The Beauty of the Beast [Dramione]

The Prisoner

Hello again, and on to chapter 6! I was able to get this one done on a 5 1/2 hour car ride (not too bad) down to NC.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Harry Potter series

Draco could see his aunt staring at him out of the corner of his eye, assessing his reaction to seeing the mudblood Granger brought in. He quickly composed himself, masking the astonishment he felt inside with a professional and business-like countenance. Bellatrix smiled a self-satisfactory smirk, pleased with herself at presenting such a valuable prisoner to her nephew, as if this was an early christmas present to a young child.

"Well?" she cackled. "It's the mudblood, is it not? Possible not in the best condition, but we're not concerned about that, since that's the best anything like her will ever look. The stupid bitch fairly waltzed into our hands down in Diagon Alley. Bookstore, imagine that. I'm actually astounded that we didn't catch her sooner, I thought she was supposed to be intelligent."

Bellatrix grinned again. But when she received no reaction from Draco, she sighed. "She's the key to Potter. As long as we have his little broad, he's as good as ours. It's funny, these 'good guys'. Their one weapon is their downfall. Love conquers all, how cliché. When will they learn that sentiment is a hindrance, and always found on the losing side?" Bellatrix spat these final words directly at Hermione, and turned heel.

"Put this filth in the lower dungeons," she said gesturing to the rest of the catch that the snatchers brought in, about 20 other young witches, wizards and muggles. "but leave the mudblood for me, I'm going to interrogate her myself. Draco, meet us at 8 down in the lower chamber in the right wing of the dungeons. Bring your stash of Veritaserum, just in case we have trouble."

Hermione was stolid throughout this whole exchange, but when one of the larger snatchers grabbed her arm, she winced at the harsh contact. He bent towards her and smiled, sour breath swirling around her, making her feel as if she were to faint. "Maybe if I'm lucky, they'll let me have your remains, precious." He gave her a lurid smile, and pushed her down on the ground in front of Bellatrix.

Hermione remained on her knees, staring defiantly up at Bellatrix with her disparaging eyes that held all the secrets she knew Bellatrix longed to hear, and that clearly showed she would rather die than reveal them. Even when she's at our mercy, she still manages to be the same condescending know-it-all she always has been. Draco noted, half amused, and half infuriated. Bellatrix glared back, but her eyes hid the satisfactory knowledge of what she would do the girl to achieve her goal.

Bellatrix motioned for one of the snatchers to haul Hermione back to her feet, and the three of them descended towards the torture chamber which would be Hermione's hell on earth for however long it took for Bellatix to sate herself. And then, it would be her tomb.

Draco looked at his 300 galleon watch. He had two whole hours until 8. He looked up, where the rest of the new prisoners were standing still in a huddle, their herders unsure of what to do next. "You heard Bellatrix." Draco snapped. "Take this lot down to the lower chambers. And then when you're done, you can send off the new shipment to Battersea, they're in a need for more workers." He nodded in the direction of the cages lining the walls, each containing 3 to 4 haggard and wretched looking people, their emaciated bodies twisted impossibly to accommodate them.

They filled the air with the stench of their own filth, their vacant faces staring blankly ahead of them unseeing and unknowing, cadaverous appearences so thin they could easily be mistaken for their own shadows. And they were waiting until the time when they would be sent to the camps to work until they could not anymore, and would be sent to Azkaban to be disposed of. That time was not far off, and Draco knew it. Looking away from the cages and their doomed occupants, he noticed that the leader of the snatchers was waiting for his attention. Draco looked sharply at him.