Author's Notes:

Bonding = In the B.D.B. universe, bonding happens when two soulmates meet. There is an instant connection between them upon their introduction, and an overwhelming and uncontrollable need felt thereafter by both to be near the other, to assure the other's safety, and to care for the other's physical and emotional needs. They become pretty obsessed with their soulmate until they physically mate (and even afterwards, that feeling remains, only strengthening with time). Bonding for males in the B.D.B. universe also brings with it extreme possessiveness of their mate (often revealing itself as jealousy). When mates bond, it is for life. I've capitalized upon that idea for this story's plot.

Leelan = In the B.D.B. universe, this is a term of endearment in the Vampire's old language, loosely translated as "dearest one" or "beloved". It is what Wrath calls Beth.

~.~.~.~.~

She was terrified, that much was obvious by the tight hold Hermione had on his forearm and the way her chest began pumping for oxygen like it was going out of style at any moment.

Transition. Shit.

Well, this definitely explained why he'd been so amped up around her all week. His cock had been giving him the clue. Little fucker had been sniffing the pheromones her body had been subtly putting out to ensnare a male to help her get through the event.

If he noticed, that meant the other Transitioned males at HQ must have noticed, too. That explained why they were all just standing around, watching her verbally castrate Potter. Like sharks to blood, they couldn't help but be attracted to her, whether they'd wanted to be or not. It was instinct. Thank Merlin she'd chased after him down the beach, otherwise, he'd have left her behind and been totally fucked when she'd turned to someone else for help. The rhythe wouldn't have cared his reasons for skipping out on its requirement. It simply would have punished him.

That wasn't the whole of it, though. The truth was the thought of some other man touching her again made Draco feel irrationally violent. He'd missed his chance to be her first lover, as that honour had gone to the Weasel-King. Then, he'd let her walk straight into Krum's arms out of guilt for having believed he'd impregnated her best girlfriend. He wasn't about to let another male have her, especially during Transition, when the possibility of partners bonding to each other was a strong one. Granger was his. She had been the moment her father had come to him when he'd been a child and magically chained his life to hers.

She was his pyrocant. He didn't know now why he'd fought that truth for so long.

The only question remaining was whether she would refuse him or not. Would she ask him to take her back to Shell Cottage so she could find another wizard she preferred over him?

"Oh, my god, this is really happening, isn't it? I can't stop it or put it on pause, or direct where it should go and do," she babbled, gasping for air. "Why didn't I know? I'm supposed to be brilliant, Draco! I should have known what my symptoms meant!"

She was wide-eyed and teary, sweaty and trembling all over, and she looked torn between running for the door and clinging to him like he was her only anchor in a storm-tossed sea—which he was, technically, as he was the only other person around. Lucky for her, he also happened to be male, too. Transition partners had to be someone from the opposite sex. Seems they'd both struck gold this time.

"I could die today or become a Squib, couldn't I?" she asked, clearly terrified by either possibility. She sucked in a sharp breath. "Godric, I'm not sure if I'm more scared of dying than I am of losing my magic!"

He opened his mouth to reassure her that he wouldn't let either of those things happen, but she starting swearing up a storm again. "Look, Malfoy, if something goes sideways, I know you'll go on and do something monumentally stupid without me here to watch over you. You can be reckless and stubborn at times, just like me," she accused, pushing at his chest. "I know you want revenge against your aunt. I can see it in your face every time her name comes up in conversation at HQ. You want to kill her for murdering your parents and Snape, and I know I can't stop you from that plan." She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "But you absolutely cannot go after her alone! You have to take me with you, you big, blond prat! I won't let you face her by yourself!" She swallowed hard and started to cry. "So, I need you to save me, see? Because you're mine, and I need to save you right back!"

Draco's chest went tight at her confession, and a great weight that had held him down for so long seemed to simply fall away, leaving him assured and clear of purpose. He was going to do right by her, in any way she asked. He'd service her forever, if she wanted. Turning his head, he pressed gentle kisses all up and down her throat to soothe her. "I won't let anything happen to you. I'll see you through this." He smoothed strands of her hair from her cheeks and looked her in the eye as he promised, "Trust me, Hermione."

Her breathing hitched.

"I will."

Her consent was the last confirmation he needed.

Carefully adjusting her into his arms, he laid her back onto the sofa, aware at all times of her arms twined around his neck and how calm and accepting she had suddenly become, too.

~.~.~.~.~

"What's going to happen first?" she asked, a tiny bit of anxiety creeping back in between them as they lay facing each other.

His grey gaze was sedate as he stared back at her, his touch gentling as he moved some hair off her face. "Your body will change, and then when it's done, I'll help you realign your magical aura. After that…it's your decision. I'm here for you."

Sex. He was talking about them having sex.

In truth, the thought of doing that with him didn't frighten her. She wasn't some shy virgin; she'd had two lovers. Sure, neither of those experiences had been great for her, given her body's limitations, but she wasn't some ignorant child, either. She was a woman, and about to become a fully-mature one at that. She could be brave enough to admit that she'd wanted Draco in her bed for a long time.

It was what came after that bit that she was asking about.

"You're flushed," he said, speaking very softly to her. "Are you thinking naughty things, Granger?"

She dropped her gaze and bit her bottom lip. "No."

His thumb brushed her mouth. "You know, for a noble Gryffindor, you spend a lot of time lying like a Slytherin to me." He chuckled. "I like that."

"It's hot in here," she blurted. "That's why I've got lobster-face."

And that wasn't an exaggeration. It was bloody hot, tropically so. She really wished she was wearing less clothing, and not just because she was eager for sex with Draco. Her body was so close to changing, and the anxiety was once more creeping back in and setting her blood pressure into the stratosphere. She felt out of control of the situation, and that scared her as nothing else did.

"Can't you cast a Cooling charm on me, please?"

Her would-be lover shook his head. "Being warm relaxes your muscles and eases the cramps. You'll want that when it starts. Sorry, love."

Despite having researched the phenomena well, and having helped Ron through his Transition, there was still so much she didn't know from this side of it…like, how exactly it started and what that felt like when it did strike, or how she'd know when it ended.

She remembered the time in the tent years earlier, when Ron's screams had shattered the quiet night and Harry had left them to their privacy, per her request. She recalled as her best friend's body had shifted so violently, the bones and joints popping as muscle grew in and height was added. In some ways, the process had reminded her of how a werewolf changed, only without the lycanthropic infection getting in the way. She recalled how agonized Ron had seemed as his body twisted and morphed into its adult form, and how helpless she'd felt, unable to take the pain from him.

Ron had passed out from the pain half-way through, fortunately.

Ten or so minutes after the last tremor wracked his body, though, her best friend had woken up, terrified and gasping for breath—and that's when she'd finally understood a partner's role in Transition: the body's abrupt physical changes during Transition offset one's magical aura. In order to realign it properly, outside intervention was required.

The act of realigning Ron's aura hadn't been that difficult, really, as some buried instinct within her had suddenly lit up in that moment and taken over. She'd simply pushed against his sternum, the magic of the moment allowing her hand to phase through his flesh without causing harm, and she'd grabbed his meandering magical aura and dragged it back to his heart, where his soul resided. She'd aligned the two energies perfectly, and then let go, withdrawing. The magic had taken over from there, sewing up Ron's magic and his life-force permanently.

Had she mucked that part up, she could have burned his magic out by accident, turning him into a Squib. Fortunately, she'd done it right, and the moment Ron's magic and soul had merged into one whole unit again, his "new" body had come online, becoming fully, biologically functional…and frenzied to prove it.

And that's how she'd lost her virginity.

Thank Merlin Ron hadn't attempted to bond to her that night, nor Viktor later when they'd dated, for that matter. She wasn't sure how or why it was wizards could share a piece of their magical soul with a witch, but she suspected it was like the aura alignment thing and simply instinct on their part. What she did know was that bonding was for life on the part of the male, and could happen at any time, but was frequently known to occur as a result of sexual relations. A wizard's devotion to a witch would be absolute on his part once he committed to her in such a way, as bonding was sort of a magical Fidelity charm, in a sense. Although she loved Ron as a best friend and would die to protect him from harm, she would not have wanted him to be tied to her in that fashion. Being romantically bonded to him would have been a truly terrible idea.

Ditto for Viktor, minus the friendship and dying thing.

Would Draco bond to her tonight, though? Did she want him to? The tiny part of her that believed in fate thought that she and Malfoy had spent most of their lives since that first meeting on the Hogwarts Express dancing around each other for this exact moment. Didn't that logically conclude some sort of soul-like connection already existed between them?

But she was taking the cart out before the horse, wasn't she? First, she had to survive the physical changes. Transitioning witches and wizards were known to suffer heart attacks or have aneurysms and die as a result of the tremendous strain.

"If my heart stops, you have to promise to zap it until it starts beating again, okay?" she instructed her partner, her anxiety returning full force.

Reaching up, Draco cupped her cheek and forced her to meet his eyes. "I won't let you die and I won't let you burn out, either. Just focus on me and breathe, and you'll get through it. Promise."

"You sound like a birthing coach."

He chuckled at that, but then got serious again. "How are you doing?"

She bit her bottom lip hard and forced a smile. "Peachy."

"Fibber," he said and rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip a second time, soothing it. "We're going to have to find a better use for that mouth of yours."

His touch felt so good. "Any ideas?" she asked, her gaze drifting to his lips, wondering if they still tasted as delicious as she remembered.

"Several."

Draco kissed her then, and the world seemed to spin on its axis as she shut her eyes and opened for him. Every time it was like this, from the first kiss to this one. He'd always turned her upside-down and inside-out.

Her blood started pounding in response…and then, the pressure began to throb behind her eyelids. She broke off their kiss and pressed a hand to her brow, where the headache she'd been experiencing all week suddenly became something sharper and cruel.

"Ow, ow, ow!" she gasped. "It hurts!"

Draco moved away and gently rolled her onto her back. The ache in every one of her joints was acutely worse all of a sudden, and her guts began to writhe in her belly, making her nauseated. She wanted to curl into a foetal position, to lean her head over the edge of the longue and vomit until this hot, queasy burn rolling through her eased off. An electric spark began at the base of her skull then, and with agonizing slowness it travelled downwards, bowing her back. A thousand needles danced up and down her spine. It hurt worse than she'd imagined it would.

"Breathe, Granger. Just breathe and push past it!" Draco called out to her from beyond the pain, shoving his belt between her lips until she clamped down on it. "Don't bite your tongue or break your teeth. Bite the leather."

She couldn't be sure how she responded to him exactly, only knew that it involved some sort of sobbing and screaming around the bit in her mouth, and reaching for him, begging without words for his help. It went on and on, forever…an eternity of Crucios and Slicing Hexes. Hot pokers continually shoved themselves under her skin, while her body stretched, popping open at every joint, breaking and remaking itself. And then, it suddenly stopped, and she sobbed until her eyes bled…and Draco was there for her, a solid, strong presence taking her hand and guiding her out of the darkness and back into the light with demands for her not to let go. His cool, unwavering magical energies flowed through her, helping her aura and her soul to stop scraping against each other, instead forcing them to align just right and to melt into each other as nature had intended. They came together in an incandescent burst of light…

That's when she blacked out.

She came to sometime later to the feel of a soft, damp washcloth slowly meandering its way down her body, cleansing the sweat from her clammy skin. The sensation of pleasure as the fabric accidentally brushed across a nipple was what brought her awake, as it was both a foreign sensation and a very enjoyable one at the same time.

"Keep moaning like that, Granger, and I'll need a little private time."

Her eyelids flickered open. Same ceiling as before, same soft cushion under her.

She shivered, realising she was naked. At her side, Draco's face blurred into focus.

"Hey," he softly greeted her. "Welcome to the other side."

Hermione took a deep breath…and a ripple of pleasure ran through her from head to toe, tearing another moan from her mouth and making her acutely aware of a strange and wonderful throbbing sensation between her thighs. Moving without thought or care that she was being intently watched, she cupped her exposed sex, wanting to contain the delightful feeling, never wanting to let it go now that she'd finally found it.

"Go on. Touch yourself," Draco whispered the encouragement.

She glanced up at him, confused, unsure, and more than a little embarrassed by her lack of control.

"I…"

She didn't know what to do, or how to feel this strong of a need without losing herself to it. Draco did. His hand was warm as it joined hers between her legs, his fingers skilled as he showed her precisely what to touch and with the perfect pressure to bring her to her first orgasm with ease.

Slick with lust even after such a sweet climax, she tugged on his arm in a silent plea for him to come over and be inside her.

He hesitated. "You're sure?"

She nodded. "Please," she pleaded. "I've always wanted this with you."

His chest pumped hard as he panted for breath, seeking control, and his fingers shook against her palm. "I'll bond with you," he warned her. "I won't be able to stop myself, Granger. I know…" He shut his eyes as if in pain. "I'll be yours forever, I just know." He peeked through half-lidded eyes at her. "Do you want that?"

She paused to consider him for just a moment, and realised just then why he had always been the one to provoke her emotions and challenge her at every turn… "Draco, I think we bonded the moment we met on the train that first day." Closing her eyes, she shuddered as another wave of heat rolled over her. "You took my hand, and I felt this. Very muted, but it was this same feeling. I felt desire for you, years before I should have. Didn't you?"

Slowly, he nodded. "I fought it, all of it. God, I fought you so hard, Granger."

"Ginny was right," she confirmed, smiling. "My bête noire was my pyrocant, too." She twined her fingers with his on the bed beside her and knew that this was the moment she'd actually been waiting for her whole life. A tear of unexpected joy slipped down the side of her cheek as she stared into his lovely, tormented eyes. "I love you, Draco, and I've always needed you, for this…and for everything that comes after this."

It didn't take but a moment more for him to surrender to the truth, and then he was standing and removing his clothing, tossing it aside without care. She opened her arms to him as he came down over her and settled between her legs.

"I'll make it good for you," he promised.

Hermione nodded. "I trust you."

~.~.~.~.~

His mouth took hers and his tongue penetrated her deep at the same moment his fingers slid back inside her. Hermione opened for him easily, surrendering to the feelings of her newly awakened body, grinding her hard, little clit against his palm and begging for more.

Draco dipped his head, capturing a nipple, and suckled reverently upon it, even as he curled his fingers inside her and brought her to the edge. Her thighs shook as she came with a cry of his name.

She was so tight. Shit, he wasn't going to last once he got inside her. Not long, anyway. He'd wanted this for too many years to cheat them both of a good first time. He had to take the edge off.

"Take me in your hand," he coaxed her.

She did, wrapping her small fingers around him and giving him a light squeeze. He groaned at the pleasure that shot through him. Then, she began to stroke him, gathering his pre-come to slicken him from tip to base. He thrust into her palm and grunted as the pressure mounted.

"I want to come on you. Right here," he said, sliding his fingers up and down between her wet slit. It was a nasty, possessive thought, but the idea of covering her pussy with his come, of marking her with his scent made him growl in anticipation.

"Yes," she whimpered and glanced down between them.

Tilting her hips up and her hand down, she angled them both so when he released, he'd spill onto her exactly where they both wanted. He watched, enraptured by the view of them together, at long last. This was really happening, and bloody hell, it was so good. Her taste was in his mouth, her arousal on his hand… He wanted to lick every inch of her, fuck her deep and hard, make her crave him as he craved her.

When she gave a little twist around the head of his cock, his body jerked in response and he felt the rush take him. He let out a heavy groan, and rocked his hips back and forth, covering her moist curls with his come.

Capturing her hand as the last drop was wrung from him he loosened her hold on him and entwined their fingers instead. Lowering his hips, he brought their bodies together, slicking his shaft with the combination of her need and what he'd left on her.

Feeling more in control, he relaxed and settled in against her sex. "I can't wait anymore," he said, eager for that connection that he'd desperately wanted with her for years.

"Me, either," she admitted, lifting her knees and offering herself to him. "I'm more than ready for you."

He kissed her, gripping her hand tighter, and slid home with a sigh of "yes". Hermione gasped as he parted her silken flesh.

God, fuck, she was so sweet and tight around him, her body a perfect fit…

When he was seated to the hilt, he paused to give them both a minute to find control. They were equally trembling, breathing hard, holding onto each other against the rush of their individual feelings.

In truth, Draco's first time was an abstract memory, and every witch in his bed since had been a means to an end, but this moment right here and now would be etched inside his brain and heart for always. This wasn't just about body parts connecting, or about a combative history finally reaching detente, or even about an obligatory vow made to Granger's father. This was about soul mates coming together.

As he lay over her, looking down into her fully matured face, at its heart-like shape and the little bow at the top of her lip and how her eyes now sparkled with gold specks hovering within the rich, brown depths, he was suddenly and irreversibly awakened to her perfection, and how goddamned lucky he was to be allowed to touch it. "Hermione", he sighed as he slid out of the perfect clasp of her sex, and then slid back in a moment later, going even deeper. He pressed his forehead to hers and stared into her warm eyes. "You're still so beautiful. Nothing's changed."

Tightening her legs around him, she pulled him even closer to her. There was a sense of urgency to her movements and in her expression now. "Draco, I need you," she pleaded, her thigh muscles trembling against his hips. "Please!"

Her words made his chest go tight, even as he continued the smooth glide of their bodies retreating and coming back together again. "Easy. Let me go slow, leelan," he murmured between kisses, using the ancient wizarding word for 'beloved' to refer to her. "I want to do this right our first time."

God, barely in her and he was already bonding to her, as he'd known would happen. He was becoming hers, just as assuredly as she'd always been his. All that remained was giving her a piece of his soul-linked magical aura…

Arching her back, Hermione clamped down on Draco's sex as he slowly, gently slid back into her once more.

"I don't want easy," she panted, feeling a burning hunger for him that demanded immediate satisfaction. She forced him to let go of her hand, and then reached up to plunge her fingers into the long drape of his hair, which he'd grown out over the years. "I need more," she stated, taking possession of him now. "I need all of you. Don't hold back."

As if her words presented the ultimate temptation to all of his darkest, male desires, he flushed all over with lusty heat. Pressing up on the palms of his hands, he loomed over her, forcing her to let go of the hold she had on the curtain of his hair.

"I don't want to hurt you."

Fervently shaking her head, she began wiggling her hips. "You won't be. God, please, just…move!" She dug her nails into his upper arms. "You can give me gentle later. Much later."

Still, he hesitated.

So, she said the one thing she knew would push him over the edge.

"Fuck me, Malfoy. Make me yours."

Leaning forward, Draco pressed his mouth to hers, tasting her whimpers, her frustration, her need. That was what ultimately decided it for him, not her plea.

Although, that had been really hot, too.

Dropping his face into the cradle of her throat, he lowered his hips and cut loose, giving Granger everything she asked from him. Her body tensed all around him, creating the perfect pressure as he powered into her hard and deep, rocking the frame of the chaise lounge with each thrust. Her encouraging cries of, "yes, yes, more, harder," drove him mad. He fucked her until the sweat poured off his chin and down his back, until her nails bit so deeply into him he knew he'd permanently scar. She came for him over and over, screaming in ecstasy as her long-delayed body made up for lost time with climax after climax. He released inside her equally as much, so much that their combined sexual essence drenched where they were connected, slicked their thighs, and soaked the sofa's cushion beneath them.

Hours later, as her limbs finally went limp from exhaustion, Draco's body let go one last time. Even as that orgasm took him in its teeth and shook him from head to toe, he realised that for the first time in his life, he felt totally and completely satisfied. He felt as if he'd found his way home.

"I love you, too, Granger," he growled as he rolled over and, keeping their bodies connected, turned them so she could fall asleep in his arms. "I always have. Always will. Always."

And that was when they fully bonded, and he became all hers.

TO BE CONCLUDED...

Author's Notes:

In the BDB universe, Wrath and Beth's first time was A.) on a couch, and B.) wild and uncontrollable. Their lust for each other was off the charts. I tried to temper that a bit here, but keep to the spirit of the idea.

One last chapter to go! I hope you've enjoyed it thus far. Drop me a review and let me know! Answers are forthcoming regarding a lot of the hints I've dropped in the story here and there. Stay tuned!

XOXO,

- RZZMG

.

Preview of final chapter:

Before she could counter his word or his wand, her father opened the door into the Drawing Room and cast a Concussive blasting spell of his own.

Her father cast a spell.

"Well, that was refreshing," he said, flashing them a pleased smile. "Still got it in me, it seems."