A/N: Thanks so much to RenitaLeandra and Keladry Lupin who are so great of fixing my mistakes (of which there are many) . Also thanks for all the reviews! They make my day!

Chapter 9

"Well, well, Granger. Not so high and mighty now, are you?" Draco Malfoy sneered.

Had Hermione's situation not been so desperate, she would have found his arrogance at such a time to be highly amusing. As it was, all she could muster was a roll of her eyes.

"Honestly, Malfoy, the same could be said for you. You look worse than I do."

Draco scowled. For one glorious moment he seemed to have forgotten where he was and how long he had been there. He retreated back to his corner, resting his head against the wall.

"So what are you doing here?" Hermione asked, intrigued that Hogwarts' biggest bully was now covered in filth in Voldemort's dungeons.

"What do you think? This is how the Dark Lord repays those who fail him."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You've been here since…since Dumbledore…"

"Yeah," Draco said shutting his eyes as if he could also shut out the memory. "Since Dumbledore."

"So why didn't he just kill you? Why keep you locked up for this long?"

"Why should I answer any of your questions, Granger?" he asked, glaring at her, as if he suddenly remembered he wasn't supposed to be talking to her. Hermione could not find it in her to rise to the occasion.

"Don't bother, Malfoy," she said. "I was just trying to be nice. I'm guessing you haven't had much in the way of company over the last year."

Draco said nothing but continued to stare at her for several minutes, as if he was debating with himself whether he should lower himself to speak to her.

"It's good blackmail for my parents," he finally said. "They'll do whatever he wants so long as he keeps me alive."

Hermione felt a twinge of sympathy for him. This was obviously not what he was expecting when he joined the Death Eaters. "Isn't your father still in Azkaban, though?"

"Yeah, but my mum's not. He keeps sending her pictures of me. Tells her if she doesn't do what he says he'll kill me. At least, that's what the guards tell me," he said quietly. Hermione could hear the emotion in his voice and it was shocking. She supposed that even the meanest of people had someone they cared about. Clearly Draco loved his parents, regardless of how he treated his peers in school.

Saying nothing more, Hermione retreated to her corner of the room – straight across from Draco. She could feel the overwhelming fatigue of her body; muscle spasms and a bitter cold that had made its way straight through to her bones which were all due to the continuing after-effects of Snape's Cruciatus curse. Eventually, however, Hermione fell into a restless sleep.

It was late that night before Severus felt it was safe to break away from Riddle Manor without raising suspicion. He could tell the Dark Lord was suspicious of Hermione's Occlumency abilities, although the fact that he had tortured her worked in his favour. It took his own Occlumency skills to hide how sick he felt as he had done it. Still, he didn't want to draw any more attention to himself than what he already had. Finally, after everyone else had left for their homes or retreated to another room in the Manor, Severus managed to slip out the door unnoticed.

He quickly Apparated to the street in front of Grimmauld Place; he walked swiftly up the front steps and as he opened the door, nearly ran into Remus.

"Merlin's beard, Severus!" Remus said putting his wand away. "I could have hexed you!"

"I would like to have seen you try," Severus glared at him and continued his way into the front hall. He had not got far, however, when Harry came barging through, Ginny and Neville close behind.

"Oh good, the cavalry's here," he said under his breath.

"Where have you been?" Harry demanded, storming up to Severus. "It has been two days and we haven't heard a word!"

"It is not as easy to come and go from Riddle Manor as it is Grimmauld Place, Potter," he said crossly. "And I didn't think you would appreciate me leaving Miss Granger in the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange and Wormtail. I had to wait until the time was right."

"And why did you take her to You-Know-Who that way, instead of sticking to the plan? Tonks was frantic when she realized Hermione had never gone to bed."

"I do not answer to you, Potter," Severus said, annoyed. They were wasting time when they could be talking about more important matters.

"It is a question that bears asking," Remus said. "Why did you sneak out in the middle of the night?"

"I felt that it would make for a more genuine response to the situation if she were taken under less than ideal circumstances."

"You could have at least let me know," Remus said Severus merelyglared at him.

"I do not answer to you, either, Moony." Severus spokeRemus's nickname as if it were a foul word and, although Remus flushed, he did not respond.

"So where is she?" Ginny demanded.

"I couldn't very well just take her back out again. She's being held at the Manor." He saw Harry open his mouth and he cut him off. "No, I'm not going to leave her there. I am only staying long enough to relay the important information and then I'll go back."

"Come on," Remus said, pulling Snape further inside. "I will call an emergency Order meeting. Hopefully we can get as many people here as possible."

An hour later, Severus was relaying to everyone what had happened when Hermione had been brought before Voldemort. Harry had been in a rage, but the combined efforts of Remus, Professor McGonagall and Arthur had kept him from using his wand.

"So," he said as he was concluding, "I believe that for the most part, this has worked. Miss Granger has created enough of a distraction to buy me more time to get information from the Dark Lord regarding the Horcruxes. He is clearly disturbed that at least one more has been destroyed, and he may give me some clues as to where the rest have been hidden."

"And in the meantime?" Bill asked. "What about Hermione?"

"As long as the Dark Lord feels that she has some information yet to give, or that Potter might try to rescue her, he will keep her alive. If nothing else, she is providing…" he paused and his eyes slid towards Harry as if he was unsure if he should continue. "She is providing entertainment."

Harry's face grew a dangerous shade of red and he bolted up from his chair. Before anyone, including Severus, could react, he had tackled him onto the floor and was punching him in the face.

"YOU BASTARD!" he yelled. "WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO HER?"

Arthur and Bill managed to pull Harry off and Severus quickly stood up, pulling his wand out of his robes.

"Get a hold of yourself, Potter," he said wiping a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth, "or I will have to do it for you. You never could control your emotions. What I meant, was that they enjoy having a Mud…Muggle-born around to hex. Nothing serious; the Dark Lord doesn't want her permanently incapacitated."

Harry shrugged off the other two men and stormed out of the room, leaving silence in his wake.

"Severus," Remus said quietly, "she is alright isn't she?"

"More or less. She held up better than I expected against the Dark Lord. It took him three tries before he broke through to any meaningful memories."

"Well, she really is a very bright witch," Remus said with a sad expression on his face, "whether you ever gave her credit for it or not."

Severus tried to ignore the sinking feeling he had had in his stomach since two nights previous when he had Stupified Hermione. Respect and admiration were not emotions he was used to feeling and, if he were being honest with himself, not something he felt comfortable with. Yet as he had stood in Riddle Manor, watching her go toe to toe with the Dark Lord, he couldn't keep those feelings from surfacing.

"I should get back," Severus said, realizing that Remus was staring at him. "Bellatrix was a little too excited at the idea of a new prisoner to torture."

Remus paled at the thought and nodded vigorously. "Very well."

Severus began to leave the room. The buzz of discussion had grown steadily louder by the time he heard someone call him from behind.

"Severus!" Professor McGonagall called out walking swiftly towards him.

"Yes, Minerva?" he replied impatiently.

"May I speak with you a moment?"

Severus inclined his head in agreement and led Professor McGonagall out into the front hall. "Only a moment. I do not think it is wise for me to be away for much longer."

"Severus," she said, clearly anxious, "I am doubting now whether we made the right decision…with Miss Granger…"

"I believe it is a little late to be second guessing ourselves," he retorted sharply as they walked together towards the door.

"I am aware of that. Just…try to remember, she is only a child. Whatever happens, please protect her."

"A child?" Severus said raising his eyebrows. "I seem to recall that she passed her seventeenth birthday nearly two years ago now."

Minerva was becoming agitated but Severus cut her off before she could speak. "I am quite aware of Miss Granger's tender age. However, age never kept Potter out of harm's way. And as I recall, Miss Granger's first battle with Death Eaters came when she was sixteen and was in the midst of taking her O.W.L.s. Besides, had you seen her standing next to the Dark Lord last night, you would know that you had nothing to worry about. Miss Granger will survive, especially if I have anything to say about it."

He then threw his cloak around himself and stormed out the door, leaving Professor McGonagall with nothing but the sound of his footsteps as they faded away.

That's what I'm counting on, she thought to herself and turned to go back into the kitchen.