Chapter 14 A Different Perspective[I Can Dream About You by Dan Hartman]
As Hermione made her way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, Draco popped in front of her, immediately grabbing her arm and portkeyed them to his bedroom. "Draco, what's the meaning of this?" She fumbled around trying to find her wand.
"You owe me for saving your life. You belong to me now and you're going to admit it."
"That's ridiculous." Then he levitated her onto his bed where satin bindings tied her legs and arms to the bedposts. "Don't do this," she pleaded as she tried to free herself. "I know you like to boast to your friends. I'll tell them that you shagged me and how terrific you were. Just let me go."
"I appreciate the offer." Beneath his intern's robes, he wore black silk boxers that she couldn't take her eyes off of. "However, I want to hear you scream." Then he removed her shoes and socks. "Red nail polish, you little minx," he remarked as he tickled her feet with a feather.
To keep from giggling, she squirmed. "You're vile," she spat as he removed her robe to which he answered with a smirk. "Loathsome," she added as he removed her bra, his smile widening. "You're the same old despicable Malfoy. You haven't changed." Then he removed her panties. "Evil Git," she muttered. To which, he positively beamed.
"God bless America," he exclaimed when he saw the Brazilian she now sported since her trip to the colonies. Then he kept eyeing her slowly from head to toe. "Keep going with the compliments. They turn me on."
"I can tell you're having second thoughts. Please Draco, you're not evil."
At that remark, he looked upset, turned her to the side and lightly smacked her bottom once, leaving a slight stinging sensation. "If you insult me, I'll gag you."
"Then you won't hear me scream," she countered. "You don't want to sully yourself by touching a Mudblood."
"I'll bathe afterwards."
While she reluctantly admired the lean frame before her, he rubbed his hands with massage oil. "What about your fiancée?"
He collapsed next to her. "Do you think faithful is even in my vocabulary?" As his fingers stroked her arm down to her side almost tickling her, his heated breath tickled her neck.
You're not enjoying this. Leisurely, he trailed warm butterfly kisses down her neck. Deftly, his knee parted her legs as he titillated her with his fingertips. You're absolutely are not enjoying this. Eventually, she jerked back and bit the pillow to muffle her moans. Hot moisture covered her he continued to stroke her as his tongue flicked subtlety over her nipples. She bit the pillow as her body once more betrayed her.
"Unfair," he drawled as he stopped and tossed the pillows aside. "I won't be able to hear you scream."
Momentarily, she regained her senses. "This stops now!" As he removed his boxers, she wiggled around trying to make things difficult for him.
"I love a challenge." He grabbed her hips and thrust, over and over again.
"No, no," she whimpered as she trembled in absolute delight. Soft tremors seized her body as her arms writhed in their binds. Then he stopped and titillated her once more. "More," she pleaded.
"Not until you admit it." His caresses teased her. "Who do you belong to?"
"Draco," she whispered as she moved suggestively. Once more, he conquered. An electric tide of heat pummeled her as she screamed, "Draco!" Then with a hard thrust, he exploded in her.
Then her watch sang her morning wake up song. She sobered herself, forcing yet another dream about him from her mind. She worked out her tension with some Pilates and any other exercise she could do without aggravating her ankle before limping into her bathroom for a cold shower.
After, she stared into the mirror. "Don't fool yourself. Even though he's absolutely delicious, he's the same old arrogant, self-centered Malfoy who's playing an angle. Besides, he has a fiancée." She giggled evilly. "Hopefully, she'll get warts which will probably contain the bulk of her IQ." Then she combed her hair. "No more hugging that rock hard torso of his." She guiltily remembered her enjoyment as she melted into him while he poured his heart out. As she dabbed a drop of her perfume, she commanded, "Just stop looking at him!" With a final look in the mirror, she sighed. "It's pointless. He's already stopped spending any time with you so he can dote on her. Every good witch fantasizes about a dark wizard, at least once in their life. That's all it is."
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With her completed book in hand, Hermione seated herself at the table with Harry and Ginny for Sunday brunch at the Leaky Cauldron. "Hello lovebirds, how's your morning?"
"We're good," Ginny replied. "Looks like your ankle is on the mend." She looked at the manuscript. "Are you finally ready to submit to a publishing company?"
"I think I need more revisions," Hermione replied. "Besides, I think I'm better off to focus on my internship." With the internship, I don't face rejection from the publishing company.
"Speaking of interns," Ginny excitedly commented. "Have you met Draco's fiancée, Bianca Gasparo?" Hermione shook her head. "She's really nice and doesn't exude any of that pure-blood supremacy. During her tutorials, she admonished one of her own house for being rude to a Muggle born. She's not at all the type one would expect Draco to marry." Ginny held up the society page that displayed a picture of Draco kissing Bianca with an engagement announcement from early that morning. "Did you ever think you'd see him that over the moon about anyone other than himself?" Again, she shook her head.
"We actually bumped into them at the Quidditch shop," Harry said. "He very cordially asked how we were doing and even told me about some new gloves on sale. We were a bit taken aback by his unusual kindness and left quickly." A brief look of shame crossed his face. "Actually, we probably came off as rude." He chuckled. "It was sort of funny seeing him so whipped, with all that 'yes, dear and anything you say, dear." He winked at Ginny. "I guess love changes us for the better."
"Love and other things," Ginny laughed. "Her father has her reside at Hogwarts despite the fact that Draco has that huge mansion all to himself." She grinned slyly. "Sources have it that he sneaks in nightly. If her father finds out…" She shook her head slowly.
With that implication, Hermione found she could only muster one more bite of toast. "Sorry to leave so soon but I really have to get going."
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That Tuesday afternoon, Hermione joined Draco at the manor to finish up some of their notes for submission since they weren't ready to finalize the actual potion. When she arrived, Draco reeked of liquor. Because of her limp, he put his arm around her waist and helped her to his study. From his stagger, she wondered who supported whom. In his study, an empty bottle of wine sat next to a half empty one, as well as a stack of bound notes. "I've finished our verbal journal but I'm leaving the written thesis to you. You're the better writer."
"What's with the wine?"
"That pure-blood law I rallied for, has passed, so all the Malfoy decrees are valid for the Malfoy family. There's one in particular that my father won't like." Draco sipped some wine. "This is nineteen sixty-nine Chasselan white wine, my father's favorite white wine. This is the last two bottles in existence. According to Father, one shouldn't imbue more than two glasses a day." Draco poured some in a long stemmed crystal wine glass.
"I think you mean imbibe."
"That's what I said." Holding the glass to his lips, he inhaled deeply. "You should appreciate the aroma… honey and flowers."
"Maybe you should stop."
"That's something my father would say." Draco laughed uproariously. "Draco, white wine should be sipped from a long stem crystal glass. Do you know why?" Hermione shook her head. "White wine should be served colder than a red. Drinking from a long stem glass keeps your hand from making the wine warm." Draco offered his glass to Hermione who refused. "My father also gave me plenty of other advice." He swigged some more wine. "Draco, you have to represent the Malfoy family with class and dignity." He now gulped the wine . "Draco, listen to the proper kind of music." Slowly, he raised his hand and the volume of his music rose accordingly. "You can't ask HER out. She wouldn't do for a Malfoy." He picked up the wine bottle. "Here's to you Father." Once he finished chugging the wine from the bottle, he collapsed back on the couch.
"Well, at least you're marrying someone your father approves of." All that had been her mind lately was his arranged marriage.
Draco laughed so hard that he almost fell off the couch. "My father even criticized her when we were growing up. He thinks Bianca is too demonstrative in public. That display in the courtyard would have freaked my father out." Laughing softly, he dozed for a little bit.
While he snoozed, Hermione perused his notes. After awhile, she noticed his grey eyes staring at her. "How can you be sure you're in love and it's not a crush?"
"Well Hermione, since I don't have much experience, you tell me what love is."
"Love is a deep friendship of trust and understanding with someone that fits your life . Everything fits together your friends and your family. It just all works." Hermione poured a glass of water. "From there, you build a future together."
"That's not how I think it is," he said wearily.
"Then tell me how you think it is." Hermione handed him the glass.
"Well, talking to her should feel like I'm speaking to my intellectual equal and a most trusted confidant."
Hmmm… I've had half of that. "That's promising, go on," she replied.
With a look of fond remembrance, Draco smiled warmly. "To have fun with her," he added.
"That's important but you need more than that."
"No matter how bad I feel, she comforts me and convinces me that things will get better."
For some reason, Hermione felt her hand trembling once he said that. "That's part of friendship."
"When I see her, my heart races and I want to ….never mind."
Picturing Bianca and Draco together angered Hermione. "There's more to love than just sex."
"So there is," he agreed. "To give me courage to face challenges that I wouldn't normally." Draco grabbed the empty bottle of wine checking it for one last drop and frowned when he found none. "To accept me the way I am and despite all my faults see me as a hero…her hero." He lay back down and threw his arm over his eyes. "To think that she will never see me like that actually hurts. I mean I actually feel physical pain … in my throat and in my chest."
For a little while, she just watched him lay there. Hermione swallowed hard. It seemed he knew love more that she did. "For someone who claims to not know love, you…seem to have discovered it." Subtly, he touched his fingertips to hers. As she looked at him, she saw anguish but she couldn't understand why since he had the perfect marriage to look forward to. After he fell asleep, Hermione brush away her tears and left.