SORRY FOR THE WAIT! Busy w/ school…..

T_T

Enjoy.

-ooo-

The house she stood before was somehow familiar but at the same time one she had never seen before. She didn't know how she got here or why but it didn't seem to matter. She didn't feel scared, concerned, or any alarm. Hermione had a feeling of normality towards the house. The way one might feel going to their own.

The house was fresh green with its own white picket fence that stretched all along the sides. Past the gate flowers bloomed, caressing each other's petals in the wind. The wide full moon cast down a soft veil of moonlight that covered everything around her. Outside was not to cold nor too hot, but more like a quiet spring night. She wanted to stay a while and feel the air on her skin but a driving force beckoned her inside.

As she walked up the porch steps she never stopped to think that this might not be her house. She just strolled through the door and into the living room. The interior was simple and modest and the décor was fancifully delicate. On the couch across the television was her father. Or was it? She wasn't sure, it looked like her father but another half of her didn't recognize him. It was as if her mind was trying not to forget her own dad. Forcing her to remember his face but struggling.

As Hermione walks out of the living room and past the kitchen, the cookies baking in the oven give off a warm scent. There was a woman there turned away, her hands busy deep in the sink water. She had her mother's thin brown hair but her body was more plum than her mother. If these people were supposed to be her parents then why was she struggling so hard to accept it? Now she was starting to feel unease.

Were they really her parents, was this really her house? If it wasn't then why did she so willingly walk into a stranger's house? She couldn't help but to keep walking forward. As she moved onwards her movements felt lighter and lighter, till she was sure she would float away. But she kept walking on her own, through the hall way, up the stairs, to a bedroom door.

The door was white like all other doors in the house, it didn't have any notable features that would make it stand out all but yet she could feel this was hers. Hermione didn't even think about opening the door, she just did.

Her room was completely how she had remembered it. No sense of unfamiliarity what so ever.

All her books were aligned perfectly on her shelf, school blazer folded over her armchair, finished homework on the desk. The room's walls were still baby blue, and she still had her window that looked over the street in front of the desk.

Seeing her room made her realize where she was. Like a spark, emotions came flooding back. She wanted to cry from happiness then run downstairs to hug her parents. "I'm home! I'm home!" she would cry out them. But she never did.

Instead she looked towards the bed and closed the door. On top her bed was herself sleeping very peacefully. There was no doubt that was her sleeping on the bed. She seemed to be passed out on the bed like she usually did after a long day, not even bothering to cuddle up under the sheets.

Seeing this doppelganger didn't alarm her but made her feel at ease in some strange way. Hermione thought about putting a blanket over herself as she wished someone else might do for her. But that driving force came back one again. This time it didn't want her to walk, but turn behind her. She hesitated but turning around was all she could do now.

Lucius was standing their watching Hermione, not the one that stood before him but the one on the bed. The look in his eyes was longing and gentle. If anyone saw him they'd be certain he was only a moment away from kissing her awake like a fairy tale prince. But he was no fairy tale prince; he was the evil King who spreads havoc all across the land.

It was all starting to feel all too real to her now. It was too real to be a dream. Was this a dream? or someone elses memory?

Everything in the room began to turn blurry, and then faded away into darkness.

-ooo-

She woke up to the loud sound of a door slamming. Quickly she was brought back to reality away from everything else. She didn't even have time to try to analyze the dream, or even study the new room she was suddenly in.

Lucius Malfoy had already begun walking towards her looking very dismal as always. Cautiously she rolled over, trying to pretend she was still asleep. Hermione wasn't ready to face him, not after the last time he saw her. Lucius would probably wake her up anyways.

Hermione braced herself for a nudge or a slap, anything from him, but he didn't touch her. She could only hear him moving around on the other side of the room. There was a sound of clutter being moved around then the sound of him sitting down. Carefully she peaked from under the comforter and peered out at him. He was sitting there in an upholstered chair across the room reading a large leather book. Uninterested he flipped through the pages of the book, trying to force himself to read. She could see how tense he looked. Like he was trying to take his mind off of something.

"What is he doing?" she wondered. Was it possible he was watching over her or checking up on her? That was a crazy thought. Lucius would never do such a thing but yet it was exactly what he was doing now. Hermione cheeks flushed red with dissent, how dare he cause her so much pain than act like he cared if she lived or died.

The adrenaline inside her made it hard to keep still any longer. She slowly moved around back and forth to mimic waking up. She kept her eyes closed as she tossed and turned, and through the rustling of sheets she could hear him slam his book shut.

Hermione rose up from the sheets slowly, rubbing false tired eyes and letting out a yawn. Then she looked over at Lucius who was already looking back at her. He didn't seem tense anymore or even relived. Lucius so quickly slipped back on his mask of disinterest for her.

"Good Morning, Muggle."

"Good morning," Hermione cooed.

"Before you ask the unnecessary questions or why or where; you are here because you could not handle Dolohov's Cruciatus Curse. Although you deeply deserved punishment, he was a bit too forceful. Without my assistance you would have never survived down in the cellar."

"You saved me?"

"Don't think so highly of yourself girl, if anyone is going to kill you it will be me."

"Oh… Well thank you."

He was ready for her to defy him or roll her eyes, but there was true sincerity there. Because of this Lucius didn't know what to do next, he just pulled out a small flask from his robe and handed it to her.

"Here drink this. It's a potion; it should help with any leftover pain. Now that you are awake its time you've gotten back to work, you've been asleep long enough. It's Christmas Eve and I must have the house in order by tonight."

Christmas Eve? Had she really been asleep for three days that it was already Christmas Eve? She felt a bit sick, but figured three days of sleep were better than three days of floor scrubbing.

"I've had Ditzy mend and wash your clothes, they are in the nightstand next to your bed. I will give you an hour and half to get ready and readjusted. You have much to do." And with those words, Lucius was gone.

So again she did what she had to, bathed and got dressed. Thankfully he had some sort of shampoo that helped alleviate the tangles in her hair and soap that cleaned quite nicely. She got dressed into the same exact outfit before.

She messed around with the flask but never opened it up to drink. She just slipped it away in her pocket, if it really did work than she was sure she'd need it again later.

-ooo-

She spent the whole morning and afternoon cleaning the house from top to bottom. Mopping all the hallways, polishing all the silver, dusting, remaking beds, and folding clothes.

She thought she might expire from all the work. He was not kidding when he truly meant there was a lot to be done, but she was sure most of it was busy work. Still she managed to make it through most of the day, all that was left was to set the dining table for three people.

He never told her but she could already guess who the three people were. His wife, himself, and his son. She had seen their portrait a few times in foyer. As she'd clean she'd look up at it, watching them watch her back. From the looks of it his wife looked like a nasty prudent woman, the kind that would yell at anyone who set her off. A perfect woman for Lucius if you'd ask her. But even with the aura she gave off, she still seemed so beautiful for a woman of her age. Maybe she should not be so quick to judge her, but it was hard when the portrait quite literally glared at her.

Lucius' son on the other hand, seemed very lethargic in the painting, sad even. The way his mother and father positioned around him made him look like a scared ferret caught in a trap. She'd almost felt sorry for him but stopped herself from thinking so. He was probably just as horrible as his father. Yet no matter how hard she tried to shake the feeling, even if he was mean, she felt sorry for him.

Hermione snapped out of her thoughts of him and continued placing silverware on the table. There was a few minutes left before Lucius would take her and lock her back in her room. After positioning the last wine glass on the table, she turned around to find she someone was watching her.

It was none other than Lucius' son. What a coincidence that she'd just been thinking about him and there he was. He kept looking at Hermione, very confused at what she was doing here. They each waited for one another to break the silence but Draco spoke first.

"What are you doing?"

She tried thinking back in her mind and trying to decide if she should answer him or not. Something told her that Lucius would be very displeased to find his son talking to the help. He never told her but it was logical to assume that she was some sort of secret never meant to be discovered by his family.

"I'm…. working…"

"Since when does Father have a maid?" The boy wrinkled his forehead and looked a thoughtful gaze at her. Draco's eyes then suddenly widen, "Wait a minute, wait a minute do I know you? I know I've seen you before…"

Hermione froze up in anticipation, if he knew her situation then he could help her get back home. If not, then she might just stay here forever. She gulped.

"You're from Hufflepuff right? You're always hanging around Penelope Clearwater. What are you doing here; you don't need money that badly do you?"

"Hufflewhat?" She was becoming just as confused as he was. All these new words and names being thrown at her didn't make any sense but she was trying to figure it out. The word Hufflepuff was as foreign to her as everything else here was.

"Hufflepuff. You're kidding me right? Then let me guess, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic?"

She shook her head; she wanted to back out of this situation. "I'm- I'm not from around here."

He chortled, "Then from where? I don't suppose Koldovstoretz or the Durmstrang Institute?"

Hermione bit her lip and felt bad. What was she to say to him? Should had to come up with something, if he found out she was non-magical she surely would be sealing her own coffin. Well there was only one way to find out what would happen.

"I'm a…. Muggle? At least I've been told, I don't… I don't know what that means." She wanted to hide herself but there was nothing she could do. This was now her chance to get out of this before Lucius returned. "I don't think your father wants me talking to you. To anyone. I'm sorry."

"Muggle?" His face turned into repulse not towards her but to his father, "Surely you are joking."

"I'm really not. Again, it's nice to meet you but I'm sure your father would be very upset if he saw us talking. He's coming back for me in a minute. I don't want to get hurt again… Please..." She pleaded with him, scared of what might happen if Draco stayed any longer.

Draco could see she truly meant it, looking very scared he decided it was best to back off. He already could have guessed if his father saw him speaking with a Muggle that he'd be forced to hurt them. It had already happened once before at a Death Eater meeting.

"Alright I'll go but is there a way I could see you again?"

"I don't know… I don't know um…"

"Don't worry I'll find you." He turned to leave, but stopped for a second. "By the way, I'm Draco."

"Please don't"

Draco gave her a smile of reassurance and walked off, trying to his hardest to act like he hadn't seen her. For a moment she could actually feel hope swelling up in her throat. "Please god let him be the one to help." It was nice to feel true hope again but the moment was cut short by none other than Malfoy Sr. himself.

"You've finished, yes?"

"Yes sir…"

He looked over behind her and eye'd the table looking around for a potential mistake.

"Good."

Lucius placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her forward, "Your work for today is done. Back to your room."

"What about dinner?" she bravely spoke.

"You'll eat after everyone else has. Perhaps if you stay quiet for the rest of tonight I'll treat you with the delight of eating my table scraps."

With the smug tone he spoke Hermione had to hold herself back from punching him hard in the gut. She'd rather eat broken glass than eat from his plate. But she dared not to tell him that, he was already mad enough that she didn't doubt he'd actually make her.

They stayed silent the rest of the way back to her cellar. She felt mad at herself to be stupid she'd be taken back to the nice room she was in before. Oh well, at least he couldn't sneak in and watch her sleep this time.

Lucius had dropped her if in the room and left as quickly as they had arrived.

-ooo-

The rest of the night was silent and cold. Thankfully for her the room had been untouched since last time so she still had the big warm blanket to shield her from the cold winter night. It was almost midnight now and she was starting to drift asleep while wrapped up deep in sheets. Hopefully tonight wouldn't be met with another nightmare.

All was calm until there was a knock at her door. She almost didn't hear it, who could it be?

Hermione sat up slowly, "Hello?" She was not scared but more curious, "please god let it be…"

The door slowly creaked open, letting a bright yellow light shine through. From behind the door popped a familiar face. It was Draco.