Disclaimer: Fact 1: Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling

Fact 2: I am not her.

Conclusion: It isn't mine.

A/N: This is my first attempt at fanfiction. It will ultimately be a DM/HG story, there will be both some action and some romance but it will be at least mostly realistic. Meaning- they aren't going to hop into bed together right off the bat. It may get smutty at times, it may not- but I will warn you before hand if that is the case. I am open to any suggestions and constructive criticism, but if you are just going to be mean- please spare me. For now I am going to rate this T, but I reserve the right to change it if I feel like it needs to be changed. If you read this, please review... let me know if its good, bad, or terrible. Thanks!!

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Finally, I thought as I walked out of Potions class. It was my last class of the day... at last, the weekend was here and I could relax a little bit. It was only a few weeks into the school year, and I was already incredibly stressed. It seemed that our course load had doubled for our sixth year,

"Hey, Hermione! Wait up!" I didn't have to turn around to know who was calling after me. I recognized Ron's voice immediately and slowed down so he could catch up to me.

"Blimey, you walk fast." Ron said, clearly out of breath.

"Sorry, Ron... in a hurry I guess."

"Going to the library? Great, cause I really need your help with our Transfiguration homework. My teacup keeps turning into fuzzy rat instead of a rabbit."

Perfect! All I really wanted to do was take a nap. I had been thinking about it all afternoon, fantasizing really. I was going to go up to my room, tell anyone who asked that I had at terrible headache, get into my pajamas and sleep for as long as I wanted. I wouldn't worry about missing supper, or doing homework, or studying. All of that could wait until tomorrow. Maybe even tomorrow night. Today, all I was thinking about was sleep. But, now that Ron's breathing had returned to a regular pattern he looked so desperate for my help. And, I knew how much trouble he had been having with Transfiguration this term. It was my opinion that the trouble wasn't so much him, as it was his old wand... but I didn't dare mention it. Ron was self conscious enough about all of his hand-me-downs, and I knew the Weasleys just couldn't afford a new wand.

"Actually, Ron, I was just heading up to my room, for a nap." I paused, wondering if I should admit the real reason or give him my headache excuse. I looked up at him and my gaze was met with a look of shock and confusion.

"A nap? But Hermione, we have homework."

"Yes, I know that Ronald... but, I ... I've had a terrible headache all day and I think a nap is the only way to get rid of it." I looked at him earnestly, mentally begging him to just leave it at that and let me go upstairs. I was really so tired.

"Yeah, okay. I'll just ask... Harry for help or something. Thanks anyway."

He looked so dejected that I almost called after him to come back, but just as he rounded the corner that lead towards the library rather than upstairs to the common room, I heard a loud bang and the corridor was suddenly filled with a thick, black smoke. Instinctively, I reached into my robes for my wand, and started feeling my way around. I had been standing pretty near the stair case, so there should be a bathroom around me somewhere, if I could just get in there away from the smoke long enough to stop coughing, then maybe...

Before I could finish my thought, I felt myself being lifted roughly off the ground, and thrown over what I assumed was someone's shoulder. I kicked and flailed my arms with as much strength as I had, but whoever was holding me was much stronger than me, and didn't even seem to notice I was moving at all. I tried to scream, but the smoke seemed to be getting thicker and I could hardly even breath.

Everything was suddenly very loud. I could hear other people coughing around me. I could also vaguely hear voices, but how could people be talking through all this smoke, I wondered.

Suddenly, I was slung off of the man's shoulder and sat on the ground so quickly that my legs almost collapsed underneath me. Instinctively, I started reaching around me, and tried to run, but rough hands grabbed me and pulled me backwards, swiftly tying my hands together. A blindfold was also placed around my eyes, which seemed quite pointless to me- I couldn't see as it was. Then, I was being led away quickly. I couldn't tell which direction we were going, but sooner than I would have expected, I could tell we were completely out of the smoke. I took a few deep breaths and was preparing myself to scream when I felt my mouth snap shut.

Damn it, I thought, a gagging charm. What in the hell is going on here? Hogwarts is supposed to be the safest place in London. Wait.. where is Dumbledore?

For the first time, true panic started sinking in. Something very bad was going on here and I didn't even have the luxury of knowing who had me, where they were taking me or why me in the first place. Sure, I had found myself in dangerous situations before... but it had never been about me, it had always been about Harry. I was just always there. But this time... Harry wasn't anywhere around, was he? No, he couldn't have been. He had quidditch practice right after potions class, so he wasn't even in the castle. So why was this happening?

The person that was dragging me along started slowing there pace until soon we had stopped completely. I could tell there were several other people there with us, and judging from the sounds of shoes scuffing on the floor, and what sounded like attempts at screaming, I wasn't the only hostage. I could also hear hurried whispering. Whoever these people were, they were looking for something, something important.

"Here it is."

And then, I was being yanked away, roughly and quickly, by a sensation that seemed to be coming from behind my navel.

Portkey, of course.

I landed in a pile of other people, and wasn't even given the chance to pick myself up off the floor. I was yanked up by a pair of rough hands.

"Walk forward" a cool, strong voice instructed me, guiding me with a firm hand on the small of my back. I did as I was told, hoping against hope that wherever I was gave points for good behavior.

We walked like that for several minutes, and from the steady drop in temperature I deducted that we must have been moving further underground.

The hand that had been on my back, grabbed around my waist, forcing me to stop so quickly that I almost toppled over. As I regained my balance, I heard a heavy door close shut and a quick click of a lock.

To my surprise, my hands were released and the blindfold was dropped. I reached quickly into my robes for my wand, but came up empty. Oh God, where is it? I must have dropped it, I realized, my heart sinking.

For the first time, I looked up and around at the room I was in. It was a small, dark chamber, with no windows. The only light was coming from the red glow of a few large candles. The walls were lined with several heavy, metal doors, but they were all closed. I looked up to see the people who had brought me hear, but the people standing in the room with me were not who I expected to see.

There were only two other people in the room with me, both students at Hogwarts. One of them was a tall, pretty girl with chestnut hair. I didn't know her well, but I recognized her as Clara Epperson, a very intelligent seventh year Ravenclaw. She was looking around much the same as I was, and the look on her face was one of sheer panic. Standing on the other side of Clara, was one of my fellow Gryffindor. A seventh year named Pierce Madison. Pierce usually kept to myself, but I remembered him because everyone had been surprised when he hadn't been Head boy this year.

But where had our kidnappers gone? They had to have disappeared in just a few seconds, but I didn't remember hearing anyone apparate.

Suddenly, four of the heavy doors swung open at the same time, and out stepped four men. The first two I didn't recognize, but from the menacing looks on their faces, I knew they weren't people I wanted to get to know. I gaze shifted to the third man, and my heart sank even further. Had there been any doubt in my mind that I was definitely in trouble, it all vanished as soon as my eyes fell on the pale, snarling face of Lucious Malfoy. I looked to Lucious's left and my breath caught in my throat. Standing there beside his father, was Draco Malfoy. I hated Draco with every ounce of my being, but for some reason seeing him standing there with his father... with Death Eaters... surprised me.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in." It was Lucious who spoke first, and hearing his cool, steely voice cut through the thick silence I had become used to startled me, causing me to jump slightly.

"Scared, mudblood? I don't blame you. The Dark Lord doesn't take kindly to your kind."

I flinched at the words, the dark lord, as it confirmed what I had already known- I had been brought here for Voldermort, for whatever reason.

"Funny thing. I don't think I've ever seen you out without Potter. Must feel awfully... vulnerable... being here without the boy who lived."

Lucious stared at me for a moment, as if waiting for me to speak, but I couldn't imagine what I would say. I just wished he would get whatever this was over with.

After a minute, he took his eyes off of me and glanced briefly at Clara and Pierce before talking again.

"You three have been brought before us because you are the most clever of the students at Hogwarts... apart from the Slytherins, of course. The Dark Lord has plans for Hogwarts that cannot be carried out by his loyal Slytherins alone, and you three have been selected to help. Should you choose not to help, you will... reach a different fate. Should you agree to help, and then go running to your coward leader, Dumbledore, we will know and you will be dealt with. Do I make myself clear?"

Swallowing hard, I nodded, not entirely sure what I was agreeing to. My mind was racing, trying desperately to figure something out. How long had I been gone? Surely long enough for someone to notice that I was missing, But, damn it, I told Ron I was going to take a nap... so anyone that asked where I was would be told I was in my room. Still, someone had to have seen the smoke, or smelled it. There is just no way Death Eaters had managed to break into Hogwarts, kidnap three students, and get out undetected. It just wasn't possible, was it?

But, until I would figure out any genius plans, I just stood there nodding, hoping it would at least buy me a few more minutes alive to think.

"I'm sure you all know my son, Draco. I have brought him here to help me determine which of you are truly willing to help, and which of you are wasting our time."

I looked at Draco, expecting to see his trademark smirk playing across his lips. Instead, he looked slightly bored and almost... apologetic? Embarrassed, maybe? Whatever it was, he obviously didn't like being here much more than I did.

"Step, forward."

At Lucious's instruction, we all looked at each other nervously, and then took a few steps forward. Suddenly, I found myself standing face to face with Lucious Malfoy, as Clara and Pierce were standing just as close to the two other Death Eaters. I could hear Clara sobbing, and mentally begged here to stop. I knew they wouldn't tolerate her crying long, and besides that, I was afraid that if she kept crying it wouldn't be long before I joined her.

I bit down on my bottom lip, willing myself not to cry, and looked up to stare Lucious Malfoy right in the eye. He stared back at me, and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out there was a loud snapping sound and a high pitched scream that caused my heart to start beating wildly. I looked to my left to see Clara lying on the cold, stone floor, bleeding from the head. The tall man was leaning over here, smirking, with a long black cane in his hand.

I had forgotten that Draco was even there, but as his father was turned towards Clara, I heard him whispered two simple words in my ear.

"Lie, Granger"

--

The room I was sitting in was considerably smaller than the first room, but it was still remarkably similar- cold, dark, and creepy. I was sitting directly across from Lucious Malfoy who was snarling at me and keeping his cool, grey eyes on me all the time.

"There are two kinds of people in this world, Granger. People who follow the boy who lived, and people who follow The Dark Lord. Losers, and winners. You are being offered a very rare opportunity- one that is made even more rare by your being a... mudblood." He practically spat the last word at me, and I felt my chin raise a fraction of an inch in response. I was desperately trying to keep myself calm, and was refusing to let him see me crumble. Not only because of my pride, but because I had seen what happened to Clara when she fell apart. I also kept running Draco's words over and over again in my mind. He had told me to lie. Did he mean to lie to his father? Was he trying to help me... why would he do that? Under normal circumstances, Draco Malfoy would be the last person I would listen to, but I kept remembering the look I had seen on his face when he had first walked in. It wasn't the look of a boy following in his father's foot steps- it wasn't the look of a young man aspiring to be a Death Eater. It, more than anything, was the look of a boy who regretted being where he was and wished, more than anything, he could just say so.

I mentally chastised myself for allowing my imagine to run away again. Making excuses for Malfoy? Trying to turn him into the victim, what was I thinking?

I was pulled away from my thoughts, quickly, though, to hear Lucious talking to me again.

"Your choice, mudblood. Can you do what we ask of you, or are you simply to weak to break away from your wonder boy?"

Lie, Granger. Not only did I have to lie, but I had to lie well.

I closed my eyes tight, and willed myself to have the strength to be convincing and get myself out of here. They said they had plans for Hogwarts, and if I could just get back there I could figure out something. They couldn't keep me away from Harry... not without blowing their cover, for whatever kind of plans they had. I would fix this somehow if I could just get out of here.

I opened my eyes and lifted my head so that I was looking him right in the eye. I was pleased with myself for being able to keep my breath regular and my hands steady. I hoped he would take that as a sign of my confidence...of my being sure of my answer.

"I am ready for a change." I stated it firmly, somehow keeping my voice from wavering.

He looked at me with a smirk on his face, one that I quickly matched. We sat there for a few minutes looking at one another, and I knew he was waiting for me to show some sign of weakness- some sign that I was scared, or lying. Whatever it was that he was looking for, he wasn't going to find it, not now that I had come this far.

"Very well, then. We will just have to see what my son has to say about that."

Lucious stood and knocked once on the closed door. Draco must have been standing just outside, because he quickly walked in and looked up at his dad.

"Yes, father?" He said quietly, and I was surprised to note that the usual tone of arrogance was missing from his voice.

"This girl says she is willing to help us with our efforts. Do you find her to be trustworthy, or is she, weak like the other two were?"

When I heard him say those words, my breath caught in my throat. What did he mean... had Clara and Pierce been harmed? I suddenly felt sick to my stomach at the thought, and looked up at Draco with a look of pleading in my eyes.

He looked at me briefly before answering.

"You can trust her father. She will help me, I am sure of it."

I hadn't noticed that I had been holding my breath until I allowed myself to breathe after hearing his answer. He was saving me. I didn't know what had made him do it... but he had to know I would never help his Death Eater father or Voldermort with anything... right?