A/N: okay, here we go. I decided to write this chapter about a half an hour after I finished the other one so…I'm on a role! I hope you enjoy this one, I most certainly will.

Chapter Sixteen: Back to Azkaban

Though her initial aim was to get to Malfoy Manor, Hermione supposed she should be grateful to have gotten as far as she had. She honestly had not expected Dumbledore to listen to her pleas…but she was grateful he had.

The week leading up to the evening of her departure to Azkaban with Shay Arlington had been pure torture, though she hated to admit it- it was necessary. She needed time to plan, arrange and organize. After her and Arlington arrived at Azkaban, they needed to immediately find a place to hide. This was risky, but necessary. Hermione had learned that she had escaped last time using an Advanced Portkey- honestly she was surprised there had not been wards up to guard against that but it had been a stroke of luck. Though lucky last time, they could not count on that luck again. Hermione knew that Dumbledore had another method of them getting there undetected and she trusted him, it was not getting caught that was the problem.

Dumbledore would get them to a side room off the main entrance of the fortress. After that, it was up to them to find a way to hide away and not get caught. That was the plan: Gather information, don't get caught, and return after one day. Well- that was the plan they were supposed to be following. Hermione had other ideas.

She was going to Malfoy Manor via Floo Powder. Hermione understood that this was risky and a bit too obvious, but not when she had a vial of Polyjuice Potion hidden in the deep folds of her robes. Especially since she had the hair of Lucius Malfoy thanks to Dobby. How the elf had done it she had no idea, she was just grateful it had been possible. Once she was Lucius Malfoy, it would not be long before she had Malfoy Jr. in her grasps, strangling him, making him suffer…oh she would enjoy this.

At the present, however, Hermione sat among her peers. Her and Shay were leaving after dinner, which would take place in a little more than an hour.

"Mione?" questioned Harry, waving an uncertain hand in front of her glazed eyes. Jerking out of her reverie, Hermione smiled up at him.

"Harry! Oh my, sorry, I'm a bit on the tired side…didn't get much sleep last night." Harry frowned. He had no idea that she was even leaving the house this evening, Hermione hated hiding things from him but it had been on Dumbledore's orders.

"Why is that now?"

Hermione grimaced. "Oh…well, nightmares, you know." Which was entirely untrue, she had in fact been unable to sleep due to the excitement and adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins. Harry nodded his head knowingly.

"Yeah, I understand…happens frequently actually." He smiled encouragingly and Hermione felt a guilty pang run through her. Smiling weakly, she rested her head against the plush red armchair once again.

Dinner passed uneventfully, though Hermione hardly ate a thing. At one point, Lupin had leaned his head in close and whispered quickly to her.

"Shay and Dumbledore will meet you in the front lounge twenty minutes after dinner." He had said rapidly. He glanced down at her untouched plate. "Which you don't seem to be eating." He looked at her thoughtfully, then pushed her plate closer to her. "Eat." He had said firmly.

Now Hermione sat in the front lounge with Shay, awaiting Dumbledore's arrival. Adrenaline and excitement were pumping through her- revenge was close and she could feel it. She stared into Shay's ridiculously bright blonde hair for a few moments before she was shaken from her dreams of killing Draco Malfoy.

The small oak door opened and Dumbledore strode in. Looking around quickly, he motioned for them to stand up. Hermione obliged too hastily and nearly tripped on the hem of her robe. "Miss Granger, Mrs. Arlington, I would like you to drink these potions hastily, they will transport you to the decided location." He withdrew four vials from his robe, they all had blue liquid sloshing about inside. He began to speak again. "The other two are for your transportation back to our Headquarters." He began backing out of the room, it seemed as if he had places to be. "Good luck." And with a friendly wink he was gone.

Hermione and Shay gazed at each other for a moment.

"Shall we?" Shay asked in her deep yet feminine voice, a tentative grin on her face.

"We shall." Hermione agreed, and without further delay downed her potion in one gulp.

The world was spinning, colors blurred and here and there she thought she saw faces. The queasy feeling in her stomach intensified and just as she was sure she'd lose her non-existent dinner, she lurched to a halt. Looking around, hermione found herself in a small, stone chamber. Black carpets were scattered about the floor in an orderly fashion, and matching curtains were draped over a grimy-looking window.

They had arrived at Azkaban.

0o0o0o0o

Draco was having a rather frustrating day. He had woken up in a bad mood, none of the Death Eaters seemed to be able to follow his instructions correctly, the prisoners were restless and bothersome, and an unidentifiable emotion akin to excitement had risen from within him a bit after dinner and he had no idea what could have caused it.

Currently he was striding to the main Floo fireplace. He had a meeting to attend at Azkaban. It wasn't supposed to be a big one…just a few select Death Eaters and Voldemort, and quite frankly he would rather stay home and work on his plans for the Werewolf Dominion Contract.

After brushing off his robes impatiently, he strode through the cold corridors of Azkaban to conference room number seven, which was where the meeting was to take place. At one point in the entrance Hall he could have sworn he saw a flash of bright, long, blonde hair, but he blinked and it was gone. Running through the list of known Order members with blonde hair in his mind, he could only think of Ginger Roberts and Shay Arlington.

The meeting was not unusual, it was simply a briefing and a few instructions were given. Draco really didn't understand why he even had to attend, seeing as how he already knew everything they were being informed of and the instructions weren't directed at him. As Voldemort excused the meeting and seemed to melt away, Draco stood slowly. The other Death Eater filed out ahead of him and set off down the corridor together. Following at a distance in their wake, he focused on his own thoughts.

He really needed to get the Werewolf Dominion Contract finished, but he really didn't care much about that; it was just there to distract him from what he really wanted to be doing. But he knew he must wait, be patient, and he would prevail. Draco was drawn from his thoughts by a loud commotion from around the corner. He curiously stepped forward and welcomed the sight with delighted eyes.

Struggling in the middle of the five Death Eaters he had just met with was a blonde woman. Smirking, he all but ran towards the cluster of mixed black and blonde. Creeping forward, he drew his wand and easily froze the woman.

"Shay Arlington." He announced triumphantly, observing her stunned features. She seemed to glare back, though how this was possible he was unsure due to the fact he had used one of the most powerful freezing charm. "And what this must mean…" his brain was working at an amazing pace. He knew that Mudblood Granger would seize any possible opportunity to get here, to get to him. Smirking evilly, he let out a cold, sarcastic laugh. How touching.

0o0o0o0

Hermione froze in horror as she watched as Shay was seized. She was amazed at the fight the woman put up, against five Death Eaters she was holding up fairly well… until a sixth one approached and hit her with the Ametricus freezing spell. Guilt ran through Hermione as she saw her comrade fall; she knew she ought to be helping but she couldn't risk getting caught- not again.

Studying the scene from behind a statue, she wondered what to do. She needed to get out or she would be caught. Thinking hard, she decided now was a better time than ever to extract the Polyjuice potion from her robes. Gulping down the tedious potion, Hermione tried not to gag. She watched in half-horror as her skin seemed to boil and broaden. Minutes passed before she had the confidence to stand, and she slid out of her hiding place to meet the group of Death Eaters, attempting to keep her nervous face as cool and suave and Lucius Malfoy always tended to be.

A/N: well this is a rather nice cliffy is it not? I'm really sorry about it, when I began this chapter I fully intended to finish it with them meeting face to face but…it didn't work out. No worries though, I will update by tomorrow most likely. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one should be quite entertaining. Leave me a review please!

Hermione: I'm ever so clever, am I not:smirks:

Draco:mumbles something unintelligible:

Harry:shrieks with laughter in a random outburst: