Extreme Prejudice

Chapter 11 - Prisoner of Love


A/N – For Kitty who gave me a very nice review for "Testing Times" my other fan-fic. If you ever meet Kitty make sure you look into her beautiful ocean blue eyes… yes well, ok that's a tad sicko but she tells me it's one of her most striking features. You go girl!


A thorough check of the grounds with Aurors and Fang the bloodhound managed to only find the traces of magical residue from portkey travel. They couldn't determine who had grabbed me, what their motive was, or where I could possibly have been taken.

Percy was a suspect but he was safely ensconced at the Burrow crying about being the injured party. Practical jokes were ruled out after questioning the Twins. No ransom demands had been received or other threats. There was a suggestion that I had faked my own disappearance to escape my husband, Hagrid had to restrain Severus from attacking the offending Auror who suggested that scenario.

After much shouting and cursing Severus was now sitting mutely in the Headmistresses office looking like someone had run over his dog. All the Order of the Phoenix members were present trying to come up with a plan. It seemed quite hopeless, my Snape had many enemies but how many of them knew of his connection to me.


Severus' POV (first person point of view)

It's just fucking typical. Married for less than 24 hours and already my wife had been taken from me. This smacks of the Dark Lord; it wouldn't surprise me if one of his stupid minions decided to get into his good books by doing this. My Dark Mark hasn't summonsed me for a few weeks now so I don't know what's going on. I'm certain that one of my students told someone about Hermione and that's why she's gone.

The Aurors, pack of idiots. 'Do you have any enemies Professor Snape?' – "Do you have any fucking brains?" I'd asked back. I had more enemies than they'd had hot breakfasts, that wouldn't help finding my wife. If I'd been thinking at the time I would have put a tracking spell on the wedding ring. That sort of thing was usually used to track unfaithful wives, not kidnapped ones.

They suggested I wait for a ransom note to arrive. It's 6 am; she's been gone since 2 – 4 hours and no peep from a kidnapper. As a Death Eater I knew that we didn't send out ransom notes, I also knew you'd have to be very, very stupid to take Hermione captive. She was a one-woman killing machine, I pitied her captors if she was still alive. I decided to wait until 7 then start doing the rounds of the usual suspects. Potter offered to accompany me to cover my back, not that I need it but he seems as anxious about Hermione as I do. As much as I dislike the boy I know he's trustworthy when it comes to his friends. Lets hope my new found trust isn't misplaced.

Back in the dungeons sitting on the bed with Hermione's uniform coat laid over my lap as a security blanket, I look in her bag for any clues. She's got the usual travel items; a diary / notebook with contact numbers for the army and family; a mobile phone, switched off; one of those cheap pocket sized photo albums with pictures mainly of military types and scenic locations – I recognise her parents; uncle and aunt; the golden trio; her squad posed in an action shot; and the one of us in Kyoto. I feel a tear aching to slip down my face and sniff it away. All the photos are charmed to look like Muggle pictures, I guess she didn't want to be found out.

At the bottom of the bag is a handgun. I've never held one before and take it out of its holster to examine it. It's not very big and smells of machine oil. I don't know if it's loaded or not, so decide not to fool around with it. There's also a small pouch of bullets attached to the holster. Putting the gun carefully on the bed I shake out a bullet onto my hand and examine it. It's hard to believe that these innocuous little things can kill a man, but then again a slender piece of wood can do the same.

I lean against the bedpost and examine Hermione's things spread out before me. I can't see any obvious clues, nothing to lead me to her kidnapper. As a last thought to try everything possible I take out my wand and move it over the bed looking for traces of magic. All her clothes glow slightly as they've been close to her skin and she's inherently magical. Nothing here, nothing but the remains of the woman I love. I pick up her dog tags and slip them around my neck and under my shirt just so I can be close to her.

There's a knock at my door and in walk Lupin and Potter. Lupin gives me a mug of coffee and they wait quietly for me to drink some of it. Potter picks up the photo album and flicks through it with a wisp of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. I see him trace the outline of one with his finger and get a small tinge of jealousy but bite it back. I try to remember that we all want the same thing right now, Hermione back here safe and sound.

We don't have a clue where to start so Potter asks if there's a potion that can be brewed to track her, maybe someone can scry. Now he sounds as desperate as I do. As hideous as it sounds we decide to go to see that crazy bitch Trelawny up in the tower, maybe she knows how to scry for missing people. It's a long shot, but the only one we have.


Meanwhile Back At the Malfoy Manor...

We're back with Hermione.

I've been lying here for what seems like hours. My mouth is covered in gaffer tape, hands behind my back tied with what feels like a plastic cable tie, my feet are held with more tape. I'm warm and as comfortable as possible under the circumstances, it feels like I'm lying on a bed.

"Pop"

Someone has just apparated into the room. I can't talk and there's a blanket over my head so I lie still and pretend to be asleep.

Someone lifts the blanket, I don't know who. They're very quiet. I sniff carefully to see if I can detect any peculiar odours. Then I feel something poke my shoulder and I open my eyes.

It's a House Elf. She looks me straight in the face with curiosity but doesn't say anything. Strangely for an Elf I notice she has the most amazing ocean blue eyes. Beautiful and mysterious, I wonder for a moment if anyone ever notices these small things that make an Elf unique. I try to make a sound but it comes out all wrong so I do some expressions with my eyes at her. Either she's very smart or very dumb, I can't tell from the look she's giving me.

I'd been around House Elves quite a bit when I was a student and they are usually jumpy and eager to please. All except Dobby of course, and he was a Malfoy elf once. Hopefully I can appeal to this small one if she gives me the opportunity to talk to her. She reaches out a hand and touches my hair lifting a section to fondle a short curl, wrapping it around her long finger she sighs.

"You is another pretty for the Master" she says.

'Oh shit' I think, 'I'm another in a long line of play things Lucius has brought home'. I'm thinking Silence of the Lambs meets The Collector and hope for the latter. The Last thing I want is to be made into a Mother skin suit for Lucius to wear.

"You looks so different to the Mistress, she all blond and tall, you is strong and brown" she comments wistfully.

I know a little occulmency and try to reach out to the Elf. She looks into my eyes at that moment and I look straight into her mind.

"Ow" she jumps back in fright "You is a Witch, Kitty is sorry, bad Kitty" she bangs her head on the bedpost. "Mistress will be very angry!"

Kitty the House Elf leaves with a snap of her fingers before I manage to do anything else. Sighing as best I can I collapse back onto the bed and close my eyes.

It isn't very long before the door opens and I hear shoes on the wooden floorboards. Kitty had covered me with the blanket again before she left so I can't see who has just come into the room, but by the sound of the shoes I'd say it's a woman.

The blanket is whipped off my body and I open my eyes immediately to the person standing over me. Draco's mother, Narcissa Malfoy, is looking at me with a look of complete annoyance. Kitty the Elf is standing next to her pulling on an ear with a very worried expression on her face. Very odd to say that I notice they both have the same eye colour.

"You say she looked into your mind Kitty" Narcissa demanded of the Elf.

"Yes Mistress" Kitty replied.

Narcissa sat down heavily on the bed beside me and moved the hair off of my face.

"No funny business now do you hear. I'm going to uncover your mouth" she said.

I nodded and the tape hurt as she pulled it off my mouth. I moved my tongue around trying to lubricate it with some saliva so I could talk. Narcissa simply stared at me waiting for me to make the first move.

"Hello Mrs. Malfoy" I croaked out. "Hello Kitty" I said to the Elf.

This had a dual effect. The Elf hid and Narcissa covered her face with her hands. It was very quiet for a few minutes until she uncovered her eyes only and looked at me again through her splayed fingers.

"Who are you?" she asked quietly through her muffled mouth.

"Lady Snape" I said simply.

Any emotion she had at my missive she hid well. Narcissa stood up and lifted the blanket off me to observe my bindings. Taking her wand out of her sleeve she started to untie me as Kitty popped out and back with a drink.

"You have to understand" Narcissa started to tell me "Lucius has a problem. He likes to collect girls. Nothing devious, he just likes to bring them home and play with them for a while. He needs help but the Doctors seem to think it's just a male mid life crisis that he'll eventually grow out of. Draco has tried to help him too, but we simply can't watch him all the time." She finished untying me and helped me to sit up before rubbing my wrists to improve the circulation.

I took the glass she offered and had a long drink, Lemonade, cold and soothing. As I massaged my legs to get some feeling back I started to speak.

"I was at a club in Diagon Alley last week and Lucius spoke to me there" I said. "I only married Severus yesterday, he must be hysterical by now."

"I'll floo him" Narcissa said "Please go easy on Lucius" her face showed the anguish one would feel when a husband was ill.

"Of course" I said standing up with her help.


We walked down the stairs towards the main living room of the manor. It was a large house and it seemed I had been secreted in one of the more secluded rooms. I wondered what it must be like for Mrs. Malfoy to be stuck alone in this house all day with no one but a slightly deranged husband for company.

It seemed I was wrong. When we came into the living room I was met by none other than Draco Malfoy and his son sitting on a rug together building a castle with Lego. He looked up with surprise as I came in.

"Granger" he exclaimed sizing up my rumpled dress and hair "What in Hades are you doing here?"

"Lady Snape has been your father's guest" Narcissa managed to say before I even opened my mouth.

"Lady Snape" Draco repeated.

I smiled "It's been a while hasn't it Draco?"

The boy who looked like he was about 4 years old smiled and held out some Lego pieces towards me. I smiled back and wiggled my fingers at him.

"Draco dear" Narcissa drew his attention "Could you floo over to Hogwarts and bring Severus here please?"

Draco looked at his mother, then to me, and finally at his son playing on the rug. "Is this going to get rough" he asked gesturing towards his son.

"I don't imagine so" I replied.

He nodded then retrieved his cloak before turning to leave. "Be good for Nan" he told his smiling son then he walked over to the fireplace and left the Manor in a swirl of green light. Kitty took his place on the rug and was evidently enjoying playing with the Lego as much as the youngest Malfoy.

I couldn't help but smile at the Elf and child playing even though I knew Severus would be furious with Lucius when he finally arrived. Narcissa brought some tea to me and we settled in for a quiet chat, it seemed all so very genteel and polite but I had a feeling it wouldn't last long.