The Hunter And The Haunted

Part 17

"She can't stay here," Draco declared.

Athena shook her head, smirking.

"Well, Mama Malfoy says she is going to," Theodore chuckled, blowing out a puff of smoke.

"And you did fight to have Astoria in your room last time," Lisa added coyly, her eyes twinkling.

Hermione watched in silence. She did not understand what was happening. Her head ached, her heart ached. She felt numb on the inside, felt like she was an intruder in the presence of the four. She could hear them speak, but it made no sense. The billions of questions that buzzed in her head blended into a singular grating roar. In truth, she was weak, too weak to form opinions of her own.

"Of all the billions of idiots that live on this planet, why does the good god decide to smite me?" Draco groaned and the trio roared with laughter.

"Shut up and get out!" He snarled.

"All right, boss," Theodore placed his hands on either girl's shoulders and lead them out, not before calling out sarcastically, "And sweet dreams!"

Draco let out a low growl, flexing his hand and turning his head slightly to Hermione's direction. The silver of the moonlight catching in his grey eyes...

.." But, Hermione". He purred, a mad gleam glinting as it caught the silver of moonlight illuminating the dark, cold stoned cell. Catching the silver of his dagger. "You've been such a bad girl..."

"Please!" She begged, eyes glazed over, tears streaming down her face, "Please I'll be good. I'll be good."

She was being shaken by a pair of strong hands. She shuddered and whimpered; she felt a balloon blowing up inside her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Can't breathe... Can't breathe...

"Get a fuckin' grip, Granger!" He snarled softly in her ear. His voice was fiercely angry... but with a touch of fear.

Draco took a step back and Hermione gasped and heaved as she broke out of the panic attack.

Silence.

"He ruined you... Didn't he?" Draco whispered, in part angry and horrified as he looked down at the girl crumpled on the floor, a shadow of the hard-headed minx he once was slapped by.

His walls were down for the moment as he watched her with a look of disbelief on his face.

She was too enveloped in her distress to realize.

Draco sighed.

"Go have a shower, Granger," He ordered, "The couch will be ready for you when you get back."

She complied. The warm water hit her head and poured down her aching body. Relief for the pain that she'd gotten used to. She found a bar of soap, a lovely mint and apple-scented one, and scrubbed the bumps and bruises of her body. She dried herself off on the fluffy white thick towels from a pine towel bar across the black-marbled bathroom. She observed a white long dress that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, but she was too tired, mentally and physically to question it. Instead, she put it on and walked straight to the couch that now had a large fluffy pillow and a blanket.

She was asleep before her head hit the pillow. The silhouette of the tall young man across the darkened room tilted his head slightly.

And watched.