"You have such a bright future, pet," Malfoy sneered.

Hermione ran the fabric through her fingers. She smiled at him, but on the inside she was fuming with rage and hatred. She wanted to rip the dress to shreds and throw it at him. She loathed him- despised everything that he stood for. Because he existed, her life had been flipped upside down, possibly forever. The smile on her face felt so wrong, and it was.

She swallowed heavily, forcing herself to keep it on her face. As soon as she gained access to her wolf, she would make sure that Malfoy would pay for everything he had done to her.

"I doubt it," she muttered under her breath.

"I think you'll get used to it, Granger," he said.

"It's not as if you left me a choice," Hermione said.

"Put that on," he ordered. "I have some things to show you."

Hermione narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. Her eyes focused on his neck. Even though her wolf was kept at bay, her superior hearing could still pick up the sound of his blood pumping through his veins. How his pureblood would taste when she ripped open his neck.

He raised his golden eyebrows as he looked at her. "You think I can't tell you're plotting against me?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I know you can tell I'm plotting, but you don't know what I'm plotting. I'll let it eat you up inside."

"Granger, your threats don't scare me," he said.

Hermione bit her lip. If he knew what I was thinking they would.

She smiled at him sardonically, letting thoughts of his death fill her mind.

Malfoy looked back at her through wary eyes. Hermione could tell he wasn't as sure of himself as he tried to seem. Without another word, he whisked away, closing the bedroom door behind him. Hermione sighed as she looked down at the dress in her hands. Putting it on felt like the ultimate betrayal but she knew that she had to do it.

Taking in a deep breath of air, she let the towel drop to the floor. She pulled the silky dress over her body and looked down at herself with a grimace. Her delicate fingers grasped at one of the sleeves. She tore the fabric, leaving a rugged edge in its wake. She tossed it to the floor before she did the same to the other sleeve. Malfoy may have her forced to submit to his will, but she would never submit completely.

The door opened as Malfoy reappeared in the room as if her thoughts had summoned him.

His eyes showed no humor as he looked at her. "You have to be a rebel always, huh, pet?"

Hermione raised her chin as she looked at him defiantly. "You know it."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Doesn't matter what I do to you, that spirit is hard to break down," he muttered to himself as he turned back towards the door. "Just follow me, Granger."

She sighed and followed after him if for nothing but freedom from the prison she had been stuck in. He didn't seem to have a care in the world as he led the way through the twisting halls and magnificent stairs.

"Beautiful, isn't it, pet?" he asked.

Hermione frowned. "Too beautiful for you."

He smirked. "Keep up the snarky comments, and you'll lose your rights before I even grant you them."

Hermione sighed. If she wanted to turn wolf ever again she would have to learn to keep her mouth shut…even if it did make her want to die inside.

"Here's the library, the common room, a handful of rooms that you are not to go inside," he said turning to glare at her.

Hermione smiled bitterly at him. "Noted."

A haughty gleam appeared in Malfoy's eyes. "Good."

He was silent as he led the way into a grand kitchen. Hermione glanced around in amazement. It seemed as if every kitchen utensil in both the muggle world and the wizarding world were present. The sight of the room almost brought her joy…if only it didn't include Malfoy.

"First job as my house pet," Malfoy drawled, "is to make me something to eat. I'm starving."

Hermione scoffed. "You're kidding right? You're going to demean my intelligence by making me do chores?"

"I did say you were my slave…didn't I? I don't believe I left room for you to argue," he said.

Hermione thought of a barbed retort but bit it back. Best behavior, her wolf warned. "Fine, just give me my wand, and I'll get started."

"You think I'm that foolish?"

"How am I supposed to cook without it?" she asked.

"You're a mudblood, figure it out," Malfoy said. "Make sure you're done in an hour."

Hermione curled her lip as she watched him leave. Just when she thought it wasn't possible to hate him any more, she did. Her stomach growled suddenly, and her anger dissolved. She couldn't remember the last time she had had a decent meal. She stepped over to the grand refrigerator and opened it, staring in amazement at the shelves stocked full of food.

Her eyes ran over every item as she tried to determine what would be easiest to make. She could remember days of her childhood, working with her mum in the kitchen humming along in harmony as they worked. She felt a tear slip from her eye. Would she ever be able to see Harry and Ron again?

Or would she end up like Ginny?

She gritted her teeth to keep herself from breaking down. If she would win the war, she would have to be strong. Hermione let out a breath of air and grabbed an armful of vegetables. She threw them on the marble counter as she rummaged for a knife. She pulled out the biggest one that she could find. Hermione held the blade up into the light, admiring the way the glare reflected back at her. She pushed the point of the knife into her fingertip, watching as it drew a drop of blood.

Could I kill Malfoy with my muggle weapon? She thought, smiling to herself as she turned to the vegetables. It was something to add to her to do list.

About forty minutes later, the smell of her food was enticing as it drifted out into the hallway. She could hear footsteps and tensed a moment before Malfoy's voice drifted into the room. "Smells good, pet."

She didn't say a word as she stirred the vegetables in the pan.

"Serve it to me in the dining room in ten minutes," he demanded as he turned to walk away.

Hermione picked up a vegetable covered in smoldering oil and threw it at him, hoping to sear the back of his neck. She frowned, dissatisfied when it missed. As Hermione went to work putting the food onto plates, she snuck a couple bites savoring the familiar flavor of meals that she used to enjoy. She piled the dishes onto a silver tray. She stared at it for a long moment feeling the loathing build up in her mind again. She spit on his vegetables and stirred them together.

She was a mudblood, but she was too good to serve Malfoy…pureblood or not.

What a turn my life has taken.

Hermione swallowed her pride and picked up the tray. With slow, careful steps she traveled to the other room. Malfoy smiled at her expectantly from his seat at the end of the long, grand dining table.

"About time, pet, I was starting to think I'd have to punish you," he said.

"It's a home recipe," she said as she set it on the table. "Bon appetite." I hope you choke on it, bastard.

"It looks good, pet," he said, before he took a bite.

Hermione had to repress the urge to laugh.

"Take a seat, Granger. Watch me eat. When I'm done, you can have the scraps" Hermione felt her stomach growl as she forced herself into the seat beside him. He smiled at her as he popped each bite into his mouth. "I gave you the right job."

That's what you think.

"Say something," he demanded.

"Do you need something from me?" she asked.

"You're not very good at entertainment, are you?" he asked.

"That's not my job. If you want a showgirl, kidnap someone else."

Malfoy held his knife to her threateningly. "Don't speak to me in that tone, pet, or you won't get to eat at all."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What a tragedy that would be. Don't feed me if you don't want to. I'm only in this to earn my rights back."

A/N

Hello, everyone! So sorry that it's taken me this long to update. I've been super busy doing assignments for my publisher, plus I've been up to my neck in college work. Anyways, what do you think of this chapter? Enjoying the story so far? Please, leave reviews with your beautiful thoughts. You guys make me happy! I'm hoping to get back to updating on a regular basis. Thanks for not giving up on me!

~Until next time,

Wolfshine