A/N: thanks to the many generous readers for following along on this crazy ride! All comments are appreciated! ;)

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CHAPTER 6: MORE FRUSTRATION

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"Get up."

Lucius kicked at the lump still sleeping on the cold cell floor and Hermione groaned. As she lifted her face up towards him, Lucius temporarily was taken aback in horror.

"Jeesus." He'd forgotten how bad he had made her look.

Hermione moaned incoherently and covered her face in shame. He'd made her look like the Tanning Mom. With ducklips. She'd have to go with a paper bag over her head for the rest of her miserable life...if she ever got out of here alive.

"I hate you," Hermione mumbled so quietly that Lucius couldn't hear.

"Did you say something?" Lucius drawled and wondered whether he should put his eyeglasses on or just poke his eyes out.

"No."

"Good. You will find I have little tolerance for disobedience today. The Dark Lord requires your presence, and he must not be kept waiting. He doesn't take lightly to lack of punctuality..."

That did it. Hermione uncovered her face and stood up to Lucius Malfoy with the deepest loathing. "I don't care!" she yelled, "Voldemort can go to hell!
I refuse to comply with you or your-"

Lucius slapped her so hard he left a handprint on her tanned face. "How dare you speak of the Dark Lord! You are not worthy to speak his name, Crucio!"

"AAAAHHHH!"

Hermione shrieked and writhed on the floor in pain as the cruciatus curse hit her.

It felt like someone had put hot sauce all over her food and upper lip and then forced her to dance the polka to really bad Russian electric dance music.

It was excruciating but the pain was gone as fast as it arrived and she was left panting on the floor.

She looked up to see Lucius Malfoy staring down at her contemptuously.

"If the Dark Lord weren't waiting for us right now, I would crucio you again, one for each filthy word you spoke. But as we're short on time, I'm going to give you one last opportunity to obey willingly..."

His cold grey eyes pierced through her, as if demanding her very soul. "...Will you obey, mudblood?"

Hermione looked up with watering eyes. It was so tempting to give in but she wouldn't have been sorted into Gryffindor if she were anything less than unadvisedly brave.

"No," she breathed.

For a brief moment, Lucius Malfoy looked so angry that she thought he was going to crucio her again. But then he composed his face into a cold expressionless mask and flipped his hair back.

"Fine. I don't have anymore time to waste." He pointed his wand at her, "Stupify!"

Hermione's eyes opened wide in shock before she crumpled to the floor unconscious.

Lucius stood over her unconscious body for a moment before levitating it into the air to trail behind him.

"Damn you."

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Lucius was fuming as he entered the main floor of Voldemort's Secret Lair with a tanned-Hermione levitating behind him.

His mood was not improved as he caught sight of Bellatrix leisurely strolling down the torch-lit dungeon. She was wearing a white bathrobe and held a cocktail drink with a little umbrella in it. No doubt the handiwork of the Dark Lord's hospitality. Voldemort was always doing thoughtful things like skewering olives and cherries on tiny umbrellas.

"Bella, what are you doing here?" Lucius hissed.

"I was using Voldemort's sauna, what d'you think?" Bellatrix snapped and sipped at her drink. She was obviously drunk.

"Have you no shame! You are abusing the Dark Lord's kindness!"

Bellatrix's eyes darkened, "I went to Azkaban for the Dark Lord, something you never did, well," Bellatrix laughed mockingly, her eyes bleary. "You only did one year didn't you?! Compared to my thirteen years, the least he could do is-"

"It's nobodies fault but your own that you were stupid enough to turn yourself in Bella!" Lucius tried not to shout at his sister-in-law but she was literally a moron and between her and the tanned mudblood, he was starting to feel nauseated. "Need I remind you were useless to the cause whilst in prison while I at least continued to serve our lord by being a functioning member of society!"

But Bellatrix was no longer listening to her brother-in-law, her eyes had switched to the girl behind him, "God, who is that?! She's completely ghastly!"

Lucius grimaced. For a moment, he'd forgotten the mudblood was still there. It was such a change for the insolent girl to be silent for once.

"She's Harry Potter's mudblood friend," he hesitated to use the girl's real name, which felt incredibly odd to say, "Herm-Granger."

"What? The swotty bookworm! Oh this is too much!" Bella broke into peals of laughter, and her drink splattered onto the floor. "You have outdone yourself Lucius...Then again, you always did outdo yourself in everything," she elbowed him suggestively in the crotch.

Lucius tried to maintain his dignity, "Bellatrix would you compose yourself! I doubt the Dark Lord would be impressed to find one of his Death Eaters gallivanting about drunk."

Bellatrix laughed shamelessly and tried to wrap her arms around his neck, "Don't worry about him, he's on his computer today."

Lucius groaned, "Not again! He was supposed to be meeting me just now."

He pushed Bellatrix away from him and she stumbled, barely losing her balance.

Bellatrix pouted. "Where are you going?!"

"Business before pleasure, Bella!"

"You tight arse! I wish my sister had never married you!"

He rolled his eyes. Didn't he wish it as well. It would've saved him the bother of meeting either of the tedious Black sisters.

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Somewhere in the other part of England, in Surrey, Harry Potter had received an email-owl with a very disturbing message.

"Greetings Potter,

How is the weather there?

No doubt it must stink of muggles, lol! #Mugglessuck #Muggles_smell.

We have your friend, the mudblood. #HASHTAG TAKE_OVER_THE_WORLD. #Shout_out

#DeathEaterz #1Direction #everyonewantstostealmygirl

LMFAO. You are so busted.

-TommyBoy1926"

Harry scratched at his head, "Bollocks! They have Hermione!"

He immediately ran to get on his computer.

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end of chapter 6

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A/N: if you read this before, you know the absolute insanity about to roll in motion. Very strong M in next few chapters! Snape do not let the Order trick you into being their hostage for this, trust me Dumbledore will sacrifice you to the cause, under any means necessary! :'-(