DISCLAIMER: HP belongs to JKR. My intellectual property is the storyline, all new characters, new character development, and new developments. Glorioux

A/n A new short story- around 12,000 words. I have a few more ongoing- one is Sirius's Gift. A romance-mistery-

Draco's Hope

Draco sat looking at the dancers. As usual, he did not want to go home, his marriage was a sham. His eyes zeroed on a petite witch dressed in trendy Muggle clothes, showing her shoulders, dancing with several tall wizards. He knew the Weasleys and had read about the tragedy. Someone murdered Weasley at their successful business. Draco noticed she smiled but her eyes were sad.

Like usual his mouth ran dry, and his cock went straight up, looking at his ideal witch, too bad he had been such a jerk. He saw two of his friends jump into the dance. Theo pulled on her and held her close, the others laughed but Adrian stayed on, holding her waist, Draco's eyebrow went up; they were practically shagging her. He knew that Theo and Adrian often shared witches but looking at them made him angry. He downed two more drinks, trying to calm down.

Adrian was rubbing his bottom half against her, when the witch was tired and pulled away, but they insisted. When Draco noticed she was upset, he stood up and Apparated inside the crowded dance floor.

"Adrian, Theo," Draco raised his voice, quite loud, "let her go, now."

"She is playing," Adrian grinned, holding her tighter.

She was the first one to get assertive, "I am not; I want to sit down."

Draco got between them; held her arm and brought her to his table.

The Weasley waved their hand; they were drinking with a large group.

Adrian and Theo followed them. She turned to look at them, "Let me be. I am not in the mood for dancing."

"Why sit with him, he might be my friend, but he is a racist piece of crap, a racist pig; he didn't learn. You have not heard how he talks." Theo argued.

"Because I feel like it," Hermione argued.

"Darling, he is married," Adrian reminded her, knowing she would do as she wished.

"Let me be." She ignored them, looking at Draco. He was an old impossible crush, and old dream that never went away; she thought, like mother like daughter. He looks like his father.

Adrian shrugged a shoulder, "Theo, let her have breathing room, she will be back.

"I'll have one of whatever you are drinking," Hermione said, sitting close to Draco, "Kiss me," she said holding his arm, she wanted the pain to stop. There was no denying, she wanted him.

Draco nearly swallowed his tongue. "Why?" By Merlin, he was a fool, "Did you forget who I am. In case you forgot, I am Draco Malfoy, the racist pig. Theo is right; I never learned. And I am married; the loser I am and was."

She sat closer, practically on his lap. His cock throbbed; he was ready to groan. His breathing was shallow. He bit his lip not to moan.

Her hand landed on his aroused sex. He was so hard it ached; and his eyes went blank, that was too much. He was not that strong, and desire was driving him when he picked her up on his lap. Next second, they were kissing in a way he had never experienced, his tongue searched for hers. She invoked and raised a smoke privacy screen.

Her hand opened his trousers and went around his hot cock while his mouth ravaged hers, "Oh, love, yes, touch me, yes, oh yes, "Draco's voice broke as her moved her hand.

"You touch me too." She whispered.

"Hermione, gods," he said when he slid his hand and moved the knickers enough to touch her. She was the only one for him, a dream. Oh gods, Tory is never wet, he thought, but wanted to be fair, "I am married," he said regretfully.

"I know," her hand moved along his cock, He felt a cold wrap go around. "Protection," she told Draco.

Before he could say much, she moved over his cock slowly, impaling herself.

"Oh love," he kissed her, eating her mouth. He started moving it was a bit difficult, she fit like a tight glove. His brain stopped a while before, later he would think this had been an erotic dream. They moved together "Love, oh love," he kept saying over and over; he wanted her since ever he could remember.

His hands went over her hips, it was madness. When his body shuddered, he bit her shoulder trying to drown his cries; she bit him back. His cock slid in and out her warm hold and could feel her naked sex against his, rubbing his. He didn't want to close his eyes; he wanted to remember his eyes open, 'Yes, yes. His body arched, "Oh, witch, Hermione, Hermione, Hermione," he came as never before and went somewhere else. Kissing her, held he tightly, wanting to meld his body to hers. His body shuddering, pleasure waning, yet rising again. He didn't want to let her go.

Her came right after him, and he was hard once again, but she had already moved away. She kissed his cheek and left. He had something on his prick; he pulled his wand, disposed of whatever, cleaned, and closed the trendy Muggle trousers. He was like everyone else from the elites, embracing the Muggle trends.

He was in a daze, keeping his eyes fixed on her, he saw her going to the Weasley. She sat on one, on the the dragon tamer, who held her. Draco thought she was crying. The Weasley brother rocked her. The one with the earring moved by her to also hold her. He saw his tears. They all mourned Weasley, tragic. Potter joined them; everyone was crying; it was sad. The party wizards all cried sitting and standing, huddled. One mass of crying gingers and his beloved Granger; Draco joined their sorrow and spilled a couple of pity tears, for himself.

Minutes later Adrian and Theo came back, the Weasley and Harry kissed her, and she left with Adrian and Theo. She held on to them; what is going on? Draco wondered.

When he came home his mother told him, "You stink, respect your wife. You are no better than your father, Bella was right about both of you." Lucius ignored her and poured another glass of Cognac "Look at your father, the great Mudblood hater whose lover is one. Ask him. He said his father forced him to marry me, and his parents threatened to find her and kill her. Did you know when her husband died, your father looked for her, within a day; scratch that, I heard the wireless news, but he was already gone. He goes to her daily, and reeks of her when he returns."

"Shut up. He is not interested. Leave my son alone, the only good thing I got from you. You are like your precious Bella, exactly. I am here only for my son." Lucius bared his teeth. Draco noticed his father dressed only in Muggle clothes, elegant, yet only a short open robe over his clothes. His hair was shorter, always tied.

Draco said nothing but goodnight. He went into his room locking the door behind him. He did not clean up, wanting her scent on him. Everything looked darker, so he understood something had changed on his life. If it were bad before, now it was unbearably horrible.

Astoria knocked, "Draco I am ovulating; it is baby time."

"Let me be, next month, I am beat." He hated her voice.

"Have you been drinking?" Her angry voice asked.

Though Draco did not answer, he knew he would never touch his wife again. The idea of being with her, made him nauseous.

The mornings after

The next days, Draco would walk by her office at the MoM and saw Hermione twice, but she only nodded. The memories of being with her, consumed his days and could not stop thinking about her. He made a memory vial to watch later and often shed a tear or two when alone.

Two weeks later Astoria came with the news, "We received an invitation to an engagement party, to celebrate Adrian Pucey and Theo Knot engagement to Hermione Granger Weasley. It is a triad engagement, and the Pucey are extremely happy, disgusting.

She continued, full of poison, "What does anyone see on her the unglamorous ugly Mudblood. Even my sister praises her. It is revolting my sister works for her, yuck, and Daphne told me she will be in the bridal party and how excited she is. It worsens, my father speaks highly of her, and the Mudblood has been a guest at my parents' house more than once. Both my parents love her, my own mother tells me how she wishes I was as 'smart' and as nice as the Mudblood. Yes, they all love the Mudblood; everyone does."

"That word is not allowed in this house," Lucius looked at her like she was a poisonous snake. "If you insist on it, you need to find another residence, and someone else to pay for you; for now, please don't be in the same room where I am at. One more word, and you can pack, supervised."

"I agree," Draco told Astoria.

"You would. I heard you were with her at a club, the night toy; she changes them. The slag she is." She smiled maliciously, "Are you sad? Do you wish you were the one marrying her? Well, it isn't you, and you best know that I won't give you a divorce, never."

Lucius looked up again, "Son, don't listen. The laws have changed. I advise you not to stay married. She doesn't need to agree to divorce."

Draco was numb, he nodded. Tears threatened to spill over. The night she found him hiding in Hogwarts, he acknowledged his repressed feelings; but he was an idiot, as Theo said, he was a racist pig. He married Astoria knowing he how he felt for Hermione; not that he ever had a chance with her.

That night when he went out, he sat in another club drinking. Someone held him from behind; he knew the perfume, so his hand went over hers, and leaned back, sighing after pulling her hand to his lips.

"Why?" Draco asked.

"Why what?" Hermione said

"Why marry?" He wanted to beg her to wait for him.

"Why not," she answered.

"How about Weasley, the dragon tamer?" Draco wondered, since she went to him.

"He lives with his lover, a wizard," she grinned.

"I see," Draco wanted to know, "So why two weeks ago?"

She pressed her cheek against his back. "Not sure," she said caressing his chest. She was sure but didn't want to tell him.

"Why are you marrying," he wanted to tell her to wait for him.

"I have planned it; we decided it two months ago; besides, you are married. Come with me." She rubbed her chin on his head.

"Where should we go?" Draco would go wherever she wished.

"To my place." She kissed his neck.