CHAPTER 18.
Lying in full darkness Hermione gloated over the fact that some of her blood remained on Malfoy's hair. She might have also spoilt his perfect elegant clothes. A tiny, small piece of happiness, still – quite important for the paralyzed girl.
But after recollecting all the stories about the great wizards who suffered and survived various horrible torments the happiness at getting the *Clothes- of- His- Highness- Lord- Most- Arrogant- in- The- Whole- World- Blond* dirty faded. Instead another feeling appeared, a very persistent and bothering one – she wanted to pee. In comparison to all those fingers-needles torments this desire seemed stupid and trivial… Although in half an hour, despite all Hermione's attempts to concentrate on anything but this, the Moment X came (or the High Time, who cares). Just imagining the humiliation when Lucius enters and sees (firstly- feels) that she had…
Oh, NO. Hermione couldn't even think about it.
She shut her eyes and was almost ready to concede, when she felt something touch her leg slightly. It was obviously not Lucius, so Hermione opened her eyes and to her utmost surprise saw a small house elf. The same elf that came to Lucius. He said:
- Master Malfoy told Gurka to give you some food. And some water, too.
… Hermione couldn't think of worse words. She would feel twice better if Gurka said: "Master Malfoy told me to poison you"… No, not "some water"!…
The worst thing was that she couldn't stop the elf from "helping".
The small creature came closer and tried to bring the glass with water up to her lips, but he couldn't reach the girl's face…
For a second the elf's face bore a *thoughtful* expression.
- You are paralyzed, aren't you? Gurka won't do any harm to the lady, will he? You won't feel anything…
And before Hermione tried (or, considering her condition, wanted) to explain Gurka that he misunderstood the fact of her *not feeling anything*, the quick elf already stood on her stomach and was eagerly pouring the water into her throat. When he shifted from one bony leg to another Hermione was ready to scream or… finally… wet herself…
And at this particular moment Lucius entered. He might have felt satisfaction at seeing Hermione choke (with the elf jumping on her stomach), but… he despised both creatures too much…
Gurka was smashed against the wall immediately. And at the time he muttered a spell that made Hermione open her eyes wider than she did during the torments. The thing was…- she didn't need to go to the toilet any more. Lucius considered her gaze to be surprise and slowly, calmly explained:
- There is a spell for everything.
For a second Hermione relaxed and even felt some kind of joy. But Malfoy's voice returned her to reality.
- It's time to begin the cure.
He uttered the word "cure" in such intonation that Hermione realized there were only two ways – to cure or to die.
And the idea of dying was the least frightening…
- Everything is very simple, - Lucius lazily stretched in a chair which materialized out of nowhere, - your body will *have* to move. I'll create all the necessary conditions.
He clicked his fingers and at this moment a house- elf appeared in the room. It was a new, rather strong and… impudent – which was most extraordinary and surprising for a house- elf.
- Ye-e-e-s? – he said slowly.
- You are the personal house- elf of the Lord, but this doesn't allow you to dare speak like
*that*. Clear?
The house- elf, which was suffering a Crucio while Lucius said these words, nodded violently.
Another portion of Crucio made the creature utter something more appropriate and almost understandable:
- Yes, Master, Hresky understood everything.
Losing his interest to the elf almost immediately, Lucius began to create some kind of a vessel. Malfoy obviously forgot to finish with the Crucio curse…
When some brick-colored liquid filled the vessel to the top Lucius remembered about Hresky and stopped Crucio- ing him. Malfoy handed the vessel with the shimmering substance to the house- elf.
- Rub it into her whole body. Every part of it.
Lucius got up (and the chair immediately vanished) and came closer to Hermione:
- This cream is protecting. If at least one inch of your skin is skipped… then… well, I think you will not need any cure. Never.
The elf, which stopped shifting from one foot to another, approached Hermione and with some strange, a bit frightening expression on his face began to tear the girl's clothes.
At this moment Hermione would eagerly join the S.U.C.K.S. - Social Union of Capturing and Killing the Stupidest (~ meaning house- elves, obviously). The following minute Hresky, to Hermione's pleasure, received another Crucio while the vessel was (cleverly and *in time*) levitated.
Lucius sighed heavily and, with a flick of his wand, repaired the torn clothes… only to take them away from Hermione at once…leaving her naked…
- You won't need this. You'll get it after – he paused – after everything is finished.
Surprisingly, Hermione wasn't bothered or embarrassed by her nudity. Instead, she was grinning mentally. Lucius was humiliating Victoria's body, not hers. And whatever horrible he did to it (Hermione didn't doubt about the awfulness of the coming torment for a second), it was Victoria's body to suffer from it.
Although the girl tried to block the thought of her possible death.
And even when Hresky's rough paws began to cover her skin with terribly freezing liquid she smiled mentally. Maybe, she was crazy. Maybe, this was self- protection. Still, she wasn't even slightly frightened. She was ready to take… -
- Oh, no! – for the first time of her entire life Hermione heard such *expressive* display of emotions from the calm-as-a-stone Lucius, - don't tell me, that…
- Hresky is so upset, but he cannot put the cream on her body. Master, Hresky is not a wizard. The magical liquid returns back to the vessel. Please, forgive Hresky.
The elf surely expected patiently another Crucio… but obviously Lucius was too shocked from the prospects of touching the Mudblood, and touching her everywhere, so the elf didn't already exist for him…
Hermione didn't doubt that at this moment Malfoy was choosing between covering her with the cream himself and simply killing her. Well, maybe he was forbidden to do it by the Dark Lord, because, with a crooked from disgust face, which spoilt his perfectly handsome image, Lucius grabbed the vessel and sat gracefully beside Hermione. Even in such a shock he didn't lose his Malfoy's essence. With another graceful movement he straightened out his cloak and looked at the girl.
- Well, Miss Granger – he stressed out this word - shall we begin?