A/N: Hello, dear readers! So, I know a lot of you are wondering about how Bellatrix was able to survive the Dementor's Kiss the way she did. I haven't fully explained how she's done that, but an explanation is coming in the next few chapters. Once again, I will update in about 4 weeks (I know it's a long time to wait). I hope you're all doing well and please enjoy this update (as much as you can).
Trouble is just a necessary evil
And it don't always end peaceful
I know you worry but
Don't give up, honey
One day, I might not make it back home
-Leave the Light On, Zero 9:36
It was dark when Hermione opened her eyes despite the pounding in her head. Her hands were bound behind her by coarse rope to a chair, and her legs were tied to the legs of the chair. Dizziness washed over her and she sucked in a few deliberate breaths until it faded. A small ache remained, but she was able to focus on her surroundings.
The room was damp, with very little light originating from what she thought to be stairs. She could hear footsteps above her and hushed conversations from the source of light. There were no windows anywhere she could see, but even glancing at the light from the corner of her eyes made her head throb painfully, so that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If she had to guess, she was in a cellar of some kind and given the size that she could see, it belonged to someone wealthy.
Her vision began to grow blurry and she blinked hard to focus. She could hear footsteps approaching her purposefully and she intended to see the face of the person behind this. A dark laugh echoed through the room, making it harder for her to direct her still-blurry gaze in the right direction.
"Interesting, isn't it?" a male voice asked, the words bouncing off the walls and making her dizziness stronger, "I stumbled across it quite accidentally, but I suppose everything has a use. Even you."
"And what would that be?" she ground out against the sensations pummeling her.
Laughter hit her from all sides and she hunched over, feeling the ropes dig into her wrists.
Bella, she thought, reaching out to the other witch's mind.
Hermione, came the immediate response, I've been so worried.
His hand gripped her chin hard, jerking her head up. "You will be the downfall of the people you tried to protect. And the best part is that you won't be able to stop it."
I'm not sure where I am, she thought as she said aloud, "If that's what you think, you've got another thing coming."
Hermione invited Bellatrix into her mind, letting her sift through what was happening. She felt pressure behind her eyes and the grip on her chin tightened.
Let me see, cub, she heard Bellatrix think.
A scoff came, and her head was tossed out of his grip roughly, sending a wave of nausea through her. She shoved it down, hearing footsteps move away. Hermione bit her lip, trying to think of something to say to get him to come back. She still hadn't been able to make out his face, but the magic that prevented her from being able to make anything out faded as he walked away. If she made him mad enough, he might forget and she and Bellatrix could get a good look at him.
"Are you so afraid of a single girl? So afraid that you need a small army to bring me down?" she taunted, "So afraid you hide like some child?"
The footsteps stopped and Hermione smiled victoriously. Bellatrix warned her to be careful, but she knew he wouldn't kill her, yet. She could push him a little bit.
"Here I am, a girl tied to a chair in your cellar, and I'm still more of a man than you'll ever be," she spat.
He stomped toward her with tense shoulders and clenched fists, anger clouding his brain. He would wipe the smile off her face and teach her who was in control. When he reached her, her chin was raised in defiance, and that further enraged him.
"YOU DARE TALK TO YOUR BETTER THAT WAY?!" he snarled, backhanding her roughly.
His rings bit into Hermione's cheek and lip and the slap sent her vision swimming. She felt Bellatrix's hesitance and worry, but she ignored it, turning her face back to him. She didn't let on that she could see him, knowing that it would definitely get her killed. In his anger, he didn't notice the brief glimmer of awareness before she forced her eyes to unfocus.
Did you see him? she thought to Bellatrix, keeping her pain and worry from reaching her.
You should be more careful, Bellatrix warned, But yes, I saw him. He looks familiar, but I can't place him.
Well, we know he's a pureblood, she thought, hoping it would lighten the mood. When it didn't, she continued, He won't kill me yet, he needs me for something.
Hermione, she began.
I know. Just...just try to think of who he is, at least before he hurts my friends. I'll reach out when I can, Hermione thought, abruptly severing their connection.
She knew what was coming and she didn't want Bellatrix to witness any of it. Another slap came, his rings digging into the flesh of her other cheek. Blood dripped out of her mouth and her vision swam. When he grabbed her chin again, his nails dug into her, breaking the skin painfully. Hermione refused to make a sound, though her smile had faded.
"I can't believe you made me stoop to your level," he hissed, wiping his hands on a towel and drawing his wand, "I'm better than that. Crucio!"
Hermione was no stranger to the Cruciatus Curse, having experienced it at the hands of Bellatrix. Hers had been more skillful, but her captor's anger fueled the curse, and even though she tried not to, a scream eventually left her. Laughter met her ears as she slumped forward, biting her lip against the lingering pain.
"That ought to teach you your place," he spat, striding out of the room as he straightened his clothes.
Blood pooled in Hermione's mouth and she spat it onto the floor. She groaned, pulling on the rope tying her to the chair. A hiss left her as the ropes dug into her already chafed wrists. She was hesitant to let herself slip into unconsciousness, afraid she might have a concussion.
Panic surged through Bellatrix when Hermione pushed her out. She tried to reach out to her, finding her walls up. Bellatrix wanted to push through them, she knew she would be able to, but she had what she needed and she had promised not to invade Hermione's mind. She intended to keep that promise. Not to mention with the state she was currently in, it might damage her mind.
It had been a day since Ginny told her Hermione was missing, and she had spent the entire time awake. Sleep had not come to her, though she had tried. She hadn't really wanted to sleep in case Hermione reached out. When she finally had, relief had surged through her and all her exhaustion had evaporated.
She called for a house-elf, instructing him to bring Ginny to her. The image of the man was at the forefront of her mind as she pushed herself into a sitting position, biting the nail of her thumb as she combed through her memories. His voice had been familiar, his face had been familiar, so why couldn't she place him? She was so lost in thought that the house-elf came and went, depositing Ginny in the room.
"You heard from her?" she asked, startling the former Death Eater out of her thoughts.
"Yes," Bellatrix breathed, "I'm not sure where she is, but I got a decent look at the man who's holding her. I'm positive I know who he is."
"How can I help?" Ginny leaned on the post opposite Bellatrix.
Bellatrix tapped her thumbnail against her teeth. "He's definitely a pureblood, about Andy's age, I think. Definitely British. His eyes were light, maybe blue or green, brown hair."
"Anything else?" Ginny asked, the description not striking any sense of familiarity to her but it was helping Bellatrix.
Bellatrix shook her head. "I don't know. It's been years since I'd have seen him, and I wouldn't really have cared who he was if he wasn't a marked Death Eater. Cissy might have the name, she was always better at that. Can you hand me parchment and a quill?"
Ginny rummaged through the desk for a quill, shuffling parchment around to find one that wasn't written on. When she found one, she handed them and a stiff folder to Bellatrix, placing an inkwell on the nightstand beside her.
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about creating a barrier to nullify portkeys and the like, would you?" Ginny asked, taking up her position leaning against the post.
The quill in Bellatrix's hand scratched against the parchment as she thought. "No, I don't think I've ever come across anything like that. Why?"
"Luna and Narcissa haven't been able to keep it up long enough for it to matter." Ginny shifted her weight. "We're still working on it. We're searching the library in shifts."
"I doubt I'll be much help with that," Bellatrix mumbled.
"Have you slept at all?" Ginny was well aware of the dark circles around her own eyes.
Bellatrix shook her head, chewing on her lip in concentration. "Haven't wanted to. Just in case. You?"
"Not a wink," she mumbled.
"Ginny?" the former Death Eater asked, her hand stilling as she continued in a small voice, "What if I never get to see her again?"
"I promised I'd get her back," she said strongly, placing a hand on the older witch's shoulder, "And I will not break that promise."
Bellatrix nodded halfheartedly. She wasn't sure how Ginny could be so sure that she would bring Hermione home. The more time that passed, the more she was afraid that Hermione would be killed by the man holding her. Even the reassurance from the brunette hadn't made her feel better. She turned her attention back to her sketch, using it as a distraction from her thoughts. Ginny kept her company the entire time, falling asleep against the post at some point.
Hermione nearly choked when she felt cool water touch her lips, mixing with the sickly sweet taste of blood. A gentle, feminine voice shushed her but continued to hold the cup to her mouth. Hermione couldn't force herself to open her eyes, nausea threatening to make her lose the water she had just swallowed each time she tried. She hadn't meant to fall back into unconsciousness, but she must've. How much time had passed since she last talked to Bellatrix?
"Can you tell me what day it is?" Hermione mumbled, struggling to form words.
"Not so loud," the voice warned, continuing, "I'm not supposed to be down here. If I get caught, we'll both be in trouble."
"Who are you?" Hermione whispered.
"I can't tell you that, I'm sorry," came the whispered reply.
Hermione tried again to open her eyes, wincing, and deciding against it. "Can you tell me anything?"
There was a long pause, and Hermione almost thought she was alone again when the voice answered, "Your friends are in danger. He wants to keep you alive to plant fake evidence to draw them into a trap."
"And you can't tell me who he is?" she asked.
"No, I can't, I'm sorry." There was fear in the voice and Hermione almost recognized it.
"Wait," she hissed when she heard her stand, "What day is it?"
"Almost Sunday," came the quiet reply, "I'll be back when I can."
With her departure, silence rushed in again, mixing with the darkness to make Hermione feel more alone than she ever had. Bellatrix was only a thought away, but even with the water, her head was still foggy. She wasn't sure when she would wake up again- if she would- and she knew she needed to warn Ginny.
Bella, she thought, wincing as her head throbbed.
I'm here, came the quick response.
Hermione felt Bellatrix's relief trickle to her, mixing with her own. Tell Ginny they're planning a trap. Tell her not to believe anything she finds.
I will. A beat passed. How are you holding up?
She paused, wondering if she should tell Bellatrix before deciding she didn't want to give her false hope. I'm in pretty bad shape. Someone is helping me, though. Not a lot, but it makes a difference. She said she'd be back when she can.
Bellatrix didn't respond for a moment. How bad is it?
It's...it's not looking super great, she admitted, I think I might have a concussion, I'm lucky to have woken up at all, let alone twice. I'm...worried.
We're working on finding you, cub, as fast as we can. Can you hang on for a bit? Bellatrix asked.
Hermione grit her teeth. I'm trying.
Last time I talked to Ginny, she said Luna was having trouble getting the barrier to hold. They're looking for a solution, but do you have any ideas? It was a rushed question, but Hermione was able to keep up.
Nausea washed over her, requiring her full attention for a moment. She felt a spike of panic from Bellatrix, letting reassurance drift to her.
I just needed a minute, she assured, adding, It sounds like the barrier might need a focus.
I'll pass it along. Hang in there, Hermione. Bellatrix wanted to tell her more, but thought better of it.
Hermione didn't have the mental fortitude to respond, but she tried to send soothing emotions to the older witch as her consciousness left her.
She woke with a start when she heard footsteps, at first thinking it was her captor before realizing the sound was too quiet. The owner had to be smaller, and based on the timid nature of the footsteps, Hermione reasoned they belonged to the person who gave her water earlier. She cracked her eyes open, wincing at the pain caused by the distant light. She couldn't see their face yet, but they were definitely female and around her height.
"Shh," came the hushed noise.
Hermione nodded slowly, keeping her gaze on the floor until the light was partially blocked. "Why are you helping me?"
"It's the right thing to do," she whispered, holding a piece of bread to Hermione's lips.
"Can you tell me anything else?" she asked before taking a bite. It was soft but cold, drying her mouth more than it already was.
She looked behind her, checking to make sure no one was coming, which gave Hermione a view of her profile, before exchanging the bread for water. "It's Sunday. He's come down a few times to make sure you were still unconscious but that you're alive."
Hermione took several small sips, the pain in her head subsiding somewhat. "Do you know how many people are here?"
She shook her head.
"Can you give me a range of how many might be here?"
She fidgeted, casting another nervous glance toward the stairs. "Not including me and my sister, maybe between 15 and 20."
Footsteps on the stairs caused them both to freeze. She banished the bread and water, looking around.
"Are you down here? You know you shouldn't be," came a stern voice.
To Hermione, she mouthed, "I'm sorry," before calling to the man, "Just telling this worthless mudblood her place."
"She's awake?" he asked, moving closer.
Hermione felt her head throb, the dizzying sensation of the spell he used hitting her full force.
"You must be careful she doesn't see you. Go back to your room," he ordered.
Light footsteps moved away from her while his footsteps approached. Both pairs stopped and she heard a whispered exchange she couldn't make out before they resumed. His heavy footsteps circled around her a few times before he stopped. Hermione was pretty sure he was in front of her, but she couldn't tell for certain.
"The great Hermione Granger, acclaimed war hero, reduced to the filth she is. It took a while to catch up to you, the people do adore you. They will realize their mistake once you and your friends are dead. I was originally going to let them live, you know," he said, crouching so he was eye level with her, "But then you had to be difficult and drag them all into this. If you had just learned your place instead of pushing for more, pushing for equality when you don't deserve it, this wouldn't have happened. I guess you could say that this is all your fault."
Hermione laughed. She couldn't help herself. It was the wrong thing to do, that much was obvious from the slap she promptly received, but it was almost worth it.
"If Voldemort couldn't beat us when we were children, what makes you think we'll be so easy to kill now?" she asked, blood pooling in her mouth.
"He was a fool," he hissed, pushing himself up so he was standing, "And if he had listened to me, he would've won the war."
Blood dribbled out of her mouth and down her chin. "But he didn't. I bet that makes you pretty angry, doesn't it? Angry enough to start a war that belongs in the past."
She braced herself for another slap, but it never came. Instead, her chair was tipped backward, balancing on two legs.
"I'm starting to think keeping you alive until your friends are dead is more trouble than it's worth," he growled.
Hermione swallowed hard, grunting when the front two legs of her chair hit the ground hard. He chuckled darkly, turning and walking away from her. She waited until her vision no longer swam to smile victoriously to herself. Every piece of information she could extract was useful, and as long as she didn't push her captor too far, she would be alive to relay it to Bellatrix. She brushed against the former Death Eaters's mind, slumping in relief when she felt her mind brush back.
I think the girl helping me is his daughter, she thought, too tired for a regular greeting, She has a sister, too. She estimates that there are 15-20 people, not including her and her sister. And the man holding me thinks Voldemort would've won the war if he had listened. I think I know the girl, we would've been at Hogwarts around the same time but I can't think of her name. Any luck on your end?
Not much. Luna has been asleep for the past few hours. She's tried a few different objects as a focus, but nothing has held for longer than a few minutes. Narcissa is working on it now. I finished the sketch of the man and showed it to her, she's having Harry and Neville look through the photo albums to see if they can find one with him when he was a few years younger. Draco and Ginny are asleep but they're helping, too.
An idea struck Hermione, and she thought to Bellatrix, If I show you the memory of seeing her, could you draw her and have Draco look at her? She would've been in Slytherin, he might have an easier time.
Bellatrix moved into her mind, and Hermione guided her to the memory of the slight view she had gotten of her helper.
It's not much, she thought to Bellatrix, But can you work with it?
I'll do my best.
Good luck.
Hermione severed their connection, groaning as her head throbbed. It was harder to stay awake each time, and reaching out to Bellatrix was becoming more taxing. She had faith that her friends would find her, but she was starting to worry they wouldn't find her in time. At least she had warned them of the trap that was being set for them. Hermione refused to let tears fall, letting unconsciousness sweep her into its arms once more.
Bellatrix worked frantically on the sketch of the person helping Hermione. If Draco could identify her, they would at least be able to narrow down where Hermione was. Her quill scratched against the parchment rapidly, filling in only the details she knew for sure. It was nearly finished, and she called for a house-elf to fetch Draco and Ginny for her. She wasn't sure what explanation the red-headed witch had given to her friends about the information they were getting, but it didn't matter. They both sleepily appeared in her room, rubbing their eyes.
"I heard from Hermione," she rushed out, putting the finishing touches on her sketch and holding it out to them, "Do either of you recognize her?"
Draco pulled it gently out of her hands, all traces of exhaustion evaporating as he studied it. "That looks like Daphne. Daphne Greengrass."
"Find a picture of her father in the photo albums and see if Narcissa can confirm that the man I drew is him. She always threw parties for the Sacred 28 around Christmas, he would've been invited," Bellatrix instructed.
Draco nodded, rushing off. Ginny stayed behind, sitting on the foot of Bellatrix's bed.
"How's she doing?" she asked, leaning against the post.
"I didn't ask," Bellatrix mumbled, "But I think she's worse than last time."
Ginny nodded sadly. "We're getting there. Hopefully, Narcissa has made some progress with the barrier while we were sleeping. At least now we might know who has her, and we can start narrowing down where she is."
Bellatrix nodded, swallowing hard. "I know she's tough, but I'm worried about her."
"She's not just tough, she's stubborn," Ginny said, placing a hand on her shin "I'll let you know what Narcissa says. Try to get some sleep."
Ginny stood, leaving the room silently. Bellatrix stared at the door, her eyes following the patterns of the wood. She sighed, sinking further into the mattress. Hermione's absence was like a hole in her very being. Her eyes grew heavy, falling closed as she drifted off into a light sleep.
A pop startled her awake, and she hurriedly pushed herself up so she was sitting, dragging her arm over her eyes.
"Apologies, Mistress, but Miss Ginny asks that you come to the library," a house-elf said, wringing its hands together.
"Can you hand me my robe, please?" she requested, pointing to the garment hanging on the back of the door.
With a snap of the elf's fingers, her robe flew into her hand. She pulled it on, bracing herself on the nightstand as she moved her legs over the edge of the bed. The elf moved closer to her, holding out its hand for her to take.
"I can't stand for very long," she warned, "Not without help."
"The others are waiting, Mistress," came the reply.
Bellatrix nodded, pushing herself up and grabbing its small hand. Her surroundings twisted, reforming into the library. She reached for a surface to lean on, feeling an arm reach around her waist to support her. She sent a grateful smile to her sister, taking in the dumbstruck looks on Harry and Neville's faces. Luna had a dreamy smile on her face, subtly elbowing the two boys- men- so they would snap out of it. Narcissa guided her into a seat, standing behind the chair and resting her hands on the back of it.
"Right," Ginny began, "I know this may come as a shock, but Bella has been helping us. She's been able to get in touch with Hermione and that's how we know what we do."
"A shock?" Harry asked in disbelief, "She was given the kiss, I saw it myself!"
Narcissa flinched, pointing out, "You weren't the only one. Regardless, she's our only link to Hermione."
"We could use the help," Neville reasoned, "If it helps Hermione, I don't care how we get it."
"Just a surprise was all, a bit of warning would've been nice," he muttered, sending a glare at Ginny.
She just shrugged. "You wouldn't have believed me, anyway."
"Fair," he grumbled, "I'm not against this, I want to get Hermione back."
"And we will," Luna said airily.
"Did you get the barrier to hold?" Bellatrix asked, fidgeting in her chair.
The eccentric witch shook her head gently. "Not quite, but it's almost there."
"We need a plan," Ginny said, "As soon as it's stable, we'll be ready. And we could use your help with it, Bella."
"You've figured out where she is, then?" she asked, sitting up straighter.
Her sister placed a hand on her shoulder. "Not exactly. We have a good idea though. The Greengrass family has a few properties, but only four of those properties have a cellar."
"So, there's a twenty-five percent chance we'll be at the right house," Neville said.
"Unless you go to all of them," Bellatrix said, desperation setting in "If you each coordinate a team, you could cover all four at once."
This time, Ginny placed a hand on her shoulder. "Bella, we don't have the manpower for that, and it's possible one of those properties is where the trap is."
"That's where you come in," she continued, "Can you give us any information that might help us narrow it down?"
Bellatrix chewed her lip, furrowing her brows in concentration. She hadn't seen much through Hermione's eyes, or even in her memories. She tried to think of anything that stood out to her, but everything she had seen seemed typical of anywhere.
"I can't think of anything," she said, shaking her head, "But I can try to get in touch with Hermione if she's awake."
"Either way, we have one chance," Harry said, standing and looking at files on the table, "Our plan will be more or less the same for each of these."
"I'll need to put up the barrier, first," Luna said, "From there we should follow protocol and secure the building."
Neville nodded, standing next to Harry, "If there are 15 to 20 people, we should take at least that many."
"You should take 30," Bellatrix suggested, "Split into six teams."
"Why?" Harry asked, looking back and forth between the table and Bellatrix.
Ginny looked over at him, her hand still on Bellatrix's shoulder. "It's easier to manage small teams. We can still work as a large team if we need to, but we can split the building into sections and secure it faster."
"Right," Harry mumbled, his cheeks red, "This was always Hermione's forte, not mine."
"Make sure none of them get to the cellar," Bellatrix said, "She's their main target, so even if they don't think they can kill any of you, they'll still try to get to her."
Bella, she heard Hermione think weakly.
She tensed, thinking, Hermione, what's going on?
I'm okay, she reassured, not entirely convincing, Just pushed him a little hard. I'm still alive, though, so that's a good thing.
"Ginny, where are the four properties? Quick," Bellatrix rushed out.
"Erm, Ireland, Scotland, and England," she answered, a question on her tongue before she thought better of it.
Hermione, can you tell me where you think you are? We've got it narrowed down to Scotland, England, and Ireland.
It was quiet for a moment, and Bellatrix grew more and more worried she wouldn't get an answer. Her nails dug into the arms of the chair, her eyes unfocused and far away.
I'm in Ireland, came the faint reply, and Bellatrix immediately relaxed her grip on the chair.
"Please tell me there's only one option in Ireland," she said aloud, looking up at Ginny.
Bella, came Hermione's weak call, He's losing his patience. He thinks they aren't looking for me. I managed to buy myself another day or two by telling him we don't release anything over the weekend.
What did he do to you? Bellatrix thought, feeling anger fill her.
I'd rather not. It's nothing I can't handle. Just...Please get me home.
Bellatrix could sense Hermione's thinly veiled fear, trying to send her reassurance. We're working on it, cub, I promise.
I have to go.
She felt Hermione slip away, clutching the arms of her chair in worry so tightly her nails almost broke.
"You okay?" Ginny asked, kneeling in front of her.
It was just the two of them in the library, the rest of them had left while she was talking to Hermione. Bellatrix looked down at her hands, biting back tears as she shook her head from side to side. A sob shook her shoulders before she could stop it, breaking her will. Her shoulders shook as tears flowed down her face, clutching her hands tightly. Ginny pulled her into a hug, letting her cry onto her shoulder.
Sniffling, Bellatrix managed to say, "We have to get her back by tomorrow or at least make him think you're searching for her following his fake leads."
"We will, Bella, we will," Ginny murmured, rubbing her back, "When it comes down to it, we're getting Hermione out of there tomorrow even if the barrier doesn't hold and we'll just have to hunt down whoever gets away. We have the upper hand. We know who has her, where she is, and the plot against us."
"Cissy was right," Bellatrix mumbled into Ginny's shoulder, "She said I'd regret it if something happened and I didn't tell Hermione how I feel."
"Bella," Ginny said, holding her shoulders and moving them so she could look into the older witch's eyes, "I will bring her home alive."
Bellatrix nodded, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her robe.
"Narcissa and Draco are going to work as long as they can. The rest of us are getting some sleep," Ginny whispered.
"Goodnight," she whispered, content to stay in the library for a little while.
She stared into the crackling fire with tear-stained cheeks. She had no idea how she could help more but she wanted to. Calling for a house-elf, she asked it to pass her the files. As she rummaged through them, she discovered that, thankfully, there was only one property owned by the Greengrass family in Ireland. There was no way to tell if Hermione was right, but she trusted the younger witch to know what was at stake. Hermione wouldn't have told her unless she was sure, and even if she didn't know how she was certain, she was certain and that was enough. It had to be.
Her fingers drummed against the arm of the chair incessantly, her thoughts revolving around Hermione. She was definitely hurt. How bad? Had she been fed? Doubtful. Would she make it back alive? Bellatrix swallowed against the lump in her throat, trying to force that thought away. Hermione wasn't one to give up. She hadn't even given up on Bellatrix, even when everyone else had. No matter how hopeless, Hermione always found a way and if she didn't, she made one. This wouldn't be any different. Bellatrix couldn't help but allow a little sliver of doubt to pierce through her internal reassurances. It was made worse by the fact that she would have to sit and wait, not knowing what was happening.
"Bella?" Narcissa asked gently, not wanting to disturb her train of thought.
"I'm worried about her, Cissy," she mumbled.
Narcissa smiled sadly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know. We're making progress. The barrier was stable when I left and Draco is monitoring it to see how long it works."
"We should get Andy over here. For when they get her home," Bellatrix whispered.
"I'll pop over there first thing in the morning," she responded.
The dark-haired witch nodded, looking down at the files in her hands. "She went in early because of me."
Narcissa looked down at her. "It's not your fault, Bella."
"She was going to come home early on Friday and go in late Monday so we could have more time together," she said, her throat tight as she fought her tears.
"That doesn't make it your fault. We all could've done things differently," Narcissa whispered, draping her arms over Bellatrix's shoulders and leaning down to hug her, "I can promise you Hermione doesn't blame you. The real people to blame are the ones who took her, and I know her friends will never let them get away with what they've done."
A cool cloth was pressed to Hermione's forehead by a timid hand. She glanced to the stairway several times, not needing to tell Hermione to be quiet.
"Thank you," she whispered, leaning into the coolness and letting it soothe her pounding head.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Hermione," Daphne whispered nervously.
The brunette winced, stifling a coughing fit. "I'll do anything to help my friends find me."
Daphne shifted nervously as a distant look crossed Hermione's face.
"I need you to tell me what country I'm in, Daphne," Hermione pleaded.
She bit her lip, looking back at the stairs. "I don't know..."
"Please. You and your sister will not be held accountable for anything that's happened, I promise you," she whispered desperately, "Your father will not be able to hurt you."
"Ireland," came the soft reply as the cloth was removed from Hermione's forehead.
Hermione was silent for several moments and Daphne pressed herself into the shadows as the light from the stairs was momentarily blocked, relaxing when she realized someone was just walking past. "Daphne, I need you to listen to me."
"Okay," she whispered.
"When the fighting starts, I need you to take your sister and hide somewhere safe. Don't attempt to fight anyone. Ask for Ginny, Luna, Neville, or Harry, do you understand?" she asked.
Daphne nodded, still crouching next to Hermione's chair. "He'll come straight to the cellar as soon as he's aware."
"I'm counting on it," Hermione said, her jaw set as she glared at the stairs, "Did you get it set?"
From the corner of her eye, she saw her shake her head. Daphne's hands shook as they fiddled with Hermione's watch, struggling to get to it with the ropes in the way. At first, she had flat out refused, but her resolve wore away as the day had progressed. She had heard a broken scream from the captive witch and it pushed her over the edge. What if someone was doing that to her? Or Astoria? Wouldn't she want someone to help beyond bringing food and water? She didn't really know what she was doing to the Muggle device on Hermione's wrist, but she followed the directions that had been given to her. It's not like her father would find out she had done it.
"I think I got it," Daphne whispered, squinting at the watch.
Hermione nodded, wincing at the action. "Don't come back down here, Daphne. And thanks for the help."
She nodded uncertainly, slinking up the stairs and back to her room. Hermione took a deep breath, focusing on conjuring a small razor in her hand. Her best guess was that it would only be a few more hours before Ginny came to get her. She would be ready. Ignoring the burning of her raw wrists, Hermione began using the razor to saw through the ropes. It gave her something to do, a task to focus on to help her stay awake. And just in case, she hoped the alarm on her watch would be enough to wake her without attracting any attention from her captives.
Bella, she thought, unsure if the witch would be awake.
I'm here, came the slow response, exhaustion and worry coloring her thoughts.
Hermione hissed as she felt the skin of her wrists break and begin to bleed. I swear, I'm coming home tomorrow.
I know, cub, Bellatrix thought, a sliver of concern escaping her.
The brunette grit her teeth as the razor sliced into her hands, still sawing at the ropes. Part of her wanted to tell Bellatrix how she felt, just in case, but she wanted to do it in person. And she would. Her head bowed as she worked, sucking air in through her teeth and trying to stay quiet. Nothing would stop her from going home, from seeing Bellatrix.