A/N ~ Sorry this chapter is horribly delayed! I've been incredibly busy, and honestly a little hesitant on how to proceed. Oh, I know where I'm going with this and what will generally happen, but some of the more specific details are still fuzzy. I just want to make sure I'm happy with the result. So, I figure, better late and right, than immediate and garbage. Thanks for the most complimentary reviews! I'm so happy that everyone really liked Chapter Ten. I hope you all enjoy the continuation, Chapter Eleven: Trusting the Enemy.
Dark Ecstasy
by Chantal
Chapter Eleven: Trusting the Enemy
Hermione felt the nauseating pull of apparition as Lucius Malfoy brought them instantly to the front gates of Malfoy Manor. A cool breeze blew softly and brought the naked girl some awareness of her situation. She could feel the air on places that should not have been exposed. As soon as Lucius removed the wards he let go of his grip on her waist and ordered her to walk in front of him.
"Okay, little Mudblood, walk in front of me and stop when I order you to," Lucius whispered into Hermione's left ear. She shivered at the icy feeling his directions gave her. She felt the ice settle on her wrists. It was almost as if she were wearing handcuffs that had been sitting in a freezer overnight.
Hermione did what she was obliged to do. She walked slowly with her head bowed and her fingers fidgeting with each other in a most nervous way. She would be crying if her mind was clear enough to comprehend what exactly was happening to her. The numbness from the Optare Potion and the Imperio-like control on her mind from the enslavement curse were way too overwhelming. Hermione focused on the only feeling she had – the cool, smooth stone under her bare feet. She enjoyed this little luxury since she was lucky to have any sensation at all.
Lucius followed with an evil gleam in his eye. He was going to have much more control over himself this time. After all, this time he wasn't pursuing a pureblooded witch whom he would've married had his family allowed it. This time, he was pursuing a mudblood witch who has been a burr in his blood since she'd entered the wizarding world seven years ago. For one so young, she'd definitely pushed her luck beyond the point any muggleborn witch should've been allowed. This time, it was about control. It didn't hurt that she happened to be beautiful. That would just allow him to fully enjoy himself in his quest to control and conquer. Just the thought of it was making him hard again. Oh, no…this delicious treat that tantalized in the path before him would be his very soon. Lucius was now beginning to realize just what his son had been talking about when he first requested the Optare Potion. 'Excellent taste, Draco!' he silently saluted his son. There was no way he'd be able to wait as long as he'd originally planned. He was going to have to summon the Inner Circle immediately.
~`~`~`~`~
As soon as Severus arrived at the front door of his estate, he barged inside and summoned a bottle of Pepper-Up Potion from his personal stores. Draco lagged behind and was standing against the front door's frame when Severus uncorked the bottle.
"Take this, Mr. Malfoy. You'll need it if you're going to be of any use at all." Severus said in an icy tone. He firmly placed the bottle in Draco's hand and watched intently as the younger man brought the bottle immediately to his lips and drank.
Draco felt immeasurably fatigued. He was feeling all of these emotions that were completely foreign and surprisingly draining! He just watched his own father take the one person he actually cared for in a most humiliating way and didn't know why he wasn't grinning with satisfaction like he was sure he should've been. Maybe it was because he really did care for her. When you love someone you don't want anyone to hurt them in any way. 'When did I stop hating, and start loving her? And WHY?' he wondered as he watched his professor uncork a bottle he was sure was for him.
Draco drank the bitter potion and winced. "Ah, Pepper-Up Potion…Good idea, Professor," Draco began. His head was clearing and he was starting to remember all of the details from the evening, including those before his father arrived. Professor Snape knew. Hermione told him in her letter. Oh, he wasn't sure of what exactly she'd said, but if he was out in the Forbidden Forest looking for her, then he was pretty sure Professor Snape knew everything.
He was right.
"Yes, well, I am relieved to know you approve," Severus responded sarcastically. He turned on his heel and motioned for Draco to follow. Snape led Draco into what appeared to be his study. There was a large mahogany desk with an oversized leather chair behind it. Two adjacent walls were covered with a variety of books. The others held a large bay window and an ornate fireplace. The room was very warm and what some might describe as cozy. Draco felt compelled to settle himself in one of the dark brown leather chairs facing the roaring fireplace.
Snape immediately began pacing in front of the fireplace. This was really his favorite way to think things through. After a few short moments, he stopped directly in front of Draco and addressed him.
"What the bloody hell were you thinking, Mr. Malfoy?" It came out in a hissing whisper. "I know you have held a particular dislike for Miss Granger for as long as you've known her…Hell, she has not been my favorite person, either! But the Optare Potion, Draco? How the fuck could you? Answer me, damn it!" Snape was particularly exasperated by the time he'd finished his short soliloquy.
"Sir…I don't…what I mean is…" Draco had no idea how to begin explaining what he'd done. He only knew how he felt now, even though he was still coming to grips with it.
"Choose your words very carefully, Mr. Malfoy. I assure you I will not hesitate to use Veritaserum. I want the truth and if I don't believe you, I will use it!" Snape glared.
"I think I love her," was all Draco could muster. He held his professor's scrutiny and Snape could see that he was obviously struggling with emotion…something the young man had absolutely no experience with.
"Indeed," Snape replied. He turned away from Draco and stared into the fire. 'How could Draco possibly love Hermione Granger? Had Lucius loved Selena? What exactly did that potion do?' Oh, he knew what every textbooks and "experts" said it did, but he had no firsthand experience with the substance. 'Perhaps the giver was eventually controlled by the potion as well? But how?'
Severus' reverie was interrupted with the sound of Draco's raised voice.
"PROFESSOR SNAPE!" he shouted.
Snape turned and glared at him.
"What is it? Can't you give me a moment to think?" Snape looked positively distraught.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I just wanted to know what we were going to do to get Hermione away from my father. He's going to use her. Eventually he'll present her to the Dark Lord and they'll find a way to manipulate Potter with their possession of her, but before he does that…" Draco looked down at his hands. 'Bloody hell! Where is my backbone? Why can't I just let it be? I knew what was going to happen before and I didn't care. I got what I wanted…correction…I got what I thought I wanted. Hermione…what have I done to you?'
After it was apparent that Draco wasn't going to continue, Severus decided to do it for him. "I am very well aware of what your father does with the Optare Potion. I will not allow it to happen again. You seem to forget that that potion isn't our only problem…She's under the control of those enslavement tattoos! You and I are going to get Miss Granger out of there…tonight."
Draco looked up and met Snape's stare. He could see that his professor was serious and determined…and motivated by something other than what was immediately obvious. Draco was not sure what was going on, but he knew Professor Snape was right…they needed to get her away from his father as soon as possible. He nodded his head slightly in agreement.
~`~`~`~`~
Before Lucius let his new toy into his home he conjured a long, opaque white robe. It was sheer, not really covering anything, but it felt like a woolen cloak to Hermione when Lucius draped it over her shoulders. The length reached the floor and pooled at her heels. He tied it and brought her chin up so that she was looking at him.
"There now, that's much better for our present needs. Just don't get too comfortable…I'm pleased to say you'll shortly be without it." He smirked and placed an unusually gentle kiss on Hermione's lips.
Hermione just stared at him and nodded slightly. Her mind was nearly blank. There were only faint glimpses of a young, blonde man with light blue eyes...Draco…Part of her longed for him. The rest of her mind was focused on what this regal-looking man wanted from her. That part dominated her, although she was faintly aware that she didn't want it to.
Lucius led Hermione down a long hallway and down a flight of stairs. She followed silently with a sinking feeling her stomach and a longing in her blood. 'Purple potion…' her mind chanted. The need was growing already.
Eventually they stopped. Lucius took out his wand, tapped it on what appeared to be a random part of the wall, and muttered something under his breath. Immediately, an archway formed. Lucius and Hermione walked through and the archway disappeared. A plain wall replaced it. No other means of entering or exiting was evident.
Hermione took a moment to glance around the room. It was ironically decorated in the deepest burgundy and gold. 'Is this for my benefit?' she wondered fleetingly. It really didn't matter. The first thing she noticed was the ornate king-sized bed that was situated in an alcove. There were golden curtains on the frame of the alcove, so that there could be privacy in the bed area if desired. In the main room, there was a large fireplace with a couch and two armchairs situated around it. The low table in the middle of the furniture held a bottle of what looked like firewhiskey and several glasses. 'Several glasses? Why would there be several…'
"Like what you see, Lioness?" Lucius interrupted her inspection of the chamber. He reached for her hand and kissed it with the same gentleness as his last kiss.
Hermione looked at her captor with that familiar glaze over her eyes. "Yes," was her simple reply. She continued to glance around the room when she noticed a small purple bottle on the mantle of the fireplace. Without giving it a second thought she slipped her hand out of Lucius' grasp and walked briskly over to the fireplace. She was just about to grab hold of the purple bottle when she heard Lucius order her to stop.
Lucius was smirking. 'Excellent, Mudblood! It didn't take you long at all to find it! Very observant!' "That's far enough, Mudblood," Lucius drawled. He glided to her side and whispered, "You need permission to touch anything in here."
Hermione's eyes widened with despair. The potion was there, in her reach! How could he not let her have it?
"Yes, sir. Could I have some of that potion?" she whispered. She glanced at him quickly, but then brought her eyes back down to watch her fidgeting fingers.
Lucius regarded her carefully. She was beginning to need the potion already? 'My, my, aren't we a little needy, pet?'
"No, I don't think so, pet. You need to earn that treat…" he responded. Hermione was immediately reminded of the other blonde who'd provided her with the potion. She remembered what she had to do, but for some strange reason, couldn't remember anything else…not even his name now. In response, she began to undo the tie of her robe. She needed that potion, so she was going to do what was required.
Suddenly, she felt the man's hand over hers. "As tempting as that is, I will be requiring other forms of payment. First of all…restraint. I will be leaving you here for a little while. You must not touch the purple bottle, but you may have anything else. I'll be back soon." He ran his hand over her hair and down the front of her robe gently caressing the inner curves of her breasts. He grinned mischievously and shivered in blatant anticipation. Then he turned, created the archway, and exited the room.
Hermione immediately went over to the table and poured herself a full glass of the amber liquid praying it would help drown out the call of the potion in front of her and numb the need she felt all over her body for it.
~`~`~`~`~
"Polyjuice," was Severus Snape's answer.
"Polyjuice, sir? How is Polyjuice going to help Hermione?" Draco was thoroughly confused. Snape was brilliant, but he was starting to think he may have crossed the line into madness.
"Do I really need to explain this to you?" he sighed.
Draco just stared at him inquisitively.
"Fine, for the sake of saving time, listen up! We are going to use Polyjuice to get me into Malfoy Manor. You are going to go home and find out what Lucius is doing and hopefully where Hermione is being kept. Find out who is being invited to the manor."
At Draco's questioning look, Snape continued, "Trust me, Mr. Malfoy, your father is going to want to gloat. He'll want an audience and he's going to need someone to scare Hermione in order to make her need him."
At this explanation, Draco cringed. This was all too familiar. He'd done that to her. He'd gloated. He'd threatened her with the attentions of Crabbe and Goyle. Of course, that was the easiest and fastest way to make your victim need you. 'That's what Hermione was to me…a victim…'
"I don't deserve her," Draco whispered aloud in response to his revelation.
Snape was beginning to be irate with this boy. No one who would use the Optare Potion deserved the affection of their victim. "No, Mr. Malfoy, I assure you…you don't. But, that is really not our concern presently. Focus, will you please?" Snape responded.
"I'm sorry. I'm not sure what information my father is going to give me, but I will try. When do I go?"
"Now. However, there is one more thing. You need to get a piece of your father for the Polyjuice potion. I will take the potion and you will get me into the manor through the floo."
"Why, though? Won't you be involved if my father is gathering death eaters?"
"No. I'm not going to discuss it with you, Draco, but no. Your father will most definitely not invite me to something that is remotely involving the Optare Potion, let alone a student of Hogwarts. I have no choice but to get her out as Lucius. No one but a Malfoy can floo into the manor and I'm sure he will have her protected so that only he can take her out of her cell, room, or wherever he has her." Snape looked positively stoic.
"I see. Okay, I'll go as fast as I can." Draco took some floo powder from Snape's mantle and shouted, "Malfoy Manor!"
~`~`~`~`~
Hermione was sloshed. She'd consumed half of the bottle of what she came to discover was indeed firewhiskey. It was all in an effort to avoid the bottle that was calling out to her. She was too afraid of what would happen if she touched it. Beside that, her enslavement bonds wouldn't allow her to disobey her master anyway. Hermione collapsed on the couch as a drunken sleep mercifully encompassed her.
"Hermione, love, please wake!" a velvety voice warmed Hermione and she felt simply blissful. She opened her eyes and saw that she was in a forest again. This time it seemed like she was in a circle of springtime surrounded by winter. The air was light and warm and the grass she slept upon was soft and green. She glanced around and saw frosty, bare trees encompassed in darkness. She looked up and saw the hooded man in her previous dream. Her heart was filled with happiness and knew she was safe with him.
"Who are you? Where am I?" she whispered. She reached out for him and was gratified when he pulled her into a warm embrace.
"It's okay, love…Please don't worry about that now…I have to tell you something and I need you to listen carefully!" He held her and stroked her hair.
That voice…Hermione knew that voice…
"Okay, I'll do whatever you ask of me," she whispered into his chest.
"Good, because you're really going to have to trust me…"
"I do! What is it?" Hermione chanced a peek up at his face, but the hood obstructed her view. Only a lock of black hair escaping the hood peeked out at her.
"Trust your enemy, Hermione. Trust your enemy, especially when it seems most difficult. I will be there waiting for you if you do this. Can you do as I tell you, my love? Can you?" He reached down and stroked her face. A ray of sunlight gave Hermione her first glimpse at her heart's truest love…with ebony hair and matching eyes, pale skin, and the softest touch, her dreams revealed Severus Snape.
"Professor Snape? Is that you? Are you here?" Hermione was desperate to gain affirmation to what her sense of sight was telling her.
The man reached up and removed the hood. He smiled warmly at her. "Yes, Hermione, it is me. Your heart is far ahead of your mind, as is mine. Trust in what you feel, but please put that trust in me now, as well. You must trust your enemy! Do that and I will be there to protect you. Will you do this, please?" He kissed her hand and waited expectantly.
Suddenly Hermione was jerked out of her sweet sleep murmuring, "Yes, I will…yes, I will…"
Lucius was standing over her with his wand pointed in her direction. He had woken her with an "enervate" spell and was watching with piqued curiosity as she woke mumbling.
"Yes, you will…what, Miss Granger?" Lucius asked with amusement.
Hermione looked up at Lucius and realized what an incredible ache she was feeling in her head. A milder ache plagued the rest of her body.
"I will trust you," she replied honestly and grabbed the sides of her head. Her beautiful dream was a fuzzy memory. Her head was throbbing and it only hurt worse to try to remember her dream. She wanted desperately to remember, but in her present physical state nothing more than the need to trust her enemy remained.
"Of course you will. You have no choice. Here take this." Lucius gave Hermione a clear bottle with a bluish liquid inside. "You really need to learn to pace yourself, my dear!" He laughed referring to the half-empty bottle of firewhiskey. The potion was a hangover remedy.
Hermione drank the potion greedily hoping that it was the nectar she craved. She was disappointed when she realized it wasn't, but relieved when she discovered this potion's effects.
"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. That really helped." Hermione looked up after consuming the potion and was greeted with a wide smile.
"Why my pet, you are my property, so you will call me 'my Lord,' 'Sir,' or my personal favorite, 'Master.' You're going to gain my favor with the latter, just so you know." He could tell she had sobered up, but the glaze was intensifying. 'Excellent…Time for the next phase in her reconditioning!'
He snapped his fingers and immediately, a cowering house elf appeared. "Please let our guests through via the floo. It's only open for the next three minutes, so they'd better come now!"
"Yes, Master!" the house elf replied. He bowed and disappeared.
Lucius put his hands on Hermione's face and lowered his to kiss her, when she interrupted with, "Who is coming?" Hermione asked this in an instinctively demanding voice before she could think about it.
Lucius scowled at her. She'd neglected to address him properly and had spoken brazenly out of turn.
"I think you need to learn a little respect, Mudblood!" Lucius raised his voice in frustration and grabbed her face. "You will soon see how much you need me! You will want nothing more than for me to hold you," he whispered in a deadly voice. Then he disappeared out of the magical archway leaving Hermione scared in her solitude.
Suddenly, a popping sound came from the fireplace and Hermione saw the familiar green glow in the flames that showed someone was coming via the floo.
She was right. Unfortunately, there were many someones coming through the floo.
The frightening forms of five Death Eaters appeared in the room in front of Hermione: Macnair, Rosier, Rookwood, Crabbe, Sr., and Goyle, Sr. Hermione was familiar with them from various battles and reading about Voldemort's following. She felt a terror like none other ever experienced.
"Ah, a beautiful smart-ass Mudblood…such sweet fruit Lucius feeds us!" Macnair began and then licked his thin lips. "You're going to taste delicious…I am definitely going to enjoy breaking you!"
The other Death Eaters chuckled at Macnair's declarations and began to advance on their prize.
Hermione's eyes widened in unparalleled fear. She immediately turned and ran toward the part of the wall that Lucius had exited. Hermione threw herself at the wall and began banging her fists frantically, madly.
"MR. MALFOY!" she screamed. "PLEASE! SIR! HELP ME! SIR! M A S T E R! COME BACK!" Hermione's blood-curdling screams were music to the men she was sharing a room with.
Then, Goyle, Sr. wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her away from the wall. He grabbed hold of her long hair and held her head craned back as far as it would go.
"Such a beautiful voice from a vile creature such as yourself is quite amazing!" whispered Goyle, Sr. He slid his sticky tongue along the length of Hermione's neck as she struggled in his iron-clad grasp. "I'll have to congratulate my son on his fine cursing work. Your bracelets are flawless." Hermione was whimpering in fear and pain.
Crabbe, Sr. came to stand in front of the struggling pair. His eyes slid over the length of Hermione's body and licked his lips. He bared his teeth in a sinister grin and reached out to fondle Hermione's breasts. "Oh, yes, my son did say you were quite a tart. I quite agree." He reached in and licked her cheek. "I have to say, for a tart, you definitely taste sweet!"
Hermione couldn't take anymore. Panic was rising in her again. She began screaming at the top of her lungs, "MR. MALFOY! MR. MALFOY! SIR! OH, PLEASE HELP ME!" Hermione was quickly running out of energy. Her need for the Optare Potion continued to grow as did her desire to receive the comfort of Lucius Malfoy. 'Trust your enemy!' ran through her mind. She couldn't trust these monsters, but maybe Lucius…
Just as Hermione's torture was beginning, Draco Malfoy entered his home though the floo system. He was immediately worried because he saw their house elf carrying several cloaks and his father was drinking a glass of firewhiskey by the window. He looked way too peaceful. "Father! Where is Hermione?" he asked as soon as he was out of the fireplace.
"Draco! What an unexpected surprise! Shouldn't you be at school?" Lucius smirked.
"It's Saturday, Father! Is Hermione alright?" Draco replied.
"I believe I told you that I had some work I needed to do with Miss Granger before I was going to let her see you. You're going to have to wait."
Just then, Hermione's blood-curdling screams echoed throughout the manor. Draco heard her call out for his father using a variety of titles.
"Oh, gods, Hermione!" Draco called. "What is going on, Father? Who is with her?"
"Draco, Draco, Draco…Miss Granger needs to learn to appreciate me. I have some friends entertaining her presently. They're only going to be with her for a little while. I'll take care of the rest. I arranged for their entertainment after they've finished their task. You really can do nothing useful here. Go back to school. I will owl you when …"
Lucius was interrupted when Hermione let out another series of screams crying out for Lucius to help her.
"Yes, well, it seems my friends are frightening our dear Mudblood quite nicely. However, I do believe she's in need of some comfort and nourishment. Please go. I will owl you when you may come back." Lucius put his drink down and left the room without another word.
Draco was as pale as moonlight. He felt helpless and frantic. He had to help Hermione. 'Stick to the plan, Draco. Go get some of father's hair and get out of here.' Draco headed down the main hallway to get to his father's bedroom when he heard voices. It was coming from downstairs, near the dungeons. 'Of course! She's in his Mistress Room! She's never going to get out of there until he decides she can go.'
Draco found his father's cloak on the bench in the foyer as he was heading back down the hallway. Luckily there was a hair on the cloak. He grabbed the hair and the cloak, and quickly exited from the manor.
~`~`~`~`~
Hermione was nearly catatonic when Lucius sauntered in the burgundy room. She was laying with her head resting on Goyle, Sr.'s chest as he held her wrists over her head. Hermione was not crying, although the tracks of her many tears were evident on her face. She was just staring blankly off into space. Crabbe, Sr. was dripping hot wax over her exposed breasts while the others watched. There were a few cuts and many burns on her neck and torso. Macnair was practically drooling and was beginning to undo his pants.
Lucius was livid! He didn't want those brutes touching her intimately. They were just supposed to manhandle her. "What the bloody fuck do you idiots think you are doing?" he yelled. Lucius lifted Crabbe, Sr. off of Hermione and picked her up in his arms.
He brought Hermione to the bed in the alcove and smoothed her hair. He performed a cleansing charm on her. He then covered her back up and closed the curtains. Then Lucius produced the purple bottle filled with Optare Potion and gave Hermione a large dose. He knew she was conscious because she swallowed as soon as the liquid touched her tongue. "It's okay, Hermione…You're safe now. You see…I told you that you would need me. Now you know it's true. I won't let those men touch you anymore."
Just then, Hermione launched herself at Lucius and clung to him. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she wept softly.
"I'm sorry, Master, please don't leave me! I'll be good! I promise…I'll be good!" Hermione rasped through her sore throat between sobs.
Lucius pulled her back away from him disengaging her arms. He looked at her intently. Her eyes were wet and wide. She looked like an abused puppy. 'Perfect!' he thought. "Now, now, pet, you need to rest. I'll just be on the other side of the curtain." He then bent down and kissed her. With his typical fluid motion, Lucius left Hermione sprawled out on the bed exhausted.
"You fucking morons have no subtlety!" Lucius began as soon as he was on the other side of the curtain. "She's practically insane with fear, though!" He smirked as he thought about the success of his plan thus far. "So, I guess your job is done here." He then poured himself another drink.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me! That's it?! You brought us here to tease your little Mudblood whore and that's all we get?" Macnair was pissed! They were all rather pissed, actually.
"Oh, please, Macnair! What do you take me for…an idiot? Of course that's not it…it's just that you're done with Miss Granger. I have collected other playthings for you. They're further down in the dungeon waiting for you as we speak!"
The five men smiled simultaneously. "Well, then…we won't keep you from your toy!" Rosier offered. "I'm sufficiently teased. I need some action, so I think we'll be going now."
Lucius tapped the wall in response and watched as the archway appeared. "Have fun, brothers. I'll join you a bit later!"
They all nodded in response and were gone.
Lucius turned toward the curtain. 'Thank Merlin Narcissa is visiting her mother! Otherwise, I wouldn't have nearly enough time to spend with Miss Granger. Get ready, my dear, you're in for the ride of a lifetime!'
And with that thought, Lucius walked through the curtain and toward the bed that contained his prize.
~`~`~`~`~
Draco made it through the fireplace to Severus' estate and held up the hair and the cloak that he'd collected. Severus was quite anxious and had spent the time Draco was gone collecting a dose of Polyjuice and making sure arrangements were made for when he had Hermione there. They were definitely in for a rocky road then and he wanted to be ready.
"Draco! Thank Merlin! How is Miss Granger? Did you see her? Is she okay?" Snape fired off the questions as if he only had ten seconds to ask every question he wanted to know the answers to. He actually surprised himself at how worried he was about Miss Granger.
"Professor! I've got it! We've got to hurry! I believe my father has her kept in his Mistress Room. There is only one way to get in other than his own archway in the wall. Only his wand will activate it, so we're going to have to use the internal floo. Sir, she was screaming bloody murder! My father did summon some of his Inner Circle and I'm sure they were torturing her when I arrived!" Draco handed the hair to Snape and paced the room.
Severus was horrified. All of his worst fears were realized. 'Why do you have to be such a sadistic monster, Lucius? Don't worry, Hermione, I'm coming! Hermione? When did I start calling her Hermione?'
"Alright, Draco…It's bad, but we're going to get her out of there. I'm going to take the potion. I've got enough for two doses if I need it, although I'd rather not. So, let's make this as quick as possible. In and out, got it?"
"Yes, Sir! I will go first and make sure the coast is clear.
With that, Draco left through the floo again. Snape added the hair and took the potion. It worked immediately and Snape dressed in Lucius' cloak to complete the effect. He made sure he saw Lucius when he looked in the hallway mirror and then returned to the study to wait for Draco to tell him it was safe.
Just as Snape reentered the study, Draco's head appeared in the fire and told him that it was safe to enter. The floo recognized Snape as Lucius Malfoy and let him through the wards.
When Snape was completely inside Malfoy Manor, he listened intently to see if he could hear Hermione at all.
Nothing.
"Professor, my house elf told me that my father is still with her, so we need to hide you until he leaves her to join the others in the dungeons. We can watch from a spare bedroom that is near his Mistress Room. When he leaves I'll open the floo to the room. Hopefully, he hasn't blocked my access since he thinks I'm at Hogwarts."
"Okay, Draco, lead the way." Snape still sounded like himself even though he looked like Lucius Malfoy.
The two men entered the spare bedroom that was two doors down from the space of wall that Draco knew was really the entrance to his father's Mistress Room. They waited anxiously for their window of opportunity.
~`~`~`~`~
Hermione was startled by the opening of the curtain. She began weeping again in fear and anticipation of the worst. She was exhausted and drugged, barely able to open her eyes.
"Ah, Hermione! You are a vision! I know you're tired, but you have one more duty to fulfill and then I will leave you to eat and sleep for the night." Lucius waited for her to respond, but was disappointed as she just lay there with fresh tears streaming down her face.
Lucius grimaced. 'Okay, the direct approach it is…'
"Hermione, get up and disrobe immediately." Lucius watched with perverse satisfaction as she dragged her weakened body off the bed and obeyed him as she was obliged to do. The robe fell in a pool of opaque silk and Hermione stood before Lucius exposed again, at his mercy.
"Amazing, my dear…If I didn't know better, I'd think you were as pureblooded as any Malfoy. How can such beauty and magical essence reside in a Mudblood? It's unbelievable…"
Lucius began to disrobe and ordered Hermione to lie on the bed.
It was all rather quick. Lucius laid himself over Hermione and kissed her passionately this time, on the mouth. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip and bit it to make her open for him. He wanted to make her body respond to him the old-fashioned way – physically. She did and he let his tongue slide into her swollen mouth. He guided her hands onto his body so that she would stroke his backside. Her touch was electrifying to him. He simply couldn't get enough…if he didn't enter her soon, it'd be too late.
This was all very disconcerting to Lucius. No one had ever made him so turned on or ready to explode before he'd even penetrated her. 'I wonder if she's dabbled in black magick…what else could possibly explain what I'm feeling?'
As if on cue, Hermione's body betrayed her (again) and she let a soft moan escape. That was all Lucius needed. He lifted Hermione's knees and spread her thighs as he placed himself at her opening. Then he penetrated her feeling very cocky that she was already wet for him. (Another of her body's natural responses, but a betrayal all the same.) Even though her body was reacting, her mind and heart did not…both were numb.
The rest of their coupling didn't take very long. Lucius thrust in an out of her a few times before the exploded inside her. He was sweating and feeling very drained as he collapsed on top of her.
"Well, Hermione, I think I may need to keep you for myself a bit longer that I'd intended. You are quite a delectable fuck!" Lucius cooed in her ear.
He got up, used a cleansing charm on himself, and dressed. He watched Hermione as she lay there in all her glory, completely spent. 'Beautiful…' he thought. 'I'm just going to let her rest like that, with me inside of her, laying ready for when I return.'
"Rest well, Hermione. If you're a good girl, I'll be back with a buttery treat for you. If you try to escape or cause trouble, no potion. I'll see you soon, pet."
With those words, Lucius exited the curtains and tapped the wall. The archway appeared and Lucius exited looking quite smug. The archway disappeared as he descended the next flight of stairs into the dungeons.
Severus and Draco saw Lucius leave and immediately headed for the fireplace. Draco threw floo powder into the flames and clearly said, "The Mistress Room!" Then he was gone. He held the connection for Snape and they both found themselves in a rich burgundy room with gold accents. There were empty glasses that held the residue of firewhiskey, but otherwise one couldn't tell anyone had been there.
"Look at the glasses! This has to be it! But where is she?" Draco whispered.
"You said this is a mistress room?" Snape replied.
Draco nodded.
"Then there should be a bed, wouldn't you agree?"
Realization shone in Draco's eyes and he nodded again.
They began to search the room and noticed the curtains. They looked too big to be covering a window, so Severus opened them and audibly gasped.
"Oh my gods above! Hermione!!!" Snape whispered…the words caught in his throat. He was by her side in split second and wrapped her in the bed's blanket. She looked like she'd been drugged and ravished, as indeed she had been. His heart broke at the sight of the broken young woman. 'Selena…'
Just then Draco passed through the curtain and felt his heart break. He saw the only person he'd ever felt anything for brutally broken. "Bloody hell, Hermione! What did he do to you?" he whispered. He went over to help, but was promptly told to move out of the way.
Hermione was wakened by the feeling of being moved. She wrapped her arms around Snape thinking he was Lucius.
"Master," she whispered. "I'm sorry…I'm so tired. I thought I was going to get to rest. I didn't try to escape! I swear! Please believe me!" She was getting a bit frantic thinking he was going to deposit her in the dungeons at the mercy of those animals from earlier.
Severus responded, trying to soothe her. "Hermione, it's okay. I'm here to take you home. You need to trust me."
Hermione closed her eyes. Her dream came flooding back to her memory. 'It's that voice…I know that voice…It's safe…It's love…Trust your enemy.' She wrapped her arms around her true savior and let herself finally fall asleep.
Snape noticed something that looked like recognition in her eyes, but ignored it for now. He had to get her out of there. Draco walked with him to the fireplace and shouted "Snape Manor!" When the flames turned green, Draco, Severus, and Hermione walked through to freedom.
Now came the hard part…
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A/N – Okay, this chapter has taken me four days to write and is 15 pages long in Word. Wow! I hope you all like it…it was very draining to write! Please review!