Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling does
Warning: I do believe my story might end up being a wee bit dark
A/N: I am very, very sorry for slacking on updating for so long now. I've been busy with school, but I will make an effort to update much more often now. I am truly grateful for all of the awesome support I've been receiving. My readers are wonderful. Thank you for all the great reviews. This chapter is really short, and I know I previously stated that this chapter would surpass the length of the last one, but I just couldn't wait to update. I pinky PROMISE that my next chapter will definitely make up for them! I hope you enjoy! Review! Reviews are always welcome.
Chapter Thirteen
Luna lay staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep despite her exhaustion and the soothing warmth that Edric's sleeping body provided her with. She tried with great effort to convince herself that leaving Hermione to her own devices in the nightclub was not a bad idea, but as the night extended so did her imagination.
What if Hermione had gotten drugged by a random wizard? What if the brunette had felt unwell again without anyone trustworthy around to help her? What if she never made it back to her room safely?
Luna's wayward imagination was driving her mad. She sighed, mentally decided to go check on Hermione, and turned over to look at Edric's sleeping form. He looked so uncharacteristically disheveled, yet so handsome.
He was shirtless, and although she had seen glimpses of him without a shirt on several occasions, she couldn't help but marvel at his well-defined masculine body. Up close he was very tempting. Luna struggled against the powerful urge to run her fingers along his bare skin, but in the end she found herself lightly caressing his torso. He made a sound that suspiciously sounded like encouragement.
Embarrassed by her brazen behavior, she quickly ceased her ministrations.
"Why did you stop?" Edric questioned in a thick voice.
Luna's heart began to race, and color swept up her neck and face as she realized he had been awake the whole time.
Finally opening his eyes, Edric let his gaze settle on Luna and how adorable she looked. Her dark blue eyes, fringed by sweeping eyelashes, were wide with shock. Her rosy lips were slightly parted. She looked delectable.
Flustered, Luna tried to look come up with a witty comeback, but Edric silenced her with a hungry kiss.
As her shock subsided, Luna leaned into him, placing her arms around his neck.
He deepened the passionate kiss and shifted their bodies into a much more intimate position.
She moaned as his skillful hands sought out her soft breasts, which only drove him wilder with need.
Edric pressed his hot mouth into her slender neck, and then felt his body hardening as a response to her eagerness.
Feeling the hardness of Edric's erection pressing against her thigh created a warm sensation in Luna's lower belly. She was extremely aware of his hands now exploring and sliding over her inexperienced body.
Her body tightened in anticipation as he carefully placed his hand on the small of her back to press her aching body against his throbbing erection. His other free hand pushed the hem of her pink nightgown over her thighs, revealing her womanhood.
Luna was enjoying herself and responding to Edric in a way that she never had before, yet she stiffened and her breath caught in her throat as she felt his fingers brushing against her damp mound. Unaware of his partner's dismay, the violet-eyed wizard inserted a finger inside of her presumably welcoming wetness.
He kissed her as he placed yet another finger inside. His fingers went deep, coercing, and stretching her.
"S-stop," she protested in a quivering voice.
Too lost in the moment, Edric simply kept exploring. Never before had she let him get this far with her, he wanted to be inside, to possess her body along with her heart.
Gentle touching and shy stolen kisses used to be enough for him, but not anymore.
He craved more.
Luna closed her eyes to block out the haunting memories that suddenly clouded her mind, but it was no use. It was impossible to forget. No matter how hard she tried, angry hazel eyes and a sinister laugh, were always swirling in the back of her mind whenever she was alone with Edric.
The more Edric caressed her, the more frightened she became.
She became so frenzied in her effort to stop him that she screamed.
Edric abruptly froze and quickly withdrew his fingers from her.
"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" questioned the concerned wizard upon hearing her frightened scream.
He scanned her face for any traces of pain, but all he found were glistening tears.
Luna felt hot tears trailing down her feverish cheeks as fear and shame consumed her.
Fear of being hurt again, and shame because she knew Edric thought she was untouched. She could never muster the courage to confess to him what happened to her in school. She only wished that one day she could get over her fear of Theo and having sex.
"No, I just… I just can't," she murmured. She trusted Edric, but she just couldn't seem to bring herself to tell him why she was so uncomfortable with being intimate.
Edric took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and inadvertently tightened his hold on Luna. She sounded so lost, it tore at his heart.
"It's okay," he reassured in a gentle voice as he wiped the tears from her small face.
She opened her eyes and saw the obvious regret in his peculiar eyes.
"What happened to you, Luna?" questioned Edric in a soft voice.
Luna averted her gaze from his assessing eyes and bit down on her lip.
"Nothing," she replied after several moments of tension-filled silence.
"Are you sure there isn't something you want to tell me?" he pressed, unconvinced.
Luna merely nodded her head in affirmation, and then buried her burning face in the crook of his arm, not trusting herself to be able to offer more of a valid explanation without really crying as emotion clogged her throat once again.
She could feel Edric's warm breath on her. His tenderness along with his steady breathing comforted her. She had been so out of control with the desire of wanting him that she truly thought she had gotten over her fear, but she hadn't.
Edric sighed, pulled her closer to his body and ran his hand through her hair in a soothing gesture.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that something obviously traumatizing had once happened to Luna, most likely something sexual. And even if it did take one, Edric was exceedingly clever and paid very close attention to detail, enough to know that she was hiding something from him.
. . .
Draco Malfoy woke up, lying face down on a cold bathroom floor, with a headache that seemed to originate straight from the fiery depths of hell. He frowned as he lifted his throbbing head, unable to remember where he was. His eyes were adjusting to the darkness when it finally dawned on him that the room he was currently occupying didn't seem familiar at all.
He cleared his dry throat and gingerly sat up, trying to recall what had happened to him. Unwelcome memories quickly assaulted his cumbersome brain. He had been hit with a damn stunning spell, he quickly determined as he remembered the mudblood uttering a spell. He heard himself groan as he began to stretch his stiff limbs.
As he searched for his treasured wand, he found it next to a black dress, broken into multiple pieces.
Rage welled up inside of him at the sight.
. . .
"Are you sure?" questioned a tired Luna. After she had composed herself in Edric's arms, the blonde had gone down to the cafe to get some chamomile tea for herself. She was about to return to the Junior Suites to check on Hermione, but was detained by the shock she received at finding a very pale and uneasy Hermione checking out of her suite.
For the third time in less than five minutes, Hermione reassured her concerned friend that she was leaving because she had forgotten that she had invited her parents over for lunch in the muggle world, and not because Luna never met up with her due to Edric's excessive drinking. She truly hated lying to her friend, but she had to come up with a plausible excuse to leave prematurely.
"You were going to leave without telling me, though? asked Luna. She now understood that Hermione was most likely feeling distressed about almost forgetting to have lunch with her parents, but she was still upset that her friend was about to leave without informing her first.
"I was planning on leaving a quick note to be sent to your room," she replied with a sheepish smile.
Hermione wanted to leave and return to her apartment and forget about seeing Malfoy, again. She was very uncomfortable with the bizarre events that had transpired in the last couple of hours. It scared her thinking about how easily he had found her.
She desperately wanted to believe that his aversion to muggles and muggle-borns would keep him from going after her in the muggle world.
"You and those silly notes," said Luna with a soft laugh as she recalled how the timid witch had a tendency of resorting to writing explanations instead of verbally expressing them.
"Habit," replied Hermione with a tight smile as she anxiously looked around for any signs of Malfoy.
"So… did you meet anyone interesting last night?" asked Luna with a hopeful gleam in her eyes, and a small mischievous grin.
Hermione's eyes went large with anxiety, and she felt heat rush to her face as she remembered her encounter with Malfoy, but before she could reply, Luna interrupted her with a happy squeal.
"Oh! You did, didn't you? I can see it in your eyes," she said in a delighted voice as she closely inspected Hermione's pink-tinged face, smeared mascara, tousled hair, and tired expression. All things considered, she appeared to have had an exciting night that clearly left no room for sleep.
"Well, I sort of I did," answered a flustered Hermione. She had to leave soon before Malfoy woke up, she rationalized, biting her lip nervously.
"Sort of?" mocked a familiar voice behind her.