Draco and Hermione popped in front of an enormous black castle. Hermione
had thought they would be returning to the Riddle House, but it seemed
Voldemort was covering his tracks. A squeeze of her arm brought her back
to Draco, who was glaring down at her. Hermione smiled sweetly causing
Draco's temper to flare further. He tightened his grip on her arm and
dragged her towards the castle. The walk was shorter than it looked, much
to Hermione's despair. Why did she come back? Hermione shook herself. She
came back to save her parents and that was what she was going to do.
Draco stayed silent as they walked through the castle. He wanted to turn around and give Hermione back to Severus where she would be safe. Draco shoved that notion down. He would follow his master's orders. He had been given a second chance, and would not fail because of his feelings for Hermione. Hermione stopped suddenly, jerking Draco back. He stared down at her in annoyance. Hermione just smiled up at him again. How he wanted to hit her when she looked at him like that! And then again he wanted to make that smile remain always.
"You're giving into your emotions Draco." Hermione said softly, blushing slightly. " I must be a bad influence." Draco's expression was still one of mild disinterest.
"Yes, you are." Came Voldemort's cold voice. Hermione looked up at him in fury. She wanted nothing more than to slit his throat for threatening her parents. "And it seems Draco has been just as bad of one on you." Voldemort said sneering. "You may try if you want."
The small dagger that had sliced Hermione's shoulder now appeared in Voldemort's hand. She cringed from the memory that still laid fresh in her mind. He smiled and threw the dagger at her. Hermione turned to the side quickly and caught the blade that was now starting to fly past her. She stared down at the blade in surprise. How on earth was she able to catch that? Draco was just as surprised as her. After all the years he had been training in varieties of fighting forms, he still hadn't been able to accomplish such a task. Voldemort had expected it from the satisfied look upon his face.
"Draco, release her." Voldemort said smiling wider. Draco reluctantly let go of Hermione's arm. "Lets see if Hermione can fulfill the task she craves so much."
Hermione looked at Voldemort. He was only about five yards from her, and unarmed. She gripped the blade tighter in her hand. All she wanted at that moment was to watch his blood spill onto the perfect white marble. To release everyone from the hate and destruction Voldemort had caused. Why was she so blood thirsty? Hermione never wanted to harm anyone before. The blade fell to the floor with a clatter. Voldemort was at Hermione's side in the blink of an eye. He was so close to her she could feel his breath on her cheek.
"Couldn't do it?" Voldemort asked tauntingly. "Not even after all that I've done to you." He paused touching her cheek with his cold hands. "All that I will do to you."
*****
Severus held his head in his hands, kneeling on the floor. Why did he let her go? He should have made her stay. Protected her. Together they could have found a way to free her parents without giving into Voldemort's wishes. As Severus started to get ready to go and find her, his chest throbbed with a strange warmth. Severus put his hand where Hermione had just before she left. The warmth grew into an almost burning sensation. He ripped his robes open to find Hermione's handprint on his chest glowing a bright blue.
*****
Voldemort had taken Hermione and Draco to what was undoubtedly his bedroom. Once there he told Draco to leave and that he would call him when Voldemort was through, but through with what? Hermione feared that answer the most and tried to think of nothing else but Severus. His love for her, his smell, his touch... Hermione's thoughts were broken by the click of a lock. The necklace that had been around her neck fell to the ground. She looked up at Voldemort, a smile tugging at his thin lips.
"No need for that now that Dumbledore has proved it useless." Voldemort walked around Hermione stopping behind her.
"What have you done to my parents?" Hermione asked, her voice tight with anger. Voldemort laughed.
"The muggles?" He asked pulling her hair over one shoulder. "I have no idea where they are. I simply used their lives to bring you here."
Voldemort ran his fingers across Hermione's neck. She shuddered. She had been too quick to act. She should have checked if her family was safe before charging into Voldemort's grasp. Voldemort chuckled again slipping one arm around her waist.
"Yes, you should have Hermione." He pulled her closer to him. "Then again those muggle emotions you have makes you blind."
Hermione stood stock-still. She could have blasted him away by now, but was worrying more on getting him out of her mind first. While he was talking, to which she heard none of what he said, she was able to build a wall around her mind. The blue wall stood tall, unyielding to the red forces that now tried to enter. Voldemort's arm squeezed her tighter, causing her to whimper in pain.
"Foolish girl." He spat. "Your little tricks will only last for so long, and no one will be coming to save you this time."
Without warning he threw her towards the bed. Hermione landed somewhat safely on the mattress and turned in time to see the small dagger reappear again. Hermione attempted to get up and away from him. Voldemort shoved her back down onto the bed smiling evilly. The small dagger slipped into the material of her dress and sliced through one of the shoulders. Hermione grasped the sleeve before it could fall, but not before her other sleeve was given the same treatment. Hermione shuddered at the thought of his skin against hers. There was a burst of black fire and Voldemort simply laughed at her again.
"Oh Severus! How did you ever mange that?" Voldemort grabbed Hermione by the shoulder and turned her over. She tried to get to no avail. He ripped the back of her dress open to reveal a small black pattern of Celtic knots in the shape of the trinity sign burned into the back of Hermione's left shoulder. "Well, well. It seems I have my work cut out for me." Voldemort hissed softly, brushing his hand over the tattoo.
A/N It's another short chapter, but I had to put it up. I got a burst of inspiration from my muse this morning and thought it best not to fight it.
Draco stayed silent as they walked through the castle. He wanted to turn around and give Hermione back to Severus where she would be safe. Draco shoved that notion down. He would follow his master's orders. He had been given a second chance, and would not fail because of his feelings for Hermione. Hermione stopped suddenly, jerking Draco back. He stared down at her in annoyance. Hermione just smiled up at him again. How he wanted to hit her when she looked at him like that! And then again he wanted to make that smile remain always.
"You're giving into your emotions Draco." Hermione said softly, blushing slightly. " I must be a bad influence." Draco's expression was still one of mild disinterest.
"Yes, you are." Came Voldemort's cold voice. Hermione looked up at him in fury. She wanted nothing more than to slit his throat for threatening her parents. "And it seems Draco has been just as bad of one on you." Voldemort said sneering. "You may try if you want."
The small dagger that had sliced Hermione's shoulder now appeared in Voldemort's hand. She cringed from the memory that still laid fresh in her mind. He smiled and threw the dagger at her. Hermione turned to the side quickly and caught the blade that was now starting to fly past her. She stared down at the blade in surprise. How on earth was she able to catch that? Draco was just as surprised as her. After all the years he had been training in varieties of fighting forms, he still hadn't been able to accomplish such a task. Voldemort had expected it from the satisfied look upon his face.
"Draco, release her." Voldemort said smiling wider. Draco reluctantly let go of Hermione's arm. "Lets see if Hermione can fulfill the task she craves so much."
Hermione looked at Voldemort. He was only about five yards from her, and unarmed. She gripped the blade tighter in her hand. All she wanted at that moment was to watch his blood spill onto the perfect white marble. To release everyone from the hate and destruction Voldemort had caused. Why was she so blood thirsty? Hermione never wanted to harm anyone before. The blade fell to the floor with a clatter. Voldemort was at Hermione's side in the blink of an eye. He was so close to her she could feel his breath on her cheek.
"Couldn't do it?" Voldemort asked tauntingly. "Not even after all that I've done to you." He paused touching her cheek with his cold hands. "All that I will do to you."
*****
Severus held his head in his hands, kneeling on the floor. Why did he let her go? He should have made her stay. Protected her. Together they could have found a way to free her parents without giving into Voldemort's wishes. As Severus started to get ready to go and find her, his chest throbbed with a strange warmth. Severus put his hand where Hermione had just before she left. The warmth grew into an almost burning sensation. He ripped his robes open to find Hermione's handprint on his chest glowing a bright blue.
*****
Voldemort had taken Hermione and Draco to what was undoubtedly his bedroom. Once there he told Draco to leave and that he would call him when Voldemort was through, but through with what? Hermione feared that answer the most and tried to think of nothing else but Severus. His love for her, his smell, his touch... Hermione's thoughts were broken by the click of a lock. The necklace that had been around her neck fell to the ground. She looked up at Voldemort, a smile tugging at his thin lips.
"No need for that now that Dumbledore has proved it useless." Voldemort walked around Hermione stopping behind her.
"What have you done to my parents?" Hermione asked, her voice tight with anger. Voldemort laughed.
"The muggles?" He asked pulling her hair over one shoulder. "I have no idea where they are. I simply used their lives to bring you here."
Voldemort ran his fingers across Hermione's neck. She shuddered. She had been too quick to act. She should have checked if her family was safe before charging into Voldemort's grasp. Voldemort chuckled again slipping one arm around her waist.
"Yes, you should have Hermione." He pulled her closer to him. "Then again those muggle emotions you have makes you blind."
Hermione stood stock-still. She could have blasted him away by now, but was worrying more on getting him out of her mind first. While he was talking, to which she heard none of what he said, she was able to build a wall around her mind. The blue wall stood tall, unyielding to the red forces that now tried to enter. Voldemort's arm squeezed her tighter, causing her to whimper in pain.
"Foolish girl." He spat. "Your little tricks will only last for so long, and no one will be coming to save you this time."
Without warning he threw her towards the bed. Hermione landed somewhat safely on the mattress and turned in time to see the small dagger reappear again. Hermione attempted to get up and away from him. Voldemort shoved her back down onto the bed smiling evilly. The small dagger slipped into the material of her dress and sliced through one of the shoulders. Hermione grasped the sleeve before it could fall, but not before her other sleeve was given the same treatment. Hermione shuddered at the thought of his skin against hers. There was a burst of black fire and Voldemort simply laughed at her again.
"Oh Severus! How did you ever mange that?" Voldemort grabbed Hermione by the shoulder and turned her over. She tried to get to no avail. He ripped the back of her dress open to reveal a small black pattern of Celtic knots in the shape of the trinity sign burned into the back of Hermione's left shoulder. "Well, well. It seems I have my work cut out for me." Voldemort hissed softly, brushing his hand over the tattoo.
A/N It's another short chapter, but I had to put it up. I got a burst of inspiration from my muse this morning and thought it best not to fight it.