23 March, Friday, 2330 GMT
Hermione opened her eyes. She took in a breath and immediately felt a sharp pain. She suddenly remembered her predicament.
o-o-o
Her back ached as she impacted against the side of the bed. The former Slytherin goalkeeper kicked at her sternum. She clutched at her stomach, her eyes fluttering as she looked up at him.
Kellen Tanner pointed his wand at her. "Your existence mars our world, Mudblood," he said in disdain.
"You see we're back," he showed her his forearm. She whimpered as she saw the serpent protrude from the skull. He snickered. "We're actually going to use your own machinery against you.
"Muggle weapons can kill from afar. Imagine what they'll be able to do with a little magical modification. Fatal bleeding from wounds, no matter how superficial. We're going to take back our world by wiping out you Mudbloods and your filthy brood."
"You can't do this, Kellen," she pleaded.
He narrowed his eyes at her. Without warning, he hit her across the face, knocking her unconscious.
o-o-o
23 March, Friday, 2333 GMT
She felt the plush carpet under her. She slowly got up on one knee. She looked around at what seemed to be a plain bedroom with a bed and nightstand. Her white coat hung on the backrest of a chair in the room. 'Just leave it and get out,' she thought to herself as she stumbled towards the door.
It swung open. Hermione reared backward. The door slammed shut. The imposing figure towered over her. Her eyes roved up his pant leg and up his chest to his face. She took in another sharp breath. Her eyes enlarged as she saw his telltale platinum blonde hair.
It was as if she were shot from a cannon. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Draco."
The wizard was slightly taken aback. He pulled her hands away from his neck. He shoved her violently onto the bed. She gasped for air. He quickly rolled up his sleeves.
The blonde wizard pointed his wand at her. She turned in time to hear him cast the Cruciatus curse. She couldn't get out of the way fast enough. She writhed in excruciating pain. She rolled onto the floor still panting for air.
'How dare she,' he thought as his anger rose. His eye caught her white lab coat. He read the embroidered blue lettering, Hermione Granger, M.D. He pulled a dagger out of its sheath from his belt. He held the dagger in his right hand.
He grabbed her shirtfront and hoisted her up off the ground. He rammed her into the wall. She went into a coughing fit.
"My friends and family call me by my first name," he sneered, as he looked straight into her face. "And since you are neither, you have no right to do so."
She looked into his grey eyes. They seemed cold and empty. This wasn't the Draco she knew or at least to whom she was married.
"It's me, Draco. Hermione. We're married," she paused, showing him her left hand. "We would have celebrated our two year anniversary two days ago. Drew, our daughter . . . she turned two in January."
He eyed the gold piece on her finger. He looked at his own left hand. He snickered.
"Good try, Granger," he said icily. "You and the Weasel probably tied the knot. You'd say just about anything to get out of this."
"Ronald was killed during the war. You know that, Draco, please," she pleaded.
Draco flushed, slightly upset at how his name rolled so easily off her tongue. He flashed his hand at her. "No ring," he said coldly.
Hermione whimpered. She took a deep breath. "It's on your silver chain. The one you've worn since we were named Heads during Seventh Year," she paused waiting for Draco to remember on his own. "It gets in the way during your Potions instruction."
Draco took in a deep breath of his own, letting go of her shirtfront. He ran his fingers over his neckline, searching for the aforementioned silver rope chain. "Like I said before, no ring."
"We're married, Draco. Please believe me," she said showing her ring again to him.
He grabbed her wrist, slamming it into the wall behind her. She winced in pain. He yanked the ring from her finger. He quickly looked at the inscription. "The Serpent and the Lioness forever, 21 March," he took a deep breath before narrowing his eyes at her.
He threw the cylinder towards the door. She whimpered. The inscription could have been a trick, an optical illusion of some sort. He knew she was a gifted witch. He narrowed his eyes at her. He came into the room with one purpose; to finally rid the Wizarding World of his childhood rival.
"You were a know-it-all in school, if I remember correctly," he said bitingly. He slammed the dagger against the wall right next to her head. She flinched. "Do you recognize the hilt?"
She shut her eyes. She needed only a second's look to recognize the ancient dagger. She opened her eyes as she looked up into his.
"Answer me," he shouted.
"The Dagger of Irses," she said.
"I don't have to remind you of what it's capable of," he smirked.
"Please snap out of this," she begged, looking into his eyes, knowing full well they had used the Obliviate spell on him and it appeared as if the severity level was at its highest.
"I could easily sever your jugular," he said, his eyes piercing through hers.
"Please Draco. We're married. We have a two-year-old daughter named Drew. She has your eyes. Please remember," she cried.
He tightened his grip on her shirt. He held the knife point against the soft part under her chin. She canted her head up to the ceiling as she felt the pressure of the dagger on her skin.
He rammed his forearm into her chest, which made breathing for her a bit more difficult. With the dagger still in his hand, he pulled rather hard on her hair forcing her to look at him.
"Why the hell would you think a Malfoy like myself would marry a filthy little Mudblood like you?" he said spitefully.
The words hit her like a ton of bricks. He had not called her that in years. She shut her eyes, trying to keep any tears from falling. She failed. She took in a gulp.
"Why would you even fathom me touching such dirt," he sneered. He pulled her away from the wall and threw her against the nightstand. She fell to the floor.
'This is just a dream,' she kept telling herself in her head. She kept her eyes shut. But in the back of her head, she knew it was really happening.
He placed the dagger on the nightstand as he pulled her up to a standing position before roughly tossing her onto the bed. She lay trembling on her side for a moment. Draco forced her onto her back. He quickly waved his wand. Their clothing vanished. She took in a sharp breath.
"Given that we're married," he sneered, his tone was laced with venom, "as you say, this scene must be second nature to you.
"Well, there might have been one reason as to why we're together," he smirked, peering down at her body as he palmed her breast.
"Draco, please, think about what you're doing," Hermione strained as she tried to reason with him. "Not now. Not like this. Please remember."
"You're fucking filthy," he whispered harshly into her ear. He moved slightly away from her, looking straight at her.
"You don't belong in my world. Mudbloods like you should have been killed at birth," he said icily as he watched her shake her head. He grabbed her chin roughly. He took in a breath. "Your offspring should meet the same fate."
"No!" she screamed as she struggled under him. She was able to slap him across the face.
Draco checked his nose for blood. He shook off the slight pain. Draco's eyes turned stormy. He made a quick motion, grabbing the dagger from the nightstand and rammed it into her left shoulder.
Their eyes locked. She knew the force of the blade shattered bone. She knew the blood would be flowing into her chest cavity. Her eyes fluttered. He pulled the blade out of her body and let it fall to the floor.
Quickly, Draco waved his wand and leather bindings strapped her wrists to the slats of the bed above her head. Draco gave no warning. He thrust himself into her. She wailed in surprise. She shut her eyes, not wanting to see Draco this way, as her attacker.
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