Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or places mentioned in the Harry Potter series.
A/N: I know I said I wouldn't post again for a while, but I had one more day left. Thanks Balsam and Silver Tears 11 for reviewing!
Hermione stared up at the ceiling and tried to figure out if there was any chance of escape. After collapsing from pain the last time she had tried, she didn't really know if she really wanted to try again. Well, being locked in the room that screamed 'prison' every time she looked around wasn't entirely pleasant either. She would have to wait until things died down before she tried to escape again.
The blue dress robes had been ripped up, and Corte had clicked his tongue rather profusely when he turned up when she had regained consciousness.
Corte had come in every day. He always had the same goal in his mind: to get Hermione into a new set of dress robes and get her down to breakfast. Hermione refused every time, but she was beginning to feel guilty. Corte took her rejections to a personal level and would go off screaming when she denied him. Only after six days did she realize that he was tortured every time she refused.
She refused to let a house elf be tortured because of her. On the seventh day she accepted Corte's offer and dressed in the lavender dress robes that he had brought her. Corte disappeared.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione knocked on the locked door that led outside of the room. Draco, sporting a black eye, scowled at her.
"I've been placed on door duty because of you, little mudblood."
Hermione tried not to smile as he turned her around and tied her hands behind her back. Too tight. Draco started walking down the corridor, and Hermione silently followed.
"I lost all of the respect I had worked for so long to get because of you," Draco said flustered. "Now the Elders just think that I'm a clumsy good for nothing kid."
Hermione remained silent. It had taken her a long time to gain respect from the members of the Order of the Phoenix. If she ever lost it, she'd probably get mad too. Of course, she didn't make mistakes like leaving her wand in her back pocket.
Draco led her down to the Great Hall. When the doors magically opened for them, Hermione gasped. The hall had been completely redesigned. It looked like something out of a medieval fortress. The tables had been placed on the sides of the room, with chairs all around, and the table at the head of the room seemed to hold the most important people in the room. This was all an assumption, but it seemed logical seeing as of the fact that Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, and a few other Death Eaters that she recognized were sitting at the head table.
After Hermione had entered, it took a few seconds for Voldemort to look up from the work he had on the table. When he looked up at her, a smile slowly fell across his face.
"It is nice to see that you have decided to join us Miss Granger."
All of the eyes of the Death Eaters turned directly to her. Hermione looked around for Draco, but he was nowhere in site. She was standing in the middle of the Great Hall, surrounded by people who were ready to pounce at her the moment Voldemort commanded it. Voldemort began to speak again, and all eyes, including hers, went to him.
"I wanted to thank you personally for helping me secure power over Hogwarts. I am afraid that without you, it would have been much more difficult to gain such an important location."
Voldemort began to chuckle at his speech, and the rest of the hall followed in suit.
Hermione refused to acknowledge it. Voldemort stood up and started pacing around her.
"You must understand, Miss Granger, that Hogwarts in itself is a fortress. When the proper magic is used, it is impossible to get inside. If Harry Potter and his little army tried to get inside, they would be killed without one of us lifting a finger. We control when and where the battles are. Now we have the advantage."
Hermione knew all of this. This form of defense had been used in 1438 when the dark wizard Hesse Farley had tried to attack Hogwarts. Everyone trying to get in had been killed.
"I hope your little friend Potter knows about this. It wouldn't be a very fun final battle with him dead."
He was trying to get her to react to what she was saying, but Hermione would remain stoic. She would not let him get the satisfaction of a flinch, but she did wonder, did Harry know about the castle's defense? Somebody in the Order had to know. It would be stupid for all of their work to go to waste just because nobody knew about something as simple as the defense around the castle but then again Harry sometimes needed some help figuring things out, and she wasn't around to help.
"I have a proposition for you," Voldemort said softly.
Hermione looked up into his red eyes.
"What is it?"
Voldemort started to walk to the room adjoining the Great Hall and motioned for her and a select group of Death Eaters to follow. Once inside the room, Hermione looked around. It had been styled into a sort of office room with a desk and couches around the perimeter.
"Take a seat," Voldemort said, motioning to one of the black plush couches. Hermione sat, and Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix sat to either side of her, making sure that she did not try anything. Voldemort sat down at the desk.
"You are in a sticky situation Miss Granger, and I am willing to do a favor for you if you do a few favors for me.
Hermione stared at him, tempting him to go on.
"I want you to become a Death Eater."
Lucius Malfoy stood up. "My Lord, she is a mudblood. You have yet to allow one into our society. Letting her in would be against everything that we are fighting for."
Voldemort looked slowly over to Lucius. "Sit down Lucius. You are not the one in charge here. You are not the one to make decisions. Crucio."
Hermione flinched, waiting for the spell to hit her, but instead, saw Lucius Malfoy fall to the ground, crying out in pain. After a few moments, Voldemort released the curse, and Lucius slowly got up and left the room. Voldemort's serious expression had not changed while he tortured his faithful follower.
"As a Death Eater, you would have free range of the castle, but as you will remain a prisoner, you will not be able to leave. Of course, I would not make you fight your friends, but as top of your class, you deserve a high position that I am willing to give you."
"And if I refuse your offer?"
Voldemort looked straight into her eyes.
"You won't. If at first you refuse, you will not be the only person punished. We still have holds on your father."
Hermione stared at him. Becoming a Death Eater would be against everything she was, but having someone, especially her Dad, be tortured because of her decisions made her cringe. If she accepted his offer, she would become even more of a prisoner. He would know every breath she took, she would belong to him. On the other hand, she might never be able to escape if she joined his ranks.
"Miss Granger, I need a decision."