Another Chance?
By Cedar1
A/N ok b4 i get rotten fruit and veg thrown at me I'm sorry for the wait for this chapter. Have been concentrating on my other two stories, and am ashamed to say that I have neglected this one. So without further ado, please read on and as usual reviews are always welcome!
Disclaimer: Unless J K Rowling fancies selling the Harry Potter empire for empties piggy bank errr.. £1.36 I don't think I'll be getting my grubby paws on it! sighs
Chapter 4: A waiting game
Previously
" I'm not nothing, and the sooner you understand that the better." He waited for a glimmer of acknowledgement but none came.
"I could kill you right now, you know," came the warning, seriousness edging the threat; in response she began squirming beneath him trying to remove herself form his control. The feel of her body moving beneath him was slowly converting his anger to burning lust, and he found himself staring intently at her parted lips; they were calling to him, yearning for his touch. 'So why deny them?' questioned his inner voice, and with that he once more claimed what he thought was rightfully his.
Chapter 4: A waiting game
Her mouth remained shut, her head trying to shake off his lips that were pressing against her own, demanding a response. Hermione couldn't breathe; she was suffocating from the weight of him pushing down on her and the power that exuded from him. Her body was seizing under her, from the lack of oxygen reaching her lungs. He was going to kill her, and she willed him to do so. She didn't want to see him anymore; he had changed from the boy she once knew and she no longer wanted to see her pained face reflected in his cold eyes. Blocking out the part of her that was willing her to fight on Hermione closed her eyes, waiting patiently for her world to descend into obscurity.
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The taste of her sweet lips was addictive, as his own searched for hers, which kept hiding from his. He pushed onto her more, wanting to stop her from struggling against him, against the desire that was ripping through his body. Suddenly he could feel the body beneath him slump, her curves no longer pushing against his own torso; instead they were unresponsive, flattening onto the bed. This wasn't her? When did Hermione Granger ever stop fighting? Using all his inner strength he tore his lips from her own bruised ones, and he threw himself off her, distancing himself from her bewitching mouth. From the foot of the bed he could hear her gasping for air, as she clawed her way back to life.
He looked down at his hands, which were trembling, lust racing throughout his system. He had never lost control like that before, he was known for his cool demeanour in and out of the bedroom; ask any of his past mistresses. But only minutes before his mind had completely shutdown, and his body had taken control of all his actions; remembering encounters that had taken place in; broom cupboards, empty classrooms, forbidden bedrooms, within the walls of Hogwarts ten long years ago. It had been starved for so long of the only thing that could satisfy it, her.
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Hermione could feel his eyes on her as she began regaining her stolen breath. The numbness in her legs and body was wearing away, the weight bearing down upon them having been removed. Gradually the texture of crumpled linen below her could be felt. Her hands had gone white, gripping onto the sheets during the kiss. She felt herself falling back to reality, her soul slipping once more into her body.
" You should have just finished me off. I'd rather be dead then here with you." Her words slicing through the stuffy atmosphere, which had invaded the room during their time together.
" I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter, we haven't taken all that we need from you yet," came his emotionless response. She could feel the tears threatening to escape the curtain of her eyelids, and wet the pillow under her. But she didn't want to let him see her cry, again. She had lost enough tears for him. She heard him raise himself from the ground and stride towards the door. The breeze caused by his movement brushed against her stiff figure, cooling it from the passion of his kiss.
"You've already taken everything from me, I've got nothing else to give," she whispered.
But only she heard the confession, for he had already left.
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He clutched the banister and closed his eyes, wanting to forget everything that had happened in the bedroom. He couldn't face them with the taste of her still on his lips. Unconsciously he licked his mouth, trying to get rid of any remnants of her. However that now meant she was inside him, flowing through his veins, slowly poisoning him.
" Catch up on old times?" queried a female voice from the shadows behind him. Envy apparent in her voice.
He turned round, his face reverting back to its usual mask; trapping emotions behind it, ensuring that they remain hidden from the outside.
" You've always been the jealous type. Strange that you don't get the same feeling for your husband, who I hear has been sampling the younger breed of Slytherins."
However she looked indifferent to the comment, he wouldn't have expected any other reaction.
Pansy Parkinson had grown up to be a cold, manipulative woman; her beautiful face ensnaring the wealthy and reputable Marcus Flint. Yet as she looked at the man in front of her she bitterly reflected on the fact that her beauty was never enough for the one man she coveted. She would never have the brown eyes, or the curly hair he sought after. Surprised? She was one of the few who ever knew about the affair, the one that tried so hard to hide in the shadows of Hogwarts. She had seen them once kissing in the corridor, and that night she had smashed everything on her dresser counter as the memory of his fingers running through her hair and his eyes melting, shining with warmth when they looked at her; blazed brightly in her mind. For ten years she had tried to get him to recreate that moment with her, whether it be in the confines of his bedroom or the more public settings of the various high society balls. But it had been fruitless; she would often wake up alone and cold, or she would be left in the corner of a crowded room, watching the man who never asked her to dance. She blamed him for the coldness that shrouded her heart. His constant rejections had numbed her. Marriage had seemed the only option, a desperate hope that he would finally realise that he had wanted her all along and would save her from a loveless match. However it was not to be. Now, although she hated him with every fibre of her body for the pain he had bestowed on her, she loved him as much as she always had.
" Why be jealous of a man I don't love?" She watched him react to her question, another declaration of her love for him. But as ever he remained expressionless. She couldn't stand the silence, which marked one more rebuff in their relationship and so quickly she put words into the air.
" Anyway its not as if I've been playing the one-man wife, as you well know."
Finally a smirk. " No, I suppose you haven't. Are they waiting downstairs?" The topic of their illicit liaison dropped.
" Yes."
She trailed behind as he began walking confidently down the stairs, but she couldn't resist one last glance at the bedroom door that effectively imprisoned the mudblood. " What was she like?" the question, burst from her mouth before she could stop it.
Draco stopped, his left foot hovering millimetres above a step. He turned around, and his eyes pierced into her. It was almost like the tips of a hundred knives were penetrating her flesh, going deeper and deeper with every second that passed. Unable to continue coping with the sensations of pain that were erupting along her skin any longer Pansy lowered her head, conceding defeat, acknowledging the fact that she would never get a reply. She remained on the stairs as he crossed the hall, the distance between them getting further and further.
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" Draco!" exclaimed the elderly lady sitting on the armchair, as her son walked through the doors of the living room.He sauntered towards her, planting a perfunctory kiss on her heavily made up cheek. His mother had not aged well; wrinkles had emerged following his father's disgraceful death in Askaban in his 6th year and had set in her previously flawless skin. At first glamours had hid the damage caused by the stress of managing the Malfoy assets and even after his coming of age and taking control of the Malfoy wealth there was still the issue of Voldemort's campaign to contend with. Now with the revival, her beauty had paid heavily, and magic spells were too time consuming and wore off too soon, thus the make up kit became part of the daily morning routine.
"Ahh Draco, finally." she gazed lovingly at him, her fingers passing through his hair; hers had once been that colour but now it was nothing but dirty silver she thought regretfully. She stared up at him, and realised how proud she was of him, he had become the man that Lucius had always wanted him to be: strong, handsome, intelligent and a believer in all things pure. " How is the mudblood?" She cringed at the word, she still couldn't believe that there was one under her very roof; Lucius would be turning in his grave.
" Alive." She didn't notice the slight twitch of his lips, as she mentioned the word ' mudblood'.
" Oh!" came her reply, tinged with disappointment. Narcissa knew the muggle was indispensable (for the moment) but one less in the world would do no harm, however she was comforted by the thought that she could be deposed off soon enough. " Your aunt has been waiting for you. You might need to call for her, she disappeared a few seconds ago."
Draco strode over to the ornate fireplace; he stared fixedly at the warm flames that licked the side of the marble. " Aunt, I am here," he declared in a loud voice. A moment later a face appeared, surrounded by the red and orange glow of the flames. The woman had not aged as much as her sister; instead, in the core of the alliance she seemed to be in her element. However, presently she looked a touch nervous, her eyes darting from one side to another, as if she was hoping to catch a glimpse of the captive.
" You have her do you not?"
Draco smirked at the question, as if he had ever failed a task? " Was there any doubt?" Her features instantly relaxed, and her lips curled into a cold smile.
" Excellent! I shall pass the good news on to the rest of the alliance. Now you know what you have to do. Just get the answers. After, she is yours to kill any which way you want to." Instructions completed, her face vanished leaving behind what now seemed a rather boring fire.
Making his way to leave Draco enquired one last thing of his mother, " Why is Pansy here?"
" To keep me company." The lie was obvious to them both.
" Well tell her to leave. I don't need her clinging onto my arm while I'm trying to interrogate Granger."
Narcissa nodded reluctantly, the girl did tend to hang around him like a newborn puppy. But she couldn't help but be saddened by the fact that the two children had never married. It was clear that Pansy loved him, almost to the point of obsession but her son was a different story. There had been plenty of attractive pureblood women in his life, but he had never been content. Maybe he's never been in love? Well the time will come soon enough - a mother's hope.
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Snatching the tray from the terrified house elf, Draco began the climb up the stairs, the tomato soup sliding dangerously from one end to the other. Icy chills were still shooting up and down his spine, the memory of Bellatrix's last words plaguing on his mind. Could he actually kill her? He had said that he could, and like always she could get under his skin, reach his soul and provoke him until he felt it necessary to restrain himself from hitting her. But saying and doing were worlds apart. For how could you kill someone who made your heart burn with such heat that you felt that you were going to explode? So many questions, but only one answer... he didn't know. The man who prided himself with his own decisiveness, self-assurance and intelligence didn't have the faintest clue. So he did what any mortal would do, and try and forget that issue. Push it back into the deepest, darkest corner of his mind. He defended his actions by repeating to himself that for the moment he had more important things to take care off; and with the Gryffindor still alive in her it would not be easy.... But then how far was he prepared to go to get what he wanted, what he required? On this final question he reached the bedroom door, and as he opened it he realised that all the solutions to his problems lay behind it.
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Grabbing the antique chair in front of the dresser, Hermione threw it at the window, but it bounced off, landing with a soft thump on the plush carpet. She let out a scream of exasperation, her tiny fists pounded on the unbreakable windowpane. There was no way out! She had tried everything and anything that popped into her head: picking the bedroom lock open, searching for passage- ways, trying to break the damn window. But nothing had worked! She leaned her forehead against the cold glass, cooling down the heat that her unsuccessful escape attempts had generated. Through the window she could see the Malfoy gardens laid out in front of her, in all their splendour. The rays of sunlight dancing along the waters of the majestic fountains. The bedroom door clicked open. Hermione didn't bother turning round, there was only one person it could possibly be anyway. She could see his wavy image in the glass, looking back at her, waiting for her to turn round. But he could wait forever, for Hermione wanted to stay facing the light, not wanting to confront the darkness that he envitably brought into her life. They stood like this for several minutes, gazing at each other, using the window as a medium, neither wanting to give in first.
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The soup on the tray that he held was going cold. But he didn't care; instead he remained spellbound by the translucent brown eyes staring back at him. She captivated him; her wild hair tumbling down her back, her figure draped in a shapeless robe she must have found and her face glistening with tears. She displayed a naturalness that no other woman dared to display in front of him; the rest were always so made-up and eager to please, it bored him. But she, she ........... He stopped himself from continuing, for he knew he would lose his way. He had worked so hard to get where he was, yet he still craved more power. A power that she could give him, if she broke. The Malfoy in him began to rise, crushing the feelings that fought against everything he believed in.
" I brought you something to eat."
She turned round and her eyes dropped to the tray and the pitiful excuse for food on it. " I didn't ask for any," came her monotone voice.
" You should eat." Her eyes widen with surprise, for she didn't know he cared, before they once again narrowed in suspicion. I still have a heart Hermione. Shocked? He held the tray out in front of him, hoping she would take the hint. But her arms remained stubbornly by her side. Fine, if that's the way she wanted to play it. Whispering a spell under his breath, the offering vanished back to the kitchens; the moment of compassion passed.
" Sit down." His voice business-like, they had much to discuss.
A/N I know this chapter is a lacking in the excitement department, but wanted to build the story up slowly. As ever would love it if you reviewed after reading the chapter! Long, short, mean, nice I don't care, all views are really important and let me know if you're enjoyin it or not and if I shud change anything - any plot ideas welcum! So go on, press that review button...u know u want to! Oh and just one last question do you think this is too similar to 'immortal'?
For those who reviewed last time a great big, big THANX is winging its way to u throu computer land,
Claferia: I'm really happy that u're startin to like the story now! Just a question thou, was it my writing style or the plot u weren't sure about at first - its just that any ideas of making this story better would be really helpful!
Megan: Ta v. much! Info about the alliance, and what they want will slowly start to come out in the later chapters. I didn't want to spill everything in one chapter and errr. more importantly haven't actually decided on all the details. Sorry! Am one of those people who tend to make things up when typing, but please bear with me!
Thalion1: who needs drink to pick you up after a crap day when they have your reviews? As usual u make my day! Thanx for all the support, and hope this chapter met u're approval?
Mesmer: Thanx for putting a big smile on my face with all your reviews, including those for immortal! U're views are really important to me, so shout at me if my Draco becums undraco like and if I begin running my plot to the ground! Hope u've enjoyed this one!
Serpent du Feu: Hope u haven't given out to your 'fustration', don't wanna lose one of my best reviewers! I'm sorry if this chapter is on the dull side, but the nxt few shall be dedicated to H and D and the tension should slowly mount up!
Padsfootknightingale: Cheers! Hope u think this one was as good as the last!
Mina-Chan2: Glad u're liking ! Please review again and tell me if I shud continue or throw my pen and paper away!
Ok that's every1.. Cheers! Am waiting to hear from u and will update soon!
