Heyo! Sorry it took so long to update! Life got in the way and it seemed like it was one thing after the next!
"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.
Hermione wasn't the first to wake up the next morning. When her eyes finally peeled open, she was laying on Draco's chest, the rise and fall beneath her head was so soothing in a way that almost lulled her back to sleep. Draco's hand was on her head, occasionally running his fingers along her unruly curls. The thought made her groan aloud, positive her head looked like a bird's nest after the previous night.
"What is it?" he murmured, sitting up when she did.
She reached up, attempting to flatten her hair a bit, and he chuckled, reaching out to stop her.
"You look fine, Granger…"
She scoffed, batting his hands away.
"You're appeasing me. I probably look like…like…," she trailed off, unable to say it.
"…like you've been thoroughly shagged?" he finished, a rather proud smirk adorning his lips.
Hermione rolled her eyes, heat traveling through her entire body, and Draco noticed. He reached out, trailing a finger along her blushing chest, and Hermione grabbed his wrist, halting all movement. She swallowed, turning his arm over and inhaled at the sight of the Dark Mark on his arm. He said nothing as she ran her fingers over it, a shudder passing through her frame at the sight of something that genuinely evoked fear in her.
"You hid it from me before," she murmured, recalling their previous rendezvous.
"I did… I can do it again if-."
She cut him off with a shake of her head. She slowly exhaled, both eyes and fingers tracing over the dark shape. She told him that she would ask more about it in the morning, and that time had come. Merlin, what if he told her things she didn't want to hear? What if she got answers that she didn't like? It wasn't until Draco's fingers had intertwined with her own did she realize her hands were trembling.
"Why?" she finally asked, looking up at him.
"It…was kind of a punishment for my father. After he failed to do what Voldemort wanted him to do, he decided to take it out on his family, I suppose."
Her eyes widened at that, and he continued.
"If I didn't…he would have killed them. There's no doubt about that. He still could," he scoffed. "The mark was just the beginning."
She frowned, fearful confusion festering inside of her.
"What does that mean?" she whispered.
He simply shook his head, bringing the back of her hand to his lips.
"I simply meant in general. From now on, anything he asks of me, I can't refuse. Failing isn't an option, because my family's life hangs in the balance."
"Is that why you want to be rid of him? Of all of them?"
Draco sighed, rising from the bed and looking for his pants. Hermione watched as he visibly fought to put his thoughts into words.
"They're all…weak, Hermione," he scoffed the word with a shake of his head.
She wasn't going to disagree with him, but she was curious to know why he thought that. She tightened the sheet around her, holding it in place as she folded her arms over her chest.
"You know, when I was younger, I thought that my father and his friends were enviable. I thought they were powerful and so smart to have the life they do, the influence. I revered them."
His eyes found hers then, the most expressive she'd ever seen them.
"…and then I learned the truth. I learned that they're all terribly pathetic men who have hidden behind an armor of privilege for years. I know what you're thinking, and yes, I benefited from that privilege. I hid behind it too, because at the end of the day…" a bitter smirk made its way onto his lips. "…I thought that my father could protect me, would protect me."
Hermione's heart clenched as she gazed at him.
"He didn't."
"No. The minute someone with a real backbone and real power came along he caved…embarrassingly so. It's even more infuriating when you realize that it wasn't out of respect or loyalty, at all. He didn't allow this to happen, because he believes in it. It wasn't done in some proud ceremony where everyone clapped and cheered and congratulated me for joining some impressive legacy. It was fear. He allowed this," he shoved his arm out so that the mark was on display "to happen to me out of fear."
Hermione wasn't sure what to say. It was a hard lesson to learn, she supposed. It didn't matter that Draco found out the hard way what so many other people probably knew. At the end of the day, Lucius Malfoy was his father, and like any child, Draco expected his father to protect him.
"I'm sorry," she murmured.
Draco shook his head, walking towards her.
"No matter. If it was up to me, I wouldn't rule people with fear. That's how you create enemies and snakes within your own castle."
He took her hand again, rubbing his thumb along her skin as gazed past her, looking at something only he could see.
"When people are loyal to you out of respect and love and appreciation, they'd do anything for you. They'd hurt for you…kill for you…with no hesitation."
He looked at her then.
"It's different."
Hermione looked away, taking it all in as she sighed.
"You said…you said there wasn't any big ceremony or anything...I don't know. It just didn't sound pleasant, at all…the way you spoke about it. Did…did it hurt?"
She looked up at him as he exhaled, nodding.
"It's burned into the skin…"
"That's barbaric!"
"Much like the ideology behind the mark, no? It's fitting," he humorlessly laughed.
Hermione squeezed his hand with a hesitant smile.
"I know that you've made your feelings about him more than clear, but I really think Dumbledore-."
Draco cut her off with a scoff. She stood, stepping towards him as he turned away.
"If you just explain to him the same way you did to me, I'm sure that…"
She trailed off when he turned back around, resting her face in between his hands before leaning in to press his lips against her own.
"Merlin, you try to see the good in everyone…in every situation," he whispered into her mouth.
He kissed her again, softer this time, and he took longer to pull away…as if he didn't want to.
"I envy your naivety."
"Excuse me?" she questioned, rearing back to narrow her eyes at him.
"It's not a matter of me disliking our Headmaster. I don't trust him," he stated.
"Look, worst case scenario…he treats you like a bit of a prisoner, but he will keep you safe. Your family too…"
Draco shook his head, a solemn expression on his face.
"No, worst case scenario, he feels like you've been compromised and concludes that Potter is no longer safe around you. That is the worst-case scenario."
Hermione's lips parted as she blinked.
"No," she disagreed with a shake of her head.
One of his hands slid down, tracing patterns into her shoulder as he gazed into her eyes.
"You think I don't want to involve Dumbledore to protect myself, but you're wrong. I don't need this school. I don't need to be here learning rubbish that is practically useless to me."
He took a deep breath, a scowl on his features.
"Look at how Potter reacted when he thought that the two of us were merely on speaking terms…"
"That was different. Harry is…Harry. I love him, Merlin knows I do, but he can be a bit up himself at times. Dumbledore is much older and wiser, and he'd understand," she argued.
"What if he doesn't? I know you expected Potter to react negatively to our truce at first, but even you must admit that you never thought it'd go so far. What if it's a similar situation?"
"It won't be!"
"How can you be sure of that?" he fired back.
Hermione huffed, turning away from him as he pursed his lips. Draco eventually sighed, pressing his forehead against her temple as he wrapped his arm around her.
"I'm just…afraid. I'm afraid of what might happen should Dumbledore feel like you're now a possible threat to Potter," he whispered.
She tilted her head upwards to look at him.
"It makes no difference what happens to me, but… If you fully trust him and have no doubts whatsoever, then go to him."
Hermione stared at him for a painful amount of time before sitting back down, exhaling in frustration.
"Then what do you suggest I do? Am I just supposed to sit back and watch you do whatever he tells you? Watch you be summoned like some slave? I know you said you want him gone…all of them, but that is going to take time, Draco. I mean, if you want them all locked away in Azkaban, you're going to need evidence and-."
"I don't want them locked away, Hermione."
His words gave her pause, but his tone made her heart skip a beat. She blinked up at him, tilting her head as he stared her down, jaw clenching. A small gasp escaped her just as the realization hit.
"You mean to kill them," she whispered.
He didn't respond, but he didn't need to. She could see it in his eyes, and she pressed her hand into his mattress, fighting to steady herself. Her vision began to swim, and she heard him moving, his hand on her leg not a moment later.
"We're doing this with or without your help, Granger. Our chances of getting caught are far less with your help."
"Draco…"
"Think of it… You'll be getting rid of his followers one by one. You'll be helping Potter and Dumbledore."
He gently gripped her chin in between his fingers, thumb stroking har jaw.
"We all want the same thing. We're all working towards a common goal, you and I will just be taking a different path than that of your friends," he whispered.
He was right. As much as Hermione wanted to deny it, he was making a point. Still, the taste of murder didn't sit well in her mouth, no matter the motive.
"This…this is a lot to take in," she said, running her hands down her face.
"I know, but you know about the mark now, and I don't want to lie to you anymore, not if I can help it. I don't know what Blaise said to you at the party, but I want your help. I want you. No one else can think like you do…"
"Flattery will get you nowhere," she stated, but she smiled regardless.
Draco chuckled.
"It's risky, I know, but if we get caught-."
"You won't."
She straightened her shoulders as Draco waited for her to continue.
"I'll help you, and if you should get, I'll just tell them that you were doing extended work for The Order. I'll them it was my idea. They trust me, and whatever reaction they have will be far less harsh if it comes from me."
Draco's lips parted as he softly exhaled, a genuine smile making its way onto his lips.
"Perhaps I need you more than I'd like to admit," he murmured just before pulling her into a kiss.
"Did you and Parvati never make up?"
Hermione glanced up at Ginny's question, eyes following Ginny's line of sight just to see the girl in question look the other way. Hermione frowned.
"…why do you ask?"
"She was looking at you like she was trying to curse you with her eyes," Ginny replied with a frown of her own.
Hermione scoffed.
"I wasn't lying when I said I saw her coming out of Malfoy's room all those weeks ago. I think she still believes I slept with him and is quite bitter about it," she sneered.
Hermione rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to laugh at the fact that that was indeed true.
"How daft can she be? Everyone knows it was a lie."
Hermione looked away, picking at her food.
"She's probably still feels spurned by what Draco said to her," she mumbled.
Ginny's attention was fully on her now, and the redhead leaned in, curious.
"What do you mean?" she eagerly asked.
Hermione sighed, dropping her fork and scooting closer.
"I overheard them talking not too long after the incident at dinner…maybe a week or so. In summary, Draco was telling her that what they had was just sex and he didn't want to continue. It was awful, and if she hadn't been so awful to me herself, I would actually feel quite bad for her," Hermione answered with a shrug.
Ginny's eyes widened, briefly glancing down the table at said girl.
"How bad was it?"
Hermione shook her head, declining to repeat anything she'd heard. Ginny, in turn, sucked in a harsh breath.
"That bad, huh? Merlin, I always want to feel bad for girls like that, but I can never find it in myself to."
"What do you mean?" Hermione questioned.
"I mean… Come on, we all know what Malfoy is like. Even if you don't, Malfoy seems like the type to be honest about what he truly wants from a girl if he's not honest about anything else. At the end of the day, it was her own fault for trying to make their…relationship or whatever more than what it was. Quite a harsh awakening, I'd say."
Hermione solemnly nodded in agreement.
"Speaking of…well…sort of…"
Hermione glanced up, pausing at the sheepish look on Ginny's face.
"What is it, now?" she asked, almost in exasperation.
Ginny sighed.
"Ron's going to ask you to go to Hogsmeade with him. Just the two of you…"
Hermione scrunched up her nose.
"Why…?"
"Well… You know him and Lavender are taking a bit of a break, right?"
"For Salazar's sake! You have got to be kidding me," Hermione snapped, harshly throwing her fork down onto her plate.
"Hermione," Ginny softly said, reaching out.
"Please don't say what I think you're about to say," she begged.
"Look, he simply asked me for advice on how to properly apologize to you. He genuinely feels awful about everything. However, with that being said, I do believe there is another motive here-."
"He had his chance, Ginny. It's too late," Hermione bit out, mood visibly ruined.
"I know that. Believe me, I realize how badly he fucked up. I think he underestimates how bad he hurt you. I wanted to give you a head's up, is all," she sadly replied.
Before Hermione could respond, Harry and the topic of their conversation himself walked into the hall. Hermione sighed, moving to collect her things.
"Thanks for the warning, Ginny. I'll talk to you later," she grumbled.
Ginny waved sadly at her as Hermione all but ran past the boys. Ron had opened his mouth to say something, but she pretended not to notice. She huffed all the way to the Slytherin table, rolling her eyes at the few looks she'd gotten.
"Professor McGonagall wants to see us," she said as soon as she reached her dormmate.
The curious eyes on them turned away after that, and Hermione clenched her jaw. Draco tilted his head at her, skeptical confusion in his gaze, but he grabbed his things and followed her out of the hall, nonetheless. Their trek was quiet, and if Draco noticed that they seemed to be going in the opposite direction of McGonagall's office, he didn't comment on it. It was only when he realized that she wasn't going to the dorm either did he say something.
"Granger…"
"I think Ron's going to ask me out," she blurted out, halting in the middle of the corridor.
She didn't turn around to look at him, and he didn't say anything, so she continued.
"Ginny said that he asked for advice on a way to make everything up to me. He's going suggest going to Hogsmeade, just the two of us, and while Ginny thinks he's genuinely sorry, she also thinks he has an ulterior motive…"
Still, Draco said nothing, so she kept going.
"He and Lavender are on a bit of a break now, and…the whole thing infuriates me. He's doing a one-eighty, because things with Lavender weren't what he thought they would be… I know I'm overeating. I'm literally telling myself I'm overreacting as I'm overreacting, but…"
She felt rather than heard Draco step closer.
"I don't know why, but he has this ability to affect me so much. I just don't want to let him do that again," she whispered.
He reached out to rest his hands on her shoulders. She let him turn her around, and she lifted her head to gaze at his unreadable expression. He raked his eyes over her before stepping closer.
"Say something," she quietly pleaded. "Tell me I'm weak for allowing him to still get to me. Say that-."
"I want to fuck you until you can't remember anyone else's name but mine."
Her eyes widened, heart leaping to her throat. He moved forward some more, and her back hit the wall behind her. Draco exhaled through his nose, jaw clenching.
"The thought that you might still feel something for him bothers me, but not as much as the thought of Weasley expecting you to jump into his arms after some pathetic half attempt to win you over," he said through his teeth.
Hermione chuckled, realizing that they were both quite affected by Ron. She smiled up at him as she rested her hands on his arms.
"I don't feel anything for him, Draco…" he seemed to visibly relax at that. "…at least, I think I don't. Ron can try every trick in the book, but I don't want him. I doubt I ever will again."
Draco took a deep breath, nodding. She hesitantly opened her mouth as she gazed at him.
"I like being with you and just you," she confessed. "I know that you once said you'd give up anyone if it meant-."
"There's never been anyone else…not since you," he confessed.
Hermione hoped that her relief wasn't too obvious, but she released a shaky breath, nonetheless.
"You make me feel good about myself, and maybe that's unhealthy. Maybe I shouldn't rely on you for that, but I don't care. When I'm around you I feel like I can do things I never thought myself capable of," she whispered.
Draco smirked, a familiar sight that became a sense of comfort for her lately. He rested his hand on her neck, pulling her closer.
"Is that a good thing?" he questioned.
Hermione fought a smile as she nodded. She closed her eyes as he leaned in and kissed her. It was brief, and Hermione wanted more. She brushed her lips along his jaw, trailing them upwards to his ear as her fingers danced along his waist.
"If you still want to shag me until I can't remember anyone else's name but yours, I won't stop you," she whispered before pulling back with bashful smile.
Draco's smirk grew, yanking her towards him before his lips descended over her own in a heated kiss. She moaned into his mouth as he pinned her against the wall, one of his hands trailing up her leg to find its way up her skirt. She pulled away and opened her mouth to tell him they should move their conversation elsewhere when a gasp made her freeze. It was there that Parvati Patil found them with Hermione pressed against the corridor wall by Draco Malfoy with her skirt halfway up her thigh.
~ SD ~