Captured

Chapter Six: Defiance

It was early morning when she heard the lock click softly behind her the next day, as she was once again staring out at the hedge maze under a blanket of swirling mist. She could just make out the green peeking from within the writhing mass of white, and she had been trying to count how many rows of hedges there were between her and freedom should she find a way out.

As she heard the doorknob move, she froze, listening and trying to prepare herself for whoever it may be. This was now her fifth day here if her days had been correct, and aside from Bipsy she hadn't seen another living soul since being here.

"Still alive then, Granger."

She snorted before turning around to face Malfoy, "Wasn't that the whole point of sending Bipsy in here?"

He shrugged before sneering, "One can always hope for a little less filth in the world."

She didn't answer him, simply opting to wait for him to tell her what he was doing here. She had no wand, she doubted she'd be able to get close enough to be able to hit him again, and there wasn't anything in this room that could be used as a weapon. That didn't leave her with many options. She had thought about this, in the past 24 hours, expecting that they'd come by at some point. The Death Eaters were not known for their kindness, and now they had someone with an intimate look not only into Harry's patterns, whereabouts, and plans but knowledge of the Order as well. She knew as soon as she agreed to come here what lied in store for her. Manipulation. Threats. Torture.

She'd decided that really the only thing she had control over, was how much she gave them when it started. And as much as she loathed him, she knew Malfoy was intelligent. Harry and Ron often underestimated him, but she knew it only hurt herself to underestimate her enemy. She'd made that mistake once before when she thought he'd never go so far as to take the inky black mark that now glared at her like a warning sign from his pale skin, and she would never do that again.

She stayed where she stood in front of the window, keeping her stare blank, her arms limp at her sides as she waited. He stalked in, glancing around his old room as he did, twirling his wand between his fingers. He was casual, as if interacting with school mates he was keeping as prisoners was an everyday occurrence for him.

Maybe it was.

She had to stop herself from visibly reacting at the thought. It had been a long time since she'd really heard any news from the world outside of the forests that she, Harry, and Ron had stuck to. For all she knew, this was regular for him. Images unbade crept into her mind - Ginny, broken and lying on a dusty wooden floor just like this. Neville, tortured and crying out like his parents. Luna, her starry eyes unseeing as she huddled in a corner, battered and bruised.

No. She couldn't afford to think like that right now. She didn't know that they even had any other prisoners.

Then why aren't you in their dungeon?

Another whisper of the niggling suspicion that had been floating around her mind since they threw her in this room. She had heard talk of the Malfoys dungeons from people other than the man in front of her. She was sure they existed. So why throw her in a clearly livable room, if they weren't already at max capacity? She hadn't been able to figure that out. But she stopped her mind as she could feel the spiral begin again, forcing herself to think of Ron, Harry, McGonagall, the Weasleys. Everyone who she needed to protect. Everyone she needed to keep her wits about her for.

Malfoy came to a halt in front of her, just out of arm's reach, and she regarded him warily for a silent moment.

Then, without warning, he flicked his wand at her. She felt harsh ropes twisting themselves around her body, and before she knew it he had conjured a chair behind her. Her body ached as she was slammed into it and she couldn't help the hiss that escaped her clenched teeth as the ropes twisted and tightened themselves around her wrists and ankles, binding her in place to the hard wood. She could feel the painful scratching of the ropes digging into her skin and knew once they were finally removed, their marks would linger.