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The Dare	By : Tassanaburrfoot Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 82898 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 11
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter. Don't own any of the characters. Am not making a profit.

Chapter List
- 25
- 26
- 27
Friends like Theodore Nott were a rare and valuable gift. While most people would have lost their tempers and have things escalate even more upon seeing his best bud walking across Hogwarts grounds heading for the castle with murder in his eyes, Theodore had taken the opportunity to walk alongside his friend. By the time they made it to the stairs leading up to their shared dormitory, the fight Draco had inside him was all but diminished thanks to Theodore’s calm humour and gentle understanding. Some could say that it was in part to the pack of cigarettes the boys went through, while others could say that the lack of flame had something to do with the bottle of whiskey they shared. More than likely, however, it had more to do with the fact that Theodore got it. He understood Draco in a way that no one else ever had, and that included the blond’s future bride.

Draco clutched the nearly empty pack of cigarettes in one hand as they proceeded down the hall. “I’m going to tell her tonight,” he finally said.

Theodore frowned. “About what happened to Astoria?” he questioned.

The blond scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. We aren’t married yet for me to share that massive of a secret,” he huffed. The boy held up the cigarettes. “I’m going to show her these and admit that I have been smoking.”

The lanky boy sighed in relief. Baby steps. This was good. “You know she’s going to demand that you stop,” the older boy warned. “And no doubt she’s going to blame Blaise and me for encouraging it, which means we’re both going to have to come clean, too.”

“I really don’t give a damn, Nott,” Draco said as he glanced at his friend. “Neither of us are twelve. We’re old enough to make our own choices.” As they approached a large tapestry of a one-eyed witch with an identity problem, he spat, “Morgan le Fay.”

The witch cackled as the tapestry lifted itself up to reveal the door to their Common Room. They found their roommates scattered about the Common Room. Blaise and Harry were playing a game of chess while Hermione sat by the fire reading. Luna and Ginny sat cross-legged on the floor in a lively game of Exploding Snap while Padma sat quietly at the desk studying. The girls glanced up at the new arrivals.

“Oh, I think I won again,” Luna said softly as she placed her final card down.

Ginny groaned as she unfolded her legs. “If we’re going to play another game, then I need a drink,” she said as she stretched her legs and stood up.

Theodore held out the bottle of whiskey he had been carrying. “There’s a swallow left,” he told her.

She gave one look at the bottle and shook her head. “No, my throat’s sore enough already. I think I’m going to head down to the kitchen. Fancy a walk, Harry?” she asked, gazing at her boyfriend.

“Hang on,” he told her. “I’m trying to concentrate for a moment.”

She shrugged. “I’ll be back. Anyone want anything?” she questioned as she glanced at the other occupants.

Hermione looked up from her book. “Some refreshments might be nice. Maybe something to…” she paused as her eyes fell on Draco and then to his hands. Closing her book, she stood up and approached him. “What is that?” she asked.

There was no shame in his stance as he tossed the pack to her. “I have a confession to make, Granger,” he stated simply. “And before you say anything, I want to point out that I will be an adult in a few short weeks and this is my choice. Given that I could easily have chosen something far worse, I think this is rather tame.”

“Smoking,” she said simply, turning the pack over in her hands. “You chose smoking as your vice?”

The corner of his lip lifted in a half smile. “It’s the least of my vices, I think. And it keeps me sane, so really it’s a win for you as much as it is for me.”

Her eyes narrowed. “How is watching my future husband slowly die a win for me?” she asked, glaring up at him.

“I won’t die from cigarettes,” he drawled.

“You can get cancer,” she argued.

“I’m a wizard, Hermione,” he retorted. “Cancer is a Muggle disease and has no effect on our kind. So, no, I can’t ‘get cancer’ from smoking.”

“So, where did you go?” Blaise asked, changing the subject.

Draco shrugged as he walked over to the couch and lay across it. “I needed to get some fresh air and clear my mind a bit,” he explained. “Speaking of which,” he added, looking at a bewildered Hermione, “we need to talk you and me, though I would rather do it in private.”

“Why? Afraid someone’s going to step in to defend her, Malfoy?” Harry muttered as he moved his knight.

“Afraid of who? You? Don’t make me laugh,” the blond drawled. “You aren’t part of this relationship and, if I were you, I’d keep my arse out of other people’s business. You’re like Mr. Granger at that party. What goes on between Hermione and me is between us and it’s in your best interest to stay out of it.”

Harry turned his attention away from the chessboard to glare at the blond Pureblood. “What happens to my best friend is my business,” he growled.

“Actually, it’s not,” Draco said simply. “I’m not spending the rest of my life with you. I’m spending it with her. Now, you have two choices here, Potter. You can either be a contributing, supporting friend as you should be, or you can be a bothersome controller that ends up out of her life. Because I assure you, keep butting into our business, and you will end up on the other side of the door, much like your Weasel friend.”

Irritated, Hermione walked to the couch. “Well, if we’re going to talk, let’s talk,” she said as she folded her arms.

He glanced up at her. “What? Now?”

She sniffed. “You’re the one who threw a pack of cigarettes at me, admitting that you’ve been smoking, and insisted that we needed to talk,” she replied, looking miffed. “So, let’s go. Better to get it over with.”

He groaned as he rolled off the sofa and stretched. “Fine,” he huffed. Waving a hand, he added, “Lead the way, princess.”

Holding her head up high, she turned on her heel and began walking towards their bedroom. “By the way,” she added as he reached around her to open the door. “Harry is a part of my life and as such, by marrying me, you’ll have to live with the fact that he will be a part of yours, too.”

He set his jaw as he stared at the back of her bushy head and followed her inside. Giving one last look at the people in the Common Room, he closed the door.

(II)(II)

As Hermione cast the necessary privacy charms, Draco pulled a full pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and took one out. She glared at him.

“You will not smoke those in front of me,” she declared.

Any tension that Theodore had dissipated during his walk was beginning to come back as he returned the cigarette to its case and tucked the pack back into his pocket. “Fine, but you won’t try to tell me that I cannot have them either.”

“Why did you lie to me?” she started, staring at him. “You told me that you wouldn’t smoke those anymore only to turn around and do it anyway? Do you not realize the dangers cigarettes pose? And even if you’re not in any ‘real’ danger, there’s still the other disgusting things; the smell, the yellowing of the teeth, the way they effect the environment. And that’s just to name a few.”

“I didn’t lie to you,” he said defensively as he walked further into the room. He leaned against the single window they shared and gazed over the grounds. “I simply didn’t tell you.” Glancing back at her, he frowned. “And I didn’t tell you because I knew how you would react. Granger…”

“You know I don’t like smoking,” she pressed. “And you did lie. You told me that you wouldn’t smoke.”

“No I didn’t,” he argued. “You told me that I wouldn’t smoke. But this isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.”

She had opened her mouth, ready to blast him, but stopped short. She put her hands on her hips. “Then what is it?”

“I was thinking over the banquet, trying to categorize the things I had seen. Mostly to see if maybe I might have missed something that we could peruse together to discern if there are any clues about this huge mystery we have hanging over our heads,” he explained. “I saw something that caught me off guard and I would like to know the truth of the matter, though I’m sure I already know.”

She looked at him curiously, wondering what he would ask. “Go on,” she offered.

He sighed as he pushed himself off the window. “Don’t get angry,” he told her, calmly. “I just want to know. Have you slept with my father?”

The question was like a slap in the face. She stared at him in disbelief. “Of all the things you could ever think,” she began as he sighed in relief, “you would think I slept with a man twice my age who is the father of my fiancé?! Are you fucking mental?”

He approached her to gather her into his arms, but she backed away. Dropping his hands, he sighed again. “I just had to make sure. I didn’t think you had noticed it, but he made a move that night that I had only ever seen him make with the women he’s bed,” he explained. “I apologize for jumping to conclusions and being hasty, but surely you understand why? Months ago, he had invited you into his office without my knowledge until you turned up at breakfast. That would have been a most opportune time for him to try something with you, especially given that bloody painting he keeps hung on his wall.”

She looked away from him as she remembered that moment. “He did try something,” she admitted, “but nothing came of it.” She glanced up at him. “I was intrigued by the painting and the things it was doing, but somehow I managed to snap out of it before things got out of hand. I didn’t think to tell you because I didn’t think anything of it. Honestly, I hadn’t even thought of that moment until just now.”

He moved towards her again and this time, she let him wrap his arms around her. “I worry about you, princess,” he told her honestly as he rested his chin on the top of her head. Glancing down at her, he lifted a hand to touch her cheek. “I wish you’d let us do the binding,” he admitted. “Just as a precaution against the chance of you becoming pregnant by another man.”

She scoffed. “I’m not going to get pregnant by another man,” she snapped. “I told you, nothing happened…”

“I know, love, but think about it,” he said. “Father’s in prison right now for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s going to get out. And as much as I would like to think that nothing will ever happen, the way he held you, the way he had touched you that night… I know my father. If he thinks he can do something and get away with it, he will. And given that you didn’t even notice what he was doing…? Hermione, I need this. We need this. I want us to start a family one day, but I also want to make certain that no other man would have a chance in sabotaging that. They aren’t going to stop. Just yesterday Snape was telling me how he intercepted three owls that were meant for you. More proposals.”

“But we announced our engagement,” she reasoned, looking at him with wide eyes.

“That won’t stop some men until we are properly married,” he told her.

“If we go through with the binding, we might as well be married,” she hissed as she pulled away from him.

He frowned. “Would that be so bad?” he asked. “We’re going to be married anyway, unless you plan on backing out.”

“Of course not,” she said, looking at him. “But we still have another year here left and I am not handing over my Head Girl badge just so I can be married.”

“So, we go through with the binding,” he surmised. “We don’t have to get officially married right away and you’ll be protected from those men who are after a chance to impregnate you.”

“Men like your father,” she pointed out. “Because he did sleep with Astoria and that is why you’re worried about me.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Father isn’t a pedophile,” he said for what felt like the umpteenth time. “And I don’t know if he had actually slept with her, but I’ve seen him around other women.” His silver eyes shot up to stare at her. “Do you honestly think you’re the only girl my father has ever taken an interest in aside from my mother? Or if he had slept with Astoria, which I doubt, do you really think she was somehow the only one special enough? Lucius Malfoy is an opportunist, princess. The parties he throws don’t just consist of BDSM, but they are also full of orgies and other types of swinging. They’re all about the pleasures of the flesh and enjoying one another. Hell, most walk into the party wearing nothing but a bathrobe that they discard at the entrance. Those who wear more are Doms who like to pretend to have some control over the situation.”

Hermione had speculated over what those after parties were about and he seemed to confirm her suspicions, but it didn’t make her feel any better. She also wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of binding herself to Draco. If something were to happen to her, then he would end up dying as well, and she didn’t like that idea, especially in the current climate. Also, a binding would cancel out her birth control and, at least for the duration of that particular act, she would be completely unprotected and could potentially become pregnant in the process. She frowned.

“We don’t have to have sex for the binding to take root,” she commented, more to herself than to him, but he shook his head anyway.

“We could orally pleasure one another,” he suggested. “So long as we take in one another… sexual juices.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You make it sound so crass,” she accused, causing him to give a soft smirk. She sighed. “I don’t like this idea, Draco,” she admitted. “If something were to happen to me, I would want you to continue on, not wither away and die like some leaf falling off a tree. Also, I’ve read about this binding. It’s old magic. If I were to have a child, then the death part would lift, but you’d never be able to remarry and I would want you to live such a lonely existence with just the comfort of raising our child.”

“Or children,” he muttered. At her frown, he sighed. “I could remarry,” he explained. “I just wouldn’t be able to have any more children. And, besides, I would die before I let anything happen to you, so really, there’s nothing for you to worry about in that regard.”

“And if you happen to die after I give birth to our child?” she asked, looking at him. “What could be your fate could also be my own. I’d think you would want me to find happiness.”

He cupped her cheek. “And you will,” he insisted. “You could still f-find… You don’t have to have children to be happy. And if I were to die after you’ve given birth, I would expect you to find so… to find happiness.” He couldn’t get the words out. Truth be told, he didn’t want her to find someone else or another man. She belonged to him and, in his mind, he was the only man who could ever make her truly happy. “Look, I don’t want to think about the idea that either of us could be left alone. It’s too depressing and it really is far in the future. Right now, I’m more worried about us today. About you today.”

“Your father is still incarcerated,” she pointed out.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You’re not going to agree to this, are you?” he asked, a bit annoyed.

“I’m just thinking of what else needs to be done. There really isn’t much point in us binding ourselves so soon,” she said.

He threw his hands up in the air. “Fine!” he barked. He pointed an accusing finger at her, “When my father does get out of prison and succeeds in seducing you to the point where you actually sleep with him, you’ll have no one else to blame but yourself for the baby that no doubt will come of it. And if you think I’m going to help raise the bastard, you are dead wrong.” His eyes flashed with white fire.

She gasped as she clutched her chest. “Draco…”

“I’m not doing it, Hermione,” he told her. “I don’t care if you keep the kid, but I refuse to take responsibility for something I had no part in.”

“I’m not going to sleep with your father,” she swore. “I don’t even like him in that way.”

The side of his face rose in an undeniable sneer as he growled, “You don’t have to like him. All you have to do is get put in a position where you can’t turn him down. The man is a Slytherin and one of the most cunning of Slytherins there are. He has lust potions stocked away to use recreationally for parties. You don’t think he’d use one on you if he thinks for one moment that he can get you to spread your legs for him? He knows spells that he can use to sway you to the point where you won’t even realize what’s going on until he’s balls deep and coming into that pussy of yours. And believe me when I say, he doesn’t squirt his load on skin, it goes right into the intended girl he’s fucking.”

The words he spoke shocked her straight to the core. “I’ll just stay away from him,” she told him. “I don’t really want anything to do with him anyway.”

“There’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to stay away from him,” he ground out. “And I wouldn’t want you to anyway. You need to be around him so you can learn the ins and outs of your estate, our estate. You’re an heiress, Granger, and soon you will have complete control over something so vast it’ll make your head spin.”

“Then I won’t be alone with him,” she tried.

He scoffed. “Even that can’t be guaranteed,” he said. “You’ll be walking a tight rope with no netting underneath to catch you. Your best bet is to just allow me to bind with you. Then, if the unthinkable should happen, you’ll be safe. There won’t be any risk of bearing illegitimate children should he manage to trick you into being with him.”

“Hang on,” she interrupted him, holding up a hand. “He’s your father. There must be some way you can talk him out of it. Force him to take an Unbreakable Vow to leave me alone.”

“He’s too smart for that,” he stated. “This is our best bet, Hermione, don’t you see?”

She tried to think of something else, anything. If what Draco had said was true, then Lucius was innocent where Astoria was involved and he was being set up. And it was very possible that picture was a fake, though she hadn’t actually seen it. She had a really bad feeling about the binding, but she feared Lucius and what he was capable of even more. Closing her eyes, she held her head up and sighed, “Alright. I’ll do it.”

Inwardly, Draco rejoiced. He had her. Even if they didn’t get married, once she took the potion and they did the final deed, she would be his. Permanently. “Thank you,” he whispered, careful not to show his excitement. When she opened her eyes, all she saw was relief in his eyes. He looked at her lovingly. “I love you so much, Hermione. I can’t imagine even a moment without you and I never want to. You and I… we’re forever.”

She nodded as he led her to his side of the bed. Opening his nightstand drawer, he pulled out the phial of potion. “I’ll need a drop of your blood,” he told her.

She pressed her lips together as she reached up and took off the Prefect badge. Pricking her finger on the clasp, she held her finger over the phial to allow the drop to fall into it. “You need some of yours, too, right?” she asked.

He gave her a small smile as he mimicked her actions. “I had planned on doing so,” he told her. Once both drops were in the phial, he swirled the concoction and held it up to her. “Drink half and I’ll finish it.”

Licking her lips, she did as he said, letting the thick liquid run down her throat. It didn’t taste nearly as bad as she had assumed, but it still made her grimace as she handed it to Draco. He swallowed the rest in one quick move, throwing his head back. Staring at her with hooded eyes, he pulled her against him and dipped his head to begin kissing her on the neck. She could feel his hard cock pressing against her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

His moves were slow and sensual as he lay her down on the bed and crawled upon her. “No sex,” she whispered and, with a smirk, he nodded.

It didn’t take them long to get undressed, kissing and licking skin along the way. Once Draco pushed her blouse off, he turned them both so that she was on top. Confused, she broke away from him to look up at him.

“This is easier for this sort of thing,” he explained. “Turn around so your facing my feet rather than my face.”

Silently, she did as she was told, gazing down at his stiff cock and running her hand along the shaft. He moaned at the feel as he positioned her for easy access. Bending his neck upward, he gave a lick along her slit, making her mewl in response. He smirked as he sucked her clit into his mouth and used the tip of his tongue to tease the top of it.

“Oh, god,” she moaned as she grasped the base of his cock. Taking a deep breath, she licked the head of his cock before sucking on it. She froze when she felt him press a finger into her pussy.

“So wet for me, princess,” he purred. “I think you might have gotten off on arguing with me.”

She snorted. “Hardly,” was her response. She swirled her tongue around the head of his cock a couple of times, making it jump. With a satisfied smile, she sucked on it again as he used his fingers to fuck her and lapped up the juices that were flowing out.

They forgot themselves as the pleasure heated up. Hermione sucked his cock into her mouth and Draco dropped his fingers and began using his tongue to fuck her. With his other hand, he pressed her clit and rubbed it between two finger as she bobbed her head, sucking his cock in as far as she could before pulling it almost out. There were grunts and hums of pleasure, but neither said a coherent word, too lost in what they were doing. The world around them seemed to fade away and Hermione began to lose stability on her knees.

Pushing her to the side, Draco lifted her leg to rest on his shoulder as he rested his head on the other leg. She continued to suck, pausing only to catch her breath. Knowing he was about to come, he rubbed her clit more urgently and sucked on her opening like a man desperate for the fluid he knew she had there. He quickly lowered his hand to grab the back of her head and force her to remain still, his cock firmly in her mouth as he came, lapping up her juice as she, too, gave a muffled shout filled with ecstasy.

She swallowed what she could of his come before pushing him away from her and rolling onto her back. They both coughed as they climbed down from their highs. “Shit,” he breathed as he panted.

Hermione gave a breathless chuckle as she rested her arm on her forehead. “I think that’s the fastest we’ve ever gone,” she commented.

“I think you sucked me dry,” he joked, staring up at the ceiling.

Propping herself up on one arm, she gazed down at him. “Would you like to test that theory?” she asked.

He glanced up at her through hooded eyes. “You’ll have to give me a moment, princess,” he told her.

She pouted. “Are you sure?” she asked again as she leaned down and kissed his lips. She ran her hand along his chest. “I didn’t know the Slytherin Prince was so weak as to need a breather after getting a blow job.”

He lifted an eyebrow as she leaned down and kissed his chest. “You’re playing with fire, princess,” he warned, but she just smiled.

“Fire is it? Then I shall burn blissfully, I suppose,” she commented as she rolled on top of him, straddling his hips. She rubbed herself against his slowly growing member. “Oh!” she said with a smirk. “Feels like somebody is getting excited again.”

He cradled the back of his head with both of his hand and watched her. “You’ll need to retake your potion because I have no intention of pulling out,” he advised.

Her eyes glittered as she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “Scared, Malfoy?”

The words echoed in his brain, reminding him of a challenge that happened years ago. Those two little words thrilled him as she pressed a kiss against his jaw and then looked down at him. “Show me how much you want it,” he ordered her. “Let me watch as you pleasure yourself with my cock.”

She moved herself against him, circling her hips and bringing a hand to her breast to tease a nipple as the other hand fell to tease her clit. As he hardened even more, she positioned herself and pushed him inside of her causing them both to groan. “Minx,” he hissed as he watched her continue her ministrations. It was a fascinating display of womanly pleasure as she moved sensuously along his shaft. He found that he couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she arched her back and threw her head back, riding him as if he were a stallion.

He lifted his hands and rested them upon her hips, not controlling her movements, but following them, taking note of what made her moan and what made her gasp. It didn’t take long before he couldn’t take it anymore. Grabbing onto her hips more urgently, he flipped her onto her back and pushed himself into her again. She grabbed his arms as he drove her into the mattress, kissing her chin, her cheek, her lips. Her arms fell uselessly by her sides as he continued his merciless thrusting.

“Draco…” she moaned, arching her back. “Yes, please. Fuck me.”

He grunted, picking up his speed and raising her hips so he thrust deeper into her body. She shouted her climb to the top as she saw nothing but white and sheer bliss. He groaned as he followed her into the clouds, emptying his life giving seed deep into her womb. The energy and strength left him and he fell forward onto her, conscience enough to move a bit to the side so she wouldn’t take on all his weight, but remaining buried inside of her.

They fell asleep in paradise, not waking until the next morning.

(III)(III)

Ginny looked worriedly at Hermione’s bedroom door as she placed the snacks she had gotten onto the table. “Are you sure they’re ok?” she asked. “Has anyone checked on them?”

“I’m sure their fine,” Theo said as he picked up one of the sandwiches she had gotten. He took a bite and looked at the door as well. “Probably fucking like rabbits now, I’m sure,” he said as he took another bite.

Harry glared at the boy. “That’s what I need,” he spat. “An image of my best friend…” he growled, unable to finish the sentence.

Blaise shrugged. “Well, what else would they do?” he asked. “They rarely walk away from each other angry. Besides, Potter, they’re an engaged couple set to be married. There’s nothing wrong with them banging after an argument. Actually, I’ve heard that make-up sex is one of the best kinds.”

The bespectacled teenager looked hopelessly at his girlfriend. “Oh, Harry,” she said in a comforting voice as she sat down beside him on the couch and rubbed his back.

The two Slytherins shared a look before turning back to the Gryffindors. “Don’t tell me you’ve never shagged anyone before, Potter,” Blaise commented, staring at the boy in awe.

When the boy didn’t respond, Theo laughed. “You’re slacking, Ginger,” he teased. “What’s wrong with you? You’ve got your own personal boytoy and you don’t even play with him?”

Ginny took a deep breath and glared at him. “Mind your business, Nott,” she warned. “And don’t call me ‘Ginger’. It’s bad enough that prat in there does it.”

“And here I thought the name was becoming rather endearing to you,” Blaise stated as he moved to sit on the couch with the two Gryffindors.

“Don’t antagonize her, Blaise,” Padma reprimanded.

He watched as his wife walked past him to sit in one of the armchairs. “Just telling the truth,” he said in self-defense. “I thought we were all friends now that we’re stuck sharing the same dormitory.”

“We really should give ourselves a name,” Theodore said as he tilted his head in thought. “I mean, it’s kind of like our own House, isn’t it?”

“It’s the Couples’ House,” Blaise explained. “That’s what Dumbledore told me.”

“Couples’ House?” the lanky Slytherin repeated, scrunching up his nose. “That’s a bit lame. Not much of a creative bloke, is he?”

Blaise gave him a bored look. “What would you call it then?”

Theo pressed a finger to his lips, thinking it over. “Shag House?” he suggested, at the disgusted looks everyone gave him, aside from Luna, he laughed. “Kidding,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender. “Sweet Merlin, a bloke can’t even joke around here.”

“They used to call it Merlin’s House back when it was still being used to House married couples,” Luna chimed wistfully. “It was meant to symbolize unity and peace, which is why the Headmasters of old never said anything about Inter-House relations. Even now, none of the staff are complaining simply because of who exactly is living here.”

“You’re saying old McGonagall says nothing ‘cause we’ve got Draco and Hermione shagging in one room and Blaise and Padma banging in another?” Theodore asked, looking at his own girlfriend.

“You need to get laid, mate,” Blaise commented as he leaned back and rested his head against the cushion.

Luna shrugged. “It could be,” she replied, ignoring Blaise’s comment. “But I think it’s more because there are three Slytherins, three Gryffindors, and two Ravenclaws staying her. It’s unity. My assumption would be that if a pair of married, or soon to be married, Hufflepuffs were to move in here, many of the professors, the headmaster included, would think this House to be complete.”

“They’re not going to let two Hufflepuffs move in here,” Padma stated rather bluntly. When her husband gave her a look, she clarified, “Think about it. We just left Draco’s home not too long ago where a mad person left a cryptic message in the garden and several of the Malfoy staff dead. Not to mention, Daphne Greengrass’s murder remains unsolved and Hermione is Merlin’s heir. We have the Boy-Who-Lived and some of their closest friends. If Ron and Hermione hadn’t had that massive falling out, there’s no doubt in my mind that he and Lavender would be here as well.”

“But you also agree with Luna?” Theodore asked.

The dark skinned girl nodded. “I do, but I don’t know that it’s entirely due to the idea of House unity, but perhaps something more along the lines of making sure three of, what they consider, the most important students are protected, while also promoting House unity,” she answered.

Blaise sighed as he let his eyes shut. “That’s a relief. I think Draco would go mental if they let a Hufflepuff or two stay in here as well,” he muttered.

(IV)(IV)

The next few weeks saw the coupled students finishing up their exams and getting ready for the summer holidays. Remus had sent Hermione several notebooks filled with figures and numbers detailing everything to do with her new estate. “I’ve already gone through these, but I thought you might wish to have a look as well in your spare time,” was the note he had written her.

Apparently the estate had a village within the property that had sprung up some years ago and flourished. When Draco had suggested buying out the village, Hermione turned him down. “It’ll be nice to have somewhere we can go and have a bit of fun when we’re not busy with the castle,” was her response to his suggestion. “And we could send our children to the village school when they are young until they’re ready for Hogwarts.”

The fact that Hermione was even thinking about children thrilled Draco so much that he didn’t even bother with the idea that she had mentioned a more public school as opposed to the personal tutors that most wizards and witches had during their first few years before Hogwarts. They could always discuss that in greater detail at a later date.

“I reckon she’ll be pregnant shortly after we graduate,” Draco stated as he blew smoke into the air.

Blaise glanced at him curiously and scoffed. “I doubt it. You know she wants to wait and don’t think you’ll be able to get around that damn potion,” he said, leaning against a large boulder near the lake. “I’m surprised she hasn’t said anything more about your smoking since you told her.”

Draco gazed out over the lake. “She’ll be pregnant. I can promise you that one,” he stated, flicking the ashes on the ground. His eyes rested on his friend for a moment before focusing back on the water. “What exactly do you think she’d do about my smoking? As long as I don’t do it in front of her, it’s fine. She already knows it’s not going to cause cancer, at least I won’t get it. And I keep it away from her, so she can’t fuss at me about the smell.”

“She’ll find some way to retaliate,” Theo predicted. “That girl has a wicked brain and a vendetta like no other. I mean, look at what she did to Brown.”

“Brown stole her boyfriend,” Blaise pointed out. “Some could argue that she got exactly what she deserved. Besides, she’s an idiot for not doing any proper research.”

“But was it foolish? Hell, even I don’t think to fact check a lot of the things that come out of Hermione’s mouth,” Theo said as he tossed his cigarette on the ground and snuffed it out.

The dark skinned boy shrugged as he snuffed out his own cigarette. “We should be heading back to the castle. We’ll be boarding the train soon,” he suggested, looking at Draco. The blond took one last pull from his cigarette and stomped it out. “Is Granger going back to the Manor with you or heading to her parents’ house?”

Draco put his hands in the pockets of his trousers as they headed back to the castle. “My assumption is that she’ll be going to the Manor with me,” he commented. “But I don’t know. She’s supposed to go over some things with Lupin before we go to the castle and I believe she does want to see her parents again before we journey there. Honestly…”

Whatever the blond was going to say was forgotten as his eyes fell on the blond-headed girl trekking towards the Forbidden Forest with a boy linked on her arm. Draco couldn’t recall the boy’s name or where he had seen him from, but a quick glance at his attire told the sixth year student that the boy was a Slytherin. His eyes narrowed as the younger students disappeared into the forest. Both Blaise and Theo had stopped as well, catching their friend’s line of vision and watching the pair as well.

Instead of turning back towards the school, Draco began walking towards the forest instead until Blaise grabbed his robes. “Mate, what are you doing?” the dark skinned boy asked.

Draco shrugged him off. “I’m going to go see what those two are up to,” he explained, still walking in that direction, his eyes darting over the grounds and around him with every step. “Hermione suspects Astoria is behind the attacks. Both of you know this. I want to see if I can catch the little tramp in action.”

Another look was passed between Blaise and Theo and the lanky boy stepped in front of the blond, blocking him. Draco glared at him as Theo glanced around. “Look, I want to catch her as much as you do, mate,” he said. “But she’s gone into the Dark Forest. Despite what the oaf Hagrid says about it, it’s not safe.”

As though to prove Theo’s point, the boys suddenly heard the howl of a wolf on the wind. While they weren’t entirely children anymore, they still looked at one another in fear. “Yeah,” Blaise agreed. “Let’s get out of here. We can always find another way to find out if she’s guilty.”

With the sounds of wolves joining the lone howl, Draco discovered that he couldn’t agree more with his friends. Nodding, he turned and began heading back to the school while his friends both sighed in relief.

(V)(V)

“So, you’re bound to him now?” Ginny was asking as she stared at her friend in disbelief.

Hermione shrugged and threw her friend a frown. “Don’t sound so surprised,” she said. “We’re going to be married anyway, so what difference does it make?”

“Wait, what does that mean?” Harry asked. “What exactly does it mean to be bound?”

Hermione sighed as she explained in the simplest of words, “A binding is a magical, mutual enchantment between two lovers. They will only ever be able to mate with one another and should one die before a child is conceived between the two, the other will soon follow. At the same time, it prevents the couple from being able to bear children with anyone else.”

“And how long does this last?” Harry questioned, looking mildly concerned.

Hermione frowned. “Forever,” she told him.

He blinked. “And there’s no way to break this binding?”

“No, why?”

The bespectacled boy pushed his glasses back up his nose and ran a hand through his hair. “Hermione, you do realize that this means that you can never leave Malfoy, right?” he told her. “It means that if he decides to turn on you and hurt you…”

“He’s already given me the Unbreakable Vow, Harry,” she assured him. “He’s not going to hurt me. Besides, he loves me. He wouldn’t hurt me simply because he cares too much about me.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed. “And if he gets angry with you over something he thinks is your fault? He’s a spoiled rich kid who’s used to getting his way. He’s also a Slytherin and they are masterminds at figuring out how to get out of things. If he truly wants to, he will find a way to destroy you,” he cautioned her.

Ginny felt a tug in the pit of her stomach and shook her head. “I doubt he’s going to do anything so drastic,” she stated and felt the tug ease. He still hadn’t told Hermione and that worried the red-headed girl. At her boyfriend’s look, she shrugged. “He has too much to lose, doesn’t he? I mean, not saying that she would ever leave him, but let’s say he did find a way around his Vow and managed to hurt her. Technically, she could still leave him. The binding doesn’t force them to remain together, it just keeps them from having children with anyone else.”

“Why are we talking about children right now, anyway?” he asked, frustrated. “You’re only seventeen, Hermione, and the git isn’t even old enough to marry you yet. You’re rushing things way too quickly.”

“And you’ve never rushed things?” she retorted, looking at him with annoyance. “Harry, this whole thing is still new to me. I’m an heiress. And, according to Mr. Malfoy…”

“The bloke who’s in prison now for fucking a minor.”

She scoffed. “Maybe, but you can’t tell me he doesn’t know a thing or two about the aristocracy. People are expecting me to be married. To have a husband, even if I don’t have children right away.”

“Since when do you do things people tell you to in the manner in which they say?” the messy haired boy asked. “And why maybe? Hermione, he was caught red handed. They’ve even got a picture of it.”

“Draco believes the picture might be a fake,” she said. “I haven’t seen the picture myself.”

“’Draco believes’,” Harry repeated. “Do you even hear yourself? What happened to ‘I believe’? Ever since you’ve started dating that git, it’s always all about him. What he believes. What he thinks. You’re Hermione Granger. You’re the brightest witch of our age, but you’re acting as reckless and foolish as Lavender Brown.”

Ginny gasped and he rounded on her. “And you!” he spat. “What’s with all this ‘he has too much to lose’. What does he have to lose? As we speak, the prat is sitting on a fucking gold mine! He’s got it all! The girl, the money. He’s dad’s locked away where he can’t interfere. His mom treats him like he’s the earth and stars. And now, he’s got you as his fucking cheerleader. Ever since he started dating Hermione, you’ve talked her out of being angry at him loads of times. Even going so far as excusing his behaviour. And don’t say you aren’t doing it, because I’ve even listened to you give Hermione a list of the ‘pros’ of him smoking. She has every right to be angry at him for lying to her and you tell her she’s wrong! What’s this hold he’s got on you? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Do not,” Hermione hissed, “ever compare me to Lavender Brown again, Harry Potter.”

“What happened to you?” he asked her. “Where did you go? You’re smarter than this. Can’t you see the bullshit he’s feeding you?”

“It’s not…”

“It is!” Harry shouted right as the portal opened and the three Slytherins walked into the room.

Draco paused and looked at the three quarreling Gryffindors. “What’s going on here?” he asked, his eyes narrowed as he saw the look of distress on Ginny’s face and the looks of annoyance on both Hermione and Harry.

“Nothing that concerns you,” Harry growled as he rounded on the Slytherin.

The blond raised an eyebrow. “If you’re verbally attacking my wife, then it sure has hell does concern me.”

“She’s not your wife,” the bespectacled boy proclaimed.

Draco folded his arms and glanced at his two friends before looking back at the Gryffindor. “Actually, Potter, for all intents and purposes, she is. Or did you fail to understand what a binding was? We may not have stepped down the aisle, exchanged wedding vows, or cut the cake yet, but we are married. She doesn’t share my name yet, of course, but come this time next year, she will,” he prophesized.

“Unless you are arrested by then,” Harry countered.

“Arrested? For what?” the blond asked.

Harry indicated the boys by Draco’s sides with a wave of his hand. “For whatever those two are so scared of people finding out. You don’t think I’ve noticed how nervous you lot are? Zabini rushing into marriage and binding, you doing the same, and Nott sitting on pins and needles for when he can marry Luna. Hell, there was less stress and tension the night Ron, Hermione, and I discovered that Remus was a werewolf and Peter Pettigrew was hiding as Ron’s pet rat.”

“Having Aurors around you constantly while you go about your daily work doesn’t leave much room for comfort, Potter,” Theodore stated, curling his lip angrily.

“Unless you’ve got nothing to hide,” Harry stated with a shrug. “What are you hiding, Nott?”

“Harry, stop it,” Hermione growled. “Just stop. All these accusations are really absurd. What could any of them possibly be hiding? Honestly!”

“I don’t know,” he said, looking at his friend. “Maybe who killed Daphne Greengrass or who killed those house elves. Don’t you find it funny that those deaths all happened at Malfoy Manor on nights of celebration?”

“We don’t have to prove ourselves to you, Potter,” Draco drawled.

“If you like though,” Blaise added. “I’ll be more than happy to show you my memory of that night at Easter. You might even be able to get a few tips on how to please your woman.”

“Blaise!” Padma scolded as she and Luna walked in from hearing all the noise. “You will not show Harry your memory that night or I swear you’ll get an earful from me.” At his smirk she added, “And no sex for a month.”

His jaw dropped and Draco rolled his eyes. “We’re done here, Potter,” he stated, glaring at the raven-haired Gryffindor.

“No, we’re not,” Harry pressed. “You know something; I know you do.”

“I know a lot of things,” the blond drawled. “Comes with the territory of being the second ranked in our year, doesn’t it? It’s certainly earned me the title of Head Boy for next year, which I intend on utilizing to its full capacity. Know what that means, Potter? It means that the next time I walk in on you screaming at my wife, I have the right and privilege of giving you detention.”

“I don’t care about your bloody detentions, Malfoy,” the boy snapped. “If I have to yell to find out what the bloody hell is going on in my own House, then I will! Thing of it is, Malfoy, I shouldn’t have to. Don’t you care about who is trying to wreak havoc on your life? Or her life?!” he shouted, pointing to Hermione. “You’re threatening me because I yelled at her, but when are you going to start digging for clues to solve this fucking case? It was your name written on the ground. It was your house elves that were murdered. And I thought that was your friend, too, or did you really even give a damn about Daphne Greengrass?”

Draco set his jaw as he glowered at Harry. The more he thought about it, the more he wished he had ignored the warnings of his friends and had gone into the forest anyway. “We just witnessed Astoria walking into the Dark Forest with a boy of her year,” he said through clenched teeth. “You don’t think I give a damn, Potter? I was extremely close to following the bimbo to see what she was up to.”

“Why didn’t you?” Harry asked.

“Because I’m not like you, Potter,” the boy spat. “I don’t just run head on into potential danger for the thrill of it.”

“I don’t do that either,” Harry countered in defense.

Theo and Blaise snickered at that comment as Draco quirked a brow. “Really, Potter?” he hissed. “Then tell me, as inquiring minds would like to know, how did you discover Lupin was a werewolf or Pettigrew was hiding in Weasel’s rat if not for the thrill?”

“Ron had been dragged into the Whomping Willow by a dog we found out was Sirius Black,” Hermione answered and then slapped a hand over her mouth. She took a step towards her fiancé. “Do you think she’s still in there? Astoria, I mean.”

Draco looked at his bride-to-be. “You won’t find her,” he replied. “Even if she’s still in there, which I doubt, when we left, we could hear the sounds of wolves coming from the forest.”

“Wait,” the Muggle born said as she touched the Slytherin’s arm. “Wolves? As in plural?”

He nodded as he gazed at her. Seeing the expression on her face, he frowned. “What are you thinking, princess?”

Turning away from him, she made a move towards their bedroom before an owl swooped inside the Common Room. It dropped a rolled up letter in Draco’s hand before flying away. Curious, he unraveled the letter and skimmed the contents.

“What does it say?” Hermione asked as she stared at him. One could not tell what he was thinking as he handed the letter to her to read.

“My father’s trial is set for the 5^th of June,” he explained, looking at Blaise and Theo.
Author's Note: Ooooo...

To the troll who is too cowardly to leave a name but is presistant on trying to get me to stop writing: It's not going to happen. If you don't like what you're reading, then stop reading my fucking story. I'm not finished writing it, so no, I won't "wrap it up". Fuck you very much. Also, a lot of people don't comment on here because, well, they only comment if the chapter has sex in it. I say that because, every chapter that has had sex in it has received comments of, get this, PRAISE. Another thing, for a story that is so "unpopular", it has over 40 THOUSAND views on this site alone, but this isn't the only site I'm posting it on. On the other site, I have 270 reviews, 267 FAVS, and 536 followers. And the numbers are continuing. In one week alone (from this past Monday thru Friday, in fact), 23 people have favorited and followed this story. So, nice try, dick. :)

Victoria: Maybe. Maybe not. Or maybe it was him, though I somehow doubt he's foolish enough to get caught, you know? I mean, the man's what? 40-something?
Earthnfarie: I'm sorry to see you go. I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep your interest long enough.
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