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Lessons and Obsessions	By : LennaNightrunner Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 85098 -:- 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
- 21
- 22
- 23
ADDITIONAL WARNING: I have to warn you that in addition to the content I
warned for from the beginning, this chapter contains anal sex and mild erotic
asphyxiation (choking for the sake of sexual pleasure). I can assure you that I
feel these acts are important to the development of both characters and that
that they�re in the story for a reason. However, I completely understand if you
would prefer not to read that portion. If that�s the case, simply stop reading
when it is clear that they are about to have sex. There are other important plot points before then that you probably don�t want to
miss.

*****

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: TENSION

Hermione awoke suddenly as the train jolted, and it took her
a moment to remember where she was. Her side was warm where Malfoy�s
arm had rested, but she pulled away and sat up as she woke.

�Time to change,� Draco said as he got up and reached for
his luggage.

In more ways than one,
Hermione thought to herself, but merely nodded in response. So full were their
minds of what to say and how to act once they left that compartment that they
forgot to watch each other as clothing was shed and donned.

When they were both back in the black robes they had worn
for nearly seven years, Draco couldn�t help but scowl at the maroon and gold
details on hers that he had been happy to forget.

�We shouldn�t be seen coming from the same compartment,�
Hermione said quietly.

�Right,� Draco said brusquely. ��See you later.�

�Yes. Later.� Hermione sounded distracted even to herself,
but didn�t have time to get another word out before the compartment door closed
behind Draco. With a sigh, she dispelled the charm on the window, and sat down
to wait for the train to pull into Hogsmeade Station.

*****

Dinner in the Great Hall was nerve-wracking. Hermione tried
not to look at the Slytherin table, but she didn�t
have much success. �She could almost feel
Malfoy watching her, but the few times she had the
courage to sneak a glance at the table he seemed to be deep in conversation
with the other Slytherins.

When the meal was finally over, all Hermione wanted to do
was lock herself in her room and think. But Ron would have none of it. As they
walked back to the Common Room with Ginny, he stopped her in the hallway.

�Hey, can I talk to you for a bit?� He turned to Ginny. �Gin,
go on without us.�

Ginny paused and gave Hermione a significant look. Hermione
nodded her head almost imperceptibly to indicate that she�d be all right.

�All right,� Ginny said after hesitating. �See you back at
the Common Room.�

�Yeah,� Ron said distractedly as Ginny continued down the
corridor and out of sight.

Hermione waited for whatever it was that Ron had to say. She
had missed him over the holiday, but she felt strangely now that she was back
at school with her friends, and she wasn�t sure that she was ready to be alone
with Ron again yet. Hopefully he�d make this quick.

�Listen, Hermione, I�� Ron swallowed and stared determinedly
at the stone wall behind her. �I know we�ve all been having a bad time lately.
Things seem� weird� between us, since Harry�s been
gone.�

Hermione was stunned. She could count the times she and Ron
had had a serious conversation on one hand. And now he wanted to talk about
Harry being gone? She stared at him while he continued to look at the wall, and
swallowed. �In what way?�

�Dunno.� Ron looked at the floor.
�I just feel like� like we�re not as close as we used to be.�

Hermione felt a pang in her chest and looked away. She had
been thinking it for months. Why was it so hard to hear him say it?

Her voice seemed very small when she spoke. �I didn�t mean
for that to happen.�

�Neither did I,� Ron said, finally
looking at her. �That�s why I was hoping, well. I was hoping we could change
that.�

Hermione looked up at him, uncertain. �What do you mean?�

�I mean�� Ron paused, looking down again. �I miss Harry and
I know you do. And we�re both worried about him. But that doesn�t mean we have
to stop being friends.�

Her features softened at the tone of his voice. �We haven�t
stopped being friends, Ron.�

�Of course not,� Ron said quickly. �No, I know that. I guess
I just want� I want to be close to you again.�

Hermione�s next question was hesitant. �Aren�t we close
now?�

�Yeah, but�,� Ron floundered, searching for the right words.
�Maybe not as much as we used to be. And maybe� maybe we could be closer.�

�What are you trying to say?� But she had a sinking feeling
of certainty about his meaning.

�I was just wondering if� if maybe you want to, um� spend
time together more.� Ron focused intently on a stray thread on his sleeve. �I
mean� just us.�

Hermione felt another pang in her chest and she couldn�t
decide if she was sad or furious that now of all times Ron had finally gotten
the courage for this.

�Ron, I�� Hermione paused, trying to figure out if there was
any way she could say this without crushing him. Half of her was screaming in
protest. How could she do this to Ron? �Of course we�re
friends, and of course I want us to be close� I miss seeing you as much as I
used to and I�d be glad to spend more time with you and Ginny��

�With me and Ginny�� Ron�s voice grew cold.

�I just�� Hermione swallowed and heard her own voice as if
someone else were speaking. �I don�t think now is the right time� for us.�

Ron stared at her in disbelief for a full five seconds
before responding, voice nearly shaking with disappointment and frustration.
�When will it be the right time? We�re in the middle of a war, Hermione. Things
aren�t going to get better any time soon, and if it�s all the same to you, I
don�t think there�s much point in waiting.�

�I-I�� Hermione faltered, unable to bear the look on Ron�s
face. But it was too late to take back what she�d said. �I just don�t think it
would be a good idea. We have to support Harry right now,
we have to be ready to help him if he needs us� We can�t be distracted��

�Distracted?� Anger and hurt flared in his blue eyes. The
color of Draco�s irises was like a black-and-white photograph of that blue. No,
she shouldn�t think of him right now.

�Ron�� she pleaded, but he cut her off.

�Is there someone else?� he choked out, as if he were afraid
to ask.

Hermione was taken aback. �What?�

�Is there someone else?�
he repeated more vehemently.

She was going to lie to him. There was no other way. But she
hesitated a moment too long. �No, I��

�I�m not completely thick, you know,� Ron spat. �You could
at least have the decency to tell me the truth if you�re not interested. I know
I took a while to ask but that doesn�t mean I�m not serious.� He shook his head
in disgust and turned to leave. �You know where to find me when you�ve figured
out what you want.�

�Ron, wait��

But he was gone. Hermione choked back the sobs that
threatened to tumble out of her and braced herself against the cold stones of
the wall next to her.

Everything was backward. She had just devastated one of her
best friends. She had turned down the first boy she had ever loved. The only
one she had really loved until� No. She didn�t want to think about him, not
now. Not when her head was full of Ron�s words, Ron�s nervously affectionate
expression as he finally got the words out, the hurt and frustration on his
features when she had refused the person she had been in love with for years.

Why now? Why when it was too late, when she had finally
given up? But that was typical Ron: always doing things haphazardly and after
the fact. If he really did love her, he loved her inadequately and too late.
But what if he actually did love her? She had always hoped but had never let
herself believe that he could...

A small sob choked her breathing.

She couldn�t cry here. Someone would surely see. She didn�t
want to answer any questions. She just wanted to be alone. But she couldn�t
make it back to her room like this. She�d have to go through the Common Room,
and then everyone would know that something had happened.

I need a place to be
alone, she thought. And then she remembered a place that could give her
anything she needed. She wiped her eyes and tried to calm her breathing as she
made her way to the corridor where she knew the Room of Requirement was
concealed. She stood in front of the place where the door would appear and
repeated her thought clearly three times: I
need a place to be alone.

A door appeared in the stone wall in quick response to her
request, and she turned the doorknob with a shaky hand. She stepped inside, and
as soon as she closed the door behind her, she began to cry again in earnest.
She leaned back against the wall behind her for support and slowly slipped to
the floor, shaking as she cried.

�Granger?�

Hermione jumped up and wiped her eyes quickly, confused as
to how he could possibly be here.

�What are you doing here?� Her voice cracked a bit and she
felt mortified by his presence. Now, of all times�

�Wanted a place to be alone,� he answered simply. Hermione
laughed mirthlessly at the irony. It wasn�t lost on Draco either,
and he smirked a bit.

Hermione swallowed and breathed deeply. Of course he would
be here now, when he was the last person in the school she wanted to see her
like this. �Didn�t mean to intrude. I� I�ll go.�

Draco stood and followed her to the door, closing his hand
around her wrist gently to detain her as her other hand closed on the doorknob.
�What�s wrong?�

Hermione felt too weak and distracted to free herself from Malfoy�s grip, so she simply stood there by the door
feeling foolish, vaguely aware of the warmth of his skin on hers. �Why do you
care?�

He visibly flinched at the coldness of her words and
immediately let go of her hand, taking a step back. The icy quality of his
voice matched hers. �Sorry I asked.�

It was Hermione�s turn to flinch, and her expression
softened. �Sorry. I shouldn�t be taking this out on you.� She moved to sit on
the familiar sofa by the fire. The room was set up exactly as it always had
been when she and Draco were there together. It was unexpectedly comforting.

Draco sat on the other end of the sofa, giving Granger
space. She wasn�t crying anymore, just sitting in silence, staring into the
fire. He�d be lying to himself if he said he wasn�t worried. Sure, he�d seen
her cry before. Often he�d been the cause of it, and that hadn�t bothered him
much. But this was different, and he wanted it to stop.

�What happened?� he asked in what he hoped was an unreadable
tone. Granger looked over at him in surprise as if she�d forgotten he was
there. That irked him, but he kept himself in check.

�It�s nothing,� Hermione answered in a voice thick with the
tears she�d just shed and the emotional exhaustion she was feeling.

�You�re brilliant at many things, Granger, but lying isn�t
one of them,� Draco said, not unkindly.

�It�s nothing to do with you.� Well, that wasn�t entirely
true. But Hermione wasn�t sure she wanted to admit that to him.

He shrugged. �Tell me anyway.�

Hermione hesitated. �You�ll be angry or annoyed or
something.�

�Well that won�t be much of a change, will it?� Draco
smirked.

�All right. All right, I�� Hermione
took a deep breath. �This is so stupid��

Draco waited in silence for her to continue.

�I� Ron�� Hermione swallowed as Draco stiffened reflexively
upon hearing that name. �Ron�s told me that he wants� that he wants to be with
me.�

��Oh.� Draco shifted his gaze from
her to the fire. �Well, that�s� That�s what you wanted, isn�t it?�

�Yes,� Hermione said quietly, confused by Draco�s reaction.

�Don�t you still want it?�

�I�� Hermione held her arms out helplessly. �I don�t know
what I want.�

�At least you admit that,� he said, unable to keep all of
the coldness out of his voice.

�Draco�� Fresh tears were forming at the corners of her
eyes.

Draco shook his head, voice steadying to a falsely pragmatic
and unaffected tone. �There�s no reason to cry. It was fun while it lasted, but
I doubt the contract�s still in effect. I�m not going to fight for you or
anything, if that�s what you�re worried about. I�m sure everything will be fine.�

�No, it won�t,� she said quietly, stung by his nonchalance.

He looked at her. �Why wouldn�t it?�

�Because I�ve told him no.� The
tears began to slide down over her cheeks. She hid her face in her hands.

Draco stared at Granger in utter disbelief. All of this
defied logic. And she was one of the most logical people he knew. �What? Why?�

�Because�� Hermione sighed, voice shaky. �Because
I don�t want to be with him anymore.�

He dismissed her explanation as if she were mad. �You�re
being stupid.�

�No, I�m not,� she said firmly. �I l-love Ron very much, but
I� I couldn�t be happy with him. Not right now, at
least.�

�Why not?� he asked in frustration.
The witch really was impossible!

Hermione wiped her eyes and looked up at him as if the
answer should be obvious. �Because I�d have to stop seeing you��

�Granger, as much as I�d love to continue shagging you
senseless whenever I want, you�re much too intelligent to throw away the thing
you�ve always wanted for this�� he paused, but only briefly, �this game we�ve
been playing.�

�A game?� Hermione didn�t think it
was possible to feel worse than she already did about this situation. Leave it
to Malfoy to prove her wrong. �Is that what you think
of this as?�

The hurt in Granger�s eyes gave him pause. �Isn�t it?�

She shook her head. �Not anymore��

�This is simple, Granger,� he said, as much to convince
himself as her. �Tell him you�ve changed your mind. Then you and Weasley can help Potter finish the Dark Lord and live happily
ever after. That�s how it�s supposed to end up.�

�No,� she said quietly. �That can�t happen now.�

�What are you on about?�

She looked directly at him to emphasize her point. �He knows
there�s someone else.�

Draco paused, his mind working furiously. �Lie to him.�

�I tried,� she said in a defeated tone. She was still upset
with herself for lying to Ron in the first place. �He�s not that stupid,
regardless of what you may think. And now there�s no way he�ll ever speak to me
again, because he knows I�m lying, but if I tell him the truth he�ll hate me.�

Draco gritted his teeth. �That seems� unreasonable.�

�It is.� Hermione sighed. �But that doesn�t change the fact
that I still don�t want to lose him.�

�Then we stop this, you go back to him and tell him you were
an idiot to turn him down, and it�ll be like it never happened.�

�I� I don�t want it to be like it never happened,� Hermione
said in a small voice as she began to cry again. She looked away from Malfoy, ashamed of herself for admitting that fact, for
crying again, but too upset to do anything about it.

Draco watched her for a moment, taking in the implications
of what she�d just said. Neither do I,
his thoughts answered her, but he didn�t have the courage to say it out loud.
Instead, he shifted on the sofa, reaching for Granger�s prone form and pulling
her against him.

They sat in half-embrace, her back against his chest, both
facing the fire. Draco rested his chin on Hermione�s shoulder and tried to
imagine how he could make her understand what it meant to him that she hadn�t
run back to Weasley. Even though
that probably would�ve been best for everyone.

Hermione wiped her eyes and shifted in Draco�s arms, turning
to face him. One hand was braced on his chest. She reached the other up to stroke
his fringe out of his eyes, heedless of the fact that he barely tolerated hugs
from her, let alone gentle caresses.

Draco said nothing. He watched her in silence as her hand
slid over his face, smooth against his cheek. Her left hand came up to mimic the
right. The skin of her palms was warm and made him feel flushed. That is, until
her lips descended on his and dwarfed all other heat.

Hermione watched Draco�s eyes slide closed as she kissed
him, her confidence and passion building with each passing moment. She had to
show him that it was impossible for her to choose anyone else. Even though he was the wrong choice. Her fingers slid into
his hair and grabbed hold. The world was shifting beneath her and she would
hold onto him, not knowing how precarious his own footing was.

She pulled away so they could both breathe properly, and
Draco�s eyes drifted open. She was beautiful with the fire behind her and her
lips shining and slightly swollen from their kiss. If he moved, he might
shatter her newfound assertiveness. So he sat very still as she straddled his
legs and tugged at his robes, baring his neck so that she could press her lips
there as well. Her kisses were worshipful, possessive. He didn�t mind.

Hermione was surprised to find that even though everything
was a complete mess, being with Draco removed some of the strangeness and
uncertainty that had characterized the day. His taste, his smell, they were
familiar, reassuring. She had wanted to feel that way with Ron. She had hoped
that he�d want that from her too someday.

And now he said he did, and she was so angry with him for
it. How dare he finally notice her just when she had given up on him! She had
finally found someone else, and now Ron wanted to ruin that, too. It wasn�t
fair! He was supposed to be her friend and yet she was sure that he�d never
understand if he knew the truth. She shouldn�t have to hide this. She wasn�t
doing anything wrong! She never asked for anything for herself. Why couldn�t
she just have Draco?

Draco groaned as Granger�s kisses became more forceful. Her
hands were shaking as she blindly sought the clasp of his robes, his tie, the buttons of his shirt. This was so different. And wrong.
She was upset. And yet he found her to be so very sexy. What did that say about
him?

�Granger,� he gasped between kisses, placing his hands
gently on her shoulders.

Hermione shook her head and moved to kiss his neck instead,
shoving his unclasped cloak off of his shoulders and throwing his tie to the
floor before finishing the process of undoing his shirt buttons.

Draco grabbed her wrists in his hands and forced her to look
at him.

�Hermione.�

The rare sound of her name coming from his lips snapped her
to attention. She met his gaze and felt as though she might start crying again.

�Don�t make me stop,� she pleaded.

�That�s the last thing I want,� Draco said,
lust evident in his eyes. His instinct was to ask her if she was all right, but
he knew she wasn�t. And really, he had no qualms with letting her do this
anyway. He just needed to know that she wasn�t going to regret it later.

�I just don�t want to think right now,� she said in a
heartbreaking tone.

Draco wondered if she had ever wanted that before in her
life.

Her words weren�t exactly reassuring, but they were enough
to absolve Draco of responsibility in his own mind. He let go of her wrists and
relaxed against the cushions of the sofa, inviting her to continue.

�Do whatever you like.�

Hermione smiled then, and sat up straight in Draco�s lap.
She silently removed her own cloak and began undoing her tie. She stuffed it
into his front shirt pocket and he smirked as he watched her. She began unbuttoning
her shirt, completely unashamed. After all, Draco knew her body and loved it.
Why shouldn�t he look at it? He was the only person who had ever touched it in
lust. It made her proud to see him watching her now with eyes half-lidded,
pupils large.

The witch who stepped back onto the floor and began to
remove her shirt was a far cry from the one who had stripped for him very
reluctantly a few months ago. She was confident as she let her shirt slip from
her shoulders and fall to the floor. As she let her skirt fall as well and
stepped out of it. As her undergarments joined the pile of
clothing on the silk carpet.

He couldn�t even laugh at her when a playful smile graced
her lips as she whispered, �Accio.�

Having been summoned, he got up from the sofa and stood
before her. Her hands moved across his shoulders and slid his shirt off of his arms, let it drop to the floor. Her fingers were at the
button of his trousers and still she was unashamed. He was letting her be in
control. She had never wanted that before from him, but now it seemed very
important. She just needed to have the courage to take it.

Her hands trembled uncertainly at the button.

Draco�s breath was hot against her ear as he said four
wonderful words: �Take what you want.�

Her confidence waxed immediately. Trousers and pants soon
joined the pile. They both stood naked, skin warmed by the fire. She tugged him
down to the floor and he lay on the luxurious carpet, obviously aroused and not
caring. Whatever she wanted, he was willing and waiting to give.

Take what you want,
he had said. She wanted everything. Her body was aching for him. She straddled him
and bent to kiss him hungrily. Her hips pressed against his and she longed to
have him inside her, but it was too soon. What did she want first?

Granger�s eyes were on his face, his chest, his cock where
it was nestled against her curls. Wholly unabashed and
wanting. Take what you want,
Granger.

Her hand reached down to grab his, placing it on her breast
as she looked at him significantly. Draco cupped her flesh in his hand before
flicking his thumb over her nipple. It hardened instantly. She groaned. He
flicked it again.

Hermione arched her back and began to breathe more heavily.
She found his other hand with hers and guided it to her other breast. She moaned
as his left thumb mimicked the actions of the right. The friction of skin on
sensitive skin was almost too much, but she relished the roughness of it all.

Draco let his thumbs flick over her hardened nipples
mercilessly. Not only did she not protest, but she continued to moan even as
his pace increased. He was spurred on by her reaction, and experimentally
pinched one nipple between his fingers. When she gasped and nudged her hips
against his, he did the same to the other. Her hips pressed against his more
forcefully and he could now feel the heat and wetness of her arousal.

Take what you want.

She leaned down and braced her hands on either side of his
head so she could kiss him roughly. Rough kisses, smooth skin, rough thumb
pads, hard nipples, wet pussy, smooth cock, rough, she wanted more roughness.
She could take it. He said she could take what she wanted. She would take it.

Draco panted as she broke the kiss and sat up straight
again. She lifted herself up onto her knees and closed her hand around his
cock. He groaned involuntarily, anticipating what was to come. She placed the
head of his cock between the smooth lips of her pussy and wiggled her hips a
bit, spreading some of her wetness over him to ease his entrance. Draco held
his breath as she eased herself onto him.

Slowly and experimentally Hermione moved up and down,
pushing Draco�s cock in and out of herself, gaining speed and confidence. She
wanted more. She took it. The pace she set was rigorous. She wanted him deeper,
wanted it harder, faster. She took all of it. Until she was frantically bucking
her hips like something wild and wanton.

Draco groaned and watched her in fascination, resisting the
urge to buck his hips up into hers, to roll her over and fuck her senseless, to
take back the control that belonged to him. But she was so
very sexy as she rode him that he couldn�t ruin it. Instead, he reached up and
placed his hand gently at her throat so that his thumb pressed against her
windpipe.

Hermione�s eyes widened and her pace slowed a bit, but she
didn�t tell him to stop. A shiver ran through her whole body as his thumb
pressed a little harder and his fingers rested on her neck. She took slow,
shaky breaths to control her instinct to fight it as Draco smirked up at her.
He was taking control back and she found that she loved it.

He watched her as she adjusted to the pressure at her
throat. She was enjoying this. Something inside Draco snapped. He flipped them
over in one fluid movement and placed both hands on her neck this time, gently
constricting her air supply, watching her carefully to make sure she was all
right. She pressed her hips up into his insistently and expelled what little
air was left in her lungs with a moan.

Hermione needed to breathe, but she wasn�t afraid. She
found to her surprise that she trusted Draco, at least in this. She trusted him
to hurt without harming her, to push her to the very limit but not over the
edge. His hands were warm around her neck even as her brain told her over and
over again that she needed air, and soon. But the look in his eyes was
challenging and reassuring at the same time. It said, �Show me that you can do
this, like I know you can.� So she ignored her instincts and focused on the
thrill that arose from the fact that her life was literally in his hands.

Draco eased the pressure of his thumbs off Hermione�s neck
and she took a few experimental breaths, suppressing a few reflexive coughs. He
placed his hands on either side of her and adjusted back into a more
comfortable position. When he looked down at her, she smiled with lust in her
eyes, seeming so unfazed by the experience that he was already tempted to go
further. Matching her smile with a wicked one of his own,
Draco leaned down and kissed her almost violently, beginning to thrust into her
again in earnest. Her hips crashed up to meet his tirelessly and Draco began to
wonder how far he could push his luck.

�You want it rough tonight, don�t you?� Draco growled.

Hermione whimpered and urged her hips upward ceaselessly in
a silent plea for more.

�How rough?� Draco asked with a
smirk, a finger sliding experimentally along the cleft of her ass, teasing the
spot he�d left alone for all the months they�d been seeing each other.

Hermione shivered violently and Draco chuckled.

Draco made up his mind and stopped thrusting, pulling out
and leaving Hermione whimpering in unfulfilled need. He closed his eyes and
thought of one sentence very clearly three times.

A jar of a thick potion appeared on the floor in front of
the fire and Hermione eyed it warily.

�On your knees.�

Hermione was so eager for more contact that she complied
without protest. She was nervous, but she wanted more. She wanted something new,
something hard. She wanted Draco not to hold back. She�Oh!

Draco was practically giddy as he applied a liberal amount
of the concoction to the area around the puckered hole. Hermione shivered and
gasped as his fingers explored her.

The potion was cold at first, but warmed slightly as his
fingers pressed deeper, first one, then two, and the thick liquid allowed him
to slide them in and out with relative ease. Hermione�s arms and legs shook at
the strange, though not unpleasant sensation. Never in her wildest dreams would
she have thought she would let someone do what she was about to let Draco do to
her.

Draco cleaned his hand with a quick Scourgify and positioned himself
behind Granger, holding her hips.

�This might hurt at first,� he said unapologetically.

Good, Hermione
thought, but merely nodded.

His entry was slow and careful, as much so that Draco could
savor how it felt as in consideration of the pain it might cause Hermione. It
was so tight and smooth, and not better, but simply different than her pussy.
And she hadn�t even made a sound of protest.

Hermione willed herself to relax as she found to her
surprise that she actually could fit all of him inside her. It was a bit
painful, and definitely uncomfortable, but it seemed to make all kinds of nerves
react in ways that were almost pleasurable. She waited very still for Draco to
begin moving.

Draco reached his hand around and found Granger�s clit,
still slick with arousal. She practically jumped when he touched it, and he
could see shivers run through her body. He smirked. He was about to fuck
Hermione Granger in the ass so hard she�d have trouble walking. What a strange
turn his life had taken.

It felt so different, and strange, and good. The discomfort of him inside her somehow magnified the pleasure
of his finger stroking her clit. Hermione moaned loudly, nearly overwhelmed by
unexpected sensation. The slight pain, the way it didn�t feel quite right compared
with the way he normally felt inside her, all served to amplify her lust. She
wanted to be doing something wrong, and this definitely qualified in her mind.

The feel of her muscles contracting around him as he touched
her made Draco unable to wait any longer. He began moving in and out of her at
a fairly swift pace, his fingers still teasing her clit so that every thrust
was accompanied by a beautiful moan and a series of shivers.

It was so incredibly intense. Soon Hermione�s arms could not
support her weight and she let her cheek fall against the carpet, ass proudly
in the air and now actually thrusting back against Draco in earnest. Her clit
was so sensitive, but her nerves were distracted, and the combination of
various sensations was so consuming that it forced out all rational thought.

Draco couldn�t believe that she was thrusting back to meet
his hips, that she actually wanted more. He was almost afraid that he would injure
her, but it felt so good that he didn�t want to argue. He continued stroking
her clit and he could feel her getting closer. The differences in her
breathing, the tension in her muscles were very familiar to him now.

Hermione practically screamed as she came, her nerves unable
to take any more. Her pussy contracted around nothing and she continued
thrusting back against Draco more violently than ever. She didn�t care if it
hurt. It couldn�t stop. If it stopped she�d have to think. Please, Draco, don�t stop, don�t ever stop.

But he had to stop. Her enthusiasm was too much to handle,
and watching her come pushed him over the edge. He held his position for a
moment, panting, before pulling away and cleaning himself off.

The only sound for a full minute was both of them bringing
their breathing down.

Draco broke the silence.

�Have you punished yourself enough yet?�

His voice was gravelly when he spoke. He was looking at the
fire rather than at her.

�What?� Hermione sat up, utterly confused
and finding it difficult to think in her brain�s post-coital haze.

Draco shrugged. �I guess it doesn�t count if you like it.�

Hermione gingerly got up and began cleaning herself off too,
deflecting Draco�s comment. �I don�t know what you�re talking about.�

�You want me to hurt you because you think you deserve it.�
Draco finally looked at her as he began pulling on his pants and trousers.

�Why would I think that?� Hermione�s focus was resolutely on
her clothing as she began to put it back on.

�Because you hurt him.�

Hermione was silent as she buttoned her skirt, facing away
from Draco.

�Was it enough?� Draco said evenly. �I can do much worse, if
you like. You know I can.�

Anger flared in Hermione�s eyes as she turned to face Draco.
�I�m not afraid of you.�

Draco scoffed. �You have no idea what I�m capable of.�

Hermione rolled her eyes. �Right.
Any day now you�re going to lock me up in a dungeon somewhere and reveal that
this was all an elaborate ploy to humiliate me before handing me over to Voldemort.�

�All I�m trying to say, Granger, is that if you want to be
hurt, you�ve come to the right place.� He grabbed her left wrist and gripped it
hard for emphasis. �But if you�re trying to punish yourself because you feel
guilty about Weasley, then leave me out of it.�

Hermione�s palm connected so hard with Draco�s cheek that
the sound reverberated through the otherwise silent room. Draco didn�t move. He
didn�t even flinch.

�I won�t be your penance, Granger,� Draco said with a sneer,
but his voice was almost gentle when he continued, �You haven�t done anything
wrong.�

Her brown eyes were wide as they stared up into his for a
moment, and became watery before she blinked the would-be tears away. Then his
arm was around her and her cheek was pressed against his bare chest.

�Time for bed,� Draco said quietly after a minute.

Hermione nodded and pulled on her robes, making herself look as presentable as she could. Draco pulled on
his shirt and robes and followed her to the door.

�You go first,� he offered. It wouldn�t do for them to be
caught together at this time of night.

She smiled at him a bit sadly as she nodded again and left,
closing the door behind her.

Draco stood by the door for a moment and then looked down.
There in his shirt pocket was a maroon and gold tie. He smiled slightly and
transferred it to his trouser pocket for safekeeping.

That was the last way out. He gave her the freedom to choose
Weasley and instead she was with him, despite the
fact that she might lose one of her best friends.

And he was worse off than she was. A Death
Eater no more. A Malfoy in
exile. There was nothing else for him now. No cause but Granger. No home
but her. Until the fragile existence they clung to was
inevitably torn asunder.

She would�ve been wasted on Weasley
anyway.

*****

A/N: Wow, it�s been a while, hasn�t it? I�m so sorry to make
you all wait so long! I promise I have a legitimate excuse: I got engaged a few
weeks ago and my life has been non-stop planning ever since, and on top of that
I got sick, and the whole thing has just been a huge whirlwind of activity. It�s
not a bad thing, in fact at times it�s a lot of fun, but it can really cut into
my writing and editing time! Anyway, I hope you all liked the chapter,
regardless of the risqu� content. I hope I didn�t squick
anyone out, or at least that those of you for whom that kind of stuff just isn�t
appealing still enjoyed the rest of the chapter. In addition to how busy I�ve
been, this chapter took me such a long time because it�s so complicated and so
pivotal. I agonized over how everyone should be acting during all of the
conflict, but I think it turned out right in the end. So I hope you all enjoyed
this chapter, and hopefully the next chapter will come to you much faster than
this one did!

MegNuts�Haha, thanks! Sorry I kept
you waiting so long this time, but I hope it was worth it.

angeles�Thanks :) There is still more to come.

Draco_Lover�Don�t
feel obligated to review, though I�m certainly glad you did of course. I�m
really glad you like my Lucius and Narcissa: they�re something I worked very hard on and
worried a lot about. Sorry the roll sort of slowed down, but I do intend to
continue and I have a view of the end from here so hopefully some of your
questions will be answered soon!

qzgrl�Thanks! Hope you liked this one, too.

Losername�Wow, thanks! That�s a
huge compliment! I�m really glad you like the story and I�m sorry you�ve had to
wait so long for an update. I hope you liked this chapter and I�ll try to post
more soon!

Doxey Brunstone�Not going to stop until it�s done! Thanks!

PotterEntourage�Wow, that as
incredible compliment re: my characterization of Lucius!
Thanks so much! I worked really hard to try to make Lucius
and Narcissa sympathetic characters, if not �good
people.� It�s clear to me in the books that they love each other and their son
very much, so I can�t imagine this kind of situation would be at all easy for
them. I hope I�ve done it justice and I�m pretty happy with the way it turned
out. Hope you liked the new chapter and I�m excited to see your reactions as
events unfold!

caseyjarryn�Thank you very much! Not sure what�s going to happen re:
Draco and Lucius yet, but we�ll see!

scarletwitchextreme�Hi Scarlet! I�m doing pretty well and I hope you are too. I
am so thoroughly impressed with the fact that you made the connection between
the chapter�s title and the theme of comfort throughout it! I was so happy when
I read your review! I thought the connection would just be a subtle thematic
thing and no one would pick up on it, but you totally did! I feel like I should
give you some sort of prize or something. Do you want a
drabble or something? I think I have time to write like 500-1000 words
for a brilliantly observant reader. Just say the word and I�ll let you name the
terms (within reason, of course ;)). As for Draco, well of course he�s messed
up considering the way his life has gone. Hope you liked the new chapter and let
me know about your prize!

jaceni�I update as often as I can, and I hope you continue to
enjoy it as it progresses :)

The Lady Jones�Thanks! How�d you like 22?

goldiducks�Thank you! I hope you liked the update and I�ll try to
update again soon!
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Lessons and Obsessions

*****

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: TENSION