( Insert standard Disclaimer here )
A/N:
Chapter 2.
The trials of Voldimort
" What do you mean ' dead ' ?" Hermione demanded, her eyes widening in stunned disbelief at this. Not quite beleaving that Voldimort would be quite that bad, as to kill a widow and her son. It was almost stunning to the Former Lady Malfoy that the young Knightrix would latch onto this notion even above the fact that she had just inherited lands, a title, and a wife.
Though she supposed that the whole wife part must not have been shocking really, considering the fact that unlike the Noble houses, same-sex marriages among the commoners were, while a little uncommon, far from rare. Where as among the Noble houses, a same-sex marriage was considered quite rare indeed.
" The Dark Lord would not hesitate to kill either Draco or myself. He has been wanting to be rid of my late UN-lamented husband for some time now. And it's only because of his ' Service' to him that the Dark Lord has even spared Draco and I long enough for you To inherit us." she sighed then said "But I know you will pass. Just as I knew that you would make an exilent Knightrix."
" How" Hermione asked " How can you have this kind of faith in me, I'm just a lowly Knightrix, a Common-born Knightrix." Narcissa looked at her in the eyes and said " Because I've seen it. I've seen you." Seeing that Hermione was drawing a blank she sighed then said " I am a Seer, Hermione Granger, and I've known from the first time that we met that you would be the one to rescue me from the clutches of something dark."
Hermione looked at her in stunned silence, a thing that she was finding happening more and more around this woman, she sighed then looked at the ground then said in a calm voice ( which surprised her ) " Did you know what that something was?" Narcissa looked at her then said " No, but I had thought at the time that it might just be my being with Lucius."
Hermione sighed then said " It seems that I have no choice, if I don't pass this test of Lord Voldimort's I die. As do the people who are now under my protection." she set down her tea and stood saying " Can I at least have my armor back?" a look of regret passed over the Formor Lady Malfoy's face and she said " I'm sorry to say, but Lucius had it destroyed when you were captured." she looked down for a moment, then said " Come with me."
Down in the armory of Malfoy Keep, Narcissa looked at Hermione before saying " Lucius seemed to always be gaining new armor, though he often fought without it." she said to Hermione as she led her into it. " I'm sure we can find something in here for you to wear." she looked around, then both of them came to the same conclusion at the same time " Their all too big." they both said.
Then Hermione hit on an idea " Draco and I both trained at Hogwarts, I'm sure he's still got his armor here too." Narcissa smiled and nodded, leading Hermione to the section of the armory that held Draco's armor and weapons. At first Hermione felt that she might not find anything in her size, then she found a set of armor from Draco's fourth year of training and smiled.
Hermione and Draco were pretty much the same size in their fourth year, and Hermione smiled knowing that, while Draco had filled out a lot more, she had stayed relatively the same size. The young Knightrix looked at the breastplate then at her chest, and frowned slightly ' Looks like I'll have bind them for it to fit.' she thought to herself as she looked at her breasts. Sighing she looked around until she found a roll of cloth that had been left next to some spare armor pieces.
Smiling Hermione grabbed this cloth and, without a seconds thought, pulled off her shirt and began to wind the cloth over her breasts. " Bloody Hell" Narcissa whispered in slight awe, her own eyes going wide as she looked at the lithe body before her. Her eyes travled up and down Hermione's smooth, well muscled back and her sturdy, strong shoulders. She watched the muscles play under her skin and the way that Hermione's body had twisted slightly as she wound the cloth over her body, binding her breasts.
Hermione heard this, and turned slightly to look at her " What?" she asked, then thinking that Narcissa had been offended she said " Sorry, My Lady, I should have asked you to turn your back as I did this." Narcissa blushed slightly and said " Now, that's not it at all, it's just..." she trailed off for a moment then she frowned slightly, and said " Your not blushing, why not?"
The truth was, Hermione had spent the last seven years training to fight as a Knightrix, living among both men and women, in mixed sex barracks as a cadet hopeful, and later in team quarters with her three other teammates Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Lavander Brown. They lived, ate, trained, and bathed together. She also spent just as much time training in the field as well, among common footmen as well as her fellow knight cadets. Add to that the fact that, for the last two years she had been fighting a war, and it was guarantied that Hermione had lost whatever modesty she'd had. And she told Narcissa this.
After she finished binding her modest breasts, she started to dress in the armor, bucking herself in with the sure movements that came with second nature. Putting on the padded quilted armor, then the chain mail, then finally the plate mail, as she finished with this, Narcissa was staring at her with eyes that showed just how surprised that she was with this. " What?" Hermione asked, her usual brash attitude once again returning as she buckled herself into her new armor and looked around for a sword " You didn't think that Knightrix's spent all our training learning how to sew did you?"
" No, I suppose not." the Formor Lady Malfoy said with a surprised look, she then blushed slighty again as she watched Hermione look among the weaponry that was available. Narcissa walked over and picked up a sword that was hidden among the others, it was a hand-and-a-half sword, with a blade that looked slender but strong. The edge was honed to a razor sharpness and it had a simple leather binding. " I managed to hide this from Lucius, or he may well have managed to destroy it as well." she said, handing the sword to Hermione, who blinked in surprise at having her own sword handed back to her.
Hermione smiled, then found a scabbard close enough to the right size and strapped her blade onto her side. As she did this, Narcissa also handed her something else from her pockets, a long chain on which hung a pendent, a large dark steel feather shaped like a Ravens. " I took this from you when Lucius caught you, if he had seen it he would have cut your throat at once." Narcissa said " Now, I think it's time that it was returned to you."
Hermione was a member of the Order of the Sisterhood of the Raven, followers of Rowana, the Raven Goddess, and had been for as long as she could remember. In truth, Hermione was an Acolyte of her order. She had only been five when she joined the Order, after she had seen a group of the Sisters Guards, the military branch of the order, marching into the Castle on business to see the King. A wondering priestess of the Order came to Hogwarts soon afterward and held a ceremony for the Sisters who had died in a battle not long before.
Hermione had been so moved by what she had seen and heard that she asked the Priestess if she could become a Sister. The Priestess smiled and directed her to a small temple built by the Queen ( a priestess herself ) in the castle. When Hermione wasn't helping her father or mother, or training by herself, she spent a lot of her time learning the ways of Rowana.
On the day that the King indoctrinated her into the cadet program, the priestess of the temple gave Hermione the dark steel pendent, a symbol of her faith to carry always. Hermione took the time to return to the temple as often as she could during her training. During the whole time of traning and battle she never once took her pendent off.
Hermione took the pendent and smiled, she whispered a quick prayer to Rowana, then slipped the necklace on and tucked it under her armor before looking at Narcissa and said " Thank you, it means much to me." Narcissa nodded " My eldest sister, Andromeda was also of the Order. I fully understand." she sighed then said " We should go, the Dark Lord is waiting for us."
The main hall of audience of Malfoy Keep wasn't very big, maybe half a ballroom in length and width. At one end was a large chair ( clearly moved there for this very meeting ) and a couple of tall candle holders. There were window slits along the outer wall, and mirrors on the inner one, cunningly positioned to reflect the light back into the room.
Sitting in the chair was Voldimort, and Hermione had to admit that he looked rather impressive sitting as he did. He wore no armor, but sat on the chair with a casual, careless grace that Hermione had only ever seen two other peaple manage to pull off. He had short, shaggy black hair and was dressed in black leather pants and a black velvet coat worn open over a simple dark grey commoners shirt. At his side was a large sword, easily twice as big as Hermione's own.
' But considering that he's almost as big as Hagrid, that's no surprise' Hermione thought to herself. She walked into the middle of the room, and bowed to the Dark Lord, but did not kneel as Narcissa, and a few other retainers did. " You do not bow to me?" Voldimort said, raising an eyebrow to this.
" I bow to none but my King, Lord." Hermione replied, politly but firmly. She didn't want him to think that he had her loyalties, or that she would switch said loyalties to him for any reason. " And if I do become your king?" Voldimort asked " Aske me again," Hermione said " When your wearing the crown." she heard a slight sputtering noise behind her at this.
Voldimort began laughing at this, and said " Impudence, it suits you rather well Granger." he looked at her and said " I like it, very much. However, be warned, I do have my limits." Hermione bowed once again and said " I'll keep that in mind, Lord." Voldimort smiled and said as he waved a hand " Rookwood, he has failed me on several missions and is looking to redeem his standing."
As he said this, a tall looking man took the floor, sword drawn, his face scarred from battle. " The rules are simple, kill or be killed." Hermione didn't bother to draw her sword, instead she placed her hand on the hilt and waited, simply watching as Rookwood walked toward her with his sword set in a high guard. Hermione kept her eyes on Rookwood but asked Voldimort " If I win?" she heard an approving smile in his voice " You live, and so do Draco and his Mother."
Nodding Hermione waited, an almost bored expression on her face as she watched Rookwood come at her.
Rookwood dashed the last several feet, Hermione simply stepped forward with her left foot, spun and lashed out. Her sword flashed once, she took two steps, then the two halves of Rookwood fell to the ground. Hermione looked at her sword and grimaced " Only two steps" she said " It must need sharpened." she looked up at Voldimort who smiled and clapped his hands " Very good, very good indeed. Exactly what I expected from the LowBlood." he looked at her and said " Welcome, Lord Granger."
As the Dark Lord made to leave the room, however, he looked back at her and said " By the way, make no mistake, from here on. You belong to me, Granger, and you will leave the title LowBlood beind you." as he left, he also dropped something that scared Hermione greatly " I expect your Lady to be with child in a months time. It shouldn't be hard, for a follower of Rowana."
' He knows I'm a follower of Rowana?' she thought to herself ' Then why the hell, as a follower of Slytherin, hasn't he killed me then?' she looked back at Narcissa who was just as stunned, and just as scared.
End A/N: I hope you like this chapter, please read and review.
Next Chapter: Hermione and Narcissa get to know one another a little better, their first night, and Draco finding out he has a step...mother?