A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. After the writer's block, that is. Hope you enjoy reading it. And thanks to everyone who's been reading and for the reviews. ^_^ Happy Reading.
Forget Me Not
Chapter 11: Trysts and Truth
Thinking back on all of the romance novels I've read, I wondered when my life turned into one. Not exactly, but close enough. Girl falls for boy, girl loses boy, girl has one night stand with boy, and then girl is confused. And boy, am I confused. Somehow, in fiction, the author always gets things to work out well in the end (unless it's a tragedy, of course), but my life isn't some work of fiction that will work its way out in the end, especially not if things keep heading the way they're heading now.
What was the right thing to do in this situation? How did I even let myself get into this sort of situation?
I sighed to myself as I walked to my second period class that Friday morning. I dreaded this class the most because it was supposed to be the first time I saw him since that incident. I didn't have to say anything to him because no one expected that of me, but I felt uneasy about being within the same enclosed space with him and his first reaction to me after that.
I held my breath and walked into the room. Quickly I scanned the area where he and his housemates sat. I felt my breath escape me after realizing he wasn't there. That relief lasted a second before I remembered that I always got to this class before him. I steadied my emotions and walked over to my seat where Harry and Ron sat waiting for me. They each asked how I was feeling before returning to their conversation about Quidditch supplies.
Momentarily, I lost track of time and everything else happening around me until Snape sauntered into the classroom with his usual scowl and immediately began to lecture us on the proper way to flick our wrists when deflecting spells. I glanced back over to group of Slytherins, but only saw Blaise, Pansy, and Greg in the small group of friends. Where is he? I asked myself before Snape caught my attention again.
Throughout class I felt a small tinge of relief at his absence, but at the same time I was worried about it. My concern grew and removed all uneasiness as the day progressed and he failed to come to any of our classes. I guessed it was his way of coping with the "incident." Or maybe something else had happened. Lisa was still pissed, I knew, and she constantly glared at me through Arithmancy to prove it, but I had my doubts that she was responsible for his absence.
At dinner, he still was missing and I was terribly worried and upset. I needed something to ease my mind in the slightest. "Harry?" I called to my friend. He looked up from his potions book and looked at me. "Can I borrow the map later?"
He quirked an eyebrow at me before asking, "For what?"
"I just want to see something…" He narrowed his eyes with suspicion. "I promise I'm not trying to go anywhere. I just want to examine it." He looked over at a tensed Ron before looking back to me.
I waited for his response, but it was Ron who opened his mouth to speak, "It's because of Malfoy, isn't it? You want to see where he is."
For some reason I felt guilty now that he said it out loud and I knew it showed through my features. I nodded slowly. "'Mione, we've already gone through this. You have to leave the Ferret alone. Stop worrying about him."
"Ron's right, Hermione." I looked between my friends and exhaled. I already expected this, but still I wanted to ask. I would just have to wait to see if there was any need for my distress.
Monday morning seemed to take eons to come, but with it came relief (to a minimal degree). Second period the male that preoccupied my thoughts showed up and sat in his usual seat with his housemates. I felt a small smile spread across my face as I held my head down and examined an illustration of a lamia. The rest of the day went smoothly for me since my mood had been brightened by his appearance. Thankfully, it stayed that way since I didn't have to worry about being confronted by him. Draco seemed determined to ignore me at all cost.
Two days passed and we both quietly went through our days. Occasionally, I'd steal glances of him, but things were more or less how they were before our winter break. I was fine with this though.
About a week later, after my nightly rounds with Ron, I bid him good night before heading someplace for some solitude before returning to my room with my noisy, gossiping roommates. He gave me a worried look before nodding and turning to head for the Gryffindor tower. Meanwhile, I turned and started towards the Astronomy tower.
I climbed the steps of the tower to the very top where the telescope and other astronomer tools were housed. I was surprised to see him standing on the other side of the room leaning onto the railing looking out at the serene night sky. I stayed there in the doorway debating my next action when he turned around. I realized the light from the torches in the stairwell must have caught his attention.
When his eyes met mine, he was just as surprised to see me standing there as I was to see him, but a few seconds later his surprise faded and he turned back to gaze at the celestial scene. I stood there another moment to continue deciding on my next action. I closed the large wooden door behind me and ascended the small staircase up onto the platform he was standing on.
Draco exhaled before he turned around and leaned his back against the railing. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I just wanted some time to myself."
"What made you come here?"
I smiled to myself, "A recent attachment." He remained silent and detached while he looked at me.
"I'll leave you alone then," he said while he walked towards me and the exit.
"You don't… have to…" I said shyly when he was just a few steps in front of me.
"Fine." Draco ceased his departure and moved to have a seat on the wooden floor. I followed suit and sat across from his with my back against the cold stone wall.
"So what are you doing up here?" I knew he liked the tower, but I was curious about his specific reason.
"I needed to think."
"I see…" He turned his head and I knew he was lost somewhere in his thoughts. I sighed before laying my head back against the stone wall and looking up at the crescent moon through the hole in the ceiling.
"Will you tell me what I need to know?"
I stared back at him, thought a few moments, and then nodded. I didn't feel the need to hold back anything anymore, but I had to know one thing first, "Why did you leave?"
He sighed and threw his head back against the railing he was leaning on. "I was overwhelmed, I guess. I'd been trying to figure out what happened to me and I suspected you were involved. I didn't know how, but I was sure you were involved. I was desperate to learn the truth, but I wasn't really sure if I was able to accept it," he said the last part slowly as if he weighed each word before he spoke it. I felt my mood lower slightly and then I took a deep breath and filled in the gaps for him.
After he was caught up on what had really happened the past few months, he stayed silent for a long time with an inquiring look on his face. I sat quietly across from him and finally felt the weight lift from my shoulders. Free of my own burden, I leisurely sat there waiting on his reaction.
The moment stretched to a longer span of time, and I started to feel anxious. His attention was focused on a spot on the wall while my gaze was attentively focused on his taciturn form. Finally, I decided to speak since it seemed he didn't plan on making any comments any time soon. "Why did you take the mark?"
He looked up at me for the first time in awhile with a vacant expression, "You wouldn't understand."
"That's why I'm asking. I want to understand."
Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I didn't really have any choice. The Dark Lord gave me a 'choice', but I know he still expects me to fail and wants to kill me and my family anyway."
I felt my brows knit together, "What were your choices?"
"Take my father's place or lose my mother." He lowered his head.
I crawled over towards him and pulled him into my embrace. I felt his body tense for a few moments before he relaxed into me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He shifted slightly to look at me. "Why didn't you tell anybody about the mark? You could have turned me into Dumbledore that night you found me. You probably should've…" he mumbled the last part.
I stared down at him and smiled, "I know I could have done that, but I didn't want to. It would have been the rational thing to do, yet I did the most irrational thing," I swiped some stray strands of ivory from his face, "Then I fell in love with you."
"Do you… still love me?" My heart warmed at the hopeful look on his face.
"Yes," I didn't need time to think of my answer.
"I think I may still love you as well. It's hard to explain."
"No, it's not. You already explained it perfectly to me," I cupped his cheek and kissed him tenderly. "Wizards try to understand love and everything about it to use it like any other magic while Muggles simply accept it as a natural force and embrace it. I don't want to understand. I'm simply accepting this gift."
He looked up at me with the most intense stare before pinning me beneath him. "You're more of a mystery to me."
I smiled up at him while I pulled him closer to me and kissed him. Some small part of me was reluctant about this, but it seemed there was always some nagging inch of my being constantly being a pessimist and analyzing the possible downfalls of my every decision, especially concerning him. I decided to stifle all thoughts from that part of my consciousness and be happy about being embraced by the one man I was irrevocably in love with.
Thankfully, I had him to help with the process.
My mind shut out all of those negative thoughts when I felt his hand travel to my thigh and continue its journey upwards under my school skirt. My heart beat furiously against chest and I clung to him as his slender fingers played over the outside of my knickers. Soon my breathing was erratic and I couldn't help but moan against his ear as he sucked on my neck and began sliding his fingers inside me and his thumb against my aroused nerve center.
My hips started moving with his thrusts against his hand as he moved back up to kiss me deeply once again. My right hand tangled in his hair and slowly stroked his scalp while my other started lifting up his black turtleneck as it caressed his abdomen and moved higher up. Draco removed his hand and sat back on his heels. I sat up and began removing his jacket followed by his top. I noticed he frowned when he glanced down at his left arm. To distract him, I grasped both of his hands and put them on my hips and urged him wordlessly to help me undress.
He obliged and carefully removed my jumper before working on my shirt and tie. I helped him remove my bra before I rested back on my forearms so that he could work on removing the rest of my clothes. I wasted no time after he stripped me to return the favor and remove his remaining attire.
Draco pulled me into his lap after I removed the last of the clothing. His mouth attached to my neck and slowly traveled along my neck and shoulders before moving lower to my breasts. While he teased my upper half, I decided to do the same to his lower half. I slowly rocked my hips against him and heard him moan against my skin while one of his hands moved down to my hip and helped guide my movements.
The foreplay didn't continue much longer, before I knew it I was lowered onto my back and looking up at him as he hovered above me supporting his weight on one forearm while he positioned my hips with his free hand. The blood rushed through my head as my heart raced and my body waited expectantly for him. I arched up into him after he slowly slid into me.
His rhythm started off slow and torturous, but soon sped at my insistence. I clawed at his muscled back while I moved my hips against his. After a lengthy build, I was thrilled when that sweet oblivion was within my grasp and I couldn't wait to fall over into it. Once I did, my nails stopped assaulting his pale skin and my body couldn't match his thrusts, but I still managed to hold him until he reached his limit and quaked above me. I smiled lopsidedly as he rested his head against my sweat covered chest.
We both lay there panting and sated for a while until we regained our composure. Draco slowly pushed himself up and began gathering our scattered clothes. We quietly dressed, or at least began to. The door opened and we both froze for a few seconds before Draco hurried to his feet and pulled me to a darkened nook crowded with supplies. The two of us gripped the clothes we hadn't managed to put back on and stayed silent.
I peeked over and saw Professor Sinistra holding the bottom of her long robes while she ascended the stairs. "Is someone up here?" she called in a serious tone. I held my breath and tried not to utter the tiniest sound. Draco and I looked over into the dimly lit space and watched her as she walked around the platform before sighing and leaving out the way she came.
Before moving again, we waited until we were sure she wouldn't be returning and then we quickly redressed. I was slightly out of breath once I finished. I laughed to myself and said to him, "Good thing she didn't come a few minutes earlier." I smiled brightly at him; he looked amused and nodded in agreement.
Neither of us wanted to be caught, so we quickly and stealthily left the tower and went our separate ways. Feeling nostalgic and gleeful, I stole a kiss before I happily headed back to my own dorm. I thought I was safe until I felt a pair of hands grip my arms and pull me out of the softly lit corridor. I gasped before realizing it was my two best friends.
My body tensed when I noticed their expressions. I waited to hear what my furious friends were going to say.
"What the hell, Hermione!" Ron yelled at me; his voice echoed in the quiet, deserted halls. I looked between him and Harry.
"Why were you with him?" Harry asked in a calmer tone, but his anger was still obvious.
"Who says that I was?" I countered and crossed my arms over my chest. They both glared at me.
"I went to see Lav and you weren't in your room. I told Harry and we checked the map." It was my turn to glare at them.
"I thought you weren't going to see him," Harry added.
"I didn't go to see him. And what gives you the right to spy on me?"
"We're worried about you," Ron said.
"I can take care of myself," I said coldly. They both showed me their shock; I pushed past the two of them and continued on my way to my dorm room. I went from being elated to pissed off within moments. I loved my two best friends, but sometimes they cross a line that shouldn't be crossed. Maybe I'd go a few days without speaking to either of them…
A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. ^_^