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The Prisoner	By : Nerys Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Hermione/Voldemort Views: 63563 -:- Recommendations : 6 -:- Currently Reading : 13
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
Author's note: I want to thank everyone who read, rated, alerted, faved, and reviewed. I'm wishing you a wonderful 2018 and hope you had a nice Christmas. The holidays came between me and my updating schedule. So now this chapter is posted for Tomione Day. See y'all in a week's time for the next update.
Review Replies can be found at AFForg's forum: http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/topic/19576-the-prisoner-by-nerys/?page=8#comment-411921
With special thanks to Serpent in Red for betaing.
The Prisoner
Conflict All Around
Getting to Azkaban was simpler than Hermione expected, nobody had noticed her stealing one of the Ministry's cars. She quickly walked to security, nodding to Doris who seemed unusually chipper today, which was surprising seeing that the Malfoys were standing at her counter.
'I do not understand how you can possibly misplace all my belongings,' Lucius Malfoy said haughtily. 'This isn't even half of it. How much longer will this take?'
Ah, that was why Doris had fun.
'We're looking into it,' Doris answered. 'Hermione, how may I help you?'
Hermione got an annoyed glare from the Malfoys, which would've amused her had the circumstances been different. She placed her bag on the counter for inspection and said, 'Just a visit as usual, Doris.'
'Shouldn't my husband's items be all in the same locker?' interrupted Narcissa, while holding Lucius's hand.
'Yes, it should've been, but apparently some items got mixed up with another's. There you go, Hermione,' Doris said, handing her her bag back with a sideway glance at the Malfoys. 'You know the way.'
'Thank you, Doris.'
'Maybe we should come back later,' Narcissa suggested.
'And leave without my wand? No. I can't go without one again.'
'I'm sure we'll find it soon. Jordan is checking all the lockers as we speak. You're welcome to use the staff lounge, sit down and get some coffee or tea as you wait?'
Hermione didn't find out how that suggestion fell nor did she care. She rushed down the stairs and began her preparations.
xxx
When she entered Tom's cell, his eyes knowingly glanced to the clock before glinting at her, clearly entertained. 'Came for the big show? One hour until the deadline—you're cutting it close, darling. I have to say I was beginning to think you hadn't put two and two together, but here you are.'
Without responding to that, she pulled the tiny, glass vial out of her pocket and held it out to him.
His eyebrows raised in surprise. Leisurely, he strolled towards her, accepting the vial and uncorking it. The corner of his mouth quirked upwards as he sniffed at the potion inside. 'A Sleeping Draught?' he said questioningly, tilting his head. 'How positively peaceful of you.'
'Don't bother destroying it,' Hermione said sternly. 'There's more where that came from.'
'Oh, I'm sure,' Tom drawled. 'I'm just wondering how in your mind this can be a plan that works. Even if I'm unconscious, the wards will still fall, the power will be mine, and you can't take me outside with those wards still up.'
'That's what the explosives I placed outside are for.'
'Resorting to Muggle tactics. Couldn't find a magical solution, dear?'
'Plenty, but they take too long.'
'True. Explosives are an adequate solution, although not so much for you. Given that you're here alone, I take it they wouldn't listen to your warnings?' He sniggered softly. 'People are so predictable, especially government employees, don't you agree? So … blowing up my wards … now that's bound to get you an one-way ticket to Azkaban as well.'
'Do you think I care about that?' she snapped, disturbed at that continued smile on his face.
'Apparently not, but I have to say I'm disappointed. I sincerely thought I could trust you.'
Guilt overwhelmed her, but then she saw that smug flicker in his eyes, and fury took its place. 'You never truly did, so cut the bullshit.'
'Hmmm… didn't I?' His head dropped, staring at the vial in his hand. 'I'm just wondering how you plan to get me to take this.' He looked up, wiggling his eyebrows lewdly at her. 'Will there be physical violence involved?'
For a moment, they looked at each other silently. Then Hermione smiled and pulled the gun out of her pocket, effectively causing his facial expression to go blank in a second.
'You can't kill me while I'm in this cell, not even with that.'
'I know, but I bet it hurts.'
'Well, bottom's up then!' he exclaimed cheerfully and downed the Sleeping Draught, tossing the vial dramatically over his shoulder. It shattered to pieces against the wall. His dark eyes didn't lose their vigour as he looked up at the ceiling and whistled casually, his long fingers tapping softly against his thigh.
Disturbed, Hermione realised he wasn't reacting at all to the potion. 'How?' she whispered, her eyes wide as they flickered over his still very much awake body.
'Do you honestly think I didn't factor in all the variables for tonight, Hermione?' he asked softly, taking a step towards her.
'Hmmm… didn't I?' Hermione mocked.
A playful wink was his answer.
PANG!
'Oww!' Tom jumped around on one leg, grabbing the other with both hands that had a dart stuck in it. 'Tranquilizer gun. Granger, are you freaking serious?'
'Dead serious.'
He yanked out the dart. 'Well, you should've brought the real thing, darling. Nothing short of death will be able to stop me tonight.'
'I can see that. The dosage in that dart is enough to knock out a horse,' she said, her hand dropping back in her pocket, grabbing a hold of her backup plan C: the Taser.
Upon seeing her pull it out, Tom raised an eyebrow. 'What's that?'
The answer had him crashing to the floor, convulsing. Just when Hermione thought it had worked, he grumbled, shook himself, yanked the wires out of his chest, and got up as if nothing had happened.
Damn.
Tom seemed utterly entertained, his eyes flickering with delight. 'You do have some intriguing ideas, darling, but unless you've got something there that bypasses the healing aspects of this cell and allows you to kill me in a blink of an eye, don't bother, it won't be enough to put me out. And somehow, even if there were a way to kill me without that second of delay, I doubt that whatever else you've got with you is something that will kill me, Hermione. You're not a cold-blooded murderer. You don't have it in you.'
'Short memory?' she countered. 'I've tried to kill you before.'
'That was too overly complicated to be a real attempt, dear.'
Hermione sputtered. 'Too overly complicated? You're one to talk.'
His soft chuckle grated on her nerves.
'You used me to stop that leakage,' she accused, narrowing her eyes at him.
'Ah, the door opening.' His chuckle got a bit louder. However, upon seeing her ire, he quickly ceased and said, 'Oh come on, that was just a bit of fun. Given the actual magical restraining wards are surrounding the corridor, you know perfectly well that leakage was just a tiny blip in the scheme of things. I bet you didn't even bother to adjust your calculations after realising it.'
'A tiny blip,' Hermione repeated, shaking her head. 'Just a bit of fun. Sure. I buy that. You know perfectly well that had that leakage continued, it would've been a bit more than a "tiny blip".'
'One month, twenty-one days, three hours and forty-four minutes it would've added to the total had it continued,' Tom said at the top of his head.
'Exactly, so not just a bit of fun because that is not including the possibility of it affecting the corridor wards with the passing of time and scuppering your plans completely. Instead of the minutes it probably is adding now. Is it even a minute?'
'Fifty-two seconds,' he replied smugly.
Hermione raised her hands in the air and let them fall dramatically against her legs.
Tom snorted. 'I told you I've considered all the angles of what could be done to stop me. I've made sure I can't be knocked out for hours, which means I could very well fake being knocked out and allow myself to be dragged out from underneath these wards. I also arranged for Potter to leave the country, so you'd have to spend time trying to convince people who'd question every word you say. And even if they'd listened to you and somehow had made me leave this cell, I'd be out of this cell, able to access your and my magic, and I would've taken them out with that. Wand or no wand, I believe you know that they would be no match to me, especially without Potter around. I do admit I prefer the version where I stay in my cell to the end and gain all that accumulated magic—so much power, I can't wait to find out what more I'll be able to do. It's going to be magnificent,' he said feverishly.
Hermione swallowed. He really had covered all the angles. She couldn't set off the explosives with them protected by this cell. That would only cause the wards to fall, and have the added result of him being able to simply walk out of here. She hadn't been prepared enough; she hadn't had time to think everything through properly, while he had years and years of preparation behind him, and even if she had brought something that could kill him here in this cell right now, she wasn't sure if she would've been able to go through with it. Her feelings for him ran deeply. She didn't want him to be loose in the world, but the idea of him gone, permanently, was unbearable. Slowly, Hermione pocketed the Taser, not knowing what to do anymore.
Tom closed the distance between them. His hand buried itself in her curls, while his other arm pulled her into his embrace. She needed the comfort, placing her head against his chest and wrapping her arms around him.
'You see, my darling wife, no matter what you or anyone else does, Lord Voldemort will be victorious, and you will help me.'
'Yeah, that's the part where you lose me,' she retorted, looking up at him.
'Have you forgotten about our marriage?' he asked.
'No, but it seems you have. You won't be able to hurt me in any way, Tom, so you can't force me to do anything.'
He smiled. 'You are so young.' His lips found hers, kissing her softly, tenderly. Hermione moaned, tilting her head farther to deepen their kiss. Tom obliged, holding her tightly to him as he kissed her with an urgency and determination that made her feel oh so wanted, needed, that she never wanted it to end. When Tom broke their kiss, she met his eyes questioningly.
'You're instrumental to my plans, my success, Hermione, but I'm not going to force you to do anything. I won't need to. You'll be with me willingly. You already are.'
He rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. Hermione followed his lead, holding onto him tightly, as they simply stood there in a silent embrace. The moment was so serene, so peaceful, it seemed to last forever. It was just them, and nothing else mattered.
'Step away from him, Hermione,' Katie McGregor ordered, crashing their tranquility. 'I need you to come with us now.'
She tightened her grip on him, not wanting to let go and lose this moment. Tom's hair tickled her cheek as his head slid sideways against her skin until his lips brushed against her earlobe, and he whispered, 'Death is the only way.'
Hermione blinked, her eyes searching his face, confused. Did he really think she would kill for him?
He kissed her deeply; then, he leaned back, his hands unlocking her grip on his waist, and stepped away from her. His stance was suddenly formal, and his expression was once again that all too familiar blankness that gave out no information whatsoever to strangers. However, she could sense the tension he emitted, causing worry to strike her heart even more. She continued to look at him, searching for clues. What was wrong? Had he sensed her non-compliance? Surely, he must've realised, or was her reaction truly a factor he had misinterpreted!? She couldn't believe it. He wasn't stupid. He'd just told her that she wasn't a killer. Surely, he should know that extended to others besides him?
'Hermione,' Katie repeated warningly.
'It looks like they found your explosives, darling,' Tom drawled, nodding to the Auror holding several dismantled bombs. A mocking smirk rose on his face as he casually sat down on his bed, crossing his arms behind his head to lean comfortably against the wall. Demonstratively, he placed his legs on the table, showing how utterly unimpressed he was by the newly arrived threatening company. 'I suppose that's the end of your ill-devised plan.'
'Hermione, please,' Ron said.
Hearing Ron's voice shook her out of it, and she drew her eyes away from Tom, for the first time checking out their company. Katie and Ron were both in the cell, but behind the opened door, she could see many more people, Aurors and Unspeakables alike, all in full battle gear. The bloke blocking the door from closing was indeed holding the dismantled bombs in his hands. Her eyes fell on the clock above him. It wouldn't be long now, and there weren't enough of them to stop Riddle, not nearly enough. Sadness filled her; she didn't know how to stop him.
'You need to come with us, Hermione,' Ron added, holding out his hand nervously. 'Please, before things get out of control. I don't want you to get hurt.'
'I'm not surprised you don't know that she likes it rough,' Tom mocked.
Yet, Ron seemed to have learned something and ignored Riddle fully, his concentration solely on Hermione. Once more, he gestured at her to come to them. Hermione stood there, not knowing a solution, and no library in the world would be able to help her out this time.
'I don't know,' she whispered as she moved towards Ron.
Relieved, he took a hold of her and guided her out. Katie followed, shutting the door behind them briskly. Quietly, they moved through the second door into the corridor where it was safe to be in. One of the Aurors halted in front of Ron and Hermione, holding a pair of handcuffs.
'Those won't be necessary,' Ron said.
'Mr Weasley?' the Auror questioned, confused.
'You need to follow protocol, Mr Weasley,' Katie intervened. "You have to put her under arrest.'
Angrily, Ron looked over his shoulder to Katie. 'She isn't resisting.'
'It's all right,' Hermione said, numb. She held out her hands to the unknown Auror. 'I can't stop him anymore. It's too late.'
'Take her coat first,' Katie said. When Ron glared at her, she added, 'It was obviously used to smuggle those explosives in, and you don't know what else she has hidden in there.'
Hermione slipped out of her coat and held it out. The Auror standing in front of her was now looking from Ron to Katie, clearly uncertain whose lead he was supposed to follow.
'What she said,' Ron said unhappily, nodding towards Katie.
Before the Auror could accept Hermione's coat, Katie swooped in and took it. 'I'll have to confiscate that, considering it could contain classified Unspeakable gear.'
'Everything is in the inside pocket,' Hermione elaborated, holding out her hands so the Auror could cuff them. 'I've enlarged it magically.'
'Like your beaded bag?' Ron asked, taking her arm and guiding her up the staircase.
Hermione nodded. 'Sort of, somewhat. I'm sorry I don't have the answer, not this time,' she added, looking up at Ron. 'Tell Harry from me that I'm sorry when you see him, will you?'
'You can talk to him yourself, Hermione. I sent a message to Harry, like you asked. I'm sure he'll be here as soon as he gets it, and he'll understand what you did. He knows how manipulative Riddle is.'
'You still think I'm wrong.'
'Hermione, Riddle tricked you with that flawed theory of his. The two experts came to the same conclusion,' Ron replied in an attempt to comfort. 'There is nothing wrong with the wards.'
Hermione sighed.
'Weasley is right,' Katie said. 'If we hadn't got here on time, you'd have helped him escape. Do you even know what you were doing when you placed those explosives?'
'Do you when you dismantled them?' Hermione snapped.
'Granger, your calculations had two intricate fallacies in them.'
'Well, we'll see who's wrong soon enough, won't we? Believe me when I say that I wish it were me.'
It wasn't busy in the central hall of Azkaban when they arrived there, so Lucius Malfoy's voice was still unmistakable present. 'Warden Walden, I wish to file a complaint.'
Ron groaned. 'What is he still doing here?'
'I'm sure Doris will be right back with your belongings, Mr Malfoy. I understand that you wish to go home at once, but she has to follow the proper procedures. Excuse me,' Warden Walden said upon seeing them arrive and walked away from Malfoy.
'Apparently, rudeness is a requirement to work here,' Lucius snapped.
'It'll just be a bit longer, Lucius,' Narcissa said, patting on his arm in a comforting manner, 'and then we can go home.'
'That woman just wants to torment me some—' Lucius stopped talking when he noticed the party behind him.
'Auror Weasley, anything we can do to assist?' Warden Walden asked, looking worriedly at Hermione.
'Yes, you can evacuate as many people as you can,' Hermione answered.
'Hermione, don't,' Ron whispered.
'Why?' Walden asked, confused. 'What is going on?'
'Nothing,' Katie said, 'Everything is under control.'
'Under control, yes, I'm sure that's why the both of you have got two brigades here,' Walden sneered.
'Riddle is going to escape soon. You need to get your people to safety,' Hermione said, immediately noticing that at least Walden was taking her seriously, because he turned around, whisked his wand, and raised the wards surrounding the island.
Lucius practically choked upon hearing that, coughing violently. Narcissa's face turned whiter than a sheet. They exchanged a look.
'When were any of you going to inform me of this threat to my people?' Walden asked, his eyes darting between Katie and Ron.
'Excuse me,' Lucius said,stepping between them. 'I can get my belongings later. My wife and I need to go now.'
'I just raised the wards. Nobody is going anywhere until this is resolved,' Walden said, holding up his hand to Lucius. 'Ms McGregor?'
'He's not escaping,' Katie intervened. 'He tried to trick Ms Granger into facilitating his escape by giving her bogus information, but now that we stopped that from happening, Riddle won't be going anywhere.'
'It's not bogus,' Hermione said, focusing on Walden. 'The wards around his cell are flawed. They will crash today.'
Walden looked from Katie to Ron.
'We had two experts look at Hermione's theory,' Katie said. 'They disagreed.'
'Wonderful,' Lucius said. 'Then I'm sure you can lower the outer wards and let us go. Now.'
'Oh well, if your experts say it's safe, I'm feeling so much better,' Walden sneered at Katie, ignoring Lucius.
'Look,' Ron intervened. 'Like you said, we've got four brigades here. We'll stay to keep the place secure, just in case Hermione's right.'
'Narcissa, does that make you feel as secure as I do?,' Lucius snarked.
Narcissa had the most uncomfortable expression on her face Hermione had ever seen.
Hermione had to agree with Lucius Malfoy. Four brigades, it was madness. They could have the entire Auror and Unspeakable staff here, and she doubted it would be enough to stop Lord Voldemort. And he surely would be extremely happy to have both Malfoys fall straight into his lap.
'I'm sorry,' Hermione said to Narcissa. She wasn't sure she cared enough about the two of them to keep them safe. She tried making herself care, the woman had saved Harry, but it was them, and she just wasn't feeling it.
'After that visit of yours, I'm sure you are,' Lucius snapped, turning back to Walden. 'We need to go now. You have no right to keep us here against our will. I've served my time.'
Before Walden could respond, Katie chimed in. 'We also have to take Ms Granger into custody, which can't be done here. You need to lower those wards so we can start processing her.'
'I'm sure Riddle's possible escape takes precedence over processing someone already in chains inside a prison,' Walden countered. 'When will this happen, according to you, Ms Granger?'
'Sometime around noon.'
'Then Ms Granger can wait in my office for the time being, while you—' Walden pointedly looked at Katie. '—take charge of this. After all, in case you've forgotten, Ms McGregor, you made Riddle's imprisonment your office's sole responsibility.'
Hermione furrowed her brow, suddenly thinking back to what Tom had said about her being put in a position to take over the department. It all clicked there and then.
She knew what she had to do.
- 18
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The Prisoner