A/N: Wow, everyone seems to really like this so far! Cool, er...because I have such writer's block right now, and I just don't know what to write. Is everyone liking it so far, because I'm really trying to keep it good, but I dunno...*scowls* Oh well, I'll try to hurry it up. I'm not sure who Hermione's ending up with as of now, but I have some ideas. I want to warn everyone now, that around this part this start's getting extremely angsty. For everyone. With that said, on with the story...
Ron blinked rapidly. It had been a long time since he'd lost control of his magic and made things happen without a wand. In this case, he was relieved. Lucius had a slightly nettled expression on his face, and mumbled indirectly, "Well, this does make things more difficult."
Ron picked himself off the ground. His entire body was aching now. Being dropped from some ten feet in the air does that, he quipped. For a brief moment, he tossed over the idea of making a run for it. But he couldn't leave Hermione out there, struggling to retain her soul. His heart gave a horrible jolt.
"Hermione!"
Lucius whirled around at the sound of Ron's voice. Ron took out his wand, he'd all but forgotten he had it. "Don't you come near me..."
Lucius smirked at him, "I hardly think you know enough to so much as give me a nosebleed..."
"Don't bet on it," Ron said. He had to buy more time...he had to talk...
There was a low sweeping of air from below.
Hermione cringed as shards of glass littered the air. Pain didn't seem to affect the dementors, nor did they feel fear. Confusion, however, seemed to be one of the few emotions they possessed. Hermione breathed heavily, trying to breath some of her wits back. Why had the window exploded like that? She looked up to see nothing but a broken frame and jagged glass. Nothing behind it, nothing before it. She had to think, before something...
"Think," she whispered aloud, barely restraining the urgency in her voice. "Think...Oh, damn it, Hermione, think!" She racked her brains, but could only come up with vague thoughts of herself being saved miraculously without any plot behind them. Someone would come and save her, she'd never died, she never would die...
Vaguely, she thought of conjuring up a patronus. But she found that she had no memories in her mind now, only sadness and regret. Besides, she didn't even recall the spell. Ironic, she thought bitterly, Hermione Granger not remembering the one spell she could actually use. The dementors looked as though they'd recovered from the confusion, and were now closing in on her once more, very slowly, making it last. Someone would save her, something always saved her just when things looked so hopeless...
"Hermione." It was not a surprised, scared, or even frustrated and confused voice. She looked up and saw Draco standing over her, scowling deeply. Hermione let out a gasp and stood up, collapsing into his arms. "What happened?"
"You were gone and the dementors came and they took me, but first this grey thing grabbed me and dragged me here and..." she rambled out.
Draco sighed, "Give me your wand." Hermione thrust it into his hands.
"Can you make a patronus?" she said hurriedly, her knees shaking as more and more happiness drained from her mind.
A slight smirk lit his features, "I don't have enough happiness in me as it is. And with this going on..." he gave a cynical chuckle. "Haud videor," he said swiftly, raising the wand and doing a full sweep against the air.
A tingling sensation crept over Hermione's body, engulfing her in its rhythmic feel. She looked down to see herself as always, and for a split moment considered herself to be dead. Her body was faint against the black night, not solid. The colors had all been sucked from her, leaving them very faint and vague, if they were there at all. Draco had the same look to him, but his eyes were the same sea-grey as always. He beckoned to her.
"I can see myself. You're not as great at this dark magic as you claim," Hermione snapped at him.
Draco grinned, "The half-invisibility is a fringe benefit. C'mon." Hermione rolled her eyes as he grabbed her roughly by the hand, pulling her right up to the dementors. They all looked nervous and suspicious, continually drawing in their deuced breaths and sniffing the air. She cringed as Draco walked her straight into one. And she went right on walking.
"What was that?" she said in a breathy voice.
"I thought you were supposed to be brilliant Hermione," Draco said as they both passed through a tree. "This isn't an invisibility spell, y'know."
"Oh," said Hermione, then, "Oh! We can walk through solid objects." She felt her emotions leaking back into her as they put more and more space between them and the dementors. "Clever of you," she added.
Draco nodded, as they both stopped at the doors. "Now, tell me everything. Why did you send me away?"
"I...I...don't know. It was just...an impulse. I wanted you to go away, so I..." she searched for the right words. "I didn't want you to go away. I have no idea what happened." She searched his face for some sign of emotion but found nothing. "Why did you come back?"
"Think, Hermione. How many times do I have to tell you that? It's your dream, therefore anything can happen," Hermione hoped that she was imagining the tinge of uncertainty in his words.
"I just want to wake up. I want to wake up in my bed. I want everything to go back to the way it was," Hermione whispered.
"You can only control things within your dreams. Only this book will get us all back. And you said we weren't going back until..."
Hermione went white. So white that even with the spell on she looked pale. "Make me solid," she said, her voice steady but pressed.
Draco waved his wand nonchalantly and said, "Videor."
Hermione felt a heavy shiver run through her, and breathed in relief as she saw her own body roll back into full view. "Let's go."
Draco suppressed the urge to flatly refuse, instead pointing his wand at the door in preparation of what was to come. Taking a deep breath, they stepped inside.
"I need to tell you something," Draco said sullenly. Hermione waved her hand, gesturing for silence. The room was very empty looking, though it was so large. Cobwebs covered everything like garlands, and the air was heavy with musk. A narrow set of steps, spiraling up were in the center. Hermione choked back a sneeze, running a finger over the thin layer of white dust that covered everything.
Draco grimaced, "I really need to, Hermione..." His voice echoed in the vacant space.
Hermione sighed and then turned to him, "Make it fast. Every minute wasted is..." She gulped and then turned her full attention to Draco.
"When you f-found that b-book," he began, fidgeting with his clothes. "You weren't supposed to. I mean, it was a-a mistake."
"Of course," Hermione said, her voice urging him onwards.
"But, it was-was not a mistake that I had it," Draco continued, his voice edgy and forced.
"Really, Draco, are you going to divulge all the family secrets to this mudblood?" Lucius stood at the foot of the stairs, a cold smirk on his face. It didn't reach his eyes.
Draco glared at him, "Don't call her that."
"My own son, speaking to dirt like this. Really Draco, I'd have thought this rubbish beneath your station," Lucius continued, coming closer with each word. Hermione stared at him, her eyes wide and unfeeling. Draco bit his lip.
"Just shut up," he said softly.
"Not a wise choice of words," Lucius scoffed. He whispered under his breath, whisked out his wand, Hermione's wand shot from her hand into Lucius' outstretched one, and Hermione found herself and Draco in a dark room. It was quite small, the only light coming from a single window. The panes cast their intricate designs on the floor.
"A lot of good this is going to do you two. Now how're you planning on getting us out of here?"
Hermione whirled around to see Ron facing the two of them, looking fiercely distraught.
"Ron!" Hermione cried, flinging her arms around him. Ron grinned at her and then lightly backed away.
"We're in trouble," he said, finality marking his every word.
"I could have told you that," Draco interjected, scowling at both of them. "I was trying to tell you that," he added to Hermione.
"No, you were telling me something else," she said airily. "What was it?"
Draco glanced at her and opened his mouth. Ron looked at him questionably and he shut it with a snap. "Nothing. It doesn't matter."
Hermione shrugged. "Alright. Now how are we getting out of here?"
Ron sighed, "I don't have a wand either," he said grudgingly. "When I was knocked out your dad must've taken it." He looked at Draco in disgust.
"Leave my dad out of this, Weasley," said Draco.
"He's the one responsible for this, Malfoy! Or did you forget that minor detail?" Ron said menacingly, taking a small step towards Draco. "Did you forget that your dad's a death eater and kills loads of innocent people every day?"
"I said be quiet," Draco said, lowering his voice to a deadly whisper.
Hermione glanced back and forth. "You guys..."
"No, you be quiet! I'm sick and tired of you and your family!" Said Ron, raising his hand threateningly.
"Hermione, how can you stand being friends with him?" Draco said softly, a smirk finding its way onto his face.
"SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!" Hermione bellowed, completely forgetting her manners. "We're all in the same boat now, and well, you'd better get used to it."
Ron shot Draco a look of the deepest loathing and then turned to Hermione. "You're right, Herm. We'll just have to get along." He gave her a sugary grin. Draco made a gagging sound in the back of his throat, which earned him a fierce glare from Hermione, Ron mouthing several curses at him, and finally him also nodding in agreement.
"Draco, do you know of any of this?" Hermione said gently.
"Draco?" Ron repeated, his voice thick with resentment.
"Draco," she snapped.
"What d'you mean does he know anything? He's probably right in the thick of it. He probably planned all this and he's suddenly going to stab us in the back and we're all gonna end up dead! And you know why, Hermione?" Ron said heavily.
Hermione fixed him with her most hateful stare.
"Because you trusted him!" Ron finished spitefully.
"That's it you..." Draco growled.
"STOP IT!" Hermione shrieked, covering her ears for emphasis. "Haven't we gone through this countless times? Stop bickering and look at the problem at hand: How we're getting out of here!"
And before anyone could answer the door opened.
"I don't think you need to worry about that."
"YOU!" shouted Ron accusingly.
Hermione looked at Ron blankly, Draco without the faintest trace of emotion.
The man was tall and cloaked. His face was cast into shadow by the darkness of the space, but Hermione had a squirmy feeling in her gut, telling her that she didn't really want to see his face at all.
"Me," the man said pointedly.
"I hate you..." Ron said, his voice a venomous hiss.
Hermione could feel Ron shaking. It didn't feel like fear...it felt like, well, anger. More then that. It was rage. It was hatred. It was absolute fury.
"I know it. It does not upset me. Many hate me, many love me, many just know of me, not knowing who I really am. But enough of this. I know who you are," he nodded his head at Ron, "And I know who you are," he smiled unpleasantly at Draco. "However I don't know you." Hermione glared at him stubbornly.
"I don't know you either. And I don't care to," she added with far more bravery then she felt.
"The allow me to introduce myself," the man said softly, "You might know me as Lord Voldemort."
Hermione paled. "V-V-vol..." she stammered, unable to bring herself to speak his name.
"That's right," Voldemort sneered. "You, Draco, your father wants a word with you. Come with me." Draco flushed. Ron, however, looked quite satisfied. Hermione looked upset.
"I don't want to talk to him," said Draco, "I don't want to talk to you either."
"Now, now. Surely, you want to follow in your father's footsteps." Voldemort's mouth curled into a thin lipped smile. "One mistake can be fixed, Draco. We will mend it, and it will be forgotten..."
Draco was looking distinctly torn now. He sighed and whispered, "I screwed up, but I don't want to fix it."
"Mistakes must be fixed," Voldemort replied, his voice losing its airy tone.
"I told you I don't want to!" Draco snapped.
"Fix what?" Hermione broke in coldly.
"Come with me," Voldemort said coolly, deaf to Hermione's voice.
"I'll be right back," said Draco sullenly, following Voldemort from the room. Hermione breathed in deeply.
"What's going on?" she said.
"Don't you see?" Ron growled, "We're dead. You, me, dead. See that Hermione? How does it feel to be a mistake?"
"I don't want to be like you!" Draco shouted, hearing his own words bouncing off the walls around him as if in a dream. "I wanted to once, but I don't want to anymore!"
"You have no choice. You will follow in my path, everything was set days ago. What changed? What went wrong?" Lucius sighed heavily.
"Nothing went wrong. Something went right for once. You," he spat, turning to Voldemort, "You're obsessed. You could have anything, you could have been great. But you wasted your life, and now your trapped. There's only one thing left that will give you any joy..."
"And what is that?" Voldemort said quietly.
"Killing Potter," said Draco.
Lucius cringed, looking as if he'd be quite thankful to have the floor open up and swallow him.
"And I would have, had you not failed. You're boy's a smart one, Lucius. Too smart," Voldemort said finally, "Where do his loyalties lie?"
"With you, my lord," Lucius said plainly.
"THEY DO NOT!" Draco yelled, bolting upright. "I'm so damn sick of you making all my choices! It's ruined my life. Not anymore though..."
"Go fetch the mudblood and bring her to me," Voldemort replied, simpering.
"I WILL NOT!"
Voldemort thrust one of his long, white hands into his robes and drew out his wand. "You will. And bring the other boy while your at it."
Draco felt his eyes stinging with regret and confusion. Where do your loyalties lie...? Slowly, he turned around. "I'll be back in a minute."
"Why did you listen to him?" Ron half screamed.
"Listen to him? It's not his fault he has a horrible family!" Hermione said severely.
"He knows what's going on!" Ron insisted, "What? You actually think he cares about us or something?"
"He does care," Hermione said firmly, "Maybe not about you..."
"He does..." Ron started.
"Not." Draco walked into the room, his face taut and masked. "C'mon, my dad wants a word with you two."
"See? I told you so. He planned all this."
"Shut up, Weasley. You don't know what the hell is happening," Draco opened the door.
"Draco, what's going on? Why is-is you-know-who here? And your dad? Where are we really?" Hermione said in a disbelieving and slightly strained voice.
"Just c'mon, Granger," Draco said bitterly.
Hermione bit her lip, "You're horrible, Draco Malfoy. I guess I was wrong about you. Pity. I was actually starting..."
"It doesn't matter," Draco cut her off icily, "I don't give a damn what you thought, what Weasley thought, or about what's true." He ushered them down the steps, between Ron's frequent comments ("I told you so."). Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something, that there was something behind this...
She shook it off. There was nothing to it. Draco, no wait, Malfoy was just being a bastard like usual. Just like she'd always thought he was. Only now, he wasn't toying with her emotions or feelings.
He was toying with her life.
"I knew you'd come to your senses," Voldemort's voice drifted from the next room. It sent chills up and down Hermione's body.
"How could I do otherwise?" Draco said, a wicked smile marring his face. Hermione felt more chills, worse ones.
"You," Voldemort said, beckoning to Ron, "Come here."
Ron stalked forward, his face as red as his hair.
Voldemort handed him a glass vile, a silvery liquid within it. "Drink up," he said lightly, "Or I'll make you."
Ron looked at the liquid. He could practically hear himself spilling his darkest secrets, the truth coming from his pores, and him helpless against it. After a brief moment of indecision, his grip loosened on the bottle. He pried his own fingers away from, it and then let go. The bottle smashed on the floor, potion spilling from it and seeping throughout the room, evenly coating the floor.
"That was a stupid thing to do," Voldemort said in a pointed way.
"Why are we here?" Hermione whispered, stepping from the shadows. Draco looked at her, taking in how scared and lost she looked. He felt his eyes narrowing. How else was he supposed to deal with this new feeling? All other ones could be taken care of with a punch or a sneer...but regret was different...
"You weren't supposed to be," said Lucius, speaking for the first time.
"You may deal with them Lucius. I'm wearied," Voldemort said weakly, casually flicking his wand, "Appareo!"
Hermione felt like the entire room was closing in on her. For the first time she felt like she was seeing the entire room, and she saw cloaked figures in every corner, kneeling on the ground in worship. Had they been there all this time? She felt herself choking on her fear. She was surrounded, and without a wand. Voldemort had long since disappeared.
"What's the deal?" said Ron, stepping in front of Hermione.
"My son is very careless at times, letting my book slip into your hands," Lucius replied. "It was supposed to be for someone else." He shook his head dejectedly, "But we can make this work. Tell me all you know about the Potter boy," He looked expectantly at both of them.
"Is this about Harry?" Hermione gasped.
"Who did you think it was about?" said Draco sulkily. Hermione turned to him, wanting to scream her rage across everything, but found that she could only frown sadly.
Lucius broke the silence, and her stare, "Draco, do you have the book?"
"I don...." he trailed off, his eyes locking with Hermione's. She saw light and images in his eyes, flickering so far back that they were hardly visible. But they were there. She blinked, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. Draco cleared his throat, "Yes. It's in my keeping." Both Hermione and Ron stared at him. Hermione's finger traced the cover of the book inside her pocket.
"Do not let anyone get it, Draco. Do you swear that you know where it is at this moment?" Lucius' face looked suspicious.
"I swear," Draco said solemnly, winking inconspicuously at Hermione. She glared back.
Lucius gave him an approving nod. Ron shook his head in disgust. His skin was prickling, he could feel the figures all staring at him...death eaters, he thought quickly.
"What does Harry have to do with this?" Ron asked.
"Haven't you figured it out by now, Weasley?" sneered Draco, grinning in a superior way that made Ron want to hit him quite hard. "You're more stupid then you are poor."
"Shut up, Draco," whispered Hermione, her eyes locked on the floor as if it was a very fascinating thing. Draco closed his mouth hastily.
"This girl," Lucius said, making a sweep at Hermione, "Picked up the book. It was a mistake on her part, as well as one on my son's. She was not supposed to have the book. She was not supposed to be here, nor were you," he added, glaring at Ron.
"Then why are we here?" said Hermione.
"I told you already," said Lucius crisply, "By mistake."
"What was the mistake?" Ron said angrily, throwing his hands into the air.
"Harry Potter should have been here. Not you two."