Author's Note:

I know I promised this story would be updated a long time ago but…life happened, and it hit me pretty hard. I'm about to start my last semester in university soon and I'm only taking one class, so hopefully I'll have some free time to get this done. Sorry for kinda dropping off the face of the Earth for a while…

Also, I made a LOT of errors the first time I wrote this. A lot of cringe-worthy errors. I was a freshman in college and just pumping out these chapters without much of a thought. Now, I'm a senior and about to get my degree in English, so I hope my writing is a bit better. If you see any mistakes, please message me. I don't have anybody proofreading my work, so any comments or critiques would be appreciated!

Memento

Chapter I - "The Dark Lord's Apprentice"

Draco Malfoy gently brushed the messy, golden mane out of unconscious witch's face. She should be asleep for the rest of the night, he thought. The potion that he had given her assured him at least that. Draco left the bed to grab a hot washcloth, a bar of honey and goat's milk soap, some healing salve, and a change of clothes. He didn't have any women's clothing. Anything left by women in his quarters during trysts were disposed of immediately, so his old school shirt and a pair of his clean underwear would have to do for now.

Draco set the supplies down onto the nightstand. He wrapped an arm around her hips and planted a hand firmly on her back while moving her closer to the edge. He slowly began to remove the bloody rags that hung on her, opting to do it the Muggle way. Despite his conscience telling him not to, he could not help but observe her body. She was bruised, scarred, and frail. When Draco saw her bones bulge out of her chest, he remembered how she used to look back in school. She was always a healthy weight when they were in school, if not on the plumper side. Her body showed him that her time away from Hogwarts was spent without a proper home, probably camping out in the same forest where the Snatchers caught her and her Golden boys.

Draco fingered the familiar necklace that was tangled in the back of her hair. He grabbed his wand and with his magic, he loosened it from the tangled, matted nest of her hair. Draco laid a hand on her right hip, where a large, purple and yellow bruise was painted on her pale skin, and gently rubbed on the salve. His eyes finally moved to the vile scar marring the skin on her forearm. Mudblood. A pang of guilt shot through him as he remembered all the times he threw that particular insult at her; how he was the first person to ever call her that word, introducing her to the dark and unfair side of the Wizarding World which she would grow up to know all too well.

*.*.*

"Put the boys in the cellar!" Bellatrix commanded. Narcissa and Wormtail pulled Harry and Ron away from Hermione. "I want to have a little conversation with this one..." Bellatrix scowled viciously at Hermione, who tried to look bravely back at her. "...girl-to-girl!"

Bellatrix inched closer to Hermione and whispered something out of Draco's earshot.

Draco heard Hermione let out a small whimper as Harry and Ron were led out of sight. Bellatrix cackled at this sign of weakness and pushed Hermione onto the floor, climbing on top of her and pointing her wand to the smaller witch's throat.

"Now, little Mudblood. I'm going to give you a chance to answer me honestly. If you do, I'll give you mercy and kill you quickly. If not…" Bellatrix laughed darkly.

Hermione turned her head away, in Draco's direction. Her eyes were shut, but Draco could see the fear in her expression.

"That sword was in my vault at Gringotts," said Bellatrix accusingly into Hermione's ear. "How did you get it?"

"I-I don't know." Hermione replied, her voice shaking.

"LIAR!" Bellatrix bellowed.

"I am n-not lying!"

"I don't believe you!" Bellatrix sat up, straddling Hermione. She eyed her body viciously, thinking of what to do to get her to tell the truth. Bellatrix shoved her wand at Hermione's neck, "I'll give you one more chance. How...did...you...get...my...SWORD!?"

"W-we just found it. I swear to you!" She opened her eyes wide in fear, staring directly at Draco. Her soft, honey eyes were screaming for help.

Bellatrix's eyes, in contrast to Hermione's, glinted red. "Have it your way then...CRUCIO!"

Draco watched as Hermione twisted and contorted in pain beneath his wicked aunt. Hermione, however, was strong. She was able to withstand the torture without begging.

Bellatrix, annoyed by the girl's show of strength, stopped the curse. As Hermione's body lay fidgeting on the cold, hard floor, a sly smile crossed Bellatrix's face. Draco's heart dropped when he saw the dark witch pull a dagger from her cloak pocket…

*.*.*

Snapping himself out of the distracted state, he began to rub the hot, soapy washcloth down her body, removing the dirt and blood from her porcelain skin. Once the task was finished, he carefully clothed and bandaged her before tucking her into bed. Draco looked down at his watch. It was nearly 1 am. He rubbed the bridge of his nose between his eyes and let out a sigh. He did not look forward to when she would awaken...

*.*.*

Hermione's entire body felt like it had been dragged through hell and back. She rolled over on the bed and groaned into the pillow, inhaling the scent of fresh linens. For along moment, she laid there, her mind not syncing into the moment quite yet. She slowly lifted herself up onto her elbows and stared hard at the bed underneath her. Never before had she seen the clean, black sheets beneath her. Hermione quickly shifted up, looking around the unfamiliar room from the curtains of her messy hair.

"Where in Merlin's name am I?" She asked herself, her heart racing slightly. She looked down at her clothes; she was only wearing a male button-up shirt and underwear. Had she shagged someone? Panic set in as she checked her underwear. They had no remnants of blood on them, which was a good sign that she still had her virginity intact.

Hermione turned around when she heard a low chuckle. Her eyes widened as she gasped, "Malfoy?"

"Hello, to you too, Granger," He smirked. He was standing across the room, arms crossed, and dressed in an expensive all-black suit.

"Where am I? Why am I here? And why am I..." Her head felt so dizzy. You are in a Death Eater's bedroom, she told herself. Hermione tucked her shaking hands underneath her legs and scanned the room for her wand – any wand.

"Honestly, Granger, if you would wait a bloody second, I'll answer your questions."

Her mouth snapped shut. Hermione eyed him quizzically, questioning his motives. She inclined her head, giving him permission to continue. "Do you not remember anything from yesterday?" When she did not answer, he sighed. "You and your little motley crew were captured and brought to my family's manor."

"Harry and Ron are here? Where are they?" Her heart tugged. Please let them be alright...

"No. Sadly, after I acquired you, they escaped." He looked nonchalantly at his nails while slowly walking forward to the bed.

"Acquired me? What do you mean you 'acquired' me?" She scoffed, jumping off the bed into a defensive standing position. She scanned the room for her wand.

"Don't bother, your wand isn't here." he told her in a bored tone.

"Are you reading my mind?" Hermione panicked. She began to pull up shields in her mind to block him from extracting information about the Order.

"Yes, I'm a Legilimens. Honestly, you'd think the brightest witch of her age would figure out that the Dark Lord's apprentice is skilled in the art of Legilimency...I see you've learned Occlumency. Still quite weak, however." He smirked as he removed her mental walls with ease.

Hermione concentrated to fight him off. Her cheeks were beginning to get red as she held her breath.

"Bloody hell, Granger, Don't burst a gasket!" He stared at the tomato-colored Hermione in fear that she would pop.

"Get...OUT!" She screamed, pushing him out of her mind and mentally padlocking the door.

Draco smirked, "Quite impressive for a Muggle-born."

"Don't you mean Mudblood?" She snapped, eyeing the blond wizard hatefully.

"Usually, I would. But, since we will be spending quite a large amount of time with each other, I figured we might as well be...civil." He looked at her innocently, his silver eyes softly gleaming. For a split second, Hermione's heart stopped. He looked so beautiful and pure...

Snap out of it, she ordered herself, do not forget who he is.

"You might be able to deceive your inbred, brainless goons with that mask, but mark my words, Draco Malfoy. I will always see you for what you are: a monster. If you think I will willingly sit here, oblivious to the fact that this is my prison, you are wrong! I am not your slave." She stepped forward to look into his lying eyes. She raised her chin triumphantly when he looked away. "You are weak, Malfoy."

At her last sentence, he grabbed her throat and pressed her up against a wall. "Listen, Granger. Just make this easier on both of us. I do not want to hurt you, but mark my words, Hermione Granger, if you do not learn your place here soon, I will show you it. I assure you, you do not want that to happen."

With that, Draco strode out of the room, slamming and locking the door on his way out.

*.*.*

What else did Draco expect to happen? Did he expect Hermione to remember what he had done for her? Did he expect that she would just jump into his arms and thank him graciously? No, of course he didn't. He banged his head against the wall.

"Fuck...," he cursed as he leaned his head against the wall. Maybe it's for the best that she doesn't remember, he thought as he recalled his Aunt Bellatrix throwing a Cruciatus Curse at the girl. It must have been the first time she had ever felt that sort of pain, the kind that gave you the feeling of your bones snapping and your stomach and lungs tearing into shreds. Draco was genuinely surprised at the amount of strength she had shown. After the curse had worn of, he could tell that her eyes still had the same fire in them that she has had since her first year at Hogwarts.

*.*.*

"Stop," Draco commanded. His voice echoed inside the dark halls of his manor, covering the shrill screams of the tortured witch.

"Draco, dear, not now," Bellatrix dismissed him, "Wait your turn."

"I think I've waited long enough," said Draco, stepping forward to his aunt, "I think that I've paid my dues, don't you?"

He certainly had. Even though Draco failed in completing the very first task the Dark Lord had given him, he made sure to win back his trust and affections. He carried out numerous tasks over the break; he had done terrible things, all to secure his family's safety. He had given up himself and his morality all for the ones he loved. Hadn't it been enough?

Bellatrix looked at him questioningly,"Whatever do you mean, Draco? Do you want to torture this one that badly?" She smiled, "This Mudblood has certainly gotten under your skin hasn't she?" Bellatrix jabbed Hermione twice with the tip of her wand.

"Yes," Draco looked ominously at Hermione, who was practically passed out on the floor, "She has."

"Well, have at it then!" Bellatrix stood up and walked towards Draco, her eyes shining with pride.

"You see, instead of torturing her outright, which seems not to work, I'd rather slowly gain information about the Order out of her through Legilimency," He explained. "I'll keep her in my quarters as my personal servant. Break her down slowly, you see." He gulped, eyeing his aunt to make sure she believed him. "Through more, ah, psychological means. Though, I really doubt she was able to break into Gringotts. She is quite the studious little Mudblood, but she certainly would not be able to execute such a task, even with her gang of idiots which she calls friends."

"Hm, I do see. Severus, however, has told the Dark Lord that he was taught Potter the art of Occlumency. Perhaps he has passed on the skill to his Mudblood whore." Bellatrix pressed a hand on Draco's shoulder and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes.

Draco mentally flinched when she touched him. "You think I'm not capable enough, dear aunt?"

"Now, I never said that," She leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "Just don't fail me."

Draco's Adam's apple bobbed nervously as Bellatrix left the room, leaving Draco alone with the poor, broken Hermione. He glanced behind him, making sure no one was watching as he scooped her up into his arms and smoothed the sweat-soaked hair off of her clammy forehead. Before anyone caught him actually touching her without the intent of harm, he rushed to his personal wing of the manor.