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Lessons and Obsessions	By : LennaNightrunner Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 84546 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2
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
- 16
- 17
- 18
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: VOLATILITY

They had only just sat down to dinner and already Hermione
was fervently wishing she had an invisibility cloak. Mrs. Malfoy
had waited to seat herself until they arrived, and Hermione felt as if her
appearance was being thoroughly scrutinized during the few moments they all
stood by the dinner table. She was very glad she�d borrowed proper dress robes,
even though she felt like an imposter in them.

�Miss Granger,� Narcissa extended
her hand and clasped Hermione�s in a way that betrayed no disinclination to
have physical contact with a muggle-born witch. This
surprised Hermione, but she was by no means put off her guard. �Lovely to meet you at last. Draco�s told me so much about
you.�

Hermione�s instinctive response was I highly doubt that, but she opted for something she hoped would
sound slightly less defensive.

�All bad, I hope?� she joked timidly, but immediately
regretted it. Mrs. Malfoy was completely silent and
straight-faced, and Draco fidgeted nervously at her side. It was going to be a
very long meal.

Narcissa continued as if Hermione
had simply returned a polite greeting and led them over to their seats. �I�m
sorry that my husband won�t be able to join us. I�m sure you�re aware that he�s
otherwise engaged.�

Hermione swallowed nervously and her eyes darted to Draco
for help, but he shook his head nearly imperceptibly. She decided that it would
be best to simply nod in response.

�Do sit down,� Narcissa said
almost too cheerily.

It wasn�t until Hermione was seated that she realized her
legs were shaking. Why was she so afraid of this awful woman? They were only
having dinner, after all. And really, what did Hermione know about Narcissa Malfoy anyway? Maybe she
was a perfectly charming woman whose reputation was overshadowed by her
husband. Perhaps if Hermione just focused on the food and tried not to speak
too much�

Draco watched his mother carefully, trying to anticipate the
direction in which their dinner conversation was headed. He looked at Granger
out of the corner of his eye, and as the house elves brought in the first
course, he could see her visibly restraining her outrage. How could he have
forgotten her ridiculous obsession with house elf rights? He willed her not to
say anything.

Keeping quiet became far more difficult as the house elves
began to serve dinner, but Hermione was determined to let the issue go. She was
a guest in this house, and this was just the way that things were done in most
old wizarding families. Of course, Lucius had been very cruel to Dobby, but that didn�t
necessarily mean that these house elves were mistreated. Even if they were, the
middle of dinner might not be the best time to try to liberate them. Hermione
took several deep, calming breaths and focused on the bowl of cream of celery
soup that had been placed in front of her. It smelled delicious.

Soup. Great.
This could only mean one thing: five courses. Seven, if his mother really
wanted more time to extract information from the two of them. Draco resigned
himself to a lengthy evening. He would�ve felt sorry for Granger if he wasn�t
so preoccupied worrying about himself.

For a few minutes the only sounds were of silver spoons
clinking against china bowls. Hermione felt as if she�d never concentrated so
hard on not slurping in her entire life. She mentally thanked her parents for
bringing her up with some semblance of proper etiquette. She might be all right
on that score after all. There didn�t seem to be any extra spoons, at any rate.

Narcissa�s crisp tones broke the
silence as she focused her attention on Hermione. Mrs. Malfoy
was at the head of the table, while Draco was opposite her at the other end,
and Hermione was caught in between them in the middle of one of the long sides.

�Draco tells me you have top marks, Miss Granger; that
you�re Head Girl, in fact.�

Hermione swallowed and dabbed her mouth with her napkin before
speaking. �Yes. I�m quite honored.�

Draco watched the conversation in silence. It felt like
every fiber of his being was standing at attention.

�You needn�t be so modest. You earned the position, I�m
sure.�

To this, Hermione simply smiled weakly.

Narcissa continued without
demanding a response. �I�m sure that a talented witch such as yourself has many opportunities at her doorstep. What do you
plan to do after Hogwarts?�

Hermione found herself alarmed rather than put at ease by Narcissa�s compliments. She hadn�t expected them, and they
worried her. Was she being judged on her answers? Was Narcissa
simply trying to be a good hostess, with no dark ulterior motives?

�If things go as planned, then I think I�d like to become an
Auror� but I haven�t decided anything yet. As you
said, there are so many opportunities. I can see myself being happy at the
Ministry, but perhaps it would be nice to travel a bit first or even go to
University.�

At the other end of the table, Draco flinched.

�University? Ah yes, those Muggle schools,� Narcissa said
without malice as she recollected the meaning of the strange word. �What
exactly would you study there?�

Feeling that this line of questioning couldn�t possibly lead
anywhere good, Hermione backpedaled. How could she have been so stupid as to
highlight her parentage? She might as well have been wearing a t-shirt that
said �Muggle-born� or put it up in a flashing magical
marquee over her head.

�It was just a thought, really. I don�t think that I�ll go,
I just� I just wanted to have a few options.�

Narcissa nodded her understanding
and smiled in a way that reminded Hermione of Draco when he had a particularly
nasty plot up his sleeve. She was very glad when the salad arrived so she would
have something to distract herself with, even if Narcissa�s
questioning did not cease.

�It�s very sensible to keep one�s options open, especially
when one has so many. Draco is both lucky and unlucky in that some of his
future has already been decided. He�ll manage the family affairs, as is his
duty. And marry, of course.�

Both Draco and Hermione were practically frozen in fearful
anticipation during these few sentences, but Narcissa
continued as if this were nothing more than a casual chat.

�Do you intend to get married, Miss Granger?� She said this
with an interested smile.

Hermione was taken aback. �Yes, I, well� If
the right person were to� That is, I�ve always hoped I would.�

Naricssa nodded, still smiling
politely as she took dainty bites of her salad. �Children?�

Hermione nearly choked, but hid it well. �I hadn�t thought��

�Mother.� Draco�s voice was firm,
his face expressionless.

Narcissa waved off her son�s
warning with a charming laugh, as if he were being silly. �I�m just curious,
Draco. I want to get to know your friend.�

The subtle emphasis on the word �friend� was not lost on
either Draco or Hermione.

Draco persisted, trying to keep the conversation light
without letting his mother continue interrogating Granger. No good could come
of that. �She�ll be here for another week. You don�t have to get it all out of
her in one go.�

�Am I asking too many questions, dear?� Narcissa
asked innocently.

As is often true, it was necessary to lie to be polite. �No,
Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you for your interest.�

Having been given free reign by the person she knew wouldn�t
be able to deter her, Narcissa continued. �It�s just
that Draco�s never brought a young lady home before, so you must be special.�

Again there was a dangerous emphasis on the last word. They
had officially come to the point that both Draco and Hermione had been
dreading. The fatal mistake that Draco had made. He
watched Granger carefully as she contemplated how to answer.

�I assure you I�m not,� Hermione said firmly, showing a
good-natured smile to keep things light.

�Nonsense, Miss Granger,� Narcissa
said with the predatory smirk her son had inherited. �I already find you
fascinating.�

Hermione was used to this look, and though her heart was
beating twice as quickly as usual, she managed a serenely polite reply. �You�re
too kind, Mrs. Malfoy.�

The tension between the two women was palpable, and Draco
wondered miserably how long this ordeal could go on. His mother had her claws
out, and Granger had her armor up. It was like watching an epic duel in very
slow motion. Between bites of spinach and endive salad.

And there were still three bloody courses to go�

****

Draco knocked on the door for the sake of politeness, though
he wasn�t sure he was in much better of a state than Granger was at that point.

�Please go away. I just want to be alone.�

Ignoring her plea, Draco opened the door and stepped in,
closing and locking it behind him. �Then you should�ve gone to your own room.�

Hermione was genuinely surprised when she looked up and
found that she was in fact in his bedroom. She really had meant to go to the
guest room. She�d even pulled off the dress robes she�d borrowed out of spite
and was sitting on his bed wearing only a slip and her knickers. �Sorry� Wasn�t really paying attention.�

She wasn�t crying, but she still managed to look quite upset
even without tears. Her face was pinked and her eyes had a strange quality to
them. �You need a thicker skin, Granger,� Draco said as he walked over to sit
next to her on the bed. �I seem to recall a witch who had a sharp tongue and a
rather solid fist. What ever happened to her, do you
think?�

�She�s gone,� Hermione said with a note of defeat. �And all
that�s left is some spineless little girl who cares what Narcissa
Malfoy thinks. It�s entirely your fault!� She glared
at him half-heartedly.

Draco fought the urge to snap at Granger for a moment and tried
to be reasonable (something that could be quite difficult for him to do). There
were implications to her statement that he didn�t want to deal with at the
moment. But she was right about one thing: he was at fault. The dinner had been
a disaster, but his mother wasn�t a bad person. He understood exactly why she
had asked every one of those questions. It was his fault that this whole thing
had even happened in the first place.

�I know you won�t believe this, but she can�t help it. That�s
just how our world is. You would--� He was going to say, You would�ve done the same, but as he spoke he realized that Granger
really wouldn�t have done. She wasn�t that kind of person.

�I don�t know why I agreed to come here,� Hermione continued
on as if he hadn�t spoken. �We�ve made everything so much worse. She knows, and
I wouldn�t be surprised if the Order knew I was here, and it�s only a matter of
time before someone at Hogwarts finds out and then��

Her frantic high-pitched chatter was in stark contrast to
the level calmness of Draco�s voice as he cut her off. �And then what? It�s finished?�

�I�� Hermione looked at him, shocked by the question, but he
didn�t give her time to answer.

�Do you want it to be finished?� Draco shifted and pushed
her down onto the bed in one fluid movement. He pinned Hermione�s body with his
own and looked at her, knowing that she was feeling the same thrill he did at
the fact that only their clothing (and there wasn�t much to speak of on her) separated
them as he straddled her.

�No�� was the obvious answer. Neither of them wanted it to
be over. Even if they wanted to stop, how could they possibly keep their hands
off each other for very long? They both seemed determined to move recklessly
forward with this no matter what happened or who found out. Narcissa
was only the first.

�Then don�t care,� Draco demanded. His hot breath tickled
Hermione�s face as he stared at her intently.

She squirmed beneath him, fighting his logic, which was
inescapable but impossible to accept. �It�s not that simple.�

�Yes, it is. Stop caring.� His gaze bore into her, and if he
had told her that the sky had never been blue, she might have accepted it as
fact. But even as she nodded slowly in acquiescence to his order, she knew she
was lying. She could no more stop caring what Narcissa
Malfoy thought of her than she could stop caring
about Draco. And as hard as she had tried to accomplish that lately, it was
becoming even more impossible to do.

She was lying, and Draco knew it. She couldn�t just make
herself stop caring about what his mother thought. About the torturous two
hours they�d just spent over dinner. About how everything was
only going to get worse. But perhaps he could. He�d make her not care,
even if he had to drive every thought from both their minds to do it. And in
the process, maybe he�d make himself not care as well.

�Tell me one of your fantasies, Granger,� Draco said softly
as he released her and settled himself at her side.

She looked over at him, startled. �What? No,
I� why?�

He watched the range of emotions play over her face with
fascination. Confusion, denial, embarrassment, curiosity, all
in a split second. �I know you have them. I�ve seen some of them,
remember?�

Hermione�s face felt hot and she looked away from Malfoy. �I can�t��

Draco placed a hand on Granger�s face and guided her head
back so that she was looking at him again. �Tell me everything. Every detail,
start to finish.�

For once in their relationship, he wanted to hear her talk.
To hear her voice explain every minute detail of every unspoken desire she�d
ever had. He wanted her to talk and never stop so that all he could hear or
think about was her voice describing the things only he had ever done to her. And
then he wanted to fuck her. Things made sense when he fucked her. Things made
sense when all that existed was sex; no school, no friends, no family, no war,
just skin and saliva and cum. When he fucked Granger, everything was simple and
right, and nothing could touch him. It didn�t matter
that he�d already had her once that day: the moment it was over he wanted it to
start again.

Hermione considered his request for a moment, trying not to
be affected by the familiar-yet-strange need in his eyes. The idea had some
appeal, though it also mortified her. How would she ever get the words out? �You�ll
think it�s silly. I�ll sound so stupid��

�Just start talking.� He watched her intently.

She hesitated for a few moments more, looking at him
anxiously, wondering what he was expecting. �All right� but don�t judge me.�

He made an insistent noise and resumed watching her in
silence. It was more than a little unnerving.

She swallowed. �All right, I� I�m in my room at school��

�Close your eyes,� he interrupted in a low tone.

Hermione obeyed him and let her eyes close. This made her
even more aware of his presence, but in an exciting sort of way. She could
feel, hear, smell him there. Every part of him seemed
to be anticipating what she would say. �And I�m in bed, and� and you��

Draco stopped her for a moment, wanting to make sure that
all of this would be genuine. Not just a show for him. Something
real that was caught up in that busy little head. He didn�t care who or
what it was about: he wanted to know what made her wet, what made her come.

�It doesn�t have to be about me.�

She kept her eyes closed, hesitated, and then smiled. �All
the best ones are about you.�

Never would he have anticipated that answer. The response
was playful and even flirtatious, but also felt honest. He wasn�t sure how to
feel about such an inadvertent compliment. �I� Go on.�

�I�m� I�m lying in bed, and I�ve fallen half asleep��
Hermione shifted to make herself more comfortable
against the pillows. She tried to immerse herself in the fantasy, remember
every detail, like Malfoy wanted her to. Her stomach
quaked with excitement and she had barely begun. �You�ve somehow come to the
window� like you did before.�

Draco watched as she licked her lips nervously, and waited
for her to continue.

�But I don�t hear you because I�ve nodded off. And you come
to my bed and you get under the duvet without waking me somehow� I�m wearing a
nightshirt and knickers and you� you touch one of my breasts��

Hermione gasped as Draco�s hand gently caressed the side of
her left breast through the thin silk slip.

�Go on,� he whispered darkly as his hand moved over her
breast, avoiding the nipple for the moment.

�And then� and then�� Hermione struggled to keep her eyes
closed and made a sound of frustrated embarrassment as the feel of Malfoy�s warm hand provided a wonderful distraction. �I
can�t. I don�t think I can say all of it.�

�Would you rather show me?� His request lingered in the air
for a moment while Hermione�s mind raced back to the time he had forced his way
into her thoughts in order to see her fantasies.

It would be easier to show him, but she wasn�t sure she was
ready to let him back into her head. At least if she were telling him the
fantasy, she would be in control. �No��

�Then keep talking,� his voice was somehow encouraging and
commanding at the same time.

She shook her head in indecision, trying to figure out how
to proceed. �I��

�I was touching you here, right?� Draco squeezed her breast gently
for emphasis.

She gasped. �Y-yes.�

�Then what do I do?� he asked patiently.

�Then� then I begin to wake up, and you don�t want me to
scream, so you� you cover my mouth.�

Draco cupped his left hand over Granger�s delicate little
mouth and her eyelids flew open. He stared intently into her eyes, awaiting
further instructions. Of course, he knew that she wouldn�t be able to talk if
he stayed like that, so he slid his hand downward a few inches so that her lips
were uncovered.

�And how do you feel when you realize I�m there?� he asked
calmly, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

�I�m frightened. Because� because this is before that time.�
He understood that she meant the time he�d actually come to her bed. The night of the storm. �You�re not supposed to be here.�

�No, I�m not,� he said with the smallest trace of a smirk. �Bad Draco.�

�And I�m� I�m not sure what you�re going to do.� There was a
hint of alarm in her eyes. �What if you hurt me?�

�I do have a history.�

�I think maybe I ought to call for help, but you��

In anticipation of her next words, Draco covered her mouth
again, smirking as her eyes reflected the fear of her fantasy counterpart. She
was good at this game already.

�Don�t scream,� Draco ordered in a whisper, trying to be the
version of himself that belonged in this imagining. He
moved his hand again so that she could speak.

�I� I try to get up, but��

Draco moved his right hand from her breast to pin down her
left arm.

�I try to reach for my wand�� Hermione�s right arm reached
toward the bedside table where her wand would have been in her fantasy, but
Draco�s other hand left her mouth and pinned that arm too.

�Tsk, tsk,
Granger,� He smirked in predatory victory. �Not very vigilant.
How will you get out of this one?�

She visibly shivered beneath him, and it was fear and
arousal all at once when the real Granger and her fantasy counterpart inhabited
her body simultaneously. �I think that maybe now I can scream because you�re
using both hands, but��

Draco leaned down and roughly covered her mouth with his own
to silence her. She struggled like she hadn�t done since he first pursued her,
and he was impressed by her dedication to this enactment. When he finally
released her lips, she looked breathless and defeated.

�You can�t tell me you didn�t enjoy that.� His voice dripped
self-satisfaction.

She pleaded, looking desperate. �Please, just tell me what
you want.�

His smile was confident and possessive, as if he knew he
would get what he wanted. �You.�

�Please�� She struggled, but his hands held her firmly.
Draco noted that if she really had wanted to escape, she was strong enough to
put up a much better fight.

�You want it, too.� Fantasy Draco spoke through his voice.

�No, I would never�� The helpless version of Granger shook
her head while the real Hermione unconsciously nudged her hips against his in
want.

�Don�t lie to me, mudblood.� Draco
had stopped using that term around her, but he was certain that his fantasy
self was not quite so conscientious.

Hermione shivered and tried not to reveal how much of an
effect that word had on her. �I...�

�Relax, pet,� Malfoy purred in a
way that was not reassuring at all. �I promise you�ll like this.�

Granger seemed to come back to her senses a bit, if only
just enough to distinguish the part of herself that
was relating the fantasy from the one that was a character in it. �And then you�
You lift my shirt, and you� you lick��

�Like this?� asked Draco as he roughly pulled Granger�s slip
up to reveal her breasts and began lapping hungrily at her left nipple.

Hermione and Fantasy Hermione were one in their approval as
her eyes slid closed again. �Yes, yes, just like that��

Draco paused in his ministrations to examine the look of
ecstasy on her face. �See, you�re already enjoying yourself.�

�No, I can�t�� The character was in control again.

�You can and you shall.� He dipped his head to her right
nipple and began licking.

She groaned, but still protested. �Please don�t hurt me.�

He barely lifted his head from his task to answer her. �If I
do hurt you, it doesn�t necessarily follow that you won�t like it.�

Hermione groaned as his tongue swirled around her nipple. He
ground his hips against hers insistently and she could feel the extent to which
she�d aroused him. Her fantasy self knew there was no escape.

�You�� Hermione-the-narrator gasped as he bit very gently on
her nipple before soothing it with his tongue. �You promise that� that if I
stop fighting, you�ll make it feel even better.�

�And I will,� he assured her as he moved to lap at her neck
feverishly. There was just something about her neck, how she shivered when he
kissed, licked, bit her there. The noises she made.

The fictional Hermione wasn�t sure why she trusted him.
Maybe she didn�t, but it felt too good to argue. Draco Malfoy
was in her room, and he wanted her. And this version of herself
wasn�t as strong or as brave as she was. She didn�t want to be strong or brave.
She wanted to give in. She wanted him to take what he wanted. She wanted to
feel good now and worry about the consequences later. So she stopped fighting.

Draco could feel the tension leave her muscles, so he let go
of her arms and used one of his own to hold himself up, allowing the other one
to trail down her stomach to her knickers. She gasped as his fingers grazed
over the thin fabric, and he felt her hips jerk up to get more contact with his
hand. She was so hot, and there was a damp spot that urged him on.

She sighed and gasped as his hang stroked gently over the
part of her that wanted him so badly. She resented the stupid cloth that he
wouldn�t remove, and how it dulled the sensations. Blindly, for she couldn�t
keep her eyes open, she began unbuttoning his shirt. It took far longer than
she would�ve liked due to the fact that she had to do it by feel and that she
was distracted by his fingers stroking teasingly over her, but she finally did
it, and he pulled it off and discarded it.

Draco watched in pleased amazement as her hands wandered his
chest down to his trousers. Her eyes were still closed, the silly little witch.
He stroked her encouragingly, but still did not allow her the pleasure of
feeling his fingers directly on her sensitive skin. He wanted her to really
want it. She got the buckle of his belt and the button and zipper of the
trousers undone with surprising ease compared with his shirt, and because he
needed his hands to remove the rest of his clothes, he grabbed her hand and
placed it over her knickers.

Hermione made a sort of surprised and turned-on noise as he
guided her hand to her knickers. After an embarrassed
moment, she began rubbing herself through the fabric, wanting so badly to slip
her hand beneath the waistband and let her fingers get slick in her own wetness
and slide over her clit again and again until she came. But she knew Malfoy well enough to know that if he hadn�t given her
permission, she might regret it. It wasn�t fair! How could she want him so
badly when not eight hours ago they had done this? She should be sore and
satisfied, but even though she was a bit tender, her body was still begging for
more of him.

Draco removed the rest of his clothing in record time and
turned back to Granger. For a moment he simply watched her rub her slender
fingers over the damp fabric that was visibly frustrating her, and then he
moved back over her and pulled her hand away, pinning it and her other hand
together above her head. She whimpered, moving her hips up toward him in an
effort to regain some sort of contact. He pressed his leg down between hers and
was delighted when she began rubbing herself against it, desperate for whatever
friction she could get. He had seen her wanton before, but this was a sight to
behold.

The game had ended long ago and neither of them seemed to
notice.

�Tell me how badly you want it,� Draco growled as he tugged
the slip over her head and pinned her arms again.

�So badly�� she breathed, unabashedly grinding her hips
against his bare leg.

Draco hooked the fingers of his other hand in the waistband
of her knickers teasingly. �I�ll give it to you if you ask.�

Hermione hesitated, eyes still closed and breathing hard.
All pride had been abandoned. She felt there was nothing she wouldn�t do for
him now. �Will you please, Draco?�

�Will I what?� he tugged on the
elastic as she continued to press the damp fabric against him.

�You know�� she faltered, opening her eyes to look at him
hesitantly.

He raised an eyebrow. �I thought you didn�t want it. I
thought you would never��

�Please�� she insisted, a note of desperation in her voice.

�Please what?� he
persisted.

She groaned in frustration and her eyes squeezed shut again.
�Please, touch� f-fuck� anything, please.�

Draco smirked. �Oh, don�t say anything, pet. You might not know what you�re in for.�

�I don�t care,� she gasped as he traced his finger just
underneath the edge of the waistband.

�Yes, you do.�

She opened her eyes and met his gaze defiantly. �No, I
don�t.�

He moved his hand away and looked at her intently. She had
stopped her frantic grinding but she was still glowing with need. �What don�t
you care about?�

Hermione tried to tug her hands free so she could do
something to get what her body wanted, but still Draco held her. She was almost crying, she was so frustrated. �Anything, I don�t care about anything
except that I need you.�She hooked her legs around his hips and tried to pull
him down against her. �I-I need you to touch, to be inside, I need you, Draco,
please!�

Draco was still for a moment, his body pressed flush against
hers, unable to distinguish where her need ended and his began. Her moment of
not caring was beautiful to witness, and he wanted to join her in it. The
cursed barrier of her knickers was done away with, and that long-anticipated
moment of skin on skin was heavenly.

As he gave in and claimed the witch who was so perfectly
ready for him, he found that there was not a thing that he could be bothered
with so long as that heat surrounded him and the words I need you, Draco rushed through his consciousness. He knew it wouldn�t
last, of course. But he didn�t care.

*****

A/N: Whew! Seems like that took forever to
write. Smut takes me a really long time to write for some reason, but
the trade-off is that you guys get a longer chapter! Woo! I�d love to hear what
you guys think about Narcissa, since I�m still unsure
about my characterization of her. Haven�t decided how big of a role she�ll be
playing in the rest of the fic yet. As always,
special thanks to my bodacious beta, Twist Shimmy, for her indispensible editing
and brainstorming help.

PotterEntourage�I�m so glad you
liked the letter and Narcissa! That makes me feel
loads better about both. Thanks for picking out the etiquette book question,
too: that�s one of my favorite parts of the chapter. Thanks for the very
positive feedback! :D

miahdrake�Aww,
thanks so much! Yeah, �sexy bastard� is pretty much what I�m going for. He has
to be hot to get away with being such a jerk! Thanks for the review, and I�ll
try to keep updating as often as I can.

Izzie�Thanks! The holiday visit
sort of came out of nowhere, but it seems to have worked out well and I�m very glad
about that. Haha, and thank you for the encouragement about my non-smutty
chapters. I like to think that I can keep people interested without constant
sex! :)

Liz�Thank you :). Narcissa has
been challenging for me, but I�m glad people seem to like my portrayal of her.
Draco is difficult and doesn�t get easier, but he�s worth it. I�m glad people
seem to think I�ve gotten him right (most of the time) as well. It�s very
encouraging!

LancesPet�Here�s the next chapter.
Sorry it took a little while, but it�s so long! Is it everything you hoped for?

kazfeist�Now that you�ve seen the dinner conversation, what did you
think? I know Hermione�s a little meeker than is usual for her, but I wanted to
emphasize just how important this is to her even though she wishes it wasn�t. I
think she held her own, but she definitely wasn�t the firecracker we know and
love. At least she had excellent manners!

paigeey07�Okay, here is more. Good? I�ll try to post more
soon. ;)

Dreamweaver�Yeah, poor Draco. He�s
really screwed. But I think he�s finally making an honest effort, which is a
good sign. I never know what he�s going to do next. Glad you liked the letters!
They were a lot of fun to write. The spoon thing is one of my favorite bits
(and it came up again in this chapter if you noticed), so I�m glad you liked
it. As always, thank you for your regular and encouraging reviews!

scarletwitchextreme�What did you think of Hermione meeting Narcissa?
It was such a strange and difficult conversation to write, but I hope it turned
out all right. I�m really glad you like my Draco. He can be so hard to write
and I get frustrated with him a lot, but I like the way he turns out.

SparklingJewel�Thanks so much! That�s
very high praise. Hope you liked this chapter, and I�ll try to update as soon
as I can.
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Lessons and Obsessions