Disclaimer: Ninjas own everything, because they are awesome. This ninja doesn't own Harry Potter though, JK Rowling does, because she is a ninja too. You heard it here first!
The Ninja, The Samurai and The Geisha
by Firebreathing Ninja From Space!
Chapter 5: The Samurai and the Geisha
Harry and Hermione wandered arm in arm along the riverbank in the light of the setting sun, white and pink blossom from the magnificent cherry trees occasionally blowing past them like light snow. True to his word, he had taken her to the city's finest restaurant for the evening, and arranged a room for the night at a discreet but luxurious hostelry so that they could leave her profession aside for a while. His greatest worry had been that one of her other customers might see and recognize her in the city, not because he cared what people knew or thought about the company he kept, but because she would be embarrassed and humiliated if someone made a scene about it. He had been more than prepared to fight any number of duels to defend her honour if need be, but fortunately that hadn't proved necessary. If anyone had recognized Hermione as a geisha, they had kept it to themselves rather than admit to how they knew.
"I am so happy," Hermione sighed contentedly as they sat down in the shade of the oldest and largest of the sakura trees. "Thank you, Harry."
"It was my pleasure," Harry assured her with a smile, kissing her hand. They sat hand in hand for a long while, enjoying the last of the evening's light and each other's company. Hermione looked particularly beautiful in the sunset, Harry thought, the orange and pink sunbeams setting her pale skin alight like a goddess of fire. She smiled and giggled as he leant over to brush sakura petals from her silky chocolate hair, and her happy expression was so lovely that he kissed her.
"Harry! Someone might see!" Hermione blushed, but did not push him away.
"I don't care," Harry replied fervently, the depth of his passion surprising him. He deepened the kiss, and Hermione shyly returned it, pressing her delicate softness against him. He boldly ran his hands caressingly up her flanks, and she gave a delightful, delighted murmur.
At last, they stopped kissing to look into each others eyes. "Make love to me, Harry," Hermione breathed, her cinnamon eyes shining with love.
"As my lady commands," Harry replied smilingly, taking her hand to help her to her feet.
Their passion was not dimmed by the brisk walk to the room he had reserved; indeed, it was inflamed by the enforced wait. As soon as he had shut the door behind them, Harry found himself once again wrapped in Hermione's gentle arms, her soft lips raining down kisses.
"Stay here a moment, please," Hermione instructed when she paused, a shy yet mischievous smile on her face. Returning the smile and wondering what she had in mind, Harry did as she asked. She let go of him and backed away to the middle of the room, an endearing tinge of pink in her cheeks. Slowly, she reached up and unpinned her hair, shaking her head languorously so that it billowed loose around her face like bamboo blowing in the wind.
"This is my gift to you, dear Harry." So saying, Hermione began to unfasten the belt of her kimono, her elegant fingers moving with agonizing slowness. Harry was transfixed as she artfully shed her clothing like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, until she stood before him bare and unashamed, a goddess sprung from the earth to inspire his worship. No demeaning veils of social artifice or financial exchange lay between them: there was only Harry, gaping in awe, and Hermione, gloriously illuminated by the dying sun's last rays peering round the shutters to clothe her in multi-hued radiance.
His beautiful goddess approached him slowly and embraced him once again, her naked skin beneath his fingers more wonderful to the touch than the finest silk. Drunk on her loveliness, he drew her to him with a longing sigh, lowering his lips to hers. Small delicate hands deftly slid beneath his tunic, running maddeningly across his battle-hardened musculature before moving to undress him. Flesh pressed against flesh as they fell onto the bed in a passionate tangle, Harry caressing Hermione's sensitive skin as he did his utmost to express his devotion.
The next morning, they awoke slowly in a happy daze and dressed and departed with few words, unwilling to break the enchantment they felt. They were silent as they walked back to the Geisha house in dawn's early light, basking in the memory of their wonderful night together but sad at the thought of parting.
As they entered, Cho appeared from the shadows, causing Harry to stifle a groan. "Hello, Harry-sama," the Chinese girl said in a sickly-sweet voice.
"Good morning, Cho," Harry replied politely.
Cho turned her gaze to Hermione, looking at her like something she had scraped off her shoe. "I can't believe you," she snapped spitefully. "Stringing Harry-sama along like this!"
"Wh-what?" Hermione gasped in shock. Harry paled with fury.
"Oh, you know what I'm talking about," Cho continued. "But Harry-sama doesn't. She's in love with Draco Malfoy, aren't you, Hermione?"
Harry froze. "What?"
"It's obvious," Cho said, shaking her head reprovingly. "Every time he visits here, she always has that dreamy look on her face. She doesn't really love you, Harry-sama."
"Hermione? Tell me this isn't true!" Harry exclaimed in horror. Could this be true? He prayed that it wasn't.
"I...I...he has been a customer of mine, Harry, but I swear, I love you!"
"But do you love him as well?" Harry demanded, seeing the truth in her eyes.
"I...I..." Tears came to Hermione's eyes as she tried to speak. Cho vanished discreetly into the shadows again.
"You do?! How could you love that man? He's a snake, a treacherous villain who never did anyone any good!"
"That's not true!" Hermione cried abruptly, then covered her mouth with her hands, aghast.
Harry recoiled, stricken to his very soul by the realization that Hermione really did love Malfoy. He pushed his hands through his coal-black hair, trying to contain his fury. "I...I...I need to think for a while, Hermione," he said at last in a low voice. "I'll...I'll be back."
"Don't leave me, Harry..." Hermione wailed as he turned and hurried away, in case his resolve should falter.
*****
Hermione sobbed quietly as she sat in her room. She had known she would soon have to decide between her two lovers, but had not expected it to be forced on her so abruptly. Indeed, the choice might have been made for her if Harry could no longer love her after the revelation of her feelings for Draco. If that happened, she thought, she would have to run away with Draco – she could not bear to lose them both and return to a miserable, loveless existence as a rich men's plaything.
She heard the door open, and looked up. "Harry?" she breathed in shock, seeing the samurai standing in the doorway. Her heart leapt for a moment, then sank again as she saw the angry expression on his face. He opened his hand and let a fistful of coins shower onto the floor.
"Here's your fee, whore," he snapped coldly. "It's more than you're worth. Go to Malfoy; you deserve each other. You're both treacherous, backstabbing filth." He spat at her feet, turned round and walked out with a contemptuous sneer.
Hermione could barely breathe; her wail of denial became a hoarse croak as she rocked back and forth, staring after him as the door slammed. A tsunami of tears gushed down her face, and she covered her face with her hands and sank to the floor, sunk in a black pit of horror and despair. How could he say such things? And yet...perhaps she deserved them. She had failed to return his love fully and wholeheartedly. If...when...she was with Draco again, she would be honest with him and tell the truth about her relationship with Harry. Whatever he might think of her, he deserved to know.
When she was with Draco...yes, she realized, that was the way things had to be now. This was not how she would have chosen for things to turn out, but at least now she knew what must be done. Slightly cheered by her decision, she slowly picked herself up, cleaned her face and began collecting her few belongings. There was not a moment to lose: Draco was waiting. Smiling wanly at the thought of being held in the ninja's strong arms again, she packed her things together and headed for the back door. Almost everyone was still asleep, so her departure went unnoticed.
*****
Harry walked briskly up to the door of the Geisha house. He had been unable to concentrate on anything all day for thinking about Hermione and Malfoy. The thought of the two of them together made his blood boil, but equally the thought of living without her made him feel hollow inside. Thus, his love for her had made his mind up for him. He realized now that Hermione was not at fault: he could hardly blame her for spending time with other men when her profession demanded it, and Malfoy was known to be considered handsome and charming by some. If he had given her special treatment, it was not so surprising that she might have begun to feel affection for him without knowing what kind of man he really was.
Filled with determination from his decision, he had set out immediately to apologize for his harsh reaction and re-affirm his love for her. He would have to make the truth about Malfoy clear to her, but that was less important.
Reaching the entrance, he was surprised to see Hermione coming the other way, a bundle over her shoulder. "Hermione?" he exclaimed, surprised.
"Oh, it's you," Hermione replied in a contemptuous tone that made his eyes widen in shock. "If you've come crawling back to 'forgive' me, you're too late. I'm going away with Draco."
"What?" Harry was aghast.
"And don't come looking for us, or I'll tell everyone that you used to beat me."
"Hermione...please...I'm begging you, don't go to him. He's not the man you think he is."
"So he's not twice the warrior and ten times the lover that you are?" Hermione gave a bark of laughter. "We used to laugh together about you and how great you think you are."
Harry froze. "No..."
"Yes. I only strung you along this long because he thought it was funny. Being with you makes me sick, but I endured it for Draco." To Harry's horror, she sighed lovingly at the ninja's name. "He knows exactly how to give a woman ultimate pleasure...you don't." She sneered and turned to go.
"Hermione...don't go...I love you..." Harry desperately reached for her arm.
"Don't touch me." Hermione shook his hand off and marched away, leaving Harry sunk in a black pit of despair.
*****
"Did it work?" demanded Cho. Ginny grabbed a cup of Polyjuice Potion antidote from the other girl's hand as she entered the room – it wouldn't do for their ruse to be caught now. Seeing Cho turn into Harry had been deeply weird. Gulping the antidote down, she changed from Hermione back into herself.
"Yes, I think so," she replied. "Harry-sama went away...he looked so miserable, I feel terrible now."
"Well, I'll just have to comfort him and make him forget that stupid girl. She's gone to Malfoy now, and good riddance." Ginny grimaced disgustedly at Cho's spiteful comment. She felt bad for going along with Cho's plan and hurting Harry and Hermione, but she was sure it was for the best. She would have Harry, and Hermione would go away with Draco, who she seemed to love just as much and who would otherwise be alone. Everyone would win...except Cho, and deservedly so.
"You'll comfort him? Ha! The joke's on you, Cho, he doesn't like you at all. I'm sure to win now and fill the gap in his heart." Ginny sighed contentedly at the thought of finally being held in Harry's heroic arms and making passionate love to him. Cho had suggested they work together on this plan so that they could compete for Harry once Hermione was out of the way, but Ginny knew that it would be no contest.
"Oh, I don't think so," said Cho smugly. "You won't be winning anything. Harry will be mine."
"You're crazy," Ginny laughed merrily. "We're done here. I'm going to plan my first night with Harry." She turned to make for the door.
"No, you're not going anywhere."
"Why not?"
"Because I poisoned the antidote I gave you. You'll be dead in a few minutes."
Ginny's blood turned to ice. Suddenly she felt the poison coursing through her veins, and her heart began to beat faster as it laboured to keep going. Her vision blurred, but her mind remained lucid with only one thought: not to let Cho get away with this. She drew the dagger she kept hidden in her sleeve, and before Cho could react, she stabbed her in the heart with it. The Chinese girl crumpled to the floor, a huge bloodstain rapidly forming on her kimono.
"Curse...you..." Cho choked out as blood frothed between her teeth. She tried to grab Ginny by the throat, but it was too late. With one last furious gurgle, she expired.
Ginny fought to stay on her feet, and stumbled towards the door. She had to act fast before the poison killed her – she had to find Harry and put right what she had done.
*****
Harry stumbled along like a drunken man, not caring where he was going. His heart was shattered into a thousand pieces. How could this have happened? How could he have been so blind and naive? Tears pricked at his eyes as Hermione's betrayal flayed at his soul.
"Harry-sama! Harry-sama!" A voice was calling his name, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered any more.
"Harry-sama! Harry-sa.." The voice insistently calling from behind him cut off into a fit of pain-wracked choking, and Harry looked round, surprised to see Ginny falling to her knees in the road, blood spraying as she coughed and wheezed.
"Ginny? What's wrong?" Instinct taking over, he rushed to support her. "Kami-sama! You need a healer!"
"No, it's too late...Harry-sama, Hermione still loves you! It was me in disguise saying all those things about her and Malfoy laughing at you!"
"What?!" Harry's heart lurched. "Why?"
"Because I love you, Harry-sama!" Ginny cried. Her crimson hair fell over her face as she hung limp in Harry's arms. "I made a pact with Cho to tear you and Hermione apart...I know, it was terrible of me. She posed as you using Polyjuice Potion and told Hermione you hated her so that she would go to Malfoy...then she poisoned me, but I stabbed her and came to warn you." Another coughing spasm tore through Ginny's body. "I am already dead...I just wanted to set things right. If I can't have you...you should be with the one you truly love."
"Where is she?" Harry demanded furiously.
"She went to join Malfoy, he asked her to go away with him. He's hiding out down at the old temple by the river, near South Gate." Ginny coughed yet again, more weakly this time. With her last strength she lifted her arms to embrace Harry. "I'm so sorry, Harry-sama...I'm a terrible person."
"No, it's all right," Harry reassured her, unable to bring himself to be angry with a woman dying in obvious agony. "Thank you for telling me."
"Harry-sama..." With her last wheezing breath, Ginny brought her face up to clumsily kiss him, leaving a trail of blood across his lips. A small smile on her face, she fell limp again, her eyes closing forever.
Harry lifted her slight body easily and rushed back to the Geisha house. The place was already in an uproar, as Cho's bloodstained body had been found in her room. Briefly explaining things to a grief-stricken Molly, Harry hurried away in the direction of the temple Ginny had told him about. He couldn't allow Draco Malfoy to make off with Hermione – despite Hermione's words earlier, he still suspected Malfoy had deceived and seduced her. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword. If he had to fight Malfoy again to save Hermione, that was fine with him.
*****
It had taken Hermione a long time to find the temple, and she was cold, tired and scared – there were a lot of shady-looking people wandering around the area. At last, however, she found herself stepping across the derelict temple's front porch, looking around warily. She was afraid to call Draco's name in case someone outside heard.
"Hermione?" She jumped as a familiar voice sounded behind her. She turned to see Draco drop lightly down from the ceiling. He approached her slowly, an expression of wonder on his pale face. "You came," he breathed in amazement, gently touching her cheek as if to reassure himself that she was really there.
"Draco..." Bursting into fresh tears, Hermione threw herself into his arms, burying her face in his shoulder and sobbing. He tenderly patted her back and smoothed her disarranged hair until she had composed herself, then sat them both down.
She poured out her story in a flood of words, trying to get it out as quickly as possible. After Harry's terrible words earlier, she was frightened of what Draco might say or do, but he listened without comment until she had finished.
"Potter's an idiot," he said decisively, when she had completed the story. "How could he let you go so easily?" He caressed her hair again as he spoke, and Hermione leaned gratefully into his warm touch.
"Then...you don't hate me?" she asked tentatively.
"What? Of course not!" Draco exclaimed in shock. "Question your taste, maybe, but I could never hate you. Besides, it's not like I ever made any claim on you or gave you any cause to love me. It still amazes me that you could care for someone like me."
"Oh, Draco..." Hermione embraced her lover gratefully, hugging him tightly with all the love and affection she could muster to try to make up for all that he had been deprived of. He returned the gesture, wrapping her in his hard, strong arms. His face as he lowered it to kiss her was more beautiful than it had ever seemed before, shining as it was with love and tenderness instead of blank and cold, his spun-gold hair framing it like a halo.
"Come on, let's get inside" Draco said affectionately as she caught her breath back and uncurled her toes after his kiss. "I've managed to put together quite the cosy little hideout. We'll get the hell out of this city as soon as it gets dark."
True to his word, he had set up a small stove in the temple's basement, which warmed and illuminated a small partitioned room where he had arranged a nest of blankets to sleep in. It was warm and comforting, like being in a womb, and Hermione minded not one jot that the small size of the space forced them to snuggle together closely. Indeed, one thing swiftly led to another, and they were soon slipping out of their clothes and making love slowly and gently to pass the time until they could escape to their new life.
"I love you so much, Draco," Hermione murmured happily as they lay in each other's arms.
"I never thought I could hear those words except in my dreams, my darling," Draco replied, his eyes shining with tears of joy.
TO BE CONCLUDED!
A/N: One more chapter to go! Please review and let me know your predictions/wishes for the conclusion! Should Hermione stick with Draco, or return to Harry when he catches up with them?
