A/N: Somehow, my brain processed this as a chance to have my three favorites all together in a non-sexual way. Please excuse my need for more conversation. I just could not help myself. It did work out, right? Anyway, please read on...and R&R!
Three weeks, two days and five hours later, Hermione was certain that she was losing what little bit of sanity she had managed to hold on to. Both Blaise and Draco seemed hell-bent on turning her head and she found herself paralyzed by the need to make a choice. Neither young man had made any demands on her, not really, but it was there, in every heated glance, in every sweetly worded missive, in every bouquet of flowers or small gift.
Those things basically shouted at her, "Choose me! No, choose me!" It was more than enough to drive her 'round the twist. Ginny found the whole thing quite hilarious; Harry and Ron wondered, out loud no less, if she wasn't stringing the pair of young men along and asking her every other day if she was sure she didn't want to leave Malfoy Enterprises behind.
That query always met with a resounding no, even though the poor young woman found herself locked in her office more often than not, all in an attempt to avoid impromptu visits, rampaging owls and flying memos. Of course, that hadn't stopped them. Oh no. If anything, they'd stepped up their amorous assaults, driving her to distraction with their inability to comprehend the words, "Back off!" Finally, she'd had more than enough and owled the pair of young men with a request that three of them meet for lunch at her favorite cafe', a small place tucked behind Gringotts, by the name of Felicitations.
She arrived before the pair and settled in a corner booth, a warm cup of Earl Gray cradled in her slim fingers when they finally showed up, both jockeying for position. With a sigh, she waved them over and waited for them to seat themselves.
"Okay, you two. We are going to talk this out, once and for all. I feel quite a bit like a juicy bone and I don't enjoy the feeling."
Blaise smirked, the expression giving Draco's own patented look a run for most annoying lip position. "Piccolo amore, this would not be needful if you'd just choose between us. We pursue you in tandem only because you will not choose."
Draco nodded his agreement though he despised his friend's devilish use of Italian to charm their shared love interest. "It isn't fair that you seem to be stringing us both along instead of telling Blaise to go take a flying fuck."
Blaise glared at the blond and snarled, "What makes you think she'll choose you?"
Draco sneered in return, "Because I am a better match for her, obviously."
"Ha!"
Hermione listened to the sniping and rolled her eyes before interrupting. "I don't have time to choose. Draco, as you well know, my work on the improved Wolfsbane potion is nearing a critical juncture and requires my utmost attention. Blaise, I've told you the same thing yet neither of you credits me with knowing my own mind. Do I strike either one of you as being stupid?"
Both men snapped their mouths shut before they shook their heads in negation.
"Then why do you persist in ignoring my wishes," she asked them, her eyebrow winging up toward her tumbling curls.
Draco spoke first. "Because I know what you need, better than Blaise."
Blaise turned his attention to the woman he wished to claim as his. "I don't claim to know what you need, Hermione, but I do know that we would be well suited."
Hermione could not deny either assertion but shoved those ideas away with a furious gesture. They weren't listening to her! "Look. If you are expecting a decision right now then I choose neither of you. My work is far more important than your juvenile attempts to sway me and if you had any real care for my feelings, you would stop this until I could give proper thought to choosing the best option."
Light and dark faces showed matching surprised expressions before silence reigned over the trio. Finally, Draco stood up, his face void of all expression. "Fine. If that is how you feel, Granger. Never let it be said that I don't listen." With that, he turned and stalked away. Hermione dropped her head and fought off the urge to whimper.
"Look, Hermione, I am sorry if I've made you uncomfortable. It was not my intention. I am just used to winning over the witch that I choose to woo. I did not realize that my attempts were putting undue pressure on you and taking your attention from your work. So, for the nonce, I withdraw my pursuit." He blinked and gave her a lazy half smile. "Of course, should you change your mind, you can always owl me but never let it be said that I can not take a hint." The milk chocolate shaded male also stood up, his dark brown eyes trained upon her upturned face. "For the record, maybe Drake would be better suited to you but I can guarantee that he won't try as hard as I would to earn your trust and your affection."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Hermione felt, at that moment, as if she'd finally caught a break. However, it did not escape her notice that it had hurt just a bit more when Draco left. It did not matter. She didn't want to be drawn into a protracted love affair with either man, not now. Maybe later. Maybe never. It didn't matter.
She repeated those three words like a mantra as she ate her lunch, alone.
As November gave way to December, Hermione found herself going to lunch with Blaise. The draw she'd once felt to him was still just as strong but she ignored it, especially once he made it known that he had started dating Tracey Davis, a Slytherin from their year. "It's not serious yet, Hermione," he'd told her, a teasing smile touching his full lips. "You still have time for me to sweep you off your feet."
Her laughter at his pronouncement had been genuine and she found herself gladdened that he'd chosen to remove himself from the pandemonium her life had become. Amazingly enough, she soon felt so at ease with him, especially knowing he was off the market, that they fell into a comfortable friendship. Blaise never brought up Draco, never hit on her, never tried to push. Instead, he used his quick wit and gentlemanly manners to make her feel safe, even cared for.
Slowly but surely, her physical attraction faded into emotional connection, still strong but now aimed down safer paths.
As fall turned toward winter and the year switched from 2000 to 2001, she found herself thinking more often of the man she had not seen. Did she miss the blond? Yes and he still made his once a month visits, in her dreams. Sometimes the russet wolf was there, other times it was just the white one, the Alpha. Those once a month visions only encouraged her to work longer hours, to put more time into refining her potion, into working through the missteps and mishaps. She wanted to do this for him, for herself, for the wolves who were scared of the change every single month.
Just after the new year, Hermione finally found a mix that was as close to right as possible and cost about half the price as before. It was with bated breath that she sent a memo to both Theo and Draco to inform them of such and to request a meeting to go over the particulars and get authorization to start the trials. The meeting was set for twelfth of January, two days after the full moon, and was to be held in Draco's office.
She was terrified. Not only was her work to be judged but she'd not set eyes on the platinum blond male since the lunch date back in November. She knew that he was aware of her lunch dates with Blaise; she'd never tried to hide them but she didn't know how he'd respond to her or even if he would respond, at all.
After all, he hadn't come to her in dreams, not this month. Only Tobias had shown and he had looked at her with a sad cinnamon gaze and turned away, his body almost slumped in defeat. She assumed that it was over before it had even begun and that thought almost broke her. She had no one to blame though. She'd done it to herself.
On that Friday morning, Hermione woke earlier than normal and prepared her notes before she bathed and got ready for her day. After a long deliberation, she chose a black, above the knee pencil skirt, a soft pink sweater which fell just above the waist and a pair of black pumps which helped to elongate her slender legs and added an additional three inches to her tiny 5'5" frame. She also pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, allowing her curls to hide her nape so that the bump, which had almost disappeared, was not seen.
Finally, at ten to nine, she slipped on her fitted black dress robes and stepped through her Floo to the large Atrium of Malfoy Enterprises. Within minutes, she'd hung her robes in her office, gathered up one of her completed potions and took the lift to the top floor, there to announce her presence and wait.
Malfoy's door opened soon after.
As she entered, she noted with a slight frown that Theo had not come, had left her alone to have her meeting with a man who looked at her with cold gray eyes. "Miss Granger," he opened. "As you can see, Theo is out for the day, an unavoidable circumstance. Since I did not care to reschedule, I will hear your proposal and inform him of my decision."
Hermione nodded and settled herself in the chair immediately before his desk. With fingers that trembled slightly, she laid both the bottled potion and her research notes on his desk and waited while he looked over the proffered paperwork before uncorking the bottle and inhaling the scent of the potion inside. A heavy silence descended as she forced her gaze to the vast expanse of her desk and awaited his verdict.
"You've done stellar work, Miss Granger. Am I to assume that you would like to start live trials next month?"
"Yes, Sir," she murmured.
"And do you have wolves who are ready and willing to be test subjects?"
"Yes, Sir. Eight volunteers though I am unsure of where we would house them in safety."
He nodded. "Leave that to me. Obviously, I will approve this." He paused. "Are you done running, Miss Granger?"
Her eyes flew up to meet his own gaze, a small inhalation the only sign that she'd heard his words. She wanted to explain, needed to explain, but his cold expression stopped the words in her throat. What could she say?
He continued on. "I know that you've been meeting Zabini. Is he your choice then?"
She shook her head but words still did not come.
"Explain to me why you've seen him but not me."
"I-I," she swallowed. "I wanted to finish the potion and I could not do that without full concentration, sir. Blaise has been seeing Tracey Davis. He became safer than you."
"I'm sir now? No longer Draco? Has your interest waned then?"
"I'm scared," she hesitantly answered.
The tall blond stood up and stalked around his desk, not stopping until he reached her side. Once there, he crouched down, his gray gaze trained on her face. One hand reached out, there to trace the curve of her cheek before he turned her face toward his own. His mouth held the same frown, his eyes the same coldness though something smoldered in the depths, something she could not put a name to. She felt herself lean into his touch, even as her eyes fluttered closed against his inspection.
"Look at me, Hermione," he growled, his voice no longer businesslike. "I want to see your eyes."
She fought his demand for long seconds, seconds that lasted an eternity, before her lashes parted and her eyes opened. He was only inches away, his scent enveloping her in safety, a cocoon of comfort. He searched her eyes with his own, studied her face, the tightness there. He did not speak, not at first, only gazed at her with that penetrating stare.
"You will give me a chance, now that your work is done." What should have been a question was actually a statement and brooked no dissent. When only silence greeted him, he leaned in and kissed her.
The kiss started slowly, almost chaste, but when her lips softened against his own, he deepened it as his hands rose to cup her cheeks. His tongue, that agile muscle, swept along the seam of her closed mouth and when she opened to him, darted inside to taste her, to tangle there with her own. A low growl resonated from his chest as he stood and pulled her up from her seat. Those large hands which had cradled her face so gently soon moved to her nape and the curve of her waist before one hand swept to her back and the curve of her bum.
She whimpered as her body thrummed with desire.
It was he who broke the kiss and stepped away, one large hand rising to rake through his silky blond strands. "I gave you space and you ran, hid from me. I will not accept it a second time." Again, he stalked forward, crowding her, forcing her to move back and back until her body landed against his door. He caged her there, his large hands slapped the wood on either side of her head. "I will have you, Hermione. It does not matter when. I can not force the mating, not with you, but I will have you nonetheless. Your only choice at this juncture is when and how."
A gasp met his announcement even as her body yearned for his. Excitement rushed through her veins, rippled over her skin, blanked her thoughts. He leaned in and down, his mouth finding a home near her left ear, his words a seductive whisper.
"I can smell you, Hermione. You desire me." He shifted lower so that his breath ghosted over the exposed line of her throat. "No more running, kitten."
And then? He stepped back and resumed speaking of the potion. "The trials will begin on the first of February and end on the ninth. I will house the wolves in the Dungeons of the Manor on the night of the eighth. To stop my own effects on them, I will be housed in an empty room on the third floor of the manor, one which will be warded, shielded and locked both magically and by more mundane means, from the outside. Is this acceptable?"
"Yes, sir." Her voice quavered.
"Good. I will see you for dinner tonight." Again the command, not a question.
"Yes."
With that, Hermione opened his door and made her escape