Disclaimer: These aren't my characters. They belong to JK, no part of them came from my brain, but I do enjoy playing with them.
Warning: Language, Substance Use and Sex. Turn back if this isn't your cup of tea.
Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers. I love to hear what you think. In particular thanks to BB Macintosh, LilyMorolas, Phoenix Electra, WhiteLight 72, chemical heart-x, elliee505, and lilnicky21. Knowing someone will read this as I continue gives me the heart to keep typing away.
Questions, comments, concerns? I am all ears.
Please see Author Notes at the bottom so I can give credit where credit is due.The Dino Phase
The next week passed quietly. Hermione stuck to the Gryffindor commons during the day and did her best to think as little about the Order as possible. She spent every night wrapped in fiery embraces with Malfoy. Hermione scowled at the thought, she hadn't spent a night in her own bed in three weeks! In public she avoided Malfoy at all costs; it was too tempting to touch him.
And this wasn't the only thing nagging away in her brain, a huge part of her worry was the upcoming Saturday, the annual Halloween Masquerade for 6th and 7th years. It was held in Hogsmead at the Poison Toadstool; Hermione hadn't attended the year before, but was forced into attendance this year with her status as Head Girl. Fat lot of good that did her, so far she had no date, no costume and no plans. Really it was more of a prefect duty that a pleasure. Draco had mentioned nothing about the weekend and it was already Friday the 30th. As she approached the Head commons she took a deep breath and prepared herself to brave their commons for the evening.
The moment Hermione stepped in the room she knew something was amiss; the room was far too silent. No fire, no lights, no Malfoy. She let out a tentative, "Draco…?" It was far more timid that she had originally intended, still no response. Hermione froze as a shadow moved across the room towards her.
"Do you trust me?" A body pressed harshly against hers. "Do you trust me Mina?"
She sighed in relief at the pet name, "Yes Draco, I trust you."
He muttered a few spells under his breath and the lights came back on, momentarily blinding her. She blinked several times, as if to confirm her own vision. If front of her was Malfoy, but this Malfoy looked nothing like the one she knew. The boy had shaggy brown hair, slightly kinked by curl. His eyes were jet black and his body a dark tan; to her delight he was clad only in kilt made of grape leaves with a black mask obscuring his eyes and nose. She couldn't be sure it was really him "Draco?"
She hesitated as he held a hand out, "Call me Adam, my ravishing Eve."
Hermione instantly noted her own body; she too was clad in grape leaves. The outfit was a sort of floral bikini, exposing a good deal of her body to the world.
Draco took her hand, "Look in the mirror Mina." He pulled her gently across the room to survey her reflection.
At first sight Hermione was confused. Her hair was a long straight Malfoy blonde, her eyes a sky blue and a silver mask covered half of her face.
Draco kissed her neck, "Well Mina, go to the Masque with me?"
At that she squealed, "In this?"
He chuckled throatily, "Yes dear, like this, in masque, as Adam and Eve. But it seems I forgot one very important thing." He flicked his wand and a large silver serpent coiled about Hermione's shoulder and down about her waist. It flicked its tongue lazily and hissed at them. "Perfect!"
She sighed loudly at him, "Seriously Draco?" He grinned wickedly, "Please?" It gave her pause, he had never actually asked for anything before, and he certainly never uttered that word. "Fine Malfoy, but I want a date first and for no one to know who we are."
He scowled, "Well obviously. Do you think I am an idiot Granger?" She shrugged in response, "That is the whole point of the charms and transfiguration Mina. And for your information I already have reservations. All I ask is for you alone tomorrow."
She grinned at him, "Well then, I am yours."
She awoke alone in bed at 10am. Hermione cursed to herself, he had turned off the alarm and pulled shut the drapes. She sat up abruptly and made to leave before noticing a tray next to his bed. There was a beautiful breakfast and a short note, -Eat up, then dress for a formal meal. I will meet you at noon- Hermione grinned quite in spite of herself, and dug into the pancakes and eggs left for her.
Hermione took a long bath and pondered the situation. Draco Malfoy, wooing her, her consort, and she found herself adoring him. She scowled at the rose on her wrist; she knew it was all the damn Order's fault, without this mark Hermione Granger hated Draco Malfoy, without this mark Draco Malfoy would never sully his purity with a Mudblood. With this mark everything was different.
She slowly shaved each leg then scrubbed her body. She took special care to arrange her privates, she hated the thought of shaving it off, too much of a risk, and she wasn't particularly handy with a razor. The thought made her shudder and she settled for trimming it close, leaving a fine dusting of dark brown. Hermione dried slowly then doused her body in rose body powder.
She took a long survey of her closet before deciding on a pair of sleek red dress robes. The robes clung to her form, magiced to hug her curves. Hermione eased her curls into a chignon and proceeded to Draco's chambers.
Malfoy sat lazily on his sofa smoking a joint. He grinned at her appearance, "You look smashing darling."
Hermione grinned, "Thank you Draco." He looked amazing as well in a finely fit pair of hunter green dress robes; his hair had grown long and was pulled back in a black leather thong. She was taken aback by his appearance, he no longer looked like the boy she knew, he was a full grown man. Hermione wondered why she hadn't noticed this obvious fact before.
He beckoned her over to him, "Galleon for your thoughts." Hermione jabbed him in the ribs, "A whole galleon? That is quite a fee."
He arched an eyebrow, "Should I offer more?" He smiled his best toothy grin.
"No, no I don't need the pay. I was just thinking that you look very manly tonight, very grown up."
Draco stifled the urge to laugh as Hermione flushed hot pink, "Manly Mina?"
"Yes, you look very grown up. I feel like a child playing dress-up."
He kissed her deeply, "I happen to know for a fact that you are very much a woman." He kissed her again and placed a joint in her hands, "Get good and high, we are going to have fun today."
After two joints they snuck down the stairs and off the grounds. Hermione was sure they had been spotted at least a dozen times, but Draco tsked her into silence, "Alright Granger, are you ready to go?" He took her arm firmly as she nodded yes.
Hermione felt the wiggle of her body apparating and steadied herself for the landing. She stumbled and held tight to Draco, his arms reached out to steady her, "easy there Mina." She grinned and took in her surroundings.
They were most definitely in London, on a crowded lawn in front of a massive stone building. Draco flicked his wand a few times muttering spells, Hermione raised an eyebrow in question, "Concealing charms Granger."
She was grateful he thought of it because they were most certainly in Muggle London. "Draco, where are we?"
He took her arm and led her by the waist, "The British Natural History Museum, I thought you might fancy a look."
Hermione jumped giddily a few times while shaking him by the arms, "Oh my God Draco! I love this museum!"
He smirked, "I know."
"How do you know that?"
They walked to the queue, "Do you remember 4th year when you brought up dinosaurs in Care of Magical Creatures?"
She had to think for a moment, she vaguely recalled asking about dinosaurs in relation to dragons. Most of the class had laughed and she seemed to remember Malfoy calling her a stupid Mudblood for making up such creatures. "Yes…although I don't remember you taking kindly to it…"
He cleared his throat, "Yes, well, a Malfoy doesn't like to look ignorant, so I immediately went to the library and looked them up."
She laughed openly at him, "and…?"
He elbowed her, "Of course you were right, but I have been curious to see one ever since. Also I gather you might enjoy museums."
Hermione leaned over and planted a kiss on his lips, "No Draco, I love museums."
Hermione was amazed at her ease with the pound. From her experience with the Weasleys she knew muggle money didn't come easy to wizards. The only thing that seemed to faze Draco was the turnstile to enter the museum. She went through first, then took his hand and practically pulled him though.
Hermione opened the map, "What first Draco?" He stuck his finger at a large alcove, "Dinosaurs Granger. You can chose the rest, but dinosaurs first." Hermione took his arm and quickly pulled him across the museum and into the hall of dinos.
Draco stopped mid-stride at the sight of the mammoth Brontosaurus in the middle of the hall. Hermione faced him in awe of his boyish wonder, "Come on Draco, let's get closer."
He followed her lead blindly, his gaze pinned to the ancient beast. "What do you think Draco?" He answered her with his face craned towards the ceiling, "Bloody fantastic! Look at it Mina! Have you ever seen anything like this?"
She chuckled, "I've been here loads Draco, but it is quite funny to watch you hit your 'Dino Phase'"
His eyes met hers, "Dino phase?"
"Well Draco, almost every muggle boy falls in love with dinos at some point, usually between the ages of 4 and 10, looks like you are a late bloomer."
He chuckled and pulled her about the room, "Say the names for me Mina, I have no idea how."
They viewed the T-rex, triceratops, pterodactyls and velociraptors. Draco repeatedly pushed the sound effects buttons to hear the roars. He was as enchanted by the displays as the school children about them. When he had finally taken his fill he pulled out the map, "What next Mina?"
She didn't even look at the paper, "Gemstones." He arched an eyebrow and followed her lead.
Draco blindly followed her into the hall of gems and minerals and over to the cases on the wall. In her stoned haze Hermione pressed her face against the glass, guards shot them disapproving glares from the side of the room.
Hermione was oblivious, "Do you see them gleam and shine Draco? Look!" Hermione pulled him closer. Draco felt slightly amiss that he was non-plussed, it was just that the Malfoy gems were so much better than the museums, yet Hermione was fascinated by the tiniest of baubles. She started sprouting off the origins and chemical structures of each stone, but his mind was stuck on the family vault.
Draco looked closely at a stone she called tanzanite. "Only one place in the world mines it Draco."
He squeezed her hand, "It is beautiful. Do you can for gems Mina?"
She giggled and pulled him to the emeralds, "It think they are amazing Draco, they remind me of magic. Basic elements sparking a magnificent creation." He kissed her curls, he liked that analogy.
The spent a good hour in the gems before moving on to the hall of animals. At first Draco scoffed at the stuffed beats, he was unimpressed by the non-magical creatures, that was until he saw the moose. "What the fuck is that Granger?"
He ogled the antlers as she fell into a fit of laughter, "It is a moose Draco, a very common animal in North America."
He examined it, "What does it do?"
"Do? I guess it eats and walks around and has children, like any other animal."
"Nothing magic?"
She giggled, "A moose is certainly not magic."
He eyed her, unamused, "I like it, I would like to own one."
"A moose?"
"Yes Granger, a moose."
She took his hand, "Well at least I know what to get you for Christmas. For the man who has everything, a moose."
He took a great interest in the rest of the creatures. It seemed by the end he desired a penguin, a walrus, a dodo, a wombat and a zebra. After a quick glance at his watch he took her to the door, "Time for dinner Mina." She held her breath as he apparated them to a small restaurant in Hogsmead.
New thought. Most of the small things cited in this work have actual historical significance and/or artistic background. Wold an appendix be helpful with further information and pictures? The marks on each wrist are very specific items. It might help, not sure. Let me know.
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I would love to hear what you think so far, good and bad. Two more notebooks of handwriting yet to get up. Slowly but surely!
A/N- Okay so two other brilliant authors need to be cited for this work.
The first is over at Coloured Grey (my favorite!) and is taken from The Dragon's Bride by Rizzle. A 50 chapter masterpiece that I love to read and re-read. The concept of the Fida Mia is taken from that story. My mark is, of course, not the Fida Mia. But if you would like to know what it is, the background and why live tattoos kick total ass check out the story.
Here gentle reader is where I need your help: The second author I have no idea how to find, or when I read the story in the past year. I have tried everything to find the story and ask permission to play with the ideas. But to no avail. The story I found was about the Order, including the rose marks on the arms and ther Merovingian line. I loved it so much that I wrote a fanfic (this story) about her fanfic. Although the stories go drastically differently and have little in commone I would like to find and credit this author. If you know who it is PLEASE point me in the right direction.