Corruptive
Chapter 16 – Afraid and Unwilling
Last Chapter – Draco jumped up and rushed over to her, but Hermione was not aware of it. She screamed over and over again but it was drowned out by the ringing in her ears. Draco shook her shoulders, calling out her name. But everything was a blur now – nothing was real. Hermione's body was gone, replaced by the burning, searing pain in her head.
And all she could see was Cissy's face, calling; taunting …
"You shouldn't be here …"
She did not know how long she had been walking for but already her legs had started to ache. Comfortably she strolled down a familiar corridor; one in Malfoy Manor. The rich crimson carpet trailed up the expansive stone floor, doors streaming by either side of her. It looked like a maze of random doorways, but for Hermione it was instinctual. Portraits on the walls loomed above her, the ceiling seeming further away than ever.
Casually she reached for a door knob and turned it slowly. First thing that caught her eye was the multitude of pink strewn across the room, ranging from a magenta and white bedspread to the pale pink trunk of toys by the wall. She felt a strange sense of comfort as she walked into the room, smiling at the multi-coloured arrangement of floral rugs decorating the cream carpet.
"You really should learn to knock, sweetie," a woman's voice called out to her. Swinging the door fully open, she noticed a woman with long brown waves of hair cascading down her back sitting on the bed. Beside her was a man with sleek blonde hair, a hand resting gently on the woman's thigh. Hermione smiled up at them, knowing in her mind that she recognised the pair but unable to register from where.
"I can't find daddy." The words flowed out of her mouth smoothly, yet without her control. The woman looked down at her, a slightly forced smile curving her lips across her face.
"He's probably at work. You know what your father is like with his business."
Hermione considered this for a second until her eyes happened to catch sight of the new camera her father had brought home for her last week.
"Oh, mummy can we take a photo with my brand new camera ... please?" she exclaimed, beaming with the cheesiest smile she could muster. Her mother glanced back at the blonde man who gave her a little smirk.
"One quick photo, okay? But after this you have to give me and your uncle some time to relax."
Hermione jumped up onto the bed, giggling.
"But you're not really my uncle," she said cheekily. The blonde man laughed, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Well thank Merlin for that ..." He muttered under his breath gripping the woman's thigh as he did so.
"We're practically all family, aren't we?" Her mother smiled. Hermione grabbed the camera and handed it to the man who stood up from the bed, backing towards the door with it.
Suddenly the woman began tickling her like crazy, forcing giggles to erupt from Hermione's mouth. Even after the snap and flash of the camera, she did not stop laughing.
"I want to see!" she shrieked finally, rolling off the bed and staggering towards the man. He handed her the photograph – that had printed instantly – which she quickly snatched from his grasp.
There they were, mother and daughter on the bed, brown hair entangling in shorter blonde curls, Hermione in a fit of giggles.
But then suddenly Hermione started seeing the photograph from a different perspective. It animatedly began to change, ageing instantly before her eyes, discoloured and faded. And then she was back in the hallway with Draco before her, shortly after her first encounter with Cissy. The memories came flooding back...
Hermione awoke with a shuddering gasp to open her eyes only to complete darkness. For a moment she laid still, her broken breaths the only noise to split the deafening silence. Her eyes wildly circled left to right, left to right, her whole body fighting off convulsions laid down by fear. She tried to move her body – her arms, her legs, fingers, toes – but her mind pinned her down. It swirled and swirled, her head an ocean and she was lost at sea, until she could not keep her eyes open any longer. The blackness that consumed her was a stranger no more; nevertheless, it was not to be trusted. Squeezing her eyes shut, Hermione let out an ear-piercing scream ...
"This ... your doing?"
Silence ... silence ...
"How ... allow this ... happen? ... disaster ..."
Silence ... silence. ...
"ANSWER ME!"
Hermione's eyes fluttered open, blurred vision matching the muffled voices her ears were unable to entirely pick up. It took her a few moments to register that she was back in Draco's bedroom, the first room she was brought to in the Manor. And, like last time, as she sat up the same chains restricted her, weighing down her wrists and arms. Her eyes adjusted slowly to the light of the room, eventually able to focus; her gaze landed on the slightly ajar door. The voices continued to spill in.
"You will not lie to me ..." came Lucius's cold, threatening voice
"I'm not lying," – Hermione was sure that was Lucretia – "but I will not tell you anything."
A thump against the wall immediately followed, startling Hermione so much that her chains rattled noisily against the bed head behind her. The movement and voices outside ceased instantly. As the door slowly creaked open, Hermione allowed her head to lull to the side and quickly snapped her eyes shut. But she could not slow down the pace of her heavy breathing.
She felt Lucius and Lucretia enter the room; she could feel their eyes burning her body.
"Is this how you want your daughter to be? Is this what you've chosen for her?" Lucius sneered.
"I did not choose this!" Lucretia burst out.
"Ah, so what did you choose? You know they both cannot survive in the same time for much longer ..."
Hermione heard Lucretia take a shaky breath and sensed she must be over near the couch by the fire place. Lucius slowly walked over towards her, his shoes sinking into the plush carpet.
"I know ... but I cannot stand to see Hermione married into your family!"
Hermione opened her eye a crack to realise the pair were no longer paying attention to her. Lucius took one more step towards Lucretia and placed his hand behind her head, fingers falling loosely through her hair. But then they tightened as he grasped her brown locks, exuding a gasp of pain from the woman before him. Violently he pushed her into the arm of the couch, pulling her body against his own.
"I'm sorry, my dear," Lucius spat in her ear. "But I'm afraid you don't have a choice."
Abruptly he pushed Lucretia over the arm of the couch where she landed on the large red leather cushions. Snaking his body on top of hers, Hermione could no longer see what was happening as the couch faced away from her.
"Just like old times ..." Lucius whispered so softly Hermione almost didn't catch it. In fact, she was sure she must have imagined it.
"Except last time w-wasn't with ... with the force you've become enamoured by s-since ... since ..."
"Since you left me?" Lucius stopped, the frost evident in his voice. He sat up, looking down on Lucretia a strange expression lingering in his eyes for just a second. "As you'll learn ... no-oneleaves a Malfoy. Not even you."
It seemed to go on for hours. Tears escaped Hermione's eyes as she became surrounded by her mother's gasps, her feeble restraint. Lucius was not in it for the pleasure; it was the pain he longed for. Infatuated with infliction, he was beyond control. Finally it ended with Lucius pulling Lucretia up for a kiss. He brushed his thumb across her cheek, collected the tears that stained them.
"You know I'll always love you," he whispered, but it was harsh; a deadly promise and a burden.
"And you know that is why I will always hate you ..." Lucretia breathed, shaking herself from his grasp. She pulled herself out from under him, adjusted her clothes and held her head high. All she gave him was a look; it was all she could muster. And more than he deserved. A moment later, she left the room as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
For a moment Lucius sat there on the couch, staring at the very place Lucretia had just been. The expression on his face was indescribable as though he himself did not know what he was thinking. A moment's pity was replaced by the memory of what had occurred previously, and Hermione shook herself of any sympathy she felt for him. Suddenly his head whipped around and stared at Hermione. Heart racing out of her chest she was positive he had seen her, even after she closed her eyes. Hesitantly she waited, her breath rising in her chest, fear racking her body. Hairs on end, Hermione awaited the worst. But Lucius simply let out a breath of air and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
Hermione did not open her eyes for a while later. Fear kept her rooted to the spot. When she finally opened her eyes again, the light outside had already begun to fade; darkness was upon them. And again Hermione felt so alone.
Memories of her dream shook her still. Memories of her mother and Lucius. The impossible seemed to be true, but she would not allow herself to think of it until it could be confirmed. Feeling another wave of nausea hit her, she allowed herself to drift into an uneasy sleep.
Hours later she was awoken by a soft grasp to her arm; startled by the cold fingers, she snapped her eyes open immediately. Draco was seated beside her, concern filling his grey eyes. And for once he was not attempting to hide his emotions.
"Hermione, I-"
"What is happening to me?" Hermione cut him off, tears immediately filling her eyes. Draco's hand continued to grasp her arm.
"W-we're not entirely sure," Draco stuttered. "It seems that Cissy... well, she isn't your daughter... she's-"
"Me."
Draco sat frozen in place for a moment, eyes wide in surprise.
"Yes ..." was all the boy could muster.
Hermione let out a long breath and stared off passed Draco's shoulder and out the window. Night had fallen but the moon bathed the trees outside casting an eerie glow on the courtyard below.
"Where's Cissy?" Hermione breathed a while later.
"The closer you two were, the worse you both got. I-I could only take one of you back..." Draco trailed off.
"You left her there?!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Raziel went back for her earlier. We've decided to leave her there for a while... until we can figure out how to get her back to her own time," Draco explained, though his voice seemed rather strained.
"We've decided? You mean Lucius decided!"
"Don't talk about my father like that!" Draco yelled. "Do not just assume this is his doing."
"I will talk about your father however I like. How could you leave a little girl up there on her own in that state ..."
Suddenly Draco grabbed both of her arms and shook her with more force than he initially intended.
"Don't you understand, Hermione?" Draco exclaimed. "If Cissy is here for much longer, you will die."
Hermione stared wide eyed and shocked at him, unable to move and seemingly incapable of breathing. Abruptly she turned her head away from him so that all he could see was her bushy hair covering her face. Blinking back tears she did not want him to see she closed her eyes and breathed in heavily, trying so hard to keep herself still.
Draco sat there, hands still holding each of her arms, blinking and unsure of how to react.
"I-I didn't mean to be so abrupt, but ..."
"It's not your fault," Hermione said through all her hair, unmoving. No matter how hard she was trying, the shakiness still showed through in her voice.
Draco watched her for a moment, noting she was still considerably pale, and her lips a nasty shade of blue. Creases began to form in his forehead and he pressed his lips together.
"Why have you got me chained up again?" she asked after a while. Draco took a second to reply for several reasons. The first was that he was still taking in her odd sickly appearance. And the second was because he really didn't want to answer her question.
"Sorry, what?" Draco stumbled over the question, trying to buy time.
As Hermione opened her mouth to continue, Draco cut across.
"You know what I think would be a great idea?" Draco exclaimed, whipping out his wand. "If we went to the dining room to get some dinner. Here..."
With a wave of his wand the chains from the wall disappeared and transformed into a single thin chain that seemed to hang loosely from Hermione's wrists. It allowed her to move freely, but upon Draco's command it would restrict her instantly.
"But-" Hermione began.
"Come on!" Draco grabbed the chain from the middle and hauled her out of bed. As Hermione got to her feet a quick wave of dizziness overcame her and she swayed abruptly to the side. His seeker-reflexes coming into play, Draco's free hand darted out and forcefully grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him.
"Are you alright?" Draco asked as Hermione – despite her unwillingness – leaned against him. Hermione breathed in deep for a few seconds, eyes closed, hand against her cheek. She could hear Draco's heart beating through his chest.
"I'm not hungry," Hermione mumbled under her breath.
"You have to eat," was all Draco said as he awkwardly slid his arm around Hermione's waist and helped her out of the room. The witch frowned as she felt his fingers reach her hip, glaring at him out the corner of her eye.
They walked down the corridor, both looking straight ahead almost as though trying not to acknowledge the other. Upon reaching the staircase, Draco's hand brushed against Hermione's, surprising them both. Hermione looked down at her hand where Draco's still laid upon her own. Slowly she allowed her gaze to follow his arm up to his eyes. The same expression lingered in their eyes, except he was afraid and she unwilling.
But that did not stop him. His hand trailed its way from her hand up to her cheek. Hermione watched him, unblinking, unsure yet seemingly frozen in place. She felt her back press against the banister, unsure whether it was his or her own doing. Hermione refused to drop his gaze.
She was the last to close her eyes when he leaned down and kissed her. And the first to pull away.
For a moment they stood there, faces close, eyes still locked in battle, but they no longer carried the same expression.
"I-I can't do this," Hermione stammered and broke their gaze, clutching to the banister for support.
"Hermion-" Draco reached for her but Hermione simply turned from him and began hurrying down the stairs. He rushed after her. Reaching her a few steps from the bottom he grabbed her wrist and spun her around.
And out of nowhere, Hermione burst into tears.
Slowly lowering her body to the stairs, Hermione bowed her head and squeezed her eyes shut, as though by blocking out her vision she could also block out her pain. Draco took her hands, sitting beside her in an attempt to console Hermione.
"I can't ... I can't do it," Hermione cried. "I can't marry you. I don't want to live my life like this!"
Draco took in a breath, "You know we don't have a choice-"
"I don't care! I don't want to be a part of it! I hate this family-"
Suddenly the door before them to the lounge crashed open so loudly Hermione fought off the urge to scream. As the pair threw their heads up to the source of the noise Hermione felt a wave of terror crash over her.
Furious and followed in by Lucius was Lord Voldemort. Eyes on the pair instantly, he noted Hermione's tears, her fear and Draco's hands. Smirking he shot Lucius a look.
"Ah, finally we found you two love birds," Voldemort boomed. "And here we were thinking you may have tried to make a run for it."
Hermione and Draco exchanged looks.
"We need to have a little chat ..." Voldemort stated. "I cannot have anymore little holes in my plan. Stage one starts tonight. Come."
A/N – WOW longest break ever ... Hope this wasn't a disappointing chapter. I tried to make it a little different, hopefully interesting, considering I've been pretty lazy this last year but I was doing my last year of school so I do have SOME kind of excuse.
Let me know what you think.
SORRY AGAIN FOR THE DELAY!!
Marauders Gal