Dear Reader,

I am very excited to present the first chapter of my story, The Dragon. I know that many "slave" stories have been written that involve both Hermione and Draco but I wanted to write one with a bit of a twist. In this world Hermione does not know that magic exist until she is captured and sold to the Malfoy family. I plan for her to discover power through Draco's eyes. This, as you can imagine, will lead to some very interesting character development and situations.

I ask that you please review. I will try to answer any questions you have in an update preceding the following chapter. If you have any ideas or suggestions I beg that you let me know also.

Thank you for all of your love and support. I hope that you enjoy reading the story as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Love Always

J.D.


Strong iron clad gates and dark grey stones surrounded me, crushing what little hope that I still held deep within my soul. The sound of my own footsteps against the cobblestone pathway echoed throughout my skull. Icy wind whipped through my hair and caused my cheeks to burn with such intensity that I wanted to scream out in pain. The entirety of the environment I now found myself in was evil. There was no other way to describe such a place.

"Mione…I'm…I'm cold."

The child whom I clung to couldn't have been more than seven years old. It was a shame that I didn't know much about her. She had lived through the same horrors as I, plucked from the arms of her loving family and forced to enter into a world that she knew nothing about. It had been three days since we had been bought, part of the same purchase that was to be delivered to an extremely powerful and influential family. The girl was beautiful. There was no denying that at one time she was full of life. Considering all things she had been extremely calm up until this point in time. I assumed she had already cried all the tears that her small body allowed.

"Hush now Kizzie. Everything is going to be alright."

"Do not test my patience muggle scum. I have no time for your games. Keep moving."

Firm hands pushed against my lower back, forcing me towards the shadowy mansion that loomed before me. The man who had come to fetch us could better be described as a creature with a blackened heart. His blistering red hair reached far past his shoulders and I could tell by the amount of oil it held that appearances were not his top priority. His coal grey eyes were hidden behind an ancient pair of wire-rimmed glasses and although he was trying to be discrete I could feel his cold stare scan across my body with every chance he got.

I felt as if I had been home only hours before, sitting on the floor reading while my parents enjoyed a cup of steaming hot tea by the fire. It was then that death had attacked. There was no other way to describe it. Dark beings had descended from the sky, creatures so file that the great Edgar Allen Poe would have fainted upon the sight of them. I had been blinded by a thick white mist, unable to see anything as I heard my parent's final screams escape from their throats. Cold hands gripped around my wrist, sending energy through my body the likes of which I had never know. I didn't stand a chance. Within moments I had been enslaved by darkness.

I am uncertain of how much time I spent shrouded in sleep. When I finally awoke I found myself in a small dark room with Kizzie as my only companion. Although she was young she had managed to tell me that the same strange events had occurred in her home and claimed that she had been drug away from her dying parent's bodies, kicking and screaming for her life. Kizzie later told me the creatures that captured us were called "Dementors", dark souls that prowled the earth praying upon the weak and defenseless. Dementors had the ability take the soul of any human they could find, leaving behind nothing but a lifeless shell. She insisted that the creatures worked for only the most powerful witches and wizards, beings that held more power than she and I could ever understand. What strange and twisted nonsense from such a young and terrified child.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of my own shoes tapping against a brilliant marble floor. I had been in such a daze that I had failed to realize our guardian had already led us into the foyer of the grand estate. My eyes widened as I turned my head both left and right, trying desperately to take in all of my surroundings. Velvet green tapestries hung from the walls, covering the windows so no amount of natural light would ever be allowed to enter. A grand wooden staircase made its home in the center of the room, teasing me with its utter brilliance. The room held an enchanted aura, one that tickled at my wildest fantasies. Still, I considered myself smart enough to know better. This house held an evil precedence that was strong enough to depress any joy or hope that I had held onto.

"Ahh…Master Malfoy. I was unaware that you would be home to greet us. I would like to introduce you to your newest property."

The stoic man who emerged from the shadows would have had a handsome face were it not for the fact that his expression was as harsh as stone. I immediately found myself intrigued by his peculiar choice in attire. Although the summer months were fast approaching the man had made the unusual decision to wear both dark leather gloves and a flowing satin cape. He looked like a vampire, rising from the grave to claim his next victim. Platinum blonde locks escaped from his scalp, his misty eyes never leaving mine as he made his approach.

He advanced towards Kizzie first. Every cell in my body burned with rage as he examined every inch of her body. She was so young, still just an infant in the eyes of the world. It was barbaric; her silent tears were proof of that. She was terrified and it seemed to me that she had every reason in the world to be.

"Take this one to the kitchens. I'm sure Lilith will find some use for her."

It happened so fast. Kizzie's cries echoed through the halls as the red-headed man grabbed her tightly around her wrist, dragging her away before I could comfort her in any way.

"Mione! Mione…don't…don't let them take me!"

Her screams rattled throughout my bones, the image of her dark brown eyes burning in my mind. Despite my better judgment I showed no reaction. I was smart enough to realize that any move I made would only call the poor child more pain and suffering. I sucked in the cold and stagnant air, forcing myself to simply look ahead.

"Do not fret muggle. I can assure you that the young girl will be well taken care of. Master Jonas is careful not to damage any of my acquisitions. Force is only to be used when you disobey my commands as well as those of any who claim my name."

His speech flowed easily from his mouth, his words like honey which had been spiked with vinegar. Muggle? There was that word again. I had begged Kizzie to relinquish its definition but she had refused saying that it was a term only those with blackened hearts used within their daily vocabulary.

"You must be in such a state of shock, taken from your parents at such a young and impressionable age. I can't imagine that you could be over twenty."

"I…I'm nineteen."

"I see. Such a delicate time in one's life. Your mind must be reeling with confusion. I understand. Those who have no magic in their blood are generally naive to the true power that lies in the world around them. My kind live in the shadows, watching everything that the small and insignificant insects like you try to accomplish. Your people are nothing."

Everything he said melted together until it was impossible for me to make sense out of any of it. Magic? There was no such thing. These people were delusional, participants in an underground society or cult that practiced slavery as a means of gaining false power over others. The creatures I had seen during my parent's death were simply the side effect of seeing such a horrible action take place, a physiological mishap somewhere deep within my mind. I had been drugged. That was the only conclusion. It had only been coincidence that Kizzie and I had experienced the same hallucination. Her stories were fantasies, her own special way of explaining what had happened to her. This was the only explanation.

"You have promising features my child. Young women spend so much time trying to be something they're not. They waste away all aspects of perfection. Natural beauty is hard to come by these days. I am pleased to see that you have not attempted to correct yourself. Still, I can see that the execution does need some work. Jonas?"

"Yes Master Lucius?"

Jonas appeared without hesitation, bowing before his employer. How was it possible that he had been able to enter the room without my noticing? From what I could tell the mansion was vast and wide, sounds echoed easily throughout his passageways. Kizzie's screams had verified this theory only moments before. There was no logic in his standing before me.

"Clean the girl up and have her presented to my son. She is my gift to him, a token of my appreciation and acknowledgement of his decision to once and for all join our cause."

"With pleasure sire. I am sure that Draco will find great use for this one."