Hermione shook in agitation. She had been right. This woman was screwing her over big time. The entire contract was just roping her in, bit by incremental bit. According to this paper, she now even owed them more money than just her school fees. No wonder that Madame Adler had refused to show her the contract beforehand. Stupid. She should have known. She should have pressed more to see it. The only paragraph she remotely agreed with was the thorough protection that prevented any unwanted pregnancies (unless agreed upon) or the transfer of any STSs.
"We could hear your petulant scream through the entire house." The very bane of Hermione's current existent said as she pranced through the ornamented door. Hermione rolled her eyes at her.
"That was a scream of anger because you are screwing me over". She drawled. "This contract is … I don't even know how to call this… it's a bog roll at best. Complete and utter…
"Keep the swear words for the act. It is just a contract for all eventualities. Oh, come now. It isn't surprising to you? I just omitted certain facts."
"Omitting facts is something you excel at." Hermione responded darkly suppressing the strong urge to hit something or rather someone hard with her fist. "In the Muggle world, this kind of contract would land you in prison for trafficking."
"I don't care about the laws of the Muggle world. They have no power here. You are bound to the laws of the Wizarding world and have to adhere to it. You are female, a muggle-born and without any means of your own. This contract is the only thing that will help you gain some standing here." She explained coolly.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of." Hermione rose her eyebrow challengingly. She wouldn't give any quarter and her mental wheels were turning. If she just could get a hold of her godfather somehow. He knew what she was, and he probably could help.
Madam Adler sat down and crossed her legs, sending a predatory smile towards Hermione. "On the contrary, Miss Granger. I know exactly what you are capable of. You first caught my interest during your fourth year. A girl that managed to not only wrap Harry Potter around her little finger but also a fan favourite Quidditch player, while not even looking remotely remarkable. Potter wasn't surprising given his history, but Krum definitely was. So, there had to be something that drew people in."
"Why did you try to tempt him with one of your girls?" Hermione asked a smile working herself onto her face.
"That is classified." Madame Adler told her crisply.
"Of course, it is. Considering that he was here today can only mean that you were eventually able to rope him in as a client." Hermione shrugged, but it did sting a bit that her friend had fallen into Madame Adler's trap. But he did value privacy and hanky-punkies were officially forbidden in the Bulgarian National Quidditch team during the season.
"Then you managed to hold none other than the notorious blabbermouth Rita Skeeter prisoner. Not sure how many would have the guts to do that. Yet, it showed me that you had no problem bending the rules to your advantage, even as far as breaking the law to suit your interests." There, the creepy smile was back on her face as she leaned back. Hermione wondered how her boss knew about the Skeeter incident. Skeeter couldn't have talked without revealing her secret. She had made sure of that with a certain wizard's oath.
"Then another victim Marietta Edgecombe fell prey to your magical craftsmanship. When she told you that you did destroy her prospects, she didn't lie. My agency could have found her a suitable pureblood husband, but now nobody will want her with Sneak written on her front. So, again. You should be very careful in accusing me to be sneaky." Hermione was admonished and she only felt a tiny bit of empathy towards Marietta. She had played with the idea of telling the DA, that she had cursed the paper, but that would have severely hindered the growth of trust within the training circle. But there was a way for Marietta to get rid of the word sneak, she just had to figure it out herself.
Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "This was the precursor to war. We had to be prepared and neither Umbridge nor the ministry had 'non-scholam, sed vitam discimus' in their minds. I had to do what was necessary to protect us. Considering what we went up with later, I did the right thing."
"Ah." Madame Adler shook her head. "Doing the right thing." She said with a mocking tone. "How noble of you. Godric would be proud of you. But what you dear Gryffindors seem to miss, is that bravery gets people killed."
Hermione bristled fighting down the urge to strangle her boss. "So, what should we have done? We would have been killed either way had Voldemort won. My family especially, due to my friendship with Harry and due to me being a Muggle-born. So, doing the right thing was the only option available to me. Offence is sometimes the best defence."
"Spoken like an officer's daughter. Do you think that your parents would approve of your irrational behaviour?"
"Leave my parents out of our discussion." Hermione growled; her heart clenched at the thought. Her parents had initially wanted her to come with them, but they had never anticipated that she would obliviate them.
"It was a clever move sending your parents away? The death eaters were a bit stunned by that. They did think that you'd probably send them somewhere to the continent, but they never even contemplated that you'd send them to Down-Under."
Hermione frowned. Where was her boss going with this?
"In order for that to achieve you must have broken half a dozen of Muggle and Wizarding laws." Ah, that's where. She finally stood up again and stopped in front of Hermione and triumphantly smirked at her. Per ardua ad astra she thought. Her parents had repeated this mantra when things had been difficult. It would help her now. She regarded Ms Adler calmly, not letting her anger show. She wanted to pressure her into signing the contract.
"And you think that you have something against me that you could use to blackmail me into signing this?" She asked calmly, throwing Ms Adler off guard. But after a blink and that hesitation was gone.
"I have more than enough against you Ms. Granger." She stated sitting into the chair next to her. "I ordered some enquiries to find out how difficult it is to actually let people disappear and move them to Australia. I received some interesting results."
"No doubt." Hermione responded dryly. She leaned towards her. "What did you learn?"
But received only a haughty laugh. "Wouldn't you like to know? That's not how this game is played, my dear."
"I thought not." Hermione responded crossing her arms, "but you do not seem like the kind of woman who has much knowledge about how the Muggle World works otherwise you wouldn't try to scare me with that."
"I beg your pardon?" the elder woman said. "I have more than enough knowledge about the Muggle world. After all, I do own several escort agencies in the Muggle world as well."
"Which are run by Muggle-borns or half-bloods no doubt." Hermione nodded in understanding. "Are the ladies subjected to the same scrutiny?"
"Well, Ms Granger. Do you want to expand your work into the Muggle agencies?"
"No. Absolutely not." She shook her head vehemently. What happened in the Wizarding World should stay in the Wizarding World.
"I thought not. You wouldn't particularly pass their high requirements anyway." Madame Adler shrugged. "Too average looking."
"And yet, enough for your clients in this establishment apparently." Hermione shot back. The started to confuse her.
"Well, you are wearing a mask. The rest of your body is passable and something a bit different." Madame Adler told her letting her eyes roam over Hermione's body. Of course, having you as a war heroine could substantially raise your value." She winked conspiratorially "if our clients knew who they would have relations with."
"Forget it." Hermione cut her off swiftly. "I'm not going to show my face only to see me slandered afterwards. So, not exactly your best answer if you want to persuade me to sign this piece of paper." She answered waving her hand over it.
"At the end of the evening you will have signed that paper, Miss Granger or you can kiss your future good buy. I did explain a few hours ago that in case you'd pull out at last minute we'd order Gringotts to retract the payment and we would make sure that you wouldn't be able to get a foot in the door anywhere in the Wizarding World. The fact that you didn't try to get help in the Muggle World suggests, that you can't get help from there for some reason."
Hermione grind her teeth. Yes, Madame Adler got that right.
"Your contract heavily favours your establishment and puts me in a position of servitude. It is exactly the contrary of what you've promised me during our first meeting. 'My girls can decide how far they go.' You said. Not so in this contract."
"You can still decide how far you go with your clients, after your initiation, Ms Granger. You just get more money if you go all the way." Madame Adler told her evenly.
"Oh really?! What about the fact that I have to pay back all the 'beautification' procedures you put me through additionally to the Hogwarts school fee that I owe you already? That is extorsion!" she responded heatedly. "The only one winning in this arrangement is you!"
"That is standard procedure. You will never be able to raise enough money during your auction to get rid of all your debts, so the rest of the contract deals with your continued employment in this agency until you've paid your dues. Many women prefer to stay in employment as they do get more money in a short amount of time that regular jobs could ever provide. And as we are a tasteful establishment, you will need to wear certain fashion that you will learn to shed in a tasteful way. So, unless the clients provide you with clothing, they want you to wear, you will rent this from us."
Hermione shook her head. She could never get rid of her debts like that. "Then there is the predetermined procedure of the auction and the 'fulfilment', that can be adjusted to the client's preferences? That can mean anything! How does that protect me? What is this 'predetermined procedure' and how can the client change this?"
"The predetermined procedure is simple. You are presented in the room with your mask on, wizards can place their stakes and the one with the highest risen amount will be allowed to do the deed publicly. You will have to lie onto the block that will rise from the ground. Then the defloration procedure will commence. The only thing that the client can adjust to his preference is that you give him a blowjob. If he is in the mood, he might prepare you before entering you. The first part will be in missionary position and the second part will be from behind with your upper body on the block. After that, you are required to walk around once so, that the former potential clients can see that the deed has been done and you've been broken in." Hermione's jaw dropped, breathing became harder. She couldn't start hyperventilating now. She needed to keep her wits about her.
"Then, if the client who has done the deed was satisfied, you will be brought to a room where he will spend the entire night with you. Depending on his desire this can be private or in full view of the previous clients. Now, I suggest that you close your mouth. You look like a mentally challenged carp out of the water."
She explained to her in a tone that indicated boredom. Hermione gulped. That did sound even more ritualistic and suspiciously like a supposed ancient practice that had been performed by the ancient female priestesses of the mythical Avalon. Bins had taught them ancient history almost like an afterthought. But back then she still had vaguely paid attention to his lectures. She now cursed that she couldn't remember what exactly the point had been, and it had only been hinted in his lectures.
"You wouldn't have found inspiration for this procedure from a certain book on ancient fertility myths of the old Celts?" she asked keeping her voice steady. There was that smirk again, that she desperately wished to wipe from Madame Adler's face.
"Who says that your precious book wasn't inspired on our procedure?" she responded, and Hermione had to suppress a shiver.
"What happens when he isn't satisfied, and he won't spend the night with me?" Hermione enquired after realizing that Madame Adler had omitted this again. So, she didn't want her to know.
Another smile was hushing over her face in acknowledgement: "I see that you are a fast learner, Ms Granger. And to answer your question, he can choose a few options. Give you as a gift to one of the others present or give you to the person who came second with his bid, but this won't happen as the auction is for the defloration and the prima nocte and no man will give up this much copulation without any reason."
Hermione gulped. She wanted to jump up and run out of here. She should get out now, but Harry couldn't help her, the Weasley's couldn't help her either and she knew of nobody else who could. Her godfather was unavailable, and she had no clue who or where her grandmother was or if she was still alive even. She needed the completion of her education. She needed the money to get her documentation back. She closed her eyes shortly, to avoid the tears stinging in her eyes to fall. She had to get through this. Per ardua ad astra. She repeated in her mind.
"What about the next paragraph? The winner of the auction can decide if he continues the relations after the Prima Nocte or if he allows me to meet other clients?" she asked with a raspy voice.
"It says exactly what it means. The winner, should he be satisfied with your performance, might not yet like to share. So, in that case, he will be the only person, you will work with until he gives away this right or he can decide to include other males. So, he can book you for at least once a week, more often if you approve, either here in this establishment, or in a predetermined branch establishment, in your case in Hogsmeade. Each meeting will result in you being closer to get rid of your debts. If we consider the individual trustworthy enough, then you might also be called upon to visit him at home, but we do not recommend this for the safety of your girls, like you."
"What about the point of 'being open to festivities'?" she enquired now with stronger voice again. She shouldn't show weakness. The woman sitting opposite fed on this.
"Well, you might still be innocent, but we do occasionally have special festivities. Orgies, that can be booked once a month for example. Walpurgis night is another special festivity, which takes place in nature. Sometimes clients want to spice things up with their wives and book threesomes. Practically every eventuality is encompassed in the term festivity. As you've probably read, this is open to you when the occasion arises, but I would encourage that you try it at least once."
"Alright, I will consider it." Hermione grit her teeth. No, she didn't want to consider it."I want you to remove the surrogate woman paragraph form the contract. There is no chance in hell, that I will ever agree to that. Why is that in there anyway?! That is too…" she rung for words. "too …Handmaiden's Tale."
"I have no idea what you mean under 'Handmaiden's tale', but I assume it is some reference to a book. Some pureblood families are unable to procreate. Too much inbreeding. So, they might turn to me and my especially fertile ladies, such as yourself, from my establishment, who are agreeing to procreate and create a magical child, which will be adopted by the wife. Considering the high death toll of your Magical Community in the last Wizarding War, this might become interesting on a larger scale for some families." She explained.
"Not, going to happen with me! Erase it." Hermione ordered and to her surprise the Lady complied. "I thought that you wouldn't want this. Should you change your mind, then we will set up an additional contract." With a flick of her hand, the paragraph disappeared, and Hermione checked the paper thoroughly with her wand if it truly had been erased. Apparently, it had.
"The last part is concerned with my private life. I do have a boyfriend and you are seriously telling me that I cannot have sex with him as long as I'm employed here?" Hermione asked mentally remembering that Ron had already several times hinted that he wanted to take their relationship further, but as of, yet she hadn't been ready to do so.
"That is correct. The client winning the auction has preceding rights. Should he decide to keep relations after the Prima Nocte, then he has them for at least six months. After that, his contract runs out and he might have to share you with other clients and your 'boyfriend' or he might try to renew the contract to keep you as a mistress for another six months via our establishment. But I doubt that he will renew it. They all run out of interest after some time. There is only so much one woman has to offer and the novelty soon will run out. To specify the point. You can kiss Ronald Weasley and fumble around a bit with him. But penetration is out of the question. So, do you believe that you can wait six more months for your boyfriend?"
Hermione nodded in defeat. She was attending Hogwarts and wouldn't see much of him anyway during that time. There was no way out of this, she knew that. But then she straightened. An idea struck her. "Alright, I yield." She said. "But I want to know the exact amount that I owe to the establishment when I arrive back here in a few hours."
Madame Adler inclined her head with a triumphant smile, that looked a bit strained to Hermione's eyes "That can be arranged."
"Is it possible to pay some of my debts back the traditional way? You know by using money so that I could theoretically get rid of my debts earlier?" Hermione enquired tensely. She still had no idea how she would be able to do it, but if the possibility was there, then there could be hope for her.
"Madame Adler leaned back again and regarded her coolly. "Theoretically, this has always been possible, yet nobody has ever managed to do this. Too many glass ceilings for women in our world."
Well, then I'm going to be the first one to break the circle, Hermione swore to herself. There was always a first and she planned to prove everybody wrong. Her first research in the Hogwarts Library would be the law section and then she swore to give everybody hell. But first, she had to get to Hogwarts and there was no way out of this. With another swish of her wand, she checked and double-checked the contract with a few more spells to find any jinxes or curses or hidden paragraphs, that the Janus-faced boss could come up with.
"Clever girl." Madame Adler commented with a touch of approvement in her voice. She held out a pen to Hermione, who reluctantly took it. This was it. This was the moment that made or broke her. Per ardua ad astra. She sighed and quickly signed the contract but shrieked as sharp pain was lancing through her right hand after it. She had just signed the contract with her blood!