This is extremely late… later than it's ever been before. I apologize, if anyone is still reading. I've been really busy and haven't had much time to do anything, besides write. Sorry to all those I've kept waiting, if there are any still out there.
This is really short too, but I wanted a nice cliffhanger. I know, you hate me now, but too bad.
Hopefully the next chapter will be out sooner than this one was.
Read and Review!
Chapter 8
He climbed the ancient winding staircase to his father's study, and knocked quickly on the door.
"I'm very busy, please don't disturb me," came his father's curt reply.
He sighed and looked down at his shoes. "It's me, father."
He heard his clawed chair's legs scrap against the wooden floor and his footsteps approaching the door. It creaked open slightly, "What is it, Draco?"
Draco shifted his weight from one leg to the other, and tried to start conversation. "Listen, father, I wanted to apologize."
His father's stern face relaxed, and his expression became perplexed. "For what, Draco?"
He tried not to look at his father's eyes, "For my attitude yesterday. It was uncalled for. I apologize."
His father's eyes softened and he gave a small smile. "Now, Draco, do not dwell on the past. I understand."
"Thank you, father."
He embraced him, and then drew back. "I have work to accomplish, Draco. If you'll excuse me."
The door closed once more.
Draco smirked and journeyed back down the stairs, a gleeful smirk on his face as his hand remained clutched around a few gleaming white hairs.
God, his father could be so gullible.
*
Slowly but surely, she guided him carefully towards the tiny bathroom, one hand in his and the other on his back, making sure to tell him if there was any change in the floor. He held a biting attitude towards her, not liking the fact that he had to depend on anyone but himself. With her patience slowly diminishing, she pushed the door open and pulled him inside, directing his hands to the rim of the decrepit porcelain tub.
Here, she told him, do you want me to help you?
"May I remind you, Ms. Granger, that you still remain a student in my presence, despite the recent change in location?"
She felt herself turn scarlet and was happy that Snape wasn't able to see her. I didn't mean to imply, what I meant was… she tried to explain quickly.
"I have been taking care of myself for many years, Ms. Granger, I'm sure I can manage to see that I use the bathroom by myself." Feeling her make no move to leave, he spat, "Are you planning to stay and watch?"
She felt her blood boil and her cheeks burn for a second time that morning and stomped angrily from the small room and slammed the door behind her, not planning to help him after he had finished.
She stomped herself into the farthest corner from the small room and threw herself to the floor, feeling hunger pains start to filter her body. She felt herself begin to cry, but tried to blink away the tears before they had the chance to make their way off of her eyelashes.
It's just not fair! As if Ron wasn't enough punishment before…
She buried her head in her arms as her hunger gnawed at the walls of her stomach and began to make their way up her spine. She finally registered that she hadn't eaten in about two and a half days. Damn Draco, her mind spat angrily as her tears made another attempt at escaping. Damn him and his damn foolish pride-
She suddenly heard a commotion outside the door of the dungeon, and her eyes grew wide. It could be Malfoy's father coming to take Snape and torture him again…
She could only catch snippets of the conversation happening outside.
"…Asked you here, and now… don't trust me? I refuse to stand this password nonsense!"
She crawled towards the door; eager to hear the parts she was missing.
"Let me remind you, Sir, that it was you who called for the use of a password," a warlock growled.
She recognized Lucius Malfoy's voice. "I don't believe your incompetence! I could have you removed from my manor in a matter of seconds, and you are debating on who gave the command for a password? I demand that you open this door before me at once, and get out of my sight!"
She rapidly back away, stumbling over herself in her haste, and didn't manage to get anywhere. The warlock sneered, and she heard the key slide into the door and click.
The door began to open, light pouring in from the hallway outside. Before it could open completely, the person paused, "Well, what are waiting for? Begone!"
The warlocks' feet scuffled along the floor heavily as they trudged skeptically away from the door.
Lucius continued to open the door now, his features cast in shadow as the daylight peeked in from behind him.
"Well, well," he scoffed, "what have we here?" He smirked down at her, and swung the door closed behind him. He walked slowly up to her as she tried to move away, but he caught her before she could move.
He crouched before her and grasped her chin in one powerful hand and pulled her face close to his.
"Try not to be frightened, for some things are not as they seem," he said, reaching into his cloak with his other free hand.
She tried to withdraw from his tight grip and gave a troubled groan when he refused to let go.
"Hold still, I won't harm you. I'm here to help you, though I have no idea why."
She gave him an evil glare, "Why are you helping one of your own prisoners?"
He smirked as he withdrew from his cloak a small parcel of leather cloth. "Because you are not my prisoner," he answered, placing the small bag in her trembling hands. "Though I do enjoy watching you suffer."
She looked up at him wide-eyed. "Dra-!"
He quickly covered her mouth his hand, and quickly cast an eye towards the door. "Shh, the warlocks have ears all around the manor."
"How-"
"It's a simple potion. Polyjuice. Now hush, they will hear us." He looked her sternly in the eye. "Within that bag are small rations for the both of you. I will visit periodically, but I might be caught, and therefore will have to find other means of reaching you. How are you in Snape fairing?" he asked. "Do you need medical supplies?"
"No," she whispered, "We're just starving. This will help greatly. Thank you."
He seemed to be contemplating his next words. "I," he trailed for a moment, "I'm going to try and help you escape, but I can not say when. I will come just as you see me now, so look to my right hand, I will be wearing this silver ring on my index finger," he held up a hand and showed her the simple band on his finger. "If you do not see this, do not assume it is me. It might very well be my father. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Good. They're coming back, I must go."
With a sweep of his robes, he was on his feet and out the door.
The door closed behind him.
She didn't try to hear what he said next to the warlocks. Her hand was already delving into the bag of food he had brought them.
Snape appeared from behind the door of the bathroom, looking wary as he searched for her again. She wasn't feeling particularly generous, and knew that she could punish him by not telling him that Draco had brought them food, but decided against it.
She grasped his hand and pulled him to the floor with her, and he was about to scold her when she took his hand and began rapidly giving him an overview of what had just happened.
She shoved a biscuit into one of his hands and a flask of water into the other. She inwardly wondered if he had poisoned the food and water, but realized he wouldn't have risked so much to come down here if he was going to kill them. He probably would have just left it up to his father.
Though she quickly began eating as her stomach happily began churning again, Snape slowly ate; ripping small, bite-sized pieces from his biscuit and placing them carefully in his mouth, as if he feared his body would reject the food. She took another large bite while watching him with a contemplative expression.
She finished her biscuit quickly and fished into the bag again, taking her flask and drinking deeply. With a contented sigh, she watched as he slowly finished his meal, wondering if he was as ravenous as she had been.
It wasn't much, but the small about of food that he had given her seemed to ease her stomach, though only for a short while. As her stomach slowly started to digest, pains began to run through her. He couldn't have possibly poisoned the food.
Could he?
Snape had finally finished and began to stir beside her. He reached out his hand in front of him as his eyes remained unfocused. "Hermione?"
She took his hand, though didn't say anything as she tried to ease her grumbling stomach. She steadied herself with deep even breaths, leaning herself on her other arm as Snape tried to get her to answer him.
"Hermione? What's wrong?" he asked, his hand traveling up her arm to her shoulder, where he could picture her better.
Stomach hurts, she wrote quickly, moving closer to him to help him find her.
He sighed, a smirk playing on his face. It infuriated her that he seemed to know what was going on and she didn't, when it was her body in question.
He drew her into something of an embrace, his arm comfortingly on her shoulder. She felt somewhat surprised and confused by his randomness at giving her comfort, and felt strange to be so close to one of her elders.
"It's all right, Hermione," he said calmly, "they're only pains from being underfed. You haven't eaten in such a long time it's taking your body more time to get used to the fact that you have food in your stomach. Relax, and the pains will fade away soon enough."
She exhaled heavily and, unconsciously, drew closer to him. Though he was still Snape, a highly obnoxious and infuriating man, she needed to be consoled, and she would take it from anyone; even if it was from her hated Potion's Master.
"Why the heavy sigh, Hermione?"
She drew her knees up and rested her head upon her knee, wrapping her arms about her legs. She took his hand, miss Hogwarts; want to go home.
He placed a warm hand on her shoulder, "Yes, I do as well."
She sighed pathetically again, leaning against his side, thinking of home. Harry's face appeared in her mind and she couldn't help but smile. She pictured his hair falling into his eyes as he flew on his broomstick, his eyes lighting up as he laughed, him blushing with embarrassment as he lost another game of chess to Ron. She suddenly craved a hug from him, wishing she was back at Hogwarts.
Ron… her insides did a jump and twisted. His freckles danced in her head a bit, his brown eyes and large nose and happy smile calling her back. She imagined him joking with her on days where she found herself overworked, trying to find a smile or laugh in her. She could see him throwing Quidditch balls back and forth with Harry, throwing snowballs at her, glaring at her as she made fun of him.
Her eyes began to sting and water as she saw herself coming back to Hogwarts, running to them as they stood waiting for her at the front gates. She could feel the wind whip her hair as she jumped into their outstretched arms, and felt them crush her with gigantic hugs.
She unconsciously buried herself in the folds of Snape's cloak and snuggled closer to him. She couldn't have Ron or Harry at the moment, so she had to settle for what she did have.
"I want to apologize for snapping at you before," Snape said quietly, though Hermione could feel his voice echo sonorously through his chest as he spoke. "My patience has worn thin with time and I fear that I lost my temper for no reason."
It's ok, she answered, I do it too.
Suddenly the huge door of the dungeon swung open, it's hinges screaming. Hermione jumped and instinctively crawled into the corner farthest away, pulling Snape with her. She could see the sun setting in the window across the corridor, the light streaming in, casting the figures in the doorway into silhouettes.
"Well, well, what have we here?"
A man slowly stepped forward, though even when she could make out his features, she didn't recognize him. His face was rough and angular, and his hair was fairly long and unruly. It wasn't Lucius Malfoy, but his voice sounded oddly familiar.
He took a step forward, his boots falling heavily on the uneven stones of the dungeon floor. "The snake and his minx." He circled them, eyeing Hermione carefully. The other two figures remained in the doorway, watching and waiting.
"I suppose Snape is ready for another beating. He's had enough time to recover. Bring him."
Hermione felt her pulse quicken as her heart leapt into her throat. Acting on impulse, she threw herself in front of Snape and pushed him further towards the corner. "Haven't you hurt him enough?!" she cried.
The man before glared at her viciously, and for a moment she feared he would come and strike her; instead, he threw back his head and released a deep laugh. A biting, mocking laugh. He chuckled as he stepped closer to her, and Hermione remained in front of Snape. She could feel him grabbing at the back of her clothes, trying to get her attention, still not fully understand what was going on. "Hermione, what-"
"So you two are on a first name basis, now, eh?" said the man. Hermione glowered at him, pressing a finger to Snape's lips to silence him. He quickly hushed behind her, but still kept a hand on her shoulder to make sure he knew where she was.
"I'm tired of these games. Grab him and let's go."
"No!" Hermione cried, moving onto her knees and throwing out her arms. "You've taken his eyes and ears! He has nothing left! Leave him be!"
"You think you can protect him? You're only a child!"
"Take me instead!" she cried shrilly out of instinct, tears of panic coming to her eyes, though they didn't fall. "He's been punished enough!"
The man paused his pacing, fixing his gaze upon her, contemplating.
"I suppose she'll do just fine. Take her instead."
Before she could think about what she had just suggested, the two other men swept her up from under the arm and carried her out the door. She didn't have time to react, to think, to use the logic she was so known to love. Panic over took her, and she tried to kick and scream, but she was weak and overpowered.
She heard the heavy door creak closed behind her, but before it closed completely, she heard Snape utter a horrid yell.
"Hermione!"
Well? Still interesting? Let me know! Review!