Chapter One:
Escape from Malfoy Manor
Hermione whimpered in pain as she rolled gently onto her bruised side on the cold, hard stone floor. She opened her eyes slowly and waited for them to adjust to the lack of light. The room was unusually dark with absolutely no light coming from any direction. It was the dank dungeon cell that she had become accustomed to after three months of imprisonment. The cell smelled sickly of blood and sweat and many different kinds of body fluids. The scent of death lingered heavily in the room and Hermione couldn't bear to think of who might have died in that same space.
Despite the pitch-blackness of the room, the snow-white skin of her companion was very noticeable to Hermione. Out of habit, Hermione shook the pale shoulder before her rather harshly and breathed a sigh of relief when the own of said shoulder groaned and rolled over to face Hermione. A pair of bloodshot blue eyes framed by matted red hair was turned on Hermione and all that the brunette could offer was an apologetic expression.
"Sorry, Gin," Hermione murmured in her harsh voice, wincing at the action of speaking strained her already raw throat. "I was—I was just being—sure…"
"The air—is stifling…" was Ginny Weasley's reply as she rubbed her throat weakly.
"I know," gasped Hermione, trying to lie back on her back once more and wincing as the hard of the floor pressed against her scarred and bruised back. "But it—won't be as stifling once—he comes…" She could see Ginny visibly shudder when Hermione mentioned him.
He was Lucius Malfoy, a man that Hermione had come to fear and hate. Hermione had been in his 'possession' for three whole months, or so she guessed because she never knew whether it was day or night. She measured the days by when Lucius came and went and when and how much they were fed, which they were but rather badly so. Hermione had always somewhat fear Lucius Malfoy for all the things she had heard he'd done and the things he had done to her but she had only really begun to loathe him when Ginny was tossed into the mix a few weeks prior. When Ginny came back from his doings, Hermione couldn't help feeling her temper flare and the urge to kill him with her bare hands soon entered her mind. The only problem was that she was shackled to the floor. She thought to do it when Lucius was having his way with her, but knew that he was stronger than her by far and she would only succeed in killing herself and leaving Ginny alone to endure the pain wholly.
Hermione was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Ginny's loud and racking sobs and felt the redhead burying herself in Hermione's chest and stomach for comfort. Hermione lifted her sore and tired arms and wrapped them around her friend sympathetically, rubbing her back and trying to help her through her crisis.
"Oh, Her-Hermione—" choked Ginny. "Wh-what are we—are we—are we going t-t-t-toooo—" Ginny couldn't manage to get it all out as she broke down and sobbed loudly in Hermione's arms. The brunette could not help but feel her own eyes welling up at the sight of her friend's destroyed state but, somehow, she still managed to whisper comfort.
"It's all right, Ginny…" breathed Hermione, stroking Ginny's hair softly but she knew it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than anyone else. "We'll get—get out of here and—and then the Order—w-will win and everything will be okay—everything—"
It was at this moment, however, that the cell door burst open and the tall, sleek shadow of Lucius Malfoy stretched across the two cowering girls' forms. Hermione looked up angrily at his smirking face and saw how he seemed to be eyeing her with mild interest. He pointed his wand at her and the shackles around her legs released her.
"Come," he said in a false seductive voice.
Hermione gulped but did not back down. She told Ginny not to worry and then got to her feet rather unsteadily and followed the blonde man. She kept her eyes to the ground the whole journey toward the room at the end of the stony corridor they were walking along, fearing that if she even allowed a glance at the monster before her she would be turned to stone. A lump was forming in her throat, as it always did when she was following Lucius to the "Bedroom". She was not highly tolerant of pain and Lucius enjoyed pouring it upon his victims in bucketfuls.
The elder Malfoy waved his wand once they reached the door and watched as it swung open to allow him and his "guest" entrance. The room itself was nothing short of opulent, though Hermione looked about it with a look of great disgust and fear, as she had spent many a painful hour in that room, in the abusive clutches of Lucius Malfoy. She was so deep in memory that she had not noticed she had halted in the doorway until Lucius' pale, icy fingers curled around her wrist and jerked her fully in.
She muffled a squeak of surprise and quickly braced herself for what was to come as she was tossed roughly on the satin-covered bed. Lucius quickly covered her body with his and Hermione forced her thoughts away from the act at hand, as she felt him violently thrust in and out of her, his fingers bruising her skin and his teeth tearing it. She held back the screams of agony, not allowing him what he wanted as she drove herself to tune out his actions and the pain searing through her body.
When he was finished, Lucius sat up on the bed, redoing his trousers and surveying Hermione's bloody and battered body and the dreamy look on her face. He grinned, flashing his sharp teeth and than snatched her arm up forcibly and wrenched her from the bed. He began dragging her from the room, speaking in his harsh and icy voice as he took long strides, causing Hermione to stumble.
"Well, that will not do," he hissed at her. "Not nearly satisfactory. I suppose I shall have to have a little fun with your little red-haired friend. She's a screamer."
His words made Hermione's blood boil and, without thinking, she did something she would not have done normally in these circumstances, as it was not a rational action. She lunged forward and dug her teeth into his bony hand, biting at hard as she could and being sure to break the skin. This blood smear on her lips and he released her wrist abruptly and turned to her with a furious sneer. He raised to hand clutching the wand, his good hand, preparing to strike but Hermione knew if she was ever going to get Ginny out she would have to think fast. She grabbed him by the shoulders and jabbed her knee into his groin, watching as he keeled over and dropped his wand, which Hermione promptly picked up. She pointed it at him and, with a rough voice, shouted "Stupefy!" She knew she was putting too much force into her words when the spell hit him hard in the chest and through him backward into a wall. She heard a sickening crack as his head hit the wall and the brunette, though weakly, hurried over to the door that she knew led to her cell and blasted it open. It flew off its hinges and Hermione hurried to do away with the shackles binding Ginny.
"Hurry, Ginny…" called Hermione breathily, watching as the young Weasley stumbled to get to her feet.
Ginny turned and briefly beheld her friend's abused appearance before scuttling as quickly as she could from the room. She cast a weary glance at the unconscious form of Lucius Malfoy before both Hermione and she started for the stairs that led to the lobby of Malfoy Manor. Hermione shook her head slightly at how utterly dim the Malfoys were to put the entrance to a holding area right near the front door as the appeared on the white marble floor of the lobby. They marveled momentarily how there was no one there to stop them from escaping. Did Lucius really believe himself capable of detaining them all alone?
Hermione did not dwell on the thought, however, as she and Ginny made for the front door, Hermione wincing with each sore step she took. They threw the doors open and began racing as fast as they could down the drive, finding that it was not so long. The made it to the gates without incident and Ginny pushed them open, as Hermione was at a loss for strength. Once on the outside of the gates, Hermione pulled Ginny close.
"Listen, Ginny, and—and listen carefully," Hermione managed, feeling a little of her own blood dripping down her abdomen. "I have—I have just enough st-strength to apparate somewhere a safe distance from here—ugh—do you—do you trust me?"
"Hermione…no—I mean, yes, I trust you—but you can't," breathed Ginny, slightly supporting her friend. "You're too weak. The strain might—it might—" She lowed her voice so that it was barely audible and, in a tired and broken voice, said, "It might kill you."
"Gin," replied Hermione, trying to sound assuring, though she was certain that it most likely sounded weak and feeble. "It won't kill me—I—I'm stronger than that and—you should—you should know that. Just trust me and t-take my hand."
Ginny hesitated for a moment and then took Hermione's proffered hand. Hermione squeezed her friend's hand in assurance and then closed her eyes and concentrated. She didn't know where they would land but anywhere was better than where they were. A loud pop resounded all through the empty grounds and the two girls disappeared.
They reappeared on an empty lane. Hermione leaned on Ginny heavily, having spent most of her remaining energy. The redhead caught her friend and paced herself, so that she would not collapse onto the ground. It was obvious to tell that the brunette witch was drained and would do no more magic. Hermione looked up at her friend and then took the hand she had been clutching for dear life. She turned it so the palm was up and placed Lucius' wand in her hand.
"Use this if you—encounter any more problems," Hermione breathed, her knees buckling and Ginny strained to hold her friend up with more effort. She let a small smile grace her lips. "I'm—I'm done, Gin. I can't—go on. I am physically and e-emotionally exhausted."
"No, Hermione!" snapped Ginny, shaking her friend. "You said you were stronger than this! I'm not letting you give up on me! Now walk!" Hermione chuckled at her friend's fiery attitude and, resolved, she took a few steps, still leaning on Ginny for some support.
All along the lane were dilapidated houses, all falling apart at the corners. Many of the windows were shattered and the doors were knocked in. only one house on the whole street looked inhabitable and that was the one the two battered witches started toward. Hermione could feel her strength draining from her body with each step but she willed herself to stay awake, if not for herself, than for Ginny, whom she was not going to leave alone to fend for herself. As soon as they reached the house, however, Hermione found that her body would not permit her to go any further. Her legs gave way and she fell backward onto the pavement, faintly aware of the pain in the back of her head as it collided with the sidewalk. She could hear Ginny's voice, though it was distant, as her eyes closed without her consent and she was swallowed up by darkness.