1A/N: Well, I went to my e-mail and much to my happiness I saw RomanticlyDepressing had reviewed my fic Comic Relief: Dudley's a Wizard. So of course I had to go and see the review for myself. On my scroll down though I see much to my surprise the date 8-5 by my fic Your Night. Well. That's when I realized that today it has been exactly a year since I published this story. So, to you, my dear reviewers, I give the longest chapter yet. Enjoy!!
Disclaimer: NOT MINE.
Thank You: Kuwait Rose, lightprincess, Azkaban Fugitive, Shining Moonlight, and Kristi!! Enjoy and hugs and kisses to you all.
Your Night-10
By: Silver Ice
Hermione sat up quickly as she regained consciousness. Her head spun as she sat and Hermione put her hand to her temple. She felt a stab of pain and realized her forehead was bleeding. Hermione looked around herself and gasped to find she was not in La Flamme Ardente. The room she was in now was small and only contained a rickety bed and three buckets. What made Hermione shiver in fear, however, were the metal bars that were in front of her.
She was in a prison.
Hermione stood but quickly sat back down as she saw the shadow of a figure approaching.
"Where am I?" Hermione demanded boldly.
It was silent a moment before Pierre stepped in font of her cell and said, "So you're finally awake."
Hermione instinctively reached into her robes for her wand and gasped in horror to realize it was gone along with her bag and identification. "Where's my stuff?" Hermione demanded, rising to stand face to face with Pierre.
"A couple of Knights are sorting through your things right now. You are going to be very useful to the Knights. When Bruno learned we'd captured a British Unspeakable, he was thrilled." Pierre answered with a smile.
Hermione frowned, "I'm not going to help you. You're wasting your prison space by keeping me here."
"Ms. Granger, Bruno will find a way to use you." Pierre said, alarming Hermione by using her last name.
"You will get nothing from me," Hermione declared again. Pierre shook his head and sighed before walking away from Hermione's cell. Hermione resisted screaming in rage and kicked over a bucket instead. She had been so close to leaving Reims. How could this job have gone so wrong?
In desperation Hermione tried to disapparate and wasn't surprised when it didn't work. She rattled the bars of her cell for a minute before collapsing on her bed. She wouldn't tell them anything. She didn't care how many times they used the Cruciatus Curse, she wouldn't betray Mr. Deseo or the Ministry.
Hermione wasn't left much time to think in her cell because Pierre was soon back in front of her cell looking nervous. Just as she opened her mouth to speak she saw the Knight leader, Bruno, approach.
"Ah, hello Ms. Hermione Granger. I'm here to ask you some questions."
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Bruno left two hours after his arrival without any information. He'd hoped to use Hermione under the Imperious Curse, but he had never expected her to have the power to fight the curse. The discovery of her power was both frustrating and pleasing. It proved that she'd be useful under his control and also proved controlling her would be difficult. Bruno loved a challenge, and he had certainly found one in Hermione.
While Bruno plotted, Hermione sat on her bed trembling. She had been hit several times with both the Crucio and Imperio Curse, and she felt exhausted after enduring two hours of fighting the Unforgivable Curses.
Pierre, who had been forced to watch Bruno curse Hermione, was now sitting with his back to Hermione's cell. He seemed thoroughly shocked at Hermione's strength. Hermione tried not to think about being cursed and instead focused her mind on Ron. She really missed him now that she couldn't just apparate to see him at any moment. Everything in their relationship had been virtually perfect before France, and now she wondered when she would see him again. She fell asleep that night with Ron's smile in her mind.
I I
Hermione used a small rock to make the two marks on the wall the second time she awoke in her cell. It was her second day in the prison. She should have been home with Ron, not here. Pierre was again in front of Hermione's cell and Hermione couldn't help snap, "Why are you always here?"
He looked surprised at being spoken to, "I-I'm guarding you," Pierre answered. Hermione knew he wasn't lying.
"Well, why are you guarding me? Shouldn't you be out doing Knight business?" Hermione demanded quizzically. She looked at Pierre pressingly and saw his face flush in anger...or perhaps embarrassment.
"Look, I was supposed to kill you the first time we met. By letting you go I disobeyed and betrayed the Knights. I didn't think you were a British spy. Bruno only let me live because he couldn't spare anyone else to guard you." Pierre explained before frowning and turning away from Hermione.
Hermione sighed as she realized the only reason she was alive was Pierre, and the only reason he was now alive was her. Hermione couldn't help feeling indebted to him. Pierre turned back to Hermione, who quickly averted her eyes to the three buckets in her cell. She assumed one was for water, the other food, and the last a toilet.
Her stomach rumbled loudly and she realized she couldn't remember when she'd last eaten. She crawled to the buckets and frowned to see all three were empty. Hermione looked stubbornly from the bucket to Pierre before finally giving into temptation. "Sir, please, may I have something to eat?"
Pierre looked alarmed at being spoken to again and quickly nodded before dashing down the hallway for food. He returned a few minutes later with a rather large bucket and ladle. "Bring me your bucket," Pierre said, setting down his own bucket.
Hermione did as he asked and smiled hungrily as he filled her small bucket to the top with what looked like a sill steaming soup. "Thank you!" Hermione exclaimed as she took a few bites and sighed in bliss. Pierre nodded and made his way down the hallway to return the food. Hermione ate quickly and was grateful when Pierre returned with a bottle of water.
"Here you go," Pierre said silently, handing Hermione the bottle through her bars. Hermione grabbed the bottle and looked at Pierre questioningly. She wondered why he was being so nice to her.
"Thank you, really. I'm sorry for my rudeness, but I'm sure you understand my anger." Hermione said after drinking from the bottle.
Pierre looked taken aback at Hermione's apology and looked to be searching for a response. He finally mumbled, "You have no reason to apologize."
Hermione hated the Knights, and she hadn't being kept prisoner. However, she couldn't help think that perhaps Pierre and her could help each other out. Pierre didn't speak to her again for the rest of day and, Hermione spent her time pacing and repeatedly reorganizing her cell. Bruno came again at night and stayed for nearly three hours using Unforgivable Curses. Hermione remained strong and Bruno stomped away in angry defeat. Hermione spent the night tossing and turning and only fell asleep when she could not keep her eyes open any longer.
I I I
Hermione added a mark to the wall with her rock when she woke up the third morning of her stay. Pierre was standing in front of Hermione's cell and asked curiously, "What are those marks for?"
"I'm marking the days I spend here," Hermione replied with a sigh.
"What do you do?" Pierre asked suddenly.
"Excuse me?" Hermione questioned in confusion.
"In London, when you're at home and you don't have work to do. What do you do to fill your free time?" Pierre inquired quietly, looking around himself nervously.
"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed in understanding, "I love to read. Any and every book I read is wonderful." Hermione answered, wishing she had a book now.
"Right, that sounds nice," Pierre said, "I also forgot to tell you to be ready with all three of your buckets at all times. You can never be sure when they'll be cleaned out or refilled." Pierre said with a small smile.
"I forgot about those buckets!" Hermione exclaimed as she grabbed her buckets and settled them along the bars of the cell.
Only moments after she had moved her buckets Bruno arrived at her cell with a pleased smirk. Hermione felt her stomach flip and dreaded to see what Bruno was going to do.
"Ms. Granger, you have proved to be much stronger than I ever imagined. Clearly spending my time putting Unforgivable Curses on you isn't getting me anywhere. I'm here now to ask if you are willing to make an agreement." Bruno offered.
"Make your propositions but don't expect me to make any agreements," Hermione snapped, crossing her arms in determination.
Bruno looked angry for a moment before he plastered the smirk onto his face again. "Certainly, believe as you wish Ms. Granger. Perhaps you will change your mind after we speak."
The bar's of Hermione's cell parted and Bruno grabbed Hermione roughly by her arm. Hermione wanted to protest but thought better of it as he pulled her through the long hallway she had watched Pierre walk through. The cell's she passed in a blur were filled with men and women alike. Everyone looked scared and lost, tortured and hurt, sad and lonely.
"You're sick! How can you do this to all these people!" Hermione exclaimed as she was shoved into a small room.
"I am not doing anything they don't deserve Ms. Granger. They have been offered to reveal information to me and yet they refuse. They are bringing this unto themselves. They are the ones at fault, not me." Bruno said in mock shock at being accused.
Hermione wished she had her wand. For once Azkaban seemed like a welcoming home in exchange for Bruno's death. Hermione was sure not to speak her thoughts.
"I've realized that you make a better ally than enemy," Bruno began as Hermione took a seat.
"Go on," Hermione snapped when Bruno didn't continue.
"I offer you a position amongst the Knights. I clearly see that you won't be much use offensively, but a mind like yours is exactly what this group needs. If you go undercover for us I'll let you go and you will be free to return to London," Bruno said, hoping his offer would be one Hermione wouldn't refuse.
"So you want me to spy on my Ministry and feed you the information I obtain?" Hermione asked.
Bruno nodded, "Yes."
Hermione sat for a moment in silence. She saw Bruno's face lighting eagerly in excitement at the thought of her joining the Knights of Darkness. Hermione broke the silence with a chuckle and shook her head. "You must take me for a fool. I would never betray the Ministry like that. I work to help our wizarding world, to destroy groups like yours that try to ruin our world."
Bruno looked enraged. "Listen to me Ms. Granger, you say these things now, but one day you will agree with my proposition, as you call it. You can not escape me and whether it's in months or years, you will change your ways."
"No, Monsieur Bruno, you listen to me. I don't think you understand me when I say I will not work for you. You disgust me, holding people captive and threatening them to join you. Is that how you're gaining all your members? Threats? Curses? You're weak and you have no power over me. I swear to you, the Knights will be defeated if it's the last thing I do." Hermione bellowed, surprising even herself with the resolve in her voice.
"Your arrogance angers me. Perhaps you don't realize that you are defenseless and that I would not have a problem killing you. I am not a losing man." Bruno muttered, his voice filled with rage.
Hermione knew the Cruciatus Curse was coming and she had no fear.
I I I I I I I
"Seven day's." Hermione whispered breathlessly to herself. An entire week had passed her by in Bruno's prison. An entire weak of daily torture with nothing to do but sleep and rearrange buckets. Bruno was still enraged with her and had demanded her food portions be cut in half. She didn't complain though, Bruno would not beat her.
Hermione turned around suddenly as she heard Pierre nervously clearing his throat. He was standing with his hands behind his back and looking around himself nervously. Hermione wondered what was making him act that way. "What's wrong?" She asked as Pierre took a step closer to her cell.
Hermione rose to meet him and continued to look at him questioningly. He glanced around a final time before saying, "Ms. Granger, you mentioned two days ago that you enjoyed a certain book entitled Jane Eyre," Pierre said.
"Yes I did, but what has that got to do with you standing here acting as though you're being followed," Hermione asked with her hands on her hips. Though she had warmed slightly to Pierre and had let him call her 'Ms. Granger', she still didn't feel all too trusting of him.
"Well, I brought you a copy," Pierre said, pulling the book out from behind his back. Hermione gasped as Pierre handed her the book through the bars.
"Oh thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me. This was the first real book my Mum bought me," Hermione exclaimed, holding the novel close to her.
Pierre was blushing madly as he also pulled a newspaper clipping from his pocket. "Well it's no problem at all Ms. Granger, but that isn't all I've brought you. I thought you might like a bookmark, and so I got you one that you could read." Pierre pulled a rectangular newspaper clipping from his pocket and handed it to her. Without another word he turned and walked a little way down the hall.
Hermione walked to her bed and sat smiling. She examined the newspaper clipping and was shocked to see a picture of her and Ron on top of the paper. She smiled and let out a small laugh as she saw Ron's smiling face for the first time in a week. God she missed him. Continuing past the picture she saw that Pierre had re-written the originally French article to English. She tried not to let tears escape her eyes as she read.
British Women Missing; Reward
Early Sunday morning Mr. Ronald Weasley reported to British officials that Hermione Granger is missing. Ms. Granger, who is pictured above, was vacationing with a friend in France. During the last few days of the vacation, Ms. Granger was no where to be found. The friend, who wishes to remain unnamed, assumed Ms. Granger had gone home to her fiancé Ronald Weasley, also pictured above. Upon arriving home herself late Saturday night, she discovered Ms. Granger had not arrived home and that no one had heard from her since last Sunday night. Family and friends all pray for Ms. Grangers save return and any information on her ware bouts will be rewarded with 500,000 Euro.
At this Hermione knew that she was reading a Muggle newspaper. She was quite surprised to see how high the reward price was. She wasn't entirely sure she knew anyone with that much money.
When asked if he had any words, Ronald Weasley replied, "Hermione, I love you so much. Please, whoever has taken her, let her come home to her friends and family. Let her come home to me!" Ronald Weasley could offer no more words through his grief and it is clear that he is waiting hopefully for Hermione Granger's safe return. If anyone has any information you are asked to call or write any of the numbers or addresses below.
A series of numbers and addresses followed the article and Hermione held her breath as she read it twice more. Clearly her boss had reveled she was going to France, but apparently that was all he would disclose to anyone. With a sigh Hermione gazed adoringly at the smiling photo of her and Ron and prayed that could be with him.
It was obvious that no one would come and save Hermione here, where ever here was. She would have to do it by herself. Well, almost by herself. Hermione tucked the newspaper into her new copy of Jane Eyre and set it on her bed, she walked to her bars and saw Pierre leaning against the wall to her left. With a final glance towards her book, she whispered silently, "Pierre, tell me about yourself."
A/N: Okay. Well this chapter is hopefully pleasing to you all. : ) Don't hold back on reviews now! Thank you very much in advanced and thanks to Azkaban Fugitive for all her help!