Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Bound	By : goldhorse Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 126120 -:- Recommendations : 15 -:- Currently Reading : 31
Disclaimer: JK owns HP. Not me. I also don't own any quotes you might recognize. I make no money doing this, I just get the plot bunnies to quit interrupting my sleep.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
Draco felt butterfly kisses trailing down his neck. He smiled softly and cracked his eyes open to watch as his wife lavished him with attention. Since Melody had sat down and leveled with her, she was much more relaxed. If he’d known that all she needed was little reassurance, he would have given it to her in spades. She’d somehow kept that part of her separate from him which was a feat. They hardly had any secrets anymore.

“Happy Christmas Draco,” Hermione breathed in his ear as she nipped the lobe playfully.

“Happy Christmas to you too.” He groaned when she softly bit his nipple. She kissed her way down his chest and dipped her tongue in his belly button, causing him to squirm and try to push her off him.

“Oh no you don’t,” she said mischievously. She launched herself over him, grabbing his arms and wrapping them up with something.

He looked up to see a red silk tie wrapped around his hands and then tied to the headboard. His eyes widened in surprise. “Let me up!”

“Nope.” She grinned. “It’s my turn to be in charge.” She dragged her fingernails lightly down his arms to his chest, causing him to shiver. “Consider it my Christmas present.” She giggled as she ripped the covers back to admire his nude form.

He felt himself harden painfully at the feral look in her eyes. Ever since she’d found her animagus form, she’d been a bit more confident in herself and as a result, less shy in the bedroom. He hated to be tied up but if this was the kind of attention he would be getting, he’d stay this way forever.

Hermione grinned when she heard his thoughts. She’d been terrified to try anything and finally gotten up in the middle of the night to have a chat with Melody about it. She and the outspoken American woman had become quite close in such a short time. She got on well with Harmony too but the quiet twin was so frail that she had to stay inside while everyone else went outside to practice.

“Here,” Melody had said as she handed her the red silk ties. “Just surprise him and wrap them around his hands a couple of times and then around the bedpost. He might fight for a second but he’ll give up pretty damn fast, trust me.”

Hermione smirked a bit at that thought and leaned down to kiss Draco’s waist line. His member twitched in anticipation and she licked her lips. She hadn’t tried this yet, too scared and shy to even broach the subject. Hearing her husband suck in a deep breath in realization, she smiled and scooted further down. Seeing his surprise and feeling his excitement spurred her on.

She caressed his length a few times, studying it and enjoying the silky hardness sliding through her fingers. Slowly, she leaned down and kissed the tip gently. Then she tentatively licked a long stroke from base to tip. Draco let out a guttural groan as her tongue passed over his slit. Encouraged by his reaction, she slipped just the tip into her mouth and sucked gently.

“Fuck!” Draco shouted. She was driving him absolutely insane. Her timid exploration of his cock had him panting in pleasure. He’d had plenty of blow jobs in the past but no one had ever taken the time to study his every reaction. Suddenly, he was engulfed in a wet, hot paradise. He groaned in pleasure. She started bobbing up and down slowly, unable to entirely take his considerable length. She brought her other hand to stroke the base in time.

He relished the absolute ecstasy she was providing him. The bond sent him her feelings of pleasure and arousal. Coupled with his, he knew he wasn’t going to last. “STOP!” He screamed.

She backed away, a hurt expression on her face. “Did I do something wrong?” She asked in a tiny voice.

“Merlin no,” He panted. “I want to be inside you. Please!”

She smiled softly and climbed up his body to give him a soft kiss. He bucked up, grinding his length into her thigh and deepened the kiss. She kissed him back ferociously, positioning herself over him. She sunk down gradually, relishing the feeling of fullness, of being complete. Their bodies glowed as she rocked back and forth at an unhurried pace.

They’d become more familiar with each other’s bodies in the past few days together. He knew that she was close, feeling it through the bond and her shaking thighs. He bucked up hard, trying to hit the perfect spot that would make her scream. He loved to see her lose control. “Untie me!”

“No, you’ll take over,” She gasped.

“I promise I won’t,” he pleaded. “Please, I need to touch you!”

She bit her lip and searched his thoughts, seeing only his sincerity. She undid the ties and gasped as he grabbed her waist and pushed her over him roughly. He leaned up a bit to grab a nipple in his mouth and she gasped at the new angle. He plowed into her like a man possessed.

Their bodies started glowing brightly and they reached their peaks at the same time. Hermione collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily.

“Enjoy your Christmas present?” Draco drawled after he caught his breath.

“Immensely,” She sighed. The laid there for a minute until they heard voices down stairs.

“I swear to Merlin Melody, if you don’t let me put up silencing charms, I’m going to hex you into the middle of next week,” Snape growled.

“Oh shut up bat, you’re just jealous,” She said tiredly.

Snape snorted. “Hardly.”

“So that wasn’t you that I saw lurking behind my door in the wee hours of the morning then?” Melody chortled.

“That is of no consequence,” he drawled.

Hermione groaned in mortification. Draco chuckled and brought her face up to meet his. “You were brilliant,” he whispered softly. She smiled, her face still aflame. He kissed her forehead and then got up, taking her with him to the shower.

It was quite a while before they stumbled downstairs to see a snickering Melody and a stoic Snape sipping a cup of tea. The doorbell rang just as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Melody asked if they could get it.

“Merry Christmas!” Philippe chirped as Draco opened the door. Celeste in wolf form was sitting patiently beside him. In his hand, he had a black brief case that screeched indignantly. “Little something for Melody,” he whispered and winked. They invited them in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Christmas day was quite the affair. Somehow, the elves at Hogwarts, namely Dobby, had managed to send all of their gifts to the Bach Ranch. Hermione snorted when she saw a gift certificate to Flourish and Blotts from Harry and Ron. They always got her one and she couldn’t help but be annoyed and amused at their antics. Ginny had sent her some muggle makeup in the same colors that she and Draco used. She chuckled in triumph when Draco paled at the gift. Of course, there was also the obligatory Weasley sweater in a garish fuchsia color with gold lettering.

“I swear that woman is color blind,” Snape muttered when she pulled it out of the packaging.

“I’d wear it,” Melody shrugged.

“Only because you can’t see it,” Snape groused.

Hermione shook her head at their antics. Those two bickered more than any old married couple she’d ever met. She could understand why they didn’t work out. That thought caused her to look over toward the fireplace where Celeste was curled up, silently watching everyone. Another wolf lay beside her. He was jet black with a lone white strip down the center of his face, Alex in his wolf form. Philippe had insisted they draw all the blinds and then had opened his case to let a jet black bat with a white nose out.

Alex had transformed from the bat, causing Melody to squeal in surprise. He waited until she walked out of the sun filled dining room and then swept her off her feet, spinning her around until she complained she was dizzy. It wasn’t hard to see they were madly in love. Still, they never did more than hug. It made her a bit sad to watch them carefully avoid each other. Alex had switched into his wolf form as soon as the ranch workers came filtering in. His indigo eyes were a bit too startling in his human form.

Celeste was another puzzle entirely. She’d only seen her as a human once. Since then, she’d showed up diligently every morning as a wolf and watched her and Draco’s lessons from the edge of the stand of trees. Sometimes, she’d run with them in their animagus forms. She could keep up with her lion form pretty well, but Draco as a dragon blew them both away. Hermione found herself wishing she had wings but was ecstatic that she had a form at all.

Hermione wondered when Celeste would be comfortable enough to become human around them. Harmony had explained that Celeste was identified as a daywalker by an old lover after he’d garnered a cut and her fangs elongated before she regained control. The entire town ostracized her, even going so far as to contact a vampire hunter to exterminate her. Of course, he couldn’t because she was too powerful and immune to the normal methods of dispatch but he left his mark on her psyche.

The wolf was accepted as the twin’s familiar in town. It was simply easier to go with it so Celeste hadn’t transformed back. Hermione had noticed that Snape’s eyes drew more to her lately when he didn’t think anyone was looking, like now. They both knew the cards were on the table now. Biting her lip, she covertly scooted over to the wolves while everyone was occupied. Melody was busy cursing like a sailor while opening a package she couldn’t see, causing everyone to laugh at her antics.

“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable on the couch?” She whispered in Celeste’s ear as she gently stroked her soft red fur. The wolf looked at her with sad green eyes and shook its head, lying back down and watching stoically. “You have presents you haven’t opened yet,” she coaxed again. Celeste looked away.

“Alex?” She asked softly. The black wolf looked up, curious. “I think you have presents too.” The wolf grinned and used a paw to point at Maria, who was in and out. “You don’t want to scare the help?” Hermione asked, giggling when he nodded animatedly. “I suppose you heard about her reaction to Professor Snape.” He nodded again. “Well,” she said, getting up onto her knees. “You two are going to have to figure out how to open your presents then because you can’t leave them. It’s blasphemous!”

Alex hopped up and bounded over to the tree, causing Harmony to jump. “Damn it Alex! Growl or something; you’re entirely too quiet.” He whimpered apologetically and Harmony smiled and shook her head. “Suck up.”

He barked happily and pawed through the presents for a moment before he found one he wanted. He dragged it over to Celeste and nudged it up next to her paws. She turned her head away and he snarled. Narrowing his eyes, he crouched down and backed up a few feet. She turned her head back around, her eyes widening as he leapt in the air and tackled her, rolling her over several times before he jumped back up and nudged the package over to her.

She growled menacingly and crouched down into attack mode. Grinning, he matched her stance and snarled. She feinted right and knocked him off balance when he went to match, cuffing him about the neck. He let out a yelp and rolled out of her grasp, pouncing again. Everyone watched in fascination as she practically handed him his arse. Hermione had a feeling he wasn’t trying very hard.

Suddenly, he scooted back a few feet and plowed into her, shoving her into Snape’s lap. Snape was so shocked, he couldn’t move. Celeste desperately scrambled to get off his lap but somehow ended up getting tangled in his robes. “Stop!” He snapped. “Stay still so I can get us untangled.”

Alex swaggered back over to Hermione and gave her a paw. She shook it, smirking. That was the most devious trick she’d ever seen. She knew then that Alex was the perfect match for Melody. She hid a smile as she watched Snape patiently untangling his robe which had somehow gotten hung on one of Celeste’s nails. He yanked a bit too firmly and she yelped in pain. He snapped his eyes shut and mumbled an apology.

Hermione watched in fascination as he spoke to her in low even tones, instructing her to lie down on his lap and twist her leg just so. Shaking, she followed his instructions to the letter. It took a few minutes, but he finally untangled her. Just about that time, Draco handed Hermione her last gift. As she glanced back up, she saw that Snape had started stroking Celeste’s head without realizing it. Draco smiled softly at her, letting her know that he’d noticed it too.

She opened his present and gasped. It was a simple silver ribbon choker with an absolutely gorgeous emerald brooch. He lifted it out of the paper and fastened it around her neck. She fingered it a moment and then kissed him softly in thanks.

“It serves two purposes. One, you can go out without a turtleneck and two, you’re wearing my colors,” Draco smirked.

“Prat,” Hermione laughed. “Here, open yours.”

He ripped open the box and lifted the present up in puzzlement. “You got me a dog collar?”

The little strip of leather was simple, black with silver grommets, but also soft and supple. She smiled wickedly. “Well, you do belong to me but no. It’s a specially made necklace. Put it on.” Draco fastened it around his neck warily. “Now, tap a grommet twice and think the words second skin.”

Draco did as she said and felt a strange tingling sensation around his neck. She handed him a small mirror. To his surprise, the necklace had disappeared and his skin was smooth and unmarked. He brought his hand to his neck and realized that he couldn’t feel the necklace. His eyes widened in surprise.

“It will withstand any glamour nullifying spell that You Know Who has,” Hermione said bashfully. “I think only Melody can see it.”

“She’s right. It’s very powerful Draco. I can barely see the outline of it,” Melody confirmed.

“If you want to show someone the necklace, tap the base of your throat and think show yourself and it will reappear,” Hermione explained.

“It’s brilliant!” Draco cheered and tackled her to the floor, kissing her ferociously while their audience laughed.

Snape cleared his throat and shifted, causing Celeste to jump about a foot in the air and somehow get tangled in his robes again. He snorted and worked furiously on his buttons to release them from their clothing prison.

“I’ll get it Sev,” Melody giggled and whistled shrilly. “Alex, the kids from Sev please.”

Alex ran over to the tree and pawed through the remaining gifts until he found two small identical green boxes with silver ribbons. He brought them over to the couple and then headed back to his spot in front of the fire. Melody cleared her throat and patted the open couch seat next to her. He grinned and jumped up next to her, lying down to put his head in her lap.

“Those are from Sev mainly but we chipped in,” She said merrily as she lazily stroked Alex behind his ears.

The couple separated and righted themselves to open their gifts. They were wrist watches, almost identical in design except that Hermione’s was gold, smaller, and more feminine. Draco’s was large and silver, very elegant looking. They smiled and thanked everyone. Severus grunted, finally able to pull his robe off but still trying to wrestle Celeste out of it.

“Those aren’t just any watches you two. Not only do they tell time, but they also have the same spell that Draco’s collar does.” Melody giggled when he sniffed at her description of his present. “In addition to that, they also can be used as two way mirrors. Simply twist the dial half a turn to the left and open the face. I’m sure they’ll come in handy. Severus has the link to them in his pocket watch.”

“Wow!” Hermione said as she started spinning the dial. She opened the face to see a silver eye looking at her. She giggled and looked up to see that Draco was looking at his watch as well. Just as she was about to thank everyone again, Hedwig came flying into the living room. She’d sent her back with gifts for everyone a few hours after she’d arrived with her letters the other day. What on earth was she doing back?

“That ruddy bird is just as annoying as her owner,” Draco growled. Hermione snorted and got up to take the letters from the very tired snowy owl. Reading the contents, she burst out laughing and handed the first one to Draco to read.

Hey Mione,

That hex was bloody brilliant. Those nosy wankers have been walking around looking like one of Fred and George’s experiments for days. No one can break the spell. I suspect a certain blond might have influenced you to make them a bit stronger eh? By the way, Fred and George want me to tell you how brilliant they think you are. Mum’s letter to you is going to beg you to take them off. She was fine with letting them wear off but Lav-Lav showed up to breakfast this morning and had kittens. Sorry about that.

Gin

Draco had a good belly laugh at that and passed the note around to everyone. Eventually, Severus who had finally freed himself and Celeste from his robes, took the letter and chuckled evilly. He held the letter out for Celeste who barked in joy as well. He didn’t seem to notice that he’d done this or that she was still in his lap either. Hermione smothered a smirk as she opened Molly’s letter.

Hermione Dear,

Happy Christmas! I hope your holidays are going well. I’m sorry to bother you dear but could you possibly pop by the house sometime today? I understand that the boys were well deserving of the predicament they now see themselves in but I’m afraid it is making Ron’s girlfriend a bit hysterical. Ginny tells me you’re with your parents and your boyfriend, who is a muggle. You know your parents are always welcome and if you think he would be able to handle it, you may bring your boyfriend too. Hope to see you soon dear.

Love Molly

Hermione handed Draco Molly’s letter with much less enthusiasm. She really didn’t mean for those hexes to last that long but she supposed she was angry enough that she could have given them her signature. How on earth was she going to go there to release them? She couldn’t very well waltz in there with Draco Malfoy of all people and she definitely couldn’t be apart from him.

“Just put a glamour on him and you two can port key over with Sev.” Melody said sensibly after Harmony read her the letter.

Severus smirked. “It would serve those two dunderheads right to have to return to school like that but I have a feeling I’ll be receiving a howler if we don’t take care of it.” He frowned. “A glamour should be easy enough. Change enough basic features and alter your voice and no one would recognize you.”

Hermione cleared her throat and looked at the floor, embarrassed. Reading her thoughts, Draco chortled. “That would be great except that Red spun a yarn to Brown already about Hermione’s devilishly handsome muggle boyfriend.”

Snape quirked an eyebrow and Draco continued, grinning at the tomato red face of his wife. “Yes, something like ‘I call him Blondie and he’s got silvery blue eyes, rock hard abs, tattoos, and a great arse’ if I recall correctly.”

“It was more like, ‘and Gods what an arse’ really,” Hermione sniggered.

“Well then,” Melody said. “We can take care of that. Alex, can you go get my sleeves and that leather jacket?” He nodded and bounded up the stairs.

“What exactly are you going to do to the boy?” Severus said cautiously.

“You know I used to do some acting every now and then. In one musical, I was a biker chick. Muggles have these great things called tattoo sleeves. You just slip them over your arms and if you don’t look too closely, it looks like real tattoos. I say we alter his features just a bit, change the shape of his face, and then dress him like James Dean!”

“Molly would love that,” Snape drawled in amusement.

“Who is James Dean?” Draco asked confused.

Hermione smiled. “He’s an actor. He played a bad boy in a muggle movie.” Draco grinned evilly at the thought.

“It would also hide that Dark Mark,” Melody said softly.

Snape nodded stoically. “I want you to come too Melody.”

“What? Why?” She said, startled.

“Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley will both be there. I’d like you to take a look at them if you would and make sure our assumptions are correct.”

“Oh,” She said thoughtfully. “But Sev, if I do that, you’ll have to show yourself. I can’t just show up on Hermione’s arm. Besides, I’m not sure I can hold my balance for that long of a trip.”

“I’ve already thought of that. Since Hermione is bringing her muggle boyfriend and she doesn’t have her apparition license yet, she would need to arrange for a port key. There aren’t any floos in a muggle ski lodge you know. Albus is away on business so I would have to take the missive. Unfortunately, she will have interrupted a personal meeting with an old associate of mine.”

“You mean I get to see what you look like with a stick up your ass?” Melody asked cheekily and Snape growled. “I’m in!” She giggled and then frowned. “We need to go and get back pretty soon though or there won’t be enough daylight left for my Christmas present.”

“What’s that?” Hermione asked curiously.

“You’ll be finding your second forms today,” she said softly. “You two have mastered your main ones and now you must move on.”

“Oh!” Hermione said excitedly. “I can’t wait to tell everyone I’m an animagus!”

“You’ll have to,” Snape snapped. “No one can know until after the war. Knowing your animagus form, and they would because you’d have to register it, would give the Dark Lord something to use against you. It seems silly but he would. After all, how long did Black hide out as that mangy dog?”

Hermione’s face fell. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Can I at least tell Ginny though?”

“Possibly,” Snape said softly. “Let Melody look at her first. If she has a form of her own, you may tell her.”

“Thank you,” Hermione said softly and watched Alex leap down the stairs with a jacket and some other things in his jaws.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“I look utterly ridiculous,” Draco complained as he tugged on his short, spiky dishwater blonde hair for the hundredth time.

“You look fine!” Hermione snapped, starting to get irritated with his whining.

“I’m a Malfoy!” He wailed. “Malfoys always look dignified.”

“You mean like Lucius?” Hermione growled and stomped off toward the back pasture where their port key was.

“Shite,” Draco mumbled and hung his head.

“You really are a drama queen,” Melody mused. She had her white walking stick in one hand and was holding Snape’s arm with the other. She was dressed in wizarding robes and had a pair of muggle sunglasses perched on her nose to spare people from seeing her white eyes. She’d had more than one person scream in fear or surprise when they’d seen them.

“I am not a bloody drama queen,” he mumbled, having learned what that meant through Hermione’s thoughts.

“Well you certainly aren’t acting like a grown man,” Snape growled. “You do realize that she is about to do something that the majority of Gryffindors do not do to their friends willingly don’t you?”

“What’s that?”

“Lie,” Snape said softly. “Of course, there is nothing wrong with it in our case but her Gryffindor loyalty and sense fairness are making her feel guilty.

Melody snorted. “At least she’s not crying anymore. Perhaps you should buck up and deal with it. It should be liberating. Think about it; you aren’t Malfoy the enemy right now.”

“No,” Draco sighed. “Now I’m Sam, Mione’s supposedly made up muggle boyfriend who is going to get beat up as soon as they corner me.”

“Is that what you’re worried about?” Melody sniggered. “I happen to know that Sev is a great defense teacher and not just with spells. I’m guessing he taught you too.”

“Yes of course,” Draco grimaced, “but no one is supposed to know about that.”

“And what does Sam Burke knowing martial arts got to do with Draco Malfoy?” Melody asked, grinning evilly.

Draco finally cracked a smile. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Precisely,” Melody said. “If they corner you, hand them their asses on a platter. Besides, I doubt we’ll be there long enough for anything to happen. Now, as far as how you look, I might be blind but I can tell you she definitely likes what she sees.”

Draco’s eyebrow rose in contemplation. “She does?”

“Yes, it’s rather annoying watching her drool over your person,” Snape drawled. Draco grinned and sprinted up to his wife to apologize.

“Brilliant, you are,” Snape said softly.

“Yoda knows all,” Melody giggled.

“HERMIONE!” Draco screamed as he started to catch up with her. She was refusing to slow down. Really, it wouldn’t take that much for him to catch her but it stung a bit that she was angry with him. “Please stop!”

She huffed and spun around on her heels, glaring at him. “What Draco?”

He jogged over to her. “I’m sorry alright. I didn’t mean it like that.” He sighed. “It’s just, that has been drilled into me since birth. It’s a hard habit to shake.”

Hermione sighed and nodded. “I know. I’m just nervous Draco. You look fine.”

“Think so?” He raised an eyebrow imperiously.

“Yes you arrogant prat,” she sniffed and then popped him playfully in the chest. He grabbed her hands and held them tightly behind her back, squeezing gently as he planted a kiss on her lips. A burst of white light escaped them.

“You’re going to want to tamp that magic down,” Melody said as she strolled up with Snape. “A muggle emitting light is going to raise more than a few red flags.” At their puzzled look, she continued. “Look, when you kiss, you’re intent on connecting subconsciously, the same with the way he’s holding your wrists. Instead, actively think about tamping your magic down. Above all things, control is what you have got to master. The rest is gravy.”

The both nodded their understanding and concentrated this time when they kissed. No light glowed and their magic stayed tightly controlled. It was a rather strange feeling but one they could get used to easily.

“Much better,” Melody praised them as she bent down to pick up an old rock. They all placed their hands on it and felt the pull behind their navels. The ride was once again long and nauseating. When the finally landed in the Weasley’s back garden, only Snape was able to maintain his balance. He carefully picked Melody up off the ground and helped her brush herself off while Draco and Hermione sorted themselves out.

Draco wondered why his godfather was breaking his character and being so careful with Melody at the current moment. He’d specifically stated that tyrant Snape would be back in full force when they landed. He looked closer and noticed that Melody was shaking very hard. Her eyes were closed in deep concentration. He realized that she was losing control and fixing to flare.

“Hold it,” Snape barked at her, trying to snap her out of her flare. Sometimes it worked but it didn’t look like they’d be lucky this time. “How does he balance it?” He asked softly.

Melody snorted. “He bites me of course. How else would you think he did? He hasn’t been trained and we’ve never had sex.”

“Well I’m not about to bite you or fuck you,” Snape growled.

“I didn’t ask you to,” she snapped. “Physical activity is about the only way I can beat it so either fight me or dust off your dancing shoes.”

“I don’t understand,” Hermione said softly. “Can’t he just touch you?”

“If I could control it, he could,” Melody said nervously. “Since I can’t just will it to come, I have to work through it or connect a bit deeper. Remember, I only flared when he pinned me that day. That was a hard tackle too.”

“And if you don’t?” Draco asked curiously.

“Let’s just say that this odd little house will become an odd pile of rubble.” She was shaking fiercely now.

“Dancing then,” Snape sighed resignedly. “I don’t think they’ve noticed us yet and probably won’t for a few minutes anyway. Can you dance to this awful music?” He had his head cocked, listening to the tunes that drifted out of the Burrow.

“Is that Celestina Warbeck?” She asked, crinkling her nose in disgust.

“She’s Mrs. Weasley’s favorite singer,” Hermione said, chuckling.

“She’s a relic,” Melody huffed and then closed her eyes. Suddenly, a catchy little Christmas song with a beat came on and she eyed Snape. “Think you can keep up?”

Snape snorted and spun her around, twisting and turning her in different directions. His moves were strong and elegant and they made a fine pair. Hermione sighed and leaned up against Draco as she watched them move together like pros. He went to dip her when Hermione heard a screech from Molly.

“Who turned the station on the wireless!”

A chorus of “Not me!” rang out throughout the house.

“Well someone had to do it,” she huffed and turned it back. Seconds later, it went back to the same catchy tune as before.

Hermione turned to giggle into Draco’s chest. She felt him shaking with mirth and heard Melody’s sniggering. She looked back to see Snape lift her in the air and spin her around, making her yelp before setting her back down and turning her sharply. Sparks flew from her fingertips as he yanked her back into his chest roughly.

Draco realized just how off balance Melody’s magic was when he saw those sparks. It was a wonder she could keep all that bottled up inside of her. He knew how he felt when his magic flared and couldn’t imagine her going through that without any outlets. How many things had she destroyed trying to regain control?

“Hermione?” She heard Ginny squeak from the door. She turned to see the redhead come barreling out and plow into her, knocking her to the ground. “Oh! I’m sorry, it’s so good to see you!” She laughed as she helped her off the ground. “I’ve been going barmy here lately what with Phlegm and Lav-Lav taking turns complaining!”

Hermione laughed and brushed herself off. “Ginny, this is Sam Burke. You remember Sam. He’s my boyfriend.”

Ginny grinned. “Of course! How are you Blondie?”

“Never better Red.” Draco replied in a deeper voice than his normal one.

“Is that…Professor Snape?” Ginny asked in wonderment as she stared at the dour man and the saucy strawberry blonde spinning dizzy circles in her back garden.

“Yes,” Hermione said softly. “That’s Melody. You’ll have to meet her. I’m sure you’d love her.”

The music ended and Snape dipped Melody all the way the ground before snapping her back up roughly and causing another round of sparks to fly. She glowed gold for a minute and then nodded her head. She was in control again.

“Wow, is she?” Ginny asked, not wanting to say too much.

“It’s complicated,” Hermione said, worrying her lip.

“HERMIONE!”

A few screams hit her ears at once. She was sure they weren’t that loud but her hearing was ultra-sensitive now and it hurt. A herd of red heads swarmed her, hugging her and wishing her Happy Christmas. She returned them all and finally spun out of their clutches to see a very horrified Draco Malfoy staring with wide eyes. She had to remember he wasn’t used to all the displays of affection.

She cleared her throat. “Everyone, this is Sam Burke, my boyfriend.” Her voice only cracked a little and she was quite proud. She felt Draco’s approval and blushed a bit. It was nice to know how he was feeling.

Draco nodded his head stoically at everyone, managing to suppress a sneer all the while. He had to remember that Hermione thought of these people as her family, which he was a part of now. It helped when he thought about what their reactions would be like if they were to realize who he really was. “Hello everyone,” he said softly.

“Oh Hermione dear, you’re here!” Molly called as she walked up from the house. “Back in the house, all of you!” The herd obeyed.

“Yes Mrs. Weasley!” She called back.

“Oh, it’s wonderful to see you again. Happy Christmas. This must be your boyfriend!” Molly cocked her head curiously, obviously not getting the reference to his attire. She wasn’t accustomed to muggle clothing.

“Sam Burke,” Draco said, stepping up and shaking the matronly woman’s hand. He suppressed a yelp as she pulled him into a hug and glared at Hermione when he heard her laughing in his head.

Molly stepped back beaming and then jumped a bit. “Severus, is that you?”

“Yes Molly. I had the distinct pleasure of chaperoning Miss Granger and her companion since Albus is away on holiday,” he sneered disdainfully.

“I am sorry for disturbing you Professor Snape,” Hermione said meekly. Snape merely glared at her. He was in full Greasy Bat of the Dungeons mode and she noticed that Melody was having a hard time keeping a straight face. Instead, she went for a subdued look and kept her eyes planted on the ground.

“And who is this lovely young lady?” Molly asked gently.

Melody looked up and smiled, making sure her head wasn’t pointed directly at Molly. “My name is Melody, Melody Bach. I’m Severus’s friend,” she said softly.

“It’s wonderful to meet you,” Molly said, sticking her hand out to shake. Melody merely stood there as if nothing was happening. Realizing what she was playing at, Snape grabbed her hand and held it out to Molly’s. She shook it strongly and then went back to looking at the ground.

Seeing Molly’s bewildered look, Snape sighed heavily. “Melody, this is Molly Weasley. Molly, Melody is blind so she cannot see your gestures. Now, if you don’t mind, I have several things planned that must be done today.”

“Oh, of course,” Molly said weakly, still off balance by Melody. “Do come in. Are you sure you couldn’t stay for tea while Hermione reverses the spells?”

“No thank you,” Snape said tersely.

Draco heard Melody whisper softly as Molly nodded and went back into the house. “Wow. I didn’t realize you’d become the devil.” Draco snickered and placed his hand on Hermione’s back, guiding her inside the crooked little home. He noticed that while there was a small army of people, Potter and Weasley were nowhere to be found.

“Harry! Ronald! Hermione’s here. Come down here so she can take those spells off!” Molly’s scream carried throughout the house and he cringed. He was glad that harpy wasn’t his mother. Hermione elbowed him sharply. “I’m sure they’ll be down in a minute dear. Let me get your cloaks. Why don’t you step into the den and make yourselves comfy.” She eyed Melody again, who was waving her stick in front of her feet and holding on to Snape’s arm.

Draco tensed as he took the leather studded jacked off, revealing the tattoo sleeves that Melody insisted he put on. They were charmed very lightly to blend in with his skin and cover the Dark Mark. He had on a skin tight white t-shirt and it was easy to see the runes through them. Hermione had taken immense pleasure on spelling them black and obscuring the lone one on his chest so it couldn’t be read.

Molly’s gasp confirmed his fears that she wouldn’t approve of him. He wasn’t really even sure why he wanted it. He was simply acting. Still, he could tell that Molly’s acceptance would mean the world to Hermione. Red should have kept her mouth shut. Suddenly, he felt a spike of arousal and he was pretty sure it wasn’t his. He turned to see that his wife’s eyes had turned to liquid gold at the sight of him. He smirked.

“Down girl,” Melody whispered causing Hermione to blush. Snape merely walked past them into the living room, studiously ignoring their antics. Melody lingered behind with the couple as Molly fussed about putting their cloaks away. “Who is everyone?” She whispered almost inaudibly, knowing they could hear her.

“Well, you’ve met Molly,” Hermione said softly. “The twins on the couch are Fred and George. On their right is Bill, their older brother. Arthur is on their left. They are all Weasleys. Beside Bill is Fleur Delacour, his fiancé.”

“She’s part veela?” Melody asked in astonishment.

“Yes, apparently on her grandmother’s side,” Hermione said, only a bit shocked that she knew. “Across from them starting at the far side is Alistar Moody, better known as Mad Eye.”

“Not hard to see why,” Melody snorted. “That magical eye is pretty cool though.”

“You can see that?” Draco asked, astonished.

Melody nodded. “It’s made from magic, remember? I can see surprisingly well in here considering Severus gave me this whole spiel about Mr. Weasley loving muggle things. There are several blank spots in my vision, enough that I don’t trust myself walking around but I can see everyone in here.”

“Well, moving on,” Hermione said, trying to get all the introductions out of the way before Molly noticed them dawdling and ushered them into the room. “Beside Mad Eye is Nymphadora Tonks but call her Tonks. She hates her full name.”

“She’s very special,” Melody said in awe. “I’ve never seen a metamorphmagus in person before. She’s your cousin Draco?”

Draco nodded solemnly. “Father forbade us from socializing with my aunt Andromeda after she married a muggle-born.”

“Shame. She’s got a beautiful aura,” Melody said sadly.

“Beside her is Remus Lupin,” Hermione said quickly, trying to move past the awkwardness.

“The werewolf,” Melody said, matter-of-factly. “He’s in love with Tonks and she with him. They make a lovely couple. He’s your father replacement?”

“Yes, he and Ginny stepped in,” Hermione said softly.

“I’m not in the habit of socializing with werewolves for obvious reasons, but he is a very good man. His aura is gentle, not a mean bone in his body though he has plenty of strength. He’s even tolerating Severus.” She giggled.

“That’s a recent development,” Draco whispered.

“Never the less, I find myself wanting to trust him,” Melody mused. “You know I have a very good eye for that kind of thing. That Mad Eye creeps me out though. He’s wound too tight, an honest and true man but much too paranoid. Who’s the last guy lounging in the corner?”

“That’s Kingsley Shacklebolt. He’s an auror along with Tonks. Mad Eye is a retired auror. He’s a very nice man, assigned to protect the muggle minister if I’m not mistaken.”

“I like him,” Melody said after a minute. “Strong and silent, reminds me of Sev without all the sneering and cutting remarks.”

Draco snickered, earning the attention of Molly. “Oh do come in. Ginny, go see what’s taking those two so long.” She fussed, ushering them into the room.

Melody watched as Ginny raced up the stairs to see what was going on. “I need to get a closer look at her,” she breathed quietly. “There is something wrong with her aura.”

“She was possessed by You-Know-Who her first year,” Hermione whispered directly into her ear as they joined everyone in the living room. “It changed her aura, something that’s not supposed to happen.”

Surprised, Melody twisted to the side and ended up colliding with a small muggle end table that Arthur had in the living room. “Son of a bitch!” Melody hissed and then blushed. “Sorry,” she said in a small voice.

Snape sighed and stalked across the room. “That is what your cane is for woman!”

“Well pardon me if I didn’t want to whack people with it.” She grumped back meekly as he led her into a clear area at the back of the room. He kept her arm in his which didn’t escape anyone’s notice but no one dared say anything. All attention turned to Draco at that moment.

“So, you’re dating our Hermione,” Arthur said jovially as he stuck his hand out to shake Draco’s hand. He made sure to grip extra tight but Draco simply returned the strong gesture, refusing to back down. He’d lived with the king of intimidation his entire life.

“Yes sir,” he said softly. Introductions were made all around. He kept his soft spoken manner and polite words throughout and kept his eyes peeled for any covert hexes that might fly his way. With Mad Eye on the loose, there was no telling if he would get caught with a finite incantatum and that would be disastrous. To his credit, Lupin kept all recognition out of his face when he was introduced.

Melody was introduced next. She moved her head with the sounds of everyone’s voice but made sure to keep her eyes on the floor and not look up. He had to admire her acting skills. She couldn’t very well come out and tell them she could only see magical things so she did a bang up job of being completely blind.

“So,” Arthur said. “Sam, I understand you are a muggle.” Draco nodded, trying not to laugh at the man’s lack of tact. “How did you feel when you learned that our Hermione was special?”

Draco paused a moment, deciding to suck up and gain extra points. “Oh, I already knew she was special,” he said slowly, taking a moment to grab her hand and kiss it like a lovesick fool. He could feel her trying to hold back her laugh. “Now she’s even more enchanting.” She blushed from the attention. He bit back a smirk.

Fleur and Tonks both sighed, gushing over his manners and Tonks barged into the conversation. “Nice set of tats you got there! How many do you have?”

Blinking only for a moment, he grinned. “I lost count.”

Tonks merely cackled as everyone else eyed him closely. Melody had turned to lean her head into Severus’s chest, obviously trying to smother her laughs. To his credit, his godfather was as still as a statue, allowing Melody to practically hide out in his robes while looking as intimidating as ever.

“Those two didn’t want to come down and show themselves,” Ginny said, barging into the room. “Serves them right for trying to snoop. They’ll be down in a second though.” She was grinning evilly.

“Ginerva Weasley, what did you do?” Molly chided.

Suddenly, a loud boom was heard and a girlish shriek and two deeper shouts were heard as feet pounded down the stairs. “I persuaded them to come out.” She shrugged and sprinted over to the other side of the room before Molly could start screaming at her.

“That was not quiddich Ginny!” Ron said as he stomped into the room. His hair was a swirl of colors and curls, looking much like a rainbow colored clown’s wig. His teeth were reminiscent of a beaver as he glowered at his sister.

“I warned you to come down.” Ginny shrugged and giggled as Lavender shuffled in behind him, looking sulky and holding her nose. Harry followed shortly thereafter, looking much like Ron, only in glasses. He looked sheepishly toward Hermione, who had her hands on her hips. She was trying desperately not to laugh.

“Serves you right for snooping!” She snapped and raised her wand to lift the charms. However, as hard as she tried, they didn’t reverse.

Melody, who looked very green at the moment, shuffled over to her. “The bases of the spells are white. Were you touching when you set them?” She whispered in her ear. Hermione’s eyes widened as she nodded. “Then you’ll need to do the same to release them.”

Hermione cleared her throat and walked into Draco’s embrace. She raised her wand again and this time, the hexes ended. She heard Melody gasp harshly and turned around to see her trembling. She looked as pale as a ghost and was trying desperately to cover the look of abject horror on her face.

“Severus,” she croaked. “I’m not feeling well. I need a rag or whatever you call them, a flannel or something.”

Snape’s mask dropped, revealing how utterly worried he was at that particular moment. He nodded, slipping his neutral mask back on and started leading her from the room. The closer she got to the door, the harder she trembled until finally, her legs gave out. Snape picked her up in one swoop. “Pardon us Molly,” he said politely. “She needs the loo.”

“Of course!” Molly said, surprised as she watched him trot up the stairs.

“Who’s that?” Ron asked loudly.

“Ronald!” Molly snapped. “Use your manners. That’s Professor Snape’s lady friend.”

“Snape has a girlfriend?” He asked, his face turning green.

Hermione huffed. “Why is that so hard to believe Ronald?”

“Because it’s Snape!” He said, still a bit shell shocked. “Why was she wearing those dark glasses and carrying a white cane?”

“I think she’s blind, Ron.” Harry said softly, looking back toward the stairs where Snape had carried Melody off to.

“Well that makes sense then. She’d have to be blind to date that git,” Ron said definitively.

“Ugh!” Hermione shrieked, unable to stand his insensitivity any longer. “Ronald Weasley, you are a pig!” She grabbed Draco’s hand, pushed her way out of the room and kept going until they were at the back garden.

“The nerve!” She yelled when they got outside.

“Easy there lioness,” Draco said softly. “Remember, not everyone has seen him like we have.”

Hermione nodded, trying to calm down. “Do you think she’s alright?”

“I don’t know. She looked horrible, not as bad as when we first met but pretty close.”

“Maybe we should go and check on her,” she said softly as she started to make her way back into the house.

“That would be suspicious,” he said as she stopped her. “We only met her today, remember? Besides, we can use your watch.”

“You’re right!” Hermione said excitedly as she jumped up and planted a kiss on his lips. He smirked and pulled back.

“I don’t believe I’ll ever get tired of hearing that,” he said as he grabbed her wrist and turned the dial on her watch. A few clinks could be heard and then the mirror cleared. Snape was kneeling down behind Melody, holding her hair as she leaned over the toilet and lost the contents of her stomach. He’d obviously set the watch on the basin.

“Is Melody alright?” Draco asked softly.

“She will be,” Snape answered distractedly. “Seeing Potter’s aura upset her a great deal.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Hermione asked worriedly.

“She hasn’t been able to tell me but she’s been vomiting since we entered the loo. I’d say it wasn’t good.”

“It’s horrible!” She moaned pitifully. “I need to talk to Harmony. Just give me a few minutes and I’ll be able to get myself together. I’m sorry I fucked up.”

“Hush now,” Snape said softly. “Just get it all up and we’ll deal with the aftermath when it comes.”

She nodded and Snape grabbed the watch. “You two get back inside before you attract attention,” he hissed and snapped the watch closed.

Hermione closed her watch and looked at Draco worriedly. What was so wrong with Harry that Melody would completely lose her cool? From the little time she’d gotten to know her, one thing the outspoken woman didn’t do was lose it like that.

“Hermione?” Harry said softly as he walked up to them. “Are you alright?”

“Oh Harry,” she said, startled. “I’m fine. I just couldn’t stand him any longer. She was so sick and all he could think to do was insult Professor Snape.”

“Well it is kind of strange,” Harry said, defending his friend. “Who is she, by the way?”

“Her name is Melody Bach. That’s all I know really. Professor Snape was in the middle of his visit when I contacted him about a port key. You know Professor Dumbledore is off on a long trip so he was stepping in.”

He looked at her sheepishly. “Sorry about that,” he said uncomfortably and then turned to Draco and stuck out his hand. “Harry Potter.”

Draco paused for a moment, taking note of the irony in the gesture and then extended his hand. “Sam Burke.” He couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened had he made this connection six years ago. Hermione sighed sadly in his head.

“Pleased to meet you,” Harry said politely, a guarded look in his eyes.

Harry didn’t trust him, he could tell. He almost smirked at the thought. “Likewise,” he said politely instead. He noticed that Hermione’s teeth were chattering. “Let’s get you inside love; you’ve got to be freezing.” He gently guided her back into the house.

Hermione had quit breathing. He’d called her love. Sure, he’d called her all sorts of pet names before but that was the first time he’d ever called her that. She tried desperately to block him from her frantic thoughts but he picked up on them. ‘I meant it’ sounded out in her head and her eyes widened in shock. He grinned.

They went back in to hear Molly yelling at Weasley for his lack of tact and decorum. Draco was pretty sure that all the yelling in the world wouldn’t drill that into the great sodding git. Realizing that Hermione was indeed cold on top of being shocked, he steered her toward the fireplace to warm her up. Lupin smiled gently at them, apparently happy with what he saw. Draco began rubbing her arms and blowing on her fingers.

Finally running out of steam, Molly threw her hands up and stalked back into the kitchen, leaving a very red Ron in her wake. Draco almost felt sorry for him, almost. A troll had better manners than Weasley. He fought back a sneer and concentrated on trying to warm Hermione up. She looked very pale.

“Hey, you alright?” He asked softly and she spun around sharply, losing her balance. He steadied her and gave her a searching look. He wasn’t going to invade her thoughts with her so vulnerable.

“I didn’t image that did I?” She whispered.

“What? That I love you?” Draco asked a bit too loudly, causing the room to go silent. He quietly cursed himself.

“Yes that,” she breathed, turning red as a tomato.

“You didn’t imagine it,” he said quietly. “I do love you.”

She gave him the most breathtaking smile he’d ever seen. It lit up her whole face and he found that he had to catch his breath. She practically glowed. “I love you too,” she whispered softly as her eyes lowered to the floor.

He smiled widely, picked her up, and spun her around happily. Who knew four little words could make him so happy? When he sat her down, he noticed that most people in the room were smiling, including Potter. The two who weren’t, Brown and Weasley, were glowering. Weasley’s face was an interesting shade of purple while Brown looked like she wanted to roast Hermione alive. He smirked at her, causing her to gasp and look away.

It was that moment that Severus Snape decided to make his grand re-entry. He was carrying Melody bridal style and she was complaining…loudly. “Damn it Severus, I told you I can walk all by myself. I’ve been doing it since before I was a year old!”

“I am not in the mood to keep you from killing yourself when you trip over something else!” He snapped.

“Then by all means, let me fall,” she yelled and he snorted. “Severus Snape if you don’t put me down right this instant I promise you I’ll snap your dick off while you sleep!”

He rolled his eyes and sat her down. “Go on then, kill yourself.”

She huffed and then paused. “Where’s my stick?”

“Wherever you dropped it,” Snape drawled. “After all, you can walk all by yourself.”

“Oh you son of a –“ she stopped short when she seemingly realized that they had an audience. Snorting, she fell to her knees on the ground and started feeling around for her stick.

“Get up off your knees woman,” Snape snapped.

“Why? I thought you liked me down here,” Melody cooed in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Snape rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation and bent down to retrieve her stick. He shoved it into her hands and then yanked her roughly off the floor, causing sparks to fly. A shattering noise rang throughout the house.

“Damn it,” Melody sighed. “What did I break this time?”

“What it is doesn’t matter; it’s the fact that you did,” Snape hissed menacingly.

“I swear to Merlin Severus, if I wasn’t so fond of your co–“ she cleared her throat. “I think I’ll just step out for a bit. It’s a little too warm in here. I’m sorry for whatever I broke!” She called out and then swung her stick around a bit harder than usual, clipping Ron on the leg and causing him to yelp. “Sorry!” She yelled again as she hurriedly felt her way out

Draco muffled a laugh as she ran headlong into the door. “Mother fu-!” She yelled before Snape put his hand over her mouth and dragged her out the door. When he slammed it shut, Draco burst out laughing, glad to see he wasn’t the only one. Melody’s antics had gotten them out of the spotlight.

“Merlin!” Tonks gasped, trying to catch her breath. “Snape’s certainly met his match.”

They made small talk for a few minutes. Hermione and Harry exchanged hugs and thanked each other for their gifts. She thanked Ginny for her gifts as well, making sure to hint that she had loads more to say but couldn’t because of two very nosy boys. Ginny grinned madly as she introduced Sam to Lavender.

“Lavender Brown, this is Sam Burke, but I call him Blondie. Blondie, this is Lavender Brown, my brother’s girlfriend.”

“Pleased to meet you,” he said civilly. She held her hand out daintily and he kissed the air above her knuckles while she batted her eyes coquettishly. He thought he might take a page out of Melody’s book and vomit.

A few minutes later, a livid Snape stalked through the door with a loud bang. “Miss Granger, it might surprise you to know that I have prior engagements and need to be going!”

“Oh I’m so sorry sir! Of course. We can go now.” She hugged everyone goodbye as quickly as she could and raced out the door with Draco. No one spoke a word as they touched the rock to go back to America and the Bach ranch. When they touched down, Melody immediately collapsed, sobbing harshly.

“That was the most evil, vile, disgusting fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” she screamed in frustration.

“Weasley might be a git but he’s not that bad,” Draco said offhandedly, trying vainly to make light of the situation.

Melody actually snorted for a moment. “That prick wouldn’t know tact if it took him out to dinner and then crammed itself up his ass.”

Snape finally broke, great barks of laughter in a rich melodious sound. He quieted and then knelt down to hold a still softly sobbing Melody. “You know, I’m never going to live that down.”

“Well, it got them out of an odd situation. Besides, now everyone knows I only want you for your cock.” She sniffled and he smirked.

“Thanks for that,” Draco said as he removed his glamour charms. “I honestly didn’t mean to turn it into a public spectacle. You’d think I’d of learned to be quieter when I can hear a pin drop from a mile away.” He was disgusted with himself for making such a private declaration in such a public place. It felt like he’d cheapened it.

“It was perfect,” Hermione said softly, still blushing from Melody’s comment.

“It was lovely,” Melody said softly, trying to pick herself off the ground. “Now, I need to talk to Harmony and you two need to work on your next form.”

“Wait,” Snape barked. “What on earth upset you so badly?”

“Potter’s aura. Did you ever wonder why he is the way he is? Why can he do the same things that You Know Who can? I know now. I can’t believe that old bastard didn’t tell me!”

“Tell you what?” Snape yelled.

“Lord Moldy Short’s magic didn’t just bind to Potter that night Sev, a piece of his soul did. There’s only one way to unbind a soul. Death.”

AN: Hello everyone! That Melody is a character isn't she?

I'm glad to see that I still have a few of you hooked. *maniacal grin* This chapter was supposed to be posted AT Christmas but...well...we'll just pretend, right? Right. I'll be returning home soon so I hope to begin regular updates then. As always, thank you for the wonderful reviews. Keep 'em coming to let me know how I'm doing and if you catch any errors. Hopefully, I've fixed all the prior ones but if you find them, point them out! Love you guys!
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