Pain. That was her entire existence now, she didn't know how long she had been there. The room was spacious and luxurious but she couldn't really enjoy it. The pain was too much and she was never alone. Vaguely, she remembered her parent's murder. Not well, not anymore. Not when her blood felt like ice shredding her veins. She could distantly hear voices above her and when she cracked her swollen eyes open, she froze. Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy were looming over her, smiling. Bright happy smiles, and if she wasn't mistaken there were tears glistening in their eyes.

"Why?" Hermione croaked, the pain in her limbs was excruciating. She remembered breaking her arm once when she fell from a tree, the reason she was so scared of heights. Hours she laid under the tree in her back yard waiting for her parents to come home from work. The pain felt something like that but also the itch, the maddening itch she couldn't scratch.

"You'll be so beautiful." Narcissa whispered as Hermione clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to scream out in pain.

"Once the filth is washed away." Bellatrix cackled as she idly toyed with one if Hermione's curls.

It was black.

A perfect black spiral curl.

She knew she must have lost her mind from exposure to the cruciatus. That was the only explanation why she was hallucinating two of the Voldemort's death eaters smiling at her so lovingly. Is this what Neville's parents felt? All the time? Stuck in their own mind and in constant pain. She wanted to cry out for her mum and dad, for Harry and Ron, for anyone to save her but she wouldn't. Wouldn't appear weak in front of them, even if they were just figments of her imagination.

-0-

The silence was suffocating after the Dark Lord uttered the two most deadly words known. Narcissa let out a sob as Bellatrix lunged at her master, magic forgotten. His followers watched in terror as Bellatrix wrapped her delicate fingers around the Dark Lord's throat. He Tried to wave his wand to blast her back but yet again, nothing happened. Refusing to accept that his magic was gone, lost to him forever, he gasped raggedly. His followers rose to their feet with their wands drawn but most of them could not strike down a member of the House Black while others were left unsure what to do.

"Avada Kedavra!" The Dark Lord hissed through his teeth, his eyes blazing with fury as the woman on top of him just smiled widely.

"You should never move against a Black witch!" Bellatrix cackled as she tightened her hold on her Lord. He thrusted his hips to try and buck the laughing witch away from him but she hooked her feet underneath him.

"Stop! What do you think you're doing?!" Lucius rushed forward to try and intercede but he as faced with his own wife's wand at his throat, her beautiful face streaked with tears as it twisted into an ugly scowl.

"Tsk tsk, Lucius. This does not concern you. Any of you!" Narcissa barked out, her tone heavy with authority.

"Stop..." Maia moaned weakly as she opened her eyes to find herself in her husband's arms. She was quick to lunge away from him, wincing from the pain in her head, her eyes stayed on her husband. Betrayal, her heart clenched painfully as she looked between the most important people in her life, her family, then down to the struggling reptilian Lord. "Get up, Bella!"

"My sweet?" Bellatrix froze at the commanding tone coming from her sweet mouth. She never used that tone with her before. Her grip loosened, allowing the half-man beneath her to take in a startled breath.

"Get up!" Maia snapped, clutching her aching head. The pain was not just not just from the fall but all the flashes she saw were still there, echoing in her head. Bellatrix gracefully hoped to her feet and started to approach the woman but Maia raised her hand to stop her approach.

"Love?" Draco said in a soothing voice as he too got to his feet but the stern look she gave him made him flinch back.

"Go on! Protect your muggle Lord!" Maia suddenly shrieked out in hollow laughter, her bright eyes shimmering with tears. She stooped down and with strength that surprised even herself she pulled the frozen figure to his feet. He tried to wave his wand, teach them all that he was the most powerful wizard that ever was but Maia snatched it from his hands and snapped it. The wide eyed congregation flinched at the sound of cracking wood but remained silent as she smiled manically.

"What have you done?" Voldemort demanded, his eyes trained on the piece of wood he claimed from Dumbledore's tomb. It never worked for him the way the stories claimed but being the owner of the death stick was enough, or so he thought.

"You've now paid your debt to House Black!" Maia cackled happily, her black curls standing on end and her voice ringing though the air with a child like quality. "You stole blood from Euphemia Potter, née Black's grandson!" She cooed, tapping his nose as if he were a small child. She could feel her mind shattering but she wasn't concerned, it happened to all Blacks and that's what she was now. Thanks to her family. Family. The word rang in her head, her silver eyes glazed over as she looked over the Dark Lord's shoulder distantly.

"So? I am the most powerful wizard ever born!" Voldemort snapped as he reached out and wrapped his long fingers around Maia's elegant throat. His breath hitched as he found himself too weak to even make her flinch.

"Yes, Tom Riddle..." Maia beamed as she tilted her head to the side, allowing him to get a better grip on her neck. Draco took a step to intercede but his wife raised a calm hand to stop him, making him bristle. "You were quite powerful, weren't you? But you felt that power weaken after you build this magical construct, didn't you?"

"You do not know-" Voldemort loomed over her with a sneer on his face but she only chuckled, cutting him off.

"Oh, I know! I know, Tommy!" Maia sang happily as she gave him a shove, knocking him back from her. The assembled crowd gasped at the lithe woman pushing THE Dark Lord around with such ease but she wasn't paying attention to them. No, her focus was the stumbling reptilian man in front of her. "Well, not really a muggle, either? Since you're dead! I really thought that reclaiming the blood of MY house would break down your little snake suit but oh! The Ladies of House Black were mad!

"Oh, and I don't mean mental, insane, barmy or even a little loony!" Maia went on with a bright smile as she pulled the wand from her pocket and flicked it, conjuring a collar and leash that wrapped around Tom Riddle's neck. He gasped as she gave a harsh tug, bringing him to his knees. He looked around at his followers who were doing nothing to assist, whether because of the magic she wielded or because they were too simple to think for themselves, he didn't know. Draco moved to stand beside his wife with a smug grin, wanting everyone to know it was HIS wife leading the darkest wizard around like a trained kneezle.

"She's got the mental part down." Theo's voice carried through the stunned crowd, making Maia snicker.

"No! They are royally pissed off at you!" Maia cooed as she started to walk back towards the platform, harshly tugging on the leash so that all her new pet could do was scramble behind. "All of you! Following the son of a squib from a fallen house!"

"No!" A collective gasp was uttered throughout the crowd as they did nothing but watch, feeling dirty and ashamed as they all seemed to look down at their marked arms at once.

"Oh yes! So, anyway..." Maia sang as she reached her destination that was Potter's cage. She turned to look down at the kneeling figure at the end of her lead with a stern expression. "Stay!"

"She's lovely!" Bellatrix breathed out as she clapped her hands at her pseudo daughter's antics. She watched on baited breath as Maia unlocked Potter's cage and dragged him forward by his hair then lifted the silencing charm.

"What...what are you doing?" Harry choked, looking from his nemesis to the giggling woman who held him by the hair. Gone was her beautiful brown hair, her once muddy eyes now twinkled brighter than the finest goblin wrought jewelry. She gave a sharp tug on his hair, forcing him to look up and meet her gaze.

"Granny would be so proud!" Maia cooed lovingly, as she bent low, her face only inches from his own. The scent washed over him and his heart skipped a beat as his face flushed with color. "Using an unforgivable on a pregnant, married woman so that she'll love you...maybe there's a bit more Black blood in youth eh we thought. After all, it's not just the women who will use any means necessary to claim their heart's desire. Isn't that right, Draco?"

"Love?" Draco gasped as all the color left his face, his entire body stiff as he stood just behind her.

"Now, what was I saying? Oh! That's right!" Maia straightened up pulling Harry to his feet with her, ignoring her husband completely. "I thought, that the ritual would kill Tommy here. I thought I could reclaim the blood he stole! But no! You see, you owed us a debt for the extra years so we collected your debt plus interest! Your magic..."

"No!" Voldemort shouted, getting to his feet and the blood rushed to his head, making him swoon. Draco sneered as he roughly shoved his former Lord back down to his knees with ease.

"You didn't kill my parents or take my memories...no, my Bella, my Mummy killed my parents." Maia whispered as she closed the distance between her and Harry, intimately wrapping her arms around him. He was frozen as Draco snarled at the closeness, Bellatrix was suddenly behind him, putting a calming hand on his shoulder to watch. "You didn't take my memories at all, that was my family...then-but that is not why we're here!" She pulled her self away, leaving him feeling cold as she turned her gaze back to Voldemort, who was breathing heavily.

"'Mione?" Harry whispered hopefully, struggling against the ropes that bound his wrists behind his back.

"Hermione Granger is dead!" Maia snapped suddenly, her face contorting in a fierce scowl. "But Maia Malfoy is going to give you what you wanted...your whole life has been leading up to this, Harry. I'm going to let you kill Tom Riddle!"

"What?" Draco exclaimed, reaching out to grab his wife's hand. She allowed his to pull her away from his school rival. Allowed him to grab her roughly by the chin so he could look into her bright eyes.

"I'm going to let him destroy your Lord...only find that he still lost." Maia whispered, pulling away and flicking her wand. Voldemort was shoved roughly away from them as she turned to Harry and waved her wand again, releasing his hands. "Go on!"

"What?" Harry gasped reaching out to grab her but she danced away, a maniacal smile blooming on her face as she hovered next to the other cages. He turned back to the once great and powerful Voldemort, who was cowering on the floor in an attempt to catch his breath. His skin was ashy and there was a slick layer of sweat on his skin.

"You may want to hurry...that magical construct...it won't last without any magic to power it!" Maia cackled gleefully as she plopped back in the throne, every eye in the room focused on her. Draco exchanged worried glances with his mother and aunt before they moved to stand beside her.

"You can't-" Harry gasped as he looked from the dying man to his friend who were still bound and silenced in their cages.

"You can do it, 'Arry!" A familiar voice shouted from the sea of frozen faces. Somewhere in the back of the room, Fred Weasley stood to clap but his new wife grabbed him by the arm to pull him back to his seat with a scowl.

"I can't!" Harry shouted angrily, turning his emerald gaze to the woman he was sure was his 'Mione but she just smiled an encouraging smile and waved her hand for him to continue.

"Go on...I took his magic, you take his life. Prophecy fulfilled. Then you can spend the rest of your life making your own choices!" Maia clapped eagerly, tucking her wand behind her ear.

"But I don't have a wand!" Harry exclaimed, taking a step away from Voldemort. Voldemort, the wizard who killed his parents, the one to bring the entire wizarding world into darkness, the same wizard who's whole body shuddered with a hacking cough as he looked balefully at the floor.

"Oh!" Maia frowned as if she had not realized that was a problem. She took the snapped wand from her pocket and tossed half at his feet and the other half at Voldemort. Tom Riddle was quick to wrap his bony fingers around the familiar piece of wood. No warm familiarity greeted him, there was no magical wash of air. It was just a piece of wood but he lunged forward with all his remaining strength and plunged the sharp piece of wood into Harry Potter's thigh.

"Argh!" Harry shouted as he fell back, his leg bleeding heavily around the jagged wand piece. Tom Riddle held on tight, following Harry's descent. As he tried to pull the stick from his leg to take another swing at him, Harry scrambled for his half.

"You...won't..win...again..." Tom gasped out painfully as he pulled himself up Harry's body and raised the jagged piece of wood to strike again. The raven haired man panicked and as soon as his fingers closed around the wand he jabbed it into Voldemort's eye. A collective gasp filled the hall as Riddle's body went limp and fell on top of Harry's awkwardly.

"Take him!" Maia shouted, making four men rush to the stage and throw their former Lord's body to the side unceremoniously. Harry struggled as he was roughly pulled to his feet and they wrenched the wand from his fingers. His fellow order members threw themselves into the bars of his cage, their mouths opening in silent protest. When they bound his wrists and knees together, Harry's shoulder sagged in defeat.

"What do you want us to do with him, My Lady?" Vincent Crabbe asked formally, bowing his head.

"My Lady?" Maia said absently, tapping her fingers to her chin thoughtfully. "Take them all to the dungeon!"

"Yes, MyLady." The four men bowed respectfully as they lead Harry out of the hall and more men stepped forward to grab the struggling Order members. Once they were all out of the hall Maia stood, looking over the remaining death eaters.

"Go tell the world that we are going back to the Old Ways. We will regain the glory of our houses!" Maia exclaimed, her eyes sweeping the room, attempting to look at them all in turn. "There will be no Lord's or Lady's to give you orders, the Houses will reconvene to be our judges. Our magic will prosper once again!"

"Laudem!" Half the congregation was quick to leap to their feet in celebration while the other half followed close behind, raising their wands in celebration.

"Let this be a lesson to you all, we have all been taken in by a man with a silver tongue and pretty lights! We are all magic and magic is might! Countless Houses have fallen since this man rose up with a plan to eradicate to unworthy but he was even more tainted, a thief of magic! Mudbloods are not worth the effort, they should be taken from the filth they are bred and taught the ways of old! We should be keeping track of the muggles, no longer will we be the ignorant!" Maia shouted with determination, her eyes a light with passion. She noticed that most were nodding their heads in agreement.

-0-

"You fell in love with a mudblood." Maia said tonelessly as she sat with her family in the drawing room. Her devoted elf brought her potions and tea while forcing Lucius to kneel on the floor. Bellatrix and Narcissa exchanged nervous looks while Maia only had eyes for her husband.

"Yes." Draco said simply, unable to meet his wife's gaze, looking studiously at his cup he fought to keep his face perfectly blank.

"You lied to me, took me from the muggles...after you killed them, then stripped my mind bare. How did you make me fall in love with you?" Maia asked curiously as she sat back in her seat, she could see Lucius fidgeting on the floor between the Black sisters.

"Potions for the first few months. Once you began your reeducation, we felt you didn't need them anymore." Draco sucked his teeth, glancing at his mother and aunt for assistance but they remained stubbornly silent.

"I've noticed that you never call me by my name. I've only heard you say if once when I asked what it was. Do you still see the little mudblood when you look at me? You realize you killed her, don't you?" Maia asked with a cruel smile, enjoying that he flinched. The first sign that the conversation affected him at all. She loved him, that was true, she loved them all and they were her family but they had to pay, just a little.

"I-" Draco started but Maia raised her hand to silence him, tilting her head to look at him critically. As he raised his eyes to look at her, he noticed for the first time how tired she looked after the ritual. He wasn't sure exactly what happened to her on that platform but it obviously wore her out.

"Don't bother. This marriage, which I thought was born out of love...was nothing more than a ploy to own Hermione Granger." Maia said with a sad sigh, turning to look out the window.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Lucius snarled at their feet, forcing Bellatrix to kick him in the ribs. The mad witch smirked triumphantly when the crack of his ribs echoed through the room.

"When was this? When Hermione Granger was but a fifteen year old girl and you failed in the department of mysteries? Maybe when I first came home to England?" Maia smirked as stood lazily, in only two strides she was looming over him with her wand in hand. "Oh, Lucius...did you really believe that my syllabus was filled with floating feathers and charming tea cups to sing? My education was designed by your wife and sister-in-law, emphasis on magical history, runes, and blood rituals. Don't tempt me Lucius, I will have you spinning from the dungeon ceiling for my children to-"

"Your filthy half-" Lucius shrieked but Maia cut him off grabbing his long white locks and giving them a sharp tug.

"My children will be pure and powerful, the mudblood I once was...she was a powerful witch. Bested my husband in school every year, if what I've heard can be believed. Bested you in the bowels of the ministry." Maia smiled widely as she yanked his hair back so he was forced to look up. Her head was pounding, even with the potions and she would need to lie down soon. Her family sat nonchalantly sipping their tea as if nothing was wrong. "You nearly had them killed and you will pay for it. Mipsy!"

"Yes, Mistress?" Mipsy bowed so low her nose touched the pristine floors.

"Strip him and hang him the rafters, Harry told me about something called a piñata." Maia smiled wickedly as the elf didn't even hesitate in grabbing Lucius. When they were gone she wiped her hands on her soiled white ceremony robes and sat back down comfortably.

"I know you feel angry with us, Dolly." Bellatrix cooed, setting her cup down to look directly at the tired young woman. "But you should know, we would do it again. You're the perfect Black witch, despite your unfortunate birth."

"I get Harry Potter." Maia said after a moment of uncomfortable silence, the three other occupants stared at her in confusion.

"Why?" Draco demanded, flashes of his wife wrapped around the raven haired man came unbidden. His heart raced thinking he lost his wife to another, he wouldn't stand for it. Potter would die first.

"Draco, I don't plan to somehow get out of our vows. Clever boy, you know I cannot lay with another man, even if I wanted to..." Maia trailed off with a wicked smiled, her bright eyes trained on his clenched jaw. "Which I don't."

"Then, why do you want Potter?" Draco asked through clenched teeth, slamming his cup down on the table, wishing he had something stronger.

"I want him to know he's lost. Death would be a release, I want him to be completely mad before his life ends. The rest if the Order will be in the hands of the counsel or whatever they wish to call themselves. Now, I'm tired." Maia stifled a yawn as she lovingly rested her hand on her stomach and gracefully swept from the room. Draco looked to his mother and aunt before quickly moving to follow.

"I won't stand for this." Draco said sternly as he closed the door behind him. He watched as his wife stripped bare in front of him and crawled into their bed with drooping eyes.

"Do you still want her?" Maia asked after a moment, keeping her back to him as she rubbed her stomach.

"No. I have you." Draco said firmly, taking off his shoes before laying down beside her, close enough to feel her but not actually touching her.

"You know we are different people?" Maia asked quietly, tears stinging her tired eyes. She was scared to admit she was jealous, all this time he looked at her with such tenderness and awe but really he was looking for her. Suddenly he wrapped his hand around her arm in a tight grip, roughly pulling her to face him. His grey eyes were hard as he regarded her closely, a deep frown marring his handsome face.

"You are mine, both sides. The sharp tongue, the vicious cruelty when protecting what's yours, that sweet mouth." Draco pulled her so close she could feel his breath ghosting over her lips. "I tried for so long to keep her, that frizzy haired temptress, but you...you were so different. Not just because you would actually talk to me without raising your wand but what started as an obsession to own every part of Hermione Granger...it became more. You became more than she ever could."

"Do you ever wish you could have kept her?" Maia asked with trepidation, her eyes swimming in tears as she took an uncertain breath.

-0-0-0-0-0-

There is nothing wrong with being dramione trash, I'm guilty of it as well.

Epilogue up next!

Miss ASSASSIN MASTER: how did you guess? I was hoping for this to be a surprise! But I suppose it wouldn't do to kill off the main character, right?

Thanks for the feedback!:)