Chapter # 30
Voldemort eyed Hermione with amusement.
"This, I presume, is Hermione Granger?" he asked Lucius, who nodded.
"Yes, my lord, this is Hermione Granger."
"Hmm, the same Hermione who brewed Polyjuice potion at the absurd age of twelve? The same Hermione who can outsmart your snotty pureblood son? Harry Potters' friend?" Voldemort asked, walking over to Hermiones' bedside. He knelt down and slowly reached out a long, pale, skeletal finger. He placed it softly on her cheek. Hermione wished she could move away from his touch, but her body betrayed her. He traced her cheekbone and smiled.
"What shall we do with her, My Lord?" Lucius asked quickly, watching Voldemort with his cold gray eyes.
"Silence, Lucius. Patience is the way to a girls' heart. Hermione, do you know who I am?" Voldemort asked softly. Hermione nodded mutely.
"You understand that I will kill you at the slightest detection of lies?"
"Yes." Hermione whispered. She was powerless to say much, her throat was constricted with fear.
"And do you understand that, if you wish, I could grant you great power?" Hermione looked up into those glaring red eyes.
"I understand." She whispered.
"Excellent. Then Lucius is right in saying that you are a fast learner. Hermione, my death eaters have many ways of torturing people to get answers. If you refuse to answer during our little talk, you will be punished, and another interrogation will take place with me. If you are still disobedient, I will allow the death eaters to beat you until you scream."
"And if I tell the truth, and give you everything I know?" Hermione asked softly.
"Perhaps I will grant you freedom. If, however, you refuse a third time, you do not want to know what will happen. I have little patience for stubborn teenagers." Hermione felt the remaining color drain from her face.
"Err."
"Now, Hermione, about Harry. What is his weakness?"
"Uhh, you mean what hurts him the most? Well, he really can't stand Dementors." Hermione said truthfully. It was a harmless question, anyhow. Voldemort nodded softly.
"And who is his closest friend?" Hermione gave him a hopeless look.
"Ron Weasley."
"Tell me, does Harry have a strong connection with Professor Lupin?"
"Ern, I suppose. He gets' help from Lupin all the time for homework."
"What do you know about Lupins' lycanthrope?"
"It's caused him plenty of pain. Sir?"
"Yes?" Voldemort looked startled that she even dare ask a question.
"Why do you want to know this?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Every little detail helps, Hermione. This however, is more like a test. If you answer all these questions truthfully, then you are capable of lending me information. If not, I might as well discard you."
Hermione asked no more questions throughout their talk.
**************************************************************************** *****
Lucius watched the little girl carefully throughout the talk, watching for any signs of deception. There were none, and so Lucius would admit that she seemed truthful enough, if a bit reluctant to tell the truth.
The talk finished, and Voldemort stood. He glanced over at Lucius and smiled cruelly.
"Make sure you don't spoil her before she is done." He hissed, then stalked away. Lucius scowled, then turned to the Granger chit.
"So, little mudblood, are you scared yet?" he asked, hoping to see fear in her eyes. There was nothing there but pure fire there, however.
"I am not scared of you, Lucius Malfoy." She whispered, before turning her head away sharply. Lucius scowled.
"You'll be sorry, you little wench, that you ever talked to me that way. I hope you understand that My Lord is only going easy on you because you have valuable information. As soon as he gets all the information he can, you'll be handed to the death eaters, and you don't want to know what we'll do to you." With that Lucius stalked away.
"Bastard." Hermione mumbled softly.
**************************************************************************** ********
Hermione dreamed that night. It was a strange dream. She was sitting in a room, a comfortable-looking one, when James walked in. He grinned at her, that loving, you'll-never-leave-me grin.
"Hey, love." He walked over and slipped a hand around her waist.
"Mmmm." Hermione moaned, nuzzling her lover. She might as well enjoy it while it lasted, being this was only a dream.
"I'm really sorry this happened." He murmured. Hermione noticed his voice was getting fuzzier, and her vision was fading.
"Err, it's alright."
"You were mad earlier. And I think you have a right to be mad. This could very well ruin your life." His voice was distant now, echoing and soft. "I mean, being pregnant is a big thing. I understand if you don't want me now and all that, I'd be willing t.." his voice disappeared all together and Hermione woke with a start, her eyes jerking open. She would have sat up, too, but the heavy metal chains on her wrists prevented it.
Pregnant? Her? With James' baby? And he thought she wanted to leave him? She was confused at first, but slowly it dawned on her that it was just a dream. Just a bad dream, that was all.
None the less, she stayed up for the remainder of the night, until, around nine in the morning, two masked death eaters arrived to take her somewhere else.
Voldemort eyed Hermione with amusement.
"This, I presume, is Hermione Granger?" he asked Lucius, who nodded.
"Yes, my lord, this is Hermione Granger."
"Hmm, the same Hermione who brewed Polyjuice potion at the absurd age of twelve? The same Hermione who can outsmart your snotty pureblood son? Harry Potters' friend?" Voldemort asked, walking over to Hermiones' bedside. He knelt down and slowly reached out a long, pale, skeletal finger. He placed it softly on her cheek. Hermione wished she could move away from his touch, but her body betrayed her. He traced her cheekbone and smiled.
"What shall we do with her, My Lord?" Lucius asked quickly, watching Voldemort with his cold gray eyes.
"Silence, Lucius. Patience is the way to a girls' heart. Hermione, do you know who I am?" Voldemort asked softly. Hermione nodded mutely.
"You understand that I will kill you at the slightest detection of lies?"
"Yes." Hermione whispered. She was powerless to say much, her throat was constricted with fear.
"And do you understand that, if you wish, I could grant you great power?" Hermione looked up into those glaring red eyes.
"I understand." She whispered.
"Excellent. Then Lucius is right in saying that you are a fast learner. Hermione, my death eaters have many ways of torturing people to get answers. If you refuse to answer during our little talk, you will be punished, and another interrogation will take place with me. If you are still disobedient, I will allow the death eaters to beat you until you scream."
"And if I tell the truth, and give you everything I know?" Hermione asked softly.
"Perhaps I will grant you freedom. If, however, you refuse a third time, you do not want to know what will happen. I have little patience for stubborn teenagers." Hermione felt the remaining color drain from her face.
"Err."
"Now, Hermione, about Harry. What is his weakness?"
"Uhh, you mean what hurts him the most? Well, he really can't stand Dementors." Hermione said truthfully. It was a harmless question, anyhow. Voldemort nodded softly.
"And who is his closest friend?" Hermione gave him a hopeless look.
"Ron Weasley."
"Tell me, does Harry have a strong connection with Professor Lupin?"
"Ern, I suppose. He gets' help from Lupin all the time for homework."
"What do you know about Lupins' lycanthrope?"
"It's caused him plenty of pain. Sir?"
"Yes?" Voldemort looked startled that she even dare ask a question.
"Why do you want to know this?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Every little detail helps, Hermione. This however, is more like a test. If you answer all these questions truthfully, then you are capable of lending me information. If not, I might as well discard you."
Hermione asked no more questions throughout their talk.
**************************************************************************** *****
Lucius watched the little girl carefully throughout the talk, watching for any signs of deception. There were none, and so Lucius would admit that she seemed truthful enough, if a bit reluctant to tell the truth.
The talk finished, and Voldemort stood. He glanced over at Lucius and smiled cruelly.
"Make sure you don't spoil her before she is done." He hissed, then stalked away. Lucius scowled, then turned to the Granger chit.
"So, little mudblood, are you scared yet?" he asked, hoping to see fear in her eyes. There was nothing there but pure fire there, however.
"I am not scared of you, Lucius Malfoy." She whispered, before turning her head away sharply. Lucius scowled.
"You'll be sorry, you little wench, that you ever talked to me that way. I hope you understand that My Lord is only going easy on you because you have valuable information. As soon as he gets all the information he can, you'll be handed to the death eaters, and you don't want to know what we'll do to you." With that Lucius stalked away.
"Bastard." Hermione mumbled softly.
**************************************************************************** ********
Hermione dreamed that night. It was a strange dream. She was sitting in a room, a comfortable-looking one, when James walked in. He grinned at her, that loving, you'll-never-leave-me grin.
"Hey, love." He walked over and slipped a hand around her waist.
"Mmmm." Hermione moaned, nuzzling her lover. She might as well enjoy it while it lasted, being this was only a dream.
"I'm really sorry this happened." He murmured. Hermione noticed his voice was getting fuzzier, and her vision was fading.
"Err, it's alright."
"You were mad earlier. And I think you have a right to be mad. This could very well ruin your life." His voice was distant now, echoing and soft. "I mean, being pregnant is a big thing. I understand if you don't want me now and all that, I'd be willing t.." his voice disappeared all together and Hermione woke with a start, her eyes jerking open. She would have sat up, too, but the heavy metal chains on her wrists prevented it.
Pregnant? Her? With James' baby? And he thought she wanted to leave him? She was confused at first, but slowly it dawned on her that it was just a dream. Just a bad dream, that was all.
None the less, she stayed up for the remainder of the night, until, around nine in the morning, two masked death eaters arrived to take her somewhere else.
