Chapter 4: Between mother and daughter

Thanks for the reviews! This is as far as I got last time, so hopefully I'll continue after this. I just got terrible writers block last time, so hopefully I can think of something. This story may end up being only six chapters or something…I haven't decided yet. Oh well! (Oh, and in chapter 3, I said that Ginny wasn't married; she is…to Colin. I think I just forgot)

(Spiffy divider thingy)

Hermione impatiently passed in her room, wringing her hands together and chewing her lip in a way that one would when one was as nervous as she was. She had no one what was going on outside the walls of Draco's manor. She knew that they were going to go after Catlyn, but she had no idea when or what they would do to her. Would they let her see Catlyn? Would they be separated? What would they do to her? Would Harry even come?

Hermione scoffed at that thought. Of course Harry wouldn't come. He cared nothing for her and Catlyn. All he cared about was his stupid new wife and his stupid new children. She couldn't get through a single sentence in any magazine article featuring them without angrily throwing it across the room. She had managed to destroy every shroud of evidence through spells that they even existed in magazines. She just couldn't stand to read about their perfect lives while she was struggling to hide everything from Catlyn.

"That perfect life she be mine!" Hermione suddenly shouted.

"Aw, poor baby," a mocking voice said.

"What do you want Millicent?" Hermione snapped, not even having to turn around to know who was there.

"I just wanted to let you know that we're off to get that brat of yours," Millicent said.

"If you harm her in any way, I swear I'll kill you with my bare hands," Hermione snapped, turning around sharply and glaring hard at the Slytherin graduate.

"As if you could," Millicent said. Before she could even laugh just a bit, Hermione had lunged and was strangling her.

"I knew she would do that eventually," Draco said while he walked down the corridor with Crabbe and Goyle.

"Are you going to pull her off?" Goyle asked.

"Of course not you dunce! I'd rather her beat Millicent then attack someone who matters," Draco sneered.

"Ha, she's just an outlet. You're not even worth my time," Hermione spat, looking up from her victim. She got off Millicent, who quickly scattered away, her face bruised and bloody. She stood in her doorway, breathing hard. She had never let out her anger with so much force before. If Draco hadn't caught her attention, she would have probably gone through with killing Millicent with her own two hands. She shuddered slightly at her own physical strength. It scared her.

"Ready to be reunited with your precious little daughter?" Draco asked Hermione, standing calmly before her despite what he just watched. Her physical strength surprised him and at the same time excited him. He could make good use of her.

"I hate you," Hermione said, glaring at Draco.

"That's nice," Draco replied simply, as if she had just complimented him on something. "Your daughter is being taken as we speak," Draco said.

"What did they do to her?" Hermione asked.

"She's just a child, so she can't fight back. I'm sure they stunned her," Draco said.

"They hexed her, didn't they?" Hermione accused.

"If you don't believe me, look for yourself," Draco said. He conjured a mirror and handed it to her. She gasped as an image appeared. She had a sudden memory of being a little girl and watching Beauty and the Beast, holding her mothers hand mirror and pretending like she could see things too. She had no idea such a thing actually existed.

(In the mirror)

"Hurry up and grab the kid before those Weasley's come up here!" a Death Eater said. There were two of them, standing in Catlyn's room. She was sleeping peacefully in her bed, obviously undisturbed by the talking going on in her room. That was, until she groaned and opened her eyes. She sat up in her bed and looked sleepily at the two Death Eaters. She had never seen one before so she was very unaware of whom it was in her room.

"What's going on?" Catlyn muttered.

"She's awake," one of the Death Eaters said.

"Stupify!" the other cast, pointing his wand at the child. She fell limp onto her bed, one of the Death Eaters scooping her up into his arms.

"Let's go," he said.

(Out of the mirror)

"She better be given to me as soon as she gets here," Hermione said, thrusting the mirror back at Draco. She nearly cried at seeing her innocent child being stunned.

"Why don't we go greet her? They should be Apparating in soon," Draco said. He offered his arm to her, but she just walked ahead. Crabbe and Goyle were quick to walk on either side of her, ready to grab her arms if she were to run. Draco simply walked behind them.

"Lord Malfoy, we have her," the Death Eater said as they came down the main stairs. Hermione broke into a run and grabbed her daughter from the Death Eater, hugging her stunned body against her chest.

"Undo it now," Hermione said to the Death Eaters.

"Go ahead. The woman won't do anything now that she has her child," Draco said, taking his time going down the stairs. The Death Eater obeyed and both were excused.

"Mummy?" Catlyn asked sleepily.

"Oh Cat!" Hermione said, hugging Catlyn tighter.

"Look at that. One happy family," Draco said. Then he smiled cruelly. "Well, almost."

"Shut up, Malfoy," Hermione said, glaring. She brushed past him and went up to her room.

"Should we stand guard?" Crabbe asked.

"She's harmless now. All she wanted was the kid. That's all," Draco said. "Now we just have to wait for Potter," Draco said.

(Harry)

Harry had been flying for well over four hours and was getting tired, yet he knew he couldn't stop. He couldn't wait to get to Draco. "Where the hell could this place be?" Harry said to himself, searching the ground with an eagle eye. "Draco isn't smart enough to make it invisible yet he is clever enough to make it in some inconspicuous place that I would never think of," Harry continued. "When I get there, I'm going to kick his arse," Harry swore to himself. He had waited for years to battle Draco and Hermione's kidnapping had proven convenient for that very thing.

Harry nearly laughed out loud at his own thoughts. "A convenient kidnapping: now there's something I've never thought about. But I suppose all kidnapping is for convenience of the kidnapper, although this time it is more convenient for the hero. I finally get to give Draco the arse kicking he's deserved for years, and I can finally have talk to Hermione like I've been waiting to do for years." Harry sighed. "How could I have ever stopped talking to her in the first place? She's my best friend. If it weren't for her and Ron, I wouldn't be alive today." Harry paused and then smirked. "Oh yes, Amber. Now I remember. But at the time, I was just needed someone so badly. I had been away from Hermione for so long and I knew I couldn't Apparate away to see her. Who knows what could have happened if I had left base! Everyone could have died!" Harry paused once again and sighed. "And yet, I have no idea how Amber wrapped me around her finger so quickly. Over the course of one night, I went from thinking only of how badly I needed to be with Hermione to how much I loved Amber. I mean, the sex we had wasn't even that great now that I think about it, but I suppose any sex is good after not having it for so long." Harry shook his head. "I can't believe I gave Hermione up just for some easy sex. But it's not like I destroyed every bit of evidence of her from my life. I still carry around that picture of her. But what was I to do? No one knew how long the war would last and I had begun to be with Amber more and more. Besides, when she became pregnant with the girls, I had no idea about Catlyn. She had cried so hard to me about her honor and all that shit that I had to marry her. Had I known about Catlyn, I would have gone right to Hermione." Harry saw a pub and slowly lowered his broom. He got off his broom right in front of the pub and sighed, scratching the back of his head. It was late and he knew he needed a drink.

"If it isn't Potter," someone said just before Harry entered the pub. He turned and saw three Death Eaters, standing there in the darkness of the night as if they didn't oppose a threat.

"Not now," Harry snapped, although he had his free hand on his wand.

"When then? When you've impregnated another one of my friends and left her?" a Death Eater snapped in annoyance. Harry gasped, knowing exactly who it was.

"You know it wasn't like that at all," Harry snapped.

"How was it then?" She yelled, pulling her hood down, her blue eyes staring at Harry heatedly.

"I think the story of how you became a Death Eater would be more interesting, Ginevera," Harry said to the redhead.

"That story is simple. I've been double-crossing my family for years," Ginny replied simply. "Now why did you leave Hermione?"

"Because I was confused!" Harry yelled.

"About what? Your feelings for her?" Ginny laughed. "As if I'd buy that excuse! We all knew how you felt about her. You just decided to abandon her for that whore Amber," Ginny glared.

"And you decided to betray your family," Harry said.

"Only because Malfoy was bent on destroying everyone and made a deal. He knew I was good at charms and hexes so he promised that if I joined, he wouldn't hurt my family or Hermione and Catlyn. Percy joined long ago, though," Ginny admitted.

"Not hurt Hermione? They kidnapped her!" Harry reminded her.

"They won't hurt her! Draco promised," Ginny retorted.

"He's never been one to keep promises about not hurting people like Hermione," Harry said.

"Stop stalling! Lord Malfoy is expecting us to return soon," one of the Death Eaters snapped. Ginny quickly pulled out her wand at Harry.

"It's really a shame what we have to do to you. You were one of my best friends," Ginny said. But, before she could even open her mouth, Harry had stunned everyone.

"A real shame, Gin," Harry said as he hid the bodies in an alley. He walked off into the pub.

Just as he walked into the pub, there was a 'crack' of someone Apparating. It was Melissa Goyle. "Great. They've been stunned." Melissa said upon seeing them in the alley. She unstunned each of them, starting with Ginny.

"No! He got away!" Ginny cried in frustration. She hit the ground with both fists and stood up. "Let's go," Ginny said.

"No. We have to stay. He couldn't have gotten very far," one of the other Death Eaters said.

"Yes. Wasn't he going into that pub?" the other asked, pointing to the pub.

"I think so. Come on, let's go," Ginny decided. She took off her robes, and so did the other Death Eaters. They casually walked into the pub and looked for Harry.

(Draco's Manor Hermione's room)

"Mummy, why are we here?" Catlyn asked as she sat on the bed, Hermione sitting on a window seat and reading a book that she found in the trunk. It wasn't a book of spells, but a regular novel. She was surprised to have found a whole trunk full of such random items like books and such but took advantage of the fact that they were there.

"Because Harry is an arse," Hermione muttered in response, turning the page of her book.

"Because he left us?" Catlyn asked.

"Yes, honey. Because he left us and put us in danger," Hermione replied.

"Because of Amber?" Catlyn asked.

"Yes. Because of her," Hermione said, refusing to say the name of the woman who stole Harry away from her.

"I don't like her. She's mean," Catlyn said.

"Me t--," Hermione paused and rethought what Catlyn had said. "How do you know who she is?"

"I met her," Catlyn said.

"What? When?" Hermione asked, setting her book down and walking over to the bed.

"Yesterday," Catlyn said, glancing at the clock to see that it was 2 a.m.

"How did that happen?" Hermione asked.

"Harry and Amber came over. I met them. They're both mean," Catlyn said.

"What? Harry came over? Why?" Hermione asked.

"To, as he put it, 'sort out this whole business with our child'," Catlyn quoted.

"What a jerk," Hermione said, shaking her head and sitting on the bed. "What else did they say?"

"I don't know. I just know that he Apparated home with his wife and their girls," Catlyn said.

"Typical," Hermione said.

"Do you think he's coming?" Catlyn asked hopefully.

"Oh yes, he's coming, but not for some fairytale reason like he gives a damn about us. He's coming to kill Draco. That's his sole reason for coming here. He doesn't care about what happens to us because we're not important to him." Hermione scooped Catlyn onto her lap and smiled softly. "I know it's hard to think about it, but your father doesn't care about us the way a father should care about his daughter and wife." Hermione stopped and laughed slightly. "How could I ever say such a thing? I'm not his nor have I ever been. True, we were going to get married, but that was long before that Amber woman came into the picture."

"How do you know he wouldn't realize we're better? They're mean and nasty. We're so much nicer," Catlyn said, her eyes shimmering with a childish hope.

"Oh Cat, no. Don't even think that. I won't ever happen. He doesn't care about us. Ever since he met that woman, that awful Amber, she's all he cares about; her and their awful little girls. It's as if you don't mean anything to him at all. When most fathers hear that they have a child, they're joyous and want to celebrate. When Harry found out about you, he became angry with me and left us. I mean, I could understand if I mean nothing to him because it's easy to leave a lover and friend, but when he leaves his own child, that really says something about his character. So even if he does come, don't get your hopes up that he'll come straight to us to rescue us. I know it's a harsh reality, but it's true," Hermione said seriously, looking into the eyes of her daughter. Catlyn wrapped her arms around Hermione's neck; her white pajama's meshed together with Hermione's blood red dress that she was yet to change out of.

"Mummy, I think he really does love us, but he doesn't know it yet," Catlyn said.

"Oh Cat, I wish you were right," Hermione said.

-End of chapter! Anyone still out there reading this? If you are, please review! I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading!

-Serenity