I know that you're wrong for me

Gonna wish we never met on the day I leave

I brought you down to your knees

Cause they say that misery loves company

It's not your fault I ruin everything

And it's not your fault I can't be what you need

-*-*-*

The sight of Professor McGonagall stepping into the Gryffindor common room made it fall nearly silent, and all eyes stayed on her as she approached Hermione.

"Miss Granger, I've been asked to come get you," she said quietly, so only Harry and Ron could hear her.

Dread made her heart sink and she jumped to her feet, swinging her school bag over her shoulder.

"Oh no need to worry," McGonagall reassured her hurriedly upon seeing her face. Once they were through the portrait hole and it had closed behind them, she explained further. "Something has happened to the headmaster, Professor Snape ordered me to bring you to them?" Her sentence ended as a question, clearly wondering why the hell he was asking for her.

"Oh bugger," Hermione muttered, "Did he get cursed again?"

"That is my understanding," she returned worriedly.

Hermione sighed and pulled out her wand, silently transfiguring her robes so that they no longer resembled student's robes and pulled in at her waist instead. Next she slipped her wand into her pocket and began the impossible task of wrestling her hair into a plait, not particularly wanting to fuss with its usual state.

Professor McGonagall watched her as they hurried through the corridors but refrained from asking questions, and by the time they reached the spiral staircase she had tied off her hair. As soon as they emerged into the office she tossed her bag into a corner and disillusioned it. They passed the cabinet where the pensieve was kept and she paused long enough to take it out and bring it with her. Somehow she didn't think that Albus would be up for explaining the situation.

When they emerged through the door into his sitting room her eyes immediately found him sitting slumped over in an armchair with his head in his hand. Her heart broke for him, and she set the pensieve aside in favor of rushing to his side. Hermione rested her hand on his shoulder and knelt down so she could see his face. His hair was forming a curtain between them and she swept it aside. She could feel Professor McGonagall's eyes burning into her, but forced herself to ignore it and focused only on him.

"The same thing again?" She asked him softly.

"Yes," he replied rather gruffly, "because I'm a fool."

"Well if you're a fool then what does that make the rest of us?" Hermione shot back with a smile. She had hoped it would get him to chuckle, and was pleased that it worked. "We know how to fix it and this time you're still in control, that has to be worth something."

"And what do you get out of it?" He demanded of her, tone bitter.

"Aside from the obvious, I'm assuming?" She heard Professor Snape snort behind her and couldn't quite stifle a grin, "bragging rights, eventually."

Professor Snape tried and failed to disguise his laughter with a cough, Albus of course didn't bother to hide his own, finally lifting his head from his palm. He patted the hand that still held his hair back and she took his silent thank you for what it was.

"What, exactly, am I missing here?" Professor McGonagall demanded. She received no answer.

"If you want to repeat this conversation we can after this is fixed," she told him as she got to her feet again, "for now why don't you go wait for me."

Dumbledore nodded and stood, then turned and retreated to his bedroom, closing the door behind him. Hermione turned to face the other two and took the vial of contraceptive from Professor Snape that he produced, popped the seal and swallowed it. A moment later she coughed hard as it burned its way down, and she swore as she handed the empty bottle back.

"I modified it into a highly concentrated dosage," he explained while she tried to breathe, "you will only need a single dose this time."

"I only took two doses last time, why is this so much stronger?"

"Precaution," he said shortly, "Can you think of why?"

She thought for a few seconds before it dawned on her.

"The brewer of an abortifacient needs to be of equal or greater power than both parents of the fetus or it'll be ineffective, and Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard in the world."

"Precisely," Professor Snape replied. "Thus,"

"Better safe than sorry," she finished.

It looked like Professor McGonagall was about to regain her voice, so Hermione backed toward the bedroom door.

"Good night," she offered pleasantly as she opened the door behind her, slipping through it and locking the door behind her, following it with a silencing spell that would work both ways, thereby saving Albus from hearing McGonagall's fury. Unable to help herself, she leaned back against the door and collapsed into laughter.

Dumbledore was sitting on the edge of his bed giving her a politely puzzled look, and she struggled to explain through her giggles.

"I saw her start to - to say something and so I - I left him with - with her!"

Hearing this, Albus joined her laughter. Once she got ahold of herself she set her wand aside and approached him, resting her arms on his shoulders. When he met her eyes she knew his feelings about the situation hadn't changed, but he had accepted it was happening again.

"I'm sorry that this is why this is happening," she told him softly. "And I'm sorry it's hurting you like this."

He rested one hand on the side of her head, thumb grazing her temple. "May I?" He asked.

"Of course," she replied immediately, stepping in closer.

Feeling his presence brushing against her own consciousness was extremely bizarre, but she focused on the blue of his eyes as he flipped slowly through her thoughts and memories of him, of their last encounter and the days following it. When his hand came to rest softly on her waist her heart thudded hard and sped up, no doubt clouding whatever he was seeing.

Hermione leaned forward and rested her forehead against his, and having his face so close again made it hard to catch her breath. When she couldn't take it any longer she angled her head and brought her lips to his in a shaky, breathless kiss that made her hands want to shake. He reciprocated hesitantly and allowed her fingers to fumble with the magical clasp of his robes, when it slipped free they cascaded off him, leaving him in nothing but quite tented pants.

His hands roamed and slipped her robes off, and with a wave of his hand rid them of their undergarments as well. He kissed her slowly and tugged the band from the end of her plait, freeing her hair into the wild mane it usually was.

"Scoot back," she breathed into his mouth, and followed him onto the bed when he obeyed, sliding back to sit against the headboard. He was kissing her more vigorously now, but not in the aggressive way the curse had driven him to last time. She straddled his lap and felt his tip brushing against her, making her hips sway of their own accord, and a breathless sigh escaped her. She wrapped her hand around it and held it as she lowered herself, gasping wordlessly as he slipped in. He groaned when she settled and rocked her hips against his, whispering his name against his lips.

Hermione rode him slowly and he let her with his hands roaming freely and lips ghosting across her collarbones. She rocked against him faster and he held her tightly, her head resting on his shoulder as her orgasm was building until it broke over her like a wave. As it waned she felt the curse shatter and echo through them both, making them both pause in surprise.

"Was that it?" She breathed.

"Yes," He confirmed, sounding as confused as she.

She buried her hands in his hair and kissed him hard, and his hands clenched on her hips, pulling her down against him, making her break away to gasp his name. He guided her as she began to ride him again, her breathless cries louder this time as he drove her over the edge. She gasped for breath as he groaned, head falling back with his eyes closed. His hands clamped down tightly on her hips as he got closer and suddenly gasped, holding her in place as his hips jerked and slowly stilled.

Hermione gasped for breath right along with him, collapsing against his chest with her arms twined loosely around his neck.

"How is this real?" She whispered to him.

He sighed and tightened his arms around her, but didn't answer. He softened enough to slip out of her, but before a mess could be made he waved his hand and vanished it all.

"If it's going to happen no matter what, it may as well be enjoyable," she told him quietly, leaning back to look into his eyes. His smile didn't quite seem sincere as his thumb brushed back and forth across her cheekbone.

"I don't understand Hermione," he responded, "you're eighteen and I am… Perhaps a few years past that," he finished with a distinct glimmer in his eye.

Hermione giggled as a flicker of relief stole through her.

"But you're you," she told him, as though that explained everything.

"And I should be held to an equally high standard."

Hermione snorted as she slid off his lap and leaned against his side, pulling the duvet over her legs. "Didn't Draco's great-grandfather just announce his engagement to a Durmstrang fifth year?" She asked in disbelief. "Anything can be considered a higher standard when there aren't any."

"I've never been with a woman before," he confessed quietly. She turned her head to stare at him in disbelief to find his eyes closed, and she wondered if he was talking to her or himself.

"I wouldn't have guessed that," she replied, then considered his words carefully for a minute. "Who was he?"

"Think about it," he instructed with a sad smile.

Hermione went quiet and rested her head against his chest, shifting her weight in an effort to appease her complaining tailbone. A cushioning charm appeared beneath her bum, though he hadn't moved his hand or even opened his eyes, and her amazement at his raw power led her thoughts.

"That's why it took you so many years to face him," She realized aloud.

He held his hand out and a photo floated across the room and he passed it to her.

"You were so young," she breathed in amazement.

"Seventeen," he said evenly, "Newly graduated and thought I knew everything. Thought I knew better than Durmstrang expelling him for dark magic, better than my brother when he heard the things we were planning… I was seventeen, I was in love and I refused to see reason."

"So that's where you're going with this," she caught on. "But I'll have you know that I am eighteen and that clearly makes it completely different."

He looked down to find her grinning and they both started laughing.

"This can't end well, it will only be a matter of time before you get hurt. My age alone will make sure of that."

Hermione looked up at him. "Then I suppose I should make the most of it before then, shouldn't I?"

He sighed when he cupped her cheek, closed his eyes. She leaned up and kissed him softly and he leaned into it like he expected it.

"I'm allowing something I shouldn't be because I'm lonely," he told her, "and you're here."

"I understand what you're telling me," she assured him. "I just so happen to be the person offering to hold you together and after so many years, you can't bear to turn it away."

"Do you know how old I am?"

Hermione paused at that. "Actually no," she admitted.

He met her eyes when he spoke. "I'm a hundred and sixteen, Hermione."

She couldn't pretend she wasn't shocked, even though she really shouldn't have been.

"I'm impressed, you don't look a day over eighty."

"Liar," he said laughing, "You remind me of myself. But it's getting late."

Hermione did her best to keep her voice even. "Does that mean I'm staying?"

She could tell by the brief moment of surprise in his expression that hadn't crossed his mind.

"It means I've taken leave of my senses," he muttered as he laid down, holding the duvet up for her to join him. The lights extinguished themselves, leaving the room bathed in moonlit darkness.

"You're in good company at least?" She offered as she settled in, leaning into his chest.

"Only for tonight," he told her. "I can't allow this to continue."

"Can we make the most of it then?" Hermione whispered, so quiet she wasn't sure he even heard her.

He didn't answer her in words, but she felt his fingers trailing softly along her skin and closed her eyes, savoring his touch.

"I don't deserve this," he breathed against her lips, the unexpected almost-kiss making her body beg for him. She lifted her knee, slid it up to his hip and used it to pull him flush against her.

He slid back inside her with ease and gasped softly into her mouth as she kissed him. She begged him for more as he took his time with her, wringing her body out until she felt boneless as he rocked into her unsteadily with her whispering softly in his ear.

He pretended he didn't hear her say she loved him, and she pretended she didn't feel the warmth of a lone tear land on her shoulder after that.

When sleep came, she dreamt fitfully of herself dressed in black, crying silently as she held his icy hand in hers until she was led away.

He didn't sleep.

-*-*-*

I'll put you down slow, love you goodbye

Before you let go, just one more time

Take off your clothes, pretend that it's fine

…

Close your eyes

You can find all of my work on AO3 as well by changing the periods in my username here to underscores. Honestly things get posted there faster because the formatting here and the process to post are a complete pain in the ass.

Song lyrics at beginning and end as well as chapter title are from the song Angels Like You by Miley Cyrus.

Disclaimer: I do not support relationships like this, ie significant age gaps when one party is very young like this, in real life. Relationships of that nature are often inherently predatory and toxic. This is a work of fiction with fictional characters who do not exist and should be treated as such.

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