Posted on: 18/04/2014 at 13:34 GMT/UTC/Zulu.
AN: Thank you to my reviewers angel897, saillorgemini, Crapes, Sadistic-Dream-Pair, HallowRain8587, Lamia of the Dark, LadyBookworm80, Lovesbugsalot, Lovethelab and Moi. Thank you also to those who have favourited or followed this story. I have counted up the votes and taken people's comments into account as well. With that done I have decided on Rosewood as the clan name. Thank you all for your input.
Next chapter will be up on or by 25/04/2014.
Warning: This chapter is dark. It contains torture and murder. If this bothers you please don't read it.
The Marriage Curse
Thief in the Night
Hermione looked at her watch and realised that it was only fifteen minutes until curfew and the library was nearly completely empty. She packed her homework and books into her bag quickly and stacked the library books she had been using on the end of the table. Swinging her bag onto her back she reached for the books so that she could go and shelve them.
As she did she heard a male voice mutter "Stupefy!"
She didn't have time to dodge or turn and see her attacker before the world went dark.
Emma Granger and her husband Daniel were walking back to the car park after a meal out when the world suddenly went dark and cold. They stopped. Emma clutched Dan's arm in fright. They had heard about this from Hermione. There were dementors near them although not being magical they couldn't see them.
Despair clutched at their hearts and several robed and hooded figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere with loud pops. Three of the new arrivals drew their wands and silver creatures burst from them and chased the dark and cold away.
"Thank you." Emma said relieved.
"Silence muggle." One of the people said. A woman by the sound of it.
Emma's heart sank as she realised that each of the wizards wore a mask and all of them were suddenly pointing a wand at them. Dan tried to push Emma behind him out of harm's way but the wizards had encircled them.
"Stupefy!" Two voices cried in tandem and two jets of red light hit them taking the world away.
Severus and Lucius were sitting in his living quarters talking and sipping Firewhisky when the mark burned.
Both of them flinched. Lucius set his drink down looking grim.
"Be careful Severus." Lucius said.
Severus put his glass down and smiled grimly. "I always am. Let Albus know what's happening and be ready to run Lucius. You'll be a fugitive from now on."
"I know." Lucius said.
A summoning charm retrieved his robes and mask and he swapped his teaching robes for the Death Eater ones and put the mask on. Then he cast several concealment charms on himself and slipped out of the door invisible and unheard.
Lucius sent his patronus to warn Narcissa and went over to the fireplace and took a handful of Floo Powder.
"Headmaster's Office." He said as he threw the powder into the flames.
Albus was playing chess with Minerva when Lucius stepped out of the fireplace. He noticed the grim look on the other's face immediately.
"What's happened?" He asked.
"Severus and I have been summoned." Lucius said.
Severus walked beyond the wards and disapparated following the mark. He found himself in a clearing with others.
Before he could process more than that he was hit by the cruciatus curse. The excruciating pain brought him to his knees.
When the curse was lifted he looked up at the Dark Lord breathing heavily. He could feel blood trickling down his chin under his mask where he'd bit his lip.
"Severus. You've been ignoring me. Why?" Voldemort demanded and he saw his death in the red eyes.
He bowed and then spoke. "My Lord I have not been ignoring you. I was trapped on Hogwarts grounds by the wa-"
He was cut off by the cruciatus hitting him again. When Voldemort stopped the curse he found himself on the ground and didn't bother to get up fore Voldemort ordered him to. That would only encourage him to hit him with the curse again.
"Fortunately for you Severus my sources in the ministry have informed me of the Hogwarts situation so I already know that you are telling the truth and I have other business to attend to tonight. If something happens to keep you from me again you will find a way to contact me." He said.
"Yes My Lord."
"I am most displeased with your situation. I suppose there is no way out of it without you losing your magic?" Voldemort asked.
"None my Lord. Much as I wish it to be otherwise." Severus replied.
"Pity. I will deal with you most severely next time for being stupid enough to get trapped like this. Get up and join the others." Voldemort said.
Severus obeyed swiftly glad of his temporary reprieve but dreading whatever Voldemort planned to do to him.
"Where is the traitor Lucius?" Voldemort asked the assembled Death Eaters.
There was silence a few people stirred uneasily.
"No one knows?" He asked.
No one answered. "Very well. He will be dealt with."
"Bellatrix bring me the girl." He ordered.
Bellatrix levitated an unconscious body to the centre of the clearing and dropped it. Severus felt his heart sink as he recognised the Hogwarts uniform and the long bushy hair. Miss Granger.
Voldemort walked around behind her and cast a spell. "Rennervate."
Hermione woke up in a clearing. She sat up and found herself surrounded by masked and robed figures. Death Eaters.
Her heart sank as she scrambled to her feet. She had no idea if she still had her wand, probably not, but even if she did it wouldn't do her any good. She was outnumbered by at least fifteen to one.
"Welcome back to the land of the living Miss Granger." An unnaturally high cold voice behind her said.
Her blood turned to ice in her veins. That had to be Voldemort's voice. Harry said he sounded like that.
Hermione turned with the sensation of being in a nightmare about to face the creature that hunted her.
Her heart hammered as she looked up into cruel red eyes in a snake like face. She felt frozen unable to move as she felt them bore into her seeking something.
He was trying to read her mind! Hermione panicked instinctively throwing barriers into his way. He smashed them aside and it hurt like hot knives stabbing into her temples.
She felt him grasping hold of memories and examining them and tried to yank them out of his grasp. His retaliation felt like her nails being torn out as he wrenched the memories away from her grasp. Hermione let out a gasp of pain and felt tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.
She began to fling memories from her childhood at him all her most painful ones from school and her childhood estrangement from her peers in a desperate effort to keep him away from her most recent memories. Memories that would condemn the Malfoy's to torture and death.
Voldemort swatted the first few away but Hermione felt his annoyance. She bombarded him with memories of her first two years at Hogwarts as many at once and as fast as she could.
She felt a brutal pain in her cheek and felt her lip split as her head snapped to the right. Voldemort had backhanded her.
"Stop fighting me mudblood." He growled.
Hermione didn't dare look him in the eyes again. She kept her gaze lowered and looked at his feet. His boots appeared to be dragon hide. She felt a hysterical giggle rising up inside her throat at the absurdity of noticing a detail like that when she was in front of the darkest wizard in several decades.
She fought the giggle back and then Voldemort had used a spell to raise her chin and she was staring into the red eyes again and all desire to laugh was long gone. She couldn't close her eyes even though she tried. Her eyelids were stuck in place.
Hermione began to dredge up all her memories and put them at the front of her mind before he could invade her head again. She kept working as he forced his way through them searching for her recent memories. Hermione threw Harry's account of the Chamber at him and her memory of the dead basilisk at him hoping to anger him enough that he'd give up.
He stopped rifling through her memories and let her go. The abruptness of it made her stagger back. Her eyes were stinging and streaming from having been held open for so long. She blinked rapidly.
Severus watched with a feeling of despair as Voldemort began to read Miss Granger's mind. The two of them stood like statues in the centre of the clearing for several minutes and then to his surprise Voldemort backhanded her and growled.
"Stop fighting me mudblood."
The silence in the clearing was uneasy. No one fought the Dark Lord's legilimency and the Death Eaters weren't sure how to react.
Was it possible that she'd been studying occlumency? Or perhaps she was a natural occlumens. They were rare but not unheard of.
The girl stood with her head lowered blood running down her chin and dripping onto her school robes. He longed to be able to get her away to safety but he could do nothing without compromising his own position. He wondered if it was time to do just that.
He and Albus had discussed what he should do in a situation like this if it was Potter. The question was if Potter would be able to go on with one of his best friends dead or damaged beyond repair. Even if he did intervene then he would have to wait for the right moment. To move now would be suicide.
A moment later a spell seized hold of Miss Granger and forced her to meet the Dark Lord's eyes. This attempt also seemed to fail after several minutes and the suddenness with which he he released the spell holding her made her stagger back. Well that was interesting.
"Very well. Bring out the prisoners." Voldemort commanded.
The Death Eater ranks parted and four of them came forward dragging her parents.
There were hoots and jeers as they dropped them in front of Hermione and moved back to rejoin the others.
Hermione gave a moan of fear. "Mum! Dad!" She cried out.
Her parents were bound and gagged. Her mother was crying. They were dressed up as though they were going out to the theatre or to a posh restaurant. Her mother's shoes were missing and her feet were blue. Whether from the cold or the ropes around her ankles Hermione couldn't tell.
Voldemort smiled in a way that made her heart sink as he pointed his wand at her father.
"No don't!" Hermione cried out. There was laughter from the Death Eaters.
Voldemort turned back towards her as her father shook his head at her. Hermione understood the silent message.
Don't give him what him wants. She wouldn't.
"Will you stop fighting then?" Voldemort asked.
Hermione clenched her jaw and shook her head.
Voldemort smiled maliciously and raised his wand. "Imperio."
Hermione felt a warmth fill her mind and wash over her. She was dimly aware of someone handing her her wand. A voice in her head told her to raise it and she obeyed. It was bliss not to think; not to have to be in control.
Hurt him. The voice in her head said indicating the man on the ground.
Distantly she was aware of her own voice. "Crucio."
The man on the floor writhed in pain and screamed against his gag. The woman next to him was screaming too. There was a small and quiet voice at the back of her head frantically screaming at her to stop but it was easily ignored.
Severus flinched when the girl began to torture her father. She would fall apart when she came back to herself. He could hear the laughter and appreciative cheers and whistles of his fellow Death Eaters and felt sickened by them.
Voldemort laughed. "Good isn't she? A pity we don't accept those with impure blood."
Miss Granger stopped and Voldemort took her wand away again and released her from the spell.
Severus had the sudden uneasy feeling that they were surrounded and being watched. He looked around but didn't see anything. The feeling didn't go away though. He could hear scurryings in the woods and wished Voldemort had chosen somewhere other than the Forbidden Forest.
Stop. The voice commanded her and she cut off the flow of magic and lowered her wand. The wand disappeared but she didn't notice.
The voice was suddenly gone and her mind was clear. Hermione realised what she had done and doubled up and was sick. She could hear the jeering laughter of the Death Eaters as she heaved. She crouched back when her stomach stopped rolling tears cascading down her cheeks.
"What do you want?" She asked Voldemort.
"I want information about Mr Potter." He said.
"I won't betray Harry." Hermione said stubbornly.
Voldemort ignored that. "Where does he live?"
"I don't know." Hermione said.
"Bellatrix." Voldemort said.
Bellatrix flicked her wand at Hermione's mother and a gash opened up on her cheek.
"I don't know!" Hermione repeated.
Bellatrix sliced another gash on her arm this time.
"Stop it you psycho bitch! I don't know where Harry lives. I don't know!" Hermione shrieked.
"I believe her. Stop." Voldemort said.
"Very well. Where does Mr Potter spend his holidays?" Voldemort asked.
"At Hogwarts." Hermione answered.
"But not during the summer. Where does he go?" Voldemort asked.
Hermione clenched her jaw and stayed silent.
"I am running out of patience. Tell me what I want to know." Voldemort demanded.
Hermione shook her head. "No. I won't betray Harry."
"Kill him Bellatrix." Voldemort answered pointing at her father.
Hermione screamed and threw herself at Bellatrix automatically going for her wand. It wasn't there and Bellatrix repulsed her easily and pointed her wand at her father.
"Daddy I'm sorry! I love you." Hermione cried.
"Avada Kedavra." Bellatrix shrieked. The jet of green light hit her father square in the chest.
"DAD!" Hermione wailed.
Her mother flung herself over the body sobbing.
"Avada Kedavra." Voldemort snarled.
Hermione's mother fell limp across her father.
"NO!" Hermione screamed.
Something cracked behind her. She whirled around. Acromantula stepped out of the trees and dropped from above. The night descended into chaos.
In the Gryffindor Common room Harry shot out of the armchair he'd drifted off in with a scream of "NO!"
Fred jumped knocking over his card castle. The cards exploded as it went down singing his sleeve.
"Bloody Hell Harry." Ron exclaimed.
"Voldemort's got Hermione. He just killed her parents!" Harry said.
Draco dropped his textbook on the sofa.
"How in Merlin's name do you know that?" He asked.
Harry didn't answer. He and Ron were already at the portrait hole.
"Harry has a connection to Voldemort because of what happened when Voldemort tried to kill him." Neville said. "When he's asleep he sometimes dreams about what Voldemort is doing."
"Harry told you that?" George asked sounding impressed.
"Well no." Neville blushed. "I overheard Harry and Ron talking about it earlier this year. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was under my bed looking for Trevor and they didn't realise I was there."
"So you believe him?" Draco asked.
"Yeah." Fred said.
"I'm not sure I do but if Po- Harry really did see that what do we do?" Draco asked.
"Tell Dumbledore which is what Harry and Ron will be doing right now." George said.
"Exploding snap?" Fred asked.
"How can you play games when your friend might be in danger?" Draco asked.
"Worrying won't change anything and it certainly won't help her." George said. "And not doing anything will give us time to worry."
"So we might as well stay busy. Exploding snap Draco, Neville?" Fred asked again.
"Yeah alright." Draco said.
"Okay." Neville agreed.
"PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE!" Harry yelled from the foot of the stairs after all his password attempts failed.
He hoped Dumbledore would hear him.
"That's not going to work." Ron said. "Let me."
"Sonorous." Ron cast.
Harry's next cry caused several portraits to flinch and cry out.
Ron winced. "They'll have heard you from here to Hogsmeade Harry. There's no way he didn't hear that. Quietus."
The staircase behind the gargoyle began to move. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall came down.
"Mr Potter what on earth is this about?" Professor McGonagall asked looking most displeased.
"Voldemort has Hermione! They're in the Forbidden Forest!" Harry blurted out looking desperately at Professor Dumbledore. "I was asleep in the common room and I saw it."
"I think you'd better come up and tell us everything Harry." Professor Dumbledore said.
A hand gesture from him made the gargoyle spring aside.
The four of them went up to Dumbledore's office and Harry told them everything he'd seen.
Please Review. Constructive criticism is welcomed. Flames will be used to warm Voldemort up.
As I was unable to find any canon names I used the fanon names for Hermione's parents.
Things will get better over the next few chapters I promise. *Hides from the angry pitchfork carrying mob.*