Hey everyone! I'm very excited with how many people have started following my story. I'm considering updating more often because of the number of readers. Keep in mind that I have a job and I'm in college so that might not work. I'll try my best though. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
-SilverSlytherinWitch
Hermione woke up the next morning to Ron banging on her cell door, "Rise and shine Hermione." He sneered, "Nice to have you back, now we can continue with the fun."
Hermione glared at Ron letting her anger boil over. Her eyes flashed red like her father's for a brief second before returning to their natural color, "Nice to be back. I wonder if you'll try to Crucio me again Ronald. After all Harry had to help you last time since your spell was so weak."
"I can assure you I've been practicing," Ron hissed back pulling her from the cell and locking the door back.
"Good, give me your best shot." Hermione snapped stepping on his foot and slamming her elbow into his nose.
Ron cursed as his nose broke and started bleeding, "Bloody hell you little bitch!"
"Good one Hermione!" Ginny yelled from the cell door where she was watching her best friend and brother.
"Harry!" Ron yelled up the stairs still holding his nose, "Get down here!"
Hermione smirked circling Ron waiting for him to make the next move, "Calling in reinforcements already Ronald?"
"Shut the fuck up." Ron snapped swinging his fist towards Hermione's face.
Hermione ducked and swiftly brought her knee up into Ron's stomach. He coughed and dropped to the ground at her feet. Hermione grinned evilly as she kicked him in the ribs hearing one snap. Ron groaned and rolled away from her reaching for his wand. Hermione jumped on his back pinning him to the floor and began fighting with him for his wand. Spells shot out of the end bouncing off the walls and ceiling. Ginny and Fred dove for cover in their cell to avoid any stray spells. Hermione growled and punched Ron in the face as she pulled his wand from his grasp. She stood triumphantly and turned around with a grin. Her grin disappeared as Harry swung his fist and hit her square in the face. She gasped dropping the wand as she stumbled backwards holding her face.
"Hermione!" Fred and Ginny yelled at the same time, "Are you alright?"
Hermione didn't answer. Instead she spit blood out of her mouth and glared at Harry. She wouldn't try anything again. Not while he had his wand trained on her and could Crucio her before she took two steps.
"Get up," Harry snapped at Ron, "How could you be so stupid to not bind her hands before you took her out of the cell?" Harry lectured throwing Ron his wand back, "She could have gotten away."
"Underestimated her," Ron mumbled slowly climbing to his feet.
"That much is obvious," Harry sneered, "Go clean up and heal your wounds. I'll handle her."
Ron nodded and headed up the stairs calling for his mother to come heal him. Hermione watched him limp up the stairs with a small smile on her face. She had at least been able to give him a little payback. Though now that Harry would here she was sure she would pay for it. Hermione turned to look a Harry and frowned. He gave her an evil grin before binding her hands and pulling a knife out of his belt.
"I thought we might add some more wording to your arm. It seemed to work so well as torture when Bellatrix did it to you." Harry chuckled, "What will we add? Any requests Hermione?"
Hermione's face once again dropped into a blank expression as her eyes flashed anger. "How about sexy?" Hermione suggested sarcastically sneering at her old friend.
"You know," Harry said cocking his head to the side, "You look remarkably like Malfoy when you sneer like that. I think you've been spending too much time with him. You're starting to act like him."
"How's that relevant?" Hermione snapped not letting him intimidate her.
Harry grinned, "Because it gives me inspiration. I know exactly what we'll add to your arm."
Hermione's face paled as she took one step backward, "What are you going to do?"
"Oh you'll see," Harry assured her darkly, "I'm sure you'll love it."
"Harry you can't be serious," Ginny cried, "you're becoming just like the Death Eaters. The Order doesn't torture their prisoners!"
"They do now." Harry answered jumping at Hermione.
He had pinned her to the ground before she saw him move. Harry then used a spell to stick her body to the floor where she couldn't get away from him as he rolled up her sleeve to look at her "Mudblood" scar. Ginny whimpered from the cell not knowing what she could do for her friend but not wanting to watch what was about to happen either. Fred growled as he gripped the cell bars willing them to disappear so he could help his friend. Harry started off slow adding one stroke at a time while Hermione silently cried. Slowly the letting M began to form above the other scars. Harry paused long enough to ask if Hermione would like to tell him anything. Hermione refused to respond as her blood dripped from her arm. Harry snarled and began the next letter. It was a slow process that left everyone involved besides Harry in a lot of pain. Ginny and Fred were going crazy shaking the bars on the cell screaming at the top of their lungs as Harry scarred their best friend for life. Hermione was helpless to do anything but watch her flesh be mangled as Harry kept cutting. She could only hope to pass out from the pain because she refused to beg him for anything. He could scar her but he would never hear her beg for mercy.
Finally Harry finished the last letter and stood up to admire his handy word. There on Hermione's arm above the word Mudblood was the word Malfoy's. Harry laughed at the irony and slowly cleaned his knife as he let Hermione bleed a little longer. Ginny collapsed sobbing into her brother's arms when she saw that Harry had finally stopped. Hermione would be in pain for a long time but at least the worst of it was over for the moment. Harry eventually cast a blood replenishing spell on Hermione and healed the wound just enough to keep her from bleeding any further. He released the spell holding her to the floor. Sitting down on a stool about five feet from Hermione he watched as she sobbed and held her arm close to her body. It hurt worse than the first time because it had been done by a friend this time. A friend turned enemy. Hermione was in too much pain to fight Harry as he grabbed her by the hair and threw her back into the cell with Ginny and Fred. Fred caught her gently laying her down on the floor. He tried to look at her arm but Hermione pulled away and curled in on herself. She didn't want anyone to see it yet.
"Get it Hermione?" Harry asked laughing, "You're Malfoy's Mudblood now. Hey at least now you have the Malfoy name for life. You won't live long enough to become the next Mrs. Malfoy. I promise you that."
"Leave her alone you piece of shit," Ginny screamed throwing herself against the bars of the cell to try and reach him.
Harry's face dropped into a scowl, "I'd watch who you call names Ginny. We start on you tomorrow."
"Bring it on!" Ginny screamed, "I won't tell you anything either you crazy hypocritical son of a bitch!"
"We'll see," Harry replied before leaving the basement.
"Come back here you bloody coward!" Ginny yelled after him shaking the cell bars, "I'll kill you with my bare hands if I have too!"
"Leave it Gin," Fred ordered from Hermione's side, "Hermione needs us right now. You can yell death threats later."
Ginny immediately whirled around and ran to her best friend, "I'm so sorry Hermione. Please forgive me. I shouldn't have let you come back here. I knew something like this would happen." She rambled sobbing.
"It's ok Gin," Hermione whispered, "It's my own fault for beating the shit out of Ron. But don't worry. As long as you answer their questions this won't happen to you."
"Oh, Hermione. I'm not worried about it happening to me. I'm worried about how it will affect you. You're my best friend. Nobody deserves this." Ginny whispered.
Hermione shook her head and tried to grin at her best friend, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." She whispered before fainting.
"I'm going to kill every last person involved with doing this to her. Everyone. Even the ones that stood by and let it happen." Fred vowed in a dark whisper as he tried to make Hermione as comfortable as possible.
Ginny shook her head, "Not if I get to them first." She growled.
Three days passed while Hermione lay unconscious in the basement cell with Ginny and Fred. Harry would come down once every day to check on the prisoners. He ordered Ron to bring them small portions of food, but it was never enough to fill them up. They each tried everything they could think of to revive Hermione but without a wand their situation was bleak. Ginny and Fred would talk about what had happened to Hermione, and what they would do if they escaped though neither thought that it would actually happen. Their only rescuers had turned into their jailers. On the fifth day, Hermione let out a shudder and opened her eyes.
"Hermione," Ginny gasped crawling over to her best friend, "Are you alright? How are you feeling?"
"Wfftrr," Hermione croaked trying to sit up.
Ginny looked confused, "She needs water," Fred realized retrieving the small glass of water that they had been given that morning.
"Easy Hermione," Fred cautioned helping her sit up as Ginny tilted the cup towards her friend's lips. Hermione slowly drank the entire glass.
Clearing her throat she tried to speak again, "How- How long….was I out?"
"Five days," Ginny answered setting the cup aside.
"Damn," Hermione coughed, "I didn't think I'd be out that long."
Fred shook his head, "I'm surprised you weren't out longer with everything that happened. Ginny told me what you've been dealing with concerning the memory charm."
"How are you feeling?" Ginny asked handing her a wet rag.
"Like shit, my arm feels like it is on fire." Hermione responded glancing at her arm before covering it up with her shirt sleeve. She handed the rag back to Ginny without using it. She didn't want to think about her arm right now. "We need to get out of here."
Ginny and Fred nodded in agreement, "I don't see how though," Fred sighed, "All of our allies are now our enemies."
"Not all of them," Said a voice from the basement stairwell. All three turned to see George standing in the shadows.
Fred smiled, "George."
"I can't let you guys out." George whispered stepping forward to hand them some more food and water, "Harry will know someone helped you and he'll go on the warpath. But I can try to help some other way."
Hermione grabbed the food and started devouring it. The other two let her have it since they had been eating her portion while she was unconscious. Hermione quickly drank the other cup of water and turned to George. He handed her a small vial.
"It's to help with the pain….for your arm." George mumbled not looking Hermione in the eye.
"I don't blame you George," Hermione whispered drinking the potion, "You couldn't have known how far Harry has lost it."
George shook his head, "I heard the screaming. I didn't come downstairs though. I could have stopped him."
"You would have gotten yourself killed. It wouldn't have stopped him. It would have just pushed off the inevitable." Hermione reasoned squeezing George's shoulder, "Don't try and take on the blame. I won't have it."
"I'll try not to," George whispered.
"Good. Can you send a message for us?" Hermione asked moving back to the matter at hand.
George nodded, "Yes but I don't see what good that does. We can't reveal the location of Headquarters."
"Yes we can," Hermione smiled feeling the potion start to take effect, "When Dumbledore died that made everyone that he had told the location into a new secret keeper."
"Really," Fred said raising his eyebrows, "Nobody knew that but you."
Ginny growled, "Harry is going to regret making us his enemies."
"Yes he is," Hermione agreed, "Here is what I want you to do George. Send a message to Blaise Zabini. The only thing I want you to put in the letter is the address of Headquarters and one sentence. She needs your help. That's it. No signature, no explanation, but it has to be verbatim. She needs your help."
"Okay?" George said sounding confused.
"He'll know what it means," Ginny assured her brother.
"Why not send it directly to your father?" Fred cut in, "or Malfoy for that matter?"
Hermione shook her head, "My father doesn't accept any mail. It's a precaution to keep anyone from finding him. Draco on the other hand," Hermione sighed, "I'm not sure if he would take it seriously. He might see it as a trap. Blaise cares too much about Ginny and me to think about it before he alerts my father."
"He's a lot like Harry in that," Ginny frowned, "Don't tell him I said that."
"Ok, I'll get the letter sent immediately," George promised them, "I've got to go now. Before somebody starts looking for me."
The others nodded, "Thank you George," Fred whispered reaching out to his twin, "You came through for us."
George grabbed Fred's hand and squeezed it, "I couldn't leave you Fred. You're my twin. That's like betraying yourself."
Fred nodded not trusting himself to speak. George let go of his brother's hand and jogged up the stairs to send the letter that would hopefully bring their rescue. It was the least he could do. They would escape and he would stay behind to become the newest spy in the Order. If he had to he would give his life to save his brother and sister. The war had definitely changed. Not only had the Death Eaters won over the lioness, but she was bringing half of her pride with her.
Blaise awoke to an insistent tapping coming for the window. He growled as he got up to let the bloody owl in. It was three o'clock in the morning for Merlin's sake. Who could be sending him a letter at this hour? He sighed as he slid the window open and took the letter from the owl's beak. The creature hooted once before taking off into the black sky. Blaise walked over and sat on the edge of his bed as he opened the letter.
"Might as well read it now. I'm already fucking awake." He mumbled to himself while unfolding the parchment. His brow furrowed as he read the short message. He stopped, read the message again and growled.
"Son of a bitch!" He snapped, "I'm going to kill Potter."
He quickly snatched his wand from his bedside table and sent his Patronus out to Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, and his friends. As the silver apparitions disappeared into other parts of the house, he pulled on some pants and shoes. His nightshirt would have to do for now.
Only ten minutes later everyone was assemble in the meeting room. The Dark Lord sat and the round table and the others followed his example. Everyone had come straight out of bed and most were still in their pajamas or house robes. The group may have looked disheveled but Voldemort could tell that they couldn't be more alert. Everyone wanted to hear what Blaise had reported about Hermione.
"Blaise has informed me that he received a message from young Miss Weasley saying that Hermione needed help. Included in the note was the supposed address of the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix." Voldemort explained, "Now, we need to organize a raid to help my daughter, but I do not want to take this mission lightly. Blaise, how likely is it that this note is a trap?"
"Not likely at all sir," Blaise answered, "I told Ginny to address the letter to me and exactly what to say should they need assistance. The letter is exactly how I told them to format it. They didn't add any details. Just an address and one sentence."
Blaise passed the note to the others and they all looked at it. Draco was the last to see the note. "Wait a minute," He interrupted, "It says she. Why wouldn't it say we? As in both Ginny and Hermione?"
Blaise shook his head, "Ginny was only to contact me if Hermione needed help. I knew that the Death Eaters would not assist Ginny if she were in trouble. She isn't the key to the war and she hasn't pledged loyalty."
"Very wise of you Blaise," Voldemort praised, "An Order spy would assume that we would assist both of them and format the letter based on that theory. In making sure that she knew to format it for one person you gave us a safety net. However, we must still be cautious."
"My lord, Grimmauld Place belongs to Sirius Black. Well it did before he passed. The family says that he left everything he had to Harry Potter. Right Bellatrix?" Narcissa asked turning to her sister.
"Yes, it was supposed to come to the next Black in the family line, but Sirius the blood traitor that he is wrote in his will that the house would be left to Potter. Nobody can break the binding of the magic in the will. It is Potter's property." Bellatrix sneered.
Voldemort nodded, "I believe it is time to set up a plan."
Everyone nodded in agreement and they set about drawing up a plan of attack.
"Bellatrix and Narcissa," Voldemort began, "I will need you both to create a layout of the house. It has to be as precise as possible. Every detail that you can remember from the last time you were there will help us. Even something as simple as a broom cupboard. Understood?"
"Yes my lord," Bellatrix answered as she and Narcissa set to work on drawing up blueprints for the house.
Voldemort turned to Lucius, "I want you, Nott, and Parkinson to pull together two teams. One for extraction and one for diversion. Include the teenagers as well."
"My lord?" Lucius questioned.
"They care for her," Voldemort answered the unasked question, "It is only right that they be allowed to fight to get her back."
Lucius nodded, "As you wish my lord."
"Zabini Senior," Voldemort called to a man across the table, "I need all concealment devices and spells that you know of. We want to do this as quickly and quietly as possible. Our main concern is getting Hermione out. We will return to fight them another day."
Blaise's father nodded as he pulled Astoria's father Anthony, Rudolphus Lestrange, and Pansy's mother Astryd into a group. They would work on the concealment and execution while the others formed groups and worked on blueprints. Most of the night was spent planning and nobody went back to sleep until around ten in the morning. They had all decided to rest for the remainder of the day and attack that night. Timing was the key and they couldn't leave Hermione in the hands of the Order for one minute longer than necessary.
Draco lay in his bed wondering what was happening to Hermione for over an hour before he drifted off to sleep. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was in immense pain. He hadn't realized how much he missed the girl until she had disappeared from his daily life again. But tomorrow the Death Eaters would get her back. And Potter would pay for every scratch or bruise that Hermione had on her body.