Bloodlust

Chapter XXIV

An unmerciful sensation drilled inside Hermione's skull. Her body went through layers of shock, causing her to drop limply on the floor. A brutal cry of drastic misery fled from her lips, almost shedding the walls of her throat as she did so.

The pain was blinding, wrecking the thin walls of her mind. Her memories were messy and disorganized, making it difficult to focus on one random memory safe to exhibit. The Dark Lord's force inside her head was nothing compared to what Bellatrix had done to her. His force was way more murderous than that of Bellatrix.

Another force skated effortlessly through the defences of her mind. It was Malfoy.

The new force of magic inside her head was quavering as it sliced through the layers of her disorganized mind, probing for the right place to build his Occlumency. Malfoy's work inside her head was clean, expertly swerving the fractured front memories that the Dark Lord already inspected. Malfoy sought a strong memory – an intact memory to guard, assuming it could be the most confidential among the others.

"What are you doing here?" Asked the familiar voice from behind Hermione.

Hermione turned fast as she recognized that same old grumpy voice.

"Kreacher?" She asked as she gasped.

His waxy forehead wrinkled as he looked at her.

"You.." Kreacher said filled with hatred, moving his lantern towards her face. The gentle light provided by his lantern confirmed that it was Hermione Granger in front of him.

He cheerlessly groaned as he raked his hostile glare on her.

"Enemy! The enemy in the Manor!" Kreacher shrieked at the top of his lungs, calling the attention of his Master.

Malfoy disregarded the memory of her arrival at the manor, driving onwards to another before the Dark Lord could detect his presence.

He came across a memory of Hermione, already in bed, waking up to a strange sound in her bedroom. He slid past it.

"Alohomora," she whispered, her hand waving, mimicking the wand movement and luck being on her side. The door creaked as it opened with one attempt. The creaky sound of the door freaked her out, and the moaning continued even though the door was slightly open.

Malfoy dug deeper and farther through the memories, looking for the right one to guard.

Her heart sank, her body stirred motionless in frigidness, and her throat felt dry. Her foot unconsciously took a step backwards even though it felt like jelly, she wanted to run, but she was frozen on that blood-drenched floor. Her lungs compressed, making breathing a state of suffering.

She covered her mouth with her quaking hands to prevent herself from making a sound and throwing up. She wanted to scream, but her lungs squeezed her in so much terror that she hardly lifted her voice as she stood there staring horrifically at Malfoy.

He wore black trousers drenched in blood and a white button-down shirt that was torn and also drenched in blood. His hair was greasy and messy, longer than it used to be. His wrists and ankles were bruised and bloody. His face was pale, his lips bloodstained as the moonlight from the window touched him.

Malfoy's force began to shake as he encountered a strange memory.

Hermione lost the sense of surroundings for a moment Malfoy decided to build his Occlumency on specific memory. The memory she vowed to protect. The memory which she vowed to never disclose to Malfoy, and he was already there, constructing guards around it. Hermione knew Malfoy was apprehensive but highly intrigued, and that was when she felt Malfoy drilled further.