Chapter 4

Hermione tried every shop in Diagon Alley and Hogsmead, but no one would give her any work. She even tried the Ministry, where one of the placement people would listen to her, but succinctly told her that while street sweeping jobs were available, they were only for men. Apparently, the wizarding world didn't like seeing women sweeping the streets. Just another one of the little hypocritical peculiarities of the wizard world. We don't mind women begging, but sweeping the streets is just unseemly.

Luna tried giving Hermione some work selling the Quibbler, but it didn't achieve much sales above the steady subscribers. No enough to support her anyway.

Neville and Luna would give her their last cent if she needed it, but she didn't want to ask. How long could that go on anyway?

Hermione spent more time pacing in her bed room. She was running out of options. She would be down to begging soon. Or the only other alternative that was welcoming, the ladies who catered to the drunken purebloods looking for a bit of entertainment.

The whores were horribly treated by everyone. They were paid to take abuse and sometimes violence, and everyone blamed them for defective moral character. Hermione was pretty sure none of them would choose the profession if they had a choice. They earned enough to get by, but there was a heavy price for their livelihood.

It was an outcome that Hermione fear more than anything, stuck plying the trade on the street, getting abused and beat up by whoever felt like it.

Begging was the only alternative, but being dependent on the generosity of these people was something Hermione was completely distrustful of. The elderly usually had to resort to begging. Hermione had kept Edna and Delia from that fate, but she may not be able to provide for them anymore. The populace weren't kind to beggars either.

Hermione wished she could just close her eyes and it would all go away. The food was running out and the apartment was freezing cold. Edna and Delia were in the larger room wrapped up in every piece of blanket material they had.

Hermione hadn't eaten today and she concluded that she would have to start begging if they were going to eat tomorrow. She'd never been in a situation where she didn't know where her next meal would come from.

Hermione made three knuts begging. Two of them from Percy Weasley. The other one she got in conjunction with an awful fondling of her behind. Begging was mortifyingly embarrassing, but she had enough to buy some bread. Food in their bellies outweighed her embarrassment.

She didn't have anything to go with the bread, but it didn't matter, it tasted fantastic. Hermione knew it was just the hunger, but it was amazing what a little hunger did to the taste buds.

Hermione begged for another couple of days, and it got them something to eat in the evenings, but that would not pay the rent. Hermione felt like Oliver Twist's Fagin, but she was going to have to ask the ladies to join her if they even had a chance to make rent. She just didn't have the heart to ask and the ladies' medicinal potions were running out, making it much more difficult for the ladies to get out and about.

No way Hermione turned the situation would lead to an outcome where they had all they needed. The weight on her shoulders was starting to press down on her and she couldn't find a way out.

"If it isn't the mudblood." She heard behind her as she walked through the muddy streets back to MQ. Hermione knew the voice, but didn't want to acknowledge it. "I really need to pay you back to the injury you did me."

"You deserved it." She spat.

He didn't say anything but walked behind her as Hermione sped up her pace. Hermione felt the anger bubble in her.

"Do you have any idea what you've done to me?" She finally turned to look at the bane of her existence in the eyes.

"I have placed you in a bit of a bind, haven't I." He said with his customary smirk. "No work, no income. What are you going to do?"

Hermione knew he was mocking her. "Just fuck off Malfoy." She said and turned.

"Least I could do is buy you dinner." He said. If Hermione wasn't so hungry, she would keep on walking. It had been days since she'd or the ladies had anything other than bread.

"Just give me the money, and I'll buy my own dinner." She said.

"No, I don't think so." He said and held out his hand. "One time offer."

Hermione wanted to slap him in the face. Harder if she could manage it, but she was hungry and weak. She wanted to slap herself because she was just about to sell out her principles for a hot meal.

"Fine." She said and started walking ahead while shoving his hand away, she would rather burn in hell than take his hand. She would put up with whatever taunting he had planned long enough for her to eat and to stash away food for Edna and Delia.

Draco led her to a pub, where she ordered steak, eggs and chips. Along with a large side salad and a large butter beer.

She couldn't believe she was just about to eat dinner with Draco Malfoy. What had she been reduced to? Although it was just her eating. He ordered himself a whiskey and sat back in the booth and watched her.

To Hermione's surprise, he didn't taunt her. They were just sitting there in silence. What was there to say? Hermione didn't expect him to apologise, hell would likely freeze over first.

"So begging." He started. Here we go, thought Hermione. "You can do better than that."

"Better?" She shot back incredulously. "I can't get a job now thanks to you."

"You're a clever girl."

What was that supposed to mean, Hermione thought to herself. She didn't ponder it long, because the food came. It smelt glorious. The food was mouth watering. Hermione eat as fast as she could. It didn't actually take long because her stomach had shrunk so much over the last few days.

"You've got assets." He continued after he finished watching her eat.

"Are you saying I'm pretty?" Hermione chose to completely ignore the underlying direction and focused on the fact that he had given her a complement. Although she was naturally suspicious about anything he said, he was paying her a complement, which again fell into the when hell freezes over category. She knew he was after something, but to have him confirm that he had sunk so low as to pay her a complement was worth whatever vileness he was planning on unloading on her after.

He only smiled. A little more than a smirk, but still in the 'you're an idiot and don't know how the world works' kind of way.

"All I am saying is that you could be better off." He continued lazily.

"You're not expecting that I am going to take you out back and shag you are you?" She asked almost laughing. "In that case, you are actually dumber than I thought."

He was still smiling.

"Well, I'm done." She said having pack away all the leftovers in a couple of napkins. "See you."

Hermione strode towards the door.

"Wait." He commanded, but she kept walking.

He did catch up with her down the street.

"Now I don't think we were quite done."

"Yeah, we are." She said with as much authority as she could.

"A little food in you and you are all ire again."

Hermione was looking at him to say that he needed to state his business because she was losing her tolerance.

"You are just going to be hungry again tomorrow you know." He said. Hermione knew it was true but she didn't have to deal with that right now, in front of him. "I could make it easier for you."

Here we go, Hermione thought for the second time, here comes the reason for his supposed generosity.

"What do you want?" She said, growing tired.

"Just spend the night with me."

Hermione laughed. "You have got to be joking. I would rather die, I think."

"What about the old birds you've got cooped up in your apartment. What are their names, Elna and Delia?"

Hermione hated that he knew about her life.

"They're going to start suffering now without their potions, aren't they? Cooped up in a freezing damp apartment in the middle of winter. Do you think they will last through the winter at this rate?"

He was trying to manipulate her and she despised him for it.

"They will be fine." She said with more conviction than she truly felt. She felt awful and guilty as soon as she said it. She knew full well that she couldn't take care of them. Hermione had to turn away to hide the anguish that crept into her face.

Draco took the chance to set up close behind her. He traced the neckline of her dress with one of his fingers. Hermione cringed at the intimacy.

"Just one night and I will take care of it. You'll have food, firewood, potions for the old dears."

Hermione shrugged him off her.

"No."

"So heartless." He teased. "Send me an owl when you change your mind."

"Not going to happen." She said. "You're completely despicable, you know that."

"There is that annoying Gryffindor pride as well. Doesn't care who suffers for it." He said as she started to walk away.

"Fuck you Malfoy." She finally gave in a yelled.

"I will be waiting for your owl."

Hermione ran back to her apartment. She wanted to cry and beat something, probably at the same time. She had a sneaking suspicion that this had been his plan all along. She wasn't entirely sure why, but he probably wanted to ensure that her degradation was complete. To take whatever self respect she had left.