Chapter Text
The ticking in her mind continued, a relentless metronome marking the passage of time with maddening precision. Though she tried her best to ignore it, the sound burrowed into her thoughts, refusing to be silenced.
She lay there, her body heavy with exhaustion, staring at the ceiling as shadows danced and shifted in the dim light. Hours passed, and the night stretched on, an unyielding expanse of darkness punctuated only by the steady, inescapable ticking.
She closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep, but the persistent noise kept her on the edge of consciousness. Her thoughts became a tangled mess.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon, casting a pale, soothing glow across the room. The ticking persisted, but now it seemed to blend with the gentle chirping of birds and the soft rustle of leaves in the morning breeze. She sighed, her body aching from the night's tension, and let her eyes close once more.
She turned the locket over in her hand, feeling the cool metal against her skin. A surge of anger welled up within her, simmering just beneath the surface. She clenched the locket tighter, her knuckles turning white. Anger at the world for becoming such a cruel, merciless place. Anger at the injustice that seemed to permeate every corner of her life.
The weight pressed down on her, crushing her slowly.
Peering to the snake resting on her arm, Draco wasn’t awake.
She was hoping the rest of the manor wasn’t either.
Quietly, she slid out of bed and donned her black cloak, putting up the hood. Her bare feet cautiously tip-toed to the door. She opened it just a crack and slipped out into the hall.
Taking a deep breath, she quietly made her way down the hall, descended the spiralling stairs, and passed the drawing room, the library, and kitchens. Searching for something to help her escape. A sign, a clue that she could get out of here, find help. Return for Luna and have rebels kill the residents of this place.
Hermione paused. There it was — just beyond the kitchens was a small corridor that led to an overgrown, abandoned greenhouse. And when she followed the path, a small, weathered wooden door was barely hanging on its hinges at the very back of the manor. It had likely been used by house elves once upon a time, but now...it appeared as though it hadn't been touched in years.
It was unimpressive compared to the grand entrances and ornate doors to the rest of the house. Though this was the type of door that she was searching for. One that was rough and aged splintering in places and covered in a fine layer of dust.
The only forgotten piece that hadn’t been touched by magic. She ran her hand over it. Nothing. Not a trace.
Here, there was only the raw, unaltered reality of the wood. She pressed her palm against it, half expecting to feel a hidden pulse of magic, a whisper of enchantment. But there was nothing—just the cold, unyielding surface of the door.
She grasped the handle, feeling its weight and the resistance of the old, rusted mechanism. Leave, she told herself. Just. Leave.
Heart pounding in her chest, she realised she couldn’t see out the greenhouse’s windows. It was too saturated with dried up vines and covered in a layer of dirt to tell what lied beyond. Was it worth the risk?
Swallowing thickly, she turned the doorknob. It was absolutely worth the risk.
She felt the serpent coil around her arm, though it did not wake. It was simply changing its sleeping position.
As soon as she opened the door she sprinted…a blast of chill air nearly took all her breath out of her. But she kept running — past the overgrown gardens, where once-pruned roses and manicured hedges had grown wild and unruly. Her feet pounded against the uneven ground, the tangling roots and thick underbrush threatening to trip her with every step.
The cold air stung her lungs and bit at her skin, but she ignored it, pushing herself to move faster. Branches and thorns scratched at her clothes and skin, leaving small cuts in their wake.
Ahead, she saw a break in the tangled foliage—a narrow path that seemed to lead away from the manor's grounds. With a final burst of energy, she veered toward it, her heart racing with hope and fear. The serpent around her arm tightened its grip, sensing her heightened state but remaining silent and still.
The path was narrow and treacherous, winding through dense trees and uneven terrain. She stumbled but quickly regained her footing, refusing to slow down.
Just a little bit—
A vine protruding from the ground ensnared her foot, causing her to trip and fall. She braced herself, but still heard the sickening crack of her wrist as she went down. Pain shot through her arm as the base of her hand hit the ground, leaving it bloodied and bruised. Instinctively, she clutched her injured wrist close to her body, her breath coming in sharp gasps as she tried to push the pain aside and focus on getting back up.
“Blast!” She groaned, though she could barely hear her own curse words through the dense ringing of her ears. Thus far, she knew the manor’s perimeter didn’t have an enchantment, as she made it well past the borders. And past the overgrown hedges was a thicket of trees and wood.
Hermione tried her damned best to keep herself from going into shock. She focused on steadying her breathing, the pain radiating from her wrist almost unbearable.
Use me, her demon attempted to sway her, its voice slithering into her thoughts. I can help you...
"No," Hermione said through gritted teeth, her vision blurring as waves of dizziness washed over her. "Fight it," she muttered to herself, trying to anchor her mind in the present.
Why fight it? Why resist? You’re exhausted, the demon persisted, its tone insidiously calm. Give in…
"Stop mimicking my voice," Hermione snapped, her frustration and fear mingling.
Perhaps you prefer... this one? The demon's voice shifted, morphing into Luna’s, but with an eerie, haunting edge that sent chills down Hermione’s spine.
Or this? Ron’s voice, familiar yet twisted.
"Please stop," Hermione whispered, her resolve weakening under the relentless assault on her psyche.
Or what about me? The voice now took on Harry’s tone, filled with an unnerving mockery.
She was too busy battling her own mind to notice the low growling that began to emanate from behind her. And when she opened her eyes, she whirled to the sound to find a pack of grey wolves…creeping in on her. Stalking her.
They moved with a terrifying grace, their bodies low to the ground, muscles rippling beneath their fur. The largest wolf, its fur matted and scarred, led the pack, its gaze locked onto Hermione with a chilling intensity.
She could see their breath in the cold air as the wolves fanned out, circling her, cutting off any possible escape routes.
She was trapped, like a cornered animal.
I can save you, it hissed, but Hermione shook her head violently, refusing to let it gain the upper hand.
Slowly, she backed away, her eyes never leaving the wolves. She tried to make herself appear larger, raising her good arm and shouting to scare them off. "Get back!" she yelled, her voice a mixture of fear and defiance. The wolves hesitated for a moment, their eyes flickering with uncertainty.
But the largest wolf stepped forward, snarling, its teeth bared.
Her eyes darted around, searching for anything she could use as a weapon. A fallen branch lay nearby, and she lunged for it, ignoring the pain that shot through her wrist as she grabbed it. Brandishing the branch, she swung it at the wolves, hoping to keep them at bay.
Just then, a ring of fire erupted around the wolves, nearly engulfing them and trapping Hermione in its centre. The sudden blaze caused the wolves to flinch and hastily retreat, their fur singed by the intense heat.
Was this…her?
She spun around, only to find Draco Malfoy staring at her with a mixture of disgust and rage etched on his face. Then, his expression twisted into a smirk as he pointed towards his arm.
Following his gesture, she looked down and saw the snake coiled around her arm, its eyes glowing as it fixed her with an unsettling stare.
“Take it all in Granger,” Malfoy said. “This distance from the manor? It’s a one-time deal. You won’t find yourself this far from me ever again.”
“I can’t Apparate back,” she said, refusing to take his arm when he demanded they leave. “I– broke my wrist.”
Malfoy’s eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a cold smile that sent a shiver down Hermione’s spine. He glanced down at her injured wrist, then back at her with an expression that mixed annoyance with a hint of amusem*nt.
“Typical,” he muttered, almost to himself. “Always complicating things.”
“It might be convenient to you if you just heal me and continue about with your dreadful life,” Hermione snapped.
“I suppose I could,” he conceded, his tone begrudging. “But don’t expect me to make a habit of it.”
Hermione gritted her teeth, her pride stinging at the thought of owing Malfoy anything. Yet, with her wrist throbbing painfully, she had little choice. Swallowing her pride, she offered her injured arm to him, bracing herself for his touch.
To her surprise, Malfoy's fingers were surprisingly gentle as he examined her wrist. His touch was cool and precise, a stark contrast to his usual haughty demeanour. Hermione clenched her jaw, suppressing the instinctive urge to pull away from him.
Malfoy muttered an incantation under his breath, a faint shimmer of silver light emanating from his wand. Hermione felt a soothing warmth spread through her wrist, the pain gradually ebbing away. She closed her eyes briefly, embracing the relief. “I didn’t realise there was a spell like that.”
Like what?” Malfoy’s tone was clipped.
A healing spell that didn’t hurt. She was expecting Episkey, a spell that would snap her bone back into place in an instant. Not a painless, almost blissful magic that she couldn't quite explain. Hermione didn’t respond to his question.
When Malfoy finished, he withdrew his wand and stepped back, his expression guarded. "There. That should do," he stated curtly.
Hermione flexed her wrist experimentally, testing the healed bone and relieved to find it no longer throbbing with pain. She nodded, her voice softer than before as she reluctantly acknowledged his skill. "Thank you," she murmured.
“The others will be up fairly soon. Let’s go before they realise we’re both gone,” he stated abruptly, placing a hand on her shoulder and disapparating back to the manor. Malfoy's touch was firm as he guided her through the corridors of the manor, his pace brisk and purposeful. Hermione couldn't help but notice the contrast between his usual air of arrogance and the focused determination he exhibited now.
“f*ck me,” Draco murmured as they approached a half-awake Nott on their way back to Hermione’s room.
“And where were you two?” Nott inquired lazily, his curls tousled. He leaned against the hallway's wall. Hermione suspected he just woke up given his state.
“Just escorting the Mudblood back to her room,” Malfoy replied.
Nott’s eyebrows twitched upwards, intruigued. “Did she escape?”
Malfoy met Nott’s gaze evenly. “She certainly left her room without permission.”
Hermione said in a mockingly guiltless tone, “I was under the impression I was free to roam—”
"Not without me," Malfoy interrupted with a sneer. "You're my responsibility now. I didn't choose this, but I won't risk execution because you couldn't follow simple instructions."
Nott's smirk widened as he observed the tense exchange between Malfoy and Hermione. "He's going to keep a tight leash on you," Nott remarked to Hermione, waving a casual finger at her. "So you understand the consequences if you don’t—"
"Oh, I assure you, Nott, she’ll begin to grasp the consequences quite well after today," Malfoy interjected.
Hermione bristled at Malfoy's condescending tone. Without a word, she turned on her heel and stormed away, the sound of the door slamming shut echoing through the corridor.
Pacing and pacing in her room, she couldn’t help but think: How could she have been so reckless? The urge to escape, to defy her captors and reclaim her freedom, had clouded her judgement. Now, she found herself trapped once again within the opulent yet suffocating walls of Malfoy Manor.
