Emma Potter; Going to War

110: Prisoners [Pt.2]

HERMIONE:

Emma's scream seemed to pierce everyone's ears it reached. Hermione wanted to sob, she wanted the screams to stop, she wanted Emma to be fine. 

 Beside her, Harry was shaking; his eyes were furious. So furious, that it scared her. But they both knew that he would have to stay mum or they'd all die. He seemed to want to cry to, he felt helpless, Hermione knew. The day she had met both Harry and Emma she had known that he had  self-appointed himself as Emma's bodyguard. She had watched him beat himself up after Emma got resorted, he had cried. For the first time in her memory. And this was ten times worse, she knew he was kicking himself more now. 

Ron was shaking, he was looking at the scene helplessly, like he couldn't believe it. His ginger hair was falling lank, and matted over his eyes as he gently rocked back and forth. Hermione wanted more than ever to hold him and tell him it'll be fine, but how could she do so when she could barely comfort herself?

Malfoy seemed beyond any help. The wild animal look in his eyes and grown and he was frantically pulling on his bonds, sobbing. He was free to express emotion, to cry, to yell, to curse. Because he didn't have an identity to maintain. But the way he was shaking convinced Hermione that his own pain rivalled that of Emma. 

They stopped eventually. Hermione had expected sobs to follow, for Emma to lay limp on the floor at least. But neither happened, instead Emma looked Bellatrix straight in the eye and said, "my answer is still the same; that's not them. You've got the wrong people, I'd suggest you let them go."

She had said it so calmly and simply that Hermione herself, would have believed her if not for the self-knowledge she possessed. For a second she dared to hope that they would go free and save Emma. 

Until Lucius Malfoy crouched down beside his son. "Come now, Draco," he whispered. "See how much pain the girl is in, all because you refuse to tell us the truth. Now tell me, do we have both the twins?"

Malfoy was silent. Then he whispered, "no, Lucius. You don't."

Hermione was taken aback. She herself wouldn't have the guts to call her father by his first name, in fact, she wouldn't have the guts to call Mrs Weasly "Molly". Not that she ever wanted to, she had ever growing respect for them both. 

"It's "Father" to you, boy" growled Lucius Malfoy. 

"No, it isn't." Malfoy's voice was odd, "I haven't had a father since I was 5."

"Ignore them," said Bellatrix Lestrange, and Lucius Malfoy stood up. "They are bound to lie, Lucius. The only reason the girl is alive right now is because of the fact we hadn't caught her brother. Now that we have. . ."

She waved her wand and Emma hit the wall beside Draco with force, and Hermione saw how frail she really was. Draco came close, and Harry attempted to do the same. But Emma sat both of them down with a look, and flicked her eyes towards their captors; silently asking them to watch, and listen.  

Bellatrix withdrew her mark. But before she could press it, Malfoy had grabbed in again. "This is my house. Hence my authority--"

"Begging your pardon, Mr. Malfoy," interjected Greyback, "but it's us that caught Potter, and it's us that'll be claiming the gold —"

 "Gold!" laughed Bellatrix, attempting to throw off her brother-in-law, her free hand groping in her pocket for her wand. "Take your gold, filthy scavenger, what do I want with gold? I seek only the honor of his — of —"

 She stopped struggling, her dark eyes fixed upon something Hermione could not see. Jubilant at her capitulation, Lucius threw her hand from him and ripped up his own sleeve —