Told you that updates wouldn't be exactly reliable just yet. I am a grown person with responsibilities plus Kupo and I have been taking turns being sick--sometimes overlapping--for months now. Latest verdict is strep for the both of us. I update when I can.
That being said, I know this chapter is a bit of a tease and, eh, sorry 'bout that. It happens from time to time.
Other news: If you have translated or want to translate any of my fics into another language, please go to my bio and click my homepage button. There's an important post up concerning you.
Also, the new Draco/Hermione archive Hawthorn & Vine is still awesome! BUT it has been having some DNS issues. If it has given you problems (you couldn't load it) and you gave up on it, please try again (there's a link in my bio). If it's still giving you problems, you can send me an e-mail and I'll direct you to the people that will help you! Thank you!
Hermione shook her head and, then, to make sure Draco understood that she was really serious, she shook it again. "No. No way. I'm not wearing either of those. The whole point is that I don't trust you!"
"Yeah, I got that," he replied. "And you wanted me to show my true colors, you said. Well, this will force them out in the open, won't it?"
Hermione swallowed. It wasn't that she didn't think he was right, it was just that she didn't think it was necessary to go to such lengths. That jewelry scared her. It had the power to turn hate into a romantic obsession, even turning the master into some lovesick slave. It could also override your emotions by forcing you to feel what had to be an enhanced version of the other person's feelings. And wearing the ring had given her the unwanted power to unwittingly torture him when she got angry that one time. She shook her head again.
"That's not fair, Hermione," he said, coming closer with the open box. "I'm willing to take part in your whole little 'test', and you're not even willing to actually make it reliable."
"It'll be reliable enough," she muttered.
"No, it won't. If this is to be your condition for even trusting me a little bit, then wear one of them."
"Or you won't do it?"
He smirked, but it seemed half-hearted. "I'll sleep with you, you know that. But as a test, it will mean nothing. If you just want an excuse to sleep with me, then by all means say so and we'll get started."
Draco knew the bracelet and the ring scared Hermione. He knew she feared the loss of control that could happen on both ends. That didn't make him relent, though. No, if she insisted on her dumb test, then she would wear one of them.
But if she actually just wanted another night in his bed and could admit it… he'd be more than happy to oblige. Hell, if she'd said "I want you" instead of this, he'd actually truly have been happy to oblige. Right now he was mostly just unable to turn her down. The thought of being close to her again… he craved it so badly it was almost ridiculous.
To his great disappointment, she reached out to touch the scrollwork on the bracelet, tracing it with a finger. It seemed she really was going to bed with him just to test him. Why else wouldn't she just say she wanted him when she was so obviously scared of the jewelry?
But he still wasn't saying no. If she was willing, then it was not up to him to judge whether her reasons were the right ones.
Yes, he was making excuses. So what? This hadn't been his idea!
"What are you going to do to me?" she whispered.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," he said. "But then again, I could be lying."
It wasn't really nice of him to not even try to reassure her, but if she wasn't going to believe him anyway, then why bother?
She bit her lip, momentarily completely distracting him as he thought about ways to make her enjoy his kisses in spite of herself. "I don't know," she then muttered. "Things could get out of hand."
"Does it matter?" he asked, carefully taking the ring between two fingers and holding it up, lowering the arm that held the box. "The worst that can happen if you wear this is that you're overcome with lust, yeah? I don't see the problem with that if you already plan to sleep with me…." Oh, God, he wanted that to happen so badly. Even if it were only a reflection of his own lust, he wanted her squirming under him. What would be the harm, anyway? She had already consented. This would make her enjoy it. He would enjoy the fantasy too.
"That's not the worst that's happened with that thing," she murmured, looking away.
At first Draco didn't know what she was talking about, but then he recalled. "Oh, you mean the torture thing?"
She gaped at him. "Yeah, the 'torture thing'. You're awfully cavalier about experiencing intense pain."
He shrugged. He was honestly getting used to hurting around her. It barely registered anymore. "It only happened because you wanted to hurt me and didn't realize you would. It won't happen again if you don't want it to. And if you want it to, there's no reason to act all horrified about it." A very low risk of a little pain was worth it if he could make her want him just for the night.
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "You're so annoying that I can't guarantee anything."
"I didn't ask for guarantees," he softly said, letting the ring fall into his palm and handing it to her.
She didn't take it but just stared at it as if it were a poisonous insect and then reached out and grabbed the bracelet from the box instead. "I'll take this if I have to wear something."
What? This made no sense! He opened his mouth to inquire and managed to utter a very intelligent, "Huh?"
She closed the bracelet around her wrist, looking as if it were a manacle rather than a beautiful piece of jewelry she was putting on. "I'd rather wear this. You said I could choose."
"Yeah, but…." He looked down at the ring. "Wouldn't you rather be the one in charge? And wouldn't it be easier to have your 'test' if you can feel my emotions and responses to whatever you say or do?"
"Feeling that won't do a thing. You can fake it. I don't want to feel you faking it, so keep the link closed on your end."
"What?" He stared incredulously at her. Just what exactly did she expect him to fake?
She shot him an unimpressed look. "You said it yourself, remember? You led me to believe you lusted after some girl by looking at her and thinking of something else. I certainly know that you are fairly competent at compartmentalizing your emotions and drawing on them whenever you need to—Harry even told me that you're skilled at Occlumency, for crying out loud."
Draco's lips tightened. Why must everything come back to bite him in the arse at the most inopportune moments? "He said that, did he? I guess you have me all figured out, then."
She snorted. "Don't try that with me."
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I'm not interested in misleading you?" He was really just trying to manipulate her to play into his fantasy… but she was the one that had suggested the sex! Why shouldn't he get the most from it?
"That's not the premise of the test," she coolly informed him. "The premise is that I believe you do want to mislead me and then rub my nose in it."
"Right. How could I forget?" he drily asked and then, figuring her mind was made up, he set down the box and slipped the ring onto his own finger.
Hermione watched the clasp on her bracelet disappear and suddenly, as if on cue, nervousness set in. He had the power. He could make her do anything he wanted and there was no way out until he let her out. There was no contract this time, and no… no safe word, so to speak.
She'd been insane to agree to this. Nervously, she twisted the bracelet round and round and checked just how far down she could push it. Seemed like she'd have to cut off her thumb to get it off. Worth considering, really….
Draco looked slightly dazed for a second, but then he slowly grinned. "Well, isn't this exciting?"
She gulped. Maybe it was time to find a hacksaw.
"They say fear is an aphrodisiac… do you reckon it's true?" he muttered, stepping up to her.
"It's adrenaline," she replied. "Not fear as such. Anything causing adrenaline will do."
He rested his forehead against hers. "Granger, did anyone ever tell you that you have a tendency to over-rationalize?"
She felt her cheeks heat a little. Apparently, she wasn't very good at seduction. "I'm not afraid," she said instead, slightly turning her head away. "A little apprehensive, perhaps, but not afraid."
He took a step back and smirked. "Then you must trust me after all. Just a little bit."
"I trust that you don't want to go to Azkaban," she replied.
His eyes narrowed. "Take off your shirt."
Hermione's hands went to her buttons to do as they were told. She didn't bother trying to stop them, considering it was a direct order. "Is that the best you can do?" she taunted.
It had begun.
She had some difficulties wrapping her mind around what was about to happen, but did her best to hide it. She just hoped he'd allow her some time to adapt.
Draco just shook his head, slowly smiling. "You don't get to set the pace." He slowly caressed the bare skin above her bra, creating some very interesting tingles. "Unless, of course, you just want me that badly."
He must not be meaning it as a question, because Hermione felt no compulsion to answer truthfully and for that she was grateful. Her shirt slid to the floor. "I don't know," she purred. "Do you want me to?" She needed to feel like she was just a little bit in control. Getting him to look at her in that greedy way was just part of it. As long as she could, in fact, somewhat control the pace, she felt less nervous about what he might do to her.
He shook his head again. "You have to be the most confusing witch I've ever known," he hoarsely said. "And I've known a few that made little sense."
She stepped up to him, put her arms around his neck and murmured in his ear, "But did you have the power to make them please you however you wanted…?"
He shivered. "Stop talking!" he commanded.
She was now effectively gagged but gave him a slow sultry smile. She didn't need a ring to know that her words had affected him.
He smirked again. "You know, I do like it when you have to obey me. Only thing is… why didn't you wear a skirt tonight? I would have liked that even better." He gave her trousers a mournful look.
"I had to do rounds," she reminded him in reply to the question that ungagged her before she truly had any fun with non-verbal communication. "The castle is rather cold and drafty, especially at night."
Draco sighed. "Why do you always have to be so sensible? You know, Pansy would have frozen her arse off just to look good."
Being compared to Pansy and coming out the loser—just the thing Hermione wanted tonight of all nights! Narrowing her eyes, she got out her wand and cast a relatively simple spell.
Draco's eyes widened in appreciation as he let his eyes roam down her body. "Of course," he breathed. "I just never really needed to know that particular transfiguration."
Hermione arched an eyebrow. No, really? He never had to do an emergency change from trousers to a skirt? Who would have thought! She'd bet Pansy had this spell down pat. There really was no reason to freeze one's arse off if nobody even saw, after all.
"Make it shorter!" he demanded and then smirked deviously. "If you're cold, I'll take care of it."
Hermione rolled her eyes yet again and shrunk the length of her skirt to the middle of her thighs.
"Good…" he muttered, stepping closer and sliding his hands down her sides until they reached the hem of her newly transfigured skirt. "Now say please," he said with a mischievous smile.
"Please," she echoed. Hey, she'd said it, hadn't she?
"Don't ruin it," he softly chided, slipping his hands under her skirt and settling them just below her bottom. "You know what I want. Now say it right."
"Please…" she breathed. His hands were warm and… nice. In fact, suddenly, she was very aware that they were standing close and his hands were on her naked skin, and that the two of them were going to actually… stop talking. An excited flutter began in her stomach. He was going to kiss her and touch her again, just like last time. She wanted that so badly it was almost embarrassing, even without….
She suddenly realized that he was just looking at her and she closed her eyes, her cheeks heating again. Of course. He was curious about how it made her feel to have him touch her, so he was examining the feedback he got through the ring.
This was awkward.
"This will only work if you let it go," he murmured, while rubbing tiny little circles high on the back of her thighs with his thumbs and nuzzling her ear. She could feel his hot breath grazing her neck.
She shivered and knew that right now Draco didn't need to wear a ring in order to tell that she had gooseflesh all over. Literally, all over. She helplessly tried to cross her arms over her bra-covered chest, but a sharp sound from him clearly told her not to and she dropped her arms again, placing them on his waist as she didn't know what else to do with them. He seemed to approve of that.
"Let what go?" she whispered, afraid that if she tried to raise her voice she'd find she had none.
"The fact that I feel you," he said. "You can't hold back just because you're afraid I'll know you like it. I already know you like my touch right now. I won't think it means anything."
Hermione nodded. That made sense. "Wouldn't you be embarrassed too?"
He shrugged very slightly. "Probably. But you already know I want you. Anything more than that would just be… a compliment, yeah?"
She nodded again. "Right. And a testament to how randy you were."
He chuckled. "Is that some roundabout way of telling me you're just responding because you're randy?"
She opened her mouth to reply to that, but he swiftly turned his head and captured her lips, effectively keeping anything but a surprised whimper from escaping.
She really hadn't been prepared for this kiss at all. Her guards were down and she stumbled, only just managing to right herself before she fell against him, and… Oh! Had his lips felt this good against hers the other times as well? She didn't get a lot of time to examine exactly how it felt now, however, because as suddenly as the kiss had started, his tongue darted out to stroke hers in just one soft motion and his hands moved up to caress her now strangely hyper-sensitive behind.
The feelings it invoked almost left her in shock. It was pure need and an overwhelming urge to pull him closer and make him snog her for the next hour.
He broke the kiss as quickly as he'd started it and laughed, sounding almost surprised. "You really do want me!"
That put a damper on it.
"No!" he quickly said. "Don't. Didn't mean it like that."
She sighed. "And you were just doing so well!"
He flashed her a quirky smile. "I was, wasn't I?"
She scowled back but didn't deign to reply.
"Don't worry," he muttered, running his hands up her hips to caress her sides. "It'll be good."
Yes, that was what she both hoped and feared.
"The worst that could happen…" she continued, apparently still being compelled to reply to him, "is that you'll reject me, humiliate me, ruin me, and do it laughing."
The statement was so absurd that Draco forgot all about breasts and just stared her in the eyes.
"I know…" she said, her cheeks flushing red again. "I know you won't. Really, I do. Sort of. I mean, you don't really seem like you would anymore, do you? But I still fear it. I still remember you laughing and sneering, humiliating me at every turn just out of spite. I know that you're a very competent actor… and I'm afraid that you're only pretending to have changed and are looking for the ultimate way to hurt me. And I can't let you."
