SEVENTEEN

Saturday, 2 April 2005

They had only arrived an hour ago and already she was wanting to leave.

It wouldn't matter if this was the first gala she'd ever been to or her hundredth, Hermione would always hate it. There were times where it was a complete toss up on whether or not she would prefer to sit through a Quidditch match instead. One of the few things she liked about Riddle was that he didn't obsess over the sport like other wizards. He probably cared about it less than she did. But at least in the stands, she didn't have to pretend.

Here, in one of the ground level rooms big enough to host such an event, Hermione felt the most trapped. It was nothing but fake smiles, fake laughs, and fake people. They might have put on a good show, but she could see it in each and every person's eyes when they went to shake the hand of their future queen. She saw the distaste that simmered there. She could practically hear them thinking the word traitor.

It was almost laughable, the way she had somehow become regarded as worse than Riddle in terms of her actions. That somehow his reign of terror was preferable to her overall betrayal.

As it was, she was having a hard time staying focused on what the Croatian diplomats were saying. Parts of her mind were trying to wander while the other parts were trying to keep her thoughts under wraps. It wasn't until she felt Riddle's hand on the small of her back that she came back to the conversation. Hermione felt her lips curve upwards a moment before another fake bout of laughter bubbled past them. One that she cut short by taking a drink from her flute. She jumped slightly, a drop of champagne sliding from the corner of her mouth as Riddle's hand slid down her backside and squeezed. She shot him a look to which he simply smiled and reached up with his other hand to thumb the droplet away.

As the laughter around the group died down, Riddle inclined his head to them. "Excuse us," he said and with his hand pressing firmer against her back, he steered her away. He vanished her flute as he led her towards the center of the room. It wasn't one of those parties that called for dancing, but when he stopped, he held her with the intention of doing just that. At least she was used to the stares.

As per usual, other people joined them as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As if they were supposed to have been doing that since the beginning. She shook her head as she followed his lead. "What are you doing?"

"I believe we have danced before, have we not?"

"We have." Her voice was cautious as she tried to gauge the look in his eyes.

"Is there someplace else you would rather be?"

"Yes, actually," she replied immediately. She wouldn't tell him where exactly it was that she would rather be, but so long as it wasn't there, she would be better off.

"If I were you, I would make a better effort."

"Why?" she asked, her head tilting to the side. "I am to be their queen, am I not? I don't care if they like me. They'll obey my every command, same as yours."

The mysterious look in his eyes was quick to give way to amusement. He said nothing as his hand rose to touch the pendant around her neck. "You really ought to consider keeping this in a safe place."

"What's safer than right where I can see it?" she countered.

"I believe-"

"You hid yours," she interrupted, bracing for the anger that darkened his gaze. "Look how that turned out."

His fingers curled around the pendant and she felt the chain pressing against the back of her neck as he tugged slightly. She waited for his anger to snap and do something, regardless of who could see. But he simply stared at her, amusement continuing to simmer beneath the surface of his eyes as he let the charm fall back against her skin.

"From where I stand, Hermione, I would say it turned out rather well."

"Thanks to me," she whispered.

His lips pulled back into a thin smile. His hand sought hers, twining their fingers together and then resting it between them as his other hand dove further down her rear, pulling her closer. He leaned his face closer to hers, his lips nearly grazing her ear. "I considered finding your parents before you were born."

Hermione froze.

"But there were other, far more pressing matters to deal with." His breath warmed her skin and she shivered. "I will never understand how I let you get under my skin, Hermione. I only hope that one day you can-"

"My Lord."

Hermione's head reared back at the sound of Lucius' voice. Her gaze locked with Riddle's as he stood there, ignoring the summons for a moment. Her lips parted to demand he finish that sentence, but he relinquished his hold on her and turned towards Lucius. She didn't bother to stay and hear what it was they needed to discuss. She excused herself and made way for the loo.

She kept her head down, aware that people were still staring as she passed them. Her mind was spinning as she tried to discern the look in his eye before being interrupted. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she picked up her pace. And just as she changed course in search of fresh air, she felt fingers circle her wrist and yank her into a different room.

The shriek that left her mouth was silenced by a hand as someone pushed her up against a filing cabinet. Clutter fell to the floor from the impact and her magic began to react. But she was able to keep it at bay as a familiar scent filled her nostrils. She went still as her mind finally began to register the shock of platinum hair and put two and two together. Sensing her resolve fading, Draco's hand slid from her mouth and sank back into her curls before his lips sought hers.

Where their last kiss had been a baring of their souls; a reunion of the ages, one that neither of them thought they would ever have, this one was nothing more than fire and heat. The passion she had always felt for him roared to life with an abundance. She had forgotten how it felt to have his lips on hers. Forgotten the way it felt to have their bodies molded together.

Her mind was in such a heady state of arousal that she didn't even realize his hands had slid their way down before gathering up the material of her skirt. Her lips tore from his with a gasp of surprise as his fingers slid through her folds. His teeth scraped her neck, but she found she didn't care if he left a mark or not. She could glamour it later. Her moan was as unexpected as the two fingers that found their way inside her core.

"Is this for him or for me?" he asked, his voice bitter.

"Draco…"

"I hate seeing his hands all over you," he rasped against her throat, his teeth nipping to punctuate his words. "Hate seeing that look in his eye." She cried out as his thumb brushed across her clit. "It should be me taking you to fancy parties. Me holding you close for a dance."

She pushed at him, knowing it was too much of a risk. That neither one of them were in the right frame of mind to be doing anything. "Draco, please. We can't-"

He pushed back, determined to not let go. "If you don't want to get caught, I suggest you use that super powerful magic of yours and cast some charms."

But even in her current state of mind, she was able to shove him away from her. "What the fuck are you doing here?" she asked, completely breathless as she adjusted her clothes. "It's too dangerous!" she snapped, watching him brush his fingers across his pant leg. "You could have been seen and-"

"You didn't come back," he returned, worry blazing in the silver of his eyes. "I spent four days thinking the worst had happened to you. Blaise told me that Riddle came home early." Jealousy overcame his worry in a flash as he stepped forward, cupping her face in his hands. "All I could think about was what he was doing to you. What he was making you do. So when I heard about the gala, I knew you'd be here. I know it was a risk, but it's about time I start risking things for you too."

She tore herself away from him, this time putting distance between them as her heart hammered against her ribs. "If you get caught, Draco, he'll kill you. He will make me kill you!" She could feel her magic coiling around her wrists and she struggled to keep hold of it. "If he catches you, Draco, then everything; everything I've done thus far to keep you safe will have been for nothing."

He sobered at that; his hands falling back into place at his side. "Then I guess we better get going."

Panic blossomed in her chest and she stepped away from him when he reached for her again. "What did you do?"

He pressed forward, his fingers sliding around her wrist and tugging him to his side. "I told you," he said, his forehead finding hers. "I'm tired of seeing you be the only one willing to risk it all."

With that, he opened the door, peered around it, and stepped outside of it, pulling her with him. "Draco!" she hissed, trying to free herself from his grasp as he tugged her further down the hall, away from the festivities. "Draco, let go. I have to-"

A scream rent the air, turning Hermione's feet to stone.

There were only a few seconds that passed before chaos erupted. More screams followed the first, but they were quickly drowned out by the sound of wave after wave of spells being hurled through the hair. Flashbacks to the Battle of Hogwarts flashed through her mind and in her panic, her magic flared to life, knocking Draco into the opposite wall. He looked up at her, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Hermione-"

"You shouldn't have come here," she whispered, turning towards the crowd. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked away from him, entering the chaos in search of Riddle. She knew his intentions were to get her out. That the Resistance was here on his orders to kill Riddle and set her free. What he failed to understand was that Riddle still had one last Horcrux. Until it was destroyed, he would come back. And this time, he wouldn't have to wait nearly two decades.

And so long as he came back, he would make her life a living hell. All the pain and torture she had endured to get to this point would be lost. She knew her chances of killing him for real were slim to none, that it had to be a perfectly executed plan. This wasn't it. When this went south, he would be out for revenge. Riddle wouldn't be letting their oath get in the way of doing whatever it took to get it.

She clamped down on her guilt and searched for him, refusing to look back or even think of Draco again. Around her, spells continued to glide through the air. Her magic thrummed as it lifted from her skin, surrounding her in a bubble of protection that moved with her. By the time her eyes scanned the crowd and landed on Riddle, she was too late to stop the curse from landing on him. Her jaw dropped in horror as blood sprayed from him.

The marks on his skin reminded her of the Sectumsempra curse, but there was something different about it. She didn't bother to look and see who it was around them as she stormed through the crowd. People dropped to their knees in her wake, clutching at their throats as her magic began to crush their windpipes. Riddle was on the ground when she reached him. She looked around to see who was near, but there was too much chaos.

She knelt beside him, surprisingly steady hands gliding over him to assess the damage. Knowing what she had to do, she placed her hands on his forearm. She hesitated when her eyes connected with Draco's for a moment through the crowd. With both of them staring at the other, neither sure what would become of them after this, she disapparated.

A/N: I love you all so much and I'm happy to keep you all on your toes!

Special announcement coming on Friday! For those of you in my FB Group: madrose_writing you already know what I'm about to say. For those of you that aren't (come join!) you'll find out soon XoXo!