November 29th

The day after Draco's bizarre and nerve-wracking visit Hermione felt encouraged enough by how she felt to leave the safety of her bedroom. House-elves continued to bring her food, but Rodolphus hadn't come back to check on her after the first time he slipped into her room as she pretended to be asleep. She knew that she was wasting valuable time hiding in her room. The next few steps she made had to be daring, calculated, smart. There was no longer any room for error. One mistake could very well end in her death.

Rodolphus was all smiles when she stepped into the dining room for breakfast. She almost lost her nerve. Every time they were in the same room together she was afraid. How was it possible that one man could exert so much control over her? She hadn't felt anything similar since she was enthralled by the Dark Lord. Taking her usual seat at his left side, Hermione offered him a small smile.

"I'm very sorry for being rude the last few days, Roddy, but I haven't been feeling very well. I can't imagine what it could possibly be."

It was imperative that she continue to act as if nothing strange happened. If it was clear that she vividly remembered being drugged that night and her mind brutally assaulted, she feared that Rodolphus would only grow more aggressive in his actions. Both wizards assumed that she would suffer memory loss after such a high dosage of the potion. She couldn't give them a reason to fear otherwise.

"Perhaps it was a case of the flu. I've heard speculation that it's supposed to be particularly bad this year."

"You're probably right."

For a man she knew was quite intelligent, Rodolphus could be painfully transparent at times. Did he really believe he was hiding his activities so well from her? She began to pick at her food. With no appetite and a legitimate fear that he could be drugging her, there wasn't much reason to eat. Unbothered by her lack of interest in the meal, Rodolphus carried on. Meager rations in Azkaban taught him to be appreciative of food, even a bit over-appreciative. It was the same with everyone who ever had a cell there. Some former prisoners, like her husband and Rodolphus, had the benefit of excellent genes to keep from growing too pudgy.

"How long have you and Ginny..?"

The question escaped her before she could stop it, but she wasn't sorry she asked. Didn't she have a right to know? Rodolphus smiled and let out a soft chuckle. Evidently he was pleased with himself for seeming to inspire jealousy in the witch seated next to him. As much as it annoyed her to do so, Hermione knew she should cultivate that feeling in him. Cocky, arrogant men grew too confident in their own magnificence and tended to boast. She could learn a lot from him in that state. It was also why seduction was such a powerful tool to gather information. The sorts of things a person, especially a man, would tell her in an effort to impress her enough to climb into bed with him was remarkable. Pathetic, but remarkable.

"Does it bother you to know that Ginny and I have a friendly relationship?"

"I'm just wondering if you're forcing her to have sex with you like you're forcing her to be a spy."

He threw his fork down on his plate hard enough that it bounced back up, spilling eggs across the linen tablecloth. His cheeks were flushed and he appeared on the verge of an explosion. Too late Hermione thought she should've been a little less forthright with her question. A tiny amount of fear that was always present when she was in the man's presence grew stronger. Would he lash out and hurt her? It wouldn't be the first time he'd done so in his anger.

"Do I seem like the sort of wizard who would have to resort to nasty tricks like that to get a witch in my bed?"

Clearly she'd touched on a sensitive nerve. There were plenty of disgusting monsters amongst the Death Eaters who lived for attacking helpless women and forcing them to commit depraved acts that made even Hermione uncomfortable, and she had a pretty open view about sex. Of course, as too many people weren't aware, rape had nothing at all to do with sex and everything to do with power. The slime who enjoyed those acts were allowed to thrive during the chaotic, violent early years of the regime, but most of them were either killed in the pursuit of their depravities or ordered by the Dark Lord to cease and become respectable members of his new society. Despite sexual violence being an all-too-common occurrence in societies like theirs, many men who believed themselves to be morally superior or who possessed a strong sense of honor abhorred such acts. There was a code amongst the Death Eaters. Those who committed such vile acts were relegated to the bottom of the heap and scorned. By asking Rodolphus if he had to force Ginny, Hermione insulted him gravely. He likely wouldn't get over it any time soon, if ever.

"I merely meant that you and Ginny don't make any bit of sense. How would the two of you even happen?"

He calmed down only slightly. Once he picked his fork back up, a grin spread across his face.

"You wouldn't be jealous of what I do with Ginevra when we are naked, would you?"

Just the thought of the two of them together filled her with revulsion. How much of their relationship, for lack of a better term, was coerced? Did Ginny feel an obligation to submit to his lascivious cravings just to keep her daughter safe? It was all depraved and made her sick to her stomach. As much as she might not like Ginny, what had been done to her was wrong.

"Don't fret over your old friend's virtue, my dear. She's been in many a Death Eater's bed. Not nearly as many as you have, of course, but who has?"

Angry that he would dare to insult her like that, Hermione pushed her full plate of food as hard as she could in his direction. Unable to move out of the way, her full English covered the front of the wizard's clothes. There had always been passion between the two of them, some not reserved entirely for the bedroom and not all of it good. Rodolphus jumped up to his feet, reached across the space between their chairs, and grabbed her throat in a tight grip. Not hard enough that she couldn't breathe, it was just enough to keep her in place and terrified. With another unsettling smile, he leaned in so they were only centimeters apart.

"Jealousy is unbecoming, my dear. Have you always been jealous of Ginny? Is that why you lied to Aberforth Dumbledore about her being the one that told you he knew I was an animagus when we both know I was the one who lied to you?"

She didn't know what to say. How could he possibly know what she'd said to Aberforth in a private conversation? She knew there was no one around the Shrieking Shack who could hear them. Maybe it had been wrong to lie to Aberforth and then to Charlie. She didn't care. They needed to know that she couldn't be trusted. Sure, she could've easily told them that it was actually Rodolphus who claimed that Aberforth was aware of his presence in the village. If she did, however, they might have continued to go on trusting Ginny when she was dangerous. The crumbling Resistance had a rat amongst them that they needed to know about. At the time she didn't know that Ginny only did what she was doing because Rodolphus was forcing her, but what was done was done. There wasn't any way that she could take it back. Ginny had been exposed.

"I like to fuck Ginny because she knows her place. It's a lesson you seem to have forgotten."

His grip tightened just enough to be more uncomfortable, but still not choking. As she sat there worried that he was going to hurt her more, Rodolphus moved his mouth to just outside her ear. The feel of his warm breath on her skin made her feel sick. How was it possible that she used to desire his touch? Those days would never repeat themselves as long as she was alive.

"I'm going to take great pleasure in reteaching you where you belong. If you're kind to me, you might even enjoy it. Remember how I used to make you scream and beg for more? Maybe I should just throw you down on top of this table and fuck you until you never forget that you belong to me."

Pressing his lips against the sensitive skin just under her ear, he licked at the flesh with the tip of his tongue. Hermione had to suppress a shudder. Would he actually do that? As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she knew without question that he would. There was very little that the man wouldn't do. His mouth moved further down her neck, nipping and licking at the skin. She willed herself to remain calm. One wrong move and his hand could crush her delicate throat in moments with very little effort.

Whatever he was planning next would remain a mystery to Hermione thanks to the ringing of the doorbell. Annoyed that he was being interrupted, Rodolphus' ire shifted from her to whatever poor soul awaited him outside his front door. He released his grip on her neck and exited the dining room like nothing strange or unusual just happened. She struggled to catch her breath and get her fear under control before he returned. Rodolphus was the sort of predator to smell weakness. Maybe it was part of his enhanced senses thanks to his animagus form.

Rodolphus' voice mixed with another deep masculine voice that she didn't immediately recognize. Curious to see who would dare to drop by at such an early hour, Hermione started to get up from her chair, but immediately froze when the master of the Dower House reentered the room. She wasn't able to get a good view of the unknown visitor until they were both inside the room.

"Please come inside and join us. Would you like me to order another plate from my house-elves?"

Hermione could feel her eyes widen when Rodolphus moved away to reveal the visitor as Alexandre Dolohov. It had been years since she last laid eyes on her brother-in-law. With dark brown hair and the same brown eyes as his eldest brother, there was speculation that Alexandre was the only one of Antonin's three brothers that shared both a mother and a father with him. The brothers even favored each other in their facial features and the general shape of their bodies. Dolohov genes had proven to be quite dominant. Antonin suspected that Alexandre was born as a result of a last-ditch effort between his parents to make their marriage work, but he never could tell for certain. Clearly, it hadn't been as successful as they might have hoped considering Aubin's appearance just a few years later. Maybe he was the result of an affair with his father's brother. No one but Elspeth really knew.

When their eyes met across the dining room, Alexandre sneered. Never in all of the years that she'd known him had she ever seen her brother-in-law react so openly hostile. They'd never had a single harsh word to say to the other. While she certainly didn't know him very well, he'd never been cruel. Even seemed to like her in the brief moments she hadn't been a complete terror at family gatherings. Antonin believed his brother to be a gentle soul, too good for the harsh reality of the world he lived in. He once claimed that Alexandre didn't have a single mean bone in his body. What had happened to make him change so drastically?

"It wasn't my intention to interrupt your breakfast, but it was very important that I speak to you, Mr. Lestrange."

"Rodolphus, please. There's no need to be so formal, especially as you've got family in the room."

"She is no family of mine. She may have been my brother's mistake, but I wouldn't mind never seeing her again."

Hermione was confused. She didn't understand where the hostility was coming from the usually gentle man. Did he find out about her role in killing his little brother? Alexandre seemed to be the only person alive who actually cared for the arsehole.

"Now now, Alexandre, I can't have you speaking to my guest that way."

After one final glare in Hermione's direction, he turned his full attention back to Rodolphus.

"I've been searching for my younger brother. He hasn't been seen in weeks. I understand you were one of the people he came back to the country to speak to."

"Yes, I did speak to him about possibly taking your mother's family's seat on the Wizengamot, but I fear I haven't seen him since."

Alexandre turned back around to Hermione.

"And you?"

"Sorry, Alex, I haven't seen him since the night he tried to kill me."

Sensing that it could get potentially ugly in the room if he continued to allow the estranged family members to be in the other's presence, Rodolphus moved towards the door.

"I will have some capable people make inquiries about your brother's potential whereabouts. While I have you here, I'd be glad to speak to you about the Wizengamot."

Alexandre motioned for Rodolphus to lead the way. Once Rodolphus' back was turned, Hermione almost gasped when she saw her brother-in-law's entire countenance soften. His smile and wink made her feel instantly at ease. She almost missed the falling piece of parchment on the rug and his eyes dropping to it before he followed Rodolphus. The entire exchange took no more than a couple of seconds.

She waited until she heard the sound of the study door closing behind the men to retrieve the fallen bit of parchment. Her hands trembled as she unrolled it. Written in her husband's handwriting, she felt some of the first peace she'd felt in weeks wash over her entire being.

Passed along what you told me the other night to B.A. He's looking into it. Seemed encouraged. Thinks he might know what R is up to. Will let you know more as soon as I do. Please be careful. I love you. -A

It pained her to have to set her husband's message on fire immediately after reading, but at least she no longer feared she was completely alone.