2000

The following days and weeks were not much different from the previous ones, Hermione was glued to Lucius' side and followed him as she was expected to. Usually it ended with a quarrel, because both had explosive tempers.

Lucius tried to get back to normal life, but Hermione's presence didn't make the process any easier for him. Especially in this initial phase when she always accompanied him, leaving him to his privacy only when in his private chambers.

When he worked in the dining room, office or the living room she was there with him. Most of the time, she just looked at him, which made him very tense.

"Miss Granger," he grunted as she nearly fell asleep in the chair on Sunday night while he was working, "You may go to your chambers." His voice was annoyed as he tried to focus, her presence distracting him.

"I can't." She yawned, while still stubbornly sitting in her chair. Lucius pursed his lips.

The discussion was similar every night - he sat and worked late while Miss Granger fell asleep in her chair. No arguments could persuade her to retire. She was stubborn as a mule.

Lucius decided he'd had enough for today and stood up, putting down his quill. Hermione opened her eyes immediately, but he just passed her and growled, "Good night." He slammed the door and left.

Hermione sat down in the armchair and rubbed her sleepy eyes. Last week she had hardly slept at all; she had nightmares, all old and familiar. That was the reason she fell asleep so easily in the evenings, when her exhausted body overrode her mind and demanded at least a little rest.

But she couldn't tell Malfoy that. To him, she was like an annoying wasp buzzing just above his ear. Anyway, what would she say?

She shook her head and got up to go to her room. After brushing her teeth and changing into her pajamas, she lay down on the bed and waited for sleep to come.

The fourth week was over, the first full month. With each passing day, she wanted to murder Kingsley for what he had roped her into. And although the reality was not that hideous so far, Hermione was far from being comfortable at all.

Malfoy was still Malfoy. An ex- Death Eater who put himself on a pedestal.

In her Monday reports, she accurately described the activities of the past week, and before she knew it, she actually sent a fourth owl to the Ministry. Each time she only got a brief note from Kingsley - this time she was accompanied by an extra sentence.

"You can have one day off the following week."

Hermione looked at the paper and sighed. Her hand shook and a few drops of ink fell from the nib onto the desk. She ran a finger over it, leaving a dark streak.

"Fantastic," she muttered, and then said, "Lissy!"

The elf appeared behind her back and Hermione asked for help in a gentle voice. Lissy was happy to help and said that dinner was being served in the dining room.

Hermione thanked her for the information and felt a slight tingling sensation in her hands. The exhaustion became more and more striking - lack of sleep, movement and stimuli with addition of nightmares from which she would wake up screaming.

She went downstairs and saw that Lucius was already eating. She entered the room and nodded at him, saying, "Good evening."

He nodded, but was silent. She could see a pile of letters beside his plate, some of them still unopened.

"Shacklebolt sent me a message that you are entitled to a day off next week." Lucius said and Hermione confirmed, as he watched her closely.

"I understand that I am forced to stay at Malfoy Manor this day."

"Most likely, yes." It was the only answer Hermione gave him before her left hand went numb. She started to wiggle her fingers, to wake them up, but nothing worked.

Lucius watched Hermione and noticed her strange actions. He had the impression that this bloody girl hadn't slept or eaten at all. And yet he had bluntly told her at the beginning of their relationship that he was not going to be her nursemaid.

"Maybe you should ask Lissy for some sleep potion?" Against his beliefs he asked her because Hermione was getting pale. It didn't last long, as she blushed and he heard her retort:

"It's none of your business, Mr. Malfoy."

Her answer sounded much harsher than she had intended, but the last thing she could handle right now was verbal skirmishes with Malfoy. The hand was still numb, and nothing was helping.

Lucius shrugged in response and only added, "I have a meeting at the Ministry tomorrow. I assume you will accompany me. " His voice was impassive, but she knew perfectly well what his words meant.

"Of course."

He got up, gathered the envelopes, and headed for the stairs. He looked at her and wanted to say something, but at the last moment he changed his mind. He left and Hermione was alone in the dining room.

She looked at the food, and although she knew she should eat something, she was unable to swallow a bite.

She took a sip of her tea, and that was enough. The numbness of her hand slowly went away, so she was able to go back to her chambers.

Tomorrow was going to be a hard day.

Returning to the Ministry of Magic after a month was strange. Especially since she was only here briefly and was due to return to her cage in a few hours.

The atmosphere in the morning was very dense, Malfoy had obviously been upset upon waking up, and her gloomy mood did not help either. She swallowed the toast and jam for breakfast, but immediately had a stomach ache from it. Malfoy ate scrambled eggs, toast and drank strong, black coffee, which made Hermione nauseous. The smell of the coffee was very unpleasant for her, and she had a hard time getting her senses under control.

Hermione wondered for a moment what meeting exactly Malfoy had to attend. But it was dispelled upon arrival - Lucius Malfoy had a meeting with none other than Kingsley Shacklebolt.

As they both stood in front of his office, Hermione felt very uncomfortable. Her last visit here resulted in the situation she was currently in .

As if she had been sent into the dark.

"Mr. Malfoy," a reserved voice emerged from behind the half-closed door. "Please, step inside."

Lucius took a step, and Hermione was dismissed by the additional sentence of the Minister of Magic, "Hermione, we don't need you." And he closed the door in front of her, which of course she took as an insult.

We don't need you.

How bitter those words sounded in her ears when she knew full well that they actually did need her. But on their terms, only when applicable.

She assumed that the meeting would take at least an hour, so she decided to head to the cafeteria, hoping to meet some familiar faces.

How wrong she was.

As she walked through the halls of the Ministry, she heard other people's whispers, and saw their gazes. Gazes evaluating her as if she had committed some crime and was sentenced to prison.

Everyone knew.

Hermione felt a wave of anger flood her, filling every inch of her body, every cell. Her hand went numb and she felt a tingling sensation around her mouth. The dark glow was beginning to flicker before her eyes.

"Hermione?"

It was Harry's voice; he was clearly amazed, he hadn't expected to meet her at the Ministry at this hour. Or at all.

Hermione blinked a few times and took a deep breath. "Harry?" She smiled weakly at him, while he smiled broadly at her.

"Are you back to work yet, at the Ministry?" There was a hint of hope on his face, but that faded as Hermione shook her head.

"Unfortunately I'm not. I'm here because Malfoy has a meeting with Shacklebolt," she winced as she spoke the words. Harry didn't comment on her words, but subtly changed the subject.

"Have you eaten anything yet? I was just on my way to the buffet. "

She didn't know the right answer to that question, so she just joined him. Initially, she was headed that way as well.

The Ministry of Magic's buffet looked more like a school cafeteria than a restaurant, but it was sufficient. You could have breakfast here, drink coffee or tea or buy lunch. Harry didn't have anything of his own, so he had to stock up.

"Can I buy you something to eat, coffee, tea? You look pale."

"Black tea if you don't mind." She didn't feel like eating, but to avoid Harry's scrutinizing look, she chose one of the options.

They sat down at the table and Harry started talking about what had happened throughout the past month. Apparently the magical world was doing just fine without her, and so was the Ministry.

"Ginny made it on the Quidditch team, so she'll be leaving soon. You don't have any free time to drop by the Burrow, do you? '' Harry took a bite of his sandwich and Hermione swallowed.

"I have a day off next week, but I need to work out which one," she didn't have to say who she was going to make arrangements with, because Harry grimaced immediately.

"Send the owl to Ginny once you know," he said with his mouth full, which touched Hermione. Her mind flashed back to the days when they used to sit like this every day. With only one particular worry, not a million small, sneaky ones.

"Sure, Harry, I will," she smiled and took a sip of her tea. It passed smoothly down her throat; Harry's presence was apparently soothing to her stomach. She drank it all down until a pleasant warmth filled her esophagus.

"I guess you were thirsty." Harry concluded and she didn't deny it.

They talked for a while longer, then Hermione said she should go back. She said goodbye to Harry and promised him that she would see him again next week.

She almost ran to the office of the Minister of Magic, but it was empty now. There was no noise coming from the inside, which was also confirmed by Shacklebolt's secretary.

Where was goddamn Malfoy?

Just as she was about to make a move, she saw Malfoy standing nearby, accompanied by the Minister of Magic and the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. His face was expressionless, and only the twitching of his eyebrows showed that his humor was probably not the best.

She didn't hear their discussion, but as she approached, she overheard the words, "Goodbye, Mr. Malfoy."

Malfoy's hand tightened on the cane he carried today for a long moment. He wasn't aware Hermione was watching him. As soon as he realized it, his face shifted quickly to its usual mask of contempt.

"Miss Granger, we can go back to Malfoy Manor." His voice was irritated, but she knew he was careful not to jump all over her.

She nodded and followed him to the nearest fireplace. Neither spoke a word even as they made their way to their chambers.

Lissy handed Hermione a note from Lucius asking her to be present at dinner. The request surprised her, as he usually didn't bother with her presence at meals. She figured he must have had a good reason.

The dining room, apart from the office, was the only place for their meetings lately. Lucius usually took up residence in his chambers to - as he said - avoid Granger's breathing down his neck.

Hermione walked in and Lucius was sitting and it appeared that he was waiting for her.

"Miss Granger." The dry tone of his voice was pretty much the norm she'd gotten used to throughout the past month. "Which day do you want off?"

She hadn't expected such a question. She pulled her chair back and sat down across from him. He was looking at her expectantly, so she took her time to answer.

"Tuesday?"

"Is that a question or a statement?" Hermione raised an eyebrow as it was obvious to her that a date had to be agreed by both parties.

"Statement." She clarified, and Lucius nodded, accepting her answer.

"Tuesday then. One issue settled."

Dinner appeared on the table, but neither of them began to eat. Hermione could clearly see that Malfoy had something else to say, but apparently this was a much more uncomfortable topic for him.

"I had a meeting with Shacklebolt today, as you know," he started, and she noticed the contempt in his eyes. "It's been exactly a month since we've been participating in this initiative ," he spat out the last word. "And apparently my progress is disappointing. This is what the reports say."

Hermione turned pale and Lucius stared at her with piercing eyes.

"That's a lie," she interfered weakly, but he snorted and then laughed out loud bitterly.

"Lie or not, you are not the one who makes the decisions. You are responsible for writing the report, but you have no influence on the decisions of the one who reads it."

Malfoy was right, and the realization was terrifying. All this month, when she was actually living in isolation, she forgot for a moment why she was here. And that awareness hit her like a bullet now.

"We were given an extra six months, Miss Granger. I hope you've made yourself comfortable at Malfoy Manor." Malfoy's words were razor-sharp and cynical.

"But he has no right..." She felt how weak and hot she was, how she couldn't catch her breath. How panic filled her lungs.

"You really think he hasn't? And so far he has done everything legally? "

Hermione stood up and felt the darkness envelop her. Ignoring his questioning glance, she ran out of the dining room. She paused at the stairs and tried to calm down, but the unknown tentacles wrapped around her neck, squeezing and compressing tighter and tighter.

She crouched down, trying to catch her breath, but it was impossible. Additionally, she heard screams around her. Inhuman, chilling screams. Pleading for mercy, pleading for life.

Inhale. Exhale.

Empty words.

Pictures in front of her eyes.

She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she wanted to scream but couldn't. On one side she was being suffocated by fright and on the other by fear.

She wrapped her arms around her knees and rocked, trying to control this state she had never been in before.

After a few minutes of rocking, the noose around her neck began to loosen, the voices ceased, the images faded into darkness.

She stood up and felt drunk, struggling to keep her balance. After a few deep breaths, she returned to the dining room.

Malfoy was eating and only glanced briefly at her. Their conversation has apparently ended.

Hermione picked up the toast and jam. Her hand trembled as she spread jam on the bread.

"Do you eat anything except toast and jam?" Normally, she would probably have taken it as a simple allusion, but in the current situation her tongue was faster than her mind.

"Can you stop playing my babysitter? We've established that you don't want to be involved." Her voice was even sharper than yesterday, but he was completely unimpressed.

He stared at him with that empty gaze, completely indifferent, devoid of emotion.

"As you wish, Miss Granger."

Upon her return, Hermione sat down at her desk and took out a quill to quickly write a note to Ginny. She needed that day to take a breath and was glad to picture familiar faces in her mind.

Meanwhile, Crookshanks jumped on her lap and cuddled up. He had spent the last days very actively exploring, apparently finding Malfoy Manor as fascinating as Hogwarts.

Unfortunately, she didn't have an owl of her own, so she had to use one of Malfoy's owls.

Later, for relaxation, she decided to read a book that had been lying in her trunk for weeks. As soon as she sat down in the chair and began flipping the pages, she felt sleep soak over her.

The next day, she received two owls - one was from Ginny, who was clearly pleased to hear that Hermione was alive. Tuesday was confirmed and Hermione was looking forward to this meeting.

The second owl was from Gringotts, and it was information that her monthly wage had been transferred to her vault.

The amount on the receipt was pathetic, considering her responsibilities, but in the end she spent almost nothing now. In fact, all of her expenses were covered by Malfoy, and she didn't have much opportunity to spend cash.

It was one of the few advantages of this situation.

Not much happened in the following week, Lucius worked whole days in the office and Hermione was with him most of the time. She read books and took notes. She took the time to broaden her knowledge.

Although she usually slept most of the time.

Lucius stopped paying attention to this and stopped asking questions. Sleeping Granger was a less annoying version of herself, and he preferred it this way, if she absolutely had to sit in the same room with him.

He saw that she was pale and sleepy lately, and she ate little. But as they had already established, he was not her nanny.

Monday was a busy day for Malfoy, he had several important business meetings in different parts of London, so they spent the whole day traveling. Of course, Hermione was, by the rules, at his side like the most faithful secretary. In fact, some contractors treated her like that, which irritated her.

Like most nights, she slept little, ate little, and the bland remarks of strangers exasperated her all day, until she was on the verge of exploding. Back at Malfoy Manor, she realized she needed to send a report. And she had the day off the following day.

Malfoy ignored her as always and went to his wing, so she sat down in the dining room and unfolded the papers. As soon as she looked at the columns on the report, her stomach tightened.

You are responsible for writing the report, but you have no influence on the decisions of the one who reads it.

Malfoy's words rang in her ears as she held the nib to the paper. She felt a growing anger that turned into helplessness.

Bloody Kingsley.

She wondered for a long time what to write, and finally began to fill out the report as usual. Even though it was like a bitter pill, she had no choice. She wrote truthfully, because ...

It didn't matter anyway.

At the very end, the letters began to blur before her eyes, and before she knew it, she had laid her face on the table and fallen asleep.

Lucius turned the last page and realized Granger had a day off tomorrow. He frowned and sighed. He would have to postpone the business meeting until Wednesday. He would inform her today so she wouldn't be surprised on Wednesday morning.

He entered the wing where she lived, but no one answered the knock. Maybe she was asleep?

He went downstairs and wandered towards the dining room. He opened the door and was about to say something when he realized that she was lying on the table, asleep.

But this didn't look like an ordinary sleep, because she was trembling all over her body, breathing loudly and moaning. She was uttering some words in a language similar to English, but they were not clear, indistinct. He also saw that she was heavily sweating.

He narrowed his eyes - his first thought was to wake her up. But he knew already - it wasn't his business.

Once again, he heard a terrible, long moan from her lips. Almost inhuman, as if coming from the depths of the soul, from a different world.

He backed away and saw her body tremble, completely oblivious to what was happening.

Was Granger having panic attacks?

He left the dining room and as he closed the door he heard a piercing scream that chilled him for a moment. He had heard such screams not too long ago… during torture.

He heard movement and falling pages. Granger must have woken up.

Lucius was surprised by the situation, but well.

Granger was an adult, she seemed to be able to deal with it alright by herself.