Haunted Together

Chapter 4: Azkaban Prison

Draco was crazy. Definitely, I'm-Going-To-Stop-At-Nothing-Crazy, I'm-Going-To-Die-Without-A-Second's-Thought-Crazy, Nothing-Matters-To-Me-But-Results-Crazy. And he was dragging Hermione along for the ride. Not that she completely minded, but it did give her pause. She thought her reckless days were behind her.

Draco had other ideas.

They stood at the base of Azkaban prison, the water roiling and crashing around them, spraying them in frigid mist. It was deep winter and the water droplets on Hermione's eyelashes froze almost instantly. It was imperative that they get a move on or they would quite literally freeze to death. Draco stood a few feet ahead of her, wand in hand, fingers clenching the wood so tightly that she was sure it would snap. He hadn't said anything to her in the past hour, so she wondered if he even wanted her there at all. But when she asked prior to their departure, he assured her that yes she was coming along, and no she wasn't allowed to argue about it.

So she gripped the portkey right as it activated and appeared in front of Azkaban prison. She didn't even know why he had a portkey to this place at all, or how that was legal, but she didn't dare ask now. That would be a conversation for another day, another time, another universe.

Draco started walking up the short flight of stairs towards the blank prison wall ahead of them, leaving Hermione to scramble to catch up. "Draco!" she called, running up to him and nearly crashing into his backside. "What are you doing?"

Without responding, he raised his wand and traced a high arc through the air. A nearly-invisible ripple spread out across the space between their bodies and the prison wall. Within seconds, the smooth surface faded and a doorway appeared, sans door. Draco took confident steps through the thin film that remained and Hermione swiftly followed. Inside, the fortress was empty. Hermione had expected to see Aurors, prisoners, life, so the vacant hallways, blackened scum on the ground, cold dust in the air... none of it seemed right.

"Where is everyone?"

Finally addressing his companion, Draco sighed. "This is the unused wing. I thought there might still be a dementor around that the ministry missed vacating, but I don't hear anything. I don't feel anything unusual. Do you?"

Hermione pursed her lips and listened to the crash of the waves behind them just as the wall closed back up and silence engulfed the room. The walls were all gray, mute, pock-marked like someone had been shooting muggle bullets into them for centuries. There didn't seem to be a ceiling; instead, the gray extended from floor to sky and only disappeared once fog took over. A lighter shade of gray, but gray nonetheless.

When Draco turned to meet her eyes, Hermione had to swallow her own sigh at yet another shade of gray. No need to let Draco know how much she already hated this field trip. "No, it's just cold and bleak. Nothing terrifying in the slightest." When he nodded and started walking, Hermione had to force herself to keep up. Something about this place made her feel lethargic. Her usual curiosity waned into oblivion, and her limbs felt heavier than that time she tested a lead potion for Harry.

Hermione had drifted six paces behind him when he noticed.

"Keep up with me," Draco sternly commanded, throwing a look over his shoulder. "This place... It's not natural. It will do things to you if you let it. You have to stay by me if we're to remain safe."

Hermione thought she saw his hand reach for hers, but instead his fingers pulled into a fist and he marched ahead, seemingly determined to find whatever the hell he was looking for. It must have been a trick of the light, nothing more. "What are you doing?" she asked finally once the silence became too much. Not even their footsteps made sound as they trod through the endless corridor.