Vacivitas

Chapter Fifteen

"Oh, has Pinky been helping you?"

"Yes, she performs anything that needs to be done with magic and a wand." Hermione bites her lower lip, trying to think of what to say. How to talk to him. Not that she knew how to talk to him before. Not without bickering. "She's very helpful."

"She is." Malfoy moves toward the other side of the heavy wooden table. He picks up one of the parchments and glances down at it. "This combination of ingredients are...New. I've never heard of a potion that uses them like this."

Guilt that Hermione doesn't want to feel starts to spiral in her stomach. "It's something I'm making from scratch."

"Hm." He arches one eyebrow and gives the table another sweeping look. He picks up another parchment. "Sichuan peppercorns? Urtica dioica leaf? Selkie scales? Clear quartz fragments? This is a bizarre combination. And the quartz counteracts with the Selkie scales. Just...What?"

"Yeah," she says with a small, halting laugh. "Just trying some new things to see what works."

Then, he asks the question she doesn't want him to ask.

"What does it do?"

The guilt is heavy, and she's mad at it. She shouldn't have to feel guilty after what he did to her yesterday, but...She does.

"To block the effects of certain things."

"Effects of what?" He sets the parchment down.

Her heart slams in her chest. She winces.

"Vampire saliva."

The tranquility in his eyes explodes. In a great show of ire, he sweeps his arm over the entire table, destroying everything. Her cauldron spills hot liquid out onto the tabletop and floor, nearly burning her feet through her slippers. It spills all over her parchment, ruining each one. The ingredients have scattered into various places. There's glass and clay earthen pots that have crashed to the floor and shattered.

"Why did you do that?!" Hermione cries in anger. "I've been working on that for two weeks! What the Hell is wrong with you?!"

"I don't give a fuck. You're not finishing that potion."

"Why not?!"

"Because I said so."

Hermione wants to throw her quill down but she knows watching it slowly float to the ground would be embarrassing for all parties involved.

"Why don't you get it?!" she shouted. "I don't want to feel what you do to me anymore! I don't want you to have power over me!"

"Oh, please." He lets out a mirthless laugh. "If you think a potion is going to keep you from feeling anything with me, you've lost all the brains you touted around at Hogwarts."

"Don't be so cocky," she spits, hands in fists. The quill has snapped and finally fluttered down to the ground. "You're the one who said it. I'd hate myself. That the only way I'd let you fuck me is with your fangs in my throat and my blood in your mouth. Right? That's what you said, isn't it?"

"Don't test me."

"Or else what?!" she screeches, the fury in her eyes for once matching his. "You'll throw me down on the couch and teach me a lesson?!"

He's silent.

"I'm going to make this potion, Malfoy, whether you like it or not."

"You won't."

"I will."

Malfoy rounds the table toward her. She backs up as far as she can, connecting with the wall with a squeak. His fingers span her jaw, tilting her chin up. His body presses into her, holding her in place. She can't breathe in without him breathing out. Her hand is covered in ink.