I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! It's been soooooooo long, and I do feel very bad about not updating, but It's a snow day, and I'm stuck inside, and I'm in a somewhat non-stressful position, and so I'm being productive! You guys are the best for sticking with me, thank you all so much! There's really no excuse for my lateness.
I could have updated this last night, but I was busy watching O Brother Where Art Thou which is gorgeous, by the way. You should all go watch it and be enlightened.
On another hand, here's the next chapter, hope you all find it worth it.
WARNING! Implied rape at the end of this chapter. If you are disturbed by these events, you may stop reading at the break in the middle of the chapter.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Harry Potter series!
"Ohhhh, my head." Jacob Amanar slowly began to wake up, struggling to open his heavy eyelids and cautiously bringing his hands up to clutch at his head where a headache was blooming. His blurred vision made it hard for him to focus on where he was exactly, but after a few seconds, the past day's events came rushing back to him, and he groaned, forcing his aching body into a sitting position on the bed.
The Ministry. Malfoy Manor. Hermione. Running out of Polyjuice Potion. Bellatrix. A knife. Merlin, a knife. I was hurt! Jacob brought his hand from where it was clutching his temple to his neck, where it carefully traced the still raw cut that Bellatrix's knife had perfectly carved. It throbbed slightly, and Jacob could feel the slight heat given off where his body was working to drive off any infections. He winced, and was bringing his wand up to heal himself, when he paused. Had he come back to the headquarters alone?
Hermione. Where is she? I was supposed to bring her back, I was supposed to keep her safe! Now Bellatrix has her! I've got to find Kingsley! In a frenzied panic, Jacob made to leap out of the bed, but his feet caught on the tangled sheets and he tumbled ungracefully to the floor with a dull THUMP!
He was still trying to untangle himself from the bedcovers when Kingsley and Arthur Weasley rushed into the room to see what the commotion was. Looking up at the two disapproving senior Aurors, Jacob suddenly remembered that he was in his PJs, and hurried stand up, wrapping the covers around himself and grinning sheepishly.
"Mr. Amanar? Is there something wrong?" Mr. Weasley was the first to speak, addressing the young Romanian kindly. Jacob blushed, and averted his eyes from the elder wizard's gaze to stare at the floor.
"No, no, I just fell out of bed is all. Well, I tripped, but I was still in bed and all, but I didn't really fall, not really, I didn't mean to. Sorry to disturb you both." He stuttered, embarrassed.
Mr. Weasley cast him a brief amused glance, and turned to go. "Well, if that's all then…" He began exiting the room when Kingsley flung out a hand to block his way.
"Actually, Mr. Amanar, Arthur and I would like to speak to you. You're not busy I take it?" The question was more like a command; Jacob certainly wasn't going to object to Kingsley, in PJs or not.
Mr. Weasley looked more uncomfortable than his counterpart, and began to protest; "Kingsley, the boy's only just escaped from a harrowing experience. Look at him, he's clearly shaken. Give him a little longer, at least wait for him to eat something."
"Yes, and who got him out of that harrowing experience? Not himself, I'll tell you that! No, now is just as good as any other time, so now is when it will happen. Have a seat, Mr. Amanar." Kingsley stated angrily, indicating the end of the conversation. Mr. Weasley sighed in defeat, and sat down. Jacob shakily did the same, on the edge of the bed.
"Mr. Amanar, I'm going to be very frank with you, and I hope you will understand why. Your performance yesterday, was, to say the least, less than expected. You were instructed to go in, find Hermione, and apparate with her back here. There were bound to be complications, but if you had acted like you were supposed to, then we wouldn't be in this mess. You were given information, escape routes, and extra polyjuice! I can only say thank Merlin you remembered how to contact me, otherwise we would have lost both of you! And yet now, we're back to square one, except there's no way we can save Hermione now. Security will be too tight, and the Death Eaters will be on their guard." Kingsley paused in his speech, to gauge Jacob's reaction.
Jacob already knew that he had failed miserably; this is what he had been telling himself all along, but to hear it said so harshly by someone else, Kingsley Shacklebolt no less, somehow it hurt even more. A sinking feeling in his stomach started, making him feel about to throw up and he wanted nothing more than to curl up in between the covers and lie there without ever going into the real world again.
"I regret to inform you that, in the state of things right now, we are no longer in need of the services you have offered. We won't forget your willingness to help, but we must all the same refuse it. We have arranged for your transportation back to Romania via Thestral carriage 4 days from tomorrow. You'll have an escort of two aurors, so you'll be perfectly safe. Also, your memory must be wiped. That will be done once you reach your destination. It is for your own good, Mr. Amanar. Please try to understand why we are doing this." Kingsley spoke the last few lines softer than the others, as if trying to appear sensitive and regretful.
Jacob nodded numbly; he was sitting so still he could feel his blood pounding through his veins, shaking him slightly with its force. He barely registered Mr. Weasley's hand placed on his shoulder in sympathy, and didn't even look up as the older man began to speak.
"What Kinglsey means is, it's too dangerous for you now, any of us really, and we've gotten you into enough trouble. We appreciate what you've done for us, but we can't risk anyone else getting hurt. You're just the age of my youngest son, Ronald. And I can't bear to see anyone else that young die for our cause like he did. Please go home, Jacob. You'll be safe there."
Mr. Weasley let his hand linger on Jacob's shoulder a moment longer, but when the boy stayed unresponsive, it dropped back to his side, and he strode out of the door, followed close behind by Kingsley.
Jacob Amanar was alone. Again. He lay down against the bed, and brought his knees up to his chest, curling his arms around himself to form a childish ball. The headache was gone, taken over by swirling thoughts of the recent conversation. Jacob tucked his head into the crook between his knees and remained motionless but for the steady quivering from the silent sobs that had started somewhere deep in his chest.
Miles away, Hermione Granger was in that exact same position. Only, her sobs weren't so silent. They wracked her body and made her choke on her tears, interspersed with coughs and the occasional whimpering of pain from her bruised body. Her hair was plastered to one side of her head with the congealed blood from a large cut that had happened the day earlier when Bellatrix had resorted to muggle torture rather than magic.
She lay on the dirty ground, in the corner of her cell. Her robes were torn to shreds; what little remains she had left she now covered herself with. Her trousers had been ripped off and were now in the opposite corner; she didn't have the strength to crawl over to them. Her blouse had been torn in a straight line, starting at the neckline and ending at the hem, and hung off of one shoulder, offering no protection whatsoever.
A steady mixture of blood and seminal fluid trickled down from her inner thigh to pool at the ground by her legs. Finger-shaped bruises had started to form on her hips, as well as her chest and neck, where her tormentor had so eagerly gripped at her skin, with only his pleasure in mind. The paleness of her skin only made the contrast between it and the purple bruises all the more stark.
A small trail of dried blood had formed, coming from her mouth, where her attacker had struck her as she tried to fight back and protect herself.
Tears falling from her blank eyes, she bit her lip trying not to remember; but the deep pain in her stomach and the continuous ache in her thighs made it impossible to forget.
Her eyes, once a fiery brown but now dull and empty, closed once more, trying to block out the painful memories of the day's events, but it was impossible. She didn't have the strength, nor the will.
Hermione Granger had been broken.
Dun Dun Dun! I feel kind of really awful about writing that, but we will find out what happens next chapter! It isn't what you think...
Also, I feel kind of bad that I'm making Kingsley and ass, but he's taking one for the team.
Please Review and let me know what you think! Cookies and Caramel Lattes to all that do! And my love, but you all have that anyway...
See you soon!