A/N: After some serious rereading and editting, I've combined most of the chapters. You don't seem to mind the long length so it looks like there will be thirteen chapters total. Which means our time will come to an end by Saturday. In the meanwhile, let me know if you want any spin offs. I've been busy with school and a new job so I haven't had time to get started but if, say for instance, you want a Theo/Neville spin off - I got you. I can do it!
Disclaimer: Hi, my name is Keeks. I'm not J.K Rowling. I don't own this. I'm merely renting it for the purposes of free smut.
CHAPTER NINE
Hermione had no intentions of owling Malfoy until at least the New Year. Though her hormones were screaming at her to go over and shag him senseless. She knew if she kept the power she would win this game and that would make the sex far better. She still didn't trust his motives, but Merlin was she okay with feeling good in the meanwhile. Her whole body flushed as she remembered his head between her legs.
Pushing it from her mind, she pulled herself from bed. It was Christmas morning and she had a busy day of visiting ahead of her. First, she had to make a stop at the Burrow. It was seven so she would give them half an hour before heading over. Surely, Freddy had woken everyone up to open gifts at this point.
While in the shower, she gave herself an orgasm, remembering her night with Malfoy. Merlin, who knew his mouth was good for more than spitting insults and sneering. She remembered his back and the look he gave her. At this point, she knew when Malfoy shut down any emotion in his face, it was a warning. She didn't question the cuts because they were his business. Although, it was odd he hadn't healed them. He must know some healing spells from their time in the War. The situation had demanded it of them all. He hadn't brought it up with her for a reason, so she had no reason to enquire.
She cast a drying spell on her hair and ran Sleekeazy's through it. She rolled her eyes at the memory of her younger self feeling like this was too much of a bother. Before getting her toast, she swiped on mascara and pulled on a white cable knit jumper and dark blue jeans.
The Burrow was full-on chaos. Freddy was running around the kitchen, Molly was chewing out George, Harry was tossing a Muggle football across the living room with Ron and Romilda was yelling for Freddy to stay out of Nana's way.
"'Mione!" Ron caught the ball and embraced her. "Happy Christmas! I'm glad you came." He kissed her temple and called for Freddy.
"Hi Ron, Hi Harry," she kissed Harry and briefly embraced him. "Hi, Freddy. Are you behaving for Mummy and Daddy?"
Freddy smiled coyly and said, "No!" before he ran away.
"That's his new word," an exasperated and exhausted Romilda explained from behind Hermione. "Hello, Hermione. Happy Christmas."
Hermione made her rounds and wished everyone a happy Christmas before getting a cup of tea from a stiff lipped Molly.
"Don't mind her, she's got her knickers in a twist because I won't put on her awful jumper," George teased after Molly left the dining. He took a seat next to her.
"I don't think that's why, but thanks. Happy Christmas."
"Happy Christmas. Not in the festive mood?"
Hermione grimaced, "About as much as you are. I'm actually going to slip out, I have plans with some other people."
"Better make it an Irish exit," George warned, "or else you'll never make it out of here."
"Good call." She swallowed the last of her tea. "Best of luck today. I… I know how it can be."
George grabbed Hermione's hand and squeezed it. He gave her a tight lipped smiled.
With that, Hermione Apparated to Luna and Neville's home.
Neville knew he made the mistake of not going for a run before Christmas when he woke up that morning. He lifted his face from his pillow to see the left side of the bed empty. Luna was probably already up making some breakfast before Hermione met them at St. Mungo's. Neville pushed his face back into his pillow, not wanting to face today. It would be difficult, that was certain. What was worse, he wasn't worried about visiting his parents, but he was worried about how he would deal with the guilt afterwards. He always left his parents' hospital room feeling guilty that he hadn't found a way to help them.
His runs were detrimental to his health and would probably cause him to need a wheelchair prematurely in life if he continued at the rate he had been going at before Theo started tagging along. He had picked up the habit when he worked at Hogwarts right after the War. Looking down corridors, sitting and eating in the Great Hall, on his walk down to the greenhouses, he saw his dead friends and classmates everywhere. One day he missed teaching a class because instead of walking to the greenhouses, he ran right past them and ended up kilometres away at the Shrieking Shack. When he pulled off his shoes at the Shack he saw his feet were raw and bleeding and he felt emotional relief. Since then, he'd made it a habit of running until his feet bled when he felt guilty. Which, these days was most of the time, but he couldn't keep his promise to Theo and run to feel better.
Theo was why Neville felt guilty that particular morning. Neville loved Luna, he did! But since the night of Malfoy Industries' Yule ball, he hadn't been able to shag her. It was mortifying. The guilt had never affected his manhood before and now Luna was paying the price. She had been so understanding and kind, but he knew it was an issue he had to rectify.
Images of Theo laughing and pressing his body against his own danced through his mind. He remembered Theo's breath tickling his neck and chin. Neville's body reacted between his legs and he instinctively rolled his hips into the bed. He quietly groaned into his pillow as he ground down harder. Flipping onto his back, Neville reached under the sheets and started stroking himself vigorously, desperately wanting a release. He thought about what Theo's naked chest would feel like against his own. What Theo would taste like. How Theo's mouth would feel sucking on his cock. Focusing on the last thought he bit his bottom lip to catch the moan threatening to alert Luna. Feeling his release on the edge, he quietly ran from their bedroom, across the hall to their bathroom. He thought about what sounds Theo might make when he touched himself. Neville let out a loud breath as he came over the bathtub, bracing himself with a flat palm on the opposing tiled wall.
He turned on the shower to wash away the evidence of his desired infidelity and called out the door, "Luna, Love, I'm just going to shower. Then are you ready to head out?"
"Yes, that's not a problem. I'll get dressed now," she called back.
In the shower he couldn't hold back his guilty tears. He loved Luna, damn it. He didn't want to hurt her. This infatuation with Theo would pass. It had to. The only good thing that came from this situation was Neville was too much a cowardly lion to see Theo to go for a run.
Hermione met Luna and Neville outside Frank and Alice Longbottom's room in Janus Thickey Ward for Irrevocable Spell Damage at St. Mungo's Hospital. She wasn't prepared for whatever outpouring of emotion there may be but it would be better than being shunned by Molly at the Burrow.
"Hello, Neville. Luna. Happy Christmas," Hermione embraced both of her friends.
"Happy Christmas, Hermione. You don't appear to have any Nargles on you, you must've cleaned that sprig of mistletoe in your flat," Luna remarked dreamily.
Neville already departed into his parent's room.
"Oh, should we…?" Hermione pointed at the door but Luna just shook her head.
"He prefers to see them alone. Strangers frighten them and most days they don't recognize him. He said after he went through puberty and visited them, his mother screamed for days." Luna replied serenely.
"That must've been difficult for him," Hermione awkwardly remarked.
"He's stronger than he gives himself credit for. Emotions don't make people weak, funny how that's often confused, isn't it? Look how Harry won the War, with the love of his friends." Luna stared at Hermione and she felt very naked in front of those blue eyes.
"Yes, I, uh, suppose you're right." Hermione sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs lining the room.
"What do you think of Theo?" Luna asked abruptly.
"Theo? Nothing much, I haven't really spoken with him for longer than a few moments. He seems much different from when he was in Hogwarts though, he was very quiet, right?"
"Yes. He's very funny and boisterous now. He's been a good friend to Neville over the last few months especially and I'm happy to see they're getting to know each other better," Luna replied.
"Oh, I didn't know they also saw each other outside of work. I thought he only did that with Dr- Malfoy," Hermione quickly corrected herself, horrified at her mistake. When did he become Draco? He's always been Malfoy. It's just because I'm talking to Luna and she calls him that. Just a harmless slip up, Hermione lied to herself.
"They don't see each other outside work often, but he's offered to be there for Neville." She paused to think. "It's good to have multiple perspectives on a problem."
"I agree, it's a much better way to have a thoroughly thought out solution." Hermione's response seemed to send Luna into a thoughtful daze. The brunette woman closed her eyes and enjoyed the silence. She tried not to think about Neville trying to talk with his parents in the room behind her. She tried not to think about what her parents might be doing right now… She tried to ignore the ache in her heart and thick throat by thinking of new legislations for S.P.E.W.
An hour of silence had passed when Neville came out of the room. Eyes rimmed red and a folio of loose parchment clutched in his hand. Luna stood immediately and hugged him around the neck. He wrapped her arms around her waist and buried his face into her hair. The display made Hermione squirm uncomfortably.
Neville straightened and sniffed, "Alright, Hermione?"
"Yeah. You?"
He nodded.
"Are you ready to Apparate to Daddy's house for dinner?" Luna asked the group.
Both nodded and they all Apparated to Xenophilius Lovegood's home.
"Luna! My Love! Neville! I'm so happy to see you! Happy Christmas, come, come, come in!" Xenophilius called he rushed them in. His face paled at the sight of Hermione. "Ms Granger…" His voice faltered.
Hermione summoned a smile, "Mr Lovegood. It's lovely to see you. I hope you don't mind me joining you, Luna invited me a few days ago."
"No, of course not. You're more than welcome in this home, please come in," He held the door open and waved her in.
Hermione dropped her voice as she entered, so only he would hear. "I hope you know, Sir, that I do not hold any offense for your actions during the War. We all did what we felt was necessary for those we love."
The Lovegood patriarch's face visibly relaxed at her forgiveness and he grasped her hand, "War is a curious thing, isn't it, Ms Granger?"
"Indeed it is, Sir." Hermione squeezed his hand then shrugged out of her cloak. "And please, call me Hermione."
"Only if you call me, Xeno. My name is a rather mouthful and after a few brandys you'll be tripping over your tongue for minutes at a time," Xeno smiled warmly down at her.
The night passed pleasantly with many brandys and a delicious, avian type dinner. The four of them were seated in comfortable yellow chairs, rosy cheeked and full of laughter. Xenophilius regaled them with tales from his childhood and anecdotes about creatures Hermione wasn't fully sure existed. At ten in the evening Hermione excused herself to head home. She thanked her host and her two friends.
Back in her flat, she felt herself smiling at nothing in particular. An evening with the Lovegoods proved to be the best way she could have spent the holiday. She happily sighed and made her way to her bedroom to change into pyjamas when she heard two pops of Apparation behind her in her living room.
"Granger!" a man drunkenly yelled.
Wand already in hand, ready to jinx, Hermione whipped around to see Theo absolutely tossed and Malfoy struggling with him, violently whispering threats. "What the fuck are you two doing here?! How did he get here without splinching himself?!"
"Your guess is as good as mine! Help me get him down before he tries to go somewhere else!" Malfoy called over Theo's hollering, which Hermione just tuned into.
"Why won't you shag Drake? He's a right good bloke, look at him, he's taking care of me because he looooves me." Theo cackled at his own observation, "Maybe yer more of a poof than I am, mate!"
"Alright," Malfoy agreed, clearly exhausted by Theo.
"But, but, Granger. Yer so feckin' pretty, does he tell ye that? And yer not all hoity toity now. So nice." With that Theo's head slumped forward and he fell asleep in Malfoy's struggling arms.
"Can I put him somewhere, please?" Malfoy snapped at Hermione who was just standing and watching the scene play out.
"Put him in this room, it's a spare. He can sleep it off here." She opened the door on the other side of her bedroom door.
Hermione went into her room to change into a long nightgown and the silk green dressing gown she had splurged on last year. She quieted when she could hear two muffled men's voices through the wall. One's volume constantly fluctuation and the other a low constant, reassuring tone.
She entered the living room at the same time as Malfoy closing the door to the spare room. "Thank you." Malfoy muttered.
With an amused smile she flopped down on her sofa, "So, how was your Christmas?"
"Draco, help me! Stop her!"
Hermione's screams were so loud, he clapped his hands over his ears.
"Draco!"
He looked up to see Hermione on her back floating in the air with all her limbs limp. Her throat was slit wide open, ear to ear. Her face was covered in her own blood except her wide shocked eyes that wouldn't close and wouldn't look away from him.
He reached out to touch her hand. It was ice cold.
She suddenly grabbed his wrist and she hissed in Voldemort's voice, "You deserve this!"
He looked down to see the a silver dagger with an intricate serpentine handle in his hands.
It and his hands were covered in her blood.
Draco woke and vomited over the edge of his bed. He spat on his floor and wiped away the sweat and tears on his face. He looked over at the drawer that contained the dagger, vomited again and fainted.
The sun was streaking through his bedroom window. He wrinkled his nose at the acrid smell lingering in his room. Pressing himself up he saw his mess from last night and cringed.
It was Christmas morning so he wouldn't call a House Elf away from their festivities. He cleaned it himself with magic and absently thought about the night Granger discovered his mutilated back. He had healed his visible scabs but had completely forgotten about his back, obviously too keen on the prospect of seeing Granger naked. She didn't question him, only looked at them and kissed him in a way that still made his cock rouse slightly.
Once he finished, he made his way to the shower. Stepping in, he reflected on how last night's nightmare was even possible. He had taken a Draught of Dreamless Sleep. In fact, he was taking it most nights now, due to the increased amount of time he spent with and thinking about Granger.
The mirror showed a ghost of Draco. His eyes were sunken in, his lips were cracked and his skin was sallow. So, he may have developed a bit of a dependency on the potion, yet again. Right after the War, Draco was taking a draught every night on top of binge drinking most nights with Pansy. The detox was nasty business that he didn't want to repeat which meant he'd have to avoid taking anymore sleep potions and hopefully would find a way to deal with the nightmares. Or he would have to stop seeing Granger.
The last option put a pit in his stomach. Even though his dreams were torturing him, he didn't want to let go of her. She matched him in wit, intellect, and best of all, sexual games. Her cold and dark attitude was fun and didn't constantly remind him of his school days with her. He didn't see himself being able to forget about her at this point.
Draco drank a potion of revilitization and used a glamour charm just to make sure he didn't scare his mother out of her wits.
He dressed in a light grey two piece suit and Apparated to a restaurant in Paris that his mother had picked.
"Happy Christmas, Love!" His mother reached out to embrace him from her seat at their reserved table.
"Hello, Mother. Happy Christmas," he awkwardly crouched to accommodate her and kissed her cheek. "How have you been?" He took the seat opposite her.
"Oh, fine. I'm having a party tonight at the Manor and I wish you would come," she whined from behind her menu.
He harshly sighed, "Don't start this. I didn't sleep well last night." Draco's sleep deprived brain was having a hard time keeping up with reading the french menu. "Un cappuccino sec, s'il vous plaît. Merci."
Narcissa huffed, "Fine. I thought I should mention, I've invited Andromeda and she has confirmed she will be attending."
Draco nearly choked on his water, "Andromeda? Andromeda Tonks? Why would you invite her?"
"I've missed her for a long time, it's been very difficult since your father passed and you're so busy. Sisters are meant to be close and I picked poorly by siding with Bella, that much is obvious now. Call it the sentiment of an old woman, but I'm lonely and so is Andromeda. We may as well be lonely together."
He didn't know how to respond. He had never known his mother to be this honest about her emotions, it made him incredibly uncomfortable and he craned his neck, grateful to see the waitress returning with his coffee.
"What are you doing today?" Narcissa enquired when he didn't respond.
"I'm going over to Theo's house."
"Ah yes, this holiday can't be easy for him," Narcissa sighed. When the waitress returned with Draco's cappuccino she ordered a fruit salad, a coddled egg and a slice of toast.
"Je vais avoir un 'Anglais Complet', merci."
The waitress wrinkled her nose slightly and Narcissa seemed to agree. "Really? We're at a very high end establishment and you get a full english?" She was clearly exasperated and a little embarrassed.
Draco took a sip of his coffee and shrugged, "I'm getting sloshed with Theo and I need a full stomach."
"Oh, really, Draco. Do you think that's what Teddy needs today?" she scolded her son.
"Why don't you go over and tell him that yourself, Mother? I'm sure he misses having a mother to scold his every decision. Speaking of which," he pulled a small box from his breast pocket, "I hope you like it."
It was a brooch of the Malfoy family crest. Narcissa smiled widely. "Yes, I love it. Thank you. This is yours." She handed him a small envelope.
He opened it and furrowed his brows, "I'm not sure what this is."
"It's the deed to a cottage your father bought us when we were first married. It's off the west coast of Ireland in a small village called Keel. I think you'd enjoy it. I know… I can tell you've been struggling as of recently and it might help to get away." She reached across the table and covered his hand, "No matter how old you get, I'll always worry about you and I'll always love you. Even if you make awful fashion choices like wearing stubble." She scoffed.
He chuckled and patted her hand. "Thank you, Mother. I'll have you know, the ladies like the rugged look."
"Like that Granger girl?" Narcissa challenged as the waitress set down their food, feeling the sudden tension at the table.
"What of it?" he kept his eyes on his food and dug in.
"Just… Be careful, Draco. I worry the history between her and our family may run too deep."
Draco sighed and speared a sausage, "So do I."
Draco stepped through Theo's front door after Apparating from Paris and heard a loud crash. "What the fuck? Theo? Are you alright?" He sped through the expansive Nott Manor in attempt to find the source of the sound.
After checking multiple empty rooms, a few studies and a broken down bedroom, Draco finally found Theo strewn across a broken coffee table in what appeared to be a storage room.
"Drake!" Theo yelled seeming blissfully ignorant of the situation. "Happy Chrissmus!"
"Hey Teddy," Draco replied gently, looking around the room for any indication that Theo may have tried to hurt himself. "How's it? Why did you break that table?"
Theo struggled against Draco's help to pull him up. "I hate this feckin' table. My father liked it." He tried to kick it but ended up stumbling further into Draco's arms.
"Okay. That's good, then. Why did you start so early? It's only one in the afternoon, mate."
"Pfffft! Ye got dr-day drunk with Granger. I can too!" Draco embraced Theo tightly and Apparated upstairs to Theo's bedroom and tossed him on the bed. At 192 centimetres, Theo only stood 7 centimetres taller than Draco but was four stone heavier than him, so by the time Theo was snoring on his bed, Draco had worked up a sweat.
As Draco jogged downstairs, he took off his jacket and rolled his sleeves to his elbows to cool down. He drank a cup of water before cooking Theo a breakfast similar to what he had in Paris. Along with a litre of cold water, Draco left the steaming dish on Theo's bedside table and cast a warming charm on the plate. He made himself comfortable in the expanse library just down the hall from his tossed friend.
After a few hours of researching potions and potential ingredients that would work well with Ayahuasca and still coming up short, he heard Theo stir.
Draco kicked open the bedroom door and crossed his arms across his chest, "Well, well, well. Good morning. How are we feeling?"
Theo groaned and held his head, "Like a spiked tea, if ye would be so kind."
Gesturing to the plate next to him, "Eat that first, then you'll get your fix, you boozehound."
Theo had finished the water and food before Draco returned with two steaming mugs of spiked English breakfast tea.
Theo took a mug and made a toast, "To that git, Draco Malfoy. For always looking out for his tosser of a mate. Thanks, brother."
"Yeah, you owe me. Again," he muttered and rolled his eyes.
They both drank deeply from their mugs, scalding their mouths and throats but felt the pleasant buzz from the brandy.
Theo led Draco to the kitchen and rubbed his hands together vigorously. "So what's for supper? I was thinking Irish Car Bombs and hell, why not some Jägermeister to sooth our bellies?"
Draco shrugged, "Works for me. But you can make them."
The two men passed the holiday by drinking, talking and getting fed by Theo's House Elves. At one point, Theo tackled Draco and a good-hearted drunken brawl broke out. They were both good and tossed before the atmosphere turned.
"So what kinda shag is Granger? She looks like she'd be filthy," Theo grinned a toothy smile.
"Donno. She won't shag me. Can't say I didn't bring it on myself though. I am a prick," Draco laughed at his remark and at Theo who howled at the proclamation.
"Ah, that's shite, mate. That's no good… We should go over there and convince her otherwise, yeh?" Theo stood to stumble towards the Floo, somehow significantly drunker than Draco.
"Whoa, whoa, no," he braced against his friend's chest and pushed him back into his chair. "I think that would definitely hurt my chances. You still on Neville?"
"Pffft, I'm not on anyone. My cock hasn't even been looked at by someone else in months. I'm tellin' ye, it must be the universe's cruel prank on me put make me fall in love with a straight man. Trelawny shoulda warned me." Theo thunked his forehand forward onto the dining table they were sitting around.
"You're in love with Neville?" Draco asked incredulously.
"What? Oh, I don't know. Probably not. All I know is I wanna suck his cock clean off his body but he's with a feckin' woman. A bloody good one, at that." Theo groaned remorsefully.
"You haven't talked to him about it?"
Theo scoffed. "What do I look like, a sodding Hufflepuff? No. I haven't. But, I think it's time ye started that, yeh?" Theo's eyes widened with mischief before he Apparated right out of his seat.
Draco stared at the empty spot before standing in a rage, "FUCK." Theo would be lucky if he didn't splinch himself. He Apparated to the first place that shitdisturber would go.
Granger's flat.
"And that brings us to now." Draco brought her up to speed about his day, excluding the part about Theo and Neville. It wasn't his business to tell. He made himself comfortable next to Granger while he was telling his story. "How was your Christmas?" He asked, laying back so his shoulders were rested against the arm of the sofa.
"It was actually lovely. I was at the Burrow for only half an hour, I went with Luna and Neville to St. Mungo's while he visited his parents," she saw Malfoy sit straight up. "What?"
"Did he bring anything to them?" Malfoy asked in a low voice.
"No. Well, only a folio of parchment. Why?" Hermione asked, starting to feel anxiety creep through her belly. She sat at the bend in her sofa at Malfoy's feet.
Malfoy laid back and rubbed his face while he let out a long breath, "Nothing. It's fine."
Hermione just stared at him, not willing to let the subject go. If there was something nefarious happening and someone as sweet as Neville was involved, she wanted to know.
Malfoy stared back then rolled his eyes when he realised she wouldn't repent. "Has he told you about the project he and I are working on?"
"No."
"Part of my self imposed penance for what I did during the War was to hire Neville and work on potions to help the survivors. It's been very lucrative, like I said. We developed potions to stop panic instantly, to reinvigorate appetites, stronger dreamless draughts, the list goes on. All thanks to Neville. But all of it meant nothing to him. He only agreed to take the job if, I personally, aided him in creating a potion to cure his parents or at least give them the ability to communicate with him and their healers."
Hermione was shocked, "But… Why you?"
Malfoy scowled at her, "For your information, Granger, I had top marks in Potions class, behind you."
"Yes, but I thought that was just because Snape favoured Slytherins," Hermione admitted.
"Well he did, but no. I'm a very adept at potions. Hence why Malfoy Industries' biggest sector is now potions," he sneered
Shame slapped her across the cheek and she was surprised at the sensation. She didn't think it would possible for her to feel ashamed in regards to Malfoy. Especially when it came to underestimating him. "Okay. Is that why you two see each other so much outside of work?"
"Yes. We research outside of work hours because we're both busy as it is. There's no time to research a personal project during the day." Malfoy explained.
"Wait, why are you telling me this? Aren't you worried I'll tell a competing potions company?"
Malfoy shrugged, "Go for it. It'll just get more hands on an impossible project. I'm not worried about money or public reception. I just want to help Neville."
Hermione leaned back between his legs and laid her head in the crook of his shoulder and chest, "That's oddly admirable of you, Malfoy. Who would've thought you had a heart of gold?" She teased, patting his chest.
He grabbed her hand and kept it on is chest while he grinned lazily with closed eyes, "Alright, well don't go telling people that. Now, shut up, my head is killing me. I need to sleep a bit before I can Apparate again."
"Tosser," she muttered as her eyes fluttered shut. The rhythmic beating of his heart lulled her into a deep sleep.
For the first time in months, Draco slept soundly the entire night through without a draught of Dreamless Sleep.