Chapter Two: New Precedents
"Please come tonight, Gin?" Hermione pleaded but her friend was resolute.
"Hermione those parties are vile. Fleur makes Bill go sometimes but I haaaaate them. And I thought you did, too," Ginny said with a grin.
"Oh, I undoubtedly will, but it's part of my deal with Theo. That's why you're here helping me pick what to wear."
"I already told you, this one," Ginny patted some green silk robes with a daring low back that chased over her curves like sunlight on water.
"The colour is too obvious, but maybe I could Sleeping Beauty it," Hermione muttered. "Gin, how fancy are these things?"
"The fanciest," Ginny flourished her hands. "This one will be even more so because it is the first of its kind, they will go glitzier than usual."
"Alright, it won't be too much, then," Hermione began enchanting the dress so it chased blue and pink in smooth languorous motions.
"It looks like the colours are having sex," Ginny laughed.
"Perfect," Hermione picked up an untamed curl. "Can I get your help with my hair, you know I'm rubbish at it. I just use that spray you gave me."
"Sure," Ginny scrambled off Hermione's bed and started working with her wand on her friend's hair. The witch couldn't stop smiling.
"You were really that worried that you wouldn't be soulmates with Harry?" Hermione asked her.
Her friend shrugged. "Kind of, it's more like feeling that the decisions you made to get to where you are were right. It feels incredibly satisfying knowing you can trust yourself," she sighed happily.
Hermione thought about Hestia Carrow and how that wasn't true for her anymore. Though the witch would be glad she kept her name. Then she thought about those gold runes. But she trusted herself implicitly, it was the runes she was suspicious of.
"What about jewellery, 'Mione?"
"I'm not going to wear any and probably never will. I don't want people thinking I chose Theo because he's rich."
Ginny nodded. "I think your silver strappy shoes to accent the dress now that it's blue and pink."
"Good idea." Hermione floated a mirror up and cast a spell to do her makeup. A dewy, glowing look with a hint of blush and pink lipstick to compliment the dress.
Half an hour later, Hermione was dressed in the robes, silver shoes on, and Ginny had tamed her hair to fall in a waterfall around her shoulders and down her open back. Her friend had just cracked open a bottle of wine when Hermione's door rang. She went to open it while Ginny poured them a glass each.
Theo was there. She held out an arm, extending her fingers when it was directly in front of him. She had written a note there. Reporter across the street. He took her hand and she gave him a look bound with meaning. An excited thrill ran through her when he immediately understood what she meant. She was giving him an opportunity to stage their first properly public photos together how he wanted.
He ascended the final step and turned her into the doorframe, twining his fingers with hers to rest by her hip. He brought his other hand up to cup her jaw gently and ran a thumb over her cheek. He held her there for a beat and looking into his green eyes she saw passion waiting to be released. It sent a tremble of anticipation through her. His eyes then flicked towards the interior of her house and she led him in shutting the door.
"Miss Granger," he greeted her. She slowly brought their still entwined hands up to his chest and gently pushed him against the door. She stepped in so her body touched along his and while holding his gaze, closed in for a kiss, bringing his bottom lip between her own. That desire in his eyes spilled out a little and burned brighter as he kissed her back, his other hand snaking along her waist and pulling her even closer.
"Oh, yes, Theodore Nott, we are going to have a lot of fun," Hermione breathed across him and she was delighted to see his neck hair stand on end like a shiver had just run down him.
"Hermione!" came Ginny's sing-song voice. "I heard the door close which means you are most likely tormenting that poor man. Let him up here for a drink before he ruins his suit."
Hermione pulled back a touch allowing Theo to take a deep breath. "Oh, by the way, Ginny's here."
"That can only be a good thing. If she wasn't, with you looking like that, I don't think I would have the self-control to make it to a party."
"Do you regret coming to find me?" she asked, leading him up the stairs, hands still linked.
"I only regret not doing this sooner," he placed a kiss on the underside of her forearm where it was extended in front of him which raced deliciously along the rest of Hermione.
"That's my favourite game," Ginny said, handing Hermione her glass and holding the bottle of wine and some whisky up at Theo and he nodded at the latter. "Honestly, Hermione could send out every signal in the book waiting for some semblance of reciprocity but thinking the 'Golden Girl' is into them is too intimidating and once she moves her attentions elsewhere, I swoop in and say, 'Shame, 'Mione really liked you,' and then they get all sad with puppy dog eyes lamenting their lost opportunity…" she took a sip, eyes glassy in a manic sort of reverie. "It's heavenly."
Hermione laughed, sitting at the dining room table as Ginny curled up opposite her and handed Theo his whisky.
The wizard eyed the red-haired witch with suspicion. "Are you two sure you're not Slytherin?"
Ginny tapped her bent knee. "Don't need to be a snake to be a snake charmer," she grinned, too many teeth showing.
"What have I gotten myself into?" Theo mused, smiling while looking between the two witches.
"Trouble," they said together.
"That's why I give you the three options," Hermione told him. "So you can run anytime, I never begrudge any of them."
"Oh no, I want to see how this plays out." Theo smirked at her. "Also, it is very nice having my friends be disturbingly jealous of me. I intend to keep them that way as long as I can."
"Who would these friends of yours be?" Ginny asked innocently.
"Blaise and Draco, of course." Theo replied, taking another sip. "Blaise was reminiscing this afternoon after seeing his name on you in the Prophet."
"So he should be, the things we did were positively depraved," Ginny leant forward in a conspiratorial whisper. "You should ask him if he's ever convinced anyone to do No. 17 since."
Hermione cackled at how shocked Theo looked. "Careful, Gin. You're going to kill Theo and I still need him."
Ginny fell back and shrugged. "Fine, we'll plan his funeral some other time. Shouldn't you both get going? That dress deserves to be photographed."
"Shall we?" Hermione queried.
"You know where this Ball is, correct?"
"Yes, Malfoy Manor. Ginny still gets the invites being part of your strange ancestor's club," Hermione replied. She flicked her eyes to Ginny who was watching them like it was a soap opera.
"So you know he'll be there tonight, right? You said you wanted to stay away from his club, but he can't really be avoided at things like this. Are you going to be OK?"
Ginny snorted.
"I think you misunderstand, Theo. I'm not afraid of Malfoy or his family. I dislike him, yes. A lot. But it's worse than that. It's just he's so very boring, creating such a cliché lifestyle for himself when he really did have potential. At least disliking someone is fraught with emotion and has twists and turns you have to wend your way through. Draco, however, is so benignly predictable. It's dreadfully dull."
Hermione threw the Floo Powder into her grate while Theo blinked, surprised again.
Behind her, Ginny laughed. "Good luck with her, Theo. You're going to need it."
Draco had arrived early on his parents' insistence and luckily Blaise had managed to convince Pansy to bring him along this evening.
They had joined him at a table near the media area watching as the guests filed in. About half the party had arrived by now, but not the couple they were all waiting for. Usually the first half hour of these things was near empty, but tonight it was filling up fast. People wanted to be here when Hermione Granger and Theodore Nott arrived. Some were ready to justify their sense of inferiority to the darling of Wizarding Britain by making snide comments, acid-tongues ready to poison her presence here. Others were wiping clammy hands on robes wanting to grouse and vie for her attention. Needing her to endorse this or that, tearing her apart.
"So it's real? Granger and Nott?" Pansy asked, looking at the eager crowd.
"Oh, yes, absolutely. We saw him earlier today," Blaise informed her.
"Ooh, and what'd he say?" Pansy giggled, perking up for gossip. Eyes dancing at Draco.
"He accepted our congratulations and seemed quite pleased with his arrangement," he answered her.
"I'll bet he is," Pansy laughed, taking a flute of champagne from a roaming tray. "This will raise his family to heights it may not have previously known. Every wizard and their dog will want to do business with him when the Golden Girl is on his arm. And then she'll become Minister for Magic and usher in whatever she wants to usher in and the Nott family will have completely upended their reputation in the span of a generation."
She took a large swig, turning to Draco. "If you even had a whiff of ambition, you would have tried to seduce her years ago."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Please, we do quite well without Hermione bloody Granger."
"I really don't know where all your plans vanished to, Draco. You used to be full of them, determined to outperform your father in every area of your life. And now, you just chase women and good booze in that club of yours," Pansy held his gaze knowingly.
"Trying is so hard. I like my life easy," Draco cut her with a glare but she wasn't paying attention.
The photographers had started going wild calling "Hermione, over here!" and "Theo, turn this way!"
The couple were walking forward slowly, waving elegantly and turning close to whisper to each other.
"Oh, wow," Blaise said. "Luckiest goddamn man in the country."
Draco's hand had stilled as he'd gone to take a drink. Granger was luminous, smiling sweetly at the cameras. Her dress was swirling with eddying blue and pink. Everywhere that Theo touched, the pink drifted to meet him as if drawn to his person, shying away again sadly when he moved. They seemed at ease with each other, trading remarks that made the other smile or laugh.
Draco had forgotten that of course the Golden Trio had all been given media training after the war as the Ministry pimped them out for various events and Hermione clearly remembered how to work the press. She had masterfully glamoured her other runes so now only the ones for Theodore Nott showed through mesh siding. Her ears, neck and wrists all uninterrupted by jewellery as she tucked her hair behind an ear and slowly, almost bashfully, drew her gaze up to Theo.
The press were calling for pictures of Hermione on her own so Nott leaned in and kissed her cheek, pretending to take her by surprise but the press lapped it up. He pulled away smiling and walked away towards them. Hermione had looked after him, raising sweetly curled hands to her face affecting cute happiness before turning back to the cameras to pose.
Theo had reached them by that time, having been accosted by a few people on his way, his cool unaffected demeanour back as he picked up a whisky from a tray.
"Good evening," he said, sitting beside Blaise, opposite Draco.
"Quite the show, Theo," Pansy commented, still watching Granger. "Scary how good you look together."
"She's terrifying enough on her own. Though I think being teased by her and Miss Ginevra earlier this evening was the most horrified I have been in a long while."
Blaise's head jerked away from his appraisal of Hermione. "You saw Gin tonight?"
"She was at Hermione's place, I told her you sent your regards," Theo's eyes twinkled over his whisky glass and Blaise blanched.
"What? What did she say?" he demanded.
"She mentioned how particularly intense your affair with her was. She asked if anyone other than her had been able to stomach No. 17?" Theo was rewarded with Blaise inhaling his drink and needing several hard pats on the back from Pansy to right himself.
"You've done a very good job distracting us from asking questions about you and Granger," Draco drawled at him while Blaise nodded vigorously, still spluttering occasionally.
"Hermione had a lot to say about you as well, if you care to hear it?" Theo intimated.
"I would not," Draco replied drolly.
"But I would," Pansy quipped, turning to look at Theo with a mischievous grin, face resting in her palm.
"Yeah, how much does she hate him?" Blaise rasped.
"Oh she says it's worse than hate," Theo smirked, barely able to contain his amusement. "No, she finds you something far more deplorable than hateful. I think her words were, what? Oh yes, 'dreadfully dull'. She believes you utterly predictable and no longer any challenge, Draco. I have to admit, it was rather arousing hearing her so artfully dismiss you." Draco just scoffed and drank the rest of his whisky in one while Pansy cackled madly, clapping her hands together.
Theo had drifted his gaze back to Hermione as she slowly made her way off the red-carpet with a couple more waves and smiles for the cameras but she barely got five steps into the party proper before she was swarmed by onlookers. Her gracious smiles, warm handshakes and kisses on the cheek left a wake of admirers who were clearly enamoured by her.
Draco could tell that Theo was more affected by her than he wanted to admit, unable to take his eyes off her with a quiet, restrained hunger.
He flicked back to Granger and she effortlessly turned as a drink server went past. She took a whisky and poured it into champagne flute before downing the entire thing and putting it back on the tray, all in one fluid motion before turning back to the group that she was chatting with like nothing had happened.
"I think that's your cue," Draco said, but Theo was already moving to her. Draco watched as the pink in her dress wafted up from the bottom to reach tantalisingly towards Theo's hand on her waist.
Pansy poked Draco in his arm and he pulled his gaze to her. "I know this look, you want her. Like, you want to pursue her, you want to put in effort. Don't you hate her?"
"There is no man in this room that doesn't want her," Blaise countered before Draco could speak.
"Oh no, I get it," Pansy laughed, raising her hands. "Even I kind of want her. Oh wow, your parents are plotting to speak with her too, look-"
Draco looked over to where his parents were surreptitiously looking over at her and speaking to each other in low voices. They had their business faces on.
"Uh oh, the golden couple are heading over, Theo managed to extricate her," Blaise warned. Hermione was still smiling and acknowledging people with nods and waves. Theo managed to seat her where her back was to most of the party.
She shifted her hair forward and massaged her cheeks. "Fucking hell, how do you people do this? Ow!"
A server came over with a full tray of drinks. Hermione swept her hair back and sent the waiter a dazzling smile. "Hi, sorry, I'm sure this is terribly unorthodox, but would you mind leaving the entire tray?"
"Miss?"
"Oh, sorry, how rude of me. I'm Hermione Granger," and she proffered her hand.
"N-No, I know who you are Miss Granger," the server was flustered.
"And I'm sure you also know it's a little rude to leave a handshake hanging, but it must be difficult while holding that tray, so please place it down so we can greet each other properly?" her voice was sweet but her eyes glittered like ice. The poor server placed the tray carefully on the table and shook her hand.
Hermione's face shifted in a sudden real smile and the table watched the server melt a little bit, her eyes flicked quickly to his nametag. "It was so lovely to meet you, Devin. Thank you for the tray," she waved as the server backed away and hurried to the kitchen.
She turned back into the table and took a glass, all of them looking at her incredulously and then she looked to Theo, pausing before taking a sip. He was smiling at her with a gaze full of raunchy promises. "Ye gods, woman. Marry me," he said, curling her hair behind her ear.
"Only a couple hours into our first date and you want to marry me already? Steady on or when we have sex you'll crawl inside and never leave." She took a large sip of champagne.
"Ooh, I like you!" Pansy giggled, helping herself to a drink.
Theo was chuckling into her shoulder while Blaise and Draco recovered from her comment.
"You realise you just undid centuries of etiquette with that? It may not seem like much, but these events are incredibly particular and the trays are never to be set down when they are being circulated. Ever," Theo informed her.
"Oh. Oops." She pointed towards where the server retreated. "Is he going to be OK?"
"Nope, he's definitely getting fired," Blaise told her.
"Shit, I'd better go deal with that," she got up heading to the kitchens.
Pansy let out a wild laugh. "This is brilliant. She's going to hurricane your life, Theo."
Theo grinned at her, "Yeah, I can't wait."
"You lucky, lucky bastard," Blaise shook his head.
Draco waited until Theo was talking to Prewett Senior about some sort of business venture before heading to the kitchens to find Granger. Some strange compulsion almost forcing him to seek her out.
He found her leaning against a railing by the open back door, talking to the server who sat on a step.
"It's OK Devin, not everyone learns through books, some learn by doing. Like Harry Potter for one. I could offer you a position working underneath me, you'd learn a lot, I tend to bounce around from project to project and I could use an assistant. It would be hard work though, I don't employ slackers."
"Really, Miss?" the server's eyes were bright as he looked up at her but then he noticed Draco. Hermione turned to look as well and her smile faltered.
"Go home now Devin, I'll owl you tomorrow," she dismissed the boy, holding Draco's gaze.
"Oh OK, Miss. Thank you so much," and Devin hurried away from Draco's glowering.
"Have I breached your precious etiquette again?" Hermione asked with a tone of defiance.
"Yes, you have and I see you are badgering yet another person with your bossy, know-it-all ways," he waited for a reaction but none seemed forthcoming. His eyes narrowed, "Theo told me what you think of me you know, so I'm entirely beneath contempt now? Is that it?" he was spitting the words out. The witch always brought this on.
"And you're going to have precious Devin work underneath you? How many will that be now you also have Theo and Wood? I would never have thought your golden gilt hid corrupted flesh." Still no reaction. He let out an indignant breath, "Whatever Granger. You get to do whatever you want, don't you? You always have."
"Are you quite finished?" she deadpanned.
Draco just rolled his eyes at her. She walked up to him standing just outside the doorway where he had stayed inside. She reached two fingertips down her dress between her breasts and his eyes couldn't help but flicker where they dipped into. Then she brought out a small piece of folded parchment and tucked it into his hand where his arms were crossed over his chest. And then she re-entered the kitchen, stopping right as she slid by him.
"You really could at least try," she said with pity before making her way back to the party.
Opening the note, it read:
Draco Malfoy Cheat Sheet For When
He Inevitably Terrorises Me
1. Soft insult
2. ~* Draco*~
3. "Devastating" insult, most likely
aimed at my reputation and/or looks
4. Scornful outro
She had his number, all four of them. He leaned against the doorframe and chuckled down at the piece of paper, acerbating jealousy surging through him. Theo really was a fortuitous shit.
Hermione made her way back to Theo, feeling bad when she saw a leggy blonde putting the moves on him, touching his arm and leaning into him seductively. She approached and the witch looked at her before quickly taking a step back. Hermione reached them with a friendly smile.
"Sorry about that, Theo." He appeared relieved to see her. "Good evening, I'm Hermione Granger," she turned her attention to the woman.
"Em- Emma Fawley," the woman stuttered.
"I feel like I know that name from somewhere," Hermione replied, tilting her head to look at the witch.
"D-Do you read Witch Weekly? I'm a freelance journalist but I write their cookery section," Emma stuttered, confidence gone now that Hermione had arrived.
"Of course, your articles are the only parts I actually enjoy since the rest is such gossipy drivel. No offence," but Emma was nodding in agreement. "That Exploding Brandy Snap Parfait you wrote about two weeks ago? Oh, so delicious! I made it for dinner at the Burrow and everyone loved it!"
Emma was beaming from ear to ear. "I have a variation of the method for cheesecake instead if you would like the recipe?" she asked.
"Oh yes, please owl me that. I'll make it for Theo, sometime" she nestled into him a little more.
"May I quote you on that, Miss Granger?" Emma asked, giddily.
Hermione nodded her assent and the woman practically skipped away.
"Wonderfully done, Hermione," Theo said. He drew her to the dancefloor, bringing her close to him so his words would ghost over her ear. "I thought you might be a little bit of a disaster here, but clearly I was mistaken."
"Despite my heinous tray transgression?" Hermione asked sarcastically, her laugh reverberating through him and attracting others to the dancefloor as well.
"Every party needs a little scandal, you just made this one historic," Theo said. The amusement in his voice chasing desire through her.
"Are we allowed to make out at these parties?" she raised her head with a devilish grin.
"That may be a little too much scandal but-" he couldn't finish as she reached up to close the distance between them. Keeping it passionate but chaste before she drew back.
"I can't have Rita Skeeter be wrong about my lack of proprietary now, could I?" she coyly brushed the nape of his neck with her fingers. His hands tightened at her waist and she gave a dark giggle as she heard whispers envelop them.
"Shall we go back to the table and become perfectly poised again?" her face wide in an amused expression. "I'll even sit away from you."
"The kidnapped tray will make a mockery of our decorum, but we could give it a go. I fear if I have you in my arms any longer I'll do something that will get us kicked out entirely." Theo glittered at her with a mischievous grin.
She led him back and resettled herself in Draco's old seat beside Pansy while Theo took the one across from her.
"How is it that we have never been friends, before this, Granger?" Pansy asked her as she handed her a champagne flute from the tray. "I haven't been as entertained at one of these things in such a long time."
"I used to have to go to Ministry run events like this just after the war," Hermione replied, looking around. "We would try to leave as early as possible and go back to our house and become raucously uncouth to make up for how uptight we found the parties."
"Ooh, please tell me you have some heinously embarrassing stories?" Pansy giggled, leaning in excitedly.
"Well, one time-" but she was halted by three looming figures approaching them. She stood to receive their presence.
Draco glared at Hermione but she just blinked innocently at him. "Mother, Father, may I please introduce Miss Hermione Granger." As if they were meeting her for the very first time. Hermione fought an eye roll.
"How do you do, Miss Granger?" Draco's father said, stiffly formal, extending a hand.
"I am very well, Lord Malfoy and may I please congratulate both of you for hosting such a magnificent event tonight," she gave a polite smile with the handshake and Lady Malfoy embraced her with two cheek kisses.
"Thank you dear, for the compliment. We were rather hoping to speak with you this evening about an upcoming opportunity, if we may?" Draco's mother smoothly transitioned the conversation.
"Of course," Hermione replied. "I'd be more than willing to hear about it if you would take a seat," she gestured to the table as she sat back down.
The air seemed to still, as many eyes watched this, pretending not to. It was a subtle challenge. If Lord and Lady Malfoy sat, they would be subtly indicating that the breach of etiquette committed by Hermione was acceptable or they could reject the offer and most likely her positive response to their request."
Narcissa looked inquiringly at Lucius, but he seemed to calculate that an amenable relationship with Hermione Granger was worth it and sat in the seat to her right, his wife following suit.
A susurrus rippled through the room. A new precedent set.
"What is the proposal you have for me?" Hermione asked with a gracious smile.
"We would ask if you may be interested in being the spokesperson for a series of benefits we will be commencing in the next month. The aim is to aid the Ministry in the restoration of certain antiquities. We have experts ready to ensure the safety of the items and to identify the extent of their magical properties. One such as yourself who has extolled the virtue of preserving history would be a wonderful ally to our cause." Lucius waited for her response with his cold, gray eyes.
Hermione tapped her mouth with a finger. So the Malfoys were campaigning to reclaim items that were seized from them after the war under the guise of research. That could be dangerous, but she also knew that the Ministry would be wary enough of trusting them to effect contingencies. She quickly looked to Theo but he was just watching her avidly, waiting to see what she would decide.
"I would assume, of course, that a bi-annual inspection from an independent Ministry official would ensure the exacting standards of your expert team were being met across the board?" Hermione queried. Will you be willing for the Ministry to continue to keep tabs on these items, Lucius?
He bristled a little but answered easily. "Of course, that had already been factored in." Hermione could tell it had not.
She gave her gracious smile again. "Then I would be delighted to speak on its behalf. What a fascinating project to have a vested interest in." The implication that she wouldn't just be a figurehead settling onto Lucius and Narcissa and they stiffened just a little.
She shook Lucius' hand again to finalise the deal and a small pass of magic ignited, locking it in.
They nodded to her and left. The party suddenly became much louder than it had been.
"Oh. My. Gods." Pansy stated, clapping her hands in glee. "It's like you were born for this Granger."
Hermione made a face. "How insulting, you should write that one down, Malfoy."
Theo turned to look at Draco who was sitting next to him now. "What does that mean?"
Draco just took a drink with a dark look at Hermione. "Granger here thinks I could up the ante when slandering her. She wrote me a note and everything," he tossed the parchment on the table which Pansy snatched up, falling into peals of laughter before passing it to Blaise.
"Now that's the Hermione Granger I knew in school. Perfectly prepared in every way," the witch giggled.
"I was never perfectly prepared, I couldn't prevent Harry going to his death. And I could have done a better job at disguising him when we were Snatched. In fact, that was the last time you surprised me, Malfoy. Refusing to identify Harry when it was clearly him. You saved us."
Draco gave her a stunned look before sneering and saying, "I let you get tortured, in the room just through that wall," he pointed across from them.
Hermione shrugged. "Better me than him, Harry was too important. I would have gladly died if it meant Harry and Ron could escape."
There was a pause at the table before Draco spoke again. "The sword… it was the real one, wasn't it? You lied during the Crucio. How did you do that?"
For the first time in the conversation Hermione looked uncomfortable. "I love Harry very much, I used that to conquer my fear. I'm sure you had to make that choice everyday with Vol- him living here," she looked around the room. "Harry felt like the only family I had left, I'd Obliviated my parents and sent them away in case they were captured and used against me. I would have done anything to keep Harry safe."
"Have they recovered?" Pansy asked her, looking at Hermione with fascination for her being so candid.
Hermione sighed. "No, it was very difficult to cast, only erasing their memories of me but leaving everything else intact while also implanting the idea that they were different people and wanted to move to Australia. I have Healers working on it, but at the moment, they would have to rebuild the memories one by one. It's a painstaking process and takes a very long time. I'm still thinking about whether I should put my parents through that. They have lives there now and have no idea about the wizarding world. I go see them every year. They think I'm a long-lost relation so we have new memories but it's, you know, hard."
A morose silence occupied the table now with no one quite knowing what to say. Then Hermione brightened. "Malfoy, well done! I feel sad, vulnerable and a little embarrassed but I'm not woefully bored." She laughed garnering bewildered looks from the other four. She reached across the table to Theo who grasped her gently. "Let's start our goodbye rounds, Theo. Knowing this crowd it will be another hour or so before we can successfully escape."
They lifted their hands over Blaise and Pansy and walked off into the throng.
"I think I just fell in love with her," Pansy played with a lock of hair, looking between Blaise and Draco's oddly blank faces. "Right? Like, just a little? Merlin knows no one else here would be that earnest."
Draco just cleared his throat and took a drink while Blaise nodded in agreement. They knew Pansy wasn't serious, but the effect Hermione had on people had permeated the room with a strange enchantment.
"What goddess of serendipity has Theo been fucking to be so blessed?" Blaise grumbled while the other two shrugged and shook their heads.
It had taken Hermione and Theo an hour and a half to escape from the party. They arrived back at Hermione's place and had poured themselves another drink, settling on her couch to talk about how the evening had gone.
"Shall we discuss finances?" Theo asked her, bringing her feet off the floor and slowly untying her strappy silver heels.
"Hm? What do you mean?" Hermione replied, a curious tilt to her head.
"I mean I have already been offered many lucrative opportunities simply from my association with you, Hermione. Ones from family-friendly companies that would otherwise never be offered to someone with an ancestral history as dark as mine. As I realise this would have been impossible without you, we should arrange compensation."
Hermione just waved the suggestion away. "Those opportunities will only be maintained by your business acumen which I have no head for. No, I would rather we kept our transactions physical and emotional and our finances utterly separate. I am not with you for gold, and it will be easier when you decide to stop seeing me."
"What if I don't ever decide that?" Theo had eased her other foot out of her shoes and had begun massaging her heel. He watched Hermione as she lay her head back against the arm of the couch, revelling in his touch. "What if you take me up on my offer to get married?"
"Then we'd better invest in Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes since we both know that was a joke," she uttered breathily, eyes fluttering and toes curling under his skilled hands.
"It may be right now, it might not be later," Theo teased.
Hermione opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling. She knew she wouldn't marry him, she wouldn't leave him a widower in eight years' time. Seeing Malfoy tonight had served as verifiable evidence that he would be unmistakably cruel to her whenever he could. She wondered how the gold runes on her body could possibly have spelled out Draco Malfoy. But they definitely did, she'd checked every textbook translation she could find just in case. Maybe this soulmates business was designed for sexual compatibility or strength of potential offspring.
She refused to be with someone who made her skin crawl even if she'd managed to hide it tonight.
"I like Pansy. She's fun," Hermione said to change the subject.
Theo chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you would be OK hanging out with at least one of my friends."
"I like Blaise, too. We hung out a bit in Eighth Year when he and Ginny had their thing."
"So, just not Draco then?" Theo queried and Hermione nodded. "Why is that?"
"What I said was true about him being boring, but pretty much every interaction I've ever had with him has been violent or abusive in some way. That just gets ingrained into you when you experience years of it. We were never very nice to him either. He kind of represents my worst self," she sighed blissfully. "That feels amazing though." She nodded at where Theo was plying his fingers against the arch of her foot.
Theo gave her a cheeky grin and drew her foot closer to him, pulling her down the couch so her head rested on the seat, delighting in the way she squealed. He planted a kiss in the hollow behind her ankle bone and Hermione swallowed, an erotic fluttering starting within her.
Theo gently tugged her closer to him using her leg, watching as her dress crept incrementally up her thigh before taking both her hands which were laying on her stomach and slowly pulling her upright, hooking her fingers over his head to rest around his neck.
They looked at each for a beat, the flirtations of the evening heavy between them before Theo leaned in to kiss her. This kiss was deeper than any they had previously shared and Hermione felt a rush of adrenaline as she tangled with his skillful tongue. She let herself fold into his embrace, enjoying the feel of his increased heart rate beneath her fingers.
Theo pulled back from where their lips met. "Do you want to take this further?"
"Oh gods, yes," she breathed before he captured her again. She began pulling off his robes and slowly unbuttoned his shirt to languorously run her hands over his chest, broad shoulders and back. He felt supple with toned and not overly defined muscle, smooth except for a sprinkling of dark chest hair.
He undid the clasp of the halter dress and let it fall to expose her breasts, dipping his gaze and sucking in a breath at the sight. She felt him tighten beneath her, his desire becoming very apparent.
She tilted her head back as his hands stroked across her hardened nipples and she waved a wordless charm to settle on them in preparation for later.
"How do you like to do this?" she asked him, looking into his eyes and finding a burst of heat at her question.
"Slow. So slow it feels like torture until our skin is on fire and we are addicted to the next touch, the next taste and we have to succumb to a rapturous frenzy of need."
Hermione shivered. A thrum of want throbbing through her. Her breath caught in her throat.
"You seem to like that idea, Hermione," Theo murmured. He was so close, his lips occasionally touched hers as he spoke. She couldn't do anything except nod.
She moved her head and gave him a kiss on the corner of his mouth, tingling when he smiled, she slowly moved further across his the plane of his face, touching again on his cheekbone, her hands giving only the merest touch of her fingertips as she moved glacially down his spine. His mouth connected with her shoulder placing a soft kiss.
Hermione delicately touched her wand to her lips and whispered an incantation. She pressed another kiss to his neck and he gasped, pulling back.
"What is that?" he asked, cupping the area.
"Low-level transferable vibration spell," she answered through tingling lips. "You don't like it?"
"I love it. How does it work?" his voice was low and the way he twitched beneath her showed how the spell was affecting him.
"Just touch your wand where you want it, think about the intensity and say Desiderium."
Theo tried it and his eyes widened adorably as the vibration hummed on his lips, he went to feel with his fingers but Hermione caught his wrist.
"If you touch your hand to your lips, it will transfer," she warned him but all she received was a spine-tingling smirk.
"Oh, yes. I'm well aware," Theo touched his thumb to his lips as she let go. Then she watched as he brought that thumb to swipe across her nipple, grinning as she let out a moan.
"So full of surprises, Hermione. Wherever did you learn this?" Theo said before kissing just under her ear and she gasped again, the tingling already started the low throttling of energy within her.
"I created it," she told him, halting on a breath.
"Reeeeally?" he drew out the word as he placed another kiss on her collarbone sending a jolt through her. "What else can you show me?"
"You'll have to wait for next time," she slowly raked her fingernails over his scalp, threading fingers in his curly dark hair.
Theo growled low in his throat and closed his eyes.
They slowly moved against each other, giving experimental touches and kisses to see what set the other off. Hermione found Theo's inner arm and elbow were particularly sensitive and he discovered how she loved being his fingers brushing along her sides teasing lower or higher as he saw fit.
Each slow movement to reach somewhere new held a taut anticipation that exploded into sparks of pleasure when the touch finally landed.
Theo's teeth closed over Hermione's ear lobe, worrying the flesh gently between them. Smiling into her moan.
Hermione held Theo eyes as she leant forward to connect her lips on his shoulder, her now tingling fingers pitter-pattering down his back, shuddering his spine to bring him even closer to her.
Theo brought his hands to swirl over her nipples eliciting a long "Ohhhh" of pleasure from Hermione that made his cock twitch against her.
The vibrating tingles were covering most of their upper halves now, causing them to breathe heavily and constantly shake just a little. Hermione's dress was pooled high on her thighs and they had taken Theo's trousers off leaving him in boxers.
Hermione looked deep into Theo as she took her tingling fingers and danced a circle on his inner thigh. He gave a violent twitch beneath her, biting his lip and closing his eyes against the sensation.
As he pulled the lip through his teeth, looking at her through his lashes and jerking slightly, he swallowed. "I don't think I can take much more, Hermione." He looked at her pleadingly.
"Then let's get to the frenzy," she held his gaze.
There was a small beat before they surged on each other. Theo's underwear was off and Hermione's dress thrown to the floor, her lack of undergarments appreciated by Theo running his tingling fingers over her bud, making her arch into him.
Responding in kind, Hermione grasped him at his base, working her hand upwards so it swirled around the tip, making him shiver against her.
They almost savagely brought their lips together, the discordant vibrations shooting pleasure through Hermione. Theo circled the outside of her, smiling at how wet she was as she ran a thumb right over his head.
"Oh fuck," he moaned, dipping two fingers into her and curling them. She raised her whole body to meet him crying out with how good it felt, the vibration pulsing in her.
"Please tell me you're ready, Theo?" she gasped and seeing him nod she simultaneously hooked her ankles around his head and pulled his hips forward, plunging him into her.
"Holy fucking shit, Hermione, I think I-"
"Don't think, just move," Hermione interrupted, so he did. Slamming into her again and again and she used her legs to pull him down into a kiss, still tingling hands trailing along his arse to the small of his back, revelling in how full she felt.
Theo grabbed onto the arm of the couch in support. Hermione could feel herself reaching the edge. She sighed as the angle dragged across her inner wall. The pressure ratcheting higher. She looked up at Theo to see he was studying her, learning what she liked best, noting it for later, his eyes near black with arousal. A zinging thrill passed through her.
"Oh fuck, Theo, please. I can't hold off much longer," she pleaded.
He dropped, bracing on either side of her. "Let it go, Hermione," he said between breaths and they became even more frenetic, the uneven rhythm of their vibrations pushing them higher and Hermione came, crying out as she shattered around him.
A final kiss and Hermione felt Theo jerk inside her, his body collapsing on her in spasms as her orgasm continued to pulse out making her twitch and smile in pleasure.
Hermione wandlessly waved her hand in the air, "Defluo Incantatem," she whispered against Theo's ear causing him to shiver again.
The tingling began to subside, slowly ebbing away until it was gone entirely and they lay listening to each other's heavy breaths.
"You sure you won't to marry me?" Theo asked, pulling up to look at her. Hermione just laughed.
They slowly sat up, Hermione waving away their mess.
Theo pulled her against him and kissed her. "I think Draco and Blaise are right, I am the luckiest man in wizarding Britain."
Hermione could feel his heart still hammering in his chest as she chuckled against him.
"If you feel the need to satisfy any braggadocio, just make sure to sing my praises and bring any complaints to me."
"No complaints on my end," Theo said, still trying to regain a regular breathing pattern. Then he tipped his head back and groaned.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, kissing the expanse of throat he exposed.
He looked at her in a kind of pained way. "Draco is a very gifted Occlumens and Legilimens, he can always get into my head. He did it earlier today, saw our entire meeting with Wood."
"Ah, that explains how he knew, I thought you may have told him. That's pretty fucked up," she shivered.
Theo protested he would never but Hermione quieted him. "Don't worry, I thought you might want to confide in your friends since apparently I'm intimidating."
"I wouldn't have gone to see them at all, but they kept messaging me through our Protean and I thought the thing would burn through my trousers if I didn't." Theo grumbled.
Hermione bit the corner of her lips.
"That's really fucking sexy, Granger and as much as it motivates me to want to go again, I know you're thinking about something. What is it?"
"I could put a wall up. In your mind, I mean. Lock off all memories about me. But, the thing is, it would be a bit of an invasion and I don't want to do anything you would be uncomfortable with," she looked at him calmly. She didn't want to pressure him.
"You can do that? Then please, go for it. Just don't go wandering," he said.
"Of course not, I actually abide by the law and when Malfoy goes into your mind, he's breaking about 50 statutes. You could threaten him with Azkaban, you know," she informed him, but she knew he wouldn't do that to his friend.
Theo still grinned at her though, "Maybe give me a list of these statutes and I'll send him a fun subpoena sometime."
"Ok, are you ready?" She placed her hands on either side of his face. He nodded shakily.
Hermione got her wand and used it to focus, going into Theo's mind and staunchly only looking for memories of herself, pulling them like a magnet. She collected them but didn't flick through. She built a wall around them and wrote a message for anyone who tried to break in. 'I don't consent to this - H. G.'. Then she brought herself back.
Theo smiled at her with relief, shoulders relaxing. "Thank you for not prying," he caressed her cheek and she could see in his eyes a deeper level of trust and respect. She kissed him tenderly.
"I have to get up at 6.00 am tomorrow. You are more than welcome to stay, I'm just letting you know what time I'd be kicking you out. I know you probably value a decent amount of sleep."
Theo groaned at her teasingly, shifting her even closer. "Well, since my first meeting isn't until eleven with Prewett Senior, one of the opportunities you have already given me I might add, I may leave you tonight, though I really don't want to."
"Be careful tomorrow, you might want to wear gloves at your meeting if you can get away with it. A small side effect of the Desiderium is hypersensitivity the next day. Worth it though, right?"
"Absolutely worth it," he said, kissing her again.