The walk back to the manner was a very quiet one. Hermione was wondering if they would chuck her back into the cell. Malfoy was thinking about how much time he had wasted catching Hermione. And Voldermort, well, who knows what was going on in his mind?
'Well Miss Granger, that wasn't a very nice way to repay the Malfoy's after they promoted you to a nice room.' Voldermort remarked, walking up a slight hill.
Hermione remained silent.
'I wonder if they will punish you.' Voldermort continued as though he was simply wondering if they had a curtain tea in their kitchen.
Hermione snuffled a snort- yeah right! The rumors about the Malfoy family are sure to be true so why shouldn't they punish her for trying to get away?
'Stupid really.' Voldermort remarked, walking past a tree that was shaped into an animal. 'I should tell Lucius to fire the gardener.'
After another few minutes of silence, Voldermort, the only one actually talking, spoke again. 'You are awfully quiet young Draco.'
'Yes.' Malfoy answered simply.
Hermione looked at the ground as they walked along the quiet paths. A twig snapped, and Hermione looked up, and was searching the trees for signs of life when Voldermort sensed that Hermione's aura had changed from worried (as he expected) to frightened and on alert.
He stopped short, causing Hermione to run into him. He turned sharply around and started at her face. Trying not to keep eye contact, Hermione looked away. It was then that she spotted something in the trees.
Malfoy stopped walking, and looked around.
No one spoke for a few minutes as Hermione tried to not acknowledge the fact that Harry Potter was only a few meters away from Voldermort.
Hermione could feel Voldermort's red eyes boring into her head.
Just when Hermione was about to look at him, another swift movement caught Hermione's eye. She almost smiled. For Albus Dumbledore was standing behind Harry. He looked at Hermione, picked something from the ground, grabbed Harry and was gone- though he hadn't apparated.
It must have been a Portkey. Hermione thought.
Voldermort followed her line of sight. 'What is so interesting?' he asked, his voice as snaky as his eyes.
'I saw…saw…an interesting animal.' Hermione said, hoping he would buy it. Of course, he didn't.
He raised his eye brow. 'And what was this animal? Your mother perhaps?' he said sarcastically and rudely.
Hermione scowled, though it didn't really look like scowl, she just looked like she had smelled something fowl. 'No. It was yours.' She said before she could stop herself.
The red eyes widened and before Hermione knew it, a wand was out, and pointing at her chest. 'Crucio!' he hissed.
Hermione fell to the dusty road, screaming in pain and rolling around.
Malfoy watched as a sneer crossed Voldermort's face. 'Now, say sorry.' He said, lifting the curse.
Hermione clutched her chest, breathing in and out deeply.
'Ok, I'll start you off.' Voldermort said, his impatient attitude showing through. 'My Lord, I am sorry I insulted your mother.'
Hermione stayed quiet, trying to calm her nerves and muscles.
'Come on girl you can speak!' the dark lord snapped. When Hermione was quiet still, Voldermort grinned as he raised his wand again. 'Crucio'
Again, Hermione rolled on the ground, collecting the dirt in her hair, and screaming a fit to burst.
Malfoy closed his eyes in attempt to block out the sound of Hermione's shrieks of pain.
Suddenly, someone ran towards them, their wand fast at work. 'Accio wand!' Voldermort's wand flew from his hand purely because he was shocked.
The wand went flying through the darkness and landed on some grass not far away.
'Identify yourself!' someone with a hooded cloak snapped thickly.
'Oh now really, Crabbe, I shouldn't have to do that.' Voldermort said, turning to face the figure so the red eyes shinned like two beacons.
The figure dropped to the ground, apologizing over and over again.
Voldermort smirked and waved the apologizes away with his hand. 'Get me my wand.'
'Lumos' the wand tip ignited, and Crabbe scrambled to his feet and searched the ground looking for the wand.
Besides the sounds of Crabbe's shuffling feet, the only other sound was Hermione's deep breathing. Another sound was added- Voldermort's impatient tutting and tapping his foot loudly.
When he did that, Crabbe started sweating and looking quicker in the darkness.
Malfoy folded his arms across his chest and looked at the ground purely for something to do- he was so board! Then he saw a think strip of wood about two meters away to his right.
Stooping quickly, Malfoy picked it up and twirled it. 'Crabbe!' he shouted.
Voldermort turned and saw what he had. 'Ahh, again, good job Draco. Crabbe, why can't you be like him? Must you always be thick?'
Crabbe grunted but said nothing in response.
'Draco, since you are more capable of many things, more capable then most Death Eaters, I am sure Granger here wont be able to get away from you. Take her back up to your house- your father may deal with her in what way pleases him.' With a smirk at Hermione, he was gone in a pop.
'Crabbe, go up to the house and tell father his message.' Malfoy commanded.
'But-'
'Just do it!' he snapped. Malfoy was used to dealing with Crabbe's thickness, as good as his son, (from father to son eh?) and the same for Goyle and his father.
Crabbe grunted again but walked off.
Hermione and Malfoy were silent until they were sure Crabbe was gone. He turned to Hermione who was huddled up in a ball on the dirt, shivering. When he got closer, he could see blood and tears on her face though she wasn't making a sound.
'You know Granger, silent crying is bad for you?' he stated, standing over her small figure. 'It bottles everything up you see.' He watched her. 'It could explode and hurt even more.'
"Oh well, we wouldn't want that now would we? Because its not like im going to be hurt anyway!' Hermione snapped, trying to sound forceful, but it came out in more of a hiss.
'Come on, I have to get you back to the house.'
Hermione sat up, but wouldn't get up. Through the darkness, Malfoy saw her eyes flick towards the direction of the house then the direction of the gate. 'Don't even think about it.' He threatened.
Then he stooped down and pulled her to her feet. She tried to protest, but her muscles hurt from the curse so she just him drag her the rest of the way.
Dumbledore and Harry landed in his office.
Harry threw himself on a chair and stared at the head master who sat gravely behind his desk and peered over his hands at him.
Before Dumbledore could speak, Harry went first. 'Well, now we know where she is, we can get her!'
'Harry, it is not something as simple as walking into the Malfoy Manner and plucking her out of a cell.' Dumbledore said shaking his head. 'We need to think this through.'
'Think! You want to think? Sir, you should know me! I act and think later if at all!' Harry snapped.
Dumbledore smiled. 'I know Harry, but think about what you saw.'
Harry was about to argue when the image of Hermione and Voldermort was in his mind. 'She was with Voldermort.'
Dumbledore nodded. 'Yes, which means this is planned. She is being used Harry- probably to get to you. You must not go after her without all the facts.' Dumbledore continued before Harry could interrupt. 'She was with him, and they were walking back to the house.'
Harry snorted. 'I doubt they were going for a midnight walk.'
Dumbledore gave a small smile. 'No. which only leaves a few options. Either Hermione was only just brought there-' another snort, 'Or she tried to escape.'
'Of course she would try! She's Hermione Granger!'
Dumbledore held up his hand which silenced Harry from more talking. 'Harry think, if she tried to escape, then she is still sane! She has her wits still. Take pride in the fact that she is trying to get out and that she is strong. Now, no doubt she would have been or will be tortured. '
'Is this supposed to make me feel better?' he asked stubbornly.
'No Harry.' Dumbledore sighed. 'She still has a chance.'
'She's always had a chance!' Harry shouted.
'Harry, if you keep yelling, you will wake up the remaining people in this castle. Please, shut up.' He smiled. Harry smiled despite himself, and tried to calm down. 'Now, when you came in here tonight asking for information, and I left you, you took the opportunity to use a Portkey to get out of here.'
Harry looked away ashamed.
'Luckily for you, I thought where you might go.' Dumbledore continued. 'And, I have developed short term memory loss, and you were never at the Malfoy manner.' Harry grinned. 'Now, it has been a long night, and you need to sleep. I will tell the Order our new information,' Harry shifted, picking up on this, Dumbledore smiled. 'Information that a little black bird told me, and we will see from there.'
Just as Harry reached the door, Dumbledore asked one unsettling question. 'Did you see anyone else?'
Harry closed his eyes and thought hard about the scene. Voldermort walking, Hermione…and someone with bond hair though they were a little taller then Hermione…Malfoy! 'Malfoy!'
Dumbledore nodded. 'I feared it was him. Alright, goodnight Harry,'
Harry walked from the office, hatred pumping through his veins.
Malfoy pushed the door to the foyer open, and was greeted with a group of people. His father and mother were amongst them, talking. When the door closed, the room was quiet.
Narcassia walked forward and looked at Hermione. She looked her up and down, taking in the torn clothes, the blood, the dirt and tears. Then her eyes flicked to her son. He had a torn shirt, now dirty blond hair and some blood on his face, but other then that, he was alright.
'Socky!' she called. A little elf ran forward. Hermione saw that she was cradling her hands which were wrapped up in bandages- something that was new, very new.
'Yes miss?' Socky squeaked.
'Take Miss Granger up to the north tower and…' flicking her eyes at her husband, she continued, 'Lock her up.'
Socky nodded and walked off towards the stair case.
Hermione knew she had to follow, but her legs were like led when she tried to move, her muscles tired and warn.
After two hard steps, Hermione fell over, hitting the carpet hard.
This is supposed to be carpet! Not stone! She thought angrily.
No one came over to help her. Narcassia tried, but Lucius stopped her.
Everyone in the room watched her in silence while she tried to get to her feet. She started silently crying again, in frustration and embarrassment.
Someone snorted after someone whispered something.
'Come, lets have something to drink.' Lucius said, board with watching this girl try to move.
Everyone followed him. The room was quiet now. Socky was waiting, unsure weather or not she should help her.
Hermione managed to get to her feet, and make it to the stair case. Here, she pulled herself up, using the hand rail she had slid down what now felt like hours and days ago. After a few minutes, the stiffness in her legs subsided, and she could manage a slow walk without using the hand rail.
She reached the top of the stairs and started along the corridors.
After a minute, she heard someone coming up quickly behind her. She turned and saw Malfoy walking towards her, holding a glass in one hand.
Hermione turned around and began walking but within seconds he had come up behind her.
'You know, your causing a traffic jam.' He said mockingly.
'Really? I don't notice anyone around.' Hermione snapped she spotted the cup. 'I didn't think you were a big tea drinker.'
'I'm not- this isn't tea, its butterbeer, they're getting drunk.'
'On butterbeer?'
'No, on Firewhiskey.' He answered.
Hermione could take a little bigger steps now, but before she knew it, Malfoy's arm was around her waist, helping her along.
'What are you doing?' she asked perplexed.
'You'll take forever to get to the north tower at this rate.' He answered moving quickly.
When Hermione stumbled for the third time, he sighed and lifted her up, and started carrying her along the corridors ignoring the soft whistling from the portraits.
He carried her like she was nothing but a feather.
After ten minutes of walking, they reached the tower in question. Malfoy put her down, helped her to steady herself then pushed the door open.
Inside it was very basic- but it was something. There was a wooden bed in a corner, a wooden table, a small arched window, a wooden door that lead to a basic bathroom.
Malfoy looked around, eye brows raised. 'Well this is a step down.' He remarked.
'It's better then your cells.' Hermione snapped, walking slowly over to the bed.
Malfoy smirked and locked the door behind him.
SHORT BUT PLEASE, A LONG ONE COMING UP NEXT…and you think im joking?
Yes, I know ,this took forever to update! I know! But it is! And Divination one is going to be updated shortly too. I give you my word of an author
aj