A/N: The sexual tension between these two comes to a head here even if they are denying it to themselves for the majority of the chapter. Lemon ahead, as best I could manage given the restrictions. I tried re-writing it several times but had a hard time censoring myself here. Oh well, we'll see what happens.
Forgiving Fate
*Chapter 2*
He looked at her with wide eyes, shocked as if she had just announced her plans to become the first muggle-born Death Eater. Though he didn't want to admit it, Draco had to admire what he had previously considered to be her bothersome Gryffindor spirit since it was helping Hermione make peace with the ridiculous scenario she was detailing. The entire thing was absurdly humbling. Draco had never believed he would find himself in a situation where Hermione Granger was being the more cunning of the pair, something he intended to never be party to again if he could help it.
She drew in a deep breath, steadying her voice which had been escalating in volume as she spoke. "I never suspected I would say something like this about you after what happened with Dumbledore, but you seem to be the lesser evil in this situation. I, for one, am all for playing the odds towards my favor. Right now that means trusting you… because I do need your help," she paused to adjust her wavering voice to a more confident tone, "And I find that you are in a position which should properly motivate you to give it. You have to do this; if not for me or any sense of moral decorum in doing the right thing for once in your life, then for purely selfish reasons. Besides, I had long ago come to understand self-serving interests to be part of the Slytherin way."
Draco was astounded, not only by her cavalier attitude but the way she cleverly insulted both him and his house under the guise of asking for assistance. He realized in this moment that he had seriously underestimated his former classmate, consistently having seen her as simply Potter's brainy sidekick. With the insurmountable evidence to the contrary painting her as anything but a follower, Draco felt grateful to be free of that misconception. Hermione Granger was stepping up with a plan to save both of their asses from certain death, something he could believe was a very likely possibility for him after the way Crabbe and Goyle behaved in the hallway.
With a contemplative tone, he said seriously, "It wasn't supposed to be like this, you know? Even at his most extreme, this isn't what I thought my father believed. When the Dark Lord returned Lucius Malfoy twisted and turned like the true snake that he is, bringing my mother and me down with him. I'm in prison here, Granger, and there will never be any sort of freedom in my future, not that there ever was really when you're bred from infancy to be a loyal, muggle-hating Death Eater."
With his honest admission making him look uncharacteristically vulnerable, Draco felt the need to reassert himself to the position he felt most comfortable - taunting and arrogant. "You're taking a huge leap of faith in trusting me, Granger." He looked at her, his eyes flashing a glimmer of warning to the already nervous girl running dangerously low on bravado. "I wouldn't trust me if I were you."
Feeling satisfied that he would assist her despite the mediocre protest, she countered, "Let's say that I am better at seeing shades of gray than black or white. Even if you can't admit it just yet, based on what I just overheard, you may have taken the Dark Mark on your arm but it has obviously not taken hold of your soul yet."
"I'm not so sure about that myself, Granger. I really don't see how you could be."
"The fact that instead of writhing in pain on the floor from the Cruciatus I'm sitting here having the first civil conversation we have ever had in all the years I have known you is proof enough of that for me."
"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, I suppose, but how do you know I'm not just biding my time and waiting for the perfect moment for you to let your guard down so I can take the most satisfaction out of all of this?" Malfoy asked with as much malice as he could. As menacing as he tried to sound, the sinister implication was contradicted by a defeated-looking Draco uncomfortably shifting to the edge of the bed as far away from her as possible.
"At this particular moment, I think you know you have as much to lose as I do. Maybe more depending on what they might do to you for having mercy on someone like me."
Draco looked thoughtful as he considered Hermione's words, knowing she was closer to the truth than she realized. Even if the elder Crabbe and Goyle, the "goons" Hermione heard talking as they felt her up on the way to his room, returned and killed him for failing to brutally ravage his former schoolmate, his mother would surely be the next pawn to be sacrificed in his father's cruel games.
Coming to the depressing and albeit inevitable issue with the brave girl's proposition, Malfoy replied despondently. "I have never done that under conditions like these before."
"Yeah, well, I have never done that before - ever," Hermione retorted sharply, noting the way his frown deepened as he fully grasped the enormity of things from her perspective. It seemed ironic to see his sensitivity displayed now, never realizing he could feel anything other than a smug sense of Slytherin pride. Yet there he sat, effectively empathizing with her supremely awful predicament – losing her virginity to an enemy as a survival strategy.
With a deep sense of shame clearly portrayed on his face, he hung his head low before pushing the heels of his hands into his temples to soothe his forming stress headache. "This is not… I don't want… I'm no rapist, Granger. I don't think I can do this. I've never been with someone who was unwilling before," he said in a whisper so soft Hermione wasn't sure if she was meant to hear it.
She had little doubt that his statement was true, having heard the rumors about Malfoy and all of the very willing groupies who dedicatedly followed him around just begging for another chance. Word had it he was not into encore performances; much to the girls' chagrin when they found out their encounter with him was a one-time deal.
More than the fact that they pursued him, he had probably never been told "no" about anything in his whole life, especially not where women were concerned given his looks and familial wealth. She surprised herself with that thought, somehow finding it in her to sympathize with him in a way she could have never dreamed possible only hours before. Hermione suddenly couldn't help but think that she wouldn't want to be on his end in this strange situation either.
Despite the glimmer of understanding she felt for his crumbling pride, the hypothetical knowledge of how many times he had probably had sex before began mocking her already dangerously low self-esteem. Hermione started getting angrier from his reluctance; she was the virgin with everything to lose, yet essentially became the one begging him to have sex with her just like one of the floozies in his ever-expanding harem. With the perceived insult wounding her further, she became livid over his hesitation, thinking that he still couldn't get over his prejudice long enough to save both of their lives.
It was difficult to do due to the plushness of the mattress which seemed to keep knocking her back no matter how much she struggled against the grain, but Hermione finally managed to get on her knees and scoot closer to him. She spouted angrily as she inched forward on the bed, a finger poking his arm accusatorially. "Well, you are just going to have to find a way to do it, Malfoy! I know that you loathe the thought of touching me, especially with how disgusting you think I am with my 'dirty blood' and all that nonsense, but surely you have enough intelligence to see that death is a far worse fate than shagging a mudblood."
"Oh how I've come to despise that word, Granger," he grumbled under his breath, jumping off of the bed and pacing the room in tight ellipses while she was left dumbstruck by his radically altered point of view. While she appreciated the more receptive attitude, memories of his former comments and hateful slurs about blood purity clouded her judgment, blocked her from seeing the truth in his remorseful eyes. "I'm sure not as much as I do," she whisper-screamed to him. The vehemence of Hermione's words forcefully stopped him in his tracks. Abruptly, she punctuated her statement by sticking out her abused arm as proof.
Despite the dimly lit room, he was immediately drawn to the wound though it was clear he'd rather look away. His pained eyes told a much different story than the one she would have expected as little as an hour before, but everything had changed so drastically in such a short time that she felt like they were just meeting for the first time.
He looked so haunted - so lost - that despite all odds and evidence to the contrary, Hermione wanted to hug him as he disgustedly took at his Aunt's handiwork on her forearm. To her astonishment, Draco's impotent anger with the entire situation was practically bursting out of the deep liquid-silver pools of his eyes while he studied the hateful slur now firmly embedded into her skin.
As if suddenly defeated by the word "Mudblood" spelled out so plainly before his eyes, Malfoy slumped on the bed, his back to her slightly as if he was too embarrassed to face the injured woman behind him. "I have failed the Dark Lord quite a bit lately - my father too. They are looking for a way to get my father to perform with even more devotion, more vigor. Killing me and threatening my mother's life would certainly accomplish that task.
"So you see I know you're right, I know I need to do this in order to save myself but you're wrong about what's stopping me. It isn't your blood, no matter what I may have claimed in the past. And I'm truly sorry, Granger, because Greyback is a vicious monster, but I don't think I can… um, physically do this under these tense conditions. Understand?"
"Bloody hell, Malfoy, you shag anything you can get your hands on, but this – now – in the hour your man-whoring is needed for an actual purpose you have nothing to offer? It is because it's me, isn't it? Just admit it! Because you think I'm plain-looking… and 'dirty' too, right? You've told me that at least a hundred times over the years, but I thought that maybe you could look past that just this once."
Insulted, Hermione sobbed a little, making sure to keep her voice down as to not gain any unwanted attention from those lurking outside their room. She whined despite her vow to stay in control, almost pleading with him as she spoke. "And now we're going to die because you're probably more attracted to Ron because he's a goddamn pureblood instead of me."
"The mental image of shagging the Weasel is certainly not helping my situation here, Granger," he grumbled, making a vague gesture to his crotch. Hermione couldn't help but chuckle mirthfully despite her silent tears. "And just so you know, I really did say all those things just to hurt you. Unlike everybody else at school, you have always fought so passionately, especially against me. I have grown to appreciate and respect that kind of vehemence in a personality as feisty as your own. So, if you think about it, if you were plain and ordinary then I wouldn't have cared enough to even bother teasing you. I have always secretly enjoyed teasing you way more than I should have."
"I'd hate to break it to you, Malfoy, but your enjoyment of teasing me is widely known."
"That may be true, but the fact that most of the time I only did it because I actually think you're quite attractive when you're red-faced and furious is hardly common knowledge. I have also found that those conditions are especially true when you don't ruin the effect by being a know-it-all who always gets better grades than me," he said quietly, more light-hearted than anything else he had said to her thus far.
When his stormy eyes met her earth-toned ones, half of his trademarked smirk visible on the side of his face that she could see, her face flushed to a violent shade of red. Hermione gave him a small smile in return even though it came across as a sort of self-satisfied glare.
With a resigned sigh, she apprehensively scooted closer to him at the end of the bed. "Look, I'm not trying to make this any weirder than it has to be, but we need to work something out before someone comes in here to assess the damage you've done to the prisoner. Unfortunately for your 'stage fright' situation I don't think we can fake this." Draco gulped and Hermione had to fight the urge to roll her eyes.
Aside from keeping Malfoy's potential interest in helping the Order's cause against Voldemort a secret, having sex with him was certainly the best way to keep herself in the Manor and hopefully placed back in the basement where the Death Eaters dragged Ron and disfigured-Harry. Her whole plan revolved around his agreement to play this part convincingly, and she was getting desperate for his compliance.
With a huff of annoyance, she continued, "Believe me the thought of giving a purely theatrical performance had already crossed my mind, but would be impossible to pull off since they are looking for any reason to go after you which would inevitably leave me to fend for myself with a maniacal werewolf. More than that, I can't leave without my friends, and I need to make sure I'm able to stay here with them… even if only as your property," she said, the last word tasting bitter in her mouth.
Draco nodded his head glumly. "Your assessment of the scenario is accurate; faking this won't be a possibility. Even if I savagely tore all your clothes off and we both acted out some depraved sexual scene for whoever would want to hear it, as soon as the werewolf returned and smelled that your scent hadn't… combined with mine he would know we were lying. That would make everything far worse for both of us, not to mention what would happen to you being given to Greyback as a virgin. I'd look like a traitor and you'd be dead by that monster's hands within an hour – a very painful last hour I might add." Finding the need to comfort them both from the reality of the situation, she put her shaky hands on his back and began rubbing his tense shoulders firmly.
To her utter shock at her own bold action, he responded in a way she hadn't anticipated - moaning slightly as she eased the ridiculously tight muscles in his neck. Hermione was just thankful he hadn't jumped away from her after feeling her "mudblood" hands on him. No matter the awkwardness, she knew she had to follow through with her plans to have "life or death" sex with Draco despite their mutual discomfort. His positive reaction to her touch was just making it much easier.
Clearly enjoying the affectionate contact, Draco relaxed into her touch. "Oh gods, that feels bloody amazing, Granger. Do you think you can… it might help if you talk to me for a minute or something. Maybe you could pretend that I'm someone else or do whatever you need to, but just… I don't know… maybe tell me… tell me that you want me," Malfoy practically whispered, embarrassment clear in his voice, something which was made worse when Hermione audibly exhaled in exasperation. "I'm sorry, Granger, but it would be a tremendous help to know you want this even a little."
She could not believe he was going to make her this complicit in her own supposed "rape". Hermione had been holding out the hope Draco would take over at some point and just get it over with. In the scenario she had devised in her head she simply braced herself, closed her eyes, and let him do whatever he needed to do as quickly as possible. In her version there would have been no guilt on her end, no need to feel shame for actually participating in this ridiculous scheme of hers. She would be able to walk away with her dignity intact.
As she thought it over she realized that was very unfair because this really was an uncomfortable situation for him as well. Realizing it actually made better sense to make the best of it, enjoying herself a little instead of just persevering, Hermione summoned her self-confidence and decided to play the part fully. Who knew how long she would be stuck there anyway, serving her role as Draco's personal sex slave providing they decided to let him keep her? Besides, if she was going to die in a few hours anyway then she'd rather have this experience be a semi-positive one.
Since the typically arrogant, albeit very handsome, prat was willing to put in the extra-effort to make things more enjoyable, she felt compelled to do the same. Hermione Granger did not half-ass anything, least of all in a situation where Draco Malfoy could best her. Concentrating on what she needed to do to aid their survival, she said a silent apology to Ron and Harry for what she was about to do with their sworn enemy and let instincts guide her. With one last steadying breath, she assumed her role as the sexual aggressor to help convince Draco to do the deed that would ultimately save them both from a decidedly grim fate.
Surprising him with her sudden exuberance, Hermione pushed herself flush against his back as she grasped his shoulders tightly, purposely pressing her breasts against him before bringing her mouth to hover close to the side of his neck. With a playful stroke of her tongue and a butterfly kiss just behind his ear, she breathily whispered, "Please, Draco, I can't think about anything other than having you inside me. It's driving me crazy. I want you so bad… I need this. I need you."
"Wow, Granger," he whispered back to her after the initial shock of her words subsided. "That was… impressive. Please keep going, just a little more, and then I'm going to kiss you like I wanted to at the Yule Ball. That way we can both just pretend that we aren't being coerced into this at all. In fact, let's imagine we just went on a date somewhere special, and then maybe went up to the Astronomy Tower or someplace secluded to get some privacy." It seemed like he needed a moment to pause and think things over, which Hermione took as an opportunity to pat herself on the back for stirring his desire in such an obvious way. She really never knew she had it in her to behave so wantonly, though she decided she was exhilarated by the feelings of empowerment that came along with it.
Looking over his shoulder, she watched his body react to their conversation, his posture quickly changing from sullen to self-assured. When he spoke again his tone was seductive and confident, almost as though he knew exactly what he was going to say and do next, something that secretly thrilled Hermione to her core. "You would want that, wouldn't you, Granger? You would want to go somewhere romantic with me. You'd want me to touch you, kiss you… make love to you. I would do all of that too, and we could stay like that for hours as if we were the only two people in the world. It would be so nice and sweet…" he said, letting the words linger as he looked at Hermione more fully.
When he finally started speaking again his voice was breathy, strained. "But I need to know, you need to tell me, would you want me to take you hard and rough too? Because it's your first time I'll try to go easy, but I'm really not sure I can be all that gentle with you. After all, I've denied how much I've wanted you for far too long. Tell me you want me like that too, Granger."
She awarded him with an unprecedented moan of agreement for his evocative words, instantly appreciative of how invested he was becoming in their verbal foreplay. When she presented him with her plan she never imagined Draco being quite like this with her in the execution of it – so openly excited. Deciding that stroking his ego a bit more seemed like the right move to get him even more enthusiastic rather than chance his earlier reluctance returning, Hermione started letting her hands creep down his shoulders to tug on the front of his shirt as she firmly rubbed her chest into his back. The more she touched him and inhaled the clean minty scent of his skin, the easier it was becoming to compliment him, especially if it would get him to speak to her in that sexy way again.
Hermione proceeded to place languorous open-mouth kisses along his neck while letting her hands slowly tease down his chest. She didn't want to let her mind start to overthink things when they were just turning heated, but she noticed the way he seemed to relax into her touch like a neglected puppy starved for affection. For some reason that turned her on even more, her aroused state manifesting in her brazen words. "I have imagined being with you before, Draco… I've always been too embarrassed to tell anyone because of all of the dirty things I let you do to me in my dreams, but they're just so deliciously sinful I can't keep it to myself any longer. I'm lucky I'm smart enough to pretend to pay attention in classes all these years when what I've really been doing is watching you. I sit in class and replay my fantasies as I secretly get myself off under the desk, wishing those were your fingers inside me."
"Merlin, Granger, tell me at least some of that is true… Swear to it," he demanded forcefully, swiftly turning his body to her with a serious look in his eyes. Apparently she had provoked him enough with that last declaration that his previous qualms had now completely subsided. With his nervousness gone, he looked positively predatory, his entire focus transfixed squarely on his prey.
Hermione reveled in his attention, answering without hesitation with the knowledge it was at least based in truth even though she was reluctant to admit to him which parts. She had never actually masturbated in class to thoughts of him, but that didn't stop her from taking the occasional long shower to get herself off in private. It had been like that since the day after she had punched him in third year. Their heated arguments in classes had always left her so hot and bothered with no other way to relieve the desire she had to both slap and kiss him at the same time that she was left with little other option.
"It's all true, Malfoy. I get off so hard thinking about you. I want you to show me how it could be between us, how the real you compares to my fantasies."
"Oh… that was so incredibly perfect, so sexy, Granger," he growled into her mouth as he promptly closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. Even though she was informally almost-dating Ron, doing this with Malfoy suddenly didn't feel like a betrayal to anyone anymore. It felt more like the inevitable conclusion of years of unresolved sexual tension between them, even if it only came about from the awful circumstances in which they now found themselves. There was so much built-up passion from both of them that those truths didn't need to be spoken at all. They were unnecessary, undeniably proclaimed in the fiery first kiss they shared.
After what was quickly becoming the most erotic experience of Hermione's life, she was disappointed for a moment when she felt him move away from her. Resting on his knees on the bed facing her, he leaned in slowly again, murmuring in her ear with more sincerity than she ever thought him capable. "I'm not going to say I never thought about this before because that would be a lie, but I am sorry that things have to be this way… under these conditions. As much as I don't want to hurt you like this, especially knowing your virginity wasn't meant to be given to me, I know I'm a right bastard because I can't help but enjoy having you in my bed, Granger."
With a groan of approval for his unexpected words, blunt as they may have been, she pulled him as close as possible to her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she took him with her as Draco pushed her back down on to the plush mattress. Quickly putting his ample sexual expertise to good use, Hermione could do nothing but moan into his sultry kiss, happily pinned beneath him. Before she even knew what was happening, especially since she didn't remember pulling her hands out of his platinum blond hair to make it possible, his black shirt had been removed and discarded across the room along with his jacket.
Even though she had only fooled around with a few guys before, having found herself in a brief, awkward encounter the summer prior with a boy named Ryan, a friend of her American cousin, no one had ever made her feel so erotically charged before. And dear Godric, Draco had hardly even touched her yet.
Distancing himself slightly, she moaned as he palmed her breast roughly before he tweaked her nipple through her bra. Quickly moving to the hem of her shirt, he tugged upwards on the fabric until he pulled it all the way off her slim shoulders. Exposed to his lascivious gaze, Hermione brought one hand up to cup her own breast, caressing his bare stomach with the other. With a smirk playing on his face, he tsked her playfully, pulling further away to sit on his knees again as he started to remove the rest of their clothing. "You're not supposed to be enjoying this so much, remember?"
"Who says I'm enjoying this?" she asked with a pretend scowl, knowing the desperation in her tone betrayed what she meant to be a challenging comment. She looked at Draco's unclothed torso, seeing the undeniable proof of the damage which had been inflicted upon him for the first time. Tracing the lines she saw with one delicate finger, the pair said nothing as she continued her ministrations.
She knew the jagged, silver-toned gashes across his stomach and lower chest had been magically-healed, the result of his bloody encounter with Harry who had used the Half-blood Prince's cutting spell without knowing at the time it was Snape's own concoction. There were more though, many more, Hermione noted. Concealed under his aristocratic robes, Draco had dozens more which spoke to a cruelty far more profound than a single violent incident. He had been terribly abused, and recently if the angry red wounds marring his pale flesh were anything to go by.
Normally he would not have allowed himself to be seen this way, so exposed to another, but Hermione was not without her own set of scars. Concentrated to a few areas rather than the widespread marks on his own body, Hermione had been most severely injured just under the ribs on her left side. Draco couldn't help but wonder when that had happened and who had cast whatever curse it was that left her with such a substantial scar. It could have been any of them: one of the Lestranges, Yaxley, Dolohov, his father, or quite possibly even himself. It was remote, but there was a chance, having been in a few scuffles with various members of the Order since taking the Mark.
But the likelihood that it was the same individual who had caused his own suffering made Draco inhale sharply. Turning his head to look at her arm and the newest addition to Hermione's collection, he mirrored her movements and let his palm soothe the spot. He wanted to make sure she understood in that one touch that he still thought she was beautiful - scars and all. That wouldn't change no matter how many times a member of his family tried to cut her down. More than that, he wanted to relieve some of the hurt from those badges of a painful past which they'd always wear, something that made them so similar.
Shivering under her caring, gentle touch, his hand moved to the waistband of his pants, slowly sliding them down over his hips to reveal his unencumbered manhood. Springing forth, almost jumping at her, he chuckled at her surprised face as she gawked at him, wide-eyes combing over his fully naked body for the first time.
Feeling her intense gaze on him was all the confirmation he needed. He stated hotly, "Go on, Granger, you can tell yourself whatever you need to, that you aren't enjoying this even a little bit, but we both know that isn't true. This has been a long time coming and you know it."
Not wanting to feel embarrassed by her wanton reaction, or the fact Draco was right, she hastily countered, "There's no time to talk about this now, Malfoy, you ass. Someone is bound to come back soon. This is 'life or death' sex, remember?"
She heard him chuckle something about her being "an over-eager over-achiever" as he moved his hand to the top of her jeans, popping the button while keeping his eyes fixated on hers. After Draco slowly pulled down the zipper, he aided Hermione as she used both hands to shimmy out of her pants as fast as she could. As much as she tried to hide her brazen ogling of his body, she couldn't seem to stop staring at his strong chest and well-toned stomach, an action which inevitably led to longer, more daring glances even lower.
He smirked viciously at her, vindicated from her earlier half-hearted protests to the contrary by her lingering gaze. Hermione, knowing she had been caught openly staring, felt the need to defend herself in some way. "Well, what do you want to hear me say, Malfoy? Fine, I admit it. It's really no wonder you've always been such a conceited bastard," she said sharply, as if annoyed with the truth. "Look at you. I'm surprised you don't walk around naked just to further inflate your already enormous ego."
Though he didn't respond with anything more than a dark chuckle, he was tremendously pleased with the way Hermione was clearly getting herself turned on from seeing his nude body. Draco decided to do to the same with her, relishing the experience even though it was somewhat rushed. Taking in her dainty lilac-colored knickers, he licked his lips and all designs he had briefly entertained in taking things slowly because it was her first time evaporated into a flurry of movements. Mere seconds later, he had torn her bra and underwear from her body and firmly shoved her back down on the bed. Watching her face to gauge her reaction to his impulsive roughness, her ravenous eyes gave him all the permission he needed to continue.
Without any further moral compunction complicating her enjoyment of what she was being "forced" to do, Hermione gave herself over to her long-suppressed passion for her academic rival. Just the feeling of having his hard naked body rubbing against hers was like nothing she had ever experienced before. His torturously slow movements caused the most incredible friction as he pushed his now hard as a rock erection along her most intimate area. Being careful to tease without entering her just yet, Hermione was ready to scream from Draco's torturous method.
His large hands were roaming everywhere on her body except the places she desperately wanted him to touch most, purposely stimulating them through unmet desire. She was in ecstasy as his mouth seemed to be everywhere: on her face, neck, or any exposed piece of flesh he could find almost simultaneously. It was an incredible combination, like being unfettered after a lifetime of confinement, finally able to experience the world.
After Draco finally made his way back up the column of her neck, kissing every spot he encountered along the way, their mouths crashed together again. Met with an intense connection that neither dared to break, they kissed each other breathless.
She was overwhelmed with the sensation of things yet to come as he vigorously pushed himself against her body. She took a moment to explore the feel of him with her naturally inquisitive hands, gasping as she found his strong, well-toned back to be one of the most fascinating things she could ever remember touching. With a ragged breath that came from both of them to signal their need for air, he pushed up off of the bed to look down on her from a few inches away.
When he settled back on top of her with all of his weight, their now naked bodies lined up so perfectly that she shivered from all of the potential energy flowing between them. Nervousness crept back through her slowly as things took on a dreamy quality for a moment, the reality crashing back down on her lust-addled brain when her logical side recognized what came next. Hermione Granger was about to lose her virginity to Draco Malfoy in a house full of Death Eaters while faking being raped to avoid the clutches of some violent werewolf who wanted to tear her apart. The whole thing was a bit too much.
Sensing her distress, Draco began to kiss her again. Suddenly slower and gentler than moments before, she welcomed the drastic difference in pace since her body's responses seemed heightened to a dangerous degree.
"I'm sorry for this," he said as he firmly gripped her hip with one hand and eased himself in shallowly with the other. With a deep breath from them both, Hermione was thankful Draco wasted no time to build-up the event any further before pushing through her virginal resistance in one clean stroke, stilling immediately as their hips met completely.
"Oh gods, don't be sorry," she cried out, clinging to him tightly. "More!" she moaned in his ear, licking the side of his neck before pulling him in for another kiss. She knew it should have hurt; she was told that countless times by any number of gossiping girls in the Gryffindor dorms, but the pain was also so pleasant that Hermione thought that for once she must have missed something important.
How in the world did this feel so amazing? Was she so in need for physical contact after everything that had happened these months spent looking for Horcruxes that this was making her completely insane with desire? She didn't dare ask herself the one question which made the most sense to her logical mind, was it because it was with him that made the situation much more erotic than it had any right to be?
She didn't know the answers to any of those questions, not having time to consider much else before the immense pleasure compounded with the first complete movement Draco made to withdraw himself before thrusting back into her body. With a startled cry, not knowing what else to do, Hermione gripped his shoulders and tried in vain to match his vigorous pace. The only thing she was sure of in this moment was not wanting to face the threat of ending this feeling of completeness too quickly.
Hermione was also enjoying his reactions to her way too much, oblivious to his internal struggles even though she noted the shockingly wild look in his eyes. She couldn't help but think of an old song her mother liked listening to on the radio, something about setting your soul on fire. That's what it looked like as she stared up at Draco, like there was some unreachable, unattainable knowledge existing in his eyes that even he wasn't aware of. It was mesmerizing.
Feeling impassioned by his penetrating silver gaze, Hermione lightly scraped her nails up from their spot on his lower back to his broad shoulders, her gaze never leaving his lusty eyes. He shuddered, loving the contradiction of her delicate fingers touching him so roughly, he whispered to her in a commanding moan, "Scratch me harder, Granger. It needs to look like you protested. Just do it again! Please!"
The "please" resulted in a howl of pleasure from Hermione, loving the vulnerability Draco had shown her so far, never having anticipated he would have such a genuine reaction with her of all people. Despite the possibility he might have literally thrown her to the wolves at her first appeal for help, the brave Gryffindor inside of Hermione had forced her to try to save her friends and herself by any means necessary, despite the likeliness he would have laughed in her face for having the nerve to proposition him for sex. As luck would have it, she had been handsomely rewarded for taking that risk.
Complying with his demand, she savagely raked her nails down the path they had just travelled with a much more determined purpose. Finding purchase under her fingertips on the muscles just below his shoulder blades, she pressed her nails firmly into his skin there and dragged them harshly without letting up. He groaned loudly at the initial swipe of her nails as she clawed wildly at his alabaster skin. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before, an overflow of excess desire, an outlet for his pain. He loved every second of it.
Scared she had hurt him due to his vociferous growls, Hermione lightened the pressure until he huskily moaned in her ear for more. Again, at his insistence, Hermione did as he ordered without knowing why he was enjoying the pain so much. She was simply getting off on the idea of pleasing him so much, aside from the intensity in which he began pounding into her because of it.
In truth, Draco was only partially stating the motivation for his request. Yes, the other Death Eaters would likely expect it, and he always found sex to be more satisfying with a rougher type of energy involved, something which was never experienced with his Hogwarts conquests. But there was so much more lying underneath the surface that Hermione had quite literally just begun to scratch. Everything had really changed for him the first moment she touched him, culminating in an eruption of emotions Draco had tried to suppress since he decided it was a necessary means of survival.
Draco had found her initial massaging of his sore neck muscles sobering, bitterly recognizing her compassionate touch to be the first sensation he had experienced in years that wasn't drowned in unrelenting numbness. Ever since the Dark Lord had tasked Draco with killing Dumbledore he had started compartmentalizing everything he did, shrinking himself further and further into a cramped corner in his mind until he was so completely disconnected from all emotion that physical pain had ceased to exist for him as well.
In the absence of pain, fear began to follow, and then soon after went everything else too – anything still remotely good in him was lost, corrupt. There was no more emotion left in him, no excitement or sadness, only static hollowness. Apparently if you have no fear then there is nothing that is left that holds much value, assessing your love by the intensity with which you want the things you care for to remain yours. He had become a soulless marionette with a maniac puppeteer and there was nothing he could do but play his part, giving in to the insane direction of the Dark Lord.
The seduction the Dark Arts presented before he joined the Death Eaters never gave him a moment of pause. Initially Draco enjoyed it all: the praise and prestige, being included in a group so feared by those he had been taught were beneath him. The most substantial allure of all had come from the recognition the young man had received from the Dark Lord himself, a wizard so notoriously powerful who had taken a specific interest in him, Draco Malfoy. After years spent being overshadowed by the Golden Trio, even in the eyes of his own father to some extent, Draco thought he had finally been given a chance to claim one defining moment for his own, an opportunity to be infamous like the Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Die.
"Harry Potter", the bane of Draco's existence, had unknowingly become a permanent fixture in the Malfoy home. His nagging presence was a consummate reminder of the Malfoy family's failure to successfully return the Dark Lord to power. It was this fact that drove Draco to search for a niche in the world that he could consider all his own, seeing as how his father inhibited that ability from the beginning. In the end, Draco had concluded that since Dumbledore backed Potter, then he could be the Dark Lord's right hand man.
But Draco had been wrong about so very many things, having withdrawn from the whole world to the point that he had severely fallen out of favor with the rest of the Death Eaters who occupied his once stately home, as well as every "friend" he had ever made. That was until tonight, however, when Hermione had taken an interest in helping him hide his moral defection from the Dark Lord's cause. Her healing touch followed by her soulful kiss was everything he knew it could be - giving and passionate in ways he had never known firsthand. It was enough to consume his hatred for everything his world had become, enough to revive his awareness of everything he still wanted in his life that seemed unattainable only hours before.
Feeling something as pure as Hermione's compassionate spirit was truly blissful to Draco. It awakened something deep down inside him that he thought his father had snuffed out long ago. That was the reason he wanted to hurt, to feel pain. It was like coming back to life. The pain was very pleasurable, cleansing to his spirit as it awoke his own desire for more than playing into his position as his disgraced father's indentured lackey. He was exhilarated by their kissing, her touches, and his humanity being redeemed by the profound revelation that he wanted to get out of his dismal situation at all cost.
Only a moment had passed since he demanded she claw at him again even though it seemed like an eternity to his preoccupied mind. She knew she had been successful in breaking his skin like he obviously wanted as soon as he thrust even harder, thrilled with the pleasurable pain her passionate scratches evoked, he was brought back to the moment fully.
She enjoyed his roughness just as much, moving her hips in time with his as she gritted her teeth before teasing him. "You kinky bastard, you liked that didn't you?"
"Merlin, yes, I loved it. Do it again, Granger!" he demanded forcefully, miraculously keeping his voice low enough that any eavesdroppers wouldn't hear. Hermione reacted impulsively, loving the genuine pleasure she was able to elicit from him just before he kissed her again. He was brutal in his assault of her mouth, their teeth scraping as their lips crashed together.
Pulling away, he reverently whispered in her ear, "I always knew it would be like this with you. I've always wanted this with you. I always knew… just amazing."
"Oh Merlin, I love it. Please… more, Draco." After that, Hermione could do little more than moan in both pleasure and agreement, writhing beneath him as he aggressively made love to her with more passion than should have been possible. Between his surprisingly affectionate kissing and stroking of her face as his thrusts took on a more frenzied pace, it was easy to overlook what brought them together in this fashion. Indulging in desires which were evidently present in them both, they made the most of the situation by letting out all of the pent up feelings they had held for each other over the years.
Lost to the unquenchable craving for each other, they had forgotten their circumstances, both abruptly faced with their cruel reality when many heavy footsteps could be heard coming in their direction. Unsure if Draco heard the imminent arrival of several Death Eaters about to enter, Hermione tugged his hair harshly, finally getting his attention as he slowed his movements a little, never stopping completely.
"Even though I'm enjoying this very much, you know you're going to have to make it… oh-oh… look like you're hurting me now. I won't hold it against you, I promise. Just… make it convincing… Aaaah and if it helps, I like you being rough anyway," she added with a chuckle that turned into a low moan as he began very slow, deliberate thrusts in and out, savoring the last moments he had her all to himself.
Where he ordinarily would have returned her comment with a teasing remark and a smirk of his own, he looked so conflicted. To her surprise, he stilled himself and whispered quietly in her ear. "I don't want you to hate me for being the monster they expect to see. I'm sorry."
As they lazily continued their previously frenzied exchange, knowing their bubble was about to burst, she gently tugged his earlobe. She was trying to remind him of when she had touched his neck and back for the first time which seemed like a lifetime ago after everything that happened between them. With her hand cupping his ear to keep their exchange quiet, she reassured, "I'm trusting you to do this, Draco. Remember you are saving us – both of us. Do whatever its going to take to get me back with my friends and… try to keep yourself alive if you can help it too, would you please?"
He looked deeply into her eyes as if to convey more than any spoken words were able, and just before he was able to articulate his sentiments precisely, the sound of the door creaking open interrupted their "special" moment. Whispers and comments from the hallway invaded the room, but were quickly silenced as the Death Eaters looming ominously in the doorway took in the scene. Seeing the two naked bodies on the bed with their own eyes proved Draco a loyal Death Eater, one who evidently did not care about their mudblood captive at all based on the way her clothes were strewn about as if he had ripped them off of her body in a frenzy.
With a single despondent look cast to Hermione, he assumed his role completely, setting his cruel mask back upon his face. Upon hearing the commotion rise again, Draco looked over his shoulder and growled at the crowd of perverts which clearly had every intention of watching their coupling from the door. Even without their attempt to enter, their presence was such a palpable intrusion that they may as well have come to stand around the bed to get front row seats.
Those who thought him incapable and unworthy of his status under the Dark Lord were disappointed to see that he had gone through with it. Their groans of frustration that the younger Malfoy would not be murdered on this occasion were drowned out completely by Bellatrix's squeal of deranged delight as the door suddenly slammed shut with a resounding thud, muffling the noise once again.
Of course the Death Eaters didn't know it was consensual, a plot between the pair to aid their survival, especially after seeing the bloody gashes trailing down the blond teen's back from his "victim's" sharp nails. They had truly staged a convincing scene quite incidentally, and Hermione was about to breathe a sigh of relief at the sound of the door closing when she realized they were not alone in the room. For some reason, someone had lingered.
A/N: I don't make money from these characters or concepts, but will happily accept reviews on this story as compensation. Let me know if you have a question. I'd be happy to answer. :)
And a special thanks to all those who have reviewed! You have made me smile like a mad fool!
