Note from Author: Thank you all for the story follows and the comments/reviews! It motivates me to keep writing, so thank you!

Chapter 7

I sit in my room listening to the noise coming from the parlor. I hear the voices of a half dozen men; roaring and laughing.

I wait. Draco told me to stay here until I'm summoned. My stomach grumbles. I've been waiting for hours now. I haven't even eaten today.

I have no desire to join whatever collection of Elites Draco associates himself with, but a sandwich sounds nice. I walk over to my desk drawer and open the map that G made for me. I inspect the little buildings; "Market", "Hospital", "Military Lab". Harry. I think longingly.

Then my mind hopefully jumps to what I know is unlikely: Harry could be in the parlor with the other Elites! But I know it can't be so. Draco and Harry despise each other. But it would be so nice to see a friendly face. Especially Harry. My Harry.

I hear someone approach my door. I stash the map away in my things. There's a knock at the door, which confuses me.

"Err—come in," I call out.

The plump Core maid I've seen many times before steps in.

"Master Malfoy requests your presence in the parlor." She squeaks and turns on her heels and is gone.

Master Malfoy. Yuck.

I walk the long hallways all the way to the parlor. I pass by Draco's room- the dark door I am not allowed entry into. I wonder what he keeps in there?

The hallways are bare and drafty. It reminds me of the Academy. The parlor is in the far back corner of the house. The voices grow louder with every step I take.

I walk in. Playing poker at a table is Draco, Blaise, Crabb, Goyle, four older Elites I do not know the names of, and Neville!

"Neville!" the name escapes my lips before I can think. A smile plastered across my face.

Neville looks up from the poker table, "Hermione!" He says with a dopey grin.

Neville stands from the table, his cards still in his hands and in clear view of the others, and he rushes to me. He embraces me in a hug. For a moment- one moment- I am happy.

"Go occupy your guests," Draco barks, "Offer them refreshments."

Neville pulls away from me. I am confused by the order.

"Would anyone like something to drink?" I ask the room.

The men at the poker table scoff. Draco looks at me with dark, disappointed eyes.

"Red, do these look like your guests?" he asks.

I look to Neville who eyes the door to the adjacent lounge. I understand the leading gesture and correct myself.

"Of course these aren't my guests," I say in a half laugh as I walk toward the lounge.

"She isn't very pretty," one of the Elite men I don't recognize says loud enough for me to hear.

Before I can hear any other comments, I am gone.

Inside the lounge are seven girls in pink sitting in silence. Among them are Gabrielle, Cho, and Angelina who I recognize from the Academy. The others are familiar looking but I don't know them by name. They weren't upperclassmen at the academy. These must be some of the Primary and Core girls that graduated years ago that Harry told me were available to be chosen at the ceremony.

No one moves at my entrance. They sit, expressionless.

"Cho! Gabrielle! Angelina!" I say with a big smile.

They don't react. I awkwardly turn to the other four girls I don't recognize.

"I'm Hermione," I say.

One of them turns to me in a somber way, she has a beautiful bone structure. Her face is perfectly symmetrical like something from a painting, but one of her eyes is bruised. "I'm Lavender. This is Katie, Victoria, and Mandy."

I nod at them, trying to be welcoming. And then I realize: everyone is this room has cuts and bruises. Cho's arms have black and blue marks. And Angelina has a cut on her eyebrow.

I take a seat.

"Would anyone like something to drink? Or eat?" I ask, my own stomach grumbling.

"I haven't eaten in days," Gabrielle says in a depressed, monotone voice. She is detached from this room.

"Do you not have access to the kitchen where you live?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "I'm just not hungry these days."

Gabrielle stares off into nothingness. It chills me. Suddenly my grumbling stomach is gone. I no longer want that sandwich. The hair stands up on the back of my neck as we all sit in silence. What have these girls been through?

Suddenly, Katie begins to cry softly. Lavender rubs her back.

"How have you been holding up, Hermione?" Cho asks.

"It's been hard," I admit, "I'm scared all the time." I can feel the concealed knife pressed against my sternum as I speak. Which brings me comfort.

"We all are scared," Cho replies.

"Does he hit you?" Gabrielle asks me.

The question throws me off, "No."

The other girls look at me stunned. I look at the room of women. These women have endured far more than I in the past few days. I never thought I'd be the lucky one. But I am. These women have been broken.

"We must make plans to get out of this!" I say to the group.

"There is no way out of this," Cho says curtly.

"We can fight! We can—"

"No!" Gabrielle says firmly, "You can't fight, Hermione. It's pointless!" tears fill her eyes. The group of girls who used to be so filled with energy are now sad and somber.

"We must do something—" I start.

"You are lucky he doesn't hit you, Hermione!" Cho says to me, "Just take peace in that."

"We can come together and fight this! This isn't right! We must report these men-" I say angrily, but the door swings open.

Blaise walks in, "Gabrielle- come," he barks. And Gabrielle quickly follows him out to the parlor.

I stand to follow, but Cho grabs my arm, "Don't." She says warningly, "There is nothing you can do." I pull my arm away forcefully.

"There is always something we can do!" I say to her.

I walk towards the parlor. I hear the sound of music. I open the door and step in and before me I see Gabrielle dancing. Her dress is off, and she sways expressionless to the music in between Blaise's legs. He sits back in his chair and watches amused.

The other men watch with large smiles. Even Neville watches, but with a horrified expression on his face.

"I told you she is better than her sister," Blaise says to the men, "Maybe not quite as pretty. But younger."

"Maybe I'll pick her next year," Crabb snorts, "If she isn't too bruised by then."

I'm disgusted.

"What are you doing?!" I say and everyone's attention is on me.

Draco's eyes pierce into me so fiercely. My heart is pounding. My ears hot.

"Gabrielle, it's your turn in cards. We can't play without you." I recover.

"Play without her!" Blaise says dismissively.

"We can't." I say with a forceful tone.

Blaise looks at me, "Take off your dress." He says, "Dance with Gabrielle."

I don't move. Blaise looks at Draco. Draco then looks at me.

"Sure, she'll dance for us," Draco says, "It will disgust you and ruin the night, but ok."

"Is she really that bad?" Goyle asks.

"Repulsive; her body. Even her smell is nausea inducing," Draco says, "But I'm stuck with her. My father insisted we keep an eye on her after the stunt she pulled at The Academy."

"I remember from that spectacle that she wasn't much to look at," Crabbe scoffs.

I stand awkwardly, not knowing what to say or do. Gabrielle continues to sway. My stomach turns.

"A year will go by quickly, Malfoy," Blaise says, "And you have our girls to enjoy until then."

"Let's get all the girls in here for some fun!" Crabbe stands from the group and walks to the lounge.

I just made things worse. My mind races for what to say. What to do. Then I feel a tight grip on my upper arm. It's Draco. He is pulling me out. He pulls me down the hallway. His grip so tight I wince in pain.

He throws me into my room. I stumble and almost fall to the floor from the force.

"If you can't behave, you can stay in here," He says to me.

"Gabrielle is barely eighteen!" I plead with him, "She is a baby! And the others—they have black and blue marks all over their bodies!"

"That's not your concern!" He barks and turns to leave.

"You're just going to let him treat her like that?" I yell at him in desperation, "You aren't going to do anything!?"

"Just be glad it isn't you," he says angrily.

"Draco, you can help them! The others will listen to you," I plead with him.

"Why would I do that?" He asks.

"Because…" I hesitate a moment. I have nothing to say. There is nothing to appeal to. He is just like them. He looks at me furiously. He slams the door behind him.

I pace angrily. I can't just stay in here. I have to do something-anything. I rush to the door- it won't open. I jiggle the doorknob. It's locked. He has locked it from the outside! I bang ferociously.

"Draco! Let me out!" I scream. But it's hopeless.

I am consumed with frustration. I can't do anything. No one can. I cry myself to sleep.

I'm awoken deep into the night by my door creaking open. I turn on my light quickly. It's Draco. I stand from the bed quickly. Draco approaches me. He looks angry, unhinged. He gets an inch away from my face. I can smell the alcohol on him.

"God, you're nothing compared to their girls," Draco says.

I don't respond. I feel the knife pressing against me. Is this the moment when I will use it?

"I am just like them," he says through gritted teeth. Almost saying it to himself, "But you aren't worth it. I don't want to touch you. Or see you. You're disgusting to me." He says with a forceful tone.

"Then why are you here now?" The words slip from my mouth before I can think. For a moment Draco doesn't answer.

"To remind you that you're only here because my father wanted you here," He reiterates to me, "Just remember that."

I don't react this time. Harry's advice burns into my mind: Don't anger him. Don't react. My heart beats fast. He hasn't been this close to me before. His hand reaches out and touches the sleeve of my dress. He rubs the fabric in between his fingers. I stiffen at the gesture. But it's not aggressive. His eyes then find mine again. And for a moment he doesn't look angry. His eyes look sad. But then the moment is gone. His brows furrow, and eyes are hard again. He then throws the fabric of my sleeve away quickly, almost disgusted in himself for touching it.

"What did you tell them?" he asks furiously.

"Nothing."

"Are you lying?" he says forcefully.

"No."

He looks at me a moment, then "Good." He turns and leaves.

I collapse onto the bed. I hate myself for how I acted last night. I only made things worse for the other girls. Had I just listened to Cho and not interfered, the other girls would have been left alone. Who knows what happened after I left? My stomach turns. It's hours until I am able to fall asleep again.

I awake in the morning with a pounding headache. The light streaming in through the window makes it worse. I shut my eyes tightly. Last night was terrible.

The only thing that I have to be thankful for is Draco's disgust for me. I never thought I'd be grateful for my plain looks, frizzy hair, and unshapely body.

There's a knock at my door.

"Come in," I croak out.

The Core maid pops in, "The seamstress is here for you. In the living room."

Seamstress? I think to myself. Why?

I find my way to the living room where a tall, elegant Primary woman is waiting for me.

"You must be Hermione," she says pleasantly, "I'm Lillian. I work for the tailor. I'm in charge of making all the pink attire. It's about time you get a more fitted dress!"

She says to me as she gestures for me to stand on a platform. I take a step onto it.

"I actually kind of like how boxy these dresses are," I say.

"Pish posh!" She says as she measures me, "You need something that shows off your figure!"

She jots down some numbers in a book and measures my waist.

"You have great shoulders!" She says to me.

"Thanks," I reply, unenthused, "Lilian, where do you live?"

"In Primary Village," She replies.

"What's that like?" I ask.

"It's…home" she replies.

"Is it like Meridian city?" I ask.

Lilian laughs, "No, no, no!"

"Are there no big buildings, then?" I ask. G's map has Primary Village labeled, but with no detail. I doubt she has ever been there.

"It's mostly farmland and small cottages. Most of the business is in the City," Lilian says as she measures.

"Most of?" I press further.

"There are a few non-residential buildings…such as the Waste and Sewage Plant. And the Water Filtration Plant." She thinks a moment, "I think that's all that's out there. There used to be Livestock Processing Plant. But that's been shut down for years."

"How about where the Cores live? What businesses are there?" I ask, as G's map also has no detail for that part of Meridian.

"I don't know anything about that area," she says, "I go straight from Primary Village to the tailor in Meridian City every day. No dawdling. No exceptions."

Within a few minutes she is done with my measurements.

"Your new dress will be done by the end of the week. I'll drop it off myself," She says with a smile.

"Ok." I say, disinterested. The idea of showing off my figure does not excite me.

And then Lilian looks around a moment. Her cheery, pleasant disposition cracks for a second. She gulps and pushes something into my hand.

"Lovely meeting you." She says loudly and walks out the door with her things.

I feel it in my hand: a scrunched-up piece of paper. I hold it tightly in my palm. Whatever it is, she wanted to give it to me in secret.

I walk to my room quickly and close the door tightly behind me. Only in the seclusion of my room am I comfortable to open my palm.

I smooth out the small, ripped piece of paper. There is a message. It reads: Only death is here. The blood blade. So cold. But this is what once was. This place has no purpose now. 11pm. Don't be late.

What!? I think to myself. I reread the paper multiple times. What was Lillian trying to tell me? But this can't be from Lillian. And then I realize- Harry and Padma! If they wanted to send me a message they would have to encrypt it. That's what this is. It's a code of where to meet. And I need to solve it. I look at the clock: 10am. I have all day to figure it out.

Draco barges into my room suddenly. I jump at the sight of him. He hovers a moment. I am nervous he can tell he took me off-guard.

"I thought you had work," I say quickly as I crinkle the paper back into my palm.

"I took the day off." He replies.

We stare at each other a moment in silence.

"I'm going into the city." He says, "You're coming with me."

He walks out.

I have never been to Meridian City. Except for when we drove through it. But I have this code to figure out! I also need to figure out how to sneak out without being caught. So this is the worst timing.

"Be ready to leave in ten minutes," He yells from the other room.

I tuck the crumpled paper in the drawer where I have hidden the map. Only death is here. The blood blade. So cold. But this is what once was. This place has no purpose now. My mind loops the message over and over again. The morgue? I think to myself. That has death. But with recent events it has a lot of purpose.

Within ten minutes I am in the back of the SUV with Draco. He holds a brown bag of fruit. Snacks for our trip, I think to myself. My mind still focusing on the code. This place has no purpose now. What place has no purpose?

"What are you so deep in thought about?" Draco asks me.

I shake my head, "Nothing. Just enjoying the ride."

I lock eyes with the Core driver in the rearview mirror. Does Draco want my attention? Is that what the driver is trying to signal to me? But why would Draco want my attention?

"Where are we going?" I ask Draco.

"It doesn't concern you," he replied coldly.

He clearly doesn't desire conversation. My mind goes back to the riddle. This place has no purpose now. Perhaps it has something to do with the bombing. All the Elite women were killed. Where is a place just for them? I don't know enough about Elite culture to know if they had certain places they attended. But then again, neither would Harry and Padma. And they would know I wouldn't know. So why would they pick a place like that?

"We are here, sir." the driver announces.

I look out the window. We are parked in front of a doctor's office.

"Give us a moment," Draco says to him. And the driver exists the SUV.

Draco turns to me, his eyes are serious, "You have a doctor's appointment."

"I thought you said this trip doesn't concern me?" I say before I can think.

Draco scowls, "They are going to examine you. And ask you questions."

They are checking on us? I think to myself. The bruises on the other girls will be seen! And Meridian will step in! I smile to myself.

"You need to answer the questions correctly," Draco urges me.

"I'll be truthful. You haven't hurt me—" I start.

"God, Red!" Draco says, annoyed, "That's not the type of behavior they are concerned with!"

And then I realize. This is an OBGYN appointment. They aren't inspecting us for our wellbeing. They are inspecting us for our wombs.

I nod my head, "They are going to ask questions about…"

"Yes," Draco says through gritted teeth.

"It's not like procreation is required—" I start.

"But trying is," Draco says.

"No, it isn't," I say to him.

"I'm the son of the president, Hermione!" Draco says to me, almost pleadingly. And it throws me off. His tone of voice. And my name. He said my name.

"I'll lie." I say, "I'll say we have intercourse nightly. Ok?"

"They are going to examine you," He says, shifting in his seat, "Are you….are you…" he swallows hard. He can't seem to ask it.

"A virgin?" I help him finish his question.

He sits back in his seat clearly uncomfortable.

"No," I say to him, half scoffing, "I am not a virgin."

Draco sighs in relief.

"But out of curiosity," I ask, "What would you have done had I been a virgin?"

Draco eyes the brown bag filled with fruit in front of him. A banana sticks out from the top.

"You were going to have me fuck a banana?" I ask. And then at the same time, we laugh. It's a nervous laughter, but it's still laughter. It only lasts a second. It almost feels friendly. But as quickly as it came, Draco stiffens. He expression becomes cold again.

"Don't fuck this up, Red." He says to me, "It's not as if I'll be the one in trouble if you do. Remember that. You have it easy now. I'd hate for you to ruin that for yourself."

And I know what he says is at least half-true. If I were to tell the truth, that Draco hadn't so much as touched me, there wouldn't be repercussions for him. Maybe a stern talking to from his father. It will be my life that changes. It's in my best interest to lie. So, I will.

I step out of the SUV and walk into the office. To my surprise, I recognize a face in the waiting room.