Chapter 9

Hermione lay in bed and thought about the events last night. It had been a horror show, but it was a step in the right direction. But there would have to be much more if she was going to get what she wants. He was going to have to put out.

He disappeared so fast after breakfast, she didn't have a chance to see him. She asked Red to let him know when he was back, which the elf did not long after lunch.

Hermione marched down to Draco's study and knocked.

"What do you want, Astoria?" He asked.

"We need to talk." She said.

"Really, about what?"

"You know, about getting pregnant." She said.

"That is your duty." He said.

"Well I can't do it alone, unfortunately." She said. He was silent now, put his paper down and looked at her. "What are you on about?"

"Look, if we are going to have a baby," she started, still not truly believing she was having this conversation with him, "we are going to have to make more of an effort."

"I think I've made all the effort I can tolerate." He said sharply. "And you want a baby like you want a hole in your head."

"Well, I have changed my mind. I want a baby. Now."

He was staring at her. "Still not right in the head, then?"

"I am fine." She said, "I just need to get on with things."

"You don't sound right." He said. "And frankly, Astoria, there is only so much of you I can handle. I am just not into second hand goods, or whatever umpteenth version of hand goods you are now."

"I realise...we have had some problems in the past." Hermione said feeling very uncomfortable.

"Problems, you were the biggest mistake I ever made." He said. "I don't know what you're playing at Astoria, but I don't want to touch you more than I absolutely have to. I know my duty, its a shame you are so disillusioned about yours."

Hermione didn't want to talk about his and Astoria's marriage. "We have to do it more often if we are going to get pregnant." She said. "And better."

"Better?"

"Babies go where they are wanted." Hermione said, quoting the flighty new age muggle healer who was absolutely useless, but if circumstances had been different could well have been Trelawney's best friend. Such had been her desperation and now she was mortified that she quoted this woman.

"Yes well, I think I would rather drop dead. Although I've kind of hoping you would be obliging." He said bitterly.

You kind of got your wish, Hermione thought.

"Although that would be a mute point." He said. "Because you're all the same."

Oh great, a misogynist. Why wasn't she surprised.

"If we make an effort now." She said. "Then when its done, you never have to touch me again."

"You'd like that wouldn't you." He said viciously. "You're not under the illusion that you are going to be given free rein to do whatever you can think of in that pea brain. No Astoria, you married into this family, you now have to live up to its standards. If you think producing a child will give you the freedom to shack up with your lovers, you are sadly mistaken."

She didn't know what to say. He'd obviously had a bad time of it with his marriage. He was so incredibly bitter.

"Look," she said, "I can't quite remember everything that has gone on in the pasts, but I am sorry."

"Oh, that is just supremely convenient, isn't it Astoria." He said. "Could you just leave now. I have things to do."

He turned back towards his desk and started up with whatever he was doing. Hermione had a feeling that things were not going to get better if she stayed, so she left him to it.

She couldn't believe she was dealing with an unwilling man. Men were always willing, they may have been unhappy with the circumstances, like Ron, but he was always willing when it was presented to him. Then again, she had never treated him like Astoria had treated Draco. Somehow she couldn't quite see Draco as an innocent party, if Astoria was destructive, she would bet that Draco had brought it on in some way. She still didn't want to think about their marriage, it was completely irrelevant.

Well, there really only was one thing for an unwilling man, she would just have to deal with his hostile barriers. She was going to have to seduce him. Again not something she had any experience with, but he was standing in her way. Actually her seduction abilities were probably pretty low. Last night had been the first time she'd had sex in quite a long time. After she found out she was barren, it had kind of lost its purpose. And the act only reinforced how useless she was, so it just kind of just slipped off the radar.

There was no party or event on tonight. So dinner would be at home. Hermione hated family dinners with the Malfoys and would take hers in her room. But tonight she would come downstairs. Tonight she was going to try it on with Draco. If her teenage self could hear her now.

Dinner was a usual affair, quiet, constrained, boring. After it was over, Hermione followed Draco back to his study.

"What do you want, Astoria?" He said again, it seemed to be his usual greeting for her.

"I think we need to finish the discussion from this afternoon." She said. He was standing in front of his desk facing away from her.

"I don't think there is more to discuss." He said.

"Maybe not so much to discuss as such." She said and moved to stand behind him. She let her fingers touch the material of his shirt.

"You have got to be joking." He said with astonishment. "I would rather have sex with a troll." He said, and it was funny to Hermione because she had said something similar once, but for different reasons.

But he didn't move away, so Hermione made her touch a little stronger.

"Do you have no shame at all?" He asked.

If I did, I wouldn't be trying it on with Draco Malfoy, she thought. "Apparently not." She said.

She snuck her hands around him to stroking his sides.

"Its not going to work Astoria, my body does not respond to you." He said.

Hermione wasn't sure about that. Well, she wasn't going to accept no for an answer anyway. He had what she needed and she was going to get it. She pulled down the collar of his shirt to expose the skin on the back of his neck. She kissed him on the exposed skin and he tried to pull away. She was close enough to breath in his scent. It was something she had identified before, from way before, but she never knew what it was.

She let her hands roam all over his chest and pulled her shirt out so she could access his skin. He was warm and his skin was incredibly smooth.

"Is this what you do, Astoria, to get what you want?" He said. He wasn't pulling away, he was letting her touch him, so she continued. He liked it, she realised, liked to be touched. Maybe needed it. She pulled his shirt off to expose his upper body.

Hermione had to concede that this was thrilling. It was so incredibly naughty. She moved closer so she was touching him with more than her hands. She moved her hands down to play with the waist of his pants.

"You're a whore, Astoria." He said but he was a touch breathy. This was working, she realised. She was actually seducing him. "Shameless whore." He said quietly.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never get in my way, she thought. She moved her fingers towards his belt. His stomach was so tight and the skin felt like butter over the muscles. Hermione couldn't believe she was doing this, but didn't want to think too hard on it, because she would chicken out.

"Is this what you want?" He asked.

"Yes." She said.

"Fine." He said and he moved at lightning speed and she was face down on the desk. He was behind her and pulled her dress up over her backside.

"As the whore demands then." He said and he was inside her. It was rougher than she would have liked, but he body was not entirely unprepared. It was very close to painful as he forcefully drove into her. Although on some level not, it was all very borderline. His hand was in her hair and it was treating her scalp quite roughly. It also didn't take long. He came with a loud growl, before slumping down. He put all his weight on the hand he had on her back, holding her down on the desk.

After a few seconds of heavy breathing, he pulled out and zipped up.

"Thanks, darling." He said acrimoniously, "That was...satisfying. Now get out of my sight."

Hermione knew that was meant as a punishment. He was angry with her and he had just punished her. Hermione pulled the dress down her exposed backside. She wasn't quite sure how she felt. If the circumstances had been different that would have been unacceptable behaviour. But she had set that up and invited it, then he took it to punish her.

She wasn't quite angry. Surprised maybe. She got what she wanted. She had practically begged him to have sex with her, and he did, but he made it clear he wasn't happy about her forcing the issue. She certainly hadn't expected wine and chocolate with him. Whatever just happened was a reflection on his and Astoria's relationship.

She still wasn't sure how she felt about it. He had perhaps meant to make sure she'd never approach him again, she thought. If anyone should speak of shirking his duty, it was him. He was going the absolute bare minimum. He might just have bit back, but she didn't care. He might have meant to injure her pride or whatever, but he really didn't know her. It was a long time since she let Draco Malfoy injure her, and a bit of rough sex wasn't going to do it. Like she said, she'd sleep with a troll if it would get her pregnant. She would be back tomorrow.