"Yes master", she replied coldly once again during her pitiful life, she had nothing but him. The order, Hogwarts, her friends and family lived but she was truly alone, she hadn't seen them since Voldemort won the war.
That day was maybe the darkest in history, Voldemort brought the ultimate finale to a seemingly never ending war, at Hogwarts school deatheaters and curses came out of nowhere, yet no one was killed. He ordered no deaths as it was 'a waste of good magic' as he put it, the only one who died was the boy named Harry Potter, once that final curse was said and his body fell to the ground everything went still. All hope was lost as the lights only hope was gone.
"You have two choices, join me, bow down to me and accept me as your lord or face death", his voice boomed across the grounds, only a few chose death as most were to cowardly to die even if they had to live under his rule.
Before he left Hogwarts grounds and took up post as mister of magic, he noticed a girl, he had not noticed a girl since he was a hormonal teenager but this one caught his crimson eyes. She didn't give in the fight even after Potter was killed, she didn't stop the magic rushing out of her wand and the amount of curses a girl so young should not know that hit his followers was immense. Her long curled hair fell gracefully as she kept screaming curse after curse with tears falling rapidly, he could see the anger and sorrow in those eyes…but he also saw the determination, she even ignored his booming announcement.
"Avada-", Lucius began but Voldemort crucioed him before he could finish, he ignored Malfoy's screams and went straight for the girl he did not know the name of, yet he recognised her face.
She backed away slowly with terror in her eyes when she saw him, but she still held her wand up high, she had a few very visible bruises and cuts across her body and face, even her school uniform was ripped and dirtied. It was at this point that he noticed how beautiful she was, her fury and terror were mixed together to create a wonderful expression on her face.
"Tell me your name", he demanded icily, she ignored him and looked like she was on the verge of screaming a curse. "Lord Voldemort promises no patience, say it or you shall face death"
"Then I shall face death", she said tonelessly, obviously scared beyond belief yet her voice did not quiver. "Kill me, I have no wish to live in your empire, you have won, I am not a fool, there is no changing that", she stated wisely, her words got him more and more interested, not angry as he would usually.
"I don't think so"
"you gave me a choice and I chose one. If you insist, my name is Hermione Granger…is there anything else before I die?"
Her bravery meant nothing to him as it was very Gryffindor, but her attitude and seemingly powerful abilities were the things that caught him. Many would be dead by talking like this to him but he knew very quickly that she had something.
"You were friends with Potter if my sources were correct. My dear, I don't think the afterlife is quite ready for you just yet…", she closed her eyes tightly as if waiting for the torture curses to hit but none came.
"What is it that you want?", she cried.
"For now I am unsure but…", he smirked before finishing the sentence, her anger and determination not to surrender amused him, "Stupefy!", such a simple spell she was not expecting hit her and she fell crumpled on the soft grass.
"Lucius, miss Granger is a prisoner, but I would prefer her in my own dungeons than those of Azkaban, see to it that it is done and then return to the ministry sharply. We have work to do", Voldemort ordered gently.
Though he would enjoy cracking this child, he still had an empire to run, she was too trivial at this time.
--
"Rennervate", Voldemort said in a bored tone, he lounged on an old chair casually with one leg over the left arm opposite the girl, a few days after he took over. She lay blissfully unaware of her position, in such a terrible dungeon fit for only the worst of people. Her eyes fluttered open before looking around confused, as they came into view of one black dragon skinned boot opposite her she sat up quickly. Those eyes that intrigued him widened when she saw his waxy skin and crimson eyes, she stood up even faster than she sat up and tried to move but her ankle was anchored down by a rusty but strong chain.
"Cant you just kill me?", she murmured
"And why would I allow that?"
"Because there is no reason for me to live, not anymore", a single tear slipped off her cheek and pattered onto the stone floor. She quickly wiped all evidence of it from her face and stared him straight in the eye, daring him to kill her. "Why must you keep me alive? For what purpose do you have in store for me", he could tell how bright she was, something so rare these days especially for someone of her age.
"I remember you…at the ministry when Potter destroyed the prophecy, I recognise your face, I recognised the determination you seem to have against me and my followers"
"Why would I be for your followers? You haven't answered my first question", he let out a cold laugh which frightened her.
"Such an innocent child-",
"-I am not a child".
"I haven't been cruel at all so far, don't tempt me to torture you as I wont regret using the Cruciatus, you haven't experience pain yet. I have kept you alive and havn't sent you to Azkaban because I like your fiery spirit, you don't just wish to not live under my rule, you wish to fight me, hurt me. You say you are not a child but you wear the school uniform that says otherwise"
"I am in my sixth year of Hogwarts, you managed to kill your own father before then, tell me, were you just a child?", she was mocking him now which angered him slightly, a lazy flick of his wand and she was screaming on the floor. Even Bellatrix was amateur at the cruciatus compared to him, he kept it on her for just a moment but when he lifted it she was left panting and squirming.
"Do not test me my dear. You do not look like a child I admit, but your eyes have not seen enough of life just yet, I intend to change that"
"I cant do this, just release me", she whimpered, finally her strong barriers formed cracks in, "please let me just die", she begged pathetically on her knees, though she didn't intend to, it turned him on to see her like this.
"I will not allow it"
"Then what do you want?"
"If someone would have told me of your skills…I would have had you long ago, I hear you are bright, maybe I could find some use for you"
"So you want me to serve you?", she spat disgustedly, he could almost taste the anger radiating off her.
"I don't want you to serve me, I don't need to want because you are going to serve me", he couldn't help the smirk forming as she looked at him in disbelief.
"You cant do that"
"I think you forget who I am and where you are, you aren't at Hogwarts in Gryffindor common room anymore! What else would I do with you? Just let you stay in this dungeon comfortably for eternity? Now that would be a waste..."
"Why do you even need to keep me alive?"
"Why should I let you die?", he retorted but she had no answer. She just wanted to be free from this new world, she was not a coward but she wasn't stupid, she knew that living would just mean living under his rule, there was no hope for the light.
"I will not willingly do anything, I will do all that is possible to go against your wishes, do not expect me as a submissive servant like you have moulded everyone else into!", she stated strongly, pushing herself up and showing she wasn't weak. "You may have won the war and your empire but you haven't won such a trivial matter such as me, I despise you"
"I don't want you to like me, do you really think I have cared for such a thing in any time in my life? Your courage is unneeded because someday you will give in, I want you to serve me willingly, even if you hate it, I don't believe I want to use the imperio on you, it would be so much more…fulfilling when you finally surrender yourself…"
The day she promised herself she couldn't give in to him was just the start, the start of a months worth of torture and persuasion, it was leisure for him when he was not busy, like a hobby to hear her screams and cries. He did not know why he wanted her to give in, he didn't know why he had not killed her on the night he met her, he just saw something in her, something he could not waste.
Thirty-four days after her capture he entered the dungeon once again, she had marked the wall with a jagged rock to remind her of how long she had been strong, though she was weakening. She was bordering death but he would not allow that, he gave her just enough food and warmth so she could live, he wanted her to suffer to tempt her to give in. She saw no one but him, even his followers never came into her sight, she heard screams from other cells sometimes, but she just blocked them out to stop herself going mad.
The chain which anchored down her ankle didn't let her move further than a foot away from her spot and was rough on her delicate skin, no matter how thin she got it didn't loosen to her disappointment. But really, what could she do if she even escaped out of the cell, even if she somehow escaped wherever she was she had nowhere to go, it was her home now and she accepted it. She had not seen sunlight for over a month, no windows were in her cell but rain and a cold breeze still managed to get through her tattered clothes.
"Crucio", he uttered once again, she had gotten used to it by now and had learnt to not scream so much though the pain never eased, she had not spoken a word since the first day.
Now though, she had decided what to do, it was either this for eternity or his option, she would not be granted death but she also knew being tortured everyday would do no good for anyone.
"You do look terrible", he mocked as he looked down at her ill looking figure. Her eyes were puffy from being tired and tears, her skin was pale and her hair was matted and tangled. She still wore her Gryffindor uniform although there was not much left of it, what was left was rotten, bruises and cuts were still very visible on her exposed flesh.
"I don't care", she weakly spoke.
"Finally given into your oath of silence then? I am glad, you are an intelligent young witch, your words shouldn't be wasted inside your head. I am busy so be grateful I make time to come down here, your only interaction with another being and I provide you with everything you need to live-"
"I cant do this anymore, I-I thought I could but I cant. I have lost the will to fight…", she gasped before losing unconsciousness from exhaustion. He studied her weak body for a moment with a smirk, he was relieved her strong hold had finally broken, he still saw the soul and life in her eyes but they were losing it steadily, he didn't want her completely lifeless.
"Finally succumbed to me my dear, this is only the beginning", he finished before releasing her chain and picking her up the muggle way.
Why had just a simple girl affected him so? He knew so much but this girl stumped him, he was surprised that she had the will to not succumb for so long, maybe that was the reason, she reminded him of himself when he was her age-she was able to use curses even most adult wizards wouldn't know, just like he had. It interested him to know how she was able to use dark magic, he knew she had experimented when he looked into her mind but he could also see the dark arts were not what she originally wanted. He was going to change that.
--
He had her cleaned, groomed and well dressed in fine moss green robes as she slept, he wanted her to get her strength back as he didn't want a pitiful servant. He may be a sadistic and cruel wizard but he did not like dirty people in his home, he had pride in that at least even if it was unexpected.
He was generous enough to give her, her own room, small and simple but he did not want her with the other servants, she was not a normal servant.
"Wake up Hermione", he said icily over her sleeping figure on a bed, the first time in over a month she was on a mattress.
"Don't call me that", she breathed
"what? Your name?"
"I don't want to hear my name on your lips, I want to remember being Hermione as a happy memory, not as a present thing I detest", she winced as she pulled herself from the bed, avoiding his gaze. "What is it that you wanted?", her sentence was ended with her screams, he did not appreciate her disrespect and rudeness.
"It was you who gave in, you could have stayed down in the dungeons and be tortured everyday but you gave in"
"No! No-I-I…I didn't mean-", he grabbed her hair tight and pulled her to her knees, she tried her best not to cry out loud but the tears were evident that she was in pain.
"I don't care anymore if you want to serve or not my dear, I took the time and effort to take you and keep you alive, I intend to use you! I am your master now, I am the dark lord. Tell me who am I?", he growled while holding onto her hair even tighter and his other hand bruising her arm.
"The D-dark Lord!", she cried,
"what am I to you?"
"M-my master, please, please let go of me!", he wasn't just holding onto her arm, he was cutting off the circulation to it, her hair was practically being torn out and she couldn't stand it.
"You are in no position to make demands! You will only speak when spoken to, when you do speak you will refer to me as master, you will follow all orders given to you…failure to follow these will result in a 'bit' of pain, understand?"
"Yes", he crucioed her for just over a minute before halting it, "Yes master! Please, please stop! I cant take this"
"A months worth of torture has weakened you", he released his hold on her making her slump against the bed, "I do not wish you to be weak, I wish for you to be strong but I expect you to follow my commands. I gave you a choice, and you chose to give in to me, do not blame me for your fate. Are we clear?"
"Yes…master", she uttered making him smirk. Golden girl had used all the fight she had in her, she was his from then onward.
That night he stole her virginity, she wanted to save herself for Ron but of course she had no choice in the matter, he stole it brutally to teach her a lesson. He believed she thought he would be soft on her, he wanted to show her what he was capable of without the use of a wand, it frightened her even more to think what he could be capable with if he ever used his wand on her for more than a crucio. He told her day after day no one really cared for her but himself or they would have tried to save her by now, his words hurt but still she tried to be strong.
But he also told her she wasn't really a slave as a slave does not get payment, he taught her things as 'payment' when she had no chores and when he was not busy, and she loved it. Her lessons were the highlights she only ever had, she began to crave them during her first month working for him. He only ever taught the dark arts but her lust for knowledge took over her thoughts on what she was learning was wrong, she lived a pitiful life apart from those fine moments.
"Yes master", she again replied coldly to his demand that she torture a prisoner, he trained her to be skilled at the curse and was surprised at how she quickly didn't seem to mind using it. He moulded her mind well to do what he wished, though some of the time her thoughts trailed back to her old life, she learnt to move on.
She remembered how he took her, she smiled at the memory of trying to be brave, withstanding his tortures for a month and her true hate and anger for him. She almost laughed as she recalled being scared and wishing she was back at Hogwarts, the long days she served him but cried at the same time and how she acted strong but was weak inside.
This was what Hermione thought about sixth months later as he burned the dark mark onto her left arm, he smiled as he did it and which she returned. A tear fell, not from sadness but from happiness as he placed a ring on her left hand, she was bound to him as a follower and also as a wife. She didn't know if it was love she felt, she didn't even know if he could feel that emotion, all they both knew was that they needed each other.
He knew he had won. Completely now, now that she was blinded by him, he himself smiled as he remember how much she tried to fight him, she was well and truly his now. He had complete control over her and she didn't care, her mind soon forgot about her times in the 'golden trio', though she never intended for it to happen. If only her past self knew what would become of her.
She was not Hermione Granger anymore, she was just the girl who fell into his trap.
Like Alice down the rabbit hole, she was in wonderland.