A/N :- Hii… I just wanted to let you guys know that there will be lemons but no rape…not in this chapter though…maybe later. Also I wanted you guys to remember that Hermione is not herself. Not yet. She is like a child, her mind needs time to rebuild itself. So bear with her ooc behaviour for a few chapters.
Hermione sat in front of a large floor length mirror, calm as a millpond, her back straight, face devoid of expression and glassy eyes unblinking. A few beauticians were working on her, applying potions and perfumes lavishly on each and every inch of her stark naked body. They were chattering constantly, buzzing like bees around her, gossiping about their friends and families. Talking about their sisters, their children, reminding her of what she didn't remember. She knew she had been loved by a mother, felt the protective embrace of her father. She wished for her memories of them to come to her, to blanket her from the chill that she felt since the moment of her awakening. She wondered if she had siblings, maybe not, yet she could feel the love. Once upon a time she had been loved and cherished by people who had been her family. Where were they?
Pansy Parkinson was an opportunist if not anything else. She wasn't beautiful or highly intellectual and so she had been rejected by the Malfoy matriarch when her mother had proposed a union between their families. Narcissa Malfoy had in very anguished tones informed the Parkinsons that her son was very much taken with a French witch and wouldn't agree to the marriage, which Pansy knew wasn't true. He had in a very light hearted way informed her that it was because of her ugly face and average intelligence that she hadn't been considered as a bride for him, she could still remember he had laughed at her when she had tears falling from her eyes. So when the right opportunity came to her for destroying what Narcissa had built so lovingly i.e. Draco's marriage, she took it with wands blazing. Her gold had diminished after the purchase but she knew it would be worth it in the end. Gold could be earned back but she wouldn't get a shot like this ever again. She had known Draco for years and he was just too predictable. All she had to do was wait and watch. She observed Hermione Granger being prepped and felt a slight twinge of guilt in her chest for using the muggleborn but it would be worth it in the end, she promised herself.
Astoria Malfoy was having a terrible headache. The baby had been colicky, she hadn't slept a night in the last few days and dark circles marred her pretty brown doe eyes. The party had already begun in full swing and she was all but running late. Narcissa had arranged for a masked ball and formal dinner for her sons twenty fourth but she had excused herself from the celebrations claiming she had caught a nasty bout of flu. She knew Narcissa hated coming over to the Manor anymore and it hurt Astoria immensely. Former death eaters and their obsession with masks she thought as she placed a peacock feathered one on her kohl lined eyes and smoothed the non-existing wrinkles on her navy blue silk gown. Looking at herself in the ornate mirror she realised she felt no happiness in these celebrations, only resentment in marrying the handsome aristocrat at the tender age of sixteen. She sighed as she turned around to leave the safe haven that was her bedroom.
Why did relationships have to be so complicated, everything had been simpler for her parents she thought as she took the grand staircase walking towards her beloved in only name. It had been a teenage crush which led to a whirlwind romance, a cold winter wedding in middle of her last year in Hogwarts and then there was silence followed by dutiful copulation.
He was beautiful and no one could deny that, a type of beauty that could bleed your eyes if you looked at him for too long. Anyone could recognize him even with his black and silver mask, his hair a beacon. Her chest hurt when she thought about his behavior in the past few years, how he didn't even try to make it work with her. Everything she did or didn't annoyed him. She was non-existent in his world, only fit to be a brood mare,in that she had failed him as well. It had been the last straw for him. They hadn't spoken a word since. She was beautiful she knew, yet she wasn't enough for him.
The ball room was doused in darkness, only a few candles floating around emanated low yellow light that bounced off the glitter and jewels from people's costumes. In her navy blue gown she dissolved in the darkness like honey in water. The darkness had created an air of allure and mystery. She watched her husband quietly from a corner, him being unaware of her presence. He was flirtatiously smiling and whispering something to a woman in red robes with a plunging neckline, he rarely smiled, only when he wanted to charm the knickers off a woman. He always had a way with women, he knew how to make them feel like they were the only ones in the whole wide world but he could also make them feel like nothing, not even a speck of dirt on the bottom of his shiny leather shoes if he so desired. There was a day when Astoria could spend the entirety of her time looking at him but now she saw him for what he was, a shallow excuse of a wizard who couldn't even love a part of himself, how could she expect him to love her.
She was nursing a glass of lemon sherbet when she felt the air in the room shift slightly, the chill had all but gone replaced with heat, as if the heartbeats of all the people present had been simultaneously increased. She felt her gaze travel back to Draco, he had given up talking to the female in red who was trying to get back his attention but his eyes never wavered from the dance floor. He sipped his whiskey and licked his lips like he was a predator looking at his favourite meal. She followed his line of sight only to be blocked by the throng of people who had decided to join the dance floor yet she could make out that it was a woman, a twirl of golden skirt, a glimpse of shinny brown wild curly hair and a brilliant mask made out of phoenix feathers. Astoria walked away from the scene unfolding in front of her, last she saw was her husband join the golden girl on the dance floor. Sometimes, like today, she could feel the sharp sting of jealousy.
Hermione wore a satin slip gown that looked like melted gold. Her hair had been left to its own devices and her lips had been painted blood red, a vampire's temptation. Her mistresses' instructions had been very clear and all she had to do was smile shyly at him and he was enchanted. Her heart had been beating into her throat when he had approached her for a dance and she had nodded in acceptance. He was warm to the touch and smelled of whiskey, smoke and green apples from the gardens of Eden, she felt an intense urge to taste him. Her head swam as he held her waist tightly as they moved to the music.
"Who are you?" he tried to identify her but to no avail. "I am not at liberty to say," she whispered softly into his ears before he spun her around to the music. She landed softly on his chest and breathed in his intoxicating scent which cast a spell on her, she couldn't move away from him. They danced for what it felt like hours, years, centuries, forever yet in that moment it was barely minutes. Their bodies touching one another, their pheromones intoxicating each other. As the song ended she looked at him and bit her lips beckoning him to take a taste of the forbidden and he all but gave in. He kissed her softly and then with fervour, never had he kissed someone like this before. Their hearts beating together, their breaths mingling and not letting them let go of each other's lips.
A voice from behind him broke the magic, "Draco darling!" he heard a familiar nasal shriek. He turned around for just to moment to tell Pansy off when the light of the ball room was turned on. He turned around dazed at the sudden onslaught of bright light and found that the only witch in his company was Pansy Parkinson smiling deviously at him like the witch that she actually was.
"I can't believe I am seeing you again after six whole months," she said as she looped an arm around his as she steered him towards the gardens where a beautiful canopy had been set up for dinner. Draco looked around again, his gaze searching for the golden girl but all he could see was a throng of people drinking and making way with them to the gardens, there was absolutely no sign of her.
"I have the perfect present for you", she gave him a mischievous grin. "Ah, you remember how much I love presents," he shook his head and gave her arm a squeeze, she blushed. He would never understand the affect he had on her. They spoke about her business in the beauty industry as they walked over to the gardens and found his wife waiting for him at the table, he felt a bit guilty at what he had done and hoped she hadn't seen him, he didn't really want to hurt her, especially on his birthday. She was beautiful, tired but beautiful.
Astoria watched her husband arrive for dinner hand in hand with Pansy, she knew she wasn't a threat, not that it mattered anymore but the thought of sharing a table with Draco's school friends was enough to kill her appetite. She was the only eagle in the pit full of snakes. The dinner was as extravagant as any and all his friends around her were drunk, loud and boisterous, she smiled when it required and replied when it was needed. She didn't waste her wit with the snakes. After the dessert had been served and the napkins had been placed on the tables, Pansy stood up to give a last minute speech. She looked around excitedly as she had gained the attention of everyone who was present.
"Draco Malfoy, my best friend and my first boyfriend", she looked at him with adoration and spoke loudly, Astoria chose to lower her gaze while Draco had become slightly pink.
"Because you are so so special to me, I have a present equally special to you," she winked at him, she was clearly very drunk. People had started eyeing each other, some with raised eyebrows, everyone knew how devastated she had been at Draco's wedding and she had then bawled her eyes out in front of everyone.
"So here I present to you, yours to torment, yours and only yours", she announced and clapped loudly as Umbridge walked into the canopy with her head held high. Draco who had held his composure till now raised a blond eyebrow at her, "I never once remember mentioning a teacher student fetish to you Pansy," he looked at her amused. Blaise Zabini gagged and rest of his friends sniggered at her.
"arrrgh! Have some patience, will you?" she snapped at him angrily. Umbridge who had become completely red pulled out the iridescent ball and whispered into it. A few people knew what it was and gasped. Theo who had been quiet for so long shook his head disappointed, "is this why you fought me tooth and nail yesterday?" he directed the question to Pansy who answered him with a sneer.
Draco leaned forward, his palms folded at the table,looking at her incredulously. Was Pansy actually gifting him a slave? Though it was common in the rich households it was still a little frowned upon. The thought of owning a person, their whole life in the palm of your hands made him incredibly uncomfortable. He cringed at the thought of sharing his home with a mudblood, adding them as a member of the family, it was disgusting to say the least. As he was about to interfere with whatever Pansy had planned, his gaze fell upon the woman who was walking towards them, the fairy lights dancing on her skin, the breeze playing with her hair as if it were alive and moving, she was a goddess in skin. All coherent thoughts had abandoned him as he looked at her. She still wore her mask while everyone were devoid theirs.
"Good evening my dearest friends, on this special occasion Madame Pansy would like to present to the Malfoy heir and his family, the costliest server that was ever sold", she said in her sickly sweet voice and waved her wand at the golden girl. Her mask disappeared into thin mist and the whole area was bathed in golden glow as she walked forward and raised her eyes to meet her future family.
Draco looked at her in disbelief, his disbelieve turned to intense rage that rose from the fires of hell itself, he wanted to kill Pansy at that moment but he was stuck in place, petrified by something that wasn't at all magic.
"Now Mr. Malfoy , if you could come ahead for the binding ceremony", Umbridge held her wand hand out gesturing him to take his place beside her.
Draco who had composed himself made no effort to move. Hermione wondered why he wouldn't come, he had been so loving towards her before. "I have no use of this Mudblood", he spat, and she flinched slightly. "But your mother spoke about finding a mudblood slave for your home", pansy cut in smoothly. "You should have given her to my mother Pansy," he scowled at her.
"Theo, your wife loves her, take her", he prompted Theo to take over the binding ceremony, who obliged and got up.
"I may have some use of her Draco Darling," came the soft timid voice of his wife from beside him. "Can we keep her," she asked him, making large puppy dog eyes at him that almost always worked on all males. Draco looked at his wife calculatingly and then nodded. "Sorry Theo, cannot refuse the missus," he shrugged acting helpless. Theo smiled tightly and took his seat, clearly disappointed.
"Madam, if you could come here for the binding," Umbridge was starting to loose the sweetness in her tone. Astoria made her way to stand in front of Hermione, their faces opposite each other, eyeing one another. Umbridge placed the ball in Hermione's hand and using her wand conjured a crystal cup in which Astoria poured her pure blood. She then instructed Hermione to place the ball into the crystal cup who reluctantly followed the instruction. The cup glowed a brilliant shade of silver and gold and the ball absorbed all the blood in the cup. Hermione then lifted the ball gently and handed it over to Astoria who took it with equal tender care.
"Is that it?" She asked Umbridge with a delicately raised eyebrow.
"Yes Madame, now she is at your disposal to do as you please", Umbridge cackled.
Astoria turned towards Pansy and smirked confidently, "thank you Pansy darling, I am eternally grateful to you", and she smiled innocently at her.
"Anything for my favourite Malfoy," quipped Pansy half-heartedly.
"Now that I have a new family member to get acquainted to, please excuse me', she bowed graciously to her guests and walked away. Hermione followed her new mistress into the manor that swallowed them whole into its bowels. The only thing running through her mind was the look of hatred that Draco had thrown at her as she had walked to join her mistress and how lonely she was in this universe.
a/n- I have the whole story mapped out.. Will update on Thursdays mostly. Thank you for reading.