Thanks for review the last chappie... here you go!

Chapter 7

The unforeseen prize

Hermione threw her weight at the solid oak door, like the many previous attempts it did not move.

The day would soon begin, already the stars were dimming and disappearing one by one as the sky brightened.

"Why waste your energy, it's probably charmed shut anyway", a man told her in a sad voice.

She knew her attempts were futile but what choice did she have? If she was to stop she would be left alone to her thoughts. Each time this occurred she felt her entire body clench, feeling engulfed by hopelessness and fear. Her body trembled and her eyes would sting, unable to cry. Crying was something she was unable to do anymore. She clung to the only emotion stopping her from doing this.

She threw her anger out on the only means of her escape, the door. At the moment the door was winning. She threw her weight at it again.

"Didn't you hear me? There is no use. You're making everyone feel worse!"

Hermione turned round wildly to face him, glaring at the man. "Don't you dare tell me to give up. Unlike you, my fate is to serve a Death Eater!" she had over heard two women discussing Blaize Zabini's current profession as she left the auction hall. "I feel my fate is a lot worse then yours. Serving an old lady... I think I have the right to stop this madness! Anyone else got a problem with that?" nobody answered looking away awkwardly. "Good" She returned to beating the door leaving the man to his murmurs and her own. "I'm not giving up like I did before!"

After another twenty minutes Hermione decided to take a short rest due to the ache in her crimson bruised arms. The girl she was sat next to, she recognised was the one who was popular with the many men in the crowd.

She looked at Hermione her face showing a slight curiosity. After a few minutes silence and obvious hidden looks Hermione looked at the girl. She dropped her head realising she had been caught.

"Did you want something?"

The girl looked at her with a worried bite of her lips, "I was just wondering how long you'd been in here?"

"Does it matter?" Hermione replied bitterly.

"I guess not". There was an awkward silence, leaving the many prisoners to there own cold thoughts.

"Do you know what's going to happen?" the girl whispered to her. It seemed the girl thought Hermione knew exactly what was going to happen and why. She gave her a sceptical look. "I haven't been outside my cell in months. No, I don't know what's going to happen. Why don't you ask somebody in here who cares" she told her harshly.

Surprised but not regretting the rudeness that had sneaked into her words. This girl was dangerously naive, more so then she realised, and she looked it to start with. Months alone Hermione realised had hardened her heart to any sympathy to others except herself.

The girl it seemed was going to cry, edging away from Hermione she began to sob. Her sniffs and whimpers seemed to echo loudly, every prisoner present in the small stone room trying in vein to block them out.

"There was no need for that; we've got to stick together. We get enough abuse from them" a middle aged woman told Hermione. She pointed to the door, to symbolise she was talking about the Death Eaters.

Hermione shrugged, "If she can't handle my words she won't survive living with one". She looked at the crying girl. "What's you name?"

The girl blinked her brown eyes glistened with tears and looked up at Hermione. "Sarah"

"How long have you been in here Sarah?"

"Not long"

The middle aged woman gave Hermione a funny look.

"Have they visited you in your cell yet?" Hermione asked

Sarah shook her head; the woman now gave her a very disapproving angry look. Hermione felt a pang in her stomach, she decided not to continue. The girl didn't need that nightmare to dread. Noticing the woman giving her the dark look she sighed a sad sigh making her meaning clear to the woman that the girl wouldn't cope long.

"I thought you of all people would offer support to those that need it. Harry Potter would do it." The woman told her, comforting the girl but still casting looks at Hermione, showing dislike, and disappointment.

"A year can really change a person" Hermione said icily standing, trying to ignore the nauseating response her heart made at his name. Paying no attention to all the new looks she was receiving from the others, she walked over the barred window. There was no glass so she could see the pale pink morning sky clearly. Leaning into the sill slightly, Hermione could feel a light breeze touch her cheek; she breathed deeply, feeling it tingle her face with its bitter freshness. The room they were in was twice the size of Hermione's last cell. 10 people including herself were stationed inside. They weren't chained or tied. This was the holding bay, they all knew that when morning broke they would be taken to there new permanent residence. There new prison cell.

Everyone was dealing with it differently. Either falling into a pit of depression or grasping to all hope the new world would be better.

Hermione didn't know how she felt, all she could explain was that of an angry numbness, hence her snappy remarks. She didn't know why she was being so cruel. All of the people had been through the same as her; almost

'I just don't care anymore who can blame me! What's the point?' Another wave of panic swept her once more.

'Why don't they just kill us?'

'Stop it' she told herself.

'I can't I always thought I was strong, I can't be strong for myself never mind these people… maybe I can kid the world I am but…' She hated how she could never hide her true feelings from herself. 'Giving up is weakness, I've hung on for all this time showing I'm not a coward… but how can I be brave when I'm so scared?

Keeping faith… I am a Gryffindor after all! …It's just a house though, a stupid group it doesn't mean anything, just some clever guess work from the essence of those gone. Yet it can see into the heart, I was placed in the house for a reason. Can a person change that much?'

Hermione shook her head to stop the thoughts. What ever she was, that didn't solve the problem at hand. Blaize Zabini, her new owner as she was told. He was a boy who was in her year back at school. Slytherin… that was all she knew. From what she could remember he kept himself to himself. True he was no bullying Malfoy, yet he taunted her house, her. They had never spoken. He was always a face in the crowd to her, a face no longer though. He would soon own her. A kindle of hope told her the Dark Lord would refuse her sale, but she had to prepare herself for everything. She was going to have to shut her mind off all over again, no thoughts and no feelings that way no matter what happened she would not feel. They couldn't hurt her is she was psychologically asleep.

It seemed time had slowed, which had been something of a comfort; at the start. Now it was making the situation unbearable. Hermione just wanted it to be over. The fact she didn't know what was going to happen once she was out, didn't help either.

She looked across at the swirling sea directly below, she hoped Lyra got away. Maybe she could get help? They could bust me out. Then again they don't know I've been sold… wait of course they will everyone will know, I'm the unexpected buy. Nobody expected me to be alive never mind sold! I bet the papers are going to have a field of a day. Maybe there was a little hope left?

She sighed took one final sniff of fresh air. Although having only having spent one night in the cell what with the many bodies, lots of which including Hermione's was filthy, had made the setting hot and smelly. Not particularly comfortable.

She gazed at her dirt caked arms and felt her chapped lips and dread locked hair. She knew she was the filthiest of them all. The others had been made slightly more appealing due to making them sell better. She remembered a comment Zabini had said before she left, "Oh, Torrington clean her up, I don't want her lowering the class of the household". It was then Draco Malfoy had confidently stridden up to him and mocked "That's going to be near impossible. She was never a sight for the eyes even when she was clean. I mean can you remember Zabini, the Yule Ball, fourth year? Not even hours of spell casting and make up could fix her!" he laughed. This comment had hurt, she felt so beautiful that day.

"I'll keep that in mind Draco, though I must say she can't have looked that bad or you wouldn't have spent the evening drooling would you? Oh by the way didn't see you in the Dark Lords gathering Tuesday, strange all your inferiors were there. Where were you?" he replied smoothly with a smile. Hermione saw Malfoy scowl even more filthily then she had ever seen him.

"I was busy, and as I recall I neither drooled nor stared!" he countered, "The Dark Lord had me on private business"

"Oh did he? I heard you were busy helping Daddy run the arrangements here. My mistake"

"Your asking for it Zabini! You think so much of yourself; you'll get yourself into trouble one of these days… I'll be careful if I were you" Malfoy told him dangerously.

Hermione could have laughed with the hypocritical words Malfoy had spoken. She was taken away soon after; much to her slight disappointment maybe they would have accidentally killed each other?

She turned back into the room, she looked about for Sarah, and once locating her she went over. "Look I'm sorry. Just because I'm feeling angry… and scared doesn't mean I have the right to take my emotions out on you. The ladies right" Hermione motioned to the woman who had told her off earlier. "We've got to stick together."

The woman nodded in agreement. Sarah just sniffed and also nodded her head.

"Right… anyone got a plan?" Hermione asked, but all she was met with was an uncomfortable silence.

They finally came a few hours after dawn. It seemed after a few half hearted ideas of escape; fear put a stop to them. They were separated into two groups; men and women. They were individually taken out of the cell. To where people only guessed, they never returned.

When Sarah left, Hermione gave her a small smile in what she hoped was confidence. She never saw the young girl again.

The room opened slowly due to the decreasing numbers. Finally there was two left, Hermione and the man. The vast room seem to spread before them; the air sick with tension. The man cast a few glances at her but she refused to look up at him.

The door creaked open and a stern middle aged woman with a sour looked stepped in, she was the caller of the names.

"You" she pointed at the man, "1489?" she didn't wait for a response. One guard entered and pulled him to his feet. Hermione finally cast a quick glance, the man looked bizarrely calm and collected. 'Ready to meet his fate… strangely honourable' she thought as he left.

"At least the waiting is over for them" she mumbled to the empty cell. 'Sods law I'd be the last one' she thought sadistically.

The silent wait was worse when she was alone, each second seeming an age. It wasn't until a long time after midday; Hermione finally heard the door open for the last time.

She looked up expecting to see the pruned face woman collecting her. All she had time for was to see was a hand before it firmly struck her against the side of the face. The impact caused her to loose balance and fall to the floor.

"I'm going to kill you myself, for this Mudblood"

Lucius Malfoy

"Oh you knew you'd get bought! That big head of yours still thinks your worth something after all these months of re-education." He picked her up by the hair causing her to whimper which echoed off the walls creating a mass of spooky cries.

She gripped desperately at her hair and his bony fingers attempting to pull away.

"Clever, you learning that Zabini would buy you in a second, your little escaped friend tell you about him? Don't believe the stories, you won't be safe there oh no, he's as merciless as the Dark Lord himself! Just because Zabini got the toy he so greatly wanted… your lucky Draco didn't win if he had, you would be live in a living hell!" he threw her to the ground, wiping his hands on his robes.

So it was final, she had been sold. The Dark Lord had let it be.

"How can you make it any worse!" she spat glad no tears were coming, he would never see them oh no, he wouldn't get that honour!

"I have my ways, with or with out curses both will involve… pain. Oh this is going to be fun-"

"Lucius what are you doing here?" the sour face lady said sharply from the door frame.

"Just leaving, you'll need more then magic to clean this one. You need a miracle! Dirty to the core" he smirked.

"You'll be surprised what we can do now Lucius. Now if you'd excuse us, I've been ordered to get her out in one piece"

"I'll leave you to it then Mary. As for you don't relax too soon" he added to Hermione. The woman gave Lucius Malfoy a calculating look as she motioned to something outside. Two wizards entered and brought Hermione to her feet. She noticed she had two handlers unlike one the previous prisoners had had. It appeared both men seemed very wary of her also, did they think her to be more dangerous? She cast Malfoy a killer look before she was lead out, he returned it with much venom.

She sighed silently as she walked down the hall; she had survived for the second time. She was sure the next with Malfoy senior she would not be around to tell the tale. She had felt his anger towards her when in the auction room and his threat gave her a lot of unpleasant thoughts.

Following the woman down the corridor she felt nauseous, a new fear of the unknown. The woman opened a door and motioned Hermione to go through. The two men were left behind. In front of her stood a small tiled room, a shower stood in the middle of the room a white curtain surrounding it.

"Undress, step inside. Use the bottles to clean yourself. Leave your hair," the woman told her in an emotionless voice. She left the room leaving Hermione on her own. She stood there for a few moments in confusion; she looked back at the door.

"Hurry up I don't have all day" the woman shouted from outside.

Moving forward Hermione pulled the curtains open slightly. "Want us looking presentable do they?" she muttered, a small part of her wanted to refuse just to 'piss' them off. Yet she yearned to be clean desperately. Stepping inside it began automatically making her jump. The water was cool yet soothing; standing beneath it she let it fall down her face. A large smile crept onto her mouth; she opened her arms and felt her body begin to soak. She lapped up the freshness it brought, it however refused to wash away her problems and stress, yet she felt calmer listening to the splashing sounds.

She heard the door open and the sour woman coming in; through the gap in the curtains Hermione saw another woman enter carrying a bundle of things.

"Take your clothes off and scrub your body clean. Be quick about it!"

Feeling her body go cold, Hermione pulled her robes over her head with trembling hands; she hated showing her body to others. Dropping them to the floor with a heavy sound due to the wet weight, she picked up one of the bottles, along with the scrubbing brush next to it.

She began cleaning her body vigorously, forcing the brush hard against her now quickly becoming raw skin. Cleaning away the hatred, purging her body of it demons that refused to go away, no matter how hard she cleaned.

"Enough!"

Hermione looked up, awaking from her trance; the woman threw a towel at her. The shower had stopped unknown as she had become unaware of it, she could see the pinkness of her arms against the whiteness off the town. The coarseness of the brush brought unexpected comfort, but at a price. Body stinging she wrapped the towel tightly around herself quickly, conscious of the displaying flesh. Nightmares clouding her mind of past leering eyes.

"You'll be surprised how often that happens" the woman said aloud "You can't scrub away the past, all that matters is the future. Don't cause yourself more problems then needs be"

Was that sympathy or an order? Hermione didn't know.

"Dry yourself and put this on", the other woman placed a pile of clothing on the floor. Both woman turned away giving her some unforeseen privacy. Rubbing herself dry she sifted through the clothes. Underwear an under dress (plain green) and a green robe, which was surprisingly soft and warm. She smelt the freshness of it once she had put it on. There was an incle on the chest, a large 'Z' entwined by two large gold snakes. She traced it with her pale finger.

"Zabini crest. You've landed yourself both a gift and a curse there" the woman told Hermione, picking up the wet robes and giving it to the other woman along with the towel.

"How's that?" Hermione said tiredly, expecting a slap due to speaking out of turn, yet none came.

"You'll be safe from the world. Nobody takes a Zabini possession, you could have gotten worse. All you have to worry about is how the Dark Lord himself will treat you. Nobody can protect you from him. You'll have the honour of his presence often at the Zabini Manor." The woman had a look of both sympathy and fear at the idea. "What with young Master Zabini at his right hand, and young Malfoy at his left you're in for an interesting time"

Hermione hadn't thought of that, her stomach reached with the horror of what may come.

"Now then" the woman's voice returned to its original emotionless state. Pulling her wand out, Hermione flinched away due to habit, expecting pain.

"Just to finish the job to make you look nice, this spell can't take off all the dirt but will do the trick after a good clean. It won't hurt" She her tapped Hermione on the head sharply, feeling a chill like a breeze run down her spine. She felt all the pores of her skin empty of the dirt she hadn't reached. Hermione touched her face. Smooth skin was all that remained, no more blood and filth. She licked her lips, although still dry they no longer tasted or earth and the iron like taste of blood. She gazed at her arms; some of her bruises had softened, being healed with the aid of magic. Scares still remained along with her more serious wounds but she looked less like a human punch bag now.

"God only knows what we're going to do about your hair… I'm going to have to start again" she said irritably "Malfoy was right, you're defiantly the worst I've had in along time, nearly as bad as the young red head. They really threw the book at you!"

Hermione felt her heart stop, the red head… Ginny?

"I'll clean and fix the best I can, but I think it's beyond help.

"You said red head-"

"Shush let me work, let's start with the lice and move on from there" she flicked her wand and a stool appeared. "Sit"

Pain coursed her scalp throbbing with pulled hair, snips were heard as more and more hair was cut off and left on the floor. It took a long time until the woman stopped using Muggle methods, and then came the spells and charms. Eventually hours later the woman stopped finally satisfied.

"Finally presentable, your lucky Mr Zabini wanted you perfect and impeccable. Many leave with just a short scrub, then again you needed it more then they did."

Lifting a hand Hermione felt her hair; she made a small cry of joy. It was soft and silky; straight hair now stood instead of dreadlocks and was above shoulder length. She guessed her curls would return when it grew longer, she was given a small mirror; she looked unrecognisable even from her old self. The hair emphasised her pale thin boned face and her eyes looked hollow from there once bright self. She gave the mirror back after a quick glance at her features. She couldn't look at herself anymore even with her new hair. Around her lay long locks of hair, many inches long. A lot had been removed.

"Shoes" Hermione slipped into the shoes given to her, for the first time in months she felt half human.

"You said about a red head"

"Yes, she was in a bad state as well" the woman said monotonically

"What was her name what happened to her?"

"Is it important? All I know she went to a rich family, with her brother I believe. Why?"

"No reason" Hermione replied, smiling not knowing if it was of relief or sadness, at least she was with one of her many brothers I miss Ginny so much. I'm so glad she survived!

Stepping into a large hall way hands bound, Hermione ignored the many eyes. The whispering comments the shuffling newspapers. She was surprised the crowd recognised her, she wouldn't have. Her face stared back at her from the many front pages, she didn't know how they got her gaunt image, and she didn't really care. Though she was correct in knowing her selling would be important news, the Prophet always contained stories like that.

She was awoken from her unbearable fear by the woman's voice.

"Good luck" she was given to an awaiting Death Eater. "You'll need it" she heard the woman add.

The man took her boy the arm and brought her to an open space at the side of the hall. "Stand still, prepare yourself for apperation. Don't think about running, you'll have no where to go. Understand" the man told her the nastiness clear in his voice.

His tight grip made her arm ache but not enough to take her mind off of the despair and terror that enthralled her. She saw Lucius Malfoy in the crowd an evil smirk on his face, he was also holding a newspaper, catching her eye he waved and walked away.

This was the last thing she saw as the hall of Azkaban the most hated and feared place in the world, disappear from her vision as she apperated from the hall.

Well what do you think? Please REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW if you read this it means so much to me thanks. Updates i realise take a bit long but college has started up again, and work load is double. I'll do it when i can Ta ;)