Chapter 64
"Where are we? Is this a Muggle house?" Theo surveyed Hermione's bedroom, inspecting the books, the objects on her desk and the CD player. He returned his gaze to Draco, incredulous. "Who the hell are you, Draco? First the Thought Police and now this?"
"Told you I could hide you," Draco walked over to sit on Hermione's bed. At this point, her mattress practically had an indentation of his body embedded in it. "You can live as a Muggle until it's over, right here in England. They'll never find you."
After scanning the titles of the books on Hermione's shelves, Theo turned back to Draco. "So, I'm going to live in this house?"
"No," he shook his head. "I think she's going to put you in a hotel to start. You can afford it."
"She?" Theo cracked a grin and lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Is this the Ministry intern?"
Just then, Hermione Apparated into her bedroom. Draco eyed the jeans and red form-fitting T-shirt that hugged her curves. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail exposing her neck. His gaze trailed over her body, her lips, and then met her eyes which were warm with longing, but also nervous.
He wondered what she was worried about.
Fuck, he missed her. Draco nearly had a heart attack when he read about the break in at Gringotts in the paper.
He couldn't believe half the shit she managed to pull off. He didn't know if he wanted to fuck her or throttle her. To his horror, he was suddenly accosted by an image of himself doing both at the same time. Clenching his fists, he repressed the vision with a brief sense of panic.
Draco watched Theo take in Hermione's presence in surprise, readjusting the weight of the satchel he was carrying over his shoulder.
"Hermione Granger," Theo said, clearly impressed. "Otherwise known as Undesirable Number Two. Robber of Gringotts Bank and Dragon Rider Extraordinaire. According to the illustrious Daily Prophet." He said the last bit in a derisive tone, as if the source couldn't be trusted.
"Theodore Nott," she replied, still looking somewhat apprehensive. "Most tolerable of the Slytherins."
"Thank you," he said with a mock bow. "Probably the highest compliment one can expect from a Gryffindork." Hermione scowled and he glanced back at Draco with a smug grin. "You don't fuck around. I didn't trust you to competently hide me, but I definitely trust her." He motioned to her with his thumb.
Theo looked deviously between the Draco and Hermione and rubbed his palms together as if he were plotting something. She shifted on her feet uncomfortably under his scrutiny.
"This is much more scandalous than Pansy's theory of you fucking some Ministry intern right under Lucius' nose. So how did you get a member of the Order of the Phoenix to–" Theo's arms fell slack and turned back to Hermione, who was tapping her wand against her thigh anxiously. Then he gaped at Draco.
"Are you spying for them?"
Hermione met his eyes, leaving it up to him to decide how he wanted to reply. But the silence was answer enough.
"You're fucking insane!"
He was. Draco was absolutely insane. He couldn't believe he'd been spying for the Order this long and was still alive to tell the tale.
Theo took a step back and shifted his gaze between the two of them. "For how long?"
Draco scratched the back of his neck and looked at Hermione questioningly. "About a year?"
"Fuck me up the arse with a Blast-ended Skrewt!"
Hermione scrunched her nose in disgust. "How would that even work?"
Draco chuckled. Theo's easy banter seemed to put her more at ease.
He blinked, looking back and forth between Draco and Hermione.
"Wait, wait, wait." His eyes widened in comprehension and a smile slowly appeared. "My father didn't disappear; the Order took him!" He turned to Draco, triumphant. "I knew something was off when you healed my hand. You squeezed all that blood–"
"He's treated well!" Hermione blurted out, and then started babbling, nervous at Theo's realization. "It's a comfortable cell. Three square a day. The food isn't great but it's nutritious, the same that we eat actually. We provide books, and there's an opportunity to go for walks outside! Interrogations are only with Veritaserum. On Christmas we–"
Theo waved his hand dismissively. "Keep him."
She abruptly closed her mouth, surprised at his reaction.
"I'm only too happy not to be on the business end of his wand anymore." He raised his eyebrows. "Hope he's been useful."
"He has." Hermione nodded vigorously, looking relieved.
"You–" Theo studied Draco, serious now. "You had the Order take him away. They could have taken someone else."
Draco shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and gave a curt nod. He felt uncomfortable under Theo's realization. It was too much, too intrusive. Draco hadn't wanted him to find out.
"And…" Theo's voice lilted upwards in amazement. "Pansy said Rowle went missing around that time."
Draco blinked and stared back into Theo's surprised blue eyes. In his peripheral vision, he could see Hermione shifting her gaze shyly between the two of them, not wanting to interfere in the moment. He felt a flush of embarrassment tinge his cheeks and glanced to the side.
"Is this the thanks we get for wiping your snotty tears all though sixth year?"
Draco flicked his eyes up to Theo's wry grin and laughed. Theo cupped his hand to his mouth and explained to Hermione in a stage whisper, "It was disgusting."
Draco turned to her, still somewhat embarrassed, but was floored by the love and admiration written all over her face. He felt his heart swell in his chest. He could die tomorrow and it wouldn't matter because he would remember Hermione looking at him as if he had just saved the world.
Saving a friend, saving the world. It was all the same to her. Just like she had explained the day they went to the National Space Centre.
"Are they going to win?" Theo's anxious question cut through Draco's thoughts.
As with Pansy, that's what everyone wanted to know.
Draco shrugged with a smile, still feeling like the sun was shining on only him. "It's possible."
"But how can you kill Melanin-Challenged Man?" Hermione's lips twitched at Theo's nickname. "He's figured out immortality. Or at least, some version of it."
Draco didn't know that either, and he wondered if the diadem and cup had anything to do with killing him. They probably did.
"It's best you don't know," she said slowly.
Theo's lips spread in a wide smile. "You are going to kill him."
Hermione cleared her throat, not wanting to discuss the topic any more, and caught Draco's eye for a moment. She was still nervous about something. Perhaps they could sit down and talk later, depending on how long it would take to set Theo up. They hadn't had many moments alone since his father caught him.
"We should get started," Hermione said, all business now. "We need to exchange your Galleons for pounds, open a bank account, go by your post office box and check you into a hotel." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a folded paper pamphlet. "I've already gotten you a tube pass with fifty pounds on it and brought you a map. That will get you around London very easily." She held up a plastic rectangular card and handed it and the pamphlet to Theo. "You should get in the habit of Glamouring yourself whenever you're out and about. Or at the very least wear some kind of cap."
Theo opened the satchel he brought to show her the wads and wads of pound notes he had withdrawn from Gringotts that morning. "How long will this last me for?"
Hermione's jaw went slack in amazement. "You're… prepared." He flashed a set of teeth at her surprise. Draco heard her mutter in disbelief while she closed Theo's satchel, ensuring the buckle was securely tightened. "Shrink that and put it in your pocket with a sticking charm. Someone could steal it while we're walking around."
She glanced over at Draco. "Take Theo and Apparate next to the National Gallery where we arrived last time. I'll meet you there."
Draco stood up, grabbed her hand and tugged her against his body. "Thank you," he whispered, his lips brushing hers.
Hermione kissed him briefly on the mouth, letting her lips linger tenderly. "Anything for you."
She seemed almost… sad? Nervous?
He rested his forehead on hers, wondering how in the world he arrived at a point in his life where Hermione Granger loved him and would do anything for him, simply because he asked.
"Definitely better than a Ministry Intern," came Theo's snarky observation and she huffed a laugh. Foreheads touching, they turned to face him with twin smiles.
"Oh!" Hermione stepped back and conjured three baseball caps, holding one out to each of them. "Just in case. You never know who's in London." She donned her flat cap and pulled her ponytail through the hole in the back.
Theo raised an eyebrow and turned the baseball cap around, scrutinizing it with distaste. "I'm going to look like a sodding American tourist. Just give me one of those terrible Hawaiian shirts and a belly bag while you're at it." Hermione's lips parted in surprise. Draco didn't understand how or when Theo became knowledgeable of the Muggle world either.
"See you there!" Hermione stepped back and Disapparated.
Draco picked up his wand and went to grab Theo's hand.
"Ew. I don't know where that hand has been." Theo pulled his hand away in disgust. "Actually, I do. Knowing is worse."
"Quit whining, Nott." Draco clamped his hand down on Theo's scrawny wrist and they Disapparated.
The three appeared in a back alley near Trafalgar Square and the two Slytherins let Hermione lead the way, following her purposeful strides. She wasn't wasting any time.
Draco eyed her backside while they walked behind her. Hermione's arse looked great in those jeans. His hands twitched at the memory of spanking it.
Theo turned to him. "When did you start reading Muggle books?" Draco wanted to ask him the same thing.
"We've been meeting at her parents' house. She's got," he tilted his hand back and forth. "Eh. Passable taste in authors." Hermione glanced over her shoulder and smirked. "What about you?"
"Do you know how boring it is to manage an estate that you care nothing about? What am I supposed to do all day? Count my Galleons? Have afternoon tea? Play chess with myself? Play Exploding Snap with myself? Play… with myself?" Theo paused. "I can only piss on my father's desk and bed so many times before it gets really disgusting." Draco heard Hermione snigger. "Pansy is often busy working for the You-Know-Who-Needs-A-Nose, so I started exploring. Muggles are fascinating. I've been here before."
"Where?" Draco asked. "The National Gallery?"
"And the British Museum, and the National History Museum, the Maritime Museum, the Transport Museum, the Science Museum–"
Draco was starting to get jealous.
"Have you been to the National Space Centre?" Draco asked, unable to tear his eyes away from Hermione's derriere. Surely he could get a good grab in while they ran around on all these errands.
Theo stopped, mouth agape. "Like with rockets?"
"This way!" Hermione pointed them in the direction of a bank.
Theo called out to her. "There's a museum with rockets?"
Hermione smiled. "Come on, then."
They followed her into the bank. Draco watched while she deftly Confounded one of the bank officials with her Disillusioned wand and they were brought immediately into someone's office. Hermione took a seat at the desk and Draco and Theo stood back against the rear wall, observing her while she worked.
Hermione started speaking. "We'd like to open an account for–"
"Oliver." Theo interrupted her. Hermione turned around and the bank official raised his eyebrows.
"Pantzoff. With a 'z'. It's German."
Draco snorted, and Hermione's lips spasmed as she struggled not to laugh. The two watched as she spoke with the official, every so often grabbing the Disillusioned wand in her lap, Confounding as necessary. After about ten minutes of clacking on keyboards, the bank teller pushed a keypad towards them and told Theo to enter his pin number.
Hermione glanced back. "Four digits. Your choice."
Theo stepped forward, flexing his fingers and leaned over the desk to inspect the keypad held out for him.
"6-9-6-9." Theo called out loudly while typing the numbers with an exaggerated flourish.
Draco sniggered and Hermione released a half-snort, half-laugh. They entrusted the teller with a gigantic stack of pounds and after thirty minutes and another Confundo, Oliver Pantzoff had a bank account with an obscenely large opening deposit.
"Now where?" Theo had observed the whole procedure, clearly impressed with how efficiently Hermione worked.
"Post office," she explained, giving him a key that she had been carrying in her pocket. "I already opened a post office box for you. Even if you move around or change your name, you can continue receiving Muggle post there. Your debit card will arrive from the bank in a few days so you don't have to walk around as if you've just pulled off a bank heist."
"Looking like I've pulled off a bank heist is part of my allure," Theo retorted. "How else am I going to get laid? That's how you snagged Mr. Tall, Blond and Sulking, isn't it?" He gave Hermione an exaggerated wink.
"I do not sulk."
Hermione laughed loudly.
It wasn't that funny.
"You sulk more than Snape!" she retorted, still chuckling.
"For the love of–"
Theo gazed down at her in appreciation. "She's got you pegged, Draco."
Hermione glanced up at him with a devilish gleam in her eyes. "Not yet I haven't."
"That–" But he had nothing to say. His mouth went dry as he pictured her behind him, grabbing his hair. He felt himself start to harden.
What was wrong with him today?
Theo guffawed even louder, and Draco pointed at her.
"Careful," he lowered his voice and smiled menacingly down at her. "Theo won't be around much longer."
She grabbed his finger and lowered it. "I'm counting on it."
With another smirk, she turned around and started searching for Theo's post office box among the many on display. The pressure in his trousers was starting to make him uncomfortable and he scanned the room to ensure no one saw as he adjusted himself.
Theo said nothing but stood watching Hermione looking entirely too pleased with himself. During the few minutes at the post office, Hermione explained to Theo how to access the box and then they were off to the next stop.
"I get the feeling she's done this before," Theo commented to Draco.
She turned around without breaking stride, continuing to walk backwards. "We hid a lot of Muggle-borns and their families over the summer and fall. None of them have been found." She pursed her lips in thought. "That we know of. You'll be safe."
Draco and Theo eyed the multiple restaurants in downtown London while they passed through. From the extremely high-end to the hole-in-the-wall establishments with barely a table to sit, there was so much variety.
"Muggles have got better coffee houses," Theo remarked. He paused, and then continued. "And bakeries. And Chinese take away. And Indian take away. And Vietnamese take away. And Cubanos. And sushi. And fusion food. It's even better than eating at Blaise's." He patted his stomach. "I think I've gained two stone since I discovered Muggle London."
Draco looked his friend up and down. He was the same tall, lanky Theo he'd always been.
"But once I ordered extra spicy Tandoori and couldn't leave the bathroom for–"
"Theo."
"–didn't have any potions strong enough–"
"Theo."
"–learned that my European stomach can't handle–"
"THEO!"
"There are limits."
Draco heard Hermione laughing up ahead of them and they continued following her brisk pace. He leered at her arse moving underneath her jeans. The second Theo was gone he was going to bend her over the first available solid surface he saw. He'd sink his teeth into her backside just for torturing him all morning with those jeans. Then he'd pound into her while she screamed.
Fuck.
He ran his hand through his hair.
"Can I get one of those cellular phones?" Theo called ahead to her. "I really want a cellular phone."
She furrowed her brow, stopping in front of a large, tall building. "Who are you going to call?"
"Does it matter?" he countered.
Confused, she tilted her head and Draco chuckled. Hermione didn't know how Theo's mind worked. "If you don't have anyone to call, why would you want a phone?"
He sent her a scolding look as if she missed something completely obvious. "Because they look like fun and I have to order take away."
Hermione smiled and shook her head. They entered the Radisson hotel in downtown London where she had booked a room for Theo for the next month. They approached the front desk and Hermione immediately placed her hand on her Disillusioned, holstered wand while she asked about Theo's reservation.
"Do you have a room on the top floor?" Theo asked. He glanced down at Hermione. "I have to be on the top floor."
The concierge made a few clacking noises on the key board and looked up. "We do, sir. Shall I make the change to your booking?"
Confounding as necessary, Hermione arranged Theo's accommodations and he transferred a stack of pounds to the concierge. After receiving the room key the three took the elevator to the top floor and entered Theo's hotel room.
Hermione stared out the window for a moment, appreciating the view of downtown London and then turned back to Theo. "You've got a month to decide if you want to stay here or rent a flat for a longer-term arrangement. But you should be all set now. You're officially a Muggle." She smirked and then added, "Careful with the Tandoori."
"Excellent," Theo replied, surveying his new place of residence, and then returned his gaze to Hermione. "Where can I get a gun?"
"What?" she replied, confused.
"What?" Theo repeated, as if he hadn't asked anything.
"You asked where you could get a gun," she clarified.
"What? I never said that." He looked at her as if she were absurd and picked up the remote for the telly.
"What? Yes, you did." She glanced at Draco for him to confirm she wasn't insane. He shrugged. Hermione, meet Theo. She turned back to Theo and furrowed her brow. "What are you going to do with a gun?"
"I asked where I could have some fun," he said, clicking through channels.
"What? No you didn't." She turned to Draco for help again. He shrugged once more, trying not to laugh as she released a harsh exhale of impatience.
"The spaceship museum," he glanced back at her with a grin. "It looks like fun."
"What?" she said, thoroughly exasperated.
"Tell me about that spaceship museum and I'll let you two get back to shagging. Draco looks like he's going to lose it any second and I'd rather not watch if it's all the same to you."
ooooooooooooooooo
Draco held Hermione down by the back of her neck, shoving her into the mattress. She was bent over her bed and he pounded into her from behind, pushing guttural sounds out from deep within her. He hadn't even been bothered to get their jeans all the way off after they Apparated into her room. All he wanted was to feel her hot, wet, slick, cunt around him. He leaned over, covering her back with his chest and reached underneath her thighs, straining to rub her clit.
He flicked her nub and thrust into her with a grunt. "How did it feel," he growled into her ear, pushing her into the bed. "Having a dragon between your legs?"
Draco stood up again and she moaned, and the sound was broken by the punishing pace he set from behind. "Not as good as this!" Hermione gasped and then made a strangled cry as she came, inner walls clenching around him.
"That's fucking right." He whacked her arse and she yelped.
Draco snapped his pelvis, bracing himself on the back of her neck, squashing her bum against his thighs. His fingers dug into her hip, and he bent over her again, rubbing his cheek against hers with a groan. Thighs shaking, he emptied himself into her, crushing her body under his. After one final thrust he lay atop her, heart thundering and breathing heavily. Hermione's eyes were squeezed shut and he watched her hand delicately un-fist the quilt of her bed, panting. His heartbeat slowed down and his breath pushed her flyaway tendrils in rhythmic motions.
Draco pressed his cheek into hers, soaking up the warmth of Hermione's skin. He slid his hands up her arms to curl his fingers around her wrists, and folded her arms in towards their bodies. He could completely encase her. All of her passion, her love, her devotion were underneath him, within him, inside him. He could swallow her whole.
She was still panting and he turned his head to press his lips to her cheek.
"Draco?"
"Yeah?"
Hermione glanced back at him and studied his expression. She looked as if she wanted to tell him something, and had been nervous earlier today. He wondered if his eyes had darkened.
But it was fine. Draco was casting his Patronus like she had advised. He was keeping things under control, it wasn't getting worse.
Hermione didn't say anything and after a few minutes, he softened and slid out of her. Squeezing her wrists, he bit her jaw lightly, wanting to keep her within him for just a little while longer. She whimpered and slowly, he bit down harder until she yelped, jerking underneath him.
Draco released her jaw and she sighed.
His.
Chapter end notes:
Next chapter: some dark smut, and things start to go downhill.
also: "Mr. Tall, Blond and Sulking." I originally wrote "Mr. Tall, Blond and Brooding" and at some point while giving Love in the Time of a Zombie Apocalypse a reread, realized that I unwittingly copied it from there. The phrase was probably stored in the part of my brain dedicated to the massive amounts of Dramione I've read during the pandemic. So I changed the last word, but it wasn't my joke, it was Rizzle's. She's got a lot of good one-liners.
