Chapter 16

Night Terrors

The night was cold and the starless night sky made it difficult to see, but he didn't dare use a Lumos charm. There was always the underlying risk that the magic would attract attention. Even though he couldn't be seen from the house, Draco didn't dare use any out of fear of what would be done to him if he were caught. He was in the bottom of a pit, shoulder deep, digging and digging, trying to make it deep enough for the three bodies that lay nearby. The smell of their blood from torn throats and ruined flesh tainted the air and demonstrated the horror of the werewolf pack that his father had allowed into his ancestral home.

So here he was; enveloped in darkness, digging graves in the gardens at Malfoy Manor. The blood of the corpses dripped into the hole as he shoveled the muggle way, no gloves and blisters forming on his palms as he worked. He had to make the pit deep enough to accommodate the three women's bodies, and Draco was determined to do it by hand. Even with the strain on his body and the pain, Draco toiled on.

The house elves had protested his order to leave him to this task. They didn't understand Master Draco's need to dig these graves with his own two hands, but they had obeyed and left him to the task.

He'd tried so hard to save these Muggle women after watching them being dragged into the gardens he'd played in as a child. The Dark Lord hadn't even been present, the entire scene was just for Greyback and his pack to instill fear and carnage for their entertainment. His failure to save them was written in their blood and the screams that still echoed through the Manor halls.

No, in the aftermath of what had been done, Draco couldn't do much for these three nameless women, but he could see that they were buried properly rather than being Nagini or Greyback's meal at the next Revel. The thought of the giant snake slithering through the halls of his home sickened him as he pulled more dirt from the earth, making the pit even deeper. When this was all said and done, he would burn the Manor to the ground; it had been stained by the blood of the innocent and the only way to cleanse it would be through fire and ash.

As he set the shovel aside to reach for the body closest to him, he froze when he saw the lightly freckled hand. No, no, no, it couldn't be…

Without hesitation or care for being caught, he lit the tip of his wand. Before him were no longer the three muggle women that Greyback had dragged in by their hair. The wild curls, straight silk black hair, and the white blonde strands stained red from blood. Hermione, Pansy, and Luna laid next to his makeshift grave, their eyes wide open. The milky white orbs of their eyes looked into his soul and in sync, all three opened their mouths and began to scream but no sound emerged, only blood, black oozing blood.

Draco opened his mouth and his screams of horror filled the air.

He bolted upright in the bed, screaming, sweat dripping down his face, the sheet that had covered him sticking to his chest. He was suddenly surrounded by activity and movement, but with his vision still blurry from sleep, Draco didn't know where he was and struggled to escape, to get away, to flee.

"Dragon, it was only a dream."

"Draco, we're here."

"Malfoy, can I get you anything?"

The desperate voices and soothing touches brought Draco from his panicked state. He swiveled his head as his vision cleared and the forms of Theo, Pansy, and Hermione came into focus.

He was in Theo's bed, on green satin sheets, with Granger next to him. It was her hand on his chest, he must have had her in his arms when he bolted awake. Pansy was nestled behind Theo and Theo's hand was also on him. He could smell the scent of sex, cloves, and fire whiskey. He still could taste the faint flavor of Theo's cum and Pansy on his tongue. He wasn't sure if he'd done Cordelia's 54321 meditation properly, but he did feel a bit more calm, his magic less restless under his skin. When he first woke, he could have lashed out magically at any of them.

"N-no," Draco murmured, "I don't need anything. Just a nightmare."

"Malfoy, you were screaming 'don't be dead' at the top of your lungs and then you flung me like a cushion," Hermione said, her hands rubbing his chest trying to soothe him. "Let me do something for you."

"Dragon, how about some cuddles?" The other man asked, a slight edge of desperation in his voice.

Draco almost didn't recognize his own voice when he croaked out, "Please, Theo."

Theo's strong arms pulled Draco's back into his chest and put his face into Draco's neck, his loose curls tickling Draco's face. Wrapping his arms around Draco's waist, Draco could feel the muscles in Theo's arms flex as he clung to him.

Hermione laid her head on Draco's chest, cuddled next to Theo, and the weight from the pair of them grounded Draco into reality. The reminder that it had only been a nightmare, and that none of the women he cared for were harmed. Pansy's hand reached over Theo to rub softly on his arm with a towel, her soft touch drying away the sweat and warming him.

Draco folded Hermione into his embrace and pulled her up higher so that he could put his face into her hair and breathe in the scent of her. Nude comfort, just being held by the three people that he could seek solace in. Theo began humming a soft lullaby into Draco's ear and Theo and Hermione's melodic breathing wooed him back into Morpheus' embrace.

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Hermione woke late in the morning, the smell of coffee filled the air, making her hum in appreciation for her favorite morning beverage. She tightened her arms around Malfoy…Draco, as she enjoyed his face nuzzled into her neck, his even breaths playing over her skin. She gently stroked his back, trying to give him some reassurance while he continued to sleep, remembering the way that he had woken up screaming the night before plaguing her thoughts.

He was just as haunted as she was, she realized. She lifted her hand and laced her fingers through his white blonde hair while whispering softly into his ear, "Draco, we have to get up for group therapy." She smiled as he slowly began to stir in her arms, "Theo and Pansy are already up." Instead of waking up as she had thought he was, he burrowed himself even further into her neck, his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her close.

"Please," he hoarsely pleaded into the shell of her ear, "please just a few more minutes. I don't want to stop holding you just yet."

Her heart cracked at his confession, Hermione couldn't help but smile knowing that she was bringing him this comfort that he desperately needed. She ran her fingers through his hair again, smoothing it away from his face before answering him, "Okay, Draco, okay," Hermione whispered, not wanting to ruin this moment with him. "A few more minutes."

She was awestruck as she realized that she truly didn't give a flying fuck if she was late to group therapy nor what anyone thought if she showed up late with Draco Malfoy. She'd stay right here all morning if that's what he needed, because as his arms tightened around her waist she realized that caring for Draco Malfoy was exactly what she needed as well.

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"Good morning everyone," Cordelia announced to their group, making eye contact with everyone and causing the mindless chatter to cease at once. Pansy joined in with the chorus of 'good morning' back to their healer and noted that the usual twinkle in the older witch's eye when she smiled was missing. Pansy felt her heart clench and her stomach flip. If anything, she had come to depend on Cordelia as her safety net; if the woman seemed apprehensive, then there most certainly was something amiss.

"As with life, we must adjust our course of action and our plans. With that being said, I must speak with you all this morning on a concept that was not our original agenda, but is pertinent today." Cordelia paused, waiting for everyone's undivided attention. Pansy noticed Theo's posture stiffening from the corner of her eye. She knew that he had had individual therapy the previous day; those sessions seemed to impact what Cordelia talked about. What on earth had Theo shared?

"The concept is called the missing stair. A missing stair is an abuser or harasser who is well known and yet tolerated in a community. The analogy where the name comes from is that of a missing step in a staircase. Everyone in the house avoids and generally tries to warn others about this stair, but no one actually assumes the responsibility for repairing the damage.

"I want you all to know, despite the fact that you have all been through a great deal, you are all responsible for repairing that missing stair. If you know that someone has mistreated or hurt girls here at Hogwarts, you need to tell me and/or the Headmistress. None of you can assume that someone else will speak up and help put an end to this abuse and intolerable behavior.

"I am sharing with you this morning that someone, who will not be named, has informed me, there is a student who fits this description. If you know of such a person, it is your responsibility to make an appointment and speak with me about it, even if the person in question has never harmed you directly. I need this information if I am to keep you all safe this coming year. I am staying on staff along with Healer Atticus for the entirety of the school year and, in addition to continuing to offer individual therapy to those who are in need of the service, we're going to be teaching a therapeutic art class. I hope I will continue to see all of your bright and shining faces."

Pansy looked over at Theo and saw his eyes, almost unwillingly, being drawn to McLaggen in the next circle. McLaggen, based on the look on his face, was hearing the same information from the Mind Healer that ran his group. Theo's frown slowly faded into the look of quiet attention that he used in class when his mind was a million miles away.

Pansy looked around their circle and saw that Granger was chewing on her fingernails, clearly thinking of someone while next to her, the look in Draco's eyes could cut glass.

The energy between them fairly crackled, if they were already running late they should have just had a good shag, Pansy thought as her eyes flickered over the pair sitting next to one another.

She would bet anything that they had slept up until the moment they had rolled out of bed and rushed straight down. Pansy found her gaze stuck on the witch as she took in her disheveled appearance, no longer hearing a lick of what Cordelia was saying. Hermione's curls were certainly unkempt and wild, Pansy was torn between wanting to fix it and wanting to mess it up worse, her fist rough as it forced the Head Girl to her knees. Pansy shook herself and went back to surveying the circle and their reactions.

Luna still possessed that dreamy look she often had when she started the day with some kind of hallucinogenic. It constantly amazed Pansy that, other than Theo, no one else had caught onto her frequent drug use without first being clued in. Blaise seemed to have figured it out as well, but Luna had likely told him, or at least Pansy hoped she had.

Thomas and Longbottom exchanged a look, frowning at one another. Obviously no one had ever thought to share with them that predators roamed the halls of Hogwarts. Abbott and Bones were looking at each other in consternation, like they knew perfectly well to whom Cordelia referred with her comments.

Looking back over at the other circle, Pansy noted that Smith, that bloody handsy twit from Hufflepuff, looked about ready to piss himself and sweat was clearly dripping down McLaggen's face. Well they certainly made themselves obvious, didn't they?

She shifted in her chair as Pansy's mind was drawn to Greg down in the dungeons, holed up waiting for his trial which, like hers and Draco's, would be in just two weeks. He was sure as fuck dangerous, at least to someone like her who wasn't willing to draw attention to herself by reporting him. Did she need to say something to someone? Blaise said that Greg wasn't even leaving his room to eat, much less taking time to harass other students. Certainly that had to mean that everyone was safe from him? Right?

Pansy didn't hear another word that Cordelia said for the rest of the session as she sat and stewed in the guilt of whether she was in the wrong and needed to confess to the healer about even more abuse she'd suffered.

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Hermione was walking towards the Great Hall when she felt a tug on her arm as she was pulled into a little alcove. Startled, she looked up into Theo's smiling face and when he tucked one of her curls behind her ear, she leaned her cheek into his hand. Merlin, did she have it bad for him. "I don't want you to think that we are ditching you for lunch, but I'm going to steal Drake for a bit, Princess," He whispered, leaning down into her ear.

Hermione smiled as she went up on her toes to give him a chaste kiss to his jaw, even with him leaning down he still stood much taller than her. He really didn't need to explain that he and Draco needed time alone, but nonetheless it was sweet of him to let her know. "I'll see you both later, yeah?"

"Of course," Theo whispered, giving her a kiss on her cheek as well. "I'm desperate to feel you cum around my cock again." His words caused Hermione to let out a little gasp and felt her face heat. She looked around in surprise, making sure that they truly were alone. Had anyone heard him? Did she actually care though? She supposed that was the question.

Theo smiled cheekily at Hermione, before kissing her one last time and disappearing out of the alcove without another word, leaving her in a slightly flustered state.

Hermione took a moment to catch her breath before emerging from the alcove, but was quickly stopped by a new hand on her wrist.

Pansy stood off to the side, one hand on her hip and the look that resembled that of a predator on her face. Her black dress was tight and low cut, and her makeup was perfect: blood red lips and smokey eyes. She was the picture of seduction, and Hermione knew that looking like that Pansy could have her pick of anyone. But, she'd chosen Hermione as her prey, and that alone made Hermione's even more thrilled at her attention.

"You know Mi," Pansy said, moving in closer to Hermione, her hand never leaving her forearm. "I am not really that hungry today are you?" Her new nickname on Pansy's lips did something to her, her heartbeat quickening at the way it sounded coming from her mouth. Hermione's eyes flitted to Pansy's lips and then back up to her eyes, her tongue darting out to wet her lips in anticipation for what was to come with the raven-haired witch.

"Not really," Hermione replied,"I have individual therapy at half past the hour."

Pansy nodded in confirmation, and without another word turned away from the Great Hall with Hermione in tow.

Never releasing her wrist, Pansy led Hermione at a swift pace to Myrtle's bathroom, closing the door and pulling her wand, casting a locking charm once they were inside.

Before Hermione could so much as blink, Pansy was on her, roughly shoving Hermione against the wall, her lips tracing the shell of the other girl's ear as she asked, "So what are your hard limits Hermione." Not waiting for an answer, she continued to kiss lightly on her neck, nipping Hermione's ear lobe. "We really should have done this negotiation prior to me playing with you the other morning. So I apologize for that."

"That-that's okay, I really don't know what you mean?" Hermione tilted her head to the side to give Pansy more access to her neck, "Hard limits? I've never negotiated like this before. I don't even entirely understand what you are talking about."

"Oh my sweet girl," Pansy whispered huskily, her fingers lightly skimming Hermione's flushed skin, "I am so going to enjoy breaking you in." Pansy kissed along the exposed column of Hermione's neck, her hands tracing the outline of her breasts, making Hermione moan with pleasure at her touches. "Hard limits are things you never ever want to do. They are different for everyone. My hard limits are having the boys put their cocks inside me or having my control taken away. I would never be submissive. You however Mi, I think you enjoy all of that. Don't you?"

Hermione almost didn't recognize her breathless voice as she whimpered, "Y-yes."

"So what do you never want to try? I heard that you liked it when Draco spanked you, did you truly enjoy it, or did you just say you did to make them happy? There are no wrong answers here, my sweet girl."

"I-I did."

"It made you nice and wet. I bet you are wet just thinking about it now." Pansy slid her thigh between Hermione's legs, and In sheer desperation and without thought, Hermione rubbed her core against the other girl's leg, seeking friction for her pulsing body. "Is spanking something you'd like to try more of, Mi?"

Hermione was nodding silently, and suddenly Pansy's fine boned hand was on her throat not squeezing, just holding her, forcing her with light pressure to look into Pansy's face.

"Mi, I'm gonna need you to use your words please," Pansy commanded, her hand tightening almost imperceptibly, making a small gasp slip from Hermione.

"Yes-yes Pansy. I'd like to try more spanking please." Hermione found that she loved the pressure on her throat, it was making the throb between her legs beat harder. "And more-more of this." She finished, understanding that if she didn't explicitly tell Pansy she was enjoying something, the other witch wouldn't continue.

"My hand on your throat? Is that what you mean? Or do you like riding my thigh, you dirty little swot?" Pansy smiled, her eyes darkening with desire.

"B-both Pansy. I like both." Pansy hummed appreciatively at Hermione's answer.

"What about rougher play, Mi? When I play with Theo, I hurt him, I make him bleed and scream and beg for more, do you think you would like to try that?"

Hermione wasn't sure what to make of that kind of admission, rough in control Theo liked to let Pansy hurt him? Hadn't he said …something like that? Her thoughts were so scattered that Hermione swallowed, pushing those thoughts of Theo aside. There would be time later to come back to that.

"No-no, I don't think I'd like to bleed."

"Good Girl," Pansy sighed and kissed her deeply, her tongue darting between Hermione's lips tasting her for a moment. "I don't want only yesses from you. I want honesty, okay? What about hair pulling? Or me being a little rough with you?"

"I think a little rough would be okay." Hermione was undone by the sensations that Pansy was eliciting in her simply with her questions and making Hermione be open about her desires and giving her consent. Though, as much as she was enjoying hearing about all the things Pansy could do to her, she wanted to stop talking about all these naughty things and do them already.

Pansy smiled, "Now I know you've never had a girl eat your sweet cunt, would you like to experience it?"

"Yes. I could…I'd like to touch you too, Pansy. The way you touched me the other morning? I don't know about licking you, er, there yet, maybe we could…work up to it?"

"Absolutely," Pansy purred, "I never want you to do anything that you aren't comfortable with doing. And you can always say you aren't comfortable with something and ask for it to stop, or if it's too much. Choose a safeword, little Mi."

When Hermione didn't promptly answer, Pansy continued, "A safeword is a word that you say that let's Theo and I know that whatever is happening is too much for you and you need to stop. A word you would never say accidentally during sex. For example, Theo's is thestral. He's never used it and considers it a badge of honor, but he's pushed his limits too far sometimes, more than once just avoiding saying it. I would rather you not do that because you are so new to…all of this." Pansy waved one hand airily.

"What's yours?" Hermione asked, her body thrumming with awareness, aching for Pansy to touch her, but still realizing the importance of this conversation.

"Betrothal." Pansy laughed cynically. Hermione wasn't sure why Pansy would have chosen a word so laced with pain as her safeword nor why it would make her laugh so. "Although as a Domme, it's rare for me to safeword, but not unheard of."

Pansy kissed Hermione a bit more and got her nearly to the point of orgasm with her thigh rubbing against her clit, and just before Hermione was about to cum, Pansy stepped back.

"Stopping before you finish like that is called edging. Do you like that?"

"No, I'm not sure that I do."

"But can you be a good girl for me anyway, Mi? Mostly because you have therapy with Cordelia in five minutes. You will be late already by the time you get up there." Hermione let out a desperate breath, weighing her options if she truly needed to go to therapy or if she could spend the rest of the afternoon in this bathroom discovering new ways to have Pansy pleasure her.

"You're right, I do need to go." Hermione sighed, "but I don't really want to." she leaned forward kissing Pansy hard, "Until later then."

"Until later, sweet girl." Pansy's hand gripped Hermione's wild curls and she nipped at her lips, "I'll be thinking of you." When Pansy pushed Hermione towards the door, she went without thinking, but all the way to Cordelia's office she couldn't help but wonder if that was true.