"Hermione...?" Ron asked when he saw his best girl friend sitting in the Gryffindor commonroom, looking at the fire.
"Ron?" She turned to face him and waited as he sat down beside her.
"You remember me?"
Hermione nodded, looking back at the fire. "I don't know what happened. I don't remember anything. One moment I was visiting Diagon Alley and doing a bit community service with Tom and the next minute... well... the next minute I was sitting in the Slytherin common room with Malfoy." She shook her head and frowned. "I freaked out and pushed him into a chair, knocking him over and then ran from the dungeons all the way up here."
"You're ok though. You don't think he did anything to you, do you?"
"I don't know. He must have. I think he did something to Todd too, because I haven't heard about him from anyone."
Ron listened to her for a while. She rambled on and on about how she couldn't remember anything and possible ways she could gain her memory back. Ron grinned the whole time at himself. He was happy to have Hermione back from the daze she was in earlier.
"Hermione?" Another voice came from behind the two. It was Harry. He stood by Ginny, Neville and Lavender who looked expectantly at Hermione, waiting for an explaination.
Ron scooted over closer to Hermione on the couch so that everyone could fit. Neville sat by him, Harry took the chair next to Hermione and the girls sat in the other chair across from him. Hermione seemed a bit zoned out so Ron filled them in with a few nods from Hermione.
"She even admitted it was Malfoy!" He finished.
"I did not Ron! I said it 'might' be!"
"You said it 'must have' been!"
"Well... I meant, might Ron. Seriously! If I don't remember anything how would I know it was he who did this to me?"
Harry interrupted. "Dumbledore seems pretty persistant that Malfoy has nothing to do with it. At least, that he isn't going to harm you."
Hermione nodded at this. "I honestly don't think he would, but if not Malfoy, then who gave me sudden amnesia like that?"
"What about Todd?" Ron asked. "That fool seemed a little off."
"You just don't like him because he was dating Hermione," Ginny said suddenly then quickly slapped her hand over her mouth.
The Headgirl looked up at Ginny and then over to Ron. "I had better get back to my room. I have a lot of studying to catch up on from the past two days I missed."
NEXT
"Do you need me to walk you back to your room Hermione?" Lavender asked. She had a genuine look of pity on her face and suddenly she wanted to smack that stupid look off of it.
Keeping her cool she replied simply. "No," And walked off towards the door and quickly to the Headstudents Tower. She didn't want to hear the start of her friends talking about her. She couldn't take that.
As she slid into the common room she found Draco laying across the couch studying. He looked up at her for a moment before returning to his book and ignoring her completely. The room remained quiet for a while as Hermione rummaged meaninglessly through the bookshelf.
"Malfoy," She said, breaking the silence.
He looked royaly pissed as his eyes came into contact with hers.
"Did you do something to me?"
He laughed scornfully. "I did nothing to you except bring you to the Slytherin common room because I couldn't get you to leave me alone and then YOU did something to me. You spazed out and knocked me flat on my ass." He face became confused for a moment. "Are you off the master kick already?"
Hermione sat on the coffee table across from Draco. "Master Kick?"
"The jar... you opened it."Her eyes opened wide at this new piece of information.
"Oh gods... I did!" Suddenly Hermione remembered Todd handing her the jar and her opening it up. "I can't believe I did that."
"That's nothing. You are going to be a walking zombie for Voldemort soon. You think not remembering an hour of your life is bad. Soon, you will be completely lost and you wont even remember you normal life or your friends as you know them now." Malfoy smiled. "Pretty twisted hex, huh?"
"You knew!"
"I found out," his smile ran colder and colder as he talked. "I am after all, the son of the greatest death eater Hermione. With you on there side I may as well just make it official. Harry and the mudbloods are going to lose."
"You know what's twisted, you bastard?" Hermione said and almost as soon as she said it she felt her body convulse and she collapsed suddenly, rolling from the coffee table to below the couch.
NEXT
Draco shot up as Hermione hit the floor. He knelt beside her and felt for a pulse. There was one there.
"Hermione?" He whispered, shaking her a little and lifting her head. "Hermione?"
The girl moaned, shifting her body slightly before going stiff again. Draco lifted her up, set her on the couch and simply watched her for a few moments. He was lost on what to do. Call for help and have her quarenteened? Stay here and watch over her? He smiled a little at her sporadic whimpering over the next minutes. Sitting himself down on the table he watched her.
She was pretty even when she hadn't showered or brushed her hair for over a day. And for some reason, her helplessness made her even that more appealing.
Suddenly, Hermione's eyes shot open. She looked at him, sat up and smirked. "Master Malfoy, do you have any news from our Lord? When do we meet up?"
"I'm not going to be the one who gives you those orders, Hermione."
"Then, I will have to find Master Todd. He will accept my willingness to help." She leaned closer to Malfoy, setting her hand on his inner thigh with a small squeeze. "I am totally at his and your disposal as long as you are faithful to Lord Voldemort."
Draco felt his pulse rise as her hand slid a little higher. He had to stop her now.
"Of course. Since you are not faithful to him, I must find Todd and fullfill my duty to my Lord." She pulled her hand away and sat up.
The boy looked at her, dazed. She really was made to follow his every whim as his father had promised. He remembered when the lar was opened. It acted as a mass and individualized communication device from Voldemort. It told each death eater what their job would be, straight from Draco's Father's mouth. During that time of unconciousness, their brain was uploaded with all sorts of plans that could only be spoken of to other death eaters or those loyal to Voldemort.
Thinking for a moment, Draco decided it was better to play along with Hermione. Otherwise, when Todd came about, he was sure to take advantage of everything she was willing to offer.
Apparently, that was a lot.
"Hermione, I just had to make sure it was actually you speaking and not the mudblood loving whore." He said.
With that comment, she smiled brightly. "So Master, what have you heard from him?"
"Just that we are to meet him the night of Samhain. He will be at his peak that night."
Hermione face darkened. "So will Potter's powers!"
"Yes, but out Lord will have you."
"He will," She was smiling once again and leaning into him. "So Master Malfoy. What now?"