The Shattered Dragon

Chapter 14: Possesion

"Come in, come in. Let me get you a glass of champagne, my treat," Theo said, pulling her along by the elbow.

One of the first rules Draco had ever given her was that the guests were in control. He prided himself on his little stable of sexy yet demure women, quiet and delicate, appealing to the fragile male egos of his membership. So although she had no interest in sharing a drink with the three of them she stumbled obediently into the bar, lingering near the doorway while Theo went to pour her a glass from the bottle Trevor had ordered. Archlight turned slowly in his seat and looked at Hermione with an arched brow and hungry, mischievous eyes. They were the color of damp moss, lids heavy with what looked either exhaustion or pretentious boredom. Still, she could see why Sarah was infatuated with him, although it surprised Hermione to hear that he treated her well, respectfully even.

"Nice to see you again little mudblood," Trevor purred, getting up from his seat and bowing. "Won't you join..."

"Don't call her that again," Draco said, cutting him off. "Or you'll not be welcome here, I don't care how much money you have."

"Oh, of course," Archlight said. "So sorry. I meant nothing malicious," he added, his eyes narrowed and glittering as he stared her down. "I thought it was a little pet name between you and Theo."

"It's isn't. I don't have pet names," Hermione said, finally speaking up for herself.

The three men looked at her, Draco biting back a smile, both Theo and Trevor aghast at her impudence.

"Then perhaps we should give you one," Trevor said, his voice a bit colder as he ran a finger up her arm and across her exposed collarbone. He leaned in close to her ear, his voice quiet enough that Draco couldn't hear him. "I hear you're an excellent cocksucker, would that a good pet name for you?" She said nothing, unwilling to take his bait and he pulled back, amused at his own joke. "How much for the night?" He called out to Draco, not taking his eyes off of her, his hand on her arm as if she might run were he to let her go.

She held her chin up, looking him in the eye, doing her best to hide the fear that ran through her blood like ice. Somehow, she prayed that Draco could hear her thoughts, could hear her begging him to save her. There was something about Archlight she didn't like, the way he looked at her as if she were a rare animal, a trophy to gather. Prey. She knew that Draco was possessive, that he wanted her all to himself; but she'd also seen the ledger in Draco's room and knew that her purpose here was to pay Lucius back. In the past few months she hadn't been earning her keep. No matter what Draco had told her, she knew that her body was for sale to the highest bidder...or at this point any bidder, she supposed.

"She's not available," Draco said, draining his second whiskey and slamming the heavy crystal glass onto the table a bit harder than he'd intended. "Let go of her. Sparrow, you're not supposed to be in the bar if you aren't working."

"Which is it mate," Theo said, laughing. "Is she not available or not working?"

"My guest isn't coming until eleven," Hermione blurted out, her eyes darting between the three men who stood around her, slowly moving closer like an encroaching virus. "I was...I just wanted to ask Mr. Malfoy for the room number. I'd forgotten."

Draco nodded almost imperceptibly and looked up towards the ceiling as if trying to remember.

"Yes. Mr. Renfield. He'll be in room nine at eleven thirty. But you're to be there at eleven, remember? And I believe he wanted you shaved entirely."

"Yes sir," Hermione said, her cheeks hot as she looked into Draco's sparkling grey eyes. She could tell by the tension in his posture that he would most certainly need her...services this evening. "I'll be going...I need to..."