"Mudblood!" Voldemort swept into the room as Hermione stirred in the four poster and rubbed her eyes. He pulled the covers off her, making her shiver. "Get up you lazy little girl." Lazy, Hermione thought, was quite an unfair judgment when she had been up all night trying to send a message to anyone outside the Riddle House. Voldemort watched her as she pulled a thick brocade robe over her nightdress. Hermione glared back, seeing the warm brown begin to deepen his red eyes. Riddle had a penchant for voyeurism that even Voldemort's hedonistic pleasure in sensation couldn't match. Voldemort did not rise to the bait, instead he walked over to her mirror and allowed himself to shrink and for the years to fall away. "You have a visitor," he commented idly as he brushed his brown hair back with a hand. "and I have received a letter."

"My God, someone actually wasted a good sheet of paper on you. What a shock." Hermione threw the sheets into some kind of order.

Riddle grinned, inspecting his fingernails, as he leaned his back against the mirror. Hermione grudgingly admitted that he was quite handsome when he lounged in his sixteen-year-old confidence. Even more so if you didn't know the evil man that lurked just beneath the surface. "I take it you don't want to see your visitor then? And you don't want me to discuss your ransom with Dumbledore?" The boy looked up at her slyly, observing her reaction.

He was getting to her. "I doubt very much that what I want has any effect on you," she said haughtily. Riddle only shrugged, his icy smile agreeing. He turned to leave.

"Oh, and Hermione… you'll want to wear something other than your dressing gown. I haven't been to a Quidditch match in years but I understand Viktor Krum is rather good."

Krum! Hermione's heart leapt in fear and hope. She didn't know which one hurt more but she couldn't wait either way. Throwing open the closet she yanked out a dress. It was Riddle's choice and clearly fitting his teenage taste. Hermione sighed as she buckled the heavy strap around her neck and the other on her back. At least her hair would cover that much as she had given up trying to tame it. The long slit, there was no hope for. Not taking the time to primp further, Hermione knocked on her door three times and two hooded, masked Death Eaters appeared. The girl looked at them with disgust, but followed them down the hall into a study. At the door, Hermione pushed ahead.

"Viktor!" The room was empty. "Viktor?"

"Hermioninny!" She jumped at the sound of his voice and desperately looked around for him.

"Where are you?"

"I'm vight here!" By the tone of his voice, Hermione could tell that he thought she had gone crazy.

Sighing, she turned in a complete circle. "Be a little more specific. There's something wrong. I can't see you."

"Very vell." He paused a moment. "Turn… now stop. A little left… more… no, too much. Alvight, vight there. In front off you."

Hermione looked ahead but all there was was a mirror. "It's a mirror, Viktor."

"No, no! There is a vindow! I can see you" the boy insisted. "Vight in front off you."

Hermione touched the mirror thoughtfully and then… "It's a two way mirror! It must be!"

"A vot?"

"It's a Muggle thing… all I can see is my reflection, but to you it looks like clear glass. But that's not the point. Viktor, what the hell are you doing here? Where are we, anyway?"

"Granger you astonish me." Voldemort's icy voice cut off Krum's answer. "I thought I would have more than half a minute of amusement after the trouble of importing the Muggle trick mirror."

"I'm heartbroken for you." Hermione quipped. "Viktor?"

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Voldemort's voice didn't sound sorry. "We've moved on to negotiations."

"Negotiations?" Hermione echoed.

"Yes, Mr. Krum, what can you offer me?"

"Viktor, don't! Just leave, now, while you can." He didn't answer. "Viktor!"

"Touching, but pointless." Voldemort's voice mocked her. "He can't hear you."

"You slimy little bas—"

"I wouldn't." Voldemort cautioned harsly. "I have your dear friend here. And Nox, Lindon." The two Death Eaters appeared silently. "Escort Miss Granger back to her room. Regrettably she won't be able to see her visitor."

Hermione made a rude gesture, certain that Voldemort would still be watching her. He hissed a laugh, confirming her suspicions. Hermione allowed herself to be led out and down the corridor. The men opened her door and she stomped through without a word, hearing the click of the door behind her. She whirled around, ready to grab a pillow and throw it against the wall, but stopped short and gasped. "Draco?"

He smiled, lounging on her bed. A second glance showed her how terribly ill Draco looked. Some of his hair was too long, not having been carefully barbered in captivity. The rest had been cut off, probably for the Polyjuice potion. "That bad?" The Slytherin asked as he correctly interpreted her assessment.

"And worse." Hermione said frankly, sitting gingerly on the bed next to him. His shirt was in shreds, and across his still firm muscles, stripes and healing cuts zig-zagged white skin. Gently, Hermione ran a finger across one of the few lines that had healed.

Draco grabbed her hand and crammed it to his mouth, breathing heavily and rapidly. Hermione ran her other hand through his hair, her eyes wet. She moved to pull his head against her shoulder but he looked up, releasing her hand to cup her face, more gently although the touch was demanding. He kissed her without further pretense, passionately, with all his need. Hermione couldn't help but kiss him back, her hands investigating the new layers of his hair and running feather-light down his back, over new ridges and raw skin.

"Wait, Draco… Draco, sweet, love… Draco, the Death Eaters…" Hermione gasped out the words through his hot kisses.

"I don't care." He gasped as he kissed her lips, nose, cheeks and eyelids, kneeling on the bed over her as she half lay on the bed. "I just want to kiss you. Let me kiss you."

Hermione wasn't inclined to argue.

Later, as she had anticipated, Draco was less than happy to hear about what had passed since her capture. "Krum is here? That dirty, slimy turncoat—"

"Hush." Hermione lifted her head slightly from where it had been cradled on his shoulder and kissed his neck softly. "He's trying to help I'm sure of it." Draco made an unconvinced noise. "Look," Hermione pushed herself up, and pulled her hair away from her face. Draco's hands followed hers, brushing the curls gently aside and stroking them. Hermione lay her hands over his own. "I broke up with Viktor. He didn't break up with me. I think he's trying to rescue me. It's cute, but rather pointless."

Draco nodded and slipped his hands away from hers, allowing his torso to fall until his head was between his knees. Hermione stroked his back, feeling him shiver beneath her hands. "A hell of a lot of good I did you," he said finally. "I'm a Malfoy and I have to let some Bulgarian peasant bail you out."

"Hey, Riddle told me what you did. You tried to fight Voldemort." Hermione leaned down and lay her cheek against his back, kissing his shoulder. "Most people would have seen him and run. You were brave."

"It's not like I'd never seen him before."

"What?" Hermione pulled away.

Draco sat up reluctantly and spoke hesitantly. "My sixteenth birthday. The only guest at my party was Voldemort. This year? It's my Ordeal. I have to find something to offer him, to show him my services are worthwhile. I was supposed to..."

He trails off and looks down. "What?" Draco shot Hermione a single apologetic look before returning his gaze to the duvet. "You were supposed to kill Harry. Weren't you?" He didn't answer. "Weren't you?" Hermione demanded, grabbing his shoulder.

The pain jerked an answer out of Draco. "No." Hermione recoiled slightly. He grabbed her chin and pulled her back to him, making her stare into his deep blue eyes. There was no flicker of laughter or flirtatiousness in them. "I was supposed to kill you."

"Oh my God." Hermione pulled away and stood up. He followed her, but she kept moving away until she found herself backed up against the wall. "You..." Draco knew the betrayal on his face could not have been clearer if she had stabbed him.

"Hermione, I never would have. Never. I probably wouldn't have killed anyone but... I'd never hurt you." He cupped her face in his hands, his big blue eyes wide. "Hermione, I'd never ever hurt you."

Hermione stared back, helpless. How could he have… "I know." Draco's eyes were still wide and scared. Hermione offered him a small smile. "I know I love you. And I know you love me. And that's enough."

"Enough?" Draco teased. "Don't you need the arithmancy formula and a list of the runes?"

Hermione smiled and let him pull her into his embrace. "Enough that I'll take the rest on faith," she amended, kissing him. She pulled back but he followed her. "But I do want to" kiss "know how" kiss "you knew" kiss "that I'd be transfiguring" kiss "you into a lion that day" kiss "in class."

He smiled, leaning over her, with one arm on each side of her head against the wall. "Well," he said, his eyes caressing her lips almost as tangibly as his lips had. "I knew Human Transfig was coming up and I'd been having this feeling that I wasn't as Slytherin as I should be, so I put a lion and a raven in each pocket and used up the runes I carved into them. I figured if I didn't turn into a snake I could pull out the right one and… and accuse you." He smiled lopsidedly. "Can you forgive me?"

Hermione pretended to consider this a moment, but Draco bowed his head and blew softly on her neck. "Maybe." She teased as his lips kissed her windpipe. She pulled him back up to kiss him back, looking him directly in the eyes for a moment. "Oh all right then." Then she kissed him.

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Read and Review please! I loved the reviews from last chapter. I'm glad Riddle evoked such strong reactions. And I brought Draco back, as promised!