Omg, ever since I put this brand new Tom Felton desktop picture up, I have been writing sooo much. Sighs…don't I wish. Don't we all wish? Thank you guys for all your input and I'm so sorry for those of you against it, but I'm going for true character believability and there's only one way out and that's through the dark scary tunnel (no pun.). I promise though, He'll make it up to her, or try, and honestly could you or I talk our ways out of this? Besides, Hermione is a pretty reasonable girl and would probably understand.

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Reality sank in when he grabbed Hermione's hair and she went rigid. How was he going to talk his way out of this one? Refusal was not an option and with so many people looking how could he fake it? Lying about his level of satiation might work, but how could he risk her life?

"I've enjoyed myself several times today already lord. I'm sure I may not have another in me," Draco tried to talk his way out of it subtly; "I might even get stage fright." The rest of the crowd knew what that was and the laughed nervously while awaiting the dark lord's reaction.

"Hmm, how's about a private audience. Just me, Lucius, and you." Voldemorte must know that he was balking, but what could he do. Hermione was squeezing his ankle so hard that it must be blue by now and he had to come up with something fast.

Draco nodded. He had no choice but to accept because this would be pushed to the point of death. Even if she hated him afterward, she would still be alive. He was going to hate himself either way and at this point all that could be done was ease the pain.

"Perhaps your father can take your place?" the dark lord hissed. Draco had to play this off. He was backed into a corner and it had come down to three options: They die, he lets his father handle it and realize he hasn't done anything to her, or he does it himself and tries to repair it later. He hated the fact that he was going to have to hurt her to save her.

"No my lord, I will be just fine," Draco had no choice and he bowed his head in defeat. Hermione stopped squeezing his leg and just let her fingers rest loosely at the top of his shoe. 'I'm so sorry,' he said to her in his mind, 'Please god let her hear me. I'm so sorry.'

"Let us go behind the curtain?" Voldemorte said menacingly. Draco grabbed Hermione's hair and she complied by slowly raising herself to her feet. She was shaking mildly and her fear was breaking his heart. He didn't think that a couple of days made such a difference to him. At this moment, however, he was unable to protect her from himself- just everybody else.

He followed them behind the curtain and saw only dirty ground to lay her on. Voldemorte came close and drew down the zipper of the dress. 'This is it' he though to himself, 'no way out.'

Hermione cringed and he could feel her pulse just under her skin as he pushed his fingertips under the red fabric. 'I'm so sorry' he repeated in his head as he slipped the dress off. Voldemorte and Lucius watched vigilantly as the dress fell to the floor. His mind frantically raced with idea to make it hurt less for her. He had had so many women in his short lifetime that he knew it took time to ready a virgin and then it took control to make sure it didn't hurt. He would have to use that control to finish quickly. He reached his hand to his mouth and spit in it while pretending to cough. He leaned over and used his spit filled hand to lubricate the warm softness between her thighs and his own hardness. She shuddered and he watched her narrow back shaking from the tears that were flowing. 'I'm so sorry' he pushed him self into her and nearly cried when he felt her maidenhead. 'God this is going to hurt her so badly,' He began to pump slowly and watched her stiffen as it broke. 'That must have been why she was squeezing my ankle so desperately' He concentrated on finishing himself, while Voldemorte goaded him on. He couldn't stop and hold still because they knew the dynamics of this and he would be caught. Hermione was sobbing and shaking.

He put his hand into her hair and grabbed a handful as gently as he could and guided her to stand, making it look as violent as it could without actually being so. He pulled her hands up to the wall and made her lay her palms flat on the cold stone wall. He hoped it would decrease his depth in her so he wouldn't be inflicting so much pain. He pulled her head to his mouth and buried his face into her hair so that neither man could see his lips. "I'm so sorry," he whispered to her, "I'm so sorry."

He let her hair go and pumped his hips one last time before exploding into her. He slowly slipped himself out and saw streaks of red on his member and his hands. 'Oh my god, what have I done?'

He quickly dressed her again and turned to meet the satisfied smiles of his father and the evil Lord. Hermione just stood quietly sobbing behind him. Draco was so angry and so ashamed that his composure was quickly fading. He turned his face from them and looked at her. She looked at the ground with determined eyes that were wet with tears. He couldn't figure out where her determination was directed whether to escape him or save them. Her eyes remained cast down and he realized at that moment that she was remaining in her position as actor.

His stomach was churning and he felt so sick when he looked down at his hands again. Grabbing her hair, he turned to face the delighted and twisted smiles of Lucius and Voldemorte. They sickened him even more and his face became flushed with anger. Both of them would die. He resolved at that moment, that vengeance was no longer for him alone, but for her as well. For the honor and dignity he stole in search of his own selfish goals. Regardless of the circumstances, it was his choices that put him where they were and it was he who hurt her. 'But how could I have known it would come down to this? Maybe my lies weren't believable?'

The guilt began to overwhelm him and it was all he could think about for the rest of the entire meeting. Hermione kneeled collapsed at his side and continued to cry softly. Ever chance he could he stroked her scalp with his fingertips trying to apologize, although he wasn't sure if anything would ever be enough to make up for this. Much to his surprise, she didn't cower or flinch when he touched her. She just remained as she had from the beginning except for the constant tears.

Voldemorte was pleased and admitted to Lucius that his boy hot not gone "soft" as he suspected and continued by laughing for such an appalling joke. Draco had never been more disgusted with them.

He wished that no one was looking and he could just scoop her into his arms and hold her until…he didn't know if there was a limit to how long he would do it. He ached to kiss her face and stroke her hair and apologize to her. He wanted to feel her heartbeat and see her stubborn pride come back. He needed to see her wrinkle her nose and laugh and hold his hand again. He wanted to assure her that it would all be okay and that he would never have to hurt her so badly again. He wanted, no needed, to make this up to her.

All of these feeling where rushing over him and the voices of death eaters drained into the background. His mind continued racing so quickly, he didn't realize that the end of the concession had occurred and most of the members were apparating to their respective homes.

He did the same and landed them back in his room, where she moved without looking at him and collapsed on the bed with wrenching sobs. Lucius, satisfied with the earlier show, would not be too nosy. Draco threw a blanket over her because she was surely freezing and moved into the bathroom to pour a bath for her. He called Dimmy to watch over it while he went back to her. She was still collapsed on the bed and shaking. He sat down by her feet and she didn't even flinch. He grabbed one foot and warmed it in his hands, trying so desperately to apologize. The words just wouldn't come forth so he continued to rub her feet and legs with his hands so that the hot water wouldn't burn so badly. Not that the pain she felt there would be any more than the pain she was feeling over all. He made his way as high as her knees and dared not go any further. The sight of blood, caked and shiny red, on the inside of her thigh made the bile rise into his throat. What kind of monster was he?

Her shaking had dissipated and he assumed her crying had too. He heard the shuffle of feet into the room and saw Dimmy standing before him with a towel and a washcloth.

"The bath is ready master," He said, still cowering with fear. Draco had never hit the poor thing, he just sneered at him. It didn't matter now. He nodded and decided that it was time to face the music… or the curses. He unzipped and peeled away the dress and her body mindlessly complied. He unclipped the choker and smoothed it away from her neck. He could see no visible bruises or scars, just the sickening red streak on the insides of her thighs.

He slid a hand under her knees and one under her shoulders and lifted her. She didn't make eye contact with him, but buried her head under his neck instead. 'It's a good start.' He thought to himself as he used his chin to caress the crown of her head. He could feel her hands creeping up around his neck and clasping at its base. If she needed to choke him, he would let her.

He could feel her heartbeat through his shirt and feared that she must be terrified, but he would finish this. She needed to be washed and get a good nights rest before she would have the anger to hurl things at him. Steam was filling the bathroom and made it seem like some mystic place. He could smell the water in the air and the bath salts he had used for it. They were charmed and would ease the dull ache she must have in her abdomen.

She held her breath when he leaned to put her into the water. His elbows dipped into it when he released her, soaking through the long sleeves of his robes. Gently he stripped away the button and pulled the robes down to reveal his own chest that was marred with scars from being whipped and beaten. Her eyes flew to them and widened with disbelief. She looked up into his for the first time in what seemed like forever for Draco. He froze. She was hurt, but not beaten and the defiant gleam in the depths of her cinnamon eyes proved it. He flinched when she pulled her hand from the warm water and traced her wet fingers along one of the many whip scars on his left arm. Her eyes began to water but she did not speak.

Draco leaned to her and kissed her forehead and she drew her arms up around his neck and squeezed him. Suddenly he felt the words come forth and pulled back to look into her eyes again.

"I'm so sorry," he said as he landed kisses on her face. He could taste the saltiness of his own tears as they flowed forth while he pleaded, "I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me. I'm so sorry. I'm not sure if I can protect you anymore. God I'm so sorry."

She responded by holding his face in two hands and looking at him. "I will make this up to you," he said while he looked into her eyes. She pulled him to her mouth and kissed him on the lips. His body exploded into a tingly mess of guilt and relief. She had quietly forgiven him, but he still hadn't forgiven himself.

He washed her in silence as gently as he could, and continued to cry softly. She flinched when he began to rub away the caked blood with his thumb and it began to for reddish clouds in the water. The familiar nausea rose in his throat when he felt the rawness of what he was washing and the small tear he had caused in her most delicate region. With a small spell, said silently, the tear began to repair itself.

Water spilled all over her face as he rinsed the soap and dirt from her hair. Her knees needed much attention because she had spent most of the time kneeling on a dirty cave floor. She let him touch her everywhere he wanted to without any resistance. Her shame and modesty had subsided considerably. He couldn't help but explore with curious hands like a child does to his first toy.

He traced his fingers along her the smooth hardness of her collarbone and she watched him curiously. His hand made its way down her right arm and his thumb massaged the inside of her elbow before making a move to lift her hand and look at it. They were dwarfed by his own and had very faint lines. Her wrist was rosy and cream colored from being in the water. He couldn't help but kiss the faint veins on the inside of it. The pulse beat strong against his lips and his body began to tingle again.

After releasing her hand, his fingertips traveled back to her smooth neck and down her other arm for the same exploration. He moved his hand and used his fingertips to stroke the smooth skin at the center of her chest. It was flushed with heat from the water as were her rounded breasts. Her nipples were small and as pink as fresh rosebuds. He cupped one and massaged the nipple with his thumb. She breathed in sharply and he released it to look into her eyes for permission. They were filled with complete and fearless curiosity. He decided that he wouldn't commit any touching that was too sensual. So, he traced his fingertips down her stomach and around her belly-button, resting and open palm just underneath. He kissed her forehead and pulled his hand from the water. 'That's enough,' he thought to stop himself before he lost control. 'But god is she so beautiful.'

She stood and faced him, fully nude with water dripping form all over. He gave her the large burgundy colored bath towel and she covered herself instantly and stepped out onto the black shaggy rug that rested atop the slate tile next to the tub. He led her into the bedroom where Dimmy had already returned and laid out her favorite pajamas on the bed. She quickly pulled the lilac pants over herself and he reached for the shirt. She raised her arms in a motion that said 'okay if you must dress me' and rolled her eyes. Quickly, wrapped his arm around her tiny waist and found that delicious curve in her back. His fingertips stroked it gently as he used his forearm to press her nude chest against his own bare skin. She just let her arms drape over his shoulders and planted several small adventurous kisses on his chest.

He released her and she pulled away. He handed her the shirt and stepped into the bathroom to clean his own self-disgust off. He scrubbed as hard as he could, but the nausea would not go away. She had just let him touch her and kiss her all over and he didn't know why. His earlier childish curiosity with her body, turned into guilt over putting her dignity on hold again. Maybe he should have opposed and just let them die in the cave.

He finished and dried himself off. He slipped on black boxers and a pair of satin black sleep pants. A simple whit t-shirt was a huge contrast, but what difference would it make if he were asleep. He left the bathroom and moved over to his bed. She had quietly gotten into bed and under the covers and he intended to do the same, but feared scaring her because she was still awake. He sat in the chair and pretended to do some reading, but he could see her watching him when he snuck furtive side glances her way. Finally, after hours of this, she spoke.

"I'm glad it was you who did it and not either of them," she said, "You did what you had to, to save both of us. I'm happy it was you."

Draco's heart soared.

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Okay, so did I make up for it?