The Punishing
Ch.1

I stumble, dragging my horrid self, down the corridor with the others. Magical chains bound our wrists, and the muggle-born girls and boys in front and behind me, kept their heads low.

It didn't always used to be this way. Before 1993, I had been accepted into Hogwarts, a school of witchcraft and wizardry, and had entered my second year. My parents didn't possess magic and that made me different to some. I remember being hurt by their comments, but no amount of school yard bullying would have led me to fear this.

A rebellion up roared from the pure-blooded witches and wizards to sanction the school and have us divided. I remember that too. Harry and I were cornered off to another section of the school until Dumbledore could reason with the Ministry. Even that didn't last long, and the rebellion demanded more; claiming our impurity would affect their way and their children's way of life and wanted us expelled from learning anything of magic relation. We were thrown from school, only to wind up in the middle of an attack. The Hogwarts train was sent off a cliff into the lake, and the rails blown up. Brooms snapped. Boats sunk. We were trapped.
That's when Lucius Malfoy appeared, side by side with several other prestigious families. He smirked as he unravelled a scroll from the Ministry, approving the removal of muggle born witches and wizards, and they could not return to their homes. I remember being so terrified and tried to find Harry. But he was gone… I looked around at the students, all born of muggle heritage, and we all shed large pools of tears. One by one, they swooped down and grabbed us, thrown into a carriage of other children. We screamed desperately for help, and those who tried to stop them, were imprisoned too.

I dream about that day often. After many years, I struggled to remember everything. I didn't want that. I never wanted to forget my reason to fight.

"Next," the guard moaned. The line shuffled a miserable step forward.

I don't know what ever happened of my mum and dad. Rumour had it that some muggle parents were given the mercy of forgetting their children, having their memories wiped. Others lived with the pain of their children being taken away and couldn't do anything about it. I wondered which fate became of my family. It had been maybe three years since then… I know I was twelve going on thirteen that year, and now I assumed I'd passed my sixteenth at least. Birthdays weren't really a necessity in our new line of work. Or as they called it… The Punishing.

We were being punished, for our existence and ability to control magic from their world. We were reminded of our place daily because of it. When the children were taken away in cages, it had been part of a bigger scheme of the rebellion. To hold us captive in their world as slaves until the last of us die off and our whole generation can be forgotten about.

And here we were. Three-years; whipped into shape and sold off to pure-blooded families to work for them, some to stay long term, and others like me, from one house to the next when your suffering no longer entertained them. I'd been to seven homes. Some mean old ladies to clean their houses, to do household work like cooking and serving, to be a maid, or worse… to be at their sexual demand.

Now, I was prepared to be in the next Auction. Whenever you weren't wanted, as a slave, you were sent here until you were bid off… or to give birth to a bastard and not hours after the delivery, forced to present yourself for the next buyer. Nobody knew what happened to the babies, but we only dread to think of what sick things they were capable of. Yet, it was on the tip of our tongues… dead.

Worn by several girls before me, they'd thrown a glittery two piece at me. The top simply being a bra, red and bedazzled with straps reaching up around my neck to draw attention to the chest. Below, a sheer skirt from my waist to the highest part of my thigh. Thin underwear beneath was all that covered my most private areas. Not that I was given the privilege of privacy… I walk out slow and dreading, struggling to move my aching feet in the ridiculous heels. The room was dark, but the set up was so that bidders had secluded booths, ravished with personal entertainment as they watched us come out one by one.

"Turn," a man hissed at me from the wing. He was orchestrating the auction, wanting a high bid rating for his show.

Reluctantly, I stepped in circles, keeping my head up for them to look upon but my eyes down. It showed assertiveness, they said, and we were punished if we were to do so. Be a pretty girl, they told me, they want submissive girls, innocent and petite. They want to know they can own you.

I wanted to hurl since they inspected me, having their hands on me to check every nook and cranny, as they said such disgusting things. But mostly because this was my life and I could never escape it.

"Sold, for twenty-thousand," the auctioneer concludes.

I make my way off the stage, where I am taken for preparation. There, I was to be properly cleaned and presentable. If you were lucky enough, you'd end up in a home where they didn't even care enough to acknowledge you, and you went about your days cleaning until you eventually died. I knew all too well what the worst outcomes were.

When I got outside, I hadn't bothered to look around. Instead I was shoved into a black carriage, to be met face to face with Lucius Malfoy. I'm unable to limit my reaction as a look of horror falls upon my face. I'm instantly smacked upside my head by a Mudblood Trainer. He looks at me with disapproval and anger.

I fight the tears and retreat my facial features to neutral as I look back to Lucius Malfoy. I hadn't seen his face since that day. This was the face that haunted me night and day.

"I take it you remember me, girl. Well I remember you too," he taunts. The evil smile on his face drops and he signals the driver to take off. The carriage lifts, surfacing through the air as we make our journey.

So, he bought me at the auction.

"Can't say I wanted to pay as much as I did for you, however, for what I have planned, you're all too perfect to not pass up."

I said nothing. My knee trembled and I kept my hand clamped over it as tightly as I had the strength for.

The ride surpassed for nearly an hour. The Malfoys as I recalled were a very well-established pureblood family. Since the rebellion of The Punishing, they'd only grown more wealthy and powerful as representatives for the values and beliefs the new wizarding world upheld. Them and their other high-ranking friends were all that way; drowning in their own money and reputation to know what to do with. For me… this meant no regard for my life or wellbeing to the highest degree. I was sure this would be my ending of this world. I would break and die here.

Lucius gave me a look and waited for me to exit the carriage and I swiftly obliged. The front of their house was as large as I'd expected; a long driveway between tall eerie hedges, leading up to a handsome manor made of dark stone.

I gulped.

Lucius hadn't needed to say anything for my queue to follow him inside, where the mouth of his doorway opened to a spacious, marble green, open floor plan, which divided the east and west wing.

"Narcissa," Lucius beckoned. An elegant blonde woman who walked as though her feet hovered above the floor, came from the left, with her hands clasped together at her waist.

"Lucius," she greeted with a soft smile. She turned to look at me, staring up and down. "What might this be, dear?" She questioned stiffly.

"A surprise, Narcissa," he grinned eagerly. "Jake, show her the way," he instructed a servant standing by. He was a muggle born boy. I didn't remember him from school.

He bowed his head submissively, "yes master," he pleaded graciously, tinged with fear. As they left the room, he approached me with his eyes down. I did the same and we both didn't dare to speak to one another. I simply kept close by as he wondered in and out of hallways to a room at the end.

It had several small beds, maybe five, lined up against the walls with trunks at the end of each. The boy, Jake, stood at the end of one and I took the notion this would be mine. I also gathered this was where he and others must go.

"You will either sleep in your master's chamber if they request or in here. Don't speak unless spoken to, and if one of us suffer, we all suffer, so don't screw anything up new girl," he scorns me. "Master Malfoy expects you to be in the foyer at 5pm," he leaves me with.

I looked around the dusty room, taking it all in. It was dark, spare for one square window in the middle of the wall. It was iron barred from the outside. From there, there was no view. Each bed squeaked, and were covered with a thin, lumpy mattress and one pillow. I decided not to expect anyone for the next 30 minutes and curled up on the bed. I wouldn't cry, but this time was harder to resist.

I remained in the clothes I was sent here in; essentially a smock with holes for arms. The auction house kept their little costumes for bidding presentations. I would only be offered a selection of uniforms by my masters. I had been to one home where I only wore the smock for three months before was sent back to the Auction House.

Finding my way back to the foyer, though difficult, I succeeded and met in line with the other four slaves. Three boys and one other girl. She was dressed in a provocative outfit and I accepted this would be expected of me too.

Then, Lucius and Narcissa entered the room and gazed upon us all with high approval for themselves. Behind them, Draco Malfoy. He pushed past and stood at his father's side. That's when his eyes found me.

I last saw Draco Malfoy over three years ago, before the Punishing and before the segregation. He was among those grinning mercilessly and teasing from the sidelines as our kind were ushered away to another end of the school. I recall him even saying, "disgusting mudbloods, you don't belong here," and his friends from Slytherin all cheered in victory.

"What is this, father? What is she doing here?" He sneered at me.

"Are you not pleased with her? My, I thought you despised this girl," Lucius snickered.

"I do, Father, she was Potter's little wart."

"She's a gift, son, for you," Narcissa began, looking to Lucius, who continued, "the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew only you could have the chance to maim and humiliate her."

Draco neither looked disgusted nor pleased. "Alright, I could have some fun," he decided, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve absentmindedly, "send her to my rooms." And with that final note, he walks off, taking up the wing with a hop in his step.

I grow a cold sweat and feel ill as two of the male servants escort me up the stairs. One opens a set of double doors and the other pushes me inside, leaving me alone in the bedroom. It had to be Draco Malfoys. The curtains were a bold emerald green, as was the bed covers only with gold embroidery. I hadn't had time to contain myself when the doors swung open again and Draco entered. His presence was tough and strong. I had to settle myself to remember this was no longer the annoying and arrogant thirteen-year old from school, but a man, and a powerful one at that.

"Hermione Granger, did you miss me?" He turned, smirking, as he closed the doors.