The arena was even more massive from the pit, looking up. Rows and rows of Death Eaters and their families stretched up and out. A small stool sat in the center of it all, the wilting Sorting Hat atop it. A mountain of Muggle weapons sat off near the edge of the pit. Fear started to close its fist around Hermione's throat and she physically shook her head to keep it from swallowing her. Theodore Nott, Jr. 's eyes flicked towards her and she could have sworn his already gentle grip on her arm tightened briefly.
He led them to a seemingly specific spot and positioned his Enslaved correctly, before turning to Hermione and gently kicking her feet into a certain spot.
"Right then," he said gruffly, looking between the two girls and then around the arena. His hold on the other girl lingered as he dropped Hermione's arm and she realized a little belatedly that Theodore Nott, Jr. wore his emotions on his sleeve more so than any other Death Eater she had encountered. He straightened his robes and strode between the girls, bumping his shoulder against Hermione's as he did. "Stay alive Granger, eh?" he muttered. Hermione's eyes widened and she looked over her shoulder at the retreating figure.
The next few things happened in a blur. It felt surreal. Voldemort's voice echoed through the original colosseum, ordering various witches and wizards to the stand. Hermione didn't register a bit of it as the Sorting Hat dully announced each wizard's opponent until she heard her name, shouted in a way that implied it had not been the first time.
'Focus,' Malfoy's voice snapped in her head and though she was loath to admit it, the cooling sensation of his presence in her mind felt almost soothing on the overheated panic raging in her brain.
'Yes, Master,' she cooed back, almost able to hear his growl of anger from where she stood. She moved forward robotically and took her seat, frozen as a masked Death Eater placed the Sorting Hat atop her head.
"Oh Ms. Granger," The Hat began quietly - sadly. Could a hat be sad? "I remember you, young lady." he crooned.
"I remember you too," she whispered.
"Ernest MacMillan!" the Hat bellowed after a moment. Hermione felt her body grow warm and her head grow fuzzy with panic.
'It could have been worse. Calm down.' Malfoy snapped almost immediately. Logically, Malfoy was right. She knew that. She wasn't particularly close to Ernie and he wasn't the biggest boy she could've been made to fight. Numbly, she returned to the Ravenclaw girl's side and watched as others were assigned an opponent. She wondered if the Sorting Hat had feelings and how it was making these decisions. It caught her attention occasionally when one of her friends was assigned to a specific fight, like Luna and a random fourth year girl or Neville and Madame Hooch.
She hated every bit of this.
As did the universe apparently, because a crack of thunder split the sky wide open and rain poured down around them as Voldemort was announcing the commencement of the competition.
It was disgusting and barbaric. That was the only way to describe it. Malfoy was in her head throughout most of the fights, pointing out mistakes others made and letting her know what he would have had her do differently.
It went on for hours. Her skin was shriveling in the rain and the dirt was turning to mud around her feet. Neville and Luna both won their fights. Luna had chanted some beautiful goodbye and shut the girl's eyes for her as she fell to her death after one good hit from the club Luna had grabbed.
-and then Hermione's name was being called again and the audience fell silent as the Chosen One's Golden Girl stepped into the arena.
Ernie MacMillan still looked the same; scrawny, blonde, and entitled. He had been nice enough in school, but he had money - and he looked down on those who didn't. That didn't warrant him being beaten to death though. He looked scared. They all did, but she noticed it more in him. Maybe because either he was about to die, or she was.
"Hi Ernie," she whispered.
"Hey, Hermione." he frowned and it looked equal parts frightened, sad and guilty almost as though… he had already decided he would win. So they stood there, staring at each other in the rain, not moving, even when the horn sounded and echoed off the curved walls of the arena.
'Move, dammit.' Malfoy's voice was hissing. She flinched but didn't move. 'I swear to fuckall-'
But he didn't get the chance to finish his threat because Ernie was launching himself at Hermione with a savage scream, hands outstretched, reaching for her throat. It was almost like he started to move in slow motion then because Hermione felt sadness bloom across her face. It's not as though she actually expected them to stand there, protesting the whole thing but, well, she could hope. The speed at which Ernie came for her was far slower than the other items Malfoy had sent flying at her and she side stepped his advance easily.
Ernie tumbled to the ground and his face grew wild with fear and frustration as he whirled and threw his body weight again, slipping in mud as Hermione sidestepped. He slid through the thick sludge, far enough that he could grip Hermione's ankle and he pulled. She lost her balance and fell, cracking her head on the wet ground.
'Up, balance, move!' the disembodied voice was tripping over itself and starting to sound unhinged. Her vision swirled and she scrambled, bare feet seeking purchase in the inches of mud. She wondered if Harry and Ginny were watching and where Ron was. She wondered quite a few things as the dense detachment clouded her brain while she pushed to her feet.
Ernie was rifling through the pile of Muggle weapons and Hermione just stared, the cold shock was descending on her limbs while Malfoy's voice bounced around inside her head.
The older boy screamed barbarically and ran towards her, sword raised above his head with a crazed look in his eye. Hermione watched, frozen, analyzing, regretful - the fear had evaporated at some point, gathering above her head like the rain clouds; she knew it was there, the shadow of its presence was visible but she couldn't feel it save for a few pinpricks of it against her exposed flesh.
She sidestepped again, a millisecond too slow and she watched blood well from the slice in her shoulder.
'Bloody fucking hell, fight back.' Malfoy's voice sounded further away now - different. The weight of the sword pulled Ernie sideways and he stumbled again, face planting in the mud and Hermione lurched forward, throwing her weight on top of him. She straddled his back, gripping a fistful of his hair and holding his face in the rain, dirt and blood. It was liquid enough that he couldn't breathe through it and he thrashed, flopping around until Hermione dug her knees into his biceps, holding him there while he struggled for air.
She felt the life draining out of his body, felt him sagging deeper into the ground. Her brown curls had fallen out of its braid and blood was pouring down her arm now and she didn't even know who she was. She didn't feel like her. She felt different - and she had killed someone innocent now, somebody who didn't deserve it and self defense or not, Ernie had been trying to survive, just like she was. And once he had stilled, going limp underneath him, Hermione collapsed on his back and let the haze of blood loss and exhaustion render her unconscious.
When she woke, it was to the scent and sound of dittany sizzling against flesh and blood. Her throat closed around the whimper building inside of it and she turned her head to look.
Malfoy sat on a stool, holding the dropper above her shoulder, dripping the essence into the sickeningly deep gash. His face was etched into a permanent scowl, his hair was mussed and sticking in all different directions. The Death Eater robes were askew, in such obvious contrast to their usual pressed perfection. He appeared almost affected and it looked odd and out of place in his countenance.
"Pipsey?" her voice was harsh around the question. His lips pressed into a paper thin line.
"Cleaning up your blood. She was distraught over the mess. Couldn't focus on anything what with all her wailing." he growled, narrowing his eyes at the wound as it stitched itself together. His broad shoulder blocked all of the light from the lamps and it seemed rather ironic how angelic he looked.
"No other elves were available?"
"Kitchen elves." he snapped.
"You only have one house elf?"
"My father had them all killed during one of his temper tantrums. I hired Pipsey to watch you."
"Hired?" Hermione's body jerked against the satin sheets at the shock of pain in her arm, eyes focusing on the vaulted ceiling above her. She felt grey eyes flick upwards momentarily before they disappeared.
"Yes," his cold voice responded, giving away nothing.
"How did Ronald do?"
"Weasley survived." he said tonelessly. "He fought a third year. It was over very quickly."
"Right," Hermione responded, feeling the emotion well up in her throat at the thought. They were children themselves - but a third year? "I killed him."
"Yes," His subsequent muttered charm sent bandages coiling around her arm and Hermione's eyes fell closed as he rose to his feet. She thought back to Malfoy's behavior when Bellatrix entered with his mother. She thought of his slip up days earlier.
Voldemort held Narcissa as leverage. That much had become obvious.
Malfoy uttered a quiet, derisive laugh, pausing with his hand on the doorknob before she heard the door click shut behind him.
In the following days, guilt over the murder consumed her. Malfoy didn't return and each night, in her sleep, she felt the life leave Ernie's body over and over again, in addition to the other horrors that replayed themselves on a regular basis.
After the first nightmare, the shadows all morphed into Ernie's silhouette - his vacant eyes and dead expression. The armoire became his ghost in the dark. The whispers from the portraits and paintings on the walls were his voice, taunting her and hurling insults.
After the second nightmare, she tried the door. Holding tight to the handle as it burned and boiled the skin of her palm. She held it until the white hot pain forced all imagery of the Colosseum from her mind.
A scroll decorated with Malfoy's angry, elegant handwriting appeared on her desk the next morning with strict instructions not to touch the door again.
Following the third nightmare, she approached the window, prying at the frame until the same confining magic seared her finger tips. The same scroll appeared the following morning.
The compulsion worked just as well through writing as it did in person and now even if Hermione were capable of escaping, she was unable to touch any of the means by which she may have done so.
She couldn't absolve herself of the guilt of killing Ernie MacMillan. The only people in the world who may have been able to do that for her were chained to the Dark Lord himself. She had no way of reaching them or speaking to them or even knowing if they were alive.
So instead, she sat down in the corner beside the empty bookshelf and stared at the bedroom door, waiting.
Present Day
June 2004
"Perhaps you should take a break, Mrs. Granger." Bellamy's hand on her shoulder physically pulled her out of the memory and she flinched away from him. Her body was shaking, her hands were twitching and her heart was pounding. Though her fingers were practically vibrating where they clutched protectively at her belly, tripping over the stressed movements of their baby.
"No, no, I-"
"Hermione," Bellamy whispered, reaching for her arm again.
"No," she shrieked violently. "No." she backed away from the outstretched hand.
"Don't." Draco's voice reached her and she gasped sharply as though she could inhale the cooling calm that came with it. "Don't touch her." his voice sounded abused and battered but it was still him. "Granger," he whispered, hands wrapping around the bars keeping him from her.
Her head was shaking rapidly, as she clutched at herself, trying to keep her body from shaking apart like it was threatening to. Air was coming too fast and not at all, vision blacking out at the edges. Her fingers and feet were starting to go numb, knees and arms tingling as oxygen started to avoid them as well.
"You need to breathe. Come on baby, breathe for me." he was begging from his cage. She shook her head again and looked up at the swimming faces of the people surrounding her and staring down at her from their seats. "Count the lights, Granger, come on."
Draco, Evan- stars pricked her vision and sounds were coming through like she was under water.
"Weasley!" Draco roared, rattling the bars. "Let me help her."
"Do not release him." The Minister responded.
"She's going to pass out. Do you understand that?" he shouted. Percy did not respond. "Best have somebody catch her when she does." he snarled. The disgust in his voice was clear and vehement. George and Harry were beside her suddenly, each holding an arm and lowering her gently when her vision went completely dark and the floor rushed towards her.
She awoke in one of the rooms the Ministry supplied to people who were meeting with their solicitor.
George was sitting beside her on her left, Harry on the right, Ginny in front of her.
"Morning," Ginny's voice was too cheery, too loud, too intense, too forced. Hermione jerked away from the wall and smacked away the hands that tried to stop her.
"What happened with Draco? Court?"
"Settle down, there." George stroked her hair as he spoke.
"A recess." Ginny answered. Harry was silently studying his friend, finally helping her to her feet after watching her struggle to accomplish it on her own. The hand pressed to her belly was still shaking faintly when Harry managed to steady her on her heels.
"I need to go. I need to get back to my testimony."
"You need to do no such thing." Ginny snapped. The redhead took a deep calming breath. "Elodie has just arrived. She can speak next while you take a break. You need to limit-"
"Gin," George sighed. "'Mione, c'mon, yeah? Take a breather, why don't you. Have a seat. You gave us all quite a scare there." She was already shaking her head and staring Harry down with pleading eyes.
"Harry," Ginny threw her hands up in exasperation.
"Please," Hermione whispered. Harry nodded and produced a glass of water..
"Sit. Drink. When you've finished that, you may go." he ordered. Hermione exhaled in relief.
Harry and Ginny were arguing under cover of a silencing charm while George sat beside Hermione, rubbing her shoulder while she downed the water as quickly as possible.
"I'm sorry you went through all of that." he said quietly after a few moments of quiet. Hermione snorted.
"Yes, it was very difficult for me to be holed up in my fancy room, in a fancy manor, with fancy food. It was very traumatic, you know." she said with mock sincerity.
"I'm sure it was." He said with uncomfortable honesty, staring into her eyes with his own bleeding sadness.
"Please," she scoffed.
"Don't do that," his head tilted to the side.
"Oh," she cackled hysterically. "Do what? I'm quite serious. I had it so very hard. I may has well have been kept in a dark dungeon, raped repeatedly, fed boiled potatoes for months." The glass abruptly shattered in her hand. "Oh, no, wait. That was Neville. And Luna. And your sister." She hissed. "Let me up, I'm going back to my husband." George flinched and had paled considerably.
"Hermione,"
"That's enough, George. Thank you, but that is quite enough." She brushed past him, pushing into the hallway and making her way back to the courtroom. Nobody had moved from their spots in her absence. The only change was Elodie's presence; the small blond was shaking faintly and fidgeting with a small chain in her lap. She looked up when quiet rippled through the crowd, offering Hermione a timid smile. As the older witch passed her by, she squeezed the girl's forearm with a comforting twitch of her mouth.
"Mrs. Granger, nice of you to join us again." Percy folded his hands neatly on his desk.
"Yes, Minister. I do apologize." she called back. "I am ready to proceed." Percy nodded once and she pointedly ignored Draco's eyes, melting holes into the side of her head.
Bellamy escorted her back to her seat at the pensieve and motioned for her to continue when ready. As she took a deep breath, her face lowered into the liquid and she descended into the memory once again.
Six Years Ago
July 1998
The fights progressed much the same over the following weeks. They were lengthy, all-day affairs, ending in exhaustion and injuries. The lists of deaths grew impossibly long over the following month.
Lavender Brown
Oliver Wood
Cho Chang
Katie Bell
Susan Bones
Hannah Abbot
Dean Thomas
Anthony Goldstein
Penelope Clearwater
Marcus Belby
All gone. All dead. All murdered at the hands of the various Death Eaters who had been granted ownership over them or in a barbaric fight to the death.
Voldemort's instructions to Malfoy rang in her ears, bouncing around the corner of the room she had relocated to. He didn't visit her. Theodore Nott, Jr. retrieved her for training, while Malfoy still avoided her entirely. That was perfectly fine with her. Nott was a much kinder teacher, if less efficient.
It had been three weeks since she had seen Draco Malfoy and her routine had remained mostly static during that time.
Nott retrieved her in the afternoon for training. He pelted her with overwhelmingly harmless spells and babbled random thoughts at her. His Ravenclaw - Elodie Haywood, Hermione had learned - sat on the same bench, day after day, twisting her hands in her lap with her eyes cast down towards the ground. When Nott - "Theo, please, Little Snake. Nott was my father. Your Highness would do as well" - returned her to her room, Hermione retreated back to her corner and waited for Pipsey to arrive with dinner.
It was two days before the deadline and the soul crushing, blood curdling, nauseating anxiety had completely taken over. She had had nearly a month to imagine all of the ways in which she (and/or Malfoy) would be punished for their disobedience.
Her eyes were glazed and unfocused, staring blankly at the imaginary "Evidence Board" that had taken over the only blank wall in the room. It only existed in her eidetic memory and it was her mind's way of planning and sorting the information she had gathered through observation and conversations with Theodore Nott. She had yet to determine if the incidents in which he had accidentally allowed some bit of information to slip was truly accidental or intentional.
She had her suspicions.
"Are you decent, Little Snake?" Pounding on the door startled her.
The board in her mind was littered with various facts she had collected, assumptions she'd made and other things she found important.
Voldemort held Narcissa Malfoy hostage
Draco held a very high position in Voldemort's army
The virgins were needed for some kind of spell that would be used to remove all those who were not pure blooded from the wizarding world
"Granger?" more pounding.
Whether he needed more than one was unclear. What was the point of the Colosseum if he needed multiple?
Nott didn't want to be a part of this.
"I'm coming in one way or another, Granger dear."
Nott's relationship with Elodie had its own spot on the board. So did the small instances of physical contact between him and Malfoy.
She flinched when the bedroom door burst open, withering a bit under Nott's appraisal of her position, curled into a tight ball with her arms wrapped around her knees. Elodie entered behind him, hands clutching at her elbows and eyes downcast. Nott glanced back and shifted his position so that he was between Elodie and the open bedroom door.
Hermione's eyes stared blankly past the Death Eater, studying her board carefully.
She wouldn't play a part in the systematic removal of all muggle borns from the world. She knew how to avoid her part in it. She did not know how to communicate to everybody else that they needed to do what she intended to do. That was the blank spot in the middle of the invisible board.
The other blank spot was reserved for the murder of Voldemort. She had yet to figure out how to go about that. The ring, the diary, the diadem, the snake, Harry himself, the cup, the locket. They had to be missing one and she had no idea how to go about finding it - especially from inside her prison cell.
"Granger, dear," Theodore crouched down in front of her and Hermione tried to force herself to focus in on the green eyes. They were comforting in that they quite closely resembled Harry's. "Hello? This all very- Elodie, darling, what's that muggle film you like? Ah- Beast- This is all very Beauty and the Beast of you, I must say." He was waving his hand in front of her face rather incessantly. "You alright there?"
That question made her laugh in spite of herself. It was hollow and empty sounding but it was still a laugh. Theodore was as surprised by it as she was if the look on his face was any indication.
"Up we go," His voice was far too cheery and light for the darkness in which Hermione was drowning. He stood and held a hand out to her, arching a brow when she stared at it like it may grow teeth and bite her. He held still, seemingly oblivious, while simply staring Hermione down until her resolve gave way under the innocence in his eyes. "Grand!" he beamed when she placed her thin hand in his. He was warm and soft and it felt like some of his light flowed through his grip into her palm. "Shall we go?" He looked over his shoulder at Elodie who still appeared to be holding herself together. Hermione carefully cataloged the softness that overtook his face when green eyes landed on the fragile girl.
"Elodie, stai bene?" he murmured, dropping Hermione's hand and striding towards the Ravenclaw.
"Si," she nodded shakily. Hermione watched the way Theodore's shoulders seemed to broaden, his body casting shadows over Elodie. Could shadows be protective? His were. "It's dark here." Theodore squinted as he looked around the room. The vaulted ceilings reflected bright window light onto them and it was clear he had no idea what Elodie was talking about. It was decidedly not dark inside Hermione's cell.
"The magic." She elaborated quietly. "The magic is dark. Malfoy needs help." she whispered. Theodore sighed, shoulders caving in as he pressed a kiss to her blonde hair.
"Malfoy is fine, El." he rubbed a hand up and down her arm.
"No, he-"
"Enough, Elodie." he said quietly. Hermione had moved closer to them as they spoke.
"Is she-"
"Fine, Granger." his bright smile settled back onto her. "She's fine. Ladies first." he gestured towards the open door and Hermione fixed him with a deadpan stare.
"The wards require you go first, Nott." Theodore's nostrils flared briefly and Hermione watched something dull in his green eyes. Elodie's hand brushed his and he exhaled roughly. "Granger," he drawled, taking Elodie's hand in his and tugging her out the door behind him. Hermione followed. "Theo." he corrected firmly.
"You call me Granger," she countered.
"It's quite difficult to switch over after years of 'Granger this' and 'Granger that'. I can't imagine you had the same experience." her brain short circuited at his words.
"What?"
"Nothing, dear." he waved blindly over his shoulder while leading Elodie and Hermione out to their usual spot in the courtyard. Her mind was spinning in chaotic circles. She couldn't possibly imagine who in Theodore Nott's circle would have discussed her at such length. "I can hear your wheels turning, Granger." he chuckled as Hermione and Elodie took their spots on the brick.
"Who?"
"Who? You mean aside from the entirety of the school we both attended? Now," he clapped his hands together. "Today I want you both to work on getting someone off of you. Particularly someone bigger - which," he looked them both up and down. "Is quite literally everyone in existence." Hermione scowled. "On the ground girls," he instructed with a vague gesture. Elodie knelt and Theodore flinched but looked away. Hermione sat cross legged while Theodore lowered himself to their level. "You first, Granger?" she sighed and without a moment's hesitation, Theodore was behind her, body splayed out on top of her, effectively pinning her body to the ground.
She fidgeted and thrashed beneath him while Elodie watched, twisting her hands together in her lap.
"Settle down, Granger. Whatever this - flopping about- is accomplishing, it is not effective at getting out from under me. Let me teach you." she fell silent at that. Learning was something she could do well.
She listened while he coached her through getting away and then made her do it over and over until the time she spent doing it dwindled down to almost nothing.
"Mm," The drawl that came from behind them was cold, emotionless and most definitely Malfoy. "You think the Dark Lord would take this memory as sufficient proof of her unwilling participation in some type of sexual escapade?" Hermione stiffened and scrambled out from underneath Theodore, panic welling in her chest. The dark haired Death Eater scowled and stood, brushing himself off.
"Oh come off it, Drakey Boy. You two, give it a try. Hermione on top of Elodie." he instructed.
"Hermione now, is it?" Malfoy purred.
"Sod off, Draco." Theodore rolled his eyes and vaguely gestured in Hermione's direction again. Elodie tucked her arms beneath her head and closed her eyes while Hermione climbed atop her.
"Oh, I think I like this arrangement quite a bit better."
"Draco," Theodore snapped. "What's gotten into you, mate?" he hissed, barely audible over Elodie humming to herself. "Elodie, darling," He began. A vicious snarl startled both of the girls and Hermione didn't stop herself from squeezing her arm in what she hoped was comfort.
"Are you trying to get her killed, Nott?" Hermione watched Theodore lurch to his feet and whirl on Malfoy with fury more potent than anything Hermione had seen from the usually bright man before.
"Tread lightly, Malfoy." he hissed, stalking towards him. Hermione rolled off of Elodie and sat up, tucking her knees to her chest while Elodie remained sprawled on the ground, head pillowed on her forearms. "Oh, I see." Theodore's tone was venomous. "You've turned it off again, haven't you? It must be nice, Draco; getting to shut out your little remaining humanity anytime things get a little hard- Or…" Theodore chuckled darkly. "Is the issue that it isn't hard?" Elodie squeaked and Hermione nearly heard the girl's eyes slam shut just before Malfoy's fist connected with Theodore's nose with a sickening crack. He laughed again with one hand clutching his nose, blood seeping out through his fingers.
"Obliviate me. Right the fuck now, you absolute moron." Malfoy snarled, hand shooting out to twist into the other man's robes.
"Just-"
"I can't!" Malfoy's words were almost a scream, impatient and angry and more than a little manic. His nostrils flared as he inhaled slowly. "Do it." he hissed. Theo shoved him off, hardly flinching when Malfoy healed his nose with a flick of his wrist. "Just that bit. Carefully." Theo rolled his eyes and raised his wand. Hermione was shivering as she watched. Her parents' faces drifted to the forefront of her mind while Theodore siphoned the discussed moment from Malfoy's brain.
The desperation in the man's face was painful to see but it was intriguing to watch the cold numbness descend over his face as the memory retreated altogether.
"Better?" Theodore snapped. Confusion tweaked Malfoy's brow before he appraised the situation in front of him, squinting a bit before relaxing entirely.
"I would assume so." His voice was steady again. "You and your ward may leave. I will be training with her today."
"As you wish." Theodore bowed mockingly and retreated to Elodie's side once more, grabbing her arm with a gentle hand and hauling her to her feet. With a tip of his head to Hermione, he disapparated without another word.
"Up," he snapped, folding his arms behind his back. Hermione pushed herself off the ground.
"We-" Hermione cleared her throat. "We have a deadline. Vold-"
"Don't." He cut her off quickly, raising his hand. "I'm well aware."
"Where have you been?"
"Miss me, Mudblood?" He smirked. Hermione snorted in reply.
"I would far rather be assaulted by you," she nearly choken on the taste of poison that the words left in her mouth, "than tortured by Voldemort himself." Draco twitched at the name.
"Today appears to be your lucky day then." he responded coolly. Hermione nodded. "Come," he spun on his heel and stalked in the opposite direction, Hermione nearly running to keep up with him.
He led her down hallways she had yet to explore, eventually coming to a stop in front of a set of oak double doors. He shoved them open and pointed sharply at the couch in the sitting room. Hermione tasted nothing but bile as she walked forward..
Her board flashed in her mind then and she whirled to face Malfoy, arms crossed. He was tipping the contents of some sort of vial down his throat. She tried not to cower as the coldness in his eyes pierced her soul but as he started stalking towards her, moving like the Death Eater he was, panic gripped her chest and squeezed.
She tried to think of something else when his hands grabbed her shirt and ripped it apart. She tried to count potion ingredients and floor tiles when he tore apart her bra too and then his mouth was on her and the board lit up in her head like a christmas tree.
Her plan. Her plan. Her plan. She had a plan. So she whimpered beneath him and made sounds like she was enjoying his ministrations. She felt him shudder and freeze for the briefest of moments before resuming his careful mouthing at her breasts.
"Enjoying this, are we Mudblood?" he snarled against her skin, scraping his teeth across her collarbone like he could carve the word into the skin there as well. She whined again and lifted her hands to rest on his broad shoulders. He froze entirely. Hermione slid one hand up into his hair and he stopped breathing. For half of a heartbeat Hermione could have sworn he leaned into her touch but before she could be certain he was forcefully shoving her away and wiping at his mouth.
He was panting wildly, eyes alternating uncontrollably between numb and panicked. It was like some sort of shield, flickering in and out of visibility.
Her plan may turn out to be more easily executed than she had anticipated.