A/N: Ah, I'm so close to being done! :3
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Dueling Lesson - Task: Write about 'killing someone with kindness'.
Warning: Mild torture and implied death
N: What better kindness is there than death?
Word count: 382
When the kingdom comes
Screams of anguish and horror echoed all around her, pushing and pushing their way into her ears until it was all she could hear. Hermione hardly noticed when her own raw voice joined the screams. Her body convulsed on the battleground and a steady line of drool dripped down from her lips. Her vision turned white and her back was arched impossibly; Hermione grasped mounds of dirt, half sobbing and screaming when the dirt slipped through her fingers.
"Hmph, this gets boring after a while, doesn't it?" Bellatrix drawled, moving her wand away from Hermione's body momentarily. Hermione gasped as she hit the ground hard, breathing difficult as her saliva clogged her throat. With much pain, she managed to roll her body to the side. "Ah, seeing your struggle never gets old," the older witch sneered, relishing the screams Hermione made.
It went like that for a while. Bellatrix having her fun in Hermione's torture. Hermione had wondered why Bellatrix hadn't just killed her when Voldemort won, but seeing the wild look on the demented witch's face was answer enough.
Hermione let out a pathetic whimper; it was all she could say. The excruciating pain stopped and her tired eyes barely made out the magic shield surrounding her.
"And what are you doing?" Bellatrix huffed impatiently. "Still have a soft spot for this Mudblood?"
A familiar voice scoffed, "Merlin, no. I want to be the one to kill her." Hermione's heartbeat sped up at Draco's words. "The Dark Lord has already granted me permission."
Hermione opened her eyes wide, watching with a heart full of hope as Bellatrix reluctantly agreed. She didn't trust Draco to follow through and that much was evident by the way Bellatrix stood a few yards away. Draco grimaced, walking to Hermione's battered body.
"D-Do it. Please. Kill me," Hermione gasped out, voice hoarse and cracking. "I c-can't handle it a-anymore."
Draco's grey eyes flashed with pain, but he nodded. "It'll be swift and painless. I promise," Draco whispered, before standing and lifting his wand.
Hermione sighed in relief; a small, crooked smile graced her feature and she closed her eyes. There would be no more tribulation, no more sadness, and no more pain. And as the green light engulfed her body, she thanked the mercy of death.