What Cannot Be Purchased
Chapter Six: Ange de voûte dans le purgatoire
(Arch Angel in Purgatory)
She woke to a pounding in her head and a feeling of insecurity. She looked up and realized she hadn't a clue where she was. There was silk everywhere, and pillows, divans, and scads of woman, all dressed in fine cloths, looking like high-class concubines.
*They are high-class concubines* She realized. She was in a harem, which meant she was not longer in Ireland. She was somewhere under Voldermort's reign, and she had been sold - sold, like an animal - to some noble. She shuttered. How much time had passed since she had battled with that spy-woman at O'Henry manor?
A black woman with delicate features dressed in purple silks stood over her. Hermione snapped up, looking wildly about her. This woman looked on her with sorrow, as though she was use to this reaction and could sympathize. She sat down gingerly on the divan with Hermione.
"I'm Calipso" She said, simply.
"I'm Hermione" Somehow, the fear was receding after hearing this strong woman's calm tone.
"Do you know where you are?" She asked gently, placing a hand on Hermione's.
"A harem?" She asked, willing herself to be wrong.
"Yes, you've been here for several hours. You came to me stupified" She said calmly.
Hermione stood up, taking in the room yet again, willing herself to be wrong. Any moment now she would wake up in her own bed...
"Please be calm, you have nothing to fear" Said Calipso in an assuring way.
"I have everything to fear" She spat back. She wanted to cry, but that would not be the action of a Spirit of Godric. She had to be strong. The women here lounged, engaged in muffled conversation or card games. She glimpsed her future : Cards instead of books, noise and company instead of peace and solitude, trading on her body instead of her mind. She felt cold fear and denial rush through her. It chilled her, like ice water being pumped through her veins.
"If you will just be calm, i may be able to sort this out"
"Where am i? I mean what country?" Hermione asked.
"England, of course. Were you somewhere else?" She whispered.
"Yes. Ireland. Oh god - that means he's dead! " She felt her stomach lurch. O 'Henry was dead, and now Ireland would go to the Dark Lord.
"I feel sick" She mumbled.
The next hours or so passed in a haze. Hermione was not yet ready to deal with the cold reality, so she retreated back into her mind. She was only half aware of Calipso bathing and dressing her, talking of nothing really, just trying to help her adjust.
When Hermione came back to reality she was sitting in front of a vanity, Calipso brushing her hair. She could distinctly smell lavender. She had been going over in her mind what she could do, there were still holes in her understanding, her comprehension, but she now knew the basics of what was happening, and accepted it. Her mind had worked fast to reason and now it raced to find away out.
"Where is my wand?" She asked. Calipso was a bit startled the girl had spoken after such a long silence she dropped the brush.
*They've probably broken it, or burned it* She thought with grief.
"The Master has it, you'll get it back when he feels you are ready for it" She explained.
"Wha-? You mean he gives us our wands? Do you have yours?" She hurried on, her mind already plotting.
"Yes, i do. No, we can't use it to escape, don't attempt to escape. It will do you no good. The entire manor is guarded with a varity of charms and spells so that no one may pass in or out without the master unlocking it with his wand. Even if you did get away you would only be captured, possibly killed or resold. The Master treats us well, you are best off here" She sounded very old at the moment, like one who had given this speech many times.
"How can you say that?! The master treats you well! Rape and imprisonment are such luxuries!" She snapped.
"We are not raped. The master has never raped us. Every woman goes to his bed willingly. Some hold out longer then others, he never forces them, eventually they succumb to him." She shrugged.
"This world is a cruel place for muggle-borns, especially females, and the Master respects us, keeps us safe, does not harm us. We live in luxury, he asks for barley anything in return. It is sad - compared to freedom, but if i must have a master, i would choose this one" She declared.
Hermione decided this woman, though gentle and intelligent, was brainwashed and therefore of no good use to her. All she could to was question her. Hermione had another idea, but it all depended on this master.
"Is -the master-," She made them sound like swear words, "very political?"
"Very. Power is what he works for. He is right hand to the Dark Lord himself" She said gravely.
*Then i may have a chance* She thought. In Ireland, she was well-respected and a woman of power. Surly a ransom could be paid, or a hostage exchanged, surly there would be some arrangement she could make with this intelligent and power-hungry man.
"It is almost time" Said Calipso.
"For?"
"You will share the masters bed tonight" She said, waiting for a hysterical reaction.
*Well, of course this is the perfect opportunity to come to an agreement with him. I will not sleep with him, a bargain will be made and i will be back in Ireland within the week, yes, all good and well*
Hermione had been gazing into the mirror in front of her without really seeing her reflection. She was dressed in a red, silken dress, her curly hair loose, coming half-way down her back. The face looked vacant, like a shell. She smiled at the dress. The crimson-red color gave her courage. The star near her eye stood out, like a red badge of courage.
"Are you ready?" She asked.
Sighing deeply, Hermione managed a smile. "Yes"
"Then I will take you to Master Malfoy"
"WHAT??!!" She roared. Several woman screeched, some came to see what had happened.
Calipso tried desperately to calm her. "Fille du calme vous-même !" (Calm yourself, girl!) She swore in her first language.
"Mal-Mal- bought *ME* , here? Malfoy? He's right hand to VOLDERMORT??? MALFOY? I'm in MALFOY manor? I'm doing business with MALFOY? You do mean DRACO Malfoy right? Not LUCAS Malfoy! Gods, that would be even worse!" She raved, swinging her arms around, gasping.
"Draco Malfoy. You know of him?" Calipso asked tentatively.
"Know of him - ha! - you have no idea. Now i understand, this is all about revenge! He is one twisted sick son of a -"
"Hold your tongue!" Calipso whispered fearfully, glancing about to make sure he was not any where near. "You must show him respect"
"HA! Respect- that filthy, disgusting, low -"
Calipso turned a glare on her that could have killed.
"I oh, i can't believe this" She gulped.
The other woman did not have a chance to reply, the doors to the harem swung open and in the door way stood Draco Malfoy's personal servant. All the women froze in place. He locked eyes with Calipso.
"Bring the girl"
He walked at a quick pace through the dark halls - it was nearly midnight and the large manor was sufficiently frightening to Hermione on top of everything else. Calipso was silent, casting worried glances her way every so often. He lead the two women to a pair of large double doors. Shoving them open, he gestured for Hermione to enter.
She held her breath - expecting Draco Malfoy himsNext to be standing there, ready to greet her with that cocky smirk on his face. Instead there was only the majestic room. Doors swung closed behind her and she was left alone, locked in, like the lamb waiting for her slaughter.
The uneasiness in her mind finally exploded in a scream as she felt a pair of strong but thin arms encircle her waist.
A/N : Cliffy! What will happen? Thanks so much to all who have reviewed. Calipso is based on the character Calipso from The Odyssey, only more wise. Nex chapter is already in the making. All those kind enough to read this story might like my other Draco/Hermione short fic. called "Smiles and Smirks". As always i praise Sphinx, the goddess of Snape/Hermione fic. (and DONT SAY "EW!" Becasue it is my favorite coupling.) If you like Snape fic you might try my very favorite story of mine : Silence and Tears. Now i am finished with the shamless plugs.
Chapter Six: Ange de voûte dans le purgatoire
(Arch Angel in Purgatory)
She woke to a pounding in her head and a feeling of insecurity. She looked up and realized she hadn't a clue where she was. There was silk everywhere, and pillows, divans, and scads of woman, all dressed in fine cloths, looking like high-class concubines.
*They are high-class concubines* She realized. She was in a harem, which meant she was not longer in Ireland. She was somewhere under Voldermort's reign, and she had been sold - sold, like an animal - to some noble. She shuttered. How much time had passed since she had battled with that spy-woman at O'Henry manor?
A black woman with delicate features dressed in purple silks stood over her. Hermione snapped up, looking wildly about her. This woman looked on her with sorrow, as though she was use to this reaction and could sympathize. She sat down gingerly on the divan with Hermione.
"I'm Calipso" She said, simply.
"I'm Hermione" Somehow, the fear was receding after hearing this strong woman's calm tone.
"Do you know where you are?" She asked gently, placing a hand on Hermione's.
"A harem?" She asked, willing herself to be wrong.
"Yes, you've been here for several hours. You came to me stupified" She said calmly.
Hermione stood up, taking in the room yet again, willing herself to be wrong. Any moment now she would wake up in her own bed...
"Please be calm, you have nothing to fear" Said Calipso in an assuring way.
"I have everything to fear" She spat back. She wanted to cry, but that would not be the action of a Spirit of Godric. She had to be strong. The women here lounged, engaged in muffled conversation or card games. She glimpsed her future : Cards instead of books, noise and company instead of peace and solitude, trading on her body instead of her mind. She felt cold fear and denial rush through her. It chilled her, like ice water being pumped through her veins.
"If you will just be calm, i may be able to sort this out"
"Where am i? I mean what country?" Hermione asked.
"England, of course. Were you somewhere else?" She whispered.
"Yes. Ireland. Oh god - that means he's dead! " She felt her stomach lurch. O 'Henry was dead, and now Ireland would go to the Dark Lord.
"I feel sick" She mumbled.
The next hours or so passed in a haze. Hermione was not yet ready to deal with the cold reality, so she retreated back into her mind. She was only half aware of Calipso bathing and dressing her, talking of nothing really, just trying to help her adjust.
When Hermione came back to reality she was sitting in front of a vanity, Calipso brushing her hair. She could distinctly smell lavender. She had been going over in her mind what she could do, there were still holes in her understanding, her comprehension, but she now knew the basics of what was happening, and accepted it. Her mind had worked fast to reason and now it raced to find away out.
"Where is my wand?" She asked. Calipso was a bit startled the girl had spoken after such a long silence she dropped the brush.
*They've probably broken it, or burned it* She thought with grief.
"The Master has it, you'll get it back when he feels you are ready for it" She explained.
"Wha-? You mean he gives us our wands? Do you have yours?" She hurried on, her mind already plotting.
"Yes, i do. No, we can't use it to escape, don't attempt to escape. It will do you no good. The entire manor is guarded with a varity of charms and spells so that no one may pass in or out without the master unlocking it with his wand. Even if you did get away you would only be captured, possibly killed or resold. The Master treats us well, you are best off here" She sounded very old at the moment, like one who had given this speech many times.
"How can you say that?! The master treats you well! Rape and imprisonment are such luxuries!" She snapped.
"We are not raped. The master has never raped us. Every woman goes to his bed willingly. Some hold out longer then others, he never forces them, eventually they succumb to him." She shrugged.
"This world is a cruel place for muggle-borns, especially females, and the Master respects us, keeps us safe, does not harm us. We live in luxury, he asks for barley anything in return. It is sad - compared to freedom, but if i must have a master, i would choose this one" She declared.
Hermione decided this woman, though gentle and intelligent, was brainwashed and therefore of no good use to her. All she could to was question her. Hermione had another idea, but it all depended on this master.
"Is -the master-," She made them sound like swear words, "very political?"
"Very. Power is what he works for. He is right hand to the Dark Lord himself" She said gravely.
*Then i may have a chance* She thought. In Ireland, she was well-respected and a woman of power. Surly a ransom could be paid, or a hostage exchanged, surly there would be some arrangement she could make with this intelligent and power-hungry man.
"It is almost time" Said Calipso.
"For?"
"You will share the masters bed tonight" She said, waiting for a hysterical reaction.
*Well, of course this is the perfect opportunity to come to an agreement with him. I will not sleep with him, a bargain will be made and i will be back in Ireland within the week, yes, all good and well*
Hermione had been gazing into the mirror in front of her without really seeing her reflection. She was dressed in a red, silken dress, her curly hair loose, coming half-way down her back. The face looked vacant, like a shell. She smiled at the dress. The crimson-red color gave her courage. The star near her eye stood out, like a red badge of courage.
"Are you ready?" She asked.
Sighing deeply, Hermione managed a smile. "Yes"
"Then I will take you to Master Malfoy"
"WHAT??!!" She roared. Several woman screeched, some came to see what had happened.
Calipso tried desperately to calm her. "Fille du calme vous-même !" (Calm yourself, girl!) She swore in her first language.
"Mal-Mal- bought *ME* , here? Malfoy? He's right hand to VOLDERMORT??? MALFOY? I'm in MALFOY manor? I'm doing business with MALFOY? You do mean DRACO Malfoy right? Not LUCAS Malfoy! Gods, that would be even worse!" She raved, swinging her arms around, gasping.
"Draco Malfoy. You know of him?" Calipso asked tentatively.
"Know of him - ha! - you have no idea. Now i understand, this is all about revenge! He is one twisted sick son of a -"
"Hold your tongue!" Calipso whispered fearfully, glancing about to make sure he was not any where near. "You must show him respect"
"HA! Respect- that filthy, disgusting, low -"
Calipso turned a glare on her that could have killed.
"I oh, i can't believe this" She gulped.
The other woman did not have a chance to reply, the doors to the harem swung open and in the door way stood Draco Malfoy's personal servant. All the women froze in place. He locked eyes with Calipso.
"Bring the girl"
He walked at a quick pace through the dark halls - it was nearly midnight and the large manor was sufficiently frightening to Hermione on top of everything else. Calipso was silent, casting worried glances her way every so often. He lead the two women to a pair of large double doors. Shoving them open, he gestured for Hermione to enter.
She held her breath - expecting Draco Malfoy himsNext to be standing there, ready to greet her with that cocky smirk on his face. Instead there was only the majestic room. Doors swung closed behind her and she was left alone, locked in, like the lamb waiting for her slaughter.
The uneasiness in her mind finally exploded in a scream as she felt a pair of strong but thin arms encircle her waist.
A/N : Cliffy! What will happen? Thanks so much to all who have reviewed. Calipso is based on the character Calipso from The Odyssey, only more wise. Nex chapter is already in the making. All those kind enough to read this story might like my other Draco/Hermione short fic. called "Smiles and Smirks". As always i praise Sphinx, the goddess of Snape/Hermione fic. (and DONT SAY "EW!" Becasue it is my favorite coupling.) If you like Snape fic you might try my very favorite story of mine : Silence and Tears. Now i am finished with the shamless plugs.