Birds of Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to that matter. Nor do I own Disney or anything related to that matter. Hell I don't own ANYTHING I make references to.

A/N: Have you ever been so engrosed in the thought of something, that you were unsure of how to start or when to finish? That's how I feel with this story, so I am deeply sorry for the inconvience of taking forever to get the third chapter up. I feel like this story is my first literary achivement and I want it polished and perfected. I feel like you will be satisfied with the following chapter, if you enjoy reading stories that don't follow the "Disney" format, the conflict, the building up to the climax, the climax, the resolution, the happy ending. I also would like to warn you that people will die...important people. Hey, it's life, these things happen.

So on a closing note, prepare for Birds of Fire...

Chapter Three: Glass Emotions

Lucious sneered, he finally accomplished what he wanted in life, power. And not just weak power that rich men gain through proper manners, money, and influence; power from raw strength, the kind of power that one achives when no one can predict what will happen next. He got up from his chair and strided dramatically across the den, he smiled, that ever so smug way and thought to himself, "The death of Voldemort was probably the best thing that has ever happened to...me." He laughed egotisticly and hoped everyone could hear him.

That was indeed the way Lucious Malfoy went through life, climbing on top of others, when they are down, and not only did it get him through life, it got his son Draco as well. Of course it wasn't only the backstabbing nature of the Malfoy clan it was also the witty charm, and handsome presence as well. The Malfoys were known to get their way no matter what.

Hermione knew this and she hated it, she hated it with every breath in her body, because she knew that he would always win, and she would always suffer. This is why when she so desperatly wanted to find the door to Harry's freedom, she layed on the satin sheets and played the ignorant fool.

Lucious's den was indeed an interesting place, when one thinks of dens, they think fireplace, comfortable chair, and various hunted animals. With Lucious however, it was cold, damp, and very uncomfortable. The "den" as he called it was an old dungeon, but when he moved into this once beatutiful castle, he made some new floors underground and renovated this into an almost secret room.

As he pranced around the castle in that shovanistic way, Hermione took it upon herself to look for clues, or possibly a way to get help. All she ever found though was the continual dead end. When hope had seemed like a distant dream and Hermione thought she was trapped, she heard a soft cry coming from a distant room.

She followed this noise and as it grew lounder she suddenly realized who it was...Ginny. Her heart sped up, "Could she be normal? Could she really be like me? Was this just a game to her?", head pounding and breath blowing out of her like a gust of wind, she opened the door, but what she found was not what she expected. Her heart seemed to stop and then sink to the floor, "Of course," she thought "why would I ever think I could be happy for once?"

Although disheartened, she stayed staring at the woman, she was an older woman from what she could see, pale, boney, and almost lifeless, Hermione at once thought of a withering rose.

A thought then clicked in her mind, this was no ordinary woman, this was Narcissa. It had to be, she was certain, who else could look like that and stay alive? A smirk almost crept its way onto Hermione's face, but she quickly remembered this was no time to be smug, even if a Malfoy was upset.

She didn't know what possed her feet to the side of Narcissa, nor did she know what made her wrap her arms around her. "Magic I suppose..." she answered to herself in her head. As she sat in scilence with Narcissa, something dawned upon her, and before she could work out the kinks she found herself saying "We're not so different, you and I, I...I'm sorry for the life you have..."

Narcissa turned to Hermione, and smiled, and Hermione saw that once beautiful girl she knew Lucius had fallen in love with. "What, what makes you think we're not different," Narcissa began "you don't even know me, and yet you empathize?" As Narcissa spoke her eyes wandered around Hermione, "From your dress, you look like a common bed maid to me, what would you know of my life?" Her voice began to raise, not with anger but with fear, "How could I let someone see me like this?" her head screamed, she had to cover up, step above and quickly before her emotions...those glass emotions shattered. "I command you at once chamber maid to get out of my room, and if I ever see you again, it's your head."

Hermione at once felt cold, and subconciously touched her neck as she darted from the room. Once she knew she was at a safe distance she leaned against a wall and sighed, "I guess I really am alone her-" she stopped in the middle of her thoughts and began a new one, "House elves...must, find a kitchen!" She felt her heart lift itself as she ran from corridor to corridor...and then she found, that she was indeed lost.

Instead of thinking of ways to get back to her room, she thought of ways it could go wrong. "What if I'm in some sort of no tresspassing area? What if someone thinks I am up to something and kills me?" As all these what ifs ran through her head she heard foot steps, "Where do I go, where do I hide, what am I thinking these halls are so barren I'll never be able to hide, and all the doors locked..." The footsteps got louder, or was it her heart that was beating, she wasn't sure but as she certained herself death, flash backs came to mind...

Harry held Cho in his arms as a victorious Voldemort loomed overhead. Voldemort teased Harry, "Well now," he said, "your little kitten can join her boyfriend there, oh god somebody tell me his name?"

A voice hollered from the shadows "Cedric I think, yes, yes that's the name."

Voldemort laughed, "Ahhh yes, poor fellow, didn't see it coming...perhaps it was that massive skull of his..."

Harry muttered, "You sicken me, you disgusting beast, how many more people will you kill? Huh, how many! I would really enjoy knowing, why you kill others instead of me, please enlighted me," He placed Cho on the ground, "we're all ears, Voldemort, can't you be the half man you say you are and come after me? Or what you think you can make me kill myself! Is that it? Cause you know the more people you kill the more angry I get."

"Harry my boy, you're off your rocker, if I wanted to kill you I would,"Voldemort snickered, "it's just I enjoy these games so much..."

Harry began to think of all the lives that were taken, his parents, Sirius, Lupin, Dumbledore, Snape, just about every Weasly, and now Cho. Enough, was enough, it was time for him to take action.

Hermione felt a chill run down her spine as she remembered that last moment, that last moment before he snapped, the sheer memory almost enough to rid her of her current situation. But she soon remembered where she was as she felt a breath blow on her. She cluched her fists, closed her eyes and turned around...

"Dear lord," she thought to herself, "if you ever loved me save me now."

She opened her eyes and almost dropped dead.

A/N: Yes, yes the dramatic cliff hanger I know, I'm sorry but I would like to make it somewhat suspenseful. Forgive me for spelling, as I do not have a spell check, I try and read it over, but hell I made the mistakes the first time so what's the chance I'm going to catch them again!

Ahh yes I suppose I'll give you a snippet of what's to come,

Hermione will find someone she certainly did not expect to see,

More light on what landed her and Harry and of course Ginny will be shed in the next chapter.

A giant light will be shone on Narcissa's and Draco's current situation

Someone will die in the next chapter...