Her Lucky Break

A Few Rotten Connections

Her Lucky Break

A Few Rotten Connections

Hermione jolted awake once more. Jasper was still in her arms, his quiet snores were relieving in the otherwise silent room. It let her know that someone else was there, even if she did wish that he was in the land of safety back at Hogwarts. For now she would need to find a way out, a way to get them both out, hopefully, unscathed.

The odds did not look good to her.

She flashed back to how things had been over these last few months. She had gotten her dream job. Befriended a former enemy. Met interesting students that she had grown to care for as if they were siblings. She got to learn so much all while teaching others what she knew. It was an interesting way to spend her time, working hard to catch a new threat. It was like nothing had changed. Now she was stuck in a basement, holding a young boy, and wandless of course. That was just the cherry on top.

She felt Jasper move slightly, a quiet whimper emerging from his lips. Hermione instinctively held him closer, softly patting the top of his head a humming a lyric-less tune. She knew she had to find a way out of here but she couldn't see an exit. She couldn't see anything for that matter. Her heart picked up speed and became louder as she thought of the last time she had seen such a miserable place. It had been the dreadful day at Malfoy Manor with an evil witch holding her to the ground as she screamed. Her hand absently clutched the scar on her arm and she shuddered, moving away from Jasper.

She crawled away from him, arms waving out in front of her. When she finally touched a wall she stood up and walked along it before finding a corner. She carefully walked around the room, hugging the frozen stone wall. She counted every step down one wall and the connecting one. Assuming the room is rectangular, it would be thirty two steps by fifty three. Still hearing Jasper's snoring from the centre of the room she did the other two walls. The results were the same. During her adventures she found neither a window nor a door. Hermione's heart sunk a little deeper with ever inch she crossed, moving back to Jasper.

Hermione was positively chilled now, having stayed close to the walls for an extended period of time. She curled into a ball, her knees pulled so tightly to her chest she felt that she belonged in the circus as one of those performers that transformed themselves into a pretzel.

She didn't know how long she sat there but a loud sliding noise awoke Jasper. Accompanying the screech was a doorway of light. A shadowy figure was standing there and even though his face was not visible, Hermione knew exactly who it was.

Lucius Malfoy had finally made an appearance.

"You, boy. Come with me." he barked, pointing a gloved finger into the now faintly lit room.

Hermione watched as Jasper stood on shaking knees and she followed suit. Only she stood in front of him. She had promised to bring him back safe and sound to McGonagall after all.

"No." she said pointedly to the figure.

"Oh, isn't this grand? And who's going to stop me? You?" he asked in a laughing tone.

"Yes."

The laughter cut off and Lucius took a few steps into the room. "You can't. Or have you not realized yet? You're useless. You couldn't even detect a polyjuice potion being used. What kind of witch are you? And they all claimed you to be the brightest of your age. Lies I say."

"And so long as I'm standing, you won't lay a finger on Jasper."

Hermione could hear the defiance in her voice. Where she had expected it to fail her it came out stronger than if she was reading a well rehearsed speech. She glared at the man in front of her. Her outburst had even brought the silver haired man to silence. At least, before excitement took over him.