:: Chapter Seven: Improbable Escape ::

"I have an idea." Ron said as Harry and himself took off on their search again.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Where is the last place you would normally look?"

"I don't know."

"Well," He said exasperated. "Who's the one person that would be the most likely to take over for You-Know-Who?"

"Bellatrix probably. But then they'd have to break her out of Azkaban."

"But wasn't someone broken out of Azkaban?" He hinted.

"Malfoy. But he's just a pawn." Harry shrugged the thought off.

"I think he has the capability to take over for You-Know-Who."

"But you always want to blame Malfoy."

"I really think that he's behind this. The very least we can do is check."

"We're not going to find anything." Harry sighed. "They can't be so thick as to go with obvious choices."

"We're supposed to find Hermione, we haven't gotten anywhere near being close."

"Maybe Lucius Malfoy's escape was a ploy, an escape for him."

"What would it hurt?" Ron nearly pleaded.

Hermione sighed from her position in the cold, damp place she was beginning to call home. Draco had left her all alone again and she really needed company. Her arms and legs were bound and there was nothing for her to do to even pray for an escape. She knew it was it was only a matter of time before her worst fears became a reality. All hope was lost. Nothing could pry her away from the dangers of her life, and the mere thought of escaping was quickly erased by the sensible part of her.

'The walls are too thick, Draco's too protective, Lucius is too suspicious, and there frankly is no point.' Hermione listed the possible reasons she wouldn't be able to escape. She was beginning to see where she stood in this reign of terror, right in the middle. A creak of the door and footsteps on the stairs quickened Hermione's heartbeat. In her mind it was only Draco but there was always the possibility that it was something much worse. Draco stepped out into the open. Hermione unconsciously sighed.

"How long are you going to wait for my so called hero to come?" She asked.

"As long as it takes." Draco said leaning against the wall.

"What if he never comes?"

"He will, you know he will. Here's his chance to be the big strong hero that defeated the Dark Lord, again. But what he doesn't know is that we're ready for him."

"He won't be alone."

"We're prepared for that. We don't want Weasley; he's not a threat to us. He's weak; he has too many emotional ties with his family. Potter however only has the bloody aunt and uncle that really cares for him, deep down inside."

"Why are you doing this?" She asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Why is it that good must always win? Everyone is created equal are they not? Then why must one side always win?"

"The good saves lives, your side however destroys lives."

"The good destroys people too, doesn't that make them evil as well?"

"No."

"Why? There is nothing different about us. Nothing at all, the only thing that separates us from each other is that he's the one that everyone wants to win. People pick favorites; Potter was the one that was chosen, the one that everyone likes. And there isn't much difference between myself and him."

"I know." Hermione said. "But your intentions aren't always the best. I hate to say this but Harry does things for the good of everyone. You do things for yourself."

"Are you saying that I'm self-centered?" He asked offended.

"Not exactly."

"I'm just as brave, creative, or selfless as any of the "good guys"."

"But, like I said before, Harry has one thing that you'll never have. Love Draco, not that stuff that Pansy said she had for you, but real love. The kind of love that you can only get from someone that truly cares for you."

"That's not my fault Hermione, it's not my fault that my father didn't care about me, that my mother was too busy making sure that her and my father were okay to ever care about me. It's not like I was the easiest person to get along with either. You know that."

"I know it's not your fault, and I never said it was. I wish there was someway that I could help you but you know where I stand. This is just wrong."

"What's so wrong?"

"I don't know where I stand exactly anymore." Draco looked at her curiously. "I want Harry to prevail, I want to get out of the wretched basement, or prison, whatever this place has become. And yet, I know that if Harry does prevail I'm going to feel empty."

"Why?"

"I think it has to do with you."

"Why? I'm just your evil captor."

"I feel like you've become someone that I can talk to."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"For lulling you into false accusations. Everything you've said to me has only helped me to find your weaknesses. The easiest places for me to get to the point where I can destroy Potter emotionally so he's an emotional wreck and the easiest to kill. After all Granger, you're going to be dead." And those tears that had been accustomed to finding their way to her cheeks flowed freely.

"You can't honestly tell me that what you've said to me has been nothing but lies."

"No it actually hasn't. I'm not afraid to tell you these things because I know you're never going to have a chance to tell anyone."

"I hate you with a passion Draco Malfoy."

"Hate is such a strong, powerful word." He said coyly.

"And yet it sums up your cold evil heart with the greatest of ease."