This is my longest chapter for any story that I've ever written!

This chapter (according to my little counter in Microsoft Word) is 13 pages long...that's the longest ever...it covers alot so I hope you don't get lost...this chapter is twice as long as a normal one because I know you all want to get to the wedding...so I took everything that I wanted to happen before the wedding and put it in one chapter...therefore...next chapter should be...the night before the wedding...or will it...I don't know you'll have to wait and see but read this one because you'll love it...and I hope it recaptures your attention...because some things will happen in this chapter that will change the whole story...

Disclaimer: Even JK (who really own Harry Potter by the way) would like this chapter...

Surrounded by Green Covered in White

Hermione sat down in a chair positioned beside a table in the room. It was bare except for the table a few chairs and a mirror. It was however a large room, almost the size of her entire house.

She waited patiently hoping that they would come soon for she was feeling a bit uncomfortable. She looked around, as she waited noticing no portrait on the wall. She wondered why there were no pictures on the wall at all as the door opened.

Draco stepped into her room and closed the door behind him. She watched as he walked over and sat himself down on the table beside her. She wondered if he'd already been measured and was just coming in to watch or if there was another reason behind it.

"Your house is very nice." She said after a few minutes of silence.

"My father loves only the best." He said not looking at her.

"Did you already get measured?" she asked.

"No I was just bored. I wanted to see what you were doing." He said turning to look down at her. She was staring at him again with that look as if to say that she had a secret.

"Did you miss your Grandfathers portrait while you were staying at Voldemort's mansion?"

"I don't want to talk about it?"

"I have grandparents too. I love them a lot. Once set died already. My mother's parents. But my father's parents are still alive. Why'd you love him so much?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it." Draco said again through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't help notice how differently you treat him than me and it was only a portrait." Hermione said.

"Just shut up all right!" Draco screamed angrily.

He jumped off the table and stomped across the room. He stopped and turned around to confront Hermione his eyes narrowed and gleaming grey. She hadn't seen him look like this in a long time toward her. It was scaring her as it used to.

"Don't yell at me." She said softly. "I haven't done a thing to deserve that. I was only asking a question."

"Oh that's right because little miss perfect doesn't deserve to be put in her place." Draco said angrily.

"What in the name of Merlin are you talking about!" Hermione cried, now just as angry as him was.

"You think you're like me. You think because you had grandparents that we're similar. Well guess what Granger, we're not. That man wasn't just a Grandfather; he was the best bloody man on the planet. But you don't want to listen when someone tells you not to bring something up."

Hermione watched as he walked over to her. He looked on the verge of slapping her.

"And do you want to know why Granger? Do you want to know why he was so good? Because he was the complete opposite of my father. He hated killing. He refused to join the Death Eaters. But one day they discovered that he was helping Mudbloods escape from them. He was saving their lives. And he was murdered because of your kind. Mudbloods like you killed him!"

"You bastard. You horrible prat!" she screamed. "You scream at your friends for calling me that but you have no problem saying it yourself. I thought things had changed but how stupid I am. You will never change. You'll always be the same Malfoy, the same rude horrible complete evil bastard that you were."

"That's right I have no problem saying it myself. I never had. I can say what I like to you Granger. Don't you understand that yet?"

"You think because we are being forced to be married that I'll listen to you." She said angrily staring at him. Her eyes were dark and narrowed with fury. It was just like the first time that they had seen each other.

"I'll have control Mudblood. I'll have the wand." He said angrily.

"Why are you acting this way? You didn't hate me this much a while ago." Hermione said as the tears appeared in her eyes.

"Don't kid yourself Granger. I've always hated you."

"But why are you suddenly telling me so viciously? Have I done something? I know it's not because I brought up your Grandfather."

"I can tell you that I hate you more than anything in the world whenever I want to and I don't need a reason you filthy excuse for a witch." Draco spat with venom.

In all reality Draco didn't have a reason for saying the things that he was saying. He had been trying to convince himself for days that he really wasn't beginning to think of her as a friend. He was trying to make her hate him again, the way she had before. With her hatred things would go back to the way they were supposed to.

He couldn't understand why he was beginning not to hate her. He wanted to, and he tried to think about her bad points but she would always do something that he liked, or something funny. He liked being around her, yet hated that he liked being around her.

"Fine, then I'll just leave if you hate me so much you prat." She screamed as she stormed to the door, throwing it open and leaving the room.

Draco walked to the chair throwing himself into it. He felt that he had done it. She would surely hate him and things would go back to the way they had been, the way they were supposed to be.

Draco sat in that room thinking about the things that he had said not realizing just how much time had passed. He finally snapped out of his thoughts when there was a sharp knock at the door. He turned his head and saw a tall thin woman standing in the doorway.

"Where is the girl?" the woman asked.

"She stormed out a while ago. She's probably talking with my mother somewhere." Draco said turning his head away again.

"But your mother is in the living room speaking with Nott and Macnair."

"You mean no one has seen her?" Draco said jumping from his chair.

"Oh Merlin!" cried the woman and Draco watched as she turned and ran down the stairs. He could hear her shouting all the way down.

Hermione had gotten out of the house easy enough but now the question was how was she supposed to get anywhere else. She could try getting down the drive until she reached a main road. But when she saw the front of the house and how open she thought against it.

"There's always the forest." She said aloud looking off to her right where the dense forest loomed.

It seemed that no matter where she was she was always surrounded by forest. She examined the forest from her position behind a large tree. It seemed pretty dense with no clear-cut path. It looked dark as well, but now that she had started she couldn't turn back.

She looked about making sure that there was no one around before she dashed from her hiding place and hurried across the yard. She looked back and thought that she saw someone looking out a window but she didn't stop long enough to find out. She just kept running.

"There she is!" roared Macnair who had been looking out the window by chance as he paced the room nervously.

Draco was on his feet and saw the back of Hermione as she started through the forest running as fast as she could. He knew that if they didn't follow her they would lose her in the thickness of the forest.

"We have to go after her." Draco said as every second she got further away.

"You won't be going anywhere." Macnair said as he called the other Death Eaters who were posted around the house to the room.

"But I know why she ran. It was my fault and she won't come for any of you. She'll only come for me."

"I don't care if she'll only come for the Minister of Magic himself, you're not going into that forest. That girls a tricky one, she could fool you right into helping her."

"How dare you presume that I'd let her fool me. I don't think you understand Macnair. If there is anyone in this room right now that she'll come to it's me. She wont come to you, in fact she'll use that brain of hers, to out smart you and get your wand. But I happen to know that she wont do that with me because I wont even have to use my wand to capture her."

"Let him go." Narcissa said softly.

Macnair looked at Nott and both seemed to nod in agreement. It was minutes later that the search party set out. Draco moved swiftly ahead of everyone else having grown up playing in these woods. He knew his way around and could tell just by the way that Hermione had entered the forest which direction she headed and where she was going.

He pushed through the forest so far ahead now that he could no longer hear the crashing of the other Death Eaters as they made their way heavily through the forest. His movements were swift and silent his steps quick but still at an even pace.

Hermione was further ahead he knew but she was most likely still running, therefore she was going to get tired soon. She would either slow down or stop somewhere ahead and that would be where he would catch her.

He followed the trail that she left of footprints and broken branches listening for the sound of her feet ahead. He was deep in the forest now, hot on her trail. All the while he wondered just what the Dark Lord was going to do when he found out that she had escaped. He would obviously be furious, but would Hermione be punished badly?

As she moved through the forest she knew that she was being followed. They had seen her. But she would get away from them. She would do everything in her power to escape. At that moment she didn't even care if she never made it to the Weasley's and Harry she just wanted to get somewhere.

As she pushed her way through the underbrush Hermione began to grow tired. She knew that she couldn't stop but her legs were growing tired and heavy. She felt her body beginning to slow and it was getting harder to climb through the trees. She stopped and began to crawl until she found a hole in a tree. She squeezed in and hoped that they would pass her by.

Draco stopped and looked about. She was very close. She had to have stopped by now, for they had been out there for over and hour. They were so deep in the forest that Draco was sure the others had stopped and maybe even turned back. He listened carefully trying to hear the sound of feet crunching over the leaves.

After a good long rest Hermione crawled from her hole. She stood and looked about wondering if anyone was still following her. But when she turned to look behind her she saw a few yards away, Malfoy scouring the forest looking for her.

Hermione froze not knowing what to do. He hadn't spotted her yet but she knew that he would if she didn't duck or move. Her whole body however was frozen with fear. He would see her she knew it whether she ducked or stood there. And her fear was confirmed as Draco turned and saw her frozen in fear. He started immediately toward her and she turned and started to run.

She was glad that she had taken that rest for it had rejuvenated her slightly giving her the ability to run away. She ran as fast as she could, darting between the trees. But she could hear him behind her. She didn't dare look over her shoulder for she was afraid, if she did she would trip. Her heart was racing as the branches scratched at her face and arms.

"Granger stop!" he screamed at her as he chased her. He wasn't far behind but she was faster than he had thought.

Draco however wasn't as tired as she was. He had been walking the entire time therefore he was a little more energetic. She was only about two meters ahead of him. He called to her one last time and watched as she turned to look at him.

Hermione wished at that moment, she hadn't instinctively turned her head. It was at that moment that she stumbled and fell into the forest floor. She scrambled to try to get to her feet again but he had grabbed her arm.

She wrenched it free and pushed away from him turning to start running but he grabbed her around the waist. She twisted around to face him screaming loudly.

"Let me go!" Draco however held on tightly.

"You know I cant Granger." He cried above her yells.

"Why not Malfoy. You don't want me around you. I'm nothing but filth. Let me go and I can go be filthy in the muggle world away from you. I wont ever come back." She cried the tears streaking her dirty face.

Draco held her tightly as she continued to struggle. She wriggled her arms to break his grasp all the while trying to run away from him. At one point however, her jerky movements and unsteady balance caused both of them to fall over.

They landed on the forest floor Hermione flat on her back Draco on top of her. She was slightly dazed as she lay there for a moment, but when she regained her composure she started to wriggle away. She almost got away until Draco crawled after her. He grabbed her about the waist and held her down and as she turned to push him off he flipped her onto her back pinning her arms to the ground on either side of her head.

Hermione still fighting for her freedom tried to kick him off but he easily stopped that by straddling her and sitting on her thighs pinning her legs to the ground.

"Get off me!" she screamed as Draco's body hovered above her.

Both were panting as they stayed that way. Draco refused to move and all the wriggling in the world wouldn't make him move. Eventually she stopped and let the tears roll down her face and mix with the dirt on the ground. Draco stared down at her his hair shadowing his eyes. Hermione couldn't look at him and turned her face away.

"I want to go home." Hermione said softly her tone striking Draco right in a soft spot. He couldn't understand why that simple phrase made all the strength drain from him.

He felt her muscles loosen beneath his hands. Her body seemed to go limp. She was still breathing heavily and they sweat mixed with tears still trickled down the side of her face.

"I know Granger. I know you want to go home." He said as he moved off of her. She didn't move, nor did she turn her head to look at him.

He lifted her up so she was sitting on the forest floor. She turned her head and looked at him. He was dirty like her. His white dress shirt covered in dirt his hair no longer the wonderful white blond but dirty with leave and things caught in it. She watched as he sat back leaning against a tree. He was tired and looked unhappy.

"Are you letting me go?"

"No Granger. If you try to run I'll chase you again. But you won't run. There's no where to run." He said taking his hand from his head and opening his eyes to look at her. "We're both trapped, remember."

"Why do you have to be like that? Why do you have to be so hurtful?" she asked the tears falling faster.

"Because I don't want things to change between us. I don't want to like you. I don't want to be your friend. I hate this and you know it." He said trying to keep from shouting again. "Why'd you run?"

"I can't take being constantly insulted. Even when you're not speaking I can feel it. It comes off you in waves Malfoy."

"What?"

"The hatred. Do you know what it feels like to be in a place where everywhere you turn is something more frightening and now matter who you look to you cant get anything but hate. I can see it in their eyes. All these people here hate me. I knew they would because of my blood but it still hurts. At least at school I could get away from it. I could stay away from you and the other Slytherins. I can't escape it here."

He watched as she broke down before him. Only tears had been coming from her eyes but now she was sobbing into her hands, her voice distorted from them. She shook violently as all those feelings escaped.

"You told me that you cared, even if it was just a tiny bit, and I believed you. But now I know it was just a lie like that little kiss you gave me before we left the library to go to the party. Like when you held my hand. They were all lies. And I fell for them."

"I wasn't lying when I told you I cared Granger." Draco said sounding hurt.

"I know you were Malfoy. You had to be because it's impossible for anyone to care about me. My own family doesn't even care. None of them even know I'm missing. And the ones that do care about me probably have stopped looking. They probably think I'm dead. All I've got left is you and the rest of the Death Eaters, and hell will freeze over and thaw out before anyone here cares about me."

"I just told you that I care." Draco said leaning forward.

"You care about nothing but yourself. You only think of me as a burden that you'll have to watch over until I have a son and heir for you. After that they'll kill me and I'll be wiped from your mind completely. It'll be like I never existed at all really."

Draco, now angry crawled forward and grabbed Hermione by the upper arms. He started to shake her. Her head rose from her hands and her eyes locked with his. At that point he stopped shaking her to scream.

"I told you that I care Hermione!"

He let go of her arms and watched as she fell into his arms. He held her there in his lap as she cried. He deserved it for he had caused this entire mess. Had he not yelled at her she would not have tried to escape and things wouldn't be horrible as they are now.

He pulled her into his lap and held her close as he had for Marie when she would cry. Her head was buried in the space where his neck and his shoulder met. She had one arm behind him and was clutching the back of his ruined dress shirt in her small hand. The other hand held onto his shoulder.

"We have to get back." Draco said softly. He moved his head to look into her face but she had hers buried in his chest almost as if she were afraid to look up.

"I don't want to." She said as a muffled reply.

"I know you don't. I know you'd rather just stay here all day and not have to face that house full of people that dislike you. But we all have to do things we don't want to do. Plus my mother's worried sick about you. She likes you Hermione. So if you don't do it for me, do it for her." Draco said as he made to stand.

When he was on his feet he reached down and pulled Hermione up with him. She was weak and tired he could tell. But she stood there beside him and walked with him through the forest.

"What's going to happen to me?" Hermione asked after a few minutes of walking in silence.

"Well Macnair wont even have to tell the Dark Lord because I'm sure he already knows. He'll either be waiting for us when we get back to the house or he'll be waiting for us when we get back to his house. Either way he'll want to speak with both of us."

"But why you. I ran away." She said.

"Because it was my fault." He said turning to look at her.

It took them almost half an hour to walk all the way to where the other Death Eaters were searching. They all looked at the two dirty teenagers and exchanged glances. Draco told them that she was fine that she hadn't gotten to far and that he wanted to get back to the house as soon as possible.

"We'll Apparate." Macnair said reaching for his wand. "Do you want to take her or should I?"

"You should, I haven't done double Apparation yet." Draco said.

Hermione looked at him her eyes wide. She was afraid of the other men around her for they all looked angry with her. And they all probably were for by running away she had caused a lot of people to get in trouble with the Voldemort.

Hermione walked over to Macnair and he put an arm around her. Moments later she was gone and with a pop she was in Draco's house again. She looked around and saw the others popping in beside them one after the other. Draco was one of the last, to appear.

"Come on both of you." Said a soft voice from the doorway. Hermione turned to see Narcissa standing there wringing her hands.

Draco and Hermione followed obediently. They walked behind Narcissa back up the stairs. She led them back to the rooms they had been in. Draco before closing the door watched Hermione walk into the room with his mother. He wanted to make sure that she was in there before he closed the door.

When Hermione was in her room Narcissa showed her to the bathroom.

"Have a nice long bath. I will have the house elves mend and clean your clothes. Things will be fine, I promise." She said softly before turning to leave.

"Thank you." Hermione said softly to the air before turning and starting the water for a bath.

After and hour or so Hermione got out of the bath and dried off. She looked at herself in the mirror and tried to understand the thoughts that were coursing through her mind.

'I know he's still lying.' She thought to herself. 'He's Draco Malfoy. There's no way he could care about me. But I'm not going to care anymore. I'm just going to do what they tell me to do; I'm not going to fight anymore. But when we go back to school, and I get my wand back, there will be hell to pay.'

Hermione then made a promise to herself. She would learn everything she could about their plans. She would learn everything she could about what they were doing and what they had gathered. She would use all the information against her, keeping it stored in the back of her mind until she was able to get hold of a journal or something to write it in. When she had it all down she would give it to the order the moment that she was able to.

With thoughts of her revenge on her mind Hermione smiled into the mirror. As she smiled and dried her hair in the mirror she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Hermione dear, the tailor is here again and is ready to begin designing your dress." Said the voice of Narcissa through the door.

"I'll be right out." Hermione called and proceeded to finish what she was doing.

She opened the door and stepped out to see a tall stout woman standing beside a large stool much like the one in the robe shop in Diagon Alley. She looked around and noticed there were more people in the room then there had been before the whole escaping ordeal.

Narcissa stood beside the tailor and Draco sat in a chair in the corner. Macnair stood by the window and Nott by the door. They were taking extra precaution to make sure nothing happened again. Draco was watching her his eyes following her every move.

"Come here darling. I will not hurt you." Said the woman in a soft tone.

Hermione walked over to where the woman stood. She watched as the tailor reached for a tape measure and her wand that sat on the table behind her. Hermione felt a bit nervous being watched by so many people. It was eerie to have to grown male Death Eaters watching as she was about to be measured for her wedding dress.

"Now climb up on the stool Miss Granger so that I may measure you." Said the woman.

"Mrs. Hambalm is one of the most talented designers of wedding gowns in England. She agreed to do your dress. She did my dress for me." Narcissa said her tone light and somewhat excited. But Hermione could still hear the nervousness in her voice.

As Hermione got up on the stool Mrs. Hambalm moved her wand in sharp motions. She noticed that the two Death Eaters guarding the exits had their wands out. Maybe they thought she would steal Mrs. Hambalm's wand. As she thought about what they might do to her if she did a tape measure zoomed past her face and started measuring every part of her that Mrs. Hambalm wanted.

"Now we'll do the dress in white of course for it's traditional and this girl would look absolutely ravishing in white." Said the old tailor behind her. "But before we do any designing I'll have to request that the groom leave the room. It's bad luck to see the bride in her gown before the wedding or to even know what it will look like."

"But Mum-" Draco started but Narcissa interrupted him.

"Please Draco go. It's better for it to be a surprised anyway."

Hermione glanced over her shoulder at Draco as he stood. He looked at her one last time before he moved to the door. Nott unlocked it and stepped away keeping a watchful eye on Hermione all the while. Draco slipped out and that was the last Hermione saw of him for almost an hour and a half.

"It'll be glorious." Mrs. Hambalm said as Hermione finally stepped off the stool, dressed in her normal clothes again.

For those few minutes that she stood there, the dress fully completed and on she had felt like a princess. It was a wonderful dress, one that every girl wished to have for their own wedding. She wondered then if Draco would think she looked nice. She hoped someone thought she looked nice because all the people that she really wanted to be there wouldn't be able to be there.

Draco opened the door to his room upon hearing voices in the hall. Hermione walked out of the room staring at the floor, deep in thought. He wondered what she was thinking as he tapped her shoulder. Her head turned and once again he was staring into those deep chocolate orbs. He felt that stir of emotions that the Dark Lord creates when he wants something to happen between them but they weren't nearly as strong as usual.

"Yes." Hermione said softly. Macnair was coming out after her and Draco saw him watching Hermione like a hawk.

"Your finished then?" Draco asked.

"Yeah. It's all ready and created. It's been sent to the mansion and put away in the room where I'll be changing. And no you can't see it." She said knowing that he would ask that sooner or later.

"We have to get going back to the mansion. We have to have dinner with the Dark Lord in less than an hour." Draco said glancing at his watch.

"We have to have dinner with him." Hermione asked slightly astonished.

Macnair stood nearby keeping a watchful eye on the two. Draco was annoyed with this but he knew that Macnair wasn't going to let Hermione out of his sight until they were back in the safety of the mansion and within Voldemort's range of power. He however was also unhappy with the fact that Macnair was listening in on their conversation.

"When did anyone say that we were going to have dinner with him?" Hermione asked unhappily. Draco knew how much she didn't like him and how unafraid she was to talk about him that way and he was already used to it, not trying to correct her any longer for she was never going to change. But Macnair seemed outraged and offended by her comments.

"I was told this morning by my father. He wishes to have dinner with us, then you'll be sent to your room while I attend a few last minute meetings with the other Death Eaters in training." He said closing the door to his room and turning to walk beside her down the hall. "It's not like it's spending the entire day with him so you'll be fine."

"Spending any time with Voldemort is to much time." Hermione said unhappily. Macnair who followed then spoke up.

"How dare you speak his name. Draco are you going to let her talk about your master that way?"

"I can do nothing to stop her. I've told her time and again not to use it but she claims she's not afraid. If you can change her mind by all means go ahead. But if you harm her the Dark Lord will be the one you deal with." Draco said knowing that Macnair wouldn't touch her. And as Draco predicted he said nothing and did nothing but follow them to the first floor where they said goodbye to Narcissa.

"I will be at the mansion tomorrow to help you prepare Hermione. Things will be splendid, you'll see." She said giving Hermione a hug and light kiss on the forehead. Draco was truly astonished that his mother had taken to Hermione so quickly. It was like they had known each other for years.

"Draco may I have a word with you?"

Draco followed his mother out of the room into the hall. They walked away from the room where they would Floo. She stopped when she was sure that they were a good distance away and no one would hear them.

"Did you bring the ring with you Draco?" Narcissa asked.

"The engagement ring, yeah, it's in my pocket. I forgot to give it to her with the escape and all." Draco said reaching into his pocket and taking out the ring. It was still a shiny and wonderful as it had been in the box. He stared into the emerald and noticed the tiny little M.

"When you go in there to Floo away, do it then. I'll get Nott and Macnair out. But be gentle. Don't just shove it at her, be a gentleman." His mother said placing a hand on her son's cheek. "I love you Draco darling."

"I love you too mum." He said giving her a small smile but he looked down at the ring that had once been hers, the ring that he was about to give to a girl he didn't love. He wondered if his father had loved her when he had presented that ring to her?

Draco turned making a fist around the ring and started for the living room again. His mother's footsteps were right behind his as they neared the room. When he turned the corner and entered the room he saw Macnair and Nott who were standing at the entrance turn.

"Nott Macnair, come out here for a moment, I'd like a word." Narcissa said in a commanding tone.

Hermione was watching him as he moved toward her. He stopped and watched Macnair and Nott leave following his mother down the hall, their heavy footsteps growing fainter. He turned back to Hermione and saw that she was watching him again.

"What did she want to talk about?" Hermione asked hoping it had nothing to do with her.

"Something I forgot to do." Draco said moving closer.

Hermione's eyes followed him as he stood before her. He was looking down at his hand; the fist and she felt her stomach drop. Something was wrong? Had she done something? Was he angry?

"I know that you and I haven't gotten along, well, never gotten along in all the time we've known each other. I know that you think I'm a liar and a completely heartless prat. But I want you to know Hermione that's not all I am. I can be good sometimes, and I've tried to be good to you. I'm sure that when the wedding's all over and things finally settle down you'll begin to see I'm not such a bad guy, though I know we'll never really like each other all that much. But let's have a truce on insulting one another. I'll try to be civil with you just so we can live together without killing each other."

She looked up into his eyes as he continued to stare at his fist. She wanted to know what the point was to all this. Why was he trying to make her trust him, feel that he was being nice, just to tear her down again?

"Though it's really done anyway, I wanted to try and make it as normal as possible." He said and she watched as he slowly knelt.

Draco Malfoy was on one knee before her. She watched as the hand that was balled into a fist slowly unfurled and revealed the engagement ring that had been in the silver box. He took it in his right hand between his thumb and index fingers and then looked up at Hermione.

"Hermione Granger," he said taking her left hand. "Will you marry me?"

Hermione could feel the tears stinging her eyes as he slipped the ring on her finger. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She tried again but still no sound issued forth. He had made her speechless.

Eventually Hermione nodded and Draco stood, giving her a little hug. He wasn't at all happy that she had said yes for if it had been real she would have slapped him in the face and called him a ferret, and frankly that's how he would have preferred it. But since things weren't normal anymore hugging Hermione Granger after asking her to marry him seemed like the natural thing to do.

When they parted he watched her wipe the tears from her eyes. She seemed pleased, though he knew that she was probably imagining someone else was the one doing the asking. He took her hand and they stepped into the green flames that he had caused with the Floo powder.

When they landed at the mansion Draco used his wand to clean them both up again. He was stunned however when a house elf greeted them timidly from behind a chair.

"Master wishes yous to joins him in the dinnings rooms sir." The house elf said to Draco.

"We'll be right there." Draco said looking at his watch. The Dark Lord was calling them quite early, but it must have been because of the escape attempt earlier.

He turned to Hermione who held her head high. She was ready to face the punishment that she would get. He couldn't understand how someone in her position could be so unafraid. She was nervous of course but she wasn't afraid, not of him not of Voldemort, not of what they could do to her.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes." She said not looking at him. He nodded and led the way toward the dinning room where her punishment would be dealt.

When Draco entered he bowed deeply to the man sitting at the head of the table. Hermione however just stared, unblinkingly at him. She couldn't take her eyes from him and really she wouldn't. It was stupid to drop your guard when with a man of his power.

"Sit down Draco." The Dark Lord instructed.

Draco moved forward and took his seat. Hermione made to follow but the piercing red eyes turned on her and she froze. She stared right back, determined not to show him weakness and let him make her feel afraid. She was taking her life in her hands however because defying Voldemort in his presence was like begging for death.

"I've been told that you tried to escape today Miss Granger." He said his voice cool but she knew he was not happy.

"Yes. I tried to run away through the forest."

"And why would you do that?" he demanded.

"Because I was unhappy and wanted to escape the emotional pain that I've been going through lately. I didn't get far though, Draco caught me." Hermione said taking a quick glance at Draco.

"I understand that this is an emotional time for you Miss Granger. You are about to be married to someone that you don't love and you've been taken away from your friends and placed here where everyone looks upon you like you are dirt. But that is no excuse for your disobedience."

Hermione stood and took all the things that he was saying. She thought that Voldemort would be a little harsher. He was being awful tame compared to how she thought he might be.

"You will receive a punishment. Normally if a prisoner tries to escape they receive lashings in the chamber building in the center of the woods. But since tomorrow is your wedding day we wouldn't want you staining your dress with your Mudblood, therefore I will send you to your room tonight with no food. But the rest of your punishment will come after the wedding. You won't escape these lashings."

As he finished a man stepped out from behind her and took her by the upper arm. She turned her head and glared at him. She pulled away sharply and turned her back leaving the room and starting up the stairs. Draco had watched the whole ordeal praying that she wouldn't get lashings. He didn't want to have to deal with it but she had and now there was nothing to change it. She would be whipped sometime after the wedding took place and he would have to tend to her wounds.

'Damn you Granger.' He thought angrily. 'Why'd you have to run.'

"Come Draco, eat for you have meetings to attend." Said Voldemort before standing. He left the room and Draco alone to finish his meal in complete silence.

Hermione sat locked in her room staring at the things around her. She knew that she would receive a punishment like this and she feared the pain, but she would take it because there was nothing else she could do.

"I want to go home." She said again before she laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the rumbling in her stomach.

THE END

just kidding...haha...no but really what would you do if I just ended it there...I know it would be ridiculous...but it would be pretty funny to see what you would all have to say to that...

anyway...

Next...THE WEDDING...the moment you've all been waiting for...

I should get to work...

Starry