"Her body only existed where he touched her. The rest of her was smoke."
Hermione had laid in calm stillness beside Draco for a long while before deciding to take Matti up on her tempting offer of fresh clothes. She carefully removed her arm from Draco's exposed hip and felt him shiver at the abrupt coolness that now nipped at his skin. She felt guilty to leave his side even for a moment, but leaned in and kissed his bare shoulder, gently caressing the coveted area with her thumb.
Once she was off the bed she promptly decided against her dirty shirt and jeans, instead eyeing Draco's freshly pressed clothing that was now scattered across the floor at the end of the bed. She drew his grey button-up over her arms and whiffed in his familiar scent; pulling in her bottom lip, she found herself smiling at the fact her nose was curled against her own shoulder. She gathered his briefs and tugged them on as well, chuckling silently, hoping he wouldn't be in need of them anytime soon.
She quickly buttoned the shirt, grabbed her vinewood wand, and dipped into the hallway. She cautiously observed her new surroundings, noticing a rather attractive woman around the corner of the top of the stairs mewling with a man. Hermione grimaced at the sight, "Ugh" she scoffed, shaking her head and set off to find her friends.
Once down the stairs, she found that Harry and Ron must have went on to bed, because neither were to be seen. She grimaced once again, hoping neither of them were the one snogging the woman upstairs in the shadows. No, her friends had more sense than that, it must have been someone else.
Matti was comfortably perched in what seemed to be her usual spot—in what would be a sitting room if this were just a regular house—sipping at a takeaway cup and reading a familiar book. She was quite pretty and Hermione could easily see why Theodore was so taken with her.
Hermione edged forward and cleared her throat.
"Um, hi." she said demurely, tucking stray tendrils behind her ears.
Matti looked up from the page with a smile, "Oh, 'Ermione, your friends have just gone off to bed, 'cept, I think the redhead, er… Ronald is it?" Hermione nodded, "I believe he decided to take up an…offer from the Lady of the house."
Hermione choked on air at the revelation. Matti snorted, "I was quite surprised too, not of him… but of her."
"She was quite stunning." Hermione blushed. "But 'Lady of the house'? You don't mean…"
"Oh, no! I didn't mean one of the…talent. Theo cleared them all out on paid leave. Honoria is Theodore's business partner; the Lounge's namesake. And for the record" she scrambled, "I just work the desk."
Hermione smiled guiltily as her stomach growled quite audibly.
"Zut! I completely forgot you haven't eaten! I'm absolutely 'orrible." Matti almost shouted, slamming her book closed and rising from her seat.
"I'm all right, really!" Hermione reasoned.
Theo walked out from his office and smiled brightly at Hermione. Rounding the counter he moved toward her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Nice attire, Miss Danger. Are you looking for work?" She blushed in response once she was set back to her bare feet, crossing her naked legs over one another.
She playfully slapped at his chest, "I was actually coming down to ask Matti if I could dig into those clothes she had brought for me."
With an eager nod, Matti crossed the room and pulled out a large shopping bag from beneath her desk that had crisp tissue peaking over the top. Hermione dropped her head and turned to Theo, "Please tell me you didn't go out of your way to buy me new clothes."
He beamed and shook his head, "I didn't. Your... Draco did. I told him you'd be fine with some clothes from Matti but he wasn't having it."
"That's why I said what I did upstairs. You see, he didn't want to be found out." Matti said with sentiment, casting a piercing glance at Theo, "However, I did do the shopping." she finished with a wink.
Hermione nodded and took the bag, eagerly peeking inside; muggle jeans, socks, a bra, knickers and a couple of blouses as well as some warm-looking pyjamas were folded inside. "Thank you so much, Matti." she said warmly and turned her attention back to Theo, "So, a whore house, Theodore? Really?"
Theo grinned boldly, "Straight to the point, of course." he looked hungrily at Matti, "Looks like I won that bet, love." Theo winked and continued speaking to Hermione, "What else is there to spend Papa Nott's fortune on?"
Hermione shook her head in disbelief, "Oh, I don't know, maybe a continued education?"
"No, that's only for this lovely blossom here." he alleged, patting the crown of Matti's head, who looked up with amusement.
Hermione drew in a breath and frowned, "All right, whatever makes you happy. Just don't bet sexual favors over me anymore." She held her hands up as if suggesting a truce, then grasped the shopping bag tightly to her chest.
Theo smiled widely, reaching out to touch a familiar bracelet on Hermione's wrist. "So did I hear Matti mention feeding you? She makes a pudding that's to die for."
"That sounds lovely." Hermione grinned as Theo wrapped an arm over her shoulder and Matti happily gestured for them to follow her.
They arrived in a small kitchen and the blonde began preparing a bowl for Hermione as Theo pulled a chair from the table for her.
"So we're safe here?" she asked finally.
"We're completely locked down," Theo said seriously, lowering himself into a chair across from her, "no one in or out and I've warded the shite out of this place. Even added somewhat of a modified Notice-Me-Not I'm rather proud of. You're welcome to add your own too of course if you'd be more comfortable. Just… stay as long as you need. We've got you covered."
Hermione felt her eyes well. Theo noticed and reached across the table for her hands. "It's going to be okay." he said with a squeeze.
"I know," she smiled, "I'm just the happiest I've been in awhile."
"Glad to hear it, love." he said. Hermione looked up to see the mischievous glint return to his eyes as he continued, "I think we could say the same of your friend, Weasley."
"I think I saw a bit of causation for that." Hermione chuckled. Matti slid a heaping bowl of stew before her and took a seat beside Theo, whose fingers moved to entwine with hers.
"They seemed to really hit it off." Matti beamed reminiscently.
"And it works rather well for Hermione here. If Weasley's shagging Honey, he won't mind Granger Danger shagging the Princess of Darkness." Theo said, eyeing his friend. Hermione choked on a bit of potato and a triumphant smile perched itself on his lips.
Over the remainder of her stew and a nice serving of pudding, the two friends caught up and Hermione enjoyed getting to know Matti. When she put down her spoon, Matti removed her wand and banished the dishes to the washbasin, where they began to scrub themselves clean.
A yawn escaped Hermione's lips, "I'll see you lot in the morning, I hope?"
Theo and Matti nodded, and with that, the trio stood from the table. Hermione hugged each of them, thanking them again, grabbed the shopping bag and ventured on back to Draco's room.
Draco was sitting up in the middle of the bed, his head against its cool metal frame, the sheets draped over his waist, and his chest bare. Hermione felt her heart leap when he turned to face her, smirking at the bag in her grasp.
Merlin, she was somehow more beautiful than he remembered. He perused her body from head to toe. Her hair hanging in soft waves over her shoulders, his grey shirt just covering the tops of her thighs leaving her lean legs bare. He sneered at the thought of her leaving his room without any knickers on. Hermione closed the door behind her and bent to drop her new belongings to the floor beside a cabinet. He noticed then that she had on his briefs, and that was incredibly… sexy. She strode over to her lover, and climbed up to straddle herself over his legs. He moved his hands to caress her hips as she moved the hair that was sticking to his forehead over and began drawing a line with her finger down his cheek, down to the center of his swollen lips. Instantly hardening, he bucked slightly against her.
"Are you feeling better now?" she whispered seductively, gazing down at the awakening wizard through her eyelashes.
Draco slid his hands down to the tops of her thighs, beneath his shirt and up over his briefs, pushing one hand firmly under the material and feathering his fingertips over her already glistening bud.
"I could be better." he said attentively. Hermione rolled her hips forward, pressing herself against his steely length. He withdrew his hand and both moved to her covered breasts, rubbing softly with his thumbs over the small patch of fabric that centered between his skin and hers.
Gods, he thought, cupping her breasts lightly, they were so perfectly round and he just wanted to feel her.
"Hermione…" he breathed through his teeth. She leaned forward, engulfing his lips with a kiss and stealing the rest of the sentence from his tongue. She pulled away lightly, her lips still hovering over his, "Draco, thank you for the clothes."
He sighed loudly, "You weren't supposed to know…"
"Why? Because knowing that you can be sweet is such a horrible thing?" she asked with sarcasm soaking through her words. She rolled from him and down to his side, now keeping her hands to herself, as well as her legs and feet.
He didn't like losing her contact so soon again. Draco was anxious to feel her touch every chance he had. With a swift turn, he hovered over her, holding his weight with one hand and bound both of her wrists in his other, bringing them above her head.
"So, Miss Granger, are you willing to make me feel better?" avoiding her previous argument.
She agreed silently. When he rolled off of her and made his way to the dresser that stood opposite the bed, she sat up and stared at him with wonder. Why had he just left her like that?
He opened the top drawer and pulled out an emerald green tie, Hermione's eyes widened, was he planning on getting dressed and abandoning her right now? He sauntered his way back to the bed and straddled her.
"You told me you loved me earlier." he stated very simply. She only nodded nervously in reply. He softly pressed his fingers against her chest, making her lie back down. "Do you trust me?" he asked quietly. She again only nodded, swallowing hard. He noticed and leaned forward kissing a pulsating vein on her neck. Instantly her skin was covered in goose-pimples, the nerves tingling through her body and her heart-rate quickening. Her hands went to reach around his neck, but he instead ceased her movement by gathering them above her head once more. He took the tie and began to wrap it around her wrists and then to the metal frame of the bed.
Hermione's mouth dropped open, "Draco…? What…?" He ignored her confusion, pressing his nose into her neck to inhale her scent. Leaving a trail of feather-light kisses down her clavicle, he flexed his hips and his erection pushed firmly against her in need.
Without notice, he ripped Hermione's—his—shirt apart, buttons flying in all directions and clattering to the floor. Her chest began to heave as he ran his teeth over each round pink perch and down her stomach to the hemline of where his briefs met her protruding hip bones. He locked his fingers into her borrowed knickers and pulled them down slowly and tossing them to the floor.
Hermione silently begged to sit up to better see what he was going to do next, only to find that her upper body couldn't lift quite as far as she hoped. Draco inhaled her wanton fragrance, licking his lips, ready to fulfill his constant desperate craving. Hermione made to move her legs together, only to have them pushed apart into a spread-eagle pose. She felt completely vulnerable, yet somehow safe.
"Dra-" she attempted, but she was instantly hushed by the sudden kisses that were being placed on the inside of her thighs; her concerns were swiftly replaced with a low moan.
"Don't speak, Hermione." was all that her lover said as he began to lap into her glimmering center.
She bit her lip and even though he couldn't see her, she nodded in compliance. He slowly eased a finger inside of her channel and began to curve upward, moving it in circular motions, Hermione arched her back, small noises escaping her throat. He gently tugged at her nub with his teeth and began to pump his hand faster as he hungrily devoured her.
As soon as he could feel her warmth clamping around his fingers, he pulled them out, and crawled over her, looking deeply into her wanting eyes. "Good girl." he whispered, and with one distinct movement, he slid himself into her. "Now… Scream for me." and with that command, Hermione let loose all around him, her legs quivering with pleasure, her body igniting with fire. She wanted so badly to touch and to hold him; it seemed he had other plans.
He began to thrust into her, fast and then slow, back and forth. As he was just on edge, he finally reached up and untied the tie binding her hands. Hermione began ravishing his back with her nails, love-biting his neck and shoulders, and together they came, crashing, crying out vows of possession. Draco, sated, rubbed his cheek against her breast, kissing them each softly, raking his teeth over her jawline and back up to her lips; she fingered his hair, letting their tongues dance around inside of each other's mouths.
Finally pulling away, Draco stared deeply into his witch's eyes, "I love you too."
Hermione felt herself melt away into oblivion.
Draco removed himself but stayed lying atop her. Hermione kept her legs firmly intertwined with his, and they fell asleep, clinging to the moment. Their time was fleeting. They were in the middle of such darkness, but were relishing in the bright light that was the two of them together.
The next morning Hermione crinkled her nose at the bright sun that blared through the window and right into her eyes. Once the blurriness had subsided, she found that Draco was staring at her with a smile crossing his lips.
"Good morning, beautiful." He greeted, just above a whisper.
"Hi." She replied, reaching out to touch him, he instead grabbed her arms and pulled her into his body, "Mmm." She moaned, "I wish we could wake every day like this."
Draco pressed his lips to her forehead, "Me too."
Hermione nuzzled her nose into his chest, her ear aligning with the beat of his heart, she tightened her hold around his waist, tears desperate to emerge.
"Do you want to clean up?" Draco asked, his fingers caressing her back in circles, she nodded, and they removed themselves from the warmth of the sheets and went onto the bathroom.
They shared a nice, hot, shower, and then dirtied up their sheets again. Finally after the third round of love-making, the smell of breakfast lingered into their room.
"I guess we should join the others." Hermione sighed.
"If we plan to continue doing what we've been doing, I think you need your strength." Draco laughed.
They shared a smile and began to dress themselves, however, Hermione had a hard time, because every time she went to pull on an article of clothing, Draco would tug it away and began kissing whatever part she went to dress.
Finally after a few more kisses, they left their room, not completely dressed, Draco stuffed his witch's knickers in his pocket, and hid the rest.
Harry was lounging on a leather couch, reading over an old Quidditch magazine, Ron wasn't anywhere in sight, and Theodore was infatuated in his own reading material.
Matti looked up from her paperwork and smiled at the pair that had finally joined them, hand-in-hand. "Breakfast is in the kitchen." She said sweetly.
Draco slipped his arm around Hermione's waist and glanced over at Potter who paid no mind to the lingering couple.
Theo suddenly burst into a bout of giggles causing each of them to look over at him with curiosity.
"Oh, shite! Did- Did you know this?" he asked, holding the magazine out to Matti. Hermione caught a glimpse of the title, WonderWitch's. That name did sound awfully familiar.
Matti, too, began to chortle, a rosy hue gracing her cheeks when Draco finally asked what was so funny.
Theo caught his breath, "Mate. Those Weasley bastards—"
Ron appeared out of nowhere and grumbled at Theo, "What about us?"
"Not, you! Your brothers." he said uncaringly, "They're geniuses, those twins are!"
Harry then grew curious and moved over to the counter to listen in.
Theo cleared his throat, "Well, seeing as young Hermione is now more enamored with sex than we all are, I suppose she can hear this bit." he teased; Hermione scowled playfully.
"Is your witch or wizard away? Want to spice things up in the bedroom? No luck on the dating scene? Volvebatur is the word, and your wand becomes your best mate." Theo was laughing so hard, he dropped the magazine onto the counter in order to properly catch his breath, he held onto his ribs as he began to choke on his breath.
Ron and Harry both reached for the editorial, blushing at one another for touching it at the same time.
Draco grimaced.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "That's disgusting."
Matti looked to Theodore, "So, do you want to try it?"
The group collectively began to laugh as Hermione silently confirmed to herself that Matti was indeed perfect for Theo.
"Good morning!" came a woman's sing-song voice from the doorway, breaking the awkward tension. She quickly approached Hermione, who instinctively tightened the grip on her wand.
"I don't believe we've met." the woman said, extending her hand, "I'm Honoria. Honoria Mysterium. But since that's quite a mouthful, you can call me Honey." she giggled.
"We know your mouth has been full…" Theo said under a mock-cough.
The attractive witch shushed Theo, as Hermione let go of her wand and took Honey's hand, shaking it politely, rolling her eyes at her friend. "Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you."
Ron blushed a telling deep crimson from the counter.
"I've heard so much about you from these two nutters, I feel like I know you already." Honey winked, gesturing to Draco and Theo, "It's an honor to be of any assistance at all. My room actually has a vast library adjacent to it. You're welcome to use it at any time."
"Thank you. I will definitely make use of it."
Honoria smiled. "Well then," she clasped her hands together, "I ought to dash into my office and get some work done."
"Didn't get those papers done last night, eh?" Theo smirked. Ron and Honey shared a lingering gaze and a fresh blush, the latter disappearing into her office without a word.
"Well," Theo began "I'm sure Hermione will find the library by scent or some strange swotty powers of hers, but for the rest of you who might want to find her," he winked at Hermione, "It's just down from the kitchen, through those doors." he pointed.
The brunette in question narrowed her eyes playfully, before smirking and nodding in thanks. She knew Theo and that was just his way of telling her where the library was located. Her smirk morphed into a large smile and she stepped forward from Draco's arm to hug Theo with tears threatening her eyes.
"You're so emotional, Granger Danger." he joked.
"I've missed you so much." she whispered.
He curled his fingers into her hair, "I've missed you too, buttercup." He kissed the indentation of her temple.
Hermione kissed Draco on the cheek and asked Matti to join her in the kitchen. Harry went on back to his room, with the magazine in hand.
After the three of them had dismissed themselves Draco leaned over the counter and cheekily grinned at his best mate.
Theo raised a brow, "Yes, princess?"
"I want to do something nice for Hermione… and I was hoping you and Matti could help me out."
The listening wizard nodded and crossed his arm, "What do you have in mind?"
+++