Redemption

A/N: Thank you reviewers!!! Special thanks to: salazarslytherin14, angeles, RynStar15, kazfeist, Moon Goddess, and crysta656. Usually I only respond to the review if there is a question or I want to put my two cents in on a particular comment… But I would like to let salazarslytherin14, angeles, and RynStar15 know that their very positive comments and prompts for a quick update were very greedily read and all reviews are a great source of encouragement and motivation. Furthermore, crysta656 your review came when I desperately needed another review to keep motivated so a heartfelt thank you to you!

Kazfeist: It is easiest with the ones we are close to. We both will see how long Hermione remains in this tragic situation. I’m not divulging who the kidnapper is just yet!

Moon Goddess: He slept with Ginny once.

*

Waking up, with heavily blinking eyes, Hermione took in her surroundings in distaste. She was in a cellar, an old one at that, by the look of the packed dirt walls and hard earthen floor. Regaining her sense, she quickly patted her body down frantically searching for her wand as recent events were recalled.


“Looking for this?” an amused voice crooned; lazily twirling her wand between their fingers.


The voice was innocent; deceptively so. Every hair stood on end as it conjured up memories of the war… of sadistic taunts that held promises of wrath… never innocent enough to disguise the hate their words belied. Turning around slowly Hermione eyed the perpetrator her heart sinking; she recognized him.


Quickly making up her mind she lunged for her wand. Surprised that she would physically try to overpower him he nearly fumbled both wands regaining control of the situation when he backhanded her across the mouth, hard; securing her tightly with ropes conjured with a silent Incarcerous so there would be no repeat performance.


“It’s such a pity,” he tsked as he circled Hermione slowly. Stopping in front of Hermione he crouched down to look in her eyes, wrenching her jaw forward when she averted them.
“Just remember, you drove me to mar your pretty face,” he whispered as if he was chastising a child. Brushing away a few stray tears, he backed up and straightened taking in her bound form with a faint smile. His smile faded when Hermione spit out the bit of blood that had been accumulating in her mouth onto the cellar floor.


“Keep your polluted blood off of my floor!” he bellowed angrily.


‘Fantastic, I’m dealing with a pureblood supremacist’ she sarcastically thought, disgruntled.


“I wouldn’t be fucking bleeding if you hadn’t hit me so hard,” Hermione reminded him in a hard voice, narrowing her eyes as she couldn’t fold her arms in displeasure.


“As common as ever, I see,” he quipped dryly.


“You’re one to judge,” she snapped pointedly.


“Such a feisty witch,” he commented off handedly. “Little wonder that you keep Draco’s attention,” he remarked. “Unfortunately, for you, I find the trait rather tiring,” he ranted deprecatingly. “So do not mistake my earlier regret,” he warned, stressing regret delicately, “as an indication that I will abstain from such activities in the future; if the need or desire arises,” he finished lightly; donning a bright, sadistic smile.


As dawning horrified recognition entered her face, he said, “I believe we understand one another.” At her tight nod he continued his monologue.


“How much do you mean to Draco?” he asked seriously.


Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, ‘what does Draco have anything to do in regards to this situation? Unless he hates that he associates with me and is hurting me to hurt him…’ she reasoned quickly. ‘Although that would be a rather convoluted way to go about punishing Draco…’ her mind supplied as a counter argument.


“In other words, how much are you worth?” he supplied bluntly.


‘Money’ Hermione’s mind shouted as it was obvious why she was being held captive, ‘I’m leverage…’


“I probably mean very little… as we are no longer together,” Hermione answered honestly feeling numb in a way that had nothing to do with being bound.


Hermione’s strategy was twisted at best and awful at worst. She realized it was a gamble to tell the truth. Though on the other hand if she led him to believe he would rake in the Galleons and he didn’t the consequences could be even more unpleasant.


“Let’s hope for your sake you’re wrong,” he intoned making Hermione feel worse as she filled with dread.


Taking out a Wizarding camera he said cheerily, “smile,” taking a handful of photos. The combination of the photographic flash and the very real possibility that she would die before the end of the ordeal brought tears to her eyes. Biting her tongue she quelled the urge to openly cry.


“We’ll make a game out of this, shall we?” he asked the obviously rhetorical question as he produced stationary that looked strikingly similar… identical to the parchment she used.


“I’ll allow Draco to decide just how much you are worth to him!” he exclaimed as it was the most novel of ideas. Penning the note hurriedly he folded the parchment enclosing the now developed photo inside. Stuffing the parchment into a matching envelope he sealed and addressed the missive.


Hermione would have thought the flaw in his plan comical if it didn’t clash with her desire to be rescued. Regardless of the identical paper without her neat script gracing the envelope the letter will be promptly discarded as rubbish; due to the unknown sender.


Hermione’s eyes widened and her brow rose when with a silent flick of his wand his cramped scrawl transformed into the elegant neat script Hermione was known for.


“Couldn’t have such an important note ending in the rubbish pile,” he responded lively clearly happy that he had interpreted the direction of Hermione’s earlier thoughts.


It seemed her captor was intelligent Hermione ruminated as he Confunded and then proceeded to Imperiused the messenger owl before he sent it on its merry way to Malfoy manor. So were the Malfoys, intelligent that is, she thought convinced they would demand proof of life… thus, her life would be spared for awhile at least. Well, she’d guard her thoughts more carefully and await any missteps… She was Hermione Granger and he’d do well to remember it.