Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous
Summary: He's The most eligible bachelor in the business world. She's the most eligible bachelorette. Their rival companies are forced into a partnership. Is it just business keeping them together?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything… sadly Draco's JK's. But the plot is mine! Song is What It Is To Burn by Finch
Prologue
"Dammit!"
She muttered for the umpteenth time as she tried hauling herself off the couch with much difficulty… stress the word 'much'. As she padded her way across the room to the kitchen, she couldn't stop herself from fantasizing about that pb and j with mayo sandwich just a few feet away from her. Normally, under extremely usual circumstances, she would think of that sandwich as anything but appetizing. But today isn't a day of normalcy… sadly.
That sense of normalcy disappeared because of one mistake and the regret and anger still rages within her until now. Bitterly muttered phrases such as: "pregnancy sucks!", "bugger that fucking arsehole to hell for doing this!", and her favorite among the rest, "he should get castrated so no one else can suffer such a torment!" were some of her ritual banters with herself.
But one question constantly plagued her mind… at night, in the morning, all hours of the day… and that was "how did this happen to me?" After their graduation three months ago, she now found herself as a knocked up 18 year old on her sixth month of pregnancy, without a husband and a family. Granted, the father didn't know, under circumstances way out of her control, namely the impending war between both sides. As of now, his loyalties were in question so she decided it was the best decision yet.
Despite that fact, she hated the man who brought her into this predicament. The heartache she felt knowing that her child would grow up not knowing its father was just too much to bear. Worst of all, her dream of a perfect family during her adolescence was shattered and now she would have to live a life full of "if onlys".
'If only she had more control that night…
if only she hadn't been that angry…
…if only…'
(She burns)
Today's on fire
The sky is bleeding above me, and I am blistered
Hermione walked with purpose back to the Heads common room she shared with the one and only Draco bloody Malfoy. After living with him for almost a year now, due to their "privileges" as Heads, she thought they had at least reached a "civil stage" but she was bloody wrong. That morning's events were a testament to that.
I walk these lines of blasphemy, every day
And still:
That morning…
As Hermione entered their common room from an early visit to the library, she took out her Arithmancy book to add to her already bulging bag, when she noticed a piece of red paper stuck in between the pages. Curious, she pulled out the slip and the pages separated. What she saw stupefied her to shock, there on the page was the word "mudblood" written in big, bold, red letters.
She turned to the next page, just to be greeted by the exact same thing. As she flipped through the book she realized that with each page it was written, taunting her. She looked around, checking if anything was out of place. As her glance wandered over to her bookcase she realized that some of the books there were rearranged. Angry, she marched over to the bookcase and flipped through the first book her hand could grasp. It was the exact thing. Frustrated and humiliated, she screamed a scream so shrill it was bound to wake up the people slumbering all the way in Timbuktu.
Only one person entered her mind as to who would do such a thing – Draco bleeding Malfoy.
With that her own mind devised a perfect plan that would surely saturate her appetite for revenge. Oh he'd be so played that she'd enjoy every second, minute, hour of it. He'll get what he deserves. Watch out Malfoy!
Like a bad star, I'm falling faster down to her
She's the only one who knows, what it is to burn
"I cant bloody believe she did that! That messed up mudblood wench! What in Merlin's name is her problem? It was a sodding prank! Lighten up, take a joke or are your knickers so scrunched up that your stuck up self couldn't take a joke?" Draco Malfoy ranted angrily while pacing.
"Well, with her plan of action, I have got to give it to her, she got you good and all she had to do was be a goody-goody teacher's pet. Viola! You're now so screwed up. She's pretty devious if you think about it." Blaise Zabini said with a smirk.
"If you think so bloody high of her why don't you just shag her? I cant bloody believe she told Dumbledore, not just her stupid stuck up Head of House but that senile, mudblood-loving, insane person that we call headmaster." He replied fuming.
"At least you still have your Head Boy badge." Blaise said condescendingly. "who knows what Lucius would've done if he found out that his son lost his badge three months before graduation?" he continued.
"I'm really close to hexing you right now." He replied threateningly. "Can you believe a Malfoy doing slaves work for the rest of the year?"
"Yeah, I can. All I have to do is look at you." He said hiding back a smirk at the look his friend just gave him. "Seriously, you shouldn't have done it… at least not now, you could've waited 'til the last day… that way you couldn't be caught."
"But what fun is that? You're too safe Zabini."
"Why do you think I'm always out of the limelight? The teachers don't have a price on my head for pissing off the Golden Trio. It helps, Malfoy."
"Whatever, this pays though, to know that all her books were destroyed. 'oh her precious books'" he replied ending with a very bad impression of Granger.
"Why'd you do it, anyways?"
"She just got on my nerves… always so noble and goody-goody. I couldn't handle it anymore. And she started acting like a demented banshee when she caught me entertaining guests in our common room." Ahh. He remembered that exploit. She was a beautiful Ravenclaw. Too bad Granger had to ruin it before he got to enjoy her fully.
"Your temper was always your weakness."
I feel diseased
Is there no sympathy from the sun?
Just wait Granger, I'm going get you back. Those were the only words that registered in his head on his way back to his –oh right- their common room. How dare she do that to me! He couldn't wait 'til the moment he saw her. He will get his retribution and she'll regret ever crossing a Malfoy. His rage was boiling up and he wanted her to be there when it erupted. She'll get hers.
The sky's still fire
But I am safe in here, from the world outside
She patiently waited for Malfoy to enter their common room. She wasn't through with him, at least not yet. What he did was so -argh-! Screw waiting. She got up and started pacing, clenching and unclenching her fists. Her rage was boiling and she wanted him to be on the receiving end of it. She didn't tell anyone about what happened not even her best friends. She would handle this on her own and he would pay. You'll get yours, Malfoy.
So tell me
What's the price to pay for glory?
As he entered their common room, the one fueling his anger stood glaring at him.
"You bloody wench!"
"You sodding arsehole!"
They said at the same time. Cussing ensued between the two… both releasing all their pent up anger… anger that has been on to potentially erupt the whole day. He froze at first at Granger's language but was brought back to the present when she started directing her insults at his jewels. Swallowing down the urge to maim her, he retaliated with a below the belt insult about the Weasel passing her up for a good for nothing slut.
Hermione was not fazed with his crude and underhanded insults. Usually she would ignore them and go on her way, finding it immature and classless to say such vulgar words. But today she said goodbye to level-headed Hermione. She knew he brought out the worst in her and today was the day he would feel the true wrath of a woman who was fed up. She was seeing red and she was ready to kill.
"How dare you do that to me! I didn't even bloody mind you all year! We were civil you no good son of a bitch!" She said while coming at him clawing.
"Me? What is your bloody problem? I almost lost my badge because you told that useless headmaster of ours." He replied trying to stop her from tearing his face in shreds.
"You deserved it you arse. I didn't bother you and this is how you bloody repay me!" she screamed as she started hurling ornaments that adorned the side tables of the couches, at him.
"Well, you had it coming." He said in a cold voice while dodging the ornaments.
"I had it coming. Bloody hell, you're more immature than I thought! You fucked up death eater. Cant you get off on something else?" Then she started clawing at him.
As the words registered a new wave of rage erupted through him. With nothing but anger in his eyes he pushed her up against a wall and pinned her hands up.
"I am not a death eater." He said in a low voice. Which compared to him shouting, was way scarier. As she looked in his eyes, she felt a shiver run down her spine… his eyes were a cold black due to his rage.
"Bullocks Malfoy! If you aren't one now, you will be. YOU. ARE. NOTHING. BUT. VOLDEMORT'S. SLAVE." She said in the annoying way that she'd answer a question raised by a teacher.
"Shut up, Mudblood!"
"Make me" she replied challenging him.
Like a bad star, I'm falling faster down to her
She's the only one who knows, what it is to burn
He could've hit her, strangled her, covered her mouth, cast a spell… he could've done anything to shut her up but as he looked at her looking up at him defiantly he couldn't find anything more sexy… so he kissed her. He banged his lips on hers roughly, violently and just like their relationship the kiss was surging with passion and heat and hate and anger.
She tried to resist but in the end she gave up. Their tongues dueled in an angry frenzy. The next thing she knew her hands were free of his, as his hands ventured into other places. On their own accord her hands twined themselves in his hair. Surprisingly, she found it as soft as she reluctantly imagined. As she tugged at them experimentally, she could hear him groan. This act lead to him pushing her further up the wall… if that was even possible. She spread her legs to accommodate him as her pushed further into her. Nothing separated their bodies as their tongues clashed in an unbelievably passionate duel. His hands moved lower to her chest and started to touch her breasts.
With a newfound fervor she turned the tables on him and pushed him against the wall. This act ensured another groan from him. She felt him move lower as he started to nibble and spread kisses all over her neck. As he reached behind her ear he gave a pretty hard bite, one that would leave a mark, just to piss her off when she sees it in the morning.
Today is fire, and she burns
The next thing she knew she was straddling him with her legs wrapped tightly around his waist while he carried her off to his bedroom. Again she felt another wall behind her as he pushed her up against his door trying to open it and balance kissing her neck at the same time. She just knew her back would be full of bruises the next day. She became bored with playing with his hair ventured to new territories as well… his chest. This caused another groan to escape from him. She started scratching at his chest playing with his nipples through his Oxford.
Trying to get back at her he bit into her neck… then soothed it with soft nibbling. He smirked onto her skin as he heard a very throaty moan. "Fuck you" she muttered pissed off that he was gaining control.
"Why Ms. Granger I believe that's your job." He said with a self-satisfied smirk. Just as she was about to object, he kissed her very passionately. With one hand supporting her back, he opened his door. As they stumbled in, clothes started to get discarded.
Today is fire, and she burns
They rolled over the bed each trying desperately to have control but with each shove and push and straddle the other one had an opposing act. So throughout the night they continued with this battle as they made passionate and lust-induced love to each other. As they each reached their peaks their screams mingled in the air. And we see Hermione collapsing on top of Draco, spent.
She burns
She burns
She burns
She burns
She burns
She burns
Like a bad star, I'm falling faster down to her
She's the only one who knows, what it is to burn
"Ahh! Make it stop! Make it stop NOW!"
Hermione screamed in agony as she exited her bathroom, on her way to the spacious living room where Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were hanging out. Her due date for the baby was a week and a half ago and one of the effects of that entailed mild discomfort and frequent mood swings. The mild discomfort part was considered as bullocks for Hermione since as of this second, she wanted to rip this baby from her… that was how uncomfortable she was. She settled herself on the nearest couch along with her friends who now had similar expressions on their faces – fear.
Ginny, Ron and Harry had gotten used to her outbursts after her third day being late. Although they were all surprised when a string of curses would suddenly erupt from her not only addressed at them but the baby as well. Ron was surprised as hell seeing as though all through their Hogwarts years, he had received nothing but sermons from Hermione about his constant swearing. Some words were even unknown to him for crying out loud!
"GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!" Hermione screamed addressing her bulging tummy. No one responded. They just kept throwing wary glances at each other. Pacing themselves for the inevitable confrontation with the overly unpredictable, not to mention, thoroughly moody woman situated near them, they waited patiently for her to finish her thorough barbs against the unborn baby.
"Oh great! Breathe louder guys. Because as of now your presence alone is annoying the hell out of me, might as well make me thoroughly pissed off." She sneered maliciously at the group.
Wary expressions soon took over the faces of the other three occupants of the room. They knew what that meant… that was the start of her verbal abuse… and they were next. Ginny took the initiative.
"Maybe you've just made such a comfortable home for her that she just doesn't want to leave." Ginny said hesitantly.
"Blah, blah, blah. Comfort my arse. This is a bitch. You know nothing, Weasley! That's pure bullocks." Hermione replied bitingly. She really got on her nerves by being all condescending.
"Whatever Hermione." Ginny replied tired. She was weary of this constant pattern. Her insults stopped hurting around the fifth time it was addressed to her. But it was still grating on her nerves. She closed her eyes and exhaled a sigh to release her anger. She also prayed to the gods to grant her patience.
"C'mon Mione, she was only trying to make you feel better." Ron piped in after the uncomfortable silence.
"Oh, here comes the pansy twit. Is my saying the truth twisting your knickers Ronnikins?" she said with a mocking baby voice.
Ron had the audacity to look hurt… right now that wasn't a good act. Hermione was a vulture, ready to eat anything offered to her.
"Awww… did I hurt poor Ronnikins feelings? Are you gonna cry? Grow a bloody pair will you!" She continued on.
Ron just walked out of the room towards the kitchen. Harry soon followed after giving Hermione a disapproving glance. Murmurs of the boys' conversation could be heard in the living room.
"What the bloody hell are you girls talking about?" Hermione asked irritably.
"I was wondering, Mione. How is the doctor going to be able to deliver a child that is half human and half PURE EVIL?" Ron sneered from the door of the kitchen.
"Why don't you bloody well say that to my face, Weasley."
"Hermione, we're your friends and we love you but if you don't try to at least be civil, we're going to leave." Ginny said finally fed up for the day.
"Who the bloody hell cares? I don't." she replied coldly.
"Fine, give me a call when you're Hermione again and not Satan's whore." Ginny said while standing up. "Harry, Ron, lets get out of here."
With that the three walked out of the apartment.
"This is all your bloody fault, Malfoy." She remembered saying those words before. Ah! She wanted nothing more than to rip her hair out of her head right about now.
She remembered the last time she was this agitated… after all you don't forget the time when you slept with your worst enemy and ended up carrying his child.
Oh. She remembered that day well…
She scrunched her nose as she felt the early rays of sunshine reach her face and she burrowed her face deeper into her bed like she always did. Instead of the soft comforting feel of a mattress she felt her face burrow something hard. A groan came from what she was lying on. Now, extremely freaked out, she opened both eyes, pulled her head up from its position and looked to the owner of the chest. Blonde hair, deep scowl – Draco Malfoy was on her bed… naked. Worst of all, she was on top of him… NAKED! His arm was on her back resting casually as if it belonged there.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" to say, was a MAJOR understatement.
"AHHHHHH! What the bloody hell is that noise?" Draco responded grumpily while covering his ears. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes. A sight he NEVER imagined met him. "Granger?" he croaked.
Hermione in a frenzy, jumped off his chest, grabbed the blanket right from under him (this caused another annoyed groan) and wrapped it around her self. She looked around, just about to shout at him to get out of her room, when she realized that the room wasn't decorated in the customary red and gold but green and black! Oh bloody hell. She glanced around the room looking for her discarded clothes. She spotted her skirt by the edge of the bed. A bra was sighted hanging loosely on one of the lampposts. Her shirt was greeting her from the door. Lastly, her panties were right beside his body. Quickly she snatched the knickers, and settled to glaring at his amused expression.
"YOU'RE ASKING ME WHAT HAPPENED? HAVE YOU GONE DAFT?" she screamed angrily. After all, she just found out that she slept with her enemy. Give her three weeks of torture under any sadistic death eater; waking up next… or rather, on top of Malfoy is the most repulsive thing she had ever / will ever do.
"Granger, shut up! Your voice is giving me a headache." He replied, closing his eyes. He was also confused as to how they ended up in this situation but Mudblood or not, he had sex last night, and by the looks of it very good and tiring sex at that. So, with that said, the wench should not be screaming so loud when all he really wanted to do was sleep for another couple of hours.
Growling with barely contained rage, she lunged at him and pounded on him with her fists. "You son of a bitch!" "You bastard!" "You insufferable prat!" and so on and so forth. During this time, neither knew it but she ended up straddling him.
Smirking he looked up at her and drawled, "Hey, if you wanted another go, all you had to do was ask?" For added effect he topped it off with a very suggestive wink while thrusting against her.
Growling, she clambered off him, slapped him… hard and walked away with his blanket. "Mention this to anyone and I will make sure that you'll be incapable of feeling pleasure again. Got it?" she asked darkly.
"Like I would tell anyone that I screwed the Know-it-all, Gryffindor Priss! Let alone a Mudblood." This remark was answered with a shoe thrown to his head.
"Merlin, Ow. You seriously have to stop throwing stuff at me."
"Damn you!" Before that was dignified with a reply, the door to his room banged.
Neither spoke about their little tryst that night. That was how they liked it. They remained the same towards each other – cold and vindictive. However, under the belt remarks that concerned that night were a big no-no in their insults.
A week was left before the Seventh Year students were to graduate… something Draco Malfoy was eagerly anticipating. After all, no self-respecting Malfoy would willingly do slaves' work. And all because that Know-it-all Mudblood couldn't handle a prank, he'd been stuck enslaving himself doing elves' chores for the past 3 months. He still couldn't believe that he slept with her albeit, from memory, it seemed she was a very good lay. He still couldn't fathom that fact. Worst of all, the memory of the "morning after" still brought shudders of disgust to his body.
As he whistled the tune of "Weasley is our King", on his way to their shared bathroom he could spy the hunched body of the Mudblood on the toilet as she threw up what seemed to be that morning's breakfast.
It had been three months since that horrible incident in Malfoy's room. Since then, Hermione was spending most of her days in the bathroom. As she hurled the last vestiges of the delicious breakfast she ate earlier, she couldn't help but curse Malfoy. Which wasn't new, but this time it was much more personal. Her period was late, had been for the past three months and she had, by the looks of it, morning sickness. It all added up to one thing – pregnancy. 'How could I have been so stupid?' That was the number one question she asked herself ever since she found out about it. But she knew she couldn't do anything to stop it. It was done. However, cursing Malfoy in her head and plotting out different ways she could watch him writhe in pain while he died a slow, torturous death did help bring her up.
Busy with quelling the nausea she was experiencing that morning, Hermione did not hear the faint whistling coming from outside the slightly open door of the bathroom. It was due to that fact that she was caught surprised to hear the voice of the man she despised the most… Voldemort came to a close second.
"What a pity. First the Mudblood destroys any semblance of a life by entombing herself in that god-forsaken library, now she has resorted to bulimia." Came the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. Her eyes widened in surprise to hear his voice. As she looked up from the toilet she was greeted with the sight of him leaning casually on the doorframe with a sneer on his face. "Don't even try it, Mudblood. No one's going to like you even if you resort to such pubescent means. And I thought you were more self-respecting than that. I guess you've just proven to me how utterly pathetic and beneath me you are." He continued cruelly.
Thoroughly pissed off that he had the audacity to think something so impossible and degrading, let alone say it so condescendingly and cruel, she said bitingly, "Bugger off, you good for nothing arse." She topped it off with a strong throw of the bar of soap that was beside her aimed directly at his crotch. Before he could dodge the blow, she screamed: "Now get the bloody hell out!"
As the soap came hurtling at him, he quickly ran off and banged the door. "Bleeding infuriating woman!"
Pleased with herself, a smile slowly formed in her mouth until she had that feeling again. Oh bloody hell. And she hurled once more.
"Ahh! MAKE IT STOP RIGHT NOW!"
Hermione screamed. It has been 15 hours since she went into labor and right now it had come to the point wherein she was supposed to push until there was nothing else to push. She was crying now. "It hurts so much." She sobbed to Harry who was right beside her holding her hand, trying to comfort her with soothing words. Since the father of the child wasn't there, Harry, Ron and Ginny stepped in as replacements, although Ron was serving a purpose more on the useless side. He kept commenting about how there was so much blood, which resulted in his younger sister screaming at him for his lack of tact.
"Its ok, Hermione. Calm down. Just a few more big pushes and the baby will be out." Ginny said softly trying to comfort her. She was holding her other hand.
"Yeah. Just listen to the Midwife and you'll be fine." Harry chimed in. Ron would've said something too, but out of pure agitation at his incessant blabbering about the Wonders of Childbirth Ginny cast a Silencio on him.
Hermione turned to Ginny looking desperate. "I don't want to do it anymore. You do it for me." She pleaded. At that comment Ron stood about to comment when two things pushed him down: 1. The Silencing Spell; and 2. Ginny's very intimidating glare.
"You know I cant Hermione. I wish I could but YOU have to do this. Just give one more big push and you'll be the mother of a very beautiful girl." She replied while wiping her forehead like a mother would to a child.
"Okay. But you have to know this pain is a bloody bitch."
"Oh believe me I do."
"C'mon 'Mione. One more push." Harry added.
With that she pushed and screamed and broke all five fingers of Harry's hand as well as Ginny's. And then silence erupted in the room followed by a cry. The Midwife looked up with a smile in her face carrying a bloody baby.
By now, Ginny's spell on Ron had worn off. "Hey, how come the baby has something between her legs? Isn't she supposed to be- oh…"
"What?" Hermione asked perplexed. She eyed the Midwife questioningly.
"It seems that you just gave birth to a baby boy, Miss Granger." The Midwife replied while handing her a bundled up baby who by the way, was still crying. "I'll leave you with him, Miss Granger."
After the woman left, her friends surrounded her, eager to see her baby. "Well, guys, meet your nephew." What greeted them was a boy with blonde hair cuddling up his mother.
"Oh he's beautiful." Ginny said while touching his head softly.
"Yeah. We still don't know, 'Mione. Who's the father?" Harry asked.
"Not now, Harry." Hermione pleaded softly. As she looked down at her son, she whispered "He's got all the family he needs in this room, no need to question things about the past. All that matters is he's here." She still didn't tell them who the father was and she probably never will.
Taking it as their cue to give her some time alone, they all exited the room as she held her baby. She was smiling contentedly while closing her eyes. Ron pushed back her hair and kissed her forehead as he followed Ginny who led the way. He was followed by Harry, who whispered "We're here for you, 'Mione."
After a half hour, the nurse of hospital gently woke the slumbering mother and gently took the baby from her arms to be placed in the cot. "Miss Granger, if you're ready I'd like to ask you what the name of the child is."
Hermione still a little hazy, thought for a few seconds until she found the perfect name.
"His name is Damien." She smiled while saying the name.
"Will he be keeping your last name or the father's?" The nurse inquired.
"He'll be taking his father's, but if I may request, the name I wish to be placed on his birth certificate should be kept secret to the utmost sense. Do you understand?" Hermione asked fully aware now of the risk.
"Yes, Miss." The nurse replied baffled.
"Then the name will be Damien Malfoy."