A/N- Hey y'all, sorry its been awhile since I updated but real life is kicking my ass right now. Softball, volleyball camp, work, family get-togethers...this girl needs a vacay! Anyways, my continued thanks to all those that continue to support this story. You guys rock.
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing...except the characters Leslie Pritchard and Grace Wensel. I'll claim them.
Chapter 26
December 30, 1998
Hermione gave an internal sigh as she was hauled into Molly's arms again and crushed to her chest. She hadnt even made it to the other members of the family because Molly was so upset that they were leaving. Finally, Arthur stepped forward and put a hand on his wife's shoulder.
"Molly, dear, you have to let her go. The rest of us want hugs and they have to get back to school to prepare for the ball." With a shaky laugh, Molly released Hermione's much smaller frame before pulling Draco into her arms, followed quickly by Theo. Harry and Ginny watched on in wry amusement as the Slytherins patted her gingerly on the back and told her they would definetly visit again.
Hermione started with Arthur, wrapping her arms around his waist as he pressed a kiss to her temple.
"Take care of yourself, Hermione, and of that baby. No matter what happens, you'll always have a place here with us." Hermione gave him a bright smile and nodded as she ruthlessly forced her tears back.
The Gryffindor was passed down to Bill who gave her an easy hug and tugged on one of her more errant curls.
"Stay safe, Potter, and take care of yourself. We all know you, especially when you're with Harry, are a danger magnet." Hermione just gave him a wide smirk and kissed his cheek before moving down to Percy. The pair hugged quickly since Hermione knew Draco would begin growling at prolonged contact.
Charlie didn't hug her. Hermione wasn't sure if it was because of Draco or because he wanted to embarrass her when he took her hand in his and pressed his lips to her knuckles. Charlies eyes were crinkled in laughter and Draco was glaring. Before anything untoward could happen, she smiled at Charlie and moved down to George. The remaining twin drew her into his arms and held her close, burying his face in her neck. Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist much as she had with Arthur. George whispered in her ear as he held her close.
"You've done good, Hermy. He treats you well and a blind man could see that he loves you. I'm so happy for you." Hermione was surprised at his pet name for her. He and Fred had always called her Hermy because they knew she hated it, but he hadn't uttered the name since the Final Battle. Hermione turned her face into his neck for a moment before speaking.
"Thanks, Georgie. Hang in there and if you ever need me, you know I'll come. I know it's the hardest thing you've ever done, but Fred wouldn't want you to be miserable. He'd want you to keep pranking in his memory and live a happy enough life for the both of you. We both know he was a little shit, but never would he want you to be miserable in his memory." Hermione felt a short burst of laughter from George deep in his chest. He raised his head and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before letting her go.
"You always did know just what to say, Hermy. Thanks." She patted his chest with one of her hands before she turned back to the group that was Hogwarts-bound. Just as she reached Draco, George spoke again, but this time to Draco.
"Take care of her, Draco. I know Harry takes care of Gin, but it would make me happy to know that you're taking care of my other sister. Keep that neice or nephew of mine safe and healthy." Draco leaned forward and grasped George's hand, shaking it firmly.
"You can count on it, George. That baby will be most cherished." The Hogwarts contingent started to make their way towards the apparition point, making promises at a distance to see everyone during Easter.
Draco wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist and smiled down at her as he pulled her into the familiar squeeze of apparition. When they landed outside the gates of Hogwarts, Ron lifted his trunk with magic (Hermione didn't understand why he didn't shrink it but had kept her mouth firmly closed about the matter) and hurried off towards the school. Hermione couldn't really blame him after the events from the day earlier.
All during the break, Ron had been making snide comments to Hermione and then rushing off. Of course, not wanting to start fights or trouble, Hermione had just endured in silence and kept her mouth shut. However, yesterday had backfired on Ron.
*Flashback*
Hermione was cuddled up next to the fire reading one of the many books she had brought with her from school. All the boys and Ginny had disappeared a few hours before to play quidditch. They had invited Ron, but he had declined in the most childish of manners.
Therefore, Hermione had installed herself in the armchair that Arthur preferred next to the fire, blanket over her legs. The warmth had almost put her sleep when she was startled awake by a door slamming. Looking up, she saw Ron enter and send a sneer her way. It reminded her of the way Draco had always looked at her: with disgust and hatred
"Not attached at the hip to your precious veela? Is he finally getting as sick of you as I am? I'd hate to say that I have something in common with a Malfoy but I could understand his feelings there." Hermione blanched inwardly but turned all her attention to her book. She refused to let him see that he had hurt her. However, knowing that all the other siblings were outside, Ron continued.
"You've turned my whole family against me, Hermione. Do you like being the cause of that? Do you like knowing that everyday I hide in my room because you and your fucking snakes are here? That you're making me hate my family for their treatment of me and of you." Finally, she tried to speak.
"Ron, I don't ask that they treat me like they do or that they treat you like they do, I just-" Hermione was cut off by Ron's harsh words that were spat her direction.
"No, you didn't ask for it. But you know that my family will feel sorry for you and take you in because you made your parents hate you and now you're knocked up with Malfoy spawn. How could they not feel sorry for you? You knew they would and you used it to your advantage. It helped you and hurt me at the same time, of course you were alright with it."
Hermione couldn't pretend that his words didn't cut her to the quick. His words had a ring of truth to them. Her parents did hate her. She was pregnant with the Weasley's biggest enemy's baby. Was all they felt for her pity? Did they care at all? Hermione knew without a doubt that Ginny cared but after Molly's words in that howler, Hermione couldn't help but wonder and doubt. Silent tears began to slide down her cheeks at the thought of being a pity case, but she ducked her head hoping that Ron wouldn't see them.
The whole time Ron had been speaking, he hadn't come within twenty feet of her. Hermione was sure that after the incident on the bleachers, he was certain that Draco would indeed kill him if he touched her, even on accident. Hermione could only hope he wouldn't see her pathetic tears since he was at such a distance. However, she wasn't counting on the yelp of pain he let out. Her eyes flew upward, tears exposed.
George had come in, face red with what she assumed was anger, and began throwing punches. Hermione couldn't make herself get up and attempt to break them up. She felt detached from the whole situation now that it had turned violent. Over and over, she watched George pound Ron's face, chest, and abdomen. Hermione could see that George was a good deal shorter than Ron, at least three or four inches, but where Ron was lanky, George was stout and much more muscular. Ron landed his own fair share of punches but there didn't seem to be enough power behind them to do any harm.
George finally allowed Ron to crawl away, towards the door, and he decided to lay his own guilt trip on his youngest brother.
"I don't know what happened to you, Ron, but you weren't raised to be like thiis. You were never treated like this. If Fred were alive, he'd still be wailing on you. Hermione has been family since you first brought her home and you don't treat family like they're dirt." Ron didn't say a word, just threw them both a sneer and a hate-filled look before he limped out of the room. George finally looked to Hermione and noticed her tears. When he realized they were tears, he went to her chair and took her hand, pulling her up out of it and into his arms. The vehemence of the hug took her by surprise.
"I heard everything, Hermione. None of what he said is true. You've been a member of this family since you were twelve years old. We're treating you no differently than Harry. Mum would have dropped everything to go see Ginny if she was pregnant too. It has nothing to do with pity. We love you, all of us do, and that's not going to change, ever." At his words, Hermione couldn't help but start to sob into his shoulder.
All her fears and insecurities poured out of her and into her tears; she could feel her tears soaking George's shirt. George didn't say anything else. The older man simply leaned his head against her and made comforting noises, running his hand across her shoulder blades in comfort. He rocked her back and forth for only a few minutes before Draco appeared.
The veela stiffened slightly at the sight of his mate in another man's arms but almost instantly relaxed and made his way to her side. As soon as George saw him, he whispered in Hermione's ear.
"Hey, Draco's here and I think he wants to make sure you're alright." George handed her over to her veela after she nodded and she saw Draco give him a grateful smile. Draco threaded his fingers through her curls and pulled, lifting her head up to meet his eyes.
"What happened, Angel? Why are you so upset?" Hermione didn't even get the chance to speak. George chimed in, probably knowing she was a little embarrassed about crying.
"Ron found her in here and laid the guilt trip on her. It's her fault we're all treating him like shit and that he's hiding in his room. Told her she's made him hate us and that we're only being nice to her out of pity because she has no family and she's stuck with you." Hermione felt Draco's arms tighten around her, making his talons much more pronounced. After a few moments, they retracted and Draco kissed her forehead.
"Stay here with George. I have something I have to go take care of." Hermione held fast to him and shook her head.
"George already took care of it. He beat the piss out of him." Draco looked startled for a second but held his hand out to the older man.
"Thanks. I really appreciate you looking out for Mia." The red head simply shrugged.
"Hermione's my sister. She has been since she was twelve. I don't care what's between them, you don't treat family like that." George leaned over and kissed the side of her head before he walked out of the room.
*End Flashback*
The group of five began to make their way up towards the castle, knowing that it was getting close to lunchtime. Most students wouldn't be returning til that evening or even the next day for the New Year's Ball. Hermione really didn't expect the crowd at lunch to be too big. They decided to attend before going to their dorms to unpack their trunks that were safely stowed in their pockets.
When they made it to the Great Hall, there was the customary one table that was made up of all the students and professors. There indeed hadn't been many students that had stayed behind and the table seemed rather cozy. Headmistress McGonagall waved them over and pointed towards the empty seats to her right. Professors were spaced evenly down the table in between the students and the students looked slightly uncomfortable.
Hermione found herself in between Draco and Ginny when the food appeared and she had to smile to herself when Draco instantly began serving her plate. The Headmistress watched with fascination as Hermione allowed it and then started to nibble at the shepherds pie he had given her. Hermione met her stare and smiled at her.
The rest of her friends all dove into their food as if they hadn't just had breakfast two hours before and she could only watch in disbelief at the amount of food Draco and Harry were able to put away. Ginny and Theo came in at a close second with their intake but it wasn't nearly as note-worthy. The younger students, mostly first and second years, were eyeing Hermione and her friends warily, as if they were waiting for something bad to happen. In fact, their presence seemed to put most of the younger children off their meals. Finally, Hermione could endure the stares no longer and met the eyes of a first year Gryffindor across the table from her.
"Is there something wrong? Something I can help you with?" Everyone's eyes snapped back to their plates except the young lion's. Hermione had been counting on the girl's Gryffindor courage to actually discuss what her problem was. All of her friends turned towards her, obviously having been too caught up in their meal to notice they were a focal point of the meal. Hermione kept her eyes on the young girls, knowing she'd speak eventually. When she did, Hermione had to bite back a smile.
"All of us have heard so much about all of you and we don't know how much of it to believe. None of us have ever been close enough to ask you before, close enough to real war heroes." Hermione had figured it was something like this.
"Well, Alissa, for the record, all your professors are war heroes, as are most of your house's seventh year students." Alissa, the first year lion, shook her head vehemently.
"Maybe they are, but not like you and Harry Potter. You chased down Lord Voldemort and killed him. You both almost died. Why are you guys friends with a Death Eater? None of us understand." Hermione felt Draco stiffen next to her and she reached out and took his hand in hers. The professors surprisingly stayed silent and Hermione wasn't sure if it was because they thought she could handle the situation or they wanted to know the answer themselves. After a deep breath and a quick prayer for patience, Hermione met the girl's eyes and spoke.
"As for Harry and I, yes we did hunt Voldemort. We did it because we were the only ones able to do it. Harry, Ron, and I only did what we had to do to be rid of Voldemort. I also want to point out that Draco and I are Head Boy and Head Girl. We are always available to talk to. We may not answer all your questions if they're personal but we are always here for the other students." Hermione paused and took another breath before continuing.
"As for why we're friends with a Death Eater, that's because he was never truly a Death Eater. Yes, he's marked, but not because he wanted it. He did it to save his mum and dad from being tortured and killed. If your mum and dad were going to be tortured and killed, would you be brave enough to do whatever you could to save them?" There was a collective sharp intake of breath down the table and eyes went wide. Alissa looked perplexed for a few moments before she met Hermione's eyes again.
"I don't know if I could. I hope I'd be able to. I wouldn't want anything to happen to my parents." Hermione rewarded her with a small smile for the girl's honesty.
"When faced with situations that are dire, sometimes we surprise ourselves with what we're capable of. If you had asked me two years ago what I thought of Draco Maloy, I would have said a cowardly prat. However, he rose above that opinion and did something he absolutely hated to save his parents. That's why I testified for him before we were ever friends. Was he the world's biggest prat? Yes. Did he torment and tease my friends and I? Yes. Am I able to forgive that because he's changed and not that person anymore? Absolutely. When I got to know him, I realized that there was so much more to him than what I thought. That's why we all need to give each other a chance. Even if someone is a Slytherin, it doesn't make them bad or a terrible person. It makes them different and that's never been a bad thing. Imagine if we were all the same... life would be pretty boring." Alissa was silent for a good time as she rolled Hermione's words around. When she finally opened her mouth to speak, she shifted her eyes to Draco.
"I never thought about it like that. I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy, for thinking the worst about you. I hope I have the courage you did if my parents are ever in that situation. I'm glad that Miss Granger gave you a chance." Hermione felt her heart swell at the young girl's words. Draco squeezed her hand under the table and Hermione prayed to Merlin he didn't blow the young girl off. She was pleasantly surprised when he awarded the young Gryffindor with a smile. Not a smirk or one of his crooked smilles, but a full-on smile.
"Thank you, Alissa. You can call us Draco and Hermione. Your honesty shows that you would definetly be able to do what I did if you had been in my shoes. Honesty takes courage sometimes too. You make a good Gryffindor." Alissa beamed at him and turned slightly pink under his praise. However, her face turned into a scowl as the moments passed.
"I see now why you aren't friends with Ron Weasley anymore. He says mean things and from now on, I'm going to tell him to stop, that he should have the courage to be honest, not spread lies." As if this settled the whole conversation between the table, Alissa gave Hermione and Draco one more smile before she turned back to her food. Silence reigned for a few minutes while everyone turned back to their food. When Hermione turned towards the Head of the table, she was met with the approving smile of the Headmistress.
"Well-said, Miss Granger. Couldn't have handled that any better myself." Hermione gave her a small smile and decided to embark on another tangent of conversation.
"About the Miss Granger part...we need to discuss what happened over the holidays." Professor McGonagal's eyebrows rose into her hairline, but nodded her head.
"Very well. We shall meet in my office after the meal. Everyone else may begin on their unpacking." Hermione smiled and nodded, hoping that the Headmistress would approve of her choice.
It had been the day after Christmas when Hermione had told Harry that she had thought about his adoption proposal and decided to go through with it. Harry had gotten an appt for the next day with his solicitor at Gringotts. Harry, Ginny, Draco and Hermione had met Harry's goblin the next day, one who's name she couldn't pronounce.
The goblin, Epok-something, had went through all the protocol required for Harry to adopt Hermione as his sister. It had been a lot of long and tedious paperwork and questions, but they had battled through it. After several hours time, Harry and Hermione had joined hands with cut palms and the goblin had performed the blood magic required.
Once they had left Gringotts, Hermione had a new brother, legally, and a new last name. The only physical trait that had changed (that she had noticed) was her eyes. They weren't as bright an emerald green as Harry's; they were closer to an olive green or hazel. Draco had told her that her hair wasn't quite as curly as it had been but Hermione couldn't tell a difference.
Harry had been so happy, ecstatic even, at her eye color change. In his opinion, he now had an influence on her genes and that made her well and truly his sister. Hermione had been happy as well, but a little sad at the same time. Sad for the things she had lost. Her parents didn't want her, but if they ever discovered the adoption, it was a sure thing that they'd never want her again. They would take it as she had denounced her name and wanted nothing to do with them. She had finally decided to go along with her plan when she realized that they weren't ever going to want to talk to her again anyways.
After the boys had consumed enough food for ten people, Hermione kissed Draco softly once she had stood. Her fingers traced his jawline and relished the feel of the slight stubble under her fingers. His hands went to her bare thighs and carressed the outsides of them softly.
"I'm coming with you, Mia. You'll need someone to walk you back." Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes as he rose and took her hand in his.
They made their way through the corridors and up the stairs, both laughing softly at the scene little Alissa had made at lunch. Hermione could tell that he had been touched at the young girl's apology and she was so happy she had been there to see someone apologize for their horrible opinions of him. He deserved a good many of those opinions, Hermione knew this, but he had changed. He didn't go out of his way to be a prat anymore. Draco was definetly worthy of a second chance.
When the griffin jumped out of their way, letting them soundlessly into the Headmistress' office, Hermione and Draco took the seats offered to them in front of her desk. Professor McGonagall folded her hands into her lap and waited for her to speak. Hermione felt a flutter of nerves deep in her belly and she was unsure why.
"Over the break, Harry and I met up with his solicitor at Gringotts. Harry legally adopted me as his sister. My name is no longer Hermione Granger but Hermione Potter. The goblin said he would send all the paperwork you needed at the beginning of term." Professor McGonagall was silent for a few minutes before she nodded and gave a small smile.
"Well, Miss Potter, it does me no good to ask if you're alright and if you're sure. Adoptions are done by blood magic and there is no undoing it once it's done. As leery as I am about blood magic, I can only be happy that you'll always have Mr. Potter for support should you need it. I will begin the process of changing all your records. I won't finalize them until I receive the paperwork from Gringotts, of course." The older woman gave them a smile before continuing.
"Am I to assume that you all returned early to work on the preparations for the Ball?" Hermione and Draco both nodded.
"Yes, Professor. We're giving the elves their instructions tonight and we'll make sure that it's ready in time tomorrow." The Headmistress gave them an approving smile.
"Wonderful. The pair of you had better go unpack then before your other duties."
Hemione and Draco nodded and rose, Draco lacing his fingers through hers, and began pulling her towards the door. With a final wave, the pair left and began to make their way to the common room.
It hadn't been long at all that they had been gone, but Hermione could tell she had missed the castle and most of the people in it. When they entered their rooms, she was sure of the fact. It was like coming home.
-O-
Draco was relieved to be back at the castle in their rooms. His time at the Burrow had been amazing and gave him a lot of insight into the life of the Weasleys, but the castle felt like home. Draco would return to visit the Weasleys in a second, but he was ready to be home.
Once he and his mate had made it to their rooms, they split up to each of their rooms so they could unpack. Draco teased Hermione by telling her he was just going to call one of the elves, but when she sent a stinging hex his way, he relented and promised to unpack himself.
Once he was hard at work at the task he promised to do himself, Draco allowed himself to shake his head in wonder at his mate. The way that she had defended him to the younger students made him want to haul her in his arms and never let her go. Never in a million years did he need anyone else to understand his motives and what his choices had cost him, but having just a few people that weren't his friends respect him just a little was an amazing feeling.
Draco unpacked long before Hermione, using spells to speed it along. Hermione had informed him before they left and again at the Burrow that she preferred doing it the muggle way so she was sure that it was done right.
While she finished, Draco kicked back on the couch and continued reading and copying the journal that he had received from Fleur. He really did want to return it to her as quickly as possible since it was an important family heirloom.
The veela hadn't made it far in the book due to all the quidditch he had been playing and the fact that it was written in French. The French wasn't a problem for him, he had learned French alongside English growing up, but the spell to translate and copy at the same time was tricky. He wanted Hermione to be able to read it as well. He had never asked her if she could speak French, and it wouldn't surprise him if she could, but it seemed the gentlemanly thing to do when he wasn't sure.
Draco was able to read for an hour before he was joined by his mate, who looked exhausted and annoyed. This was confirmed within seconds of her taking a seat next to Draco.
"Why did I pack so much to go to the Burrow? I should have known Ginny would make me buy more than I neede When we went shopping. That experience was horrid." Draco gave her a side-long glance.
"It wouldn't have been so bad if you had used that handy little spell. I've been done for an hour and I'm fairly certain I took more than you did." Hermione reached and shoved his shoulder.
"I know it would be faster but I -" Draco cut her off.
"Like to do it the muggle way. Yes, I know you do and I still stand by the fact that you're crazy when it comes to packing and unpacking." Draco could tell that she was fighting a smile, but was refusing to give into it. Instead of retorting back, she stuck her tongue out at him. Draco gave her a grin and pulled her down so her head rested in his lap.
Draco continued his work on the journal and toyed with one of Hermione's stray curls. He knew exactly when she fell asleep and he ran his fingers through her silky curls once she was. He planned on keeping her awake a little while tonight but she was exhausted. It had been he didn't even know how many days since he had last buried himself inside her and he felt they both deserved to indulge that evening.
The Slytherin allowed his mate to sleep for a couple hours and by the time she stirred, he was almost completely done with the journal. It really was a fabulous read and he had learned a lot of amazing insight into a male veela's life. Hermione must have seen how anxious he was to complete the book because she waved her wand and her harpy appeared. It made its way over to her and rubbed its beak against her leg in affection. She sent Ginny a message asking her to go give the elves instructions with her because Draco was busy. When she was done, Hermione nuzzled into his side and spoke before he had a chance.
"I can tell you want to finish your journal. Go ahead and do that, Ginny and I will get the preliminaries done for the Ball. It's fine, I promise." Draco gave her a smile before he hauled her into his lap and lowered his mouth to hers.
His tongue plundered her mouth ruthlessly, exploring every inch. Her hand threaded through his hair and his rested on the nape of her neck and around her hip. Draco could feel his lower extremity waking up against her hot center and knew that if he didn't end the kiss, he wouldn't stop for awhile. Gentling the kiss, he finally pulled away and was pleased to note that his mate was breathless.
"You better go and get this done or I won't stop. Take your time and I'll meet you in the Great Hall for dinner." It took a moment for Hermione to regain normal breathing before she nodded. When the knock on the portrait door came, his mate bounded to her feet to find Ginny waiting patiently. With a wave, he was left to the solitude.
Draco set out to finish the journal and he was sure that he could. There was only a few more entries left. The things he was learning were fascinating and he planned on keeping the journal for his children to read. However, if he had a daughter, he could just send them to Aunt Fleur for help since he had no idea what it was like for female veela.
After reading the experiences of Fleur's family, he decided that he would keep a journal as well so if Hermione didn't accept him his child still wouldn't be completely clueless when it came to their heritage.
Fleur's grandfather's name had been Louis and had known his heritage since the day he was born. However, he hadn't been aware of the strength of his powers. Up until he found his mate, he had been nothing but ordinary (at least when it came to veelas).
Once he had found his mate, a beautiful woman named Sophie, his powers had exploded. Sophie had been from a very poor home, helping her father in the family bakery rather than date or find a husband. Draco had to smile to himself when Louis had thought he had been drawn to the bakery because of the wonderful baking smells. It took him until he was with Sophie away from the bakery to realize that it was she that smelt like fresh-baked cookies.
Her father didn't approve of the match and didn't think that mixing her pure blood with a veela's was good for their bloodline. Louis did everything in his power to gain the older man's approval, but it never came. Though Sophie had come to love him, she didn't wish to marry against her family's wishes. Louis had accepted the fact that he was going to die when he had felt Sophie in distress.
After following her scent to three towns over, Louis had discovered that Sophie's father had brought her to meet a proper young man. Once her father's agenda was clear, Sophie had dissolved into tears, begged her father to let her marry Louis. He had refused and she had turned her back on him and ran. After running for who knew how long, Sophie stumbled into an uncovered well and couldn't climb out.
Sophie had screamed for hours, her father and the young man she was to meeting searching for her with no luck in their endeavors. It had been hours when Louis had shown up and asked her father where she was. The older man had broke down and told Louis everything. Louis had instantly flown into full veela mode after discovering his mate was missing and in distress. Wings had emerged and he was a man on a mission so to say.
It took Louis only a short time to find his mate. Sophie was filthy, wet, wandless, injured, and scared to death in the bottom on a fifteen foot well. She had become hysterical when she realized that Louis was there and she couldn't respond to any of his commands. Louis lowered himself down into the well and bandaged her broken leg before he used his wand to lift them out together.
When they had emerged, Sophie's father had instantly moved to take her from Louis' arms. The veela had had enough and wrapped her tightly in his pure white wings and bared his teeth at her father, a threat if Draco had ever heard of one. Louis had held Sophie like that for hours before she was able to respond. Her first response was to kiss Louis and hold him tightly. Her second was to tell her father that she would enjoy being disowned because she was marrying Louis.
Louis had taken her back to his home and cared for her, healing her broken bones. He held her close all night and reveled in the feeling of his mate accepting him. He felt terrible for Sophie being disowned but he was certain that he could make her happy enough to make up for it. The next morning, Sophie's father showed up on Louis' doorstep and told his daughter that he would approve of her choice and he wouldn't disown her.
All had ended well for Fleur's ancestor in the long run and Draco could only hope he would have the same luck. Throughout their life together, Louis had only gotten stronger and by the time the journal came to a close, he had the same powers that Draco did. This made Draco wonder if his powers partly came from his mate. Wouldn't Louis have had those abilities from the start if it was all genetics? He seemed to grow stronger as his bond with his mate grew stronger. If this was indeed the case, Draco and Hermione had started with a strong bond and would still become stronger if she accepted him.
While on one hand this made Draco happy, on the other it scared the living hell out of him. While he would always be able to protect his mate, there would always be the chance that he could go too far. With a physical shake of his head, he tried to clear away all the information from his mind. It was time to go to dinner and he could dwell on the information later.
After putting the journal away, along with the translation, Draco made his way down towards the Great Hall. He expected to find more students present this evening since he knew Blaise and Grace were returning in time for dinner. However, three corridors away from the Great Hall, he ran into Pansy. She gave him a silky smile and laid her hands on his chest.
"Hey, Drakey, how have you been? Are you still mad at me for kissing you in the Great Hall?" Draco reached up and shoved her hands off of him.
"Dont touch me, Pansy, and don't call me Drakey. I am not yours. I haven't been for a long time. Honestly, I never was. You and all the other girls were just a distraction from how shitty my life was. You were all easy fucks. Every single last girl I slept with. None of you meant a thing to me. Honestly, I don't mean a thing to any of you either, just a good fuck and a full vault." Pansy sighed loudly and rolled her eyes.
"That little goody-two-shoes has really twisted your mind. I don't care if you have other girls. Neither would Daphne. Neither would Astoria. None of us would. That little know-it-all has made you think you'd be happy with just one girl, just one pussy to fuck. You were never like that before. That's how I know none of this is real. You just need the right pussy to wake you up again. She isn't that good and she never will be. She's such a damn prude." Draco couldn't hold it back. He reached out and slammed Pansy up against the stone wall of the castle and spoke through gritted teeth.
"You don't know me, Pansy, you never did. I don't need or want anyone besides Hermione so leave us both alone. If you don't, you'll end up hurt." Pansy just curled her lips into a smile and ran her hand over his cock. His trousers didn't let her feel much but her touch sickened him. He pulled her off the wall and slammed her into it again. She simply smiled again.
"I remember you like it rough. We did it just like this all the time." Draco could feel his fangs elongating to prick his lips. Fear finally passed over Pansy's face and he smiled.
"If you touch me or my mate again, you will regret it. If you don't leave us alone, you'll regret it. If you're thinking this is a threat, you'd be correct. It is a threat. It will also be a promise if you don't heed my warning." Without another word, Draco released her and started down the hall towards his mate again.
By the time Draco reached the Great Hall, his teeth had went back to normal and his urge to kill had diminished. Now, however, he had to decide if he wanted to tell Hermione. On one hand, he wanted to be honest with her, but on the other, he wanted to keep it to himself. He didn't want to fight over Pansy and he didn't want her to worry needlessly about how he felt for Pansy. He had almost decided to keep it to himself when he realized that if Pansy opened her mouth and told Hermione he had come on to her, it would look like he was lying because he hadn't been honest.
A new plan of action decided upon, he took his seat next to his mate and kissed the side of her head before he was drug into conversation with Blaise and Theo. The two of them were in deep discussion about their holidays and they kept trying to get him to join. After ten minutes of him not actively speaking, Hermione leaned over and brushed his hair off his forehead.
"Whats the matter, Dray? Did the journal not go so well?" Draco took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around her shoulders so he could pull her in close.
"Pansy caught me in the hall on the way down here. She talked a lot of trash and I shot her down. It pissed her off so she reached out and touched me. You know where. I slammed her up against the wall a couple times and told her to leave us alone and never touch either one of us again. I may have had my fangs out at the time. Then I left her there and came here." He wasn't sure what he expected from his mate in the way of reactions, but he sure didn't expect her to trace his bottom lip with her finger before cupping his cheek softly. She pulled his face down so she could rest her forehead against his.
"I'm sorry she touched you like that. It's not right and she should be punished. That's sexual assault. Do you want to report it?" Draco was quick to shake his head.
"No, it will just draw more attention to the fact that we were together. That's what she wants, to cast doubt about the two of us. We'll both just keep our distance. I just didn't want her to tell you and you think I was really coming on to her." His mate leaned forward and caught his lips with hers, searing them with her own brand of fire.
"I believe you, Dray. I'm just not happy that she forced herself on you." He smiled at her.
"I'm not either, but you can force yourself on me anytime you want." She let out a peal of laughter and threaded her fingers with his. There was no answer or comeback but he could feel that his response had made her happy.
The couple ate at their leisure, enjoying the company of Blaise and Grace. They all joined the other two Slytherinsm's conversation and traded stories of their holidays. Grace was in shock that Hermione had gotten adopted and nobody could believe that Grace had been told by her grandmother that she had an aunt that she had never met. Blaise spoke of leisurely spent days by a pool with his mother and meeting up with Leslie.
By the time they all left the table, it had grown late. Theo and Grace were headed off to Merlin knows where, Harry and Ginny departed hand in hand, and Blaise started to make his way to the dungeons, grumbling about Leslie not being home yet.
Draco led Hermione back to their quarters by their joined hands. By the time they entered their common room, Draco was burning inside. He needed to touch his mate, to feel her. She hadn't been wrapped around him in so long and he needed it like he needed air to breathe. What was more was he could feel the same desire radiating off of her as well.
They made it three steps in, the door barely closed, when Draco turned and reached for his mate. She came willingly, surrendering her mouth to his ministrations. The fire inside him burned so much hotter now that his hands were on her and her mouth against his.
With sure hands, he undid the buttons on her shirt quickly and shoved her shirt off her shoulders. Her skin was as silky soft as it ever was and Draco found himself becoming distracted with touching her. Draco leaned forward to kiss her shoulders, smiling against her skin when he felt her hands fumbling with the buttons of his shirt.
His hands had already unsnapped her bra and peeled it off of her by the time she had his shirt pushed off his shoulders, her hands roaming the expanse of his chest. His hands went down to the zipper of her skirt and slid it down, pushing her skirt and panties off her curves.
Hermione pulled his face down and met his lips with hers, hungry for the taste of him. Draco could feel her desperation, but his was waning. It had been awhile since they'd been together like this. He was determined to make it good for her, not just a quick fuck to bring them both over the edge quickly. He fisted his hand in her curls and pulled, drawing her chin up, exposing her throat.
Draco's mouth descended to the exposed flesh, touching and tasting as he went. Soft whimpers escaped his mate's mouth, eyes closed in pleasure. His tongue found her mark and toyed with it, enjoying the crescendo of Hermione's moans. After deciding to let her enjoy herself completely, Draco sucked the mark savagely, knowing the precise moment that she came apart.
Before she could recover, Draco lifted her into his arms and carried her to her bed, laying her down on top of the duvet. His mouth found her collarbone, nipping and scraping his teeth along the length of it before starting their descent to her breasts. When his mouth finally closed on one her perfect nipples, she was cradling his head to her chest, head thrown back and moaning low in her throat.
Draco alternated between soft licks and rough sucks, moving from breast to breast, his hand pinching and toying with whichever one was being ignored. He finally pulled away from her, her nipple leaving his mouth with a loud pop.
"Mia, you are perfect. You have the tits of Aphrodite, soft, round, pert, and just begging for my mouth." His mouth continued it's way downward across her belly, still spilling its dirty talk. He was surprised to realize that it was turning her on even more.
"Your legs are just the right length. When they wrap around me and hold me right up where I want to be, I want to worship them. They lead up to the most amazing arse I've ever seen. One of these days, I'm going to spank it and you're going to love it, beg me to spank you all the time." He could smell the rush of arousal fluid at his words and he found that he was enjoying this.
His lips found her slit then, and he couldn't help himself. It had been days since he had tasted her. His tongue dipped into her over and over, ignoring the bundle of nerves at the top of her slit. Her arousal was heady and she tasted clean, but then again, she always did.
When she began to whimper at the feeling of his tongue inside her, Draco slowly dipped two fingers inside her, loving the way that she gripped him so tightly. He began to pump in and out of her, making sure he hit that sweet spot inside her with every stroke. Finally, the Slytherin lowered his mouth to her nub and began to circle it with his tongue. His mate's fingers tightened in his hair and he could feel she was ready to explode.
When Hermione finally came undone around his fingers, Draco groaned loudly and had to slide out of his pants. Hermione was clutching the pillow above her head and breathing hard. Draco began trailing his mouth back up her body, continuing his dirty talk.
"Your pussy is like a fine wine. It tastes good no matter what I do with it. Tongue-fucking you is one of my favorite things to do, Mia. I could drink you up all day long." Her breath was quickening again at his words and Draco couldn't wait to bury himself in her. As his mouth reached hers again, he plundered it viciously and she could do nothing but moan into his mouth.
With one single thrust, his cock was buried inside her, balls deep. He couldn't bite back the groan of pleasure and he didn't want to. Being inside his mate was like coming home after years of being gone. He began to work his way in and out of her, groaning softly with every thrust. Her arms wound their way around him, holding him as close as she could, and he loved every second of the intimacy they shared.
Her wet, willing, and wanting heat was beginning to constrict around him. As he began to pound into her, driving himself home time and time again, he continued his dirty talk.
"Every time I slide inside you, Mia, my cock feels like it's coming home. You so silky and soft, when you grip me so tight with all those muscles, it's like heaven for my cock. Your pussy feels like a hot, wet, sleeve made just for my cock, we fit so perfect. You're perfect." His talk must have pushed her over the edge.
The muscles inside her clamped down on him and her nails raked down his back. Her moans were louder than they ever had been and he wondered somewhere in the back of his mind if it was because they had abstained or because of his exceptional dirty articulation. With just three more thrusts, Draco emptied himself inside her. Since she was still tightening around him, he bent down and clamped his teeth into her neck, right where her mark was.
Draco thought she was going to break his cock off as another wave of pleasure overtook her. Her hands wove into his hair and yanked, holding him in place. When the tightening around him slackened some, he removed his teeth and watched the blood well up from her throat. Draco knew that he should lick it right away, so as to heal her, but he couldn't yet. He wanted to taste every part of her, even her blood.
After waiting for the liquid to trail down her throat just a little, he licked the length of the blood and then the wound. A shock jolted through the both of them and Draco vaguely wondered what he had done. Her blood didn't taste coppery like he had thought it would. It tasted like peaches.
With a concerted effort, Draco rolled off of her and pulled her onto his chest, not wanting to let her go. They lay in silence for an undetermined amount of time, Draco running his fingers through her curls and her hand absentmindedly combing through his light fuzz of chest hair. When their breathing had become normal again, his mate spoke.
"What was that jolt of magic? I know you had to feel it." Draco cupped his hand around her cheek and pulled her face to meet his gaze.
"I'm really not sure. It happened when I licked the blood of your neck to heal you." Hermione gazed into his eyes for a few moments before she smiled.
"Well, it didn't feel bad. Just unexpected. Who knows, maybe it's the bond growing stronger. Guess we'll never know without a veela to talk to." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and pulled the blanket over them.
"You're probably right, Angel. Snuggle down, let's go to sleep. It's already later than I thought it would be." Hermione nestled around and found the comfortable niche in his shoulder that she loved. Without another word, she relaxed against him and fell asleep almost immediately.
She was right. The bond was stronger. He knew when she was asleep because he could feel it, not because he could hear her even breathing. However, he just couldn't find it in him to see this as a bad thing. Pulling his mate tighter to him, he leaned his cheek against her head and let sleep take him.
A/N- Nothing too exciting in this chapter, I know. Next chapter is the New Year's Ball! As always leave me your thoughts. They're like chocolate and whiskey shots, and they make me smile.
Love,
A