Chapter 21
Beta love - RaynePhoenix & thebeebeegun

The man watched from under the brim of his hat as the Mudblood chatted enthusiastically with her two friends, one a filthy Half-blood and the other a disgusting Blood Traitor. Maintaining a low profile, he eyed the trio with barely concealed contempt as they enjoyed their lunch without a care in the world. Narrowing his focus, he studied the one he was here to see – the female that had no right to exist.

Unable to take his gaze off the abomination, a swell of anticipation blossomed in his chest. Soon, soon, he coaxed the overzealous part of himself that wanted to act impulsively. He appeased that inner beast by stroking it with visions and promises of how it would all unfold.

His dilated stare trailed down her primly buttoned blouse. Did her friends realize she was such a slag? Such a promiscuous little tramp? He had learned so much more about her recently. It had been shockingly easy to discover her secrets and he was looking forward to giving her a real taste of what she had only been pretending at. Then he would kill her. Nice and slow. The other Mudbloods, the other women he had assaulted or killed, they were only practice. They were merely appetizers, but she was a full banquet. It was a very long time coming, but his payoff would be here soon.

After glancing at his pocket watch, he slammed down the last of his tea and threw the appropriate change on the table. It was getting late and he had another victim to tend to. Oh, how he enjoyed playing with his food.

He was just walking out by way of the side exit when he spotted another familiar face. One he had not seen in many years. What was he doing here?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ronald Weasley, you are making that up!"

"Blimey, Mione! Easy on the right hook, there," Ron playfully admonished as he rubbed his arm where she had just punched him.

"Why is it that you two always resort to physical violence?" Harry teased as he watched his friends carry on. His attention was pulled to the far side of the restaurant when he saw what he thought was a familiar face. Disbelieving the man would be so brazen, Harry briefly doubted his own eyes.

"Ron, Ron!" he snapped. "Is that? I think that's…"

"What?" Ron asked, turning his head to where Harry was staring, but all Ron saw was a man's back as he exited. He looked back at Harry. "What is it, mate?"

Throwing enough Sickles on the table to pay for their meal, Harry abruptly stood. "C'mon. We need to leave. I think I just saw Dolohov. Get her out of here."

Hermione's hand flew to her chest as her eyes anxiously scanned where Harry and Ron had just been focusing. "Dolohov? Here?" She squeaked in surprise as Harry darted through the restaurant.

Ron led her outside and she could barely contain her resentment that their immediate reaction was that she needed protecting. Then she felt guilty, they were Aurors, after all. It was their job to protect and she was one of their closest friends.

A short-of-breath Harry was at their side moments later, his cheeks pink tinged and his eyes slightly mad with worry. "He must have Apparated. I wasn't quick enough." He ran his hand through his messy hair in obvious frustration. "So close!"

Ron's look was contemplative. "Are you sure it was him? Dolohov's probably back in his motherland."

"Pretty sure," Harry responded as he looked over his shoulder in one last desperate search. Letting out a huff of disappointment, he grabbed Hermione's hand. "C'mon. Let's get you home."

"Harry, stop. I'm sure it wasn't him," she insisted. "Ron's right. What would Antonin Dolohov be doing in a Muggle sandwich shop on a Sunday evening?"

"What, as opposed to a Tuesday?" Ron teased, trying to lighten the panic that was in the air. He turned his attention back to Harry. "I'm sure your eyes were playing tricks on you." Sometimes, Ron was able to calm Harry's impulsive, 'jump to conclusions' nature. But it was obvious to the ginger that this was not one of those times.

"No, I know what I saw and if he's around, what are the odds of being in the same Muggle restaurant as us, unless it's intentional. He's on the run from the law. I mean, why would he - ? No. We aren't discussing this. Let's go." Pulling them into the alley next to them, he spun on the spot and Apparated the three of them away.

"What did Snape say about it?"

"He doesn't know," Hermione responded as she lifted her wine glass. "And he's not going to, either. So don't say anything." She took a swallow. "And that includes your Father!" she added for good measure. "Those two gossip as much as you do."

Draco leaned back, watching her. "He'll likely find out from Potty or Weasel, anyway."

"Nope, I swore them to silence on the matter. I'm sick to death of being treated like a weak little damsel. I can protect myself, you know."

Draco didn't miss the way she kept glancing over her shoulder, or the way her eyes scanned the restaurant periodically. "Well, you're acting a bit skittish, so I don't know who you are trying to convince with all this bravado."

"I'm not stupid. I need to be aware, but I refuse to be cowed or trapped in my home and limited to floo networks for travel. I will not be intimidated from going outside, or running, or going out to eat." A petulant huff escaped her lips before she indulged in a large swallow of wine.

Draco happened to agree with Snape and Lucius on this issue. Hermione just wasn't being cautious enough. Despite that, he wouldn't betray Hermione's trust by outright telling the two men. There were more discreet, Slytherin ways of handling this.

"So, did you speak with M? Did you tell her how you feel?" Hermione asked, changing the subject.

"I don't want to talk about it," he responded, averting his gaze to the bar.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. Her mouth had just opened when he reiterated, "Don't - want to talk - about - it."

Hermione stared at him, but dropped it. She sipped her wine and didn't say a word, instead she simply watched him with her eyebrows raised into a look of obvious expectation.

After a full minute of her silent mind tricks, Draco relented as she very well knew he would. To top it off, he knew that she knew that he would eventually give in. Perhaps he did have a little Puffer in him, no snake would allow himself to be so easily manipulated.

"Salazar Slytherin is going to reach up from his grave and snatch my Slytherin membership back down to the decaying earth he's buried in," he grumbled.

When she just kept watching him, he barked, with no real bite, "Fine! Yes, I fucking laid out my pathetic heart at her feet like a lovesick crup. I told her I wanted to spend the rest of my life loving her and worshipping her. I told her I couldn't bear an ocean dividing us and that if she left, I would never recover."

Judging by his expression, Hermione could barely conceal her concern. She almost hated to ask, "What...what did she say?"

His heavy exhale accompanied by his defeated slouch completely threw her when he responded, "She said she loves me."

After a full minute of his sulking, Hermione had to ask, "Draco, why the hell are you acting like she stomped on your heart and threw it back in your face?"

His soft grey eyes shot up to hers with a look of obvious impatience. "Because! She didn't say yes! She said she loved me, but that she wasn't sure about forever. That we hadn't been together long enough to make such a commitment to each other."

Hermione leaned back in her chair, contemplating. In truth, M was being very reasonable in Hermione's opinion. It was logical not to rush into anything.

Reaching forward and grabbing his hand, she offered reassurance. "She also didn't say no. She said she loves you. Maybe all she needs is a little time. I'm sure your words were unexpected and she was taken by surprise."

Draco shrugged minutely. "Maybe."

"And I imagine her head is whirling with the job offer and she is probably wondering if she should turn it down over a wizard." She paused and then added under her breath, "It's what I'd be questioning and trying to figure out."

"Please, let's talk about something else?"

"Fine. What would you like to talk about?"

"I really prefer it when we discuss your problems."

"Well, right now I don't have any, so there."

"What are you talking about? Your life is a total mess!"

"It is not," she laughed.

"Please. You're a workaholic, you hide a huge part of yourself from the people whom you are supposed to be closest to, and you're in love with two men but are in denial about one of them. And because of that denial, you are destroying any chance at true happiness for not only yourself, but for them as well."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond but found she had no voice. She clamped her jaw and drew a calming breath through her nose and tried again. "Firstly, I work a lot because I enjoy it. My work makes me happy, so I fail to see how that's a bad thing. Secondly, most people don't share their innermost sexual fantasies and desires with all of their friends and acquaintances."

"Yeah, but you don't -"

"Let me finish! Lastly, and we have been over this one hundred times, I love your father. Severus and Lucius know this. However, Severus is the man I want to spend…" she paused and took a gulp of wine. "Why do you do this? Why do you try to upset me?"

"I'm not trying to upset you, you infuriating woman. I'm trying to help you. I'm trying to help my Father. And truth be told, I'm trying to help Severus as well. I don't want you to make a mistake by marrying my Godfather."

"Marrying your-? What? Who said anything about marriage?"

Draco didn't admit that he had seen Severus step into a jewelry store. He didn't confess that he had observed the jeweler pull out a ring that looked suspiciously like an engagement ring and show it to the man.

"C'mon, Granger. We've talked about this. You wouldn't be dating Snape if you didn't think there was a future in it. You wouldn't date any man without there being a potential future."

"That may be true, but I can assure you that marriage is not on Severus' agenda, at least not yet. One day soon, hopefully, if things continue to go well between us. But he's not an impulsive man and we haven't been dating that long," she added by way of clarification. "And Lucius, well, I know he loves me, but not the way you seem to think."

Draco wanted to tell her how wrong she was.

"And, fine. Yes. I miss him. I won't deny it. I wish he could still … be with us. But it's wrong of me to feel that way. I've been very selfish with my desires. I realize that and I'm working on it. Regardless of how I feel about your father, I love Severus and I won't pressure him into inviting another man… another Dominant into our bed." She realized the words had started to rush out of her mouth. After a couple seconds, she added, in a more controlled tenor, "Besides, Lucius seems quite happy with his new submissives." She feared she failed to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Draco waved his hand dismissively. "Those two are a distraction. A means to convince himself he doesn't need you."

"And how exactly is this supposed to work, Draco? Neither Severus nor Lucius have ever implied that anything between the three of us could be more than sexual. Even if you were right, even if Lucius had stronger feelings towards me than he has communicated, what of it? Neither man is one to share all the time. How the hell would I navigate two bloody wizards, who are Dominants, on a regular basis?"

Draco's eyes grey wide. "Merlin! Don't put words in my mouth. You act as though I think the three of you should be together always… like a triad or something!"

"Well, isn't that wha-"

"Heavens, no. Father would never agree to that. But you never dated him, Granger. You merely submitted to him. I think… I think if you actually spent time together as a couple, I think you'd find he's a better match for you than Snape."

"You need to stop. I don't want to hear this anymore. I'm with Severus. I love Lucius but Severus is the one. I'm his. Full stop."

"Fine, I won't mention it again." And he meant it.

Friday, July 20th

"Is that Loony Lovegood?" M asked with amusement in her voice.

Hermione felt her heart jump into her throat as her head whipped towards the main entrance. She touched her face reflexively to confirm she was wearing her mask as she contemplated hiding. Mask or not, she was not ready for this conversation.

Draco chuckled as she ducked low in the booth. "Where's your Gryffindor courage?"

"I've been denning with Snakes, you're all rubbing off on me."

"Oh, Miss Priss, if only that were true," M teased with a lustful glint in her eye.

Ignoring their taunting, Hermione kept her eyes off the entrance as she asked, desperately, "Who's with her? Is she alone?"

Draco's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped. "Potter and Weasellete just walked in as well."

"That's just smashing," she bit as she sunk lower, still. "Fuckity, fuck, fuck, fuck."

When Draco started to laugh, Hermione glanced at M to find her barely holding it together. "Are you taking the Mickey?" she demanded, peeking towards the entrance.

"You're so easy to rile. She's alone, but she's definitely looking for someone. She just approached the bar."

Hermione didn't know whether to be furious or relieved. Relieved, she quickly deducted. "Right. I'm out of here."

"Looks like Snape is approaching her," M added.

"What?" Hermione squeaked.

Hermione peeked and sure enough, Severus was heading towards the blonde.

Slipping out of the booth, Hermione crouch walked at lighting speed to the back hall and then dashed into the office to find Lucius at his desk.

He turned her way with amused eyes. "What has you so frazzled?"

"Looney.." she shook her head in self admonishment at the unintentional slip, "that is to say, LunA just walked in."

On the monitor she could see a bright eyed Luna talking to Severus with a serene and unphased look on her face. Here she was, in a fetish club with witches and wizards dressed in all sorts of getups, some of them naked or half-naked, and Luna didn't look the least bit plussed by any of it.

Lucius set his reading glasses on his desk and spun his chair around to look at the monitor. He couldn't help the sideways flick of his irises to the witch standing so close. She was beautiful, as always, dressed in a simple black blouse and denims with sandals.

She slid her mask off as she remarked, "What in the world is she doing here?"

Glancing back at the monitor, Lucius responded, "Searching for butterflies, it would seem."

Hermione then noticed what Lucius was referring to. She had been too shocked by her friend's sudden appearance to even notice what the witch was wearing. In truth, Hermione never really noticed what Luna wore anymore, it was always something unusual. But here she was, in a yellow, eyelet sundress with white glittery wings on her back and in her hand, was a butterfly net on a long pole.

"I wonder what that's about?" Lucius mused.

Hermione couldn't help but smile. "This is silly. I need to talk to her." Pulling her mask back on, she dashed back out to the main room and made her way over to her friend.

When she approached, Luna's eyes lit up as she beamed at Hermione. "I found you!" she proclaimed, clearly delighted with her accomplishment. Hermione's mask obviously wasn't enough of a disguise when it came to the Ravenclaw's keen observation skills. The eccentric witch then glanced down at herself, not hiding her disappointment when she bemoaned, "Although, I'm not sure my costume is quite right, and I need a mask." She grabbed a cocktail napkin off the bar and tapped it with her wand, transforming it into a delicate, white mask with golden glitter. When she slid it on, Hermione couldn't deny the ethereal beauty that the woman possessed. It was an impressive bit of magic on the fly, especially as it matched her wings perfectly.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked kindly, reaching out and touching her friend's arm in a supportive gesture. Now that Hermione had calmed, she felt silly for her earlier reaction. If there was one person who wouldn't judge or blab, it was Luna and Hermione would not let her feel unwelcome.

"I wanted to see you, of course. The nargles finally disappeared this morning and visions of this club kept coming to me. I knew it was your secret place, I could just feel it, so I had to come." She looked at Hermione with something that was just a hair's breadth away from pity. "You shouldn't hide from your friends, Hermione." Not saying any more about it, she looked around, seeming to take it all in. "When I was out front, I knew this place was here but I couldn't see it and I realized it must be secret kept. Then this nice man," she looked around, "there he is," she waved at a Dominant Hermione had seen but never met. Shockingly, the man smiled and waved back. "He invited me in and then suddenly I could see it."

At this point Severus interjected, "And that is as far as Luna had explained before you approached, Pet."

When Snape and Hermione looked back at Luna it was to find her expression contemplative as she gazed about the room. "Ron likes it when I spank him," she offered quietly, and Hermione didn't know if the witch was talking to herself or to them.

"Really," Severus responded in slow motion as though he had just learned an intriguing bit of intel. "I can introduce you to some devices that might interest you and Mr. Weasley if you are inclined to learn."

What? Hermione had to stop herself from smacking Snape's arm.

Luna's eyes lit up. "Oh yes, Sir. That would be lovely." This time Severus didn't bother telling her not to call him sir. "It hurts my hand to do it too hard, but sometimes it's worth it when he's been very bad."

If Hermione wasn't so dumbfounded, she would have laughed. Ron liked to be spanked?

Just then, a blond man who was shirtless and wearing brown leather pants walked over and fell to his knees at Luna's side. "Mistress, you are a beacon of light and beauty. My will is yours to command."

Luna looked down at him, her face lighting up. "Really? Do you babysit? Do you know how to change nappies?"

Hermione couldn't help the laugh that escaped her vocal chords as her hand flew to her mouth.

The submissive seemed momentarily confused. "Oh, well, that's not really my kink, but for you I'd give it a try."

"Splendid. I'll just need three references."

Snape cleared his throat, Hermione suspected it was an attempt to conceal a chuckle. "James, Mistress... Butterfly here, is merely spreading her wings this evening. Learning about the club. Perhaps another time."

"Ah, I see, Sir. Well, Mistress Butterfly, until next time, and I'll work on those references."

Luna watched the man walk away, still completely unfazed, and seemingly unaffected by having an unknown wizard kneeling at her side. Hermione suspected the clairvoyant witch knew far more than she was letting on. It was also interesting that, despite her outfit, she had been interpreted as being Dominant.

"Luna, you understand that I don't want Ron or Harry or anyone else to know about this, right? Now that you found me, you'll keep my secret?"

Luna looked at her with a hint of sadness. "I would never betray your secret, Hermione. Friends don't do that."

As Luna was responding, their attention was pulled to a couple moving past them. A short stocky man was an obvious top and his male companion was groveling at his feet. "Please, Master. I just want to be your bitch."

"You'll have to earn it after that stunt you just pulled," the top snapped as he headed towards the door. "But not tonight. I need to get home. Off with you."

"So, Luna, do you have any questions about all this?" Severus asked in his silky undertone, pulling her focus back to them. Hermione felt this was a dead giveaway that, despite all her quirks and oddities, Luna was respected and rather liked by the surly man. He wouldn't have the patience for her otherwise.

She looked up at him, "Is it alright if I just watch? This is all very enlightening."

"Of course. You'll need to join the club if you would like to return, however. I'm actually one of the owners. There is a non-disclosure you'll need to agree to."

"That won't be a problem. Father requires the same of his employees at The Quibbler." She gave them a knowing look. "He doesn't want them stealing his ideas for future editorials and publishings, you see."

Severus merely cocked a brow.

Luna looked about the room, once more. "You know, Sir, you should advertise spanking lessons in The Quibbler. I'm sure it would be a hit." With that, the blonde fell into uproarious laughter, clearly taken with her own joke and Hermione found herself chuckling, despite herself.

Luna's eyes grew wide as she peeked over Hermione's shoulder. "Mr. Malfoy! You come here, too?"

Hermione felt Luna was likely oblivious to the innuendo when Lucius deadpanned, "Usually," as he stepped up next to his best friend.

She was about to respond, but the words caught in her throat when the blue-eyed Barbies flanked up behind their training master, their collars sparkling brightly and their perfect, naked tits on display.

"Those are very pretty collars," Luna observed. The girls offered small, shy smiles in thanks and Hermione found she suddenly didn't feel so well.

"Oh, and you have leashes, too. How very interesting," Luna murmured as she looked around. "I noticed a lot of people wearing collars here, actually. It must be very popular."

"Hmm, yes." Lucius responded. "Many of us enjoy taking our pets out and showing them off."

"Oh! Do you have a best in show?"

When Severus suddenly burst out in laughter, Hermione couldn't believe it. It was so unlike the man. Luna looked like she had no idea what was so funny.

Snape turned to Lucius. "What do you think? Should we have a best in show competition?"

The blond master grinned as he looked over his submissives, lasciviously. "Why not?"

Hermione couldn't resist asking, "And what will they be judged on? Their cup size?"

Severus immediately gave her a slightly scolding look. It was obvious her resentment was poorly concealed.

Lucius seemed oblivious as he responded in the haughty voice he sometimes reverted to, "Why, coming when called, of course."

When the girls suddenly giggled, Lucius cut them a hard stare, causing them both to look down obediently.

Shaking his head in apparent exasperation at the inappropriate outburst, his eyes landed on Hermione's and she offered him a knowing, commiserative smile. He rolled his eyes as he grinned back at her and suddenly Hermione didn't resent the women so much anymore. She felt high as a kite and it wasn't until several seconds later that she realized the two of them had been staring at each other, having their silent conversation.

Feeling another set of eyes on her, she peeked up to find Severus watching her. When his gaze flickered to Lucius and back, Hermione almost felt like she had been caught cheating. She averted her gaze and looked back at Luna to find the witch staring at her like something had just come together. She then mumbled something about now understanding what the visions of light and dark had been.

There was a tension in the air that was suffocating. Desperate to get away, Hermione offered, "Luna, can I offer you a tour?"

"I really should get home. We have an issue with wrackspurts and I told Ron I was running out to buy sopophorous beans."

The mention of the potion's ingredient caught Snape's attention. "What do you need the beans for, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh, no, I don't mind. The beans attract the snorkelrooks, who in turn eat the wrackspurts. It's really the only way to clear out an infestation."

The look on Severus' face was priceless and it was all Hermione could manage not to burst out in laughter.

Just then, another man plopped himself at Luna's feet. "I'd love to get caught in your net, Mistress Butterfly."

Hermione and Snape shared a surprised look. It seemed Luna was quite the attraction tonight as evidenced by the moniker Severus had given her making the rounds.

"If you want to be my bitch, you'll have to grow wings, little caterpillar," she responded in a sweet voice that completely belied her words.

"Anything, for you, beautiful," he responded, obviously smitten.

After the man left her side, Luna looked up at Snape. "Was that alright?"

Lucius looked completely befuddled by the exchange, which was not a good look for him… nor a common one.

Severus smirked. "It was perfect, Mrs. Weasley. I fear you'll be leaving behind a lot of broken hearts tonight."