imprisonment

Chapter 9; H

"Too bad," the guard said walking over to her. Her heart started racing and she felt a pit in her stomach. She was terrified. He grabbed her up by her arms and forced her into the chains. Her legs began to wobble struggling to hold herself up. He tugged at the chains causing them to dig into her wrists giving her no choice but to start walking.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She knew Draco was behind her but didn't dare look back at him. She was embarrassed. She was supposed to be strong; she wasn't supposed to let him see her weakness. This ruined her plan. He was supposed to be the one who needed her.

Her legs trudged along the ground. It she was being dragged down the long halls of cells because she had no strength to walk. Her legs were in so much pain that she had to force herself to hold in groans of pain. She slowed down her pace causing the guard to pull the chain harder. It was dehumanizing; she was being treated like an animal.

The lights began to dim, and she knew they were close. She was out of breath and her chest burned as if hot coal had just been shoved down her throat. She knew she was humiliating herself in front of Draco, but she no longer cared. She would give herself this one moment; a moment where she didn't have to play the game.

They made it to the showers several minutes later. When the guard closed the door, she allowed herself to collapse to the floor. She let out a whimper as the cold water poured over her. She didn't take off her clothes, she didn't wash her hair, she just let it soak her.

Draco stood in the shower in silence. She hadn't heard him take off his clothes. She hadn't heard him move a muscle this whole time.

He started moving towards her slowly, making Hermione fear for her life. "Please don't," she choked out. She was terrified of all the possibilities of things he could do to her.

He stayed in silence. She could feel an arm wrap around her as he lowered himself to the floor. She flinched away from him like a feral puppy. His body pressed against her back as she sat in front of him. His hands rose up to her head. She didn't know what was happening or what he was about to do to her.

To her surprise, he began massaging soap through her hair. He was careful not to pull at the tangles or hurt her any worse than she already was. His fingers ran through her hair carefully trying to clean her curly hair. She could feel his clothes soaking wet against her back. He was fully clothed.

She didn't know what this act of kindness meant, but she allowed herself to not think about it. She leaned her head against his chest in silence. The water above them rinsed all the soap from her hair and he seemed to be cleaning himself now. She could feel his ribs underneath his clothes with every movement he made. He was weak.

The water shutoff and he grabbed her hands to hoist her up. She gained balance and readied herself for the walk back. She felt calmer after the shower, and stronger.

The guard opened the door and they were let out. As they walked through the pitch-black hallways in silence, she wondered to herself why he helped her.

Was it apart of his game?

Was he using her for something?

What were his plans?

Her mind swirled with possibilities. The screams surrounding them resembled her thoughts; indistinguishable and scared. Draco was not a kindhearted person and did not do something without expecting something in return.

The light started forming around them and she could see him in front of her. He was gaunt and skinny. His backbone could be seen in the outline of his clothes. His clothes were soaking wet like hers and she could hear them dripping with every step. He turned around for a second and glanced at her. His jawline was prominent, and his cheeks were sunken in. He was not the boy he used to be anymore. He had no magic. He wasn't a death eater. He was just him.

They made their way back to their cells after a while. She made direct eye contact with him as they were both being unlocked.

"Why?" She said in a soft voice staring at him.

This caused something to change in him. He turned towards her with a menacing look. The kindness he previously had left his body. It was as if he turned the switch to off, draining himself of anything redeeming qualities. He was back to where they first started.

"Don't expect that to happen again," he said in a dark voice. It was borderline sociopathic. He looked like death in human form, void of all life. His eyes were stone grey and emotionless. The imprisonment was getting to his head and insanity had crept into his soul.

A/N

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter is on Dec. 11th.