𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐈𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐀

☾ Chapter 11

☾

"Let's go, Granger."

She groaned as he pulled her up by her shoulders, wrapping and knotting the brown, awful ropes around her hands.

She'd grown accustomed to it's itchiness, the rope burn that accompanied it's presence. Her wrists were pink, the skin raw and and irritated from the friction.

She did her best to ignore its burning.

Their walk was fairly quiet, consisting merely of a conversation on if poisonous ducks should really be considered magical creatures at all, or merely muggle science experiments.

She'd no clue he was so articulated in the knowledge of magical creatures and plants. It seemed as though she'd never truly taken account of how educated he was.

She was told by Slughorn to keep up her good work with her medication, she showered, and they walked back to the dreadful little cell she hated with her entire heart.

The walk home consisted of whether hydras truly existed in the world's oceans and bodies of water, and the proof of life and theories surrounding their presence in reality.

She adored catching him in these bits of conversation; his walls seemed to crumble whenever he spoke of something passionate to her. All of the rules of being a soldier he'd been taught vanished in her presence.

When they arrived back at the cell she felt incredibly feverish. She absolutely despised the cold feeling that chilled her bones whenever she stepped inside. It smelt overwhelmingly of death and decay, making her nostrils flare and stomach churn.

Hermione was incredibly homesick. Although she wasn't quite sure where home was anymore.

"Get some sleep, Granger."

He locked the cell door as she entered, staring at her as they stood face to face through iron, enchanted bars.

"That's something I can't promise," she whispered, wrapping her hand around the cold metal.

The ghost of a smile lingered in his eyes as he lowered his mask, allowing her to study his face once again, "I'll amend my statement to try, to get some sleep, Granger."

"That's quite the compromise," she snickered, crossing her arms over the whiteness of her fresh dress.

"Just think about it."

She shrugged, "Maybe I will."

"You exhaust me, Granger."

He stepped away from the bars, raising his mask back above his face so only his icy eyes could be seen.

"I know."

And as he strode away, she realized how beautiful he looked when he wasn't covered in blood.

............

"Granger," Higgs spat, four guards at every corner of their little bubble as he dragged her from her cell block, towards the interrogation building.

The path was squishy from an early morning rain, one she'd admired from her cushioned mattress at a mere six in the morning. She adored whenever it rained; the smell of it aired out the cell's stench.

Droplets fell from the trees' leaves onto her nose and dress, watching the creek rise above the riverbank due to the overflow of extra water.

Arriving at the building with mud on her shoes, she was tied to the rickety wooden chair. Immediately her gaze fell to the security camera in the upper corner.