"I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword? Where?" Bellatrix shrieked, her voice echoing in the vast drawing room.
"We found it - we found it - PLEASE!" Hermione screamed again, and Draco closed his eyes, digging his fingers into his palms. He wanted to do something, help her. But he knew that if he did she would surely be killed, but he screams were erupting in his heart, causing him physical pain.
"You're lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth!" Draco was shaking with anger, with the effort of not running to Bellatrix and ripping her away from the small venerable body of the girl he loved.
Another terrible scream- he couldn't do it, he couldn't handle this. He pulled out his wand, but was then at a loss of what to do. He couldn't kill his aunt, or stun her, or do anything really. He hated this, the helplessness. Hermione's eyes fell to his, unbelievable agony etched upon her beautiful face.
'I love you' she mouthed.
No! She was giving up! She couldn't. No! He would take away her pain, he would help her. He focused on the love he felt for her, how much her pain hurt him, how he would have it if it meant she would be okay. He watched as the tension was drained out of her body, and into him. She looked to him, confused by the fading pain. Her beautiful brown eyes widened in realisation. He closed his eyes as the throbbing pain entered his body.
"NO!" she screamed.
"What else did you take? What else have you got? Tel me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!"
Hermione was screaming again, but she wasn't screaming in her pain, she was screaming because of Draco's pain. He had taken hers away, and she felt nothing, and he felt everything she should be feeling.
"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"
Hermione's screams echoed off the walls as she began to sob. 'No, no, no. Not Draco. Stop hurting Draco' she tried to scream, but nothing came out. Her eyes went to Draco's and his to hers. His face was contorted pain, he was shuddering and shaking. His teeth were clamped down on his lip in the effort of not screaming. Hermione stared at him, pleading him to give back her pain. Draco broke their gaze by closing his eyes. His eyes were squeezed closed tightly. Seeing him in pain hurt her, she would rather have the pain than see him have it.
"How did you get into my vault?" Bellatrix screamed. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"
"We only met him tonight!" Hermione sobbed. "We've never been inside your vault… It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!"
"A copy?" screeched Bellatrix. "Oh, a likely story!" Hermione continued to cry. She was exhausted. She didn't want this anymore. She just wanted to grab Draco, and run away from this crazy world with him in her arms.
"But we can find out easily!" came Lucius's voice. "Draco, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!" Draco flinched, glad that the pain was gone,he didn't think he could take much more.
As he made his way to the cellar, he racked his brain for ideas on how to save Hermione, and the wretched Potter and Weasley. Then it hit him. Dobby! Dobby worshipped the ground Potter walked on, so there was no doubt he would help save him. Though Dobby had been dismissed from the Malfoy family, Draco still saw the house elf when he snuck down to the kitchens to get food for him and Hermione. He had never hated the house elf when he worked for them, and had often snuck him food.
"Dobby. Potter is in trouble. Get here now!"
A small 'crack' announced Dobby's arrival.
"Harry Potter is in trouble?!" the house elf squeaked.
"Yes. After I fetch the goblin, go down and help them. Do whatever he asks, but do not tell him I sent you." The house elf nodded and scuttled away to hide until Draco came back up.
Taking a deep breath be made his way down the cellar stair, wand at the ready. Reading the door he called out.
"Stand back. Line up against the back wall. Don't try anything, or I'll kill you!" he hated how scared he sounded. He pushed the door open and marched inside. He didn't dare make eye contact with Potter, or the weasel. He grabbed the goblin and dragged him up the stairs. He looked around for Dobby, when he heard a "DOB-" com from the cellar. Satisfied he walked across the drawing room to Bellatrix.
As his aunt grabbed the goblin, he stared down at Hermione's figure. She was pale, he face stained with tears. He felt comfort in the fact that she wasn't hurting, and then he became aware of the throbbing of his own body.
Still gripping the goblin close, Bellatrix pulled out her knife and bent down to Hermione, muttering threats. Draco hissed through his teeth when he felt painful slashes shoot up his arms. Hermione was sobbing quietly while the knife hacked into her arm. Draco looked down at his own arm, certain he would see deep gashes coating his skin, but there was nothing.
Satisfied with what she had down, Bellatrix stood, and thrust the sword into the Goblins hands.
"Well?" Bellatrix said to Griphook. "Is it the true sword?"
"No," said Griphook. "It is a fake."
But Draco was listening to them; he was staring down at the cuts engraved into Hermione's beautiful skin. MUDBLOOD. Anger bubbled inside him, threatening to take hold. He wanted to grab the knife that had made those very cuts and drive it through his aunt's heart. He dug his fingernails into his palms with the effort of not losing control. Hermione had lost consciousness, and was slumped in exhaustion. A similar state threatened to take hold of him. Draco was snapped back with a searing burn on his lower arm. The dark mark.
Bellatrix had pressed her finger to the skull burned into her skin, calling the lord he feared so much.
"And I think," said Bellatrix's voice, "we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her."
Draco felt sick, he was about the step forward, take Hermione up in his arms, and leave this god awful place-
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The weasel burst into the drawing room; Bellatrix looked around, shocked; she turned her wand to face Weasley instead -
"Expelliarmus!" he roared, pointing his wand at Bellatrix, and hers flew into the air and was caught by Potter, who had sprinted after Weasley. Lucius, Narcissa and Greyback wheeled about; Harry yelled, "Stupefy!" and Lucius Malfoy collapsed onto the hearth. Jets of light flew around Draco, from Narcissa's, and Greyback's wands; Potter threw himself to the floor, rolling behind a sofa to avoid them. "STOP OR SHE DIES!
Draco spun around. Bellatrix was supporting Hermione, who seemed to be unconscious, and was holding her short silver knife to Hermione's throat. He froze, helpless.
"Drop your wands," she whispered. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!"
Draco's blood boiled in anger and fear for Hermione.
"I said, drop them!" she screeched, pressing the blade into Hermione's throat: Draco felt the burn of the blade on his own neck.
"All right!" Potter shouted, and he dropped Bellatrix's wand onto the floor at his feet, Wealsey did the same with. Both raised their hands to shoulder height.
"Good!" she leered. "Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches!"
He had no choice but to comply, hurrying forward and picking up the two wands.
"Now," said Bellatrix softly, as Draco hurried back to her. "Cissy, I think we ought to tie these little heroes up again, while Greyback takes care of Miss Mudblood. I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl, Greyback, after what you have done tonight." Draco hissed, trying not to lunge at his aunt. Knowing full well he was too weak to win.
There was a peculiar grinding noise from above. All of them looked upward in time to see the crystal chandelier tremble; then, with a creak and an ominous jingling, it began to fall. Bellatrix was directly beneath it; dropping Hermione, she threw herself aside with a scream. The chandelier crashed to the floor in an explosion of crystal and chains, falling on top of Hermione and the goblin, who still clutched the sword of Gryffindor. Glittering shards of crystal flew in all directions; Draco doubled over, his hands covering his bloody face, as well as Hermione's pain of being hit by the chandelier.
Draco went to pull Hermione out of the wreckage, but the weasel beat him to it. He was suddenly tackled to the ground, and looked up to see Potter. He was twisting and pulling at the wands in Draco's hand. Draco, being too weak to fight, let him have them. Potter pointed all of them at Greyback, and yelled, "Stupefy!" The werewolf was lifted off his feet by the triple spell, flew up to the ceiling and then smashed to the ground.
Draco felt gentle hands on his back, as his mother dragged him out of further harm, Bellatrix sprang to her feet, her hair flying as she brandished the silver knife; but Narcissa had directed her wand at the doorway.
Draco heard nothing else; he was staring over at Hermione, who was lying in Ron's arms, unconscious. Her eyes slowly opened in slits. She saw him, and the edges of her mouth tweaked up. His did the same. They just looked, said nothing, whispered nothing, and just gazed at each other. Hermione's beaten face was the last thing he saw before everything went black.
Again, some of this was taken from the last book, but not as much. I am a little stuck on what to do next, so please please please give me ideas!