Thank you very much to cookiedoughicecream and dancing in rain for your reviews. I'm really glad you are enjoying this story. It seems to be poring out of me at the moment and it is all still popping into my brain. This is a good thing as it seems my updates can remain frequent. lol I hope this keeps up! I hate writers block.
Hope you enjoy this update.
'Bold Text' – represents what is being signed in this chapter.
Hermione paced inside her cell, the feeling of the walls were really starting to get on her nerves. At least when Draco was in the cell next to her she could distract herself from the thought of being a prisoner. Back and forth, back and forth again and again she paced like a caged lioness. She really understood what those poor animals could feel like in muggle zoos now.
Her hand slapped the door of her prison and she rested her forehead against it for a few moments before looking up and catching the eye of the young girl across from Draco's cell. The young girl's eyes lit up and with a smile she linked her two index fingers together released them and then linked them together again.
It took Hermione a mere second to realize what the girl was doing. Friend, the sign for friend was what the young girl's fingers were signing. Hermione fisted her hand and bobbed it up and down before repeating the same sign. 'Yes, Friend' it meant. The young girl could read sign language, and not just the simple alphabet but the entire language Hermione realized as the girl continued to speak with her hands.
'My brother is deaf so I know how to speak with you.' The young girl signed.
'Are your family muggles?' Hermione asked, she of course had to spell out the word muggle as there really wasn't a sign for it.
'Yes, I just found out this year that I was a witch. It is my first year at Hogwarts.' The girl replied, using both the full language and alphabet to convey her thoughts.
'My name is Hailey, and you are the famous Hermione Granger. I have always wanted to meet you.' Hailey said.
'I wish I could have met you under better circumstances. How long have you been here?' Hermione inquired.
'I came just before the man beside you. The woman that comes to me expects me to do spells for her. I try to tell her I don't know many, but I don't think she believes me. She is a muggle, they are all muggles except…' Hailey paused in her signing.
'Except who?' Hermione asked.
'The woman that took that man away. She is something different. I don't know what exactly, but I don't think she is a witch and I really don't think she is a muggle.' Hailey answered.
'What makes you say that?' Hermione inquired.
'She killed one of the guards with her bare hand. I don't think muggles are strong enough to do that. All the guards here are big.' Hailey said with a grimace and tears shining in her eyes.
'I just want to go home.' Hailey signed and the tears slid down her cheeks.
'I know sweeting. I will try and find a way for us, and my friends will be searching I'm sure.' Hermione comforted.
'Even Harry Potter?' The young witch signed with a hopeful look.
'Especially Harry Potter.' Hermione signed with a smile. Hailey brightened up a bit and Hermione told the witch that they should keep their signing down to a minimum so that no one got suspicious.
Draco groaned as the guards dragged him down the hall behind the vampire. She had been especially hard on him this session as he refused to comply with her wishes. There was no way in hell that he would help the bitch and the company that she worked for. He would rather die.
He tried to look up when he heard her voice call out to someone, but they were blurred somewhat in a painful haze. They stopped in the middle of the hallway and his head lolled back and forth. The vampire was pressed close to a man and her voice was low and seductive as she spoke with him.
"He looks like shit Miranda. I trust you are having fun with him." The man spoke.
Miranda purred, "Oh yes he is indeed fun to torture. He plays the part of martyr so well. Lucius is rolling in his grave I'm sure."
The man's face darkened at the reminder of Draco's father. "We will have our revenge my love and soon all of them will be out of our way. Then there will be no one in the way of our plans." His laughter was dark and menacing and the vampire shivered in delight.
"Will I get to see you tonight my love?" Miranda asked with a pout.
"Yes you will my dear, after I get Willows out of that damn cell. Those incompetent fools put a collar on one of my best and I will not stand for that." The man growled.
Miranda nodded. "Until tonight then my love."
The two figures embraced in the hallway and when they finished the vampire growled at the guards to follow her, leaving behind her lover.
"Dammit." Harry muttered. "There is nothing here. This house hasn't been touched at all since Draco disappeared. The house elves have seen nothing suspicious and there is not a single thing out of place."
Harry was trying desperately not to let his emotions get away with him and treat this case like any of his others, but the fact that it was Hermione that had gone missing threw him entirely. Ron was Harry's best friend, had been his first wizard friend from Hogwarts and the two of them were tight as two male friends could be. Hermione on the other hand was the other half of his soul. He knew that many of his relationships with other witches had failed due to Hermione, but none of them were worth losing what the both of them had.
They were not romantic at all with each other, in fact the one time they had tried it was like he had been kissing his sister. He thought back to that day. It had been shortly after they graduated. The two of them had landed their first jobs in the Ministry at the same time, each of them being mentored by top of the line Aurors. They were thrilled and excited and after a night's celebration they toppled into Harry's apartment laughing and hugging each other.
"Mione, have you ever wondered about the two of us." Harry asked her in a suddenly sober tone.
He watched her pretty features as they thought very hard on the subject. "I suppose I have Harry. I don't know, I feel like if I ever lost you a part of me would die." She said in a soft voice.
"I know, that is how I feel." It was then that Harry leaned forward and kissed his friend softly. They deepened the kiss and after a few minutes they parted and smiled.
"You felt nothing didn't you." Harry asked.
"Nothing. You?" Hermione inquired.
"Nothing." He gave her a sheepish grin. "In fact I think it gave me the heeby jeebies, like kissing a sister."
She had burst out laughing at the comment and the two of them fell onto the floor of the hall. Tears were streaming down the cheeks of both of them from laughing so hard. Hermione snuggled into his side and she looked at him.
"Harry I really do think you are a part of my soul though." She said.
"Soulmates. They don't have to be lovers you know. I think it is just the reunion of two souls that were meant to be bound together, whether it be in friendship or love." Harry often tended to get philosophical when he drank.
"Soulmates, for now and forever more." Hermione stated.
Harry sighed loudly and sat down in the chair by Draco's desk. Girlfriends just never understood his and Hermione's relationship, but one day he would find someone special.
Hermione, the thought of his friend in danger angered him to the core. Harry picked up a book off the desk and threw it across the room, narrowly missing Ron as he walked in.
"Blimey, you trying to take my head off mate?" Ron asked with a squeak.
"Sorry Ron. I'm just pissed off though, where the hell can she be?" Harry leaned forward and slid his hands through his black hair.
"Maybe Padfoot and Ginny found something. We should head back to Grimmauld to find out." Ron said.
Harry nodded. "Let's get Remus and go." Both wizards left the room in search of their old DADA professor.