Salt in your wounds

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry potter or any of the other characters or the places or anything this plot is mine but that's about it anything that you recognise is not mine either, although I'm pretty sure there isn't much.

CHAPTER

freedom

The four Slytherin seventh year boys stood silently in the common room, nobody wanted to break the silence that enveloped them. It was five minutes to midnight and each boy moved into a huddled circle in front of the fireplace. Soon the clock struck twelve and each boy raised the wands and said in a combined voice that filled the room "capere- Iacchus- quo- apud- caliginous- dominus-Voldemort" and instantly the room filled with a heavy mist.

Draco landed in a dark room, the only other occupant was his father, draco stood completely still in the middle of the room, staring at the man in front of him, similar to him in so many ways on the outside.

Lucius' face was masked with hatred his smelt the air and then sneered before saying in a calm cold voice, if draco hadn't heard it so many times before he would have whimpered in the corner instead he stood stock still watching his fathers ever move as he spoke.

"You stink of filth, I killed your last whore and yet you still go back the to the muggle world and find another." Hermione's face flicked in front of his eyes and it calmed him he spoke in the same deathly calm voice, many would think he was talking to himself instead of his father.

"You're the only whore I know father" a muscle in Lucius' jaw clenched but he didn't shout or scream instead replied calmly staring into the matching grey eyes before him.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that, I am your father, and I will not be spoken to by such a filthy traitor" he seemed to spit these words but his face remained impassive, just like his sons, draco thought of all the times he had called Hermione filth and wanted to apologise again and again but he didn't let his father see how the comment effected him.

"I am not filth, you are the one that would lap dance the dark lord if he told you to, you are a stupid old fool who lives off his money and name, how dare you call me filth" again that muscle in Lucius' jaw tightened and his face gained a light red tint.

"I will not have you destroy this for me, you filthy muggle lover, I will kill you if you do anything stupid" he said in a deathly whisper that was in the same neutral tone besides the hint of a threat.

"I'm not afraid to die father" Draco replied calmly as though the threat of death didn't bother him.

"I will make you wish you were dead" draco thought of how Hermione and him had jumped off the tower together, bastards like this man in front of him had caused them to do that, weak crazy bastards like his father.

"I do believe you have been working on that since I was born" he didn't change his expression, Lucius glared hotly at his son's impassive expression and calm demure.

"You have no idea the pain I can bring you" Lucius' voice was purely calm again with no hint of emotion.

"The cruciatas curse? Please I've had that enough it's like taking a shower" Draco wanted to openly flinch at the memories of that curse, the pain that had ripped though his body it had seemed like his body was being torn apart, but he couldn't let his father know how much it hurt him, he couldn't let him know that he didn't sleep at night because he feared having that curse rip him apart again.

"That is just one of the many things I can do to you, don't toy with me boy I am stronger then you will ever be" draco let out a loud laugh, just to annoy his father, he watched as the laugh washed over his father and shock was in his eyes, that is what he lived for, making his father think about what draco could do to him.

"Then why is it that you aren't the dark lord's right hand man? Wormtail is" again the muscle in Lucius' jaw twitched and Lucius grinded his teeth subtly.

"That fool is only there by chance, I should be his right hand" Draco had hit a nerve, now he couldn't let it go that easily, this was revenge for all the times he had been beaten, revenge for Tommy and Natasha, revenge for making him hate Hermione for all those years.

"Don't kid yourself father, I'm your last vain hope to get you in further with the dark lord" it was true, all Draco's life he had been taught how to be the best because otherwise his father was screwed and had no way to become Voldemort's right hand man.

"Don't be a fool, I am the strongest death eater there is" 'keep believing that, it's the only thing keeping you sane, if you can call yourself that'

"Then why is it that you fear me?" Draco can see his fathers face becoming red with suppressed rage; he could've put the whole Weasley family clan to shame.

"I don't fear you boy! Why would I ever fear you?" he had let his anger out, Draco was getting to him badly, he couldn't suppress that much rage forever.

"Because I am the heir to the Malfoy name. Mothers too much of a whore you wouldn't know if the kid was yours. I can destroy the Malfoy name if I wanted" still draco spoke in the eerily calm voice, with the impassive face, he thought of Hermione and kept his face perfectly calm, this was for her, they would leave tonight.

"Don't think so high of yourself!" Lucius continued to shout he couldn't hold any of it in, and his son's perfect calmness was irritating him, like it did everyone else.

"I will not follow in your footsteps; I will not become a mindless drone of a fool who wants to take over the world" this was not his war, he didn't need to fight in it, he would run away again, live happily ever after with Hermione, they could kill each other for all he cared, he would be finally free and so would Hermione.

"You will do as your told" Lucius was getting desperate and Draco could tell.

"You can't make me father, not matter how much you want" again the muscle in his jaw twitched and this time his left eye did as well.

"I can make you do anything I want" a vain statement to make him believe.

"The Imperius curse doesn't work on me anymore, or don't you remember? I have the scars to show you if you don't" the first time draco had broken out of the Imperius curse was the start of it all, that was when he had apparated away.

"You will go in there and receive the dark mark or I will kill you, you cant apparate out of here, so you have no other choice." For the first time Draco paused, if he couldn't apparate away then how could he get out? A port key? Draco's mind explored the possibilities, and he came to a conclusion, he had been here once before and had seen the way each death eater would leave, but he needed to concentrate on where he wanted to go, and then say the correct incantation.

"I would rather die then be under the dark lord's control" he said after a second of thinking, Lucius noticed the moments pause and smiled broadly making him look like the cat that got the cream but his moment of happiness was stopped when draco raised his want and started speaking. Lucius couldn't let Draco leave, he had underestimated him and now he was going to leave, Lucius' control snapped and he yelled at Draco,

"You stupid child! You will not destroy this for me!" Lucius stepped forwards and hit him across the cheek; Draco fell to the floor with the sudden unexpected force. Lucius didn't give him a chance to get up before he kicked him hard in the ribs making him cough and gasp for breath. again Lucius hit him watching as his son lay coughing on the ground, his eyes darkened with anger, and again he hit draco, before bending down and grabbing him by the throat, slowly he tightened his grip until draco turned red and was gasping for breath, Lucius let go and watched as draco huddled on the ground grasping for breath, before he kicked him again and again in the stomach and face, and back, anywhere that would hurt he was being controlled by his anger and the need to inflict pain to the boy who had called him weak.

Draco lay bleeding from multiple cuts and was covered in bruises, but yet he was slowly gasping for breath and coughing up blood he couldn't open his left eye it was already swelling up from the hits and his mouth was filled with his own blood.

Lucius looked down at the boy lying on the ground, coughing up blood and withering in pain, "you are not my son" he said in a cold deadly monotone, before he raised his want and pointed it at draco who closed his eyes in expectation of the curse that was soon thrown at him. The room was silent. And the only thing Draco saw was the faces of the two most beautiful women he had ever met, they both smiled at him from behind his closed eyelids.

The sound of his father's voice broke the silence, with one word.

"Crucio" and then the room was filled with the deafening screams of draco, as he withered in pain on the ground.

A moment later the room was once again filled with silence, and the lifeless body of Draco lay on the ground lifeless and cold, but if one would look closely at his face, they would see the smallest of smiles on the his face.

$$

Hermione sat staring ahead as she half listened to the teacher, she was in a class full of Ravenclaw's, she liked the fact that the Ravenclaw's never talked and they all did their work not annoying the others in the class.

Halfway thought the class professor McGonagall entered the class looking flustered; she looked fervently around the class before spotting Hermione. She said something to the teacher and he gestured for Hermione to go with professor McGonagall.

Outside the class professor McGonagall walked swiftly towards Dumbledore's office, she faced the gargoyle and cleared her throat and quickly made herself look presentable before realising that Hermione was standing with her and said clearly. "Cornea's confectionary .co" the gargoyle sprang to life and moved aside, revealing the moving staircase, they both stepped onto the same step and stayed in silence as the stairs made their way up. Professor McGonagall didn't even knock she just calmly opened the door and gestured for Hermione to enter.

"ah, ms granger, please take a seat" he gestured at a comfortable chair in front of his desk. She nodded and sat down facing the headmaster. "Now ms granger, I'm afraid you will have to complete the remainder of the years head duties along," Hermione stared at Dumbledore, what did he mean? Where's Draco? "I'm afraid the recent head boy has, died, we found him in his dorm room early this morning" Hermione stared in shock at the headmaster, she felt the world around her crash to the ground, slowly the words started to ring in her ears. She closed her eyes and slunk down in her chair she wanted to cry, but she couldn't, not in front of Dumbledore and McGonagall, she held back a sob and nodded mutely at the headmaster before slowly raising from her seat. She saw professor McGonagall give Dumbledore a confused look, but Hermione didn't do anything but walk slowly from the room and down the stairs towards her dorm, and the sanctuary of her bed. As she got closer to the portrait of the fat lady she came face to face with Harry and Ron, Harry looked guilty and came towards her, he didn't notice the far off stony look on her face but looked down at her shoes.

"Hermione I'm sorry, I suppose I should be happy you found someone you love, but I just want to warn you, he is a Malfoy, and I don't want you to be hurt" he looked up at her face and saw tears running down her face. "Hermione?" he asked stepping forward just as she fell to her knees and bowed her head letting the heavy sobs escape her lips, the tears rolled down her face and she sunk further to the ground rocking back and forth to a silent rhythm. "Hermione? What's the matter? Did he hurt you? Hermione?" Hermione didn't say a thing but stayed rocking to her own rhythm.

Quickly a crowd formed around the three people, slowly Hermione stopped her sobs but the large tears continued to cascade down her face, she began to be able to hear the group of people around her.

"What the matter?"

"What happened?"

"Did someone hit her?"

"What did you say Harry?"

"What happened?"

"Oh god you'd think she was raped of something, she's such a fake" the last comment was made by lavender and was followed by laughter from Pavarti.

Hermione stood up slowly, nearly mechanically and faced lavender, her puffy, tear stained face glared at lavender, she stepped closer so that she was inches away from her and raised her hand quickly then slapping her across the face. A resounding crack filled the hallway with the slap; everyone gasped and stared in shock at the head girl.

Harry stepped forward and held Hermione.

"Lav, you deserved that you know, she was crying" lavender looked like she had been slapped again and put her hands on her hips before shouting.

"Why don't you just marry Hermione then? Since you like it when she slaps your girlfriend, that's it Harry, we're over" the crowd parted and professor McGonagall walked into the circle, apparently she had seen the whole thing, including the slap.

"Ms Brown, that is not necessary, now go to my office and I will deal with you in a minute. And ms granger, I expected better behaviour, we all are I shock from mr Malfoy's death but that gives you no right to slap another student." A gasp echoed around the hallway, and Harry turned to Hermione who had pulled herself out of his grasp before nodding to her professor and walking into the common room and up to her room.

A/N my god, that was so hard, its hard to write a character you like dying. Well I hope you all like the chapter... well not like per-say, but yeah any way, review it please and I'll update soon, it's nearly finished, if none of you review I don't update so better get reviewing huh.