As Harry and Hermione sneaked up the stairs nervously, clutching each others hands with Ron and Cory behind them, doing the same, the explosion noises continued. They sneaked up the stairs, and put their ears to the door that connected the basement steps with the kitchen.
"Crabbe, Goyle! Find him! Master says to take anyone else here, too, so that they might be used against him." said a voice that Harry remembered very well.
"Malfoy..." Harry mouthed to his friends, feeling his heart beat faster. He motioned to Hermione to go back down the steps. They all tip-toed down, and Ron whispered "Is there anyway out down here?"
Hermione looked pained as she responded "No."
"You guys hide, and I'll go give myself up." said Harry seriously.
"Harry, no!" whispered Hermione urgently.
"Never." added Ron firmly.
"Well, who has their wand with them?" whispered Cory.
Harry felt in his pocket. "I do."
"Me too."
"Me too."
"So do I." responded Cory. "So, Hermione, what spell should we use to get out of here?"
"Oh, I don't know!" she said flustered.
"What do you mean you don't know? You're the smart one!" Cory replied angrily.
"I don't know everything!" cried Hermione.
"Guys, shut up!" whispered Harry.
But it was too late. The loud sound of many pairs of feet stomping down the stairs was easily heard.
"Quick, guys, hide, apparate, do something. You're better off getting help then getting caught!" yelled Harry.
At least 10 death eaters came around the corner into the basement at that moment.
"Hi guys. How was your summer?" asked Harry casually, trying to buy some time.
"Your insolence is stupefying, Harry Potter." said one death eater. "Now come with us, and your friends also.
"Never! Herm, Ron, Cory, GO!" Harry shouted.
A flash of light came flying at Harry, along with the cold word, "crucio".
Harry refused to give in to the pain, and make a sound. But it hurt so much more than last time. 'What's different now?' wondered Harry. He heard Hermione sob and grab onto him, and he blacked out.......
***Some time later, at Voldemort's Hideout***
When Harry woke up, the first thing he felt was tingles of pain drifting heavily all over his body. Then he felt the familiar lump of Hermione, leaning over him and crying.
He opened his mouth to talk, and found he couldn't. So, he waited a couple of minutes until he found the strength to run his hand through Hermione's hair.
"Harry?" Hermione asked, wiping her tears and sitting up.
Harry stared at her, his eyes wide.
"Are you okay? Oh, Harry." Hermione rushed out.
Harry opened his mouth and slowly pushed out some scratchy words. "Where's the others?"
"Ron is unconscious over there, and Coral apparated away. God, I hate her."
"Sure....it... for best." answered Harry sluggishly. He felt the pain easing out of his body, inch by inch.
"AHHHHH!" Ron screamed, waking up, and jumped out of his bed.
"Ron? Are you alright?" cried Hermione, jumping up and rushing over to him.
"Where are we?" he asked, panic-stricken.
"Don't worry Ron, we all just got captured by death eaters, knocked unconscious, and brought here, but really, it's okay." answered Hermione.
"Ron sank back onto his bed and looked around. "Where's Cory?" he demanded, obviously worried.
"She left us, you ass." replied Hermione, frustrated.
Harry forced himself to sit up and talk "You two, this isn't the time to be arguing. Cory went to get help, like I said to, so she wouldn't get herself killed, and hopefully save us."
Hermione and Ron both looked guilty, and Hermione said "Well, Cory probably isn't going to save us. In fact, she's probably upstairs with You-Know-Who right now!!
"She is not!!!" cried Ron.
"SHUT UP!! We can't afford to argue right now, or we'll be killed! Hermione, you have noproof that Cory is evil. Ron, you have no proof that Cory isn't evil! I want you two to forget about it now!"
Hermione and Ron looked even more guilty.
"Now, we can't just wait for someone to save us. We're going to have to do it ourselves.
Harry got up and walked around the small room. It had three beds, red brick walls all around, and it had a fluffy carpet.
"Help me push aside the beds, and see what's behind them." ordered Harry, feeling much stronger.
Everyone pushed aside their own beds, and behind Ron's was a green brick with a picture of a snake on it. Harry bent curiously, and stroked the brick. Part of the wall pushed open revealing a small door.
Harry had just begun to think 'That was way too easy,' when flowing green scrawl began to appear on the door.
Very good, Harry Potter. You found the door so quickly.
Now, if you or your friends so much as lay a finger on my door,
I'll kill all of you much earlier than I have to.
Harry's scar began to throb with pain, and he backed away from the door. The bricks swung back in front of the door, and everything was as it had been, except for Harry's head.
He painfully crawled back to his bed and scrambled under the covers. His head was becoming gradually worse. He moaned and began to massage his head, to no avail.
"Harry? Harry?" Hermione rushed to his bedside, while Ron rubbed his own head wearily.
"I.....be....fine." mumbled Harry.
Hermione saw that Harry was quickly losing consciousness, and she began to lose her head. For some reason, she was desperate to keep Harry awake. She completely lost her head, leaned over and kissed his scar.
"Don't go. I have a feeling.... You have to stay conscious."
Harry looked at Hermione and saw that what ever she felt, she meant it. He took her hand and squeezed it, waiting for the pain in his head to leave. It did. He sighed and looked at Hermione. She looked so sweet, so worried. He sat up and pulled her into a kiss, because she was Hermione, faithful, sweet Hermione. Someone he always wanted to protect and who his heart held dear. His first real kiss. He realised that he had never really had many kisses. Probably when he was a baby, but after that, he couldn't think of anytime, except for with Hermione. When he was younger, on the cheek, just that week, on the lips, and now. 'How ironic, to have my first *real* kiss with Hermione in Voldemort's hideout.' he thought, pulling away.
Hermione looked a little spaced out. Harry felt a little spaced out. And Ron, well Ron looked like he was going to throw up.
"Get a room!" said Ron.
"I don't know, this room is pretty cozy, isn't it Hermione?" said Harry jokingly. All of the aches and shooting pains were gone and he felt warm and tingly inside.
"Pretty cozy." Hermione agreed, blushing.
"My own best friends..... you-know-who's hideout... honestly!" mumbled Ron.
"Well, there's got to be some way out of here." said Hermione thoughtfully.
Then Harry heard the voices.
Dear PEEPS,
A/N This semi-cliff hanger goes out to all the evil authors out there who love to make me wait. Harry and Hermione are cute together, don't you think? Poor Ron, he never gets any action. Don't worry Ronniekins, you'll get something. Where'd Coral go to? I'm not implying anything, hmm hmmm hmm hmmm. Don't worry, it's not going to be as straightforward ad Harry and Hermione's fling. Oh, no. Ron is going to go through a veritable obstacle course if he wants Cory. I know this seems weird, but Hermione gets kooky when she's panicked. Oh, and someone told me that the whole thing with the door was weird. Well, if you have any questions, e-mail me. This chapter was hard to write, because I hate it, but it had to be done so I could get to chapter 4, which I love, and every time I wrote 'hideout' I thought of Dr. Evil. Wouldn't it be cool if Dr. Evil and Voldemort teamed up? Has that been done? Because if not, maybe I'll do it....
Love,
Katy
P.S. REVEIW ME PLEASE !!! I didn't get enough reveiws las tchapter... :( Please, be nice. It takes a lot for me to say please, so.....