Darkest Shade of Light| Dramione

.xii play.

Draco Malfoy needed to do something for her.

Her.

Not to her or on her but for her.

She has never made a single expression for a whole week. She only spoke when spoken too and there was never much character in her answers. It was as if, she was trying her hardest to become boring -- just so he'll tire of her and maybe kill her.

Well, laughs on her. He'll never make it easy.

Three fucking years for this?

He doesn't think so.

He wants-- needs a reaction. That fire, that raw emotion that makes his skin tingle with palpable heat. Gods, he'd kill to see the look in her eyes again during the Battle of Hogwarts. She was on fire then, he could still remember. She was a valkyrie-- ash and blood smeared her skin, her hair was a wild mess even singed at places-- oh, but her eyes said that she is not going down without a fight, that she'd rather not see the light of day than see it in the the reign of Voldemort.

Those were the days.

These days she barely looks at anything with that fire, like nothing will ever be of significance ever again.

True, she glances his way but she looks at him the same way she does with her half finished plate of oatmeal. Perhaps she even lingers more on the oatmeal, afraid that it will burn her mouth. She doesn't fear him. She ignores him.

Just like fucking Hogwarts.

He didn't kill his own father to have power over the Elder Wand to be ignored again.

Gritted teeth, bit cheeks and plotting, things he hadn't done in a long time. And yes, he is yet to get rusty.
---
Hermione spent the better half of the morning memorizing the position of the sun and it's shadows. She has to know where she is. She's not in London, that's for sure. The smell of the wind indicated that she's somewhere high up, probably in the mountains, there are dark mountains encircling the horizon. Running without a wand will be futile. She knows nothing of the terrain and it's most likely that she'll fall off the edge of a cliff if she did try. It was only at nights that the monster of the castle let's her off his sight and he often checks up on her. Apparates right to the side of her bed proving further how loose his screws really are!

If she must escape, it has to be clean. She can only attempt once and she has to succeed. She's not going to take her last breath as a pet.

"Master requires Miss Hermione in the dining room for breakfast now," squeaked Pip all the whilst clutching her rugs.

Hermione was tempted to make the monster sweat it out. Most tempted to ask him to eat his arse for breakfast. Or just simply state that she'd rather eat dirt from a hag's fingernail than deal with him so early in the morning. Or just say she isn't hungry. But she knows that Pip, unlucky girl that she is, will have it worse. "Very well. We're going to have a practical exam Herbology today, you know. I studied all night."

Pip looked at her reluctantly and then turned her large eyes back to the floor. She jumped up to reach the silver door knob of the dining room door, swung it open and let Hermione walk through.

The monster sat on the head of the table, her place was beside him but she always picks the place farthest from him as it was back in Hogwarts. Pip always had to get her to sit with him.

And so this morning is no different.

She stood up, followed the house elf and sat next to the monster, whom, of course, she will not glance at even once because he is not worth it especially when the kitchen staff is serving absolute gold in every meal.

"Hermione," he spoke. His voice was deep as if in connivance, one pale hand flirting with the backrest of her chair.

She put down her spoon and looked at him. There are dark bags under his gray eyes. Good. If she can't hound him then maybe his own psyche will. "Have you seen Harry?" She had asked this before but not every time she spoke his name. Sometimes it's Ron, sometimes it's Neville, Ginny, Luna... friends from the battlefield. People that she'll never see again.

He chuckled. "Oh, you know I love it when you try to act crazy. Go on ask the next person on your list."

Hermione's heart shouldn't beat faster but it did and if the monster tried to pry into her thoughts then he would succeed.

"Why are you being like this, Malfoy? Do you want to be expelled?" She told him in a furious hush that sounded exaggerated even to her.

"Why? Because apparently today is a good day for two things," he smirked at her. One wandering hand to her lap. If she unconsciously flinched at the unwanted touch the monster didn't show nor that he cared maybe. With this unwanted touch still on her, the monster turned to the door and snapped his fingers. "Come and see, Granger."

Behind the closed door from where Hermione walked through, came the sounds of muffled thrashing. In her mind's eye, Hermione can see the feral kicks from the faceless victim. She heard the angry shouts of the men that handled the victim that have no intention of settling into quiet submission.

The struggles got closer and closer to the door as Hermione got closer and closer to the edge of her seat.

Oh, gods.

The door of the dining room burst open to let in the masked men with the captive. Said captive had a gag stuffed in his mouth, an eyebrow split, old blood stained his pale face— that face that used to have the chunkiest of cheeks in Hogwarts were but a hollow now.

Hermione stood up from the table, her fists was shaking— her body too. No, it was not her that was shaking, surely, it must be the floor of the castle. Her breath was caught in her throat, everything felt like it was going too fast, her heart was beating too fast, she was breathing too fast but the world disagreed by turning too slow.

She has to do something, she has to do it now.

"Let him speak," a voice spoke from behind her. Hermione turned to the monster, sitting exquisitely at the head of the table playing with the tip of the Elder wand. He looked directly to her and smiled, a toothy smiled.

She forgot that he was there. Gods, she forgot that he was there. The situation was already hopeless as it is without him pulling the strings, without him overpowering every single one of them.

Hermione wants, wanted more than to let the situation get the better of her but there is no way out of this one and she can already feel her heart being ripped from her chest.

A lone tear escaped her eyes and fell down her cheek.
-
She was looking his way, for a moment.

She looked so familiar, so raw, so much like that girl from long ago in Hogwarts. There was desperation in her amber eyes— utter hopelessness, her jaw slacked from shock and she was pale but her expression was honest. She's not acting this time, that much he knows.

She's real again —finally and she's just an arm's width away.

Her lips moved, "Draco, let him go." Her voice didn't stutter but her appeal is weak. The timbre of it strong but her words weren't. He could destroy her with just a flick of his wrist.

"And why would I listen to you? You're nothing but a house pet here, Granger. Do you remember? Or should I make you remember? In front of him? Right now?"

She shook then, her nails digging into the tanned skin of her palms. Her body shook from revulsion perhaps— but anger most likely.

Yes, the play has now officially begun.
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Wazzup??! Actually I have no words, I thought this book is dead but turns out it is not. This goes out to the lovely, lovely AkuraMatsu! All the hugs and kisses x

Song up top is 'How You Get the Girl' by this indie artist Taylor Swift. Don't know if yall heard about her. Cause Drakie is trying to get the girl and much can be said about this book but an unboppable soundtrack will not be one of them. Peace!