Chapter 21

Just afterwards, in Kennington

Hermione's hands didn't stop shaking until after she'd come home, made a cup of cocoa, and settled on the couch with crookshanks to watch a few episodes of mindless soap operas. She'd tried to go into the office, but made the executive decision to go home when she realized she was incapable of holding a quill. Her boss was on holiday anyway, having married his Maritare match after knowing her only two days.

Hermione closed her eyes and laid her head on the arm of her overstuffed dark grey couch. That was the most nerve wracking thing she had ever done. And that included searching for horcruxes.

Somehow, it was a relief that he hadn't immediately agreed, because she wasn't sure if she could go through with it all. Saying she would do her duty to save the wizarding world was all well and good, but telling Draco Malfoy that she wanted to fuck him was something else.

But it also wasn't a relief.

Why had she told him to owl? She should have pressed him to decide right then. Now she was stuck in the uncomfortable position of having to wait for his note.

At least she'd kept her cool, for the most part. And she hadn't had to resort to any overt tactics to distract him.

She should get up. Maybe go back to work, or drop by Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and see Ginny. She should but… instead she just wrapped a throw around herself and cuddled into the couch. She hadn't been sleeping well lately, perhaps a nap would help her relax.

Nightmares of the war had been coming back with increasing intensity, and she didn't want to rely on dreamless sleep potions to help her. Maybe a different time of day would ward off the memories. After the war, Hermione's dreams and flashbacks had been so detrimental that she'd taken some rest at St. Mungo's for a few weeks.

She thought she had mastered herself, but since the morning of finding out about the marriage law, she hadn't had a proper night's sleep.

Crookshanks sighed quietly, a sweet little huff.

" I couldn't agree more," She responded.

She closed her eyes and snuggled into her couch. She breathed in the lingering scent of her hot cocoa and tried to clear her mind of stressful worries. Thinking about the prophecy would only succeed in making her anxious.

She thought of the satisfaction of opening a crisp new paperback, Mrs. Weasley's bread pudding at Christmas time, and was Malfoy going to respond? He'd been flirting so heavily, he'd even told her that he wanted to sleep with her.

And she'd put herself in the uncomfortable position of waiting for him to decide. She should have been more persuasive, talked about what he would get out of it.

But that could have come off as begging, and she would never beg Malfoy for anything.

She gave up on trying to fight worrying, and turned on the television again.

Hermione's head was swimming as Malfoy laid her gently on her bed. It was turning dusk outside her room, and out the window she saw the tangled branches of trees silhouetted black against the sky.

He was kissing her neck, sending shivers of sensation up and down her spine. She let out a shaky breath and he chuckled low in his throat and licked her. She squeaked.

" So sensitive, Granger," He said quietly, placing his body on hers, her legs coming around him instinctively. He rested between them, and though his erection should have been a shock, she actually found it strangely thrilling. Her heart lurched in her chest awkwardly as he kissed her, running his tongue along the seam of her lips until they opened.

Their tongues met, tentatively, and he tasted like the Maritare charm, dizzy and still all at once. He ground against her, and sparks of hot arousal went off, shooting down her legs and making her weak with desire.

She sighed and he groaned, trapping her head between his hands and kissing her harder, his tongue sliding along hers. She tried to wrap her arms around his neck, realizing belatedly they were tied to the posts of her iron bedframe with something soft and silky. She could have easily freed herself but instead she moaned again, encouraging him.

He broke the kiss and looked down at her. His lips were swollen like ripe fruit, and his silver eyes roamed over her freely.

He slid his hand from her neck down to the swell of her breasts, a question in his eyes.

" Yes," She answered on a breath, reveling in the hot brand of his hand on her body.

He traced a swirling, teasing path over her breast, down over her stomach, and then back up again. Then he started over, torturing her with a smirk.

When he'd teased enough frustrated moans out of her, he finally (finally) pulled her underwear down her legs at a torturous pace. Completely naked in front of him, she blushed.

" Merlin," He said running his hands along her legs, " Granger you're going to be the death of me.

She started to smile, but he lowered his head to the place between her legs and after that all she could do was moan. He teased her more, licking delicately along the folds of her pussy, playing with her clit, not seriously but enough to make her crazy.

He lifted his head and looked up at her with catlike grey eyes, " Beg me."

She bit her lip, " No."

" I won't ask again," He said darkly, returning to his teasing.

" You didn't ask."

He traced over her and she gasped, but she would not beg. She closed her eyes and concentrated on silence, even as he became more pointed in his attention. He was pushing her just to the tipping point. She bit her lip harder.

Her heart pounded in her chest, drowned out all other sounds with it's relentless tattoo.

" Malfoy," She sighed, giving in, " Please."

" Please what, Granger?" He growled, stopping.

" Oh, please please make me come please."

He devoured her and she had to bite her tongue to hold in a scream.

" Who's making you come?" Malfoy prompted.

" You are," She choked out.

" Who?"

" Draco Malfoy," She responded, " You."

" Open your eyes, Granger," He commanded. She complied.

Her blood ran cold. A thousand death eater masks filled her room, some with glittering, hungry eyes behind them, and some empty, hanging on the wall, above her bed.

" Granger," His voice called her silkily.

She glanced down. His hands pinned her thighs to the bed, they were shaking so.

" No, no," She begged.

His eyes flashed silver like a saber. He licked up along her and she came apart, completely, screaming out into the silence as a thousand eyes watched.

Hermione woke with a start, almost falling off the couch. The telly blared innocuously, and Crookshanks hissed at being disturbed. It was afternoon, still, she must have succumbed to her exhaustion. She glanced out the window and saw only rooftops and a sliver of grey sky, threatening rain.