AN: Forth Chapter! I said only one chapter a week and look! Four! I really like this story, apparently! Thanks so much for the Reviews! I adore you all so much! The Standard Disclaimer of owning nothing still applies. I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter Four:
The parlor they arrived in was dark and old, leading Fred to believe it was probably the manor of a pureblood family. Draco's if the way he sauntered into the living room was any indication. He glared at the blonde as Draco paused to hold his arm out to Rose. Fred wasn't sure what had happened to her, but one thing was certain. Rose was Hermione. He didn't care that her hair and eyes were different. He didn't care that she didn't seem to know who he was, or who she was for that matter. He didn't care that she believed she was Voldemort's daughter. That was Hermione. He'd stake his life on it. And he didn't appreciate the way Draco was fawning over her.
As if sensing his twin's anger, George shoved a shoulder into Fred and shook his head. George was right. Now wasn't the time to draw unnecessary attention to themselves. Not when they were in the middle of the hornet's nest. Voldemort could round a corner at any moment and if he recognized them…
But it wasn't Voldemort who rounded the corner from the dinning room into the living room. It was Bellatrix Lestrange and a man Fred had never seen. They were laughing together and the man was obviously drunk. They stepped into the light of the living room and caught sight of Rose. The reaction was immediate. Bellatrix straightened, all mirth leaving her expression, and the man glowered. Draco, surprisingly, released Rose's arm and took a step to the side. Even the Death Eaters guarding Fred, George and Molly seemed to tense.
"Rose," Bellatrix began. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
Rose crossed her arms over her chest and raised a black thin eyebrow. "Apparently." She drawled. "I can see why you would imagine Draco and I were in the wine cupboard." Draco snickered but straightened when Rose shot him a dark look.
"You're not supposed to wander off." Bellatrix said, taking a step toward Rose. "The Dark Lord…"
"Is not here" Rose snapped, "and I'm sure, if I were to tell him you weren't around when I left, he may find that far more offensive than my having left without you."
For a moment, Fred swore he saw fear etched across Bellatrix Lestrange's face. Fear of Voldemort? He wondered.
"How dare you speak to my wife that way!" The man, who Fred was absolutely sure was drunk now, cried. The Death Eaters guarding them drew in a deep breath together as Rose leveled her icy glare on him.
"How dare I?" She hissed and even Bellatrix realized the danger her husband was in. "How dare I." She took a step toward him and drew her wand from her robes. With a flick of her wand the man flew back against the wall and remained stuck there, the bottle he'd been holding shattered against the ground. "I dare," she spat, "because I am your Queen. I can do whatever I wish to whomever I wish and there is no one who can utter a syllable against me."
"It was a mistake, Rose!" Bellatrix said but Rose silently shot a spell in her direction that had Bellatrix screaming. A second later it stopped and Bellatrix gasped, "My Queen!"
"A mistake it may have been," Rose said, "But I do not grant second chances." And she flicked her wand at the man whose feet caught on fire. He screamed as the flames slowly began to climb up his legs.
"No!" Bellatrix cried and drew her own wand, but instead of saving her husband, she pointed it at the death mark on her arm. Immediately all the Death Eaters in the room fell to one knee, including Draco. The Death Eaters guarding Fred and his family shoved them to their knees as a gust of wind brought in smoke that dissolved into the Dark Lord himself.
Molly gasped behind Fred but he couldn't look away to comfort his mother. Not when the woman he loved was standing so close to his worst nightmare. Hermione. His lips formed the word but he couldn't say it. Not faced with the cruel being his beautiful fiancé had become.
Rose turned to regard Voldemort with a small smile. "Father." She stated. Voldemort took in the scene in one look and then turned to Bellatrix, who was kneeling before him. "Why did you summon me?" he demanded, and his voice sent chills down Fred's spine.
"He's my husband," Rose said, indicating the man who was on fire from his thighs down now. His mouth was open in a scream but Rose had evidently cursed him into silence. No sound came out. Voldemort considered the man on the wall for a moment then looked at Rose.
"How have you stopped the flames?" He asked, intrigued.
"I haven't," she replied with a giddy smile. "I've just slowed them down. Wouldn't want him to die without feeling every part of his body burn off first."
Fred felt sick. The way she dismissed the man's agony, the smile at having thought of such a cruel death…he was going to be sick. He turned his head away and caught the wide-eyed horror on his twin's face. No. That creature wasn't Hermione. But his Hermione was in there somewhere. He'd get her out.
"Ingenious." Voldemort said simply.
"Sire," Bellatrix began. "I demand payment for the death of my husband! One of her prisoners!" She was on her feet and walking toward the group before Voldemort's hand lifted and she froze.
"Demand?" he asked, the evil in his eye reflected in Rose's as they turned to face her together. Voldemort glanced at Fred and George and Molly, before looking down at Rose. "You're prisoners?"
"We'll have so much fun," Roes laughed.
"No," Voldemort said, turning back to Bellatrix. "You will not touch Rose's things. And for your demand I will not save your husband nor lessen his anguish. You are lucky I don't take your life with his."
"Crucio," Rose whispered and suddenly Bellatrix was on the ground, screaming in agony. Voldemort kissed the top of Rose's head.
"Don't kill her yet." He said simply and disappeared.
It was a long long time before anyone dare move. Draco got to his feet and watched as his Aunt screamed in pain as the other Death Eaters got to their feet as well. Only when the body on the wall had completely turned to a pile of ash, did Rose let up from Bellatrix. She left the whimpering body of one of Voldemort's deadliest servants on the cold floor, inches away from the ashes of her husband.
Sliding her wand back into its holster, she turned to regard her prisoners. "To the dungeon then." She said simply. "I've had my fill of torture for the moment. Perhaps after dinner."
Draco took a step toward her to put his arm around her but Rose stopped him with an icy look. "The members of this family grow too presumptuous." She snarled. "This is my kingdom. My Father's kingdom. You are servants we allow to live simply because we like being served. Do not over extend your usefulness. Servants can be replaced." And she stormed from the room without another word, leaving Draco looking stunned. He turned to his aunt just as the Death Eaters led the prisoners from the room.
Once the Death Eaters had locked them in the cell, their handcuffs disappeared. George turned to their mother instantly, checking for injuries but she shooed him away. They both turned to Fred, who was clutching the cell bars so hard his knuckles were white. "Fred," George whispered, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"It's Hermione." He whispered. "She's alive."
"That's not Mione," George spat. "That is evil incarnate. Voldemort's spawn. Even if she does resemble Hermione."
"She doesn't resemble her! She is Hermione!" Fred cried turning to glare at his twin. "I don't know what they've done to her but that's Hermione!"
"Fred," George began but Fred interrupted him.
"Don't Fred me I know my own Fiancé!" And then he remembered his mother was in the cell with them. He turned to her with a look of horror on his face as she stared, shocked, at him. "Mum…" he began.
"Fiancé?" she whispered. "You were engaged. To Hermione?" She slowly lowered herself down onto a stone. "Oh Lord," she whispered as George rushed to her side to take her hand.
"We didn't tell anyone," Fred said sadly, leaning back against the stone behind him. "She didn't want anyone to know. Not with Ron being in love with her. She said being at war wasn't the time to drive a wedge between family members. She didn't want Ron to be like Percy."
"Ron wouldn't do that," Molly snapped and then her gaze softened. "Yes. He would. She was always so smart. So considerate." She looked up at Fred then and her gaze hardened, "But George is right. That creature is not Hermione."
"That's not entire true." An old voice called making all three of them jump. They turned to the back of the cell they were in to see an aging Wizard sitting on the floor. He slowly got to his feet and came into the torch light and they were shocked to see Olivander.
"Olivander!" Molly cried getting to her feet and leading the too skinny Wizard to the stone she'd been on. "Good Lord what happened?"
"Voldemort took me hostage a long time ago." He told them. "Before you're fiancé was brought in," He added to Fred. "I've been here long enough, heard enough whispers, to have a general idea of what's happening."
"What did they want you for?" George asked at the same time Fred said, "What did they do to her?"
Olivander took a deep breath. "Voldemort is looking for a powerful wand that he felt I could give him information on. I'm ashamed to say I just might have. But that's not important anymore. There's nothing we can do about it in this dungeon at least. You're girl is a different story entirely."
He took another deep shaky breath, and began. "From what I understand, they took Hermione when they came to get Potter. When they found her, they removed all of her memories and replaced them with the ones she has now. They call her Rose Merope Riddle, Vodlemort's daughter. But she's not. They are false memories. The violence, the lack of morals the…the evil. It was all placed into her mind."
"Hermione," Fred whispered and sagged down the wall to sit on the floor.
"But she doesn't look like Hermione."
"A simple altering spell to color her eyes blue, straighten her hair, dye it black. All child's play. The real spellwork went into creating the personality and memories."
"How do we get her old memories back?" Fred asked.
"You can't." The voice wasn't Olivander's and the three turned to the cell door to see Severus Snape standing beyond the cage.
"Severus," Molly gasped and Fred and George were stunned to see the relief on her face. "Get us out."
"I can't." Severus answered. "Only a select few of the Order know I didn't kill Dumbledore and no one can know I am not on his side. If I release you, I'm the first suspect, and the Order losses its mole."
"You're a spy!" George cried only to immediately be shushed by the adults. "You're a spy?" he asked quieter.
"Of course." Severus drawled. "Dumbledore told you to trust me."
"But what about Hermione?" Fred asked, getting to his feet.
"Hermione's memories have to come back on their own. No spell can undo what has been done."
"How do you know?" Fred demanded.
"Because I'm the one who altered her memory." Molly gasped in horror as Fred slammed his fist against the cage.
"You did this!" he cried but George yanked him away from the door before he damaged his hand.
"Be quiet." Severus hissed. "You make enough noise and someone's going to come down here wondering what happened."
"How do we get her to remember?" Molly asked, sensing where Severus was going.
"I don't know. I had to be perfect changing her memories because the Dark Lord checked my work. There couldn't be a single flaw or he'd kill both of us. So there isn't. But if anyone can get her to remember, it would be her fiancé."
"Sept you haven't been acting like her fiancé." George whispered, eyes going wide. "She wouldn't know you because you've been mourning her. You're not like the man she fell in love with."
Before Fred could defend himself Molly added, "Which is understandable. But you have to start acting like yourself again or you'll lose her forever."
"If we get her memories back, will her personality change?" Fred asked and Snape nodded.
"I added a fail safe. If she ever remembers, truly remembers, she'll go back to normal. But she'll have the memories as Rose to contend with."
Fred clenched his fists. That would destroy her. All the lives she'd taken. But at least he'd have her back. At least he'd be there to help her get through it. "Okay." He stated at last. "We'll try it. Not like we have anything better to do, sitting in a dungeon and all."
"Why is You-Know-Who interested in Hermione anyway?" George asked.
"Because she's his daughter."
"No, I meant before you changed her. Why did he want her memories to be changed in the first place? Why not just kill her?"
Severus looked Fred right in the eye and repeated, "Because Hermione Jean Granger is his daughter."
AN: Review? Please?