21 Dec 1998

Hermione ran her hands up the back of her leather-covered thighs then slapped her arse as she looked in the mirror. It was the Christmas hols and she was back in Malfoy Manor and happy to be back in her signature look. Well, almost.

Because it was Christmas she'd changed her black leather trousers for deep red ones.

"Don't you look delicious?" Lucius said from behind her and she turned to look at him. She hadn't even heard him enter her room. "Plans tonight?"

"The Dark Lord said he wouldn't be needing me," she told him, slightly sad. "It is Yule. I had hoped there would be another ritual like Mabon, but he said only on the Autumn equinox and not the Winter solstice."

"Different feast days are for different things." He held his hand out to her and guided her to the sofa in front of the fireplace. He set her on his lap and began to play with her straight hair as he talked. "Yule and Ostara are all about family magicks. Rituals for protections like blood wards on their property, personal protections; things like that.

"Mabon represents the end of the Wheel of the Year, so you focus on endings and reaping what you've sown. That is why the Dark Lord had us end a life and then he harvested magic from his flock. On Litha, the summer solstice, we celebrate the move from light to dark. The days become shorter and the nights longer. Rituals on those days typically focus on fertility and strength."

"That sounds so interesting. Do you have any books I could read?"

His hand travelled from her hair, over her shoulder and his fingers toyed with the lace of her top. His voice was low as he spoke and she had to strain to hear him "I do. Or you can experience it for yourself. You could join Draco and me tonight. We'll do the blood ritual, but there is a sex ritual I want to do."

Following his lead, she turned her head and spoke directly into his ear. "Shouldn't Narcissa be doing that with you? She's your wife and lives here."

Lucius rotated her so she was facing him, her knees on either side of his thighs. He pulled her close so their chests were touching and he lightly bit her earlobe, causing her to shiver.

"Can I trust you, darling?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes," she told him, keeping her voice as quiet as possible.

"I've missed you. Come take a shower with me."

His voice was back to its normal volume and she allowed him to carry her to the bathroom even though she had just finished bathing before he entered her room. He slowly removed her clothes and cast a charm on her hair to gather it on her head and keep it from getting wet. She stood naked in front of him and blushed as he looked her body over whilst he removed his clothing.

He was a vision. Flawless skin and lightly defined muscles that proved wizards aged slower than their Muggle counterparts. His cock was hard and the tip was already glistening. She wanted to take it in her mouth and pleasure him but at the same time, she thought of Severus and she hesitated.

The relationship she had with her Defence professor had changed so rapidly and she wasn't sure what exactly that meant. Before, he was a project. She'd seduced him on Voldemort's orders and at Bellatrix's request, but now she wanted him. The hours they spent in his bed were the highlight of her weeks.

She and Severus had never had a conversation about being exclusive and she'd already been with Lucius so it wasn't like fucking him now would change anything. Severus was just a way to serve the Dark Lord, and nothing more.

And she would repeat that to herself until she began to believe it.

She pulled herself from her thoughts and focused on Lucius. She could worry about her relationship with Severus later. Stepping into the shower cubicle, she wrapped her arms around his trim waist and pressed a kiss to his chest.

"Sorry for this, darling, but I wanted to make sure we weren't overheard," he was still quiet and she had to listen hard over the sound of the water. "May I confide in you?"

She nodded, unsure of what Lucius could possibly need to talk to her about.

"I am worried for my son. He is not the same as he was the last time I saw him. He looks unhealthy. I feel like Bellatrix is hiding something about my son and neither Narcissa nor I know what it is. The ritual I want to do is an old family one. It is performed with all living Malfoy men and a powerful witch. I trust Narcissa, but she can't help with this."

"What do you need from me?" She was determined to help Draco in any way she could. She wasn't blind to how he looked. He'd been looking worse for the last month, but he'd refused to meet with her and declined her offers of help. There wasn't much she would do for her friend if he didn't want help.

"It is a sex ritual. We both have to take you at the same time in order for it to work. So you can see why we can't ask Narcissa to join us."

She nodded. There was no way Narcissa could perform a sex ritual with her own son. But there was something shady about the way Lucius was telling her about in a place where they couldn't be overheard. "Lucius, please be honest with me. Why are you telling me this in here? Would our Lord not approve?"

"I don't want him to think I am trying to make Draco more powerful. The old rituals… Well, unless you are raised with them, you don't understand them. This won't make Draco a more powerful wizard, but it will help him to access his full potential. He would be the strongest Draco. But it doesn't increase his magical abilities. There is a chance the Dark Lord wouldn't understand what we are doing."

Hermione thought about her options. From what Lucius was telling her, it was a simple matter of helping Draco. She couldn't see anything wrong with it, but she needed to make sure before she did something behind Voldemort's back. Even if there weren't any restrictions on what she could do whilst out of school.

"I want to help Draco. You promise me you're telling me the truth?"

"I promise," he told her earnestly. "I'll even let you look at the family grimoire that explains what we'll be doing. And the Dark Lord is already aware that Draco and I will be redoing the wards tonight. So we wouldn't be sneaking away from here."

"I'm in," she told him and grinned when he smiled at her. If he was willing to show her the ritual, she'd be able to know that they weren't deceiving the Dark Lord.

Lucius pulled her tighter against him and kissed her deeply before suddenly pulling back.

"Fuck, witch." He groaned against her forehead. "I want to fuck that tight little cunt of yours so bad right now but I have to prepare. Meet me in my study in an hour?"

She nodded then sighed as he left the shower. He wasn't the only one that wanted to fuck. But she could wait the few hours until it was time to begin the ritual.

Hermione shivered as Lucius led her to the Malfoy stone circle. It was a clear night and the light of the crescent moon lit their way. As they approached, she saw Draco was already inside the space and had lit fires in front of each standing stone and a larger one in front of the altar. The ceremonial blade flashed in the dancing light and her stomach clenched when she thought about what she would be doing in a short matter of time.

As soon as she entered the circle the frigid air was replaced with a warm breeze. It was as pleasant as a summer night and she marvelled at the magic of the space.

She had changed from her leather and lace ensemble back into the rough cotton robe from Mabon. Lucius and Draco were in ones that matched hers but they shed them as soon as she stood next to the altar so she did the same. She noticed Draco looked thinner than he had the last time she'd seen him naked, but his skin looked healthier in the light of the fires.

"You'll just watch this part," Lucius explained.

She watched as Lucius picked up the dagger and slashed it across his left palm. He held his hand steady before quickly passing the knife to Draco who repeated the step. He tossed the blade onto the altar and both men opened their hand and allowed their blood to drip onto the ground.

Magic was thick in the air and she looked up as they chanted in unison. She was shocked when a ripple of power washed over her. The magic soared into the air and for a moment, she could see the powerful wards, almost like a bubble, that surrounded the property.

"Darling," Lucius called, pulling her eyes back to the men. "We're ready for you."

Hermione walked back to the altar and was about to grab the dagger when Draco stilled her hand. "I was thinking, Granger. This ceremony is Malfoy magic, but it can be used on anyone in the ritual. Would you like to be blessed?"

Hermione stood there shocked for a half-second before readily agreeing. When she had been reading over the ritual she had almost been sad that she was only able to participate by having sex with them and not being able to tap into her full magical potential.

"What changes will there be from what I read?" she asked.

"No changes. Father and I will draw runes on you, then you two on me, and us on Father. Once we are done, we'll have sex to seal the blessing."

She turned to Lucius. "You're going to do it too?"

"It never hurts to make sure you're at full strength. You two aren't the only ones at war in this circle. May we start with you, darling?"

She consented then watched as they dipped their finger into the blood that was still seeping from the wounds in their palms. They stood on either side of her and began to draw on her body. Draco started by painting Dagaz for awakening and enlightenment on her forehead, then Lucius added Nauthiz for wanting and desire over her public bone. They took turns, adding Algiz for healing, Kenaz for knowledge, and Sowilo for will and intent before both of them drew Uruz over her heart for strength and survival.

When they were done, she picked up the dagger and made a deep cut in her palm. Pain blossomed from her hand as blood ran from the wound. Pushing it aside, she joined Lucius in front of Draco and they repeated the runes on his body until it was time to paint on Lucius. The blood was dark against the pale skin of the Malfoy men and she marvelled at the way the runes sparkled in the moonlight.

Picking up her wand, she traced it over her palm, closing the wound, before doing the same to each man. Once they were healed and she'd cleaned the blood from their hands, they stood at the altar and picked up the bundles Draco had prepared for them earlier. They were bundles of herbs and flowers that were specific to each of them that would need to burn as they completed the sex ritual.

Whilst their coupling and the burning of the bundles would happen quickly, the ritual would take time to fully manifest inside them. From what she could decipher from the grimoire, she would start to notice changes in her magic over the course of the following fortnight.

Draco took her by the hand and led her to the other side of the large fire. Laying her on the ground, he pulled her down onto her side so they were facing each other. She felt Lucius settle behind her as Draco pressed his lips to hers. His kiss was desperate and she ached to pull him into her and take the weight he was carrying off his shoulders. Lips found her neck and she moaned deeply into Draco's mouth as Lucius found a sensitive area and began to kiss and nibble on it.

Hermione shivered as Lucius spoke the spell needed to ready her body for him and his magic tingled over her. Even though she'd known all day she was going to sleep with both Malfoy men she hadn't expected to feel so excited about it. There was something deliciously sinful about fucking father and son at the same time. If only Draco had a brother so all her holes could be filled by them.

"Put your leg over his hip, darling," Lucius whispered into her ear. "I want to be inside you."

Draco's hand grabbed her knee and opened her up to them. The head of his hard cock was rocking against her clit and she tried to move closer but Lucius held her still. She wanted to come, but she wanted them inside her more so she stilled her hips and prayed Lucius wouldn't go too slow.

"Stop stalling, father," Draco growled. "I want to come in her cunt, not on the ground and my balls are starting to ache."

Hermione snorted at Draco's rant but her giggles turned into a groan as Lucius began to push into her. Pleasure rippled out from her arse in waves as he slowly filled her. It was so much more intense than she had experienced with Dolohov on Mabon and she wondered if it had to do with the Malfoy family magic that was filling the space or if Lucius was just that much better. His cock sure was more impressive.

"Fuck, you feel good." Lucius kissed her neck and whispered into her ear as he filled her. "So fucking perfect. Draco, your turn."

"About damn time. Stay still, Granger."

Draco shifted closer to her and lined himself up at her centre before thrusting into her in one go. It took her off guard and she squeaked in surprise. Neither man moved for a moment and she took in the stillness of the night. The only sounds were their heavy breathing and the cracking of the fires around them.

"Look up, darling." Lucius' hand wrapped around her and he turned her head towards the sky.

The air was filled with fairies, their own form of magic adding light to the stone circle. Glancing down at Draco, she noticed the rune on his forehead was glowing with the same soft glow. A perusal of her own body showed she was glowing as well, a clear indication that the ritual was working.

"You ready, Granger?" Draco asked, grinding his hips against hers.

She nodded and the two of them began to move in and out of her. Each thrust in and out seemed to match the noise of the popping of the fire next to them, their breaths, and the shifting of the fairies overhead. It was as if the entire circle was in tune with them.

Hermione kept her eyes open and focused on the space around them. Wave after wave of magic swirled around their bodies like she was in the middle of the northern lights. Shutting her mind off, she allowed herself to be swept away by the magic, the pleasure, and the flesh around her.

Nothing mattered in this space but becoming one with the men buried in her body.

"... just like that Draco," she said, aware that she was speaking for the first time.

"Can you come for us again?" Draco asked. Again? She didn't realise she had come before, so caught up in the magic of the moment.

"Let us feel you tightening around us, darling. We want to come with you," Lucius said, his thrusting hard against her back.

Each of the men took one of her nipples in their fingers and began to pinch, pull, and twist them and she felt herself tip over the edge.

She cried out their names as her entire body tensed and began to shake from the intensity of the moment. Twin groans filled her ears as Draco and Lucius both swelled inside her and she felt the first spurts of their come.

A flash of magic flared out from the large fire, bathing the circle in bright white light before everything went silent. She couldn't hear the fires, the men, or even her own breath. An unnatural stillness filled her and she froze as her vision went black.

A soft glow moved towards her, lighting the space, and she realised she was in a room filled with mats like the one she was sitting on. It reminded her of the meditation lodge her mother had taken her to once.

Suddenly, her grand-mère walked out of a doorway she hadn't noticed and stood before her. She pulled Hermione to her feet and wrapped her in her arms. She hadn't seen her mum's mother since she died the summer after Hermione went to France when she was thirteen. Tears were running down both of their faces as they embraced.

"Sois forte, ma petite chou-fleur," her grand-mère whispered in French. "C'est presque fini."

"What's almost over?" Hermione asked.

She didn't answer and the room started to fade out. Hermione called to her grand-mère once more, asking what was almost over but the only thing she heard was a quiet je t'aime and her eyes opened to the December night sky.

"Granger! Granger! Hermione!" Draco was calling her, shaking her slightly. "Wake up!"

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "What was that?" she asked, turning over to face Lucius.

"What did you see?" he asked.

"My maternal grandmother. She passed away a few years ago."

"Some members of my family have reported seeing visions or interacting with the departed. It's rare so I didn't mention it. I apologise, darling." He wrapped her in his arms and placed a kiss to her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

Hermione did an inventory of her body. Besides the tenderness of her lower regions, everything else felt normal. Her skin was tingling from the magic of the space and she was tired.

"A little sleepy, but overall I'm okay," she told him.

"Too sleepy to come to bed with me?" Draco whispered in her ear, nibbling on her lobe.

Hermione moaned as he wrapped her in his arms and pulled her away from his father and against his chest. "Maybe we can shower and then bed?"

Lucius gave a low chuckle. "The elves will be grateful to you for not getting dirt on the bedding. Let us retire to the house."

2 Jan 1999

Hermione adjusted her mask before stepping into the ballroom. It was the first Saturday in January and she and Draco were to return to Hogwarts the next morning. Voldemort was holding a party with the inner circle and a few others to celebrate the new year.

And even though she had been having a lovely holiday, every day she had woken up feeling uneasy. It would fade somewhat as she ate breakfast with her friends, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

She had been surprised to see that Death Eaters celebrated the Christmas holiday like any other family in Britain. They'd had a nice dinner on Christmas Eve and once most of the guests had left, Narcissa had presented her, the Lestranges and the rest of the Malfoys with Christmas pyjamas. Draco had pulled her into the loo to change quickly before they returned to the sitting room and everyone opened one gift.

When she awoke the next morning, the foot of her bed had been covered in gifts from Harry, Ginny, Molly and Arthur, Severus, and various Death Eaters. Bellatrix and Rudolphus had purchased her more leather pants and lace tops. Lucius had given her scraps of lace that said they were undergarments but she wasn't quite sure how, and Narcissa had given her a couple of dresses perfect for parties.

Her favourite gift had been the one from Severus. He had given her a small beaded bag with an Undetectable Extension Charm and a small note that told her she could carry it in her school bag to keep the weight from all her extra books down. She had held it to her chest for longer than she wanted to admit as she thought about her Defence professor.

He was snarky, a bully to her best friend, a strict teacher, and an all-around curmudgeon, but she still cherished each moment she spent with him. Her disastrous date with McLaggen had cemented in her mind that she preferred men to boys, and Snape above all men.

"Your arse looks stunning in that dress, Granger," Draco said from behind her.

"Thank you. It was one of the ones your mother gave me," she told him.

It was an exquisite dress; electric blue, strapless, and a slit that went all the way to her hip bone. The silver stilettos that had come with it were taller than any she had worn before and laced up her leg. Narcissa had come to visit her just minutes before and given her a large diamond necklace to wear for the evening. It sat just at the top of her cleavage and even she had to admit she looked sexy. She hated that she had to cover her face up with her mask, but Bellatrix had transfigured it to have cat-like eyes so she would look different than normal. And it was a masquerade ball so at least everyone else would be in theirs.

"She has flawless taste. May I escort you in?"

Hermione looked him up and down, teasing him. He looked good in his dress robes and she smiled at him. "Since you look so handsome, I guess you can."

"So magnanimous of you."

The party had already started and there were people dancing to the waltz that was playing. Even with their masks, she recognised Lucius leading Narcissa around the dance floor, their moves flawless. Antonin was across the room and he raised his hand to her in greeting, and she knew he would be over soon to try to convince her to sneak off into another room with her.

She recognised some of her classmates there as well. They weren't Marked or masked, but all of them — Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy — looked proud to be there. Except for Theo Nott. He looked miserable and as if he would rather be anywhere but in the ballroom. From what Draco had told her, he was nothing like the powerful Death Eater Nott Sr was. Theo couldn't care less about blood status and just wanted to keep his head down, finish his education, then work with Dragons in Romania.

Hermione made a mental note to talk to him when they were back at school then pass his information along to Charlie if he was serious. Even if she thought he should be fighting for their side, if he wanted to work with dragons, she could help him. He was the child of one of the inner circle, after all.

"Draco." Snape's deep voice pulled her from her thoughts and she tried to not visibly react to him.

"Severus," Draco sneered. "I'm not talking to you about it. No matter what you say."

"I was just wondering if you would introduce me to our newest member. I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting her."

His voice was smooth like silk and she tried not to remember how it sounded when they were in each other's arms. It had been a long two weeks.

"The Dark Lord does not want her identity revealed, except to a select few," Draco told him. He reached towards her. "Darling, this is Severus."

She started when he called her by his father's pet name for her, but recovered quickly. Knowing her voice would give her away, she nodded, tucked herself into Draco's side and whispered a quiet greeting in French.

He replied to her in rapid French, because of course he had to speak French. The way it rolled off his tongue was sinful and she squeezed her thighs together. He had just asked her to dance and she was trying to figure out a nice way to tell him no when the music stopped and Voldemort began to speak.

They moved forward until they were close to him and listened as he spoke of the things they had accomplished the previous year and what his goals were for the upcoming year. Hermione thought it was surreal to hear the Dark Lord basically holding a yearly kick-off meeting like her parents used to at their work.

A sense of unease settled over her as the Dark Lord said he wanted to use their newest recruit to show the people visiting some of the things they could expect as a Death Eater. She knew he would be sending pleasure through her Mark and touching her. In the past it had always filled her with pride to be touched by her Lord, but now it made her feel half sick and half proud.

A calmness settled over her as Bellatrix took her by the hand and sat her on Voldemort's lap. This was where she was meant to be and it was time to show the rest of the Death Eaters how much their Lord desired her. She would just need to forget about her feelings for Severus for a while.

Severus watched as the mystery Death Eater was escorted to Voldemort's lap. There was something about the girl that was tugging at the back of his mind but he couldn't put his finger on it. He had approached Draco, hoping to be able to talk to her, but she had been so quiet and the French didn't help.

Nothing about her clothes or her hair was any indication, and her Mask, so different from the ones around them, was one he had never seen before. If only he could have danced with her. Because even if she had refused to talk, he could have entered her mind with no one being any wiser.

Plus, he didn't fancy going back to Hogwarts and telling Dumbledore he still didn't know who the newest Death Eater was.

He watched as Voldemort spoke quietly in her ear and ran his hand up her thigh. Even from this distance, he could tell that her skin would be soft and he wondered if she would smell as sweet as his Hermione.

His breath stopped when the Dark Lord pulled the top of her dress down and exposed her perky tits to the room. He knew those tits. Keeping his eyes focused on her body, he already knew from the sounds she was making but wanted to see proof that he was right. Her dress was moved, the skirt of the dress pulled aside and her bare pussy was exposed to the room.

How many hours had he spent worshipping that cunt? He knew everything about it. From the way it smelled and tasted to the way it seeped for him.

That was the woman he loved. His slutty, yet wholesome poster girl for Muggleborns. She was everything good in the world. So what was Hermione Granger doing getting fingered by Voldemort at a Death Eater party, and why hadn't he noticed her Dark Mark before now?

A/N: Translation: "Sois forte, ma petite chou-fleur," her grand-mère whispered in French. "C'est presque fini."

"Be strong, my little cauliflower," her grandmother whispered in French. "It's almost done."

je t'aime

I love you