Hey guys...alright there are a few things I wanted to ask you and tell you...First the question...are there any guys on this sight at all? If there are and they are reading this...tell me honestly what you think because I wanna know from a guys perspective...I think most of my reviewers are girls and that is fine...but i was curious about how a guy thinks this story is going or how he thinks it will or should go...

Second...Addicted Reader53...At my Prom we didn't vote on king and queen...we did it a bit differently. You see the queen was chosen by doing it Bridal Style. They had a bouqet of flowers that they had a teacher (female btw) toss over her head into a mass of pushing and shoving senior girls. I wasn't even going to do it but a friend made me. I was standing all the way in the back to the left. She threw it and it started to bounce from hand to hand and finally made it to me where I caught it.

The king was chosen in a more interesting way. They blindfolded me. Then they told me to touch the faces of a select group of men. So i had to go up and down the line of the most popular guys in my class touching their faces. Then I picked whoever I felt was the the best. Pretty good huh?

Disclaimer: JK...hah I wish...

The Inner Circle

As Hermione stepped out of the grate beside Draco, she felt all eyes fall to her. Everyone there was waiting as Draco had said they would be. They were waiting for the time to be right to join their master.

Draco had explained what would happen through the night for everything within the Death Eaters was done by tradition. These ways were passed down from father to son and mother to daughter and that was one of the reasons that the pureblooded families married into one another, to keep up the traditional ways.

"These people have been trained since birth." Draco had told her that afternoon in the sitting room where he had decided to do the instruction. "They've known no other ways but these. They are all expecting you to fail because you are an outsider. You weren't trained from birth like them. You will never be accepted unless you can prove to them that you know better than anyone how a Pureblood acts."

Hermione knew that she could do this. She was better at picking things up quickly than most of the students at Hogwarts. She learned easily. But she knew that this wasn't just any learning. She would have to succeed in this or it could mean dire consequences for both her and Draco.

She had her arm linked with Draco's as they stopped just behind Lucius and Narcissa. Hermione was dressed in the traditional black robes. Draco had placed the veil over her head and she was unable to utter a sound. She stayed close to Draco as he had instructed keeping her eyes on the floor.

"When we arrive you'll get plenty of stares because people will want to see you mess up. But you cant Hermione. Pretend like this is school. Pretend like McGonigall is watching from somewhere ready to grade your performance."

She had nodded in understanding perfectly.

"Remember to keep from looking up. It is a sign of respect when a new bride bows her head to those older and wiser than her. I will be right along side you so don't feel stupid."

Hermione looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Draco bow his head to his father. Lucius raised his head then gave a slight nod. Narcissa behind her veil nodded as well.

They only waited for a few moments before a large set of double doors opened and the couples moved in one at a time. Draco ushered Hermione in and walked to the table where they would soon be seated.

"Now when we get inside there's a lot you have to do before you can actually sit."

Hermione remembered everything that Draco told her would happen and was prepared. She knew exactly when she was to do everything and how to execute it perfectly.

She stood facing the table her eyes trained ahead as was everyone else's. They were like and army. She felt almost like a mindless robot that was being told what to do and she couldn't help wishing that she were anywhere but there at the moment.

Suddenly the door to Hermione's left opened and out Voldemort stepped. He walked forward and stood before his large, throne like chair. He was dressed, in long flowing black robes, and Hermione was sure that they were made of the most expensive and rich material.

"Gentlemen, please remove your ladies hoods." The wicked man called out to the room.

Hermione turned to Draco her heart beginning to pound. Things were starting and she felt the nerves coming on. This was nothing like school. But she looked into Draco's eyes and saw the message that he was sending. The message that begged her not to mess up for both their necks were on the line.

As the hood came off and Draco slide it slowly from around her shoulders a shiver moved up her spine. Now here came the hard part. Hermione would have to go up with the other women and kiss Voldemort's hand.

"It has to be the left hand. He won't let anyone touch his right hand for that's his wand hand. You will curtsy then he will hold out his hand and you will kiss it. Then you come right back to me, understand?"

She had nodded thinking at the time how easy that would be. But she hadn't really thought it through. She would have to kiss the hand of one of the most repulsive people ever. Now that she walked behind Narcissa she didn't know if she could do it.

All the men stood around watching their wives pay their respects to their master. Draco's heart pounded furiously in his chest as Hermione inched ever closer. When she reached him and curtsied perfectly as they had practiced, his heart skipped a beat. He didn't feel it beat again until she was positioned beside him again.

Next Draco lined up with the other men to pay their respects. Each male brought an offering from the house to show his devotion. Draco held in his palm a key to the house. That was the gift that every newlywed was to give. It was to signify that their house was always open for their Lord, though Draco hated the idea of that man in his house.

As he reached the table again Voldemort spoke.

"You may all be seated now."

Draco pulled out the chair for Hermione and pushed it in when she was seated. He took his seat beside her and turned his attention to the Dark Lord.

"When the meeting starts you can't speak." Draco had told Hermione at his house. "You must sit there with your hands on the table or in your lap within his sight. That's the only suitable place."

"What's the point of me even being there then?" She had asked.

"Because there must be two representatives of every house of his inner circle. You can't speak about anything discussed in that room unless he asks you to speak himself. Other than that you have to be silent."

So Hermione placed her hands in her lap and kept her mouth shut. She listened as Voldemort talked about nothing that interested her. He talked about how now that Dumbledore was dead things were going to change in the world. These were all things that she knew already. But then he started talking about a specific person that Hermione hadn't seen since that fateful night when the light side lost their greatest fighter.

Draco noticed Hermione's hand suddenly flinch at the mention of the name of his godfather. She had to keep it together. He had planned this. The Dark Lord had planned this the entire time. He was testing her to see just how well she could control herself. If she failed this test then things would be very hard for the two.

"The other hero of the Phoenix mission Severus Snape."

The doors behind Voldemort opened and none other than Severus Snape entered. He looked around at all the people at the table nodding his head at a few. Everyone around looked at him with looks of admiration something that bothered Hermione greatly. How could they admire a murderer, but then Hermione had forgotten who she was sitting with.

'Just keep it together please.' Draco thought desperately as he eyed his wife.

Severus kept looking from face to face until his eyes landed on Hermione. When he saw her, his eyes widened slightly but not enough for anyone who hadn't watched his face for the last six year to notice. He was surprised to see her there something she was happy about. Because then it would be a complete surprise when she turned him in after she escaped that place.

Severus took a seat and turned to face the Dark Lord but Hermione couldn't help feeling that his eyes wandered in her direction every once in a while. She kept her eyes focused on Voldemort remembering what Draco had told her.

"He wants attention on him when he speaks. It's believed that he thinks you're plotting against him when you avoid looking at him."

Hermione watched his lips as he spoke about Severus and the plans that he had been brewing up for him. All the while the rage within Hermione was beginning to grow. The man who had killed her headmaster, the world's hero, and her mentor was sitting before her and all she could do was stare. She knew that she had no chance against Voldemort, he would destroy her within a second, but she could surely take on Snape.

She was ready to reach for her wand, when she remembered where she was and what was happening. All her thoughts of revenge had carried her away from everything. She had, for one fleeting moment believed that she was somewhere else, and not held captive.

"The reason I have called you all here is to welcome the new house to the circle. The new Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy will now formally be welcomed to the innermost clan of followers."

Draco had told her about this part as well. Voldemort would present both of them with their traditional robes. That evening they were wearing dress robes of their choice as would everyone else, but when normal meetings occurred everyone was to wear matching robes. Men wore black while women wore the deepest emerald green. They also had cloaks to match the robes for sometimes the meetings were held outdoors, especially when there was something a bit messier on the agenda.

"Wormtail bring out the robes." Voldemort said softly yet his voice could have been a shout from the way that Wormtail jumped and scampered off. He returned a moment later carrying two sets of folded robes and two cloaks.

"Draco rise and lead your wife please." Voldemort said standing Wormtail standing nervous on his left his silver hand shimmering in the candlelight.

Draco rose from his chair and turned to Hermione. She was looking up at him her face trying to seem normal but her eyes gave away her nervousness. He pulled out her chair as she rose and took her hand, leading her around all the people to stand before Voldemort.

"These robes signify your induction to the inner circle of my followers. You are to wear them to all of these meetings to show your pride in being so truly devoted. I present them to you with great expectations that I am sure you will live up to."

Hermione couldn't help but feel that Voldemort sounded just a bit like Dumbledore. It was strange but after hearing his little speech Hermione thought only of Dumbledore.

Voldemort turned and took the black robes from Wormtail and handed them to Draco who bowed deeply. The black cloak was draped across the robes as Draco rose. Voldemort then took the green robes from Wormtail and turned to Hermione.

She looked into his eyes for the shortest second before curtsying. She held the curtsy as he draped the cloak and rose when he finished. She wished then that she could just go home for she felt sick to her stomach.

"Turn around so that you may be greeted by your fellow circle members." Voldemort said loudly.

Draco turned as did Hermione and faced the group at the table. Draco saw his father smirking and his mother smiling. His godfather looked on with his usual forced grimace while his aunt and uncle Lestrange stared on proudly. His friend's parents looked on happily almost as if they saw their own children in his same position one-day.

After they had been presented with their robes the meeting continued with Voldemort questioning specific people on their progress in their certain tasks. Hermione was lost on this conversation because he never went over what the task was and she had no idea so none of the information that she stored in her memory was of any use at the moment. But she had a feeling if she kept gathering information the plans would form before and she would figure them out.

The meeting concluded with Voldemort telling all the men to put the hoods on their wives. Then he rose and left them all. When he had vanished the couples exited the room and left one at a time for their homes. Hermione and Draco walked to the grate and were about to Floo back to their new house when Lucius called out to his son.

Hermione was turned about when Draco turned and was surprised to see not only Narcissa and Lucius moving in their direction but also Snape. She watched as he neared her eyes narrowed and focused only on him. She wished that she had a wand at that moment for she would have hurt the man badly.

Draco felt the hand in his own tighten. Her grip was amazingly strong. He squeezed hers back lightly to try and relax her, or at least tell her that she was hurting him. Her grip loosened but only a little.

"Draco, congratulations." His father said which was the closest thing to encouragement or pride Draco had ever seen from him.

"Thank you Father." Draco responded.

"Yes congratulations Draco. It's a great honour to be apart of the Dark Lord's inner circle." Severus said looking down at Draco.

"I'm honoured."

"Severus I believe you've already met Hermione. She's Draco's wife, they were married yesterday." Lucius said smirking at the unhappy look on Hermione's face.

Severus nodded and shook Draco's hand to congratulate him again. Hermione stood rooted to the spot for a few more minutes listening to the conversation but not truly hearing it and of course not being apart of it. She realized she was leaving when Draco squeezed her hand tightly as he said his good byes. Hermione bowed her head to the adults and turned with Draco toward the grate.

When they arrived at their house Hermione turned to Draco waiting for him to take off the hood. His wonderful blond hair was dulled by the darkness of the material and Hermione felt a little sleepy because of way it dulled the colours around her.

Draco stared for a minute looking contemplative.

"I have a few things I want to say before you can interrupt me and tell me I'm wrong like you always do."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. He was really going to leave on the hood just so that he could make a bloody speech. She marched away from him angrily, determined not to hear a word until she had the hood off.

"Where do you think you're going eh?" Draco said following her out into the hall. She spun on her heels to face him and he saw that she was glaring at him through the veil.

"I'm going to talk whether you want to listen or not, but I'm going to get it all out before I take that thing off because with it on you have no choice but to stay silent." Draco said as he looked into her sharp eyes.

"You did really well tonight. Damn near perfect I'd say. I think you've proved yourself but we still have to play it safe. Now that you've been inducted into the inner circle things should quiet down a bit. We will be able to stay home and relax. But there is one downside to that. He's going to expect us to consummate the marriage."

Hermione's eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to speak but remembered. She closed it and violently shook her head telling Draco exactly how she felt about that thought.

"You think I want to either. But we really have no choice now do we? It's either we do the thing willingly or he could use a spell that will make us against our will. We'll be trapped in our own bodies unable to stop ourselves."

Hermione turned away and continued up the corridor. She reached the stairs and lifted her foot to start up them when she looked back down the hall and saw Draco standing there. She knew that he was right but she wasn't about to give in.

"If you fight him Hermione you'll only lose. You already know what will happen." He said remembering the mangled mess that had been her back after the whippings.

Hermione remembered as well, but she knew that she couldn't let this man take over her life. She would have to come up with something, some way to make sure that they could never consummate the marriage.

So...sorry bythe way for that little snipit of my life in the beginning but I thought maybe you might have been interested. I'm glad so many of you are loving this story because guess what...theres lots more to go...i hope you guys like long stories because this one is gonna knock your socks ooff then was them and hang them out to dry...hehe...

Starry