Chapter 10:

Hermione was bored. Now put her other name in there. Veri was bored.

Yes, yes I've got the pun … stupid narrative voice! Fuck me. I'm going to go nuts if I don't get out of here soon. Time to move on, I think. I've learnt what I can and Sayeki-san knows it. He just doesn't want to admit it. I did warn him that a few months was all he would get. The ninjas have made contact and now it's up to me.

She scribbled a little on a scrap of parchment and handed it to her falcon, Raja, and said "You know where to go."

Hermione grinned in anticipation and stood up to stretch. She was ready to train with the ninjas. After three years of heavy training and discipline she was about to go into the most intensive program of her life. She felt that everything she had done both in school and out of it had led up to this.

Ninjas weren't only swift fighters, but also acted as some of the elite spies. They were some of the most valued informants in the world. Spies learned not only how to literally become invisible, but also what to look for and how to look for it. All of the reading, the listening and the adventuring that she had done over the years would finally be put to use and culminate in something that she could use for the war.

Speaking of the war, I wonder how Harry is taking everything. I bet he's stir crazy. She had received a letter from her mother just that morning detailing how everything in Britain was developing.

It seemed that the destruction of the Horcruxes (I know this is an incorrect plural, but I'm not sure what JKR's root was so I can't really derive it) had drained Voldemort heavily after she had left for Asia.

He had apparently gone into hiding in order to regain some of his strength and Hermione was sure, to gain some more power too in preparation for Harry. Nothing like a few unicorns to boost your energy, she thought disgustedly. So Hermione assumed that the Order had likewise, gone back into hiding, carefully watching for signs of Voldemort's return, but not doing anything to provoke Him.

She commenced a small cycle of yoga exercises and cleared her mind. It had taken all three years for her to get to the point of being able to control her mind, emotions and reactions.

I could probably even control my cell division considering all the training I've been through. I've eaten, drank, and slept martial arts since the day I stepped foot in Asia.

She went through the cycle that she had come to name her pre-fight preparation routine. She would fight a newcomer tonight, and she knew it would also be her last fight at the samurai camp. She had gone as far as a female could go in their training and she respected their history enough to accept the boundaries of what they were willing to teach.

While she was frustrated at the clear anti-feminist agenda, she was also aware of the pure tradition that was embedded in the culture. She had read about the samurai thoroughly before her training and had been more prepared than they had anticipated. It didn't last long. But now she could wield a sword with the best of them and was particularly agile and was even able to channel some magic through her sword so she wouldn't have to fight one handed.

As she neared the end of her ritual she felt her wards shift and sensed both Sayeki-san, the head samurai, and another somewhat familiar aura entering her space. She continued with her movements and allowed them through, weakening the wards with her mind.

She closed her eyes and felt around the stranger's aura for the familiar sensations. As she felt around his consciousness, she encountered a block that meant the guest was an extremely strong Occlumens and she smirked.

Well I'll be bushy haired, it's Draco Malfoy. He was the only one who had that strong of a shield that I can remember, well other than Snape or Voldemort. Lets just hope its not one of those two, ones dead and the other is insane. Either being here would be a bad sign for my sanity.

Once she had finished, she stood and bowed to the two men in front of her.

Sayeki-san took the lead and said, "I apologize for the interruption 'Fox,' but I wanted to introduce your partner for this evening. I had looked far and wide for both him and another to fight you, but was not fated to meet the Phoenix it seems." She grinned at her former appellation. She had chosen her fox animagus when she had come to the samurai as they lived further north and the fox's coat was warmer.

Sayeki-san cleared his throat at her inattention and said, "May I introduce Ryu?"

Hermione was glad for her turban and veil that she wore, it enabled her some small sense of anonymity. Malfoy stood before her in all his platinum haired glory. His face had matured since she had seen him and his body was far more chiseled and solid than it had been three years ago. She found herself wondering what he would look like outside of his training outfit and shook her head slightly to clear the traitorous thoughts. She could feel her body thrumming with content at being nearby its bonded along with her mind's desire to get to know him better.

Draco was also closely observing the female in front of him. He couldn't tell much due to the conservative clothing and veil, damn Asian customs – can't have the bloody females distracting them on the field, but by her height, he could tell that she was no Asian and her eyes were clearly fierce and … was she checking him out?! Well I do have a fabulous body, so no surprise there. Too bad I have to kick her ass tonight. Ah well, maybe I can soothe it afterwards.

He smirked at the thought. Hmm that's odd, no headaches at that thought … maybe it's all wearing off. Thank Merlin! I don't think I could handle seeing her nude in another dream. He refocused his eyes and bowed to the woman in front of him.

She bowed back and both maintained eye contact as he and Sayeki-san left, thinking, this will be fun.

They had been fighting for nearly three hours, transitioning from karate to samurai technique to whatever kept the other a bay. Draco was beginning to feel fatigue and Hermione could feel her emotions beginning to control her movements. They had, along with the hand to hand combat, been trading curses periodically and Draco had just sent a particularly nasty Stinging Hex at Hermione before coming at her with an intricate sword combination.

Deciding enough was enough, she loosed a little more of her inner magic and let her wand go back up her sleeve. I suppose he was going to find out someday.

Thinking she meant to withdraw, Draco went in for the kill. Ha, weak female.

Hermione parried his thrust and winked at him just before delivering a punch and kick volley followed by a Stupefy, just as he was falling to the ground. Holding her sword against his throat as she helped him to his knees, she glanced at Sayeki-san and was shocked to see how many had come out to the courtyard to watch.

Sayeki-san nodded quickly and Hermione stepped back, allowing the enervated Draco to rise. She bowed to Draco, who was still in shock over how quickly he had been taken down.

Who was this girl that could use wandless magic like a pro and combat like a fiend? Who did he know that would even have the potential for it back home? For surely the girl was a Brit, she had an Ollivander wand. Draco recognized it because it was the wand he had first seen and wanted when he entered the shop. Who had he known at Hogwarts who could have done that?

Granger … well Lestrange. But surely she would have recognized me … oh and what displayed her emotions for the world to see? She just beat you in something, you know you've mastered, face it old boy, she's changed … hasn't she though?

Another inner voice added in snidely. Oh shut it! I can admire her fighting skill without wanting to shag her … can you? He groaned and shook his head to regain sanity.

He bowed in return to his female opponent, acknowledging his defeat. Then completely out of character, he winked back at her, transformed into his dragon animagus and took off into the sky.

Hermione grinned at the unspoken challenge and accepted Sayeki-san's pendant as proof that she had mastered yet another art form and thanked him. Then she too transformed into her dragon animagus and flew off after the other dragon.

She flew up above cloud cover and let out a wild scream as she attempted to find Malfoy. After flying around for another five minutes or so, she felt him coming up behind her and dropped altitude quickly so that instead of behind her he was now ahead. He snorted at her play and nosed at a place where they could go and talk. The unspoken agreement that they needed to, hung tangibly in the air. She screamed once again and nose dived towards a large cavern in the side of the volcano.

As Draco landed, he noticed Veri sitting on the cavern floor, a cavern floor that had been changed to a pillow top, waiting on him in her human form. He quickly changed and walked towards her. He drawled, "You know we never can meet in normal circumstances, can we?"

She laughed and he admired her shimmery black hair, the color streaks both melting into and bursting out of its darkness. He tried not to remember the last time he'd seen it, her head thrown back as she had ridden him to an earth-shattering orgasm in the early morning light, the sun just hitting her hair from her window making it gleam like a dark halo. Her breasts had been bouncing as he thrust upwards and his hands had been squeezing her ass to control her movements above him. Gods stop! Aunt Bella in a dress, Mother and Father, McGonagall in garters … gah!

Hermione then broke him out of his reverie, saying, "What fun would normal be? We've got a good rep going here!" She grinned up at him, surprised by how easily they were getting along, considering all the bad water between them in the past. "So what are the chances that you would be the infamous Ryu? I should have known, you always did live up to your name." She smirked and was glad she had decided to act as though unaware of whom he had been before she fought him.

He grinned and looked down ferally at her, "Ah but I'm not the 'Fox' who can turn into a dragon, now am I? I at least have my species straight."

She giggled and shrugged her shoulders, the sound making her seem much younger than her now 21 years. He almost missed the innocence that it reminded him of the old times at school when he didn't have cause to be worried for his life.

"What can I say, they thought I was more sly that just intimidating, I wasn't sure how to take that when they told me, but hey," she hoped her little lie was plausible. She didn't want Malfoy knowing all her secrets before they went back to enemy lines.

They both sat simply looking at each other, drinking in the changes and memories that were a result of the other's image. As their eyes connected, they felt the atmosphere change and the lust take over. Draco had crawled over to her, almost without knowing it, until he was straddling her hips with her face below him, "Veri Lestrange, how is it … that we find each other in such compromising positions so often? Why am I so drawn to you?"

She started at the use of her birth name and reminded herself that it was how he would think of her along with the entire Dark Side, so she would have to play that part. She looked up at him through hooded eyes, "Haven't you guessed it yet? We're soul mates. Our auras literally blend together, we get blasted migraines when we are far apart, I black out when you sleep with someone else, and I. Can't. Bloody. Stop. Dreaming. About. You." Veri punctuated each last word with a small nip along his jaw.

He groaned and flipped her over, so that she was then on top of him and ground his hips into her own. "I'd hoped it wasn't that. We don't even know each other that bloody well. We hate each other and I'm not even sure about which bloody side you're on."

One of her hands had undone his tunic and was massaging his nipple quite nicely. "You twat, we went to school together for years, even as enemies we know more about each other than just strangers. You are incredibly protective of your family, enjoy learning when it suits your need for power, and are an emotional person despite not wanting to show it considering your need for an outlet so often."

"Ok, ok got it, you've pegged me. And you aren't just a know-it-all; you need control so you can keep your sanity, but surprises don't do you in; you can be emotional if you want to be; you are loyal to those loyal to you until you can't mentally take it anymore, Trio fights anyone?; you have too many thoughts to get bored; and you want me."

"I do?" She smirked down at him and ran her nails lightly down his abs.

"Yes, just like I want you." She had no clue how hard it was for him to be so candid about all this. After years of emotional and mental training he was supposed to be cold and unfeeling. Something about her just made him lose control of that, just like back in Hogwarts when she slapped him.

"But you are right about the other things." He could see her drawing back as her mind raced. "We don't know a lot about each other, we aren't sure where we stand with each other or even the war." She grimaced at the thought of someday having to meet him head to head.

He drew her eyes back to him with his hand on her chin, "Look lets forget it for a little while. I can't believe I'm saying this to the bookworm, but I know we're both frustrated after these three years. We might as well make do with the time given us, no?" He traced his hands up her abdomen under her tunic.

She looked at him for a long while, and finally nodded her head. "Alright Malfoy, I think you may be able to handle me." She smirked at him.

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh really Lestrange? Everyone knows that I'm a dragon in bed." He waggled his eyebrows.

"Oh hush you. Lift!" She tapped his hips and he lifted them so she could work his trousers off. She wriggled out of her own, along with her top and lay back down beside him.

"Tonight," he said.

"Tonight," she replied.

With that he came up over her and took her lips in a passionate kiss, rubbing their tongues together in an attempt to get closer. His hand had come up to her breast and was drifting lightly over it, causing her to moan at the lack of true friction.

Her right hand had dug itself into his hair to pull him closer and the other was firmly attached to his bum as she raised her hips and ground into his own. His tongue thrust into her mouth and she dug her nails into him.

He arched his back and groaned. He looked down at her desire driven eyes and teased her wet folds with his full cock. He ran the tip along her silken core and ground it against her clit.

She arched off the ground and whimpered. He ran his hands down her stomach and stopped teasingly near her clit. He rubbed the insides of her thighs, making her moan and writhe even more.

Her hand had come from his bum to his cock and was lightly rubbing it up and down. When he groaned again as she circled her thumb around the tip, she began pumping his cock with her fist and rubbing his balls with the other hand. His own hand was now rubbing against her clit and two of his other fingers were languorously thrusting in and out of her.

She was whimpering and arching off the ground and Draco didn't think he'd seen something so erotic in his life. Her hand was fisting him to his full ten inches and he could see his own fingers going in and out of her core, wet with her essence. Her eyes were closed and her head was thrown back in frustration.

He pulled his fingers out of her and slowly pried her own hand off his throbbing cock. He brought both of her hands above her head and knelt between her legs. "Open your eyes," he whispered huskily.

She raised her head up and looked him in the eyes, her sea foam green eyes darkened with arousal. She raised her hips up to meet his thrust and immediately felt him fully seated in her. She moaned at the full contact and the way he completely filled her. He slowly pulled back out and thrust back in. He groaned at her tight passage and how it almost milked him every time he pulled out. She brought her legs up around his hips and pulled him deeper. He began to thrust in earnest, pumping into her with all the energy he could muster.

She lay beneath him arching upwards, meeting him and making small whimpers and moans that almost made him come every time. But the thing that truly sent him over the edge was her low keening "Dracooooooo" as she herself flew into the clouds of bliss and the look on her face of complete contentment.

They both lay together, spooning in the quiet aftermath sleeping peacefully.

Hermione awoke as the sun hit the mouth of the cave. She glanced at the sleeping form of Malfoy and his peaceful, innocent looking face. There were lines around his forehead and eyes, attesting to the strain of the past few years and a life on the run.

She sighed and with a last feathery kiss on his lips, she rose and redressed. She slipped a small note inside his tunic and walked to the mouth of the cave, holding her turban and veil at her side.

She looked out on the expanse of land stretching out into the sunrise. She hoped that someday they would be able to return to this place where they felt a moment of harmony in a time of discord.

The first thing Draco saw as he woke was the image of her black hair streaming out behind her, the sun lighting her calm face and the colors of her hair glinting around her. Then with a whoosh she had transformed and taken flight. He sighed and noticed a slip of paper in his tunic.

Malfoy,

We walk a fine line. I want you. My soul needs you and I'm not sure what to do about it. Books can't help me and I know it. I don't know where my true allegiance lies and I'm in a fog of grey between the dark and light. The only thing I know is that with you, everything feels as though it will be ok. So I send this olive branch in hopes that we can learn to understand each other a little better over the next two years. I won't be able to meet you or even reply often. But I'm in hopes that it will take our minds off harder things and perhaps let a little light into our dark lives. If you care to, write me. Tell your bird to look for the Fox and she will find me. Good luck to you. In the coming years I feel we'll need it.

Yours,

The know-it-all

He grinned at her closing and mentally made a note to write her in two weeks time. Can't seem too hasty. He redressed and walked over to the mouth of the cave.

Looking out on the same panoramic as Hermione had, he too wished for a time of peace and a time when people wouldn't have to train to become killing machines.