a/n: Hey guys! I have another chapter ready for you! Also, I'm going to be talking about some parts of the war and leave others out seeing we all know what happened :) (I hope that answers your question, Aveca. Thanks for the review! :D ) not all of it will be canon with the DH but we'll get to that when we have to! I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Please review, I love hearing what you guys think!

Chapter 29

Months later

Draco's heart sank when his aunt called him down. He hated that dreadful woman. She tortured everyone in his household, except maybe his mother. She had been trying to teach Draco her tactics, so he could follow in her wicked footsteps. Her shrill voice filled the hallway once more.
"Draco, come down quickly." He rolled his eyes and made his way downstairs, where she was waiting for him.
"We need you, Draco," she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and guided him into the living room, where three figures were sitting on their knees, being held by snatchers. He first recognized the red hair, that definitely belonged to a Weasley. His heart sank. There was a dark haired boy next to him, his face all swollen and painful looking. And last in the tiny row, was a girl. Her auburn hair in front of her face as she leaned forward. He froze. His mind desperately trying to calm his panic. It's not her, it's not them. There are a thousand Weasleys, it could be anyone. It's not Hermione. The next second, as if she had heard her name in his thoughts, she looked up at him. Her auburn curls falling back and her ember eyes finding his. His heart stopped. His worst nightmare, his one true fear, the one thing he was so desperately trying to avoid.
"We need you to tell us if it's him," his aunt whispered in his ear, purring. Draco was unable to pull his eyes from hers, trying to read her soul. What was she thinking? Did she hate him? And if she did, was that really the worst thing. The snatched brought the black haired boy to him, dropping him to his knees in front of him. His aunt grabbed a fistful of black hair and pulled. There he was, after all these months, face to face with Harry Potter.

Hermione was desperately struggling against her captors. The vile creatures didn't loosen their grip on her. It was only when something made her look up that she stilled. The grey eyes that haunted her dreams making her freeze right there on the spot. Time seemed to stop for a second and she took a moment to take him in. He looked like he had been through the ringer. His platinum hair disheveled and hanging loosely in his eyes. His face all angles and sharp edges, his skin pale as alabaster. He looked as cold as the marble underneath her knees felt. That was, all of him except his eyes. His eyes drew her in, like they were somehow familiar. Like they held memories and warmth. Finding them felt like coming up for fresh air after being close to drowning for months. She watched carefully as the wicked witch next to him whispered in his ear, her lips almost touching his skin. She watched him shiver, just a little, barely even noticeable. She didn't take his eyes of him as they dragged Harry from her side. She didn't even know why, it's not like she was pleading for him to save them, because he couldn't and more importantly, there was no reason why he would. But there was something about him, something so right and familiar. It was only when he averted his eyes to look at Harry that she was finally released from the spell that kept her there and she resumed struggling.
"I'm not sure," she heard him whisper, making her heart beat even harder. He was saving them. There was no way he didn't know that he was looking at Harry Potter, yet he kept it a secret. He was helping them. His eyes claimed hers once more, sending jolts down her spine. There was so much in the air that was left unsaid in that moment.
"We can't call him without being sure, he'll kill us all!" Bellatrix hissed, sending shivers down Hermione's arms. "Come on, sweetie," she sweetly purred in Draco's ear. Hermione watched the entire scene, taking everything in. The was Narcissa and Lucius stood in the far corner of the room, observing with a nervous tension. The way Lucius's hair looked unkempt, tangled and even a little dirty. The way his hand was clasping the cane as if he really needed it to keep upright these days. Draco's gaze turned towards them and they nodded to him, desperately pleading for him to give them Harry Potter. But he didn't.
"I can't be sure," he whispered, his voice breaking. Bellatrix groaned and turned towards the other snatches, ready to tear into them. Her mouth opened to speak, but she halted, shocked by something she saw. Hermione couldn't see what it was.
"Where did you get that?" she hissed, her voice dripping with venom.
"It was in her bag when we searched her, reckon it's mine now." Those last words sent everything in a whirlwind. Bellatrix sent several spells towards the snatchers and they released their grip on the prisoners. Hermione tried to crawl away, but found her path blocked by Lucius. He grabbed her and held her to his body, trapping her in his grip.
"No you don't, little girl," he whispered in her ear. Meanwhile, the snatchers disappeared, running with their tail between their legs. Bellatrix holding the sword in her creepy, taloned hands.
"Lock the boys in the cellar," she whispered, before walking over to Hermione and grabbing her face in her hands, her long, sharp nails digging into her skin. "Leave the girl to me."

Draco watched as his aunt stood there, holding the face of the girl he loved in her hands. His mother grabbed his shoulder and urged him out of the room. His heart was racing and he couldn't help but struggle against her grip, but she just strengthened it and pulled him away. He looked at Hermione, her gaze defiantly fixed on Bellatrix. Do your worst. That's what he imagined she was saying, daring her to touch her, daring her to try whatever and telling her that she would get nothing. He knew she would break. Bellatrix could make even the strongest men fall to their knees and beg for their lives. He knew she would break and tell her everything and he also knew that wouldn't stop her. His mother pulled him out the door and up the stairs. He watched as the door fell closed, and Hermione disappeared behind it. His mother closed the door of his bedroom.
"What are you doing?" she hissed, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him against the wall.
"I'm not doing anything," he answered, his mind racing and his heart beating in his ears.
"You need to tell us if that is Harry Potter, it could save our skins," his mother insisted, her voice sounding fragile.
"I can't be sure," he repeated his answer. His mother sighed.
"Well, that jinx will be wearing off soon and we'll know," the woman answered. At that moment, gut wrenching screams filled the manor. Digging into Draco's ears and filling his heart with even more terror.
"She'll talk soon," his mother smirked a little and let go of him before walking out of the room. The screams got louder and even more desperate and Draco pressed his palms against his skull to tune them out, to no avail. They cut him skin deep, hurting him more than anything else ever had. Tears streamed down his cold cheeks. There he was, a coward, sitting in his room while the girl he loved was getting tortured to death by his insane aunt and there was nothing he could do about it. If he went down there, his aunt would see what was going on and she would kill her in the worst possible way. There was literally nothing he could do. He was failing in the one thing he swore he would do right.

Hermione screamed as the knife dug into her skin, drawing blood. The evil witch savoured every cut as she slowly dragged the metal down her arm.
"Please, I didn't steal it," she repeated for the tenth time. But the woman didn't stop. She continued what she called her work of art, repeating the same questions over and over again.
"How did you get into my vault?" she hissed against Hermione's ear.
"I didn't," Hermione repeated, tears streaming down her face. After what seemed like an eternity, she let go of her. Leaving her a bloody mess on the ground and focussed her attention on the goblin who appeared to be another prisoner. Hermione looked at her arm and bit her lip hard. The word Mudblood was carved deeply into her skin and it would be there forever. It was then that Draco Malfoy entered the room, standing in the doorway, a horrified look on his face and his gaze fixed on Hermione. After a few seconds, he tore his eyes away and turned his attention to his aunt.
"How can I help?" he asked, sounding steady and ready.
"Ah Draco, perfect," she smiled at the boy. "Let's see if you've learned anything from your lessons with me over the months," she pressed a hand to the boy's cheek. "Take her and find out everything she knows about Potter," she ordered. Draco nodded hesitantly and walked over to Hermione. He grabbed her by the arms and roughly pulled her to her feet. Hermione struggled against his grip. She had been so wrong about him, he wasn't helping at all. She then noticed the flash of red hair at the bottom of the stairs towards the cellar, just for a split second before the door fell closed.