Unbroken

Thursday Night, Week 2 (4)

Hermione POV

That stupid self-sacrificing idiot! Why did he have to do that? We could have taken Dolohov by ourselves but, no, he had to make sure I didn't get hurt. Why does he care so little about his own bloody life? I'm standing here, frozen, and watching the window Dolohov just flew him to and all I can do is pray that he survives. I hope God has it in Himself to grant another one of my prayers if only so I can absolutely slap the stupidity out of the idiot I love.

I love him, I've always loved him. Even when I forgot that I did, something always kept pulling me to him. I know now that it was our love. I can't live without him. I need him. And, now, I might never get the chance to tell him. I might never get the chance to tell him I know everything that happened in the tent and that I still want to be his wife, consequences be damned.

I realized that I'm alone in the house still and that the rest of the team is somewhere around here. I force myself to keep moving and decide to go left, remembering Harry's words, before coming upon an exit. I sigh in relief and crack open the door so as to not alert anyone to my presence before fully stepping outside to be greeted by the cool night air.

"Why can't we just kill them, Master Malfoy?" I hear someone's voice ask Lucius.

The noise seems like it came from behind the overgrowth of hedges and bushes so I stealthily creep behind it to try to listen in on the conversation.

"...not time yet. Besides, I've still yet to make my offer to Mister Weasley."

What? An offer to Ronald? I creep around the bushes, using them as cover to stay out of sight, before leaning over them to see the horrifying sight of my friends and Harry's team all wrapped in ropes kneeling at Lucius' feet. From my position, Lucius would have to look directly to his right to see me so I duck back down and creep to the edge of my cover.

"Now, now, Mister Weasley, I've told you that you have all the makings of a fine Slytherin," I peek around the corner to see Lucius standing directly over Ron, "but the time for that has passed. However, your Slytherin qualities are more than suitable for the opportunity I'm about to offer."

He can't be. He can't be offering Ron an opportunity to join the ranks of new Death Eaters right? Would Ron join? I don't think even he can stoop that low but, then again, he went and married me knowing full well I was engaged to another man who was his best mate no less. Truth be told, I have no idea what he's capable of.

"Now, Mister Weasley, there are two things I can promise you: your life and the mudblood's life. Surrender yourself to our way of life and I will personally ensure that the mudblood becomes your wife, your personal slave, as is custom in pureblood marriage."

I shudder at the thought that I will be made a slave to Ronald if he chooses to accept and we somehow lose this battle. I've always known that pureblood marriages are patriarchal in nature to the point where the woman is nothing more than an object of sexual gratification among other things so I'm secretly thankful that, during my marriage to Ronald, he never once enforced those rules. He could have easily done so but didn't.

"What would I have to do?" Ronald's voice is heard for the first time and I hurriedly cover my gasp with my hand.

That bloody bastard! He would really betray his friends, his family, for a chance to enslave me and save his own skin. Whatever goodwill that was just burgeoning in me towards him has now evaporated completely. I have to do something quickly.

Peeking my head around the corner, I see that I can sever the ropes around Lyla. Her wand is concealed against her leg which is half exposed by the slit in her gown and her hands are held behind her back. If I can create a sufficient enough distraction, I can sever the ropes and give her a chance to fight. As she is the closest one to my side, I just need to creep around the corner.