BIGGER THAN US
SEVEN
Friday night
In the Head's Common Room, Ginny was helping Hermione prepare for poker night.
"Herms, there's something going on that you need to know."
"Hmm? What is it, sounds serious," Hermione commented, setting a bowl of popcorn on the table.
"Let's go to your room so I can tell you in privacy," Ginny said.
Hermione and Ginny sat on the foot of her bed.
"Herms, I'm telling you this because I think that what they're doing is wrong."
"What is wrong and who are they?"
"A lot of the students have a wager going on you and Draco."
"Huh?"
"They are calling it The Unicorn Wager," Ginny said.
"Pardon?"
"They are wagering on when you will-" Ginny started.
She hated to break this to Hermione. She was as surprised as everyone else over Hermione's virginity, but her virtue was no cause for sport.
"When I what?" Hermione asked.
"Are no longer able to approach a unicorn," Ginny finished lamely.
Hermione blushed. "Merlin's knickers, that's absurd! It's no one's business but mine and Draco's!"
"I know that Herms, but you know everybody is."
"Well, I'm certainly not going to pull a Pansy and announce it."
"I know that. What I suggest is that you two just go about your lives like normal and have some fun with it. You're smart- you can teach them a lesson about meddling with someone's life like this."
Hermione was rubbing her temples. "Thanks Gin, I appreciate you telling me this."
She sighed and slumped in the bed, then sat straight up.
Wait till I tell Draco! If anyone can scheme, it's him! We will turn this school upside down! Hermione thought with a smirk.
Oh no, I know that look! Ginny thought. This school will never know what hit it!
"One last thing Gin; Harry and Ron, are they in on this wager?"
"Yep. Ron was the first to sign up."
The two resumed poker night preparation, greeting the others who came to play. Draco came last into the common room. Hermione made a beeline to him, took his hand and led him to her bedroom. She made sure that Ginny, Harry, Ron, Pansy and Ernie were watching and listening.
"I need you, now," Hermione said.
"What's going on?" Draco asked quietly, glancing back at the interested group.
Hermione shut her bedroom door and placed a silencing charm on the room. They sat on her bed.
"Draco, there is a wager going around school about us, Ginny just told me."
"Wager? On us? Why?"
"It's apparently called "The Unicorn Bet" and I'll give you two guesses as to what it's about."
Draco thought for a minute before he realized it.
"As Snape said, your chastity is nothing to be made a sport of," Draco said with a frown.
"Ginny agrees with you. I was upset before she suggested that we have fun with everyone- make them squirm, teach them a lesson about playing with people's lives like this, not to mention getting a little back of my own for the embarrassment this is costing me."
"Love, pay no attention to these idiots. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I find it quite alluring that no man has had you," Draco said, kissing her hand.
"Thank you Draco."
He took her face in his hands.
"Know this, beautiful. When I say I love you, I mean it. I respect your wishes in this matter, and I will never pressure you into doing anything you aren't ready for."
"That means the world to me Draco."
"However, I will not deny that I want you, badly. Do you have any idea how damned sexy you are?"
Hermione remained silent, not knowing what to answer. Of course she didn't think of herself as sexy.
Bookworm yes, vixen- no.
Draco scooted closer to her, kissing her neck. "Should you ever find yourself in the mood, I promise that I can and will bring you pleasure you never thought possible."
An unintelligible sound escaped from her throat. At this rate, she gave her virginity a week.
The two talked and agreed to be oblivious to the wager. Draco had no problem being cagey- he was the resident expert. For her part, Hermione prepared herself to play along and was confident in her ability to outsmart the student population. She knew that charms would be used behind her back; the maiden detection charm to be sure and who knows what else. They wrapped up the plotting with kisses and reluctantly broke apart to join the poker game. When Draco reached the door, Hermione stopped him.
"Draco, your zipper for effect," she said, pointing to Draco's pants.
"Hey that's good, I like your style," Draco drawled as he unzipped his fly.
"The game's afoot," Hermione quipped.
Hermione made sure that her hair looked mussed from being handled and that she seemed flustered. Draco gave everyone a smug look as he and Hermione took their seats at the table. Harry blushed when he saw Draco's unzipped pants. It was all Ginny could do not to laugh out loud. The two were playing their part to the hilt. Everyone examined the amorous pair.
Did they or didn't they? Harry wondered.
They were in there twenty minutes, plenty of time for a shag! Ron thought.
"Okay, deal me in," Hermione said.
An hour later
"Mione, you're a cheat! That's five hands in a row you've won!" Ron protested.
"Ron, don't be silly. I don't cheat, I merely win creatively," Hermione primly stated as she raked in her winnings.
"If you say so," Harry mumbled.
He had lost three galleons to Hermione in ten minutes time. He also wasn't sure how much more he could take from Hermione and Draco. He was pretty sure they were playing footsies, and they were doing things with their hands under the table. The looks and innuendo from the couple made him want to gag.
"God you two, give it a rest, we're trying to play here," Harry grumbled.
"Give what a rest?" Hermione innocently asked.
Ginny snorted.
"You know what. What's next, shagging right here on the table?" Harry asked.
"Hmm, now that you mention it..." Hermione mused and stood up.
"Come along Draco, there's something I need to do- I mean, show you," Hermione said huskily.
Draco smirked at the group as he followed Hermione to her room. She cast a silencing charm on the room then fell to her bed laughing.
"Oh Draco, that was fun. Did you see their faces?"
"Yeah, especially when I accidently ran my foot up Potty's leg," Draco said.
"I want a bath. Do you mind waiting while I do?"
"Not at all."
Outside the bedroom
"Bugger!" Ron said, head pressed against the bedroom door. "They silenced the room! How are we supposed to know if they do anything?"
"We have ways of finding out," Pansy declared.
"Outsmart Hermione and Malfoy? Good luck," Harry said lightly.
Hermione was humming along to the sensual jazz music wafting throughout the bathroom. Over the summer, between her football matches, she researched the viability of Muggle devices in Hogwarts. She hated not having her CD player and calculator. After destroying three CD players, she figured out the charm to operate the battery powered player. She asked permission from Dumbledore to demonstrate her findings so that he could see that there were no ill effects to the sentient magic of Hogwarts. Dumbledore was impressed and allowed to the player on the condition that it stay in the head girl dorm. Hermione could now listen to music while relaxing in her room.
He listened to her soft humming and took in the fragrance of her bath and looked at the pictures around her room. He saw pictures of her parents, the moment she was awarded her Order of Merlin, a picture of her and her dearly departed Crookshanks, and an amusing picture of her in a football uniform while balancing a football on her foot. He perked his ears at the sound of her rising from the tub then the sound of breaking glass.
"Ouch dammit," was heard softly.
He peeked through the crack in the bathroom door and his breath was taken away. Hermione was wrapped in a towel, hair dripping wet around her shoulders and down her back. The towel was hanging tantalizingly low on her breasts. He thought he would swoon when he saw her shapely, smooth legs.
The body of a goddess hidden under robes! Does she have any idea how sexy she is? Draco thought, realizing how aroused he was. He forgot to breathe when she brought her finger to her mouth, sucking on it to stem the flow of blood.
"Draco, could you bring my wand?" she called out. "It's on the bedside table."
He slowly pushed the door open as she was walking toward it, startling her. She blushed under his gaze. He held out his hand, she automatically extending hers. Her soft, small hand fit completely in his. He held his wand over her hand, muttering a healing charm.
"All better now," he said.
Her hand still in his hand, he gently pulled her to him. She felt as if she was in a trance as he wrapped his arms around her and inhaled the scent of her.
"You're so beautiful," he said. "I feel so lucky."
"Draco, no one has ever said the things you say to me," Hermione said. "I don't know what to say back to you except thank you."
"You don't have to say anything; your eyes say it all."
"Do you have any idea how you make me feel?" she asked.
He eased the towel from her body. She didn't stop him. They could feel the heat from each other. She gave him a shy smile, stepped forward and started unbuttoning his shirt.
"All the talk of shagging earlier seems to have gotten me in the mood," she said huskily.
"It has?" he croaked.
"Mmmhmm," she replied with a nod.
"Are you sure love?" he asked.
"Mmmhmm," she again replied with a nod then slid his shirt off.
She stepped back and admired his sculpted chest and stomach. She stepped to him and ran a fingertip around his chest, down his stomach, tracing his fuzzy trail of hair to the waistband of his pants.
"See anything you like?" he asked, running his hands through her hair.
He let her take her time, becoming even more aroused as she explored his body.
"It's a crying shame to hide this body under a robe," Hermione said.
She placed light kisses on his chest and started unbuttoning his pants. Suddenly there was loud knocking on her bedroom door. She groaned loudly in frustration and glared at the door.
"Oh-my-God-this-had-better-be-good!" she hissed.
She looked around and snatched up the closest piece of clothing she could find, Draco's shirt. She put it on and stalked to the door.
"That shirt never looked so good," Draco remarked.
Hermione flung open the door. "What?" she barked before she realized who it was.
It was Professor McGonagall, who was regarding her carefully as she stood there only in Draco's shirt. A cursory glance also noted Draco in the background, shirtless.
"Oh- Professor, what can I do for you?" she asked politely.
"Miss Granger, would you please change into some appropriate clothing and come to the Headmaster's office right away? You need to leave Hogwarts this evening, your father has been admitted to a hospital," McGonagall said gently.
"Daddy? What happened?" Hermione cried.
"Something with his heart, dear. Now hurry," she said.
Hermione nodded and flung Draco's shirt off, grabbing some jeans and a sweater from her wardrobe. She saw Draco and tackled him with a hug.
"We have all the time in the world," Hermione said.
"You just concentrate on your father, I'll be here if you need me," Draco said, kissing the top of her head.
She threw some things into a satchel and ran from the room. She ran back in, gave him a smoldering kiss and ran out again.
Monday morning, the Gryffindors noted that Hermione was not among them.
"Students, may I please have your attention?" was heard from the head table from Dumbledore.
"Your Head Girl, Hermione Granger, is grieving the sudden passing of her father over the weekend. Condolences to the Granger family may be given to Professor McGonagall, where they will be passed to Miss Granger. You may resume your breakfasts."
"Poor Mione," Ron said sorrowfully.