Chapter 21
In the following weeks leading up to Christmas, Hermione had managed to cut all ties with Harry and Ron. The only conversations they shared were arguments, the type of arguments she used to have with Draco. They would insult her, calling her cruel names and persisting that she had become an evil whore. Draco, who was now always at her side, would retaliate for her and the whole school managed to hear about their fights. Word of the Golden Trio Split Up had spread quickly.
By the time Hermione and Draco went to Malfoy Manor, it had become obvious that Hermione no longer had any connection with Harry Potter. Voldemort was more than a little disappointed. He had planned on using her as a spy, getting information out of her and using her to lure Harry into a trap but now it was apparent that Harry would not be chasing after her to rescue her.
It seemed a little suspicious to him though that Hermione and Harry could become enemies so quickly but he figured teenagers were very fickle and emotional like that.
At the Manor, Hermione was shown to her own room, which was coincidently right next to Draco's. She was told to join everyone for dinner in fifteen minutes, giving her just enough time to unpack a few of her things.
At the dinner table, Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, Helen, Voldemort, and Hermione all sat around like old friends would.
"So Hermione," her mother began. "How has school been? Are you keeping your grades up?"
Hermione smiled a slightly nervous smile. "Well now that we're in seventh year, the professors are preparing us for N.E.W.T.S. and the courses are significantly more difficult. And being Head Girl has added duties that I've been struggl..."
"She's doing spectacularly," Draco cut in. "You know our Hermione. She can do just about anything she sets her mind to, and the includes acing all her courses, beating everyone in the N.E.W.T.S. in all areas, AND handling all of the duties and responsibilities that Dumbledore gives her."
"It never ceases to amaze me how talented you are, Hermione," Helen declared, beaming with pride. "I'm just so proud of you."
Hermione gave a halfhearted smile and began to eat her food.
"So about Christmas Eve," she said, eager to get this fight over with. "Draco told me that that is the day you plan on making me get the Dark Mark."
"Yesss," Voldemort hissed. "That IS the day."
"I think you're insane then!" Hermione said in anger. "You cannot simply force me into something that I do not wish to do. You're being irrational. I want to wait. If I'm going to have to get it, can't we do it in the summer or something when I don't have to deal with school and my grades and everything like that?"
"NO!" he replied. "Now is the time. Now is when I want you to pledge your allegiance to me. Now you can truly be my daughter."
"But I don't WANT to be your daughter!"
"That is not your choice. I am in you blood."
"Blood has never made a difference to me. What makes you think that just because we share the same DNA, that means I'll ever think of you as anything more than an evil and cruel bastard?"
"When you receive the Dark Mark, your view will change. The ceremony bonds all of my followers to me. Even if originally they feel differently, by the end, they are my faithful servants."
"When this war starts, I am leaving. I will fight against you. I will make sure Harry can destroy you, even if he will not accept my help."
"You will do no such thing. Once the dark mark is burned into your forearm, you will not be able to function unless it is under my command. The pain would be unbearable. You will not fight against me."
"Watch me."
"You do not know the consequences of betraying me."
"I do NOT fear you," she hollered in anger. "If anything, I pity you, for you have no one to love you, no one to take care of you in your weakened state, no one to call you father, and no one to mourn you once you die. If you think for one minute that my mother could actually still love you after everything you've done, after all the people you have killed, then you are sadly mistaken."
"Hermione," Helen said, trying to stop her daughter from saying anything else incriminating.
"Do NOT try to shush me, mother. You have been quiet enough for the both of us."
"You are testing my patience, daughter," Voldemort said in anger.
"Good. Let me test it further then. I hate you. And when Harry Potter destroys you, I shall stand over your lifeless body and laugh. My mother and I will walk away in happiness from the battle that will save our lives. I will then go to Harry and beg him to be my friend once more and we will laugh for the rest of our lives about how sad and pathetic you were in your final moments."
"I will not allow you to speak in such a manner."
"I HATE YOU!"
"CRUCIO!" he yelled without even needing his wand. He watched her fall to the floor in agony. As she writhed on the ground, silent tears falling down her cheeks, he laughed. "GUARDS! Take her to the dungeons. Chain her to the wall and make sure she can't escape." He released Hermione from the curse and watched her pant, trying to catch her breath. "You will soon know what happens when you insult the Dark Lord."
"Don't you dare touch her again!" Helen screamed. "She is your daughter. How dare you Crucio your own daughter!"
"I WILL DISCIPLINE MY CHILD AS I SEE FIT!"
"Then you shall rot in hell!" Hermione screamed as she lifted her wand up, breaking away from the guards.
Voldemort then backhanded Helen right across her face and Hermione screamed in horror. "You attack me and your mother will be put in the middle," he informed her. "I do not wish to do this but you leave me no choice. You will obey my commands."
"You miserable piece of shit!"
"Watch your mouth," he told her, finally taking out his own wand. "Now give the guards your wand and let them take you downstairs."
"I will submit to no one."
He pointed his wand at Helen.
"I WILL KILL YOU!" she screamed at him in frustration.
"None but Harry Potter can do so."
In anger, she ran up to him and smacked him across the cheek. "The day shall come where you will be at the other end of a wand that will terrify you to no end and when that time comes, I will be there, watching triumphantly."
She walked back to the guards and gave one her wand. They grabbed her by the arms and led her away.
"HERMIONE!" Draco screamed after her, standing up and getting very angry.
"Draco, sit down!" his father commanded. "This is none of your business."
"He's going to torture his own daughter!"
"My Lord," Lucius said, addressing Voldemort in a scared tone. "Forgive him, please. He is blinded by his emotions. It is a common thing amongst teens. You know how love makes them think that they must put their own lives on the line for their loved ones. It is a silly thought."
Draco grew angrier and angrier and ran up to his room.
"Ah, children," Voldemort sighed. "Mood swings and hormones. That's all they are."
"I happen to think," Narcissa finally piped in, "That Draco's love for the girl is just the darlingest thing ever. They're so cute together."
"That is why they will be wed soon enough," Lucius agreed.
"Yes, of course," Voldemort joined in. "The two truly do make a wonderful couple. What better than a Malfoy with the daughter of the Dark Lord? They shall be a deadly couple once they join my ranks."
"I don't want her to join your ranks," said Helen in defiance. "She's too smart, too talented, too wonderful to waster her life, her brains, everything she has worked for!"
"Helen, I'm warning you as well..."
"If you are going to keep her locked up in those dungeons..."
"JUST until she learns to keep her mouth shut."
"Must we really discuss such matters?" Narcissa asked with uneasiness. "Let us just finish our dinner in peace."
-
After dinner, Voldemort took Helen up to their room in the manor and began yelling at her. "How dare you embarrass me like that in front of the Malfoy's? I will make the final decisions on Hermione's fate! I am her father and I am now in charge."
"I disagree with that! I am her mother, I am her primary care giver, and I have been with her since birth. I am the only one she can depend on and I am the only one she will listen to. You have no say!"
"You are wrong!" Helen was silence by the back of his hand once more.
-
In the dungeons, the guards were sneering at Hermione, looking her up and down with lustful eyes. Hermione couldn't help but think of Riley on the first night he had attacked her. He had tied her to the bedposts and undressed her first with his eyes. He had told her how beautiful she was and then continued to say that when he was through with her, she'd be the dirtiest whore ever.
She grew more nervous when the guards began to approach. The look in her eyes told her they were up to no good. 'Why does he have guards here in the manor anyway?' she questioned herself in annoyance. 'He can summon anyone up at the drop of a hat. Why does he need guards?'
It didn't really matter though. The guards were still there and they were still approaching. They were dangerous and they were snickering. She grew more and more fearful with every step that they took. "Look at the little wench," once laughed. "She's afraid. She's hot. Let's take her." He was a good 6'4" and had a very muscular build. He had dark eyes, the color of the night sky, and his hair matched perfectly.
"Lay one hand on me and I swear you'll die!" she warned them, false courage pushing its way to the top, above her fear and anger.
"What can you do without a wand?" the other laughed, waving her wand in her face. He was a little bit shorter and it was clear that this was the only way he could ever strike fear into people.
It was then, as shethought about just how cowardly he was that he had to tie girls up in order tofeel good about himself,that her wand found itself buried deep in that mans eye as he fell to the ground with blood streaming down his face. "What the...?" the first guards asked in nervousness.
He was pushed back against the wall and a knife was in the center of his stomach. Hermione was using wandless magic, blinding one guard and murdering the other.
She then heard an applause coming from the top of the stairs. Voldemort stepped out of the shadows. "I'm impressed. But then again, you ARE the great Hermione Granger. Your mother tells me every day that I should be proud of you. And I will be. Once you join my ranks."
"Never." She was still chained up on the wall but her courage had managed to take over. Her fear had been suppressed.
"I will break you."
"I didn't crack when Riley raped me. I think I can withstand a few crucio's."
"We'll see."
-
Draco found Hermione in her bed later that night. She was too weak to move. He sat next to her and kissed her cheek. She moved back away from him, not wanting to be touched any more that evening.
"Hermione, I brought you some dinner," he informed her. "I know you didn't get a real chance to eat this evening and I figure you've got to be hungry."
After some hesitation, she took the plate right out of his hands and began to eat the delicious meal he had prepared for her.
As she ate, she watched Draco send Damion out the window with a note attached to his leg. "Whom did you write to?" she asked. "Harry?"
"What?" he asked in surprise.
"You owled Harry, didn't you?"
"What makes you think I would owl Scarhead?"
"Oh cut the bull, Draco. I heard you two speaking that one evening. I know that you two planned to get me out of having to get the Dark Mark."
"How did you...? But? I...We ...We were so careful. You were asleep."
"No I wasn't. I was just pretending to be asleep. I followed you down the stairs."
"You're so nosey," he laughed.
"So did you owl him?"
"Maybe."
"Why? I don't want him coming here. I don't want him to risk his life. Not yet. He's not ready. No one is ready."
"They're ALL ready, Hermione. Listen, I was going to wait and tell you this later but I guess now is the right time. The D.A along with the Order of the Phoenix has been meeting together since October. They've been training, studying blueprints of the manor, thinking of strategies and everything. But the biggest surprise happened about a week ago."
"What happened?"
"Well..."
"Well what? What happened, Draco?"
"I don't know if you're ready. It's a shocking surprise."
"What are you talking about Draco? Spit it out already!"
"I ... I don't know. What will you give me if I tell you?"
"DRACO!"
"Will you give me a kiss for it?"
She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
"Not enough."
A little tongue action and a sort of grunting noise gave her the final answer.
"Sirius Black came back."
A/N...Enjoy and Review...Please! Sorry about any typo's. I had this written down on paper and had to copy it so it was typed up in about 15 minutes. I didn't proofread it because I was just so excited to get it out to you guys. I'm a really anxious person. So anyway, today I revised it a little. Just a quick proofread. Hope that's better.
(Also I want to put in a little tidbit. I'm not sure but I think that I forgot to mention that Lucius got out of Azkaban. I'm not sure if I added it in but I meant to. It just slipped my mind. If I did however remember then please disregard this message. But I don't' think that I remembered so please excuse me for whatever mistakes I've made.)
