Can't Let You Go Chapter Thirteen
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Harry Potter sobs, now can we get on with the story?
A/N: First I'd like to say that I am extremely sorry for not updating this story in so long! But I do have some valid excuses! My internet was down for a month, and when I brought it to the guy to get it fixed he ended up deleting all of my files, which means I lost this chapter! Then, I had writers block, so I wrote another fic( a D/G, check it out on my author's page if you're interested). Then, finally, I bought a laptop, which took some time to get the hang of.
Last chapter: "No!" Draco yelled, watching helpless as Hermione got closer to the windows.
"Father, stop!" Lucius didn't respond. He had a manic glint in his eye. It was obvious that he was enjoying this. Draco started struggling more violently against the cords. A blind panic was rising in him.
"Hermione! Listen to me, you have to fight it! Fight the curse Hermione, I know you can hear me! Please Hermione, fight it!" Hermione unlatched the windows, and they swung open violently, almost hitting her in the process. She walked forward and climbed up on the ledge. The wind was blowing in her hair and she turned around partway to look at Draco, who was screaming by this point. He had to snap her out of it. He was struggling so violently against the restraints that they were forming blisters on his skin but he took no notice. His only thought was getting Hermione away from that window.
"Hermione, please snap out of it, love! Get away from the window!" She smirked at him.
"I'm sorry, Draco. This is what happens when you disobey your father." She shrugged and then jumped off the window ledge. Lucius ended the curse the second after she jumped, so they could hear her terrified screaming the whole way down.
Hermione couldn't stop screaming, as she continued to fall, she looked down and it appeared as though the ground was rushing up to meet her. She screwed her eyes tightly shut, and prayed that death would be painless when suddenly she felt someone's arms wrap around her, but her eyes remained closed. She was vaguely aware that she was being pulled into a window. Once inside, the strong pair of arms dropped her roughly on the floor. Hermione opened her eyes, and stared at a wizard she did not recognize. She was still in a state of shock at the fact that she hadn't died, that she didn't struggle when he grabbed her roughly and dragged her over to a wall, chaining her to it. He then walked out of the room and slammed the door shut.
The room was dark, cold, and damp. It had a musty smell about it, which told Hermione that it probably hadn't been used recently. Trying to fight the panic that was rising in her, she began to relive the days events, in the hopes of trying to recover some clues to explain the situation she was currently in.
(Flashback)
It was New Year's Eve and Hermione was in the kitchen baking cookies last minute, as usual. Draco was getting ready first because Hermione knew she would take longer to get ready. Also, she didn't feel comfortable leaving Draco to bake the cookies. She didn't want to give the Weasley's food poisoning. Hermione was slightly worried about Draco. It had been two days since their discussion about her parents and he was still acting troubled. She could tell he was trying not show it but she knew him too well not to notice. He was quieter than usual, and he had a loss of appetite. She also had woken up a few times last night to find him rolling around and muttering under his breath. Hermione didn't know what to do. On one hand, she didn't want it to seem as though she was ignoring him, but she didn't want to push him into telling her anything that he didn't want to. She hoped that if the New Year's eve party went well he might be cheered up a bit.
A little while later, the buzzer on the oven rang and Hermione took the cookies out of the oven and placed them on a cooling rack. She heard the bathroom door open, signaling that Draco was ready and She went in her room to grab her clothes and get ready for the party.
Once in the bathroom, Hermione quickly took her shower, but then decided she didn't have enough time to straighten her hair. She quickly grabbed a bottle of muggle hair gel. She was about to squeeze a small amount into the palm of her hand, when she felt a jerking sensation just below her naval. She realized it was a portkey, and tried to drop it but it was too late. The next thing she knew, she had disappeared from the bathroom.
Hermione landed in a dimly lit room. At first, she didn't know where she was, but after looking around and seeing Lucius Malfoy and his fellow deatheaters, she realized she must be at the Malfoy Manor.
"What do you want now, Lucius?" She asked, trying to sound brave but noticing a slight waver in her voice. He smirked while stepping forward.
"To finally be rid of your filthy existence, mudblood." He said, his eyes gleaming in a secret triumph. Hermione suddenly realized that she didn't have her wand with her and silently cursed. She was now standing in a room full of deatheaters and she had no means in which to protect herself.
Lucius stepped forward with the gleam of a predator in his eyes. Hermione couldn't but back away from him a few steps. Seeing this, Lucius let out a cold roar of laughter that chilled Hermione to the bone. He then raised his wand arm and muttered 'Crucio' .
Hermione crumpled to the ground instantly, writhing in pain. She had experiencedthis once before, and had sincerely hoped never to do this again. She tried in vain to bite backthe screams, but they ripped out of her body against her own will. She was vaguely aware of the deatheaters cackling delightedly while she rolled and twisted about the floor.
When Lucius finally took off the curse, Hermione lay in a boneless heap on the floor, chest heaving, while tears poured from her eyes as she shook with silent sobs. Lucius stalked forward and pulled her up roughly by the shoulders, and into a standing position. Her knees were so wobbly that she almost collapsed again, when surprisingly, his arm looped tightly around her waist- holding her upright. He bent down,
"Careful, mudblood, I believe I've already spoken to you once about breathing on my floors." He was breathing heavily on her, and smelled suspiciously of Firewhisky. Hermione struggled against him, a look of blatant disgust on her face. This only caused Lucius and the deatheaters to laugh harder.
Suddenly, a man came bursting into the door of Lucius' study. He walked over to Lucius, and tried to whisper something to him, but given Hermione's close proximity she managed to hear the conversation anyway.
"Sir, He's arrived." She felt the arm that Lucius still had around her tense slightly.
"Already? I wasn't expecting him to arrive for another hour, at least! This will not do! You must detain him until I am ready!" The man nodded respectfully, and then bowed from the room. Hermione wondered who this 'he' was, and her heart rose slightly at the thought that it could be Draco. She frowned, wondering why he hadn't shown up before now.
In an abrupt manner, Lucius shoved her away from him. Hermione stumbled backwards, grateful that he had released her, until she saw that he was raising his wand arm in her direction again. She closed her eyes, and braced herself for the pain that she assumed was coming, but was surprised when there was none. Lucius had muttered something under his breath, and Hermione felt a tingling sensation wash over her. Suddenly a voice was speaking to her.
"Mudblood, jump onto the desk." Hermione bent her knees, ready to obey, when she realized that she didn't want to. She then realized that she was currently under the Imperious curse!
"Mudblood, jump onto the desk!" Lucius' voice demanded more forcefully this time, and again Hermione resisted. They went back and forth like that for a few minutes, when finally, Lucius lifted the curse.
" Fine, mudblood, lets see if a little torture will convince you to obey!" He then muttered 'Crucio' He didn't lift the curse for a good fifteen to twenty minutes. When he finally did, Hermione was much too weak to resist the Imperious curse, and soon fell under Lucius' complete control.
A little while later, Hermione was vaguely aware that Draco had been dragged into the room. A small part of Hermione was relieved, but the larger part, the part under Lucius' control, continued to shower Lucius with her affections as she had been doing for the past half an hour.
Suddenly, she heard Lucius' voice give her another command.
"Walk over to the windows, and open them." She stood up immediately and approached the windows. In the background, she could here Draco screaming for her to stop, but could not bring herself to do so. Lucius then ordered her to stand on the window ledge, and she complied. When he finally ordered her to jump, she did so without hesitation. She began to scream, though, when the curse was taken off of her.
(End of flashaback)
A/N: I know this chapter was really short, but I just wanted to show what had happened from hermione's P.O.V, and I thought it would be best if I ended it here. I'm seriously going to try to get the next chapter up ASAP, but you should no by now that I'm not the type that can keep my promises! Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter!