Bane held up his palms as he gave Hermione another boxing lesson.
"One two three four duck." She spoke quietly as she hit each hand twice and squatted so his swipe wouldn't hit her.
"Try and count in your head." Bane advised.
"This helps me concentrate." She wheezed through another set.
"Be that as it may, this must become instinctual if you are ever to step foot outside this cell without me."
"Even if that day ever comes, I doubt I'll feel safe without you by my side."
Bane sighed and lowered his hands.
"Hermione, we have been over this numerous times. You cannot rely on me for the rest of your life."
"Bane, I don't want to rely on you either, but you can't deny facts. I will never be able to survive on my own in the pit. I'm a sitting duck, I need you."
"And if I have another episode where my mask fails and do not return one day, are you going to die in this cell waiting for me to come back?"
Hermione's mind imagined that scenario. Waiting for Bane to come back. Days passing by until she realises that he's never coming back.
The men that cat call from a distance now will suddenly descend outside her cell and wait for the thirst or the hunger to become so unbearable that she opens the door.
And what would happen to her...
It doesn't bare thinking about.
"It might be better than what will happen to me out there."
A quick look outside the privacy screen and a dozen eyes flickered in their direction.
Her heart raced as her eyes met with Abrahams.
Bane moved her away and fixed the sheet.
"Your job is to survive in this place."
"I want to live, not just survive."
"There is no life here, the only way to be free, is to die."
"Why are you always so negative? We could get rescued."
"Another hope that should have been snuffed out long ago."
"You just have to have faith."
"There is no point."
Bane began to gather his items to go to the shower.
"But what if-"
"Enough!" Hermione flinched as he turned. "Hope is the thing that kills you here. 'What if' is a mere fantasy contemplated by the most desperate of souls. It leeches the will to survive from it's host. It is no more than a cruel delusion. Do not speak of being rescued. It is impossible."
As Bane locked the door and went to shower, Hermione sank to the ground.
He was wrong.
There was always hope.
She moved to the sheets and looked up at the fading light.
"Expecto Patronum."
...
Nothing
Please come find me.
xxx
Hermione's neck was still tender, but the swelling had gone down.
She stretched her muscles preparing to do some yoga.
Bane meditated often and had several books on the practise of mindfulness.
For a man built like a hippogriff, he was capable of such serene calm.
That was almost the scariest part about him.
He could be so violent and angry, but the next minute, he could close his eyes, take a deep breath and be completely tranquil.
She envied that ability.
Her hair occasionally sparked with fury when the anger got the better of her.
She took a deep breath and began to stretch.
Hermione's back tensed as she heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
"Limbering up?"
The American doctor appeared at their cell.
He was surrounded by his squad of soldiers. They all kept well back from the door.
The doctor gave her what she assumed was meant to be a friendly smile, but it just made her dry swallow.
"Crane, do not speak to her."
The doctor's eyes settled on her neck.
"Trouble in paradise?"
Hermione subconsciously rubbed her neck as she moved to stand behind Bane.
Bane walked up to the cell door, almost toe to toe with the doctor.
"You call this place paradise?"
"You know I'm only joshing around. She looks hurt. Maybe I should go in and take a look?"
"If your hands touch her, you will lose them."
"You remember what we talked about the last time you were in the lab?"
Hermione watched Bane's hands clench around the bars.
"I will not warn you again, Crane."
"So dramatic, you'd think a visit to the boneyard would calm the guy down?" Crane looked back at her.
Hermione didn't respond. The guards behind the doctor held knowing smirks.
"Is that where you're taking him?" Hermione didn't know if she had fallen into some faux pas when Crane and the guards began laughing.
"Was she always this naïve or is she finally succumbing to the madness of the pit?"
"If you were as clever as you claimed to be, you would postpone whatever experiment you have planned and call me to the gate like you always have done. If not, then once I step outside this cell, you will be the one that needs a doctor."
The doctor smiled and took a step back.
Probably for the best, Bane had enough reach to grab him, and enough strength to pull him through the thin bars.
"I was just checking in. Heard about your little scuffle down at the showers and wanted to make sure you and your lady were okay."
"Consider your rounds complete. Run along back to your lab."
"Take the tablets when you're feeling a little... adventurous."
The doctor left. Bane was still gripping the bars as they watched the men leave.
Hermione noticed his shoulder muscles tensing as the doctor spoke.
"What tablets?"
"Nothing that concerns you, my dear."
"I disagree, these visits to that doctor change you, and now you're telling me that he gave you tablets to take while I'm trapped in a cell with you?"
"You have nothing to fear. I thought you liked the fact we shared a cell?"
"Don't deflect, what are the tablets for?"
"I have my secrets, so do you. I do not need to share every instance of my life with you. You are my cellmate, not my..." He drifted off.
"Not your what?"
"It does not matter."
"I thought we were friends?"
"We are cellmates, that is all."
Hermione knew it was the truth, but something in the finiteness of his tone made her heart ache.
She felt it in her bones that Bane felt the same way she did.
The subtle glances, the protective nature he demonstrated whenever they left the cell and his eyes.
The eyes always told the truth.
xxx
Hermione read by the candlelight as Bane did push-ups in the middle.
Hermione's eyes drifted over his form as he swapped from two arms to one arm push-ups.
His triceps bulged with each flex. Her book was forgotten as she took in the display of sheer strength.
Bane barely broke a sweat as she watched.
As he swapped to his other arm, the book fell from her fingers.
Bane paused and looked over at her.
"Sorry." She picked up the book.
"For what?"
"Breaking your concentration."
"You did not, I am merely holding a plank."
Hermione watched as he swapped to the other arm to hold the plank.
"How are you so strong?"
"Years of training and conditioning."
Years... building up those muscles. Making himself so strong.
He was amazing.
"I once did a pull up."
"Everyone should be able to do a pull up."
Well, there goes any sense of pride she felt.
"Is that your way of critiquing my lack of strength or a general consensus."
"It is ones ability to pull themselves from danger that could be the difference between life and death."
"Maybe you should show me some of your cal- what is that thing called again?"
"Calisthenics." He stood and began to stretch his arms.
"Yes, maybe you could teach me since there's not exactly a gym here."
"There is one down on the lower level."
"There is?" Hermione moved the sheets aside to look down.
"It is located by the gate."
"Do you ever go down there to work out?"
"Not anymore."
"Why did you stop?"
"Because the weights are too light for me to use."
Hermione felt her stomach clench.
"You're... too strong then?"
His eyes turned to her.
"I have simply outgrown them."
Hermione watched his arms bulge and flex. The movements did something primal to her.
"May I... never mind."
"Ask away?"
"May I... feel your arms?"
Bane gave her that damned raised brow.
"Why?"
"I've never met anyone with muscles like yours."
Bane watched her squirm as she felt her face redden with each second he stayed silent.
When he moved in front of her, Hermione eyes almost bugged out when he present a flexed arm for her to feel.
Hermione hesitated for a moment before reaching out with both hands.
She gently felt his arm. Her thumbs pressed slightly and the muscle bounced back.
"I can't even wrap both hands around your bicep." She was almost entranced as her eyes traced the veins down to his hand.
"Thank you."
Hermione laughed lightly.
His eyes crinkled slightly at her giggle.
Her hand slowly turned over his wrist and felt his palm.
Her fingers traced the lines.
"You have a strong life-line."
"A what?"
"This line here." She pointed at the line in his palm. Professor Trelawney's lectures began resurfacing in her memories. "Some cultures believe your life is already determined when you are born and that you can predict your future by reading the lines in your palm. You're going to have a long life."
"I would hope not."
"What?"
"I do not relish the thought of growing old."
"Bane, everyone should want that."
"Not when you live in a pit, Hermione."
"That's why you shouldn't give up hope."
"I have not." Hermione's eyes lit up. "Because I never had any hope in the first place."
Hermione's eyes went downcast at his morbid declaration.
His hand left hers as he moved away.
"If you wish to grow strong, I will help you. But know this, it will not make it any more bearable to live here."
"I know, but it could help."
Her eyes drifted to the ledge.
The impossible jump that led to freedom.
He moved to stand beside her.
Another man tried to jump.
His scream of despair echoed as he missed.
"Remember my advice."
Hermione watched the defeated man get lowered down.
She took a deep breath as another piece of hope died away.
"Hope is the thing that kills you."