It wasn't long before he returned to the mistress' quarters where he held his ward captive. Hermione wished he'd taken some time. Alas, his fury radiated from him like static to raise alarmed gooseflesh down her spine.
He stared at her where she stood, frozen and waiting like a penitent. His sharp eyes narrowed to knifepoints, then he strode to her and grabbed her chin to force her to face up at him. "Have you fucked him, then?"
"What?" she laughed.
Lucius sneered. "The man is apparently obsessed with you. I assume you've done something to encourage it."
Her cheek was hot against his palm. "He's my teacher."
"Do not play the innocent with me. You've used your wiles on men before."
"When?" This was the most bizarre conversation she'd ever had, and she felt like she was stumbling in the dark with no destination in mind.
"You've always been good at getting your way," he accused. "With my wife, my son. All your little friends. And then you grew breasts, and dragged the Quidditch player after you, too."
"I—" she frowned and tried vainly to tug her face away. "I never asked anyone for that attention."
"Oh, I'm sure. That's why Krum was so willing to turn his back on his heritage for you. Tell me, was it worth spreading your legs? I'm surprised you haven't tried your way with me—"
Her left hand flew against his cheek before she could stop it.
Hermione froze and stared up in horror as she realized what she'd done, but it was nothing to the expression contorting his features. His eyes widened, red flushed his cheeks, and then his visage twisted into fury.
His wand snapped to point at her, and he spat the spell incarcerous so that ropes sneaked around her form and bound her tight. She fell to the floor, staring up at him in horror. "I- I didn't mean—"
The silencing spell was an unspoken bolt of white that stole the words from her throat.
"You have grown far too belligerent, mudblood. You dare strike me, your master, and then think to escape punishment with a paltry excuse?" He sneered as he spelled her upside down to hang from the ceiling, and then he was circling her like he could smell the blood that now rushed to her head. "I have been kind."
A crack ricocheted through the air loud enough she flinched, but that discomfort was soon overwritten by fiery hot pain lancing across her back.
She felt her robes split and cool air hit her flesh.
"I have allowed you luxuries—"
Another crack made her writhe, screaming silently. Something trickled from the line that had been wrought on her flesh.
"— such as you'd never known had we left you in that hovel."
A crack, and her clothing seemed more like fluttering drapes attached via rope than anything else. Veins throbbed against the flesh of her forehead as she tried to cry out.
"I have allowed others to dote on you despite warnings from my sister-in-law and my colleagues."
The next cut through the cloth over her stomach. She hadn't even noticed he'd circled around again.
"I let you receive an education."
Another lash followed, becoming a bloody mouth that dripped down her chest.
"I let you be treated as a witch, if low-born."
Blood slipped over her chin.
"I allowed you to touch Malfoy relics. I let you have a place in my home."
A series of whiplashes followed.
"And you repay me by pretending you are my equal. You repay me with defiance."
He stopped in front of her and lowered his wand to sneer as he studied her form. "It is time I broke you properly, before you are unsalvageable. Pray it is not too late, little mudblood. And that you are as quick a learner here as in your studies in the castle."
Lucius cancelled his spells, allowing the girl to fall into a pile at his feet. Her sniveling became audible, but he didn't remark on it, not even when he prodded her with the polished toe of one dragonhide boot.
"Disgusting."
She cringed and huddled in on herself.
"What are you doing? Are you trying to hide yourself in those blood-soaked rags?" He tutted. "Remove them at once."
Hermione tightened her grip on herself.
Lucius flicked his wand and a whip of light licked at her forearms. She shrieked as her nerves caught up with the wound, but after a beat, she shucked the torn clothing to pool around her.
She wrapped her bloody arms around her knees and held them to her heaving chest once she'd done as bidden.
"Next time, do not hesitate before following an order. Is that understood?" He punctuated the question with a finale from his wand.
"Y-yes, Master Lucius," she stammered out.
Lucius' bared his teeth at her in a feral grin. "Look at you, learning already. Now." He swept past her to flop into the seat in the reading nook. "Come here."
Hermione began to rise, but the cool man tutted and gestured down.
Her cheeks flushed, but she crawled across the floor until she was within arm's reach of his knees. He spread them wide and indicated she draw closer, between them.
A hand covered in buttery black leather darted out to ruffle her hair. She began to flinch back but made herself still before he could criticize her for the action.
"I must say, I like you better this way: silent, kneeling, obedient. This is your default position. Unless you are serving your betters, this is how you should remain." His fingers caught on a knot, but he continued petting her. "We will have to work together, you and I, to ensure this is carved into your bones. Never you worry, Miss Granger. I am a skill tamer of beasts."
She hated him.
After a moment, his hand finally retreated, and Hermione had to suppress her sigh of relief.
"What is between you and your professor?"
Her head jolted up at the unexpected question. "He—" She frowned. "I'm his teaching assistant for the dueling club."
"Yet you are essential to his plans?" One of Lucius' dark brows raised. "While he is a half-blood, he has friends in surprisingly high places. He's wormed his way into Bella's graces, and I now must wonder who else he has leashed. Do you know, mudblood?"
She shook her head, amber eyes wide. "I don't."
"Nor did you know he's the Heir of Slytherin?"
"No." Her eyes brightened with fresh tears. "Did he really kill muggleborns?"
Lucius' huffed out a silent laugh. " A muggleborn, yes. Others were petrified. Oh, you thought he didn't care about blood status?" The cruel smile grew as he saw the shine of her tears. "He's a Slytherin, pet— the Slytherin. Of course, he thinks less of you for what you are. Perhaps had you been born of a proper lineage, you'd be worthy of public adulation, but apparently none of his people knew about you before now."
"Because he's my professor," she countered.
"You think that's why? Please, Tom Riddle has been tempting youths since he, himself attended Hogwarts. You're nothing special."
She blinked back her tears and lifted her head, trying to remember how she felt when Tom spoke to her. "He doesn't care that I'm muggleborn. He told me so."
"You are quite the unique little mudblood, I'll admit, but if you think he'll do more than use you, you are mistaken."
"He's waiting until I graduate." She didn't know what possessed her to say it, but it was out before she could stop herself. "He cares about me. He wants to protect me."
Now Lucius laughed in truth. "He does, does he? What a fine job he's doing." He leaned forward to regard her with knife-sharp eyes. "No, Hermione, what he wants is the same as I do— your abilities for himself. I, at least, am honest about it."
"What you want is far worse." Her voice was low and hoarse as she said it. "He doesn't intend to breed me like an animal."
"Like an animal? No, my dear. I'm hardly so barbaric. I plan to do the deed myself."
A faint ringing in her ear followed the statement, and she stared at his too-near face with wide eyes as it sank in; then Hermione jerked backward. His knees closed around her, fist tangling once more in her hair.
"Tut tut. I thought you were supposed to be clever ?" He sighed as though put out. "I suppose you're not broken yet. You can't help but behave according to your filthy roots." After a moment of holding Hermione in place, he sneered and pulled back his hand to look over his glove. "And now I have your dirty blood on my glove. Up, mudblood."
She stood as he rose as well, and followed for a step, until she gathered their trajectory. "I can bathe myself, Master Lucius."
"I did not tell you to speak." He opened the door to the lavatory and crooked a finger until she followed him inside. "Stand in the tub, there's a good girl."
She stepped over the rim and onto the cool marble.
"Chin up. Aguamenti. " The water was freezing cold, so that her skin prickled with its chilly burn. The wizard plied her with the cold stream, washing away her flaking blood until her skin was clear but for the angry red from the cold. He stepped closer as the stream narrowed and trailed down her stomach one last time. "Legs apart." When she didn't move, he looked up at her sternly enough that she obeyed.
He was too focused there, and it hurt. The cold was especially fierce where she should be warmest.
"I'm surprised you don't look dirty here, too. It's quite unfair, walking around looking like you do."
She scowled, but turned to the wall to avoid his eyes as he studied her.
The stream reduced until it disappeared, but she didn't dare to move unless he ordered it. She heard the rubbing of leather against leather, then warmth burned against her abdomen.
It was his palm, large and hot and heavy. He was touching her with bare flesh. Hermione screwed her eyes shut and tried to imagine herself elsewhere.
"Soft. Smooth." Fingers skidded from hip to hip, then down the curve to her thigh. "Lovely."
The last word was almost a whisper, and she whimpered at it.
"You are lucky, you know. Your descendants will be cared for almost as nearly as the family itself."
She ground her teeth to keep silent.
"I have started noting the mudbloods who might be desirable to breed with the next generation. A half-blood might also do." The pads of his fingers skirted the front of her thigh. "And, I suppose, I shall have to tell my heir at some point to keep him from reseeding your line too early."
"Please, don't." She couldn't help herself. His words were too ominous, too terrifying.
"Shush, mudblood. I told you; you're lucky." Fingers stroked the dark curls between her legs. "This is necessary. There is magic in blood, and I will bind your line to serve mine in this way."
"You'd bind your own child into slavery?"
"The needs of the Malfoy line— the pure Malfoy line— will always come first." He sounded both too close and so far away, like she could scream at him and pierce his eardrums; like she could scream at him, and he wouldn't even hear it.
His fingers explored her, during which time she couldn't bear to open her eyes and see the expression on his face. When he pulled away, she struggled to remain upright.
"It seems you weren't lying after all. You haven't fucked Riddle. Good. I have no need to worry about sullying myself further."
Was she supposed to respond to that?
He tapped his wand against his thigh and considered her. "Dry yourself and get dressed. And do try to remember what you've learned thus far. I would hate to have to become a cruel trainer."
When he finally left her, Hermione collapsed against the marble bathtub and sobbed.
A/N
Last chapter was the only hint of Tom we'll get for a little while, but he will be back. This is a dark arc, but the story actually originated from the basic concept leading into this situation. The Tomione aspect came to me later, when I was thinking about what else might be different.
Anyway, I've had a hard week. My birthday was Sunday. It was spent giving my dog the last Good Day she'd have. Monday was spent cuddling until it was time to go. She was nine years, two months, and one week old.
On top of that, I wasn't able to cuddle her nearly as much as I liked because I woke up unwell Tuesday before we found out she needed to see a specialist. I could only be with her on the floor for a little bit at a time, though I medicated and spent every second of her last appointment with her (minus when she went to the back to get a catheter). I refused to go to the doctor because I didn't want to be away from her, and now I'm not going because I think the worst of it has passed.
It's especially hard because we lost Carrot so recently, too. And my older remaining cat is definitely feeling the losses. Two cats and the dog have passed. He's very needy.
I've been distracting myself with the Ouran fic as much as I can, but there are moments I just fall apart.
Anyway, I will try not to let everything delay my updates. I still have quite a few chapters written, just awaiting updates. Follow me on social media if you want to be sure. has sneak peeks, Ko-fi has the WIP of the month, and both have discord access
Oh yeah, something something something, fan art might induce extra chapter posts.