Chapter Text

Chapter 13

Draco's POV

Draco wanted to sleep. Wanted to let Hermione pull him back into her mind the way she so often did. Wanted to feel her again. Ask her what she was doing that had the Daily Prophet writing about her killing people; at least that's what he assumed they were writing based on the vagueness of his conversation with Padma. But sleep wouldn't come. His eyes refused to close as he lay on the cot still available to him while he healed. He hadn't been lying when he told Padma he was going to kill Weasley; though, admittedly, he had been saying it in hopes to get a clear definition of her relationship with Charlie. He'd already told Charlie he was going to kill his brother. It was to Draco's benefit that no one seemed to take his threats seriously. They all assumed he was useless without a wand because he'd let them believe it.

They wouldn't think he was quite so useless now that he'd admitted to doing legilimency on them for this long; something only a powerful legilimens could do without the incantation or a wand. It was all part of his plan. If Hermione couldn't come find him, he was getting out of this shit hole himself. He had no intention of missing another wedding anniversary. Nearly a year without seeing Hermione's face had been torture enough. Worse even than the burns, stabbings, broken bones, and everything else her alleged best friends had dealt him.

He wasn't going to leave without taking out that ginger asshole first, though. Potter was doing as Potter always did; sticking his nose in everyone's business to be the hero. Even if he had let the Dark Lord win this war. Weasley, on the other hand, made it personal when Draco trusted him enough to fight beside him and he'd robbed him of precious time with Hermione and their kids. No, just like Pansy had needed to die; Ron Weasley also needed to die. He'd worry about explaining it to Hermione when he saw her again. After being prisoner for so long he doubted that he'd really need much explanation for his actions; she might even be more upset that she wasn't the one to do him in. That was the beautiful, vengeful woman he loved.

It became easier to drift to sleep at the thought of Hermione taking revenge on Weasley for betraying him. Everything was easier when he thought of Hermione. He could withstand endless torture so long as he had her; so long as he could find his way back to her.

Fingers ran through Draco's long hair and he gripped the wrist of his assailant hard before he realized who it was. “Hermione?” Draco couldn't keep the shock from his voice.

“Don't hate me, but you really look like Lucius with your hair this long.” Hermione stated as Draco's grip on her wrist loosened enough that she could move it freely again, but not loose enough that he stopped feeling her pulse under his fingers.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “You're lucky I love you, or I'd have to jinx you for that blasphemy.” Draco teased.

Hermione pulled at his hair slightly. “It's not my fault your Malfoy genes just replicate themselves like that. Scorpius still has baby fat and even that doesn't make him any less identical to you.”

Draco pulled his eyes from Hermione for only a moment to see where she'd brought him this time only to see the grimy walls of his dungeon cell around him. “How are we here?” He asked her.

Hermione brushed her lips against his and he almost forgot he had a question that needed answering. “I let you bring me to you this time.” That smirk that drove Draco wild pulled at Hermione's lips.

“I should have picked somewhere better.” Draco mused.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t.” Hermione said honestly.

“Can you save your captive kink fantasies until I get home, please?” Draco said; he gripped her hips longingly.

Hermione gave him an unamused look, but he could see the smile she tried to hide. “Not for that. Bellatrix seems to think I will be able to find you if I let you bring me to you instead of the way I always bring you to me.”

“You lost me at Bella. What does Bella have to do with any of this?”

“I'm not really sure to be honest. These dreams have something to do with the blood magic she preformed on us at our wedding.”

“That sneaky bitch.” Draco muttered, smiling to himself; impressed at his aunt's ability to astound him.

“She could have told me about it a lot sooner than she did also instead of wasting a year we could have spent together.” Hermione grumbled and Draco could tell this was a sensitive topic for her.

“So, I've brought you here. Now what?”

“Yeah, I'm not real clear on the details. Your aunt is frustratingly vague.”

“Sounds like Bella.” Draco gave a small chuckle before he pulled Hermione closer to him.

“How are you always so calm about everything?” Hermione asked as Draco pressed his lips into her neck.

“You're the only thing keeping me alive, Hermione. I wouldn't say I'm being calm. I just don't want to miss a moment with you thinking about anything else, but you.” Draco said, twisting her curls around his finger.

Hermione blushed like she'd forgotten the way Draco always knew exactly what to say to affect her. “I miss you.” She said, combing her fingers through his long hair again.

Draco got the feeling in the pit of his stomach that they were pulling apart. He knew the feeling, he got it every time their time together in these dreams was ending. Draco pressed his lips into Hermione's before he lost the chance at it. “See you soon.” Draco whispered as they pulled apart.

Draco awoke on his own this time. Padma must've bought Draco another day of healing. At least that meant he was able to keep the cot. It wasn't comfortable, but anything was better than the hard floor of the dungeon. He didn't know how, but Hermione was coming for him; that dream had confirmed as much. Bellatrix had found a way to protect him once again and he had a feeling she might still have plans to protect him in a way unique to her in the future. Now Draco only needed to wait it out. It was unclear how long it would take Hermione to get here, but surely it couldn't be as long as he'd already been waiting. He breathed a sigh of relief as he smiled to himself. He was going home. He was going to see his twins for the first time. He was going to feel Hermione against his body because after this he wasn't planning on ever letting her go again. He was going to kill the Dark Lord once and for all and if anyone had a problem with that, he'd kill them as well.

“What are you so happy about?” Charlie's voice pulled Draco from his thoughts.

“Just thinking of how I'm going to kill your brother.” Draco drawled; he certainly wasn't going to put anyone on the look out for Hermione coming to free him.

“Oh, we're back on that again, are we?” Charlie asked as Draco sat up on his cot.

“I never left it. I'm surprised Padma didn't tell you. I asked her to, but honestly I'm still baffled she's even still here with all of you. She hates the work you make her do.” Draco stated as if Charlie was simply there to make conversation with him.

“She hates being around you.” Charlie's tone hinted his annoyance.

“Is that right? Not what she told me.”

Charlie glared at him. “And what exactly did she tell you?”

Draco smirked. “She's mentioned several times that as a healer she is against torture, for starters. Won't confirm that the only reason she's sticking around is to fuck you though.”

“How would that be any of your business?”

“It wouldn't be. It just would explain a lot.”

“Padma's here because she supports the cause of the SunBreak.”

“You must be incredible in the sack.”

Charlie's glare darkened. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“Well that's what everyone assumed about me when I got Hermione to stand by my side while also committing atrocities.” Draco gave a shrug as if this wasn't a comment to wind Charlie up, but merely an observation of their similarities; a compliment even at his high quality bedroom performance.

“Our so called atrocities are not the same. You were killing camps full of people without remorse.”

“Oh I understand now. Death Eaters aren't people, so we can be slaughtered without remorse, but when it's the resistance it's shameful. Too bad half the Death Eaters aren't even for the cause, they've just joined ranks to avoid the Dark Lord killing them mercilessly.”

Charlie's face shifted ever so slightly, like that fact had just dawned on him. “If they weren't for You-Know-Who's cause they should have joined the resistance.”

Draco laughed. It was sincere this time, not the crazed laugh everyone holding him prisoner was accustomed to hearing. “Like you guys were so easy to find.” Draco laughed again. “I was actively hunting for anyone from the resistance to offer myself as a double agent for years before I finally gave up. And I had Death Eater resources to track you down, how do you suppose a random half-blood off the street was supposed to do it?”

“They knew what they were signing up for, joining the Death Eaters.”

“The same could be said of your resistance. It will never stop amazing me the way you Gryffindors can't understand the concept of blurred lines in times of war.”

“Yet none of us wound up as Death Eaters.”

“Well, no one on Potter's radar at least. There were plenty of Gryffindors that were unmarked Death Eaters. Several in that camp Fred and Hermione took out.” Draco stood up and stood in the center of his cell. “Should we just get on with this then?”

“I'm not here to bind you. Padma sent me here to check on how you were healing, which seems perfectly fine to me.”

“Maybe ask her what's really keeping her here some time because it's not her loyalty to the resistance or your little SunBreak gang.” Draco stated as Charlie left him alone in the cell once more.

Draco was left alone with his cot for a long period of time after that. Something outside himself urged him to press his finger into his black dark mark. It felt hot to the touch, which he hadn't been expecting considering he couldn't feel the burning in his arm. His hand moved to rub the silver scar across his dark mark where he'd been bitten and later ended up with a vampire fang lodged inside his arm. Something about the euphoria mixed with the dark magic of his mark intermingled and made his forearm seemingly impervious to pain. He hadn't tested it more than not being able to feel his dark mark activation, but the lack of burning that was supposed to only increase in the length of time activated was all the proof he needed.

His silence was broken when Padma entered the dungeon some time later to check on him. “Charlie says you seem to be fully healed.”

“You'd know better than me; you're the healer.”

Padma rolled her eyes as she pulled up diagnostics around Draco. “The Prophet wrote that Hermione killed my sister.” Padma finally admitted.

Draco turned his gaze to her, but she refused to make eye contact. “I can do legilimency without eye contact; if I wanted in your mind you wouldn't be able to stop me; just for the record.” Padma looked up at him with narrowed eyes. “Would Hermione have a reason to kill your sister?”

“I don't know; you're the one that's turned Hermione into this Mrs. Malfoy character of terror.”

Draco laughed. “I'm sorry, what?”

“I dunno; that's just the only way they refer to her. 'Mrs. Malfoy Kills Order Members in Search of Missing Husband’.” Padma said in a reciting voice of what sounded like one of the Daily Prophet's lame headlines, though Draco highly doubted the Dark Lord would allow anyone to write about him being missing.

“Hermione's not a fan of killing her friends. She's more likely faking deaths and filling my house up with resistance members.” Draco gave a slight groan at the thought of the resistance within his house.

Padma's eyes got hopeful for a moment. “Parvati knows I'm here.”

“If you're worried Hermione's coming to kill you, she was probably more interested in finding out the location opposed to taking revenge on you. I can't say much about your boyfriend on the other hand.”

“Charlie is not my boyfriend.” Padma's cheeks flushed as she said it though.

“Right.”

“Do you go out of your way to always be aggravating or does it just come naturally to you?”

“I reckon it's a little of both.” Draco said smugly, like Padma's attempt at insulting him had only complemented him more.

“You're uncharacteristically chipper today.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. Why is that?”

“I'll answer yours if you answer one of mine.” Draco toyed.

Padma was quiet for a moment as if there was a lot to consider with what Draco was suggesting. “Fine. What's your question?”

“Who all has the Prophet claimed Hermione's killed?”

“My sister, Susan Bones, Katie Bell, Zacharias Smith, and most recently, Remus and Nymphadora Lupin, as well as their son.”

Draco scowled. “Hermione would never kill a child. If she did snuff out Zacharias Smith, however, that prick had it coming.”

“Everyone besides the Lupin family was believable, but then again the world doesn't think she's Hermione. The Order just knows her as Mrs. Malfoy, striking fear into their hearts and out to cut them down one by one to avenge her husband or something like that. The Prophet has yet to announce anything about you being missing; for all anyone knows Mrs. Malfoy is simply trying to prove she’s just as deadly as her husband. You must be so proud of your protege?”

“Was that your question?”

“No! My question remains why is it that you're in such a good mood today?”

“Well, don't tell your boyfriend, but…” Padma gave Draco an exasperated look and he lowered his voice to a menacing whisper before he continued, “Mrs. Malfoy is coming.”

Draco couldn't stop the devilish grin from cracking across his face as Padma's eyes widened in realization. “What do you mean? How do you know?”

There was a lot of things Draco considered menacing about himself; his wife was not one of them. Did he refer to Hermione as a menace as often as he could; absolutely! But more in the sense of the way she effortlessly turned him on and less in the sense of her being a spreader of chaos. The way he walked up to his cell bars and grinned through them at Padma, for instance, was one of those menacing habits of Draco's.

“I can feel her.” Draco said slyly and Padma shuddered before him.

Padma made to move away from Draco's cell, but he snatched his hand out and caught hold of her wrist before she could move farther away. He pulled her closer to the bars, not as forcefully as he would have done with one of the men, but hard enough that she jolted forward and fear flashed across her face. “If you tell anyone that she's coming here or get in my way of getting out of this fucking cell, I swear to you, there's not a person alive that will be able to save you. Keep your mouth shut and I promise you that you'll leave Romania alive.” Draco said in a low cruel voice.

Padma trembled as she tried to pull her arm from Draco's grasp and fearful tears started brimming her eyes. Draco held onto her more tightly. “Are you going to tell anyone about our little chat today?” Padma frantically shook her head and a small whimper escaped her lips at the maniacal tone Draco's voice had taken.

Draco's face turned hard and he gripped her wrist tighter still. “Give me your word.” He growled and Padma began frantically nodding this time.

“Say it.” Draco ordered.

“Y-y-you h-have my w-word.” Padma said in a shaky breath and instantly Draco released his grasp on her and moved away from his cell bars.

Draco sat back on his cot and looked mildly apologetic at Padma as she stood frozen to the spot he had pulled her to. “Sorry; old habits and all. I'd understand if you'd feel better binding me up again.” Draco said, that lazy drawl returning back to his voice.

Padma didn't say anything, but Draco felt the ropes wrap back around his wrists before he saw her hand wave toward the ceiling to hold his hands in place high above his head. So high, in fact, Padma had him almost dangling by his wrists in the bindings, pulling him from his seated position a little more forcefully than Draco had come to expect of Padma. Luckily, he managed to hold himself in place with his tip toes. There was another whoosh and Draco assumed his cot had vanished from behind him. He didn't bother asking Padma to push his hair out of his face after he'd just threatened her. Though in her state of terror she might have actually obliged him, unlike the other times he made the same request to her. Padma left quickly after Draco was securely bound and he waited a few moments before he grasped onto the ropes he dangled from.

He pulled down hard on the bindings; they held. He pulled harder, still the binding held strong. Draco pulled until his feet lifted from the ground and his face was level with his fists. He crossed his ankles and bent his knees slightly so that when he fully extended his arms again his feet weren't there to catch the weight of his body. He spent most of his time bound this way, it was one of the only ways he could keep up his strength and often once he'd been bound it wasn't immediately followed by Potter or Weasley's versions of interrogation. Sometimes he spent hours tied up before the beatings started. When his arms grew tired and shook as he pulled up his own weight, he let his feet hit the floor once more. After a short break, long enough that his arms stopped throbbing, he gripped the bindings again and lifted his legs straight out in front of him. From an outside vantage point he figured he looked like he was folding himself into a chair. In a sense he was; using this movement to strengthen his core muscles.

He refused to go back to the Dark Lord and have other Death Eaters thinking they could fuck with him because of his slimmer figure. He wasn't fed nearly as well as he had been anywhere else, despite his already irregular eating habits, and it showed in his lean figure growing far leaner. It also helped him when Weasley and Potter spent their time targeting his ribs rather than his face. When his body shook lifting his legs he again dropped his feet and stood roped up in silence. He closed his eyes as his head rested against his arm and could almost feel Hermione's hands brushing through his hair. He couldn't stop from smiling to himself.

“À bientôt ma chérie¹.” Draco whispered to himself.