Secret Smile. *Complete*

Seven Blaise's

Hermione opened her eyes. She wasn't sure if she had slept or if she just closed her eyes for a second. It was now dark outside with a bit on moonlight seeping in through the open window/hole in the wall. Hermione still had no record of what time it was. Hours felt like days as she lay there, chained up and helpless.

It pissed her off. She hated the damsel in distress bit. She was the one who came up with plans, she was the one who did the rescuing, not the other way around. This sucked and all because of her bloody father. 

The cruel, vindictive, disgusting man downstairs who seemed to seek power over everything else. But how did he connect to Abaddon? How did he know where Abaddon was? Was it a happy coincidence? Did he send Ron after the stone in the first place? And when did they recruit Astoria?

Nothing made sense and it was giving her a headache. 

She looked up at the ceiling, counting the beams in the roof, when she heard a motion at the door. Like a struggle and a grunt. Then the lock giggled and the door opened. Standing in the doorway was Astoria. 

"Finally I found you. I thought maybe they took you back downstairs." Astoria whispered as she approached Hermione. She lifted her wand and for the briefest moments, Hermione thought Astoria was going to attack her. But instead she aimed the wand at the chains around Hermione's arms and legs. 

"Sorry I am not used to this wand. I very rarely use it." Astoria muttered when the spell didn't work the first few times. She sighed and zapped again and this time the chain on her right wrist sprung open. "I am sorry, it's not your own but I swiped Juliette's wand as she came to bring me food." She handed Hermione a redwood wand.

Hermione quickly undid her cuff on her left and and then her feet, before standing up. "Thank you, Astoria," she said. 

"It's my fault you're in here. I am going to help you get out." Astoria looked pained and turned to Hermione. "I thought I was taking you to your father and he was going to run away with you to start a new life. Then Draco would come back to me. I never thought he would need you to release a bloody demon! I am sorry for how I have acted." She looked like she might cry. 

"It's ok. We are teenage girls. Prone to the dramatics. Let's just get out of here," Hermione said and hugged the Slytherin, taking her off guard. But after a few seconds, Astoria hugged her back. 

"Bloody Gryffindors."

"We need to find Ron," Hermione said.

"Seriously? That creep? After what he did to you? He is not right in the head you know. I heard him say he had a love potion for you."

Hermione groaned. "Still, I can't leave him. I understand if you want to leave now and get to safety. I could levitate you out the window, and you could make a run for it?"

Astoria looked to the window and to Hermione and sighed. "No, I am staying. Might as well try and redeem myself a little." She smirked. 

"Ok, let's go," Hermione said, whispering. She took Astoria's hand, and the two girls headed out the door and down the spiral staircase. When they came to the bottom step, they stopped, and Astoria took out a pocket mirror. She held it up to see around the corner from both sides. 

"Ok, we are good. I think Weasley is in the basement. He isn't in the tower, and I don't think he would have put him into one of the guest rooms."

"No, I doubt it. Any idea where the basement is?"

Astoria frowned. "Well, ours at home is just off from the kitchen?"

"Good a place as any to start." Hermione noted as the two girls made their way along the hallway, walking up against the wall.