Draco pointed out his wand and said the curse proudly.

The Hufflepuff's body dropped to the ground after a couple of seconds.

He smiled then turned to face Granger.

She wasn't looking at him though. Her eyes rested on the Hufflepuff and she seemed froze in mid air.

"NO!" She screamed eventually. Her voice echoed through the whole room and back to her. She looked completely shocked.

She scooted over to his body and began checking him. He could hear her whispering, "Justin! Come on. Wake up! Get up!"

"Hey," a voice called out. "What's going on?" The slaves seemed to be wondering why she had suddenly screamed.

A light clicked on at last.

Slaves were making their way to the scene.

"He's dead!" A woman screamed and her finger pointed at the Hufflepuff's body shakily.

"Shut up," Granger said protectively. "Justin's fine. He's just-"

Draco leaned back against the wall. "I think everyone should get back to bed now." he said lazily.

"Master Malfoy!" A couple of mudbloods gasped.

Things seemed to be clicking with them now as they looked from the dead guy to Malfoy's ghostly smile.

"I believe I made an order," he said as they continued to stare at the dead body.

They hurried off. One slave tried to grab Granger to bring into the bedrooms.

"Leave Granger," he commanded.

The young slave, probably a 1st year cast Granger a terrified glance.

"Go!" Granger shouted at her.

The young girl's face creased in determination. "Hermione," She shouted back. "Get up now!"

Granger pushed her away angrily. "Get away from me! Now, go to your safe little bed, you stupid child before he kills you as well. Or I do!"

"Hermione," The girl said with watery eyes, "Be careful!" Then she backed off hastily at Granger's venom filled glare and ran off.

Then Granger lifted her eyes to meet his.

Draco smirked at her, taking the sight of her in. She was still standing by the body, and she was shaking. Her dark eyes were full of tears but her fists were clenched and she looked strong.

He pointed his wand at her, in case she tried anything risky. She seemed out of control.

"So, I guess it's just me and you alone." She said softly causing him to smile wider.

*

Malfoy was just looking at her. It unnerved her. He was so cool, even now. He had just killed someone and it didn't seem to bother him at all.

She looked back to Justin again. He was just a dead body now. He wasn't Justin anymore, and to think that hurt more than Hermione could bare.

She hadn't even known Justin that well but that didn't bother her now. Hermione had never seen anybody she had known dead before.

He didn't look the same as he had previously. His eyes were flat and his skin was pale and lifeless.

Harry was the only person that lived from that curse.

Oh Harry, where are you now?

"Granger," Malfoy said. "I want to talk to you about something."

"You killed somebody! Somebody you went to Hogwarts with!" she burst out angrily.

Malfoy waved a hand at her impatiently. "No, no. I don't want to talk about that."

"What?" she shouted then repeated dimly, "You don't want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "Get over it, Granger. He's dead. Though I did think he pushed the whole responsibility thing, don't you think? Taking advantage of you because you were upset?" He laughed.

"What are you?" She whispered, eyes narrow. "Voldemort?"

"You think I'm like Voldemort? I'm delighted you think of me so highly."

Hermione's eyes filled of tears. She didn't want him to see her cry but she couldn't hold it in. "Malfoy, what happened to you? You used to be, er, bad. Irratiating. Now, you're?" She stopped and finished with a question.

"Evil," He pronounced the word with pride.

"Okay, you've made your point," Hermione said. "Now, are you going to kill me yet?"

Malfoy smiled. "Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

*

Draco watched as Granger looked both horrified and confused.

"Go ahead," She said and watched him.

He didn't give her much to watch. His face was emotionless. He wasn't feeling any emotion standing there.

Draco knew that he was distinctly different from Granger. He knew by looking at her. The way she cared about the Hufflepuff but she didn't even really know him.

"You're going to work directly for me now," he said calmly. He wanted to see how she'd react.

He was disappointed. Her eyebrows only burrowed together, and she said, "What?"

"Like a personal slave," he said.

This set off more of a reaction. She went pale, looked at the Hufflepuff's body again, then put her head in her hands and began crying.

He waited for her to stop. He didn't offer her any comfort or insults. Gradually her sobs subsided.

"Why did you do this to Justin? Why are you doing this to me?"

"I don't care about the Hufflepuff! He's dead. I don't give a damn. I don't know him," Draco answered.

He thought about her second question. Why was he doing this to her?

She was looking at him, straight in the eyes.

"But I do care about you, Granger." He answered.

*

Don't you just hate it when that happens? Hermione thought. Your mind is suddenly on one thing, Justin's death and then everything changes. Hermione was looking now at Malfoy and seeing something alien, bizarre and totally unlike anything she had come across yet in her whole life.

He was crazy. He was just plain crazy.

"You're okay, Granger," he said with a half smile.

Maybe he shouldn't be telling me this after just killing my friend.

"Well, you're not okay, Malfoy! Personal slave! Ha! You wish!" she shouted. She heard murmurs from the slaves even from their bedrooms.

"Well," his eyes darken. "I don't think you have much of a choice in the matter."

Hermione took in a shaky breath. What was going on with Malfoy? He was acting different! He even looked different. His face looked like it had been chiselled in ice.

"I'd rather die then be your slave," she said in a dangerously low voice.

She backed away, as he took out his wand and pointed right at her.

Oh Harry! She thought. Oh Harry, please help me!

Hey, why do I always cry out to Harry in this situations???

If Malfoy wasn't going to kill her, she'd have wondered about it.

Now, she didn't have time to think about. Real fear attacked her. Her knees felt weak. What was it like to die? To be murdered by a cold blooded snake like Malfoy?

Avada Kedavra. The words sounded in her head. Those stupid words that had taken so many lives.

How she wished for the one survivor.

"Are you scared, Granger?" he hissed.

She kept her eyes on his wand.

Any minute now, she would see the green light and then bang! She'd be dead.

"I asked you, are you scared?" Malfoy demanded.

"Yes," she answered shortly.

"I could kill you right now." he said, adjusting the wand even closer to her as if to prove his point. "Right now. And there's nothing you could do to stop me."

Hermione looked at him now, right in the eyes, "I know."

"Do you want me to?"

She paused. Tough question, actually. She didn't want him to kill her. She didn't want to be his slave. She didn't want to be here.

She wanted to be back at Hogwarts where Malfoy was nothing but a distant annoyance, not really a threat to the Golden Trio.

"Do you want me to kill you?" he asked in a louder voice.

"No," she replied softly.

"Then it's settled," he said but he didn't remove the wand. "Isn't it?"

"No," she said softly again.

"Granger, I'm getting very sick of you!" he said, obviously irritated.

"Just leave me work down here," she said, "please." Hermione felt so tired and weak. The situation wasn't in her control. It was in Malfoy's.

He waved the wand at her and she heard the soft whisper, "Crucio," before the pain hit in.

He left her for what seemed like eternity of pain before he removed the curse.

"See, Granger. I've been practising on your dear mudblood friends. The first time you do a curse, it shocks you. But with practise, it's as easy to do as catch the golden snitch from Potter."

She looked up from the ground she had just fell on. Looking up at Malfoy, she knew he had changed. His eyes bore into hers, and she saw the cold grey eyes that would probably haunt her nightmares for the rest of her life.

She would remember this moment. Herself in dreadful pain, Justin dead on the ground beside her, and Malfoy standing above them as proud as a king.

It was at that moment Hermione decided that she'd get revenge for Justin's death and for all the other Muggleborns he had 'practised his curses on'.

She would have to be close to him more often though to get the perfect revenge. And she had the perfect opportunity.

"Okay," She said, and her voice portrayed a crystal clear calmness. "I'll be your personal slave or whatever."

Malfoy smiled, completely satisfied.

Yes, she would remember this moment. Every time he was mean to her, or treated her bad, she'd look back on this moment and it would give her strength. She'd look back on it and laugh.

Because she'd get her revenge.

Malfoy will pay.