Chapter 26 - Narcissa
Hermione woke to the sensation of a finger pressed gently into her shoulder and the warmth of a body practically pressed up against her back. She wrinkled her nose, knowing that Malfoy was the only possible culprit. "What are you doing, Malfoy?" she asked him in a half-yawn. However long she had slept, it hadn't been long enough. She still felt like her head was full of mud, murky and slow to move.
"Thinking," he said. The finger trailed down the outside of her arm until it met her hip, and he paused. Hermione's heart skipped, wondering what else he intended to do with that finger. Her dreams had been… inspiring in some ways.
"About?" Hermione prompted when he neither continued speaking nor moved his finger from her arm. She twisted her head back to look at him and found his face only inches from her own. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she smirked and lifted one of her own. He had flirted with her earlier, hadn't he? Of course, there was some reason this was a bad idea, but Hermione couldn't quite recall why. Perhaps it no longer mattered.
"How you fancy me," he stated, studying her carefully.
Hermione's eyes popped open, and she felt her whole face burn with a blush. She had to deny this, but it was too late. The self-satisfied smirk on Malfoy's face confirmed that he hadn't missed a bit of her reaction, and she was entirely too knackered to brainstorm her way out. She glared at him for taking advantage of her drowsy state and turned back on her side away from him, embarrassed. "Oh, shut it, Malfoy."
She heard him snort behind her, and then he flopped fully against her and wrapped his arm around her waist, sending her heart into a rapid, thundering beat. "It's not a bad thing, Granger," he said softly, his warm breath tickling her ear. "After all, I can touch you."
A rush of heat spread throughout Hermione, reaching to her toes and coiling between her legs. She felt near dizzy with the sensation, and her thoughts felt fuzzy in her head. Instinct drew her head back, closer to Malfoy's mouth, and she pressed her arse into him, wanting to feel more of him.
A surprised chuckle escaped Malfoy, and he splayed his hand against her abdomen. "Do you want me to touch you, Granger?"
Hermione froze. Something about his request had helped clear the fog in her head, and she frowned, thinking. Behind her, Malfoy stiffened.
"Merlin's beard, I can practically hear you overthinking." He sighed and removed himself from her.
Hermione flipped over immediately, partially to chase his warmth, but also to see his reaction. She was so used to Ron and Harry being angry at her over every little thing that she expected Malfoy to be upset too, but she found him simply staring at his starry canopy with a contemplative expression, as if he was trying to solve a particularly complicated expression in his head.
Hermione bit her lip, considering what to say. A half dozen responses clashed in her head, each one seeming worse than the one prior. After a minute, she realized he was studying her again instead of the canopy. "I'm sorry," she said, without knowing quite what she was apologizing for. Perhaps for struggling to find her words.
Malfoy stared at her with incredulity. "What for?" he said after a moment. "For not wanting a former bully and Death Eater to get randy with you?"
Hermione's eyes went wide. "No, not that," she said. She blushed as she realized she had forgotten about all of that in the moment. Malfoy had simply become a boy she liked who she could not quite escape while cursed. When she saw the skepticism on his face, she rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to hold your past against you, Malfoy. It's your actions today that decide who you are."
Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her and leaned up towards her slightly, as if searching for the trick to a stage magic performance.
Hermione almost groaned. "I'm serious, Malfoy. I actually quite forgot our history together just now. If I weren't under this curse, I wouldn't..." Hermione trailed off before she could finish the thought out loud.
Malfoy frowned and propped himself up on his elbow to face her, mirroring her own position. "If you weren't under this curse, you wouldn't..?" he prompted.
If she weren't under the curse, she wouldn't have hesitated to let him touch her. She might well have touched him first. Her eyes fell to his lips, and she wondered what they would feel like against her own. She wet her bottom lip, and he shifted slightly closer.
"Hermione Granger," Malfoy said, sending goosebumps down her flesh with each syllable of her given name. He leaned close to her and paused, looking her in the eyes. "Do you want me to kiss you?"
Hermione inhaled sharply, and she returned her focus to Malfoy's eyes. "Would you kiss me if I said yes?" she hedged, trying to process this. Did she want to snog Malfoy? Yes, no, maybe… Certainly yes on a physical level, but she wanted more than that, she wanted…
Malfoy closed the gap between them, stopping only a hair shy of her lips. "Yes," he said, brushing her lips with his own in the process.
Every thought fled Hermione's mind. She gasped gently, and their lips brushed again. "Are you kissing me, Malfoy?" Hermione asked him.
Malfoy tilted his head to the side slightly, causing yet another whisper of a kiss. "My name is Draco," he said softly, pronouncing his name in such a way that his lips caressed hers gently in the process.
Hermione's lips tingled with the anticipation of more, and it took every fiber of her being not to leap in and snog him with everything she had. "What does it matter?" she asked him.
Malfoy smirked, his lips tightening away from hers in the process before he sat up and leaned against his headboard with his arms folded behind his head. "Doesn't seem quite right to kiss someone who only calls me by my family name," he said, raising an eyebrow at her and dipping his head slightly at her.
Shock fell over Hermione like ice water, and she trembled as she stared up at Malfoy with wide, apprehensive eyes. She flushed scarlet with shame and embarrassment as she realized Malfoy may well have been mocking her interest in him, and how could she deny it now? Unbidden tears came to her eyes. She twisted away from him, but not before she saw his gleam of recognition.
Silence fell for a minute as Hermione struggled to calm herself. She didn't dare look at Malfoy to see what he was thinking. She could hear his quiet breath, even and calm, as she worked to slow her own. She shouldn't care this much. What did it matter if Malfoy wanted to kiss her or not? And to call him by his first name? It wasn't that she couldn't, but she felt more vulnerable just imagining it. She wasn't ready to call him Draco.
After a moment, she heard him shift in the bed and approach her. He crouched behind her, placing his knees to either side of her, and his hands settled lightly on either side of her waist, causing her to flinch with surprise.
"What are you doing?" Hermione asked him without turning around.
"I'm trying to help you relax," Malfoy said, and his thumbs began to rub small, firm circles in her lower back.
Hermione inhaled sharply, but she did not object as his hands slowly worked their way up her back. Her thoughts went back to the massage he had given her the night before and how different her attitude towards him had been then. It scared her, how much had changed between them in such a short span of time, and yet...
On the whole, Malfoy really had been very kind to her since the curse.
Malfoy's fingers drew away more tension with each rub, and Hermione found herself leaning into his touch. "Were you mocking me?" she asked him after a moment.
"Hrm?" he responded.
Hermione breathed in fresh courage. She could do this. "Were you mocking me for thinking about kissing you?" Hermione asked.
Malfoy's hands paused, then his arms slid around her waist, his chest pressed fully into her back, and his head leaned over her left shoulder. Hermione barely breathed as she felt his breath ghost against her cheek and ear. She stared straight forward, torn between hope and fear of what Malfoy intended. She felt so warm enveloped against him, and yet the chill of the room reminded her of the sharp contrast between fantasy and reality. She didn't know what to trust.
"I want to thank you for your devotion to me, Hermione," Malfoy said, his breath tumbling the wisps of her hair that had escaped the braid.
Goosebumps formed again at his use of her name, but they were nothing compared to what she felt as his lips pressed into her cheeks and lingered before drawing away. All rational thought blew away, and though his head was pressed too close for her to actually face him, she did angle her head back to finally look at him.
Malfoy took in her eyes, likely red-rimmed and certainly watery, and kissed her cheek right on the wetness. Hermione gasped as she felt his tongue slip out against her skin and taste her tears before pulling away. "I forget how broken you are. Until a few days ago, you seemed like a fortress of strength."
Hermione blushed deeply and wondered if this meant he would kiss her on the lips. He certainly seemed keen on it. Then again, he had also seemed keen just a few minutes ago before backing away. Hermione closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. "I don't want to call you Draco," she admitted.
"A disappointment, to be sure," he said. He paused, leaned his head against hers slightly, and pursed his lips. "What does the name Malfoy mean to you?" he asked, propping his chin on her shoulder and leaning slightly away so that they had eye contact again.
Hermione furrowed her brow. "You," she said, perplexed. "It just means you," she looked down, trying to sort out what all he was really asking. There were other Malfoys, of course. "I mean, I know your parents also are Malfoys, but I don't think of them as Malfoy… The Order always referred to them by their first names, and though I suppose it's a bit presumptuous to think of them in such familiar terms, that is how they are in my head. They're Lucius and Narcissa, but you are Malfoy."
Malfoy's brow lifted at that, and the creases eased out of his eyes somewhat. "Well, that leaves just one problem then," he said after a moment.
"What's that?" Hermione asked.
"I can't snog you properly from this angle."
Hermione blushed scarlet. Even Victor Krum had never approached her with such confidence. Malfoy's eyes implored her, and she realized he was waiting on her to signal that she was okay with this. "That… that is a problem," Hermione stuttered through her shock. "What do you suggest?" she added, trying to smile coyly, though his reaction indicated that he found it more endearing than enticing.
"I suggest that…"
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Hermione's eyes went to the door. She wasn't ready to handle Professor McGonagall or Professor Slughorn just then, and she would much rather be snogged.
"Ignore it," Malfoy said to Hermione. He pressed his lips to the curve of Hermione's neck. Hermione's eyes fluttered close only to fly back open when the knocking came again.
"Draco, it's me. Open the door," said a woman.
Malfoy's head shot up, and his whole body went rigid, though his heart raced against Hermione's back. "Mother," he said. It was almost a curse. He sighed and extracted himself from Hermione. "Sorry, Granger. Turns out I do need to get the door."
Hermione blinked at the sudden shift back to her family name. "Of course," was all she said though. It wasn't like she could expect Malfoy to choose her over his mother. She wondered if she should leave, but he hadn't asked her to go. Of course, he hadn't asked her to stay either.
Malfoy went to the door, put his hand on the knob, and paused. He looked behind him at Hermione, and his eyes swept the room. Her robe and shoes near the door, both their wands on the bedside table, and Hermione still in the middle of his bed. His face took on a resigned expression, and he opened the door.
"Mother, this is a pleasant surprise. Come on in," Malfoy said. He embraced his mother and kissed her cheeks before stepping aside and holding the door for her as she came inside. Malfoy closed the door behind his mother. "What brings you to Hogwarts?"
Narcissa took her coat off, motioned to hang it at the coat rack, and paused to finger the fabric of Hermione's school robes. Malfoy cleared his throat and stood up straighter. Narcissa raised an eyebrow at her son and waited.
Draco swallowed hard and several moments of silence followed before he spoke. "Granger, you may use your patronus to speak to my mother."
Narcissa's brow lifted high in her forehead, but she was silent as Hermione cast her patronus and had it speak for her. "Hello," she said nervously. Her silver otter patronus echoed her greeting a moment later.
"So she can communicate after a fashion with your permission," Narcissa said, kneeling down to study the patronus. "Her skill in magic is impressive as well. You never did manage more than a silver wisp, did you?" she said, turning back to face her son.
"Not many happy memories to work with, I'm afraid, Mother," Malfoy replied. He crossed his arms and leaned against his bedpost, watching the two women and the patronus interact.
Narcissa sighed heavily. "I suppose not," she straightened back up and faced her son. "Do you trust her?"
Hermione felt her heart begin to pound as she faced Malfoy to see what he would answer. He pursed his lips, clearly thinking, then walked to the night stand where their wands had been abandoned before their nap. "This is Granger's wand, Mother," he said, holding it in his hand and pushing some of his magic into it. Golden sparks came out, and Narcissa's eyes widened. "This is my wand. Though I know you cannot see Granger to confirm it for yourself, she can do the same to mine. I don't know what it means, but my wand trusts her, so I expect that I should too."
Narcissa's mouth fell open slightly with wonder, and then her eyes hardened a moment before a clever gleam shone on them. "Draco, hand me your wand."
Malfoy handed it over dutifully, though his expression betrayed hesitant confusion.
Narcissa took his wand in hand, and a moment later, golden sparks flew out the tip. She pulled out her own wand and handed it to him wordlessly, keeping her hand on his wand.
Malfoy frowned, but tried his mother's wand. Again, golden sparks flew out the tip. Narcissa's features relaxed notably. She exchanged wands with her son so that they had their own wands again, and then frowned at Hermione's patronus like the otter was a particularly difficult rat she needed to exterminate.
"Malfoy?" Hermione said, worry and fear in her tone. Whatever the wand reaction meant, Narcissa clearly considered it a threat. Could Narcissa hurt her through her patronus? Feeling sick to her gut, Hermione dismissed her patronus.
"What happened?" Narcissa asked.
Malfoy studied Hermione, rubbing his chin, then looked back to his mother. "Tell me what the sparks mean," he challenged.
Narcissa stared at him evenly and silently. Malfoy met her stare head-on, but after a few seconds, he sighed.
"Mother, if this means that Granger and I are somehow fated to be linked together, I deserve to know."
Narcissa's eyes went wide and she scoffed. "Fated? Like some sort of twisted fairy tale? I would have thought such nonsense beyond you, Draco, though that explains your attitude just now."
Malfoy frowned at his mother's teasing. Hermione, however, blushed to think that Malfoy had considered such a possibility from the wands. There was something flattering in the notion that he had even considered they were meant to be together, and yet… Her heart sank in her chest. What if that was the only reason he had been affectionate towards her? He had never declared any interest in her, had he? Hermione bit her lip as she went over their interactions. Certainly, Malfoy had been physically affectionate, but his words never had betrayed any desire from him, and she had been bloody ready to snog him in his bed. Tears pooled in Hermione's eyes. It wasn't that she was particularly against casual snogging, but she cared far too much for Malfoy to feel good about something casual after the fact.
Narcissa took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Very well. I'll explain. Wands do not easily betray their masters. However, when there is no risk of betrayal, wands have no reason to resist use."
Malfoy pondered this. "So I can trust her?" he asked his mother, then glanced at Hermione. Upon seeing her grieved expression, he scrunched up his nose in confusion, but then turned his attention back to his mother.
Narcissa shook her head. "The wand's response reflects devotion to the person, not the form of devotion. The wand may not recognize if, for example, Miss Granger decided that to kidnap you would be the best way to protect you."
Malfoy's eyes lit up with understanding. "Or if she decided to stun me and drag me across Hogwarts to get my back treated in the Hospital Wing," he said, lifting a brow at Hermione with the hint of a smirk on his lips.
Hermione's heart ached at the gentle teasing, and she shrugged, then pulled herself off his bed before she fully realized what she was doing. She wanted space to think. She knew more of what the wands meant now. Devotion made sense, though she was surprised that Malfoy would have devotion towards her as well. However, he had referred to her as his responsibility earlier that morning. Perhaps that was all it meant. It's not like Malfoy would have developed feelings overnight for someone like her.
"Is that what happened?" Narcissa asked. "I received an owl that you had collapsed in the classroom and were brought to the Hospital Wing by Miss Granger."
"What are you doing?" Malfoy asked Hermione, who had now collected her wand from where he set it down. Narcissa watched him in quiet interest.
"Leaving," Hermione said, looking down to hide her wet eyes. She tried to walk past Malfoy to his door, but he grabbed her wrist when she stepped in front of him. The corner of Hermione's mouth quirked down ruefully as she stopped mid-step rather than fight his grasp. "Let me go, Malfoy. Your mother is here. You don't need me here too."
"You're crying again, aren't you? Why?"
Narcissa's eyes widened at this. "Perhaps she herself thought the reaction of your wands meant something more? Such as fate ordaining that you two were soulmates or meant to marry? She would not be the first young lady to confuse devotion with romantic nonsense."
Hermione scowled as Malfoy dropped her wrist like he had been stung and backed away with horror in his eyes. Clearly, Malfoy had not been interested in her as an equal, which left more questions than answers for how he had treated her earlier. Why flirt? Why seduce her? For there was no other way to label the way he had embraced her and nipped and licked at her neck and face. Did he simply see her as a convenient witch to shag? Was he trying to control her? Angry tears streaked down her face. Hermione huffed, stomped to the coat rack, grabbed her shoes, and slipped them on before reaching for her school robes as well.
"Granger, wait," Malfoy said, putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" Hermione shrieked in a higher pitch than intended. His hand flew off, and she took a deep breath. "Don't touch me," she repeated more calmly. Sensing it would be better to address the issue than put it off, she turned around and faced him after she finished getting her robes back on. "I did not think the wands meant we were fated, Malfoy," she said plainly. "You should know better than to think I would believe in such rubbish."
"I should know better!?" Malfoy scoffed. "Granger, I barely know you at all. We've spent our entire acquaintance at each other's throats until a few days ago, and you are crying. What should I think? If not that, then what?"
Hermione trembled, feeling even more ridiculous for having gotten so deeply involved emotionally with Malfoy over such a short time-period. Clearly, it was not reciprocated. "I realized…" She bit her lip, thinking of how to explain the hurt and horror she felt at having nearly snogged him when he felt so little for her. The more she thought, the more absurd she felt. "Never mind. It doesn't matter much," she lied. It was past time for her to go. She had never intended to get this close to him again. She forced a smile despite her tears and looked him in the eyes. "I'm glad your back is feeling better. Thank you for letting me keep my wand and magic. See you around, right?" she said. She had every intention of avoiding him again.
Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her. "Granger," he said in a warning tone.
"Draco, let her leave. I didn't raise you to hold women against their will," Narcissa said in a stern voice.
"No, you only had them imprisoned and tortured in our home," Malfoy snapped back. Narcissa flinched as if struck, and her face fell with pain and hurt. Malfoy sighed. "I'm sorry, Mother. I know that was Father's doing, not yours."
Hermione pressed her lips together in a thin line. "Perhaps it's best I go so you may speak with your mother?" she said.
Malfoy studied Hermione's face, glanced at his mother, glanced back to Hermione, and cringed. "Right. See you around, Granger. Actually, sit with me for dinner?" he asked her.
Hermione froze. She did not want to commit to spending more time with Malfoy. "I'll have to check my schedule," she said, and she phased through his door into the darkness of the hallway before he could object again. Her heart pounded in her chest, and only the fear of his coming after her kept her from collapsing into a sobbing mess right there.
It's not a Friday! I know, and I feel awful for how long it's taken me to update. From Mar 6 to May 9... over 2 months. Ugh. I'm so sorry. I guess I shouldn't feel bad that a bloody pandemic threw me off schedule, but I do.
I also do not know when I will update next. Like many parents, I'm now homeschooling my kids in addition to my prior responsibilities. With the warmer weather, I'm also managing yard and garden, and I've taken on sewing cloth masks to donate to family, friends, and random people in need. I've made several changes to introduce more structure and sanity back into my life, but I am not consistent at this point. I will continue to update my situation on Twitter: NerdMomWriter1
On COVID-19: The last chapter notes is now a time capsule of our misinformation in March... which is weird looking back on. There was so much we didn't know. It's become clear that many people are not symptomatic at all, and yet this virus has hit people of all ages and health conditions, and I'm seeing way too many reports of people taking over a month to recover, which is an absurd amount of time to risk losing for something that is largely preventable. Please, please, please play it safe if you have the option.