Chapter 17:
Three days. That was all she had. Three days. Hermione could not stop thinking about it. The trial. It was coming. In three days. Her brain whirled through details and questions and statements. She had reviewed countless times. Draco had walked out on her countless times because of her constant nagging and questioning. He had banished her to the study as he didn't want her "polluting" the kitchen. He had urged her multiple times to stop and come to bed. To be with him. But she couldn't. She couldn't stop now! What if she failed? She couldn't even begin to think of the concept of being without him in this house.
She chastised herself for thinking such negative thoughts and deliberated over her notes once more. She looked at her watch – it was getting late. Although, she usually worked until much later into the night. Draco would probably already be in bed. She tidied her desk in the study and crossed the hallway. She had really gotten to know Grimmauld place since Draco had forced her to work in the study. The amount f the rooms in the house were incredible. She could tell Draco had done some exploring, possibly even before her arrival. She heard the shower running in the bathroom across from her room. Part of Draco's ritual. The shower before bed. She was usually still studying in her study at this time, usually crawling in beside him after he had fallen asleep. Maybe Draco would be lucky tonight. They could talk…or do other things.
Feeling spontaneous, she turned the handle and opened the door feeling the heat and steam on her skin. Attempting to close the door silently behind her, she heard Draco humming to himself. He was happy. She smiled to herself – he didn't know she was in the bathroom with him. She felt so mischievous. This would have not been something old, Hogwarts Hermione would have done. But she had felt awfully mischievous sneaking around the castle with Viktor Krum her fourth year. The turning off of the shower snapped her out of her head and back into the bathroom. Not knowing what to do she scrambled around the bathroom, making more noise than she would have liked.
"Granger?" Draco asked through the shower curtain.
"Yeah" she whispered. She could see his wolfish grin through the shower curtain. She reddened – this could be worse than when she had walked in on him the second day of their stay together!
"What are you doing in here?" he asked her peeking his head around the shower curtain, tone dripping in sarcasm. Of course, he was smirking.
Hermione couldn't believe herself! She was behaving like a 3rd year, wringing her hands in a bathroom with a very naked and very attractive Draco Malfoy. He had asked her why he was here – she had to answer! "I don't know…I just heard you in the shower…and I thought I'd say hi…" she muttered - cursing at herself for sounding so much like a love-struck third year.
"Just saying hi?" Draco responded turning back on the shower. Hermione had not at all expected what Draco did next. He stuck his hand out of the shower and grabbed her pulling her in, hot water splashing all over her. She was standing in front of Draco Malfoy. In the shower. Naked. His chest was dripping with water, hair wet and falling in his face. The water was falling on her too. Her clothes became heavier and her hair was wet and dripping now. Draco was looking into her eyes passionately. She had never seen this fire from him before. She tried to keep her eyes on him, but they wanted to hungrily take in his body. He kissed her lips and everything was lost. They were melded into each other. Hermione couldn't even feel the water falling on her anymore. All she could feel was Draco, his lips, his hands. Before she knew it her shirt was gone and her bare stomach pressed against him. Then it was cold tile against her back. He had her pinned. His mouth ravaged her neck, sucking and biting. This was more intense than anything they had ever done before. Hermione could barely think – but one last rational thought passed through her before she let go – three days, two nights.
"Draco, wait" she managed to get out. She felt him retract his lips from her neck.
"Hmm?" he asked. Hermione turned off the shower a draft of cold suddenly hitting her body. She could feel everything now - the absence of her shirt, the wetness of her clothes and hair, the fact that Draco wasn't wearing anything, and maybe perhaps that they had been snogging a little too much.
"Not in the shower" she answered, pulling his face up to hers and placing a chaste kiss on his lips. She stepped out of the shower pulling him with her. She suddenly realized that neither of them were ashamed. It was going to happen. He wrapped a towel around himself and put one around Hermione's shoulders, leaning down to kiss her softly before he turned and walked towards her room. She followed him, but now the tiny voice in her head was screaming – three days, two nights.
"Draco?" she blurted out into the silence. He watched her, sitting on her bed in his towel. "You know that tomorrow night is your last night before…you know…the trial, right?"
His face darkened, " I hadn't really thought about it until now, no"
"Oh" was the only way Hermione could respond. She walked towards him again, sitting next to him on their bed. "Well, if I were to do something for you on your last night, what would it be?" Hermione had tried to sound as sexy as she could, trying to indicate that she wanted to be with him then. Draco simply stood from the bed, walking to the other end of the room and slipped on a pair of boxers.
He answered without even turning around to look at her, "I would want to have it be like any other night with you. I don't want to know it's my last one as a free man, Granger." He slid on a shirt and turned towards her for the first time, "I have the sudden urge to go read," and he stalked out of the room.
Hermione suddenly felt terrible. She had started something that both of them, especially him, had wanted so much only to ruin it by reminding him that their moments together were limited. She was not daft. She could tell he was upset with her. Taking off the remainder of her wet clothes, she dried herself methodically, thinking about reasons for and against going to speak to him. Eventually, she decided against it. An argument would ensure. Neither of them would want such a thing on his second to last night in Grimmauld Place. She settled into her bed, picking up a book.
Her thoughts would not quiet and her body was tense. She could not bear to go to bed with him upset with her. Two days. One night. This was it. Hermione had to resolve this. She placed her book on the nightstand where she had found it and wrapped a robe around herself, softly padding to the library. She found her seated in a chair without a book, but rather nursing a glass of Firewhisky. Perfect.
oooooooooo
Hermione came to find him fifteen minutes after he had left her. His calculations had been off; she was early. He took a sip of the bronze liquid and it warmed his body. He had not had enough to be drunk, but the warmth was beginning to spread past his throat.
"Come to join me?" he asked quietly, no need to be aggressive just yet.
"Draco, what I said…it came out wrong. I'm sorry. I want to spend this time with you, not arguing." She sat next to him, filling her own glass and beginning to sip. This entire situation seemed so clean, so unlike their past relationship. She was apologizing. If this had been any other night, he would have accepted it, kissed her gently, and moved on. But this wasn't any other night.
"Oh but we're so good at arguing" Draco smirked at her. She grinned tightly, confused about the intention of that statement. Draco finished his glass and set it down on the table. The warmth had thankfully spread to his head. It was funny how alcohol always had a part in their relationship. He remembered when he had picked her up and carried her back to her bed when they had drank too much after the whole Weasley debacle. Or when she had climbed into his bed with her short dress and straight her tickling his chin. And now alcohol was a part of this. He was going to make her upset, just like he had for the past seven years of their life. She would be upset. But it would spare her the hurt that she would face in two days. He knew she wouldn't handle either well, but at least with this she would be forced to go to Weasley or Potter or someone. He was doing her a favor, and the alcohol would dull the pain. He watched as Hermione mimicked his actions and finished her glass as well. She crossed the spaced between them, straddling him and kissing him deeply.
"We could argue some place else if you'd like" she asked, eyes hooded. She kissed him again, passionately. Draco's heart broke as he pulled away, putting on the face of fifth year Draco, speaking to another one of his conquests.
"Can I tell you something, Granger?" he asked, softly cupping her bottom. He watched her nod in approval, "Ever since you punched me third year, I've wanted to shag you until you couldn't walk straight." He smirked at her and watched as her eyes darkened slightly. He would have to work harder, "To be honest, I've been thinking about it since you were crying drunk on the floor when Weasley broke up with you."
Her mouth fell open. That had done it. She backed off of him like she had touched a hot stove. "What is bringing all this out Draco, are you drunk?" he could tell how confused and hurt she was.
"Not really. I've just been trying to fuck you for the past two weeks and all you want to do is study and snog," he could see the tears and anger welling in her eyes. He stood and moved right in front of her, "Now, where were we?" he snaked his arm around her waist, attempting to pull her towards him. He was met with her strong arms pushing him away.
"I can't believe this! I spend a month working for you! I want to get you off! I don't want you to go to Azkaban, Draco!" tears were starting to fall from her eyes, "I just want to be with" she said in a small voice.
"Well, we both know that you won't!" he near shouted, "I'll be Azkaban for the rest of my life and we both know it! If anything you've just been giving me false hope! I can't stand the sight of you! Get out mudblood" his tone was dripping with malice, and tears were now falling freely down her cheeks. Her mouth was wide open as though she had just witnessed a murder. On the outside he resembled Draco Malfoy at his egotistical prime, but his insides were burning. He wanted to vomit. His heart was being shredded watching her cry at what he had just said to her.
"I can't…believe…this," she mumbled to herself. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and turned walking towards the door, "Goodbye Draco," and with that, she walked out of the library, closing the door softly behind her. Draco heard her release a heart-wrenching sob and dissaperate.
He collapsed backwards into the chair behind him, his head immediately falling into his hands. Silence. All he could hear was his own heavy breathing. His father had taught him so well. He was the best actor there ever was. But what he had just done right? Did he really save her the hurt? All he wanted to do was hold her, to tell her he was sorry, that it was all his fault. That he loved her. But there was no going back now. He filled himself a generous glass of Firewhisky. Potter would be here soon enough. He planned to be thoroughly intoxicated by then. Hopefully, Potter wouldn't cause him too much physical harm. Or better yet, maybe he wouldn't feel it.
oooooooooo
Ginny gazed at herself in the mirror. She really hadn't changed much in the years that it had been since Hogwarts. Sure, her hair had grown longer, and her battle-wounds had healed, but she was the same old red-haired Weasley. Wrapping her emerald robe tightly around herself she went to the kitchen, where Harry was still hard at work. The days had been growing longer for him as Draco Malfoy's trial. Kinglsey had been over numerous times, and Hermione owled at least three times a day. Everyone was on edge.
Ginny couldn't imagine what was going through Malfoy's head. Everyone expected him to be sentenced to life in Azkaban. The only people who had stuck their necks out for him were Harry and Hermione. Hermione. She would be heartbroken if Malfoy actually did end up in Azkaban. Ginny knew how hard she had work on his case. She also knew that there was something going on between them. Hermione had told her about past occasions, but then the talking about Draco ceased all together. Hermione was her best friend. She knew what that meant. Since she didn't detest Malfoy, it must be the other option – they were shagging.
The redhead stared into her hot cocoa. If Hermione and Draco were actually together, then Hermione's reaction to Malfoy's sentence would be much more dramatic. The mess left to clean would be much larger. She saw Harry tense across the kitchen, hand automatically feeling for his wand pocket. The floo was rumbling. Out fell a disheveled, tear-streaked Hermione. She landed in the middle of their small kitchen, sobbing loudly.
"Hermione! What's happened?" Harry sprung to the floor, taking her face in his hands, searching her for answer. Ginny came next to them – sometimes Harry could get caught in the situation. She lifted them both from the ground and brought them to the table. Ginny brought Hermione a cup of hot cocoa as she dried her tears.
"Hermione, dear" she started slowly, "tell us what happened."
"I can't believe I was so….stupid" she said before falling into a fit of sobs. "He was just using me this whole time! I slave away for him these past two months, cooking, and cleaning, and washing, and putting his trial together, and this is how he thanks me!" Hermione was inconsolable.
Ginny exhaled. She needed to remain calm for her best friend, fiery anger wouldn't help anyone. Harry on the other hand looked like was about to burst.
"Malfoy" he seethed, "Hermione, what did he do to you? Did he hurt you?" Hermione reddened, and Ginny's suspicions were confirmed. They had a romantic relationship.
"Well," she started – Ginny could tell she was calculating how to approach tell Harry this, "it's a very long story, but for the past two weeks, Draco and I had been romantically involved" she paused to gauge Harry's reaction. Ginny noticed a flicker in his eyes and a slight tense of his hand, but he could tell he had taken a lesson from Malfoy; he let nothing show. "So I had wanted to make his last few nights special, but I said something wrong, and we got into an argument," she wiped a few stray tears from her eyes, "he told me that he had only been involved with me because he wanted a shag before Azkaban. He then told me the work I was doing was not going to work, and by not sleeping with him, I've been giving him false hope" she sniffed once more, and then in the smallest voice she uttered, "then he called me a mudblood."
"That bastard!" Harry was livid. He paced around the kitchen trying to control himself. Ginny wrapped an arm around Hermione trying to console her. Malfoy had hit her when she was wounded. But Ginny knew better. She had seen the way Malfoy looked at Hermione now. If they had really been involved, the coward that Malfoy was probably started the argument because he was afraid of hurting Hermione later on. For once, Malfoy had actually done something noble – but of course Hermione and Harry didn't see it that way.
oooooooooo
Harry was pacing through his kitchen trying to control himself in front of Hermione and Ginny. He wanted to hit something over and over, to hex something to oblivion. He just wanted to let go – but he couldn't. Not here at least. He wanted to speak to Malfoy. He knew that if he injured Malfoy seriously and if Ginny and Hermione found out about it, he would be toast. He still needed to see Malfoy, to hear what he had to say. When Hermione had told him about the relationship with Draco, it had made sense to him. Draco looked at her differently and seemed oddly protective. Hermione on the other hand was no longer complaining about Draco as she once did. There was clearly more to this argument than met the eye, and Draco Malfoy was the kind of manipulation.
"I need to see Malfoy" he declared in a terse tone. Hermione looked up at him eyes worried, and Ginny just eyed him. He knew Ginny too well, she was warning him. "Don't worry 'Mione, I won't go too hard on him. I just want to hear what he has to say."
Hermione nodded, still wiping away tears. Ginny gazed into his eyes one more time – warning him again – this time not about keeping his temper, but watching out for Malfoy's.
Harry nodded to her and picked a handful of floo poweder, "Malfoy Manor" he articulated. And he was gone.
He appeared in the Malfoy study, stepping out of the fireplace and into the somber room, "Took you long enough" Malfoy slurred. He was sitting – more like slouching – in the big armchair at the head of the room. Draco's platinum blonde hair looked like Harry's usually did – meaning he had been running a nervous hand through it for some time.
"Before I hit you and send your ass to Azkaban, I want to hear what you have to say." Draco didn't even react to Harry's words; he just stared into his glass of Firewhisky.
"I did it for her you know," Malfoy started, "These past weeks have been some of the best in my life. But tomorrow…probably tonight actually…I will start my life sentence in Azkaban. I had to save her from that pain. I also have to save myself. I don't think I could physically deal with seeing her through bars, seeing her sad eyes looking on me as I get frailer and frailer. It had to be a clean break, she has to hate me." He finished, refilling his glass and getting one for Harry.
Harry sat in the armchair across from Draco and filled his glass with Firewhisky – though his portion had not been as generous as Draco's. "She can do this you know…She can win this trial for you. You of all people know how hard she's working, surely you can see how much she cares about you"
"That's exactly it!" Malfoy yelled, interrupting Harry, "I see how much she cares about me! I see how much work is going into a fruitless trial! I am like my father, I am going to Azkaban, I will eventually be murdered! She needs to stopping hurting before all of that happens. You weren't there to pick her off the floor after Weasley knocked her down Potter; you didn't see her. I can't have her feel like that about me."
Harry took a hard look at Draco. Hermione had worked her magic again. Draco was seated across from him, distraught. He had purposefully gotten in an argument to push Hermione away – a tactic Harry remembered he had attempted to use on Ginny during the war. It was so painfully obvious how similar their situations were. They thought that they were both marching to their death, not wanting to hurt those who cared about them. Draco Malfoy of all people had fallen in love with Hermione. He was doing anything in his power to make sure that she was safe. Her caring and compassion that Harry so loved about her, had filled Draco too. Harry knew what he had to do now. His mission was very clear, and one that Hermione would cherish forever. He was going to save Draco Malfoy.
oooooooooo
"TRIAL OF THE CENTURY STARTS TOMORROW" Ron read in the Daily Prophet as Lavender slept quietly next to him. His heart filled with anticipation and malice. The person who had tormented him and his friends, who had stolen his girlfriend, who loathed everything about him was going to Azkaban tomorrow. Ron knew it wouldn't be long before he would be murdered, or worse given the kiss. The person who had made his whole life so miserable would soon be out of the way.
Leaving Hermione. With Draco gone she was surely going to be inconsolable. According to what Harry had told him, the two were good friends. Such good friends that Hermione had taken it upon herself to defend Draco at his trial. She would be devastated when all her hard work went to nothing. It would be the perfect opportunity for him. He wouldn't need to get rid of Lavender just yet, but he could move in on Hermione.
He would comfort her, and listen to her talk about how silly she was…what their past relationship had been like. Then one day, when she was so overcome with raw emotion, he would kiss her, and she would realize what she had so sorely miss and they would make love right there. Ron still had the ring. He would propose to her soon after, and everything would be back on schedule. The only thing standing in his way to a future with Hermione Granger was Draco Malfoy's verdict. He had to make sure that he would be sent to Azkaban – or else the plan would never begin. Ron would always be stuck on the outside, never fully being able to get back with Hermione. He had to do this – it was his fate.
He leaned his head back against the wall behind the bed he shared with Lavender. There was in fact one person he knew on the Winzegamot. One person who could have the power to swing the vote. One person who life was tormented by the Malfoys. He rushed out of bed, and grabbed a quill and paper. Positive that this was the only choice, his quill touched the page,
"Dear Neville,"