Disclaimer: Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, the Minster of Magic,... you name it! They are all mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! NOT!

A/N: Chapter twin-tee (lol I know it isn't spelled like that)... wow and I thought I would have like 10 or 11 well it looks like that just didn't happen. Anyways here is your next chapter. Read, Review, and don't forget to Enjoy! So RRE!

Chapter 20

Hermione stared at those eyes in fear. Unable to look away. She was like a deer in headlights. A prisoner to his eyes. Not wanting to look at him yet unable to look away. It seemed painful just to look into those eyes. Those eyes could rip a soul apart. They could eat away at you until nothing was left. They could destroy you.

"Do you know what my plans are?" He asked.

At first Hermione thought he was asking the death eaters. Who were now surrounding them in circle formation. Yet when no one answered him she realized he wasn't talking to them. He was speaking to her.

"Ummm", she gulped.

She paused unable very well with his eyes on her.

"Well look at this the smartest witch of her age can't even manage to speak in English. Which is her native language. How pathetic."

That sparked something deep inside her. A little piece of the old Hermione. A spark of bravery and pride. A stubborn will was found deep inside her. She may not be the Hermione Granger she used to be, but deep down inside she found a piece of the old her.

"No I don't have any idea what your plans are. How should I know? You haven't told me," she yelled.

She yelled to let out an anger that she had held in for so long. She yelled to hide her fear. She yelled to keep the one thing inside of her that she had found buried deep inside. Pride.

The death eaters gasped in shock to see her change from a depressed girl with not much strength. Not much will to live. They saw her change from the fearful girl to the courageous girl. The girl who held her head high. The girl who was full of pride and rage. Full of self-confidence and strength.

But how long would this last?

"Well I guess that we can arrange for you to find out my plans," Voldermort replied waving a hand as though nothing had happened.

Hermione looked around to find the death eaters smirking and glaring at her. Their hands gripping their wands. Ready for anything. Ready for any command they were given. Ready to kill her.

"Nacrissa you have been good to me lately. I will let you take the first chance to show this filthy mud blood her place" he spat putting emphasis on the words filthy and mud blood.

Nacrissa slowly took delicate steps toward her with a grace she didn't know a human could possess. She had a grin of pure malice as she raised her wand and cried, "crucio". A jet of white light escaped from her wand and Hermione watched, as her smile grew broader and as the force of the spell blew back her light golden hair.

Hermione tried to hold back her scream, but somehow it escaped through her gritted teeth. Her face was contorted in pain. She tried to hold on to her pride and suck in her tears. Yet she couldn't. The tears fell quicker and quicker. The pain was like no other. Her blood turned to ice and it felt as though her skin was peeling off. It felt like someone was ripping off little pieces of skin. Shredding her skin. Her heart felt like it was being ripped out and it felt as though a thousand knives were being stabbed her head. It was such a horrible pain that she didn't even know could exist.

It was like hell.

Was even the Avada Kadava curse worse then this? Of course no one knew because when you received that curse you were dead. Could anything be worse that this though? What was hell like? Because it would be very hard for hell to beat the pain she was feeling right now. Her teeth were grinding together in pain and the sound was annoying her, but she couldn't stop. She was just in so much pain.

Then it was over.

The pain was gone, yet she felt a little sore. It was nothing compared to what she had just felt though. Nothing could compare to that. Nothing. Not even hell.

"Nicely done Nacrissa," the dark lord complimented her, "Look she even shed a few tears for us".

Hermione glanced down and noticed she was sitting in a puddle of tears. How was it even possible for a human to shed that many tears and she couldn't have been under the curse for more than five minutes. Even though it had seemed like hours.

Why couldn't they just kill her already? Why did they have to torture her so? Leaving her to wonder what they would do to her. Leaving her to wonder if she would ever escape. If she could only get Draco out of here she would be happy dying here. Just as long as he was safe. All that mattered was that he was safe.

Hermione watched as a figure in a death eater's robe with a pure white mask stepped up to Voldermort's throne. He kneeled and then bent over to kiss the charcoal black robes of the dark lord.

Who was that? Where had he come from? She looked around to make sure he couldn't have come out of the death eater circle, but he hadn't. He had just appeared out of no where.

"Now that we have had so much fun I think we should have some more. What do you think Wormtail?" Voldermort spoke loudly to the figure that was beside his "throne".

So that was the mysterious figure! Wormtail. He must have snuck in with his animagus form of a rat.

She watched as Wormtail removed his mask showing his rat-like face. Wormtail nodded his head eagerly in agreement. His rat teeth sticking out in between his lips. Then shifted his eyes back and forth as though he was looking for prey or should she say cheese?

"Well what are you waiting for? Bring in the boy!" Voldermort shouted in rage.

Wormtail quickly scampered away into the darkness. This was not good. He was going to get Draco.