rating: MA for sex scenes.
warnings/spoilers: Mentions major events in book six and will delve into book 7.
a/n: This is an AU story and though it will vaguely follow and mention events that take place in books 6 & 7, the story surrounding Hermione and Draco will be exceedingly different.
disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Written purely for my own amusement and entertainment.
Chapter 1: The Witch, The Wizard & The Bathroom
Hermione carefully manoeuvred through the halls of Hogwarts as silently as she could. Thankfully, the raging storm outside muffled any creaking steps or loud breaths she happened to make. It had been easier to get away from dinner than she'd thought. Ron was so nervous about the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw later that day that he was making sure he was always within eyesight of the bathroom; and out of sight of his extremely territorial squeeze, Lavender Brown. Harry, distracted as always these days, didn't flinch when Hermione muttered that she was going to see Professor Vector about her last Arithmacy essay. And while Ron made another voyage to the bathroom and Harry stared intently into his mashed potatoes; Hermione managed to fish the Marauders Map from Harry's jacket that he'd laid carelessly on the table and tuck it into the back of her skirt. The reason was because she was going to seek out Malfoy for herself.
Harry had been making himself crazy trying to figure out what Draco was up to in the Room of Requirement; he spent all this time tracking his movements and locations about the castle. So far; he had found nothing. And with Ron constantly nervous about Quidditch lately; Hermione decided it was up to her to make some headway; if only to lower the stress levels of both the men in her life.
Ducking into the girls' bathroom, Hermione hid in one of the stalls and unravelled the Marauders Map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good..." She murmured as she tapped the parchment with her wand. Slowly; ink seeped onto the page outlining every nook and cranny of Hogwarts and highlighting every person inside with tiny bobbing marks. Hermione found herself easily and Ron was still tied up in the bathroom. She discovered Harry's name amongst the sea of Gryffindors still in the Great Hall. She scoured the parchment and at first didn't see Malfoy's name anywhere. But then she spotted him in the boy's bathroom on the seventh floor. And floating around his name was Moaning Myrtle. Quite the curious couple, Hermione thought. She muttered "mischief managed" so the map turned blank and exited the lavatory.
Thankful everyone was still dining in the Great Hall, Hermione managed to get up to the seventh floor without being seen by anyone. She stopped to check the map a few more times to make sure Malfoy was still in the bathroom and that no one was nearby. The closest bobbing mark on the map was Mrs. Norris, skulking around in one of the classrooms on the sixth floor.
Trying to remind herself she was doing this to keep Harry sane, Hermione tried to forget she was sneaking into a boy's bathroom and instead focused on her moving as quietly as possible. Not wanting to push her luck, she began tiptoeing towards the lavatory from the end of the hallway. Myrtle's wailings caught Hermione's ear when she was a few feet from the door.
"Don't..." She was crooning; her voice syrupy and almost chiming like a bell. "Tell me what's wrong..."
Hermione tucked a flyaway hair behind her ear and pressed it against the door. She heard choking sounds; sobs and someone sucking in deep breaths. Surely not...Hermione crinkled her brow in confusion. Malfoy couldn't be...crying...?
"I c-can't do it..." Malfoy's voice croaked.
Pressing so gently on the door she wasn't sure if it was moving, Hermione edged into the bathroom and pressed her eye against the gap in the door. Malfoy was crying all right. In fact, he was sobbing. Tears were streaking his pale face and falling into the well of the sink that he had tightly gripped in his hands.
Something about the image struck Hermione deep inside her. He seemed so fragile, so...human. Malfoy had never been anything but an antagonistic bastard to her since the moment they met. His hatred for her and her muggle blood was visible in every sneer and taunt he threw her way when they passed each other in the halls. He hated her. And she him. They were the epitome of enemies. They were from two different worlds; everything about them was the polar opposite. Yet at this moment, Hermione felt something else for him.
Pity. She knew that's what it was. Hermione had felt sorry for Malfoy for as long as she'd had the displeasure of knowing him. Sorry because he'd been born into one of the most hateful of families. Sorry because his father was a despicable man who thought witches and wizards such as Hermione were scum and disgracing the name of magic.
"It won't work..." Malfoy sobbed. "He says he'll kill me..."
Hermione felt a surge of confidence pump through her veins so she opened the door further and stepped inside. She walked slowly, inches at a time, seeing Malfoy, so broken, more clearly. Hermione felt her eyes push together in a concerned furrow without her control.
"Heeee..." Myrtle swooped around in the air. "We're not allooonnee..." She giggled and waved her finger towards the door. Then she moaned loudly before plunging herself into one of the toilets, exploding a couple of water pipes and flooding the bathroom.
Hermione didn't even have a chance to run before Malfoy had locked his eyes on her, hating her , again, for seeing him at a moment of weakness. "Sorry." She whispered as she gripped her wand tightly in her hand. "I was just..."
"Impedimenta!" Malfoy hollered as he shot his wand in her direction.
Hermione ducked and avoided his curse. "Expeilliarmus!" She casted back; her curse sending Malfoy's wand flying from his hands.
Now unarmed; Malfoy seemed to admit defeat. He slinked back against the tiled wall and sunk down onto his haunches. He hung his head in his palms and tugged strands of his white blonde hair through his fingers.
Hermione kept her wand aimed at him but ventured a few steps closer. "What happened...?" she asked carefully.
"Get out of here, Granger." He spat at her.
"Who's going to kill you?" She took another step forwards; aware that her hand was starting to shake.
"I said," He glowered and tilted his head up towards her. "Get. Out."
"No." Hermione said firmly. "Because I'm positive that whatever has you this scared is tied to whatever you're doing in the Room of Requirement."
Malfoy glared at her, unable to keep the shock from swimming in his eyes amongst the remnants of his recently cried tears. "Wh-what did you say?"
"It's the Dark Lord, isn't it?" Hermione demanded. "He's the one who's going to kill you."
A ripple of fear flashed across Malfoy's hollow face before he had a chance to contain it. "You don't know what you're talking about."
Hermione sank to her knees in front of Malfoy, her skirt front soaking in water. "Aqua evanesco." She muttered, jabbing her wand into the puddle at her feet. All the water in the bathroom evaporated from sight within moments. "I know more than you think I do." She told Draco matter-of-factly.
Malfoy sneered and jerked forwards. "You know nothing." He spat. "Mudblood."
Hermione smirked. "You should get a new taunt." She said. "That one's getting old; loses its steam after awhile." She could have sworn a hint of a smirk pulled at the corner of Malfoy's thin lips. Hermione sighed. "How deep into this...?" She started to say but trailed off when she noticed the charcoal black mark staining Malfoy's inner left wrist. Hermione's jaw dropped. She grabbed Malfoy's wrist and yanked up his sleeve exposing the hideous Dark Mark branded on his skin. "Oh..." She exhaled; her creased forehead pinching together even tighter. His wrist felt oddly warm in her hand; she had expected it to be cold as steel. His pale skin was soft and smooth; yet it tightened around the Mark, as though his body was rejecting the poison of the brand. She could feel the hearty pulse of his heartbeat throbbing through his veins as she clutched him.
"Don't." Malfoy snapped and yanked his wrist sharply out of Hermione's grasp.
"What does He want you to do?" Hermione asked.
Her words seemed to strike the fear back into Malfoy's heart. He sank his head into his hands again and pulled at his hair. "I can't..." He gasped. "I can't do what He asks..."
Hermione wasn't sure what to say. This was Draco Malfoy; the boy with the sneer permanently plastered on his face. The boy who had his cronies do his dirty work but always made himself the leader. The boy who the majority of the school hated...this boy needed her help. "Maybe I can help you..." She suggested. "Or Harry can-"
"No one can help me!" He cried; his weeping eyes boring into Hermione's. "Don't you understand, Granger?!" His face cringed as he wagged his head back and forth. "If I don't do what He asks of me...he'll kill my family! He'll kill me!"
"Why..." Hermione found herself asking. "Why did you agree?"
"I didn't have a choice..." Malfoy muttered. "My father...everyone...it has to be me." He laughed humourlessly. "I'm the one who has to do it."
"I don't believe that." Hermione said in a voice so strong she wasn't sure it was her own.
Malfoy ran a hand through his damp hair and looked at her. "Why?" He asked; his eyes narrowed into a cautious expression.
"Because you're not as evil as you want everyone to think you are." Hermione said, realizing the truth to her words only as she spoke them. "You...you care for your family...you want them to be safe..." She couldn't believe she was having this conversation with Malfoy. Never a kind word had been spoken between them; not one. But something had shifted between them. Something had clicked on inside Hermione that made her certain that she needed to be here, in this bathroom with Malfoy, having this conversation.
"Granger," He asked, the faintest of smiles playing at the corners of his mouth. "How can you not think I'm evil?"
"Well...maybe I'm crazy." She smiled a tiny smile through nervous inhale of oxygen. Her eyes, wide and concerned, were still on Malfoy's face as he took a few deep breaths himself. He lifted his head up out of his hands and caught his eyes in Hermione's gaze. He seemed to scrutinize her; perhaps mentally judging her motives. She opened her mouth to ask him again if he wanted her help, but was cut off before she could get a word out.
His kiss shocked Hermione so much she almost screamed. Her mouth clamped down out of instinct, but Malfoy seemed to think this was a response and continued to kiss her. She pushed her hands against his shoulders to shove him off...and then stopped herself. Like she had assumed with his wrist; she expected his lips would have been cold and sharp; almost painful. But they weren't. Dampened from Myrtle's exiting shower; Malfoy's lips were supple and inviting. The warmth of his mouth overtook Hermione and, to her complete surprise, she began to kiss him back. Her lips parted open again and she gently moved her tongue against his.
A shudder ran throughout Hermione's body as she felt Malfoy's hands at her waist. He held her firmly and pulled her to stand as he got to his feet. She tasted the saltiness of his tears as she linked her arms around his neck and pulled him deeper into her mouth. She couldn't believe what she was doing, and with Malfoy nonetheless, but her anger at Ron and all his PDA's with Lavender as well as Harry's soaring Potions results got the better of her. This was something that was just for her; something she, for some reason, wanted to happen. This, she could control.
Malfoy hands travelled up underneath her sweater so his cool, soft skin touched her warm back, making her shiver again. He clasped her tight and spun her around; pressing her body back against the wall.
Even in her most intimate moments with Viktor; Hermione had never felt what she was feeling now. This overwhelming need to be with Draco took over her brilliant mind; as though it was what she was meant to do. It was certainly the only thing she wanted. She let her hands slide up Malfoy's chest and slid off his cloak at the shoulders. If fell effortlessly to the floor in a crumpled heap. He seemed to understand what she was asking of him without verbalizing anything. Tentatively, he lowered his hands down Hermione's hips to her thighs and lifted her up, hooking her legs around his waist.
Hermione's heart was pumping through her chest so hard she could have sworn it was bulging through her skin. She managed to remove Draco's loosened tie with ease and started undoing his collared shirt. She got three buttons down and then just tore the rest of them open, scattering a few plastic buttons to the floor never to be seen again. She didn't care; didn't give it a second thought. Her hands pressed against Malfoy's warm chest and up over his bare shoulders as she felt his fingers slide up between her legs. She slowly and cautiously moved her hands to his belt buckle and was slightly shocked that she wasn't trembling as she thought she would be in a moment like this. He let out a small gasp at her touch and quickly grabbed the hem of her sweater. He yanked it up over her head in one quick motion and then ripped open the front of her press-button shirt.
Hermione moaned as he pressed his body against hers; their middles touching and breathing in unison. She locked her arms around his neck and legs around his hips as he gently entered her body. Quick, short gasps escaped Hermione's mouth as he rocked inside of her; his hands caressing her thighs and keeping her still. She wasn't sure what she had expected this moment to be like and even as it was happening; didn't quite believe it. When it hurt, she winced, but it wasn't the agony she expected. Malfoy's kiss distracted her from the worst of it. As their lust intensified, all of Hermione's muscles started to spasm. She gripped Malfoy as hard as she could around the neck and lifted her back off the wall he was holding her fully in his arms. His moans became steadily more audible as he, too, started to spasm.
Hermione worried for a moment he may drop her; but he did not. He leant her back against the wall; his breathing haggard and harsh. He rested his head against Hermione's shoulder and gently unhooked her legs from around his waist. A moment later; he pressed off of her and re-dressed himself. His shirt was useless without many of its buttons; but he didn't seem to care. He grabbed his cloak and slung it over one arm. He didn't speak, and nor did she. Malfoy turned and headed for the exit. Hermione, still breathing unevenly, pulled her shirt closed around her body as she watched him stop and turn back to her; entrancing her eyes into his and giving her a look she wouldn't forget. In that one look; they both knew they would never speak of this again, never tell anyone what had happened and never, ever, let it happen again. It was a moment of weakness, for both of them. For Hermione; it was a profound one.
Malfoy didn't sneer at her, but he didn't smile either. He gave her no expression as he left the bathroom exceedingly more troubled than before. Hermione waited, buttoning her shirt and gathering up her jumper, before she even dared leave. She almost forgot to check the Marauder's Map; luckily she remembered before she exited the bathroom because a gaggle of fourth-years were wandering passed. So Hermione waited patiently, inspecting the map further to see that now Harry and Ron were both in the Great Hall while Myrtle was floating around on the first floor; having apparently not witnessed what had transpired after her watery exit.
Once the gaggle of girls were well off the seventh floor; Hermione fled the bathroom and dashed back to Gryffindor Tower where she showered and dressed again before meeting up with Harry and Ron at dinner; explaining the tears in her eyes were due to a question she'd misread on her essay and nothing more.