A/N: Ooh! Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I know it was a bit hard with that cliffhanger, but the wait is OVER! I think that you guys are really going to like this chapter...I've been anticipating this one most of all. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.
Please let me know what you thought of chapter seven, and be on the lookout for chapter eight soon!
To calm herself, Hermione focused on looking around the room at Bill's office. It was a nice office, dominated by a huge desk covered in disheveled paperwork that Hermione would be itching to tidy up and organize. She noticed pictures of the Weasley family on his desk, as well as one of Fleur, looking beautiful in the falling snow.
Fleur. Hermione thought, her heart clenching in guilt. Sure, she hadn't gotten along with the part veela woman initially, but as time went on, she wasn't so bad. And she was clearly so in love with Bill, despite Mrs. Weasley's attempts to separate the pair. Could she really do this to the blonde woman so close to her wedding? To rip away her one true love from the Earth?
Hermione scowled, then, thinking that Bill obviously hadn't given much thought to her parents and how she would feel when they were murdered. So why should she give any thought to the people that Bill would leave behind?
Bill cleared his throat and her eyes snapped back to him. Hermione schooled her features and hoped to Merlin that her glamour would hold, even with the absolutely odious face that she'd been giving him. The watch was floating in front of him, while he'd been teasing out just what curses were on it.
"Who did you say that the watch belonged to?" He asked tentatively. Hermione cursed, thinking that he was on to her. The curses were not particularly tricky to remove. Really, the only one that would give substantial difficulty was the gemino curse, but most people who'd gotten an O in charms should be able to undo it, given sufficient time and patience.
She gave him a demure smile. "I found it in my grandfather's things." She insisted, hoping that he would continue to go along with the story she'd concocted.
He rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. "It's just that...none of the curses have a very long age. In fact it seems like they were placed rather recently. Miss Green, are you sure that you didn't take this from someone who didn't want you to have it?"
Hermione frowned, surprised that he thought her a thief. And on top of that, she wasn't positive that Antonin would be pleased that she had taken the watch, even if he hadn't been the one's to place the curses. "No! As I said, he recently died, and I only just started going through his things. If you cannot remove the curses, I can just take it elsewhere." She said, trying to sound haughty.
To her immense surprise, it seemed to work. He gave her one last lingering glance before he shrugged his shoulders and began working to move the simple curses. While all of his attention was focused on the pocket watch, Hermione pulled her wand from her sleeve gripping the handle tightly in her hand.
She tried to relax, letting the unbearable rage that this man in front of her had killed her mother and father. She tried to channel all that feeling into her magic, and then tried to feel the intent that Antonin insisted that she needed. I want to kill Bill, I want to kill Bill, I want to kill Bill. Hermione repeated that phrase over and over again in her mind until she'd convinced herself, with every fiber of her being, that it was true.
She raised her head and her wand, only to find Bill looking at her quite oddly. Recognition filtered over his face, and Hermione felt her concentration evaporate. Her glamour must have failed. The watch fell in a clatter onto the desk.
Bill stood up from his desk so quickly that it knocked the chair over behind him. He was at an advantage, as he'd already had his wand drawn and now it was trained on her form. "Hermione, did Dolohov send you? I can help you." He said, his voice firm and calm.
Hermione smirked at him, trying to convince her that she'd been brainwashed. She was sure this would make a pretty memory for the Order. "Dolohov didn't send me. I am here to take care of some unfinished business." She told him, before sending a slicing hex his way, wanting him to feel the pain that her parents must have felt.
He blocked the curse easily enough, but it ricocheted off the shelving on the wall, sending glass baubles flying. Hermione was barely able to throw up a protego to protect herself from the glass and then the incarcerous that Bill tried to send her way.
He gave her a conciliatory smile. "He's lying to you Hermione. Whatever Dolohov has been telling you is a lie." Bill promised.
Hermione sneered before sending a jelly legs jinx at him that struck true to its mark. To her disappointment, he easily countered it. "You are lying to me Bill. I saw it with my own eyes!" Hermione was already getting too emotional, tears clouding her vision. She hated the way that he was trying to confuse her, especially because it was so unbelievable that they would have killed her parents in the first place. Her memory of the afternoon was the only thing keeping her grounded.
Instead of responding, she let the emotion wash over her. Raising her wand at him, she tried the one spell she needed to end this little confrontation. "Avada Kedavra!" She called, only to watch in horror as it fizzled halfway to him.
"Hermione you aren't a killer." Bill told her, laughing. The sound cut her like a knife, reminding her of the continual failure she proved to be in this one area of magic. "Harry and Ron are really worried about you, Hermione. Come home, and they will forgive you for anything that Dolohov made you do."
"Antonin isn't making me do anything!" Hermione screeched, hating the shrill way that her voice sounded. She was losing it, and she needed to regain control. But the mention of her two best friends sent her off kilter. She hated the way that they so quickly believed everything that Dumbledore said. They never questioned him. Couldn't they see that it was just lies?
Shaking her head, Hermione tried to focus, and began throwing any spell she could think of Bill's way, even reverting to some second year spells. They came in a barrage, anything she could think of was sent his way, only to be blocked easily by the more experienced wizard. She was so angry that it was making her fight sloppy.
And Bill was reaping the benefits, targeting her with well aimed curses and hexes, intended to disarm her with pain and shock, rather than do any real damage. It wouldn't do for their story if he actually injured her, even if she'd been brainwashed. They still thought that she was one of them, and it wouldn't do to have him hurt her with friendly fire.
The worst part was that it was actually working. To her horror, Bill was gaining the upper hand. Hermione cursed herself for rushing into the situation, not giving it enough thought. She had absolutely no safety net here, so if she fell she was actually going to fall. She couldn't imagine what Bill and Sirius would do to her memories if they got a hold on her.
They'd twist things around until she hated Antonin once again. She didn't want to hate Antonin after she'd just found him. He was the only good thing in her life for the past few months. He was the only person who seemed to be looking out uniquely for her. He was the only one who cared about her - not that he'd said it, but he'd certainly shown it.
Focusing herself once more, Hermione stood, blocking the spell that Bill sent her way, before raising her wand, letting the rage build inside of her, knuckles white around the vinewood in her hand. Taking a deep breath, Hermione knew that this was her last chance. "Avada Keda-"
She was knocked flat on her arse, the spell flying across the room, leaving a black streak on the ceiling of the office. Hermione struggled with the ropes that had wrapped around her body, from where Bill had got her with his incarcerous.
Internally, she lamented that she hadn't been paying better attention to her opponent. Her heart pounded in her chest, annoyed that the time she was actually successful at casting the dark spell, her attempt had been thwarted by her own carelessness! Now, she'd lost her duel and was sure to be going back to Order control. Hermione hated that she was surely to have her memory forcibly altered.
Closing her eyes, a tear broke free, while she gave a silent apology to Antonin for getting herself in this situation in the first place. He'd told her that she was ready, and if she'd just listened to him she would have been okay.
Bill came around the desk to stand over her prone body, unable to hide the smile on his face. Of course, he would be so happy to have taken her down, Hermione thought bitterly. But then, with his guard down, he wasn't prepared for the door to his office to blasted off it's hinges. "Petrificus Totalis!" Antonin shouted, knocking the redhead falling on his back.
Antonin dropped to his knees, working to release Hermione from the ropes that bound her tightly. Hermione was unable to stop the tears that fell down her cheeks in joy that Antonin had come to save her. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, realizing that she was shaking like a leaf. She'd come so close to a terrible outcome, but he'd come for her, come to help her.
He helped her stand up from the ground, but she could tell from the set of his jaw that he was anything but happy right now. Hermione instantly felt shame shoot through her body. Failure was one thing, but the knowledge that she'd disappointed Antonin was even worse. "Do it now." He commanded, clearing a path to Bill's prone body.
Hermione raised her wand, but she was shaking too badly, too full of emotion to produce the words. She shook her head, looking at him sadly. "I-I can't do it." She whispered, seeing the pleading in Bill's eyes, letting her wand drop to her side.
"We don't have much time before the goblins get here." He said, seriously, his tone razor sharp. "Do it now, or I will." Antonin promised, before raising his own wand.
She stared down at Bill, letting all of her feelings coalesce. She'd performed the curse successfully not just minutes ago, and who knew what could have happened to her if Antonin hasn't come in at that moment? Bill didn't want what was best for her. Bill wanted to hurt her. Feeling particularly baleful, she raised her wand and executed the zig-zag motion. "Avada Kedavra."
She was surprised by how calm her voice sounded in that instance. It seemed almost too easy to watch the bolt of green light leave her wand and hit Bill square in the chest. His eyes turned glassy, but he didn't look shocked, like Travers had. No, instead he wore that insidious little smile that he'd had when he stood over her bound form, before Antonin had petrified her.
Hermione etched the memory of his face in her brain, wanting to remember this moment of vengeance for the rest of her life.
Then, Antonin was tugging on her arm, telling her that they needed to leave. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, ushering her out of the dead man's office. Before she could leave, she accio'd the locket, wanting to be sure to give it back to the man who'd given her so much.
In hindsight, Hermione wasn't even sure how they'd gotten back to Antonin's flat from Gringotts. She'd been so focused on the fact that she'd just killed one her best friend's older brothers to appreciate the purposeful way that Antonin had guided them out of Gringotts, taking care not to look suspicious, and then apparate them away once they were on the street.
When they arrived back in his flat, Hermione quickly became aware that Antonin was angry. Very, very angry.
He ripped off his cloak, letting it fall haphazardly over the couch. "How could you do that?" He bellowed, making Hermione flinch from his tone. "I told you you weren't ready and you just go off trying to take down a curse breaker in the middle of Gringotts!" He crossed the room to stand in front of her in just two strides. His hand grabbed her by the jaw, surprisingly gently, and forced her to look up at him. "Don't you know what could have happened to you?"
In that moment, Hermione could see the way that his dark eyes softened, she could see the concern etched in his face, and she realized that he cared for her. That he was worried for her. That she might have died would have been a negative to him. She felt her heart lurch in surprise that his feelings for her would run so deep.
Hermione wrapped her arms around him, letting her face fall to his chest. Before she realized it, she was sobbing. "I'm so sorry, Antonin, I should have listened." She lamented, his rapid heartbeat slowly calming her shaking nerves. "I can't imagine what would have happened...they'd have made me forget how wonderful you are." He wrenched himself back from her, shock very obviously written on his face, while all of his rage quickly melted away. Whatever he was expecting her to say, it hadn't been that he was wonderful. But it was true, Hermione thought. How was it that a Death Eater was the person she suddenly cared for more than anyone else?
She raised herself up on her tiptoes, before pressing a rather chaste kiss against his lips, eager to feel connected to him again. His brows furrowed and his jaw set in a hard line while he worked out what he was feeling. It was odd to see him looking quite so confused. Had she pushed him too far with her affection?
But then he was making eye contact again, his eyes achingly open. "I was so worried about you." He said, pushing his fingers into her wild hair, holding her in place so that she couldn't look away from him for even an instant. "I am so glad that you are okay." He said, seriously. His heart was beating wildly, and this time it wasn't from fear or addrenaline, but rather from nervousness.
Hermione felt her pulse surge, so glad to have him return the sentiment that she'd been holding onto. When he pressed his lips against her so tightly, she let herself relax against him, molding her body against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, using the leverage to deepen the kiss. Not shy, Antonin took complete control of the kiss, using his tongue to explore her, tasting every bit of her that she had to offer.
He broke his lips away from hers for air, but he didn't stop for long, peppering her neck with kisses, while she panted, feeling like she was racing. She was dizzy, but knew that if she kept her hold on Antonin, she would be anchored. She delved her hands into his wavy hair, sighing. She pulled him back up to her lips, before pulling him back towards the small bedroom. It was crazy, but all she wanted...all she needed, right now, was Antonin inside her, grounding her.
It took a moment, but he seemed to understand what she wanted, after a bit of tugging. She could feel his cock, hard and pressed against her belly, and she felt a thrill run through her to know that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. Their progress was stopped when Antonin pressed her against the wall next to his bedroom door.
He moved his hands to rest on her arse, lifting her and encouraging her to wrap her legs around his trim waist. Hermione groaned at the closeness it provided, and began rocking her hips into his, anything to feel more friction. She felt like she couldn't slow down. If she stopped to think, she was sure she would talk herself out of taking something that she wanted for a change.
Her tongue continued to spar with Antonin's, while her nimble fingers began tugging on the buttons of his shirt, wanting to get him bare. He'd been flaunting his body to her for days now, wearing just a towel back from the shower, and she wanted to get her hands on him now. She pushed back the fabric, greedy fingers smoothing over bare skin.
Breaking the kiss, Hermione panted into his ear. "Please Antonin, the bed." She wanted to see him properly, kiss every bit of exposed skin, and take him inside of her. He got the message, lifting her effortlessly from the wall before shoving the door open with his hip. The door creaked from the force, and Hermione was surprised that he didn't knock it off the hinges.
She couldn't linger on the thought for too long though, as he was dropping her down to the bed in a soft thump, surprising her. Staring up at him, she watched as he wrestled his way out of his half buttoned shirt, barely suppressing a giggle when he finally got it off, only to have it die on her lips when he joined her on the bed. It seemed unfair that a Death Eater should look quite so good as he did, with dark hair covering his chest. But then, she supposed he was no longer just a Death Eater to her.
His cold fingers shocked her as they found their way under her shirt, trailing up her sides and leaving gooseflesh in their wake. Hermione sat up to help him pull it over her head. Her heart stopped for a moment when he focused on the purple scar again, and she prayed to Merlin that he wouldn't change his mind, and leave her in needy agony. He used one finger to trace the line up from her hip, only to stop when he met the plain cotton of her bra.
To distract him, she reached behind her and removed the bra, hiding her breasts from his eyes. His fingers stopped in their tracks and his eyes immediately darted to her pink tipped breasts, nipples taut with arousal. He cautiously reached out to cup her breast, running his thumb over the peaks, making Hermione moan in surprise. It felt better than anything to have him touching her.
The noise seemed to snap him back into action and he bent over to kiss her again, his knee separating her thighs. Cradled as he was by her legs, she could feel his hardness pressed tightly against her, and Hermione couldn't stop from rocking her hips against him again. Trailing her fingers down her sides, she made quick work of his trousers, encouraging him to push them off, before completing the same action with her jeans.
Hermione began to realize that she was naked in bed with Antonin bloody Dolohov, in just her knickers. Before she could begin to second guess her decision, though, he pulled her back into bliss, his mouth placed over hard nipple, his tongue laving back and forth. It felt better than she could have imagined, and she wasn't even embarrassed by the little mewling noises she was making.
Antonin kissed down her curse scar, following the path to where it disappeared beneath her underwear. His fingers hesitated for a moment, before hooking them under the fabric and pulling them down her legs. Her eyes slipped closed when she felt his hot mouth moving lower...lower...until his lips were wrapped around the hard bead at the top of her sex.
Light seemed to burst from behind her eyes at the sensation, and she could feel orgasm building in the tips of her toes. He entered her nearly obscene wetness - which she would be thoroughly embarrassed by in the morning - with two fingers, groaning against her. Her fingers wove into his hair, desperate to keep him close to her. As he thrust into her again and again, Hermione could feel herself getting closer and closer to the edge, until she finally snapped, her body going taut like a bow.
When she floated back down into her body, wrapped in lazy warmth, Antonin had pushed off his own underwear and had his hand wrapped around his cock, spreading some of her wetness there. She felt another bolt of pleasure run through her, insistent throbbing in her core. He crawled over her prone body, his intense eyes meeting hers, while his head bumped against her entrance.
He almost looked nervous to hope. "Hermione, are you sure?" He asked cautiously. It was surprisingly sweet to her, making her heart ache in response. To show him how sure she was, she wrapped her lean legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her. His answering groan made her feel powerful and sexy. "I see." He told her, with a crooked smile.
With a sure thrust of his hips, he'd filled her completely, before stilling. His face was tight with concentration, but Hermione didn't mind the time to adjust to his size. After a few beats, though, he was pulling out of her before entering her again, in a pleasant push and pull motion. She was still so sensitive from her earlier orgasm, but she wanted more, and he seemed to insist on taking it slow.
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she kissed up his neck, stopping when she reached his ear. "More." She whined, needing more speed, more strength, to get her closer to the edge. He groaned into her shoulder, but complied, thrusting deeply. Hermione couldn't stop a little mewling noise when he hit a particular spot inside of her.
She began to thrust back against him, eager to pull another groan from him. He pressed his lips against hers, pouring all kinds of unnamed emotion into the kiss, while their tongues slid against one another, joined a second way. Hermione clenched her eyes shut, feeling herself careen over the edge into orgasm, her walls fluttering against his. He continued his movements, pushing her through it, drawing it out and making her feel as though she were floating. Just when she was starting to get too sensitive, near enough to beg him to stop and give her a moment, he followed after her, uncoordinated thrusts into her welcoming cleft, a deep rumbling moan coming from his chest.
He laid on top of her, enveloping her in his warmth, and Hermione was pleased to feel his rapid heartbeat against her chest. Once he regained himself, he propped himself up on his elbows, and looked down at her, eyebrows furrowed in what appeared to be confusion and gratitude. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, tip of her nose, before placing a teasing kiss on her lips.
Neither of them said anything when he rolled off of her, wrapping his arms around her body, and pulling her to spoon against him. Normally, Hermione would have found being held this way restrictive and uncomfortable, but with Antonin, she just felt cherished.
