Silver Chains

Chapter Five

Hermione

For the next two weeks, I only see Malfoy once. Theo has been placed on some sort of guard duty at the penthouse, so I see him the most. Every morning is the same, I wake up to find the entire group sitting at the dining room table and Astoria hands me coffee before they all start talking again. I usually sit there and stare at Malfoy's seat, wondering if he's off doing something illegal or if he's avoiding me like the bloody plague, but I never bring myself to ask.

It's also never commented on, until today. Daphne gazes at me, her kohl rimmed eyes squinting as if she's trying to decipher a code that is somehow written into my curly hair. I gaze back at her, unafraid, though I've recently learned I probably should be afraid of her, considering she comes up here every other night to drink with Theo and complain about blood staining one item of clothing or another.

"Are you plotting the best way to stab me?" I spit, pointedly glancing at the knife she's pressing into her palm, not hard enough to cut, but just enough to cause little pink welts.

"No, I know what the best way to stab you is. It depends on if-"

"Pumpkin, remember that Granger isn't one of our toys. She's off limits," Blaise murmurs. I shoot a startled glare towards him. "I'm kidding!"

"No, he's not," Theo leans over and whispers.

"I was wondering why you've been wearing the same three shirts since you got here," Daphne giggles.

I've realised that her laughter and abrasive questions, much like Blaise's, are not meant to be offensive. She's actually batshit crazy, and Blaise is just a step behind her. From what Theo has told me, they all just accept that's the way the couple is and ignore it for the most part.

"I don't have clothes," I say coldly.

"Oh silly me! I knew that. I'm daft, I wanted to ask if you want to go shopping, but the ideas got all jumbled in my brain and I was rude, wasn't I?"

I shake my head, a small smile tugging at my lips, "It's okay. You weren't rude." Theo snorts and I shoot him a look before turning my eyes back to Daphne's shining ones, either from the prospect of shopping or some insanity swirling through her mind. "I'd like to go shopping if I'm allowed to. I haven't been in a very long time."

"Why wouldn't you be allowed to?" Blaise asks, seemingly forgetting that I've been locked in this penthouse for fourteen days.

Astoria answers for me, reaching out to confiscate the knife from her sister which is currently being used to carve a heart into the metal table leg, "Hermione, you aren't a prisoner. You're free to do what you like."

"My hands don't scan through any of the doors," I counter.

Daphne squeals, "Let's go shopping and then I'll talk to Draco about giving you access to all the fun rooms!"

"That's okay Daph, I'll talk to Draco. Hermione's idea of fun might be a little different than yours," Theo offers a smile. "Take Sam with you both. He'll drive." He says this last part to me, as if it's part of a larger joke and I don't have to do mental gymnastics to understand that Daphne probably doesn't drive much. She'd think going 200 kmh was exciting and not terrifying.

I nod towards him, standing as Daphne gathers her leather jacket and skips towards the elevator, jabbing her hand onto the scanner. "Will Sam meet us down there?"

"I already texted him, have fun," Theo laughs.

As I enter the elevator, I scan over Daphne's outfit and realize I don't have pants or shoes on thanks to the giant black sweater I'm wearing. Judging off of size alone, I assumed it was Malfoy who left it in my room a few days after I arrived. As if sensing my train of thought, Daphne presses a different floor number and we exit into an all black apartment. Black marble floors, stone walls, floor to ceiling windows and glass accents framed in black, rather than the silver of the penthouse. The layout is entirely different than upstairs, and as she leads me through the apartment, I lose count of how many doors I spot.