Disclaimer: The usual blather…I own nothing…JKR owns everything…way to rub it in!

Chapter Two

She had known it would happen. Wasn't it the inevitable, after all? Wasn't it the unavoidable, undeniable truth Hermione had secretly pertained all these years of knowing the Malfoys and of what they were capable? Yes, she had known full well that the day would come when this would happen. It had just been too obvious to fathom, was all. The idea itself was still bizarre to her. Kidnapped by Lucius, the father of the boy Hermione had been somewhat, technically involved with, and then beaten, tortured with an unforgivable curse…she felt shot down, like she would never have the bravery to fight back ever again. And she lay there, hanging by chains in a dank dungeon, pondering how she had ever managed herself into such a hapless predicament as the man before her stood with the meanest grimace on his face she had ever witnessed. Crueler than Draco's by far, more spine chilling than any other death eater she had ever crossed paths with. Lucius Malfoy's grimace was worse than all the others because beneath it he wore the mocking smile of someone who had always gotten his way. And here Hermione was, defenseless and wretched, another whore for him to fuck, another tally on his list, another reason why he would never stop smiling that damned smile of his. A brief surge of pain throbbed from where the circulation in her wrists should have been flowing. She stiffened her arms, trying to relieve the direct strain while making certain not to move her head and shake the meticulously placed hairs from their restive positions over her breasts. Lucius muttered something unintelligible with seeing this cautious gesture and leaned his head against hers, his lips on her cheek as he spoke the words. He had her scent on his breath now.

"Does it hurt terribly?" he coaxed, in which Hermione replied with a growl and look of detestation. "My, my," Lucius said in an amused tone. "Why so hostile? Have you learnt nothing?" He moved his mouth from her cheek and to her lips, pressing them into hers forcefully. She tossed her head aside weakly, just enough to throw him off of her momentarily. She took the spare time her lips were free and spit the vile from her mouth, gagging. A sane man may have been berated by such a reaction to his kiss, but Lucius was far offfrom the sanity of most men.

"Not nice, pretty," he said, touching a hand to her face. "I hope you don't treat my son this way."

Hermione slumped against her chains and sighed, exasperated. "I wonder how deep this eerie fascination with your son runs, Lucius," she said with a tired voice. "Incestuous, I dare assume."

A fist met her left eye with incredible force, a large ring on Lucius' hand slicing right through her eyebrow. A scar there, Hermione thought, and she almost laughed with the image of herself and Remus comparing similar battle wounds over butterbeer one night after she gets out of here. If I get out, the bitter pessimist inside of her corrected morosely.

"You dare accuse me of a crime so heinous as incest?" he hollered. Then he laughed, as Hermione had silently predicted he would. Lucius' habits were becoming more and more predictable every moment, in fact. Next he would probably-

"Of course I've fucked my son, you foolish girl," he scoffed, finishing Hermione's train of thought that he would next admit to the accusation full heartedly. And now would be the speech, no doubt.

"How do you think us purebloods keep the name so pristine? I'm sure mudblood scum like yourself have not the slightest clue, but you happened to guess right, that incest is the key to perfect blood. Besides," he added with a wink that made Hermione's stomach churn, "who could resist the tight arse that son of mine has? Truly told, he gets it from his mother."

"Do you rape Draco?" Hermione whispered disgustedly to him and Lucius' lip curled into a snarl.

"I do what I do best, Hermione," he said, and with that, he pulled out his wand and pointed it straight at her. "Now, you and I are going to play a little game." He waved the wand over the wrist cuffs binding her and they disappeared in an instant, making Hermione fall to the ground in a pile. She recovered miraculously, sitting up with her fists clenched and eyes wide and aware. "Now comes my favorite part. I do hope you will enjoy it. I know that I will," he said, and Lucius Malfoy cried, "Imperio!"

Severus Snape stood outside of Malfoy Manor none too discreetly. In fact, in his button covered attire of black and more black and even more buttons, Snape stuck out like a sore thumb. A pity, he thought. As he usually loved a good surprise.

The location had been typical. He knew Lucius, knew where he usually brought his…what word to use, Severus wondered. "Whore" would naturally be the best in most situations as thus, but somehow with Hermione…no, whore wasn't the word here. Victim was. Lucius, Severus knew from experience, brought his victims here. And this was where he had taken Hermione as well. They would be in the dungeon. She would be in bondages. He would beat her, rape her, and kill her.

He knew this because he used to help.

Severus thought of Hermione for a moment while trying not to think too hard about her. She was the most brilliant Potions student he had had the pleasure to teach and he had rather liked her. Now, she was probably…he forced his mind to trail off, allowed his anger to rise. He would need to be angry for what he was about to do.

And as he broke through the Wards at the front door, Severus only hoped he wasn't too late.

She was kneeling on the floor in front of him, her hands at her side and her eyes straight ahead.

"I think I like you much better this way," Lucius said. "Now, take off your skirt and knickers."

Inside, Hermione was screaming and retching and hating…but on the surface her eyes were emotionless and her mouth only twitched nervously as she moved her fingers to her hips and smoothed the skirt down over her thighs and to the floor. Then they moved up to her panties and, without hesitation, pulled them down as well. Lucius stared greedily at the youthful patch of dark hair that played against her milky skin, enjoying every bit of the naked girl before him.

"You're loose, doubtless. A shame I won't be the one with the honor of being your first. Was it my son, I wonder?"

Hermione's first had been a long time ago, but it had not been with Draco Malfoy. Or Ronald Weasley. Or Pansy Parkinson.

"No?" Lucius asked with mild surprise. "Interesting. Who could it have been…"

Hermione's face was still vacant, save the blush that was beginning in her cheeks. He need only ask and she would have to tell him truthfully whom it had been with. With whom it still was, always.

"Who?" Lucius asked her, unzipping his nicely tailored black pants.

And Hermione opened her lips to answer but as the name was said, a louder noise washed out the sound. Severus Snape came crashing through the door, sending heavy stone smashing against heavy stone in an uproar of commotion that made Lucius take his wand off Hermione and point it at Severus.

"Avada Kedavra!"

All was silent butfor the tremor in Hermione's breathing. She lay naked on the dungeon floor with her head in a man's lap. She looked at the long white hair and threw up. A cool hand brushed her forehead as another held back her hair. Then the man picked Hermione up in his arms and turned her away from Lucius' dead body.

"You're okay now, Hermione," came a whisper in her ear and she looked up at Severus Snape. He was the last thing she saw before sighing and slipping into unconsciousness.