Chapter 13

Life continued as it was for about two weeks. She went out with Marcus in the evenings. Marcus would take jabs at Draco. Draco would sulk. Which was at least amusing.

The sex was great. Marcus was generally more considerate that Draco, but he wasn't the perfect gentleman. Hermione tried very hard not to build the forgettable Augustus Merrimen into some kind of saint. That would do her no good. She had come to realise that no men were, well except for maybe Harry. The rest, you had to accept the warts as well.

This particular evening they were spending at Goyle's house. An old manor pretty similar to all the pureblood's old manors. Not a beautiful family from what their portraits reveal.

Hermione wondered if she'd ever see hers again, if they would ever remember her again. She tried to dismiss the thoughts as they were pressing down on her quite severely, but they would not quite shake.

Connie was holding court tonight. She had the boys enthralled by some story she was telling. Hermione wondered if she was punishing Nott for something. Punishment by charm offensive. Everything Connie did had a purpose. She was pretty sure she never wanted Connie as an enemy.

"They have to feel lucky to have you." She had told her once. It made Hermione wonder about the value of relationships, the value in relationships. Growing up she had never wondered about that, you fell in love and that was that. The purebloods didn't love, this was all about currency of some kind. Her relationship with Marcus was about revenge, and maybe sex.

At least Ron fell in love, he was a shit, but he fell in love and that was better than anything else she had seen from the pureblood's arranged business marriages, to the ill fitting needs of the pureblood women to the men with their mistresses.

She hoped so badly that this thing with Augustus Merrimen would work out. Driven by loneliness. A gentle evolving respect. Something sweet and supporting. A spark of warmth in this awful, cold world.

Hermione realised she was in the mood for punishment today, so she went out on the cold balcony area to shock herself out of where her mind was currently dwelling. The desperate hope of her plan pinned on a man she'd never met and the pressing sadness of what she'd lost.

The cold air was stinging, but it was nice to be away from the drunken mess inside.

She heard footsteps behind her.

"Hiding?" She heard the cool drawl that only had one master.

"Taking a minute to myself." She said annoyed at the intrusion.

"Do you like the house?" Draco asked.

"I hadn't really thought about it, they all seem pretty much the same."

It was quiet for a second.

"Where is Marcus?" She asked without turning around to face him.

"He has gone." Draco said.

So that was it. Whatever was to happen, had happened and Draco was here to inform her. She rubbed the bridge of her nose for a minute trying to hide the bitter smile.

She wanted to ask why. Why couldn't he just let her go. The fatwa was obviously back in force now. Why hadn't he tired of her? Although she knew the answer, because he hadn't had the chance, he lost her, which wasn't his plan, so now they were back on track according to his plan.

"Lets go." He said.

What choice did she have now? She was living in his house. She needed him to let her go, which he wouldn't do until he decided to. So she did the only thing she could, turned and walked after him.

He grabbed her elbow and apparated her back to the Black manor. He didn't let go as he walked her to the bed room. Where he pushed her away as they got inside the dark room lit only by a fire.

"Did you sleep with him?" He asked.

"Yes."

He sat down on the bed.

"Of course I did." She said.

"You could have said no." He said.

Hermione stared at him, not believing they were having this conversation.

"Well, I was trying to come to terms with that fact that this is what I do now." She said bitterly. "This is what you did to me. You lost me the only job I could get and turned me into a whore."

He tsked with annoyance.

"And then you gambled me away." She said pronouncing every word separately.

There was a pressing silence.

"Did he use the potion on you?"

"Yes."

Silence prevailed.

"Did you like it?"

More than I would ever admit, she thought to herself. "It made things easier."

"Do you want me to use it on you?"

"That is up to you as I understand the rules of the game." She said.

He tsked again.

Why was he interrogating her? Did he have some delude expectation that she would be loyal?

"You gambled me away." She said. "I don't understand what your expectations were? The act itself was pretty telling."

More silence.

"I had to pay a fortune to get you back." He finally said and got off the bed.

Hermione had to bite her tongue in annoyance. Part of her wanted to ask why, but the other part really didn't want to know what he'd say.

Talk time was over apparently. He was standing right in front of her now as he leaned down and kissed her. It started light, but deepened in a heartbeat. He pressed her to him and Hermione got reacquainted with how strong he was. He had never kissed her this deeply before.

She wondered if he'd actually missed her before dismissing the thought. She could feel how excited he was as it pressed against her belly. A fissure invaded her senses. Her body was used to sex now, used to the pleasure and it responded to her shock.

This was not allowed she thought has he lifted her up onto the desk behind him. Her body was so used to giving into the desire, finding release, she didn't need the potion anymore.

She fought desperately to fight the desire as he caressed her thighs. He was unzipping and pushed insider her, sliding in easily. He groaned as he entered her. Hermione was mortified to think that he probably noticed how her body welcomed him. Her steely determination managed to shut down the sensations her body was begging for.

He didn't deserve her. He didn't deserve her accepting him. Marcus had been another story. She'd essentially been using him as much as she was using her. And he had asked. Draco hadn't, he manipulated and demanded. She wasn't sure if that was the whole story, but it made sense to her. She had issues with enjoying sex with Draco and that was the long and the short of it. She didn't want to go into the details.

She managed to suppress the sensations although her body was begging to submit, but something in her mind told her that submitting to Draco Malfoy would be a really bad thing.

He came with a cry that people on the street would probably have heard. He panted over her for a minute before pulling out. They were both still completely dressed. He tucked himself back in, but didn't bother zipping up. Instead he went a poured himself a generous drink.

The night wasn't over.

A few days later, life was back to the way it was before her little detour into Flint's service.

"So back again." Connie commented when Hermione saw her next, which happened to be at the club where she had been gambled away.

Hermione only shrugged. "I think losing annoyed him. I am not sure he is used to it." Although he got it dished out a lot at school, she completed in her mind. He should have been used to it.

"It is a bit strange." Connie said thoughtfully. "It does indicate something beyond the usual."

Maybe that was it, Hermione thought, maybe having lost to her and her friends so much at school, he refused to lose now.

"Do you think he has feelings for you?" Connie asked absurdly.

"Please, its Draco Malfoy." Hermione snorted.

"It is completely out of character. Whatever, it does somewhat ruin our plans for you though."

"I think it may have more to do with old school grudges." Hermione said.

"You either have to just wait out whatever this is that is going on with him, or you can do something about it."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"Well we might have to pull out the serious artillery." Connie said with new cheer.

Sounded good to Hermione, she hadn't realised there was serious artillery, but she was bolstered by the thought.

"What do men, well boys, fear the most?" Connie asked.

Hermione couldn't really think what she was referring to. Draco feared danger, but Hermione couldn't think of anything she could do. She wasn't really willing to martyr herself in order to hurt him.

Hermione's uncertainty made Connie roll her eyes.

"They fear clingy women above all else. Clingy women who are in love with them. They will take a banshee, a troll and any number of men hating mythological creatures over a clingy woman any day."

Hermione stared at her for a while. She tried to think of examples. There was Lavender in sixth year. That had been pretty effective at getting Ron to run. Then there was Pansy following Draco around like a puppy. That seemed to have been embarrassing to him as well. He'd hated Pansy cooing over him, pouting and calling him sugary names.

"I think you might be onto something." Hermione said with a spreading smile.

"It literally is a deathblow to a relationship in these circles." Connie said.

"I don't have a great deal of experience with it myself." Hermione said with pride.

"Yes well, if you want to get rid of him." Connie said. "It can't be a quick thing. He would notice that you are playing a game with him. He does watch you intently you know."

"He is a predator." Hermione said dismissively.

"He needs to think you're in love with him." Connie said.

Hermione made an uncomfortable gulp.

"It needs to a be a slow build up so its believable, then bring out the crazy." She said. "I swear he will dump you faster than you can say 'Snookums'."

"I'm not sure I could bring myself to ever call him Snookums."

"Well you might have to." Connie said sternly. "Whatever this is going on with him, it could drag on for years. If you are right and you are providing him with some kind of payback to some assault on his dignity or identity, this thing could go on forever. Do you want to play that game?"

"No." Hermione said, deep in thought.

"Unless you want to." Connie pressed. "You two obviously have some kind of history."

"No!" Hermione shot back offended. "I'm just not sure I could pretend to love him, I can't even pretend to like him. He makes me want to vomit."

"Really?" Connie said getting up. "A little bit of pain now or potentially years of pain later. You decide what you want. I should go find Theo."