My heart hammered furiously in my chest. My limbs were frozen solid. I couldn't speak, I couldn't even blink.

"Should have stuck with me when you had the chance, Red," Blaise drawled as he moved behind me, reaching under my arms to drag my immobilised body across the room towards a chair.

He awkwardly seated me up on it, forcing my legs and arms to cooperate. My head flopped uselessly forward.

Blaise started to mutter a spell, causing ropes to automatically bound around my legs and arms, tying me securely to the chair. He then muttered another spell and my body instantly unfroze.

I snapped my head up, breathing heavily as I glared furiously at Blaise.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" I bellowed, trying to break free from my restraints, but failing miserably.

"Now, now," Blaise tutted, amusement flashing in his black eyes, "that's no way to talk to the person who saved your life."

"Untie me, now!" I spat, "I came here in peace, Blaise! I wanted to hear you out before getting the Ministry involved!"

Blaise just chuckled, shaking his head. "But you would have done, eventually. I know you, Red. I went to school with you. It's been your mission from day one to get the 'bad guys' locked up. There is no grey area for you. People are either good or bad in your eyes."

"That's not true!" I gasped, "what about Draco?"

Blaise gave a derisive snort. "Draco was never a 'bad guy', Red! Oh, he wanted to be once - but he never had it in him. The little ferret has never been anything other than a pathetic coward."

"Don't you dare call him a coward!" I hissed, "you have no idea what he has been through!"

"Oh, you mean having to endure afternoon tea with Parkinson?!" Blaise chuckled. "There is a reason we didn't include Malfoy in our little 'venture'. He's a treacherous sneak just like his father."

My blood boiled with anger.

"Don't compare him to his father! He's nothing like that monster!"

"My, my, Red." His eyes flashed in mine. "You've really fallen hard for him, haven't you? Not even him knocking you up and marrying someone else puts you off! He really does have a little fan club in you and Parkinson, doesn't he?"

"Ugh, don't compare me to that... thing."

"Speaking of," Blaise continued, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He pressed a button and placed it to his ear. "She's in," he simply spoke into it, before hanging up.

I glared up at him as he stood over me, his arms crossed; dark eyes studying me carefully.

"You know, you're not particularly good at this Auror business, are you? Coming here with just Malfoy as back up. I mean, aren't you supposed to be smart?"

"I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt," I snapped furiously, "seeing as you risked getting caught to save my life!"

"Yes, rookie mistake on my part," Blaise sighed, clicking his fingers. He suddenly crouched down, reaching out a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I meant it when I said I would have treated you like a queen, you see."

My heart pounded as his face softened, a look of genuine regret filling his eyes.

A noise made us both snap our heads up.

The door flew open, and Pansy came in backwards, dragging Draco's limp body in. It looked as though he'd been given the same treatment as me.

"Bloody hell, Blaise!" Pansy whined breathlessly as she let Draco's body flop to the ground. I peered down at him; his eyes were open. They met mine and I could see the look of panic in them. "You could have helped!"

Blaise looked at her incredulously. "You're a fucking witch, Pansy! You could have simply magicked him down!"

He shook his head as he grabbed Draco, roughly tying him to a second empty chair which was positioned against the adjacent wall from me. As soon as Draco was securely tied, Blaise lifted the Body Bind Curse.

"YOU FUCKING PRICK, ZABINI!" Draco yelled instantly; his normally pale face now almost puce with rage. "YOU BETTER NOT HAVE TOUCHED HER!"

"Bit difficult not to," Blaise drawled, his black eyes twinkling with amusement, "needed to force her in that chair somehow."

Draco's eyes bulged angrily as he tried desperately to free himself from the binds.

"It's okay, Draco." I tried to reassure him; fearful he was going to hurt himself. "I'm okay."

Although I wasn't. Not really.

He immediately ceased his raging, looking over at me, with sad, pained eyes. "I'm sorry, Etta. I should have done more to stop you from coming here."

"Aw, isn't that touching, Parkinson?" Blaise chuckled, looking between myself and Draco and then to Pansy's fuming face. "Potter and Malfoy... in love. Finally together after all these years."

"What?!" Pansy screeched.

"You did know, didn't you?" Blaise gasped theatrically, looking entertained at Pansy's horrified face, "they've been in love since Hogwarts - since when he was with you, in fact. I expect your darling Drakie was picturing you with a scar on your forehead as he fucked you behind the greenhouses."

Wow.

"Is this true?" Pansy asked, her lower lip wobbling as she turned to Draco. "Are you and her...? Has it always...?"

"Pansy, we haven't been together in over twenty years!" Draco scoffed incredulously, "I don't need to explain myself to you!"

"But- but you were in love with her when we were together?"

"Yes!" Draco spat without hesitation. "I've loved Potter from the very first moment I laid eyes on her. No other woman has ever come close!"

Pansy looked as though she'd been repeatedly stabbed in the heart.

"Well, Astoria was a lucky lady then," Blaise snickered.

"Shut the fuck up, Zabini," Draco sneered.

"What do you want with us?" I snapped, getting annoyed by this side tracking. We weren't here to discuss the ins and outs of our sex lives.

"Ah, yes!" Blaise said, grabbing a vacant chair and placing it directly in front of me. He sat down on it, lazily leaning forwards so that his face was practically in mine. "I need you, Red, to release Theodore from Azkaban without charge and get back the Time-Turner."

"As. If." I spat. "I don't hold that much power, Blaise!"

"Well, let's hope that's not the case, Red." Blaise smiled, revealing his startling white teeth. "I think you'll agree to try very hard to persuade your Ministry mates to release Nott and the Time-Turner once you realise what the stakes are."

My heart thudded anxiously in my chest. I didn't like the sound of this one bit.

Blaise leant in even closer, his lips practically touching my ear. I felt his warm breath tickle as he spoke.

"Release Nott, and get us back the Time-Turner, or..." he trailed off, bringing a hand up to stroke my cheek making me flinch in disgust. I heard Draco hiss from across the room.

"Or what?" I spat, getting impatient with his games.

He moved his lips so that they were almost touching mine.

"Or lover boy dies."

"You wouldn't- you wouldn't kill Draco," I said, snapping my head back up in alarm, "you couldn't even bring yourself to leave me for dead."

"Oh, wouldn't I?" Blaise said smiling, standing up slowly as he removed his wand. He flicked it directly towards Draco. "Crucio!"

Draco roared, his whole body bucking and writhing in his chair.

"Stop it! Stop it!" I screamed at Blaise who just grinned wider and wider, his eyes dancing in delight as he continued to torture Draco.

My heart tore inside of my chest as Draco's agonised screams got louder, his body jerking more furiously by the second. I strained crazily against my binds, desperate to try anything to help him.

"Pansy! Do something!" I implored looking to her, feeling she was my only hope, "Surely you can't bear to see Draco like this! You love him!"

But she simply sneered at me, her eyes like little black coals. "But I can never have him, can I? I've never truly had him. Fuck him!"

The absolute fucking bitch!

"Draco!" I screamed. "Blaise, stop! Please - I'm begging you!"

Blaise lowered his wand and Draco instantly slumped breathlessly in his chair, hanging limply against his binds.

"Draco," I sobbed, feeling helpless to comfort him, my heart breaking.

"Well?" Blaise snapped, "Are you ready to do some negotiating? Because I promise you, I'll continue to torture your lover boy until he goes the same way as Longbottom's parents."

"Yes," I sobbed, tears running down my cheeks as I took in Draco's already weakened, broken body, "I'll do anything."

"I'm sorry, Etta," Draco rasped, his voice strangled with pain and exhaustion, his pale face slick with sweat.

A fresh wave of tears blurred my vision as I nodded at him. "I love you, Draco. I'll do anything for you."

I heard Pansy scoff in the corner.

"Come on now, lovers," Blaise drawled, "do this right, Red, and you can be riding his cock again in no time."

I glared disgustedly at Blaise who was removing his phone from his jacket pocket, sliding his long slim fingers across the screen.

He placed himself back on the chair in front of me, shoving the phone forcefully against my ear. I was instantly greeted with the sound of ringing.

"First stop, Minister for Magic, AKA your pussy buddy." He drawled amusedly, keeping the phone held up to my ear.

My heart thudded wildly as the ringing stopped and the phone clicked at the other end. A familiar voice rang through.

"Hermione Granger, Minister for Magic, how may I be of assistance?"

"Her- Hermione... it's me," I managed to strangle out, desperately trying to keep my voice as steady as possible.

"Etta? What's wrong? You sound... odd," her voice was instantly worried, and I closed my eyes trying to control myself as I struggled not to breakdown.

"I need... I need a favour." I paused to take a deep breath, my eyes flicking to Draco's tortured body. "I need you to get Theodore Nott released from Azkaban."

I heard Hermione give a small burst of startled laughter. "Etta, what's going on? Is this some kind of a-?"

"And I need," I interrupted quickly, "I need you to get the Time-Turner to me immediately."

I mean, to be honest, Blaise is an idiot. If Hermione could not tell that I was in some kind of hostage situation, then she really would be a crap witch.

And let's be honest - she really wasn't.

"Okay," Hermione said authoritatively, clearly trying to remain calm. "Etta, are you able to tell me how to get the Time-Turner to you?"

I thought quickly, knowing that I had to stay smart.

"Yes, Hermione, of course I remembered to feed your dog!" I forced myself to laugh, "Mr Pug was very happy with the food I left him at the bottom of the kitchen."

I held my breath.

"I'm going to hang up now, Etta. Rest assured I will make sure your needs will be met."

I gave an inward sigh of relief. That beautiful woman!

"Yes, you can give the Time-Turner to Nott upon his release." I said into the phone after Hermione had hung up. I nodded at Blaise who removed the phone from my ear.

He eyed me suspiciously as he pocketed his phone back in his pocket.

"Just like that?" he asked, not taking his eyes away from mine.

"Just like that," I said, trying my hardest to keep my voice steady.

"Well, then," Blaise said, crossing his arms and legs as he sat back languidly in his chair, "now, we wait."

The thick twat.

*****