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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.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: EROSION

The weeks progressed slowly and painfully for Hermione. She
had Ginny for companionship at meals and on the weekends, Draco in the evenings
if she was lucky, and no one during classes. She a great deal
of homework done because she had virtually nothing else to do, but she was very
lonely.

There had been no word from Harry recently, and not only did
that worry Hermione, but it also made her feel guilty about being a bad friend.
She just didn�t know what she could tell Harry now that she and Ron weren�t
speaking. She didn�t want him to be worried about them, and she didn�t want to
tell him the truth.

Draco had taken to visiting Hermione in her room nearly
every night. Though it was risky, they both agreed that it was the last place
Ron would think to look for Hermione�s �someone else.� Hermione would go to bed
early, lock her door, cast a silencing charm, and wait for Draco, who somehow
still managed to get to her window by broomstick without being seen.

Most of the time they would have sex, and then Draco would
leave. But sometimes he would stay for a while and they would talk for a bit,
or lie in silence in the dark. Sometimes he would stay until she fell asleep,
and sometimes he nearly fell asleep himself.

�How long do you think we can keep this up, Granger?� Draco
asked one night as they lay naked together in her bed.

Hermione�s heart sank. She didn�t want to face the answer. �A little longer at least.�

He paused. �There are only two ways this can end.�

�I know,� she said quietly. Either Ron would find out, or
they�d stop seeing each other.

�It�s your choice,� Draco said indifferently, �but you can�t
hide forever. Not even from Weasley.�

Hermione rolled onto her side so that she could look at
Draco. �Just a little longer,� she said, and kissed him with a
fervor that was immediately returned.

When the kiss broke, Draco stood and got dressed, watching
Hermione as the blissful forgetfulness of sex gave way to reality and the
worries flooded visibly back to the forefront of her mind. They seemed to
return more quickly and heavily each time.

�You�re a coward,� Draco said with no malice as he took his
broomstick in hand and went to the window.

As Hermione watched him go, she felt the inescapable truth
of his words resonate more painfully within her than any insult he had thrown her
way.

*****

When Draco returned to his room, the other boys were asleep
and a letter was waiting for him. He undressed and pulled the curtains around
his bed, whispering a soft �Lumos� so he could read his letter.

Dear Draco,

I hope this letter
finds you well. It is difficult to get owls through now that we�re no longer
under the �protection� of our former keepers. Obviously I cannot tell you what
is happening here, but I trust that the mark you bear is indication enough. Be
vigilant, now more than ever. Because you are not with us, you will be counted
among our enemies.

Do not think too badly
of your father, Draco. What he did, he did for all our sakes. It pains both of
us more than you know for this family to be thus divided. But you are of age
now, and I will not tell you how to act. Even I am not sure of the correct
course of action in this case. I can only hope that it will not be long before
you are welcomed home.

Please write to assure
me of your safety.

Love from your mother

P.S. It would be best
if you did not use your own owl for the time being.

Draco held the letter in his right hand and looked down at
his left forearm. The Mark was an inky black that rippled menacingly and seemed
to burn his skin from the inside out. The pain and intensity of color had come
and gone over the past few months, but lately it seemed to hurt constantly and
never fade. The Dark Lord was strengthening.

It would be so easy, he thought for the hundredth time. So
easy to lure Granger back to the Manor and be welcomed home with open arms. All
would be forgiven, by his father and by the Dark Lord, if he gave them Hermione
Granger.

But no, he�d been through all of this before. Over and over
he�d weighed his options in his mind, and no matter how much sense it made to
give her up, he found that he couldn�t. If he had been asked to give up
anything�anyone�but her, it would have been an easy decision.

Draco read over his mother�s letter many times before reaching
toward his bookbag at the foot of his bed and pulling
out a quill and a piece of parchment. He hardly knew what he was going to write
when he began, but found that the words came anyway, almost as if they were
being written by someone else. The scratch of his quill was harsh in his ears
compared with the soft breathing of his housemates.

Dear Mother,

Rest assured that I�m
quite well. Security is tighter than ever after what I did last year, though I
think I�m right in assuming that your Master does not have his attention fixed
on Hogwarts at the moment.

I will remain among
your enemies. I can�t explain why I won�t do as Father asked. It seems like
nothing, and yet I can�t do it. I�m sorry that I�ve deprived you of an
undivided family after all that�s happened, but I�ve made my decision.

I think that perhaps
it�s the wrong decision, but it�s the only one I can make.

Love,

Draco

*****

It was just after dawn when Draco climbed the stairs to the owlery. He had never used a school owl during his nearly
seven years at Hogwarts. He had never done a lot of things until recently. It
took him a few moments to get one of the obstinate and poorly-trained school
owls to come down to him and consent to have his letter tied to its leg.

He didn�t look up when he heard an inhalation of breath from
the doorway to the owlery. If it was someone he
didn�t want to see, which was most everyone, they�d go
away.

�I thought you had your own owl,� Hermione said as she recovered
from the surprise of finding him there.

This was his last chance. He could rip the letter up and take
her to them now.

Draco continued fastening his letter to the ugly barn owl�s
leg. �I do.�

Sensing that she wasn�t going to get a more detailed explanation,
Hermione rolled her eyes and called down one of the other school owls. It had
been far too long since she�d written to Harry, regardless of the fact that he
hadn�t written lately, and the way she and Ron had been ignoring one another
since he�d tried to ask her out had finally made her feel guilty and lonely
enough to write to her other best friend. She hoped the owl had a chance of
finding Harry, wherever he was.

They each sent their birds off in silence, Draco watching
his go with a mix of panic and relief. He could tell that Hermione was annoyed
with him for his terseness. The reasonable part of him understood that it
wasn�t fair to punish her for something she didn�t even know was occurring. How
could she know the havoc she had wreaked upon his family? But he didn�t want
her to know. He couldn�t decide if it was because he was trying to protect her,
or because he didn�t want her to know she had that much power.

Hermione turned to go. It was clear that Malfoy
was in no mood to talk to her. Fine. He knew where to
find her when he was done brooding.

�Granger.�

She paused in the doorway, then
turned back around to look at him expectantly. He didn�t know what to say. He
just didn�t want her to leave in that mood. He took a step toward her, then
another, until they were a few feet apart.

Hermione regarded him quietly, knowing that if he offered no
answers, she would get none. He seemed� different, sometimes. Ever since Christmas. But maybe she was imagining things. A
lot seemed different lately.

Draco watched her for a moment. Her hair was as disheveled
as ever, and a lock of it hung in her eyes. He was so used to being able to
touch her, and so it seemed nothing at all to him when he stepped forward and
smoothed the hair back behind her ear. That in itself
might have given them away. But it was Granger�s smile that left no room for
doubt.

�Hermione?�

Granger flinched. Her back was to the door, so that only
Draco could see the new arrival. But he surmised that it was impossible for her
not to recognize that voice. �Draco
sneered as he recognized the freckly excuse for a face that belonged to the one
person he loathed almost as much as Harry Potter.

��Ron?� Hermione�s voice quavered as she slowly turned to face Ron. His
expression confirmed her fears that he had witnessed their exchange.� �Oh no��

�Here we go,� Draco muttered.

Hermione pleaded for his understanding, but knew that that
was far too much to ask. �Ron, before you say anything��

�Go on, Hermione,� Ron said, his face reddening with anger.
�Try to convince me that this isn�t as bad as it looks.�

What could she possibly say? �I��

�She doesn�t have to explain,� Draco said coldly.

�What was that, Malfoy?� Ron
snapped, his attention shifting to the blonde boy and his voice filling with
hatred.

�You heard me,� Draco said defiantly. �She doesn�t have to
explain. You�ve already got your mind made up, so spare her the effort.�

�Draco�� Hermione began, hoping to keep him from making
things any worse, but was cut off by Ron.

��Draco,� is it?�
Ron sneered.

�Yeah.� Draco�s mouth turned up in
a smirk. �Does that bother you, Weaselby?�

Obviously determined to provoke Ron as much as possible, Draco
snaked an arm around her waist possessively. Hermione braced herself for the
worst.

�Get your hands off her!� Ron snarled, and Hermione flinched
reflexively.

�Why?� Draco retorted as he looked down at Hermione. �She�s
not afraid of me.�

Hermione groaned inwardly and tried to extricate herself
from Draco�s grasp. Of course he had to make everything worse!

�Ron, please listen�� But he cut her off again.

�No! You lied to me. You said there wasn�t anyone else!�

Hermione cringed and looked away, hurt by the truth of his
accusation. She had lied. For months. To one of her
two best friends, no less. Maybe she deserved this. She had known all along
that this was how Ron was going to react. She just hadn�t counted on Draco�s
involvement.

�Like you would�ve accepted the truth if she�d told you!�
Draco was half-laughing now. �You�re only this angry because it�s me.�

�And why shouldn�t I be?� Ron countered. �You�re the last
person on Earth she should be messing about with! I don�t know how you got her
to go along with this, but I�ll find out! The Hermione I know wouldn�t be
caught dead with you!�

Hermione felt a horrible pang in her heart. On that score he
was right: she was a far cry from the Hermione that Ron knew. When and how that
disconnect had occurred, she didn�t know.

�Then you obviously don�t know her very well, do you?� Draco
retorted. �Not that I�m surprised.�

�Ron.� Hermione said quietly, her voice imploring him to
understand. He looked disgusted with her and didn�t answer. �Ron, please listen
to me. You owe me that much.�

�I don�t owe you anything,� Ron growled.

�I understand why you�re upset�� Ron scoffed, but Hermione
continued. �I do. I shouldn�t have lied to you. But you have no right to punish
me for seeing someone else when you didn�t have the courage to ask me sooner.
I�m sorry that I lied to you, but I have nothing else to be sorry for.�

Draco blinked, impressed. His arm was still around Granger�s
waist.

Ron looked back and forth between the two of them in
disbelief. �Have you lost your mind, Hermione? He�s Draco bloody Malfoy! He hates you! He�s done nothing but bully all of us
for years! He tried to kill Dumbledore!�

�I can take care of myself, Ronald!� Hermione snapped. �If
you haven�t noticed, he hasn�t done anything to me yet and he�s had dozens of
chances.�

�Oh yes, I�m sure he�s been doing �nothing,�� Ron said
sarcastically. �It�s all been pillow fights and picnics in the park, has it?�

�He hasn�t hurt me,� Hermione clarified, though inwardly she
wasn�t sure if that was technically true, and she couldn�t keep from blushing.
�He hasn�t tried to use me for information. He hasn�t taken me to Voldemort.�

Draco tried to keep his confident smirk in place, though
Granger�s words were difficult to swallow. He had come too close for comfort to
doing those things.

Ron made a noise of disbelief and glared at Malfoy challengingly.�
Draco straightened up and glared back, before happening upon a delicious
idea.

�I think what gets to you most of all, Weasley,
is that she chose this. I didn�t
force her into anything. She wanted
it.� He slid his hand over her stomach suggestively before turning to nuzzle
her ear. �Didn�t you, pet?�

Hermione flushed with shame as Ron stared at her in abject
horror. Her lack of denial was confirmation enough.

Ron shook his head violently, trying not to believe what he
was seeing. �She would never��

�You were so blind,� Draco continued, willfully oblivious to
Hermione�s sounds of protest. �There she was all that time, yours for the
taking, but you didn�t notice her. You can hardly blame me for seizing the
opportunity. I mean, look at her.�

Hermione hid her face as Draco pulled her robes taut from
the back, accentuating her figure. She didn�t have the energy for this. She was
a hairsbreadth away from losing one of her closest friends, and Malfoy was too busy trying to win a pissing contest to
notice that she was on the brink of tears.

�Stop that!� Ron yelled, mortified. �She�s not a piece of
meat, Malfoy!�

�I happen to enjoy the way she looks,� Draco said calmly as
he let go of her robes and looked her up and down. �Don�t you?�

Hermione stared resolutely at the stone floor.

Ron swallowed, not knowing what to say. Of course he liked
the way Hermione looked. But not the way Malfoy did.
She was more to him than that. �I-I would never��

�Maybe you should have,� Draco interrupted. �She deserves to
be looked at. And you made her feel as if she were nothing at all. Why do you
think it was so easy for me to step in?�

This was unbearable. Hermione never would have thought that
being fought over by two boys would be so degrading.

Ron was torn between guilt and anger, not wanting to accept
the possibility that this might somehow be his fault. He loved Hermione. He had
never meant to wait so long to show her that.

�Hermione, please,� Ron said gently as he reached an arm out
toward her. �He�s only going to end up hurting you.�

Hermione swallowed, tears sliding down her cheeks as she
voiced one of her fears. �No matter what I do now you�re still going to hate me
for this.�

Ron stared at her for a moment, stunned.

�I� Hermione, I could never hate you.�

Draco suddenly felt like an intruder on a very private
moment. He watched in silence.

Hermione wiped her face, but was unable to look at either of
them. Of course Ron had to choose this moment to be decent. It only made it
harder. �I promise we�ll talk about this later,� she said finally to Ron,
hoping he�d get the hint. Ron seemed reluctant to go, but nodded. He took a
moment to glare at Malfoy once more before leaving
the owlry.

Draco shifted and looked over at Granger. She was no longer
crying. He was about to speak when she rounded on him, eyes shining with anger.

�I don�t believe
you!�

�What?� Draco was completely taken aback.

Hermione rolled her eyes. �Your little
show! He�s convinced you�re treating me horribly, and you had to go and
prove him right!�

�I was standing up for you!� Draco protested.

�You were showing off!� Hermione said as she shook her head
in disgust.

�Granger��

�Spare me,� Hermione snapped. �If you�ll excuse me, I need
to see if I can salvage my relationship with one of my best friends.�

She left without a backward glance, and Draco kicked the
wooden door in frustration. This only gave him a bruised toe and awoke half the
school owls, who hooted and glared at him menacingly
for disturbing them. How he was able to keep forgetting that Granger was such a
stubborn and ungrateful girl was beyond him.

*****

A/N: I am so happy to finally have this chapter done! I�ve
been waiting to get to this showdown for what seems like months, and I�m sure
you all have, too. I hope you liked it. Special thanks go, as always, to my
beneficent beta, twist_shimmy. I hope the wait was
more reasonable this time. I have a big exam coming up this weekend and a
family vacation next week, so please understand if it takes me a little while
to post the next chapter. Thanks!

caseyjarryn�Thanks! I hope that now that you�ve read this chapter, your
questions have been answered!

MegNutz�Yep, I�m in it for the
long haul. I feel like it�s nearly done anyway, so that�s nice. I�m looking
forward to some closure. But I do like not to take too long between chapters,
even if I�m busy. As long as I�m still having fun writing
rather than stressing out about posting. Thanks for reading!

angeles�Sort of. I�m not sure whether or he means it as the exact
opposite, or if he�s just trying to get her to understand that the things he
says aren�t always in line with what he means.

Anathema�Real life does seem to interfere a lot, doesn�t it?
I totally understand! I�m really glad you�re liking
the story so far. Hope you liked the update too. I don�t take bribes, but I do
like cookies, especially in Draco form!

mag7ical�Thank you :) Hope you liked the update!

kazfeist�Well, I think they can hardly avoid the outside world
creeping in eventually, but I�m not sure it�s going to take the form of an epic
battle. This story is first and foremost about their relationship, and while
they can�t escape outside forces, I�m not sure I�m ready to turn this fic into a full-blown war story. You�ll see how I handle it
in the end, and I hope you�ll like it!

Draco_Lover�Yes,
that really is her problem, poor girl. I don�t blame Ron for acting the way he
is, though it does make everything worse. It�s tough to love someone and not
have them return it. But I don�t think she should give Draco up�I�m not even
sure she could if she tried!

Liz�Thanks!

RomanceJunkky�Thank you! Hope you
liked the update!
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Lessons and Obsessions