Disclaimer: Pft. Get a life.
Ritsu-the-monkey a.k.a. Mz122: Don't we all?
Samantha Cameron: Well, har har har, it's all up to me whether Draco gets saved, right? Hehe… evil, maniacal laugh
Strawberrylemonade520: Ya, it's okay. But you only said "I hope they don't hurt Hermione". What about poor Draco!
HPfanatic53072: I already stopped putting lyrics so cool down! God, you're not the first one that's complained!
Ishtar: Thank you.
Vivi: Thanks.
HPfanatic53072: Thanks. Cute? Not exactly what I was aiming for, but good enough. BTW, I really don't care if Grimmauld Place is unplottable. (Sry, I had a bad day at school today)
Confusedthoughts: Ya, ya, ya. Okay, whatever.
Sexyslytherin2: Or else? Is that a threat?
Scholcomp7: Thank you! Keep reading!
Iamm3: You like Snape? Wow, that's a first. I guess he can be kinda cool.
Black rainfall: Is that a good "Aw" or a bad "Aw"?
Cassandra: Draco getting the Dark Mark is awesome? Okay…
Strawberrylemonade520: It's good to kno that ppl think me putting my story on hold sucks! Well, things are S-L-O-W-L-Y returning to normal, and I had a wonderful birthday. Thanks!
Tatapp: I had a great birthday, thanks.
Archer362: Stalking me! Oh no! My math teacher stalks me and it's really creepy! Thanx for the long review, I luv long reviews! You're an obsessed fan? That's great. My obsessed fan is stalking me.
Moonshine07: Yup, Pansy the Bitch. Lol.
Eliot Z. Wheatherbee: Okay, thanks for your support!
Slytherinprinces23: Okay, I'll try to continue writing long chapters, but it's hard!
lnk: Thank you. Yes, I love the break ups too.
Androphobic22: Yes, my chapters are very cheesy, but I'm proud of it! (Not). Good songs… Green Day and Simple Plan rule.
Mrs. Lisa Malfoy: Thank you.
+Luli+: Busy doesn't even describe it. Yeah, my teachers think that we don't have social lives. Yes, I was going to have them sleep together, but then I decided not to. Sorry.
Chapter 24…
"Hermione, please go to bed! It's not healthy, and we're going to have a long day tomorrow!" Professor Lupin begged, watching as Hermione paced back and forth. She threw up her hands in frustration.
"Why hasn't he found him yet? What's taking so long?" she demanded irritably, clearly annoyed and worried. She paused. "And I can't go to sleep! Even if I tried, I would be able to!"
"Listen, Hermione, as soon as we get word about them, we'll tell you, okay? You might as well just go to sleep now," Lupin advised. Hermione stopped and sank down onto the couch, her head in her hands.
"I'm so worried, Professor… And… And I keep getting these weird headaches… but they just last a few seconds. It's like… like somebody's trying to tell me something," she explained, wincing as another bolt of pain shot through her head. She squeezed her eyes shut and cradled her head in her hands.
Professor Lupin gazed at her in concern. "Somebody's trying to tell you something?" he repeated. "Do you think it could be… Draco?" he asked, getting excited. Hermione sighed helplessly.
"Yes… No… I don't know. I'm so confused." She got up and left the room, running upstairs. She found herself in Sirius' room. Why am I here? She reluctantly laid herself down onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. The scent of Sirius drifted through the covers and surrounded her. She soon fell into a deep sleep.
Thunder rumbled above. "Bow down before your Lord!" Lucius Malfoy cackled, pushing his son. Draco Malfoy stumbled forward, then stood up proudly and stubbornly.
"No." Lucius glared at him.
"Do you remember what we talked about, Draco? Do you remember? Do you recall what will happen to your pathetic girlfriend if you don't cooperate? So she escaped… but she left you here. You will do as I say!" he roared.
"I will not! I refuse to!" Draco screamed, almost hysterical. "Don't you dare talk about Hermione that way! Don't you DARE!"
"Malfoy, you have not trained your son well enough. He should be ready to serve his rightful master," a voice rasped. "Let me speak to him myself." Lucius hesitated. "Do you dare hesitate before my eyes!"
"No, of course not, my master. Of course not. Take my son. If anybody can do it, you can, my lord," Lucius quickly said, shoving Draco ahead. Draco, breathing heavily, walked up to Lord Voldemort, pride, courage and stubborness flashing through his eyes.
"BOW DOWN BEFORE YOUR LORD!" Lord Voldemort screeched. Draco felt a burning pain ripping through his chest. His legs began to descend downward.
No! His mind screamed. I cannot! I have to be strong… for… for Hermione! The name brought joy and strength to his mind. Slowly, he began fighting his way back up.
"MALFOY! What is your son doing!" Lord Voldemort screamed. Lucius stared at his son in shock. His eyes widened.
"I… I don't know, my lord! I swear, I did not plan this! He must have some type of charm planted on him!" Lucius protested. Must… be strong for… Hermione. Hermione… Draco continued to fight his brain, which was telling him to bow down. He thought about Hermione, the one who had taught him to defy his father, to chose his own path. Taught him to live.
"HOW IS HE FIGHTING THE CURSE!" Lord Voldemort demanded. "Seize him!" A horde of Death Eaters rushed forward and began to grab him. Draco began kicking, slapping, punching, biting anything he could reach, but he was no match for 20 to 30 Death Eaters. They grabbed him and pinned him to the floor. "You cannot win, young Malfoy!" Voldemort yelled in triumph. "If he will not let himself weaken, we will force him to weaken!"
All at once, all the Death Eaters pointed their wands at him. Draco fidgeted, scared to death. "CRUCIO!" they hollered at the same time. Draco screamed. He felt like somebody was ripping his heart out.
"Haha! Not so brave now, Draco Malfoy, are you? You have trained him well, Malfoy. He is strong and powerful, perfect for our victory against all those foolish men out there," Voldemort commented. Draco writhed in pain. Hermione… He closed his eyes. No… I cannot leave you… I never will…
Hermione woke up, covered with sweat. She panted, blinking rapidly. "It was all a dream… I just imagined it," she muttered. Then, shaking her head, she buried her head in her pillow. "No. Who am I kidding? It couldn't have been a dream. It was all too… too real and vivid…" But then what the hell was it?
She got up and checked her watch. 4:30 a.m. She had only slept for four hours. Rubbing her eyes, she stood up and stubled into the bathroom. Quickly, she turned on the faucet and splashed cool water onto her face.
Drying her face, she looked into the mirror and swallowed hard. "It wasn't a dream. It was real. He's trying to tell me something. He's trying to warn me."
Draco opened his eyes slowly and blinked. Where the hell am I? Looking around, the answer hit him hard. Oh, shit. I'm still in here. Voldemort's lair. With my father. Several Death Eaters were standing in the corner, quietly. Hmph. I wonder what those bloody beasts will do if I ask them for food. He opened his mouth to yell at them, but paused.
"… the lord says that we are to capture that mudblood and Harry Potter's girlfriend… lure Harry Potter into here…" he heard one say. A lump formed in his throat. Good God, holy crap, they're going to take Mini-Weasel and… Hermione.
Trying to look like he hadn't heard a word, he called out, "HEY! Do you guys have any food around here? Or is it all crap?"
The Death Eaters whirled around. Draco smirked. "Watch your mouth, foolish boy, or I'll Avada you," one of them – McNair – threatened. Draco rolled his eyes and made a face.
"You wouldn't dare. You know for a fact that you guys need me if you want to defeat Harry Potter," he scoffed. One of them cringed at his name. "Anyways, can you undo these chains? They're really annoying."
"No, we cannot. Now, shut your mouth, boy… Obviously, your little girlfriend cares nothing about you. She abandoned you here, didn't she?" McNair taunted. Draco flinched.
"She did not abandon me! And – and even if she did, I wouldn't care! She, in your words, a mere mudblood (he spat the word out), managed to slip between the fingers of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters! Voldemort won't be very pleased with you guys, will he," Draco snarled. They glanced at each other nervously. Draco smirked.
"Quiet, you fool! How dare you speak of your Lord that way!" one of them cried, but Draco could see the anxiety in his eyes. They all spun around and walked away, Draco laughing inwardly.
"Hermione, you are in a lot of danger. Please, Hermione, for me, get out of here right now," Draco pleaded. Hermione sat up on the bed, her eyes widening. "Draco?" she cried, breathing heavily. "Hermione, you have to get out of here. They're coming to get you, Hermione. You and Ginny. It's a trap. They're trying to get Potter to go to them. Please, leave!" Draco begged. Hermione blinked. "Draco? Where are you?" she asked. She could hear his voice; he was somewhere.
"DRACO!" she hollered, tears brimming. The door flew open and in came Lupin. His eyes darted around frantically. Hot tears spilled onto Hermione's cheeks.
"Where's Draco?" Lupin demanded. Hermione quickly brushed away the tears. She sniffled and gulped down some air.
"I-I don't know… H-he's somewhere. I… I can h-hear him in here, but he's n-not here!" she sobbed, rolling over on the bed. She lay on her back, tears trickling down her cheeks. Am I hallucinating? Going crazy?
"You can hear him?" Professor Lupin repeated, somewhat doubtfully. Hermione nodded her head. "What's he saying?"
"He's… warning me. He said that… they're coming to get me… and Ginny. That it's all a trap to get Harry to go to them. 'Cause if they catch us, Harry is sure to come after them for us," she said. Lupin's eyes widened.
"We've got to owl Dumbledore right now," he declared, strolling briskly out of the room. Hermione slowly got up, wobbling. She followed him down the stairs where he thrust a piece of parchment and a quill into her hands.
"Write down everything you just told me. Don't leave out anything. Quick," Lupin ordered. Hermione bent over and hastily scrawled a note.
Dumbledore:
I had this vision. Draco, as you probably know, was taken to Voldemort's lair. But I had a vision that he was right there next to me. He said that Voldemort and his Death Eaters were going to come after Ginny Weasley and me. This is supposed to be a trap. According to the plan, Harry is supposed to come after us, trying to rescue us, and the Death Eaters will catch him.
Please write back,
Hermione Granger
She tied the note to an owl and practically threw it out the window. Lupin watched as it tumbled and then soared away. Hermione shook her head helplessly.
"Oh, Lord, I'm scared." With that, she collapsed into a chair and buried her head in her arms.
