"My Lord," Snape said as he bowed gracefully. Draco merely inclined his head.
"Severus, just the man I've been looking for. We need to have a discussion about sending my daughter back to Hogwarts. I'm sure Draco explained the situation to you," Voldemort said.
"Yes, he did," Snape replied.
"Excellent. Speaking of my daughter, where is she?"
"I'm she was very tired, so she returned to her chamber," Draco answered.
"Very well, thank you. Lucius, we will talk again in a few days. Draco, I'd like for you to stay a bit longer, to talk with Severus and I." Lucius bowed before Apparating. "Now, if you two would please follow me, I'm sure the lounge would be a bit more comfortable."
Draco and Snape flanked Voldemort in silence. They arrived in front of the grand doors that Draco knew lead to the luxurious, gilded lounge. Upon entering, each took a seat in one of the three black velvet chairs, placed in front of a blazing fire. A house elf immediately brought three glasses of brandy. Each picked one up and placed it on the table after taking a sip.
"Now, down to business," Voldemort said, turning to Snape. "Has Dumbledore noticed Desdemona's absence?"
"I'm afraid so my Lord. That's the reason I came here. What are we going to do about it? Is she returning to Hogwarts?" Snape inquired.
"Of course she is. She will go back with Draco tomorrow morning." He turned to Draco. "I would like you to escort her to Dumbledore's office, where the she will tell him of the recent discoveries. With you there she wont speak an ill word of me. You will tell him that she turned to you when she found out, assuming as everyone did that the Malfoy's were on the Dark side. Then she will be resorted, into Slytherin I'm sure, where you will be able to keep an eye on her, and help her adjust to her new surroundings, and her new life. You can handle that, can't you?"
"Of course my Lord," Draco smirked.
"Good. I want her around Potter and Weasley as little as possible. I'm sure at this point she still considers them her friends, and she's going to tell them everything. Let her. If the reject her and turn her away, then I'm sure she will be far more willing to accept her new home in Slytherin. If they decide to play the heroes and attempt to 'save' her from me, then I need you to keep her away from them as much as possible. If she stays away long enough they will eventually assume she has turned away from them. If they don't, then we'll have to set something up. Whichever way it goes, I don't want their names on the list of people she considers friends."
"Yes my Lord. I'm sure it wont be a problem. Potter and Weasley are fools. A few tricks and they will think she's known her heritage all along," Draco said."Excellent. Would you mind waking Desdemona and telling her of the plans?"
"Right away," Draco bowed.
"Oh yes, and I would like for you to stay the night here. Desdemona will need help packing for her return, and I'm sure she's going to have a few questions for you. Her old clothes will have to be thrown out; they are not suitable for royalty. There is a guest room across from hers that should suit you, and I will inform Lucius of your stay and have him send anything you need."
"That is most generous of you my Lord." Draco exited the room to find Hermione.
"Snape," Voldemort turned to him. "I need you to help keep an eye on her. Being a teacher there are certain things you can do to keep the Gryffindor scum away from her that Draco cannot, such as give detentions, send people to class or on errands. I want Potter and Weasley as far away from her as possible. Oh, and assign Draco as her new potions partner. She's going to need both of you to help her adjust."
"Yes my Lord. I'll do my best to keep all the Gryffindors away from the Lady."
"Thank you. I will randomly call upon you for updates on her adjustment. Owl me as soon as she has been resorted and tell me how everything went with Dumbledore. That will be all." Snape bowed and Apparated back to the Forbidden Forest.
************************************************************************
"Hermione."
Hermione felt a gentle hand on her cheek, as she heard her name being called, slowly waking from her slumber.
"Hermione, wake up." She opened her eyes to find herself staring into the smoky gray ones of Draco Malfoy. "We have to talk." She groaned and rolled over, burring her face into the mountain of silk pillows.
"Go away," she mumbled, her words muffled.
"No, you're going back to Hogwarts," she sat up immediately, "with me tomorrow and I have to tell you what's going to happen." her eyes widened.
"I get to go back to Hogwarts?"
"Yes. We return to Hogwarts, tell Dumbledore of your 'discoveries' and tell him that when you found out you immediately turned to me, assuming that my family and I followed Voldemort. Seeing as you're a minor and a family member of Voldemort, then Ministry is not allowed to touch you. They cannot harm you, arrest you, or even force you to tell them anything until you actually say that you support Voldemort's ideas. Then you will request to be resorted, and you had better be put into Slytherin considering you are of Salazar's bloodline."
"What happens then?"
"I don't know. We will find out when the time comes. Now, since I'm staying the night here, we have plenty of time to talk, and I want to know where those bruises came from." Hermione pulled her knees up to chests and hide her head behind them. "That's not going to help anything." Draco sat down on the bed next to her and gently laid a reassuring hand on her back. "I wont tell anyone, I promise. I know you are thinking I'm a Malfoy, why should you trust me, and while the Malfoy's might not follow the 'light' side, we are an honorable family, and breaking a promise is not honorable. Whoever hurt you can't touch you anymore Hermione. You are the most powerful woman in the world, under the protection of the most powerful man in the world, and all those who follow him."
"What if they can't protect me?" She sniffled. He hadn't realized she had been crying. He placed his hand under his chin and gently lifted her face so her gaze met his.
"Then I will."
"Severus, just the man I've been looking for. We need to have a discussion about sending my daughter back to Hogwarts. I'm sure Draco explained the situation to you," Voldemort said.
"Yes, he did," Snape replied.
"Excellent. Speaking of my daughter, where is she?"
"I'm she was very tired, so she returned to her chamber," Draco answered.
"Very well, thank you. Lucius, we will talk again in a few days. Draco, I'd like for you to stay a bit longer, to talk with Severus and I." Lucius bowed before Apparating. "Now, if you two would please follow me, I'm sure the lounge would be a bit more comfortable."
Draco and Snape flanked Voldemort in silence. They arrived in front of the grand doors that Draco knew lead to the luxurious, gilded lounge. Upon entering, each took a seat in one of the three black velvet chairs, placed in front of a blazing fire. A house elf immediately brought three glasses of brandy. Each picked one up and placed it on the table after taking a sip.
"Now, down to business," Voldemort said, turning to Snape. "Has Dumbledore noticed Desdemona's absence?"
"I'm afraid so my Lord. That's the reason I came here. What are we going to do about it? Is she returning to Hogwarts?" Snape inquired.
"Of course she is. She will go back with Draco tomorrow morning." He turned to Draco. "I would like you to escort her to Dumbledore's office, where the she will tell him of the recent discoveries. With you there she wont speak an ill word of me. You will tell him that she turned to you when she found out, assuming as everyone did that the Malfoy's were on the Dark side. Then she will be resorted, into Slytherin I'm sure, where you will be able to keep an eye on her, and help her adjust to her new surroundings, and her new life. You can handle that, can't you?"
"Of course my Lord," Draco smirked.
"Good. I want her around Potter and Weasley as little as possible. I'm sure at this point she still considers them her friends, and she's going to tell them everything. Let her. If the reject her and turn her away, then I'm sure she will be far more willing to accept her new home in Slytherin. If they decide to play the heroes and attempt to 'save' her from me, then I need you to keep her away from them as much as possible. If she stays away long enough they will eventually assume she has turned away from them. If they don't, then we'll have to set something up. Whichever way it goes, I don't want their names on the list of people she considers friends."
"Yes my Lord. I'm sure it wont be a problem. Potter and Weasley are fools. A few tricks and they will think she's known her heritage all along," Draco said."Excellent. Would you mind waking Desdemona and telling her of the plans?"
"Right away," Draco bowed.
"Oh yes, and I would like for you to stay the night here. Desdemona will need help packing for her return, and I'm sure she's going to have a few questions for you. Her old clothes will have to be thrown out; they are not suitable for royalty. There is a guest room across from hers that should suit you, and I will inform Lucius of your stay and have him send anything you need."
"That is most generous of you my Lord." Draco exited the room to find Hermione.
"Snape," Voldemort turned to him. "I need you to help keep an eye on her. Being a teacher there are certain things you can do to keep the Gryffindor scum away from her that Draco cannot, such as give detentions, send people to class or on errands. I want Potter and Weasley as far away from her as possible. Oh, and assign Draco as her new potions partner. She's going to need both of you to help her adjust."
"Yes my Lord. I'll do my best to keep all the Gryffindors away from the Lady."
"Thank you. I will randomly call upon you for updates on her adjustment. Owl me as soon as she has been resorted and tell me how everything went with Dumbledore. That will be all." Snape bowed and Apparated back to the Forbidden Forest.
************************************************************************
"Hermione."
Hermione felt a gentle hand on her cheek, as she heard her name being called, slowly waking from her slumber.
"Hermione, wake up." She opened her eyes to find herself staring into the smoky gray ones of Draco Malfoy. "We have to talk." She groaned and rolled over, burring her face into the mountain of silk pillows.
"Go away," she mumbled, her words muffled.
"No, you're going back to Hogwarts," she sat up immediately, "with me tomorrow and I have to tell you what's going to happen." her eyes widened.
"I get to go back to Hogwarts?"
"Yes. We return to Hogwarts, tell Dumbledore of your 'discoveries' and tell him that when you found out you immediately turned to me, assuming that my family and I followed Voldemort. Seeing as you're a minor and a family member of Voldemort, then Ministry is not allowed to touch you. They cannot harm you, arrest you, or even force you to tell them anything until you actually say that you support Voldemort's ideas. Then you will request to be resorted, and you had better be put into Slytherin considering you are of Salazar's bloodline."
"What happens then?"
"I don't know. We will find out when the time comes. Now, since I'm staying the night here, we have plenty of time to talk, and I want to know where those bruises came from." Hermione pulled her knees up to chests and hide her head behind them. "That's not going to help anything." Draco sat down on the bed next to her and gently laid a reassuring hand on her back. "I wont tell anyone, I promise. I know you are thinking I'm a Malfoy, why should you trust me, and while the Malfoy's might not follow the 'light' side, we are an honorable family, and breaking a promise is not honorable. Whoever hurt you can't touch you anymore Hermione. You are the most powerful woman in the world, under the protection of the most powerful man in the world, and all those who follow him."
"What if they can't protect me?" She sniffled. He hadn't realized she had been crying. He placed his hand under his chin and gently lifted her face so her gaze met his.
"Then I will."