Harry Potter: The Price of Silence.

Loud footsteps echoed behind her; the unmistakable click from the heels of a boot against wooden floors. Malfoy must've been closing in on her.

"Granger," a familiar, sinister voice called. He snarled the words, his rage palpable in every syllable. "You can't seriously think I won't hunt you down in my own house?"

Hermione sprinted down the stairs, taking two steps at a time and forcing herself to her feet when her ankles gave out on the bottom step. She moved on instinct and took the path that led her deeper into the manor. She guessed that she had a better chance at hiding if she was inside the house. There weren't many hiding spots in the garden, not that she could see from her window, anyway. Plus, Black Shadow and the elves were probably still out there. Dragons tended to be volatile when injured. They were exceptionally more dangerous and eruptive when they felt vulnerable, and Hermione didn't fancy being burnt to a crisp while she looked for a hiding spot.

Her chosen route led her to a large kitchen. She ran to the drawers and tried to yank them open, but they wouldn't budge. She tried again, wrapping both her hands around the brass handles and using her bodyweight to pry them open. Her fear felt strong enough to choke her when she realised nothing was going to work. They were immovable, probably sealed shut with magic. Malfoy really was a thorough little bastard.

She moved on and checked every cupboard, forcing herself not to scream in frustration when she found nothing useful in their either. Everything was locked down and secured in place with magic. She couldn't even use a frying pan to defend herself. She was helpless. Again. With a low growl, she swung open the pantry door and squeezed herself inside - without a weapon. She kept the cupboard door open just a crack, not enough to be seen, but just enough to keep an eye on the entrance.

When Malfoy stepped into the kitchen, Hermione held her breath.

The way he stalked around the room, the way his blood-soaked fingers trailed delicately over the granite countertop, it could only be described as predatory. His shoulders were loose and his head was bowed slightly like a panther. He was searching for her, hunting her.

"I know you're in here Granger." His voice was practically a purr.

Hermione pressed her shoulders as close to the back of the cupboard as she could, hoping, praying that he couldn't hear the violent beating of her heart.

He made a rotation around the kitchen island, his fingers leaving a trail of blood on the countertop. "I'd come out if I were you, little lion. I'll only make the Legilimency more painful if you don't play nicely."

When he disappeared from her line of sight, Hermione's heart seemed to hammer on the outside of her body. It felt impossibly loud. Loud enough for him to hear. Each beat was almost painful, like being hit with a tiny fist-

Malfoy yanked the door to the cupboard open. The suddenness of it startled Hermione so much that she almost screamed. Almost.

Her adrenaline fuelled her. Fear and panic shot through her system and replaced her blood with fire. Moving very quickly, she used all her strength, leaned against the back wall, and used the flats of both her feet to kick his calves.

She heard something snap.

Malfoy doubled over himself, growling in pain as he used the doorframe for support.

And Hermione made her escape. She quickly crawled under his body and out of the cupboard-

But Malfoy was just a heartbeat quicker than she was.

A searing pain spread through the back of her head when he grabbed a fistful of her hair. He yanked her backwards roughly, flipping her onto her back so he could crouch over her.

Hermione still tried to fight him. Still tried to get as many kicks and punches in to thwart him for as long as possible, but without magic, Malfoy was a lot stronger than she was. He pressed the length of his body over the top of hers and crushed her under his weight. She couldn't kick him like this, but she managed one strong punch against his jaw before he caught both her wrists in one hand and pinned her arms above her head, silencing her struggles once and for all.

Hermione screamed in frustration, knowing that he'd beaten her. She tilted her chin down, intending to catch his eye when she spat in his face, but froze when she caught his expression.

Because his eyes weren't simply burning, they were set aflame. An intense blue fire was roaring around his irises.

And then he forced himself into her mind like a fucking sledgehammer.

The force of Malfoy's spell knocked the wind out of her. Even inside her own head, she was left panting and gasping for breath on the floor, and her vision was blurred from the building pressure in her temples.

It had never hurt like this before. On the outside yes, but not in her own head.

She was faintly aware when Malfoy materialised behind her. She heard his boots click against the floor of the hallway they were in, felt a chill run down her spine when Malfoy's damp robes dragged across her back as he stepped over her body.

He was almost vibrating with rage as he marched toward the door. She could taste his anger. It coloured the air with a deadly, metallic twang.

"What the-euughhhh," Hermione choked, trying to pull herself up onto her hands and knees. She'd fucking crawl after Malfoy if she had to. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

This was bad. This was very, very bad. He shouldn't be in her mind right now, not when he was this rampant. Who knew the type of damage he could do to her psyche while he was this volatile.

'The pain isn't real', she told herself. 'It's not real, it's all in your head.'

She forced herself up onto her elbows. She tried to push the dizzying ache away and focus on what Malfoy was doing. Focus on the threat.