August | Hermione Granger x OFC

Chapter 117

CW: lets just say... malfoy manor

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Robyn had hoped that the most exciting thing to happen over the holidays was summoning the Dark Lord as Snape requested, but the excitement came a lot sooner than that.

Rather, the excitement came approximately ten minutes after she'd arrived home, in the form of Lloyd's head appearing in her fireplace.

"I just got here," she sighed, crouching next to him. "What do you want?"

"Come to Malfoy Manor. It's urgent," was all he said, and then he disappeared.

"Well, in that case," she mumbled to herself, grabbing her wand before making her way outside.

She landed by Malfoy Manor and passed the gate as usual, releasing slow, even breaths the entire time; she had no idea what to expect. She went through the usual doorway and along the usually dimly lit corridor to the usual room - the drawing room, because that was where everything happened, apparently. Usually.

And there was Lloyd, Draco hovering behind him. Lloyd was wringing his hands nervously, and that in turn made her even more nervous.

"Well? Spit it out."

"There's a new prisoner. Apparently Azkaban is getting quite full with all the Mudbloods."

She didn't even have the energy to scold him. She took one more slow, even breath. A new prisoner. One that mattered to her, apparently.

"Who is it?" she dared to ask, though she wasn't sure she even wanted to know, because it was just one thing after another after–

"Olivia."

Another.

Another one of her friends locked up in Malfoy Manor's cellar, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"What have they done to her?" she asked immediately, already taking quick strides towards the stairs.

"Nothing - not that I know of, anyway. Greyback took her off the train–"

"Greyback," Robyn uttered, repulsed.

"And Draco and I got off, too - Disapparated with them. And now she's here."

Relaxing somewhat - only somewhat - she narrowed her eyes and paused where she stood halfway down the stairs. "Why were you on the train?"

He shrugged, his face pinched and pale. "Delaying the inevitable."

"You mean to say you prefer it at Hogwarts than here?"

He exchanged a look with Draco. "You don't agree?"

She didn't reply, descending the rest of the stairs to peer into the darkness. She heard a sniffle, followed by a quiet, "L-Lloyd? Malfoy?"

"No," Robyn replied, "better."

There was a gasp, and then Olivia seemed to appear out of thin air in front of her, gripping the bars of the door with white knuckles. Her other hand reached through the gaps to grab onto Robyn's robes.

"Oh, thank Merlin and Morgana! Gods, am I happy to see you, Robyn! Y-You've got to get me out!"

Robyn removed Olivia's vice-like grip of her robes to instead hold her hand between both of her own. It was somehow cold and sweaty at the same time. She ignored Olivia's words, instead saying, "I'm so sorry you've been put in here- Luna!"

Luna, like Olivia, seemed to appear out of thin air. She stood by Olivia and rubbed her back, but she looked at Robyn, Lloyd, and Draco. "Hello, everyone. Blessed Ostara. Time for new beginnings."