Chapter 7
And a Long Wave of Yellow Light
Draco had grown up in a pureblood household, which meant elegant parties and sophisticated dinners with every nicety observed and every luxury bestowed. As such, he was drinking the most expensive alcohol that money could buy from an early age – but he had also learned how to tolerate it in proper Malfoy fashion.
The same could obviously not be said for Hermione Granger. She had barely finished her second shot before her face began to flush and her replies to their light conversation became unnecessarily loud.
When he arrived outside the club and began searching for Fabian, Draco was already mentally flogging himself for agreeing to such a ridiculous invitation. Malfoys, even disgraced ones, did not generally spend their evenings gyrating against inebriated Muggles.
He'd been surprised to find his flamboyant friend speaking to a curvy brunette in a tight red dress, as Fabian had made his sexual preferences embarrassingly clear. When she turned around and revealed herself to be Granger, only a lifetime of keeping his aristocratic calm prevented Draco from breaking into hysterical laughter.
Everything about the situation was alarmingly unfamiliar except for her – the people, the place, the clothes, the energy. He had never felt more uncomfortable in his life, but he didn't think getting absolutely pissed would be the best solution. Granger, on the other hand, seemed to think it might be.
While Draco only felt mildly affected after their fourth vodka, his companion was completely gone. If someone had ever told him he would be in the presence of a thoroughly plastered Hermione Granger, he would have examined them for evidence of a Confundus Charm.
At some point, Fabian returned to drag them both out on to the dance floor. He partially succeeded and led away a more than willing Granger. They remained close enough for Draco to see them, although he was still trying to decide whether that was a good thing or not.
The air was thick with the humidity of movement, which had caused Granger's hair to lose some of its artificial neatness. It fell in long, fluid curls down her back, errant strands clinging to her face and neck as Draco watched her be taken over by pure sensation.
After a few minutes she was joined by a dark blond man in all black who had decided he was now her dance partner, as seemed to be the usual protocol in a place such as this. Several women had inquired after Draco's company after Granger had left his side, but he was uninterested in becoming entangled with a Muggle in or out of the club.
The stranger's chest was flush against Granger's back as she continued to move with abandon, her head falling back again his shoulder. His hands kept pace with her waist, rolling with the motion of her hips. The hem of her dress inched upwards, revealing more and more of her fair skin.
Eventually, they were dancing face to face, Granger's arms around his neck as their lower halves ground together in one of the most indecent public displays Draco had ever witnessed. To say he was surprised at the source was an understatement.
Draco wasn't sure how long he stood there, transfixed by the sight of her rutting against a complete stranger in the middle of a crowded room. Fabian finally pulled her away from the man, leading her back to the bar and to him. She was breathing heavily and laughing as she grabbed Draco's drink out of his hand and knocked it back. Draco watched as a single bead of sweat trailed across her collarbone and down her chest, disappearing between her breasts.
"This has been brilliant," Granger announced, beaming at Fabian. She hugged him enthusiastically and Draco could barely suppress a smirk as Fabian looked at him over Granger's head with a raised eyebrow.
"Time to go, I think," Fabian announced, putting an arm around Granger's waist and supporting her through the sea of people.
As they reached the door, one of Fabian's dance partners from earlier in the night caught him around the wrist and leaned down to his ear to say something Draco couldn't hear. Fabian said something in return and his ginger companion followed them outside.
Granger steadied herself on a nearby wall as Fabian turned to Draco.
"You'll get her home, won't you love?" he asked, glancing around at the redhead hovering behind him. "I'm afraid something's going to come up."
"I can see that," Draco responded, shaking his head in amusement. Fabian told him Granger's address, bid her farewell, and disappeared into the night.
Between Granger drunkenly falling all over him and babbling incoherently, Draco managed to Apparate them to the door of her flat in Hogsmeade.
After watching her try to insert her key for several minutes, he took pity on her and unlocked the door. However, she was barely two steps inside before nearly collapsing and he was forced to lift her barely conscious body into his arms and carry her up the stairs.
She felt light against him, burrowing her head into the crook of his neck and tickling his jaw as she breathed. The skin of her thigh was warm and soft against his hand, try as he might not to notice.
Granger's apartment was impeccably clean, as he would have expected. Draco navigated their way through the sitting room and into the bedroom, laying her gently down onto a dark purple duvet.
He took off her shoes, as they looked terribly uncomfortable, and placed them on the floor beside her. Pulling the blanket over her sleeping form, he marveled at how unconcerned she looked. At Hogwarts, she had always seemed to Draco to have a look of perpetual anxiety about her.
But lying there, surrounded by mounds of plum-colored fabric, her long hair falling across the pillow, Draco could almost think Hermione Granger was beautiful.
/
He spent the remainder of the weekend grading coursework and planning future lessons, occasionally emerging to play a few notes and enjoy a drink. The bizarre scene that he had been a part of on Friday night seemed a distant memory, not likely to ever be repeated.
Monday dawned crisp and clear, pleasant enough for Draco to enjoy an afternoon walk about the grounds. He shared a few friendly words with Hagrid and observed several entertaining minutes of a flying lesson.
His classes passed without major incident, although a second-year boy did melt straight through his cauldron and half a table towards the end of the day.
Draco headed for the library after dinner, comforted by the thought that Granger would have already left for the evening. He was not looking forward to the inevitable awkward encounter after a night of intoxication, though he had nothing to be embarrassed about.
After having a word with Madam Pince and ascertaining that the book he was after resided in the Restricted Section, Draco headed off in search of it. His most recent research was focused on poison antidotes and the tome he pursued, Most Potente Potions, had been mentioned as an excellent source for information on slow-acting venoms.
Pulling out the large leather-bound volume, Draco tucked it under his arm and headed for his favorite armchair. Much to his displeasure, his seat was already taken.
Hermione Granger was thoroughly involved in a small book with an intricately embroidered blue and gold cover. She sat sideways in the chair, her back resting against one arm while her legs draped over the other. Her plain black skirt had ridden up to expose an ample amount of dark stocking, ending in a simple lace garter that stretched over her thigh and disappeared under her hem.
Draco found himself temporarily mesmerized by every minute movement of her body. Her fingers tightened their grasp on the book's cover, her calves slid against one another in apparent agitation, she slowly dragged her teeth across her lower lip. The book fell from Draco's grip and hit the floor hard.
Granger screamed and slammed her book shut, hand pressing into her heaving chest.
"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck," she repeated, gasping for air. Falling back into the chair, Granger's eyes narrowed at him accusingly.
"Begging your pardon," Draco said weakly.
"What the fuck are you doing?" she glowered.
"You're in my chair."
"Bought it yourself, did you?"
"What were you reading, Granger?" he asked, smirking at her. She shoved the book behind her, turning quite deliciously pink.
"Just… researching," she answered, clearing her throat.
"I'd love to know what kind of research that was," Draco told her, moving closer to her. Granger avoided his gaze, irritation radiating from her. Before she could react, he shoved her aside and snatched the small book from under her derriere. Granger shrieked and desperately attempted to reclaim it, but Draco held it easily out of her reach.
Letting it fall open, he scanned a page at random.
Despite our efforts to be discreet, I believe we may have been discovered. Helga gave me a very knowing look at breakfast this morning, as if the evidence of last night was written plainly across my features.
I would scarcely be surprised if my face was unable to conceal how glorious I feel in the aftermath of our lovemaking. We snuck away to the lake in the blackness, our only source of light the moon that was as full as I soon would be.
I could hear the sounds of nature issuing from the forest, the howls of werewolves and the galloping of centaurs, as Godric claimed me with a passion so fervent that my moans of pleasure nearly drowned out the surrounding noise.
His desire was so overwhelming in both size and stamina that I found I could scarcely walk when I awoke. It is becoming increasingly difficult to sit across the table from him at our meetings without imagining the incredible feeling of his mouth caressing my most intimate of places.
"Granger, what in Merlin's name is this?" Draco asked, choking with laughter. He turned to the title page and read Hogwarts Harlots Series: Ravenclaw's Ravishment. Looking up, he saw that Granger had folded her arms over her chest and was simply waiting for him to stop laughing.
"I was reading that, if you don't mind," she said when he had quieted, holding her hand out for it.
"Where did you even find that?" he asked, placing the book in her outstretched palm.
"I don't know, it was just in one of the stacks I'd been going through for research."
"Not sure you're going to find anything historically significant in this."
"Yes, yes, fine," Granger muttered. "What are you doing in here, Malfoy?"
"Actual research," he replied, retrieving his book from the floor. She glanced at it and gave a small smile of amusement. "I would have come sooner if I'd known I was going to come across such a hilarious scene of depravity."
"I am a grown woman and what I do with my time is none of your business."
"Fair enough, Granger. I'll just go and let you get back to your… research," Draco said with a smirk. "Let me know if you need any help."
"Brilliant. Now fuck off, if you please," she ground out in annoyance. He gave her one last look of bemused bewilderment before turning and hurrying out of the library.
/
The image of that black garter stretched across Granger's thigh seemed imprinted on the inside of Draco's eyelids. Every time he closed his eyes to sleep, every time he blinked for slightly too long – there it was. He surely must be running mad, such was the extent of his preoccupation.
Draco channeled this insanity into even heavier drinking than usual, followed by long nights of playing his piano until his hands were practically numb.
With Thursday came a brief note from his insufferable know-it-all:
Malfoy,
I will be including a memorial piece dedicated to Professor Snape in the new version of
Hogwarts: A History. I would like to interview you in regards to this. Please let me know if this evening at 6 o'clock would be convenient.
Hermione Granger
He stared at the piece of parchment angrily for several moments. Eventually, he responded in the affirmative, hoping that a dose of Granger as her usual obnoxious, barely tolerable self would erase all previous encounters. Draco had started to see her as an actual person and with that came actual feelings which were simply not allowed.
She knocked on his door precisely on the hour and Draco was pleased to note that he found this irritating. From the moment she crossed into his sitting room, he got the distinct impression that Granger was uncomfortable. Apparently, discovering her in the library in a somewhat compromising position hadn't left her entirely unfettered.
As he handed her a drink, Draco noticed her eyeing his upright with poorly concealed interest. Not really caring to let his relationship with Granger get any more personal, he ignored this. Sitting down across from her, he waited for her to say something.
"Yes, well, let's just get on with it,' she said finally, taking a large gulp of wine.