Draco Malfoy was not around through the next week. Hermione imagined he was off doing the New Dark Lord thing. She didn't care.

She didn't care about much at the moment.

She seemed to be numb. She slept her first two days in her magnificent new bed, and finally getting up, she wandered around. She saw lots of house elves and perhaps before she would have felt bad for them. She didn't anymore.

Her life had suddenly changed and she was trying to adjust but it was hard. All of this because Malfoy had liked her new look. As for the new look, it hadn't stayed for long. Her once tame(ish) hair was back to being bushy and her once nice clothes were now replaced by wizarding robes that were not very flattering. Her skin was blotchy as she was not doing her usual hygiene routine.

While wandering around aimlessly, she came across Mrs Malfoy's bedroom. She could tell by the sounds inside that Narcissa was crying. Hermione, deciding she had gone to long without showing compassion to the unhappy lady, decided she'd go in and see if she could offer any comfort.

"Mrs Malfoy?" Hermione knocked timidly on the door.

The door was opened and Narcissa stood there, without any evidence that she had once been crying. She greeted Hermione with a smile that showed her beauty and beckoned her inside.

"Miss Granger," Narcissa said politely. "Are you enjoying your stay here?"

"Please call me Hermione." She didn't answer her question. Narcissa didn't seem to notice.

"How do you know my son?"

"From school," Hermione answered tersely.

"Oh, so you were in Slytherin too?"

"No, I was in Gryffindor," she told her.

"Oh!" Narcissa looked terribly confused but then her face cleared. "Granger? Where have I heard that name before?"

"I was once the best friend of Harry Potter."

"Oh, you and Draco were enemies?"

"Yes." Hermione nodded wearily, wishing she had stayed in her bedroom and slept. She didn't like these questions.

"What changed?" Narcissa asked.

"Nothing. I'm not here of my own free will." Hermione didn't see the point in lying.

"Oh. Oh dear," Narcissa seemed astounded. Hermione smiled thinly at her before asking for leave. Narcissa nodded absently but her voice stopped Hermione just before she had left.

"Then why are you here, Miss Granger? Why did Draco bring you here?"

"I don't know."

"Miss Granger, I have full faith in my son. I do not think he was evil. He is not You-Know-Who; he's my son. He'll do the right thing in the end."

Hermione stared at her and when Narcissa realised that Hermione did not share her point of view, she laughed and said, "Yes. Perhaps only a mother could understand."

Hermione shrugged, and left, leaving Narcissa to stare into space, thinking deeply of how to save her son.

'''''''''''''''''''

"Granger? Granger! Wake up, would you?"

Hermione opened one eye and, after seeing Draco Malfoy bearing down on her, quickly jumped up with fright.

It took her a full ten seconds to remember where and why she was in the Malfoy Manor. Finally she focused on Malfoy. There was something different about him. Same pale face. Same flawless skin. Same soulless grey eyes. Same gelled back silver hair. Same sensual mouth.

So what was different about him?

And then she realised what it was. There was a strange aura of power surrounding him, pulsating slightly. It scared Hermione and it made him seem almost inhuman.

It had been two weeks since she had last seen him. Over the last two weeks she had not achieved much. She was halfway through Hogwarts a History (She had found it in the Malfoy's Library), and her hair had succeeded in becoming wilder. She had established a relationship with Narcissa but it was a relationship full of politeness, small talk, and deep uncomfortable silences.

"Malfoy!"

"You looking nice didn't last too long, did it?" he said, raising one perfectly shaped eyebrow.

She didn't speak. She didn't want to insult him. Why? Because something about him made her palms sweat and her mouth to clamp shut.

"There's a ball coming up in two days. Could you try and look decent before then?"

She nodded.

"You're quiet," he said. "Why?"

She simply stared at him before finally giving in and opening her mouth.

"How's the new Voldemort thing, working for you?"

"It's everything I could wished for."

"Have you taken over Hogwarts?"

"Yes. Without Dumbledore, there was not much resistance."

"Did you kill many people?" she asked, her voice more calm then she had expected.

"Not too many. McGonagall is injured though and that oaf you love so dearly is in St. Mungos. You're lucky. We wouldn't have left him go if not for Weasley's bawling."

"Ron was there?"

"Yes. Harry brought him along so he could watch Hogwarts getting taken over. Very humorous, I must say. Weasley was pathetic, spluttering and yelling. I nearly killed him myself."

"So, he's alive?"

"For the moment. Granger, I have work to do which is more important than exchanging news on Weasley. So if you don't mind…?"

He strolled out with a confidence that only an arrogant git like him could possess.

If Hermione were a Slytherin, she probably would have killed him.

''''''''''''''''

"Narcissa," Hermione said. Narcissa had given her permission to call her by her first name. "Could you pass the salt?"

Narcissa past her the salt. She was terribly quiet and Hermione wished to hear her speak, even if only for a comment on the weather.

"I wonder when Draco is returning," Narcissa said.

"In two days."

"He told you and not me?"

"Well, er, he told me there was a ball in two days and that he'd come and get me for it."

"Oh," Narcissa muttered before returning to silence. Then her face broke into a smile and she said, "Oh! You'll need help getting ready for the ball! How fun!"

Hermione had to restrain herself from groaning.

'''''''''''''''''

Two days later, Hermione was still restraining the groan from leaving her lips.

Narcissa had a liking for makeup and hair and beauty. When she wasn't doing Hermione's nails, she was fussing over her hair. Narcissa had firstly tried to straighten the bush but when she had not succeeded, she had settled for long bouncy curls. Hermione liked them.

Her nails were the same colour as her robe, purple. Hermione liked the robe. It was made of a kind of material that felt like silk but was warm on the inside.

"Now, I knew there was a reason I liked you better than Weasley," said a voice from behind her.

She turned to see Malfoy standing against a wall, his arms folded. He was wearing black robes, which were quite nice on him, even if Hermione only admitted that to herself. His hair was gelled as normal but it was done with more care. That curious aura still surrounded him and when he smirked, Hermione thought he looked like the devil. Either that or a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"Hello, mother," he said to Narcissa.

She nodded stiffly back with cold civility.

"Well, we must be off. Hermione – Oh yes, I shall have to call you by first name and you by mine tonight – shall be back late so do not wait up, Mother."

He outstretched a hand to her. For a second she hesitated, but then something built up inside her. She'd been stuck in the Malfoy Manor for a long time now and she wanted to be out. Perhaps she would even see Ron at the ball.

"Oh yes," he said. "I forgot to tell you. Harry will be there."

She grasped onto his hand.

For a minute everything whirled around her but the sensation was soon over and, with a quick glance around, she knew they had arrived.

''''''''''''''''''

Malfoy, no, Draco didn't leave go of her hand. Instead he began strolling towards a group. Hermione walked along beside him, bracing herself for what was to come.

"Ah, you all made it. Let me introduce my charming company, Hermione Granger. Hermione, you know Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Pansy Parkinson, don't you?"

"I have a vague recollection, yes," she said smilingly, before offering her hand to Crabbe and Goyle, who kissed it. She tried not to cringe and she also tried to ignore the smirk on Draco's face.

"Oh, and Pansy. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I must say, your robes are so… cute." Pansy kept that sweet smile on her face. Hermione didn't slap her like she should have.

"Oh, and yours are so…slimming," Hermione returned.

"Thank you."

"Have you lost weight?" Hermione asked innocently.

Pansy looked down at her robes then back at Hermione smiling, "I was always this slim," she said with only a tinge of menace in her voice.

"Really?" she said before Draco steered her away.

"No cat fights, Granger," He muttered to her, "but you did okay. Even Muggles must socialise sometimes."

She didn't reply. Her eyes were fixed on a young man ahead of her. Draco was steering her in that direction.

"Harry, Harry. How are you?" Draco said, in a patronisingly friendly way.

"I'm fine, Draco, just fine. And you, Hermione? How are you? Is Draco keeping you well?"

She kind of hated this kind of stuff. Everyone was so polite to each other even when the hate was so completely obvious.

Harry was looking very well indeed. He had the same aura of power around him as Draco did. He looked very relaxed in his black robes, and his messy hair seemed almost wild but in a good way. In a sexy way, Hermione realised, as she saw the girls at the ball checking him out. There was a confidence about him he had never before possessed.

"I'm very well, thank you. And Draco is being ever the gentleman," she answered.

Something burned in Harry's eyes that scared Hermione but he kept the small smile (which looked almost like a smirk) and nodded. Looking at them now, you would never had presumed that he had tried to kill her, or that she felt so betrayed by him that she could barely look at him. Only four people knew, three people were present and the fourth was somewhere Hermione did not know.

"How's Ron?"

"He's well. I'm sorry he couldn't come. He had other engagements."

"Oh, that's too bad," she said in a pleasantly fake voice. "Maybe next time I'll get to see him."

"I wouldn't count on it," Harry said sweetly before Draco dragged her away.

'''''''''''''''

Hermione left for the bathroom on her own. The night hadn't been too bad so far. She hadn't seen Harry since that one time, and everyone was terribly polite to her. Probably out of fear. She was with the Dark Lord.

Harry hadn't gone to the ball with anyone, as far as she could tell. He seemed to stroll along on his own, offering greetings and receiving praise and compliments. Hermione could tell he loved it. He made her sick.

So when an arm reached out of one of the doors in the isolated hallway, Hermione got a fright.

But it was nothing like the fear she felt when she turned and saw Harry's face. His green eyes were burning with an incredible rage and lust, and on his lips played a small evil smile. The aura around him made Hermione feel like fainting. She was too close to him.

"Hello Hermione," he said in a soft black voice.

''''''''''''''

Oh, Cliffie!

Gotta be quick but thanks very much for all reviews! I'll stick in personal thanks in next chapter!

I've made a couple of weak changes to the story. No big changes, I just changed the first chapter a bit and got rid of a couple of mistakes present.