Phoenix

Chapter 2: Old Wounds

“Miss Granger.” 

Hermione’s body jerked against the floor in shock at the voice echoing in her head. She whined, her body pinned by the sadistic skeleton of a woman known as Bellatrix Lestrange. 

“Miss Granger!” 

It spoke again this time more urgently.

The brunette let out a scream, blubber pleas put to the mass of black curly hair that obscured her vision. Her arm exploded in pain, feeling the hot blade searing through her flesh. 

“ Focus on my voice, Miss Granger.”

Hermione’s head swung around on the ground, eyes darting frantically before locking with ice blue. 

Narcissa Malfoy stood there looking impassive, her face completely blank and for a moment Hermione hated her. Brown eyes hardened as she stared back into pools of ice. 

“Crucio!” 

A scream tore from the young witch’s throat, her back arching off the ground in an unnatural manner, eyes never leaving the Malfoy matriarch’s. 

She held her gaze, watching as those frigid eyes let her in, drowning her in the surprisingly deep waters below the frozen surface. 

“Please,” the voice whispered, “ focus on me, it’ll be over soon.” 

Hermione gasped, it was Narcissa Malfoy she was hearing. 

She whimpered, nails digging into the hard wood of the drawing room under her. 

“How did you get into my vault!” Shrieked the voice of the woman above her, drawing back her attention. 

Her lips remained shut, eyes distant, searching for that voice. 

“Crucio!” The witch snarled again, laughing maniacally as the child below her wriggled like a worm on a hook. 

“Give her an answer, any kind of answer.” 

Hermione snarled in her mind at the woman, not wanting to give any information to the death eaters, even if there really wasn’t any to give on this particular line of questioning. 

“Darling girl, I can read your every thought if I wanted to. I’m not seeking information, I’m trying to keep you sane .”

Bellatrix leaned in close, her nose bumping into Hermione’s, whispering gruffly at the girl. “That sword is meant to be in my vault in Gringotts, how did you get it?! ” 

The death eaters' rancid breath washed over the brunette’s face as she let out a sob. 

“What else did you and your friends take from my vault?!” 

Hermione winced at the screech, shaking her head as her heart thudded in her ears. A torrent of blubbered words tumbled from her quivering lips in a frenzied denial. “Please,” she trembled, “I didn't take anything!” She trailed off with a sob.

Black curls fell down upon the younger witches face as she leaned even closer, lips brushing against Hermione’s cheek. “ Liar !” She gave a harsh whisper before shifting her head down lower, breath ghosting against the witch’s neck. 

She bit into the side of the woman’s neck, sharp teeth tearing into the skin. 

Hermione screams, body flailing, trying to buck the woman off of her, only managing to jar the teeth deeper into her neck. 

“Look at me Miss Granger, focus on me.” 

The brunette turned her head, locking eyes with Narcissa who stood, staring at her with an emotionless expression. Her eyes were hard, but Hermione could see the panic swirling behind the aloof expression. 

A lone tear fell from Hermione’s eye. She watched transfixed as a tear fell from the blonde eye too, rolling down her tragically beautiful, yet stoic face. 

“You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth !” Bellatrix snarled against her neck, drawing back to glare down at the younger witch, mouth smeared in blood, her blood . “What else did you take ? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!” 

Hermione winced as she saw the blade refract the light from the chandelier. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, needing to think her way out.

“Did you break into her vault?” Narcissa probed gently, wanting her suffering to end quickly, knowing how unhinged her sister can become. 

Bits of memory flooded into Hermione’s mind, Ron and Harry fighting. a snatcher wandering near her wards, looking right through her. Harry putting on the locket and leaving. Ron and Harry returning with the sword. Shooting Harry in the face with a stinging jinx. 

Each memory flashing through her mind rapidly, only to be replaced with the next. 

“What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!”

Narcissa winced, body stiffening as the curse hit her through Hermione’s mind. 

The brunette screamed, throat tightening as the pain ripped through her. Her voice bouncing off the walls and echoing back at her.  

Bellatrix cackled loudly. She brought the knife to the girl's face, stroking her cheek with the back side of it. 

Hermione flinched, stomach turning as she felt the dark magic coiling thickly around the blade. Was it cursed? She hoped not. 

“How did you get into my vault?” 

Hermione shook her head, desperately muttering and pleading for her to stop. Begging her to listen. “We found it — we found it — PLEASE!” She kept her gaze locked on Narcissa's, perhaps even pleading with the icy blonde to help her. “We’ve never been inside your vault. . . . It isn’t the real sword! It’s a copy, just a copy!”

The raven haired witch growled, pushing Hermione’s face into the floor, facing her away from the arm she suddenly had in her grip. She brought the knife down into her forearm, grinning sadistically when the girl started writhing and screeching as loudly as she could. 

Liquid fire ran through her arm, her skin was melting, she was sure of it. She yelled out, thrashed and tried to buck the woman off of her.

“ Focus on me!”

And so she did. 

Hermione forced her eyes open, letting out a whimper as a wet tongue ran over the burning wound pulsating on her arm. She looked pleadingly to Narcissa, watching as her blue eyes seemed to narrow into catlike slits and shine a slight golden color. 

She couldn’t seem to look away, caught in the wonder of angelic appearance of the other woman’s beauty. 

Her features seemed to sharpen and get more angular, teeth looking sharp as she bared them momentarily. Her blonde and black stripped hair dulled into an almost silver color. 

“ MINE!” Narcissa’s voice snarled angrily. It reverberated in her mind, calming her, making her feel safe as she was cursed and carved into like she was a turkey to be served in a festive holiday feast. “ Marking what is MINE!”

Narcissa started to visibly struggle, seeming to war with herself to stay in control, to stay sane herself. 

Yours. Safe. Narcissa. Narcissa.Narcissa!

Her mind screamed at the woman, her name repeating, a continuous prayer in her mind. Filling her up and smothering her, drowning her in the women. 

Was this a spell? The work of a curse? Insanity? Perhaps she was just latching into the soothing balm Narcissa’s presence in her mind gave when faced with the sharp teeth and brutality of the woman’s elder sister. 

She was clinging to every syllable the woman uttered into her brain, every narrow of her eyes as she became slightly unhinged the more upset she became. 

But

Why?

Why was the Malfoy matriarch upset to begin with? Why was she helping the muggle born witch, the mudblood, sprawled on her back in her esteemed drawing room floor? 

“ Protect.”  The guttural growl startled her, the normally posh and poised Narcissa Malfoy almost seemed primal, animalistic. Possessive.

Hermione suddenly let out a terrible long drawn out scream. Bellatrix bit down into her arm, then again a little higher up, lost and crazed to the bloodlust. 

Bellatrix sat up, licking at her bloodied lips before wiping them with her fingers. “Did I break the poor Muddy?” She brought her fingers up to her lips, licking them clean of crimson staining them. 

She rose off of the sobbing girl, barely looking at her as she flicked her wand, “crucio!”

Hermione gasped, the intensity of the pain, so much stronger than before, ripped her from Narcissa’s warmth. Her back arched awkwardly off the ground, limbs jerking as she tried curling into a ball. 

A mad cackle filled the room, “Yes! Sing for me Muddy! Curcio!”

The young witch screeched, begging her to stop, yelling for Harry, for Ron, Narcissa, Draco, anyone to help her. A metallic taste hit her tongue, coating her mouth as she screamed, throat raw. 

“ Breath Miss Granger.” Narcissa was back, “ focus on me, and breathe.” She sounded panicked. 

Hermione almost moaned at the ice that seemed to invade her body, cooling the blazing flame from the cruciatus curse, at Narcissa’s voice. She was clinging to every syllable she spoke, every word formed. 

She felt The blondes magic reach out to hers tentatively, as if trying to protect her, to heal her. The feeling reminded her of casting a patronus charm. Safe and warm. 

“Dob…by…” Hermione whispered, tears rolling down her face.

“What was that Muddy?” Bellatrix kicked Hermione’s mutilated arm. She bent over, grabbing a fist full of the brunette’s hair, tugging it harshly. 

“The goblin,” Narcissa spoke through clenched teeth, “Question the goblin.”

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at her sister, dropping Hermione roughly. “Get the goblin!” She bared her blood stained teeth. “What are you waiting for?” She sneered at the blonde. “Go get it now Cissy!”

Narcissa froze, looking down to Hermione, not wanting to leave her alone with the raven haired witch. 

Cackling again, Bellatrix raised her wand, “Crucio!”

The blonde turned, walking as quickly as she could without breaking out into a full on sprint. She flung open the dungeon door, gritting her teeth as Hermione’s screams built up again, growing louder the farther away she got from the room. 

Her heels clicked loudly as she rushed down the stairs to the dungeon. She held up her wand, casting a silent lumos as she ran.

Pulling a key out of her cloak she threw open the holding cells metal door, watching the prisoners inside wearily. “Stay back,” she rasped, pushing it open wider. “Griphook? Come with me, my sister requires your presence.”

She looked into the room, wand still raised. She locked eyes with Harry, nodding to him and glancing at Ron before slowly pulling on the door after the goblin stepped through. Making sure it was left cracked slightly open she turned to look back through the gate. “How does it feel to be cooped up and dirty, filthy like a simpering house elf .” She sneer at them, eyes narrowing at Harry, watching him grow angry. 

Turning on her heel she ran back up the stairs, pretending not to notice the clacking of two wands falling down the stairs towards the cellar. 

She smiled softly as she heard a crack of apparition, and a near silent but excited “Dobby!” She shook her head, bounding back into the drawing room and clenching her jaw, teeth clicking together angrily. 

Hermione lay there motionless, eyes cloudy and so very far away, seemingly lost within her mind. A constellation of tears sat upon her wet eyelashes, rolling silently down her cheeks and across her nose as her head faced her marked up arm. MUDBLOOD. 

Narcissa winced, swallowing bile, Mudblood was carved into Hermione’s arm, alone with several perfect bite marks. Her eyes narrowed in anger, a low snarl leaving her lips. Bite marks? In what was hers?

She took a step towards her cackling sister, glaring at the back of her curly head, ready to lunge. 

“Expelliarmus!” 

Bellatrix’s wand went flying through the air, landing in Harry’s hand. He nodded to Ron before quickly throwing a spell at Lucius, “Stupify!”

The boys then turned on Draco and Narcissa. The blonde witch’s eyes widened, silently pasting several protegos to block their onslaught of spells, deflecting as best she could. 

“STOP!”

Everyone froze, eyes darting to the raven haired woman who held a near comatose Hermione in her arms. She had her pulled back against her chest, arm wrapped around her forehead, black clawed nails digging into her scalp and yanking her head back at an odd angle. Cursed knife to her throat. 

Narcissa let out a low growl, back turning completely to the two boys who had just been attacking her to focus on the woman in her sister’s arms. Her skin felt itchy, it prickled painfully, almost feeling as if something was sprouting out of it as Bellatrix pressed her knife against the witches throat harder, a small line of blood trailing down her neck. More marks. None of them hers.

Bellatrix grinned, her mouth ghosting over Hermione’s ear. “Drop your wands!” She yanked her head back harder. “I said drop them!”

She heard the clanking of wands hitting the floor, but paid them mind, stepping closer to the pair of them, eyes never leaving Hermione’s slack form. 

“Pick them up Draco,” The raven haired woman rasped, “Now!” 

She saw Draco move from the corner of her eye, his movements jerky and panicked. She hated how frightened he was in his own home, by his own family. 

Narcissa turned back to look at the body, keeping her body half turned towards the two women as Bellatrix walked Hermione a few steps closer. 

“Well well well,” The curly haired witch grinded, leaning in to whisper loudly against the shell of Hermione’s ear. “It’s Harry Potter!” They took another step, so close now to Narcissa that she could almost grab at her. “He’s all bright and shiny and new again!” She licked over Hermione’s ear, teeth bared in a sadistic grin. “Just in time for the Dark Lord!”

Bellatrix turned them to look at Lucius, “Call him!” 

Everyone looked at each other, momentarily stunned. 

“Call him!” She screeched. 

Lucius hobbled forward, a limp replacing his once prideful swagger. He tugged up his sleeve, smirking as he he showed the dark mark that branded his forearm. 

Draco paled, his lip trembling as his eyes darted around the room. 

The elder blonde raised his hand over the mark, sneering at the boys.

Hermione let out a shaky breath that bordered on a sob, eyes on the chandelier and the small elf in his oversized shoes that sat atop it. He winked at her, giving her a small dose of hope. 

He climbed up higher to where the fixture attached to the ceiling, wrapping his small legs around it he slowly unscrewed it. 

Hermione winced at the loud squeaks that the light let out as Dobby worked to unscrew it. Bellatrix glanced up at the noise, brow furrowing, she tilted her head like a confused dog. All eyes followed hers, also looking up at the elf. 

Everyone stared, unsure what to do, just watching until the elf looked down into Bellatrix’s eyes and smirked at her. The chandelier came down directly on top of the two witches.

Bellatrix let out a shriek, shoving Hermione roughly and falling backwards out of the way of the glass. 

Narcissa lunged, catching the young witch around the middle, ignoring the fight that was happening with the boys around them. Hermione clutched at the blonde, hands clinging tightly to her robes. Narcissa pulled her closer, arms wrapping tightly around the injured girl. 

She shifted them closer to the two boys that would keep her safe, lifting her gaze to make eye contact with Harry. 

He nodded at her, yanking on Ron’s shirt and tugging them closer to Narcissa and the limp Hermione in her arms. 

Hermione’s hands shifted down to Narcissa’s arms, taking firm hold of the soft material she found there, not wanting to lose the safe feeling of the elder witch's arms. 

Bellatrix let out a loud angry shriek, glaring at the woman in her sister’s arms, “Avada!”

“Thou musnt harm Harry Potter’s friends!” Dobby yelled, throwing his hands and magic forward. 

Hermione felt the elf’s magic wash over her and Narcissa, it was warm and happy. She slumped into Narcissa, her numb legs nearly buckling from beneath her, she was thankful of the elder witch’s tight hold on her. 

Harry reached out, tugging Hermione into him, helping to support her and hold her steady. 

She panicked, thrashing in his hold, no longer feeling the safe warm feeling she felt wrapped in Narcissa’s arms, already missing how her magic seemed to caress and heal her. 

Harry’s brow furrowed looking up from the struggling witch in his grasp to the heart broken expression playing out across the normally icy and stoic Narcissa Malfoy. His eyes widened at the fist full of feathers Hermione had clutched in her hands. Where had they come from? 

“Dobby!” Harry yelled, voice frazzled. 

The elf grabbed ahold of each boy, apperating them. 

Hermione watched as Bellatrix screamed and threw her cursed knife at them, hoping that Dobby would be fast enough. She trained her gaze back over to Narcissa, reflecting her own grief at being left behind. She prayed the woman would be okay. 

The knife drew nearer, wisps of smoke surrounding them as the elf’s magic wrapped around them once more and they were gone with a pop.

The curse dagger sailed through the smoke, traveling with them through the apparition and sinking into Hermione’s stomach. 

She lurched forward with a gasp, clutching at the knife protruding from her side only to find it not there. 

She looked around, bricks and crumpled walls surrounded the floor around the bed. 

Her eyes widened, a feminine body with a head of blonde hair was bent, slumped over the side of the bed, her hand clutching tightly to Hermione's. Feathers surrounded the both of them, strewn about all over the bed and floor. 

This was Narcissa Malfoy! Hermione’s brow furrowed, looking closer at her face. Her face seemed to ripple with magic, almost as if there was a glamor on her. 

She reached up, gently pulling a white feather that faded into black at the tip from the older woman’s hair. She hummed, examining it. Where had these feathers come from? And more importantly, where had Narcissa come from? Last she remembered she was fighting Lucius and….

She froze. 

The feathers! These looked just like the feathers that had killed Lucius! Where did they come from and who’s were they? Why was Narcissa here? 

Trailing her eyes back to the sleeping woman she clasped their hands together, shifting to be as close to the woman as she could. Wanting that safe feeling of their magic combined once more. 

What was she going to do now? Where was everyone? Did they win the war?