DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, so please don't bother to sue me.

Author's note: I received some more reviews during the last days and I'd like to thank all those who bothered to write one.

Exlibris asked if I could send him/her an email as soon as the next chapter would be posted. I think that's a good idea. If anybody else of you wants to be informed when a new chapter is up, please let me know and I'll send you a little note.

Another big thank you goes to Dreaming One again. I really enjoy reading your reviews. In her last one she stated that she was afraid Hermione acted against her Gryffindor nature. I read through the chapters once more and checked on that. You see, I don't think she is (too much) out of character. Just imagine the situation she is in and in one of the next chapters she is going to stand up against Draco. Nevertheless, criticism is always welcome and I'd like to know of all those how read my story if they think Hermione should act differently. Let me know what you think about it. Shall I rewrite Chapter 9? I already thought about posting an alternative story line...hm...?

Personally, I don't like the following chapter. I just thought I had to better get over with it. Actually it's just a draft, and if I rewrite chapter 9 than this will effect chap. 10 as well. Anyway, I do need some criticism, otherwise I don't know if I have to change anything.

And I'm really sorry that it took me so long to post this chapter, but I didn't get more than 4 reviews last week and I didn't have time to upload anything...send me more reviews then you get more (and better) chapters.

Anyway, I hope you'll have fun reading the next part!

***

AND THEN WE WERE DEFEATED

CHAPTER 10

They simply cannot wed!

***

Only one hour later Wimpsy took care of Hermione and clad her in another beautiful and expensive looking satin dress. She carefully adjusted her hair and put on some make up. Hermione's eyes were still fixed on the ring on her left hand and she was oblivious to anything else happening around her.

"Miss Hermione looks gorgeous." the female house elf said being proud of her artwork. The big green eyes admired her.

"Hm?"

A knock disturbed the non-existing dialog and another house elf Hermione hadn't met so far entered the room.

"Master Draco is going to come here later to pick up his guest. Miss Hermione must be ready by then and is to wait in here." with a little bow the house elf left and closed the door softly. 

That was too much. Angrily she picked up one of the brushes lying in front of her and smashed against the mirror. She had never been this furious before. Who did this ex-Slytherin bastard think he was? 

Wimpsy looked at Hermione frightened, her eyes were filled with tears and she fearfully was clutching the cloth of her white pillowcase with her tiny hands. Hermione regretted her sudden outburst immediately.

"Wimpsy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...it was just..." she stopped because she didn't know what to say. Her mind was filled with anger and hatred for Malfoy and she had to calm down before she would be able to explain it to the house-elf, but Wimpsy had already vanished, deeply hurt by Hermione's rude behaviour.

The girl sighed. Since she was kept as a prisoner at Malfoy Manor she seemed to go crazy. She had begun to feel emotions that were unknown to her before. This whole situation was ridiculous and horrible at the same time and there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. Hermione walked over to the impressive oak desk and opened several of its drawers before she finally found some pieces of parchment, ink and a quill. It didn't take her long to write a short note containing the necessary information to warn Harry and Ron not to try anything to rescue her. She was perfectly able to take care of herself and would manage to get out of here on her own. Her best friends wouldn't have to put their lives at stake for her sake. Then she folded the parchment as tiny as she could and placed it in the sleeve of her dress robes. If she couldn't manage to escape from the Manor before the engagement ball tonight she could maybe find a way to pass the note to someone who might be able to give it to Harry. As unlikely as the idea seemed to herself, she didn't have a better one and there was nothing she could do unless a brainwave struck her.

***

Draco was back in his room and dressed up for tonight's ball. He wore gorgeous black and silver dress robes with the Malfoy crest clearly embroided upon them. Looking into the mirror in his room he was perfectly satisfied with his appearance. Draco had grown a few inches and put on muscles. And he did look good in those robes. Impressive, cunning, self-confident and intelligent – he was a born leader, wasn't he?  A smug grin spread on his face and he having grabbed his wand he carefully hid it in his robes.

He could already hear the music being played downstairs and the first guests had surely arrived within the last hour. They were supposedly chatting gaily and couldn't wait for the engagement to take place. Little did they know that they were in for the biggest surprise of this century. His grin broadened. It wouldn't be long until he had to go and take Hermione downstairs. Poor little Gryffindor, she didn't know that this were the last moments she had to live and neither did his father suspect that he would never see the sun rise again.

About two hours later Draco decided that it was about time to get started with his plan. In the ballroom the party seemed to be a great success, because when he opened the door he could hear joyful laughter and dance music. He wondered why his father hadn't bothered to send a house elf to take him down and neither had Draco been asked to meet his fiancée. It didn't matter to him the least, his mind was occupied with different thoughts.

He went down the hallway and stopped in front of the door leading to the guest room where Hermione was waiting. Taking a deep breath he opened it and got in.

***

"I'm disappointed,  Granger. You haven't been able to break the little charm I cast on the door? I actually thought you would have been gone for good by now." Draco said mocking her as usual.

Hermione was still sitting in her armchair and hate showed in her eyes, when she stood up. The dress she wore fitted perfectly and Draco couldn't think of an insult concerning her outer appearance and she even wore the necklace he had given to her earlier. "About time that we get to the ball, I suppose." she answered completely ignoring the things he had said.

Meanwhile Hermione had tried to plan her escape, but nothing she had thought of would work without a wand. She had no choice but accompanying the slimy git to this ball. There would be so many wizards that it shouldn't be difficult to snatch a wand from one of them and then she would be off in a matter of seconds. Hermione stepped towards him and he took her hand.

"Just in case you should try to run away; I can assure you that there are enough deatheaters around to hunt you down before you would even get to the front door."

Hermione remained silent, however, her look conveyed nothing more but deepest resentment towards her former fellow student.

***

They made their way down to the ballroom without another word. Hermione's body tensed and she could feel that Draco was anxious as well, even though he didn't show it. His grip around her hand tightened. Obviously he was nervous.

Yet, before Hermione could take any advantage of this situation they had reached another enormous door which magically slid open and revealed a perfect view on the ballroom and a white marble staircase which directly led to the dance floor. Hermione gasped. The whole room was beautifully decorated and filled with a huge crowd. Everybody down there seemed to look at the two youths standing in the doorway. The music stopped playing, the dancers paused and the conversations died down. Nearly 200 pairs of eyes were fixed on Draco and Hermione. Draco didn't mind at all that they drew the attention on themselves. He swallowed hard and then he stated in a clear, loud voice, so that every single person in the room must have heard and understood it: "May I present to you my fiancée and bride, Miss Hermione Granger."

Hermione 's heart skipped a beat and her stomach ached as she heard his words. Draco, too, was paler than usual, but he slowly dragged her down the stairs.

The guest evidently didn't know what to do. Hermione Granger, a mudblood. One of Potter's ever so faithful sidekicks and yet there was Draco Malfoy, a pureblood deatheater, son of Lucius Malfoy who was an important member of the Dark Lord's inner circle.

Draco's parents had turned white. Narcissa Malfoy was rendered speechless, she only stared at her son and at the girl by his side. Lucius's hand trembled. If there hadn't been this determined look on his son's face he would have thought he was joking, but there was no way that Draco wasn't serious about what he had said.

"Father." the young deatheater looked straight into his father's eyes.

"You are not going to marry this filth." Lucius uttered calmly and very carefully.

Draco didn't answer, nor did Hermione. As soon as she had seen the deatheaters' reaction she knew that something was going on. They hadn't expected that she would show up as Malfoy's bride, they had been just as shocked as she had been on his proposal. Something was going on and she better found out about it before everything would get out of control.

"You are not going to marry a mudblood, boy. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy! You cannot wed!" Lucius spat out the last words and then turned to the audience, which had quietly watched the family for the past 5 minutes, and shouted furiously: "They simply cannot wed!"

***

Gomen nasai. I deeply apologise for my bad use of the English language in this chapter, but I am too tired to look things up in a dictionary and I hate to go over the stuff and check on mistakes. If anybody is interested  in being my beta, please email me.