Hey Everybody! I've been thinking about you guys non-stop, so I decided to post another chapter! Thanks to Z Ray from my public speaking class
for helping me out with this chapter. On with the show! Er, I mean story. Hehe
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, don't you think I'd have something better to do with my life than write fanfiction? That's what I thought.
Malfoy Manor looked as pretentious and diabolical as its inhabitants for the past century. The outside was covered in excessive lavish décor around windows and opulent gargoyles on every edge. It seemed as if they made alterations on the house to show all who entered just how much money they truly had.
"To think I was once proud of being a part of this family" Draco whispered as they walked toward the Death Eater headquarters. Hermione lifted her head a little to signal that she was listening. If only he could see her face right now; she looked like a patient in an insane asylum, pain and fear etched on her face and old dried tears creating a pathway for the new ones.
"Proud or not; you're still a Malfoy," she whispered angrily. She's seen the other side of him; she knew he was capable of standing up for himself. That's why he ran aw-wait. That's right. That's why he ran away from it all; he didn't know how to stand up for himself, to fight against the ideals of his friends or family. Still a Slytherin, she thought, slithering around to avoid the problems in life.
He could hear the iciness in her tone, and by the sound of it, if they got out of there alive, he was in big trouble. He knew they shouldn't have been in this situation in the first place. If he hadn't been trying to keep his reputation, they wouldn't be on their way to the manor right now. Wait a second. If Hermione hadn't ran off in the first place, they would be safe and sound in his tent cuddling by the fire. But no, she had to go off and be all noble helping out Scarhead and Weaselbreath. Still a Gryffindor, he thought, always trying to be a martyr.
As they reached the front door, Scabior took it upon himself to knock, proudly grinning from ear to ear. Peter Pettigrew, the sniveling little rat he was, spoke to no one on the other side of the door, as he opened it and yelled out to Narcissa Malfoy, the woman of the house. She arrived in a much rehearsed, elegant manner at first, but when she saw her beloved only son, all façades fell apart.
She moved Hermione out of the way, into the arms of another snatcher, and touched Draco's Face in amazement, not believing he was actually there in the flesh. She suddenly hugged him tight, throwing Draco off completely. Why was she making her feeling completely so transparent to the world? He wasn't used to seeing her like this and it broke his heart to see it now. He heard sniffling in his shoulder and a muffled voice.
"I thought I had lost you," the elder Malfoy muffled through her son's clothes.
Draco had to release his nervous tension. She may be an aristocratic pureblood, but she was still a mother. Losing a child, especially an only child, isn't something that one could be calm about.
It seemed that Hermione and Draco's reunion wasn't the only one to be interrupted today, for not too soon after, Bellatrix Lestrange came prancing down the hall to the open door.
"Oh Draco, so good to see you," she started nonchalantly "I see you brought some friends for us to play with," she said with an evil smirk displayed on her face. Everyone knew her definition of fun was highly distorted. "Ooh, this should be especially fun," looking straight at Hermione, "Torturing the bitch of The Boy Who Lived."
"The only bitch around here is you," Ron sneered as he spit towards Bellatrix, "You're not laying a hand on Hermione."
"Oh I won't, will I?" she devilishly smirked, showing a shard of her rotting smile back at Ron.
Bellatrix grabbed Hermione harshly by the hair and she cried out, fresh tears falling from her face. "You two, take their wands and take them to the dungeon," pointing to Harry and Ron, "and Draco, I don't feel like touching this filth. Hold onto her and come with me to the drawing room."
The anger between Hermione and Draco had faltered and in turn the fear of how they were going to get out of this mess grew like a tropical storm. Bellatrix had a bit of a skip in her step at the whole situation. Torturing people was her forté, especially mudbloods.
She whipped around to face Draco and Hermione, quicker than a flash.
"Petrificus Totalus!" She giggled wildly at her frozen form, Hermione stuck with a face of shock.
"Let the fun begin."
Harry and Ron were thrown on the cold dirty dungeon floor, leaving scrapes on their faces.
"How the bloody hell are we gonna get out of this mess?! And with Hermione up there!"
A blood curdling scream could be heard from upstairs
"Hermione!" Ron screamed out, banging on the dungeon door as if it would let him free.
"She'll get free, have faith in her," a voice said from the darkness. The boys turned around and Luna Love Lovegood, Mr. Olivander, Dobby and Griphook the goblin turned up from the darkness.
"It is very good to see Harry Potter again." Dobby said with a smile.
"Luna! Dobby! Mr. Olivander!" Harry exclaimed in glee, knowing that people close to him were alive and well.
Mr. Olivander grabbed his side and slowly collapsed to the floor, causing everyone to drop to their knees (except Griphook, because he was already short enough) and care for him the best they could.
"Wait, I think I know a way to get us out of this place," Harry started, "Dobby, you can apparate around this manor, yes?
"Dobby can apparate sir."
"Ok good, so here's my plan."
"Now, let me ask you again, how did you get into my vault at Gringotts?" Bellatrix asked fiercely as she crucioed Hermione on the floor yet again.
Fire tipped daggers seemed to have pierced her everywhere and forced another deafening scream and whimper to escape from her lips.
Draco tried with all his strength to hold back the tears he felt for Hermione. He was being so weak for just standing on the sidelines to save his reputation.
Narcissa saw the look of deep thought, fear, and depression on her only son's face. She realized that while her son was away, he not only became a different person but found a love as well. Understanding this, she knew this way the last place he wanted to be.
If it wasn't to ensure his family's safety, he would've assaulted his aunt Bella by now and escaped with Hermione, back to their quaint little tent in the woods.
She gave a light squeeze of the shoulder and whispered towards him, not facing any particular direction. "Go on, we'll be fine here. Just make sure you find me immediately after this war so I know you and her are safe."
Her? A soft smile played on this face; he knew who her was. Draco took his mother's blessing and soared with a new motivation. He checked his pocket for Harry and Ron's wands before he made another move.
"Crucio!" Bellatrix screamed again as she caused another ear piercing scream to escape Hermione's lips, tears flooded down her face from the pain coursing through her body.
"Expelliarmus!" Draco screamed towards Bellatrix, disarming her and sending her back a bit. Harry, Ron and the rest of the prisoners had come up at the perfect time and witnessed Draco picking Hermione's lifeless body off the ground and a disarmed Bellatrix coming towards them at full speed. Dobby came in front of the group and mischievously winked at Harry. In a snap, the shiny crystal chandelier had fallen around a crowd of Death Eaters coming to attack. Dobby begins to apparate the group of prisoners, Draco and Hermione, but Bellatrix would not have it. She threw her dagger towards the elf just as they disappeared.
Through the stretch and pull of apparition, the boys' creams could be heard, one after another.
"What the bloody hell are you doing here, Malfoy?"
"Saving Hermione's life again!"
"You were the reason we were getting snatched!"
"If Hermione hadn't come back to you guys none of this would have bloody happened!"
"What?!"
A twist and turn of their bodies and a thud to the wet sandy floor came all of the prisoners of Malfoy Manor, including a very disconcerted, panicked, Draco Malfoy carrying a lifeless, bloody lioness. Tears came flooding down his face onto hers as he grabbed onto his love with fervor.
"Hermione!"