Sorry this took a little bit longer than usual to update. I was busy. But, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and to s'moreo1235 for suggesting a Ravenclaw Peeta, I AM finding a spot for him. PLEASE review, it means a lot. And, as usual, ENJOY!

Chapter 8

Hermione clutched Draco, and as they walked it turned into a hug. Hermione didn't really know why she was so comfortable with Draco, why she had dug her head into him, why she cried into his chest. She didn't know why she held his hand, but it made her feel safe. Draco's father wasn't very happy to see her clinging to him, but she didn't care, and Draco didn't either. They were sent to a large room that was very warming; a sofa in one corner, a large fireplace, twin double beds and a huge chandelier.

Bellatrix came in and announced that they were to sleep in one of the beds, as she would be taking the other one to "keep an eye on them", as she called it. Of course, Draco and Hermione were horrified.

"Come on," she had said. "One half each." After a while of debating, Draco finally agreed with Bellatrix, Hermione having said nothing. Hermione and Draco slept fully clothed in silk pyjamas. They had been asleep for a few hours, before Hermione heard someone whisper Petrificus Totalus.

"Draco," whispered a voice. Hermione turned around to look at Bellatrix, since she was on her side of the bed. Bellatrix was in a full body-bind, but still asleep. The voice came from Draco's side. "Draco," it repeated. "Let's go."

"Ok," Draco replied. "But Pansy, Hermione must come too." Pansy sighed, but agreed.

Ooo

"How did you find us?" Hermione whispered as they edged closer to the clearing where herself and Draco had been tortured.

"I followed the blood trail." Pansy answered, whispering like Hermione. Hermione shuddered, knowing it was her blood. "This way," she directed, pointing to their left. After a few more minutes of walking, they found themselves at the grand front doors of Hogwarts. To Hermione, the front doors were the grandest of everything in the castle, except the great hall.

"Where have you been?" Professor McGonagall asked. "I could imagine Miss Parkinson and Mr Malfoy leaving the castle for the forbidden forest, but Miss Granger?"

"I was-the giant threw me out there. Draco came to find me." Hermione replied. She looked at Draco, trying to tell him to finish the story. He got the gist of it and spoke.

"I was just walking up to her when… when Voldemort came." Draco said, still looking at Hermione. He turned back to Professor McGonagall. "He punished me for trying to help her, and when she tried to help me, she was punished as well. He and the Death Eaters took us to the Riddle mansion, and they… tortured us. Then they made us sleep in the same bed, most unsanitary, in my opinion." Draco took a deep breath. "Then Pansy was there." Professor McGonagall nodded.

"Ok, Mr Malfoy. You and Miss Parkinson can go back to the Slytherin common room. As for you, Miss Granger, there's something you'll want to see." Draco and Pansy walked off, and the professor took Hermione to the Hospital Wing. The entire Gryffindor house was there, first years horrified, as were all the other grades, except the seventh-years, who were crying. Tears were streaming down their faces, and some were making loud noises. Hermione approached the group, and wished she hadn't. Sitting in hospital bed was Seamus Finnigan. His dead body lay there. Ron told her that the giant had knocked his skull in.

"No," she whispered. It wasn't fair. Seamus didn't deserve that; he was a really nice boy. He had no marks of cuts or bruises, just a little bit of black that he hadn't been able to get out of his hair after one of his potions had done what they always did; blow up, and, of course, a knocked-in skull. But this time she didn't want to hug Ron, to rest her head on his shoulder. She wanted Draco. She couldn't stand the sight of Seamus. She ran away in tears. She ran all the way down to the dungeons, to the entrance of the Slytherin common room. She had overheard Draco whisper on the way back from Riddle mansion what the Slytherin password was, in case she ever needed him while he was in there.

"Password," growled the ugly portrait at the entrance. Hermione didn't want to say it.

"Mu-mudblood." She said, and the portrait let her in.

She heard people whisper among themselves as she walked through their common room.

"What's she doing in here?"

"How did she know the password?"

"Bet she had trouble saying it! She's a Mudblood herself!"

After that comment, Draco turned around in his spot on the shiny green sofa. He stood, and walked over to her. They walked outside the common room, and Hermione grabbed him, pulling him into a hug. "What is it?" he asked her.

"The giant… it…killed…" Hermione couldn't say anymore. He squeezed her, then demanded that she take him to see the victim. She took him to the Hospital Wing, letting go of him just before they entered. She walked up to the group. They turned around to see who was approaching, and a wave of "what is he doing here?"s rang around the room. A few people scowled at her for bringing Draco, but most were scowling at him. Draco explained for her.

"I forced her too. She didn't want to bring me," he said honestly. "But I made her." Hermione nodded sadly. She hadn't wanted to take Draco, but he blackmailed her, and raised eyebrows told her to say so.

"He blackmailed me," she said in a small voice. "He saw me crying, and…" Hermione trailed off. She rubbed her eyes, but more tears came. She had told Draco that she was going to run and cling to Ron, but promised him she didn't mean to. So she did what she said, and thankfully, everyone believed that it was genuine. When Draco pulled at her, she scowled, until he blackmailed her again.

"Fine!" she said, pretending to be grumpy. She stomped off with him, but hugged him as soon as they were out of the Gryffindors' line of sight. She was just thinking that they might be able to finish the year without any drama, now that she wasn't friends with Harry anymore, when he came running round the corner.

Hermione never knew that he knew the spell that left his lips and wand tip. She had read it in a book, but never expected Harry to know it. It was a spell that was meant to be used for objects, to conceal them, but not on people. It concealed the object in a ball of water, which could be opened only by the wand that concealed it. "Aquaticasel!" Hermione and Draco were in a ball of water. Hermione was glad that other balls cast by the same wand could be moved into bigger ones. Harry could transport food and water in for them, but Hermione had a feeling he was going to let them starve.

"Harry!" she screamed, but she couldn't be heard over the water. She remembered another spell, one that would only work if a human was in a ball of water. "No!" but Harry cast the spell. Hermione saw his lips say "Rocaterus!" and ropes made of water wrapped themselves around Draco and Hermione. But Harry had flicked his wand too much, and the ropes tied them together, not tied up with different ropes. "Harry!" she screamed. Harry had a nasty grin on his face. He opened up his book bag and pulled out a piece of parchment, where he must have previously written a note. He held it up. In his neat handwriting was;

Hermione: That's for going out with Malfoy.
Malfoy: Lay off her or you're dead.

Hermione was itching to say that Draco couldn't lay off her-they were tied together in a ball of water-but she knew Harry wouldn't be able to hear and didn't. She felt Draco tugging on the ropes, anger so red-hot it might have been able to burn the water, if that was even possible. He managed to get one hand free, but not the arm. He did a hand-flick thing and muttered something. In thirty seconds, their wands were in his hand. He shuffled around a bit and passed Hermione her wand.

"The spell is Rocatsura." He said. "And you move like this." Draco flicked, swished, and flicked his wand. "Just put them together." Hermione nodded. "Rocatsura!" he said, and a few of the ropes broke. "Only both of us at once can break them." He said, as those few ropes grew back. "One, two, three!" he counted.

"Rocatsura!" they said in unison. All the ropes broke. They did it again, hoping that the ball would break. "Rocatsura!" but nothing happened. Draco reached out a hand to the ball's walls. His hand went right through the water, even out the other side, but he instantly pulled it back with a scream.

"It... it… burned me." He stuttered. Hermione couldn't help it. She laughed.