Every Saturday morning Hermione and Anna practiced Hermione's wandless magic. It wasn't as easy as Hermione thought it would be, it took tons of focus and energy. Severus would be dragged in by Anna every Saturday and read. He never helped or even looked up from his book except to laugh when Hermione blew something up or at the most random moments. The second Saturday in Hermione jumped when Regulus Black walked in behind Anna. He had on his quidditch clothes and his broom. Hermione knew the game wasn't for four hours. His voice wasn't like Sirius, Sirius voice had life in it. Regulus voice was cold and harsh.
"Reg, this is Ms. Granger. Smile and say hi." Anna was putting her books down. She had on her quidditch clothes, and a messy bun. Hermione would never understand the draw of that game.
"Hi." It was cold and blunt. He turned to Anna. "Mom wants to know what you want for Christmas."
"It's just now November." Anna laughed as she threw Hermione a book called Mastering Life without a Wand.
"You know her." He rolled his eyes as he moved next to Anna.
Anna looked up at him. "Did you tell her yet?" Regulus shook his head. "Are you going to tell her?" He shook his head. "So what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to marry you and pretend I love you. You will have lovers on the side as will I and you will give me a male heir that will shut mother up. And when the child is grown and out of school you will divorce me and I will give you half of my fortune and the house in Scotland to make you and whatever lover you have comfortable." He sneered at her as she looked up at her.
"That was romantic, it made me hot." Anna said flatly. "I am not marrying you and living like that" He leered at her.
Severus walked in and sat in his same chair. "What are we talking about?"
Hermione heard her voice start talking, she hadn't planned on opening her mouth. "Regulus wants to marry Anna, he will let her do what she wants as long as she gives me a male heir. I think that's sad."
"I wouldn't have to if your boyfriend hadn't screwed everything up." Severus started chocking when Regulus mentioned boyfriend. "I will tell mom jewelry, you like the snakes she bought you." He was playing with her snake earrings with the green emeralds, she smiled at him. "Have to run love, Barty is waiting for me." He kissed her cheek. "Ms. Granger, Severus." He bowed to her and winked at Severus and left.
"Boyfriend?" Severus shouted.
"Oh really Sev, out of all of that you got that Hermione has a boyfriend. Really?" Anna winked at him, which made him turn red.
"I don't have a boyfriend." Hermione said dryly. For some reason the idea that Snape was upset when he thought she did made her smile.
Draco started coming to practice his skills. Hermione was stunned to see Anna's wand. It was a 17in elm with a dragon heartstring. Lucius was an 18in elm with a dragon heartstring, no wonder he felt pulled to her. Hermione watched her and Draco together. No wonder Lucius thought he and Anna belonged together, Draco and her magic were extremely compatible. She used her wand for harder spells Severus was teaching her or to block. She had a hard time blocking without it. Anna and Draco would sometimes duel when he came in. When she knew they would be dueling Anna would have on a tank top and shorts. Hermione wondered if Draco dueled her to see her in hardly nothing. Most of the time Anna would beat Draco but the last month he was starting to get the upper hand.
Hermione would duel her and was a strong opponent but really the only one who could beat her was Severus. He would smirk when he won and tell her he hadn't taught her all his spells yet. Hermione invited Harry to practice his magic but he was starting to make new friends and enjoy not being popular. Most Saturday mornings he was with Marauders or Frank. He promise to come once the holidays were over when she had a fit that he needed to learn this for when they got back. She was wondering if he wanted to go back, hell she was wondering if she wanted to go back.
She was able to by Christmas move a book from one desk to the other without a wand or blowing it up. It was a week till Prof. Slughorn Christmas party, it was close to noon. Anna didn't have practice so she was still in the room with Hermione. Anna had on a white sweater with silver sparkles on it, a brown skirt that ended a few inches above her knee and brown boots with heels. When she would lift up her arms her sweater would pull up and show off her stomach. Her hair was pulled up and had on the prettiest green earrings. Hermione wondered how she could wear tops so tight but if she had her chest she would be wearing bras for tops. Most Saturdays Anna was either in her quidditch clothes, shorts or her black pants. Hermione had wondered why she was dressed up today. Anna was sitting on the desk twirling her wand above her head and started laughing. "Bite me." She looked over a glared at Severus as her wand fell on her head. Severus hadn't moved his nose out of his book since he came in. Hermione was wondering if she was losing her mind.
A few more moments of Hermione trying to move that blasted book and Severus slammed his book down on the table. It made Hermione jump. He hissed threw his teeth. "That was uncalled for. I am not a self-centered prat."
"Huh?" Anna looked innocent at him. "Hermione, Slughorn's Christmas party is going to be next Friday. Who are you going with?" Anna grinned at Severus.
"I wasn't planning on going." She moved the book onto the shelf with a flick of her fingers and let out a sequel and a jump when she did. "Who are you going with?"
"Nobody I guess. Nobody asked me." Anna grabbed her wand off the desk and placed it in her hair. She winked at Severus. "Cissy and I have plans today, later." She grabbed her bag and left. She winked at Hermione as she walked past her.
Hermione only wore an oversize sweater and tight fitting black pants with flats. She wished she could dress like Anna. Hermione knew that would get Severus to look at her, she tried to shake that thought from her head. Her mind wander to Sirius. In the past month she had done a good job of never being alone with Sirius or near him. The one or two times she was he would flirt and whisper things he wanted to do to her in her ear. She wasn't interested but that just seemed to spur him on more. Lily and Alice were trying to talk her into going with him on Friday but she couldn't imagine what he would be like at a party.
Hermione blushed some as she looked at Severus who was pushing his hair back. "Um Hermione, I'm not going with anybody." He was stumbling over his words. "So maybe, if you want to I mean."
"Severus I would love to go with you." Hermione grabbed her bag, even in her baggy clothes and her hair a mess he had asked her out. Why did that make her so happy? He could have asked Anna but he asked her. "Meet me around 7pm on Friday." Hermione left the room feeling like she was walking on a cloud.
Anna was walking down the stairs to the dungeon when Cissy ran up to her. She had on Anna's green top with black pants. Anna had to admit Cissy looked good in her clothes. "There you are." Cissy was jumping up and down. "Look what Lucius gave me." She showed her the ring on her finger. It was a huge diamond in the middle of a dozen pink stones. On each side had a small snake. "It's our engagement ring. Isn't nice. It's so much bigger then that ring he gave you last Christmas." Cissy smirked. "Plus, it's a diamond. Been in his family for years. I mean that green ring he gave you last year was nice but it was cheap looking."
Anna's heart dropped she wasn't sure it was because of Lucius or how Cissy was acting. But she kept smiling. "Oh Merlin Cissy how wonderful. You have to tell me everything." Anna lied she didn't want hear any of that right now.
"Oh, I forgot we had plans. I was spending the day with Lucius. I can cancel or better you can come along." Cissy eyed Anna.
"That's ok, Severus needs company in the library anyway." Anna was lying but she was wasn't going to be a third wheel.
Cissy knew she was lying but she had to do it. She had to make sure Anna knew Lucius was hers. She smiled back at her friend "Sure tonight then. We can talk while I pack. Lucius' mom wants me to spend the holiday with him." Anna nodded and gave her the biggest smile she could and hurried up the stairs.
Draco was making his way down when Anna flew by him running. "Anna." He called after her but she just kept running. He took off after her. "Anna, wait." She was sitting under one of the trees freezing by the lake when he caught up with her. Tears were streaming down her face, he sat down next to her.
"What happened?" He put his arm around her waist. He had seen his dad do this with his mom lots of times. He moved her closer to him. He draped his robes over her so they could share.
"Lucius gave Cissy her ring. I know it shouldn't hurt but it does." She leaned her head on his shoulder.
"It hurts because you still love him?" Something in Draco made him hold his breath waiting for the answer. For a few seconds he dreaded the answer was yes.
She looked into his eyes, they were so much like Lucius' but they were softer and deeper. "I don't think I love him but it feels like it's over. Like when my dad died. It wasn't a shock but it hurt. Plus, Cissy is being very possessive and letting me know. I think that hurts more. I don't know, I was stupid. James was right." She sighed as he held her closer. She leaned her head back on his shoulder.
They sat there for a while. "Draco?" He looked down at her. "Do you think anybody will ever like me? I mean really like me. Regulus wants a wife, Lucius wanted a toy and Severus wants Hermione." She met his eyes.
"Anna you are wonderful, smart, gifted and completely strange. How could someone not like you or even love you." He leaned closer to her. "I like you. I even think I am falling in love with you." He could feel her heart pounding and he was sure she could hear his. He put his free hand on her face and leaned down and kissed her on the lips. Her lips were soft and tasted like peppermint. She wrapped her arms around him and turn towards his body. He kept his mouth on her as he helped her straddle his lap. She pulled off his lips. An image of them in his bed popped into her mind.
"Draco. I thought Sev said you almost mastered Occlumency?" She looked at him as another image of them in the library with her bent over the table screaming his name came in quickly.
"I can when he is doing it." He look concerned. He had to control this images or she was going to see more then what he wanted to do to her. "And you stay out." He tickled her.
"Try harder and I will try not to go in." She bent down and kissed him again. "Draco, I like you a lot but I don't want to move to fast. I did with Lucius and regret it." She was biting her lip. She was driving him crazy. As another image popped this time in to Draco's mind. It was him and her in his bed with him on top pounding her hard.
"That was interesting." She blushed at him. "I don't want anything from you. I just to be near you. I don't know why." She laid her head on his chest. They sat in the silence of the lake, Draco had never felt closer to any person before without saying a word. Draco smiled at her. "Want to go with me to Slug's party."
"I would love to." Anna kissed him again.
"Let's go inside before you freeze. Plus, my ass is cold on the ground." They walked together talking back to the castle.