Disclaimer in Chapter One.
Author's note: My dear readers, although real life slowed me down, I finally finished next chapter. I'm not so sure about this one. It mainly focuses on the relationship between Riddle and Hermione. Not so much plot. But… yeah, tell me what you think.
Huge thanks to those of you who reviewed last chapter. You guys are the best!
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Chapter Ten: Wretched State
Riddle grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her with him through apparition. Seconds later they reappeared in the guest room of Malfoy manor. Hermione's nervous gaze was trained on Riddle. He still firmly held her hand and steered her over to the couch.
"Show me your mark," Riddle ordered sharply.
A strange shudder ran over Hermione. It had all sounded so good but did she really want Riddle to be her master? Shedid want to see Hogwarts, yes …and Riddle couldn't be worse than Draco?
Surely not…
Feeling horribly jittery, Hermione slowly rolled up her sleeve. The Dark Mark sinisterly collided with the pale colour of her skin. Hermione stared at the ugly mark, wondering what Riddle would do with it. After all, the mark bonded Hermione to the Malfoy family. Brutally it was woven into her magic and could not be dispelled.
"Y- you need a Malfoy present to break the bond," Hermione whispered timidly.
Riddle didn't reply but just snatched her wrist, his fingers clenching around her tightly. Swiftly he raised his wand and traced its tip over the black tattoo. Hermione instantly felt his magic flowing from the wand into her arm. She gritted her teeth as the sensation intensified and quickly turned into pain.
"Don't fight me," Riddle warned her.
Blood dripped from her skin where his wand touched her. A soft whimper left Hermione. It felt like a scalpel was pulled inch-deep through her flesh. Riddle's fingers tightened around her wrist and he continued to mercilessly move his wand over her arm. More blood flowed from invisible cuts and dripped from her arm down on the couch. Riddle's magic mercilessly invaded the mark and left Hermione's whole arm in pain. Seething hot like molten metal his magic flowed over her skin and through her veins. Hermione groaned in pain and instinctively tried to pull away. Riddle's grip, though, was unyielding.
As he was finished tracing the mark, a powerful burst of magic rushed into Hermione. Her whole body tensed as if she was electrocuted. Then Riddle's magic left her and she weakly fell forward. Only his tight grip on her arm prevented her from completely losing her balance. She felt incredibly weak and her left arm throbbed painfully. A dark smirk adorned his features as Riddle said contently,
"Now, you are mine."
Without another word, he got up from the sofa and left Hermione. She shakily sagged against the backrest of the couch and looked down at her arm lying in her lap. The Dark Mark looked raw, as if it had been freshly tattooed into her skin. Blood still flowed from it and stained the white fabric of her dress. Her whole arm burned and ached nastily. Riddle's magic hummed through her, making her nauseous.
Through the pain, Hermione noticed a weight sitting down beside her. She raised her swirling head. Emotionless blue eyes were gazing back at her. Confused, Hermione noted that Riddle offered her a chocolate bar. Seeing her puzzled look, he explained,
"Take it. It'll help the dizziness."
Slowly Hermione accepted the chocolate from him and began to eat. The sweet chocolate melted deliciously in her mouth. Hermione couldn't remember the last time she had eaten sweets and she enjoyed the taste. Still she winced as Riddle gingerly pulled her arm over to him. Her eyes widened in surprise as he pressed a wet washrag on her forearm. His deep blue eyes were trained on her arm as he started to gently wipe the blood away. As Riddle spotted the incredulous look on her face he snickered softly and drawled,
"Well, you are the first Mudblood I ever had, so I have to take good care of you."
A small smile took form on Hermione's face. Then she nodded daringly and took another bite of her chocolate bar. Riddle just smirked and continued to look after her sore arm.
{{{{{{{{{+}}}}}}}}
Hermione did not dream. Usually she fell into bed after a long day of hard work and sleep would instantly claim her. It would never bring her dreams, just deep black unconsciousness. The next day Hermione would get up and go about her chores just so that the dreamless sleep would again overcome her at night.
No dreams, no memories. Nothing.
So Hermione was quite bewildered as she woke from her slumber and felt remnants of a dream lingering at the edges of her mind. She tried to remember what it had been about but the more she concentrated on the dream, the quicker it slipped into oblivion. Hermione took in a deep breath of air. Her eyes were still closed, not quite ready to face the world again. That dream had left behind a blissful drowsiness that Hermione didn't yet want to abandon.
If only that dull throbbing in her left arm hadn't nagged her so, she could have fallen asleep again. Sadly, the dull pain persisted, drove away all remnants of sleep. Hermione finally remembered what had caused her this pain in the first place.
Riddle!
Hermione's eyes shot open. She swallowed nervously as Riddle's calm gaze met her. He lounged on the sofa, a book in his lap and one arm elegantly draped over the backrest. For some inexplicable reason Hermione was tugged into his side. To her horror and embarrassment she noticed that her left arm was slung across Riddle's stomach in a half-hug. She must have grabbed him in her sleep.
So fast as if she had been burned by Riddle, Hermione jumped up from the couch and took a hasty step back. Her eyes were downcast as she shakily apologized,
"I'm sorry I fell asleep like that." Cautiously she peered up at Riddle's expressionless face and added shyly, "…Master."
As he heard that, Riddle's lips curled into a smirk. For a moment he considered her and Hermione shuffled nervously.
"Hm, 'Master'…" said Riddle, his smooth voice wrapping around her like dark velvet. "I think I like the sound of that."
His gaze didn't want to release her and Hermione felt utterly trapped. She stared back into those blue mesmerizing eyes. They made her nervous, frightened even, yet it wasn't completely uncomfortable gazing back at them either. Riddle reached out for her and grabbed her left wrist. Turning her arm, he frowned down at the Dark Mark on her forearm. The tattoo was a deep black, while the surrounding skin was angrily red. Riddle's starkly blue eyes flicked up to her.
"Is it hurting?"
"No," replied Hermione instantly.
Riddle just raised his eyebrows in a decidedly doubtful gesture. She worried her lip and softly confessed,
"A little bit, Master."
He nodded and let go of her arm.
"It's going to be a little uncomfortable for a day or two," Riddle told her indifferently. "I had to be rather forceful to severe the bond. It will take some time for you to adjust to my magic and for the mark to settle down."
Hermione looked at the inflamed skin of her arm and cautiously ran a finger over it. Instantly a sharp pain shot through her whole arm and she winced.
"Yes, you shouldn't touch it," Riddle advised, grinning up at her evilly.
Hermione nodded, averting her eyes. Now, their relationship was sealed by the painful mark in her skin. A strange hollow feeling overwhelmed her. Riddle was her master and she his servant, nothing more. Never more.
Such silly thoughts, Hermione chastised herself. What else could he have been to her? Riddle was a wizard, after all. Relentlessly Hermione pushed that hollow ache from her mind and bowed deep to Riddle.
"What can I do for you, Master?"
As Riddle didn't immediately reply, Hermione chanced a peek at him. He scanned her, a slight frown marring his handsome face.
"Why are you suddenly so formal?" he inquired curiously.
His ice blue eyes wandered over her. Hermione was still bowing, her curly hair falling into her face. Riddle cocked an eyebrow.
"You are decidedly more sycophantic than usual."
"…er…" made Hermione unintelligently. "That's how I usually… hm… behave towards my Master…"
Riddle tilted his head to the side as he surveyed her interestedly.
"Is that so?" he inquired lightly. "Are all Mudbloods like that?"
Hermione furrowed her brow. "What do you mean, Master?"
He rolled his eyes at her. "As you may have guessed, my… family never had any Mudbloods and the ones in Hogwarts are more or less invisible. So, what exactly are you supposed to do for your Masters?"
"Erm… Whatever they want?"
That made Riddle snicker ominously. "Really?"
"Of course, Master," assured Hermione duteously.
"So, you would do anything I ask of you?"
His voice was a tad bit too innocent. Surely enough as Hermione nodded a nasty smirk took form on Riddle's face. Languidly, his eyes travelled over her and, with a straight face, he suggested,
"Okay. How about you give me a lap dance?"
Hermione stood in front of him and couldn't do more than blink at him stupidly. Riddle flashed his white teeth at her in a grin, patted his knee and prompted expectantly,
"Go on."
Hermione still didn't move, embarrassment and shock warring inside of her, while a deep blush took form on her face. Stock-still, as if he had petrified her, she stood before Riddle.
It was then that something flickered over Riddle's serious face. His lips quivered slightly, as if in an attempt to stifle a laugh. The moment Hermione spotted that crack in his mask, the upcoming fear left her and she breathed out in relief.
"I only answer to sensible orders," she informed dryly.
Riddle stared at her, his eyes wide with mock-outrage. "You dare disobey?"
"No," Hermione replied dramatically. "I would never disobey you, Master."
Obviously Riddle couldn't hold back anymore and he laughed. His penetrating eyes caught hers and he purred silkily,
"No dance, then? It's a shame."
Once again, Hermione fought against a blush. Quickly she averted her eyes. As they fell on the clock standing on the bedside table, she noticed how late it already was. Neatly, Riddle had missed dinner with the Malfoys.
"Are you hungry?" Hermione inquired tentatively. "I could bring you something to eat."
"Trying to be useful so I forget that lapse, are you?" Riddle asked amusedly. "I am a bit hungry though."
Hermione bowed to him and pulled her wand. Before the dark pressure of apparition took her, she heard Riddle's voice,
"Don't forget to bring something for yourself."
†
Immediately upon Hermione's arrival in the kitchens, something heavy collided with her. Startled, she looked down, just to find Minky grabbing her in a desperate hug. Awkwardly, Hermione patted the girl's head.
"There there. What's wrong?"
Minky let go of her. Relief quickly morphed into anger as she glared at Hermione.
"'What is wrong'?" Minky screeched shrilly. "Do you really have to ask, Penny? Really?"
Hermione stared at the other girl, completely befuddled. It only made Minky narrow her eyes dangerously and continue her rant,
"First you go and hurl a pile of sass at a wizard. Then said wizard drags you away to Merlin-knows-where and you keep missing for hours. Why, I thought that Riddle guy had chopped you up into tiny little pieces. I already saw you lying in a bloody mess. And then you turn up and ask me what's wrong? I've never hea- What the hell is that? Blood?"
The fury on Minky's face was displaced by worry as she stepped closer to Hermione and inspected her dress. Hermione looked down at herself and spotted dark blood staining her white dress where it had dripped from her arm.
"Merlin!" Minky exclaimed in horror. "He did hurt you. Is it bad?
Hermione gently pushed Minky's hands away from her and soothed, "No, Riddle didn't hurt me. Don't worry."
"Then where's the blood from?" Minky wasn't at all reassured.
Despite her friend's concern, Hermione beamed at her and even giggled softly.
"You won't believe what happened," she said excitedly as she showed Minky her left forearm.
With a creased brow, Minky took in Hermione's Dark Mark. It still looked raw and painful. Before her friend could voice her confusion, Hermione gushed on,
"Riddle used some really powerful magic on the mark. I don't know how, but he broke the bond. Easily! I tell you! Without Draco even being in the same room. And now…" Hermione's gaze fell down to her mark. "Now, Riddle's my master."
Minky stared at Hermione for a good minute while various emotions flittered over her face. Surprise, confusion, amazement and then worry.
"He- he's really your master?"
"Uh-hu." Hermione threw Minky a grin. "Crazy, isn't it?"
Minky only nodded and silently watched Hermione who started to rummage through the kitchen. Quickly, Hermione placed some roast chicken, a bowl of rice and a jug of orange juice on a silver tray. Just as she reached for a dish with green peas, Minky remarked quietly,
"You seem rather happy…"
Hermione halted in her actions. She hadn't even noticed, but… Yes. In a way, she was happy. Happy to get away from Draco, to be allowed to keep her wand, to go to Hogwarts and to… stay with Riddle?
"Riddle's alright, I guess," said Hermione, peering at Minky. "Loads better than Draco. In Albania, he's treated me well. Riddle, that is."
"I see," Minky commented tonelessly.
Hermione wrapped an arm around Minky's shoulders and soothed, "I'll miss you, too, you know."
Minky smiled at her and teased half-heartedly, "Of course you will. I'm awesome."
Her smile quickly died as she mustered Hermione. Instead deep concern blossomed on Minky's face. Noticing that something was bothering her, Hermione asked gingerly,
"What's wrong?"
Minky cleared her throat. Averting her eyes from Hermione, she mumbled, "I'm worried about you."
She peered at Hermione's surprised expression and continued in a sombre tone, "Riddle… he is kinda odd, isn't he? I mean, I'm really happy for you, Penny. But… I mean- I know Draco can be a cruel pig. And you are certainly better off without him but-"
Minky gnawed at her lip nervously. "It's just… Riddle, he's… he seems to be quite sinister. Dangerous even. Not in the petulant way that Draco sometimes loses temper. Riddle's more serious. I think if you get on his wrong side, it's not just a simple beating he'll give you. It's- The way you spoke with him; I was really scared, you know. I don't want you to find out what Riddle's like when he loses his temper…"
Hermione grabbed Minky's hands and pressed them soothingly.
"Don't worry about me," Hermione reassured gently. "I'll be fine. I know, Riddle's a bit spooky, but I don't think he'll be cruel to me."
Minky looked at her friend doubtfully, the worry not having settled down. Finally she implored shakily, "Just try and… and watch out, will you? See that you don't anger Riddle. Don't give him any backtalk, do what he says and be respectful."
Hermione nodded quickly and sent Minky a soft smile. Then she teased lightly, "And you watch out that Draco doesn't catch you stealing food. Will you?"
Minky giggled, if a little tearfully. Abruptly she embraced Hermione in a tight hug. As she released her friend again, Minky said, her voice strong again,
"He'll never be fast enough to catch me." She shoved Hermione over to the tray with food. "And now, off you go. Don't keep your new master waiting."
†
Hermione spooned rice into her mouth as she watched Riddle nibbling at his food while his nose was buried in a book. She grinned and asked softly,
"What are you reading about?"
Riddle looked up from his book. He smirked at her and said, "Potus desperatio."
Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Isn't that a dark potion?"
His smirk grew. "Very."
Hermione frowned reproachfully, which only made Riddle snicker sinisterly. She ignored it and asked,
"What was the problem?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you've been scowling at the book for at least five minutes," she said dryly.
"I didn't scowl," insisted Riddle.
"No," replied Hermione, sarcasm in her tone. "Of course you didn't."
He glared at her but then admitted, irritated, "I don't understand why you should sacrifice the white pigeon under the new moon. Surely a full moon would be better. Here-" Riddle pointed out a paragraph in the book. "Protective wards have to be spanned over the area where you kill the animal. Those wards are stronger during the full moon. It doesn't make sense."
Hermione took the book from him and quickly read over the text. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. This really wasdark magic. She handed the book back and said,
"I think it's because of the blood."
"What do you mean?" asked Riddle.
Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "You would need to kill the pigeon – which by the way is totally horrible – by crushing its head. Then you collect its blood for the potion."
She had expected that would resolve the whole problem but Riddle just blinked at her. Hermione sighed and lectured,
"If you do that on a full moon, your protective wards would be stronger, but the blood would be spoiled by the moonlight. Didn't you ever read Willcott's essay about the influence of the moon on rituals?"
Riddle glared at her and sneered, "Of course I did. But Willcott's an idiot. He doesn't know a thing about Dark Magic. This is clearly a dark ritual. The protective wards are strong enough to negate the influence of the moonlight."
Hermione grinned at him condescendingly and said, "Obviously you've only read Willcott's original essay and missed the revised edition that came out a year later. He added a section about combined rituals – like the one you are talking about. Willcott states that every component of a ritual can only serve one purpose. Your protective wards are cast to keep you safe from any intruding forces. Nothing else. Certainly not the pigeon and not its blood either." Hermione gestured at the book in Riddle's hand. "So, the only secure way to do this is during the new moon."
Riddle didn't say anything. He looked down at the book and then back at her.
"Revised edition, you say?"
Hermione nodded smilingly. Riddle didn't seem to be nearly as amused. Finally he grumbled,
"You are a know-it-all. Did anyone ever tell you?"
Hermione grinned at him, mock-bowed her head and said, "I'm here to help."
Riddle rolled his eyes and threw the book at her. Easily she caught it, still grinning. Annoyed, Riddle got up from the couch and declared,
"That's it. I'm going to bed."
Hermione got up as well and took a respectful step away from Riddle. This time there was no hint of playfulness in the gesture as she bowed to him. He didn't pay her any attention but stepped over to his trunk and rummaged through his clothes. Hermione wondered if that was her cue to leave. As she edged closer to the door, Riddle peered at her and said decisively,
"You are sleeping here, Hermione."
Hermione stared at him in surprise. "Master?"
"I've seen the shoebox you've been crammed into," he informed curtly. "So, you'll sleep here."
Without waiting for her consent, Riddle finally pulled a t-shirt out of his trunk. He tossed it to her and commanded,
"Go, change in the bathroom."
"Yes, Master," was all Hermione could say.
†
Awkwardly Hermione lay on the king-sized bed, buried under a warm blanket. She had wanted to sleep on the couch or the floor but Riddle wouldn't have any of that and had ordered her to lie on the bed.
Hermione tensed as Riddle emerged from the bathroom. She heard him walking through the room before he flopped down on the bed. With a flick of his wand he switched off lamp, so that only silvery moonlight illuminated the room. Hermione tensed as Riddle slipped under the blanket right beside her. His presence was suffocating and it got even worse as he slid closer to her. Lying on his side, with his head propped up on his elbow, Riddle peered down at her. His blue eyes shone in the bright moonlight as they travelled over her. Hermione stared back at him, strangely captivated by his attention.
"You know, I was rather annoyed as Draco brought you along to Albania." Riddle cooed and ran his fingers through Hermione's hair. "But now I'm glad he did."
His fingers left her hair, instead his hand took a hold of her wrist and moved her arm. A strange glint flickered through Riddle's eyes as he stared down at the Dark Mark on Hermione's forearm. Hermione shivered as he slowly ran a finger over the mark. The mark throbbed lightly under Riddle's touch and she could feel his magic tingling all over her. A smirk adorned his features as Riddle lowered his head. Softly his lips made contact with her tattooed skin and Hermione threw in a sharp breath of air. Riddle snickered darkly as he peered at her. There was a decidedly possessive sheen in his eyes as he mused,
"No. I'm definitely glad you came along. I quite enjoy being your Master."
Riddle released her wrist but didn't grant her any more freedom. His greedy magic was tightly wrapped around Hermione as he leaned over her smaller frame. Without hesitation he crashed his lips against her own. Hermione's eyes shut tightly as Riddle claimed her with a kiss. Her arms lay uselessly by her sides and she didn't dare to raise them to push him away.
Riddle's hot lips hungrily moved against hers, his pleasant scent invaded her nostrils and his dark magic seductively hummed around her. He made her senses swirl and suddenly Hermione wondered if she actually wanted to push him away.
It was wrong …wrong wrong.
She should certainly not enjoy this. He was a wizard and he was forcing this on her. Hermione needed to get away from Riddle. Quickly! Her mind screamed at her to stop but, to her horror, Hermione's lips began to move against Riddle's and she returned his kiss.
Feeling this, Riddle slid even closer to her, now half lying on her. Hermione's head swirled as she felt his tongue brushing along the seam of her mouth. Gingerly the tip of his tongue slipped between her lips but didn't try to explore any further. Hermione's body prickled all over. Driven by a strange urge in the pit of her stomach, she timidly parted her lips, allowing Riddle the entrance he hadn't forced on her. As soon as she willingly invited him to deepen the kiss, Riddle shook off all traces of restraint. Almost aggressively, he plunged his tongue into her mouth and engaged her in a demanding kiss. A pleasant twinge ran through Hermione's chest as Riddle explored her mouth hungrily.
She longed to run her fingers through his silky hair but didn't dare to touch him. Riddle wasn't so shy. His hands ran over her body, groping and tugging at her shirt. Hermione tensed as his fingers met bare skin. Still, Riddle hadn't released her from his domineering kiss, his tongue forcing hers into a dance. A wild mixture of lust and fear tingled over Hermione. Helplessly she trembled under Riddle's ministrations.
While Riddle's fingers sneakily crawled over her hip and thighs, his lips also decided to wander. He traced kisses over her skin and a soft moan escaped Hermione. One hand wound itself tightly into her curly hair and tugged sharply, forcing her head back. Riddle held her firmly as his greedy lips wandered over her exposed throat. Hermione shuddered in pleasure. Riddle sucked at her heated skin and she gasped as she felt teeth scraping over her. A melodious chuckle washed over her, leaving her in goose bumps. Then Riddle's seductive voice purred contently,
"Mine."
He bent up, looming over her, and Hermione blushed deeply under his scrutiny. The air of smug self-satisfaction hung around Riddle as he smirked down at her. Before he again bent to kiss her, he hesitated. A sharp frown appeared on his face.
"Say, Hermione..." Riddle inquired, a dangerous tint to his quiet voice. "Draco never invited you to his bed, did he?"
"No," Hermione quickly replied, disturbed by the thought.
Riddle still stared down at her, the angry frown not having dropped from his face.
"Neither did Lucius Malfoy?" was his next sharp question.
Hermione wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Finally Riddle seemed to be satisfied. The frown disappeared and he leaned down for another hungry kiss. A static buzz hummed in Hermione's ears, preventing any thoughts. Riddle's hypnotizing eyes locked with hers, his face inches from hers. Feeling quite embarrassed and helpless, Hermione started to ramble,
"Well… there- there was that one time I slept in Draco's bed..."
"What?" Riddle snarled.
Fury smouldered in his blue eyes as he abruptly sat up. Traces of his angry magic whirled around Riddle while he darkly glowered at the door as if he hoped Draco would pop up so he could tear the blond apart. Seeing Riddle's fury made irrational amusement bubble up in Hermione. She giggled softly and sat up in bed.
"What's so funny?" Riddle hissed irately.
"I think I was ten or eleven back then," Hermione told him smilingly. "I hadn't been in Malfoy manor for more than a month and wasn't used to the work yet. So as I was cleaning Draco's rooms I fell asleep on his bed."
"Oh," made Riddle, his anger quickly deflating.
There was still suspicion in his eyes, so Hermione explained, "As Draco found me, he was far from the mood of joining me in bed."
"What did he do?"
Hermione looked up at him and shrugged carelessly. "Well, he wrenched me out of his bed, of course, and gave me a beating."
Riddle stared at her, inscrutable expression on his face. After a while he sighed before he lay down on the bed, pulling Hermione with him. She was tugged into his chest, his arms encircling her. A blush hit her face hard, still his nearness also felt wonderfully comforting. Without further words Riddle pulled the soft blanket over the both of them.
Before Hermione drifted off to sleep, she felt her Dark Mark tingling. A small smile tugged at her lips as she remembered how Riddle had kissed her there. It should have been scary and disgusting but strangely wasn't.
{{{{{{{{+}}}}}}}}
The next day, all feeling of comfort had left Hermione as she stood before Draco Malfoy, head bent and eyes downcast, while he yelled at her furiously.
"Where have you been, Penny? I've been calling for you the whole day."
Hermione cursed herself. She should have stayed in Riddle's room, just as he had ordered her to do. But without any company or anything to do, boredom had driven Hermione crazy. Leaving for the Malfoys' library had looked like a good idea. Unfortunately, Hermione had only taken a few steps outside Riddle's room and promptly Draco had caught her and, mad with anger, had wrenched Hermione to his rooms.
"Useless thing!" the blond hissed irately, shaking Hermione by her arm.
Bellatrix, who comfortably lounged on a near-by armchair, cackled evilly and observed the whole display with twisted mirth.
"I'm sorry, Master Malfoy," Hermione whispered softly,
Immediately Draco's eyes narrowed menacingly. "'Master Malfoy'? What's that supposed to mean? I am still your Master and you will address me properly."
A slap hit Hermione before she could reply anything. Anger was bubbling up in her as her cheek throbbed painfully. She hadn't done anything wrong. Unable to completely contain her fury Hermione replied with more sass than was advisable,
"I don't belong to you anymore, Master Malfoy."
"What the fuck?" Draco growled, his grip on her arm tightening.
Bellatrix snickered and suggested mockingly, "Watch out, Draco dear. Or you'll have a mutiny on your hands."
As he was hit by Bellatrix' taunt, Draco gritted his teeth in anger. His grey eyes flashed back to Hermione. Only his painfully tight hold on her stopped Hermione to cower away from the sheer amount of anger on his face.
"What is the meaning of this, Penny?" Draco inquired, barely suppressed fury warping his voice.
Hermione wanted to yell at him, tell him that he should release her. But years and years of being forced to never speak up made her mouth clamp shut. She could only manage a mumbled,
"I have a new owner, Master Mal-"
"That's ridiculous!"
Irately Draco pushed her away from him. Hermione lost her footing and fell to the floor. Her wand slipped from her cloak pocket and loudly clattered over the floor.
"What is that?"
It wasn't Draco, it was Bellatrix. She had vacated her comfortable armchair. Uncontrolled fury twisted her face as Bellatrix stooped down and picked up Hermione's wand. Her dark eyes skimmed over the wand before they flashed to Hermione. A murderous threat hung in them.
"What the fuck is this, Mudblood?" Bellatrix thundered, making Hermione flinch.
Hermione had no idea what she had done wrong so she stuttered, "I- I don't- Please, Mistress Black…"
The homicidal sheen never dropped from Bellatrix' eyes as she stalked over to Hermione. A feral snarl on her features, she shoved the wand in Hermione's face.
"Where did you steal this, Mudblood?" Despite the fury on Bellatrix' face her voice was eerily quiet.
Realization hit Hermione and her stomach curled up in fear. She didn't dare to breathe as she stared at her wand in Bellatrix' hand. Riddle might allow her to use a real wand. However, Bellatrix certainly didn't condone it.
"I have… that… can explain…" Hermione stammered, panic almost throttling her.
While Bellatrix Black was a witch who prided her pure blood, she, however, was not one above physical violence. The witch raised her hand and brutally slapped Hermione around the face. Bellatrix' long fingernails scratched painfully into Hermione's skin. Angry dark magic accompanied the attack. Hermione gasped in pain as she was hurled away and impacted painfully with a near-by table.
"You are not allowed to touch a wand, you piece of shit!" Bellatrix screamed lividly. Her stormy eyes snapped to Draco. "Did you give that bitch a wand?"
Draco shook his head and he drawled in disgust, "You know I would never do that."
Anger was still on his face, but he also seemed to be highly wary of Bellatrix' temper. The witch sneered at him, fury dangerously flaring in her eyes. Before Hermione could scramble up from the floor, Bellatrix aimed a kick at her. A whimper left Hermione as was thrown to the floor where she curled up in a tight ball. Mercilessly Bellatrix continued to kick her.
Abruptly the kicks stopped and Hermione risked a look up. Bellatrix was standing over her fallen body. All fury had left her face. Instead a sinister smile curved Bellatrix' full lips. Hermione stiffened in fright as her own wand was pointed at her.
"Now let's see if this wand is any good," Bellatrix giggled madly.
Hermione shied away from her. Laughing gleefully, Bellatrix waved the wand.
"Crucio."
There was pain. So intense it blocked all thoughts. There was only the pain. Acid was poured over Hermione's body. The substance etched away her skin, her face, her body, everything. Deeper and deeper it burned and mercilessly ate away from her flesh, exposing tendrils, destroying bone. Hermione convulsed in pain. Her throat hurt from her screaming, but over the horrible pain she couldn't hear a thing.
Abruptly, the pain was lifted from her. Hermione limply lay on the floor, her breathing going fast. Her body hurt dully but it was nothing compared to before.
"Seems the wand is alright," an amused voice snickered at her darkly. "Let's try again, shall we?"
Hermione's eyes shot open, panic flooding her. Bellatrix was looking down at her, malicious intend burning in her dark eyes and contrasting sickly with the sweet innocent smile on her face.
"No, please," Hermione begged in a broken voice.
Her plea was only met by laughter.
"Crucio."
The pain returned to her and Hermione screamed and screamed. She was twisting on the floor, a pile of limbs and trembling body. The pain lacerated her until there was nothing left of her.
It took a moment for Hermione's brain to realize that the unbearable pain was gone. Its echoes still wrenched at her nerves but slowly her thoughts returned to her.
"Tom, what are you doing?" a voice pouted. "I'm having fun here,"
"Not anymore," another voice, deeper and perfectly controlled, answered.
Hermione hurt too much to move but she cautiously opened her eyes. Bellatrix was getting up from the floor, delicately cradling her right arm against her chest. To Hermione's utter surprise Riddle stood, with his back to her, between her and Bellatrix.
"I just showed that speck of grime her place," Bellatrix grumbled indignantly, glaring at Riddle.
"I won't repeat myself," Riddle said, a murderous threat hidden behind his collected tone. "Leave her alone."
Bellatrix cowered away from him but the belligerent glint in her eyes didn't go out. Sulkily jutting out her chin, the witch mumbled,
"She's just a Mudblood. Why do you care?"
Bellatrix' threw Hermione a hateful glare. Then she fluttered her thick eyelashes innocently at Riddle and declared triumphantly,
"That Mudblood's a dirty thief. She's stolen a wand."
With that Bellatrix handed Hermione's chestnut wand over to Riddle. He didn't spare it a glance before he simply slipped it into his robe pocket.
"Look, Tom," Bellatrix cooed, throwing him an appeasing smile. "I just cursed her a teeeensy tiny bit. Why does it matter?"
"It matters, because the Mudblood belongs to me," Riddle said quietly, injecting a menacing tint into his words. "And you know how much I detest it if others dare to touch my things, don't you?"
Bellatrix took a step away from him. Confusion washed over her features as she stared at Riddle before she threw Draco a questioning glance. Riddle coldly ignored her bewilderment and stated commandingly,
"I expect you to treat my belongings with more caution from now on."
Reluctantly, Bellatrix nodded and assured disappointedly, "Okay, okay. I'll stay away from your precious Mudblood."
Draco cleared his throat and remarked cautiously, "I think you've got that wrong, Tom. Penny's my Mudblood actually."
Riddle's penetrating eyes flicked to the Slytherin. All he replied was,
"No."
Draco furrowed his brow. "Excuse me?"
Riddle's lips curled into a terrifying smirk. His voice was sweet as poison as he clarified,
"The Mudblood does not belong to you anymore."
Draco shook his head, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Simple: the Mudblood's mine now." The smirk on Riddle's face was now icy cold. "If you had wanted to keep her, you should have placed a stronger binding spell on her."
Draco's eyes widened at that and he tried to reason, "Tom, look. Penny belongs to my family. Years ago, my father bought her for a good price, but she was still quite expensive. I can't just give her away."
Riddle snickered, unimpressed, and remarked glacially, "Good thing then, I don't need your permission to take her."
Draco obviously wanted to further discuss this matter. Before he could argue, Riddle hissed,
"Leave now."
His order was backed up by a wave of his dark magic. Neither Draco nor Bellatrix dared to rebel against it and fled the room. Riddle turned around and looked at Hermione with his blank face. She stared back at him. By now one of her eyes was swollen shut and the left side of her face hurt. It was probably bruised horribly. Riddle took a step towards her. There still was no emotion visible on his face. His indifferent blue eyes wandered over her.
"It's your own fault," he told her indifferently.
Hermione, still trembling all over, used her arms to get into a sitting position. Her voice was rough from all the screaming as she whispered,
"Yes, Master."
"You shouldn't have let Bellatrix see you with that wand," Riddle replied coldly. "That was stupid."
"I'm sorry, Master," Hermione said weakly.
He only shrugged at that before he ordered sharply, "Get up."
Hermione obeyed him. She clenched her teeth as pain shot through her. Riddle watched with emotionless eyes as she fought to get to her feet. He didn't move to help her. Hermione suppressed a painful whimper and finally managed to stand up.
"Follow me," Riddle said callously.
Without waiting to check whether she was able to walk he turned on the spot and left the room. Hermione hastened to limp after him. At a brisk pace Riddle climbed a flight of stairs. Sharp pains shot through her body as Hermione fought to keep up with him. By the time they reached Riddle's room, Hermione was feeling faint. Dark spots danced in her vision. Riddle's sharp eyes fell on her and he commanded,
"Sit down."
Hermione didn't hesitate to obey and sank down on the bed. She faintly registered how Riddle poked through his trunk before he sat down beside her. She flinched away from him, expecting further punishment.
"I'm sorry, Master," she whispered. "I shouldn't have left your room."
Riddle didn't reply anything but reached out for her and took her head in his hands. Reflexively Hermione pulled away. His grip tightened.
"Hold still."
As he mustered the scratches on her cheek, Riddle commented dryly, "I see Bellatrix still has sharp nails, hm?"
Hermione looked up at him apprehensively. Seeing her fear, Riddle winked at her and said suggestively,
"I once had the same scratches… but on my back."
A hot blush hit Hermione hard. He sniggered as he saw it. Then he shoved a potion vial in her hands.
"Drink that."
Hermione downed the potion and almost sighed in relief as the after-effects of the Cruciatus Curse left her. Riddle proceeded to gingerly rub a gooey potion on Hermione's bruised face. The pain immediately lessened. After Riddle was finished he inquired indifferently,
"Are you anywhere else hurt?"
Actually her whole body still hurt, but Hermione shook her head and whispered timidly,
"No, I'm fine, Master."
Riddle arched one disbelieving eyebrow. "So, you are fine, are you?"
Hermione nodded, not wanting to bother him further. Riddle ignored her and put his hands on her shoulders. Confused by his actions, Hermione froze. Riddle's hands left her shoulders and skimmed over her arms. She bit her lip nervously and looked up at him. Riddle still ignored her and now his hands ran over her sides. Hermione gasped in pain as he touched the sore spot on her right side where one of Bellatrix' kicks had hit her.
"Hm," made Riddle as he saw her reaction.
He pulled up her pullover and shirt to expose her right side. Sure enough a huge bruise was already blossoming on her skin. He reached for the potion he had used on her cheek and now applied it to her side.
"Why didn't you defend yourself?" Riddle asked, furrowing his brow disapprovingly at the bruise.
Hermione blinked up at him, confused. "What do you mean? Defend myself?"
Riddle sighed in irritation and explained curtly, "Regain your wand from Bellatrix. Then curse her."
Hermione quickly shook her head and instantly regretted it as it pounded again.
"I can't," she said tentatively.
Riddle made an angry sound in the back of his throat and continued to search her body for more bruises.
"You belong to me now, Hermione," he eventually told her, not looking up. "You don't need to obey the likes of Draco or Bellatrix anymore."
Hermione furrowed her brow. That was a strange thing to say. Then again, Riddle didn't know much about Mudbloods. He had said so himself.
"I have to obey every witch or wizard," Hermione corrected. "They don't have to be my Master."
A sharp frown appeared between Riddle's eyebrows as he stared at her. He obviously didn't like her answer at all.
"But you are mine."
Hermione shook her head and repeated softly, "I have to obey every wizard."
Riddle looked at her shrewdly. "And if, as your Master, I ordered you to no longer obey Draco or Bellatrix…?"
Hermione shook her head. "I can't do that."
"But it's my order," he insisted stubbornly.
"I might belong to you, but it doesn't mean I'm free to ignore orders from other wizards." Hermione explained. "You might remember that I obeyed you back in Albania, although you haven't been my Master."
Riddle angrily narrowed his eyes at her, seemingly upset with this new set of rules. To clarify it, Hermione said gingerly,
"As a Mudblood, I'm forbidden to ever attack a wizard. And I always have to comply with an order a wizard gives me. If that order clashes with one of yours, though, I won't obey, but then I'll get punished."
"Punished?"
She averted her eyes from Riddle and nodded. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but wizards don't take disobedience very well. Though, if I got killed during that punishment, they have to reimburse you for the loss."
Riddle stared at her for a moment, deep in thought. He never replied anything but continued to heal her. As he was finished, Hermione felt a lot better. Riddle put the potion bottle on the bedside table. Then he reached into his robe pocket, produced Hermione's wand out of it and offered it to her.
"Thank you, Master," she mumbled.
Riddle threw her a disapproving glance as if to say that she had wasted his precious time over something entirely irrelevant. Then Riddle lazily fell back on the bed, arms beneath his head.
"You know," he informed. "As exciting as your evening seems to have been, mine wasn't bad either."
Hermione looked down at him quizzically. Riddle smirked at her smugly, obviously very pleased with himself.
"I found it," he finally disclosed.
At first Hermione didn't understand what he was talking about, but then her face lit up.
"A founder's object?" she asked excitedly. "Which one?"
"Slytherin's," he said lightly. "I know exactly where it now is."
"Where?" Hermione asked curiously.
"It's disgusting that Slytherin's heirloom should end up with such a fail of a witch," he spat. "Hepzibah Smith keeps it stuffed away in her mansion down in Cornwall."
"Are you going to buy it from her?"
Riddle glared daggers as Hermione before he sneered, "You mistake me for Malfoy. Do you think I'm made of money?"
"Then how are you going to get it?" she asked timidly.
A nasty smirk grew on Riddle's face as he scanned Hermione.
"Don't worry, I have a plan."
Before Hermione could reply anything, Riddle grabbed her arm and pulled her down to him. She squealed at the unexpected movement but Riddle's lips on her own quickly silenced her. His mouth was moving against hers, nibbling teasingly at her lower lip. Hermione was surprised. She had expected Riddle to be angry with her. After all she haddisobeyed him and had left his room.
Riddle pulled her even closer so that she ended up straddling him. Hermione's hands lay on his chest to balance herself. Still kissing her fiercely, Riddle's hand released her hair and skimmed down her body. As it ran over the sore spot on Hermione's right side, she yelped softly in pain. Riddle ended their kiss. There was a sharp frown on his face as he mustered her side. His frosty blue eyes shot up at her face and he said, barely suppressed anger in his voice,
"I'm sorry. Does it still hurt?"
Though his voice hadn't at all been apologetic, Hermione still couldn't help but stare down at him wide-eyed. His words had been an empty phrase, but no-one had ever said them to her.
'I'm sorry.'
Trying to calm herself down, she quickly shook her head and mumbled, "No. It's fine."
The scowl on his face grew even darker. Then he reached out for Hermione and pulled her down to him, so that she lay nestled into his side.
"I swear," Riddle said, his arm tightening around her angrily. "If anyone ever touches you again, I'm going to crucio them."
{{{{{{{{+}}}}}}}}
"Hermione?" Riddle said, looking at her expectantly. "Come here, I need to talk with you."
Hermione walked over to him and sat on the sofa beside him. Riddle's blue eyes wandered over her contemplatively. Finally he said in his smooth voice,
"You remember we'll leave for Hogwarts tomorrow?"
Hermione smiled and nodded eagerly. "Of course, Master. I've already packed all your school things, so we can leave early. Do you think I could somehow travel with you in the Hogwarts' express? I would really like to see it. Though maybe I'm not allowed to board it. What do you think?"
Riddle rolled his eyes as the enthusiasm gushed out of Hermione. He raised a hand to stop her rant.
"Yes, Hogwarts… that's what I wanted to talk with you about," he said, his voice strangely hesitant.
Hermione's eyes widened as a swoop of fear grasped her. She averted her eyes and stared down at her hands.
"You… you don't want me to come along…" she whispered shakily.
"No, that's not it," Riddle said, his tone not insecure anymore. "But I don't want you to work at Hogwarts."
Creasing her brow, Hermione peered up at him. "W- what else should I do?"
Riddle ignored the lost look on her face and said firmly, "You are going to be a student. I already filled out the necessary paperwork and sent it off to Dippet."
She just stared up at him, completely flabbergasted by him. Weakly shaking her head, she mumbled, "That's not possible. You know that. I- I'm a Mudblood. How could I ever go to Hogwarts?"
Riddle waved her concerns away with a casual movement of his hand. "Don't be stupid. You think I mentioned your birth? Pff. No, as far as Dippet's concerned you are a Pureblood."
Hermione sat on the sofa, stock-still, and stared at Riddle.
{{{{{{{{+}}}}}}}}
'Him still must serve, him still obey,
And nothing act, and nothing say,
But what her haughty lord thinks fit,
Who with the power, has all the wit.
Then shun, oh ! shun that wretched state,
And all the fawning flatt'rers hate.'
- Lady Mary Chudleigh
(*1656 †1710)