The first verse of the hedonistic wizarding tune automatically fell from Hermione's lips. Her gaze clung to the wounded wizard, who continued to stare at the couple in front of him. A reminder of her own barely contained misery and the whispered words of encouragement to irk her secret ex-lover. She hadn't been able to force her body to move like she'd wanted, instead, the words kept coming as the majority of the crowd started swaying with the parentally banned, but still well-known, song.
"Get it up, get it up, keep it up.
Sucking it down like Dracula.
Giving him brain like amygdala.
Ain't no triggers, just abracadabra.
I make that cauldron bubble.
Double, double, toil she trouble.
Grip the wand, 'cause I ain't no muggle.
Go drip, drip, drop and I leave 'em in a puddle."
When she wasn't booed off stage, her confidence was boosted, and she began to move. Her hips rolled to the tempo, while a soft, alluring simper settled across her features.
"Give him head like guillotine.
Haunted house, I make him scream.
Trick or treat 'til he explode.
Now he got a Halloween.
Hope somebody checks on the boy.
Had to put an oral hex on the boy.
What's next for the boy?
Depressed and destroyed.
Had the best and the worst, just the rest for the boy."
Losing herself to the music, she went further than those before her had chosen to do and pulled a few unsuspecting wizards from the spectators. None of them seemed to mind being used as props by Hermione and were respectful, keeping their hands to themselves while she danced against them. All but Zacharias Smith, who managed to sneak a quick slap on her behind before being pushed back into his friends just like the rest.
And Theodore, who had recoiled at first when she offered her hand to him. A quick glance around his toxic friend group was what it took for him to step up. Parkinson was still plastered to the wizard beside her and Nott's reasoning instantly caught up to the rationale for Hermione's startling public proposal.
"I put a spell on you.
Brought your fantasies to life.
Like you never knew.
Had to go and blow your mind.
I… I did what I always do.
I put a spell on you!"
Facing towards the crowd she was grateful to be able to watch the exact moment resentful jealousy deflated the shoulders of the hypocritical witch. Who stepped away from the rigid statue that she had been gleefully glued to most of the night the exact moment Nott's hands found Hermione's waist. He pulled her back against him and ground his hips into her bum.
It felt all wrong… His grip was too tight. His fingers were much too long and dug roughly at the muscles of her lower abdomen. Crinkling the indigo satin and raising the already short hemline of her babydoll dress to a near indecent level.
"La-la-la-la-
I put a spell on you."
As soon as the last note sounded she took a step forward, putting just enough space between them for him to wipe her contagion from his hands onto his pants. Hermione blocked the subtle movement from notice before spinning around and giving him a quick but overemphasized wink. "Pansy is right pissed."
Nott smirked down at her, "I know."
"Good luck…"
"After this, you are the one who is going to need it." His smug smile faltered for a moment and then was hastily rearranged for their rapt audience, "Don't forget that jumping could be an easy way out."
"Easier for you and your friends, you mean." She challenged as she started to walk away.
"No, I mean easier than what's coming for you." He cautioned under his breath. The next animated act stepped up and cut off whatever else he might have wanted to say.
Hermione rolled her eyes and made her way over to where Ginny's sweater and their bottle of pillaged alcohol had been left. She gathered up the forgotten trinkets. Determined to head back to the common room and continue to indulge with her friends until she had drunk herself into a dreamless stupor.
A handful of fellow students postponed her departure with vibrant smiles, friendly jokes, and words of encouragement for her raunchy performance. She returned the artificial pleasantries with her own smile and brief thanks.
It took longer than intended but she slowly made it out into the dark deserted corridor. The sudden silence after the racket inside of the room almost hurt her ears. She needed a moment to reorient herself before starting off on the long trek up to Gryffindor Tower.
Once her senses adjusted, Hermione headed out. Her mind was still spinning from the night's dramatic events. Ginny and Blaise's pettiness. Pansy's gall. Theodore's threat. And more, all whirled within her head, making her slightly dizzy.
Why couldn't anyone behave?
Herself included…
How would any of her recent choices help in her long-term goals? Pushing the boundaries of the single friend who was willing to hear her out in regards to the possibility of turncoats inside the Slytherin ranks… In favor of a self-avowed spy for the worst of them. Or provoking her greatest tormentor, the witch didn't have the faintest clue how badly her relationship was hurting Hermione. Which was, undoubtedly, a good thing… Regardless, using Nott as her personal puppet wasn't any better than what Parkinson's disregard was doing to him.
Her mood soured with each step she took. Anger replaced the jittery high caused by the adrenaline from singing in public. By the time she made it out of the dungeons, she was full of rage at… Everything. Her friends, old and new. Her enemies, past and present. Her parents, for birthing her. The whole wizarding society for allowing the bigotry that built a world where her blood status was a stipulation for her brilliance. A place where she should be safe, but would always be second-rate to the silent majority.
No matter how she proved her worth… No matter how many secrets she kept… No matter how long she plastered the fake smile on her face and did what she was told… She would never be good enough…
"One would think you would be euphoric after your little stunt…"
Hermione stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to the alcove where the gruff voice originated, "What's it to you?"
There was a long pause followed by a cold retort from the shadows, "Absolutely nothing."
"Go. To. Hell." She spit each acidic word.
"Look around, Granger… I am already there."
An accidental gasp escaped from between her lips as the memory of the same complaint coming from a different wizard's mouth replayed in her mind. Instead of retreating from the conversation like his predecessor, Malfoy stepped forward into the moonlight.
He stood in the soft white illumination, his arms crossed and the stone mask firmly in place. The perfect picture of apathy. He could have been speaking about the time rather than his apparent perdition.
"Awwww, you poor baby," Hermione sarcastically cooed. "Three meals a day. A cozy bed to sleep in. Protection provided by the very people you loathe…"
"Forgive me for not feeling protected inside these walls recently." Malfoy drawled, taking another step closer.
"And who's fault is that?" Before he had the chance to answer her question, she continued. "Are people supposed to feel so sorry for you that you are allowed to use Unforgiveables against them now? Are you free of all consequences for your actions or only the ones they continue to cover up for you?"
"It's not my fault your lot is too stupid to turn me in." Another step closer and he towered over her. There was no hint of emotion to be found on his face. "Besides, the real question should be, who is more reprehensible- the known villain or the pious saints who hold the power to stop him but keep quiet to preserve their own secrets?"
"How dare you…" Her hands clenched, one around the sweater and bottle that were cradled in her arm. The other hung at her side in a tight shaking fist.
For the first there was a spark of something in his eyes, an unnameable feeling flickered briefly and then went out. "What are you going to do about it, Kitten?"
The sound of his pet name made her lose all sense. She cocked her fist and before Hermione could stop, she connected with his cheek. Having aimed for his nose, she was slightly disappointed to not hear the crunch of breaking bone…
He winced from the assault but otherwise kept quiet. While he stood over her, the earlier glimmer of intensity burst forth into an overwhelming hailstorm that only she was permitted to witness. His gray eyes seethed for a long stretch of eternity and then, without warning, his lips were pressed roughly against hers.
Startled, she gasped into the sudden kiss. When she didn't immediately flee, his hands cupped her face and held her still. Too confused by the instantaneous switch in his demeanor, she faltered. Her hand was raised, ready to strike at him again, but without conscious thought it wrapped tightly in his hair.
Their lips smashed together in a frenzy of aching need. She dropped the parcels in her arms, not caring if the bottle broke and ruined Ginny's cardigan. Her free hand clasped the front of his shirt, pulling him closer.
Even when every part of her mind screamed to push him away for the sake of self preservation. Her body didn't seem to care about the future despair these stolen seconds would lead to. Not while it felt so right, especially when compared to the awkward squeezing of the wizard earlier in the night.
As brutal as it was, their momentary reunion was a balm to her festering reopened wounds. A long-awaited outlet for her unspoken rage over the last month. She wanted more…
She let go of the grasp on his shirt and her hand slid up his chest until it rested on the back of his neck. Using the leverage, she pushed her body on his, grinding her stomach into his hips.
At the clear sign of wordless consent, his hands fell from her face and ran down her curves until he abruptly grabbed her waist and lifted her so she was able to wrap her legs around him. Once Malfoy was sure she was secure, he slowly maneuvered them back into the recess he had appeared out of, not breaking the feral kiss.
When he pressed her up against the wall in the pitch-black alcove, Hermione instantly released her hold on him and started working the buttons of his shirt. As soon as the last was unfastened, she made use of the meager space between them and slid her palms up the contours of his lower abdomen.
She was derailed when the memorized path was disrupted by thick lines of raised scar tissue. Permanent remnants of his recent confrontation with Harry. Trembling with her anger at the two arrogant wizards, she explored the unfamiliar physique with a featherlight touch. Careful to avoid unneeded friction on the tender defacement.
Just as she was about to pull away to lecture him on his stupidity, he started to trail kisses along her clenched jawline. Moving until he could take her earlobe into his mouth and rake his teeth on the responsive flesh, causing the words to get caught in her throat.
Wedged as she was into the cold sharp stone, Hermione used the position to her advantage and thrust her pubic bone against his. She let her head fall to the side, giving him better access to her neck and clavicle. An almost inaudible groan left her lips when he mercifully obliged.
Malfoy was encouraged by her responses and started to kneed at her outer thighs. Sliding the fabric of her skirt as he inched his way up…
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Hermione pulled down her skirt and on shaking legs, stepped out of the alcove. She couldn't imagine the state she was in but cleared her throat, "Those are mine…"
Both of the witches, who happened to stumble upon Ginny's discarded sweater and the half drunk bottle of alcohol, jumped at her instantaneous appearance and slowly turned around. There was mutual recognition between all three of them. Fellow Sixth Years, Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa Turpin, were from Ravenclaw and it didn't take long for them to deduce the situation.
"Good heavens, Hermione…" Mandy giggled. "What will Theodore think when he finds out?"
"Right! He is currently getting an ear full from Pansy for daring to look in your direction and here you are hooking up with someone else…" Lisa accused, with what looked like an appreciative smirk on her lips. It was obvious that the rumor mill had already started turning.
An odd mix of guilt, amusement, and adrenaline coursed through her veins and she glanced back at the obscured niche. Thankful that Malfoy was intelligent enough to continue to stay hidden in the darkness. She quickly pivoted back, feigning innocence with a slight touch of embarrassment. "I... I was getting sick… Had too much, you know?"
She had to bite the side of her tongue to stop the laugh that threatened to burst out of her when both girls seemed to deflate at the news. Impatient and wanting to flee the scene of her unknown crime before something ostentatious happened, like her life was apt to do, she gestured for the contents in Lisa's arms.
"Figures, you would never have let one of them touch you like that if you were sober," Lisa stated petulantly as she handed the items over.
Hermione felt all of the color drain from her face at the mistaken assertion and fought with her lips to lift into the best approximation of a smile she could muster, "Drunken shenanigans…"
"Do you need help to your common room?" Mandy offered, seeming genuinely concerned for her well-being.
"I'm good. Still need to clean up in there…" She motioned behind her in a vague manner.
Mandy's final surveyal seemed hesitant before she shrugged, "If you are sure..."
"Yeah!" Her anemic cheeks brightened as she felt the sticky proof of her misdeed start to pool in between her thighs. "Thanks, though!"
They gave their final farewells and started off, arm in arm and heads together, on their march up to Ravenclaw Tower. She stood there, frozen in place, and listened to the inane chattery gossip until they turned the corner. Disappearing from sight.
"'You would never let one of those nasty snakes touch you like that if you were sober.' Right, Granger?" Malfoy mocked from where he leaned against the entrance to his hiding place. Back to the nonchalant portrait of nobility, his voice was a poor imitation of Lisa's high-pitched cadence, betraying the underlying anger to the attempt at humor.
"No, not anymore." Hermione kept her face neutral, staring over at the tall figure as she protectively clutched the contents in her arms to her chest. "Granted, Nott might just be the one who could change my mind on that stance…"
"So that act was supposed to make me jealous."
"Or maybe, Gods forbid, it has nothing whatsoever to do with you and affected exactly who it was meant to." She clenched her jaw as the sticky evidence of her blatant lies began to trickle further down her thighs.
He chuckled under his breath while he stood there and shook his head, "Most people do not enjoy eating their enemy's leftovers… Considering it's becoming a habit, you might want to go to one of those muggle head doctors."
Her fury at the implication was immediate. "Fuck you!"
"Are you… Are you so sloshed you've already forgotten?" For just a moment, he looked around confused, and then the trademark smirk distorted his features into the dreaded mask. "You just did… Marked your territory and everything."
The uncontrollable ire threatened to burst forth and destroy what little remained of her fractured dignity. She felt the electric pinpricks of magic on her skin and closed her eyes to block out his smug veneer. Afraid of the horrible curses that sprang to her mind in retaliation, she took a slow deep breath through lungs that ached for her to scream.
"Don't worry, I made sure to return the favor."
His voice was much too close and Hermione stopped herself from reaching up to touch the place on her neck that he had bitten. She took another centering breath and turned. Glaring up at him, she refused to be baited again and stayed quiet.
They stood there for a long while. Neither was willing to be the one who broke first.
In the end, she watched as his glower slightly faltered. The tense set around his eyes softened, and for a single second her troubled hero was there. Just as broken from what had transpired as she was. Empathy for the wizard surged through her, spinning the copious amount of alcohol in her stomach and making her nauseous.
Malfoy opened his mouth to say something…
And she kicked him as hard as she could in his shin. A weird spark of gratification at his grunt of pain mixed with all the other perplexing emotions inside of her. She pivoted on the spot and stomped down the path towards the Grand Staircase, ready to make it to the safety of her bed.
She didn't care that she was being an immature child…
Or how badly the idiotic dolt felt…
Or the chances of coming across another late-night prowler when she was clearly inebriated…
All that mattered was outrunning the shame that was sure to mangle the edges of her weeping wound like a cornered nundu…
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"Oral Hex" by Bludnymph
Happy Halloween!
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