Lord of the Land

chapter 23

Hermione didn’t know how long she had been unconscious .
She got out of bed and staggered to the bathroom.
She could feel the layers of filth on her, blood, sperm and god knows what else.

She turned on the hot water and got several towels, a facecloth and some bath salts.

She didn’t want to think, she just wanted to feel clean; if that could ever be possible again.

She slipped into the tub. Every part of her body either ached or burned.

In a matter of minutes the water was filthy. She waved her wand cleaning the water. Her little finger on her right hand stung. She looked at it, and it didn’t look right . . . no fingernail ‘ so that’s what popped’ she thought.

She had to get out now, not in two weeks.
Not with the four of them drinking and torturing her, knowing it wasn’t going to end soon.

Hermione looked out in to the bedroom.

She looked at the bed; under the mattress was the butcher knife.
She was weak and knew they could over power her easily.
She could rip the sheets up and tie them together and climb down but then she would have to get out of the yard without being seen and and the gate was charmed.

She saw Draco’s old broom in the corner.
She could fly over the gate.

Hermione got out of the tub. Her heart beating like mad.
She got dried off and dressed.
She could hear them downstairs, doing god knows what. Then she heard them at the bottom of the stairs.
‘This is my chance’ she thought,’ but if Draco sees me, he can call me back. The ring had to come off now.
Hermione got the butcher knife out and grabbed the broom.

Hermione pulled the ring as far as it would go, out on to her knuckle.
She laid her finger on the arm of Draco’s chair.
Hermione performed a numbing spell on the finger, raised the cleaver high and prayed, “ Please let me get it in one strike.”

It sounded like a piece of chicken being chopped.
Hermione dropped the knife and cradled her hand to her chest for a moment.
Blood was pouring out of the stub; her finger was on the floor and the ring rolled under the bed.
Hermione grabbed her finger and did a fast healing spell to reattach
it with her wand.

She got the ring and put it in her pocket as evidence against Draco.
She heard people on the stairs.
Hermione went out on the balcony and mounted the broom.
She went straight up in the air until she could see the Market square.
“The judge,” she thought and she headed for the village square.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione’s feet hit just outside the center of the village.

As she started to walk to the Ministry office, she began to feel all of her aches and pains from being tortured and raped.

“Don’t think about it, it’s over. It’s over. Just get to the judge’s office.”
Hermione kept saying to herself over and over.

Before long she was at the front of the judge’s office. It was still a bit early and she tried to open the door.
It was locked.
She did an unlocking spell with her wand and walked in.

The rising sun dimly lit the room.
Hermione found a chair she could sit in with some comfort and gradually relaxed. She sat down, but her whole body and soul felt wrong.


Hermione must have dosed off because the next moment she heard a grasp of horror and her eyes flew open.

A man stood over her there, white as a ghost.
Hermione stood up and said,
“ I’m sorry I broke in, but I had to. I didn’t want my husband to see me waiting outside.”

The man just stared at her or rather her dress. Hermione looked down at her clothes. Blood covered her chest where she had held her finger and the blood ran down her dress.

“ What happen to you? Are you alright?” the Judge asked.

“No,” Hermione shook her head,
“ I need to have my marriage to Draco Malfoy annulled.”

“ Why?” he asked with deep concern.

“Because ..because,” she started to say and tears formed in her eyes and her throat tightened up and she had a hard time breathing,
“He’s terrible man. He’s hurt me in the worst ways ,” she softly sobbed, wringing her hands.
He couldn’t understand what she was saying,
“ I’m sorry. Why would you want to annul your marriage, for gods sake you’re with child, “ he argued.

“ That’s right I’m with child and he hurts me, tortures me.” Hermione said, and paused, but she knew what she had to do.

“Here see for your self.” and she put her wand to her temple and a silvery shimmering thread floated off the end.

“Pensive?” Hermione asked.

The man opened his cabinet and motioned her to come.
Hermione slowly made her way to the pensive and placed the memory in it.

The Judge watched the memory for a moment.

He stood up shocked and went to his desk, opening the drawer. He took out parchment, quill and ink; and then a bottle of Irish whiskey, from which he took healthy a swig.


Hermione put her hand in her pocket and pulled out the ring,
“ This ring is charmed. Dutiful wife and Suti curse.”

Judge Crouch waved his wand over the ring and it glowed, his eyes opened even wider with surprise.

“Those are illegal.” he commented.

“ I know.” Hermione said, “ Now can I have my marriage annulled?”

“ Yes. It will take a day or two to get the paper work finalized Mrs. Malfoy,” said the Judge.

Hermione felt such relief at that moment, she was going to be free. Free of Draco, free of that marriage. She started to feel a little light-headed.

“ I’ll need your signature….” The Judge said.

Hermione was taking a step towards him to sign when she fainted; he caught her just in time.

She woke up with the man leaning over her, patting her wrist gently and examining her finger, which had turned a purplish blue,
“Mrs. Malfoy, are you alright?”

Hermione sat up slowly, feeling a little nauseated,
“ I’m okay, I think I just need some air.”

“Yes, you look like you need some rest and good hot bath, “ the judge said, “ Come back this evening and you can sign all the documents then. Here take my handkerchief and wrap your other finger, it’s looking like its broken.”

Hermione nodded and wrapped up her damaged hand.


Hermione was walking the old familiar road she had walked for many years from the market to her farm.

She felt older, still young, but not a child any longer.
And now that she was walking home again she felt a curse was being lifted off of her.
Now that she was free, she had her life back.
Every muscle in Hermiones body ached, including her abdomen.

She felt the baby move from time to time but there was a dull pain too.

She walked past the graveyard and glared at where her uncle’s grave lay.

She was almost home when she heard a galloping horse just behind her.
She looked to see who it was and to her horror it was Draco.

Hermione turned and ran toward her house. Draco jumped off the horse and started chasing her. He grabbed hold of her skirt and pulled her to a stop. Hermione whirled around and with all her strength punched him in the face. Making him fall back and having a tight grip in her skirt, he pulled her down on top of him.

Hermione scrambled off of him as she screamed,
“ Get away from me,” and got up on her feet again, racing to the farm.

The next moment he was right behind her. She ran for the gate, opened it and was running for the front door but fell.

She lay there panting, waiting for Draco to start to beating her or yelling at her or something.

She looked around the yard and no one was there.

She got up slowly looking for Draco.

She thought, “ Did I dream it? Was I hallucinating?”

She looked out just beyond the gate to see Draco who appeared confused. His nose was bleeding and he was covered in dust from the road.
He looked at her and got up off the ground and ran straight at Hermione. She was backing up to get away from him but he no sooner touched the gate than he was thrown back into the middle of the road. The dust was thrown up in to the air where he landed.

Once more he got up and this time he walked up to the gate.
He was looking at something, putting his hand up where the gate was, and touched the air. He was nudged back a few feet.

Draco whipped out his wand, pointed it at the gate, and yelled
“Finite Incantatem “

A brilliant flashed and the whole yard glowed a pearly white and slowly faded. The gate was open now and Draco stepped toward it.

Hermione fell to her knees as she heard Draco say,
“ I’m going to teach you the meaning of fear and pain.”

Hermione’s heart was beating madly. She watched as Draco stepped up to the threshold of the gate and he was again thrown back out in to the road.

Hermione rose off the ground to see Draco dusting himself off. He glared at Hermione and yelled,
“ You can’t stay in there forever. You have to come out sometime, and when you do, I’ll be there and I’ll drag you by your hair and whip you in front of the village you hussy slut.”

~~~~~


Hermione walked in to the house and closed the door.
She looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize the reflection.
Her lips were swollen with cuts, her cheeks were bruised and her left eye was red were it is normally white.

“ No wonder the judge gasped in horror at the sight of her, she looked frightful.”

She climbed the stairs to the bathroom and with the wave of her wand, it was full of hot water.

Hermione peeled off her clothes and slid slowly, down in to the hot bath.

She was thinking of what she was going to do the next day.
She started to cry with relief, regret and anger.
She should have cut her finger off months ago, she shouldn’t have
waited these past months, having to live with Draco; waiting for Harry or her father to rescue her, it was her life, her responsibility. And now that she had it back she would never let any other people rule her life, no matter who they were.

Hermione stayed in the tub until she was wrinkled.
She got out of the tub and began drying herself off.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and noticed red spots under her belly, between her legs. She felt them with her fingers and they tingled and stung.

She kept pushing the night before out of her thoughts,
”It’s over, I can’t erase what happened. No one else has to know but the judge and I’m sure he won’t say anything to anyone,” and then she thought, “I’ll have to tell Harry.”

She climbed into your own bed and still in the towel.
Hermione was exhausted and fell asleep instantly.

It was an owl’s hooting that woke Hermione up.
It was perched next to the window on the edge of her desk.
There was a letter from the Judge.

Dear Mrs. Malfoy

If you wish to return to my office this afternoon and sign the documents your marriage should be annulled by tomorrow.

I will be leaving my office at 5:00 PM.

Judge Crouch


Hermione looked out her window to see if Draco was in sight.
No one was on the road. But he could be hiding or he could have gone home.
Hermione put on clean clothes.

She sat down and took out a piece of parchment, quill and ink and started to write.

Dear Harry

I was wondering if you could escort me to judge
Crouch’s office. I’m home……

Hermione felt a stinging pain in her small finger.
She looked at it.
It was bleeding where the fingernail had been pulled off. She cupped her hand to catch the blood but itran through her fingers and on to the table.

Hermione grabbed a hand towel and stopped the bleeding with a healing spell.

Hermione cleaned up the blood as fast as she could.
The letter to Harry was covered in blood.

She heard the clock in the hallway chime four times.
The judge will be leaving in an hour she had to go now or have to wait until tomorrow to sign the papers.

” Oh Lord there’s no time,”
Hermione crumpled up the note up in frustration, wanting Harry to be there to help keep Draco at bay until she got home again.
Tossing it down on to the desk where the owl was perched. The bird picked it up and flew away.

Hermione dashed out of the house as fast as she could, cursing herself for not taking Draco’s broom with her.

She looked carefully to see if she could spot her husband anywhere on the road or in the village square.

She got to Judge Crouch’s office safely.
The Judge waited for her to sign the documents.
After signing her name on page after page, she put the quill down.

“That’s it my dear,” the judge said, “ By tomorrow you will no longer be Mrs. Draco Malfoy.”

“Thank you.” she said with such relief and happiness, shaking his hand.


As Hermione was walking by the tavern she heard a whip crack and felt a stinging sensation on her back.
She whirled around and saw Draco there, whip in hand getting ready to strike again.

Hermione grabbed her wand out of her pocket and shouted,
“Expelliarmus!”

The whip flew out of Draco’s hand.

“You bitch, I’ll teach you how…” he said as he started to run at her.

“Impedimenta” Hermione shouted, making Draco stop dead in his tracks.
“Draco, Stay away from me or I’ll kill you, so help me.”

Draco laughed standing there.

Hermione stood there too, waiting to see what he would do once the spell wore off.

“You can’t control me any more, I’m not a puppet for you to manipulate, Tarantallegra” Hermione said angrily.

The next moment Draco’s legs were jumping and dancing around vigorously.

“Hermione stop this,” Draco shouted as his face turned bright red.

“Fine! Wingardium Leviosa,” Hermione said calmly.
And Draco rose into the air, his legs still kicking. She spun her wand around making Draco turn upside down. He was at least eight feet off the ground maybe ten.

People passing by were pointing and laughing at him.

“Let me down you mudblood whore,” Draco spat out.

“Careful Draco, I could drop you on your head,” she teased chuckling.

Draco took a moment and realized how high he was,
“Hermione please, put me down.”

She lowered him down.

“ How dare you treat me like that. I’m your husband.”
Draco started to lecture her.

Hermione turned and began to walk away.

A moment later Draco was running towards her again,
“ You can’t…”

Hermione turned and pointed her wand at him,
“Stupefy” Hermione shouted.

And this time Draco fell to the ground unconscious.

Hermione turned and started walking down the street. She was almost at the farmer’s marketplace when she hear,
“You cannot walk away from me that easily. Crucio!”

Hermione fell to the ground yelling and screaming in pain. It felt like a bolt of lightning and fire were ripping through her skin and bones.


The pain stopped. She opened her eyes to see Draco’s face towering over her. He kicked her shoulder and legs shouting,
“ Get up. Get up! you slut.” He got angrier and angrier.
“Get up and fight me.”

Hermione noticed a few people watching, but not doing anything.

Then he kicked her in the abdomen and yelled,
“Get up you stupid bitch.”

Hermione screamed and cried out in pain.

Draco stopped his attack on her whispering,
“ Oh my god what have I done?”

Hermione felt a thick sticky paste between her legs as she cried,
“ My baby! My baby.”

Draco lean down, pulled Hermione to her feet and begin to shake her, hissing through his teeth,“ If you loose that baby…”

Suddenly, Draco let go as he jerked backwards with a surprised look on his face.
Hermione fell to her hand and knees.
When she looked up she saw Harry and Draco fighting and punching each other.

Other people gathered to watch them fight.

“Stop it, stop it. Some one stop them, they’ll kill each other,” Hermione cried.

Harry fell back on the ground as Draco struck his face and knocked off his glasses.

Harry got back on his feet quickly, blood dripping down the side of his face.

Draco punched Harry in the throat once more, knocking him down.

Hermione tried to get up, but the pain was too much; she cried out holding her lower belly as though it would ease the pain.

Harry looked at her for a moment, there was horror in his eyes.

Hermione looked down at her skirt, there was blood seeping through it,
“Oh God! Help me Harry. The baby,” she said in a desperate tone.

She felt the blood slowly flowing out of her body and cold waves chilling her.
She saw her blood stained skirt and knew she had lost the baby and she would soon be gone too.

Harry grabbed hold of her and set her down on the ground,
“ Hermione, try to stay still, don’t move,” he stood up and turned to the crowd of people, who were watching them,
“We need a doctor.. A healer quickly.”

Two men ran off.

Draco walked over and punched Harry in the stomach and he nearly fell over.?
Harry was hunched over in pain. Enraged, Harry took in a deep breath stood up and grabbed Draco by the throat,
“I’m going to send you back to hell for what you’ve done to her and to the baby,” Harry spat out .

He crushed Draco’s throat, pushing his thumbs deep into his flesh.
Draco started to laugh for moment then his face got red with frustration and surprise.

Draco swung his fists into Harry’s face and body, but Harry didn’t let go.

Harry kept his arms outstretched, his grip unyielding.

Draco then tried to claw at Harry hands in an attempt to free himself from Harry’s grasp, but Harry just squeezed Draco’s throat tighter.

Hermione had a vision of Harry hanging for killing Draco.

“ Harry stop “ Hermione shouted, “Stop!”

Hermione saw Draco hands fall by his side.
“ Harry please stop “ Hermione shouted,
“Let go of him!”

She crawled over to Harry and pulled on his arm, ?“Stop Harry if you kill him they’ll hang you.”
She looked at the crowd of people.
‘So many witnesses, so many people watching,’ she thought.
“Please Harry. Please stop it!” she shouted.

Hermione sank to the ground,
“ Please Harry I can’t lose you too,” she cried out.

The next moment Harry released Draco letting him fall to the ground. His eyes were open but not focused. Hermione touched his neck, but found no pulse.