I'm not particularly happy with this chapter. To me it's more of a filler, but the next few chapters will be very Dramione-centric. Yay!
"Hermione, stop! Cut it out," he harshly demanded.
He flipped them over, his form pressed against her own. He pinned her down, hand pressed against the small of her back, her face turned towards the door. Her vision blurred again as she started to cry, all movements halting. Her nails scratched against the floor. Her form trembled as he pulled her up into a sitting position. She hung her head and let out wheezing breaths, Draco's arms tightening around her. He used one hand to brush her hair to the side, running his nose long the back of her neck before pressing his lips against the skin. His breath warmed her skin, causing her to shudder as he whispered:
"You still have me. You'll always have me, Hermione."
Hermione sat up with a gasp, eyes unfocused and hair flying everywhere as she let out shaky breaths. She blinked a few times as she swallowed, finding her throat incredibly thick and dry. She hesitantly reached up to rub her neck as her eyes finally settled. Her skin was damp and sticky with dried sweat. The room was dark, the only source of light coming from the moonlight that bled through the dark red curtains, creating eerie shadows. Hermione sniffed as she reached up to push her hair away from her face. Her eyes filled with tears again while she bit her lip. Waking up now wasn't like before. She remembered everything…and she wished that she didn't.
"How are you feeling?"
Hermione yelped in surprise and nearly fell off of the bed as she hurriedly tried to scoot away from the voice that came from right next to her. Before she could land on the floor, however, a firm hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the king sized bed as the room was bathed in light.
She glared at him, the action making her aware of the tightness around her eyes. She turned her nose up and looked away as she remembered that she had fallen asleep…crying in his arms. How romantic, she thought with a sneer. She wet her lips and swallowed before speaking.
"Since when do you care about my wellbeing," she snapped.
She cringed as soon as she spoke. Merlin, her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. She jerked away from him as he ran a finger down the side of her face. She clenched her jaw and frowned at him.
"I always care about your wellbeing," he said.
She let out a humorless chuckle.
"You sure do have an interesting way of showing it," she hissed.
"I just want to make sure that you don't still have a concussion…"
She rounded on him.
"Gee! I wonder how that could have happened," she sarcastically replied.
He smirked, wagging his finger in front of her face, warning in his eyes.
"Don't get smart with me, Hermione," he mocked.
Hermione jumped off of the bed before turning to face him, arms folded over her chest.
"I'll do what I bloody well please! After all, everybody else is going around and doing whatever the hell they want, without thinking of the consequences or anyone else. So, why can't I," she threw out.
Draco crawled across the bed before reaching out and pulling her towards him, his nose skimming the neckline of her shirt. Well, his shirt, she noted. How had she not noticed before that her clothes had been changed while she had been in and out of consciousness the past few days?
"Is that an offer," he murmured against her skin.
Hermione scoffed before shoving him away and turning around, wrapping her arms around herself. Ginny… Hermione blinked, a stray tear skipping down her cheek as she thought about her best- former best friend. How could she do this? Hermione swallowed and looked down at her feet through blurry eyes, face crumbling. Her jaw suddenly clenched and she tensed as she felt his presence behind her just before his hands settled on her shoulders, massaging them a bit before sliding his hands down to settle on her arms. His lips pressed against the side of her head.
"Want to talk about it," he murmured into her hair.
She laughed, humorlessly.
"With you," she incredulously asked as if the idea was preposterous.
She shuddered as he breathed into her hair.
"Who else are you going to talk to, the house elves," he questioned.
Hermione glared at the wall as his statement rang true. As crazy as it sounded…in this house, Draco was all she had. He's all you have left, a dark voice whispered. Hermione twitched before shaking her head, snapping out of it. She clenched her jaw again as she exhaled, shoulders sagging in defeat.
"She was my sister," she quietly began.
Draco made a humming noise, signaling for her to continue.
"I love her so much, Draco. Probably more than I love Ron and…and Harry," she choked out.
She took a deep breath as she thought about him. She shook her head, suddenly angry. He took advantage of you, that same voice hissed. She scrunched her eyes together before snapping them open.
"Everyone just keeps surprising me, you know. It's just…it's frightening. You think you know people…and then they surprise you," Hermione said, scoffing.
Draco wrapped his arms around her, but before he had time to do anything else, Hermione had thrown herself away from him.
"This is all your fault, you know," she sneered as she turned to face him.
Draco tilted his head to the side. His hair fell over his forehead as he stood before her, shirt unbuttoned at the top and hands stuffed into his pockets. He looked down at her, eyes swimming with poorly concealed amusement.
"Really? Pray tell…"
Hermione puckered her lips before darting her eyes away. This was very probably not Draco's fault at all, but hell, she needed to blame someone. How about those who are actually at fault? Hermione frowned.
"I don't know. It just is," she pitifully replied.
Draco let out a husky chuckle before stepping towards her, hands shoved into his pockets. She unconsciously raked her eyes over his form, throat becoming even tighter, if that were possible.
"You can try and blame me all you want, princess, but I had no part in this little plot. The night that I killed Dumbledore, you and I were supposed to be meeting Blaise in that alley, but he never showed. I don't hear from him all night and the next morning he summons me, demanding that I come over because he needs help with…a little problem…"
Hermione looked up at this. He gazed down at her with that damned smirk gracing his lips.
"Imagine my surprise and amusement to find the she weasel here, raging like a drunken Hippogriff," he explained, eyes dancing with laughter as if he was in on some joke that she just didn't get.
Hermione mulled over his words.
"Why did he take her," Hermione demanded.
Draco reached behind her neck to pull her closer, his lips brushing against hers.
"It seems that we Slytherin men can't resist that Gryffindor fire," he purred, tilting her head up.
Hermione let out a shaky breath as she backed up.
"S-so what are you saying? He's been carrying a torch for Ginny for years and decided to take a page out of your book and just…kidnap her," she questioned with a shrug.
Hermione didn't want to believe that her friend had fallen prey to Stockholm syndrome. However, that would mean that the only other explanation was that Ginny may have had feelings for Blaise long before now. Hermione knew that to be practically impossible though. Ginny loved Harry for as long as she could remember. Maybe she was under the Imperius curse? Maybe Blaise had slipped her a love potion? All of these were possibilities. Draco shrugged, a devilish smirk on his lips.
"You know something," she said.
"It's not my story to tell, sweetheart," he said with a rare smile.
Hermione huffed.
"You want to know so badly, go ask him yourself," he continued.
Hermione scoffed, anger flaring at the thought of Blaise Zabini.
"I can't do that. If I see your best mate again I will stab him in the face," she snapped.
Draco suddenly let out a loud laugh, backing her into the wall before resting his hands beside her, caging her in. He sucked in air between his teeth as his eyes roamed over her. He licked his lips before tapping his nose against hers.
"I must say…I'm enjoying this side of you," he breathed.
Hermione blinked before looking up at him from beneath her lashes.
"You like your girls insane, huh," she quietly questioned as she tilted her head up towards him.
"Just a little bit," Draco said with a smirk as he leaned in.
"Well…you're going to love me then."
She brought her knee up to connect with the prominent bulge in between his legs. She stared at the wall on the other side of the room as he let out a loud groan before sliding down her body to crumble in a heap on the floor. She looked down at him as he glared up at her, nostrils flaring.
"That was for slamming my head into a brick wall and nearly killing me," she hissed.
She hurriedly stepped around him and towards the bathroom.
"I'm taking a bath," she announced just before slamming the door behind her.
Hermione sat in the large tub, the scent of vanilla clouding her senses. She heaved a sigh as she sank deeper into the hot water, her mind going a mile a minute. Ginny was a lot of things, but Hermione knew that Ginny was anything but weak-willed. Stockholm syndrome was definitely out of the question. Then there must have been something already going on. No way did Ginny just wake up one day and decide she has the hots for Blaise Zabini. She wouldn't just throw all caution and feelings for her family to the wind for him. Ginny would have told her though…right? Hermione heaved yet another sigh, desperately trying to analyze this situation. There was more to this, Hermione could feel it.
Just like she knew there was more to…to what had happened between her and Harry. Harry wasn't a rapist, he just wasn't, but it didn't change the fact that he… She frowned, trying to recall if he had been wearing the locket. Even if he had been wearing the locket, it didn't control people. It didn't work like an Imperius curse. Harry was supposed to be her friend…it just didn't make any sense. She closed her eyes, desperately trying to remember. She suddenly slapped the water in frustration, eyes flying open. Everything about that night had been a blurry mess. Everything but…
She straightened up and blinked as she remembered staring into bright eyes. Bright eyes that weren't green. Hermione's mouth fell open as she stared into the water in shock. That didn't make any sense. Was she remembering wrong? Of course she wasn't remembering wrong! Unless… Hermione raked her hands down her face. She was iffy on the details of how possession actually worked. It's not like there were ghosts floating around out there and one decided to just…you know. Of course, it was possible if Harry had a strong mental connection with someone-.
Hermione eyes widened as she cut her train of thought off. She hurriedly stood, the sound of water sloshing rang throughout the bathroom as she stared at the wall in a mixture of shock and horror. She paid no mind to the cold air creating goosebumps on her bare form. Harry could see things through his eyes, things that he wanted Harry to see. He had possessed Harry at the Department of Mysteries, but that was different! They were face to face, actually in the same room with one another. But what if it's possible though? That would mean that You-Know-Who had figured out a way to use their connection to possess Harry without even being near him. It was definitely possible, but it was also a bit of a stretch. Just accept that Harry is scum, Hermione!
Hermione shook her head. She couldn't just accept that because she knew who Harry was and that person that he had been that night wasn't him. She shakily exhaled before letting the water out and stepping onto the cold floor. She quickly dried off and dressed herself, her mind nowhere near being at ease. Now that this theory was in her head she was sure that she wouldn't be able to let it go. What if he did it again while Harry and Ron were in the middle of a dangerous situation? Of course, this was assuming that her theory was true. Either way, she had to let Harry know. First, she had to get out of there though.
Hermione exited the bathroom, briefly glaring at Draco as he sat in the chair, nursing his wounds with Firewhiskey.
"You know, you should be a lot nicer to my family jewels, Hermione. After all, don't you want to be more than properly taken care of when we finally make the beast with two backs," he spoke behind the glass.
She scoffed and walked back towards the bathroom, intent on brushing her hair.
"Don't hold your breath. Actually, that sounds like a marvelous idea. Do hold your breath," she proposed as she walked back into the bathroom.
She faced the counter and picked up the brush that had been left there before looking into the mirror. She dropped the brush with a gasp and it fell from her hands and clattered to the floor. Hermione took in a deep, shuddering breath as she stepped closer to the mirror. She hadn't looked into the mirror before she bathed and the steam from the hot bath had finally cleared off of the reflecting surface. She reached out to run her finger over the smooth surface where her face was before reaching up to touch her cheek. She lifted her chin…
Her hair clung to her face, the curls starting to frizz. Her eyes were swollen and red from all of the crying that she had done. Despite how much sleep she had gotten, there were awful bags underneath them. Her lips were red and cracked from how much she had been chewing on them. She slowly turned her head to the side. One side of her face was slightly swollen and red from when Ginny had slapped her earlier…yesterday…? Hermione shook her head. She needed to know how long she had been out all those days and how long she had slept last night. She looked like a junkie… Or a battered wife, she bitterly thought.
Her eyes zoomed in on movement behind her as Draco stepped into the bathroom. She watched as he stared at her reflection with an unfamiliar expression before stepping up behind her, pulling her hair away from her face and behind her shoulders. His hands rested there as his chin came to rest on top of her forehead.
"You're still the best looking witch there is," he whispered.
Hermione let out a very unladylike snort.
"I mean it," he snapped, forcing her eyes to connect with his in the mirror.
He brought his head down to rest his cheek against hers.
"No other girl in this entire world could compare to you," he murmured.
Hermione frowned at him in the mirror.
"Stop trying to butter me up. It's not going to work," she snapped.
She watched as his hand gently ran down her arm, the other dancing along her neck. She moved her head away as he grazed the other side of her neck with his nose. She swallowed, an involuntary shudder traveling down her spine as he let out a husky chuckle. Her eyelashes fluttered and she forced herself to remain still as he nipped at the skin of her neck, pressing his chest against her back.
"I don't need to butter you up. I've already got you," he whispered.
She suddenly pushed against him, forcing him to let her go. She whirled around to face him with a frown, glaring up at him from beneath her lashes. Her face heated and her heart raced as he stared down at her with that haughty smirk.
"We'll see about that," was her only response before she exited the bathroom.
Hermione.
Hermione.
"Hermione!"
She sat up with a gasp, taking in big, deep breaths of air. She panted, hands shaking and body trembling as brown connected with silver. It took her a minute to realize what she was staring at before she immediately shut her eyes and turned her head away. She pushed her hands against his chest as he gripped her face, turning her back around to face him.
"Look at me," he demanded.
Hermione shook her head, the nightmare still fresh in her brain. She didn't know what he was going to do, but she needed to get her mind right and prepare herself just in case he decided to take a mental dive into her head.
"No," she whispered as she tried her best to turn her head away.
"Hermione, look at me, now," he hissed.
She made a noise of protest as he forced her eyes open. She stare at him in a mixture of fearful anticipation and curiosity. He simply stared at her though, a hard look in his eyes and a clenched jaw to match.
"What were you dreaming about?"
Harry, no!
"Nothing," she quickly responded.
"You're lying-"
"No, I'm not," she protested.
"You were dreaming about him, screaming his name," he growled through clenched teeth.
Harry! Harry, please!
Hermione did her best to avoid his eyes.
"He's my best friend. I miss him," she forced out the lie.
His hands moved down to her arms as he leaned in closer.
"What did he do to you?"
The question was so quiet that Hermione barely heard herself. Her eyes slowly rose to meet his.
"W-what," she shakily asked.
"You heard me," he whispered.
Hermione winced as his grip tightened on her arm.
"I-I-"
"You were screaming for him to stop."
Hermione froze, throat closing up and lips going dry as the nightmare came back to the forefront of her mind. It was about that night, but instead of Harry using the Imperius curse, he just took her, no regard for her feelings or physical wellbeing at all. His teeth had been sharp and his eyes had glowed in the darkness, the color of blood as his cold laughter rang throughout the tent.
"Draco…I was on the run, in hiding for a long time. I'm bound to have some crazy dreams-"
"Stop fucking lying. What happened out there-"
"It's none of your damn business!"
Her jaw clenched and her nostrils flared as she glared at him. He stared back at her, face void of any emotion, no anger in his eyes and no smirk on his lips. Hermione knew that look all too well…
Before she even had time to react, she found herself on her back, Draco's knees pressed into her stomach and hands clenched to the side of her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, turning her head this way and that as he tried to pry them open. She bucked her hips, kicking her legs out as she tried to get him off.
He growled in frustration and Hermione feared that he would get exactly what he wanted. Hermione wasn't ready to tell him, to tell anyone. She still had a lot to figure out herself and the last thing she needed right now was Draco going on a rampage or killing spree. She wasn't ready to face his reaction, to deal with his reaction. It didn't seem like the odds were in her favor thought, so she did the only thing that she could possibly think of.
She didn't even give Draco enough time to register what was happening as she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled his face down to connect with hers. The two of them had only kissed a handful of times, but each time felt like the first time, all those months ago, in the Prefect's bathroom. Even though Hermione had done it to distract him, she couldn't help the way her body reacted, shuddering at this form of contact that the both of them had gone without for so long.
Draco's reaction was immediate. His body relaxed, seemingly melting against her own as his fingers twisted into her hair. His other hand rested on her hip as they lips moved together in unison: pushing, pulling, and nipping. Hermione's hand ran down his arm, clenching around it as she breathed into his mouth. The moment was brought to an abrupt halt when she found her neck exposed, her eyes staring up at the ceiling.
Draco exhaled against the skin of her neck, a sound of utter disappointment.
"It must be…quite bad if you took such measures to distract me," he breathed.
Hermione panted as he shoved her away from him, back reconnecting with the bed as he slowly got off of her.
"Rest assured, Hermione, that I will find out. When I do…you're going to wish that you had told me yourself," he sneered just before leaving the room, the door slamming shut behind him.
"You think you know people...and then they surprise you."-Alison DiLaurentis
"You like your girls insane..." -Lana Del Rey