The Reckoning

A dull, throbbing pain brought Hermione back to reality.  She groaned, and vaguely wondered if Ron was still asleep.

Ron….Ron.

She bolted up and looked around frantically.  She was in a room.  A big room.  In a bed.  There was furniture….there was a doorway opening to another room…..

And there was no Ron.

“Ron!”  She cried out, but her voice was barely a whisper.  She suddenly realized she was very thirsty.

How long had she been asleep? 

Quickly, she tried to remember what had happened, but could only remember Ron….Ron on the ground, still and unmoving….

Hermione needed to leave.  She needed to get out of here.  She pulled back the blankets, and froze when she saw a thin gold chain attached to her ankle and secured firmly to the bed.  She was afraid to cut it.  She had seen that type of chain before, and knew it would only grow back.

“Oh God…”  She whispered.

“Would milady like anything?”  A house elf squeaked beside her.

Hermione jumped, heart pounding.  But her mind began to work, and process.

“Can you tell me where I am?”

“Would milady like anything?”  the elf repeated.

Hermione opened her mouth to ask another question, but was stopped short by the click of boots.

Draco Malfoy strode in, his silver hair shining and his emerald gaze fixed on her.

Hermione was confused, “M-Malfoy?”

“You may leave us, Winky.”

The house elf summarily disappeared, and Draco stared at Hermione for a moment before sitting on the edge of the bed, “Are you alright?”  He asked.

Hermione leaned forward, “Malfoy, what’s going on?  What’s happened?”  She was trembling, and her eyes threatened to tear again, “Where’s Ron?”

Malfoy reached out to touch her face, but at the last second Hermione pulled away.  He bit back a hiss. 

“Something unexpected has occurred, Hermione.  Something you never could have seen.”

“What?  Has the dark lord returned?  Where’s Harry?  Where’s Ron?”  She didn’t realize her voice was near a shout.

“Shhhhh-----“  He soothingly said, his voice low and sweet, almost patronizing, the way an adult would talk to a child, “Don’t worry, it’s going to be okay.  Let me explain.

“The dark lord is gone.  Killed you three, of course….and my convenient and planned betrayal of him.  But….”

Hermione was afraid where this conversation was going, “But….?”

Draco smiled, “But, you see, there’s no way I would ever contenance an alliance with mudbloods, even more than I would let Potter and Weasel have all the glory.  You see, Hermione, I may have—“

She reached out and slapped him and screamed, “Where’s Ron!?  Harry?  HARRY!”

Draco darted forward and they struggled for a moment.  Hermione screamed. Malfoy….how could he do this?  How could he?  They had trusted him?  They had laughed together….shared so many fun times together…..

Draco held his hand over her mouth, silencing her, and hissed, ‘They’re dead.  DEAD.  Do you hear me?  They are both rotting right now, and the only reason you live is because I chose to spare your pathetic life.”

She stopped struggling, shocked, and Draco removed her hand and stroked her hair, “Now—“

Hermione lunged and punched him as hard as she could in the face before springing off the bed and making  a run for the door….

Only to be tugged back by the chain….she had forgotten.

Draco laughed, and she felt shivers of dread go up her spine, ‘You aren’t going anywhere.”