Author's Note: All disclaimers apply. I do not own the characters contained in this story. They belong to J.K. Rowling, her publishers, and Warner Bros. Inc . Also thanks for all of the reviews. They are very appreciated! Edited to add credit to Kathleen E. Woodiwiss and her plot from Shanna. This entire disclaimer applies to her work as well.

I apologize for the lack of updates. The story is also being posted on and I wanted to catch up with chapters there before posting here. Also, I'm in the process of acquiring a beta and correcting glaring errors and such. So, no this story isn't forgotten, it's actually just about 5 or 6 chapters from being finished!

Thanks for the patience and support.

Celtic

Chapter 3

Meeting the Terms

With a flick of his wrist he waved the wand again placing a charm of silence on the carriage. "Now I think that will sufficiently keep Longbottom from interrupting us for awhile," he stated with finality as he snapped her wand in half.

He removed his hand from her mouth expecting her to scream like most women would, probably loudly enough to drive him insane. She didn't however. Instead she just glared at him wrathfully. "You're breaking your word to behave properly," she spat back at him with teeth clenched.

"No, I'm seeing to it that you don't break yours," he answered coolly somewhat impressed that she wasn't giving into hysterics. Then again, she had always been a little too brave for her own good. He had known one day she was going to rush headlong into something that she couldn't get herself out of. Tonight she'd done just that. There was nothing that was going to persuade him to let her forgo the entirety of their bargain.

"Why don't you just escape? That is your plan isn't it?" Hermione tried to shift her body again to ease the pressure as he pressed her firmly against the seat. She didn't feel as though she could breath and didn't like the notion of him so close and lying nearly on top of her.

"Eventually, but there is the bargain. You haven't fulfilled all of the terms," he did smile then and she wanted to scream and beg for him to cease in thinking she would let him take such liberties.

"You can't be serious. What about all of your strict rules of society? Won't you be lowering yourself a bit too much if you actually try and…" she suddenly couldn't finish finding the words all wrong when thinking about such a thing concerning Malfoy. Gods, she was going to literally scream at Neville until he was good and deaf for not warning her or being aware of Malfoy's devious abilities.

"Fuck you," he finished for her crudely finding it not as satisfying as he thought he would when she blanched at the coarseness of his statement.

There was no denying it now, he did want her and it really didn't matter her heritage or background at the moment. When she had walked into the cell with Longbottom he had been prepared to feel the same malice and resentment as he always had when she was near. Instead the first pleasant scent he'd been graced with in longer than he could remember had caught his attention, Gardenias and lemons. Her feminine voice was additionally appealing as the few witches who had interrogated him at the Ministry were low speaking and very gruff. He doubted their gender at times with their tight-lipped frowns and severe features. Also, when he had powerfully suggested that she was warm enough to remove her robes she had revealed rather delicate looking skin, probably very soft. It had been quite sometime since he'd touched a woman and at this point any attractive female pureblooded, half-blooded, mudblooded or other otherwise would do.

"Forgive me, perhaps you would prefer the term making love?" he asked daring her to respond to him any way. Having a speechless Granger staring back at him was not something he was accustomed to and it was delightful.

"I would prefer it if you would kindly remove yourself to your own seat," she gritted out growing more uncomfortable by the moment. Soon she would be blushing at such intimate contact and it would only amuse him more.

"This doesn't have to be so terrible if you think about it," he shrugged finding it to some extent arousing as her skin turned a dusky shade of pink while a deep blush spread from her face and down her neck. Her chest was heaving too from her anxiousness and it caused her breasts to strain against the silky material of the dress she had worn.

"If I beg you to leave me alone, confess that you win this battle, and let you escape will you finally admit that you're simply trying to humiliate me in some vile way?" There, if she humbled herself he'd be appeased and would jump from the carriage. She wouldn't have to worry about him again. The Ministry would catch him and dispose of him immediately for his escape attempt and no one would ever know of their business arrangement.

Malfoy leaned back and studied her for a long moment. She was terrified and desperate to rid herself of him. Well, in her defense he had never been particularly pleasant to her in all of the years they had known one another so she naturally expected the worst now. What did he expect of himself? If she fought him would he force himself on her? Had he been without such comforts for so long that he wasn't capable of controlling himself? "We made a deal and I expect you to hold to it. I've been locked away for a long time Granger. Did you really think after you swore to honor the terms I set down that I wouldn't expect you to keep your word?"

There was nothing mocking or false about his intentions and she knew he meant every word he said. Why had she agreed to such a thing and not suspected he might be more devious than she already knew him to be. "Neville will make certain you're punished for this," she warned but without much strength in her threat.

"Longbottom doesn't concern me right now. Besides it's not a legal marriage until its consummated. I suppose it would be terribly inconvenient for you if I were to go back and reveal to the Ministry Weasel that you'd helped Longbottom slip me out of my cell. Then you proceeded to marry me just to fulfill the stipulations of some will," he trailed off looking thoughtfully out the window.

"There's no one to say the marriage wasn't consummated. No one has to know the real nature of our arrangement," she defended heatedly but drew in a sharp breath when he returned his gaze to stare down at her intently while reaching up to undo the plastic clip holding her hair off of her neck.

"I would say the marriage wasn't consummated," he assured her though his attention was elsewhere. When had she acquired such soft sleek hair? It also glowed when the lightening streaked the sky and illuminated the inside of the carriage.

There was something soothing about the way he was slowly untangling her hair and smoothing it down her back that unnerved more than if he had been rough and forceful. "You won't reconsider?" she inquired stiffening when she felt his fingers pulling on the knot of fabric at her neck.

Ignoring her question briefly he tugged at the intricate loop until the material loosened and gave way. The dress fell away, the silky garment sliding effortlessly over her skin into a crumpled heap at her waist. She cringed in trepidation as her breasts were exposed to his increasingly heated silvery gaze. While he stared raking her with a purely sensual regard he drew in a deep uneven breath before shaking his head. "No, I don't believe I'm going to reconsider."

As if in a daze she watched him lower his head gasping when she felt searing lips eagerly roaming over her bare skin. Suddenly he drew back relieving her of some of his weight. Wondering if he might be thinking of changing his mind Hermione made a motion to push herself up in the seat and out of his reach. He was much quicker and of a different purpose gently but firmly pulling her from the seat and easing her to the floor of the carriage.

Barely feeling the rough surface of the carpet on her back Hermione was mysteriously fascinated by the display of emotions that plainly shown on his face. Normally so withdraw or sneering, undisguised hunger and wanting were apparent in the depths of his eyes and in the determined set of his jaw. No one had ever looked at her in such a raw and demanding manner and despite her apprehension and better sense telling her to ignore him and simply meet the terms of the bargain, something deep within her responded. Some primal feminine urge shot through her causing her to feel triumphant that she could garner such a reaction from someone so normally reserved and aloof.

"Somewhere along the way Granger you grew up," he said before coming toward her again this time to snatch her breath with an unexpectedly tormenting kiss.

Surely he was trying to devour her whole as many times as he slanted his mouth over her own again and again never giving her a moment's peace. Dimly she was aware of his hand stealing beneath her dress to push it farther up her thighs. Then he was tugging her underwear downward momentarily leaning back to ease them from around her ankles only to rise above her again this time taking one of her nipples in his mouth. Instantaneously without her own volition the peak hardened and when he grazed the taut flesh with his teeth she actually arched against him only managing to bit her lip in time before crying out with what she desperately wanted to disregard as pleasure.

His hands were between her legs again gently searching and teasing. This time she did gasp and jerk wildly and she thought she felt him smile against her skin. Two fingers slipped deep inside of her and she convulsed slightly at the newfound sensation. This was wrong even if she had made a bargain and always kept her word despite the consequences. Yet, her intention to voice her objections died in her throat when his mouth took possession of her own his tongue sweeping in and skillfully tasting and conquering in a way no one had ever dared.

Frantically he began to unfasten his pants relieving himself of the final barrier that kept him from his goal. It was a pity there wasn't time for a more leisurely seduction as she was responding to him and he had not expected her to do so. That couldn't matter now. Unrelentingly he parted her thighs unable to wait, months of abstinence and thinking he might never feel the softness of a woman's body again inciting him to seek an end to his torture.

The languid burning pleasure that had slowly seeped throughout her body fled instantly as he thrust into her without warning. Crying out at the pain as her flesh ripped and stretched trying to accommodate the new sensation of being invaded so brusquely, she realized her error in thinking he could have proven to be anything but a brutish bastard. There was nothing else she could do except wait until this portion of their deal had been satisfied. She could berate herself later for her fate of losing her virginity in the most humiliating circumstances imaginable.

Malfoy froze and stared down in shock not fully believing, but knowing the truth all the same. He'd met with resistance before embedding himself deep within her and she was no longer yielding and pliable beneath him. She was rigid and taking in shallow breaths as though she were in pain. "Granger, you should have said something," he growled turning his own mistake for not thinking it might be the case that she was a virgin into the fault lying with her.

"Just be about it," she impatiently snapped finding it odd he was halting in his progress at all and remotely cared that he had just savagely rid her of the last shred of girlish innocence.

Glaring at her he did not stir above her for some time instead he leaned forward and actually traced the outline of her jaw with light kisses before settling on her mouth overwhelming her once more. Her mind ceased to focus on the discomfort that was indeed fading and more importantly on why he was going out of his way to appear in the least bit concerned. Only then did it reach her consciousness that he was no longer motionless, in fact he was moving rapidly drawing in deep gasping breaths that echoed harshly in her ear when he tore his mouth from hers and buried his face in her hair.

Just when the sensations were beginning to turn pleasant again he shuddered above her and groaned loudly. Staying stock-still as though suspended in time he just as abruptly the next moment collapsed over her trying to slow his breathing. Recognizing there was nothing more to the act Hermione took a deep breath of her own feeling foolish and strangely disappointed. Was that all there was to it then? No wonder she hadn't been tempted to give in to anyone before.

Lazily Malfoy raised himself up on his elbows to peer down at his wife. Oddly those words didn't sound nearly as distasteful as he once thought they would. Marriage might have been enjoyable maybe, if he had been given the chance. Of course not with Granger, but with someone of his choosing, someone worthy of him and his status in society.

What status he thought to himself bitterly? That of condemned murdered soon to be put to death? Well no longer to be put to death as he was moments away from securing his freedom once more. Still wearing a thoughtful frown he wondered why Granger hadn't protested more if she had never been openly intimate with a man before, but that was her way, confusing and infuriating all at once.

The rain that had been falling steadily now pounded on the top of the carriage slashing against the windows in its fury. The thunder had grown more threatening and the lightening fiercer. It was time for the evening to draw to a close and Hermione feeling very out of sorts and thoroughly distraught could not be more grateful.

He was staring at her again, studying her like she was a mystery that both intrigued and angered him. His eyes were too severe and she kept trying to focus on anything but him. "The bargain is met," she whispered finally still feeling his unyielding gaze fixed on her features.

"So it is," he whispered so softly it surprised her at his gentle tone and she turned her eyes to meet his.

This was it for him she realized, somewhat sympathetically. Even if he did manage to escape for the evening the Aurors would find him by morning. Things would not go well for him. Again, she knew he was a criminal but somehow instinctively she did not believe him to be a murderer. The ones responsible for the most reprehensible crimes had already been released or pardoned. Men like Malfoy and even lesser wizards were shouldering the blame for the ones who held more influence and had possessed larger sums of money. For that space of time the injustice of it all, that someone so young should be judged so unfairly struck a chord in her heart. As if she could relieve the worry and apprehension he must face at knowing his life would soon end she reached up without thinking and stroked his brow pushing a lock of hair that had fallen in his eyes to the side.

Jerking from her as though her touch was fire or poison his gaze clouded into bewilderment and some anger. She was feeling sorry for him again and he hated it, hated her for thinking she could even begin to understand the agony of what his life had become. Then again, what did it hurt to let her touch him as an act of kindness? It might well be the last time anyone touched him in such a way again. Recklessly deciding to steal one last kiss just to further commit to memory what a woman smelled like, tasted like, Malfoy gradually leaned in. He waited to see if she would shrink away from him in disgust. She did not and nearly the same second is lips would have met hers the carriage stopped and the door was ripped open.

"Dreadfully sorry Malfoy, but the evening's being cut a tad short. Storm's much too dangerous to keep…" Neville's voice rang out above the fury of the tempest without.

Vengefully Malfoy's head shot up rage building inside of him at being so insolently interrupted. He sighed in defeat and ire as Neville's eyes widened first in shock and disappointment. Then the Auror's face contorted into a black wrathful mask. "Malfoy, Gods I warned you!" he bellowed to be heard above the raging storm that was pelting rain down on him and now into the carriage.

The sodding fool didn't realize he was letting the downpour nearly drown his friend while he stood glaring and puffing up with indignant resentment Malfoy decided. Tightly grasping Hermione's wrists he lifted her back into her seat. Quickly he tossed her discarded robe across her shoulders effectively hiding her from Neville's wide eyed stare. Something did not feel right in just letting Longbottom gape at Granger so openly.

Recovering from his astonishment Neville burst into the carriage barely allowing his prisoner the time to right his own clothing. Noticing that Malfoy had managed to rid himself of his charmed manacles Neville pointed his wand directly at his chest. "I wouldn't recommend you to try anything else rash."

"Neville now, wait," Hermione stated quietly readjusting her robes and pulling down her dress feeling vulnerable and tainted in her friend's eyes now.

"Will you come along peacefully or do we have to drag you away like before," Neville asked remembering the day he had helped capture Malfoy. He had been in remarkably good physical and mental condition for someone who had been living on scraps and whatever else he could find on the streets while in hiding. Neville didn't doubt he would make bringing him back to the Ministry difficult now.

"I don't believe I'll be going anywhere at all," Malfoy rejoined daring Neville to make good his threats.

"Stupefy," Neville said above the rising winds of the storm.

The spell had only a minimal affect but it did bring Malfoy to his knees if but briefly. Suddenly Neville was throwing spell after spell at his prisoner until Malfoy was subdued, his arms now bound behind him with an incarceration spell. Still fighting to maintain his balance and against the affects of the spells Malfoy threw a malicious glare at Neville before managing to rise to his feet.

Hermione sat in the seat not certain if she should try and stay Neville's fury or not. Malfoy was growing more dangerous by the second and if she had her own wand she would no doubt be trying to help Neville subdue him. "Draco, don't fight him. He'll hurt you more if he has to," she pleaded knowing if she just spoke up now Neville would surely not be so harsh with him. She had made the bargain and she had seen it through.

Malfoy went very still and shrewdly assessed her an unfathomable emotion flickering in his eyes. Throwing Neville a sideways glance he stood his ground unsteadily. When he thought that Neville was secure in assuming he was going to surrender willingly he lunged at his wife seizing her lips in a kiss that was brutal in its force. No longer gentle he ignored the livid cry from Longbottom grazing her bottom lip with his teeth until he tasted blood.

Growling and struggling from pent up rage and the madness of a man knowing he is doomed to a hopeless fate Malfoy did not make it easy for his jailer when he pulled him away from Hermione. In the end Neville rendered him unconscious. Drawing in a deep breath Neville glanced at his friend still sitting in the carriage looking bemused and remorseful. "We've stopped at your flat Mione'" Neville said gently. "Go ahead and get inside before you're drenched to the bone and I'll see Malfoy's taken back to the Ministry. There's no need to explain, I understand. If you want I can see that he's shipped to Azkaban in the morning."
Coming to her feet Hermione stepped from the carriage trying to avoid the prone form of Malfoy positioned in the opposite seat. "No Neville, I'll tell you everything later, and he'll be going to Azkaban soon enough. Don't do anything hasty."

That said she rushed out into the night and up to the apartment entrance. Flinging the doors open she ran up the winding stairs until she reached her flat promptly hurling herself inside and locking the door behind her. Catching her breath she numbly went to perch on her sofa and reached out to grab a book from the coffee table. Only faintly aware of the prose of the novel she eventually slipped into a fitful sleep where silver eyes haunted her dreams until morning.