This Is War

Survival of the Fittest

She was stepping into one of her nightmares.

It started the way they all did, except she wasn't being dragged by the roots of her brown curls and she wasn't fighting with a kick and a scream with Harry and Ron beside her. No, she willingly walked into the darkness that those nightmares began on her own.

She marched through the darkened gates that had once placed her on the opposite side of the enemy line that she now crossed freely. She heard the feet beneath her hit the pebble pathway. One, two, three, four, five and then she was walking up ancient marbled stairs and into a once majestic entrance.

The feeling she got as soon as she entered was the same like in those nightmares; it was that of paralyzing fear the mingled with Death circling inside that prestigious home. It was colder than what she remembered, but definitely just as dark.

Hermione was inside Malfoy Manor.

Before she could become frozen with uneasiness, before her chest felt hallow, or her lungs solidified the air in them, Hermione had to recall the instructions she had received and the plan she had come up with to survive this.

"Veda," she whispered in such a low voice that she barely heard herself say it.

With a pop, Hermione felt a millimeter of pressure ease as a little creature appeared before her. It was a house-elf. She had bright purple eyes, big like tennis balls, and rimmed with thick eyelashes. Her nose was pointy and long, just like her arms and legs that poked out of a clean pillowcase she was clothed in.

"Master said you'd be coming, Miss." The house-elf bowed immediately.

Clearing her throat from the uncomfortable situation—because she never liked being at the end of a house-elf bowing—Hermione reminded herself that she had to keep a Draco-Malfoy-persona at all times.  Yes, the house-elf rights was close to her heart, but it was not the time or the place to let that win over her. Instead, she asked, "Can you show me to his room, please?"

Veda bowed a little deeper. "Of course, Miss. Master told Veda to do so." She grabbed one of her Master's hands that Hermione was using, and then a pop echoed that had Hermione wincing.

Stabilizing Malfoy's feet on the lonesome hall they had just appeared into, Hermione felt dizzy and colder.

"Master said to Veda to remain unseen," the house-elf informed the person invading her Master's body. "Master said to always be behind Miss for protection."

"It's fine," Hermione breathed, trying to push out the specs of little lights that spotted her vision. "Just a warning next time, please. I don't have the strongest senses these days."

 "As you wish, Miss," Veda said obediently before standing back to a straight position. "This door leads to my young Master's bedroom. Master says Miss must stay in there at all times and must not leave to explore anything. Veda will be watching."

Looking around the dark hall they were in that was barely dimmed by a few lamps hanging at the corners, Hermione noticed that all the walls had were paintings and portraits but no other doors. There was just one, one that she was currently standing in front of that was made of black wood.

"If I vomited over your Master's floor, would you tell on me?" Hermione blinked down at the small house-elf, her eyes full of questioning as she felt of wave of nausea hit her at what her life had come to.

"Veda doesn't know when Veda will see her real Master," the house-elf replied. "But Veda is supposed to tell her Master everything."

Hermione rolled the silver eyes she was borrowing from the house-elf's dear Master Draco. "I'll take that as a yes, then." Before her borrowed-hand could clutch onto the metal handle of the door, she turned back to the house-elf. "Stay close, please."