Hello! And welcome to my second story. I have no idea if it's going to turn out to be any good, but I've recently become afflicted with the inspiration bug, and I've been itching to write a Scabior/Hermione piece for awhile. So here it is. I don't know how long it'll turn out to be, or if there will be any interest at all in it, so please do let me know!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I making any money off of writing this fanfiction.

Chapter 1: The Beginning

"I'm going to have a conversation with this one…girl to girl…!"

Bellatrix's words echoed dimly in Hermione's mind. She lay still upon the floor, paralyzed with fear and pain. She could see her arm through her tears, the letters blurred but legible.

Mudblood.

The ugly word marred her pale skin. Tiny rivulets of blood oozed from the broken flesh, an itching discomfort added to the pain.

She shivered; Bellatrix was nearby, finished with the goblin she had called. The dark witch was about to turn again on Hermione, but there was a sudden shout from the stairs that distracted her. Hermione whipped her head around to see Ron charging at Bellatrix, Harry just behind.

Death Eaters poured back into the room, apparently also hearing Ron's cry. Hermione stumbled to her knees, blood rushing to her head. Her vision blackened for a second, and she took a deep breath and lunged to her feet. She had to fight now. No time for tears.

She wobbled unsteadily, aware of the sounds of battle around her. She scrabbled on the floor for something she could use as a weapon, anything. She desperately missed her wand. Her eyes scanned the floorboards, once immaculate and now adorned with the black burn marks of curses. She ducked under a table, spotting a split chair leg that had rolled there.

Well, it certainly wasn't a wand, but…she gripped the smooth wood in her hand, the jagged end pointing away from her. It would have to do for a weapon. She maneuvered out from under the table, brandishing the broken wood like a sword. She turned on the first body that moved toward her, slashing at it with a small shriek.

It was a Death Eater that she did not recognize, and he leered at her, amusement clear upon his face. Hermione backed away from him, her grip tightening on the chair leg. She could feel the thrum of adrenaline as it coursed through her blood. Her breathing quickened.

Her eyes locked on the nameless man before her, she took another step back, mind whirling to find a way to deflect his inevitable attack. She almost missed the slight jerk of the man's torso as he faltered suddenly, his eyes shifting to something behind her.

She reacted a second too late. An icy thrill of fear shot down her spine as she felt a knife up against her throat, one arm pulled behind her. The chair leg dropped from her hand, clattering to the ground.

"Put down your wands!" Bellatrix's words rang out in triumph. Harry and Ron froze, staring. Bellatrix pushed the blade into Hermione's skin, just enough to draw blood. Hermione couldn't help the whimper that escaped her, making Bellatrix cackle. Her friends held their hands at eye level, letting their wands fall from their hands. Hermione closed her eyes briefly before focusing them on Harry and Ron.

I'm so sorry, she tried to convey to them. I'm so, so sorry…

She could smell the foul breath as Bellatrix breathed next to her ear. She felt the curls of the woman's hair tickling her ear.

"Draco, get their wands!" Bellatrix's voice was like nails on chalkboard. Hermione flinched involuntarily, making her captor's grip tighten painfully about her forearm, digging unmercifully into her cuts. Hermione bit her lip to keep from crying out, forcing herself to focus on her surroundings.

Draco was retrieving the fallen wands, hastily snatching them up and then moving back against the fireplace with his father and mother, whose own wands were both upon her friends. His eyes shifted nervously from his aunt to Harry and Ron, who were by now being restrained by Death Eaters. They were made to kneel, their ankles tied and hands restrained behind their backs. A gruff Silencio was cast by one of the Death Eaters.

It was, to Hermione's desolate horror, the unfortunate timing that the Stinging Hex she'd cast was beginning to rapidly fade from Harry's face. She watched as the swelling disappeared, the mottled and deformed skin remolding. Her stomach twisted into nauseating knots. It was all over now. She heard the excited gasp from beside her, and suddenly she was thrown to the floor, arms and legs bound magically to the tile with unyielding tethers. She raised her head, unable to look away as Bellatrix pranced across the hall and crouched down to peer intently at Harry's face.

"And so it is…!" Her whisper echoed in the deathly quiet hall. She pushed the Gryffindor's tousled hair to the side, revealing the telling scar. "Harry Potter!" Her excitement and pleasure were uncontainable, and she rose and turned, victory etched across her face.

"We've got Harry bloody Potter!" she cried exuberantly. Hermione's stomach lurched again, making her feel sick. She could feel her throat closing in.

"Lucius!" Bellatrix screeched, turning to her brother-in-law, "Summon the Dark Lord!" Her eyes were wide and wild, her words echoing in the otherwise quiet room.

The blonde stepped forward from the fireplace, yanking up his sleeve and withdrawing his wand from his black cane. Hermione watched with certain dread. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was on the good side wasn't she? They weren't supposed to lose. They weren't supposed to die. Not now. She felt the tears and the panic coursing through her, and she looked to Ron. He stared back at her, eyes equally frightened and yearning.

Lucius pointed his wand to his skin. There was absolute silence.

"Ahem," a timely voice rang from the doorway, causing Lucius to stop. Everyone turned to face the intruder, and Hermione craned her neck to see. The Snatcher that had captured them leaned leisurely against the doorframe. Hermione felt a surge of undiluted anger and hatred upon seeing him. The Death Eaters, too, looked less than pleased to see him.

"Now I don' mean to interrupt wot I'm sure will be an impor'ant mee'ing," he began languidly, blithely ignoring the baleful stares of the Death Eaters, "But I was jus' won'drin'…wot'd become of these two." He waggled his fingers at Ron and Hermione, before continuing, "You know, wot now you've got Po'er."

His eyes alighted on Hermione's prone form, eyeing her lasciviously. Hermione glared back, revolted, and Ron growled and shifted angrily in his bonds.

Bellatrix eyed the Snatcher, appraising him.

"It's the Mudblood girl you want then, is it?" The man gave a slight smile and a bow.

"If the lady 'as no need for 'er any longer…" he trailed off suggestively.

Bellatrix blew a strand of hair away from her face.

"Fine then," she snapped irritably, clearly impatient to call Voldemort, "We have the boy. Take the little piece of filth, if you want her. Kill the blood traitor."

"No!" The words flew from Hermione's lips, a terrible scream against the deathly quiet. Ron had gone completely white, a testament to his fear, as he wrestled desperately against his ties. Harry struggled soundlessly against his own bonds, his efforts equally fruitless.

Bellatrix let out a slow laugh, at once to Hermione's side with a malicious smile upon her face.

"No?" she sang, standing above Hermione. "You dare defy me, little girl? What could you do to stop me?" Her voice was taunting. Hermione refused to back down, glaring up at her through the tears. Her whole body shook.

"You're despicable," she hissed. An angry tear fell from her face. "You bring shame to the Wizarding World!"

Bellatrix's eyes darkened, fury evident upon her face.

"I disgrace the Wizarding World? How dare you!" She was livid. "I am a Pureblood! It is dirt like you," she said with hatred, "That will destroy the Wizarding World!" She raised her wand, preparing to strike. Hermione braced herself.

"Crucio!" she yelled, wand pointed directly at Hermione's heart.

Hermione began screaming instantly. It felt like every tissue, every muscle fiber in her body was on fire, a splintering pain that radiated in sharp bolts from her chest outward to her fingers and toes. She convulsed on the floor, the pain racking her body with unending sobs. It felt like an eternity before suddenly the pain vanished altogether and she was left twitching on the floor, in shock.

She saw Bellatrix's profile above her, her wand lowered. Draco was next to her, his hand on his aunt's wrist, gently directing the wand away from Hermione's abused body. Bellatrix was looking at him, brow creased. He was speaking, but the blood that pounded in Hermione's ears muted the words.

"…Aunt…must summon…now," he was saying. Bellatrix snapped her head up, giving a sharp nod of her head. She turned away from Hermione then, back to Harry and Ron. She began barking orders, speaking rapidly. Draco shot Hermione an indescribable look before he quickly schooled his features, turning back to his aunt. She saw Lucius at the fireplace rolling up his sleeve again.

"Draco!" Bellatrix called, not a moment too soon. The blonde stood at attention. "Kill the Weasel. Scabior! If you want the bloody girl, then take her now and leave before I kill her."

Draco had gone stock still, completely rigid as he stolidly turned to approach his former schoolmate. Hermione saw the outline of the Snatcher approaching her quickly, and she felt the stirrings of rebellion beginning again. He bent muttered the counter-spell to undo her bonds. He picked her up, ignoring her weak protests.

"No…" she whispered, her voice hoarse, her mind worn and slow. She glimpsed Ron's fiery red hair beyond Draco's thin frame.

"Let's get you ou' of here, love," the Snatcher murmured in her ear.

"No…" she said again, struggling now against his iron grip, "No!" Draco was raising his wand, the Dark Mark black upon his forearm. She began to wake up from her daze.

"No!" she cried again, "No! No! Let me go! Ron! No!" She was hysterical, writhing furiously in her captor's arms. The last thing she saw before she was sucked into the vortex of Apparition was the flash of green light leaving Draco's wand.

Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think ^_^

Enthalpically yours,

Elemental-Analysis