In this chapter- Hermione and Draco depart to Malfoy manor, where Hermione gets a taste of the life she was born to lead.

Hermione and Draco talked about their plans late into the night.  Sometimes they argued, sometimes they laughed, but for the most part, they were both deep in serious thought about the adventure they were about to undertake.

"There is absolutely no way I am wearing that, Malfoy."

They were now discussing the proper deatheater attire, and this is something they found to have very different opinions about. 

Draco has his wand up and a miniature Hermione was floating in the air between them.  The figure had her hair down in shiny brown curls and a very revealing red dress on.  Hermione looked at her smaller self with a look of disgust.  The small figure was clad in blood red dress robes and a neckline that left much too little to the imagination.  A slit started at her upper thigh, and showed off more leg than a swimsuit. She reluctantly admitted to herself that Draco had impeccable taste in clothes, but that robe on her body just wasn't going to happen. 

Draco heaved his hundredth sigh of the night.  "And what were you planning on wearing?" he asked.  "Because your school uniform will certainly not cut it."

"If I wear that everyone will think I'm a tart!"  Hermione snapped back. "I won't disgrace myself like that."

"This is how woman dress."  Draco said patiently.  "The Dark Lord is, surprisingly, a lover of beautiful things, and he likes his woman in beautiful clothes, and look, I ever made it red for you," He grinned.

Hermione glared at him.  "I am not one of Voldemorts women." She said.

Draco dropped his grin.  "You will be," He said quietly.  "You have to show absolute obedience to him, or he will kill you without a second thought.  This was your idea; you don't have to go through with it."

Hermione looked up into Draco's eyes. "Fine," she said sullenly, "What are you wearing?"

Draco waved his wand over the image of Hermione and it transformed into an image of Draco, clad head to toe in expensive black material.  Hermione noticed that the smaller version of Draco had his hair slicked back, but the real Draco had his hair hanging in his face.

"Why is your hair like that?"  Hermione asked him. "You haven't worn your hair like that since our third year."

Draco shrugged.  "Father advised me to do it." Was all he said.

"It looks much better down." Hermione replied, and waved her own wand over the floating image, making the hair on little Draco fall down into his eyes in silky strands.

"Well then," Draco said with a smirk, "Now that we have my hair style out of the way, are we ready to go?"

Hermione felt her heartbeat quicken, this was it now.

"Yes," She said in a barely audible voice.

~

Lauren entered her, Jessica, and Jared's privet common room with her hair flying in all directions and her robes mused.

Ron, Jessica, Harry, Jared, and Ginny Weasley were in there already, playing exploding snap.

"Lauren?"  Jared and Harry rose to meet her, and brought her over to the couch.

"Are you alright?"  Jessica joined her and held onto her hand.

"I'm fine."  Lauren said quietly, I just- I-"

"Its okay,"  Jessica said and hugged her friend, take your time."

"It's not okay!"  Lauren said in a panicked voice.   "Oh Gods, it's not!"

"What's not?"  Harry couldn't help asking.

Lauren looked over to him with dead eyes.  "I can't get used to it," she said quietly. "It will never get better, the murders, the killing…those poor muggles."

Instantly everyone understood.  No one could really imagine what a deatheater party was like behind the locked doors, beyond the classy music and expensive food.  Lauren knew, and it was finally wearing away at her.

"It will be alright," Harry said, kneeling down in front of her.  "I know what it's like to see people die.  Every time a dementor comes around, I hear my parents get murdered.  Don't worry, we'll beat him, we'll make him pay.  Come with me."

Lauren looked up at Harry and nodded.  Everyone in the room exchanged small smiles, those two were meant for one another.

"Where are we going?"  Lauren asked after they exited the room.

"A special place."  Harry said with a small smile.  "I think you require some cheering up."

Lauren only nodded, and later on cocked her head to the side as to why Harry walked by a place three times, and then gave a small  "Oh!" in delight when a door appeared out of no where.

"Welcome," Harry said, bowing grandly.  "To the Room of Requirement."

Lauren looked as though she were going to ask questions, but instead opted to look around the large room.  It was brilliant and bright in masses of yellows, oranges, and reds.  She also saw to her astonishment that there was a large picture window showing a bright sunny spring day, even though it was the middle of January and it was nearly three o'clock in the morning.

Cheerful music played from an unknown device, and a bowl of every sort of fruit lay on a coffee table in front of a huge yellow couch.  Lauren just itched to jump onto the couch and rest.  She saw an odd looking TV in the corner and a huge pile of movies.  Popcorn was popping on it's own on a table in the other corner, and pictures hung everywhere of people waving to them and smiling.

"Harry," Lauren said in wonderment.  "This is everything I would want, how did you know?"

"I didn't," Harry said with a grin.  "The room did.  The room morphs itself to each person, bending to fit your every desire.  All you have to do it wish for something, and it's yours."

Lauren turned and smiled at him.  "What's your favorite comedy movie?"

~

Hermione pulled and tugged at her red dress, feeling overly self conscious in the tight material.

"Having second thoughts?"  Draco asked her, looking dashing in his black ensemble.  He had left his hair down, as Hermione had suggested.

"I'm nervous," Hermione admitted.  "I don't know what to expect."

"Rule of thumb," Draco said. "Only talk if you are asked a direct question.  Never show your opinion on anything, and agree with all the men.  We are a very male dominated society."  He grinned.

"Pig." Hermione said and hit him in the arm, half playfully.

Draco and Hermione walked into the living room, where Willow was setting up her transport spell.

"Wow look at you guys!" Dawn said coming up to inspect their wizard wear.

"Wardrobe spell," Draco said simply, and left it at that.

"Everything's ready," Willow said to the two wizards, "All you need to do is concentrate on your destination, and I will transport you there."

"Thank you Willow,"  Hermione went over and hugged the red head.  "You don't know how much this means to us."

"It's no problem," Willow said, embarrassed.  "Just glad I can help you out."

"Thank you all the same," Hermione repeated.  "I can see this is going to take a lot out of you."

Willow motioned for Hermione and Draco to stand in a circle of green candles.

"Hold hands," she instructed. 

Hermione and Draco made faces, but cooperated all the same.

Hermione listened as Willow started to recite a spell, not in Latin, but in a language that she did not recognize.  She mentally noted that maybe this 'muggle magic' could come in handy later, but right now she had bigger things on her mind.

Willows voice was rising, and soon a wind blew through her hair alone.  With a shout she finished the spell and Hermione and Draco both lurched as though they had just touched a powerful portkey.  Hermione was mumbling 'Malfoy Manor' over and over, her lips moving rapidly.  Draco just had his eyes closed, and with a powerful crack, they were gone.

Spike looked on at Willow, as she slumped to the floor.  Buffy, Xander, and Giles all rushed to her side.

"Suppose I should go make sure they got back to England all right then," Spike said, and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone too.

~

Hermione and Draco landed in garden, Malfoy garden to be exact, still holding onto each other for dear life.  Draco was the first to recover.

"Well then," he said, looking himself over.  "It worked."

Hermione had her hands on her knees, breathing deeply.  "Guess so," she said airily.

She stood up and Draco offered her his arm.  "Time to give everyone the shock of their lives, are you ready?"

Hermione could have sworn she saw concern in his eyes, but in another moment, it was gone. 

"Ready," she said.

She took his arm and let herself be led in through the garden door, noticing the spells Draco cast along the way, mentally remembering to ask him about them later.

Hermione stepped into what looked like a sunroom, only no sun.  It was dark green, an odd sort of color for a supposedly bright room.  Draco led her to a main hallway, and then to what looked like the front of the house, where a huge staircase led up to some unknown region.

"Miles!"  Draco said in a sharp voice, and instantly, a ghostly butler appeared.

"Master Malfoy," The ghost said in a bored voice.  "Welcome home."

His voice did not indicate that he welcomed Draco in the slightest, but Draco paid him no mind.

"Please inform my father I have arrived home, and have brought a…guest."

The ghost inclined his head and was gone.

Hermione suddenly had an icy feeling around her heart.  What if this was all a sham?  A ploy to get her to willingly come back to Malfoy manor?  Perhaps Draco knew she would want to spy, and this was a clever scheme?  Draco looked toward the staircase with a cold stare, waiting for something.  He had a grip on her arm, as to keep her from bolting, or hold her up, she wasn't sure.

"Loosen up," he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.  "Let's see some Gryffindor bravery."

At the stab at her house, Hermione straightened up and put on what she hoped was a smug, self assured mask, she would have to dig deep to find some of her mothers Slytherin buried deep within her.

They were not standing there long before the butler reappeared and said to Draco: "Your father will see you now, Master Malfoy."

Draco nodded and told Hermione to follow him up the stairs.  "My father's study is up here.  Be sure not to touch anything, this house is extremely sensitive to the sense of touch, and only those with Malfoy blood can open many of these doors.  The ancestors were fans of traps as well, take care to remember that."

Hermione felt a small shiver go up her spine and she unconsciously held on tighter to Draco. 

Hermione kept looking around at the immense house. 

"This way," Draco said, pulling her a bit. 

They came to a large wooden door, a snake carved on the front.  "How Cliché,"  Hermione found herself thinking of the house.  "This place reeks Slytherin, and Harry is the one with some Slytherin power in him, I bet that has to be a big blow for the Malfoy family."

Hermione felt her spirits life ever so slightly, even as Draco opened the door, and led her into the den on lions…er, snakes.

"Father," Draco said with a respectful bow of his head once they were in the door.  "I do hope I have not displeased you, I needed to prove myself to our Lord, I needed the chance, and I have succeeded.  I have brought to you Miss Hermione Prewitt."

Lucius stood up and looked at his son and the girl he had tried unsuccessfully to kill.  It was a bit odd that his son had done exactly what Lucius himself had told Voldemort he was up to, but then again, he was his father's son, and had been raised since birth.  A feeling of pride coursed through Lucius, he would surly be rewarded for having such a cunning son.

"Good work, Draco,"  Lucius said in an almost fatherly voice.  "How have you managed this feat?"

Hermione was annoyed that Lucius talked to Draco as though she was not even in the room, much less a human being.  She remembered Draco's words, and her drive to succeed far passed her equal rights kick.

Draco had told Lucius that he would come to tell him all the details, as well to catch up on what has been happening the next day, but for the time being he said that he and Hermione were tired form the journey, and needed to rest.

"Very well,"  Lucius said with a smirk.  "I'll have a house elf ready your room for you and your new fiancé Draco."

This time it took Hermione almost more cunning that she had to not shriek.  Draco's room?  She was going to be sharing Draco's room?  Dear Lord.

Draco and Hermione had left his fathers room, and he was now leading her up another set of stairs.  Hermione waited until they were in his room and he had cast some sort of spell that made the entire room glow yellow for a moment, before fading.

Draco's room was impressive, to say the least, and also very predictable.  It was furnished in dark green and black, with no carpet on the cold stone floor.  His bed was immense, bigger than the beds at Hogwarts, and a huge canopy of forest green velvet hid the bed away form the outside.

There was a dark green sitting couch near one of the large windows that reminded Hermione of the old fainting couches woman used in the Victorian age.  Hermione was amused for a moment at the image of Draco fainting. 

There was another three doors besides the one that led them out of the room.  Hermione assumed one was a bathroom, and the other was probably a closet, but she was curious as to what the other door held.

"Well then," Draco said in an amused voice.  "You'll need some clothes, I'll call for one of the elves.  Wait here."

And he moved to the door that Hermione has been wondering about, and closed it behind him with a slam.

Hermione figured she should try to be a bit more comfortable while she waited for her, ahem, boyfriend.  She went over to the bed and pulled the curtain away form the side and sat down, the bed sunk under her weight and she resisted the temptation to get up and jump on it, maybe later.

Draco then walked back into the room and noticed her sitting on the bed.

"Do you want the bed then?"  He asked.

Hermione was confused for a moment, what was he talking about?

"Well, yes," she said. "I wasn't going to sleep on the floor," she replied in a confused tone. Was this how women were often treated?  Made to sleep on the floor like dogs?

"Alright," He said, and walked over to the couch.  "I'll be sleeping here then."

Hermione got up.  "What?  Oh geez Malfoy, this is ridiculous.  We're sixteen, I think we're mature to sleep in the same bed, don't you?"

Draco gave her a look she couldn't read, but simply nodded.  As he made his way over to the bed, a house elf cracked into the room holding a pile of neatly folded clothes. Hermione rushed over to the small creature to relieve it of its burden.

"Is Miss needing anything else?"  The house elf asked in a small voice, not meeting Hermione's eyes.

Hermione got down on one knee eye-level with the small elf and asked "What's your name?" she saw that the elf was female.

"Telly," the small elf said, and looked up at Hermione and smiled.  "Would you need anything else?"

Hermione thought for a moment then leaned in closer to the elf.  "I don't suppose you know what an Oreo cookie is?" She said in a whisper, as so that Draco didn't hear her.

The elf nodded excitedly.  "They're Telly's favorite Miss!"  She said in an excited squeak.  "We is making them ourselves, would you like some?"

Hermione smiled brightly.  "Yes please, and some milk?  I think Malfoy and I need a snack."

"I'll be back soon Miss!"  And the elf was gone in a loud crack.

"What was the elf all worked up about?" Draco asked in a curious voice.

"Telly is going to bring us a snack," Hermione answered him.  "Can you go into the bathroom to change while I change in here?"

Draco looked like he was about to say something suggestive, but then thought the better of it, and exited the room without a word.

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked at the neat pile of clothes the house elf brought her.  She shifted through it and found en extravagant nightgown.  Gown being the key word here.

Hermione looked at it with wonder.  It was light blue silk that looked as though one toss in bed would send the thing to pieces.  It had very thin straps that didn't look as though they would be able to hold the gown up.  Hermione looked at it wearily before undressing and slipping the nightgown over her head.

She folded her other clothes, the red dress that she had worn (and Voldemort wasn't even there! She thought) and looked at the other clothes.  Another red dress, with a different neckline, this one was cut lower.  A silky green dress, a silver one, and a couple black ones where there also.

Hermione sighed and sunk into Draco's comfortable bed, at least she would sleep well tonight.

Just then a crack announced Telly's arrival.  Hermione swung her legs over the side and went to meet her.

"Thank you Telly!"  Hermione said, taking the tray and setting it on Draco's bedside table.  "I really appreciate it, would you like one?"

Telly looked up at Hermione with huge eyes.  "Oh that is alright Miss!"  She said. "Telly and the other elves have some in the kitchen, thank you Miss!" And with that, she was gone.

"Scaring off my houseless?" Draco asked as he walked into the room, dressed for bed in a silk pajama set.

"I did not scare her off."  Hermione replied indignantly.  "I just offered her a cookie."

"Probably thought you were hiding a tiny sock in it or something," Draco said with a grin.  I heard about that spew thing."

"It's S.P.E.W.!" Hermione said, completely exasperated.  "Not Spew!"

"Whatever you say,"  Draco said with a smirk. 

He walked around the bed and pulled the curtain on the other side, and then climbed in.  Hermione timidly got in on her side, but sat up.

"Cookie?"  She asked Draco.

Draco looked at her for a second as though she has sprouted wings.  "In bed?  In my bed? Are you mad?"

Hermione fixed a glare on him and replied.  "Sure, why not?  What are you worried about?  You don't have to clean it?  I ate in bed all the time back home."

"I will not live like a muggle."  He said, sitting up and crossing his arms over his chest.  "Never."

Hermione was about to say something back, but instead she grabbed a cookie off the tray and in one quick motion stuffed it into Draco's mouth.

Draco didn't comprehend what exactly had happened until a few moments after, then, looking dazed, he began to chew.

"Good, isn't it?"  Hermione prodded, unable to resist.

Draco glared at her until he was finished chewing, and then he said simply: "You bitch."

"It was good, wasn't it?"  Hermione said innocently and handed him a glass of milk.  "You need to lighten up, Malfoy, or you're going to explode."

"Hrmph," Was his answer as he drank the milk.

They ate the rest of the cookies in silence, and Hermione could feel the tension rising again.

"Am I going to meet Voldemort tomorrow?" She asked quietly.

"Maybe,"  Draco said.  "He's busy, but you're a priority of his."

"Oh goody," Hermione said sarcastically, and she wiggled more under the covers and blew out the candle on her side.

"Goodnight Hermione," Draco said sleepily.  "You'll be a deatheater in the morning."

(A/N)

Yippi!  This Chapter came out rather quick, yes? *beams* I liked writing this one, wasn't the cookie scene cute? *nods* I thought so too.  Next chapter we will concentrate more on the other people, Harry, Ron, etc, and…hmm, better not give anymore away J Untill next time!

Lovely-Lina- That quote is from a song called I'm still here by Johnny Rzeznik.  It's from the Disney movie Treasure Planet and one of my favorite songs =)