Once Upon an Accident Chapter 14
Title: Once Upon an Accident
Summary: All that led to it was an accident. And accidents, as everyone well knows, are not meant to be purposeful. However, fate works in mysterious ways and just maybe, those accidents were not as accidental as they seem to be. Two very different people are thus thrust together by the hand of fate, all because of a little accident.
Pairings: Draco/Hermione
Warnings: Slightly suggestive scenes, minor references to sex, mild languageRating: PG-15
Disclaimer: All characters and settings property of J.K. Rowling
Chapter 14: Malfoy Manor
Draco and Harry landed abruptly, tumbling out of the fireplace coughing, with billows of dark smoke following, right on their tails. Draco stood, brushing soot off his robes and looking around. His mouth set into a thin line and he said grimly, "This is it. Welcome to Malfoy Manor."
Harry looked up and gasped. He was awestruck. Never in his wildest imagination would he have though that Malfoy Manor would be this magnificent and breathtakingly beautiful, especially taking into account the amounts of evil it had housed over the many years. In this room alone stood a gigantic king-sized four-poster bed, from it hanging shimmering emerald silk drapes. A large mahogany shelf stood aside, home to an extensive collection of more than a hundred books, of genres ranging from folk tales, to potion making, to even the Dark Arts. Above all, a large chandelier was enchanted to float above everything in the room. Light glinted off the chandelier, forming images of rainbows around the room. It was then that Harry realised that the entire thing was made of diamonds. Finally he stood, sinking his toes into the thick carpeting and sighed.
Having observed Harry's looks of wonder and gasps of admiration, Draco rolled his eyes. Turning to Harry, he said, "And it's only my room you've seen. At any rate, would you kindly stop gawking for a moment and try to remember what we're really here for?"
"Oh. Hermione. Right," Harry said, shaking his dazedness off.
"Come on, we're running out of time!" Draco rushed, pushing open his room door.
Stepping out of Draco's room, Harry couldn't help but stare, even though he knew that they had to focus. Right in front of them were the seemingly endless corridors of Malfoy Manor. Looking down the corridor, Harry couldn't see any end, just darkness that greeted him. He shifted nervously and gulped.
"How are we gonna find her in this labyrinth? This place is huge!"
"Don't worry so much Pothead, I have my ways. Besides, you've forgotten that I grew up here. Incidentally, refrain from using any magic in here unless your life is threatened. Wait, scratch that. If your life is threatened, just sacrifice it. I would enjoy life much more without your meddling ways."
Harry glowered at Draco. "No way, if I were gone, who knows what might happen to Hermione? Still, why aren't I allowed to use my wand?"
Draco rolled his eyes a second time today. "Don't be stupid Potty. Do you think this Manor is any old home? It's surrounded by age old enchantments which function to keep out intruders, and on top of that, my old man is paranoid. Even a weak spell like Lumos being activated for a split second would alert him to your presence. Our presence," Draco drawled, speaking as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Having said that, he proceeded to close his eyes, placing his palm flat against the wall.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing?" Harry asked hurriedly. "We have no time for your odd habits of molesting the walls, we have to find Hermione now!"
"Shh! I'm searching for Hermione. Every Malfoy's spirit is tied to this Manor, so I should be able to figure out where Hermione is just by feeling for a foreign presence. Other than you of course." Draco's eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "This way!"
Out of the blue, a scream of agony ripped through the silence of the Manor. The two boys gazed at each other in fear and immediately tore fown the corridor. Harry followed Draco's lead, twisting and turning down the dark hallways of Malfoy Manor. He did not know what was to come as he plunged into the cold, eerie depths of the Manor, so all he could do was to trust Draco, with all his heart, to lead them to Hermione. We're coming for you, Harry appealed silently. Please, wait for us!
Her eyes fluttered open, and she squinted to see in the dim lighting. Hermione observed her alien surroundings, and concluded that she was in a dungeon of some sort. She tried lifting her limbs, but found that she was shackled to the wall and floor. Hermione looked up as she heard the door creaking open.
"Ah, I see that you're awake my dear," Lucius Malfoy said, stepping into the cramped dungeon. He sauntered up to her and bent down, coming face to face with her. He held her chin and tilted her head up, scrutinizing her features closely. "I finally see what that wastrel of a son sees in you. You're a pretty little thing for a Mudblood aren't you?"
Hermione noticed his eyes, the same silver pools that were so familiar but yet not, for they were cold, emotionless, save for a look of intense loathing; so different from the warmth she was so used to. She averted her gaze, turning her head away. She refused to play his game, to let him have it his way.
"Do you really think that my son loves you?" Lucius Malfoy cackled. "I must say you are sorely mistaken my dear girl. He merely thinks of you as a passing fancy, a toy, some might say."
"A toy, you say? Then why am I here? If I really am what you think I am, you would trust that Draco would leave me someday, and not bother to even try to reach me. The very fact that I am here in this dungeon, shackled, shows a great deal about what a threat you view me as," Hermione rebutted smoothly, her mind whirring swiftly despite having just regained consciousness. She smiled grimly as Lucius Malfoy faltered, for her had never thought of it that way before. She had won, if only for this round.
He had faltered, but only for a second. Before Hermione knew it, a hand whipped out and slapped her, causing her head to whip backwards and smash into the wall, as Lucius Malfoy regained his steely composure. "It will do you good to think before you speak, child. You cannot even come to comprehend the kind of power I wield, what I know and can do to you, you little mudblood bitch."
"Try me," Hermione responded, staring right back at him defiantly, her words withholding a challenge.
"I see," he muttered, straightening up again. "If that's how you're gonna be, I'm going to have a lot of fun with you. Crucio!" Hermione let out a guttural scream and her eyes flew wide open, as pain she had never experienced inflicted her body. It felt like there were a thousands arms pummeling and scratching her, legs kicking at her, knives stabbing, piercing, cutting. Never in her life had she felt pain so excruciating, so vivid; the agony was unimaginably torturous.
Then, the curse was lifted. To Hermione, it felt like a few years had passed when in actual fact, it had only been mere seconds.
Lucius Malfoy scoffed. "Just as I expected, you're weak. But no matter, you still provide me the enjoyment of torturing the simpering fool who caused so much trouble for my family. Now scream! Crucio!"
Hearing his words, Hermione was determined not to scream. She set her jaw and clenched her teeth as a waves of pain descended on her once again. Her hands gripped the chains savagely, her knuckles turning pale white and she screwed her face up, obstinately staying as silent as she could at the moment. Her legs curled into the fetal position and her body convulsed, wracked by the cruciatus curse.
Once again, the curse was retracted, and Hermione's body relaxed slightly. Unexpectedly, she felt the hard boot impact her stomach, knocking all the wind out of her. Still, she refused to make a sound, other than an involuntary exhalation of air when she was first kicked. Lucius Malfoy stared at her intently, his eyes narrowing into thin slits, rivaling that of Professor McGonagall's when she was irate. "So you've decided to go against me. I suppose it's time for me to change tactics. I'm going to enjoy this very much, mudblood whore. After all, that's all you muggles are good for anyway." Hermione's eyes widened in horror as she realised the implication of his words.
No, no, no, please, anything but that, Hermione pleaded inwardly. The bastard wouldn't-
With a few flicks of his wand, a cot materialised in the far corner of the minuscule room, and Hermione's shackles were off. Before she could react though, Lucius Malfoy had clutched the roots of her hair and was dragging her against the rough floor of the dungeon towards the bed. This can't be happening to me, she thought, while struggling to fight off tears that had started to form under her eyelids. He shoved her brusquely onto the cot. With a wave of his wand and a muttered "incarcerous", she was bound to the bed, her wrists and ankles tied firmly to the corners of the tiny cot, her body spread-eagled on the bed, facedown.
"It's a good thing you're small, mudblood. Oh, I can't imagine how tight you will be," Lucius Malfoy stroked her arm and placed his palms against her upper arms and clamped down hard enough to bruise. Hermione winced, as a lone tear escaped from her eye and dripped onto the mattress. He bent over her and licked her earlobe, trailing his lips down her neck to her collarbone, then biting down viciously. His hands roamed liberally over her body, one hand wandering under her blouse onto her stomach, the other groping her breast forcefully. Unconsciously, his hips thrust into her, and she felt something hard against her. She let out an involuntary shudder of disgust. He released his hand from her breast and directed his attention to the buttons on her blouse, swiftly unbuttoning each, then reached for the clasp of her bra. By then, Hermione was unable to hold back her tears and they flowed freely from her eyes.
BAM! The door to the dungeon swung open and and shouts of "Expelliarmus!" and "Stupefy!" were heard. Lucius Malfoy was thrown against the wall and following that, slumped down against it. Rushing in, Draco and Harry gasped at the scene before them. Instantly, both boys strode forward and hurriedly untied Hermione's wrists and ankles from the bedposts. Hermione instinctively curled into a fetal position, guarding herself from further abuse. Draco made to gather her into his arms, but she flinched and her body stiffened.
"Hermione, love," Draco whispered tenderly. "It's me, Draco. I've come for you."
She opened her eyes cautiously, and upon seeing Draco, flung herself into his embrace, sobbing. He ran his fingers through her hair softly, whispering words of comfort into her ear, as she nodded and nuzzled into his chest. Then, he grasped her shoulders and examined her. He buttoned her blouse, and spotted the mark left by the bite his father had made, on top of her bruised cheek, arms and her wrists and ankles that were red and chafed from being tied up. Draco was furious. He stood up abruptly and guided her towards Harry. Thereafter, he headed straight for his father.
"Ennervate," he murmured and as Lucius Malfoy regained consciousness Draco's fist caught his jaw in a powerful punch. "You bastard," he hissed. "You're going to pay for this." He pointed the tip of his wand at his father's heart. "Av-"
Lucius wiped the smear of blood off his jaw and peered up at Draco. "But Draco, I'm your father. I was the one who raised you, who gave you all you ever wanted, while all I ever wanted was for you to grow up well. Can you really bear to kill me?" he coaxed, subtly reaching for his wand. Hesitation flashed across Draco's eyes and in that second, Lucius raised his wand.
"STUPEFY!"
A jet of red light shot from behind Draco and hit Lucius before he could even utter a word. Draco spun around. "I didn't need your help. I could have handled him on my own," he spat at Harry.
"No, you couldn't. And that's what makes you different from him," Harry replied calmly. "You had sympathy and filial piety, whereas he was ready to off you in a second. It's not a crime to value life, Malfoy."
Draco sighed begrudgingly. "Fine, thanks."
"What's that you said?" Harry questioned, as Hermione giggled.
"You heard what I said! Now let's go home."