Out of Hand by relativelypositive
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and I make no money from the use of J.K. Rowling's characters.
Chapter 39
"Did you really say, how did she put it, 'My deep heart feels deeply the deepest love'?"
"I might have. It's kind of a blur."
"How about 'I am imprisoned by Hermione's love, and will gladly stay in this dungeon of ecstasy for the rest of my days?' Did you say that?"
Draco had been putting up with these questions since dinner. Everyone was fixated on the Rita Skeeter article. However, in his opinion, it wasn't the most interesting article in the paper that evening.
First of all, the Hogwarts curriculum was being changed next year to accommodate a Wizard Studies class. He didn't think Hermione had seen it yet, because everyone was also bugging her about Skeeter's article.
Second, the Ministry was looking into the allegations that a few prominent citizens were Death Eaters. No one was mentioned by name, but Draco thought the bug he'd put in Skeeter's ear had been quite effective.
He looked across the room to see Hermione and Ginny with their heads together, giggling at something. She looked happy. And her new ring gleamed in the low light of the Warren.
He was trying to find the right time to tell her they weren't married, but feared he had missed the right time for that. He toyed with the idea of not telling her, then decided she'd kill him when she found out. Draco wasn't naïve enough to think she wouldn't.
She kept touching the ring. But she never tried to remove it.
"So, Harry, tell me about Claire." Draco tried to change the subject.
Harry looked like he was going to throw up.
"The most insane girl I've ever met. She thinks she was abducted by aliens."
"What are aliens?"
Draco didn't know how to interpret the look Harry was giving him.
"Beings from other planets? Aliens?"
"There are beings on the planets? Did Muggles discover them? Why are they abducting people? For ransom? Do they take Galleons, Pounds, or Euros?"
Harry laughed at Draco's completely serious questions.
Without answering any of those questions, Harry got back on track. "So she drove me to the Dursleys, and of course my aunt was home. Dudley, my cousin, was home, too. I needed a big distraction. It was kind of awesome, really."
Harry got a goofy, uncomfortable smile on his face.
"She rang the doorbell, asked for Dudley, then decided to jump him in front of Petunia. It was priceless, man! Dudley was immediately into it 'cause, you know, Claire's this hot slutty-looking girl. Petunia starts doing this little dance like she's a hummingbird trying to find a way to disengage Claire's face from Dudley's. She shrieking about her 'Dudleykins' and how brazen Claire is. Her fingers were wiggling around their faces. Claire managed to wedge her leg between Dudley and Petunia and kicked Petunia away! I wanted to stay and watch, but knew I was there to raid my uncle's shed."
"So what's her connection to Hermione?"
"She says they're best friends, but if I hadn't been at Hermione's house when Claire was I doubt I'd have ever met her. I think she may just be really clingy. Hermione's been at Hogwarts for six years now. That takes some dedication to still be showing up at her house. She's not dangerous or anything, just off."
Draco thought about the life Hermione must have had before she found out about the Wizarding world. There was so much about her that he didn't know.
He tried to catch her eye, but she was too into her conversation with Ginny. He turned to Blaise.
"How did you do today?"
"I checked the Portrait Room every twenty minutes to see if your grandpa was there. Then George took over for a while and I went to flirt with Verity. If I squint she looks like Dalila's distant cousin."
"Do you miss her?"
"Well, yeah. I see you grabbing Hermione's hand all the time and looking at each other meaningfully, and I miss Dalila a lot. But I've never spent time with Dalila like you're spending time with Hermione. We've had sex in seven different countries, but I've never held her hand."
Draco's perception of Blaise's engagement had made a monumental shift. He thought Blaise was so lucky because he did the things Draco had only heard about. But he wouldn't trade the crazy, short week he'd had with Hermione for Blaise's two years of impersonal passion.
He looked at Hermione and she was finally looking in his direction. He nodded toward the library and she nodded in agreement.
They met at the door and left the lively conversation behind.
Draco ushered her through the door and shut it behind him. When he turned around Hermione was right there.
"Ginny's not freaking out. Why is Ginny not freaking out?" She held up her ring-clad hand.
Draco pursed his lips. "We're not married. Well, it's not that we aren't married, but that we're only married in the eyes of the Malfoy family enchantments. The Ministry wouldn't consider us married. That's probably the important thing. I assume your family wouldn't consider us married."
"Do you consider us married?"
"No? Maybe. It doesn't feel real, so I guess not."
Draco was fascinated as he watched her get mad, then calm herself down. She furrowed her eyebrows, wrinkled her nose, then shook it off.
"You're not mad?"
"I wouldn't say that." She thought for a moment. "Why did you freak out?"
"You ruined my plans. I may have over-reacted."
"I could have done without a permanent ring, you know."
"Here's the thing. I want you to have a crest ring. It is completely selfish of me, but it will protect you from so many curses and hexes. If you think about it, this will even help with your future career! Can you imagine being a curse breaker that doesn't have to worry about the obvious curses? That is a huge boon! I'd hire an apprentice curse breaker that I didn't really have to worry about! Especially one that soaks up knowledge like a sponge. And you're cute to boot."
Hermione laughed. "Are you trying to flatter me into not being mad at you?"
"I speak only the truth."
Hermione started moving toward the couches.
"What was with Gornuk?" Hermione laughed. "He was all serious when he said congratulations. Do you think he was being sarcastic?"
"I don't think goblins have a sense of humor."
"He wasn't specific. Maybe he just meant 'congrats on your swanky new ring' or 'congrats, you're a bleeding idiot for putting that on your finger'."
"How were you to know they were permanent?"
"In that situation, why would I assume they weren't cursed?"
"Because I told you to pick one out. I could have just picked one for you and avoided this whole thing."
Hermione sat on the last couch and Draco sat down, too. Without speaking, she climbed back into his lap.
Draco was giddy. Despite the somewhat serious conversation they were having, he loved that she wasn't afraid to be close to him. In this position they were nearly eye-to-eye, and the sense of being together was almost overwhelming.
She held her ring up to his face and asked, "Is this the ring you would have picked for me?"
He grabbed her fingers and really studied it. He'd only seen the rings once, years ago, when his father had brought him on an errand. He merely opened the austere black case and his father had tutted about being drawn to jewelry. Riches surrounded them, and he went to the only non-golden thing in the room to explore?
"Those are the Malfoy crests. Someday you, or more likely your mother, will pick one for your future wife. Now come along, our business has concluded."
He'd only been about eight, and his father hadn't told him much about the courtship rituals at that point. He'd never thought about girls at all!
But the rings stuck in his head, and Draco had been in the vault, possibly for the last time, and he'd wanted Hermione to wear one so badly.
The ring she'd picked was probably the least sparkly of the bunch, but it was so beautiful in its design that Draco couldn't fault Hermione's choice.
"Not that I'm an expert, but that is a lovely ring. I think it suits you."
Hermione gave him a little smile. "Thank you."
"And thank you for accepting this with grace."
"Backhanded compliment? I believe that's high praise from a Slytherin."
Draco laughed, "I suppose it is."
Someone knocked on the door and one of the twins peeked their head in. "Everyone decent?" He spotted the two fully clothed teenagers on the couch. "Damn. Anyway, Malfoy, your grandfather is in his portrait and he says the aurors are at your house. Turns out, there was someone in your dungeon. He doesn't know who the prisoner is, but your father is being taken to Azkaban. Your mother is not at the Manor. We're still on at a moment's notice, so you two get some sleep, alright?"
The twin shut the door behind him without waiting for a reply. Draco and Hermione stared at each other for a moment.
"I don't know whether or not to celebrate. He's your dad."
Draco's emotions were similarly conflicted. Happy that a threat to Hermione's life had been removed, if only temporarily, and surprised that his father had someone imprisoned in his home, and sad that his dad was going to suffer, even if he deserved it.
"I think it's good. But I think celebrating wouldn't be quite the right reaction."
"It's not like I was going to break out the streamers and karaoke machine."
"I don't know what that is. It sounds like a torture device."
"That's exactly what it is. But it's fun."
Draco raised his eyebrows. "Kinky."
Hermione laughed and Draco decided it had been too long since he'd kissed her.
He remedied that.
XXXXXXXXXX
Hermione woke up for the first time in her life without a shirt on. Or a bra.
She would have been freaking out, but there was a blanket covering her, and her pants were still on.
Draco was also shirtless, but not pantsless.
God, I can't believe this is my life.
She was snuggled into his body on the couch. She had no idea what time it was, and she didn't care. He was warm, and he smelled nice. His skin was quite a few shades paler than hers, and the contrast was beautiful. She giggled to herself. One of the Patil twins had said something similar on the night that started this whole thing.
The movement must have woken him, because she felt him kiss the top of her head.
"I'm going to miss this when we go back to Hogwarts."
"What is it going to be like? We'll be the only 'out' engaged couple. Will there be ridicule?"
"I'd imagine they'd make sure we had as little contact as possible. Now that we're engaged, there's nothing really keeping us from engaging in relations."
"Well, I am a harlot. You should be terrified of me."
"How so?"
"For one, I don't think sex is a big deal. Muggle teenagers are told to be careful, and don't do it unless you really love someone, but it's kind of expected."
"What, is there a care center in the school for the babies?"
Hermione laughed, and she could feel Draco stiffening in indignation. She tried to calm herself down, but only managed to stop for a moment.
"Draco, there are ways to make sure a girl doesn't get pregnant. A condom, a piece of latex that fits snugly around your penis and catches all your sperm, is the most common."
"You're shitting me."
"Nope."
"What's latex? Does it hurt?"
"No. It doesn't hurt. I'm not entirely sure what latex is. I'll have to look into it."
"Well, that doesn't sound too fun. What else?"
"Girls can take birth control pills, or use implants or patches that do the same thing. It messes with your hormones so you don't get pregnant."
"That doesn't sound possible."
"Muggles are crafty."
"Are you…on birth control pills?"
Hermione lifted herself up so she could look at Draco. "No. I've never had reason to be. I will, though. It will be a while before we can do that, you know."
"I'm not saying I want to have relations right now!"
"You don't? I kind of do."
"Hermione! Be serious! We can at least wait until the wedding!"
Hermione giggled. "You're such a prude! You know, before this week, I'd have thought you were very experienced with how all the girls follow you around."
"They do worship me, don't they?"
Hermione smacked his bare chest, making her chest move.
Draco's attention was immediately snared.
"Wow."
"You said that last night."
"Still true."
Hermione had taken the initiative to pull off her own shirt last night. Draco had looked a little scared, but she'd kissed the fear away.
When she'd tugged at his shirt he had freely given it up, then spent ten minutes just feeling her skin against his. He'd avoided her breasts, which frustrated Hermione, but she was thinking baby steps and didn't want to push him too far.
When she reached back to unhook her bra, Draco had held his breath.
Hermione couldn't have held in her giggle at gunpoint. She finally got Draco to touch her breasts, and it was because he was trying to keep her bra on.
"Draco," she had whispered, "let's go to sleep."
She felt him relax, and looked up to see his gaze fixated on his hands, which were still over her chest. She moved a little, causing him to caress her, and in reaction he pressed a little more firmly. Hermione liked that and slipped her arms out of her bra straps.
"You…I'm…" he stuttered.
She grabbed his face and made him look her in the eye. "I can't sleep with a bra on, Draco."
He relaxed again, and she coaxed the bra out from under his hands. His breathing accelerated, and Hermione pushed herself more fully into his hands.
"Wow."
"They're not much, but they're mine."
"Wow."
"I really do want to sleep."
He didn't say anything for a moment, then removed his hands. He stared for a full two minutes.
"Let's lie down."
"Wow."
Draco snapped out of his boob trance and moved to accommodate two bodies lengthwise on the couch.
He kissed her for a while as they lay chest-to-chest. Then Hermione tucked her head into his neck and fell asleep.
A/N:
Fair warning: since there will be a part 2, not everything will be wrapped up with a bow.
One more chapter, then hiatus.
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