What the hell was Granger doing here? Draco thought as he looked up at her. She looked relatively healthy and well fed. They had probably just captured her. Too bad.
He sighed and let his head rest on the straw again. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her take a few steps into the cell and glance at him. She turned around as the death eaters slammed shut the door.
She sighed frustrated and grabbed the bars keeping her in the cell.
"You can't keep me in here forever!" she yelled making Draco's head hurt even more, "They'll come looking for me! Then you'll all die!"
The girl was brave, Draco had to give her that. Though he doubted anyone would find them down here.
"Stop shouting," he mumbled.
"What?" Hermione turned around and looked at him.
"You're hurting my head," he said a little louder. It hurt to speak even. His whole body seemed to ache more than it did before. Was he even getting better? Half of him hoped he would get better, but the other half said as soon as he was better they'd take him away again.
"Oh," Hermione said then sat down dejectedly on the straw. There was a long silence Draco was grateful for.
"Why are you here?" she asked suddenly. Draco said nothing and instead rolled over wincing slightly. He closed his eyes and waited for sleep. At least it offered oblivion from his pain.
***
Draco woke feeling water on his face. He peeled open his eyes feeling better than he had before. Great, that probably meant he was getting better.
Squinting he saw Hermione scooping some water of the bucket.
"Go away," he said annoyed.
"You'll never get better if you dehydrate and starve yourself," she said curtly, but then scooted away.
"I don't plan on it," he replied, but then realized his mouth was parched and his stomach growled sharply in hunger.
Draco turned his head to look at Hermione. She sat against the wall her legs pulled up against her chest gazing through the bars of the door and he felt a pang of pity. Hermione didn't belong here; she didn't even deserve to be here.
"How'd you end up here Granger?" he asked slowly.
"What?" Hermione's head turned quickly around surprise on her face.
"How'd you end up here?" he repeated the question.
"There are death eaters in the forbidden forest, Harry, Ron, and I were"-
"Looking for trouble as usual. I should have guessed. It's your own fault you're here then," he said, his words sharp. It wasn't her fault she was here though, that part hadn't been true. Harry and his minions had a knack for finding trouble though.
"No! Well, we were…" Hermione paused unsure of what to say, had they been looking for trouble?
"That's what I thought," he said then feeling tired from speaking for that long he rolled over and attempted to go back to sleep. Sleep did not come though and instead he thought of what he'd said. To his surprise he found that what he'd said was really mean. Had he always been that mean? He was just like the death eaters. He deserved all the torture and pain even if Hermione didn't.
***
Bright lights flickered on. Great. Draco tried to make himself as non-distinguishable as possible. Apparently it didn't work though for the death eaters opened the door to his cell. He heard them walk in then he heard Hermione yell something at them. The death eater spoke sharply back then he heard him drag her out. The door closed with a sharp clang.
Stupid girl, he thought, she should know better than to yell at them! Does she want to get tortured?
Once again the unfamiliar guilt flooded him. It was his fault, they'd taken her and he hadn't done anything. He simply lay there hoping they wouldn't take him. He was a coward as well; a mean coward who didn't deserve to live. Strangely he found himself hoping Hermione would be all right, that they wouldn't kill her with their torture as they nearly did him.
After laying awake in the straw he tried to sit up pushing himself up against the wall with his arms. His whole body was weak with hunger. Sitting up he scooted along the edge of the wall until he came to the water bucket. A few pieces of stale bread sat by it. He literally dropped his face into the murky water and drank greedily. Then feeling better he took the bread and ate it all, by the time Hermione got back there would be more. After a few moments her felt strength returning readily; apparently he was to live after all.
After that there was nothing to do but stare at the wall. He half hoped Hermione would be back soon for her sake and his. He realized he had liked having her presence there and someone to talk to, though they hadn't really talked much at all.
***
After long hours of staring at the walls of his cell sleep finally came once again to Draco. He slept fitfully and awoke feeling sore. Hermione had still not returned. He ate the bread and drank feeling more awake than he had in many days. His head felt clearer and he didn't almost scream in pain whenever he moved. He also wasn't sleeping all time which was not a improvement at all as now he had long endless hours to pity himself and to be afraid and to think of all the horrible things they'd probably do to him. Not to mention being awake also meant listening to everyone else's moans of agony. The dungeons of Lord Voldemort's underground were not a pleasant place to be.