Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter.

Author's Note- This was my second version of this chapter and I wrote it two nights ago. The first version sucked majorly and I didn't want to disappoint (sorry if I do) so I rewrote the whole chapter. The first version was also only 5 pages and this one is 8 so I feel more confident. I hate really short chapters and the first version was just a lot of speech. My next chapters may take a little bit of time to get out (though I promise no more than 4-5 days) because I need to buckle down and spit out the rest of this story that is brewing around in my head. Oh and to whoever the random person was (:-D) I liked the word Stigmata and so I used it as the password. It has a nice ring to it

Chapter 9

He had just stood up against his father. What the hell had he been thinking!? Draco clomped through the hall carrying the slumbering form of Hermione Granger with him. He stopped at a fair sized portrait of three fairies, "Stigmata" he said clearly. The fairies giggled and moved off to the side to let him through.

Draco was beginning to droop with Hermione's weight in his arms as he stepped through the portrait hole to his new home. He bounced her up a little to regain his holding and walked through the new dorm. It wasn't very big but was a nice enough size that he and Hermione wouldn't feel they were forced into each other's company. (Which, coincidentally, they were)

Draco placed Hermione on the bed and his eyes raked from her hair to her feet. He watched her cautiously, her chest slowly rising and falling in turn with her deep even breaths. Hermione wasn't physically beautiful. She was pretty and had some nice features but her nose was a little big and her eyes were a little small. His eyes stayed trained on her face only briefly straying to her lips, which he thought, were her best feature.

Draco had never, in his 7 years of knowing her, lied to Hermione. He had always told her, quite openly, how he really felt about her. He had thought Hermione was a bookworm and a mudblood. No, he had known she was and she flaunted it, not afraid to show her true colors. He had never looked at this in a good light and yet, sitting at her side, it suddenly struck him. Hermione was braver than he. It was a shock to the arrogant boy and he threw his head into his hands. Did she have everything he didn't have? Draco was quite the pretender and, being in Slytherin, he had learned to master his evil smirk and push away the fact that overall he was an okay guy. Now, sitting next to Hermione he felt almost fake and he wanted to prove to her that he was just as brave as she. This, he knew, would take a lot of work. He would need to slowly get in to her system so that she started to trust him. He didn't necessarily want to do it but he wanted to prove to her that he was just as good and brave as she was.

He didn't like it.

He had also thought that she was easily pushed around, that she was prejudice towards the other houses (since he rarely saw her speaking to a member of another house) and that she was, plain and simple, a crybaby. Because of his strong beliefs in her emotions, friendships and mental state he had always found a sickening pleasure in calling her names and watching her face contort to fury as she stiffly walked away after throwing a witty remark back at him. Now, his beliefs were all screwed up.

He didn't like that either.

Hermione had proven to him in the last week and half that she was anything but the weak, emotional, friendless girl he had believed her to be. She was emotional but not in the way he had thought her to be. She was just very, very passionate. During the dance, Draco hadn't been watching her carefully. He was married now and he was going to have to spend the rest of his life with her. He hadn't wanted to waste his brief time alone gaping at her while she was being twisted and twirled by other guys and chatting happily with her girl friends, which, he learned she had many.

What the heck was that about?

After people from the Ravenclaw and the Hufflepuff house had said brief words of encouragement to Hermione during the dancing section he had been slightly surprised. They were all friendly and huggy and smiley and Hermione seemed to be genuinely happy. He had seen several Slytherin talk to her and, at the time, he figured that they were warning her of him and his 'beastly' ways. Now, it dawned on him that they were probably giving her words of encouragement, not warning her. That would mean that she really did have Slytherin friends. Wait a second; she actually had friends in the Slytherin House.

It was enough to make him sick. Why hadn't he heard about their friendships with her? Had his own housemates been afraid of him? Yes, he thought with a smirk, they were probably afraid of him and all of the beliefs he preached loudly and proudly. Hermione probably didn't like that, he thought, since she was one of them; A mudblood with all her mudblood lover friends.

His smirk turned to a grimace when he realized that there were probably many people in the Slytherin house who were mudblood lovers too. Damn it! She was screwing everything up for him. She was just so damn good. She helped everyone, she worked hard, she was fiery and she lived through something that had to do with her parents (he didn't know the details yet.) and came out stronger then she had been. What was wrong with her?

Absolutely nothing.

She was amazing.

He didn't like it.

He especially didn't like it because she made him stand up against his father. Draco had never felt love towards his father, but he did look up to him and he respected him deeply. Lucius had never beaten Draco and, though some of their beliefs differed, Lucius still supported Draco in many of his decisions. He also held a certain degree of respect towards his son. Lucius simply raised Draco in a very militaristic house with strict rules and a system of harsh beliefs. He never hugged him or told him that he loved him but he did show him, through material goods, that he was his son and that he was glad he was his son. Draco never really thought he was missing out on anything.

Still, he was supposed to uphold the noble Malfoy name and marrying a mudblood was not the correct way to go about it. Draco realized then, that not only did he marry a mudblood but he threatened his father as well and this, he concluded, would piss his father off.

Wasn't that just icing on the cake!

Lucius was probably irritated to the bone with him and he couldn't even blame it solely on Hermione because he had chosen to join her. Damn it, he thought anyway, Hermione is wrecking everything for me! Then he toddled off to the bathroom to relieve himself.

About an hour later Hermione awoke groggily to find herself in a large bed. She sat up, confused as to where she was. "Hello? Harry? Ron….?"

Malfoy's head popped around a wall. "I brought you up here."

"Oh goodness! What happened? What did I do?"

"Collapsed. I think you're fine. The light left your body pretty soon after. I think it was just the moment." He had sounded too caring, "Weakling."

"Ungh, thank you. Now," Hermione said more to herself, "time to rid myself of this god-forsaken dress." She reached to the back and grasped the zipper, pulling it down her back and she slipped out of it. "Stay in there Malfoy! I'm changing."

"Wmph dmphstuhf?" Malfoy called from the other room

"Yes!" Hermione shook her head, whatever the heck he just said couldn't have been that important. She walked to the closet and pulled out a hanger and hung the dress up. 'Wow,' she thought, 'how the heck did Lavender get all this on me?'

Coming out of the closet, she pulled an oversized T-shirt over her head and wandered into the main room. She yawned, still tired from the earlier happenings of the day and the light draining out of her system. "Draco." She called again, "I want to talk to you." Draco popped out from around the corner a small frown gracing his usually aristocratic face.

"Can I help you?" He asked arrogantly, eying her body in the oversized T-shirt. She grinned self consciously.

"Good," she stated solemnly, "You've started." Draco's eyes locked on hers as he tried to decipher her cryptic words. Hermione swayed up to him, her breath quickening. Merlin, I don't want to do this! She thought unhappily but willed herself to go on.

"Hermione," Draco questioned, annoyed at her attitude, "What do you want?"

"This." Hermione said softly leaning up to kiss his lips tenderly. Draco immediately began kissing her back, his arm winding its way around her waist as her hands found themselves wrapped around his neck.

"Wait a second." He said as he pulled away from the gentle kiss he and Hermione had been locked in seconds before. "What are you doing? You only kiss me when you want to prove something or embarrass me. We are enemies. I don't like you and you don't like me." Hermione smiled widely at him.

"I'm glad you noticed something was up! I was beginning to worry that you thought I actually wanted to do it!" Draco looked around uncertainly.

"You don't?" Hermione laughed.

"You stated plainly five seconds ago that we were enemies and now you sound heartbroken. Why the change?"

"I haven't been shagged in a week and three days! You'd be disappointed too. Now tell me why you initiated a kiss." Hermione sighed uncomfortably and relayed her earlier conversation with McGonagall to him.

Flashback

"What can I get for you Professor?" Hermione asked as her tight lipped professor walked towards her, her brow puckering slightly.

"It's about tonight Mrs... Malfoy." She said softly, trying not draw attention towards them as they walked to the side of the room.

"What about tonight?" Hermione asked worriedly, "Is something the matter?" McGonagall chuckled lightly.

"Don't forget what the Headmaster and I already told you. You must consummate the marriage. The wizarding world is very picky about this sort of thing. You may choose never to have any relations again but tonight, you must." Hermione gaped at her in horror. "Some sort of enchantment is said at the ceremony that allows people in the ministry to tell if the couple, such as yourself and Draco, has ahem come together ahem or not. It used to be an Ancient Egyptian custom."

"Professor I'm going to say plainly- no thank you."

"You have to Ms. Granger." McGonagall prodded.

"No! So our marriage won't ever be final. I don't care! I don't want to get into bed and give him my virginity! No! That's not fair! It's MALFOY Professor. I don't like him."

"You must, it is the law. Plus, Ms. Gra… Malfoy, your powers as the Keeper and her mate will become more steady and complete. It's odd, I know, but this is for your own good."

"But professor, it's not right!"

"I can't force you to do this Hermione, but I will ask you to for your own good. For everyone's own good. You never know what will come up, this could be your only chance." Hermione was standing stiffly and she took a deep breath.

"Fine- - I have to go be somewhere else now. I am properly embarrassed by this conversation. I've never been one to discuss sex openly, especially with a professor." McGonagall laughed at Hermione's flushed cheeks and nodded enthusiastically. Hermione looked away.

"Oh and Mrs. Gra … Hermione!" McGonagall smiled cheekily and turned away.

"Yes Professor?"

"Make him realize you are the boss." And she strode away leaving Hermione with very rosy cheeks and a slight frown.

End Flashback

"Oh." Draco said as Hermione concluded her story. "It makes sense; McGonagall probably wants you to tell her how I was too. That pervy old bat must want to live vicariously through you."

"I'm sure she wants to imagine you in bed with her." She shuddered, "That is so very wrong." Hermione wrinkled her nose. "I just—" She was cut short when Draco's lips suddenly pressed down on hers.

(I can not write sex scenes for the life of me even though I have read many. Plus this is PG-13. You can all guess what happened and if not they love each other up a bit and in simple words—have sex)

"Pretty good." Hermione said to him breathily as she lay on her back staring at the top of her new canopy bed.

"Pretty good? How about damn swell? Or fabulous? Or earth shattering?" Draco retorted arrogantly.

"Pretty good. 'Night, Draco." She said softly as she turned to face him.

"Goodnight, Hermione." He watched her fall asleep and sighed. Then he turned over and fell asleep himself. Neither of the two noticed the wisps of light falling from the ceiling and surrounding them. The light, so silent, began to wrap around the two, twisting and melding until it formed a ball, the two sleeping students as the center.

Hermione sighed as she felt the soft caress and Draco rolled over. The beam began to fill the room, seeping into every crevice. Minutes passed and once the room was illuminated completely a loud pop sounded and the light began to melt away into the two sleeping bodies. Neither stirred and the light slowly faded away giving into the darkness.

"She has completed the first challenge, my sweet. When shall we send the next?"

"I hate this choosing keepers business."

"I find it positively enthralling! She's a tough child too. Muggleborn! I'm surprised."

"I will admit, she is strong. Darling, the next test?"

"Soon, love, soon. Give them a week to learn of his relaxing ways towards her."

"She'll be pleased to find that they can move farther from one another."

"It's all in love, my dear. They will find the answer in love."

"Somehow, I think you planned this ruse. They aren't happy."

"She is strong. He is strong. Together they are strong."

"That was clever, dear heart, now let us make plans."

"As you wish."

"Ahh!" Hermione screamed as she jumped from the bed, "What are you doing in my bed!?"

"Sleeping." Draco mumbled, the word nearly incoherent.

"What did we do? Why am I naked?!"

"Mrrrmmphh." Draco mumbled turning his head into the soft pillow away from the annoying head girl, "You go away."

"Get up you annoying prat!" Hermione was distressed. What had happened yesterday? She felt out of place and … sore. "Why am I sore?"

"Do you need me to explain the birds and bees to you darling." Draco questioned mockingly.

"That really happened?"

"So it was like a dream? I knew I was good." Draco smiled a toothy smile as he turned to look at her.

"More like a nightmare." She took a deep breath, "It's over, won't have to go through that again."

"What?!" Draco's morning voice was almost gone as he sat up to look at Hermione who was looking flustered with a blanket wrapped around her person.

"We had too. I told you that McGonagall told me we did. Didn't Snape say anything to you at all?"

"Snape would rather kiss McGonagall than talk to a student about sex."

"I don't even want to imagine the look on his face!" She snickered. Draco chuckled then cleared his throat.

"Well. I'll use the shower first. I am a guy and they don't take as long as girls."

"Yeah prat, most guys don't take as long, but hussies like you take longer than natural beauties such as moi." Hermione spun around with her blanket and tramped into the bathroom for a quick shower. She felt carefree and she didn't understand why. When she had woken up her body had been twitching and she had been a mess. Her nerves were on full alert and she was ready to scream and cry at the same time. Than, curiously, she turned over to see what was touching her back.

Though she had known she had been with Draco the night before she hadn't expected him to still be right next to her when she awoke. Startled and nervous as hell, she had looked over Draco's pale body, wrapped in the sheets, and –oddly enough-- she had calmed.

This was surprising since she didn't want to calm. In fact, the first thoughts in her brain that morning had been along the lines of, Why the hell did I listen to McGonagall and how fast can I kill the sucker. So why, she asked herself, was the sight of Draco so relaxing? Probably another keeper thing…

Hermione stood in front of the mirror a million thoughts racing through her head. She didn't feel any different and she wondered if she was supposed to. Hermione turned slowly, observing herself from as many angles as she could manage. She turned on the water and while waiting for it to warm she wondered what a guy would see in her if she wasn't married.

Hermione knew she wasn't perfect. Her face was a little mousy and her hair a little bushy. Her breasts were rather small and her thighs were slightly uneven. She also had many scars along her body. Some of her scars were from adventures at Hogwarts and some were from her life as a muggle. It didn't matter where they came from, each one had a story. Hermione loved her every imperfection except her hands and the small amount of fat she had around her stomach.

She let out a big long sigh as she stepped carefully into the shower and began to lather herself with soap. She subconsciously put her hand to her hip to trace her favorite marking on her body. She had received it last summer from Napoleon, her aunt's favorite cat. It was a small scar that was barely an inch long and Hermione figured that it simply made her body different from any other girl's. She began to trace it, but it felt different, which surprised her. She glanced down and saw not a scar, but a small marking. A star, a small star was marked into her hip using her original scar as a base.

Hermione traced the scar and felt her finger burn as she touched it. I'll have to tell someone about this. she thought as she began to lather herself with soap.

A/N—Stinky ending, I know. I was trying to do something really BOOM! But there wasn't really a place I could stop it without feeling like I had cheated you out of something. Also, if you wanted a sex scene I'm sorry but even if I'm not a complete prude (I do rude romance novels and the such so I know what goes on – thankyouverymuch) I just CAN NOT for the life of me write one without blushing like a crazy person and giggling. It's stupid really. :-D Okay, that's it.. I have to go baby-sit now so leave me reviews and enjoy!

Your kindly savannah superior, (thought of a new dorky one!)
Unspotted Giraffe