When We Were Beasts

Me and the Devil

Bellatrix had brought them to a cave.

She had slapped Hermione across the face as soon as their feet landed, and Hermione didn't have to put too much effort into faking losing consciousness. The pain in her hand, leg, and face was agonizing.

"Weak little Mudblood." Bellatrix kicked her slumped body once, perhaps to see if she'd stir, before Hermione heard her walk off.

How was she going to escape? How was Malfoy, or anyone else from The Haven, supposed to find her here?

Hermione's heart pounded, but she forced herself to take steady breaths and keep her face neutral, eyes closed and body relaxed.

Let Bellatrix slip while she thought Hermione wasn't listening.

A crack through the air, so violent Hermione almost gave herself away by flinching.

"You called?" A wizard's voice drawled.

"Barty!" Bellatrix said enthusiastically. Hermione froze. "So wonderful of you to join us. I caught one!"

The shuffling of boots, and then-

"This was Potter's pet, hmm?"

"Yes, she still has my brand." Hermione concentrated on keeping her face neutral as Bellatrix flipped her onto her back and pulled her sleeve up.
Barty Crouch Jr laughed as he ran his fingers over the scar.

"What do you plan on doing with her?"

"Why don't you sound excited, Barty? We can play with her before we bring her up to the Dark Lord!"

Hermione heard Barty shuffle away from her.

"Yaxley still has bruises from when he met this bitch and the Malfoy boy on the quidditch field. Do you think I'm going to risk that same wrath for a few days of fun? I can find someone else that's not in the game to torture-"

"That was different. The Arena is different! Yaxley couldn't wait like we did. We can play with them here. The Dark Lord wants us to play with them here. And it will take days before any of those boys find her."

He seemed lost in thought.

Hermione prayed he'd leave. She knew what would come from Bellatrix, but Crouch... the thought of his hands on her made her mouth wet with nausea.

There was no Dobby to save her this time. Ron and Harry wouldn't be able to swoop in at just the right moment. All Hermione could do was pray that Malfoy would find her before she was damaged beyond repair.

While Bellatrix continued to try and coax Crouch into staying, Hermione Occluded.

She forced everything down, so far down that she wouldn't have to worry about the weight of it when the time came to file away the torture Bellatrix was about to put her through.

You've been through hell for the last three months, Hermione reminded herself. You can take this. You can take it and now you can give it back if they give you the chance.

"Wake up little lion." Bellatrix cooed as she kicked her. Despite the throbbing pain in her ribs, her hand, and her leg, Hermione laughed as she turned and looked up at the witch.

Hermione remembered, vividly, everything she had done before her and Malfoy came to The Arena. Before this place was a Haven, and it was still only a battlefield.

Hermione remembered every kill, every stab, every choice that made her a weapon. A beast.

And Hermione laughed.

Because if Hermione was something to fear, if she was a vampire slayer, a werewolf killer, how much worse was Malfoy? If she were fear, he was terror.

"What are you laughing at, Mudblood?"

"I'm laughing," she said, wheezing. "Because if I don't find a way to kill you, he most certainly will."

They only allowed her to laugh for a few more seconds before they struck her with a crucio.

Her laughs turned to screams, and her temporary bravado melted into pain.

It was all she knew. Like lightning vibrating through every nerve, pain became her.

She was vaguely aware that she was begging for it to stop, that now Bellatrix was the one laughing and Crouch was watching her with hungry eyes.

Finally, finally, the pain faded to a dull throbbing. Her body twitched with the aftershocks as Hermione gulped down air.

Crouch squatted next to her, and stroked her sweat-coated hair. Hermione whimpered as she tried to push away, but then her scalp was in his grip.

"Time to get to work."