Living in Darkness

Thanks to ichi.ruki for the review! I'm glad to have found someone who kind of understands the shittiness of the situation. I see those headlines and I know that is gonna be a source of a lot of worrying when he is gone. He just got me a new puppy before he leave! She is gonna be a hugh German Shepherd by the time he is back! I can't believe how long it is, but your right, if you made, so can I. Thanks, your words are appreciated a lot!

And thinks to angelnomiko for your contiunued reviews, it makes me want to write the whole story and post it really fast for you guys!

Okay, on with the story!

Chapter 9: Shadows Revealed

It was late in the evening when Harry and Ron arrived at Grimmauld place. The wind was calm and the sky was grey but Harry didn't notice. His mind was so occupied he didn't even notice Moody come is and greet him.

"Uhh, Potter... you all right there," he growled. Harry looked up suddenly.

"Oh yeah... just got a lot on my mind, that's all," he said quickly. Moody looked at him suspiciously but dropped it.

"So Harry, according to the memory you got from the old woman in Glasgow, it doesn't exactly look like he actually knew Regulus had the horcrux on him," Ron said thoughtfully. Harry nodded. He had retreived that memory weeks ago. It was an eyewitness account of Regulus being murdered by Voldemort. They were in the Glasgow necropolis. After Voldemort killed him, he cursed him to be sealed inside of a tomb where his soul could never be released. At least that is what Moody said is what happened.

"We're aren't even sure if he had the locket on him," Harry said, "All we know, is it wasn't very long after he went to the cave that he was killed, so it is very likely he has it. We know it isn't destroyed because we have discovered that Regulus needed it to show Voldemort to free his muggle lover."

"Damn stupid he was," Moody sighed, "Never was as bright as Sirius."

"He couldn't have been that stupid," Harry said, "He got into the cave."

"So is it really going to be just break the curse and get the locket from his corpse..." Ron asked hesitantly. Harry looked at him,

"I really doubt it Ron," Harry said seriously, " It sure would be nice to have Bill around then, being a curse breaker and all."

"So when are we going to go," Ron asked. Harry looked up at him, thinking hard.

"I have to go, I'll be back later, and then we will go to retrieve the horcrux." Harry stood up and threw his cloak on before he quickly left out the door.

XXX

"Yes master, how may I serve you." The Death Eater stood in full cloak and mask. The Dark Lord's red eyes bore into him.

"I want the mudblood found... look everywhere. She has to be near one of our hideouts... why else would she be missing. Search the dungeons everywhere, kill whoever is not her. Do you understand, Lucius?"

"Yes, my Lord, always."

XXX

Hermione was uncomfortable. She never thought she would glance at her passing reflection and see a Death Eater. But it happened. Draco forced her to wear it or he wouldn't have taken her. A necessary precaution, he had said. And if anyone asked her name, it was Melanie. He had also instructed her to not leave his side. She was to follow him at all costs. He knew where they were, she didn't. Hermione knew they were in New York, she just couldn't believe they were in the open like this.

They were in a dark alleyway off of a main road. The streetlights flickered and clotheslines hung from the windows. Draco turned the corner. Hermione followed him to a flight of stairs that led down to a tunnel. It was damp and eerie.

"You can take your mask off now," he said.

When she did, she swore she could she strange noises from ahead of them in the darkness. Moments later they passed a man having sex with a prostitute. Hermione couldn't tear her eyes away for all she was worth.

"I could take you to a whorehouse if you like," Malfoy sneered, watching her, "I hear you can pay to watch." Hermione looked at him sharply.

"You've never done that right?" She asked him, suddenly horrified.

"What pay? Of course not." Hermione stared at him trying to figure out whether or not he was joking. She didn't see any signs of a smirk.

"No, really, how many women have you been with?" she asked, feeling braver because she wasn't in her own skin... sort of. Draco snapped his head to give her the most incredulous look. His eyebrow raised and part of his lips scrunched upwards.

"Why do you suddenly care?" he asked, curiously.

"Why are you avoiding the question?" she countered.

"Maybe because I don't think it's any business of yours," he said nonchalantly.

"Oh my god," she said, looking at Malfoy in understanding, "You've slept with a whore, haven't you." Malfoy let out an exasperated sigh.

"No, I haven't. I just don't see why you would want to know," he said.

"No real reason other than curiosity I guess," she admitted, "But I would like to know." Draco stopped walking through the tunnel and looked at her.

"Look, a lot, alright. I'm not exactly proud of it, I can't even remember most of their names. I don't know if you knew me at Hogwarts or not because you won't tell me, but I wasn't exactly Prince Charming." He started walking again. Hermione looked after him a few moments before catching up to him.

"Would you remember my name if I had told you?" she asked, slowly. Draco closed his eyes in deep concentration.

"Yes."

XXX

"We're here." Draco pushed open an old door down a side tunnel from the main one they had entered. It didn't look like much, but when they walk in, the setting changed.

It was still dark and dreary, but there were red lights flashing at the end of the hallway through another door. Hermione thought she could hear faint music playing and it sounded like loud music. She followed Draco down the hall and they entered the room. The sight she saw before her was one she would never forget.

There were cages hanging from the ceiling... cages with girls, some older than her and some possibly younger. They were barely clothed and some looked scared to death, others, however, looked like they were used to it. She felt Draco tug her along. The enormous room was probably ten floors high with the center open. Around the edges were several balconies' where a new floor would have been, and connecting each level and the sides were catwalks and stairs. They seemed to be on the fourth floor. They had started to cross a catwalk when the music died down and the room fell quiet. Someone had walked up onto the stage. Hermione felt sick as one of the cages grew nearer and they walked across. They were all different lengths and this one was soon right next to her. She was so close someone could reach out and touch her...

Hermione's attention was suddenly pulled to the speaking Death Eater as everyone around them stopped. They couldn't move anymore, so they stood on the catwalk and watched as everyone else did.

"Fuck," Draco swore. He didn't expect this to happen... He knew what was going to happen and he suddenly realized this was a very bad idea.

"Welcome my friends to the Serpents Lair," he said darkly, "I know you are anxious to get on with the show, but I must address this first. We are looking for a specific girl and I would like you all to know that there will be a very generous reward for whoever brings her in. She is a mudblood. This is what she looks like." Suddenly a large picture of Hermione was cast in the air for all to see. There was a low murmur until the Death Eater began to speak again.

Hermione felt her spine tingle and her face grow hot. She wanted that mask back on now.

"Bring out the girl," he shouted and the crowd roared. Hermione watched in horror as she saw three Death Eater's drag out a girl her age. The closer she looked the more familiar she became...

"Oh my God," she mumbled. Hannah...her jaw fell open as she saw the Death Eater's remove their masks and cloaks. They were actually young men she had never seen before. The next few moments seemed to move by in slow motion as Hermione lost all sense.

They had started to tear her clothes off of her, causing her to scream out in pain each time. She watched in horror as one of the men pushed her into the ground and pulled out his erection.

There was blood... so much blood. Hermione heard herself screaming, but the loud roar surrounding her was impossible to penetrate.

"NOOO STOP IT YOUR HURTING HER!!!!! LET HER G..." Draco had clamped his hand around her mouth and started to drag her with him through the enormous crowd.

She was struggling hard to get Draco to let go of her but there was no use, he wasn't letting go and she was no match for his strength. Draco finally managed to get her into the hallway outside the main hall where it was empty as the hall roared again.

He slammed the door.

"Are you insane?" he shouted. She pushed him out of the way, trying to get back to the door, tears streaking her face. Draco grabbed her forcefully, pulling her close to him as she beat her fist into her chest and started to sob frantically.

"How can you stand by and do nothing... how can you let that happen to her..." she said in between sobs. Draco sighed.

"There is nothing you or I can do, she was dead the moment they caught her," he said, trying to make her understand.

"But, they... they were raping her, and hurting her... We have to try, we have to try to help her..." Draco checked his watch.

"Hold on to me, we are leaving," Draco said as he touched his portkey.

They arrived in a dark room, until Draco lit a torch. It seemed to be a small cubical with nothing but a stone table in it. Hermione went to sit on the table, but Draco grabbed her, stopping her from sitting.

"Don't sit there," he said. She looked at him strongly.

"How did we get here, what the hell kind of portkey is that?" she demanded, only slightly recovered from the tears.

"It's charmed to take me wherever I desire, but I can be followed," he said quickly, as if it were unimportant.

"That's handy, wonder why they aren't more common," she thought out loud.

"It's dark magic. The object is bound to my mind permanently," he said, as if it were obvious. Hermione looked up at him.

Oh, she thought darkly.

"Where are we exactly?" she asked, her eyes red.

"We are in Bangkok," Draco replied. Hermione looked at his baffled.

"What? Why are we in Bangkok? What is here?" Draco looked at her sharply.

"You didn't think there was just one did you? Come on," he said pulling her behind him and out the door. They passed by several other cells and she realized why he told her to not sit on the stone. They were in a whorehouse, or so it seemed. Through several glass panes were people doing the most obscene things to each other. When they finally go tout of the room, they entered a large garden within a courtyard.

"This is odd," she said. Draco shook his head.

"No, it is where several illegal magical plants are killed. Draco glanced at the plant he had secreted the black shimmering disease out of.

"Also illegal drugs are sold to the muggles, you have no idea the money that is made," Draco stated. She looked around. It did seem beautiful, but some things have false appearances. She looked at Malfoy.

They entered the opposite door from the one they entered and found the stairs to the dungeon. She followed Draco down them to a labyrinth of cells. She felt like she was in Azkaban. As they passed she saw Death Eater's torturing prisoners, women being raped and finally they cam to an end. Once they were out of the dungeons, Draco stopped dead in his tracks.

"Father, what are you doing here?"

"I have come to begin a search for Granger. The Dark Lord has ordered every possible female we have across the globe to be killed, in case it is her and we don't know it. I must be going."

Lucius looked at Hermione and nodded politely and murmured, "Melanie," before he walked off. Hermione couldn't believe it. What a horrible backfire to her plan. She stared at Draco. How could this have happened.

"Lets go."

The rest of the night, Draco took her to many more places around the globe. Tokyo, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Amman, Dubai, Sydney and so many others he mentioned to her.

"How did this happen... the Order has no idea that there is a fucking army of Death Eaters around the world." Draco looked at her, slightly shocked the Order didn't have a clue.

"They are all awaiting the command from the Dark Lord to wage war with their wizarding governments. If the Order was going to do something, now would be the time to act before he activates them all."

"But I don't understand how they all got there. There is so much support for the Dark Arts it is unreal," she said in disbelief.

Draco looked at her and sighed inwardly. If only she knew it was he who had started the establishments and watched them grow. It was something he was rather good at, gathering support and it earned him a lot of credit among the Death Eaters.

This was all his doing.

XXX

AN/ next chappie will be good, I promise!! :) I hope you guys like it, REVIEW!!!!!!