Author's Note: Another chapter! I'm pleased with my quick update, I hope you all are too! We're getting to the end and I can feel you all getting anxious! Hang in there, lot's more coming. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter!
The Missing Piece Chapter Twenty Three
Day: 53
"Weasley sent the letter, by the way." Hermione heard Draco say several feet beside her. She couldn't look up at him. Ron's last name made her flinch slightly from surprise, but tried to disregard the feelings within her and instead focus on packing all her belongings. She managed to mutter a "When?" in a slightly disinterested and trivial tone after a few seconds, however.
"This morning." Draco replied curtly, lying down and stretching his tall body on her sofa. The fact that Ron delivered the letter had an impact on Hermione for some reason. He had mentioned how he was going to do everything possible to protect her, but actions speak louder than words. Ron's last words to Hermione still echoed in her mind from time to time, not being able to fully shake them. She was flattered that Ron cared about her as much if not more than Draco, but she couldn't help how she felt. Hermione supposed Ron's feelings for her hurt so much only because she had known him her whole life, and Hermione cared about him. No matter how she thought of it the answer was always clear: She did not feel the same. She was infinitely happier with Draco Malfoy. As if on cue, Draco let out a yawn that sounded more for dramatic effect than fatigue. Hermione, who now snapped out of her deep thought, rolled her eyes as she crossed the room to grab a couple books off her bookcase and walked back to her small purse, which contained an undetectable extension charm. "Love, there's no point in packing all of this stuff." Draco said as Hermione began to fill her bag with more clothes.
"I'm taking precautions. I am packing the essentials, Draco. You never know. You'll be thanking me when we catch her and we have supplies."
"Yes, but what good will books and clothes do to catch her?"
"Well what if we end up going on a week-long chase? What if we have to hide for some reason? What if we get separated and you guys can make it back but I can't?" Hermione began to demand rhetorically.
Draco Malfoy shook his head and lifted both his arms up in surrender. Hermione smiled in triumph.
"You win." He stated.
"Always do."
Conversation ceased for the time being while Hermione packed everything she thought was remotely necessary. She made a great effort to focus on what she was doing rather than how guilty she felt about Ron. Eventually, Hermione couldn't find anything else to pack, and so she grabbed her purse and placed it by the door. She opened her mouth to say "I'm done!" but the sight of a sleeping Malfoy caught her eye. As quietly as she could she walked over to the sofa, and placed herself on top of his sleeping body, straddling him. A smile crept on Draco's face and his eyes twitched, alerting Hermione that he was well aware of what she was doing, but his eyes never opened. She snickered. Leave it to him to pretend to sleep. Hermione leaned forward anyways, placing both hands on his firm chest, and kissed his lips softly. A soft growl emitted from Draco's chest as his hands snaked up to grab her waist, and his mouth opened to kiss her back. Hermione rested all of her weight on top of him in an attempt to get closer to him and feel Draco beneath her. She released him from her kiss and began to plant wet kisses down his neck, making a trail of bumps on his skin whenever Hermione's cool breath landed on the spots she had contacted. His hips rose to hers, eager for more contact, but Hermione decided to taunt him a little first. She continued her trail of kisses until her lips hit the collar of his shirt. With precise fingers she unbuttoned his shirt, button by button, leaving kisses down his chest. Malfoy's chest rose and fell ecstatically, eager to know where her mouth was headed. Once Hermione got down to his belt buckle, she paused and looked at Malfoy from under her lashes, pulling of her best seductive look. He stared back at her, his cheeks flushed and pupils dilated. Hermione then planted a kiss just above his belt buckle, and made her way back up his chest.
"Why you little…" Draco whispered breathlessly, his eyes wild. Hermione chuckled, and realization dawned on his features.
Hermione crawled back up to his chest, pressing her body against his, feeling every inch of his chest with her hands.
"Oh no no no," Draco chuckled, grabbing Hermione's hands with his own. "You little tease."
Hermione put on her best innocent look, bringing her lower lip out into a pout and enlarging her eyes.
"You know what happens to girls who tease?"
Hermione leaned down to Draco's ear, and in her best seductive tone she whispered, "what?"
In the next seconds, Draco Malfoy managed to flip Hermione over on the sofa, straddling her. He then kissed her with such ruthless passion she forgot her own name. She couldn't think, or get enough air to her lungs. When Draco broke the kiss Hermione gasped, her chest heaving. This seemed to please Draco, who chuckled softly.
"Oh, you think this is funny?" Hermione whispered with the small amount of air she had left. She didn't even wait for Draco to reply. With all her strength, she pushed him back placing herself on top of him and in control once more. Sighing, she slowly lifted her tee shirt with her hands, leaving enough time for his eyes to scan the contours of her body, and threw the shirt at his face. Vengeful eyes watched her after Draco pulled the shirt from his line of view, and Hermione allowed herself to let out a giggle. She leaned forward, moving her chest closer to his face, resting her arms on either side of his head and running her hands through his blond hair.
"It unclasps in the front…" Hermione whispered alluringly.
Malfoy let out a sound of appreciation at the sight of her chest and moved his hands toward the clasp on her bra but just as he did she moved away, out of his reach.
"Bloody hell Hermione I swear to Merlin I'm gonna…" Draco trailed off, unable to follow his train of thought. Hermione smiled. She was truly enjoying this.
Draco suddenly pushed her off of him with his strength, and picked her up, carrying Hermione bridal style down the hall and into her bedroom. He literally threw her on the bed with such force that she bounced twice before settling on the bed, but Hermione did not have any time to even think before both her hands were trapped by his grip.
"Draco I—" Hermione couldn't even finish her sentence. Her mouth was caught in his, trapped in a deep and lustful kiss. Draco's tongue entered her mouth forcefully and Hermione's immediately fought back. In some distant part of her mind she deeply enjoyed when he was rough with her.
Draco's hips rocked forward, pressing Hermione to the bed and forcing a moan out of her mouth. The blond wizard had the nerve to chuckle. His hands still holding hers, his head leaned forward to her chest. Hermione felt his teeth along the clasp of her bra and she gasped, her heart accelerating. She felt a familiar warmth spread in her lower abdomen, accompanied by the feeling that they weren't close enough. She continued to feel his teeth grinding against her skin, finding this sensation to tickle a little. After a few seconds Hermione heard a clicking sound and her bra became loose. The snicker plastered on Draco's face when he came up made her want to pin him to the bed herself, but she couldn't shake the grip he hand on her hands to make that possible.
Draco quickly took ripped his shirt off his skin, momentarily releasing her arms but he grabbed them once more when he finished. He then leaned forward, planting kisses on her neck, along the curve of her breasts, and down her stomach until they reached her jeans. Draco looked up at her, a warning in his eyes as he released her arms in order to remove her jeans. Hermione did not move. The more she complied, the faster she could feel him the way she needed to. She lifted her hips in order for him to get the jeans off. He didn't pull them off all the way, for Draco had returned his attention to her bare chest, leaving Hermione to shrug off her jeans by herself.
Draco began to plant a trail of kisses down her body again, moving down to her underwear. Hermione's breathing was shallow and quick, and her heart sped up once more once she felt the familiar grinding of teeth against the skin where her underwear was. Bravely, she looked down to see him remove the undergarment slowly with his white teeth, and she automatically lifted her hips for him to successfully remove it. His head didn't back away from the area now though. Hermione pressed her head back on the pillow, feeling his lips on the inside of her thigh, and right outside her entrance. Draco's hands moved down to hold her waist in place, and she closed her eyes, giving in to feeling.
A gasp escaped her as she felt his tongue slip in between her lower lips. Her natural reaction was to push her legs closed, but Draco moved his hands to the inside of her thighs keeping them open. He explored her with his tongue, pressing it in some places. Hermione shifted her hips forward, bringing his mouth closer to her entrance, eager for more contact. The warmth in her abdomen grew, making her grow almost rabid for his touch. Draco's hands slid from the inside of her thighs and within seconds Hermione felt two of his fingers slide inside her. Hermione arched her back, welcoming the feeling, but not content enough. In response to her thrust Draco began moving his fingers in a quick, steady motion, occasionally passing his tongue over her clit to entice more pleasure in her. Hermione extended her arms to grab her blankets with her hands in ecstasy, her eyes still closed. With every move of his fingers she came closer and closer to the edge. With each thrust Hermione found herself becoming more frantic for him, pushing her hips into his fingers, unsatisfied. His fingers weren't enough.
"Draco… please…" Hermione moaned, barely above a whisper. It was all she could manage to say, afraid she couldn't keep herself under control. Hermione felt Draco snicker between her legs and her chest dropped in a heavy sigh: He was going to tease her. His fingers moved faster inside her, thrusting them deeper with each stroke, making Hermione lose control.
Hermione let out a strangled yell, sitting up on the bed and slamming herself on top of a surprised Draco Malfoy. She pushed him on his back, removed his jeans and boxers with lightning speed, and slammed herself with violent force on top of him.
"Don't. Tease. Me." Hermione told him in between frantic kisses. "I need—you."
Draco let out a surprised gasp, apparently snapping out of his surprise, and flipped her back over roughly. Hermione crawled backward toward the headboard underneath Draco, eyeing him with lustful eyes and biting her lip in anticipation of what was to come. Her body yearned for this. Draco followed her backwards, raking his eyes all over her bare body with an animalistic yearning she had never seen in him before. He stalked toward her like a predator, and once she couldn't back away anymore his lips crashed onto hers, and his length entered her in one swift move.
Hermione let out a moan of satisfaction, as the feeling of being completely filled crawled through her body.
"Hold on to me." Draco growled at her impatiently.
Hermione quickly moved her hands to grip his shoulders as Draco pulled out and entered her once more, with more force than the last thrust. The force of it sent Hermione slamming back into the headboard, and she gripped Draco's broad shoulders so tight she left red marks on his skin. He quickly thrust in and out again, each thrust sending her back into the headboard, rocking the bed back and forth. The pain from her back was blinded by the pleasure building inside her. Hermione couldn't think about anything but how happy she was, completely untamed. Draco's thrusts sped up, the intensity of them never decreasing. The chorus of moans that filled the room were accompanied by the straining of wood from the bed and the occasional yelps of pain from Draco whenever Hermione gripped his shoulders too tightly. Hermione groaned Draco's name, urging him to move faster and get closer, and she felt ecstatic when he did. With each passing thrust she felt herself getting closer and closer until she could no longer hold it. With one last thrust, Draco pushed Hermione off the edge to her orgasm.
Draco continued to thrust into her, however, allowing her to ride it out, and at the same time bringing himself closer to his orgasm as well. Hermione could feel Draco getting close inside her, and three hard thrusts later he was over the edge with his name on her lips. Draco collapsed on top of Hermione, completely exhausted. Hermione even didn't care that they were both covered in sweat, or completely wiped out. She didn't care about any other issue at the moment. There was only Draco.
Day: 54
Hermione let out a large sigh, turning over on the bed. As soon as she did, she realized two things: There was someone there with her, and she was very sore. With weariness she opened her eyes to see Draco Malfoy, sleeping on his stomach beside her, the muscles that sculpted his back very prominent. Biting her lip, she took her finger and lightly traced the contours of his back, watching his muscles contract goosebumps appear. Her fingers trailed the red marks she had left on both of his shoulders, smiling at the memories it brought her. She idly wondered if he had marked her, but didn't bother to look just yet.
"That feels amazing." Came the muffled voice of Draco, his face plastered in the pillow.
Hermione chuckled, continuing the motion.
"Good morning, handsome."
"I don't want to wake up just yet."
"Draco… it's 12:56."
"So?"
Hermione sighed, scooting herself closer to him. Draco flipped himself over on his back, snaking his arm around her waist so that Hermione could nestle in between his left side and his arm. Hermione continued tracing feather-light patterns on his chest, eventually losing track of time, and falling back asleep.
Day: 55
"Hermione, move in with me." Draco stated simply from where he sat at the kitchen table.
"What?" She wasn't sure if she heard right. His bluntness caught her off guard.
Draco Malfoy repeated the question.
"Okay."
It wasn't something that she required thinking about.
Day: 56
"Harry, have you heard anything from Healer Greene yet?" Hermione asked him anxiously as they left the Weasley's house after a delicious dinner.
"No, she hasn't received the letter yet."
Hermione let out an impatient sigh. She could be anywhere. It could take days. She just needed to wait.
Day: 57
"Harry, do you know if she received—"
"No, Hermione. I promise I'll let you know when she does."
Hermione pulled her head out of the fireplace, and immediately, the green flames turned back to red, orange, and yellow. This had been the fourth time that day she had asked about the letter. She just couldn't wait. The sooner they caught the healer, the faster this was all going to be over. She just needed patience.
Day: 58
Malfoy manor was very pleasant, once you got used to the sheer size of the house. There were plenty of windows to allow natural light, a large library she could keep her books in. The abundance of space wasn't an issue either. The transition from her apartment to the manor was quite smooth, in fact.
Her favorite place in the manor was by far the gardens. It was a large space, filled with a variety of plants and flowers, and in the middle, there was a pond with lily pads and ducks. Beside the pond was even a tree—not a willow tree—but an oak tree. It was close enough. It was nice to spend the afternoon there, reading a good book, and smelling the flowers. She felt at peace.
On a clear day like the one today, Hermione felt particularly at ease. She walked down the stone path toward the pond, her favorite muggle book in hand, eager to spend the next few hours beneath the shade of her new oak tree. Sometimes Draco accompanied her, and she read to him aloud as he studied the sky, occasionally making remarks about how absolutely brilliant Hamlet was. Hermione wished today was one of those days. Any day she spent with Draco was a good day.
Hermione heard quick footsteps behind her getting nearer and nearer with each passing second. She turned around to greet Draco, the only person it could be, with a smile on her face, but as soon as she saw his expression her smile faltered.
Draco screamed her name. Hermione dropped her book and ran toward him.
It was time. The healer had read the letter.
Hermione ran with Draco inside, where Harry and Ron stood. There was no time to feel awkward or guilty around Ron right now, she had a job to focus on.
"Ready?" Harry said, sticking his hand out for the others to grasp.
Everyone placed their hands on top of Harry's.
"Ready." Three voices replied simultaneously.
They apparated.
As soon as the pull of apparition released her, Hermione opened her eyes, still holding on to everyone's hand just in case it was unsafe to stay.
A few looks at her surroundings made Hermione surprised. They seemed to be in a forest, probably somewhere north as the air was brittle and cold. There was melting snow on the ground, mostly beneath tree trunks, and dead grass. Hermione caught the looks of surprise on Ron, Harry, and Draco's faces as well. Hermione spotted a clearing one hundred feet ahead of where they stood, and in the center of that clearing was a small wooden cabin, probably no more than one room inside of it. Smoke was emitted from the chimney, meaning someone was home.
"She's probably in there. Let's just burn the house." Ron muttered angrily and impatiently. Hermione gave Ron a look she would have given him during Hogwarts for his stupidity.
"Okay. It's small, so I say we barge in there, wands out and at the ready. We don't know if she's alone so prepare yourself for anything." Harry said. Once he finished his sentence he gave Hermione a swift glance, and then nodded. "Okay. Let's go."
They each stalked closer to the house as quietly as they could. Hermione held her breath. There was no sign that anyone had seen or heard them from the inside. When they got near enough to the door, Harry yelled, "Bombarda!" and a yellow light flew from his wand and blasted down the door with a loud crash that resounded through the quiet forest. All four of them barged into the living room. Hermione's eyes scanned the one room cabin, prepared for a fight. All they found was a gaunt woman, around her thirties, sitting on a moth eaten sofa, staring back at them with a blank expression. Hermione froze, and could feel that everyone with her did as well.
The woman on the sofa reminded Hermione of a nicer version of Bellatrix Lestrange. The hair and physical features were almost the same, except this woman did not bear the same malice and insanity that Bellatrix possessed. The woman before them was thinner, and frailer. Possibly even harmless. And yet, there was a part of Hermione that recognized this woman…
"You're Lucy Caddimer." Hermione blurted out, realizing where she knew this woman from. Harry, Ron, and Draco shot Hermione questioning looks, but Hermione only paid attention to the woman's bewildered expression.
"How did you know?" The woman named Lucy asked, in a very sweet soprano voice.
"I saw your picture in a record book from the Order."
The woman merely nodded, her large brown eyes moving from Hermione to her lap.
The air in the room was tense and awkward. The thought of being in the wrong place crossed Hermione's mind a few times, but it wasn't likely. The spell led them here. Unless the letter was placed in the wrong hands…
"God what are we just standing here for?! She did it! We're not here to observe the woman, we're here to arrest her and have her return Hermione's memories!" Ron growled angrily, raising his wand to the ready and pointing it at Lucy, his nostrils flaring. He was especially short tempered today, Hermione noted.
Lucy Caddimer raised both arms in defeat, holding a calm demeanor.
"Have a seat children, and calm yourself." The woman spoke to all of them, and then Ron. "Let me tell you my story. It might save your lives."
A/N: What do you think?! Cliffhanger, I know. Sorry about that. Please don't forget to submit a review! Let me know your thoughts! They do influence the story at times! I'd also like to take the time to thank CaptainDaniiKirk, who has stuck with me from the very beginning, even from my last fic, Those Dark Days, and reviewed every single one of my chapters, and i really appreciate that!