A/N: I'm super excited to finally be publishing this story, as my beta and I have been hard at work on this since May 2020. I want to start by saying a huge thank you to my beta, DestinyAwaitsYou (FF.N) who's stuck by me through my many changes of heart with this fic. Updates will be once a week I hope but I'm not going to have an update schedule for the time being because I only have 6 chapters ready at the point of posting and I have another on going story. I would say this fic will be between 30-50 chapters with chapters varying between 2500-4500 words. The first few chapters are more 'lustful' but once Hermione and Draco's relationship forms it will focus on crime, this is not a slow burn fic. Please review your thoughts, it really means a lot and shows me what you guys, my lovely readers, like and don't. I have done a fan cast on my Instagram (dramiones_lovexo) however all characters are played by their actors in the films apart from Theodore Nott who per usual in my fics, is portrayed by Tom Holland and my original Character Poppy Parkinson is portrayed by the amazing Millie Bobby Brown. Oh and Charlie's portrayal is just a guy I found on google, I don't have a clue who he is. Anyways, enjoy xx
Draco Malfoy is heir to one of the most powerful mafias. Hermione Granger was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hermione Granger started the war. But her death ended it.
Set in the modern day with no magic.
Rated: M
Themes: Crime, Tragedy, Angst, Drama, Romance, Friendship
*Not slow burn*
XXX
Be careful who you trust. The devil was once an angel.
It's funny, looking back at how my life turned out.
We were the modern-day Bonnie and Clyde.
We killed anyone who got in our way.
We fell in love.
And then I died.
I never expected my life to turn out this way.
I was born in London and I thought that's where I would die.
Death by natural cause. That's what I imagined my death certificate to say.
This is my story.
The story of Hermione Granger.
The story of how my life changed for the better.
The story of my crimes.
The story of how I feel in love.
The story of how I died.
XXX
15th May
Her wrist had turned red from the rope that bound her to the chair; her throat burned from screaming. Her eyes ached from the blinding light shining on her.
It had been a mistake to leave The Base Lounge. If she'd stayed at the club, with Harry, Ginny and the others...
Hermione wished more than anything to be back home in London, sitting at the dining room table in her parent's house, with Sunday roast placed on the table in front of her and Harry across the table.
It hadn't been like that in so long...
"Please," Hermione pleaded for what felt like the hundredth time. But what good would it do? She'd been tied to the cold metal chair for at least 3 hours already. Her gold spaghetti strap cocktail dress and matching heels were becoming a worse idea by the minute.
What she'd give to be curled up in Ron or Charlie's bed. She'd always thought that sleeping with both of them would be a bad idea, that she'd be caught sneaking around with one by the other. But right now...
Anywhere but where she was seemed appealing.
"I won't go to the police," the young brunette begged as she tried to pull her arms free. It didn't help. "I won't say anything to anyone!"
Within a second, the heavy looking steel door on the other side of the room swung open. Two burly men stepped into the room, two men that Hermione recognised as the ones who'd dragged her down to the room and tied her to the chair.
The two men took a step to the side, taking a position either side of the door.
It took Hermione a moment to realise that there was another man standing in the doorway.
He was taller than the previous two, had a slimmer build as well. But that didn't mean that he didn't have a similar muscular build.
The mystery man took a stride into the room, making it easier for Hermione to see his features. He had a platinum blonde, pompadour cut, and pale skin. As he got closer to her she noticed his piercing blue eyes.
He wore fitted black trousers and a white dress shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows. One hand dangled from the trouser pocket, while the other hand supported a dinner jacket that had been thrown over his shoulder, his index finger looped through the tag.
Hermione couldn't help but notice the huge tattoo on his left forearm- a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. She could have sworn she'd seen it before somewhere.
The blonde pulled out the chair across from her, as if he was a police officer interrogating her. "It's not the police we are worried about you running to Miss Granger." He drawled as he flung the jacket over the back of the metal chair. Taking a seat, he placed his arms on the table between them.
It was as if he had all the time in the world. Which, realistically, he did. She was the one tied to a chair in a basement. He was the one with the body guards. The bodyguards with guns. He probably had one too.
Hermione realised that she'd been staring at him, lost in thought. Hermione couldn't help but notice the hint of grey in his ice blue eyes. He was handsome... No. Hermione. No. Not the time to get a crush.
She put her focus back on his comment. If it wasn't the police they didn't want her to go to, then who? The only people she knew in New York city were the Weasleys but they couldn't be involved in this could they?
"Tell me, Miss Granger." His voice was deep and alluring. He was quickly becoming a drug that she wanted to be addicted to; she just wasn't sure why. "What is your connection to the Weasleys?" It was as if he'd read her mind.
"H-how..." She mumbled, wishing she could hide her head in her hands. "How do you know my name?" Hermione wanted to flinch at how timid she sounded. If only she could rewind time.
The man looked over his shoulders at the two bodyguards, it was obvious none of them saw Hermione as a threat. That was a mistake.
Hermione may be small and slim, but "don't judge a book by its cover" was her motto.
The young girl had a range of talents- she was smart and well put together, but also had the same physical skills as Harry. The Granger's adopted Harry when he was 3, Hermione being nine months older than him. As soon as the two were old enough, their father had taught them to hunt. And it was no secret that Hermione had a much better shot than Harry.
That wasn't the only thing she was better at.
The only thing that Harry was better at was boxing and MMA. Hermione had never been able to beat her brother during a spar.
They hadn't had a match in so long, the last time they did would have been the Christmas holidays of their last year at Hogwarts, that was seven years ago.
Harry had moved out of their family home as soon as school finished, he and Ron shared a small flat in Hogsmeade, the small village next to the castle that was now used as a private boarding school. They'd lived there for a year, then once Ginny had finished her final year the three of them left for America. Well, Harry did, anyway. Ron and Ginny had to go back to New York, their mother had given them no choice. But Harry followed Ginny- Harry would always follow Ginny.
"We've been through your phone. Obviously." He smirked, once again pulling her back to reality.
Taking a deep breath, she conjured all the confidence she could muster. "If you've been through my phone, then you know my connection to the Weasleys." The blonde gave her a sly smile, lifting his left hand from the table, he reached into his trouser pocket.
A few seconds later, his hand reappeared with a phone in his clutches. The man placed it in the space between them. The brunette stared into the blue eyes of the man opposite her. The mysterious man gave her an impressed look. She was playing her part well. Could she use that expression? It wasn't like she was acting, and behind the façade she was shitting herself. "Ah yes," he finally said. Picking up the phone, he shoved the camera in Hermione's face to unlock it. Opening the photo app, he continued on to open 'Potter wedding'. "Ginevra Weasley's sister-in-law."
Hitting the back icon, he went on to click Hermione's favourite folder, 'Granger-Potter'. Every photo of her and Harry that she'd managed to get her hands on since he'd been adopted. Every family photo, first day of school photo (well, the day they hopped on the train to Hogwarts), every silly video and mug that she'd taken of Harry.
He tapped on a copy of their boarding school graduation class. He zoomed into the front left corner where she stood with Harry and Ron. Hermione had stood in the middle, Harry's arm flung over her shoulders while Ron's wrapped around her waist. Looking at the photo sent her back to a simpler time, a time when she didn't have to worry about work or which bed she'd be sleeping in that night.
"What have they got to do with all this?" She asked, once again trying to free her hands from the rough rope.
For a few excruciatingly long seconds, the unnamed blonde stared at her with a suspicious glint in his eye. Eventually, he began to laugh, leaning in close he lowered his voice. "You don't know, do you?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "Know what?" She couldn't stop herself asking. Hermione had a constant need for knowledge, whether it be academic or not.
Abruptly, the man stood. Grabbing his jacket and her phone, he walked towards the door, and the guards either side. She watched him say something to the guy on the left, and he gave a nod of understanding.
With one final glance over his shoulder, and a smouldering smile, the blonde walked away.
The moment he was out of sight the guard he'd spoken to walked towards her. A few seconds later the other guy was heading towards her too. The first guy pulled her up off the seat while the other untied her hands.
Keeping a firm grip on her upper arm, the two guards lead her out of the room through the steel door. She was guided through a dark basement corridor, up a flight of concrete steps and through another heavy steel door.
She gasped slightly as they came out on the other side of the door. She stepped out into a grand corridor; red carpets lined the floor while white walls supported what she assumed to be very expensive pieces of artwork in gold frames.
They walked to the end of the stretching corridor. "In there," one of the guards grunted as he nodded towards the black door at the end of the long hallway. He let go of her arm and pushed her forwards. She reached out for the gold door handle, using it to stop herself from tumbling over.
Once she regained her balance, she slowly began to open the door. She didn't look back as she stepped through the door into a lavish bedroom.
Black walls engulfed Hermione as the door clicked shut behind her. Black furniture covered the span of the room; from the bed to the sofa set. Silk green sheets and pillows covered the black metal frame of the bed while the black leather sofa in the middle of the room supported silver cushions.
LED colour changing strip lights made the room glow while a surround sound system played classical music softly. Strange, Hermione thought to herself as she stood by the door.
Blonde hair strutted out of the door opposite her, "Ah Hermione!" he pointed towards one of the black leather settees. "Please sit."
Apprehensively Hermione moved towards the seat. She watched as he walked towards a liquor cart, he plucked two glasses from the lower shelf. The tip of his index finger skimmed over the top of every bottle before picking one.
"Dalmore 18-year single malt whiskey?" Hermione asked, rather surprised, "Expensive drink."
The mystery man smirked at her over his shoulder. She couldn't help but notice the small dimples that formed when he smirked, she could only imagine what they would like if he gave her a real, genuine smile. "Know your whiskey, do you Granger?" Hermione could tell he was teasing, or maybe he was testing. She just didn't know exactly what she was being tested on and she didn't like it. Hermione Granger does not fail tests.
He poured them both a glass before sitting opposite her. Crossing one leg over the other, ankle resting on the opposite knee. One arm stretched across the black leather, the other held his glass to his lips. "Plus, you seem like an expensive woman, Hermione."
Giving a huff she reached out for the glass he'd placed on the glass topped table between them. "I don't think it's fair you know my name but I don't know yours." It was as Hermione sat back in her seat that she noticed her phone on the edge of the table. On queue it buzzed,
IMessage from Harry Potter
Hermione, please call me!
Underneath she noticed how many missed calls and texts she had received… she'd only been gone a few hours…
Harry: 27 missed calls
Ginny: 15 missed calls
Ron: 5 missed calls
The list seemed to go on but she couldn't see the messages without reaching for the device.
"Tell me your story Granger," Hermione pulled her gaze away from her phone at the sound of her surname. She watched as the blonde tipped back the content of his glass before standing and walking over to the cart. "And I'll tell you mine."
Hermione watched him silently, sipping on her drink as he grabbed the freshly opened bottle of whiskey and poured himself another glass. "Let me phone my brother first."
"I'll let you phone your brother," He said after a moment of contemplation. "As long as you keep your mouth shut about all this." He casually glanced down at the phone resting between them which had begun to ring, Bill's name at the top of the screen.
"And what if I don't?"
His index finger tapped the side of the glass a few times. Suddenly he placed the tumbler on the drinks cart and shoved his hand into his trouser pocket. Hermione wanted to scream when she saw what he had reached in there for, but she couldn't. No noise left her body, she was frozen in fear.
"I'll kill you."
She knew by the fact he was pointing a gun at her head that he was being serious about killing her. It scared her that he was so calm as he spoke, as if he hadn't just threaten to murder her. But however much it scared her, it didn't surprise her.
She gulped before giving a nod of understanding. She reached for her phone. He waited for her to move away from the table before placing his gun on the table and grabbing his glass from the cart and taking his place opposite her again.
Bill Weasley (2 missed calls)
Hermione, where are you?
Will you please answer someone?
Hermione? Mum and Ginny are panicking, and don't even get me started on Harry. Just call someone.
Charlie Weasley (10 missed calls)
Come to my room when you're back ; )
Hermione, where are you?
Baby this isn't funny, call someone.
Hermione, it's been hours!
Hermione!
Call me...
Call anyone!
Molly Weasley (40 missed calls)
Hermione, dear, where are you?
Hermione will you please call us?
Hermione where are you, dear?
Will you please let us know you're safe?
Hermione? Love, please call someone.
Hermione, we're all so worried.
Hermione, we're going to phone the police soon. Please let someone know you're safe!
Fred Weasley
Hermione where'd you go?
How far are you from the club?
Where are you?
George Weasley (1 missed call)
Mione! Come back to the club it's so boring with you gone!
Where are you?
Mione, please call someone back.
Ron Weasley (5 missed calls)
Ginny said you were going back to the house... wait in my room?
Everyone's really worried.
Hermione?
Ginny Potter (15 missed calls)
Call me!
BITCH! Call me back rn!
Hermione! I swear to God!
Mum's going mental.
Where are you?
Call me or Harry this instant!
Harry's about to ring your parents...
Harry Potter (27 missed calls)
Where are you?
Hermione! Call me!
Hermione Jean Granger, call me back right now
If you don't call me within 5 minutes I'm calling mum and dad.
HERMIONE!
H
E
R
M
I
O
N
E
CALL ME!
Hermione, please call me!
Hermione clicked on Harry's contact info before hitting the call icon. It only called once from her side before she heard her brother's voice travelling though the connection. "Where are you and why the fuck haven't you been picking up?"
"Hello to you too, my dear brother."
"Hermione-"
"I'm fine," Closing her eyes she took a deep breath, trying to convince herself of her words. "I'm fine."
She could hear him telling the others that she was fine, she could also hear the disbelief and worry in his voice. "Where are you? I'll come pick you up."
"No!" She shouted it without thinking, her eyes shot open. The blonde was staring at her intently but he didn't seem mad that she'd nearly let slip on the 'secret'. "Look, Harry, I'm sort of with… I'm with a guy."
Her brother gave an awkward cough on the other side of the phone. "Oh. Right." Harry began to cough again, not too sure what to say. "Well um, ring me when you're done and I'll come pick you up from where ever."
"I'll let you know when I'm done. Oh and Harry,"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, Hermione."
Without missing a beat, the brunette pulled her mobile away from her ear and pressed her finger to the hang up button. "Thanks." She whispered as she looked up at the blonde.
"Malfoy." He replied as he leaned forwards in his seat. "Draco Malfoy."
Hermione placed her phone on the surface between them once again, switching it out for her glass, which she raised to her lips straight away and took a swig of. "Draco… Latin for dragon." He gave a nod, she wasn't sure if it was to say if she had gotten that right or for her to continue. "Malfoy… French for bad faith. Well," she laughed. "I definitely wouldn't put my faith in a dragon."
He said nothing in response, instead he continued to stare at her until he pushed himself off the chair. He placed his once again empty glass on the glass table before stalking towards Hermione who also placed her glass down. "I take it you know French and Latin?" He took a seat next to her as he spoke, his arm resting across the back of the small leather sofa, his hand dangling by her shoulder.
"French, Italian, Latin," She turned to face him, their lips inches apart. "Russian, Greek and Chinese."
She leaned back slightly. As she did so, she noticed a small fire burning in his eyes. He was intrigued by her, whether it be her intelligence or something else that drew him in, she did not know. But that didn't change that fact that Draco Malfoy was intrigued.
His fingers edged closer to her bare skin; she could feel the goosebumps forming on her arms where his pale fingers would accidentally nudge her as he moved them. Her Dutch braids were still resting above her collar bones, the ends a frizzy as they had been back at the club.
Hermione couldn't help but notice his beautiful eyes and how they kept dropping to look at her lips. His fingertips began to trail down the column of her throat and along her shoulder. She bit down on her bottom lip, not breaking eye contact as his nails dragged over the curve of her breast.
Was she really going to do this? Kiss a man who'd kidnapped her? Kiss a man who had some unknown connection to her brother's in-laws? Would she sleep with him?
His head inclined forwards, his lips dropped to her ear. "Tell me, Hermione," He whispered after releasing a rough breath, his seductive tone causing a shiver to run down her spine. His fingers continuing their dance along her skin, "Who's better in bed? Ron or Charlie?"
The desire in Hermione's eyes turned to furry. Without thinking, she placed her hands on his chest and shoved him away. "How dare you!" She screamed as she raised her left hand and swung for his cheek.
Draco stared at her in a state of shock as he raised his hand to his reddening cheek.
It all happened so quickly after that…
He grabbed Hermione's wrists and yanked her off the seat before shoving her towards his bed. The back of her knees collided with a cold metal bar from the frame, and within seconds she was on her back on top of his green sheets.
The next thing she remembered was her wrists being pinned down above her head and Malfoy's knee forcing her legs apart. He positioned himself between them, his face full of anger above hers which was deep with fear.
All he did while she struggled underneath him, trying to break free, was stare. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before finally releasing his hold upon her arms and pushing himself off the bed. Hermione sat up quickly but didn't try to move. She was scared that if she moved, he would do more than just pin her down.
"You really don't know, do you?" He asked, his back still facing her.
"Obviously." She whispered as she pulled her knees to her chest. She was staring to wish she'd sent Harry her location before she'd rung him, at least then she would know he was on his way, that he was coming for her.
Draco gave an evil yet surprised laugh. Turning to face her he ran his hand through his hair. Blue met brown. "Welcome to the Mafia, Hermione Granger."
XXX
Sometimes I can still hear him saying those words to me.
That was the day my life changed the most, the day I met Draco Malfoy. I used to think that it was the day my life was ruined, that I'd been thrown into some game that I had no chance of winning.
But I did win.
In the end I won and everyone else lost.
But I don't know who took their loss greater.
My brother. Or my husband.