When Hermione woke up for breakfast, Ginny came back in a wisteria dress, frowning, as if she was in pain. Hermione patted her shoulder and asked,
"Where have you been?"
Ginny looked at her, tears welling in her eyes, but immediately she wiped them dry and pulled down her dress to the shoulder. Hermione gasped at the sight of bruises on her neck and shoulders.
"What happened?" asked Hermione, horrified. "Who did that?"
"Nott."
"Theodore Nott?"
"The big one."
Hermione fell into deep contemplation, she had never met Mr. Nott before and it was difficult to imagine a man in his late fifties abusing a sixteen year old girl like Ginny.
"Did you not fight back?" asked Hermione.
"Do you think we can?" replied Ginny coldly.
Waves of apprehension surged, her experience only made Hermione more and more nervous about her future. Just then, Umbridge came in with a big grin and said,
"When I call your name, please come out and follow me."
Hermione gulped, wishing her name would not be called.
"Samantha Barks."
The brunette girl sitting at the front stood up and walked towards Umbridge. Umbridge smiled at her and continued,
"Camila Winter, Nelly Evans, Silvia Woods, Cecilia Hills…and Hermione Granger."
Shocked to hear her name, Hermione stared at Ginny, who looked at her with mournful eyes and whispered,
"Good luck."
Unwillingly, she stood up and walked to Umbridge, then one by one, they got out of the room and went upstairs to the third floor. The third floor was larger, darker and so eerily quiet. They stopped in front of a room, and Umbridge said,
"Congratulations on being chosen to graduate from our training programme. Now when you hear your name, just go into the room and wait for instructions."
Hermione sniffed as she heard the word "graduate". Did she even study anything?
"Hermione Granger."
The other girls moved aside and made way for Hermione, who was standing at the back. Hermione walked pass them, meeting their eyes and finally to Umbridge's.
"Go in," ordered Umbridge.
She entered the room and found a Healer standing by the bed and signalled her to come towards him.
"Take off your clothes and lie down," ordered the Healer.
Without doubt, she obediently took off her dress, then looked at the Healer. He stared at her underwear, signalling her to take them off too. Feeling uncomfortable, After she placed it neatly on the table, she got up onto the bed and lay down. The Healer flicked his wand and pointed at her abdomen.
"Nubile and healthy, perfect body condition for pregnancy," commented the Healer. "With a body like that, pregnancy in six months is possible."
"Six months?" asked Hermione, mildly shocked.
"Well three months, if you cooperate with your master."
Hermione's mind was swollen, she simply could not imagine herself carrying a child in three months. The Healer smiled and began,
"But that depends on your master's fertility."
"Huh?"
"Because of the Dark Lord's death, a lot of Pureblood men and women were cursed, curse of huge reduction in fertility," explained the Healer. "Men could take as much fertility potion as they could, but the effect was not as strong as women. Untaken non-Pureblood women."
His face got closer and his breath was on her face.
"You don't want to be exiled, do you?"
His hands were caressing her thighs.
"I could help you there," he whispered.
Hermione shivered from fear and she shoved him aside.
"No," she said loudly. "Don't you dare touch me."
The Healer smiled and asked,
"Why not?"
"No," said Hermione, shivering. "Don't make me kill you."
The Healer suddenly stood up straight and said,
"You passed."
Hermione was puzzled. Passed?
"Congratulations, you passed our ordeal."
"Ordeal?"
"We are testing if you would do it just to stay alive, betraying your future masters and the law. You passed."
He helped her sit up. Hermione looked at him, then muttered,
"You have no right to test my morality."
"Go to the next room, Umbridge is waiting," said the Healer, completely ignoring her complaint.
He flicked his wand and her dress were placed in a box, Hermione assumed she would have to meet Umbridge naked. As she entered the next room, Umbridge beamed at her and led her in front of a cage.
"Stay still," ordered Umbridge as she blindfolded her and tied her hands. "And don't make a sound."
She pushed Hermione into the cage, and soon another few girls joined in, all shivering, not knowing what to do. Just right before Hermione decided to open her mouth and say anything, she heard the door swung open and footsteps getting nearer and nearer. Then the blindfold faded into thin air and blinding lights shone onto her face, forcing her to shut her eyes. When she finally got used to the lights, she heard mumbles in front of her and the moment she opened her eyes, she saw two man standing in front of her — the Malfoys.
Out of instinct, she covered her chest with her arms and turned around, shivering at the corner, hoping that they would not stare at her any longer.
"These are our current best Maiden we have trained," introduced Umbridge, which to Hermione sounded just like a procuress. "Young, obedient, and most importantly, nubile and healthy."
Lucius and Draco Malfoy walked around the cage, examining every girl in the cage. Then he stood in front of Hermione, eyes fixed on her body for quite a while.
"Why not help your father pick one, Draco?" asked Umbridge.
Father? Did that mean Lucius Malfoy was seeking a Maiden? Imaging her nemesis being her master was already horrible, now that it was his father, this made the situation even worse.
Please, please not me, Hermione thought.
"She looks fine enough," said Draco, pointing at Hermione.
Umbridge pulled her out of the cage and made her stood in front of the Malfoys, allowing them to examine every part of her. She kept her head down, trying to make herself feel less embarrassed.
"She does have a nicely proportioned body," commented Lucius. "Young and healthy too."
Hermione felt humiliated, like an animal at zoo, behind the bars and being examined at ever single moment. Then Lucius nodded and said,
"Let's hope your mother likes her."
His words were deafening, that would mean Lucius was taking her as her master. While holding back her tears and trying to calm herself down, Umbridge pulled her out of the room and her wand pointed at her arm. She could feel something was going under her skin, like saline being injected to her veins. When Umbridge finished, Hermione could see the word "Malfoy" was engraved deeply into her skin.
"1000 Galleons and she's officially yours," said Umbridge, grinning.
"She worths 1000 Galleons," commented Lucius.
As a silver badger emerged from Lucius's wand, Umbridge shot a thick wisteria strand around her body and a dress was formed.
After Lucius had settled the paperwork, they apparated to the Malfoy Manor. It was huge, almost like a castle. As they walked pass the tall hedges, they arrived at the doorstep. An old woman in green opened the door for them and they entered.
"Where's Mrs. Malfoy?" asked Lucius.
"Mrs. Malfoy is in the parlour, my lord," replied the Altruist.
"Good, take her there," instructed Lucius and Draco followed him upstairs.
The Altruist led her to the parlour and she saw Narcissa sitting in her couch, reading.
"Ma'am," said the Altruist. "She's here."
Narcissa put down her book and looked at Hermione. She was a lot different from what Hermione used to remember. The green costume was replaced by a blue one, which made her appear less evil.
"Welcome Hermione," said Narcissa.
"Good afternoon," greeted Hermione as the Altruist left the room.
"Do you understand your duty in this house?" asked Narcissa.
'Yes, Ma'am—" answered Hermione.
"Do not call me Ma'am. You shall refer me as ' ' or 'my lady', do you understand?"
"Yes, my lady."
"I shall see as little of you as possible," said Narcissa. "And try not to cause troubles, I do not have a high level of tolerance towards inappropriate behaviours. Is that clear?"
Hermione nodded, then Narcissa continued,
"When Lucius is around the house, you shall stay in your room or his room. If he is not around for more than a week, you will be sent back to the Ed Centre."
Narcissa stood up and walked towards her, and whispered,
"I hope you will always bear in mind that I will be in charge of everything, including my marriage."
She then opened the door and ordered an Altruist to take Hermione to her room, then immediately left once Hermione stepped into the room. The room was a lot larger than the one back home, if she had to complain, it would be the absence of books.
Dinner was the same as the one she had back in Ed Centre, she wolfed down everything since she did not have lunch for the day. Just after she finished her meal for ten minutes, Narcissa came in with a bottle of swirling sparkling pale blue liquid.
"Drink it," said Narcissa.
Hermione knew it had to be a fertility potion, so she drank it all without hesitation. Narcissa smiled at her obedience and said,
"Follow me."
She followed Narcissa to a large ensuite bedroom and Altruists greeted them.
"Bathe yourself and come out when you are ready," said Narcissa.
Hermione obeyed. As she came out from the bathtub and stood before the mirror, she realised her clothes were gone. Leaning against the door, she said,
"Mrs. Malfoy, I don't have any clothes."
"Doesn't matter, just come out."
As she opened the door, cold breeze pierced her skin and she kept trembling as she made her way out. Narcissa signalled her to get on the bed. Immediately when she got up onto the four posters, Altruists tied her hands to the pillars. Then Narcissa said,
"Just relax."
Hermione could sense the agony in Narcissa's tone and she could perfectly understand why, nobody would want their husband lying on bed with another woman.
She was alone in the room, silence was deafening and she waited. But Lucius never seemed to come, so she closed her eyes and rested.
Suddenly, the door opened and she woke up, watching Lucius as he came in. She shifted her legs uneasily when Lucius began undressing himself. She had never been so nervous, even though she knew this moment would come sooner or later.
Lucius had a muscular body, much to Hermione's surprise. If she had not known him, she would consider him as a man in his mid forties but not fifties. When he took off his boxer, Hermione also gasped at the sight of his member. Her mind kept thinking how her body could accommodate it as Lucius came closer and lay on top of her, inches away from her.
He first pull her legs apart, placing himself between her legs, then kissed her on the lips, gradually demanding more and more from her. She wiggled and struggled, feeling uneasy. When she gasped for breath, Lucius took the opportunity to intrude and his hands caressed her breasts and his fingers circled her nipples. Hermione had never felt such a way. Lucius's lips slowly went down to her collarbone, biting her collar bone, then travelled to her breasts, nibbling the nipples. Hermione could no longer hold herself from moaning. She let out a small moan and her breath was quickened.
She could feel him rubbing against her abdomen, then the next second before she realised, Lucius got his way in. She gasped at the sudden intrusion and pain but immediately Lucius muffled her moan by kissing her. Then he thrusted deep and hard without prior warning, slowly building up the rhythm. Hermione felt her body was tearing apart, unable to satisfy him fully. Slowly catching her breath as he gently suck her nipples again, his body tightened and shifted his waist even harder.
This went on for quite a while and with a groan, Lucius emptied himself into her. Hermione was panting hard, unable to recollect her thoughts. Lucius pulled himself out and put all his weight on her. But he didn't stop, his licked her earlobe and the back of her ear, then travelled all the way to her neck, ending up with nibbling. Hermione shifted her legs again, trying to get away from the heat. Not for long, Lucius was back on track, slowly easing into her once more and he was harder than just now. Hermione could not understand how come he still had the energy for second round, but her mind was swollen, all she could do was moaning under Lucius.
Just when Lucius again emptied himself, he mumbled to her ear,
"Turn to your back."
But Hermione was too tired to move, so Lucius flipped her over and his face buried in her hair. His warm arms ringed around her shoulders and she could hear his breath, it was long and slow, which led Hermione think he was sleeping. Gradually, she accommodated his weights, she kept thinking he was merely a thick heavy quilt.
Half between the state of awake and sleep, she could feel him getting hard again. His hips slowly circled, and his breath quickened. Hermione was too tired to understand the situation, so she allowed herself to close her eyes and fell asleep.