Hermione stood in front of Astoria's bed wearing a loosely fitting black dress. Twinkle adjusted the skirt as the Greengrass sisters looked over her. The material was itchy, made mostly of lace and rough fabric. Perhaps it wasn't rough at all and Hermione had just become so accustomed to the fine clothing she had been constantly wearing for months. Living so comfortably she almost forgot how she had been living for nearly a decade before this.
Though she missed her old life at times, she couldn't imagine going back to sleeping alone on a cot in a makeshift bunker. It wasn't due to her sleeping on expensive silk sheets, but because it was unfathomable for her to not have Draco. When he was gone, she felt anxious until he returned. There was always a nervousness that he would be exposed as a traitor to the Dark Lord. Anytime he stepped away from the manor, Hermione nearly held her breath until he returned.
"Pretty," Astoria mumbled happily. Over the past few days, her condition had worsened, her cheeks were hollow, and she couldn't smile as much as she used to. Pillows had been set all around her to prop her up so she could still be a part of their fashion show.
"You look very hot and very slutty," Daphne remarked with a smile, making her blush. Hermione knew that she meant it in a positive way. She looked down and noted her exposed cleavage and shoulders, it wasn't like anything she'd normally wear, but she didn't mind the way it looked. Getting compliments from a woman as beautiful as Daphne Greengrass would have anyone turn as red as a beet. "Practice her walk now. Think of a drunk giraffe."
Bellatrix's walk was very distinct. Her strides were wide and her body was nearly arched backwards, giving her a contorted look. Hermione did her best to emulate it, trying to be deliberate with each step. Daphne gave small suggestions as she paced back and forth, almost tripping on the rug. The boots she wore had tall heels, making balancing quite difficult.
"How does she walk around like this and not constantly tip over?" Hermione laughed, shaking her head. Astoria giggled softly, wheezing as she caught her breath.
"She probably drinks enough to offset the leaning," Daphne replied.
"Twinkle thinks Lady Lestrange walks more like this," the house elf said, holding the corner of the pillowcase she wore and strutting in an exaggerated fashion. It made the three women laugh heartily, and Astoria clapped as Twinkle bowed after her performance.
"What's all the fussing about in here?" Draco asked, appearing in the doorway, a smirk plastered on his lips.
"Hermione is trying to master Bella's walk, but I think it's impossible without years of studying and several drinks," Daphne sarcastically said.
Draco crossed his arm and leaned against the door frame, "Well, let's see it, Granger."
Hermione suddenly felt an overwhelming amount of embarrassment, not wanting to look like a fool in front of the vampire. But she knew that if this mission were to be successful, she'd have to be convincing. She paced the room several times, feeling Draco's eyes on her. It was almost as if his stare had a touch of its own, always making it apparent when he was watching.
"I think you need to angle your arms back more," Draco said, guiding her shoulders gently, his cold body pressing against her as he adjusted her stance. He was so close, she could smell the iron on his breath accompanied by the scent of spearmint. It was as if he was trying to mask the smell of blood on his tongue. A shiver ran up her spine at the shock of his icy touch, and before he stepped away, he gave her a small kiss on her cheek.
"Get a room, you two," Daphne called to them.
"They're cute," Astoria faintly whispered. "Like school kids in love."
"You two are so annoying. I can't have a single moment without comments from the gallery," Draco groaned.
Daphne shook her head and rolled her eyes. "If you two weren't so sickeningly sweet, perhaps I would keep my thoughts to myself."
"The day you shut your trap will be the day the world ends, Daphne," Draco grinned. "Are you ready to go soon, Granger?"
Hermione didn't think she was ready. She wasn't fully confident that she could pull this off again, but she had no choice. A cold hand rested on the small of her back, making small circles, trying to soothe her. Trying her best, she attempted to feign confidence as she nodded, hoping Draco would be convinced. If he believed that she could do it, she could. Honesty was promised to her, he wouldn't pretend that she was ready for something she couldn't do. He wouldn't risk her life if he didn't know she couldn't accomplish it.
"I just need to grab the potion, then we can leave," she replied. The past few days were spent in preparation. She had packed up her workshop into a magically charmed tent and placed a few personal belongings into a bag. Though they were going to Gringotts to simply check to see if the Horcrux was hidden there, they needed to be prepared for the worst. If for some reason they were caught red-handed, they would need to make a run to the white farm house.
Draco had relayed their plan to Harry and Kingsley, and they approved it despite releasing Hermione from duty. Desperation to find the final Horcrux outweighed their disapproval of Hermione's antics, but it hurt her when she wasn't called to the meeting with them. Harry was still upset because of her betrayal, which she rationalized in her head because she had never gone against him before. It was as shocking to him as it was to herself.
"In and out quickly, like you were never there," Draco assured as his finger tilted her chin up so she would look him in the eyes. He wouldn't be able to go with her, needing to return to the Ministry to ensure his alibi and keep suspicions low. Hermione was competent and intelligent, she had to keep reminding herself of that.
After saying goodbye to Daphne and Astoria, the two made their way out of the manor. They faced each other on the front steps, Draco's hand holding hers tight. His silver eyes lingered on her face for several long seconds before he leaned down to kiss her. It was deep, and he felt as chill as the winter air that surrounded them, but it didn't deter her from wrapping her arms around him.
"Please, be safe. If something goes wrong, run. Be brave, but not stupid. And if a situation arises and you have to be the hero, don't fucking be one," Draco listed in quick succession, small reminders for her that she needed.
"Anything else?" she asked.
"You're very beautiful," he replied. "I'm sad I'll have to see your pretty face morph into something grotesque."
"Take a good, long look, Draco," she said, knocking back the Polyjuice potion.
Hermione arrived at Gringotts quickly, keeping a close eye on the time, ensuring that every second was utilized properly. All she needed to do was get into the vault, look around, and if the Horcrux was there, she'd take it and bring it right back to the manor. If it wasn't, they'd have to search elsewhere. She had no idea what she would be looking for. Voldemort's Horcruxes had come in several forms, objects of various shapes and sizes, a snake, and even Harry. A detection spell, though simple, could tell her what possessed dark magic, and that would be as close as she could get.
Snatchers littered Diagon Alley. She counted several dozen of them on her quick walk to the bank, and even more the closer she got to the white stone building. The heels of the boots made loud clicking noises as she stepped onto the marble floors of Gringotts Bank. The echoing of coins clinking and quills scribbling on parchment felt strangely familiar. Though so much time had passed, it looked identical to how she had last seen it. She made her way directly to a teller, crossing her arms and lowering her voice, demanding to see Bellatrix's vault.
"Yes, Lady Lestrange," the teller urgently replied, his hands shaking and voice rattling. There was little resistance from the teller, likely due to previous encounters with Bellatrix and the harsh rule under Voldemort's Ministry. She wondered what she must have done to warrant such fear, but pushed it aside, not wanting to compromise herself.
Hermione tapped the toe of her boot impatiently. "Well, on with it then!" she barked.
They descended into the depths of the bank by elevator and then took the minecart to the vault. Hemione stayed quiet the entire, trying not to draw too much attention to herself and keep up appearances. When they arrived, they closed the vault door behind her, and she was thankful for the privacy. Her rigid stance dropped, and she began to cast the detection spell.
The vault was filled to the brim with galleons, furniture, gems, and jewelry. There wasn't even an estimate she could come up with to put a value to everything, but it would be enough to last several lifetimes. As she moved quickly through the piles of valuables, she desperately tried to find any signature of dark magic. There were a few odds and ends that were cursed, but none read at the register at a Horcrux would.
After twenty minutes, she had to finish up her search, knowing her time was running short. She had checked nearly every corner of the vault and was satisfied that it wasn't there. The sound of the door opening startled her, and she froze.
Froze, but not because she was scared or shocked. It was involuntary, and her body crashed onto the floor, her head hitting the stone so hard it made her vision blur.
"Well, well, well," Bellatrix's voice echoed through the cluttered space. "I wonder who this might be."
The toe of a boot kicked her shoulder back, forcing her to look straight up. She saw the faces of Bellatrix and Rodolphus looking down at her, a sick smile on the witch's face. Her heart was facing in her chest as she tried to muster up every ounce of strength to move.
"I wonder what she could be looking for," Bellatrix said, leaning down and grabbing her face with her sharp nails. The look of crazed hatred burned into Hermione. But she wasn't scared. She didn't fear for her own safety. All she could think about was how she let Draco down and that the Greengrass sisters would be in danger. Surely she would die here. Die, and not even look like herself.
Die, and not even see the face of someone she loved as she left this life like how she would have liked. The way she thought she could go out on the battlefield next to Harry or Ron.
Draco had devised a plan that he said would keep Bellatrix busy, and though he was normally successful in his endeavors, even the most perfect plans could fall apart. Hermione knew that all too well. There were always too many variables. Hermione watched as Bellatrix spoke at her husband, but she couldn't decipher any of their words. It was obvious that they were waiting for the potion to wear off, wanting to confirm the suspicions they've been harboring for so long.
They had bound her arms and legs in restraints and placed a silencing charm on her so she couldn't speak. After a few long minutes, her body began to shrink back into her own frame. Bellatrix's smile grew, and her eyes were fully opened to where the whites could be seen all around her black irises.
"How am I not surprised?" her voice shrilled. "Did little Draco send you here? How idiotic. What were you looking for, muggle-born?"
Hermione's lips unsealed, but she didn't speak. She laid on the floor, silent, figuring it was better to Occlude herself than to fight a losing battle. However, she knew it would enrage the witch, who was already so keen on making her suffer. Several hexes and curses were thrown at her, but Hermione didn't make a sound, not wanting to give into the sadistic methods of torture she was experiencing.
Pain. She would experience much of it. But pain was a small price to pay. If it could buy Draco and the Greengrass sisters more time to escape, she would endure.
"I bet I know what it is," Bellatrix said, tapping her wand against her head as if she were thinking hard. "You want to find the Horcrux, don't you? Acting like you're all brainwashed so you can spy for the Order. Very clever."
"My love, shall we take her to the Dark Lord?" Rodolphus asked, casting levicorpus on Hermione.
"If she wants to see the Horcrux, we should show it to her, shouldn't we?" Bellatrix chimed. "Tell me, mudblood. Is the vampire in on your little scheme?"
"No," Hermione replied.
"You're lying, mudblood," she said, standing over her levitating, stunned body. "Take her to the estate, Rodolphus."
And as the tip of her wand touched Hermione's temple, everything faded to black.
The sound of water dripping woke Hermione from her daze. Her head was spinning, and her ribs ached. Trying to process her surroundings, she looked around to find herself being dragged down a set of stone steps, being held upright by Rodolphus and Bellatrix. The pathway was dimly lit by candlelight, and the smell of mildew wafted in the air. Hermione groaned, feeling Bellatrix's nails digging into her upper arm. With all of her strength, she attempted to pull away from the pair, but it was fruitless.
"Awake now?" Bellatrix sneered. "Perfect, just in time. If my dear nephew isn't in on your little plan, then he will surely have no idea where you are. Isn't that right, mudblood?"
"He… he doesn't…" Hermione tried to argue, but couldn't get any words out.
They threw her onto the ground with force, and Hermione felt the air escape her lungs. She began to crawl away from her assailants, but Bellatrix's boot pressed into the back of her calf.
"Where do you think you're going, missy?" Bellatrix asked, her heel stabbing into her muscle. "Don't you want to see the Horcrux? You've been working so hard to get to it, haven't you? Using your body like a filthy whore just to get close. Well, now here's what you've been waiting for."
The brick wall in front of them began to shuffle away, each one turning and disappearing into the darkness. Behind it, several bars lined the back wall, like there were jail cells hidden away in the depths of their estate. Hermione thought they would throw her in one of them to let her rot away, but the sound of a shriek made her blood run cold.
It wasn't the sound from an animal, but it didn't sound fully human. It was a scream of pain and misery. Rodolphus pulled her towards the bars, and Hermione could smell blood and decay. Pulling her up on her knees, he grabbed the back of her hair to hold her still, facing the bars. A sharp pain struck the side of her cheek as she felt the blade of a knife cut her skin.
Blood trickled down her face, dripping onto the floor, and the shrieks turned into a low growl, and Hermione closed her eyes, not wanting to see what was imprisoned in the Lestrange dungeon.
"Open your eyes, mudblood. You wanted to see the Horcrux, didn't you? Take a look, cause here it is," Bellatrix announced as a figure emerged from the shadows.
A pale, humanlike shape charged towards the bars, clawed fingers attempted to grab her. The cries of hunger and screams of desperation rang in the air, causing the entire room to shake. Hermione saw silver eyes boring into her. White and black hair frame a gaunt, ghostly face that snarled like a starved dog.
Her face was so strangely familiar, though she had only ever seen it a few times. Mainly in the form of a portrait she'd find Astoria or Draco speaking to at late hours of the night. A beautiful face that was now emaciated and nearly unrecognizable if it wasn't for her hair.
"Do you know who this is?" Bellatrix asked, taunting Hermione. "You should know, you wear her ring. You live in her home. You've seduced her son."
"This is depraved," Hermione yelled, watching as the creature attempted to claw her way out of the confines of her prison.
"Depraved? It's what she deserves," Bellatrix laughed, unlocking the cell.
And as Hermione began to feel sick to the core of her stomach, wishing this was a just a nightmare she'd wake from, she was thrown into the chamber.