*
Hermione felt a dull throbbing pain on the side of her head, but her body ached so much that she dared not move. Whatever she was lying on was hard and smooth, like stone. Nothing like her bed, or the beds in the infirmary.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. Sure enough the floor she was lying on was stone, cold and hard. She gingerly leaned on her elbow and felt dizzy. Falling back onto the ground, she looked at her elbow which was so bruised it was turning green. Her head felt like it had been knocked around as well on the way to her small cell.
Looking up at the ceiling, she realized that there was a form of design. It was along the walls as well, she saw, and she turned to face the wall closest to her. There was something that looked like a scull...a snake...The picture registered in her mind, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it before. She tried to think of how she had gotten to the cell, but couldn't remember anything except for seeing Dumbledore turn around and look at her, standing over a bed...in the infirmary...Harry's bed.
Harry.
Suddenly the thoughts came rushing back to her. Harry had told her to run then suddenly vanished, just as men stepped from behind her, putting a rough fabric over her head. She tried to call out, and then all she saw was darkness.
It was impossible to tell what time it was because there were no windows in the cell. She slowly leaned onto her elbow again, and sat up against the wall she had been looking at. The stone felt cold against her arms which were exposed. Looking down she realized that she didn't have her cloak any longer and was just wearing her blue t shirt and jean skirt. If she didn't have her robe then that meant she would be cold. She tried to think of what was in her robe that was important and suddenly felt very sick.
Her wand was in her robes.
Shaking her head she took a deep breath. Stay calm; she thought to herself, I have to figure out how to get out of here. She closed her eyes but they snapped open when the door opposite her opened.
"Miss Granger." Said a voice that sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
The man walked further into the cell, and Hermione gasped. It was Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father. She remembered what Draco had said earlier about how his father used to torture him...
"What do you want?" Hermione asked, surprised at how level her voice was in spite of the terror she felt creeping through her spine. Obviously, the lessons with Draco on how to hide emotions were paying off for the time being. Lucius clicked his tongue, shaking his head as two more men walked into the cell.
"Miss Granger, you are our guest. Is that really a way to pay us for our hospitality?" Hermione tried to quiet the beating of her heart by taking a long breath. Do not rise to his bait, do not speak unless you must, she reminded herself.
"Now, I've come to ask you some questions. If you are a good little girl, like I know you can be, then you'll return to Hogwarts." Lucius said, walking closer to Hermione. She pulled herself up the best that she could and met his glare.
"And if I don't answer?" Hermione asked, her pulse quickening.
"Well, we all know what happens to bad little girls." Lucius said, reaching inside of his robes and pulling out his wand. Hermione held her breath, willing herself not to show fear. Lucius noticed and smiled slowly, his smile cold and unforgiving. "They get punished."
**
Harry closed his eyes as he wrapped his cloak around him, sitting in London's underground station. People who passed eyed him suspiciously, but no one had bothered him...yet. He had to figure out what to do.
He couldn't go back to Hogwarts- Dumbledore was obviously not to be trusted. Privet Drive wasn't the answer either...he could be found there. He had to go somewhere where no one would suspect to look.
What about Hermione though? He put his head in his hands and rubbed his palms against his tired eyes, after taking off his glasses. He hadn't been able to stay and see what happened to her...only to warn her of the danger that was waiting meant for him. If something happened to her, it would be his fault. Just like Sirius' death, and Cedric's death...everything he touched was broken.
He couldn't leave her. He had to go back to Hogwarts and save her. It was the only choice he had left.
**
Ron watched Draco's eyes show his panic but quickly move back to hidden feelings, as he turned to look at Ginny, once they had walked into the infirmary room.
"Alright here's what we do." Draco said, bringing out his wand. "We plead ignorance. Don't let Dumbledore know that we've figured out what's happening- the sooner he knows, the sooner Voldemort knows. Harry escaped...but Hermione was taken."
"How do you know that?" Ginny asked, kneeling down next to Hermione's robes and searching in the pockets.
Draco pushed past her, making Ron walk closer in defense of his sister. He went into the pocket where Hermione kept her wand and pulled out a small black card with an emblazoned serpent and scull on it- the dark mark. As the card turned to ashes in Draco's hand he shook his head.
"Death Eaters." Ron said, his voice low. "Why did they leave the cloak out like this?"
"Because, Weasly," Draco said, standing up with Hermione's robe in his hands. "They made sure Dumbledore saw it so Voldemort knew. They have what they came for."
"They meant to take Hermione all along?"
"No," Ginny said, making both Ron and Draco turn to look at her. She was pale, and Draco wondered if she was alright. "Harry left and they took Hermione afterwards. They took her...for questioning and then bait."
Draco looked down at his shoes, his heart leaping.
"Ginny, you don't know how these people work-" Ron started, but Draco cut him off.
"But I do. She's right."
Hermione felt a dull throbbing pain on the side of her head, but her body ached so much that she dared not move. Whatever she was lying on was hard and smooth, like stone. Nothing like her bed, or the beds in the infirmary.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. Sure enough the floor she was lying on was stone, cold and hard. She gingerly leaned on her elbow and felt dizzy. Falling back onto the ground, she looked at her elbow which was so bruised it was turning green. Her head felt like it had been knocked around as well on the way to her small cell.
Looking up at the ceiling, she realized that there was a form of design. It was along the walls as well, she saw, and she turned to face the wall closest to her. There was something that looked like a scull...a snake...The picture registered in her mind, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it before. She tried to think of how she had gotten to the cell, but couldn't remember anything except for seeing Dumbledore turn around and look at her, standing over a bed...in the infirmary...Harry's bed.
Harry.
Suddenly the thoughts came rushing back to her. Harry had told her to run then suddenly vanished, just as men stepped from behind her, putting a rough fabric over her head. She tried to call out, and then all she saw was darkness.
It was impossible to tell what time it was because there were no windows in the cell. She slowly leaned onto her elbow again, and sat up against the wall she had been looking at. The stone felt cold against her arms which were exposed. Looking down she realized that she didn't have her cloak any longer and was just wearing her blue t shirt and jean skirt. If she didn't have her robe then that meant she would be cold. She tried to think of what was in her robe that was important and suddenly felt very sick.
Her wand was in her robes.
Shaking her head she took a deep breath. Stay calm; she thought to herself, I have to figure out how to get out of here. She closed her eyes but they snapped open when the door opposite her opened.
"Miss Granger." Said a voice that sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
The man walked further into the cell, and Hermione gasped. It was Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father. She remembered what Draco had said earlier about how his father used to torture him...
"What do you want?" Hermione asked, surprised at how level her voice was in spite of the terror she felt creeping through her spine. Obviously, the lessons with Draco on how to hide emotions were paying off for the time being. Lucius clicked his tongue, shaking his head as two more men walked into the cell.
"Miss Granger, you are our guest. Is that really a way to pay us for our hospitality?" Hermione tried to quiet the beating of her heart by taking a long breath. Do not rise to his bait, do not speak unless you must, she reminded herself.
"Now, I've come to ask you some questions. If you are a good little girl, like I know you can be, then you'll return to Hogwarts." Lucius said, walking closer to Hermione. She pulled herself up the best that she could and met his glare.
"And if I don't answer?" Hermione asked, her pulse quickening.
"Well, we all know what happens to bad little girls." Lucius said, reaching inside of his robes and pulling out his wand. Hermione held her breath, willing herself not to show fear. Lucius noticed and smiled slowly, his smile cold and unforgiving. "They get punished."
**
Harry closed his eyes as he wrapped his cloak around him, sitting in London's underground station. People who passed eyed him suspiciously, but no one had bothered him...yet. He had to figure out what to do.
He couldn't go back to Hogwarts- Dumbledore was obviously not to be trusted. Privet Drive wasn't the answer either...he could be found there. He had to go somewhere where no one would suspect to look.
What about Hermione though? He put his head in his hands and rubbed his palms against his tired eyes, after taking off his glasses. He hadn't been able to stay and see what happened to her...only to warn her of the danger that was waiting meant for him. If something happened to her, it would be his fault. Just like Sirius' death, and Cedric's death...everything he touched was broken.
He couldn't leave her. He had to go back to Hogwarts and save her. It was the only choice he had left.
**
Ron watched Draco's eyes show his panic but quickly move back to hidden feelings, as he turned to look at Ginny, once they had walked into the infirmary room.
"Alright here's what we do." Draco said, bringing out his wand. "We plead ignorance. Don't let Dumbledore know that we've figured out what's happening- the sooner he knows, the sooner Voldemort knows. Harry escaped...but Hermione was taken."
"How do you know that?" Ginny asked, kneeling down next to Hermione's robes and searching in the pockets.
Draco pushed past her, making Ron walk closer in defense of his sister. He went into the pocket where Hermione kept her wand and pulled out a small black card with an emblazoned serpent and scull on it- the dark mark. As the card turned to ashes in Draco's hand he shook his head.
"Death Eaters." Ron said, his voice low. "Why did they leave the cloak out like this?"
"Because, Weasly," Draco said, standing up with Hermione's robe in his hands. "They made sure Dumbledore saw it so Voldemort knew. They have what they came for."
"They meant to take Hermione all along?"
"No," Ginny said, making both Ron and Draco turn to look at her. She was pale, and Draco wondered if she was alright. "Harry left and they took Hermione afterwards. They took her...for questioning and then bait."
Draco looked down at his shoes, his heart leaping.
"Ginny, you don't know how these people work-" Ron started, but Draco cut him off.
"But I do. She's right."