"What are you doing? Get away from her!"

Ginny was awake, tugging at Hermione's shoulders to put herself between her and Pansy.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Calm your tits, Weasley. We were just having some girl talk." Her sneer was back in place.

She drew herself up and paced back to the other side of the room, facing the wall.

Hermione watched her until the door opened.

A frail old man entered the room. He reminded her of Ollivander. Especially his eyes. His brows twitched as he took in the room of girls.

He cleared his throat and looked at his shoes, and then turned back to Yaxley in the doorway. "Is this all of them, Mr. Yaxley?"

"There's about twenty males down the hall," Yaxley replied.

Ginny shifted next to her, probably wondering how many of her brothers were footsteps away.

"Well," the man replied, taking his glasses off to clean them, brows narrowing at his fingers. "The best way is individually, but I fear we'll run out of time. Proceedings start at eight?" He pushed his glasses back on his nose, and Hermione realized he refused to make eye contact with any of them. Refused to acknowledge them.

"Eight sharp."

He nodded. "Then let's get the women cleaned up while I start appraisals on the men. We might need to do groups." He stared at his shoes and swept out.

Yaxley turned to her. "Mudblood. You're up."

There were probably twenty Muggle-born girls in the room, but still everyone understood he was addressing Hermione. She stood, wobbling to the door, and followed him to the showers. He didn't stay in the room like Dolohov did. Didn't watch her undress. She supposed if he wanted her, he wouldn't be selling her.

She stood under the water, enjoying what was probably to be her last moments of privacy and relative safety in her life.

She wondered if Ron was down the hall somewhere. Or if he'd fought them. If he'd thrown himself into the fire like a true Gryffindor and attempted to smother the flames from within.

What would Harry say, if he could see her now?

Yaxley banged on the door after two minutes, and she quickly ran the shampoo through her hair, washed between her legs, and toweled off. The door opened as soon as she covered herself, and Yaxley and a second Death Eater lead in five girls for their showers. She reached for her clothes on the floor, and Yaxley stopped her.

"Ah," he chided. He vanished her garments and held a robe out to her. She took it carefully, draped it over herself, and let the towel drop once she was covered. The five girls stood against the wall, waiting patiently. As if this was routine now.

He vanished the towel and grabbed her elbow, leading her out of the room. Dolohov was standing guard outside the showers and sent her a wink.

"Make sure they take all of it, Corban. I like 'em bare."