Hermione looked around the small shop as Malfoy stood near the door watching the world outside. She would glance up at him every once in a while, but she mostly picked out seeds for the garden. She was looking for vegetables that would do well during the winter and then seeds for the spring.

She compromised with him to get him to go with her. She didn't feel that he was really set on going out to a village with no magic. She thought that Godric's Hollow would work. The village was both inhabited by witches and wizards, but also muggles. They wouldn't be able to perform magic out in the open, but at least they would be in a mixed community.

The register clinked as Hermione paid for the seeds she had picked out. The cashier placed the seeds inside her reusable tan bag for her. She thanked her and walked over to Malfoy who opened the door for her. Hermione stepped out with Malfoy following after her.

"Thank you for coming with me." Hermione chimed up as she walked alongside Malfoy.

Malfoy patted the top of her head as she smiled. "Are you ready to go home?"

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, did you not want to explore a little bit?"

"Why it's not really that great." He was short with his words.

Her smile faded as she nodded. "I grew up like this."

Malfoy shrugged his shoulders as he looked ahead. "Just because that's how you grew up doesn't mean I approve of this lifestyle."

Hermione looked down as she followed him towards a cabin on the outside of the woods. He opened the door and let her in as they walked over to an old fireplace. This cabin was hidden from muggle view and used by witches and wizards to travel to and from using the floo network. Malfoy and Hermione took a handful and tossed it into the fireplace stating their destination as green flames illuminated in the tall fireplace. Both walked through the fireplace in the study.

"I'm going to go work in the greenhouse for a little bit." She spoke softly as she scampered off leaving Malfoy in the study. Malfoy watched her leave and with a heavy sigh went upstairs to his room to study.

Hermione worked in the greenhouse that she had brought back to life. The new seeds she had gotten were being sprinkled into place in the different terra cotta pots. Ever since the day of the thunderstorm, Malfoy started distancing himself from her. This left her feeling confused and a little unsure of what this meant for them.

Had she crossed a line with him? Maybe he never planned to go that far with her. He stopped being affectionate with her at school and even at home. There were nights she ate dinner alone. Hours passed and she found herself sitting on a couple of bags of soil resting for a moment. Her overalls were covered in dirt and her once white tank top was covered in dirt.

Malfoy stepped inside and looked around. "I don't see your fascination in this."

Hermione looked up from where she sat when she heard him. "Because it's physical and rewarding."

Malfoy walked around and then stopped right in front of her. "I thought you were more of a little bookworm."

"I guess we can all be full of surprises." She spoke coldly.

"I guess so." He murmured. "We need to have a talk."

"A talk? About what?" She asked as she moved to her feet. She was a little weary of why the sudden need to have a conversation. She felt like he had already grown tired of her and was ready to go back to the way things were. "Do you want to cancel this alliance we formed?"

"Not exactly, but before this continues, I need to know things to ensure there are no surprises later. I don't plan on keeping this thing going if I am the reason why my pureblood bloodline gets muddied." He watched her closely.

She blinked in confusion before she spoke. "You're scared of getting me pregnant?" She laughed as she ran her left hand over her head. "You think I would be stupid enough to not be on anything?"

Malfoy shrugged his shoulders. "It wouldn't surprise me if you used anything when you used to run with Weasley and Potter, you were alone and running with both boys, I figured you were on something then, but I didn't know if you would stay on something still."

She looked at him dumbfounded and hurt. "You thought I was fooling around with them?"

"At least Weasley, weren't you two dating?" He spoke coldly.

"You can be dating and not do anything." She spoke sadly as her body tensed up. "I'm on something don't worry." She walked past him. "Don't worry you aren't going to get this mudblood pregnant." She was angry and upset at how he was speaking to her. Was this why he distanced himself from her? That he thought he got her possibly pregnant and needed reassurance.

He grabbed her left wrist with his right hand and pulled her back. "Don't you walk away from me." He spoke as he pinned her up against one of the metal wooden tables in the greenhouse.

"You don't get it do you." She whispered out. "Just like a guy." She growled out.

"Tell me Granger what I don't get." He placed his hands over hers pinning them down to the wooden table. She looked at him sadly before looking away. He watched her closely and bent down next to her ear. "I was your first, wasn't I?" He whispered coldly.

"Yes." She bit her bottom lip.

"At least I know I won something over those two boys." He chuckled as he leaned back.

She looked back up to him as she tried to pull her hands from his grip. "You win, you can let me go now." She whispered. "You don't have to worry you can't get me pregnant."

"That's good. At least I know I can continue to play." He smirked.

She looked at him confused. "You think that how you've been treating me has been ok?"

He shrugged his shoulders as he leaned in claiming her lips. She froze when she felt his lips against hers. She felt his hands move from her hands and to her overalls pulling the clasps free of their buttons. His hands moved to the bottom of her white shirt. He broke the kiss to pull her shirt off of her.

She looked up to him as she felt him slid between her legs. "You treat me like a possession Malfoy."

"Right now. You are my possession. You belong to me during this alliance. I will protect you and claim you whenever I want, but I will never claim you when you say no." He leaned in and whispered into her ear. "Are you scared of me Granger?"

Her face turned red again at those words and shook her head. "I will never be scared of you."

"Good girl." He whispered as he pulled the coveralls down lifting her for a moment before setting her down on the table. Her coveralls fell to the greenhouse floor. His hands moved to her hips as he bent down and started to kiss her inner thighs.

She shivered as he moved closer and closer. His lips traveled up to her stomach, gently kissing softly. "… Malfoy…" She whispered out as he moved his fingers around the hem of her white panties. His fingers moved faintly over her skin. Before he stepped away and started to unbutton his pants. He looked at her with a fire in his eyes as he let his pants and white boxers slid down enough. He pulled her roughly to the edge of the table. His right hand moved her panties to the side as he inserted himself into her like he had in the shower.

She cried out when she felt him enter her body. He didn't hesitate as he started to pump into her roughly, this time not letting up or giving her a moment to stop him. She wasn't even ready, but that didn't stop him. She gripped tightly to the edge of the table to keep herself steady and in place. Rabid pants and moans escaped her mouth. Her eyes closed tightly as she started to move with each thrust. The table rattled beneath her, a clay pot on the bottom shelf wiggled free and crashed to the floor of the greenhouse.

She felt him pull out for a moment before he pulled her from the table and bent her over with her bottom up. He moved her panties to the side again and pushed his way in without warning. This time his hands rested on her hips as he continued his movements. He started to slam into her body now as he felt himself growing close. She reached to the top of the table as she held on. Her fingers turned white from how hard she held on.

He leaned down resting his hands on hers, he whispered into her ear. "Do you like this you filthy little mudblood?"

Hermione's eyes snapped open at the comment, but before she could respond. He slammed into her once last time and kept her in place as he released into her. He moaned out as he finished. Once his breathing settled, he pulled away from her and pulled up his boxers and pants, buttoning them up.

Hermione moved to face him; she was visibly upset and glared at him. "You don't… You don't have to say that." She panted out as she tried to fix her panties that were soaking wet from not only his cum, but also from her as well.

"But you are, and you should be happy that I chose to use you." He smirked. "It's not like you have any complaints. You get wet really fast. I like the fact that I claimed your nice tight little body first." He moved resting a hand on the tables pinning her against the table and him again. "How does it feel to know that you were claimed by a pureblood?"

She blushed a dark red as she moved to get her clothes. His behavior had changed, especially when it came to being intimate or whatever this was that Malfoy claimed it to be. Malfoy stopped her. He leaned down to pick up her overalls. He lifted her leg one at a time and helped her get dressed. He found her shirt and pulled it back onto her. "Thank you." She whispered out as he helped her down from the table.

He smirked. "I would prefer next time clothing that is easy to take off, none of this nonsense."

"My gardening outfit?" She spoke as she buttoned one of the straps.

"If it takes too long to get it off you, I will rip it off of you if I need to." He spoke as he walked out of the greenhouse with Hermione following after him.

"Malfoy?" She finally spoke up as the two entered the house. "If you call me a mudblood, and treat me like one, why would you want me?"

"Because I know others want you." He turned to her and pinned her against the wall of the hallway holding her hands above her head. "Right now, I have a use for you, and don't act like you don't have a use for me Granger."

Her breathing caught for a moment as she looked up into his cold grey eyes. "Because you'll protect me till then end because I'm your possession."

Malfoy smirked as he let her go. She stood in silence as he lifted her chin up. "You want to be protected right? To be cared for?"

Everything he was saying wasn't a lie. He had never given her a reason not to trust him or let him near her. She never told him no or stop. If anything, she egged him on to keep going. It was a twisted game that the two were playing. Two that not only were competitive in classes, but also competitive at home.

"Yes." She whispered out.

She was studying at her desk. She smiled as she listened to the birds chirp outside. The breeze that came through was cold. The weather was starting to change from summer to fall. Soon the first snow would be falling before too long. Malfoy had left her for a couple of days over the weekend. She assumed he was going home to visit with family. She knew she would never be allowed to go with him. He would never even mention her or the fact that he was sharing a dorm with her.

She heard a faint knock on the front door. She sat her quill down and walked down the steps of the staircase. She was a little unsure of who would even come visit this house. Maybe it was one of Malfoy's friends. She carefully opened the door and was shocked. "Harry?" She spoke out as she opened the door fully. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't talking to me."

Harry frowned, "I wasn't, but Ginny and I started to argue, and she took off and you know how Ron gets when he acts like a big brother."

Hermione nodded as she let Harry inside. "Come in, I'll make us some tea."

Harry followed her inside and shut the door behind him as he followed her to the kitchen. Hermione turned on the gas stove, went to the sink, and poured a little bit of water into the black kettle. "Sounds like you are living a pretty good life right now."

Hermione set the kettle on the cooktop before she turned to face him. "What do you mean?"

"Well it sounds like you are in a relationship with Malfoy from what Ron and Ginny have told me." Harry took a seat at the table.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his comment. "Are you going to go based on what others tell you?"

"Is it true Hermione?" He asked as the kettle whistled.

She pulled the kettle off, turned the burner off, and got two cups from the cupboard. "Did you come to check on me or just ask questions?"

Harry watched Hermione pour the hot water into the cups and then add tea to the cups. "I was just worried about you."

She carried the two cups over and set one cup in front of him and one in front of her as she took a seat. "Sounds like you only came to check on me after your little fight with Ginny."

Harry frowned. "Are you saying I wasn't worried about you?"

"Yes, Harry." She took a sip from her white cup. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Harry gritted his teeth as he pushed his cup away. "Can I use your bathroom?"

Hermione nodded. "It's upstairs between my room and Malfoy's. You know we do have our own rooms."

Harry stood and made his way out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Hermione looked out the kitchen wooden and at her garden she had been slowly working on and taking care of. She placed the cup to her lips taking a sip. Her eyes closed halfway. Her life had changed after the war, the ones she was once so close to for over seven years seemed to pull away. Why? Because she gave a boy who was forced to fight alongside his father. She was all for giving others a second chance. She didn't understand why her friends chose to pull not only him, but her through the mud.

She was letting her friend in with welcome arms, and he still dragged her down because of the things he heard about her and Malfoy. She placed her cup down on the table. "Harry?" She spoke out loud enough to be heard. She scooted her chair back and headed up the stairs. She saw that the bathroom was empty. She walked to her room and saw him sitting on her bed. "Harry?" She spoke out again.

"He really loved you Hermione, you told him that you wanted to focus on school before a relationship," Harry spoke as he looked at her desk.

"I am focusing on school Harry." She spoke taking a seat next to him on the bed resting her head against the beam.

"Then why are you in a relationship with him? You've betrayed Ron." Harry looked back at her.

"In all of this, no one has asked me what happened that night that Ron took me home. It's only been what he has said." She spoke sadly. "Harry, I think it's time for you to leave, I need to get back to my studies." She stood and started walking to her bedroom door.

Harry grabbed hold of her wrists and pulled her sleeve up to reveal the scar on her arm. "The woman who did this to you. Her nephew is who you are with now, the one who watched her punish you and carve this into your arm."

Hermione pulled her arm back and pulled her sleeve down. "Harry, again I was trying to open up about something and you ignored me. Again, I asked you to leave."

Harry felt her pull away as he stood walking past her. She followed him downstairs and let him out. The two didn't say a word to each other as Harry left. She closed the door and slid down to the floor. She lifted her sleeve and ran her fingers over her skin, the lettering that was crudely carved into her. "This is just a contract for now to protect me." She rested her head on her knees. She had been betrayed by her friends. Even now, she felt like she was being shamed without even being heard.

She gathered herself and headed back upstairs to her room. She closed her window and the curtains. She looked around her room. She noticed her nightstand drawer was open halfway. She opened the door and looked around, nothing looked like it was missing, she must have forgotten to close it all of the way. She took out her small round pink capsule and pulled a small pill from it and took the pill with a cup of water she left on her nightstand.