The transition to planning to find Eleanor was immediate. Everyone, still adorned in their wedding clothes, met in the den. Hermione gathered all of the forged documents that had been found the summer previously so as to give them a better idea of what exactly Voldemort could want her for.
"Why do you care what he wants her for, we just need to get her back?" Draco snapped at Hermione, who continually rummaged around in her magically extended bag.
"And where do you suggest we start?" Harry retorted loudly. "Where do you think they're keeping her?"
"I-I don't know." Draco faltered. His heart hadn't stopped pumping furiously since the patronus appeared on the dance floor earlier that evening. He felt he couldn't get a deep breath in, just shallow, rapid ones.
"Yeah, you know about as much about the Death Eaters as we do at this point, so don't act high and mighty like you know best." Ron grumbled at him, now helping Hermione dig through her bag. Draco hated knowing he was right. He was completely in the dark. He knew nothing of the movements of his family, or their friends. His altercation with Blaise during the school year was the last time he'd even spoken to anyone from his past. He silently dug through his memory, trying to think of any useful information. He tried to think of what his parents had said about Voldemort, and maybe he'd have an idea of where he might be.
"What if we barter him for her?" Ginny suggested. "Find the horcrux and give it to him in exchange for Eleanor?"
"Then the only horcrux we have is in his possession." Sirius dismissed. "And we don't even have it yet."
"Besides, I don't believe that Voldemort wants Eleanor to trade. I think he needs something very specific from her." Remus continued. "But thank you, Ginny."
"What can she give that he needs so badly? I don't think she has any information that no one else has." Draco pinched the bridge of his nose. If anything, Eleanor was the most in the dark of any of them. She always was a selective listener about Voldemort considering Draco's parents had a past with him, and Harry never let her forget it.
"She won't even know what information to give up." Hermione muttered.
"Merlin, they're going to torture her, aren't they?" Ron gulped, earning a slap on the shoulder and a scolding from Hermione. Draco went white as a sheet, and Remus laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. The first act of affection Draco accepted.
"I think I know where she is," He sighed. "I think she's with my father."
"Why do you think that?" Hermione asked.
"What's more torturous for her than being with the man who betrayed her family?"
Eleanor was awake before she opened her eyes. She lay perfectly still once she regained consciousness. She held a perfect memory of what had happened since the moment she released Draco's hand at the wedding. She'd been attempting to find Bill, Charlie, and Fleur in an attempt to escort them into her home. But once she stepped away from Draco, she was met with a flurry of black figures. She was quickly overwhelmed, and overtaken by two Death Eaters. She'd been knocked out in seconds and was now laying in a strange place.
Eleanor wasn't sure where she was, who surrounded her, or what was in store for her. So she remained stoic and relied on her senses. She didn't feel uncomfortable or cold where she was laying, she assumed she was on a piece of furniture. She didn't hear movement or breath to indicate another person was present. Something about the smell of her surroundings was familiar to her. Slowly Eleanor cracked her eyes open and was both surprised and confused to find herself in her old room at Malfoy Manor. It looked the same way it did when she left it to go into her 5th year at Hogwarts, right down to the empty crisps bag that she'd left in the small garbage bin by her bed. It was eerie; a past life left untouched.
But the good news was that she was alone. This gave her at least a few moments to get her bearings and gather her courage. She realized she was still in the too small dress that was meant for a wedding. She had a sneaking suspicion that the closet still held some of her clothes. After all, if a crisps bag was too much of a chore to clean, then her closet certainly was.
She figured a change or wardrobe would accomplish two things: she would be more comfortable and less vulnerable by giving herself more range of motion than her dress currently provided, and it would also give her an edge by appearing unafraid and at ease in a place that is supposed to be a prison for her. She tried to move as silently as possible just in case there was someone posted outside her door. She quickly abandoned her dress for a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt. She kicked off her heels and replaced them with old running sneakers. They were a little tight on her feet and definitely worn out, but she figured that if she was going to partake in any physical altercation they'd be better than a strappy stiletto.
She was calmly braiding her hair back when the door to her room opened. She made sure to appear collected and unsurprised by the entry. She turned to face her visitor with a neutral face and suppressed the bile that rose into her throat at the sight of Lucius Malfoy in her doorway.
At Cordarri Castle, Eleanor's found family spent the better part of the night thinking through possible scenarios. They'd deduced that Eleanor was likely at whatever Headquarters Voldemort might be using. Draco felt rather confident that it was his childhood home, but they couldn't be sure enough to risk it. And it was likely that if they were using Malfoy Manor it would be heavily protected, ensuring that no one could Floo or Apparate in.
They'd decided that Voldemort wouldn't want Eleanor for any kind of leverage, considering he'd been targeting her specifically for years. It was more than likely that they needed her for information or an object, neither of which she would have readily available to her. Which meant Eleanor would either be released or escorted by a Death Eater back to her home. They decided that to prepare for this they would have two people on watch at all times, waiting for Eleanor's return.
They had also come to the conclusion that they would begin their own search for horcruxes in hopes that if their theories weren't true, and they needed to perform a rescue mission, Voldemort would be extremely weakened by the time they arrived.
All of this made Draco agitated. The plans all hinged on "if"s and "hopefully"s. And they would do little except to sit around and wait for her to come home. If Eleanor was going to end up in his home either way, he might as well have stayed loyal to his father that way he could be close to her.
Once everyone dispersed - the trio and Sirius to search Grimmauld Place for the real locket, and the remaining Weasleys to attempt to sleep for the first time in nearly 24 hours - the only two who waited by the fireplace were Draco and Remus.
"I know you're frustrated." Remus sighed quietly. "I am too. It feels like all we can do is sit and wait and that doesn't feel good enough."
Draco had all sorts of anger he wanted to unleash, but he sucked it back and simply nodded. "It doesn't feel good enough at all."
"She's smart. She's tough. She'll hold her own." Remus nodded, unsure of who he was trying to convince more; Draco or himself.
Lucius was alone. Whether that be a blessing or a curse, Eleanor wasn't yet sure.
She never let her face change when she saw him. She let no emotions reach her eyes. She didn't know what he wanted from her, or what he planned to do to her, but she resolved she was going to be as unpleasant as possible while remaining very much in control. She relaxed against the knowledge that she knew this man's deepest regrets and most heinous crimes. And she'd helped orchestrate his only family abandoning him, leaving him alone just as he'd left her. She was not frightened of him. In that moment she knew that she was his greatest adversary, save only himself and his own lust for power. She said nothing, allowing him to make the first move while she finished off her braids.
"You changed your clothes." He finally noted. Eleanor felt a small swell of confidence, he sounded like an idiot already.
"I thought I might go for a run later." Eleanor shrugged casually. As if no time had passed since the last time she'd resided in this room. She wondered for a moment if she could get away with an amnesia bit and force him to explain the happenings of the past two years. She decided against it. Confusion passed over Lucius' face and he faltered a few moments before speaking again.
"You're here as a hostage, not a guest." Eleanor found it comical that he felt the need to clarify. She felt more assurance settling in her bones. She knew she must not be appearing afraid of him considering this is how he was responding.
"We must be in the same boat then?" Eleanor quirked a brow at him and sat in one of her arm chairs. Her eyes were locked on his and she settled back against the cool leather. Her neck was extended and her shoulders were down, her arms relaxed against the arms of the chairs. Her body language was perfectly calculated to show no vulnerability. When Lucius didn't answer her, Eleanor snorted.
"Do you often mock your captors? You fail to understand that you are at my mercy. It's because of my word that you haven't been killed. I'm giving you your life."
"Then that's one of two you owe me." Eleanor shot back with a snarl. Lucius shrunk back a fraction of an inch; barely noticeable, but under Eleanor's unforgiving eyes it looked like a retreat. "And I find it very hard to believe that my being alive is coming from the goodness of your heart. You need something from me, otherwise I would be dead. I probably would've died alongside my parents. You always held them in much higher regard than you ever did me, and look how easy it was for you to kill them. They were quite literally your saving grace and you slaughtered them with little more thought than bugs under your feet."
Lucius rushed towards her with a raised hand, his eyes were on fire. She'd struck a deep nerve. Eleanor could only smirk at his anger as she lowered her eyelids and let her cool facade shift to a terrifying scowl. Like a lioness ready to kill her prey.
"You can hit me." Eleanor welcomed, moving her hands away from her as if she was begging for the blow. "You can torture me. You can use any spell on me you damn well please. You won't hear a sound out of me. Not a scream, not a beg. Because nothing you can do to me now will compare to what you've already done, and you know that. But I want you to think about the future, Lucius. Your wife is hidden away. She ran away from you and from all of the mistakes that you made. And I'm the one that hid her. Your son, your heir, is loyal to me and only me. He has renounced you in every way he can. Your family despises you, they are disgusted by you." Eleanor took a breath, her grief and fury and anger swelling inside her chest and making her feel despicably cruel. "The only way they will love you again is on my word. So I actually think that you are at my mercy, rather than the other way around. And your life as you knew it is in my hands." Eleanor let out a humorless chuckle as Lucius' shoulders dropped. She knew he wasn't a weak man. Had he not already been filled with guilt and doubt about his actions and beliefs, and had Eleanor not been confirming his darkest fears, she doubted her words would have much impact on him at all. But she was watching the damage they were doing right in front of her. And she felt powerful. It was cathartic. She wanted to break the man that had taken everything from her. Any of her forgiving and kind nature had been left in the Department of Mysteries when she found out about his betrayal. "It is ironic, isn't it? There does seem to be a small bit of justice in this godforsaken world."
Lucius looked as though he was spiraling. His eyes frantically searched Eleanor's face. The kind, albeit annoying, young girl he'd watched grow up was gone. She'd stolen everything from him, and he had to agree with her. It was justice. He took her family, and she took his. He hated that the most dangerous person in the world to him was this 17 year old young woman. She had the power to give him his life back, or make his existence miserable. He feared her more than even Voldemort. He couldn't kill her, then Narcissa and Draco would never come back. He couldn't outsmart her, or torture her. Not now, when he was a shell of who he was and she was filled to the brim with rage. All he could do was listen to what she had to say and digest it silently. Because she was right, he did need to think about the future. And the future Voldemort provided him left him, with any luck, alive however disconnected from those he'd sworn to love and protect. And the future Eleanor provided him left him redeemed in the eyes of his family, though murdered by the hands of his leader.
"It seems you've a lot to think on." Eleanor cleared her throat. "You can go now."
A quick note! I love getting to write the darker, angrier side of Eleanor. It doesn't come out too often, but I think it is such an intrigual part of her character! I am sorry about the length of time between updates. I know it is arduous for readers to stay engaged during long absences so I appreciate those who stick around! I've had so many life changes recently and my goal now that life has settled a bit is to wrap up this story. It won't be long now! I don't have an exact chapter count down for the end just yet, but I promise I won't make you wait too long to see how everything turns out.
Also, a heads up, because of certain deaths that I've chosen to avoid, and certain safehouses that I've chosen to add, the Deathly Hallows era of my story will be very different than the original series. All of those changes really start coming into play here. While I've done extensive planning to make sure all loose ends get tied up, please alert me if there is question that gets left unanswered in the chapters to come!
And PLEASE let me know what you think! As I dive into major writing mode, I'd appreciate any and all thoughts and feedback to keep me going!