CH. 2

After a few hours of sitting on the bed waiting for her death and trying to plot against it, the door clicked open again. Bellatrix stood in the doorway smiling at her, a crazed look in her eyes. "Mudblood! Come here!" Bellatrix screamed at Hermione. Bellatrix's eyes looked crazed as she held out her crooked wand at her.

Hermione glared at her and shook her head, wanting so badly to claw her eyes out. Bellatrix's smile faltered a little, but then she cackled and flew across the room, grabbing Hermione by the hair and pulling her head back to expose her neck. "Such a pity that your wounds were healed. I rather liked them." Bellatrix cooed at her as she ran a finger down Hermione's neck, which sent chills down her spine. "My master wants to see you…"

Dragging Hermione from the room by her hair, Bellatrix took them through the large house and into a room that looked much like a meeting room. In the room sat a large rectangular table that many men dressed in black tattered robes and skull masks sat around it. At the head of the table sat Lord Voldemort.

Bellatrix bowed deeply and smiled while yanking Hermione in front of her by her hair. "I brought the dirty blooded girl, Master. Just like you asked." Such fear, yet admiration shone in Bellatrix's eyes as she stared at Voldemort. Hermione tried her best took look brave and stand her ground; she had to find out if they also had Harry and Ron.

Voldemort stood up and stared at her, which made her heart race, but she stared him in the eyes, and showed no fear. He motioned for her to come over to her, and when she did not move Bellatrix shoved her towards him. "DO AS THE DARK LORD TELLS YOU TO DO!" She screeched.

Hermione took a step over to him and stayed silent. He stared at Hermione curiously and raised his hand right before Bellatrix brought hers down across Hermione's face. She stopped dead in her tracks and stepped back, clearly understanding that Voldemort wanted no harm done to her yet. Staring at her for another silent moment, the whole room tense, he finally spoke. "Now tell me, young Mudblood… Where is the Potter boy?"

She stood there as it registered into her mind, and then relief flooded through her. They didn't have Harry! What about Ron? She looked up at him defiantly and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I'm here with you. I would have no knowledge of where they went."

Voldemort narrowed his eyes at her and leaned toward her, the Death Eaters clearly expecting him to kill her now or at the very least strike her for her defiant mouth. She waited for it, but he only stared at her. She stared back, transfixed in his eyes and took a step closer. He looked away and as his eyes were torn from hers, she realized what she was doing and froze.

"Get her out of my sight." Voldemort snapped, and in that instant Bellatrix strode over to her and grabbed her again by her thick brown hair. She pulled her all the way back to the room she had been staying in and threw her inside, locking the door.

She walked to the door and pressed her ear to it, but after a moment of silence she stumbled towards the bed and sank down, the bed groaning at her weight as she burred her face into her hands. As terrified as she was about her predicament, she was extremely relieved to find out that Voldemort had not captured Harry; she just had to find out about Ronald. She prayed silently, hoping that they were, in fact, okay.

There was no window inside the room, which meant she had no idea what time of the day it was. It felt like she had been sitting inside that depressing room for days, and for all she knew, she could have been.

Her stomach growled viciously, and she realized for the first time that she was hungry. She probably hadn't eaten a good meal in a few days. With her stomach angrily protesting at her and wondering how come it had not been filled in so long, she stood up and walking around the room. She touched the wall gingerly and sighed, pressing her forehead to the paneled wall. The wallpaper looked water damaged and in some placed was peeling and shriveled.

The door clicked and slowly creaked open. Hermione stood, looked up, and waited for someone to walk in, maybe hit or kill her and finish her off. She waited and watched, but no one came in. Slowly and cautiously, she walked towards the door and saw that not a single being occupied the hallway beyond the door. She took a few steps back, knowing that as temping as it was to make a run for it, it would be very unwise. She felt like she was being tested; caged and watched like a lab rat.

Walking backwards to the bed, she sat down on the edge, waiting and staring at the door. After what felt like hours, a long snake came glided into the room and stared up at Hermione. It sent chills down her spine; she never really fancied snakes. Its long body slithered over to her bed and raised its head up. It blinked, she tensed; waiting for it to strike at her, but to her surprise it lowered back down and silently left the room. The door mysteriously closed behind it.