Sorry guys…something went hugely wrong with my system, uploading the wrong chapters in the wrong order. Therefore I have deleted the last few chapters, and I'm pasting them all as one (an extra long one to make it up to u). Bear with me, please…
Also, this story is slowly, but surely getting over. Just a few more chapters, and it will be done. I'd like to thank all my faithful reviewers who have stuck with me for so long. Love you guys! You're absolutely amazing.
Once I finish writing this story, I promise to start working on my other ones, which I've so callously ignored for so long…and in a little while, a sequel to Pawn on the Chessboard is coming up.
Thank you for bearing with me.
CHAPTER 32
The pain was raging all over her body.
Her head ached violently, and her heart beat frantically against her ribs. She felt slightly breathless. She tried to move her aching arms, but found, to her horror, that they were tacked together.
Someone tied me up.
She tried opening her eyes. However, the minute she raised her eyelids, her eyes began to fiercely burn and water, and she forced to jam them shut again.
She weighted down, and for some off reason claustrophobic.
She tried moving her legs; only to find that they were tied tightly to. She opened her mouth, and tried to cry out, but no voice issued from her lips. The frantic screaming was in her mind…
A light footstep.
The screaming stopped, and she strained her eyes. She could hear the lightest chink of glass against goblet, the steady gurgle of water filling, and then footsteps advancing towards her. she tried to wriggle away, but the pain pinned her down. A rough hand grasped her jaw, and pride it open. The next minute, burning hot liquid was poured down her throat.
She coughed and sputtered, as her throat seemingly caught fire. The peppery taste of the liquid did not help anything at all.
'Swallow it,' a low voice said, 'the pains of stunning with subside.'
Sure enough, the fire was fading, and with it, the pain in her aching body ebbed, lessening by the second. Soon, she was feeling alright again.
Hermione opened her eyes.
She was lying in a cold room, which seemed to have no windows, and no furnishing except an almirah at one end, and a fuzzy black carpet, that she was lying on. The walls and ceiling were made of gray stone, and hooked candelabras were protruding from the walls.
Narcissa was towering over her. She did not look at all like the demon she had back in the bedroom. She was dressed and corseted once more, and her hair was up in a tight coiffeur, her make up spotless.
'Good morning, Ms. Granger,' she said, in a coldly amused voice. 'Or should I say…good night?'
Hermione looked bleakly at her.
'You've awoken in 3 hours,' she murmured, 'I must say, I'm quite impressed. Normally, someone under the influence of the spell would remain unconscious for at least a day.'
Hermione was in no mood to thank her.
'Well, Ms. Granger, I suppose you would like to know exactly what is going to happen to you?'
'If it isn't too much trouble, please,' Hermione said, through gritted teeth.
'Not at all, my dear…not at all…' Narcissa said, silkily. 'You see, I am going to untie you, lock the door, and leave. You are going to experience a long and somewhat nasty wait for the dark Lord, who is going to enjoy you fresh.'
Hermione winced.
'If he lays even one finger on me,' she said, defiantly 'I am going to tell him that Draco was the traitor. He might kill me, but your sons going down. Your family will be ruined.'
Narcissa threw her a disgusted look.
'Dear child, do you really think he would touch you, filthy as you are? He will merely torture you with his wand,'
'I'll still tell!' Hermione said, fiercely.
Narcissa chuckled.
'Oh, I don't think so girl,' she said, sweetly. 'After all, you do love him!'
XXXXXXXXX
'Fuck everything,' Hermione groaned.
She was trembling. Her fingers were already feeling numb with cold. And to make things worse, any minute now Lord Voldemort was going to sweep into the room- and kill her.
Moaning slightly at the dull ache in her body, and climbed to her feet, and surveyed her remote surroundings. She needed someplace to bloody hide. However, there was nothing in sight.
'Well,' she muttered, 'the least I can do is get warm.'
She looked around for something to cover herself, but found nothing. All of a sudden, she noticed the almirah. Walking over to it, she swung the handle and pushed it open.
Inside the almirah was a gorgeous array of thick, gaudy dresses, all made up with utmost care and style. Hermione quickly grabbed the warmest one she could find, and slipped it on. It transpired to be a black satin dress, that flowed down to her ankles. She found a dressy satin jacket, and slipped it on over her dress.
'Great,' she muttered, 'So now I'm warm. All I need is a place to hide.'
Once more she considered the almirah. It seemed spacious enough. It definitely wasn't the best hiding place she could come up with, but it was something, at least.
Without any further ado, she climbed into the almirah. With carefully swung the door shut, and it latched with a click. With a sinking heart she realized that it was on some kind of auto-lock. Going out was no longer an option.
So instead, she swung dresses away, hearing them fall to the ground with soft swooshes as she pushed them. She clawed her way through the finery, and reached out to touch the back of the almirah.
Except that there was no back of the almirah. With a little gasp of surprise, she ended up stumbling into a long, dark passage way.
It was stony and cold, and lighted by low-burning lanterns. It wound its way into the darkness. Hermione stared, feeling slightly warmer in here.
she wondered whether to risk the passageway- a definite possibility of escape, but as much as a convincing promise of death.
Hermione's grasped one of the old-fashioned oil lanterns that was hanging on the wall, and scrutinized the tunnel in front of her. It was made of dark gray stone, without a single hint of mud, and lead far into the darkness, until it twisted and she could see no more. She felt her heart beat quicken. A hidden passage in the Malfoy manor. It sounded somewhat sinister.
It was at that moment, that she had the strangest feeling. It was an odd chill that seemed to emanate from the way she had come. It seized her heart, and caused a wild wave of panic to sweep over her body. All of a sudden she realized what happened.
Lord Voldemort was in the vicinity. It was only him that could cause such shivers of evil in the air. She paused, and settled the lantern down. Instinct told her to pick it up again, and head as fast as possible down the passage way. However, she crouched down low, and leaned towards the wardrobe. She wanted to hear what was going on.
She heard the slightest creak of a door being opened, and knew they had entered. She sucked in her breath.
Suddenly, a deep, cold voice reverberated around her.
'Where is she?' Lord Voldemort hissed. 'You told me that you had the girl.'
Narcissa malfoy's faint voice sounded.
'My Lord…I did. I locked her in this room. There is no window, and now possible means of escape. I cannot imagine…'
'Well, then it is time to,' Lord Voldemort cursed, silently. 'We need to find her! She has liable evidence now that you and Draco are Death eaters. I cannot afford to lose anymore precious followers.'
'My Lord, I have no idea of how-.'
'Narcissa I am not looking for what you do not have…I'd prefer to hear of what you do. Tell me, is apparition a possibility. If so, we might yet be able to trace her.'
'My Lord, I placed a special bond on her. She couldn't have apparated. Not inside the manor.'
'In that case, Narcissa, I suggest you have the entire mansion searched. I am disappointed. We have enough Death eaters working on the case of the missing death repel. I do not want to waste more looking for Hermione Granger. You and your son must handle that. Where is Draco?'
'I am not sure,' Narcissa faltered.
'Find him. Handle it. I am leaving.'
Hermione heard the swish of a cloak, and new that he had gone. In a few minutes, she heard Narcissa also depart.
She leaned against the cold stone walls of the tunnel. Her every muscle wanted just to go to sleep right then. But a glance at her watch told her that that was not possible.
She had only nineteen hours left.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Lisa stared blankly out of the apartment window. She had begun to deeply regret the fact that Hermione was married to Malfoy. She was lonely, and hadn't heard from her friend is days.
It was as she was thinking this, that a knock came on the door. Groaning, she stashed aside the mug of coffee she was cradling, and stomped over the door, swinging it open. Immediately, she gasped with surprise.
'Mione!' she shrieked, flinging her arms around her ex-roommate, and best friend. 'God have I missed you!'
'I've missed you too, Lisa,' Hermione said, her voice grim. She was dressed in some sort of formal gown, Lisa noticed, with a silk coat, and some traces of dust and dirt.54?
'What the hell happened to you?' she asked, confused.
'No time to explain,' Hermione said. 'Grab something warm, and come with me. And get the car keys. I'll tell you on the way.'
'But where are we going?' Lisa asked, confused, as she slipped into a thick Irish sweater.
Hermione fixed her with a deep smoldering gaze.
'The Riddle House.'
XXXXXXX
'And here I was actually missing you,' Lisa shook her head, as she swerved the car past lone fields filled with absolutely nothing.
Hermione shrugged. 'We're in a situation here. Keep the wisecracks for later.'
'So let me get this straight,' Lisa said, 'You found the tunnel, and walked forty minutes, just to find that it led you right to the Malfoy property gate? And then you apparated, right?'
'You got it,' Hermione muttered. 'Are you sure you know where you're going?'
'Of course,' Lisa scoffed. 'Little Hangleton. We'll be there in about five minutes. Now, will you explain to me exactly why we're going there?'
'We need to find Draco,' Hermione said, stubbornly. 'Right now, as far as he's concerned, he's running from the ministry. He doesn't know that I love him; he thinks that I've already informed Fudge. And the only place I can think of him going is the Riddle House. Unless he went to the Cave of Darkness, which I doubt because they're all probably clustered up there now that the Death repel's missing.'
'Aha!' Lisa said, triumphantly. 'Talk about love! Fudge had foresight! You two are meant for each other.'
Hermione groaned.
'Lisa, please! Not now.'
'Ok, Ok… so basically, I'm going to the Riddle House with you to find Draco Malfoy, and waste an hour or so with you two saying proclaiming your undying love for each other, then we ask Draco's opinion, and rush halfway around the world to search for a weirdo in a cape who's probably faggot with Lord Voldemort.'
Hermione flicked a glance over at her.
'You're driving too close to the edge. I obviously caught you in a bad mood.'
'Nah. I'm shit scared and this is how I react.' Lisa chuckled. 'Anyway…there…you can see the Riddle House.'
'Which one is it?' Hermione asked, scanning the scene of the remote village in front of them.
Lisa pointed. 'There. The one of the hill. With the red roof.'
Hermione gazed at it. 'It's huge,' she whispered. 'Draco could be anywhere in it.'
'Let your heart lead you to the light of love,' Lisa said, sadistically. 'Okay, I'm stopping the bloody car over here.'
She jammed the breaks, and the two scuttled out of the car, and climbed the short stretch of hillside before they reached the gate of the house. The gate was locked.
'Let's just climb over it,' Lisa said. 'And get to the other side, quick!'
She glanced at her watch.
'Only seventeen and a half hours more.'
XXXXXXXXXXX
Narcissa pulled her wand out, and placed a few protective spells on the room. Then she left, and glanced around.
Miss Hermione Granger was missing. And so was Draco.
She sighed. This had gone on long enough. They cared for each other. She was sick of the lies, trying to protect him, harming the dark Lord. A heavy weight lay on her mind.
She had finally decided. To the Dark Lord, she would say nothing. She would preserve what little of the Malfoy pride was left in the Inner Circle.
But when she saw Granger…
And when she saw Draco…
She would kill them both.
XXXXXXX
'It's locked,' Hermione said, desperately. 'The front door's locked!'
Lisa pursed her lips.
'Come on,' she said. 'I think I saw a window in the far end.'
'It'll probably be locked too,' Hermione said, glumly.
'It is,' Lisa said, as they approached. She scanned the ground around them. 'But you forget one thing.'
Hermione slid her gaze over to her.
'What?'
Lisa picked up a stone.
'Window's are made of glass,' she said, with a determined look on her face.
With that, she lobbed the stone at the window. The glass cracked with a horrible noise. Lisa quickly pried off the shards.
'Somewhat dangerous,' she muttered. 'But we can make it. Come on, let's get in!'
Both the girls shinned in, and glanced around. They were in some sort of dark room, without any lighting, about a foot deep in dust. It was small, and a few boxes were stacked in a corner.
'Storage room,' Lisa muttered. 'C'mon, let's get out of here.'
She slid the door open, and the two of them crept out. They were in a long hall way, with several doors leading off. One of them however, showed a crack of fine, flickering light at its base- a fire.
Hermione immediately walked up to. She slid it just slightly open, very quietly. She peeked in.
And let out a cry of joy.
'Draco!' she cried. 'I'm so glad we found you!'
Hermione?'
Draco looked up. He was curled up on the red pouffee, a bottle of sherry in his hand.
'What the hell are you doing here?'
Lisa sidled up. 'Is it possible to get male PMS?' she muttered.
Draco flicked his gaze her way.
'You brought her too?' he asked, in an accusing voice.
Lisa frowned.
'Hey mister, I'm the best friend of the girl you love…a little more respect is in demand.'
Draco scowled.
'Some reason you're here?'
Lisa made a face. 'Some reason you're here?' she mimicked, in a high pitched voice. 'God, Hermione, tell the asshole what's going on so we can find the damned spy and get back to that little thing called a NORMAL LIFE.'
Hermione sighed.
'I need to talk to you.' She said, looking him in the eye. 'You're right…I shouldn't have acted like that earlier. It's just- the pressure, and- god, I love you, okay, Draco. I really do!'
Draco set a dark gaze on her.
'Fudge sent you.'
It was not a question.
'I know,' Hermione replied firmly. 'Fudge sent me. I married you to spy on you. But-.' She grasped his hand. 'I fell in love with you, Draco. I mean it. I. Love. You.'
Draco sighed, and looked at her.
'I don't know what to believe any more, Hermione,' he whispered. 'But I love you too. And I mean it.'
Hermione smiled slightly. 'I'd love to sit discussing this further…but we're in a bit of a situation here.'
'No shit,' Draco muttered. 'Lisa's here.'
'hey!' Lisa snapped. 'If it wasn't for me, you're light of love wouldn't be here I either. I drove the car,' she said, with a significant wink.
Draco groaned. 'Why?' he muttered.
'That's not the point!' Hermione said, impatiently. 'There's this huge problem. We have-.' She checked her watch. 'Sixteen hours to find the right hand man and report to Fudge!'
Draco's eyes flew open.
'WHAT?'
'And,' Hermione said, grimly. 'I just spend 3 hours under your mother's captivity, found a passage way in the manor, and escaped the clutches of Evil Voldemort.'
'WHAT?'
'I know,' Lisa said, 'she's nutters.'
Draco gave her a strange look. 'Sixteen hours?'
Hermione shrugged. 'I'll explain later. We need to find the guy. But wait- before we go- Draco why did you leave me the Death Repel.'
Draco looked at her.
'I was trying to give you a hint,' he explained. 'I thought you'd take it to the ministry…I didn't dream you knew what it was…and blow my brains out.'
Hermione smiled.
'Sorry it backfired,' she said, 'And- thanks…'
She leaned up, and pecked his cheek. Draco glowed.
Lisa cleared her throat loudly.
'Ahem,' she said, 'if you two are quite finished…'
Hermione grinned. 'Done, Lisa…ok, now Draco…any clues as to who that bloody guy is?
Draco frowned.
'I have absolutely no clue,' he said, honestly.
'Thankfully, I do,' Lisa said, in a spirited voice.
Both heads turned to her. Hermione's jaw dropped.
'What?'
Lisa smiled, triumphantly.
'Hermione, before we got distracted by the attack of the ministry…when the Death Repel was dropped…do you remember what we planned to do that day?'
'Shopping for weird pointy shoes?' Draco offered.
Lisa threw him a dirty look.
'Yes I do!' Hermione said, suddenly. 'But- oh! Oh my god! You don't think?'
Lisa smiled.
'As a matter of fact, I do,'
Draco looked confused.
'Okay…care to explain to me?' he demanded.
Hermione turned to face him.
'We were going to the Department of Mysteries,' she said, in a hushed voice.
'Why?'
'To look for Adrian Chadwick.'
XXXXXXXXX
'Let me get this straight,' Draco said. He and Hermione were sitting at the back of the car, and Lisa was driving.
'You think Adrian Chadwick is the Right Hand Man? Why?'
Lisa rolled her eyes.
'he used to work in the Department of Mysteries,' she said, 'and he vanished 6 months back. No one knew where he was…and then he suddenly turns up at your reception?'
Draco was looking thoughtful.
'Six months back…that was around the time that the Right Hand Man came out of the shadows…' he murmured.
'See,' Lisa said, fiercely, driving as fast as she could, 'it makes perfect sense.'
'Both Lisa and I felt we had seen him somewhere before,' Hermione admitted.
Draco nodded.
'I get your point. So we're going to the department of Mysteries?'
'That's DOM for you,' Lisa replied.
Draco sighed.
'Did we have to bring her along?'
Hermione punched his arm lightly.
'She was the one who remembered about Chadwick, remember?'
Lisa smiled, triumphantly.
'So there,' she said.
Draco made a disgusted face.
'Whatever,' he muttered. 'How much further?'
'Five minutes more, Lisa supplied. 'and Hermione, do you know how to get into the DOM? Cos I sure as hell don't.'
'I do,' Hermione said, 'fifth year at Hogwarts. Sirius- died- inside the DOM.'
Her voice faltered. Draco squeezed her hand slightly.
'Right,' Lisa said, grimly. 'Here we are.'
They pulled up beside the red telephone booth. In seconds they were jammed inside. Hermione grabbed the receiver, and punched in a few numbers.
'Welcome to the Ministry of magic,' a cool female voice responded. 'State your name and purpose, please.'
'Lisa, Hermione and Draco,' Lisa snapped. 'Ministry officials. And make it quick.'
'Good ay, Lisa, Hermione, Draco,' the voice responded. 'Please wear your badges. Thank you for coming.'
'Your fucking welcome,' Draco snarled, jamming his badge ferociously against his shirt.
The telephone booth began to slide underground. Soon, the brightly lit atrium was in view.
'Okay, this way,' Hermione said, leading them. 'and keep it low…I don't want to explain to Fudge why I'm sneaking in here. He hates me enough as it is.'
'No, Mione, we're going to walk around clashing cymbals,' Lisa said, sadistically.
'This corridor looks creepy,' Draco said, with a shudder, as they walked down.
'I know,' Hermione said, repressing a shiver. They reached a dark wood door.
'Okay,' she said, whispering, as she opened it. 'We're going on. Nobody shut the door?'
'Why not?' Lisa asked, confused.
'Because,' Hermione said, 'then the doors inside exchange places. And they're about a million.'
'Oh,' Lisa said. 'I take it you learned the hard way.'
Hermione flicked a glance her way.
'You can say that again,' she muttered. 'Now come on in…' she whispered.
She entered the dark, circular room.
It was different.
The darkened walls still held the gleaming blue torches, and several dark doors led into the various depths of the department. However, at the very centre of the room was a king of silver platform. Hermione walked up to it.
'Adrian Chadwick, Unspeakable the Seventh,' she read the inscription of the silver.
Draco and Lisa walked up.
'Seventh Unspeakable,' Draco mused. 'Last time I came here, this wasn't there,'
Hermione looked surprised.
'You've been here?'
Draco looked grim.
'Yep... My dad brought me down here.'
Lisa started. 'You're dad? What was he doing here?'
Draco shrugged. 'He wouldn't tell me. He made me wait out here.'
'Well,' Hermione muttered, 'Whatever it is, it might just lead us to what we're looking for...'
She took out her wand.
'Astroantus!' she spelled.
Nothing happened.
She frowned and tried again.
'Criptaseous! Mercosestus!'
Nothing happened. Hermione looked annoyed.
She raised her wand again, but was stopped, when Draco gently put the face of his palm on her shoulder.
'Hermione,' he said, quietly, 'those are light spells.'
Hermione opened her mouth to ask why that mattered, but froze. Suddenly, Draco's quiet comment was making a lot more sense. It seemed to make a lot more sense that Chadwick would use a dark spell to seal the podium, if it were, in anyway, a clue to find him.
She moved out of the way.
'Your tag,' she said, to Draco.
Draco smiled, and moved forward. He raised his wand.
'Xerifio!' he thundered.
Immediately, a black flash broke from his wand, and hit the podium. Hermione gasped. It seemed to spread, bathing the gleaming podium in an odd, black light. Then, as she watched, the podium began to slowly move aside, revealing beneath it, a gaping chasm…with a staircase descending into the darkness.
Draco blew the tip of his smoking wand, and jammed it into his pocket.
'After you, miladies,' he said, sweetly.
Narcissa was feeling surreal.
The moment of truth.
She was stark naked, standing in her dimly lit bedroom, her clawed hands hovering over a dark, stained cabinet
Her fingers slipped inside. She felt about. When they came out again, she was holding a small crystal pendant.
The smile on her face was close to insane, as she stared at it. Her eyes glinted.
The pendant in her hand was Draco's birth cross. It was connected to him with the deepest dark magic.
She gently spelled the pendant, and then dropped it into a huge golden urn of water.
Yay…thanks to all u ppl who reviewed!
ObSsEsSeD- Who do you think Lisa's modeled on, if not me! I think I got the sarcasm down perfectly!
Meheehee- thanks for reviewing! And I have no clue wat happened to our darling Amy! She's been wiped off! And I miss her so much!
Lilly- Haven't u realized yet? I'm a wicked, and evil witch who simply LOVES to keep you people hanging off the edge of your seats with the suspense! And no, Narcissa did not help Hermione escape? What makes you think that?
Deadlyabyss12- yes, Mya still has the Death Repel…and I have a little inkling its going to get her out of a tight spot, later on!
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