Chapter 28
"Old Friends"
Tom saw her run over the frozen pond and go under. He plunged onto the ice, knowing he could meet the same fate, but didn't care. He saw her pounding furiously against the ice. He crawled over ice, seeing her just below him. He saw her began to black out. He punched through the ice with his hand. He threw off his robes and dived in after her, feeling the stinging cold pierce his body.
Tom swam through the water and saw her sinking toward the bottom. Her pale hand floated above her. Tom grabbed it, and felt himself blacking out as well.
Lucius and the others had seen him dive into the frozen pond. They waited above the hole for him to emerge, but the minutes ticked bye. The snow drove in more furiously. Suddenly, the water exploded as Tom emerged with Hermione in his arms. He placed her on the ground and tried to resuscitate her. Her lips were so pale and blue. He would not loose her again. He tried to resuscitate her again, and she sputtered out the water in her lungs, choking on the air her lungs drew in. He grabbed his dry robes and placed them around Hermione. He then lifted her into his arms, ignoring his body that was frozen to the bone.
Tom carried her back to the house, his Death Eaters trailing behind him. Hermione was unconscious, probably nearing hypothermia. He trudged into the house, feeling his own body dying for warmth. He went into the living room and placed Hermione on a couch in front of the fire. He took his wand out of his pocket and used a spell to dry his clothes and Hermione's.
"Bellatrix, please go warm up some water. Goyle, bring some blankets. Crabbe, get some towels." said Tom.
The three Death Eaters obeyed their orders. The rest left Tom by himself. Lucius gave a sneer before leaving.
'That filthy little mudblood bitch will pay.' he thought.
Tom took touched Hermione's cheek. It was cold, but a faint glimmer of heat was pushing through the cold. Goyle came back with blankets. Tom took one and wrapped it around Hermione. Goyle threw the other one onto Tom, but Tom took it off.
"Please, my Lord, take it." said Goyle.
"No, I don't need anything." said Tom.
Goyle obeyed and backed away. Crabbe came back with towels and Bellatrix came back with hot water. Tom took a dishcloth and dipped it into the water, carefully placing it on Hermione's head. He didn't want her to warm up to fast, but he wanted her to at least escape the grasp of hypothermia. What happened to make her run like that? What made her want to leave him? He tried to read her thoughts, seeing what had triggered her behavior. He closed his eyes and searched.
He saw Hermione hiding away behind a column, watching him with Olivia. He felt her pain, her hurt, and knew what had done it.
"How can I be so careless, so foolish? It seems that my desires have overcome me and I have hurt the one I love the most. Will I ever learn from my mistakes?" he said softly, running his fingers through Hermione's hair.
Hermione was dreaming. She was back at her home, surrounded by her friends and family. Harry and Ron were busy telling jokes while everyone laughed their heads off. Crookshanks fell asleep in Hermione's lap.
Hermione woke up, feeling the soft feel of silk sheets. She tried to sit up, but hr body refused. She looked around and realized she was not at home. She was back in the room at the house in France. She kicked the warm blankets off of her and got up, realizing she was wearing two sets of robes. She took them off and placed them on her bed.
Hermione slipped off her lavender nightgown and put on a black cardigan and jeans. The images from last night came flooding back to her. Tears stung her eyes. She wished she could talk to someone, someone she trusted very well. A tear rolled off her cheek and onto her collarbone. Hermione wiped it off, feeling the chain to he necklace. She remembered Dumbledore saying something about it. Hermione touched it and said, "communicus."
She watched as a ray of white light erupted from her necklace. A hologram Dumbledore beamed at her.
"Ah, Miss Granger. I was afraid you might have forgotten to contact me or forgotten how to use the necklace."
"Professor Dumbledore, I was wondering, if I could, if I could just forget everything I'm supposed to do." she said.
Dumbledore's eyes searched her face.
"Whatever for, my dear?" he asked.
"I just can't stand it. He's not the same person I used to know. He has changed so much. I'm a prisoner here in this house for I can't disapperate out of here. I'm afraid no one can apparate here as well. I think were somewhere in France. This house belongs to a family called the Montague's."
"Hermione, Hermione, these are trying times for you. Tom is what he is, a soul corrupted by evil. You see, evil is like rust on a galleon. Years of the right conditions cause the rust to grow on the galleon, covering it up. So you see, the evil is like the rust, it has covered up Tom from his true self, but with a lot of effort, that rust can be lifted and the true self will shine once more." said Dumbledore.
"I miss everyone." said Hermione.
"Don't worry. Everyone is prepared for what is to come soon. Ron may be a bit preoccupied for he is the proud father of twin boys, Andy and Samuel. Both have their father's hair and their mother's eyes.
"Poor Snape. Now he'll have more Weasleys to deal with.." said Hermione, laughing at the thought. "Wonder if Ginny will have twins as well.
Dumbledore chuckled softly.
"Please Hermione, don't' try anything outrageous. I can already sense a difference. Remember, if you need me, I'm only a charm away." said Dumbledore.
"Bye." said Hermione.
"Bye." said Dumbledore.
The hologram disappeared. Hermione let Dumbledore's words sink in.
'Get under the rust. Good luck' she thought to herself.
Hermione checked to see if her door was locked, but it wasn't. She drifted out into the hall and into the kitchen. The only person there was Bellatrix. Bellatrix smiled and walked over to Hermione.
"You're alright." she said, hugging Hermione.
Hermione watched as Bellatrix bustled off, whistling to herself as she flicked her wand to fix pancakes. How could someone so evil, so merciless, be so nice and cheerful? Hermione sat at the small table. Bellatrix slapped a few pancakes on a plate and placed it in front of Hermione. Hermione, not really hungry, politely ate them. The place was very quiet, except for the wind outside. The snow was still driving in hard. Hermione was bored.
"Is there anything to do?" she asked Bellatrix.
"Well, hmm, let me think." said Bellatrix.
They walked through the empty house and into a large, gorgeous ballroom. The room had a black and white stone floor with blue and golden walls. Lovely chandeliers hung from the roof above that was contained many murals of cherubs and other classic scenes. Large, French windows were adorned with black velvet curtains. Hermione looked at all the little murals and smiled.
"This room is very lovely." she said.
Bellatrix went to the center of the room.
"Pineos!" she said, lifting her wand.
A beautiful pine tree appeared.
"I think with Christmas just around the corner, we will need to get this place in gear." said Bellatrix.
They spent many hours decorating the room. The tree was decorated with blue and gold tinsel to match the walls. Lovely Christmas bulbs of all shapes, sizes, and colors hung on it. Little beads glowed different colors. Holly and ivy were hang everywhere as well as mistletoe here and there. Hermione charmed piano to play Christmas carols. Many candles floated in the air.
Her and Bellatrix charmed the murals to move and fake snow to fall from the ceiling, melting before it touched the ground. Icicles hung here and stockings were hung.
"Well, I'd say we did a pretty damn good job." said Bellatrix, admiring the beauty of the room.
"Yes, it's so breathtaking." said Hermione breathlessly.
She began to think of how her parents would be home, hanging up the Christmas lights outside. Her mom would be baking gingerbread man as her father set up the Christmas tree.
"Hermione, why did you run?" she heard Bellatrix say.
"I snuck out of my room and I saw him.with...that girl." Hermione said, choking back tears.
"Oh, well, don't worry about it. He didn't go any further than what you saw." She said.
"How do you know what I saw?" Hermione asked.
"I saw you run out of the room. I couldn't live with myself if I never let you saw what was happening. Malfoy's trying to change the Lord." said Bellatrix. "My Lord stopped, saying it was wrong, that he loved someone else. He risked his own life to save you."
Hermione let those words sink in.
"Where is he?" she asked.
Bellatrix smiled. The day was growing darker.
"He's been resting in his room. He stayed up all night watching over you. Refused to eat anything or keep warm." she said.
"He did that for me?" Hermione asked, not believing Voldemort would do such a thing.
"Yes." replied Bellatrix.
Hermione blushed.
"Thanks for being a good friend, Bellatrix." said Hermione.
"Anytime, Hermione, anytime." said Bellatrix.
"Old Friends"
Tom saw her run over the frozen pond and go under. He plunged onto the ice, knowing he could meet the same fate, but didn't care. He saw her pounding furiously against the ice. He crawled over ice, seeing her just below him. He saw her began to black out. He punched through the ice with his hand. He threw off his robes and dived in after her, feeling the stinging cold pierce his body.
Tom swam through the water and saw her sinking toward the bottom. Her pale hand floated above her. Tom grabbed it, and felt himself blacking out as well.
Lucius and the others had seen him dive into the frozen pond. They waited above the hole for him to emerge, but the minutes ticked bye. The snow drove in more furiously. Suddenly, the water exploded as Tom emerged with Hermione in his arms. He placed her on the ground and tried to resuscitate her. Her lips were so pale and blue. He would not loose her again. He tried to resuscitate her again, and she sputtered out the water in her lungs, choking on the air her lungs drew in. He grabbed his dry robes and placed them around Hermione. He then lifted her into his arms, ignoring his body that was frozen to the bone.
Tom carried her back to the house, his Death Eaters trailing behind him. Hermione was unconscious, probably nearing hypothermia. He trudged into the house, feeling his own body dying for warmth. He went into the living room and placed Hermione on a couch in front of the fire. He took his wand out of his pocket and used a spell to dry his clothes and Hermione's.
"Bellatrix, please go warm up some water. Goyle, bring some blankets. Crabbe, get some towels." said Tom.
The three Death Eaters obeyed their orders. The rest left Tom by himself. Lucius gave a sneer before leaving.
'That filthy little mudblood bitch will pay.' he thought.
Tom took touched Hermione's cheek. It was cold, but a faint glimmer of heat was pushing through the cold. Goyle came back with blankets. Tom took one and wrapped it around Hermione. Goyle threw the other one onto Tom, but Tom took it off.
"Please, my Lord, take it." said Goyle.
"No, I don't need anything." said Tom.
Goyle obeyed and backed away. Crabbe came back with towels and Bellatrix came back with hot water. Tom took a dishcloth and dipped it into the water, carefully placing it on Hermione's head. He didn't want her to warm up to fast, but he wanted her to at least escape the grasp of hypothermia. What happened to make her run like that? What made her want to leave him? He tried to read her thoughts, seeing what had triggered her behavior. He closed his eyes and searched.
He saw Hermione hiding away behind a column, watching him with Olivia. He felt her pain, her hurt, and knew what had done it.
"How can I be so careless, so foolish? It seems that my desires have overcome me and I have hurt the one I love the most. Will I ever learn from my mistakes?" he said softly, running his fingers through Hermione's hair.
Hermione was dreaming. She was back at her home, surrounded by her friends and family. Harry and Ron were busy telling jokes while everyone laughed their heads off. Crookshanks fell asleep in Hermione's lap.
Hermione woke up, feeling the soft feel of silk sheets. She tried to sit up, but hr body refused. She looked around and realized she was not at home. She was back in the room at the house in France. She kicked the warm blankets off of her and got up, realizing she was wearing two sets of robes. She took them off and placed them on her bed.
Hermione slipped off her lavender nightgown and put on a black cardigan and jeans. The images from last night came flooding back to her. Tears stung her eyes. She wished she could talk to someone, someone she trusted very well. A tear rolled off her cheek and onto her collarbone. Hermione wiped it off, feeling the chain to he necklace. She remembered Dumbledore saying something about it. Hermione touched it and said, "communicus."
She watched as a ray of white light erupted from her necklace. A hologram Dumbledore beamed at her.
"Ah, Miss Granger. I was afraid you might have forgotten to contact me or forgotten how to use the necklace."
"Professor Dumbledore, I was wondering, if I could, if I could just forget everything I'm supposed to do." she said.
Dumbledore's eyes searched her face.
"Whatever for, my dear?" he asked.
"I just can't stand it. He's not the same person I used to know. He has changed so much. I'm a prisoner here in this house for I can't disapperate out of here. I'm afraid no one can apparate here as well. I think were somewhere in France. This house belongs to a family called the Montague's."
"Hermione, Hermione, these are trying times for you. Tom is what he is, a soul corrupted by evil. You see, evil is like rust on a galleon. Years of the right conditions cause the rust to grow on the galleon, covering it up. So you see, the evil is like the rust, it has covered up Tom from his true self, but with a lot of effort, that rust can be lifted and the true self will shine once more." said Dumbledore.
"I miss everyone." said Hermione.
"Don't worry. Everyone is prepared for what is to come soon. Ron may be a bit preoccupied for he is the proud father of twin boys, Andy and Samuel. Both have their father's hair and their mother's eyes.
"Poor Snape. Now he'll have more Weasleys to deal with.." said Hermione, laughing at the thought. "Wonder if Ginny will have twins as well.
Dumbledore chuckled softly.
"Please Hermione, don't' try anything outrageous. I can already sense a difference. Remember, if you need me, I'm only a charm away." said Dumbledore.
"Bye." said Hermione.
"Bye." said Dumbledore.
The hologram disappeared. Hermione let Dumbledore's words sink in.
'Get under the rust. Good luck' she thought to herself.
Hermione checked to see if her door was locked, but it wasn't. She drifted out into the hall and into the kitchen. The only person there was Bellatrix. Bellatrix smiled and walked over to Hermione.
"You're alright." she said, hugging Hermione.
Hermione watched as Bellatrix bustled off, whistling to herself as she flicked her wand to fix pancakes. How could someone so evil, so merciless, be so nice and cheerful? Hermione sat at the small table. Bellatrix slapped a few pancakes on a plate and placed it in front of Hermione. Hermione, not really hungry, politely ate them. The place was very quiet, except for the wind outside. The snow was still driving in hard. Hermione was bored.
"Is there anything to do?" she asked Bellatrix.
"Well, hmm, let me think." said Bellatrix.
They walked through the empty house and into a large, gorgeous ballroom. The room had a black and white stone floor with blue and golden walls. Lovely chandeliers hung from the roof above that was contained many murals of cherubs and other classic scenes. Large, French windows were adorned with black velvet curtains. Hermione looked at all the little murals and smiled.
"This room is very lovely." she said.
Bellatrix went to the center of the room.
"Pineos!" she said, lifting her wand.
A beautiful pine tree appeared.
"I think with Christmas just around the corner, we will need to get this place in gear." said Bellatrix.
They spent many hours decorating the room. The tree was decorated with blue and gold tinsel to match the walls. Lovely Christmas bulbs of all shapes, sizes, and colors hung on it. Little beads glowed different colors. Holly and ivy were hang everywhere as well as mistletoe here and there. Hermione charmed piano to play Christmas carols. Many candles floated in the air.
Her and Bellatrix charmed the murals to move and fake snow to fall from the ceiling, melting before it touched the ground. Icicles hung here and stockings were hung.
"Well, I'd say we did a pretty damn good job." said Bellatrix, admiring the beauty of the room.
"Yes, it's so breathtaking." said Hermione breathlessly.
She began to think of how her parents would be home, hanging up the Christmas lights outside. Her mom would be baking gingerbread man as her father set up the Christmas tree.
"Hermione, why did you run?" she heard Bellatrix say.
"I snuck out of my room and I saw him.with...that girl." Hermione said, choking back tears.
"Oh, well, don't worry about it. He didn't go any further than what you saw." She said.
"How do you know what I saw?" Hermione asked.
"I saw you run out of the room. I couldn't live with myself if I never let you saw what was happening. Malfoy's trying to change the Lord." said Bellatrix. "My Lord stopped, saying it was wrong, that he loved someone else. He risked his own life to save you."
Hermione let those words sink in.
"Where is he?" she asked.
Bellatrix smiled. The day was growing darker.
"He's been resting in his room. He stayed up all night watching over you. Refused to eat anything or keep warm." she said.
"He did that for me?" Hermione asked, not believing Voldemort would do such a thing.
"Yes." replied Bellatrix.
Hermione blushed.
"Thanks for being a good friend, Bellatrix." said Hermione.
"Anytime, Hermione, anytime." said Bellatrix.