Hermione Granger was standing in front of the Malfoy Manor and rang the doorbell. As she gazed upwards, she marveled at how magnificent its structure was.
She was required to work here after Voldemort killed Harry Potter and took over the Wizarding World. All Muggle-borns and half-bloods were forced to become maids and servants as one of Voldemort's new acts. So, being a Muggle-born, she was therefore rallied up along with others like her and ordered to work for pure-blooded witches and wizards. After being examined, trained, and given a registration number, she was sent to her first job at the Malfoys'.
Abruptly, the door opened and interrupted her thoughts. A man, none other than Lucius Malfoy, stood in front of her.
"Ah. Miss Granger," he snarled, glancing up and down at her as if she were dirt.
Hermione quivered. "Mr. Malfoy," she stated nervously, curtsying.
Lucius' nostrils flared. "Come inside," he grumbled, stepping back to let her inside.
"Thank you, sir," whispered Hermione as she tiptoed into the house. She looked around. The mansion's interior seemed to be even more larger and wonderful. There were marble statues in the hallway, as well as a great number of portraits.
"Pay attention," Lucius deadpanned, interrupting her observations. "I am about to go over the rules." Hermione nodded, keeping her face downward respectfully.
"First of all, you are to do the cleaning and dusting along with our other servants and maids. Since the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the bedrooms are already attended to, you will dust the parlor, living room, and dining room. Do you understand, girl?" he barked.
"Yes, sir," Hermione returned.
"Second, you will have to wait table during mealtimes and when we have guests along with Lisette. You will eat with the other servants after our meals. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Third, you are never to enter the bedrooms or my private study unless I or my son strictly tells you to."
"Yes, sir."
"And most importantly, I want you to look nice and clean. If I see that you are otherwise, or if you disobey my rules, you will be severely punished."
"Yes, sir."
Lucius cocked his head to the side and stared at her again before saying, "Your bedroom is in the cellar on the third door to the right..."
The cellar! she exclaimed to herself. It was probably damp and full of mold. Maybe she would clean it when she found the time to.
"...Note that your room must be kept clean as well. Now look smart and put your possessions away. After that, you will dust the parlor and serve lunch."
Hermione nodded and strolled over to her bedroom. It was going to be a long day. She did not notice that Lucius was continuing to gaze at her. If she did, she would have known that trouble was brewing for her.
(Later)
Boy, was Hermione tired. Dusting and sweeping the parlor by hand was harder and more time consuming than she thought it would be. Her back ached, her head hurt, and her arms were heavy. She was even more discouraged when she remembered that she had to serve lunch. How could she lift those trays with her sore arms?
But she knew that she had to, or else.
So, after she sighed resignedly, she trudged over to the kitchen. Lisette was waiting for her there. Hermione knew from the start that they would be the best of friends.
"Hello, love. I'm glad I 'ave someone to work with and to talk to," she exclaimed with a heavy French accent. "Welcome."
"Thank you," replied Hermione, grinning tiredly.
Lisette smiled back. "'Elp me with the vegetables, please. That way I can carry the roast and buttered bread."
"Sure."
Lisette walked through a swinging door and Hermione followed, moving slowly lest she dropped one of the heavy tureens.
Lucius and his son Draco were chatting about Voldemort when they ambled into the dining room. Both of them were speaking very loudly. "I think it's rather good for Mudbloods and half-bloods to be working for us. Some of them, like that Granger, thought they were smarter than us because they read a few books," Draco proclaimed arrogantly.
"Well, who has the better of them now?" snorted Lucius, turning to peer at Hermione and Lisette as they placed the food on the table.
Hermione was furious. He dare he talk about her as if she were not there? How dare he accuse Muggle-borns and half-bloods of putting on airs? The purebloods, in her opinion, acted so full of their damned selves more than the half-bloods and Muggle-borns put together. She was thinking so hard that the cutlery that she was holding slipped from her palms.
"Girl!" Lucius sneered. "Pick up those spoons!"
"Yes, sir," Hermione mumbled through clenched teeth.
Draco shook his head. "See? I told you father. That's how you handle them. They're not as smart or quick-witted as they think they are," he crooned.
Hermione was about to respond sharply, but Lisette's warning glance made her decide not to. They walked back through the swinging door.
"How dare he talk about us that way! He had to take remedial transfiguration and only received two O.W.L.s!" screamed Hermione.
Suddenly, Lucius burst in. "And who do you think you are? Just because you had received eleven O.W.L.s doesn't mean anything now. You and your kind are nothing but sorry piles of pitiful crap that happens to move, walk, and talk," he taunted smugly.
Forgetting her place, Hermione retorted, "But you pure-bloods think you're the cheese because you're full wizards and witches with mounds of money and expensive material bullcrap! You're kind is nothing but big-headed, strutting, snobbish, spoiled, arrogant piles of an even bigger pile of rubbish!"
"How dare you talk to me that way!? You must've forgotten what you are. Well now I'll teach you a lesson!" declared Lucius. He slapped her hard. Then he left the room.
"Like I've said before, Father, that's how you handle them. If you let her kind of people get away with that it would get worse for us," Draco opined.
Lucius agreed. "That's right."
In the kitchen, Lisette was tending to Hermione's face, which was beginning to swell. "You definitely shouldn't 'ave said that, love. If you keep it up it'll get you into a world of trouble. At least 'e treated you better than me. If I 'ad said that to 'im, 'e would 'ave whipped me," she stated.
"But that's terrible! I'm surprise that he doesn't treat all of us equally!" exclaimed Hermione.
"Oh, 'e does, except for when it comes to punishment," Lisette sighed.
Hermione fumed, "Well, that's not fair!"
Nodding, Lisette said, "No, it's not."
"Oh, it isn't, is it?" a voice deadpanned from the doorway.
The two girls pivoted as they saw Lucius standing there again. They were silent as he continued, "I'll show you unfair. Both of you will not eat any meals today."
Hermione's eyes widened. "You can't do that to us!" she raged in incredulity.
"I can't?" Lucius whispered, his eyes in turn flashing dangerously. "And why not?"
"Because we can't work if we don't eat!"
"That is your problem. Now clear the table, or you won't eat tomorrow either," threatened Lucius. He turned to leave again.
"No," Hermione whispered mutinously.
"What!?" Lucius hissed.
"I said no."
"No? Get in there now! Or else!" snarled Lucius.
"Or else what? You don't scare me."
Lucius was shocked as well as angry by this time. "Get in that dining room now, before I knock you out! Get in there!" he clamored.
"No! I'm tired of being treated like a slave. Why don't you clear the table, you pampered bastard!? Are you so lazy that you are incapable of doing so?" snapped Hermione.
And suddenly, everything went black.
(Later)
When Hermione gained consciousness, she found herself in a partially lit room. She also realized that she was lying down on a semi-hard bed.
Once her eyes had adjusted to darkness, she saw that she was in her cellar bedroom. The side of her head felt moist. She turned to see Lisette holding a cool rag to her temple.
"How long have I been knocked out?" she whispered in a hoarse voice.
Lisette sighed. "About two and a half hours. Master Malfoy 'it you very 'ard. For a minute, I thought 'e 'ad killed you," she responded morosely.
Hermione's jaw dropped, and suddenly, she burst into tears. "Oh, Lisette, how will I live here? I don't think that I could bear going through what happened earlier every day."
"You'll 'ave to," Lisette sighed wearily. "But look on the bright side. At least you aren't dead or turned out onto the streets. You 'ave food, water, and shelter, and you are alive."
"But I had no control over my life anymore!"
"That is true, but at least you are living. I will try to check on you later, after I am finished with my duties."
"All right."
When Lisette was gone, Hermione went to the mirror to inspect her face. Her cheek wasn't swollen anymore, but a bluish-black bruised had remained. Her right temple had a lump on it the size of a golf-ball. She recoiled in dismay.
The door creaked open, and she turned to see Lucius standing at the top of the stairway. She curtsied hastily.
"Tomorrow, you will cook and serve our meals, mop the kitchen floor, and tend to the library," he stated.
"Yes, sir," Hermione murmured.
Lucius narrowed his eyes at her, then left. He returned with an ice pack and threw it down the stairs. "I do not expect you to cause anymore trouble, as I am sure that you have learned your lesson. However, if you do, you will be sorry. Do you understand?" he demanded.
"Yes, sir," she replied.
"Good. Now, go to bed."
"Yes, sir."
Lucius exited the cellar, and Hermione laid back down in her bed, dreading the day to come.
(Next Day)
A knock on the door woke Hermione up the following morning. She glanced at the clock; it was 6:00am.
"'Ermione, wake up. We 'ave to cook breakfast soon. Wash quickly, please, and meet me in the kitchen by 6:30," Lisette called to her.
"Sure, Lisette," Hermione responded.
She was ready in the allotted time, and they both set to work. Within a half an hour, a meal of eggs, sausages, and pancakes were steaming in their pots. There were footsteps in the corridor, and Lucius and Draco entered the dining room.
Lisette sighed. "Right on time," she announced quietly so that only Hermione could hear her. She carried the bowl of eggs while Hermione carried the tray of sausages. After placing the foot on the table, they went back to the kitchen for the pancakes, butter, syrup, and coffee.
"So, what has the Dark Lord assigned for you to do today?" Draco inquired after being served his food.
"He wants Dolohov, Rookwood, and I to capture a group of five Mudbloods who have been causing trouble," Lucius responded, glancing at Hermione as she spooned eggs onto his plate.
"Where are they? Do you know?"
"Oh, they are in a small town near Bristol. It should be easy to round them up, as they do not have wands."
Draco laughed snidely.
Hermione felt a combination of rage and nausea. How terrible it would be for the five Muggle-borns when they were captured! If the Dark Lord did not have them killed, he would have them turned into slaves.
"You!" Draco proclaimed, jerking her from thoughts. She looked up to see him pointed at Lisette. "More eggs. And you-" he gestured to her. "more sausages!"
Hermione and Lisette did as he commanded.
"Lisette! Why is there a stain on your shirt?" Lucius asked abruptly in a low, deadly voice.
She gazed at a line of syrup that was on her sleeve. "I don't know, sir," she stammered.
He stood up. "Did I not instruct you to keep your garments cleaned?"
Trembling, Lisette nodded. "Yes, s-sir..."
Lucius grabbed a handful of her black hair. "Then why have you disobeyed me?!" he shouted.
Lisette whimpered, then cried out in pain when he punched her in the face. She crashed to the floor.
Hermione could not take it anymore. She had to stand up for her friend. "Stop! Don't hurt her!" she yelled at Lucius.
He slapped her with the back of his hand. "Don't you dare speak to me like that," he hissed. He brandished his and Draco's filled plates at her. "We are finished. Go to the kitchen and wash the dishes before attending to your duties." He turned to Lisette, who was sobbing quietly and cowering on the floor. "You! Get up and assist her!"
The both of them happily escaped.
(A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!)