Disclaimer – Everything you recognise, belongs not to me, but the talented JK. Anything else is more than likely mine.
Authors Note – Another Pansy Draco story, our favourite couple. This is going to get quite dark and our three favourite main characters are going to be shown in quite a different light.
Crudelis Ferreus
Chapter Five – Second Fiddle
"What do you want me to do?" I asked Potter quietly. He looked back at Granger but I refused to take orders from her.
"No Potter, I want it from you,"
He looked shocked but he recovered in seconds.
"We want you to steal back that crystal Pansy," he said quietly, his words uncertain.
"Then you've got another thing coming haven't you?" I shot back. "You can't force me…" my words faltered. I knew they could and that superior smirk on Grangers face made me want to dive at her again and risk death to curse her into a million disgusting pieces. I grabbed at the stone on my forehead but it was no use. There was no way to pull it off.
"Of course we can, Pansy," she spat my name out as if it burnt her mouth. "We have been perfecting the Imperious Curse since Ron…" it was her turn to falter. So Ron was her weak point.
Didn't I say you never reveal your weakness to the enemy?
She recovered quickly, "You have two days to prepare yourself. Not that you need to because it'll be us doing the driving, we just need your knowledge."
I gave her a murderous look. "I won't."
"Oh you will," she replied, turning on her heel and floating off.
Potter stayed by my side however.
"What happened to her?" I asked, slightly confused by her sudden bitterness. I had never seen this in Granger before, even after all the teasing I had put her through.
"You killed the man she loved," he replied emotionlessly.
"What are you going to do? Keep me a prisoner in this trunk for the rest of my life then? What happened to the great Gryffindor quality of forgiveness?"
"If it was the other way round and one of us killed Draco you wouldn't forgive," he shot back.
"No I wouldn't but I wouldn't be this cruel either. I'd get it over with quick and easy. Either that or I would just ignore you for the rest of my life."
That was a true statement, even if it didn't sound like one. If Potter had murdered Draco I would probably have killed him outright, not tortured both him and his friends with this kidnapping lark. The not knowing what had become of them. Although death was probably torture as well. It was what Ron's death seemed to be doing to Hermione.
Potter sighed, "I hate this as much as you do," he replied, "I hate lying to the Headmaster, I hate keeping you cooped up here, I hate the comments Draco makes everyday. Before it was just fun, a chance to release some tension, to be mean for once. But now I know I deserve his comments and I can't retaliate."
"Let me go then,"
"I can't, Hermione."
"Hermione what?"
He was startled. It was the first time I had ever said her name in front of him. In fact it was the first time I had ever said her name in front of anyone.
"I want to Pansy but I can't. She needs this to move on."
"Please Harry," he couldn't meet my earnest gaze. "If you remove the stone and break it you could say it failed, sometimes they do. Weak stones have cracks that can be manipulated."
He shook his head, "We bought the most powerful stone we could find. There were no imperfections. And anyway once we have that crystal back we're letting you go."
"Then I'll die anyway." I said, my voice monotonous.
"What do you mean?" he said, turning to look at me. I kept my eyes forward as I spoke.
"They won't believe I was forced into it, they'll think I wanted the stone for myself. I'll be killed, tortured-" I stopped. I had seen it happen before. The looks on the faces of my fellow Death Eaters as they had placed curse after curse on that poor girl, ripped at her, tore her flesh away with their bare hands. I support my Master, well at least I think I do, but I've never supported that. All the girl did was pick up the wrong ingredient for a potion. They thought she was trying to poison our Master. She had no chance to explain, not that they would have believed her anyway. They wanted blood and blood was what they got.
I must have gone green because Potter looked at me worriedly and said, "Do you need me to get you a bucket?"
I tried to quell the feeling inside me. I was not going to throw-up in front of him. With great difficulty I managed to open my mouth and spit out the words, "No, fine" before clamping it shut again.
He shrugged, "Kay, then but you don't look to good. Anything else you need for the night?"
I shook my head, hands gripping my stomach as if it would keep down the threatening sick.
"See you tomorrow then," he departed with a wave over his shoulder.
Once he was out of sight I ran into a corner of the cave, throat already burning with the effort of keeping it down. I had barely opened my mouth before I was retching; even my tears burnt my face.
"So I'll go over this once more, Parkinson. You walk in there as if you've escaped, wand in hand. Make sure you look a little confused, unsure. Say you need to rest. Don't, under any circumstances, ask for Draco."
"Why can't she?" I heard Harry's voice ask.
"If he sees her he might be able to tell she's being controlled."
"Oh," Harry looked disbelieving.
"Then once you're alone, I want you to get that crystal. If anyone asks what you're doing, you're looking for Draco, or a drink. Don't draw to much attention to yourself. We want you in and out. And under no circumstances do you leave without that crystal."
I felt my head nod from somewhere far, far away in my head. So this is what it felt like to be under the Imperious Curse, I never actually had. It was as if a fuzzy wall was trapping my mind in the back of my head. I could feel myself stand up, yet I wasn't controlling my body.
There was only one way to describe this, I was in my head, but someone else was controlling my body.
I had felt Harry remove the stone from my head, but I couldn't push my mind out and perform a spell, Granger controlled that. As she controlled my movements.
Now I vaguely felt my feet leave the floor as I floated out of my prison, felt the jerking landing in the dormitory. It was night; I could hear the steady breathing of the Gryffindor idiots in their four-posters.
Harry landed beside me. "Let's get you out of here," he said. I felt the pressure of a hand on mine, vaguely felt the jerk below my navel that symbolised a portkey journey, and then I was standing in the grounds of Malfoy Manor, The Dark Lords Lair.
"I'll be here when you need to come back," he said before disappearing.
My body began to walk toward the Manor, stumbling as if in a daze. I began to try and force down the walls around my mind, tried to push out of the second prison they had put me in, but Grangers spell was too strong. I fought all the way up to the grand doors of the Manor, causing stumbling and more than often my body to stop whilst it decided just whom it was obeying.
My arm reached out and knocked on the ornate gold knocker, shaped like a dragons head. A Horntail if I wasn't mistaken. That probably didn't please Draco, Potters victory over the dragon in the tournament taunting him even at home. I remembered so well Draco's anger after Potter had won; he had been so sure Potter would have his head bitten off by the beast. It had taken hours to placate him.
I felt my mouth smile at this memory. Under my control. I fought suddenly; my mind was returning to me, the barriers were falling, the fuzziness gone. I was winning. But just as I thought I was going to gain control the door swung open, distracting me.
"Pansy?" came Lucius's shocked tone. I tried to smile but I had lost control of my mouth. Lucius never sounded anything but totally calm and collected. His expression was always calm, yet at the sight of me on his doorstep he looked completely taken-aback. He recovered himself quickly though,
"Pansy do come in child. What happened? We have been most distressed, Draco especially. Your Mother and Narcissa have not been themselves. How did you manage to get away? Draco informed us that Gryffindor's" he spat the word out, "Were in league with Dumbledore and there was no way to get to you,"
He looked around and then bent closer to me, whispering in a conspirital tone, "Draco is here this evening. My Lord called an emergency meeting-he wants you found immediately. Your rather important to him Pansy I must say. His anger has known no bounds since you were taken,"
"What where they going to do this evening?" I listened to myself say, stepping into the warm light of the Manor.
"They were going to find Potter and the Mudblood and persuade them to inform us of your whereabouts."
I tried forcefully to laugh, smile, anything. If Granger didn't play this right she'd get me killed.
Thankfully my lips curved into a smirk.
"Come, come," said Lucius, offering his arm, "You must join the meeting at once. Draco will be so glad you have returned, as will we all. We should get preparations for a revel started at once,"
I felt myself shaking my head as he clapped for a house elf and began issuing orders.
"Now that is completed, we shall go and show you off."
"No, Mr Malfoy. If you wouldn't mind I would much rather lie down for a few moments. It was extremely draining getting away from Potter and Granger. They had me tied down with some pretty strong spells, nothing they've learnt at Hogwarts. I would much rather return in perhaps half an hour refreshed and ready to tell my story,"
I do not bloody talk like that. Stupid girl, she's making me sound all nice. Ladylike and scornful. That's what it should be like. Honestly.
"Of course, of course. I didn't think. Elf," he roared. The pitiful little thing scampered up to us, head bowed.
"Take Miss Parkinson to the guest room in Draco's wing. Have a bath drawn up for her at once and send some food and wine to her room. Attend to her every need, whatever she wants she gets,"
The Elf nodded, "Follow me please Miss Parkinson," its squeaky voice piped up as it began to climb the marble stairs.
"Thank you Mr Malfoy, I shall be no longer than necessary," I bowed my head to him.
"Take as long as you need. I shall need to prepare for the coming celebrations," and he swept off down a corridor, black cloak billowing around him.
The elf led me through many grand passageways, down long, dimly lit marble halls and brightly lit, well-used ones. It stopped outside an oak door and bowed,
"You quarters," it squeaked, "I'll have a bath drawn up at once,"
"Follow me in first," I snapped. Good Granger was snapping. Definitely the way to address those lowly vermin.
I strode into the room, taking in its intricate, exquisite beauty. Rich forest greens and shimmering silvers covered every surface, every wall. As it always was in Draco's wing. I ran my hand over the surface of a cool silver candlestick, one of those larger one's. It fit perfectly in the curve of my fist.
"I will need some clothing, grand enough for the occasion," I was saying, "Shoes of course. I also wish for a cloak to be brought immediately and-"
I swung round, candlestick in hand. The elf squealed in fright, it was used to beatings but never someone turning on them with a candlestick for no apparent reason. I aimed a cracking blow to its head, sending the thing flying across the room and into a wall. It slid down, its head completely smashed open, blood and brains seeping across the floor.
Draco is going to kill me. This was his favourite guest room. He always entertained in here. Now its covered in House Elf brains.
Feeling decidedly ill I walked into the adjoining bathroom and quickly scrubbed my hands. I think that was the Granger in me. I'd clubbed worse things to death. Giant blood is so hard to get out of your clothing you know.
Now it was time for the fun.
"Where will it be?" Grangers voice whispered in my head.
"Why are you whispering?" I thought back.
"Hermione, you didn't have to kill it," I could hear Harry's voice say weakly.
"It wasn't my fault," she shot back. Her own voice seemed weak, her throat dry, "I was only going to stun it but Pansy was stronger than I expected,"
"Cheeky bitch. Thought I was a weak little child did you?" I thought back. She ignored me.
"Where will the crystal be, Parkinson?" she said back.
"I'm getting annoyed with all these voices in my head," I replied nonchalantly.
"Shut up or I'll curse you," she shot back.
"How the bloody hell-" I wanted to shriek but couldn't. I thought about screaming; as something began to pull at my mind, tear at my thoughts. My body remained as it was, no sign of the battle beginning in my mind.
"How did you do that?" I panted in my head.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" replied her chirpy voice, "Well if you won't tell us we'll just have to make your body guide us,"
"Of course I wasn't going to tell you," I grumble. But it was no use anyway. My body began to move, down those corridors it had trodden so many times, automatically it took us straight to his lair.
I tried so hard to break through the barriers, to take control of myself as I stared upon those ornate metal doors that signified the entrance to the Dark Lord's wing. My mind fought, but Granger was laughing.
"Get out of my head," I hissed.
"No" she replied, giggling.I tried to pull that hand away, but it reached up and pushed open the door. I tried to throw myself to the ground, tried to freeze the movements of my legs as they crossed the threshold, walked down the hallway.
"Now which door is it?" Potter hissed.
"I said get out," I roared.
My body turned towards My Lords private chamber. This was where the stone would be.
"No. It's not there, it's…" I screamed frantically.
"Oh Pansy shut up," Granger replied breathlessly.
I wanted to cut my own hand off to stop it touching that door, to stop it pushing it open. As my body stepped forward, my mind pulled back. But it was no use. I stepped into the dark chamber, my mind screaming an unearthly howl.
"There…" gasped Granger.It stood, bathing in its own glow of pale yellow light.
"No…you can't make me do this…" I whispered.
I walked toward the crystal, my mind instinctively checking it for curses. Of course he wouldn't leave it unprotected. Without the use of my wand though it was impossible for me to know what was on it, probably a curse that let none but my Master touch it.
My hand reached out to the glowing crystal, I could see the aura of a curse, a blue mixed in with the yellow.
"Stop!" I screamed, "It's cursed,"
But it was to late. I vaguely felt my arm go heavy, the weight making my body career to the right. My head turned and my mind let out a shocked squeak. My arm, the arm that should have been flesh and bone, was made of a very crumbly stone. Before my very eyes it began to chip and fall away, the crystal falling from my non-existent hand to fall into the sand-like pile forming on the floor.
"Oh God," I heard Harry murmur.
"Oh God? Oh God?" I shrieked.
"Pick up that bloody crystal," Granger shrieked back.
"With what? My foot? If you haven't just realised, my whole arm turned to sand and fell off,"
"Well actually its sandstone Parkinson and-"
"I don't care what bloody stone it is, I have no bloody arm!"
The door creaked. My body shot round, my mind still with the pile of sand that had once been my arm.
"Oh God…" I whispered when I saw the occupant of the doorway.
"Shit," said Granger.
The sudden rush of emotions and love knocked her completely out of my head.
"Draco," I screamed, throwing myself toward the doorway and him. I threw myself onto, smashing into him so hard he stumbled a few paces before scooping me up into his arms.
"Pansy," he said, words muffled into my hair.
"God Draco I've missed you so much,"
"Pansy what have they done to you?"
He placed my feet back onto the floor, his eyes running over my minute frame, "God Pansy they've been starving you worse than you…" his face paled dramatically then turned a nasty shade of green, "Pansy…your arm?"
I let out a cross between a sob and a shriek. Granger was back.
"We've got to get control of her," she shrieked in my head.
"Get out of my head," I screamed, pushing away from Draco.
"Pansy what's wrong? Who's in your head? What's…?" realisation must have dawned.
"Get out now," he said, voice like steel. He grabbed my arm, yanked me toward the door. "We have to get you out of here, fast. If they have Impervious Cursed you we can get it lifted.
I let myself by dragged, nodding my head, "Draco I didn't want to,"
"I know," he whispered, "I know,"
I stopped suddenly. He tried to pull me forward. Granger was back. My arm was yanked out of Draco's grip. He looked confused.
"Pansy?"
I looked up into his eyes, "I'm sorry for anything I do Draco,"
And then I was locked away again.
"Draco, Draco," I screamed, locked in my mind.
I watched as my wand levelled with his chest.
"Granger no. If you dare I'll kill you with my bare hands," I screamed, fighting her bonds, her barriers.
"Avada," she began to scream, my own voice, yet not mine, reciting the words at the same time, "Ked-"
"No," Harry this time. I heard Granger squeal.
"Stupefy," Harry and I roared at the same time. Draco slumped backwards, hitting the wall and then the floor.
"Draco, Draco I'm so sorry," I pleaded with his frozen body.
"Get that bloody crystal,"
The body ran back to the chamber, stopping next to the crystal, while the mind stayed in that corridor, stayed in the arms of Draco.
"How are we going to-""Huad Cilicis," I replied, the words monotonous.
The voice that was but wasn't mine incanted the counter-curse and the arm that was but wasn't mine picked up the crystal. This time however, I kept my arm.
"Get her out of there now Harry, there's no time to go back outside,"
The form of Harry Potter appeared in front of me, his gentle arms around me, and within seconds I was back in my prison, my cave.
Granger took the crystal from my hand as Harry placed the purple stone back into my forehead. Suddenly the barriers broke down again, I was in full control of myself. I looked at Granger, malice shining in my eyes.
"You bitch," I spat, "You were going to kill him to torture me,"
Harry conveniently edged his body into the space between ours.
"Now you know what it feels like," she spat back, eyes dancing with an equal malice to mine.
"At least I didn't force you to kill the man you loved," I shot back.
"At least the man you love is still alive,"
I saw Harry flinch slightly at that comment.
"Your new…" I couldn't, I faltered. I couldn't hurt Harry like that for some reason.
"Nothing to say Parkinson? No comment to make? Perhaps you've finally realised you've always been wrong,"
I wasn't even looking at her-I hardly heard her words. I was watching Harry. He knew what I would have said, what I still wanted to say, and he was grateful. Grateful I hadn't.
Granger, clearly not understanding, for once, what was going on in the look between us, stalked off and floated upwards.
"You'd rather she didn't know how you felt? How much you care for her?" I whispered, my eyes not leaving his.
"I'm not Ron. If he wasn't gone, she wouldn't want me,"
"And you're prepared to play second fiddle to a dead man for the rest of your life?"
That's when he dropped his eyes, turned away.
"I don't know…"
