AN: So here is the second part of the chapter. I hope you enjoy! And thank you so much for the reviews :)
Chapter 13: Desperate Measures (Part 2)
Theo hated to admit it, but it sucked that his parents had come that day. He was happier without them, or at least when he was only with one of them. There was more peace, less rancor and awkward situations. It had been a nightmare trying to get both of them to cooperate with that Muggle sport nonsense, in the end neither had ended up making it easy for him. Luckily they had already gotten up from the table to leave. A quick goodbye and Theo was back on task. He felt the pressure of Snape's piercing gaze in the distance, reminding him that he had to follow the set plan, and that he had to do it now. Draco's and Pansy's parents seemed to be finishing that conversation, he couldn't risk time running out on him. He checked that Draco was distracted talking to Blaise and scooted across the seat to Narcissa.
"Good evening, Mrs. Malfoy," he said politely.
"Theodore, how are you?" she replied. He had always been the woman's favorite among her son's friends, so he had a certain advantage tonight.
"Very well, madam. Grateful that this stupid Ministry idea has come to an end."
"I thank heaven my only son is about to graduate, I couldn't bear to have to do this again."
"You're right. It's insulting that they waste our time this way, I imagine you're already busy organizing your son's wedding. I couldn't help but hear that they are going to have a dinner to announce their engagement."
"Exactly, you and your parents are invited, of course." Theo nodded with a smile, but he made it disappear from his face too quickly. In its place was born a worried expression that made the woman feel that something was wrong. "What's the matter?"
The boy looked around the table to make sure no one was paying them attention, then leaned a little closer to the woman to speak quietly.
"You see, ma'am... I don't know if I should tell you this, but..."
"Is there something I should know?"
"Actually yes, but I'm not sure I'm the one to tell you."
"You have to do it." The Malfoy matriarch used to be the first to know about the problems that affected her family, and in most cases to deal with them to preserve the well-being of her house. She did whatever she had to do to get it. "No one will know that it was you who told me. What happens?"
"It's Pansy, Mrs. Malfoy. She's seeing a Gryffindor boy, Potter, I don't know if you know him. The thing is, I don't think she's honoring her commitment to your son, especially now that the wedding is so close."
Narcisa was silent for a few long seconds, then she took a deep breath and shook her head.
"That's impossible, boy. She would never do something like that."
"I can show you," he offered, again drawing the woman's attention. "I know where they sneak up every night. Sometimes they are too brazen, I worry that the whole castle will find out." The woman had been slowly increasing the rate of her breathing. Due to the lack of response, Theo decided to move on to the next step. "I'll be waiting in the hidden hallway on the first floor in case you decide to check it out for yourself. Come at midnight, that's when they meet."
The boy got up from the table and, without saying another word, left there and went straight to his common room. He knew that she would come, that she would manage to be at midnight at the meeting point that he had just proposed. Narcissa Malfoy was a woman too possessive and suspicious of her own to risk someone like Pansy Parkinson ruining what should have been a perfect marriage with her son. But he had to seem calm in the meantime. Yes, he would wait as patiently as he could for his personal revenge to be carried out.
Draco couldn't understand why his mother had insisted on staying that night. He and his father had looked at her in bewilderment upon hearing her say those words. She hadn't given too many explanations, just something about looking back on her days as a student in Hogwarts, but in the end she had caused Pansy's parents to decide to stay as well. It was curious to see how far they were willing to go to please her and her husband, it was clear that they wanted their families to be united once and for all and they didn't seem willing to allow it to be otherwise.
He had wanted to impose himself on his parents for a long time, tell them that there was no way he was going to marry a girl he only considered his friend. He didn't even think about it those nights when he waited for her in their common room and saw her appear scantily clad. It wasn't a secret that Slytherins are people who need to feel pleasure constantly, whether through luxury, money or sex. That was one thing, but considering it something else... it had never happened and he knew perfectly well that it never would. Not in a thousand years. She wasn't the woman of his life, that was more than clear to him... but his parents didn't admit opinions contrary to his. Draco had been putting off revealing himself to them and now he had a feeling he had let it go too far. They were already talking about publicizing the engagement, and he still didn't feel ready to refuse to be a party to this charade.
Imagining Pansy in her wedding dress walking towards him made him jump up. He left without saying goodbye to anyone, walking so fast that he couldn't help but jump again when a gruff voice surprised him unexpectedly.
"Mr. Malfoy." The boy turned to see the potions teacher standing in the middle of the hallway.
"Sir..."
"Have you seen Miss Parkinson, by any chance?"
The boy frowned. It seemed like a bad joke of fate that he was trying to forget about her and that they kept reminding him of her. He took a breath to calm down. It wasn't possible that Professor Snape knew anything about their engagement, it must be some other matter unrelated to him.
"No," he answered curtly, starting off again.
He was walking deep in thought when a few meters further on something collided with him as he turned the corner. When he could focus his eyes he realized that it was a girl, and also one from Slytherin. Flora Peterson didn't apologize for being distracted, though he wouldn't have expected that at all. Maybe it was when it came to someone else, but Slytherins had too much pride for that. Draco noticed that her face reflected concern and nervousness. He stepped aside to let her continue, saw her look into his eyes for a moment, then ran off again.
She didn't know what business brought her like this, but it must be something complicated.
Theo had a shower and put on his best robes. He had spent more time than usual combing his hair and preparing for the occasion, and then he had left his common room to where he knew Mrs. Malfoy would be. Now he was walking beside her as he led her to the right place. He had been imagining the look on Pansy's face when she was discovered by her soon-to-be and not-so-lovable mother-in-law, as well as the satisfaction he would feel seeing her so humiliated. Humiliated and embarrassed, just as he had seen himself only a few days ago. She deserved to pay for what she had done to him, she deserved to have a punishment according to her actions, and Professor Snape's plan seemed more than reasonable to him.
"Are we close?" the woman asked forcefully.
"We're almost there," he replied.
The boy's heart rate accelerated more and more with each step they took. He was about to take revenge, to make that girl understand that he couldn't be played, and if someone dared to, they will pay the consequences.
Ten meters. Nine. Eight.
His breathing becoming irregular.
Seven. Six. Five.
The woman next to him pursed her lips.
Four. Three. Two.
He flashing a crooked smile.
One.
Theo stood in front of the door of that abandoned classroom. He and Mrs. Malfoy could see that there was light on the other side by the small glow that filtered under it. They both looked at each other for a moment, long enough for Narcisa to understand that everything that boy had told her after dinner was true.
With an obvious growing rage taking hold of her, she put a hand on the knob and turned it quickly, yanking the door open to reveal the unsuspecting lovers... but all they found was a huge flaming snake hurtling towards them with its mouth wide open and threw them on their backs as the flames caught the two of them. The snake disappeared in a matter of seconds, leaving an unusually distressing heat in the place. Theo had been quick to jump off him, but the fire had caught the woman squarely. She got up from the ground with her clothes singed and her face completely red. Now some strands of her hair were escaping from her ever so coiffed bun, giving her a messy look. A few seconds passed before they caught their breath, but Narcisa's fury was immediate.
"Is this a kind of disagreeable joke?!" the woman exclaimed. Her voice echoed everywhere in the stillness. She roared in rage before walking over to him and grabbing him by the collar of his robe, visibly out of her mind. "I don't want you at my son's party, don't even think about showing up at my house on Sunday or I'll make you regret it."
"But I…"
"Shut up!" Narcissa leaned close to his ear and gritted her teeth before adding, "Nobody does something like that to me and lives enough to tell about it."
The woman released him by giving him a little push and left with her head held high. It took Theo a while to react, but when he did, he hurriedly dusted off his clothes and walked lightly away from there.
"That could have ended very badly," Granger whispered.
"I know."
"You don't mind, do you?"
"Absolutely not."
The girls came out of hiding and looked at the mess that the not-so-legal enchantment had left behind. The frame of the door through which the snake had emerged was completely black, as was the floor and part of the wall opposite. They could still feel the warm atmosphere on that cold night. They took a look inside the classroom. Most of the tables and chairs that were stacked there were now completely useless, but Pansy still pointed to one of them.
"That's where we kissed," she confessed.
"Are you going to tell me all the details now?"
"No." Granger seemed disappointed in her answer. "I have a little business to settle with Theo… and then we'll meet again."
"Do you mean you'll meet Harry?"
"Of course."
The Slytherin was stunned when Hermione suddenly hugged her. It felt strange, but at the same time sincere. Pansy decided to pat her on the back before she pulled away.
"I'm glad at least one of us has achieved her goal."
"Why are you speaking as if you have already lost yours?"
"Haven't I?"
Pansy arched an eyebrow in response.
"Do you think I'm going to abandon you in the final stretch? There are still two days left, but I can assure you that you'll have plenty of time."
"You think so?"
"Yes, although it all depends on what you did on that camping trip. Did you follow my suggestions?"
"Each and every one," she answered. "I showed myself strong, determined, without fear of facing him..."
"Did you show him your womanly weapons?"
"He discovered me naked while I was washing myself," she confided. Pansy's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't try to cover up or run away. I smiled at him and showed him that I am a woman who isn't afraid of sexuality. Since then I have seen a change in him, one that I don't know how to explain very well, but..."
"Don't say more. You already have it done."
"Really? To be honest, I still don't see it ready."
"Girl, it's you who has to finish the work. You're almost there, and he just needs you to put the honey right on his lips."
"And how do I do such a thing?"
Pansy sighed.
"I think I know how, but let me think about it tonight… at least as much as I could with your friend around."
Granger stuck her tongue out at her and she waved. She had to set the record straight with Theo if she didn't want to suffer retaliation for his little "flaming prank." She was lucky to find him hanging around in the corridor leading to the dungeons. Surely he hadn't wanted to run into Draco and his insomnia problems having had that fight with his mother so recently. Pansy knew that beneath his deadpan look he was really upset, but that didn't stop her from her cynicism.
"Hello," she greeted happily. "How's been your night? Burnable?"
The boy's face took on a reddish hue as he approached her, his expression suddenly turning fierce. He wanted to grab her neck when he was close enough, but she jerked away at just the right moment to send him smack into the opposite wall.
"You're such a vermin…" he hissed. Pansy raised her index finger and moved it close to his face, rebuking his behavior.
"That's not how you treat friends, dear."
"Draco's mother will want revenge after that." A low growl settled in his throat at the memory.
"What a pity," she replied in a not at all sad tone of voice. "Speaking of parents… Yours are separated, right? I mean, not legally… we both know what would have happened if they were."
Pansy watched with delight as her friend's anger dissipated into puzzlement. She knew that he was about to deny it, but that he discarded the idea when he understood that he wasn't going to be able to convince her otherwise. He blinked a few times before replying:
"How did you…?"
"How did I know? Neither of them wear their rings. And they haven't even spoken to each other in all the time they've been here… The thing is, who are you going with on vacation? And how do you make sure no one notices? I imagine your parents will have as many people against them as Draco's or mine, you know, important family stuff. What if one of them found out that they actually live separate lives?" Pansy waited a few seconds, but he didn't reply. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not a busybody and I don't care about anyone's marital problems. I know that in all marriages there are ups and downs and that is completely normal, but… I have understood that in weddings that are signed with blood one of the contracting parties dies in case of breaking the bond. I know, it's horrible. Luckily the Ministry managed to ban them when we were little, luckily neither you nor I will see each other in that position if we ever want to divorce our respective partners... although I'm curious to know something, how often do your parents have to see each other to cheat that kind of dark magic behind their marriage? Because it would be really tragic if someone with bad intentions found out what was really going on... although at least one of the two could rebuild his or her life after all. I don't know whether to consider it horrible or necessary."
Theo gripped her forearm so tightly that a small moan escaped the girl's lips.
"You wouldn't do such a thing."
Pansy had a hard time breaking free of his grasp, but she did. The area where he had squeezed his fingers was red, leaving the mark of each and every one of them. It also had the marks of some of his fingernails digging into the skin. Pansy moved a little closer to him, until they were so close that the boy could feel her breath in his throat. She gave him a venomous warning look.
"Don't try me, friend. You don't want to know how far I'm capable of going."
And immediately she turned around and left, knowing perfectly well that there was nothing she could do from now on to make him want to take revenge for her actions again. She was still smirking when she met Potter halfway up.
"Whoa," he said. "And I thought I was late."
"You're lucky you didn't keep me waiting," she replied, a mischievous smile playing across her lips as she brushed back her hair with one hand.
"What have you got there?" he asked, taking her arm and looking curiously at the purple marks that had appeared on her skin.
"Nothing," she snapped before yanking her arm away.
After that they both walked in silence towards the bottom of those stairs, they were so close that their hands brushed from time to time, making them tremble slightly. They were almost there when Pansy put a finger to her lips to keep him quiet. Potter had opened his mouth to say something, but she had started to hear strange whispers nearby. Apparently they weren't the only ones out of bed that night.
"We'd better find another place," Harry said quietly after straining his ears.
Pansy was about to agree, but the sound of a thud made her quickly change her mind. She was curious about what might be going on out there, and by this point she wasn't much worried of being expelled. Potter followed her silently against his will until they reached a room from which a dim light escaped through the gap left by the half-open door.
"I'm telling you it's not possible," they heard from outside. Pansy's heart sped up a little as she recognized that voice.
She and Harry ducked further into the shadows as two people walked back and forth, briefly appearing on the other side of the door.
"Isn't that your mother?" the boy asked, surprised.
"It can't be… she and my father weren't going to stay tonight," she answered, not sure of her own words.
"Listen to me once and for all." That other person sounded serious, threatening. "Your daughter is doing this to get out of her engagement."
"Is that your father's voice?" Harry asked again.
Pansy told him to shut up again. It was ridiculous for him to ask such a thing when they both knew that this wasn't his father's voice. They had been hearing the man's voice almost daily since they were nine years old.
"Pansy would never notice a boy like that," her mother replied.
"I thought so too, but her weird obsession with that Potter boy is putting everything in jeopardy."
"But…"
Again the two figures were seen across the room. This time they stood there, unmoving, as Snape pinned her mother against the wall. Harry immediately drew his wand, ready to go in there to defend her, but Pansy stopped him by holding out her arm in front of him. Only a Gryffindor would overlook the benefits of eavesdropping on someone else's conversation. Pansy knew well that sometimes trying to save someone was pointless if you couldn't save your own skin in the end, and tonight she had a feeling that what she was witnessing might be essential to her in some way or another.
The girl decided to grab her wand as well when she saw that the teacher punched the wall near her mother's face... just in case.
"You and I knew from the start, we knew there was a chance that when she grew up she wouldn't accept being dictated to who she should marry, Severus."
"Well, you'll have to find a way!" the professor roared. "We said Malfoy was the best fit for her. This is no longer about your damn family business, our daughter deserves no less and you know it."
Pansy's gaze wandered somewhere in the room as she tried to absorb those words. She was barely aware of what was said next, nor of the exact moment in which the professor left the classroom and disappeared in the opposite direction from her. Before she knew it, the only person left in there was her mother. Leaning in the same position Snape had left her in, she held her face in her hands as she appeared to shake her head. Leaving Potter behind as she emerged from her hiding place and entered that door was an impulsive action, something she did without much thought. She swallowed hard as she looked at her mother with a frown.
"Mother?" she said at last.
The aforementioned was startled greatly, moving her hands away from her face to see the person in front of her. She seemed to be stunned for a few seconds, but after taking a deep breath she regained her speech.
"Pansy… what are you doing up at this hour?"
She ignored her question and asked another instead.
"Why have I heard Professor Snape refer to me as his daughter?"
And then everything happened very quickly. Her mother produced her wand from somewhere and did something Pansy would never have expected...she pointed it at her.
"Obliv…"
Her reaction was quick enough to send the wand flying just in time. It landed on the other side of the room, they both saw it crash against the wall and fall to the floor next to the teacher's table. Then they looked at each other again. Pansy had a completely broken expression on her face, as if this betrayal had hurt to the depths of her soul.
"What were you going to do? Use Obliviate against your own daughter?" she managed to murmur. After that, she raised her arm and, as if it were the hardest thing she had ever done, pointed her wand at her mother. Her voice cracked as she added, "I want answers, and I want them now."
"Pansy, darling..."
"Speak!" She yelled, interrupting her pleas. Seeing that the seconds continued to pass and she said nothing, Pansy took four steps in her direction and pressed the end of her wand against her mother's chest. Her mother, whom she had always seen keep her composure in all sorts of situations, was on the verge of a nervous breakdown right now. Pansy stared at her intently as she began to crumble in front of her. "You know what we Slytherins are capable of when we feel like we have nothing left to lose."
The girl watched as her lips trembled as she began.
"I had an affair with Severus shortly before I married your father," she confessed in a small voice. "I found out I was pregnant a few days before our honeymoon. He agreed… he agreed to stay out of it as long as he continued to have direct contact with you…"
"Direct contact?"
"I snuck you into his house when you were a baby," she revealed, swallowing hard. "I stopped doing it when you were about three years old, but he was always close to you without you realizing it. We couldn't risk you starting asking about him in front of…" She paused, sighing ruefully, head down.
"The one I thought it was my father?" she said, finishing the sentence that had been left halfway through. "Keep going."
"Everything was much easier when you got the letter from Hogwarts... We no longer had to find a way to get him close without raising suspicions."
"And what does he have to do with the stupid marriage agreement?"
"He only wanted the best for you..."
"The best for me? Are you serious?" She only realized that she was squeezing her mother's chest too hard when she winced. Pansy released her by turning around and facing away from her. She needed to calm down if she didn't want to collapse right now. That conversation was not over yet, she had to stand firm. She took a long breath and faced her again, this time trying to contain the rage inside her. "Do you know why you had a daughter with another man who's not your husband? For agreeing to marry someone you don't love. Do you think I hadn't noticed? That I thought your relationship was full of love and joy?" She took a moment to undo the lump that had formed in her throat, but no matter how hard she tried, that feeling of uneasiness didn't leave her body. "Why do you do the same to me? You yourself have experienced what it feels like to be forced to marry someone you only consider a friend, do you really love me so little that you don't mind making me miserable all my life?
"I thought you and Draco…"
"There's nothing between us, there never will be," she interrupted her. "And you are going to see to it that it is so."
The woman looked at her with a mixture of bewilderment and horror in her eyes.
"What do you expect me to do?"
"I want you to cancel that wedding. I don't know how you plan to do it, but that's your fucking problem. You're done believing you can control my life."
"I can't do that, not at this point..."
"You can," her daughter assured her. "You can, because otherwise I'll see to it that the whole world finds out who my real father is. You've kept this secret for too long, are you afraid people will point you out on the street? Judge you for what you did?" Pansy shook her head, trying to smile lopsidedly. "You'd be left with nothing if I did. Without your business, without money, without family… You'd be in the shit, where you really deserve to be." That finally made her mother burst into tears. Pansy felt it like a kick to the pit of her stomach, but she remained almost undaunted. "Cancel that wedding, mother. Do it if you don't want to have problems worse than an eternal feud with the Malfoys." Mother and daughter let silence reign in the room. Only the faint crying of the woman and the steps of her daughter through the class could be heard. Pansy came back with her mother's wand in her other hand, walked over to her and put it in her pocket. "I'm sure you have a lot to think about tonight. You'd better go."
Everything got a little darker when her mother walked slowly and shuffling out of the room. Suddenly Pansy felt how her eyes had begun to glow in the dark. An invisible force had begun to press on her chest and pull her inward, causing her lungs to gasp for air and her heart to ache like never before. She was also shivering a little, as if the environment had frozen around her from one moment to the next. She didn't realize he was there until he put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up despite the fact that at that moment the moisture in her eyes didn't allow her to see anything.
"What have you heard?" She asked in a whisper.
"Enough," he replied. "I'm sorry, I should have left as soon as I realized it was a private conversation, but… I don't know, a part of me didn't want to leave you alone."
Pansy didn't reply. There was so much pain in her body that she couldn't even think straight. The only thing she wanted at that moment was for the warmth of that hand on her shoulder to spread throughout her, to turn off that cold that was penetrating her to the bone... and, as if he had been able to read her thoughts, he hugged her without prior notice. Pansy closed her eyes, letting the tears finally fall and leave a salty trail on her cheeks as they ran down them. The stinging in her eyes made her realize that she hadn't cried in a long time, months, maybe years… but this time she allowed it to happen. He put his arms around her waist as he pressed his lips to her forehead.
"Professor Snape, Professor fucking Snape…" she muttered, burying her face in his chest.
"I know, I'm sorry."
Harry stroked her hair patiently until she stopped crying. He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away a bit, bending down to look her square in the face. She knew she had to look horrible, but there was something about the small smile he gave her that made her feel like it didn't matter. She didn't have to worry about him seeing her disheveled, with smeared makeup and a huge pity on her body. No, he gave her enough confidence to openly show her vulnerable side, and that was something Slytherins rarely did. Having another person see her weaknesses gave him the power to destroy her, but somehow she knew that all he wanted was to heal her pain.
Pansy closed her eyes from exhaustion. Her body was stiff, her mind exhausted.
"You should get some sleep," the boy whispered. "Will you let me walk you to your common room?"
She shook her head, eyes widening wearily.
"I don't want… I don't want to go back there," she murmured. She didn't have the strength to face all the feelings she held there, not tonight.
"You don't want…?" Harry thought for a moment. Then he took her hand gently. "Okay, I know a place we could spend the night."
Pansy let herself go. She didn't pay much attention as she walked, she still had a lost look from having discovered that her whole life had been a damn lie. Her soul still ached, it was as if it wouldn't stop breaking apart, as if each piece was breaking inside her chest again and again. She sniffed a little as they walked down a narrow set of stairs and reached their destination.
"It is not a well-known place, in fact you will have seen how difficult it is to get here… but it's beautiful, don't you think?"
Pansy had no idea how long it had taken them to get there, nor how many secret passageways they had had to traverse, but one thing was certain; that was beautiful. It was a kind of inner garden with a stone path that led to a small silver fountain. The walls were glass and outside you could see a continuation of what was in that room. Harry led her down the path until they came to a white sofa that was perfectly camouflaged by the roses of the same color that surrounded it. The boy let her lie down and realize that the ceiling was also made of glass. She smiled as she marveled that the room was illuminated by the light of the moon and the stars.
"We're actually one level below the dungeons," he confessed. "What you see outside these walls is just an effect, but I'm sure it'll calm you."
"How did you find this place?" she asked, settling her head on the cushion. It was incredible, but it had managed to make her forget for a moment all the shit that was flooding her head that night.
"Perhaps you have ever wondered why I love Hagrid so much… he brought me here when I was nine years old, shortly after I first came to Hogwarts. My godfather had passed away a few days before and I couldn't find comfort… This place made the mourning go by much faster." They both fell silent for a moment. "That's why the fact that you came to his defense made a big difference to me. I appreciate it a lot."
Pansy took a deep breath. Maybe Granger hadn't been such a bad counselor after all.
"Are you going to stay?" she asked.
"As long as you want."
The girl sat up a little and gestured for him to sit down. When he did, she put the cushion on his lap and rested her head on it again.
It was crazy to think that two people could reach such a point of complicity in a matter of a few days, it seemed like a crazy idea that both felt so comfortable and connected from the first kiss. But they were, and she had just discovered that sometimes something was no less real for not having an explanation.
Hermione took the opportunity to tidy up the table in the common room a bit while she waited for her friends to go down to breakfast.
"Where is Harry?" she wanted to know when Ronald got to where she was.
"I was hoping you knew," he answered, stretching and yawning. "He hasn't spent the night in his bed."
"Oh."
"Where has he been?"
"Maybe… I don't know, she spent the night with someone."
"With who?"
Ron's confused expression made her laugh. They left through the portrait and started down the stairs to the great hall.
"With a girl, of course."
"Oh no. That's impossible."
"Why?"
He put a hand to his chest, offended.
"I'm his best friend!" He would have told me something."
"Of course, you're right," she said, although inside she knew that it didn't necessarily have to be that way. In fact, something told her that Pansy hadn't spent the night in her common room either.
As promised the night before, her parents were already there when they arrived.
"Good morning dear. How did you sleep?" her mother asked as she poured her grape juice.
"Great, and you?"
"Wonderful. That Room of Requirement is incredible." Hermione almost choked on her juice, but she managed to hide it beautifully. "When you walk in it looks like a normal hotel corridor, but the rooms are quite spacious and pretty. It had been a long time since I could turn over in bed without touching your father."
"Without kicking me, you mean," he pointed out.
"Oh come on, you love that I do it."
The three members of the family laughed and began to eat breakfast, but Hermione noticed that Mrs. Potter seemed to search for her son with her eyes.
"He's been organizing his notes for this course," she told her with a smile. "He'll be here soon."
Lili smiled back and went back to chatting with her husband.
"Why are you lying?" Ron asked quietly, but before Hermione could answer Harry appeared through the door to the great hall. He greeted everyone present and sat down opposite his friends. "Where have you been?"
He looked both ways across the table before leaning over it so no one would hear him.
"With a girl," he said at last, hesitantly.
Ron looked at his friend, who was giving him a smug look.
"Really? Why didn't you tell me?"
"It came out of nowhere," he replied. Ron seemed out of his mind with curiosity.
"And who is she?" That blonde girl from Hufflepuff who looks at you so much? Or the one with the googly eyes of Ravenclaw? I think she's always had an interest in me, but you know how women are, they change their minds so easily."
Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes and snort. If one day he wondered why no woman wanted to be his girlfriend, here was the answer.
"Come on Ron, don't be a pest and let him have breakfast in peace," she intervened. She knew that Harry was very discreet when it came to his relationships, so she watched as he gave her a thankful look before dipping the spoon into his cereal.
"But I have to know," the redhead insisted. "What if the girl asks me out afterwards? I need to know who she is to reject her."
"Like you're really going to," she scoffed, rolling her eyes again.
"What are you all talking about?" It seemed that the fact that Harry had spoken to her the day before had made Ginny decide to pretend nothing wrong had ever happened with her.
"Harry has a girlfriend," Hermione replied with a hint of mischief in her voice.
"That's not true," the aforementioned retorted.
Sudden awkwardness washed over everyone as Hermione smiled in amusement. Ronald's sister had stiffened, but she finished her milk in one gulp and rose from the table, hurrying out of the great hall.
"That wasn't necessary," Ron complained.
"What? She said things about me all over the castle and attacked me for no reason, she still has a long way to go before we are at peace."
"When you say things like that I hardly recognize you."
"Well, get used to it."
Hermione took her glass of juice and sipped from the straw her mother had put in it, giving a thumbs up and clicking as she finished it. She looked at the boys and smiled. She was a bit more Slytherin now and they would have to accept that. It actually felt good not to be intimidated by anyone, to bring out that tougher side and show the world how bad she could be. She was still light years away from being as cold and calculating as Parkinson, probably not even close to being a little like her ever, but at least it was something.
"Honey," her mother said, drawing her attention. "Your friends' parents have offered to show us Hogsmeade, do you want to come?"
"I'm in," Ron announced briskly.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Granger, but Hermione already has plans for today."
The girl looked at him suspiciously.
"Have I?"
"Tomorrow is our time, remember? Opening the dance and all that."
Hermione slapped her forehead. She had been so busy that she had forgotten that she didn't know how to dance.
"Are you going to rehearse? Great," the woman said. "Then, see you later."
"And why do you want to go?" Harry asked Ron quietly.
"I want to see if I can convince my mother to buy me another suit for graduation. No way I'm wearing Charlie's."
"Good luck," said Hermione, getting up and waving goodbye to everyone.
"Why didn't you come down for breakfast?" Draco had just walked into the Slytherin common room, where it was just Pansy and a couple of other girls.
"I'm not hungry," she replied. Lying on the sofa, she occupied it entirely while reading a magazine that someone had left around.
"And do you know what happened to our parents?"
The girl didn't look up from the page to see him, but she still answered his question.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yesterday, when you left, they kept talking about our marr…" He cut himself off before saying that out loud. He reached her side and sat down in the chair closest to her. "Our marriage. I don't know if delusions are normal at their age, but my mother left us all open-mouthed when she said she wanted to sleep over. Yours thought for a moment before deciding they would too, but I haven't seen any of them this morning."
Pansy yawned in boredom.
"Well, I have no idea."
"Okay." Draco got up to leave, but retraced his steps when that topic crossed his mind again. "Hey, don't you think we have to stop this sooner than later? I don't want to wake up one day and find myself putting a ring on your finger."
The girl closed the magazine and got up, sitting in front of him.
"I've already solved that. Thanks for your help, I guess."
"What...? How?"
"I can't tell you, but I'm pretty sure It's done."
"That's hardly very reassuring."
"We'll just have to hope it works." Pansy stared at her friend, who looked away from her to stare up at the fireplace with a serious face. She understood that Granger was crazy about him, what girl in the castle wasn't? Those perfect features made more than one sigh despite the fact that he could be a jerk most of the time, but he was the most attractive when he kept that big mouth closed. "How was the camping?"
"A torture. There were bugs everywhere and two insufferable kids who didn't stop doing mischief."
"Interesting."
"Why would you find that interesting?"
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not into bugs and kids and that kind of stuff. I just find curious that you haven't mentioned Granger as the worst part of the experience." Draco shot her a dirty look that only made Pansy laugh. "Could it be that you have always picked on her because deep down you're scared of falling in love with someone so opposite to you?"
"Shut your mouth," he snapped reluctantly as he got up to leave.
"Oh, come on." Pansy stretched out her legs to put them on the chair he had just vacated. "Would it be something so terrible?"
Having most of the parents at the castle was ideal for Harry and Hermione to practice for the next day's dance. Their common room was completely deserted since all the students were doing something with their respective parents. The boy had tried to explain as best he could all the steps Pansy had taught him throughout the week, but his friend just seemed to have two left feet. He kept trying to help her improve her coordination even though anyone would have thrown in the towel with her by now.
"Wow, where did you learn to dance so well?" she asked with a smile. Harry looked at his feet while biting his lip. "It's okay, you don't have to answer."
"I want to do it anyway."
She looked at him curiously, was he really going to tell her about Parkinson?
"Well, I'm meeting a girl..."
"And that girl knows how to dance."
"Yes, she's very good indeed. The thing is..." He paused briefly, trying to find the right words. "I'm feeling things too fast, but I don't know if it's quite right. Not about feeling things, but about going out with her."
"Do you like her?" He nodded sheepishly. "Then it is correct."
"But she's from…"
"That's alright," she repeated. "If you two are comfortable, the rest is secondary."
"You're right."
Hermione was grateful that he hadn't complained about accidentally stepping on him, even though this had been the twelfth time since they had started. Harry was a good boy, the noblest and kindest she had ever met in her life. Hermione was so glad that Pansy's deal had worked out that she couldn't help but mist up her eyes at the thought. She had been completely selfish to trophy him in the middle of that game, but she could finally clear her conscience. He squeezed her hand affectionately, smiling at her.
"That girl is so lucky to have you," she whispered.
He looked up to see how her eyes had suddenly filled with tears.
"Are you crying?"
"No…" A tear slid down her cheek at that moment, contradicting her completely. "Okay, yes I am."
"Why?"
"Because I love you." They both stopped moving and she took her hands away from his body to dry her tears. "I love you so much and I can't imagine my life without seeing you every day."
Harry pulled her into his arms, resting his cheek on the top of her head.
"I'm going to miss you too."
Hermione wrapped her arms tightly around his body and closed her eyes to better feel that sincere hug. He was her best friend, always had been and always would be. It would be hard for her to accept that their paths would have to part after graduation.
The food had turned out to be more delicious than usual. Ron hadn't been able to get his parents to buy him another suit for tomorrow and had spent the entire hour sulking, as had his sister, who had sat well away from Hermione.
"I don't know about you, but I need a nap," Rachel told her husband.
"I can escort you to the Room of Requirement, it's near my common room," her daughter offered.
"That would be great honey, this castle is huge."
After finishing their cups of tea after lunch, she and her parents set off.
"What did you think of the town?" She wanted to know.
"The best part was the Weasley twins' store," her father commented, beginning to narrate all the adventures they had had time to live in there. Then he went on about his experience at the Three Broomsticks and kept saying how wonderful he thought the Butterbeer was until they arrived.
Hermione turned to see them disappear through the door, but finding a girl right next to her caused her to give a small cry of shock.
"I've talked to Draco," Pansy told her. "I think he is finally accepting that he fancies you, but before we talk about it, we'd better find somewhere less… public."
"Yes, as soon as I recover from this heart attack you caused me."
"Don't be soft," she interjected, rolling her eyes. "This is your floor, I follow you."
The Gryffindor snorted and they both walked to one of the less crowded corridors around there. They hid a little behind an armor and began to talk.
"Before you say anything," Hermione began. "How about yesterday? I know that Harry has spent the night outside the common room."
Pansy winced as she remembered it all again, but forced herself to shake her head to refocus.
"That's none of your business. Do you want to know what happens with Draco or not?"
"Wow, that was rude." Pansy looked at her with an arched eyebrow. "But yes, I have all my hopes pinned on you."
"You're doing well, but maybe what I have to tell you… kind of scares you."
"Oh, oh."
"There are only two days left, and no matter how hard you try to get something, sometimes you need to take desperate measures."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you still have that lingerie you bought last week? Because you're going to need it."
Hermione held her breath longer than necessary. She could sense where Pansy was going when she told her that, had the time finally come? Ever since they'd made that deal, more specifically since she had tried on that expensive fine lingerie and paid for it, she had known that sooner or later she would have to wear it. She perfectly remembered how she had felt with it on, but one thing was to wear it for herself and quite another to dress it for someone else. Seeing that Granger was speechless, Pansy continued:
"I want to believe that you still have it, because it wasn't very cheap. Well, the plan goes like this. There's that play Dumbledore talked about tonight, isn't it? Well, you're going to take advantage of that to put on that lingerie and go to my common room without arousing suspicion. I'll give you the password to get in, nothing's going to happen to me at this point for breaking a couple more rules."
"To your common room? But anyone could see us."
"Isn't it better like that? It's exciting."
"Are you crazy?" She exclaimed.
"And you? Are you crazy enough to go all out with Draco?"
Hermione looked at her while experiencing a small tic at the corner of her lips. She had worked so hard these last few weeks, was she going to back down at the last moment, throw it all away and be left with nothing? She sighed with resignation as she realized that yes, she was insane enough to accept what Pansy was proposing. She had little to lose and a lot to gain, right?
"Any special requirements?" She asked.
"I knew you would accept," the Slytherin said, giving a small jump on the spot. "The only rule here is don't be romantic, remember it because it's the most important thing. Give him what he wants and when you're done get out of there without turning to look at him, be cold as ice. If the next day he's not eating out of your hand, it's a hopeless case."
"Got it." Hermione began to tremble as she realized how little there was left to go into action… into real action. "Do you know any spell for the nerves? I will need three."
"You don't need any of that," she said with a smile, "just finish believing that you are the goddess of the universe who is going to conquer the most unattainable boy in the castle."
Draco felt small being surrounded by those huge trees. The night was too dark, there was brush everywhere and animal sounds could be heard everywhere. He swallowed hard and looked down at his feet. He stood still on a dirt road that he somehow knew he had to travel. Despite this, he hadn't yet dared to take the first step, the gravel under his shoes would crunch and that would give away his position. He was aware that there were people in the woods who were looking for him, people who wanted to catch him, cage him up and never let him out. And it was frustrating, because if he focused his eyes a little bit he could see light at the end of the road. It was far, far away, but there was a place where the sun shone, where the tops of the trees didn't cast a shadow or prevent him from enjoying its warmth. He would have to walk for hours, maybe days, to get to the other side, and even then there was no guarantee that these people wouldn't intercept him first. No, he didn't move because staying there ensured he would continue to go unnoticed, even if it meant that fear and cold would be with him forever, perhaps until the last breath of his lungs.
And suddenly, another heart began to beat next to him. It was loud in the silence, Draco would have wondered why he hadn't been able to hear his all that time if he hadn't been scared to death. Had they found out? What would happen now? Would they pull him to an even darker and more terrifying place? Would he be able to resist?
Afraid to discover the person who was next to him, he turned his head little by little until he saw her. Hermione Granger was also looking ahead, towards the bright and quiet place beyond. He saw her smile even before laying her eyes on him, then felt an unusual warmth in his hand as she took it in her own. The beats of his heart began to be heard then, high and full of life. But contrary to what was supposed to happen, he wasn't afraid that no one would find him. It was strange, but that feeling of constant fear that he had experienced for so long had been seeping through his body until there was not a drop left. She held his hand and smiled at him, what could go wrong?
The noise the sand made under his shoes startled him awake. He was in his usual chair, although that night his book didn't rest open on his legs, but on the floor. He bent down to pick it up, hissing that most of the pages were folded, but his heart skipped a split second as he sat up and looked up from him. Granger was there, in his common room. She barely moved, but he could see the delicate seesaw of her shoulders as she breathed.
Draco understood that it must be another dream, so he put the book down on the couch and calmly approached her. He allowed himself to look into her eyes as he reached up and stroked the back of his hand over her cheek. She held his gaze even as she flinched at his icy touch. The temperature difference made the hair on the boy's neck stand up inevitably. However, he seemed really calm to have her so close. His dreams would always be his, he knew them safe in his mind, though there was something about that dream that felt too real...
Draco parted part of her robe with one finger, revealing the precious piece of lingerie underneath. It was instant. An electric current crossed his body from side to side due to the excitement, a delicious pleasure flooded his sex and made it grow to the point of aching inside his pants.
Granger dropped her robes at that moment, leaving herself partially naked in front of him. Only the lingerie hid her most intimate areas, which made Draco want to yank them off. The girl moved a little closer, slowly turning around and pressing her back against his chest. She rested her head close to his neck, breathing deeply in the boy's scent.
"This must be a dream," Draco murmured, closing his eyes tightly.
She took his hands, drooping on either side of his sides, and forced them to touch her bare skin.
"Tell me Malfoy, isn't this real enough for you?"
Draco snorted and pushed her until she was against the wall. She put both hands on the stone, feeling the cold of it on her palms and part of her face. She smiled a little as she felt him brush her hair back to speak in her ear.
"Why do you provoke me like this?"
The girl mustered all her strength to escape and reverse positions. Now he was the one against her and the wall.
"Because it's our last chance," she replied. "But I can go back the way I came if you don't want me to go on."
Draco took her by the neck and made her take a few steps back until they reached the sofa. He tried to get her to lie down, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him until he was sitting in the middle. Behaving like a true lioness, Granger put both legs on either side and sat on his sex. He cupped her face with the fingers of one hand and pressed her cheeks until the force was such that her mouth fell open against her will. Then he brought his face close to hers and, without a second's hesitation, thrust his tongue inside her mouth and moved it from side to side. She returned the kiss after a few seconds it took for him to come to terms with what was happening. She grabbed his wrist and yanked him away from her face, then reached into his hair and threaded her fingers through it, clenching her fist so he could control his movements.
Draco groaned a little as their faces parted for a moment. He was moving with amazing dexterity for her, which was making his erection throb even harder inside his boxers. He was so excited that he didn't hesitate to pick her up and put her on the nearest table. He stripped off his shirt and tossed it aside before making his pants and underwear fall to the floor. He was completely naked in front of Granger and this time it wasn't a fucking dream. He reached out and cupped one of her breasts as he watched her do the same with the other. Yes, this time it was real. Hell yes it was. A glimmer of sanity flashed through his mind at that moment. Were all the doors closed? What chance was there that someone would come out of their rooms and discover them? Damn, did she just put her hand down her panties?
Draco touched himself a bit as he watched her do the same, but his body heat was already reaching a point where it didn't let him think straight. He decided to sink one knee to the ground before moving that lingerie away with a finger and taking his mouth to the most intimate part of the girl. He gave it a first test lick, seeing how she shivered with the coolness of his saliva, then he licked it several more times until he felt on the verge of madness. He needed to penetrate her, he needed to do it on that damn table once and for all.
He got up from the ground and, determined, placed his sex on hers. He started out soft, coming closer and closer until he was fully inside. She leaned back, her mouth opening wide at the pleasure that had just flooded her body. Pansy was right, she had worked it out well and here was her reward. She bit her lip as the intensity of the shaking increased. The boy moved his hips in a way that reminded her a little of Krum, but there was something about Malfoy that set him apart. Maybe the way he grabbed her waist to penetrate her as deep as he could? Or that ability to make her shiver as a fire burned inside her? She didn't know very well, but this was much better in every way. It was even better when he leaned down to bring her body close to his. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and threaded the fingers of one hand into his fine hair. Both were looking into each other's eyes at that moment, victims of the passion that had led them to commit such imprudence. At that moment they had the feeling of knowing each other well, there were not so many differences between the two being naked and giving each other pleasure. The two of them were enjoying it like never before, that was the forbidden apple that they had just bitten and that they chewed with joy.
Draco licked her lips without warning and she bit his own in response. They were one, at that moment they really were. The boy brought a hand to her clit and began to stimulate it as he continued to slide in and out of her. He covered her mouth with the other when she started to moan too loudly. She was climaxing, as was he. A host of sensations ran through their bodies at once. Draco couldn't help but make a guttural sound as he finished ejaculating inside her with that last jolt.
They both tried to catch their breath as they stood completely still, one on top of the other. It wasn't long before she brushed her hair back from her face before, putting it aside and getting off the table. She knew he was looking at her because she felt his eyes on her back, but she followed her fellow's last advice and, without looking back, put her robe back on and walked out the door.
She really felt like a goddess when she felt his cum wetting her panties.
REVIEW FOR THAT BURNING ENDING? :)
Cristy.