𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐈𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐀

☾ Chapter 19

☾

When he'd dropped her off at the cell she was met with utter outrage.

"What in the hell is going on, Hermione?" Ginny seethed, hidden worry prying behind her eyes as she held the small conch in her hands, "I'd like to believe you're helping us, but even unconscious you're clawing for him like a desperate hooker."

The others sat 'round on their mattresses, mouths dropped with slack jaws in surprise at her sudden outburst of emotion. Ginny was the only one fearless enough to say what they were all thinking out loud; slowly, each of the Gryffindors were turning on her.

"What the fuck, Gin?!" Hermione scowled, reaching for the shell, "I'm just trying to help, now give it back-"

"I'll give it back once you explain the reason behind your special treatment. My boyfriend wasn't killed in cold blood just for you to sleep with a fucking terrorist."

"I am not sleeping with him," Hermione pleaded, the scent of his home still lingering on her dirty, sweat laced dress, "And I've already explained myself. It's not my fault that I'm receiving special treatment because I'm actually trying to find a way out of here, and you all have your heads shoved so far up your asses you can only see fighting as a way out. Use your bloody minds, for once! It's not that difficult to see that you don't need to bitch your way out of everything!!"

It seemed as though the world fell silent when Ginny's eyes slit into fine lines, lips pursed with deadly poison.

"Fuck you."

She threw the conch to the floor, and it crumbled into a million small dusty shards.

Tears welled in Hermione's eyes as the sole of her best friend's shoe ground the remaining pieces further, the chalky fragments blowing away in the chilly January wind.

"That's how it feels," Ginny seethed, pointing to the broken pieces, "The next time you try to insult us I won't hesitate to rip your little blanket to shreds."

Hermione wished she could run away as she stood silently, turning towards the cell door so the others couldn't see the tears streaming down her cheeks.

She would never be able to hear the ocean again.

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

He came the next evening, as promised.

She could care less if it was quiet, or if they didn't speak at all.

She just couldn't bear sulking in the humiliation that was the cement cell. There was far too much tension in the group of prisoners.

Neither disassociation nor crashing waves could send her to sleep, now. It was utter silence.

Ginny watched with a grim expression as Draco unlocked the door, sun setting on the horizon with beautiful pastel colors as they began to walk along the path, wrists tied behind her back.

"They broke it."

His brows furrowed at the smallness of her voice, a saddened look in her eyes.

"Broke what, Granger?"

She felt the ropes slack against her wrists, giving her skin room against the burning material.