Disclaimer: I in no way shape or form own any of the Harry Potter characters

A week had passes since Hermione was brought to the manor, and still she hadn't apologized, so Draco kept her locked up in the dungeon like a pet who had been bad.

While Draco went out for raids and meetings, the house elves would manage to sneak in extra pillows or cookies for her. It was still miserable though; she was practically alone in a damp, dark place infested with rats. She wasn't giving up though, not unless something was wrong with her baby.

That night happened to be the night of the dinner for all his followers and their families. The ballroom was set up, dinner was being made, and Draco was dressed in his best attire and making sure everything was flawless around the manor. All was set;

All except Hermione.

Draco headed down the corridor until he came upon the discreet door leading down to the dungeons. He fumbled through his pocket for his keys before unlocking it and opening the door. As Draco made his way down the spiraling staircase, Hermione opened her eyes from her short slumber. Through the darkness she noticed his silhouette.

"How do you feel?" Draco asked as he crossed over to kneel down in front of her.

"What do you want, Draco?"

Not bothering to note her tone, Draco reached up to stroke a couple strands of hair away from her eyes. Hermione might have been weak, but she slapped his hand away.

"Calm down, I just came here to tell you that you're coming to dinner tonight. I have your dress and everything, and your peers will be there. It'll be a nice change after being do-"

"No. I'd rather stay down here than be with people like you."

No one told Draco no. Not his father, his mother, nor any of his followers, and surely not Hermione. Forcefully grabbing her wrist, he brought her body mere centimeters away from his. He could feel her shallow breaths hitting his face, and her rapid heart beats. Draco adored the power he had over her.

"Listen to me, this dinner is not an option. I want you there. Besides it'll be good to see familiar faces. Lavender Brown will be there. I know you and here were friends during sch--"

"Lavender? Why would Lavender be at one of your dinners?"

Draco's twisted smirk made its way back onto his lips, "Lavender and Theodore are engaged, so why wouldn't she be at one of my dinners?"

This was quite a shock for Hermione. Lavender was supposed to be pursing a career in France as a model; no one had seen her for months. The brunette turned back to Draco and shook her head.

"What about France?"

"A lie, but you'll find out about that tonight."

Lavender might of come as a shock to Hermione, but she wasn't backing down, "I told you, I'm not going."

That was it, he wasn't being nice anymore. Draco threw her over his shoulders and started up the stairs with her. Despite her screams and protest, Draco entered her room and sat her down on the bed with her wrist still clamped in his hands. Hermione bit her lip to force back the tears. Her efforts were futile, but the pain he was forcing upon her was near unbearable.

"Please, please," Hermione whimpered, "Draco let go."

He didn't bother to listen to her pleas, instead he tightened the grip.

"I want you agree to get cleaned up, fix your hair, put the dress I have for you on, and come down to dinner. Only then will I let go."

Hermione nodded and Draco released his grip.

"Good. The dress is in your bathroom, I expect you to be down by eight."

Hermione watched as he left the room. As soon as she knew he was down the stairs she went into a fit. Sending vases across the room, shredding pillows, and crying until no tears would leak out. The thing that stopped her was a sharp pain on the left side of her torso. Immediately she fell to her knees and gripped the side of the bed. As she opened her mouth to scream she quickly bit her lip so Draco wouldn't hear. There was nothing to do except sit there in pain. As the pain increased, the strain in keeping her screams silent became harder.

And just like the time before, the pain stopped as if nothing had happened.

Hermione took in a deep breath and pulled herself on top of the bed. Then she made her decision.

The guest had all arrived, each one looking as impressive as the next. Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Terence and Millicent Higgs, and many, many more. But the guest of the hour was Lavender Brown.

"Theodore, glad your here," Draco beamed as the two entered his manor. Taking the delicate hand of Lavender, he kissed her fingers before slinking his hand around her waist and leading her and Theodore inside, "And its lovely seeing you m'dear."

"As it is seeing you, Draco," Lavender threw in while scanning the ballroom. When she didn't see Hermione, she turned to Draco and raised an eyebrow, "Where is she?"

Before Draco could answer, Theodore butted in, and took Lavender from Draco's grasp.

"Yes, where is the poor mudblood? We're all dying to see her--"

Draco waved to a couple of guest before turning back to the pair, "She should be down soon."

"I think this will be a dinner to remember," Lavender mentioned as she grabbed Theodore's hand and headed to talk to Pansy.

As Draco watched Lavender walk off he smirked. She was the only reason his plan had worked so well, and for that he was entirely grateful to her.

Guest continued to arrive through the next hour, but still no Hermione. Pushing the thoughts out of his mind, Draco entertained his guest until dinner was served in the ballroom.

The ballroom was as if you had just walked into a movie. A long table from end to end, chairs on each side, candles lit, and surprisingly everything was in gold and scarlet for Hermione. Some of the guest thought Draco was going overboard with pleasing his new object of affection; others didn't really care unless their darklord became soft –

Platter by platter was served, and by time the main course was brought out, people really weren't eating anymore but instead catching up on the latest news about things.

Draco was currently deep in conversation with Marcus Flint until the room went quiet and all eyes shifted to the familiar but different face.

"Sorry I'm late," Hermione said softly as she crossed the room and sat in her spot next to Draco.

Everyone's eyes were placed upon the brunette as she took her goblet delicately and took a sip out of it. Even Draco was surprised by her sudden arrival. No one said a word after that until dinner was done. They were all amazed to see the strong, saucy girl they knew back at Hogwarts, all grow up but visibly feeble. One deatheater in particular took fascination with her, Blaise.

The houseelves cleared the table while the women headed to the garden for tea and the men into the den for firewhiskey and cigars. No matter how much Hermione hated Draco there was no way she was leaving his side during that night, so she stayed with the men.

Hermione sat next to Draco on one of the couches in the dimly lit room; he even managed to put an arm around her as he talked with everyone. The subjects they talked about made Hermione sick. They were all animals. Their enchanting smiles, expensive clothes, and harmless attitudes didn't get to her. These were the men who had destroyed her life, and there they were laughing and joking around. She had the nerve to say something cruel, but this night was about the survival for her baby.

As the night went on, Hermione became more and more exhausted. Draco was too blind to notice, but Blaise did.

"Excuse me for butting in, Draco, but could I take Hermione out to the gardens? Smoke isn't best for the baby."

Hermione shot her head up as soon as the words left his mouth. Harry hadn't even known she was pregnant; Draco was the only one. How he knew worried her.

The other men around the room were just as shocked as she was. Draco didn't seem to care and waved Blaise off giving him permission to take off with her. Without a word, Hermione followed Blaise out of the den and through the hallways.

Blaise and Draco had the same motives in life. Power, money, and fame. But Blaise was an entirely different person than Draco. Blaise was darker, with coffee brown hair and blue eyes. He grew up in a loving home, and had a shred of humanity left in him.

The two didn't reach the gardens though. Instead Blaise dragged her into the library.

She stood in awe at it. Every book imaginable was stacked upon the ceiling-high shelves. Desk and couches everywhere. It reminded her of the Hogwarts library somewhat. She was amazed that a monster like Draco possessed something as warm as the library she was standing in.

"He knew you would like it," Blaise said as he wrapped his coat around her shoulders, "Told us all that he was going to find every book known to put in here for you."

Hermione stared down at his coat and raised a curious eyebrow. She pushed the thought of it aside as he started in on the library and shook her head. It was amazing how Draco's mind worked. He was mad, but he was their Lord. Everything they believed was right there inside him.

"He could give me every library in the world and I'd still hate every single one of you."

Blaise's warm smile turned into a slight sneer as she circled the shelves, "He adores you, and that's all that you can say? Hermione this has been planned out for years now."

"I couldn't care less if this was planned since the first day I met him! What if someone took away your family? Or your girlfriend? What would you feel like, Blaise? Then to find out one of your friends betrayed you. Tell me something; what does Lavender have to do with everything? And how'd she get put in this mess?" Hermione had to catch her breath after that. Taking a seat on the couch, she placed her hand on her lower abdomen and took in a couple of deep breaths.

Blaise watched as she calmed herself down and took a seat across from her. If she wanted the truth, he'd give it to her.

"Lavender and Theodore started dating the last year of Hogwarts. Lavender became introduced in our world and took interest in it. After Voldemort's demise, Draco stepped up as our new Dark Lord. Now Draco knew about you and Harry, so he instructed Lavender to find out about you two. Where you went on dates, when he kissed you, the gifts he gave you. Draco knew everything, including the wedding information. So to everyone Lavender was gone when she really was living with Theodore away from the world. That's when Draco started planning the massacre," Blaise took in a deep breath before continuing, "I was ordered to take Lavender far away until the wedding was ov-"

Hermione tilted her head slightly, "-Wait, you weren't there?"

Blaise slowly shook his head and placed his elbows on his knees to continue on, "Draco's planning on harming the baby anyway he can, he told Marcus and I guess you could say I heard it through the grapevine. Hermione, I can help you."

There were a million different feelings and thoughts running through Hermione's head at the time. She was trying to put them in order to make some kind of sense out of them, but it all was making her feel emptier and emptier.

As tears started leaking out of her eyes, Blaise made his way over to sit beside her. He brushed them off her cheek and tilted her chin up to look at him, "I'm not going to harm you."

She sighed and buried her head in his chest. It might've not been the comfort she wanted, but she couldn't take it anymore. Blaise cradled her in his arms for a good while. The crying never ceased, but it didn't faze him. Already he was ahead in the game against Draco.

After an hour or so, Hermione had fallen asleep. Blaise watched her. How delicate she was, her pouty lips, he couldn't resist. Everything was peaceful until the dragon stormed in furiously.

"I've been looking everywhere for you two! If you laid a hand on--" Draco cut himself off when he found her asleep in Blaise's arms. An immediate sneer made its way upon his lips as stared at Blaise. He scooped her gently into his arms, and started out the door. But before he made it he turned back to Blaise, "If you even look at her, touch her, or think about her I swear I'll kill you. Now get out."

Draco watched as Blaise cautiously made his way out of the house. His blood was boiling but now wasn't the time to convey his anger. The blonde headed up the stairs and found Hermione's room.

He tucked her in bed, and made sure she had enough blankets.

"Pleasant dreams, love," He whispered as he kissed her forehead.

Leaving her to sleep, he headed to his own room to unwind.

Blaise was now the next hit on his list.

Authors note: Thanks to everyone who is reviewing. I adore each and every one of you and your reviews. Hopefully I can get ch. 3 up soon. 3