Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my pink book bag and whatever else is in this story that doesn't make sense. I was inspired by another romance novel i read and J.K. Rowlings wonderful world. Enjoy!

- Chapter 5 -

"Wrapped So Pretty"

Draco and Tupper watched as Pulanski set the course for his next move. He spoke, ordering for his pawn to move into spot A-six, where it promptly did so and then lifting its shield the chess piece took a swing at Tupper's pawn destroying it from the game board.

"So who would you like to have a go at?" asked Tupper he checked his watch again. They were running later than scheduled. "I hear there's a few new members added to the Tutshill Tornadoes. Katie Long and a girl name Choi. Mate she's hot. Oi Draco ever 'eard of a girl named Chang?"

Draco shrugged as Pulanski ordered his next piece to take position.

Tupper groaned as his lack of attention just cost him his first knight. They were playing for galleons and Pulanski was up eight hundred galleons to Tupper's five.

It was Tupper's turn again. "Somebody said her and that Marcus Belby fellow are planning on a wedding. "-You there," he spoke rather aggressively this time, "knight b-five to b-three."

"No shit. Do you mean that nervous looking chap that gives the Quidditch reports to The Wizard's Voice? Did you know that Draco?" Pulanski asked suddenly.

Draco never answered, he sat alone at the bar across the room from them, on a barstool which was making the stiffness from training earlier a bit more uncomfortable as the night went on. He took another sip of his mead and watched Tupper loose his second bishop followed by his second swear word for the night. He then got up and headed for his favorite recliner. "I don't even know what you guys are going on about to be honest." Draco let out a groan as the soreness in his back sanked into the comfort of the leather piece.

"This seasons draft for the Tutshill Tornadoes. If you had a chance, which one of them would you fu-." Tupper stopped the foul word just in time. Other than their game of wizarding chess there was also a sort of side bet going on. Who could last the longest without using so much as a single swear exiting their lips. Draco wasn't part of this bet because he refused to give up his right to speak freely just to entertain these two nutters.

"Don't know, I'd have to think on that one mate." said Draco draining his mug of chilled mead, then called out from his lounge for his house elf to refill it. He couldn't hold back a grin when a fight broke out between the two of them on who just cheated on the last move in their game. He really loved those two idiots. If it had not been for his friends this would have been a horrible year with the two people he loved the most, constantly at war with each other; his mom and dad where tittering on the edge of divorce and had not spoken to each other for months now and to make matters even more unbearable there was the Pansy saga.

Draco didn't care much on the fact that she had dumped him again. But the idea of her going behind his back and humiliating him right under his father's nose was mortifying. He thought maybe he should miss her just a little, but now whenever he thought of Pansy, he could think of nothing but embarrassment over and over again. Still he hoped she was happy, she was a free spirited person which he admired, but she would really irritate the hell out of him with the let's get married talk and it wasn't that he was totally against marriage, it was just that it didn't take a genius to see she wasn't the right witch for him in that way. Nor any wizard in Pansy's case. If the poor bloke didn't have the know how's to break a tracking charm that even her mother couldn't crack Pansy was impossible to hold down.

Draco had a mean streak by nature. He didn't mean anything by it, it was just the way he was. But when ever he shouted or disagreed with Pansy, she would always burst into tears instead of standing up to him and because she was so timid around the edges he could never relax and just be himself around her completely. Everything he said meant something on how he truly felt against or towards her; well at least that was always the way she'd seem to take it.

The biggest problem was that witches wanted so much too please him, that they would let him do and say anything to them and he was always attracted to the really popular ones, the very ones that often turned out to be easy pickups and basically let him show them off without so much as question of why until they'd finally grew tired of waiting for him take things to the next level. Most ended up back stabbing him just as Pansy had done. Meeting someone new same moving on (The big question) it was always brought up to be the only thing on a witch's mind.

Passionate conversation in the darkness of the night where they shared their desire to someday hold a career, leave the public eye and the party life behind. But the most times witches cast prevention spells to safeguard against conception and unwanted pregnancy. The phony illusions of wanting the quiet family life too break away from the nightlife madness was nothing more than sweet lies for most of them. None of them wanted it honestly. He had believe Pansy once, twice, maybe even a third time wanted a family. He Trusted once and only once. Modern witches didn't have their heads wrapped around marriage, least of all her. When she didn't return he placed their home on the market and it sold in less than twenty-four hours. Draco learned to accept that the world was an open playing field in this lifestyle. He now had a new rule. No permanent houses, no permanent women, nothing to hold him down or make him lose his edge ever again.

His thoughts rambled on like this for a while…...

In the spacious foyer by the door a fire erupted in the dark. The two, Tupper and Pulanski both looked at each other before charging like a pack of wild dogs towards the entry way where the glow had come, totally abandoning their chess game.

A dark haired Hermoine stood in the expansively large entry of Draco's luxurious home, with a fat green bow drapped around her neck. She had just been gift wrapped and specially delivered. Her heart was beating so loudly she was surprise she could hear two wild men tearing through the room at all. She noticed the pricey flooring beneath her heels and the high ceiling increased her dizziness as she looked up. She was still feeling a bit carefree and cheery but not confused one bit our maybe she was but didn't notice and if any one of them cared to go skinny dipping right now she was totally up for it.

Zabini who had taken quite a liking to her took her gently by the hand and lead her further into the room before releasing her and whispered a brief introductions to the other two men when they entered. The one introduced as Tupper wore a white shirt and slacks and had the largest neck she ever seen on a quidditch player, plus Tupper had a pair of huge lady-killer blue eyes... Hermione didn't need to guess at it, he had to be the beater for Falmouth Falcons this much she knew from past conversations with Ronald. Next, there was Pulanski who in Hermione's opinion appeared to be an East Indie wizard, with his coffe colored skin and wire-rimmed glasses that gave him a scholar look. Hermione assumed his looks were a direct likeness to the wizard's personality, he appeared to be more like the male healers that worked with her at St. Mungos Hospital.

Zabini finished his introductions which sounded more like an advertisement as he directed his thumb in Buttercup's general direction. "Esa really came through didn't she?" he gloated "I told you she was good at this sort of thing."

"Nice legs," said Pulanski as he circled her.

"Great ass," whistled Tupper softly, who curved his hand over her derrière and have it a little squeeze.

Hermione whirled around, completely taken off gaurd. Her first move was to sock him hard in the nose, but Gin's brew roared through her veins making her helplessly happy about everything tonight. Her own natural reflex, caused her to shove the wizard away hard to keep him from further advancing on her. It was too late, she realized the mistake she had made with that move. She was here to play the role of a whore, and woman that traded lust for profit, would hardly react that way to being fondled by likely client. Hermione recovered quickly and regarded him with the superiority of an a well respected and high-priced escort. "I don't give out free samples. If you fancy the merchandise then make an appointment."

Zabini started laughing, took her by the hand and Pulanski nodded with an approving grin. "You're just what ol' Draco needs." said Blaise leading her out the dark room. "He'll be smiling tomorrow for sure."

"Come on boys it's party time!" Pulanski chuckled and pushed her forward. She tottered across the stone floor on her ridiculously high heels and the guys all started singing, "Happy Birthday to you… Happy Birthday to you….."

Terrified, her mouth went dry as she was being pushed from the secret comfort of the dark foyer. Her heels sank into lush white carpet. She spotted him, Draco, and she froze. Even through that god forsaken potion Ginny had given her, one agonizing fact became perfectly clear. Her memory had lied to her...

He stood silhouetted against a window with nothing behind him but the summer night sky. She recalled seeing photos of him from time to time whenever an article had been posted in the Daily Prophet Headline. However, she had never been a true fan of the sport, so she never bothered to read any of them much. The man staring at her from the other side of the room had nothing in common with the slytherin she once knew.

He lowered his glass and studied the crowd rushing towards him. His gaze was cold, with gray eyes so pale they were almost silver. Eyes that had no mercy as always and that's where she found the old Draco, in those eyes. Those eyes belonging to a boy who even though he was now a man she knew hated the likes of her kind just as he always had. But what had happen to the Slytherin she knew? Had he been replaced by this hard muscle, lean and physical creature. Brutal cheekbones and a sophisticated nose she never recalled, a jaw that held no softness when compared to the soft luster of his hair. They pushed and pulled her deeper into the room, each one singing merrily off key and a chill traveled along her spine when Draco took a step closer. She knew that he would be ruthless should he discover that she was his long appointed enemy. Except she wasn't his enemy, she reminded herself and he'd never need to know what she hoped to gain from this night. Besides deatheaters didn't care about things like illegitimate offsprings. She had heard many stories of rape and pillaging by their kind when they followed Voldemort years ago.

The other men behind her filled the room with more haughty laughter and more terrible singing, pushing her closer still to the wizard she had chosen to be the father of her child.

"Here's your birthday present, Draco."

"From us to you."

"Happy birthday, mate. We care enough to send you the very best."

One final shove and she was tumbling into his muscular chest. A strong arm captured her before she could fall and she caught the faint smell of the sweet brandy he'd been drinking.

Her brown eyes meet his and strands of silky black waves shadowed her face from her slight stumble. She tried to pull away, but Draco hadn't decide if he wanted to release her just yet, so her action to retreat proved impossible for the moment.

The reality of the situation was frightening and she actually felt helpless against him. He stood nearly a head taller than she was and there was not an ounce of fat on his lean and well conditioned body. An image flashed through her mind of her body naked beneath his now and she gently pulled it away before Gin's love tonic got the best of her once again.

Draco's cupped hand slid up her arm and found its way to the diamond strap drooping on her shoulder. "Blimey, I don't think I ever got a birthday present quite like this one. You guys sure know how to make a guy feel special."

The slow drawl of his words gave this dark haired damsel the impression that her chosen warrior was still as thick in the head as the Malfoy she had always known from her days of Hogwarts. The new awareness of this gave her the confidence she'd been hoping to recapture. Hermione look up into those pale eyes as he slowly released her now. Eyes that could very well be those of her soon to be child. He was no threat to her, she had her wand after all. If the need arouse she would hex the lot of them and then Esa and Ginny for getting her in this mess.

"Happy Birthday, Mr. Malfoy." She said. she had intended on her voice sounding more seductive, but instead it sounded entirely too much like her own.

"His name is Draco," smiled Zabini "I kinda advise you to call him that, he get's a little upset at the whole Malfoy thing sweetness. Draco, from us to you -this is Buttercup."