Disclaimer: You know I used to wonder why people never asked me for autographs…I mean I am the amazing brilliant genius who wrote Harry Potter. But then one day I was telling this kid how I wrote the books and he didn't believe me…he said some gal named JK Rowling wrote it. Go figure.
To The Reviewers: Well. Here we are again. I was just wondering…was my last chapter really that bad? I mean…I got like…NO reviews. Well I did get reviews…but not as many as I usually get…oh well. I love you all! ::tacklehugs::
Geekofyerdreams: It was short huh? But…oh well this is a nice long one…twenty pages in word…enjoy
SailorPPearl: hehehe…you think THAT cliffie was bad just wait till you read THIS one
Malleana: Yup…something like that
DarkAngelB: YAY! I'm happy you and Rose read it. Here is the update, I like Harry…just not in fanfics
Allayne: What? No death threats? I'm disappointed with you…JK!
Oreopet: Yah…those are my feelings on the HP cast as well
Dershana: I'm glad SOMEONE appreciates my sense of humor
Sk8erpunkGCpnay: No you didn't review…but that's is being a bum
Draco-and-Jack-lover: Thank you so much! Here's the update
V-queen: You go Girl Scout! Don't be mean to my man! I'll have to get yah! Just Kidding
LegolasEstelstar: Nothing wrong with getting emotional! I love being emotional!
Awwww: I'm sure they have computers in heaven…and if they don't…I'm NOT going. Well…I'm probably not going ANYWAYS but let's not get into that
Oni Tenchie: ;; I was just kidding…jeez
Bluesky: Well…here it is! Hope I keep you on the edge of your seat ::winks:: it means I'm doing a good job
Teralyn: and reviews make me happy!
Chapter Twelve: You
Out on the road between nowhere and hell I caught a glimpse of my reflection in you
-Er…not quite sure actually
Voldemort walked around Hermione's prone form, twirling his wand in his long, skeletal fingers
Occasionally he would give a high pitched cackle, but so far he hadn't touched her or spoken to her since Harry's return to the after life
He also had yet to remove the full body bind curse he had performed on her
So Hermione lay, stiff as a board on her back, her eyes following Voldemort's every move
Voldemort came to an abrupt halt and turned those, crimson, hate filled eyes to her
"Finally alone, eh my dear?" he hissed as he aimed his wand at Hermione
A flash of red light was followed by a cold, high pitched laugh
XOXOXOXOX
Draco's feet fought for purchase on the muddy slope
He struggled up the steep incline, his heart pounding
He had to find her
He had to find Hermione
Something was wrong
Draco reached flat land and took of at a run towards the forest
He had to find her
He couldn't let her get hut
He HAD to protect her
XOXOXOXOX
When Hermione came to she found herself once again in the dungeons of Hogwarts
Except this time she was chained to a wall
Rusty shackles were clamped tightly around her wrists and ankles
Their chains bolted firmly to the damp stone wall behind her, giving her only enough slack so that she could sit, with her arms up, and slightly bent at the elbows
That however, was not the position Hermione awoke in
Hermione was on her bruised knees, kneeling on the unforgiving stone of the cell, leaning as far foreword as the shackles around her wrist would allow and her head hanging limply.
All and all, she was not very comfortable
Hermione stood, wincing at the needle sharp pains in her legs
Her hazy mind struggled to remember…to remember…
Hermione gasped
Harry
She let out a low moan and sank to the cold stone floor
How could it have happened?
Again?
Hermione waited for the tears to come
But they never did
Hermione raised an inquisitive hand to her cheeks only to find them dry
She wasn't crying?
How could that be?
She screwed her eyes tightly shut and tried again
She opened her eyes
Still no tears
Hermione gave a grunt of annoyance
Harry Potter the love of her life had just died…again
Hermione willed the tears to come
But her cheeks remained stubbornly dry
Okay…
Hermione realized (AN: finally) that she wasn't going to cry over Harry
At all
Not even a drip
She once again placed a hopeful hand on her cheek…just to make sure
Okay fine.
'I'm not going to cry…then I might as well do something productive'
So Hermione settled down as comfortably as she could get with her hands chained over her head and her legs cramping from her continual kneeling position
And prepared to do what she did best…
Think
Okay first of all, facts
Cold hard truths
Harry was dead
Voldemort had brought him back
Voldemort had her locked up in his dungeon
Draco didn't know
Then questions
Why had Voldemort brought Harry back?
Why had Voldemort recaptured her?
What was Voldemort going to do to her?
Was there some way to let Draco know where she was and that she needed help?
Than speculation
That Voldemort brought Harry back for the sole purpose of bringing her to him
That Voldemort wanted her for some reason…Hermione shook her head. She DEFFINETLY did not want to get into THAT
She frowned
She inevitably would have to get into that, if she wanted to figure out what was going on but…she'd come back to it when she wasn't feeling so…well…weak!
Righto back to speculations
That if what Draco had said was true she would some how be able to contact him…let him know that she needed his help
That-
Hermione's musings were cut off at the sound of echoing footsteps
She stood, standing up as straight as she could while making allowances for the shackles
She wouldn't face her captor on her knees
She would not make this easy for him
XOXOXOXOXOX
Draco skidded to a stop in front of the forest
Pushing his sopping wet, silver hair out of his eyes
What was he supposed to do now?
He didn't know which way they went from here
He didn't know where to go
Where would Potter have taken Hermione?
Where?
Draco plunged heedlessly into the forest
He didn't know where she was…all he knew was that he had to find her
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
(AN: This next scene is very reminiscent of the first chapter. Also IMPORTANT: THIS IS A DARKER PART OF THE CHAPTER CRUCATIUS CURSE USED…A LOT…if you are not into that kinda thing DO NOT READ)
The footsteps came to a halt in front of Hermione's cell door followed by the jingle of keys and the door to her prison slowly swung open
Hermione squinted trying to make out the features of the silhouette in the door way, the torches behind him cast his face in shadows
The man took a step into the room and Hermione finally saw his face
The glowing red eyes
The slitted nostrils
The pale skin
Why was Voldemort here?
Well obviously he was here to kill/torture/maim her (AN: Take your pick! .) but why was HE here?
Why hadn't he sent some nasty, over weight, leering, masochistic prison keeper with a penchant for leather and whips to come and kill her?
Or at least send someone to fetch and bring her up to some nice clean ball room, or the great hall or something, where he could kill her while sitting in a plush chair wearing that I-am-the-supreme-ruler-of-the-world-and-will-now-kill-you-while-sitting-down-because-you-are-not-worthy-enough-for-me-to-expend-even-the-small-amount-of-energy-I-would-use-to-stand-up-with-on. (AN: boo hoo…did that even make sense? Hehe…I actually don't care)
That's what he SHOULD be doing
But oh no
He was here
In the dimly lit, musty, cold dungeons (AN: Actually it is my opinion that the Dungeons would be quite nice. You could go for a kind of Gothic theme with heavy silver candelabras and red carpeting to brighten the place up…rambling again aren't I?)
HE was HERE
Oh god
She was going to die chained up like a dog
She was going to die
Hermione stood even straighter and tilted her chin up and pasted on a devil may care look
Bring it Voldemort
Give me your best shot
Hermione looked Voldemort square in the eye…and sneered
XOXOXOXOX
Draco ran through the forest, heedless to the branches that whipped across his face and ripped his clothes
Where was she?
Where could he have taken her?
A burst of icy pain hit his jaw
His hand went immediately to his face, a reflexive reaction
It felt as if he had been hit…but…
Hermione
The bastard had hit Hermione
He tore of with a fresh determination
He had to find her
XOXOXOXOXOX
Hermione's head snapped to the side with an audible snap from the force of the blow
Hermione gaped in shock
Turning back to face Voldemort, she wiped a dribble of blood from her mouth on her shoulder
Had Voldemort just hit her?
Okay, killing her with a spell she could see
But actually getting his hands dirty?
Very not Voldemort like
Hermione met Voldemort's crimson eyes once again
And then spit on his shoe
XOXOXOXOXOX
Draco felt another wave of pain, this time it ripped through his body, leaving him weak and shaking
The crucatius curse
He had been privy to it many times, the ripping agony
But it wasn't he that was experiencing it…it was Hermione
Draco stumbled over a root and fell to his knees scraping his wrists open, the pain resonating through him, as exquisite as the sound of ripping silk
He wrapped his arms around himself and shook with the pain
He had to find Hermione
His eyes welled up with frustrated tears
He had to find her
Find her before Harry killed her
He dug his hands into the muddy ground and threw his head back his face turned towards the unforgiving sky framed by towering black trees, and screamed
"HERMIONE!" His head fell foreword limply and his shoulders shook
The bastard was going to killer her, the bastard was going to kill her and he couldn't do anything about it
He couldn't find her
He couldn't rescue her
He couldn't sense where she was, just her pain
Just the crucatius
The tears began to fall in earnest now
Tracing silvery patterns down his cheeks as the despair broke him
He had sworn he would protect her
And now
And now she was probably dead
And he couldn't do anything
He couldn't do anything to save her
He turned his hands palm up towards the rain and watched as the mud washed away, showing the shallow lacerations along both his palms that he had attained when he fell, the rain rinsed the blood across his palm, flowing over the scar on his palm leaving his skin clean, and devoid of all traces of dirt and blood
He couldn't save her
He was useless
He stared at his hands, the rich pampered hands one would expect a Malfoy to have. The only sign he did anything, were the tracery of small calluses along his fingertips from wielding the wand
And the scar
The scar from the blood bonding
Draco blinked the rain out of his eyes
No he wasn't useless
He just had to find her
If he could find her then…
The tears began to fall again, mingling with the rain as they fell down his face
But he couldn't' find her
Not anywhere
Their bond was broken
Draco had just lost all hope when a warm throbbing started in his right palm
He looked down to see the scar on his palm glowing a soft red
Pulsing in time with his heart beat
And then images were flashing through his brain
In front of his eyelids like a slide show
Hermione kissing Harry at the edge of the forest
Hermione telling Harry she was sorry and that she had to go
Harry's eyes glowing red
Red
Crimson Eyes
Draco's own silvery blue eyes snapped open
"Voldemort" he whispered, his voice raspy with hate
He knew where Hermione was
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Hermione bit through her lip, trying to keep from screaming
But the pain was to much
She screamed
Tears running down her sweaty face
Her arms strained against the shackles as she writhed in agony
Her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms, leaving crescent moon shaped pools of blood that smeared on her palms, across the scar
Voldemort released her from the grip of the spell and watched as she fell limply to her knees.
She would have collapsed entirely if it weren't for the shackles holding her erect
He smiled coldly as her body heaved with dry sobs
And then when she lifted her dirty, tear stained face to his and once again met his eyes, her hair hanging limply around her face, he raised his wand and pointed it towards her
"And again my dear"
With a casual flick of his wand and a casual "Crucio" he had her body going rigid, her back arching as if a wire were running through her
Her muscles bunched as she tried to fight the agony
And then she screamed
The sound so pleasurable to Voldemort's ears he closed his eyes to enjoy it more fully
And if he had had them open he would have noticed something strange
Hermione's right palm had begun to glow, a pulsating, soft red aura that soon dissipated
When Voldemort next opened his eyes the glow was gone and Hermione was still thrashing wildly, her arms straining against their bonds and her eyes were clenched tightly shut, tears squeezing out the corners
Then he released her
And once again Hermione fell foreword, this time, to tired and spent to even cry
"That should be enough for now" he hissed, and pocketed his wand
"I suppose that that insatiable curiosity is gnawing at you isn't it my dear? You're wondering why you're here. Why haven't just killed you." He laughed here "I wouldn't worry about that though, the end will come soon enough." He crouched down and tilted Hermione's head up towards him
Her eyes were glassy and unfocused
And then he leaned in closely, as if he were about to tell her a great secret
And when his lips were right next to her ear he whispered "I had planned on killing you sooner, but I hadn't counted on you being so much more fun alive."
He leaned back and studied her pale, sweaty face, the blood from where she had bit through her lip dried to a brownish red on her chin, her eyes dull and unfocused.
"You hardly look like an opponent worthy of me." He drawled "A filthy weak mudblood. Normally I would just kill you. You have no apparent value. You're body is weak. Your magic is strong yes, but no stronger then some of my followers. The only redeeming quality is your mind. A brilliant mind. It's unfortunate that it is in such a tainted, useless body. But then again…brains can only take you so far. No if it wasn't for one little thing…I would have killed you immediately."
Hermione's blue eyes flickered weakly
"You're wondering what that one reason is?" Voldemort stood and began to pace back and forth across the cell, running his wand idily through his fingers "It's Harry Potter" He looked towards Hermione, acknowledged the shock on her face "Harry loved you. I saw it. Felt it."
XOXOXOXOXOXO
Hermione gaped in horror
He FELT it?
He felt love?
He loved HER?
Hermione almost shook her head but the blinding, thumping pain that erupted at the tiniest of movements stayed the gesture
No he didn't love her
There must be some other explanation
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
"When I cursed him, the first time, I created a bond. Much like the one I created between you and Draco" He looked pointedly at her palm "Just as he could feel my emotions, I could feel his. I FELT it when he fell in love with you, and it weakened me."
Comprehension dawned on Hermione
It weakened him
Voldemort did not tolerate weakness
He didn't tolerate her
Voldemort looked towards her
"I see you are beginning to understand." (AN: but for the benefit you readers I'll continue with the explanation) "It weakened me. You weakened me. And I do not allow anything that jeopardizes my position to remain alive" he said silkily
"I had to destroy you. The one who weakened me through Harry. The one who made me and Harry experience love" he fairly spat the last word "I hated you for what you did to me. And now I can finally eradicate your presence from this world once and for all" He smiled at her" My original plan was to just kill you. But then I realized it would be so much more fun to make you suffer. To watch your pain. To watch break. And what better way to do that then to leave you alive? Leave you alive while all your friends and family were gone. Destroyed."
He grinned wickedly at the pain that washed across Hermione
Savoring it
Emotional pain was every bit as satisfying as the physical
Perhaps more so in her case
After everything she had made him feel…it was only fair to return the favor…ten fold
"Ah yes, and then I had my best idea yet. Why not GIVE you to one of the men who helped bring about this new world. One of the men you went to school with, someone who killed many of your close friends, someone you hate. But that plan back fired. It seems I misjudged Draco. He has become soft. I'll have to deal with him…" Voldemort broke off "Ah yes, but I'm getting rather off topic…where was I again?"
He looked towards Hermione
"Oh yes that's right, the plan. Thank you for reminding me. It back fired. It would have been most amusing to watch, but I hadn't counted on Draco's attachment to you. He fell in love with you, or was in love with you all along. He's changed" Voldemort frowned "Ah well, that's not important. He was soft, weak. When I offered to blood bond you two, I never thought he would accept. That was my first clue something wasn't right. But I let him take you anyways. I watched. But there was never any torture. No pain inflicted. He didn't do anything. I had thought that when the time came he would simply give you back to me. But now…well he was in love with you, and you with him. The blood bond would not allow me to take you, and I knew he wouldn't give you to me and you would never come of your own accord."
Voldemort looked over at Hermione, his face screwed up into a sick mockery of a smile
"So then I stumbled upon another amazing idea. Harry. Harry Potter. The love of your life. One of the only things keeping you from telling Draco you loved him and making the bond unbreakable. I brought Harry back, and you came away with him willingly. I took back the power I used to raise him, and cast the imperius. And now…now you're here with me."
He stopped pacing and stood in front of her
"And I finally get to kill you. Not yet I don't think. You've had it way to easy for the past months. I think I'll make you suffer a bit more before I release you."
And once again he hit her limp body with the Crucatius curse
And watched her twitch in agony
Her anguished screams were like music
XOXOXOXOXOX
Draco apparated to the outskirts of the Hogwarts land
His glacial eyes hard and determined
He was going to rescue Hermione
He began to run across the grounds, from the outskirts of the forest, past the dilapidated game keepers hut, and up the expansive lawn of Hogwarts
He was almost there
XOXOXOXOXOX
Hermione had felt the effects of the crucatius curse before
On numerous occasion
She had steeled herself for the pain
Resolved not to scream
She had felt the effects of the crucatius curse before…
But never like this
Voldemort's curses were a thousand times stronger, simply because of the pure hate he was channeling through his wand
Every second she spent under the curse felt like an eternity
The pain ripping her
Tearing her
Destroying her
Hermione's resolve had broken under the first onslaught
In the first second
At the first taste of the pain
But a hundred times worse then the physical pain, was the mental anguish
Voldemort had successfully manipulated all of them
And now there was no escape
No escape from the pain
The pain that was slamming into her, remorselessly
No escape from the inevitable
Death
And finally the world dimmed before Hermione's eyes, faded
And she slipped into blessed unconsciousness
XOXOXOXOXOXOOX
Voldemort released her from the curse as her body went limp
He grinned
Yes that was enough for now
He didn't want to kill her just yet
No that was enough for tonight
He'd come back tomorrow
And repeat the process
Every day
Until she broke
XOXOXOXOXOX
As he hurried up the immense steps of Hogwarts he cast on himself every single invisibility spell he knew
And slowly opened the elephantine front doors of Hogwarts
Moving quickly and silently he entered the hallway
Making sure his boots made not even the tiniest of noises
This was much too easy
There were no wards, no guards
Draco congratulated himself on his good luck
But he still had to find where Hermione was
Where that bastard was keeping her
Draco clenched his hands into fists
Really what had he been expecting?
That Voldemort would just give her to him?
No strings attached
Draco would have snorted if he hadn't been preoccupied with quietly opening and closing doors
He should have known it was Voldemort all along
You know what they said about twenty twenty hind sight after all
Harry being back was strange enough
And the tainted magic
The taint he recognized now as Voldemort
He should have known
Now where was she?
Draco continued to open and close doors
Becoming more and more frustrated as the minuets ticked by
The minuets slowly became an hour
Draco was very, very, pissed
By the time he found her she'd probably already be dead
And so would he if Voldemort found him
He had to find her
And soon
His right hand began to pulse
And this time, when the scar glowed red, Draco realized what it was
His mouth fell open and shock and then snapped shut with an audible click
Well that was blood bonding for you
And all of a sudden Draco knew where Hermione was
He raced down the stair case and expertly jumped the missing stair
He was coming for her
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Hermione slowly regain consciousness
The pain growing in intensity as she awoke
Degree by degree
Hermione wished she had stayed unconscious
She opened her eyes weakly
And immediately wished she hadn't
Even that small movement sent sharp stabbing pains through her body
Pale echoes of the crucatius curse
She tried again, to open her eyes
And this time kept them wisely half closed
Her blurry vision focused dimly on the cell door
The cell door that appeared to be opening
Hermione blinked
Trying to bring the fuzzy picture into focus
It still appeared to be opening
Hermione stared at it dumbly
But that couldn't be
There was no one there to open it
But still the door opened
And there, standing in the doorway was…nobody
Hermione blinked in confusion
'I must be hallucinating' she mused
XOXOXOXOXOOXOXOX
Draco stood in the door way of the cell and could only stare
Hours ago Hermione had been well dressed, clean, skinny and bruised yes, but healing. Her eyes had been full of life and her hair back to a slightly less fuzzy longer version of her hair
But now
Her dress robe was stiff with mud and blood, and the hem was ripped almost to her waist in places, she was splattered with dirt and filth from head to foot, her eyes were blurry and unfocused her hair lay lankly around her face. Her left cheek was swollen and already bruising
But she was alive
Draco moved swiftly towards her and ran a gentle hand along her cheek
Hermione flinched back, fear painted across her features
"Whose there?" she whispered hoarsely
Draco blinked confusedly before he remembered that he was invisible
Muttering the charm to counteract the original one he became once again visible
"Draco?" Hermione gasped
Shock evident on her tired features
Draco once again reached out a hand to her cheek, and this time she didn't move away
"Yes love it's me" He gently tucked a strand of ginger colored hair behind her ear "Let get you out of these things" he whispered and pulled out his wand
Pointing them at the shackles he muttered "Alohomora" and Hermione's binds released with a quiet snick
Catching Hermione as her limp body fell foreword, freed from the bindings, the only thing keeping her upright, he pulled her to her feet
Looking her in the eyes he said "Hermione. You have to stay awake! Do you understand? I'm going to get you out of here, but I need your help."
Hermione nodded blurrily and then said "Draco…I tried to come back! But Harry…I love you Draco! I love you!" her voice urgent
Draco's heart jumped with elation but Draco had to worry about getting them out of the dungeons
While she spoke he wrapped one of Hermione's arms around his neck, and wrapped his own around her waist, supporting her and they began to walk out of the cell
"I know Hermione" He said quietly "I felt it. We have to get you out now. Do you understand?"
Hermione's vision was becoming rapidly less fuzzy and her mind sharper
"Yes Draco, I understand…lets get the hell out of here."
They reached the stairs that would take them out of the dungeons and began the agonizing climb
Each step Hermione took felt like thousands of hot needles were being rammed into her skin
But she continued to climb, biting her already abused lips to keep from whimpering
She had to be strong
Yes Draco was rescuing her
But she wasn't very well going to let him do all the work
She was much to much of a feminist to allow him to do all the work for her without bristling in anger
So up they climbed
Draco elated with the fact that, he had rescued her and that she loved him
And Hermione…well…the only thing keeping Hermione on her feet was pure determination
She was NOT going to fall over
They were almost out
They were in the entrance hall and the front doors were becoming closer and closer
And she would not spoil her exit by falling over
They reached the doors just as the clock in the hall toned one o'clock
Draco shifted Hermione so that he could open the door and she gasped in pain
Draco had just turned his head towards her to mutter a quick apology, when a voice cut through the silence of the hall, as sharp and as cold as a knife edge
"Well, well, well, leaving so soon?"
Draco stopped dead; his hand poised a mere inch from the door knob
Looking down at himself he realized, to late, that he had forgot to recast the invisibility charm
And they both turned to meet the glowing red eyes of their fate
AN: WOOHOO!!!! Chapter Twelve is DONE! Oh gosh I'm sorry about the long wait…oh wait…it's only been eleven days. But still it felt like a long time to me. It took me forever to get my lazy ass going on this chapter…I've been procrastinating hehehehe. Well one more chapter to go and then we are done! Maybe I'll do an epilogue but…I don't' think so.
Draco: Good. This cruel mockery of a wonderful story is almost complete. Then you'll leave us alone
Voldemort: You know I'm really not all that bad…I mean…a good physiatrist and I'd be good as new
OA: ::ignoring Voldemort:: Well no I'm afraid I won't be leaving you alone. I have another story I'm going to start working on as soon as this one is finished
Draco: ::ignoring Voldemort as well:: Damnit
Voldemort: No really I mean I'm not as evil as everyone seems to think. I believe my hate for muggles comes from abandonment issues that I have with my father
Hermione: ::ignoring Voldemort:: what was up with that chapter anyways? Torturing me? I mean…god…how sick ARE you?
OA: ::also ignoring Voldemort:: it was necessary to the plot
Voldemort: And I mean I can't get any closure being as he's dead…you know I killed him…maybe I have guilt issues as well
Hermione: ::continuing to ignore Voldemort:: oh sure the plot. Everything is about the plot! Have you ever stopped to consider MY feelings about all of this?
Voldemort: Why are you guys ignoring me? It's making me angry
OA: ::still ignoring Voldemort:: Well…I guess you're right…I should be more considerate of your feelings
Voldemort: Come on! Stop it! I'm baring my soul and you won't even acknowledge me
Hermione: ::Voldemort? Where?:: Thank you very much
Draco: ::I don't see a Voldemort anywhere:: Hey! What about me?
Voldemort: STOP IT!
OA: ::Voldemort…the name sounds so familiar…hm…::What about you?
Voldemort: YOU"RE MAKING ME MAD!!
Draco: ::See no evil hear no evil:: Well can't you be more considerate of my feelings as well?
OA: Well…I suppose I could….
Voldemort: AVADA KEDAVRA ::kills everyone in the room::
Voldemort:…damnit…I guess I really am a bad person
OA: REVIEW! AUTHORS NEED FOOD TO!!!!
