Thank you for all the love you left for chapter one of this fic. It means the world to me.
I want to note that while I thought I would finish by chapter four, that will not be happening, but let's just hope the muse stays so I can finish it quickly.
Another important note is that unlike other Alpha/omega fics, the animalistic behaviour will not occur at first. Hermione will both slowly and quickly grow to accept Draco. It will be slow for the story, but fast since the story will still be short.
To the readers who have read my previous stories, I would love your feedback on one point. I personally feel that this fic has some of my strongest writing if you have read my works before, especially recent ones, can you let me know if this is true?
Thanks loves
Standing at the base of a set of stone steps stood an abnormally large man. Though his black clothing was clearly tailored well for his body, it still seemed strained to stay stitched. Hermione noted that not only was he at least a foot taller than she, but his shoulders were incredibly broad, and his upper arms thicker than her thighs.
The span of skin on her neck continued to prickle uncomfortably, and she fought the urge to place her hand against it. She worried that it could possibly be a rash, but stood resolute beside Lord Snape attempting to ignore the unpleasant sensation. Her guardian held out his hand to her, and when she accepted it, he escorted her past the staff who were lined up neatly to her right, and straight to the impossibly large man.
She wondered briefly if this was a guard for the master of the house, but those thoughts were quickly swept away when the man bowed his head at her and grabbed her hand from Lord Snape's.
"Lord Snape, I hope your journey was uneventful, thank you for presenting my gift to Lady Hermione," the man said, and when he stopped, he leaned down and kissed her hand, before he turned her hand, and placed a kiss in her palm. He did all of this without breaking eye contact with her. Hermione was unused to such intense attention, and she began to pull away after the odd display of affection, but his fingers held her tight, and suddenly his nose was rubbing against the tender flesh of her inner wrist. If Hermione was not mistaken, she heard him murmur, "Divine."
When the man finally let go of her, Hermione took a step back to stand next to Lord Snape again, and a curious smirk played on the lips of, who Hermione could only hope was in-fact, her intended.
"Let us retire inside and get more acquainted," Lord Draco said. "Dobson and Winny will see to your things." He nodded at two of the staff, an older man with large green eyes and an older woman who wore a bright smile.
Lord Draco paused before walking, offering his arm to her. Hermione looked up at Lord Snape and watched her guardian give her the smallest of nods.
Hermione folded her arm in his as he led them into the manor. He held her tightly against his body and spoke to her, his voice light, the opposite of her mood, "I hope you feel at home here, my Lady. If there are things you wish to change, please tell me, and we shall fix them to your liking, the place has not had a woman's touch in many years."
Hermione was thankful for his strong arm that continued to lead her through the corridors because with his kind words she had turned to gaze at him. It was not at all how she was expecting to be treated as an Omega. She was half surprised he hadn't just mounted her already, from what she had read Alphas tended to be mindless beasts of men. Unable to keep their carnal needs restrained.
They finally arrived in a formal sitting room, that gave a view of the extensive, sweeping gardens in the rear of the home. In the corner, a grand piano and Hermione noticed that a number of the chairs had been turned to face in that direction. Lord Draco escorted her to a seat, and when she was seated he took the place directly across from her, as Lord Snape sat next to her.
Lord Draco's pale eyes never left Hermione, and the close inspection was making her uncomfortable, which just led to more tingling on the patch of skin of her neck. She was fighting the urge to rub the spot, and turned to look at her guardian who was staring at her as well, his eyebrow raised and she couldn't help the feeling that she was expected to do something.
"Lord Snape, from your letters you had mentioned that Lady Hermione was quite energetic and talkative, and so I wonder what has my Lady's tongue at the moment?" Lord Draco asked, and he smirked, his eyes seeming to light up when her cheeks flushed.
"It is quite the novel experience Lord Draco, my ward is normally so talkative it borders on improper, I think she might be overwhelmed," Lord Snape said his voice while always monotone held a hint of mirth that made Hermione's blush deepen.
"I hope that this is just temporary, My Lady, I had hoped to gain a conversational wife," Lord Draco said his pale eyes glinting with mischief and Hermione honestly still couldn't find words to say to him. He was nothing like she expected. Unwelcome thoughts of how handsome his Lordship was were fluttering through her brain and making her neck itch to the point of maddening.
The room was quiet for a few minutes as Hermione tried to think of something she could say to begin with, but the itching was becoming more than she could stand. Finally, she took a breath and spoke, "I beg your pardon my Lords, but I wonder if I could speak with my guardian for a moment, I am quite concerned about a matter to do with my health."
Lord Draco's eyebrows cinched together, and his eyes narrowed and before either she or Lord Snape could say anything further, he spoke, "My Lady please tell me how I can assist you, we are to be Husband and Wife. I will send for the doctor immediately if you have need of him."
Hermione bit her lip, her cheeks flushing but something about his intense reaction made the maddening itching grow again, until finally she couldn't help herself, and reached for the spot on her neck. "My Lords, I again beg your pardon. Since we arrived a spot on my neck has been itching maddeningly, I fear it might be a bite or rash of some kind. I do not think a doctor is required for such an issue."
Hermione grew even more puzzled when she saw Lord Draco relax and her guardian sit up straighter, gazing at her neck with his sharp black eyes. "Hermione, my dear, you are free of rash, and nothing has bitten you, yet. Did you read the book I leant you a fortnight ago?" Lord Snape asked in his comforting monotone voice laced with an emotion she couldn't quite name.
"I read some of it my Lord, but I did not read it cover to cover," Hermione admitted feeling both ashamed and affronted. It had been a highly offensive book about the role of an Omega in the world, and how they Alphas would strive to possess them. She had thrown the book across her room when she read the chapter titled "The Night of Claiming." She was not naive, she knew how carnal relationships worked, having read many of the books Lord Snape kept in his library, but she refused to admit that she would be claimed by anyone. She was a person, not a dog.
Lord Snape looked at Lord Draco and shrugged, "I apologise, as you heard she did read a portion of the book you sent for her, but clearly, this will need to be explained."
Lord Draco nodded, "My Lady there were matters in that book that would explain your current distress, but to simplify the answer, the area of your skin that itches is not due to rash or a bite. It is your mating gland, and it is reacting to an unsuppressed Alpha, your Alpha. It is quite literally itching to be claimed. I apologise for being so blunt my Lady, but that is the fact."
Hermione's mouth hung open, and she looked at Lord Snape ready for him to correct Lord Draco, that couldn't be the case, her body would not betray her so quickly, but she was not comforted by her guardian. Instead, his words felt like cold ice in her veins, "Hermione you have been off your own suppressants, and as you know we have carefully kept you away from unsuppressed Alphas. Lord Draco is the first Alpha you have been near who will be at his full factories."
Everyone was quiet again while Hermione tried to digest the words, she raised her fingers again to the spot on her neck and could feel no additional heat or raised area. She narrowed her honey brown eyes and looked around the room, and finally found out in the hallway above a small table the exact object she needed. As soon as she rose from her seat, the two Lords rose too, but she ignored them and walked forward, ignoring their calls to her and went to the gilded mirror on the wall. She took in her reflection, the beautiful emerald green dress with the softest black silk, and her shockingly bare neck.
Hermione caught Lord Draco's movements in the reflection and saw him approaching her cautiously. When he stood directly behind her, he leaned forward, "My Lady, I am sorry, I assumed you understood. Would you like to speak to myself or Lord Snape privately or both of us?"
Hermione swallowed, noticing now for the first time that his pale eyes were actually a peculiar shade of grey, like storm clouds on a rainy day. As soon as she thought that, she was filled with a mixture of frustration and happiness. She did not want to like this Alpha male behind her, he was supposed to be the downfall of all her dreams, but contrary to her ideas of what he should be, he had been nothing but kind. Her weary soul wondered if it was an act until Lord Snape was no longer with them.
She turned and if not for her full skirts she was sure they would chest to chest, "If it would not be too much of an inconvenience, I would prefer to speak to Lord Snape, my Lord."
To her continued surprise, Lord Draco smiled and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on her cheek, "As you wish my Lady, I will go and assure that your rooms are being prepared." With that, he turned on his heel and walked back in the direction that they had come.
Hermione turned and went back to her seat, her guardian's sharp eyes watching her the whole way, "I apologize, sir, I did not realise how important that text would be."
"Obviously," Lord Snape replied in his normal sardonic way. "So Miss Granger what questions do you have or should I just turn this into a quick lesson?"
Hermione deliberated for a moment before she decided, "If you could, sir, begin instruction, and I will stop you when I have a question."
Though Lord Snape rarely showed much emotion, a small smile crossed his lips, and he began speaking. "As you know Alphas and Omegas have existed in the world since the dawn of mankind, a way of ensuring that the strongest survive and continue to carry on the best that humans have to offer. While I am sure that you have filled your head with many rumors or false pieces of information that many love to share through gossip, Alphas are not all mindless beasts. Though those types of Alphas do exist."
He took a great breath and continued, "I myself am an Alpha though I have spent the last fifteen years on suppressants since you came into my life in a more permanent fashion, my dear, that and I prefer solitude to the other option." Hermione's eyes had widened, she had no idea that her guardian was one of them, and a cold weight settled in her stomach at his words. "Lord Draco from my understanding is one of the Alphas who are not mindless beasts, I hear he cares a great deal about the people around him, treats his staff as family and was quite devastated when his mother passed some years ago. I am told that he is quite honorable and I expect him to treat you well, and I assure you," Lord Snape paused her, his careful eyes boring into her own and Hermione quite thought she saw emotion in his dark irises. "I would never allow you to be mistreated, and I would remove you from this place if I thought such a thing were to occur. You have quite grown on me, Miss Granger, and my home will be quite empty without your continuous questions and curiosity. I might have to find myself another ward, or an insufferably curious cat."
Hermione couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes at this, and she accepted the handkerchief that Lord Snape gave to her. They sat quietly for a moment, and Hermione's thoughts whirled with the speed of a steam engine. She could not begin to process what he had just said. Not that Lord Snape had ever mistreated her, but she had lived with him for so long and had grown used to his need for solitude, she hadn't realised that he had grown to accept her on any level.
"Do you have any questions yet?" Lord Snape asked her.
Hermione thought for a moment and made a decision, "If it is true what you say about Lord Draco, and his conduct thus has only proven what you have said, I would ask you one thing. Everything that I should have read in the book had to do with what would happen between him and I once we were husband and wife?"
Lord Snape nodded, and Hermione continued, "Then if you trust him, I will offer him the same hand of trust, and I would ask that he inform me about the rest."
Lord Snape was again quiet for a moment and when he next spoke his voice was tight, and she knew he was struggling to control his own emotions, "You are quite brave Miss Granger, a trait that your mother had. She would be very proud of you, but since she is not here, let me tell you that I am quite proud of how well you are handling this."
Hermione smiled and stood, smoothing her skirts once more, "I think I will go find Lord Draco so that I may learn about what happens between a husband and wife." And with a flourish of her beautiful, green skirts she departed the sitting room in search of her intended.
To be continued. . .
