|| Amnesia ||

Written by Coretta

Just a little warning: there's a bit of physical violence in this chapter.

|| Chapter 4 ||

"Ow! Get off, you freak!" Hermione screeched. The big man had his hands clamped tightly around her arms, and she knew she'd be getting some bruises. His robed friends were moving around them with a swagger, looking for all the world as if they were the cats that had gotten the canaries. "Ouch! You're hurting me, you know!"

"Aw, little Mudblood can't take a bit of pain?" one of the robed men asked mockingly, before laughing. "Too bad, Granger; you're gonna feel a hell of a lot of it when the Dark Lord gets a hold of you. Ooh, he's been waiting for this a long time; when he'd finally have the little girl who helped Potter elude him so many times. You're gonna get it!" He looked gleeful.

"Sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about," Hermione snarled. "Who is Potter and who the hell is the Dark Lord? What kind of a name is that, anyway? I bet he plans to take over the world and turn the human race into his own personal slaves. That's it, right?" She snorted, remembering a book she had read on her first venture to the librry. She didn't know where all this bravery was coming from; based on what she had read in various fictional stories, girls who were kidnapped like this usually ended up as rape victims, and in the process of their abduction, usually screamed, flailed, tried to bite their captors and then cried, before being assaulted, left for dead, finding their way home and leading the rest of their lives as asylum residents.

Another of the robed men growled. "Why, you little brat!" He lifted his hand and, before she could try to do anything to stop it, cuffed her across the cheek. There was laughter, and she groaned, before spitting out a wad of blood. Too late she wished she had spat it at the man, instead.

"Careful, boys," said the big man, "don't want to bloody her up too much before the Dark Lord gets his own retribution. He'll want to hurt her for being so mouthy." He traced the outline of her lips with a filthy finger. "Don't play clueless now, girlie. It won't help you. We all know who you are." The feather light touch stopped, and he brought his hand down in a hard smack.

They reached a pair of tall, wrought-iron gates that were impressively intimidating. Through them, Hermione could see an enormous building; it was dark, and gloomy, and was as menacing as the gates. A long drive connected the gates to the building, and alongside the drive were high hedges that she imagined would make her feel claustrophobic. Peacocks – albino ones with feathers that shimmered in the sunlight – strutted the hedges. How ostentatious of these Malfoys, she mused. And very out of place, considering the depressing atmosphere they've created with the house and the gates.

All but the big man were startled when a face, frightening, threatening and ominous, formed in the gates. It seemed to stare them down for a moment, before saying in a voice that was neither male nor female, but rather metallic and loud, "State your intentions!" Hermione expected that if gates could talk, this was what they would sound like. She shuddered. Her heart was beating abnormally quickly now.

"We've got Potter's Mudblood!" the big man bellowed. "We've come to bring her to Our Lord."

There was an instant of deliberation, before the gates swung open with purpose. The big man grinned down at them all, face alight with anticipation. "We're gonna be rewarded richly, boys. I won't be surprised if tomorrow I've a house of gold and women on either side of me!" He gave a nasty chuckle, and the other men joined in. Hermione's face twisted in disgust.

He resumed the process of dragging her to their destination, and she decided to stay silent until she could find a way to get out of this situation. She didn't know how to fight properly, but she could bite, kick and punch. They had wands, though, and she wasn't physically strong.

She flinched as the big man's hands wandered to her chest, and tried to kick him. His chest rumbled as he chuckled.

"Little Mudblood doesn't like men touching her," he jeered. "How modest of her. Hear me, Mudblood. By the time you're through with the Dark Lord, the Death Eaters and then the streets, you'll have no modesty left." He purposefully smacked her thigh and she yelped, face going red. At that same moment, they reached the front door of the enormous Manor. It swung open, revealing a tall, thin, sick-looking man with blonde hair and grey eyes. His eyes scanned the party disinterestedly, until they came to rest on her. She saw his eyes widen with recognition and panic, before he resumed his indifferent expression.

"You said you have Potter's Mudblood?" he said emotionlessly.

"Well, you seen 'er, 'aven't you? She ain't invisible!" one of the men said. "Right there!"

"And?" the blonde man replied, raising an eyebrow. "How do I know she isn't a Polyjuiced imposter?"

"You don't, Malfoy," the big man said, "but we can guarantee you we just plucked her from her own parents' house!"

"Damn easy to get her, too," another one of the robed men said, "Reckon those Mudblood lovers are getting a little sloppy with their handiwork, eh? Hopefully we catch that little traitor Weasley soon, the little girlie." He licked his lips and bared his teeth. "Damn pretty one."

The other men roared with laughter, and Hermione wanted to spit in their faces. The name sounded familiar, though…was it that girl at the other house?

The blonde man, Malfoy, stared them down with a sneer. "I'll take the Mudblood. Leave."

"Now, wait a second, little Malfoy," the big man interjected as Malfoy tried to grab Hermione's arm. "You ain't trying to kick us out so you can claim all the credit, eh? We got little Mudblood Granger fair and square, and we'll be rewarded as such." Although he was much taller than him, and could probably outmatch him in a fist scrimmage, the blonde stared at the man calculatingly.

"What reward were you expecting?"

The big man looked around at his companions. "A big house and women, like. The Dark Lord wouldn't begrudge us that for handing him this treasure, would 'e?" He patted Hermione on the head.

"I'll give you fifty thousand galleons each if you give the girl to me now," Malfoy replied coolly. "That should be more than enough to fulfill your lecherous desires." When the man looked like he wanted to protest, he added, "That is the deal; take it or leave it. I daresay it is more than the Dark Lord would give you, for he has much more pressing things to spend his money on than some filthy men."

The men looked properly offended, and one looked like he was about to punch Malfoy's face, before the big man held his hand up. "Alright, we accept."

As the men began arguing with the big man, Hermione was pulled into the house by Malfoy and shoved out of view. "Stay here and don't leave my side," he hissed, before turning to the men outside. He said a few words that she couldn't hear that effectively silenced them, before continuing more loudly, "Come back here tomorrow and I shall hand you your money then." With those parting words, he slammed the door in their faces. Hermione flinched when he turned to her. The look on his face was murderous.

"How," he demanded through gritted teeth, "the hell did you get yourself caught by Death Eaters?"

She glared at him. "Who exactly are you?"

"Don't play jokes with me, Granger," Malfoy hissed, face filled with rage. Casting a glance around the Entrance Hall (which Hermione had only just noticed was absolutely beautiful and as ostentatious as the outside), he took out his wand and tapped her on the head. The horribly uncomfortable feeling of having an egg cracked over her head appeared, and when she looked down, she saw that she couldn't completely see herself. Only if she looked very closely could she see the faint shimmering outline of her legs and feet.

Malfoy's arm was still around her, and he abruptly let go. "Follow me," he whispered, shortly, before he began marching away from the front doors. They turned a corridor, and Hermione saw men stationed along it at equal intervals. They nodded at Malfoy, but he walked past them as if he couldn't see them. She tried as hard as she could to breathe softly and inconspicuously, in case one of them heard or felt it.

She was scared. This place made her feel scared. Malfoy made her feel scared. He was very, very angry with her, she had no idea who he was to her and for some reason, she felt like she was being led to her doom.

They turned another corner, and this one was strangely devoid of men. Malfoy led her to the end, where there was a big mahogany door. He whispered something to it, turned the knob and walked in. Hermione followed, and the door shut behind her.

It was a bedroom. She assumed it was his. It was tastefully decorated, the two main colours being black and white, but surprisingly, it had few pieces of furniture. There was a bed, a bedside stand, a large walk-in wardrobe, a desk and nothing else. On the other end of the room was a door that she thought might lead to a bathroom.

When she had finished surveying the room, she noticed that he was staring at her, that livid expression still on his face. Pointing his wand at the door, he didn't say a word, but she knew he was doing magic. There were a few tense moments, when he began yelling.

"WHAT THE HELL, GRANGER?"

Hermione recoiled from him. He was shaking, and his pale, pale skin was slowly getting redder. The man started towards her, and she backed up a few steps.

"YOU WERE MY ONE CHANCE. MY ONE CHANCE TO GET OUT OF THIS HELLHOLE, AND YOU JUST HAD TO SCREW IT UP, DIDN'T YOU? FREAKING MUDBLOOD!"

He kicked the closest wooden post of his bed hard, before slamming a fist into it. His hand turned red, and he did it again, this time getting a resonating crack from the wood. He didn't seem to notice when there was another crack, coming from his hand.

"DAMN MUDBLOOD! HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET YOURSELF CAUGHT? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? BLOODY HELL!" He gave an angry snarl and moved towards her again. She was frozen, petrified. He was so, so angry, and she was going to get hurt, she knew it.

"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!" he shouted. "I'M NEVER GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE! I'M GOING TO DIE! MY FAMILY IS GOING TO DIE!" When she made no response, it seemed to make him more furious. "WHY DID YOU GET CAUGHT, GRANGER? WHY? ANSWER ME!"

She couldn't speak. She was dangerously close to tears, and she shook her head. He clenched his fists, nostrils flaring.

"SOME FREAKING HELP YOU WERE! WHY DID I EVEN BOTHER ASKING A MUDBLOOD? THEY'RE ALL THE SAME – THEY KNOW NOTHING, THEY CAN'T DO CRAP AND THEY'RE USELESS!" He wasn't screaming in her face now; instead, he was shrieking at the wooden bed post. Slamming another fist into it, he gave a terrifying growl. "SOME FREAKING HELP YOU ARE!" he screamed again and stalked to the door at the far end of the room, opening it, entering then slamming it.

It was silent. Shaken, Hermione tried to arrange her thoughts.

Tears began leaking out of the corners of Hermione's eyes, but she wasn't scared anymore. She felt pity towards him, and anger at herself. It was ridiculous, really, because at the moment, she had no idea what he was talking about, but his words…she had deduced that she was meant to help him in some way, and that she had failed. Her failure had sentenced him to death, apparently, and that was why she cried. He seemed so upset, and she couldn't do anything to help. She didn't know why she was here.

Making her way to the door he had disappeared through, she pressed her ear to it, but couldn't hear anything. She hesitated, before knocking on the door. A few minutes went by, with no answer. She bit her lip, wondering if she should try once more. Would he blow up at her again? He might actually hurt her, this time. But…it looked like he needed someone. It might as well be her. And he might be hurting himself. Straightening, she knocked again, and this time it opened.

Malfoy looked stonily at her. Her eyes looked down at his fist, which looked perfectly normal now. "We need to talk," she said softly, and he nodded. He came out and followed her. They stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, before he spoke first.

"I…apologise for losing my temper," he said stiffly, looking anywhere but at her. She nodded.

"I don't know who you are. I mean, I know that you're 'Malfoy', but I don't…know who you are," she ended lamely.

He looked up, and although his expression didn't change, his eyes hardened. He thought she was mocking her, she could tell. She quickly kept going.

"I've- I've lost my memories, you see. All I know is that I'm Hermione Granger, and I like to read books, and…and, that's it, really. But I've failed you in some way, haven't I? I'm so, so incredibly sorry for that." She looked distraught.

"I…see." Malfoy was looking at her skeptically. She knew by the little crease between his eyes that he was still very angry at the moment, but he was trying to calm himself down. "Is there a way you can verify this? Perhaps this is some silly trick the Order has put you up to."

"The Order?" she asked confusedly. "What's that?" She ignored the faint stirring in the back of her mind.

He sneered. "Very convincing. If you truly have lost your memories…there is a way I can find out."

"Do it," she said immediately, and he was taken aback by this blatant show of trust. He nodded and took out his wand, before looking her in the eyes. She probably should have been cringing away from him, but in that moment, she didn't know if she could.

"Legilimens."

An uncomfortable feeling swept over Hermione; it felt like someone was trying to fit themselves into her head. Only one of us can fit in here, she thought irritably, and she could feel the foreign thing being pushed out.

Let me in, Granger, said a voice firmly, and she recognised it as Malfoy's. It felt so unnatural, so violating, but she forced herself to let him in.

All her memories flashed across her eyes, and it didn't take long, considering she didn't have many. They worked from the present back, and she watched as Malfoy yelled at her, as he lead her down corridors, as the robed men dragged her up the path, as she was reading outside her house, as she was introduced to her parents…he – she – they seemed to linger on the memories after she had woken up for the first time, then it was all black, and then they were walking down a corridor she had never seen before. It was richly decorated, and the walls were crimson. Torches with flames lit the way, and at the very end was a big metal gate. They couldn't see past it, except through the small hole right in the center. They saw flashes of orange, flashes of green, flashes of purple through it…but nothing they could make out. Abruptly, the foreign presence left her mind, and Malfoy opened his eyes across from her.

"Those sly bastards…" he breathed, eyes narrowed. He had a knowing look upon his face that she didn't particularly like.

"Who?" she asked curiously. He shook his head.

"I need to talk to someone. Stay in here. Do. Not. Leave." Without a backward glance, he walked out, leaving her to contemplate what she had seen.

|| Author's Note ||

Hey guys! Malfoy's lost his last hope, and can you say 'poor baby'?

So, so sorry for the long wait for this chapter; I've been really busy, and in between trying to figure out how my new phone works, school starting and all these new classes I'm taking, I haven't had much time to update.

This was also a pretty crap update, I know, and I'll try and make it up to you guys, even though my writing has been suffering as of late. This is more of a filler than anything, and I'm sorry about that.

I was going to put Voldy's meeting with Hermione in this chapter, but prolonged it because I wanted some opinions. o3o Snake or human Voldemort? I love both, and am willing to write either one.

I've had a few reviewers point out to me that placing Hermione at her home in the middle of the war is one of the stupidest things the Order could have possibly done. I actually have some motives behind this, but you guys probably won't like the reasoning. Please keep in mind that I don't expect the Order to be soft on anyone in this war (even people they trusted so explicitly; in retrospect, I'd think that would heighten the betrayal in their minds), and that I imagined they'd be almost as brutal as the Death Eaters to traitors (yes, this is all in my mind).

Everything in the previous chapter implies that they've decided she was a traitor (I'd hoped that you guys had deduced that for yourselves, but if not, please tell me so that in future chapters I can make everything clearer/more obvious), and I imagined they'd treat her as such. Because she's been Obliviated, though, she doesn't run much risk against them because she has no memories. They aren't going to risk her getting close to them again, however, and place her at her parents', knowing full well that Death Eaters are watching the house. The reason behind putting her there is this: assuming she is a traitor, they put her there so that she will be killed. Yes, it sounds inhumane, but everyone does things they wouldn't normally do in a war. The Death Eaters take Hermione from her house, bring her to Voldemort, Voldemort decides that she's no use to him anymore with no memories and no information on the Order and WHAM! Dead Hermione. No threat to the Order, everyone's a happy camper. Completely cruel, right?

As for what happened to Ron, I'll let you guys imagine that for yourselves. Personally, I'd have loved to see Mrs. Weasley throw a complete fit and then lock him in his room or something for all eternity.

Featured reviewer: Skittymon

That being said, all your reviews were absolutely lovely. Thank you for all the feedback! In particular, I enjoyed reading Skittymon's review. Besides making me laugh a bit at the beginning of it, it raised questions that I thought I'd answer and also did give me a bit of an idea with the part about Luna and Neville. Thank you!

One more thing. I don't particularly like the title of this story; I had only chosen it because at the time, I had no inspiration for the title. This is just a warning that I might be changing it sometime in the future, just so you don't get surprised.

This Author's Note is gigantic O.O Almost a page. I didn't think it'd be this long, so I'll just stop talking now.

Love, Coretta

P.S. As always, if you could include any grammar or spelling mistakes you see at the end of your review, it'd be much appreciated! :)