Under the Dark Lord's Reign Chapter Four

J.K. Rowling owns all rights to Harry Potter

First off, I apologize for any confusion caused earlier. I uploaded this chapter this morning, but decided to make a few changes, which for whatever reason, didn't take effect when I re-uploaded it, hence the reason it acted as if it updated without there being a new chapter. Hopefully it works this time. Thanks to all those who have followed, favorited, and reviewed, and a special thanks to Black Rook for his or her feedback. Enjoy:

Hermione awoke in the morning feeling far better than she had in weeks. She threw off her covers and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Sleeping on the floor of the cellar hadn't exactly worked wonders for her back, but sleeping on the soft surface that she now sat upon had helped alleviate some of her discomfort. She was too tired the previous night to fully take in her surroundings. As she looked around the room, she noticed a door hanging ajar to her left.

She got to her feet and approached it, hoping that what lay beyond was exactly what she thought it was. Sure enough, as she pushed the door open, it revealed a tiled bathroom with an ornate sink and mirror in one corner, and a built-in bathtub in another. Images of the prefect's bathroom at Hogwarts immediately came to mind, for while this bath wasn't quite as voluminous, it was still a good three feet deep, twice as wide, and had eight taps.

Hermione glanced over her shoulder at the door leading out of her bedroom, thinking. She hadn't had a bath since… since before the world went to hell. She wondered if she should risk it, though. Draco would undoubtedly come looking for her if he woke up and found she wasn't in the library. Sighing, she moved from the threshold she was standing in and left her bedroom to make good on her deal with Draco.

As she walked past Draco's room, the door swung open. "Morning, Mudblood," he said in his usual arrogant tone, before taking a bite out of the pear in his hand. Hermione willed herself to control her temper. He's been calling you a Mudblood since second year. Don't let it get to you, she thought to herself. "Morning," she replied. Her eyes rested on the pear he was holding. Draco seemed to notice this.

"I take it you're hungry?" he asked, but before Hermione could reply he retreated into his room momentarily, before returning with a bowl of fruit. "Go on, then," he said, "Can't expect you to work efficiently on an empty stomach, can I?" She grabbed an apple, and without saying another word to him, headed for the library to begin working.

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A couple of hours passed before Hermione remembered what she had vowed to do this morning. She abruptly stopped her research and walked purposefully to Draco's bedroom door. She knocked hard, but there was no answer. Figuring he must be somewhere else in the manor, she began her search for him.

She knocked on every door of the second floor, but to no avail. Rather than search through every room, Hermione decided it would be best not to wander into any rooms she hadn't been given clear permission to enter. She headed down to the first floor, but before she could begin searching it, she heard hushed voices coming from the ground floor. She listened intently, trying to overhear what was being said.

She could make out what was distinctly the voice of Lucius. "If the Dark Lord finds out you've entrusted a Mudblood with a task of such importance!" Now came Draco's, "She's the brightest witch I went to school with, father, and if I don't meet his deadline, he'll kill us all!"

Yet again, it seemed that Hermione's intuition had proved true. She retreated up the stairs to the library and grabbed the stack of parchment she had agreed to study. There was no way she was going to help Voldemort. He had taken everything from her. Her friends, her freedom… everything. She'd have to destroy the papers, but how? She didn't have her wand, and to simply rip them to shreds would be a waste of time; Draco could just use the Mending Charm to fix them.

She'd have to burn them, it was the only way. The library, like the rest of the house, was lined with sconces. It would be a simple task, but it would take time to burn them all. Not wanting anyone to figure out what she was up to, Hermione set all but one piece of parchment down before proceeding to one of the corners of the library.

She approached the nearest flame, and after looking to her left and right, held the parchment over it… nothing happened. Why on earth wasn't it burning? "Damn it!" she heard herself yell. Just then, the door to the library creaked open. "What's going on?" shouted Draco. "Granger!" Before Hermione could react, Draco rounded the end of a row of bookshelves and spotted her.

"I… I was just…" her mind was drawing a blank. Understanding dawned upon his face. "Thought you'd try and destroy it, did you?" he asked. "Er," she began pathetically, until suddenly, she felt her Gryffindor courage return to her. "Yes," she began, "I thought I'd at least try to." Draco's lip curled. "We had a deal."

"That was before I knew that I was helping Voldemort!" she retorted. The color drained from Draco's face before he shouted, "Don't say his name!" Hermione couldn't help but laugh. It was a bitter laugh, for there was no real humor in their current situation. "Still afraid to say his name?" she asked. Now, Draco's face went pink.

"Of course I am. I'm not stupid." He looked her up and down. "Wait a minute… how did you know…" but before he could finish his question, Hermione, having already known what was to come next, answered, "I overheard you speaking to your father."

"Been spying on my, have you?" He adopted a wary looking expression before asking, "What else did you hear?" Hermione had a feeling she knew what he was worried she'd overheard. "Oh, only that you think I'm the brightest out of all the witches you attended Hogwarts with." His face turned an even deeper shade of pink. "I'm flattered," she continued, "but I won't be using my knowledge to help that monster you call lord"

"Yes… you will," he said through gritted teeth. "Throw me in the dungeon, it doesn't change the fact that in a few days you'll be dead," she replied scathingly. Draco wore a look of desperation on his face. "Look, just give me something," Draco pleaded, "Make something up, anything!" Hermione felt a twinge of pity for the young man before her.

As much as she hated him, she still didn't want him dead. She'd seen enough death already. "Fine, but it won't do much good," she murmured, before continuing in a clearer voice, "You-Know-Who is skilled in Legilimency, you know. He'll know you're giving him false information." Draco adopted a haughty posture. "I'm well versed in Occlumency, Granger."

"Oh… well… good" There was an awkward silence. "Make it something believable though, will you?" He asked. "Sure," Hermione responded, before Draco turned around and exited the library. She returned to the desk and began going over everything. She would do as Draco had asked her, but in her thirst for knowledge, she swore she would also discover the true meaning of the runes.