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CHAPTER 20

Hermione stared at her reflection, unsure what to think. Her chat with Pansy had been educational, to say the least, but the suggestion to dress down to the skin for her date with Draco was something she was even less accustomed to. Yes, she'd been wearing the lingerie that Pansy had insisted she buy, but she'd stuck with the tamer styles.

But this set…

This was the set she'd originally said no to. But Pansy had refused to allow her to leave the shop without it. It had been hidden in her drawer for weeks, and Hermione's plan was to never wear it. The Cornflower blue lace thong covered very little, and the matching bra may as well have been left in the drawer since it was little more than decoration. It was very pretty, but completely impractical.

But that was the point, Pansy had explained. It hadn't been made for practicality; it was merely to tease the men of the world. And the less coverage, the more effective the results.

Hermione had tried to counter Pansy's argument, telling her she didn't think Draco needed any encouragement; his performance — his encore — had been spectacular. The lace, or lack thereof, she was now wearing would have little effect on him.

Pansy had simply laughed, demanding she do as she was told and wear the damned underwear. She'd also insisted Hermione put on her black wrap dress since it was easier to reveal the surprise underneath.

Hermione sighed. There was nothing to be concerned about, she told herself. He'd already seen her naked, had seen more of her than anyone ever had. This was nothing. This was just pretty lace covering the bits he'd already seen. She could do this — wear this — and Draco would be stunned.

"Imagine his face, Hermione," she said to her reflection. "Imagine how good you'll feel when you show him what you've learned."

What she'd learned…

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"Guys are easy," Pansy repeated. "Alpha or not. And you are in a very unique position."

"How so?" Hermione was beginning to regret asking Pansy. The expression of deviant delight on her face was a little concerning.

"You're an Alpha." Pansy tapped the desk. "You're in charge."

"In charge? Maybe I need to remind you of my situation."

"Granger, you just said Draco more than made up for his first performance. Did you not notice anything he particularly liked?"

Hermione's face heated up. "No, actually I didn't. I was too busy trying to keep myself from imploding."

"Well done, Draco," Pansy laughed. "Granger, listen. What exactly was he doing when he came?"

Hermione's face flame and she lowered her eyes. "Pansy…"

"Hey, you wanted to talk about this. So talk."

"I just wanted some suggestions of what I could do, not talk about what we've already done."

Pansy shifted her chair forward and leaned her forearms on the desk. "Hermione, I'm not sure how many times I have to say it, but guys are easy. Give their dicks some attention and they're happy. But, if you want to really make him bow at your feet, you need to learn what he likes and push him to his limits. That's what he did with you."

Hermione frowned. "How did he know what I liked? I didn't even know."

"And that's why I asked what he was doing." Pansy pulled her wand from the inside of her jacket and silenced the room. "What you tell me stays in this room. You have my word on that. And there's no judgment here. Tell me what happened."

"The first time?" Hermione asked and Pansy nodded. "The first time he was… actually, we had a fight."

"Alpha sex includes fighting?"

"No, I don't mean a fist fight." Hermione laughed. "He called me out for being so pathetic. I was upset about what had happened at brunch, and he told me I was being ridiculous. That I was afraid to be myself."

"I have to agree with him there. You've been a little… off… lately," Pansy said. "And that led to angry Alpha sex?"

"No, that led to me ripping his shirt off."

Pansy's eyes grew wide and she held her palms up. "Ah, if you're ripping his shirt off, why are we having this conversation?"

"Well, it was all going along fine. He let me control things, but then my virginity caused—"

"Draco to fire early?" Pansy chuckled.

"Yeah." Hermione grinned. "Like I said, it was awful."

"Okay, so how did he make up for it?"

"He was…" Hermione sighed and bit her lip. "He was incredible."

"I can see that." Pansy smiled. "Was it one particular thing he did, or just everything?"

"Everything… but… I guess some facts about Alphas might help." She paused. She'd never really talked with Pansy like this. Never really talked with any of her friends about such things. Her conversation with Hannah had been the most she'd ever shared with anyone. Her friends had never been shy when it came to talking about this part of their lives, but she'd never felt comfortable discussing it. She'd never joined in — how could she? — just listened, laughing and cringing when it seemed appropriate. And her one time — albeit beyond any of her wildest imaginings — didn't qualify her as an expert. Far from it.

But Pansy wasn't being judgmental or her usual crude self. She was listening and laughing and making her feel comfortable.

"Pans, those rumours about Alpha males. The ones regarding their, um… size." Hermione waited for a smart comment, but Pansy remained silent. "Those rumours are true."

"Big?" Pansy arched one eyebrow.

"Huge," Hermione corrected.

"And you were okay the first time?"

Hermione nodded. "Surprisingly so."

"Is that a female Alpha thing? Being accommodating, I mean?"

"I'm not sure," Hermione said as she absently ran her finger along the blotter on her desk. "There's nothing to read when it comes to this. There's near nothing known about female Alphas."

"Okay, so it might be an Alpha thing." Pansy began to nod slowly. "And other than the speed of things the first time, it wasn't a painful experience. So the second time, what did you like about it?"

"I liked when he touched me. And I don't mean… down there." Hermione lowered her eyes and Pansy reached across the desk, touching her hand gently.

"Don't be embarrassed, Hermione. I know I'm an uncouth bitch most of the time, but not with something like this." She nodded her head in reassurance. "This is important to you — and sensitive — I'd never make jokes about it."

Hermione smiled her thanks. "I just mean, the way he touched me, he was gentle and he took his time. The way his hands felt on me, it was like…" she huffed out a laugh "...magic."

"I'm glad my boy has skills," Pansy said, then laughed at Hermione's expression. "You have Harry and Ron. I have Draco and Blaise. They've been my boys since we were children. And I'm glad Draco wasn't the domineering bastard I thought he'd be."

"He really wasn't… well, not really. I mean, with my skill level, he kind of had to take control."

"And — you don't have to go into great detail here — I'm assuming it was more than once?"

"It was. Another Alpha thing. Long, drawn out orgasms and a quick recovery time." Hermione's eyes went wide at her own words. "Sorry. That was too much sharing."

"Yeah, I'm back to jealous again," Pansy said with a grin. "So, you've discovered what you like... What about him?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking." Hermione pursed her lips. "And since you're with Harry, I don't need graphic details of what you two get up to."

"I think we have two completely different circumstances here. Draco is an Alpha. He's different than Harry will ever be."

"You said guys are easy though."

"And they are. But you have something different to work with." Pansy scrunched her face thoughtfully. "I have to share one thing with you so it makes sense, okay?" Hermione nodded and Pansy continued. "Harry likes it when I play with his balls. Either with my hands or my mouth. Drives him insane. It might work with Draco, but his knot might be even more sensitive."

"So I should… what?"

"Explore what happens. Start with just your fingers, gauge how sensitive it really is. And if he doesn't lose his load at that, try with… something else."

"You heard what I said, right? He's huge. He won't fit in my mouth." Hermione slapped her hand over her mouth as Pansy cracked up laughing.

"You don't have to put his whole dick in your mouth. Use your tongue, or your teeth. And while you're doing that, touch his balls, or if you really want to explore, a finger in the arse always goes down a treat."

Hermione winced at the picture that was suddenly in her head of Harry with Pansy's finger in… "You can't be serious. Straight guys wouldn't like that."

Pansy wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "You might be surprised."

"So… ah… Harry likes that?"

"He does. He was hesitant at first, but since I let him… ah… well, you can imagine what I let him do, he caved and let me try it. And he said when my mouth is on him at the same time, it feels incredible."

"I'm not sure I'm ready for Draco to… um… do that."

"Oh, Merlin no!" Pansy was shaking her head. "That's not something Draco can just randomly do. You have to talk about that with him. And if you don't want him to, he needs to respect your choice."

"And what about him? Should I ask before I… shove my finger in his arse?"

Pansy snorted. "I would. He might be a bit shocked and half a minute might be reduced to ten seconds."

Hermione began to giggle. The thought of surprising Draco like that wasn't funny… but it really was. Her giggles turned into full-on laughter that she was unable to stop.

"This is insane!" she said between gasps and Pansy's own laughter joined hers. "I can't ever imagine Draco Malfoy enjoying that."

A knock at the door startled them both. Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes and flicked her hand towards the door, unlocking it and lifting the silencing charm at the same time.

"Hermione?"

"Come in, Hannah," she called, still trying to control her giggles.

Hannah stepped into the office. "Sorry to interrupt. Mrs Blackwell asked if you could find a book for her." She held up a piece of parchment and Hermione nodded.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, her breathing finally returning to normal.

"It's in Elvish." Hannah handed her the parchment.

"Shouldn't be an issue," she said and scribbled a quick note beneath Hannah's writing.

"Everything okay in here?" Hannah glanced between them.

"Yeah," Pansy said, another chuckle escaping her. "Hermione just had some questions."

"And Pansy had some interesting answers." Hermione snorted and laughter overtook her again.

Pansy looked at Hannah's confused expression. "You know, just finger up the bum stuff."

Hannah's eyes almost popped out. "Sorry, what?"

"Guys… what… they… like," Pansy spluttered.

"I'm… not… doing… that," Hermione gasped.

Hannah shook her head and, heading back out the door, she glanced over her shoulder and grinned. "Neville likes it."

Hermione almost choked and Pansy just laughed harder.

"See… I… told… you." Pansy wiped her face. "Guys are easy."

"No, I think you both just made it harder." Hermione hiccuped as her laughter subsided. "I'll be doing… stuff… and I'll think about this and laugh."

"Maybe, but that would make the conversation easier." Pansy let out a long breath, calming her giggles. "Granger, listen. You don't have to be perfect at all of this. You'll learn as you go. I know Draco, and I know he won't care."

"That's what he said."

"Then take him at his word. And honestly, if you're not sure if he likes what you're doing, ask him. I have no doubt he'll tell you."

"I've no doubt either," Hermione sighed. "I just want everything to be good for him. Like he was with me."

"And it will be." Pansy smiled at her. "You're a quick study, Granger. I have zero doubts that you'll have him bowing at your feet in no time."

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Hermione smiled. Pansy was right. She had nothing to worry about. Draco had assured her he wasn't concerned with her lack of experience; he was more than willing to let her learn. Her confidence lifted as the tension drained from her body, and images of the previous night began playing like a movie inside her head.

"If you'll let me, I'll show you how you deserve to be loved."

"Does that feel good, Darling?"

"I'd love your sweet, little cunt any way you gave it to me."

"I'm going to love you... I'm going to show you how you should be treated... how you should be worshipped."

Turning from the mirror, she finished dressing, tying the sash on her wrap dress over her left hip, and loving the feel of the fabric against her bare skin. It hugged her curves without being overly provocative — they were only meeting for dinner after all. She didn't need him to undress her before they even left the house.

She tamed her curls, leaving them loose and trailing down her back, and slipped on her heels before making her way downstairs.

Assuming he would be waiting, she headed into her living room, but found it empty — save for the vase filled to almost bursting with white daisies. How did he know?

A knock on the door startled her — who the hell was…?

She chuckled and went to open the door.

"Ms Granger." Draco was standing there with a single daisy in his hand. "You look amazing."

"What are you doing?" Hermione laughed and took the daisy when he held it out to her.

"I'm here to take you to dinner." He craned his neck back to look at the number on the bricks beside the door. "Or do I have the wrong house?"

"You were in my house an hour ago. In my bedroom, if I recall." She glanced over her shoulder and Accio'd her purse.

Their original plan to meet at his flat had been thrown aside when he showed up at the shop just as she was closing up. The grin on his face and look in his eyes told her they would be late — very late — for their dinner reservation.

Pansy's advice disappeared from her mind as Draco played her body like a fine instrument. Her skin tingled, her body shuddered, and she fell apart under his touch. He'd teased her after, telling her they should postpone dinner and stay in. But she'd refused. She'd made plans and didn't want them ruined.

So she'd sent him home, telling him to return and pick her up like a proper gentleman would. And he'd taken her words to heart, coming to the door rather than appearing out of the Floo.

"Ah, yes, your bedroom," Draco mused, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "It's fast becoming my favourite place."

"Yes, I'm noticing that." She stepped out of the house and locked the door. "And those clothes in my closet? Are they yours?"

Draco held his hand out, linking their fingers and squeezing gently. "Sorry, I should have asked. But I don't plan on spending any nights away from you."

Hermione ducked her head to hide her smile. "It's fine."

Draco touched her chin, bringing her face back to look at him. "Are you sure?"

"I am. But my place is much smaller than what you're used to. I'm not sure how much time you'll want to spend here."

He lifted her hand to his lips. "Without sounding like a sentimental fool, wherever you are is where I want to be."

She curled her hand around his hip and moved closer. "That was very sentimental and foolish, but I liked it."

He kissed her fingers once more, and she smiled at the pink tinge on his cheeks. "Yes, well, dinner. We best leave or we'll be late."

Hermione was still smiling when they reappeared from Apparating. Her big, strong Alpha had a hidden soft side. She was sure it was his Pureblood breeding. She'd seen how Lucius was with Narcissa, and Draco, it appeared, would be the same. The idea warmed her, and she slid her arm around him and hugged him tightly.

"Fuck." His voice was a harsh whisper, completely at odds with the sentimental side he'd just shown, and it startled her from her thoughts.

"What's wrong?"

"Theo and Gemma are here," he told her through gritted teeth, his eyes darkening as he glared over her shoulder.

"Ignore them."

"She'll love this." He snarled, his gaze still firmly planted on them. "We'll be headline news again tomorrow."

"I don't care, Draco." Hermione touched his cheek. "Hey, look at me."

Draco snarled one last time then dropped his gaze to hers. His eyes were darker than she'd ever seen them, his anger at his former schoolmate still bubbling beneath the surface.

"Ignore them," she repeated. "Let them look. Let her think she's just gotten another scoop."

Draco blinked at her words. "What?"

"Pansy's all over this." Hermione smiled at his surprise. "She's already written a piece about us and it's being printed as we speak. I hope that's okay?"

"Ah, yeah." Draco was shaking his head. "How did you… and Pansy… how?"

"We met earlier and talked about what happened at brunch," she told him. "And when we sorted that out, I asked if she would write something. I wanted her to be the one who got the story, especially after what Theo and Gemma did."

Draco cupped her face and kissed her. "You're brilliant."

She smiled up at him. "You're not mad?"

He shook his head. "Makes up for mine and Avery's interview."

"Well, this is possibly even bigger than that."

"Possibly," Draco chuckled.

"Mr Malfoy, Ms Granger?"

They both looked towards the voice and were met with the smiling host waiting to seat them. They followed him as he took them towards their table, Draco's hand gripping hers as they headed in Theo and Gemma's direction.

"Theo, Gemma, it's lovely to see you both." Hermione stopped beside their table, holding her hand up to the host in apology. "I hear things are going well between the two of you."

Theo was looking at Draco with an expression of fear and Gemma was unsuccessfully holding back a look of glee.

"Ah, yeah," Theo mumbled. "It's great."

"Glad to hear." Hermione leaned closer to Gemma and asked quietly, "Would you like a more recent picture of me? It might make your story look a bit more professional this time?"

Gemma's expression faltered.

"Draco and I are together. Two Alphas. The only time in history that it's been possible." Hermione tapped the table, a surge of magic surrounding the seated pair. "But the scoop isn't yours. And I've just bound you to secrecy. Anything you see or hear tonight just became sealed by an Unbreakable Vow. You really should have spent more time learning blocking spells." Hermione stood up straight, smiling sweetly. "And I do hope you enjoy working for the new owner of The Prophet."

Gemma's jaw dropped open. "Who…?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you not aware?" Hermione glanced at Draco who was smirking.

"Father does enjoy new business ventures." He nodded towards the host. "Darling, we should leave Mr Nott and Ms Farley to their meal. It might be a while before they can afford such fine dining again."

Hermione smiled at the man politely waiting for them. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I abhor rudeness and disrespect, and here I am being both those things."

"I'm more than happy to wait for you, Ms Granger," he said with a wink. "Guests of your caliber are always given priority. If you will follow me?"

He held his hand out and they both followed him, leaving Theo and Gemma to stare after them.

"She's a spoiled cow," he muttered as he pulled a chair from the table in the back. "And he's nothing more than her lap dog."

Draco laughed, waiting for Hermione to sit before following suit. "You know them well, mate."

"They're here more often than not. Neither of them can cook apparently." He grinned then asked for their wine choice.

"Brunello di Montalcino," Draco told him and he nodded, telling them he would be right back.

"Are you stalking me, Mr Malfoy?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"My favourite flowers, my favourite wine…"

"I might have had some help. Hannah is actually quite nice when she's not threatening me."

"I'm sorry, they're just a bit protective of me." She glanced at Theo and Gemma. "And you can understand why."

"Those two are my fault entirely," Draco said. "And unfortunately it's going to get worse, regardless of whether Pansy writes this story or not."

"I know. But we can at least control this one thing before all hell breaks loose. And I think those two will be more concerned with what Lucius might do at the newspaper rather than worrying about us." Hermione frowned. "Why didn't they know about your father buying The Prophet?"

"Father was going to announce it this week." Draco laughed when Hermione's face paled. "He won't care. He'll think it's perfect. He's never liked Theo, and his opinion of the Farleys isn't especially high either. And the fact Gemma can't announce it in the paper herself will please him to no end. All stories must now go through him."

"That's quite the workload to take on." Hermione smiled as a waiter arrived with their wine. He poured two glasses and then took their dinner orders.

"It'll only be for the first few weeks. He'll appoint a new editor as soon as he finds someone trustworthy. In his opinion it's turned into a trashy tabloid and Father wants to return The Prophet to the newspaper it once was."

"It won't stop the gossip about us though." Hermione rolled the stem of her wine glass in her fingers. "They've been relentless so far."

"Again, that's my fault. The media intrusion into my life wasn't really an intrusion. I welcomed it more often than not, which has become an unfortunate decision now. Especially considering you've been hounded."

"Not of late," Hermione told him. "I went all black witch on a bunch of people. It deterred them for a bit."

"I'd imagine it would have." Draco laughed.

"But this will be different. You and me. Two Alphas for the first time in history. That's going to be big news."

Draco shrugged. "Not if we ignore it."

"Is it that simple?"

"It is," Draco assured her. "I've been ignoring people my whole life. I'm an expert. I can teach you how."

"I think you've taught me enough in the last two days."

He reached across the table to still her fidgeting hand. "Granger. Hermione. We don't have to explain ourselves. We're not obligated to tell a story or put on a show for anyone. People can look at us all they want, or speculate, or gossip to their heart's content. None of it matters. There's only one thing that does matter and that one thing is what we want."

A giddy grin curled the edges of Hermione's mouth and she bit down on her lower lip to keep it from spilling over and making her giggle like a silly schoolgirl.

"Daisies, Brunello di Montalcino, a fancy restaurant, sweet words…" Her giddy grin slipped free. "Keep this up, Malfoy, and you might just get a surprise of your own."

The sight that met her when she returned from the ladies room pulled her up short. Her heart picked up as a rush of anger and fear hit her all at once.

Draco was waiting for her at the bar, but he wasn't alone. A tall blonde was standing beside him, her hand on his arm, a brilliant smile plastered on her face. She was gorgeous with shoulder-length, straight hair, just a shade darker than his.

He pulled away from her, but she reached for him again. His face held a strange expression — he was trying to be polite, trying not to make a scene, but she could sense his civility was being drowned by his anger.

Hermione watched for several moments before something inside her snapped. This woman was touching her mate. This woman's scent would be all over him.

The thought of him looking at another woman with the same intensity he looked at her with while he'd fucked her, the thought of him wanting — or even looking at — someone else at all, caused her stomach to knot in anger.

Hermione checked herself; he was clearly uncomfortable and this woman was too stupid to even notice. It wasn't his fault.

Unless...

Was this one of the women? One of those women he had been with before? Was she hoping he'd take her home?

Her heart was racing, the sound of her blood was pulsing in her ears. She had known this would happen eventually, but she wasn't prepared for it to happen so soon. And how often would it happen? How many of those other women would approach him when she wasn't around?

Her hands balled into fists and she could feel her anger surging. She closed her eyes, just trying to breathe, but that made it worse. Her sense of smell kicked in and, of course, all she could smell was her.

She didn't want him with anyone else, didn't want to even think about it. She was so focused on making him prove himself to her, she hadn't realised he could actually break her heart.

She calmed herself again and moved across the room towards them. Stopping beside Draco, she slid her hand around his back.

"Draco, are you ready to leave?"

He blinked at her in surprise — and horror — knowing he'd have some explaining to do.

"You?" The woman yanked her hand away from him. "You're Hermione Granger."

Hermione smiled, but even she knew it was fake. "I am. Do I know you?"

The woman shook her head. "No. You definitely don't. But you're... you're an... Alpha."

The last word was barely a whisper.

"Only recently, but yes. I'm an Alpha."

"Oh... oh, shit! I didn't know," she stammered.

"I did tell you," Draco said. "That I wasn't here alone."

The woman looked between them and her face grew deathly pale. "You're with... Alpha... oh shit... I'm sorry." She turned on her heel and fled, muttering something that sounded like Alpha mate.

"Granger, I'm so—"

"Are you ready to leave?" Hermione looked up at him, and she knew by the expression on his face that her eyes had darkened and he could tell she was furious.

He nodded and pressed his hand to the small of her back, indicating the door with his free hand. "I'm ready. And I am sorry."

"We'll talk about it at home."

He nodded again and led her out of the restaurant. But halfway to the Apparition point, he stopped.

"She approached me. I told her she—"

"We'll talk about this at home," Hermione repeated angrily.

"No. You'll listen to me now. I'll not discuss her in our home," Draco said firmly and pulled her into a nearby doorway. "She approached me. I told her I was there with you. Hermione Granger. But she just laughed and told me I was lying, that Hermione Granger was in hiding. I do know her, but not in the sense you're thinking. She's a friend of another woman I slept with, and I guess she saw an opportunity."

She huffed out a laugh. "An opportunity. If that's what you want to call it."

"Yes, that's exactly what it was for her." He held his hand up at her disbelieving look. "I'm not defending her, but I was alone at the bar. Yes, I was waiting for you, but I was alone. I'm sorry this happened so soon, but you said you weren't worried about the repercussions of my former life. But clearly you are."

She stared at him. "I'm not jealous."

He flicked her hair over her shoulder. "I think you are."

"Draco, I could smell her. I can still smell her. No men have been near me all day. Not since you... marked me. But I can smell her on you. And I don't like it."

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her hard. "Then take me home and mark me."