Pansy Parkinson glanced over at them all. Hermione shivered at the intense eyes boring directly into her.

"It's for the Auction."

Ginny rolled her eyes.

Hermione couldn't look away from Pansy. Couldn't understand her presence. There were other pure-bloods here, but they were blood traitors.

Why keep them all alive? The room spun as Hermione calculated the possibilities, all boiling down to only a few likely scenarios that made her ribs cave in, crunching and gnawing at her lungs.

She drew in a rattling breath. "The Auction?"

Ginny glared at Pansy before stepping in front of her, blocking her from view. "You need to eat." She started pulling fruit together for her, peeling a banana. "Where were you captured, Hermione? I didn't see you at the battle in the courtyard."

What did they need a room full of young girls for? Where were the boys?

"Ron—" she croaked.

"Hermione." Ginny's voice was firm. "Tell me where you were captured."

"I— I was in the castle. I thought I saw..." She drifted, not sure what she should discuss with Pansy Parkinson there. "... someone worth following. But I got stunned in the back."

"Did you see anyone? Or anything useful?" Cho asked.

Hermione looked over at Pansy. Would she care to know that she'd seen Draco? Was she worried about him at all? Hermione wondered whose name was tattooed on her arm.

"No one on our side, no."

"And then where were you taken?" Hannah Abbott asked.

"Here?" Hermione supplied. "I guess."

A collective gasp.

"You've been unconscious? Or you don't remember?"

"You haven't had water in four days?"

"Where were they keeping you?"

"We need to check her body—"

"Yaxley. I wouldn't put it past him—"

"Stop." Hermione nearly shouted it. The room went quiet. A few girls who were gathering water cups and spare pieces of bread turned to look at her. She steadied her voice and said, "I don't remember anything after I got stunned."

"Hermione," Ginny said carefully, eyes wide and searching. "We should check you out. See if you have any markings. See if you feel anything... between your legs."

Hermione looked at the fifty or so girls around her. She could only watch as they scanned her intently, already searching her skin for markings. All but Parvati, whose eyes had drifted away, looking at the marble floors as if she would give Hermione privacy. As if she already knew how intrusive this was.

Hermione's eyes drifted back to Macnair's signature on her arm.

"There's no need," Pansy scoffed. Heads turned to glare. Pansy kept her stare in front of her, bored. "She's too valuable. No one would touch her."

Ginny looked like she was actively biting her tongue to keep from mouthing back at her.

"Besides," Pansy said, twisting her head to smirk. "You're a virgin, aren't you, Granger?"

Hermione felt a stab to her chest as half the girls turned to look at her with eager eyes and the other half started cursing at Pansy.