Tales of Tragic Ends

Warning: Graphic violence, blood & injury

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No Fun

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Hermione’s eyes shot open when she heard the lock on the cellar door click. She stared into the blackness around her and her breathing quickened as she listened to the footsteps approaching her. The gag in her mouth ensured that she kept silent, but the chains securing her to the pillar she was sitting up against rattled with the faintest tinkling as she tensed.

“It’s me,” someone suddenly whispered to her from the dark.

Hermione immediately relaxed at the sound of Draco’s voice. A second later, a light flared to life from the tip of his wand to illuminate the Manor’s cellar. She squinted against the sudden brightness and then watched as he carefully propped his wand against another pillar to keep them cast in a steady light and then approach her.

“Draco,” she exhaled in relief the moment he removed her gag.

“It’s time,” he said, pulling a key and hastily moving to begin unlocking her chains.

She blinked at him in shock. “Time?” she asked, her hope carefully restrained.

Draco nodded as he dropped the first chain to the floor with a clink. “They’re all out. They left me on guard. But we have to be quick. They could come back at any time.”

Hermione’s chest heaved as her adrenaline started to spike at the news. “But…but they’ll know you did it. They’ll punish you if they find me missing when they return.”

“If I were here they would,” he said, pausing to give her the smallest of smirks.

“You’re coming with,” she confirmed breathily.

His smirk spread into a smile and he leaned forward to kiss her. Hermione moaned quietly and Draco pulled back. “I go where you go,” he said, love and determination apparent in his gaze.

Hermione’s mouth finally pulled into a smile as well at that and Draco reached for the next chain. Before he could place the key into its lock, however, he was blown back in a burst of red light.

“Draco!” Hermione screamed as she watched him land on his back on the floor and gasp for the breath that had been knocked out of him.

“Knew you was a rat,” a harsh voice called out as Draco rolled onto his side, his hands clutched to his chest as he groaned. Hermione shot her gaze to the source of the voice to see Fenrir Greyback’s hulking form in the doorway. Her already heavy breathing became erratic when he began walking toward them.

“Draco…” she whimpered urgently. “Draco, get up!”

Draco hissed in pain as he tried to sit up, but Greyback lunged and was on him in an instant.

“No!” Hermione screamed as the werewolf pinned Draco to the floor with a hand to his throat.

Greyback grinned as the blond struggled beneath him. “Thought you could get away, eh?” he taunted, punching Draco once in the side of the head. Greyback looked over his shoulder at a now crying Hermione. “And take with you your little Mudblood whore?”

“Let…let us go,” Draco’s pained voice wheezed out through his constricted airway. “Let us go…and…and I’ll pay you. I’ll pay you any…thing….”

Greyback’s grin widened. “I’m so tired of you arrogant fucks,” he said before punching Draco again full force in the face. His nose broke with the blow and blood spurted down over his mouth and chin.

“Draco!” Hermione shouted, wriggling madly against her chains.

“Please,” Draco pleaded desperately. “Please… don’t…”

Greyback laughed.

“Oh, you’re begging,” he nearly purred with satisfaction. “You-Know-Who will be happy to know that you begged.” He punched Draco again. And then again.

“Stop it!” Hermione shrieked as Greyback delivered blow after blow. “Stop! Stop, please!”

Draco’s arms went limp after the sixth hit, but Greyback didn’t stop. Flecks of red splattered back at him with each connection of his fist with Draco’s broken features. Hermione sobbed wretchedly against the pillar.

“Please,” she choked out pitifully, “please, stop. Please…”

Greyback delivered a final series of punches and then sat back on his heels to examine his work. He let out a low, pleased growl at the sight of the pulpy mess that had been Draco’s face and then held his right hand up in the air. He flexed his fingers several times while he admired the blood dripping from them.

“Pureblood always has been my favorite,” he said after sucking his index finger clean with a moan. Hermione let out a particularly anguished sob at that and Greyback turned to leer at her. “Though, I won’t say no to something a little… dirtier,” he added. He moved off of Draco with more grace than should’ve been possible for someone his size and then crouched before Hermione.

She visibly trembled and shut her eyes tight, but kept her head held high as he pushed his face close to her neck and inhaled deeply. “Yeah, that’s the stuff,” he growled.

“Don’t…”

The strangled plea was barely audible but it stopped Greyback at once and sent Hermione’s eyes shooting back open. They both looked back at Draco who had managed to roll onto his side.

“Don’t…” he repeated with obvious, agonizing effort, peering up at them through one red and barely distinguishable eye, “don’t…hurt…her.”

Greyback looked momentarily impressed that Draco could still talk and then chuckled. “Now, you see…that’s the problem with you poncy shites. You don’t know how to have any real fun.” He returned his attention back to Hermione and ran the pointed nails of his bloody hand lightly down her cheek. She shivered and he bared his yellowed teeth at her.

“Let’s show lover boy just how fun hurting you can be…”