For the unknown day it a row, Hermione opened her eyes in pain. Her body was at its breaking point. Anymore torture from the woman and she was sure her body would give up and let her mind die.
Hermione turned her head, arching her back against the table. Hannah was on her right. The woman had taken an interest to Hannah. She'd straightened the table so Hannah was almost standing. Despite the special attention and additional torture Hannah was getting, she was stronger than Hermione.
Hermione had thought that everyday they were in the room, strapped to the tables. Hannah never gave into the pain and exhaustion that came every day. She kept herself alert and warned Hermione everytime the woman came back.
"I can't take anymore," Hermione whispered, her throat hoarse and derived of water.
Hannah didn't look at her. She only responded, her voice soft and quiet.
"Yes you can. You're fine. Ginny will find a way out and come help us. You are fine."
Hermione turned back to face the room. She then looked to her left, at Jack. He was still uncoincous, head lolled to the side. He hadn't felt or experienced a single thing in the weeks of tortured. He and the rest of the boys has been asleep the entire time.
"Sleep," Hannah commanded, her voice louder and more frantic than before.
Hermione listened without hesitation. She closed her eyes and dropped her head down. She slowed her breathing into a rhythmic pace simulating sleep.
From the side, metal creaked as a door was opened followed by the sounds of shuffling feet. The footsteps were light and quick, almost as if the woman was running. Hermione knew she wasn't. She took dozens of quick steps rather than regular paced normal sized ones.
Hermione listened quietly, trying to figure out what the woman was doing this time. She rummaged around in drawers behind them, opening and slamming shut cabinet doors. Hermione heard metal clinking together and grimaced thinking about the knife and dagger collection the woman had.
Resetting her face so it looked like she was sleeping, Hermione fought against her reaction to hold her breath. She heard the woman's quick walking back around them, in front of her. The woman reached up and cupped Hermione's cheek. She rubbed her thumb u and down Hermione's cheekbone.
When Hermione didn't wake, the woman patted her face twice and walked away.
"Who are you?" Hannah asked.
The woman didn't respond. Hermione didn't understand how her friend had any fight left in her. Hermione took the coward's way out and pretended to sleep. It was the easiest way to avoid the pain. She, Hannah. and Ginny had switched off pretending to be asleep. But the fascination with Hannah had overtaken the woman. She would get angry whenever Hannah wasn't awake and double the torture on Ginny and Hermione. In the end, Hannah refused to play possum and would instead warn the other girls when the woman came.
Strapped to the table, day after day with limited sleep and endless torture, Hermione didn't understand how Hannah took it and still never showed weakness. She never screamed and winced in pain. She never cried or wept for help. She stood strapped down, constantly awake, and numb to her emotions.
Just like every other day, the woman didn't respond. Instead, Hermione heard her pull forward the medical trat she always kept close. Clattering sounds, metal hitting metal. She was choosing her weapon.
"You could at least tell me your name. Maybe we can work something out," Hannah continued to reason.
Hermione wasn't sure what was happening. She didn't hear much. A few minutes passed before Hannah spoke again.
"No," she said, her voice firm and demanding.
Hermione resisted the urge to open her eyes. She kept them shut, listening as carefully as she could.
"No," Hannah repeated, "You will not do this anymore. Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you."
The woman laughed. Hermione almost jumped at the sound. It was shrill, almost like a cackle, and raspy. It was the first noise she had made.
Her laughed was followed by her voice, almost as deep and hoarse as her laugh. She said, "Mother wants you to die. Mother will punish you for helping her."
Hermione slipped her eyes opened halfway. She watched in horror as the woman took one of her knives and stabbed Hannah in the gut. Leaving the knife in, she then bound Hannah's arms above her head so she wouldn't be able to free herself.
Hannah's eyes widened. Her mouth fell agape before she forced it closed. Her hands, bound in an 'x' at the wrists, had nail marks from her sinking her fingernails into her palm. Hermione almost screamed. She bit the inside of her lip, drawing blood. She guessed Hannah was doing the same.
"You listen to Mother, now. You will die nice and slow. You are being punished for helping her."
The woman pushed the tray away aggressively. She walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Almost immediately, Hannah let out a twisted groan.
"Son of a Helga," she muttered.
"Hannah, oh my Godric," Hermione said. She fought against the straps holding her down. Her arms were almost completely free. She wiggled them out of the straps and pulled on them.
"Hermione," Hannah said, her breathing fast and uneven, "Hermione stop. Listen to me!"
The sheer amount of panic in Hannah's voice made Hermione drop the straps and look over. Hannah was paling rapidly. Red blood trickled down her stomach, her shorts soaking up the red liquid.
"Okay. So I didn't expect her to bind me," Hannah panted, beginning to hyperventilate, "I really hate the sight of blood. You need to be quick. You should be able to grab the knife. Pull it out and cut yourself free. Get Jack, wake him up, and go. Find Blaise and the others and get out. By the time she realizes I gave you the knife, you'll be long gone."
Hermione nodded. It made sense. Hannah's plan was thought through. It made sense suddenly why she always antagonized the woman. She was trying to get them a way to escape.
"Wait," Hermione said as a thought crossed her mind, "What about you? How are we going to get you out?"
Hannah licked her lips. She turned her head to look at Hermione. The way she tilted her head and smiled sadly said it all.
"No," Hermione cried, eyes widening, "Hannah, I am not leaving you here. Even if we get the boys and Ginny, she'll have noticed by then. S-she can do magic. She'll heal you and then hurt you even more."
Hannah shook her head.
"Hermione, by the time she notices i'll . . . I'll be dead."
Hermione shook her head again, this time saying, "No. Hannah are you mad? I am not going to just abandon you here. You're coming with us. We'll . . . we'll find a way to use magic and heal you."
"Gods, Hermione. Stop it. Just stop, okay? You're wasting time. I'll find a way out. Just take the knife and go. Please," Hannah's begged her with her eyes.
Hermione felt bad, sick to her stomach. The girl besides her was broken. They both knew she would live, but only if Hermione left her behind. Hannah's only chance was to stay behind and suffer whatever else the woman threw at her. Hermione felt a tear slip down her cheek.
She stared at Hannah for a moment, taking in what could be her last memory of the girl. Her hair was cut at her chin, just like Hermione's had been. She was covered in blood, dirt, and bruises. Her body slowly fell limp as she lost more of her fight every second.
Without warning, knowing the pain, Hermione grabbed the knife and pulled. It slid across Hannah's stomach, widening the cut. Blood poured, a deep red, nearly black. It gushed out, running down her body and pooling at the floor.
Hannah cried out, scrunching up her face in pain. Hermione had to look away, tears streaming down her face. She focused on slipping the knife under the strap holding her abdomen down. Hermione used a sawing motion with knife until it cut through the brown leather. Her table, at an angle, allowed her to scoot down next to her legs. She cut the strap around her thighs and ankles until she fell off onto the stone floor.
Hermione groaned. The knife dropped out of her hand, clattering against the floor. She hunched over on all fours in the pool of blood. Hermione pulled a leg up in a kneeling position. SHe grabbed the knife and pressed her hands against her knee, using the minimal energy she had left to stand up.
Crying, Hermione stumbled over to Jack, almost falling over. She fell against him, her legs weak from malnutrition and lack of walking. She ignored her sobs, trying to steady her hands. She used the same technique of slipping the knife under the straps and using sawing motions to cut them.
Once Jacks body was free, Hermione pulled the IV from his arm. Whatever drug the woman had been injecting was keeping her asleep. She slapped him across the face with no remorse.
"Wake up. Come on, Jack, wake up!"
She slapped him again, harder than before. A reed imprint of her palm stuck out against his cheek.
Luckily, Jack woke up. He sat up taking a gasping breath, like he had been choking. Jack coughed a few times, raising his arm to cover his mouth. He blinked and looked down.
Hermione pushed against the table, standing up. She was soaked in Hannah's blood from her arms to her knees. When she fell on Jack, she had covered his legs in blood.
"We have to go," Hermione said between hyperventilating breaths. "We have to go now,"
"Oh my god, are you okay? Mione what happened? Where are we?" Jack asked, his face paling at the amount of blood she was covered in.
"I'll explain, I promise. But we need to run."
Jack nodded, trusting her. He stood up, having better balance than she did. Hermione turned around and faced Hannah. She hobbled over. Hannah's face was pale and sweaty. The blood had slowed down. Hermione used the upright table to support herself.
"I'm sorry," she cried, "I'm so sorry."
Behind her, Jack gasped.
Hannah nodded, a single tear escaping her. "Go. Save him."
"I'll come back. I promise," Hermione grabbed onto Hannah's shoulders, steadying herself. "I'm sorry, I'll come back for you."
Footsteps echoed from the door. They were quieter than when the woman was at the door. She was close.
"You," Hannah panted, "you have to go. Right now."
"Mione. Hermione, come on," Jack said. He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Hannah.
Hermione felt her heart break. She had become close with Hannah, she was like a sister. She'd protected Hermione while they were stuck being tortured. As Jack pulled her away, Hermione wanted nothing more than to run back and free Hannah. Instead, she closed her eyes, unable to stop crying, and followed Jack out of the room.
The metal door slammed shut behind them. Hermione reached back in guilt and lightly pulled the handle. It was locked shut, unaccessible from the outside.
"Which way?" Jack asked, looking around. The hallway went both left and right. It was a tunnel, stone lining the walls.
Hermione pulled her mind away from Hannah. She tried to focus on getting Jack and her other friends to safety. She looked to the left. A light was drawing near. The woman was approaching fast.
Hermione grabbed Jack's hand and took off running to the right. She stumbled every few steps. Jack caught up and wrapped an arm around her waist, steadying her as she ran.
"Ginny!" Hermione screamed. She knew the more she gave herself away to the woman, the more punishment Hannah would face on her behalf. In the moment, she had to not care. She couldn't save Hannah, not at that time. But she could save everyone else and she would do it at any cost.
"Blaise! Where are you guys?" Hermione screamed.
They turned left as the hallway curved and came to a hallway lined with metal doors, similar to the one she had just left. They were rusted and dirty. Hermione looked back and forth between the doors. It was hard to tell if anyone was in them.
"Hunter! Hunter, which room are you in. Hunter!" Hermione screamed frantically for her brother, her head whipping from left to right.
Her sobs hadn't stopped and she fought to scream through them.
"Hunter! Please, Hunter!" Hermione cried. She stumbled, almost falling but Jack caught her and pulled her back up. "Hunter! Oh god, Draco!"
"Granger! Bloody hell, this woman does not have good ears," A voice mumbled from the door to her right, "Granger, we're in here!"
"Draco," Hermione muttered. She and Jack kicked against the door. The metal hinges loosened with every blow the door recieved.
"Stand back," Jack warned.
Hermione moved to the side, allowing him full access to the door. She leaned against the wall, gripping onto chunks of stone poking out of the walk.
Jack took a step back. He angled his shoulder at the door and rammed into it. The door fell off its hinges, falling backwards, and crashing into the ground. It sent out an echoing thud. Dust and dirt clouded up around it.
Hermione pushed past Jack and ran in. She tripped over the door and grabbed onto Draco, who was standing their, to regain balance. He grasped her by the elbows, yanking her up into a standing position.
Seeing the blood soaking her and staining her skin, Draco said, "Are you hurt?"
"It's . . . it's not my blood. We need to go right now. She's coming," Hermione sobbed.
"How?" Jack asked. He peeked out the door and looked the way they had been running. "It's a dead end. The other way leads to whoever this person is."
"Right, right," Hermione mumbled. She furiously wiped tears away from her eyes. "We'll apparate. Hunter, can you get us out?"
Hunter nodded. He wasn't sure how magic would work, but it was their last chance.
"Hold on," he instructed.
Ginny stumbled to her feet. She walked over and grabbed Hunter's arm. Jack held onto the other, Blaise grabbing his shoulder. Draco linked arms with Ginny, wrapping his other around Hermione, who could barely manage to stand.
"Wait, where's Hannah?" Blaise asked. His eyes were wide, his tone full of worry.
Hermione and Jack shared a look. Blaise looked between them, then down at the blood Hermione was covered in.
"Where is she, Hermione?"
Hermione froze, unsure what to do. In the end, she looked at Hunter and said, "Go."