The Dark Prince

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I lie awake on along, dark night

I can't seem to tame my mind

Slings and arrows are killing me inside

Maybe I can't accept the life that's mine

No I can't accept the life that's mine

Creed - Weathered

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Chapter 13

...slings and arrows...

"Ron? He's been captured?"

"I am afraid so, Arthur."

Arthur Weasley's head in the fireplace turned starkly white. Dumbledore quickly said, "Severus is on his way over there. He intends to save them."

"Severus?"

"Yes."

"Aurors?" asked Arthur.

"That was his idea."

"Albus, is there something you're not telling me?"

There was a momentary pause then the ancient wizard shook his head.

"Only that Natasha Bennett was also captured in the attempt to rescue Miss Granger."

Arthur nodded and said, "I will give Severus the Aurors he'll need." As an afterthought he added, "Will it be enough?"

Dumbledore sighed and replied solemnly, "I don't know, Arthur. I truly do not know."

"Goodbye, Albus."

"Goodbye, Minister."

Arthur pulled back out of the Burrow's fireplace and turned to find his wife standing in the doorway, tears glittering in her eyes but not flowing. She lifted her chin defiantly and asked, "Is it true?"

Arthur nodded and walked over to her, reaching out his arms to pull her to him. Molly waved them away and asked, "And Severus is going to save them?"

"He's going to try," said Arthur.

"No," said Molly sharply. "He will save them. He'll bring them back to us."

Arthur knew that us was both Ron and Hermione. Molly had grown to love Hermione like another daughter. Just as she had grown to love Harry like another son.

"Yes," said Arthur. "He will."

Molly nodded. "He will. He won't give up until he does."

"Or he's dead."

Molly ducked her head and now Arthur took her into his arms. She did not push him away, only melted into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning her head against his chest. But still her tears did not fall.

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I want to take his eyes out

Just for looking at you

Yes I do

And I want to take his hands off

Just for touching you

Yes I do

Nickelback - Just For

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Chapter 14

...touching you...

"You think she's still alive?"

"Of course she is, you idiot. Don't you dare think for a moment that she isn't."

"But what do you think they're doing to her?"

"I don't know. What I really want to know is what they want her for."

"What do you think it is?"

Natasha sighed and tilted her head back to call out, "I don't know."

In the cell just down the cellblock Ron sighed and pressed the heels of his hands against his tired eyes.

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In the Slytherin colored room, Hermione still sat with her back to the wall. Her eyes were focused blankly on the opposite wall and a painting on it. If memory served her correctly it was a Muggle painting called Persistence of Memory.

Suddenly the door opened and she got to her feet hurriedly, placing one hand against the wall to support herself. She expected it to be the Dark Prince.

It wasn't.

Draco Malfoy entered the room, a smirk on his face. Hermione snarled, "What the hell do you want?"

"Me?" replied Draco innocently. "Why, only revenge."

"Revenge."

"Yes. The Prince has embarrassed me for far too long. Now, the child supposed to be his will be mine."

Draco moved forward and Hermione spat savagely, "You touch me - you even try to touch me - and I'll kill you."

"I'd like to see you try Mudblood."

He continued moving forward until they were nearly nose-to-nose. As he reached out to touch her shoulder, Hermione brought her hands up and grabbed his arm, spinning and pulling his arm hard. Draco flew over her shoulder and landed on the floor with a thump.

"I warned you."

Hermione began to walk away but Draco reached up and jerked her down to the floor. She shrieked involuntarily and swung her fist at him, striking him squarely in the jaw. Draco cursed and slapped her, climbing atop her and holding her arms down with his knees. He slapped her again, his face flushed.

"Stupid bitch!"

He then began to pull at her robes. Hermione bucked and writhed like an eel, snapping at his fingers when they came towards his throat. Draco slapped her again, harder this time. Her neck was snapped to the side by the force but she did not cry out.

"Bitch!"

Suddenly something threw Draco off of Hermione and into the opposite wall with a loud thud. As he slid down the wall to the floor, Hermione rolled over and looked to see who her rescuer was.

The Dark Prince stood in the door, hand outstretched towards Draco. Green eyes blazed like pools of liquid emerald fire as he walked forward with a catlike grace. His voice was soft when he spoke and Hermione could sense in it the same dangerous quality that had been in Snape's whenever he spoke that way.

"She would be my bitch, thank you, Malfoy. Now, come here."

Draco rose shakily to his feet as Harry moved to help Hermione up. He straightened her robes in a series of quick movements and smoothed her hair down with a whispered charm. The stark white mask jerked as he smiled behind it then turned to face Draco, his hand on Hermione's arm.

"Apologize."

"What?"

Hermione and Draco both stared at the Prince as if he was mad. He simply growled again, "Apologize. Or die."

Draco stood defiantly for a moment then moved towards Hermione. She tried to take a step back but the Prince held her firm, his eyes locked on Draco.

The blond man stopped in front of her and bowed, opening his mouth to speak, but the Prince shook his head.

"No, no, no. Bow lower."

Draco glared at him and bowed lower.

"On your knees, Malfoy."

Hermione could see rage blazing in Draco's gray eyes but even more was burning in the Prince's. She was not afraid that Draco would attack her again. She was afraid of what the Prince would do to him if he did.

Draco dropped to his knees and bowed his head.

"A little lower, I think," said the Prince.

The blond head bowed until it nearly touched the floor. A voice came from it that sounded as though it was being forced between clenched teeth.

"Is this better?"

"Why, yes," replied the Prince with a smirk. "Now apologize."

Draco let out a hiss of breath then said so quickly Hermione could barely make out what he said, "Iapologizeformybehaviortoyou,Mudblood..."

"Lady," snapped the Prince.

"...Lady,andIhopeyouwillforgiveme."

The Prince looked at Hermione now, who turned her head to look from Draco to him.

"Forgive him and he lives," said the Prince. "Do not forgive him and he dies."

Hermione frowned and turned her head to look down at Draco again. She wouldn't - couldn't - have someone's blood on her hands. If she said no, he would die. And his blood - Malfoy blood or not - would be one her hands. And despite her dislike of him, she would not have that.

"You are forgiven."

The Prince nodded and kicked Draco in the side, snapping, "Get up, Malfoy!"

Draco got to his feet, wincing towards his right side but standing tall, his gray eyes blazing. The Prince was not in the least perturbed and snarled, "Get out. And if you ever touch her again, I will cut off your hands and feed them to you!"

Draco sneered in response then left. As soon as the door was closed, the Prince turned fully to look down at Hermione, his grip on her arms loosening. She winced and looked down at the aforementioned limb to where a bruise stood out purple and livid. The Prince's eyes followed her gaze down to it and his gloved hand down from her elbow to rub his thumb across it. Hermione felt a stirring of something in the air then the pain in her arm lifted. When she looked at the bruise again, it was gone.

"There. All better now."

Hermione looked up at the Prince, staring behind the stark white mask at the green eyes gleaming behind it. The emerald orbs searched her face, staring calmly back down at her.

Slowly, she reached up and touched the white mask. When the Prince did not move or protest, she ran her finger along the line of the cheek up to the left eye, where the three horizontal lines gleamed in gold. Before she knew what she was doing, she slid the mask off, looking into the face she constantly saw in her dreams.

Harry's face was not smirking nor mocking now. Neither rage nor spite burned in the green eyes now. Hermione saw the Harry she remembered - kind, gentle, and loving.

Suddenly his grip tightened on her arms and he pulled her to him, locking his mouth with hers, arms moving from her arms to encircle her waist. Hermione struggled for a moment then found herself melting into the kiss. Her arms slide up and around his neck, one hand reaching up to bury itself in his unruly black hair.

For all his being the Dark Prince and turning to the Dark, she still loved him. In her cell, Hermione had thought of different ways she would kill Harry for his betrayal if she got her hands on him. Now she knew that she could not have killed him.

His hands pulled at her robes, not as Draco had, but gentler, more kindly. And she let him.

Her robes fell from her shoulders to pool about her feet, revealing the plain white t-shirt and blue jeans she wore under them. Hermione pulled her shirt over her head herself before beginning to pull at Harry's robes, caught up in the passion of their kiss. Harry's fingers fumbled at her jeans as hers pulled at the buttons on his shirt before moving to his pants.

When the accursed jeans finally fell away, Harry picked her up, still kissing her. Hermione locked her legs around him as he carried her to the bed.

And she did not resist.