A/N: It's almost over. Wait for the epilogue, to be posted soon.
Chapter 17
In late November a large package arrived for Hermione during breakfast. She opened the letter on top, getting more excited with every word she read. Parvati snatched it up from her, while Harry and Ron looked on in great curiosity.
Hermione watched her face as she read, showing the other girl was half amused, half scared. "Hermione, you little whore," she said finally, softly, though Harry and Ron heard her anyway.
"Shhh," Hermione hissed. "Not here."
"Then let's go upstairs."
"Fine."
The two got up, leaving their food half-eaten. "Hey, wait!" Ron called after them. "Whatever's going on, I want to know!" The girls ignored him.
As soon as they were far away from the Great Hall they began to talk. "You sent out for *muggle* lingerie?"
"He'll have never seen it before. He'll love it! All I've ever worn was plain cotton, maybe simple silk. Nothing fancy, because it doesn't exist in the wizarding world, and my mom always came with me to buy that stuff besides. And black leather."
"Leather? Mercy, what have you got in that box?"
"Just thought that we could make use of that dungeon properly. You know those chains Filch always brags about?"
"Terrible."
"Ah, don't worry. We always take turns. He enjoys receiving pain as much as he does inflicting it."
She smiled to show she was joking, but Parvati looked at her seriously. "You never say his name anymore. It's never 'Malfoy.' Just 'him' and 'he.' What's going on?"
Hermione spoke slowly. "He's.different. Not Malfoy anymore. Oh, the things he tells me. He's been through so much. He's different than anybody ever thought."
"Are you in love with him?"
"He's not Malfoy. But not Draco either." She worded her reply carefully. "No. No, I'm not. Dump a truth potion down my throat, I am not." Her voice rung clear, and Parvati, she could see, believed her.
Almost. Parvati frowned. "Not yet, anyway."
"No. But I am worried that he's getting too attached to me."
*****
Hermione was nearly his. He could feel it. Soon, he knew she would belong to him. He had been plotting for weeks, convincing her that he was but trapped in his father's cruel world, wanting and waiting to escape. It could not be further from the truth. Though he was a coward, and did not particularly care for the danger of being a Death Eater, he would do it, because that was what he had been born to do. His entire life was for the Malfoy name.
Hermione Granger would be a tarnish on that name, but one he could bear, if kept hidden. How had he grown to love her? He did not know. A moth in the dark attracted to the light. The perfect compliment of polar opposites. He had no desire to be good, but needed that goodness around him, and she was it. She was the sun, and he was the blackness of space to envelop her.
She greeted him deep in the stacks in the library, where he had conjured up thick blankets and pillows for them to rest on. "Hello," she said softly. She was wearing her school robe, buttoned top to bottom.
"Hi," he replied.
"I, um, got you a present, but I'm sort of wearing it. Perhaps you could unwrap it?" She kneeled in front of him and undid her first button, waiting for Draco to do the rest. He looked at her hungrily-as he always looked at her-and began to unbutton. He was delighted with what he found.
"What those Muggles will come up with next," he muttered. She was wearing a bustier made of black leather, the cups cut so low that the pinks of her nipples could be seen over the top. Paired with it was G-string underwear, also in black leather, only it had a zipper down the front. Black stockings were held up with garters attached to the bustier.
"Do you like it then?" she asked.
"Love it. You look beautiful enough to ravage."
She giggled. "That is the idea." They kissed, hard and demanding. He pushed her roughly down on the pillows, and she did not object. She liked it rough, now that she thought she was in charge. She didn't know that she wasn't anymore.
He took his time exploring this new outfit. It was tight against her skin, which he liked. He let his lips travel across the tops of the cups. Her breasts rested so perfectly in them, he did not wish to ever see her in anything else. He told her so.
She smiled. "You don't even want me to take it off?" Her arms reached around her back to undo the hooks. He smacked her arms away and pinned them down on the pillows. "I'll take that as a no." He looked at her with burning eyes. "You don't even need to take the underwear off." She freed one of her hands and undid the zipper.
She hissed as his fingers traced the edges of the zipper. He stopped to undress, leaving her squirming with need. He gave in, teasing her with a finger, while unbuttoning his shirt with the other hand.
He started to undo his pants, as his erection was already straining against them. She licked her lips, the beautiful little ball of silver peaking out from between them. He reached a hand out to stroke her cheek.
*****
"Stop!" Both looked up in confusion. Harry and Ron were standing in front of them. Harry, Hermione saw, was holding the silvery invisibility cloak. He held a horrified look on his face, but Ron.Ron's face was screwed up into disgust and hatred.
"What do you want, Weasley, Potter?" Malfoy snarled at them.
"You followed me!" Hermione accused at the same time.
"And now a wish I hadn't," Ron spat. "What is this, Hermione?"
"We were worried," Harry tried to explain in calm tones. "Parvati was worried, and said, said that we should follow you. She was breaking your confidence. We knew you were in trouble."
She stood up angrily. "Do I look like I'm in trouble?"
Ron was furious. "If you would look in a mirror, you might agree with us. You *did* turn into a slut. Who else have you been shagging? Or don't you keep track? Are they all in Slytherin? Are they all filthy, bigoted fucks like Malfoy?"
"Shut up, Ron." Hermione was shaking.
Malfoy, who had been silent, moved in to defend himself. "Hermione simply has good taste. She knows class when she sees it. I noticed she never ran to you, Weasley. Didn't want the embarrassment of your family, I figure."
"What do you want with her?" For once, Ron ignored the attack on his family. "Did you put a spell on her? Why her?"
*****
Draco was furious. "What do you care? How do you treat her? Throw her to the side when there's something more important on your mind. Quidditch, or a game of chess even? Why do you care what she does?"
"Answer my question."
"Answer mine."
They were staring down, hot white and red flames. Cool Potter was the moderator, and Hermione standing aside helpless. They both shouted at the same time. "Because I love her!"
They shocked each other and stood silent. Draco turned to Hermione. She didn't look like she belonged in the clothes anymore. She stood in the corner, tears slowly moving down her cheeks. His eyes burned into her, pleading for her to come with him.
Potter intervened. "Hermione?" he asked gently. "Do you love him?"
Her eyes were wide when she looked at Draco. "I don't love you," she whispered. "It was just sex." He realized that she had probably been saying these words to herself for months.
"No," Draco said in a guttural tone. "It was more."
She shook her head slowly. "Just sex," she said again, crying harder. "Just sex."
Draco looked at her with furious eyes. "I see. Well. Have it your way, Granger. You can keep your Weasley and your Potter. Have a bloody threesome and be happy." He took up his shirt and stalked away. Anger filled him so completely, he could not even feel the stones of the castle floor as he walked away.
*****
Harry covered the crying and broken Hermione with the invisibility cloak. She looked odd, a floating, crying head. "Take Hermione back to the tower, Ron. I'll clean up here."
Ron glared at them both. "I'm not touching her. I don't want to be anywhere near that dirty slut."
Harry gave him a harsh look. "Fine. You stay behind." He lead Hermione away.
Chapter 17
In late November a large package arrived for Hermione during breakfast. She opened the letter on top, getting more excited with every word she read. Parvati snatched it up from her, while Harry and Ron looked on in great curiosity.
Hermione watched her face as she read, showing the other girl was half amused, half scared. "Hermione, you little whore," she said finally, softly, though Harry and Ron heard her anyway.
"Shhh," Hermione hissed. "Not here."
"Then let's go upstairs."
"Fine."
The two got up, leaving their food half-eaten. "Hey, wait!" Ron called after them. "Whatever's going on, I want to know!" The girls ignored him.
As soon as they were far away from the Great Hall they began to talk. "You sent out for *muggle* lingerie?"
"He'll have never seen it before. He'll love it! All I've ever worn was plain cotton, maybe simple silk. Nothing fancy, because it doesn't exist in the wizarding world, and my mom always came with me to buy that stuff besides. And black leather."
"Leather? Mercy, what have you got in that box?"
"Just thought that we could make use of that dungeon properly. You know those chains Filch always brags about?"
"Terrible."
"Ah, don't worry. We always take turns. He enjoys receiving pain as much as he does inflicting it."
She smiled to show she was joking, but Parvati looked at her seriously. "You never say his name anymore. It's never 'Malfoy.' Just 'him' and 'he.' What's going on?"
Hermione spoke slowly. "He's.different. Not Malfoy anymore. Oh, the things he tells me. He's been through so much. He's different than anybody ever thought."
"Are you in love with him?"
"He's not Malfoy. But not Draco either." She worded her reply carefully. "No. No, I'm not. Dump a truth potion down my throat, I am not." Her voice rung clear, and Parvati, she could see, believed her.
Almost. Parvati frowned. "Not yet, anyway."
"No. But I am worried that he's getting too attached to me."
*****
Hermione was nearly his. He could feel it. Soon, he knew she would belong to him. He had been plotting for weeks, convincing her that he was but trapped in his father's cruel world, wanting and waiting to escape. It could not be further from the truth. Though he was a coward, and did not particularly care for the danger of being a Death Eater, he would do it, because that was what he had been born to do. His entire life was for the Malfoy name.
Hermione Granger would be a tarnish on that name, but one he could bear, if kept hidden. How had he grown to love her? He did not know. A moth in the dark attracted to the light. The perfect compliment of polar opposites. He had no desire to be good, but needed that goodness around him, and she was it. She was the sun, and he was the blackness of space to envelop her.
She greeted him deep in the stacks in the library, where he had conjured up thick blankets and pillows for them to rest on. "Hello," she said softly. She was wearing her school robe, buttoned top to bottom.
"Hi," he replied.
"I, um, got you a present, but I'm sort of wearing it. Perhaps you could unwrap it?" She kneeled in front of him and undid her first button, waiting for Draco to do the rest. He looked at her hungrily-as he always looked at her-and began to unbutton. He was delighted with what he found.
"What those Muggles will come up with next," he muttered. She was wearing a bustier made of black leather, the cups cut so low that the pinks of her nipples could be seen over the top. Paired with it was G-string underwear, also in black leather, only it had a zipper down the front. Black stockings were held up with garters attached to the bustier.
"Do you like it then?" she asked.
"Love it. You look beautiful enough to ravage."
She giggled. "That is the idea." They kissed, hard and demanding. He pushed her roughly down on the pillows, and she did not object. She liked it rough, now that she thought she was in charge. She didn't know that she wasn't anymore.
He took his time exploring this new outfit. It was tight against her skin, which he liked. He let his lips travel across the tops of the cups. Her breasts rested so perfectly in them, he did not wish to ever see her in anything else. He told her so.
She smiled. "You don't even want me to take it off?" Her arms reached around her back to undo the hooks. He smacked her arms away and pinned them down on the pillows. "I'll take that as a no." He looked at her with burning eyes. "You don't even need to take the underwear off." She freed one of her hands and undid the zipper.
She hissed as his fingers traced the edges of the zipper. He stopped to undress, leaving her squirming with need. He gave in, teasing her with a finger, while unbuttoning his shirt with the other hand.
He started to undo his pants, as his erection was already straining against them. She licked her lips, the beautiful little ball of silver peaking out from between them. He reached a hand out to stroke her cheek.
*****
"Stop!" Both looked up in confusion. Harry and Ron were standing in front of them. Harry, Hermione saw, was holding the silvery invisibility cloak. He held a horrified look on his face, but Ron.Ron's face was screwed up into disgust and hatred.
"What do you want, Weasley, Potter?" Malfoy snarled at them.
"You followed me!" Hermione accused at the same time.
"And now a wish I hadn't," Ron spat. "What is this, Hermione?"
"We were worried," Harry tried to explain in calm tones. "Parvati was worried, and said, said that we should follow you. She was breaking your confidence. We knew you were in trouble."
She stood up angrily. "Do I look like I'm in trouble?"
Ron was furious. "If you would look in a mirror, you might agree with us. You *did* turn into a slut. Who else have you been shagging? Or don't you keep track? Are they all in Slytherin? Are they all filthy, bigoted fucks like Malfoy?"
"Shut up, Ron." Hermione was shaking.
Malfoy, who had been silent, moved in to defend himself. "Hermione simply has good taste. She knows class when she sees it. I noticed she never ran to you, Weasley. Didn't want the embarrassment of your family, I figure."
"What do you want with her?" For once, Ron ignored the attack on his family. "Did you put a spell on her? Why her?"
*****
Draco was furious. "What do you care? How do you treat her? Throw her to the side when there's something more important on your mind. Quidditch, or a game of chess even? Why do you care what she does?"
"Answer my question."
"Answer mine."
They were staring down, hot white and red flames. Cool Potter was the moderator, and Hermione standing aside helpless. They both shouted at the same time. "Because I love her!"
They shocked each other and stood silent. Draco turned to Hermione. She didn't look like she belonged in the clothes anymore. She stood in the corner, tears slowly moving down her cheeks. His eyes burned into her, pleading for her to come with him.
Potter intervened. "Hermione?" he asked gently. "Do you love him?"
Her eyes were wide when she looked at Draco. "I don't love you," she whispered. "It was just sex." He realized that she had probably been saying these words to herself for months.
"No," Draco said in a guttural tone. "It was more."
She shook her head slowly. "Just sex," she said again, crying harder. "Just sex."
Draco looked at her with furious eyes. "I see. Well. Have it your way, Granger. You can keep your Weasley and your Potter. Have a bloody threesome and be happy." He took up his shirt and stalked away. Anger filled him so completely, he could not even feel the stones of the castle floor as he walked away.
*****
Harry covered the crying and broken Hermione with the invisibility cloak. She looked odd, a floating, crying head. "Take Hermione back to the tower, Ron. I'll clean up here."
Ron glared at them both. "I'm not touching her. I don't want to be anywhere near that dirty slut."
Harry gave him a harsh look. "Fine. You stay behind." He lead Hermione away.