Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

If Only	By : Blankk Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 20372 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money off of it.

Chapter List
- 1-Hotels
- 2-Homewrecker
- 3-Decisions
- 4-Falling
- 5-Grins
- 6-Walls
- 7-Mind
- 4
- 5
- 6
Hermione turned over in bed stretching her arm out expecting to feel a hard body beside her. It was empty. She sat up and ran her hand along the sheets. Cold. She wasn’t sure what time it was, the sky was dark outside and she could hear the small patter of rain hitting the glass. She felt confused and obviously disappointed that he had decided to disappear. So much for being okay with just sleeping together. The few times that Hermione had actually fallen asleep with Draco in the past he made it a point to notify her that he was going. It wasn’t like Draco to leave without saying something or leaving a note. He’d made his side of the bed and Hermione slipped out to finish what he’d started. She sighed when she grabbed the turquoise shirt she discarded the night before and pulled it over her head. Her legs felt strained as she made her way through the hall. Maybe sex could become her new exercise regime if she was going to be having it frequently now. Maybe it would even cut a few inches off her ghastly thighs.
‘Took you long enough,’ Malfoy said, sitting at the small dining table in the corner with two plates of toast, eggs, sausage and beans.
Hermione’s body jerked. ‘You need to stop doing that.’
Malfoy grinned. ‘You make it so easy.’
‘I though you left,’ she explained, taking a seat and poking the toast – it was still warm. ‘Where did you get this anyway?’
‘If my memory serves me correctly, you were the one who was always in a rush to leave,’ he stated, arching an eyebrow. ‘Not me.’
Hermione rubbed her nose. ‘Different circumstances.’
Malfoy hummed in response chewing on some food.
‘You still haven’t answered my question,’ Hermione reminded him as she cut into a sausage. ‘My dad always makes a full English.’
‘I made it.’
Hermione gaped. He…made it. He made it. He was reading Muggle magazines and he knew how to cook. Draco Malfoy had cooked breakfast in her kitchen. She looked over to find a few pans were still sitting on the stove.
‘My mother would always tell me it was ill-mannered to have a mouth full of food wide open,’ Draco drawled. ‘I was six.’
‘You,’ she tried to talk, but the words wouldn’t come out. ‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘I’m sure you’ll follow up with questions to know the details, so I’ll spare us both the agony and just tell you. One of the house-elves, Wido, taught me in one of the kitchens.’
Hermione tilted her head. ‘But why?’
‘Curiosity,’ he said simply. ‘I wanted to know where our food came from.’
‘Wow.’
‘Is it really that astonishing?’
‘Obviously,’ she exclaimed, her mouth muffled by some toast. ‘I can hardly talk.’
‘And you’re sure it’s not the toast you’ve shoved into your mouth?’ he asked, eyes squinting. ‘Merlin help me.’
Hermione’s eyebrows knitted together. ‘Are you judging me? I’m famished and this is actually quite good, so thank you.’
‘I saw the Ancient Runes book on your nightstand,’ he said suddenly. ‘I thought you’d separated yourself from that side of the world.’
‘Just because I’ve distanced myself doesn’t exactly mean that I don’t have the same interests, Draco.’
He nodded. Hermione had never really explained why she’d left in the first place, he assumed it was from all the attention the Golden Trio received. For months after she’d removed herself from the magical community numerous stories popped up speculating why she’d disappeared. The most notorious story being that she was pregnant and ashamed of having a child out of wedlock. Nine months passed and Hermione was still childless without an engagement ring. Until recently she wasn’t spoken of in the news at all, Ginny Weasley had managed to somehow get a gag order on all the reporters who tried to release articles full of falsehoods. They’d only managed to bypass the gag order because of a verified source that came out – it wasn’t a mystery that the source was Ronald Weasley. Malfoy had bumped into the female Weasley by pure coincidence at the Ministry of Magic, he didn’t have to talk to her to know that the purple dossier she was holding was meant for the Ministerial Wizarding Register Department – he was holding the same one. Malfoy was there to register a potent potion for healing severe scars – Severus Snape had made alterations to the original brewing instructions. It was out of place for a person like Ginevra Weasley to be down there, she was a Quidditch reporter for the Daily Prophet now. And then a few papers scattered on the floor, he caught a glimpse of Hermione’s name and the header of the file: Request for Media Related Gag Order. When Malfoy got his hands on the Daily Prophet the next day there had been no mention of Hermione Granger whatsoever. He had no idea if Hermione was even aware of the gag order. He never brought it up because it wasn’t his story to tell. Not to mention their conversations never touched on their personal lives.
‘Do you ever think you’ll change your mind?’ he asked seriously, pushing his plate away and leaning back in the chair with his arms folded.
‘I don’t know,’ Hermione said, biting down on her lip. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘You’ve never discussed it.’
‘You never asked,’ she replied simply.
‘I’m asking now.’
‘Well,’ she muttered, stabbing a bean. ‘I don’t know where to start.’
‘I know that you aced your NEWTs,’ he started. ‘Everyone and their mother thought you would end up working at the Ministry with Potter and Weasley. So much for Hermione Granger being predictable.’
Hermione chewed on the side of her cheek before responding. She kind of hated to talk about this topic and she hadn’t really discussed it in quite a while. The last person she’d mentioned it to was Ron and that had turned into a disaster. He kept repeating that he didn’t understand why she’d ever give up a once in a lifetime chance to be the head of the Office for House-Elf Relocation. He knew how corrupt the Ministry could be, even after the War there were still politics involved. She wasn’t interested in the complications that came with being head of a department no one would take seriously. On top of that the funds definitely weren’t being allocated fairly throughout the various departments. It was essentially a popularity contest for adults.
Hermione cleared her throat. ‘Yes, I did well enough to be offered a job at the Ministry. One of the Being divisions had a spot that opened up in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.’
Malfoy shook his head. ‘And you turned it down I’m assuming.’
‘You’re assuming correctly,’ Hermione responded softly, crossing her legs. ‘I turned it down because I didn’t feel comfortable knowing that this was the same Ministry that fucked everything up. I wasn’t going to change anything in that position. They’d just want me to sit there and shut up – I can’t do that.’
Hermione stood and piled the plates together carrying them over to the sink. ‘I could’ve gone to any university I wanted to after my NEWTs. For whatever reason I was drawn to working at that bookshop and I’ve stayed because I enjoy it there. It’s a simple job, but I get to talk to and meet some interesting people, I like that. I want my life to be quiet after all the chaos I’ve had to deal with in the past.’
Malfoy was silent as he considered her words. She was too intelligent to waste away at a bookshop, but he wasn’t going to tell her what to do. He didn’t know what she could do instead and if she wanted peace and quiet in her life who was he to tell her how to live her life?
‘You’re making the same face Harry made when I told him,’ she groaned. ‘Stop.’
‘It’s just…’
‘You think that I could be doing so much more than I am now,’ Hermione finished for him. ‘I’ve heard everything, Draco. If you think I’m a disappointment in regards to my career then I’m sorry for disappointing you.’
Malfoy scowled. ‘I don’t think you’re a disappointment. You have the potential to do anything you please. If you’re content with your life right now then so be it.’
‘What? You’re not going to offer me a job to be your secretary?’
‘Is that what you want?’ he asked warily. He didn’t mix business with pleasure.
‘I was kidding,’ she chuckled lightly. ‘Gods, I wouldn’t be that bad at it.’
‘You’d be a distraction,’ he stated.
Hermione pouted. ‘Even if I wore this shirt to work?’
‘Especially if you wore that shirt to work,’ he said quietly.
It was a large and shapeless shirt that looked a little worn out and it practically hid her figure, but he could still see the curve of her breasts jutting out. Her legs were left bare from what he could see, the shirt cut off just before her arse. If she sat at his office looking the way she did his business would crumble in front of him. He didn’t have to guess that she was entirely bare underneath and his jaw clenched. Hermione caught the glimpse of the flesh on his jaw twitch and she smiled. Ginny was wrong. Well, the Ginny that occupied her head space anyway.
‘Can I ask you something?’
Malfoy sighed. ‘Even if I said ‘no’ you’d still ask.’
‘As I was saying,’ she said, ignoring his comment. ‘Do you trust me?’
‘Do I have a reason to mistrust you?’
‘Not necessarily.’
‘Meaning?’ he questioned. Malfoy was becoming intrigued by the direction this conversation was going.
‘Meaning I cheated on my previous boyfriend.’
Malfoy chuckled shaking his head. ‘Yes, I’m aware.’
‘It’s not funny!’ she mumbled. ‘You know what they say, ‘Once a cheater, always a cheater.’’
‘Who says that?’
‘It’s a Muggle saying,’ she informed him. ‘Although I’m surprised it still hasn’t made its way to the Wizarding world.’
‘So you’re saying I shouldn’t trust you because a dolt cheated on you and you proceeded to cheat on him?’
Hermione blushed. ‘It’s not that simple. It’s more complex than –‘
His finger pressed against her mouth effectively shutting her up. ‘It is that simple.’
‘But –‘
‘I trust you.’
‘How can you –‘
‘For Merlin’s sake, just let me talk for a moment,’ he scowled. ‘I trust you because it’s not in your nature to betray the people in your life. I hate to say this, but you were sorted into Gryffindor for a reason. You can be loyal to a fault and although you’ve had one transgression that you seem to be apologetic for, it doesn’t mean that you’ve lost your sense of self. We make mistakes.’
Malfoy did make a valid point, even if he was slightly insulting her for being a loyal person. The only other time she felt she’d ever betrayed anyone in her life had to have been when she’d wiped her parent’s memories. And even then she’d only done it to keep them out of harm’s way. She couldn’t have lived with herself if she knew they’d died because of her association to Harry. Harry would’ve taken it just as hard.
‘Thank you,’ she replied softly.
‘Is that all? Or do you have more questions because I’d like to take a shower sometime soon.’
‘It’s a wonder that women are fascinated by you,’ she muttered.
‘They’re fascinated by what’s stored in Gringotts,’ he retorted. ‘And I suppose my good looks.’
Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘You are truly insufferable.’
----------------------------------------------
Malfoy had restrained himself in her presence before he’d left her flat. She was expecting him to make a move when he jumped into the shower. She was expecting him to make a move when she joined him in the shower. His hands had been all over her body as he helped her wash the soap suds off. He’d swatted her hands away when she reached for his crotch. It would’ve been so easy to trap him in her bathroom, but she didn’t because even with his erection bumping into her backside he controlled his baser urges. By the end she’d tried to do the same. It was too hard. Especially when he could kiss her the way he did, with his tongue teasing hers. So close to deepening the kiss and pressing the length of her soft body against his. And then he’d ended it. That stupid smirk ruining his face because she knew he knew how much she’d wanted him. She kept her eyes shut when he kissed her forehead telling her he’d be in touch as soon as he could. Perhaps it was a good idea that they hadn’t prolonged his stay because an hour later Ginny popped into her kitchen. Maybe she had to re-evaluate her wards soon because she didn’t feel comfortable explaining why Draco Malfoy was in her flat – naked or clothed.
‘Hey,’ Ginny said, rushing past her to dump a pile of paper on the coffee table. ‘We need to talk.’
‘What?’ Hermione questioned, she kneeled beside the table flipping a few envelopes over. ‘What is this? Why do you have my mail?’
‘Erm, about that,’ Ginny hesitated. ‘I swear I didn’t want to do this, but I had some of your mail redirected to my office.’
‘Ginny…what?’
‘After you and Ron broke up, you know. Didn’t you ever wonder why you weren’t being harassed with hate mail or howlers? Something?’
Then the pieces came together. ‘I did wonder, but part of me was hoping I was just that unimportant no one cared anymore.’
‘Delusional,’ Ginny said under her breath. ‘You can see the pile, Hermione. A lot of people care.’
‘Did you read any of it?’
‘Some of it,’ she responded. ‘That’s why I’m here. Obviously.’
The majority of the mail consisted of disparaging comments concerning Hermione’s character. Admonishing her for leaving the only man who would ever be able to love her. There were a few howlers calling her a whore and even more calling her a frigid bitch, but Ginny had already gotten rid of those. There were just two letters that had gotten her attention from the other day and she was going to ignore them until a third appeared on her desk.
‘You’ve checked these all for curses?’
‘Mhm,’ Ginny responded cheerily. ‘Learnt from the best.’
‘I don’t understand the problem then,’ Hermione said, skimming through one of the letters. ‘I did not have a clue that I’d be perpetually single after Ron, so I suppose it’s a good thing they’ve all written my future out for me.’
Ginny laughed. ‘This is supposed to be serious.’
Hermione shook her head in an effort to clear her head. ‘Tell me.’
‘I got these two really strange letters that seemed threatening? I don’t know. And then I got a third one this morning,’ she said, handing Hermione three envelopes. ‘And before you ask, no I haven’t told Harry. I haven’t told anyone.’
They were already unsealed by Ginny, the thick parchment was rough in her hands.
Watch yourself, bitch.
‘Oh, Ginny, come on!’
‘Hermione, I know, but I’ve given you the other two for a reason.’
You’re a two timing whore, leave him alone.
Hermione frowned and held the last piece of parchment.
I told you to leave him alone, he doesn’t need a Mudblood slut.
‘Hermione…’ Ginny started. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Yes, I’m fine,’ Hermione muttered, running a few spells to possibly trace where the letters had originated from.
‘I’ve already tried.’
‘I have one last spell,’ Hermione replied. ‘It’s still in its experimental stages, but it won’t hurt to try...Pervestigo.’
The parchment sizzled in Hermione’s hand and caught fire before landing on the rug.
‘Shit,’ Hermione hissed, trying to stomp the fire out with her foot.
‘Aguamenti,’ Ginny said, looking at Hermione with a bewildered stare. ‘Are you completely mad? I mean, I know you aren’t using your magic as often as you used to, but what in the bloody hell was that?’
‘Jesus, Gin,’ Hermione sighed. ‘I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.’
‘Damn, right you weren’t thinking. I’m not a good healer, you know that,’ Ginny snorted. ‘And I don’t exactly want to get mum involved.’
‘It just…sizzled away,’ Hermione declared, turning her foot over to check on what she knew would turn into a blister.
‘I saw,’ Ginny responded, examining the black crusty spot on the rug. ‘This isn’t right.’
Ginny was correct. Pieces of parchment didn’t just sizzle and catch fire after running simple charms on it unless there was something to hide. At least there wasn’t a harmful curse that was concealed in the damn letter. The real question was how did this person know that she was seeing anybody if she was being careful about being seen with Malfoy? The last letter had been unsettling because of the slur that was used. And unfortunately she had to connect it with Malfoy due to the fact that he was a pureblood and she wasn’t. Someone else knew and for whatever reason they hadn’t leaked it to the press yet.
‘So what do you think?’
Hermione shrugged. ‘I don’t know what to think.’
‘What are you going to do about it?’
‘Nothing yet,’ she said, summoning a rubbish bin beside her. ‘See? I still use my magic.’
‘Yeah,’ Ginny commented. ‘Just not when it matters.’
‘Hey!’ Hermione said indignantly, tossing an envelope in Ginny’s direction and missing. ‘I just…froze in the moment.’
‘When have you ever ‘frozen’ in a moment?’ Ginny asked, dumping the letters into the bin. ‘I think you’re losing your touch.’
Hermione glared. ‘I’m not losing my touch.’
‘I’m being serious, Hermione. If someone really is after you –‘
‘I can handle it, Gin,’ she interrupted. ‘I was a part of the Golden Trio, remember?’
‘From our last conversation I thought you didn’t want me to remember.’
Hermione sighed deeply. ‘Oh, sod off.’
----------------------------------------------
Hermione was locking up alone tonight, it had been a slow day with one of her co-workers getting sick in one of the aisles. Thank Merlin for magic. The letters were still bothering her because she disliked not knowing who the source was and feeling as though she couldn’t do anything about it. She could mention it to Harry, but she didn’t need him worrying about her or worse yet, have her followed 24/7. Aurors could be really annoying. As of right now she didn’t need anyone breathing down her neck, if it escalated somehow then she would ask for help. She was a little thrown off that someone other than Ginny knew she was already in another relationship. It was even more troubling to know that they possibly knew she was in a relationship with Draco Malfoy. She didn’t think Draco had told anyone. Although he’d mentioned his mother knew about his private life because she kept ‘tabs on him’. Wasn’t he too old to be watched over? She supposed it was…adorable in a twisted way. His mom cared about him at least and from the way he spoke about his father, well it didn’t seem anyone cared on either side. She hadn’t seen Lucius Malfoy in years, not that she’d wanted to. And obviously Draco felt the same way if he’d felt the need to avoid inviting her over to the manor.
‘Do you always have your defences down, Hermione?’
Hermione’s tongue nudged the side of her cheek. ‘How did I know you’d pop in here?’
‘Are you saying that I’m becoming predictable?’ Malfoy questioned, appearing by her side.
‘Just had a feeling,’ she replied in a singsong voice.
‘Ah,’ he mused. ‘So I am.’
‘I’ve just been notified that I’ve lost my touch when it comes to my defensive skills.’
Malfoy scoffed. ‘It’s about time.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Don’t try to act offended,’ Malfoy began. ‘You’ve become jumpy, which is unlike the heroine that used to be a part of the Golden Trio.’
‘Thank you, Malfoy,’ Hermione uttered, brushing her hair away from her face. ‘But when I’m not expecting something to happen, which is the complete opposite of how life was during the War, then I’m a little jumpy.’
‘That’s the problem, you’ve become indifferent.’
‘Am I supposed to be paranoid?’ she asked.
‘It’s not about paranoia, it’s about being aware of your surroundings – you used to excel in that area.’
‘You and Ginny have both got to be taking the piss,’ Hermione concluded.
Draco sneered. ‘Even your little friend Ginevra has an issue with your lack of awareness.’
Hermione walked away and headed towards the entrance trying to ignore the footsteps following her. Malfoy could be so damn annoying for no reason. Now he was doing to judge her for not being paranoid. Sorry, indifferent. She didn’t need to keep her guard up at all times – especially not in the Muggle world. She could take care of herself when it mattered and she would if it ever came to that. If Harry ended up having the exact same conversation with her she’d just consider getting new friends. Granted, Ginny actually knew how to keep her mouth shut so the chance of having such a conversation with Harry was pretty low. Too bad Ron couldn’t learn a thing or two from his younger sister.
----------------------------------------------
‘I suppose you’re going to ignore me for another hour?’
Hermione looked over at him. ‘I should ignore you for the rest of the night.’
‘Turn the box off.’
‘This is my routine, Malfoy,’ she said, holding out her mug. ‘Shitty television programmes and cheap wine.’
‘Turn the box off,’ he repeated.
‘No,’ she said turning up the volume and facing him. ‘It stays on.’
‘Is it necessary for you to be so stubborn?’ Draco questioned exasperatedly.
Hermione looked away and tried to focus on the scene playing out on the telly. She felt the cushion move and realised that Malfoy had gotten up. Her eyes flickered around the room, her stomach dropped. Until she saw that his robes were still folded neatly at the end of the couch. She had to admit that she was being stubborn. She still had trouble dealing with criticism at times, even if it was meant to be constructive. Maybe they both had a point about her defensive skills slightly diminishing. She had been on guard for so many years it should’ve been second nature for her to be alert at all times. When she was in danger and worrying constantly about her well-being along with the well-being of others it was easy to stay alert. She didn’t want to be paranoid, but she didn’t want to become an easy target either. If she was going to continue dating Malfoy there was a chance that her involvement within the Wizarding world would increase. She could only imagine the stories that would start leaking once the general public found out that she was dating Draco Malfoy. It would be chaos and this time around it would affect her friendships. She wasn’t planning on seeking out Ron to mend the friendship that they’d once had. She knew that despite everything that had happened he’d be quite vocal about his disgust in regard to Malfoy. Ron was aware that she’d cheated on him, but he didn’t know that she knew about Eloise. If Ron paid any attention he would figure out that it was Malfoy that left the love bite on her neck.
Hermione sighed and scooped up his robes taking them to her bedroom. She wasn’t surprised to see Draco lying in her bed in the dark. The streetlights outside her window illuminated his skin.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said softly, taking a seat at the edge of the bed.
‘You don’t need to apologise to me, Hermione.’
She groaned. ‘Why can’t you just accept my apology?’
‘Is that what you want?’ he asked.
‘Yes, it’s what I want,’ she responded. ‘Please.’
He nodded then. ‘You can be so frustratingly stubborn.’
‘I know.’
‘You were just as stubborn at Hogwarts.’
‘Thanks,’ she scoffed. ‘It’s good to know how observant you were at Hogwarts.’
‘This has nothing to do with how observant I was. It has everything to do with how loud you were with your stubbornness.’
‘I was not that loud.’
‘I assure you that you really were that loud,’ he recalled. ‘People weren’t just staring at you because you had a bushy animal stuck on the top of your head.’
‘Oh my –‘
‘Immensely tragic.’
His lips were stretched out into a smile now and she found it hard to plant her fist in his face for a second time. It would’ve been so satisfying to wipe that grin off his face.
‘You are so delightful, Draco,’ Hermione crooned.
‘Now,’ he said seriously. ‘Are you going to tell me why you’ve been walking in such a bizarre manner?’
Hermione stiffened. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You know what I mean. Don’t play stupid with me.’
‘It’s –‘
‘And don’t lie,’ he drawled. ‘You’re trying to stop yourself from putting pressure on your right foot.’
‘It was an accident.’
‘What type of accident?’ he asked, moving to sit beside her.
‘Well, I dropped something heavy on it.’
‘Something.’
‘It was a book,’ she replied quickly, breaking eye contact. Her hands were clasped together. Fuck. He would know she was lying.
‘Judging by your reaction to the state your hands are in, it seems I don’t have to tell you that I don’t believe you,’ he stated.
‘There was a small fire and I made the wrong decision,’ she admitted.
‘You have a wand.’
‘Thank you, Ginny.’
Draco frowned. ‘Pardon?’
‘It’s just come to my attention that you and Ginny are alike in some ways.’
‘Your foot was in the fire.’
‘Yes.’
‘And you purposely put it there.’
Hermione shrugged.
‘Are you suicidal, Hermione?’
‘What?!’ Hermione exclaimed, her face horror stricken. ‘No, I’m not! I wasn’t thinking properly is all.’
‘Did you start this fire?’
‘No, of course not.’
Draco’s fingers were pinching the bridge of his nose. ‘Tell me what happened.’
Hermione wanted to avoid this topic altogether, she didn’t really need Draco to know that she was receiving hate mail in the first place. It would sound even worse when he found out that an anonymous individual could be targeting her, sending her threatening notes that had an undetectable spell on it. He would probably overreact the same way Harry would if she’d confided in him.
Hermione sighed deeply. ‘It’s complicated.’
Draco sat there staring at her expectantly.
‘Ginny came over a little after you left,’ she began. ‘And she brought me some mail she’s been keeping at her office. There were three letters in particular that she was worried about…so I used a spell on one of them and it caught on fire. I reacted by trying to stomp it out with my foot and Ginny put it out with her wand. There. Are you satisfied?’
Draco was still, his brow beginning to furrow and his eyes narrowing. ‘Should I find this news of yours satisfactory?’
‘No,’ she mumbled.
‘Are you mental? You have a wand for a reason, Hermione! What if the fire was cursed? What would you do then?’
‘I know that, Draco. You don’t have to scold me, I’m not a child.’
‘Start using that brain of yours,’ he sneered. ‘What did the letters say?’
‘I’m not sure how they know, but I think they know about us,’ Hermione said. ‘They told me to stay away from you because I’m a Mudblood slut.’
‘Hermione,’ he faltered, his hand coming to rest on her thigh. ‘You cannot hide things from me, you need to let me know what’s going on.’
‘I know.’
‘This is dangerous.’
‘Maybe,’ she responded.
‘If a piece of parchment goes up in flame I think it’s quite easy to deduce that it is dangerous.’
‘We don’t know that yet.’
‘You can’t tell me that you’re going to continue being apathetic towards your defensive skills,’ Draco hissed.
‘I won’t be,’ Hermione asserted. ‘I promise.’
‘If you don’t take it seriously I will report it to Potter because I know you won’t.’
‘I take my promises seriously, Draco.’
‘Good,’ he murmured, burying his face into her neck. ‘Because if this is a threat, which it is, then we need to take it seriously.’
Hermione dragged her fingers through his silky hair and inhaled deeply. ‘We?’
‘You and I count as a ‘we’, don’t we?’
‘I suppose you’re right,’ she whispered. ‘I really did not want to tell you this.’
‘I know.’
‘I tried to trace who the sender was and that’s when it sizzled and burnt away,’ Hermione stated.
‘And you are aware that’s not normal?’ he questioned, breathing onto her skin.
‘You’ve made your point, Draco.’
‘Have I?’
The warmth from his breath was starting to distract her. A small shiver went through her body that caused her muscles to tense. The skin on her neck stretched out as she tried to lean back without tipping over, but Draco wasn’t taking the hint or he was pretending not to notice. Hermione knew it had to be the latter, he never hesitated to latch onto her neck when he had the chance.
‘Why are you doing this?’ she croaked quietly.
His arm wrapped around her waist, his fingers pressing into her. ‘What am I doing?’
‘I-I don’t know,’ she stuttered. ‘You’re…teasing me.’
‘Am I?’
His lips connected with the crook of her neck and she let out a breath that she didn’t know she was holding in. His lips suckled on the stretched skin before biting down to leave a mark. He could feel her pulse beating strongly as he soothed her skin with his tongue – she smelled like cloves tonight. He knew that there had to be a blush blooming across her chest, her neck was always so sensitive. A light breathy moan fell from her lips.
‘Why,’ she started, trying to collect her thoughts even though his mouth was latching back onto her neck. ‘Why did you ignore me this morning?’
‘I didn’t ignore you,’ he responded, placing one last kiss on her neck.
‘You ignored my…advances.’
He chuckled. ‘Your advances were pitiful.’
‘I didn’t ask for an assessment,’ she mumbled as she stood to peel off her jumper.
‘I don’t always think with my cock.’
‘Could’ve bloody fooled me,’ she said under her breath.
‘I could’ve had you any way I wanted this morning,’ he murmured seriously, his fingers deftly unbuttoned her jeans. ‘But I didn’t.’
Hermione snorted. ‘Right.’
‘I don’t know why you enjoy lying to yourself. There was nothing subtle about the way your hands lingered on my body this morning.’
Hermione blushed slightly remembering the way he slapped her hands away earlier that morning.
‘And now I see that you agree,’ he said smugly.
She knew now that he was trying to make a point this morning. He’d wanted to let her know that he wasn’t only interested in her because of sex, even though he’d told her that himself. Actions spoke louder than words she supposed.
‘I trust you,’ she said before lying back onto her bed, her head cushioned by a pillow.
Draco followed, lying down beside her and propping his head up with his elbow. He was silent yet again, searching her face and she felt an awkward smile start to form on her face. What was wrong with her? She could only imagine how stupid she looked right now.
‘You’re funny, you know,’ he stated softly.
‘Not intentionally.’
‘No, not intentionally,’ he replied, his hand hovering over the sliver of her abdomen that was exposed. ‘You are allowed to smile. It’s funny that you think you aren’t.’
‘I look idiotic,’ she blurted, immediately groaning because she had spoken without thinking. This seemed to amuse Draco.
‘You don’t look idiotic,’ he said reassuringly. ‘Your smile is pleasant.’
Hermione shook her head. It was almost like a reflex when she received compliments. Her smile didn’t bother her the way it used to when she was younger. Funnily enough Draco had been the reason why her teeth were shrunken to an acceptable size in the first place. It was ironic that he was complimenting her on it now. His finger was tracing her upper lip now.
‘Don’t fight me on this, it’s cute. You have a small freckle…right here,’ he told her, his eyes concentrating on what she knew had to be the lone freckle on her lip. ‘It stretches a bit when you smile.’
Malfoy leaned in to press his lips against hers gently. It was an innocent kiss that wasn’t meant to ignite any feelings of passion, but it ignited something else within her that she was unfamiliar with. She kissed him back, her heart thudding in her ears and her chest tightening. His hand brushed away a curl as he pulled back and placed another kiss on her forehead. She looked up at him letting a small grin relax on her face and he returned the smile settling back down beside her.
‘Do you remember what I said the first time we shagged?’
She flushed at the memory. ‘Draco –‘
‘Just repeat it, Hermione. I’m not asking you to give me details.’
‘Fine,’ she conceded. ‘You told me that I didn’t need to hide myself from you.’
‘Brilliant,’ he said, his arm coming to rest across her stomach. ‘I meant it then and I mean it now, albeit for different reasons.’
The first night they’d slept together had been a drunken mess, but she could remember every little detail. She could still feel the stubble that rubbed against her cheeks. The calloused fingers pulling at her clothing. It had to be a coincidence that they were both at a posh Muggle bar that late at night. And although Hermione had found it strange when Draco sat beside her while she tended to a chocolate martini she hadn’t told him to leave her alone. She’d been in a dark mood after another row with Ron about the extra galleons he spent. No, they were not living pay cheque to pay cheque. Yes, they had enough to survive on. It was the entire principle that they needed to divulge what the money was going towards. Especially if he was withdrawing galleons that were meant for one of the bills they needed to pay off. It was irritating to access the account only to find it drained. She had no clue what he’d used it for. He’d told her it was for ‘something important at work’, which she now knew was code for the woman he was sleeping with. Malfoy had been quiet that night, only ordering shots every few minutes. Somehow he’d convinced her to join him and they’d taken the shots together, her eyes tearing each time she swallowed down the harsh liquid. She’d lost count of how many shots she’d downed and when Malfoy tried to help her stand she’d fallen onto the bar stool cackling about how pissed she was. How she’d never gotten so pissed in her life. The room spun as Malfoy held onto her, pulling her through the crowd back into the hotel lobby that connected with the bar. Somehow he’d gotten a room for the night and as she leaned against his unwavering body she’d wondered when he’d started carrying around Muggle banknotes. The ground was starting to collapse under her feet in the elevator and Malfoy had carried her in his arms as she crooned about how good he smelled, her fingers tracing his jaw.
Malfoy was the one who placed her onto the bed, taking her shoes off and pulling the covers over her. She’d become aware of the hard body beside her – he felt so hot. He was turned away from her, his breathing wasn’t slow enough for Malfoy to be asleep. Before she knew it her fingers were tugging at the collar of his shirt and when he remained unresponsive her tongue had darted out to lick a messy trail along his neck. She remembered how stiff he became, sitting up to try to deter her. Telling her that she was too wasted. Telling her that she wasn’t thinking properly. His eyes were wide as though he was frightened of her, standing up to place space between them and repeating the word mistake over and over again. She was drunk, but she was still aware of what was happening. Maybe she wouldn’t have been so bold if she was sober, she still wanted to be close to someone. Even if that someone was Draco Malfoy. She sloppily kissed him and even though he’d had more to drink than her his moves were precise. His tongue hesitated to wrap around hers as she opened her mouth, but she didn’t care as she plundered his mouth. At one point she’d forgotten to breathe and as she gasped she felt his fingers peel away her blouse and then her slacks until she stood there in mismatched underwear. And all Malfoy did was stare. He stared and even without her inhibitions she was starting to feel uncomfortable. She’d only slept with Ron after all and he never stared. Not for this long anyway. She raised her arms in an effort to cover her breasts that were still concealed by her bra, but he stopped her, his slim fingers wrapping themselves around her wrists.
‘Granger, if you’re serious about this, you’re not to hide yourself from me. Do you understand?’
She’d nodded and relaxed her arms as his fingers found their way along her back and unclasped her bra. She shuddered in nervousness as her bra fell to the carpet.
He’d tipped her face upwards so that their eyes connected. ‘You’re sure?’
It took a moment for her to find her voice. ‘I am.’
And that was how her descent into debauchery with Draco Malfoy had started. An innocent drink at some bar she’d been introduced to by Tina Edwards, one of her co-workers. Hermione had never thought she’d meet someone she knew at the May Fair, let alone someone from the Wizarding world. She never thought she’d be capable of cheating and yet that night it had been extremely easy. So easy that she’d stopped herself from contacting Malfoy the morning after. A few weeks had passed until she’d made contact with him again and although she’d been close to cancelling she couldn’t bring herself to do it because this was the most alive she’d felt in years. It was a sad reality that she had to face after some time – she was a cheater even though it went against everything she stood for. She didn’t know if it did hurt Ron when he’d seen the mark on her neck. He wasn’t talking to her and considering the stories he was apparently leaking maybe it did. It hurt to know that he was getting on with someone else secretly and he still hadn’t admitted to that. They were so fucked up, but it was over now. Malfoy broke her train of thought when he pulled the blanket over both of their bodies. Hermione kissed his chin and turned over. Malfoy’s arm immediately wrapped around her midsection as he pulled himself closer to spoon her. She felt him bury his face into her hair.
‘You don’t have to hide, Hermione.’
Her thumb rubbed the back of his hand. ‘I know.’
‘I haven’t hidden myself from you,’ he confessed.
‘I know,’ she repeated.
She did know. He’d been surprisingly honest without her having to nag him. It was unusual to be with someone she thought would be more closed off, only for them to be quite open.
‘You said something before you fell asleep last night,’ he suddenly recalled. ‘Do you know what it was?’
Hermione shook her head. ‘No, I don’t remember saying anything.’
‘Goodnight, maybe?’ Malfoy guessed.
‘Maybe.’
‘I suppose this would be a good time to wish me goodnight properly then,’ he breathed into her hair.
‘Goodnight, Draco,’ Hermione yawned.
‘Goodnight, Hermione.’
----------------------------------------------

AN:

Thank you again to those that reviewed and rated. Truly amazed by the positive response. To Anon who left those two scathing reviews judging Hermione’s character and Draco’s as well, I’m sorry to say that I had a small laugh. I wish emotions could be so black and white, it would make life a lot easier. Seriously. Fair warning to those who are awaiting updates, I’m back in uni so that will be taking up most of my time.
x
- 4
- 5
- 6
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

If Only