She captivated him; her wild hair tumbling down her back, her figure draped in a shapeless robe she must have found and her face glistening with tears. She displayed a naturalness that no other woman dared to display in front of him; the rest were always so made-up and eager to please, it bored him. But she, she ……………………………
He stopped himself from continuing, for he knew he would lose his way. He had worked so hard to get where he was, yet he still craved more power. A power that she could give him, if she broke. The Malfoy in him began to rise, crushing the feelings that fought against everything he believed in.
" Sit down." His voice business-like, they had much to discuss.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Although the determined voice in her screamed at her to not comply with his orders, her weary body thought otherwise. Exhausted from its previous fruitless escape attempts Hermione collapsed on the dresser armchair. However she wasn't going to let Malfoy have it entirely his own way. She turned her head away from his silver eyes and towards the window, fixing her gaze on the collection of grey clouds that were fast descending upon them. She said nothing, he did the same. The first drops of rain began to fall, their tapping on the glass punctuating the silence that had settled between the past lovers. A storm was slowly brewing inside and out.
************
He should have expected it, of course she wasn't going to suddenly collapse on her knees and willingly give away all the secrets that he wanted. She wouldn't be Hermione Granger if she did. But there was a part of him that hoped she would just give in, like she used to do….
oooooooooooooo~FlashbackShe walked down the corridor, the book held in front of her face, unaware of the boy stalking behind her. He watched as she licked the tip of one finger, her lips parting and her tongue darting out. Unconsciously he repeated her actions. She paused to turn the page over, and let her eyes pass over the new text. Stealthily he came up behind her, the smell of her perfume getting stronger and stronger. Pale hands emerged from the sleeve of his black robe and in one swift motion he placed both firmly on her waist. He heard her gasp in surprise, and felt the way she jumped in his arms.
"What are you doing?" Her eyes frantically darting around her. " Someone's going to see."
"There's only us here, so who's going to see?" He pushed her closer towards him, so he could feel her entire back pressed against his chest. She was quivering now.
"But. But someone could come round the corner. You have to let go off me." Half-heartedly she tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but to no avail, she was still trapped.
"Fine!" He felt her relax
"I'll let go of you if.." She tensed again.
"If you tell me the password to the head girl quarters."
She turned to face him her eyes widened with shock. " I can't give you the password. It's against the rules," she hissed.
"When did we ever follow rules." He was grinning now, his silver eyes glinting mischievously.
" It will be worth it," he added. She looked up at him doubtful. In response he moved his hand up to her face, running his fingers over her skin, over her lips, before planting a soft kiss on them. The slight contact was able to erase all qualms in her mind. Leaning upwards she whispered it in his ear.
ooooooooooooooooooo~
But things were different now; the face ignoring him wasn't wearing shy smiles or innocent eyes. That person was just a memory.
" If you want to go home, you're going to have to speak to me," spoke Draco
Speaking to the window she replied, "Like you would just let me go home. What kind of misguided idiot do you think I am?"
Draco sighed; this was going to be harder than he had thought, "You know I don't think you're an idiot. But if you keep up the silent act I might change my opinion. Answer my questions." He tried to put a bit more assertiveness in her voice. But he should have known that the moment he did that would be the same time that she would increase the intensity of her resistance. Thus he met with silence.
"Where are the auror headquarters?" No answer.
"Fine, lets go on to the next one shall we?" Frustration evident." Where are the death eater prisoners kept?" She stayed still, her lips unopened, her limbs unmoved.
"Tell me where they are Granger."
"Oh so I'm Granger again am I." She finally spoke, her eyes meeting his, her lips curled in a smirk. She had learnt some bad habits from him in their time together.
"Don't play games…….Hermione. Just tell me what you know and you can avoid your grave for a bit longer."
"How things change. 10 years ago you were telling me how much you couldn't live without me now you're threatening me with my life. My mother always said love could kill."
"Things have changed. Now…."
"Well maybe not things. More like people really. Come to think of it, may be you never changed. Maybe you were always a cold-hearted bastard and I was too slow to realise. Were you just playing me along? Did your Slytherin buddies ask you to fuck up the Gryffindor virgin? Or perhaps it was Voldemort?"
"You know it was nothing like that."
She shrugged and returned to her stoic state, staring vacantly out of the glass. Draco was at a lost. He had broken so many people, yet he had no idea how to get her to answer him. She was toying with him. There was an aspect of smugness to her appearance as if she knew he would not, could not carry out the threats. True he doubted himself, but for her to be so assured in his inadequacy angered him. She was the one in control, and it was not meant to be like that. He had to get out; he needed time to figure things out. Standing up he vented out his irritation by throwing his chair onto the floor. Hermione didn't even flinch in response to the noise, or even the bang of the door as he strode out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
From her position in the grand entrance Pansy stared at the bedroom door that Draco had just disappeared into. If only her gaze could bore through wood, she could see what was happening, what was being said and more importantly what was being done. Was she jealous? Hell yes! Envy seeped out of every fibre of her body. He hadn't replied to her question on the stairs but she knew. She knew that there was still a part of him that belonged to that godforsaken mudblood, a part that prevented him from loving anyone else. And that made Pansy want to rip out her hair and gauge out her eyes, actually correct that; the mudblood's honey coloured ones. How did she know this? Call it women's intuition. A woman can always tell when a man is enamoured with someone else, especially if it is a man who you love.
" Pansy, dear" Narcissa was calling for her.
But she didn't want to move. Her eyes fixed on the door, her imagination running riot on the secrets that lay behind it.
" Pansy" the voice had become more desperate.
But still the black haired woman remained fixed, jealous tremors shaking her stiff body.
" Pansy!" the appeal was more of a cry now.
Narcissa laid a hand on the shoulder of the young woman in front of her, she had been calling for ages and finally decided to come looking for her. Pansy surprised at the sudden touch turned round abruptly, startling the older lady behind her.
"Pansy are you alright dear?" Narcissa cast her eyes over the sculptured face in front of her, sweat glistening over the planes. She noted the look of pain in the green eyes, and then to the door that had captivated them. Ah Draco. Who else? Sometimes her son could be heartless with his words, but then they had taught him to be.
Squeezing the shoulder Narcissa passed on some advice, " Don't waste anymore time on my son. You are married now."
The green eyes had once again resumed their usual coldness, any other emotion erased. A slytherin woman's trait thought Narcissa inwardly.
The two women headed to the lounge, where they sat silently. That was until a loud crash broke it. Two pairs of eyes flicked to the bedroom, which was no doubt the source of the noise. Narcissa suddenly remembered her son's request, and considering what she had seen it would probably be for the best for both parties.
" Pansy. I think it would be best that you left."
The green eyes plummeted to freezing. " Did Draco ask you?"
Seeing there was no reason to lie. " Yes," Narcissa replied.
Pansy proudly got up and headed towards the door. " One more and he'll have the mudblood to himself." She muttered bitterly under her breath.
But Narcissa was not a slow woman and heard the aside, and the resentment that laced it. " What do you mean by that?"
Pansy turned round, the blonde woman was no longer the older, advice giving mother type figure; her composure was now one of aggression and determination. The blue eyes commanding an answer. Had she done it deliberately? Pansy thought. Probably.
" Did you not know?" Pansy asked innocently, " Your precious son was quite a regular in the mudblood's bed at Hogwarts."
Pansy watched for a few pleasurable seconds as Narcissa tried to process the information, her eyes a whirlpool of emotion; before leaving, satisfied in the knowledge that it was not only her suffering from Draco's deceit.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Draco made his way angrily down the stairs; terrified houseleves clung to the banister desperate to get out of the path of their master. He entered the living room, and continued his pacing inside, his hand running frantically through his hair. A slight creak from the darkest corner of the room caught him on edge, and he wildly turned round, wand in hand. Seeing the silver satin shoes of his mother in the shadows, he relaxed.
" I'm sorry. I didn't see you."
There was no answer.
Puzzled by his mother's strange behaviour he once again initiated the conversation.
" Mother. What's wrong?"
" Is it true?" came the quiet question. Narcissa had yet to move from her place in the dark.
"Is what true?" The annoyance in his voice apparent. His day was already bad, he didn't need cryptic questions to make it worse.
His mother finally got up. Everything seemed normal, except for her eyes. They were blazing. Fury burnt within the ice blue, just like it had done when the news of her husbands capture had reached her ears.
" Did you sleep with the filth upstairs?" she spat, "Did you betray everything the Malfoy family stands for? Did you discuss how she put your father in prison and how she rejoiced when he died? Did you celebrate with your mudblood girlfriend?" With each accusation she stepped closer and closer, until their feet were touching.
" Did you? Did you?" she screamed, spit flying onto his face. Taken over by rage, her hand flew through the air, connecting with her son's cheek. The force was enough for Draco's head to snap back. Narcissa watched the pale skin flood with redness, her breathing remained heavy, and her son had yet to deny what had been said. So it was true, she crumpled to the floor.
Draco looked down at his mother; her body was shuddering with the tears that were cascading from her eyes. He did not pity her, for when did she ever pity him when he was crying at her feet.
" Who told you?" he whispered. Obviously there was only one culprit but he needed to hear it, to confirm it.
"Pansy."
As suspected.
"It is true. I was young, foolish and weak there is no more to say."
More tears ran down her face at the confession. "But……."
"There is no more to say." He added with an air of finality.
"What about now?" she whispered.
"Now. Now there is nothing."
"Then do you have the information?"
Draco hesitated, "Not yet."
Those two words shattered the image of the defeated woman. She rose of her feet her face livid, "Not yet! How not yet? You have been able to reduce stronger men to tears by now, but you can't break a simple girl, and you say you have no feelings for her." She dared her son to deny it. But he said nothing.
"Then prove it. Prove that you are no longer a weak, snivelling, pathetic being. Prove to me that you are your father's son. Let me see how strong you can be."
She watched him, his face remained unexpressionless. The challenge hung in the air, waiting for him to accept it.
And he did.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Locations! Locations, that's what he wanted all along. Hermione had been wondering while she had been wasting away in the bedroom what he wanted. The Headquarters and the prison had been moved a while back, when the rumours of the new rising had first started. Anything to prevent the risk of escapes and murders that had marked the long war against Voldemort. Well she wasn't going to say anything. He wouldn't do anything to her. He had his chance this morning when he was kissing her, but something stopped him. And just now, she saw his eyes flicker when he talked of her death……
The bang of the bedroom door against the neighbouring wall brought Hermione crashing out of thoughts. She twirled round to see Malfoy filling the doorway. His platinum hair and silver eyes prominent in the darkness that shrouded him. Hermione began to hesitantly step back, as her heart began pounding, her blood surging through her system. She had spoken too soon, she was scared now, an aura of danger and distemper seemed to radiate from him, blinding her. His appearance released memories from parts of her brain, which she hoped she could have got rid off altogether. Their bitter parting now only seemed as if it were yesterday.
Without a word, he swiftly advanced towards her and aggressively seized her right wrist. Hermione could feel herself being pulled along, the carpet burning her bare feet as she tried to dig her heels into the floor, fighting the movement. But he was too strong and in a matter of seconds he was dragging her out of the door and into a dimly lit passageway. The luxurious carpet had passed to cold stone, and the burns had turned to bloody grazes. Her left hand gripped onto her right arm, pulling it, trying desperately to release it from his brutal hold. He merely tightened his fingers around her aching wrist, so much so that Hermione feared it was going to snap at any moment. The torches were becoming less frequent, the path in front of them getting narrower and narrower, opportunities for escape were slipping by. Frantic to get out of any fate he had planned for her, her free left hand made a snatch for anything that was jutting out from the stonewalls. Her fingers managed to grip onto a metal holding which was empty from a torch. He continued hauling her along until her arms and chest were at full stretch, her hold opposing his forward movement. Realising what was hindering him in his aim he viciously yanked her towards his direction. And although every cell lining her arms and chest burnt with pain she refused to let go.
" NO! I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" she screamed. Her voice echoed in the previously quiet corridor. Her refusal repeated over and over again.
But despite this Draco took no heed to her declaration, " You will go wherever I want you to go. You will do whatever I want you to do. And you will tell me whatever I want you to." Unexpectedly he let go off her restrained hand, but gave Hermione only a few seconds to enjoy the bliss of painless free sensations for he now clamped his arms around her waist. His muscles and bones dug into her abdomen, pushing up into her ribcage. Hermione felt as if her heart was going to shoot up into her throat, and she would end up choking on it.
He lifted her legs up of the ground, and with a sharp upwards motion was able to wretch her fingers from their hold. Carry a kicking and screaming Hermione he continued his way down to the cells. Their walls had confined many traitors to their cause, and this would be like any other time Draco thought to himself. Hermione was a traitor through and through, her resistance disrupted all of their plans for revenge and as so she deserved this. He didn't know why he was trying to justify his actions to himself; maybe it was her screams of unabandoned terror that were ringing his eardrums that prompted his musings. Upon reaching the desired chamber he threw the angry figure onto the floor. She landed with an excruciating thump. She slowly raised her head; curls damp with sweat stuck to her face, her mouth tilted to give an angry scowl and her eyes burning – anger taking the place of fear.
" You think this is gonna make me tell you anything you bastard?" Although the question was whispered, the statement deafened Draco. She had answered the question that had been plaguing him when he first went to interrogate her. He would have to go this far and beyond to get what he needed, and so he responded to her query.
" I've not done anything yet Hermione. This is only the beginning."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N again a bit of a slow chap – quite abit more dialogue than norm - , just tryin to build up the tension. If you've read this please review and let me know what you think, any thoughts are received with open arms, flames (tell me what I can do to improve it) and non-flames alike. So go on Pleeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase!!!
Thanx for all who reviewed last time
Mesmer, Thalion1, Gypsy*, Serpent du Feu and Mina- Chan 2
