Redemption

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all characters, settings, and situations from the Harry Potter series. This story is also originally Cherry Lychee's, and the address to the original is fanfiction . net /s/ 1293237/ 1/ Redemption without the spaces. And on a side note, I wanted to send a private message to Cherry asking her for permission to adopt her story, but private messaging was not turned on in her account. So enjoy her masterpiece and this version.

Chapter 1: The Mission

"You want me to what?"

Those disbelieving words came out of Draco Malfoy's mouth before he could stop them, and echoed around the large circular room that had once been the office of the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It now served as the private quarters of Lord Voldemort.

"You heard me, Draco," said the Dark Lord, his lipless mouth curling into a derisive sneer. "Kidnap Hermione Granger. Bring her back here- unharmed."

Draco prided on his ability to keep his emotions secret, to conceal his feelings from the rest of the world. Now though, shock and amazement showed clearly on his handsome face.

"M- May I ask why?" he stammered. The tips of his ears reddened slightly. Goddamnit, he sounded like a bloody idiot!

Voldemort snorted impatiently, propping his legs up on the enormous claw-footed table before him. "You, of all people, should know why," he said, twirling his wand in a lazy, relaxed sort of way that didn't fool Draco one bit. The Dark Lord was planning something big, something drastic. "With hard work, dedication, and the help of loyal servants such as yourself, I have managed to conquer the entire wizarding world. I have created a mighty empire, an empire that I will do everything in my power to let stand forever!" A demonic glint appeared in Voldemort's flaring red eyes.

"But alas, Draco," he continued, "even the greatest of empires can fall, and even the strongest of rulers can be overthrown. And I say to you: as long as Harry Potter lives, this empire is not safe."

"Don't you think you're being paranoid?" ventured Draco, careful to mask the contempt he felt, and would always feel, for the Boy Who Lived. "Most of Potter's friends are dead. He himself is in hiding. Why do you still consider him a threat?"

"Because, fool," the Dark Lord spat out, "I have underestimated him more than once, and each time, to my downfall. I won't make the same mistake again. He must perish; otherwise, I will never feel completely safe."

Such brutal honesty was unexpected of Voldemort. He would never have admitted to feeling unsafe to any other Death Eater, but Draco was a special case. Draco was his closest ally, his right-hand man, in fact the closest thing to a friend. The Dark Lord knew he could even admit to being scared of mice- not that he was, of course- to Draco, and not a single iota of the respect the blond-haired youth held for his master would be diminished.

"I see your point," Draco said at last, "but what has that got to do with kidnapping Hermi- I mean, Granger?" He cursed himself inwardly for almost referring to her by her first name, but the truth was that he had stopped thinking of her as "Granger" or "Mudblood" that fateful night when she had laid in his arms.

"As you have said, Potter is in hiding. I sent spies to look for him, but so far all of their efforts have been in vain. Therefore, since we don't know where he is, we must give him an incentive to come out."

Voldemort stopped twirling his wand and resumed a proper sitting position. He leaned forward conspiratorially. "It's a very simple plan, really. All you have to do, Draco, is abduct Granger and bring her to Hogwarts. Potter is a noble man"- he made the word noble sound like an insult-"and he will rescue her. He shall come charging through the doors and demand that his friend be set free. And that is when we kill him." His tone was so casual, he could have merely been outlaying a cooking recipe step by step.

"How will Potter find out we've kidnapped Granger?" asked Draco.

Voldemort smiled. "I am sure that Granger will know Potter's whereabouts. We'll make her tell…maybe even get her to contact him herself…."

Draco remained silent for a while, once again awed by his master's cunning and ingenuity. It was a brilliant, foolproof plan. Nothing could go wrong.

There was only one small hitch: he had to kidnap Hermione.

Hermione, the girl who he'd hated for years… Hermione, the girl who slapped him once and called him a "twitchy little ferret" to his face… Hermione, the girl he'd held in his arms one wild night when they were both seventeen, who had sweetly moaned his name over and over again, her eyes cloudy with passion and need…. Stuff it, Malfoy, he told himself sternly.

"What's the matter?" Voldemort inquired, seeing the hesitation on his servant's face. "You do not have any qualms about abducting the Mudblood, do you?"

Draco's blood ran cold. He felt obvious and transparent. "No, none at all, master." He lied smoothly.

The red eyes narrowed, and, using all the self-control he possessed, Draco gathered all his emotions and thoughts, and locked them away in a deep part of himself, a part the Dark Lord couldn't reach no matter how hard he tried. Thank you Aunt Bellatrix for those Occlumency lessons.

"I will bring Hermione Granger to you as soon as possible, master." Draco vowed, standing up, ready to leave.

"Go, then," said the Dark Lord. "You have three weeks to find her."

By now, Draco was used to tight deadlines. And he had never been late, not once. He bowed slightly, and then left the room in a swirl of black robes, all the while cursing Fate for this cruel trick it had played by leaving him no choice but to kidnap a girl he'd once slept with and with whom he had very nearly fallen in love with.