"Finished!" Hermione exclaimed quietly as soon as she set Voldemort's lunch on his desk at noon. Theo gave her a high-five as they walked down to the Ministry's cafeteria.

"So, who's offices have been raining?" she asked as they got in line.

"Hermione."

"What?" said Hermione, avoiding his eyes.

"We're higher-ups, remember?" Theo answered her patiently. He knew what she'd be thinking about this by now. "We can move to the front of the line."

"I know that. But it's rude, don't you think?"

Theo just shrugged. "Sure."

"I mean, just because I've been brainwashed by the Dark Lord doesn't mean I can be impolite and cruel. I could, but I choose not to," Hermione explained to him, waving a spoon in the air for emphasis as she spoke.

Theo dropped the fork he'd just picked up. "You know?"

"Spells can never be perfect, not when they're that powerful. The Dark Lord used a spell more powerful than even the Imperius Curse. So of course I'm going to figure some things out. I am the smartest person of my age, you know."

Theo was still just staring at her.

"I'm figuring it out," Hermione added in a lower voice. "Taking notes and reading books."

Theo started to say something, but thought better of it. "Later," he hissed, then returned to talking at a normal volume. "Yes, well, Yaxley's office seems to rain every day. Nobody really knows why. Perhaps he does it himself just to give us something to do other than pick up donuts and lunch and laundry for the Dark Lord."

Hermione laughed a little, and a few people turned to look at her, wondering why the bloody hell was a woman so cheerful just days after so many had died, people on both sides?

"Later," Hermione agreed after they had all turned away again.

"Hermione Granger, come up here at once!" Voldemort exclaimed from the front of the line, gesturing to her to come. He didn't look angry...

Hermione sighed as she went to him.

"I'm going to be very busy this afternoon, so I need you to take care of a few things," Voldemort told her. "Where's that notebook you always carry around with you? Ah, yes, there we go. Write this down. First of all, for dinner, I feel like some good Chinese food. Orange chicken would be nice. White rice, of course, not that awful fried stuff."

"Of course." Hermione nodded and wrote it down.

"And there's a river on the second floor, also."

"A river, my Lord?"

"Yes. A river. It seems the rain from the offices has been pooling in the halls."

"My Lord, may I, er..."

"What is it?" Voldemort questioned, his eyes starting to narrow.

"Perhaps, for decorational purposes, we could leave it as is and add to it. Wouldn't it be, er, fun to walk on bridges down the hall over the river, or to work with umbrellas and things over our desks? It would make things rather interesting. Plus, we could use parts of the river for-"

"Executions! Brilliant!" Voldemort chimed in, his mind whirring with possibilities.

"Or fishing?" Hermione finished with a squeak.

"Hmm. Yes, that too. Go work on that, will you? And remember, dinner at six."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Go."

A/N: Like it, love it, hate it? Any ideas for how this should go?