Hey everyone
Thank you for all of your reviews, and I'm so sorry I haven't been able to answer you all. I just want to let you know, that I love hearing from you.
This has been beta read by MadamKitten, and she has helped me with the last 8 chapters as well. There will be a few changes, so you might want to go back and read them again. Chapter 1 of Gray Matter, will be edited today :-)
Chapter 9.
When Hermione woke up and went to go to the bathroom, she could feel all of the previous day's drama get to her. Her parents didn't remember her anymore. She felt broken, and let the sobs take hold of her body. Hermione allowed the grief to consume her, as she sat down on the floor and wrapped her arms tightly around herself and cried over her loss.
"Shh sunshine, I´m here, come." Hermione felt Rabastan's arms wrap around her and he cradled her to his chest.
"I´m sorry." she said as she sobbed.
"Shh, don't be," he whispered and kissed her forehead.
"They don't remember me, and probably never will." Hermione sobbed.
It hurt Rabastan, to see that his witch was so upset. It was heartbreaking listening to her sobs.
"I promise you Hermione, I´ll do anything in my power, to get their memories back." He said, and forced her to look him in the eye. She didn't answer, just flung her arms around his neck and held him close. He gathered her in his arms, and went over to the bed. They laid in each other's arms for the rest of the night, and Rabastan swore he would do anything in his power to hurt those who harmed his witch.
"Sunshine?"
Hermione slowly opened her eyes, and could feel the warmth from the sun on her face.
"I have to go sunshine, the Dark Lord is calling." Rabastan said, while he stroked her hair.
"Will you ask him when I will be able to speak with him?" she asked.
"Sure Sunshine," he said and kissed her forehead. He looked down at her, one last time, before apparating away. Hermione laid in bed briefly looking at the spot where he had just been before getting up. She went to shower and quickly dressed for the day before going down to the dining hall in search of breakfast.
When she arrived in the dining hall she saw Draco sitting there, looking out over the garden.
"Good morning," she said.
"Good morning Hermione." Draco replied as he stood up to pull her chair out.
"Thank you," she said and started to take some breakfast.
"Mother will be down shortly. Will you accompany us to Diagon Alley this morning?" Draco inquired.
"I would love to," she said as she poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice.
"Very well, do remember to take the polyjuice potion before we set out." Draco said and smiled to her.
"I will. I would like to speak with the Dark Lord first. I have a plan to take down Harry, and how to do it." she said.
"I'm looking forward to hearing all about it." Draco replied.
"Ah there you are! Good morning Draco, Hermione." Narcissa said as she entered the room.
"Good morning mother." Draco said and went to pull her chair out.
"Good morning Narcissa." Hermione said.
"Has Draco told you that we will go to Diagon Alley today?" she asked.
"Yes he did, and I would love to come, thank you." Hermione answered.
"Good, then we can go as soon as we have finished breakfast. Lucius fire called me, it appears the Dark Lord will be dining with us this evening. He would like to meet you." Narcissa said to Hermione.
"I did ask Rabastan to arrange a meeting with the Dark Lord. I have a plan on how we can bring down Harry." Hermione said.
"That sounds wonderful Hermione." Narcissa said and smiled.
When they had finished with breakfast, Hermione went to retrieve her cloak and then rejoined the Malfoys in the drawing room. They would floo down to Diagon Alley.
"Mother will go through first. You will follow next, and I will come last." Draco said. Hermione nodded as she took a sip of the polyjuice potion and stepped into the floo after Narcissa.
When she landed, she looked around in the Leaky Cauldron. Everyone was looking at her, trying to figure out who she was. Narcissa kept on walking out, and Hermione followed close behind.
"Why is everyone staring at us?" Hermione whispered to Draco, as they walked towards Twillfitt and Tatting's.
"Most of them are afraid of us. They know we are close to the Dark Lord, but they don't have any proof. That, and they don't know who you are." He said and smirked.
"It looks like the Twins shop still is open for business." Hermione said, and looked over at Weasley´s Wizard Wheezes. She tried to see if she could recognize anyone over there, but she didn't.
"Come along." Draco drawled as he gently tugged Hermione with him.
The Malfoys headed straight for Twillfitt and Tatting's in search of new robes. After briefly informing the shopkeeper what they were searching for and being measured, Hermione was presented with several beautiful options to choose from. She'd never owned robes quite so extravagant, she never had a reason to before now.
As Hermione gently ran her hand over the silken material, she whispered, "How am I to pay for this?"
Draco smirked as he turned to the shopkeeper and said, "The Lady will take them all. Please have them tailored and sent to the manor. You may charge them to the Lestrange account." Draco said as Hermione looked at him in awe.
"Narcissa, which one should I wear this evening?" Hermione asked.
"One of the black ones would be fine dear." Narcissa replied.
After they left Twilfitt and Tatting's, they went around to some other shops.
"Draco look, its Harry." Hermione said and pointed. They stood and watched as Harry left Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, with Ginny and Ron surrounded by a bunch of aurors.
"I think it would be best if we left now Draco, Luciana." Narcissa said, and started to gently nudged them down Knockturn Alley.
"Mother, we haven't done anything!" Draco shouted, throwing his hands in the air.
"No, but I will not risk anything. I won't lose you, or Hermione." Narcissa whispered to them.
"Mother!" Draco whined.
"No Draco, if they have Moody with them, they will see right through the polyjuice potion! They will know who she is, and we cannot risk it. Not now. Please both of you, just follow me now." Narcissa said, and lead them down the alley towards Borgin and Burkes. They went inside, and a man with greasy hair came forward.
"Ah Mrs. Malfoy, and young Mr. Malfoy, to what do I owe the pleasure? And who do we have here?" he asked as he licked his lips and moved forward to kiss Hermiones hand.
"This is Luciana Malfoy, a distant member of my Fathers family!" Draco hissed as Hermione quickly pulled her hand back, before he could kiss it.
"Ah! Of course! Of course!" the vile man stammered as he quickly retreated to the safety behind the counter.
"We have need of your floo." Narcissa said.
"Why of course," he said and showed them over to the fire.
"For your discretion," Draco said, and laid a pouch with a few Galleons in Mr. Borgins hands.
"Thank you, sir." The man grinned.
"Malfoy Manor!" Narcissa said, and Hermione followed right after, with Draco last.
"That was a little too close." Narcissa said, as they stepped out of the floo into the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. She cast a Scourgify spell on them all.
"Why don't you both go up and rest a bit? The Dark Lord will be here later. Hermione, someone will come and get you when your presence has been requested." Narcissa said with a smile.
Hermione followed Draco out the study, and all the way up to their rooms.
"Don't be nervous Gran.. ahem, Hermione." Draco said.
"I'm not nervous, I'm bloody terrified! What if he decides to kill me? He could torture me!" Hermione said as she laughed nervously.
"The Dark Lord wouldn't kill you, not if he's able to use you." Draco said.
"How do you know he can use me?" Hermione said and looked at him.
"I just do. You might be our key to winning all of this. Don't back out now, just make sure to speak to The Dark Lord with respect." Draco said as he went into his room and closed the door behind him.
Hermione went back inside her room, and spent the rest of the day pacing the floor. She had already dressed herself in one of the elegant new robes that had been purchased earlier that day, and had tried to tame her wild curls. She really wanted to make a good impression on The Dark Lord. She wanted to prove to him that she could fit in among the Death Eaters, and she wanted to make Rabastan proud of her. She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't hear the door open.
"You look gorgeous Sunshine." Rabastan purred in her ear.
"Oh my god Rabastan! Don't scare me like that!" she said, as her hand clutched her chest.
"I´m sorry Sunshine, come here." he said and held his arms open. Hermione let him pull her into a hug.
"Your heart is pounding, are you alright?" Rabastan said, and kissed her forehead.
"Mh, I´m just a little bit nervous." She said honestly.
"Don't be, no harm will come to you, you have my word." He said and kissed her on the lips.
It was a quick kiss, and she wanted nothing more than to deepen the kiss and rip his clothes off of him.
"Come Sunshine, the Dark Lord has arrived, and will see you." Rabastan said, and offered her his arm. She gratefully took it, and let Rabastan lead the way.
"Rabastan, do I look alright?" she asked nervously as they stopped just outside Lucius study.
"You look just like a Pureblood witch." Rabastan replied proudly, she did look just like one, but Rabastan had to admit, that he liked her no matter what clothes she would wear.
"Thank you." Hermione blushed, and moved to kiss him quickly on the lips.
"I shall see you later this evening, I´m planning on taking that beautiful dress off of you." He said with a smirk on his face.
Hermione grinned, and moved over so she could whisper in his ears.
"I'm not wearing any knickers." Hermione whispered before she quickly knocked on the door, turning briefly to see the shock on Rabastan's face, and disappearing inside..
She took a few deep breaths as she tried to get her heart to settle down a bit, and turned around. There in Lucius's chair, she saw the Dark Lord sitting. His snakelike eyes, looked curiously at her. He was nothing like she had ever seen before, he looked mad and dangerous.
"Come here Miss Granger," he hissed, and she quickly followed his orders and went over to stand before him, before she bowed her head.
"My Lord," Hermione managed to stammer out.
"You have great manners, from a Mudblood." He said and stood and moved towards her.
"Thank you My Lord." She said. She didn't like to be called a Mudblood, but wouldn't question him.
"Tell me, why do you want to help me take down Potter? As far as I know, you were his best friend." He asked, curious to why a Muggleborn wanted to help him.
"None of my friends came to visit me. They didn't write, not once. I thought I meant more to them than that! Apparently, I was mistaken. Your followers however, they helped me. They didn't need to, but they did. I don't think I would have survived without them." She said and met his eyes. She could feel him penetrating her mind and sifting through her memories.
"So you are prepared to help take down Harry Potter and his allies? To kill, when I say so? To torture when I say so?" He asked.
"I am, My Lord, I would do anything you require of me. I want to be one of your Death Eaters. I want to be with the people who mean something to me." She said and blushed.
"I intend to rule this world, and purge it of all mudbloods and blood traitors. Why should I spare you?" He hissed as he shoved his wand into her chest.
"I can help! Harry, he still thinks I'm his friend! I can help bring him down!" She said and looked him in the eyes, she tried hard not to show fear.
"Do you have a plan in mind or do you just tell me this, to gain time to make sure I don't kill you now?" He said and started to walk around her.
"I do have a plan My Lord." Hermione said, and felt more and more confident. She knew he most likely wanted to kill her, but she would not show fear.
"By all means, enlighten me mudblood." He said, and sat on the desk.
"Harry's biggest fear is to lose his friends and those he cares about. He grew up with Muggles who treated him like he was their servant. He was never shown love, and the first friends he got were Ronald and myself. I know how I can come back, so no one expects anything. I can get in there, and take down those who mean the most to him. Ginerva Weasley and Ronald Weasley!" she said confidently.
"How do you plan on doing this?" he asked interested in her idea.
"The Malfoy family has to use me in public as a servant. Harry won't stand for that. He will assume I'm being held against my will. The order will try and save me, I know they will, and then, they will keep me safe. I will then be able to walk around in their headquarters gathering information for you My Lord. I can get Ronald and Ginerva to leave the safety of headquarters and we can be captured and taken to Malfoy manor. Harry will feel helpless without his friends. He will be desperate to get us back. The order will need time to plan, but Harry won't wait. He will do anything to rescue us, and when he tries, we attack!" Hermione explained.
"Your idea could work." The Dark Lord whispered, "If you should succeed with this plan I may even allow you to take my mark."
"Thank you My Lord." Hermione said and beamed under his praise.
"Now go. We will meet again soon, and then we will set your plan in motion." He said.
"Thank you, My Lord." Hermione whispered as she knelt before the Dark Lord and kissed the hem of his robes, seconds before he vanished in a cloud of dark smoke.
Hermione remained kneeling in the middle of the Malfoys drawing room for several minutes as relief washed over her. She was alive. Hermione slowly stood and walked to the door, she had to see Rabastan.
Rabastan looked at her and quickly went over and catch her in his arms.
"Are you okay sunshine?" he said and took her face in his hands. Both of his hands cupping her face.
"I´m fine, he wants to make me a Death Eater when my plan has succeeded. The Dark Lord will be back in a couple of days, you have to help me prepare! Will you teach me dark magic? Magic that isn't taught at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked with a big smile on her face, but suddenly her smile faded.
"What's wrong Sunshine?" Rabastan asked.
"I don't have a wand, how am I to learn dark magic when I don't have a wand?" Hermione mumbled.
"Don't worry Sunshine, I'll find you a wand and I will teach you the Dark Arts. You have no idea how proud I am of you. We should celebrate! I think I'd like to see if you told me the truth about not wearing any knickers!" he groaned and he lifted her into his arms.
Hermione squealed in surprise, and felt the familiar sensations of being apparated away. She found herself, in Rabastan's arms, who nodded approvingly, when he saw she indeed didn't have any knickers on.