The End Is The Beginning Is The End

Hermione watched Lucius warily.

He pulled her from bed, and they were outside.  All she wore was a cotton shift, and so she shivered.  It was snowing lightly, and an arctic wind blew every so often. Stirring her hair, which hung free, and creating goosebumps on top of goosebumps.

Never, in all her life, had she ever been this cold, or this exposed, to the elements before.

She yearned for the privacy of her room, the comfort of her bed.  She no longer dreamed of freedom.  She knew she was going to die here, it was only  a matter of when.  Instead she focused on things within reach, and one of those things was the warm blanket in her room, which she wished was wrapped around her. 

He looked very warm in his fur lined coat, carrying his cane and standing very still.  He watched her. 

The silence was becoming unbearable so she finally asked, ‘Why am I here?’

He smiled.

And she felt herself become queasy.  A smile from him promised nothing but pain. 

‘You’ve been such a wonderful guest, I thought I would reward you for your great strength of character.  No one, and I mean no one, Ms. Granger, has had the pleasure of remaining so long in my company.  This is my present to you.  I hope you enjoy it.’

He slowly walked towards her.  In the beginning she would have run, but now she stood her ground.  Waiting.  Wanting to run.  Wanting to vomit but all she could do was shiver and watch him.

His gifts could only be like his smiles: deceptive and cruel.

He lightly placed his arm around her shoulders and leaned against his cane, ‘I’m excited, Ms. Granger.  I hope you appreciate my gift.’

She turned her face, and stared uneasily at him.  His face was very close, his chin almost resting on her shoulder.  He continued to smile gently at her, and she took an uneasy step back but he held her, making that impossible.

She opened her mouth, and said in her most scathing tone, ‘Do your worse.  There’s nothing you can do to hurt me not anymore.’

 This made his smile fade.  ‘Little bitch.  Aren’t we feeling especially brave?’

He dug his nails into her naked arm, and she winced in pain, ‘You’re hurting me!’

He leaned forward, and each time he spoke his lips caressed the outer shell of her ear, ‘I like hurting you, Ms. Granger.  I would even say that I love it.’ 

She shivered, in a shocking twist not from the cold but from the feel of his lips against her body.

She was truly going to be ill.

Turning, she opened her mouth to say something more scathing but found that her face was too close to his for a comfort.

He watched her, eyes half lidded, and she found herself staring at his long—really too long for a man---lashes.  She shut her mouth and opened it again, leaning forward slightly.

He seemed to mirror her actions, leaning forward, each time their lips were slightly closer. 

And for a crazy moment she thought he was going to kiss her.

Or even crazier, that she was going to kiss him.

She turned away and began to rub her hands together.

The sound of sobbing brought her back into reality, and she looked away.

And the moment passed.

But another was soon to begin.

_____

I seem to be on a roll.  Readers, do you like?  Share your opinions!  And a shoutout to sherlocked, I love your comments!