Author's note: it seems that I post a new chapter about every three years or so x)
Warnings: mild reluctant con, ulterior motives
A floorboard creaked, and Hermione's eyes slowly drifted open. Across the room she spotted Lucius as he stood in front of his wardrobe. The first rays of sunrise shone behind the curtains and sparkled in his golden hair.
He grabbed a set of dress robes and laid them over a chair before discarding his sleeping clothes and walking into the washroom. In her first days out of the dungeons, Hermione had instinctively looked away when Lucius roamed the room nude, but she had soon become accustomed to the sight. It wasn't like she had never seen a man before.
The young witch pulled her blankets up to her ears and closed her eyes in an effort to catch a few moments of extra sleep. She heard the soft taps of house elf feet arranging the room and stoking the fire. Before too long, a creak of the washroom door opening drew her out of her sleeping alcove. She knelt at the foot of her Master's bed, the cool air giving her skin goosebumps.
Lucius stood in front of her, expectantly. Without a word, she took his length into her mouth and began working. It did not take long before he became stiff, and not much more before he finished, grabbing Hermione's hair and groaning in pleasure.
"Well done," he murmured. Lucius said nothing more as he dressed and left the room. Hermione would likely not see him again until suppertime.
This had been the routine for the past week, and she had become rather accustomed to it. After ensuring Narcissa was still sleeping, Hermione made her way to the washroom and tidied herself up for the day. Her washing tub, tucked in the corner, was smaller than the Malfoy's, but the water was warm, and Narcissa had provided her with nice soaps and potions for her hair.
After washing up, she grabbed a book and returned to her sleeping nook underneath the bay window. Yesterday Narcissa had taken Hermione to the manor library and allowed her to bring back as many books as she wanted. The books were now piled next to Hermione's new wardrobe, which had also recently arrived. It seemed like every afternoon Narcissa returned from yet another outing with a new outfit for Hermione from Twilfitt and Tatting's. Once Narcissa awoke, she would choose one for Hermione to wear. Sometimes she had to try on several options until Narcissa was sufficiently pleased. Until then, the young witch snuggled herself under a quilt to keep warm.
Hermione read through several chapters before Narcissa began stirring awake. Dutifully, she slid a piece of parchment between the pages to mark her spot and hurried to kneel at the bedside.
"Good morning, my darling," Narcissa slurred. Her hand reached over to stroke Hermione's skin.
"Good morning, Mistress," Hermione answered back, then climbed in under the sheets.
Later that morning, Narcissa took Hermione for a stroll in the grounds. The collar around her neck was tethered to her captor by an invisible charm, but Narcissa was kind and allowed Hermione to set the pace. The state of the garden had improved immensely over the week she had been upstairs, and the flower beds nearest the house were now abundant with blooms. Hermione steered their stroll toward the woods.
Narcissa tried to get Hermione to talk, but got only short answers in reply. As kind as Narcissa had been, Hermione could not separate her from this evil system of ownership that Voldemort had put in place. While Narcissa had never directly harmed Hermione or her friends during the war, she had stood by and allowed both her sister and husband to inflict so much pain. Hermione had a scar on her arm to prove it. No kindness now could rectify that. Besides, even if Hermione had wanted to talk, there wasn't much in common to discuss.
That didn't stop Narcissa, however. She filled the silence with endless chatter about this and that. "I've just ordered the elves to retrieve our finest china from the vaults. We're having Corban Yaxley and his wife over for supper tonight, which should be a grand time. Lucius says the Dark Lord is pleased with Yaxley's work in the Department of Law Enforcement, and he is now being considered for Minister! Besides, I've never properly met his wife. She came here a time or two with her husband, of course, when we served as headquarters, but she was never very involved… This will be a proper dinner party and a chance to get acquainted. It will be so refreshing to have a normal social event without a war hanging over our heads."
Hermione had been pretending to pay attention, but the mention of Yaxley's name snagged her focus. Narcissa did not seem to notice and continued chattering.
"I was thinking that we might try that new lamb dish that everyone seems to be raving about, but after some careful consideration, I decided to stay with our usual veal dish. Our elf cooks it so well."
"I was also thinking," Narcissa continued, her voice softer, "that this might be a good opportunity for you to make your debut."
Hermione froze for a brief moment but forced herself to keep on walking. This time, Narcissa did notice her hesitation.
"Don't be afraid, darling," she spoke as she gently patted Hermione's hair. "You have been doing so exceptionally well. I'm certain that you will be marvelous. They will positively adore you, I am sure of it!" Her voice got silkier and deeper as she tucked a strand of Hermione's hair behind her ear, "You have such a gifted mouth and talented hands. Lucius and I have been incredibly pleased."
Hermione's face went pale, but she responded, "Yes, Mistress."
"Besides," Narcissa beamed widely, "I bought you the perfect outfit!"
Hermione spent the rest of the day fretting and fidgeting in the bedroom. She tried to read but found she couldn't focus. The prospect of the evening weighed heavily over her. Several times she opened her little wardrobe and glanced at the new outfit Narcissa had bought for her. It made her stomach crunch on itself.
Late in the afternoon, Narcissa arrived. "Hello, Mistress," Hermione called the greeting she had been taught.
"Well, hello, my pet," Narcissa gushed. "I hope you are excited for tonight!"
She did not give Hermione a chance to respond before she snapped her fingers and two house elves appeared. Soon, Hermione and Narcissa had both been meticulously scrubbed and perfumed. Narcissa donned a fluffy bathrobe and supervised as an elf shaved Hermione.
"You know I'm normally not very particular about these things," she smiled as Hermione winced in discomfort, "but tonight is important. We want to impress."
Another elf soon arrived with a tray of light refreshments, which both women munched on as their hair was styled into place - Narcissa's into an elegant and mature updo, and Hermione's smoothed into gentle, cascading curls and decorated with a jeweled pin. Narcissa stepped into a form-fitting dress of green velvet, and watched as Hermione attempted to put her own outfit on.
"Oh, pet, you're shaking!" she exclaimed, and Hermione noticed for the first time that her hands were trembling. Narcissa swept in and began fastening buttons and tightening straps until Hermione was fully dressed. Her outfit reminded her a lot of Muggle lingerie, but it thankfully provided enough coverage that she didn't feel indecent. She hoped it would stay on through the evening.
After Narcissa left to arrange the final details, Hermione carefully sat herself on the sofa and waited. At some point a dinner tray appeared, but the thought of putting food in her mouth made Hermione's stomach turn, so she drank the pumpkin juice instead. She tried to pass the time by reciting arithmancy tables, but soon gave up as she couldn't concentrate.
Several hours later, an elf appeared to summon her down to the drawing room room. She quickly made her way and knocked at the door.
"Enter." She recognized her master's voice.
With her head held high but with eyes downcast, she entered and assumed a kneeling position at Lucius' feet. The two men were sitting in expensive-looking armchairs near the fireplace, each with a drink in his hand. Narcissa and Mrs. Yaxley appeared to be occupied elsewhere.
"She's rather attractive, I'll give you that," Yaxley remarked. Lucius responded with a hum of approval. Hermione blushed.
"Would you like to try her out?" Lucius offered. Hermione tensed but made no noise. After several seconds of deliberation, Yaxley said, "Sure! Why not?"
He set down his glass and motioned for Hermione to sit on his lap, which she did carefully. She remained still as he placed his hands on her waist and thigh. His grasp was strong and confident; his were the hands of a man who knows what he wants.
"Looks like she's not quite as well-trained as you claim, Malfoy," he jeered. "She's shaking like a leaf in the wind!"
Lucius was caught off-guard for a brief moment, but recovered quickly. "I expect she's rather nervous. This is her first public appearance, if you will."
"What an honor!" Yaxley exclaimed mockingly. His grip tightened, and he leaned in so his mouth was nearly touching her ear. His whisper was loud enough for Lucius to hear, "Not to worry, princess. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to see what special tricks you've been working on. Malfoy tells me you have a gifted tongue."
Hermione closed her eyes and nodded slowly to indicate she'd understood - she had not been asked to speak, after all.
Before Yaxley could do anything, a door opened and Narcissa's voice rang out, "We're back! The tour took a bit longer than expected. Eliza took great interest in the paintings in the upper gallery." Hermione turned her head slightly so she could watch the door
"You have fantastic taste, Narcissa." A tall and fashionably dressed woman followed close behind. Her deep black hair and burgundy robes made for a striking complement to Narcissa's white-blond updo and green dress. "You really have done a marvelous job putting the place together, especially considering the disarray it was in just a few weeks ago!"
If Narcissa was offended by the back-handed compliment, her face did not show it.
Behind the two women followed Draco Malfoy. "Mother does have a keen eye for beautiful collectibles," he chimed in, earning a soft smile from his mother.
"Oh!" Narcissa exclaimed in surprise as she approached Lucius and Yaxley, but quickly composed herself. "I didn't know that our pet had made her way down."
"I had her summoned," Lucius explained. Hermione briefly caught Eliza Yaxley's eyes before quickly glancing away. Eliza remarked, "Well, isn't this a fine specimen. Where did you get her?"
"She was a gift from the Dark Lord in recognition of our loyalty," Lucius said with a casual air.
Narcissa motioned for Mrs. Yaxley to sit and rang for the elves to bring them tea. Hermione watched out of the corner of her eye as the two witches settled themselves in armchairs near their respective husbands. Draco chose a seat further away from the fireplace.
This was the first time Hermione had seen Draco since that day in the Great Hall, three weeks ago. He was looking much better: less gaunt and much more confident. Hermione shuddered to think of what he was doing to Ginny, and wondered just how much guidance Lucius was giving his son.
Draco caught Hermione's glance, but before he could communicate anything, she lowered her gaze.
"You arrived just in time," Corban Yaxley remarked, "Lucius' precious pet was about to show off her skills."
Hermione's eyes darted to Narcissa, who visibly bristled at Hermione being called "Lucius' pet." This made Hermione simultaneously feel degraded yet cared for. It was a strange feeling.
"Yes," Lucius snarled, "give our guests a treat, pet."
Hermione took a deep breath to steady herself. Her heart was beating fast and she could feel the adrenaline pulsing through her veins. She also could feel her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She hadn't expected Draco to be here.
As gracefully as possible, Hermione slid off Yaxley's lap. She had a hunch that a man like him would be turned on by meekness and innocense, so as she kneeled at his feet, she gave him the most seductive doe-eyed and pouty-lipped expression she could muster. He smirked. Her stomach churned.
Then, on a whim, she gave the same glance to Eliza Yaxley. It felt fitting, since they were both guests, and she surmised it might be the sort of thing that Narcissa would care about. Hermione wasn't sure what she was expecting from Eliza - a look of boredom, perhaps, or annoyance at her husband being seduced in front of her - but as Hermione looked up, she saw Eliza's eyes bursting with desire. Her cheeks were subtly flushed, her mouth hung slightly open, and her pupils were so big that they made her eyes look black. Hermione was taken slightly aback, but in that brief moment, she suddenly had an idea and hatched a plan.
Slowly and innocently, she crawled over to Mrs. Yaxley and kneeled at her feet. The older woman's hands were clasped tightly on her lap. Hermione could see her chest rising and falling faster as her breath quickened. While holding eye contact, Hermione reached up gently, picked up one of Eliza's hands, and brought it near her lips. She mouthed the words, "May I?" and, receiving a small nod in return, began slowly kissing each of the knuckles. She heard Eliza's breath hitch and watched her give a hard swallow. Success.
Still maintaining eye contact with the most innocent expression she could manage, Hermione turned the hand over and began planting small kisses along the palm and fingertips. When she reached the thumb, she rested her lips on it before giving it a quick flick with her tongue. Eliza's face was turning a deeper shade of red, and she used her free hand to gingerly stroke Hermione's hair. With that reassurance, Hermione placed her lips around the thumb and gently suckled it. Eliza's throat made a small noise.
"Well," Corban Yaxley's voice suddenly boomed from the adjacent armchair. Eliza quickly withdrew both her hands and broke eye contact. "I'm afraid we must get going if we want to make our morning appointments, Eliza. Thank you for a wonderful dinner and for the entertainment."
Hermione knew better than to look at Yaxley's face, but she could tell from his tone of voice that he was displeased. She lowered her gaze and suppressed a smirk as she deduced that Mr. Yaxley might not be accustomed to seeing his wife so hot and bothered. She had hoped to have more time with Eliza than this, but the older woman's reactions combined with Yaxley's angry outburst gave her optimism that she would see her again.
Hermione remained kneeling on the ground as the people around her began standing up to say farewell. Yaxley's knee made contact with the back of her head, but he did not acknowledge it, and she couldn't tell if it was an accident or not. In the commotion of goodbyes, she felt Eliza place her hands on her head, lean down, and whisper, "Thank you." Hermione looked up with the roundest eyes and most bashful smile she could muster. "Come back soon, please," she whispered back, then gave a little giggle and bit her lip. Eliza smiled as she nodded yes.
"Come, Eliza!" Yaxley's angry voice summoned her and she scurried after her husband. Hermione settled back into her typical neutral, slightly despondent expression, but her mind was reeling with possibilities. If she played this right, Eliza Yaxley could be her ticket out.
"Welcome back," Ginny called out, not looking up from her magazine.
"Granger was there."
It took Ginny a moment to register what Draco had said, but once she did, she scrambled up. "Is she okay?"
Draco started slowly, "She looked… fine. Maybe a bit thin, but she's not hurt, at least not that I could see. She was . . ." He paused as he struggled to find the words.
"Spit it out, Malfoy!"
He made an exasperated noise and threw out his hands. "I don't know, Weasley. It was bizarre. She was different."
"Different how? Was she cursed?"
"No, not cursed," his brow furrowed as he collected his thoughts. "She was strangely... confident."