Chapter four
Ron was the first to awake. The sun shined in his eyes. It was six-o-clock. He woke up Draco and Harry, urging them to get ready.
He changed into a tees-shirt and a pair of jeans and then pulled the blankets off of Harry and Draco. The room was cool, so they began shivering and got up to receive their precious comforters. By the time they had gotten up to Ron, they were fully awake.
Hedwig flew in the open window with a letter for Harry. He read it aloud to them.
"Harry, Draco and Ron, Make yourselves invisible and fly to Hogwarts. We are awaiting your arrival. Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin, First Class... you know the rest," Harry muttered.
"Here, I'll use disillusionment charm. Father taught it to me. Though I hate to brag." Draco smiled.
"Don't lie. You love to." Ron responded.
He rolled his eyes and mounted the broom. Draco placed the tip of his wand to his head. A sensation like freezing cold water running over his body went through him.
"How does it work?"
Harry explained the concept of blending into the surrounding space in record timing.
They took off in an awkward silence. They went on for about an hour without a word.
"I hate this silence!" Ron finally said.
"Well that was bloody loud!" Draco responded, with even more volume to his voice.
"Just stop, the both of you! It just seems like our voices our loud because we've been riding in silence," Harry stated.
The castle loomed ahead, a shadow in a lake of brilliant reds, yellows and oranges glittered with the diamond stars. It had taken a full day of flying, but they were finally there.
Ron squinted against the bright light. He stared down at the lake, first to see the still water, then the giant squid with a rippling effect. Ron grasped the broom tighter with his sweaty palms.
Harry and Draco to dive downward and Ron followed their lead. They dismounted right at ther steps and Draco undid the spell.
Dumbledore lead them into the entrance hall when they got to the door. Sorrow, sadness, fear and mourning were mixed in his expression and eyes.
"Sir, I have to tell you something about Hermione."
Harry felt sick to his stomach. He sat in Dumbledores office, staring at the floor.
"What was it Harry. You have to tell me." Dumbledore asked in a calm voice. He could feel his eyes looking at him through his half-moon glasses.
"She was in a cell. Someone was talking to her, someone who was apparently intimidating. He told her.... He told her that she's... that she's the heiress of Godric Gryffindor."
Dumbledore's eyes sparkled a bit. "As my suspicions were and as my sources have come up with. The Death Eaters need her. They can get to you, and use her all the same. You will find them quite convincing, and if Hermione gives in and joins them...."
"Yeah," Ron muttered. Draco nodded his head knowingly and Harry sighed.
A silence descended the group.
"I'm sure you all are hungry. Would you care for breakfast?" Dumbledore smiled awkwardly.
"Wake up you filthy little mudblood!" Lucious shook the girl violently. She didn't respond, so he resorted with splashing water on her face
The Granger girl stirred. She rubbed her wrists and winced slightly. He had removed the handcuffs he had bought off of some idiot vendor for four sickles, it could have easily been 10 galleons had he bought it in a shop, in Knockturn Alley.
Lucious shoved his wand in her face. Her eyes fluttered open and she bolt upright. She gave him a loathsome glare that was replaced by slight fear mixed with courage. The tip of his wand trailed down her cheek, soon pushing into her neck. Her breath quickened and her lower lip trembled slightly. He loved this.
"Get your arse up, Granger." She glared daggers at him, but obeyed. Any true Death Eater could sense the hatred that flowed through her.
"I swear to Merlin's Beard that you will regret your actions and for even thinking of taking me as your damn hostage, you filthy son of a b..."
"Ah, ah, ah! We wouldn't want a repetition of last time, do we?" Lucious snarled.
"You're testing me." She breathed through clenched teeth.
"And I'm loving every moment." He moved closer, forcing her backwards. He noticed her limping, and her foot seemed to drag against the floor. Her sock was soaked with blood, now stiff for it was dry, and a jagged cut ran up her instep and cut through the now red cotton.
Lucious muttered a spell and the blood, cut, and rip disappeared.
"Thanks," she muttered, placing her weight on the foot. "But I still think of you as a lazy bastard," he was able to make out from under her breath. Her back was against the grimy walls and her eyes held fire like he had never seen before.
"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK TO A MALFOY IN THAT MANOR! THE NEXT TIME YOU DO, I'LL... I'll do this," he paused for a second, "CRUCIO!"
Hermione Grangers limbs flew all over the place. Her body jerked around on the floor and her voice screamed out for help.
Lucious lifted his wand and looked down at her. She gasped for breath and had tears on her cheeks.
"Tisk, tisk," he snarled, "our Hermione doesn't know when to stop." She stared up at him, still shaking with uneven breaths. "Here's the ground rules. One, you will speak when spoken to, answer every question that we ask. Two, you will obey all orders given by a death eater. That includes trainees, like my son, who will be visiting you." He knew Draco would enjoy torturing the girl he loathed the most. "And lastly, you will refer to me as 'Sir' or 'Master Malfoy.' Any other Death Eater, you will not call them anything. Is that understood?"
She did not respond.
Lucious glared down at her, then barked, "IS THAT UNDERSTOOD, Miss Granger?"
"Yes," she muttered. He stepped forward in a threatening manner "Sir." He loved the courtesy that was forced upon her. He grabbed the Granger girls arm with his long white fingers and pulled her off the floor forcefully.
"Do you know why you are here?" He asked. "Bleubiends!" A glowing blue rope snaked around her delicate wrists that looked like they could be broken with a simple snap.
"No, sir."
"Don't give me an attitude," he growled.
"Sorry, sir. I know you're going to use me to get to Harry. I'm not stupid, you know. And it has to do something with me being the heiress, or you wouldn't have told me." She pulled away slightly, but he kept his grasp.
"Perfect," Lucious nodded in approval. He threw her, literally, onto the bed that had been reserved for her. Lucious then wheeled around on his heel and left.
Draco joined Harry and Ron in the Gryffindor common room. He placed down his broom and a small amount of luggage.
"Love the common room. How's the dorms?" He asked.
"Ah... okay. They're dorms! I like Slytherin Dungeons better though!" Ron clamped his hand over his mouth. "Oops."
"What did the two of you do?" Draco snarled.
"Nothing! It's nothing" Ron smiled sweetly.
"Were you two the arseholes who put dungbombs in my bed during fourth year?" He growled.
They couldn't help but laugh.
"No," Harry smiled, forcing back another urge for laughter. "We used polyjuice in 2nd year."
"You? You concocted a polyjuice in 2nd? I can't even now, and I'm supposed to be the potions expert!"
"Hermione made it," he muttered, head drooped.
Hermione tried to escape the spell. She had minimum strength left and could hardly move. Instead of using what strength she had left for a productive activity, she had a fit in her cell. She couldn't stand it anymore.
Hermione missed her parents. She would never see them again, and her sister, which she doubt she'd ever talk to again. Her delicate frame quivered and collapsed to the bed and tears fell, but not from her eyes, which were dry, but from her soul. She knew well that her parents could not be ghosts, for they were muggles.
The room blurred before her eyes and she screamed out for help. Screamed out for her parents. Yelled their names, which echoed back at her, mocking her pain. No one would hear. No one would care. But she yelled out anyhow.
If I were you, I'd shut my mouth." Came a familiar, drawling voice.
The Gryffindor Common Room fire was warm and comforting. The flames licked the hearth lightly, a wonderful glow as a result.
Draco lay sprawled out on the couch. His arm drooped off the edge, mouth open slightly, his eyes were closed and moving under their lids, his chest raised and lowered itself rhythmically.
Dreams entered and exited the blackness that was result of closed eyes. All he saw was one person.
Hermione Jane Grange.
Eyes like melted chocolate, leading him into her sorrowful but beautiful soul. Her wavy frizzed out brown hair fell around her face gracefully. Lips that were full and held a natural pink hue whispered soft words. Beauty was a part of her, encircling every inch of her, flawless, perfect, or at least to him.
Draco awoke and groggily and walked up the steps to the bed he was to stay in. The time was nearing 10 P.M, he had fallen asleep after an 8:00 dinner on the couch.
He couldn't help but imagine Hermione was next to him, in his arms. The dreams were more intense now, he couldn't stop them, she was just there.
Lucious rolled his eyes. The mudbloods ongoing rampage aggravated his already pounding headache. "Daffodil!" He barked.
A house elf came running to his side, her large green eyes staring upward as her nose grazed the stone floor.
Lucious ordered, "Get me a glass of wine and find someone to shut up the mudblood."
Daffodil quickly returned holding a glass with the finest wizarding wine available.
"Soundproof Grangers cell."
The house elf bowed once more and scurried away to obey her new orders.
Lucious rubbed his temples and sighed slightly. Soon there were no more disturbances.