Chapter 15 – Part 1: You Shouldn't Be Here
A/N – Quick author's note: this is PART ONE of the FOUR DOORS series, which obviously will contain four parts.
Last Chapter – Draco grabbed her by the wrist and forced her to keep her hand over the bowl. Three droplets of blood sent ripples across the surface and immediately produced an image in it. Hermione's face floated in there, sitting next to Draco who was holding a glass bowl.
"It shows me where you are and what you're doing. Old magic," Draco told her. "Now go."
"Am I going to come back alive?" Hermione asked tentatively.
"If you're lucky."
If you're lucky…
The words chilled her right down to the core and Draco's expressionless face held no sign of sincerity or sarcasm. Holding his gaze as she stood up and slowly backed up towards the door, Hermione could not find a single word to say to the boy holding her image in his hands; that notion in itself mocked her helplessness and powered his control.
She opened her mouth but thought better of it, deciding instead to break his stare and turn to face the door. It was a lot taller than she was – almost two times as tall in fact – looming above her, gleaming like a massive emerald even in the dim flickering light from the torches on the walls. Intimidating; she could not help thinking that the door seemed to stare her down.
Don't be silly – it's a door, for Merlin's sake!And without a second thought, Hermione grasped the brass handle, pulled down and pushed. Releasing the handle, the door swung dangerously into the darkness, disappearing completely from view until impacting heavily at 180 degrees. What it hit, Hermione had no idea; she was staring at pitch black. She spun around and glared at a smirking Draco.
"All that suspense for nothing!" Hermione exclaimed. "Don't tell me this is some kind of jo-"
A deep rumbling sound echoed in the distance. Hermione whipped her head around just in time to see a bright bolt of lightning illuminate the darkness through the door. And for that split second, the door revealed its secrets; a forest.
And before Hermione could even widen her eyes in surprise, a vicious wind sucked her through the frightening green door; it slammed loudly behind her. She fell heavily to the forest floor with a thud, landing in a bunch of large damp leaves. Her breath suddenly became shallow, her eyes wide in fear. Staring up into the blackened sky, Hermione could hardly see a thing around her.
Nerves on end, she felt every movement surrounding her in a surreal sixth sense; the wind-blown leaves; the light spatter of rain; the rushing of fierce wind. And Hermione had a feeling this storm was only beginning.
Lightning illuminated the area as it hit its target, warning Hermione of what was to occur only seconds before it did. A sound unlike any other she had ever heard erupted above her; a crack followed by a sickening split. With speed the terrified witch had not known herself capable of, Hermione flung herself out of the path of the falling monster just in time before the tree came crashing down directly on the patch of earth she had been sprawled across mere moments ago.
Hermione didn't have enough time to scream before another bolt of lightning struck its mark – a tree on her left – simultaneously followed by another to an equally large tree on her right. They seemed to fall in unison and with a dreaded sickening crunch, the two collided directly above her. This time Hermione could not suppress a scream. She backed away as the two trees hung in the air, timeless, as if unsure which way to fall.
"Don't fall on me, don't fall on me, don't …" Hermione chanted under her breath, continuing to edge away backwards. Terror prevented her from running away although her brain screamed desperately at her to do so. With a chilling lurch, the two trees made a sudden movement towards Hermione, fear rippling through her body as she stumbled over her feet, sending herself straight to the ground.
On her back, body soaked in mud, the dark looming shadows of the beasts drew above her. Seconds before they hit the ground, Hermione forced herself to roll to the right, feeling the branch woosh past her head moments later. Leaves rained down on top of her as a thunderous boom sounded, the trees reaching the forest floor.
A horrible stinging to her left arm made her glance down; a deep gash had slashed across her pale, white skin. Blood seeped through her fingers as she put pressure on the wound, but the flow of sickly crimson liquid would not cease.
Shutting the stinging, burning pain out of her mind, panting, Hermione threw herself onto her feet, steadying her body with a hand on the trunk of the first falling tree. And what her eyes met was astonishing.
The last two trees had joined at their tops, branches entangled, and they landed right at the base of the first tree; an arrow!
It is too good to be true …She gazed around the darkness of the forest around her but she was surrounded completely by it. This was the only clue she had been given and she was going to have to take it. Taking a deep breath, the nervous witch turned around facing the direction in which the arrow was pointing.
Could it really be this easy?After that thought she erased the doubt from her mind; she simply walked. Though you couldn't really say simply in a forest like the one she was in. Each treacherous step could lead to a painful death, a long plummet to the unknown floor of the forest where every tree root stuck out at such angles that made them look alive; alive enough to entangle their way around your ankle and pull at the most inopportune moments. And inopportune moments generally meant imminent danger; death was almost a promise.
So Hermione carefully manoeuvred her body in such a way that she was almost always holding something solid for support, like tree trunks. And lucky for her, this forest was plentiful. Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving and, as Hermione soon learned, not everything was as it seemed. Just as the cautious girl took a step over a precariously placed log, the branch she was using to support her body gave way and in turn sent her to the ground.
But it didn't end there. Somehow – and the screaming girl was not in the right state of mind to ponder how – the branch opened a small patch of earth, right under Hermione's foot. In the millisecond before she plummeted into the ground, Hermione could actually see the earth sift down through the hole. And then she was gone from sight, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, unable to suppress a terrified scream as she fell at least ten meters before landing on something soft; artificially so.
The sight that met her eyes terrified her more than the fall itself; not because the place was all that scary, but because it was impossible. She was in a room – one she had been in before. And last time, it wasn't underground.
Shocking pink walls almost blinded her in contrast to the dark, sombre colours of the forest Hermione had just fallen from. But the forest was no longer above her; a pink ceiling had silently replaced it.
Hermione breathed deeply and squeezed her eyes shut for several moments, as though hoping it would all vanish. But as she opened her eyes, fluorescent pink still met her eyes. And the familiarity of the room did not go away. All the elegant white furniture, brightly coloured mats and innumerable pillows stayed firmly fixed in place. And before a large box of toys sat a small blonde girl in a pink dress, back facing Hermione. Her tiny frame trembled, a small china doll clutched to her chest.
"They can't send me away … I belong here with you Cissy," she cried softly to her doll. "I'll hide in here … maybe they won't find me."
Hermione slowly rose from the bed – surprised the mud, rain and leaves had disappeared entirely from her body – and took two steps towards the toy box.
"Cissy?" Hermione called softly, uncertainty lingering in her voice. The child snapped around, eyes wide. The doll fell limply into her lap, unnerving eyes staring straight up at Hermione, twinkling in the dim light. The sight was enough to send shivers down her spine.
"Y-you've come to take me a-away …" Cissy stammered, squeezing the doll's arm tightly.
"No, no, no …" Hermione hushed her. "I would never do that to you."
"D-don't you love me, mummy?"
Hermione hesitated. "O-of course I love you Cissy, you're-"
"Cissy …" the word sounded odd on the young girl's tongue. "You shouldn't be here …" her voice becoming instantly lower. Hermione's eyes widened at the sudden change. "You're not my mummy."
A moments silence passed all too quickly before a freak wind flew across the room, throwing Hermione roughly into a wall. The room's objects remained untouched. The beast blew again but this time the door was thrown open and in an instant, Hermione was sucked through. Her screams sounded dull as blurred walls rushed passed her, almost as though her presence did not affect her surrounds; as though she wasn't there at all.
Weightlessness fell over her in a dizzying wave, wind throwing her limp body with ease until she skidded to the ground, span involuntarily and eventually stopped as she smashed into a couch. Draco's smirking face loomed above her; she was back.
"Nice ... next you'll be prancing around in those ridiculous Muggle skate-things," Draco commented as Hermione picked herself up from the ground, clutching her bloodied arms, tatters of clothing hanging off of her.
"Ah, and only one injury … that's very interesting," Draco muttered before waving his hand; the crystal bowl disappeared from sight. "Well we'd best continue on; now that you've passed that test …"
Draco opted for actions over words, strolling over to the closed green door. His fingers reached for the handle ...
"No!" Hermione yelled just as Draco pushed it open. Hermione threw a hand over her face (the one with the good arm) and clutched to the couch in terror. But, after several tense moments, she raised her head to find Draco standing calmly by the open door – to a normal looking room.
No darkness, no trees – and definitely no lightning.
"But what … how …!" Hermione trailed off, eyes fluttering, trying to conserve energy to keep them open. Draco studied her momentarily before abandoning his post by the door to head over to the couch.
"Come on, I think you'll need some rest before you continue on to the next doors-"
"More!" Hermione shrieked, eyes wide in what seemed like madness. Draco did not answer and instead picked her up from the floor, carrying the pale-faced girl into the room in his arms.
"L-let go of me … Malfoy … I can – I can walk … my-m-myself," Hermione protested lamely, head lolling from side to side, heavy; her entire world seemed to spin, even behind closed eyes. Again Draco ignored her; he appeared to believe Hermione was not in the right state of mind to decide anything. And he was most probably right.
They entered the room. It was small by Malfoy standards but was bigger than most average Muggle lounge rooms. All it held was a bed, a tall chest of drawers and a single arm chair. A door stood ajar on the other side, presumably a bathroom. Draco lay Hermione down on the large mahogany bed, blue linen and cushions adorning it, before heading over to the drawers.
The room had no windows, Hermione quickly noted, immediately sending a claustrophobic chill down her spine. She sat, back against the bed head, curling her knees up to her chest; Hermione wanted to be as small as possible.
Maybe she'd disappear through the floor again …
Hermione snapped back to reality as Draco slammed a drawer shut. In his hand he carried a deep magenta vial. The dark liquid inside sloshed around tantalisingly; teasing her – tempting her.
Hermione eyed it with caution.
"W-what's that?" Hermione stammered, alarmed.
"Nothing to worry about," Draco assured her, popping the tiny cork. He held it to her lips. Hermione drew away.
"Drink it," Draco ordered.
"No," Hermione replied defiantly, unable to take her eyes off the mystifying liquid.
"No?" Draco inquired. "If you don't drink it within ten minutes of leaving the forest, it will trap you inside for all eternity. And no just you, but me as well. I don't know about you, Hermione, but I sure as hell don't want to spend the rest of forever stuck in a living forest with you.
"If you don't take it now, I will make you."
Hermione eyed him in fear before her eyes returned to the vial before her mouth. Reluctantly she took it from Draco's fingers and, before her mind could scream at her to stop, she downed it in a single gulp.
Instantly a burning pain spread across her chest causing her to cry out. It laced out through her entire body, setting every nerve of fire; running along her veins, each dreaded pulse trying to out-do the other. She wanted to scream, as though it would release the pain, send it shooting off in every direction like a spectacular light show. Even though it lasted mere seconds, it felt much, much longer.
In a moment that was all gone, replaced with a cool sensation that coursed though her whole body. She closed her eyes, now calm. Rational thoughts flew back to her.
"Where am I?" Hermione asked, opening her eyes yet not looking at Draco. Instead the placid girl took in her surroundings. The room was made entirely of stone – walls, ceiling and floor – however, oddly, it was not at all cold. Plain; extremely plain. The only decorative thing in the room was a large fluffy white rug; startling white. This room had either never been used or magic was keeping that rug clean – you never really knew in Malfoy Manor.
"Where are we, Malfoy?" Hermione repeated, steadily becoming impatient.
"Does it really matter, Hermione? It doesn't make a single difference to your situation," Draco pointed out, taking off his shoes and stretching out on the bed next to her. "And would it kill you to call me by my name once in a while?"
Hermione drew the blankets close to her chin, inching right to the edge of the bed despite its massive size.
"Oh sorry … Jerk," Hermione retorted nastily, turning away from him. She didn't see the look on his face as he turned slightly to face her.
It was probably for the best anyway.
Draco quickly erased the emotion from his face and instead smirked and put his hands behind his head, spreading further across the bed. Hermione made a face, squirming.
"Stop it," she ordered, snapping her head in his direction.
"Stop what?" Draco asked mid-yawn, eyes closing peacefully.
Peacefully! Malfoy is anything BUT peaceful.
Yet she could not help but continue to look at his resting figure; transfixed. When Hermione did not answer, Draco opened an eyelid a crack.
"Stop what?" he repeated, silver eyes boring into hers, staring her down. It was unnerving but Hermione forced herself to hold his gaze.
"When are we leaving here?" Hermione asked instead.
"Oh I don't know," Draco drawled, bored. "Tomorrow morning maybe. Might even wait til the afternoon."
Hermione's jaw dropped open.
"But-"
"But what?"
Hermione's mouth opened and closed soundlessly like a fish, making strange gestures between herself, Draco and the bed.
Draco raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"We're sleeping in here!" Hermione squeaked incredulously, motioning to the bed. "Together!"
"Well I don't plan on sleeping on the floor," Draco told her. Hermione was at a loss for words, defeated.
"Fine," Hermione snapped. "But if I wake up and you're anywhere near me-"
"The bed's not that big you know?"
All Hermione could do was glare.
"You're so-" Hermione froze as her eyes focused on something behind Draco, unable to continue.
"Charming?" Draco smirked.
But Hermione did not answer. She could not. Not after what she had just seen.
"Oh come on, surely I'm not so bad that you can't even find the words?"
But still no reply. Draco frowned and risked waving a hand in her face.
"Ahh … Granger?" Draco tested hesitantly, using the name she had forbidden him to call her. Even this did not grab her attention.
"Hermione, what-"
Then he followed her eyes. And he saw it too.
"Woah – no way," Draco breathed, jumping up from the bed and rushing towards the bathroom. It wasn't the bathroom itself that he was worried about. It was the tiny, unmoving hand poking out from inside it.
Hastily he threw the door open, dropping to his knees beside the unconscious figure. Blonde wavy hair sprawled across the bathroom's blue tiled floor, pink dress ruffled and strewn around her body. Her face, although she was unconscious, was contorted in pain – and fear; she was pale beyond belief.
"Cissy – Cissy! Open your eyes," Draco cried, shaking her limp body slightly. "Hermione, help me!"
Draco grabbed the small girl's wrist; her pulse, slow and faint, was barely there.
"Snap out of it, Hermione, I need you; help me!" Draco called, his voice steadily rising in panic. Hermione shook her head but could not rid the wave of nausea that crashed down over her. She squeezed her eyes shut, hands over her head; but it would not block out the pain. An agonised moan escaped her lips.
Draco's head snapped around, mouth gaping.
"What – what's wrong with you!"
Hermione had paled considerably and her lips had turned a startling deep shade of blue. Draco glanced back down at Cissy.
Pale.
Blue …
Horrified, he returned his wide eyes to Hermione. She began crawling across the bed, sheets ruffling up around her. Grabbing the post on the end, she steadied herself before taking one step and stumbling heavily to the ground.
Draco jumped up and rushed over to her, but Hermione was not aware of it. She screamed over and over again but it was drowned out by the ringing in her ears. Draco shook her shoulders, calling out her name. But everything was a blur now – nothing was real. Hermione's body was gone, replaced by the burning, searing pain in her head.
And all she could see was Cissy's face, calling; taunting …
"You shouldn't be here …"
A/N – WOW! … I updated, how shocking. I hope it was worth it, I've been working on this solid for a few weeks now. A severe writer's block was attacking me for a few months, but I'm back on track now! (I hope!).
Well – as always – I would really appreciate your comments and criticism (as long as it's constructive), so please review!
And thank you for everyone who kept reviewing, despite my utter laziness! … I love you all.
Marauders Gal