A/N: Sorry this chapter is sooooo long, but I just couldn't bring myself to cut it. I think it will be worth it in the end :o)
No notes. Just read.
"Draco, what's wrong?" asked Hermione, panting as his hands stopped just short of her knickers.
"I just can't bloody do this with that picture there," Draco said, holding his undone trousers up while he ran over to the shelf in Hermione's office and turned the photo of them with his parents face down.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Aren't you being a bit paranoid? They walked out of it the moment we started kissing."
"But what if they come back too soon?"
Hermione laughed.
"I don't know why you have that bloody thing out, anyway."
"It was a gift from your father," she said, jumping off the desk and hugging him from behind.
"So? You know what days he comes by. Stuff it in your desk and take it out before he gets here."
"Now, that's just rude." Hermione moved her hands into Draco's open trousers.
He groaned. "It's only rude if you get … mmm … caught." He moved his hands back to caress her hips. "You're certainly frisky today."
"We've just been so busy lately I feel like the only time we have to actually be intimate is spent catching up on sleep."
It was true. They'd had their new bed for almost two weeks now and had shagged in it maybe three times. Between the Love Chamber, Occlumency, a small amount of Legilimency (which Draco was learning as well), and regular work, there really wasn't any time to just be together. Which was exactly why Draco was here now. It was the one day that week Lucius couldn't make it for her lessons, so he decided it would be the perfect occasion to shag his wife on her desk. And maybe against the window if time would allow it. Speaking of which, he should probably get started.
"Do you need foreplay today, love?"
"No," she whispered seductively into his ear.
A low growl escaped Draco's thoat. He whipped around and lifted her thighs, letting her legs wrap around his waist. He backed them up so Hermione landed with a thump on her desk, not even protesting as he used his wand to send everything flying off of it.
"Want to play a game of control, Mione?" Draco asked between parts of their lips, his hands violently caressing the soft skin of her thighs. "You know. For practice."
"Am I the one in control?" she asked, grabbing his collar and pulling his body firmly against hers.
"Of course."
In one quick motion, Hermione pushed him off. Looking up at him with ravenous eyes, she leaned back on her desk and said, "Take off your shirt," in a demanding voice.
Draco practically ripped the thing off.
Hermione smiled. "Now, take off mine."
His hands grasped the fabric and got ready to pull.
"Slowly," she drawled.
Draco's hands eased. He began to undo her blouse one button at a time, growing even more excited with every new glimpse of bare skin. When all of the buttons were undone, he slipped the blouse off of her shoulders and threw it to the side.
"Now the bra."
Draco smirked. He was more than happy to oblige. With one quick flick of his fingers, the bra was undone and on the floor.
"Do you want to touch them?" she asked, leaning back on her elbows.
Draco nodded, happily watching as her heavy breathing made them bob up and down.
"Well, normally I would say go ahead, but we're skipping foreplay today, so drop your trousers."
That demand took all of two seconds to complete.
"In a second I'm going to ask you to shag me, Draco. But, before I do, I need to set a few rules."
Hermione leaned forward on the desk and gripped him in one of her perfect hands. He was so turned on right now, he could hardly contain himself. Hermione had been in control before, but never like this.
"First, you will need to give my breasts the attention they missed out on while we shag. Can you do that?"
He nodded.
"Tell me, Draco. I want to hear you speak."
"Yes," he rasped as her hand moved roughly.
"Mmm … I love your voice."
She gave him a tight squeeze. He moaned in gratitude.
"Second, you will need to satisfy me at least twice before you can even think about yourself. Have I made myself clear?"
Draco started to nod again, but when she scowled at him he quickly said, "Yes."
"Good." She smiled and released her hand. "You may shag me now."
Hermione's skirt was already bunched up high, so it didn't take much for Draco to position himself. He grabbed the back of her knees and pulled her closer to the edge, thrusting into her in that same swift motion.
Draco took a moment to bite her sweet lips before moving his mouth to her breasts, giving them the attention she requested - no - demanded.
Hermione had already been so turned on, that it was no time at all before her whole body was shaking. Her back arched as she dug her nails deep into Draco's back, screaming loudly as she let herself go.
"Draco," she breathed into his ear, as his pace only quickened with her release, "I …" She moaned … "I want to be the one in control."
Hermione locked her leg around his waist and used it to help propel them around, so Draco was now the one lying flat on the desk. The contact was never lost as Hermione continued at his breakneck pace, making sure to pin his wrists above his head, something she remembered him loving when she was on Amortentia.
"When I let you go, you are going to use your hands to pleasure me. You understand?"
"Yes," Draco said, finding it harder and harder to follow through with her demand about waiting. Her words were just too much.
Hermione released his wrists and arched her back, moving rapidly as Draco used his hands to do as she demanded. She found herself bouncing on him faster and faster, urging his fingers to do the same. Before long her movements became erratic, her knees weak as she started to lose her body's control.
Her insides tingled. She looked down at Draco and demanded he keep eye contact while they both let go. And then, she was screaming louder than she ever had before. He grunted her name through clenched teeth, trying hard to keep her gaze as their bodies tensed and burned and sent waves of pleasure all the way down to their curling toes.
And when it was finally over, their high ridden out, Hermione collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily as he did the same. Draco wrapped his arms around her and began stroking her back.
When he finally caught enough of his breath, he asked, "Can you be in control more often? I'd love to see where it goes when we actually have time for foreplay."
Hermione laughed. "Well, I can't deny that I enjoyed that. I suppose I can bring whoever that was out again sometime."
"That, Mione, was my wife, and she is absolutely incredible."
"If only I could exude that same amount of control in Occlumency," she said.
Draco frowned. "You're getting better."
"Yes, but not as quickly as I'd like. Most things just come naturally to me."
He couldn't help but crack a smile. "Oh, poor, sweet, Hermione. Having to work for something sure is hard, isn't it?"
She smacked his chest.
A knock came at her door. They both lifted their heads. Hermione quickly located her wand and removed the silencing charm. "What is it?" she asked.
"Mrs. Malfoy, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley are here to see you," Greta called from the other side.
"Tell them I'm busy," she said, searching around for her bra.
Draco located it and reluctantly helped her put it on, giving each breast a gentle kiss goodbye before imprisoning them.
"I've already told them, but they insist on waiting."
Hermione rolled her eyes. She used her wand to put all of their clothes back on while he used his to move all of the items on the floor back to her desk, catching a quick glimpse of something hidden underneath it.
Once that was done, Hermione went to the mirror she had hanging on the wall and did a quick touchup to her hair and makeup, before going and answering the door. She jumped when she saw Harry and Ron were standing right behind it.
"Give me a heart attack, why don't you?" she said, opening the door wider and letting them in. She shut it again behind them.
Harry and Ron both looked surprised to see Draco perched against her desk with his arms crossed. "Didn't know you were here, Malfoy," said Harry.
"Why the bloody hell else would the door be locked?" Draco sneered, feeling rather angry that his time alone with Hermione was being cut short.
"I don't know. Are you here every day? Because that's how often Hermione locks it lately."
"Really?" said Draco, cocking an eyebrow. "Do you have another lover, Mione?"
"No," she groaned, "just really busy. I've explained this to both of you before."
"Not too busy to shag your husband in the middle of the day," said Ron scornfully.
"Hey!" Draco moved off of the desk. "That is a priority. You'll understand if you ever find someone desperate enough to marry you, Weasel."
"Draco!"
Draco turned to Hermione, who was scowling at him. He took a deep breath and leaned back against the desk. "Sorry, Weasel. I'm just a little frustrated. It's been a rough couple of months."
Ron raised his eyebrows. "Wow. An actual apology from Malfoy. I'm impressed."
"Don't press your luck."
"So why are you both here, now?" asked Hermione, trying to get them back on track.
Harry and Ron exchanged looks.
"We were worried about you," Harry finally said. "Every time we come by you're too busy to see us, when we send you an owl you only ever reply with that same excuse. We even tried calling you on those Muggle phones we still have from your wedding. Whatever you're doing, Hermione, we want to help."
"Yeah," said Ron. "Why won't you let us? Whenever we're going through something you always insist on butting in."
"How sweet," said Draco, receiving scowls from all around. He held his hands up in defense.
"Look, I'm sorry," said Hermione, looking at her two best friends, "but after what happened to Sophie and Luna and Inga Utkin I just don't think it's safe for me to be around anyone right now."
Harry furrowed his brow. "Hermione, you went into hiding with me when Voldemort -"
Everyone cringed.
"- was after me, putting yourself in great danger. Why wouldn't I do the same for you?"
"Okay … valid point," she said, "but I'm not exactly doing anything either of you can help with. If there's no need to put you two in danger then why should I? The less you know the better - Draco, what's with that look?"
"What look?" he asked innocently.
"That judging look you always give people. If you have something to say -"
"If I had something to say, I would say it."
"Draco," she said sternly, crossing her arms.
Draco smiled. He always thought she was cutest when she was angry. "Sorry, Mione, but I kind of agree with Potty and Weasel on this one. If the situation were reversed, you would demand they share everything. Don't be a hypocrite."
"I'm not being a hyp -"
"Yes, you are," Harry interrupted. "Malfoy is," he gulped, "right. You would want us to tell you everything."
"We're not saying you should tell us everything," Ron explained, "but you should tell us something. Perhaps why this git's father," he motioned to Draco, "comes by here like three or four times a week."
"Ah. The other lover." Draco winked at her.
Hermione glared back at him and shook her head, letting him know this wasn't the time. "He's teaching me Occlumency and Legilimency," she finally said after a tense pause. "So I can protect myself if ever necessary."
"And why couldn't you just tell us that?" asked Harry.
"Don't take it personally, Potter. She didn't tell me either," said Draco. "I had to bloody catch them together to get her to confess. So secretive."
He reached over and gave her arse a squeeze. She hit his hand away.
"Calm down, Mione," he said, smirking. "I hate to break it to you, but everyone already knows you're friends with Potty and Weasel whether you're seen with them or not. I know that's why you've been so tense lately." Along with their lack of shagging. "How about I give up my last ten minutes with you, and you go off with them and actually eat something, since I'm sure you haven't had anything all day."
"You'd be all right with that?"
"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't rather shag, but if this is what you need then I can't be selfish."
"I'm sorry, who are you and what have you done with my husband?" Hermione asked, crinkling her forehead.
"Merlin. And you wonder why I don't try to be nice more often."
"What are playing at?"
"Nothing!" he said defensively. Of course, that wasn't true. "You're wasting everyone's time, Mione, so will you just go?"
Hermione did not take her suspicious eye off of him, even as she went into her desk and pulled out her purse. Even Harry and Ron looked like they were studying him, just waiting for the punch line.
"I can be nice, you know?"
"Uhuh," said the golden trio, not one of them sounding convinced.
"Oh, just bloody go already."
Harry opened the door and he and Ron walked out. Hermione moved to follow, but Draco grabbed her hand and pulled her into a passionate kiss. His hands ran up her sides and into her hair, tugging slightly at it while hers ran up his chest. When he pulled away they were both breathing heavy.
Still holding onto her, Draco leaned in and whispered, "Let's try and find some time tonight for me to be in control. I'd love to take a whack at it."
Hermione smiled. "Just as long as you don't stir up any mischief while I'm gone. I don't know what you're planning but -"
"I'm just being nice."
"Sure you are, darling," she said condescendingly before giving him a peck.
He walked her to the door. Greta looked up from her desk when she saw them, openly sneering at Draco. "I have too many things to do, so I can't take time off to go and get lunch for you," she said, taking a sip of something out of a stainless steel mug.
"Wasn't going to ask," Draco responded.
She ignored him.
"Remember when she used to like me?" he whispered to Hermione. "What happened to that?"
"Maybe you've become less desirable." She gave him a wink and a kiss before going off with Harry and Ron.
"Less desirable my arse," he said under his breath as he went back into her office and shut the door.
Once he was alone, Draco went over to the desk and got down on his knees. In the midst of cleaning everything, he had seen the corner of a book concealed underneath it and wanted to know what Hermione was hiding from him. He knew it was nothing that had been thrown off the desk in their moment of passion because everything had flailed outwards.
Once Draco's hand located the book, he grabbed it and pulled it out from under the desk. It was old and tattered, and the title was too worn to make out. He opened it and knew immediately that this was a book about dark magic.
Draco snarled. Where the hell had she gotten that? He slammed it shut and Apparated back to his office, still holding it. There was no way he was letting her keep that book.
XXX
Hermione entered their house, making sure to slam the door extra hard behind her. "Draco Lucius Malfoy, where the bloody hell are you?" she yelled, her voice echoing through the hall.
"In here, love!" he called casually from their drawing room.
Hermione entered it, nearly fainting when she saw the entrance to the hidden library was open. That was where she had been keeping all of the books Lucius had given her, knowing very well Draco never went in there.
She took several deep breaths before walking inside. Draco was sitting at the small table they had placed in there, reading the book Lucius had shown her on symbols, with the stack of all the others set beside him.
"So, I see you have already marked all of the ones on our machine. That's good. Saves me the trouble."
"You snooped," said Hermione, crossing her arms.
"Don't frown, Hermione. It will give you wrinkles."
"Draco!"
Draco sighed. He glanced over at her and said, "I wouldn't have had to snoop if you had just told me about these. Why didn't you?"
"Because of where I got them," she said honestly. There was no point in lying now. She'd already been caught.
"And that is?"
Hermione uncrossed her arms and cast her eyes to the floor. "Knockturn Alley."
Draco jumped out of his chair and slammed the book on the table. "Are you fucking serious? What the hell were you doing there? Wait. Don't tell me." He paused for dramatic effect. "My father?"
Hermione looked at him and nodded slightly.
"That bastard!"
"Draco, please don't be angry with him. He only wanted to help."
"How did he even know about the machine in the first place?"
She gulped. "He saw my notes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this, Draco, but it really has been a help. I think the machine brews a potion. Each symbol stands for a different component and -"
"Yes, I saw that. But I thought we were looking for a spell."
"I thought so too. But maybe whatever potion this machine makes will lead us in the right direction. It doesn't hurt to keep looking into it. I just need to interpret one more symbol -"
"Hermione." Draco walked over to her and put both of his hands on her cheeks. He looked her straight in the eye and said, "I need you to promise me you will never go to Knockturn Alley again. It is not safe there. Especially for someone as well-known as you."
"But, Draco, what if we need more books?"
"Then I will go and get them. Not you."
"If it's not safe for me, it's not safe for you!"
"Promise me."
Hermione sighed. "Only if you promise me. We can send someone else. Someone who blends in better."
Draco smiled. "Fine. We can send my father's house-elf."
Hermione's jaw dropped. "We most certainly will not! How many times do I have to explain to you how inhumane -"
"Merlin, I love that fire in you."
Draco scooped her up and tossed her onto the table, knocking all of the books to the floor. Hermione laid back and he proceeded to run his tongue from ear to neck to collarbone, all the way down to -"
"Draco, stop!"
He shot up and saw she was pointing at something. He followed her finger to the book with symbols, which now had several folded pieces of parchment poking out of its spine.
"You must have shaken something loose when you dropped it," she said, climbing out from under him and going over to the book.
Draco groaned. Of course he did. Anything to interrupt their chances of having some actual 'intimate' time.
Hermione sat down at the table and put the book in front of her. She pulled out the folded pieces of parchment. Draco groaned again before joining her.
"It's something handwritten," she said, holding the parchment flat. Suddenly, she tore her hands off of it. "Uh, Draco. Look at the signature at the bottom."
Draco did, his body jerking back a little when he saw the name 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' written there. It appeared that he had been playing around with the letters, eventually coming up with the whole 'I am Lord Voldemort' thing down at the bottom.
Draco laughed. "I bet we could sell this to some former Death Eater for a lot of money."
Hermione gasped. "We will do no such thing! It should be destroyed!"
"Why? It's just some dead man's scribbling's. How handy was it that he already had 'I am Lord' in his name? I wonder what I can come up with." Draco opened up one of her notebooks he had thrown to the floor and grabbed a self-inking quill. He wrote his name down, thinking hard as he tried to come up with something clever.
Hermione rolled her eyes and put that parchment to the side, looking at the one directly behind it.
"Hey, Hermione! I have 'I am Lord' in my name too!"
"Yes, darling," she said, paying him little mind as she read through some irrelevant notes in You-Know-Who's handwriting. She turned to the third and final piece of parchment, and was relieved to see it was much older looking and written in someone else's hand.
"What do you think sounds better? I am Lord Sculaufoy, I am Lord Soulufacy, or I am Lord Fusoulacy?"
"All three are pretty awful," she said, not taking her eyes off of the parchment. "But, I would say the first one is best since it sounds like 'skull'." She turned the parchment over.
Draco frowned. "The problem is I have too many vowels in my name. Makes it hard to come up with something intimidating."
Suddenly, Hermione gasped. "Draco, look at this!"
He reluctantly glanced from his parchment to hers. Several symbols were drawn on it. She was pointing at one in particular.
"This is it! The last symbol I have to interpret!"
"Looks like someone beat you to it," he said. "Do you think another couple has been in the Love Chamber before us?"
"Considering it has been a millennium since it was created, I should say so. Though, I don't think anyone has been in there since it's been at the Ministry. If they had, there would be a record of it."
"But there's no record of us going in there," he said logically.
Hermione wasn't even listening anymore. She had the book and parchment scooped into her hands and was heading for the kitchen. Draco stood up and followed her.
She went into their apothecary cabinet and started pulling out bottles and jars. "I think we have everything we need," she said. "All of the symbols stand for pretty basic ingredients. I can't imagine whatever potion this makes would cost more than a few Galleons."
"What was the last one?" he asked.
"Honey," she said, looking at him and smiling as she put several sprigs of lavender into a pouch. "Would you mind getting it out of our pantry, please? There should still be some in there, leftover from our one sticky night." She winked.
Draco grinned widely at the memory before going to their pantry and locating a jar of honey. "Any particular reason we are getting this all together now, love?"
Hermione looked at him like he had just asked the dumbest question in the world. "Draco, we've just had an incredible breakthrough. You didn't honestly think we were going to wait until Monday to test this, did you?"
"Of course not." He did, actually. "But why the rush? The night's still young, Mione." Draco put down the jar of honey with her other items and went up behind her, gently kissing at her neck.
"Draco … we don't have time for this."
"But I haven't been in control yet," he whispered, moving his lips to just below her ear while his hands pulled at her blouse until they were caressing her bare stomach.
Hermione moaned as he pressed himself firmly against her backside. "We would have to make it quick," she said, biting onto her bottom lip as his hands made their way up to her breasts.
Draco grinned with sweet victory. "Turn around," he drawled.
Hermione did as she was told. She was already feeling weak and had to brace her hands on the counter behind her.
Draco took several steps back and said, "Strip for me, Mione. Then cover yourself with that." He motioned towards the honey.
She looked at it hesitantly.
"Don't worry. We have another jar."
Hermione looked back at him and smiled. "As you wish," she said before slowly undoing the buttons on her blouse. One by one.
XXX
"So how do you think this thing works?" Hermione asked, staring at the machine in the Love Chamber with pursed lips while Draco circled it round and round.
He stopped at the symbol closest to her and asked, "Which is this one?"
Hermione came up and studied it closely. She had the book in hand and opened to the page she needed. "Looks like it's Wolfsbane."
Draco, who was carrying a satchel with all of their ingredients, dug through it until he located the ingredient in question and brought it out. Before Hermione had arrived home, he had been reading about a different machine and how it worked in one of her books. He was curious to see if this one was the same.
Draco pressed the center of the symbol. There was a 'click' and the round emblem shot outwards, revealing a small capsule behind it.
"Brilliant!" shouted Hermione, probably a bit more enthusiastically than the triumph called for, but she was a proud wife.
Draco smiled and opened the jar of Wolfsbane. "How are we supposed to know the measurements?"
They both looked around the area of the machine for any indication, but there was none. "Maybe you should put some in and see what happens," suggested Hermione.
Draco did just that. He took out several handfuls and put them in until it was almost at the rim. Then, suddenly, the capsule slammed shut.
They moved onto the next symbol, not surprised to find a slightly smaller capsule hidden behind it. Hermione put down her book, took some of the ingredients out of the satchel and started filling up the corresponding capsules to move the process along. Once everything was in place, they quickly realized something very important.
"How the bloody hell do we turn it on?" asked Draco as he began circling it again.
Hermione went over to the pile of books they had brought with them and found the one on how machines work. "Looks like most are triggered with some sort of spell," she said.
Draco pointed his wand at the machine and randomly said, "Incipere."
Both of them jumped when it actually started.
Hermione's eyes danced with excitement. She went over to Draco and clung to his arm, both of them watching closely as the machine moved and jerked. A cauldron boiled in the very center, having ingredients thrown into it left and right at lightning speed. It stirred clockwise twice and counterclockwise thrice, throwing in a few more sprigs of this and a pinch of that. The ladle switched. Ten more turns clockwise. And then a very loud 'ding!' Everything halted.
"Is it finished?" asked Hermione as she and Draco took a step forward.
Just as they were reaching out for the cauldron, it shot up and out, making them both jump, before dumping the potion into an opening just in front of them. Once it was empty, the cauldron returned to its spot in the center of the machine and a door opened, nearly knocking Draco and Hermione over. Inside of it were several dozen phials, filled with a liquid with a mother-of-pearl sheen.
Draco took one of the phials out and popped it open. He brought it to his nose and took a good whiff. His face immediately dropped.
"Draco, what is it?"
Without a word, he put the phial underneath her nose and let her sniff.
"Smells like ... spices, and parchment, and … a warm summer's day." Hermione's heart sunk. "Oh."
"Congratulations, love. We just found a really cheap way to brew Amortentia. Because we didn't already have enough of it in that damn fountain." He paused, staring at the phial in his hand with disappointment, eventually throwing it against the wall and shattering it. "What an absolute waste of time."
XXX
Hermione and Draco sat in their drawing room without a word between them. Only the sound of the crackling fire kept them aware that, even as their minds wandered, time was still flowing.
Draco sat in his armchair, staring vacantly into the flames while Polly watched him from the mantel. Hermione had her feet curled underneath her on the sofa and was petting Crookshanks, who was sprawled out beside her. She kept glancing over at her husband to see if he would make any movements, but he never did.
"Draco, will you please talk to me?" she asked when she couldn't take the silence any longer.
His eyes remained fixed on the fire.
"You're not the only one who's disappointed, you know?"
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
"We never thought we were in that room to create a potion, anyway."
He leaned back in his chair, eyes still focused.
"It's not a big deal. We'll figure something else out."
"I don't want to do that, Mione."
Her body went stiff. "W-what? Why?"
"Because." Finally, his eyes moved to hers. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't think what the prophecy was speaking of is in there. It is all just a waste of our time."
Her cheeks flushed red. "But it was your idea to go in there in the first place! I backed down, remember? But you insisted. You said you wanted to protect the ones we love!"
"And, so far, all we have done is hurt them more!" he shouted, rising from his chair. "They were aiming to kill Luna and Rolf, Hermione. And Teddy was right there. What if he had been hurt?"
"I know," she said, closing her eyes and trying to find comfort by petting Crookshanks. "I think about that every day."
"I know we are not supposed to let these worries overtake our lives, but it seems impossible not to."
"So what do you propose?" she asked, opening her eyes again.
Draco was looking at her very seriously, his breathing erratic as he told her, "I think we should leave."
"What?"
"Get out of town for a while. If there is some great power out there we are supposed to discover, then it will come to us no matter where we are."
"Draco, we can't. We have obligations -"
"To hell with our obligations!"
Hermione's jaw dropped.
"As far as I am concerned, my only obligation is me and you."
The dancing flames from the fireplace reflected in Draco's eyes, making them appear fierce and red as he spoke so passionately. Hermione could not decide if they looked beautiful or frightening.
"I love you, Hermione." Draco fell to his knees and took her hands in his. "I don't want the burden of some new war on my shoulders. I just want to be married. To you. Isn't that what you want too?"
"Yes, of course," she said without hesitation. "But -"
"Then let's go! Let's get out of here and -"
"Draco, no!" she shouted, yanking her hands away from his. "We can't just run away because we had one failed experiment. We need to see this through!"
"This isn't bloody it, Hermione!" he screamed, rising to his feet. "I feel it in my gut! I refuse to believe that you don't feel it too!"
"I don't know what I feel. But if there's a chance -"
"There is no fucking chance! You're not going to find the answer in some stupid book you got in Knockturn Alley! This is dark magic we're messing with now! We shouldn't be playing with fire!"
"How can magic that has to do with love be dark?" Hermione rose to her feet and stood firmly in front of him, holding her ground.
Draco took a step closer to her, his eyes narrowing, making the dancing flames in them seem even more intense. Now they only seemed frightening.
"There is nothing worse than forcing people to love someone they do not. Making them lose all control of their bodies, becoming nothing but slaves to the one who makes them consume it. As far as I'm concerned, Amortentia is nothing more than a liquid Imperius Curse."
Hermione gulped. She kept looking into his eyes and, in a strained, dry voice said, "I'm not giving up."
Draco's nostrils flared as he stared down at her. He grabbed the first thing he could find - a porcelain vase - and threw it against the wall, smashing it into tiny pieces.
"So what are you going to do? Lie to me again? Go to Knockturn Alley and read through all the bloody books while my father helps you?"
"Don't even pretend I'm the only one who lies, Draco! You have been keeping just as many secrets from me as I have from you!"
"And what makes you think that?"
Hermione huffed. "You really believe you're being so secretive?"
He said nothing.
"That no one saw you leave Quality Quidditch Supplies with Sophie that day and came to me to tell me you were having an affair?"
His face turned white.
"Or that no one has seen you sneaking around with Harry for the past month?
Draco looked to the floor, ashamed.
"Oh, don't look so surprised." She sneered. "I hear the rumors every day. 'Oh, you must be thrilled your husband has become so close with Harry Potter,'" she mocked. "'I've seen them here together, I've seen them there, I'm seen them bloody everywhere! And always with that French girl.' What are you hiding from me, Draco?"
Draco took several deep breaths. "I - I promised Sophie I wouldn't -"
"Well, she's not your bloody wife! I am!" Hermione shouted. "And I'm asking - no, demanding that you tell me!"
Draco looked at her and held out his arms. "Come here first."
Hermione stepped back.
"Please, Hermione …"
She looked at his arms reluctantly before going into them. He wrapped them around her and rested his chin on her head. Draco did not speak until Hermione eased.
"Sophie … she saw something, Hermione," he finally admitted. "Or, rather, she saw someone."
"Someone?" she repeated. "When?" She could feel him gulp on her head.
"When she was attacked. She saw someone and she knew them. Then they came to the hospital." He paused. "And I knew them. I got a confession out of them, but neither of us turned them in."
"Why not?" Hermione choked out, her breathing becoming shallow and forced.
"Because they wouldn't confess more. This is our only lead, Hermione. So we got Potter involved, and he and two of the other Aurors have been keeping an eye on her."
"Her?"
"Yes … Pansy Parkinson. She was there. She was the one to take the Silencing Charm off the door so we would know to come. Her conscience got the better of her when she saw Sophie was pregnant."
"Why couldn't you just tell me all of this, Draco?" Hermione asked with tears in her eyes. She could feel him shrug above her.
"I wish I knew. Even Potter said you would understand, but I wouldn't listen."
Hermione wiped her wet cheeks against his chest. "I don't know why we do this to each other," she said, slowly hugging her arms around his waist. "Keep secrets. Lie to each other. We say it's to protect one another but I don't know if that's true. Sometimes I fear that … that we don't trust each other."
Draco's arms around her loosened slightly. She hugged hers tighter.
"Everything has just moved so fast between us. Maybe if we had just taken our time and … and waited."
Draco pulled away from her and looked deeply into her amber eyes. "Waited for what?" he asked.
Hermione sobbed and shrugged. "I don't know. For everything, I guess. Looking back now, our whole relationship just seems so … rushed."
"Rushed?"
She nodded.
"Are … are you saying you regret marrying me?"
Hermione froze. "N-no. Of course not."
"But you said our whole relationship was rushed. We shagged two weeks after our first kiss. We said 'I love you' two and a half months in. We moved in at five months. We were engaged at six. Married at one year."
Draco's entire face was a mix of pain, anger and confusion. He seemed unsure of which emotion he should display, and the result was somewhat chaotic. Hermione reached out for him but he pulled away.
"Draco, no," Hermione cried. "Those were just words. I didn't mean anything by them."
"Don't you dare! Don't you dare say that!" he shouted, holding a stern finger in her face. "Those were not just words, Hermione! They had feeling behind them!"
"But I didn't mean it like that! I don't regret marrying you, Draco! I love you! I've known I wanted to marry you from the moment I chose you! I just meant that it's … it's hard. With our pasts. Sometimes I think the reason the trust isn't fully there is because of what we went through before. Because of who we used to be."
"You mean because of who I used to be?"
Hermione opened her mouth to deny this, but nothing came out but a heavy sob.
Draco's eyes became wet as the anger and confusion melted away to become pure and utter pain. "Do you think being with you has made my life any easier?" His voice was soft and strained. "Falling in love with a Mudblood?"
Hermione felt her heart shatter into a million pointy shards in her chest, all of them poking at her wherever they landed. It had been so long since he had called her that. He had sworn. He had sworn never again.
Without a word, Hermione pivoted on her foot and ran out of there, not stopping until she was in their bedroom. She slammed the door and pressed her back against it, sobbing into her hands for several minutes before becoming outraged. She went and grabbed a small suitcase out of the closet, stuffing anything she could get her hands on inside of it before reopening the door.
Hermione marched down the stairs, suitcase in hand. Draco was standing in the front hall now but she was determined not to look at him.
"Where are you going?" he asked, trying to block her path.
"I'm going to stay with Harry and Ginny. I need to clear my mind a bit." She pushed past him.
"Hermione, I'm sorry," he said, grabbing onto her wrist.
She pulled away. "We're both exhausted, Draco. Please, just get some rest and we'll talk about this later."
"But I didn't mean it. Just words. That's what you said, right? It was just a word. You know I don't think that about you. I … I could never -"
"Not now, Draco!" she shouted, opening the front door.
"Please, Hermione, look at me. Tell me you know it was just a word."
"I can't look at you right now, Draco," she said honestly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'll let you know as soon as I can."
Hermione hurried out the door and slammed it behind her. She half-expected him to come running out after her, and when he didn't she cried even harder. That day had started out so positively. With so much love and hope. How in the name of Merlin had it ended up like this?
XXX
Nearly an hour later, Hermione found herself in her office at the Ministry. In the midst of their fight, she had forgotten that Ginny and Harry were staying with her parents that weekend. And, after that, she had forgotten Sophie and Phillip had gone away for their one year wedding anniversary. It was during this time last year that she thought she had lost him forever, and, now, here she was, thinking the exact same thing.
After putting her suitcase in the corner, Hermione sat in her chair and cried for a minute. Unfortunately, staring at the desk she and Draco had shagged on only hours earlier made it worse, and she began throwing everything around, determined to destroy as much as she could.
Only, about halfway through, Hermione's personality kicked in and she began tidying up the mess she had made. Once everything was back in place, she looked to her shelf and noticed the photo Lucius had given her was still faced downward. She went over and picked it up, crying onto the frame as she focused on the awkward but happy faces of her and Draco.
The door to her office opened. Hermione put the frame back and turned suddenly, surprised to see Greta enter.
"Greta, what on earth are you doing here?"
Greta looked back at her with that same look of surprise. "Uh … just finishing up some work. I thought I heard something and -"
"It's nearly midnight," said Hermione, walking over to her. "Go home. Whatever it is you're working on can wait until Monday."
"Yes, uh … right away," she said, exiting the office and shutting the door behind her.
Hermione looked back at the photo and at the handsome wizard holding her in it, reaching out and stroking his face. It was then that she realized. Draco was the most important thing in the world to her. If he said he didn't want to work in the Love Chamber any more than she should trust and listen to him. His gut said this was wrong, and that was good enough for her.
Hermione grabbed her wand out of her pocket and clutched it tightly to her side. She didn't know how but, somehow, she was going to destroy that damn door to the Love Chamber. She Apparated down to the corridor on floor nine and marched towards the black door. Only, it was already open a crack. Her footsteps slowed. Voices were coming from inside.
Very quietly, Hermione approached the door. She peeked inside and nearly gasped when she saw four people fiddling with the door to the Ever-Locked Room.
"I can't believe it! It bloody melted my knife!" shouted a frustrated looking Blaise Zabini. "Where the hell is that fucking key?"
"I told you, I tried it before and it does nothing," said Wiley Rosier, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, looking rather bored. "There some sort of trick to it. You have to be a married couple or something."
Blaise sneered. "It's a shame your hubby couldn't be here tonight, Daph," he said, grabbing a blonde girl's arse. "Maybe the bastard could actually be useful for once."
Daphne Greengrass blushed. "You know he'd never go for this."
"Yes, his loyalty is questionable," said Blaise, looking back at the door and stroking his chin.
"Besides, it has to be a couple in love," said the fourth person, who Hermione recognized as the Auror, Quinn. "Not some slut who cheats on her husband every chance she gets."
"Hey!" shouted Blaise, backhanding the other wizard. "Did I say you could speak to her like that?"
"Sorry," said Quinn, rubbing his face while Daphne stared mindlessly at the floor. "Just getting a little antsy. I need some more Mudblood bashing. It's already been over a month since my last bit of action."
"Yes, I know," said Blaise, laughing. "I still wish I could have seen that dirty Mudblood's face, without a clue that the Auror interrogating her was the one who dealt her the final blow."
Quinn smiled cruelly. "I like to think that's the one that did it. Stopped that filthy Mudblood child from entering the world."
Daphne gulped. "It was just a baby," she said. "You didn't have to hit her that last time."
"Don't act like you're all innocent, sweetheart," said Blaise, pulling her close and licking her neck. "You had your share of fun cursing that Mudblood too."
Daphne pushed him away. "You're sick."
"You love it." He grinned. "Rosier, go and get the bloody key, will you?"
Hermione took several steps back but someone pushed her forward. She went toppling through the door.
"What the fuck?" said Blaise, furrowing his brow as he looked at her.
"I told you to shut the damn door!"
Hermione whipped around and gasped when she saw Greta entering the room behind her. Her assistant smiled.
"Is Malfoy here?" asked Blaise, already pulling out his wand.
"No," said Greta, shaking her head. "Found her crying alone in her office. Seems like they had a fight."
There was an insincere echo of 'Awws' all around.
Hermione slightly raised the wand at her side. Five more pointed at her.
"Drop it," ordered Rosier.
Hermione's hand did not budge.
"He said, drop it," Blaise repeated slowly.
"You people disgust me. You." She looked at Daphne. "You were at my wedding."
The other witch's wand lowered slightly.
Hermione took this moment to point her wand at her and shout, "Immobulus!"
Daphne fell back. Blaise moved to catch her. This only left three.
Hermione shouted, "Expelliarmus!" twice at Rosier and Quinn, and rammed into Greta before darting out of the door and back down the corridor.
"Get her!" she heard Greta shout behind her.
Once she had enough distance, Hermione Disapparated the hell out of there. She didn't want to be obvious and go home, so she went to Sophie and Phillip's, even though she knew they weren't there. At least she could Apparate inside, unlike at her own place.
Only seconds after she arrived, so did the five wizards and witches. Aurors had recently come up with a way to follow someone when they Disapparated. It was still in the testing phases, but with the Head of that department among them, they must have been using it on her now.
Hermione Apparated to Ron and Astoria's. They weren't home either. "Damn." She went to Caroline's before her pursuers could catch up. Empty. "Where the bloody hell is everybody?"
Hermione needed time to think. She didn't know the way to Seth's, so she couldn't go there. Neville would be at the Leaky Cauldron with Hannah. She Apparated there next, getting hit with an unknown spell as she did so.
While she had meant to arrive inside, she ended up in the alley just outside of the pub. That spell must have been meant to throw her off a bit. No one was around. Hermione darted for the door, but Rosier appeared and cast a locking spell on it before she could reach it. She tried to unlock it but it wouldn't budge.
She attempted to Apparate inside again but just ended up further down the street. Without any other options, Hermione finally Apparated home.
With all of the charms placed around their house, Hermione landed outside. She was down at the end of the block, still thrown off a bit by that spell. She sprinted for her door, taking the stairs up to it in two quick leaps. She unlocked the charms on it with her wand before taking out her actual keys.
Hermione finally got the door open and stepped one foot inside before something grabbed her ankle and knocked her to the ground. Her face hit hard against the wooden floor.
"DRA -"
Someone hit her with a silencing charm mid-scream.
Draco, who was upstairs in the shower, could have sworn he heard someone downstairs. He turned off the water and quickly grabbed a robe. "Hermione?" he called.
Whoever had Hermione's ankle kept pulling at her, but she was determined and used her nails to dig into the floor, trying to claw her way inside. Suddenly, Blaise was beside her and grabbing her wrists, holding them still as he pulled her to her feet.
They all froze when they heard Draco call her name from upstairs.
"Hurry!" Greta yelled hoarsely from outside.
Hermione grabbed at the doorframe as Blaise pulled her outside. Quinn, who was the one who had been grabbing at her ankles, now snagged them again, holding tightly and pulling while Blaise struggled with her arms.
They got her outside and Daphne pulled the door closed the moment before Draco descended the staircase. He went to the front door and opened it, just missing them Disapparate with Hermione in their clutches.
Draco looked around, having sworn he heard something. He went back inside and called, "Hermione!" again. No one answered. He entered the drawing room and looked at the clock above the mantel. Hermione's name was currently pointed at 'travelling'. He sighed. If she was here, she was gone now.
Draco left the room and headed for bed, just missing as Hermione's name moved from 'travelling' to 'mortal peril'.