Hermione was aware that they had stopped moving. She tried to see through the blindfold, but it was all in vain. It was silent, no noise reached her ears and then...

"You took your time," uttered a voice so cold, that it sent shivers down her spine. For the first time, Hermione was glad she was blindfolded...god knows what she would've been looking at right now...

I'm standing in the same room as VOLDEMORT!! The hater of all muggles, the believer in 'purity'...Why am i here? This hopefully is all a figment of my imagination, and within minutes I'm going to wake up safe and sound in my dorm, in my bed..

"Remove the blindfold. Let us look upon this mudblood in its entirety..."

Hermione heard footsteps nearing her, hurried and clumsy. Whoever that's untying my blindfold is nervous...is it because of me? Or his master? she pondered.

The black handkerchief was wrenched away from her eyes, and her hands immediately flew to her face, wincing as she felt the grooves that the handkerchief had cut into her face. She felt something dripping from her nose, and realised it was drops of blood. It fell to the floor, hardly distinguishable against the dark background.

She blinked her eyes, trying to adjust it to the hollow glow of the fireplace, where the fire looked like it was giving no heat out all. Her eyes traveled down a table directly in front of her, aware of the masses of robed people sitting there, relaxed and slumped. They looked like exactly the people who attended her wedding in her nightmares...Why did Malfoy say he was my husband? Did he read my mind and think that comment would throw me at a disadvantage and weaken me?

Finally her eyes reached the prominent figure at the end, with a pale snaky face and those red glowing eyes...She immediately averted her eyes, not because she wanted to show respect or to be humble, but she was barely able to believe this was happening, and if she ignored it, it'll go away, like an irritating fly. Instead her eyes rested on the figure at the far right of the long, ornate table, the one closest to Voldemort. Unlike the others, this person was sitting very stiffly, tense at the shoulders and alert, the hood of the robe turned towards her direction. She tried peering into the darkness, to see any distinguishing features beyond that hood but it was impossible.

Hermione was brought out of her reverie to the sound of slow, echoing clapping. "Well done, Draco," the high sultry voice said."You have done well. You shall be rewarded later on."

Her eyes were still on the tense figure and upon those words, he seemed to relax a bit, but the hood was still facing her direction. So that's Malfoy...

"The plan is set to be carried out in two days from now...it is coming swiftly together." Malfoy took out a blue locket that was strangely familiar but now interlocked with a thick silver chain. She watched it swing from side to side; almost like a pendulum trying to hypnotise her. Where have I seen it before? As if he was aware of her eyes on it alongside every other person, he bestowed it away quickly within his dark robes.

Hermione frowned. This felt so real. Oh well she might as well go along with it until she exited the dream world.

"What plan? Why am I here? What's going on?" she questioned, her eyes remaining fixed on Malfoy.

"SILENCE!" the word was shouted with such force it shocked Hermione to the core. "YOU DARE to question ME!? You dare to disrespect me?!"

Hermione's eyes snapped to Voldemort, her eyes wide in horror, taking in the spit and hissing noise coming between his thin lips. Her questions had not been directly aimed at Voldemort but yet he seemed to take offense...He looks so real...

"You must learn a lesson, instead of standing there with mock bravery...or is it foolishness? Let us see how valiant you are after this!"

"CRUCIO!" a voice bellowed.

Immediately it felt like hundreds of knives were cutting into her body, her gut, her stomach, her legs...pain...unbelievable pain...as she collapsed to the floor, writhing with howls.

Screams. All around her, screams of a tortured man. Her own.

Finally it stopped and Hermione lay on the floor, tears tracking down her cheeks. Why did she have to be so helpless and weak? She needed a wand-NOW!

"Take it away from my sight." Voldemort ordered. "It deserves to be taken down a notch or two... Being so impudent! Anyone can have her...To have the honour to take her virginity...to break her very essence...Make sure it's long and torturous."

She looked up from the floor at Crabbe and Goyle as they lent over her, leering at her disgustingly. One held each one of her arms.

She hung limp in their grasp, her eyes very much trained upon the behind of Gregory Goyle. Not because she was admiring it (as if!) but she saw a lifeline in the form of a stout wand peeping out of his back pocket...

They carried her out into a grand hallway, leaving the doors wide open, her arms stretched out as wide as possible as they were holding her wrists. She quickly darted out her fingers and lightly lifted the wand, unaware of a pair of eyes watching her every move...

Draco's eyes had remained glued to Hermione ever since she had walked into the room. He had ordered Goyle to bring her up and had bounded up the stairs. He had turned around at the top and seen Goyle with his fingers draped around her breasts, and something inside him snapped. He didn't like her. Hell, he couldn't stand her but yet she was his wife and not to be touched in that way.

When he was younger he had received many toys he had disliked but yet when Blaise or someone came over to the Manor he had been most reluctant to hand over or share them, knowing that they could bring pleasure to other people while he remained grumpy. More or less the same principle applied here and he had said very coldly to remove his hands at once, which Goyle had promptly done so, not wanting to face the wrath of Voldemort's right hand man, now his father was in Azkaban.

He had sat next to the Dark Lord, and watched a flash of recogniton in her eyes, as she had realised it was he who was sitting the closest to the The Dark Lord, thankfully it seemed she didn't recognise the time-turner...He had watched as she screamed in agony, knowing that it derived pleasure to the ears of others but as it did to him too, he was willing for everyone to witness her misery...

Even as she had been dragged out, his eyes remained on her and his smooth forehead curved into a frown, as he saw the mudblood's hand inch for Goyle's buttocks. What the hell? What is she doing groping Goyle?

And then it came to him...as he saw a ray of light bounce off something quite shiny or well polished in her clenched fist...like a wand... The doors closed behind them and he stood up abruptly.

"My lord, may I be excused?" The scarlet eyes rested on him for a moment, and Malfoy stared back evenly. After a moment The Dark Lord nodded.

"Yes you may."

"Avis Oppugno!" she muttered as she discreetly pointed the wand at Crabbe. He started yelping, trying to beat away the tiny birds pecking at him. Goyle stared at Crabbe, his mouth dopily hanging open. She pointed the wand at Goyle next. "Engorgio!" she muttered aiming at his face. Immediately, it started swelling beyond recognition. For a second she had been tempted to point the wand elsewhere (i.e., someplace between his legs) coupled with a severing charm but it seemed hardly necessary.

Hermione stupefied them and ran. Only a couple of feet away from the main door. "Mobilicorpus!" she said moving their bodies under the stairwell and casting a dillusionment charm. If anybody chose to come out they would not realise that two of their own had been outwitted, thus giving her time to escape. Hell, she even had an apparation licence so once she had got out of here she'd be fine. Nobody should be following..she quickly turned her head to check and when she turned it back again, she smashed face first into something hard...

Hermione peered up from the ground and saw Draco, her heart sinking into pieces. "I have lived in this Manor throughout my childhood years , mudblood. I know ALL the shortcuts..."

She quickly darted her eyes from the scattered wand to Draco, doing quick calculations, Must keep him distracted...

"Why did you follow me?" she tried to say fearfully. "Are you really going to rape me?" Must not let him perform the accio..

This caught Draco's attention and imagination to no end. "What?" he asked, disbelief radiating out of his voice.

Hermione's hand closed around her wand and she pointed it at him. "Pertrificus totalus!"

His hands and legs snapped to his side and he fell backwards, like a iron board and felt very satisfied as she heard the clang of his head..

Hermione ran to do the door and outside onto a long winding path facing her. As she pelted down the driveway she noticed pretty diamond shaped lights on the ground and realised they were windows gleaming at night..However she failed to notice the white crested head and large fan shaped tail peeking out of a hedge...

Draco Malfoy was not an accomplished legilimens for nothing...Ignoring the pain lacing up his legs he contacted The Dark Lord with his mind.

She has escaped, I require assistance NOW, my lord...

'Tell me Draco...how DID that mudblood outsmart three deatheaters? Did I not teach you anything? I will send someone to knock common sense into you...a little taster of what i shall do myself... '

Within seconds, Bellatrix crashed out onto the hall, fury written on her face. "You should be ashamed to be part of this family." she hissed, " Letting a mudblood beat you!". She crouched down and pulled up his left sleeve, revealing the dark mark in all its glory. She raked her fingernails over it, knowing that it would cause immense pain and that he would be unable to retaliate. "You don't even deserve this!" she whispered angrily. Bellatrix rocked back on her heels, a sneer forming over her face before coming to a decision.

She waved her wand over Draco, and he regained control of his limbs. He jerked involuntarily, as if to grab hold of his aunt's robes but thinking better of it he stood up, dusting off his robes with as much dignity as he could muster.

Bellatrix started to the door...

"No!" Draco called out, "Let me deal with my mistake, how else am I supposed to learn?"

Bellatrix rounded on him, her heavily lidded eyes filled with contempt. "I will give 5 minutes,Drakey, and then I'm joining in with my share of the fun!"

Draco threw her a scathing look, before striding to the main door.

He strolled outside at a lesuirely pace to see Hermione running full pelt up the drive, with a slight limp. I see she has had a slight run in with the peacocks...

"Locomotor mortis!" he yelled and her legs snapped together, falling face first into the gravel. Just where she belongs...you brought this upon yourself mudblood...

He continued walking slowly, taking sturdy strides until he towered over the worthless piece of shit on the ground. Powerless to do anything except lie there.

His highly polished shoes had scuff marks on them and Draco did not appreciate being made a fool out of. His lip curled as he dug his foot into her lower back, wishing he could just continue pressing until her spine snapped and left her paralysed. But that would not be the thing to do..later maybe...

He slowly dragged his foot along her waist, until the tip of it vanished under her stomach and then expertly flipped her over, so she was lying on the ground, looking up at him. Taking in the desperation within her eyes with maliciousness... He bent down and picked up the discarded wand, slowly turning it about within his fingers, apparently thinking hard. He waved the wand over her and the spell was lifted.

She immediately rolled to her stomach and started crawling away, on her hands and knees. He hooked his ankle around hers and sent her crashing down.

"Please Malfoy..." Hermione pleaded as she turned around and started pulling herself backwards as he advanced. She didn't even know why she was pleading... to appeal to his better nature? Hmmph, not bloody likely.

Apparently this worked, as this floored him for a moment. Confusion setting on his features. In a flash, she was up and attacked him, her mouth open in a yell and her nails out.

Malfoy calmly caught her by the back of her shirt and held her away from his person, looking upon her with a blank face. Then he started dragging her to an engraved marble fountain spouting jets of water ten feet into the air ... She followed the force of the pull, dazed as they came to a sudden stop, and then a slight pressure on the back of her head was guiding her to the surface of the clear water...How nice of him...offering me water...though why is he submerging my head fully? It was then her brain cells kicked in and she knew he wasn't doing a shameless act like offering her a drink but effectively drowning her...

She struggled wildly. She was bent over at the waist and he was standing very close behind her, his calves pressing into hers, holding her in place. There wasn't even enough room to bring her feet up, but she could try...she would try... She braced herself on the the side of the fountain and kicked upwards, her feet surely and firmly contacting with his groin. This seemed to have no effect whatsoever and her strength began to dwindle...

He dragged her up, supporting her as she nearly fell, taking big gasps of air. He brought his mouth closer to her ear and hissed. "That's for trying to escape AND for trying to knee me in the balls, thankfully I am aware of good protection spells.. moreover that was also for knocking out Crabbe and Goyle and EVER considering to cut of Goyle's balls..." his breath tickled her ear, as she stood limp in his arms.

Hermione looked at him through half lidded eyes, hate washing over her as she saw his smirking face.

"Now the answer to your question.." Draco drawled.

A/N: this is for everyone out there who wanted a long chapter-(well for me it was very long!) and were getting exasperated at the shortness of the previous one...i hope you liked it and I'll update soon! :) In the next chapter Hermione gets into Draco's mind (not telling you how) and you've guessed it! Discovers things that make him very vulnerable...until then, ciao!xxxxx reviews are much appreciated as always!