Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine, it belongs to J.K, but the character Daisy is mine.
Hi everyone!!! Look how quick I'm updating!! I've written tons, and I've worked out it probably won't be longer than 11 or 12 chapters. By the way, to warn people, it's going to get very sad soon, with lots of mean and horrible things happening. So I'm warning you, it won't be sunshine and daisies for much longer, ok? This is probably the one of the last, 'nice' chapters before things get dark.
I need help, I am in quite a fuddle (is that a word?) about what is going to happen at the end. Does everyone want a happy ending with lots of happiness and no big character killage, or do people want a sad ending with a major character killing? Please tell me I need your help on this, if the majority of people want happy, ill do happy, if majority want sad, ill do sad, ok?
Ok, anyways…thanks for your reviews everyone!!! It means so much to me…but not meanie Sam-453 because you haven't even reviewed yet!!! And I ALWAYS review yours, and you get in such a big huff when I don't do it the minute you update…so the point is…you're a meanie.
For all those who aren't like Sam-453 and send me reviews…thanks so much!!! I love getting feedback on stories, it's very helpful, and a also a major boost to ones confidence!!!
On with the fic…
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Hermione continued to serve Malfoy, and they did not mention what had happened. She did not speak when she was not spoken to, and Malfoy made a point not to look into Hermione's eyes. Things went on as normal at the school, but Hermione was shocked to hear that Daisy and Sarah were now Voldemort's personal slaves. Now that Hermione was a slave to Malfoy, and the older Malfoy was dead, Voldemort had to have a slave, and, Flint told her that 'Voldemort had chosen someone close to you, so that it would hurt you terribly if something happened to her.'
Hermione hated to think that Daisy was only chosen because she was close to Hermione. If something happened to Daisy…
Hermione shuddered, the china on the tray she was carrying clinking together. She entered Malfoy's room silently and placed his tray on the table were he sat, chewing on a quill. She made his tea quietly, stirring in three spoons of sugar. It was a week after she had been assigned to Malfoy, and she knew that he wanted quiet most of the time. Malfoy sat, hunched over a long piece of parchment, several books out in front of him. He sighed; frustrated by the essay he had to write. He appeared oblivious to Hermione, but actually, he was keeping an eye on her while he was doing his essay. His father had taught him how to do multiple things at once, and his father had also told him that he should always know what is going around him.
Hermione rubbed her hands together, trying to get her hands warmer. She moved behind Malfoy, and padded towards the fireplace which was currently holding a low blaze. She pulled out her slave's wand and muttered a few words to get increase the fire. Voldemort gave almost all the slaves a slave wand, a wand which only let you increase fire or transfigured brooms. The actual work had to be done by the slaves, but they were allowed to use brooms and brushes and mops.
"Bezoar, what the hell is a Bezoar?" Malfoy muttered, his foot tapping against the table legs.
"It's a stone taken from the stomach of a goat. A bezoar will counteract the majority of potions." Hermione supplied, sounding as if she was reading from a text-book. Malfoy stared at her, his eyes wide with shock.
"How did you know that?" He asked.
Hermione smiled shyly. "Any old books that the Death-Eaters don't want, they give to us."
Malfoy smirked. "Oh yeah, I forgot, in our First Year, you were a bookworm, a know-it-all." Hermione nodded, smiling.
"That was what Ron called me."
Malfoy nodded. "What happened to Weasel?"
Hermione's smile dropped, and she bowed her head, tears forming in her eyes. "He's dead." She choked, brushing away her tears.
Malfoy nodded an undistinguishable feeling in his chest. "I'm sorry." He whispered.
Hermione smiled wryly. "It was a long time ago. But thank you." She added. She blew on her hands again and rubbed them, trying to get them warm. Malfoy saw this and took her hands in his.
"You're so thin." He commented, fingering her bony hands.
"They don't feed us much." Hermione whispered, her hands revelling in his warm touch.
"Come." He said simply, putting a piece of bread on a plate and giving it to Hermione. He took the tea that she had made him and gave it to her also, ushering her onto a seat next to the fire. Hermione obliged, looking upon Malfoy with wonder. He strode quickly over to his couch and grabbed a silver blanket from it. Carefully, making sure not to spill the tea, he wrapped the blanket around Hermione's tiny frame, tucking the ends underneath her. Catching her look, he smiled. "What? You think I don't have a heart?" He joked, sitting back down on his seat and writing down what Hermione had said about the bezoar.
"Yes." Hermione whispered. Malfoy looked up sharply, his eyes meeting hers for the first time in a week.
"I used to admire you." He said bluntly, not moving his eyes away from Hermione's.
"Why?" She asked, sipping her tea, the hot liquid warming her body.
"You were so clever in our First Year. You're head was screwed on right, and you knew what was right and what was wrong. You were confident, you weren't afraid to tell people were they were with you. Well, everyone apart from the teachers of course." Malfoy added with a smile.
"I didn't know you noticed." Hermione responded, surprised that he had.
Malfoy nodded, looking into the fire, the green flames dancing. "I was jealous." He replied quietly. "You had friends, friends that cared about you, even if it was the Weasel. They did not like because of who you're father was or if you were wealthy. They liked you for you, even that wimp, Neville."
"It's not like that with you?" Hermione asked gently, aware that she was touching on an awkward and painful subject.
Malfoy shook his head. "You know when my dad died?" He asked, glancing at Hermione. When she nodded, his gaze returned to the fire. "Not one person said 'Sorry for your loss'. Not one person asked how I was, not one person asked if I missed him. All my friends were just happy that I was the new Right-hand man; no one even cared if I missed him. Only you." Malfoy's eyes flickered up to Hermione's again, and she felt butterflies in her stomach.
"Are you missing him?" She asked delicately, biting some of the bread.
"Terribly. He was my father, and he was a bastard, he hit girls, he killed people for fun, but I loved him."
"Don't you think that killing people is fun?" Hermione said through gritted teeth, finding it sick that people could think that.
"No."
"But-"
"I'm the Dark Lord's important man, I know, but I don't. I don't want to be his important man, I don't want to be a Death-Eater, and I don't want to kill people for fun. I don't agree with what my father did. I hate Voldemort." He shouted, banging his fist on the table. Hermione jerked, and moved further back into the chair. Malfoy, seeing what Hermione was doing, apologized. The pair was quiet for a while, Malfoy's interest returned to his essay and Hermione sipped her tea.
She had had no idea Malfoy had felt this way; she had just assumed that everyone at this school agreed with what Voldemort was doing.
"What was it like?" She asked.
"What was what like?" Malfoy replied, his head bent over his essay.
"What was it like living with Malfoy, master?" She responded. Malfoy paused, hand poised in mid-sentence.
"Ok, I guess." He said quietly. "Parties galore, expensive food, nice clothes, luxurious holidays. Everything I wanted I got." Malfoy returned to his essay.
"No I meant-"
"What was it like serving the Dark Lord?" He interrupted. Hermione paused, why didn't he talk about his life with his father?
Hermione decided not to press it. "Hell."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"Am I better?" Malfoy joked.
"You don't beat me, so that's a point to you." Hermione replied, a small smile on her face. Malfoy looked up sharply, dropping his quill on the parchment.
"He beat you?" He asked, shocked.
Hermione nodded. "How did you not know? All Death Eaters do, so Voldemort obviously would be the worst."
"How often? Monthly?"
"Daily."
"Shite." Malfoy swore, a pitying look on his face.
"It's not a big deal. You're father did it." Hermione said uncomfortably. Malfoy looked horrified and he left his chair and dropped to his knees in front of her.
"It IS a big deal, Granger. He shouldn't do that. My father shouldn't have done it. Not to you."
"He's Lord Voldemort, master, he can do anything." Hermione said, stunned at Malfoy's reaction.
"Couldn't you stand up to him?" He argued, his eyes desperate.
"More beatings, he uses the Cruciatus curse, and he does it for a long time." Hermione replied, shuddering as she remembered how many times she had been under the Cruciatus Curse. "Why would you care if he beat me anyways? Why do you want to look after me?" Hermione said roughly.
Malfoy looked up to her, his silver eyes locking with hers. His eyes were filled with longing and sadness, and when he spoke, he sounded desperate. "Someone has to." Hermione just gazed at him, surprise in her eyes. Malfoy smiled at her, his whole face lighting up, making him looking handsome. "Someone has to stand up to him, Granger!" He continued, voice hard, a wall shielding the sadness and longing in his eyes, making it only anxious.
Hermione quickly got over the abrupt change and chuckled. "And I suppose you're the one to do it?"
Malfoy slunk back to his chair, looking defeated. "No, I won't." He whispered.
Hermione's eyes welled up with tears as she took in Malfoy, his crushed stature, his desperate face. "I should go." Hermione placed the empty tea cup and plate onto the tray and folded the blanket. Malfoy nodded wordlessly, it seemed as if his whole world had fallen and he had been revealed to a whole new one.
Before she reached the door, carrying the tray rid of food, she turned around to face Malfoy, just as she had done a week ago. "Thank you master." She said, breaking the silence. She turned around again, making to leave the door, when Malfoy's voice interrupted her.
"Draco. Call me Draco." Hermione, her back still facing Malfoy, disappeared through the door, a large smile on her face which mirrored Draco's.
Aww. Please review!!!