This chapter and the next are serious reasons for my trigger warning. They are very important chapters. They were both hard and cathartic for me to write. Please do not read unless you have read the trigger warning. Its also a longer one.
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"Draco?!" Narcissa's echoed from the top of the stairs and Draco felt his shoulders tense.
No, not now, he thought. If his mother came down now she would see only what had happened and what Hermione had done, not everything leading up to it and not that torn look on Hermione's face which behind the anger, screamed that she had not meant to cut him.
"Its fine," Draco tried to will his mother from coming down with his voice. In his heart he knew it was futile.
His mother had told him to stay in bed. He hadn't listened and now he had just let out a yell from the cellar. Fat chance she was just going to believe that everything was okay and leave them be together down here.
He looked at himself and the red bleeding down through his shirt, then to the knife in Hermione's hand. At the very least he had to get the knife out of her hands before Narcissa came down.
"Dammit Granger," Draco growled. "Give me that knife."
As soon as he finished uttering the words he found himself blinking back stars from his vision as his legs threatened to give out beneath him.
"Fuck you Malfoy," Hermione shot back. Her anger clearly overriding her guilt at having hurt him.
Draco bit his tongue back against a retort.
You shouldn't have said those things about Greyback, his mind pointed. It was beyond cruel. She may never forgive you.
I don't care if she forgives me right now, what I care about is if my mother kills her.
Just as he finished thinking that thought, Narcissa apparated into the Cellar with a pop.
She took one look at the knife in Granger's hand and the blood on her son she struck immediately sending the knife flying against the wall with a clatter and Granger backwards into the stone wall.
Narcissa lashed out with several more curses back to back, each striking Granger directly, until finally Draco could stand it no longer and had to step in.
"Enough," he said.
Narcissa turned to him, her pale face tight with fury.
"You let her keep the blade?" her voice was high and tense.
"I thought she had lost it in the woods. Forgive me for not checking," he snapped smartly.
The slap hit him hard across the face, with the condition he was in it was enough to knock him down. He heard Hermione's gasp from across the room.
Please don't do anything stupid Granger...
"I warned you Draco!" his mother yelled. "You are not taking her back up to your room. This is my house. She is going to stay here."
Shame bloomed in Draco's chest.
This was the second time his mother had struck him in recent history and both times had been for him acting rashly on Granger's behalf. The throb in his cheek hurt less than the pounding in his head and yet he would rather have the pain in his head than the one from his mother's strike.
Heat built up behind his eyes.
Draco glanced across the room at Granger who wouldn't meet his gaze.
Of course she won't look at you, you're pathetic.
He didn't know what he would see in Hermione's eyes anyway if she had met his, and wasn't sure if he wanted to see them now.
Don't you dare give up now, he ordered himself. You will not let yourself snivel and cringe. Stand up. Stand up for her.
Draco stood wobbling.
"Like hell she is," he ground out lowly, despite everything, despite the fact that she had just cut him he still stood up for her, on her side against his mother.
He stood and squared off towards his mother.
"You know what will happen to her if she does. Some deatheater is going to come wandering in and Rape her."
"And you only want her for yourself," Narcissa said and Draco heard the judgement and venom in his mother's voice. Draco's chest tightened knowing his mother could think him capable of such things.
Draco saw the tears in his mother's eyes. She was holding her hand near her chest and rubbing it. He could see that she hated herself for losing control. That she hated herself for hitting him. She hated that he had put himself in danger again but behind that and beyond everything she hated what she believed he had done.
Narcissa Malfoy loved her son beyond anything in the world and it was ripping her apart from the inside out how her baby boy had done something Narcissa had always spoken fiercely against.
He couldn't stand her thinking of him like that.
Couldn't stand his mother believing that she was protecting someone who was capable of rape.
"I haven't had her yet," Draco finally shot back.
The words burst from his lips. His cheek burned, and he felt hot all over, but words burned out of him. He didn't give a damn what his father thought of him, but his mother...it was killing her what she thought he had done as much as it was killing him to see that look in her eyes.
"Is that so?" Greyback's voice echoed from the top of the stairs and Draco's spine went ridged.
No...
The timing for the admission could not have been worse.
Now look what you've done.
Greyback turned and vanished down the hall.
He's going to tell the dark lord.
"Fuck," muttered Draco and went over to Granger hauling her up from the ground roughly. Adrenaline had his legs holding him up at this point: pure adrenaline.
He needed to get Granger out of the cellar and back to his room.
He needed a moment, just a moment, to think of a plan before Greyback went running his mouth to Voldemort.
Narcissa's cheeks were pink with shock as she looked at her son.
There were a million emotions flitting across her face and Draco didn't have time to read them all.
"Now look what you've done mother," said Draco pushing the blame on her and brushing past. "I hope you're happy."
The words were cruel and fueled by fear.
He had let a moment of weakness get in the way of everything. He had been so concerned with what his mother thought of him he had not stopped to think about the consequences of admitting a piece of the truth.
Narcissa followed him up the stairs as Draco dragged Granger in tow behind him.
Draco was surprised to find Hermione coming along easily and without struggle; surprised and relieved. If she tried to fight his hold now he wasn't sure he could manage to keep her and if he couldn't keep her close he couldn't protect her.
The three rounded the corner and came face to face with Voldemort and Greyback who were waiting in the main room, blocking his path back to his room.
Draco's steps halted. The look on the dark Lords face was far from pleasant and the look on Greyback's had Draco regretting his decision to let the man live.
"Draco," said Voldemort. "It has been brought to my attention that you haven't claimed this prize of yours. Is that true?"
Sweat broke out across Draco's skin and he felt his blood run cold. He had wanted time to figure out a plan. He had thought he would at least be able to get Granger up to his room for a moment before Greyback told the Dark Lord what he had overheard.
It seemed time was not on his side today.
Think, Draco, think.
"She has been entertaining me quite well with her screams," said Draco with a growl. "Of which I plan on extracting more from her in just a moment, for her part in having me fall short in your eyes." He swallowed
Please be a good enough lie...
"So, if you would permit me to pass..." he continued letting the last word hang in the air.
Voldemort 'tsked'.
"If you wish to have her then have her. Not taking her to bed makes it seem as if you are growing soft on her."
Draco could not believe the Dark Lords words.
How much more did he have to do to prove to everyone that Granger was his enemy? What level of torture did he have to inflict for them to believe...
Granger pulled back against Draco's grip and his hand tightened reflexively around her bicep to the point of bruising. She let out a small whimper.
He hated hurting her, even that small amount.
"You should use her for what she is worth or..." said Voldemort. "Let Greyback have her. There is no point in wasting a perfectly viable cunt. You can still torture her if that's all you want from her and Greyback can have what you aren't claiming for your own."
"No," Granger cried out and Draco turned and backhanded her hard enough to hurt his own knuckles. She almost went down and he held her up. He felt his knees almost give way and the room spin slightly.
Please Merlin keep me standing, Draco prayed silently.
If he went down now he would loose everything.
A plan formed in his head and Draco knew it was his only chance.
I am so sorry Granger, he whispered silently to her hating what he had to do.
Its her only chance...our only chance.
"I won't share with a mutt like him," Draco said. "And if he relayed my words correctly he would have said 'I haven't taken her Yet." Draco proclaimed the last word with heavy emphasis. He grabbed Hermione placing her in front of him facing away so her body was pulled flush against him.
He needed to make a show of her, make a show of this.
There was no arousal at having her close in these circumstances. He got nothing out of what was to come. He hated the plan the second it had formulated in his mind, and yet he couldn't see any other options.
Draco tore Hermione's shirt front down with a loud rip. She screamed struggling.
"Now seems like as good of a time as any," Draco smiled at the Dark Lord as he reached around her front and cupped her breast over her bra, she tried to pull away he wouldn't let her. "Unless you object my Lord," said Draco courteously.
"By all means," Voldemort waved his hand "Continue."
"I would prefer my room," said Draco. "I'm not one for an audience, but if the mutt wants to torture himself and watch so he can crawling back and tell you about my sex life then he's free to, by all means."
Voldemort nodded.
Nausea and relief flooded Draco's system.
You need to make them believe...
Draco began dragging Hermione to the stairs. He didn't dare apparate with her kicking and screaming. He was liable to lose an eye that way. He let her scream and kick and fight hating every single second of it.
"Draco don't do this please!" Hermione begged him, the desperation in her voice clear.
She actually believes you would do this...
After everything...
Draco closed his eyes for a brief second.
Make them believe.
"Shut up you damn mudblood, you knew this was coming," he yelled loud enough for everyone to hear him.
His chest hurt so much it was hard to breathe.
"No..." He watched the tears form in her eyes. "No...no you cant."
I wouldn't, I would never.
"I said shut it," he ordered and slapped her hard.
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This chapter was very intense and I know its very dark. If you don't feel like commenting on this one its okay. This was a vulnerable piece for me to write. Leave love if you can.
I will update the next chapter on Friday.