Made of You Part 9
Disclaimers: I don't own any of these characters.
A/N: From the feedback I've gotten during the last chapter, I realized that I've made a
slight blunder by giving Hermione red hair instead of brown. So from this edition on
I'm gonna make her hair brown like in the books (although not bushy like in the
books). J
Hermione lay within Draco's arms, her head resting against his bare chest. What they had just shared together was magical, something she had never before experienced in her entire life. Hermione had never imagined passion could be so overwhelming, so earth-shattering between two people. Until an hour ago, she had been a virgin, one who had no physical knowledge of any man. Yet when her and Draco had joined to become one, she had never felt more full, more complete in her life. The memory of their union would forever be burned into her memory.
"Hermione?" Draco said softly. His voice was low, husky and intimate. She blushed against his chest, too shy to meet his gaze. Realizing this, he pulled her slightly apart from him, tilting her face upwards till her eyes met his. His gaze was a dark and stormy blue, a turbulent sea of passion. Hermione lost herself under his intense gaze, forgetting all but the man in front of her.
"Hermione?" he repeated. "Did I hurt you?" His eyes were full of concern, an expression she had never before seen on Draco Malfoy. She bit her lower lip, shaking her head shyly, at a loss for words.
"Hermione, I…"
He tried to go on, but she hushed him, pressing a finger to his lips.
"Shh, not now. Tonight I just need you to hold me."
For an instant Draco was deadly still. His eyes swam with intense, indefinable emotions. Then without another word, he pulled her back into his embrace, enfolding her within his arms. His warmth gave Hermione a sense of security she thought she'd never feel again. She told herself not to think about their real-life situation, to live the moment like it was reality. To give herself to him completely for just one night… Her decision made, Hermione snuggled into his embrace, surrendering herself within his powerful arms.
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Harry Potter crumpled the letter up, flinging it in fury. He was livid. Hermione was in Malfoy's hands. How could this be? So many unanswered questions went through his head. It drove him to the point of madness, knowing she was in danger, but being helpless to do anything.
He paced his room, tortured by thoughts of Hermione's predicament. An hour ago, he had been stirred awake by the owl Malfoy had sent him which carried the letter. Harry was at first surprised to find that someone had sent him an owl. Working with Dumbledore to defeat Voldemort for the past few years had kept him from contact with the outside world, which ultimately kept his loved ones from danger. And that included Hermione. Especially Hermione.
When he had found out the contents of the letter, Harry had become sick with dread. She was in Malfoy's hands. The first thought that came into his mind was that it was all his fault. If only he hadn't pushed her away from him so thoroughly… If only he had kept her by his side…
Breaking off his relationship with Hermione had been the hardest thing he had ever done in his life, but it was inevitable. If she had stayed, it would only have been a distraction to his concentration and eventual danger for herself. Yet these reasons could not ease his conscience about leaving her alone during a time of danger.
I've got to get to her somehow, he thought desperately. In the letter, Draco had demanded his presence in Malfoy Manor within a week from the present time.
He had a week to devise a plan. Harry was not going to get entangled into Malfoy's little trap. Somehow, he was going to rescue Hermione from the terrible danger that was in store for her no matter what it cost. Even if it meant killing…
The door to his room suddenly burst open, revealing a disheveled Ron in his pajamas, red hair tousled.
"It's 3:30 in the morning, Harry. What the hell could you possibly want from me at this bloody hour?" His voice carried a slightly impatient note to it.
"It's Hermione, Ron. She's been captured by Malfoy, and the price for her freedom is me. You tell me if this is important enough to wake you up in the middle of the night."
At his words, Ron's eyes suddenly snapped into alertness. Shutting the door behind him, he strode over to where Harry was sitting, pulling a chair next to his friend.
"When was this? How'd you find out about it in the middle of the night?"
Harry sighed. "Malfoy sent me an owl that arrived half an hour ago with the letter. It's stated clearly that he wants my life in exchange for Hermione's. If I don't go, only god knows what he'll do to her. And it'll be all my fault. If anything happens to her Ron, I don't think I'll…" He stopped abruptly, burying his face in his hands in defeat.
"So what do you plan on doing, Harry? Malfoy's a crafty weasel; it'll take a lot more than just you and me to outsmart him. Maybe you should consult Dumbledore about this first."
Harry raised his head, gazing steadily into Ron's eyes. "No, don't tell Dumbledore. He has enough worries as it is. I'll take care of it myself. Just tell him I'll be leaving Hogwarts for a week, and when I come back, I'm bringing Hermione with me."
"With Hermione?!" Ron gasped. "You don't mean to say that…"
"Yes Ron", Harry said in a quiet, determined voice, "it's about time."
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It was early morning and the sun was breaking through the window draperies. Draco stirred, awakened by the chirping of songbirds outside his window. He shifted to his side on the bed, suddenly frowning. Something was missing. He opened his eyes, realizing that he was alone in bed. He turned to find the space next to him on the bed empty. Wisps of silky-brown hair remained on the pillow next to his. Her scent still clung to the sheets, a light, sweet feminine fragrance. But where in the world was she?
Getting out of bed, Draco went to the closet, opening it. Her clothes were gone. He slammed the closet door shut, running a hand through his disheveled blonde hair. She was gone. She had left without even a word of farewell. In the pit of his stomach, Draco felt sick. His lungs became constricted, making it hard for him to breathe.
Suddenly, a noise from the outside balcony caught his attention. Striding over to the balcony doors, he cast the draperies aside, opening the doors. Upon doing so, he found Hermione, fully dressed, perched on a lounge chair, overlooking the morning scenery. Her profile was draped in sunlight, creating a halo around her head. Her eyes had a faraway look, as if in a trance. She did not acknowledge his presence, but instead continued to stare out into the horizon.
Draco walked over to where she sat, kneeling down so that he was at eye level with her. Hesitantly, he touched her shoulder with a reverent hand. She blinked, her eyes losing the glasslike emptiness it had had a moment ago. She seemed to be once again aware of her surroundings. Her gaze suddenly slid to Draco's. As their eyes met, a feeling of wistfulness passed between them.
"Hermione," Draco said softly, as if afraid to break the silent peace between them.
She seemed to not have heard him, but continued to gaze into his eyes with a tinge of regret. Her eyes suddenly became moist with tears, and one lonely teardrop finally slipped down her cheek. He cupped her face with his hands, using his the pad of his thumb to wipe away the tear. His actions were so gentle, it suddenly cut her emotions loose. With a sob, she threw herself into his arms, burying her face against his chest. Draco was startled at her sudden emotion, not knowing what else to do but to hold her in his arms. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, rocking her back and forth until her sobs subsided. Afterwards, they stayed that way, locked in each other's embrace, each loathing to let go of the other. It was Hermione who finally broke the silence between them.
"Why do you have to be a Malfoy?" she whispered softly. "Why couldn't it be different between us?" Her voice, filled with pain, broke Draco's heart. It led him to fully contemplate their impossible situation. He was a Malfoy, she was a mudblood; he was engaged to Pansy, she was supposedly still in love with Potter; he was only using her for his own selfish purposes, and she would ultimately hate him for it in the end. He had to end their budding relationship now before it went on any further. There could never be anything between them. Somehow, this realization left an unusual aching within his chest.
"You're right, Hermione. Because I'm a Malfoy, nothing good can ever come out of this relationship." He knew his words would hurt her, but there was no other way. This was the only way to prevent them both from further heartache. "Another time, another place, and maybe it would have worked, but you know that is impossible."
As he said these words, Hermione felt as if Draco had physically pierced her heart with a knife. Now she could never tell him what she had wanted to. She could never tell him that he was her sole savior from the never-ending nightmares that haunted her every night. She could never tell him about the emotions he had stirred within her while in his arms. There was nothing left to say. Gently, she extricated herself from his arms, moving back slightly to put distance between them. Looking into his intense blue eyes, Hermione fought for control not to weep.
"I agree with you completely, Draco. There can never be anything between us. Last night was a mistake, a mere passion evoked by thoughtless desire. I apologize for everything…." She tried to continue, but her voice suddenly caught on a sob. Of their own volition, the tears she had tried to suppress spilled down her cheeks.
Her tears tore at Draco's heart. His heart told him to take back those hurtful words, to tell her his true feelings, while common sense told him to be impassive to her tears, to pretend that she didn't mean anything to him. But as he gazed into her tear-stained face so full of heartache, Draco knew that this time, his common sense would not win over his heart. He couldn't stand seeing her tears, tears that he knew he had invoked. At that moment, all thoughts escaped him save the urge to hold her in his arms and take away her pain.
Without further hesitation, he pulled her into his embrace, locking his arms tightly around her. He held her as if he never wanted to let her go, knowing he would be damned for this, that she would eventually hate him even more in the end. But the strange thing was, at that moment, Draco didn't care. All he cared about was the woman in his arms, a woman who had touched his heart like no other.
In his arms, Hermione relinquished all control over her emotions. Sobs racked her body, causing her to shudder against him. In response, he tightened his arms around her, crushing her to his chest.
"Please don't cry, Hermione." Draco said in an anguished voice. "God…why can't I have the strength to let you go, why?" He pulled her away from him abruptly and stared into her tear-streaked face, at once beautiful and so full of pain. "Do you know how your tears affect me thus?"
Hermione shook her head, unable to answer him without breaking into sobs. Deep down inside, she knew all this was wrong. She should not be crying over their separation. They had never even been together in the first place. He was a Malfoy, a man who could not be trusted. But despite everything, she couldn't stop the ache in her chest at the thought of never seeing him again.
"God, Hermione, do you know what I'd do to make you stop crying?" His voice was agonized, his face strained with emotion. "You know this can never work, that we can never be together no matter what…" He stopped abruptly, taking her hands in his, gripping it tightly. "But somehow…I just can't seem to let you go. You've somehow bewitched me, because I've never felt this way with any other woman."
Before Hermione had time to fully comprehend his words, Draco pulled her back into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.
"All I know right now is that I can't seem to function properly without your presence. I need you by my side. And I'm not talking about protecting you from Voldemort. I just need to be with you, no matter what the consequences. Will you stay with me, Hermione?"
For a moment, she tensed in his arms, not knowing what to say. How could she agree to something so absurd, so impossible? She would have to be a complete fool to believe that this relationship can last. But despite everything, her heart told her to stay, to pursue this budding relationship which promised something she would likely never be able to experience if she passed it up. Heart warred with reason, and finally, the answer came to her as clear as day.
"Looking up into his intense blue eyes, she finally said, solemnly "Yes Draco, I will stay with you. No matter the consequences."
At her words, he made a deep sound in his throat, then crushed her to him. His mouth came down hard on hers, seeking her lips with his. She responded with the same ardor, abandoning herself to his passion. Deep in the back of her head, Hermione knew that she was bringing upon her own downfall, but with his lips on hers and his arms around her, it was too much to resist. Cutting off her doubts, she gave in to his kiss, giving herself to him yet again…
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I'm almost there, she thought. As she was reaching Lucius' estate in Essex, Pansy seethed with anger. I'm going to destroy that little slut Granger. She's not going to take away Draco from me, not when he's been mine for all this time. True, she did not really love her fiancé, but his name and fortune was enough to compensate for that. The Malfoys were known to be one of the oldest, most powerful dark wizards that ever existed. Becoming Draco's wife would complete her life ambition, which was to be known throughout the wizarding world by all, to be feared, respected, and envied by all.
She wasn't going to let Hermione Granger ruin it for her if it was the last thing she did. Because from way back at Hogwarts, she had known that Draco had harbored some feelings for her, but was too horrified to admit it, even to himself. Pansy could still remember the event that had happened during their seventh and last year at Hogwarts. Her mouth turned into a deep frown at the recollection of that memory.
It was fairly sunny on that spring day, and most of the students had decided to go outdoors during their free time to take advantage of the fresh air. Pansy was walking beside Draco, with Crabbe and Goyle tailing behind as usual. They had nothing to do in particular, except to look for trouble. Coming upon the lake, they spotted Hermione Granger. She was sitting by the lake, apparently engrossed in a thick textbook. At the sight of her, Pansy's mouth curled into a sardonic smile. This was the perfect chance to get Granger back for making a fool out of her in Deviation earlier that day.
Turning to Draco, she asked sweetly, "Darling, isn't that Hermione Granger sitting by the lake? Look, she's so engrossed in that stupid book that she probably won't even notice if someone pushed her into the lake." However, Pansy he did not get the response from him that she had wanted. He seemed oblivious to her words, and was staring at Hermione with an air of intensity she had never beheld before. Anger and jealousy seized her, and striding resolutely towards Hermione, Pansy, did not even give a backward glance to Draco. Reaching the lake in a few long strides, she stopped in front of Hermione's feet, stopping abruptly. Bending down, she snatched the book from her hand, tossing it into the lake.
"What the heck…?!" Hermione shouted angrily. "Why'd you do that for?" Getting up, she stood nose to nose with Pansy, eyeing her with antipathy. "You'd better get that back for me, Parkinson, or you'll see what I'll do to you."
"Ooh, is that a threat, Mudblood Granger? Because if it is, you're sure not scaring me. And by the way, this is to get you back for this morning!" Before Hermione could react, Pansy grabbed her by the arms, and pushed her into the lake. She hit the surface with a loud splash.
Laughing, Pansy turned away, pleased with her handiwork. Then suddenly, she heard a scream behind her. Turning back to the lake, Pansy found Hermione struggling to reach the surface. It was impossible! The lake was only four feet deep! But what she saw was totally contradicting. It seemed as if Hermione was being sucked in by a whirlpool, and was helpless to stop it. Then, out of the blue, Draco suddenly appeared, wand in hand. Whispering some kind of spell, he waved his wand towards the water. Green light sparkled out, stopping the whirlpool. As the lake ceased to spin, he jumped in, clothes and all, and fetched Hermione out. As they reached the grass, he gently laid her on her back, realizing that she had passed out from shock. Standing, he suddenly turned to Pansy, eyes flashing with cold rage.
"What the hell did you do that for, Pansy!? You could've killed her, do you know that?! This lake is known to have whirlpools in the spring time, and you're stupid enough to push her in?!"
He was going to go on, but a cry from a distance stopped him. Far off, Harry Potter was spotted, and he was running towards the crowd. By that time, many people had gathered to watch the spectacle. When he saw Hermione in her state of unconsciousness, Harry suddenly turned to Draco in fury.
"What happened here, Malfoy? Did you do this?! What happened to Hermione?"
Instead of answering, Draco simply sneered at Harry and turned away, ready to walk away. Harry grabbed him by the shoulders, stopping him.
"Listen, Malfoy, I want to know what the hell happened to Hermione, and if you won't tell me, I'm going to force it out of you."
"Really, Potter, you underestimate me. Do you really think I'm intimidated by you? Believe whatever you want to believe. If you think I did it, then I did."
And with a final scowl, he left, with Crabbe and Goyle following. Pansy just stood there, dumbfounded by what had just passed. Draco had actually taken blame for something she'd done! But why?
All these questions tumbled in her head as she stood there. A few feet away, Harry had taken the still-unconscious Hermione in his arms and was bringing her to the infirmary. One question still raged in her head: Why had Draco saved Granger in the first place? The question suddenly collided with the image of him staring intently at her by the lake just minutes ago. The pieces suddenly snapped together in her head. Draco had feelings for Hermione! With this realization came a rush of cold fury. At that moment, Pansy promised herself that she would never let Hermione get in the way of her and Draco, even if she had to kill her to keep that promise.
The memory of that day was like bile to her. It had taken weeks before Draco had finally forgiven her for her actions. And afterwards, it had never really been the same between them, especially after she had found out about his feelings. However, no matter what he felt, Pansy knew that he would never express his feelings for Granger because of they're social positions.
And until last night, everything had been well. If only Hermione hadn't walked into their lives once again. However, Pansy promised, she was going to get rid of her this time, once and for all, out of Draco's life and hers…for good.
As her car pulled up to Lucius' estate, a slow smile began to spread across her face. Yes, she thought, this is the beginning of the end for Hermione Granger.
Well guys? What do you think? I really am sorry this took so long, but school is soooooo stressing. I hope you liked it and please give some constructive criticisms. As you probably guessed, I'm not going to be writing the next part for at least 2 weeks, so please be patient. And you can always give me ideas for the next edition because that's usually what makes me slow down…a lack of ideas. So tell me what to do, ok guys? Thanks for being so patient with me. Bbai! J