Locked In

“Go on and cast it Granger,” Draco said tiredly. “You know you want to.”

“I don’t want to,” Hermione argued. “I just…need to know what time it is. It’s so dark in here. There’s no day or night anymore….just blue flames.”

“You’re starting to crack.”

She snorted. “I cracked the first day.”

“At least we have food and water.”

“True,” she said and cast the time spell.

One week. They had been here a full week. It would be exam time now, which made her fingers itch. A week filled with nothing but eating, drinking, and lying on a makeshift pallet with Malfoy was driving her barmy. He hadn’t wanked since she’d called him on it, but she’d grown more frustrated as time had passed. That moment he took his pleasure, while void of any visual aspects at all, haunted her dreams.

“What shall we do today Granger? Do you want to stare at the fire or walk laps around the room?”

“I want out of here,” she growled.

“And you think I don’t?”

“I know you do! This is driving me insane! I want out. I want to read a bloody book. I want to run up and down stairs and create a potion and take a test and hex someone and get detention scrubbing cauldrons!” She panted in anger.

Draco chuckled. “You know it’s getting bad when you wish for detention.”

Hermione huffed and shifted to face him on the mattress. “What do you want then?”

“Well, before I got stuck in here, all I wanted was to finish school.”

“And then?”

He shrugged. “Disappear, I suppose. Maybe go trekking across the globe. I hear Australia is nice this time of year.”

“So you just want to get away then,” she said. It wasn’t a question really and he gave no response. “What about when you come back? Are you going to follow in your father’s footsteps?”

“Not if I can avoid it,” he snorted. “I’m not sure I will come back. Maybe I’ll move to a tropical island and grow coconuts.”

She laughed. “I can see it now, you in a grass skirt selling coconuts to the locals.”

“Why not,” he chuckled, sobering quickly. “It would be better than here, reminded of all my transgressions.”

“Malfoy, you more than redeemed yourself during the war.”

He barked a laugh. “I managed to make everyone leery of me Granger. No one can take it at face value. They call me a hero, think me a traitor, and try to hex me when I’m not looking. As horrible as being stuck here is, truth be told, I’ve never slept so well.”

“Why are you a traitor?”

“I’m a pureblood and I fought against them.”

“Why?”

“Why does EVERYONE ask me that?”

He tried to get up but was stopped by a gentle hand on his shoulder. He sighed and flopped back down, knowing he couldn’t exactly run away.

“All I want is a reason Malfoy,” she said quietly. “You saved me…twice. I owe you two life debts. Can you at least tell me why?”

“Two?”

“You saved me from Bellatrix.”

He froze. She did know. “How?”

“Snape only hid my memories. He didn’t erase them. When you said that being the Brightest Witch of the Age was better than being called a mudblood, it all came back. All I want to know is…why. Tell me and I’ll never bring it up again.”

Draco sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, turning his back to her and fiddling with a loose string in the shirt-mattress. “It wasn’t a noble reason. I did it because I knew Potter couldn’t fight without you. I wanted freedom and I wasn’t going to get it under the Dark Lord’s reign. It would just be another tyranny ruled by a psychopath and I couldn’t stand that thought. So you see, I did it because I’m selfish.”

Hermione was silent for a long time, analyzing his answer before she spoke. “You did it for the same reason we all did. We all just wanted freedom. Well, I wanted the right to exist as well. So you see, no matter how selfish it seemed at the time, you were just like everyone else. Why are you ashamed of it?”

“I’m not ashamed,” Draco growled and turned to face her. “I just hate the fawning. I did what everyone else on the light side did. Everyone lost someone. Why am I the one singled out?”

She smiled softly. “Because you came from the other side. Snape’s the same way, if you haven’t noticed. Well, maybe you haven’t. He’s probably incinerated a couple hundred letters, most in some garish pink envelope. I assume they are professing their love. He’s always muttering about mindless attention whores. Everyone loves a redemption story. Me, I’m just glad you knocked me out of the way. So, thank you Malfoy. Even though you hate hearing it, thank you for giving me another chance to live.”

“It’s not doing you any good trapped in here with me.”

She shrugged. “We’re still alive.”

“I wonder what they’ve tried to get us out of here?” he asked after a while.

“Who knows? Dobby says they are still trying though.”

She shifted to face the fire and doubled over in sudden pain. Damn, not now. Why now? Could someone just Avada her?

“Whoa, you okay?” Draco asked. He wasn’t prepared for any sort of sickness and Granger looked very pale.

“Yeah,” she moaned, mortified with what she was about to reveal. “I was hoping we’d be out of here before this happened.”

“What?”

“I’m getting my monthly.”

Draco colored but couldn’t help but notice she was trembling with pain. He didn’t think that was normal. “Do you always hurt this bad?”

“Without potions, yes.”

Draco frowned. “DOBBY!”

CRACK! “Yes Master Draco?”

“Can you try to get Granger something for her, um, time of the month?”

“Yes sir,” Dobby said, disappearing.

Several moments later, a bundle appeared. He dug through it while Granger was curled into a ball and whimpering, fighting down a blush at the contents. There were several pain potions, an extra pair of knickers, and some feminine hygiene products. This was going to be a very long week if they didn’t get out of here. He wasn’t sure they would survive it. If Granger was anything like the girls in his house, one of them might be dead very soon.

AN: I know, I know. I'm evil, but I've always said that if you're gonna fall in love, you'd best know the absolute worst about them first. Poor Hermione. Hope they don't end up killing each other. As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed. I hoard reviews like Gollum does his precious. Keep them coming and let me know how I'm doing. Until next time...Love you guys.