Title: Life Is Full Of Surprises [Part Two]
Author: scarletladyy
Pairing: Draco/Hermione, background Draco/Astoria and past Blaise/Hermione
Word Count: 13,620
Rating: R
Warnings: AU, Slavery, Adultery
Summary: The shock death of her Master and subsequent purchase by another plunges Hermione into uncertainty, but she soon finds out that change isn't always a bad thing.
Author's Notes In this world, all Mudbloods are property to be bought and sold. I have to say that the second I laid eyes upon my prompt I was in love, and I knew I'd enjoy it. I was correct, and I had such an amazing time writing this fic. I really hope you all like it too. Written for hermione_smut 2012. Thank you to my beta, NC, who was a fantastic help.

Three weeks went by, and relations with Draco didn't improve at all. He didn't make their discomfort with each other plain in front of his family, but Hermione could feel his frostiness. It was in his eyes, the way he looked at her. He didn't trust her. He seemed to believe that at any moment she'd just come out with everything, but that didn't really make sense to Hermione as his family already knew about Drusus. If she was going to tell anyone, it wouldn't be them, and no guests had visited the house since Bonfire Night.

With Christmas drawing near, everyone else seemed to be in high spirits. Astoria was rushing around madly trying to organise the Malfoy Christmas Ball, Claudia was happier than ever, and even Scorpius could be heard singing out-of-tune Christmas songs at the top of his voice. Draco buried himself in work more and more, while Hermione focused on the tasks either he or Astoria set for her, and then spent her evenings in the library. None of the family ever seemed to go in there.

This evening in particular was exceptionally chilly. It had been getting colder and colder recently, but tonight was the worse they'd had so far. The wind and rain batted heavily against the windows, causing eerie noises throughout the library. Hermione had asked Ivy to light the fire earlier, for it was far too cold without, and now she was settled in her favourite armchair in front of it.

Hermione had always loved reading, so being able to spend her evenings like this was more than she could ever have hoped for. For those hours in the night time, she could lose herself in a good book and forget about everything else. In fact, Hermione was so engrossed in her current book that she didn't even hear anyone enter the room. It was only when they mumbled something incoherent that Hermione looked up, startled by the noise.

"Master Draco?"

Draco looked rather the worse for wear. He was wearing his Death Eater robes and appeared a little tipsy. Not drunk; he wasn't slurring his words or struggling to walk, but he'd certainly had a glass or two of something.

"Are you all right?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at her, but said nothing as he took up residence in the armchair across from her. "What are you doing?"

"Reading. I can go if you'd like—"

"No," Draco said quietly. "Stay."

An awkward silence ensued. Not knowing what else to do, Hermione tried to get back to her book, but she was keenly aware of Draco's eyes on her. She found it very hard to concentrate knowing she was being watched, and she must have read the same sentence four or more times before she decided to give up and place the book on the end table next to her.

"Don't stop on my account." Draco stared at the fire, seemingly enthralled by its brightness.

"I'm not," Hermione lied. "I've just been reading a long time."

"I'm not a bad father, you know," Draco blurted out. "It's for his own good."

Hermione froze. She didn't dare speak, fearing Draco was talking about Drusus. She'd never forgotten what Draco had said he'd do if she ever spoke of it again.

"He'd be killed if anyone found out the truth."

Hermione desperately wanted to probe for more, and with Draco being a little intoxicated, maybe he wouldn't mind. But then the morning would come, and he'd more than likely remember. She couldn't take that chance; she didn't want to lose her memories.

"He was our first born. Before Scorpius." Draco sighed heavily, and Hermione could see tears forming in his eyes. "But he's..." Another deep breath. "He's a squib."

Hermione's eyes grew wide in surprise. It all made sense now. Squibs didn't have a place in society, everyone knew that. There had always been reports of them being hidden away and then found on Death Eater raids; it only took a quick spell to spot them. Some died quickly, others were subject to more torturous deaths. But... even Master Draco's child? He was a high ranking Death Eater; would they really have killed his child too? She didn't blame him if he hadn't wanted to risk finding out.

"Nobody else knows. And Astoria and I don't discuss him anymore. We each visit him on our own, but... he's not very well. We can't get a Healer in. We can't trust anyone. We don't know if he's dying or if it's just a phase. A very long phase."

I'm sorry, Hermione thought. She wished she could say it; Draco really looked as though he needed comfort right now.

"You can talk." Draco turned his gaze from the fire to her. "I won't Obliviate you."

"How can I be sure?"

"You can't," Draco admitted. "You'll just have to trust me. A Pureblood's word is—"

"—Worth more than a Mudblood's?"

"According to my father."

"Was he usually correct?"

Draco nodded. "I can't remember a day he was in the wrong. He liked to throw that in my face every now and then."

It was strange, seeing Draco have problems like that. She'd thought his life was perfect, but it seemed appearances could be deceptive. It sounded as though Draco had never felt good enough for his father. "I would never have told anyone."

"I know."

Drawn in by Draco's solemn attitude and obvious upset, Hermione dared approach him and place a hand upon his as she knelt beside him. When he didn't object, she began rubbing her fingers gently across his, but his reaction was not one she was expecting. He gently grabbed her face and pulled her up, kissing her tentatively on the lips. It was sweet and tender, and the kindest anyone had ever been towards her.

"I'm sorry," Draco murmured as he pulled away from her, but Hermione ignored his words and kissed him back. She felt his gentle push as he guided her towards the floor, and bent over the top of her. He grabbed his wand out of his pocket and spelled both their clothes away. Hermione felt a momentary flush of embarrassment, but it was short lived; Draco was soon showing her how much he liked her body.

His hands caressed her breasts, toying with her nipples and then travelling down her stomach. He spread her legs with his hands and focused his attention on her most private of places. His fingers ghosted around her clit, softly stroking her labia and teasing her. He bent his head and took a nipple into his mouth, sucking gently and then nibbling a little before letting go. She began to get wet as he continued his explorations; always teasing, always soft. She desperately wanted him to touch her clit, but he seemed determined to stay away from it.

To her surprise, Draco traced his finger down past her entrance towards her bum, circling her pucker and then coming back up. He took her juices and rubbed her pussy, plunging his index finger in. As he did so, Hermione finally got her wish and he brought his thumb very, very lightly across her clit. His touch was so brief and light that if she wasn't paying attention, she would have doubted it had happened at all.

"Please," she found herself saying. "More, please."

Draco knew just what she meant, teasing her by rubbing for a few seconds and then taking his fingers away. His method was getting her very wet, very fast, and allowed Draco to easily slip two fingers into her. "You're not a virgin, are you?" Draco asked, but it was clear from his tone of voice that he didn't think she was.

"No," Hermione said quietly, not really wanting to remember her first time.

Draco got the hint and distracted her by withdrawing his fingers and lining his cock up with her entrance. He looked into her eyes for confirmation that she wanted this, and once received, he plunged forwards and let out a moan of pleasure. With one hand on the floor, he used his other to caress her breast, toying with her nipple with every few thrusts. "You are exquisite."

Hermione blushed and brought a hand down to play with Draco's balls. She cupped them softly and stroked them, licking her lips. Draco took this as an invitation and kissed her passionately, letting his tongue explore her mouth. He pulled away to breathe but kept his head bent, so Hermione leaned up slightly to kiss his neck. She was sloppy and all over the place, but Draco didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed to appreciate the gesture.

As Hermione kissed Draco's neck, she squeezed his balls lightly and found his thrusts increased. "You like that?" she whispered, receiving an affirmative groan in response. She dared squeeze a little harder and he got faster still. Sensing Draco was getting close, Hermione brought her other hand down to play with her clit in time with the thrusts, pushing herself towards a climax.

The closer Draco got, the faster he went, and the more Hermione reacted to him. Her kisses got sloppier, her fingers slipped around her clit and she squeezed his balls harder than ever before. One last, big squeeze seemed to tip him over the edge, which in turn caused Hermione to climax too. They shook with pleasure together, moaning louder than they probably should have, until he collapsed on top of her. He only stayed like that for a moment until he pulled out, rolling off to the side with his arms out.

Whether consciously or otherwise, Hermione closed her legs and turned on her side, essentially snuggling right against Draco. The encounter had exhausted them both, and it didn't take long for Hermione to drop off while she was still pressed tightly against him.

[♥]

When Hermione awoke, it was early morning and still dark outside. She noticed the time on the mantelpiece clock said it was seven, and immediately she panicked as she was supposed to have got the family up already. Draco, who was facing towards her, was still sound asleep.

"Master Draco," she said quietly, shaking him a little. "Master Draco!"

"Hmph?" Draco stirred, and when his eyes opened, he appeared to get the shock of his life. He scrambled away from her and covered himself with his hands. "What...? What's going on?"

He doesn't remember. "Last night, we, er—" She wasn't quite sure how to tell him. By his reaction, he wasn't pleased with what he thought they'd done. "Don't you remember?"

"I'm starting to," Draco said in a rather alarmed voice. He sat up properly and grabbed his clothes, quickly getting dressed while trying not to show off too much of his body. "What time is it?"

"Seven."

"Shit! What do I say to Astoria?"

Hermione's eyes grew wide in puzzlement and she gently shrugged. "Maybe you could say you were late back from work and didn't want to disturb her?"

"Maybe," Draco muttered. "Look, this was just grief and alcohol and mixed emotions. Nothing more. I don't think I have to warn you not to tell anyone."

"I won't—" Hermione started, but he'd already left the room before she could finish. Is he that ashamed of sleeping with me?

The worst part of it all for Hermione was facing Astoria and the children when she got them for breakfast. They were their usual happy and chatty selves, especially with Christmas coming soon, and that just made the guilt harder to deal with. The family were nearly finished with breakfast when Draco stalked in; he was aloof and clearly irritated.

"What's the matter, darling?" Astoria asked quietly as Hermione poured Draco a cup of his usual morning pumpkin juice.

"Work." Draco grabbed the drink as soon as she'd finished pouring and swallowed most of it. Hermione topped it up again as he began his excuses. "I didn't get in until late and I was so exhausted I ended up sleeping on the sofa. I didn't want to wake you." Draco placed his hand upon Astoria's, in much the same way Hermione had placed hers upon Draco's last night. She found it hard to see and went to get his breakfast.

Astoria beamed. "You're so sweet. Tell me it won't be a late one tonight, though? I've invited Pansy and Theo round to discuss their upcoming nuptials."

"I shouldn't think so," said Draco, practically grabbing his plate out of Hermione's hands. "What time are they arriving?"

"Seven." Astoria turned to Hermione. "Speaking of which, can you get the house-elves to organise something special?"

Hermione nodded. "Certainly, Ma'am." She cleared away the children's breakfast things as they finished and then went back for Astoria's. None of the family moved from the table until Draco had finished, though. "Master Draco, may I have a quiet word please?"

Draco glared at her, but Astoria didn't even bat an eyelid. She simply took the children and said she'd see him tonight, reminding him to be home by the time their friends arrived.

"What?" Draco snapped, seemingly uncomfortable in her presence.

"I've been thinking..." Hermione chose her next words carefully. Although Draco had already said he wouldn't Obliviate her, Hermione wasn't so sure now he appeared so angry. "Your son's illness... Is it possible it could be a Muggle one? I know wizards rarely get them, but I thought his immunity would be lower because he's..."

"A squib? You can say it, it's not a dirty word."

"Because he's a squib," Hermione continued. "I just thought it's a possibility."

"Perhaps." Draco looked away in thought, seemingly taking her seriously. "We haven't explored that avenue."

"I've got enough time to trawl through a few Muggle medical books if you would like," Hermione offered. Her parents were Muggles, but she'd never stepped foot into the Muggle word and had a very limited view of them. Still, from the knowledge that she'd gathered, they were more prone to illness and disease. Unfortunately, this meant Drusus was at risk too.

Genuine appreciation seemed to cross Draco's face, but he didn't show it verbally. "I'll pick a couple up today." He straightened his robes, gave her a curt nod, and strode out of the dining room. She forgave his lack of gratitude, putting it down to the awkward situation they now found themselves in.

Offering to help Drusus wasn't about wanting to make amends between her and Draco; it was because the boy didn't deserve to suffer for his family's lack of knowledge.

[♥]

Draco didn't return home until five minutes before Theo and Pansy were due to show up, and he was quickly ushered upstairs to change before they arrived. The look he gave her as she unbuttoned his coat and took off his scarf, hat and gloves was one that said he'd got the books and he'd give them to her later. She found it quite remarkable that she could read his expression so well, but then, she had been trained to read Blaise's and they weren't too different.

The entire evening Hermione was itching to leave and read the books. She found nothing more dull than listening to them drone on about what flowers they were having, who they were inviting and exactly what Draco and Astoria's roles in the wedding were. Draco, as Best Man, was instructed to throw "the best bloody stag do the world has ever seen", while Astoria, as Chief Bridesmaid, needed to be there for Pansy every step of the way, even if that meant comforting her because she couldn't have her choice of whatever it was she wanted.

Personally, Hermione thought Pansy was being a spoilt bitch, but she couldn't exactly say that to her. Although, by the look on Astoria's face, she felt much the same too, and also wasn't in a position to speak her mind. By the time Pansy and Theo had finished, it was nearing midnight, and Hermione was pretty sure that she, Draco and Astoria were absolutely exhausted. It looked to be a long night ahead still, for Hermione had yet to look through the Muggle books Draco had bought.

Hermione was in the middle of cleaning up after the guests had left and the Malfoys' had gone to bed when Draco came into the kitchen carrying the books. He placed them on the counter beside her and sauntered off without so much as a word to her.

"Thank you," she said, feeling that at least one of them should say something. She probably wasn't the one to be thankful here, but it was the first thing that came to mind.

Draco seemed to think as much too, for her words stopped him in his tracks. "Don't thank me. I should be thanking you."

"I haven't done anything yet."

"The thought and upcoming effort is enough," Draco said quietly.

They stood, as if frozen in time, staring at each other for a minute or two. Then, as if struck by lightning, Draco quickly left. Hermione put away the dips the guests had picked at and took a look at the books. There were two: "The Medical Dictionary: An A-Z of Common Conditions, Illnesses, Symptoms" and "The Allergy Bible". Both looked promising, but Hermione decided to focus on the first one because she thought it was more likely to hold the answer she so desperately sought.

By the time Hermione got to sleep, it was nearly three o'clock. She only noticed this after dropping off for a moment and realising she should probably get some sleep, otherwise she wouldn't be fit for work tomorrow.

[♥]

"Any luck?" Draco asked Hermione after breakfast. There was so much hope in his eyes that it just killed her to tell him no. "Take the rest of the day off," he ordered. "Scour the books. I'll tell Astoria you're not feeling well and not to disturb you."

Hermione nodded. "It would help if you could write down his symptoms. I've guessed the obvious ones, but having something more to build on would be useful."

Draco immediately took a piece of parchment and quill out of his robes pocket, scrawling down as much as he thought relevant. Hermione glanced at the list briefly when he passed it her, then excused herself to go and see if the Muggle world held the answers to Drusus' illness. The symptoms Draco had written down sounded a little familiar, but not enough to make her want to re-read letters A - C again. She decided to try The Allergy Bible instead, just in case whatever was wrong with Drusus was common and easily avoidable.

Hermione read through the first section, What Is Allergy?, rather quickly, slowing down when she reached the next chapter, Diseases. Hayfever sounded somewhat similar, but wasn't exactly on the mark, while a continuous runny nose and then Sinusitis were pretty much the same. Then she found something that seemed to hit nearly all the symptoms Draco had written down.

"Shortness of breath... tight chest... persistent coughing... Asthma! It's bloody Asthma!" Hermione grabbed the book and left her quarters, practically running through the manor to Draco's office. She didn't bother to knock, just barged in, and found amusement in his shocked and indignant face. "Asthma! He has asthma!"

"Is it treatable?" Draco got up from his desk and came round to look at the book. "Wait, what is it?"

"It's treatable!" Hermione said gleefully. "Asthma can worsen, which explains why you thought something really serious could be wrong with him. I mean, asthma is serious, and it certainly needs to be seen to, but it is treatable. Not curable, but treatable."

"Fuck..." Draco was clearly in shock. It appeared he may have resigned himself to eventually losing Drusus, but if the boy was treated, he'd be fine. Draco grinned widely and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks. Thank you. I can't... What now?"

"Um." Hermione was worried about this part. "You need to take him to a Muggle doctor."

Draco's face dropped. "I can't... I can't do that."

"You have to!"

"I can't. What happens if we get found out? If someone sees him, finds out about our lies and that he's a squib? It's too dangerous."

"If you don't get this treated," Hermione said with as much urgency in her voice as she could muster, "Drusus could die."

"And if we go, and someone spots us, we'd all be dead."

Silence ensued.

"You have to take that chance," Hermione said quietly after a few moments. "At the very least, speak to Astoria."

"Where am I supposed to say I got this information from?" Draco glared at her, as though her suggestion was utterly ridiculous.

"Anywhere. Me. Tell her the whole story if you have to. Except, maybe not the part about us."

"You think?!"

"Don't let Drusus suffer because of the prejudices of this world."

Draco didn't want to hear it. He tried to wave her away, but when she didn't go, he told her to "Get out," in the most menacing tone she'd ever heard him use. She obeyed, but left him with a lingering look that would hopefully make him think seriously about his decision.

[♥]

Three days passed, and Hermione hadn't seen hide nor hair of Draco. He left early in the mornings, before breakfast, and returned long after the family had gone to bed. Hermione heard him slip in late at night, but he was always gone by the time she made it to the entranceway. She knew he hadn't mentioned anything to Astoria yet; if he had, Astoria would surely have said something to her.

Finally, Hermione got a chance to accost Draco. She stood by the stairs in the entranceway, making sure that Draco had to pass her to get upstairs to bed. He was half an hour later than he was the night before, but this was definitely worth the wait. When he appeared he looked tired, grumpy and as though he really didn't want to listen to what she had to say. Despite her position in this household, she was determined to say her piece.

"Look, Master Draco," she began quickly, before he could interrupt her, "I know you don't want to listen to me, and I'm sorry about that, but this is extremely important. If you don't tell Astoria, then I will."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "You will? Do you have any idea how disrespectful you're being right now?"

Hermione nodded. "Of course."

He looked rather impressed at her boldness, and that she'd risk his wrath for his son's sake. "I was actually going to tell her right now."

"Right now? It's quarter past one in the morning. She went to bed two hours ago."

"It's that late already?" Draco frowned as Hermione nodded. "Still, I don't think it can wait."

Hermione agreed with that, but she wondered why on earth it took him three days, nearly four, to realise it. She didn't think Astoria would be best pleased at hearing it at this hour, but now was better than tomorrow. Time was of the essence, after all. "Good luck, then."

A curt nod from Draco and then he was off, up the stairs and on a mission. Only time would tell how Astoria would react and whether she would persuade Draco to take Drusus to a Muggle doctor (which Hermione was fairly sure that she would if Draco told her the truth). Resigned to finding out tomorrow, Hermione went to bed. She'd hardly been able to sleep in the last few days thinking about Draco and Drusus, and she hoped that now her job was done, she'd be able to.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Hermione climbed into bed and blew out the candle on her bedside table. She was just drifting off to sleep when someone crashed into her room and cast Lumos to shed some light.

"Ma'am?" Hermione asked through hazy eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Are you certain?" Astoria didn't even bother to answer Hermione's question. "Are you absolutely certain?"

It took Hermione a moment to properly work out what Astoria meant. While she hadn't managed to get to sleep yet, she was really tired and had to mentally wake herself up. "Yes," she said at last. "At least, ninety-nine per cent."

"Then it's settled." Astoria looked extremely relieved. "We're taking him. First thing in the morning. I don't care how we do it, but it's happening."

"Home visits," Hermione blurted out. "You might be able to get a home visit."

"How?"

Hermione shrugged apologetically. "I'm not entirely sure. I've never used the Muggle's NHS, but St Mungo's does home visits so I don't see why they wouldn't."

Astoria pursed her lips and thought it over. "I know!" she said after a few moments, leaving Hermione as suddenly as her husband was prone to do.

[♥]

When Hermione entered the dining room the next morning, she was surprised to see that Draco and Astoria were already there and waiting for her. They were clearly on edge; Astoria was tapping her fingers incessantly on the table while Draco was twiddling his thumbs. When they saw her, they both stared at her as though she was late.

"Make breakfast quick," Draco said. "We've got business to attend to."

Hermione nodded and hurried to the kitchen. She instructed the house-elves to be as fast as possible in making their meals and she prepared their drinks in the kitchen instead of in the dining room. She didn't think they'd mind the informality of it today. When she gave them their breakfast, they both practically grabbed the plates off her and ate faster than she'd ever seen anyone eat before. Astoria didn't even finish hers.

No sooner had they finished eating did they both leave the room and then the manor without speaking. Hermione knew she shouldn't feel affronted, but she did a little bit; they were effectively keeping her in the dark when she was the one who helped them get to this stage. Mind, they had a lot to think about and get done, and thinking about her was probably the last thing on their minds.

They finally came back to the manor an hour and a quarter later, with a doctor in tow. Hermione only caught a glance of them as they rushed through the entranceway and down the East Wing, but something about the doctor was off. He seemed almost... well, his eyes were glazed over. Hermione didn't dare say what she was really thinking: that they may have used magic on the doctor.

[♥]

Hermione anxiously waited in the kitchen until she heard footsteps coming from the East Wing. She moved closer to the door, trying to overhear their conversation, but all she got was a few mumbled "thank you's". Once the doctor was gone she dared to venture out into the entranceway, and stared at Draco and Astoria expectantly.

"You were right!" Astoria said gleefully, running over to her and giving her a hug. "Thank you! Thank you."

Draco gave her a nod. "Yes, thank you."

"Don't mind him," Astoria said, apologising for her husband. "He's just annoyed we'll have to deal with the Muggles. There's a load of stuff about inhalers and triggers and so on. Lots to read and we're meeting with an asthma nurse within the week. They should explain things better."

"Good." Hermione smiled. "I'm glad it was what I thought and nothing more sinister."

Astoria returned Hermione's smile and then excused herself. As she left, she gave Draco a strange side-eyed expression that Hermione could only gather meant she wanted Draco to talk to her. Once out of earshot, Draco stepped forward and they stood in silence for a while. Neither of them knew what to say after what had happened between them.

Finally, Draco spoke. "You saved Drusus' life. I don't even know how to begin to thank you."

"You saved mine," Hermione replied. "We're even."

"What do you mean?" Draco looked exceptionally confused.

"I could have ended up with anyone at that slave market. Someone worse than Blaise, even. But I didn't. You bought me, and not only do you allow me time to myself, but you give me free roam of the manor and gardens, and will accompany me out should I ever need it. I wasn't living when I was with Blaise; I was just existing. Now I'm living."

"That's why you saved Drusus?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. I saved Drusus because I couldn't bear to see a child suffer."

"He still can't go anywhere," Draco said sadly. "He's still a squib."

"Yes, but at least he has his health now, and maybe he can get to know his little brother and sister. When he's a bit better and receiving treatment, you could let him wander around the manor. It's better than being confined to that room."

"We'll see." It was obvious that Draco was still worried about Drusus being found. Maybe he was worried in case anyone popped into the manner unexpectedly, but they both knew how unlikely that was.

"The doctor," Hermione said tentatively, "did you use magic on him?"

Draco gave her a look that told her she probably didn't want to ask, which more than likely meant that the answer was yes. She couldn't exactly blame them; it would have been hard convincing them to come otherwise, since they weren't acknowledged anywhere in the Muggle community. Realising he didn't want to linger on that, she changed the subject to something more personal. A rather pressing question that had been grating on her for a while.

"What happens now?"

"We have an asthma nurse coming—"

"Between us," Hermione interrupted. She knew she was being bold, but she figured she was allowed to be after everything that had happened. She had a right to know what was going on; they couldn't go on with all the awkwardness and tension. It was obvious that Astoria had noticed something was up.

"Nothing," Draco replied simply. "We go on as we were. Pretend nothing ever happened. It was a mistake. I love my family."

Hermione understood. It was pretty much what she'd figured anyway. "Okay. I can do that."

"Good. I'd hate for things to be awkward between us, everything considered. You did a lot for me and my family, and you didn't have to." Draco gave her another nod and turned to leave. "Oh, the East Wing. It's no longer out of bounds to you."

A large smile fell across Hermione's face. She wasn't sure why this made her so happy, perhaps it was the extra trust, or maybe the chance to get to know Drusus with Draco's permission. Either way, she thanked Draco and went to get back to her own duties once he'd disappeared. She hated herself for it, but she couldn't help but think that Blaise's death was the best thing to happen to her, because it meant a complete overhaul of her life. For the better. Not many slaves could say that.

While she'd rather Blaise had not died for that to happen, the fact was that he did and Hermione couldn't change that. All she could do was be grateful for the chance in life that she now had. There were many opportunities here that she just didn't have with Blaise; there were many subjects she could study with the humongous library the Malfoys had, and with their music room, she could even lean that way if she was so inclined.

Knowing the life that many of the women she'd been in auction with would have, Hermione knew she was extremely lucky. She would never forget how much she owed to Draco Malfoy, but she was more than certain that unlike other individuals she could name, he would never take advantage of that fact.