When hurricane Hermine threw you off schedule ( I live in Fl btw). The chapter title speaks for itself.
Disclaimer: I Own Nothing
"Theo, please. You have to leave-"
Hermione was cut off as he pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened as he brought his hands up to rest on either side of her face as he moved his mouth against hers. It was gentle, it was sweet, it was…wrong. Theo was practically perfect in every way, the kind of guy any girl would dream of and it felt all wrong.
She pulled away, shaking her head and backing up. She pressed her hand to her mouth.
"You shouldn't have done that," she whispered.
"Hermione…I-"
"What's going on in here?"
Hermione looked around Theo just as he turned around. Blaise leaned against the door jam, eyes narrowed. Before Hermione could utter a word, however, Theo had beaten her to it.
"I was just offering to take this to Ginny myself," Theo said, grabbing the tray of food that had been set aside.
"How…thoughtful of you, Theo," Blaise slowly responded.
Hermione got the feeling that he didn't think that it was thoughtful at all. She desperately hoped that he had not seen anything, for Theo's sake.
"Yeah, well, I've been meaning to check on her. I want to see how she's doing," Theo responded with a nod.
Blaise's face suddenly hardened.
"She had a miscarriage, Theo. How do you think she's doing?"
There was a tense, awkward silence.
"I'm sorry," Theo whispered.
Hermione looked down.
"I'll just go on up," he said and then he was gone.
Hermione slowly rose her eyes to meet Blaise's, very much aware of the fact that they were alone. He stepped further into the room before eventually sighing. Blaise looked…like shit, to put it mildly.
"Let's talk, Hermione…"
"Okay."
She had been expecting this, she was prepared for whatever was about to be said. Blaise walked around the large kitchen, stopping beside a window on the far left of the room.
"I went to check on Ginny just after you came down here. She…tore me a new one," Blaise said with a humorless chuckle.
Hermione blinked. He turned away from the window to look at her, an amused look of wonder on his face.
"Her love for you astounds me. Sometimes, I swear that she loves you just a bit more than she loves me," he said.
"Well…I have been a bit nicer to her in the past than you have," Hermione quietly responded.
Blaise chuckled, shoving his hands into his pocket.
"Got the whole story, did you? You don't need to remind me how much of an ass I was, Hermione. I remind myself every day…"
Hermione shuffled on her feet.
"I'm sure that you have a ton of questions. By all means," Blaise said, lifting his hand and gesturing towards her.
"Do you love her?"
Blaise tried to hide his smile, but failed miserably.
"More than anything…but you already knew that. Didn't you?"
His eyes bore into her own as he threw this at her and Hermione sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. Yes, she did.
"I think that I always knew that there had to be more to the story. I didn't want to hear it, though. I wanted to be angry, I felt that I had that right. I still feel like I had that right," she confessed.
"Anger and confusion is okay. It was expected, believe me. Ginny was worried about your reaction the most. Cruelty, however…"
Blaise shook his head as he trailed off.
"You said some awful things to her, things that I'm having a very hard time forgiving. You felt like she betrayed you and that hurt. I get it, but you were being…petty. That's quite unlike you," he said.
"I'm sorry."
Blaise heaved a tired sigh.
"Yeah, I'm sorry too."
"Why did you treat her like that? You had to have known how she felt about you," Hermione suddenly said.
Blaise looked towards the ceiling, slowly exhaling before finally answering.
"I was…scared. I know, right? Slytherins look out for themselves…that isn't just limited to our physical wellbeing. I cared about her, a lot, and in my world, that meant that she was dangerous. I was under the impression that love made you weak…and I loved her."
Hermione leaned against the wall.
"I was protecting myself. It was selfish, it was cowardly, but I didn't care. I underestimated just how much she meant to me…," he said.
He suddenly chuckled.
"When she went back to Dean, it drove me crazy. When she and Potter finally hooked up…yeah, I…I wanted to castrate him. I knew that I had no right, though. She left because I treated her like she was nothing. I had no one to blame but myself," he said, spreading his hands out.
Hermione briefly wondered if he knew about the pregnancy scare. He and Ginny seemed the type to tell each other everything, but it didn't seem like he did. Hermione wasn't going to mention it, though, in case he didn't know. It wasn't her place.
"I want to blame you."
Blaise said this so suddenly and so quietly that Hermione almost missed it. She looked up to find him staring out of the window, picking at the paint on the sill.
"Merlin knows that I want to blame you and no one but you…"
"It's okay. I blame me," Hermione said matter-of-factly.
"No. Ginny was right…we're all to blame. I didn't exactly hold my tongue around you, I wasn't very good at concealing how I felt about you and Ginny knew that. The two of us being out of her sight worried her a lot…"
"Well…I did stab you once. We can't really blame her for thinking we were trying to kill each other any time we crossed paths," Hermione agreed.
"I shouldn't have brought her here," he suddenly said.
Hermione perked up at this, frowning in confusion.
"She wanted to be out there helping her friends in any way that she could and I…I just took her. I didn't care because I just wanted her with me. It was…selfish. I see that now," he whispered.
Hermione said nothing because deep down, she agreed. It was selfish.
"Yes…it was, but…I think I get it. You love her and deep down you knew she felt the same way or…at least you hoped that she did. You didn't want to leave things how they were. You felt as if you owed it to yourself to at least try."
She heard him chuckle again.
"I knew that there was a reason I used to like you. Aside from Ginny caring so much about you, that is. Such a shame that I don't really feel that way now…"
...
"Is that a threat?"
He chuckled, humorlessly.
"No, my dear. That is a warning. A Malfoy always gets what a Malfoy wants and Draco is no exception," he said with a dark look thrown her way just before he began to walk past her.
She found herself rubbing her hands up and down her arms.
"Oh and Hermione?"
She slowly turned around to face Zabini, a serious expression on his face. His next words caused her heart to skip a beat inside of her chest.
"Do be careful. I'm surprisingly rather fond of you and it'd be a shame if you ended up dead."
...
Hermione blinked as the memory of that night rushed to the front of her mind. She had found it odd that Blaise Zabini had taken the time to actively warn her, but never would she have guessed…
"That's why you warned me that day. That's why you took so much interest in warning me about Draco," Hermione said with realization.
It made sense now, why Blaise Zabini, a guy who didn't give a crap about anything, had given a crap about her.
"A lot of good it did," he said.
Yeah, a lot of good it did, Hermione silently agreed. Hermione sighed.
"If she had told you no, told you that she didn't feel that way for you at all anymore and wanted to leave immediately, would you have let her go?"
"Of course," he said without hesitation.
Hermione frowned, incredibly skeptical.
"Would you have really done that? Would you have put her happiness before your own?"
Blaise turned around, a small smirk on his lips, before walking towards her. He stopped just beside her, looking her in the eyes and said:
"We're not all Draco, Hermione."
And then he was gone.
"Hermione, just…go to the library or something. Seriously," Ginny said once again.
Hermione had gone upstairs to sit with her, Theo long gone, thankfully. Ginny had hardly touched any of the food that she had gotten for her and that made Hermione nervous. She knew that Ginny's moments of content would be short lived. No doubt, it would be like that for quite some time. Still, Hermione worried like any normal person would.
"I'm sorry if I'm being a bit…smothering. I just don't think that you should be alone, right now. I can go get Blaise if you want," Hermione responded.
Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Are the two of you cordial now…?"
Hermione looked away, rolling her eyes.
"We're…trying. He still doesn't like me and to be perfectly honest, I'm not exactly his biggest fan either."
Hermione really didn't appreciate how he had treated Ginny in the past, but clearly Ginny had forgiven him for it.
"Hey…"
Hermione looked up as Ginny laid her hand on her arm.
"You guys are trying and that's all I can ask for. I love both of you and I really want you two to get along because…he's not going anywhere, Hermione," Ginny quietly said.
Hermione sighed.
"Yeah, I kind of figured that," she sourly replied.
"Go. I know how much being cramped in this room bothers you. I'll be okay," Ginny reassured.
"Maybe that's true, but like I said…I don't think that you should be alone…"
Ginny didn't respond right away, instead looking at her with a peculiar expression.
"Are you sure that it's me who you don't think should be alone…?"
Hermione didn't respond, looking towards the window instead. Ginny's words hit a bit too close to home because Hermione really didn't want to be alone right now. Her emotions, her thoughts, they were all over the place. Truth be told, she was afraid to be alone. She was afraid of what would happen if she ran into Theo again, afraid of what would happen if she nodded off or something. Hermione was beginning to scare herself.
"Hermione…?"
Hermione swallowed.
"Theo kissed me," she whispered.
Her confession was met with silence. Hermione slowly stood from the bed, wrapping her arms around herself. She walked towards the window, leaning against the wall.
"He offered to get me out of here, to take me wherever I want to go. All he asked in return was that I just give him a chance… You know what this means, right? You understand the severity of this, right," Hermione questioned, turning around.
Ginny's eyes were wide, stunned, but she eventually nodded.
"Yes, I understand. I like Theo. He's sweet and if Draco ever found out…," Ginny trailed off.
Hermione let out a shaky breath.
"Well…how did it make you feel?"
Hermione let out a humorless chuckle, eyes watering.
"Hermione," Ginny worriedly questioned.
"This isn't right," she whispered, shaking her head.
"What's not right? Hermione, what's wrong?"
A lone tear skipped down Hermione's cheek.
"I think there's something wrong with me," she breathed.
Ginny scooted to the edge of the bed.
"Sometimes…I look into the mirror and I don't even recognize myself. Sometimes I think that this can't possibly be me because I wouldn't think some of the things that I think. I wouldn't want to do some of the things that I want to do…"
"Hermione, you're scaring me."
"When Theo kissed me…I kind of wanted to hit him. Actually…I kind of wanted to do a bit more than just hit him. Theo's a sweetheart, everything that a girl could ever ask for in a guy. He kissed me and it felt…wrong. It made me feel so wrong, I just wanted to…I wanted to strangle him," Hermione confessed.
Ginny's eyes widened and she let out a shaky breath.
"That's…okay. I mean…you've been under a lot of stress too. We all go a little crazy sometimes," Ginny comforted.
Hermione looked at her.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Ginny said with a nod.
Hermione nodded.
"You're right. It'll pass, I just need to rest. I wish that I could…"
"Well, sleepwalking can sometimes be the result of a traumatic event. Draco did try to kill you," Ginny spat.
Hermione said nothing and Ginny took this opportunity to gently grab her hands.
"I'll help you get through this. We'll help each other… We are going to be okay," Ginny said.
Again, Hermione said nothing.
"Hey, look at me. Everything is going to be alright…"
"No," Hermione suddenly said.
"No, Hermione it is. I'm going to help you get out of here, no matter what. I-"
"You don't understand. It's not just…something happened while we were hunting for the Horcruxes…"
Ginny blinked, frowning in confusion.
"What? What happened? Was it Ron?"
Hermione shook her head. She swallowed, closing her eyes. It was coming out and she couldn't stop it…even if she wanted to.
"Harry raped me," Hermione blurted out.
Hermione felt her shoulders sag with released tension, exhaling. Her confession was met with silence and she opened her eyes and met Ginny's horrified ones. Ginny slowly slid off of the bed, her eyes wide, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"What…," Ginny breathed.
"Ron had left. He and Harry had gotten into a very heated argument and he left. I stayed because…I couldn't just abandon Harry, no matter how much I wanted to. We then got into an argument because…he…he just wouldn't let it rest. The whole thing with Draco was just driving him crazy. I was going to leave and he used the Imperius Curse-"
"Bloody hell!"
"Ginny, I need you to calm down…," Hermione sobbed.
"No! No! He's still breathing because…?"
"Ginny, it's a bit more complicated than that," Hermione said.
"Why are you so calm? What the hell!"
"Ginny, please," Hermione hissed, grabbing the redhead's arms.
"Hermione…why didn't you…I'm so sorry," Ginny cried.
"Ginny, please," Hermione begged, glancing at the door.
Ginny was still emotional and Hermione really should have considered that before she blurted it out. Ginny took deep breaths, anger and disgust splashed all over her face.
"How can you be so calm, Hermione? How could he do that to you? Harry loves you, I don't understand why he would-," Ginny broke off with a sob.
"I had my freak-out. I'm not saying that I had one and now I'm done. It was just…with everything else going on, it was very easy to push it to the back of my mind. It was very easy not to dwell on it. Besides, the truth is…I hardly remember it at all. It's very hazy, kind of like it an old dream or looking at it through fog…but it still happened. My first time was with Harry Potter under the influence of an Imperius Curse," Hermione spat.
She had never said it aloud before. Hermione didn't know how to feel now that she had.
"What did you mean when you said that it's complicated? Does this have something to do with why you're so…scarily calm?"
"It's hard to explain. You know how Harry and You-Know-Who are connected? How he can make Harry see what he wants him to see?"
Ginny swallowed, sniffling with a frown.
"Yeah…wait…"
Ginny shook her head.
"Are you saying that…? Look, it's not that I don't want you to be right because Merlin knows that I do. I want you to be right. I don't want to think that Harry is really capable of something like that, but…why would You-Know-Who do that? It doesn't make any sense, Hermione," Ginny said.
"Believe me, I know, but I know what I saw. Those weren't Harry's eyes…"
Ginny suddenly wrapped her arms around Hermione.
"I'm okay, Ginny," she whispered.
"No, you're not. What if you were already on the edge, huh? What if Draco just pushed you right off? He's making this worse. That bastard is driving you crazy. He's literally driving you crazy!"
Before Hermione could respond, the door had opened and in came Blaise, a worried expression on his face.
"I heard you screaming, Ginny. What's wrong?"
Hermione didn't miss the accusing look he threw at her. She rolled her eyes the same time Ginny answered, wiping her face.
"Just girl talk, Blaise. I'm fine," she said.
He looked torn between leaving and stepping further into the room.
"Are you sure…?"
"Yes. Hermione didn't do anything, so you can wipe that look off of your face," Ginny snapped.
Blaise cleared his throat.
"Right, sorry. Just let me know if you need anything," he said.
"I will."
Blaise reluctantly left, the door clicking shut behind him.
"I'm so sorry, Hermione," Ginny tearfully whispered once he was gone.
"Ginny…I don't want to talk about it. I…I can't, okay? I know that's cowardly, but I don't care. I'm not ready to dive in just yet. I just needed to tell someone," Hermione shakily whispered, shoulders trembling.
Hermione could tell that Ginny wasn't ready to let it go just yet, but the redhead nodded anyway.
"You understand the severity of this as well, right?"
Ginny hurriedly nodded.
"Yes."
Ginny wouldn't take her eyes off of Hermione.
"Ginny…please," Hermione sighed.
"I'm sorry," she said, looking away.
"Don't apologize. It's a lot to take in, I understand. I told you, though, I'm fine…"
"You keep saying that, Hermione, but…I don't think that you are," Ginny said.
Hermione said nothing, instead taking Ginny's hand and squeezing it with a small smile because deep down…Hermione didn't think that she was either.
Hermione turned the corner and looked up in surprise. She was just on her way to the library when she had bumped into the one person who surprisingly hadn't been on her mind all day. She hadn't really seen much of him since the night that Ginny had lost the baby. Hermione felt awkward as she remembered how she had let everything go for just five minutes, allowing him to comfort her, too heartbroken and guilt-ridden to care.
He towered over her, looking down his nose at her with an unfamiliar expression. It was one that she was sure she had never seen on him. There was a tense awkward silence as they stared at one another before he finally broke it.
"I heard that you and Blaise came to some sort of understanding," he said.
Hermione frowned in confusion at the direction that the conversation was going.
"Um…yeah. I guess you could say that," she replied.
"Good. I was afraid that if he called you a bitch one more time, Ginny was going to be mourning the loss of two lives instead of one," he hinted.
Hermione swallowed.
"How touching," she dryly commented.
"I assume that you're going to the library. If that's all…," he trailed off, eyes trained on her.
Hermione once again found herself frowning in confusion. If that's all?
"Well, I have nothing else to say to you, so yes…that is all," she smartly replied.
Hermione blinked in surprise when he reached up and brushed her hair away from her face, tucking a few strands behind her ear. He smirked, letting out a soft scoff, gazing down at her from beneath his lashes, eyes narrowed. He suddenly snatched his hand away, brushing past her and walking down the hall.
Hermione's frown deepened before she shook her head, deciding that his odd behavior wasn't important. She hurried towards the library, nothing but books on her mind. Ginny was fast asleep, Blaise up there with her and Hermione needed a good distraction. Something that would soothe her, something familiar.
As soon as the doors closed behind her, a hand was covering her mouth. Before she could even react, she was being spun around, mouth still covered, to come face to face with Theo. He pressed a finger to his lips. Hermione jerked away from him, eyes wide and heart beating erratically. She watched as he cracked the door open, glancing outside before shutting it again.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Hermione's question came out as a quiet hiss, both scared and angry. Theo frowned, shoving his hands into his pocket.
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning. It's only for about a week. Draco is so far up You-Know-Who's arse right now, so he's got Draco ordering us around like dogs."
"Well, then it would seem like Draco isn't exactly someone you would want to challenge then," Hermione hinted.
"Don't you get it? You're worth it, Hermione," he said.
"Theo, you need to leave…now," Hermione begged.
"I'm not giving up. I won't be satisfied until I've done everything that I possibly can to get you out of here," he whispered.
"You are playing a dangerous game. Will you also be just as satisfied when you end up dead?"
Theo rolled his eyes.
"You don't need to tell me that I'm acting like some lovesick idiot, alright? Blaise loves to throw that in my face every chance he gets," Theo sighed.
"Then why? Why are you doing this? Don't you care at all about-?"
"Draco doesn't scare me," he interrupted.
"Then you really are an idiot. How do you think I would feel if something happened to you because of me? Does that not matter to you? That I wouldn't be able to even live with myself?"
Theo sighed.
"I'm sorry. I just…I know what he's capable of. He's turned the purest of people into bloodthirsty deviants. I don't want that to be you," he quietly said.
"You're a wonderful guy, Theo. You're going to make some girl very happy one day, but it isn't going to be me. I appreciate your effort, I do, but I'd appreciate you living even more. This can't happen again. Goodbye, Theo," she said.
She went to hug him, but thought better of it. She decided that she could always come back to the library later, deciding to give him a moment to himself. With one last look, she was out of the door.
Hermione looked up in surprise at the knock on her door. She'd decided to stay in her own room tonight, seeing that Blaise was staying with Ginny instead of her. She had just drawn a bath, preparing to get in, but her bath would clearly have to wait. She pulled her shirt back on over her head before answering the door.
She blinked in surprise -she was getting surprised a lot lately- at the figure in front of her. Draco stood before her, much more dressed down than she was used to seeing. His tousled hair fell into his forehead, appearing as if he had been running his hands through it nonstop. The dark circles under his eyes were much more prominent than normal.
"Since when do you ever knock?"
She frowned in confusion as he leaned against the doorjamb, a somber expression on his face.
"Can we talk?"
Hermione frowned, equal parts confused, worried, and a bit afraid. He was acting very…unlike him.
"Please…"
Now Hermione's nervousness had increased tenfold. Draco never pleaded for anything. He demanded, he took…he manipulated. Draco Malfoy never says please. He didn't give her a chance to respond, instead taking a step back before walking down the hallway. Hermione didn't know what possessed her to follow him. Maybe it had something to do with his out of character behavior. It definitely clued her in that whatever it was that he wanted to discuss, it was serious.
She followed him throughout the large mansion, all the way to the first floor. When he got to the back door, Hermione stopped.
"You're going outside? Draco, what the hell is this about?"
"My mum," he said and then he was out of the door.
At that, Hermione hurriedly followed. This was about Narcissa?
"Is she alright? Is she sick or something," Hermione asked.
Draco ran his hand down his face, black tee stretching with the movement, as it began to sprinkle, light drops hitting Hermione's face.
"No, she's not sick. She's…," he trailed off, reaching for her.
He gently wrapped his hand around her upper arm, turning to face her, gazing into her eyes.
"You're going to need to be there for her, Hermione. I need you to be there for her," he said.
Hermione was gently dragged along, face twisted into confusion. What was he talking about?
"What are you on about?"
"She adores Theo, loves him like she would a second son."
It was with these words that Hermione froze, feet moving on autopilot as she looked up at him. Her eyes widened as she stared at his profile, his words sinking into her brain. A sick feeling fell over Hermione.
"Draco…what the hell did you do? What is going on," she demanded.
He didn't answer, instead dragging her along through the downpour. As Hermione looked ahead, she could make out two figures standing in the backyard. They got closer and her eyes widened. Hermione stared through the rain at Theo, one side of his face completely bruised as Blaise held him in an iron grip. She turned to face Draco in confusion, eyes wide and questioning. He looked down at her, eyes devoid of all emotion as a slow smirk graced his lips before speaking.
"Ladies and gentlemen...we are gathered here today to celebrate the short, yet pathetic life of one Theodore Nott Jr."
Hermione tugged against his grip, but he held on tight. Her eyes flickered back and forth between Theo and Draco before they settled on the latter.
"What the hell? What is the meaning of this?"
Her breaths came out short and choppy because Hermione was positive that she was on the verge of a breakdown. Draco gently pulled her closer, leaning down to trail his nose along her own, leaning down further to graze her cheek. He stopped, lips brushing against her ear before whispering:
"Did you really think that I wouldn't find out?"
Hermione swallowed as he pulled away, stormy eyes boring into her own. She clenched her jaw, closing her eyes. Why was she not surprised?
"Was it Ginny?"
Draco chuckled.
"No, actually, but I'm glad to hear that she knew as well."
Draco sounded as if he was anything but glad to hear that. Hermione opened her eyes at this.
"Blaise told me. He saw everything," Draco said., staring down at her.
Hermione cut her eyes to Blaise, glaring at him with everything she had.
"Why the look of betrayal? Have you forgotten so quickly? Blaise isn't your friend. He's not loyal to you, he's loyal to me," Draco hissed.
Hermione let out a shaky breath.
"Draco…this is a bit extreme, don't you think? You're being unnecessary," she said.
Draco let out a very unsettling chuckle.
"Unnecessary? I disagree. I gave him fair warning. Theo knew what would happen if he so much as breathed in your direction. Not only did he not heed that warning…," Draco trailed off.
Draco turned to stare at the blue eyed boy.
"…but he even went as far to put his lips on something that didn't belong to him. I have half a mind to rip them off. You know what? I just might do that," Draco spat.
"Stop! Draco, this is crazy. I'm a person, with her own mind. I am not some object," she snarled.
Draco's head snapped towards her, eyebrows furrowed. He slowly turned to fully face her, eyes glassy as he bent down to her level, resting the palms of his hands on her cheeks.
"Don't you get it? You're just as much mine…as I am yours."
Hermione swallowed, aware of the eyes on them.
"We're not together, Draco."
"But we will be," he said.
"No, we won't," she yelled.
"Yes, we will! We will be together, but he's trying to stop that. He's trying to come in between us…"
Draco stood upright, face drastically changing, voice dropping.
"…and you're letting him."
"No…"
Draco took a step towards her and she took one back.
"Blaise said that it took you too long to pull away," he whispered.
Hermione continued to back up, shaking her head.
"I was in shock!"
"Were you? Or were you too busy enjoying it," he hissed.
"Stop this! We've been over this before. I don't want him," she repeated.
Draco tilted his head, fair hair clinging to his forehead.
"Why not? He's a handsome fellow. He's pureblood, rich, and such a sweetheart. You girls love that," he mocked.
"Stop!"
"Why don't you want him, Hermione? He's perfect," Draco sang, reaching for her and turning her to face Theo.
She squirmed in his iron grip, one arm around her arms and the other hand forcing her head to face Theo. Draco brushed his lips against her neck.
"What's not to love, sweetheart? What is it about Theo that doesn't do it for you," he purred.
She jerked against him, stomping on his feet, but it did no good.
"Is his hair too dark? Is he too nice?"
"You're despicable," she spat.
"Why did you let him put his filthy lips on you, but you won't even let me touch you?"
His question came out harsh and Hermione felt her blood boil.
"You know what? That's a good question. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he knows how to treat people. Maybe you should try being more like him," she threw at him.
Draco chuckled, pressing his lips to her cheek. He inhaled.
"Who knows? I'd do anything for you, so maybe one day I will be more like him…but today is not that day," he snarled, gently shoving her away from him.
He walked towards Theo and Hermione jumped in front of him, shoving her hands against his chest. Her fingers twisted into the fabric of his shirt.
"I'm going to slit his throat, Hermione."
"No," she cried, feet digging into the mud.
"I'm going to bash his pretty little face in. I won't rest until every drop of his blood is spilled out onto this lawn," he spat.
"Draco, please," she screamed, shoving against him with all of her might.
She could hear Theo behind her, struggling in Blaise's hold.
"But first…," Draco trailed off.
He slowly pulled out his wand, eyes trained on nothing but Theo, bright and piercing.
"I want to watch him squirm," he whispered.
"No," she pleaded, reaching for his arm.
He blocked her with the other one, keeping her an arm's distance away. She fought to reach for his other hand, vision blurring. She couldn't let him do this…
"I want to hear him scream."
Draco suddenly stopped walking, eyes suddenly lighting up, and a gleeful expression on his face.
"And you know what…?"
He smiled, genuinely smiled, before looking down at her.
"I want you to do it."
Hermione froze, eyes widening. She could not have heard him right. Her lips parted in shock.
"What?"
"You heard me," he said, eyebrow raised.
"W-what? N-no," she stuttered.
"Just one time. Just one time and I'll leave him alone. I'll let him go and let him live his sad little life. I just want to hear the Cruciatus Curse come out of those pretty little lips," he murmured, brushing his thumb against her bottom lip.
She smacked his hand away.
"Draco, no. I can't-"
"Can't or won't," he challenged.
She glared at him, jaw clenched.
"Take your pick!"
He shrugged.
"Fine. Don't do it. I'll just have to do it myself then…"
He heaved a sigh.
"But if I do it…," he said, an expression of mock sadness on his face.
Hermione watched as he trailed the tip of his wand down her cheek, across her collar bone and down her shirt, eyes never leaving hers. Goosebumps rose over her flesh.
"…I'm not going to stop."
Hermione gulped, frowning.
"Don't do it, Hermione," Theo yelled.
Draco raised his eyebrows, pearly whites on display.
"Sounds like your boyfriend doesn't want you to do it," he said, chuckling.
Hermione stared at Draco before turning to look at Theo. Theo had his arms bent behind his back, Blaise behind him. Theo shook his head at her.
"Don't do it, Hermione."
If Hermione didn't do it…then Draco would kill him. There was no debate about that; it was a fact. Hermione wouldn't be able to live with herself. Hermione pressed her hand to her mouth.
"Come on," Draco sang.
She looked at him. He smiled at her.
"It's fun. See?"
Before Hermione could stop him Theo was screaming, falling out of Blaise's hold and squirming on the ground.
"Stop! Stop," she shrieked, hitting Draco's chest.
Draco lowered his wand and Theo quieted. Hermione turned to see him still trembling on the ground, folded in on himself. Hermione felt Draco come up behind her, his chest pressed to her back, chin resting on her shoulder. He lifted her hand, putting the wand in her hand, but quickly wrapping his own hand around hers. He wasn't stupid.
"I'll teach you," he whispered.
Tears ran down Hermione's cheek.
"I can't do this," she sobbed.
"Shh, yes you can," he whispered in her ear.
Hermione's chest heaved.
"Please, don't make me do this," she pleaded.
"We'll sound it out together. Cru-ci-."
"Stop! Stop! I can't, I can't" she cried.
Yes, you can, a dark voice whispered. Hermione couldn't do this. She couldn't do this. You have to. If she didn't do this then Theo was going to die. Draco was going to kill him. It's just one time, she thought. She only had to do it one time.
"What's wrong? Afraid you might like it," Draco purred against her skin.
A shudder traveled down her spine, her body trembling. A flash of lightning splayed across the sky.
"Come on, sweetheart. You can do this…"
You have to, Hermione. Hermione tightened her grip on the wand, Draco's grip tightening on her hand.
"There you go…"
Hermione let out a shaky breath.
"3…2…"
Hermione closed her eyes. Just one time…
"1…"
"Crucio!"
Just curious... Who saw that coming? Tell me what you think!