The Purist / DRAMIONE (COMPLETE)

A Tiny Bit of Torture

It hadn't been alright, but Hermione wasn't to know that. Snape had killed Dumbledore after Malfoy, a teenager, threatened to do it. Bill had been attacked by Greyback. Half-bloods and Muggle-borns everywhere went into hiding. Hermione Obliviated her parents and gave them the idea of moving to Australia.

Then they were found by Snatchers, and the Snatchers recognised all of them, despite Hermione's impromptu Stinging Jinx to Harry's face. Now they were marched into the hall at Malfoy Manor, the last place any blood traitors would want to be, waiting for Voldemort to turn up and kill Harry.

To Hermione's panic, Bellatrix was obsessed with her, insulting her Muggle-born status and enjoying the fear in her eyes whenever the crazed witch came near. The others had been locked in the cellar, but Hermione was tortured with the Cruciatus Curse for what seemed like hours. Her throat was soon raw from screaming, and the pain was the most intense she had ever felt.

The only reprieve, bizarrely, came in the form of Draco Malfoy. The boy had refused to declare positively whether or not the Snatchers had picked up his former classmates, and seemed reluctant to look at Hermione when she was being tortured. Eventually, though, he seemed to come to a decision, and went to stand by his aunt Bellatrix.

"Is this really worth it?" he asked, sounding bored, as Bellatrix inflicted another curse upon Hermione. "She doesn't seem to know anything."

"She must!" exclaimed Bellatrix. "She must!"

"If you say so," Malfoy said, shrugging shoulders. "Could I have a go? I've waited seven years to do this."

"Of course," said Bellatrix, sounding positively gleeful.

Narcissa seemed astonished that her son wanted to be part of Hermione's torture, although Lucius, though pale and defeated after his stint in Azkaban, seemed proud. Hermione was not surprised in the slightest. This was Draco Malfoy, after all. He had been her bully for years and he had made no secret of it, nor his ties to Voldemort and his dark magic. This was an entirely expected turn of events.

However, when he turned his wand on Hermione, she was confused to see his hand shaking slightly. The first time he uttered the spell, his casting was so quiet and tentative that it had no effect whatsoever.

"You have to mean it, Draco," Bellatrix cooed, happy to support her nephew now that he had found his dark side.

Draco refocused his wand and pointed it at Hermione again. This time it was plain and simple.

"Crucio," he said, and Hermione was transported into a world of pain.

*

The pain did not last as long as it had for any of Bellatrix's curses, although Hermione pretended it had. This pain was different. There was, of course, the usual stabbing pain of the Cruciatus Curse, but there was something else as well.

Memories were floating to the surface of Hermione's mind, memories she had never seen before. Talking with Draco Malfoy in a library, walking with him by the lake at Hogwarts, holding him while he cried...

She did not remember these memories, but they seemed familiar all the same. And suddenly, as if by magic, and it was, Hermione remembered.

Hermione remembered the real Draco Malfoy, the one she had been in love with.

The one who was even now torturing her in the house of his forebears.

Her first love.

*****

A.N. Thank you for reading and please comment!