Unbidden Love Chapter Two

Chapter 2: An Unexpected Visitor

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Hermione winced in her sleep, squeezing her eyes tighter to keep the peaceful dream of Ron in front of her.

Tap. TAP!

“Uhh!” Her stomach tightened with annoyance as she sprang up from the ground, searching angrily for the cause of the disruption.

BANG! BANG!

The creator of the noise was relentless, obviously annoyed with her lack of keen observation as its soft taps turned into full-fledged thumps.

Hermione’s intense annoyance dissolved into shock when she found Jetson, Harry’s new owl, banging passionately at the small glass window above her cell. A small, crimson letter was tucked in his beak.

Hermione shook her hands anxiously, peering around her for some sort of physical assistance to open the window. “I can’t let you in, there’s no way for me to get up there!” she squeaked sorrowfully, although she knew the bird couldn’t hear her anyway.

There were dozens of jagged rocks surrounding the edges of her dirt cell, but she would need just as many to completely smash the window and her captors would surely hear the commotion. Her wand had been taken from her the second they had her captive, so magic was out of the question.

Unless…

Her lips curved into a small smile when she remembered Harry telling her about his experiences with wandless magic. Even she didn’t know how this particular branch of magic worked, but if she was perhaps passionate enough…

“Liquifaro!”

At first nothing happened, causing Hermione’s heart to bang uncomfortably in her chest. But then, amazingly, the glass she had her hand held up to dissolved into a puddle of water, allowing the night air and Harry’s owl to safely enter her cell.

“Oh, Jetson, I’m so glad to see you!” she wept pathetically at the bird as it flew to perch on her arm. The endless days and nights trying to remain strong had taken its toll on her, and now seeing a familiar face (even a non-human one) was enough to send salty tears flowing down her face. She rubbed the tawny owl’s feathers affectionately, but Jetson narrowed its gaze at her and shook the letter in her face.

“Alright, alright, I understand you have a job to do!” Hermione huffed disdainfully as she took the letter from the bird’s beak and then watched it fly out the now empty hole. The animal could have leant her some sympathy seeing as she wasn’t receiving the letter in normal circumstances…

Her mind forgot Jetson entirely as she anxiously scanned the parchment. It was neither addressed to anyone nor signed, but she recognized Harry’s messy, crooked handwriting instantly.

Will call by sunset tomorrow. Preparation has taken more time than expected. Location should be easy to breach; they’re such a pathetic lot. Hang in there.

New tears sprang to her eyes as she clutched the letter to her chest. So they were coming for her after all! She had never doubted them (well, at least not entirely) and now freedom was merely a day away. How she longed to see the expression on Carrow’s face when Ron blasted him with a spell…

Ron. Why had Ron not written her this letter? Was he so busy with other plans for her escape that Harry had been given this specific duty?

“So glad you have finally arrived, Master. We’ve been anxious for you to inspect these premises ever since…”

“Enough, Carrow. I don’t have time for your jabbering today. My father instructed me to come for one reason and one reason only – to see if this place has any merit at all.”

Hermione’s blood turned to ice and sent her falling back against the wall. No, it couldn’t be! Not him! He had claimed to believe so much after…after…

“You want merit, Master? Just take a look inside that cell there. We now possess the perfect captive to snare Potter in.”

Their footsteps clambered toward her and Hermione held her breath, her hands shaking as she hastily tore Harry’s letter to shreds. She had successfully pushed the fragments of parchment under the dirt when her cell door slowly opened and Carrow walked through the door.

“Ah, here she is, Master.” He gestured to her proudly, as if he were presenting a pile of gold to the visitor. “Been here almost a week now. We’ve kept her alive well enough, although she does smell a bit ghastly.”

Hermione stopped breathing when Draco Malfoy stepped into her cell and stood beside Carrow. When he saw the filthy, pale form of Hermione Granger lying pathetically on the dirt floor, Malfoy merely raised his eyebrows in slight surprise. At times, he could be the master of hiding his emotions.

“This is your master plan, Carrow? Kidnapping the Mudblood Granger until Prince Potter comes to her rescue? Pathetic.”

Carrow dropped his arm quickly, clearly stung by his master’s harsh jeering. Hermione could not take her eyes off Malfoy, barely comprehending the exchange between the two. She had not seen him since the end of the Second War, after Harry had defeated Voldemort. He had been a defeated rat then, cowering behind his parents to hide his true cowardly nature.

The man before her did not resemble the puny boy she recalled from Hogwarts. Had he grown, or did he just look taller? He certainly had gained some muscle since their last encounter, she could not help noticing – his abs were hard under his tight jumper, while his arms were full and tight when he pushed his cloak aside. His hair, which had forever been properly groomed and oiled at Hogwarts, had still been maintained since and now was wavy and thick. Thick strands fell into his icy blue eyes, but he gracefully flicked them away.

Hermione chastised herself for studying him so thoroughly, but even she had to admit that Draco Malfoy had not lost his fine looks through the years. He resembled his father more and more the older he became.

“Granger, are you listening?”

Hermione cleared her throat hastily and met Carrow’s sharp gaze. “I’m sorry. When people are in my cell I’m used to being spoken about, but it is rare to be spoken to like a decent human being.”

Draco snorted humorlessly. “Still has that fiery tongue on her, Carrow. You must be treating her too kindly.”

Carrow was quick to defend himself. “No, Master, we have only been feeding her enough to keep her alive and even that…”

“Master?” Hermione spoke up, making both men turn and regard her with clear exasperation. “How come this little twerp gets to be a ‘master’? After all the minimal work he did in the War, he should be given the position of secretary.”

“How dare you speak to him like that!” Carrow thundered, his eyes wide with madness. “He is the…”

Draco raised a hand lazily, halting Carrow’s rampage. “You obviously don’t know Granger, Carrow. She tends to act superior so that it gives her some sense of accomplishment. She doesn’t believe she is a filthy Mudblood like the rest of us do. Let us indulge her, for I’m sure this will be her final moment to talk back if what you say about her execution is true.”

Despite the fact that it was Malfoy who had spoken the word ‘execution,’ a shiver ran down her spine and fear fired in her brain. They had never spoken of death before, so how could they possibly make such a decision now?

Carrow grinned at sensing the increased fear in Hermione. “Ah, that was supposed to be kept a secret until the special day, Master! You have spoken too soon.”

Draco smirked. “Better to let the reality sink in slowly, Carrow. I’m sure you’ll enjoy watching her succumb to a cowering…”

“ENOUGH!” Hermione shrieked, rising shakily to her feet. Her breathing was erratic and her fists clenched as she gave each man the vilest glare she could manage. “I will not stand for this abuse any longer! If you’re going to secretly plan my death, so be it! But don’t stand there gloating like rich pigs when as of yet you have nothing to gloat about. My friends will come for me, and when they do they will blow this whole pathetic place to pieces!”

Carrow quickly reached into his back pocket, where Hermione guessed his wand lay hidden, but surprisingly Malfoy help out an arm and passed him a cold look. “Do nothing, Carrow,” he hissed. “I will take care of her. You are dismissed.”

“But Master…” Carrow’s wide eyes clearly pleaded to remain, but Malfoy was firm. So, with a low grumble, Carrow stalked out of the cell pit and slammed the metal door behind him.

And so it was that Hermione Granger found herself alone with Draco Malfoy for the first time in many, many years.