"W-What?" Hermione demanded in a gasp, not believing her ears.

Lucius' stare did not waver. "I said that I truly apologize for hurting you last night," he murmured.

Her jaw dropped. He actually felt guilty about raping her?! For taking away her virginity by force?

"I...I don't believe you. You're not sorry for what you did. You have no reason to be...you said that you can do whatever you want to do to and with me. You said that you own me," she pointed out snidely.

Normally, he would have punished her or his other servants for being rude to him. She was astounded when he did not, just looked more miserable.

"Yes, that is true. I did tell you that. However, I had no intention of engaging in sex with you. I was drinking and was not in my right mind," he stated.

"That doesn't matter. It's not an excuse for what you did. Do you know what you did to me? You hurt me. You stole something from me that I'll never be able to get back. Something that was meant for someone else to have. I will never forgive you for it!" she sobbed, tears falling down her cheeks.

Lucius reached out to place a hand on her arm, but she moved away.

"Don't touch me!" Hermione growled in a low voice.

He nodded. "Very well. And you are right. What I did last night does not excuse in any way. What I did to you was very, very wrong, even if I am technically allowed to do it because I am your master, and you are my servant. However, I understand if you do not forgive me. I also understand if you do not believe me. You have every right not to. I...I raped you. I harmed you in a way that you should never have had to put up with. That is unforgivable in itself. I just wanted you to know that I apologize for it...for what it is worth. I wish that I could take back what I did for your sake. I will do my best to give you your space and leave you alone as often as possible. I know that you do not want to have anything to do with me because of what I have done."

And with that, he stood and left the room.

Hermione was even more puzzled than she had been during breakfast. She didn't know how to feel about what he had just told her.

Could it be true? Did Lucius honestly regret what he had done to her the night before? He looked as if he did. His eyes showed it too.

No. He is trying to manipulate you and your feelings by giving you a fake apology. And why wouldn't he? He is a Death Eater after all, and he is in the league with Voldemort. That man is evil to the core, a voice in her head whispered.

She frowned as she took his dishes to the kitchen. Lisette gazed at her when she practically threw them into the sink.

"What's wrong, 'Ermione?" she queried.

"Master Malfoy apologized for raping me, but I don't believe him at all. He's probably trying to play with my feelings," she replied with her teeth clenched.

Lisette was taken aback. "'E apologized? Well, zat would explain why 'e was looking sad earlier. I theenk zat 'e is sorry. 'E must be...Master Malfoy nevair apologized for 'urting us before."

She had a point. Lucius was never sorry about hitting, beating, or punishing them or the other servants in any way.

Nonetheless, Hermione was still dubious. There was nothing that could convince her that he was repentant over what he had done the previous evening.

Perhaps Lisette noticed her unyielding expression because she laid her hand on her shoulder. "'Ermione, I do not expect you to agree with me. All I can say is zat Master Malfoy nevair asked us to 'ave sex with, or perform sex'al acts for 'im. 'E nevair raped any of us either."

"No one but me."

"Zat is true, but I don't reelly theenk zat 'e intended to do zat. But zis is just my opinion."

"Mmm."

Lucius did not speak to Hermione when he was assigning duties to the servants. He just gave her a list of the tasks that needed to be done. She took it without meeting his eyes or talking. She was relieved that he did not try to apologize to her a second time.

Hermione kept herself occupied for the entire day. It prevented her from thinking about what Lucius had done to her the night before. She did not speak to Lisette much, or the other servants. Not that she ever had a conversation with them anyhow. She only did if she had to, and that wasn't very often.

All in all, the day passed by quietly. It was as if the mansion had been silenced. Hardly anyone talked; they were too busy performing their own duties.

When Hermione had finished hers later that evening, she went to bed. She asked Lisette not to join her tonight.

"This is my burden now. I have to bear it alone," she remarked.

"No you don't, 'Ermione. A situation like zis is never good to deal with by yourself. You know zat I'm 'ere for you, 'owever you need me to be. I promise. Je promets," Lisette added in French.

In the end, she joined Hermione at bedtime again. Hermione did not have the heart to refuse her. She could only thank her.

"As I told you last night, eet is no problem."

XXX

The weeks that followed were terrible. Hermione had became very depressed a few days after Lucius had raped her.

She had nightmares about the incident every time that she went to sleep. This made her to feel worse the situation than ever.

Pretty soon, lack of rest caused her to be exhausted nearly all of the time. It was hard for her to wake up and get out of bed in the mornings as well. Even though she often wished for a good night's sleep, she knew that it was not possible.

Hermione often desired for Lucius to be punished for violating her. More specifically, she wanted him to be thrown in Azkaban prison. However, she knew that this would never happen. Both she and Lucius were right when they said that he had every right to do what he wanted with her.

Being around Lucius made her feel more uneasy and nervous than ever. This could go without mentioning in light of what he had done to her. She trembled whenever he was nearby. He rarely spoke to her now, or had much to do with her, but it didn't matter. Just knowing that he was around frightened her.

Lisette helped her as much as she could. She gave her a shoulder to cry on and listened to her if she needed to get something off of her chest. Hermione appreciated that she understood how she felt, even though she had never been in her predicament. This helped her to feel a little better about the situation. Working provided a good distraction as well.

It was about eight or nine weeks later when odd things started to happen to her. They did not occur immediately, but gradually.

For one thing, Hermione began to wake up feeling extremely nauseous. She had to run to upstairs to the bathroom to vomit, always just managing to get there in time.

She also experienced more fatigue than usual. This did not particularly concern her since she still didn't get a lot of sleep. However, it was starting to be an effort to keep herself awake. The memory of Lucius brutally punishing her for accidentally taking a nap was enough to prevent her from falling asleep as she did her tasks.

The only thing that concerned Hermione was that she felt hungry nearly all of the time. It was a becoming into quite a large problem. None of the servants were allowed to eat if it was not their mealtime, so she had to work with a grumbling stomach twice a day.

Emotionally, she was irritable and angry, and her depression worsened. It was not easy for her to stay happy for very long. Just about everything upset her...including little, insignificant things that did not really matter.

None of this worried Hermione at first. Other than the constant hunger, she was too busy to pay a great deal of attention to her troubles. She felt that there wasn't much that she could do about it. However, when they persisted for two weeks, she knew that something had to be very wrong. Perhaps she was developing a serious illness.

The only way that she could find out was to ask Lucius to take her to St. Mungo's Hospital. She didn't want to speak to, but it was necessary for her to. For once, she needed to push aside the grudge that she had against him.

XXX

It was on a Monday in early December-in that second week-when Hermione had gathered up the courage to talk to him. She finished the last chore that she had to do for that morning and went to look for him. He turned out to be reading in the parlor.

Lucius glanced up when she knocked on the open door. His eyebrows rose in astonishment. The last thing he ever expected was for her to approach him after what he did to her.

"May I come in, sir?" Hermione inquired in a low voice.

"Yes, you may. Is there a problem? You are obviously worried about something," he remarked, peering at her tense expression.

She nodded slowly. "Y-Yes, sir. There is a problem...with me," she added.

He gestured to a chair nearby. "Well, sit down and tell me what is the matter."

With another nod, Hermione did as she was told. "Uh...well...I think that I am going through some type of illness. I have been vomiting every morning for the last two weeks. I also have been feeling very hungry outside of mealtimes-like a fox or wolf was tearing at my stomach. My moods fluctuate wildly and I am also tired for a half of the day."

A knowing look appeared in his eyes. "It does sound serious. I am willing to take you to St. Mungo's if you need me to. Are you finished with your morning duties?"

"Yes, sir. I think that I ought to go. And yes, I am done my work for this morning, sir."

Lucius pursed his lips. "In that case, meet me by the door in five minutes. I need to get my coat and a few other things. Go and put on your coat too."

Hermione inclined her head and went to her cellar bedroom. She quickly fixed her hair before throwing on a winter coat that had been provided for her in mid-October. Then she left to wait by the front door.

Several minutes passed before Lucius came downstairs. He opened the door for her, and they walked out of the manor. After passing the gate, he raised his arm.

"I need you to hold onto me tightly. Do your utmost to prevent yourself from letting go," he stated.

Hermione gripped it very firmly. Seconds later, it felt as if a hook was being jerked into her navel. Darkness surrounded her then, compressing both of them. She was beginning to think that she would suffocate when the blackness vanished. While she gasped for air, Hermione noticed that they were in an alleyway in London.

Lucius patiently waited for her to catch her breath. Once she had, he led her out of the alley and stood outside of a rickety building. The sign on it read Purge and Dowse, Ltd. in faded letters. Near the window was an ugly dummy.

"We need to see a Healer. It is important," Lucius announced.

The dummy nodded a moment later and beckoned its finger. Hermione trailed after him through the glass window.

She found herself in a bright reception area. People-mainly Healers-were going to and fro. There were portraits on the walls, as well as statues here and there.

Neither of them spoke as they made their way to the queue at receptionist's desk. They waited a short time until they were front of the lady sitting behind it. She looked to be in her 30s.

The receptionist gazed at them. "Yes? How may I help you?" she asked with slight impatience.

Lucius bent over the desk and half-whispered something to her. The woman quirked an eyebrow and turned to Hermione. Then she instructed him to go down the corridor to room 114. He thanked the receptionist and waved his hand to Hermione.

It was not long when they entered the aforementioned room. A female Healer in her late 20s was there, already having been informed of their visit.

"Good day, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger. I am Healer Plunkerton. How are you?" she inquired.

"As well as could be expected," Lucius replied.

"I am all right," Hermione said.

Healer Plunkerton smiled a little. "Excellent. And what is your reason for coming to St. Mungo's? Is anything wrong?"

Lucius bobbed his head a second time. "Yes. My servant told me earlier that she has been vomiting every morning over the last two weeks. She has also been experiencing mood swings, fatigue, and an unusual appetite. I need her to have a pregnancy test to determine whether or not she is suffering from an illness."

Hermione was taken aback. "A...A pregnancy test? There's a chance that I'm having a b-baby?" she gasped.

"Of course. My late wife did have a child once. I ought to know the signs and symptoms of pregnancy. You should too...you are intelligent enough."

Healer Plunkerton spoke up. "I see, Mister Malfoy. Well, Miss Granger, if you will come over to the bed and lay down, I can give you to the test. We will figure out what to do after I have the results."

"Yes, ma'am," she declared.

When she had made herself comfortable, Healer Plunkerton raised the bottom of her shirt. She took out her wand and performed a difficult spell before pointing it at her lower abdomen. It glowed a bright yellow color, then darkened before shining green.

Healer Plunkerton's expression turned solemn as she looked up at her.

(A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! LOL I left you with a cliffhanger! What do you think is going to happen next? Share your thoughts!)