She Will Be Mine

Tears streamed freely out of red-rimmed eyes, but relief flooded her at Malfoy’s next words.

“Just one left and you’re done,” he said. He was sweating just as much as she was, and she could tell that his wand hand was causing him a fair amount of discomfort, but he held a look of accomplishment and determination.

“Thank fucking Merlin,” she whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. She felt Malfoy carefully lower the waistband of her knickers, and the gown was wide open now, but she didn’t even feel exposed anymore. Her breasts were covered with gauze and tape, as well as her hands, her stomach, and her inner thighs. Underneath it she could feel the cool tingle of the phoenix tears slowly healing her cuts. By tomorrow there wouldn’t be any physical signs left of the trauma she’d been through. Harder to heal were the wounds that couldn’t be seen…

Malfoy traced the letters over her pubic bone with the Phoenix tears and she shivered, gooseflesh popping up on her skin, but then he stopped suddenly, and she looked up to find him staring openly at her crotch.

“Excuse me, Malfoy!” she screeched. He jumped and returned her gaze, his eyes searching hers.

“Granger… there’s a spot of blood on your knickers,” he said softly. “It wasn’t there when I was healing the cuts on your inner thighs.”

Hermione gasped, her eyes going wide and her cheeks flushing crimson. “It’s—it’s nothing! And you—you shouldn’t be looking at me there!” she sputtered.

“Granger, if the Carver did anything to—“

“He didn’t! He didn’t, okay?” she yelled, quite hysterically. “Just finish with the curse already!”

Malfoy looked like he wanted to question her further, but the scathing glare he was receiving convinced him otherwise. “Last time,” he said, gripping her hip and holding it down firmly. “One… two… three… Guarigione Bacio!”

She clenched her jaw and shrieked through her teeth as the pain stabbed, scorched and consumed her every sense. All she knew was the feeling of razors carving through her skin, but just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore— that she would surely die from the searing pain—it was over.

Sweat glistened over her body as she lay panting, exhausted, and tearful on the white hospital bed. Malfoy placed a small square of gauze over the place he’d just removed the Dark Magic from and fastened it with spell-o-tape. He then pulled her knickers up, covering the patch of gauze, and closed the gown as well. She heard the rhythmic clap of rubber soles on tile, as Malfoy once again went to the cabinets. When he returned she felt a soft blanket being tucked in around her, and she sighed into the warmth and closed her eyes. She hadn’t realized how exhausted she was, but with her eyes closed she felt like she could sleep for days and it wouldn’t be enough.

“You shouldn’t move for at least an hour,” Malfoy’s voice came from above her. She didn’t open her eyes; she could already feel unconsciousness gripping hold. “After I can show you to the room you’ll be staying in, or you can sleep in here tonight and I’ll take you to it tomorrow.”

So tired… but wait… what? She forced herself to open her eyes and look up at him, blinking to adjust to the bright white of the room once more. “What do you mean, ‘room I’ll be staying in’?

“I mean your bedroom, where you’ll be sleeping and bathing and whatever else you deem necessary.”

“Like… for the next few days until I’m better, right?” she asked slowly.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her, as if to say ‘Are you serious?’ but then he responded, with the tone of someone explaining one plus one to a toddler, “If you getting better coincides with apprehending the Carver, then yes.”

“WHAT?” she shrieked, sitting up fast and wincing as the pain in her lower stomach shot through her. Malfoy had caught her reaction to the pain and was eyeing her pointedly, so she grudgingly lay back down. “I’ll be better in less than a day, do you really think they’ll have caught the Carver by then?”

“No,” Malfoy said simply.

“Then how long do you expect me to stay here?”

“However long it takes,” he shrugged.

“I can’t stay here with you. I can’t. I refuse! Harry will not stand for this!”

Malfoy actually let out a snort of laughter at that last comment. “Looks like you don’t know your friends very well. It was Potter who suggested it, ordered it, actually.”

“What? When did you have time to discuss this with Harry?”

“When I was trying to dump you on him,” he replied haughtily. “Potter said, and I quote: ‘Do not let her leave under any circumstances. She’ll have to stay with you until we catch this beast. It’s the safest place for her, really. He’d never expect it and your wards are centuries old, I bet Dumbledore couldn’t even break in if he wanted’.”

Hermione’s jaw fell in shock and hurt. She couldn’t believe Harry would make such an important decision about her life without even consulting her! “But—but—my wand, my clothes, my work! Even my cat is there! I can’t just up and leave my home without so much as a warning, I need to pack!”

“I’ll send a house-elf for your things once the Aurors have it secured,” he answered.

Hermione looked close to panicking now. “I need my wand, Malfoy! I need it now, it can’t wait! I—I—“ she stuttered, searching for the right thing to say. “I don’t feel safe without it,” she finished softly.

Malfoy actually smirked at this. “Little Miss house-elf rights would have me send one into a house that could be under the close watch of a serial killer? Tsk, tsk.”

Hermione opened and closed her mouth several times, like a fish out of water. “No—I—I just need my wand, Malfoy. Please,” she pleaded.

Malfoy’s face softened at her tone. “If it will make you feel better, you can keep my wand with you for tonight. I have a mountain of paperwork to fill out, so I won’t be needing it, or I wouldn’t offer.”

Hermione’s eyes widened like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Seriously?” she asked in bewilderment.

“You want me to change my mind, Granger?”

“No! No… thank you, Malfoy,” she said softly. He withdrew his wand and placed it on the small cart next to her that still held the jar of phoenix tears and the now empty bottle of antiseptic potion.

“Not a scratch, Granger,” he warned, though his voice was light. She only rolled her eyes at him. “I’ll be back in about an hour to check on you. If you’re still awake I can take you to your room.” Hermione nodded her understanding and Draco left, closing the door behind him with a soft click. She yawned, her body and mind completely exhausted, but she knew she couldn’t sleep. She reached for Malfoy’s wand…

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The next day at the Manor was surprisingly pleasant. Malfoy had shown her to her room, or rather, rooms. She had a bedroom, sitting room, bathroom, and a closet the size of her bedroom at home, all to herself, though she could have easily shared with at least 10 people and not felt cramped. She even had a house-elf assigned just to her, which she was going to protest to until she met the little creature. Her name was Patricia, though she said she could be called Patty if ‘Mistess Hermione’ wished it, and she flitted about the rooms in a sort of dance, listening to an object that Hermione recognized as a Muggle iPod. When she asked her where she’d gotten it, she said that Master Draco had given it to her for her birthday. Hermione had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

She wasn’t. Patricia brought her tea and biscuits for breakfast, and Hermione sat down at the table in her sitting room to eat. The elf took the seat opposite her and poured herself a cup of tea as well.

“Master Draco said you might like some company, yes?” Patricia asked, pulling the tiny ear buds out of her giant ears.

Hermione almost choked on the tea she was sipping, and she coughed and sputtered for breath for an entire minute before she was finally able to speak. “Y—yes. Thank you.”

“Not a problem Mistress,” she said, now buttering a biscuit. “I will draw you a bath after breakfast. Master Draco says to tell you to take the bandages off and take a bath. You can listen to my music pod if you like. I think it’s extra relaxing to hear music in the tub.”

Hermione couldn’t believe her ears. She must have fallen into an alternate reality. This couldn’t possibly be the same household where Dobby the elf had lived such a horrible, miserable existence before being freed, could it?

“The Weird Sisters split up again,” said Patty, breaking Hermione out of her thoughts. Hermione looked over her teacup to see that the elf now had a gossip magazine out, and she was scanning the middle pages while she ate. “I don’t mind, they haven’t had a hit song in over five years, don’t you agree?”

Hermione found herself choking again, this time on her biscuit. It was a little too much for her to take so early in the morning. “Yes, I do. If you’ll excuse me I’m going to take that bath now,” she said kindly to Patricia, who dropped her magazine immediately and jumped up. “No, please don’t get up! I can get it. Really!” she insisted, but the elf had already sped off toward the bathroom, leaving Hermione to feel horrible for interrupting her breakfast.

When Hermione arrived at the bathroom, the tub was already full with sudsy water, and the sweet aroma of lavender soap filled the air. Patty was just setting slippers, a towel and a robe beside the tub for her. “Patricia, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—“

“Oh Mistress Hermione,” Patty said, wagging her finger at her, “you better not apologize one second more or I’ll have to magic your mouth shut. If I wasn’t wanting to make your bath, then I would have another elf do it for you! Now get in and relax before I tell the master on you,” she finished sternly, though Hermione could tell she was only joking about her serious tone.

“Thank you, Patty,” Hermione said to her. The elf curtsied and vanished a second later, leaving her iPod next to the tub. Hermione smiled at the sweet gesture, before pulling off the hospital gown, which she threw in a nearby hamper. Then she began to slowly peel the tape away from her bandages, peering under the cotton gauze to find that her cuts were completely healed. Relief washed through her as she began to pull in earnest, struggling to rid herself of the bandages as quickly as she could while also going slow enough to avoid the sting of the tape pulling out the tiny hairs on her body.

When she was finally gauze and tape free, she lowered herself into the tub. The perfectly charmed warm water seemed to ease its way into her muscles, ridding her of the tension that a night of dreamless sleep had been unable to relieve. So much had happened to her. Yes, she had been tortured during the war, but that was a war, torture came with the territory. This had happened to her out of nowhere. She had heard of the Carver, but she never imagined he would come after her. Not in her own home… her safe haven…. somewhere she used to feel protected and secure. Now she didn’t know if she’d ever feel safe again, anywhere.

After her bath, she dressed and wandered around the house for a bit, but she got tired quickly and returned to her room after lunch, falling asleep almost the second her head hit the pillow. She slept until dinner, but her body felt even more exhausted when she awoke, and she found she didn’t have the strength to get out of bed. Though Malfoy had successfully healed all her cuts, one part of still burned and ached. She was worried, but tried to brush her concerns aside. It was probably just taking longer for that particular cut to heal. No need to fret over it just yet… right?

With uneasy thoughts in her head and an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach, she decided to forgo dinner in lieu of another dose of dreamless sleep potion.

*^*^*^*

When she woke up, it was hard to tell how much time had passed. The room was completely black apart from a thin strip of moonlight that peeked through the closed curtains. Her breathing was heavy and labored, and it took all her strength to push the thick down comforter off her body. She was so warm. Her night clothes stuck to her back with perspiration, but with the blanket off, she only had a moment’s relief until a chill ran through her. She was cold… so cold, but still she was sweating. She pulled the blanket back up and over her, all the way to her neck while she shivered convulsively. It didn’t take long for it to warm her, and she breathed a sigh of relief that turned into a cry of frustration when she was once again overheated.

She tossed the blanket aside and rolled unceremoniously off the bed. Her legs felt wobbly and weak below her, and it took a minute to gain her balance. All the blood seemed to be leaving her top half, making her feel light-headed and dazed. Her stomach felt empty and she was cramping slightly. She grabbed Malfoy’s wand off her bedside table, whispered, “Lumos!” and, with her arms outstretched for stability, she slowly headed in the direction of the kitchen.

By the time she got there she knew that something was very, very wrong. Her legs shook underneath her and she was sweating profusely. Her vision was beginning to swim in front of her eyes. She fell to her knees and lay down on the floor. Her eyes were starting to tear up. She was scared, and she didn’t know what to do.

The wand flickered and went out. She gasped, feeling even more alone in the pitch darkness. She had no other choice now. She needed help.

“H-help! Patty! D-Draco!” she cried hoarsely. She faintly heard two pops in quick succession, as the elf Apparated and Disapparated. Then came hurried footsteps, echoing off the walls of the hall. She could feel herself drifting in and out of consciousness. Everything seemed to be happening very fast, and then very slow. Cool flesh pressed into her forehead, while another hand sought out her wrist and felt for her pulse.

“Bloody hell, you’re burning up,” came Draco’s hushed voice. “Where’s my wand? Is it in your room?” he asked, his eyes trying to peer through the darkness.

“It fell… there,” she whispered. Draco quickly searched the floor, found it, and with a simple wave all the lights in the hall and kitchen were ignited. Draco’s eyes examined her thoroughly. Her symptoms screamed infection, but how? He had been so careful, and made sure to disinfect every cut before he healed it.

“Granger, I think you have an infection. Are you in pain anywhere? Do you know where it could be?”

For some reason, she started crying in earnest at his questions. Tears streaming down her temples, she nodded her head.

“Where?”

She didn’t answer, just continued to silently cry and shake.

“Granger, this is serious. I need you to tell me.”

She looked up into his eyes. They held so much concern for her. It made her feel even worse, but as she fought for consciousness, she knew that he was right, and that it was serious. She had no other choice. “D-did Harry tell you how I escaped?”

His brows knitted together in confusion, but he answered, “Yes. He said it was wandless Apparition, which was thought impossible. Of course it would be you to—”

“No!” she quickly interrupted, crying even harder. “It—it wasn’t wandless… N-not really,” she sobbed. “The Carver… he… well he cut me somewhere else… when he stuck his… his wand… i-inside of me. And then somehow I was able to-to A-A-Apparate.”


A/N- Hi, sorry this chapter took a long time to post. It’s been finished, and I even bought myself an early xmas present so I have my own laptop again. AlexisRose isn’t my beta anymore, so hopefully there weren’t too many mistakes in this chapter. I want to thank her for helping me out though and posting for me when I needed her, it was very much appreciated. Also this won’t be posted on Granger Enchanted anymore. They posted my third chapter and then took it down because one of the admin googled it and you can’t take fingerprints off skin, so it’s not realistic. They said since he is doing it the Muggle way with tape it has to be real (even though no one who isn’t a forensic scientist would know this seeing as they themselves had to google it). So apparently us non-magical folks have wands that shoot out blue powder that glows where there’s fingerprints so you can take them off with tape, because they said that Draco was doing it the Muggle way. So yeah, if I do continue it will just be on here. Writing fanfiction isn’t as much fun anymore, now that I realized everyone seems to take it so seriously. It’s fanfiction people! Thanks a ton to everyone who has read and reviewed on here though, and I hope I get the inspiration to finish this and it becomes fun again like it was when I started. Have a happy holiday everyone :)