There was a knock at my door. I shakily said, "Come in." Narcissa Malfoy entered. I raised my eyebrow at her. She looked as snooty as ever, but she wasn't glaring at me like usual.

"I'm going to get you out of here," she said sincerely. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. She exhaled. "I know his plans. I also know what it's like to have a child and for him to be your world. I was that way when Lucius was in Azkaban. Your children are your world as Draco was mine. I'm a mother offering to help another mother."

We stared at each other for a long time in silence. Then I nodded. "Alright then."

Narcissa quickly went into business mode. "Pack anything you'll need and I'll keep him out of your room for a while. Shrink it so that it fits in a pocket or something of that sort. At the stroke of midnight, I will lower the anti-apparation wards. He'll be with you, but if you're out of his grip you'll be able to leave. At 12:01 I will close the wards. Do you understand that you need to be ready to grab the twins and apparate immediately?" she asked.

"Yes," I said. "Thank you."

That night, everything was set. My bags were shrunk and in my pocket. The twins were asleep and I was reading a book. Voldemort came in. "Good evening," he said kissing my cheek. I leaned away, as I always did. He sighed. I continued reading. "Mione," he said sitting beside me.

My thoughts were raging with anger. Only Ron called me that! "Don't call me that," I said. He rolled his eyes. The nerve! He suddenly became very serious.

"I'll call you what I want." His voice was like a growl. I looked up from my book to see that he was inches in front of my face. I backed away quickly.

I kept silent and stared into his eyes. His anger seemed to dissolve after a bit and I was confused as to why. As he stared into my eyes, he began to smile. He smirked and then let me get back to reading my book.

It was 11:59. His arm was draped over my waist. I slowly, oh so slowly, slipped out of bed. I put my pillow under his arm and made my way to the children. As I scooped Zosimos up, the clock chimed twelve. "What are you doing?" I nearly jumped out of my skin. I picked up Leilani. "Answer me Hermione." Voldemort was getting up. I had to leave NOW. I spun in the air just as his hand reached out for my arm.

I blinked in the semi-darkness. There's a bit of a time difference here, I thought. I walked out of the alleyway and onto the street. I quickly began walking toward my destination, the twins crying because they had been woken up. The few people who were out spoke in their language, which I did not know. Some streets were playing loud music and adults talked and laughed. I turned off to a somewhat quieter road and looked for the house number I wanted. 17. There it was. Ron would kill me if he knew where I was going. I took a breath and made my way up the long driveway and to the fancy door. I rang the doorbell and waited. Harry would think I was doing the right thing...I hoped. After a few minutes, the door opened.

"Zdrasti?" Viktor Krum said. He did a double-take when he saw me. "Hermy-o-ninny?"

"Viktor," I said. "Please help me."

Viktor stared at me in shock for a moment longer. Then he moved aside to let me in. I entered and he said, "Follow me." He led me to a large study where there were two other men who looked important. They stared at me but pretended not to. Viktor began speaking fluent, rapid Bulgarian to them. They exchanged a few words and then the two men left, still eyeing me and my crying babies. I comforted them quietly as Viktor shut the door behind the men and sat at the long table that was now vacated. I sat across from him at his gesture to do so. "I thought you vere dead."

"No, not dead. Everyone else is. I survived, sadly. Voldemort-" Viktor shuddered but I continued, "wanted a...a trophy if you will. A prize that said he won and something that was a bit of a punch in Harry's face. So, he took me as his wife."

Viktor inhaled sharply, but I pressed on. "Yes, I am Voldemort's wife. And these are his children; my son Zosimos and my daughter Leilani. Yesterday, I overheard my husband discussing with a servant of his how I still refused to become the 'Dark Lady'. He said he was going to take my children from me until I submitted, or he would kill me, my daughter, and keep the son for himself."

Viktor looked like he couldn't bear to hear any more but I had to let it all out. "Then Narcissa Malfoy, I'm not sure if you remember her son Draco?" Viktor nodded. "Well, she came to visit me. She said she knew what Voldemort was going to do and she wanted to help me escape. At first I doubted, but she said she knew what it was like to be a mother. I understood that and so at midnight, just awhile ago in Britain, she lowered the anti-apparation wards and I escaped...I...didn't know where else to go...everyone's dead...I don't have to stay, I can find somewhere else-" my voice had lost its strong tone and I felt vulnerable and lost.

"Hermione. Voo are velcome to stay here! In fact, I insist. Where else could voo go? Voo can't trust anyone these days. Sons are turning over fathers for betrayal to Voldemort. It's terrible. But voo must stay here. I vill tell no one who voo are." He spoke sincerely, I could tell.

I smiled and tried to wipe away tears that had leaked from finally seeing a friend again. After a moment's hesitation he engulfed me (and my children...) in a hug. I cried and a house elf came in on Viktor's command. "May Sandy take your children to a nursery? There's one on the third floor. She's very good with children."

I paused, my mother's instinct warning me to be cautious. The house elf looked harmless though and I knew I could trust Viktor. I nodded and handed her my children. She took them gently and I smiled. I looked up and saw Viktor was watching me. "Hermione...Was he cruel to you?"

I hesitated because in many ways he was cruel, but in other ways he had been exceedingly nice. Yes, he had forced me to have his children, but he also had never once tortured me with the cruciatis curse, something he was known for. "I'm sorry," Viktor said when I didn't answer. "You're free now though." I smiled at the thought.

"Yes...Free."