"Happy birthday, Hermione!" Astoria beamed, throwing her arms around her neck. Hermione hugged Astoria back, smelling the scent of lilacs in her hair.
"Thank you, Astoria," Hermione replied happily, grateful for her friendship.
She looked around the sitting room, noticing the elaborate decorations that adorned the manor. Fresh flowers covered all the surfaces from the banisters to the side tables. Red banners were strung up in beautiful arches along the ceiling, and over the mantle, beautiful gold letters spelt out 'Happy Birthday, Hermione.'
"Happy birthday," Daphne said from the couch.
"You didn't have to do all of this for me," Hermione said, admiring the decor.
"Oh hush, pretty girl. This is nothing," Astoria grinned
"But please tell me this is everything, right?" Hermione asked nervously, not wanting the attention to be focused on her today.
Daphne laughed and shook her head, "You really think Tori would simply decorate the house and call it a day?"
"I got some surprises for you, Hermione," Astoria giggled. "I just hope Draco comes home soon. Have you seen him?"
She shook her head. Hermione hadn't seen Draco since the night they had dinner with Harry and Ginny. She woke up alone the next morning after falling asleep in his arms. There were times she went days without seeing him, but he didn't go long without at least checking in with Astoria. So though the circumstances weren't unusual for Hermione, it was definitely unsettling that he hadn't contacted anyone.
"I haven't seen Teddy in three days either," Daphne said. "He left in the middle of the night because he was being called by Voldemort. Draco is probably with him, wherever they are."
Astoria began to nervously pace in the foyer. "I hope they're okay. Usually Draco sends word if he's gone for so long."
"I'm sure he's fine, Tori," Daphne assured, keeping her calm demeanor.
And as if they knew they were speaking of them, the front doors of the manor opened and Draco and Theodore stumbled into the sitting room. Theodore was leaning on Draco, and Daphne rushed to them.
"Merlin, babe, are you hurt?" she asked frantically, her hands going to his face.
The two men began to laugh hysterically, and Draco set Theodore down on the couch. Daphne rolled her eyes and crossed her arms when she realized that they were both uninjured and that her fiancé was simply too drunk to walk.
"He's fine, just needs a few minutes to sleep it off. Always thinks he can keep up with me."
"You two wankers have been gone for three days and come back piss drunk?" Daphne scoffed.
"Been a rough three days, Daph," Draco said before turning to Astoria who looked disappointed. "Tori, I'm sorry. I should have sent a message."
"Where have you been?" she asked, looking up at him with her sad, puppy-like eyes with a pout on her lip.
"There was a raid at Azkaban, I had to clean up and do a mountain of paperwork. Convinced Teddy to help me collude with the Order, had a meeting with Potter, went to a pub and drank the day away," he said, giving her a hug and lifting her off the ground.
"A raid at Azkaban?" Hermione asked.
Draco set Astoria down and turned to her. "Birthday girl, you look beautiful this morning."
Hermione raised her eyebrow at him, wondering why he had avoided her question. He made his way to over, tilting her chin up and kissing her cheek. Draco looked into her eyes, and pulled her into a cold embrace that reeked of whiskey.
"Azkaban? Why didn't you tell me?" she asked him. "You said you would let me what was going on, Draco."
"Well, darling, I hadn't the slightest idea. Turns out, there's some infighting going on in the Order right now, and Potter didn't have a clue either. A few dozen Order members weren't too happy with Kingsley wanting to leave some of your soldiers to rot in the cells of Azkaban. George Weasley managed to rescue at least forty people."
Her heart leapt with happiness, as before she had been sent into the arms of Draco, she had been planning with Moody on how to release prisoners in Azkaban. They had both known that once the Order's path to victory was clear, the people held there would be executed quickly. She was happy that it was a success, but it did make her uneasy that Harry wasn't included in the plans.
"And now Teddy knows?" Daphne asked, sitting on the couch with his head in her lap.
Draco turned to her. "And now Teddy is going to be helping us. We went and celebrated a little, so don't be too mad."
Theodore mumbled and smiled, his eyes closed. He looked peaceful as Daphne's fingers twirled his curly hair. Having him help Draco would ease a lot of the burden off his shoulders, and Hermione was glad she didn't have to have her guard up around him anymore.
She knew several people in the Order that were shocked to hear that he had taken the Dark Mark and was fighting on the opposite side of the war. She couldn't believe it herself sometimes, as he was one of the first people to call her by her name after Astoria.
And though she would never say it out loud, the three days without Draco felt like three years. Any time she heard footsteps coming up the stairs to the library, she looked up in hopes of seeing him there. Sleeping without him there to rub her back was becoming more difficult the more he did it.
While he was gone, she found herself thinking of him more often than she wanted to as she fidgeted with the necklace he had given her, rolling the glass sphere between her fingers. It felt soothing, something to busy her hands so she wouldn't pick at her fingers while she read.
"Draco, did you make the arrangements I asked?" Astoria asked as she brought a vial to cure Theodore of his drunkenness over to Daphne.
"Of course, Tori," he said, giving a kiss to Hermione's temple. "I wouldn't forget something so special, would I?"
Hermione couldn't begin to imagine what they had in store for her until she opened her eyes and saw the front entrance of the Natural History Museum of London in front of her. The Ministry, under Voldemort, seized control of most of the museums and libraries across Europe, as many, unknowingly to humans, contained magical items from across the world.
The last time she had been to this particular museum was when she was just a kid. It was always somewhere she wanted to take Ron and Harry, but they never could find time. And now, it was owned by Voldemort, and she didn't think she'd ever get to see it again until the war ended.
It felt as magical to her as walking through the doors of Hogwarts for the first time. The sheer size and impressiveness of the architecture was enough to make her breathless.
"Go wild, Granger. Place is all yours," Draco said with a smirk.
Hermione led them through the museum as if she were a guide herself, rattling off facts that she knew about the various displays of dinosaurs and marine life. Theodore and Astoria asked her endless questions that she could mostly answer. And as they made their way through the exhibits, she held onto Draco's hand.
"Say, Hermione, as smart as you are, why weren't you sorted into Ravenclaw?" Theodore asked after they made it through the taxidermied mammals.
Hermione shrugged, "Guess the hat thought otherwise."
"Are you kidding, Teddy? Granger doesn't know things because she loves learning, she knows things because she wants to be the smartest person in the room," Draco laughed, giving Hermione's hand a slight squeeze. "Studies her ass off to be an insufferable know it all. She's more of a Slytherin than all of us."
Hermione was stunned that Draco was reading her like a book. It was true, she did strive to be the smartest person she could be, using her knowledge to make people respect her. She knew she couldn't be the prettiest or the most athletic, and her strength would always be questioned because of her status as muggleborn. The only way she knew she could have control is if she could outwit everyone around her.
"Told you that you looked good in green," Daphne said to Hermione with a soft smile.
"I think she could be a Hufflepuff with how dedicated she is to people she cares for," Astoria chimed in.
"But she's for sure Gryffindor. I haven't seen anyone spit in the face of the Dark Lord like her and not be shaking in their boots," Theodore chuckled.
She couldn't help but blush at the showering of compliments. By the time they had made it to the gardens of the museum, her cheeks were hurting from laughing and smiling. It wasn't until Draco and Theodore both looked at her with their left arms turned upright that she was thrown back into the reality of what their world was.
"No, not today," Astoria begged, holding Draco's arm. "It's her birthday. There's still so much left we have to do."
Draco ignored her pleas, and turned his attention to Hermione. "Duty calls us, Granger. The Dark Lord is getting antsy, I fear."
Hermione forced another smile, just for Astoria. "Thank you, Astoria. I had a really fun day."
—
The elevator was ascending to the ninth floor of the Ministry, and Hermione stood blank faced between Draco and Theodore. They were adorned in their masks and cloaks, and they both looked hauntingly beautiful in them. Theodore held Hermione's upper arm as they made their way to Voldemort's throne, with Draco several paces in front of them. Hermione was getting better at recognizing the figures behind the masks. She could tell who they were by their height, shoulders, and way they held themselves.
It was easy to pick out Pansy Parkinson in the sea of masks. Her silhouette looked deadly, as if she could kill with just her looks. She stood and watched with her arms crossed, and though she was wearing a mask, Hermione was sure she was smirking.
"I can assure you, my Lord, the mudblood was not aware of the attack on Azkaban. She has been my ward for nearly six months and willingly bows down before you. If this information was available in her mind, you would have had it."
But Voldemort was not wanting to hear the logic, he was looking for blood. It was such a disrespectful blow to his regime, that he wanted to punish someone. And who better than the Golden Girl?
Hermione's body was searing with pain. Each Crucio that was cast on her was adding onto the agony of the next. The infection of Voldemort's sick visions ran into her head. Visions of her friends and family dying slowly in front of her, and she felt helpless.
But the suffering was worth it to her, because it meant victory was near.
"The Order is fracturing," Pansy's voice was muffled in her ringing ears. "Their leadership without her is failing. They'll be desperate to get her back. We should rid ourselves of her soon."
"She's one of the only pieces of leverage we have if needed," Theodore argued. "We don't have any other Order prisoner as valuable as her."
Voldemort silenced the both of them, holding his hand out. "She can be used as a shield for us, we need to utilize her to our advantage. Next time they try to gain footing, put her on display. They need to be reminded of what we have."
"Yes, my Lord," Draco said, still on his knee before him.
Hermione clenched her fists, laying still on the ground. Her body was spasming, and she tried her best to keep still and quiet, even though she wanted to scream.
Draco lifted her off the ground, and she winced. He didn't look down at her, just simply carried her to the elevator and brought her into his office. Carefully, he laid her onto the leather couch. The cold material soothed her burning skin. She felt Draco's icy hand touch her forehead as he knelt beside her.
"I'm so sorry, baby," he whispered.
Hermione didn't respond, there was too much pain ringing in her body. It was his fault, she had to remind herself that because she was constantly forgetting. Forgetting that he was a monster because she wanted comfort.
Comfort from the pain he caused.
But when she looked into his eyes, she saw that he was tormented by her pain as much as she was.
"Please forgive me," he said as he kissed the knuckles of her trembling hands. .
"I hate you," she murmured softly, looking into his sad eyes.
"I know."
She tried to sit up on her own, and Draco attempted to stop her, but she shot him a look that made him back away. "There's only a few more hours left of my birthday, I'd very much like to enjoy the rest of it."
"Of course," he said, standing up and holding his hand out to her. She took it and stood shakily, resting her head for just a moment on his chest. "Did you want to go to your next surprise?" he asked.
"Isn't it a bit too late?"
"It's your birthday, Granger. We can do whatever we want," he smiled. "Are you feeling okay enough to Apparate?"
Hermione nodded, and within seconds, they were in a dark room with chairs that sat in a circle under a dome. She knew this place well, as her parents had brought her here dozens of times. With a wave of his wand, the projector illuminated and they were surrounded by a sea of stars.
"How did Astoria know I loved the planetarium?" Hermione asked softly as she took a seat in one of the reclined chairs.
"Lucky guess I suppose. Seems like a place any smart girl would have liked to go to," Draco answered, sitting next to her.
"Have you been here before?" she asked him.
He shook his head, "Only when I came to reserve the building for us."
They sat in silence for a while, fingers interlaced, watching the stars and planets move around them. Hermione, when she was young, thought this was one of the most magical things she could have encountered.
The pain began to subside, but her fingers still occasionally twitch, a side effect of the Cruciartis curse. Each time they did, Draco would hold her hand tighter until they stilled.
Hermione turned her head, watching the numerous colors illuminated his pale face as he looked in awe. His eyes were wide, trying to take every bit of it in. It seemed sad to her that Draco had never experienced some of the muggle wonders she enjoyed so much. It was little memories of places like this that reminded her so much of her family she had lost.
"What do you think?" Hermione asked, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt his cold lips press against the top of her head.
"I'll admit, it's quite beautiful. I can see why you're so fond of it here. It's peaceful."
"Do you have a place like this? Where you just think of it and feel a sense of peace?" she asked.
He was silent for a few moments, and she assumed he was trying to think of something. It was heartbreaking that he couldn't answer quickly.
"It used to be Hogwarts. It was a reprieve from being at the manor," he said. It made Hermione think of Harry. How his home life was so awful that he would count the seconds until the school year started. Draco and Harry were the same in many ways, as much as they wanted to define themselves from each other. "But now, I think the only place I ever feel true peace is with you."
She looked up at him, and he turned his attention back to her. The shimmering light from the starry sky reflected off his silver irises, reminding her of his once bright blue eyes.
"Kiss me, Draco," her voice was hushed and soft.
Draco looked at her lips. "I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't deserve to," he said back, the smell of spearmint lingering between them.
Hermione climbed on top of him, her legs straddling him in the chair as he laid back. She looked into his eyes that perfectly reflected each projection back to her.
"I'm yours, Draco," she said, pulling off her shirt and taking his hand in hers. Slowly, she placed it over the center of her chest. His other hand went to her cheek, and she kissed his palm softly. Her hips rotated into him until she felt him become hard from the warm friction she was providing, softly moaning as his hand slipped to her breast. "I'm yours, and you deserve every bit of me."
Unbuckling his pants and removing her own, she held his cock in her trembling hand and positioned it right at her opening.
"Do you think you deserve this?" she asked.
"No," he nearly growled, feeling her drip onto him. "But I want it so badly."
Hermione lowered herself, gasping as the head pushed into her. "How does it feel?"
His eyes were locked onto her lips. "It feels so fucking good."
She lowered herself further, so slowly it felt agonizing. When he was fully nestled inside her, they both were holding back from tearing into each other. Cupping his face in her hands, she couldn't believe how beautiful he looked, nearly angelic with blue eyes.
Hermione leaned down, her movements were unhurried, as if they had all the time in the world. Her warm lips pressed against the bridge of his nose, and his arms wrapped around her waist.
As she slid up and down his cock, feeling every inch of him fill her, positioning herself at the perfect angle that had her gasping, her lips explored his face. Kissing his forehead, his cheeks, his temple, and his chin. Tempting him to kiss her back, wanting him to grab her face and place their lips together.
Usually when he was inside her, it was fast and hard, and it hurt but she liked that it did. The way he squeezed her with his fingers and how he bucked into her, bruising her thighs was perfect.
But now, his hands nearly hovering in all the places that he usually had a tight grip on, handling her delicately as she slowly moved on top of him.
It was different, but she liked it. Her back arched, and she watched the stars swirl around her, almost engulfing her senses.
"You're so beautiful, baby," he murmured under his heavy breaths. She kept sliding herself on top of him feeling herself reaching the point of pure bliss. "Just like that. Tell me when you're about to come."
"I'm going to… come," Hermione whimpered, and she felt Draco's hands tighten on her hips as he moaned out. She looked into his starry eyes as she felt the tension inside her body release.
Collapsing on top of him, he held her close against his chest. They both breathed heavily into one another, and Hermione felt his slowed heartbeat against her cheek.
They remained like that for hours, and Draco looped through different videos for them to watch. Hermione would talk about the different planets and star systems, and Draco listened carefully. When the last one played, Hermione didn't want to move from his embrace.
"We should get you home, Granger. You're probably exhausted."
"We'll need to start gathering items for you and Astoria. Teddy will need to help us too," she said as he pulled her clothes on for her.
"Of course, anything you need, we will be at your disposal."
Hermione looked nervously down at their feet. "There is one thing I want."
"What's that?" he asked.
"I want the barriers around the manor gone. I want my magic back."