Author's Note:
At the very end of this party this is a fluffy sex scene. It's not very graphic but I'm not sure it completely fits with my current rating. This is my fair warning, I don't think it will offend anyone, I tried to keep with my current rating. Enjoy the final installment of Living a Lie.
Yule Tide arrived for Hermione and Draco with no further run-ins or incidents. For Hermione's part, she had talked herself out of her inane 'crush' on Draco Malfoy and had avoided alcohol at all costs. Her time consisted of schoolwork, draping herself across Harry's lap, and trying to convince Ginny that she really wanted to be with Harry. Ginny was having nothing with this. The night of the ball Ginny invited herself into Hermione's prefect room to get ready. Hermione smiled wanly.
"For someone going to a ball you aren't very smiley." Ginny remarked softly, pulling a brush through her hair.
"It's just been a rough year," Hermione said sullenly.
"Do you even want to go to this?" Ginny demanded, glaring at Hermione in the mirror.
"Of course I do," came the unconvincing reply.
"Let me do your hair," Ginny said. She took Hermione's hand and steered her into the stool in front of the older girl's vanity. She began brushing the hair by hand, working out the knots. Then with her wand she magicked it into loose wavy curls. Then the fun began.
Ginny had become quite skilled at updos sometime during her modeling career. She didn't know how, but she had. She had offered to do Faye's hair, but ever since their riding excursion Faye had avoided both Hermione and Ginny. Ginny didn't understand this in the least, but she ignored Faye in turn. Hermione was too pre-occupied to notice the change. Ginny finally heaved a sigh and put her mouth very close to Hermione's ear.
"This has to do with Malfoy doesn't it." Hermione looked like a deer caught in headlights and guilty at the same time. Ginny smiled knowingly. "Spill."
"I don't know," Hermione nearly wailed. "I can't deal with Harry, Ginny. He's driving me insane. It's a constant power struggle and I constantly lose. I have just as much power in the wizarding world, if not more. And he's such a…a…"
"Lovely wonderful person," Ginny completed smiling into the mirror at none other than the devil himself.
"You almost ready Mione?" Harry asked uncertainly.
"I just have to put my dress on…I'll meet you downstairs," Hermione replied softly. As soon as he had walked in she had lowered her eyes. She was constantly deferring to him now and she hated it. She was more powerful than him in more ways than one. And now, she was richer than him…She had pureblood now that no one could fight. She just didn't know what to do with it.
"Finished." Ginny said excitedly. Hermione looked up and drew in a deep breath. Her hair was arranged fantastically on top of her head and the small strands that framed her face brought out the makeup that she'd used to highlight her almond shaped eyes. The updo revealed her slightly pointed ears and shifted face – it brought out her chiseled cheek bones and her full lips. She smiled. She looked powerful.
"Let me just put my dress on, and we'll go down together?" Hermione asked, Ginny nodded admiring the completed look.
Hermione and Ginny descended that stairs to the Common Room and the boys still waiting for their dates fell silent. Hermione was dressed in a sleek green gown that ruffled around her legs as she walked. The corset was lined with a deeper hunter ribbon and rounded her figure to perfection. There was more than one indrawn breath when she took her final step onto the common room floor.
"Ready?" Hermione asked, smiling brightly at Harry.
"You look," Harry started "Like a Slytherin."
Hermione's smile faded slightly but she tried to keep it pasted on. She took Harry's arm and allowed him to lead her down to the Great Hall. Ginny followed behind in a black gown with intricate silver detailing which never allowed the viewer to completely focus on it. Around her neck was a tight black choker with a large diamond on display in the center. Hermione remembered complaints by Ron about the jewelry, unknown presenter that it came from. Ginny was perched on the arm of Neville Longbottom, a close friend and closer ally especially since their excursus to the Department of Mysteries the previous year.
"Why did you buy a green gown?" Harry hissed under his breath to her. Hermione wondered why the color of her gown mattered so much, especially when it flattered her figure so much.
"I didn't buy it. It was my inheritance and I took it because it was quite flattering and didn't require altering. Unfortunately this summer kept my pretty occupied and I didn't have time to shop for some frivolous balls. On top of this I'm saving the most beautiful crimson gown for the St. Valentine's Ball." Harry looked slightly taken aback at her tone but disregarded it. Hermione proceeded to ignore whatever else he said.
They entered the Ball slightly behind most of the student body, and Hermione felt like everyone's eyes were on her. Never mind that this was impossible, everyone was looking at Harry of course. Wonder boy, meant to save the world…Hermione repressed a sigh – no one ever noticed her except on Harry's arm. Whispers ran through the Great Hall as people turned back to whatever they were doing before Harry's entrance. As soon as they were in Harry smiled at her.
"I'll go get some punch," Harry stated. He gently brushed Hermione's arm off and moved away.
"I'll go with him," Neville said. He left Ginny with Hermione was a kiss on the cheek. Hermione looked at Ginny.
"Do you think I look alright?" Hermione asked spinning around.
"Hermione, ignore Harry. You look…you look amazing. You would look more amazing if you were happy. How is it that you're not happy with Harry? I'd die if he were to give me a second look."
Hermione just shook her head at Harry returned with punch. She took a sip, knew it was spiked, and drained the glass anyway. It was delicious, and Hermione figured she was going to get deliciously drunk today. She felt someone's eyes on her back and glanced furtively over her shoulder.
Draco stared in disbelief at Hermione. She was in a gorgeous emerald green gown with hunter green accents. The corset top pulled in her already fantastic figure and lifted in all the right places. Her almond shaped eyes met his and looked away quickly. For a second he thought he saw tears, then Harry's arm was on hers and he was leading the way to the dance floor.
"So everything's all set for the party tonight," Blaise said, hooking her arm into Draco's.
"Was the room everything you wanted it to be?" Draco asked. Blaise nodded happily.
"I absolutely adore it. And it's soundproof. And fully furnished with alcohol and food – like you said. You're sure none of the underclassmen or the teachers know?"
"Positive it went out by owl, a few each day."
"And you even invited the Gryffindor?"
"I wouldn't expect many to show. But yes, I even invited the Gryffindor."
They paused in their conversation then, to look at Harry and Hermione on the dance floor. Draco had to admit the two made a fantastic couple. Hermione's hair had bleached out a little over the summer and it was a perfect chestnut brown.
"That dress must have cost a fortune," Blaise said. "It's a retired color by a retired designer but the style is this years. My god, it's fantastic. I wish I could get one."
"She has four chests full," Draco said without thinking.
"Four chests full? How do you know?"
"I read it…Somewhere…That it was what she removed from the Leaky Cauldron," Blaise nodded satisfied for now. "Can we dance?"
Draco took her arm and led her to the floor, soon after the rest of the Slytherin couples followed. Draco could help but think about Hermione…She looked every inch of a Slytherin queen, but somehow she wasn't.
Hermione caught glimpses of Draco out of the corner of her eye while she and Harry moved around the ballroom floor. He was watching her, she could tell, but what he was saying to the red head next to him she couldn't fathom. She knew she looked like a Slytherin tonight. And, to admit it to herself, it was part of what she'd aimed for when she picked out the dress. To piss Harry off. Plus the dress was the finest in her mother's collection other than the beautiful crimson one Hermione had decided to wear for the Valentine's Day ball.
The song ended and suddenly Lavender was at Harry's elbow.
"Do you mind if I cut in," she asked Hermione with a bright smile. Hermione did mind, but she didn't care. She just wanted to be on the dance floor. She yielded her place with Harry as he slightly shoved her away and watched as Lavender stole the first slow song of the night.
"Well this sucks," she muttered. She picked up her skirts and escorted herself off the dance floor. She grabbed a glass of punch and proceeded to dump herself in a chair at one of the tables off to the side of the dance floor. Just in time to see Harry's hand sliding down to Lavender's ass.
"Unbelievable," she hissed. She drained her glass, enjoying the taste of the alcohol that was mixed in and thought again about the owl she had received yesterday.
You are cordially invited to the after party of the year. Invitation only, upperclassmen only.
Directions with a find me spell
Blaise
Any party that the Slytherin's threw was bound to contain alcohol in huge quantities and she needed to get extremely drunk to forget what a disappointment tonight had been.
"A lady shouldn't be left sitting along while her date dances the night away with the house slut." Hermione looked up into Draco's eyes. She narrowed her own and looked away.
"What do you want?"
"To dance with the most stunning girl in the room."
"You don't want me to touch you," Hermione hissed.
"Au contraire, there is nothing more in the world that I want right now. You are a Slytherin beauty. You deserve a dance with the Slytherin prince." Draco said, leaning over the say the last few words right into her ear.
Hermione stared at him warily. She had been led around by him before, she didn't want to get her heart broken, but one dance couldn't hurt. And she did desperately want to dance. She took his outstretched hand and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor for the next waltz.
She felt like the entire school was watching them and for the first few steps she let Draco lead. When she remembered the particular waltz the band was playing she fell into step with him. At some point, she didn't remember when, one of them stopped leading and their persons blended together. The moved as one entity, as if they had always know they were supposed to be together. Hermione looked at him with a soft smile.
And that was when it all fell apart.
"What are you playing at?" Harry's voice came right next to her ear. She stopped, abruptly and stared at him.
"Excuse me?" She hissed.
"She's enjoying a dance, while her date takes a turn with the House slut," Draco said softly from behind her.
"No one asked you ferret," Harry snapped in Draco's direction. He grabbed Hermione's hand and started to lead her off the floor. "You're out of control. Showing up in Slytherin colors, dancing with Malfoy…"
"No Harry, you're out of control." Hermione hissed stopping and pulling her hand from his grasp.
"Excuse me?" Harry said turning around.
"You're head is the size of…Well it's huge and you're obnoxious and you let everyone make you out to this hero and you're not. You're just like the rest of us only worse because you think you're better."
"Shut up," Harry said, reaching for her hand again. "Not here."
"Not anywhere. Go to hell Harry." Hermione turned.
"I'll ruin you," he hissed into her ear. Hermione resisted the urge to shiver. "I'll ruin you, any chance you have at Pledging the Order and any ministry job you could ever hope for."
"Go ahead," Hermione said spinning around. "You think I care anymore? I'll never have to lift a finger the rest of my life and my children will still have an inheritance. I've got more money than the Malfoy's Harry. And my families older than time itself."
Harry turned and walked away and Hermione realized half the school was staring at her. Blushing profusely, she lifted her skirts and tried to walk dignified to the doors outside. As soon as she was in the gardens she felt her blush fade, but her hands were shaking.
Draco watched Hermione stand up to Harry. He watched her humiliate the poor guy and then he watched her walk away with some shred of her dignity intact when he practically shouted he was going to ruin her. He watched her, with a faint smirk on his lips, grow a back bone. And then he watched her retreat as if she had done something wrong. Blaise's hand was on his shoulder but he shrugged it off.
"I need to handle something," he said simply. Blaise eyed him, her eyes narrow.
"I told you Draco."
"We aren't together Blaise. We never were. Plus, did she look like a Gryffindor just then?"
"No," Blaise admitted reluctantly. She didn't lower her narrowed eyes from Draco but she finally shrugged. "I don't like it; I don't think your father would either."
"What my father doesn't know won't hurt him." Draco said blithely as he exited the Great Hall to the gardens.
It took him nearly five minutes to find Hermione sitting on a bench playing with a small glowing globe in her hands. Everything she launched it into the air with her wand it swirled different colors and then as she removed it wand, it exploded only to reform in her hands.
"Imagining its Potter's head?" He asked as he slid onto the bench next to her. Hermione started and tried, unsuccessfully to focus her attention on him.
"No…It's my life," she said uncertainly, watching the globe repeat its path. This time, when she lowered her wand the globe didn't explode. It glided into Draco's hand. He twisted it around to look into it.
"Your life is exploding?"
"No, but my head is," Hermione said. Draco made the globe disappeared and reached for her hand.
"Come back and dance with me."
"I don't think that's a good idea…" Hermione said. Draco could feel her need though; the need to be accepted, the need to feel love, the need to be needed.
"Please," he begged. He knew he was manipulating her, but he didn't care. He wanted…No, he needed, the most beautiful girl at the ball to enter the Room on his arm, because if she entered on his arm, he was guaranteed to bed her.
Hermione was still shaking her head gently while Draco led her back to the Great Hall. But once they were on the dance floor she fell into step with him and forgot everything else but the smirk he had fixed on her. She finally managed to fix a smirk of her own on. She heard the whispers coming then, but she reveled in them instead of dreading them. With Draco, it was all right…Something just clicked and she didn't mind be the center of attention anymore.
They left the ball together and Draco led the way to the Room of Requirement. They were one of the first ones there, other than Blaise, and she offered Draco a rare smile.
"It looks…Perfect," she said simply. She looked at Hermione, draped on Draco's arm, and offered a thin half smile. "There's one thing…Can I change something on your dress?"
Hermione looked at Blaise warily. The dress changed itself, it was one of the reasons she had worn it. It kept itself up to date on the latest cuts and trends – or if that wasn't satisfactory it took only a small spell to fit the wearer's every desire.
"What?"
"The laces…They should be silver. If you're going to be the Slytherin princess, you need to be green and silver." Hermione mulled this thought over and then spoke the simple four word spell, holding the image of the silver accents in her mind. The color lightened, and then changed. Blaise nodded approval.
"It's an amazing dress."
"I have another…I might be selling it, who knows. Let me know if you're interested."
It was true, Hermione had found a few of these dresses already and she was sure there were more floating around the manner. She also knew for a fact, having discussed it with Ginny, that she no longer spelled fabric like this anymore. It cuts into profit, Ginny had told her. Hermione could imagine it did.
Blaise simply nodded and turned away. Hermione uncorked the first bottle of wine and poured herself a glass. Draco watched her empty it in disbelief.
"Um Hermione…" He asked softly, leaning in towards her ear. The rest of the school was showing up now.
"Yes?" She poured herself another glass and took a small sip.
"I don't remember you…Drinking."
"I didn't. Before you," Hermione said simply. She took another small sip and looped her arm through Draco's.
"Where too my fair haired dragon," she asked lightly. She pasted a Slytherin smirk on her face and for a moment it was hard for Draco to remember that she wasn't a full fledged Slytherin. He led her around mingling with the three classes that had been invited and introducing her to the rest of his house. His house all appreciated her dress, her impeccable style, and now her heritage. Even the most stuck up gave her a wide berth. She was now a part of the oldest families of wizarding and whether they way they were raised – this meant more than any past history.
The night hours wore themselves down and couples trickled out in twos or threes. Hermione looked at Draco expectantly, draining her third glass of wine.
"Are you coming back to my room?" Draco asked bluntly. He was surprised when Hermione nodded. He led her out the portrait hole, with a wink back at Blaise, and steered her towards the Slytherin common room. From there he led her to his private Prefect's room. Hermione fell onto the bed with a sigh.
"Why are you doing this for me?" She asked, turning her gaze to Draco who was removing his dress robes.
"Doing what?" Draco asked. He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it onto the chair with his robes.
"Being nice," Hermione said. She couldn't seem to keep her eyes off his nicely toned chest and abs but finally managed to redirect them to his face. He smiled and walked over to her.
"Because I want to." He said simply. He pulled her to her feet and turned her around. With expert hands he undid the knot on her corset and loosened the laces. When they were sufficiently loose he turned her around. She looked up at him her eyes unsure.
He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, then pulled back looking at her. Sure enough, something had reawakened in her eyes. She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a second kiss. This time, her mouth yielded to his. He slipped his tongue out, deepening the kiss and pulled her closer to him. Finally, when he broke off the kiss, he laid her on the bed, and climbed in next to her.
"We don't have to do this you know," he said softly.
"I know," Hermione said. She leaned over and kissed him again, trailing her fingers across his chest, marveling at the feel of his tight stomach. When her hand reached his belt she undid it with ease, and still kissing him, her fingers worked the button undone. That done, Draco hooked his fingers into his pants and slid them off. Hermione stood, for a minute, and let her dress fall from her body. Draco couldn't help but stare.
Then, she was on top of him and everything felt right. They rode waves of pleasure together until Draco couldn't hold back any longer. Hermione threw her head back as she rode the final, largest, wave and slid off him to the bed. Draco sighed happily, and pulling the covers over them, pulled her closer.
For a moment the world felt right, but they had no way of knowing it was the beginning of the end…
Author's Note:
This is the end of Living a Lie, I will be adding an epilogue, there is an important even that occurs on Christmas Eve. There will also be a sequel. I just can't make this any long than it already is, and I need to collect my thoughts. Just know the epilogue will be up tonight and the new story probably begun by tomorrow night. The new story will start in the summer after this one, before their seventh year. And it will continue with the prophecy I laid forth in this. I know a lot of people have favorited this story and I hope you keep reading into the sequel.
Comments revered.