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Cast No Shadow	By : ColdWaterFairy Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 13632 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
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- 11
Miahdrake - I did my best to try and stretch the plot line into 10 chapters just for you.
JESS - Least you have an excuse for being crazy. I have none. ;)
Theory Of A Dead Writer - Thank you for the review. I was very honored you took the time.
Hermione stood outside in the sunshine, trying to breathe. Everything seemed to be closing in on her. This wasn't happening. She didn't think, she just responded. Pulling out her wand, she Apparated to 78 Raven's Wood Road. A house-elf answered the door when she knocked. She pushed past him and went to the library; she threw open the door and walked in. Draco turned to her, wand in hand. Upon seeing her he put it down and walked to her.

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" She lost it. She rushed to him and kissed him. She needed someone to make this better. He didn't immediately respond to her but pushed her away. "Why are you here, Hermione? Where's Potter?" He looked at her face. "What's wrong?"

She opened her mouth to answer him but instead of words a sob came out, and then another one. He stood there for several moments just looking at her. Finally he reached out to her and she went into his arms. This wasn't what she wanted, though. She wanted to feel his skin on hers. She looked at him.

"Please, Draco, I need you." His eyes grew dark, angry, but she didn't care. She reached up and kissed him again. This time, instead of pushing her away he pulled her closer and ravished her mouth. He trailed kisses down her neck, gently sucking the spot where her neck and shoulder met.

But she needed more. She pushed him towards the chair he had vacated. When it hit the back of his legs they buckled and he abruptly sat, and Hermione climbed onto his lap. She started to unbutton his shirt. She rained kisses over his face and neck and then moved lower. Sliding off his lap, she started to undo his trousers. He was looking at her like he had before, with a mixture of lust and hate.

He wasn't wearing any underwear. She grasped his cock in her hand, using his pre-come to ease her movements. She brought her mouth down and took him inside. His hands came up to tangle in her hair and he jerked his hips, pushing himself further in. It hurt but she didn't stop him. She bobbed up and down, playing with his balls with her other hand as she did so. She slowly brought her mouth back up and rapidly tongued the underside of the head, eliciting a hiss from him.

Suddenly he tugged himself out of her mouth and pushed her off his lap. She had on a skirt, so it wasn't hard for him to divest her of her panties. He brought her back down to his lap and sheathed himself in her. She moaned as she slid down; it felt so good, so natural, and she started to move on him. He quickly pulled her shirt off and undid her bra. Bringing her breast to his mouth, he scraped his teeth across her nipple before taking it into his mouth.

Fuck, I'm not going to last. With that thought she arched back, her hands behind her on his thighs, his hands on her hips anchoring her, and climaxed. He thrust under her three more times before she felt his sperm hit her walls. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, panting into his shoulder. His hands were running up and down her back. Being with him was always explosive and always tiring.

Finally he lifted her off and stood up, setting her down on the chair. He reached for his clothes and put them back on. Then he turned to look at her. "What's wrong? Why did you come here?"

Instead of answering him she asked, "Where have you been?"

He glared at her. "Don't fuck with me, Hermione. I know something's wrong."

"I just heard some bad news, is all."

He sneered at her. "So you decided to come running to me? You can't do this, Hermione, keep fucking me behind Potter's back. As much as the prick annoys me, it's not fair to him. That, and I don't want to deal with your guilty feelings afterward."

She jumped up. "How dare you! I was fine until you came into my life. If anything, you fucked with me! Admit you wanted to this to happen. You wanted me to lust after you, unable to be happy with Harry any more, constantly thinking about you. I hate the fact that I worry about your safety, that when Harry's inside of me I think of you. So if I'm 'fucking' with you, it's only what you deserve!"

She grabbed the first thing she saw and threw it at him. He easily stepped clear of it, the smirk still on his face, which only increased her anger. She knew she was acting childish, but he made her so angry.

"I hate you, you know that." She sat back down then, tired from yelling. It was then that she noticed he'd lost weight and saw the dark circles under his eyes.

"Yeah, I felt how much you didn't like me a few minute ago." She got up with every intention of going home. As she walked past him he grabbed her arm. "What's wrong? Let me help you." When he brought his hand to her face she turned away. "This is what I'm talking about. You run hot for me one second and when the reality hits, you blame me. I won't take all the blame; you wanted me too, every time."

"I know," she said brokenly. "I'm sorry." She gathered her things and stumbled out of the room.

Draco let her go. He didn't have the energy to fight with her. Something was wrong, though, and he didn't like not knowing what it was. He'd ask Mrs. Howell if she knew anything. He had to chuckle at the irony. He wasn't even going to be here. He'd gotten a tip he was going to follow up on, but he was just too tired. When Hermione had walked through that door looking like the world was over, he thought maybe she'd told Potter about them. She would have said something if it was that, though. When she kissed him he about gave in to her, but he didn't want to go through the guilt trip with her.

He'd never intended this whole situation to get so complicated. His feelings had been cut and dried: hate, lust, and a need for amusement. After her capture, though, things had shifted. He still hated her, but not for the same reasons. She had freedom. He still wanted her and he hated himself for it. His only satisfaction was that she seemed to be as messed up as he was. He got up and headed to bed.

Several days later Hermione was sitting at her desk, having a hard time focusing. She was afraid she wasn't doing a good job of hiding things from Harry. He had come back after he left her that night, telling her she was right—their love was special because they loved each other despite their faults, not because of the purity of their love. She finally had the relationship of her dreams and she wasn't going to live long enough to enjoy it. She knew going to Draco that day had been wrong. It wouldn't happen again; Harry deserved that much. She would marry him and spend the rest of her time being the best wife she could.

"We haven't been to lunch in forever. I won't take no for an answer." Helen stood in her doorway.

Hermione smiled. "You won't have to. I'm starving." She grabbed her robe and she and Helen headed to an Italian deli. After they got their antipasto salads and had sat down, Helen looked at her.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me it's nothing, either. I know there's something."

Hermione sighed. "There so much, I don't know where to start."

Helen reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "You can tell me. I promise it will go no further than us."

It all came out in tumble before Hermione could even think about it. "I just found out that I'm terminally ill, and I've cheated on my Harry three times now."

Helen looked stunned. "What do you mean, terminally ill?"

"I went to a medi-witch and she told me I have a genetic disorder and gave me two, three years, max." Helen's eyes started to fill with tears. "Oh Helen, it will be okay."

"How can you sit there and say that, Hermione? It's not okay! Have you told Harry yet? Wait—who you have been cheating on him with?"

"No, I haven't told Harry, and I'm not sure I'm going to. Telling him would only break his heart. I'd rather just spend the time I have left being happy and not have this hanging over our heads."

Helen nodded. "I can see your point, but can you really keep this from him? You're only going to get sicker; what about the strain it will put on you to keep this secret?"

"It's nothing more than I deserve. God, I'm a horrible human being and I know it. Maybe it's cosmic punishment, my illness."

"Hermione, no. While I don't approve of cheating, I don't think you get terminal illnesses for it." After a beat Helen asked, "Who having you been seeing, Hermione?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," Helen said.

Hermione debated. She couldn't very well tell her it was Draco Malfoy; for all intents and purposes he was dead. But if she said it was her boss, that would be safe. Helen would never meet him; only Hermione and Mrs. Howell were high enough in the chain of command for that. She looked at Helen. "Number One." Helen gasped and leaned back in her chair.

"Well, I knew you were ambitious, but really, Hermione!" Hermione laughed. "How did you end up hooking up with the boss?"

"Remember when I was gone for those two weeks? I was actually on assignment with him, and one night he just kissed me."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

Hermione was glad Helen wasn't berating her and telling her what an awful person she was. She knew most girls would kill to be the fiancée of Harry Potter.

"Four days ago. I went and saw him after I was diagnosed. I don't even know why I went to see him."

"Yes, you do, Hermione," Helen said gently. "Obviously you were distraught and you thought of him first when you needed comfort."

"I don't know why. He's not what I'd call sensitive."

"No, I don't see someone in his position being warm and fuzzy."

"It was the last time, though. I won't keep doing that to Harry. He loves me so much and I love him. It was just a weak moment." Her eyes started to fill with tears. She hardly ever cried, but it seemed like that was all she did any more.

"It's never easy loving two people."

Hermione's head jerked up. "I don't love him."

Helen shook her head. "Then why wasn't it a one-time thing? Why, when you're the most distressed you've ever been in your life, did you go to him and not Harry for comfort?"

Hermione just shook her head. She didn't know. She didn't love Draco—how could she? He was cruel and manipulative. She avoided Helen's gaze and shoved a bite of salad into her mouth. Her mind was asking questions she didn't want to acknowledge. Helen sensed she didn't want to talk about it any more and kept quiet.

They finished their salads and got up to go. Helen pulled Hermione into her arms and gave her a bear-hug. "If you need anything, I'm always here." Hermione hugged her back; she felt much better having told someone about her dark secrets. Then she pulled back.

"I know this sounds awful after what I told you, but would you like to be my maid of honor?"

Helen paused. "Everyone makes mistakes. I'm just worried that you might be making one by marrying Harry because you feel it's the right thing to do, not because it's what you really want."

Hermione knew Helen was just trying to help. "I want to marry Harry; I love him more than anything. I want to spend what little time I have left with him. I don't love anyone but him."

Helen looked into her eyes for a moment. "I would be honored to be your maid of honor." Hermione slipped her arm through Helen's and they headed back to the Ministry.
She wasn't feeling well today, so she decided to stay home. She faked going to work so Harry wouldn't demand she go see a medi-witch. It had been a week since the lunch with Helen where Hermione had spilled all. She couldn't get what Helen had said out of her head. She didn't love two people, she loved one—Harry. Which she knew seemed absurd, because if she did, why then had she slept with Draco? Something about him pushed her buttons. All her self control seemed to go out the window around him. He was like an itch she couldn't scratch enough. She'd tried to forget him, but it was as if her mind had a will of its own. Her thoughts would stray to him. Part of her wanted to go back to when she'd been blissfully unaware of the flaws in her and Harry's relationship, to have never known Draco Malfoy was alive. She knew she was being unreasonable. Draco wasn't forcing her to cheat ,and he definitely hadn't made her go to his house and jump him. It was just easier to blame him for her weakness. The way he looked at her, with hate and lust, exactly the way she felt about him—it was sexual attraction, pure and simple. Not love.
Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. She was stunning. She stood in a bridal shop trying on dresses. This one was made of white satin, strapless with a V in the back. It had a two-foot train with the same design on it as the bodice. The design was simple but elegant, swirls of gold and silver thread. She'd never felt so beautiful. She turned to look over her shoulder. Her mum had tears in her eyes, and Helen's mouth was hanging open. Yes, this was the dress.

She and Harry had decided to get married in three months' time. Hermione was starting to feel more and more tired. Harry was harping about the weight she had lost. She had gone to the medi-witch again and was given an appetite enhancer. It helped; he had stopped harping. One night last month he'd asked her to set a date for the wedding, holding his breath as he did so. It broke her heart to think he believed she no longer wanted to get married. Something had changed between them—her. He knew it too. She was hiding things, but he never pressed. She'd asked him how he felt about a September wedding and he had said it would be perfect. So here she was, knowing she was living on borrowed time, getting ready to marry Harry Potter. The saleswitch buzzed around her, telling her how beautiful she looked.

"I'll take the dress." Hermione got off the platform and headed back into the dressing room.

Helen followed her in to help undo the buttons. She paused. "How are you feeling?" she asked quietly.

"The medicine helps with my appetite, and I just fight through the fatigue."

"Harry is worried about you, you know that." Helen was looking at her eyes in the mirror.

"I know, but I don't want my illness to be the center of our lives."

"Your not telling him is making it so."

"I'll tell him after the wedding."

Helen opened her mouth to say something else and then shut it. "You do what you feel is best. I just care about you."

Hermione turned to hug her. "I know. I feel very lucky to have you as a friend." They smiled and then chatted about accessories.

After the dress shop they headed out to get some food. A necklace in a shop window caught Hermione's eye. She told Helen and her mum to go on ahead and she'd catch up. The necklace was magnificent. She'd never seen anything like it. It was so delicate looking. It was made of white gold and diamonds and looked like a twig with little shots of gold along it, with diamonds on the end coming off a circle. It would go really well with her wedding dress. She was debating whether or not to move on when she was caught by surprise by a familiar voice.

"That's a beautiful necklace. Think you could pull it off?" She turned to stare into Draco's eyes.

"Go crawl back into the cave you came from."

He merely smirked. His eyes searched her face, taking in her pale skin and tired eyes. She shifted her weight, uncomfortable with his scrutiny, and was about to say something witty when he touched her arm and asked, "Are you well?"

She wasn't sure what to say. Part of her was curious to see what his reaction would be if she told him she was terminally ill. The other half told her to keep her mouth shut, that no good could come from his knowing. "Wedding plans and all; haven't been getting much sleep."

He glared. Her body hummed with his nearness. Just then her stomach growled. He smiled and said, "You should get some food, Granger. You don't want to lose any more weight. People might mistake you for dead soon."

She paled. She knew he'd said it as a joke, but it hit too close to home. Unfortunately, he saw her reaction.

"I was only kidding. Come on, there's a café around the corner. We'll grab something to eat."

She shook her head. "I can't. I'm meeting my mum and a friend. I sent them ahead to find a table."

He shrugged. "Good-bye, then." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. She froze; she hadn't been expecting that. Before she could recover he was gone. She gazed one last time at the necklace and then headed to meet Helen and her mum.
Time flew, and before she knew it it was September. She and Harry were hosting several of their friends and her family for the wedding rehearsal dinner. Hermione was getting nervous; it was only natural, although Harry didn't seem to be having any pre-wedding jitters. Once again she was not feeling well. She had sneaked into the bathroom earlier to take a pain blocker. When she came out, Harry was looking at her. She laughed and smiled at all her friends and family. Everyone was so happy. People kept telling her what a perfect couple they made. Hermione agreed. They were perfect; if only she wasn't so weak. She was determined to turn over a new leaf after the wedding. She would no longer think of Draco; she would focus all her love and attention on Harry. She wanted to leave him with enough memories to make it through the tough times without her.

Helen came over to her and slipped her arm around her shoulders. "You're not smiling. What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking of how little time I have left. How much I want to do before I'm no longer here."

"Those aren't the type of thoughts you should be having the night before your wedding."

Hermione was aware of that; she just couldn't help herself. Moments like this came more and more often. At first it was hard to take her illness seriously. She felt fine at first. Later, though, as she got sicker, it starting hitting home that there would come a point where she didn't exist any more. She wasn't afraid of death. She was more worried about Harry.

Soon after her conversation with Helen the party died down and everyone not going out with the boys drifted home. Hermione had opted out of having a girls-only party. She and Helen started cleaning up the house. Hermione paused for a second to wonder what Draco was doing, then firmly set him out of her mind.

She was about to say goodbye to Helen when she heard a tapping sound. She walked to the window in the living room, where a dark grey and white owl hovered, and opened it. The owl came in and landed gracefully on the coffee table, a package in its beak. Hermione took it and saw that it was addressed to her. As the owl flew away she started to open it, aware that Helen had moved closer. Hermione opened the outer wrapping to reveal a nondescript box. She lifted the lid, already having a feeling she knew what it held. Inside was the necklace she had been looking at several months ago.

"Oh my," Helen said. She plucked it out of Hermione's hands and moved behind to put the necklace on her. Hermione started to protest, but it was already on. Helen directed her to the mirror in the entryway and they both stared at her reflection in silence. The necklace was stunning on her, just like the dress had been.

Helen finally realized how unenthusiastic Hermione was. She looked for a card; not seeing one, she put two and two together. "It's from Number—him, isn't it?" Hermione nodded. "Does he know you're getting married tomorrow?" Hermione shrugged; she didn't know if Draco knew the wedding date. She wouldn't put it past him to mess with her head like this. "I thought you broke it off with him, Hermione." There was a definite censorious tone in Helen's voice.

"I did—well, there was never really anything to break off. That day when I was trying on my wedding dress and I sent you ahead to find a table, I was looking at this necklace in a shop window. He just happened to be passing by. I never asked him to buy it for me!"

"Are you going to send it back?"

"I love it, but it wouldn't be right to keep it." Hermione turned around and grabbed her robe and wand.

"Where are you going?" Helen asked.

"I'm going to return the necklace."

Helen stepped in front of her and grabbed her shoulders. "Do you think that's a good idea? Remember what happens every time you see him?"

"This time is different. I've made my decision. Harry and I are going to be married tomorrow and nothing is going to happen." Helen looked doubtful. "I need to do this."

Helen sighed and released her, giving her a quick hug. "Be careful." Hermione smiled at her and walked out the door.
AN: Up next is the wedding—or is it? The conclusion is in sight. Thanks for reading.
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