A/N: This was written for the 2010 Bulgarian Big Bang. It is complete in three chapters, and there will be a sequel.

After The Yule Ball-1994

Hermione sat dejected on the steps of the front hall; Ron had just left her after she yelled at him, she wasn't sure where Viktor had gone, and Harry, well, Harry went after Ron as usual. She heard voices and looked up.

"Uncle, I think she is trustworthy. She never once commented on my fame. And her magic is truly powerful and our magic is very compatible."

Hermione was confused. It sounded like Viktor, but who was his Uncle, and why would he be speaking English?

"I know, Viktor, but the company she keeps-I just don't know."

Hermione almost fell over. That was Severus Snape. But she couldn't leave his comment unanswered. "What is wrong with the company I keep, sir?"

The two men turned quickly, pointing their wands at Hermione.

"Come with us, Miss Granger. Now."

Hermione got up and followed her Professor and her date quickly. That was his 'do it now or Gryffindor loses all of its House points' voice.

That was the beginning. Hermione found a new hero in her Potions professor. He championed her relationship with his nephew and helped her by being the go-between for their letters when it was more politically expedient for her to appear to be falling for the youngest Weasley son.

"Hermione."

"Yes, sir."

"We are going to have to plan for the worst. Albus has most certainly lost his mind. I do not know what his plans for Potter are, but I do not believe the boy will survive. Things are just not right."

"What sorts of plans, sir?"

"If we lose, we need the girls to be ready to be used, to be toys. They will be well-treated pets at best, and little more than whores at worst. The boys will become Death Eaters or die."

Hermione looked horrified, then resigned. "I will see what I can do. I know I can get some of the DA to you for study. Not Ron or Harry, they will never be willing to learn from you. But people like Katie, Luna and Neville will be more than willing."

Professor Snape snorted. "Who would believe that Nevile Longbottom of all people could be such a good actor."

"Who would believe that Severus Snape would be secretly tutoring said Neville Longbottom in Potions and showing him the best way to spectacularly blow up a cauldron?"

The two, who hoped to be family one day, smiled at each other. They went their separate ways, trying to stay calm, planning for the worst.

Over the next two years, many letters crossed between Hermione and her subset of conspirators, planning the best way to survive if the worst happened.

Even more letters crossed the Continent between her and Viktor. If they didn't have to destroy them after they were read for safety's sake, they would make a wonderful romance novel one day.

Hermione was the one who subtly pointed Harry in the direction of the doe Patronus while they were in the Forest of Dean. She primed Ginny for the worst. She kept many more secrets than Albus Dumbledore could ever believe from a girl. He would have choked on a lemon drop if he knew just how close she had gotten to many of the Slytherins, especially Draco.

Hermione ran as fast as she could from the carnage in the Great Hall. Harry was truly dead. All that hogwash Dumbledore fed him that love would work and that he was the last Horcrux was just that, hogwash. I hope they burn his portrait! She headed for the Shrieking Shack. If she were to die, let it be near a man she admired. She knew what he had done in the name of the Light. She knew his Patronus was a doe and why.

"What are you doing here?" a familiar voice hissed from the darkness as she pushed her way into the rickety building.

"I came to see if I could get his body away. He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named has won. Harry is really dead. He may have had control of the Elder Wand, but he didn't know it and went to his death just the way the idiot headmaster wanted him to. A living being with a will could not be a Horcrux. If he had been, Harry would have been possessed ages ago. I wish I had known that was what the stupid old man based his whole 'Greater Good' on. If I ever get a chance, I'm going to torture his portrait with the knowledge. Harry died for nothing."

"My Uncle is not dead, my love."

"What do you mean, Viktor?"

"He's just in stasis. I've stopped the bleeding. If we get him out of here, I should be able to heal him.

"But you know what that means, Nin, right?"

"I have to be your slave, spoils of war. This is the worst that your Uncle trained us for, Viktor. Is your fake Dark Mark active?"

"Yes, I have used a drop of Uncle Severus's blood, and I have another vial of it here."

Viktor touched his wand to Severus' Dark Mark, and a few seconds later Lucius Malfoy appeared. "What do you need, Viktor?"

"I need a safe place to heal my Uncle and to 'capture' Hermione. Will you help?"

"Yes, but only if I get to 'claim' that I was working on the Dark Lord's behalf. I need my status back."

Hermione stared at the aristocrat with wide eyes. It seemed Draco was right. "Let me know what I can do to help, sir."

Lucius smiled at the startled Gryffindor. "You are as smart as they say you are, girl. Viktor may have to 'share' you. If that happens, we will plan carefully. If we do it well, you will become more like a courtesan than a whore. You will tell us what other girls we can set up that way, either blood traitors or Mudbloods."

"I will start thinking about that now."

"How is your Occlumency, girl?"

"Severus said it was good enough to block the Dark Lord. I could keep him out, and Dumbledore never suspected."

"Wonderful. I must leave you now. Here is a Portkey to a cottage in Wales. It will be a safe haven for you. There are many potions and a helpful elf. I must go and see if I can salvage anything with my idiot son."

"You will have to work on him, sir." Hermione ventured. "He and Ron Weasley are two sides of the same coin."

Lucius snarled at her as the Portkey took the three in the Shack whirling away. Unfortunately, he knew she was right.

The three conspirators landed roughly in a lovely little cottage in the middle of nowhere. As soon as her feet were steady beneath her, Hermione ran for the medicine cabinet. She pulled out a wound healing potion, the antidote to Draught of the Living Death, Blood Replenishing potions, and knowing Severus as she did, a powerful sleeping draught.

She raced back to Viktor, who promptly began to wave his wand over his uncle and chant while Hermione poured the wound healing potion over his neck and got him to swallow the others. After a few minutes of treatment, Severus woke up slowly. Seeing who he was with, he swallowed heavily. "We lost, didn't we?"

"Yes, Uncle Severus. We most certainly did. We are hoping the Dark Lord is happy that you were saved and that he is willing to 'gift' Hermione to me."

"What is your take on the matter, child?"

"Albus was wrong. So very, very wrong. He got so caught up in his stupid 'Greater Good' that he didn't stop to think. Harry was not a Horcrux. The magic rebounding on Riddle when he tried to kill the baby caused the connection. Nevertheless, he never listened when I tried to tell him. Harry is dead. I'm certain the Weasleys are either dead or wishing they were. I don't know what we are going to do to salvage this."

Severus put his arms around his favorite student. "Shh, child. Don't worry so much. If the Dark Lord won't gift you to Viktor, I will have him gift you to me. We will figure it out. Considering how much of the so-called 'Dark' is more than willing to help kill this maniac, maybe we will have a better chance if we work toward this goal instead of depending on an underfed, poorly trained teenager."

"I hope so."

Hermione looked frightened when Severus and Viktor reached for their left forearms. "Quickly, rough her up a bit more, tear her clothing as though you were trying to rape her. Then Apparate."

Viktor quickly followed his uncle's directions, took a hold of Hermione's hair and Disapparated to the Dark Lord's side.

They found themselves in the ruins of the Great Hall, the dead piled up along the walls. There were a few captured prisoners; she saw Luna, Neville, Cho, Susan, Hannah, and Katie Bell being held by Inner Circle Death Eaters. Molly was suspended in mid-air, being spun around by the force of the hexes being cast by Rodolphus, apparently in revenge for the death of his wife. The rest of the surviving Weasleys seemed to be the amusements of choice.

Hermione's heart broke as she saw the look of anguish on Arthur's face when he saw her dragged in by her hair.

"What have we here?" The frightening voice of the Dark Lord rang through the Great Hall, stopping all of the 'entertainment.'

Severus and Viktor bowed low, the latter tossing Hermione to the floor. "I rescued my uncle, my Lord. I thought you might want a potion-maker who knew what he was doing. When I went there, I found Potter's Mudblood. You called before I could make good use of her."

"You did well, Viktor. Do you wish the Mudblood as a boon? I know you have always been fascinated by her. You take after your uncle in that regard."

"Yes, my Lord. I would like her. Apparently someone told her of the reason pureblood witches stay virgin. I am looking forward to the power boost." he continued on, inspired. "You yourself told us of the value of holding on to a powerful virgin until she was impregnated. If it is your will, I would like to keep her to myself."

"Hm. Maybe I should reward someone else... No. Everyone was willing to surrender until I killed the boy. They say I am evil, but I only want what is best for the Wizarding world." The lack of the six-sevenths of his soul had left the Dark Lord supremely unstable. Somehow that final confrontation made him believe he had done everything to create some sort of wizarding utopia. Voldemort considered his next move carefully. "Dumbledore's greatest hubris was thinking he was always right. Look what happened to those who followed that delusional old man. You may keep her, Viktor. Maybe we can convert her to our cause; maybe we can find a way to truly break the so-called Light."

The snake-man lowered his gaze to the terrified girl on the floor. "So, girl. You have managed to surpass your blood and remain chaste. I am told you like to learn. Are you willing to apprentice yourself to my potions-maker? You will have lessons and be able to take your NEWTs in six months time. If you do well, I will allow you to marry." Hermione's startled but curious gaze made the Dark Lord laugh. "What do you say?"

Hermione took a deep breath, knowing she was sealing her fate as well as sending a message to the other girls in the room. "Thank you, my Lord. I appreciate the chance to learn."

"Hm. You do seem to be as smart as they say you are. Hold out your left wrist, girl." Hermione did so tentatively. "Viktor, hold out yours." Viktor held his wrist out proudly. "As the ruler of Britain, I declare you promised. This woman is yours under the old laws of magic, and if it pleases me at the end of the year, I will have your binding made permanent." A ribbon of magic sprang from the end of the Elder Wand and wound itself around Viktor and Hermione's wrists.

There were gasps all around, and some calculating looks from other Death Eaters who were hoping some of the other girls were also virgins and could also be claimed.

Lucius decided to take matters into his own hands. "My Lord, may I ask what makes this Mudblood special?"

"I have looked into her mind, Luciussss. She is ambitious and willing to set aside her Dumbledore taught 'morality' to succeed. She was honest about being willing to learn and appears to have accepted her place as chattel. That is why I was willing to elevate her. Too much inbreeding will ruin Magical Britain, but we need to be selective as to who we choose. Miss Granger here chose to preserve herself in the manner befitting a proud pureblood. You know she is powerful. Mr. Krum knows very well the value of the boon he was granted."

"I see, my Lord. You are wise, as always. Maybe we should check some of the prisoners to see if they are also worth keeping as prizes."

"It is good to see you being the lieutenant I remember you to be, Lucius. Cast the spell."

"Illustro Insons Insontis," intoned Lucius, waving his wand in a wide circle around the room.

Hannah, Katie, Luna, Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, Cho and Ginny all were shown to be virgins. There were others, but Hermione did not know them. Interestingly enough, when it was obvious that Pansy Parkinson was not, all eyes turned to Draco.

"Did you ruin this girl, young Master Malfoy?" asked the Dark Lord, danger in his tone.

"No, my Lord," answered Draco, looking at the ground.

"Look at me!" demanded Voldemort.

Lucius looked pained as he saw the vicious way the Dark Lord was rooting around in his son's head.

Voldemort dropped Draco to the ground, satisfied that he was telling the truth.

"Are you truly that stupid, girl?" asked the Dark Lord, advancing menacingly on Pansy.

"I-I-I'm sorry, my Lord." Pansy was terrified. She had thought that she would make Draco jealous by being a tease with Theodore Nott, but she couldn't stop him once he was unclothed. Not that she had wanted to at the time. She hadn't meant to lose her virginity like that, but she had underestimated the quiet Slytherin. "I couldn't stop him."

"He did not rape you, girl. You were unclothed and writhing against him. You are what comes of a world with no true traditions. You are no longer worthy of a marriage to one of mine. How shall I punish you?"

He turned to the room, "Who wishes a whore? Not a wife, or a consort, like Mr. Krum here, but just a hole to be used?" The Dark Lord looked around.

"I will take her, my Lord. I do not wish a wife at the moment since mine was taken from me so brutally, but I could use someone to warm my bed."

"As you wish, Rodolphus. She is yours."

Pansy cried as she was thrown to the ground in front of Rodolphus Lestrange. She began to struggle as he pulled her up by the hair. "Behave, whore. You can see why our Lord elevated the Mudblood. She holds herself as though she were born a lady. You most certainly do not."

The Greengrass sisters and the other girls in the hall saw how dignified Hermione looked standing next to Viktor Krum. She was certainly a shining example of how to behave herself.

Voldemort turned back to Draco, who had recovered himself. He was standing next to Hermione and Viktor, composed as only a well-trained young man could be. "Well, now, young Malfoy, do you have a preference as to any of the girls here?"

"I would prefer a blonde, my Lord. I do not know the youngest Greengrass girl, but she would be acceptable. The Lovegood girl would also be acceptable."

"I believe the Greengrasses had promised their youngest to Marcus Flint. Therefore, you may have the Lovegood girl."

Without being told, Luna got up quietly and moved to Draco's side. "My thanks, my Lord. I will do my best to be a good wife."

"Well done, girl. Do you think you will be able to complete your studies for your NEWTs within the next six months?"

"Yes, my Lord. Especially if I can study with Hermione and Draco. They help keep the Wrackspurts under control."

Frighteningly, the Dark Lord smiled. As he moved off to see what he could do to show those in the Great Hall what a wise and benevolent leader he was, Lucius sidled up to the small group.