10 July 1998
Hermione stared at the ceiling of Ginny's bedroom and sighed. She'd arrived earlier that day after a nice farewell luncheon with Draco, Narcissa, and Bellatrix. Dolohov had offered to escort her to the Muggle train station so she would arrive in Exeter where Arthur would pick her up and take her by Apparation to the Burrow. It was imperative that no one knew her parents had left the country so she was travelling the Muggle way like normal. She didn't want Molly or Arthur to try to force her to stay with them on holidays, which they would if they knew.
Instead of dropping her off at the Sailsbury station as she'd expected, he'd joined her on the train. They'd hidden away in the loo of the last car, transfigured it to look like a bedroom and spent the two-hour ride wrapped around each other. As she went to leave the train, he'd handed her a Mokeskin pouch designed to look like a toiletry bag and she'd smiled as she opened it to see that it had already been filled. He showed her the Dark Arts book he'd written himself, filled with curses and their counters created by him and their fellow Death Eaters. Beside it lay a bottle of vodka, and a Portkey to his home that she could use at any time if she missed him.
She'd kissed him goodbye and told him she'd think about coming to see him even though she knew she wouldn't. Voldemort had been clear that she was to remain at the Burrow unless she was summoned or if the Weasleys were going somewhere. As nice as Antonin's cock was, it wasn't worth upsetting her Lord.
Now she was with the Weasleys, her favourite family in the world, laying on a stiff mattress and trying to figure out how she was going to make it through the next six weeks.
Hermione could hear Molly moving around downstairs and was about to get up and make some Sleepytime tea when an owl tapped against the window. Hopping out of bed before it woke Ginny, she rushed to the window to let it in. She recognised Draco's eagle owl from Hogwarts and pet its head with one hand as she removed the small package with her other.
"Sorry I don't have any treats for you, gorgeous. Can you wait for me?" she whispered and was happy when the owl stayed quiet.
Opening the box, she smiled at the seven chocolates that had been sent to her with a note from Bella not to eat them all at once, and to expect to receive the sweets once a week from now on. So you know I'm always thinking of my pet. Grabbing a sheaf of parchment, she wrote a hasty letter back promising to not eat more than one a day and thanking her for the gift.
If she couldn't be with them, at least she would have a daily reminder of the people she'd left at the manor.
24 July 1998
Two weeks had passed since she'd arrived at the Weasleys and her skin was beginning to itch. When Hermione went downstairs the morning after her arrival she was surprised to hear that Harry had arrived overnight. Molly had told her Dumbledore was going to bring him to the Burrow but she didn't realise it would be so soon after her arrival.
She didn't quite understand the magic behind Harry still living with his aunt and uncle and how that blood protection worked. Dumbledore had been adamant that the spell would break when Harry turned seventeen. Hell, they'd even had to move him quietly by Muggle means two weeks before his birthday the year before and gotten into a skirmish with the Death Eaters. But when school had ended the month prior, Harry was sent back to Surrey to live with the Dursleys.
Getting their N.E.W.T. results had been a shock too and she was almost glad she hadn't known when they were coming. She had trembled as she opened the envelope. Voldemort had said he wanted educated followers and she wanted her scores to reflect how smart she was. Her stomach dropped out when she saw the E for Defence Against the Dark Arts — same as she had received on her O.W.L.s. With Professor Snape having taught the class for the two prior years as they prepped for N.E.W.T.s, she had hoped her grade would have improved.
Of course, the Dark Lord wouldn't really care about her grade in that class. He was more interested in teaching her the Dark Arts than he was concerned about her learning to defend against it. Even if she wasn't sure she really needed the course.
If it didn't look suspicious, she would even think about dropping it altogether. But, she would be continuing on with the study in her R.A.V.E.N. years so she had one more chance to improve her grade.
Even though she was excited to attend university, the thought of going back to the castle and still not being able to practice her Dark Magic, or having anyone but Draco — and hopefully Professor Snape — to fuck brought her mind back to how antsy she was currently.
She'd promised Voldemort, Narcissa, Bella, Draco, Antonin, and every other person she met on her way out of the manor that she wouldn't cast Dark Magic when she was at the Burrow. It was too much of a risk because they didn't know the wards Dumbledore had placed around the home. She could use her regular magic but it didn't give her the same release. Dark spells made her blood tingle. Casting a charm to peel potatoes did nothing for her.
No release from abstaining from using Dark Magic combined with the lack of sex was driving her mad. She'd almost broken down more than once and begged Ginny to eat her out.
It didn't help that Bill and Fleur were staying there. The way they looked at each other was enough to make anyone want to shag. The way they moved around each other, touching when they thought no one was looking, made her core ache and she knew she was going to break soon. Half of her thought they had been smart to postpone their wedding because of the ongoing war but the other half of her thought it was silly.
Married or not, they were at war. The Dark Lord wasn't going to keep them alive just because of their marital status.
The main problem with her body about to explode from sexual tension was that she didn't have a lot of options at the Burrow when it came to people to sleep with. Molly and Arthur were like her second parents. She'd join Bill and Fleur in a heartbeat but knew they'd never go for it. Percy, Charlie, and the twins were no longer at home. Which was really too bad. She had no desire to sleep with Percy, but Charlie was fit and the twins would be fun. Plus with two of them, she would get double the action. There was no way she'd ever sleep with Harry. That was incest in her mind. That only left Ginny and Ron.
Whilst Ginny was beautiful and Hermione wouldn't say no, she was hesitant to approach the girl about it. She knew Ginny was a virgin and even though she'd had two boyfriends, she'd never done more than light kissing. She really didn't feel like breaking in a new toy. Plus, Harry still had a crush on the youngest Weasley and she didn't want to do anything to jeopardise their friendship. Why in the fuck those two weren't together after two years of mutual pinning was beyond her.
And then there was Ron.
They had fooled around a few times the summer after their sixth year before sleeping together. She wasn't his first, that honour had gone to Lavender. But it had not been a good experience for her. He wasn't worse than the one Muggle boy she'd slept with after her mother set them up, but it was close. Plus, compared to the sex she'd had at the manor where she'd been fucking men, he wasn't staking up. Did she really want to have a go with a fumbling boy who probably still didn't know where the clit was? And even if he managed to get his cock in her, he would probably only last a pump or four. What was the point of going through all the effort to seduce him just to end up taking care of herself in the end?
Sure, she'd slept with Draco who had been the same age as Ron, but he was different. Draco told her he'd been having sex since their third year, and Pansy had no problems teaching him exactly how to please a woman. When Hermione heard that Pansy had not touched Draco until the boy had learned exactly how to make her scream, her respect for her pug-faced classmate had grown.
Whilst undercover, she couldn't let Pansy know anything had changed, but she desperately wanted to get to know Draco's best friend. She had a feeling that if they had been in the same house, the two of them would have been good friends. And now that they were fighting on the same side, they could be. Well, once the Dark Lord decided not to keep her identity a secret.
The Burrow was quiet, Arthur having returned home and he and Molly retiring to bed over an hour ago. The ache between Hermione's thighs was almost painful and she was about to slip her hand beneath her knickers when her Mark began to burn.
Thank fucking Merlin.
Slipping out of bed, she cast Disillusionment and Silencing charms on herself before opening her trunk. She quickly transfigured her pyjamas into her normal Death Eater attire, pulled her robes and mask from the Mokeskin bag Antonin had given her and slipped out of the open window onto the small roof. There wasn't much room, but she could Disapparate from there.
She arrived outside the gates to Malfoy Manor and froze as her hair swirled around her. The curls were as riotous as ever and would give her away in a heartbeat. She stepped off the path and into the shrubs next to it.
"Willow," she whispered and breathed a sigh of relief when the small elf appeared next to her.
"Yous being calling Willow, miss?" the elf asked.
"Yes. I need your help. Can you do my hair?"
With a snap of the elf's fingers, Hermione's hair was pin-straight. And not a moment too soon. As soon as she'd placed her mask on, two Death Eaters appeared on the path. It took her less than a second to recognise Snape and Wormtail. If the silver hand on the rat didn't give it away, Snape's walk did. Even in his heavy Death Eater robes, he billowed.
Giving them a small headstart, she allowed Willow to charm her hair into a braid, pulled her hood over her head and stepped onto the path again. She had only taken a few steps when there was a pop and Antonin, mask not on, arrived next to her.
"Printsessa!" he cried out and pulled her into his arms. "It has been too long."
She kept her voice low as she answered him, hoping it wouldn't carry to Snape. "It's only been two weeks. I'm sure you've found ways to stay entertained."
"Our Lord has kept me busy, but the women I've found have not been as fun as you."
"Maybe, if you've been a good boy, the Dark Lord will reward you tonight. I am here on his orders so my pleasure belongs to him."
"I've been very good, my dear."
Hermione arrived back at the Burrow, just outside the orchard and transfigured her clothing back into her pyjamas, thankful for Willow who had cleaned them whilst she and Draco showered together to clean the blood off their skin. Shrinking her robes and mask down, she slipped them into the pocket of her pyjama bottoms. She looked at her left arm and grimaced at the unmarked flesh. She hated having to glamour her Dark Mark when she was away from the manor. It felt like covering up her true self.
Voldemort had called a meeting with about fifty of his followers, updating them on the progress of the war before dismissing most of them. She'd breathed a sigh of relief when Snape had left. She was so worried he'd recognise her that it was hard for her to stay calm.
The rest of them had gone out and taken care of a Death Eater who had defected. It had not been a pleasant night for the man as he was hung from his rafters like a blood eagle of Viking times, Dark Magic keeping him alive whilst they played, but she didn't feel sorry for him. Everyone knew what the consequences of deserting their ranks were.
But more than she'd enjoyed her role in the kill, she felt renewed after sharing Rodolphus with Bellatrix. Especially when Dolph was buried in her cunt and Bella entered her mind, sending dirty thoughts and emotions through the connection as she played with her breasts. And then Rabastan. And then Draco in the shower. She wanted to keep going, stay at the manor all night and work out all the pent up sexual tension she felt, but she knew she couldn't. She had needed to be back at the Burrow before the occupants woke up and noticed she was missing.
She had just walked out of the trees on the far side of the Weasley property, her hair wild and curly in the wind when the door opened and Ginny came out onto the porch, looking around. She spotted Hermione and made her way towards her.
"Hermione!" she called as she got closer. "Where have you been? I was worried sick about you."
"Sorry, Ginny. I couldn't sleep and I decided to go for a walk in the orchard. I love the way it smells in the summer. Don't you?" She prayed her friend would believe her.
"Why didn't you wake me? I would have gone with you. Mum would have kittens if she knew you were out here all night by yourself."
"I guess we better not tell her then. Why are you up so early?"
"Dean sent me a letter. Turns out he was up all night drinking with Seamus and thought four was a good time to write to me and tell me he's horny and see if I wanted to get back together for 'old times sake'."
Hermione joined in with Ginny's laughter. Leave it to a teenage boy to send a dirty message, by owl, in the dead of night. He and Ginny had broken up two years before but had remained friends. Hermione thought that if Ginny didn't love Harry she and Dean would still be together.
"Can I ask you something?" Ginny said as their laughter died down.
"Of course you can."
"How do you know you're ready for sex?"
Hermione gave her friend a long look then motioned for her to sit on the ground before she joined her.
"I think you just know, Ginny. Viktor was my first and even though I wanted to, I was scared. I thought it would hurt, but I knew I wanted to share that part of myself with him. I think it depends on why you're having sex too."
"There are different reasons to have sex?" Ginny asked, nonplussed.
"There are," Hermione answered and then slipped into lecture mode. "Some people only have sex to express love, others do it because they think they have to, some to make babies, and some have sex because they want to. For fun."
"For fun?"
"Yes. Sex should feel good, Ginny. If everyone involved is consenting, why shouldn't you have fun? You'll need to figure out what works for you, but if you want to sleep with someone and they want to sleep with you, why does it need to be anything more than that? I knew I didn't love Viktor and that I didn't want to be with him long-term, but I still slept with him. It sounded fun, and it was. I've been with a few boys from my neighbourhood for the same reason."
"But how do you know what to do? What feels good?" Ginny huffed in irritation. "There should be a handbook for this kind of stuff."
"The best thing to do is communicate," Hermione told her. "If it's Dean, he already knows how he likes to touch himself so when you're ready, ask him to show you. And in return, show him how you like to be touched."
"I.. um.. I've never touched myself."
Hermione stared at her friend open-mouthed. How was she almost seventeen years old and not touched herself at least once? Thoughts ran through her head on how she could teach the girl by playing with her all night. They could pass the rest of the summer in each other's beds giving and taking pleasure from each other whenever they wanted.
But then she remembered the look in Harry's eyes when he saw Ginny. Everyone, including Harry, knew the boy was in love with the youngest Weasley but he had yet to make a move. He was being a dumbass and sacrificing his happiness because of the war. Even when the Dark Lord had gone almost completely underground for their entire sixth and seventh year he hadn't approached Ginny. So, as much as Hermione would love to have a roommate she could shag all summer long, she couldn't do that to Harry.
"Well, I think the first thing we need to do is get you some romance novels, Gin," Hermione said, resigned to helping her friend in a hands-off way. "And then I'll draw you some diagrams to teach you all about your body."
Ginny leaned over and wrapped her arm around her, squeezing tightly. "Thank you, Hermione. You're a great friend."
01 August 1998
Hermione absented herself to the loo as soon as they arrived at the Burrow after a long afternoon with the Weasleys in Diagon Alley. Silencing the room, she screamed in frustration.
Fucking Draco Malfoy.
Why did he have to go to Knockturn Alley after knowing Harry was in Diagon?
The run-in with him and Narcissa had been uncomfortable enough. Hermione hated having to pretend to hate them. All she had wanted was to hug her friend and have tea with Narcissa. Instead, she had played her part, pulling her wand on Draco, followed Harry and Ron as they tracked Draco to Borgin and Burkes. And now, she would have to listen to weeks, if not months, of Harry accusing Draco of being a Death Eater.
Of course, Draco was a Death Eater, but Hermione wasn't going to confirm that. But the next time she saw Draco, she was going to tan his hide. Or hex him. Little shit probably liked being spanked.
She was curious what Draco had been doing in that shop though. It was clear he was shopping for something that would help him with the assignment the Dark Lord had given him but when she entered the shop, she couldn't see anything in there that was useful. Unless it was the cursed necklace. But even then she didn't see the need for it. Draco knew more than a dozen curses that he could use to kill Muggles. Why would he need a necklace to do it?
01 September 1998
The rest of the summer passed in an easy pattern of days with Harry, Ron, and Ginny, and being called back to the manor every week or so. Hermione had gone on a few more raids, slapped Draco for his Diagon Alley stunt, fought off the advances of Dolohov — the man was getting too attached — and received tips from Bella on how to seduce Snape. On the days she wasn't with the Death Eaters she had her chocolates to remind her where she belonged, even if she had to stay away for most of the time.
The days blended together and even though she had packed the night prior, Hermione was still a little surprised to find herself on the train back to Hogwarts. She had been irate to find Draco not performing his Student Assistant duties.
As uni students, they were required to ride the train, but if they were travelling on the Hogwarts Express, their letters said they should meet with the Head Boy and Head Girl from Hogwarts school and Hogwarts University to see how they could help. A Student Assistant was exactly like a Prefect but only had authority over the other uni students, not the kids that hadn't graduated yet.
Hermione thought the way they had set up the university was not well thought out for their age. Everyone that attended was already an adult and yet they still had house points and could get detention. Their curfew was later than the rest of the castle and they could leave on weekends, but it wasn't going to be the uni experience Hermione had always dreamed of.
But, restrictive or not, Draco needed to be seen doing his duty. The Dark Lord had been very clear that they needed to act normal and he was already failing. She hoped there would be time on the trip that she could sneak away and talk to him.
She'd already seen him a few times since that trip to Diagon Alley and warned him that Harry and Ron saw him. Draco had waved it off, unconcerned, but Hermione had still laid into him. As it turned out Draco did like getting spanked. He hadn't liked the stinging hex she'd sent his way when he called her 'Nanny Hermione' though.
Her chance to talk to Draco came when Harry and Neville were invited to join Professor Slughorn in his carriage. Ron, annoyed that his friends were still being included in something that he wasn't, had stormed out and went to find Dean and Seamus. After the door closed behind him, Luna turned to her.
"I can tell you're not yourself," she said. "I've never seen such an invasion of Wrackspurts before. When you've exhumed them, you can talk to me. Or before, if you want to. I'm not sure it will help though."
Hermione looked at the girl, not sure what to say. First, she still had no idea what a Wrackspurt was, and second, she wasn't that good of friends with Luna. Yes, they had fought at the Ministry together, but Hermione didn't know her like she knew Ginny or her boys. Plus, Hermione had never felt more like herself than she did the last two months.
"Thank you, Luna," she replied. "I'll let you know. I… er… I'm going to go to the loo."
Leaving the compartment, she made her way towards the loos in the back, knowing she would need to pass the compartment Draco and his friends usually occupied. She caught his eye as she walked past, and he nodded in acknowledgement. Entering the bathroom, she added a charm to the door that only someone with a Dark Mark would be able to open and put up privacy wards. As she waited for Draco to join her, she transfigured the toilet and sink to chairs so they could sit.
"Hello, Her– Granger," Draco said as he entered.
"Right, last names," Hermione said. It wouldn't do to call each other by their first names at school since they were supposed to act like they hated each other still. "We're supposed to act normal, Malfoy. Why weren't you in the Prefect carriage today?"
"Because, uni student or not, I'm a Slytherin." She raised her eyebrow when he didn't continue. He huffed in annoyance before continuing. "You and I know that my family has lost favour with the Dark Lord, thanks to you and your friends getting my father arrested two years ago, I might add. By not following the school rules, I am projecting to my housemates that I have someone more powerful than Dumbledore in my corner. That I don't need Hogwarts University because the Dark Lord already knows I'm worthy to join him. It shows them that the Malfoy name is still powerful."
"I'm not sure that makes sense."
"Not to a bold little lion such as yourself, but trust me, I know how Slytherins think."
"I'll take your word for it. Remember how I told you we saw you at Borgin and Burkes? Turns out Harry is convinced you're a Death Eater still. I think he'll probably try to follow you on the train so watch what you say. I know a lot of your friends' parents are Death Eaters but I don't know how open you are."
"We don't really talk about Death Eaters much," he explained. "The Dark Lord prefers secrecy and we honour that. I've never even confirmed my father is a Death Eater."
Hermione shook her head as she listened to him. "I never would have survived in Slytherin."
"I don't know, Granger. You're pretty good at secrets, you're loyal, ambitious, a natural leader. We could have taught you the rest."
"I am learning from the best now. We've been in here long enough, your friends will worry. But take this."
Hermione handed him a Sickle that she'd made exactly like the Dumbledore's Army Galleons from fifth year, except this one would allow them to communicate back and forth if needed. She knew there would be times over the next year where they would need to confide in one another. Even if it was just so they could nip away for a quick shag. If the summer was anything to go by, she would be contacting him every few weeks.
02 September 1998
Sitting in the front row of Defence Against the Dark Arts, Harry and Ron in the desk behind her, Hermione was glad she hadn't decided to drop the course. Watching Professor Snape talk about his subject was as mesmerising now as it had been two years prior. But instead of just being academically stimulating as it had been in her sixth year, now it was just plain hot. It was sexy enough that her knickers were soaked by the time class was over. Even if Snape was a bit of an arse to her.
When Voldemort and Bellatrix approached her about seducing Snape, she'd been hesitant. She would do it — you didn't refuse an order from the Dark Lord — but she hadn't been looking forward to it. It was just another task. But watching him now though, well, now she was.
Now that he had been away from the fumes of the dungeons for two years, his hair wasn't as lank and his skin looked healthier. She wasn't sure if that was because he was above ground more or because summer had just ended.
And if each of his lessons went like today's, she wouldn't even have to fake wanting him.
She was still thinking of ways to convince Snape to sleep with her as she walked into Potions with Harry and Ron. She took in the cauldron that was on display in the front of the room and she was overwhelmed by the scent of her childhood emanating from the Amortentia. For their first lesson they would be brewing the love potion but Slughorn had charmed their cauldrons so they couldn't sneak any out of class.
Freshly cut grass from the back garden, parchment from her grandmother teaching her calligraphy, spearmint toothpaste from parents' dental practice, and strawberry pie from baking lessons in the kitchen. There was another scent she couldn't place that seemed to clash with the others but it was so subtle that if she didn't focus on it, she didn't notice it at all.
It was intoxicating, and she wanted to wrap herself up in the smells and escape back to a time when life was simpler.
An idea popped into her head and as soon as Slughorn started making his rounds of the room to check their potions, she made an excuse that she was missing an ingredient and headed towards the storeroom. The entire class, desperate to create their own perfect love potion, was distracted so as she walked past the professor's desk, she siphoned two phials worth of the love potion and stored them in her robes.
She wasn't going to slip it in Professor Snape's drink or anything like that. A Potions Master that was also a spy for Voldemort and Dumbledore was too smart to not have antidotes on him at all times. But she could use the potion in other ways that he wouldn't have prepared for. She gave him three weeks until he caved.
12 September 1998
Hermione was laying in her bed annoyed. She'd tried talking to Professor Snape multiple times over the last two weeks since school had started and she hadn't been able to get any alone time with him. She didn't know if it was coincidence or something else, but every time she'd gone to his office, he hadn't answered.
Add to that the fact that she had been so busy with homework for her R.A.V.E.N. courses and Student Assistant duties that she hadn't had time to meet up with Draco. The lack of sex was getting to her, but at least she could use her magic. Taking the advice of Wormtail, she'd placed a drop of blood on the Marauder's Map the first day of school and was able to trick the boys into thinking she was in the library an hour longer than she stayed each night.
Instead, she was either in an unused classroom on the seventh floor or the Room of Requirement teaching herself spells from the book Dolohov had given her. Thank goodness for locking charms and specific wards because the Dark Magic made her crazy with lust and she would need to spend time after each training session bringing herself to orgasm over and over again before she felt fit to leave the room.
At least Bellatrix was still sending her a weekly package of chocolates. She had been worried she'd tire of them but even after two months, she still looked forward to eating one every morning after she got dressed. Luckily Bella was smart enough to know that receiving a package at the Gryffindor table would raise suspicion so she sent her owl Sunday mornings when her roommates were having a lie-in.
Deciding that, even though it was still early in the morning on a Saturday, going back to sleep wasn't going to be possible. Getting out of bed, she readied herself for the day. She had just left Gryffindor tower and was on her way towards the grounds, hoping to enjoy the last of the warm weather, when she ran into Draco. Looking around to make sure they were alone, he pulled her into an empty room, warding it shut.
She pulled him into a tight hug and was happy when he didn't pull back from her right away. They'd built an easy relationship over the summer, one where he never complained if she hugged him or snuggled up next to him during casual meetings. She had been afraid he'd be different at school and was pleased to see that once they were private he was her friend Draco and not her 'schoolyard bully' Malfoy.
"Good morning, Draco," she greeted him, stepping back from the hug. "What are you doing up so early?"
"I'm working on that project for the Dark Lord in the Room of Requirement," he told her. He conjured a sofa and pulled her down onto it, tucking her into his side.
"So you're the one that keeps using it when I want it." She nudged him as she teased him.
"What do you need with the room?"
"Just practising some of the spells our brothers have taught me. I don't want to get rusty."
"Speaking of the Death Eaters, Snape showed me a secret passageway out of the castle that he uses to get to meetings without being seen leaving school grounds. It is just past classroom eleven on the ground floor. Slip behind the tapestry of the fighting Bowtruckles. It reads your Dark Mark instead of needing a password. It comes out just past the gates but a few feet into the forest so people won't see you entering or leaving it."
"Will I have to worry about running into Professor Snape if we use it?"
"Probably not," he said. "Snape said the Dark Lord rarely summons him during the school year because he would be missed."
He started running his hand up and down her side, slipping his fingers under her shirt to rub her bare skin.
"I'm surprised you haven't reached out to me. We've been at school for two weeks, I figured you'd need a man to take care of you." His hand moved to the front snap of her bra, undoing it and beginning to pluck her nipples. "Or have you found one of your housemates to take care of you? Rumour has it that McLaggen is still looking to get into your knickers."
Hermione shivered from his touch and the thought of that Neanderthal touching her. "He'll never get into them. I've been taking care of my own needs."
"Is that so? Want to give me a show?"
An hour later, Hermione was naked on the sofa recovering from her romp with Draco when she heard her classmates starting to walk past the door on their way down to breakfast. Casting a cleaning charm over them, she stood up to dress. She felt more relaxed than she had since school started.
"I heard my aunt has something planned for your birthday, Hermione," he said as he finished dressing. "I think you're going to like it."
A/N: They are back to Hogwarts/at Hogwarts University! Now that Hermione is in the castle and taking her RAVEN courses, we'll start to see more Severus!