A/N: --sniffs joyfully-- You guys are so nice to me! :) Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope that you'reenjoying this story.
Disclaimer: You know, I just realized that Pierre is actually mine. Actually, Bruno is too! Go figure. ;) Everyone else belongs to the wondrous J.K Rowling.
Thank You: sclub8 n Ron n Hermoine fan(kuwait rose), orlifan18, lightprincess, junali, RedHot911, Pepstepper16, and Azkaban Fugitive. Enjoy and hugs and kisses to you all. --passes out strawrberry blow-pops--
Your Night-11
By: Silver Ice
Pierre turned quickly to gaze at Hermione in wonder. "Me Ms. Granger? You want to know about me?" He asked, pointing to himself in confusion.
Hermione nodded and smiled to prove she wasn't joking.
Pierre stayed silent a moment, lost for words, before finally beginning. "Well, my name is Jean-Pierre Dorian. I was abandoned as a child and taken in by Bruno. Now I've joined the Knights to please him, although sometimes I think he finds me more of a nuisance than anything else." Pierre stopped and looked at Hermione questioningly.
Hermione absorbed the information Pierre had given her before gently asking, "Do you really want to be a Knight?"
Pierre looked as though he was pondering the question in confusion. "Ms. Granger, I never considered leaving the Knights when I first joined. It was the only secure thing left in life. The thing was, I had no idea how terrible being a murderer would be. I couldn't believe myself when I first killed. It was terrible, a young boy and girl. I see their faces every time I try to sleep. Ever since that murder, I couldn't bring myself to kill. I've been lying to Bruno, letting people go free when I was supposed to kill them. Like when I let you go in La Flamme Ardente. I'm sure Bruno knows of all the people that have escaped, but it really doesn't matter. Ms. Granger...I don't want to be a Knight anymore. I'm through with the murder, the misery."
"So when exactly did you join the Knights?" Hermione asked, glad that Pierre was indeed ready to leave the Knights.
"About four years ago, just after my 20th birthday." Pierre replied without hesitation.
Hermione considered what Pierre had said. Twenty was rather old to join the Knights. Especially if Pierre knew Bruno so well. Hermione sighed in concentration and decided upon a final question. "Pierre, you could've joined the Knights when you were 17 or even younger! Why did you wait until you were 20?"
Pierre's eyes clouded. "I didn't plan on ever joining the Knights to be honest. I planned on having a normal life. I met a girl when I was 19, Raquel Phillips. She was so smart and so beautiful. You remind me of her," Pierre said, his face growing pink before he continued, "I loved her and a year later we were engaged. Everything was wonderful until about a week after my 20th birthday. She was found in her home murdered. Her murder's never been solved, and there aren't any suspects. I felt dead without her until Bruno suggested I joined the Knights to help find and kill the kind of people that killed Raquel. In a blinded moment of impulse I joined the Knights, and now I'm trapped and doomed to see innocent people suffer." Pierre was clearly trying to remain unemotional as he spoke of his lost love and life.
Hermione looked at Pierre and for the first time realized she was seeing a whole new man. She didn't see a cruel Knight anymore, she saw a condemned, lonely, heart-broken man who cared about people. "I'm so sorry. I know how it is to lose people you love," Hermione said, thinking longingly of her parents.
"Ms. Granger, I still don't understand why you asked to know about me," Pierre said quizzically.
Hermione snapped back from her thoughts and remembered her plan. "Call me Hermione. If I'm calling you by your name then you should call me by mine. I asked to know about you because I need to get out of this prison, and now I see you do too. If we work together, I'm sure we'll be able to escape." Hermione said quietly, smiling warmly at Pierre.
"Ms.—I mean, Hermione," Pierre said her name slowly, as though savoring the syllables he pronounced, "I really can't image how we can escape without getting caught." Pierre whispered, looking up and down the halls nervously.
"Don't worry, we'll find a way. What I want to know is whether you're wiling to help," Hermione declared.
"Well, whatever it's going to take, I'm ready to go." Pierre replied. He smiled a wide toothy smile before quickly turning away from Hermione.
She was about to question his action when a wizard with the large food bucket appeared at the end of the hall. Hermione stayed silent and grinned as she set her buckets by her bars and sank onto her bed. She grabbed her new copy of Jane Eyre and happily began to read.
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"You're a stubborn one, anyone else would have surrendered by now," Bruno snapped angrily at Hermione. They were in his office again and he was trying in vain to convince Hermione to become a Knight.
"Well, I'm not anyone, am I?" Hermione replied smugly. She couldn't help smirking at Bruno.
"My patience is wearing thin, if you refuse my offer for much longer I swear I will have you killed," Bruno snapped in rage at seeing her smiling at him. He cursed her and felt satisfied when she fell to the floor in pain. What he didn't understand was how she was still smiling. He kicked her in fury, glad to see her smile disappear. "Never smile at me again. We're through for the night," Bruno thundered, pulling Hermione up and dragging her back to her cell.
Hermione lay trembling in her cell for nearly ten minutes before finally calming herself. She crawled to her bed and grabbed her hidden book. She found the newspaper clipping of her and Ron and held it close to heart as she fell asleep smiling weakly.
I I I I I I I I
"So Pierre, how exactly do people come and go from this place?" Hermione questioned as she added another notch to the wall.
"Apperation or a portkey," Pierre answered.
"Well then, that's so easy!" Hermione exclaimed in excitement.
"No Hermione, there's only one room you can leave from."
Hermione looked slightly crestfallen before brightening. "Where's the room?"
Pierre looked at her apologetically, "I'm not sure. Bruno changes the location of the room every week. I haven't left since you were captured, and Bruno hasn't told me which room to use."
Hermione stood in determination. "We're going to find that room."
"Even if we do, how are you going to get out of your cell? How are you going to keep yourself from being seen? Oh, and where would we go if we got out?" Pierre challenged, the logic in his questions brightening Hermione's grin.
"Pierre, I was the top witch during my years at school. We're going to plan this so I won't have to escape from my cell," Hermione paused and continued at the sight of Pierre's intrigued gaze, "when Bruno comes to get me for some daily cursing any witnesses will see him take me to his office. They won't see me leave though."
"How!" Pierre demanded, arms crossed in doubt.
At this Hermione laughed mischievously. "Well, last night, just before I came back to my cell, I noticed something I never noticed before."
"Well, what is it!" Pierre exclaimed in impatience.
"I saw my bag under Bruno's desk," Hermione replied.
Pierre looked even more confused and frustrated. "Hermione, I still don't understand. What in your bag can help us?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Think Pierre. We need to escape without being seen. Without. Being. Seen." Hermione answered, waiting expectantly.
Realization dawned in Pierre's eyes and he excitedly exclaimed, "Your invisibility cloak! That's perfect!"
"I know! I knew borrowing that cloak was the best idea I ever had!" Hermione exclaimed, modesty aside.
"Okay. So we'll escape under that cloak but how are you going to get that without Bruno knowing?" Pierre inquired.
"I'm not sure when, but one of these days you have to try to sneak into his office while he's getting me. Hide under the cloak and hide somewhere Bruno won't bump into you. Wait a while before attacking him." At this Hermione was interrupted.
"I have to attack him?" Pierre asked unsurely.
"Unless you want to kill him, which I doubt you want," Hermione answered. Pierre nodded and allowed Hermione to continue speaking. "Once Bruno's down, we can get under the cloak and look for that room."
"Not bad of a plan, but what happens if we can't find the room and Bruno wakes up to realize you're not in his office or your cell." Pierre said in worry.
"Well then, we'd be in trouble," Hermione said with a sigh. She knew the plan was too perfect to be true. She frowned in concentration, searching her mind for another plan.
Pierre gasped before Hermione could think of anything and whispered, "Mireille."
Hermione searched her memory and quickly remembered that Mireille had been the first man to arrive for the Knight meeting at La Flamme Ardente. Hermione doubted how he could help them. "Pierre, what has he go to do with anything?"
"He's my only friend here. If I ask him to take over my duties of watching you he'll be sure to do it. I'll casually ask where to leave from and he'll tell me without a second thought!" Pierre exclaimed in excitement. Hermione considered this plan and was overjoyed to find it was nearly flawless.
"Perfect. You can ask him to guard my cell and find out where to go. Then you can wait around Bruno's office until he leaves to get me. You'll sneak in, grab my bag and put on the cloak. When we come back you'll be hiding and invisible. Wait a half an hour before attacking Bruno. Then we'll put on the cloak and make a mad dash to the room. Then we can apparate to La Flamme Ardente and run from there." Hermione said, outlining the plan Pierre and her had made.
"We're really doing this. I'm finally going to escape," Pierre said, smiling at the thought of it.
Hermione nodded and clapped excitedly. All she could think about was coming home to Ron. She already had a week worth of wedding planning to make up for! "When do we want to do this?"
"I don't know Hermione, that's difficult to decide. If we chose the wrong day, we'll never escape," Pierre said.
"The day after tomorrow then. It's too late for us to do it today, and we might as well wait another full day. Besides, ten is a better number than nine," Hermione said, causing Pierre to laugh in amusement.
I I I I I I I I I I
Hermione spent the tenth day of her imprisonment pacing nervously. Mireille repeatedly commanded her to sit, but after a few minutes of sitting Hermione had to pace. She was terrified at attempting an escape. If anything went wrong and they were caught, they'd be killed.
Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours before Bruno finally arrived at Hermione's cell. She attempted not to smile and tried to act extra scared at the sight of Bruno. He seemed fooled and triumphantly dragged Hermione to his office.
Upon entering the darkened room Hermione looked around to see any signs of Pierre. The office looked empty and Hermione mentally cheered at the successful first step. Today she was sure not to smile and even screamed louder when Bruno cursed her. He was thrilled and Hermione felt like she'd just been appointed Head of the Department of Mysteries.
Nearly a half an hour passed before Bruno stopped to speak with Hermione. "You see to be succumbing to me Ms. Granger. Have you decided to join the Knights?" Bruno questioned, wand held at the ready.
"No. I will never join you. Remember that," Hermione said with a wide smile.
Bruno's eyes glowed in range but before he could say anything Pierre quickly exclaimed, "Stupefy!" Bruno collapsed to the floor in front of Hermione and Pierre revealed himself from behind Bruno's desk.
"Hermione, are you all right? I wanted to help you earlier, I had no idea he's been torturing you so terribly!" Pierre exclaimed, rushing to Hermione's side.
She waved him off, "I'm fine, now we have to go!" Hermione exclaimed, grabbing her bag from Pierre and retrieving her wand. With a determined smile she ducked besides Pierre under the invisibility cloak and they made there way out of the office. Hermione moved away from the office before Pierre pulled her back.
"Obtenir." Pierre whispered at the office. The door swung shut and loud clicking sounds could be heard.
"What's that?" Hermione asked as they walked through the halls.
"A locking charm. It'll take him an hour to get out at least," Pierre answered with a triumphant grin.
"Brilliant." Hermione whispered before they silently made their way through the halls.
Twice prisoners asked 'who's there!', and once Pierre nearly collided with another Knight. It was a relief when they finally entered a small bright room.
"This is it," Pierre said as he closed the door.
"All right, now let's get out of here," Hermione said as she gripped tightly at her wand.
"Ready?" He asked.
"Ready," Hermione answered.
Wands in hand they concentrated on La Flamme Ardente, and with a light 'pop' the small bright room was left empty.
A/N: Did you guys like that? I really really really had trouble writing the last bit of this. Well, thank you for reading and review! Thank you thank you.