idiot in the last weeks and right now he hated himself more than he hated anybody else. That whole disaster was at least particularly his fault. What if had read Hermione's note faster? Could he have held them back or at least saved her? Or what would have happened if he hadn't pushed her away in the first place? Yes, she had made a terrible mistake or several for that matter, but who was he* to tell her what was right and wrong? Who had been here to teach her or let her see reason? Would she have sent for him, like she had for those twins, before leaving for the ministry if he had not pushed her away over and over again? It was no use beating himself up for his past mistakes of course, but Severus swore to himself that he would do better on her than he had on Lily. He had lost his first friend to this megalomaniac, but he wouldn't lose a second one even if he had to sell his soul to Dumbledore to make it happen. That, however, had already been proven a mistake with Lily dying in spite of his sacrifice.
Obviously, the Weasley twins had decided to resume their position as Hogwarts students. It was probably for the best. Going by what Dumbledore had told him last night the Dark Lord assumed that Hermione had linked herself to one of them, probably both and being the obsessive bastard he was, he'd try to get rid of them sooner or later to sever the Link. That only left one way to go for them: they needed a way to make sure those two idiots were safe. Hogwarts was one of the safest places in wizarding Britain, true, but it was also full of Death Eater children that were only to keep to please the Dark Lord. Therefore it was only a matter of time until there was the first attack on the terrible two. And as he wouldn't be able to defend them directly, he'd have to make sure they could defend themselves. The Headmaster wanted them well protected now and Severus could only wonder what kind of chess pieces the old goat intended them to be. But the man had made it pretty clear to him, that it would be a shame if he was found out to be Hermione's link, the threat clearly resonating in his words. Luckily Severus had planned to help the boys anyway – for Hermione's sake.
But first, he had to suffer through eight hours of mind-numbing teaching, when the classroom was currently the last place he wanted to be. He'd even prefer to be called to the Dark Lord and endure some sort of punishment, as that would maybe give him the chance to find out, where Hermione was. Because as things were he had no idea where to even look for her. Was she at Malfoy Manor? Or in that other Manor, he had been called to the last two times? But maybe she was also in an entirely different place, as the Dark Lord was a paranoid and obsessive Bastard.
The only thing he could tell with certainty was that Hermione was still alive. Severus could fell their Link buzzing between them and even though he could detect no flow of energy it was definitely active. Now that he focussed on it he realized, that the connection between them was still much stronger than it should have been considering that he had basically ignored her for several weeks. But obviously, the girl had clung to it and probably never lost hope, that their friendship could somehow be fixed. It would, he told himself. If he ever got her out she'd let her know how sorry he was and what she meant to him. He'd protect her come hell and fire because he'd let her down once, he'd not do so again.
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"We need to find a way to get to her," George murmured as he and Fred sneaked through the castle on the way to their lab. "We can't just let her rot in that hellhole, she's probably in now."
Fred gave a hum of agreeance but just as they rounded a corner, they came face to face with a dark-faced potions master. Shit. What was that man doing that close to the Gryffindor tower after curfew? Usually, the old bat only patrolled the dungeons and McGonagall's patrol routes they knew by heart after 7 years of sneaking around in the castle.
"One should have assumed the two of you learned your lesson after the last fiasco, but obviously you'll only start to understand the danger you're in when you're bleeding out in some deserted corridor."
George stared at the man with wide eyes. Was he threatening them? George just wanted to say something in return, but Snape already continued: "Let's see if I can drill some sense into you during detention. Follow me."
"What? Now?" Fred asked the man in disbelief. "It already past curfew."
"And you don't look like you planned to go to bed anytime soon, which means that you can as well put those next few hours to good use," their teacher replied with a raised brow before he motioned his head in the opposite direction. "And now start moving or I'll drag you into the dungeons by your ears."
The brothers looked at each other and for a moment they tried to find a way to wind themselves out of that mess. But then they realized that Snape would probably never let them go, no matter what they said. And so they only shrugged, before they turned around with a mocking smile. "No need for that, Professor," Fred finally replied with a grin. "We'll trot along willingly. Could have just said you missed us."
The Professor shook his head with a snort before he turned around and strode down the corridor. "Fucking morons," they heard him mumble before they fell into step with them, or maybe it was just their imagination.