Seven days, thirteen hours, thirty-one minutes. Make that thirty-two minutes. Hermione grunted as Dayrin slid the stiletto knife into her side with deadly precision, then moaned as he twisted it. He literally twists the knife, doesn't he? It's a good thing I can have conversations with myself…otherwise I might have to pay attention to what he's doing to me. Seven days, thirteen hours, thirty-five minutes. I'll make it…someone's at the door…wonder who it is…
Dayrin paused in his ministrations and looked up. "It'll be just a moment, my love. Then we can return to our conversation."
"It's not a conversation if you're the only one talking."
"We'll remedy that, eventually. I am patient. Besides, your pain speaks to me, if you do not."
"Lovely," Hermione grunted. The door opened and Draco Malfoy walked in. Hermione did not react to his presence in the slightest, and Dayrin seemed to grimace.
"Hello Cousin Dayrin, my father told me you have a pet I might be interested in. The bane of my existence, to be exact. Are you taking good care of her?"
"Excellent care," Dayrin replied. He gripped Hermione possessively. "And I'd like to get back to tending to her, if you please."
Draco smiled ingratiatingly. "Aunt Bellatrix told me I could visit with her."
"Of course you may," Dayrin acquiesced graciously, falling victim to Draco's charm. "You may even interact with her alone. I'm hungry, I believe I shall call it a day and have supper."
"I brought truffles for you, they're upstairs. Aunt Bellatrix gave me the Mudblood's food."
Dayrin smiled. "Thank you, Draco. Take your time with my prize and enjoy." He turned to Hermione. "Be good for my Cousin, Princess." He pulled her forward and kissed her on the mouth, invading her. God it gets more nauseating every time he does that.
He pulled away and she spat in his general direction. "You really need to learn how to kiss. It's no wonder you haven't got a girl. Well, being crazy probably doesn't help either." He waved as he strolled out. Draco shut the door behind him and set wards.
"Bloody hell, Bushy, do you want to get the life beaten out of you? Damn, you look a sight." He walked over and released her arms from the chains, catching her on the way down. Draco half-dragged her to a corner and settled her down. Hermione leaned heavily on him.
"You're not going to beat the crap out of me?"
"I can't believe you even asked me that, Hermione." Draco looked angry.
Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry, Draco. My perceptions of everything are starting to become skewed. Forget I ever said something that idiotic."
He didn't reply, but hugged her tightly to him. "Gods, Hermione, Severus and I are both doing our damnedest to get you the hell out of here, but it's slow going. The fact that you refuse to scream is tantalizing to Bellatrix and Dayrin. You should just scream, it'll be easier on you."
"There's no way I'm going to scream for that twisted son of a bitch, Draco."
"It'll be easier—"
"No."
"Bushy—"
"No."
He groaned. "Fine. You're being thickheaded about this, but I understand. Severus and I will just keep working at it. We'll succeed eventually, I promise you." He leaned close to her ear and whispered: "I'm not going to leave you here, Bushy. Not for anything. You still have to help me win Harry's heart, remember? And I still have to show you how to fly properly. If you give up, I'll never forgive you." Hermione smiled and snuggled against him, letting his comfort wash over her and bolster her defenses.
"I won't give up, Draco. I was made for more in this world than breaking at the hands of an over-indulged psychotic teenager."
"He's twenty-six."
"Men mature more slowly than women. Psychologically, he's still a teenager."
They both began to giggle and before long, they were laughing hysterically. They were still laughing when the knock on the door sounded. Hermione froze and Draco looked up. Without saying a word, he flipped Hermione onto her back, pinning her beneath him. With one hand, he trapped her arms above her, and the other hand slid under her shirt. A look of complete irritation washed over his face as he growled "Enter!" Hermione tried to look terrified. Not really that hard. I mean, if that's Dayrin and he doesn't buy this, we're fucked. Literally.
Snape walked in. He shut the door behind him silently, and surveyed the scene. "It would be far more believable if your pants were not still on, Mr. Malfoy, and you were struggling, Miss Granger." Snape put the wards up.
"Thanks, Severus. I'll remember that next time I have to pretend to rape someone." The words were light but the tone was serious. They all knew that the idea was not as preposterous as it seemed.
"Will you kindly let Miss Granger up? No doubt the bacteria on that floor is busily invading her wounds to make my job all the more difficult." He occupied himself transfiguring a bench.
Draco rose, hastily, and lifted Hermione up with him.
"Put me down, Fairy. I can stand, I think."
"I feel better holding you," he replied tartly.
"How sweet," Snape interjected. "Set her down on the bench."
Draco did so, and Hermione and Snape began their nightly routine of treatment. Hermione shrugged off the remnants of her shirt and leaned forward. Snape began applying potions methodically. Silence reigned for a moment, then Draco broke the mood.
"Are you two always this quiet?"
"No, sometimes we snipe at each other," Hermione replied. "I'm just tired today. I'm starting to wear." Snape paused and looked meaningfully at Draco. I'm so tired. I can't believe I've lasted this long, even.
"Hermione," Snape said quietly, "I need to see your hands and feet now, please." She looked up at him and nodded.
Flashback
Her longest, loudest, and only scream to date had come three days earlier, after Dayrin Lestrange had left, just before Snape entered the room. When Snape heard the scream, his pace had quickened almost imperceptibly. He entered the room with some trepidation, and the sight had pierced him as few things did.
Hermione was hanging from her customary spot, but she was writhing in pain and tears were streaming down her cheeks.
He'd let her down instantly and run over. She was as close to hysterical as Snape had ever seen, shaking uncontrollably. Sobbing, she showed him her hands, and he'd blanched.
They'd pulled out all of her fingernails, one by one. He looked down at her feet and realized the same indignity had been inflicted there. Snape wrapped her in his arms and began rocking her back and forth, then murmured a spell to anesthetize her. Hermione went limp in his arms, and he went to work healing her.
End Flashback
"Gods, Hermione, what did they do to you?" Draco was shocked.
"It's called torture, Draco. They pulled out my fingernails and toenails." Hermione's face was drawn and pale.
"Bloody hell," he murmured.
"Does it still hurt, Hermione?" Snape asked calmly.
"Not as much. A kind of dull ache now. My right hand burns a bit, though." Snape turned her hand over gently and frowned.
"It's getting infected. I'll do what I can and bring a potion tomorrow that will deal with that." He applied what balms he had brought efficiently but gently. As he worked on her, healing three broken ribs and mending a punctured and hemorrhaging kidney, Hermione began to slump tiredly against Draco.
Snape began his final bit of work on her kidney, and she curled on her side in Draco's lap, dozing. Draco looked at Snape, worriedly.
"She won't last must longer, will she Severus?"
"I can't honestly say, Draco. After the nails, she was rambling incoherently. I believe it was her weakest moment thus far, and she's been here for a week now. I wasn't sure she was going to make it that night, but then, she's a remarkable girl." Snape's tone was somewhat reverent. Draco understood perfectly: Hermione had been subjected to torture most people couldn't imagine for a week now, and still managed to keep her wit. He couldn't imagine seeing straight after what she'd been through but she was managing to laugh.
"She's beginning to wear down though, isn't she?" Draco persisted.
"Yes," Snape replied. He lapsed into silence as he cleaned up. The night they'd ripped out her nails, he'd talked to her. She had rambled for hours, incoherently, and when she'd stopped he shared the only wisdom he had.
"The meaning of life, Miss Granger, is not survival. I know it is tempting to think that is the only thing that matters."
"Well, what is the meaning of life then, sir?"
"You'll know it when you find it, Hermione."
Hermione was gazing at him now. She had calmed down that night and had seemed stronger thereafter. He lends me his strength, as much as he can. Remember to thank him, Mya, when you get out of this.
Draco was stroking her hair as he watched them interact silently. He realized that Snape had adopted her of sorts, made her one of his own. And he was fiercely loyal to his 'family,' Draco knew from experience.
"We should go, Severus. We've been here too long."
"Yes. You leave first, Draco. She and I are supposed to be 'bonding' so she reveals all her secrets to me," Snape replied dryly. Draco nodded, gave Hermione one last hug, and a sandwich, "A treat," he whispered, and left.
"I am doing what I can to get you out of here, Miss Granger."
"I know, sir."
With that, Snape left Hermione to her thoughts and her sandwich. Real food. Not bread and water…
Seven days, eighteen hours, fifteen minutes.