A.N.: Hey guys. I hope your weekend is going good, so far. Here's a new chapter for you. I hope you like it. I had lots of help from my friend Stephanie MRV. She's become my sounding board for this story by now. :-)
Chapter 38: The pride of a lioness
Three long days and there was still no sign of his lioness giving up and asking for her wand. The girl was a mystery to him – a mystery he could not solve. He had been so sure she had been near her breaking point when he had listened to her cries and sobs after they had come back from the Manor. He knew that giving up her wand had been a hard blow for her - it was one of the hardest punishments for a witch or wizard, after all, having most of them begging for forgiveness or for being tortured instead within mere hours. But not his prize. Come next morning she strode down the stairs with her head held high, the fire back in her eyes. She had exchanged the gown he had provided for her the evening before for a simple, brown dress that would have everybody else made look plain - but not her. She wore it like a Queen, her wild hair surrounding her head like a halo. He had no idea how she was doing it, serving herself with her bare hands like it was nothing. All of her favourite foods were now at his side of the table, right in front of him, but when he hoped that she would maybe ask him to pass her something, he was mistaken.
His lioness walked right in front of him and took what she wanted, before casually strolling back to her seat and eating without saying a word. She would answer him when he directly asked her something, but her answers were always short and brief. It was frustrating beyond measure.
He wasn't used to being ignored. In his youth it had been easy for him to charm the people around him, gain their respect and admiration and manipulate them. Later on, he had his followers who were always eager to please him in the hope to be rewarded or at least seen by him. His prize, on the other hand, didn't seem to want anything from him. Not once did she try to make conversation or at least ask him for something. She didn't beg for her freedom or even her wand, no. Most of the time she simply treated him like he wasn't even in the room and Lord Voldemort knew, that it couldn't go on like this. He needed something to bait the girl, or maybe someone. What about the girl's parents? They were Muggles and should be easy to find, right? Maybe he could bring them into the house? His girl would surely be pleased to see them again and maybe their presence could motivate her to be more… cooperative. But most importantly: he couldn't allow those Muggles to fall into the Headmaster's hands because he was sure that manipulative old goat had no qualms using them to drive his girl away from him. He couldn't let this happen. Well, that made the decision easy then. He couldn't go himself, of course, letting the girl alone in that house wouldn't be a good idea. Luckily Lucius was trustworthy enough and the man knew how to be discrete.
"I'll have a visitor after breakfast," he announced, looking at the silent girl sitting at the other end of the table. For a moment there was no reaction from her, but then she put her spoon down and looked at him with a neutral expression.
"Is that an indirect request to stay in my room?" she asked neutrally while watching him with her caramel-brown eyes without fear.
"Not in the least. I meant it when I told you, that you can access all rooms of the house at any time, even mine if you wish to do so. I merely wanted to avoid you being intimidated by the sudden appearance of one of my followers in the house. But you don't need to worry, my Dear. None of them will touch you," he assured her with a soothing smile.
She shrugged. "If you say so." With that she was already getting up, folding her napkin perfectly before placing it on the table. There were no words of goodbye from her when she left the room a moment later, not even a last look from her in his direction. He followed her retreating figure with his eyes while shaking his head in disappointment. This couldn't go on like this. He finally needed a way to make her see him, or at least start talking to him. Luckily Lucius shouldn't have any problems returning with her parents in a matter of hours, which meant that dinner would hopefully be a much more lively affair.
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What did the old coot want of him this time, Severus asked himself while trying to find a comfortable position on the Headmaster's damned cushioned chair. It was of no use. The thing was probably designed to make him squirm but Severus refused to behave or feel like a damned schoolboy in front of that man ever again.
"Ah Severus," he was greeted by the old man with a welcoming smile. "How fortunate that you could follow my invitation right away. Lemon Drop?"
Severus negated the offered sweets with an annoyed shake of his head. "Why did you call me, Headmaster? Do you have news concerning Miss Granger?"
Albus' blue eyes twinkled amusedly. "In fact, I do have some news. The Ministry has decided to try tracking the girl's wand. I expect they'll send a team of Aurors in the next days in the hope to rescue the Open Link."
Severus rolled his eyes annoyedly. "I told you she no longer has the wand, Albus, which means that they could easily be led in a trap."
The Headmaster sipped his tea with a small smile playing around his lips. "Well, my friend. We can't very well tell them that little piece of information now, can we? It would probably imperil your position as a spy, which is unfortunately for them not an option at the moment."
Severus heard him emphasize the last words, but chose to ignore it. He knew already that the Headmaster would only protect his position, as long as he was still of use for him. But that couldn't be helped, which meant that he needed to be careful. "Anything else?"
"There is, indeed, something else," the Headmaster started his gaze suddenly analysing him. "A day after the Open Link disappeared from the Ministry I went to find the girl's parents. Unfortunately, the house was already empty and her parents were nowhere to be found. I thought Tom might have gotten there first, but I wasn't sure as the house didn't look like it had suffered a typical Death Eater raid."
Severus studied the man in front of him, without giving anything away through his expression. He had the feeling that this wasn't the end of the story and he was right.
"Interestingly there was another visitor at Miss Granger's house today and he, too, seemed to be looking for her parents. Considering that it was your friend Lucius I think it's safe to assume, that Tom isn't the one housing her parents right now. So the question remains: Who is?" Albus Dumbledore studied him inquisitively and Severus was thankful for his years of Occlumency training. That old coot would learn nothing from him and neither would his master.
"That's an interesting question, indeed. Have you considered them simply moving house, or being on vacation?"
"The latter seems unlikely, as the house is empty and currently for sale." The Headmaster sighed. "Tell me, Severus. Do you know where her parents are?"
"No," Severus replied honestly, meeting the Headmasters blue eyes with his own. It wasn't a lie. He didn't know where they were, no longer, as he had extracted the memory of it and hidden it away with the Granger's hairs that Hermione had collected from them. "I don't know where they are, Albus. Obviously, Miss Granger had a great many secrets, not just from you, but also from her friends. I expect her not having told anyone of her parent's whereabouts, a decision which I think is a wise one, don't you think? Too many people are interested in winning her over or manipulating her. Her parents would have been an easy way to do so, don't you think?" He said with a slight lilt in his tone at the last question.
Albus' mouth twitched and it wasn't in amusement. "Indeed. We can only hope that the Open Link has hidden them well, as I don't want to imagine what Tom would do to them if he finds them. I could have protected them by a Fidelius Charm."
Severus sighed. "I'm sure you could have done that," he agreed, getting up from that damned chair. That would have only protected them from the Dark Lord, Severus added in his thoughts. But who would have protected them from you?
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Hermione decided to spend the next hours of the day in the library. When Voldemort – she forced herself to call him by his name now, at least in her head – expected a visitor, then it meant he would be sitting on his black throne, which meant that she would have the library to herself. Finally!
The room was great and Hermione loved the collection of books it contained. Now and then she had sneaked inside and taken some of the books into her room. But that wasn't the same as browsing the huge shelves in peace and lounging on one of the large cushioned window sills afterwards while getting lost between the pages of a large, old tome. Sitting here undisturbed almost let her feel happy again because while she read, nothing else mattered to her, not even the fact that she was trapped in a house with the evilest man in existence without her wand.
"Advanced Transfiguration, Miss Granger? Do you have a special interest in that topic?" she suddenly heard his voice to her left, snapping her back to her current situation. He was back which meant that he must have finished whatever business kept him away from the library. Hermione looked up at him, hastily shutting her book in her lap. The man watched her with a little smile on his thin, white lips, his eyes focussing her with an intensity that told her, that she wouldn't be able to simply ignore his question. She sighed.
"It was my favourite topic in school, next to charms," she said casually, putting the book aside. She just wanted to get up and leave the room, when she saw him shake his head holding her back with a gesture of his hand.
"No running away today, my little lioness. I'd like to have a little chat with you and this place is much better suited than the room downstairs, don't you think?" His tone was friendly but Hermione could feel that she couldn't deny his request without getting herself into more trouble and she really didn't want to find out how he would punish her this time. She nodded, causing him to widen his smile. "Very good," he replied summoning himself a wingchair from the other end of the room. This time he used his wand and Hermione couldn't help but study the pale piece of wood in his bony fingers. He must have felt her gaze, as he looked at her with an understanding smile on his face.
"Do you miss being able to use magic my girl?" he asked, carefully studying her face. "I can imagine it makes one feel incomplete, doesn't it?"
Hermione weighed her head while she internally shuddered at the way he called her his girl. "In a way," she admitted while continuing to study his wand. "It has been part of my life for several years now and it would be a lie to say, that I don't miss being able to do magic."
He must have liked her answer, as his eyes suddenly had a strange glint in them. But if he hoped that she would beg him for forgiveness, then he would soon discover, that she would not do so. "Understandable. It's what makes us special, after all," her keeper said, pocketing his wand inside his black robes. Did he ever wear another colour than black? Probably not.
Hermione shook her head with a smile, suddenly intrigued by the topic of the discussion. "You really think so? I don't," she said looking at the man in front of her. "Even before I knew I was a witch, I was different from the kids around me and it wasn't because of the accidental magic happening around me. I was also different from the other students at Hogwarts, even though we were all able to use a wand." She looked at him with a raised chin. "It is not using magic that is making me different or special, how you call it."
He looked at her for a long while, studying her features with red eyes. Did he try to decide if she was lying? "Magic isn't the only thing that's making you special, my Dear," he finally said looking at her with glowing eyes. "I can see that now."
Hermione didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. She had hoped to convince him to give back her wand, as soon as he realized that his punishment wasn't working. But it didn't look like he was about to do that. Instead, he looked even more interested in her, than he had before, a realisation she didn't like at all. She sighed, before looking away from him and staring into her lap.
"But that wasn't I wanted to talk to you about," she heard him say and suddenly there was something in his voice that made her pause. "You see, today I asked Lucius to get your parents for you."
Hermione felt herself stiffen, but forced herself to not look up to him. She could tell that he was studying her reaction, but she remained silent.
"Unfortunately they didn't seem to be at home any longer, as the place was completely empty," the man continued in a regretful tone. "Looks, like somebody else already foresaw that move."
She forced herself to look up at him, keeping her breathing as even as possible even though she could feel her heart beating heavily in her chest. Her parents were safe, she told herself in the hope that it would help her stay calm. "You wanted to capture my parents," she said tonelessly looking into his eyes. "Why? To torture them? Kill them?"
He shook his head with a small smile. "Of course not. I am not a monster, Miss Granger and I hope you'll realize that sooner or later. Everything I do has a purpose and my purpose right now is to convince you to think outside the box Hogwarts has captured your precious, intelligent mind in."
Hermione stared at him speechlessly. Did he really think he could convince her of his cause? That was ridiculous! "A purpose, you say. What is the purpose of torturing and killing Muggles then?" she asked him, staring at him with her jaw set in a locked position to stop herself from snarling at him.
Voldemort chuckled. "What is the purpose of shooting Deer in the forest? Of keeping animals caged in a zoo or watching a lion perform a trick in a circus?" he asked back, staring at her questioningly.
Hermione thought. "I guess people are doing it for amusement," she replied beginning to guess his answer of her question. It disgusted her.
He nodded. "Correct. Amusement. Not my amusement, Miss Granger, but my followers do have a certain appetite that I need to satisfy now and then. Torturing your parents would not have done that, as I will never invite more than one of my Death Eaters here, at the same time. And as I said, I do not strive for that sort of entertainment."
The way he said that last word made her shudder. She felt sick, all of a sudden. Still, she forced herself to ask: "What is it you strive for then? What do you want?"
He looked at her with an unsettling smile. "Everything. I want everything."
Hermione could not help shaking her head in disbelief. "Nobody can have everything. The world is not working like this."
"Who said this? Your precious Headmaster?" Voldemort asked, looking at her questioningly. "Or is this your personal opinion?"
She blinked confusedly. "Nobody has told me anything, it's just a fact. You can't just rule the whole world, that's what history teaches us. Many have tried, but none of them succeeded in the end. A single person simply cannot rule this planet unless their power was unparalleled by those around them and even then they need an army who was not only unfailingly loyal but also efficient. You are not a god. Even if you achieve immortality of some kind your powers are still those of a mortal man. One who can still be killed, even if now more difficult. You do not have an army who is so faithful and efficient to carry out your orders."
"So?" he promptly asked her. "That doesn't mean it's not possible. One just needs the right idea and enough ambition. Think about it. What does a world split between different rulers lead to? Sooner or later there's always a war. Is it supposed to go on like this forever?"
She furrowed her brows, her head contemplating his arguments. "So you rather unite the world by oppressing and killing the Muggles? You think that's better, that there would be fewer victims? Because I doubt it. "
He shook his head with a smile. "This is not just about suppressing Muggles, my Dear. It's about teaching them their place in the hope to make this world safe for wizards to live in freedom, without needing to hide themselves ever again. Just imagine your parents being able to finally visit and see Hogwarts…"
"Suppressing? I think you mean oppressing. Don't sugar coat what you mean with me, you are after all keeping me captive. So mentioning my parents being able to see Hogwarts is just a bald-faced lie," she spat, her eyes flashing. "So try to be consistent in the picture you are trying to paint. I agree in there being an all magical enclave. It would be fantastic to be able to embrace magic since birth. That, however, is not the fault of any muggle-born. The government could have brought us in early and taught us about our heritage but didn't. How is that my fault? I didn't turn my back on magic, I never knew it existed until I was eleven, almost twelve. I would have embraced my life as a witch if I could have. My parents have supported me the entire way and I'm sure they would have been glad if somebody explained my accidental magic to them. They are proud of my magic. I know not every muggle-born can say the same but that doesn't mean any of them should be oppressed because they gave birth to a magical child. They should be heralded for giving birth to a witch and not another muggle. Purebloods are so inbred that their magic and mental faculties are deteriorating. You cannot deny that some of them are dumber than a ten-year-old. Not to mention the awful looks they pass on."
Hermione heard him snort at her words, a sound that she didn't expect to ever hear from him. In fact, she had been sure that he would snap or chastise her for her boldness, but he didn't. Instead, he looked at her with glowing eyes. She tried not to think too much about it and continued: "Your whole argumentation bases on the assumption, that Muggles are lesser then wizards and need to accept that. But what if they are not? What if they are just different? They managed to do incredible things like flying to the moon. Tell me a single wizard that was able to do that."
"You mean incredible things like fighting a war with millions of deaths? Like burning witches and wizards during the witch hunts? Or polluting the environment with their inventions, leading to the extinction of thousands of species? Those inventions are nothing but crutches, my girl, crutches they need because they do not have magic, don't you think?"
She could feel her head getting more and more fuzzy and confused. He did have a point, she thought, but that didn't make him right, did it? But still… "I don't know what to think, right now. Please excuse me, I'm going to my room."
He looked at her with an understanding smile. "Do that and take your time to think about everything I told you. And when you're finished, I want you to ask yourself a question: What is it that you want? Because I think it's important for you to find out."
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