It is late in the evening when I get summoned. I dress myself in a long cloak, black skinny jeans, and matching long sleeve shirt, along with some flat ankle boots. This time I watch myself in the mirror when I place the new mask on my face. I am surprised as I watch the simple black mask change into gray with lighter swirls, reminding me of my magic instead of the vines of my wand. With a simple spell I pull my hair back into a braid and place the hood over it, sticking it down so it won't fall off.
It takes me minutes to dress and apparate to Malfoy Manor. I land in the foyer and walk towards the dining room, bow for the Dark Lord and take my seat.
"How are you?" he asks. "You look great."
"Thank you, my Lord. I'm doing good and you?" I ask, smiling softly.
"Good."
He looks around the room and I follow. I notice I am the only one of the younglings and my father is not present. Bellatrix and the foul werewolf are here though, along with Nott Senior, Goyle Senior, Crabb Senior.
"I have a small mission for you, I got information that a meeting from the Order of the Phoenix is being held in the house of the Weasleys. Even though they are Pureblood they don't care about the values we hold and therefore don't deserve any protection. I demand that you lure them out, try to catch Harry Potter and destroy the house. Meet me back here. Dismissed."
We all agree and accept the mission. He grabs my hand, before I can walk away and he pulls me towards him. His lips touch mine and he kisses me, licking the seam of my lips and I can only open up for him. Everytime he touches me, I can feel his magic brush against mine. The kiss is not unpleasant, but In my mind he is still an old man without a nose.
Bellatrix coughs and that makes him pull away. "Make me proud," he smirks and pecks me on the lips one last time.
"I will," I murmur and walk out of the room, waiting along the others in the foyer.
I check my outfit and add a protective charm over my clothing, making it almost like a shield. Fenrir is sniffing me and I glare at him. "What is your problem, dog," I sneer.
"You smell," he chuckles.
Everyone is paying attention to our conversation even if they try to look at something else.
"And you smell like you just jumped out of a dumpster, you are not one to talk," I snarl.
"You misunderstood me," he sounds so innocent, but I know he is not. "I can smell the blood between your legs."
This earns him a slap across his cheek. "Don't you dare to speak to me like that," I hiss, watching as my handprint becomes visible on his cheek. "I am engaged to our Dark Lord and I out rank you, you filthy dog."
I turn as I hear a deep chuckle from the dining room. "Precious. I like it when she is mean," the Dark Lord smirks and turns towards Fenrir. "Leave and fulfill the mission."
I am the first one to apparate away, already knowing where I can land in the tall grass without being seen. The moment I touch the ground I shift. As a wolf I can see so much more and less risk of being found. Since training a lot I can shift in seconds and keep my clothes on.
I move forward through the dry grass. The front door of the Burrow opens.
"It was delicious, Molly," Tonks compliments, standing next to Remus.
"Are you sure you won't stay?" the sweet voice of Molly carries over to me, giving me a flashback of her slapping me.
"No, we should go, the first night of the cycle is always the hardest," she answers quickly.
Remus is standing in front of everybody and I watch as he sniffs, his eyes landing on the spot where I am hidden. Shit, he can smell me.
Arthur notices the stiff posture of Remus and lays a hand on his shoulder. Remus shrugs him off, keeping his eyes focused on my spot. I don't even dare to breathe, laying low on the ground, ears pointed back.
He growls, as I also hear people walking through the grass.
"Sweety?" Tonks asks.
So that is new, they are a couple, I thought he and Sirius would become one now they have the time and he is not in Azkaban.
My attention draws to one of the many windows, Ginny is walking upstairs in her bathrobe. Harry is there and they talk. I can't hear what they are saying, but he is smiling. Well, are they finally together, only took a couple of years of Ginny secretly pining after him and vice versa.
Bellatrix shouts a hex towards the Burrow, just missing Remus. I shift back to my human form, grab my wand and draw a deep breath. After a summer of training my power I am confident that I am able to control it.
"Mortiferum ignem," I whisper and imagine the Fiendfyre as a bomb, and creating a fire around the Burrow, making them trapped inside. The hatred I feel for Ron and Molly helps.
Bellatrix apparates and appears in front of the fire, revealing herself to everyone. She cackles like a madwoman, which she is, so it makes sense.
"Ohhhh sweet cousin, come and get me!" she giggles like a little girl asking her cousin for a game of tag.
I create an opening and close it after her. Remus is still looking in my direction, before Sirius storms out of the house, closely followed by Harry.
They all scream for them to return, but they jump through the flames to follow Bellatrix.
Remus and Tonks try to follow them, but I let the fire burn higher. They start to send spells into the flames and I use it as a shield. I keep myself hidden and try to figure out what is happening around me.
Bellatrix is screaming on repeat. "I'm going to kill Sirius Black. Come and get me!"
My focus is on deflecting spells that I don't notice the hole in the fire before Ginny jumps through. I try to follow the steps everyone is taking, making sure I am still hidden in the grass. The wind is making everything rustle around me, and the footsteps stop. They are breathing hard, which makes it easier to follow them.
I let the fire burn and take off, immediately drawing the attention of Remus who jumps through the fire and follows after me. Tonks tries to follow him, but he is too fast. I shift and jump into my wolf body, making it easier to run away from him. He might not be able to shift, like I can, but he is still faster and stronger than a regular human.
He is hunting me, I can hear him sniff in the air, following my scent instead of my footsteps. I decide to attack, surprise him with it. I turn around and jump in the air as high as I can, he is close so I come down on him, pushing him to the ground. My mouth is wide open, snarling and showing my teeth to him.
"Hermione?" he whispers, making sure no one hears him. "What are you doing?"
He tries to push me off but I get a hold of his arm. His eyes turn yellow and he growls, even though he is not my Alpha, he is still one. I let go of him, my ears pinned back as I keep growling.
Once again he sniffs. "You have a pact? Who is your Alpha?"
Someone is getting closer to us and I shift back, surprising Remus with my look.
"Stupify," I hiss in the direction of the footsteps. I hit the person right in the chest as I hear a deep groan and someone falls.
I send the spell towards Remus, but he is fast enough to throw up a shield. He doesn't know that I am using it as a distraction. My magic is flowing from my body, the power of the Fiendfyre still coursing through my body, making me stronger than ever. It is a known fact that it takes more magic to deal damage to a werewolf.
He sends soft spells back, making it clear that he doesn't want to hurt me and I take advantage of it. I let one of his spells through my shield, hitting myself in the thigh, creating a cut. The scent of blood fills the air and he does exactly what I expected.
"Hermione!" he breathes and steps toward me, coming close enough for my spell to work.
"Caligo," I hiss, quickly shifting my eyes.
For a flash second my magic is visible, a mist around us before the spell takes effect and casts us in complete darkness.
I can still see enough and hit him with a confusion hex. He looks around confused and I walk away, making my way to the others. The darkness around me is gone and I make sure my magic looks like mist, swirling over the ground.
Harry and Ginny are fighting Fenrir, who is only defending himself. Nott, Goyle and Crabb are circling them in the tall grass. I let my mist roll inside the circle. It was fun to figure out what I could do with my magic when it is like this, which is a lot. I can send every spell through them, hitting everyone who is in the mist.
Ginny and Harry are throwing spells around, missing or hitting shields. The smell of wet dogs fills my nostrils. Sirius is surprised and shifts back to his human form, walking closer. His hands in the air. I create a Muffliato bubble around us, making sure nobody can hear us, but we can hear them.
"Go away, Sirius," I warn him, letting the bubble shimmer and showing him what I have done.
"Why are you here?" He asks.
"I'm part of this mission. The Dark Lord chose me."
"Can you hear yourself?!" he sneers. "You are not the Hermione I know."
I scoff, shaking my head. "You never knew me, Sirius. You knew a sad part of me. I thought they were my friends, but they used me and didn't even appreciate it."
"And now that is not the case? You are wearing a mask, dressed in black and doing one man's bidding."
I growl at him. "Watch out how you talk about him."
"What have you done with Remus? What are you? Are you an Animagus" he asks, sniffing the air and probably smelling him on me.
"He is fine, walking around somewhere, a bit confused," I smirk.
"You are cruel, Hermione," he shakes his hand and steps forward.
"I'm cruel," I laugh. "How does it feel to see him with a woman?"
His eyes widen and tries to come up with a response.
"He knows, right? You want to jump his bones. Every night you wish that he would fuck you instead of her or maybe a threesome, best of both worlds," I laugh, almost sounding like Bellatrix, but slightly less crazy.
He shakes his head and steps back. I decide to have a bit more fun, and jump towards him, shifting mid air and landing on my four paws. He immediately shifts and I am very pleased to know that I am larger than him. I duck, tensing all my muscles and getting ready to attack him. He whimpers and attacks, taking me by surprise.
Fucking dog. He bites my front paw and I howl in pain as his teeth break the skin. I am able to bite his shoulder and fling him off. We fight, I am stronger and faster than him, giving me the advantage.
I am hit with a spell in my side, throwing me off and I roll inside the water, soaking me. When I jump up I see Remus glaring at me.
"Get out!" he bellows as he falls to the ground to see the injuries on Sirius.
I turn and walk away from them, knowing that they both don't form a real threat, making my way to the other battle that has been going on for a while. I shift back and while walking through the water, trying to keep as quiet as possible, I heal a few wounds on my arms and shoulder.
They are still in the small clearing, surrounding it and sending hexes to the middle where Ginny, Harry, Tonks and the twins are standing. Once again, I spread out my magic, ready to strike them. Bellatrix apparates, followed by Fenrir and Nott. Crabb is waiting, sending another spell, trying to hit Harry, but he misses. Just as useless as his son.
The fire is still burning around the house and I feel every spell that is sent in it. Instead of draining my magic, it is feeding me. I follow Bellatrix and apparate away, letting darkness curl around me.
Bellatrix and Fenrir fly through the house, quickly creating explosions inside. I watch for a second as everyone is standing outside the house, before I apparate away, back to Malfoy Manor.
I am dirty and cold, but I use a quick Scourify on myself, making sure I don't leave footprints behind. Bellatrix is celebrating the mission, telling everything she did. I walk inside the room, finding the Dark Lord's eyes. There isn't any anger in them, he is smirking, his hair messy. He is attractive, wearing a button down, top two buttons open and slacks. He doesn't look like a teenager, he really looks like a man in his twenties, healthy and getting strong. He is the polar opposite of Draco, maybe that is what is attracting me, nothing reminds me of him. I hate that I am attracted to him, but there is no denying it.
I walk forward, smiling. For the first time I am taking the initiative and he knows it. I can feel our bond, clearly weaker than the one I have with Draco, but it is still one I can feel. It pleases him that I walk up to him and he holds out his hand.
I take it with my left hand and he tugs me close. "Did you have fun?" he asks softly, caressing my ear.
"The best," I tell him and I can't even deny it, it was fun to test out my limits and strategy on people I don't train with.
His kiss is short and intense, and I forget who he actually is, he looks and feels young and his kisses are dangerously addictive. He knows what he is doing. With each one I feel more relaxed and comfortable with him.
He is not even angry that we didn't bring Harry with us, just pleased that we made a point and showed our powers a bit.
It is early in the morning when I use the Floo back to Spinner's End. In just a couple of hours I need to be ready on Kings Cross Trainstation to board the Hogwarts Express again.
The living room is dark and I think about just crashing on the couch instead of walking towards my bed. I am so tired. I tried to leave earlier, but then they brought out Firewhiskey and the Dark Lord wanted me to stay, pulling me against him, his hands on my body and when he sat down he pulled me along with him.
My body is all fuzzy and warm, but Father hits me in the face with a jet of water from his wand.
"What the fuck," I sneer, confused.
"You are drunk," he snaps. "I just came home and you are almost asleep while standing."
"When did you leave?" I ask.
"After you helped to burn down that awful building the Weasley's called a house. They needed a place to stay and I had to come in and tell them that I did not know this was going to happen."
"That sucks, because someone tipped off the Dark Lord that a meeting was happening there tonight," I shrug, hinting that he did have something to do with it and decide to go to my room. I bump into the door, knowing I will get a bruise on my arm from it.
"Hermione?" I turn towards him and my vision is blurry. "Are you done packing for school?"
"Yup, goodnight Father."
"Night," he calls after me. "I'll use the Floo to go to Hogwarts, I won't see you in the morning. Safe travels."
"I hate that you can simply use the Floo," I groan. "I want to use it too."
"Become a Professor and you can," I know he is smirking and resume my short walk to the bathroom.
I take a quick shower, cleaning myself and almost falling asleep under the warm water. I dry my hair with magic, too tired to do anything with it.
A hangover and long train ride to Hogwarts don't mix well. I am late and rushing to be on time to get on Platform 9 ¾, as always it is way too crowded. Parents and students trying to say goodbye and taking forever.
I used my new favorite spell on my trunk and shrunk it to fit inside my beaded bag. I am wearing a short, fitting, dark green dress, with a black long sleeved robe and heeled ankle boots. The charm that Narcissa taught for comfortable shoes is amazing, it is as if I have nothing on my feet.
I spot my terribly handsome and tall friend, quickly walking up to him. "Blaise," I greet, smirking, pulling my sunglasses down to wink at him.
"Peaches," he laughs and hugs me. "Hungover?"
I snort. "Yup and just a few hours of sleep," I sound cheerful, but I feel like shit.
"Do you also hate it to see other people with their parents, being all sappy and..." Blaise starts.
"Acting like a little bitch," I snort and bump my shoulder into his arm.
He nods. We spent a few minutes looking around, before we decided to board the train. Searching for our usual spots.
He chuckles. "Look at that," he points towards a first year student, hugging his parents, tears streaming down his face. "Weak."
"I alway looked forward to going back to school. After finding out that I am a witch, I only wanted to be around magical people who understand," I lift my lip in a silent snarl.
"Didn't like it with the Muggles?" he asks, his voice truly curious.
"I wasn't allowed to talk about anything magical or school. They acted as if I went to an all girls boarding school. Always trying to seem normal."
"Sucks," he states and I can only agree with him.
Theo and Daphne join us, he raises his eyebrow at me. "Hungover?"
"Yup," I smirk, letting the sunglasses cover my eyes and dull the ache.
Theo and Daph sit next to each other on the opposite side of Blaise and me. Just before the train leaves the station, Draco and Pansy join us. Draco sitting next to Theo and Pansy next to Blaise. The bond between us buzzes once again.
We are only hours in on our train ride and I am bored out of my mind. The landscape is always nice, but my mind keeps wandering. I keep seeing flashes of the guy I killed or how I watched the Burrow go up in flames.
The headache is also not clearing up, the sun is too bright and the train too hot. I want to take off my robe, but the dress has short sleeves and I would reveal my Mark, so not something I can do.
"What's up with you?" Blaise asks, nudging me in the ribs.
"Knock it off, Blaise. I'm hungover and this is taking forever. Why can't we just use the Floo, my Father is one of the Professors, that should count for something," I growl.
Before he can say anything else the whole compartment becomes pitch black. Immediately my eyes shift and I notice the glowing eyes of the others too.
"What the fuck. Blaise, did you do something?" Draco sneers as he stands and looks around.
"Will you relax," I snap, annoyed by his loud voice. "It's probably just a first-year messing around."
"Come on, Draco. Sit down, we will be at Hogwarts soon," Pansy drags his butt down on the bench.
I place the sunglasses in my hair and wait for my eyes to adjust back to the light. Slowly more colors come back until my vision is normal again. Draco is tense, wearing a suit instead of his robes, we are allowed to wear anything we want as long as we are not in class, but a suit is a bit extra. I can already see that he is even paler than usual, but I refrain from saying anything. I probably looked like shit in the beginning when I got a task, his task is literally so he can fail and the Malfoys get punished.
"Hogwarts, what a pathetic excuse for a school," he sneers. "I'd pitch myself off the Astronomy Tower if I had to continue for another two years."
Before I can ask him about it, Pansy does. "What is that supposed to mean?" she sounds just as shocked as I feel.
"Let's just say I don't think you'll see me wasting my time in Charms class next year."
The urge to reach over and touch him is killing me. I want to help him, comfort him, but I literally can't. We might be the only younglings to be marked, it doesn't mean that there aren't any other people who are loyal to the Dark Lord. I stare at the black stone on my finger, hating it more every second I look at it. It feels like the darkness inside pulses along with my heartbeat, or it has its own heartbeat.
Blaise snorts at Draco.
I shove him a bit. "Stop laughing at him," I hiss.
"I'm not laughing at him," he holds his hands in mock surrender. "Have you seen the state of the wizarding world? I don't know if any of us will be at school next year."
I have to admit, which I won't do outloud, but I have wondered the same. What will the Dark Lord do when Dumbledore is dead? What is his next move? Killing Dumbledore is a statement, it is a turning point, it will start the war. Two armies across from each other or is it a silent overtake with a limited amount of deaths? So much can change within a year.
We all look up as we hear something above us. I can smell him, and curse him to the moon and back. Why is Harry laying on top of the shelf for luggage? Why does he always have to put his nose where it doesn't belong?
Our conversation shifts to a safer topic, weddings, apparently.
"Daphne, Hermione, when will we be looking at wedding dresses?" Pansy asks, changing it to her favorite topic of the last few weeks.
"I don't have a date set yet," I try to focus on the conversation, but knowing Harry is listening in on it makes it very difficult, rumors will spread if he talks about my engagement. Everyone noticed the distance between me and Draco last year and now Pansy is getting married to him. They might wonder who I am going to marry.
"We should start early, I brought magazines," Daphne rummages through her expanded bag and pulls out multiple stacks.
We still have an hour left on the train, so why not. I grab one of the magazines and start flipping through it. I lean more toward Blaise, so he can watch along.
"This would look good on you," he points to a form fitting dress, which looks a lot like my silver Christmas dress.
"No," I laugh. "Not doing that again, I was scared that the straps would slip off and expose me," not to mention that Draco left me in the library with that dress on.
"That one," Blaise tries again, pointing to a fluffy princess dress.
"Do you want me to drown in tule?" I shake my head and show the picture to the others. "Maybe I will make a statement, marry at night in a black dress and we get drunk. That sounds like fun."
Pansy looks at me shocked. "You are not really going to do that, right?"
I shrug. "I never liked following rules," I smirk.
For the next ten minutes I listen to a rant about why I can't get married at night, in a black dress. Apparently my wedding will be the event of the year, beside her marriage of course. She wants to get married outside and enlarge the ballroom to fit even more people inside. We have to watch her come down the grand staircase and Draco has to see her for the first time so we all can see his reaction.
I take just a moment, only a few seconds, to create an image of myself walking down those stairs in a loose flowy white dress, with a veil following behind. Draco dressed in black along with all our friends in matching colors. He looks up at me, his eyes going wide.
"Daph, where will you get married," Pansy interrupts.
"Nott Manor, I guess," she looks a bit sad about that.
"What is wrong with Nott Manor?" I raise my brow and look at Theo.
Draco is zoned out, completely not aware of the whole conversation, but I don't know how long he has been sitting like that. Staring to the other side of the train and building his mental walls.
"Nothing is wrong with Nott Manor," Theo defends his home. "Maybe it is a little rough looking on the outside, but the inside is fine."
"Rough looking?" Pansy wants an elaborate explanation.
I know marriage is kind of a safe subject, but it is not like I am really looking forward to becoming the official Mrs. Riddle. He might look better than before, it doesn't change that he is actually an old man, who wants to marry me when I am not even of age. I glance again at Draco and wish our lives would be different. I would give the world to see him happy even if it is not with me. We all are too troubled for our age and I wish for my Time Turner back. I haven't figured out at which point I should change it, but maybe I will someday figure it out.
Blaise is flipping through magazines and I rest my head against his arm, listening to him ramble on about what he likes in a dress and what not. His voice is soothing and I don't know when my eyes fall closed.
"Wake up," Blaise nudges my head. "You have to change, we are nearly there."
I fight the urge to rub my eyes, since I don't want another lecture about getting wrinkles from Pansy. I grab my bag and quickly change in a bathroom stall.
"How's the hangover, party girl," Blaise teases.
"I'm never going to drink again," I grumble to him.
Draco remains seated as we all start to gather our stuff and are ready to get off this train. I could say something to him about it, but I don't, I need to learn and let go of him. Harry should know better than to spy on us.
The train comes to a stop and I am all too eager to jump out. I stretch on the platform and walk towards the gates, Pansy walking next to me.
"Are you okay?" she asks.
"Of course I am, Pans," I smile, pushing away the negative feelings. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because I am marrying Draco and we talk about it," she is clearly sorry about it, but we both know it can't be changed.
"I am happy for you both," I grab her hand, walking together to the carriages pulled by Thestrals. "If it had to be anyone but me, I would always choose you."
She smirks at me. "We could also ditch the men and get married together," holding up our joined hands.
Our little group laughs, it is the only thing we can do, make fun of our fucked up situations.
We sit in our usual formation at the table, only a bit further to the back, seeing as we are sixth years now. After the sorting Harry walks in, his face and shirt covered in blood. Clearly those two had a fight.
Dumbledore takes the podium and starts to speak. "Very best evening to you all. First off, let me introduce the newest member of our staff, Horace Slughorn. Professor Slughorn, I'm happy to say, has agreed to resume his old post as Potions Master," everyone turns to me, seeing as we haven't seen my Father yet.
At that moment, one of the side doors opens and my Father takes a seat at the Professor's table, he looks for me and nods when he finds me glaring at him.
"Meanwhile, the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts will be taken by Professor Snape," the applause for him is a lot less than for the new professor.
Maybe I still have some alcohol inside of me because I decide to cheer, to compensate for the lack of applause from the other houses. Blaise and Theo are all too happy to join me. "Woohoo!! Yeahh!" fills the Great Hall.
Ron and Harry glare, and I happily flip them off before turning my back to them..
"As you know, each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight. And you have the right to know why. Once there was a young man, who, like you sat in this very hall, walked this castle's corridors, slept under its roof. He seemed to all the world a student like any other. His name? Tom Riddle."
Whispers break out all around the hall, even among our table, but I can only stare at Dumbledore. He is trying to gauge our reactions, but I won't give him that satisfaction. I ignore the pulsing on my finger. It is great to hear
"Today, of course, he is known all over the world, by another name. Which is why, as I stand looking out upon you all tonight," he looks at me. "I'm reminded of a sobering fact. Every day, every hour, this very minute, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle's walls. But in the end, their greatest weapon is you," another meaningful look at me, which I ignore. "Just something to think about. Now off to bed, pip-pip."
The tables are cleared and we form a line to go back to the dungeons. Instead of going to the corner of the Common Room, we walk up to the boys dorms and find Draco in bed. He is fast asleep and I let myself watch him, observe him, trying to remember every inch of his face.
I love watching him sleep, he looks so peaceful, no frown, no smirk, everything is relaxed. It makes him look so innocent. His body is curled around a pillow, the sheets bunched around his middle, showing a lot of his pale flawless skin.
"I gave him something to sleep," Father walks in. "He was worrying a lot and didn't sleep a lot the past few days."
"You could have told me that you got a new position," I interrupt him.
He looks surprised. "I didn't think you would care about that, sorry," he grimaces as he apologizes. "Anyway, if any of you have trouble sleeping, I can help, but I will check in on you all. No one will be brewing potions," he glares at me, to which I roll my eyes. "You should all go to bed, it is already late and school starts tomorrow."
The next morning, Draco is still quiet, but at least tells us that he kicked on Harry's face and broke his nose. He even smirks a little.
We start the morning with Potions like before, but this time with the new Professor. He is nice, he is explaining about the three potions he brewed, until he is interrupted by Harry and Ron walking in.
"Ah, Harry my boy, I was expecting you."
I roll my eyes and Blaise catches me, nudging me with a smirk. The Professor wants to continue with his explanation of the potions he brewed this morning, but once again is interrupted by the two late comers. This time they are childish enough to fight over a book.
"Any ideas what these might be?" he asks as he removes the containment spell on one of them .
I sniff the air and I am overwhelmed by the smell of sex, as if it clings to every surface in the classroom. I feel my eyes wanting to shift and push my wolf side forward, I struggle to keep control. My first urge is to look over to Draco, just to make sure we are not naked and this is a weird dream fantasy of mine. We are all dressed and even pinching my arm doesn't help. There is more than just sex, I smell books, old ones, with thick parcement, learther binding and I smell spearmint toothpaste. I sniff again. Yes, it is exactly that special kind of toothpaste which has matching gum in the same scent. It is that one brand that Draco is obsessed with and made me try when I slept in his room.
The first time he wanted me to try it, he held me down on the bed and used his tongue to open my mouth and make me taste it. Which ended in sex, rolling between the books that were spread out from when we were studying before.
The scent also reminds me of sex in the library, here at school or at the Manor. I squeeze my thighs against each other, a movement which Draco notices, since he is staring at me. His eyes burning with desire and for just a moment I want to fall to my knees and beg him to fuck me, here and now. I want him, I miss him, I need him. Our bond is pulling us towards each other, I can't think about anything else. It is just like the end of the ritual where I craved him, where only his body could cool mine down.
Blaise grabs my arm and physically pulls me back, Theo doing the same with Draco, but I can't keep my eyes off him. Desire pumping through my body, my panties are ruined.
"Peaches!" Blaise calls out. "I smell those peach tarts from dessert."
The scent is gone from the air, but I can still feel the need, the burning of desire coursing through my body. Blaise is stopping me from caving to that animal desire, his wand is at my thigh and sends a series of stinging hexes through me, luckily strong enough that I don't moan, and snaps me out of the obsession. I turn around, holding his wrist up and away from my body. For a moment his eyes glow up, but he pulls back. "I had to do something," he hisses in my ear. "You were ready to jump him and he you. People were watching."
I inhale deeply, trying to get a grip on myself again, but my wolf is struggling, there is literally an animal that needs to get close to him. I build mental walls and shove the desire away. What is wrong with that potion, Amortentia should not create such a reaction.
I raise my hand, I'm so done with this class and I need to get out of here.
"Yes, Miss?" he addresses me.
"Snape, Sir. Hermione Snape," I am too horny, so instead of being a bitch to get out of class, I try a different approach, a wide grin taking over as I walk over to the front of the class and bend forward, making the skirt move up my ass, not showing anything, but the hint is clear. I moan as I inhale deep. "I smell the library, filled with thick and hard... books," I emphasize the words and I hear chuckling from behind me, another deep breath. "I smell the scent of sex, you know the one, sweat and desire mixed together," people are laughing, but I focus on one sound, someone is holding their breath and grinding his teeth. "Lastly, this spearmint toothpaste, the one with matching gum," as I say it I look at Draco, who quickly looks at the ceiling.
"Miss Snape..." the Professor stutters. "That was highly inappropriate. I want to see you after class to discuss your detention"
"The potion is Amortentia," turning my voice back to normal, annoyed that he didn't kick me out immediately. "The most powerful love potion of the whole world. It's rumored to smell differently to each person according to what attracts them. I gave you my examples, which are quite normal for horny teenagers. It doesn't create real love, only a powerful infatuation or obsession," I look over the other potions, recognizing them with ease. "That one is Polyjuice Potion and the other one is Veritaserum, the truth-telling serum."
I step back, smirking and Blaise shakes his head, but a smile is tugging at his lips. This is the first time I use this kind of behavior in front of the class, but I don't care. Why is this Professor not kicking me out, he already looks weak.
"I smell peaches, or is that just you?," he whispers in my ear, making me roll my eyes, but I don't answer him.
Multiple girls are walking towards the Amortentia cauldron, taking deep breaths, trying to smell it again. The Professor covers it quickly with a lid and not only the charm keeping in the scent. Pansy is one of the girls, and quickly takes back her spot in our row. I'm curious as to what she smelled.
"You haven't told us what that potion is," a Ravenclaw asks.
I watch as he unscrews it.
"What you see before you, ladies and gentlemen, is a curious little potion, known as Felix Felicis. But it is more commonly referred to as.."
"Liquid luck," I blurt, surprised that he is allowed to show it to us. Father told me it wasn't in the school syllabus, since it can be abused easily.
"Yes, Miss Snape. Liquid luck, 10 points for Slytherin. Desperately tricky to make, disastrous should you get it wrong. One sip and you will find that all your endeavors will succeed, at least until the effects wear off."
This makes Draco raise his head.
"So this is what I offer each of you today. One tiny vial of liquid luck to the student who, in the hour that remains manages to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death, the recipes for which can be found on page ten of your books. I should point out, however, only once did a student manage to brew a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize. Nevertheless, good luck to you all."
I grab the ingredients, knowing I will perfect this brew. I made my own potions last year with the same ingredients and I spent the summer perfecting my Potion skills. I am almost ready to be a Potions Master.
Draco is glaring at his book while he works, it will be a close call between us two. I read the recipe and add a few tips and tricks my Father taught me to enhance the power of a potion.
Seamus shoots a Sopophorus bean through the classroom, nearly hitting me in the head, but my wolf instincts take over and I am able to catch it and throw it back. He tries to catch it, but he stares at me and drops it in his potion and it explodes.
Vincent and Gregory can leave early since their potion was too dangerous to continue. Every minute more and more people stop their brewing because it failed. In the end it is only Harry, Draco and I. They all get tested and somehow, Harry Potter manages to brew a better potion than me. How did he do that? I had my Fathers lessons. Wait until my Father hears about this.
Harry grabs the bottle out of the Professor's hand and the class is dismissed. Draco is eying the potion, probably thinking about how he could use it for his task. All I want to do is get out, but I wait for the room to be empty so I can talk with Professor Slughorn about my detention.
"Miss Snape, that behavior was unacceptable in class. I get that teenagers can smell certain things, but keep them to yourself and don't whore yourself out to your peers," I am surprised by his word choices.
"Whore myself out?" I question him, while toying with the ring on my fingers.
"It was clear that something was up with you and you wanted to get out of class by behaving badly. Part of your punishment was staying here. The next part is a week off detention. I already saw that you are great with potions, so you will be helping me prepare for this week's lessons each night after dinner."
"Can't you give me a report to write on a subject or something?" I ask.
"No, I won't. Now, carry on to your next class. I will write you a note why you are late."
He writes it on a piece of parchment and hands it to me, I grab it with my left hand. "How did you get that?" he asks, nodding to my hand.
I raise an eyebrow. "It's my engagement ring," and turn away, done with this class already.
While walking towards the next class I decide to take a little detour, not ready for Charms yet. I slip inside an empty bathroom and lock the door. The need is still curling inside of me. I caress my thigh, going higher until I find my soaked panties. With a wave of my other hand I add a silencing charm to the room.
I am still leaning against the door, right in front of me are the sinks, with mirrors above it. The distance creates the opportunity to see the top of my thighs. While I keep looking at myself in the mirror I slip my hand inside of my panties, gliding through my wet slit. My mouth falls open. It has been too long since I have given myself an orgasm and I need one, desperately.
I circle my clit, putting just enough pressure on it. I tug my skirt up, now able to see everything I do to myself and it is the biggest turn on. My fingers sink inside my hot core, slowly pumping and my other hand takes over on my clit. The orgasm is coming fast, my legs tremble and I need to bite my lip to not moan loudly.
While watching a flush take over my body I imagine Draco, leaning against the sinks, watching me pleasure myself. His stormy gray eyes burning with desire as he focusses on my cunt. My own scent fills the air and it is deliciously sweet, mouth watering. I pull my fingers back and they glisten with my juices. Peaches. They are right, I do really taste like them. I suck my fingers clean, slipping them back inside me. Why does this feel so fucking good. I grind against my own fingers, hunting down my own orgasm.
I choke, Draco's name on my lips as I let myself come, everything tightens inside of me and I feel how incredibly tight I feel around just two of my fingers. I watch myself get down from my high, my legs are spread, black lace panties pushed to the side to reveal my wet cunt, my cheeks flushed, mouth open and my eyes large and doe like.
I look sexy and it takes a minute to fully come back to my senses. Luckily it took probably just around five minutes to come, but I am still very late for class. I rush over to the sink, wash my hands and cunt before using a drying spell on myself. My magic swirls around my body, straightening my clothes again and taming my hair. With a cooling charm on my cheeks I quickly walk towards the next class.
"You are late," Professor Flitwick reprimands me.
"Professor Slughorn wanted to see me after class," I hand him the note and take my seat, my body still buzzing.
I grab the necessary items from my bag and look over to Blaise, who is smirking and looking at me.
"How was Professor Slughorn?" he winks.
"He gave me detention for a week," I tell him, trying to focus on the class.
"That won't be bad, I guess," he whispers.
"He wants me to help him prepare for classes, so it could be worse," I tell him, while copying the information on the board.
"Feels fun," he remarks.
I look over to him, clueless to why he is not letting go of the subject. He is raising his eyebrows suggestively. "What do you mean?"
"It felt like you had fun," he smiles and I look around, everyone is covering their mouths to not laugh.
Still not understanding, Pansy leans over. "We could feel it through the bond."
Realization hits me like a rock. "Guys, no, I didn't. Gross," I try to franticly explain that I didn't have sex with that old and creepy man. "I took care of it myself, in the bathroom," I tell them, my cheeks burning again and quickly wave a cooling charm on my entire body.
"What?" Theo asks way too loudly.
"Is there something you want to share or ask, Mr Nott?" Flitwick asks.
He waves his hand. "Sorry Professor, I just realized something, sorry for interrupting."
Flitwick frowns, but turns away from us, continuing with his lesson.
"You could feel everything," I whisper.
"Yeah, it was intens," Blaise snickers.
Daphne reaches over to me, "Don't worry, next time check the bond. It was really hard to focus on the lesson."
"Sorry," I mutter and know I was too desperate to come and didn't check my mental walls. Oh, no does this mean that the Dark Lord could feel me? Shit.
The rest of the day is filled with teasing me, and I deserve it. We all know that it is possible to send emotions through the bond and apparently I did that to an extreme. The only one not teasing me is Draco, he is still tense, not looking at me or saying anything.
After dinner I walk towards Father's chambers and browse his books. I have multiple tasks for myself at school, I want to figure out what is wrong with this ring and I need to find a way to help Draco.
His own collection is of no use and I already knew it, I know almost each book he has and most of them are focussed on potions, not surprisingly.
"Hi," I greet him, the moment he opens his door.
"How was school?" he asks as he removes his robe.
"Potions suck," I tell him. "Somehow, Potter was able to brew a better potion than me and I used your tips."
"He is awful at potions, why is he even taking that class?" he raises his brow.
"I know," I agree. "Slughorn let him in, even the Weasel," I pull up my lip in disgust.
"Not that I don't like to see you, but what are you doing here?" he sits down in his chair with a deep sigh.
I prepare tea for us both and join him, sitting on the couch while stirring my cup.
"Multiple things," I tell him. "It was the first day of school and Draco is already losing it, I need to help him. Secondly, I need a note so I can search the Restricted Section in the library."
He watches me and decides to start with the last thing. "For what reason would you need to be in the Restricted Section, did you get a task you didn't tell me about?"
I hold up my left hand. "There is something wrong with this ring and I need to figure it out. It has dark magic, but I swear, sometimes it feels like it has its own heartbeat and it feels like it is pulsing on my finger."
He looks at the ring while he conjures a piece of parchment and let's a quill write the note. "I will look into it as well. Did you know that Narcissa came by my house, the last day of the summer break?"
I frown. "No, I left in time to get on the train."
"Luckily we set up those wards and I was warned in time and I was there when she knocked."
I raise my brow in a silent question, wanting for him to continue.
"For what reason would she come to my house?" he wonders out loud, trying to make me answer his unasked question.
"I don't know," I counter him and sip my tea.
"She even brought Bellatrix, a person who I absolutely would not invite into my house. She always doubts my true intentions as a Death Eater, but Narcissa already knows that, doesn't she?" he stares at me, hoping for some kind of a reaction.
"Yes," I drag out.
"She came to me about Draco. He has gotten a task from the Dark Lord," his eyes are getting even darker and he squints at me. "One, you already know about and it worries you."
"It does," I agree, not letting go of any information.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks angrily.
I chuckle, not scared of him. "You think I didn't want to tell you, I wanted to the second I found out. I tried to help Draco and offer myself, but the Dark Lord does it to punish the Malfoys, for Lucius' failure," I hiss.
"How did he punish you for disagreeing with him?" he stares at me, as if he watches the puzzle pieces fall into place.
"Nothing. It's fine," I try to deflect, but I can feel the pressure at my temple. I was already prepared, my walls are strong and I once again created a mirrorverse in my mind, filled with useless memories. Just in case he breaks through.
"Tell me," he demands, his anger flaring and I can feel more of his magic brush against my mind.
"I told you, it is fine. I can handle it," I stand up, trying to break his concentration enough, but he knows what he is doing. "That is not why I came here."
"No, but it is something I want to talk about," he snaps back.
"I don't call this talking," I sneer as the pressure around my whole head increases. I make sure the bonds are closed off and they won't feel anything I experience.
For the first time I figure out what his tasks during the First Wizarding War were. Skilled Legilimens are rare and he is one of them. They must have used him to break into prisoners' minds and extract every bit of information from them. His magic is wrapping around my head as if it is a strong rubber band, increasing pressure until I snap.
I fall to my knees, but keep from begging him to stop. I won't beg, I can handle this, this can be extra training. My walls start to crumble and I am not fast enough with rebuilding them before everything falls down and I let go of the useless memories. He is rough and searches through my mind, searching for a system I use to divide my memories.
"Please, don't," I groan. "You don't need to see.."
"Tell me," his voice echoes through my mind, intensifying the already existing and awful headache.
The memories flash through my mind, I watch them all in slowmotion. The two Killing Curses don't work and then the slash. Slowly the blood appears and starts to run down his throat, soaking in his dirty shirt. His hands clawing at his throat, trying to close the wound. The blood runs through his fingers, over his arms and drips off his elbows.
I watch as the man falls to his knees, while remaining eye contact with me. Slowly the life seeps out of them, becoming duller, but he keeps struggling while death is taking him. Tears mingle with the smears of blood on his face from his hands frantically trying something to stop the bleeding. I watch as the last drop of his life leaves his body, his eyes turning to unseeing and he falls forward.
"No," Father gasps. "You didn't."
He pulls out of my mind and leaves me scrambling to rebuild Occlumency and push the thoughts away, locking them in a dark corner of my mind. Anger builds inside of me.
"Why did you do that?" he asks, sitting in front of me, on his knees.
I finish my Occlumency in record time and glare at him. "The Dark Lord forced me," I snap.
My emotions are thundering against the locked door inside of my mind and it takes a lot of strength to keep them there.
He looks at me warily as I get up, ready to leave. "Why didn't you tell me? You can't keep secrets like that from me."
I turn around, finger in the air and my anger wants to lash out. One of the few emotions I can still feel in full force are mostly negative. Without my humanity I get angry quickly. "Just because you are my father doesn't make you privileged to know all my secrets," I shout.
"You always put yourself in danger, I am only trying to help you," he sneers, standing up and towering over me.
"Like you really care about that," I lash out. "You want to help that pathetic Order, always scheming alongside Dumbledore and playing both sides. It was my Fiendfyre that started burning down the Burrow and apparently you swoop in to help them after. They deserve what they got."
He is glaring at me. "Did it feel good? Did you enjoy it, burning it all to the ground, leaving nothing but ashes behind. To know that they are hurting."
"Yes," I hiss. "It felt good to give them just a bit of the pain they gave me."
He shakes his head. "Why didn't you tell me about Draco's task," his voice softer.
"It wasn't mine to tell," I shrug.
"You know I need to tell Albus about this, to warn him. It is still our goal to save you all," he rubs his forehead.
"They won't help us," I tell him, knowing he is still hoping for it. "We are worth more alive and they don't care if we die. I bet they are trying to get the others in the Order, to make a little group of spies. Enough back ups for when one of us dies during the war."
"Hermione, they want to fight for a good future. I know that it is difficult to play on both sides and that you are young, that is why I didn't want you in any meetings anymore, to lower the risk of getting caught. You know you and Draco mean a lot to me, I need to protect you both. When Narcissa came to me and told me about Draco's task, I made an unbreakable vow with her to keep him safe, to help him with his task," I can see his emotions, he isn't hiding it from me, but something stands out.
"Wait," I interrupt him. "You didn't want me in Order meetings? I thought the others didn't trust me anymore."
"We had a vote and I voted against you," he is not done. "It was quite divided but I held the deciding vote."
"And you voted against me," I can't believe him.
"To keep you safe, going to meetings puts you in more danger. The Dark Lord was watching you constantly, he was obsessed with that map you made, he is obsessed with you and I need to protect you from him."
I want to scream. "Protect me from him? I am fucking engaged to him! Why did you never tell me he was watching that map so often? I could have protected myself more, do you know all the things he can see on that map?" I shriek.
"Do you think he didn't tell me how often you and Draco sneak off? He would torture Doloris if she didn't break the two of you apart. He wants you, Hermione and he is very dangerous. Everytime you defend Draco, he will punish you both, harder and worse each time."
"So what do you want me to do?!" I ask exasperated.
"Act normal, be a good student. You are drawing the wrong attention or did you think I won't know if you got detention and why?"
"That had nothing to do with acting out, I needed to get out there. There was something wrong with that potion, it was way too strong," I try to explain.
"I checked that potion, it was a normal strength, maybe even a little weak. It was the bond between you and Draco, it doesn't help that you are both wolves. You get drawn to each other and you need to fight against it."
"You think I am not fighting against it? I try, okay, I'm fucking trying," I growl.
"I know, Hermione, I know," he pulls me towards him, wrapping his arms around me. "And I am sorry for the position you are in. Draco means the world to you, everyone knows that, the Dark Lord knows that. He uses him against you. He gets what he wants and I didn't have a choice when he told me he was going to get married to you. I could only ask if he would wait until you are of age, to marry him. He threatened me, he would torture you and I know he would."
I snort. "Do you think those few weeks made a difference?" I snap. "It doesn't, he wants to touch me all the time soon he will fuck me and I will allow him. He can claim my mind, my body but he will never get my heart. I knew it from the moment you told me I was going to get engaged. I knew you would not find a way to get me out, I knew the Order would not help and that is why I don't care about Dumbledore dying. I could just Avada him in the Great Hall, not caring that everyone would see it. I am the most powerful fucking witch in this school. I'm not fucking scared."
"Don't say those things, you are not a killer."
My magic sparks around my fingers in anger. "I am! I killed that man and watched. We both know it is the first of many," I create distance between us, growing more restless.
"No, I will prevent it," he is stubborn.
"You won't," I shout and the glass around me shatters. "You can act like a Father and you are biologically mine, but you didn't raise me. You skipped that part, gave me to other people to raise, denying me my own identity. I always wondered why I was different and people didn't like me. I was so fucking lonely and a weirdo. I came here, finally surrounded by the same kind of people and once again I was the weirdo, the Mudblood trying to prove herself. That is all your fault, because you couldn't handle the responsibility," I turn around stalking out of his chambers.