Amid the Deadly Silence

Chapter 2: The Wrath of the Death Eaters

Hermione opened her eyes to find light shining through them. From her surroundings she concluded that she was in a hospital room. Why, she had no idea. She couldn't remember much of anything. She looked to her right and saw a sleeping Draco and smiled. Finally, something familiar.

She shifted slightly in her bed, causing Draco to stir and sit up. When he looked up and saw her, he gave her a big smile.

"I was wondering when you'd wake. You've been sleeping for days," he told her, rubbing her hand affectionately.

"What happened?" she asked him. "I can't seem to remember."

"A lot, actually," he answered.

Draco went on to tell her everything that'd happened, from the moment at Diagon Alley where she had disappeared, to her being lifeless on the chains in Snape's shack. And while Hermione listened to Draco's story, she started to remember everything that had happened. When he finished, she looked over at him.

"They've drained all of the Muggleborns' power. They plan...they plan to...treat us as they did the house elves... We're not allowed to even speak to "real" wizards and witches... We're going to live in a separate part of town, apart from everyone, and they're going to make us work like house elves... We're going to be sold off and worked to death!" Hermione explained to him, sobbing. "Draco...what's going to happen to me?"

Draco put his thumb to her cheek and wiped the tears away. "Nothing's going to happen. I'll make sure of it. You're safe."

"How can you stop it? You're only one person! There are only so many wards and spells you can do, Draco. The Death Eaters will do what they have to, to be sure all the dirty blood is washed away, and that means killing whoever gets in their way..." Hermione breathed in deeply and averted her gaze. "No, Draco, I really don't think you'll be able to do anything when the time comes."

"Hermione, everything will--"

"Don't! Don't say it, Draco. Please," Hermione whispered, "don't."

"How can I not, Hermione? I can't just say everything's going to be bad. I know it will be! But we can't just say that. That's not going to help anything," Draco replied, his temper rising.

She stayed silent and looked over at him again. "Do the healers know who I am? I'm probably being searched for now."

"I'm sure they wouldn't say anything..."

As if on cue, the door opened and a man in a long, black cloak with a large stack of papers marched in. "Hermione Jean Granger?" the man asked in a stern voice.

Hermione gave Draco a worried glance and then nodded at the man. "I have orders to remove you from the vicinity and to a separate part of town," the man said.

"Who gave you these orders?" Draco demanded.

"I am not at liberty to say, Mr. Malfoy. Mudblood, get changed and come with me," he answered.

"She's not a MUDBLOOD and she's not going anywhere," Draco shouted at him.

"She is and she will. All the Muggleborns are being removed from society and auctioned off as workers. You better watch your back, Mr. Malfoy, or your fate will be the same," the man told him.

"Draco," Hermione whispered. "I think I should go with this man."

"What? No, Hermione, I can't have you--"

"No, Draco, I have to go," she answered. She got up from her bed, went into the bathroom to change, pulled on her sweater and went to bid Draco goodbye. "Don't worry," she whispered in his ear as she hugged him. "Everything will be fine. I'll be fine.

"I love you, Hermione," he replied quietly.

"I love you, too. Just promise me--promise me that you'll come back for me," she said, a tear sliding down her face.

"I promise," he answered, kissing her cheek. "Just...be careful."

"Ahem, Ms. Granger, if you do not come with me now..." the man in the cloak warned.

She nodded and turned to him. With a swish of his wand, he had tied her hands together. As she was pushed out the door, she took one last look back and smiled at Draco. With a pop, his face disappeared from view and a large concrete fence came to be in front of her. To Hermione, the outside reminded her very much of a prison. As the man led her along and through the gates, she was convinced it was a prison, only instead of criminals, it was just for Muggleborns. She was led through rows and rows of cells, all of them full of sad looking men, woman, and children. The cloaked man stopped abruptly and Hermione slammed into him.

"Stupid girl!" he cried. His wand was raised and he was about to cast a spell on her when a hand grabbed the man's arm.

"Now, now, Helms, she's just a silly Mudblood. Don't waste your magic on her," a cold voice coaxed. Hermione recognised him as Lucius Malfoy. "You're wanted in row seventeen. There's some trouble going on. I'll take care of this one."

"Right, Malfoy." The man nodded and left.

Lucius turned to Hermione and smirked similarly to how Draco would have to her so many years ago. "Ms. Granger. So lovely to see you," he greeted snidely.

"I'm sure," she replied. "Please just let me in so I don't have to talk to you anymore."

"I don't think that's the way you should speak to me. I am in charge here, and you don't want to get on my bad side," he told her. He opened the cell. "Be on your guard, Ms. Granger. Good day."

Hermione sat on the hard, dirty floor and watched him go. When he left, she pulled her knees in and let the tears fall down her face and onto the ground.