An: Just wanted to say a quick thank you to FierceFern for the consistent support. I really appreciate it :)
Hermione's head throbbed as she began to regain consciousness, her surroundings a blur of shadows and indistinct shapes. Her limbs felt heavy, her mind hazy and disoriented. She tried to move but felt resistance. Blinking through the fog, her vision slowly cleared, and the familiar face of Margaux loomed above her, a look of chilling indifference on her face.
"Sorry," Margaux said, her voice devoid of emotion. Before Hermione could process the words, the tip of a wand pointed at her, and the incantation came just as swiftly.
"Stupefy."
Blackness swallowed her again.
When Hermione finally came to again, her mind was swimming in confusion. Her body ached, and something cold and unyielding wrapped around her ankles. She tried to move but felt the unmistakable clink of metal. Chains. She instinctively pulled at them, but the sound made her freeze. The soft jingle had disturbed someone else.
"Don't move around so much. She'll come down here," a voice muttered groggily from beside her.
Hermione's eyes flickered toward the source of the voice, and she froze. Chained beside her was Margaux—or at least, that's who she appeared to be. But this woman was different from the polished Auror trainee Hermione had worked with for weeks. This woman looked gaunt, her hair tangled and matted, her body thin and frail.
"Who are you?" Hermione whispered her voice tight with alarm. "What's happening?"
The girl beside her let out a bitter, hollow laugh, her breath shaky. "I… am Margaux," she said slowly, her voice thick with a French accent.
Hermione's heart raced, her mind spinning as the horrifying truth began to sink in. Astoria Greengrass had been impersonating Margaux all this time. She had infiltrated their ranks, weaving her way into their lives, manipulating everyone.
"Astoria… she's been using you to get close to Draco, hasn't she?" Hermione's voice trembled as a cold dread settled in her chest.
Margaux nodded weakly, her voice faltering with exhaustion. "Yes... she lock me here for many months," she said in broken English. "No one in England know who I am."
Hermione's stomach twisted. It made perfect sense—a stranger in a foreign country, someone no one would miss or question. Astoria had found the ideal cover.
Just as Hermione tried to wrap her mind around the enormity of the betrayal, a sudden, searing pain shot through her chest. Her breath caught, and she doubled over, clutching her chest as the agony radiated through her body. The pain was excruciating, ripping through her, and she writhed in her chains, gasping for air.
Her mind was transported back to the cold stone floor of Malfoy Manor. She could almost feel Bellatrix Lestrange looming over her, taunting her with that twisted smile as the Cruciatus Curse seared through her body. The sensation was so vivid, so real, that for a moment, Hermione wasn't in the dank basement at all—she was back there, helpless and writhing under Bellatrix's wand.
Another wave of pain slammed into her chest, pulling her harshly back into the present. Hermione gasped, her legs threatening to buckle beneath her. She reached out, her hand trembling as it found the rough wall beside her, the cold stone pressing into her palm as she tried to steady herself.
"This is normal," Margaux muttered grimly, her eyes dark and weary. "C'est l'effet de la potion qu'elle vous a donné."
Though struggling, Hermione understood enough French to understand her meaning. "W-what potion?" she managed to choke out between ragged breaths, her voice strained as the pain continued to pulse through her chest.
Margaux's lips trembled, and for a moment, she hesitated. "I—I don't know the name," she admitted, "But she gived you much more than me."
Her thoughts raced, but before she could process the implications, another sharp wave of pain shot through her body, causing her to grit her teeth to keep from crying out.
Margaux's eyes filled with sympathy, though she was barely holding herself together. "She wants you… um,faible, I think—weak," Margaux continued, her voice trembling. "You are in the way."
Before Hermione could ask any more questions, a door creaked open, and the dim light spilled in, casting a long shadow on the floor. From behind the shadows, Astoria stepped in, her expression calm but cold. Her eyes glinted with malice as she looked between Hermione and Margaux.
Hermione's hand instinctively went to her side, where her wand should have been. To her surprise, it was still there. In one swift motion, she drew it out and aimed it at Astoria. But Astoria merely laughed, the sound echoing off the damp walls.
"You can wave your wand all you like, Hermione," she sneered, stepping closer. "It's not going to work."
The realisation hit Hermione like a blow to the stomach. She had been given Nullis Elixir—the potion that rendered a witch or wizard powerless, unable to use magic. Her wand, in her hand, was nothing more than a stick.
"Where are my parents?" Hermione asked, her voice filled with anger.
Astoria chuckled darkly, shaking her head with a twisted smile. "They're perfectly safe in Australia," she said, her voice laced with disdain. "I just needed to separate you from the rest of the team, to get you here, away from Draco and the Auror department."
Hermione's heart pounded as she tried to piece together the truth. "Who did you just kill?" she asked, thinking back to how she ended up here in the first place.
Astoria's expression was cold as she answered, "I had to kill someone to create a diversion. It was essential to mislead any investigation into what I'm really doing." She shrugged nonchalantly, a dark satisfaction evident in her eyes. "A random Muggle was perfect."
She tried to focus through her rising panic. "Why—why are you doing all of this?"
Astoria's expression hardened, revealing a deep-seated resentment she had clearly been holding onto. It was as if she had been waiting for this moment, like a secret she had been forced to keep until now. "I was meant to marry Draco," she began, her voice dripping with bitterness. "It was an arranged marriage, a perfect match between two pure-blood families. But when Lucius was imprisoned, and Narcissa dissolved the marriage pact, I was cast aside, discarded." Her tone grew more venomous. "I was entitled to the Malfoy fortune. It should have been mine."
"So you concocted this plan," Hermione said, encouraging her to keep talking so that everything could fall into place. "You wanted to get close to Draco so that you could—"
"Exactly," Astoria interrupted, her eyes gleaming with twisted pride. "I knew he admired the intelligence, so I posed as a trainee Auror. From Beauxbatons, no less. He's spent time in France; it was the perfect backstory."
"And I was just… an obstacle." Hermione continued.
"You were never supposed to be here," Astoria spat. "I had everything planned. I didn't expect you to come back into the picture. But then, there you were. Always with Draco, always in the way. I tried to be patient, but the more time passed, the more he…noticedyou."
Hermione's stomach churned at the implication. Astoria's jealousy had driven her to madness, and now they were both paying the price. As Hermione's gaze locked onto the woman in front of her, she saw the depths of Astoria's depravity. The crazed look in Astoria's eyes betrayed a mind consumed by obsession and bitterness, revealing just how far she had fallen into darkness.
"I didn't mean to kill that girl at the furniture shop," Astoria admitted, her voice lowering. "I mean, to be fair, she was just a squib, nothing more. How could she possibly deserve to speak to someone like Draco? How could she dare to be in his presence like she was worthy… I couldn't handle it. "
"You—" Hermione's voice cracked, her frustration boiling over. "Astoria, Draco and I… we're just work partners. If you let us go now, I'm sure he will forgive you. We can all move past this," she pleaded, her voice trembling as she tried to bargain with Astoria.
Astoria's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a cold, cruel smile. "Oh, Hermione," she said, her tone dripping with disdain. "You really think you can deceive me with your empty promises? I know what's at stake here." She stepped closer, her eyes burning with a dangerous intensity. "Draco is mine. And once you're out of the way, he'll see that too."
Hermione felt a sinking dread as Astoria loomed over her, the chains rattling as she struggled to move. She was powerless, and Astoria's twisted plan was unfolding right before her eyes.
Astoria started pacing the room, her frustration radiating off her in waves. "I didn't mean for this to happen," Astoria began, "I didn't plan for you to be back in the wizarding world at the same time as I was executing my plan." She shook her head in frustration.
Hermione stayed silent, listening as Astoria's deranged confession spilled out. Astoria's eyes flashed with something dark as she continued. "And that night after the pub," Astoria said, her tone turning more sinister. "I planned to killyou, Hermione. You were the real obstacle. But I got caught trying to break through your wards. So I had to kill the old bitch who caught me instead."
"Pity for poor little Henry," Astoria continued with a dispassionate shrug. "But let's be real, no one will miss that lonely old muggle."
Hermione's eyes burned with a mix of fear and fury. The ease with which Astoria dismissed the life of an innocent woman just showed the depth of the depravity she was dealing with.
"But now," Astoria said, an eerie smile tugging at her lips, "I'm glad I didn't kill you."
Astoria walked slowly towards Hermione, who was frozen in fear. Astoria stopped just in front of her, plucking a hair from Hermione's head with a sharp tug. Hermione flinched but remained still.
"Now that you've done all the hard work," Astoria said with a smirk, examining the strand of Hermione's hair between her fingers, "got Draco to notice you, got Ministry clearance for the lockdown—well, I'm closer to being with Draco than ever before."
Hermione's heart pounded as Astoria's cold gaze roamed over her. "Give me your clothes."
Hermione knew there was no use resisting, not when her life was on the line. Her magic was gone, and with no wand to defend herself, refusing could mean her death. Slowly, reluctantly, she began to strip down to her underwear, handing over each piece of her clothing to Astoria, who took them without hesitation.
"You know," Astoria mused, holding up Hermione's clothes as if inspecting them, "you could be so much prettier if you just made some simple changes." she paused. "Nothing too flashy, of course. Draco always did prefer simplicity."
Hermione said nothing as Astoria, now fully dressed in her clothes, began applying subtle adjustments to her appearance—smoothing the curls in her hair and dabbing a light layer of makeup onto her face. She watched helplessly as Astoria transformed herself into a perfect version ofHermione Granger.
Satisfied with the results, Astoria took a moment to admire her reflection in a nearby mirror. She smoothed her robes with a practised gesture, ensuring everything was in place. Turning to face Hermione, who now looked remarkably like her, Astoria couldn't help but mimic Hermione's smile. "What do you think?" she asked, her voice laced with mock satisfaction.
Hermione's gaze swept over Astoria's transformed appearance. "You look just like me," she said quietly, her voice barely a whisper. It was unsettling to see her own features reflected back at her.
Astoria, now wearing Hermione's smile, grinned as she assessed her work. "Well, I suppose these are for you," she said, flicking her wand with a casual motion. A set of plain clothes materialised in front of Hermione. "Get dressed," she ordered. "I'll be back later. I've got a murder to cover up and a man to get."
With a final, triumphant glance, Astoria walked out of the room, her footsteps echoing ominously as the door slammed shut behind her. The sound of the door clicking shut left an eerie stillness in the air.
As the silence settled, Hermione felt a wave of despair wash over her. Margaux, still chained beside her, was overwhelmed by her own emotions. Her sobs filled the room with a haunting resonance. "Je veux rentrer chez moi," she whimpered in French, her voice trembling and cracking under the weight of her fear.
Hermione turned her attention to Margaux, her heart aching at the sight of the woman's distress. "We'll find a way out of this," Hermione said softly, trying to offer some semblance of comfort despite the dire circumstances. "I promise."
Hours dragged on in the basement, and Hermione's thoughts churned relentlessly, a storm of worry for both her own safety and Margaux's. As time passed, her mindrepeatedly returned to Draco. She couldn't shake the fear of what might happen if Astoria's twisted plans came to fruition. What if he rejected Astoria? Would she take her rage out on him? The thought was unbearable. Hermione had to find a way to warn him, to stop Astoria's plans before it was too late.
Margaux's sobs had eventually faded into soft, sporadic hiccups as she struggled to regain her composure. Hermione tried to offer comfort, striking up small conversations to help distract both herself and Margaux from their grim predicament. They spoke in hushed tones about mundane topics, trying to cling to normalcy in the midst of chaos.
Despite the fleeting moments of normal conversation, Hermione's mind remained preoccupied. She frequently glanced at her chains, assessing every possible way to free herself. The Nullis Elixir had rendered her magical abilities useless, but she refused to surrender to despair.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the corridor outside, and Hermione's heart raced with anticipation. The basement door slammed open, and Astoria, still under the effects of the polyjuice, stormed in, her face a mask of frustration and anger.
"It's not working!" Astoria screamed, her voice echoing in the room. She stormed up to Hermione, grabbing her by the front of her shirt and shoving her back against the wall. Margaux let out a frightened gasp beside her.
Astoria pressed her wand against Hermione's temple, her eyes wild with anger. "Why isn't it working, Hermione?!" she demanded.
Hermione took a deep breath, her mind racing to find a way to salvage the situation. "It's because I rejected him this morning," she said, her voice steady despite the pain. "Draco confessed his feelings, and I told him I didn't love him. He probably doesn't know how to act," she lied, recounting their conversation earlier.
Astoria's eyes narrowed as she seemed to weigh Hermione's words carefully, her anger giving way to a flicker of intrigue. "Is that so?" she said, her voice cold but with a note of curiosity.
Hermione nodded, trying to appear confident despite the throbbing pain that still plagued her chest. "Yes, exactly. He'll be struggling with his feelings. If you want him to fall for you, you'll need to be patient and persistent. I can help you with that."
Astoria's expression shifted from anger to contemplation. She seemed to be considering Hermione's offer, her eyes flicking to the wand in her hand as though weighing her options. After a long moment, she finally spoke. "You think you can get Draco to agree to marry you?"
Hermione's heart raced with a mix of relief and dread. She had to maintain her pretence to buy herself time. "I know I can help you," she said, her voice steady despite the pain coursing through her. "But I need you to make an Unbreakable Vow with me."
Astoria's eyes narrowed, clearly intrigued but also sceptical. "What would the vow entail?" she asked, her tone guarded.
Hermione took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible. "If Draco proposes to you, you must promise to release me and Margaux. We'll be free to go, and you can proceed with your plans."
Astoria's expression hardened, and she studied Hermione closely. "And if you fail?"
Hermione met her gaze steadily despite the growing pain. "Then you can kill me," she said, her voice unwavering. "If I don't succeed, I will pay the price."
