Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Precious Mudblood	By : magentasouth Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Hermione/Voldemort Views: 79302 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 6
Disclaimer: I neither own nor profit from any part of the Harry Potter universe

Chapter List
- 1-Precious Mudblood
- 2-Ch 2
- 3-Ch 3
- 4-Ch 4
- 5-Ch 5
- 6-Ch 6
- 7-Ch 7
- 8-ch 8
- 9-Ch 9
- 10-Ch 10
- 11-Ch 11
- 12-Ch 12
- 13-Ch 13
- 14-Ch 14
- 15-Ch 15
- 16-Ch 16
- 17-Ch 17
- 18-Ch 18
- 19-Ch 19
- 20-Ch 20
- 21-Ch 21
- 22-Ch 22
- 23-Ch 23
- 24-Ch 24
- 25-Ch 25
- 26-Ch 26
- 27-Ch 27
- 28-Ch 28
- 29-Ch 29
- 30-Ch 30
- 31-Ch 31
- 32-Ch 32
- 33-Ch 33
- 34-Ch 34
- 35-Ch 35
- 36-Ch 36
- 37-Ch 37
- 38-Ch 38
- 39-Ch 39
- 40-Ch 40
- 41-Ch 41
- 42-Ch 42 (edited. longer)
- 43-Ch 43
- 44-Ch 44
- 45-Ch 45
- 46-Ch 46
- 47-Ch 47
- 48-Ch 48
- 49-Ch 49
- 50-Ch 50
- 51-Ch 51
- 52-Ch 52
- 53-Ch 53
- 54-Ch 54
- 55-Ch 55
- 56-Ch 56
- 57-Ch 57
- 58-Ch 58
- 59-Ch 59
- 60-Ch 60
- 61-Ch 61
- 62-Ch 62
- 63-Ch 63
- 64-Ch 64
- 65-Ch 65
- 66-Ch 67
- 67-Ch 67
- 68-Ch 68
- 69-Ch 69
- 70-Ch 70
- 71-Ch 71
- 72-Ch 72
- 73-Ch 73
- 74-Ch 74
- 75-Ch 75
- 76-Chapter 76
- 77-Ch 77
- 78-Ch 78
- 79-Ch 79
- 80-Ch 80
- 32
- 33
- 34
They landed hard in a pitch dark
room and Hermione groaned as a sharp menstrual cramp ripped through her.�

Probably not the best thing to do at the moment, travel like
that by portkey with passengers grabbing her round
the middle.� She curled her body against
the sensation automatically��

Almost immediately torches ignited
on all four walls.� �The smallish room was empty.�

Only she and Draco were sprawled on the ground � there was no sign of Harry, Ron
or Rodolphus.�

She hoped Ron hadn�t lost his grip
around her waist during the transport.�

There were rectangular marks on
the ground in the room where she realised some kind of Tombs or barques must
have been.� Without them the room was
just a dim square box.�

The torches didn�t look like they belonged here either. Harry must have
prepared the room.�

She suddenly realised that she
felt strange.� It was a familiar if
peculiar feeling in the back of her mind.�
Like a kind of mild euphoria.. or directionless hunger.�
Rodolphus.�

She scrabbled for Draco�s hand and
hissed.. he�s here
somewhere.�

Draco got up quickly, looking all
around frantically.� �Lestrange?�
he said uneasily.�

He grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet, pulling her in front of him, one
hand around her and his wand at her throat.�

�Show yourself� he hissed, sounding a bit rattled. �Don�t
try anything.� I�ll have her head off
before you can reach me.��

She could feel Draco uneasily
shifting and then there was a faint heaviness and she knew Harry had placed the
wards.�

�What is this Draco?!��

Rodolphus�
voice came from right behind them and Draco swung around looking all
around.� There was nothing there.

�Are you trying to trap me, you
double crossing little whore�� Rodolphus sounded amused.�
The voice came from the far side of the room now.� Draco swung around again and she could
actually feel his heart racing.

�Show yourself�
he spat.� �Stop fooling around!��

There was a dull thud and she
thought she could see the toe of Ron�s shoe lying on the ground.�� Suddenly spells were flying everywhere.��

Draco pushed her down to the ground at his feet and cast a shield over them
both, firing randomly at everywhere in the room as Harry and Rodolphus obviously did the same thing, moving about in the
space trying to locate each other by the source of the last curse.�

Harry suddenly became visible and
glared at Draco for the revealing charm that had hit him.�

Draco balked, looking surprised.�

Then Harry�s eyes widened suddenly and he shrank down into his animagus form.� Rodolphus shimmered into view next to him and quickly
stepped on the neck of the cobra that was now writhing and hissing on the
floor.�

He looked up at her with a
grin.� �That was even easier than I
thought it would be� he grinned at her.�
�Are you ok, pet?��

A squeak by her side made her look
at the small white ferret which was crouched on the floor next to her.

Her eyes bulged.. �...Draco?! ..
you�re a..� she burst out laughing uncontrollably,
collapsing into giggles.�

Draco scrabbled over and bit her, hard,
and she yelped in pain but went back to giggling in schadenfreude
almost immediately.��

Suddenly Rodolphus
was at her side, the snake held tightly around its neck while its body whipped
around angrily. �

�Pet..� they broke you..� he said sounding sad.� �your blood..�� he swiped a finger
of his wand hand over the dripping bite mark on her ankle, bringing it to his
mouth and closing his eyes with a serendipitous expression.�

�It�s not as sweet anymore..�� He looked at her again contemplatively. �still..good though..� tastes of..something.. I thought it was innocence..
but its not..�� You taste..bright.��

He pulled his wand again and tossed the arm holding Harry, flinging the snake
slightly in the process, as he shook his sleeve back to expose his mark.��

Pressing his wand to the mark he leaned in.. �You�re
still mine, pet.�� He growled low,
exposing his teeth.� �Don�t forget.� You need to come see me again soon.� Tomorrow!� I can smell you..�� Tomorrow we will have a lot of fun together.��

She furrowed her brow at him.�

The pops of multiple apparitions
sounded suddenly and she looked up to find the serpentine visage of the Dark
Lord standing in the centre of the room with several masked death eaters
appearing behind him.

His annoyed expression when he first appeared transformed when he suddenly
recognised her into one of almost painful urgency.�

He started toward her but then seemed to snap out of it, realising that he was
surrounded by his servants and taking in the scene around her.

�Rodolphus.. you have re-acquired our young
initiate.� Well done my most faithful
servant� he commended in a pleased breathy silibant
voice.� �But what is this
menagerie?!� Why do you have a rather
venomous cobra in her face?��

There was a slight undertone of threat to the last question.�

Rodolphus
turned to him with a sly grin of anticipation.�
�My lord.. it is a
gift for you..��

He added..somewhat reluctantly.� �from Draco Malfoy
and myself��

The Dark Lord looked surprised at
hearing Draco�s name and a hairless brow arched.�

Rodolphus stood, inspecting the black, green eyed,
serpent and walking to the Dark Lord slowly.�

�it is.. not an ordinary
snake�� He grinned, amused, at the Dark
Lords impatient irritated expression.�

�perhaps you might care to see for yourself��

He proffered the snake, turning
its head toward the Dark Lord but keeping tight grip on its neck.�

Lord Voldemort peered at the
snake, his red eyes glimmering in the firelight.� He tilted his head and hissed at it in
parseltongue.�

Hermione smiled faintly at the soothing sound.��

When the snake hissed back the Dark Lords face transformed into a picture of
astonishment.�

He looked back at Rodolphus as if to confirm his discovery.�

The snake in Rodolphus
hand suddenly started to whip and rage again.�
Rodolphus grinned at him, nodding and then
pointed off toward the back of the room. �The other one is over there, my
lord.� Stunned.� Now you have the whole set.��

The Dark Lords eyebrows shot up
and he seemed to want to sputter in excited disbelief, he looked toward Hermione
and smiled widely.� She looked back
uncertainly.� Not sure what to think now.�

She was trying to tell herself that she wasn�t overjoyed to see him again.. that she didn�t in fact want to
run to him and throw her arms around him and cry and beg him never to let her
out of his sight again.�

She was trying to remind herself of all the reasons she had for not wanting to
fall into his hands again.�

They were still there but really.. they
didn�t seem so important in the face of seeing him there.�

When the Dark Lord looked at her,
his excitement died down slightly and took on a mild edge of concern.��

�Take them back to the base Rodolphus�� he said
quietly.� �The one in the back can go in
a high security cell and I�m sure you know where I want the snake placed��

Hermione looked at Harry whipping
around in Rodolphus hand and looked back to Voldemort
worriedly.�

He was going to kill him now.�

God.. it was even worse than
finding out he was dead.� Finding out he
was about to be killed and there was
nothing she could do about it.�

Rodolphus
strode to the back of the room and crouched on the floor, gripping what she
knew was Ron under the invisibility cloak and apparating away.� He didn�t take it off.�

She realised that he had been very oblique in conversation with the Dark Lord
too.� Perhaps he hadn�t wanted the death
eaters present to know exactly how massive this event was.��

Voldemort had stalked silently
over to her and now she looked up at him from his feet.� He extended a hand down to her..

There was some shuffling behind
him of the death eaters but none had the balls to mutter, it seemed.�

She let him pull her to her
feet.� He then levitated the white ferret
at her side to head height, turning and inspecting it critically.�

�And I take it this is..�

�Yes!� Hermione said quickly,
glancing at the masked faces behind him uneasily. �my
familiar.��

The ferret squeaked and hung limply, trembling.�

Voldemort looked at her dubiously
and reached out to take the creature by the scruff of its neck gingerly.

�Indeed..��

He reached for her arm with his
other hand and turned to the death eaters behind him..
�Return to your posts.��

Half a second later she felt the squeeze of side along apparition as the Dark
Lord pulled her back home.

They reappeared in her room and
she stumbled slightly, crouching against the pang of complaint in her
abdomen.�

Her body was expressing its desire to not be mistreated any further today
please.�

It was to be disappointed as she
was presently snatched up by the Dark Lord and pressed to him tightly.�

She felt his glamour shimmer and fade and Tom was clutching her to him.� His unnaturally beautiful face twisted in
simultaneous pain and relief.�

There was a squeak from somewhere on
the ground to her left that sounded something like a ferret expletive.�

�I... was concerned��
the Dark Lord said over her shoulder while he continued to
squeeze the air out of her.�

She had embraced him too but now she was beginning to need to breathe and
patted his back uncertainly, wondering how to get him to hug her just a tiny
bit less painfully.�

Immediately his grip loosened and he started kissing her gently, his warm lips
moving over her throat.�

She swallowed and it occurred to her how cataclysmically, apocalyptically angry
he was about to be.� �

He pulled back suddenly, staring
at her with equal parts horror and suspicion.�
�Why...� why am I going to be
angry?� Why are you afraid?�� he hissed
aggressively.�

She looked at him helplessly, darting her eyes away.��

He released her
, stepping back and pacing away, his hand stroking through his hair in
an unconscious gesture of anxiety as he stood staring at the fire, appearing to
think.��

Abruptly, he spun on his heel and pointed at the white ferret that was now
cowering in the middle of the floor shaking.�

�Finite Incantatum�
he hissed and the small white furry shape grew and became a terrified, confused
Draco Malfoy who immediately dropped to his knees, crouching down and
grovelling.�

�My Lord.� I�m sorry. �I couldn�t tell you about the plan because Hermione
thought Potter might sense it��

Hermione blinked at him, astounded

�What plan?!� What are you talking about.� The plan was to grab Rodolphus.��

Draco whimpered and crouched into
a tight ball as the Dark Lords face whipped back to him livid with anger.�

�No!.� No!!.. My Lord.. wait!!..
she doesn�t remember.�
I have her memory.� Please!!.. ��
he whined desperately.�

Voldemort stalked across the floor
and loomed over him threateningly, his crimson eyes narrowed.�

Draco fumbled around in his pocket till he found a small white button.� He passed it to the Dark Lord with trembling
hands.� A finite incantatum
caused the button to transform into a red potions phial.� It looked.. faintly familiar somehow.. she
thought.��

The Dark Lord marched to the door
to her room and snarled at them both �Come.��

He threw back the door and strode to the end of the hall, entering another room
which she hadn�t seen before.�

It looked, she realised, a little
like a home theatre setup except that in the middle of two large, black half
circle curved sofas was a very large, shallow pensieve
made of some mother of pearl looking material.�

The Dark Lord strode into the
centre of the couches and dumped the contents of the phial unceremoniously into
the pensieve.�

�Get in here, both of you� he said with impatient ire.�� They scurried to comply.�

The Dark Lord had seated himself on the sofa and gestured for Hermione to sit
beside him.� Draco, visibly relieved,
lowered himself on her far side.�

They watched the Dark Lord dip a
finger in the shallow bowl that had moved closer to them all now.� Hermione looked at Draco questioningly and
put her finger in as well.

The memory swam into focus around
her.� She could see the Dark Lord
standing, beautiful and terrifying, watching her sit in a
black velvet overstuffed armchair with big fat scrolled arms while Draco
paced the room to the left.�

A second Draco shimmered into
existence beside her and looked sheepish.�
�I�ve seen this show before� he mumbled. ��

She examined herself more closely
and realised that she was under the imperio.�
She glared at Draco, who avoided her eyes.�

Then the Draco in the room suddenly started to rant and she realised that the her in the armchair was no longer imperioed.

When the memory Draco ranted �he
damn well marked you� everything
suddenly froze and Voldemort rounded on her, incandescent fury on his
face.�

�Potter marked you?� Show me!!�

She had flinched back when he
suddenly towered over her and now she thrust her wrist out to him in defense.�

�when I first got there.� It was just about the first thing he did..�

Voldemort was peering at her wrist
and suddenly she found herself on the sofa and he increased the light several
times till it was nearly fluorescently bright and grabbed her arm again,
yanking her closer as he stared at it..

he ran a fingertip over it cautiously and she
shivered.�

Rotating her wrist, he noted the
way the wavering flames went all the way around and then released her arm
gently.�

�Return to the memory� he said in
a quiet, disturbed voice.�

She did and found Draco standing in the paused memory with his arms around
himself waiting and looking petrified with dread.�

No sooner had the Dark Lord shimmered back into place next to her than the
memory resumed and they all stood watching as Draco pitched a fit over how
massively screwed he apparently felt that he was.�

When he said that the Dark Lord
had even popped up on Lucius in the bathroom she
heard Voldemort snort next to her.�

�I recall he actually pissed himself.� It
was magnificent.� And then I cruciated
him for his disrespect�

Draco turned away but she thought
he might be smirking faintly.�

When memory Draco refused to take
her back to the Dark Lord on the grounds that Voldemort would kill him and went on to say how he just
wanted to be able to sleep without being terrified of being tortured or raped
she caught Voldemort stiffening angrily by her side and when the blonde in the
memory went on to tell her she was worthless and deserved what she�d got, the
real boy at her side actually fell to his knees and cowered pitifully.�

They watched impassively as events
progressed until they got to the part where Hermione said that she wasn�t sure
she could protect Draco from the Dark Lord at all because although Draco might
save her, she didn�t think that the Dark Lord was �big on gratitude�.�

Unexpectedly, Voldemort paused events there and
scoffed, turning to her.�

�is that
what you think?� I can show gratitude, Hermione.� I reward the faithful and those who serve me practically
incessantly � I weary myself with bestowing generous gifts upon my
servants.�

It merely remains to be seen what the balance of young Malfoy�s
actions might be.� At present I am
leaning toward the impression that he is a conniving traitorous whelp.� Perhaps that will change.��

He waved a hand flippantly to resume the memory and turned away.�

He looked extremely thoughtful
when memory Hermione started talking about having two marks and whether it
might be possible for her to take off
a mark if she had her magic back, but said nothing.� Only when they got to the part when Hermione
implied they should give Harry to the Dark Lord did Voldemort pause the memory
and turn to her, his angelic-demonic face painted in an unfamiliar mask of
wonder and joy.�

�You... � when the boy said you
had planned it � I thought he meant your escape.. I
assumed that Potter and Weasley were an unexpected consequence.. ... I could not have dared to imagine you intended to give him to me..��

He stepped close to her, slowly, cautiously, enfolding her in his arms as if
she were a rare and precious treasure that might be broken with too heavy a
touch.�

�To think..you... chose
me.. over Potter... your friends.. the
order..� he breathed, seemingly astounded.�

Hermione felt a small stab of
guilt.� It hadn�t been like that.� Harry was gone, her friends too and the order
hated and/or mistrusted her.� It wasn�t
as if she had really gone home.� Nothing was the same.�

She didn�t quite know how to say it to him when he sounded so..
happy.

He continued to hold her and let
the memory play on.� Draco looked at them
both with barely disguised confusion.�

She noted that he hadn�t even tried to ask about how the Dark Lord had
apparently come to look like a handsome young boy.��

They watched the memory
unfold.� The Dark Lord held her more
tightly when the blond boy in the memory put his arm around her to comfort her
but the gesture was clearly not a sexual one.�
Memory Draco looked confused as he offered her his support and then they
got to the part about the potions Harry had given her.�

The Dark Lord murmured in her ear. �Potter cruciated you?�� She shook her head faintly.�

�I don�t remember.� I don�t even know
when this is supposed to have happened.�
I don�t have any missing time, as far as I know. �

The Dark Lord frowned at her while
the sounds of memory Draco crashing around outside the room went on.�

�He probably took the entire day� he said quietly.� �It�s what I�d do.�� She looked at him suspiciously.�

�However i did not, my dear.� I would never endanger your mind.� I value it highly.� I have seen the effects of botched obliviates of that depth.��

She swallowed.� Yes.�
She was quite sure he had.� He
hadn�t said he wouldn�t do it.. just that he wouldn�t do it to her..��

Memory Draco had come back in the
meantime and now he was ranting about Harry being in his room when he wasn�t
there.�

When Hermione said that Harry had told her the other potion was a
contraceptive, the Dark Lords arms tightened on her like a vice and the memory
stopped yet again as he turned her to face him, horror on his face.

She avoided his eyes and ducked
her head.�

He took a deep, pained breath and
pressed her to his chest, kissing her forehead and saying nothing.��

Draco, by their side blinked at
the strange tableau of a hurt and sympathetic dark lord.� He tried to make himself as invisible as he
could.

�I�m... so
..sorry, Hermione..� Voldemort murmured against her forehead.� He restarted the memory and she felt his arms
cramp around her when she described the potion and why Harry had said he wanted
her to take it.� He wanted to �enjoy� her
before she had his children.�

�What kind of potion do you think
it might have been� she wondered aloud.�

�Probably a variant of dreamless sleep� the Dark Lord whispered.� �Rodolphus couldn�t
reach you after that night. Shh now��

They listened as memory Hermione
talked about how Harry had raped her again that morning and then cruciated her
because she�d thought about Voldemort.�� The
Dark Lord brought his hand to rub his forehead, an expression of extreme
vexation on his face.

�I was going to kill him anyway but this changes the complexion of things
considerably.��

Draco shifted uncomfortably and
stepped away from them, wandering off to the other side of the room.�

They realised why when memory Draco started telling memory Hermione about Lucius giving him to other death eaters from the age of
twelve.�

Hermione glanced at the boy in question but he was turned away and seemed to be
inspecting the view out of one dark paned window. �

Voldemort did not seem surprised
by the information at all.� He muttered
�Yes.. well.. thats Lucius
in a nutshell for you.�

When they got to the part where Draco
said the Dark Lord had even whored
him out.. Hermione glared at the black haired boy
accusingly.� He had the grace to look
slightly uncomfortable.�

�As he said..
it wasn�t anything new for him.. and
he was so good at it.� Draco proved very valuable in persuading some
of the European nations to accept my rule of wizarding Britain.��

He seemed to frown and then he sighed, irritated, and returned his attention to
the memory.��

Memory Hermione was saying that if
she was ever able to, she would try to prevent anyone hurting Draco.�

Hermione nodded.� �I will.� She said
determined.� Voldemort said nothing, but
shifted against her slightly, wrapping his arms around her more snugly.�

He refrained from commenting when the two in the memory hugged, both
perceptibly distraught but when memory Draco asked Hermione about the plan.. and continued to ask despite
being warned of the danger to him from everyone..

Voldemort sighed and seemed
conflicted once again.

They watched Draco grab the Gelfthorn liqueur and goblets and tell Hermione about the
two precious objects before they went on to discuss the plan.

When it came out that Harry had �whored Hermione out� to Draco to get him to
help in capturing Lestrange, both Hermione and the
Dark Lord gasped a little..�

�is that
true?� She called to Draco in the back of the room, in a distressed tone. �it wasn�t some trick or something..��

He wandered back listlessly.� �You want to see my memory of that day, Granger?!� Draco replied unhappily.�

Voldemort had paused events again.�

�He dragged you to an order meeting, under a well disguised imperio and had you
spout a load of rubbish and cry for everyone.�
You see what you�re wearing
there, right?� He put you in that and
took you in front of your so called friends.�
When I caught up to you in the corridors and challenged him on it he
dropped the ruse immediately and had you climbing all over him panting for him
while he sold me on how good a fuck you were.�

He would have been eaten alive in Slytherin
with such an obvious gambit.��

�Not only did he agree immediately
to let me have you in return for my assistance, he agreed to let me take you
away on the spot, before I�d even
done anything for him.�� Draco sounded
slightly incredulous as he said it.��

Voldemort snarled behind her inarticulately and stalked away, pacing to the
window and laying a tense, white knuckled fist on the wall beside it..�

�When I learned that..Potter.. had
you.. I was concerned that you would forget your..feelings..
for me.. but relieved that
you would at least likely be safe - The order is not the only enemy I have to contend with.�

I never imagined the savior
of the wizarding world might mark, rape, torture and prostitute his
supposed best friend.��

Hermione bit her lip.� �Draco.. could you go out of the pensieve
please?� she said quietly.�

Draco looked at the Dark Lord to confirm this was acceptable and the black
haired boy nodded, waving him away impatiently.�

When he had left Hermione took a
breath.� �He�s..
he�s not Harry anymore.� She said.�

Voldemort looked at her blankly
and then schooled his face into an understanding mien. �Yes..
it might be easier for you to think of it that
way.� It�s hard to acknowledge a friend
could be so cruel.��

Hermione shook her head frustratedly, babbling. �No.. I
mean.. He literally ISNT Harry
anymore.� He was a horcrux.�

We never knew but I ...I think Dumbledore might have known.� When I healed you.. it bound the soul fragment to his, made it stronger.�

He�s not Harry.. he�s like a
hybrid of you and Harry.� He kind of.. goes back and forth between
moments where he seemed more like he used to be and moments where he walks,
talks, acts very much like you.�

His chambers look almost identical to yours.�
His magic feels a bit like yours and he�s a hell of a lot stronger than
he ever used to be.��

�But Its..
its more than that.. At first he was insanely jealous
of the very idea of you.. but
then.. It was like he wanted to be
you.� He tortured Ron to get him to take
the mark.. he wanted him to
be.. to be..Severus..� In bed..�

and he glamoured his eyes
and skin to look like you until Ron begged him to stop.. He is literally not Harry anymore..��

Voldemort looked stunned.� �Harry Potter is..or
wants to be.. Lord Voldemort?��

Hermione weighed the idea in her
mind.

�well.. sort of.. No.. it�s more like part of him
thinks he IS Lord Voldemort.� Or, more accurately...part of him maybe.. actually is.. Tom Riddle.� He doesn�t seem to know what�s causing
it.� He disputed there was anything
unusual with him...but I had the feeling he knew there was something wrong but
...liked.. feeling the way he
apparently feels now.��

He�s.. a bit frightening
actually.�

It�s as if he can just do..whatever he likes.� If he wants something he will just use any
means necessary to get it.�

Harry was always a bit emotional and impulsive but he..he
always had a good moral compass.� More
than I did anyway. .�� She looked
down.�

Voldemort walked over to her
slowly.� �This..bears
thinking about.� He said pensively.� �but let us finish here first.� Surely.. there can�t be much more of this.��

Hermione frowned.� She wanted to know what had happened too but
it was horrible to learn like this.� It
was like having your undergarments exposed without warning.� She wanted to know what had happened in
advance so that she could field all the reactions the Dark Lord might present
her with.�

She nodded however, resigned to the fact that she never got to determine what was going to happen to her
anymore.��

They continued watching. It was
painful.�

Voldemort had glared at her while memory Hermione told Draco about Severus and
then about her own ..relationship (Voldemort had
sneered at the word) with him and fumed as Draco was disgusted, and smirked
smugly when she had talked about how good looking the Dark Lord was..and Severus too. .. and then things
were pretty even right up until she mentioned how Draco had portkeyed
her out of the initiation.. and then the Dark Lord lost it.�

�It was HIM?!! THAT LITTLE INBRED TURNCOAT.��

He shimmered out of view for a
second and returned no more than a few seconds later with a dark satisfied
expression.�

Hermione gasped.� �What
did you do?!� she yelped and pulled out of the pensieve.�

Voldemort�s body was sitting with a finger in the pensieve
but Draco�s was writhing on the floor screaming.�

She launched herself at Voldemort�s
arm, tearing it out of the pensieve.� It curled in the process and grabbed her,
pulling her onto his lap.�

The handsome boy leaned down over her.�
He was..so.. beautiful.. she realised yet again.�
He smirked.�

She frowned ��Stop it.. stop
hurting him!� Please..� he saved me!� He didn�t know about Harry.� He just.. he just didn�t want to be hurt anymore.� And he thought that you were probably hurting
me like you hurt him.� And you�re doing
it again! Stop!!��

Voldemort narrowed his ruby eyes
at her.�

After long moments, he glanced at
the boy and Draco stopped writhing and screaming and lay sobbing and
twitching.�

It wasn�t a great improvement.

Voldemort snorted.� �I suppose you expect me to have him healed
too?��

She wrapped her arms around his
neck and pulled herself up to hug him.�
She whispered, and it felt painful to say it out loud, to acknowledge
it.�

�I missed you so much.� I was scared I�d
never see you again.��

She stilled because what she was really thinking was �please please don�t ever go away again.��

The Dark Lord leaned back in the
chair, still holding her and tilted his head up, glaring at the ceiling.� He fumed for a few seconds.�

�Hermione..� He
is the reason you were taken from me.�
He�s responsible for what Potter did to you, what he took from me-from us..�

He ruined..everything!�

Draco will suffer.� His father will suffer.� If I could, I would resurrect Abraxas and
take it out of his hide too.��

She looked up at him sadly.� �Please don�t hurt him, Tom.� He saved me.��
Harry would never have let me go. He was..not
stable.� He.. you didn�t see
him.�

When Draco saw what he was doing, he put his life on the line to get me
out.� He knew you might kill him. �He knew Harry would probably kill him too if
he found out.�

He gave you everything you always wanted.�
Now you have Harry in your possession..� and Ron and me
too.��

You know you wouldn�t have Harry if it weren�t for Draco.��

�And..
and he was nice to me! When he had no reason in the world to
be.� Please..
please Tom.. don�t hurt him
anymore.��

Voldemort scowled at her and took
a deep breath.� �...why do you keep
calling me Tom.. you know I
dislike it��

She smiled a small secretive
smile.� �I like it.. I like the word.� Do you know.. it sounds dark green in my mind.�

It reminds me of lying in the long grass after you.. after you woke me up.�
..I won�t call you it around anyone else.��

The Dark Lord rolled his head to look pointedly down at the blond boy breathing
shallowly on the floor and trying not to twitch and attract his attention.�

�Draco won�t tell anyone. � she said quietly.�

The red eyed boy let his head fall
back onto the sofa and seemed to curse inwardly.�� He raised his hand and gestured at Draco and
the boy levitated, whimpering softly.� He
put him onto the sofa.�

Draco�s cheeks were wet but his face stayed controlled.� Voldemort smirked appreciatively.�

�We�ll see.� If it makes you happy, my dear, I will reserve judgement on young Draco until I
see all the information.� I will-�� his face darkened

�I will hold off on further discipline until I decide there is no further evidence
of relevance.� And then I will decide
what to do with him.��

She swallowed.� This was probably the most that she could
hope for.� �Thank you, Master� she said
softly.�

He took her hand and threaded his pale slender fingers through hers, bringing
her hand to his lips and kissing it.�

Hermione, still looking worriedly
at Draco saw his eyes widen slightly in disbelief.��

She turned to Voldemort and he was watching her with a soft expression.�

�I missed you too.� He whispered
and guided their hands to the lip of the pensieve
again.�

They had to start from the
beginning of the memory but this time, as they knew what was coming, the Dark
Lord sat them down in the chair that would remain empty throughout the memory
and drew Hermione into his lap.�

After watching Draco flip out
again for a few seconds Tom turned her head and kissed her.� The kiss continued until Draco�s loud
exclamation attracted Voldemorts attention.�

�Why in HADES
would you want to fuck the Dark Lord?!��

He pulled away from the kiss
reluctantly.� �Oh look..
the movie continues.�
Why do you want to fuck the
Dark Lord, Hermione?�� he
smirked.� ��

Memory Hermione was saying �He�s not like he is with everyone else to me.. at least.. not
really.� He�s..almost
nice sometimes.� and Voldemort looked
at her with his eyebrows raised

�Nice??!� He said as if the word
left a bad taste in his mouth.�

She looked down, worried that he
would have to be cruel to her now to prove that he was under no circumstances nice toward her.�

Voldemort looked away from her to
the couple on the couch and she turned too.�
They watched her tell Draco that Harry had told her he�d capture and
torture Rodolphus until she took the mark.� Voldemort ran his thumb silkily over the mark
on her wrist, still watching the action.�

�He can feel it, when I touch it, you know.�
I hope its driving him mad..� he murmured
venomously.�

His eyes hardened slightly as memory Draco implied Hermione was a slut.� A moment later the boy looked quite repentant
as he muttered that Malfoys don�t apologise.�

They watched the plan develop and Voldemort
scowled as memory Hermione said that he couldn�t be told, that Harry had known
about some things that nobody else knew about.�

Voldemort flicked his finger and the scene paused.� �What did Potter know?� he asked, an
unwelcome suspicion growing in his eyes..

�He knew about..
what we did.� He
said he felt it..� she said quietly.��

Voldemort looked mildly
alarmed.� �He couldn�t have.. I didn�t..when he-..��

He continued..in an uncertain voice.� �I want to see it..
You will show me.� Later.�� Then he pulled her forward and kissed her on
her forehead lightly, flicked a finger and the two people on the couch started
to move again.�

She blinked at him, hurt.� She couldn�t.. he couldn�t make
her show him Harry doing that � Harry had used that spell.. he�d
made her enjoy it.

Tom would see her in pleasure under Harry.�
She didn�t want him to see that. ��

...Memory Hermione was talking
about animagi.�
�

When Draco had a minor fit and Hermione
laughed, Voldemort looked fascinated.� �you called him �ferret� in school..� Its
like a bad comedy.� �

Hermione shushed him and he looked at her almost mortified.

�Look.. we�re missing it� she
said shortly.�

When Draco said he wanted to take
the memory now, not later, the Dark Lord sighed and pulled her closer.�

�He wants you.� As do they all,
apparently.� I am growing weary of it.� It was difficult enough sharing you with Severus.��

She protested. �You�re seeing
things.� Draco has always hated me.� He�s just.. commiserating.� He
feels sorry for me.��

The Dark Lord pointed lazily.� �that bottle, if you
were paying attention earlier, is winter Gelfthorn
liqueur.�

Its priceless - but what does that mean?!.. The plant
itself is extremely rare.� You could
perhaps acquire a regular Gelfthorn liqueur for several
tens of millions of Galleons. �A winter Gelfthorn...I
cannot imagine its price.� It is ..priceless.�

Did you notice that he poured your glass first?...He
gave you more than he took for himself.�

Generosity is not a Malfoy trait.. I�ve known several of the spoiled brats.� Trust me.��

Hermione didn�t say anything.�

She wished that they were watching the memory in her mind so that she could
remember the taste of that strange looking liquid.� It felt..important..
to remember it.��

�Do you see how he looks at you?� the
Dark Lord murmured and truly she saw that memory Draco was staring at her
transfixed as she sipped the strange blue liquid.

�You are beautiful..� Voldemort breathed against her
hair.� �but...
you are mine.� You have just told him that not one quarter
of an hour ago.� We both heard it.� It is not his place to be..looking...at
you in that manner.��

They watched as Draco finally took a sip of the liqueur and crumpled, looking
soft and vulnerable.� He whimpered, his
eyes closed, looking almost pained.�

When memory Hermione started looking
at Draco speculatively, a slightly moon-calf expression on her face, Hermione
tilted her head quizzically.�

�Perhaps the liqueur has some sort of mild aphrodisiac properties.� I�m quite certain I�ve never been at all
interested in Draco that way.� �

They both watched the scene unfold before them, preoccupied with their own
thoughts. �

Memory Draco was brushing a tear
away from her eye and looked wounded.��
She called him a friend and asked him to obliviate
her.� They drank..
they told stories.�

Hermione realised that Draco had probably had quite a sad life.. for all his apparent elitist
snobbery.� He�d been abused and ignored
and trained to expect nothing more from others.�
Even at Hogwarts, the people he had been surrounded with.. at all times.. had been horrible.�
And there was nothing he could do � he�d been born in that world.� It was quite probably all he knew.��

She watched as Draco offered to show her his animagus
form. It was probably an immensely brave thing for him.�

She wondered if anyone else at all had known about it before that moment.� Somehow she doubted it.�

When he shrank into a small white
ferret again she couldn�t help smirking just a
little.�

�He�s cute as a ferret.� It�s a shame we
teased him like that.��

Voldemort was looking at her with
a pensive concerned expression.�� He didn�t
say anything but looked back to where she had begun to stroke the small animal,
startling it. �She suddenly felt
embarrassed.� She couldn�t explain
exactly why.� It just felt..personal.��

�Do you have an animagus form?� she asked Voldemort,
to distract herself from the feeling.�

�of course� he answered, distracted.� �I am not a ferret though..obviously.� Or a kitten or a puppy or a
bunny rabbit.� Perhaps I�ll show
you at some point.��

She watched in the memory, the
small white animal climb cautiously into her own lap and curl
up and heard herself promise not to hurt him.�

She looked at Voldemort nervously and was surprised.� He looked almost wistful. She realised
suddenly that his own childhood had been even colder and harder than Draco�s.� At least Draco had resided in what amounted
to a palace while it was done to him.�

She turned away from the memory and pulled Vold..pulled Tom�s face
to hers, kissing him gently.� �I love
you� she mumbled against his lips and slid her face down, nestling it into the
crook of his neck.� She just clung to him
and felt his smooth warm skin against her lips.�

It felt like everything that had happened had just been a bad dream.� Like she was home.� Tom would protect her.� He hadn�t even been angry with her when she�d
killed Ginny.� He forgave her for Rodolphus.� She just
wanted to stay curled up here, feeling his arms holding her.�

�look..� Tom
whispered.� She withdrew from his neck
and turned.�

In the memory she was holding Draco against her breast like a babe, leaning
back against the arm of the sofa and feeding him liqueur on her finger.� The little ferret was writhing and squeaking
softly.� �

The next thing she knew there was a human Draco straddling her in the memory
and he leaned down unhesitatingly and kissed
her. �

She felt her spine turn icy and
looked shocked at Tom, whose red eyes were narrowed, his fingertips digging
into her ribs slightly.

�As I told you..� he growled angrily.�� His expression only hardened when memory Hermione
started talking about how she might be able to persuade him to protect Draco
because he�d given him Harry.. and
because of Dumbledore.�

This was in essence exactly what she�d done, even though she hadn�t remembered
deciding she was going to try to do it back then.��

When they shared the last mouthful
of liqueur in Hermione�s goblet and she saw herself actually moan as Draco
kissed her deeply for several minutes, she
felt real terror that she�d doomed Draco.�
She suddenly understood what the Dark Lord had meant when he�d commented
as Draco had wanted to take the memory of the plan earlier.

Tom glanced at her �I see you�ve realised now.�
Perhaps he did not plan this..as such... but I imagine he hoped.� He is a Slytherin.� We are opportunists.� He saw a chance to kiss you. �..and he preferred, for
survivals sake, that nobody else, particularly not myself or Rodolphus see him do it.�

Incidentally, remind me to tell you about Draco�s history with Rodolphus sometime.�
It is quite an amusing story.� �

In the memory, Draco was asking
�shall we go to bed, granger� and she was agreeing.�

Tom growled against her ear.� �My dear.. perhaps I may have to have.. words.. with you about this later.� But I will allow you to replace the memory in
your mind first.� I want to know exactly
what you were thinking just then.�

The two young people had wandered
away from their visual range and she slipped off Toms lap to follow them as
they went into the bedroom.� Tom was not
far behind.�

They went in and took in the scene.�

Draco was undressing and memory Hermione
started shaking uncontrollably.�

Tom put his arms around her and
frowned. �I will need to see your memories, Hermione.� It will be sufficient if you give me them to
take for a pensieve.�
I will not make you go through them again.��

When Draco seemed flustered and covered
himself and tried to reassure her that he hadn�t been thinking of that, Tom snorted disbelievingly.�

�I doubt that.� The boy has been through
so much � his scars are not sensitive like your own.� He would almost certainly have willingly
bedded you had you not been so shellshocked.��

Draco transformed back into a
ferret and bounced to the bed, curling up on the pillow.�

Tom sighed, sounding conflicted and irritated, as memory Hermione stroked the
little ferrets head before thanking him and going to sleep.��

The memory blurred as Hermione�s consciousness obviously faded.� She was about to pull herself back out of the
pensieve when Tom stopped her. �There�s more� he said
shortly.�

The space around them pulled back
into sharp focus as Draco shook her awake.�
They saw his panic;�
he put his wand to her forehead to remove the memory and at that
point they were ejected from the pensieve � the
memory had finished.�

Tom removed their still linked
hands from the misty solution in the bowl and sat, quite still, thinking.� He glanced down at the blonde boy lying on
the sofa a short distance away and she followed his gaze, looking down at his
occasionally twitching body.�

Draco appeared to be sleeping.� He looked
much changed since his appearance in the pensieve.� He looked worn and tired, his hair lifeless,
black circles under his eyes.� A flood of
emotions flowed through her.� Gratitude,
sympathy, compassion, worry.��

When she turned back, Tom was scrutinizing her carefully.� After a while he spoke.�

�I will not kill him.� At present I am inclined to view the balance
of Draco�s actions as more tilted toward the positive, despite his
foolishness.��

This does not mean that he will not be punished for betraying me to the order � �I will learn what he has told them.��

�However..
for removing you from Potter when he saw you under imperius.. for his treatment of
you in that room and the risk he willingly accepted in bringing you back to me
and delivering to me my enemies.. I believe I will show him...mercy.�� Stop pretending to be asleep now boy. ��

Hermione had been looking at Tom with an expression of extreme relief and
thankfulness, her eyes shining, but now a thin crack of worry slid through her
again.�

Draco opened eyes clouded with
pain and looked at Tom fearfully.� �My Lord�
he acknowledged in a rigidly controlled voice.�

Tom inspected him with an
appraising eye.� ��You endure pain well, Draco.� It is a credit to you. �Kneel before me and kiss my robe.� Show me that you regret betraying me.��

Hermione looked down before she
could catch Tom�s eye and broadcast disapproval unintentionally, but she felt
his attention on her.� His hand stroked
her head once and she couldn�t help but shiver uneasily.�

It reminded her of Harry doing that last.�

He caught the thought and drew his hand away quickly, his eyes flicking over
her in concern.��

Draco had managed to crawl to the
edge of the sofa and pitch himself onto the floor and
now with difficulty he dragged himself along the floor till he was close enough
to climb on jittering limbs to his knees and lean forward jerkily to kiss the
hem of the Dark Lords black robe.�

During the entire process he did not make a sound.�

Tom smiled down at him.� �Very good, Draco.� You have pleased me.� I will allow Severus to heal you now.� We will speak later about your time with the
order and I will ..very thoroughly.. inspect your memories of that
time, but for now.. It is sufficient.��

Surprisingly, he leaned down and gently petted the boy�s head.� Draco flinched, and then he did whimper from
the unexpected clenching of already agonised muscles.�

He looked up at Tom confused and his eyes, dulled with pain, shifted from the
angelic features of the Dark Lord who looked barely older than himself, to Hermione�s
curled in his lap with his arm around her affectionately.�

He looked down, his brows furrowing.��

Tom smirked.� �I do believe he prefers it when you pet him, Hermione.�� Very well.� I will allow it.� Pet him and tell him he has done well, my
precious.��

She raised an eyebrow at Tom unnerved, both by the unusual order and the use of
such a strange term of endearment.� She
was sure he had not used it before.� It
reminded her of Gollum from the lord of the rings.�

Tom chuckled, amused.� She stared. Even Draco looked up,
startled.�

�I know the book.� Precious is a rough
translation of a parseltongue word.� It
is a ..term of endearment.. for
snakes.��

He hissed a strange silibant sound and she felt both pleased, excited and uncomfortably afraid at once. ��

Tom lowered his perfect brows at
her, puzzled at her reaction.� She
shifted her eyes away, turning to Draco.�

Leaning forward on Toms lap she stroked Draco�s head very gently, knowing how
sensitive he was probably feeling right now.�

He looked up into her eyes, disconcerted.�

�Thank you� she whispered.� �Thank you for saving me and bringing me
home.�� She stroked his head again and he
closed his eyes, trying not to lean into her hand.��

�Enough.� Tom said mildly.� �He drew his wand and drew a now familiar sigil � Severus� sigil � in the
air.�

Hermione waited with eager
anticipation.�

�He has no idea you are back, my dear.�
It has all been rather sudden��

After a moment a
pale, drawn older Severus apparated into the room.�� When he saw her sitting in the Dark Lords
lap his face shifted into an almost comical expression of astonishment, relief,
pain and need.��

It was as if he couldn�t believe the evidence of his own eyes.�

�Hermione..�
he breathed in a tone of desperation.�
His eyes flicked from her to Tom and back, obviously seeking permission
to approach them.� Only then did he
notice the broken blonde boy kneeling at the Dark Lord�s feet.��

�Draco?!� he muttered, confused.�

�The boy requires a potion Severus.� You know well which one, I believe. ��

Severus nodded
shortly and apparated away. �After
he had left, Tom looked at Draco appraisingly once again.�

�I believe I should like to keep young Malfoy somewhere close by for the
moment.� Just in case he decides to have
a change of heart again.�

Draco looked up with worried grey
eyes.� �I won�t, my Lord.� He managed to
bite out.� �My life belongs to you.��

Tom smiled wanly.� �So you say.�
But then.. you swore
your allegiance to me before and it did not prevent you straying.� No.�
You will stay in Hermione�s room.�
...She will not be using it in the immediate future.��

Dracos eyes shot up to her in concern.� He seemed to be gauging her reaction.�

In truth she wasn�t sure how she
felt.�

A bit leery of the idea of sex with anyone at all.. but she also felt sure somehow that Tom wouldn�t ask that of
her right now.� But neither was he
prepared to let her out of his sight, and she was more than happy with
that.� She didn�t want him to leave either. ��

Severus returned, carrying a small
purple potion.� He strode over and passed
it to Draco without looking at him, never taking his eyes from Hermione.�

Tom demanded his attention imperiously. �Severus.� Put Draco in Hermione�s room and take his
wand.�� Have dilly bring him something to
eat.� You may then join us in my bedroom
and i will explain what i
have learned so far.��

Severus nodded and moved to grip Draco�s
shoulder lightly.� He had already downed
the potion thirstily as soon as he laid hands on it.�� He looked up at them before he rose with
difficulty, to leave with Severus.

�Thank you, my Lord.�� He said with
emphasis.� When he had
stood, Severus apparated them.�

Tom sighed and urged her against
his chest with the hand that curved around her back.� With the other he picked up her knees and
after a moment he stood from the sofa, his head leaning against hers.� She felt a painful squeeze as he apparated
them to his room, walking with her to the bed and laying her down
carefully.��

He summoned a small portable pensieve and she realised that Harry had had one just like
it.�

Laying it down on the bedside
table he moved to sit on the bed beside her.�
�I regret the discomfort that this may cause you� he said quietly.� �but I must
know.�� Show me your arrival up to a
point after which you had taken his mark.��

Hermione tried to focus and
nodded.� The entire process proceeded
almost exactly as it had when she had given Harry her memories and he had
duplicated and returned them, the only difference being that the Dark Lord
essentially wanted all her memories
of her time there not spent reading a book, eating a meal or engaging in
personal hygiene.� For that reason it was
quite tiring.�

Severus arrived after they had
just pulled the second memory and, realising what they were doing, sat himself
down on the bed next to her and waited patiently, looking at her as if she
might disappear any second.��

Finally Tom had taken the memory
that culminated in his arrival in the mausoleum.��

He turned to Severus.� �Yes, you may
embrace her.. carefully now.� After
you are sufficiently calmed we will watch these memories and she will
sleep.��

Hermione opened her mouth to protest but was interrupted.�

�No my dear.�
You look exhausted and the day has already been stressful enough.� Besides � we require this time to comprehend
exactly what has happened.� This is necessary,
not only in order to determine how best to approach Potter later when I visit
him-��

Severus started and opened his mouth to question, a shocked look on his face,
but Tom just shook his head and stared into his eyes for a moment, wordlessly
communicating something to him.�

He continued without pause �- but also because I have noticed your reactions to
...certain things... and I must know what has occurred if I am to know how best
to encourage you to recover.�

So you will sleep.� We will remain here
and watch over you, but you will rest
now.��

She nodded solemnly.� To tell the truth, she was pretty tired, she realised.�
And.. hungry...thirsty..� She
remembered her cramps earlier and reminded herself to ask for something to deal
with that.�

Tom tilted his head, thinking and then startled somewhat. �Oh!� Oh yes.. certainly.� I�ll ...have something for it later when you
wake up.�� He seemed equal parts relief
and discomfort at the notion of female hygiene products.

�and we will have a meal together.��

He transfigured a glass from a piece of parchment effortlessly and filled it
with water.� She drank greedily.

When it was empty he filled it again and the same thing happened.� After the third one she realised she needed
to go to the bathroom and looked up at him sheepishly as he smirked back at her
knowingly.�

Severus was looking like he was in
actual pain from not touching her.� He
still hadn�t dropped his glamour.�

She remembered vaguely that she�d given him the impression she preferred his
older self.��

She climbed up on her knees and was on eye level with the seated dour man with
the pained expression.�

�I�ll be right back!� she
reassured him seriously.�

His eyes darted over her shoulder
to the Dark Lord, pleadingly, who sighed.�

�Severus will go with you.� I am not..comfortable.. leaving you alone
at present either.� Not yet.��

She gaped, shocked and a little
disgusted.� �I�m not going to the
bathroom with anyone watching me!� Thats ..gross.��

Severus flinched.� Tom just laughed.� �Oh Hermione.. you are a delight.� Do
as I tell you.��

Her bladder brooked no further
delay so she crawled to the edge of the bed and got to her feet, walking
swiftly to the bathroom, Severus trailing silently behind.�

She turned around to lift her robe and seat herself and blushed.� Severus was standing against the door,
looking at her with such need and concern in his eyes.� She felt uncomfortable.�

�Um.. could you at least look away.. or
close your eyes or something?!�� She mumbled, a worried look on her face.�

Severus smiled a wan smile.� �It is nothing to concern yourself
with, Hermione.� Just a
necessary function of the body.� Your ..modesty.. is quite
surprising.� How did you imagine you did
not starve or become covered in your own wastes in the cell when you decided to
take an extended holiday from reality?!��

She blinked, burning embarrassment rising in her face.�

�Alright!� Calm down.�
If it makes you feel more comfortable�� he turned to face the door.�

After she had relieved herself,
she wanted to take a shower and after Severus� consultation with Tom, who he�d
had to drag, fuming from the first pensieve, she was
granted permission to take one.�

When she began to disrobe, the
look on Severus face shifted to something between excitement and agony.. until she slid her arms from her
sleeves and he saw the mark on her wrist.�

He captured it and drew it to himself examining it with an uncomprehending look
on his face, darting a look up at her every few seconds.� He gingerly moved her arm around, not
touching it.�

After a minute he released her and
she stepped back and entered the steamy shower, without further explanation. ��

Severus stood, watching her
through the door.� She could feel his aching desire to step in with
her but she had not invited him and obviously, Tom had been specific about how
he was to behave toward her.�

After she had washed her hair and
stood, eyes closed, letting the hot water stream over her, there was a faint
sound..

it had sounded a bit like Tom�s voice raised in fury
but it was cut off after only a fraction of a second.�

She wrapped her arms around
herself, lowering her head and� letting the stream beat down onto her
face.�

In her peripheral vision she saw Severus,
concerned, open the door slightly and startle, then look back at her
uncomprehendingly.� He closed the door
again.�

�Tell me what happened, Hermione� he said softly.� �Where were you?� Why is Potter here?�

She swallowed and rubbed her hands
over her face.� �I was with Harry.� In his base.��

She suddenly remembered something.�

�OH!!!� OH � my robe � you didnt do anything with it, did you?!� I need it.�
Theres a pin on it. You have to give it to Tom.� Be careful � its a
blood based portkey!.� It�s the only way through Harry�s wards.� But it�s keyed to my blood��

Severus raised a sceptical
eyebrow.� �Potter has a base? �� he drawled
disbelievingly.�

�And he has secured it such that you believe it will exceed the Dark Lords considerable skill in wardbreaking..?�

We are talking about Potter
.. are we not?��

Hermione sighed.� �You�ll see in the pensieve.� He�s the leader of the order now.� He�s changed... he..��

she broke off and turned away to look at the
wall.� She couldn�t say it to him. She
didn�t want to tell him what Harry had done.�

After a minute she mumbled �Well.. you�ll
just see in the pensieve.�� Can I have a towel please��

She turned and Severus opened the
door, already standing with an unexpectedly sky blue massively-fluffy towel
stretched between his arms.��

When she stepped closer he wrapped her in it and drew her close, hugging her
and lowering his head to lean against hers.�
She could feel against her face that his cheek was not rough and lined
but smooth and slender.�

�You can drop the glamour� she
whispered.� �I love the way you look in
both your forms.��

He just held her tighter and she
thought it was just her hair dripping down her face until he finally leaned
back and she saw both his cheeks were shining with tears.� Her arms were pinned inside the towel so she
couldn�t put them around him but she looked up at him sadly.�

He put a hand in his pocket to touch his wand and the glamour shimmered and
dropped.� A young, distressed looking man
stood before her, his long inky hair as lank as Draco�s had been.� His mouth was downturned unhappily.�

�The Dark Lord seems..upset.. by your memories.� He
said very softly, miserably. �He is not..easily drawn into such rage.�
I am..worried..� �

She looked down uneasily.�

�At least I�m back now� she mumbled and he dragged her against his chest
again.�

�Yes!� he said, his voice thick with emotion.� �Yes.�
You are back.� I..
I am sorry that i did not do more to protect
you.� If I had found a way to talk him
out of that damned initiation..

I tried.. but he was
unapproachable on it.� I should have done
more.� I should have..��

She shook her head.� �It�s ok Severus.� It�s all over.� I�m back.�
you don�t have to worry.� I�m not going anywhere now.��

He looked wracked with guilt and fear and desperate need but nodded once.�

His eyes darted to her lips and she saw that he would not kiss her so she stood
up on her toes and kissed him.�

As if she�d opened the floodgates
he fell upon her, kissing her ravenously, as if he were trying to possess her
with his mouth.�

She tried to keep up but eventually he pulled away, breathing hard and looking
ashamed of himself.�

�I..I�m sorry.� He said brokenly.�

At that she did fight her arms out
of the towel and wrap them around him.�
�It�s ok Severus.� I missed you horribly.� I love
you!��

He actually let out a sob and pulled her against him desperately.� They stood like that for an age, with her
long hair dripping all over his sleeves and the front of his robe.� Eventually she pulled away stiffly.�

�Could you dry me please?� she whispered nervously.�

He seemed to flinch and looked at her, seemingly confused.� �Of course I can. � he
said slowly.. faint suspicion and horror dawning on
his face.� It bloomed into a thought and
he darted a look at the closed door, worry thick on his face.� He looked back at her, scrutinising her and
then suddenly, quite unexpectedly, he dropped to his knees before her, removing
his arms from around her, not touching her at all, a look of such tortured
desperation on his face as he babbled about being sorry..
about how he shouldn�t have.� He was sorry, so so
sorry.� Please forgive him. �

She looked at him, bemused and somewhat concerned.� �Severus?� she asked uncertainly.� He raised the black mop that he had lowered
and his eyes were red and blurry with tears.�
He snivelled helplessly, flinching away from her.�

�Stop..�
she said softly. �It�s ok.. whatever
it is.. just calm down.�

He grimaced at her in abject
misery.� She looked at him, deeply
concerned about this new development.�

�Please get up.� Stop crying.� Everything�s ok.� Whatever you think I�m going to do � I won�t.��

His face twisted again in pain but he stood slowly, almost numbly, making sure
he kept an arm�s length between them.�

He cast a drying charm on her and
then stepped to the mirror and fixed his appearance.�

When he looked back at her he looked composed, but for the sharp twist of
unhappiness on his face.�� She was more
than worried now and went to him, wrapping her arms around his middle. He stood
stiffly at first but then cautiously enfolded his own arms around her as if she
were made of spun sugar and might break at the slightest touch.�

She felt his chest rise and fall in a sigh and chanced a look up at him.� He looked full of regret and tenderness.�

She gingerly released him and took
his hand, leading him to the bathroom door and back out to the bedroom.�

Tom was gone.� The pensieve lay on
the bedside table still.� She felt a
sneaking suspicion.�

�um..� can you.. can you call him please.�
She said, worried.�

Severus was frowning too and now
he pushed his sleeve back and pressed his wand to the mark.��

Tom popped back into the room only
seconds after Severus had pressed the mark with a look of worry and alertness
on his face.� When he looked around and
saw that there was no danger and she was neither bleeding nor on fire he
narrowed his eyes at Severus, who looked down.�

�She asked me to call you� he said, gulping.��

Tom�s face softened.� �I am here, clearly.� What do you need, Hermione?��

She bit her lip.� �I.. I don�t need
anything really.. I was just.. I just thought..when you were gone.. Please will you stay?��

His expression hardened in frustrated irritation and then reluctantly softened
once more.

�There are things I need to do, my dear.��

She looked up at him sadly and he
heaved a deep sigh.� �but..
I will stay.� Since you
ask so nicely.� Get into bed and I
will stay where you can feel me.��

She gave Severus the towel and climbed nude into bed.�

Both men observed the lack of concern she showed for her own nakedness and
shared a pensive glance.��

Tom moved to her side, as she lay
in the middle of the bed and climbed up to lie next to her.�

She turned and curled into him.� He
looked down at her calmly and placed his arm around her.�

Severus, who had been standing,
moved toward the bed, obviously intending to lie on her other side, but Tom
shook his head.�

He summoned the chair from the corner to the side of the bed.�

�I would have you view these memories with me Severus.��

Her former professors
young face showed no trace of his feelings about the matter.�

�I was not finished.� I became.. somewhat incensed..
by them.��

Hermione looked at the black stain
on her wrist as it lay on Tom�s abdomen, over his soft lambswool
robe.�

�Can a person have more than one
mark?� she said, out of the blue.�

Tom�s attention shifted to her speculatively.�
He seemed to think for a minute.�

�I ..do
not know, Hermione.� It has never been an
issue before.��

�Whose is the mark?� Severus asked
quietly.�

�Potters� came Toms
bitter reply and they shared another meaningful look while she glanced between
them.�

�Is it merely a passive means of
locating you? �How is it activated?�� Severus wondered aloud.� �You have no wand.��

She turned her face back to Tom�s
side.� �with a
kiss� she muttered into his robe.��

There was silence.� She felt Tom�s chest
move up and down in a sigh.�

�I cannot remove it� he said finally.�
Only the caster can remove it.� I
will have to persuade Potter somehow.�
But It will be difficult as I cannot risk
allowing him use of his magic and he will not be able to remove it without
it.��

Hermione nodded against him.�

�Can I have your mark too please then.��

Tom scooted down in bed and
wrapped both his arms around her gently, his chin on the top of her head.� She couldn�t see his expression but her hand
on his chest registered his heart beating quite quickly.� �Of course.. if you wish it� he murmured above her.� She felt his chest resonate with the
sound.� She nodded again.��

Tom raised a hand and presumably
beckoned to Severus to approach because she felt the bed move as he climbed on
to lie against her back behind her.�

�It..will hurt, Hermione.�� Tom said reluctantly as he moved back from
her.�

She felt Severus arms curl carefully around her.� His face was at the back of her neck.� He kissed her once, lightly and pressed his
forehead against her head.�

She looked up at the red eyed boy.� �I
know.� Just do it.� Please.��
she muttered.�
�before i change my
mind.��

He seemed to deliberate on which
arm to select.� Her left wrist was
already marked but it would be very hard to activate the mark on her right arm
if she ever wanted to use a wand to do it.�

He took her left arm in hand, extending it downward between them uncomfortably
and gripping it tightly on her forearm above the black tattoo on her
wrist.�

He looked into her eyes pensively.�

�I can possibly key it to saliva
like the other, if you wish� he said quietly.�

She nodded, after a second.�

He placed the tip of the slender,
pale twisted wand onto her skin just below the crook of her elbow.�

She hissed as a massive bloom of pain erupted in her flesh.� It felt like being stabbed and burnt at the
same time and the feeling seemed to crawl down her very veins.�

�Damn it..�
Tom said and withdrew his wand quickly, casting charms
on her arm rapidly, one after another, a distressed expression marring his
face.� She looked down at her arm to see
what was wrong and jolted.�

Severus arms tightened around her. �What is it?� he hissed, alert.�

�The marks are..
reacting..� Tom bit out, still casting on her to
little effect.�

The black lines of the dark mark had crawled right down her forearm and the
flames of Harry�s mark had darted up to meet them and now it looked like the
snake�s head was circled by flames as it writhed.�

The flames were growing up the snakes body and it was
clear that they would soon encircle the entire mark if something could not be
done to prevent them.��

Tom seemed to be physically
weakening as he cast frantically.�

�Severus.. help me.. � he gasped.�

Severus pushed her down on her back and looked at what was happening.�

�Remove it.� he hissed.� �Take it off her.� It is clear that its
leeching energy from you.� Do it now.�

Tom looked petulant and
hesitated.� He shot off another charm at
the intersecting point to no visible effect then roared in frustration and
pressed his wand to the skull once more.�

There was a feeling of coldness,
as of wind blowing upon her skin and the snake faded, the lines melting away,
followed by the dissolution of the skull itself.��

Harry�s flames slid back down her forearm and became quiescent, flickering once
more around the shield.�

Tom threw himself onto his back on
the mattress, glaring at the ceiling.� �I...hate.. that boy.�� He ground
out through his teeth.� �He ruins..everything.�� I know
he felt my failure to mark you.� I cannot
bear to know he is slithering around
feeling triumphant right now.��

Hermione felt somehow guilty, as if she were to blame for this.� She tried half heartedly.�

�If you take off the necklace,
maybe I can remove it myself...��

Tom looked as if he was considering it seriously but eventually shook his head.

�it is not so important at present.. but I will want to study it.�
I need to know what else it can do.�

Actively defensive, operates with a kiss..I need to be certain that it does not pose more of a
danger should I release your magic.��

Hermione frowned.� �Ron has one too.� She offered.� Tom brightened considerably.�

�Excellent.� I will perform my tests on
his.�� Now sleep.�

She frowned and rolled her
eyes.�

Severus, who had been sitting up, leaning over her to see the mark now lowered
himself on his side to the mattress too and placed his arm over her, wanting to
hold her while she slept.�

�Severus...� Tom said low, warningly.�

The long haired boy made a sound
under his breath like a grumble and rolled away from her, walking around the
bed to take his place in the chair by the bed.�

Tom smirked.� He raised one arm and held
it above her till she lifted her head for him to wrap it around her.� Then he� tightened it, pressing her into his
side.�

She turned over and wrapped her own arm back over his abdomen, pressing her
face into his chest at the crook of his shoulder.�

He smelled familiar. She turned
her eyes up and found he was looking down at her with a satisfied smile.� She hugged him for a moment and closed her
eyes.

Author note.

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Precious Mudblood