A/N: Hi all! Thanks for the reviews! Anyway onto the chapter!
DISCLAIMER: Only the plot and five slaves.
Chapter Ten"Wotcher Hermione."
"Tonks?" cried Hermione standing and hugging the woman, "Oh my Merlin!"
She pulled away with tears in her eyes smiling at her long time friend. Tonks was smiling back at her happy to see she was indeed alive.
"I… when… how did you get in?" asked Hermione her brown eyes wide with happiness.
"I'm… Lucius' new girlfriend I guess you could say," said Tonks, "By the way we are all living at Hogwarts."
"Oh okay… so that disguise you were just in is your cover?"
Tonks nodded, "How are you feeling? Do you need anything before we leave?"
"Leave?" frowned Hermione, "Where?"
"I'm taking you back to Hogwarts, with Sirius."
Hermione shook her head, "No. I'm not going anywhere."
"Hermione, are you insane?" cried Tonks.
"If I go, Lucius will know and kill everyone here. Plus Narcissa is injured and Sirius and I are her only chance of staying alive. Plus I am trying to make Malfoy see which side he is on."
Tonks sighed and ran a hand through her pink hair, "My job is to get you back to Hogwarts."
"Then you need to make your assignment longer. Now is not the time. But I do have news that will help the Order better. But here is not the place to talk about it. Sirius and Narcissa need to know as well."
Tonks nodded and Hermione turned to Scott.
"I'll be back later. When Bridget wakes tell her to remain calm. Get Sophie to take her to shower."
Scott nodded and Hermione left with Tonks.
"What was that all about?" asked Tonks, "With the Bridget girl."
Hermione took a deep breath, "Lucius raped her. It's been two days and she hasn't woken yet. We think it's the trauma of the situation that's gotten to her."
"Take her to Sirius."
"Not yet… Lucius could come back for her and if he sees she is gone he could take Sophie or me. If he sees her there is passed out he will be satisfied and leave us be… hopefully."
Tonks nodded in understanding and Hermione pushed open the reading room door, quietly closing it behind her, wincing at the click.
"He won't wake up till tomorrow morning," said Tonks reassuringly, "I cast a spell on him to make him sleep heavily."
Hermione nodded and ran over to the painting. She pushed the frame down and turned the handle when it appeared. Tonks watched in interest and followed Hermione into the lit up corridor. Hermione glanced at Tonks and saw the excitement in her eyes at the prospect of seeing her cousin again. Hermione grinned and they came to the door.
"Ready?" asked Hermione her eyes lit up.
Tonks nodded and Hermione knocked twice before opening the door.
"Sirius… there is someone here to see you," said Hermione walking in and stepping aside to let Tonks in.
Sirius looked up from where he was sitting reading a book. Laughter burst out of him as Tonks grinned. She ran over to her cousin and engulfed him into a hug, sobbing a little like Hermione did a few days before hand.
"Oh my gosh," cried Tonks pulling back, "It's so hard to believe you are here… alive!"
"What are you doing here?" replied Sirius.
"I'm here to get you and Hermione back to Hogwarts. But she says neither of you will leave."
"Well she is right," said Sirius pulling away from Tonks and walking over to their cousin, Narcissa who was watching on smiling.
"How are you?" asked Hermione walking over to Narcissa and kneeling down beside the bed.
"Getting well slowly. My back still won't allow me to walk," sighed Narcissa, "How are you?"
"I'm fine. I have news though… about Lucius and your son."
Narcissa nodded signalling for Hermione to tell her.
"Lucius is head of the Death Eaters and your son has agreed to go to the meetings with Lucius."
Everyone looked at Hermione in shock and she took a deep breath explaining the whole incident from Bridget being raped too sneaking into Draco's room and finding out the truth. The three adults listened to her every word, not cutting her off. When she finished they sat in silence taking in the information.
Narcissa sighed, "I suspected it, but I just didn't want to believe it. He is so secretive."
"Least we know who it is," said Tonks, "This will help the Order greatly."
Hermione nodded, "I'm trying to make Draco see which side he really is on. I doubt he fully supports Lucius. I mean he saved you, Narcissa."
"I know. I am hoping he will work for us," said Narcissa wincing as her back gave a twinge.
Sirius sighed and turned to Tonks, "Do you think you get can to Hogwarts and back again?"
"I have six hours to do anything before I have to get in bed with that… creep," said Tonks, "Why?"
"Pompfrey can give Narcissa what she needs. I can't."
"I am not going anywhere without you," said Narcissa before groaning in pain.
"I know," said Hermione suddenly the idea formulating in her head, "Lucius can't watch you fireplace Narcissa. Sirius, go to Hogwarts with Narcissa and Tonks… I'll come too, but I am coming back here within an hour. I won't leave the other five and I have a mission here."
"Yes," said Tonks agreeing to it, "If Harry, Ron and Ginny see you alive Hermione they will calm down. Sirius? Harry has to know about you soon. Lupin can't hide it from him forever."
Sirius nodded and looked at Narcissa who nodded. Sirius stood up and carefully lifted his injured cousin into his arms. Hermione opened the door and let Sirius pass her with Narcissa. Tonks followed Hermione through the corridor, her silk robes rustling with movement. At the end, Hermione ducked around Sirius and Narcissa to open the door. Shr ran ahead of them, throwing in the floo powder to the fireplace.
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" shouted Hermione, "Go first Sirius."
Sirius stepped in holding Narcissa and was gone in a flash. Hermione jumped in after him, soon followed by Tonks.
HD
McGonagall sighed and sealed the letter for another student's parents telling them of their inappropriate behaviour toward a muggleborn student. The problem was the child's parents were against the Death Eater's cause or pureblood world domination.
As she placed the letter with the pile due to be sent out her fireplace sprung to life. Startled she stood up, holding her wand at the ready she gasped when Sirius stepped through holding his cousin in his arms.
"Sirius!" she cried stunned before saying the other arrivals name, "Hermione! Tonks!"
"Hello Professor," smiled Hermione, "I can't stay long. Where are Harry and Ron?"
"I'll show you," said Tonks, "I can't stay long either Minerva… Sirius can explain."
Tonks and Hermione ran from the office as Sirius began explaining.
"Where abouts are you all staying at?" asked Hermione as Tonks hurriedly led them through a corridor.
"The visitors section. Dumbledore had it set up in case something like this happened," said Tonks as they walked up a spiral staircase, "Ron and Harry share a room and Ginny is completing her seventh year."
Hermione nodded as they reached the top of the staircase. She walked along reading the names on the doors and upon seeing Harry and Ron's she ran towards it, banging on it and calling out their names.
"Harry! Ron! It's me! It's Hermione!" she cried before the door was swung open by Harry who engulfed Hermione into a bone-cracking hug. She laughed as she hugged him back, "Harry I need to breathe!"
"How are you? Are you hurt?" asked Harry as Ron came over and hugged Hermione.
"I'm fine you guys, really I am. I can only stay one hour though."
"What? Why?" frowned Ron.
"I can't leave the other muggleborns. If Lucius found out," Hermione sighed, "He would kill them. He has already raped one. Plus I need to make Malfoy see what side he is on."
"Malfoy? Draco Malfoy?" frowned Harry.
"I can't explain everything now. There is too much. I'm sure Sirius and Narcissa will fill you in," Hermione gasped realising her slip up.
"Sirius? Hermione Sirius is dead."
"No he's not, Harry!" cried Hermione grabbing his hand and pulling him, "You have to come with me to see him. He's probably in the hospital wing with Narcissa."
"Narcissa?" said a confused Harry.
Hermione sighed, "Come on, Harry. I don't have all day."
HD
Draco rolled over restlessly. He couldn't sleep and it was driving him close too insanity. Angrily he sat up. He knew why he couldn't sleep; it was because of her and her pushing way. She always had to be right. She was right about everything in school and now she was right about him and he hated her for it. Well maybe hate was a too stronger word, after all she did make him finally see what he wanted and he did hold respect for her. Though the fact that he didn't hate her any longer scared him a little. He climbed out of bed and walked over to the window and leant on the frame with his arms crossed.
To him this world sucked. It had no life, nothing to strive for and that is what he missed above everything, having something to strive for. In school he strived to be the best in his year and in Quidditch. Now he had nothing. To job to strive to the top with, no woman to show his love and loyalty too. He was a living being in a pointless world.
With a sigh, he knew what had to be done. He had to tell Hermione he was on her side. He would help her and her people defeat his father and the other Death Eaters. He dressed into decent clothing and walked out of his room heading for the kitchens. The house was dark all around him with no noise coming from anywhere around him.
Draco ran down the stairs to the kitchen and knocked loudly on the door. A few seconds later it was opened by Scott. Draco didn't trust him, he didn't know why but something about him was untrustworthy.
"Where is Granger?" asked Draco looking around the kitchen, holding his wand he just lit up high.
"Gone," replied Scott smugly.
"Gone where?"
"I don't know. She went with some woman called Tonks too see your mother and a Serious fellow."
Draco nodded and left the kitchen's heading for his mother's reading room. Glancing at his watch he saw it was nearing 5:30am in the morning. He was lucky to have had one hour sleep. This whole week had been messed up.
He entered his mother's reading room and saw dust scattered around the fireplace. That wasn't there the day before when he came to check on his mother. Frowning at it he walked over to the painting and opened it, jogging down the corridor to the door. He knocked and opened it only to find it empty.
"What the hell?" cried Draco in confusion, "Where is everyone?"
Confusion swam through him as he backed out of the room and ran back up the corridor to the reading room. Walking back over to the fireplace he knelt down to examine the dust.
"Floo powder," he sighed sitting on the lounge hoping Granger would come back.
HD
"Hermione, you have lost your mind," said Harry as Hermione pushed open the hospital wing doors, "There is no way Sir-"
Harry was cut off as he stared in shock at the man he believed to have been dead for three years. Sirius turned away from speaking to Madam Pompfrey and looked at his godson in shock as well, before breaking out into a huge, happy grin.
"Harry!" cried Sirius walking towards him briskly.
"S-Sirius?" said Harry in a high-pitched tone as Hermione stepped back with Ron who was looking at Sirius stunned, "Y-your alive?"
"It appears that way doesn't it?" chuckled Sirius standing in front of Harry taking in how much he had grown, how much he looked like James but with Lily's eyes, "You sure have grown."
Harry nodded brushing that topic aside, "I saw you fall, into that veil. How can you be alive?"
Hermione smiled and looked at the clock hanging above the hospital wing doorway, "I have to go. Where is Tonks?"
"Now?" said Ron turning to Hermione, "Surely you can stay longer. You've only just gotten back."
Hermione smiled sadly at Ron and shook her head, "I have to go, Ron. Believe me, this war will be over soon. We know whom the head Death Eater is. Now it is just a matter of time."
Hermione pecked Ron on the cheek and ran over to Harry pecking him as well, breaking Harry's attention from his Godfather.
"Where is Tonks?" asked Hermione looking at Sirius.
"With McGonagall and Lupin in her office," said Sirius giving Hermione a hug, "Take care."
Hermione nodded and ran out of the Hospital Wing not wanting to say goodbye. She heard Harry call her, but Hermione continued running. Leaving them again was painful enough as it was. To show them how much it saddened her would only make them want her to stay.
She reached the gargoyle and saw it was open. She ran up the spiral staircase and ran into McGonagall's office.
"It's time," said Tonks at Hermione's arrival to Lupin who embraced her in a hug and kissed her gently on the cheek.
Hermione smiled at Lupin who patted her on the shoulder.
"Take care Hermione," he said.
"I will. Sirius knows who the head Death Eater is by the way."
Lupin nodded and Tonks threw a handful of Floo Powder in. She stepped aside for Hermione to go first.
With a smile to McGonagall, Hermione said the address and stepped into the green flames. She closed her eyes to not see Hogwarts disappear, plus it helped with the motion sickness from the spinning and whooshing noise.
Before she knew it, she stumbled into the reading room back at the Malfoy Manor, landing on the ground in front of none other then Draco. Hermione looked up at him surprised and was hit with even more surprise when he offered her a hand to stand up.
Hermione took it and he pulled her up to standing as Tonks came rushing in with a cough from the dust.
"I seriously hate Flooing to places. It's messy," she sighed using her wand to clean away the soot from her silk robes.
"Who's this?" asked Draco glaring at Hermione.
"Her name is Tonks… well to your father she is his girlfriend. Basically she can morph herself into any disguise she wants. She works for the Order and is using your father to get in here to get to me," said Hermione, "We just went to Hogwarts- hang on, I can't tell you this. Tonks you're going to have to modify his memory."
Tonks nodded and pulled her wand out.
"Wait, wait!" shouted Draco holding his hands up in alarm, "Listen to me!"
Tonks lowered her wand a fraction and Hermione looked at Draco curiously.
"Look… Granger, I'm on your side," he said in one breath before taking one to calm down, "You were right. I did all those… good things because I don't agree with anything the Death Eaters are fighting for. I mean what point is there too having dominance all over the world? I… I want to help you and the Order bring down my father."
Hermione looked at Draco stunned and Tonks slowly nodded. Draco watched Hermione's facial expression change from stunned to disbelief and then finally she looked at him smiling just a little.
"I knew you would eventually see I was right," said Hermione with a chuckle, "But how can I trust you? I mean for all I know you could be taking me for a fool."
Draco sighed in annoyance, "I'm not bullshitting you, Granger. What the hell can I get from this world? Nothing! I can't achieve my dreams… I can't do anything."
Hermione nodded, fully believing him, "Alright. I believe you. But that doesn't mean I trust you. I want you to teach me how to block your father from my mind. He reads it… he'll know everything about the Order and I have no wand to defend myself with."
"I can teach you and get your wand back."
Hermione nodded, pleased, "Excellent."
"So where did you and… Tonks just come from?"
Hermione looked at Tonks, unsure whether she should tell him. Tonks nodded telling Hermione to tell him.
"Hogwarts. We took your mother and Sirius there. Madam Pompfrey can help Sirius look after her. The school has more healing resources."
Draco just nodded, "Better that she is away from here. So obviously the Order knows about my father?"
Hermione nodded, waiting for Draco to scream at her angrily for telling them. When he didn't she looked up from the ground too see him nodding slowly, letting the knowledge that his father could possibly be killed sink in.
"I should get back to the kitchens," said Hermione feeling a little uncomfortable, "I need too sleep."
"And I should get back to Lucius," sighed Tonks closing her eyes and transforming herself into Melanie.
Draco watched them leave and when the door shut behind him, he sat down sighing.
It was one thing to pledge your allegiance against your own father, but to contemplate the fact that he was going to be killed was another. Tears filled his eyes and angrily he wiped them away. Regardless of all the horrible things Lucius Malfoy had done and intended to do, he was Draco's father. He'd helped create him and took part in raising him. Draco loved his father and that would never change, but he knew if his father continued living the world would end in destruction caused by Lucius.
He knew that couldn't happen, that it wouldn't happen. But the pain of loosing his father would still hurt him greatly.
With a deep breath, Draco calmed himself down and stood up, heading for his room to try and get some sleep.
HD
"Mione."
Hermione gasped as she shut the door behind her and rushed over to a half awake Bridget. She knelt down besides her nudging a sleeping Scott to wake up.
"Bridget," said Hermione softly, "How are you feeling? You've been passed out for two days!"
Bridget trembled and her eyes looked like they held a ghost in them. Hermione glanced at Scott worriedly and helped Bridget sit up.
"What happened?" asked Hermione, "You need to tell me. Did he rape you?"
Bridget nodded, her lower lip trembling and her hands shaking like crazy.
"Oh Bridget! I'm so sorry; it's my entire fault. I shouldn't of let Narcissa heal my hands and then Lucius wouldn't have gotten mad!"
"It's my fault," said Bridget softly, "I got him angry with me. I deserved it."
"No you didn't," said Hermione firmly gently placing her hands on Bridget's shoulder's, "You did nothing wrong. You saved Sophie from being hurt. You were only doing the right thing."
"It doesn't feel like it, Hermione," said Bridget looking at Hermione with tears falling down her cheeks, "I feel empty on the inside. It's like he killed me but I'm still walking and talking."
Hermione looked at Scott worriedly, who shrugged his shoulders. Hermione sighed.
"Come on. Let's go get you cleaned up."
Bridget nodded and carefully stood up with Hermione leading her out.
A/N: Sorry its short again, but I need to end it here or too much will happen in one chapter. Anyways please review!
Until next time…
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Love Coz!