When I returned to the room, having thoroughly scrubbed my skin, it was empty. This shocked me a little, I had expected at least one of them to want to keep an eye on me. Shrugging, I went to the cupboard to 'borrow' some more of Malfoy's clothes, what I found instead stopped me dead. All but a handful of the beautiful and feminine robes/dress robes were gone, in there place was tasteful made women's trousers and blouses. I gaped for a second, reminded myself that yes I did still hate Riddle and Malfoy. Then I selected a lovely pair of grey slacks and a slightly flowing black top. They were a perfect fit of course. I turned and spotted something else strange in the room, there was a tray with some breakfast on it. Nothing too fancy, some buttered toast with a coffee. I scoffed it down, rather annoyed I wouldn't get to go and annoy the kitchen staff like I had been doing previous mornings. They love me.

"How do you feel?" I jumped and turned, Riddle was at his desk. He was opening letters and glancing at the contents.

I didn't let him see me shaken, "better." He nodded and went back to his letters, apparently dismissing me. I huffed internally and walked over. There were a few letters with the Hogwarts letter head stamped on the top, ignoring him I opened them to read.

"Anything interesting?" He sounded like he was holding back a laugh, apparently a raunchy morning abed made for a happy Dark Lord.

"They want to know about funding for some ball they are planning," I scoffed at the name, "a purification 'Ball'." I tossed the letter onto the ground, "weird Purebloods."

Riddle laughed this time and I startled, "actually that ritual is when Pureblood engagements are finalised."

I frowned, what madness is this. "Who do they finalise a marriage with? Their first cousins?" I thought that was quite clever, he didn't even smile the chump.

"They choose a Mudblood to marry actually." I nearly choked on my spit, he took clear delight in my shock. "Have you ever actually done any research into Pureblood families before."

Yeah because that is something I really want to know about... "Not recently."

He smirked. "Well since I have come into office, hell since we were at school, I have noticed a particular lack of magic in the Purebloods of our society. By-product of inbreeding no doubt, too many squib children born and too few magical children."

I narrowed my eyes, "You hate Muggleborn people."

He rolled his eyes, "I hate Muggles, I simply dislike Mudblood children."

"So you are going to marry Muggleborn teenagers, to Pureblood teenagers and fix their gene pool?"

He nodded, and I scoffed. "Why the hell would the Muggleborn people agree to that? For fucks sake, they're literally branded with a mark."

Riddle shrugged, "some don't agree. But Purebloods are good at getting what they want, as are Halfboods." His eyes ran up and down my body, I crossed my arms and frowned.

"So they're cattle?" Disgusting Wizard.

"More like precious prizes, the smartest muggleborns go to my most loyal followers children."

I snarled, my fists slamming down on the desk and disrupting his perfectly ordered papers. "That is barbaric."

He sighed and picked up one of the papers that fell to the floor, "that is survival. Compared to the Muggle population, the Wizarding one is tiny. Bloody things breed like rabbits. And if it ever came out that we exist, all of us, do you really think that the Muggle's will be alright with that?"

I thought about the Great War I had witnessed, and experienced first hand, but dismissed the thought. "You're still wrong."

He laughed, "you know I'm not. We need a population boost, what better way then ensuring that the next generation are more powerful then the last."

"I hate you." I growled out my words from this morning, he didn't reply, his eyes did darken though. Taking that as my que to leave, I stormed out the door.

"Fucking messed up world," my mad ramblings were overheard by a few of the staff. They looked frightened for a second, then realised it was me and relaxed. Probably more than used to my current mental state, and one-sided discussions I had with myself.

"It's not so bad." Malfoy had started walking with me, I jumped in fright,

"Jesus Christ, going to put a fucking bell on you." Hand over my heart I continued walking, he fell into step next to me. He looked healthier than he had done yesterday, the sallowness in his cheeks gone after my feed this morning. I blushed for a second thinking about it.

"Only if I get to put a collar on you, something with diamonds." His voice turned husky, clearly enjoying the thought.

We stood outside of the library, "I'm really more of a emerald kind of girl." I put on what might pass as a seductive voice, as expected he leaned in a little, eyes darkening.

"Would you like me to collar you? Have you beg some more? You did taste so pretty on my tongue." Pretending to blush I took a step into the library, he moved forward a little more.

From beneath my lashes I looked at him, "do you know what I would really like Abraxas." As expected my use of his name caused shivers on his skin, he was practically salivating.

"Wha-" I slammed the door on his face as hard as I could, and clicked the lock in place. There was an explosion of curses from the other side, then an attempt to open it and finally the thumping of fists.

"You're a goddamned wild animal Nymph," yep "you can't hide in there forever."

He slammed his fist once more on the door and then it was calm, I heard him growl something about a 'broken nose' and stifled a giggle. Then footsteps leaving.

Whistling I turned and looked around my empty haven, picking a fictional book I took my usual chair and curled up.

There was a calmer knock at the door several hours later and I pulled my head from my novel, it was a welcome surprise that Malfoy had Muggle authors in his precious library. Placing 'Emma' on a table, I went towards the door.

"Yes?"

"His lordship Malfoy and the minister request your presence for lunch." The soft voice of Rosie, one of the branded staff, floated through.

I considered not going, but I was rather looking forward to arguing with Malfoy over the table. I opened the door and walked out, Rosie was waiting and smiled in greeting. "Master Malfoy was very upset before." She said as we walked.

"I may have fixed his pointy nose for him," she giggled, "always thought he'd look better with something flatter."

We were silent after that as we walked, people scurried around us in the corridor. "What are they doing?"

Rose jumped a little at my sudden question and looked nervous. "Master Malfoy is hosting a ball soon." She fiddled with her dress as she walked, "the Purification Ball."

Ah yes, otherwise known as 'my get the fuck out of dodge Ball'.

"They will select the Mudblood women and men who have performed the best to become partners to the Pureblood and Halfblood witches and wizards." Rosie went an alarming shade of white and stopped walking. "M-Master Malfoy said I am to be given to one of his relatives."

My lip curled in disgust, "You get no say in this?" She shook her head, "so they expect you to just lay on your back and birth the next generation?"

She went whiter and wobbled a little, I gripped her arm to steady her. She closed her eyes for a moment, fingered the 'M' brand she had then opened her eyes again. "It is a great honour, the best we can expect."

"Bullshit." She gasped at my language and I waved off her reaction. "Life's too short to worry about cuss words Rosie, who has the great Lord Malfoy decided you are to be raped by?"

"Nott." She gulped, "I-I met him once, he slapped me for looking at him."

I gaped for a moment, calm. "Right." Eyes narrowing I stormed away from a shocked Rosie, a tight pressure was in my chest and I knew just how to relieve it. Feet thumping down on the wooden floors, I had nearly reached the dining room when a hand shot out from the side and pulled me into a cupboard.

"The fuc-" a dainty hand slammed down on my mouth. Vanessa stared at me with her finger over her lips, I nodded and she released my mouth.

"Quiet, and whatever you're about to go and do, don't."

Huffing out a breath I looked around at the inside of the cupboard quickly, broom closet. "You didn't tell me that this bloody ball was a fucking slave market."

She rolled her eyes, "the entire world is a slave market now, get over it." She straightened her hair with her hands, "you can't lose your cool now."

"Why the hell not?" I could feel a bubble of magic in my chest, I might actually be able to hurt them with this much raw magic.

"Because if you piss them off now, they won't let you attend the ball. We need you to attend the ball."

"So I have to play nice until when exactly?" Hopefully sooner than we had predicted.

She smirked, "they moved up the date. The 'Purification Ball' will be hosted tomorrow instead of next week, luckily for us I work quick."

I nodded, "You figured out how to get me out of here?"

Vanessa let out a quiet laugh, "of course. I had a few of the Muggleborn staff agree to create a diversion, should be enough to sneak you away from your captors."

"How will you get everybody out? Before I blow this place to hell."

She looked nervous for a moment, oh dear. "War is bloody, we are willing to sacrifice the few to take out our oppressors."

"Oh hell no, I did not agree to murder innocent people just to kill a few."

Hands gripped mine and I met her eyes, there was such determination in them that I faltered for a moment. "There is no other way, you are the only hope we have of truly ending this Reign. Please, everybody knows the risks and what will happen. And those that don't, they would understand."

My breath was shaky, a thought occurred. "What if... What if we don't have to kill everybody." She tilted her head, "cut the head of the snake."

"You want to kill only Riddle?"

I shook my head, "Malfoy too. Which will kill me, can't live without them and all that Nymph business." I took her hands, "we get them to follow me, when I escape. Shouldn't be too hard, they do love chasing me through forests." A bubble of laughter left me. "Then I just," I clicked my fingers and she flinched.

"We don't know if killing them will be enough, they have an army of followers." She was desperate.

"But without their leader, they will flounder, give you all enough time to maybe change the status quo." I hesitated, "I can't be responsible for the death of innocent people, I can't."

"Fine." She was pissed, "you're making this harder for me though."

"Would you rather die?"

"I'd rather be free." She hissed, and stormed out of the cupboard. Death isn't freedom.