The following morning was chilly, the wet mossy ground hugged Hermione's feet. Draco's death eater robes waved in the wind.
"I'm trusting you'll behave." Draco said firmly to the girl. His eyes seemed softer than usual. She felt strange outside without binds. She watched his every movement, she had become quite fascinated by him. Hermione had spent her entire life over analyzing and learning new material. She was always fascinated by growing intellectually. She had believed knowledge was power her whole life. Now, she wasn't sure what she believed anymore. All she knew was that Draco Malfoy was possibly her most difficult subject.
Draco casted his navigation charm towards the sky as they were about to begin their trek to the Manor. Hermione had a lump in her throat as she watched Draco vanish the large tent. Her chest felt hot and her skin felt too tight.
The navigation charm that hovered just above them awaited for Draco's signal. He walked past Hermione without a glance or acknowledgement. She really was unsure on why he was letting her walk freely with him.
Hermione held her body close and at least seven feet behind Draco at all times. He knew, he knew she feared him too much to try and run away. That was the conclusion she came up with. She was now obeying and walking behind him like a good prisoner. She hated playing the good prisoner. Her options had become thin and her mental state didn't allow her any more misconduct. She was drained, defeated and damned.
Hermione's back ached from her sleeping position the night before. Draco wasn't as kind as he was the night prior to offer her the bed. She took the itchy quilt and curled into the velvet chair to sleep. Draco's lingering scent on the chair tickled her nose throughout the night. Waking up every hour or so in a panic from nightmares she couldn't remember.
She still wore Draco's baggy loaned clothes. She had tied the shirt at her waist so it wouldn't drape over her body. Her flannel pajama bottoms had been pulled up by the shin so no dirt collected at the bottom hem. Hermione had grown sick of filth. Anything she could do to avoid it was ideal.
Hermione kept her eyes mostly on the back of Draco's head. His milky hair shines even brighter underneath the sun. His shoulders were posed as usual and she had never seen someone walk so sophisticated through a forest. He would glance back at her every once and a while. After the third time within a minute, Hermione decided she was just going to start humming so she wouldn't have to look at his face. Draco hadn't spoke word for an hour and Hermione was growing anxious.
"So, what's the plan?" Hermione blurted out.
"What plan?" Draco asked annoyed as he stepped over a large fallen branch
"The plan for me. For the most part, I know. But what about after? What if it doesn't work? Are you all going to dispose of me and leave me to rot or do I at least get a burial." Hermione talked so casually about her death it rubbed Draco strangely.
"You sound pretty sure that it's not going to work. Lost faith in your friends?" He said back to her.
She cleared her throat before answering. "Faith has nothing to do with it. I'm very aware of my situation. Just wanted to be enlightened on what could happen to me. I like to prepare."
Draco felt strange talking to her about her death. It seemed unfair that she seemed to think he held all the answers when in reality he was in the dark as much as she was.
"Quite frankly, I'm not sure." He replied to her. A few moments passed of only hearing the crunching under their feet. Draco was enjoying the silence.
He heard the witch clear her throat again prompting an immediate eye roll.
"Will you at least promise you'll try to make it painless?" She asked.
"Oh like slitting your throat open with a broken glass shard? Seems painless enough?" Draco's tone was clipped and frustrated.
Hermione was silent for only a few more minutes.
"Could you at least tell me how I was captured. I don't have much recollection of that night." She asked him.
Draco waited several long seconds, contemplating telling her anything. He decided it wouldn't affect anything if she knew. She was right, fate was practically sealed.
"Cursed letters. We intercepted the Weasley's mother's owl and sent a cursed letter with it for the girl. A form of imperio curse through skin contact. I created the curse." Draco said plainly. He heard Hermione's feet stop walking behind him. He turned to face her. She stared at the ground with thin lips.
"It was Ginny. I've had vague memories of seeing her that night, but after what happened with- but my memory was extremely foggy." Hermione said as she looked at the ground.
She looked up to him and he could see the look in her eyes that he had seen far too many times for his liking. "And Ron? I'm assuming you cursed him too. To do that?" She asked with a cracked voice.
Draco shook his head slightly, he wasn't completely sure of the events that took place with the Weasley boy, he just knew they had nothing to do with it. "No. We didn't curse him." He said plainly.
Hermione exhaled slowly through her nose. Draco looked in front of them up towards the navigation ball. "Come on." He said as he began walking again. Hermione held herself closer as they walked.
They walked quietly for a few more minutes. Hermione's anxiety was eating her alive, unsure of what awaited her at the Manor. Her regard for her life was at an all time high. She noticed a large fallen branch coming across their path and she had an idea. Anything to stall.
She watched Malfoy's head tediously to insure he wouldn't turn to see her. She fake tripped over the branch and fell to the ground hard, she wasn't supposed to fall as hard as she did. Her commitment to the fake fall was too strong and she actually felt her shoulder burn and her arm go numb when she slammed into the ground. Draco turned to see her rolling over and holding her shoulder.
"Granger. Come on." Draco was growing irritated because he knew Hermione wasn't a clumsy girl.
He knew she premeditated every step. He highly doubted she actually tripped and fell.
Hermione's entire left side had gone numb except for the top of her arm, it burned severely. She got to her knees as Draco approached her. He rolled his eyes and used her other arm to heave her up to her feet. Once she was standing, her injured arm fell limp by her side. Draco looked at it curiously before realizing something was actually wrong. He touched her shoulder gently and she winced with pain.
Hermione felt absolutely stupid. She was never intending to become this injured.
"Good job Miss Granger, you've dislocated your shoulder." Draco said, seeming slightly pissed. He poked the shoulder again for good measure. Hermione winced and shot him a stinging look.
Draco bit his bottom lip and gently rolled the sleeve up to reveal her shoulder. The arm hung loosely from the joint, a clear space between. Draco rolled his eyes to think.
"I don't know many healing spells." He said as he continued to look at the shoulder.
"Of course, you're quite used to the opposite." Hermione bit at him. Draco shushed her.
"Okay just hold still." He said as he took his wand out.
"No. No. Do not even try to do anything. I do not want to be permanently mangled." Hermione held her other hand up to motion for him to stop.
"I know it." She said. "Just let me show you." She slowly reached out her hand to lightly place it on top of his hand holding the wand. She kept her eyes on his to ensure he wouldn't curse her for touching him. His hands were cold and rough. Draco eyed her hand carefully. Her hand was light and delicate on top of his. She began to move his hand with hers. Motioning the spell.
"Brackium Emendo." She said slowly so he could hear every annunciation.
"Like this." She moved his hand to show him the motion again. Draco stared at her hand touching his. His stormy eyes then met hers and shook his head in acknowledgment. Hermione pulled her hand away. Motioning the movement again for him to see.
"Brackium Emendo." He said as he repeated the motion. Hermione was impressed with his learning ability, then she was taken over with a sharp pain and a cracking sound. She screamed out guttural sounds and it echoed through the forest.
She grabbed her injured shoulder immediately and felt that it was back into place. Her whole body felt numb and cold for a moment from the pain. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. The warmth returned and she opened her eyes. His alabaster skin and grey eyes were the first thing she saw. He was beautiful. He was insanely beautiful. It made Hermione uncomfortable to even look at him. She felt as if it was a betrayal to herself.
"All better." She offered him a slight grin.
"Quit trying to play the fool." He said sternly before he turned and began walking again. The magical ball floating over head, waiting on them.
"Excuse me?" Now Hermione was truly going to play the fool.
"You're not a clumsy girl." He said as he turned to face her. His eyes looked through her.
"Don't you dare. Don't pretend you know me." She said as she still held her shoulder. She was actually offended now. The act was gone.
"Oh please can we stop with that bullshit already." Draco stepped towards her. "I HAVE known you for nearly eight years now." Hermione glared at him as he towered over her.
"You don't know shit." She said through her teeth.
Draco pinched the skin between his brows and huffed slightly. He looked down at Hermione with a stare she had never seen before. He rolled his tongue behind his bottom lip.
"Your birthday is September 19th. You wore the same pair of shoes two years in a row, fourth and fifth year. Your dress to Yule ball was periwinkle, even though your idiots of friends called it purple. The only class you did poorly in was divination, even then you still passed. You wore daisies in your hair for the first quidditch game of third year, mind you those are weeds."
Hermione's eyes began to widen as she listened to the man explain accurately about herself.
"Oh, you brought Muggle pens second year that my idiots of friends used to scribble on my bedpost. Oh and I could've killed you then Granger I really could've. You smelled fresh parchment and freshly mown grass in your amortentia potion and that's when I truly decided you lost your mind for falling for an idiot like Ronald Weasley."
Hermione's face twisted at the sound of his name and her stare sunk to the ground.
"You're allergic to gillyweed. You go and cry in the astronomy tower every year before OWLs. Your friends treat you like shit. Oh and the best one yet, you were worried about me. Sixth year. You were asking our peers if I seemed "off" or if I was sick. Word gets around quite easily Granger. You even went as far to concern Madam Pomfrey with my well being. Your savior complex was at all time high. You couldn't help me though. No one could've." He spit on the ground beside him as if his words tainted his mouth.
Draco leaned down so his face was merely an inch from hers.
"Not everyone can be saved. Some have to rot. Surely, you understand that by now." He said through his teeth. His alabaster face was flushed and anger flickered in his eyes. Hermione looked up at him to stare deeply into his grey eyes.
"You could've been." She said.
Draco laughed as he stepped back.
"That's a fucking joke." He said as he went to turn around. Hermione's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Why pay so much attention to the mudblood then Malfoy?" She said calmly from behind.
Draco kept his back to her. "You were interesting. I was always interested in those that perceived themselves better than others."
"No, that's not it." Hermione's voice made his chest twitch.
"You were jealous, Malfoy." Draco's emotions were rolling through him.
Hermione stepped forward boldly still facing his back.
"You were jealous of what I had. My friends. My family. My success. You had been told your whole life that my dirty blood was less than yours. That my blood meant I would never succeed like any pureblood." Draco rolled his shoulders as he soaked in her words.
"You were told I was meant to fail. That I was bred to fail, but I never did. I excelled. I pissed on your prejudices and you hated that. You hated that I proved you wrong. That I proved your parents wrong. That I proved your Dark Lord wrong." She stepped closer nearly a foot behind him now. The wind was blowing Hermione's hair away from her face.
"You were jealous that I was loved and you were not."
Draco turned slowly. He stared at her for a few moments.
"No, I was jealous you had a choice." He said with thin lips. He waved his hand quickly in front of him and Hermione's binds quickly reappeared around her wrists along with the magical leash that attached them to Draco's hand. This time a gag appeared around her face and in her mouth.
"I'm done talking." He said. "Let's move." He jerked the leash and Hermione stepped forward to keep up with him.
Hermione spent the next two hours walking behind him. Her eyes stared at the back of his head furiously. She was sure to step on every small stick and branch to make her walking as annoying as possible. Draco only rolled his eyes at her stomping.
Eventually, he stopped to take a small break. He heard his stomach growl and roll. He had completely forgotten that he needed to feed himself. Also, he forgot his prisoner was also a human that needed food to survive.
He turned quickly to look at the girl. She looked like a rabid animal ready to tear his head off at any moment.
"Have you eaten?" He asked as if he didn't know.
Hermione's eyes narrowed at him. She wouldn't respond. She only glared at him.
He huffed loudly and waved his hand. Her gag disappeared and she immediately threw her head back to spit on his feet.
"Stop fucking spitting on me Granger." He said sternly as he pointed his finger.
Hermione huffed to catch her breath as she slit her eyes at him.
"I have some muffins in my bag. Would you like one? If not you can starve. Whatever you'd like." Draco said as he pulled a wallet sized bag from his coat pocket. His extension charm kept all his valuables tucked neatly inside. He pulled out a baggie with several small muffins inside and waved them towards the girl.
"I'd rather starve." She said, still glaring at him.
"Fine." He said as he slowly opened the bag and pulled out a blueberry muffin. He bit into slowly while he stared at the furious girl in front of him. He hummed with satisfaction as he chewed.
"You're fucking sick." She said.
"So I've been told." He replied.
"Okay." She said as she reached out her bonded wrists for Malfoy to hand her a muffin. She ate it slowly before she reached out for another one. Draco obliged and watched her carefully.
"Chew with your mouth closed. Be a lady Granger." Draco told her as he unattached from her binds and found a stump to sit upon.
"Eat shit" She said in between bites.
Hermione leaned against a nearby tree while Draco finished eating. He pulled out a flask and took a large gulp of it before tossing it to Hermione. She tilted it back and immediately spewed it everywhere. Liquor. She expected it to be water and now her chest burned and her nose ran.
Draco made a noise similar to laughing, a noise Hermione hadn't quite heard from him yet. She wiped her mouth with her tied wrists and glared at the blonde.
"Not funny." She said.
"I find it hilarious." He said as he lifted his hand and the flask flew to return to his hand. He took another large gulp before actually throwing Hermione a water bottle from his bag. Draco threw his flask back to finish the remainder.
Hermione sniffed it curiously while she eyed Draco before taking a sip.
"You know, liquor can cause severe dehydration." She said as she took the bottle from her lips.
"I'm dying anyhow Granger." He said back to her. The tone in his voice sent a mysterious shiver down Hermione's spine.
Draco felt a strange sense of calmness lurk around him. It itched up his body and swallowed his mind. He closed his eyes to marvel in it. A deep breath in and deep breath out. Only noises he could hear were the sounds of Hermione crinkling the water bottle, a few birds chirping in the distance, and... rushing water?
He opened his eyes and stood to make a 360 look around him. Just in the distance he could see a dip in the ground. The rushing water was coming from there. A small river.
"Granger, want to go for a swim?" He asked her with a smirk. The sunlight slicing through his blue eyes as he turned to her.
She gaped at him. "Have you gone mental?" She asked him with a raised eyebrow. "This is not a field trip?" She said in a questioning way.
"Suit yourself." He said before making his way towards the rushing water. Hermione's jaw was loose as she watched the blonde man leave his prisoner behind.
She followed him, keeping a fair distance between them.
"Malfoy!" She called out to him as the man continued to maneuver through the forest.
Hermione watched as they approached an open in the land. A small river. Draco stood by the embankment before his death eater robes fell from around his shoulders and he was pulling his jumper over his head to reveal his alabaster back.
Hermione's eyes widened as Draco pulled off his slacks to reveal his underwear. She turned her head away with blushed cheeks. A glance up showed her Draco diving into the river with a splash and her binds disappearing from around her wrists.
She walked slowly towards the embankment to look down and find Malfoy's white hair breaking the water's surface. He wiped his wet hair from his face and looked up to Hermione.
"Waters great, Granger." He said with a smirk before dunking under again.