'This is it,' Hermione thought with resignation, 'He is soundproofing the walls and door so no one will hear my screams… not that anyone would come to my rescue.' She looked at her captor and thought 'At least it isn't Lucius.' She almost breathed a sigh of relief, but realized rape is still rape, no matter who was doing it.

Draco walked into the adjoining bathroom where she could make out the sound of a few faint mutterings. Hermione closed her eyes and thought hard of Ron. Would he forgive her? It wasn't her fault, but because she hadn't been ready for him, would Ron be angry he wouldn't be her first?

The thought of his kisses made Hermione choke up with tears. All she wanted to do at this moment was run into Ron's arms and allow him to make love to her as lovers should. Not by force.

Draco walked back into the room and Hermione turned her head to hide her tears now rolling down her cheeks. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing her pain. Of course she wouldn't enjoy it, but neither would she plead nor beg. He wouldn't see her desperation.

Draco pointed his wand at Hermione. "Wait!" she finally said forgetting everything she thought she wanted to do. She didn't want this to happen at all, but especially, not like this. "Please," she said in her most submissive voice, "please, I beg of you, at least remove the Imperius curse. I don't want my first time to be this way."

A smile adorned Draco's face, and his gaze fell to the ground. "Hermione," he began cautiously, "I just removed the Imperius curse, otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to speak."

"Oh…" Hermione said with an embarrassed look. Was he going to rape her without the aid of the unforgivable curse? Or was he not going to rape her at all? She chose her words wisely and said "I just thought-"

"I may be my father's son, Hermione," Draco interrupted very irate, "but make no mistake. I am nothing like him. Do I make myself clear? I am not a 'chip off the old block,' and this 'apple' has fallen quite far from the Family Tree… etcetera, etcetera, etcetera."

"Sorry." Hermione said apologetically.

Draco smirked oddly at her. "And what, pray tell, do you have to be sorry for now?" he asked her coyly.

"Well, that I thought you would be capable of it." Hermione explained, "In school you were such a sniveling prat with a dark sense of humor and a malicious disposition-"

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Draco said in a charming sort of way. Hermione couldn't help but let a smile out beneath the dirt and grime coving her face.

"We'll have plenty of time to discuss this later, just know I will not rape you." Draco said, and he looked at her to make sure she understood what he was telling her. She simply nodded and he went on. "Now, I need you to sit on the floor and face away from the door."

Hermione did as she was told without any questions. She didn't understand why, but she felt she was ready to trust him.

Draco quickly removed his robe and shirt exposing his bare chest. He was lean, yet muscular. Not a hair on him. He had broad shoulders, and a thin waist. He could have been a model in muggle magazines, had it not been for several shadows of faint scars on his chest. Hermione couldn't take her eyes off him. Could it be? Was this the scrawny boy she hated so in school? The one who called her names and made her cry?

"Diffindo" said Draco and Hermione's clothes again fell on the floor beside her, as they did when his father spoke the charm, however this time they were in shreds.

"What are you doing?" Hermione screamed, covering herself.

Without answering, Draco pointed the wand at his own face, and said "Sectum Quadra" and four small gashes, the size of small claws, appeared on his face causing some blood to run down to his chest. He reached for Hermione's hand and without looking at her; he rubbed the tips of her fingers on the blood he'd just released. Hermione was fighting against him, pulling her hand away, but he was too strong. He overpowered her. How could she have trusted him? Even for a fraction of a second. What was he into? Some sort of blood fetish?

"I'll explain later." Draco assured her. "Now cry."

Hermione was on the verge of tears, but she wasn't going to cry. Not for him. Not after she trusted him. But Draco could tell what she was thinking, so with a decisive voice he said "Once you hear the crack, you WILL cry. If not by choice, then by force."

Crack? Hermione thought. But before Draco could answer the question a faint crack sounded in the hallway that leaded to his bedroom.

Suddenly it all made sense. Someone had just apparated at the door to his bedroom. Draco turned towards the door and said out loud, "You'll pay for that mudblood, no one scratches Draco Malfoy, no one."

Apparently he hadn't put a silencing charm on the walls and doors, however, he probably put a shield against anyone apparating directly into his room.

Hermione began to cry. Draco looked over his shoulder towards her and she could make out his smile. Her tears, although brought on by a fake situation, were real and true. All she needed to do was think of Harry and Ron.

"That's right," he continued, "Cry… Cry all you want, scream if you must, all that will do-"

A knock interrupted him and he walked decisively towards the door. "This had better be good!" he said opening the door. Boffy was standing there with a tray of sandwiches and two bottles of butterbeer.

Boffy started opening his mouth to speak but Draco quickly interrupted him before he could get a word in, "How dare you interrupt me while I'm teaching?"

"Forgive Boffy Sir. The master told Boffy to bring the young master's supper up to his room," The house elf told him with while trying to look in to the room. "Boffy wasn't able to apparate into young master's bedroom."

"And your disgusting little brain cannot comprehend that I did not want to be disturbed? Nor can it understand you could have left the tray at the door?" Draco said in an angry tone.

"Draco!" Hermione said reprovingly, regretting opening her mouth almost the moment she did. It was mostly force of habit to defend house elves for her, but this was a different story. Lucius had obviously sent Boffy to spy on his son and his… new toy.

Draco turned towards her, grabbed her arm and lifted her to her feet with ease. His cold grey eyes stared right through her brown ones. He had his father's stare, which frightened Hermione. "I told you to call me Master Malfoy!" He said in a loud whisper and with his free hand, he slapped her across the face.

"Forgive me, Master Malfoy," she cried.

He released her arm and she fell to the ground again. She sobbed into her arms covering her face.

"You are not to speak unless I request it! Now go. Prepare my bath, mudblood. I expect you to bathe me, so wait for me in the water. And clean that soot off your body, I will not have my sheets dirtied by your filth." He told her, and pointed her towards the bathroom.

He was menacing, and wasn't to be trifled with. Hermione stood up and walked with her head down towards the bathroom. Draco heard the water spilling into the ceramic pool that was his bathtub.

He then looked at Boffy and said "Now tell me, you vile creature, tell me why I shouldn't kill you as you stand before me."

"The Master told Boffy to deliver the young master's supper to his room. Master was clear Boffy was to put it on the young master's desk." said the house elf with no sign of fear.

"Then do as you were told and leave now." Draco said furiously.

"Yes sir." The house elf replied, in almost a challenging manner. He levitated the tray to the table and gently set it on the wood. "Does the young master need anything else?" Boffy asked coyly.

Draco smiled, and said, "You know Boffy, it is at times like this, I miss Dobby." Draco sighed and Boffy, offended, finally disapparated. He shut the door, which locked behind him, and said, "Muffliato."

Draco looked at the pile of shredded fabric on the ground and pointed his wand at it saying "Reparo!" The garments repaired themselves.

He then knocked at the entry of the bathroom. "He's gone." He said. "I placed a silencing charm on the room, Father will expect it now."

Hermione's voice said "Good… if you'd like to come in, you can."

Draco seemed pleasantly surprised at the prospect. As he walked in, he could only see her head, as the rest of her body was covered in soap suds.

"I've repaired your clothes." Draco said hesitantly, looking down to his feet.

"Is that what those were?" Hermione said smirking, scrubbing off the filth that covered her body.

"It's what the muggle slaves that belonged to past generations of Malfoys wore…" Draco mentioned.

"Hardly easy to clean in…" She said incredulously.

"Easy access..." He told her.

"Ahhh, that would explain it." Hermione said.

"As I was saying, I repaired your clothes, but you are welcome to wear one of my shirts to bed. You might be more comfortable in it." Draco offered.

Hermione was shocked, "Draco, I thought you were going to take me back to the dungeon."

"Do you want to return there tonight? I thought you may enjoy a night in a soft comfortable bed. The only down side is you will need to share it with me."

Hermione looked as if a fire-crab bit her tongue. "You want me to sleep with you?"

Draco smiled, "The bed is large enough so the two of us won't even touch by accident. Plus, if I did want to touch you, I would have done it by now. Not only do I possess the wand, I am stronger and can easily overcome you."

There was no mistake there, he was right. So she agreed to it. What's the big deal, she'll have clothes on. Ron wouldn't have liked it, but he didn't know how uncomfortable the dungeon floor was.

"You might want to turn around." Draco said with his hand at the waist of his pants.

Hermione covered her eyes with her hands but in the slits of her fingers she could still see him removing the rest of his clothing and getting into the bathtub. Hermione quickly moved away from him.

"What do you think your doing?" Hermione asked surprised.

"Bathing." He told her, as if he was annoyed he had to explain the obvious to her. "I have had a long day. This bath is large enough for five of us and the bubbles are enough to shield your 'virgin eyes' from me."

Hermione laughed and nodded with a little resignation.

"We need to discuss ground rules." Draco said.

"Ground rules?" Hermione asked incredulously. "I don't think-"

"You are no position to think." Draco told her. "Cruel as it may seem to you, if you want my protection, you will abide by my rules."

Hermione was ready to challenge him, but Draco headed her off by interjecting, "Unless, of course, you prefer my father's company to mine."

Hermione thought about Lucius and what he would have done to her if Draco hadn't taken her away. "Alright," she started to say, "tell me your ground rules."

"First, you are to do anything I wish you to do, when I wish you to. Second, you will not talk back to me or undermine my authority in any way. Not even in front of house elves." Draco said.

"Alright, I can try to do that." She told him.

"Trying isn't good enough. Understand that if my father senses or hears about you not obeying, he will go to the Dark Lord himself and request permission to help me in your training. And then I'll have no way to protect you."

"Are you really his favorite?" Hermione asked cautiously.

Draco was a little taken back by the fact Hermione had knowledge of this fact, and said, "What most Death Eaters cannot understand is that he has no favorite. The Dark Lord only loves one person. Himself."

"Uhmmm, what kind of mission is he sending you on?" Hermione asked coyly.

Draco laughed out loud. He didn't do it often, but it surprised her whenever he did. "Granger, I won't tell my own father, but you think I'll tell you? Out of curiosity, how did you know that I have been dubbed his new favorite?" He asked her.

"Nott." Hermione told him. The bubbles were starting to die down.

"Ah, yes… now I remember." Draco quickly changed the subject. "That brings me to my third rule. Amusing as this afternoon was, you are never to do that to my friends again."

"Friends? Is that what they are to you?" Hermione asked.

"It is no concern of yours whom I call friends and whom I call enemies." Draco said curtly.

"Are those all the rules?" Hermione asked.

"For right now, I have one last rule. But more may come later. The fourth rule is 'no talking about Nikki.' No one is to know of her existence." Draco said.

It was strange that Draco was so protective of the ghost of a half blood, who haunted their mansion.

"There is no question about the latter. And I will do my best to abide by your ground rules, but in return, I need you to help me escape. I need Ron and Harry to know where I am so they may come rescue me."

Draco's face changed. His eyes were saddened and filled with sorrow. "If you can promise me you will abide by these rules, I'll try to reach Potter or the Order. I cannot make any promises. Owls are supervised, the floo network is monitored… but I will try."

Hermione smiled at Draco, leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Draco couldn't hide his surprise. He sat there staring at her, immobilized by her chestnut eyes. It was like an eternity passed after she kissed him. She seemed surprised as well. He suddenly reached for her head and kissed her full on the mouth, hard. The warmth and passion of his kiss sent chills down her spine and before she realized it, she was kissing him back in turn. Her eyes were closed and his tongue entered her mouth, and she felt like she would melt with his touch. His arms wrapped around her naked, wet body and held her tight as he kept kissing her. Suddenly her eyes opened wide, as if a knife has stabbed her in the back. She pushed him away, and without fear of revealing her naked body to him, she jumped out of the bathtub. She took the first towel she could find, wrapped it around her body and walked into the bedroom.

Hermione was upset, not because Draco kissed her, but because she enjoyed being kissed by him. For one moment, the moment Draco kissed her, the moment she kissed him, she forgot all about Ron. How could she? How could she have betrayed him so?

Draco walked in with a towel wrapped around his waist. "I am sorry." He started. "I didn't mean to upset you. I don't know what came over me. I just… never mind."

Hermione turned to him and without looking in his deep grey eyes, she told him "Don't worry about it; there are two of us at fault." Although she was smiling, her eyes were filled with tears.

She was watching a drop of water slowly descend his chest and dry at the towel line formed at his waist. The ends of his hair were damp with water which caused it to fall on his eyes. Hermione couldn't believe she was thinking it, but Draco was quite handsome.

"So, you aren't regretting it?" He asked with a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"I wouldn't say that." Hermione hesitated a little, but then said, "I'm faithful to Ron… and the 'what he doesn't know won't hurt him' mentality is only a Slytherin way of thinking."

"I see." Draco said, as he looked towards his desk. Changing the subject, he offered, "Have a sandwich."

Hermione still only covered by a towel, went to the tray and began eating one of the sandwiches.

Draco watched her as he went into his closet, where he pulled out a long button down shirt. Draco changed into his sleeping clothes and walked over to his bed. He lay down and watched Hermione eat and drink. He was resting his head back on his hands with his elbows pointing to the side and his legs out straight.

Hermione realized he was watching her and turned towards him. "Is this going to be a problem? I mean, are we going to be awkward around one another?" She asked him.

"We can't afford to. No, we're fine." He answered, and changed the subject again. "I have a shirt for you. You are about Pansy's size and she always wore this when she slept over."

"I see," Hermione said, with a smile. She placed the shirt on the right side of the bed as she finished her sandwich. She then asked "May I ask you a personal question?"

Draco raised an eyebrow, but nodded and said, "As long as you realize I can chose not to answer it."

Hermione ignored him and asked, "Why is it that she's with Goyle? I mean, to go from you to him. I have noticed there is a definite change in him… He's developed somewhat of a backbone."

"Yeah, you'd think Pansy was force feeding him Skele-gro." Draco said jokingly.

Hermione giggled a little at the vision that come into her head, but then went on, saying, "I don't like it."

"Neither does Crabbe." Draco said.

"Once Crabbe gets a girl, he'll be fine." Hermione said, with a knowing smile.

"Didn't you hear? Millicent claimed him last year."

"Bulstrode? You are kidding, right? I didn't think even a goon like Crabbe would like Millicent Bulstrode."

"I didn't say he likes her, I said she claimed him. During the game between Slytherin and Hufflepuff last year, Crabbe was the one who hit the bludger that crushed Rose Zeller's face in. Well, apparently Zeller, unbeknownst to all of us, had insulted Millicent earlier that day. Millicent was going to jump Zeller after the match to put her in her place, but Crabbe incapacitated her and sent her to the hospital wing. Millicent interpreted this as some sort of sign of love. She walked up to Crabbe after the match and told him he was now her boyfriend and walked away."

Hermione looked incredulous, and said, "Well didn't he tell her he didn't want to be her boyfriend?"

Draco smiled "Would you want to be the one to tell Millicent Bulstrode she couldn't have something she wanted and thought she already had?"

Hermione thought of the Slytherin girl she once fought in dueling club, and agreed. "But why wasn't she here today with Crabbe?" she asked.

Draco's eyes went blank, and said, "She's in St. Mungo's. The Weasley girl-"

"Ginny?" Hermione interrupted him, worried about her friend.

"I don't pretend to know all the Weasley's names, but, yes, I believe that's the one." He said curtly, having been interrupted. "She was hexing Millicent, who then decided to cut her losses by starting a muggle fight with her. Well, Millie didn't realize the Weasley girl was a good muggle fighter as well."

"It comes from growing up with six brothers." Hermione said with pride for her friend, who was able to defend herself against a foe as large as Millicent Bulstrode.

"Millicent was very upset she couldn't overtake her, so she ran for it. She was hit by an unliftable hex from a Death Eater, that was meant for Longbottom." Draco said.

"Well, is that what happened to me? I remember running in the hall and then everything went blank." Hermione said.

"You were hit by a strong stunning spell, and you were out cold for a couple of days." Draco told her.

Hermione was very cautiously trying to find the right words to use for the question she wanted to ask, but impatience got the better of her, and she asked abruptly, "Well then, how did I end up here?"

Draco glared at her in a menacing way. Hermione wasn't backing off the question, and waited for Draco to answer.

"You were left behind and became something the death eaters could claim." Draco said very matter-of-factly."

"So you laid claim to me?" She asked.

"No." He answered, to her surprise.

"Was I given to you, then?" She asked thinking of any other reason.

"Sort of. Zabini laid claim to you." He answered.

Hermione couldn't believe her ears. Blaise Zabini wanted to take her, a muggle born witch, as a souvenir? "Well, then how did I get here?" She asked him.

"Let's just say I showed Blaise what a real death eater is capable of."

Hermione realized Draco fought to keep her out of someone else's grasps. She blushed as she felt embarrassed he would do that for her, but she was also angry he didn't just bring her to Ron or Harry.

"Is Blaise ok?" Hermione asked.

"Do you really care about that?" Draco asked.

Hermione really could care less about what had happened to Blaise, she just wanted to know what Draco was capable of.

"He's fine. His pride was bruised because I made him cry before his mother and the Dark Lord." Draco said with smirk, and an air of superiority.

"Cry? Blaise cried?" She asked thinking of the tall black boy in tears, beneath Draco.

"You have not felt my real Cruciatus curse. Yesterday when I cursed you it wasn't at full strength. Zabini felt the curse with my full power behind it." He said proud of himself.

Hermione didn't let the knowledge of this intimidate her, "So Blaise isn't a Death Eater?" she asked him.

"The Dark Lord doesn't let just anyone in the club." Draco said half jokingly, and half seriously.

"I thought all the Slytherins were death eaters." Hermione said, generalizing.

"For being the smartest girl in school, you are pretty stupid. Just because we are ambitious and cunning, doesn't mean we're all death eaters. There are only three death eaters considered 'junior'." He told her.

Hermione ignored his casual insults, and said, "You, Nott, and who else?"

"Goyle. Goyle was the one that let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts this time. Between his father and Pansy's, the Dark Lord made him a death eater as well. Gregory didn't know what he was getting into." Draco said, obviously regretting not letting his friend know of what being a death eater really entailed.

"I see. Were you the first, or was Nott?" She asked.

"Neither. Irina was first." He told her.

"What? Wait… I thought you said it was only three. Who's Irina?" She asked him.

"Do you remember Igor Karkaroff? The Durmstrang headmaster?" He asked.

"Yes, I read in the daily prophet he was found dead in a shack up north with the dark mark above it," She remembered.

"He had a daughter. Irina. It was she who killed him and conjured the dark mark." He told her.

"She killed her own father?" She asked surprised.

"Yes. When the Dark Lord found out about Karkoroff's demise, he called all the death eaters and asked which had killed him. No one answered him… until this girl, a year younger than myself, appeared before him demanding to take her father's place. She had cut off her father's left arm so, when the Death Eaters were called, she followed the dark mark's lead. She became the youngest death eater ever." He told her.

"Where is she now?" Hermione asked.

"She died." Draco told her.

"How did she die?" She asked eagerly.

"Granger, I am tired. I will be going to sleep now; I suggest you do the same." Draco said, as he laid his wand on the nightstand by his bedside. Hermione glanced over to it and Draco caught her gaze, smiled, then laid back and closed his eyes. "I don't suggest you try it. Father cast a protective spell on my wand the day we purchased it. Only a Malfoy can pick it up without searing pain running through the body." He said.

Hermione sighed and looked at Draco. "One more question Draco, please, and I'll leave you be." And without waiting for his permission, she asked, "Where is Ron?"

Draco simply turned away from her in bed and didn't speak.

Hermione wasn't letting him off that easily. She rushed to the left side of the bed where he was facing, and said, "Draco, please… Where is he? Is he hurt?"

"Granger, it's late, I'm tired. Go to bed." Draco said, as he turned away from her to face the inside of the bed.

Hermione, frustrated with his lack of answers, grabbed his shoulder and rolled him back towards her, and raised her voice, "Tell me now! I deserve to know!"

Draco sat up abruptly."You deserve nothing! Get that through your thick head. I don't sink as low as rape, but you are MY toy, MY slave. Get that? MY property. You are less than a person right now, and if you do not behave as such, I will see to it you are properly punished." His eyes felt as if they could pierce her very soul.

"I see," she told him challenging his tone. "I understand, 'Punish her proper', just like Darius' portrait told your father earlier. You Malfoys are all the same." And she spit on the floor before him.

Draco grabbed his wand, and aimed it at her. "Impedimenta!" He said and Hermione went flying into the bathroom. He got up from the bed and went after her.

"Aquamenti," He said, right as she brought herself to her feet, and a jet of cold water shot towards her from his wand.

Hermione screamed as the force of the water ripped her towel off. Hermione charged towards him, and again, he shot another jet of freezing cold water that pushed her to her knees.

"I am tired of you! I will talk only when I feel like it, and not a moment before." Draco said. "Now get up, dry off and put the shirt on. If you don't want to sleep in the bed with me, then find a spot in the bath or on the floor like a dog for all I care." He walked to the bed and got under the covers.

"I hate you." She screamed after him, as he ignored her. "I hate you…" she repeated, and began to cry.

Hermione sobbed for a while in the bathroom, with a fresh towel over her cold body.

"Hermione, there you are." Nikki's voice came from the bathroom wall. Her shimmery transparent figure came floating into the bathroom.

"Nikki, you won't believe what Draco did to me!" Hermione was furious, she needed to vent.

"Hermione, I need to tell you something." Nikki seemed as if she was upset, and that what she needed to tell her was bad news.

"He told me I was less than a person." Hermione said, ignoring the fact that Nikki was talking. All the ghost was going to do was defend Draco, she thought.

"Hermione, please sit down." Nikki said, trying to calm her down.

But Hermione didn't want to calm down. "He told me I was his slave." She said to the ghost. "His slave. I wish I had my wand!"

"Hermione, please, it's important." The ghost pleaded with the young witch.

"He told me I was his toy, what a child!" Hermione told her, disgusted.

"Hermione, I heard the Slytherin girls talking before they disapparated," Nikki tried to tell her. However, Hermione didn't want to hear anything anyone was going to say to her.

"His property! Can you believe him, he called me his property!" Hermione was so angry nothing would calm her now.

"Hermione!" Nikki yelled, to get her attention.

"Then he jinxed me!" Hermione said, matching the ghost's volume, as she still wasn't listening.

Finally Nikki screamed like a banshee, "HERMIONE!"

"WHAT?" Hermione screamed back to the ghost.

Nikki looked in Hermione's eyes, which were filled with anger and hate, and she finally said, "Ronald Weasley is dead."