After dropping Hermione off at Malfoy Manor, Rabastan apparated over to his ancestral homes and hid the bag containing the horcrux for the time being. They would return to his home over Yule, he'd already decided, to have a bit of time alone and away from the pressures of living surrounded by Death Eaters. He remembered when he'd requested the weekend away, how Bella had smirked at him.
"You spoil her, Rabastan. What good is she to the family if she doesn't produce an heir?" she whispered.
Before he returned to their rooms, he stopped by his library to grab a book on fiendfyre for Hermione to read over. He'd chosen it as their prefered method of destroying the horcrux, because they didn't have any basilisk venom lying around and he wasn't going to take the time to hatch a basilisk. They further had no idea where the sword of Gryffindor was and he knew privately Hermione hoped that it was in the possession of Potter and Weasley.
Having read several biographies of Herpo the Foul in his youth, Rabastan knew that fiendfyre was the way that Herpo's horcrux was destroyed, so he figured it would work again. Rabastan had successfully created fiendfyre before, but controlling it had never been necessary, so he certainly wanted to read all that he could on the topic, in order to keep himself and Hermione safe.
When he returned, Hermione was waiting for him, looking anxious and concerned. "Why did Lucius Malfoy sound disappointed when he mentioned that I had returned alive?" she asked, cocking her head to one side.
Rabastan sighed, setting the book on the table. "Because the other Death Eaters need to be under the impression that I've been...saddled with a Mudblood and I don't particularly like you. I might have said that I hoped that something in the family vault might curse you because of your blood status," he explained, looking exceptionally guilty.
Hermione looked appalled, but then, a sad sense of understanding washed over her face. She knew that Rabastan didn't want anything to happen to her, not at this time at least, as he'd directed her to a particular jewelry box. "What did you bring me?" she asked, indicating the book on the table.
"A manual for creating and controlling fiendfyre," Rabastan said, relieved that she didn't freak out at his admission. "I figured we should both read up on it before Yule."
He watched as Hermione picked up the book and leafed through the pages. If she was in any way disturbed by the dark magic content of the book, she didn't mention it. "We should start thinking of what the other horcruxes may be. I think there are only two additional ones," she whispered to him.
Rabastan sat down on their little loveseat with a heavy sigh. "Can you have a living horcrux?" he asked her, thinking that she would be much more knowledgeable about the topic. He barely knew anything about the objects, as it hadn't been standard reading material for a sixteen year old.
Hermione sat next to him, wanting to be close to him after the day that they shared together. "I suppose it's not out of the question. I would hate to think about what the possession would be like. Why? Do you think someone has a little bit of Voldemort in them? Bellatrix perhaps?" she teased.
Rabastan cracked a smile. "Oh, we'd all know if Bellatrix was a horcrux. She'd be over the moon with pleasure." Rabastan had never really liked his sister-in-law, and he hated how he was always lumped in with Bella and Rodolphus. "No, I was thinking about his...well, I guess you could call it a familiar. Nagini."
"That giant snake?" Hermione asked horrified, thinking of the damage that it had done to poor Mr. Weasley.
"Yes, and she is never far away from his side," Rabastan said, frowning.
"Well, let's just get this one out of the way first, and then we can worry about the next steps," Hermione told him, patting her husband on the leg in reassurance. It seemed so overwhelming to think of everything that was left to do.
Eventually, with enough time on her own, Hermione did finish translating the Tales of Beedle the Bard and had to let Rabastan know that it was complete. There was one symbol written into the margins that she still couldn't figure out, no matter what runes text she consulted. It looked like a triangle with a circle inside of it, and a straight line through the point of the triangle down to the opposite side.
It was then that Rabastan told her that the Dark Lord wanted to discuss her translation with her that she began to feel fear about the precarious situation she was in. She hadn't been face to face with the monster in months, and she didn't particularly want him rooting about in her mind, but Rabastan told her it was non-negotiable.
That was how she found herself being brought to one of the Malfoys' many studies and left there by herself, until the Dark Lord waltzed in, smirking at her. "If I recall, Hermione, you've said many times that you would never help me, but I understand that you have completed a little translation project for me," he said with a smirk, sitting at the desk across from her.
Hermione met his red eyes, refusing to bow to her fear, and simply gave a quick, jerky nod to agree with him, but she didn't speak.
"I take it, though, that it had a bit more to do with the specific text that I gave you, instead of the actual act of helping me," he mused, steepling his hands together, leaning his hands against his lipless mouth.
Hermione couldn't help but sneer. "Yes, however did you find my copy of Beedle the Bard?" she asked him, truly brimming with curiosity.
Her eyes swept over his white face at seeing him give her a mean little smile. "Severus was only so eager to show us to your little headquarters...number 12 Grimmauld Place," he said with a grin.
Hermione felt her heartbeat speed to a rapid tattoo, thinking of Harry and Ron. Were they safe?
"Unfortunately, your little friends had already cleared out, but I did find something of interest." She watched as he held up her little beaded bag. "Really remarkable undetectable extension charm, Hermione."
Feeling some relief at hearing that Ron and Harry had gotten away, she let her annoyance bubble up from the backhanded compliment he'd given her. "For a Mudblood you mean?" she spat at him.
"Yes, exactly," he agreed, eyes narrowed at her. "Now tell me, what is it that you and your little...friends were planning on doing this year, not going back to Hogwarts?"
Hermione tried to keep her breathing steady. "Well, I was obviously not invited back to Hogwarts. And Harry and Ron might have gone back to Hogwarts, if your Death Eaters weren't after them," she said smartly.
Voldemort sighed, before looking at her, disappointed. "If you don't tell me, then I suppose I will just have to look and see for myself."
Keeping eye contact, Hermione felt his presence in her mind immediately.
Knowing that her self preservation was imperative, Hermione decided not to put up a fight and let him see memories that were unlikely to surprise him. She focused on the one of Harry telling her and Ron about the horcruxes and their plan to destroy them. She let him see that they had the locket, and even that they knew that it was Regulus who had betrayed him; Hermione felt Voldemort bristle at that. Then, she let him see that they knew that basilisk venom would kill the horcruxes.
When he sifted through her memories of her time at Malfoy Manor, she was sure to focus on the translation of the book, and clouding the memories with her annoyance and intense curiosity of what Dumbledore had wanted them to know what was in the book; that it was also important to Voldemort.
Voldemort pulled himself from her mind and looked at her with an infuriating little smirk. "Naughty, naughty Gryffindor. Good thing we have you here, so that you can't help Potter with the horcruxes," he said.
Hermione frowned, as though she was upset with herself for getting found out, and Voldemort lapped it all up. Of course he wouldn't worry about little Mudblood Granger. Even though she was the brightest witch of her age, he somehow underestimated her.
"Now, why don't you go be a good girl and get ready for your interview. Don't try anything. I would be forced to kill you and...I am sure Rabastan would be heartbroken," he said, smirking at her once again.
Hermione allowed Narcissa to help her get ready for the interview, as if she had a choice otherwise. The green velvet dress had been freshly cleaned by the House Elves and Narcissa gingerly helped Hermione into the fabric, before smoothing it this way and that. She'd even helped Hermione step into tall black high heels.
Her hair and once again pulled back from her face, smoothed and in a twist, Hermione thought she looked poised and pretty, just like she was supposed to. Today, Narcissa had supplied her with a pair of emerald earrings to complete the look.
Grabbing Hermione's hand, Narcissa inspected her ring for any speck of dirt or tiny smudge. "Honestly, I don't know why you would choose such a small diamond," Narcissa complained. Hermione held her tongue, knowing that to many people not belonging to the old families, this was a very large diamond. "Then again, I don't suppose Rabastan would want to give you anything too expensive until you give him an heir. Well, just be sure that you keep the stone pointed towards the reporters."
Hermione nodded, accepting Narcissa's advice, knowing that this whole situation with the reporter was just a publicity stunt. Oh, look at the Death Eater with his child bride. Look at how well she is being treated! But, she also knew that this was a chance for her to get a message to Harry and Ron, if they were able to get a hold of the Daily Prophet.
Narcissa brought her out and left her with Rabastan, telling them to come down to the library when they were ready to begin the interview. As soon as Narcissa left the room, Rabastan quickly closed the distance between himself and Hermione, grabbing her hand tightly in his.
"Are you alright? Did he suspect anything?" he asked, his eyes moving back and forth across her face to take in her emotions.
Hermione gave a weak smile, but it didn't make her feel any more comfortable with the situation. "If he suspected anything, I don't know what it was. He was mostly curious about what I had planned on doing with Harry and Ron." Her smile turned quickly to a grimace. "I didn't particularly care for him rooting amongst my thoughts."
Rabastan pulled her into his arms, letting her fall into the embrace. He couldn't stop the smile when she relaxed against his body, as though he was removing some of her strife — as if she trusted him. "I am sorry," he whispered into her hair, taking a moment to breathe in her scent. Pulling away, he kissed her on the forehead. "Are you ready to go do this?"
Hermione couldn't contain the blush at the feeling of his soft lips against her skin, but nodded anyway, just wanting to get the interview over and done with. She followed Rabastan out of their rooms and down the hallway towards the library.
When they entered the library, the reporter and his photographer were already there. Hermione was just excited to see that it wasn't Rita Skeeter. She didn't think that she could handle dealing with that woman today, though she felt safe with Rabastan, and knew he would protect her. Or try to anyway.
"Ah, Mr. Lestrange, wonderful to see you again," the reporter said, reaching out to shake hands with Rabastan, before turning to face Hermione. "And you must be Mrs. Lestrange."
Hermione, feeling her skin prickle at the thought of being Mrs. Lestrange, but also not wanting to offend her husband or raise any eyebrows, just smiled politely and allowed the reporter to kiss her hand. "Please, call me Hermione," she requested.
The four of them sat around an ornate coffee table, and Hermione thoroughly enjoyed the reporter, who she gathered was called Fawley, try to dance around the issue of her blood status. Rabastan mostly focused on Hermione's positives, that she was incredibly intelligent and that they were eager to start a family with one another. Hermione tried to keep her back straight at that, seeing as she wasn't entirely certain what she wanted with Rabastan.
When the reporter asked Hermione about how she was enjoying living at the Manor, she gave a bright smile. "Oh, I just love having so much time devoted to reading. I have been able to learn all sorts of things," she said, hoping to look as serene as she wanted.
The reporter followed that up with a question on her happiness with Rabastan. She, of course, knew this was the whole purpose of the interview, to keep people from asking questions about her. "Although I was surprised to be matched with Rabastan initially, I was very pleased to learn how much we have in common. I am very happy in the marriage," she lied. She hoped her huge, toothy smile didn't seem put upon.
Fawley seemed very pleased with the answer, and changed focus to her engagement ring. Hermione felt herself perk up, it was the perfect opportunity to slip some intel to Harry and Ron. "It absolutely suits me, I think. Plus the band is Goblin made — I researched Goblin made jewelry when I was at Hogwarts because the sword of Godric Gryffindor is, as well. Did you know that it absorbs everything that doesn't destroy it?"
Fawley did not seem to understand the significance of her statement, choosing instead to nod his head, like she was annoying him.
Ever since they found the copy of the Daily Prophet floating around in Godric's Hollow, Ron had been seething. They had gone to see where it had all begun, and having to fight off the giant snake, Nagini, had almost been the breaking point of Harry and Ron, but Harry had sucked it up and got Ron to stay.
Still, he wondered if it was really helping, having Ron with him. Their tensions had already been high, but now that damned article about Hermione was pushing things to the boiling point. Harry thought that Hermione looked quite beautiful in the photos. He supposed Ron did too, but that's not the way that he expressed his feelings.
"Look at what they did to her!" he'd seethed, shoving the paper into Harry's hands. "They've ruined her. She doesn't even look like Hermione anymore. And hanging all over that...that Death Eater!"
Harry could agree that it was unsettling to see Hermione holding onto the man — Rabastan Lestrange — who was her husband. Still, he was a little bit more interested in what was written beneath the picture of their friend.
Ron quieted down and began to read over Harry's shoulder, constantly scoffing. "They've brainwashed her, too. Look at her saying how happy she is, how much she's learning, and that bloody Goblin-made ring!" He wanted to destroy the paper and the evidence that their friend had clearly turned their backs on them. "As if any normal person would have a ring so big!"
Harry knew that Ron was thinking about the relationship that he and Hermione might have had if she was still here with them. As it turned out, Ron had always waited a little bit too long to make a move, and further, Harry doubted that Hermione had a choice in marrying Rabastan Lestrange.
"Ron, please be reasonable. This is Hermione we are talking about," he begged.
Ron's ears turned red. "I know, and that's why it...hurts so much that she betrayed us at the first chance for a library and some shiny jewelry," he said, sounding defeated.
Harry shook his head. "I don't think she has betrayed us, Ron. I think she is trying to send us a message. See here, where she talks about the sword of Gryffindor being Goblin made? And about how it takes in that which doesn't destroy it? Well, I killed the basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor," he explained, the puzzle pieces slowly coming together.
Ron paused for a moment, finally sitting down, some of his anger dissipating. "So?" he asked, not following what his friend was getting at.
"Well, I think that she is saying that the sword of Gryffindor has basilisk venom in it, meaning that we can use the sword to destroy horcruxes," Harry said, smiling at the thought that even though their friend was away from them, and likely in an incredibly precarious situation, she was still able to help them.
"Great!" Ron said, before remembering that they didn't have it. "All we have to do now is find the sword. That seems more hopeless than finding another horcrux." Ron's momentary good attitude was quickly erased by the weight of the horcrux around his throat.
"Don't worry about Hermione, Ron," Harry tried to comfort him. "I am sure she is just doing what she needs to do to survive while she is there. She is still our friend though, and she's doing what she can to help us."
Ron smiled at that thought. Hermione was a good friend. "Yeah, you're right Harry. I am sure that Hermione would never be happy with a Death Eater like Rabastan Lestrange."
Harry looked down at the paper with a small smile. He certainly hoped that it was true, but the picture Hermione did look happy, although perhaps uncomfortable with being interviewed. When she looked up at Rabastan in the picture, and he smiled down at her, the smile on Hermione's face was genuine.