A/N - As promised, this is the sequel to The Cottage. In the new year this is one of the stories I plan to look at and hopefully turn into a full length story. But for now, I hope people enjoy this piece.
Rescue.
Draco Malfoy stood at his bedroom window, staring blankly out over the sun covered gardens of his childhood home. Normally the view from his bedroom soothed Draco, but at the moment nothing could sooth Draco. All he could think about was Hermione, and the fact she was missing. It had been four days since the tracking spell on her bracelet had failed, and the dark were still no further forward in finding out what was going on with her. She'd seemingly just vanished off the face of the earth, and according to their source within the Order, Severus Snape, it was being claimed that she'd gotten word that her mother was ill and had gone home for a few weeks. According to Severus, none of the Order seemed worried, and they all seemed to assume that she would be returning to them as soon as she could. Of course in a few weeks, it would be interesting to see what the Order had to say about her continuing absence, but Draco didn't want to wait a few weeks. He wanted answers right now. He wanted to know where his girlfriend was, and if she was okay.
Truth be told, Draco was also battling with guilt over his girlfriend's disappearance. Before she'd vanished, Draco had never given Hermione's safety a second thought when she'd been with the Order. Hermione had been acting since they were eleven years old, and she did it so very well. There were times at Hogwarts that if Draco hadn't known she was acting, he would have been convinced by her good girl act. He also might have been convinced that she hated him like her so called friends, if it hadn't been that most of the times after a clash she'd sought him out to make up, and in the last year that had involved sizzling sex.
However, now she was gone, Draco was wracked with guilt for not thinking about her safety earlier. Maybe he should have pressed for her to be removed from the Order once her grandfather had returned. But then again, Hermione was as stubborn as they came, and he knew how much she loved being useful to her grandfather. Chances were no-one could have torn her away from the Order, not even Voldemort. But that didn't stop the guilt, and it didn't stop Draco wondering if there was anything they could have done differently.
Draco was so lost in thought that he failed to notice the soft popping noise behind him. It wasn't until someone cleared their throat, that he turned around and found one of the house elves standing in the middle of the room.
"Master Lucius wants to see you down in the dungeons," the elf informed him.
"The dungeons?" Draco checked with a frown.
"Yes, the dungeons," the elf confirmed, before he vanished with another small pop.
Draco wasn't sure what his father could want with him in the dungeons, but he was eager to find out. Grabbing his wand, he hurried through the vast house and into the drafty dungeons. Coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs into the dungeons, Draco was surprised to find Voldemort and Rabastan with his father.
"My Lord," he greeted, lowering his head in Voldemort's direction.
"Draco," Voldemort returned. "We've got something for you. Follow us."
Voldemort turned and swept into a nearby room, Rabastan at his heels. Lucius gave his son a reassuring nod, before he also disappeared into the same room. Stepping forward, Draco joined the other men in the room. The room was a cold, stone room with a large tub in the corner of the room, which had been collecting dripping water from the leaking ceiling. However, Draco's attention was drawn to the far wall where the unconscious figure of Ron Weasley was hanging shackled to the wall.
"How?" Draco asked, eyeing up his school adversary. He knew the Order were well protected, and Voldemort had always been against targeting the younger members as long as he had Hermione in the centre of their campaign.
"Things have changed," Voldemort explained. "I wouldn't do this before, but all bets are off now Hermione is missing. Someone in that Order knows where she is, and the Weasley boy is a good place to start."
"You intend to torture him for information?" Draco asked, getting an idea of what he was about to witness.
"Actually, we thought you might like the honour," Rabastan said. "It's time you stepped up, Draco. You need to prove you're worthy of The Dark Lord's granddaughter."
"Can I do whatever I want with him?" Draco asked, his eyes drifting towards the tub of water that was standing in the corner of the room.
"Yes," Voldemort said with a smirk. "Whatever happens next, is your call."
"He's going to suffer," Draco murmured, stalking towards the unconscious Ron. "You know, I've never liked Weasley."
"I can't really blame you if he's anything like his father," Lucius remarked.
"Where do you want to start, Draco?" Voldemort asked.
"Let's wake him up," Draco suggested.
While Lucius and Rabastan settled themselves against the wall to watch the action, Voldemort stepped forward and with a casual flick of his wand, woke Ron up. Ron's eyes widened with shock as he came around and realised the danger he was in. As Voldemort stepped back, Ron began to struggle against the shackles as he found his voice and began to curse loudly.
"Shut up, Weasley," Draco snapped. "Do you really think cursing and screaming will help you?"
"It's better than staying quiet," Ron spat.
"Staying quiet is the last thing you'll be doing," Draco chuckled. "But you could save yourself a lot of hassle if you answer a simple question."
"I won't answer any questions," Ron vowed.
"You will if you value your life," Draco warned. "Where's Hermione?"
Ron frowned in confusion, not expecting a question about his friend. "What's it to you?"
"We're the ones asking the questions," Draco snarled. "Where is she?"
"None of your business," Ron spat.
Draco shrugged as he turned back to Voldemort. "Can you unshackle him, but restrain him. I need his hands free."
"As you wish," Voldemort said, casting a few simple spells to do as Draco wished.
"What do you have planned?" Lucius asked his son. Ron was now frozen in place beside the wall, with only his head able to move.
"Wait and see," Draco replied with a wicked gleam in his eyes as he moved to stand behind Ron. "Right Weasley, I'm going to ask you a question and you're going to answer it. Fail to do so, and I'll break your finger."
"You wouldn't dare," Ron spat, although his face paled as Draco took hold of the smallest finger on his left hand and bent it at a painful angle.
"Try me," Draco hissed in Ron's ear. "Where's Hermione?" he asked louder.
"None of your business," Ron repeated.
"Have it your way," Draco replied with a smirk.
Ron suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream as Draco did as promised and casually broke his little finger. Voldemort and Rabastan let out low chuckles at the move, while Lucius grinned proudly at his son.
"The same again," Draco said, moving his hands to Ron's next finger. "Every time you fail to give me the answer, I'll break another finger. Do you understand?"
"I won't give you what you want," Ron hissed through the pain.
"How much pain can you stand, Weasley?" Draco asked. "I'll ask you again, where is Hermione?"
Yet again, Ron failed to answer the question so Draco broke his next finger. The pattern repeated itself eight more times until all ten of Ron's fingers and thumbs were broken. By the time Draco snapped the last finger, Ron was sobbing in agony.
"He's stronger than I thought he would be," Rabastan spat with disgust. "I thought he would have broken by now."
"Maybe he doesn't know anything," Lucius suggested.
"Maybe Potter doesn't trust him," Draco said slyly, moving so he was standing in front of Ron. "Is that it, Weasley? You don't know where Hermione is, because Potter hasn't told you."
"Screw you," Ron spat. "I won't give up Hermione."
"You think he knows where she is?" Voldemort asked Draco.
"Maybe," Draco replied. "Let's see how long he'll hold out. If he knows where she is, he'll break."
"Do you need any suggestions as to how to proceed?" Rabastan asked.
"No, I know what I'm doing next," Draco answered. "But you can help me get him to the middle of the floor, and move the water tub. We'll then make him kneel in front of the tub."
Rabastan and Lucius both stepped forward and grabbed hold of Ron, while Voldemort moved the tub of water into the middle of the floor. Voldemort then lifted the spell freezing him into place, and they manoeuvred him to a kneeling position in front of the water tub. Once he was where Draco wanted him, Voldemort partially froze him and Draco stepped up behind him.
"Your head can still move Weasley, as can your upper body," Draco explained. "I think you know what's going to happen next."
"No," Ron whispered, eyeing up the tub of freezing water in front of him. As Draco said, he could move his upper body, but not his arms, so unless he could manage to head-butt the blond he was trapped.
"Where is Hermione?" Draco asked as he wrapped his hand in Ron's thick red hair.
"She's not with us," Ron admitted reluctantly.
"So where is she?" Draco repeated.
"Not with us," Ron answered.
"Suit yourself," Draco said with a sigh as he pushed Ron's head under the water.
Draco held Ron's head under the water for a couple of seconds, before he released the spluttering redhead.
"Same question," he spat through his teeth. "Where is she?"
"I don't know," Ron answered.
Not bothering to reply, Draco plunged Ron's head back under the water. This time he left him under slightly longer, and when he brought Ron back up, he was spluttering even more and sobbing quietly.
"Had enough, Weasley?" Draco asked. "All you have to do is answer me. Where is she?"
"I don't know," Ron repeated with a scream.
"Liar," Draco hissed, dunking the redhead under the water yet again.
"Is he a liar?" Lucius asked as the redhead struggled against Draco's firm grip.
"I don't know," Draco confessed as he pulled Ron back out of the water. "Are you a liar, Weasley?"
"No," Ron cried. "I don't know where she is. Harry said she went home."
"And where is home?" Draco asked.
"I don't know," Ron answered. "Please, I don't know. I don't know why you want Hermione, but I can't give her to you. I don't know where she is."
Even though he believed Ron, Draco thrust his head into the water in anger. He knew they were at a dead end, and that Ron couldn't help them any more than he had. He obviously thought Hermione had left Order headquarters of her own free will, and he had no idea where she was. Whatever had happened to Hermione, Ron didn't know about it.
"Damn it," Draco swore, pulling Ron back up out of the water one final time.
Ron wasn't quite dead, but he was struggling for breath and Draco knew it wouldn't take long to finish him off. Removing his hand from Ron's head, he stepped away and turned to Voldemort.
"He doesn't know anything else," he said reluctantly. "If he knew, he would have cracked."
"I think he would have," Voldemort agreed. "He's of no further use."
"Do you want me to finish him off?" Draco asked. He'd never killed before, but given the mood he was in, he didn't think he would have much trouble in ending Ron's life.
"No, I'll do it," Voldemort said. "We'll then leave him for the Order to find. I want them to know we're coming after them."
"Won't that endanger, Hermione?" Rabastan asked worriedly. "I don't want them killing her because we're killing them."
"I don't believe they'll kill Hermione," Voldemort said with confidence. "Besides, they'll not have her for long. Weasley might not have known anything, but he isn't the only member of the Order. I will torture the lot of them if I have to. This is merely the start. We will find Hermione, even if we have to take out the entire Order to do so."
Draco felt a flare of hope at Voldemort's words. He wasn't giving up on Hermione, and nor was anyone else. Weasley might have been a dead end, but someone would give them what they needed before long. Someone knew where Hermione was, and the dark would find them and drag it out of them.
"You can go if you want, Draco," Voldemort said.
"I'll stay if that's alright, My Lord," Draco replied. "I want to see the Weasels end."
Voldemort nodded and turned to a broken Ron. Draco had done a good job with torturing Ron, and he'd proven himself more than worthy. In other circumstances, Voldemort might have added his own brand of torture to the redhead, but he was more worried about his granddaughter. He just wanted to deal with Ron, and then move on to find someone who might be able to help him.
With a flash of green light, Ron's life ended, but the trouble was only beginning for the Order. They'd made a big mistake in snatching Hermione, and they were all going to pay for it. The dark would get Hermione back, no matter how many lives they had to take in doing so.
Ron's death shook the Order to the core, but they were rocked even further over the next ten days when three more of their numbers were discovered dead and tortured, just like Ron had been. After Ron, the next one to be killed was Ron's brother Percy, and his death was closely followed by that of the Transfiguration Professor, Minerva McGonagall. However, the real blow to the Order came when Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt was killed. The fact a fully trained Auror had been taken out so easily by the dark, left the Order panicked and there was a sombre atmosphere at headquarters on the evening Harry Potter dragged Albus Dumbledore into the library for a private word.
"This is all our fault," Harry hissed. "These killings stem from the fact we've locked Hermione up."
"We don't know that Harry," Dumbledore said warily. "This could all be a nasty coincidence."
"You don't believe that any more than I do," Harry snorted. "They haven't lashed out like this before. But all of a sudden, we've cut them off from Hermione and they're angry. Besides, everyone has clearly been tortured for information."
"They're not getting any information though, are they?" Dumbledore retorted. "We just need to be more vigilant."
"It's too late for Ron though, isn't it?" Harry yelled. "We've gotten my best friend killed, and I have to live with that for the rest of my life."
"What was the alternative, Harry?" Dumbledore asked quietly. "Hermione had to be dealt with."
"I know," Harry conceded. "But maybe there was another way."
"There wasn't another way," Dumbledore said with a shake of his head. "The alternative was doing nothing, and then Hermione would have doomed us all."
"She's dooming us all right now," Harry argued. "They won't stop. You know that as well as I do. They'll keep coming until they get her back."
"Then we'll have to come up with a plan and move fast," Dumbledore said. "We can use Hermione to end this war. We just have to hold our nerve for a while longer."
"And what, just count the bodies of the people we care about as they continue to be picked off by the dark?" Harry questioned. "The price is too steep, Professor. We can't just let the dark continue to target the others."
"Be strong, Harry," Dumbledore urged, placing a calming hand on the young wizard's shoulders. "We will win, even if the cost is higher than we anticipated."
"It's already too much," Harry muttered, pulling away from Dumbledore.
The family he loved as his own had lost two of their sons, and Harry knew he was partly to blame for their deaths. If the Weasleys found out the truth, they would never forgive him, and to be honest, Harry didn't blame them one bit. He would never forgive himself for his part in Ron's death.
"Just hold tight, Harry," Dumbledore said as he made his way towards the library door.
Harry turned away in disgust as Dumbledore left the library. He stood in the middle of the room, and waited until he was sure Dumbledore had left the house before leaving the library. Heading back downstairs he found his godfather sitting in the front room, staring blankly at the flames in the fireplace.
"Sirius, is everything okay?" Harry asked warily, wondering if someone else was missing or had been found dead.
"No," Sirius Black answered quietly.
"What's wrong?" Harry questioned, sitting down beside his godfather. "Is it Remus?"
Harry had just realised that his godfather's best friend, Remus Lupin, was nowhere to be seen. Remus lived with the pair at Grimmauld Place, and when Harry had pulled Dumbledore aside to talk, he was definitely in the house with his girlfriend, the Auror Nymphadora Tonks.
"It is," Sirius confirmed.
"Nothing's happened to him, has it?" Harry asked, even though he couldn't see how any harm could have come to the older wizard in the time he'd been talking to Dumbledore.
"Not exactly," Sirius replied with a sigh as he sat back and ran his fingers through his messy black hair. "He's gone, Harry."
"Gone?" Harry frowned. "What do you mean, gone?"
"I mean he's left," Sirius answered. "Tonks is pregnant, and with what's going on at the moment, they're worried about the baby. If the dark can kidnap an Auror as experienced as Kingsley, they could get their hands on a newbie like Tonks. I can understand their caution. In their position I would do the same."
"You would leave?" Harry questioned. "I didn't think you were the running type, Sirius."
"I'm not, but some things are worth running for, or hiding for," Sirius remarked. "Just take your parents, Harry. James and Lily were the bravest people I've ever met, but they still knew when the time was right to hide in order to protect you. We can't blame Remus and Tonks for running to protect their child."
"No, we can't," Harry agreed with a heavy heart. Now he had even more to feel guilty about, because he knew there was no way in hell that Remus and Tonks would have ran if the dark hadn't been running through the Order at such a rapid rate.
"I just wish I knew what was behind these attacks," Sirius hissed angrily.
"What makes you think there's something behind them?" Harry asked.
"Don't be stupid Harry, there's a reason for these attacks," Sirius said. "The dark have been content to grow their numbers and avoid any major confrontation, now all of a sudden they're snatching and torturing our numbers. Four dead in just under two weeks is a massive shift in the way they've been operating. Something's changed, and I wish I knew what."
"What would you do if you knew what had changed?" Harry questioned.
"Do you know something, Harry?" Sirius asked, scrutinising his godson.
"What makes you think I know something?" Harry asked, trying to look innocent.
"I know you Harry, and I can see the tension in you," Sirius replied. "What do you know about this?"
"Nothing," Harry lied.
"Harry," Sirius cajoled. "Your best friend is dead, along with three other people. If you know something you have to tell me. Believe me, you don't want anyone's deaths on your conscience."
"It's too late for that," Harry whispered.
"So you do know something," Sirius concluded.
"I do," Harry admitted with a nod of his head. "I know what the dark want. I know why they're torturing and killing people."
"Why? What are they after?" Sirius pressed.
"Hermione," Harry answered in a small voice. "They're after Hermione."
"Hermione?" Sirius questioned with a puzzled frown. "Why would they want Hermione? And if they did want her, it would be easy for them to find her. She's only at home."
"It's a long story," Harry said.
"I've got time," Sirius said, giving his godson a long, hard stare. "Harry, your best friend is dead and mine is about to run away with his pregnant girlfriend. You need to tell me what you know. Why do the dark want Hermione?"
Taking a deep breath, Harry began to tell Sirius the entire story. He confided how Dumbledore had approached him and informed him everything he'd discovered about Hermione. He also explained how the pair had trapped Hermione, and were planning on using her as bait to get hold of Voldemort and kill him.
"Bloody hell," Sirius muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I always thought Hermione was such a lovely girl."
"So did I," Harry replied with a sigh. "I didn't want to believe it when Dumbledore told me, but he has tons of proof. Hermione's been playing us for years. She's Voldemort's granddaughter."
"No wonder they're so desperate to get her back," Sirius said. "You do know they won't stop, don't you? They'll kill us all to get Hermione back."
"I know," Harry confessed. "But Dumbledore doesn't seem bothered. Four people are dead, and more will die."
"They will," Sirius agreed. "I guess what we need to decide is if it's worth it. Is having Hermione in our possession worth all the loss?"
"No," Harry answered instinctively. "Nothing was worth losing Ron."
"So what do you suggest we do?" Sirius asked. "We could end this right now. But by doing that, we're giving the dark an advantage. Do we want to give them Hermione back?"
"No, I don't want to give them Hermione back, but we can't let them keep killing," Harry said. "I will not let them kill another member of the Order."
"That leaves us with one choice," Sirius said. "We let them know where Hermione is."
"And then they'll come after me," Harry said sadly. "Hermione knows it was Dumbledore and I who trapped her. She'll not let me get away with it."
"I don't mean to be harsh, Harry, but they're coming after you anyway," Sirius said gently. "It could be worth losing Hermione if it stops the killing. Although, before we do anything, I think we need to relocate to somewhere Hermione doesn't know about."
"Dumbledore won't like it," Harry warned. "He won't allow us to give her back."
"Then we don't tell him," Sirius said with a shrug. "I respect Dumbledore, but he isn't always right. We have to do the right thing, Harry. If we sit back and do nothing, every death is on our conscience and we'll have blood on our hands. I don't want that."
"Neither do I," Harry replied.
"Let's get planning then," Sirius announced. "Let's put this mess right before we lose even more innocent people."
Harry nodded as he settled down to discuss tactics with Sirius. He knew he could never make up for the deaths of Ron, Percy, McGonagall and Kingsley, but he could make sure no more joined their numbers. Even if it did mean handing the dark a deadly weapon back into their possession in the form of an undoubtedly angry Hermione.
"It has to be a trap," Bellatrix Lestrange declared, breaking the silence that had fallen in Lucius Malfoy's study.
Sitting on Lucius's desk with a letter with the address of a house that Bellatrix had confirmed belonged to the Black family, specifically Sirius's side of the family. The common consensus was that the house was where Hermione was located, but no-one knew why the Order would give them the information. There was no note accompanying the address, so they were left to speculate on who had given them the information and why.
"It could well be," Voldemort agreed with a nod of his head. "In fact, I think it's very likely to be a trap."
"Trap or not, I'm going," Draco said firmly. "If there's even the smallest chance Hermione is in that house, I'm taking it."
"Me too," Rabastan agreed. "I will not risk not rescuing my daughter because it might be a trap."
"No-one is suggesting that Rabastan," Voldemort said soothingly. "Trap or not, we will be going to the house. I just want us to be prepared."
Everyone agreed that preparation was the key, and they were more than happy to spend a couple of hours coming up with a plan of action. However, the second the plan was set, Rabastan and Draco were eager to get going. Voldemort was just as eager to potentially rescue his granddaughter, and once he was sure everyone knew the plan, he nodded his head and the group headed off to the cottage they'd been directed to.
"Nice place," Lucius remarked as the group assembled close to the cottage by the sea. "A bit small, perhaps, but nice all the same."
"Size isn't everything, Lucius," Bellatrix huffed. Even though the house technically belonged to a different branch of the family, it was still a Black property and part of her heritage.
"Is that what you tell yourself married to Rodolphus?" Lucius teased. "Your sister doesn't have that problem. She has no complaints about size."
"Really?" Bellatrix questioned, her eyes drifting down to Lucius's crotch.
"If you're finished, we've got things to do," Draco snapped, annoyed by the flirting between his father and aunt. He knew it wasn't anything to be worried about as his father loved his mother, he just liked to flirt, but he wasn't in the mood for playful banter.
"Let's press on," Voldemort said. "As we discussed, we're going with force. Spread around the house."
The group jumped to follow Voldemort's orders, spacing themselves around the boundary of the cottage. Once they were in place, Voldemort gave the word and as one they sent a force of spells at the cottage to break the wards around it. The first wave of spells merely brushed over the cottage, but the group didn't give up and they battered at the wards until they began to shake. With an almighty bang the wards suddenly broke, sending the group falling to the floor by the force of the blast.
Draco was the first one to his feet, and once he was sure the wards had gone, he ran towards the house screaming Hermione's name. The rest of the group were hot on Draco's heels, and they burst into the cottage from several different directions.
"Hermione," Draco called, seeing no sign of his girlfriend in the small cottage.
"Hermione, we're here for you," Rabastan added, letting his daughter know it wasn't a trick and that they were really there.
With no sign of Hermione on the ground floor, Draco was the first to reach the stairs. However, before he even placed his foot on the first step, Hermione appeared at the top of the stairs, her wand pointed in his direction.
"Don't take another step," she warned in a low voice that dripped with danger.
"Hermione, it's me," Draco said as the others formed a group behind him. "We're here to save you."
"How do I know you're all who you say you are?" Hermione asked.
"Do you honestly think they could use polyjuice potion to pose as me?" Voldemort asked with a low chuckle.
"It's not the easiest thing to do, but they might have been able to manage it," Hermione replied. "I'm not taking any chances. Not this time. Prove to me that I can trust you."
"Stubborn girl, just like your mother," Rabastan muttered. "Okay, if I'm not your father how do I know you broke Draco's nose when you were five because he wouldn't give you a turn on his new broom."
"That was an accident," Hermione said. "I didn't mean to break his nose, I was just trying to get a go on his broom. I never meant to whack him with the broom."
"Either way, it bloody hurt," Draco murmured. "Now do you believe us that we are who we appear to be?"
"I'm not sure," Hermione replied with a sly smile. "How do I know you're my boyfriend?"
"If you come here, I'll prove it," Draco suggested. "No-one can kiss you like I can."
Hermione grinned slightly as she all but ran down the remainder of the stairs and into Draco's arms. Unbothered by the presence of Hermione's father and grandfather, the pair locked lips in a steamy embrace. When they didn't immediately part, Lucius cleared his throat in an attempt to bring the pair back to reality.
"Well?" Draco asked with a grin as Hermione slowly pulled her lips away from his.
"Hmm, I might need another kiss," Hermione said with a smile. "Just to prove it's really you."
"Not now," Voldemort said firmly. "We need to leave. Chances are whoever set these wards will know they've been broken. Unless we all want to be trapped, we need to go now."
"You're right," Hermione said with a nod. "Let's get out of here before Dumbledore arrives. I then want to know how you found me."
"We'll explain everything once you're safely back home," Rabastan promised.
"And we need to discuss what happens next," Hermione added. "I want my revenge on Harry and Dumbledore. They're going to pay for locking me up."
"Yes, they are," Voldemort agreed in a deadly voice as everyone nodded their agreement.
Sharing a smirk with her rescuers, Hermione got ready to leave her prison. The Order were going to pay for kidnapping her and holding her hostage, and now she was back with her family, nothing could save them. Hermione was going to lead the dark to victory, and nothing could stand in her way now she was free again and back with everyone she loved.