Chapter 11.

Hermione's heart was beating at an outrageously fast pace. Her hands were damp from sweat, and her teeth were chattering from being so nervous. Under her arms was a basket with a number of clean black and green sheets.

She was on her way to Snape's.

Sarah and Parvati had protested persistently since Hermione had told them of the plan, but Hermione had decided that she would risk everything, and confront Snape. He had always been mean and horrible to her, even when she had been in his class in her first year, but Hermione's hoped that what Padfoot, Moony and Prongs had said was true, Snape was still a spy.

She knocked on the door carefully, three short, sharp knocks, and waited patiently at the door. She heard footsteps on the cold, stone floor come towards the door, to her, and she took a deep breath. This was it.

"Yes?" Snape asked, swinging the door open, glaring at her.

Hermione held up the basket meekly, and he rolled his eyes and returned to his work, leaving the door open. Hermione walked in quietly, and shut the door behind her. She made her way over to the perfectly made bed, taking in her surroundings- the bare walls and floor, the room was only furnished with a bed, a desk, a couple of bookshelves and a fireplace.

She stripped the sheets quickly and quietly, and made the bed as neatly and as quickly as she could. Snape worked diligently at the desk behind her, the scratch of the quill on the parchment the only noise in the bleak, cold room. When she had finished making the bed, she quietly tiptoed in front of Snape's desk, facing him as he worked, and bowed her head, waiting quietly.

After several minutes, he looked up, and sighed in annoyance. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

It was the first thing that she noticed-he called her 'Miss Granger'. All the other adults called her 'slave' or 'mudblood'. A tiny flicker of hope flared up inside her, and she looked up at him, and that flame suddenly dwindled, at the look on his face. The flame of hope was now a flame in the wind, and it was in danger of going out.

"Padfoot, Prongs and Moony give their regards, sir." Hermione said quietly, staring directly into his black eyes, something she could be killed or tortured for.

She saw what she was looking for.

That spark of familiarity flared up in his eyes, his eyes were no longer black and depressed and empty, but they were suddenly filled with hope.

"What do Padfoot, Prongs and Moony say?"

"Mad-eye and several others are alive, sir, and are awaiting your help."

He nodded, and stood up abruptly. Hermione took a timid step back. "Where did you see these three?"

"Hogsmeade, sir."

"Did they tell you how I may get in contact with them?"

"They said to use the phoenix, sir. I am not sure what that means."

Snape's eyebrows lifted high into his forehead, and he ignored Hermione's last comment. "Phoenix?" He muttered to himself, and he moved across the room, to a small cupboard near the floor. He bent down, his black robes pooling below him. He rummaged around in the cupboard for quite some time, searching for something.

At last, he emerged from the cupboard and strode forward towards Hermione, holding something in his palm. He took out his wand, and opened his hand, titling it so Hermione could see.

It was a beautiful silver phoenix in the model of Fawkes, Dumbledore's old phoenix. It had emerald eyes and the wings were spread out, each wing detailed so perfectly. Snape tapped the phoenix once, and whispered: "Phoenix."

The phoenix immediately took to life, flapping its beautiful wings and flying around Hermione and Snape's head. Under its tail rolled out a small magical map, shimmering in gold and red. Several red dots marked places on the map; however the largest dot was near a place labelled 'Hogsmeade'.

Snape studied it carefully, and then whispered "Finite Incantatum."

Spotting Hermione's curious look, he placed the now still phoenix in her hand, taking the basket from her.

"It was made before Voldemort came to power, by Albus Dumbledore, head of the Order of the Phoenix. He knew dark times were coming, and he created this. It gives the location of every living Phoenix member, to a person loyal to Albus. The phoenix and spell is bound to him. When Albus died, I thought the phoenix was destroyed with him. Apparently not."

"How is it still working?" Hermione asked, fingering the phoenix.

"Albus was very clever, a very powerful wizard. Even if I studied his works for several centuries, I would never understand how he managed to do some things. He was truly a spectacular wizard." There was a note of sadness in Snape's voice, and Hermione looked up at it. "I am glad they found you. You were a brilliant, clever witch when you were younger, before…everything. I know you will help us."

Hermione smiled at the first compliment she had ever received from Snape. "When will it happen?"

"The overthrow of the Dark Lord? Who knows? It may take months, maybe even a year. But secrecy is an issue here. You are now bound to the Order of the Phoenix, and you must do everything you can for its cause."

"I will."

"Good. Come back here in a few days, I will have more news."

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Hermione did indeed return to his office a few days later, and several times afterwards. Several weeks had past since she had first contact with Padfoot, Prongs and Moony, and she had several meetings after also. The planned overthrow of Voldemort was very complicated, there were very few left of the Order. However, several members of the Weasley family were still alive, and they themselves had formed a small group of a dozen people that they lived with in hiding. Ron, of course, was not part of this group, as was Percy, who had died in battle a few years ago, and George and Fred, who had been tortured to madness by Bellatrix Lestrange.

Hermione had been kept busy, of course. As well as all of her regular slave duties, she had to tell all her fellow slaves about the plan to escape, one by one, so as not to draw attention to them. She was also meeting Prongs, Padfoot and Moony several times, as well as Snape. And, she was trying to avoid Malfoy.

It was easy in the beginning. Draco had thought that he would see her when she did her chores, but he would return to his room in the afternoon, finding the bed made and the room cleaned. From then on, he had stayed in his room as much as possible, trying to catch her, but Hermione decided to do her chores before he woke up, or while he was in a class. She had had several glimpses of him several times in the few weeks that passed, however she never stopped to say hello, and ignored him when he tried to catch her attention. However, she knew that the time would come when they would meet again, because Draco had not yet exercised his right to summon her at any moment.

He did however, while she was having lunch.

Flint strode into the room where the slaves ate, and pulled Hermione up roughly. "Your master needs you." He said, before leaving the room.

Hermione sighed inwardly, and hurried out of the room, towards Draco's quarters. Her stomach rumbled, she had not had much to eat. She pulled at the thin tendrils of her hair, pushing it back from her face. She tried to rub off as much dirt as possible from her face and hands. She rubbed her arms till they were red. But then, she arrived at the door, and paused, her hand poised for knocking. After a couple of seconds of deliberation, she knocked, and immediately, the door opened.

Draco stood in the frame, a relived look on his face, and he gestured for her to come in. She did so, her eyes averted down, her hands behind her back. She stood as far away from him as possible, and heard the door click shut.

"I didn't think you would come."

"I have to. I'm your slave." Was her firm reply.

Draco winced. "Don't call it that."

"That is what I am. I am yours for you to do whatever you want with…even for sex." Hermione said, her bottom lip trembling.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Draco said, shocked.

"It's true." Hermione said. "You can, did you know that? You can use me for whatever needs you possess."

"I need to see you; I don't need you to do anything else for me." Draco said angrily.

Hermione looked up, anger burning in her eyes. "But you needed something before, didn't you? You wanted it, and I obeyed, because I am your slave. That's what I have to do."

"Stop saying that!" Draco yelled angrily.

"Just do what you want with me, Draco. Just get it fucking over with."

"Fine!" Draco yelled angrily, striding towards her, and grabbing her left wrist roughly. He pulled her to him, their mouths meeting painfully. Draco devoured her in the kiss, forced open her mouth and invaded her with his tongue. She struggled, but Draco held her in place, he was stronger than she was. He bit down hard on her bottom lip, drawing blood, and Hermione whimpered in pain.

And then he stopped. He stepped back, and Hermione opened her eyes fearfully, to see him standing in front of her, ashamed. Hermione took a timid and hurried step back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, the blood smearing on her skin.

"Hermione…" He said, his voice dry, strangled. Hermione looked at him through salty tears, and suddenly saw something different. Instead of the teenage, mature, arrogant boy, she saw a child- a frightened, ashamed child, who stared at her through truthfully sorrowful eyes.

She backed away from him, away from his hand that reached out to her, ignoring the pained look on his face. She licked her lips, hating the taste of her blood but coping with it anyway. She found herself up against a wall, and slid down it, placing her head on her knees as she cried.

"I don't know why I did that…" Draco said, pacing in front of her, running a hand through his already dishevelled hair. He looked back at her, saw her crying, and knelt in front of her. Hermione ignored him. "I didn't mean to…I swear. Hermione, I'm so sorry. I just got angry, at what you said, about what I did a couple of weeks ago, about everything. Please, don't hate me, Hermione, please."

Hermione stopped crying, and looked up, not bothering to wipe her tears that soaked her clothes. "Don't hate you? Don't hate you?" Her voice shook with disgust. "I think it's too late for that, master." She stood up; Draco was frozen on the floor. "You had me fooled, did you know that? I thought you were different, I thought that you were good. But you're just like the others. You're just like your father." She spat, and walked past the frozen frame of Draco, and left the room.

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Thank you for all the reviews! I am so glad that some of you have stuck with this!!

As for the rating issue, the reason it is going up is because of the dark and adult themes that is coming up in the story. This story will have no smut in it, which I can guarantee you. (I just can't write things like that), but there will be some things in the future chapters that might not be nice for younger readers. Do tell me your thoughts about this.

Next chapter up soon, hopefully!!

Becks