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Merlin, I'm almost in tears when I think that there's only about 2 chapters left to go in this fiction! You awesome guys and gals have given me SO much inspiration for the past FIVE months and have been unbelievably WONDERFUL, KIND, SWEET, FABULOUS, etc..! I love EVERY SINGLE one of you to pieces! Without your strong support, there is no way I would've EVER got this far!
This chapter is the beginning of the climax of the story where you will find most of everything out. It's a quite complicated plot, and I hope I made it seem believable, because I've been having a good deal of trouble with it. Anyway, that said, please, read, review, and above all else, enjoy! Two more chapters to go, baby! And then, of course, a chapter of thank-yous!
"You know, you are MOST comforting in times of distress," I said breathlessly, attempting with little success to keep up with Draco's long strides as we hurried across the grounds of Hogwarts.
"Look, I'm just trying to be blunt with you," he sighed, grabbing my hand and urging me on. "Come ON! Can't you walk a little bit faster?"
"I'm TRYING," I said through gritted teeth. "I'm just having some serious difficulties doing so with my two inch high heels on! AND this damn dress!"
"Then take it off," Draco shrugged. "And stop your bloody complaining!"
I was aghast.
"Look, buddy, if you mean to think that for one minute I'm going to strip in front of you while the LOVE OF MY LIFE is in the clutches of that...that..."
"Foul, loathsome and awful creature?" Draco suggested.
"Yes, that was exactly what I was looking for," I wheezed, increasing my pace even more. "Funny, I seem to remember saying that to YOU many years ago..."
"I'm really glad that you've formed a much more positive opinion of me over these past few months, Hermione," my companion said seriously. "You don't know how much I have really valued your friendship."
Bugger. That sounded like a good-bye speech if I had ever heard one. Then again, if we were walking straight into Voldemort's lair, as I suspected, it very well could be...
I was seriously questioning my sanity as we reached the outskirts of Hogwart's grounds. Why, oh WHY, for Merlin's sake, was I following DRACO MALFOY to certain death? Why hadn't I just told Dumbledore about the disappearance of Ron and Cassandra? Why was I basically, by my own will, walking STRAIGHT into a trap?
One word answered my question: LOVE. I loved Ron so much that my heart literally ached. I refused to just sit back and let others do the job of rescuing him- I had to be there. And I had a suspicious feeling that that was EXACTLY Voldemort's intentions, and he was using Ron as the means to lure me there. And then...it dawned on me.
"HARRY!" I gasped, frantically tugging on Draco's silky robe sleeves. "Draco, we HAVE to go back! Harry MUST be warned! I know what's going on...Voldemort is going to use Ron and I as bait to capture Harry! You KNOW he'll rush after us to save the day- his two best mates! He loves us deeply. And that's EXACTLY what Voldemort wants, isn't it? To murder the Boy-Who-Lived, once and for all! And his two best friends, while he's at it!" I was beginning to become more than a smidgen hysterical. "And YOU! Why didn't you do anything to prevent this? Don't tell me you didn't know about this plan...you're practically in his inner circle..."
Draco answered with only two words.
"Trust me," he said shakily, before quickly grasping my hand and Apparating us to not just mine, but our doom. (I had a funny feeling that Voldemort had keen suspicions of a spy in his midst...especially since the sexy bloke kept on hinting at both HIS and my death).
"Here." Draco quickly replicated my wand and shrank the original. "Hide this somewhere in that dress of yours- how about your bosom? You sure as heck have enough cleavagethere to create a decent-sized valley...it'll be concealed well."
I was too worried and scared for my life- and Ron's and Draco's, of course, to even give the scathing reply that his comment certainly deserved. I unceremoniously stuffed the wand in the middle of my bra.
"All right. The Dark Lord's hideout is up there." He pointed to a Gothicmansion around a ten-minute walk away. "I need you to play along with whatever I say, whatever I do..." He broke off, nodding his head meaningfully towards a tall, black-robe clad figure that was swiftly making his way towards us.
"Father, I have the Mudblood!" Draco announced triumphantly, violently pinning my wrists behind my back and grabbing the fake wand from my shaking hands.
"Excellent job, Draco," Lucius Malfoy said approvingly. "The Dark Lord will be VERY pleased."
It was time for the best acting of my whole entire life.
"You BASTARD!" I screamed at Draco. "You BETRAYED ME! All this time, you've just been PRETENDING to be my friend, PRETENDING to be on the side of good, PRETENDING that you actually CARED what happened to me! You kissed me. Held me. Danced with me. Tried to help me with my relationship problems. And now, THIS? I assumed that you would HELP me rescue Ron- maybe sneak me through the back door or something. But NOW I find out that YOU LIED to me and PLANNED on leading me STRAIGHT INTO A TRAP-AND MY DEATH? I HATE YOU! You SET ME UP!"
"Oh, she is a fiesty one, Draco," Lucius smirked, running an ice cold finger down my cheek. "It's a pity that the Dark Lord wishes to kill her- she could be SO much fun."
"Get of me, you..." I was cut off by a perfectly placed Silencing Charm by Draco.
"Draco, why did you do that?" Lucius asked silkily. "It was quite entertaining watching Granger get so worked up...the effects it has on her body are quite a turn-on. I do hope that the Dark Lord allows me to have my way with her before her death..."
I did the only thing any respecting, wandless, mute woman could do at the time- I kneed him VERY hard in the crotch.
"Ah, Miss Granger, it is WONDERFUL for you to grace us with your presence this fine evening," Voldemort drawled, his red eyes, well, red. "Cassandra, why don't you show our guest just who you really are?"
"I know EXACTLY who she is," I spat as the bimbo sauntered towards me, rolling up one sleeve of her skintight red top that she'd obviously changed into. "She's a real bi--- of a Death Eater."
"Exactly," the Ice Princess smirked, the burnt black Dark Mark on her forearm looking even more pronounced against her flawless ivory skin. "Took you long enough to catch on."
"Well, I always knew you were a b----..." I was cut off by the most inconsiderate prodding of a slim wand at my throat.
"Enough talk, Hermione," Cassandra said sickeningly sweetly. "We have a little treat for you. Boys?"
I watched in utter disbelief as Rudolphus Lestrange and Augustus Rookwood, both burly men a good 35 years her senior, quickly obeyed her order and exited the room, obviously to get my "treat." Then my surprise disappeared when I realized that she'd probably slept with them multiple times...the little slag that she was.
"Ron!" I whimpered as my quite dirty, exhausted, and in obvious-pain love came into view. I could only imagine the number of times he had to endure the Crutascius Curse...
"Hermione," he said quietly, but with so much emotion poured into that one word that I practically weeped. "I love you."
"I love you too, Ron," I breathed, as the world disapperared for a few moments and all that existed was the object-of-my-affections and I. His dark blue eyes stared at me with an intensity I had never experienced before as he was able to conjure a small, genuine smile in my direction.
"Marry me, Hermione," he said hoarsely, the smile growing wider. "When all this madness is over, be my wife. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I need you."
"Oh, Ron," I sobbed. "I will. I WILL marry you..."
"Oh, isn't this most touching," Cassandra sneered. Ron stared at her with the utmost loathing.
"Well, I bloody reckon it should be. You see, Cassandra, we have something you certainly don't. LOVE. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're JEALOUS of the bond that we share."
"Oh, I'm SUPER-jealous," the beautiful witch said sarcastically. "I really am. I have always desired to spend the rest of my life with a dirt-poor, lazy, unintelligent, daft, untalented, and all-around bothersome bloke who is crass at Quidditch and snogging."
"You take that back," I hissed. "You take that back right now..."
"Enough!" Voldemort drawled. "As amusing as this may be, I have other plans for the way to spend this December evening. And at the top of my list is to kill that bloody Potter boy, "Savior of the Wizarding World.""
"You won't be able to kill him," I said defiantly. "He escaped you four times, he can do it again. Only this time, he'll MURDER you first."
Voldemort began advancing on me like a hunter stalking his prey.
"Get away from her, you bas---" Ron screamed. The darkest wizard in a century merely silenced him with a Crucio.
"You have WAY to much faith in that arrogant little friend of yours," he said silkily, 3 inches away from my face. I fought the strong urge to wrinkle my nose. Merlin, did Voldemort have bad breath! Don't tell me someone as intelligent as him didn't know about the existence of Morishina's Magical Mouthwash...
"No, I most certainly don't." I crossed my shaking arms across my chest. "I just know that good always conquers evil, in the end. It's been that way for thousands of years." I really could not figure out where I was channeling all this courage from...
"You know, Mudblood, it certainly is a pity that you never chose to join us," Voldemort said almost regretfully. "You would've been SUCH and asset to the Dark side, with your intelligence, good looks, and courage."
Dear Godric. I was being...complimented? By Voldemort? What was this world coming to? I was just about to open my mouth with a scathing reply when...
"Traitor! I smell a TRAITOR," Voldemort hissed, whirling away from me to face his assembled followers. "One of you standing here tonight, as I have suspected for a long time, means to betray me." A murmur broke out from the crowd of Death Eaters and they obviously tried to figure out just WHO the spy was...
"SILENCE!" Roared Voldemort. A malicious grin crossed his hideous features as he uttered one word: "MALFOY."
"Yes, my Lord?" Lucius Malfoy inquired confidently.
Bad-Breath-Boy rolled his eyes so fast that all I could see were two pinpoints of red, bouncing up and down.
"Not you, Lucius," he sighed. "Your son."
"Draco has only ever been loyal to you, my Lord," the elder Malfoy said firmly. "I can assure you of that."
"I don't recollect asking for your opinon. Draco, come over here. NOW!"
Draco swaggered over, as self-assured and arrogant as always. I could only imagine, however, the mortal terror that was racing through his body...
"Yes, my Lord?' He asked in a perfect imitation of my father.
"Please stick your hand down the Mudblood's dress and retrieve the wand that you have hidden there," the Dark Lord said lazily.
"Your Lordship, if there is ANYTHING down Granger's dress, I promise to you she put it there herself, without my knowledge," Draco said without batting a pale-blond eyelash.
"I didn't ask who put it there. I simply want you to REACH in her cleavage and bring it out to ME!"
"As you wish, my Lord," Draco shrugged, with a slender hand invading the neckline of my dress. Bloody, this was awkward. But in a weird, perverted way, if felt kind of good...(having the attractive bloke's hand in near proximity to my boobs...teehee).
Draco obviously knew the game was up, because he presented the shrunken wand to Voldemort with a flourish.
"There. I betrayed you. Are you happy?"
I seemed to have missed Bad-Breath-Boy's reply because Cassandra had most rudely delivered quite the hard and possibly fatal blow to my head, throwing me into almost- immediate unconcsiousness. My last conscious, quite morbid thought was, "Well, at least this way I won't have to watch Ron and Draco die," before completely blacking out.
A/N: Now, I know there may still be a LOT of confusion as to what exactly Voldemort had instructed Draco to do throughout the year with regards to Hermione, and what Cassandra's duties specifically were (although the latter should be quite easy to figure out) but I promise you any remaining questions will be answered in the next chapter.
Coming up next Saturday...
Will Hermione ever see Ron again in life?
Will the Order come in time to save the day?
Will Harry defeat Voldemort?
Will Draco be murdered?
etc, etc, blah blah blee blee...
:-)
Hope to see ya'll next weekend!