A/N: Hello all! Sorry it took so long for me to update I was very sick. I made this chapter longer to make up for it so I hope you enjoy it. WARNING: Incase you haven't guessed this complies with HBP and contiains spoilers for said book and yes Hermione is a bit darker than usual get over it or don't read if you don't like it. Thank-you to all who have Reviewed so far.
Disclaimer: I own nothing other than the plot, the nameless Death Eaters and Hermione's made up curse. The rest I borrowed from JKR and I will return them in a hopefully sane condition when I'm finished.
A week slowly turned into two and then a month and then three months. Hermione was still put to work helping Snape with potions. She had finished reading all her schoolbooks and had started the Mediwitch training guides. Most nights Draco would stumble into her room and she would try and heal most if not all of his wounds from the day and then they would talk late into the night. He'd finally leave for his room down the hall and she'd be all-alone with her thoughts often crying herself to sleep.
It was the first Friday in September when Hermione found herself in Voldemort's private study. She hadn't been around him in a while but she knew it'd be the same, as always, he'd ask her to make the potion for him, and she'd refuse and be punished in some form or the other that she couldn't escape. "Hermione I summoned you here today to---" He broke off as a black owl landed on his chair. As he read the letter the eyes visible under the hood he always wore around her, flashed darkly. He dismissed her and she returned to her room.
Two hours later Draco entered her room looking annoyed to say the least. "Four Death Eaters were captured and Uncle Sev. and Bloody Lucius escaped." He explained as he reclined on the bed next to her. Hermione had become accustomed to Draco calling his father by his first name as of late. She understood his depression that his father had disowned him almost instantly when the Dark Lord changed his mind about the plans he had for Hermione. If Narcissa hadn't stepped up for her son he'd be dead instead of a slave.
"And Voldemort wants to send the Ministry a gift basket for their almost impossible success?" She joked before motioning a smirking Draco to continue, "No you are getting a roomgrade. Relax," He asses sensing her almost instant panic, "It means someone is going to enlarge your room. I guess Old Voldy's going soft on the smartest witch of this age." "I doubt I am going soft Mr. Malfoy, but I can prove myself if that is what you require." A voice purred from the door. Both teens whipped around to see Lord Voldemort standing in the doorway ever hidden by his cloak and hood.
Draco made a move to bow but Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder as she looked at Voldemort. "May I assist you? Sir?" She added the last part as an after thought. "Mhm, I've come to attend to your living quarters. You may tell me what you require or wish to have and I'll consider it." The purr in his voice made Hermione shiver but she narrowed her eyes at him. "May I inquire the reason for this change?"
Voldemort's eyes glittered in amusement. "You shall find out tonight now your room, my dear." He left almost an hour later, leaving Hermione and Draco speechless. He'd added a bathroom that included a large sunk in pool-like-tub, and a vanity with mirror. Everything was covered in black marble with rose pink veins running through it. She also received three more shelves of books, a loveseat and a chair next to the fire. Lastly in the corner by the door stood a grand mahogany wardrobe. Inside were three dress robes, five everyday robes, two work robes for potion making, and an assortment of Muggle clothes.
"Wonder why he's in such a good mood?" Draco mused as he sunk into the loveseat eyes watching the roaring fire. "It can't be anything good. He said I'd find out later." Hermione replied from the cushy red chair. "It can't be anything good." She repeated looking into the fire and sighing heavily.
Hermione didn't know how long she'd been left alone but finally a knock on her door came, along with Snape's silky voice, "It's time Miss Granger." Hermione looked once more at the blue sundress she had on and pulled on a robe that looked black but had a green tint to it. To annoy Voldemort Hermione had sewn the Gryffindor lion onto the robe; she looked at it and smiled faintly.
She followed Snape in silence to an upper floor. They arrived at a room as big as the Great Hall in Hogwarts and Voldemort sat in the throne like chair that Dumbledore would have occupied had they been at Hogwarts and the Headmaster had been alive. She noticed the cloak that hid him was the same dark green as her robe before she noticed the room was empty save herself, Snape, Malfoy Senior, Draco, three Death Eaters she didn't know and Voldemort.
Snape left her alone in the middle of the room and she briefly wondered where Crookshanks had wondered off to this time. "Miss Granger, I think I have found a way to get you to cooperate with me." Voldemort spoke, his voice shattering the silence. Hermione glared up at him, "There is nothing you could do to make me help you!" She growled. Though she couldn't see his face she could hear his smirk when he spoke next. "Oh really? Spoken to soon just like a Gryffindor. Bring him." A sudden fear gripped her heart as the three other Death Eaters came into view with a boy between them. They dropped him next to her and he fell to weak to stand.
Hermione recognized him in a second and dropped to the floor next to him, "Neville!" He looked up at her in awe. "W-we though y-yo-you were dead." He managed to sputter as tears started to stream down his cheeks. Hermione noted he wasn't in too much pain just scared so they must've just caught him that day or the one before. She was murmuring soothing words when he raised his eyes. Voldemort had come to stand in front of them and Hermione moved to block his view of Neville.
"You will help me or he dies!" He spat. She stood to face the man she still hadn't seen not flinching or batting an eye. "I'll help you if you do something for me." "Really? Well you're not in a position to bargain with me." "Am I not? Fine then I'll just let you find someone else shall I?" Here she removed a knife from her robes, "I'll just kill myself and you can reuse my room. I mean what's the point in living if I know I'll never leave?"
Voldemort chuckled but without humor. "Go ahead. Why should I care? We'll kill him then your parents once your dead." Hermione's expression turned grim at his last words. "They're dead…they were murdered shortly after Dumbledore's funeral. You should know that, The Dark Mark was etched into every wall of my house. And you do care if I die because you need me just like you needed Harry and Wormtail.
"Blood of the innocent enemy willingly given. You can't make that potion unless I give you my blood. So do something for me and I'll make you that potion." Voldemort circled her as she spoke. "Lucius, you son." Draco was pushed next to Neville, whose eyes grew wide and he flinched. "If it wasn't for you then little Hermione here wouldn't have that knife Draco. She wouldn't know anything and she wouldn't be in the position to make demands." He snarled.
"Lucius!" Hermione realized what the elder Malfoy was going to do instantly. The sound of shattering of glass echoed in the room and the doors shot open and a flash of brown flew into her hand. Hermione hadn't known her wand was still intact much less in one of the rooms but she pushed away her surprise as Lucius aimed his wand at his son. "Cruicatia!" She screamed a second before he said his own curse and a jet of dark purple light struck him in the chest and he fell over in pain. She moved to stand protectively over Draco and Neville once more.
She lifted the curse and Lucius's panting and groans of pain filled the room. Voldemort clapped from his 'throne' and her head snapped towards him. "What was that?" Draco asked looking up at Hermione. "A curse I created like the Crucio. But instead of wanting to cause pain and hurt it uses all the pain and suffering the caster has ever felt to strike another. It hurts much worse because its every bit of pain you've ever felt all put into a minute." Hermione answered.
"Very well Miss Granger I grant you any request except that of your freedom." "An Unbreakable Vow." Voldemort paused as if considering then motioned for her to approach. "Severus if you please." Snape walked forward and pointed his wand at Hermione's outstretched hands. Voldemort's hands came out to clasp hers and she examined them. Almost pure white with long spindly finger and cold to the touch, but a feeling of warmth spread through her at the mere touch.
Snape touched the tip of his wand to their hands; though his face remained blank Hermione could tell his mind was clicking away. "Do you Tom Marvalo Riddle, Lord Voldemort promise to free Neville Longbottom unharmed and un-followed to the Order or where ever he may go?" "I do." A thin wisp of light shot out from Snape's wand and circled their hands as she continued, "And do you promise that Draco shall not be hurt by you or any other for giving me the knife?" "I do."
"And last do you promise I, Hermione Jane Grange, will not be harmed after making the Body Potion requested of me?" "I do." Hermione watched the three wisps of light that circled their hands glow gold then vanish. The weight of what she had just agreed to pushing at the back of her mind.
A/N: Well there you have it Chapter three. I really hoped you all liked it. I know Voldemort's a bit OCC and such but I don't care because the real Voldie wouldn't let her know he needed her so! Please Review and tell me what you think I would like at least five reviews for this chapter before I post the next one. Thanks.