Dramione - Hate Is A Strong Word

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

~Hermione's POV~

      Wearily, I lifted my head from the cold, stony ground underneath me. I groaned and moved myself into a more comfortable position. My head throbbed, I groaned again and tried to rub away the pain. When I brought my hand from my head, just above my left eyebrow, a warm, sticky liquid remained on my fingers. Blood. It trickled down my face slowly, and dripped into my eye, drop after drop. I pushed myself into a sitting position, so my back met a hard wall. My head drooped backwards until it rested on the wall behind me. I closed my eyes, since there was no light it made no difference. I breathed in a heavy breath and shakily exhaled. There was a putrid smell seeping across the room, the repugnant, rancid odour suffocated me, like invisible hands wrapping round my throat. I heaved and rasped, as I grappled for breath. A small sob forced me to cease moving. Holding my gasp, I listened. Through the darkness, there was another whine, this time louder. A barrier of enclosing gloom isolated me. I waited. I breathed in and out, in and out. Gradually my eyes began to adjust to the lack of light. Squinting, I could just make out the outline of a slumped figure curled up on the floor.

"Hermione?" The figure whispered. I would recognise that voice anywhere.

"Draco." I responded, confirming to him that he wasn't alone.

"I know where we are." He replied with a finality that caused me to pause.

"Where are we Draco?" I asked, desperate.

"I'm really sorry." He whimpered.

"Why- Who-"

A large creaking noise cut me off mid-sentence. I saw Draco freeze, and I silently scooted over to him; he jumped as I placed my hand in his, but I squeezed it in reassurance of my presence.

A loud slam echoed throughout the empty room. A door closed. Someone was muttering too quietly for me to make out. Locking enchantments, most likely. Footsteps grew louder and louder. Shoes slapped against the cold, concrete floor in a dull, monotonous rhythm, driving me to the brink of insanity. It was impossible to make out where it was coming from; the echoes created numerous footsteps, as though an army was cornering us. Draco cringed into me. I stood up, pulling him with me. We were both unsteady on our feet, but stable nonetheless.

The footsteps stopped. Silence engulfed the room. It was worse than when there was sound. We waited.

Finally the voice that belonged to the footsteps spoke, "So it's true." It drawled.

Lucius. It was Lucius Malfoy.

To confirm my suspicions, he waved his wand and created a ball of light that floated around the room, allowing us to see the confinements he had restricted us to. We were in a large dungeon, which stretched on further than I could see. Lucius stood a few metres away from us, leaning against a tall column.

"Is what true?" I asked, as calmly as I could muster.

My response fell on deaf ears as Lucius continued glaring at Draco, "You have belittled the name of wizard, and not to mention the Malfoy family, by fraternising with a filthy little mudblood girl."

Draco was riled, "If you mean I am dating the kind and beautiful Hermione Granger," He gestured towards me, "then yes it is true."

"Does the Malfoy family crest mean nothing to you?" Lucius spoke calmly, which made it all the more menacing.

"Not anymore father, I don't care about blood lines or blood purity." Draco responded simply.

"How dare a child of mine speak like a dirty blood traitor." Lucius sneered, his voice beginning to rise.

"Well father, if being with Hermione means I'm a blood traitor then so be it, because she means much more to me than all those prejudices that you poisoned me with as a child."

Lucius had regained his temper. "Okay Draco, I will give you one chance, and only one, to redeem yourself, and I will spare you from what I am about to do."

Draco just stood in silence and gripped my hand tighter. I imagine it must be hard to stand up to your father and everything you once believed in. I squeezed his hand back, passing him some of my strength and gratitude.

Lucius breathed in slowly and exhaled with an audible sigh, "Just acknowledge you are wrong and sorry for your foolish actions and I will be willing to put it aside, for now, and you will not have to suffer, like your little girlfriend here." He glanced at me. I scowled at him.

Draco stepped forward and stood up as tall as Lucius, looking directly into his eyes. "I'm sorry to disappoint father, but I am not the son you brainwashed me to be, I broke free from your control and I definitely will not go back now."

Lucius sneered at him. "You have made your decision and so you leave me no choice." He circled us.

"Let's have some fun." He whispered and waved his wand.

Draco flew backwards and slammed into the dungeon wall. His limp body fell, slumped against the floor. He didn't move. As I ran towards him, a crippling pain over took my body and pain seared through every nerve within me. It felt like I was being speared by thousands of shards of glass repeatedly, whilst slowly roasting to death as my insides melted. I writhed around trying to find an escape from the griping pain. Everything seemed so loud, yet I couldn't make out anything in particular through the noise. It felt as if every single hair was being ripped from my body, and my finger nails were being torn off, whilst my eyes were gouged out of their sockets.

Then it stopped.

The pain was gone, and I was intact.

I lay on the ground, trying to regain my sight, hearing and breath. As I concentrated on keeping my food inside of me, I didn't hear the two men next to me.

Draco had punched Lucius to the ground, causing the Cruciatus curse to cease, and was now kicking Lucius mercilessly. Lucius' grip tightened around his wand and flicked it with swish of his wrist.

Draco was dragged, by an invisible force, over to the corner of the room and shackled to the wall. He struggled against it, but it was no use.

Lucius glided over to Draco. "How dare a son of mine try to attack me!" He slashed his wand, causing a large gash to tear across Draco's skin. Draco screamed in agony, as the blood poured from him.

I got to my feet, shakily as I regained my strength, unnoticed by Lucius who was laughing at his helpless son.

I ran to him and snatched his wand from his hand and tried to release Draco. It didn't work, it only made the bonds tighter. Lucius turned on me and chortled. I pointed the wand at him.

"Let him go!" I screamed. He smirked.

"Trying to be brave, are we mudblood." He spat.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Lucius flew backwards crashing into the column behind him. He quickly stood up, his long robes sweeping around his ankles.

"Is that the best Hogwarts taught you?" He chuckled.

I waved the wand in response and sent a Stinging Hex straight at him, he jumped out the way on the last second, narrowly escaping the hit.

"Ventus." I yelled, as a spiralling jet of wind hit Lucius in the chest and knocked him backwards. But he got up yet again, pushing his hair from his face, "A third year jinx! This is the best you can do, childish spells." He sneered.

"Confringo." A bright orange flame exploded from the end of the wand, and hit Lucius. The room heated up to an unbearable temperature, and my vision was blurred by the thick column of smoke slithering around the ceiling, from the blazing fire.

As the flames died down, the smoke was thick and heavy in the air; every inhale caused me to splutter and cough, as the fumes choked me.

A vice like grip clamped on my shoulder and spun me around. Before I could react, Lucius heavy hand smacked against my cheek, hard, knocking me to the ground.

"Stupid, little girl." He picked up his wand, that I had dropped on the impact, and stood on my arm to prevent me from getting up, I shrieked.