Warnings: Attempted assault, violence

Offered her a pill and now she all in

Took her from the hills, now we rollin'

Probably get her killed by the morning

-Goosebumps (remix), Travis Scott feat Chase Atlantic

"I don't know…"

"I want to come see you. If the accident was so bad that you're bed-ridden, I think I should come see you," Ginny said.

Hermione felt like she hadn't spoken to Ginny in ages, something that wasn't entirely untrue, she guessed. They'd all been grieving in their own way, and Hermione had just chosen to throw herself headfirst into the lifestyle she had unceremoniously tripped into. She'd told Ginny some lie, another lie, about getting into a car accident, and now she wanted to come see her.

Hermione eyed Draco, a towel wrapped around his wet frame as he made his way out of the bathroom. She wondered if he would agree to Ginny coming to visit. Why are you even considering this? Hermione resisted the urge to sigh. She desperately wanted to see Ginny, but Hermione was unsure if allowing Ginny to come here, to know where Draco lived, was a smart idea. She'd already unwittingly dragged them into her mess, and she really didn't need to make it worse.

Draco caught her unwavering gaze and, mistaking it for something else, threw her a wink. Hermione flushed, looking away from him. She hadn't spoken to him in days, the headline of the most recent paper forever imprinted into her brain. Fatal Fire at Exclusive Burlesque Club Kills 77, it had read. Hermione had screamed at both him and Blaise until she was blue in the face.

It's not like she didn't know what she was getting into. Well, she thought she did, at least. Was she still being naïve about all of this? She was sure that she fully understood it all, but… Murder was a part of this lifestyle, that had been obvious from the beginning, but… Hermione supposed that she had never really given it much thought. Draco…was a man like Riddle. No, he wasn't as bad seeing as Draco was no rapist or woman-beater, but they both ran the same type of empire. They shared similar ideals and morals…or lack thereof.

"I'll talk to Draco about it," Hermione eventually said.

She and Ginny said their goodbyes and exchanged well wishes before Hermione hung up with a sigh.

"Talk to me about what?"

Hermione simply threw him a scornful look before tossing her phone somewhere on the bed. She eyed it with something akin to apprehension, wondering when it would ring, a familiar number popping up on the screen. She expected to hear from Riddle or Theo immediately after the incident at the club, but she hadn't. She'd been waiting on a call for days, and in return she'd gotten…nothing. Zilch. She rubbed at her forehead, knowing that any day now he would be summoning her back, and like an obedient bitch, she'd have no choice but to go.

She knew that when that day eventually came, it was going to be hell allowing Draco to let her go.

"Ask me about what?" he repeated.

"It's nothing," she mumbled.

"Are you going to act like a brat forever?"

Hermione looked up with wide eyes. He was leaning against the wall, drying his hair, now.

"Excuse me? You murdered 77 people-!"

"I've killed more than that in the past, and I assure you, I'll kill more than that in the future," he harshly interrupted, barely sparing her a glance.

Hermione didn't respond, opting to look away, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Don't step up onto your moral high ground, now, sweetheart. You agreed to be all in, remember?"

Hermione threw the covers away before stomping towards him, eyes blazing.

"I asked you, I begged you not to do this. We both know that you did it because of me, and you don't think he's going to take it out on me? Or my friends? Did you think about that?"

Draco sharply looked up at that, the look in his eyes forcing her to take a step back.

"How exactly would he take it out on you? It's not like you're going back," he slowly began, staring her down.

Hermione frowned, swallowing.

"Draco…if he calls, and he will, I'll have to go back," she slowly whispered back, as if she were talking to a rabid dog.

"Like hell," he snarled, walking towards her.

She turned away with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I won't have a choice. My friends-."

"Fuck your friends!"

Hermione spun around, eyes wide. He had a wild look in his eyes, teeth bared as he threw the towel he was using to dry his hair down onto the floor. He strode towards her, and Hermione realized she had nowhere to go as she felt the back of her legs graze the bed.

"I don't care how this sounds, but I don't care about your friends, Hermione. If that makes me an asshole, then so be it, but they are not my concern. You are my concern-."

"I can't even believe this," she quietly hissed, throwing up her hands and walking past him.

"I'm working to secure their safety for you, to get you the hell out of there. After the other night, I refuse to let you go back," he hissed, following her down the stairs.

"You refuse?" Hermione barked a laugh. "You don't own me, Draco."

He reached out towards her, and she jerked away.

"Don't fucking touch me."

He ignored her, reaching out and forcing her to face him, mindful of her healing shoulder.

"What do you expect me to do? Do you expect me to just let you walk out of here and into God knows what? Your face still scares me whenever we wake up in the morning-."

"Spare my feelings, why don't you?" she snapped, weaseling her way out of his grip.

"We both know that he wouldn't kill you, he needs you, but he will have no qualms about sending you back to me damn near in a body bag. As long as you're still breathing, he doesn't care!"

Hermione stepped back, unable to keep eye contact, the intensity in them unnerving her. She looked away from him and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I don't have a choice, Draco," she whispered.

He glared at her, and in that moment, Blaise decided to walk through the door. The darker male looked between the two of them for a moment, catching onto the tension that hung in the air. He awkwardly cleared his throat, holding up a bag.

"I brought breakfast…"

Draco rolled his eyes before turning away to go to his office, no doubt. Hermione flinched when the door slammed shut.

"What did I just walk into?"

"Just Draco being his normal asshole self," she mumbled.

Blaise sighed, gesturing for her to follow him into the kitchen.

"He just cares about you, is all," Blaise responded.

"…but not my friends…"

"Why should he?"

Hermione looked up at that, watching as he laid food out onto the island in the center of the kitchen.

"What obligation does he have towards them? Why does he owe them anything, because he's with you?"

Hermione opened her mouth to speak when he continued.

"He cares about you. His obligations are to you. His priority is you. Your friends are being used as tools to control you, to hurt you. He's essentially having to choose between you or your friends, and he's choosing you, something I imagine he'd do every single time."

Hermione didn't respond to that, she didn't know how, and wiped away a stray tear.

"Have you talked to Teddy?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Uh…no."

Hermione eyed him, noting the way he tensed and refused to meet her eyes. When she didn't say anything, he looked up, catching her inquiring gaze before heaving a sigh.

"There wasn't much…talking involved," he finally confessed.

Hermione nodded, eyebrows raised at this new development.

"Does Draco know?"

"…no," he quietly answered.

"I won't say anything," she began, stepping closer, and lowering her voice. "If you help me…"

Blaise laughed with a shake of his head.

"Absolutely not. I'll tell him about Teddy myself if it means taking a lecture over a bullet because I drove you to Riddle's place," he said.

Hermione sighed, leaning against the counter. Blaise threw her an apologetic look.

"Sorry, Hermione. This is a confrontation you can't avoid," he said, leaving her in the kitchen to dread the upcoming fight.

The inevitable call came two days later. It was in the middle of the day, and Draco was in the shower, getting ready for a meeting he needed to attend later that night. Hermione was just about to go out into the backyard when she heard the familiar buzzing sound. She'd actually forgotten all about 'the call', thinking it to be Ginny and answering without so much as a glance.

"Hello…"

"I'll be needing you, tonight."

Hermione halted all movement, ice making its way through her veins as the sound of his deep voice reverberated throughout her brain.

"I…," Hermione trailed off, looking towards the bathroom door.

"You will need to make your way here as soon as possible in order to get ready," he continued.

He didn't give her a chance to respond, the phone clicking in her ear. Hermione pulled her hand away and stared at her phone, a myriad of emotions swirling beneath the surface –none of them good– before she hesitantly eyed Draco's keys on his nightstand.

"Hermione?"

She looked up in shock to find Draco in the bathroom doorway, donning black slacks and a white button down that hadn't been buttoned yet. He had a frown on his handsome face as he ran his eyes over her, looking for any physical signs that would make the distressed look on her face make sense. She didn't respond, taking note of his eyes on her as she made her way to his nightstand.

"What are you doing?" he asked just as she swiped his keys.

Still, she didn't answer him, making her way towards the door. She could hear his footsteps behind her.

"Hermione, what are you doing?"

"I have to go," she finally choked out, picking up her pace, practically jogging towards the stairs.

She slapped his shoulder when he yanked her towards him, a curse already on his lips.

"Don't make this any harder, Draco! I have to go," she all but cried.

"If you think I'm going to let you go back-!"

"I am not one of your father's escorts! You can't tell me what I can and can't do," she shrieked.

"I will if what you're going to do puts you in danger. Now, give me my keys," he growled, nose brushing against her own.

She swallowed as they stared each other down, silver and brown clashing…warring.

"I have. To. Go."

She yanked herself from his hold and took the stairs two at a time.

"Hermione."

She ran towards the door, not even bothering to close it before running out. It didn't matter, anyway, because Draco was right behind her, fingers digging into her shirt.

"Let go of me," she yelled.

"Give me my keys. You are not leaving," he ordered, tugging her away from his car.

"If I don't go, he's going to hurt them. Every single one of them," she pleaded, squirming in his hold.

"I don't care," he yelled, face a hair's width away from her own.

"Well, I do!"

She punched against his chest, struggling to get away from him.

"Draco," she heard Blaise call from the open doorway.

"Stay out of this," her boyfriend snapped over his shoulder.

Desperate, Hermione drove the toe of her shoe into his shin, breaking away from him and sprinting to his car. She could hear him cursing, and her hand just barely grazed the door handle when she felt herself being pinned against the expensive vehicle. She curved in on herself, hiding the keys as he wrapped his arms around her to grab them.

"Draco, please," she begged, bucking against him.

He tightened his hold, face buried into her neck as Hermione felt her feet dragging along the ground. She reached out, hanging onto the door handle and almost throwing the both of them to the ground as the door flew open.

"Don't go, don't go," he quietly repeated against the skin of her neck.

She ignored his quiet pleas, shoving him away and hopping into the car. She slammed the door shut and locked it, tears in her eyes and flinching when he slammed his hands against the window.

"Open the door!"

Hermione took a shaky breath, inhaling and struggling to start the car. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Blaise grabbing Draco's arm, struggling to keep him still.

"Open the fucking door, Hermione," he yelled, pounding his fists against the window, now.

Hermione clicked her seatbelt into place, jumping when she looked up to see Draco banging his hands on the hood, still yelling. She didn't look at him as she reversed the car, clumsily peeling out of the driveway, unfamiliar with the way it drove, Draco's screams fading behind her.

Hermione fought the urge to wrap her arms around herself, uncomfortable in her own skin as the man next to her placed down a card. She'd barely heard the details of the instructions that she'd been given for the evening. All she knew was that she was in a private room in another one of Riddle's exclusive clubs sitting in on a card game with people that she didn't know. There was one other girl there too, a redhead with fair skin and faint freckles. She reminded Hermione of Ginny.

Hermione's mind was all over the place, adrenaline still pumping and heart still heavy hours after she'd all but ran from Draco. He was so angry, so…scared. Hermione closed her eyes, recalling the way he'd begged her to stay. She didn't want to leave, that was the last thing that she wanted to do, but she didn't have a choice. The unknown man next to her reached out to brush a finger along her bare arm, and Hermione threw him a strained smile. He was rather young, only a few years older than her with blonde hair and brown eyes.

She didn't know what to expect when she'd walked into Riddle's mansion. She was sure that she was going to face some sort of retaliation for what Draco had done, but the terrifying man had only ordered her to go get ready, threw some instructions at her that she'd barely heard, and sent her on her way.

"Tom's description of you didn't do you justice," the unknown man whispered.

"Thank you," she murmured, half listening to him.

"Let's hope that you live up to the hype…"

Hermione frowned at this, turning her head just the slightest, confusion swimming across her features.

"I'm sorry?"

"Tom said that you're one of his best," he elaborated.

Hermione looked down, processing what he meant when the man stood, excusing himself from the game before grabbing her hand. Hermione seemed to follow him in a daze, feet carrying her to a door located at the back of a spacious room. Her eyes widened when they landed on a fancy room that held a large and lavish bed. Small tables were located on either side of the bed with an ostentatious couch placed before it. Hermione suddenly felt very cold when the door shut behind her, the sound of the lock clicking as loud as a church bell in her ears.

"Bastard," she whispered, realization hitting her like a sledgehammer.

"Would you like something to drink?"

He was polite, she noted.

"Um…I think there's been some sort of mistake," Hermione shakily murmured.

He laughed, taking off his jacket and moving to unbutton his cuffs.

"Tom said you'd say that."

"Well, that's because it's true," she nervously chuckled, edging towards the door.

He walked towards her, cornering her against the door.

"You're charming," he whispered, brushing her hair away from her face before dragging her further into the room.

"No, really. Riddle is…he's a rat bastard and-."

She was cut off, his fingers pressing rather firmly into her jaw as he narrowed his eyes at her. That boyish cuteness about him was now gone, quickly replaced by a terrifying man who could very easily overpower her.

"I've already paid for you, and I may have a lot of it, but I've never been fond of wasting money," he spat.

Hermione retracted her earlier assessment of him and began to panic, even more so when she realized that she didn't have her gun. She was in an unknown environment, alone with a man who'd paid for her…services, and she somehow seriously doubted that the people outside the door would be sympathetic to her case.

"Don't touch me," she hissed when he grabbed her waist.

He didn't listen, and Hermione screamed into his mouth when he pressed it against her own. She felt her back being pressed against the bedpost, and she bit down on his lip. He tore himself away from her with a snarl, blood on his mouth, and her cheek took the brunt of his anger. He grabbed her dress, ripping the strap, and Hermione barely had time to grab the lamp located on the table when he fisted his hand in her hair.

With a scream she smashed it against his head. She didn't wait around to see if he was out cold or not, running towards the door. Her chin and knees suddenly hit the carpet, a firm grip on her ankle. She kicked him in the face, repeatedly until he let go. She could hear him standing, and Hermione impulsively grabbed the mirror located next to the door, swinging it into his face…several times.

She dropped the once beautiful piece of decoration with trembling hands just as he collapsed at her feet, her face, hair, and clothes wet with something she didn't want to name. She wobbled on her feet, body shaking as her mind ran. She was sure that the commotion was heard outside, if the silence coming from outside the door was any indication. She leaned against the door, fear rooting her in place and almost resigning herself to whatever fate awaited her outside that door when she heard three gunshots.

She spun around, lips trembling when she heard her name being called.

In a flurry, she yanked the door open, eyes landing first on the fearful occupants of the room before focusing on the familiar figure standing in front of the door, gun held up in the air. He looked the pinnacle of perfection, not a hair out of place as he commanded the attention of every person in the room. Their eyes met, and if her appearance surprised him, he didn't show it. Before anyone could say anything else, he shot every other occupant of the room, each of them collapsing onto the floor or slouching in their seats, bullet holes in their foreheads.

"Dr-Draco…I- he's dead. I-."

"Come on," he whispered, holding a hand out towards her.

She stumbled towards him, clutching onto his arms when he pressed his lips against her forehead.

"Riddle-!"

"Is here," he interrupted. "Which is why we have to go, now."

She followed him down the dark hallway like a newly born doe, staggering in her heels. Her vision was blurry, the overwhelming feeling of nausea beginning to take over. It wasn't long before they came to a back door, and Draco shoved it open. It was dark outside, the only light coming from the street lights and the occasional car that passed by.

"No, you don't understand. Riddle…sold me off. That guy back there had already paid for me to…to fuck him!" she spat in disgust.

Draco turned to look at her, eyes sharp before slowly raking them over her, eyes darkening as he took in her torn strap.

"He…," Draco trailed off, exhaling in anger.

"I was scared. I was so scared, and I just-," she cut herself off, looking away.

Draco responded by wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissing the side of her head, pulling her into his side as he quickly made his way towards his car.

Hermione sighed when she sank into the familiar leather of his seat, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She was in shock, she had to be in shock. After all, she was sitting in Draco's car, covered in the blood of the man she'd just killed in self-defense. She let her face fall into her hands and screamed.

"I'm so…unbelievably stupid! Why did I think it was just going to be a normal night? Why didn't I think it weird that he didn't mention the fire once? I didn't see Theo or anyone else, tonight! He sent me there alone, and something should've clicked! Something," she cried.

She turned in her seat to face him, eyeing him as he drove, jaw clenched and eyes hard. She could see the skin of his knuckles stretching, fingers clasped around the wheel tight enough to break it.

"I'm sorry I left like that," she whispered.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you like that," was his response, just as quiet.

"You were scared."

"…and I apparently had every right to be," he said.

Hermione sighed, abruptly sitting up as she glanced in the mirror. She turned around with a frown, squinting her eyes, a feeling of dread bleeding into her stomach.

"What?" Draco asked as she faced forward.

Hermione slowly shook her head, in denial, face pinching up more as she glanced behind them.

"What? What is it?"

"I think…I think that's one of Riddle's cars," she mumbled.

Draco glanced in the mirror just as two headlights turned into four, and Hermione gasped, heart dropping into her stomach.

"There's a gun under your seat," he rushed out.

"W-what?" she asked, half disbelieving, half curious, looking at him like a mad man.

He waved his hand in a flurry.

"Gun. Seat. Now."

She leaned forward, wrapping her hands around the gun just in time to miss the bullet that came through the back window. She looked up at him with wide eyes, glancing back to see a bullet hole in her headrest. She'd barely opened her mouth to question what they both knew had just happened when Draco made an abrupt turn, causing her to almost fall in his lap.

"You're going to need to shoot when I say shoot," he said.

"What if I kill someone else?" she exclaimed.

"That's the idea, love," he sang, glancing into the mirror.

Hermione bit her lip, looking down at the rather large gun in her hand with nervousness seeping into her bones.

"Worst case scenario, you'll blow a tire and they'll crash," he offhandedly commented.

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes, and he chuckled.

"Shoot," he said.

Hermione turned and shot through his back window, the car behind them swerved, and Hermione shot again.

"Get down."

She ducked in her seat, and Draco lowered his head just as bullets flew through the window, shattering the glass. Hermione sat up when he did, shaking glass out of her hair, recognizing the street they flew down. She looked around, remembering their first date, Draco flying down the dimly lit streets as he raced some unknown opponent. She recalled how she had screamed, so sure that they were going to crash and die. Now, she was certain that they were going to get shot, crash, and die.

She watched as Draco pushed his coat back, reaching for his gun, a type of gun she didn't recognize.

"What do I do?" she frantically asked.

He glanced at her, eyes blazing before glancing in the rearview mirror.

"When I say hit the floor, you hit the fucking floor," he quietly began. "You get as low as you possibly can, understand?"

Hermione nodded.

Draco raced into a tunnel, sharply turning the wheel to block the entrance, yelling at her to duck, and Hermione did just that. She heard multiple gunshots firing off at once, the sound of glass shattering and screams filling the air. She listened to the two cars crashing into each other. It was a nerve-wracking sound, loud and frightening.

"You're a good shot," she whispered after a while.

She slowly sat up, looking at the two cars, both in flames at this point. It wouldn't be long before they would be able to hear sirens, and Draco drove away. Hermione stuck her head out of the window, resisting the urge to vomit. The wind whipped her hair around her face, drying the blood that still clung to her skin. It wasn't long before he pulled into the parking lot of an abandoned building.

Hermione pressed her face into her hands, tears springing behind her eyes, threatening to spill over after everything that had happened.

"Hey…hey," Draco whispered pulling her hands away from her face.

"I killed a man," she spluttered.

"So did I," Draco joked.

She laughed, the sound coming out as more of a sob than a chuckle. He pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her as she rested her hands on his shoulders, forehead leaning against his own. She released a shaky breath, tears skipping down her cheeks. Draco shushed her, wiping her face and rubbing her back, attempting to soothe her trembling frame.

"W-was Riddle telling the truth…when he said…?"

He pressed his lips against hers, gentle and passionate all at the same time, forcing his feelings into her mouth.

"I've killed for you. What do you think?" he whispered into her lips.

Hermione sniffed.

"I don't… I don't think I'd be good for you, for your family…"

He shushed her.

"No! You saw how your dad reacted to me. He tried-he tried to kill me. I think that's a sure fire sign that he doesn't approve, Draco!"

"I approve. That's all that matters," Draco said.

"Look at me… I'm a mess! I kill one man in self-defense, and I can barely keep it together. I'm shaking and blubbering and-."

Draco cut her off with a kiss, thumbs pressing into her jaw as he held her face.

"I want you. I want you, now and forever," he murmured, lips brushing hers. "I want to wake up next to you every day for the rest of my life."

Hermione nodded, pressing her lips firmly against his.

"Do you…do you understand what I'm saying?" he panted, hands tightening around her.

"Yes," she gasped into his mouth, fingers tangling in his hair.

"…and?"

She pulled away from him, lips swollen with heated eyes raking over his beautiful face.

"Yes."

Let me know what you think!