Going Under

Going Under

Chapter One: The Game

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do; but how we behave when we don't know what to do. ~ John Holt

7^th year

September 1rst

You're a little slut, the toy of a Slytherin.

The cold hand of fear clutched at her heart as she felt the car stop. She looked out into the sunlit platform, wringing her hands nervously and feeling slightly sick. She sighed as she looked out at the bright world, seeing people talking and laughing. She saw people her own age, smiling as they walked. They were normal.

Did he want to ruin you? Does he love you? Does he hate you?

They had never held a wand or whispered a spell or brewed a potion. They had never heard of Voldemort and they had not been shunned from the world just because of what they were. They had never loved someone so much that they would have their child at the age of sixteen. They had never betrayed their friends in such an unforgivable way. They had never loved someone who had sold his soul to a demon lord.

You gave yourself to a boy with the Dark Mark. How sick are you?

"Hermione, dear, are you okay? Do you want to wait a while?"

You're just a few weeks shy of being sixteen. You don't know what you want.

"Don't worry, dear. I am sure they will understand. Harry and Ron seem like nice boys. They'll protect you."

They won't understand. They are not your mother. Ron will hate you, you disturbed little whore, and Harry will leave you when your lie comes undone.

What do you have to live for? Why are you even going back? There is nothing for you in the Wizarding world except heartbreak and pain. You betrayed the Light. They can't help you now. You are pregnant with the child of a Death Eater. One side or the other will take her away from you.

You should run and hide. Flee like the vermin you are. Flee so your baby will live.

"Thanks Mum." She looked up into her mother's concerned eyes, hoping that she could not see the tears in her own. She leaned forward to hug her. Caroline Granger softly began to cry into her daughter's hair. She slowly leaned back and took Hermione's face in her hands.

"Now, you eat plenty, alright, and don't work too hard. Take a break now and then; it'll be good for you. I put an extra blanket in your trunk. I put some cookies in your handbag; you know the ones with the raisins? Write us every day..." She bit her lip and hugged her daughter again.

You don't deserve her love, wench and bane and outcast...Your friends will change around you, laughing as you bear the brunt of humiliation and shame.

The war is coming closer. What if he dies...? What if they all die...? You cannot stop what is to come.

Useless...

* * *

"Where is she?"

Ginevra Weasley stood up as tall as she could to try and see over the heads of students. Her shock of bright red hair glinted gold in the sunlight. Her muggle clothes hung loose around her thin frame clad in a faded tee-shirt and frayed jeans. Her crystal blue eyes continued to search the crowds for a few more seconds until she seemed to become exasperated. She blew hair up at her bangs and sat down in a huff. Harry calmly sat down beside her and took her hand in his.

Molly looked over at her daughter, who was now laughing at something that Harry had said. She looked at their conjoined hands and smiled slightly. She turned to Ron and straightened his collar. He screwed up his face like a little child and pushed her hands away. She slapped him lightly on the arm and watched him walk toward his friend and his sister before turning her attention back to the small group of Order members.

"Remus, are you sure that is what Caroline Granger said?"

The man rubbed his amber eyes and shook is gray streaked blond hair before sighing. "Yes, Molly, and she said that they would be late today as Hermione had an appointment with her muggle doctor early this morning here in London."

She looked over to her youngest son and saw him laughing. He seemed so carefree. "And I take it that the children know nothing about it?"

"It is Hermione's place to tell them, Molly. No one but those in the Order knows about it."

"But it seems as if she should have told them by now..."

"No doubt the girl's scared out of her mind," commented Kingsley Shacklebolt. "Especially if our suspicions are correct..."

"There. She's coming through the barrier."

Heavy silence descended on them as they waited. Small little screams of frustration were erupting from a pink haired Nymphadora Tonks, though no one paid it any mind. They all watched the severe old man who stood off to the side, wearing an old black hat that had frosty hair sticking out from underneath. He was fingering the tip of his nose as he stared ahead at the boundary with both his magical and human eye. After what seemed like an eternity, he looked away and sighed.

"Yes, it's a Veneficus."

Shacklebolt let out a low whistle as Molly let out a soft whimper and worried her bottom lip. Tonks seemed to deflate and sagged against the Lupin's shoulder, burying her face into his old robes. He bowed his head, placing his cheek into her hair. His amber eyes looked to the other three.

"Dumbledore has placed her under our visual. She is a ward of the Order now. We have permission from her mother to take her during winter break but Dumbledore feels it might be best to pull her out of school altogether. Her mother would have no say as she is a muggle, especially if Hermion hides willingly. However, Dumbledore feels that he needs to have Madam Pomfrey assess her first.

Mrs. Granger confided in her recent letter Hermione's due date and according so, the baby would have been conceived in April, two months prior to the attack at the Ministry. This brings up something that we have overlooked. Severus told me last night that he just found out that Voldemort is taking students below the age of seventeen so that he can have more eyes and ears inside the castle. So the correct assumption would be that the father is a student, most likely someone she knows. It is less likely that she could have just been picked out of the crowd."

"Dear Merlin..."

"So we are ruling it as a... rape... case?"

"At the moment, it is the most logical choice."

"Do we have any idea of who the father might be?"

"Severus told me that he can only give a few names as he was there at the initiation or they have outright told him. All in all, it's not much to go on."

"Well, that's a start though..." Tonks murmured, burying her face deeper into Remus' robes.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was starting to get very upset. He had walked up and down the corridor three times since students began boarding and he still saw no sign of Hermione. He had already taken away points from a third year Hufflepuff because he had not been able to tell him where she was. He growled at two little first years who was staring at him making them run away like mice. His eyes flickered left to right noticeably as he stalk down the hall once again thinking that he might as well check Potter's area again.

He stopped in his tracks as he saw someone walking down the hall. They turned, back facing him, obvious that they did not notice him, or they just did not care. He stayed frozen in his spot, breathing hitching as he made out a girl with bushy brown hair. He could hear her grunt while trying to pull on her trunk. One hand came up to brush her hair from her face. He watched stiffly as she around, blowing air up at her bangs. His heart ceased to beat when he locked eyes with her. He stood motionless as she calmly performed a moving spell on her luggage and walked down the passage with it trailing after her.

As she came closer, he noticed her protruded abdomen and he sighed. She stood just in front of him as he whispered, "I should have known."

"And I should have told you."

She searched his eyes and slowly nodded her head. At her motion, a cold sneer swept across his face. The lines became dark on him and he raised his voice, speaking with disgust and contempt.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little mudblood Granger. I always knew you were quite the slut. Whose is it, Weasel's?"

People began to stick their heads out of the doorways, looking to see what was going on. They watched as an evil smirk crossed the Slytherin's pale face.

"Oh, I see... It's Potty's, isn't it? I guess the wanker knows nothing, am I right? You best watch out, mudblood, or you may just lose your little love child to the Weaselette. Rita Skeeter would love to get a hold of this scoop, wouldn't you think? I might just tip her off to be honest..."

"I highly doubt that a Slytherin can ever be honest, Malfoy." Hermione said, gazing defiantly into her lover's eyes.

And so the game begins again. You've sold your soul to him and you'll never get it back. This year just might kill you and you can do nothing about it.