After the feast had ended, and everyone had their share of wine, the crowd of death eaters began to thin out a bit.
Draco and some of the other younger, unmarried death eaters had chosen to reside at the headquarters full time. Draco had agreed to go so that he could be closer to Hermione, but his parents thought it was out of loyalty to the Dark Lord.
They were so proud of him when he announced his loyalty to Voldemort and decided not to return to Hogwarts for his 7th year.
He tried to leave when he thought Voldemort had killed Hermione, but the death eaters dragged him back and Voldemort threatened to kill his mother and father if he tried to leave again.
After that, he stayed and fulfilled his role by the Dark Lord's side. He had no idea that Hermione was not only alive, but she had never even left the headquarters. He thought he was hallucinating when he saw her at first.
"Draco, you literally have a second chance now. You told me your biggest regret was not telling her how you feel. Now she's back. Don't be a fool. No one gets a second chance like this." Theo was saying outside the dining hall.
Draco looked around for her, but he couldn't see her. "Did you know what the Dark Lord was doing with her?"
"Of course not, I was just as surprised to see her as you were. I was even more surprised at what she did to Crabbe. That was brutal, and she didn't even flinch. What was that?"
"I don't know, but that was pretty impressive. Not everyone can perform dark magic like that. Saying the words isn't enough, a person has to enjoy causing pain for the magic to work." Draco said still looking into the crowd for her.
"I'd hate to be on her bad side right about now," he said looking around. "How much you want to bet Roland and his guys will be dog meat soon?"
"Fuck Roland, if she doesn't kill him, I will." Draco spat.
"You know Blaise and I got your back. Don't do anything stupid on your own." "Thanks Theo, I know I can count on you guys."
"Where the hell is Hermione?"
Hermione was exhausted. She decided to head back to her room a little early.
Lucinda accompanied her back to her room. She smiled at Hermione nudging her as she walked.
"What?" she said innocently smiling.
"Don't 'what?' me. You know that felt good. No one is going to mess with you ever again."
Hermione smirked, "I won't lie, I enjoyed the looks on their faces when he was turned inside out. On the outside I was composed, but on the inside I was saying yeah that's right, fuck you, I just did that!"
"I envy you, Hermione. I wish I had gotten my 'fuck you' moment." Lucinda covered her mouth, "pardon my language."
Hermione swung around and put her hands on her shoulders. "You are okay with me turning a man inside out, but you draw the line at the word 'fuck'? You really are a trip, you know that?"
Lucinda laughed, "I was raised to speak like a lady. I can't help it."
"Lucinda, say 'fuck you'." Lucinda looked confused, "you want me to say it to you?"
Hermione smiled, "yes, Lucinda, say it."
Lucinda looked at her, "fook you," she whispered.
"Nope, we aren't going anywhere till you say it loud and proud. I promise you, it feels good. Just try it."
Lucinda straightened up, "fuck you."
"Still can't hear you." Hermione said putting her hand to her ear.
"FUCK YOU!" she practically shouted. Hermione smiled, "see, it feels good doesn't it? There's no such thing as bad words, they are simply times when other words just don't cut it."
Lucinda smiled, "I really didn't mean it towards you. You know that right?"
Hermione chuckled, "being my friend means that at some point you probably will. I have a tendency to piss people off."
Hermione got to her room and hugged Lucinda goodnight. She threw off her robes as soon as she was alone. She noticed a few red spots undoubtedly from Crabbe Sr.
She stepped into the shower and let the scolding water wash away the day. She leaned her head against the wall and smiled.
The look on Crabbe's face danced through her mind. She waited a while before stepping out. She had thought she would feel differently about killing a man, but she didn't.
She felt nothing when she killed him, like she was doing something as ordinary as taking out the trash.
She felt nothing when she killed the Witch Hunters. She told herself they would have done the same to her if given the chance. She felt like she had been naïve before.
"You either kill, or get killed," she muttered out loud to herself. She smiled again as she thought of the looks on the death eaters' faces.
"Bet some of you regret messing with me now, huh?" she laughed. She felt fortunate, not many people got to rub their luck into their enemies' faces. She liked that Voldemort had paraded her in front of them, goading their responses.
She had just changed into a nightgown that Lucinda had brought her, pulled her bottle of fire whiskey out of her drawer and settled herself onto her bed.
She took a few long gulps and enjoyed the way it felt as it burned her throat. She took a few more and leaned her head back on the headboard of the bed.
She heard a knock on her door, "come in Lucinda", she said, her eyes still closed and her head still back.
She didn't bother to open them even as she heard the door open, the only person who ever came in was her. Only it wasn't Lucinda. Her eyes flew open at the sound of the male voice that greeted her by surprise. "Granger?"
"Malfoy!" she jumped from the bed and wrapped her arms around him, almost knocking him over.
With her arms still wrapped around him, she pulled her head back enough to see his face. After the Dark Lord had made her aware of his feelings for her, she pictured their reunion for months.
She pictured pulling him to her and telling him that she felt the same way. That all through school she had found herself drawn to the darkness in him, blushed when she thought of his impossibly handsome face, and had even dreamed of him.
She thought of all the times he had mocked her and her friends, but deep down she could see the pain in his eyes. She knew he was deeper than what he showed the world. She had found his mysteriousness intriguing even as a kid in her first year.
But she didn't say any of this. She just looked up at his steel gray eyes and placed her soft hand on his jawline.
He closed his eyes, "Hermione, I thought you were dead. Is this really happening? Are you really here, or have I finally lost my mind? It's okay if I have, I just need to know."
"I'm really here, Malfoy. I am not dead yet. Now I am here with you, and I am so happy to see you again. I missed you."
He had a pained expression on his face, "I missed you so much. You have no idea how much I missed you."
He looked like he wanted to say more, but couldn't. "Malfoy, what is it?" she said in a whisper. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. She had a feeling she knew what he wanted to say.
They stayed like that for a few moments, not wanting to tear their eyes away from each other, and then finally after what felt like an eternity, she leaned up and pushed her lips onto his.
He pulled away, but her eyes pulled him back and he gave into his urge. He leaned in and covered her mouth with his.
It started out soft and gentle and then grew more urgent. He didn't care that he had questions, they would have to wait, he never wanted to stop kissing her.
His need for her overwhelmed him. But then he remembered what she had gone through and wondered if she even wanted to.
He pulled back, allowing him to regain himself, but Hermione was still looking at him with those eyes.
She reached up to kiss him again, but he hesitated. "What is it?" she asked cupping his jaw in her hand trying to get him to look at her again.
"I just...I don't want to do anything that would hurt you." She realized what he was talking about.
"I am not broken, Draco. I am not a prisoner anymore. You, never hurt me. I want this." And with that she leaned up and kissed him.
Her hand reached down and pulled down his zipper, and he felt her hand slide in taking his length in her soft palm. Feeling her hand on him made him feel weak. He tried to fight it.
"I just don't want you to regret it later and hate me," he managed to say as he pulled his lips free.
Hermione looked at Draco, and met his eyes.
"Malfoy, I don't need you to be the nice guy right now. You aren't taking advantage of me. I'm in control of what I want. I took my power back. And now, I want you. Are you going to tell me no?"
This made Draco laugh a little, "well that's a first, Granger, I don't think I've ever been called a nice guy before."
His expression changed, the famous Malfoy sneer she remembered from school etched across his face.
"Then shut up and fuck me" she said biting her lip.
His lips came smashing down on hers in a hurry as he lifted her nightgown over her head. He pushed her down on the bed as he positioned himself on top of her.
She looked up at him and tore open his shirt, but let out a small gasp when she saw long scars covering his chest and abdomen.
"Not exactly pretty, huh," he said as her eyes were glued on them.
She placed her palm on his pale, smooth skin as she felt the scars raised underneath her fingers, she never realized how much muscle he had under that shirt. She knew he was thin, but she had no idea how toned he was.
He bent down and kissed her neck and she let out a moan. His lips felt so good on her skin that her whole body tingled in response.
His hand moved to her center massaging her clit before he pushed two of his fingers inside her. He began pumping them in and out slowly as he kissed her neck, his thumb still working her clit.
She bucked her hips in response. She couldn't take the teasing anymore, "fuck me already", and with that he moved so his hips were aligned with hers, and he pushed himself inside her.
His thrusts were smooth and steady, but then his pace picked up. Hermione gasped as he slid in and out of her, his hard cock filling her.
"Draco" she moaned, her nails digging into his back. Hearing his name on her lips as he filled her nearly made him finish right then, but he held back. He bit his tongue so the pain would keep him from finishing.
He stopped, and she opened her eyes meeting his gaze. He didn't move, they just stayed like that, looking at each other.
He was memorizing every feature of her face, from her jaw line to her lips that were now swollen, her cheekbones, her light brown eyes. He would never tire of looking into her gorgeous brown eyes.
He wanted to look into them as he made love to her. He began to move in and out of her again, but she shut her eyes.
"Look at me," he said coolly, "I want you to look at me while I make you cum." She opened her eyes and stared into his cool grey eyes as he continued to thrust into her.
She felt the sensation down there growing, her whole body shuddered as a wave of pleasure washed over her. She let out a moan as she rode out the high. Draco grunted as his cock throbbed, and he felt himself release. He let his body relax on hers before rolling over onto his back.
"Where were you?" Draco finally said after they had a few minutes to catch their breath.
"I was here... mostly," she said softly.
Draco turned his head towards her, still laying on his back. "When Voldemort came back, he told us it was handled. I assumed the worst.I mourned for you."
"Looks like you are stuck with me a little longer," she said smiling weakly. "Ditto, I am not losing you twice," he said leaning down and kissing her.
"How did you get in here by the way?" she didn't mean it rude, she was just genuinely curious. Only Lucinda, herself, and Voldemort knew the password to get into the room.
"I made Lucinda let me in," he smiled. "Draco, if you get her in trouble, I will never forgive you." "She's not going to tell," Draco responded coolly.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened while I was mourning your death? How the bloody hell did you become the Dark Lord's protege?"
Hermione was silent for a moment, closing her eyes, feeling the exhaustion from the day washing over her.
"Another time. That is a story for another time." Draco kissed her on the lips one last time, and then moved to get dressed. "I better get back," he said. "We have a big day tomorrow."
He gave her one last look before he pushed open the door and stepped back out into the study. She closed her eyes, and soon she dozed off.
It was 2 in the morning when she bolted up, her arm throbbing. She looked down, rubbing it, but nothing seemed to be wrong with it.
She had that dream again, but this time it was more clear. She had held her wand against her arm, and muttered "sectumsempra," and the pain made her arm feel like it was on fire, and she heard her screams echo down a long hall.
Then the scene changed, and she was sitting at a table. She felt a wand at her throat, and a male voice she had never heard before whispered into her ear.
She couldn't see his face, but he was putting his hands on her neck. When she tried to look at him, his face was fuzzy, and he disappeared. She shook her head and laid back down.
She stared up at the ceiling going over the dream again in her head. It had felt so real. She was not in a hurry to fall asleep in case the dream came back.
She grabbed one of her books, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," by Newt Scamander. She flipped through the pages until she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore.