His Prized Possession.

A Chance.

Hermione couldn't get over the feeling, everytime she laid eyes on Draco she felt like she needed to go scrub herself. She blamed herself for ever thinking that maybe he cared about her, it had been ridiculous; of course Draco Malfoy didn't care for a slave girl. It had been two days since they had sex and she barely saw him, like the days previous to their encounter he was busy and didn't come home very often. Part of her wished she could erase it so that it never happened and then the other part of her didn't want too. Even though the circumstances after weren't anything she wanted, the actual act had been amazing; making her feel even worse. She currently was in the kitchen washing up the dishes by hand, wishing to herself that she had her wand. Of course, if she had her wand she wouldn't be here at all, or would she? Would she have the courage to run and leave this place behind now? Could she go back into a life where she had nothing, and probably wouldn't ever get anything? The alternative to stay here and be a slave for the rest of her life was just as terrifying. Hermione had always wanted to get married, have children, have a great career, and now... now she didn't know if she would ever get any of that. It sure didn't seem likely.

A loud crack pulled her from her thoughts and she began scrubbing at the dish so Draco wouldn't think she was slacking off, he had been extra moody since he had been so overloaded with work. Their sexual experience was one of the few sweet points in her time with him the last few days.

Draco leaned against the wall of the front room, closing his eyes tightly for a few moments. They still hadn't been able to find Potter and the dark lord was growing impatient. He and Nott had both been Crucio'd most of the morning, which was a regular occurrence when you didn't accomplish your mission. All the skin on Draco's body felt like he had a ridiculous sunburn his clothes hurting as they touched his skin. He didn't want to move for the sharp pain would increase. His eyes burned like they had alcohol in them and he had a slight ringing in his ears. He slid down the wall slowly, letting out sharp breaths at the feeling of needles all over his body as he moved. Once he was sat he just stayed there for what felt like forever. He was amazed he was even able to apparate here without killing himself, in his state he was sure he wouldn't make it.

The dark lord was furious, the only person who he still looked at as a threat was Potter. Even though he had one the last battle it didn't calm him any. He wanted the boy who lived dead, and he had thought perhaps Harry had died and was buried by his friends since he hadn't been seen in so long. Now that he had been spotted the dark lord was on edge, he had killed two of Draco's fellow death eaters in the last couple days, Draco had just been lucky to only have gotten tortured. He wondered how Nott was, Theodore hadn't even been able to apparate a house elf had taken him home to Pansy. He knew the black headed girl was probably losing it, Theodore wasn't the type to show weakness so a house elf bringing him home meant he was in a lot of pain. Draco wondered if he had been tortured worse because he had left to save Draco instead of catching Potter when he had the chance, which only made Draco feel guilty.

Draco noticed someone standing in the doorway that led towards the kitchen from the front room, he knew immediately who it was. He watched her bare feet as she shuffled back and forth on them nervously, she had on jeans and a sweater he took noticed of the slytherin green of the sweater he had gotten for her, his eyes finally reaching her face, going over her lips and nose to meet her eyes. Those brown eyes that he had been avoiding for days now; they were filled with so many emotions.

"Mione....Help me to my room." The words came out in a whisper, it was apperant he hated asking for help.

Hermione's eyes widened at the sudden use of a nickname for her, she hadn't heard that nickname since the last time she had been around Harry and Ron. She walked over knowing that no matter what happened she was going to have to help him. She grabbed his arm to steady him as he lifted himself off the ground, wincing slightly as she mainly made sure he didn't lose his balance. As strong as she was Draco was solidly built and she knew she couldn't handle all his weight. As they walked up the stairs slowly, Hermione breathed in the scent of Vanilla mixed with scents of the wilderness and a little sweat. Even sweaty the smell of him was intoxicating. She tightened her arm around his waist and he held her shoulders as they got to the top of the stairs. Once inside of his room, Draco fell onto his bed with a groan of pain.

"You seem to be coming home injured a lot lately." Hermione said quietly and Draco offered her a trademark smirk that was slightly off due to pain. "That's what happens when you work for someone like the dark lord." He said as if it were obvious, struggling for a moment as he took his shirt off to rid himself of the pain of it on his skin. Hermione nodded and went to leave to finish her dishes.

"Hermione... Stay." Draco said quietly and she sighed as she walked back over sitting on the bed. Hermione wasn't sure what to do or say around him anymore. So instead of trying to have conversation she stared at the floor, like it was so interesting.

Draco eyed the brown-haired girl who was sat beside him, he wished things had worked out differently. Even though if things had turned out different... She wouldn't be sitting here with him. No doubt she would be married to the weasel and Draco would probably be in Azkaban. The thought sent a shiver through his spine, he couldn't imagine what life was like in that place. How had life taken him so very far away from the person he once thought he wanted to be... When he was a little boy he had wanted to be a successful business man with a beautiful wife and some children, just like how he saw his dad at that time. Now here he was with no wife and no children, trying his best just to stay alive and in good graces.

"I never imagined this would be my life."

Draco raised an eyebrow at Hermione as she spoke, it was like she was reading his mind. He sat up some, rolling his eyes at the soft pull of pain in his sides.

"Funny how life does that to you, eh Granger?" Draco's voice wasn't filled with sarcasm as it had been lately, and Hermione met his eyes finally.

"I just wanted a life.. A husband, kids, career.... And I'm nothing now. I'm just a slave who will never be worth that kind of thing." Her voice was broken and he knew then how much he had hurt her. Draco Malfoy had broken the courageous and proud Gryffindor and in a past life he would have been so thrilled... But now he just felt empty. The blonde was tired of feeling nothing, of letting himself go through the motions of each day like a shell. Something clicked at that moment, inside of him and he scooted closer to Hermione, closing the gap. He reached up and cupped her face as he looked her over.

This girl had been in the back of his mind since the day he laid eyes on her, always driving him crazy. Now he had hurt her more than he knew he even could. Who knew he had the ability to crush her to this point... He leaned forward and let their lips brush together softly.

"You're not nothing, Hermione." He said quietly against her lips, he had abandoned his cold exterior in order to try and fix her.. before it was too late. Hermione rolled her eyes and scoffed at him as she moved to pull away. She didn't want anything to do with another round in Draco's bed. As good as it would feel, it would hurt worse the next morning.

"I'm not some toy you can pick up when you are bored, Malfoy. Slave or not." She said angrily as she moved to stand up and Draco grabbed her wrist lightly pulling her back down.

"I never meant to make you feel like a toy... I just don't know what to do around you, or how to act. I shouldn't want you... But I do." He said as his thumb ran in circles over the pulse in her wrist.

"But for how long will you want me? And then you'll throw me aside and move onto a pureblood and I'll be a slave still." Hermione pushed some hair out of her eyes as she spoke, trying to keep her voice from cracking under the emotions she was feeling.

Draco lifted her chin, and brought his lips to hers kissing her softly again and resting his forehead against hers. "Just give me a chance... Let me try to navigate through this situation." His voice was soft and Hermione didn't want to fight him anymore. She was so lonely and the feel of his against her felt so good, she didn't want to spend all her days alone. So Hermione kissed him, trying not to think about how much he could hurt her again. Silently wondering why Draco Malfoy seemed to hold her feelings in the palm of his hand.