Author's Note: Here is Chapter 15, and that might have been a cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter. There isn't one here! Thanks to everyone reviewing, you're the greatest, look I uploaded another chapter the next day!

Chapter 15

"Now, what was it that you wanted Lucius?" Voldemort spun around to face the man with anger evident on his face.

"My lord, my lord, I merely wished to discuss your wife."

"My wife?"

"Yes, I-Are you going to fix your state of disarray my lord?"

Voldemort narrowed his eyes at Lucius and Lucius cowered slightly. "No."

"Of course, my lord, I was merely suggesting."

"Of course you were," Voldemort intoned, still glaring.

"As I was saying, I wished to ask why you wanted the muggleborn whore for your wife when you could have had a good upstanding pureblood woman!"

"Never speak of my wife in that way again, do you understand!" Voldemort said, flying at Lucius and holding him up by the throat.

"Yes, I am sorry, most sorry," Lucius choked out although he hardly meant it.

Voldemort dropped him unceremoniously back on the floor. "You didn't mean that apology but I know that you shall not find my next punishment for you will be to your liking if you insult my wife again."

Lucius tightened his jaw and stood. "She was Potter and Weasley's whore, what do you find in her?"

"She was never Potter or Weasley's whore, she belongs to no one but me; do you understand that?"

"She holds too much power over him; I'll certainly have to do something about that. I cannot believe that I apologized earlier when he was choking me. Malfoys do not apologize!"

"I asked you a question!"

"Yes, of course my lord," Lucius said, cursing himself for a moment.

"Now, get out of my sight!"

Lucius bowed to Voldemort before he walked purposely from the library, throwing a sneer at Voldemort's bedroom door for good measure, certain that Hermione was behind it.

Voldemort left the library behind Lucius and strode towards his bedroom. There was something wrong. He tilted his head to look at the door and realized that it was closed, not slightly cracked as he had left it.

Voldemort turned the knob and opened the door. He had suspected that he wouldn't see her.

"Where has she gone?"

"Probably to her rooms, duh," his other voice responded sarcastically.

Voldemort strode over to the blank stretch of wall and put his wand against it. The door appeared and he yanked it open only to find that no one was in the room.

"It does look nice."

"Well, if you like purple."

"No one asked for your opinion."

"Yes, but I'm your other conscious, it's my job to give you my opinion!"

"Right, well where is Hermione?"

"Ooh, looks like someone is getting possessive.

"I want my wife."

"Now, now don't pout, it's unbecoming. She probably went to Ginevra's chambers, they're on this floor."

"I knew that."

"Sure you did."

"Shut-up."

"What the hell is he doing here?" Hermione demanded.

Ebony fidgeted a bit with her dress, not meeting Hermione's eyes. "Well?"

"Why doesn't everyone sit down and we can calmly discuss this," Ginny said.

"This is not a time to play host, Ginny, I want to know why he is here?" Hermione folded her arms over her chest.

"You might want to sit down Hermione."

"I'll stand thank you," Hermione replied stubbornly.

Ebony sighed at Hermione's behavior. "I found out that we were wrong this entire time. It wasn't Draco that was controlling Ginny with the Imperious like we thought."

"Then who was?"

"I'm getting to that. It ties to something else."

"Really, well you haven't explained why he's here."

"I said I'm getting to that Hermione!"

"I generally don't like people that try to rape me," Hermione said.

"Well, there's more to this story. When we believed that Draco was the one that was controlling Ginny with the Imperious, we thought he had betrayed the Order and was evil himself, well he's not."

"What?" Hermione sank down onto the couch.

"Yes, exactly. I realized that something was wrong with Draco when he tried to rape you. I've known Draco for years and I've never known him to try to rape someone, it was a bit strange to say the least."

"There's always a first time for everything," Hermione retorted, glaring at Draco.

"Draco was being controlled by the imperious curse."

"How do you know?" Hermione asked.

"I broke the hold that it had over him," Ebony supplied.

"How?"

"Now is not the time to explain that Hermione. Did Voldemort let you come here?"

"Um, well he was with Lucius in his library," Hermione said, her face turning red.

Ebony narrowed her eyes. "Why didn't you go in the library and ask him to come here?"

"He kissed Hermione and did unspeakable things to her," Ginny supplied.

Hermione's mouth fell open in shock. "Ginny!"

"Well, that's what you told me."

Ebony bit her lip in an attempt not to smile. Hermione's reaction was rather funny.

"This isn't about me, this is about Ginny and Draco, now who put them under the imperious or actually, was it two people?"

"It was one person. Lucius Malfoy."

"What!"

Voldemort heard Hermione surprised shriek and swiftly went to open the door to Ginny's chambers.

"Hello Hermione," he said as he surveyed the three women in there.

He saw Hermione stiffen before she turned around. Her jaw hung open as she noticed that he was still in the same state of disarray. "You left without permission."

"What are you my parent?"

"I'm your husband."

"You're acting like my father."

Voldemort's lips thinned. "We're leaving," he said, grabbing Hermione's arm.

"We must certainly are not!" Hermione retorted, "I have to ask Ebony something."

"Then go ahead."

"In the next room."

Voldemort reluctantly relinquished his hold on Hermione so she could follow Ebony into the next room.

"What did you have to ask me?"

"Absolutely nothing, but what about Lucius?"

"I have a plan."

"A plan?"

"Draco and Ginny already know the plan so don't worry about that."

"I wasn't worried about that."

"Right, anyways, you can never be alone, except when you're in Voldemort's chambers but if he has to leave, come to Ginny's chambers."

"Why?"

"That way Lucius and Bellatrix cannot catch you alone and potentially harm you. Draco, Ginny and I will always be with you."

"I absolutely refuse to be alone with Draco."

"He's trustworthy."

"He'll have to prove it," Hermione said with a tone of finality.

"Fine, but well, I know this is a lot to ask of you but could you maybe ask Voldemort to give you a wand?"

"Are you mad? He'll never give me a wand!"

"Make a bargain, or something, this is for your own protection."

Hermione sighed. "I suppose."

"Excellent. Also come here every afternoon. I'm going to teach you, Draco and Ginny how to overcome the imperious curse and to hopefully learn some Occlumency."

"Really?"

"It'll give us the element of surprise against them. We have to protect ourselves now."

Hermione nodded. "What do I tell Voldemort?"

A smirk blossomed on Ebony's face. "Tell him that your question was regarding womanly things. He'll never ask further unless he goes into your mind."

Hermione stifled a laugh. "Thanks Ebony."

"You're Welcome; now go on before he blasts down that door."

"He wouldn't!"

"He would, more than likely. Never underestimate him."

Hermione laughed and opened the door to find Voldemort standing there brooding darkly.

"Let's go."

"I'm coming! Bye Ginny."

"Bye Hermione," Ginny voice floated out into the hall.

When they got back to Voldemort's chambers, he turned on her. "Don't leave the chambers again without my permission."

"Why is that?"

"I want to make sure you won't escape."

Hermione laughed. "Like I'm going to do that? You overestimate me. When I failed at escaping the first time I knew it would be fruitless to try again. I'm not stupid."

"You sometimes act like it!"

"Are you insulting my intelligence?"

"Yes, I do believe I am."

"How dare you? You-Argh!" Hermione stomped off to her room in a rage.

"That rotten, evil, cruel, bastard!"

"You forgot handsome, on fire, good at kissing…"

"Those don't apply to him."

"Sure they don't. I suppose there's something wrong with your eyes?"

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with my eyes."

"Then admit that you think he's handsome, good-looking, any sort of adjective that applies to him looking good."

"Absolutely not!"

"You know you want to say it. Come on. What about when he kissed you and you melted into his arms. See, that means he's good at kissing."

"La, la, la, I don't here you."

"Sure you don't but you just don't want to admit that he's good at kissing."

"ARGH, shut-up!"

"Oh, did I say that out loud!"

"Yes, unfortunately."

"How can I shut-up as you so eloquently put it if I'm not talking?"

"I don't know, just; just leave me alone right now!" Hermione weakly yelled back.

"Uh, why me!"