Draco screamed and screamed and screamed. He'd decided since the first time he'd been tortured there was no point in holding it in. The death eaters liked it better when you screamed and the pain lasted shorter. At least they were only using crucio so far and not doing any old-fashioned torture methods. Really they didn't use any old-fashioned torture methods. No chains, no starving, not really. Well, Draco had never felt as undernourished as he was no and he was sure he'd lost at least 50 pounds, but he was living off bread and water. Strange thoughts you had when you were being tortured. Strangely though, he didn't wish for death. He only wished for it to be over so he could go back to his cell and eventually escape. His own will was almost laughable, he still believed in the back of his mind he would get out.

Finally the death eater took off the spell and walked off. He felt sick with pain. He could still feel the magic running through his body. He leaned to the side of the table and threw-up. Eventually his stomach stopped heaving and Draco leaned back wiping his mouth on his shoulder. The vile taste stayed in his mouth. Before he blacked out he saw the white albino walk in.

***

Hermione laid on her back her hands clenching her robes. Her eyes were shut tightly as she tried to will the pain away. By thinking of other things she could almost manage it. It didn't really make a difference anyway though, did it? They'd just come back and torture her more.

Hermione felt sadness suddenly overwhelm her. She missed Harry and Ron and Hogwarts. She wished she could see her parents. Suddenly she heard footsteps, and unwilled her eyes opened. A death eater strode over to her.

Please go away, please go away, she thought, or at least un-tie me and bring me back to the cell with Draco.

The death eater took out its wand. Apparently he wasn't going away.

***

Draco felt himself thrown back into his cell. He curled up in the familiar straw, the old stench of sweat, blood, and human waste filling his nostrils. They hadn't tortured him nearly as much as last time. Maybe this was just to say, stay put, or else. What were they going to do with all these prisoners? Surely they couldn't be just for torturing. Maybe just to have prisoners or something, ransom possibly.

Well, they couldn't ransom Draco; they'd killed his dad, and probably his mom too. Besides his mom wouldn't care enough to pay lots of money to get him back.

Draco crawled slowly over to the water bucket and reached around feeling for any bread. His hand touched a piece and he grabbed it eating it quickly hoping his stomach wouldn't reject it. Then he put his head in the bucket and slurped as much water as he dared to take.

As he leaned back in the straw he wondered where Hermione was. Had they put her in a different cell? That seemed unlikely, he was in the same cell he'd always been in. Maybe they'd marked them or something with the number of their cell, to say, "hey, you belong to us."

He felt the back of his neck, then his forehead, but found nothing. He looked at the back of his right hand then the back of his left. There it was, a four digit number in black slightly imprinted into the skin. How could he have not noticed it before? It had been very dark, there was just barely enough light to make it out now, and he hadn't been looking for it earlier. He hoped strongly that if he got out, he could remove it. Leave this all behind him.

Draco's thoughts then wandered back to Hermione. Could they still be torturing her? He felt anger stronger than he'd ever felt before. He hated Voldemort. He hated the death eaters. When he got out, and then when he graduated Hogwarts, he'd become an Auror, he'd set records with the numbers of death eaters he would catch and kill. Eventually he would kill Voldemort He had to get out, he had to find Hermione. They'd kill her! He struggled into a sitting position, and then collapsed back. He was too weak; he couldn't do it. His whole body hurt too much. He grit his teeth and tried to sit again, then had to force away a wave of nausea. Suddenly black spots swam before him and he felt himself falling back.

***

The door to the cell creaked open then was pushed shut with a loud clang that woke Draco. He opened his eyes wearily and saw Hermione huddled in the corner leaning against a wall. She was sobbing uncontrollably, something that surprised him. From what he'd seen of her so far, she didn't seem like the kind of person to sob. Then again Draco hardly thought of himself as the kind of person to scream for mercy. The death eaters could do anything to anyone.

He sat up slowly and when his head cleared he moved over to the water and drank some. Glancing at Hermione again he saw her leaning against the wall her face buried in her face.

"Hermione?" he asked tentatively. When she made no reply he asked again. She looked up at him and glared, "Stay away from me."

Draco leaned back feeling hurt, she was supposed to hate the death eaters not him. He frowned leaning back against the opposite wall, confused.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Sorry, I, I hurt all over," she said still not looking at him, then added vehemently, "I hate them. I hate them so much. I wish they'd all go to hell and burn. Damn them all."

Then she started crying again and Draco felt uncomfortable as though he should do something. He moved over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay," he said, "We'll get out of her. What ever it takes we'll get out of here."

Hermione shook her head, "How?"

Then to Draco's surprise she leaned over and buried her face in his robes still sobbing. Carefully he wrapped his arms around her holding her tightly talking softly trying to comfort her.

A/N: I can't believe this story is getting soooo many reviews! Go read my other stories also. Most of them are Tamora Pierce. A couple I've written with my sister, her ff name is Snowbear. Thank you everyone who reviewed!!!!

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