Between Fine Lines

Thirteen

After Hermione's head stopped spinning from the sudden apparition, she felt glad to be in one piece, considering she had no choice in to follow the three snatchers. Her eyes gazed upon the large manor in front of her as they dragged her along, but she had stopped struggling. She didn't know where she was, and even if she was to get away, without a wand she couldn't apparate.

As they came up to the gates, a tall figure stood, and Hermione recognized him instantly from the battle at the astronomy tower. Fenrir Greyback. He looked at her, leaning in so close Hermione could hear him inhale, a low growl in his throat. "And what did you find for me, Scabior?" His deep booming voice was amused and it took everything in Hermione not to pass out as his face broke into a vicious grin, a mix of werewolf and rotten teeth staring her down.

"Not for you, wolf, for the boss," the snatcher, who Hermione assumed to be the 'Scabior' that Greyback referred to, answered him. "We think she has some important information, or she was hiding somebody important out in the Forest."

Greyback let out a deep laugh as he opened the gate. "Which boss? Malfoy or Lestrange?" he coughed, shaking his head. "Can't believe The Dark Lord has us using Malfoy's manor as a base for now. I don't know who looks more pathetic-Lucius or his son."

Hermione's eyes couldn't help but widen at this. She was at Malfoy Manor? Panic began to set in her stomach, traveling all the way up into her throat.

As Hermione walked alongside the two snatchers, keeping herself aware of her surroundings. She felt like the Manor went on forever before they finally entered a room and a pair of eyes settled upon her. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

Narcissa Malfoy stood before her as the two snatchers held onto each of her arms. Hermione had only seen Narcissa once before, just before the sixth year of school started, Harry having gotten into a heated argument with the woman about the passing of Sirius and the imprisonment of Lucius.

If Narcissa recognized Hermione, she did not display so upon her features. If anything, Narcissa was the perfect picture of poise. She stood, hair neatly combed and styled, in black dress robes that were probably made of the most expensive material. She looked calm and collected as Hermione watched her, her eyes unwavering. "Found her in the Forest... we reckon she knows something. Where's your son?" Scabior looked around, noticing that Narcissa was the only one who had come to greet them in the large room.

"Lucius and Draco are not back yet, they are out on a mission for The Dark Lord. Put her in the dungeon with the rest of them, we'll sort it all out upon their return. You may leave."

Narcissa swept out of the room without another glance and Hermione found herself being shoved down two sets of stairs and past an iron gate, into a room of darkness, barely catching herself as she was shoved onto the floor.

"Hello? Is somebody there?" an airy voice called out from the darkness. Hermione pushed herself up from the floor, looking around.

"Is there somebody else down here?" Hermione questioned, wondering if she was the only prisoner and there was magic playing tricks on her.

"Hermione?" Another voice came, this one was male, deeper.

"Dean?" Hermione questioned, confusion in her tone. "Luna?" surprise came across her face as her two Hogwarts classmates came into view, and even in the dimly lit dungeon, Hermione could tell that bright, blonde hair was the Ravenclaw girl.

"Mr. Ollivander and Mr. Griphook are down here too," Luna informed her. "Where are Harry and Ron?" Dean questioned, looking around.

"We... uhm, we got separated," Hermione informed them. "What are the two of you doing down here?"

"They wanted answers about the Deathly Hallows, they took me from my father because he refused to join them in their quest to learn more," Luna informed her. "I'm quite proud of him for standing his ground though..."

"Ted... Ted was trying to hide me from the Muggleborn Registration," Dean muttered, looking down at his feet. "He's dead," he informed Hermione grimly.

Hermione frowned, pressing her lips together. "It's not your fault, Dean-you have to know that."

"I reckon it was the same snatchers that grabbed you?" he questioned, giving Hermione a small shrug, tucking his hands in his jeans pockets. She nodded, "I don't think Draco's mother recognized me, so they just threw me down here until they figured it out."

She tried not to shudder at the thought, fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist-she couldn't even see where Ron, Harry or Regulus were without her wand to cast the spell. "How long have you all been here for?" she questioned.

"Ollivander's been here the longest, he's sleeping right now on the only bed that's down here. Griphook got taken from Gringotts not long after him. Luna showed up a few days after I did, maybe a few days-it's hard to know until..." Dean paused, sharing a look with Luna.

"Until what?" Hermione pressed, looking at him as she rubbed at her forehead, a headache beginning to settle in. "Until..." Luna paused as they heard the gate open and the three turned their heads to see Draco Malfoy standing there, tray of food in his hands promptly clattering to the ground at the sight of Hermione.

—

Three days of catching up to Ron, one afternoon running from and hexing snatchers, an almost botched apparition and a few hours of figuring out some easy transfiguration spells to hide themselves on the streets of London. Harry and Ron finally stood underneath the invisibility cloak, staring at 12 Grimmauld Place. If it weren't for the wards that spelled Harry and Ron to witness the building standing there tall, you would never know it was there to begin with, unplottable and ultimately hidden.

"I recognize that guy, he's a death
eather, " Ron whispered, pointing to a gentleman who sat on the stoop of another property. "They must be looking to see if The Order shows up here," Harry whispered back as they carefully crossed the road.

Creeping slowly, the two of them got close enough to the back of the death eater's head, Harry casting a confundus on the man so the two of them could sneak into Grimmauld Place still under the Invisibility Cloak.

Harry closed the door behind him, watching the magic lock the property back up.

"Who's there?" called a voice from within the house.

"Sirius?" Harry called back happily, pulling the cloak off him and Ron. "Is that you?"

"I don't know... is it?" Sirius called back out jokingly as he came into the hallway. Harry rushed to hug his god father. "Considering the wards let us in, rather than being flayed- I would say yes," Harry joked, a bit of sarcasm in his tone.

"Just like your father with that attitude," Sirius beamed, clapping Harry on the back as the three young men went into the living room.

Ron and Harry threw their stuff down and Ron barely hesitated before he plopped down on the couch across from Remus, Harry joining him, just now realizing how exhausted he was.

"There's one missing," Sirius looked around, then back at the boys as he sat down next to Remus. "Where's Hermione?"

"She's fine, she's safe," Harry began and Ron let out a scoff, causing Sirius and Remus to both look at him questioningly. Ron's face changed from unamused to surprise as he looked at Remus.

"You haven't told him?" Ron questioned, eyes wide. Remus' cheeks turning a slight pink only confirmed Ron's suspicions. "Harry! He hasn't told him!"

"Told me what?" Sirius questioned. "I've only been home about an hour, there was a lot to... discuss," he gave Remus a wink and the other male shoved his shoulder, blushing furiously now as he sipped his tea.

"Regulus is alive."