"Afraid of me, Hermione?" he breathed against her skin, lips covering her own again.

She pressed her chest against his own as he held her hand to his arm.

"No," she gasped, jerking when his leg settled in between her own, grazing in between her thighs.

"No?" he purred.

She shook her head, using her free hand to dig into his back, fighting to yank his shirt out of his pants.

"What if I told you…" his mouth traveled to her ear, his lips grazing the skin there as he caged her against the door. "…that Potter was right about me?"

All of her movements halted, and she swallowed as he pulled away. She looked at him with a flushed face and wide eyes as he stared her down, the look there freezing her in place. Confusion clouded her features before she eventually dragged her gaze down, eyes landing on their hands.

Beneath their hands, and on his left forearm, marked into his otherwise unblemished skin, was none other than the Dark Mark.

Hermione sat at the back of the classroom, teeth worrying into her lip as she stared off to the left, gazing at nothing in particular. Her school books and parchment lay before her on her desk, but her hands remained in her lap, not even bothering to feign paying attention. She could occasionally feel a pair of eyes or two on her, but it was not unusual. After all, her uncharacteristic behavior had been a common thing for almost three weeks now.

She sat alone now in the hall, something that had garnered a lot of attention. She barely acknowledged her friends, but despite her odd behavior, her marks had not faltered, so her professors had made no move to approach her. Although, she could feel their worried glances from time to time. Ginny had finally approached her about her behavior after a few days or so, but Hermione had given some mumbled excuse that she couldn't even recall now. She assumed that Ginny had passed something along to Harry and Ron as well, because despite how worried they clearly were, they had yet to actively seek her out.

Hermione was at war with herself. She had been for weeks.

.

.

.

Hermione released a shaky breath, fingers trembling as they brushed over the mark on his arm. Draco had long dropped his hand, eyes trained on her as she processed what she was seeing. For the first time in her life, Hermione felt…numb. She wasn't scared or shocked or angry. She wasn't…anything. At least, that was true at first.

Her eyes finally lifted to meet his, and she stumbled away from him, terror coursing through her frame.

Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater…

…and she'd had sex with him.

She had shared her first time with a Death Eater. She'd been at her most vulnerable with someone who wanted to see her, and everyone like her, dead. He could have killed her…he still could.

That sudden train of thought made her freeze.

Was that…true though?

It couldn't be true. Draco may have had the Dark Mark, but some things weren't adding up.

He'd apologized to her and confessed that blood purity was a bunch of hogwash. If he had been lying, then he was a very talented liar. Even still, he'd been there for her when her friends weren't, helping her when he didn't even have to. Unless… What if Harry was right? What if he'd been gaining her trust all this time for sinister reasons?

That still didn't make much sense. He'd bonded his friends to her in some way that was purely beneficial for her, something that had prompted their argument. If he was planning to harm her in some way, what was the point of that? Why would he go through so much trouble? It didn't make any sense.

"I can see that reason is finally starting to take hold, huh?" Draco mused, that devilish smirk on his lips.

"I'm…confused," Hermione confessed, eyeing him.

"I told you that I had no intentions of harming you, Hermione. I meant that. Everything I've ever told you was true," he replied.

Hermione huffed, glancing away before narrowing her eyes at him.

"Then why do you have the Dark Mark? That-that thing is a symbol of hatred. It represents ideologies that strive to see me and anyone like me dead or…or enslaved!"

Draco took a hesitant step forward, taking another when she did not back away.

"I told you… I've had to do unspeakable things to protect those I care about. This is one of them…"

Hermione frowned, heart clenching at the thought of Draco being forced to take the mark just to protect someone else.

"I… I don't know if I believe you," she truthfully replied.

Draco nodded at that.

"I'd be a fool to expect you to. I'm hoping that in time you'll believe me…trust me again. Right now, I just want you to know the truth. I want you to know that Potter is right, and I am one of them. I may not believe in what they do, but it doesn't change the fact that I have this ugly thing on my arm," he said.

Hermione glanced down, backing away.

"I know what you want to ask, and… I don't know. That's my answer for now. I don't know if I'm going to tell Harry or Dumbledore. I need time…to think," she rushed out before scrambling past him.

She ran out into the corridor, the portrait slamming shut behind her as her shoulders weighed down with the responsibility of the secret she carried.

.

.

.

She had trusted Draco, and scarily enough, she realized that a part of her still did. After all, everything he'd told her made sense. Everything he had told her before she discovered his mark added up with the notion that he'd been forced to get the Dark Mark. All of it added up, but… What if she was wrong? What if Draco was an amazing liar and there was something else at play? What if she was putting her friends and herself in danger by trusting him?

Hermione sighed, drawing attention from a few nearby students.

She knew that the right thing to do was to tell Dumbledore, or at the very least, Harry. However, she knew that if she told Harry, it would be a witch hunt. She was fearful of how the dark haired boy would approach Draco, and she didn't want to see anyone get hurt. She didn't want to see Draco get hurt.

Hermione barely registered that class was being dismissed, and she glanced up just in time to see Draco pass by, her eyes catching his. She swallowed, quickly glancing away as she gathered her things and prepared to leave. She'd just barely slipped through the door when she was stopped.

"Granger," the dark haired girl evenly greeted.

Hermione stared at Parkinson with wide eyes, clutching her books to her chest.

"Parkinson," Hermione hesitantly replied.

She briefly wondered if Parkinson had one too, and suddenly she was wearing her lip out all over again. The Slytherin girl gave her an even smile.

"Draco's the only one," she suddenly said, seeming to read Hermione's thoughts on her face.

Hermione swallowed. So she knew…

"You know… I shouldn't- I shouldn't be talking to you about this. You're his friend and clearly biased, and anything you say will obviously be aimed to steer me in his favor," she replied.

The dark haired girl reached out, gently looping her arm through Hermione's as she led them down the corridor.

"While that is true, I look out for myself. That being said, steering you in Draco's favor will benefit me, as well."

Hermione frowned, ignoring the looks they were receiving from other students in the corridor. She was sure that the sight of them made an odd pair.

"I really shouldn't be telling you this, but personally, I think Draco is an idiot. He's going about all of this the wrong way. He has a flair for the dramatics," she scoffed.

Hermione's interest was piqued, wondering how on earth anything she did could possibly benefit Parkinson.

"You see, Granger," she began in a whisper. "We want out. None of us want to serve an old man who would lay waste to his own followers just to get what he wants. I may be thick headed at times, but even I can see that if he won, it wouldn't exactly be a paradise for the rest of us. Constantly living in fear of messing up lest you get your throat slit? Who wants to live like that…?"

Hermione kept her expression even amongst the students despite the shock that was coursing through her veins. Was she hearing all of this correctly?

"Draco wants to be rid of him. He wants to be rid of all of them…"

Parkinson turned, embracing Hermione in what would appear to be a parting hug. The other girl's lips were at her ear as Hermione stared past her with wide eyes.

"…and he wants your help."

"Hermione, sit…please," the redhead begged as she grabbed onto Hermione's hand, preventing her from passing by.

Hermione sighed, tempted to refuse before she relented at the pleading look in Ginny's eyes. Ron and Harry sat across from them with Dean on Ginny's other side, the handsome boy in an animated conversation with Seamus.

"How are you feeling?" Ginny asked.

"Better," was Hermione's simple reply.

"I know that you said you needed some time alone…" had she said that? "…but I saw you talking to Parkinson in the hall and I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"Oh," Hermione breathed, distracted as Draco entered the hall. "Everything's fine. She was just asking about the revision."

"It seemed a little intimate for questions about homework."

Hermione's attention was pulled to Harry then, and she frowned. The statement was worded innocently enough, but she could see right through him. She narrowed her eyes at him as he eyed her. Ron, sensing the tension, chose that moment to speak up.

"Hermione…um… I know that some weeks ago you mentioned that you were thinking about asking me to the Christmas Party. If you still want to go, I'd be perfectly fine with that," he suddenly said.

Ginny and Harry eyed him and his reddening face, but Hermione's attention was elsewhere as she eyed Draco and Nott speaking in hushed whispers at their table.

"Zabini asked me to go with him," she absentmindedly responded.

She only realized what she'd said when Harry spoke up.

"You're going to Slughorn's Christmas Party with Zabini?"

"Blaise Zabini?" Ginny practically yelled.

Hermione faced them again, eyes widening a bit as she sighed in exasperation. She had meant to cross that bridge when she got there, not blurt it out during dinner after Ron practically asked her to go.

"It isn't like that. We're both going, anyway and…" she turned to look at Ron. "…I didn't think you wanted to go considering…"

Hermione suddenly frowned, noticing the absence of a certain blonde girl. Ron looked a bit sheepish as her gaze fell on him, and he rubbed the back of his head.

"Lav' and I are…taking a bit of a break," he answered her silent question.

"I see, so you only asked me because you two aren't together at the moment," she said matter-of-factly.

"No, it isn't like that-!"

"You're going with Zabini?" Harry interrupted, still stuck on that.

Hermione suddenly stood as she watched Draco exit the hall.

"I don't have time for this Harry, I have to go," she rushed out.

She'd barely made it to the door when a gentle tug on her arm pulled her to a stop. She spun to frown at Harry in confusion as he glanced between her and the door.

"What's going on with you, Hermione?"

"What are you talking about?" she questioned, playing dumb.

"We were shitty, I get it. Believe me, I do, and when you felt like you had no one, you had your roommate. Things can start going back to how they were, now. I know that that's going to take time, but you really expect me to let you become chummy with the Slytherins in the meantime?"

Hermione reared back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hugging Pansy Parkinson in the halls, and now you're going to the Christmas Party with Blaise Zabini?"

Hermione opened her mouth to say something that wasn't so nice before she shook her head with a sigh. She looked up at him with sad eyes, a damning thought finally registering within her. Harry still didn't trust her. He could pretend all he wanted, but she could see it in his eyes. He still had doubts. He didn't trust her, and he probably never would again. There was probably always going to be a part of him that doubted her.

Hermione finally accepted that.

"Think what you want, Harry."

That was her simple response to him, and her shoulders sagged as she finally exited the hall, because Draco was nowhere to be found.

"I did tell you that you look stunning, correct?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, face growing hot under Zabini's praise.

"Yes, you did, but you already knew that," she said with a shake of her head.

She backed out of the way of a student passing by carrying a tray of food.

"I just want to make sure that I'm being the perfect date. Draco would kill me if I mistreated you this evening," he replied as he offered her his arm.

Hermione gingerly wrapped her hand around it.

"I have a feeling that you aren't joking," she breathed, smoothing her hands down her pink dress.

Zabini's only reply was a playful smile. Hermione glanced around, desperately wanting to speak with Draco. She didn't know how he planned to sneak in, but she wasn't going to question it.

"Can I ask you something, Zabini?" she suddenly blurted out, turning to face him.

"When have you ever hesitated to ask a question?" he asked with a very familiar smirk on his lips.

"Right. Why did you –all of you– agree to…bind yourselves to me? Parkinson gave me some insight on what you all…want, and that Draco wants my help, but… Why would you put yourself through such a thing?"

"The answer is too simple for you to fully comprehend," he responded.

"Try me," she challenged, slightly offended.

He stared at her for a painful amount of time, the smirk nowhere to be found as he uttered one word.

"Loyalty."

Hermione's shoulders sagged as she huffed.

"You're right, I don't understand," she confessed with a roll of her eyes.

Zabini chuckled, reaching out to pluck a drink from a nearby student with a tray full of them. He lifted the glass to his full lips, eyeing her.

"Draco thinks you're what we need to get what we want. He also thinks that Potter and Dumbledore can't do shit to protect you…"

"I can protect myself," she hastily replied.

"…and Draco knows that, but there's nothing wrong with a little backup."

Hermione frowned at this, and Zabini laughed behind the glass.

"I know what you're thinking, and yes. Draco does need you, but it goes beyond that. He wants your help. He doesn't just need you, but he wants you... He's determined to keep you unharmed by whatever means necessary, because he knows how dangerous this will be..."

Hermione glanced away, catching Harry's eye from across the room.

"You're important to us and our cause, Granger."

She turned back to face him.

"I'm important to Dumbledore's cause too," she replied.

Zabini smirked as he looked away.

"Dumbledore has no qualms about involving bold children in his schemes. You may be important to his cause, Granger, but you're just as easily replaceable."

Hermione swallowed, unable to reply. Before she even thought to finally say something a loud bang was suddenly heard, capturing everyone's attention. Her eyes widened as they landed on Filch, the older man dragging in none other than her dorm mate.

"Professor Slughorn, sir… I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor," the gravelly voice reached their ears.

Hermione sighed as she shook her head at Draco.

"…he claims to have been invited to your party-."

"He was!"

Hermione froze as everyone turned to look at her, and she realized too late that she was the one who said that. She glanced at Zabini as he raised an eyebrow at her, visibly amused. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before she finally faced Professor Slughorn.

"He was invited, Professor. I invited him," she lied, ignoring the way other students eyed the two of them.

"Did you, now? Well, uh…as you can see he was invited by the brilliant Ms. Granger, so…everyone carry on! Carry on," Professor Slughorn urged with a nervous chuckle, encouraging everyone to forget the interruption.

She avoided Filch's suspicious eyes as she approached them, dragging Draco to where Zabini was located. She glanced around, swallowing at Harry's glare. She looked away and immediately regretted it. Her eyes caught those of Snape's from across the room and the way he eyed her made her feel as if he knew everything that she was hiding.

Hermione turned away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she glared at Draco.

"I thought you were going to find a way to sneak in," she sarcastically chided.

Draco gave the other Slytherin a look, and Zabini turned away, leaving them alone.

"You know, I was tempted to not even come tonight. After all, I'm still…confused and the last thing I need is to talk to you," she said.

She eyed him in his black suit, biting her lip as she did so.

"I'm glad you did. I know that you said you needed time, but…I really wanted to see you, up close that is. I really wanted to speak to you."

Hermione sighed, avoiding Harry's eyes as she looked around.

"I only came because I wanted to tell you that I'm not going to tell Harry…nor Dumbledore," she whispered.

She gazed up at him, watching as he started to reach for her before thinking better of it.

"There are some things that I still need to think about, but…I just wanted to tell you that."

He gave the barest of nods. She stared into his eyes, heat washing over her as he did the same, only his eyes seemed to be much darker for a reason she chose not to name.

"You can trust me, Draco, but now I need to decide if I can trust you."

She stared at him for a few more moments before turning away and exiting the party.

It was late, so much later than Hermione would have liked. She'd been lying in bed for hours, sleep not within her grasp, it seemed. She released a heavy sigh as she stared up at the ceiling, a million thoughts swirling inside of her head. She had been truthful when she told Draco that she would keep his secret. She truly had no intentions of telling anyone. However…

Keeping a secret and doing what she was considering at the moment were two different things. She reached up, brushing her fingers along her neck as she let out a shaky breath. The more she trusted Draco, the more she wanted his hands on her. In her hair and on her neck. She longed to be vulnerable in their custody…

Knowing that Draco was a Death Eater was one thing. Willingly sleeping with him after discovering that fact was something else entirely. Furthermore, she was sure that he would take that as a sign that she was all in for whatever it was that he planned to do, and she was still on the fence about that. She'd long admitted to herself that she did indeed trust him. Or at the very least, she wanted to…

She sat up, a war raging within her as she ran her hands through her hair. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest as she threw her covers back, her feet connecting with the cold floor as she swung her legs over her bed. The dorm was eerily quiet as she exited her room. In fact, it seemed like the silence extended forever, as if the whole world was watching her daring decision.

Draco didn't stir when she entered his room, and she leaned her back against the door as she closed it behind her. She'd never been in his room before, and for some reason, she felt like she was taking a bigger step, crossing a bigger line that what she believed. She stood just like that for a moment, staring at his sleeping form, the soft rise and fall of his chest momentarily distracting her. Forcing herself away from the door, she slowly approached his bed.

She swallowed as she stood over him, before licking her lips to speak. However, before she was even able to utter a word, Draco stirred, as if somehow sensing her presence even in his sleep. She held her breath as he moved again, and she watched as his eyelashes fluttered a few times before finally remaining open.

He stared at her like that for a painful amount of time, Hermione's heart swelling in her chest when he finally sat up. The sheet slipped away from him, revealing his bare chest as he reached for her. She grabbed his hand without hesitation, gasping when he pulled her closer. One of her knees were pressed into the mattress as both of his arms circled her waist. She reached out to run her hand over his forearm, a shudder passing through both of their frames as she did so.

"Can I trust you?"

She finally broke the tense silence, and he answered without hesitation.

"Yes," he stated with conviction.

"I want you to tell me all about it," she whispered.

They both knew what she was referring to. Draco opened his mouth when she reached up, brushing her fingers along his lips, forcing him to swallow whatever he was going to say with her next words.

"I want you to tell me about it in the morning."

She leaned in to gently brush her lips over his own in what could barely be considered a kiss. She pulled away, and he followed, repeating the action. Hermione sighed as her eyes fluttered closed when he pulled back, and this time she was the one to follow. In one swift movement, Draco captured her lips in a spine tingling kiss and flipped them over so that she was pinned between him and his bed.

She ran her hands over his bare arms, her nails grazing the skin as she did so. He rolled his clothed hips into hers, and a choked moan escaped her mouth. Both of his hands came up to rest on either side of her face, pressing his lips harder against hers, as if trying to put all of his feelings into the one kiss. He finally pulled away, eyeing her as she lay panting beneath him. He licked his lips, a sinful sight.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" he rasped.

"…because I know what you can do to me."

Draco looked at her from beneath his lashes as he slid down her body, a dangerous look taking residence there as he said:

"No you don't."

Hermione's world was suddenly spinning, and she felt Draco bend down until his chest was hovering over her back, lips brushing against her earlobe. The next few moments are a whirlwind of tattered clothing and teeth on skin as mewling moans and harsh pants fill the air. Nonsense spills from Hermione's mouth, low in articulation, but high in pitch. Vowels bleed together and consonants trip over each other and soon she is left with her mouth hanging open with nothing but Draco's name spilling out.

"How does that feel?" he whispers into her ear at some point.

Her response is gibberish at best, and Draco chuckles. His arrogance and poise combined with his flawless thrusts have her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

"I want to hear you, Hermione," he commands. "Talk to me, love."

She opens her mouth to articulate something, anything, but she only moans and reaches back to twist her hand into his hair. Draco chuckles again, and the sound has her clenching around him. He gently talks her through her overwhelming high, but his hips continue to work against her. It isn't until well into the morning that they're both satiated, eyes drooping closed with marks littering their dewy skin.

~ SD ~