Thank you all for being so patient with me. I told you all that it wouldn't be a long break. I just need some time to sort myself out. I will be replying to all of your messages tomorrow (well, later today, actually). I am so appreciative for every single one of you and I want to personally thank any of you that reached out to me on FF and Tumblr. All of your messages mean so much to me. I can't promise that this won't happen again. I struggle with personal things outside of FF and I will always put my mental health first and I won't apologize for that, as should anyone. I'll do my best to ignore miserable people in the future. After all, mama didn't raise no bitch. Here's a chapter for you all and I hope you like it. I remember the voting that took place and majority rules. xoxo
Trigger warning: MENTIONS OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AND SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
"Say yes, and we'll grovel, beg, be at your beck and call. We'll do whatever it takes to make this right," a voice purred.
These words did not come from Blaise. Instead, they came from Draco whose lips were nearing her shoulder now. Her eyes widened, and she watched with mixed emotions as Blaise sank to his knees, lifting one of her legs up to rest on his shoulder.
He looked up at her from beneath his lashes, eyes pleading as he gazed at her with such adoration.
"I'm asking you now. What is it going to be?"
Hermione stared down at him, wide-eyed, processing every word that reached her ears. It would be unrealistic to think that she was not affected by their promises in the slightest. Oh, how easy it would be to sink to her knees and wrap her arms around Blaise. How easy it would be to bury her face into his neck, whispering over and over again of how she forgave him. He would return her affection with vigor, and everything could go back to the way it was. Except…
Nothing had ever been easy for Hermione a day in her life. Things were so much different now. Lines had been crossed, words had been said, and she wasn't naïve nor in denial about anything. If she accepted Blaise, she would be accepting Draco as well, and that was something that she just wasn't ready for. She was far from being ready to forgive him for the torment he had put her through.
Daphne's confession still rang in her head, reminding Hermione that not only was Draco the first of them to take the mark, but he had also enjoyed his initiation very much. Of course, Hermione wanted to believe that there was more to the story than that. She didn't want to believe that Draco was evil through and through, but until he showed otherwise…
Blaise landed on his back from the harsh kick she gave his chest. Before Draco had time to process what was happening, she'd elbowed him in the stomach, pushing him back with a hard shove to his face. Her wand flew into her outstretched hand and she aimed it at the blond.
Brown and silver clashed and warred as they stared one another down.
"I'm disappointed that the both of you think I'd crumble so easily. What? Were some whispered empty promises and a few brush of the lips supposed to make me weak in the knees? You're going to have to try a bit harder than that," she spat at him.
She turned around, stopping just beside Blaise as she looked down at him.
"For the record, I don't know what either of you did to get on Nott's bad side, but tell him to leave me the hell out of whatever mess he has going on with the both of you. I've quickly gotten tired of everyone thinking they can do whatever the bloody hell they want with me, and I'm supposed to just sit back and take it."
She drove the toe of her shoe into his shin, satisfied when he hissed, and stomped off.
Hermione fumbled with his shirt, fingers trembling as she undid the buttons at a hurried pace. To be quite honest, she could hardly believe what was happening. She was about to have sex…with Blaise Zabini…at the top of the Astronomy Tower. It was preposterous, absolutely scandalous, and…kind of exciting, really.
She grinned as she pushed the material away from his chest, Blaise taking care of the rest as he flung it behind him. His pants quickly followed suit. Her lips attached themselves to his neck, nipping and tugging. Blaise leaned his head back, letting out a groan before reaching down and hooking his hands underneath her thighs. Her bra clad chest met his bare one and she shuddered.
He leaned back as she wrapped her arms around his neck, brown eyes inquiring.
"This is your last chance, Hermione. I just want-."
"I swear on Godric's grave, if you ask me "am I sure" one more time, I'll cast you off of this tower. I swear I will," she hissed, pressing her lips against his.
She could feel him grin into the kiss.
"You'll have no one to shag if you do that," he said against her lips.
"I'm sure Malfoy won't refuse. He'll shag anything with legs, even me," she teased right back.
He jerked away, glaring at her with narrowed eyes.
"I didn't find that amusing."
"I found it quite amusing," she said with a laugh.
Her round of chuckling was cut off with a surprised squeal as Blaise suddenly had her on her back, lips descending over her stomach. She gasped as his tongue swiveled inside of her belly button. Her heart began to speed up and she became apprehensive as he continued his journey, fingers hooking into the sides of her underwear. She had started to sit up, his name on her lips as the uneasiness of the unknown settled into her stomach when her mouth suddenly parted, eyes falling closed as she collapsed.
She involuntarily began to press her thighs together, but he pressed his hands into either one, keeping them separated. For the first time in her life, Hermione…was at a loss for words. Her mind had become such a jumbled mess that she could not think of one word to describe the pleasure that she was feeling at the moment. Of course, later, she could probably come up with about fifty in three different languages.
She was experiencing a sensory overload. Every nerve in her body was on fire, and everything just felt so much…more. She was unsure of what to do, her thought process basically nonexistent at the moment. Blaise, seeming to sense this, reached up to intertwine his fingers with her own. A string of incoherent mumbles escaped from her parted lips that Blaise would later reveal to her was a chorus of swear words and his name.
Hermione had touched herself a few times before, only climaxing once, and it had not even come close to this. She could feel a strong, almost uncomfortably hot coil settling itself below her stomach. Blaise could detect her change in breathing and grinned against her skin, letting one of her hands go and suddenly reaching down.
Hermione's back arched, toes curling, no doubt, resembling something straight out of The Exorcist. Her vision became hazy, stars blurring her vision as a roaring sound clouded her ears. She couldn't be sure of how long she stayed like that, body frozen as she stared at nothing. It wasn't until she slowly peeled her eyes open at what felt like sometime later, that she saw Blaise staring down at her, concern in his eyebrow crease. He let out a sigh of relief when her eyes met his.
"You blacked out," he stated in wonder.
"Really," she sighed, completely unbothered.
He chuckled at the goofy, lazy expression on her face. She sluggishly reached up to clasp her hands behind his neck, pulling him down to kiss her. She could taste herself on his lips. It was…different.
"That was fun," she mumbled into the kiss.
One hand settled on her waist while the other held himself above her.
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," he kissed her again "…I know I did."
She suddenly swallowed, the playful atmosphere becoming serious as he settled himself in between her legs. She stared at him, very aware of their nudity all of a sudden.
"Hermione…"
"I know what I signed up for. I can handle it," she whispered.
"If at any time you want to stop, say so, and I'll stop. I don't care, just tell me, okay?"
There was a brief moment of awkwardness where their eyes connected and lingered, where it seemed that they were more than just two horny teenagers at the top of the Astronomy Tower. She nodded and closed her eyes, tightening her arms around his neck.
Hermione had never been touched before, barely even been kissed, completely oblivious to all the possible pleasures of the flesh. Sex with Blaise wasn't what she'd expected it to be. It was nice. It was sweet. It was sloppy kisses against her collarbone and fingers pressed into her hips. It was keening and moaning, legs wrapped around a waist and scratch marks littering backs and arms. Hips moving against hips and flesh on flesh. His movements were slow, driving her insane. He was locked in her, and she held him there, never wanting him to leave. She came in his arms, breath mingling together as they fought to catch their breath, forehead pressed against forehead. His lips found her neck, her fingers brushed along the length of his back, and a shiver passed through him that had nothing to do with the sex at all.
Hermione found her feet carrying her to the Astronomy Tower the next night. Thoughts running rampant as she climbed the stairs. Would it be…so crazy? Yes, was the immediate answer. Both of them were absolutely mental to even think she'd agree to such a thing, that she'd even entertain such a thing. It was one thing to sleep with two people, but to have a serious polyamorous relationship? As if that would ever work.
Not to mention, she was still pissed with the both of them, and for good reason. Blaise had no right telling her any of this, and she wished that he'd just kept his mouth shut. Hermione much preferred thinking that he had simply sold her out, to be honest. It was much less complicated in her book.
She had just reached the top of the tower when she noticed a figure standing in front of the railing, halting her thoughts. She wasn't too surprised to find someone else up here. It was the identity of 'who' that took her back. The long blonde hair was instantly recognizable.
"Daphne? What are you doing up here?"
Hermione walked towards the girl, stopping immediately as her eyes fully took in the scene before her. Daphne Greengrass was leaning on the wrong side of the railing.
"Daphne…," Hermione whispered, heart stopping.
"He knows," the blonde girl shakily whispered back into the cold night air.
The night was quiet, with most students already in bed, and Hermione could hear her heart beating in her chest. It was all she could hear. Hermione heard Daphne exhale a broken sigh that shook as it escaped from between her lips.
"My mum…she sent me an Owl today. They know what I've been up to, they know that I've betrayed them. He knows, Hermione."
Daphne's voice was scarily calm as she looked out over the Hogwarts grounds. Hermione didn't need her to elaborate on who he was.
"We don't know that for sure, Daphne. H-how did they find out?"
The Slytherin simply shrugged, shaking her head, blonde locks brushing over her shoulder.
"I don't know. It doesn't matter, anyway," she whispered.
Hermione quietly took a step forward.
"Yes, it does. Even if he does know, we can go straight to Dumbledore right now. He will protect you," Hermione reasoned.
"I'm already dead, Granger."
"No-."
"I'll be dead before the week is up! They'll make it look like an accident too, or that I killed myself. I might as well. At least it'll be on my own terms," Daphne hissed, glaring over her shoulder at Hermione.
Hermione wrapped her fingers around her wand, eyes wide.
"Who is they? Do you mean the others in the school? They would do that?"
Hermione was determined to keep the distraught girl talking.
"They would do anything to gain favor. Even if that included murdering a classmate…"
"What about Astoria? What happened to protecting her?"
"She will see. She'll see what taking the mark did to me. She'll know the truth of it and she won't want it."
"Dumbledore is the greatest wizard in the world. He can and he will protect you, Daphne," Hermione said.
"…and what if he can't? What if he isn't here to do that?"
Hermione suddenly thought of Katie Bell and the necklace and Harry's suspicions.
"You don't need to do this. I know…I know that you feel you don't have any other choice, but you do. Climb back over, and let me help you. Please…," Hermione pleaded.
"I'm weak. I always have been. I knew that I wasn't cut out for this. I'm scared, Granger…," Daphne quietly admitted.
"…then don't do it," Hermione quietly replied.
Hermione suddenly threw up a Protego as Daphne attempted to disarm her. Hermione was quick to respond, and caught Daphne's wand as it flew into the air. Time seemed to slow down as Daphne let go just as Hermione's fingers wrapped around the foreign piece of wood. The blonde girl's hair whipped around her face as she leaned back, arms spread out.
Hermione's eyes widened and her heart dropped into her stomach. She was positive that she had never moved so fast in her life, her hand just barely closing around Daphne's, all of the air leaving her lungs as the railing harshly pressed into her ribs.
"Let me go! I'm dead, Granger! Don't you get it? I'm already dead," Daphne cried as her legs swung back and forth in the air.
Hermione swallowed, eyes connecting with Daphne's as she tightened her grip.
"Not if I can help it. We made an Unbreakable Vow, remember? I swore that I would do everything in my power to protect you."
Daphne frantically shook her head, eyes wild and dead all at once.
"They're going to kill me, Granger…"
"Who? Tell me who, and I'll make sure they won't," Hermione said, pulling her up.
They both collapsed on the other side, Daphne a sobbing mess as she clutched Hermione's hand. She shook her head again, eyes connecting with Hermione's.
"I don't want to die, Granger," she suddenly confessed.
Hermione was quiet as she exhaled, briefly closing her eyes. She could see it in Daphne's eyes, the Slytherin was scared and desperate.
"I know," Hermione finally said.
Daphne leaned her head against the railing, inconsolable as Hermione held her hand.
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