Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I’m telling you, Granger,” Theo blew out a breath. “It was the craziest sex I’ve ever had in my life. I’m still hard three days later.” 

I stifle a giggle as he sits, daydreaming on the bench next to me. 

“Life changing. Three women. I’ll never recover.” 

“Your sexually deviant behavior knows no bounds, Theodore.” 

He winks at me, and I roll my eyes in return. If you had told me three years ago that Theodore Nott would become my best friend, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here I sit, hanging on every last word of every filthy sexual exploration he experiences. 

“I could always give you my guest pass,” he waggles his brows at me. 

“Theo,” I sigh, ignoring the suggestive movement of his brows. 

This was our normal. He told me every exotic, depraved, raunchy thing he did, and then he offered me a front-row seat to it. Nox, the underground sex club, was central to all of Theo’s stories. I’d been politely declining his invitation for over two years. That was a can of worms I wasn’t willing to open. I was married. And I knew Theo wasn’t extending the invitation to Ron. Not that I would know how to broach the subject with him anyway. We didn’t discuss things like that. In fact, the only person I discussed sex with at all was Theo. 

“Tell me the last time Weasley made you come so hard you thought about it for weeks.” 

I couldn’t.

“Tell me about an experience that left you fully sated.” 

I couldn’t. 

“Come to Nox, Hermione. You’ve fucking earned it.”

I couldn’t. 

Theo’s nagging filled my head the rest of the afternoon. It was ridiculous for me to be so consumed with thoughts of wild and crazy sex. That wasn’t real life. I was married. My husband loved and respected me. We were just in a bit of a drought. We’d been married for five years and friends long before that. It was natural for things to find a bit of a lull after so long together. Ron traveled so much for work as an Auror. He was barely home anymore. I don’t know how he always got put on the traveling team, but it was exhausting. 

I stood in the lift while Theo prattled on about some new shop opening next week that sold designer women’s wear. Pansy Parkinson from school had opened it. I had never been a fan, and my knowledge of fashion and trends was nonexistent. 

“You should come to the opening,” Theo elbowed me. “I’m friends with Patsy. I could give you a first look.”

“You’re friends with everyone,” I said pointedly.

The door opened, and three more wizards filled the space. One of which was Draco Malfoy. He was made head Auror at the young age of twenty-five. It’d never been done before. And although his father sat in Azkaban for his crimes, Draco rose in the Ministry ranks. He’d been the topic at the dinner table more times than I could count. Over and over, Ron exasperated over a former Death Eater now being in charge of them. 

I didn’t hate the former Death Eaters as many did. I wasn’t particularly fond of Draco Malfoy for a laundry list of other reasons, but it wasn’t because of his choices during the war. We were kids. And we’d been put in an impossible situation. I couldn’t imagine what kind of pressure Draco was under because of who his father was. And at the end of the day, Draco’s mother had saved Harry’s life. And Draco had saved ours. 

I told Ron and Harry a million times that Draco prevented Bellatrix from killing me outright. I saw the look on his face while I was pinned to the floor of his great hall. And the look he gave me wasn’t one of malice. It was one of sickening regret. Harry and I had both testified on his behalf, something Ron refused to do.

“Hello, mate,” Theo and Draco clapped hands. 

Draco took the space next to me, and I wanted to shrink away. I trusted that he wasn’t evil like his father. I trusted that he didn’t want to have a part in Voldemort’s reign of terror. But that didn’t stop my mind from realizing what a powerful and dark figure he still was. He may have saved my life, but the cool, aloof attitude did nothing to send warm fuzzies through my body. Honestly, Draco intimidated me. Maybe he even frightened me if I was honest with myself. And I got the distinct impression he hated me. 

“Granger,” he said. 

“Malfoy,” I nod back. 

The lift jerked forward, and I was trying so hard to creep toward Theo that I completely lost my balance. Draco reacted in a flash. His hand wrapped around the back of my neck and pulled me toward him. 

The act was so dominant and strong that it nearly knocked me back. No part of his strong grip hurt me. It just stabilized me. He maintained his hold as he shifted me away from Nott and stood directly behind me. His free arm took my left wrist and began leading it toward the hanging loops others could grasp for stability. 

“I can’t reach,” I say before his hand carries ours any further. “I can only reach when I wear heels.” 

“Then you should wear them every day,” he says but allows my arm to drop. 

He maintained his hold on my neck. I was practically humming with discomfort over the touch. No one has ever grabbed me like this. And it made it so much worse that I’d been so irritated with my unruly mop of curls today that I’d just shoved the entire mass of it up on the top of my head with an elastic. And my sleeveless dress and lower neckline made it so not even fabric created a barrier. I was completely bare under his touch. My face heated, yet goosebumps rose along my arms and spine. 

As the lift would stop and go, Draco would casually steer my body out of the path of passing witches and wizards, all while maintaining his conversation with Theodore. The cool indent of his signet ring on his pinky pressed into the pulse point of my neck. I’m sure he could feel my blood thundering beneath his hold. Hell, I’m sure that Draco had enough power and authority to command my blood to stop pounding so loudly if he wanted to. We were not children anymore. And I was not the person I once was. I would never imagine striking him in the face as I had in our third year. 

“So you’ll come round to Pansy’s tomorrow, then?” Theo asked me. “For the big opening?”

“I don’t know,” I say, attempting to find a good enough reason to avoid the place. 

“Weasley’s going out of town for the whole weekend,” Draco says. “He’s just been put on a new brief with Potter down in Albania.” 

My frustration grows with Ron’s increasingly unmanageable schedule. Gone again? He and Harry were constantly gone. I understand that the two of them were the face of the Aurors, but this was ridiculous. What was even more frustrating was how much they enjoyed being gone. The two of them jumped at any opportunity to relive their “glory days,” as they called them.

“Perfect,” Theo claps. “I’ll pick you up around seven, Granger. Wear something sexy.” 

“Theo,” I roll my eyes. 

I try to ignore the way I flush with embarrassment when he uses the word sexy in front of Draco sodding Malfoy. We reach the main floor, but Draco keeps his hand on my neck as he steers me out of the lift and into the crowded lobby. 

“See you tomorrow,” Theo says as he practically skips to the Floo. 

I offer him a half-hearted wave, and I breathe out a shaking sigh as Draco finally releases my neck. 

“Oops, sorry,” I say as someone passing by bumps my shoulder. 

I dodge another person passing by and look up at Draco, who is boring down on me. I nearly flinch away from his intense gaze. 

“You do realize you’re a fucking important enough person that some lowly fuck from archives doesn’t get to shoulder check you as they walk by,” he snaps. 

“Erm, what?” I am completely lost, and he looks furious. 

His jaw ticks in annoyance. 

Someone else bumps into me while they hurry to the lifts. I am right in the way, but I am so terrified of Draco’s attitude shift that I am frozen in my spot. 

“For fuck’s sake, Granger,” he shakes his head. 

He reaches for my neck again and spins me around. He leads me through the crowd, and I watch in amazement as people practically dive out of our way. He doesn’t have to speak or even look at them. His eyes are trained on where he’s going, and everyone around him seems so in tune with his energy that they’ll do anything to escape his path. 

We reach the Floo rows without anyone coming within meters of me. He puts me in front of the Floo and releases my neck. 

“Um,” I flounder, not knowing what to say.

He looks absolutely livid. His nostrils flare, and his eyes spark like steel against steel. I look down. I hate confrontation. I hate tension. The swell of anxiousness that rises in my chest sets that familiar track of panic in motion. 

“I’m sorry,” I whisper and duck into the Floo. 

I breathe in a sigh of relief when I’m in my own familiar home again. I close my eyes and relish the solitude. Ron won’t be home for another hour. He and Harry should have quidditch practice tonight. I put my bag down on the kitchen table. I head up the stairs to our bedroom to change. This dress feels too tight and constricting. I want leggings and an oversized jumper. No bra. Salazar, I need to get this bra off. 

I walk into the bedroom and am completely caught off-guard. Ron is on the bed, completely naked, and the television is blasting a pornographic video of some woman being fucked by two different men while she’s tied down. 

“Hermione!” 

I’m too stunned to move. I’m just standing there, mouth agape, while my husband masturbates to the scene before him. He looks at me. I look at him. The porn is blaring loudly beside me. And we’re frozen like this. 

My brain finally catches up with me, and I turn and slam the door. I fumble back down the stairs and pace the length of the living room.  

I try to come to terms with what I’ve just witnessed. Ron had never… well… at least while I was around. And that’s when it hits me. My department meeting is every Friday from three to five. Today, it got canceled at the last minute. I didn’t think to tell Ron because he had quidditch anyway. Or so I thought. 

The porn doesn’t shock me. I don’t care much about what he watches. But it’s the context of the porn that confuses me. Ron and I don’t have sex like that. It’s never rough, dominating, or restrictive. Our intimacy cycles between two positions: me offering him oral sex or Ron on top in a basic missionary. We didn’t deviate from this. So, the fact that the woman was on her stomach was shocking. Much less bound while two males serviced her. 

The confusing portion was that I had tried before. I have tried to be on top. I’ve tried to be on my hands and knees. I’ve tried loads of different positions and alternatives, but Ron always goes back to the same one. It doesn’t make sense. If he masturbates to it, doesn’t that mean that it entices him? That he would want that? 

“Mione.”

I look up to see Ron pulling on a jumper with his jeans as he descends the stairs. I worry that I should have left. Being here now seems… uncomfortable. I don’t know that I’m ready to have the conversation we’re about to. 

“Hi.” 

That’s all I can manage to produce as far as coherent thoughts go. What else am I supposed to say to him? 

“What happened to your meeting?”

I open my mouth but quickly close it. Wait. What? No apology for the mortifying display I walked in on? No justification? Nothing?

“Why weren’t you at Quidditch?” 

“Don’t turn this on me,” he defends. “You shouldn’t have been here.” 

“I’m sorry,” I say. 

It’s my natural instinct. I hate conflict. I hate watching his temper rise. I want to diffuse this as quickly as possible. I want to pretend it never happened. I want to believe this doesn’t exist.

“I never meant for you to see any of that,” he says quietly. “You should have told me you’d be home early.” 

He does this often, then. This isn’t just some fluke. My heart sinks at the realization. I feel so silly. So pathetic. 

“Is that what you want?” I ask, my voice quiet and vulnerable. “The video. Is that what you like?”

He sighs and runs a hand over his face while he sits down on the couch. 

“Because if it is,” I continue nervously. “I’m willing to try new things and do that with you. I just… I didn’t know.” 

“Hermione, no,” he gasps. “Merlin, that’s mad. I could never do that with you.” 

My head snaps back instinctively.

“Why not?”

A small disbelieving laugh escapes him. 

“Hermione,” he says as if that’s explanation enough. 

I wait for him to expound on his reasoning, but he doesn’t. He’s just smiling and shaking his head. 

“What? I can be sexy. I can do more of those things.” 

Ron full-out laughs at that. He tips his head back and laughs. 

“Nope, not going there,” he laughs and stands up. “I’ve got to help George at the shop.” He kisses my head. “I’ll be back after closing.” 

“Ron,” I say, but he’s already out the door. 

And in a move of pathetic weakness, I let the tears of shame and embarrassment track down my cheeks. 

Chapter Text

My entire wardrobe has exploded over my room, and Theo will be here in fifteen minutes. I sit in the center of my bed, surrounded by every stitch of clothing I own, and I feel like absolute shit. 

Theo’s words haunt my consciousness. 

“Wear something sexy,” he’d told me. 

And the only response that fills my mind is the hollow sounds of my husband’s laughter. I’m not sexy. I’m not anywhere close. I’m Hermione. Bookish. Boring. And definitively un-sexy. 

That’s not even a word. 

But I can’t think of any other way to describe the antithesis of sexy. Insecure? Mousy?

“Merlin’s tits, Granger,” Theo says, leaning against my door frame with a smile.

I jump at his voice, and he laughs. 

“I was hoping I’d sneak in to get a bit of a show,” he jokes. “Not a disaster.” 

I groan and fall back, letting clothes spill all around me. 

“I’m not going,” I say, with my arms falling over my face. 

“Yes, you are.” 

“Theo, it’s a lost cause. Really.”

I can hear him shuffling around amongst the mess. 

“Where is that one top…. Here!”

I peek out at him and see a silk spaghetti strap top dangling from his fingers. 

“With this,” he says, pulling a black pencil skirt forward. “And the heels you wore during that research award you got.”

“My Manolos?” 

“Accio Manolos,” Theo said. 

My favorite pair of heels (a gift from Ginny) came soaring at his face. He caught them and gave me a wicked grin.

“That wasn’t hard at all.” 

I gave him an irritated glare. 

“I can’t wear that top,” I said. “It’s summer, so I don’t have anything to put over it, and I don’t have the right bra.”

“You’re not putting anything over it. Or under it.” 

My look of horror was enough for him to roll his eyes and vanish the rest of my clothes away. 

“It’s a night out on the town, Granger. Not seminary school. Now hurry up; we’ll be late.”

By some miracle, the wizard got me out the door without a second nervous breakdown. Theo was normally quite jovial and passive as a coworker. But there were occasional moments where he dug in and asserted himself and those times were always more impressive to me than the previous. This was one of those glorified happenings. I barely recognized myself in the mirror before we left. My hair was falling in soft curls that had miraculously behaved. The silk emerald green top and the tight black skirt had worked well together. And I was surprised to find that this top without a bra was very modern and chic. 

“Now spill,” he said. 

We had just been seated at a lovely Italian place near Pansy’s, and he’d ordered us wine and food in nearly fluent Italian.  

“Spill what?”

He gave me a pointed look as I distracted myself with the wine before me. 

“What was all that chaos back there about?”

I watched as genuine concern clouded his features: Theo, my closest friend. I sighed as I twirled my wine stem.

Things were so different after the Battle of Hogwarts. I went back to school to finish my degrees and tests, but so much damage had been done. The Ministry gave Harry, Ron, and I jobs quite readily. Though, I don’t think I should have jumped into the workforce. But it was all I could think of doing. I’d lost everything in the war. My parents never regained their memories. I lost my house, my belongings, and so many friends. We all changed after that battle. And rather than sit and process that trauma, I just jumped into the next stage of life. I was good at avoiding things that hurt. 

Dating and marrying Ron completely altered my friend group as well. Harry no longer became a neutral territory. He was now Ron’s. And I became the wife. Ginny was also Ron’s. Her career as a Quidditch player took her everywhere, and since she and Harry didn’t work out, she was noticeably absent from our lives. I thought work would bring me more friendships, and it did. Five years ago, Theo came into my unit of Magical and Medicinal Healing research, and it changed my life. He quickly became my best friend. 

So, I told him everything. I told him about Ron. I told him about the whole sordid event and the laughing after. And I laid my shame bare for Theo to see because he’s never judged me before, and I was praying he didn’t now.

I finally dared to look up at him and saw him looking across the restaurant. He seemed like he was piecing together what he wanted to say in his mind before he presented it, and it put me on edge. 

“May I speak freely?”

Merlin, could I really hear it a second time? 

I nodded. 

“I’d hex the bollocks of your numpty husband if I could.”

My head snapped up, eyes wide. 

“I’m serious, Granger. I have hated that ignorant twat since we were ten, and it’s no fucking better now. Merlin’s fat tits, I can’t believe he said that to you.” 

He laughed in disbelief and ran a hand over his face. 

“I really fucking hate him.”

“Theo,” I sigh.

I didn’t want today to turn into a bashing fest of my husband. He meant well, was kind, and took good care of me. At one point, he was my best friend. But those sentiments were long gone. We were distant. Strained. It wasn’t his fault or mine. We were just… different. We were all such different people than who we were before the war. 

“I want things to be better between us,” I said. “I want him to find me sexy and desirable. I’m just…so lost.”

Theo leaned forward, placing his hand over mine. The coolness of his silver signet ring calmed my racing heartbeat.

“Let me help.” 

I certainly wasn’t going to question how. He knew more about sex than anyone else I knew. But going to dungeons and having threesomes wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I was more or less looking for some semblance of confidence. 

“I’m serious, Granger,” he urged. “I see that look on your face. But trust me! I know sex. This is one area I excel at!”

“Theo, I don’t see how you could possibly help me with sex. This is entirely inappropriate. I am not looking to have an affair.”

Theo threw his head back and laughed.

“Granger, if I thought for one second I could get into that glorious golden cunt of yours, I would! But I know you’re far too honorable for that kind of foolery. So, let me give you the next best thing.”

I blanched at his crass words. I’d always considered us friends. I’d never thought of Theo outside the realm of that. 

“Let’s go to the club tonight.” 

I nearly fell out of my chair. I sputtered my wine and gaped at him. 

“Are you mad?”

“I’m serious!”

“I can’t go…there!”

I couldn’t even bring myself to say the name. Of all the preposterous notions…

“Oh, we’re going.”

“What would-”

“Don’t you dare even finish that sentence,” Theo said. “If your husband can subscribe to Witch Wide Web, then you can watch a little sex too.”

“It’s not the same!”

“It is. And if it gives you inspiration that you can then take home and perform on your husband, then aren’t we fulfilling both needs?”

Shit. Was he right?

My mind whirled with possibilities. Was I actually considering this? This was madness. I couldn’t go to the club Theo frequented. I had heard all about the debauchery he participated in. Could I really go to a place like that? I was married! This was ridiculous.

“What if I could guarantee that no one would touch you?” 

I narrowed my eyes. 

“How?”

He leaned forward, filling my wine glass and lowering his voice. 

“Everyone chooses a bracelet color when they enter. The bracelet corresponds to the level of participation you’ll be experimenting with.”

“I could just…watch?”

“You’re a researcher,” Theo said. “What better way to learn about something than to study it in its most natural environment? The videos he watches are staged and fake. This sex is raw, unpredictable, and authentic.”

Why was he so convincing?

“I’ll let you skip Pansy’s opening if you go to the club with me.” 

His bargain was becoming nearly impossible to deny. 

“It’s completely secret. No one would say anything if they saw you there. It’d break the contract. And no one is willing to do that.” 

“Isn’t it super expensive?”

I hated that money seemed to be the only valid excuse I had not to go outside of nervousness. But things with Ron’s parents had been tight, and we’ve been giving them the majority of Ron’s paycheck for the last few years to help them survive. Money was tight with us each month, and I didn’t want to have to explain where a random sum of it had disappeared. I didn’t want to lie to Ron. 

“No cost for you.”

“What? How is that possible?”

“I’m part owner,” he grinned. 

I rolled my eyes. 

“Of course,” I laughed. “Now that explains everything.”

He shrugged and winked. 

“I’m a genius. What can I say?”

I drained the last of my wine, and Theo’s smile grew. 

“Is this a yes?”

Was it? I closed my eyes. It was just sex. And I desperately needed to learn. If Ron could watch sex with no qualms, so could I. Right? Of course. I was a grown adult. These were consenting adults. And I was a scholar. This was research. 

Purely scientific. 

Academic purposes only. 

Theo raised his glass and clinked it with my empty one. 

“To sex.” 

He drained his wineglass and reached out his hand. 

“Now, let’s go see something good.”

Chapter Text

I’m unsure which was thundering louder, my pulse or the club's bass. 

Theo guided me through the doors of a nondescript shop and into a softly-lit lobby. The space was devoid of any signs of a club, save for the pulsating bass that reverberated from the music beyond the small entry room. A hulking bodyguard loomed by the door, his presence a stark contrast to the petite witch who occupied a massive desk. 

“Hello, Mr. Nott, Ms. Granger.”

I tensed at the mention of my name. How did she know me?

“Hello, Delilah,” Theo said. "Just white tonight.”

“Of course,” she said and raised her wand. 

I tensed immediately. I still struggled any time someone held a wand up in front of me. I could feel the tense flush of anxiety rise up my chest and neck. She wasn’t going to harm me. I was safe. I tried to rationalize. 

“Just a necktie and bracelet,” Theo reassured me. 

Two thin scraps of silk fabric appeared around his wrist and neck. He held them out for me to touch, but I couldn’t seem to move my arms from my sides. 

A cool sensation brushed over my arm and neck. I looked down to see the delicate silk wrap around my own wrist. 

“Enjoy your evening,” the witch said. 

I didn’t miss the way her eyes trailed up and down Theo’s figure, and I forced down a smile. He was handsome. There was no denying that. He had a lean, muscular figure. His jet-black hair stood out among his ivory skin, and he had the most piercing light blue eyes. His defined cheek and jawbones look like they’d been chiseled by a sculptor. And his dimples were disarming and completely charming like his personality. I could see how anyone would fall easily for him. 

He gripped my hand and led me through the doorway into the dimly lit club. Different sections of colored light mapped out the space. Soft blues illuminated the main area. There were several bars, a dancefloor, and raised platforms where naked men and women danced together. The workers were easily identifiable in white uniforms. The men wore low white trousers and a white bow tie with no shirt. The women all wore small, form-fitting white dresses with white bowties as well. 

The club had several floors above the main level. There was no ceiling to the dancefloor. It just went as high as the eye could see. But circled around it were layers of balconies where different colors could be seen illuminating sections. I was in awe. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. There were lounges and sofas, tables and chairs, and booths as well scattered among the main level.

Suddenly, even in my more risqué outfit, I felt overdressed. Most women were wearing what looked like negligées.

“Don’t you dare start doubting yourself,” Theo said over the music. “You look brilliant.”

I gave him a look. I didn’t feel brilliant at all. 

He took out his wand and pointed it at my skirt. He made it tighter, leather, and placed a huge slit along the left thigh. 

“I love a woman in leather,” he winked. 

I swatted his arm. 

“Let’s get a drink, yeah?”

I nodded. I would need something to ease my nerves, and the wine at dinner had already worn off. 

“Dirty martini,” I said. 

Theo ordered at the bar, and I took in the sights around me. There were several people out on the dancefloor. Some danced, some were grinding. The different colors of neck and wrist silks stood out. Pinks, yellows, whites, blacks, reds. I wondered what they all meant. I couldn’t find a pattern among them. Theo had said that we were white tonight, but what did that mean?

I moved to one of the tall tables to the left of the bar. It had a small candle in the center that brought a soft yellow light to the area, but the majority of this section of the club was still under the deep blues and purples. I recognized several witches and wizards from the Ministry here. None of them even batted an eyelash at my presence, though. So I tried not to linger on theirs either.

A couple to my left was kissing passionately, and I watched his hand cup her breast. He kneaded it above the silk fabric of her dress and slipped his hand below the fabric, teasing and pulling at her nipple while she moaned against him. They weren’t the only couple that was publicly groping each other, though. One woman was on her knees before a man who lounged against a booth. He spoke with a few other men while she gave him a blowjob. Her bracelet was pink. His was black. 

“See anything you like?”

I jumped at the voice and nearly fell over. 

“I thought zat was you,” he smiled. “My Hermy-own.”

A nearly hysterical laugh bubbled in my throat. Viktor Krum was lounging against my table with all of the charisma and swagger that he had as a boy. I smiled and moved to give him a hug, but he held his hands up. 

“I vish I could,” he smiled sadly. “But you are untouchable. And I follow ze rules very careful.”

He motioned to my white silk, and I understood. No one could touch me. Just like Theo promised. 

“Of course,” I fumbled. “Sorry. How are you? Are you in town for a match?”

“Tomorrow,” he grinned. “You should come vatch. My good luck charm.”

“Watch what?” 

Theo appeared and slid a martini glass in front of me. 

“Theo,” I smiled. “This is Viktor Krum. Viktor, this is my colleague and friend, Theodore Nott.” 

“Mr. Nott,” he nodded. “Pleasure to see you again.”

“You as well, Krum.”

“Viktor is in town for a match, and he’s invited me tomorrow.”

“I vould be happy to get a box for you both,” he said. 

“Sounds fun,” Theo agreed. “Let’s.”

Someone beside us called Theo’s name, and he excused himself. 

“I can greet you better tomorrow,” Viktor said, eyeing the silk along my neck. 

The promise made my entire body tense. 

“Your husband will join?”

He did remember, then. 

“No,” I say. “He’s out of town for work.”

Viktor had gotten as close as possible without actually touching me. I could feel the heat radiating off his arm that was draped right next to mine. He’d gotten even more muscular since the last time I saw him. He was broad, handsome, and had let his hair grow longer. It now hung against his shoulders, though half of it was pulled back out of his face in a bun. He looked perfectly rugged and masculine. As he always did. 

“You come here ven he is gone?”

I felt so horribly deceptive. Here he was, thinking that I used my husband’s absences to sow my wild oats around London when that couldn’t be further from the case. I was here trying to learn how to pleasure my husband more. 

“No,” I shook my head. “I’ve never been before. I came with my friend to watch and see.”

I gestured lamely to my ribbon. 

“Vatch and see,” Viktor nodded slowly, heat building behind his eyes. “You vill vatch me?”

“Tonight?”

I hadn’t meant for my voice to sound that surprised. But he nodded and looked at his watch. 

“Soon,” he said. “At ze green level.” 

Watching Viktor Krum fuck someone was not at all what I had anticipated doing tonight. But before I knew it, I was nodding my head. 

“Of course.”

Viktor stepped closer, still not touching me. My body hummed with a nervous energy. He leaned down, stopping just before the shell of my ear. 

“I vill be thinking of you in pink,” he whispered. “I ‘ave much to show you. Ve are both grown now. I ‘ave learned much.”

I’m rendered entirely speechless by his words. He pulled away and dragged his eyes over the entire length of my body. I’d never felt so naked before in my life. His tongue swept along his lower lip, and I nearly trembled under the intensity of his gaze. His eyes trailed back up the length of me.

“See you later, Hermy-own.”

“Hermione,” I corrected, just like old times. 

He winked and left the table. 

“You know, Granger. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Viktor Krum wanted to fuck you senseless.” 

I turned to see Theo watching Viktor walk away with a huge smile on his face filled with satisfaction. 

“And if I were a betting man, I’d say you’d rather enjoy it.”

I scoffed and nudged him. 

“How in the bloody hell do you know him?”

“We met fourth year,” I said. “We kept in contact until the war.” 

“That’s right! You went to the Yule Ball with him!”

A blush crawled up my cheeks. I tipped back the martini and finished it in two gulps. The liquid burned but in a necessary way. 

Theo laughed and tipped back his own drink. 

“Come on, Granger. We’ve got a match to watch.” 

He led me through a throng of pulsing bodies toward a lift. The buttons weren’t numbers but colors. Theo pushed the green button, and I watched through the clear glass of the lift as it rose to the green floor. 

“What do the colors mean?” I asked, exiting the lift. 

“Green is role-playing,” he said. “Those who wear that color are interested in different imagined scenarios. The magic allows them to completely transform the stage they perform on as well.”

“White means?”

“No touching. Just observers.”

“But you held my hand.” 

“I’m part owner,” he said. “I can bend the rules. Plus, we came together, and we’re both in white. But someone with a different color could never approach you and touch you.”

“Even if I initiated it?”

“Yes. Even then. They risk forfeiting their membership.”

This level reminded me of a museum. The rotunda was filled with several alcoves, with stages in the center. The stages had seats in front of them where others could sit and watch the performances. 

“The green level is where you’ll see a lot of white observers,” he said, motioning to several seated before one stage. 

There were two women in that alcove’s stage. They were dressed as ballerinas, and their exotic dance was becoming more erotic by the minute. They both had slender, green bracelets that matched their chokers. 

“This is a good level for you to start at,” Theo said, taking a seat before an empty alcove. “It’s usually pretty tame. Most of the greens don’t get too immersed in BDSM. These tend to be harmless kinks and fantasies. Some of the darker materials are in the red and black levels.”

“What do those mean?”

“Red indicates who the dominants are,” he says as other people start to gather. “Black is limitless.”

“Limitless?”

Theo quirked a brow at me. 

“No sexual limitations. They will do anything they want for those willing to partner with them. Those who wear black are open to any kind of sexual exploration.” 

My eyes widened. 

“Do you…”

“Yes.” 

I swallowed and turned toward the stage. I couldn’t imagine being brave enough to trust someone to do virtually anything to me. 

“You get to accept or reject any partner that approaches you,” he said. “But once you agree to your partner or partners, it’s open season. Our safeword is black for stop, white for go. And we go.” 

I was flabbergasted over the concept of trusting someone so completely that you would agree to a limitless relationship. I couldn’t even do that with Ron. 

Many of the people who began to crowd around us were also wearing white ribbons or pink. Theo had sat us right in the front center, and he pulled his chair close to mine. A waitress brought us another round of drinks, though I don’t remember him ordering them. But I willingly took it, grateful for something to occupy my hands. 

The lights on the stage went black. Viktor stepped out, and many of those around me gasped and murmured to one another. I was used to Viktor creating a following anywhere he went. It was one of the more impossible situations for us to navigate during his time with me at Hogwarts. A slender witch joined him on stage. Her hair was pulled up in a tight bun, and both of them were dressed in school robes. I noticed she had pink ribbons around her neck and wrist.

“What does pink mean?” I whispered to Theo. 

“She’s a submissive.” 

Theo must have heard my audible swallow because he furrowed his brow at me. 

“What? Do you know her?”

“No,” I said. “But Viktor told me he would imagine me in pink.”

Theo laughed, but I was lost in the scene before me. Viktor raised his wand, and the entire stage was transformed into the Divination Tower at Hogwarts. Plush pillows surrounded the floor, and colorful tapestries hung along the walls. If I wasn’t at the club, I would have a hard time knowing that this wasn’t the real Hogwarts. Viktor turned after he transformed the stage, and his gaze nearly severed me in half. It was the most powerful and heated gaze I’d ever experienced. 

My pulse hammered, but he didn’t move his eyes from me. 

Several of the people around me shifted and craned their necks to see who Viktor was staring down so intently. He gave me a wicked flash of his canines before turning back to the scene. I was going to hyperventilate. I knew exactly what this was. When this was. 

“Can’t help feeling I’m missing something, Granger.” 

Theo’s whisper broke through my hysteria. 

I watched, mesmerized, as Viktor approached his partner. I was holding my breath as I waited for their first touch. 

He sent one look back over his shoulder at me before he launched himself at the witch before him. In one swift movement, he had his arms around her, and he was lifting her against him. One of his strong arms wrapped around her neck while the other gripped her ass under her skirt. Their kissing was wild and passionate. They were starved for one another. Her blouse was ripped off in seconds. Viktor pressed her up against the wall and used his hands to tug at her bra, releasing her ample chest. He bit, sucked, and teased her nipples while she cried out, digging her hands into his long hair. 

Despite being heavily engrossed in what was happening in front of him, Viktor made eye contact every few minutes. Each time he met my eyes, he would grin before turning back to his scene partner. 

“You fucked Krum,” Theo whispered.

That wasn’t a question.

I couldn’t drag my eyes away. His shirt was now off, and his huge muscular form was flexing in the most alluring way. 

“Granger,” Theo growled as Viktor looked at me again. 

“He was my first.”

“Let me guess,” Theo said. “In the Divination Tower?”

I nodded, unable to speak as Viktor was now lowering the witch to the floor.

“Merlin’s tits, Granger.”

Viktor had the witch completely naked now, and he placed her on her hands and knees. His face was completely buried in her pussy as he licked and teased her. Her arms were shaking from the pleasure, and she could barely hold herself upright.

An orgasm crashed through the small witch with such force that it knocked her onto her stomach. She panted and cried out as Viktor relentlessly kept up his ministrations. I’d never seen anything like it. I’d never had anything like that happen. Ron was no fan of oral unless it was being done to him. He’d fumble with his fingers every once in a while over my clit, but if I wanted an orgasm, I chased it myself. 

Viktor finally stopped his licking frenzy on the poor witch and leaned back. His mouth was shimmering from her, and he turned toward me and licked his lips. 

I let out a small gasp, and Theo chuckled next to me. 

Viktor didn’t break eye contact. He turned toward the audience and slowly began unbuckling his trousers. All moisture left my mouth as I refused to let my eyes lower. 

His smoldering gaze held me like a vice. I wasn’t even sure I was breathing. I pinched my legs together tightly, willing the throbbing between them to cease. 

He snapped the belt out of his loops. The sound was even more erotic than I thought possible.

He let the belt fall, and he traced his large, calloused hands over his pecs and down his abs. He had a light smattering of chest hair that got a little thicker below his navel. He hadn’t been such a man when she’d last seen him. He was still fit and attractive, but this raw masculinity was something new entirely. 

He popped open the buttons on his trousers, and his erect cock emerged as he shoved down the layers of clothing trapping it. An involuntary whimper escaped me. 

He stood before me, gloriously naked, gripping his shaft as he rubbed himself up and down. He tugged his bottom lip between his teeth, and I mirrored the same movement. He nodded at me as if to tell me that this was for me. All mine. 

What in Merlin’s name was I doing here? This was so much worse than what Ron was doing. This wasn’t teaching me anything. This was simply a way to lust over a man that wasn’t my husband. The small witch was mobile again, and she crawled toward Viktor while he stood rooted in his spot before me. 

She sat up on her knees and began sucking his cock. And Viktor didn’t take his eyes off me. 

 I couldn’t break eye contact. I wasn’t trying very hard, but it was magnetic. I watched the euphoria dance over his features as some witch pleasured him. And all he could do was stare into my eyes like it was me doing it. But this was more than just an erotic gesture. This triggered something inside of me. I’d never felt like this before. I was wholly and completely desirable to him. He wanted me on my knees before him. Someone as handsome and powerful as Viktor wanted…me. 

It nearly made me laugh, the absurdity of it. I was completely out of my element. I would never have the confidence to kneel before a man in front of a crowd like this and pleasure him with wild abandon. But this almost made me wish I could. 

Viktor pulled at the witch’s bun, and long curls cascaded down her back. He fisted his hand through her hair and pulled her off him. He pulled her upright, and a table appeared in front of them. He placed her on the table, and in a startlingly quick moment, he sheathed his great cock inside of her. Now, he pounded into her. One hand held down her chest while his other hand circled her clit. He fucked her mercilessly. And his eyes didn’t stray from mine once. 

I imagined how it would feel to be beneath him right now. How his large hands would feel against my soft breasts and stomach. How it would feel to have his massive cock stretching and filling me once again. He was even bigger than I remembered. Not an ideal candidate for your first time, but he’d made it special. There were candles everywhere and soft music playing. He whispered how lovely I was the whole time and went so slow. It was beautiful. 

Now, he was showing me how he’d grown. How he’d learned. The witch below him cried out as another orgasm rocked through her. He gripped both of her hips and buried into her with such force I thought she might break. Sweat beaded on his brow, and he continued to watch me. My nipples hardened under my silk top, and I wanted to touch them so badly.

Viktor finally broke eye contact when he shut his eyes and came with a roar. 

“Hermy-own,” he grunted as he filled the witch with rivulets of come. 

My mouth hung open as I watched Viktor Krum climax with my name on his lips.

Chapter Text

“Bloody hell,” Theo said as the stage went dark. “I couldn’t have planned that better myself.”

I glared at him and drank heavily from my martini. 

“Granger…”

“Hush.” 

He pulled me up by my elbow as I tipped back the last of the martini. That was… I blanched. I had no words to describe what I’d just witnessed. 

“How is it possible that Krum just ejaculated to your memory, and you’re married to a spineless git like Weasley?”

I gave him a look at the put-down.

“As if he could hold a bloody candle to that roaring sex god back there,” Theo said as he led me around the rotunda. 

“Viktor and I would have never worked out.”

“Ha!” Theo boomed. “Has anyone told that poor bloke?”

I pulled Theo into a vacant alcove and looked around, worried someone might overhear me. 

“I never told Ron about things with Viktor,” I admitted. “He has no idea that he wasn’t my first.” 

Theo’s eyes widened. And my guilt capsized. 

“Ron is horribly jealous,” I continued. “If he knew…” 

I shook my head. Guilty tears were now prickling in my eyes. 

“It would devastate him. It’s been so long. That was almost ten years ago that I was with Viktor. And it was just the one time. We wrote to one another for a while but with the war…” 

“No one will say anything,” Theo said softly. “No one can. We’re all bound contractually.”

“You tell me things that happen all the time,” I said. 

“Never names.” 

He was right. He’d never given me one indication of who he’d been with. 

“I don’t want you to feel bad about this,” Theo said. “You are a phenomenal witch. And tonight proved just how bloody sexy and desirable you are!”

I couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt, though. Theo reached forward and brushed a curl off my cheek. 

“You did nothing wrong. You didn’t ask Krum to fantasize about you. You didn’t lead him on. You didn’t touch him. You didn’t do anything. You simply sat and watched two adults fuck.” 

I leaned against the wall and let the cool stone calm me down. 

“How did it make you feel?”

I gave him a shy look. And a grin covered his face. 

“I’m rock hard over the sight of it, so I’m sure you’re dripping too.” 

I laughed and covered my face with my hands. He was right, of course.

“I should go,” I said. “I think I’ve seen enough for one night.” 

Theo smiled and nodded. 

“But you’ll come back?”

“Maybe,” I shrugged. 

Everything in me was begging for more. But I needed to get control over my hornier self. 

“I’ll see myself out,” I said. “You go find some witches to frolic with. The one over there with the purple band won’t stop looking at you.” 

“Purple is for multiple partners,” he winked, and his own silk bands suddenly transformed from white to purple. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow at the match,” he called as I entered the lift. 

I rolled my eyes. Of course now I deeply regretted agreeing to a quidditch match. How stupid of me. How could I possibly face him after witnessing that?

The lift doors closed, and I took inventory of my options. White was the main level where I would take my leave. But my finger hesitated. 

I suppose I could take a peek. 

Just a quick one. 

And my thumb jammed the button. 

What had I done? The lift slowly lowered below the main level, and my heart rate increased. What a foolish thing to do. I hurried to press the white button, but nothing changed. The doors simply chimed when I arrived at the lower level. 

I held my breath as I contemplated my next move. I could stay here, let the doors shut, and make my way back upstairs and home. Or I could step out. 

My heels clicked against the stone floor as I exited the lift. Excitement and terror swirled around me. 

The music was different down here. It still had deep and heady bass notes, but it wasn’t as loud. It was more seductive. Suspenseful. The lights were low. The shape of this level reminded me of a dungeon. Except the stone walls were a soft gray marble. Several candles floated against the wall, casting a warm glow over the space. The hallway led to the left, and I followed the bend. As I rounded the corner, I found the first alcove of the black level. 

Several people had already filled in the seats. I remained in the back, auspiciously tucked away next to the rounded edge of the wall. I leaned against it and looked at the stage. The male in the center of the stage completely captivated me. He was terrifying. A grayish skull had been fashioned over his head, blocking out his hair and face completely. His eyes seemed to glow under the mask, with his light irises. His torso, arms, and neck were completely covered in tattoos. Two great, feuding dragons covered his back. Several words in Latin were traced down the center line of his spine, but I couldn’t read them from where I was standing. 

He turned and faced the front again, making me flinch at the terrifying mask. He wasn’t built like Viktor. He was strong in a different way. This man was clearly muscular. His toned body didn’t boast of overworked muscle groups for the shock and attention that Viktor’s did. This man was strong because he had to be. He was a natural fighter. You could tell by his powerful stance. Black jeans hung low on his hips, and the tattoos disappeared below his waistline, too. Just below his neck, right above his collarbone, were thin markings in a vibrant reddish hue. They stood out as looking so different than his other tattoos. 

He moved his body, facing the woman bound before him. From where I was standing, I couldn’t see very well anymore. So, I let my curiosity rule me and walked to the other side of the room to lean against that wall. 

The frightening male held up a black belt from his jeans. The woman that was bound before him was kneeling on some kind of lounge chair with no sides or backing. Her ass was displayed in the air, and her wrists were connected by a rope to her ankles, rendering her completely immobile. 

The skull cracked the belt, making me gasp. He must have heard me because his eyes snapped up and met mine with a look that I could only describe as pure hatred. He cocked his head to the side as if he was amused by my presence. I looked down at my hands, feeling the panicked weight of his glare. 

He snapped the belt again, this time even louder, and my eyes shot up to his. He was watching me. Once I made eye contact, he nodded slightly. I watched him rear back and bring the belt down hard onto the woman’s exposed ass. I jolted slightly at the connection. 

Fuck. 

Again, he struck. 

She moaned. 

I watched him take his free hand and slip it between the folds of her legs. She bucked against his hand. His long fingers seemed to be the only part of him that wasn’t covered in tattoos. Both sleeves ended at his wrists and left his hands completely clear. 

The couple closest to me were now having sex while they watched the display before them. The woman was sitting on his lap, facing the stage, while she rode his cock. She was barely covered with anything other than thin scraps of leather over her nipples that resembled a harness. 

The crack of the belt drew my eyes back to the stage of the terrifying male with a skull. He brought the leather down over her ass two more times, causing her to moan and plead beneath him for more. He snapped two of his long fingers at something offstage. 

Another male entered. He was dressed the same way. His dark black jeans hung low on his hips, but he was not tattooed. He was wearing a skull mask, though. He reached forward and grabbed the female’s head. He tugged open the buttons of his jeans, and his thick cock emerged. He thrust the female’s mouth over his cock and leaned his head back with a contented groan. He was wearing purple ribbons. The female was in black, and the other skulled man was in black. 

The two men handled the woman with a strange gentleness. There were rough and forceful moves, but none of it felt violent or endangering. She was consumed with passion. A third skull-covered male entered the stage next. He had the most beautiful ebony skin. He had tattoos all over his body as well. Even his thighs. He strode onto the stage completely naked. His cock tipped as it throbbed with hardness, and he wore two purple silks as well. The first masked man pulled away from the female and let the newest man take over. He barely gave her a second to miss the first man before he was thrusting his painfully hard cock into her. 

This all reminded me of Ron’s video. Two men fucked and filled the bound woman as she writhed in pain and pleasure from their roughness. She wiggled her ass against the large man behind her and sucked the cock of the man in front of her with frenzied enthusiasm. 

But my eyes were drawn to the male that pulled away. The male who’d held the belt was now lounging on a chair almost above them, like a throne. His arms rested on both sides of it, and the belt was draped over his lap. I could see the bulge of his erection, but he made no move to touch himself. He merely looked at me. The same penetrating glare he gave me earlier was still there. 

I lowered my eyes from him, feeling the discomfort of his scrutiny. That’s when my eyes landed on his neck. The reddish-black words from earlier were now clear from my new spot. The light hit them, and I felt myself nearly grow sick over the letters. 

Tattooed just above his clavicle was the word Mudblood . 

Memories assaulted my consciousness. Bile rose. I needed to get out of here. 

I pushed off against the wall, fighting back suffocating dread and fear. I could feel her leering over me. I could feel the sharp steel against my skin. The burn of the poison. My body was wracked with torture. 

Even the small scrap of silk around my neck felt suffocating and constricting. I needed to get out of here. I didn’t dare look down at the scarred skin on my forearm. I could never remove it, never hide it. It was stuck with me. Just like the fear. Just like the memories. 

Sweat beaded at the base of my neck while I frantically pressed the white level of the lift. It moved at a glacial pace. 

Fresh air. I needed air. 

The music seemed almost deafening on this level as I exited. More bodies had filled the space, and the scent of lust permeated everywhere. 

“Hermy-own,” Viktor called from somewhere to my left, but I ignored him. 

I pushed through the entrance hallway and ran through the lobby out into the street. I ripped the silk scraps from my neck and gasped at the cold, sharp rain that fell on my bare skin. I gasped against it, letting the sting of it ground me. I apparated to my home, forcing myself to forget the last few hours. 

Chapter Text

            I decided against the quidditch match on Sunday. It had felt too personal, especially after my interaction with Viktor Saturday night. I sent him an owl and Theo as well, and both understood. Though Viktor replied that he hoped he would see me next time he was in town.

            Ron sent word that he wouldn’t be home Sunday night. Apparently, their mission had taken longer than anticipated, and some trouble arose. I was fine with that, too. I wasn’t quite ready to face him just yet. My guilt was still waging war on my consciousness. I hadn’t touched anyone last night, but it’d been some of the most intimate experiences I’d ever had. It was all so strange. My mind hadn’t had time to conceptualize my experience.

I dressed for work Monday with a strange surrealism. I would walk into the office today and see the faces of several witches and wizards who involved themselves in copious amounts of public sex over the weekend. And they saw me there. Would they look at me differently? Would they judge me?

I came through the Floo into the main lobby of the Ministry and found that things were exactly as they’d always been. I was pushed and shoved forward by the hurried crowd toward the line of lifts. I chose my normal left-sided one and waited for the doors to open. I wore heels today with a pair of gray trousers and a soft white silk top. I’d opted against a jacket since it was unusually warm lately. I clutched my bag closer and lifted my arm to grab the handle above me.

The first floor came and went, and the doors opened on the second level. A bright head of platinum hair came into view.

“You got back Saturday night,” Malfoy’s voice snapped above the crowd.

He wore his usual shirt, tie, and slacks. He was turned, talking to someone shorter. He held the door with his hand, preventing it from closing on him.  

“I expected the report by Sunday morning at least,” he snapped at the wizard still in the hallway. “I told you it was a priority. I said explicitly to send them as soon as you were settled.”

“And I would have,” the familiar voice said. “Except that Ron ended up calling out and left me to deal with the shitstorm alone.”

“If I don’t have the reports within the hour, it’s both of your bollocks on the line, Potter.”

And with that, Malfoy stepped into the lift and let the doors close on Harry’s retreating form. I was trembling now. Harry and Ron were supposed to be in Albania. Harry was here. Ron’s note even said that they were together, and it was taking longer than usual. But Harry was here…

“Next time your daft husband calls in sick, he’d better be on his bloody deathbed.”

Malfoy glowered down at me.

I didn’t speak. I didn’t know what to say. A dozen more people tried to cram into the lift at the next stop, but none left. Malfoy took up the space behind me, and his large hand engulfed mine on the leather handle above us.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “This isn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have said that.”

I glanced over my shoulder, shocked that he was apologizing to me.

“I see you’re taller today.”

“Advice from a colleague,” I managed to say.

Having Draco Malfoy this close was a strange sensation. I felt nearly cocooned in his powerful aura. He had such a commanding presence that I found it easy to disappear in his shadow. He was at least a head taller than me, even in these heels. And although he wasn’t built like Viktor, he was an intimidating presence.

My floor finally came, and I had to bob between everyone else on the lift to make it out. I saw Theo was already in the office with a shit-eating grin on his face as he took in my wardrobe.

“White, how apt.”

I glared at him, but he held up a steaming cup of coffee as a surrender. I forgave him.

The rest of the day was nearly useless. I couldn’t focus at all. Theo had to correct me three times in our meeting with investors because I was stumbling over my words so much. Where had Ron been? Had I misheard Draco’s conversation?

Rather than head right home after work, I headed upstairs to the Auror’s floor. I needed to see if Harry was still there.

I found his office easily. He and Ron shared an office just off the lifts. I knocked at the door and waited for an answer.

“Come in,” Harry’s familiar voice called.

Harry jolted upright when he saw me walk in.

“Hermione!”

“Hi, Harry,” I smiled. “Okay?”

“Sure, yeah, just bogged down with work. Malfoy’s a bloody tyrant.”

I offered a small smile.

“Ron should be home tonight,” Harry fumbled. “Albania was a nightmare. He ended up staying a few days longer.”

“He told me,” I said, trying to mask the devastation I felt. “I just wanted to check on you. Ron said it was tough.”

“Wicked rough,” he agreed. “But Ron’s fine. You know, he is always careful.”

I nodded, not sure what else I could say. He lied to me. Harry was lying to me. And I didn’t know what else to do. I thought I would come up here, and Harry would reassure me.

“I’d better get home, then,” I said, forcing out a smile. “Glad you’re home.”

I leave before he can question me about anything. I can’t have this confrontation. I couldn’t stomach an argument over something like this. Not at work. Not about Ron.

I practically run to the lift and click the button a furious amount of times.

“Granger?”

I spin, seeing Draco offer a puzzled look.

“All right?”

I open my mouth but quickly shut it. I can feel the impending tears well up. If I speak, I’ll cry. And the last thing I want to do is cry in front of Draco Malfoy. The lift dings, and I dart inside without a word. I’m almost relieved to find it empty but am suddenly horrified to find Draco entering behind me.

“Granger.”

“Please,” I say, pinching my eyes closed. “Please, don’t ask me again.”

I keep my eyes pinched shut as my trembling hands hold my bag against my chest. I need to breathe. I need to focus on getting air inside my body. I’m not in danger. I’m not in a fight. I’m just sad and confused. I had an overwhelming weekend, and my husband is lying to me. It’s just all too much. But I am safe. I am not in danger.

“Will you at least tell me if you’re in trouble?”

I swallowed down my rising emotions, and my eyes fluttered open. Draco was standing in front of me, looking absolutely menacing and terrifying.

“I’m safe,” I whispered more to myself than him.

“Yes,” he nodded.

The lift started, and I hadn’t grabbed a handle. My arms were clutching my bag against me, so my balance was completely off. I teetered in my heels, and Draco’s hands wrapped around me, catching me before I could fall on my face.

“Thank you,” I mumbled, pinned against his chest.

I stepped back slightly and rested my hand on the bar to my left.

I stared at my heels and willed myself to pull it together. I could not cry in this lift. I would not feel like shit. I would not react like this. I would face whatever it was with Ron. I would fix things.

Strong fingers gripped my chin and forced it up. I was met with Draco’s penetrating gaze. His steel eyes were even more intimidating this close.

“You are Hermione Granger,” he said sternly. “The most brilliant bloody witch in this entire fucking Ministry. No one gets to make you look like this. You’re too strong. You understand me? You’re too fucking good for that.”

I wanted so desperately to feel strong. I wanted confidence like he had. I wanted to be a force of nature like he was. But I just wasn’t. I kept my mouth shut. Like I always did now. And I looked back down as the lift dinged and more people entered. Draco shifted beside me and kept one arm draped on the bar behind my back, ready to grab me again if needed.

Neither of us tried to speak again. And as soon as I reached the lobby, I nearly sprinted to the Floo.

Ron didn’t come home that night.

After three in the morning, I finally heard him stumble into our room. He pressed a kiss to my head and rolled over. Snoring soundly within minutes.

I didn’t go back to sleep.

My mind remained alert.

Around five, I finally got up and made myself some coffee. I sat at the kitchen table while I spun the coffee cup in my hands. What was next for me?

I noticed Ron’s bag, left by the door.

I stared at it for more than thirty minutes, contemplating going through it or not.

If I went through it and found something, it would devastate me. But I also know that I wouldn’t confront him. I wouldn’t know what to say.

I glared at the bag.

How did I get here?

How did I fall so far from what I wanted?

I think of the war. I think of Horcruxes and Voldemort. I think of my parents. I think of the plans I had for my life. And I think of where I am now. They’re so different. I had fully planned on being a researcher. I wanted to discover the unknown, driven by my curiosity and wonder.

But what I didn’t plan was this crippling fear. My anxiety dictated every part of my life. I didn’t speak up in meetings. I didn’t challenge authority.

I hid.

I became ignored, invisible, and forgettable. The problem was that I had become these things to my husband as well.

I floated the bag toward the kitchen table.

Did it matter where he was?

I stared at the bag.

Did it matter where he was these last few days? Would it change my mind? Would it hurt less?

No.

No, it wouldn’t.

I pushed the bag away.

I was a coward. I knew it. He knew it. We all knew it. But there was no changing things now.

Chapter Text

My cowardice only continued over the next two weeks. Ron was completely normal. It was confounding. The secret of me knowing he wasn’t in Albania was torturing me. It gnawed at my belly like a shark in bloody waters.

And he was jovial.

Nothing darkened his mood.

He didn’t touch me, either.

Our lives continued as two platonic entities living in the same home. He would go to work, come home, eat dinner with me, and fall asleep watching the television downstairs.

Then, we would repeat.

I rationalized with myself all week. He’d only lied this one time. He didn’t do this often. Perhaps it was a fluke. Maybe he was planning something for the two of us? Maybe he was going to surprise me. I’d give him the benefit of the doubt. I wasn’t ready to leave him. I would try to overlook this one confounding incident.

I managed to convince myself that if there was another indiscretion, another major lie, I would leave then. If he was showing a repeated pattern of behavior, then I could rationalize leaving, but not after the first one.

“I’m going to the Burrow this weekend,” Ron announced as we got ready Friday morning. “I’m leaving around noon today and won’t be back until late Sunday.”

I stared at him in the mirror.

“I suppose I could meet you there after work, but I can’t miss my Friday meeting today.”

“There won’t be enough rooms,” he said. “I’ve got to stay in Fred’s old bunkbed to make room for Charlie and Bill. We all agreed to come help with harvesting.”

I offered a tight smile.

“I know how much you hate staying there, anyway. It’ll be a quick trip of hard work. Don’t fret.”

He kissed me on the head and climbed into the shower.

I headed downstairs and stared at the black bag by the door.

It haunted me.

A reminder that he would be somewhere else. He wanted to be away from me.

Was this different than last time?

Was he lying?

I left for work without him.

I was jostled by the crowd as we fought our way to the lifts. The energetic buzz of it being Friday permeated the crowd. But I couldn’t feel more detached and miserable.

“Granger,” Theo’s voice broke through my fog about three hours into the workday.

He pointed his wand at our office door and sealed it. He cast a silencing charm around us next.

“I’m sorry,” he said, pushing his chair so he was directly in front of me. “If I would have thought that going to the club would have made you this morose and miserable, I never would have suggested it. You’re breaking my heart, Granger.”

“No, Theo,” I shook my head. “No, this isn’t you. It’s not your fault.”

“You regret it. And it’s my fault.”

Did I, though?

 I thought about my night at the club. I thought about the feelings of seeing someone like Viktor be so sexually attracted to me. I thought about the power that made me feel. Did I regret having those lustful thoughts?

No.

I didn’t.

If I was being totally honest with myself, I’d never had them with Ron. It’d always just been a comfortable agreement. No lust was involved. His was the only family I had after the war. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice that at all. But now? We barely saw his family. Christmas, sure. But it wasn’t the same as it had been when we were all in school. When we were whole.

“I don’t regret going,” I say confidently. “Not at all.”

Surprise forms over Theo’s features.

“Then what’s brought this about? All week, I was so sure…”

“Ron’s been lying to me.”

“What do you mean?”

Theo braced his elbows on his knees and studied me with such care. I closed my eyes. I trusted him. I trusted him more than I did anyone else. But admitting this to someone else… saying it out loud would only make it real. And I didn’t know if I was ready for it to be real.

“He never went on the work call to Albania,” I said. “Draco confirmed it. He told me he went, Harry told me he went. But he didn’t.”

Theo’s eyes widened.

“Where was he?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t know.”

Theo pulled a hand over his face and pushed his black curls out of his eyes.

“I’m genuinely shocked, Granger,” he said. “I didn’t think he had it in him.”

“He’s leaving again this weekend,” I whisper.

“For work?”

I shook my head.

“He said it’s harvesting season. He and his brothers are going to go help-”

I froze, stopping mid-sentence. My mouth hung open. How daft did he think I was?

“Harvest is next month.”

Theo knew the lie immediately. I was nodding slowly as if my brain was struggling to keep up with all this new information. Another lie.  

Theo stood and pulled the Prophet off the desk. He thumbed through it and folded the page for me to see.

“Agriculture updates,” he said.

There, plain as day, the recommendation for harvest was in forty-two days. I shook my head.  

Is that what I wanted? Is that what was going to happen? A divorce? Could I live on my own? Could I afford it? We were stretched so thin as it was.

I’d made a promise to myself. If I let him lie again, I would just continue to let it happen. In fact, I was probably permissive of this behavior for years. I just finally got enough sense to recognize it.

But no more. I wouldn’t be used this way. I deserved respect.

I looked at the Prophet, letting the section heading sink in. My eyes scanned the rest of the page and rested on the date. Today was the last Friday of the month. Payday.

I stood up. The first thing I needed to do was separate my finances. I needed my own vault at Gringots again.

“I’m taking my lunch.”

“Granger?”

“I’ll be back.”

“I can go with you,” he shouted, but I was already out of the office and moving.

I took the Floo to the bank and was relieved to see it was fairly empty for a Friday.

“Next,” the next teller announced.

She was a small Goblin with petite features, and a tight gray bun pulled at the back of her head. Delicate glasses hung on her nose.

“I’d like to set up an account.”

She glanced over her nose at me.

“Mrs. Weasley, you have an account.”

“I’d like my own. Under my name, Hermione Granger.”

“I see.”

She began scribbling something on the parchment before her.

“And I’d like an explanation of spending for the last five years from my old account.”

“Any transfers would need to see both signatures.”

“I’m not taking any money.”

She inclined her head.

Our payments were set to hit our accounts tonight by midnight. If I could establish this account, my entire month’s earnings would go into my new account tonight.

“Here you are,” she handed the slip over. “We need something of value to place in the vault until coins are deposited.”

I had nothing of value on me. I had two galleons, and … I looked down and nearly laughed.

I pulled off the simple gold band. I handed it over. She nodded.

“Have a pleasant day, Ms. Granger.”

Once back at the Ministry, I went right to accounting. I gave them the routing information to my new vault and nearly hugged the wizard when he told me that it would happen with tonight’s deposit.

When I went back to the office, it was empty. Theo left a note that he’d gone on lunch, so I grabbed the Prophet and started scanning the pages for places I could live. I knew about how much I paid for my current home, but I wouldn’t need something as large.

Perhaps I’d get another cat, too? Crooks died a few years ago, and Ron never let me get another. But now I could.

Was I doing this? Was I leaving him?

I looked at the forms the female had given me. I began going over the account I blindly shared with my husband for years. I’d never monitored it. I’d never had a reason to. We agreed that I would handle the upkeep of the home, shopping, and cooking, and he would handle the bills and finance side of things.

Judging by these accounts I had been a complete fool for doing so. We were overdrawn every single month. Ron was spending far more than we had, and George had been feeding us transfers nearly every other month for the last two years. Harry had done it the months George hadn’t. I was appalled. Embarrassed. Flabbergasted.

I flipped through the parchment. Where had all our savings gone? Where was all of our money?

Scry. That’s where all of our money was going each month. A membership that cost nearly Ron’s entire monthly salary.

“I brought you lunch,” Theo said, opening the door. “I figured you weren’t actually getting food-”

He stopped when he saw me.

“What’s wrong?”

“What is Scry?”

Theo’s face paled.

“Theo.”

Theo put the cardboard containers of our lunch down on the desk and walked toward me. He took the parchments from my hand and cursed.

“Oh, Granger,” he whispered.

“What? What is it?”

“It’s an escort service.”

My brain wasn’t comprehending what he meant. Time seemed to slow.

“Hermione, you pay for a witch to be available at your beck and call. And judging by the cost here, he’s paying for two.”

Two.

Two witches?

Two.

I shook my head.

He wouldn’t spend all our money on that.

He wouldn’t be squandering all of our earnings.

The research bonus I got last Christmas… he told me he paid off the remainder of the mortgage…

I searched December to find any record of it.

It was never even deposited.

He lied.

He lied and lied and lied. Over and over. And I just blindly followed him. I just believed him.

“Hermione,” Theo blanched.

My head snapped up to meet his. He never called me Hermione.

“He’s not been paying taxes.”

It all sounded like we were underwater. I couldn’t have heard him correctly…

“You and I make the same salary,” he said, pointing to a line of numbers. “Yours is higher. This is how much we’d make if we didn’t pay taxes.”

“That’s…” I couldn’t even formulate words. “Impossible. That’s impossible. He would have had to change my…”

Theo scrawled a note and sent it out of the office.

“We’re going to fucking bury him, you understand me, Granger? We’re going to absolutely fucking destroy this twat.”

Theo sat down and began scribbling out another letter. I don’t know how long we sat. But my mind was completely void of any thoughts or feelings. I was numb.

A knock sounded at the door.

“Theo?”

I looked up at the unfamiliar voice and saw Astoria Greengrass’s beautiful blonde hair in the doorway.

“Astoria, come in, please.”

I watched the two of them, wondering what was happening.

“Granger, you remember Astoria, yeah?”

I vaguely remember nodding my head.

“She works in HR,” he said. “I think she can help us while keeping things discrete.”

He sits Astoria down at the table next to me.

“Astoria, we’ve recently found out that Granger’s husband may have forged her name on several Ministry documents.”

Astoria’s eyes bulged, and I felt my stomach sink.

“Start at the beginning,” Astoria said, taking out a notebook and quill. “Tell me everything.”

Chapter Text

Whatever preconceived thoughts I had about Astoria Greengrass completely vanished after our afternoon together. The witch was sent by the gods. Her calm and easy demeanor was so reassuring after the nightmare whirlwind that was my Friday.

I went home tonight for the last time. I took my time sorting through the items that belonged to me, then magically packed my things and ordered Chinese takeout. I twirled the noodles around my chopsticks. I’d left nearly everything for Ron. I didn’t want this house. The memories. The furniture. The odds and ends we’d collected over our years together. I only wanted my books, clothes, and the few items I’d managed to sneak out of my parent’s home before I lost them.

I glared at the space by the front door where the bag had sat earlier that morning. The black bag I hated so much. The bag was gone now, but in its place were Ron’s boots. I shook my head. Hard to do much harvesting without your boots, isn’t it, Ronald?

Anger surged within me as I realized the extent of Ron's deception. How many more of his blatant slip-ups had I overlooked? It was clear now that he hadn’t been clever or coy all these years. I had simply been blind to his true nature.

I rested well that night. Theo had promised to meet me at my new place in the morning. He’d warned me it was fully furnished and came with a roommate. But I didn’t care. I figured it was him. The thought of living with Theo didn’t repel me. I could live and work with him. I tended to keep to myself mostly so I wouldn’t have any trouble giving him his space or finding somewhere else to be if he brought women home. To be honest, I was looking forward to living with someone who enjoyed my presence.

I walked down my flight of stairs for the last time and looked around the kitchen. I rolled my eyes when I looked at the floor. I floated his boots to the table. Part of me considered jinxing them. Instead, I packaged the boots and took out some parchment.

I know it will be so challenging to harvest without his boots. I hope Ron is having the best weekend with you all! I look forward to seeing you all again soon. Ron promised that I could come along next time. Love, Hermione

I smiled to myself before slipping the note inside the box. I stood up and tossed the boot box directly into the Floo.

“The Burrow,” I said.

And I walked out of my home for the last time.

***

I walked to my new home. I didn’t want Ron to be able to use a counter-spell and see where the Floo would take me. I wanted this place to remain my safe haven. Astoria had said that she would change the paperwork in my file to read “Address Pending” for now.

I opened the lobby door to the massive London skyrise.

“Ms. Granger, welcome,” the wizard in the lobby greeted me with a wide smile under his bushy brows and mustache. “Mr. Nott is expecting you.”

“Thank you,” I smile.

He gestures to the lift, and I freeze.

“I’m sorry, he didn’t tell me which floor.”

“The penthouse, dear,” he smiled.

Of course. I suppressed my eye roll as I made my way inside. These damn wizarding families and their obscene amounts of money. He still had Nott Manor, too! I’m sure he has a dozen or so holiday homes, too.

The lift pinged open, and I was caught off-guard by how bright and open the place was. Immediately, white marble floors glistened before me. There were floor-to-ceiling windows everywhere my eyes turned. A huge living room with a fireplace and sofa sat to my left. Beyond that, I could see some hallways that probably led to bedrooms. To my right was the most massive kitchen I’d ever seen. Beautiful white marble countertops and floors glistened in the morning light. The cabinets were a light gray with polished silver adornments. The industrial stove looked as though it belonged in a restaurant. The massive hood above it glistened as if it’d been freshly polished. I knew for a fact that Theo didn’t cook. And that was a travesty with a beautiful kitchen like this.

Plush seats lined the counter space. My sandals clicked along the marble floors as I walked toward the kitchen. Bright yellow flowers were in a vase on the counter, and I stopped to smell them before continuing on to the dining room. Their fragrance easily filled the entire flat. Citrus blended with the exotic floral scent. It was lovely and clean.

“Granger!”

Theo beamed from the dining room. He sat with another wizard in a suit and tie.

“Theo,” I hugged him. “This is lovely!”

“Nice, yeah?”

“Beautiful!”

“Granger, this is Harrison Doddsworth,” he said. “He’s the solicitor hired to oversee your divorce and the upcoming legal shit-storm we’re about to embark on. Trust me when I tell you that this wizard is an absolute legend.”

I shook hands with the man.

“Nice to meet you,” I said. “Thank you so much for meeting with me today.”

“Certainly, Ms. Granger.”

Theo gestured to the table, and an abundance of food and beverages appeared. Coffee, tea, pastries, sausages. All of it. It was marvelous.

“Let’s chat while we eat some breakfast,” Theo suggested.

Four hours later, I had a plan in place and had given all the details I could to my newest solicitor. Mr. Doddsworth was an uncomplicated man. He seemed very confident with my position in the case and reassured me countless times that he’d done significant wonders for his regulars, and he’d treat me with the same precision. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was something familiar about him.

Once we finished, Theo showed me to my room. He led me through the beautiful living area and into the back hallways. The wide windows followed the hallway until the bedroom door came into view. He opened the door, and I was nearly speechless. It was the most stunning room. A light blue shade surrounded three of the walls. The fourth wall was more of the floor-to-ceiling windows. I marveled at the view. I could see everything from up here.

“Loo is through here,” he said, opening a spare door. “Closet is through there.”

I walked into the loo and nearly fell over. A giant claw-foot tub, glass shower, double sink, and full walk-in closet filled the space, and I was never going to want to leave. There was one window in the bathroom that brought in more of the beautiful summer sunlight.

Theo leaned against the doorframe and watched me with an easy smile. I couldn’t formulate coherent sentences, or I would tell him that it’s obscene to live in a home this nice and pretend his Ministry job was anything but a silly hobby. Clearly, he had no need for his job because of money.

“Well, Granger,” he said, looking at his watch. “I’d say you have about nine hours to acclimate yourself to the home. Wander, explore, live your best life. But tonight? We’re going out.”

“Out?”

He flashed me a wicked grin.

“Out.”

I swallowed.

“Theo-”

He held up his hands.

“I’ll hear no argument. Unpack your things, take a dip in the tub, whatever you want. But be ready by nine tonight.”

“For?”

“You know,” he winked.

I felt my blood rush at the intoxicating promise of entering Nox again. It wasn’t too far from here. And I wouldn’t lie and say that thoughts of Nox hadn’t been trickling into my mind since I first went a few weeks ago. I did want to go back. Should I feel guilty that I was this excited about my new situation? Ron certainly didn’t have any reservations about his recreational choices. So why should I?

“See you tonight!”

“Wait, where are you going?”

I followed him back into the bedroom.

“I have to run to the Manor and help my mother with a few things. I’ll be back to pick you up tonight.”

He turned to leave.

“Food’s in the fridge,” he called over his shoulder.

It didn’t take me long to unpack my meager belongings. There was an empty bookshelf in the room, and I filled it with the books I’d brought. My wardrobe looked laughable in the grand closet. I hardly had any pieces. But I did display my designer heels on the small shelf for shoes. I liked wearing them; they made me feel confident.

After unpacking, I took the most luxurious soak in that divine tub. There were so many soaps, bubbles, lotions, and creams around it. Candles, incense, it was all like some high-end Parisian resort. I soaked up every second of it. I knew this wouldn’t last forever. But I was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

After that, I pulled on a simple summer dress. It was white, with tiny blue flowers all over it. It made me feel happy like this bright white home did. Theo told me I could explore, so that’s what I did. I found two other bedrooms. One was clearly a guest room, but the other had to be his.

The light gray walls and bedding gave a masculine feel without darkening the entire room. There was a bookshelf in this room, too, and I curiously browsed its contents. I snorted to myself at several Sherlock Holmes books. I had no idea Theo would be familiar with this Muggle book series. I was because of my parents. My father loved Sherlock Holmes. But Theo? I never knew that about him.

I ventured into his bathroom and saw that the same soft and creamy gray continued into there. His bathroom led to an equally large walk-in closet. Back in his bedroom, I noticed a door leading to a nicely sized patio area. There were a few chairs, a small table, and various potted plants around. He had all kinds of species of plants, no doubt all of them contributing to his potion work. I leaned against the balcony and admired the view of the city. I could imagine waking up and drinking an espresso on this balcony. It’d be lovely to watch the sunrise from here each morning.

It all felt so open. So freeing. The entire space reminded me of sunlight. It’d offer the perfect reprieve from the heaviness of my impending divorce.

I left his room and found another door at the end of the hallway. These doors were different than the other wooden ones. The French doors opened up and revealed the most picturesque, small library I’d ever seen. It looked like something that I would craft in my dreams. Bookshelves filled to the brim with text after text. There were plush chairs, tables, and three balconies. The one balcony looked to be enclosed with several plants and flowers stacked around the space.

I spent hours lost in the small library. I pushed over one of the wheeling ladders and climbed to the top, eager to find one of my favorite authors with the rest of the A listings.

“You know you have a wand, right?”

I squeaked in fear as the ladder jerked with me. A steady hand wrapped around my ankle. I gaped as Draco Malfoy stood below me. The sweeping heat of his touch nearly shattered me. I was reminded all over again of his hand on my bare neck a few weeks ago.

“Magic is safer than ladders,” he said, offering me a hand to help me down.

I handed him the book I was holding instead and used both hands to navigate myself down the ladder.

“Where’s the fun in that?” I asked.

He looked over the title of the book before handing it over.

“How did I know I’d find you in here?”

I didn’t answer that. I refused to be bothered on my grand move-in day. I moved around Draco to the loveseat I had been perched on just minutes earlier.

“Theo’s not here,” I said, opening the book.

“I know,” he said, taking a seat across from me. “How are you liking things? Do you find it agreeable?”

Why was he casually asking me this? Why did he care?

“Yes,” I nodded. “It’s the most beautiful home I’ve ever seen. I feel at ease and acclimated already.”

“Thank you,” he said. “I’m glad you find it suitable.”

I hesitated. Why had he thanked me?

I took in his appearance. I’d not seen Draco out of a suit and tie since I started working at the ministry. Every day was the same. But today, he was in a pair of joggers and had a plain white tee pulled over himself. It was short-sleeved, revealing his long and toned arms. He looked as if he’d come from a workout.

“And you like your room?” he asked. “Would you rather have one of the others?”

I nearly laughed.

“I don’t think Theo would enjoy being uprooted from his room just because I like his sunrise balcony.”

“Theo wouldn’t have a say.”

“No? Why’s that?”

“Because this is my home. And that’s my room.”

Chapter Text

I gaped at Draco.

Surely, he didn’t say what I think he did…

This couldn’t be…

Theo wouldn’t…

Draco remained entirely stoic as he sat in the chair across from me.

“Why?”

That was the only functional thought I had.

“I’m not sure I understand your question, Granger.”

I fumbled for a few more seconds.

“Why on earth would you agree to let me live here?” I finally managed.

Draco took his wand out, and a tea cart appeared before us. There were sandwiches, sweets, and a deliciously bitter tea steeping.

“It’s the right thing to do.”

I had to repress the hollow laugh that threatened to escape. Draco Malfoy, notorious pure blood and former Death Eater, was allowing me to live here because it was the right thing to do. No. That didn’t make sense. None of this did.

“Theo should never have put this on you,” I said. “I’m so sorry. If I’d known… I can figure something else out. I can stay…”

“You’ll stay here for as long as you need.”

That was his Head Auror voice. He spoke with such direct authority you had no choice but to yield to it. I shrank back on the sofa, biting my thumbnail while I considered the implications of living here.

“Think through this logically, Granger,” he said, pushing the tea cart toward me. “Weasley is going to be searching the entire city for you. The first place he’ll start is Nott’s flat. And Nott happens to have a studio with one bed. So, unless you fancy being found and sharing Nott’s bed, I’d say this is the best place for you. My Floo is undetectable in the Ministry because of my position. I have around-the-clock guards. And the Penthouse is registered under John Watson. Everyone assumes I live at the Manor because that’s where my address is listed.”

Merlin, he was right. I was virtually invisible here.

“You’re the Head Auror. You’re Ron’s boss.”

His brow quirked at me in the familiar way he used to when we were children.

“I’m not your boss.”

He pushed the tea cart closer.

“Drink,” he said. “Eat something.”

I eyed the cart. Several things caught my eye, and it did smell delicious. I relented and sat up. Of course, this living situation wasn’t ideal. But he was right. It made the most sense to stay hidden here. Even the solicitor, Doddsworth, seemed to agree that Ron would most likely turn a bit manic trying to convince me to stay. Keeping far out of his reach would be the best solution. Ron wouldn’t try anything at work. There were too many people around. And Theo would always be there.

I placed milk in my tea and stirred. Draco watched me with unblinking focus. I wanted to shrink away from his gaze. I spent the majority of my time trying to stay out of his way. And suddenly, I was his roommate. I nearly blushed at how brazen I’d been on my earlier exploration. I walked into his bedroom. I looked at his belongings. I even went into his closet. Embarrassment crept up my cheeks. I would have never left my bedroom had I known this was his place. Well, that’s not entirely true. Had I known this was Draco’s home, I would have probably refused to come at all.

“What’s wrong?”

My eyes flashed up to his.

“Hmm?”

“You don’t like it?”

He gestured to the tea.

“Oh, no, it’s lovely. Thank you.”

He scrutinized me while he took his own tea. I nearly shrank back under the stare. I had no idea how Ron was able to lie to him so easily. I don’t think I could ever.

“Out with it,” he said, taking a sandwich and eating it in one bite.

“Theo said to explore,” I blurted out quickly. “And I did. Only, I wouldn’t have done so had I known this wasn’t his house. But it’s your home. And I went into your room and saw your shelf, your books, and the balcony, and I’m so sorry. I won’t stray from my room again. It was totally inappropriate, and I respect your personal space completely.”

I was rambling. We both knew that. But he held up a hand to me and gave me an amused look.

“My home is open to you in its entirety,” he said. “There’s nowhere you’re not welcome.”

I picked absently at the lace doily under my tea cup. What a maddening experience this all was. He couldn’t honestly say that he didn’t mind me rifling around his drawers. Of course, he would. The Malfoy family was notoriously private.

Though, this penthouse didn’t have a fraction of similarities to Malfoy Manor. And I wonder if he did that intentionally.

I remembered the cool feeling of the dark marble floors against my back.

The weight of Bellatrix leaning over me.

The Crucio curse splintering through my skull.

The poisoned blade carving my skin.

I shot to my feet. The tea sloshing over the rim of the cup. Draco shot up with me, shocked by my sudden movement.

“I think I’ll have a rest.”

I shoved the teacup on the cart and willed my legs to move. I couldn’t cry. Not like this. Not in front of him.

The old scar on my arm burned at the memory. I just need to lie down.

That’s all.

Just rest.

Enough to forget.

***

I woke several hours later to the most intoxicating scent. Rosemary, garlic, and something else. I wandered into the kitchen and found the most startling scene. Draco was dressed in low-hanging denim and a tight blue shirt and was barefoot at the stove. I blinked several times, acclimating myself to the spectacle before me. He was cooking. Draco Malfoy was cooking. Of all the domestic, Muggle-esque things to do. All I could do was stand and watch him. I was completely hypnotized by the sight. He had music playing lightly in the background; it was classical, but I didn’t recognize the composer. His head nodded with the rhythm, and he was chopping something. The nape of his neck was still a bit damp from a shower.

“Make yourself useful and grab the aubergine, would you?”

I jumped.

How had he noticed me?

He looked over his shoulder. I was rendered completely speechless when I saw the thick black frames balanced on his nose. Draco had glasses? I realized we continued to age, but I hadn’t thought that he would have needed them. Surely, he had enough money and influence that he could simply pay to have his eyes medically corrected. He arched a brow at me, and I sprung into action. I walked around the center island and grabbed the aubergines that were sitting there.

“Knives are in there,” he motioned with his elbow toward a drawer.

There was already a cutting board out.

I washed the veg and patted them dry.

“Skin on,” he said. “I need to roast them for a bit. Just halve them.”

I stood beside him as he chopped garlic on his cutting board. I quit staring and turned my attention back to the aubergines. It smelled wonderful in here. Draco reached over and grabbed one of the halved pieces. He dragged his knife in checkered patterns over the fleshy side and showed me.

“This pattern, yeah?”

I nodded, understanding. He salted, peppered, and coated the half in olive oil before leaving it on the skin side of the roasting pan. I mimicked his steps and didn’t miss the way our arms brushed one another while we worked. I kept stealing glances at his profile. The appearance of his glasses was still so bewildering.

Perhaps I was still dreaming? Domestic Draco wasn’t something that fit into the narrative of his life. Shouldn’t there be half a dozen house elves running around here?

My hands were a slick mess from the olive oil, so he reached in front of me and grabbed the tray. He slid it into the oven while I washed my hands.

“Spit it out, Granger.”

I gave him a wide-eyed look in response. What was I supposed to say?

He sighed as he chopped.

“I realize the rumors about me have definitely reached you,” he went on. “But I don’t have any intention of actually prying into your thoughts. I’d like to think you’d communicate with me freely.”

My mouth clamped shut.

Legilimency.

I’d forgotten about it until now. Ron constantly spoke about why that was the only reason he’d gotten to the spot of Head Auror. I hadn’t considered that he could have been using it on me.

“I’ve never read your mind,” he said. “Besides, you are clever enough to notice it if I tried.”

The truth was, I didn’t know if I would have noticed it. Not over the last few years. I was so lost in my own mind that an intrusion would have been just another thing I ignored.

“I don’t know if I would have noticed,” I admitted.

Draco was chopping herbs now, but he looked at me while he worked. I was amazed at the speed and accuracy of his skills with the knife.

“It would feel like a tickle along the back of your mind,” he said. “Like someone whispering into your ear or a nail trailing down your neck.”

I remembered the feeling of his hand over the back of my neck. The cool touch of his signet ring.

“I thought it was painful.”

He shrugged.

“I can make it very painful.”

I ignored the way my hair raised on my arms.

“Could you teach me?”

“Legilimency?”

I shook my head.

“No. Occlumency. Harry had to learn in school,” my voice trailed off, and I swallowed.

“Why don’t you want to learn Legilimency?”

I crossed my arms over my chest, wishing I was in a large sweater and not this thin-strapped dress.

“I don’t want to know what others are thinking.”

“You could have caught your cheating husband much sooner.”

I don’t know why his words stung, but they did.

“Did you look in his mind?” I asked, the question surprising me as much as it did him.

He studied me for several beats before answering. He looked like he was contemplating how much to tell me. But he finally nodded.

“The Tuesday he came back to work,” he said. “I knew he wasn’t sick. I wrote him up for it.”

“So, you know where he was.”

My voice was barely louder than a whisper.

I wondered if I would ever have the courage to ask where he was. Did I want the knowledge? I had a vague inclination, but there was something different about knowing with certainty. And I didn’t think I was strong enough for it.

“I’ll teach you,” Draco said.

I was grateful that he turned the conversation after that. He told me about the herbs he’d picked from the balcony I’d seen in the library. He had a few small ones growing there, but they usually only lasted in the summer months. Even with magic temperature controlling the balcony, they seemed to miss the sun. He said his mother loved to garden, and he hadn’t been lucky enough to get her green thumb, nor did he pay that much attention in our herbology classes. But he liked to have common herbs on hand because he enjoyed cooking so much.

“I needed to find a way to keep myself busy,” he said. “It was hard after…well, everything, to have idle time. They took away my magic for several months during the investigation. I needed something else to fill that soundless void. I needed to eat, so I just started learning to cook.”

I understood what he meant. The silence was the hardest part once the war had ended. It was like the darkest memories waited in the recesses of your mind for quiet opportunities to come forth. The sounds of war. The smells of war. All of them would invade your senses at those vulnerable moments and render you helpless.

“We need some lemon juice,” he said, tossing me a lemon.

I juiced the lemon and marveled at how surreal the experience was. I was cooking next to Draco Malfoy. And I was enjoying myself. It reminded me of my mother. I was always her helper in the kitchen. And I filled the same role here.

Ron never cooked. His family ate very differently than mine. The puddings, sausages, pies, and rich foods never seemed to end. My parents were different. They loved spice, different cultures, and foods, and I was always experimenting with different cuisines. The Weasley’s never did. Ron never would have eaten an aubergine.

Draco pulled the aubergine out of the oven, and I inhaled its charred and smoky notes.

“What are you making?”

“This is for baba ghanoush,” he said, gesturing to the aubergine he was now peeling even though it was piping hot. “I also have lamb in the other over and some couscous.”

My eyes went wide.

“I love Middle Eastern and Northern African cuisine,” he said, as if he needed to justify his choices.

“I do, too,” I nodded. “Falafel is one of my favorites.”

“I love falafel. Have you had the one from Chaucer Street?”

I shook my head. Ron and I rarely went out to eat. Now that I had a bit more understanding of my financial circumstances, I knew why we never seemed to have the funds for it.

“We’ll go sometime.”

“I’d like that,” I said.

“Smells bloody brilliant in here,” Theo’s voice rang through the hallway.

He entered the kitchen carrying a large garment bag. He tossed it over one of the chairs and walked around to our side of the island. He pecked both my cheeks and pretended to lean into Draco, who gave him a bored look. At the last minute, he pivoted and swiped a large cucumber slice through the baba ghanoush.

He groaned in approval and peeked in the oven and under the pot on the stove as well.

“All settled, then?” he asked me as he sat across from me.

He continued reaching for pita and veg to dunk into the dip, and I swatted his hand away.

“Yes, I am.”

“And I see you’ve met your flatmate, Draco Malfoy.”

I gave him an unimpressed look. He howled in response.

“I thought it’d be obvious! Who else would I trust with watching my best witch mate than my best wizarding mate?”

“Get the wine, Nott,” Draco said, saving me from further embarrassment.

He saluted and marched to a large pantry door that apparently had a wine rack inside. He emerged carrying two bottles.

We chatted lightly over dinner. Theo more or less kept conversation on our work progress, which was fine with me. Draco actually proved to be rather useful as we were talking about counter-curses. I attempted to keep my moaning elations over dinner to a minimum, but it was nearly impossible. Draco was a fantastic chef. Everything was seasoned and cooked to perfection. It was the best meal I’d had in a long time.

“Who’s ready for a little nighttime fun?” Theo had a wicked look in his eye as he winked at me and motioned for the garment bag.

So. That was for me. I could only imagine what kind of skimpy monstrosity was beyond the zipper, but my skin was almost electrified at the idea of going back to Nox.

“Are you coming?” I asked Draco, wondering what color he’d find himself in.

He gave a tight smile.

“It’s a little hard for everyone to unwind when the Head Auror of the Ministry of Magic is staring back at them.”

I willed my disappointment not to show. If there was one person I’d be curious about seeing there, it would be him. But I understood. His position put him in a precarious place. No one could really let down their hair with him around. They’d constantly be looking over their shoulder.

“Have fun tonight,” he said. “Don’t let Nott get too handsy.”

Chapter Text

Theo had apparently taken it upon himself to supply me with what he was calling celebratory Weasley-sacking gifts. What that ended up being was a dozen dresses from Pansy’s newest boutique.

The dresses were all roughly the same, despite colors and the addition of lace or no lace. They all were in the style of silk nighties. They barely covered my ass and were held up by the thinnest straps. Each dipped to reveal the majority of my breastbone. Some of the tops had lace adornments along them, and some of them were just plain silk. But they were beautiful. There were rich blues, greens, black, white, and even a vibrant and daring red. Tonight, I opted for white. There was no way you could wear a bra with it. But Theo had supplied a small bag to accompany the dresses. And the small silk bag was filled with matching lace panties.

Truthfully, I’d never owned such rich and luxurious items. These were not the things I wouldn’t have purchased for myself. But with these, I would blend in with the women at the club more seamlessly. The last thing I wanted to do was stand out. And with these, I wouldn’t.

I chose a matching white silk for my coloring again and followed Theo in. Nox was already pulsing with nightlife activities. Dozens of bodies were on the dance floor, writhing against one another in passionate and hungry sways.

Theo had chosen his signature band today, he informed me. The red contrasted well with his dark hair and light eyes. He said that he’d stay with me for as long as I wanted, but he had intentions of playing tonight. The last thing I wanted to do was keep him from his entertainment. I wanted him to get pleasure from Nox and not feel like he had to be my babysitter. Besides, I wanted to explore the place some more.

Thoughts of the masked man from a few weeks ago haunted the recesses of my mind. He was the one I couldn’t stop thinking about. I never got a look at his face, though.

Today, as I looked around the dance floor from my table, I looked at the bands of the individuals. There were many greens and blues, a few purples, several pinks and reds, and a handful of oranges, but I couldn’t find any other black bands.

“Do the black bands have to stay on their level?” I asked, sipping my martini.

Theo shook his head.

“No,” he said. “But they usually do. Though everyone starts here. Black bands are easy to spot because they wear masks.”

“All of them? Why?”

“Anyone performing on the black level has to,” he said. “It’s for pleasure and security. Identities can be distracting. You can be limited by getting into a scene if you’re consumed with who the Master is. This eliminates that.”

“But other colors can participate in their scenes?”

“Of course,” he said. “I was down there the other night in my red band. But for the scene, I wore a mask. I didn’t want the pink women who’d agreed to participate to be distracted by who I was. It adds to the allure. Tall, dark stranger fucking you senseless is a nice kink that people can get into.”

“So why don’t the people wearing pink bands change to black if they’re willing to participate at that level?”

“It’s more about the level of comfortability. You can still be different colors on different levels. But at the end of the day, it helps the Master know how far to take things. They wear black because they have no limits. But if they’re participating in a scene with someone with a pink band, they have to know that limits will be called into play eventually. Whereas, if they were doing a scene with someone with a black band, there would be no holding back. You could just go.”

I nodded, thinking I understood for the most part.

“It takes a lot of trust to wear black,” he said. “And control.”

“But the participants don’t need to be masked?”

“It’s a choice. Some choose to. Some don’t. Or the Master can request it.”

“They’re called Masters?”

Theo nodded. “Reds are Doms, Pinks are subs.”

I took another drink while I watched the crowd.

“I’ll enjoy figuring out which color you choose.”

I looked at him with a skeptical glance.

“What makes you think I’ll ever stray from white?”

“Your curiosity is notorious,” he laughed. “You’ll trade in your white sooner or later. I’m guessing blue.”

“What’s blue?”

He gripped the stem of my drink and lifted it. He held the napkin toward me, and I studied it. Before, I thought it was just a colorful napkin, but now I can see that a color wheel and explanation are visible on it.

“You just have to touch your ribbons together and say the color you want to change it to,” he said.

He brought his ribboned wrist forward and touched his neck with it.

“Black.”

Suddenly, his face was hidden beneath the familiar skull mask.

“Red,” he said again, and the mask vanished. “But if I wanted to stay red and still perform, I would just state that. Red, perform black.”

His red ribbons stayed, and the mask appeared.

“Red all.”

And it vanished.

“Smart magic,” I said, admiring the thought and consideration that went into the system.

I looked down at the napkin and read over the colors. Blue was introductory. That meant you were exploring your limits and would likely need to take things slow. But you were open to different proposals. That color seemed the most fitting for me. I still wasn’t quite ready, but perhaps when my divorce was finalized, I could dip my toes in the blue waters.

“I think you’re actually a kinky minx at heart,” he grinned. “You’ll be pink or black in no time.”

I laughed and shoved him playfully.

“There are three witches behind you that are eyeing me like they want me dead,” I said, glancing over his shoulder at the dirty looks I kept receiving.

Theo’s face lit up like Christmas.

“Granger! Those are the girls from before! The mind-blowing sex! The triplets!”

I laughed.

“Go! Go,” I urged him. “I’ll be fine. I’ll pop around, watch a few shows, and head home when I’m ready. I’ll be safe.”

“Use the Floo we came in on,” he said and kissed my cheeks. “If you color change, I deserve to know.”

As he joined them, the women looked far more pleased with me. I waved and smiled, and their disposition changed. I was happy to let him go. I wanted and needed time to explore things without Theo.

I finished my martini and walked to the lift. Once inside, I eyed the colors. Green seemed like a safe bet. I knew what to expect there. I could handle it. And I didn’t think Bulgaria was in town for Quidditch again, so that would keep me out of Viktor’s eye.

My cursed finger clicked black, though. I couldn’t explain the allure that this level had on me. It was like a drug. I was so drawn to it, despite the Mudblood tattoo, despite the darkness, despite the fear it brought up in me. Perhaps that’s why I liked it. It did make me feel something. Even though I didn’t like feeling fear, it was a strong emotion. And it had been so long since I felt anything strong.

Even with all this Ron and divorce drama, I hadn’t cried. I hadn’t shed a single tear over the dooming trajectory of my marriage. Why? I should be enraged that Ron had done this to us, our finances, our future. But I just felt…empty. There should be feelings there, but they weren’t deep enough to actually take root. And I desperately wanted to feel again.

I followed the familiar path to where I was two weekends ago. A scene was already happening, but the tattooed male was nowhere to be seen. I didn’t leave, though. I stood near the same pillar and watched. Tonight, it was two masked men on the stage. One of them wore a pink band. The other wore black and a mask. The man with the pink band was lovely. He had a muscular build and light hair and eyes. He reminded me of a younger Gilderoy Lockheart. I rolled my eyes at the memory of that stupid wizard.

From my basic perception, the black level still acted like a dominant and submissive relationship. The one in black was usually the one in charge. And from what I’ve seen so far, I didn’t know what separated them from a red level. Perhaps other colors came to the black level because they liked the anonymity of it. I could see how that was alluring. The idea of Viktor Krum fucking me was enticing. But, for whatever reason, the idea of the masked and tattooed man intrigued me even more.

Was I a masochist? Why else would I want someone with the same Mudblood mark as myself to touch me? Why couldn’t I get him out of my head?

“Hello, pet.”

I whirled around. The cool stone of the pillar on my open back did nothing to cool down the flushing heat that was now covering my core, chest, and cheeks. He was here. Masked. In front of me.

I audibly swallowed, and the darkest chuckle broke forth from his lips. This close, I could see the mask was glamor magic. It wasn’t a physical mask I could pull off. Rather, it was a way for him to disguise his features without exerting much thought or effort. Witches did it all the time when we had pimples or felt bloated. We could subconsciously alter bits of our appearance without too much magic. But it would wear off when we were concentrating on casting difficult magic or sleeping.

He leaned forward, his face nearly brushing the side of my neck, as he took in a deep inhale. Half of my hair had been pulled up today, with a few curls left loose and falling down my cheeks. His primal move set my whole body on edge.

“Come to play some more?”

His deep voice was almost like a whispered lullaby. It was so soft but terrifying at the same time.

“I’m wearing white,” I whispered.

“I see very well what you’re wearing.”

His eyes roved over me like he was peeling the dress down my body. I nearly whimpered at the intensity of it. Warmth gathered in my lower stomach.

Both of his arms flew up beside me, caging me in. I tried to back up, but I was as far back against the pillar as I could get. My heart hammered against my chest.

“Did you come back for me, pet?”

I opened my mouth, willing some kind of coherent thought to emerge.

“Yes,” I breathed.

Fuck. What had I done? His mouth spread in the most wicked smile I’d ever seen. He wasn’t touching me at all, but my body was humming in anticipation.

I let my eyes trail down his body. I stared at the Mudblood marking across his chest. It was a larger version of mine, stretching the entire length of his chest. But beneath it, as if it were mirrored, was the word Purity. It was written in perfectly elegant and scrawling script and was black like the rest of his marks. The Mudblood one was the only one, reddish and scarred-looking.

It was identical to mine.

And then he was gone. His heat and scent ripped away from me. I gasped at the absence and saw him sitting in the back row of the scene before me. He inclined his head for me to come closer. And I did. Desperate for his musky citrus scent and warmth to return.

I sat on the small stool in front of him where he directed. My entire body was jittery with nerves. I felt him scoot up. His long legs were now surrounding me as I sat between his legs. He was taller than me, so he still loomed over me from behind. His arms casually rested on his knees, and he leaned forward, placing his mouth just out of reach of my earlobe.

“Sweep your hair over your left shoulder, pet.”

I reacted immediately, desperate for more closeness.

“Good girl,” he purred.

I felt the rush of his praise between my legs.

“We’re going to watch the performance now,” he said. “And you’re going to tell me everything I want to know. Aren’t you, pet?”

I found myself nodding.

“Good girl.”

Again, the sensation of warmth bloomed between my legs. I shifted, pushing my thighs together.

The two men were still on the stage. The one in pink was now tied down to a leather-bound structure of some kind while the other male in black placed his cock in the pink one’s mouth. The act of watching these two made you feel that wanton desire for an orgasm. You saw the pleasure on their faces, and you wanted the same.

“I want to know what a good girl like you is doing on this level?”

I shivered as his voice skated over my skin.

What was I doing here?

“I want to feel.”

I panicked, immediately regretting my honesty. I trapped my bottom lip between my teeth to keep me from spouting off more shit.

“It’s hard to feel anything if you’re going to stay white,” he purred.

I didn’t speak. I wasn’t brave enough. I couldn’t even confront my cheating husband, who was stealing money from me to fuel his addiction. How could I possibly ever be brave enough to establish boundaries in a place like this?

“Why do you wear a white band?”

Because I was a bloody coward.

“Do I scare you, pet?”

I nodded, keeping my lip tightly trapped.

“Good.”

I closed my eyes. Why did that send shockwaves through my core? Why did it feel like he’d just licked my center with that one word? I should be sprinting for the lift. I should be running as fast as I can away from here. And yet, here I am, drenched over the madman behind me.

“I could make you completely aware of every pleasure point in your body,” he went on.

The breath of his talking tickled my neck, and I imagined how good it would feel to have his lips press against the base of my ear.

“Do you want to feel pleasure like they are?” he asked.

I desperately wanted it.

I nodded.

“How about a secret for a secret, then?”

I stilled. What could he mean?

“I’ll tell you one of my secrets, and you tell me one of yours.”

I racked my brain for any secrets I could have that he would find even moderately interesting. I was a surprisingly uninteresting person.

“I haven’t touched another witch or wizard since you walked in two weeks ago,” he whispered against me. “And I have to fuck myself in the shower twice a day to keep the madness at bay.”

My entire body was shaking at his confession. This lunatic of a man masturbated to me? It was insane. Completely unrealistic.

“Your turn.”

What possible secret did I have that was as wild as his? Was it true? Could I honestly believe that I was the star of his musings?

I searched my mind for something to say to him. Anything.

“I want this,” I whispered. “I want to feel pleasure like them. I don’t want to be afraid. I want to feel all of that.”

Holy. Fuck. What had I just done? I could feel him go almost rigid behind me as he absorbed the weight of my confession.

I couldn’t take it back now.

I’d be lying.

I did want that. I wanted to be like the people at Nox, who could let go and feel every sensation and pleasurable experience without their insecurities or self-deprecating thoughts getting in the way. I wanted my body to hum with life like the men on stage. I wanted to be lost in my partner's euphoric embrace.

“I could teach you,” he said.

I watched the man in black on stage thrust into the other. Their heads both fell back with a sigh of ecstasy.

“But know that you will belong to me,” he whispered against my neck. “Your body will be mine to wield. And only mine.”

I found my head nodding of its own accord.

My eyes had fluttered closed over the husky baritone of his voice.

I couldn’t really be considering trusting this man.

“I could coax pleasure from you like you’ve never known.”

Each word hung like a promise between us.

The words were like the sensual caress of a lover.

“And I will have no other.”

My eyes flew open.

That side of the promise surprised me.

A whip cracked somewhere on the stage, but my eyes were on the fist that was clenched next to me on his knee. It was like he was straining to hold back, to not touch me.

“Make a deal with the devil, pet,” he crooned. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

My erratic heartbeats practically echoed through the entire room.

Was I really considering this offer?

Was I going to yield my body to this monster? This creature that terrified me?

Trust him?

I couldn’t even trust my husband.

Yet…

“I’ll do it.”

Chapter Text

I stood in the lift, trembling so hard I nearly fell over in my heels. I was back. My finger was pressed against the cool black button.

I contemplated showing up drunk.

I didn’t want to be out of control.

I wanted complete control.

I contemplated not showing at all.

But part of me worried he would find me.

Could he?

I shook those thoughts from my mind.

I agreed to come back tonight. And I was here. I was going to face this demon.

My curiosity had more control over me than any other emotion, so I was just rolling with it. Maybe it would help me forget. Maybe it would help me feel. Maybe it would fix me.

The lift ride was over too quickly.

My pulse echoed through my head as my heels clicked in time against the marble floor. No one was here yet. The stage was empty, and the seats were bare.

I tried to breathe deeply, but it came out as a shaky exhale.

I heard a sound behind me and turned, expecting to see the masked madman looming behind me. But he wasn’t there.

“Good girl.”

I snapped forward and saw him alone on the stage. He was shirtless, wearing only black slacks and designer dress shoes. He’d pulled off his belt so the pants hung low, revealing the cut V of his hips.

My mouth watered.

I’d done as he’d asked so far.

I showed up.

That was the most challenging.

And I wore a light blue ribbon.

That was the most terrifying.

I closed my eyes.

I could run.

I could make it to the lift.

I didn’t have to do this.

I still had a choice.

“Come here.”

My cursed limbs moved without my consent. I walked up the stage and stood in front of him. He handed me a black hair tie.

“I want it in a high ponytail,” he said. “I want full access to that neck.”

My knees shook violently, but I obliged.

“Good girl.”

I pinched my eyes shut, pretending that didn’t affect me the way it did. I felt something brush my neck and realized it was his wrist.

“You will sit with me. You will watch.”

I felt the ripple of glamor over my face and realized that I was now wearing a mask, too. I blinked up at him, and he appraised his work. He liked it well enough to walk to the throne-like chair downstage on the raised platform.

There was only one chair.

He settled into the seat like a king. His casual posture and tattooed form looked so strange for such an important seat. He propped his chin on his fist.

“Come.”

My legs were moving.

I don’t know what he’d done to earn such blind obedience from me, but the pull of it was impossible to resist.

When I climbed the steps and reached him, his legs were spread, adding to the casual stance of his appearance. A light came on, and then two others, casting a dull blue over the entire stage. I whirled around and noticed people filing into the space.

“Sit.”

I studied the place his hand was patting.

It was his lap.

He wanted me to sit on his lap.

On a throne.

In front of all these people.

On the black stage.

I chewed my bottom lip.

My legs moved, but the rational part of my mind berated me.

What was I doing? I couldn’t just sit on his lap!

I lowered myself onto his lap. My body was like a live wire. Every touch and feel ignited my senses. I wore the light blue silk dress tonight to match my ribbon. The matching panties were already rubbing against me in a torturous fashion. And now, the fine threads of his soft dress pants against the backs of my legs felt like a dream.

With one quick movement, his large hand pressed against my stomach and thrust me back flush with his chest. The skin-on-skin contact detonated through my body. He was a thousand degrees, at least.

“That’s better,” he sighed, resting his chin in the crook of my neck.

He took a deep inhale, and I felt him bury his nose against my neck.

Merlin. His touch was magic. My entire body was quivering under his proximity. He snapped his fingers, and I jolted against him.

“I’ve prepared a little show for us,” he said as several masked individuals filled the stage.

Each wore different-colored silk bands, but their masks were all the same—completely black. This masked their features entirely.

He snapped again, and I jumped.

Dark, tortured music with pounding bass lines began playing low in the speakers around us. And the people sparked to life. The individuals began coupling up with others on the stage and spread out. My eyes went to a couple that each had on a yellow bracelet. Yellow meant no sex, just oral and digital penetration.

The couple launched at one another. Their start wasn’t smooth or sultry. It was hungry and wild. The male had the female undressed in a matter of seconds. Her large breasts hung, and he didn’t even bother taking off his own clothes before sucking on her. It was sloppy, frenzied, and not something that was enticing me to watch further.

My eyes trailed away from them and onto another couple. They were both wearing blue and engaged in a sensual dance. The two women were of similar stature, and their touch and caressing were practiced and confident. I watched them for several minutes. It was nice, but I felt myself straying.

My eyes went to the next couple. They were on a small bench-like lounger. It was two males. One in pink, one in red. The one in red was thrusting his cock deep inside the pink one’s mouth. He was so deep that tears were spilling from the pink’s eyes. But the one in red didn’t stop. He fisted his hair and pushed himself deeper with each buck of his hips. Another approached them. It was a smaller-framed woman in purple. She gestured to the man in pink, and the man in red nodded his head. She dropped to her knees and began pleasuring the man in pink while he pleasured the man in red. The tandem work of the team was mesmerizing to watch.

A loud cry forced my eyes to the other side of the stage. A woman in pink was spread across some kind of contraption, completely bound. Her arms and legs were out like a star, and she was completely naked. She had two men and two women pleasing her at once. One large red male was devouring her clit with his mouth. It was rough and deep, and he buried his whole face into her. The two women were each tugging and teasing on her nipples, playing with her as she writhed beneath their deft fingers. The other man was near her head. He was saying something to her, but I couldn’t hear them. But the entire scene was enthralling. I watched the bound woman come with a violent force. Her body trembled under the cords, but her smile could have lit up the stage.

The dull throbbing between my legs was a blessing and a curse. I was feeling something, but I was frozen in fear. I wanted to grind myself against the masked man holding me, but I couldn’t move. There was so much going on. So much happening. And it was nearly torture to sit here this still and pretend like it was affecting me.

“Tell me what you like, pet.”

My gaze rolled over the crowd, but my eyes kept coming back to the group.

I would never agree to liking that.

What if he tried to make me the center of that feast?

I couldn’t let go… I could never…

Another cry broke forth from the woman, who was now panting and nearly sobbing. She’d come again in such a short time.

I adjusted slightly in my captor’s lap. His huge hand across my stomach was practically scorching my skin.

The rough snap behind me jarred me, and suddenly, all the action on stage stopped.

A new couple came to the stage, and a bed appeared in the center of it. I watched as a couple with green bands had slow and passionate sex. There was so much kissing, holding, and touching that it felt too intimate to intrude on. They switched positions a few times, but for the most part, they held each other tightly. They even climaxed together. It was nice. Something I had wanted from my own life at one point.

I looked away.

The snap changed the scene before me.

I looked up as soon as I heard the crack of the whip.

A huge male in red towered over a female in pink. She was bent over a bench with her lower half completely naked and breasts spilling out of her corset top. He held a thick paddle in one hand while his other hand caressed her ass and pussy. She looked entirely relaxed by the scene in front of her. And when he pulled his free hand away and brought down the paddle, she still managed to look that relaxed.

How? Wasn’t it painful?

The pattern continued. Paddle, pleasure, paddle, pleasure, until she was panting and grinding her ass into the air, begging for more. I wanted him to fuck her. I wanted there to be a reprieve. I felt my own body was tense with need. I was ready for her climax as much as she was. I felt my body finally relax when his cock sheathed into her like a sword.

“Good girl,” the mask said behind me.

I hadn’t realized he probably sensed my reaction, but the praise nearly undid me.

What was he going to do to me tonight?

I felt the hand that wasn’t on my stomach reach up and wrap around my ponytail. He pulled my head to the side so I could see his masked face.

“Do you like to watch him spank her, pet?”

I nodded my head.

“Did you want him to fuck her?”

I nodded.

His eyes closed briefly before opening again. They were so dark beneath the mask that it was hard to see them at times. That’s when I noticed the pressure under my legs. A growing hardness pressed into my ass.

It was him.

My eyes widened in surprise.

“Do you feel how badly I want you?”

I did. I really did. Because this man might put Viktor Krum’s dragon-sized penis to shame. All I could do was nod.

“Are you wet?”

I nodded.

“Good girl.”

He released my hair, but I didn’t move my head back. I continued to stare at him. I didn’t know what would happen tonight. I was terrified. I was still married! Was I any better than Ron if I went through with this?

His hand trailed over my cheek and cupped my chin. The rough pad of his thumb dragged over my bottom lip, pulling them apart.

“You need to know the rules,” he told me.

Fuck. Here it was. The consequences of my own actions. He was going to tell me safe words and limits, and I was going to have to try not to have a panic attack while he probably gagged and fucked me in front of an entire group of people I likely knew.

“I won’t fuck or claim you until you ask me to.”

My world went capsizing.

His thumb pulled at my bottom lip again.

“Once you trust me, you’ll kiss me. And that will tell me you’re ready for me. Until then, no one touches this mouth. Do you understand me?”

I nodded.

“Once you kiss me, you bind your soul to mine. I’ll have you anyway and anywhere I want. Do you understand?”

I nod.

“Speak.”

“Yes.”

“I will possess you. Completely.”

“Yes.”

“Good girl,” he said.

He let go of my face, and my mind spun at his words. He wasn’t going to hold me down and fuck me. He wasn’t going to dominate me. He was letting me choose.

I get to decide.

I had a choice.

I let the shock of it settle in me. His free hand now rested on my thigh, while his other hand clenched my stomach. I still felt the throbbing hardness of his erection against me. I felt the weight of his chin resting against my neck, his soft breaths surrounding me in his familiar and intoxicating scent.

I was being touched, yes. But not outside of my comfort level. I watched as different individuals still cycled through the stage, doing varied degrees of eroticism. But he never pushed. He never forced. He let me absorb the scene before me.

But his dark promise lingered over me.

He wanted to claim me.

To possess me.

And the choice to let him was now completely in my hands.

The brush of his nose under my ear sent shivers down my spine.

“Wednesday evening,” he said in my ear.

I nodded.

I hadn’t planned on coming to Nox on a weeknight. But I found it hard to refuse his directive.

“No panties next time.”

I nearly whined at his words.

The scene before us finally ended, and the lights faded on the stage, leaving us in total darkness. I didn’t so much as breathe as I waited for what would happen next. Was I supposed to watch another show? I was so overwhelmed as it was and so keyed up that I didn’t think I could make it through another display like that.

Several moments later, he finally pulled me up with him. He intertwined our fingers and led us through the hallway to the lifts at the end. Neither of us spoke, but I found the sensation of holding hands strangely intimate and personal.

Once the lift dinged its arrival, he turned me and backed me into the small area. His hand was flush against my chest as he pushed me back.

Fuck, he absolutely terrified me.

I nearly opened my mouth to beg.

For what?

I didn’t know.

Mercy? Forgiveness? Reprieve? I don’t know.

“We look nice, don’t you think?”

I watched his head turn to the side. The entire lift was surrounded with reflective glass. I caught sight of our reflection in them and gasped.

He was still in his mask. His erection protruding from his dress pants tented the fabric in an intimidating and impressive way. But I barely recognized myself.

The silk was slightly wrinkled from sitting, and my nipples were hard and straining against the fabric. My hair was slightly mussed, and the flush of my skin left a lovely pink color all along my neck and chest. But my face was the most alarming. I was wearing half a mask that resembled his. The skull-like hollow eyes sunk deep into my face, but my hazel eyes remained. The mask covered my nose and cheeks, but my mouth was perfectly bowed and pouting from below. The shimmer of the pink lip tint was still intact.

He towered over me. A monster of a man. And his tattoos seemed to glow against his pale skin.

He turned back to me, dragging his nose along my cheek. I shuddered against the contact. I was so desperate for touch. For release.

“I have two rules.”

My eyes flashed to his. Fear gripping my senses. Dread crept along my shoulders.

“One. No one touches that mouth but me.”

I nodded. He’d said that already. Was he just checking to see if I was listening? Did he say another rule earlier? No panties? Was that a rule or just a request?

“Two. Only I make you come.”

My eyes widened.

Fuck.

“You don’t get to drag those pretty little fingers or any other toy into that pretty pussy unless I say.”

I blanched.

“But you do?”

I couldn’t help it. The inequity of it all was outrageous!

“You’ve been torturing me for so long,” he smiled that terrifying smile. “It’s time you got a taste of that sweet torture.”

I was going to argue with him. To fight back against the absurdity of him dictating when and how I came, but the words died on my lips.

“If you’re a good girl, I’ll let you come Wednesday.”

He pushed forward, and I felt the entirety of him against my body. His lips pressed against my ear as he spoke in a dark tone.

“But if not…”

He didn’t finish the threat. He just backed out of the lift. The haunting skull mask burned into my memory. I was shaking, but I didn’t know if it was in anticipation, dread, or pure adrenaline coursing through me.

But he terrified me.

And excited me.

And I didn’t know if that made me sick and deranged or just completely lost.

Chapter Text

Sunday was difficult.

I stayed holed up in my room for the majority of the day. I didn’t want to face the fact that tomorrow was Monday. I’d never been like this. I’d never dreaded going to work. But knowing that tomorrow would be the first time I saw Ron since leaving made me anxious. What would he do? What would he say? The anxiety of a pending confrontation rattled me.

Couple that with the strange gnawing of guilt I felt over my choices at Nox, and I was miserable company. Last night had been frenzied and chaotic. I could barely focus on what was happening around me because everything had been so overstimulating and overwhelming. It was natural that today I would feel…something?

Was guilt what I felt?

I didn’t care about any honor to my marriage. That had long since passed. Ron paraded women in and out of our marriage as a revolving door. We clearly had no sacred loyalty there.

Did I regret going?

I sighed.

No.

In fact, part of me wished I was there right now, hiding from the truth of my impending work week. I liked the distraction it brought. I liked the escapism.

But how realistic was it? This masked stranger had a grip on my nearly crumbling resolve. But what else could possibly happen? I didn’t even know what he looked like! We had a fun little romp in the dungeon of Nox, but it wasn’t ever going to amount to more. His dark whispers of possession and such were just pretty lies. It wasn’t real. It was all part of the game.

But for the first time in years, I was actually feeling something. After the war, I did everything I could to repress the anxiety I felt. I completely internalized everything. If I didn’t feel it, then it didn’t exist. Unfortunately for me, by not feeling the bad things, I’d chosen not to feel anything. Not joy, not excitement, not anger, not loneliness. I was just a void. I floated by, mindlessly living each day. I wasn’t excited by things. I didn’t have a spark of life left within me. I thought by surviving, I’d done enough.

And I wanted so much more. I wanted more for myself. My life. My future. I wanted a do-over.

Now, here I would be, not even thirty and divorced. I had no money. I had a secret obsession with a dungeon Master in a kinky sex club. I was staying with a man I would have sworn hated me just months ago. And I could count my real friends on one finger.

School hadn’t prepared me for anything. Not the loss of my parents or friends, not the failing marriage I was in, and definitely not the financial ruin I was facing. School taught me that hating Slytherin was more important than breathing. It taught me that Quidditch was worship, and blood status mattered.

Maybe someday, all my tears would finally loose themselves, and I’d drown under the weight of my suppressed emotions.

But today wasn’t that day.

I left my room for the first time. My circumstances didn’t make me a free-loader. I needed to talk to Draco about staying here. I needed to contribute in some way. Just like he had needed cooking, I needed some kind of support, too. Something to focus on. Something to feel like I wasn’t just using and abusing his benevolence.

I found him in the library. He was stretched out with a book. His glasses perched on the edge of his nose. He wore a zip-up hoodie and sweats, and I smirked at the casual dress. I couldn’t remember seeing him in anything but designer clothes or Quidditch robes.

“Hello,” I said, taking a seat across from him on the sofa. I pulled a pillow over my lap. “Do you have a minute?”

His eyebrows shot up, but he nodded, putting the book down on the table.

I’m not sure what he had to look nervous about. I was the one taking advantage of his space and money. And kindness. That too. But it stopped today.

“I’d really like to help,” I said. “I feel awkward not paying for anything or contributing in any way. It makes me… uncomfortable.”

“I don’t need your money,” he said. “Nor do I want it.”

“But even if it was buying groceries or cleaning or something.”

He considered my words.

“Cook dinner with me.”

I hadn’t heard him correctly.

“What?”

“Cook dinner with me. Like you did the other night. That’s how you can contribute.”

He was being serious, wasn’t he? Why on earth would he want me to help with dinner? He was a far better chef than I would ever be.

“I won’t lie to you and say that I know how to do this,” he gestured between us. “I’ve never lived with anyone else. I’ve never shared my home with anyone else. But I did enjoy your company the other night. It was nice to have someone to talk with while I cooked. It was nice to have someone to cook for other than myself.”

“I just don’t want you to feel like you have to constantly take care of me like…” I searched my mind for an example.

“Like you did for Weasley.”

The depth of the silence that hung between us was enormous.

He spoke the truth.

And I’d had no choice but to absorb the intensity of that honesty.

I resented Ron. I knew I did. I hated that I did everything. I hated that he expected our lives to go on like that. I thought that in order to be happy, I needed to be like Molly Weasley in a marriage. I thought that the only way to be a doting wife and have my husband love me was to care for him. But I wasn’t a caretaker by nature. I wanted Ron to pick up his own bloody socks. It’s why I kept putting off having children with him. I secretly took my birth control potions at work because I wasn’t ready to be a parent to another child in the house. He was enough of a mess on his own. I couldn’t imagine a crowded Burrow-like structure for myself, too. I’d drown in that.

“You’re right,” I said. “I don’t want you to resent my presence here. I’m so grateful for it. I don’t want to ruin things.”

“I won’t resent you, Granger.”

“You can’t know that.”

“Then you’d better get in that kitchen so I don’t start.”

I grinned. His teasing made the situation lighter.

“Yes, sir.”

He rolled his eyes at me, but I followed him into the kitchen.

“I suppose we’ll just roll with things for now,” I said.

“Good,” he agreed. “There’s no need to put stress, definitions, or pressure on this. It can simply…be.”

“Yes, let’s just be.”

I didn’t sleep much that night. I just wanted the first interaction to be over. Ron couldn’t say he didn’t see this coming. That would be ridiculous. My solicitor would have dropped the paperwork off early this morning before he got to work. My hope was that he would receive the divorce summons and call out for the day. I knew I wasn’t that lucky.

“Check the fridge,” Draco called over his shoulder as I entered the kitchen.

He was just about to step into the Floo.

“Write me today if you need me,” he said.

“I don’t want you to have to be involved,” I sighed. “I would never risk the work you’ve put in to reach the level you’re at now. You’ve worked too hard.”

“I’ll intervene if necessary,” he said.

We’d had the same discussion last night. And judging by the firm set of his jaw, he wasn’t changing his mind. He told me in no uncertain terms that he would happily sack Weasley for any minor infraction, given how angry he was. I told him we didn’t need that on top of everything else.

“I’ll handle things,” I promised. “And I have Theo.”

His jaw tightened. He offered a small nod, but he looked irritable.

“Turkey or salmon tonight?” he asked before leaving.

I made a face. “Salmon. I hate turkey.”

“Noted.”

And he vanished.

I walked toward the fridge and noticed a to-go coffee mug already filled for me on the counter. My name was scrawled over it, and there was a note to check the fridge. I opened the fridge to find a small lunch bag similar to the one I usually brought with me. I had forgotten mine in the rush to move out, and this was a nice surprise. I grabbed my lunch and placed it in my bag.

I’d made sure to dress smart today. I wanted to feel confident in my choices. I wore the skirt and silk blouse I’d worn to Nox the first time, but I put a structured coat over it for the office. I didn’t need to be that free. And I did wear a bra under it this time. Though it was one of my nicer black ones. And I wore matching panties from Theo’s Nox gift as well. My favorite heels forced me to walk with purpose and confidence, and I needed all the help I could today.

The Ministry was already teeming with employees despite arriving thirty minutes before I usually did. I wasn’t going to march up to Ron’s office and confront him. I wasn’t that brave. I had every intention of hiding in my office all day behind Theo’s protective gaze.

As I maneuvered toward the lifts, I noticed that no one bumped into me. I kept my head forward. Did I have something on my face?

A sharp whisper sounded next to me. They didn’t even attempt to keep their voices down.

Did you hear she left him?

I heard he searched for her all night.

All his money was cleaned out of his vaults!

The bitch took everything from him.

I heard she stole from his family, too.

The whispers filled my ears like thundering waves of chaos. What was happening? Why were they saying these things?

She’s been paying for escort services.

She pays for men to fuck her.

How pathetic.

Good thing they never had kids.

Poor Ron.

The room began to spin.

Poor Ron.

Over and over again, I heard the phrase.

I pushed my way into the lavatory and vomited in the toilet. He’d spun it. He’d completely ruined me. He made it seem like it was my fault. My fault. My fault.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. Everyone in this fucking place knew us both. And they believed him? Over me?

Of course, they did.

I was the quiet one.

The withdrawn one.

Everyone would think it was me that ruined things.

Never the outgoing and extroverted Ron Weasley. Never the war hero. Never Harry Potter’s best mate.

I vomited again. I had to get to my office. I had to avoid any more talk of this nonsense.

If I went home, I’d look guilty. I’d fall into the narrative Ron set up. I had to look unbothered. I had to pretend like I hadn’t heard all of them.

I splashed cool water on my face and took a deep inhale before the mirror. I wouldn’t break down. Not here. Not over this. The truth would come out. It had to.

I withdrew in the same way I’d been doing since the war. I disassociated into a time that didn’t exist and wasn’t real. I wrapped myself in that because I couldn’t stand to face reality. Shut out the noise, forget the words. I rode the lift to my level. My coworkers shifted awkwardly around me. It was the first time in years that my presence had been acknowledged at all. Normally, I was in the way, pushed aside. Today, everyone had their eyes on me. Ron had a busy morning, apparently.

When I walked in, Theo jumped up from his seat. He didn’t speak as he wrapped me in a fierce embrace. I let him hold me.

“I’ll fucking bury him, Granger,” he promised. “I swear I will.”

I squeezed him in return.

I still couldn’t cry. Was I that broken?

Ron had publicly embarrassed me. He was ruining my reputation at work.

“What do I do?”

I had no experience with this. I’d never been disliked. I’d never had people question my trustworthiness.

But they soaked up his allegations like truth, clinging to whatever fabricated lies he littered along the hallways of our workplace. And I was supposed to walk through the mess like I was unaffected. Like it didn’t crush me. Like I wasn’t so bloody embarrassed I could scream.

I hated all this attention on me. I hated the gossip and the whispers. But most of all, I hated how I’d suddenly become visible again. I loved my invisibility. Treasured it even. But that was gone now.

“We’ve already sent word to the solicitor,” he said. “He’s making a plan.”

“I don’t want to think about it,” I whispered. “I just want to pretend nothing happened.”

“Of course.”

He placed a kiss on my head and pulled me away, holding me at arm’s length.

“I’ve accidentally mislabeled at least a dozen vials of poison,” he said. “Shall we use that as a distraction?”

I groaned, but it worked. Theo fielded every piece of post that came through our door. Most of them he ignited after a second’s glance. The others he responded to or put in another pile. I truly didn’t know what I would have done without him today.

A small knock sounded around lunchtime. Theo was up and moving before my mind even had time to process what was happening. I stared at the door in fear. Would this finally be him?

“Hullo,” a soft voice said.

Theo moved to the side, and Astoria stood in the space. She looked at me and gave me a small, sad smile.

“I just want you to know,” she said. “That I had all the paperwork filed last week about your- Ron.” She corrected quickly.

Theo grinned like a Cheshire.

“So, as far as these rumors go,” she gestured around her head with an eye roll. “Management and our offices know the truth of things. And these audacious claims are being investigated.”

“That quickly?” I blanched.

I hadn’t expected that at all.

“Here at the Ministry of Magic, we respond to the wizarding community that works for us in a respectful and perfunctory manner,” she repeated from the handbook. “Decorum, above all else, must be remembered in the workplace and among colleagues. It is our duty to uphold those standards to the highest degree.”

Theo laughed maniacally at her speech, and it even made me smile. Perhaps all of this could vanish by tomorrow. He kissed both her cheeks, and even I felt a bit lighter.

As Astoria turned to leave, a small letter flitted through the opening. Theo cursed and made a reach for it, but it was too fast.

The red envelope came to a screeching halt before me.

I froze.

A howler.

None of us could react quickly enough.

The letter exploded in a cacophony of rage and expletives. Molly Weasley’s voice was as shrill as I remembered hearing it as a second year.

“How DARE you embarrass my son the way you have. You must have some nerve to parade around that Ministry, spreading your legs for any wanton creature while your poor husband works himself to the BONE! We were your family! We took you in when you had no one! And this is how you treat us? You steal from my sons? From Harry? You lying whore. You should be sick to your stomach over the way you’ve used and abused all of us. And for what? To what end, Hermione? Do you feel powerful making sweet men like my Ronald feel this low? Disgusting. Absolutely despicable. Thank Merlin, your parents have lost their memories of you. I scarcely know how they’d tolerate this news of you now.”

The letter shredded before me.

I trembled, completely rooted in my spot.

I stared at the ground where the tattered remains of parchment were. None of us moved. None of us spoke.

“Grang-”

I held up my hand to silence Theo. I didn’t want apologies. I didn’t want sympathy.

“I’d like to be left alone during lunch,” I said quietly, collecting my bag. I moved to the unoccupied table in the back corner of the room.

I could hear Astoria and Theo whispering, but I ignored them. I couldn’t think about this. About any of it.

If I did…

If I gave that letter one moment of time and consideration…

I blinked several times and pulled the lunch bag out of my bag along with the book I’d packed.

I was going to read and eat. That was it.

I ignored the way my hands shook.

I ignored the way I felt like I needed to vomit again.

I willed the stinging behind my eyes to go away.

I was fine.

I would make it through this.

I opened the bag and saw a shiny apple inside. There was also a slice of lemon tart. I pulled out a sandwich next, and the note stuck to it read, ‘Definitely NOT a turkey sando. That would be disgusting…’ I smiled at the ham sandwich. His clever magic must have snuck that in after I’d said something about dinner. Finally, there was a nice salad like the one we had last night. And at the bottom of the bag was a fork wrapped in a napkin. I took out the fork, and as I unraveled the napkin, I noticed there was another note within.

The note read, ‘Try not to resort to violence today.’ Below, there was an animated drawing of me punching Draco in the face near Hagrid’s cabin third year. I watched it over and over as I punched him, and his animated figure crumpled and cried.

And I laughed.

I laughed so hard that tears poured from my eyes.

For the rest of the day, I looked at the small note I’d pinned on the wall every time the creeping sensation of emotions tried to rise within me. It was the only reminder I needed to keep going.

Chapter Text

The first day was a battle, and I survived. I braved a Howler, endured a series of excruciating social interactions, and witnessed the annihilation of my once pristine reputation.

And then I did it again the next day.

And the next.

And the next.

However, each day felt a little less like survival and a little more like defeat. Slowly, more weight began to pile up on my shoulders. A little more sadness crept in. Emotions rose. And I felt the intensity of their whispers growing. They began sticking to my mind like a fly trap. I’d recall words and phrases used in the loo or lift. I felt myself withdrawing even more.

I’d made it through Friday, but I was nearly dead on my feet. I had no idea that slanderous gossip like this would make such an impact. My mental walls were crumbling. I didn’t go back to Nox like I’d said I would. And the last two nights, I went to my room right after work without dinner.

Draco didn’t push, but I did notice his lunches were far more filling the last few days. And he’d taken to leaving me a small breakfast with my coffee in the morning. And for some reason, that made me feel even worse. His kindness was another conundrum I hadn’t known how to deal with.

Mercilessly, today was Friday. And I’d managed to make it through the entire week. I was under the advisement of my solicitor not to correct or engage with any of the rumors floating around me. He promised that they’d work themselves out once all of Ron’s dirty laundry was aired. He said that when Ron buried himself, it would feel that much sweeter. For now, I simply had to endure.

He said that as if it were as easy as breathing or blinking.

Lately, enduring was anything but simple.

Theo had to leave early today, but I promised him I’d get to the lifts okay. I had managed to all week without any catastrophic events, so I knew I could do the same today. I stayed in my office until I thought the majority of the weekend-hungry crowd would be gone. It was a long weekend, and I knew many took off today to extend their holidays. I’d considered calling out on holiday, but it would just make me look guilty.

Endure, I reminded myself.

I stepped into the lift and found it blissfully empty. I exhaled and leaned back against the wall. My hand clasped the rung above me, and I swayed with the lift's movement. I just wanted to sleep. I’d never felt this kind of exhaustion before.

I traveled through the Floo and landed in Draco’s to find it silent.

There was a note on the counter featuring another one of Draco’s animated cartoons.

Werewolf drama- will be back late tonight. Please consume all the contents of this fridge by then.

Next to the note was a drawing of the two of us sitting on the floor below the fridge, stuffing our faces on anything that dropped down to us. As we ate, our faces slowly transformed into pigs. I kept the picture to add to my growing collection of Draco-drawn cartoons but went to bed without supper. The last thing I could think about was food.

Something was off. Warning bells rang through my head as I fought past the fog of my sleep potion. I pushed myself off the bed with a gasp.

It was dark now, and I blinked furiously to focus my eyes on my surroundings. Merlin, it was so dark. My room never felt this dark before. I usually left my curtains open so that I could see the lights of the city. But it was as if the entire city had gone dark now. I reached for my wand, but I didn’t feel my nightstand. Confusion and fear pulsed through me. This wasn’t right.

Slowly, my senses began returning to me. These were silk sheets. Mine at Draco’s were not. I felt the scream bubbling up in my throat.

“Hello, pet.”

It tore free as the masked monster came into view.

“I hate to be stood up, you know.”

His voice came out as a sensual purr, but it made my body tremble. Fuck. What had I done? Why had I engaged at all with this man? He was clearly a psychopath.

He leaned forward, and I rolled from the bed. I couldn’t let him hurt me.

His soft chuckle filled the space. I still couldn’t see much, but I could tell that I was now out of bed and up against a wall. My hands felt along the wall behind me for anything to use as a defense or escape.

“Where am I?”

“At Nox, of course.”

“Are you…” I swallowed, forcing myself to try to calm down as my entire body shook. “Are you stalking me?”

He made a hollow laugh as he moved closer. I could now see behind him a thin strip of blue light coming from under the door. I needed to get over there.

“I wouldn’t say stalking, per se. I just happen to have an invested interest in what’s mine.”

“I’m not yours,” I say with as much conviction as I can muster.

He hums in amusement, and I make a break for the door. He catches me easily around the waist, and I turn into a wild cat. I thrash against him, clawing, scratching, screaming. But his grip is like an iron vice against me.

“That’s it,” he says, his lips so close they’re brushing my ear. “Show me that fight.”

I try to swing my head against his face to break his nose, but he laughs and moves quickly. In his attempt to dodge my head, I’m able to get one arm loose. I reach up, and it connects with the soft flesh of his mouth. I try to run again, but my body is roughly forced against the wall, my hands pinned above my head. He presses his entire weight against me, and I feel the growing erection in his dark jeans. I hate how the rest of my body reacts in longing.

“No,” I say, telling my body more than him. “No!”

He brings one hand to his lips, and when he pulls away, I can see there’s blood on his fingers.

“Kitten has claws,” he muses.

And then he drags his bloodied fingers down my cheeks. I buck and fight against the sick bastard, but it’s no use. I’m completely pinned now. The center of him practically spearing me into the wall.

“Let’s play a game, kitten,” his mouth is back to my ear again, and my hair stands on end as his low timber sweeps through me. “If I catch you, I get to do whatever I want. If you escape, you get to go home for tonight.”

I consider things carefully.

“I want a head start.”

He laughed at my bargaining.

“Run.”

He released me, and I flew. I was out the door and down a large hallway I didn’t recognize. I sprint, trying to put as much space between me and the monster as I can. There were doors on both sides, and I could hear the echoing laughter of the monster behind me. I tried several of the doors, but all of them were locked.

“Come on!” I shouted against another locked door.

Fury and fear warred with one another inside of me as I sprinted through the next hallway. I’d been so stupid to take that sleeping potion. Draco hadn’t been home tonight. Would he notice me gone? Would he think I was just here anyway?

Finally, a door turned, and I thrust myself inside. I was breathing heavily as I leaned against the door. It was a dimly lit room with a large bed in the center. There was a small table near another door leading to a bathroom. What level were we on that just had rows of bedrooms?

“Here, kitty, kitty.”

There was nowhere else to hide in this stupid room than under the bed. I glanced around, looking for anything I could use as a weapon. But the door behind me crashed open. I screamed as I ran toward the bed and attempted to put it between us. But he caught my ankle. He pulled, and I was dragged forward against him.

“You didn’t even make it challenging,” he pouted.

“Get off of me!”

I kicked out my leg and caught him in the shoulder. He grunted, and I used that to roll to the side. My feet touched the floor, but his hand caught my hair. I cried out and swung my arms wildly at him. He twisted away from me and reached for my arms next. So, I launched myself forward, using all of my strength to kick at him. But he lifted me as if I were nothing and slammed me against the bed. I shouted and thrashed beneath him, but he was like a steel cage above me. I bucked, screamed, and cried.

“I love your fight, kitten,” he cooed while dragging one of his hands over my cheek. “But now we all must accept the punishments of our actions. This is a life lesson.”

“Please,” I croaked. “Please, don’t.”

“A deal is a deal.”

I wriggled one wrist free and pressed it against my neck.

“White!”

But nothing happened, and the monster laughed.

“Oh, how clever.”

His fingers circled my neck, and he squeezed. It wasn’t hard, but it was enough to terrify me.

“This is the color you should be wearing with me.”

I looked down to see the black ribbon secured around my wrist.

“No! No, please. Please!”

I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t.

I writhed beneath him, but his hips had me pinned, and when he leaned forward, I felt the full force of his erection against my opened legs. I whimpered against him.

“A new deal,” I begged. “Not this. I can’t. Please.”

“You already made a few deals with me,” he said. “How do I know you’ll follow through this time?”

“I will,” I promised. “Please. Please don’t hurt me.”

He leaned down and dragged his tongue over the tear that fell down my cheek. I bucked against him, but he barely acknowledged the movement.

He pressed a kiss to my temple.

I wanted to punch him in the mouth again.

“New deal,” he said.

“New deal,” I pleaded.

“I suppose that could be arranged,” he mused. “Honestly, at this point fucking you would be a reward. So I suppose I shouldn’t do that anyway.”

I scoffed, but he thrust his hips forward, and I had to swallow down the whimper of pleasure I felt at him hitting that sensitive spot once again.

“As I was saying,” he said. “I am fine with continuing our scheduled plan. I just need to make sure you’re a more punctual and reliable attendee.”

He dragged his nose over my cheeks and lips. He was so close I thought he might kiss me, and I panicked. If I kissed him, he’d completely possess me. That was his promise. And after seeing how serious he was about me skipping Wednesday, I knew he’d be even more of a maniac if I gave him that kind of power. I turned my face to the side and pinched my eyes shut. He eventually left my mouth and traveled down the length of my neck. He was interrupted by the collar of my oversized Hogwarts sleeping shirt.

“Why do you wear this?” he asked. “Is it a former lover’s?”

“N-no,” I stammered. “It’s mine. It’s just large.”

It vanished instantly, and I shrieked. It was replaced by the most delicate and revealing matching set. The panties were so small they barely covered any of me. They were light blue, like the last silk dress I’d worn. The top was like a bra, but it had a thin layer of chiffon that floated down over part of my stomach. It was completely see-through. The bra piece was also mostly see-through, but it had a few cleverly placed lace flowers right over my nipples.

The monster grumbled his pleasure, buried his face into the space between my breasts, and inhaled deeply. I fought against the intense pleasure the action elicited from me. My cursed betrayer of a body fought to lean into his touches. They set me on fire. But my mind rebelled against it.

“I love to see you like this,” he whispered against my breasts.

I blinked up at the ceiling. This couldn’t be happening. What the fuck had I gotten myself into? Should I tell Theo I had accidentally attracted the attentions of a madman? Should I tell Draco? He was the Head Auror; surely he could do something.

“I understand your position, kitten,” he said. “Of course, you’d be hesitant to engage with me. I’ve scared you probably more than I’ve aroused you at this point. So I’ll make you a deal. If I can make you come, then you come back. And you be the obedient little kitten I know you can be.”

I shivered beneath him.

“I’ll even play fair,” he said, his hand trailing up to my neck once again.

The black band on my neck and wrist transformed back into the blue that matched this lingerie. And I felt myself sigh in relief. 

“See there? I can be a good sport.”

His hand squeezed my neck once before releasing me. His long fingers trailed over my nipple and down my side, leaving waves of goosebumps in his wake.

“I won’t even put my cock in you.”

I considered his words. He wasn’t going to fuck me. An orgasm was all in a female’s mind. I had control over my mind. There was no way that this monster could make me come with the heightened state of fear I was in.

“And if I don’t, you’ll leave me alone?”

“Sure, kitten. Let’s shake on it.”

I hesitated.

“If you come, you’ll come to Nox when I say, dressed how I say. You’ll have the power and privilege of choosing any color but white for your limits, and you’ll honor the terms of our other agreements.”

“And if I don’t,” I said. “I’ll get to leave and forfeit all other agreements.”

He sat up and extended his hand to me.

I reached forward, and he clasped our hands together. Two slender threads wrapped around both of our wrists. The thread was a tanned twine with a small black bead in the center.

“For our agreement. No take-backs, this time.”

I nodded and swallowed down the bubble of fear I felt over the reality of this.

“Now,” he said, swinging his leg off mine and standing up. “I think it’s time to earn my reward.”

I sat up. What was he talking about?

A chair appeared in the center of the room, and he took a seat. He was back to the same casual stance he was in last weekend. How could someone be so attractive when you couldn’t even see their face?

“Come, sit on the edge of the bed.”

I was completely baffled by what he was doing.

“Crawl.”

I swallowed.

I looked up at him and moved to my hands and knees. I began to crawl across the expanse of the large bed.

“That’s it.”

His voice was low and husky. I watched him palm his erection through his pants. I swallowed.

“Stop.”

I did. He unbuttoned his jeans, and my eyes widened.

“You- you said…”

“I’m staying right here, kitten,” he said.

He pulled his cock out from his pants, and I gasped. Fucking hell. I’d never seen anything like it. Hard, thick, and long, and the head was aching with a crimson color. Beads of precum dripped down the length of him, and his huge hand fisted himself up and down several times. I watched him, mesmerized by the beauty and ferocious strength of the monster’s cock.

“Sit down.”

He didn’t take his eyes off me. They were so dark beneath the mask.

I obeyed.

My eyes continued to drift down, looking at the throbbing erection he was fisting. He was gripping himself so tight I could see the strain in his forearm.

“Spread your knees.”

I couldn’t even tell if I was breathing. The intimacy of this position was too much. I’d never just bared myself like this for anyone to see. I was so self-conscious.

“Now.”

The authority in his voice sparked my movement. I let my knees fall open.

“Good girl.”

Fuck, I hated when he said that to me.

“Touch yourself.”

I furrowed my brows.

“No.”

I couldn’t do that. It was too intimate. Too personal. I was not going to sit here like he was and…

“Then I will,” he said.

He moved to stand, but I held up my hands.

“Wait, wait! Okay, wait.”

“Someone has to put a hand to that clit,” he said. “So if you won’t do it, then I will. Or I can bring in a friend if you’d rather…”

“No! No. I’ll do it.”

He settled back in the chair, fist around himself once again, glowering at me from behind the mask.

“Touch yourself.”

I swallowed down my embarrassment and slid one hand beneath the soft fabric of the panties he’d put me in. He was fucking with my mind. I knew how to make myself come. If I was in control, I could just stop myself. But the thought of him intervening was what terrified me. If I wasn’t doing it well enough, he’d step in.

“Look at me.”

My eyes snapped up.

“I want your eyes on me while you touch yourself.”

Fuck.

I swallowed, praying for some moisture for my drying throat.

There was something so completely mind-numbing and erotic about our movements. I didn’t want to touch myself but kept moving in small circular patterns. And as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I was aroused. I must be some kind of fucked-up mess for getting this keyed up over a madman like him. What the fuck was wrong with me?

“Look at my cock,” he said. “Look at what you do to me.”

I looked down. His hand was rough and controlled as it powered over his length. There was something so forbidden, so tempting about it. When I walked in on Ron, it didn’t feel the same way. It wasn’t sexy or enticing. It was pathetic feeling. Ron had nothing on the monster’s size. Ron was fit enough. The Auror program required them to be in some kind of physical shape. But the monster? He was a god. Adonis himself wasn’t carved to as much perfection as this him. Cording muscles over his arms and abs. I imagined his thighs would be muscular and toned, too.

“I’m not the only one, though, am I?”

My eyes found his again, a question on my brow.

“I heard about Krum’s little show.”

Merlin, I felt my cheeks ignite with a blush.

“Have you fucked him?”

I considered lying.

But somehow, I knew he would know if I did.

I nodded.

“My first.”

Surprise lit his features beyond the mask.

“And did you enjoy when he lusted after you?”

Again…do I lie? I bit my lower lip.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Good girl,” he said. “Why?”

“I want to be desirable.”

Why was I admitting this?

“Don’t you see how spell-binding you are, kitten? How witches and wizards would fall at your feet for the chance to be with you?”

I expelled a breathy scoff.

“Push your fingers deeper. Two of them.”

I stopped my circular patterns. I slid my two fingers deeper inside myself and bit back the urge to groan. I was so wet. I hated my traitorous body so much.

“Now, coax them forward like you’re telling me to come here.”

Damn him. I loved that feeling.

I did so, and my eyes fluttered.

No. I needed to get control over this. I was not going to make myself come. That’s insane. I was in control. Not him.

“Good girl,” he said, his voice even more hoarse.

He was straining against his impressive length. It was as if he wanted to go faster, but he was holding back.

“I’m going to show you how fucking hungry the world is for you,” he said. “I’m going to show you how people would completely lose themselves for a chance that you’d glance their way.”

Gods, he couldn’t be serious, right? Of all the ridiculous shit.

“Touch your breasts,” he snapped.

An idea played in my mind. I was getting dragged further under the water of seduction, so I began pulling my hand up.

“If your hand leaves, my hand enters.”

Fuck.

I glared at him as I took my free hand and began massaging my breasts.

He was nodding at me now. His jaw was tight as he clenched. I could practically hear his teeth grinding against each other.

“Pinch your nipples.”

I did. And fuck, it felt so fucking good. I needed a release. I needed to chase this euphoria after the shit week I’d had. It was so distracting, so enticing.

The monster grunted before me, his hand finally picking up a little speed. It was so powerful watching this powerful psychopath get worked up over this. Over me.

“Fuck, that’s right,” he said. His voice was now a low growl. “Give your needy cunt what it wants, kitten.”

Dammit, I wish he would shut up. My lashes fluttered.

“Eyes,” he demanded.

I obeyed, my eyes once again on him.

“Clit, now.”

Fuck. I couldn’t. I would come. I knew it.

“Now.”

I shuddered as my fingers, now completely coated, dragged back up to my clit.

“Push harder,” he said.

I did.

“Faster.”

Fuck, it was like he was reading my body like a damn book.

“I can’t fucking wait to claim that sweet pussy,” he bit. “I’m going to drown your cunt in my come. Make you fucking scream in pleasure.”

My breathing was coming out in short little bursts. I couldn’t come. I had to distract myself.

“Beg me.”

This fucking monster could go to hell.

“Beg me for my cock, kitten.”

I bit my lip, refusing to acknowledge that he had me so worked up.

“Beg me to come.”

My arms were shaking now, and so were my legs. I was so close. I swallowed hard, pleading with my body not to betray me. But I couldn’t stop myself. The rush, the feeling, the desire…

“Beg me!”

“Please,” I relented. “Please!”

“Come, Hermione. Come for me.”

I broke. My head fell back, and I basked in the feeling of the orgasm as it ripped through my body. I didn’t stop. I dragged it out as long as I could.

After a moment, the fog of my pleasure began to fade. And the monster’s roar drew my eyes back to him. I sat up on my elbows and watched as jets of come tore from him. It was the most stimulating thing I’d ever witnessed. Had I not just come myself, the sight of him doing it would have been my undoing. Fucking hell, there was so much.

He finally collapsed against the chair. Our erratic breathing was the only sound in the room. But the deal was done. I’d just sealed my fate.

Frustrated tears pricked at my eyes. I was so mad at my lack of control. I had every opportunity to resist this, but he just broke me. My body pined for him like some lovesick Shakespearean twat. I pinched my eyes closed.

I felt his hands press on either side of my head and the bed dip slightly. I kept my eyes shut.

“Well, well,” he preened. “Wasn’t that exhilarating?”

I wanted to murder him.

“Open your eyes.”

I glared at him. His masked face hovered right above mine. I looked over him and noticed the evidence of his arousal was clinging to his abs and threatening to spill onto me.

“Care for a taste?”

“You monster,” I scoffed and went to push him away.

He caught my right wrist and brought it toward his face.

“You didn’t ask me if I wanted a taste.”

My eyes widened. He wouldn’t…

He drew my two fingers deeply into his mouth. I choked out a breath as his tongue swirled all around them and between them. It sent shocking pulses straight through my center, and I wanted to weep at the sensation. His guttural moan made it that much worse. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him, though. My fingers disappeared into the blackened lips of the mask glamour. I had to stop this.

He released my fingers with a pop and pressed the most delicate and gentle kiss along the inside of my wrist. What the hell? How could he go from terrorizing me one moment to this the next? He needed to be in St. Mungo’s. He was obviously deranged and mental.

He kissed the small bead of my bracelet next.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night, beautiful.”

Chapter Text

“Rise and shine, sleepy-woah!”

I shot upright to see Theo barging into my room. 

“Theo!” Draco called after him, but it was too late. 

“By the gods, Granger,” Theo snickered. “Do you always sleep in such racy little lace numbers? I would have invited you to stay at the manor with me if I’d known!”

I felt a wave of intense embarrassment wash over me, my cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson as I hastily drew the blankets up over myself. Of course, I was still wearing the set from last night. 

“Go away!”

“But I have such a vested interest in staying.”

“Nott,” Draco called again, and he responded by rolling his eyes. 

“Fine, fine, ruin my fun. Breakfast is ready, Granger.”

I grabbed the matching silk robe the monster had given me before leaving last night, and I wanted to murder him all over again. I glowered at the small, delicate bracelet on my wrist. That’s when I noticed the pocket of the robe. There was a small scrap of parchment inside. 

You have a fitting at Backstitch and Binding at noon. The wardrobe will be transferred to your residence, and the cost will be covered. I expect you in a piece from there this evening. P. Parkinson is anticipating your arrival.

I ripped the note. 

Then, I set fire to it. 

I watched the scraps burn on my nightstand and made my way into the kitchen. That bossy prick.

“Boo,” Theo teased when he saw me covered. 

I ignored him and took a seat at the counter. Draco slid me a coffee and offered an apologetic glance for his friend. 

“We are doing some heavy celebrating tonight, Granger,” Theo said. “You survived a week of hell, so we deserve some relaxing and unwinding at our favorite nighttime spot.”

He considered a minute.

“You should wear that!”

I rolled my eyes and elbowed him.

“Nott,” Draco warned. 

“You’d be requesting the same thing if you’d seen the little get up under there.” 

“I’m going to stab you,” I threatened him. 

“Not if I do it first,” Draco said. 

“One look at that sexy number, and you’d go from flatmates to flat and mating in a snap.” 

He snapped his fingers to emphasize the point. I groaned. Draco pushed the Prophet toward me, along with some melon and prosciutto.

 “Thank you,” I said, ignoring Theo. 

“Please, Granger! We need to go! The triplets are gone this weekend, so I can give you my undivided attention.”

“I’m sure that’s just what she wants,” Draco mumbled. 

I snickered and continued reading the paper. 

“Granger would love nothing more than to be overwhelmed by my presence at Nox.” 

Draco and I shared a look. 

“I’ll pick you up at nine!”

“I can’t go with you.” 

Theo wasn’t convinced. 

“Why?”

“I have plans.”

“Where?”

I sipped my espresso. 

“With?” 

I turned the page. 

He folded down the paper and glared at me. 

“Spill it, or I’ll disrobe you.” 

Draco sent a stinging hex at Nott from his place by the stove, along with a warning look. 

“You’re meeting someone at Nox, aren’t you?”

I ignored him, but I knew my cheeks had reddened slightly.

“Cheeky minx!” Theo clapped and laughed. “I knew it!”

He grabbed the paper I tried to put back up and gasped. 

“He’s in town again!” he practically sang. “He’s in town for another match! He’s meeting you at the club, isn’t he?”

“What?” I fumbled. 

“Who?” Draco asked. 

“Viktor Krum, of course! He nearly came at the sight of Granger last time.” 

“What? No!”

A ringing sounded from beside us. Draco answered his mobile and excused himself to the other room before pointing at the stove. I stood up and walked to it to manage the eggs.

“I am not meeting Viktor Krum,” I snapped in a hushed tone while Draco talked on the phone in the dining area.

Theo’s face fell. 

“Who then?” 

“Just… someone.” 

I was so flustered. I didn’t know if I should be telling Theo or not. He frequented the club. It was likely he’d see eventually. Maybe I should just come out with it. That way, if Theo thought I was truly in danger by this monster, he could help me. It was smart to tell someone. 

“Granger, please don’t force me to torture the information from you. My best friend is a very skilled Legilimens.” 

“Draco would never,” I argued. “And I don’t know his name.” 

Theo was up and out of his seat, stalking toward me. I turned my attention back to the eggs. 

“Because…” 

“Because.”

“Because…” he tried again. 

“Because I haven’t seen his face.” 

Theo turned me. His eyes were wide with amusement and pleasure. 

“Because…”

“Becausehe’swearingamask,” came out as one quickly jumbled word that I practically whispered. 

Theo exploded in joy. He threw his head back and cackled like the insane person he was. 

“You went to the black level!”

I hushed him and smacked him with the spatula. 

“He’s on the phone,” I whispered. 

“You little slut!”

I gaped at him and moved to slap him again. He was being so loud! 

“I am going to hex you if you do not shut up,” I snapped. 

“Granger,” He beamed. “This is better than Christmas. This is better than my first blow job. This is outstanding news. Bravo. Well done, ma’am.”

I rolled my eyes and turned back to the stove. 

“Describe him,” Theo said. “What do you know about him?”

I closed my eyes, desperately wishing I was back in bed. 

“He’s… large.”

“I’ll bet,” he snickered. 

I scowled at him, and he sent me a wink. 

“What else?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. He likes…art?”

“Art?”

“Yes,” I fumbled. “He…displays it.”

Theo cocked his head. I took the eggs from the pan and put them on the serving platter Draco had out. 

Realization struck. 

“He has tattoos, doesn’t he, Granger?”

I gulped. 

“Lots of tattoos?”

His smile widened. 

I wanted to bury myself. 

“Perhaps even a scar that persons like yourself would find…familiar?”

I blanched. So it was a scar? Someone had carved into him the same way they had me. Had she done it to him, too?

“You know,” I accused.

“I know exactly who you’re talking about.”

Theo’s laugh echoed through the entire flat. 

“Stop, stop, stop,” I pushed my hands out toward him. “Don’t tell me. Not a word. Please. I don’t want to know.”

“What?” he laughed. “Why?”

“Because. It’s nothing, it’s just…a distraction. That’s what I need. And if I know who it is is…”

“The distraction vanishes.”

I nodded lamely. 

Theo held up his hands in surrender. 

“Alright, Granger. Have it your way. But the moment you want to know…”

“Wait-”

Theo’s eyes were shining with mischief. 

“It’s not you, is it?”

Theo laughed and threw his arms around me. 

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

I laughed as he poked and prodded me. 

“Okay, okay,” I shoved him. “Is he…dangerous?” 

Theo considered the question for a long moment. 

“From what I’ve seen of him down there, he’s very…controlled. Has he hurt you?” 

I shook my head. 

“He scares me, though.” 

“That’s kind of the point of the black level, Granger,” he offered me a small smile. “Masks, BDSM, you know. Fear can really heighten one’s sexual experiences.”

I tried not to blush. 

“You can always go to another level. You don’t have to go back down there with him.” 

Oh, how little he knew. I toyed with the bead on my wrist. 

“He’s a bit…possessive.”

Theo’s face had turned serious as he nodded.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said. “The minute you’re done with him or want things to end for good, you tell me. I’ll make sure it does.” 

“Really?”

He nods. 

“I want you to explore a side of yourself you’d be otherwise afraid to. So go balls to the wall, Granger. And if you need a rescue, I’m there to pull you out.”

“Thank you.”

“You really don’t want to know?”

I shook my head. 

“I’ll face my demons when I’m ready.” 

I swallowed down the irony of the statement. 

“Sorry about that,” Draco said, entering the kitchen once again. “New Aurors.” 

He eye-rolled. 

“We were just discussing Granger’s grand sexual exploitations!” 

I stabbed at Theo with my fork. 

“With Krum?”

“No!” I blanched. “Anyway, how were the werewolves?”

Draco blissfully steered the conversation away from any and all things Nox. And I was perfectly happy to let him. I glanced at the clock and noticed it was almost time for me to face my second monster, Pansy. 

“I’ve got some errands to run today,” I said. “I’ll see you around?”

“I’ve got dinner with my mother tonight,” Draco said. “So the kitchen is all yours.” 

I smiled, knowing I wouldn’t use it. I was too nervous. 

“Have fun tonight,” Theo sang after me with a chuckle. 

I slipped back into my room and resisted the urge to barricade my door and refuse to leave. 

How could I be so hopelessly excited and terrified at the same time? He scared me, yes. Took me to the club while I was asleep, yes. He crossed lines. But he didn’t touch me. He stayed in his chair. 

And Nott knew him. 

If he thought he was a complete psychopath, he’d warn me. 

He told me how much he hated Ronald all the time. 

And the Monster couldn’t be Theo… 

Right? 

He hadn’t exactly denied that fact. 

But Theo agreed to pull me out if things got too deep. I had a safety net now. I felt…okay.

I dressed in denim and a light tank top for Pansy’s fitting. I was dreading this. She absolutely hated me in school. And now going here, for things like I wore this morning? I wanted to bury my head beneath the pavement. 

Backstitch and Binding was by far the most chic establishment on the block. She’d wasted no expense on the decor or advertisement. 

A bell chimed when I walked in. 

“Ahh, Granger, right on time,” Pansy came into view from the back. 

Her hairstyle hadn’t changed. It was still a jet-black bob that looked as if it were shined each morning. Not a single strand was out of place. Her smoky eye makeup and pouty red lip gave her a sophisticated air. She was wearing a short black mini-dress with patent loafers. On her left hand was the largest diamond I’d ever seen. 

“Hi, Pansy,” I said, forcing my smile to feel natural. 

She walked past me to the door and held it open. 

“You, out,” she called. 

I jolted. Was she talking to me? 

“Yes, you two, out,” she snapped impatiently. “She’s got a private fitting. Come back later. Or don’t. I don’t give a shit.”

Two witches shuffled past me, completely aghast over Pansy’s dismissal of them. She closed the door, locked it, and twisted over the closed sign. 

She flashed me another smile. 

“Any who. How’s life?”

“Erm…” I fumbled, and she waved at me to follow her. “I’m getting divorced?”

“Gods! About fucking time. Merlin’s fat arse. Weasley was terrible for you!” 

She threw open the curtain, revealing a small dressing room. 

“I’m already two down,” she said, admiring her newest ring. “This one may stick. But if not, out of the frying pan and into the fryer, as they say.” 

I didn’t think that phrase really fit here, but I ignored it. 

“So, an exciting new benefactor, sugar daddy, is dressing you all up to be his sexy little plaything. Fun!”

She closed the curtain on me before I could answer. 

“Take off everything, Granger. I’ll fit you for all new things.” 

“Everything?” My voice came out as a squeak.

“Yes. Everything. Hence why I closed the shop. No one but me and the galleon-giving daddy will see you.” 

I died at the thought of standing naked before Pansy Parkinson. 

I shrugged out of them before she could hex them off of me. She thrust open the curtain and assessed me. 

“Oh, very nice,” she nodded. “Great tits, Grangey. I love your arse.” 

I was dying. I had literally died, and this must be some strange version of hell. Because in no universe did this kind of thing exist. 

“Uh, thank you?”

“Grangey,” she held up her hand. “School was eons ago. Fuck Hogwarts and those houses. I don’t give a shit about any of that anymore. I’m married to a Muggle now. He’s a Baron.”

“Really?” 

I was completely shocked. Pansy was one of the few pure-bred families in the wizarding world. I would have never thought that she’d be married to a Muggle. 

“After the war, no one really gave a shit about their parent’s ancient bigoted ideas. I make a fucking fortune selling my shit to Muggles online. I love em. Poor dumb suckers they are. So, I’m sorry for all that other dumb shit that happened. But this?”

She gestured to me and moved her arm up and down. 

“You’ve got a killer body. And we’re going to give you the revenge dress of your dreams. Because that’s what every divorced woman needs.”

“A dress?”

“No. Her confidence.” 

She swept my hair off my shoulders while I took in my naked body in the mirror. 

“I think this color will look lovely with your eyes.” 

And Pansy got to work. I was in the shop for two and a half hours with this mad woman. And she redesigned my entire life. I tried to stop her once she was fitting me for trousers, dresses, and skirts. 

“I think it’s just lingerie-type things,” I said. 

She gave me a look. She pulled her mobile out and scrolled. 

“No,” she said. “The email said right here, clothes for business, pleasure, and sleep. I took the double entendre to mean pleasure and… pleasure.” 

She shimmied at the second one. 

“Everything has been transported to your wardrobe, per instructions,” she said. “If you have any trouble or need any fixes. Let me know. I’m having shoes delivered too.”

“This was… It was all very…” I didn’t even know what to say. 

She stepped forward and wrapped me in a hug. 

“Us divorcees have to stick together,” she smiled. “Let’s do lunch? Next week? I’m free on Monday. Come round the shop, and we’ll pop off to a nice café that I know.” 

Does anyone say no to Pansy Parkinson? I suppose if they did, they would become another divorce victim. 

“Thank you,” I said, truly meaning it. 

She winked at me and unlocked her door. 

“Wear the plum one tonight!” 

Chapter Text

I followed Pansy’s advice. The deep purple made even more of the golden hazel colors pop as I looked in the mirror. I kept my hair up and out of my face and painted my lips a similar wine shade to match. I felt desirable.  And it was strange. For the first time in years, I looked in the mirror and was genuinely complimentary of the figure I saw staring back. It's funny how something so simple can bring such a change. 

Despite the changes, I kept the light blue band around my neck. It was a symbol of my journey, a reminder of where I came from. I was still learning, but I wasn’t changing shades any time soon. 

The monster met me at the end of the lift. A long hallway separated us, and I tried not to shiver as I walked toward him. My outfit tonight was the skimpiest one I’d been seen in at the club. But I kept my neck up and back straight as I walked to him in a new pair of red-bottomed heels Pansy placed in my wardrobe. The outfit tonight was similar to the one I wore last night, but the panties had a bit more coverage than the low-rise bikinis did. These were lacy and fit more like boy shorts. 

“Fucking incredible,” he breathed as I got closer. 

He spun his finger. 

“Give us a twirl, kitten.” 

I stopped and walked in a small circle. 

The monster let out a low whistle. 

“I’d drop to my knees and worship you right here all night.” 

I pushed out a breathy laugh as I rolled my eyes. But when my eyes met him, all I saw was the intense heat behind them. 

“I’d never joke about your beauty or a promise like that.” 

I studied him, wanting to see if he was serious or not. And unfortunately, I think he was. 

“Are you going to terrorize me through the hallways again?” I asked. “I’ll need to take my heels off, so I don’t break my ankle.”

“You didn’t like the chase?” he grinned.

I gave him a flat look. 

“No.” 

He leaned forward, dragging his fingers gently across my collarbone. 

“What did you like from last night?”

I considered for a moment, willing myself to focus and ignore the way my skin hummed beneath his touch. 

“I liked the orgasm I gave myself.” 

He snickered and pressed his lips against my collarbone. 

“Taking all the credit yourself, huh?”

“Yes.” 

“Very well,” he stood up straight. “That’s for the best because tonight is all about my pleasure.” 

His eyes were dark with a promise. He watched my audible gulp, and his lip quirked in a smile. 

“Come on, kitten. Stow your claws. You won’t need them tonight.” 

I watched as he led us into one of the performance alcoves. There was already a scene happening on the stage. A group of individuals wearing purple bands were collected together while two masked men with black bands orchestrated the scene before them. 

A growing audience was already seated, but the monster didn’t stop at those seats. He walked onto the stage. He hadn’t glamored me tonight. My face was fully exposed to the audience before me. And I didn’t miss the way some of those watching audibly gasped at my presence. 

He took his typical seat on the large throne and sat me on his lap. I was practically humming with nervous energy as I watched the scene before me. It was a complicated-looking orgy of at least six people. I could barely keep track of where one person ended and another began. Would we be next? I still had my blue. I could say no. There were tons of people here tonight. People who knew me. Nott said I was safe.

“Breathe, kitten,” he whispered against my neck. 

He’d rested one hand against my hip, and the other was splayed out possessively on my thigh. 

“I can’t.”

“And why’s that?”

His nose dragged along the back of my neck, sending shivers down my whole body. 

“Everyone’s staring at me.” 

“Yes.” 

“I don’t like that.”

“Well, you know how to get a mask at this level.” 

I gritted my teeth. What a bastard. 

I swallowed my rage, ignored the audience, and kept my eyes focused on the people on the stage. 

“You smell so good.” 

I ignored him. I don’t think he’s taken his face off my back, neck, or shoulders this entire time we’ve been sitting here. I don’t understand why we were sitting here. What was I supposed to be learning?

“The reason everyone’s looking at you is because they all want you.” 

A hollow, cynical laugh broke through me.

“Just wait,” he said. “You’ll see.” 

I rolled my eyes at him and sat in silence the rest of the time. He continued licking, biting, and teasing his way over my skin until I wanted to turn and throttle him myself. I pretended he wasn’t there. I forced myself to ignore him. But it was so difficult. Every touch was magnetic, pulling me closer to him. 

One of the masked figures turned and looked up at me and gestured something I didn’t understand. 

“One of them wants to talk to you,” I said, the monster clearly not paying attention as he kissed his way over my arm. 

He pulled away for a brief moment and looked over at the masked man. He laughed low in his throat. 

“What?”

“Someone is asking for you to join them.”

I panicked. I gave a sharp shake of my head. I wasn’t ready to do any of the things happening on the stage tonight. So many people, so many hands. It was too much. 

“I’m glad to hear you’d rather be here with me.” 

“I wouldn’t,” I say back. “I just didn’t think you’d actually let it happen.”

“I’ll never stifle your curiosities here,” he said. “I just had two conditions.” 

I looked over my shoulder at him. He was some great oaf going on and on about possession and ownership earlier. Now he was telling me that I could do whatever I wanted?

“I said I was the only one who could make you come and that your lips couldn’t touch them.” 

“You said my body was yours.” 

“And it is. Mine to wield. I would direct every touch,” his fingers dragged down my arm. “Every caress. If I didn’t like the way they touched you, it would be over.” 

I shook my head. “You don’t make any sense.”

“I’m supposed to be teaching you how to accept pleasure, remember?” 

I remained silent. I remembered our original deal. 

“You said you didn’t want to feel… hmm what was that again?” 

He was toying with me. 

“You already broke that deal. You made me feel afraid. Last night.” 

He released his hands from me. I turned back and looked at him. His hands were now on the armrest of the large chair. 

“I’ll let you run right now.” 

I stared at him. Was he challenging me? 

“Would you run from me?” 

Would I? 

I hesitated.

“What if I told you to run?” 

My pulse naturally increased. The adrenaline jolt of running from him pushed into my memories. 

“What if I took you from your room again?”

I glared at him. What was he getting at?

“You were afraid, yes?”

“Yes.” 

“But you’re back here tonight.” 

I didn’t respond.

“You asked me to take your fear. How do you expect to lose fear if you won’t face it?”

My lips formed a hard line. 

“I don’t want to be afraid. I want to feel all that.”

He fed my own words back to me. 

“I’m not a healer. I’m not going to be soft with you. That’s not what the black level is for. You came here seeking out pleasure and release. If you don’t want that, then you need to go.” 

Fuck, he frustrated me so much. He just pushed and pushed. Why wouldn’t he just let me be? All he did was confuse me with this back-and-forth. Possessive one minute pushes me away the next. It didn’t make sense. 

I thought about the week I’ve had. I thought about how both Draco and Theo just allowed me my own quiet space to pull away from. But the monster didn’t let me sit in the quiet. He dragged me out of it, kicking and screaming. He chased me from it. It was the first time I had felt alive in days. I wasn’t just silently slipping by. I was…fighting.

“You want a nice palatable orgasm? Go to green. You can have pretty little missionary sex with some bumbling fuckwad who doesn’t know your clitoris from your armpit. But down here? We fuck. And we drag every last ounce of pleasure from one another because that’s what all of us fucking want. We want to feel. Even if it makes us afraid. Even if it’s terrifying, new, and overwhelming.”

He was so close I could feel his breath, and both of us were breathing heavily now. I struggled against my rising frustration. He slipped his finger underneath my twine bracelet. 

“You want out of this deal? Go. I’ll rip it off right now. Or you can stay here and face your fear. You can bear your teeth at it and fight like you did last night. Because that’s what I want. I don’t want you silent and submissive. I want your ribbon as black as mine, kitten. I want you fighting or not at all.”

I wanted to crumble inside. Gods, I wanted to run so badly. I wanted to run away from everything. From work, from Ron, from the people who gossiped and whispered about me. I wanted to hide away and never be found. 

“So? Are you running, or are you fighting?”

I’d been running for so long. I just buried one thing after another as horrible situations continued to rise in my life. And where had it gotten me? I’d lost over five years of my life, and for what? Because I didn’t want confrontation or a fight. Because I didn’t want to feel crippling disappointment because I’d married the wrong man. Because I didn’t want to admit that I was so fucking alone that I didn’t even see anyone looking back when I looked into a mirror. I hadn’t always been this way. I hadn’t always felt this soul-crushing hopelessness and apathy.  

I closed my eyes. 

“I’m fighting,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. 

“Good girl,” he said and pressed a kiss against my cheek. “Good girl.”

The monster wrapped his arms around my body and pulled me against his chest. And I let him. He infuriated me and terrified me. But so did my grief. And I’ve been running for so long. Eventually, the main group left the small performance stage. The lights dimmed around us, and the monster sat up straighter. 

“What did I tell you tonight was about?”

“Your pleasure,” I whispered. 

“That’s right, kitten. And I’m going to soak up every last ounce of this.” 

The lights came back on, and a group of about a dozen new participants had joined the stage. Half of them wore masks similar to those of the monster and were in black bands. The other half were decorated in an array of colors. But one of the unmasked men was staring straight at me, practically burning a hole right through me. Viktor Krum. 

His hungry gaze roved over my body with a feral claim. He wanted me. He cocked his head at me, beckoning me with a few of his fingers. I remained completely rooted in my spot. 

“What will you do, kitten? Now that you have the freedom to choose?”

Viktor glared at the monster, now whispering in my ear. His hands dragged down my thighs and then back up again. He skimmed his nose over the back of my neck, making the small hairs stand on end. 

I shook my head at Viktor, who stared expectantly at me. 

The monster dragged his fingertips up my side. When he reached the roundness of my breast, he also followed that path. His fingers were so cold, but they felt like fire against my flesh. The soft chiffon barely created a barrier against him. 

I knew that my nipples were protruding from the lace fabric now that the monster’s hands had started moving over me. Viktor had joined the others, but he kept his eyes locked on me. He interacted with the scene, teasing the female who was laid out before him. But his eyes never left mine. It went on like this for what felt like hours.

“Are we going to join them?” I asked. 

“Do you want to?”

The monster’s hands dropped to the armrests once again, showing that I was clearly open to move from his lap. 

I didn’t move, but Viktor shot upright. He was nodding at me, encouraging me to join him. I felt like I had a few weeks ago. He was devouring the woman before him, all while imagining me, promising that same pleasure to me. 

“No,” I answered to both of them. 

His hands resumed tracing scorching paths up and down my body. Over and over, he traced over nearly every inch of me. Finally, his left hand slipped just beneath the waistband of my panties, and I completely froze. A small gasp escaped my lips. 

He’d never…

He was going to…

But he didn’t move. He just left it there, resting on my hip bone, his fingers just dangling within the edge of my panties. He traced his right hand up the center of my stomach. He cupped my cheek and tilted my head toward his mouth. His teeth locked around my earlobe, and I arched against him. My soft moan came out as more of a whimper. I felt how that affected the monster, but I saw how it enraged Viktor. 

A low chuckle left the monster’s lips and danced across my ear. He bit down again, and my gasp was louder this time. Gods, I felt that right in my core. Each time… it drove me a little more wild than the previous. And he didn’t stop. He bit and teased all along the column of my neck while I writhed above him. I ground my ass into his hard erection, desperate for any kind of reprieve. 

I was so consumed with what the monster was doing to me that I barely noticed Viktor had switched partners. I was completely clouded with lust. 

“Come on, kitten,” he said. 

He had pulled away and was now standing up with me. 

“What? Where?” 

I couldn’t keep the terror from my eyes. If he took me into that den of vipers on stage, Viktor Krum would rip me in half. 

“We’re done for the night,” he said. 

He wrapped one arm around my waist, letting his fingers trail over my ass as we walked off the stage. He buried his mouth into my neck again. 

I cast Viktor one last look over my shoulder and watched his eyes nearly catch fire as he glared after the two of us. 

“He’s going to murder you,” I whispered as we walked past the crowd of onlookers. 

The monster laughed. “I’d love to see him try.” 

We rounded the corner, and I stopped and stood in front of him. 

“Why did you do that?” I asked. 

“To show you how desirable you are. He still wants you.”

“You said tonight was about your pleasure.” 

“And it was.” 

His grin made me want to punch him again. I rolled my eyes and walked toward the lift. 

“Stay out of my bedroom,” I said, looking over my shoulder. 

He was right behind me, though, and I jumped. 

“No more sleeping droughts,” he said seriously. “They’re addictive. If you can’t sleep, you come here and fuck away the nightmares with me. You understand?”

I studied him for a long moment. I don’t know how he knew, but he did. Truthfully, I knew their addictive quality all too well. They frightened me, but I didn’t feel like I had another option in desperate moments. But perhaps now I did. 

I nodded. 

He kissed my nose. 

Confusing, chaotic, psycho. 

I stepped back into the lift. 

“I’m going to fuck myself senseless thinking of you in this outfit tonight.”

I shook my head as I fought back a grin. But the monster stepped forward and stopped the doors from closing on us.

“If I asked you to stay home tomorrow night, would you?”

I narrowed my gaze at him. 

“Why?”

He remained silent. 

And my anxiety ramped up. 

“Are you meeting someone else here?”

A dark smile spread over him. 

“No, kitten,” he said. “But you have no idea how much pleasure it gives me to see you jealous.” 

I opened my mouth to argue that I was not jealous, but his thumb traced my lower lip, rendering me entirely speechless. 

“I suppose you could always owe me a favor in return,” I grinned. 

He cocked his head to the side as I pushed on his chest. He stepped out of the path of the doors.

“Are you flirting with me?”

I pushed the main level floor button. 

“Maybe I am, Monster. Maybe I am.”

Chapter Text

My weekend had been leaps beyond what my week had been. I listened to the monster’s request. I didn’t even think about going there without him, especially with Viktor in town. Instead, Draco and I ordered curry and watched cooking shows on the couch. It was the strangest, most Muggle experience I’d ever had with another wizard—especially one as posh as Draco Malfoy. But I enjoyed his company. He even started teaching me the basics of Occlumency, like he’d promised. He told me I had to find a way to organize my thoughts in a way that made sense to me. 

“My mother is a talented botanist,” he told me. “Her mind is set up like a greenhouse. Secrets, thoughts, and memories are all hidden among her fauna. It would take anyone a long time to sort through her mind because they would be unfamiliar with the greenery she’s set up.”

“What are yours?” I flinched. “Unless that’s too personal. Then, don’t feel like you have to answer it. Sorry.” 

“I don’t mind sharing with you,” he shrugged. “I don’t think you’ll use it against me.” 

I smiled. “Definitely not. Going toe-to-toe with the Head Auror doesn’t sound like it would make my to-do list.”

He laughed, and I warmed at the feeling. He wasn’t one who laughed freely, and it made me feel good to see him that relaxed with me. 

“Constellations,” he said. “Star maps, planets, moons. If someone were to break into my mind, they’d find space.” 

“How clever,” I grinned. 

“You just have to find what works for you.” 

I also had a surprisingly lovely lunch with Pansy on Monday. She was actually very funny and regaled me with tales of her previous marriages. According to her, all of these were disastrous learning curves. We had plans to see each other next weekend, too. It was nice to have someone to talk about divorce with. There was no judgment from Pansy. 

Monday night was the hardest. I heard the monster’s voice as I thought about a sleeping drought. It was after two in the morning, and I was miles away from relaxation and sleep. But I resisted. I finally pushed off my blankets. 

I was wearing one of the new silk things from Pansy’s shop. This one was in black. It was basically the equivalent of a tank top and panties. And normally, I’d just wear my very oversized Hogwarts shirt to sleep in. But this had proven so comfortable. In fact, all of Pansy’s things were. 

I crept to the kitchen to find more of the cookie dough ice cream Draco had purchased. I pulled the pint of ice cream out and grabbed a spoon. I sat on the counter and let my legs swing off the end while I ate straight from the pint. I’d dig around in the ice cream while he was asleep so I could find the biggest chunk of cookie dough. 

I had to figure out another solution for my sleep issues. And I knew it would only get worse as the week went on. Draco had told me that Occlumency would help not only as a defensive technique, but as a stress management technique as well. I considered what my “mind” would look like while I happily ate spoonfuls of ice cream. Anyone would guess books for me. I suppose that made a lot of sense. I liked books. I have always enjoyed reading. But that didn’t seem like enough. A garden and space made sense. You could get lost there. I needed to create a space to get lost in. But how could I pick just one thing?

“Is insomnia usually catching?” 

My head snapped around to find Draco leaning against the wall. He was shirtless, and his pajama bottoms hung dangerously low around his hips. I stared at the contour of his abs and the drastic dip of his hips. I don’t remember him being so muscular in school. He was always fit, but this? This was the Head Auror of the Ministry of Magic fit. He was stunning. 

I was suddenly aware of how very naked I was. 

While sitting on his counter. 

In the dark. 

With a pint of ice cream. 

“Sorry,” I mumbled, trying to swallow the frozen dessert lodged in my throat. 

He walked in front of me and grabbed the container and my spoon. He took a bite for himself, and I found myself slightly embarrassed with how attractive it was. 

“Have you always had insomnia?” I asked. 

“I have night terrors,” he said. “Have since I was a kid.”

I frown. When I think of a toddler-aged Draco with his bright gray eyes and icy blonde hair, I don’t picture one plagued by something as horrible as night terrors. Though, I suppose with a father like his, there was no shortage of traumatic occurrences in his young life.

“I’m so sorry,” I said gently. 

He shrugged non-committedly and offered the ice cream back to me. 

“What about you?”

I took the ice cream and let the cold numb my hand for a moment. I needed to put the pint against my flushed chest.

“Seventh year.”

He leaned his elbows against the counter beside me. He smelled so good. Something tart, green apples? But earthy as well. 

“Bellatrix?”

My body stiffened. Gods. I hadn’t heard that name in years. But my scar sent a phantom pain ricocheting up my arm at the memory.

“No,” I said. “She was just petrol on the flame. It was there long before she came around.”

I scooped a bite and handed it back to him. He glared at my arm. 

“It was the snatchers,” I continued. “The constant vigilance of covering my tracks, casting charms, reinforcing protections. It consumed me.”

“And now?”

I gave a hollow laugh. “I guess I never stopped running.”

“Are you at least fast?”

I looked down at him and saw he was grinning at me. 

“Not fast enough.” 

He dug around in the ice cream and pulled out a large chunk of cookie dough. 

“I’ve been searching for that!”

“There’s one in every pint,” he gave me a smug look. “And you missed out.”

I reached for the spoon.

“This was supposed to be my insomnia prize.”

He held the spoon further away.

“You can have it back after this.”

“Not now,” I whined. “You’ve picked all the good bits out.”

He teased the spoon in front of my face while holding my arm back. I reached for the spoon with my other hand, but it was no use. I locked my fingers around the wrist that held the spoon and tried to steer it into my mouth. He laughed as he fought my pull. And I couldn’t help but laugh, too. There was no way I would overpower him. But I wanted that bite.

I worked my other hand free from him and pulled on his spoon hand. He laughed at my tenacity and gently popped his arm free of my grasp. I didn’t realize how hard I’d been pulling. And without a second to react, I was falling backward off the counter. 

“Fuck!” We both screamed.

And Draco dove to catch me before I hit the floor. Luckily, he was already standing close, so he easily wrapped his arms around me and caught me. But his bare foot hit the rug, and it sent us both flying in the dark. We both screamed again, and I landed on him as we crumpled on the floor. Before I even had a chance to react, the half-empty ice cream pint rolled over the edge and dropped on both of us. 

Freezing, sticky ice cream dropped over my stomach and legs as it spilled onto his torso and arm. We both yelped from the cold contact on our bare skin. 

“It’s so fucking cold,” he flinched beneath me. 

“You’re pushing it back on me!” 

Both of us frantically tried to sweep the frozen treat off of our bodies and onto the other. I watched us both and finally burst into laughter. The initial shock of the fall seemed to wear off from him, too, and he began laughing. The two of us lay there in a sticky, tangled mess, completely guffawing.

I don’t know how long we remained there, but it felt so fucking good to really laugh again.

The next morning, I steeled myself against the onslaught of new attention after my weekend at Nox. Now that people had seen me in the black level, they were bound to talk. Pansy’s voice rang clear this morning as I pulled out an outfit. I don’t think this was the revenge dress. But it was pretty damn close. Pansy said she was saving the actual one for the perfect moment. I didn’t know what that meant. 

Today’s dress was the same plum color as my lingerie on Saturday. It made me feel confident. It was a nice color, made my eyes pop, and it gave me a very nice hourglass look. It wasn’t low-cut. But it had a nice square neckline that Pansy said gave them just a taste. 

I also wore the new shoes she got me—red bottoms. I kept the ice cream fiasco in my head as I walked to the lifts this morning. Whether people recognized me from Nox or from Ron’s bashing campaign, it was nice not to be completely run over and jostled all morning. People avoided me, and I didn’t hear nearly the amount of whispers I did last week. I kept my shoulders back, eyes up, and I faced it. 

I’m fighting , I reminded myself a dozen times that morning. 

I gripped my coffee and bag in one hand and let the other hand grab the strap above us in the lift. Draco filed in after me with two other young Aurors I didn’t recognize. He smiled at me across the lift. 

“Serdis,” Draco said to one of the wizards he’d entered with. “Do you smell…cookies?” 

I bit my lip to mask my smile. 

“N-no, Head Auror Malfoy, I don’t, sir.”

He turned to the other. 

“Caprin? Do you?”

“No, sir.”

The lift stopped on my floor, and several wizards moved to let me pass. 

“How curious,” Draco said as I exited, and I laughed, thinking of the two of us completely covered in melted ice cream. 

I rounded the corner and froze. All hints of laughter died on my lips. 

Ron stood leaning against the wall opposite my office door. Was Theo not in yet?

I don’t know how long we stared at one another, not speaking or moving. 

Run , my body urged me. 

He finally broke the silence. 

“Mione,” he said. “New dress?”

I didn’t speak.

Run , my body begged. 

My adrenaline spiked. Anxiety pulsed through me. I was starting to break out in a cold sweat. 

I needed a place for my mind to go. A garden. Space. Anywhere but right fucking here. 

“I see you pulled out of our account.” 

Run. 

I could make it back to the lifts before he caught up. He wouldn’t chase after me and cause a scene. 

Run!!

“Fucking talk to me, Hermione,” he snapped. “Merlin’s beard. You’re acting like a child throwing a tantrum.”

Fight. 

The monster’s voice was in my head now. 

Stand up and fucking fight. 

 “Go away,” I said. 

That’s it, fight.

“We need to get this nonsense settled. We’re not getting a bloody divorce, Hermione. Come home. Stop being a fucking prude.”

I recoiled as if slapped. 

“C-come home? After the rumors and lies you spread about me?”

I wanted to laugh. It was delusional! Did he really think that I could ever be with him again? Our trust had been obliterated.

“I can’t help what others are saying,” he said. “Other people started rumors when they saw how upset I was that you didn’t come home Sunday night.” 

“You lie,” I shook. “All you do is lie, Ronald! More lies!”

Theo flashed out of nowhere and tackled Ron to the ground. His wand dug into Ron’s neck as he pinned him. 

“Get off!”

“You listen here, Weasley, and you listen fucking good,” Theo growled. 

I’d never heard him speak like that in his life. I froze. 

“You ever come on this level, and I’ll jinx your bollocks so far up your ass, they’ll tickle your bloody tonsils. You don’t speak to her. You don’t look at her. You don’t even fucking think about her, do you understand?”

“She’s my wife, you prick!”

“Not for long, asshole.”

Theo swung his leg off him, and Ron scrambled to his feet. 

“This isn’t fucking done,” he said, pointing to me. “This isn’t over.”

I stared at Theo as Ron left. 

“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” he teased. “You know I’m bloody nuts; look at my parents!”

He wrapped me in a tight hug.

“You okay?”

I nodded. I was. I’d actually survived my first face-to-face with Ron. I didn’t run. I didn’t vomit. I’d tried to stand up for myself. I felt… good. 

I smiled, nodding my head more. 

“Thank you.”

“I wanted to kill him. But you’d be so lost with me in Azkaban. I couldn’t leave you like that.”

“Such a gentleman,” I tease as we walk into the office, arm-in-arm. “You were surprisingly ferocious.”

“I was offered Head Auror, but I love research so much more.”

I rolled my eyes and got to work. 

I survived. 

I’ve seen him. 

The first encounter was over. 

“Granger, you’ve got to head upstairs,” Theo grimaced later, waving a parchment at me.

“For what?”

“From the desk of Head Auror Malfoy,” he read.  

My face fell. 

“He wrote Weasley got sent home for the day, though,” he added with a smile. “So I’m feeling quite chuffed about that.” 

He smoothed out the parchment with a smile. 

I glanced at the clock. It was nearly the end of the day. I reached down and grabbed my bag. I stuffed my lunchbox into it as well. Draco’s animated cartoon today was a cookie dough ice cream pint coming to life and chasing us around the kitchen island. It might be my favorite so far. 

I walked to the lifts and pressed the button to the Auror’s floor. I tried not to focus on the building dread of what this could possibly be about, but I had a hunch it had to do with what happened this morning. 

Draco’s office had a desk before the door where his personal assistant sat. She had gone home for the day, and his door was wide open. I could hear him speaking, though, so I knocked on the door frame. 

“Come in, Granger,” he called. 

Dean Thomas was sitting in one of the chairs in front of Draco’s desk. Draco was sitting against his desk, legs crossed, and looking very serious compared to the casual ice cream-covered persona of this morning. 

“I’ll let you chat,” Dean stood and squeezed my shoulder. “Good to see you, Hermione.” 

“Good to see you, Dean.”

Dean shut the door, and Draco gestured for me to sit. 

“Weasley is on probation right now while the investigation against him is settled. Accounting, billing, and human resources all have separate claims against him with a pretty good list of misconduct. He’s under strict orders not to step foot onto your research level. But, to see that he doesn’t try anything again, I’ll be escorting you to and from your office each day.”

I blew out a breath. 

“Draco, you really don’t have to do that,” I said, but he held up his hand. 

“If Nott catches him again, he’ll kill him. And Nott’s too soft for Azkaban, Granger.”

I smiled and watched as Draco's face grew more serious.

“Are you okay?” I’d never heard his voice that gentle before. “I watched the tapes.”

I ignored the mortification I felt over my interactions being recorded.

“I didn’t run.”

He grinned so widely at me that I felt a smile bloom across my cheeks. 

“You didn’t run.” 

“I wanted to.” 

“But you didn’t.”

Chapter Text

Today, I stepped ridiculously far out of my comfort zone. I stared at the cornflower blue dress and ran my fingers along the soft material, hugging my body. Pansy had paired the sleeveless, turtlenecked dress with nude heels. The skirt fit a little tighter and shorter than I usually wore for work, but it was such a beautiful color. I tamed my wild curls on the top of my head and stared at myself in the mirror. I held the perma-stick lipstick tube in my hand. Pansy stressed the importance of wearing lipstick every day. It was so foreign to me, but as I spread a thin layer of it over my lips, I could see how it transformed me. I felt stronger somehow. 

Draco was leaning against the counter while he read through several pages of a report. His brows were furrowed in irritation. It was refreshing seeing the other side of him over these weeks of living together. I rarely saw the furrow at home. I got to witness the mellow, focused, relaxed, and even jovial side of him. I lived for the moments when he would break out in laughter. It was so husky and melodic.

He heard my heels on the tile and looked up from his papers. His lips parted.

“Granger,” his voice was low and rough.

It reminded me of the way the monster would growl along my skin while teasing me with his mouth. I took a deep breath, attempted to smile, and beat down whatever embarrassing and self-conscious thoughts arose.

“You,” he steadied himself. “You look like you’re fighting well this morning.”

I huffed out a laugh.

“I’m trying,” I smiled.

He let his eyes rove over me one last time before shaking his head and shoving his papers back into his bag. He slid my coffee to me and helped me get my bag over my shoulder. His fingers skimmed the bare skin on my shoulder, and I suppressed a shiver. He held my lunchbox and gestured to the Floo.

Today we went together. He kept his free hand on my back, and I pretended it didn’t feel like he was burning a hole through my light dress. He seemed to shave each morning. I could see the roots of his hair were still a little damp. He also rarely wore his glasses in the mornings, I noticed. It seemed like after the long day, he’d come home and put them on. Or, on particularly difficult days, he’d have them on by the afternoon.

“Does Legilimency affect your eyesight?”

He looked down at me in surprise.

“Yes,” he answered honestly. “How did you know?”

“I usually only see you in your glasses at the end of a long day or when you seem stressed.”

“I get headaches from it if I overdo it. The glasses help with the strain.”

I nodded, and we popped into the Ministry.

Draco Malfoy was a frightening wizard. He could school his features in a way that made him look like the apex predator he was. He would glower at you and turn you to dust. But being within his protective bubble was another feeling entirely. He kept a hand on my back as he steered me through the crowd. Walking through the lobby of the Ministry with him at my side was one of the most powerful moments I remember having. I felt a little piece of myself click back into place this morning.

We stood at the door of the lifts, and I felt Draco tense. Ron was already inside.

Ron never did have the ability to school his features. His face bloomed with crimson rage at my appearance. He sneered at me with a quiet contempt. I attempted to step back, but Draco’s thumb rubbed circles along the small of my back and held me in place.

“Get out.”

Draco’s voice was menacingly low. He was burning a hole in Ron with his penetrating glare.

Ron gritted his teeth, looking like he was going to argue. The other inhabitants of the lift shifted uncomfortably at the exchange. But none of them would have been thick enough to defy an order from the Head Auror. The two of them glared at one another for several beats. Finally, Ron relented. He shoved past everyone on the lift, grumbling and cursing. His shirt was wrinkled, his hair was mussed, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

Draco didn’t give him a second look, and neither did I as we climbed into the lift. The people inside moved away, giving us space to take a spot in the back. Draco used the hand that was on my back to trace up my spine and lift my arm to the strap above my head. He stood just behind me, and I felt the warmth of his body soothing me.

Could I do this every morning with him? I should not be this attracted to my flatmate. I was supposed to be forming a friendship with him. Not a desire to have him fuck me against the lift walls. My cheeks reddened. I needed to get a fucking grip. Draco was supremely off-limits.

“Benson,” Draco said next to me, taking his hand off of mine and the leather loop we both held.

The two wizards shook hands and spoke quietly about some meeting they had last week about rogue hinkypunks.

“Love your dress today, Hermione,” Parvati said.

Surprise overtook my features as I looked to the other side of me. She was smiling up at me.

“Thank you,” I smiled.

“Where’s it from? I have a wedding coming up. Something like that would be great.”

“Pansy Parkinson’s new shop,” I said. “She’s got a real talent for things.”

“Backstitch and Binding, right? I’ve heard it’s so posh.”

“It’s lovely,” I said. “You should go.”

“I’ll tell Padma,” she nodded and waved as she left. “See you!”

Draco’s hand was back over mine on the leather strap, and I resisted every urge I had to lean against his chest while we rode the rest of the way.

One of the young Aurors came in the lift next.

“Trevor Stanley,” he smiled at me and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Miss Granger.”

Draco slid his hand back down the expanse of my arm and rested on my back again as the lift jostled. He steadied me in my heels so that I could let go of the handle and shake Trevor’s hand. When his hand was completely spread out over my back it covered almost the entire length of it.

“Lovely to meet you,” I said.

Trevor engaged Draco in an animated retelling of the training he’d been at last weekend. I smiled at the energy he radiated. He was so enthusiastic about the job.

Draco’s hand remained rooted. I managed to exhale a shaky breath without groaning, but this was complete torture.

“This is us,” he said in my ear, and I tried not to shoot forward.

Having Draco’s mouth that close to my ear nearly made my knees buckle. The monster had completely ruined me. I was completely consumed with lust and need.

Trevor smiled and waved at me, and I offered him a smile in return.

“He seems nice,” I said as we walked through the hallway.

“He’s like a small dog, leaping at any and everything. The training was supposed to calm him down and get him focused,” Draco rolled his eyes.

I smiled and patted Draco’s arm.

“You were very patient with him.”

He gave me an irritated look, and I bit back my laughter.

“Thank you for the escort, Head Auror Malfoy,” I saluted. “Your services were impeccable. Pass my compliments to your supervisor.”

He reached behind me for the door handle. He was so close I nearly lost my breath.

“Behave,” he grinned as he opened the door. “I’ll be back tonight.”

Heat pulsed under my skin at the phrase.

If I closed my eyes, I could see the monster leaning forward, telling me the same thing. I knew my cheeks ignited at the memory, so I turned and ducked into the office. My pulse hammered against me as I pinched my eyes closed. I needed to get a handle on my raging hormones today. I was like a dizzy schoolgirl.

When Theo walked in, he took one look at me and cursed. He tossed me a lab coat with a glare.

“I’m not going to spend the whole day thinking about shagging one of my best friends,” he said.

I burst out laughing, and he grinned.

“You look smashing, Granger.”

“Thank you,” I smiled and put the coat on. “Now, come help me with these temperamental saliva samples.”

“Oh goody,” he groaned.

By lunch, I was starving. Theo went to grab some takeout from one of the shops nearby, and I went to my bag. But when I opened it, it was empty. Draco had held my lunch for me this morning.

I sighed as I contemplated what to do. I could send him a note, but there was no guarantee his assistant would get it to him right away.

Fight.

The familiar voice filled my head.

He was right. This was ridiculous. I could walk around the Ministry without fear of Ron doing something stupid. I needed my lunch. I would walk and go get it.

I shrugged out of my lab coat and headed to the lifts. When I arrived at Draco’s office, I was grateful to see most of the people had cleared out for the lunch hour, including his assistant. I walked past her desk and raised my hand to knock on Draco’s.

“It’s better, Potter,” he said. “There’s no sense in torturing yourself further.”

“But he’ll think I’ve said something.”

“I’m putting out a department memo that you’ve been promoted to the lead trainer. You do things by the book, and it makes the most sense to have you in charge of the new recruits. They need to learn things the right way. Weasley’s a lazy shit, he’d never get a job like that.”

I heard Harry sigh.

“Thank you,” he said. “I appreciate it.”

He sounded defeated, though.

“Are you still coming on Thursday?” Draco asked.

“If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, Potter. Enjoy yourselves.”

I stepped on a creaking floorboard and wanted to curse myself. I knocked on the door, and it opened.

I offered a half-hearted wave at Draco, refusing to look over at Harry.

“Granger?”

Malfoy was leaning against his desk in the same way I found him yesterday. His jacket was thrown against the back of his chair. He was wearing a white shirt and navy blue tie that matched the blue of his tight trousers.

“Sorry to interrupt,” I said quietly.

“I’ll let you talk,” Harry said, standing to leave. He hesitated beside me, but I didn’t turn and look at him. “You look nice today, Hermione.”

I gave the smallest inclination of my head but didn’t speak.

I finally sighed once I heard Harry shut the door.

“Are you all right?”

“You’ve kidnapped my lunch.”

Draco huffed out a laugh.

“Sorry,” he said, rounding his desk and bending over. I swore when he bent over that I could see the dark outline of something as his white shirt stretched against his taut back muscles. But when I blinked again, it was gone.

I shook my head.

For the love of Merlin. Now, I was envisioning the monster at my workplace.

Draco rounded the desk and held out the lunchbox.

“I’m sorry I interrupted,” I said.

He shrugged. “Nothing harmed.”

I took the lunch and looked up at him. Unable to resist, I just blurted out my question.

“Are you splitting up Harry and Ron’s partnership to punish Ron?”

He studied me.

“Would it upset you if I was?”

I considered it.

“No,” I shook my head.

Draco seemed to be searching for the lie on my tongue, but he wouldn’t find one.

“I didn’t do it to punish Weasley,” he said eventually. “It was for Potter’s sake.”

A dozen questions rose in my mind, but a knock sounded at the door.

“Thank you.”

I excused myself from the office and smiled at Dean as I left.

I turned the corner toward the lifts and froze when I saw Harry leaning against the wall. He pushed off against it, and my body stiffened.

“Harry…” I warned.

I didn’t want to do this. I just wanted to eat my lunch in peace.

“I don’t want you to hate me, Hermione.”

I steeled myself against the rage that built within me. I wanted to smack him with my bloody lunchbox.

I glared at him.

“It’s complicated,” he said, and I scoffed.

“It’s been years. And you didn’t say anything. You lied for him.”

“Hermione…”

“And you’ve heard the rumors he’s spreading around the Ministry. My workplace, Harry. I understand that you’re friends with him, but you were supposed to be my friend, too.”

I pushed past him into the lift.

“I am your friend,” he offered lamely.

I glared at him as I hit the button.

“Not a very good one.”

And I let the lift doors close on both of us.

I cursed Harry the entire ride back to my office. I’d confronted him. I’d finally told him what a shit friend he’d been. But it hadn’t made me feel much better. The defeated look on his face was horrible to witness. Part of me wondered if Ron was as terrible to him as he had been to me. But at the end of the day, I couldn’t excuse Harry’s involvement. He lied. Over and over, he lied to me. And that wasn’t something I could just ignore or forget.

I opened my lunchbox to find a new note. I was dressed in the dress I wore yesterday, and my animated character was swinging her leg around, kicking and punching faceless bad guys while his character leaned against a wall with his arms crossed, smiling. I smiled and pinned that to the board above my desk.

A note from Pansy came that afternoon, informing me that Astoria would be joining us for dinner tonight. I hadn’t planned on going to dinner with them, but I didn’t think it was a good idea to tell her no. I also didn’t think it was smart to spend more alone time with Draco after I’d been lusting after him all morning. I needed time to cool down and get my wits about me. The last thing I needed to do was do something stupid like fall for Ron’s boss and my roommate. I wasn’t even legally divorced yet. And the mess all of this would create would be hell.

I was about to send Draco a note about when the small beaded bracelet on my wrist started to heat my skin. I jumped and rubbed the skin around it. It’d never done that before. I cursed the small bead and noticed something along the inside of my wrist appear below the thin twine.

Tonight.

I barely caught my breath.

It’d been days since I’d seen him.

I bit my lip against the rush of excitement I felt.

The anticipation just continued to build the rest of the afternoon and into my dinner with Astoria and Pansy.

“You’re a jittery mess today, Grangey,” Pansy commented. “What on earth has your knickers in a twist?”

I swallowed my wine, trying not to choke. I couldn’t mention the club. I knew both of these women were friends with Theo, but I didn’t know if that automatically gave them access to the club.

Astoria looked back and forth between us.

“Do you have plans this evening, Grangey?” Pansy asked sweetly.

My audible gulp made Astoria giggle.

Pansy’s eyes narrowed on me with a malicious grin.

I turned to Astoria.

“Please don’t say anything,” I begged her. “It’s very private and informal…”

Astoria held up her hands.

“I’m a safe place,” she smiled. “I’m glad you’re getting out there. The new look, the confidence, it suits you, Hermione.”

I beamed under the praise of her compliment.

“Well, I’m going to take at least forty-three percent of the credit for that,” Pansy said. “You head there straight from my shop. You can change into something and Floo to the Club from there.”

My mouth dropped, and so did Astoria’s.

Astoria’s head slowly turned toward me, absolutely radiating with excitement.

“I knew it wasn’t just good clothes! It’s sex, too!”

I wanted to bury myself in a rock pile.

“I haven’t seen you there,” Astoria whined. “I would have remembered! What level do you go to?”

Pansy read me like a bloody book. She grinned over at me with her full, shiny, red lips and her smoky eyes. She could have squeezed every last secret right from me.

Astoria giggled again.

“Holy gods, Hermione. Do you wear black?”

“No!” I shushed both of the laughing witches beside me. “No. No. I just started wearing blue.”

“She does prefer the lower levels, though,” Pansy grinned.

My cheeks bloomed. How much did this bloody witch know?

“Red?” Astoria asked, and when neither of us said anything, her eyes grew huge. “Black!”

“Shh!”

Astoria covered her mouth as she squealed. “No wonder! I’m always on green. Dancer fetish.” She shrugged.

And my eyes snapped up.

“The ballerinas?”

Astoria gaped at me, and Pansy laughed.

“Yes!”

“I saw you my first night,” I said. “I hadn’t realized that was you!”

Did this mean that Astoria was…

“Mum and Dad don’t really support the lifestyle,” she pouted. “So, I’m navigating things on my own. Trying to survive without a trust fund.”

“You can always have my money, darling,” Pansy said, kissing Astoria’s hand.

“Love you,” she said and squeezed Pansy’s hand back.

“I’m happy for you,” I smiled. “Truly.”

“Well, do we know him?” Astoria asked excitedly. “Surely we must.”

“We’ve been there since the opening,” Pansy said. “Of course we know him.”

“I’ve never asked who he is,” I said. “And I don’t want to know. Not yet.”

“A sexy stranger,” Astoria giggled.

I took another drink of my spritzer and tried to ignore the fluttering in my chest.

“So, what do you call him when he stuffs you full of that huge cock?” Pansy asked.

I choked on my drink, and Astoria loosed a shrieking laugh.

“Pansy!”

“It’s a valid question.”

We erupted into laughter.

“I suppose,” I said, finally composing myself and wiping my face with my napkin. “That when that day comes, I’ll just call him what I always do. Monster.”

Chapter Text

Astoria and Pansy both walked with me to Pansy’s shop. Both females had a vested interest in which outfit I’d wear tonight, and based on the dark look Pansy was giving me, I’d say this was my Nox version of a revenge dress.

This wasn’t a dress, though. It resembled a one-piece swimsuit. The bra cups pushed and forced my breasts up. My ass was barely covered by a thong piece and lace frilling out from the sides. The bodysuit snapped between my legs, and the majority of the back and bodice were completely sheer. The color of this was such a dark green that it almost seemed black. I was dazzled in front of the floor-length mirror as I took in the scene before me. The rich emerald tones seemed to set my eyes ablaze. Pansy expertly took down my hair, and the warm brown length fell over my shoulders in perfectly set curls. I can’t remember a time in my life I’d ever felt this beautiful.

I had to keep my wits about me down here with him tonight. I had to remember our agreement. He was going to teach me about pleasure. And I had to keep my damn lips off his.

I entered the lobby from the Floo and was instantly surrounded by darkness. I gasped and froze. My senses were completely cut off. I dragged a shaky inhale into my lungs.

“Hello, kitten.”

I felt myself physically sigh in relief.

“Hello, monster.”

I could feel him against my cheek. His lips were so soft.

“Is that a reference to my monstrous cock?”

I rolled my eyes. His strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me against his chest. With a jolt, we apparated into another space, but my eyes were still covered.

“Where are we?” I whispered, unsure if we were on a stage or not.

“In a room.”

I felt him walking in slow circles around me.

“What are you doing?”

His hand trailed sensually over my body, leaving me nearly panting after him.

“I’m trying to decide if I can resist fucking you.”

I went to war with myself. Why was I holding back? For the sanctity of my marriage? I wanted to roll my eyes. I teetered on the edge of reason. I was here for experiences, right? I wanted to know pleasure. I wanted to know what mind-blowing orgasms and phenomenal sex were like. And he agreed to show me. To teach me. So, I needed to stop running. I needed to lean in.

The monster picked me up behind my knees and carried me a few steps. I was slowly lowered and placed on what I assumed was a bed.

“Tonight is about identifying pleasure,” he said.

His voice had gone dark and husky, and it made my core clench.

“You’ll use two words tonight while we go through this. Stars mean you’re experiencing a pleasurable response from it. Crosses mean you’re not receiving any kind of pleasurable response.”

Stars and crosses. Right. Okay.

“I’m taking away your sight for the night because oftentimes, our first response can be fear of something unfamiliar. I don’t want you to fear the unknown. I want you to give yourself over completely to feeling.”

I let out a shaky breath. I wouldn’t see anything tonight. I started to let that reality sink in for me. Being deprived of your sight was a jarring experience. One I hadn’t been prepared for. And although I found his mask mildly terrifying at times, I liked looking into his eyes. I liked seeing his upturned mouth in that wicked way he smiles at me. I liked letting my eyes rove over his tattooed torso.

“I’ll also be cuffing you,” he said.

Suddenly, my arms and legs were spread out and cuffed by leather restraints.

I couldn’t help the hammering jolt in my pulse as I was now rendered blind and bound. Breathe, I urged myself.

“Shh,” he was suddenly right next to my ear, his hand stroking my cheek. “Trust me. It’s just you and me tonight, kitten.”

He pressed sweet kisses along my jawline. The contact sent shivers up my body.

“Are you ready for me to touch you?”

Gods, yes. I nodded my head.

“Please.”

He suddenly vanished from my face, but I felt his whole body on the bed between my legs. I was nearly trembling at this point. The anticipation, the unknown, the rush of it all was too great.

His hands were on my neck, and with his large hands outstretched, he began to run his hands down the length of my entire body.

“Did you pick this out just for me, kitten?”

“Yes,” I breathed, relishing the feeling of his huge and calloused hands.

“I could come just from the sight of you.”

His hands hovered over my breasts before they dragged down my sides.

“Hmm, can’t relate,” I teased.

A dark chuckle surrounded me and made me clench my teeth. I wasn’t going to make it three minutes like this.

“You’ll find that the memory of what I look like will stick with you just fine.”

He had no idea. Especially since I swore I was seeing traits of him in my flatmate today.

His hands were on my thighs now, and his thumbs were turned in, running along my inner thighs like a seam that he was trying to pop. I arched against him. His touch was flame, and I was scorched and ready for more.

“Tonight, as I play with you, I don’t want you to overthink your stars and crosses,” he instructed. “I want you to feel. Don’t let your mind reason you out of things.”

“Yes, monster,” I agreed.

“Call me a monster now all you want,” he said, his hands running up my legs. “But by the end of the night, you’ll be calling me your god.”

I wanted to whimper at that promise.

“First one,” he said. “My hands. How have they felt on you?”

“Stars,” I immediately answered.

His chest repeated that dark rumble, and I itched to reach out and touch him. I leaned into his touch as much as I could behind the restraints. His hands stopped on my upper thigh, and he began trailing them toward my center. I trembled as his fingers skimmed the snaps between my legs.

“Stars,” I panted.

“Good girl.”

His voice was so deep that he practically growled with satisfaction.

His hands went up to my breasts again, but I missed the heat of them between my legs. This was going to be an agonizing torture, I decided.

He plucked my nipples with his fingers, and my back arched. I moaned softly against the pressure there.

“Stars,” I begged him to continue. “Stars.”

Then, his mouth was completely over one of my breasts. I cried out against him as a delirious wave of ecstasy washed over me. His mouth was hot and damp over the sheer lace. It was barely there, and he was tugging it down, giving his mouth access to my bare skin.

“Stars,” I cried as his tongue swirled my nipple.

His teeth grazed the skin, and then he was biting down. My head flew off the bed.

“Stars!”

Gods, I had no idea playing with your breasts could elicit this kind of response. He was like a madman. He engulfed my breasts, taking one after another in a ravenous fury. I was lost under his touch. Completely elated from the seemingly out-of-body experience.

“I could make you come like this,” he said between bites. “Did you know that?”

The only sound I made was a desperate whine from the back of my throat. Gods, I wanted to come so badly. I couldn’t press my legs together. So I just had to experience the heat and moisture as he pressed against me and devoured my breasts.

He pulled away from my chest, and I pouted at the absence. I loved that feeling. I wanted more of the torturous pleasure. But I felt him leaning over my face.

“Kiss me,” he said.

We were both breathing heavily now, and I could feel his breath on my lips, just as I’m sure he could feel mine.

“No.”

“You will,” he threatened. “Soon.”

With more nipple play, I was half tempted to agree with him.

He moved off the bed.

I could feel something cool next. He dragged it over my leg first. Was it the tip of a wand? I searched my mind, desperate to categorize the sensation. It was too thick to be a wand. And softer. It was gone one moment and smacking my inner thigh the next.

I hissed at the sting.

My natural inclination was to say I didn’t like it. But I bit my lip and waited it out. I needed to sit with it for a minute.

The sting was over quickly, and he was back to his tracing. It struck against my hip next. Did I like this? I didn’t think it was a cross. Not yet, at least. But I didn’t know if it was as wonderful as a star yet, either. When the object slapped my nipple, things changed immediately.

“Stars,” I cried.

“Good girl,” he said.

It struck my other breast, and I reveled against the tingling pleasure that sang through me.

“Stars,” I panted as he struck again.

The monster’s toy dragged over my arms, over my neck, and back down my torso. When I felt the loss of it, I thought we were finally done, until, with one last resounding smack, it landed right outside my pussy.

“Stars!” I shouted.

Merlin! Fucking hell. I was heaving breaths into my lungs now. That felt like lightning inside of me. Holy shit. How was that possible?

“Good girl,” he said and let the object drag over the area he just stung.

The friction of that, plus the sting, plus his words and how worked up I was, made for a maddening combination.

“On your knees, kitten.”

Suddenly, there was slack in the restraints, and the monster’s arms were pulling me up and flipping me over onto my hands and knees. He slid something under my stomach. A large piece of foam or something that held my ass in the air. He pushed down lightly against my back, and my sensitive breasts were thrust against the silk of the sheets below me. My arms were still restrained, and so were my feet. I turned my head sideways, despite not being able to see, and tried to breathe through the rocketing excitement I felt building.

“So pretty, kitten,” he whispered as he dragged his hands over my ass.

The bodysuit was a thong, and he dragged his fingers along the small scrap of fabric that went between my cheeks. I stiffened initially. No one had ever touched me like that. His fingers kept going, and I felt him hovering just over my snaps.

“Stars,” I breathed.

I wanted him to fuck me. I knew that now. If I could feel this electric from him just touching and slapping me with whatever that thing was, his cock would bring me to nirvana. I would die of pleasure.

But his hand left. And the coolness in his absence felt horrible.

Slowly, his finger edged around that forbidden circle.

“Crosses,” I reacted instinctually.

I wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. His hand moved, and his mouth pressed a firm kiss against my ass cheek, though, and I could feel his smile.

“There, there, kitten,” he grinned. “Behave, and I’ll let you come.”

I tried not to whimper at the promise.

His mouth pulled away and was replaced by the sharp smack of his hand across my ass. I gasped at the audible smack and accompanying sting. But I swear I felt my core practically flood with moisture.

Before I could determine if it were stars or crosses, another one landed on the left cheek. I hissed out a breath. It was shocking, but it didn’t hurt. Not really. The stinging went away almost immediately, especially now that he was rubbing the skin he’d just slapped. Two more quick slaps landed, and I was aching.

“Stars.”

My words shocked and surprised me. I didn’t hate it. I felt pleasure in it. The snaps of my bodysuit were digging into me, and I needed reprieve. I wanted this whole fucking thing ripped off me.

Before, I thought the slapping and whipping were just for punishment, and some people got off on the pain. But now I realized that this wasn’t about the pain. It just increased the pressure building in that impending orgasm. It was foreplay. It turned my body into a jumble of live wires that were begging for release. The sharp stings of pain made my senses dance in anticipation.

“Stars,” I begged him. “Please.”

His mouth was on my bare skin again as he lightly nipped at the area he’d just spanked.

“Stars,” I sighed.

“Good girl.”

Gods, I was drenched. If he so much as breathed near my pussy again, I would come on impact. I was so grateful for the wedge propped up under me because there was no way I could have held myself up through that wave of pleasure.

His lips skimmed across my cheek and into the center of my body. I moaned as I felt his mouth along my core. The talented monster deftly unsnapped my bodysuit with his bloody teeth. A desperate whine escaped my lips. Of all the attractive, insane things to do. His hands shoved the body suit up and over my ass, leaving me completely bare and exposed to him.

“I’ve never…” I whispered, terrified of what was going to happen.

It was so intimate. So personal. But he just shushed me.

“Stars or crosses,” he reminded me.

“Stars,” I whispered without hesitating.

And then he launched himself at me. His mouth and tongue plunged into me as his hands gripped my ass. His fingers dug into my flesh as he pulled himself deeper inside of me. The first swipe of his tongue against my sensitive flesh had me crying out.

“Stars,” I yelled. “Stars, fucking stars.”

But he didn’t stop. He was relentless. Swipe after a swipe of his tongue; then he was sucking, dragging me into his teeth, where they would lightly nibble against me. My legs were shaking so much I thought that I’d lost feeling in them.

His tongue lapped at me as if I were water in a desert. His deep humming of satisfaction nearly broke my sanity.

“Stars,” I cried pitifully.

Because this was the most exquisite thing I’d ever experienced. No one had ever done anything like this with me before. It had never been about my pleasure or my release. But this? This was entirely for me. The focus, the attention, the desire, it was all for me. And it fucking broke my brain to think that I’d gone nearly thirty years without experiencing pleasure like this before.

He pulled away, and his hands replaced his mouth.

“Stars,” I begged. “Gods, stars!”

Two fingers immediately buried themselves to the hilt inside me, and I cried out. But his other hand reached forward and was circling my clitoris. My entire body was clenching over the feeling of him working me. Sweat broke out against my hairline as I panted and cried over the gratifying touch of this monster.

“So fucking good,” he growled against me. “You taste like a fucking dream, kitten. Just like I knew you would.”

I couldn’t breathe, much less speak to him. I was so close to an orgasm. I was right there.

“Stars,” I implored. “So close. Stars. Stars.”

“You come on my face, or not at all,” he demanded.

And his tongue and fingers worked in tandem to drag every last ounce of pleasure from me. Tears leaked from my eyes as I felt the climax building.

“Stars, stars, stars,” I gasped.

So close. Nearly there.

Three more circles with his thumb, and I burst like an exploding star. I cried out against the rush of euphoria.

“D-”

I hesitated.

I’d almost said Draco fucking Malfoy’s name as I came.

“Don’t stop,” I recovered.

I buried that piece of insanity deep within my mind. What the hell was wrong with me?

I descended from my orgasm in desperately trembling waves. The monster pulled away, panting equally as much.

“So fucking perfect,” he said, pressing a kiss against my inner thigh.

An incoherent squeak came out as his face pressed against my sensitive skin.

“Are you ready for my cock?”

“Stars,” I panted. “Yes, please, yes.”

I’d seen his huge cock before, and the thought of being inside of me right now and surrounding me with more of his warmth was exactly what I needed.

“That won’t be your only orgasm tonight,” he warned. “Get ready.”

I wanted to sob at his words. This was the first orgasm I hadn’t given myself. One was beyond anything I could have dreamed. I didn’t think I could orgasm again.

I could hear the monster behind me. His jeans tumbled to the floor. I vibrated with eagerness.

I could hear him cast a contraception charm over the two of us, and I shifted under the cool spread I felt travel over me. His fingers entered me, and I groaned against the intrusion. I was still so sensitive that I felt myself pulsing around his fingers.

“So wet,” he groaned. “So ready.”

I moaned.

“Beg for it.”

His fingers pulled out, and a resounding smack sounded on my backside.

“Please!” The words tumbled from my lips with a desperate plea. “Please. I need your cock. Please, Dr-,” I stopped and fumbled again. “Drenched. I’m drenched for you.” I recovered.

What the fuck was going on in my head today?  

I didn’t have long to focus on it because I was rewarded for my words. The hot stretching of my body around his length made me grit my teeth. A low whine fell from my lips, and he hissed behind me.

“That’s it,” he said, pushing deeper. “Take it all.”

I panted heavily. How much more could there be? I was so full. He bucked the final stretch of length, and I sobbed against his overwhelming presence.

“Tell me,” he snapped, not moving.

I took inventory. I was so full. I took a deep breath and settled into the foreign feeling. Ron was not this large. And from this angle, the monster was filling my entire body and soul with himself.

“Stars,” I whispered.

And the monster moved. He pulled back and thrust back into me. We both made a guttural sound, but he didn’t stop.

“Stars,” I ground out.

It felt so good, so powerful.

“Fuck,” I breathed. “Stars.”

He was really moving now, thrusting into me, grabbing my ass and hips, claiming me entirely.

His hand palmed the back of my neck under my hair. He used it to drive himself deeper as if he were steering me back toward him. I luxuriated under his touch. His other hand reached forward and pinched my nipple. I choked out a noise of approval.

“Stars.”

He cursed loudly and pulled away from me. I lost all the heat and pleasure of his body on mine.

“Crosses!”

Suddenly, my restraints were removed. I still couldn’t see, but the foam wedge underneath me was gone, too. He flipped me over to my back and buried his cock back into me with a swift movement. We both cursed, and his face was instantly on my neck and chest. As he thrust inside of me with excruciatingly slow and teasing strokes, I saw explosions of light behind my eyes. I’d never had sex like this. Never experienced anything like the feeling of him pulsing inside of me.

I tugged my fingers into the base of his scalp, desperate to drag him closer. I ran my fingers through the soft feeling of his hair. I imagined the icy blonde color of it against my fingers.

I pulled my fingers away from his hair.

No. His hair was dark. Not icy blonde.

I practically growled at my traitorous mind.

I moved my hands to his chest, and I felt the raised indents of the scars that marred his skin. It wasn’t a tattoo. He’d had his chest carved, just like mine. I dragged my fingers along it, searching for some kind of explanation. His hand circled around the back of my neck, cradling my head.

“Kiss me,” he growled.

“No,” I sighed, content at the pulsing desire building between my legs again.

How was I this close to another orgasm? Was he using magic?

“Deeper,” he said, pushing his hips to the limit.

I scraped my nails along his chest, and a string of curses loosed from his lips.

“Fuck, just like that,” he said as I locked my legs around his waist and pulled him deeper.

His hand slid down between us and began circling my clit again. I nearly bucked off the bed at the first touch. I was so sensitive.

“Stars,” I croaked.

He was frenzied. The rhythm continued while he latched onto my nipple and teased me to oblivion. His hard cock speared me so deeply that I felt it in my chest. I clung to him, nearly weeping at the surge of pleasure that beat through me. The tightening feeling rose, and I reached my crescendo again. I cried out in pleasure, and he roared with me, joining me as we orgasmed together.

He kept up that maddening pace as he rode out our orgasms. I couldn’t stop shaking. It was so powerful, so consuming. My entire body felt like it was on fire.

He cradled me against his chest and flipped to his back while still inside of me. He held my head against his chest while his hand smoothed out my wild curls.

“So fucking perfect,” he said, kissing the unruly mane.

He took my hand next and threaded our fingers together. He kissed my knuckles lightly. The wild psychopath who kidnapped me was as content as a fed kitten now. The juxtaposition of the two personas was so strange. He was dominant, assertive, and demanding. He wrung every ounce of pleasure from me. And now?

I listened to the rhythmic beat of his heart. I realized now that I would never get enough of this. This would be an addiction that I couldn’t deny myself moving forward. I was so sore, but the ache was compelling. It made me want more.

Our heartbeats were in sync as we descended from the apex. I felt cheated. I felt like I was corralled into a marriage under false pretenses. I had no idea it could be this way. That sex could be this dynamic, this satisfying. And knowing now what I do, I’d never go back to what I had before. I’d never settle. I would bury Ron and the memory of his unremarkable physical presence in my life.

I deserved more.

And the monster had gifted me that knowledge.

Chapter Text

Friday, my bracelet rang out the next day at work.

My body needed the reprieve and rest. I understood that. But the thought of waiting another day for that hit of euphoric passion again seemed so far.

Today, Dean had to walk me to and from my office and the lifts. Draco left early this morning and wouldn’t be back until late tonight. Something about a monthly check-in, as if I would have any clue what that meant. So, I made myself some pasta and, at the end of the night, relaxed in the bath with a book and a glass of wine.

I received a letter from my solicitor today. He was double-checking some dates with me and reassuring me that we’d have Ron silent and sentient in no time. I wanted to believe this would all be over soon.

I propped my book on the small vanity seat and sank deeper into the water. I had a sinful ache through my thighs today at work. And each step of my heels reminded me of exactly why I was so tender and sensitive. Every basic movement played a new station of memories through my mind. Perhaps tomorrow, he’d let me watch.

A thud from somewhere outside my room had me reaching for my wand. Draco was unnaturally light on his feet. If he were home, I wouldn’t have heard it. A second thud had me sloshing out of the tub. That one sounded like the kitchen chair being thrown down. I wrapped my silk robe around me and blew out the candles in the bathroom.

The monster had come in here once. Was it him again?

I crept outside of the bathroom and placed my ear against my bedroom door. No lights were on, so I waited.

A groan made the hair on the back of my neck stand on edge.

Please be Draco or the monster, I pleaded internally. Please.

Draco was the Head Auror of the Ministry of Magic. Of course, he had a list of enemies that was a mile long. And if they found his home…

I eased open my door and moved my wand out first. My heart thundered in my ears. Flashes of snatchers filled my memories.

“Expelliarmus!”

Another groan came from the toppled-over form lying on the kitchen floor. I flipped the light switch and cursed as Draco came into view.

“Draco!” I rushed toward his broken form on the ground.

“Lights,” he winced.

He instantly shielded his eyes from the brightness above us, and I cut them off instantly.

“Tell me what to do,” I whispered, panic rising in me. “Should I call Theo?”

He groaned. “Bed.”

“Right,” I said, pointing my wand at him. “Wingardium Leviosa.”

Draco’s body slowly rose from the floor, and I kept my wrist as steady as possible as I floated him toward his bedroom.

I eased him onto his bed, and he whined at the open window where the lights of the city were coming through. I pointed my wand at the window, and we were overtaken by darkness. I slipped off his boots, but when I went to offer him his pajama bottoms, he snapped a low refusal. 

“Okay, okay,” I whispered.

I took my wand and scanned it over him as I assessed any potential injuries. I started at his legs, then up his torso toward his head. His chest pulsed blue with an old injury, but his head was bright red.

“Were you using Legillimency all day?” I gasped. “Salazar, Draco. Your head is throbbing.”

He managed to mumble something, but it was lost in his throat. I leaned closer, placing my ear just above his mouth.

“Desk, vial,” he said again.

“Got it. Desk, vial. I’ll be right back.”

I tightened my robe as I ran to the study. I threw open his desk drawers as I searched for a vial of something to help him. After the fourth drawer I finally found a purple liquid in a small bottle.

I twisted open the lid as I ran and sniffed the concoction in my hand. It wasn’t Dittany based, nor was it related to a Pepper Up. There was something familiar about the scent, but I couldn’t place it.

“How many droplets?” I asked as I entered his room again.

He weakly held up five fingers.

I scooted toward him on the bed and held his mouth open while I dropped five of the mystery liquid inside. As soon as the purple hit his tongue, his entire physical form relaxed. The tension that had gripped him so firmly seemed to completely dissipate. I smoothed a hand over his hair, brushing the soft strands off his sweating forehead.

“Can I get you tea? Water?”

I wasn’t used to seeing him so disarmed. And honestly, I found it deeply unsettling. He was the very definition of strength. Seeing him so weakened made my heart stall. But I couldn’t express how grateful I was that I wasn’t met with his enemies or worse.  

“Just sit with me,” he said, finally forming complete sentences.

I tried to relax at the great progress made in a matter of seconds. I leaned back against the headboard, and he immediately rolled over and rested his head against my stomach. His arm flopped over me, and I continued to run my fingers over his soft silvery-white locks.

“Feels good,” he mumbled against me.

“When I couldn’t sleep as a child, my mother would come into my room at night and rub my head and back like this,” I whispered.

My heart constricted at the memory. Losing my parents might have been the hardest part of the war. Harder than the torture, the pain, the fear, the death. Knowing that my parents were alive, well, and completely oblivious to my presence made the world seem a bit less livable. I’d consulted dozens of medi-witches and wizards after the war to ask them to reverse the Obliviate spell I’d used on them. Apparently, I did the magic so effectively that the risk of removing it was too great. No one would even try. I considered doing it myself a dozen times, but I didn’t understand all the intricacies of mind magic.

For the first two years, I went to see them all the time. I would sit out in front of their offices just for a chance to see their faces. But it became too challenging. It was a constant reminder that I was alone. I had no one to blame but myself.

I let my nails trail to Draco’s back. He was wearing a thick jumper.

“You know it’s July, right?”

“Tell me about them,” Draco said, ignoring me.

So, I continued running my fingers through his hair. Ron never asked me about them. I don’t think he even remembered their names, and he’d met them several times.

“My father loved antiquities,” I said. “On weekends, he’d take us all over the country, spotting out the next shop.  He loved to collect old medical devices. Especially antique dentistry tools. He had this little glass case in the house where he’d display them.”

The memory warmed me.

“Mum always called it his torture chamber,” I smiled. “And honestly, most of them did look like medieval torture devices.”

“What did your mum like?”

“Mum loved cooking,” I said. “And baking. Every Sunday, she would do a huge Sunday roast with all the fixings. Her Yorkshires were divine. But she was also a very skilled baker. She liked to garden too. Dad was always tasked with pulling weeds, and I usually ended up helping him. That’s when I first noticed my magic coming through. We were pulling weeds, and I was probably six or seven, and I just wanted to be done so badly. Suddenly, every weed in the garden was uprooted and placed at my side. Dad and I could hardly believe it. But when it happened again the next week, I think it nearly startled him to death.”

I remember all the small occurrences of magic that happened over the years before my Hogwarts letter. My temper seemed to dictate most of my abilities. I had to be careful while at school, or bizarre things began happening. I had always been a good student and avid reader, and I used to joke to my parents that I was just like Matilda in the children’s story. It was our way of joking about the inexplicable phenomena that kept occurring.

“It must have been jarring to learn you were a witch,” he said.

“Professor McGonagall actually came around,” I said. “She visited our home and sat and talked with us as she hand-delivered the letter. She led us through Diagon Alley and helped us exchange our Muggle currency, all of it. She told me that I was going to be a very bright witch, and a little reading would catch me right up.”

“And that’s when you memorized Hogwarts: A History,” Draco teased.

I bit back a laugh and poked his ribs.

“It was my way of surviving and not looking foolish,” I said.

“You never looked foolish,” he said, suddenly very serious. “You were my greatest academic rival. A brilliant witch. Greatest witch of our time, and all that.”

The heat of his breath over the thin silk robe did funny things to my pulse. And so did his kind words.

“You were always a worthy opponent,” I said.

His head had adjusted slightly, and it was almost perfectly placed between my breasts now. I fought down an unsteady breath and pinched my eyes closed. I could settle that side of myself again tomorrow. For now, I needed to just be present while Draco healed. I pressed my thighs together, willing myself to focus.

“My first bit of magic was reading my father’s mind,” he said. “My mother caught me, luckily, and she helped me control it. Hide it.”

“Your father never knew?”

He shook his head against me.

“If he did, he would have exploited it. My mother’s, too. Instead, we kept it to ourselves. My mother covered it well, stating that I was the exact replica of all the Malfoy men before me.”

I considered the weight of putting a secret like that on a small boy.

“I always thought he knew.”

“The war would have been very different if he or Voldemort had known.”

I’d never heard Draco use his name before. And we sat in the stillness for a number of minutes. Draco’s weapon was deadly. And those who knew about it exploited terribly from what I’d heard from Ron. He was always called in to do interrogations. No one’s mind was safe from him when the Ministry wanted information. Perhaps he had more autonomy now that he was the Head Auror.

I couldn’t help myself. I leaned down and pressed my lips against his hair. The suffocating weight of a position like his would break lesser wizards. And I didn’t want to see Draco broken. I wanted his preening arrogance and strength to shake that entire Ministry every time he walked through the hallways. He deserved the respect and power he’d earned.

I don’t know when, but eventually, we both fell asleep. Draco’s large body was wrapped over mine as if I could protect him from whatever evil he’d experienced today.

“No!”

Draco’s shout jolted me from my sleep.

“Shh,” I soothed him, petting over his hair once again. “You’re safe. It’s just me.”

“I’m trying,” he whispered in the throws of a night terror. “I’m trying so hard.”

“Draco, you’re okay, you’re safe.”

“I was rushing,” he panted. “I was trying to rush it.”

He was nearly crying, so I reached down and cupped his face in my hands. I turned so we were nose-to-nose.

“You are safe with me, Draco. Come back to sleep.”

“I’ll fix it. I’ll fix it for you.”

“I know you will,” I said, having no clue what he was going on about. “Come to bed, now.”

I let my thumbs glide over his smooth cheekbones.

“Hermione,” he whispered.

My breath caught in my lungs. I think that’s the first time I’d ever heard him use my real name, and it sounded magnificent in his hoarse whisper.

“I’m right here.”

“Stay, Hermione.”

Again, it sent shockwaves through my body. His breath puffed out against my lips like the softest kiss I’d ever had. And I wanted so desperately to press my lips against his. To feel their warmth. Luxuriate in the comfort of them.

“Of course,” I promised.

He buried his face against my neck and wrapped his arms around me before I could do something as ridiculous as kiss Draco Malfoy in the midst of his night terrors.

So, instead, I let the hulking brute of a man wrap himself around my small figure. We drifted back to sleep again, locked in each other’s arms.

My body was on fire. Everything was so warm and so suffocating. I pried my eyes open to find the source of the scorching. Draco. Somehow, I’d turned back onto my back, and he’d completely draped himself over half of me in his giant jumper and jeans.

More shockingly, he’d slipped his hand through the opening in my silk robe, and his fingers were cupped around my left breast. My cheeks burned. I was completely naked under my robe. Waking up like this, tangled with Draco, made my body sing. And I quickly tamped down the urge to act on my more basal instincts and force this man to pleasure me until I screamed his name. That wouldn’t be happening. I was his flatmate. I am not going to complicate our living situation by fucking him. So, I just needed to bury those little thoughts and feelings for Draco. I had a sex toy. His name was Monster, and he served his purpose well. No attachment. No commitments. Just sex. And now that I’d experienced great sex, I didn’t need to go sniffing around every good-looking male around me. I needed to keep things tucked into my delicate lady trousers.

I managed to untangle myself from Draco with minimal disturbance. It was early, but I wasn’t going back to sleep. So, I showered, got dressed, and went to the kitchen to make Draco breakfast and lunch for a change.

I made us both a large chicken Caesar salad for lunch and attempted a very poor rendition of a cartoon like he usually did. My animated cartoon featured me looking very overwhelmed and dizzy in the kitchen while trying to make a nice lunch and breakfast and coffee and him lounging against the doorframe in a bespoke suit and signature smirk. In his hand, he’s juggling the world and the Ministry, all while I fight with a coffee maker.

I tucked it inside his lunchbox and smiled to myself. It was nowhere near the quality of his, but it made me smile. I didn’t know how he did it all.

I had just cooked some eggs when I saw him walk into the kitchen. He’d just come from the shower, and he had a towel wrapped around his torso, and his hair was wet. I nearly dropped the mug I was holding.

“I thought I heard something,” he said with that grin.

I tried to stop staring at his glistening abs but was failing miserably.

“I can’t work the espresso machine,” I huffed, pointing at it.

“I can help,” he smiled and walked toward me.

His eyes roved over my body, and I felt myself heat under it. I tried to swallow, but my throat felt like it was filled with sand.

“Cute apron.”

“Well, I figured turnabout was fair play,” I said. “You always cook breakfast and lunch for me. So…”

“I see.”

Was his stare always so penetrating? I felt like I was the naked one.

“And this is entirely unrelated to how you came home nearly unconscious last night.”

“Right, unrelated.”

I offered him a weak smile.

“It was strange seeing you so…disarmed.”

His brows furrowed. “I should think you’re the one person who is used to seeing me like that. I am constantly disarmed around you.”

His voice was so throaty and gruff in the morning. I bit my bottom lip, refusing to acknowledge the raw sex appeal of this man. He stood so close to me that I could practically taste his body wash. He smelled like heaven. Crisp and woodsy. A deadly combination. I was the one disarmed around him. Not the other way around.

“You are always the picture of perfect composure.”

He hummed as he turned toward the espresso machine, and I fought not to audibly exhale as his attention was turned elsewhere.

He instructed me on using the machine, but every word floated in one ear and out the other. I watched the way his muscles corded and stretched as he leaned forward. I marveled at how the towel managed to miraculously remain knotted around his waist. Was that disappointment I felt? The curiosity of what a naked Draco Malfoy looked like was captivating. I imagined that his cool confidence and security implied that he was well-endowed.

“Easy enough,” he grinned.

Fuck.

I’d missed the entire thing.

I swallowed and nodded as if I’d just absorbed everything he taught me. He handed me the espresso.

I turned at the same moment he did, and our bodies were so close. I thought of what it would feel like to run my hands over his sculpted stomach. My eyes flashed up to his eyes. He definitely saw me ogling him.

“See something you like, Granger?”

The teasing in his voice made my face burst with red.

“And here I thought we were on a first-name basis after last night,” I said, remembering the intoxicating sound of him calling me Hermione last night.

He stilled.

“What gave you that impression?”

I shrugged. “You seemed to say my name just fine last night.”

He stepped closer, if that were even possible. The proximity ignited my desire. Did I want Draco Malfoy?

Yes. Gods, yes.

It was so reckless and stupid, but I did. He was completely unobtainable, but I had been lusting after him since I was a schoolgirl. He was always devastatingly handsome; he was just a shit. But he’d changed so much. And standing here, half-naked, with his flirtatious behavior just scrambled my senses.

“And is that what you want?”

“What?” I stumbled, focusing on his mouth now that was twisting into a cocky smirk.

“You want me to call you by your first name?”

My mouth dried.

Why did he have to have such a low voice? Why did he have to be so close?

“I call you Draco,” I defended lamely.

His smile turned from cocky to amused. He reached forward with his large hand and brushed a curl off my cheek.

“Very well, Hermione.”

Chapter Text

Draco and I stood together in the Floo. His bag was draped over one shoulder, and he held my lunch box in one hand while the other was draped around my waist.

“You look nice today, Hermione,” he commented.

I can’t explain the heady rush that overwhelmed me at hearing my name on his lips.

“Thank you,” I blushed.

We nearly matched today, and I wonder if he did it on purpose after seeing my outfit. I wore a cream dress that had patches of large light blue hydrangeas. His suit was blue with a light blue shirt beneath it, and his tie had the smallest blue flowers on it.

As we stepped into the Ministry, the atmosphere seemed to shift. All eyes were on us. On me? On him? I couldn’t tell. But I felt a sudden urge to shrink away and disappear.

“Head up, Granger,” he said.

Head Auror Malfoy had settled over his persona. His entire mood had shifted as he glared ahead. His mouth was set, and his jaw ticked in irritation.

“Why are they staring?” I whispered.

“I’m finding out.”

I tried not to flinch. He was using Legilimency to read the minds of those passing by. And they had no idea. How many times had he potentially done that to me growing up? He said he hadn’t, but how tempting would it have been? I broke his bloody nose. Of course, he had a reason to pry.

As we passed a group of people, Draco reached out and stole the Daily Prophet from one of them.

“Draco,” I hissed.

He flipped open the pages, and I leaned over to read. I gaped.

There was a huge article in the center of the page. Ron’s paper took up half the page. He was staring miserably out a window while rain trickled down. The headline read, “I’ve Won the War, but I’ve Lost the Battle of My Marriage.”

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Of all the ridiculous shit!

My eyes devoured the page. An entire article was dedicated to how horribly saddened he is that he couldn’t keep my interest after all these years. He struggled with the constant pull of the duty he felt to his country to defend the weak and be present in a marriage where his wife was slowly shutting him out. My mouth hung open as I read through all of the lies he was spewing to the entire bloody country.

It was harder and harder to pull oxygen into my lungs. This is what others were reading? This is what they thought of me?

Draco gripped me by the elbow and steered me away from the lifts and into one of the conference rooms. He took his wand out and locked it while casting a silencing charm.

“We’re not going to let this shake our confidence,” he said, taking my cheeks in his hands. “It’s the Prophet. Everyone knows what a load of shit it is.”

Frustrated tears welled in my eyes.

Why was he doing this? Why the media and desperate attempts for attention? It was insane.

“No, no,” Draco was nearly whispering now as he brushed the falling tears. “We don’t cry over Weasley. He’s a fucking twat. And you are so superior to him. He’s not worth your tears.”

I hadn’t cried over this. Not once. I’d managed to keep myself together for so long. But the constant embarrassment I faced made me crazy. He was the one in the wrong. He was the one cheating, lying, stealing, and making a mockery of our marriage. And no one knew that. Everyone was so consumed with the lies that he was spreading about me. He painted a pretty portrait of victimhood. My cool, aloof persona was something that was suddenly looked at as villainy.

“If he sees you crying, he gets power,” Draco said. “Don’t give him that power. You are Hermione fucking Granger.”

“How?” I croaked. “How am I supposed to pretend that none of this enrages me? That this isn’t all some cosmic fucking joke. I hate him, Draco. I fucking hate him.”

“I do, too,” he whispered. “I hate him so fucking much.”

He pinched his eyes closed as he tried to focus his anger while I willed my tears not to fall.

“What do I do?” I asked as hopelessness gripped me. I was so bloody tired of dealing with him.

His fingers trailed over my cheekbones.

“Close your eyes.”

There was a strength and authority in his voice. The kind I didn’t dare argue with. My eyes closed, and I surrounded myself in the firm comfort of his warm embrace. I exhaled a shaky breath and felt him step closer to me. I was completely enveloped in his scent now. Dizzy by it.

“Ground yourself,” he said. “I want you to picture the last thing that gave you confidence. Picture yourself in that moment. What was happening? What did you feel like?”

I pinched my lips shut. If I revealed the last time I felt confident, I would be sharing the most intimate thing about myself. I’d have to tell him about the monster…

“Can you do that for me?”

I nodded. I would try.

“Good girl,” he said.

My entire body seized. My lungs turned to stone, and breathing became a fantasy out of reach.

That phrase.

Instinctually, I leaned into his touch. The effect it had on me was maddening. I searched my mind for any shred of confidence I’d felt over the last few weeks.

I was surprised to find that there were more with Draco than I expected. I pictured the way his gaze lingered on me when he would take in my dresses each morning. I imagined the way others saw us together. I felt taller and stronger with him at my side. Like I could face the hard things. I thought about the clothing Pansy had given me. I thought about the way the monster’s eyes hungrily roved over me. How Viktor stared at me like he wanted to consume my very soul. The way I felt walking into the club now. And finally, I remembered the way my body responded to the monster. I remembered the way I felt under his touch. I had confidence now. Confidence I’d never even known before. And I liked it.

I considered how much had changed in just the span of a few weeks. Would a stupid article in the Prophet really derail all of that? I had experienced such monumental growth. At a time when I should have been at my lowest, I was experiencing things that made me feel alive again. I was finally doing more than just existing.

“This ministry owes you something, Hermione,” he said.

The use of my name again sent rivulets of courage down my spine. I wasn’t timid, quiet, Granger anymore. Not even to Draco. I was something more. Something worth noticing, something worth respecting.

My eyes opened.

“Fuck the Prophet.”

“There she is,” Draco grinned viciously.

He didn’t remove his hands from my face, and I wasn’t willing to step away either.

“Take it from someone who has been torturing Weasley for nearly two decades,” he said. “The best way to get under his skin is to laugh at him. Turn down your nose at him and remind him of the pathetic coward he is.”

I grinned. If anyone knew how to get under Ron’s skin, it was the man before me.

“Go on then,” he urged. “Give me your best Malfoy sneer.”

I laughed and turned my brows down, trying to glare.

Draco’s booming laughter immediately broke my focus, and I laughed with him. He pulled me against him and wrapped me in a tight hug.

“We’ll work on it,” he said, his lips against my hair.

“You could just transfer him to Antarctica, too,” I mumbled against his chest.

“If I could, I would.”

And I knew he would.

I walked out with my tears dried, and the Prophet stuffed into a bin.

“Keep that mantra in your head as we walk out of here,” Draco had instructed. “Fuck Weasley. Fuck the Prophet. Fucking twats. All of them.”

A cool indifference settled over my features as I coached myself along the walk. Fuck him. He was such a bloody tosser. Pain in the arse. No good. Cheater. Twat.

“Good girl,” Draco praised under his breath.

We stood before the lifts. As the doors opened, I noticed some people even flinched at my unflappable expression. Several moved over as Draco escorted me inside. His hand was placed firmly on my back while we walked. His hand remained the entire ride. My shoulders were back. My head was high. And by the end of our ride, I felt better. Taller. Stronger. It wasn’t just a lie I was feeding myself to get by, but something that actually resonated with me. I could do this. I could face all of them because I hadn’t done anything wrong. I had nothing to hide. No shame to feel. This was his shame. And I’d make him feel it.

Draco kept his hand on me the whole walk. Despite no one being around, it gave me more conviction.

When I walked into the office, Theo was pacing. His face was full of dread, but when he noticed my icy resolve, a slow smile began to settle on his features.

“That’s my girl,” Theo beamed. “Not even phased.”

Draco looked at Theo with an arched brow. His hand found my elbow, and he placed my lunchbox in my free hand.

“Thank you for lunch, Hermione,” he said. “Keep up the mantra.”

Gods, did my knees have to quiver at his use of a simple, bloody name? He winked at me before turning to leave. He clapped Theo on the shoulder and squeezed before leaving.

“Um, I’m sorry,” Theo said. “But did he just call you Hermione?”

And he loosed an uproarious laugh that made me join in instantly.

“Flat and mated, didn’t I tell you?”

I swatted at his arm, but it just encouraged him.

“You’ve already done that, haven’t you?” he gasped with feigned horror. “You’ve shagged my best mate!”

“Theo,” I grumbled and tossed a paper at him from my desk.

“Just think of it! Coming inside the golden girl herself while he roars, Hermione!!”

I hexed his coffee to explode into dozens of feathers.

“Hermione!” he mocked with a guttural boom as if he were in the midst of a climax.

I hated him. And I needed to find out the most effective way to hex him. Because there was going to be no way that I came back from his menacing teases.

“Draco!” he cried, mimicking me next while in the throws of imaginary passion.

I’d hexed or jinxed Theo at least a hundred times by the end of the day. And each time, he thought it was funnier than the one before. I swear I rolled my eyes so much today they were probably stuck that way.

“Granger,” Theo tried explaining as I sat at my desk and attempted to ignore him. “You have to give me the details. If my two best mates are shagging, I deserve every gory detail.”

“Theodore, you are a menace to society.”

“She’s right, you know,” Draco’s voice startled me, and I turned to see him leaning against the doorway.

“Thank the fates you’re finally here,” Theo moaned. “I’m starved! Granger was just hoping you’d ask us all out for a round of pints and some food.”

I shot him a glare.

“Of course,” Draco said. “Are you hungry? Did you get enough to eat today?”

“No, I didn’t,” Theo answered, but he ignored him and continued staring at me.

“I wasn’t trying to get you to take us all out,” I said, packing my bag up. “Theo just didn’t like his lunch, so he’s been pouting all afternoon.”

“I loved my lunch.”

“No one made me a lunch,” Theo mumbled.

My heart tightened. “Really? You’re not just saying that?”

“Honestly,” he said. “It was delicious. Thank you. The note was a spectacular bonus.”

“A love note?” Theo interjected.

We ignored Theo.

“I’m nowhere near the artist you are.”

“You’re also not that chaotic in the kitchen,” Draco grinned.

“In the bedroom, however…”

“Nott!” We both snapped.

He threw his bag over his shoulder and waved as he headed out the door.

“I’m going to reserve us a table,” Theo called. “I’ll meet you at Wizzy’s. You lovers can have a quicky before you meet me.”

It was Draco’s turn to fire a hex after him.

“Let’s let him get all the way to the lifts before we head after,” Draco suggested. “The last thing he needs is an audience.”

I grinned. I couldn’t agree more.

“You kept them,” Draco admired, leaning over my shoulder.  

I didn’t know how to keep him away from my desk, but by then, it was too late. The damage was done. He saw that I had kept every lunch note from the last few weeks. Every last one was delicately tacked onto the board beside my desk. I loved them. They brightened every day for me. The only downside to making Draco lunch was that I didn’t get a cartoon today.

“Of course,” I said. “They’re the best part of the day.”

He smiled, looking over the other small trinkets on my desk.

“Mine’s on my desk as well,” he said and reached forward to grab a notepad and pen. “But you’re missing today’s.”

He worked on scribbling a new cartoon on the pad, and I barely tried to mask the excitement I felt over it. Before showing it to me, he immediately just tacked it in place. I moved forward and laughed at the drawing. It was Draco coaching me to sneer, and my face was contorting into all sorts of strange smiles.

“I love it,” I smiled, biting back my lip to stop myself from further embarrassment. He had no idea how much these meant to me. It was such a simple and personal thing. Something I’d never had before.

“I wanted to call Weasley horrific names, but I didn’t feel like it should be hanging in your office. I should probably make you a stack of ‘not safe for work’ cartoons.”

I laughed. “There would certainly be plenty of source material for that.”

“Brace yourself for new and inventive cartoons.”

He held out his hand to help me stand, and I took it.

“You can hide them around the house.”

He laughed and agreed as he led me to the lifts. Most of the people had cleared out by now, so we rode the lift alone to the main lobby. He opted for keeping his hand on my waist rather than bracing himself with one of the handles, and I leaned into his touch instinctively. I dared a look up at him as we rode and found that he was staring down at me, too. A familiar hunger in his eyes caught me off-guard. Draco Malfoy was looking at me like that? I remembered the feeling of his hand around me this morning as we woke, tangled together. I remembered his teasing about seeing something I liked. I remembered the close proximity of our bodies.

Before I could stop myself, I was leaning forward, and he was leaning down. Our mirrored intentions were so stifling that this lift seemed to be thirty degrees warmer. My lips parted, and so did his. He dragged his tongue over his lower lip, and I wanted to follow that same path with my own. I imagined how powerful and seductive he would taste.

“Hermione,” his voice came out a dangerous whisper of warning and want.

Gods. I wanted him. I couldn’t help it. Despite all the warning bells going off in my head, I didn’t stop.

The lift opened, and the sounds of others filled the space, breaking through the fog of lust both of us had succumbed to.

Draco’s jaw clenched as he gestured for me to walk first. His other hand was now a little stronger on my back. Before we reached the passage to the street level, Draco held my elbow. He took my bag off my shoulder and vanished it, his bag, and the two lunchboxes back to his flat.

Things weren’t awkward between us as we walked down the street toward the pub; they were just tense. We’d each shown our cards back there in the lift, and neither of us could deny or take it back now. The intention was there. But there wasn’t a solid way to come back from it. The curiosity, the feelings, the desire had all been laid bare. And now we had to live around it.

I needed to get back to Nox. Apparently, now that I’d had good sex, I’d become a sexually deprived zombie, willing to snog anyone in a lift.

We walked into the crowded pub, and Draco craned his head to find Theo amongst the bodies pushed together.

“There,” he pointed, but I saw nothing from my viewpoint.

He gently draped one hand on the back of my neck and the other on my waist as he steered me through the crowd. It reminded me of that day in the lifts months ago when he steered me through the Ministry. It seemed like centuries ago.

Theo was at a table with a growing group. One of the blonde heads turned, and I smiled to find Astoria.

She let out a small squeal and threw her arms around me. Draco’s hands didn’t leave me.

“You smell so yummy!” she said, burying her nose in my neck.

I laughed and swatted at her. Her eyes locked on Draco’s hands next, and a coy smile formed over her face.

“Hello, you,” she said, patting one of his cheeks.

“Greengrass,” he nodded.

Another hand was clapping his back in a moment, and I turned to see Blaise Zabini.

I froze.

His short-sleeved shirt revealed paths of corded muscles covered with dozens of tattoos.

The man from Nox.

The other masked man.

I’d see his…

“Granger, good to see you, doll,” he said as he wrapped me in a tight hug.

Words failed to form as I just kind of mumbled something against his hard chest. Draco’s hand was still on my neck.

If Blaise had seen me at Nox, his behavior now wouldn’t have indicated it a bit. He launched into a discussion with Draco about a long weekend they were planning at the end of the summer. Theo joined in the plans, and Astoria swept me up with details of a new witch she was seeing from marketing.

“I’ve invited her around,” she said nervously, looking over my shoulder. “I hope she shows.”

Draco’s hands finally left me, and I felt like I could breathe again.

“Touchy, isn’t he?” Astoria commented, making me snort out a laugh but unable to do much more. Mostly due to the fact that I wanted him far more touchy than he was being.

“Oh, look! Pansy!”

I turned to see Pansy and a very tall brunette man weaving their way through the growing crowd. She looked stunning. Her hair was in loose waves, and she wore her signature red lip. It contrasted beautifully with her dark hair and light green dress.

She kissed Astoria’s cheeks and turned to me next.

“Love the dress. Bloody genius must have designed it,” she beamed and then motioned to her husband. “Meet the Muggle, Grangey.”

He had such a laid-back and jovial look on his face that I couldn’t help but smile.

“Max,” he said, shaking my hand. “Lovely to meet you.”

“You as well,” I said.

His kind eyes were the first thing I noticed. I gave Pansy an encouraging nod. Just as I was finally acclimating to my own personal space again, Draco was back. He placed one hand in front of me, and I noticed he was holding out a dirty martini.

“Food’s coming next,” he leaned down and said.

“Thank you,” I smiled, taking the cool drink from him.

He shook hands with Max and let Pansy kiss both his cheeks as well. And then his hand returned to me. This time it just rested against my back, tracing small circles over the area just above my hip. I tried to use the alcohol in the martini to stifle my nervous energy, but it may have only made it worse.

Astoria had launched into how she met Mel from marketing with Pansy, who was enraptured with the tale.

“Don’t listen to him,” Draco said above me as he squeezed my hip.

My attention turned to the men to my right as Blaise and Theo threw back their heads in laughter.

“Just think of how beautiful our children would be,” Blaise teased, but this time, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me against him.

He placed his face right next to mine and had his arms banded tightly around my waist. Draco’s face radiated with displeasure, but Theo cackled beside us.

“Imagine their hair,” Theo laughed.

And I had to laugh, too. Blaise’s hair was so thick and curly, but it was currently tamed back with rows of perfect and intricate braids. Blaise’s rumble of laughter made me smile even more. I’d almost consider him a teddy bear if I could get the image of him at Nox out of my head.

Draco was just reaching back for me when his hand froze, and his face turned into a mask of icy steel. Blaise and I turned at the same moment to find Ron with a witch beside him.

“Your ginger babies would have been hideous,” Blaise whispered in my ear. “Everyone is better off with a little myelin in their DNA.”

I couldn’t stifle the smile that bloomed across my cheeks.

Ron glowered at me.

“Slytherins, Mione, really?”

His face radiated the disgust he felt.

Blaise didn’t release his tight hold on me. He merely rested his chin on my shoulder.

“Move along, Weasley,” Draco said. His voice was laced with authority.

“I’m off the clock, Malfoy.”

“In that case, fuck off.”

I stiffened at Draco’s quick snap back.

“Mione,” Ron said, turning directly to me, ignoring Draco’s threat. “You should really be careful who you associate with. You can’t afford any more bad press.”

I tried not to flinch at his words, but they stung.

“Careful,” Draco warned, stepping closer. “I’d hate to think you were purposefully circulating bad press against a fellow Ministry employee.”

“The truth was bound to come out sooner or later,” Ron shrugged.

“And it did,” Theo stepped in. “We’ve all had a spectacular laugh over your small penis.” He looked at the witch beside Ron. “Run while you still can, love. It’s a laughable little bug.”

The entire group I was with erupted in laughter. Ron’s face heated; menacing rage boiled over his features. He drew his wand and pointed it at Theo, but Draco was there in a flash. Draco towered over Ron’s tall figure in height and muscle. Blaise had tugged me back behind him, and he was reaching for his own wand.

“Are you really stupid enough to pull your wand on another wizard in public in front of your supervisor?” Draco barked. “Gods, Weasley. Use a fucking brain cell and fuck off already. I don’t have time to draw up the paperwork to fire you this weekend.”

Ron seemed to remember himself at that point and lowered his wand.

“Have fun fucking your Death Eaters,” Ron jabbed at me as he turned to lead the witch away.

I blanched at the insult.

“She will,” Blaise called back.

I watched Ron’s shoulders tighten as Theo and Blaise boomed with more laughter. Draco had been right; disarming Ron came naturally to all of them. They made it seem easy to get under his skin.

Once Draco had successfully shoved Blaise out of my space, his hand returned to my back. His body touched mine nearly the entire time we stood there. Our legs, arms, hips, everything. I worried about the look of our proximity for a moment, but the pub was so crowded with people that it looked naturally unavoidable.

After another round of drinks and plenty of greasy pub food, I finally needed to excuse myself. I felt guilty for leaving; I was actually having such a good time with them all. But I needed to see the monster tonight. I needed to regain some control over my crazed desires. I had an outlet for these kinds of feelings, and I needed to use them.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Theo teased as he raised his drink to me.

I rolled my eyes and kissed Pansy and Astoria goodbye. Blaise leaned down for one, too, but I patted his cheek instead with a laugh.

“Tease me all you like, Granger,” he said. “But I know you’ll think of our children often.”

I laughed and let Draco lead me to the Floo.

When I turned, he was so close.

“Behave, yeah?” he said, tucking a loose hair behind my ear.

I bit my bottom lip in an attempt to tamp down the surge of desire I felt.

“I don’t think that’s really the goal of Nox,” I said. “Right?”

Draco smiled as he took my hand and gave it two squeezes.

“Then give ‘em hell,” he amended.

Chapter Text

I went back to the flat to change before heading to Nox. I took my time showering and fixing my hair and makeup. Tonight, I chose a soft pink ensemble. It wasn’t a color I would have normally reached for, but something about tonight made me want to feel soft and feminine. I was nervous about seeing the monster, but I was also ready to put the ridiculous lust-fueled thoughts of Draco to rest. A monster shag should fix all that.

Tonight, the main area had been altered, and several large cages hung from the ceiling. Witches and wizards were barely clothed as they danced and writhed inside. The individuals at the bar watched them move, and I thought of how much confidence they possessed to get up there in front of the crowd and move the way they did.

I exited the lift and rounded the corner. The mock throne where the dark monster sat pushed butterflies into my chest. With his haughty arrogance and power, he embodied everything that a king would. His grin widened when he saw me.

He walked through the center of the scene happening, not caring that he was completely disrupting it. Without a word, he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I let out a surprised squeak, but he smacked his hand over my ass, leaving a glorious sting in its wake.

“Kitten,” he greeted me as he hauled us away from the alcoves and through the hallway. He picked a room, and I was submerged in the darkness of it.

I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. But then, a low glow came from the corner where a soft lamp had been turned on. The monster put me back on the ground, and I was immediately thrust against the wall. His weight pinned me in place as he devoured my neck and chest.

“Kiss me,” he ordered, but I ignored him.

My hands reached out and traced the contours of his face. I wanted this. The passion, the excitement, the sex. My fingers threaded through his soft hair, and he moaned as his mouth moved to my breasts. I arched as he connected. Little stars danced behind my eyelids. Gods, it felt so good to be touched like this. Even over the delicate and thin fabric, I felt everything.

“Need you,” he rasped.

“Take me,” I said.

I was already shrugging out of my lingerie and tugging off his jeans. There was no slow seduction today. We had needs, and we wanted them met. His hands gripped my hips and pulled me closer, hiking my legs up around his torso. My back was still pinned to the wall, and with one of his free hands, he slipped it between my legs and began rubbing me. I whimpered against the touch, already feeling so heightened and ready for him.

I grinded my hips against him, leveraging for more pressure and friction. His fingers dug into the fleshy part of my thigh as he held me up with one hand and pleasured me with another. The cool texture of the wall on my bare back sent shivers up my spine. We were frenzied tonight, desperately grasping at one another to get closer.

He cursed and gripped me with both hands as he carried me away from the wall. I fell to the bed with a tumble, and he was over me in seconds. He thrust my legs apart, and his head was lost between my thighs. Only the silvery white strands were left knotted through my fingers as I steered him.

I blinked.

What?

I looked back at his head and saw the black strands once again.

I stared at them, and I swore they flickered between blonde and black.

Fuck, I was going mad.

He reached up one of his hands for my nipples, and I lost myself to the euphoric feeling once more.

I focused on what was happening to me right now.

I was at Nox.

I was under the monster.

I was coming very close to an orgasm.

I was not with Draco Malfoy.

I would not imagine him as I chased my climax.

His tongue was as talented as his fingers, and each twist, turn, and suck pulled me further below the surface.

I couldn’t stand much more of this. I was losing my composure.

“Just there,” I begged. “Yes, please, D-”

Fuck!

“Don’t stop!”

But I couldn’t stop picturing it. The look he gave me on the lift. The possessive way his hands were always on me. His naked torso in the kitchen. His stupid bloody cartoons. His tenderness when he held me. The feeling of his calloused hand on my breast while we slept.

“Fuck!” I came with a cry.  

My mind was spinning.

I had just come thinking of Draco. Before, the monster’s secrecy had drawn me in. The mystery of it all. The suspense. The teasing way I could escape. But now? This?

What was I thinking? I couldn’t be with Draco. It would never work!

“Another,” the monster demanded hungrily.

A hoarse cry sprung from my lips as he devoured me again.

“No, no,” I begged. “I need a minute. Too sensitive.”

But he wasn’t listening. He pulled himself up on his elbows and sank his cock to the hilt. Our matching sighs of contentment were quickly overshadowed by the savage grunts and curses.

“So fucking tight,” he growled. “All fucking mine.”

Thrust after thrust, he ruined me. He was so large, and I was so full.

“Kiss me,” he tried again, but I turned my head to the side.

My legs started to shake as I felt the approach of another orgasm.

His mouth encircled my nipple again, and I shuddered beneath him. I came apart while he fucked me so deeply that I swear it severed my spine.

I was almost completely limp as he lifted me and flipped me over.

“That’s it, kitten,” he coaxed. “Let me fuck you like this. Let me get so deep.”

I don’t know how I managed to hold myself up on my hands and knees, but he was right. I didn’t even think it was possible to get deeper than he already had been, but he was now. The crack of his hand against my ass woke me from my post-climax fog. The familiar burn made me hiss. He spanked me three more times in rapid succession, and I preened under the touch.

“Up,” he barked, and his hands wrapped around my middle and the back of my neck as he tugged me upright.

He held me against his chest while he drove his cock inside of me. His arms encircled me like protective bands as if he couldn’t get close enough. He kissed my cheek, my neck, my shoulders. Anything within reach as he pushed himself deeper within me.

“You’re so fucking perfect,” he told me. “So pretty, so perfect, so fucking stunning.”

He increased his pace, and I shook against him. He was so strong, so sexy. I admired the tattooed arms that held me. I gripped his forearms and held on. The lamp in the corner exploded, leaving us in total darkness. And he came with a roar. Over and over, he pumped into me, thoroughly wringing every last ounce of pleasure from both of our bodies.

With a gasping breath, he finally stilled behind me. Our erratic panting filled the space of the dark and silent room. And he remained inside of me as he lowered our bodies to the bed.

“Accio wand,” he muttered.

He tapped it against my hip and said the contraception charm, and I heard his wand clink against the floor once again.

He smoothed my hair off his face and locked his arms securely around me again. I was a mess. So was he. But he kept us connected as my brain focused on somewhere other than here.

On someone else.

I cursed my quick mind. In the past, I thought my constant thoughts were useful and powerful. Now, it irked me. Draco Malfoy wasn’t the one delivering mind-numbing orgasms to me. Draco Malfoy wasn’t the one manipulating my body into positions I’d never dreamed of experiencing during sex. And yet… his face was the one I imagined. His voice was the one I heard.

“Was I too rough?” the monster asked.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “You were perfect. Stunning.”

And he was. Everything he’d done in perfect precision and skill had left my body dizzy with satisfaction.

He kissed my cheek.

“Come on,” he said, smacking my ass lightly.

He pulled out of me, and I immediately felt the absence of his heat and warmth. I groaned as my stiff body rebelled against the movement.

Despite it now being pitch black, he picked me up easily and maneuvered his way around the space with ease.

“So you can see in the dark, too?” I teased.

He made no move to put me down. But I heard him start filling a tub with water.

“I have no intention of putting the mask back on,” he said. “So, you can sit in the dark or finally face the man who holds you.”

My body stilled from the shock of his words.

Why was he doing this? Why was he trying to disrupt the balance of what we had? Every itching feeling inside of me was begging me to run. Avoid this. Avoid him. Avoid the hurt that could spring up because of this.

But I remained.

I endured the darkness, and he stepped into the tub, lowering us both into the hot water. He immediately pulled me flush with his chest and dragged my hair onto the top of my head into a knot.

I relaxed against his chest and thought about what this would mean for us. What it meant for me.

I didn’t want to identify the monster.

Not because I had a mask kink.

Not because I was fearful of who he was.

But because maybe I was fearful of who he wasn’t.

One man entered my thoughts on a regular basis.

One man captivated me enough to pull my attention from orgasming with another.

One man.

And if and when the monster revealed himself to not be that man, then I would be devastated. Because for me, the tiniest glimmering hope existed deep within the dark recesses of my mind that maybe, just maybe…this could be him.

And if this was him?

I exhaled a slow breath.

I couldn’t let myself hope that.

I couldn’t let my mind create any more scenarios in which Draco Malfoy was pursuing me, interested in me, or tempted by me.

My own husband laughed at me.

If I couldn’t get Ron Weasley to think I was sexy, how in the fuck could I get someone like Draco Malfoy to think so?

I couldn’t.

So, as desperate, pathetic, and self-deprecating as it might be, I chose to protect myself. I chose to remain in my blissfully ignorant world of fantasy. Because Nox Hermione is a vixen. She’s a powerful sex goddess who demands pleasure and receives it. She has men masturbating to her presence. She is desirable and not intimidated by anyone. She walks around in tiny lingerie because she knows how good she looks in it. She feels confident and likes to see men around her weak with want. 

But most importantly, Nox Hermione has the masked man. And he fucks her better than anyone ever has. He wants to possess her very soul. He wants to be her only lover. And he wants her to be his.

And while these things are ludicrous and laughable in the light of day, here, in a bathtub in Nox, I can almost believe it’s true. I can believe the man holding me is the one I want. I can believe that I am worthy of his attention. I can believe that in some strange and alternate universe, we could be together. A Pureblood could love a Mudblood.

Perhaps that’s why I called him monster in my head. He wasn’t really one. His terror was short-lived. But maybe the name comes from the anticipatory dread I feel over what will happen when my fantasy fades.

Because the man kissing my neck and washing my body was no monster.

He just wasn’t the man I wanted, either. And that made me feel like the worst kind of selfish prick.

“Whatever deep overthinking you’re doing right now, shut it off,” he said behind me, drawing me back to the present. “Because I plan on fucking you at least three more times before sunrise.”

“Three? You’ll break me in half,” I teased.

He pressed a promising kiss to my neck.

“You can take it.”

And a rush of excitement jolted up my spine.

Be present.

No overthinking.

Picture whoever I need to.

Because at the end of the day, this wouldn’t last forever. And I needed to soak up all the pleasure I could before it was absent from my life once again.

So, I turned in the dark bath and faced the monster. He eased me onto himself, and I sank down against his hard length. I let my fingers drag over the raised bumps of his scar. I memorized the feeling of his hair in my fists and the desire that pooled in my stomach. And as intimate and passionate this interaction between us felt, I still wouldn’t give myself over and kiss him. I couldn’t justify changing that much of what was already doomed. The secret was better off staying exactly where it was.

Chapter Text

I spent most of my early Saturday tucked into Draco’s cozy study. I sat outside on the small balcony and admired the warm London air as summer settled in. Draco eventually joined me with espresso and a new book.

“Thought you’d be able to help me,” he said, handing me the book. “I just finished it. Apparently, there have been quite a few sightings over the last several weeks. We don’t know if it’s the same one or multiple.”

The book was titled Obscurus. I turned it over and began reading the back.

Draco and I spent the next three hours together discussing Obscurus. It was so different discussing work with Draco than it had been with Ron. Ron would regale me with tales of his triumph or cleverness. It was always one-sided.

“What would you do?” Draco asked.

I balked at the question.

Very early on in Ron’s career, I learned not to question or suggest anything. He did things his way, and my input was viewed as condescending. I was told I had no idea about anything in his work because I wasn’t an Auror. On more than one occasion, he reminded me to stick to my books and research.

“You want my advice?”

Draco laughed.

“You’re brilliant,” he said. “Having access to your brain like this feels like I’m somehow cheating the system. Why wouldn’t I ask for your input?”

I stilled. He was one of the most powerful wizards in the Ministry. He’d defeated so many odds just to get where he was, and he was humble enough to ask for help. But I gave him my honest opinion. We talked about how isolating and confusing it can be as a Muggle-born to have magic suddenly manifest. And Draco listened in earnest. He considered my opinions, pushed back on some things, and agreed on others.

Draco drove us to lunch that afternoon, where our discussion continued. He took us to West Essex to a small café he liked. At lunch, he did the unthinkable. He asked about my work. When I launched into a brief overview of the work I was doing on Cruciatus healing, he asked more about it.

Had I been so deprived of human interaction that even the slightest interest in my life was monumental?

Yes. Yes, it was.

Draco ended up being exceptionally helpful. He and his mother had both been exposed to the curse several times during the war, and he informed me of a rare flower that his mother brewed into teas to help lessen the aftershocks. He promised to write to her and get the information for me.

Ron never asked about my work or current projects. He never took an interest in my life or research. He couldn’t bring himself to care at all for anything I was going through. I was a trophy set upon his shelf that he would occasionally parade around for an article in The Prophet or for a work function. I wasn’t an active participant in the marriage. I wasn’t a valued member of his inner circle. I wasn’t even his hole of choice for his sexual needs.

And I let him treat me that way. I allowed the abuse to continue for years without ever speaking up. I let myself believe that my opinions weren’t needed. I allowed myself to be lost in the shuffle of Ron’s life, Ron’s achievements, and Ron’s priorities. And I was a ghost.

But living with Draco had brought me back to life. I was heard. I was valued. I was important. And it felt so fucking good to finally be seen again.

So, when Draco invited me to stay in on Saturday night, watch a new documentary with him, and order pizza, I did.

And when I fell asleep on the couch next to him, I let him carry me to bed.

And when I woke up on Sunday, we repeated nearly the same day all over again. We talked, ate, and talked some more. I helped him organize a donation to St. Mungo’s, and he taught me to use the espresso machine again. He let me explain a recent study I’d read on transfigurations in excruciating detail. He didn’t roll his eyes. He wasn’t huffing in boredom. He was interested in what I had to say. He cared about some stupid study I’d read because I cared about it. And that night, we ordered Thai food and continued the documentary.

And it was one of the singularly best weekends I remember having in my life.

For the first time in years, I wasn’t invisible.

“You look beautiful, Hermione,” Draco said Monday morning.

I chose a soft, silky green top to pair with my white pencil skirt. It made me feel professional and feminine. Per our usual routine, Draco kept his hand on my back the entire walk and lift ride and carried my lunch for me.

When we arrived at my office door, I was met with an overpowering floral scent before the doors even opened.

Draco entered first, and he immediately stiffened. I peeked around him and saw that nearly the entire office space had been filled with floral arrangements. I gaped at them.

“What on earth?” I whispered, moving forward, but Draco held me back.

“Do you know who these are from?”

I shook my head. He withdrew his wand and floated one of the cards toward his outstretched hand. His entire demeanor shifted. He was rigid with intensity as he slipped the card between his two fingers and down to me. I glanced up at the cool mask of indifference that had now taken over his features.

“What is it?” I asked, taking the card.

Had the monster done this? My pulse rocketed as I read the card.

The Prophet revealed a cause for celebration. Perhaps an old flame can burn again? All my love, Viktor

I stiffened.

All of these flowers were from him.

I turned to Draco, but he was already striding from the room, my lunchbox placed delicately on my desk.

He nodded as Theo entered but didn’t speak.

“What the bloody hell is all this?”

My eyes were wide as I handed Theo the card. Theo barked out a laugh as he read it.

“The man is hopelessly infatuated with you, Granger.”

“What do I do?”

“Do you want to…” he reread the card. “Let an old flame burn again?”

I cringed.

“I was hoping they were from Blaise,” Theo laughed. “Though I suppose someone got their knickers in a twist either way.”

I glared at Theo. “I don’t even like flowers,” I deflated. “I like citrus scents, not florals.”

I plucked at one of the gaudy rose bouquets.

“I would have rather had a unique plant,” I mumbled under my breath as I shuffled them to the floor to make room on my desk to work.

I sat up.

“That reminds me!” And I launched into a discussion with Theo about what Draco and I had discussed this weekend about his mother’s plants.

By the end of the day, the smell of roses was giving me a souring headache.

“I have to get rid of these, Granger,” Theo said. “They’re bloody awful.”

I sighed in relief.

“Vanish them, please,” I begged.

And when he did, both of us deeply inhaled fresh air without the cloying scent of rose.

Draco didn’t speak as he entered the office. But when I turned and offered him a smile, he returned it. His glasses were on, though, which made me think he’d had just as much of a headache today as I’d had.

The three of us rode the lifts together. Draco’s hand had returned to my back, and I felt relieved at the normalcy of it all. But when we entered the lobby, I felt Draco’s entire body stiffen again.

“Fucking hell,” Theo laughed.

And when I looked up, I saw Viktor Krum talking casually to a group of witches that had huddled around him.

Fuck.

“Hermy-own,” he called, waving over the group of women.

I turned to Draco and Theo and stifled my groan.

“I should talk to him,” I said quietly.

But Draco wasn’t looking at me. He was glaring over my shoulder.

“I’ll see you later,” I said.

Draco and Theo didn’t respond as they watched me walk away.

“Hello, Viktor,” I said, plastering a smile across my face.

I needed to let him down gently. I needed to do it far away from the lobby of my workplace, too.

I froze when he broke through his crowd of women and grabbed my face. He planted a kiss square on my lips.

Thank the gods we weren’t at Nox. The monster would have killed us both.

“We should go talk,” I tried to urge him away from the lobby.

“Of course,” he smiled.

He grabbed my arm and slipped it around his as he led us in the opposite direction. I heard the cascading waves of several whispers and tried to ignore the stares accompanying them. But the worst stare came from the glowering expression plastered on Ron’s face as he watched us leave together. I watched Viktor give a wink to Ron as he slid his hand over my ass.

“Behave,” I warned Viktor, who chuckled beside me.

We exited onto the street, and I led Viktor to a small café across the street. There were several tables outside, so I grabbed one of those. Rather than take the seat across from me, he dragged it next to me. His large hand rested on my thigh, and he brushed a few curls off my face. I wanted to recoil from the touch. It felt so wrong. So…off?

“Now ve can explore vat could ‘ave been,” Viktor said.

“Viktor,” I said. “I’m still married. The divorce isn’t finalized.”

“I can vait.”

I tensed.

“Viktor…”

Did I want this?

I searched my mind. I put thoughts of the monster aside. Would I want Viktor? If I were fully divorced, would he be worth pursuing?

The answer was loud and obvious. I didn’t want him. I didn’t want to pursue any version of us. Not casual sex, not exclusive relationships, nothing. I couldn’t talk to Viktor. That was the original problem between the two of us.

My stomach sank as I thought back to the weekend I’d had with Draco. I sat and talked with him all weekend. He was invested in my interests and work. He talked to me about the books he reads, the problems he faces, and the things he enjoys. I connected with him. I could never have anything like that with someone like Viktor.

I looked up at Viktor, who was stroking my thigh. How was I supposed to make him understand that I didn’t want this?

“You liked ze flowers?”

I fought my cringe. “They were very…fragrant.”

I wanted to tell him I hated them.

“Ze roses remind me of you,” he smiled.

I schooled my features once again. How on earth did giant bouquets of red roses remotely remind him of me?

“I’m sorry, Viktor,” I said. “I just can’t.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Because of Nox?”

I tensed.

Was it because of the monster?

I shook my head. “I want you to find a nice woman. One who will travel with you and love you the way you deserve.”

He reached up with his other hand and cupped my cheek.

“I ‘ave a game tonight,” he said. “Zen you can come to my room, at ze ‘Eath. Room two-seex-nine-nine.”

“Viktor,” I tried shaking my head, but he held it in place.

“Divorce, zen togezer.”

I wanted to hex him.

“Ve look the best together.”

“I need to go,” I sighed.

“I come to ze club with you,” he pushed. “We be togezer zer.”

That was the last bloody place I needed to be with him. I tried to pull away from his touch, but he leaned in. I couldn’t kiss him. Not again. He wasn’t the one I wanted to kiss. I leaned back, but his hand threaded through my hair and tugged my neck closer.

“Viktor-”

And he silenced me with his lips. They were large, and it wasn’t attractive or sexy. It was awkward and forced.

I stood up, breaking our hold.

“I can’t. I’m sorry,” I said and apparated away.

I rode the lift to Draco’s flat and felt like scrubbing my lips off my face. That was one of the most infuriating interactions I’d had in a long time. I slammed the front door and stalked off to my room. I tugged off my nude heels and pulled on a pair of leggings and a tank top. I left my feet bare and tugged my hair up on the top of my head.

Why couldn’t I just say what I felt? Why did I still feel the need to tiptoe around the feelings of others? I was exactly the same way with Viktor as I had been around Ron. I backed down. I swallowed my words. I withheld my thoughts. And why? To avoid a confrontation? Where did it get me? All I had done was just upset myself.

“I didn’t expect you back so soon,” Draco’s voice said to my left.

I spun to find him lounging against the kitchen counter. He was in sweats and nothing else. I went to the wine fridge and pulled out a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. I magicked two glasses.

“Thirsty?”

An amused smirk played on his lips, and he gave me a brief nod.

I magicked the cork away and gave a sloppy pour.

“Something on your mind, Granger?”

I glared at him. “Back to last names again?”

He took the glass I pushed at him and smiled.

“Thank you, Hermione.”

I gave him a flat look as I drank my entire glass in two gulps.

I sighed.

Draco smirked.

He didn’t pull out a chair. He just continued leaning against the counter. I pinched my eyes shut. What a stupid afternoon. What a stupid interaction.

Draco reached forward and refilled my wine glass.

I softened.

It wasn’t his fault I couldn’t stand up for myself. I had no reason to be irritated at him.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked so quietly I barely heard him.

My eyes met his.

I shook my head.

“No,” I said. “He’s just…persistent.”

Draco arched an unimpressed brow.

“He kissed me.”

“I saw.”

I winced. So did everyone else in the lobby of the Ministry.

“He did it again.”

I swore for a moment he was using Occlumency to mask his reactions.

“And what did you do?”

“I apologized and apparated away.”

“You apologized for…”

I shrugged. I didn’t know why.

“Do you want to be with Viktor Krum?”

“No,” I answered immediately.

“And did you say that to him?”

“Well, not in those exact words,” I mumbled.

“What words did you use?”

I could feel Draco’s irritation rising.

“I just said I can’t.”

“Can’t what?”

“I just can’t see him.”

“Because you’re not divorced yet?”

“I suppose that could be one reason.”

“But what did you tell him?”

I huffed out a breath. My irritation grew with his inquisition.

“No, it’s complicated.”

“Uncomplicate it.”

I gave him a look.

“What does he want?”

“He tried to suggest meeting me at Nox.”

Draco’s eyes glazed over with an iciness that was reminiscent of our youth.

“And you’d rather fuck him than date him?”

“No!”

“So you’re not going to meet him at Nox?”

“No.”

“Why? Because of someone else you see there?”

“No!”

I swore I noted a hint of surprise in his features.

“I don’t want to fuck Viktor or date Viktor. I don’t want anything to do with Viktor. And it has nothing to do with anyone at Nox.”

“Why then?”

“Because!” My frustration capsized. “I can barely hold an intelligible conversation with him. It’d be just like Ron, but with better sex. He wouldn’t talk to me, he wouldn’t care about my interests, and I don’t give a rat’s arse about Quidditch.”

“So why didn’t you tell him that?”

“I can’t!”

“Why?”

“Because I censor myself all the time. I skirt around what I really mean instead of just coming right out and saying it.”

“You did the same thing with Weasley.”

“Yes.”

Draco stood at his full height as he stalked toward me. I backed up against the fridge, and he pinned me in place with his glare.

“You are the most powerful bloody witch of this century,” he growled. “You want something? You fucking demand it, Hermione.”

“I can’t,” I whispered.

“Yes. You. Can.” He bit out each word.

He was so close now I had to crane my neck to look up at him.

“You don’t like confrontation, is that it?”

I nodded.

“Well, too fucking bad. I’m not going to let you walk around getting snogged against your will when there’s no reason for it. So you’re going to speak up because I can’t always be there to hex the bollocks off of every man who wants to fuck you.”

I flinched at his words.  

“Draco…”

I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t be this person. I didn’t want to fight. I just wanted things to go away. I tried to turn, but he pivoted me and held me in place. His hands were firmly on my hips, driving my back into the fridge as he stared down at me.

“Demand it.”

“Let go.”

His hollow laugh dripped with condescension.

“You want people to walk all over you?”

I flinched at his words, but he kept going.

“You want interns to run into you while you walk to and from the lifts? You want people to treat you like you’re sub-human, Hermione?”

“No!”

“Liar.”

“I want to be strong!” I shoved at his chest, but he didn’t move.

“I don’t believe you.”

I glared at him.

“I want to be brave and speak my mind.”

My temper rose, but I kept talking.

“I want people to stop ignoring me. I want them to listen when I have something to say because it’s fucking important.”

I shoved at him again.

“What else?” he demanded, moving one hand to my shoulder.

“I don’t want to be invisible anymore!”

Angry tears pooled behind my eyes.

“Good girl. Keep going.”

I bit my lip before pushing more.

“I don’t want Viktor Krum to kiss me.”

I shoved him, panting out frustrated breaths in the process.

“More.”

“I want to tell Ron he can go fuck himself.”

I moved my hips, but his grip remained firm.

“I don’t want to fuck Viktor at the club or anywhere else.”

His lips were a breath away from mine. He was an immovable force in my path.

“And?” he pushed me further.

“And I only want you to kiss me!”

Chapter Text

“Finally,” he sighed, and his mouth connected with mine.

His hands moved to my face and tilted me, deepening the kiss. He claimed my mouth in the most passionate and tender way possible. I completely melted into him. This was a kiss I’d been imagining for so long. A kiss I never thought I would get.

My arms laced around his neck while I pushed myself into his hard body. His hands never left my face. He held me as if I were breakable, like any minute I would burst into shards. His lips were so soft, and the taste of him was tart and citrusy from the wine.

I lost track of time. We continued to kiss and explore one another’s mouths as I stood backed up against the fridge. I delighted in his embrace. He swept his tongue along mine and nibbled my bottom lip between his perfectly white teeth. I wanted to whimper from the overwhelming rush of it all. He was ruining me with this kiss. I would never kiss another man and have more of a visceral and chemical reaction. I would never be able to replicate something like this.

When he finally pulled away, we were both breathless.

He rested his head against mine, and we took several moments to just experience the other’s presence. We didn’t speak. We just remained connected and breathless as we came down from our high.

“You were never invisible to me,” he finally spoke. “I’m sorry I didn’t intervene earlier.”

His words wrecked me. Hearing that I wasn’t invisible to someone like Draco was life-altering.

He wrapped me in a hug, and I drew in a contented breath. I never needed an apology from him, but it meant the world that he offered it up so freely. Men like Draco lived unapologetically. He was fierce and purposeful in all his actions. This was no small thing he was offering me.

I buried my nose in his neck, drawing in the goodness of his warmth and familiar scent. He lifted my chin toward his and pressed another kiss on my lips.

“Let’s get you fed.”

Draco had been touchy before. He was always near me, touching me, steering me, or leading me. But this interaction was an entirely different shift. As I helped him prep dinner, he couldn’t stop. Each fleeting touch and delicate gesture made the energy between us that much more electric. Several times, he’d lean over to grab something and brush a kiss against my cheek, or he would swipe his thumb over my bottom lip. I was captivated by the contact.

He stood by the stove cooking steaks while I chopped some of the vegetables he took out. I found myself watching him through the entire thing. I watched the way his back muscles tensed and rippled as he flipped the steaks, and I gazed hungrily at the low waistband of his sweats.

I never expected Draco Malfoy to kiss me back. In a million years, I would have never assumed that he would be even the slightest bit interested in any kind of physical contact with me. But that kiss! I trapped my lip between my teeth as my core tightened at the memory. It had been the most romantic interaction I’d ever had. I’d never understood women in novels who claimed to be swept up or swept away by a kiss. But now? Now I lived it. Now, I couldn’t wait for the next tidal wave to submerge me. I was starved for more.

My distracted thoughts cost me. The sharp knife in my hand slipped easily around the carrot I was slicing. The knife clattered to the ground as a gush of red filled the cutting board.

So much blood.

Dizziness clouded me.

I gasped, suddenly not able to get enough air.

Far away I could hear Draco saying something.

I pulled for breath again.

My vision blurred.

Cool water ran over my hand.

Draco’s warm hand touched my face.

“You’re okay,” he whispered. “Look, you’re healed. You’re okay.”

I faltered, desperate for stability.

Draco’s hands were still on my face, rubbing small circles with his thumbs.

“Sorry,” I whispered, closing my eyes.

I took a few more deep pulls of oxygen before opening my eyes again.

“Look,” he said, taking my hand in his. “Not even a scar.”

I blinked down at the hand that had just been covered in red to find that it was all gone. There was no trace of the cut.

“Just two, then,” I tried to smile, but Draco gave me a curious look.

I tilted my head up and pointed to my chin.

His thumb traced over the ridged white line hidden beneath my chin.

“I was four,” I said. “I tripped going up the stairs. Muggles don’t have magic to fix skin. They sew it back together.”

Draco made a face.

“I didn’t feel it,” I shrugged. “They numbed the area.”

He traced the raised line once more before trailing down my right forearm. I scarcely breathed as his fingers fluttered over the faded word branded into my skin with the poisoned dagger.

Draco’s face was as hard as a stone as he frowned at the mark.

“I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you,” I whispered.

His head snapped up, giving me an incredulous look of disbelief. He opened his mouth to argue, but I kept going.

“I grew up with two loving parents, Draco. I know this wasn’t the first act of violence you had to witness. I’m sure it was far from the worst thing you were exposed to.”

He stared at me, unmoving.

“I never blamed you,” I whispered.

And his lips crashed into mine. He lifted me onto the counter and stepped between my legs. I wrapped my arms and legs around him and gave in to the delirious kiss.

“I will never deserve your forgiveness,” he said between kisses.

I pulled away and placed my hands on his cheeks, leveling him with my gaze.

“There’s nothing to forgive.”

“Her-”

“Don’t argue with me.”

He smiled. “Is that another demand?”

“Yes,” I smiled. “So you’d better listen.”

***

The next several days, things began to fall into a new routine. Draco Malfoy kissed me constantly. And it was the most feverishly happy I’d been in ages. He’d kiss me good morning and good night. He’d kiss me while we cooked. While we watched television. While we read. It hadn’t progressed past that, but I was cocooned in the dizzying aura of lust.

I’d also started to find little drawings around the house he’d left for me. My favorite was our first kiss. I kept it on the small table near my bed.

Draco had a meeting this morning with Wizengamot, and I assured him nearly two dozen times that I was fully capable of walking to the lifts and my office on my own. He was gone by the time I made it to the kitchen, but my lunch, coffee, and another new cartoon were waiting for me. This one was of him trying not to fall asleep during the meeting he was set to attend. But the floating dream bubble above his head revealed my curly-headed face.

My heart squeezed.

As I took the Floo to the Ministry, my mind wandered to how severely my life had changed in the space of a week.

I’d written to Viktor and told him in express detail that I would not be pursuing any kind of relationship with him. Ever. I was polite but firm. Theo read and approved it before I sent it off.

I think I needed to talk to Theo today about more serious things, though. It was the weekend. And the expectation would be to head to Nox and meet the monster.

I glanced at the small beaded twine on my wrist. Draco had never asked about it, and luckily, the monster hadn’t called me. But he’d showed up at the flat before. And if I didn’t show…

My options were strange. I could keep going to Nox. Draco and I weren’t anything official. I was married. He was my husband’s boss. I couldn’t risk Draco’s career with my vapid infatuation with him. The monster was a far more reasonable option. It was practical. No attachment. No faces. No identification. The secrecy of Nox would protect me. I could continue having mind-numbing sex with someone who was a little manic but secretive. And discretion was something I desperately needed. Especially with how frequently Ronald was smearing my name over the Ministry.

I was stuck.

I wanted Draco.

I wanted the heart-pounding, earth-moving kisses. I wanted the cartoons, the companionship, the cooking, the life.

But I couldn’t have that. Not married. Not with my soon-to-be ex-husband’s boss.

I needed the monster.

I looked down at the twine band again. His threat echoed through my mind. Would he know that I’d kissed Draco? And that Viktor had kissed me as well? The monster said once I kissed him, it would bind our souls. Did he really mean that? Maybe he just meant at the club. I never went near anyone there.

I practically groaned to myself. I’d messed everything up by kissing Draco.

I paused.

No, I continued to mess things up by still kissing Draco Malfoy.

“Good morning, Hermione.”

I looked up and saw Benjamin Langston standing beside me in the lift. He’d been a few years older than us and a Hufflepuff, I think? He worked as a curse breaker for the Ministry, and we’d spoken a few times. I found his career absolutely enthralling. He chatted with me most of the Christmas party last year about his recent trips to Indonesia.

“Hello, Ben,” I smiled. “Doing well?”

The lift stopped at the two wizards in front of us, leaving only Ben and I.

“I wanted you to know I don’t believe any of the shit Weasley is going on about,” he said.

A genuine smile took over my features at his kindness. It felt wonderful to have someone on my side.

“Thank you,” I said. “Truly. It is so nice to hear.”

“You were always too clever for him,” he smiled and began rolling up the sleeves of his button-down shirt.

I smiled at the compliment but didn’t speak.

“Maybe once things are settled, there will be room for a coffee.”

Surprise overtook me. Before I could respond, he winked and walked off the lift. I watched him walk away and froze as I stared at his forearms. Tattoo’s poked out behind the rolled sleeves.

I staggered back against the wall of the lift.

Two arm sleeves of tattoos.

Just like the monster.

My mind swam in a murky wave of confusion.

I didn’t see his tattoos close enough. Could he be the monster? Could he be the dominant and possessive man behind the mask?

Ben was a curse breaker. He would know how to get past the wards at Draco’s flat. But how had he known where I was staying? Did he overhear Theo or Draco? Was he a Legilimens?

I balked. Had I been shagging Benjamin Langston? That didn’t seem realistic… he always seemed so nice and quiet. And the Mudblood scar?

Fuck.

He was Muggle-born.  

That was another of the bloody things we’d connected about over Christmas. His mum was a nurse.

His hair was a dark brown, like mine. I suppose at the club, it could look almost black under the lights.

Or he could glamour it.

I walked as if in a fog. I couldn’t shake the feeling of the monster knowing my every move.

Knowing that Benjamin worked here…

“Granger!”

My eyes met Theo’s as he snapped in front of me several times.

“Hello? What the bloody hell was that?” he asked. “Was it Weasley? Where’s Draco?”

“He had a meeting,” I stuttered.

He took my shoulders and placed me on my chair.

“Then what in the bloody hell happened?”

I looked up at Theo.

He knew.

My breathing was erratic.

“Does the monster work at the Ministry?”

Theo’s brows scrunched in confusion.

“Huh?”

“The masked man…from Nox… does he…” I swallowed. “Does he work here?”

The paling look on Theo’s face was answer enough.

I pushed out of my seat and began to pace the floor.

He knew me. He knew that I worked here. He knew I lived with Draco. He could have seen Viktor kiss me the other day. He could have seen the flowers. He was watching my horrifically public divorce. He was witnessing all of it.

“Granger, I tried to tell you,” he said, following me as I paced. “I told you I wanted to tell you.”

“Stop,” I held up my hand.

I needed to think. He definitely had seen my interactions with Draco, too. He’d seen the way he was always touching me. I’m sure that the possessiveness of the monster was ready to rear its ugly head at both of us.

But I was kissing Draco. I was actively kissing Draco Malfoy at home every night, fucking the monster, and was still very much married to my husband.

Oh, my gods. I am the worst kind of slag. I am the sickest person. How deprived must I be to be leading these two men on like this? And Viktor? I covered my face.

Fuck.

I had to fix this.

The monster was Benjamin Langston.

My stomach churned.

He and Draco constantly worked together.

My face fell.

Draco was a Legilimens.

Fucking hell.

He must know.

“How did you find out?” Theo asked.

I deflated as I leaned against the desk. My hands were trembling.

“I saw the tattoos.”

My mind reeled. If it wasn’t Benjamin, it could be someone else. But Theo had confirmed that the monster was employed at the Ministry. And two arm sleeves? The coincidence of that was too much. How many other fully tattooed males were working for the Ministry?

It would make sense. Benjamin approaching me, rolling his sleeves up to show his arms, it all made perfect sense. The wink. The proposition.

I felt sick.

I had been such a reckless fool.

“What do I do?” the question came out a whispered plea.

Theo leaned against the desk opposite of me. His face held a sympathetic look.

“I suppose he’s done hiding, then,” he said. “Took him long enough.”

“What do you mean?”

“Granger, he’s been interested in you for years.”

“Years?” I gaped.

Theo shrugged.

“And you knew this whole time?”

I was almost dizzy with nausea.

“You were married! What was I supposed to do?”

“I’m still married!”

“Not for long,” Theo nudged my knee with his. “And then you can decide if this is worth exploring.”

I groaned.

“Granger, I really am sorry,” Theo said, wrapping me in a hug. “I wanted to tell you sooner. I wanted to tell you as soon as I found out who it was.”

“I know,” I mumbled against his chest, feeling even more foolish than ever.

“My offer still stands. If you don’t want to be with him, just tell me. I’ll let him down gently.”

I snorted.

“I doubt he’d take rejection well,” I said.

“The war complicated everything,” Theo said. “But working with you, watching you in your terrible fucking marriage. It has been hell, Granger. Especially for him.”

“He’s been interested that long?”

My mind reeled. I had no idea. Sure, we’d had a few nice interactions. He was always so polite and kind. But I had no idea that he was interested in me. I suppose he would have just sat back and respected my marriage, even if everyone else knew what a sham it was.

“Years, Granger.”

Having the monster transform into a real person changed things. I thought the anonymity of it all was what made it work. But knowing what I did now… knowing who… it just felt off. I couldn’t do this. Not now. Not like this.  

“I think you have to let him down gently,” I whispered, scarcely believing the words coming out of my mouth. “It’ll just…complicate things.”

I looked at Theo. His face had fallen, and he looked as though it were him I was rejecting.

“Nox is thrilling,” I said. “It’s fun, and it helped me feel sexy and desirable. But I can’t sustain it, Theo. This isn’t something that can exist long-term. We’re such different people in the real world. And I’m still married.”

“If you want to be done, I said I would help,” Theo said, standing up. He shoved his hands into his pockets and let out a long breath. “I guess I just really thought it might work. That you’d be courageous enough to look past who he is and see how much he bloody loves you.”

I winced at his words. Love? No. It wasn’t love. It couldn’t be! I didn’t even know him. The monster wanted to possess me. He was obsessive and dominant. I couldn’t give a man like Benjamin that power. It didn’t feel right.

I thought back to how courageous I’d been with Draco. I thought about how I’d finally broken through and asked him to kiss me. That had felt natural. That felt right. But allowing Benjamin to be the man behind the monster just felt…off. Draco told me to be assertive. To demand what I wanted. So this was my chance.

“I don’t want him, Theo. End it.”

I had a late meeting with my solicitor scheduled and then supper with Pansy and Astoria. I was grateful when I got in the lift that afternoon not to see Ben. I was hoping that Theo would intercept him before I ran into him again.  

My meeting went about as expected. Ron is trying to play off that I knew about the missing funds and that I was behind the tax evasion nonsense. I rolled my eyes, but my solicitor assured me that he would get to the bottom of this. We just need someone else to vouch for me. At the end of the day, all we had was my signature on paper, indicating that I very much knew about it.

I filled in Pansy and Astoria about the whole sordid tale with Viktor after my meeting. Pansy said I should have at least given him one run in the sheets, for old-time’s sake. But Astoria said I made the smart choice.

“He isn’t bright enough for Hermione,” Astoria said.

“Well, he isn’t tutoring her,” Pansy said. “He’s stuffing her full of his great-Quidditch-cock.”

All three of us laughed.

“Besides,” Pansy said. “I love to see Draco jealous. It does wonders for the soul.”

I blushed immediately. How had she…

“Please,” Astoria rolled her eyes. “It’s bloody obvious to everyone.”

“Please don’t say that,” I groaned into my wine glass. “If anyone found out…”

“Your secret is safe with us,” Astoria smiled and placed a hand on mine.

“I’m still married. We can’t. It was stupid of me to do in the first place.”

“Weasley’s days are numbered, Grangey,” Pansy said, patting my other hand. “And when they’re officially up, I don’t know that there will be a force strong enough to prevent Draco Malfoy from claiming what’s his.”

Chapter Text

It was after ten by the time I finally got home from hanging out with Astoria and Pansy. When I walked into the flat, the lights were out. Draco must have had a bad day and already gone to bed. His meetings this morning didn’t seem like the ones that he wanted to have, and because his workday had been so delayed, he ended up staying late, too. And if I was being honest, I missed his presence. I wanted him around. I wanted him to walk me to and from the lifts. Today wasn’t the same without him.

I got ready for bed and settled on a navy blue set of pajamas. The top was a silky tank, and the bottoms were little more than boy shorts. I was hoping I’d find another cartoon amongst my things since I didn’t see Draco today, but was disappointed not to.

Sleep came easily. The entire day had been exhausting and overwhelming. I trusted that Theo had let Ben down easily, though I was surprised to know the two had become so close. I attributed it to Theo being a part owner and knowing all the patrons.

I felt the brush of cool air against my feet and went to tuck them back under the blankets.

My arms were immobile.

And so were my legs.

My scream tore through my throat and reverberated on the walls around me. The room was pitch black, and I fought to get control of my senses. I didn’t know where I was.

The monster.

I felt the bed dip from his weight as he climbed on it.

I knew he wouldn’t give up.

I knew he wouldn’t take this well.

“I don’t take kindly to being excused,” he whispered against my cheek.

I screamed again, pulling and bucking against the restraints that held me.

“Shh,” he said, caressing a hand over my face. “No one can hear you anyway.”

A sob rose in my throat.

“Leave me alone.”

“Now, kitten,” he sighed. “That’s not what you were saying the other night.”

“Please,” I begged. “We can’t do this.”

“I told you that your lips can never touch another.”  

Fuck. He knew about the others. I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath. I had to think. I had to get myself out of this situation.

“And did they, kitten?”

I was trembling.

“Yes.” My voice was a hoarse whisper.

“Good girl,” he said, placing a kiss on my cheek.

I should have been there when Theo talked to him. I should have been there to explain myself. I couldn’t imagine carrying on like this with Ben when he wouldn’t take no for an answer. I was enthralled by the monster. It’s true. But this was too far. I could never stay with him out of fear. Nox was about trust. And I didn’t trust Ben. Especially not now.

“I’m going to punish you for letting someone other than me on those lips,” the monster said. “If you take your punishment well, I’ll let you come.”

Gods, I hated that my body reacted to him in such a traitorous way. I was practically humming with anticipation. But I couldn’t let him do this. I couldn’t let this thing continue between the two of us.

Suddenly, I was off the bed and in his arms. I fought like a feral cat. My wrists and ankles were still bound, but it didn’t stop me. I threw my head, elbows, hips, anything at him to stall him. He just laughed as his arms tightened around me. I had no idea Ben was this strong. He pressed several kisses to my neck and cheek. I growled at him as I fought to wriggle out of his hold. But then, I was standing. My arms and legs spread out like a star to my sides. Nothing was behind or in front of me that I could feel.

“Five with my hand, five with the crop,” he said. “Tell me your safe word.”

I gritted my teeth.

I was naked, and I could feel my nipples pebble and my core throb.

No. Fuck him. I was not going to like this. I wasn’t going to give him this sexual power over me anymore.

“Speak.”

His demand startled me. I hadn’t realized how close he was.

“Black.”

“Good girl.”

He took my nipple into his mouth and did a hard suck. I bit down on my tongue to keep from moaning in pleasure. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. I couldn’t.

There was a small pop from his release, and he was gone. My body shivered with expectation. Would it be his hand or the crop first?

Why hadn’t I said the safe word already?

Did I want to feel this?

Did some piece of me believe that this punishment was merited?

Fuck, my mind was a disaster. I was so jarred, so confused-

SLAP!

My back arched, and I gasped as my ass hummed from the red sting of his palm. The restraints held me, but I barely had time to recover before the next three followed in rapid succession.

Fuck.

I was so wet.

It didn’t make sense. I’d never thought of Ben like this. I’d never even considered a situation in which the two of us were together. Even now, knowing it was him made it unfathomable.

I was panting by the time the last of the punishment by his hand came. I tried to ground myself. I could say black now. I could end this and go home.

I thought of Draco.

I needed to be assertive. I needed to demand what I wanted. I couldn’t let anyone else walk all over me. I needed to face the monster and tell him I was done. He’d respect that. He was just insulted I’d sent Theo on my behalf.

The monster rubbed my ass with his large calloused hands. I bucked away from him. I didn’t want his comfort. I didn’t want any of it.

The crack of the crop had me clenching my teeth again. It hurt less than his hand, but it was louder, which gave the illusion of more pain than there actually was. So, I bit down and took each one. And by the fifth, I was heavily breathing out of my nose. But I refused to make a sound. I refused to give him the power.

“Let me go,” I snarled once he was finished.

His fingers trailed down my navel and dipped between my legs. I bit my cheek harder. I couldn’t react. I had to force myself to think of something else. Anything but the pleasure of his fingers entering me.

“So wet,” he kissed my stomach.

Gods, why did he have to know my body so well? It was like he had a map of my body and knew every valley and every peak that would wring pleasure from me.

My hips longed to thrust toward him. By body urged me to participate, to play. But my mind was resolute. I was not going to play in the monster’s games. I was not here for reconciliation. I was here to end things once and for all.

His tongue swept through me. There was nothing I could do. My legs were spread, and I gave him full access to all of me. My arms shook as badly as my legs did. His tongue was the bow, and he played me as skillfully as the first chair of an orchestra. I was lost in the frenzy of him.

I was so close.

He entered his fingers next, swirling my clit until I was seconds away from coming.

But I couldn’t come.

Not like this.

Not with him.

“Ben, please don’t do this!”

Everything stilled.

It was the first time I’d ever used his name, and I knew that would get his attention. I was breaking character. This was real. Not Nox. This wasn’t about Nox anymore. I didn’t want him. I couldn’t. Monster or not, he wasn’t who I wanted.

“What did you say?”

His voice was the most frightening tone I’d ever heard. I was fucking terrified. He was lethal. I knew that much. But I couldn’t sit here and let him continue.

“Please, Ben. Black.”

I’d never used a safe word with the monster before. And I swallowed down a sob that threatened to escape.

Suddenly, my eyes were clear of whatever spell I was under, and the pieces of my bedroom began to come into view from the soft lamp near my bed. My restraints vanished, and I stood in my room completely naked. Not Nox.

“Who the fuck is Ben?”

My eyes focused on the figure before me. Heaving in pure, unadulterated rage was the Draco Malfoy.

My mouth dropped as my mind caught up with my sight. He wore his signature low-slung sweats and nothing else. And I took in his entire torso in the light. Tattoos covered every inch of his skin except for his neck, face, and hands. I watched as the curving patterns and words dipped below his waistband. I saw the way they followed the contoured structure of his biceps and pecs. And my eyes locked on the damning words carved into his skin along his chest.

Mudblood.

I couldn’t breathe.

I couldn’t speak.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

Theo’s connection to the monster.

How he got into the house.

He was with Blaise that first night.

The old injury I saw.

The glimpses of tattoos I thought I was imagining.

The way the monster always felt so familiar.

He’d said finally when we kissed.

He was talking from the perspective of the monster.

Draco Malfoy was the monster.

Before my knees could give out, his hand was around my throat, and he was thrusting me up against the wall.

“Be very fucking explicit when you tell me who in the fuck Ben is, Hermione.”

I was in such a state of shock I’d forgotten what was happening.

“You’re… you’re not Ben.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Ben. Who.”

“I thought the monster was Benjamin Langston. I saw his tattoos today on the lift. And he winked at me. Theo said the monster worked at the Ministry. I didn’t want Ben. I never wanted him.”

Realization seemed to hit Draco at the same time.

“And now?” he seethed. “Will you have Nott turn me away a second time?”

Frustrated tears welled in my eyes.

“You lied to me!”

A hollow laugh choked from Draco as he let me go and paced the floor in front of me.

“This is what you wanted!” he shouted. “I heard your conversation with Nott in the kitchen that morning. You said you didn’t want to know. You told him not to say anything because it wouldn’t be your fun, secret, sexy fantasy anymore.”

I flinched at the truth behind his words. But he kept going. His frustration and rage were as deadly as I’d ever seen them.

“This was your choice, Hermione. But it was always real for me. It was always so fucking real! The only person you have to be angry at is yourself. I would have told you over breakfast how fucking starved I was for you. But you didn’t want to hear it.”

I shook my head as tears fell down my cheeks.

This…this fucked up everything. I couldn’t have the monster because I couldn’t have Draco. I would ruin his entire career.

“Draco,” I shook my head through the tears and frustration I felt for not realizing this sooner. “We can’t be together. No one from work can know! It could ruin everything.”

“They already fucking know, Hermione!” Draco threw his hands up and ran them through his hair. “Dean is my second in command. I told him the fucking day you moved in with me what my intentions were. He’s known from the start. I signed the letter to Pansy with my actual name. I told my mother about you.”

I reeled at the information, but he kept going.

“I knew I loved you years ago. And I watched your entire life slip through your fucking hands in a terrible marriage. And I was sick with grief and rage because I couldn’t do anything. I was desperate to make you smile again. To tease me. To play with me. You were dying before my eyes, and your fucking husband held the knife. He bled you slowly while I had to sit and endure it.”

Choking sobs were now pouring from me at his confession.

“So yes,” he snapped. “I’m fucking fighting. I’m fighting for my life and yours. Because I know that one of your smiles is enough to sustain me for weeks. Your laugh? It could resurrect the fucking dead, Hermione. And I have been a shell of a man for years, waiting for you to fight your way out of this. So I’m not leaving until you do. Until you’re free and happy. I’m fighting dirty now. I will lie, steal, cheat, and kill if it means protecting you. And if that means I kill Weasley myself, then you better believe I’ll do it and laugh over his bloodied corpse.”

He stepped forward and took my cheeks in his hand. He was shaking as much as I was.

“I told you that the moment your lips met mine, I would possess your very soul. You kissed me. And now you have me. Monster and all.”

 His mouth devoured me in a rough and desperate kiss. I was backed up against the wall once again while his tongue swept over mine. He bit my bottom lip, and a feral growl was released from his throat.

Draco was the monster.

I wanted to laugh at the hysteria of it all. Everyone knew.

I’d been with him this whole time.

That’s why my monster had always felt so safe.

It was always him.

And he…he said he loved me.

Draco Malfoy loved me?

He picked me up and thrust me against the wall. I groaned at the impact and the building pressure between my legs.

“Fuck me, Draco,” I panted between kisses. “Let me feel you.”

He freed himself instantly and sheathed himself inside of me with one powerful thrust. Both of us cried out against the other’s mouth. He was so big, so filling.

His thrusts were merciless. He held one hand on my neck while the other held me up. I locked my legs around his hips, using all the leverage I could get to pull him into me.

“I always wanted you,” I panted. “Always you.”

“Then fight for us,” he growled. “Don’t you dare fucking run from me.”

I cried against him.

His hand moved from my neck to my hair, and he pulled it as he continued his demanding assault. Over and over, he fucked me into the wall. My body burned with the unspent release. And tears poured down my face. He kissed me with unhinged possessiveness. This was Draco fighting. This was Draco afraid. And I’d pushed him to this point.

He drove his hips so hard and deep that I sobbed. It felt so fucking good. It was so overwhelming, so filling. I didn’t know what to do. My mind and my body were so overstimulated that I shook in his arms.

“Only I fuck this cunt,” he growled. “You’re mine. And I’m never. Letting. Go!”

He punctuated each word with a commanding thrust, and I broke. My orgasm ripped through my body with such intensity that all I could do was yell. He dove into my hips with his own, letting his own orgasm explode from him with a roar.

I felt him inside of me, the warm rush, and the pressure of our bodies descending from their high. I was almost drunk on the feeling of him.

He loosened his fingers from my hair and guided my head to his shoulder. With a shaking sigh, I let him wrap his arms around my back and carry me to the bed.

Tears still slipped down my cheeks.

That had been the most terrifyingly powerful experience of my life. That orgasm had completely obliterated me. And he was still inside me as we walked. Each step stimulated my sensitive core that much more.

He placed me on the bed, and I grated as he pulled out of me. The loss of his warmth and pressure was isolating.

He reached for my wand on the nightstand and cleaned the two of us. He climbed into the bed and pulled me on top of him.

“I love you,” he said against my hair.

I marveled at how easily the words flowed from his lips. He kissed my hair, my hands, my cheeks. Anything in reach he was touching, kissing, or holding. My entire body was draped over his as he held me possessively. It was like he was afraid that any moment, he was going to wake up, and I was going to be gone.

But that was the problem all along. My mind and heart always went back to Draco. Even with the Nox and the monster, my thoughts always drifted back to him. I needed him. I wanted him. And now?

I finally knew he wanted me, too.

Chapter Text

I woke up later that morning to Draco’s head buried between my legs. I cried out as my sensitive body hummed with pleasure. His hands were locked around my hips, and he was ringing every last ounce of indulgence out of me. The magic of Draco Malfoy’s tongue was something to marvel at.

My orgasm bloomed at my core, releasing waves of ecstasy skittering over my sensitive skin. Draco tugged the blankets off him and sat up with a self-satisfied smile.

“Good morning, Hermione.”

It was still so strange seeing him like this. The tattoos that covered every inch of him seemed so fitting now that it was his face they were matched with. He leaned above me and pressed his lips to mine. I reddened at the intimacy of tasting myself, but it seemed to only embolden him.

“So good,” he groaned.

Would this maddening feeling of desire ever fade? Would there ever be a time when I would avoid physical intimacy with him like I did Ron? I prayed not. I pleaded with the universe to keep my starved passion for him burning bright. I was greedy. I wanted more.

I thrust my hips up to meet his, and his groan turned into a growl.

“Hermione,” he warned against my lips.

But I ignored him. My hands were already stretching down the length of him to pull him closer to me. My nails dug into the soft flesh of his ass, and I pulled him forward. He hissed out a string of curses and slowly pushed his cock into me. Inch by inch, we both gasped and panted.

My head rolled back against the pillows as I took his full length.

“Draco,” I pleaded.

But he was already moving. He was so in tune with my needs, and my body was so responsive. My nipples ached for him, and his mouth latched around one and then the other, taking turns running his teeth and tongue over the sensitive bud.

“Fuck,” I gasped as more pressure began to build.

That’s when he pushed as far as he could go and tilted his hips up. Gods, when he did that, I saw white spots in my vision. I found it almost impossible to catch my breath. He was so fucking good at this. And all I could do was just take and take and take.

“That’s it, darling,” he brushed a hair out of my face and kissed me. “Take me. Take all of me. Let me fuck you so deep.”

I kept my eyes on him, taking in the scene before me. This was my monster. This was Draco. All rolled into one glorious and erotic fantasy I never could have imagined.

Our kisses turned frenzied and hungry as our ecstasy built. We were both close. Our tongues demanded the attention of the other. More. Delicious and wild feelings of elation were right there on the cusp. We were reaching, begging for release.

“Now,” Draco snarled, and I jumped right after him. Our cries of passion filled the space of the room as the early morning light peeked through. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t fathom how something between two people could be so dynamic.

Draco reached for his wand on the side table. He vanished the evidence of our passion and cast a contraceptive charm.

“I took the year’s worth potion,” I admitted to him. “Last December.”

Draco turned toward me, trailing a hand over my naked hip.

“You hid it from him.”

It wasn’t a question. Part of me had felt so guilty for keeping it from Ron. He was so adamant about having children, but something about it had just felt so off to me. Now, I knew some part of my subconscious was protecting me.

I nodded.

“I came to terms with the idea a long time ago that I’d someday be raising a little Weasley halfling,” he said.

I waited for him to tell me he was joking, but the line never came. A hysterical laugh bubbled out of me while I threw my hands over my face.

“I’m not joking,” he said, clearly puzzled by my reaction.

I kept my hands over my face.

“I know.”

His obsessive nature was the monster’s. And now I was seeing them come together for the first time.

“Did I upset you?” he asked, dragging my hands away from my face.

Concern laced his features, giving him a boyish quality. His face looked as if he were bracing himself to be reprimanded.

I leaned over and kissed him.

“Of course not,” I promised. “You’re just a little… honest.”

“I always want to be honest with you.”

“I know,” I whispered. “I’m sorry I made you lie.”

“I knew it would come out eventually. It was just the prolonged absence of truth. Not a lie.”

“Pretty words, smooth talker.”

His grin returned, and I felt myself relax. He pulled me against his chest.

“Will you tell me about them,” I asked, tracing over his ink along his torso.

“Blaise does them all,” he said. “I can admit now that it’s an addiction. The sting and pain have a balm-like effect on me. It soothes areas of myself that not even I could verbalize.”

His entire body was covered. And now that he was naked, I saw that his legs were almost fully tattooed as well.

“Do you design them all?”

I knew now what a talented artist he was from the little cartoons he left me.

“Most of them, yes,” he nodded. “But Blaise and I tend to merge concepts and ideas more often than not. I’ve become his practice dummy for new styles and types.”

I noticed that there was a lot of diversity among the tattoos. Some were scripted words in beautiful cursive, others in blocky lettering. Some looked so realistic that I swore I could reach out and touch the real thing. But all of them were done in shades of black and gray.

“It started as a way to cover the lovely marks Potter gifted me with,” he raised an eyebrow to me. “A nasty spell he learned from your readings?”

My eyebrows shot up.

“No,” I shook my head. “It was Snape’s. He had a potions book he wrote it in, but Harry didn’t know what it did. He tried it on his enemy. You.”

“That would explain Snape’s quick healing work when he found me,” Draco nodded but shrugged. “It wasn’t the first scar. And it wasn’t the first time I thought I was going to die.”

I’d forgotten how to swallow.

“I had a…complicated upbringing,” he spoke with little emotion as if he were just restating spell work. “Perfection was the expectation. Anything less would result in creative avenues for amelioration.”

“He tortured you?” My whisper displayed all the horrid things running through my mind.

“Yes. My mother never condoned it, but stopping it would leave her more injured than me. So, I learned from an early age to take the brunt of it to spare her.”

Suddenly, the small stitches along my chin seemed so trivial.

“This was my first,” he said, pointing to a long, skeletal hand stretching out toward his heart. The hand disappeared as if it were reaching through him and into the cavity of his chest. “Blaise has a shop set up in Nocturn Alley. Witches and wizards come from all over the world to be tattooed by him.”

“I can see why,” I said, noticing the intricate details of his artwork.

“I felt like death already had a hand on me. So this only made sense.”

“Do you still feel this way?”

“Yes.”

He paused a beat before continuing.

“But you make it less.”

I squeezed his hand.

“The dragons on my back represent my mother and I. We want to fight. We want to survive. And we have. Blaise really gained popularity when he learned to cover these, though.”

He raised his left forearm and showed the space where the dark mark would have been. The skeletal face and snake had been transformed into a giant tree teaming with creatures emerging from it.

“It takes a special kind of ink that Theo helped him develop.”

“The tree of life,” I said.

“Resurrection,” he nodded. “A second chance. That’s what it says in Latin down my spine.”

My fingers ghosted over the space the dark mark once was.

Without speaking, my hand traveled up his arm and over the raised letters that mirrored my own. Our eyes met. A stranger having the same Mudblood mark as me was one thing. But Draco Malfoy bearing the mark was an enigma.

“My penance.”

The weight of the words hung between us.

The eight letters were etched so deeply into him. The scars of his semi-healed skin were wider than mine, too, showing the thick carving that tore through his flesh.

“This isn’t a tattoo.”

“No,” he said. “Theo held me down. Blaise carved me with a poisoned dagger.”

My fingers trembled as they felt the raised lines along his chest.

“A reminder that inaction has consequences. Blood has no status. I will never idly sit by again.”

The upside-down letters spelling out purity beneath it showed the absolute mockery he made of the term.

“I never blamed you,” I reiterated in a whisper.

He took my arm and pressed a kiss against the marks. My stomach tightened at how much he blamed himself for that day. He’d saved us. He lied to his father when he clearly knew who we were. He didn’t fight as we moved to escape. Harry easily disarmed him when Draco naturally could have put up a big fight. Draco’s actions that day saved us all.

“Part of the problem with being a Legilimens is the mental fatigue that comes from overexertion. Mine displays in nightmares.”

“You had one the night I found you in the living room.”

He nodded.

“You dream of that day?”

“Often. Though, sometimes, it’s my mother. My friends. Sometimes it’s Voldemort torturing you. Sometimes, you’re being attacked by Nagini. My mind finds creative musings of torture when I’m in my weakened state.”

He studied me, his brows in a deep frown.

“I wasn’t lying when I said I don’t invade your mind,” he continued. “But it’s very hard for me to resist when I hear you having a nightmare. I want to go into your mind and rip the nightmares away from you.”

“I never have nightmares of you.”

He snorted out a disbelieving huff.

“Of the monster then.”

“No,” I shook my head. “I never have.”

“Foolish girl,” he sighed and kissed my forehead. “I’m not a good man, Hermione. I’ve killed and tortured. I was the youngest Death Eater for Voldemort for a reason. I terrorized you as a child and still as the monster.”

Was this his way of warning me? Of trying to scare me away?

“You love me.”

It wasn’t a question, but he answered anyway.

“Yes.”

I vowed to myself that I would spend the next few hours memorizing his body and tattoos as explicitly as he was memorizing me. Each depiction held a memory, and I wanted Draco to eventually share all of them with me. I wanted to learn more about him. I had time, though. Plenty of time.

We spent the rest of the day lost in one another’s embrace. He expunged every last memory of any other sexual encounter I’d had before this. Because he was the only space left in my mind. He knew my body so well I would swear it was whispering to him. And I was enraptured with him.

Every touch. Every kiss.

The space where my skin ended and his began soon blurred. We moved as one. And each time, we connected on a deeper level than the one before.

“I have to leave again tonight,” he whispered as we cuddled in his giant bed.

His fingers outlined my face as if he were memorizing the feel of it.

“And you can’t tell me what you’re leaving for?”

“Not yet,” he said. “But I will tell you. I promise.”

Uneasiness settled on me. It was hard to escape the feeling of suspicion and doubt. Especially after what I was going through with Ron.

“It’s not an affair,” he promised. “Or Nox. Or a love child. Or something illegal.” He made a noise as if he were considering the last one. “I may be blurring some lines.”

“Are you torturing Ron?”

He barked out a laugh and buried his nose into my neck.

“No. But I want to so badly it hurts some days.”

“When do you leave?” My voice was quiet.

We’d had such a remarkable day. I didn’t want it to be over. I didn’t want to miss all of Sunday in his embrace, either.

He kissed me.

“The sooner I go, the sooner I’m home.”

He offered me one last kiss before climbing out of bed.

“I want you right here when I come back,” he said. “Naked. Waiting. Exactly like this.”

I smiled.

“Can I at least read to pass the time?”

He feigned a concentrated look of contemplation before reaching into his shelf and tossing me a book. I turned it over and saw it was one of his mint-condition Sherlock Holmes novels.

“My father loved Sherlock Holmes,” I smiled. “They were his favorite.”

“I want to learn more about them,” he said, bending down to kiss me. “You’ll tell me more when I come home?”

I nodded. I found catharsis in speaking about them with Draco. Ron never inquired. Never cared. But Draco did.

I slept in Draco’s room that night. I tried to quiet all the unnecessary noise in my mind that whispered about the proposed whereabouts of his location and why he was leaving at midnight. But I forced my mind in a positive direction. He said he would tell me. I had to trust that. I just prayed it wouldn’t destroy me when I found out.

Pansy and Astoria dragged me out of the house Sunday, and I had a sneaking suspicion Draco had put them up to it. But I enjoyed myself. Pansy was working on a new line of evening wear, and Astoria was giving her suggestions. I didn’t have much to say, but I found that conversation was never forced between the three of us. We simply enjoyed one another’s company.

Astoria was bursting to share all about her night at Nox last night, too. Apparently a new witch had stopped in with a guest pass and made quite an impression on her.

“Our booth was right next to Harry’s,” she said. “Normally, his is the most popular. But we actually had more viewers than he did last night.”

My head snapped up.

“Harry Potter goes to Nox?”

“Sure,” Pansy shrugged. “Has for ages.”

They glossed over that fact right as they focused in on the perfect golden hair of Astoria’s newest love interest.

But my mind was still firmly rooted on the fact that Harry Potter had a membership to Nox. Had I seen him? I found myself nearly sick with the notion that he could have been the monster. Harry had been like a brother to me. Any romantic involvement between the two of us was as laughable now as it had been in our fourth year of school when Rita Skeeter tried to invent a love story.

I never thought the two of us would drift apart as far as we had. Harry and I had always been close. We’d always had a certain understanding with one another that seemed so foreign and advanced compared to his friendship with Ron. I think that’s why my feelings were so hurt. If anything, I thought his relationship with Ron was the fickle one. Not ours.

But Harry lied to me. He chose Ron. He lied for Ron. Funded Ron’s heinous addiction. He didn’t even try to help me get out. Great Harry Potter. The golden boy. The notorious rescuer, refusing to save one of his oldest friends. The Slytherins had been there for me, though.

“Let’s get lunch,” Pansy suggested. “Grangey, you up for it?”

I nodded, focusing for the first time on the new friends ahead of me.

Chapter Text

I felt the bed shift, and when I turned, Draco was climbing in beside me.

“I thought I said you were supposed to be naked,” he whispered against my neck as he pulled me into his chest.

“You’re home,” I blinked, trying to focus on the light of the clock. It was just after midnight. “I’ll get your drops.”

“Already took them,” he said, kissing me.

He was so much better this time. Alert, coherent.

“You seem so much better this time.”

“I tried to rush things last time. Too much at once. I took the brunt of it.”

I studied him. He looked so happy, but sleep was quickly pulling me under.

“You’ll tell me soon?”

“Soon, kitten. Sleep.”

***

The next morning Draco was waiting for me in the kitchen, like always. It was as if we hadn’t spent the earlier morning hours exploring one another before we reluctantly separated to get ready for the day. I had a meeting with several investors this afternoon. Theo and I were praying that we’d get a chance to extend our office by at least six staff members by the end of the year. I wanted to look polished and professional, and this was Pansy’s suggestion with Astoria’s approval.

The blue dress was made of the softest material. It hugged my body and had tiny straps holding it up, but it looked very smart paired with my linen suit coat. Astoria called it summer business. And that’s how I felt. Very sand and ocean. I needed to give a friendly and approachable vibe to the potential investors. The type of look that said, ‘jolly good, we’d love to give you all our galleons.’

“Good morning,” I smiled at Draco as I went to grab my espresso.

He took one look at me, sighed, and checked his watch.

I tensed.

“Are we late?” I asked, glancing at the clock. I’d planned on getting there almost an hour before usual to prepare.

“We shouldn’t be,” he said, closing the gap between us.

I shook my head.

“Draco, wha-”

The coffee lifted out of my hand and was placed by the coffee maker. I bent involuntarily at the torso and was pushed against the countertop. My jacket was off, revealing the low back of the dress. My arms were pulled out in front of me as thick cuffs connected my wrists and anchored them in place. Draco stood behind me and nudged my legs apart.

“I thought about doing this every morning since you moved in.”

I panted with anticipation. He was going to fuck me again. My legs were already shaking, and I knew I was still wet and wanton from our earlier times.

“The color of this,” he groaned as he let his hands trace up the backs of my thighs, bringing my dress well over my ass.

He cursed when he caught sight of my barely-there knickers. His fingers disappeared beneath the fabric and teased my slick folds.

I wanted to arch back against him, but the restraints on my hands and his thighs pressing into mine limited all my mobility.

“This is going to be hard and fast,” he said. “Can you take it?”

I moaned something incoherent.

“Words, kitten.”

Goosebumps pebbled along my flesh. The granite countertops were like ice on my skin.

“Yes,” I panted. “I’ll take you as hard and fast as you want.”

And that was the exact thing Draco wanted to hear. Because with a satisfying groan, he launched into me. He gripped the back of my neck as he furiously fucked me against the kitchen countertop. My knickers had simply been pushed aside, and the added friction nearly killed me. I couldn’t take much more. My legs were shaking.

“I’m going to think about this,” Draco bit out while he thrust harder. “All. Fucking. Day.”

I knew I would, too. The insatiable drive between the two of us was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Even as a newlywed I didn’t lust over Ron like I did Draco. I burned for him. It was like each touch just led me deeper and deeper down this pathway of desire.

“Hermione!” Draco’s roaring climax shattered me.

I followed over the edge, my tears brimming with the intensity of it.

He vanished the evidence between my legs and wrapped me in a tight embrace against him.

“You’ll be the death of me,” he whispered against my neck, still breathless.

I kissed his cheek, but he quickly turned it into a long, sensual kiss. I had half a mind to call out today entirely.

“Investors,” Draco cursed.

“Were you reading my mind just then?”

He laughed. “Not hard to see we both want to call out today.”

My clothes were righted, makeup fixed, and coffee in hand as we stepped into the Floo.

As we walked into the lift in the Lobby I saw Harry already standing inside.

I stumbled slightly as Astoria’s words came rushing back to me. He was at Nox. I still needed to ask Draco about it.

“Morning, Malfoy,” he said. “Hello, Hermione.”

I didn’t look at him as I moved to the other side of Draco. The two of them launched into a discussion of the new trainees and the work Harry was doing with them. It seems that he actually enjoyed training the younger recruits and was happy to be off the streets. They’d mentioned Ron’s new partner, McLaggin, and I had to stifle my laugh. He hated Ron almost as much as Ron hated him.

Harry exited, and much to my displeasure, several more witches and wizards entered. The only bonus was being completely pushed up against Draco for the remainder of the ride. I’d have to wait until tonight to ask about Harry’s appearances at Nox.

He pulled me into my office and made sure no one else was around before he wrapped me in a tight embrace and kissed me until I was dizzy.

“You’ll be brilliant today,” he said. “Demand their charity.”

He kissed me again.

“Tell them the Head Auror will hunt them down if they don’t.”

I laughed and swatted him away.

Theo and I had felt so confident about the meeting with investors. If we had any hope of extending our department and getting some real work done, we needed their support. I was so grateful to have a wizard like Theodore Nott by my side. His charisma and ego knew no bounds and it really paid off in moments like these.

After so many years of working and building this organization together, Theo and I were an unstoppable team. We had the perfect pitch. We were witty, informed, passionate, and direct. It was the most eloquent and poised presentation we’d ever done. I was practically beaming near the end. We’d nailed it. Had the meeting ended there, I would have been more confident than at any other time in my life. I would have said the money was a guarantee and we’d be swimming in galleons by the end of the week.

But the floor was opened for questioning.

And my ship capsized in the murky and turbulent waters.

“Miss Granger, you can scarcely manage your marriage; how could we expect you to manage funds like this?”

I froze at the same time Theo did.

“Dudridge makes a good point,” another said. “Especially after the hellacious article in The Prophet today.”

I looked at Theo’s face, and judging by his surprise, he hadn’t seen it either.

One of the witches slid the paper forward.

Skimming the headline I can see another photo of Ron. Someone had gotten our wedding photos and ripped off the half with me on it.

Weasley’s Wealth Plunders, A Spendy Wife with Nasty Habits

The tension headache was almost instantaneous. Theo launched into action, though.

“As if we give a second of consideration to the gossip rag that The Prophet has turned into,” he said. “A one-sided argument over an imbittered man is going to sway you? Really?”

“Steady on,” one man said. “My wife’s the editor-in-chief of that paper. And she runs a nice, family establishment.”

My hands shook as I stared at the article.

“The paper’s a crock, and everyone knows it,” Theo boomed.

 The room erupted into chaos. Everyone spoke at once, with Theo sparring with any and all of them.

“Why would he lie about this? He’s an honorable wizard with a strong career as an Auror!”

“I don’t see Miss Granger denying anything.”

“How could you read this and not feel so sorry for the poor bloke? He’s been through hell with her!”

“She can’t have her cake and eat it too.”

“She’s filthy and shameful. The Weasleys are good people.”

“You say one more word about her, and I swear to the gods, your bloody heads will roll.”

But I didn’t hear more. I’d burst out of the conference room in a sprint. My entire body was shaking as I felt the weight of another article. Ron was burying me. Absolutely fucking sinking me. And I couldn’t do anything about it. If I released something now, I’d look like I was just trying to save face. If I said nothing, I looked guilty too. There was no way that I came out of this on top. Even if the divorce showed that he was the financially irresponsible one, there would still be people who wouldn’t believe me.

He’d painted me the villain.

I’d never been the villain before.

I rode the lifts to the lobby, content to run home and hide beneath the plush comforters of Draco’s bed. I wasn’t getting the donations. Not after that.

I looked at the buttons once inside the lift and froze.

The Aurors.

Harry.

He knew the truth.

Everyone believed everything Harry said now.

He’d won the war.

He’d saved the wizarding race from Voldemort.

I jammed my finger into the button.

I stepped off the lift with malice dripping from me. I didn’t give a damn if I saw Ron up here. I was done.

“Granger?” Dean’s voice said somewhere beside me, but I ignored him.

I turned the corner and recognized Harry’s office. But when I threw the door open, no one was in there. To my left, I saw the larger briefing rooms. Perhaps he was teaching some of the new recruits in there. From the small window on the door, I was right. I threw open the door, causing all of them to jump and whirl on me with their wands drawn.

“Get out,” I said.

My voice embodied the tone of the monster’s as I stood glowering in the doorway.

None of them hesitated. The six witches and wizards inside quietly picked up their materials and exited the training space. Harry was pale from his place at the front of the room. I slammed the door shut and stalked toward him.

“You coward,” I bit. “You deceitful, lying rat.”

“Hermio-”

“Have you seen today’s issue?” I snapped. “They paint a lovely depiction of my money troubles. My erratic spending habits. Laughable, isn’t it, Harry?”

Harry’s face fell even more, obviously unaware of the latest issue of the paper blacklisting me.

“He’s ruining my bloody career, Harry,” I cried. “He’s sinking me and you’re watching me fucking drown. We were supposed to be friends!”

“We are friends,” he croaked miserably.

A sardonic laugh tore from my lips. “Liar.”

Tears coursed down my cheeks. I was so defeated.

I heard the door click closed behind me, and the blinds along the door and windows zip shut. Draco was here. I didn’t need to turn to see him. I felt his powerful presence looming behind me.

Draco cast the silencing charm next, and I watched Harry lean against the podium he was standing against. I hated Harry in this moment. His silence. His compliance. His bystander demeanor was ruining me. And he didn’t care enough to change it.

I slipped my wand from my suit, but Draco gripped my wrist.

“Tell her, Potter,” he warned. “Or I’ll let her hex you.”

Harry looked genuinely wracked with grief.

“I can’t,” his breath came out as a wheeze.

“Give her some fucking credit, Potter.”

What were they talking about? And Draco knew? Was this about Nox?

“I give Ron money each month,” Harry’s whisper was almost unintelligible.

“I know,” I snapped. “You alternate months with George.”

Harry wasn’t looking at me, though. He was looking past me at Draco, who hadn’t taken his hand off mine.

We stood like this for several minutes, just waiting for Harry to finally speak. I groaned and ripped my arm away from Draco’s as I stalked toward the door. I’d find another way to bury Ron. The truth had to come out somehow. A scorned former lover. Something.

“I pay him to keep him quiet!”

My hand was centimeters away from the door handle when I slowly turned back to Harry. Draco had his hands in his pockets and was casually lounging against one of the tables.

 “You expect me to believe your best friend is blackmailing you?”

The question was as incredulous as it sounded. Ron and Harry were best friends. They had been since that first train ride. Why on earth would he expect me to believe that he was blackmailing the great and powerful Harry Potter?

He didn’t speak. He just nodded.

I rolled my eyes.

“Harry of all the ridiculous shit.”

“It’s true.”

My head spun to Draco.

That was his voice that confirmed it. But how?

Of course, he knew.

Legillimency.

“We both have to keep him silent,” Harry said.

Both? I looked from Harry to Draco. Draco’s face was a mask of… was that sympathy? Sympathy for Harry Potter? I wanted to laugh. Today was completely fucked. I needed to go back to bed and try again tomorrow. I was obviously in some horrific nightmare where Draco was on Harry’s side, and I was a giant, ignorant fool.

“Over what?” I waved. “Your boss knows. So what else could go wrong? What information could Ron have that is keeping even Draco closed-lipped?”

It was concerning to me that Draco hadn’t said anything. But snippets of their interactions began floating through my mind. I’d noticed the way he didn’t put him down ever when he’d come up in conversation. All of Draco’s energy and hatred had always been targeted at Ron. And now it seemed so out of place that he wasn’t hating Harry as much as he had while we were in school. Where had that suddenly vanished to?

“He found out about us.”

Harry’s tone was as dead and flat as his face looked.

Us?

I looked back at Draco.

Realization struck.

Us.

The other money.

George.

“George and I have been together for three years now. If I don’t financially back Ron, then he’ll out us both.”

The wind rushed from my chest as if I’d been punched.

It wasn’t possible. Something like that would be…

Madness.

So cruel.

I grasped to find words.

“Harry.”

“It could ruin his business, Hermione. The only piece he has left of Fred. People aren’t accepting. His family? They wouldn’t understand. No one does. And they’re all I have.”

My stomach sank like stones.

“It’s why you go to Nox.”

My voice was a hoarse whisper. I was so sick for him. Sick that Ron was capable of this much evil. This much spite.

“Yes,” he whispered. “I’m free there.”

My hatred for Ron eclipsed today. It completely blocked out any kind of good judgment or appreciation I’d ever had for him. And it disintegrated into dust. This horrible, selfish prick wasn’t just ruining my life. But his brother’s and his best friend’s too. Instead of being happy and supporting them, he was exploiting them for their wealth.

I’d misjudged him so much.

I felt the bile rising in the back of my throat.

Today had been horrid.

The shame I felt was overbearing. Shame for being married to someone like that. For pushing Harry into admitting his darkest secrets. For forcing a confession for my own reputation’s sake.

I pushed out of the room and toward the lifts. The wracking sobs hit me before I made it to the Floo.

Chapter Text

I collapsed to my hands and knees as soon as I landed in Draco’s flat. I felt as though the air had been completely expressed from my body. But strong hands were right behind me, picking me up and cradling me against him.

He wordlessly carried me to the study, out the patio doors, and into the small garden balcony. He settled into one of the chairs and held me as I curled against him. I was so defeated. So exhausted. My finances, my professional life, and my personality were all being called into question over Ron’s heinous acts. Not only that, but he was destroying those around him as well. He was spiraling, and he didn’t care who he took down around him.

Draco didn’t speak as he held me. My emotions were live wires, stinging and vibrating off one another, and he seemed unphased entirely. The steady, smooth rhythm of his hand against my back as his chin rested against my head was the most comforting thing I remember feeling in years. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been truly looked after and taken care of.

I don’t know how long we sat like that, watching the sun drift in the summer sky. Draco’s arms remained like an iron guard around me. Shielding me and protecting me from any and everything. My tears had long since dried, and I was left reeling over the shocking and mortifying news of Ron’s betrayal.

Harry.

I had no idea. The fleeting relationships he had during school never stood out as anything to me. We’d certainly always had more than enough going on to distract us. But then I thought about how badly Cedric’s death had rattled him, and I wondered if maybe he and Cho were bonding more over loss than anything.

George.

Sweet, funny, light-hearted George. My gut churned for him. He deserved happiness. He deserved to laugh again. To love.

The sourness in my gut continued to roll over me. My chances of having Harry testify against Ron were now non-existent. Harry was closeted, and there was no way I was going to be the one to out him. I wouldn’t stoop to Ron’s level. I couldn’t. He was preying on Harry’s secrets. George’s, too. He was banking on the fact that none of us would come forward. We were silent. And he was going to continue walking all over us. He had the power. The upper hand. Defeat settled over me.

Draco cupped my face and turned it toward him. He searched it as if waiting for me to break into tears once again. But I was past tears. I was sucked into the destitute hopelessness of my situation. And I was miserable over it.

“This is the last time, Hermione.”

My face contorted in confusion.

“This is the last day you’ll cry over Weasley. Never again.”

I leveled him with a look.

“I wasn’t crying over him. I was crying because of him.”

“I understand. And it ends today.”

I sat up, turning in his lap to look at him.

“I don’t want to sit here and cry,” I argued. “I don’t want him to make me feel this way. He’s ruining my life, Draco. The lives of the people around me. He’s acting like an entitled, selfish prick.”

Draco’s face was a mask of indifference. It was one so familiar to the haughty, arrogant one I saw as a child that I growled out a snarl and climbed off of him.

“Of course, you don’t understand,” I snapped. “Your life hasn’t changed at all. He’s not ruining your career. He’s not torturing your friends. He’s not making you suffer while he lies to the entire country.”

Draco’s eyes darkened as he rested his elbows on the arm of the chair. And it ignited my temper more than anything else today had. Why was he just sitting there? I’d had a terrible fucking day! And all he could tell me was that I was done crying? No. So I kept going.

“And I’ll bloody cry as often as I need to!”

“Not over him, you won’t.”

The gall of this man!

“You don’t get to make demands like that.”

“Yes. I do.”

I seethed. My temper raged beneath the surface, itching to explode out in a force of magic so wild that everyone would feel it. But I tamped it down. I wasn’t going to sit here and fight him on this stupid argument. I would cry whenever the bloody hell I wanted.

I turned toward the door and went to open it. The handle vanished. I turned slowly toward him, fury masking my features.

“We’re done talking,” I felt my voice teeter with vehemence.

“We’re done when I say.”

My mouth actually fell open at the audacity of the wizard sitting across from me. His fingers were perched together, and his ankle was casually crossed over his knee as he sat back, watching me. There was no amusement on his face. He was serious.

“Open the door, Draco.”

He didn’t move.

“You’re letting him get to you,” Draco said. “I am watching all that confidence, all that work you’ve done on yourself, completely fall apart over one ridiculous article.”

I searched my body for my wand and cursed the fact that I’d let it drop when I walked in the door.

“Those articles are ruining my career!”

Draco pushed off against the chair, standing to his full height, as he stalked toward me. His body radiated icy rage.

“Do you know how many articles were written about me in the Prophet?”

I glared at him.

“Eight hundred seventy-six, Hermione.”

Part of me reeled at that information. But my anger forced it down.

“None of those mattered!” I expelled, thrusting my hands into the air. “You are set to become the youngest Minister of Magic in history! None of those articles had any kind of detrimental effect on your rise to power.”

He was standing right over me now, glowering down at me. But I held my ground. His success hadn’t been derailed at all. He was one of the most powerful men in that Ministry. Our situations were different.

“Ask me how.”

I hesitated, not understanding.

“Ask. Me. How. I. Did. It.”

I glared at him. “How?”

“Because I refused to let miserable cunts like Weasley dictate a single moment of my life,” he barked. “I fought every fucking day. And it was the hardest fucking thing I’ve ever done. Harder than killing. Harder than torturing. Because fighting for yourself when no one believes in you feels worse than all of that. But if you won’t fight for yourself, then who else will?”

My fury wavered slightly. Frustrated tears welled in my eyes.

“I am fighting!”

“Bollocks.”  

I recoiled as if he’d slapped me.

“Don’t do that,” he threatened, coming closer. “Don’t act like it’s a surprise to hear.”

“I have a solicitor! We talk regularly!”

“That’s for your divorce. I’m asking, what are you doing to finish him? How are you fighting him? Not, how are you divorcing him?”

I gritted my teeth together so hard that my jaw ached.

What was I doing?

How was I fighting back?

“My solicitor said I can’t engage with him,” I argued.

Draco stalked forward. “Then don’t get caught.”

I backed up against the door. I was trapped.

“If you want to survive this, then you need to fight. Not cower. Not cry. We’re going to fucking fight.”

His arms caged me in, and all I wanted to do was run. I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

“Why did you break my nose, Hermione?”

I pushed at his chest, but he didn’t move at all.

“Speak.”

I glared at him.

“I. Don’t. Want. To.” I pushed him with each punctuated word.

He closed the space between us. His torso pushed against mine, and I had to crane my neck to scowl up at him. I reached out to smack his cheek, but he caught my wrist.

“That’s one,” he warned.

I wriggled against him and tried to smack him with my left hand, but he caught that one next.

“That’s two.”

I bucked and writhed against him, fighting his restraint.

“I broke your nose because you are an arrogant, self-righteous, snobbish-”

My words were cut off by his powerful lips crashing against mine. He was so infuriating, but I met him with equal force. I felt his erection dig into my stomach, and I tilted my hips, urging for more contact. How was it possible to be so angry and so turned on at the same moment? I hadn’t even been thinking about sex. All I had been able to think about was what an absolute prick he was being. I didn’t want to have this conversation. I wanted to go inside and lock myself away in the library until I could fall into unconsciousness.

But now, with his warm body pressing into mine, I couldn’t prevent my traitorous body from responding.

He forced my hands above my head, pinning them there with only one of his hands. The other trailed down my body. I could hear his zipper, and my body tingled in anticipation. My kisses turned desperate as he ripped my underwear off and hiked my skirt up around my waist. His free arm lifted me easily, and he speared me with one mighty stab with his hard cock. I cried out against his lips, but he was relentless. Over and over, he pounded me into the wall while I remained trapped by his hand, mouth, and cock.

“You fight,” he growled at me. “You lie. You cheat. You steal. You fuck over anyone in your path. Because no one gets to hurt you. Not me. Not him. Not your fucking friends. Do you hear me?”

I whimpered as he thrust deeply inside me once again. I wanted to argue with him. I wanted to resist. But part of me knew he was right. I couldn’t just lay here and die. I couldn’t let Ron win. But it was so fucking exhausting. I was mentally spent.

“Answer me,” he gritted.

“Yes,” I panted. “Yes. I’ll fight. I’ll fight dirty. I’ll fight any way I can.”

His pace was manic, and I felt my orgasm rising. I was on the cusp. One more minute, and I’d be shattering around him.

“Please,” I begged him. “Please, Draco.”

“Promise me, Hermione.”

He began to slow on purpose, delaying my orgasm. I was frantic to get the pacing back.

“I’ll bury him,” I promised. “No more tears over Ron. I will fight! Please, don’t stop.”

Draco’s mouth sealed over mine as his pacing resumed. My orgasm violently crashed through me. I shook and cried from the release, but Draco chased his own, roaring so loudly I’m sure half of London heard him.

Our labored breaths mingled together as he rested his forehead against mine.

“Good,” he panted. “Theo will be here in ten.”

Chapter Text

Ten years ago, if someone had told me that I would sit in Draco Malfoy’s flat listening to the scheming wiles of five Slytherins plotting to help me, I would have laughed in their faces. I looked around the living room at the reinforcements Theo had brought with him. Blaise, Pansy, Astoria, Draco, and Theo all sat around me. Maliciousness and rage were fixed on their features.

Draco sat beside me on the couch. My legs were still trembling from the powerful orgasm up against the wall. Part of me wanted to be angry with him still. I’d never had anyone challenge my word like that. I wanted to fight. I did.

I was just so fucking lost.

“From a legal standpoint, my hands are tied,” Astoria said. “They have Hermione’s signatures on all the tax documents. Whether you signed them knowingly or not, it’s still your wanded signature. And they’ll be watching everything now, so I know we wouldn’t be able to do something to any of his documents.”

The inevitability of the situation was crystal clear, especially after my conversations with the solicitor. We were going to claim ignorance and manipulation of documents and offer to pay reparations to the government. Doddsworth assured me it wasn’t going to result in any harsh punishments on my end. He was going to explore a few other potential outlets, but I was ready to use the money I was saving from staying with Draco to pay off the tax debts.

My memory was blank when it came to signing anything. It was a frustrating realization that I had likely agreed to sign a paper of his, thinking it was a work liability form or an insurance paper. The fault was mine, and I was left stewing in my own bitterness over it.

“We let Doddsworth deal with the legal side of things,” Draco said. “We’ll fill in the rest.”

Pansy and Blaise exchanged a wicked look. Pansy floated copies of The Prophet onto the table. I glowered at Ron’s smug look in the pictures before me.

“Blaise and I did a little reading today,” Pansy said as bright red circles appeared around the author of all the articles featuring Ron’s sob stories. “Notice anything consistent?”

The same name appeared each time.

“Anthony Goldstein?” I asked.

“Fucking hell,” Theo groaned, leaning back against the couch covering his face.

Draco’s entire body tensed.

“What is it?” I asked. “Who is he?”

“Sweet Anthony is one of the few people to be kicked out of Nox,” Pansy explained. “He went to school with us.”

“He was harassing two of the employees,” Blaise said. “He wasn’t interested in taking no for an answer.”

“I don’t understand,” I said. “Why would kicking him out of Nox get him on Ron’s side for blackmailing me? I never did anything to Anthony.”

“He is now a member of Scry,” Draco seethed.

My gut sank like a stone in water.

With Ron.

Theo cursed. “Usually, the people rejected or dismissed from Nox go there. But it’s primarily just an escort service.”

“And what?” I asked. “They became friends, and he agreed to drag my name through the mud as a favor?”

“Goldstein doesn’t deal in favors,” Draco said.

“I got these from a friend,” Pansy said, tossing a bundle of papers onto the table.

The receipt outlined that Ron and Anthony had been sharing girls together. Draco thumbed through the pages.

“They’re rotating between the same two escorts,” he said. “I’ll find them and question them. I can disguise it as a ministry inquiry.”

“But how do we make sure they won’t warn Weasley and Goldstein you’re sniffing around?” Astoria asked.

“Money talks,” Theo winked.

“So do Ministry threats.”

I didn’t miss the power in Draco’s tone. If it nearly had me shivering, I knew the two call girls would feel the same.

“I still don’t understand,” I added. “Why would he agree to do this for Ron? Is he being blackmailed, too?”

“Possibly,” Draco nodded.

“I’ll find out,” Blaise said, his eyes glittering with a challenge. “Give me a few days. His cousin has a session scheduled with me on Wednesday.”

“So, next is restoring Hermione’s image,” Astoria said. “Even if the articles and Goldstein stop, we still have the impact of all the previous ones.”

“Potter and I are having dinner tomorrow,” Pansy’s smile terrified me. “We have some things to work out.”

I wondered what they could possibly have to work out and what it had to do with restoring my image. The thought of someone else threatening and blackmailing Harry made my stomach sour again. It didn’t seem right, but I remained quiet as the team worked around me.

After two hours, everyone had a task for the coming week. Draco was approaching the call girls; Astoria was looking for any suspicious spending for Ron’s Auror accounts; Pansy was meeting with Harry; Blaise was investigating Anthony; Theo was investigating the investors we met with this week to see if any of them were connected to Scry, Anthony, or Ron; and then my task.

Draco was still riddled with anger over mine.

“She’s the perfect bait,” Blaise said.

Theo agreed.

I did, too.

I knew Ron’s temper. His ego. I knew that he couldn’t resist gloating. Catching him with incriminating evidence would be the most beneficial right now. I didn’t have to engage with him. I just had to accidentally be in the same place he was. He would sink himself.

The thought of talking to him made me want to vomit.

The impending confrontation.

The lies.

The deceit.

The blackmail.

What was it all for? Why was he doing this?

“This is where things get fun, Grangey,” Pansy said, gripping my thigh. “You should be excited! You’re finally on the right side!”

I snorted out a laugh, but I knew she was being honest. I was surrounded by people willing to help me. People who, three months ago, I wouldn’t have considered even acquaintances.

And now?

I wanted to laugh.

They cared about me.

They wanted to help me.

They were fighting for me.

With me.

As my friends.

And it was time I started fighting, too. It wasn’t their battle alone. It was mine. And hiding and running wasn’t the way I should be responding to Ron. That’s what he wanted. He wanted to break and bruise me. Staying confident and staying strong were things that would bring him to madness. They would exacerbate the cracks in his scheme. They would make him falter. He was thriving off my lack of confidence. So, even if I didn’t feel it, I had to fake it.

“We can think of another way for Hermione,” Draco said. “Putting her right in his way only opens her up to more hell-”

“I’m doing it,” I said, interrupting him.

He looked down at me concern furrowing his brow, but I grabbed his hand.

“I promised I’d fight.”

He wanted to argue. It was right on the tip of his tongue as he stared at me. But I lifted my chin defiantly. I wasn’t budging.

“Just a mis-housed snake,” Astoria grinned. “Somehow, I always knew.”

Draco pressed a kiss to my head.

“So did I,” he whispered against me.

After the others had left, I felt keyed up and anxious over the next week’s activities. Draco took my hand, leaving the opened wine bottles and used glasses for tomorrow. He led us back to his room. The firmness of his hand and the comfort of his touch all reassured me, but there was still energy flitting around inside of me that I needed to release.

I watched him as he closed the door and turned to me. His expression had been pensive and stern most of the night. I knew he was probably lost in thought like I was.

“Turn around,” he said quietly.

I cocked my head, confused by his clipped tone.

“Turn around, kitten. You owe me two.”

The glamor of the mask flashed over his face and was gone a second later.

Raw excitement and ice filled my veins.

Two.

For trying to slap his face earlier.

For not listening.

My punishment.

The monster.

My skin was electric, humming at the anticipation of the monster coming out. I’d caught a glimpse of him earlier against the wall. But now?

I shook my head.

I don’t know what kind of psychotic death wish I had by defying him a third time for the day. But I couldn’t help it. Something about this whole situation just made me want to dig in further. I wanted to see how far I could push him. I feel like I’ve been challenging him all day. And the masochist in me wanted to see it through.

Challenge fueled his irises as he quirked a brow at me. His eyes were an icy gray, like clanging steel blades.

“Come here, Hermione.”

Gods, I felt the grate of that tone right between my legs.

I didn’t move.

“Make me.”

And I was moving. I sprinted out the bedroom door and down the hallway. The slick marble flooring made it nearly impossible to gain any speed. But I let the exhilaration of the chase propel me.

Draco apparated in front of me, and I cursed, dodging left into the spare bedroom I had been staying in.

“No apparating!” I panted. “The wards aren’t down for me!”

“My house,” Draco appeared beside me with a feral grin. “My rules.”

A gleeful scream escaped my throat as he grabbed for me. The monster’s mask flashed over his features again.

This was so much different than our first chase. But somehow, I knew this one would end with something even more intense.

I shoved against him and watched him lose his footing over the small bedside table. I took the opportunity to burst through the door and make a break for the study.

Strong biceps wrapped around me, lifting me from the ground. I fought against his hold, bucking and writhing like my life depended on it. I went to swing around, and my elbow caught him directly in the lip. I gasped and froze as blood freely poured out the side of Draco’s already swelling lip. Draco stilled, reached a stunned hand up to his mouth, and looked at the crimson evidence along his fingertips. He studied the blood before finally turning his gaze toward me.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, out of breath. “I didn’t mean to actually make you bleed. I was-”

His lips covered mine. His hands pulled roughly through my hair as he thrust himself onto me. He forced the oxygen from me as he devoured me in the hallway. The coppery tang to his kiss ignited and disturbed me at the same moment.

Before I could register what was happening, Draco had picked me up and threw me over his shoulder as he stalked back toward his room. He swatted my ass with a powerful thwap!

“Glad you’re back,” he mused as I struggled against his hold. “I was starting to worry you might have lost your edge.”

He smacked my ass again, and I cursed at the sharp sting.

“You told me to fight,” I squirmed.

He pulled me down the front of him until my feet met the plush carpet of his room.

“I did. And I meant it.”

The bleeding had stopped at his lip, but I noticed it was slightly swollen. He suddenly reached forward and tore my entire blouse from my body. The buttons popped and flew all over the room.  

“Draco!” I gasped. “I liked this outfit!”

The skirt was next. I tried to slip it off before he could tear it, but he was in an animalistic state. He tugged my breasts out of my bra cups and teased them with his mouth and hands. The cresting waves rose within me. He knew every pressure point. Every euphoric touch. My body was ablaze with pleasure.

While I was lost in lust, he picked me up and carried me to the bed. I threaded my hands through his hair and tugged his mouth over mine. I was desperate for a taste of him. But the kiss was short-lived. Because rather than laying down on the bed with him, he flipped me over his knees. My panties had been ripped off earlier against the wall, and he never let me replace them. So the cool air of the room brushed against my exposed sex, sending tingles up my spine.

“Tell me your safe word.”

I don’t know if it was excitement or terror that beat against my chest like a caged bird.

“Black.”

“Take your punishment like a good girl, and I’ll let you come.”

My heart thundered. I loosed a shaky breath and pinched my eyes closed. Draco would never hurt me. But he would edge me into oblivion.

“Yes, Draco.”

A rumble of approval sounded in his chest.

The first smack surprised me. The sound was harsher than the sting. But after four more, the sting began to worsen. But along with the sting, I was throbbing for him. The building sexual pressure between my legs was riotous. I was panting, pleading, and begging for him to touch me.

“Five more,” he warned.

Ten. I could do ten. I could handle that. I just had to get my mind off the intolerable tension of this sexual denial. I wanted to reach my fingers between my legs. I wanted to offer my own release.

My legs were shaking now. After each searing connection his hand made, my body writhed against him even more. I even found myself flexing my hips against his thighs, desperate for any kind of pressure I could use for stimulation.

“Ten.”

Fuck!

I expelled a shaky breath and was instantly flipped onto the bed. My legs spread, and Draco’s blonde head disappeared between my legs.

“I fucking knew it,” he hissed. “So ready.”

I tugged at his head. I didn’t need more teasing. I couldn’t take it. I needed him. I needed his thick length spearing into me, sending me over the cliffs and into the abyss.

“Please,” I begged.

“Please, what?”

He slowed his tongue, and I wanted to throttle him. He knew what he was doing. The orgasm denial was making me a crazed lunatic.

He pulled up my body slowly, a devious smile playing on his features. His trousers were still on!

I’d had enough.

I turned on the bed and tore at his clothing like a wild animal. His trousers and boxer briefs landed in a pile on the floor. Draco Malfoy laid on his back, hands behind his head, as naked and glorious as I’d ever seen him. The arrogant way he smiled up at me made me want to crush him and kiss him in one confusing sweep. It wasn’t fair that he was so classically good-looking. It was disarming.

I crawled up his body, finally satisfied with his nakedness. And before he could move, I swung my leg over him and sank down with one sharp and definitive thrust. The move surprised him; his eyebrows arched up, and a low groan escaped.

I did it again.

And I wasn’t gentle.

I forced him deeper as I twisted my hips and bucked against him. His hands flew to my hips as he dug his fingers into me.

I didn’t stop.

I was chasing my orgasm like a mad woman. It was just there, and I was so close I could almost feel it. Over and over, I swerved my hips, drawing up slightly on my knees, before crashing back down. Draco’s hands couldn’t decide where to remain. My hips, my thighs, my breasts, my clit. He was as frenzied as I had just been.

Good.

Let him.

I let his cock hit the perfect depth in me. It was intoxicating. I was so close.

Just…

A…

Few…

More…

Light exploded behind my eyes. I was floating and on fire. I was falling and made of ice. My orgasm ruined me as I rode it out. I cried, cursing and squeezing his biceps as I milked every last ounce of pleasure from him. Gods. It felt so fucking good.

I slowed my pacing, breathless.

Draco’s hands fisted my hips again and rocked me forward. The zing of pleasure coursed through me.

“Don’t you dare stop,” he growled.

A slow smile pulled at my lips.

I pushed my hips back, raising them, but rather than slamming back over his cock. I slid down at an excruciatingly slow pace. He tried to force me down harder, but my leg muscles trembled in protest.

“Ah, ah, ah,” I teased. “Let’s see how you like it…”

“Hermione,” he growled, but he was silenced when I rocked my hips forward quickly.

I repeated the motion in quick succession. One right after the other, I thrust my hips forward, sending him deeper inside me.

Once I saw his face twist in the tell-tale sign, I stopped. I started moving my hips in the patterns of wand-casting motions instead. I repeated the spells in my head. Going slowly, I mimicked each flick and swish.

“Fuck!” he panted below me, now feeling the same brutality of edging.

So I did it again. This time with defensive spells instead of charms. Each time, I would slow my pace after doing a few quick ones. I watched Draco’s frustration build with glee.

I leaned down to kiss him. But when I was close enough, he grabbed the back of my neck and waist and rolled with me.

“That’s enough,” he snapped.

I was under him in a second, and he was thrusting my legs apart while I was pinned on my stomach.

He massaged the sensitive skin on my ass while he plunged into me hard and fast.

I moaned against the intrusion. He was so powerful, so strong. It felt as though he’d break my hips.

“Fuck, yes,” he growled as he continued.

I shuddered beneath him. I was close again. The rough contact. The feel of him completely commanding me.

“You’re mine,” he growled. “All fucking mine.”

“Yes,” I pleaded back. “Yours. Just yours.”  

He was unrelenting. Sweat beaded on my brow. So close. Until I finally…

Both of us came in a cacophony of noise and relief. My body was numb with pleasure. Every hair, every freckle seemed so heightened and sensitive I could hardly stand it. He pressed a kiss on my cheek as he pulled out of me.

He carried me to the shower, kissing me the entire way.

We didn’t speak, though. We didn’t need to. He tended to me entirely. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, everything. And he did so with such concentrated precision that it nearly made me cry. He took such good care of me. No one had ever…

He toweled me off when we were done, holding me in his arms for several seconds while his chin rested on my head. He kissed my head a dozen times, then my forehead, my cheeks, my nose, and finally my lips.

Draco carried me back to the bed and wrapped me protectively in his arms while I rested my head on his chest. So much had happened today. It felt like it’d been a week’s worth of activity. But he had been there. And he was right.

I needed to fight. I needed to fuck over Ron as much as he had me. Draco had reminded me of who I was, or at least who I used to be. I could stand up for myself again. I could set boundaries and look out for myself. I deserved to fight for myself. I was worth fighting for.

Draco kissed me right below my ear before turning the last lamp off.

“I love you,” he whispered.

And I fell asleep in the warmth and protection of his arms.

Chapter Text

The week was shit. I spent most of it trying to overcome the disappointment of losing our investors. On top of that, Draco was also no longer walking me to and from the lifts at work. The idea was to draw out another interaction between Ron and me, but so far, nothing had happened.

I missed my mornings with Draco. We still arrived together. But he went to his floor, and I went to mine. And I missed the subtle touches. The proximity.

“Have you seen The Prophet?” Theo asked.

I shook my head, dreading another article by Goldstein.

Theo floated it to me. Two pictures appeared on the front of the entertainment section. My heart thundered in my chest. He’d found pictures of Viktor and I. Viktor was pulling my face toward him in the Ministry lobby and kissing my lips. The second was at the café.

“This was from over a week ago,” I shook my head. “How did they get these now?”

I wanted to rip the paper into shreds. I was dealing with Rita all over again.

Theo appeared over my shoulder.

“Close friends of Hermione report that the two have become very cozy over the last few weeks. Several have come forward and said the two can be found intimately linked at hot London clubs and restaurants.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Her first love is now circling back around, fighting for a chance to rekindle their once passionate romance.”

A hollow laugh escaped me next.

“Draco’s going to maim him,” Theo smirked. “And that’s bloody good news for us and the Quidditch Cup!”

I gave him an unimpressed stare over the paper.

“Oh, come now, Granger,” Theo teased. “You’ve had far worse articles than this over the last few weeks. This one is relatively tame!”

“I’m not legally divorced, Theo,” I argued. “How could this make me look better if it’s making me a cheater?”

“Not one witch on this continent or the next would blame you for sacking Weasley from your bed and bringing in Krum. You know how feral they all are for him. This might actually rally a few people to your side.”

“Not Molly Weasley.”

“Fuck her.”

I snickered.

The door to our office clicked shut, and we both turned to see Draco standing in the doorway. He was in a dark blue suit today that made the iron color of his eyes gleam. A scowl was etched into his features in a way that made me think of the monster. I could almost imagine the shape and etching of the tattoos beneath his crisp, white shirt. The moisture left my mouth as he motioned for Theo to leave with just a flick of his chin.

“On your grave, I’ll write that you were here for a good time, not a long time,” Theo whispered to me as he went to pat Draco on the shoulder.

Draco barely looked at him. His eyes were too busy boring into me.

I stood from the table as Draco approached me. The two of us were finally alone, and I felt too nervous to sit. He looked furious.

“I’m not happy, Hermione,” he said.

The form-fitting camel-colored trousers I was wearing didn’t help ward me against the chill of his words.

“I know,” I whispered.

“I’ve been envisioning you bent over the counter with those trousers hugging your ass all day long,” he said, scanning my body hungrily. “And now I don’t get to come straight home and enjoy them.”

My expression fell. He wasn’t coming home after work?

“I have to go to Paris,” he spat it like a curse. “The team I sent in on Wednesday completely fucked up. I have to go explain to the Ministry over there that they are not spies but just two incompetent rookies that had no business taking their first adult wizarding trip out of the country, apparently.”

I sighed. This wasn’t about Krum at all.

“And I have to kill Krum.”

My relief was short-lived.

“You can’t kill him,” I sighed. “None of it’s true. And you can’t kill your employees either.”

“But I was supposed to be having pussy for dinner.”

I shushed him in a rush of panic despite no one being in the office with us.

A playful grin teased him for the first time since seeing him.

“I warded the room,” he said, stalking closer.

His lips brushed mine, and I ignited under his touch. I loved the feel of his mouth. The smoothness of his lips as they contoured with mine in perfect rhythm. He smelled so good. Tasted so good. Looked so good.

His arms protectively wrapped around me and held me close.

“Will you be gone all weekend?” I asked between Draco’s torturously teasing kisses.

He brushed a curl from my face. “Most likely.”

I tried not to sigh in disappointment.

“It’ll all be worth it soon. I promise.”

He’d better be right.

“I have to go,” he growled, resting his forehead against mine. “Will you miss me?”

“Of course,” I said. “I still don’t know how to work the espresso machine.”

He barked out a laugh and kissed me hard on the mouth.

“Maybe if you’d focus on the instructions, you’d remember.”

“Maybe if you’d teach me with a shirt on, I could.”

He winked and kissed me one last time.

“Behave,” he warned with a glare. “If Weasley steps one fucking freckle out of line, you owl me. Understood?”

I rolled my eyes and waved him off.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

I watched him go and tried not to compare his absences to Ron’s. Ron was gone at least once a week. Draco usually left twice a month. The difference was notable. But it didn’t make it easier. With Ron, I would hole up in the house and sit alone. But with Draco, I had to be different. I had to force myself out of solitary confinement and into the world. I couldn’t risk going back to my bad habits before. I couldn’t isolate again.

I wrote to Pansy and Astoria to ask if they had plans this weekend. They agreed to meet for dinner tonight and Pansy’s fashion show tomorrow. I was grateful to have something to distract myself.

Theo joined Pansy, Astoria, and me for dinner that evening before he went to Nox. He invited me to come along, but it didn’t feel right to be there without Draco.

“Well, when he’s back, you need to come back,” Theo whined. “It’s been weeks without you two there.”

“I don’t know if he wants to go back,” I said. “He hasn’t mentioned it at all.”

“He’s just in his possessive phase,” Pansy waved. “He’ll get over it soon enough and get back to publicly fucking your brains out.”

I reddened at the comment. I didn’t know if I would be ready for that.

“He has to keep up the mask, though,” Astoria said. “Some assume it’s him, but no one would ever approach him about it. He’s set to be the next Minister of Magic.”

“Everyone’s favorite fantasy!” Theo laughed. “Granger, please tell me you’ll give him a congratulatory fuck when he wins, yeah?”

Everyone laughed, but I found the lump in my throat nearly impossible to swallow down. Ron was right there, glaring down at us as he overheard the last few words of Theo’s comment.

“Mione,” he said. “I need a word.”

The rest of the table joined my silence. We sat uncomfortably as Ron glared down at me.

Theo looked like he was going to argue, but Astoria placed her hand on his. I knew this was what we’d been planning. I just wasn’t expecting it to happen at dinner. I nodded my head, but dozens of scenarios ran through my mind. I knew he was going to cut me down. I knew he was going to blame me, gaslight me, and lie to me. I was categorizing the possible threats in my head while attempting to keep Draco’s advice present as well. I was strong. I was confident. I was out of this relationship. I didn’t have to put up with his abuse. I was safe. I had my friends right here, and I could walk away at any time. Ron was nothing. He had no power.

I took a deep breath and stood up. Pansy squeezed my hand before I left, and Theo glared after the two of us. I followed him down the hallway to the lobby where the Floo entrance was.

“New clothes?” he asked, letting his eyes roam over me.

He never looked at me that way when we were together. It was hungry. And it caught me so off-guard.

“Pansy has a new shop,” I said uncomfortably. “She’s given me some pieces.”

“You never dressed like that before.”

His eyes zeroed in on my hips. My gut tightened. I told him I was willing to do more with our intimacy issues. But he’d laughed at me. He didn’t act this attracted to me ever. Not our first time together. Not our wedding night.

“Why are you here, Ronald?” I ask, trying to force his attention off my body.

He stepped closer, dragging his thumb over my exposed shoulder. I wanted to flinch away, but I just stared at his hand.

“I miss you.”

I felt a rock sink in my stomach.

Don’t believe him, I urged myself. Focus on the truth. Don’t let him manipulate you!

I kept my face blank like Draco usually did.

“You have to know what this is doing to me,” he kept going. “I’m not sleeping. My work is suffering. I’m eating like shit.”

I shifted on my feet. Old guilt threatened to bubble to the surface.

“Are you done punishing me?”

“I’m not punishing you,” I said, feeling anxiousness rise. I fought against the need to defend myself and justify my actions.

“Then what do you call this?” he gestured between us. “What are you doing to me?”

“You gave me no choice. I had to leave. You didn’t want me. You have been cheating on me for months. Lying. Stealing.”

“Wow, Hermione,” he shook his head. “I don’t even know you anymore. Where’s the kind, generous, intelligent woman I married?”

I recoiled. “I’m still kind, generous, and intelligent.”

“And kissing Krum, having photos of the two of you leaked while you’re still married. That shows those qualities?”

And that was it. The giant green monster of jealousy inside of him was rearing its head over Viktor. I knew he didn’t want me. He just didn’t want anyone else to have me, either.

“Is that why you’re really here? To talk about Viktor?”

“Everyone else is,” he said. “It makes sense your husband should be in on the conversation.”

I wanted to roll my eyes. I turned back toward our table, content to abandon the conversation entirely. Ron’s hand wrapped around my arm and tugged me back.

“I forgive you,” he said. “It’s something we can work through. Come home with me, and we’ll talk.”

“I don’t need or want to work through anything with you.”

“Hermione,” he chastised. “Stop being so immature about this. You’re acting like a spoiled child. You’ve had your fun. You’ve made me jealous. Enough is enough. You’re acting like a slag, and it’s embarrassing all of us. My entire family is paying the price.”

I gaped at him. Did he just call me that?

“I am not a slag!”

“Keep your voice down,” he whispered harshly, drawing me closer. “I am in line for a huge promotion at work. We need to show a united front to increase my odds. I don’t need my wife fucking every quidditch player that tosses her a look.”

I ripped my arm out of his grasp, keeping my voice a low whisper to match his. My blood boiling.

“I don’t give a fuck what happens to you at work or socially. Just like you didn’t care about me, my reputation, or my work.”

“You’re mad if you think I don’t care what happens to you. You think I want to see Viktor hurt you? Use you? That’s bloody rich, Hermione. I was the only one you had for years. And now you think these snakes are your friends?”

He loosed a hollow laugh, mocking me.

“None of them are your real friends, Hermione,” he continued. “None of them really know you. Just me. But you’re abandoning all that as a way to punish me for never being around. For being career-driven. You were the one always pushing me to be successful. And now that I am, you can’t stand it.”

I wanted to choke him. He was so delusional he had no bloody idea what he was talking about. I didn’t think any of these things!

“Krum is going to use you and leave you broken and depressed. Once he gets what he wants, he’ll get bored of you and move on to the next witch that will spread her legs. And then how pathetic will you feel? Ruining a marriage over a quick fuck? Cute, Hermione. Really cute. Grow up and come home. My forgiveness and patience aren’t infinite. Take them while you can.”

“I’m never coming back to you,” I said with as much strength and clarity as I could muster despite absolutely shaking with rage. “You lost me, Ronald.”

“So that’s it?” he laughed. “All because you needed to know what it was like to be in that fucking numpty’s bed?”

I reeled from his condescension. But I was done. Done with his mockery. Done with his lies. Done with Ron. So, I went for the jugular.

“I already know what it’s like,” I snapped. “He was my first. I was just returning for seconds.”

The shock and horror that clouded Ron’s features fulfilled me in ways that I’d probably never be able to replicate. His face was reddening more severely than his hair.

“You lied to me?” he seethed.

“Yes. How does it feel, Ronald?”

And I turned on my heel and stalked back to the table where my real friends sat waiting.

With each step, I felt lighter. That entire interaction had been so necessary that I scarcely recognized these feelings of weightlessness inside of me. I didn’t want to go back to Ron. I didn’t want to fix my marriage. I didn’t want any kind of connection to Ron. I wanted to completely leave him and all the memories of him behind me.

I stood up for myself. I defended myself. And I shocked him.

Pansy had champagne waiting for me at the table with a large red-lipped smile.

“Well said,” she beamed.

“Knocked him dead,” Theo agreed.

“I died when you said the thing about Viktor,” Astoria gushed.

I gave them a confused glance.

“How… what?”

Pansy wiggled her wand with a wink.

“A little eavesdropping never hurt anyone,” she said. “We wanted to be available if you needed us.”

I snorted out a laugh as I shook my head.

I was glad they heard me. I was glad that I had an audience to witness how I finally stood up for myself. The three of them continued with how great I’d handled things, and I believed them.

“Let’s go dancing after this,” Astoria begged. “The new club just opened; it’s called Doe. Let’s go, please?”

Even Theo joined us at Doe before heading to Nox. The club was electric. Loud, pulsing electronic music thudded through the space, and the bass vibrated every part of me. Astoria, Pansy, and I danced for hours. I can’t remember the last time I felt so carefree, so fun. I laughed, I drank, I danced, and thoughts of Ron were the furthest thing from my mind. I’d stood up to him. I’d had enough courage to walk away. I didn’t cry. I wasn’t the wounded bird he’d kept for so long. I was strong. I was capable. I was finally on my own. And it felt so empowering.

There were so many things I wish I would have done after the war. So many experiences I would have had or things I would have pursued. I was still in fight or flight, though. Every reaction over the last seven years had been under that same trauma response. But tonight, for the first time, I felt like I was just responding as me. This wasn’t fighting or fleeing. This wasn’t freezing or breaking down. I was dancing because I wanted to dance. I was drinking with friends because I wanted to. I was having fun. I was experiencing life for the first time since Voldemort. And it was exhilarating. I wasn’t thinking fifteen steps ahead. I wasn’t worrying about anyone else. I liked these feelings. I wanted more of them.

It was time for me to claim my life once again. I needed to take control of it and finally live it the way I wanted. The way I deserved.

Astoria wrapped her arms around me and Pansy, and I leaned into her.

Despite the shit week I’d had and the crippling disappointment of not getting the donations needed for expansion, I felt good. I felt optimistic about the future. I felt like things were going to finally start falling into place. My divorce wouldn’t be the center of the media circus forever. And I was willing to fight to get my peace back. I was willing to stand up to Ron, to goad him, to push him into sloppy mistakes and rash decisions.

I was finally choosing happiness. And it felt so fucking good.

Chapter Text

Pansy’s fashion show went down without a hitch. She dressed Astoria and me in custom pieces from the line, and we sat in the front row. There was a ton of press at the show, but Anthony was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she’d kicked him off the list after everything that had been happening with Ron and the heinous articles in The Prophet.

“Hermione,” someone called behind me after the show at the cocktail reception.

I turned to see Cho Chang waving after me. She had a friend looped around her arm as she swooped in and kissed my cheeks.

“Long time,” she smiled.

“You look great,” I offered.

“It’s from Parkinson’s line,” she spun, giving a complete view of her red dress. “She’s brilliant!”

“She is,” I smiled. “I’ve got a closet full.”

“This is my friend, Lora,” Cho said. “We met at Oxford. She’s from Portugal.”

I shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” she smiled back warmly.

“You look really happy, Hermione,” Cho smiled, and I was caught off-guard by the compliment and the genuine smile on her face. “I’m so glad you finally left him.”

“I am,” I stuttered. “Erm, happy, that is. I’m very happy.”

“You deserve so much better,” Lora agreed, despite not knowing a thing about me.

Cho’s eyes widened in sympathy. “We’ve heard the rumors about his… issue.”

“Rumors?”

The only rumors I knew were surrounding me and my abundance of issues, according to Goldstein’s articles. I suppressed an eye roll.

“That he cannot perform in bed,” Lora whispered. “And that is why you’ve gone to Krum.”

I could have kissed the witch right there. Of all the fabulous, wonderful, and perfect things she could have said, this was at the top.

My eyes widened in mock understanding as I nodded my head.

“So embarrassing,” I whispered gravely.

If Ron could spread rumors about me, I could enjoy the rumors about him as well.

“No one should have to endure bad sex,” Cho said. “Especially in this day and age. Good for you. We’re rooting you on.”

“Thank you, it means a lot.”

“Oh, there’s Pansy now. Let’s go chat with her,” Cho told Lora. “Lovely to see you, Hermione!”

I smiled as they left, feeling the desire to hug myself. Of all the wild outcomes, this was at the top. I never imagined rumors would start to spread in my favor.

“You look pleased,” Astoria grinned, handing me a cocktail.

“Cho’s just told me that she heard a rumor about Ron’s impotence.”

Astoria choked on her drink. “That’s bloody brilliant!”

I tipped my cocktail glass to her in an agreeable salute.

“I didn’t correct her,” I grinned.

“Good! I won’t stop those rumors, either! I’ll welcome more of them!”

A flash of platinum caught the corner of my eye, and my breath left my lungs. He was back.

But when the silvery-blonde head came back into view, I saw Luna Lovegood, not Draco, and I deflated.

I’d woken up to an owl from him this morning with a drawing of me attempting to listen to a shirtless Draco give instructions again, but I was drooling and had hearts for eyes instead. The joke was on him because I purchased a latte on my way over to Pansy’s to avoid the whole fiasco. But I did love the drawing, and I happily added it to my growing pile.

“Hello, Hermione,” Luna said, joining us at the table with a nearly black-colored cocktail in her own hand. “Astoria, you look lovely.”

“I love your skirt, Luna,” Astoria said. And I didn’t miss the way Astoria’s eyes lingered over Luna’s long legs under her mini.

“So what’s new?”

I gave Astoria a wide-eyed look of pure astonishment as Luna batted her long lashes back at us. She was completely oblivious.

“Erm, don’t you read The Prophet?” I asked, completely blindsided by the question.

Luna’s shrug was easy and innocent. “Of course not.”

Astoria actually laughed at this.

“I’m getting divorced,” I said. “Ron’s been blasting stories about me all over the paper and painting himself as the victim.”

Luna just nodded as she took a sip from her unusual drink.

“That makes sense,” she said. “His addiction was bound to get the best of him.”

I wanted to pinch the bridge of my nose but resisted. Being friends with Luna could be the most infuriating and confusing thing.

“What addiction, Luna?” Astoria gratefully stepped in for me.

“Porn, of course. Sex. Women. All of it.”

Astoria and I both stilled.

“How do you know about that?” I asked her.

“I wrote a column about trauma responses in The Quibbler a couple of years ago,” she shrugged. “It’s quite common among the survivors. You should see the mess Seamus has gotten himself into.”

I cringed. I’d heard rumors of Seamus’ post-war behaviors, and none of them were pretty.

I’d forgotten that Luna had taken over the paper for her father once the war had ended. She had a slightly different approach than her father, but the paper still read a bit too fantastical for my tastes. I admit I hadn’t picked up an issue in years.

“I admit, my own sexual fantasies and preferences have vastly changed over the years,” Luna went on. “I find myself far more interested in the company of women than men. I don’t think it’s a trauma response, as much as I just genuinely am interested in the female body.”

Astoria reminded me of Theo, the way her eyes genuinely lit up at Luna’s confession. That was my cue to go.

“You should talk to Astoria about her club pass,” I told Luna. “It’d be perfect for exploring some of those interests. I should get going. Lovely to see you.”

I winked at Astoria as I hugged Luna goodbye.

I chatted with Pansy for a bit before finally excusing myself to head back home. I decided to walk instead of using the Floo. It was a lovely day in London, and I wanted to enjoy the summer weather before it was gone.

Draco still wasn’t back by dinner that night, so I cooked, cleaned the kitchen, and settled on the couch to watch some mindless television. I needed a plan for work moving forward. Apparently, the previous donors were quite content with their reputation of me from the articles. So, I needed a new demographic of donors, perhaps younger ones. A generation that isn’t blind to following any and everything they read.

I thought about Pansy’s circle. Because of her Slytherin ties, she was surrounded by wealth and influence. I wondered if hosting our own generation would stir up any donations and influence. Individuals with wealth like that were always looking for new ways to give back. So, Theo and I should give them one. There was nothing in the Ministry that said our money and donations had to come from the usual suspects. I could bring in new money. New influence. Create a new Board for our department. Someone doesn’t need to be sixty or older to join a board. And some youth would bring a refreshing change.

Draco wasn’t back by the time I got ready for bed, either. And my disappointment was tangible. I missed him. I glared at the spot he should be sleeping in.

This isn’t like Ron, I forced myself to think. This is Draco. He’ll come back. He’s not a liar.

I woke up the next morning to the spot still empty.

Sunday was an uneventful day of laundry, reading, and television. But no Draco. And no note.

I went to bed alone and woke up alone again.

I got dressed and ready for work, forcing myself into a purple dress to bring some brightness to my soured mood.

There was no note this morning. No owl. I didn’t even look at the espresso machine. I’d leave with Theo and go get one once we were at work.

When I arrived at the Ministry, dozens of others were arriving as well. We walked in a large group toward the lifts.

“Do you blame her? If he can’t get it up, I’d sign off too,” a voice whispered to my left.

I kept my head straight.

“You can’t tell me shagging him was any good anyway.”

“I heard Krum is hung.”

“Me too,” another whispered. “Gods, I’d jump ship for even a look.”

My mood instantly shifted. My head rose, and a smile overtook my features. They were talking about me.

“No wonder he’s releasing those pathetic articles,” another laughed. “He’s been emasculated.”

Oh, how right they were. I wanted to turn around and hug them. I didn’t even know who they were, but it was absolutely marvelous news for me. It was a shred of hope that Ron’s articles weren’t convincing everyone. And the fact that Goldstein had planted those photos of Krum and I just solidified everyone’s suspicions. It was brilliant. They were burying themselves.

We shuffled into the lifts, and that’s when I caught the first glimpse of who was speaking. Astoria beamed back at me with a group of witches I didn’t recognize. She was perpetuating the rumor Cho had heard.

I pushed my smile down and kept my face neutral as we rode the lift. I exited on my floor and felt completely weightless as I walked to my office. Ron couldn’t hold his power forever.

I spent most of the morning plotting with Theo to overthrow the Board of Directors. He said Pansy was the perfect candidate. But his other idea made me waiver. Narcissa.

I didn’t blame her for anything. But the thought of seeing her after all these years made me nervous. Especially since Draco had confessed that he’s told her everything about us. What would she think? Her Pureblood son was pining for a married Mudblood. It made my stomach clench.

“Granger,” Dean Thomas appeared in our doorway.

My pulse rocketed. Draco’s second.

“I need you for a bit.”

I looked at Theo, hoping he had some kind of answer or explanation, but he just shrugged at me.

“Sure, Dean,” I nodded.

I slipped off my lab coat and rested it on my chair.

“Bring your bag,” he said. “This might take a while.”

I hesitated.

“Should I call my solicitor?”

“He’s already here,” he said.

I felt the color drain from my face as I gave Theo one more helpless look. He stood up to follow us, but Dean held up his hand.

“Alone, Nott,” he said. “Sorry, mate.”

I shot Theo one last desperate look. He looked as confused and worried as I did.

I followed Dean to the lifts in silence. My heart was hammering so loud between us that I was certain he could count the beats.

Dean looked as anxious as I felt. His face was hardened into a look of anger, and it looked so unfamiliar on his usually relaxed features. When the lifts stopped at the DMLE level, I followed him through the halls. We didn’t go to Draco’s office. We didn’t stop at Harry’s classrooms. We went straight for the line of investigation offices, where people were brought in for questioning.

“Dean, please,” I said. “What is this all about?”

We entered the room, and my solicitor stood, hand extended, and greeted me.

“Miss Granger.”

“What’s going on?” I asked him.

“A new break,” he said. “Tons of evidence came up this weekend. I’m not sure yet what all has come forward.”

Was this Ron’s retaliation? What had he done? I felt sick.

Two chairs were set up on the other side of the room, and a huge table was placed between our two chairs and the remaining ones.

Dean paced the length of the wall, and I waited anxiously for someone else to come in or for him to start speaking.

Next to me, Doddsworth didn’t look nearly as petrified and nervous as I felt. The lock on the door clicked, and a second later, the breath was rushed from my lungs. Draco Malfoy strode in with the same cool indifference and severity I’d known for years prior. His black-rimmed glasses were perched on his face, giving him a haughty brutality I wanted to flinch at.

“Miss Granger,” he inclined his head.

I didn’t move.

I couldn’t even swallow.

He had a file under his arm that he handed to Dean. The two of them were bristling with unshed anger, and I wanted to snap under the pressure of it. I wanted to demand him to tell me what was going on. Why hadn’t he told me any of this? Where had he been all weekend? But I knew that his other employees would be listening on the other side of the two-way mirror to my left. I knew this would be recorded for a pensive later. So I kept myself in check. Barely.

The first photographs were placed in front of me. A man in long black robes with black, curly hair and a badly receding hairline. I didn’t know him.

“Can you identify this man?”

I searched his features. I didn’t recognize him at all.

“Miss Granger, are you aware that I am well within my rights to use Legilimency to extract the information from you?”

His tone was so sharp and irritated that I scarcely recognized it.

“Only in the matter of criminal cases involving-”

“Rest assured, this is the case,” Draco interrupted Doddsworth.

I met Draco’s eyes for the first time since he walked in. He wouldn’t use it on me. He promised. He’d said over a month ago. Was he saying this for the people watching? Did this have to do with Ron? Was he suddenly believing the lies? Draco was radiating rage throughout the room. Was it directed at me?

He was wearing his glasses. It meant that he’d been performing Legilimency for a long period of time already. It was two in the afternoon. I hadn’t heard from him since my note on Saturday morning.

I looked back down at the picture as Dean slid another one into place. This was a younger photograph. The boy was probably fourteen or so and in his school robes. That’s when realization clicked into place.

“This is Anthony Goldstein.”

“I want you to tell me everything you know about this man.”

“We went to school with him,” I said quietly. “He was a Ravenclaw. Our age.”

“And?”

I swallowed and flinched at the harshness of his tone.

“He writes for The Daily Prophet.”

“When was the last time you’ve spoken with Goldstein?” Draco snapped.

“I can’t remember,” I said. “Maybe during school? I don’t have a memory of ever talking to him.”

Dean placed several other pages in front of me next. It looked like a contract of sorts. My name was at the top, along with all my other personal information. It looked like a contract of employment. My brows furrowed as I scanned the document.

I didn’t sign any of this.

I didn’t write this.

I froze when I reached the end of the document.

Scry.

A document of employment.

For Scry.

For me.

“I didn’t sign this,” I panicked as I reread the information. “I would never join an escort service. I’m not… I couldn’t…”

I could barely breathe as I took in the document. The date was two weeks ago.

“Is this your signature?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said, shocked at the uncanny resemblance it had to my own hand. “But I didn’t do this. I would never sign this.”

I looked back at the top of the page. My eyes flashed over the personal information again but stopped on my birthday.

“Wait,” I said, pushing it toward him. “This isn’t right. I didn’t write this.”

I pointed at my birthday.

Ron constantly forgot what year I was born. He was 1980. But I wasn’t. I was 1979. And next to my birthday, the wrong year glared back at me. Ron had done this. He could never remember.

“I was born in 1979.”

I swore I saw a glimpse of something flash in Draco’s eyes as he looked down at me. But it was gone as quickly as it had arrived. He nodded to Dean.

The next file was filled with several photos of me. Me at dinner with Theo, Pansy, and Astoria. Me at the fashion show. Me walking home.

My face fell.

They photographed me going into Draco’s complex.

The next photos show me hugging Bernard, the doorman. We chatted for a few minutes before I entered the lift.

“Your residence is listed differently on the ministry records.”

Fuck.

I briefly remember Pansy telling Astoria to put her address on the forms over dinner one night weeks ago. Had she done that?

“Yes,” was all I could think of saying.

“Does Pansy Parkinson live in this complex?”

“No.”

“And you?”

I needed to be careful with what I said next.

“With my divorce underway, I don’t feel like I’ve quite found my new home yet. I’m still in limbo.”

“Were you going to that complex to complete a booking for Scry?”

I gasped. “No!”

“Did you have any intention of having paid sex when you entered those flats?”

“No!”

I twisted my hands in my lap. Is that what they thought? That I was entering into the escort service? Draco couldn’t believe this nonsense. It was all lies!

“Is this your bank account information?”

Dean slid another paper in front of me. The second page of the Scry agreement.

“No, it’s not. That account is the old account I had with Ron.”

“You no longer have access?”

“No,” I said. “I created my own Gringotts account over a month ago. Ron is the only one on that old account.”

I looked at my solicitor, and he wore a hard expression, too.

“Miss Granger, we have reason to believe that your estranged husband was going to enter you into the escort ring known as Scry to pay off his debts to them.”

My mouth fell open as my hands shook violently in my lap. He wouldn’t do that. He would never…

 “I’ll ask you one more time,” he said. “Did you willingly sign documentation for your employment at Scry?”

“No! I would never!”

My entire body shook now. Tears threatened to spill over my lashes. Had Ron really done this? Was he really planning on using me to pay off his debts?

“When was the last time you spoke with Mr. Weasley?” Draco asked.

“Friday night,” I said.

Draco’s eyes narrowed. His scowl deepened. He’d told me before he left to send him an owl if I’d talked to Ron, but it didn’t get violent or out of control, so I just figured it would be better to tell him in person.

“And?”

His tone cut through me. It was worse than the monster’s harsh tone.

“He…” I swallowed. “He wanted me to come home. He said I was ruining his life. He said… he said that he’d forgive me if I would just come home.”

Draco’s jaw was set with so much tension I thought it might snap.

“Forgive you for what?”

“Sleeping with Krum.”

“Are you sleeping with Viktor Krum?”

“No,” I shook my head. “And I don’t plan to. But I did let Ron think we were. He was jealous. And it felt good to see him hurt.”

Draco nodded slightly before nodding at Dean.

“Miss Granger,” Dean said, stepping forward. “Because this documentation was turned in and filed at Scry, we believe there to be a significant threat to your life. They will come to collect their stock, and because of that, we recommend Ministry protection while you’re at work and out socially until this matter is resolved in court.”

I lived with Draco. How would that work?

“I have a safe house available for your use, should you accept,” Draco said. “And let me make myself perfectly clear. I see this as a very necessary precaution.”

I looked at Doddsworth, completely shocked and unsure of what to do or say. I was so bloody confused and overwhelmed that I didn’t know what way was up.

How long had Draco known? Why hadn’t he told me first? Did he believe I was working at Scry?

Doddsworth nodded his head to Draco.

“She’ll take the protection,” he said. “Trial is set to start next week. With this new evidence, we should have things settled by the end of summer. I want protection for the entirety of the trial as well.”

Draco nodded.

“Auror Thomas will escort you to your safe house for the remainder of the day,” Draco said. “The Ministry will be in touch.”

And Head Auror Malfoy strode from the room with as little emotion or feeling as he had entered with.

Chapter Text

Dean led me into the hallway, where my solicitor said he’d be in touch. He disappeared to the left, and Dean led me toward the right.

A huge explosion of curses and shouts rang out as we walked. Just as I was turning to see what was happening, my body was repelled back. My head snapped against the wall. I felt like I’d just been hit by a bus. I blinked my eyes open to see Ron furiously fighting three Aurors. Dean had been hit by the same force and was next to me, his forehead bleeding and wand drawn.

“You fucking bitch,” he screamed at me. “What did you tell them? What did you do?”

I could barely register what had just happened. I needed my wand. Where had my purse flown?

Dean was shouting now, too, along with the other Aurors gathered in the hallway. Harry had come out and taken one look at the scene before him. He completely froze, his eyes horrified that Ron was the one in custody.

“Was this you?” he accused Harry. “Betrayal by my best mate? Really?”

Harry looked as confused as I did.

The door to one of the other interrogation rooms burst open.

Draco.

I thought I had seen him angry before. But I realized now that had been a mere inconvenience to him. This? This was intolerable malevolence. It felt as though a Dementor had entered the hallway. My skin iced over.

His eyes landed on me, wide with fury and fear.

Ron’s shouts at mine and Harry’s betrayal still echoed off the hallway as the other three Aurors held him back. His wand was now across the room, but that didn’t stop the madness that had overtaken him. He fought against their holds and cursed at all of us.

Draco’s head whipped around to Ron. His silver eyes glowed beneath the fluorescents. Draco didn’t even speak. Ron dropped to the ground in a heap, screaming and clutching his head as though it were being flayed apart with a hot knife. Ron’s scream was agonizing. Draco was unphased by all of it. He merely looked down his nose at Ron’s crumpled form. I knew he wanted to break him. I knew he wanted to turn his mind to a puddle of nothing. But Draco Malfoy was always in control. And after another few seconds of Ron’s pleading sobs, Draco relented. Ron silently sniveled into the carpet while Draco motioned for the three to grab him and take him to the room.

Dean was helping me up and finding my purse in the rubble of the wall Ron had destroyed.

Draco finally turned back to me. There were so many people around. But I wanted to run into his arms. I wanted to beg him to just come home with me. I wanted him to explain what the hell was going on and tell me how long he’d known about all this. I was so furious but so terrified at the same time. Would Scry really come to collect me?

“She’s bleeding, Thomas,” Draco’s tone was as icy as it had been in the room earlier.

“Sir,” Dean nodded, some unspoken understanding passing between the two of them.

I hadn’t realized I was bleeding. So much debris had flown around, and it had all happened so quickly.

“I want this cleaned up and put back into place,” he barked at the rest of the Aurors. “And someone better find me Weasley’s fucking wand.”

The hallway launched into action. Dean wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me toward the lifts once again. I didn’t realize I was trembling until he started to whisper quiet reassurances.

“Hermione,” Harry reached toward me but lamely dropped his hand.

I whirled on him, jabbing a finger into his chest.

“Fuck you,” I shouted at him as I shook. “He sold me to Scry, Harry. He forged my name on a contract and sold me like a fucking cow to slaughter.”

I didn’t care who heard. Let the whole fucking Ministry know what a miserable cunt my ex-husband was. Tears raced down my cheeks.

“All because you won’t come forward about being blackmailed. You fucking coward, Harry Potter.”

Dean’s arms pulled me along the hallway.

“Not here, Hermione,” he soothed.

“You could have stopped all of this,” I turned and shouted at him as Dean propelled me on.

Harry looked mortified. His face had taken a ghostly white shade as he ran his hands through his messy mop of black hair. Years of friendship with the two of them, and where did it get me? Here. Sold into an escort service against my will and facing criminal charges of tax evasion. One of them led the charge, and the other friend allowed it. It was sickening.

Silent tears continued to track down my cheeks while Dean kept his hand on my back. I’d always liked Dean. His calm, smooth voice was a comfort as he whispered reassurances to me. He was a good man and a talented Auror. When he and Ginny were together at school, I thought he was the problem behind many of their fights. But after marrying a Weasley, I had a very different perspective.

“You got out just in time,” I mentioned to him.

He laughed and squeezed my shoulder. “Bloody Weasleys.”

We made it down the lift and through the lobby with minimal gasps, stares, and whispers. I’m sure both of us looked ridiculous. But rumors of Ron’s rampage upstairs would spread like wildfire. I was sure of it.

We exited the Floo in Draco’s flat. I gave Dean a look, and he gave me a sheepish shrug in response.

“A safe house?”

“Too many eyes and ears,” he said. “This is the safest place. The wards are so strong on this the bloody Minister couldn’t break in.”

“There were pictures of me coming in here,” I said.

“You’re only coming and going by Floo now. No one will see you.”

“Granger!”

I turned to see Theo hurrying toward me.

“Bloody hell, what the fuck happened?”

He wrapped me in a strong hug, and I melted into him. The tears flowed even harder now that I was finally home. What the fuck was today?

“I have to get back,” Dean said. “As for right now, don’t leave. Nott’s going to stay with you until we get things sorted back at the Ministry.”

“Wait,” I said, pulling out of Theo’s grip. “Wait right here, will you?”

Dean gave me a questioning look but nodded. I raced back into the study and found the small vial I was looking for.

I brought it back and placed it in Dean’s hand.

“Bring these to him.”

Dean smiled and pocketed the vial.

“I’m sorry about all this, Hermione,” he said. “You don’t deserve it.”

I offered him a small smile as he turned to Theo.

“I have the healer coming over soon,” he said. “She has access through the wards. But no one else besides Draco or I come or go from this place. Yeah?”

Theo agreed, and Dean left.

“I don’t even think Parkinson’s magic can fix that,” he motioned down at my ripped and tattered dress.

I was disappointed, I really liked it.

“I’ll be back,” I said and changed into one of Draco’s oversized Quidditch shirts and a pair of boxers.

I stared at myself in the mirror as I threw my hair up in a messy bun at the top of my head. My eyebrow had been cut, my lip was puffy and swollen, and there was a bruise already forming on one of my cheeks. I had a few shallow cuts along my arms and legs, but nothing major. I knew I would be sore tomorrow, though. Some of my ribs still ached when I moved too quickly.

Theo had poured two glasses of wine and was sitting on the couch.

“Seemed necessary,” he motioned toward the wine.

It was.

Theo silently absorbed the story I relayed to him over what I’d learned. His jaw was tight with fury, but he didn’t interrupt. He just held my hand and listened. I cried through most of it. I told him how cold and aloof Draco had been. I told him how he dropped Ron without a word spoken. I told him about my fight with Harry.

“I heard someone needs some healing,” a voice said behind us.

I turned at the sound of the soft, feminine lilt and nearly choked. Narcissa Malfoy stood behind the couch. She was wearing a bespoke dress and designer heels. The small Channel bag was clutched between her perfectly manicured hands. She looked like she just walked off a red carpet. Not like she was here to heal me.

Theo stood and placed two kisses on her cheeks.

“Draco said he had a dittany plant, so I didn’t pack my own.”

She spoke to Draco. I swallowed down the spurt of jealousy I felt. I was chomping at the bit to talk to him. Or wring his neck. Or both.

“In the patio off of the study,” I said.

Theo nodded and left the two of us.

Narcissa crossed around the couch and stood before me.

“Hello, Mrs. Malfoy,” I said.

I suddenly felt naked under her gaze. Wearing just Draco’s Quidditch shirt and these small shorts now felt like I was in the skimpiest lingerie in existence.

“Narcissa will do just fine,” she said with a smile. “It’s lovely to see you again, Hermione.”

I tried not to focus on what kind of paralleled universe of hell I was living in today. Draco treated me with cool indifference today, then sent his mother to come heal me? None of this made any sense.

“May I?” she asked, gesturing to the seat beside me.

I nodded.

She knew everything about us. Draco told me that he’d informed her of all of it. Yet, Narcissa didn’t treat me with any disdain. She took out her wand and several other vials. Narcissa’s featherlight touches over my injuries reminded me of my mother. She was so gentle and so careful with all of her patients. It was hard to stomach.

Narcissa grabbed my hand at one point and was fixing the small scratches along my arm when she turned it over.

The two of us froze as she looked over the mark her sister had given me nearly ten years earlier. Narcissa’s fingers shook as she held my arm, and I heard her audibly swallow.

“I’m-” she stuttered and swallowed again. “I’m so sorry.”

I wondered if she had witnessed the mutilation Draco had done to his own body as repentance.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” I said quietly.

Narcissa was as much a victim as the rest of us in that bloody war. Draco had told me one night about her unbreakable vow with Severus for him. I knew that she would have done anything for her son. And I would never fault her for that. Draco had explained his parents’ marriage was arranged as soon as they were born. Narcissa never had a choice in her life. She endured physical abuse herself, as well as the pain of witnessing her only child be subject to it.

“You forgive too easily,” she smiled sadly.

“You didn’t hold the knife.”

“It was my home.”

“And your duty was protecting your son. Especially from your own family.”

Her eyes searched mine for a long time like she was trying to understand me. I wondered errantly if she was trying to read my mind with her own Legilimency abilities, but Draco said I would feel if someone tried, even gently. And I didn’t feel any intrusion.

“Thank you.”

Her whisper was hoarse and full of emotion. She blinked several times and went back to healing. She’d instructed Theo to brew some more dittany, so he was busy in the kitchen with that.

We remained in a comfortable silence for the rest of her time with me. She worked methodically, taking care of every scrape, every bruise, every swollen part of me. She would make an impressive healer if she wanted to.

“No concussion,” she told me. “So that’s good. Just a few bruised ribs you’ll be sore from for the next few days.”

She looked me over once more, satisfied with her own care.

“And I trust Mr. Weasley is in custody for this?” she asked carefully.

“I’ll lock him in bloody Azkaban myself,” Theo said from the kitchen.

“Not for this,” I said. “He forged documents to sell me into an escort service to pay off his debts.”

I’d never seen Narcissa’s face take on such a reaction. She quickly schooled her features, but it took a moment for her to recover.

“How would he have managed to forge a wand signature?”

I shrugged. That was the most important question. It had happened two weeks ago, and I hadn’t used a wand signature since signing on a new account at Gringotts. And there was no way any of those employees would have given him the signature. He was forging documents too easily. He had to have something or someone helping him. Some kind of spell or…

“Oh my gods,” I breathed.

Realization rushed through me.

“What is it?” Theo asked, coming through to the living room.

“The joke shop.”

I was suffocating under the knowledge. George had been experimenting with a quill for students to forge their parent’s wand signatures. The idea came to him when Harry couldn’t go to Hogsmeade with the rest of us.

“Familiar Feather,” I said. “I don’t know if he ever sold them, but he made a few for trial purposes. He may not have put them on the shelves. But he has them in the back. Ron was always helping at the shop.”

“We need to tell Draco,” Theo said, turning to Narcissa.

“I’ll go straight to the Ministry,” she said, packing her small purse.

“You could tell Dean if Draco’s busy,” I added. “Dean Thomas. Draco trusts him.”

Narcissa nodded and patted my knee.

“We’ll get this sorted out,” she reassured me. “Stay here and rest. Take the dittany when Theodore’s finished. It will help with the ribs and soreness.”

“Thank you, Narcissa,” I said. “For everything.”

And I hoped she understood I meant her acceptance and tolerance.

She squeezed my hand before walking to the Floo.

“I’ll send an owl with an update,” she said.

Theo and I spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch, binge-watching old movies and ordering Chinese takeout. Narcissa sent word that she’d delivered the message, and they were taking action immediately. I almost sighed in relief. Finding the quill in his possession would prove that I was innocent of everything. I needed them to find it. Theo called us both out of work for the next two days, and I was grateful to have one less thing to think about, but the distraction might have been nice.

Eventually, sleep took over, and I woke up at some point in the middle of the night in the center of Draco’s bed, alone.

I rolled over, groaning at the ache in my ribs, but fell back to sleep. I would take more dittany in the morning, but for now, I wanted to remain unconscious. No Ron, no Draco, no lies, no feelings. Just sleep.

As I drifted off, I swore I saw the monster sitting in the corner of the room. A cruel scowl was painted across his features, with his silver eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

Chapter Text

I rolled over to find the bed empty. Frustration roiled through me. I’d imagined it last night. The monster, Draco, all of it. He hadn’t been here. The chair was unoccupied, and there was no trace of him having been there. 

I glanced at the clock and saw that it was just after seven in the morning. I sighed. My eyes flitted to the stack of cartoons Draco had drawn for me. On top was a depiction of my curly hair eating him in the middle of the night. It wrapped around him like Devil’s Snare. I smiled sadly at the drawing. Where did we stand? There had been no explanation yesterday. No justification. Nothing. 

I walked by the study as I left his room. It was empty as well, though part of me had hoped I’d see him sitting in there with a book balanced in his hand. 

The kitchen had been cleaned up since Theo’s brewing the day before. I glared at the espresso machine. I could figure it out. I would force myself to. I needed caf-

I stopped. 

All over the espresso machine were detailed notes stuck to each mechanism. They were labeled in the order I should use them. 

Next to the machine sat the vial of Theo’s homebrew for Draco’s migraines. The potion I’d given Dean yesterday. 

Fury overwhelmed me. 

He had been here. 

He’d come home. 

And he didn’t have the decency to wake me up. To give me an explanation for whatever the fuck yesterday had been. I stalked back to his room, desperate to find him. He wasn’t there, though. He wasn’t in any of the rooms. 

Theo was asleep in the other guest bedroom, and he jolted awake when I slammed the door open. 

“Get dressed,” I snapped. “I’m going to work.”

“Woah, woah, woah,” he stumbled after me in only his boxers. “Draco said we need to lie low for-”

“If Draco has instructions for me, he can give them to me himself, or not at all,” I seethed. “I’m leaving in twenty minutes whether you’re with me or not.” 

Theo wordlessly nodded and jogged back to his room. I got myself dressed and ready and tried not to wince at how painful my ribs were. It was such an inconvenience. 

I dressed in a tight, white, sleeveless turtleneck with a slim, blue pencil skirt. My heels teetered well over four inches. I wore my hair up today and settled with simple silver hoops in my ears. 

Theo was smartly waiting for me in the kitchen when I came out. He’d used Draco’s instructions to make me an espresso, too. Though, part of me wanted to throw it across the living room. 

Theo followed me into the Floo and through the lobby of the Ministry. Today, I stared straight ahead with a ruthless indignation plastered on my face. I was furious at Draco. Furious at the way he thought he could just order me around with no explanation. Furious at him for expecting me to blindly follow his directives. Furious at him for not comforting me. 

People steered clear of me as I walked to the lifts. I heard the whispers. I knew they heard what had happened upstairs yesterday. But I let them talk. This was my job, and I was here to do it, just like all the rest of them. I didn’t care that Draco wanted to lock me away in the ivory tower he called home. If he thought I was safer there, he should have told me himself. 

Once I left the lift and was in my office I settled at my desk without another word. Theo watched me as if he expected me to snap at any second. There was a cautious curiosity that kept sweeping over his brow, but I met each look of his with a scowl of my own, causing him to retreat to his pile of work. 

I sent a parchment up to Dean and informed him that if I needed an Auror there should be one posted outside my office for the remainder of the day. After all, Dean had spoken to me. He’d been kind enough to at least attempt to answer some of my questions. 

Draco could jump off the bloody Astronomy tower. 

The door to my office opened and shut, but I refused to look up from the work I was doing. I knew who it was. I knew Dean would have told him. But if he could spend an entire night in the same room with me and not say a word, I could do the same thing. 

I saw Theo shifting uncomfortably in my periphery, but I ignored him. 

I was here to work. Not have idle chitchat with the Auror assigned to me. 

“Go. Home.”

I bristled at his harsh tone. 

My rage was going to capsize eventually, and I was going to sweep through this office like a landmine. 

I turned the page of my analysis.

He swept the papers off my desk and floated them to another. I pinched my eyes closed and took a long breath.

“Weasley posted bail this morning,” he said. “This is the last fucking place I need you to be.” 

My head finally snapped up and met his eyes. He was still in his glasses, and he looked exhausted. Dark rings were forming under his eyes and made the silver of his irises even more haunting. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said with mock concern. “I wouldn’t know what your wishes were at all, considering I haven’t actually spoken to you in days.” 

His mouth formed a hard line. 

“Go. Home. Hermione. I am trying to keep you safe.” 

“Yes, you’re doing so well at being concerned for me. You must have told me at least a dozen times in the last thirty-six hours… oh wait…”

I gave him my best Draco-inspired scowl. 

“I am still processing the logistics of everything that’s happened in the last twenty-four hours,” he snapped. “Would you rather be tracked down by the thugs that work at Scry? Would that be a better alternative than your miserable safe house?”

“If you have such little faith in your own team of Aurors, it’s clearly a reflection of your leadership.”

His eyes flickered with challenge, and his jaw clenched. 

“That’s one,” he whispered. 

I shrugged at him, challenging him further, feigning indifference. 

“I cannot stand here all day watching you. I have an alarmingly pressing investigation that needs my attention.”

“So leave. I’m plenty used to you not being around.”

I really got him with that one. His eyes were practically molten at this point as they burned into me. 

“Two.” 

His whisper was barely audible. 

“You’d actually have to be around me in order to see those threats through,” I said. “So excuse me for not trembling at your feet. I have work to do. The door’s just there.”

“Three,” he boomed. “I will carry you over my bloody shoulder through this Ministry.”

“I will leave at five this evening with you. If you don’t join me at home this evening, then I will sleep here. So get done what you can by then because, at five tonight, you owe me an explanation. A big one.” 

He glared down at me, but I was unmoving. I would sleep on this bloody desk if I had to. I was serious. And I was digging in as deep as I could on this issue. I wouldn’t spend another night alone. I don’t care how much he wanted to make this all go away. I deserved to know everything. 

“You can’t carry her, mate,” Theo finally spoke up. “Her ribs are still bruised.” 

That seemed to resonate with Draco, and he blinked slowly. His eyes snapped to Theo.

“I told you to give her the dittany.”

“I did,” Theo said. “But it’ll still be another day for it to fully kick in and heal. And she hasn’t had her dose for today yet.”

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose before smoothing his hair back. He turned back to me.

“There will be four guards posted here all day. Two inside. Two outside. You will not leave this office for any reason unless Thomas and I are with you.” He glared down at my espresso cup. “I will have breakfast and lunch sent down for you. And you will take two more doses of dittany before the end of the day.” 

I held out my hand. 

He looked at it, and I blinked up at him.

“My papers.”

He glowered at me while he floated my stack of papers to the desk. 

“You’re dismissed, Head Auror Malfoy,” I said, waving my hand toward the door. 

Draco’s fingers turned white as he leaned over my desk. His nose nearly touched mine. 

“Your smart mouth has earned your ass quite the experience, kitten.” 

I glowered at the pet name. He didn’t get to use that when I was furious with him. 

“I’m still deciding on your punishment,” I commented. “But I’ll make sure it’s nearly as unbearable as your manners and behavior have been.”

His eyes gleamed with defiance. “We’ll see.”

I ignored him and kept my eyes on the papers before me. He stomped out of the room, and I could hear him barking orders at the poor fools he’d dragged down here with him. Two Aurors entered the office and took their positions, standing next to the door.

Theo wheeled his chair over to my desk, his eyes wide. 

“Godric’s golden tit, Granger,” he sighed, wiping his hand over his face. “You’ve got to be certifiable.” 

I gave him a bored look and went back to my reading. 

“No one talks to Draco Malfoy that way.” 

“I just did.” 

“I know,” he guffawed. “Which is why I now have to start crafting your eulogy.” 

I scoffed and waved him away. 

The rest of the day was extraordinarily normal. Theo and I couldn’t get any information out of the watchdogs Draco had assigned to us. Theo slipped out of the office a few times to get gossip from other areas, but there didn’t seem to be a lot of information out there. People knew Ron had been arrested and that he attacked me. Some rumors are a jealous fit over Krum; others blame Ron’s volatile temper. 

The majority of my day was spent plotting Draco’s demise. I wasn’t joking when I said I was contemplating his punishment. He was so quick to offer up mine, but his behavior had been the atrocious one. 

He shut me out. He made decisions for me, not with me. I’d already had one relationship like that. And I was vehemently against a second. Not that Draco and I were in a relationship. We couldn’t be. I was married. At least until next week. And I scarcely thought leaping right into another one would be smart or beneficial. 

Perhaps I needed to live alone for a time. Explore my own independence and adulthood. I’d saved a good portion of money now that I had no financial burdens (like a ginger husband) bogging me down. The important thing was that I would decide. 

A few minutes before five, I noticed my blood pressure steadily rising. If Draco Malfoy was going to try and get out of hashing things out with me, I would make a damned spectacle in this office, Aurors present or not. 

Theo could sense the tension, too. He’d been drumming his fingers on the desk for more than ten minutes now. Both of us glared at the clock. 

He wouldn’t be stupid enough to deny me this. 

He cared.

He said he cared. 

He would give me the explanation I deserved. 

I willed it into existence. 

He had to. 

A five on the dot, the door of the office opened. 

Dean entered. 

Theo hissed a curse under his breath, and I steeled myself against the colossal disappointment I felt. 

 “Draco wanted me to escort you to his office,” he said. “He’s with the Wizengamot now, but it should be over quickly. He’s getting the approval to have Ron expelled from the Ministry and barred from future entry.” 

I kept my word. Draco had chosen this, and I would follow through. 

“Good for him,” I said cooly. “But there’s no need. I’m going home.”

Theo rushed to his feet, and even Dean looked surprised. 

“Did you find the quill?” I asked him. 

Dean nodded. “In his desk.”

I released a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. 

I was okay. 

I would be okay. 

I was right. 

It had been the stupid quill his brother designed. 

I wasn’t crazy. 

I hadn’t signed things I didn’t remember. 

I was going to be okay. 

I released another slow exhale.

“I assume my solicitor was notified?”

“I sent the owl this morning.”

I grabbed my purse and stood. The two extra doses of dittany had helped immensely. Not that I wanted to credit Draco for any of that. But I was no longer sore. 

Dean led me to the lifts, the four Aurors and Theo in tow. There were a lot more people around now, and they all stared at me with dozens of questions dancing on their faces. Part of me regretted healing so quickly. Maybe seeing the destruction Ron caused would have been more convincing for them. 

None of us spoke as I stepped with Theo into the Floo. Dean offered me a small smile. But I didn’t return it.

Theo and I walked into the empty flat. 

“I’m going to shower,” I said. “Then, I’d like to sit with you on the patio off the study. Maybe we can have some wine or something.” 

“Of course,” Theo agreed. “Take your time, Granger.”

I almost felt guilty for lying to him. But I’d made up my mind this afternoon what I would do when Draco didn’t show up at five. And rather than sleep in my office, I had a better form of revenge. 

I waited until Theo was through the study and outside. I changed my clothes and tiptoed to the Floo. 

I was gone before he ever noticed.

Chapter Text

The white silk around my neck felt strange paired with the skull mask fashioned over my face. If the monster could dole out punishments, then I would become just like him. 

My outfit was made entirely of black leather. High boots that went to my thighs and a body suit with strategically placed cut-outs weaved around my torso. My breasts were pushed up thanks to the corset lacing up my back. I’d never felt more powerful in my life. I walked through Nox with lethal determination. 

I was taking back my throne. 

I knew he’d find me sooner rather than later. Part of me swore he had inputted a tracking device on me somehow. 

He was clever. 

He’d figure it out. 

I didn’t go to the lifts tonight. I made a beeline right for the main stage. 

“My turn,” I told the employee. 

He gave me a double take, but a hungry smile played on his lips. 

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I don’t come down until I say, yes?”

“Yes,” he agreed. “Squatter’s rights.” 

I smiled at his joke.

He helped me step inside, where I took a seat on the swing. I grabbed the chains and smiled to myself as I was raised in the air. I now sat in one of the four bird cages poised around the main stage of Nox. The center of the cage held a small swing, and the rest of the area was large enough to stand, walk around, and dance in. And there was no way I was coming down until I got what I wanted. 

It was still early in the evening, so not as many people were in the club right now. But I had nothing but time. I decided to swing casually. The red lights glinted off the shiny leather of my boots and corset. I definitely was attracting attention. But I ignored them. My eyes were trained on the entrance to the main level. 

I’m not sure how much time went by, but eventually I saw Theo’s brooding form enter the main area. He glared at me and shook his head. But I kept swinging while he grabbed a drink and sat in one of the booths to the side. 

Draco knew where I was. 

Good. 

I saw the skull mask above the growing crowd and smiled to myself. 

Here he was. 

He hadn’t seen me yet. He found Theo, though. 

He was wearing his suit trousers from work. His coat and tie were gone, his white sleeves had been rolled up, and his top few buttons were undone. The glamour over his mask still colored his hair dark. I stood from the swing, stretching above my head and gripping the bars of the cage. I pressed myself against the bars of the cage.

I could see the two of them talking. Theo had a smirk on his face now as he gestured past Draco to me. Draco turned slowly, letting me take in the tense stature of his entire body. His eyes climbed the length of the stage until they met mine. 

I cocked my masked face to the side in the way I’d seen him do so many times before. 

His eyes blazed. I offered him a little wave with my fingers. 

He held up four fingers toward me. 

I laughed. 

He wasn’t getting away with anything tonight. 

I blew him a kiss as I started dancing. 

He stalked toward the stage, his energy radiating as wild and angry as the red lights and pulsing music. 

“Someone wants to join you,” the employee below called up to me. 

“No,” I said back. 

Draco ran his hands over his masked face. I knew he was contemplating hexing the employee and breaking into the cage himself. But he wouldn’t. I looked past him to where Theo now leaned against the bar, shaking his head at me with a wide grin. 

I was glad to see he wasn’t angry with me anymore. 

I mouthed sorry to him for good measure. 

He mouthed back good luck. 

Draco left the cage alone for now and promptly kicked out a table of people directly in front of me. 

He sat in the center of the booth, glaring up at me. 

He held up five fingers. 

I smiled down at him.

His rage didn’t sway me. I had plenty of my own, keeping me firmly rooted in this very spot. I became someone else. The female monster in the mask could do just as much damage as the male monster. I could torture. I could edge. 

So that’s what I did. 

I would make him so fucking crazy that he’d know just how wrong it had been to keep me in the dark. And I would deprive him of the one thing he craved. The thing he needed. 

Touch. 

I embodied the bold and sexy women I saw up here night after night. They moved their hips in mesmerizing ways that made onlookers gawk. That’s what I wanted. I wanted all eyes right on me. I wanted the power for once. 

I slipped my wand from my boot and fashioned a black curtain all around my cage. 

Time to turn up the pressure a bit. 

I tapped my head, and my second outfit settled into place. I touched my neck, changing the ribbon next.

I dropped the black curtain and saw Draco was on his feet. Did he think I was going to disappear? I smiled down at him. I now wore a simple silk dress in the softest pink. My breasts were still pushed up because of the severe bra I wore below, but I had changed my ribbon. I now wore a pink one to match. I slipped my wand back down the leg of my boot and continued dancing. 

My eyes never left Draco’s. 

He sat again. 

I could tell by the uncomfortable way he shifted that he was aroused. 

Good. 

I danced for close to another hour before I slipped the strap off one shoulder. 

Draco’s eyes darted to me. 

He shook his head slowly. 

The thin strap fell down my arm. 

I watched him take a deep inhale as I did the same thing to the other shoulder. 

He was clenching his fists so tightly I could see them from up here. 

I let the loose shift fall to my feet. 

Several whistles and cat calls rang out among the growing crowd as I kept my eyes focused on Draco. 

He held up his thumb and mouthed six. 

I winked. 

I wrapped my hands around my neck. 

“Black.” 

The crowd gasped, but Draco’s face was furious at my blatant defiance. 

I moved my hands down my body and over the bright red lingerie I wore. The garters held up black fishnet stockings, and my boots became towering black heels. The thong and bra were matching red sets that Pansy was working on for her new fall lingerie line. She’d given Astoria and me a few of the pieces as a gift. 

I spun, making sure he got a good look at everything he couldn’t have by shutting me out. 

Draco’s rage was unmatched. It was nearly to the peak of what it had been in the hallway with Ron. And I kept going. I pushed and goaded him. I wanted him frustrated. I wanted him angry. Because I felt all those things by what he did to me. I felt shut out. I felt denied. I felt rejected. And for the first time, I was acting based on those feelings. Right, wrong, or indifferent, I was fighting. And I was fighting dirty.

Draco didn’t move from his spot in the booth. He sat hunched forward, elbows on his knees, fingers together, as he glowered up at me. A show just for him. Occasionally, he would shake his head or mutter curses under his breath that I couldn’t hear. But each crack in that composed façade of control and calm just edged me on. 

The longer I moved, the greater my need became. If I was this turned on, I could only imagine how he felt. The throbbing heat of his erection beckoned me. I needed him. My cloudy, lust-filled thoughts were slowly taking over. 

I touched myself openly. My breasts, my core, my legs, my stomach. The fleeting passes of my hands seemed to rip open another layer of irritation for Draco. His eyes followed my hands on their path along my body. 

We’d been at this for hours now. But my stubborn determination was still at its peak. 

“Lower me,” I said to the employee. 

Draco’s stance changed immediately. He sat up and watched me descend from my position above the crowd. And for the first time, he sent a glare to anyone behind him who was thinking of moving toward me once I was out. 

“It’s yours any time you want it,” the man said to me with a grin. 

“I’ll remember that, thanks,” I said. 

I walked toward Draco. 

“I’m ready,” I told him as I stood in front of him. 

This close, I knew he could see the sheerness of the bra and panties. His eyes darkened as he stared at my hardened nipples. 

“What for, kitten?”

I smiled and leaned forward, bracing both of my arms on each side of him in the booth. 

“Your apology, of course. And an in-depth discussion of the events that have transpired since Friday when you left. And an explanation for why you were such a calloused bastard.”

He studied me for a long moment as if challenging me to say more. But I didn’t. I waited.

“I won’t risk speaking here where I can be overheard.”

I inclined my head. I understood that fear. This was highly classified information. 

“Fine.” 

He came up off the couch, and in one swoop, I was over his shoulder with a resounding smack on my ass. 

I flinched from the sting of it, but it only made me angrier. He didn’t get to dish out his punishments. I didn’t deserve any of them. He was the one who lied and hid things from me. 

“Put me down,” I gritted. 

He ignored me as we walked to the Floo. Theo saluted me from his space around a few other women, and I gave him a vulgar gesture in return. It just made him laugh, though. 

Once we were back in Draco’s flat, his mask was instantly gone. He put me down and as I turned, I saw his wand pointed at me, and my mask vanished as well. 

The look on his face was more severe than I ever saw on the monster. 

I opened my mouth to start questioning him, but his lips crashed over mine, hard and dominant. 

He possessively tore at my tongue with his own. Searching, scraping, and claiming me. I met him with equal force. I was so angry with him, but I was also so worked up I could probably come just from this kiss alone. 

We were ruthless with one another. I clawed at him, begging him to be closer, to hold me, touch me. And he did. He picked me up, and my legs instantly wrapped around his waist. I ground into his erection and moaned into his mouth. He felt the same way I did. Frustration, anxiety, and fear pulled at both of us. 

He walked me toward the kitchen counter. The icy feeling of the granite against my bare skin made me shiver. My skin was on fire. I needed more of him. 

“I just wanted you safe,” he growled against me. 

I pulled at the buttons of his shirt.

“I am safe,” I fought.

His hands fisted through my hair as I ripped at more of the buttons on his shirt. My legs were still locked around his waist, and I tugged him closer to my center. 

He pulled our mouths apart and looked down at me. His eyes were a silver-blue flame of heat.

“Weasley promised Goldstein that he could have you any time he wanted,” Draco snapped. “That was their agreement.” 

I startled. That’s why Goldstein had agreed? Me? 

I fought against the rising bile and pulled the rest of Draco’s shirt off. I pushed thoughts of Anthony with me and focused on Draco ripping my bra off.

“You walked home from Pansy’s show,” he growled. “Alone!”

He ripped the sides of my panties, leaving a scrap of fabric on the counter but leaving the garter and fishnets.

“Yes, and nothing happened,” I said, tugging him out of his briefs. “Goldstein took pictures. That’s all.” 

He pulled me close and impaled me with a hard thrust. I cried out, finally receiving the reprieve I’d been wanting.

“Those weren’t Goldstein’s pictures!”

I drew back and looked at him. 

“What?” I panted.

He thrust forward again, making my head dizzy with the fullness I felt. 

“Those were photos from Scry,” he buried himself to the hilt, furiously sinking deeper and deeper inside of me. 

He gritted out every word like a curse, and my mind spun from the information he was saying. 

“They were coming for you,” he bit out. “And I-”

He stopped, choked up with emotion. 

My fury waivered. 

Was he…

“And I was in Paris,” he gritted. “I was so far. And you could have been-”

He couldn’t finish the sentence. His forehead rested against mine as he nearly hyperventilated against me. 

Gods. I’d never seen him this wracked with emotion. I pulled at his face, leveling his eyes with my own. The shimmer of unshed tears choked me. 

“I didn’t know,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” 

“I should have told you not to go anywhere alone. I was just trying not to be overbearing and suffocating. I should have had you followed.” 

Guilt gripped me. 

When he’d come home tonight to find me gone. 

I closed my eyes. 

Gods. How stupid.

“You didn’t talk to me,” I pleaded with him. “I had no idea. You were here last night. You could have spoken with me!”

“I didn’t know until yesterday morning what was going on,” he pulled away from the counter and tucked himself back into his boxer briefs. He paced back and forth, trying to level his rage once again. 

“Blaise found out about Goldstein over the weekend. I was in Paris, so he went to Thomas. Thomas and two others got Goldstein and brought him on Monday morning. I Floo’d directly to the Ministry and began interrogating him. That’s when I found out about Weasley and Scry. That’s when I brought you up. I had to be cold and calloused to you then, Hermione. All my superiors were watching me. If I showed even the slightest hint of our relationship, I would have been removed from the case.”

Fuck. 

It felt like the oxygen was being pulled from the room. 

It was too much. Too overwhelming. 

“When I heard the shouts in the hallway,” he swallowed, turning away from me. 

His hands rubbed over his face. 

He thought I had been seriously hurt. 

“I almost didn’t stop,” he whispered. “I could have crushed him like a beetle. It was right there in my hand.” 

My own emotions rose at how broken he sounded.

I reached out for his hand, and he let me take it.

His entire career would have been over if he’d killed Ron. 

“I wanted to. I still want to.” 

“He’s not worth it,” I begged him to understand. 

“No one hurts you.”

He kissed my cheeks sweetly, tasting the tears as his lips lingered on my face. 

“I didn’t get home until almost three this morning,” he said. “I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t. All I could do was sit and watch you. You were finally asleep. Peaceful. And I just wanted you to be okay. I just wanted you to be safe. Because if anything-” 

He paused, collecting himself once again.

“If anything happens to you, I’ll kill them all, Hermione. Anyone who hurts you.”

I steered his lips toward mine, and we met in a passionate embrace. 

“I love you,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion. “I need you to be safe.”

“I am safe,” I promised. “I’m safe with you. Don’t shut me out. Don’t put me on the sidelines while you fight the battle. We’re stronger together.” 

Our kissing turned desperate once again, and he was carrying me through the house and into the bedroom. He kicked off his briefs and climbed up my body, placing languid kisses along my thighs and stomach while he removed my stockings and garter belt. 

“Please, Draco,” I whimpered as his tongue tortured my clit. 

He finally obliged. His hard cock slid inside of me with a painful slowness. I felt every stretch as my body adjusted to him. 

“Promise me,” I panted as our bodies moved. “Promise to be transparent. Involve me. Talk to me.”

“I promise,” he said. “Promise you won’t run. You won’t be alone.”

“I promise,” I agreed, loving that I finally felt his fullness in me again. 

“I won’t let anyone hurt you. No one.” 

And I believed him. 

He made love to me several more times that night. Each time, whispering passionate pleas of forgiveness and adoration in my ear. It was so lovely, so emotional that it brought tears to my eyes. I’d never been so cherished before. So perfectly and wholly loved. 

But I didn’t say it back. I couldn’t. 

I was a coward. 

I was still married. 

It felt ridiculous to confess my love to him when I was still connected to Ron. 

But by next week, maybe things could be different. 

Then I could say it. 

But what would it mean? 

Would he let me try life on my own? 

Draco’s possessiveness knew no bounds. If I confessed that I loved him, he’d never let me go. He’d want to keep me just like this. In this home, tucked away from everyone, protected from the world. 

He was so protective, but what would happen when the threats were gone? Would he ever be able to let his control down?

I kissed him, willing my worries to another day, another time. Because tonight, I wanted to sate myself in the blissful purgatory of us. No labels. No expectations. Just the divine experience of being perfectly loved by this possessive madman. 

Chapter Text

I was gloriously sore the following day. That didn’t stop Draco from kissing me slowly in bed as we woke up together. This was what I’d been missing. It’s what I needed.

“I’d like to still go to work,” I told him, trailing small circles over his chest. “If you think it’s safe enough.”

Neither of us had found the will to get out of bed and shower for the day.

“My, my,” he kissed my head. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you aren’t amicable, Granger.”

I jabbed him in the ribs with my fingers, and he laughed. I wanted to bottle the sound.

“Four guards, constant escorts, and no leaving the Ministry,” he said, taking on the authoritative tone of the Head Auror.

“Deal.”

“And one more thing,” he said.

He reached over to the nightstand behind him and opened the drawer. He pulled out something silver and rolled back toward me.

He held up a silver signet ring. An M was monogrammed on the flat surface.

His was still fashioned on his finger.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Our family signets are imbued with old magic,” he said. “It keeps track of us. Gives an alert of our conditions. If you were in danger or afraid, my ring would burn. And it serves as a link for us.”

“Molly Weasley has a clock for her family,” I said. “It does something similar.”

He studied me cautiously.

“Would you mind wearing it? For my peace of mind?”

I gingerly reached forward, taking the cool metal between my fingers. He continued watching me.

The fear of rejection was etched so deeply into his features. He was so vulnerable. Nervous.

I leaned forward and kissed him soundly on the mouth.

“Of course.”

He finally breathed and helped me place it on my hand. I stared at the ring that had replaced my wedding band on my left finger. This one was heavier than my simple gold band. I traced my finger over the etched letter and let it sink in.

“It will signal me if it’s removed, too,” he said.

I studied him.

“Will it alert me of your safety, too?”

“It will, yes. As well as my mother’s.”

I hadn’t expected them to be connected to the whole family. I wondered…

“My father lost the privilege when he was sent to Azkaban,” Draco answered. “Not that the sway of the ring ever moved him to action.”

My stomach soured. “He felt your fear…”

“Hence the Occlumency.”

I brushed my thumb over his lips. His life had been so dark. There was so much people didn’t know or understand about him.

“I won’t take it off.”

I kissed him again before shuffling out of bed and toward the large shower. I could feel him behind me as I turned on the water. Once I spun around, I found him already naked and pushing me inside the glass doors.

“This is meant to be a functional shower, Draco,” I huffed.

“I can be exceedingly functional,” he promised as he tore his shirt over my head.

And he was. While my hair sat in the conditioner, he helped me pass the time by making me even more sore and leaving several bruising bites along my breasts.

Our routine was back. He made me an espresso and had lunch and breakfast ready for me. He kissed me as we stepped into the Floo.

“What do you want me to say if someone sees this?” I held out my left hand.

He shrugged. “Tell them the truth. I’m neurotic and overprotective.”

I smiled, nudging him with my elbow.

I felt like I could breathe today. The truth was finally out in the open, and I wasn’t guessing at what cryptic things Draco was keeping from me. I felt peace between us. I just had to goad him and edge him into oblivion while simultaneously making him furiously mad at me to do so.

I thought back to his emotional plea last night. Draco Malfoy had nearly cried. For me. I shook my head, still barely fathoming the depths of his constant fear. I had no idea he was so riddled with anxiety.

We rode the lift to my floor, and four Aurors were already waiting outside.

“Wait here,” he said, handing my lunchbox to one of the Aurors. I offered to take it, but he shook his head.

I waited outside with the four of them while Draco went into our office alone. I could hear the low tone of his voice casting various charms and wards. I knew he’d be over the top until this was solved, but this was wildly extreme. This was the Ministry of Magic. Nothing was going to happen to me here.

He emerged from the office and beckoned me inside. I didn’t even roll my eyes. Today, I was attempting to be a more grown-up and sophisticated version of myself. But I did consider it.

“I’ll be back at five,” he promised. “Don’t leave. Don’t take this off.”

“A real tracking device,” I raised my brow.

I glanced over his shoulder at the two Aurors he had stationed at the door. I wanted to kiss him, but I knew I couldn’t.

“I know,” he sighed as if reading my mind. “I’ll see you at five.”

I nodded. No tricks tonight. No games. He turned to leave, and I felt his absence immediately.

“And Granger?”

I turned to look at him.

“There will be a full report this evening. Details, communications, and safety plans.”

I bit back my grin.

“I look forward to it, Head Auror Malfoy.”

***

I didn’t want to jinx it, but the week went by smoothly after that. Yes, Ron was out on bail already, but the rumors were that he’d pretty much holed up in his flat. Draco’s request for Ministry denial for him had been refused, pending investigations and charges. Draco seemed confident that once he was formally charged, he’d get him barred from the Ministry for good.

The only other visitor Theo and I ever had downstairs was occasionally Dean, but usually my solicitor. He had visited each day as we built our case against Ron. I was so relieved that the end was in sight. I was so close.

By Friday, I had almost managed to convince Draco to let us all have dinner together on Saturday for Astoria’s birthday.

“We’ll all be there,” I said. “And I won’t leave. I’ll Floo into the restaurant and out with you.”

He gave me an exasperated look as we sat having breakfast together Saturday morning. He was only in a pair of low-slung gray sweatpants, and I was in one of his t-shirts. He was cooking some sausage and eggs, and I was sipping the espresso he’d already made me.

“And maybe you’ll let me pop into one store to get a gift for her,” I added quickly.

He groaned and rolled his eyes.

“No gifts,” he said. “I’ll tell Pansy to get her something from the shop. That should suffice.”

“Deal.”

He served us breakfast and kissed my forehead. We ate in comfortable silence, both of us reading separate books. After we’d finished, he looked up and turned my face toward him.

“Fine.”

I squealed as I nearly climbed into his lap on the stool next to me.

“Thank you!”

“I don’t want to regret this, Granger.”

“Oh, you’ll be more than repaid for your kindness.”

He quirked a brow at me.

I scooted out of the stool and pulled him to his feet. When I dropped to my knees, he finally registered what I was planning. His curses and groans reverberated through the kitchen. My hand and mouth played him wickedly, and I smiled as I admired the way my new ring glinted in the morning light as it was wrapped around his thick length.

***

“I feel like six Aurors were a bit unnecessary,” Theo said as one of them patted him down just inside the lobby of the restaurant.

He didn't see the other four on the roof of the surrounding buildings.

“Safeword,” the Auror said, quirking his brow.

Theo eyerolled.

“Black.”

I beamed. Draco and Theo didn’t think my humorous double entendre was as clever as I did.

“We had to make sure you weren’t Polyjuiced,” Draco said.

“And the handsy bloke is here because…”

“Because he answers to me.”

Theo mumbled about Draco being overbearing and obnoxious. But I didn’t care that Theo was inconvenienced or embarrassed by the pat-down. I was so happy that Draco had let us go out for Astoria’s birthday that I could barely stand it. Blaise joined us next and wrapped me in a hug.

“Good to see you, Grangey,” he said. “Though I heard I missed quite a show on Monday.”

I dug into his ribs at his teasing.

Because Draco had put so many Aurors on duty with us, I had to keep things as professional with him as we did in the office. I understood. The last thing Draco wanted was to be removed from this assignment because of a conflict of interest.

By the time Theo, Pansy, her husband, and Astoria arrived and were vetted through security, it was time for us to head to our table. Pansy had come with several gifts for Astoria, but we had one more thing planned.

“Who is the extra seat for?” Astoria asked.

But I was looking over her head at the last guest.

“Luna,” I smiled as she approached our table. “So glad you could make it.”

I stood to hug her, and she wrapped her arms around me.

“I couldn’t decide what to bring, so I brought both gifts,” she smiled and handed over two strangely wrapped objects to Astoria.

I bit back a laugh when I saw Astoria’s eyes bulge. Luna hugged her, but Astoria gaped at me. I winked in response.

Now that Luna was with us, I could see how easily she and Astoria fit together. Apparently, Luna had agreed to accompany Astoria to Nox, and tonight would be their first night. Astoria thought she was meeting her there later for drinks, but Pansy and I thought it would be a good idea to bring her around for dinner.

Conversation flowed easily between the eight of us. And I found myself swallowing down the surprise of it multiple times. It was so easy. So real. I was here with seven friends. I could count them on two hands. I wanted to cry at how much things had changed for me in the last two months. I could barely count one friend. And now, this? I looked over at Draco and smiled. I mouthed thank you to him, and he winked in response. Even he seemed to visibly relax as the meal went on.

Blaise was telling an animated story about one of his more bizarre tattoo requests when our server was bumped into our table by another person walking by. The carafe of wine she was carrying toppled over and landed directly on my chest.

I cringed at the beautiful silver dress, now stained red.

The server instantly broke into tears as she attempted to towel off my chest.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m fine. You’re fine. No need for tears.”

“Darling Grangey, I have plenty more where that came from,” Pansy reassured me, and I was grateful. I doubted the red would ever fully come out of this delicate silk.

Draco had cast a drying spell, but the damage of the stain was set.

“I just need to wash my hands,” I said. “I’m too sticky.”

Draco nodded and snapped his fingers at a few of the Aurors to follow us. I waited outside the ladies’ room while the two of them checked for any potential loo threats.

“I suppose this is my fault,” Draco said while we stood in the hall.

“Yours? How?”

“I’ve been imagining you in red again since Monday,” he said. “Call it wishful thinking.”

I laughed and squeezed his hand.

“Tonight might just be your lucky night,” I winked.

A low grumble of approval escaped him as the two Aurors came out of the loo.

“Clear, sir.”

I looked over at him, and he nodded, holding the door open for me.

“I come in in ninety seconds.”

I walked in, rolling my eyes.

I took inventory of myself in the mirror. The dress was ruined. I pulled a few paper towels out to run some water on them for my sticky chest and arms.

A sharp gasp tore from my lips as I touched the faucet.

A portkey ripped me from sight.

Chapter Text

My head was throbbing.

The buzz of the fluorescents sounded as if it had been amplified right next to my ear.

I tried to push my head up and open my eyes, but I hissed against the harsh light, and another wave of nausea rolled through me.

This time, I couldn’t hold it.

I turned my head and vomited to the side of me. Each sound I made felt like nails against a chalkboard in my head. Deafening thuds echoed through me, keeping pace with my elevated heart rate.

I moved to wipe the dripping saliva from my mouth but found that my arms were bound behind me in cold metal cuffs.

Fucking hell.

The portkey.

I started to become more aware of the rest of my body. Even slitting open my eyes caused my head to thunderously pound. But I could tell I was sitting in a metal chair, my arms cuffed behind me. I was still wearing my silver gown from dinner, and my skin pebbled under the cool room I was in. I could feel something sticky by my head, blood, maybe? That would explain the agonizing headache.

A bloody portkey for a sink.

I could kick myself.

Draco would be-

I stopped.

The thumb on my left hand instinctively reached for the new silver band. I expelled a shaky breath. It was still there. He could find me. I had the ring.

The door crashed open, and the sound was so deafening to my sensitive ears that I whimpered. I still couldn’t open my eyes without another roll of nausea, so I kept my chin down against my chest and waited.

Strong hands gripped my hair and ripped my head back, angling it toward the ceiling. I cried out, and my eyes instinctively opened.

A huge man glared down at me with a snarl of displeasure. He had a bald head and no facial hair. But sweat beaded on his head and upper lip despite the frigid temperature of this room.

“She’s awake,” he grunted.

“Finally.”

The other voice was female.

Tears leaked from my eyes as they strained to stay open. Nausea forced its way up my throat, and I had just enough leverage to turn to the side and vomit again. The man holding my head cursed as he stepped out of the way, but he kept a firm grip on my head.

I dragged air into my lungs, desperate for water and darkness.

“If you’re quite ready.”

Suddenly, my arms were thrust out in front of me and connected to the metal table in front of me. A small loop held the cuffs in place out in front of me, and my chair screeched across the tile floor until my stomach hit the table.

The movement of my chair had mercifully made the ogre behind me let go of my hair, but the pulsating ache on my skull remained. I pinched my eyes closed again and dug my bare feet into the tile to steady myself. I felt like I was on a boat with crashing waves.

A loud crack across my cheek made my head snap to the side.

“Look at me when I’m speaking.”

My stomach roiled, but there was nothing left to vomit.

Tears were pouring down my face now, and I winced against the lights.

A slight woman sat across from me. Her features were sharp and severe, like a hawk. I had never seen her before. Her short blonde hair was cropped just under her chin at an angle. Her smug smile gave me a near-feral response. Bitch.  

The physical torture of keeping my eyes open was worse than the slap or the hair-pulling. Each second that passed was a fight.

I needed to breathe. I needed to focus. I had to get out of here. I had to get away.

I let my eyes search the woman for anything I could use to help me. I noted her wand in her free hand. If I could get that, I could stun the two of them. I looked at my hands, which were now cuffed to the table. The chain was only a few centimeters long. I wouldn’t be able to reach them up and make a grab for it. I’d only get the wand if it landed on the table.

“What do we have here?”

Panic surged within me as she reached for my ring. I clenched my fists against the table, desperate to try and hang on to the only link I had to the outside world.

Her cold fingers wrapped around my hand and tried to pry my fingers open. I gritted my teeth as she dug her nails into my skin. The large man behind me saw the struggle between us and slammed his meaty fist over the top of my clenched hand. I screamed as I heard multiple bones break. I bit down against the pain, refusing to unclench my hand. He brought his fist down again twice more. Each time, I felt more of the small bones in my hand shattering over his great fist. But I refused to open my fingers.

“Enough,” the woman snapped.

She raised her wand to my head.

“Imperio,” she said.

My entire body ignited. I erupted in a scream that shattered through my own head. I shook against the force that pried open my mind. Inky black tendrils stabbed into me. I was losing control. I could feel the influence flowing over me.

Open! It commanded me.

I quaked against it as I screamed in defiance. I didn’t want to open my hand. I couldn’t give this up. I couldn’t risk losing it. My entire body shook as I fought the compulsion. Tears poured down my eyes. I felt like a serrated knife was ripping through my brain. My hands trembled. My fingers were already swelling because of the broken bones, and slowly, some of my fingers began to pry themselves open. I choked out several sobs as I fought against it.

Open!

“No!” I shouted. “No!”

The brute’s fist slammed down against my hand again and flattened it onto the table. I sobbed against the crushing force of it. My fingers were so weak I couldn’t hold on any longer. I had lost feeling in most of them.

I resisted as long as I could, focusing on keeping them out of my mind. But I couldn’t.

“Crucio!”

I stiffened as my entire body was electrocuted with pain. It felt like thousands of knives were slicing into me at once. The burning pain tore at every inch of my body as I bucked against the restraints of the cuffs and the table. Black spots flared through my mind. I couldn’t fight it any longer. The pain I’d experienced with Bellatrix all those years ago had been horrific, but this? No words could describe this level of pain.

I strained to maintain consciousness. The darkness pulled me under, and my head fell against the table. My body continued to seize while I was powerless against it.

The curse finally ended, and I finally slumped against the chair. Involuntary twitches wracked my body. The witch before me slid the ring off my mangled hand. I could barely even register the pain of her twisting my broken fingers straight. Pain was everywhere.

“Is the M for Mudblood?”

I didn’t even flinch at the insult anymore.

I couldn’t open my eyes. My body continued to spasm every few seconds. The pain didn’t end with the curse. It lingered like a burn, intensifying the more it sat.

A rough hand gripped the back of my head and forced my head up. I didn’t even have words left. All I could do was whimper against the rough hold.

“We’re just here to get the debts settled,” she said.

There was a rustle of papers on the table, but my eyes couldn’t focus enough to understand what they were. I had a fairly good guess, though.

I could see her spinning the ring around the table.

My hope dangling right in front of me.

Taunting me with freedom.

The man behind me finally released my hair, seeing that I was capable of keeping my head up.

“I’m excited to be involved with our newest golden girl,” she preened as she clicked the ring against the metal table. “You’ve got a hefty debt to work off, young lady.”

“That contract is a lie,” I spat. “I never signed it. It was forged, and the Ministry confirmed it.”

“Oh, my sweet, simple girl,” she laughed. “Our documents can’t be forged. You. Are. Mine.”

No, no, no.

I pinched my eyes shut.

This wasn’t happening.

I had to get out of here.

“One million galleons,” she tsked. “Do you have any idea how long it will take to work that off? You’re my highest debt yet.”

My body shook as the cold and curses continued to brutalize me with aftershocks. I had to get that ring back. I had to bring Draco to me.

She kept spinning the ring.

“Where do you think we should start her?” the woman asked the man behind me. “The groups?”

I forced down a dry swallow.

“Or a few of our special buyers with more selective tastes.”

I was sick with fear.

I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t do this. If someone else were to touch me…to…

I vomited again. Most of it was violent, dry heaving. I couldn’t stop crying. The tears blurred my vision so badly that I thought I was seeing things.

But I wasn’t.

Her wand was on the table.

Out of her hands.

Fight!

I heard Draco shout through my head. And he was right. I had to try.

The man and woman laughed at my misery, so I took advantage of their distraction. I shot up from my chair, sending it backward into the bald man. At the same time, I thrust my body forward, pushing the table as hard as I could against the cackling woman before me.

The ring and the wand both rolled backward, and I had to make a choice. I was only going to have time to grab one. I moved for the wand, screaming as I forced my mangled hand open as I stretched forward.

The tips of my fingers brushed the wood of the wand. The witch screamed at me, but I already had the wand.

“Stupify!”

She flew onto her back, slamming her head against the wall and slumping to the floor. The meaty fist of the male barreled into my back, knocking the wind from me as I fell onto the top of the table. I targeted the wand at the shackles, and the chains broke. I slumped to the ground, avoiding the second hit from the giant.

I was still trying to drag breath back into my lungs. The wand felt like an eel beneath my fingers. It was coated in dark magic, and I felt the tiny pinpricks of the darkness crawling over my skin. I was still breathless, but I managed to magically send the chair hurtling toward the man’s head. I missed, and it hit him in the shoulder, but it gave me time to crawl away and fight for oxygen.

The worst part about the Crutiatus Curse was how long the effects lingered. I still felt the impact of the hot knives tearing apart my flesh as I crawled on the ground. Each move was excruciating. My mangled hand was a bloody pulp, and looking at it made me want to vomit again. I crawled toward the ring. I needed both to leave. I needed to escape. I needed to get away from these two and out of this room.

“Bitch!”

He charged for me rather than pull out his own wand.

Was he…Muggle?

“Sectumsempra!”

The curse left my lips before I could even think twice. He hissed in rage as he fell to his knees. His body was sliced open by dozens of invisible knives. He roared, covering the marks with his hands. But he couldn’t stop the bleeding. He couldn’t fight the invisible force. I rolled back to my stomach and wildly searched for the ring.

There, glittering by the witch’s heel, was the silver ring. I sobbed as I reached for it. There was no way I was going to get it back on my left hand, but I thrust it on my right pointer finger and collapsed to my back.

I had to get out. I had to run.

I had no idea what was on the other side of that door, though. If there were more guards, more women like her, I would die. I was too weak. I knew a simple healing spell wouldn’t make an impact on any of the injuries I had.

I stumbled to my feet. My eyes tried to focus on the door, but it kept blurring in and out of focus. First one door, then two, then three. Then back to one. Nausea swept through me again. I couldn’t fight like this.

My knees shook, and I dropped to them again as I reached for the door handle. I gripped the wand tighter, willing myself to find the strength to keep fighting.

I heard Draco snarling in my head to keep going, to keep fighting. But I was so tired. Everything hurt.

I fired through the lock on the door with the dark wand, but I stumbled into even greater chaos.

The metal room I was housed in had been completely soundproof. Because outside of it, the corridor was alight with carnage. Curses zinged off the walls as witches and wizards fought one another. There were several other large men, like the bald man inside, who were wielding guns and firing in all directions.

“No!”

I recognized that shout. My head spun to the left, and I saw Draco sprint through the chaos. He’d completely transformed the monster and the Head Auror into one terrifying warrior. He was wearing all black, tactical wear, and his eyes were flat and dark with unspoken wrath.

I choked out a sob.

He was here.

He’d found me.

His body was over mine in a second. A huge blue shield guarded us from an onslaught of bullets that would have ripped through my already-mangled body. I was up and in his arms in a flash. Draco held the shield and turned to run. My elbow hit the corner of the wall that he took too close, and I cried as the dark wand rolled to the floor.

My only chance of fighting was gone.

“Get her out of here!”

The snarl that tore from Draco’s throat was dripping with vicious authority.

“Now!”

I tried to argue, but Draco was thrusting me into Dean’s arms.

“Please!” I begged.

If I left, I wouldn’t see if he lived or died.

If I left, I might not ever see him again.

“No!”

But it was too late.

Dean tore us from the chaos into the deafening silence of Draco’s flat.

Chapter Text

Theo and Blaise burst into the room in a fury of curses and gasps. I was fading in and out of consciousness so rapidly that I could barely keep up with their conversation.

“Mungo’s…now!”

“Not safe!”

“Go!”

I took a sharp inhale as my body was hurtled through another tremor. Dean held me tighter, but involuntary movements shook my body so violently that I thought I was going to be ill.

There was more arguing, but suddenly, we were moving again. I just needed to feel Draco. I urged the ring to give me some sign of life, but I’d lost all the feeling in my hands. All I could sense anymore was the vicious stabbing in my mind and the searing pain over every inch of skin I had.

The lights were brighter now.

New voices surrounded me.

I couldn’t open my eyes.

I was going to be sick.

More tremors.

Darkness.

***

Chaos was all around me. Loud voices, urgent pleas. I couldn’t make sense of them. But the lights beyond my eyelids were too severe. I couldn’t open them. Not when my head was screaming like this.

It was her voice I heard over the noise.

Open!!

Her sharp, mocking laugh. Her sneer.

The man.

His fist pounded my flesh like it was clay.

I tried to scream.

But my lungs felt like they’d been punctured.

“That’s the third seizure in an hour,” a voice shouted. “We need Chuffington in here, immediately!”

Who was that?

Open!

No!

“Granger, dammit, you hold on,” Theo threatened. “You fight!”

I was just so tired.

So weak.

I couldn’t stop shaking.

Darkness.

***

I was so cold.

So cold that I swore I was back in the room at Scry.

My pulse rocketed.

No, no, no!

I pried open my eyes.

No tiled room with metal furniture.

This was definitely St. Mungo’s.

Blaise sat in the chair next to the bed. His tattooed form leaped forward when he caught my eyes.

“Granger,” he croaked.

There was movement behind me. Theo joined his side.

I thought about the ring on my right hand.

I still had no feeling except pain.

“Is he alive?”

“Yes,” they both said.

And I was gone again.

***

There was silence again.

But I was still so cold.

I just needed more blankets.

I opened my eyes.

Someone held my right hand.

Narcissa.

“Hermione,” she sighed.

I’d never seen her so casual. She was in a jumper and pair of trousers, and her hair was pulled back in a bun.

I tried to speak, but it came out as a weak grumble.

My throat was so raw from the screaming.

She seemed to be reading my mind because Narcissa let go of my hand and brought a straw to my lips.

“Not too fast, now.”

I tried to slow down but was so greedy for more of the cool liquid.

She pulled away before I was ready.

“Is he alive?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said.

I let my eyes flutter closed.

He was alive.

“How long will it keep stabbing me?” I whispered. “How long will I have to hear her voice?”

“A while,” she whispered softly.

A whimper escaped my lips as the darkness pulled me back under.

***

It was louder now.

A roar of confusion erupted around me.

Open!!

Her screech was deafening.

I tried to cover my ears from the sound.

The huge man pulled my arms down.

He wanted me to listen to the haunting shrieks.

But I couldn’t.

My head was on fire.

I missed the cold.

Cold was better than fire.

Anything was better than this.

Over and over, the banshee stabbed me with her sharp knife.

My skin ripped and bled.

I sobbed, fighting to break free of her hold.

I couldn’t keep listening to it.

I would do anything to stop.

I writhed in his hold.

***

“And the long-term effects?”

“It’s hard to say. We haven’t confirmed how many times it was used on her and for how long. Prolonged use of the Cruciatus Curse can have hundreds of negative implications due to the nerve damage it causes.”

“And Imperius?”

“The severity of her concussion mixed with the Imperius curse is what’s wreaking havoc on Miss Granger at the moment. Her body is settling into fight or flight because she can’t discern reality from memory.”

But the banshee was back.

Her grip on my ankle.

Her nails in my skin.

She pulled me.

I was fighting so hard.

I hope he knew that.

***

“I don’t give a fuck who they think they are to her. No one with red hair is getting within ten kilometers of this bloody hospital.”

More voices argued back.

“If they’d like to launch a formal complaint with the Minister, I welcome them to try. I have a restraining order against them all. No one comes near this bloody wing.”

***

Flashes of Draco came into view.

He was shouting something at me.

But the bullets…

I choked out a sob.

His body was riddled with them.

Over and over, the metal tore his flesh apart.

And I was trapped.

The shrieking banshee held me, tearing at my skin with her claws and teeth while I watched Draco die.

His gray eyes were lifeless.

I was alone.

Open!!

***

I opened my eyes.

The room was dark except for a few soft lamps near the corner.

Theo came right into my line of vision.

He looked so tired.

“Alive?” I asked.

“Yes,” Narcissa said, her hand folding over mine.

I nearly managed a smile before my eyes drifted shut.

“He should be here,” Theo snapped. “It’s the first bloody time she’s opened her eyes in two days.”

“If he could be here, he would be,” Narcissa said.

“Nowhere is more important than right fucking here.”

I never imagined Theo would take that tone with anyone, much less Narcissa. She was like a mother to him.

“He had to go.”

Darkness.

***

The familiar female voice dragged me into consciousness.

“Ha!” Pansy laughed. “What did I tell you, boys? Of course, Grangey would wake to the sound of my voice.”

I blinked at her and offered a weary smile.

“Hello, you,” she said, running the back of her hand over my cheek.

The tickle against my skin almost replaced the ghostly stabs from the Cruciatus.

She held up the water cup for me and bent the straw toward my lips.

I tried to remember to drink slowly.

“Hello, darling.”

I wheezed out a breath.

Draco.

He was standing by the window with Theo and Blaise. His glasses were perched on his perfectly angular nose, and he was holding a cup of coffee.

“Let’s give them a moment, shall we?” Pansy looked pointedly at Theo and Blaise.

My eyes never left Draco’s.

Silent tears tracked down my cheeks as he walked toward me.

“Were you trying to scare years off my life, Granger?”

He sat on the edge of my bed and placed the coffee on the table. His thumb gently brushed away the tears.

“You’re alive.”

A hollow laugh fell out of his lips.

“My life was never in question,” he whispered. “But you…”

He gave me a pointed look.

I tried to remember the details of before. I looked down at my left hand. It was bandaged heavily.

“Don’t,” Draco begged softly, brushing a curl out of my face. “Don’t try to remember right now. Let your mind heal.”

I met his eyes.

For a flash, I saw the dull, muted color of his eyes as he died in front of me.

I know I visibly flinched based on his reaction.

“Forcing memories to appear can cause more damage. If they come up, talk about them and release them. But trying to drag them out of the depths of your mind will only impede your healing.”

“You know about mind healing?”

“I have a vested interest.”

He kissed my forehead.

“Anything else, Dr. Malfoy?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. You’ll be locked in a tower for the next one hundred years until my blood pressure finally settles.”

“Only a hundred?”

A soft knock at the door had Draco muttering under his breath. He kissed my right hand and walked to the door.

Three Aurors came in, keeping their voices hushed. Draco’s form was tense. He checked his watch and whispered something else back to them.

Another knock sounded at the door. Three healers stopped near the entrance, where the Aurors scanned them with their wands.  

Was Draco checking every healer who entered this room each time they entered?

The healers approached me, and Draco followed.

“Good morning, Miss Granger,” one of the healers smiled. “My name is Rory. This is Gemma and Sabine.”

Rory was younger than the rest but seemed to be the one in charge. The other two witches smiled while they checked my charts, and another ran her wand over me for a scan.

I noticed that Sabine and Gemma both had different robes than Rory.

“Zee levels have receded since last night,” I heard Sabine’s lilting French accent say while Gemma took notes.

Gemma spoke back to her in French, and the two of them had a quiet conversation until Draco joined. His French was as flawless as theirs.

They involved him in the conversation, and, from my limited knowledge, they were answering his questions.

“Any nausea this morning, dear?” Rory asked.

I shook my head.

“Have you had anything to eat or drink?”

I shook my head again.

“Let’s get you something, yeah?”

“What day is it?” I asked.

“Granger,” Draco interrupted with a cautious warning.

Right.

Not trying to retrieve memories.

“It’s Thursday,” he said gently, and I balked.

Four days I’d lost track of.

I breathed in through my nose.

I was safe.

I was here.

With Draco.

I was safe.

“Mint tea,” Draco told Rory. “We’re avoiding caffeine for the time being. Something simple. Toast, eggs.”

He looked at me for approval, and I nodded.

“Sugar for the tea, please,” he added.

“Cream?”

I shook my head at the same time Draco verbalized the decline.

He knew me so well it made me want to cry. Every detail. Down to how I preferred different types of tea.

Rory then began moving toward my left hand, and I instinctively flinched away.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, dear.”

I avoided Draco’s gaze as I watched her work. My hand came into view, and I tried not to flinch again.

It was so black and blue from the bruising that there were several places I couldn’t even see my skin color at all.

“Rather than setting each individual break, we made the decision to do a full re-grow from the wrist down,” Rory said. “It would have been too finicky to try and set everything correctly the first go. And rather than expose you to prolonged pain down the road, we figured we’d get the bulk of the pain out of the way while you were out.”

I remembered stories of Harry’s process with his arm and cringed, grateful I was unconscious for the majority of it.

“You should have full mobility function back within a few days. We’ll do some therapy to familiarize you with the movements again.”

Draco was speaking in French to the other two again.

Gemma showed him the parchment in her hands, and the two of them spoke, pointing to several charts and graphs. Attempting to recall the basic French I’d learned years ago was causing my head to throb, so I stopped.

I watched Sabine cast a spell over my head, and I watched a thin veil ripple above me. She studied it as if she were reading a long parchment.

“Head Auror Malfoy,” one of the Aurors said. “Miss Granger’s friends have returned.”

Draco barely lifted his head as he shook it once to her and continued speaking with Gemma.

“May I?”

Sabine was holding her hand near my head, and I nodded.

Her delicate fingers gently pressed against my temple in three different places. She spoke over her shoulder to Gemma and Draco while Gemma took notes.

Rory pressed a sensitive point on my hand, and I gasped.

Open!

I heaved in a breath as the voice returned.

I pinched my eyes closed.

Open!

She was louder this time.

I began hyperventilating. I didn’t want to pass out again. I wanted to talk to Draco. I’d already lost so much time.

Open!

I ripped my hand against my chest, refusing to let her have it.

And then it was gone. Like fog settling over a lake.

I saw my stack of cartoons. I was sitting on my bed, and each one flashed in front of me like a picture book. My hair trying to attack Draco in his sleep. My stack of half-finished books I kept on a table in the study because I couldn’t pick just one to read all the way through. Me, dressed in a lab coat and flashing Draco with a fancy bra. I smiled at all of them. I loved them so much.

The low murmurs in French brought me back to the present.

Draco was sitting on the side of my bed now, brushing my cheeks with his thumbs. The intimate act made me panic as I looked toward the door.

“They’re gone.”

“I’m sorry,” I breathed, moving my cradled hand away from my chest.

“It will be triggering for some time,” Gemma said to Rory in English. “We’ll do movement exercises only when Mr. Malfoy is supervising and can intercede.”

“Of course,” Rory said. “I’ll let the others know as well. Thank you both. We’ll have breakfast delivered.”

“Give me a few hours,” Draco told Gemma and Sabine. “I’ll get my mother settled with her and join you both in the office.”

Sabine gave my foot a gentle squeeze before leaving. Gemma gave a slight head bow.

I watched them leave. We were alone again.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I told you I would never go into your mind. Your trauma is spiking nightmares and…”

“Thank you,” I said, squeezing his hand with my good one. “I get so stuck that I can’t make sense of anything.”

“I’ll be here to un-stick you, then.”

Tears welled in my eyes.

“No tears,” he whispered, wiping them away.

I looked toward the door again, worried that Aurors would pop in any moment.

“They don’t work for St. Mungo’s, do they?” I asked.

“No,” Draco shook his head. “I met Gemma and Sabine years ago. They’re the leading research team in brain-related magical injuries from France.”

“I don’t suppose they’re here doing a summer internship?”

“They’re close friends of mine,” he said. “We’ve worked together several times.”

“Because of your Legilimency?”

He nodded.

“You didn’t-”

“I will spare no expense when it comes to your safety, well-being, and happiness,” he interrupted and kissed me softly. “It’s best that you just accept that now. It’s not changing.”

Chapter Text

“I don’t care if she sleeps in the hallway. Malfoy said no,” one of the Aurors whispered harshly to the other.

Draco had left about an hour ago to go meet with the healers he’d hired. I tried not to roll my eyes at the overbearing and protective madness of that man.

Narcissa and Pansy had joined me. The three of us were discussing Narcissa’s latest gardening issue with her Mandrakes. But I was more consumed with the conversation by the door.

“Who is sleeping in my hallway?” I asked the two women in front of me.

They exchanged a look, obviously knowing who it was.

“Ginny Weasley,” Narcissa said. “She arrived yesterday.”

Nothing could mask my supreme shock at Ginny Weasley showing up here. I hadn’t seen or heard from Ginny in nearly three years. At first, I just assumed she needed space because of her breakup with Harry. But as she continued to stay away, I took it personally. She wasn’t returning my owls, she wasn’t coming home between matches, and she was no longer trying to get me to come out and visit her during her away games. She’d even made her excuses not to be home for the holidays.

It was like I didn’t know Ginny anymore. She was a stranger. A ghost.

And now she was here?

My curiosity got the best of me.

“Let her in,” I told the Aurors.

Everyone in the room froze.

“I want to hear what she has to say,” I said.

I wanted to know why she left me. Why she quit being my friend.

“Hermione,” Narcissa said quietly. “Perhaps once Draco has returned…”

He would either refuse me or be impossible about the situation.

“He’s welcome to join us. The Aurors can take her wand and search her,” I said. “But I’m speaking with Ginny.”

The Aurors stared at me.

“Go on,” I said. “Search her.”

“Respectfully, Miss Granger,” one of them said. “We don’t act unless Head Auror Malfoy tells us. We’ll be waiting for him to return to allow her entrance.”

We stared at one another. Defiance set upon my face. I looked at Narcissa and Pansy for support, but the two of them weren’t willing to cross Draco either. Especially after recent events.

I sighed and looked down at my hands.

The signet.

“Hermione,” Narcissa cautioned, but it was too late.

I slipped the ring off my right finger.

Draco’s body flashed into the hospital room with lethal rage. The room and contents within it shuddered under the force of his appearance.

I slipped the ring back on as his eyes wildly searched mine.

“I’d like to speak to Ginny,” I said calmly. “She’s outside now.”

Draco’s jaw was set in refusal. I know he wanted to tell me no. I could see it practically radiating off him.

“Please,” I begged. “It’s been nearly three years. I want to know what she knows.”

He stared at me.

“Please.”

His jaw clenched so hard I could see the strain of it from here. But he inclined his head ever so slightly, and I wanted to cheer at the victory.

He ushered his mother and Pansy away after they both hugged me, and he took the remaining Aurors into the hallway, too, leaving me completely alone for the first time in days.

Several minutes later, Draco entered with Ginny Weasley. Her hands were bound in front of her with some kind of magical cuffs. She looked irritated until she saw me. Her face dropped instantly.

Draco placed a chair at the end of my bed, and he stood to the side. His wand at his side. I knew the damage he could do with his mind was far worse than anything he could manage with his wand. I’d seen it with Ron that day in the hall.

“I’m not going to hurt her,” Ginny glared at Draco.

“You already have.”

Ginny’s mouth clamped shut into a tight line, and I gave Draco an exasperated look. He didn’t look at me, though; he was too busy glaring back at Ginny.

Ginny turned her attention to me.

“I just wanted to talk.”

“I’m listening,” I said quietly.

Ginny wasn’t a soft woman. She rarely displayed emotions like sadness or vulnerability. But the way her face fell gave me a pang in my stomach. She hurt.

“I’m not comfortable saying everything in front of the guard dog,” she said, not looking at him.

“He’s not leaving, Ginny.”

Her nostrils flared, but she kept her composure.

“Why are you here?” I asked finally. “You left years ago. I haven’t heard more than a birthday wish from you since then.”

“I had to go,” she swallowed. “Things… things were...”

I raised my eyebrow.

“My family loves Harry. And seeing him…”

I started to regret letting her inside. We were getting nowhere. She was blaming a bad breakup on not being my friend anymore?

“You left me,” I argued. “I still needed my best friend.”

Guilt colored her cheeks.

“You could have told me that it was too hard to be around Harry,” I continued. “I would have understood. I would have come to you. I would have met you somewhere else. My relationship with you was never dependent on the boys.”

I didn’t understand. I knew that their relationship had ended poorly, but I never pressed Harry to talk about it. Knowing what I do now, I see their relationship was doomed from the start.

“It ended so badly, Hermione,” she whispered.

I remained silent.

“I can’t see them…”

Tears welled in Ginny’s eyes. It was unbelievable. I didn’t even see her cry at Fred’s funeral. She just had that knowing, stubborn look on her face. But this?

“I’ve ruined so many lives,” her whisper was barely audible.

I stole a glance at Draco as Ginny looked at her hands. His face was as wary as my own. What could she have done that was so bad? Judging by the look on Draco’s face, I knew I’d better hurry her along, or he would retrieve the memories himself.

“Ginny-”

“Ron came to me asking for money,” she interrupted. “I was so angry about Harry.”

She looked up, her eyes now brimming with tears.

“I was angry at Harry,” she said. “So angry. So bitter. I told Ron…”

She hiccuped a sob.

And my body went deathly still.

“I told Ron secrets about Harry. Secrets about George. I told him that he should ask them for money. Not me. That they had far more than I did.”

Ginny had fed the secrets about Harry and George to Ron. Ginny was the reason they were blackmailed.

I tried to mask the horror from my face, but I was failing, and I knew it.

She buried her face in her hands and wept.

“I was so angry. So hurt. I just wanted Harry and George to feel that. Why did he lead me on for so many years?”

I was silent. I didn’t know why Harry had chosen to respond the way he did. But Ginny’s response? Acid burned in the back of my throat as I fought to swallow my disgust.

“Does Harry know now?”

She shook her head. “Ron never said how he knew.”

I bit my bottom lip to prevent myself from cursing. It was all so sick.

“Did you know about your brother’s affairs?” Draco asked.

Ginny’s red face matched her hair now. She offered me a morose nod.

I looked down at my own hands, wanting to avoid her gaze.

“Why didn’t you tell Hermione?”

Merlin, I really didn’t want to know the answer to this question.

Judging by the increased volume of Ginny’s crying, it wasn’t a very nice reason.

“I was angry at everyone. I thought you knew about Harry. I thought you were keeping it from me. So I wanted to do the same thing in return.”

“And in turn, he still runs out of money, forges tax documents, steals from her, cheats on her, attempts to sell her into an escort service, and then promises that if a former classmate at The Prophet can destroy her reputation enough, he’ll let him fuck his wife.”

Draco was right. Laying it all out there had been miserable, but it was the truth. Ginny took several deep, gasping breaths.

“And only when she was kidnapped, beaten, and nearly sold into sex work did you feel the slightest compunction to come and face even a fraction of your consequences.”

“You’ve known for years?”

My voice was weaker sounding than I wanted it to be. But I was so hurt.

Ginny nodded.

“He started after the war. It was before you were married. Just a few times a year. He said it helped him cope with the war… he promised he’d quit once you were married.”

Sickening rage bubbled within me.

“And you didn’t think I deserved to know?”

“I was dealing with my own stuff,” she defended lamely. “I just wanted it to go away. I was trying to fix things with Harry, and I was traveling all the time, and I just…”

I was shaking my head, though. I didn’t need to hear the excuses. I didn’t want them.

“Your brother is threatening my life,” I said. “He’s been horrid. And you… you’ve just been complicit. Silent. For three years.”

I shook my head. I couldn’t believe this was happening. When I heard Ginny was here, I never imagined this was why.

I met Draco’s sympathetic gaze. He was waiting for me to kick her out, and he was itching to do it.

“I think you should go,” I whispered.

“Hermione,” Ginny whined. “You’re like a sister to me.”

A hollow laugh escaped my lips.

“Ginny, the last thing I want to be is family to you. I’ve seen what you do to those you love.”

I nodded at Draco.

Ginny looked defeated. I didn’t have it in me to listen to any more of her excuses, and she didn’t try to insert anymore.

It was no wonder she avoided being home. She’d betrayed half the people living here. It was a wonder Ron could stomach his own reflection. But now I saw that his sister was following in his footsteps.

I didn’t acknowledge Ginny when she told me goodbye or when she walked out.

When Draco returned alone, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek.

“Now can I ban the whole weasel family?”

“Yes,” I relented. “I think I’m finally done with them all.”

He let his thumb trace over my bottom lip. Then he grabbed my right hand and kissed it, too.

“And Granger?”

I looked at him. He tapped the signet ring on my finger.

“That’s one.”

Chapter Text

I was forced to stay three more days in St. Mungo’s—three more days of intense hand therapy, mind healing, and tests. In most of my free time, I slept. And Draco never left for more than an hour or two. Usually, he spent his time with the healers he’d hired from France, Sabine and Gemma. Occasionally, he would have to pop into the Ministry, but for the most part Dean was handling logistics over there.

The hardest part of staying at the hospital was being under constant supervision by Draco’s staff of Aurors. I missed his touch. We scarcely had moments alone. Even while Draco slept on the couch, he had his team of three inside the room in case anything happened.

“They’re not coming home with us,” I whispered as we got ready to leave. “Are they?”

“Just outside,” he promised.

I sighed in relief.

Physically, I was feeling much better. The trembling had nearly stopped all the time, and I wasn’t hearing voices while I was awake anymore. Sleeping was another story. It was still too dangerous to take sleeping droughts, so I had to endure most of the nightmares and rely on Draco to pull me out.

My hand was a little stiff, but it felt a million times better, too. The healers had done a marvelous job with the regrowth. There wasn’t a lot of puffiness or lingering effects of the crushing blows. I had a few bruises still fading, but it was much better—so much better that I switched the signet ring back to my left ring finger.

Draco’s reaction to the movement was masked because of the proximity of his workers, but I saw him take a long swallow.

He escorted me to the hallway, where several more Aurors surrounded us on our walk to the Floo. He kept one hand on my back while we walked; it was the most physical contact I’d had from him in what felt like days.

“Thank you all,” I told the Aurors as we stepped into the Floo.

The six of them nodded back to me and disappeared with a nod from Draco. The jolt from the Floo made me a little dizzy, but not much. I felt my entire body relax as I stepped into Draco’s flat. It felt good to be home. To be surrounded by familiar comforts and not need to depend on hospital healers and Aurors lurking around every second. We were finally alone.

I’d been cooped up for too long, denied the ability to show any kind of affection, and starved for it. I threw my arms around his neck and pulled his face down to mine.

“Easy,” he mumbled against my lips.

I pulled away with a scowl. “I’m fine.”

He arched his brow at me.

“Don’t do that,” I said. “Don’t treat me like glass because of this. I’m not broken.”

“I don’t think that you are,” he said, reaching out and dragging his thumb over my cheek. “I just want you to take it easy.”

I tried not to feel the sting of rejection in his words. I needed him.

“I’m going to run you a bath,” he said, kissing my forehead.

I glared after him, frustration rippling off me.

He left me alone to bathe, and that irked me even more. I wasn’t an invalid. I’d been cursed and mildly crushed. I wasn’t going to die. I wasn’t going to suddenly go into a fit. I hadn’t had a seizure in nearly a week. My charts were good. My nightmares only came while I was sleeping, and even they were managed easily enough. I was fine.

I glared down at the soapy bathwater and ignored the way my left hand trembled slightly. I was mostly fine. Fine enough for him to fuck me. Fine enough to let an orgasm rip through my soul. I just needed to be touched. Held. Anything. I needed physical touch like I needed oxygen.

I emerged from the tub. If he wasn’t willing to do the fun things, then we’d have to get the hard things out of the way.

And I wanted answers.

I padded into the large closet and picked out a pair of shorts and one of his Quidditch shirts. My hair was knotted at the top of my head, slightly damp from the bath. When I walked back into the kitchen I saw him cooking some lunch for us. And my irritation melted slightly. He didn’t have to be so bloody compassionate all the time. His caretaking tendencies made staying mad at him significantly more challenging.

“I’d like to talk,” I said.

“Of course,” he said, chopping up the last of the ingredients for the salads he was preparing. “Your solicitor will be here at five tonight. The trial is set to commence on Monday.”

I braced myself for the potential backlash. I sat at the counter.

“I want to talk about it,” I clarified, attempting to make my voice as strong as possible.

“Hermione,” Draco started, but I interrupted.

“You promised you wouldn’t shut me out anymore. You promised to be honest with me.”

I watched the regret of his promise play across his features. So I kept talking before he could deny me again.

“I killed him, didn’t I?”

Draco’s stillness was answer enough.

I did.

I searched my consciousness for any regret. But remorse never came.

“Did I kill her, too?”

“No,” he said. “Astrid was taken into custody and is facing trial.”

Astrid.

I let the woman’s face appear in my mind. I saw her. Heard her. But I maintained stability in the present.

I thought of the bald man next.

I remembered the blood.

There was so much blood.

And then I thought of Draco.

That had been him our sixth year.

He’d been bleeding out.

And if Snape hadn’t saved him…

“Did it hurt?” I asked.

“It was excruciating.”

Good.

“Crucio hurt worse,” he amended.

I believed him. At least once the cuts had been healed, Draco wouldn’t have felt their effects any longer. But with Crucio, there were no physical cuts to heal—only the torturous memories of the phantom aches.

“I’m calling for a Dementor’s kiss for Astrid.”

My eyes snapped up to meet his.

His eyes had darkened. I could see the tense way his shoulders held his neck up and the tight clench of his jaw.

She deserved it.

“How many women did you rescue?” I asked.

There must have been more there like me. Women who were bound by some contractual nonsense to work for her to pay off unreachable debts.

“Forty-eight.”

“How many were Muggles?”

“Seven.”

My suspicions had been right. If she had Muggle men in her employ, there were bound to be Muggle women caught in the struggle as well.

“And eighteen men.”

My head snapped up.

“Six of those were Muggle.”

“What will happen to the thirteen Muggles?”

Memory-wiping spells were one thing, but erasing that kind of trauma? It didn’t seem possible. The kind of recovery they would need would be so extensive.

“We’ve moved them to a special facility in the Netherlands,” he said. “They specialize in Muggle recovery efforts for the extreme cases of abuse and trauma.”

I steeled myself for the next question as he slid me my lunch and a glass of water.

“How many did you kill?”

Our silent standoff seemed to last for eons. The two of us, staring at one another, willing the other to yield. But I wasn’t going to. If I was a killer and he could look me in the eyes, then I could do the same thing to him. It was my fault he’d been forced to kill. So I wanted to know.

“Fourteen Muggles. Three wizards. One witch.”

I nodded. The numbers didn’t shock me. I remembered the chaos of what was happening outside of that room. The bullets. The curses. I’m surprised that was all.

“How many Aurors died?”

“None.”

I felt myself exhale in relief.

“I have a highly trained tactical team,” he said, all of his haughty arrogance returned. “Muggle weapons weren’t going to deter us at all.”

“Will you face disciplinary action at work?”

He shook his head. “None at all. The Ministry has been looking for excuses to shut down Scry for years. This kind of raid was exactly what they wanted and needed.”

A ghost of a smile played on my lips. “So, I helped you.”

His face wasn’t amused. “No.”

“Well, I’m sure shutting down a huge crime ring like Scry will decorate you with numerous accolades.”

“It wasn’t worth the cost.”

“I’m fine.”

He made a noncommittal noise as he dug through his salad.

“What else?” I pushed. “Was it Ron who arranged it?”

Draco’s jaw flexed. “No.”

I nodded. I didn’t think he’d be clever enough to arrange the entire thing, but I wanted to be sure.

“It was just Scry trying to take control of the contract.”

“I tried to tell her it was forged,” I said. “In the room. I explained the Ministry was going to dismiss it.”

“I take it she didn’t listen.”

“No.”

“Dean stopped me,” he said. “I was going to kill her. I had control of her mind. I was seconds away, but Dean flashed back and stopped me.”

I thought about the self-control it must have taken Draco to deny himself the kill.

“I think her punishment with the Dementors could be worse than what you would have done.”

A wicked gleam appeared on his features. “I wouldn’t say that.”

I gave him a look.

“I wanted to do it.”

I knew his need for vengeance was deep. He didn’t hide that side of himself. The problem was he wanted to be the judge, jury, and executioner.

Part of me wished she was dead, though. The idea that I would have to see this woman again made my skin prickle. She was pure evil.

“You fought,” he said, reaching forward and pulling my chin toward him. “You fought so hard. I watched it in her mind. I saw how strong you were.”

Pride swelled in my chest.

“I’m so proud of you,” he kissed my lips softly. “So fucking proud of you.”

I swallowed down my emotions.

I’d come so far in the last few months. I’d turned from some passive participant in life to someone who was living each day. I was fighting again. Fighting enemies, establishing boundaries, and choosing myself every day. I was doing it. I was putting in the work. I was taking back control. And it felt so fucking good. I was no longer this empty husk. I was alive.

“Thank you,” I said, letting my forehead rest against his. “Thank you for loving me enough to fight.”

“Every day, Granger,” he whispered. “I’ll never stop.”

Chapter Text

I’d met with my solicitor each day leading up to the trial. We had a firm grasp on what to expect and how we were going to respond to various elements that would be brought up. Draco was a pillar of silent support throughout each meeting. He sat with me, held my hand, rubbed my back, or encouraged me quietly.

My nerves were shot to hell. I had no idea how I was going to maintain enough composure over myself to get through this. I was terrified. Not that I would get in trouble or have dire consequences or anything like that. But that they wouldn’t grant me an immediate divorce based on the grounds of this hearing. I worried I would have to go through another set of hoops for them to grant my divorce. And the truth was, I was exhausted. I wanted this part of my life buried. I no longer wanted Ron or any of his family a part of my life. I needed a fresh start. And that couldn’t happen until I could fully and finally walk away from all this.

I was dressed in a smart blue pantsuit and cream top from Pansy’s shop. When I emerged from the bathroom, Draco smirked. We matched. His tie had little pops of white that contrasted well against the dark blue suit he wore.

He kissed me on the mouth, firm enough to reassure me but not enough to make me think something more would be coming. Nothing more had been happening between us. He kissed me like this, held me at night, and didn’t take things to a more intimate level at all. Part of me was so distracted by the upcoming trial that I had been able to ignore it for the most part. But the other part of me was nearly savage by our pause in intimacy.

“Today, I’ll be the Head Auror,” he cautioned. “Cold. Hard. Unfeeling. But none of that is to you. You have every part of me, do you understand?”

I was grateful for the warning, even though I was expecting it. It would make the jarring transition easier to bear.

“I love you,” he kissed me again. “And we’re going to fucking bury Weasley today.”

I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent. It was strong, comforting, and powerful. I could do this. I could finally end things here.

We walked in silence through the Ministry as we made our way to the lower level. My stomach was a mess of nerves. I would see Ron today. It would be the first time since Astrid and her cronies attacked me.

My solicitor was waiting for us as we entered the chamber. I’d rehearsed this. I kept my head high and refused to look in Ron’s direction. I kept my eyes on Doddsworth. He was the only thing I was focused on.

He greeted me with a smile and took my hands in his with a warm shake. He felt confident about this. He’d been boasting of as much all week. He told us that it was a sure thing. But I couldn’t fight the sickening dread that Ron had something else planned. Something else up his sleeve.

The fifty members of the Wizengamot began to file in and take their seats. Doing this in front of my peers was one thing. But doing it in front of other Ministry employees I’d be forced to face again someday was even worse. All of my dirty laundry was being aired for everyone to see. Doddsworth said that was our greatest advantage, but it wasn’t his reputation on the line. I knew it was inevitable that some would still believe Ron.

I turned to the side and saw Pansy, Theo, Blaise, Astoria, and Luna all sitting together. I watched as Narcissa joined them. Relief flooded my system. My support. Directly in front of them was Draco. Ron and I had both been obligated to turn in our wands for the hearing, and there were at least a dozen more Aurors in the room, all poised and ready should someone act violently.

I snuck one look at Draco, who was already wearing his cool mask of indifference. I twisted the signet on my finger. He was here for me. He loved me. He believed me.

The smallest inclination of his head told me that my thoughts were right. It was a mask. Just like the monster.

Though, at the present, I wish it were the monster, and I wish we were in a very different dark room.

I wasn’t guilty, and that’s what I kept reminding myself. I had nothing to hide from these people. I had nothing to be ashamed of. Ron was the one in the wrong. And I was the victim in all of this.

“The disciplinary hearing will begin,” the Minister, Kingsley Shacklebot, stated. “Today, the twenty-first of July. The Council of Wizengamot is gathered today for the hearing of Ronald Bilius Weasley and Hermione Jean Granger-Weasley. The charge against the accused is as follows: Failure to pay taxes according to the Ministry of Magic’s Revenue and Customs authority. Due to recent events, the wise Council of Wizengamot will also be ruling on the dissolution of the marriage between the accused as well as new charges brought forward by Ms. Granger for defamation, slander, and libel against Mr. Weasley.”

I kept a straight face as murmurs circled the room. I knew Ron’s family was here supporting him, but I hadn’t turned to see if Ginny, Harry, or George were there. I couldn’t stomach seeing the three of them sitting behind Ron in a showing of support.

“Ms. Granger, will you take the stand, please?”

I let out a shaky breath as I steeled myself. I walked forward into the solitary chair in front of the council.

“Ms. Granger, do you swear, by punishment of Dementor, that you will tell the whole truth today, so help you?”

“I do.”

“Ms. Granger, how long have you withheld your taxes from the MMRC?”

“I have never voluntarily withheld my taxes, sir.”

A few whispers sounded.

“Explain.”

“My husband forged my work documents three years ago, but I only became aware of it a few weeks ago. Upon discovering it, I contacted Personnel Resources and had the change remedied immediately.”

Kingsley looked down at me skeptically. Of course, none of them would believe that a forgery of that level could happen within the Ministry. Especially right under their noses.

“Sir,” Doddsworth said behind me. “If I may present an example?”

Kingsley waved him forward.

Doddsworth faced the council, producing a letter from The Prophet that had been featured a few days ago. It was Kingsley’s monthly update of the Ministry.

“Minister, you’ll find here a copy of your Ministry Address to the good people of the United Kingdom.”

He held it up, and Kingsley agreed. Doddsworth then showed it to the rest of the council, too, taking his time to walk it through.

“I hold in my hand a quill produced from Mr. Weasley’s desk drawer.”

He took the brown quill and traced over the paper’s signature. He then balanced the quill above the blank parchment he held, and we watched as Kingsley’s signature was duplicated exactly. He showed the council and the audience.

“I would invite any of the council members to test the legitimacy with a simple wand signature verification spell.”

He handed the parchment to them on their platform, and one by one, each cast the same spell. Each let out an astonished breath as it was verified legitimate.

“Mr. Weasley procured this quill from his brother’s joke shop. This quill sat in Mr. Weasley’s desk and was confirmed to have the storage of Ms. Granger’s magical signature. The quill has the capability of storing four signatures at a time. The other signatures in storage of this quill belong to Head Auror Malfoy and Auror Harry Potter.”

“Head Auror Malfoy, can you confirm this?” one of the council members asked in disbelief.

“I can, sir,” he said, standing up. “We found that Mr. Weasley had forged my signature on a number of Ministry documents. That led to the suspension of Mr. Weasley among other things.”

“Other things?”

“He violently attacked Miss Granger as well as four of my Aurors on Ministry property.”

Whispers really started traveling now.

“Ms. Granger, is this true? Did your husband attack you on Ministry grounds?”

“Yes, Minister.”

“Objection,” Ron’s solicitor called out, but I refused to look over. “My client was in a blind rage over finding out that his wife had been cheating on him for months. While his actions are not dignified, any good husband would be outside of his mind with grief over a betrayal of that level.”

I didn’t react. I knew they would be bringing this up. I kept my head high and my face a mask of cool indifference.

“Excellent point,” Doddsworth said. “Council, Minister, I also have evidence that Mr. Weasley had hired a reporter to tarnish Ms. Granger’s reputation by planting false documents and stories into The Prophet as a way to discredit his wife.”

“And who is that?” A witch asked from beside Kingsley.

“Anthony Goldstein. He is present and willing to be brought in for questioning.”

Kingsley nodded and a team of Aurors brought in Anthony.

“Goldstein is currently in custody,” Draco explained. “He was arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit rape, sexual exploitation, defamation, slander, and libel.”

“Against whom?” another wizard asked.

“Miss Granger.”

I didn’t miss the way he flinched when Draco spoke. I can only imagine the viciousness in which Draco tore through his mind upon his arrest.

“Mr. Goldstein, do you swear, by punishment of Dementor, that you will tell the whole truth today, so help you?”

“I do.”

“Mr. Goldstein, you stand before the council today as a man convicted of quite a list of crimes. How do you plead?”

“Guilty, sir.”

The crowd roared with whispers and gasps.

“Silence,” Kingsley called over them all. “Silence. Mr. Goldstein, explain your story.”

“I was told by Mr. Weasley that he would allow me to have sexual relations with his wife any time I wanted if I would write damaging articles about her that put him in a good light.”

My stomach soured at the memory.

I couldn’t look at Anthony. I could barely tolerate being in the same room as him.

“Objection, there is no proof,” Ron’s solicitor laughed. “These ridiculous claims are made up by the man’s own sick fantasy of my client’s wife.”

“I have proof,” Doddsworth said.

He handed the council an envelope containing photographs of the two of them meeting at a pub. My heart swelled. I looked over to where Theo and the others sat, and Blaise winked my way. I was going to buy him the best Christmas present this year. It would be massive and extravagant beyond belief.

Kingsley passed around the photographs.

“My client had a beer at a pub,” his solicitor argued. “What does that prove?”

“Why damage her character?” a witch asked Anthony. “How would that have led to a sexual relationship with you? Surely, Ms. Granger could have refused.”

“Ron believed that Hermione would be quieted by the articles and forced to come home. He said once he got her back home, the relationship could start. With or without her consent.”

I felt the waves of rage radiating off Draco, even from this far away.

“Again,” Ron’s solicitor continued. “My client was put in an uncomfortable situation. Mr. Goldstein clearly has an unhealthy obsession with his wife. Can you blame Mr. Weasley for snapping as he did? For lashing out? He was protecting his wife as all good men should.”

I had to physically refrain from rolling my eyes or gagging.

“Due to the severe and disturbing events that have befallen Ms. Granger over the last several weeks, this is the very reason we are asking the court to grant an emergency divorce.”

“My client does not consent to a divorce and wishes for reconciliation between the two.”

“We vehemently reject and object to those offerings,” Doddsworth scoffed.

“Mr. Goldstein,” another wizard of the council said. “Do you believe Mr. Weasley is a danger to his wife?”

“I do, sir,” Goldstein said.

The crowd murmured again.

“That will be all, Mr. Goldstein,” Kingsley waved him away. “Your hearing is set for the end of next month.”

“As for the cheating allegations,” another witch said. “Ms. Granger, are you involved with Mr. Krum as The Prophet suggests?”

“No, ma’am,” I said. “I have not been involved with Mr. Krum since my fourth year when we briefly dated during his time at Hogwarts. We’ve since fallen out of touch. It was only when I saw him a few weeks ago that he reached out. He offered his condolences for what he’d read about me in the papers.”

“Have you been cheating on your husband with Krum?” Ron’s solicitor barked.

“No. Nor did I have any intention of ever doing so.”

“Minister,” Doddsworth said. “We have the evidence of the quill, we have Goldstein’s testimony, and we also have several pieces of evidence that point to Mr. Weasley’s financial ruin. In addition to all of this, we also have evidence that Mr. Weasley was going to sell his wife as collateral to the escort service, Scry, where he forged her signature again.”

This time, even several members of the council were shocked enough to whisper urgently with their neighbors. Kingsley’s shocked face was quickly clouded with a stern look to both sides of the row he was sitting at to silence the rest of the council members.

“Minister, I may be able to shed some light on this,” Draco stood.

Kinglsey inclined his head, allowing him to speak.

“When Goldstein had been brought in for questioning about the charges he is facing, I was able to use Legilimency to discover several disturbing things involving the case between my Auror, Mr. Weasley, and his wife. Goldstein knew about the paperwork for Scry. Mr. Weasley had told him about it weeks before, and that was supposed to be Goldstein’s ticket to unlimited sexual exploits with Miss Granger. He knew there was a contract, and that’s when I had Auror Thomas track down that contract.”

Draco produced the document he’d shown me during the interrogation nearly three weeks ago.

“You’ll see below her wand signature reads the same as it did on her income statements. However, you’ll notice an issue with the paperwork. It was impossible that Miss Granger would have signed that.”

“How do you know that?”

“Apparently, Mr. Weasley struggled to remember Miss Granger’s birthday. He guessed it incorrectly on the documentation.”

Snickers broke out across the courtroom. I could imagine the crimson shade of blush and rage that was blooming over Ron’s features. I refused to look over, though.

“Mr. Weasley owes a great deal of money to the escort service, Scry,” Doddsworth stated. “He struck a bargain with Astrid Clomey, the owner, that if he would sign on the Golden Girl for the repayment of his debt, she would offer him his choice of ladies for the next five years free of charge.”

“Objection,” Ron’s solicitor argued. “My client has nothing to do with Scry!”

“We found several brochures and cards in his desk stating that he had been there and had several call girls he saw on a regular basis,” Draco looked down at the cards in his hand. “Tina and Genevieve.”

My stomach churned. I wanted so badly to look at his family and see Molly Weasley’s face.

“I also have bank statements going back for the last several years that show his subscription to Scry services,” Doddsworth said.

“That was for Hermione!” Ron interrupted himself. “She used the membership, not me. I was paying off her debts.”

I kept my face schooled. I knew Ron would try to pin Scry on me and the money issues on me. But I would bloody well know my own birthday. It also made no sense why he had bloody cards in his desk for the girls he saw regularly if I was the one using Scry.

“My client was kidnapped last Saturday night by the employees of Scry,” Doddsworth said. “During that time, she endured two Unforgivable curses, a hand so badly broken she had to regrow all her bones, and severe concussions and seizures. Mr. Weasley was behind the sale. Not Ms. Granger.”

“My client would never do something like that to someone he loves.”

“Actually, he would. And I’d like to call my second witness to the stand if the Minister will allow.”

Kingsley inclined his head.

I hadn’t planned on this at all. I didn’t know we had any more witnesses. I was too nervous to look. But as the figure came into view, I found myself inhaling a sharp gasp at who approached the stand.

“I offer the court and council an opportunity to hear straight from the source just how desperate Mr. Weasley was for money.”

Chapter Text

In the chair next to me, Ginny Weasley sat down. I had no hope of masking my surprise here. I swallowed down my shock and resisted the urge to look over at Draco. Had he known?

The emotional vulnerability that had clouded Ginny’s features earlier this week was now gone. She had defiance painted across her features as she looked up at the council. Refusing even a blink in the direction of her family.

“Ginevra Weasley,” Kingsley Shacklebot nodded. “Do you, upon pain of Dementors, swear to tell the whole truth so help you?”

“I do.”

I held my hands in my lap, making a conscious effort not to twist or pull at my fingers.

“Miss Weasley,” Doddsworth began. “Can you tell me who your brother, Ronald, is the closest with in your family?”

“My brother, George.”

“And what would lead you to believe that the two of them are close?”

“He works at George’s shop with him when George is short-staffed.”

“And who would you deem to be Ronald’s best friend?”

“Harry Potter,” she said.

Her voice showed little inflection or emotion. She was stone-faced as she looked at the council.

“How long have they been friends?”

“Since first year of Hogwarts.”

“And after school, they became Aurors together and were paired as partners, yes?”

“Yes. The Department thought it would boost morale to keep part of the Golden Trio together on missions.”

“Of course,” Doddsworth smiled. “And how would you describe their relationship now?”

“They’re no longer partners. Harry was moved to a teaching position training incoming Aurors.”

“Head Auror, can you confirm?” a wizard of the council asked.

“I can, sir,” he said. “The move was done weeks ago.”

“The move only happened after Mr. Weasley’s unfair termination,” Ron’s solicitor added.

“That is a lie,” Draco snapped. “Seeing as I am the one who filed the paperwork, I can tell you that Mr. Potter’s move was done six days before Mr. Weasley’s legal termination occurred.”

The solicitor was silent as Doddsworth continued.

“Miss Weasley, what do you think contributed to the rift in Mr. Potter’s relationship with Mr. Weasley.”

“Ronald’s addictions led him to financial ruin. He asked me for money many years ago, and I told him no. But I also gave him private and personal information that he used to exploit different individuals for money.”

“Are you implying that Mr. Weasley was blackmailing those close to him for money?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Who specifically do you believe your brother was blackmailing?”

“Harry Potter and George Weasley have both been blackmailed by Ron for money.”

“Minister, council members,” Doddsworth held up another page. “I have reports of consistent monthly deposits from Mr. George Weasley and Mr. Potter into Mr. Ronald Weasley’s account.”

I snuck my first look. No Harry. No George. Only Molly and Arthur sat behind Ron. Molly’s face was pinched together in furious displeasure.

“Miss Weasley,” a witch of the council said. “These are serious accusations. And against members of your own family. Why?”

“I saw the damage my actions had caused. By telling Ron secrets about those closest to him, I’ve just continued to weaponize him. I cannot sit by any longer and allow this to continue, not after Hermione could have died. It’s time for me to right my wrongs and take accountability for my actions.”

“Objection,” Ron’s solicitor laughed. “Ms. Granger did not almost die. This is a story that has been blown up by the media and holds no legitimacy.”

“I have her medical records to submit to the court,” Doddsworth said. “Crucio, Imperio, a concussion, twenty broken bones. Seven seizures were recorded. A brain bleed. And that doesn’t begin to cover the emotional and psychological damage caused by being kidnapped and tortured.”

Ron’s solicitor was silenced again.

“Miss Weasley, do you believe that your brother, Ronald, poses a threat to Miss Granger’s safety?” Doddsworth asked.

“I do.”

The weight of her words shattered me.

Ginny.

I wanted to throw my arms around her neck and hug her. What she’d done here, what she’d said, there were no words to describe what it meant to me. And seeing now that Harry was noticeably absent? I shook my head. Ginny was the brave one. That much was obvious.

Doddsworth clapped his hands and nodded to the council and Minister.

We waited quietly while Ron and his solicitor exchanged heated whispers.

“Minister,” his solicitor finally said, with an exasperated tone. “Council. This is clearly an example of Miss Weasley seeking revenge against Mr. Potter over a petty breakup.”

Doddsworth barked out a humorless laugh.

“Council and Minister. This is absurd. Mr. Weasley has spent years plotting to exploit, blackmail, manipulate, and abuse those close to him for his own selfish gain.”

“Thank you, Miss Weasley,” Kingsley said.

Ginny nodded and silently left the room.

The tension in the room was incredibly thick.

“Miss Granger,” another wizard from the council spoke up. “This mismanagement of funds has been going on for years. Yet you said you just found out about this?”

“The roles of our marriage were laid out simply. Ron was traditional and wanted to handle the financial side of things. He made it clear my role was to take care of the home. He hid our poverty well.”

“Were you aware that you were receiving payments from Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter?”

“I learned about those last year,” I answered. “He told me that George paid him for helping at work and that Harry was helping while we got back on our feet after buying our home.”

“But how were you so unaware?” another witch pressed. “You earn a salary. You didn’t care enough to monitor it?”

“Our marriage was not a good one,” I said plainly. “People can assume as much as they’d like about it. But at the end of the day, Ron controlled everything. I was horribly depressed. I wasn’t monitoring myself, much less the financials. My life was slipping through my fingers, and I was letting it happen.”

“And what’s changed?” another asked.

“Ron’s extra-marital affairs with the women at Scry, his lies, and his lack of promise to the vows we made are what made me finally wake up. He doesn’t respect me. He doesn’t respect our marriage. That much is obvious by the articles in the paper attacking me and my character. And I see no reason to endure it any longer. Especially now that my physical safety has been threatened multiple times. I am not safe or happy in my marriage to Ronald Weasley.”

“Thank you, Ms. Granger,” Kingsley nodded.

I kept my head up as I returned to my original seat. I wasn’t going to be threatened or intimidated by any of them. I stared right at Molly Weasley. The redness over her cheeks showed how angry she was. All of them wore their emotions so obviously. I was done cowering. I was done hiding. Her eyes narrowed at me as she slowly shook her head.

“Mr. Weasley,” Kingsley said. “Please take the stand.”

I tried to remember to swallow and breathe. I braced myself for the onslaught of lies and gaslighting. I anticipated this. We’d gone over it for days before. We knew what to expect. I knew he was going to viciously attack my character.

“Mr. Weasley,” he said. “Do you swear upon pain of Dementors to tell the whole truth, so help you?”

“I do.”

Breathe, I reminded myself.

Ron’s face was already red from earlier. He was dressed in the suit he got married in. It was tighter now. He’d filled out since becoming an Auror. The suit used to offer me a sweet bout of sentimentality. Now I saw it and wanted to vomit.

  “Mr. Weasley,” Kingsley said. “Walk us through your tax troubles.”

I didn’t miss the way Kingsley’s voice was lighter on him.

“I’ve taken the role of a provider seriously,” he said. “I always have. Just as my father did for us.”

I heard Molly sniffle and wanted to roll my eyes.

“I knew it was my job to make Hermione happy. I tried everything. A new house. Vacations. Clothes. Jewelry. Flowers. But nothing worked. I… I couldn’t satisfy my wife. No matter how hard I tried. And I nearly broke myself trying.”

Merlin, strike him down. Send a fiery arrow slinging through this courtroom and impale him where he sits. All of it was such fucking bullshit!

“I got caught up. I was broke and desperate. I’m going to pay it back. I am. I just had to try everything to save my marriage.”

I wanted to fucking kill him myself.

“Did you or did you not forge Ms. Granger’s signature on the tax documents?” Doddsworth interrupted.

A literal tear started to fall on Ron’s face.

“A desperate man would do anything to save the woman he loves.”

I bit down on my cheek to keep my mouth from unhinging.

“Is that why you sold her to Scry?” Doddsworth asked. “To save the woman you love? Is that what men in love do?”

Ron’s jaw clenched.

It was slight, but I noticed. The ripple of his cool and collected mask started to fall apart. And I reveled in it.

“The question, Mr. Weasley. Do you need it repeated?”

Doddsworth knew that the only way to get under Ron’s skin was going to be to goad him.

“I would never put my wife in danger. I love Hermione.”

“You love her so much you would sell her into sex service?”

Ron’s face grew redder by the minute.

“Loved her so much that you stole from her? Forged her signature on several official Ministry documents? Had her photographed and followed without her consent or knowledge? Framed her into having a false affair to better your image? Threatened her with further defamation if she didn’t return to you? Is that your definition of love, Mr. Weasley?”

You could have heard a pin drop in the courtroom. Everyone was silent.

“Very well, your silence is answer enough, Mr. Weasley,” Doddsworth said. “Perhaps you can tell us a little more about your termination from the Ministry?”

“I was wrongfully terminated from the DMLE over a week ago.”

“Under what terms?”

“Malfoy never liked me. He’d see any reason to kick me out. We were school rivals, and he hasn’t matured since. We had trouble seeing eye-to-eye. Especially after the war. I didn’t believe in all the reformed wizard lies he spewed.”

“Are you implying that Head Auror Malfoy terminated you from your position based on the fact that he doesn’t like you?” a witch asked.

“I am.”

Gods, I wanted to roll my eyes again. I was sure Draco was fighting the same sensation.

“Head Auror Malfoy?” Kingsley directed his head toward Draco.

Draco held up an impressively thick envelope.

“These are the pages of grievances, disciplinary action, and issues that we’ve had with Weasley since his start as an Auror. Our personalities had nothing to do with it. Most of these were done with Gulespi was still Head Auror.”

Draco submitted the paperwork to the council.

“As I said earlier,” he went on. “The final straw of Mr. Weasley’s lawful termination came when he attacked Aurors and Miss Granger at the Ministry last week.”

“Any indication of why he attacked them?” a wizard asked.

“Yes, he was angry about Miss Granger’s refusal to reconcile the marriage, as well as Potter’s move. He also felt like the two of them conspired against him to have him arrested for the quill in his desk used to forge Ministry documents as well as personal ones.”

“And are the two of them conspiring against him?” another asked.

“Mr. Potter isn’t here, and I don’t speak on behalf of others.”

Draco had the incredible skill of cutting you with a simple look. One glance, and he could disarm you completely. It was terrifying. He could make you feel so small, so insignificant. He did that now as he looked at Ron. It was absolutely crushing.

The council members shuffled through the papers. I knew they wouldn’t find anything out of the ordinary with his termination. Draco did everything with succinct precision.

“Head Auror Malfoy, do you believe that Ms. Granger’s safety is in question?”

Draco paused and considered his words for a moment.

“I know Miss Granger to be an extremely skilled witch,” he said. “However, over the last month, I’ve had more security detail on her protection and watch than I sent with the Minister of Magic.”

That got the crowd really murmuring with this news.

“If the divorce would allow my Aurors to get back to their actual jobs, I’d greatly appreciate it.”

The way he sneered the comment almost made me smile. I knew very well he was the one diverting resources to my protection out of his own fear. But he seemed so irritated by it all. He played the role so well.

“You believe that by granting the divorce, it would eliminate the threat on Ms. Granger’s life?” one witch asked.

“I do. Scry has been permanently shut down, Mr. Weasley no longer works for the Ministry, and the last step is dissolving their marriage. I would, of course, hope that the council would agree to uphold the request to ban Weasley from the Ministry to avoid potential retaliation or violent outbursts.”

The crowd was quiet as they considered his words.

“Talk to us about the blackmail,” Doddsworth said to Ron.

“My brother and best friend care about me. They didn’t want to see me suffer. I didn’t blackmail them.”

“And Goldstein?”

“His unhealthy obsession with my wife meant that Hermione was never a topic of conversation between the two of us.”

Doddsworth nodded his head while he sifted through pages on the table. He grabbed the photographs of Ron having dinner with Anthony and held them up.

“Mr. Weasley, can you tell me what is on the table between the two of you as you’re eating dinner with Mr. Goldstein?”

Ron squinted, so Doddsworth enlarged the photograph large enough for the entire bloody courtroom to see.

On the table between them were photographs of me. I was walking through the Ministry in one, I was in line for a coffee in another. The third photograph I recognized as my dinner with Theo. But that had been so early… Anthony had been watching me for that long?

“Mr. Weasley, my question?”

Ron’s face formed a hard line.

“As I said,” he said. “He was obsessed with my wife.”

“But you just stated before the court you never discussed your wife with Mr. Goldstein. How is it that the table before you was littered with her photographs, and you didn’t discuss her?”

“Fine! I suspected she was cheating on me. I had her followed.”

“I see. And what evidence did you have of that?”

“She was at dinner with another man.”

“That’s her coworker and research partner, Theodore Nott, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“And you believe that Mr. Nott and your estranged wife are having an affair?”

“Erm, maybe. I didn’t know.”

“But I thought you said it was Mr. Krum that she was having an affair with?”

“Yes.”

“You think it’s Krum?”

“Yes.”

“Upon what evidence?”

“The photos Goldstein got, of course.”

“Of a friendly kiss on the cheek after seeing an old friend?”

“She fucked him once. She was bound to go back.”

A few gasps rippled through the crowd at the blunt description Ron painted. I kept my face a mask of indifference. But I was thrilled to know that my confession to him still struck a nerve.

“Did Ms. Granger ever give you any indication that she was unhappy with your lives together? Did she ever talk about leaving or divorce?”

“No.”

“So this came as a bit of a shock to you?”

“Yes.”

“And you wanted to be respected in your home. The man of the house.”

“I wanted respect, yes.”

“And by participating in extra-marital affairs, that would have been a large showing of disrespect to you, isn’t that right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Would you have left her?”

“Erm…”

“If Ms. Granger was having extra-marital affairs, would you have left her?”

“Yes.”

I bit back my smile.

“Minister, Council members,” Doddsworth turned to them. “As you can plainly hear, Ms. Granger was doing nothing outside of what her own husband would have done. When Ms. Granger discovered the affairs her husband was having with the women of Scry, she left and filed for divorce. Her own husband admits he would have done the same. I ask the court to grant emergency divorce based on the claims Mr. Weasley made himself and let us be done with this whole thing.”

“That’s not-”

But Doddsworth didn’t let Ron speak.

“The difference, perhaps, between the two is that Mr. Weasley embarked on a mission of absolute character assassination. He had false articles written about her, photographs published without her knowledge or consent, and he fabricated documents and lies surrounding her work life and personal life. He has disrespected their marriage to the highest degree, and the only justice that can be served is through the immediate termination of this sham of a marriage. There is no reconciliation.”

Ron’s face was blazing red now, and it had twisted into a dark mask of rage.

“Furthermore,” Doddsworth continued. “After he blew their savings and Ms. Granger’s bonus on escorts, he knowingly and consciously blackmailed his friends and family and stole from the Ministry without the intent to pay back his taxes. Whatever golden altar he once stood upon as a war hero has certainly crumbled beneath him. I ask that this council end Ms. Granger’s suffering and release her from this burden with haste.”

I wanted to wrap my arms around Doddsworth. He was brilliant. He’d worked up Ron in such a way that he was virtually rendered speechless.

And that’s when I heard it.

The sniffle.

Rage consumed me as I looked up and saw Ronald crying on the stand.

“I lost everything,” he cried. “I felt so bloody lost after the war. I still am. And I keep trying to find things to make it better. But no one talks about the pressures of being a hero. The isolation. The loneliness. Fine. I’m an addict. But only because fighting for my country made me that way.”

I heard Molly crying from her seat and wanted to choke both of them. This manipulative bastard was playing everyone.

“I need help,” Ron continued. “I just need help.”

You’ve got to be kidding me.

No one is believing this, right? This is nonsense. I looked throughout the council and saw some of their faces, including Kingsley’s, upturned in a sympathetic frown.

I hated him. I hated him so much.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Ron’s solicitor spoke. “This is the broken plea of a hero. The desperate cry for help. Will you deny him?”

“Council, Minister,” Doddsworth’s face remained calm as he smoothed his hand over his head. “This is the exact reason the emergency divorce must be filed. Let these two heal.”

The courtroom was silent. The only sounds were between Ron and Molly’s exaggerated sniffling. I took a deep breath through my nose and tried not to look at Ron. If I could hex him, I would.

“Thank you, Mr. Weasley,” Kingsley said.

Ron stood in a morose fashion and returned to his seat.

“Because of the depth and details of this case, we’ll be ruling in sections,” Kingsley continued. “We’ll start with taxes. All those in favor of convicting Ms. Granger of tax evasion.”

My eyes scanned the council. A few hands rose, but not enough for conviction.

“Those in favor of clearing Ms. Granger of all charges of tax evasion?”

The numerous hands that rose into the air made me exhale. Relief flooded my system.

“Those in favor of clearing Mr. Weasley of all charges of tax evasion?”

Not a single hand rose.

I wanted to cackle with hysteria.

“Those in favor of convicting Mr. Weasley of tax evasion?”

Every hand rose.

I chewed my lip to hide my smile.

“Next order of business,” Kingsley continued. “Those opposed to granting Ms. Granger an emergency divorce.”

A few hands rose. Though I didn’t understand how.

“Those in favor of granting Ms. Granger an emergency divorce?”

The majority of the council raised their hands. I let my smile show. I couldn’t hold it back. Emotion rose to the surface. I was free. I was actually free. Doddsworth grabbed my hand and squeezed.

“Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley’s divorce is deemed terminated effective immediately. Ms. Granger, you’ll need to see Personnel Resources to update your paperwork.”

I nodded.

“And finally,” Kingsley continued. “Those in favor of convicting Mr. Weasley for defamation, slander, and libel?”

Only a small scattering of hands rose.

“Those in favor of clearing Mr. Weasley of charges for defamation, slander, and libel?”

The majority of hands rose.

I wanted to shake my head. But it didn’t matter. I was done. I was free. Ron was never getting his job back at the Ministry as long as Draco was there. Ron was no longer married to me. Ron was convicted of tax evasion, and I wasn’t.

“Mr. Weasley, the Ministry demands that you pay back the taxes left unpaid from your paychecks as well as the amount taken from Ms. Granger’s as well. The Ministry also demands that in addition to addiction rehabilitation courses, you look into PTSD counseling as well. I am going to go a step further and state that for the good of the Ministry and those employed, you are banned from property for at least three years. I am also placing that three-year restraining order on your ability to socialize with Ms. Granger. There will be absolutely no contact, do you understand?”

Ron made no sound, so I assumed he nodded, but I refused to look over.

“I believe that strict probation and therapy can get you the help you need.”

I disagreed completely, but I wasn’t the one making the decisions.

“Mr. Weasley, we’ll see you again next week for Mr. Goldstein’s trial and next month for your involvement in Scry. You’re all excused.”

Chapter Text

By the time we arrived back at Draco’s flat, Narcissa and Pansy had organized a veritable feast. There was so much food and alcohol, and it was honestly so refreshing to be surrounded by people who were celebrating me.

Draco and Doddsworth were settled in the corner chatting and, no doubt, plotting new ways to bury Ron. Doddsworth was working with the Ministry solicitor for the Scry case as well as being heavily involved in Anthony’s case.

I knew that my involvement was ending, but that didn’t mean that Draco’s was.

“I was bloody floored when Ginny Weasley walked in,” Astoria said as we sat around picking through the charcuterie plates Narcissa had set out.

“I was too,” I said. “I had no idea she was going to be there.”

“I heard Doddsworth had reached out, but I didn’t know she’d responded,” Theo said. “I expected Harry to show.”

Me too.

And that disappointment clawed at me.

“He can’t see beyond his own self-centered issues,” Pansy said. “Speaking to him the other day was like speaking to a wall. He’s not ready. And it will cost him everything.”

“I was hoping you’d let me cover the trial in The Quibbler,” Luna said. “I’d let you read it before it was posted.”

I gave her a shrug. I’d had plenty of other negative things published about me. I didn’t see the harm in giving Luna a stab at it all.

“Sure, Luna,” I said.

I was distracted, though. I wanted Draco near me. I wanted his warmth, presence, and intoxicating scent to surround me.

“So, do we just go to work like normal tomorrow?” Theo asked me.

I laughed and shrugged. I had no idea what it would be like to return to a normal life. Would I stay here? Would I move out? Where would I go? I had plenty of money saved for a rental since I didn’t have to back-pay my taxes. But I didn’t have a clear picture of what tomorrow looked like, much less the rest of my life.

“Sure,” I said to him. “Let’s try that and see how things go.”

“And this weekend, a shopping spree is in order,” Pansy said. “Lots of new clothes to bring you into your new life.”

“I’d like that,” I smiled and turned toward Narcissa. “Would you like to join us?”

She seemed too stunned to speak but nodded emphatically. This was all so new. But I was more than willing to try. I wanted to make an effort to have a relationship with the person Draco loved. I wanted to know more about Narcissa. And I wanted her to like me. I wanted her to trust me in a way that Molly Weasley never did.

Draco joined us as my solicitor left. He offered me one last handshake and a kind smile before seeing himself off to the Floo. Draco sat beside me and let his arm linger around my back.

We sat, ate, and talked for hours. Narcissa eventually excused herself, followed by Pansy. Theo and Blaise left for the club, and Astoria and Luna went with them. Then it was just me and Draco.

He pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me.

“What will you do now that you’re not fretting over my safety every three minutes?”

He nipped at my ear.

“That won’t be changing at all, kitten.”

Kitten.

I closed my eyes and sighed against the powerful pull his words had on me.

“Draco.”

My whisper came out as a husky plea. It’d been so long. And I wanted him so badly.

I shifted on his lap, reveling in the feeling of his growing erection against my backside. My lips crashed against his as I continued to grind against him. His own moans now matched mine, and his hands cupped both of my cheeks.

I clawed at the buttons of his shirt and belt.

“Easy, kitten,” he soothed as he kissed down my neck.

I ignored him.

I wasn’t made of glass, and I wasn’t going to suddenly burst into a billion pieces right above him. I was fine. I hadn’t even had a headache in two days, and I was off my potions.

I ripped open the fly of his dress pants with a triumphant huff. I peeled the zipper of my dress down my back, but it got caught. So I let the bunched fabric linger around my waist while I worked my breasts free of their bra. I stepped off Draco quickly to discard my panties, but I was back on his lap in seconds. His own hungry gaze watched me with amusement.

I pulled his length free of his boxer briefs and gave myself a satisfied sigh. I sank over him, and both of us seemed to be transported into the right state of mind once again. This was where we connected. This was the place where all our other worries could fade away, and we could just be with one another again.

And I wanted to be lost in him.

Lost in that tantalizing pleasure that only he could wring from me.

I was furiously chasing my orgasm. I was sick of being confined and monitored. I was done with protection details and security talks. I was finally free of Ron and Scry. I could breathe again. And all I wanted was the monster to come and fuck me until my head exploded. I wanted that rush of danger that I felt with him. I wanted him to look at me like he was going to devour me.

But Draco was in full control tonight. He kissed me sweetly, barely possessing my mouth as he explored me.

I pushed him. I tugged his hair. I bit his lip.

But all he did was wrap me tighter against him.

This wasn’t working.

“Draco,” I said against his lips. “Switch me.”

He swept a curl out of my face and kissed my nose. With his wand, he removed our clothes and carried me toward the bedroom.

I was shaking with anticipation.

Finally, I sighed. My body was rigid with expectancy.

He placed me on the bed, and I could barely contain my smile as I tried to roll over to my stomach. Perhaps seeing my ass would tempt his hand with a few swipes. But he stopped me from rolling all the way over. He sank down into me, sheathing himself in painfully slow strokes.

He kissed me in a languid and deliberate way. A way that would normally melt me. Each caress of his hand, thrust of his hips, and passionate kiss made it more and more clear what he was doing.

“Hermione.”

My name was a reverent prayer across his lips. An exaltation of his fervent desires.

I pinched my eyes closed.

This wasn’t what I wanted.

I wanted him to fuck me. To own me.

I tried to breathe.

Tears stung my eyes.

My lip trembled.

He did own me, though.

I knew it. And so did he.

Kisses, touches, and all the sensations in the world clouded my mind.

I’d never been so cherished.

So adored.

So worshiped.

Gods damn Draco Malfoy and his bleeding heart.

He was disarming me.

Completely undoing me.

He was making love to me.

And no one had ever done it before.

He was ruining me for the rest of my life. Because there would never be another like this. I would never feel love like this from any other being on the planet. No one could care for me so holistically and honestly.

But the worst part was what he dragged from me.

His actions bled out all over me.

Sinking into my pores.

My soul.

My fucking essence was surrounded by the love that Draco Malfoy felt for me. And I was feeling every bit of it.

The words were right there.

On the tip of my tongue.

Begging for release.

He loved me.

And I…

I choked out a sob as I climaxed beneath him.

He hadn’t been stimulating my clit. He hadn’t been teasing my nipples. He’d just been making love to me. Professing with his body what his words could never truly explain. It was the most powerful thing I’d ever felt. And it ruined me.

As I shuddered under him, he filled me with his own release, kissing me through the entire thing. Cradling me against him while we descended the peaks of our euphoria.

“I love you so much,” he said, kissing my cheeks softly.

He entangled our bodies together, connecting us in another way.

The three words haunted me as I drifted off to sleep.

***

“You look like hell,” Theo said as he sat across from my desk. “Shouldn’t you be wrapped in the post-divorce glow?”

I should.

I was.

Kind of.

But I felt so many conflicting feelings.

Before, I had a reason to stay with Draco. He was watching me, protecting me. Now? Now I was free-loading.

And he was in love with me.

And if I was being honest with myself, I…

I swallowed back the words.

I couldn’t.

Admitting I loved Draco Malfoy would cause too many issues.

It would complicate everything. Before, it couldn’t mean anything more. I was married. He’d said he loved me before. He’d done so many generous and wonderful things. But I’d never been faced with his love like I had been last night. I’d never had the opportunity to say it back.

And I refused.

I buried it.

I lied to myself and to him.

“Fucking hell, Granger,” Theo said, putting his hand over mine. “What is it?”

“I…” I swallowed. “He loves me.”

Nothing on Theo’s features changed. “Yes…”

“No… you don’t understand. He really loves me.”

“Granger, I reckon you don’t actually know the half of it.”

I believed him, too.

Even with all the things I’d witnessed over the last few months with Draco, I knew that it barely scratched the surface of the depth he felt for me. And I knew, if I let myself, I’d be dragged under that same cyclone.

Theo’s face softened.

“You’re afraid.”

I twirled the signet ring on my left hand.

Gods, yes. I was fucking petrified.

Loving him would just increase my chances of losing him.

And losing Draco?

I was suffocated with thoughts of it.

His job was so dangerous.

So many people wanted him dead.

Ron hurting me was one thing. That pain was so shallow that it was easy to forget it as another day came and left. I knew there would be one point when I wouldn’t think of him at all. He’d be a distant memory lost to me like footprints in the sand.

But if Draco ever hurt me…

That fear was constricting.

There was still so much I didn’t know.

So much I didn’t want to know.

“He would never hurt you, Hermione.”

I found myself nodding absently, but that wasn’t something Theo could promise. It wasn’t something any of us could promise.

And if I hurt him?

Gods, I could never forgive myself.

“You have to talk to him,” Theo said. “No one is putting pressure on you to marry him tomorrow. Not even him. He’d wait forever for you. But you have to know that you’re all he wants. It’s always been you, Granger.”

The monster took me and possessed me. Could I expect that same thing from Draco moving forward? Was that what he really wanted?

As stupid as it was, I was worried about what people would say. I was worried about what hateful things people would whisper about Draco and his blood purity. I was terrified of the spiteful way people would think he controlled me.

And if I lost Draco…

I would lose everything.

All my friends.

All my sanity.

The only family I had left.

And I couldn’t be alone like that again.

I wouldn’t survive it a second time.

Chapter Text

I fumbled with the edge of my skirt while I sat on the stool in front of the island while Draco cooked.

I needed to speak to him. But the bludger-sized lump in my throat kept blocking my words every time I tried. I didn’t know how to articulate all of the things I was feeling. I was so overwhelmed and panicky. I didn’t want Draco to leave. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted him. I wanted to stay with him and explore this insane connection. But societal pressures and expectations kept interjecting themselves into my subconscious.

But he loved me. He loved me more than anyone had ever done in my entire life, I think. And there was so much pressure from that, too. What if I didn’t live up to the expectations he set in his mind? What if I disappointed him? What if I hurt him? What if wasn’t capable of loving him that much? What if, what if, what if. All of them plagued me!

Then, there was the logical side. Was I really in a stable enough mental state to move on to something else? Someone else? Psychology would encourage me to take time for myself. I should wait for the appropriate amount of healing time before pursuing another relationship. And I had no bloody idea what a psychiatrist would say about Nox. But was I willing to give that side of myself up? I feel like I was just scratching the surface of a major sexual awakening. And I wasn’t willing to do that with anyone else but the monster.

My eyes traveled the length of his body. He’d come home and changed into shorts and a t-shirt. I never got tired of seeing Draco so relaxed and casual. His tattoos were another point of fascination for me. I feel like each time I admired him, I found a new design or symbol inked into his skin. He had his glasses on, but I didn’t ask what led him to that point today. I knew that stress at work was compounding, especially with his other upcoming trials.

“Granger, I’m going mad wondering what your silence is from.”

He used his Head Auror tone with me, and it made me want to shrink into the stool even more.

I heard Theo’s voice flitting around my head, telling me to buck up, too.

I didn’t know where to start. How to start. I didn’t know how to categorize the mess of thoughts in my mind.

I received word today that I needed to go through the items of my old home before the sale. I had no interest in any of the items, but that was just another thing to add to the chaos of my brain. I updated my paperwork today, though. So that was one thing I could check off. But the rest? When would it all end?

I was still having nightmares, too. I swore Astrid’s shrill yell would haunt me for all time. The phantom pains from the Cruciatus still lingered as well, especially when I was overly exhausted. Which seemed to be all the time lately. My defenses were down. I couldn’t think beyond this mental fog that was blocking every path I tried to take lately. It was all just too much. And I felt alone. How could I verbalize feelings like these? I didn’t understand most of them.

Draco was suddenly in front of me, cupping my chin in his hand and tilting my face up toward his.

“You’re scaring me.”

I sighed.

I could feel the bitter sting of tears threatening to roll down my face. Fuck. I didn’t want to cry. If I started, I might never stop.

“I just don’t even know where to start,” I said. “There’s just so much.”

He eyed me carefully, sweeping his thumb along my lip.

“I’m just overwhelmed.”

He nodded, accepting my response despite being vague. I was overwhelmed. I just wasn’t itemizing every stressor for him that was causing me to be so overwhelmed. It went beyond Ron.

“Let’s get some food in you,” he offered and kissed me sweetly.

Tonight, we ate on the couch. I changed into one of his old Quidditch jumpers and swam in the oversized fabric.

We watched a baking competition show and settled quietly together. After sitting so long in the same position, my joints ached. Another new side effect of my time under the Cruciatus curse.

“A nice soak would help,” Draco said, rubbing my back. “What do you say?”

When I nodded, he swept me into his arms and held me close. I let him draw me a bath, and I let him join me. I sank against his chest as we both settled against the marble and luxuriated in the feeling of being held. I felt myself exhale for the first time today.

I could feel the tension between us lingering. He wanted to pry, to push, but he respected my silence. I knew what he needed, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I didn’t even know where to start. I just wished he could pop in and take a look around. That way, I wouldn’t have to speak. He could just sit and see for himself what kind of chaotic hell my mind had become.

My eyes snapped open.

“Draco, if I asked you to do something for me, would you?”

I looked to the side of the tub where he’d balanced his glasses on top of the towels. He was already exhausted today. But maybe tomorrow? Or another day? As long as I could get this off my chest and quell his curiosities.

“Tell me what you need,” he said, his lips pressed against my head. “Anything.”

I steeled myself.

“Would you use your Legilimency?”

I don’t know how long we sat like that, but the silence was deafening. He helped with my nightmares in the hospital. Surely he was willing to intervene further? Was I asking too much?

“Please,” I said. “I can’t…” I swallowed. “It’s just too much to try and explain.”

“Hermione,” he sighed my name. “Invading your privacy like that… your thoughts…”

“I’m giving you permission.”

“What about the things you don’t want me to see?”

Like my real feelings.

The feelings I was too afraid to say out loud.

The feelings I was trying to rationalize myself around.

I sighed.

I was too exhausted to worry about protecting that one thing from him. When I was ready, I would verbalize it. But until then, this was all I could offer him.

“I have nothing to hide from you, Draco. I want you to see it all.”

He tilted my face toward his and studied me.

“You’re sure?”

I nodded.

“The moment you want me out, you say. You push me. Do you understand?”

I nodded again.

“Will it hurt?” I asked.

“No,” he kissed me. “I would never.”

I sat back against his chest, and he wrapped his arms even tighter around me. I felt his lips right against my ear, and I felt shivers crawl up the back of my neck and over my arms and legs.

And then I felt him filtering into my mind like fog under a door. I felt his presence all around me. Like we were both made of wind or clouds and existed in every expanse of my mind. It was gentle, like a soft mist. I felt his lips press against me, and I relaxed again. I trusted him.

I didn’t restrict any of the errant thoughts that were spinning through my mind. I let all of them flood through me like they had been all day. He saw the memories I had in Scry. He felt my residual pain. He saw memories of my marriage to Ron. He saw the day he laughed at me, the black bag, and the porn. He saw our poverty. Our struggle.

He saw what my childhood was like. My parents and I had been so close. He saw our family vacations and trips. He saw the beautiful memories that I treasured more than any other possession in my life. He watched me sit outside of their dentistry office in Australia. He watched them pass by me without recognition. He watched it break me all over again.

I could feel him lingering in the background of every memory and thought that came to mind. I showed him how long I’d been attracted to him. I showed him how much I’d wanted him since the very beginning. He witnessed my conversation with Theo. He saw my fear.

And by the time our bath had run cold, he fully knew me. My soul was laid bare, and now it was out there.

As a child, I’d always been able to verbalize and voice my thoughts and feelings. It was easy. My parents and I had built an incredible amount of trust between us. But those feelings didn’t extend much beyond them. Especially after the war. I withdrew so far that now I barely recognized that carefree, outspoken girl. I wanted her back. Perhaps this was the step in that direction. I had given Draco full access to the most intimate part of myself. And now I had to wait and see what he did with that knowledge.

I barely did anything, but I was physically exhausted. I could only imagine the strain Draco must have felt. I called for his tonic from the study and handed the vial to him as we emerged from the tub. He gratefully took several drops and squeezed me tight.

We silently climbed into his bed and held one another. My head rested on his chest, and I traced the swirling patterns of the tattoo along his side.

“There’s no pressure from me,” he spoke quietly. “I won’t hold you to any timelines or expectations. You are free to do as you want. I need you to know that. I’ll be here as long as you want me.”

Emotion swelled in my chest.

“Thank you,” my whisper was hoarse.

My mind was still buzzing with information, scenarios, and memories. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe that this would fix everything. But it made it obvious that I was no longer alone. I had someone who knew me. He saw my pain and anxiety, and he was staying.

I looked up at him, and his lips covered mine. His tongue explored me with a sensuous rhythm. I felt my toes curl and my spine straighten as I leaned further into him. This addictive quality of being with him would never get old for me.

Draco made love to me again tonight. The only difference, was this time, he used his Legilimency. He saw every feeling in a deeper way. The connection, the passion, and the love were all there. It was so intimate that I had a hard time deciding if I should blush or cry.

But it was beautiful.

And it was ours.

And he gave me something that I didn’t expect: time. I had time and space to figure out everything around me without his pressure to label or finalize anything.

***

“All right, Granger?” Theo watched me as I shifted nervously outside the conference room doors.

A few weeks had passed since I let Draco use Legilimency, and it felt like things were finally settling down. I hadn’t had a nightmare in days, and I’d only had a few instances of lingering pain. My anxiety as a whole had been much lower. The paper briefly reported on the emergency divorce, but it wasn’t nearly as much of a rag as I’d expected.

Today, however, my nerves were back. It’d been over a month since the horrific happenstance with the last board of directors. I couldn’t believe we were about to approach them again. Granted, Theo said that there had been some major overhaul with the members, but I didn’t know how much overhaul could exist without sacrificing funds.

My hand shook as it reached for the doorknob. I could do this. I had a great pitch and the importance of finding advanced and long-term cures for the Cruciatus was even more important to me now.

I exhaled and pushed the door open.

I had to blink several times to fully comprehend the room before me. Theo took my arm and led me to the front of the room. Nearly twenty individuals sat in the room now, and the attendees were vastly different than the last group. Sitting square in the center of the room was a smirking Pansy Parkinson.

I tried not to let my jaw drop open. But how had she managed this? How had she kept this from me?

I recognized several other faces as I scanned the crowd. Cho Chang was here, along with Padma Patil, Oliver Wood, Ernie MacMillan, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood. I recognized two girls from Ginny’s Quidditch team, one of the main healers from St. Mungo’s, Narcissa Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass, and Sabine, my healer from a few weeks ago. There were also two goblins and three freed house elves. Finally, in the last seat, I saw Head Mistress McGonagall.

She inclined her head to me when we made eye contact, and I felt my eyes well up with emotion. It’d been years since I’d seen her. I offered her a large smile and took my spot next to Theo.

“Welcome, everyone,” Theo said. “We’re thrilled you could make it. We’d like to talk to you about the importance of our Cruciatus research and the work we do.”

It was a brilliant presentation. I noticed that halfway through, Draco had snuck in the back door and taken a seat in the very back of the room. He offered me a wink, and I smiled and kept going.

At the end of the presentation, Theo opened the floor up to questions.

“Yes, Professor Longbottom?” I smiled at Neville, and he beamed back in his wrinkly shirt and school robes.

“What kind of opportunities would there be to have the higher achieving Herbology students intern and assist with some of the research work you’re doing? Is there room for outreach?”

Theo and I beamed at one another.

“We’d love any and all interaction we could with the students,” Theo said. “If Head Mistress McGonagall would allow, we’d like to extend the research opportunities to the upper-level Potions courses as well.”

McGonagall inclined her head with a proud smile.

Theo grabbed my hand behind the podium. This was exactly what we wanted. Something to build on, something to grow off of.

“What would the opportunities look like for cross-species research? Is this only available for Witches and Wizards now?”

I smiled at the house elf, and she grinned back at me.

“Of course, we’d love to expand. I believe we should have a greater understanding of how the curse impacts all creatures, races, genders, and beings. Muggle and non-Muggle.”

She and a male goblin exchanged quiet whispers.

“Miss Granger,” McGonagall spoke up, and I didn’t miss the way she emphasized the ‘Miss.’ “Mr. Nott. May I speak freely?”

Theo and I both nodded.

“As you well know, I am close friends with Sybil Trelawney. She informed me of the importance of Professor Longbottom and I being in attendance today. Apparently, the progress and information the two of you will find in these studies will be ground-breaking and life-changing for all manner of creatures. She’s instructed me that I’ll be updating textbooks in no time. With that said, I want to tell you that you have the full support and trust of Hogwarts behind you.”

I blinked furiously, attempting to vanish the tears.

“Madame Chair,” Pansy smiled and inclined her head to Narcissa.

Narcissa stood and smiled at both of us. My chest swelled. Was she the new chair?

“As Chair of the Advancement of Medical and Magical Research Committee, I would like to offer a vote to the trustees. Those in favor of supporting the research endeavors of Miss Granger and Mr. Nott in their entirety say aye.”

Every voice sounded.

“Those opposed.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

I bit down on my lip to keep my tears at bay.

“The sum of 4.7 million galleons will be deposited this afternoon into the Ministry account for this research,” she nodded to a goblin, and he nodded back. “Meeting adjourned. We will have updates and reports by the end of next month.”

Theo let out a booming laugh and lifted me in a fierce hug. He swung me around as I laughed. This was impossible! The amount had quadrupled! I was completely blown away by the love and generosity of all these people.

They began to file forward and shake our hands as we thanked them. I tried to keep my tears at bay, but it was so hard.

“Quite a rotten bit of weeks, yeah?” Neville said as he hugged me. “Then again. None of it surprised me. Glad you finally woke up and realized you were too bloody good for that oaf.”

I laughed, and he hugged me tighter.

“I never believed a word.”

“Thank you, Neville.”

He winked and shook hands with Theo. Neville’s words made my heart swell. I greeted and hugged all the rest until only McGonagall and Neville were left. She walked toward us with the support of her cane. The pointed hat she always wore made me smile at the nostalgia.

“Well,” she pursed her lips. “I’d say that the majority of this success was due to the outstanding efforts of quality transfiguration lessons. Hmm?”

Theo and I both adamantly agreed. She leaned forward and hugged me and then Theo.

“Come, Mr. Malfoy, I haven’t got all afternoon,” she said without turning.

Draco was much closer now and leaning against the table just behind her. His hands were tucked into his pockets, and he had one ankle crossed over the other. When she called him out, he chuckled and walked forward.

“Apologies, Head Mistress,” he said. “Nothing gets by you.”

“Nor did it ever,” she added and hugged him. “Behave, hmm?”

Draco nodded as she patted his cheek. Neville reappeared at her side and held his arm out to her. She took his elbow and started toward the door.

“Oh, and Miss Granger?”

She turned back to me with a serious expression.

“I’d say it’s about time you were evenly matched, yes? Intellect is a far better accessory than idiocy.”

She nodded to Draco, and Neville laughed.

“I told you,” Neville laughed and led her away.

Theo burst into laughter, and Draco followed suit. I was too stunned.

“Nothing gets by her,” Draco commented, squeezing my shoulder.

“It never did,” I smiled.

Chapter Text

My breath hitched, and my back bowed. The leather of the bench beneath my knees squeaked as I was pushed forward. The leather cuffs holding my hands in place strained against my resistance. The scorching pressure was building inside of me. Sweat prickled my scalp. I felt him everywhere. All at once.

His hips thrust forward, and I cried out again.

He was relentless.

Over and over, I moaned at the gruff and overwhelming sensation of Draco’s pulsing length burying inside of me.

It’d been weeks since my trial, and finally, things were feeling normal again. We had returned to Nox, and I was relishing in the feeling of the monster’s presence once again.

Our masks were securely fashioned over our faces. I had a long black ponytail hanging out the back of my head that he continued to wrap his fist around while he buried himself into me. His other hand tightened on my hip.

Others were gathered, watching us. My sleek black ponytail matched the ribbon around my neck. My gift to the monster. I felt him lingering in the back of my mind. I’d given him constant access. And at times like this, it was perfect. He read every thought, and he reacted in kind. If I needed him to touch me, kiss me, or bite me in a certain area, he answered.

He brought down a hard smack to my left butt cheek, and I hissed in pleasure. I relished in the sting.

I was close.

The speed.

The pressure.

It was all too much.

And then he pulled away.

I felt myself growl. No! I had been so close!

“That’s only for me,” Draco said against my mind. “Not for them.”

I groaned.

“I love you,” he whispered.

He spanked me one last time before unlocking my cuffs. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder before stalking off the stage of the black level and toward the lifts. I wriggled in his hold, but he smacked my ass again.

I endured his possessive caveman tendencies through the main lobby. I smiled and waved at Luna and Astoria who were sharing one of the dancing cages together. Theo was at a table with Blaise and a few other women. Blaise and Theo both waved and winked at me, too. I offered them a salute as Draco exited the lobby.

Once we exited the Floo into his living room, he set me down.

“I think we have some business to finish.”

 He grinned at me, our masks vanishing.

“What do you need, kitten?”

I was dressed in only my black garter, stockings, and a scrap of lace that barely served as a bra. He vanished it all away with a swipe of his wand.

“Finish me.”

His eyes darkened.

His clothes vanished.

“With pleasure.”

I wrapped myself around him as he lunged for me. Our bodies connected and the heat of our flesh felt as though we were both scorched. He nipped and teased my flesh, his mouth everywhere all at once.

I ran my hands over his thick, corded muscles. My fingers dragged over the ridges of his physique where his tattoos swirled over his skin. I loved them. He had taken to being shirtless at home now, and I was relishing in the constant sight of them. I was slowly memorizing every line, every letter.

He carried us to his room and placed me on the bed. He spread my legs and instantly dove between them with his hungry mouth. I moaned at the contact. His tongue circled my clit, teasing and tugging me closer to the edge.

I was seconds away. His fingers joined his mouth, wringing me of every last coherent thought in my mind. This was exactly what I wanted. It was perfect. He was perfect.

Light exploded behind my eyelids. I was dizzy with euphoria and relief. He didn’t stop. He prolonged my pleasure until my body was shaking above him.

My nerve endings were shot. All of me was trembling.

And then he was standing, pulling my legs up around his neck, and sinking deep inside of me. I coughed out a surprised laugh at the shock of how deep he was. It was so much. He didn’t let up. Over and over, he pulsed within me.

He entered my head again. The familiar presence urged me further.

“Come for me,” he told me, running his fingers against the walls of my mind. “Let me see you undone for me. Only me. No one else sees it.”

I cried out, gasping for breath.

My body tightened.

I was going to come again.

His thumb found my clit, and my body ignited.

“Draco!”

He was relentless.

There were too many feelings.

So much pressure.

I was breathless.

On fire.

And he exploded into me. Filling me completely with himself. He roared, and I cried out as our climaxes swirled together in flaming passion.

He collapsed onto the bed and pulled me on top of him, cradling me against his chest.

“My love,” he kissed my head.

***

“Bloody fabulous weekend,” Theo said, lacing his fingers behind his head at the end of the day Monday. “I will never recover. I’ve had to ice my cock for the last two days.”

I rolled my eyes and glanced at the newest cartoon drawing from Draco. Today’s featured me hexing Theo and turning him into a toad. I had no idea Draco also had the gift of clairvoyance, but here we were.

“I’ve got a date with one of them tonight,” Theo said. “Mind if I head out?”

“Go,” I urged him. “Have fun.”

He left, and I busied myself sorting through our latest forms to send over to Hogwarts for permission to work with some students.

I heard the door open and smiled. Draco was making good on his promise this morning. He’d taken one look at me in this dress and spent the entire lift ride telling me all the heinous things he planned on doing to me when I got off work. I turned and froze.

Arthur Weasley was leaning against one of the desks near the door.

“Hello, Hermione.”

I glanced at my watch.

Draco wouldn’t be here for another hour.

But my eye caught the silver band around my left finger.

I didn’t know how far the Legilimency reached, either. But I doubted very much it would be able to withstand the length of four floors separating us. I wouldn’t rip off the ring yet. I had time to think.

I inclined my head but didn’t speak.

“I thought we could have a small chat.”

I kept my face emotionless as Arthur shifted uncomfortably.

“I’ve already received the other three howlers from Molly, Arthur. It’s quite clear where you all stand.”

I gritted my teeth. I’d received one a week since the trial from Molly. Each one was more heinous than the last. The woman needed to be locked away in a padded cell. After the third one, Draco filed a harassment order with the Ministry, and Molly had gotten the cease and desist owl.

“The howlers were a desperate act by a suffering woman,” Arthur shook his head. “I’m sorry. But you must understand. Molly is reeling from all the loss she’s experiencing. And the potential that she could lose Ron now? It’s too much, Hermione.”

I stood silently.

I didn’t care how much loss Molly had experienced. It didn’t give her an excuse to be an evil bitch to someone that her child was torturing.

“I’m here to discuss Ginevra.”

I arched my eyebrow.

“I don’t know what kind of information you have on her or how you’re making her turn on her family, but Hermione, it must end. Please. For all of our sakes. We were your only family once. Please.”

I released a humorless laugh. Was he serious? Did he really think that I was the one causing Ginny to rebel against her family?

“The fact that you think I am behind Ginny’s involvement shows me how little you know me.”

“You’ve imploded our entire family, Hermione. What else am I supposed to think?”

My jaw ached from clenching my teeth so hard.

“You need to leave,” I said. “You’re out of line. And I have nothing to say to you on the matter. If you have an issue with your daughter, you’re welcome to discuss it with her.”

“Hermione, see reason, please.”

“You don’t listen!” I snapped. “Clearly, you and Molly both have issues listening to facts. Your daughter sat in that courtroom and told the entire truth, and neither of you is willing to believe her. So you can live with Ronald. You can keep him nice and close since that seems to be the only bloody person in your lives you hold any value in.”

The doors to my office burst open. The power radiating off Draco Malfoy was enough to bring us to our knees. I gripped the desk, steadying myself. Arthur teetered uneasily as well but found his balance.

“Get out. Now.”

 I watched Draco heaving by the door. He wasn’t in my mind right now. He was enraged. Too enraged to be targeted at Mr. Weasley.

Arthur gave me one last pleading look before he left the office. Draco was shaking as he wiped his hand over his face.

“What is it?” I asked him.

He spun and grabbed my things before I could argue. I nearly had to jog to keep up with him. Whatever had happened was bad. Very bad.

“Get out,” he barked at the others on the lift as the doors opened.

The other witches and wizards quickly rushed out of the lift, and I followed him inside. We rode in silence until we reached his floor.

I followed him out of the lift and into his office, where Dean and Harry were already sitting.

Draco shut the door and warded it with a few silencing charms.

“Goldstein is dead.”

My jaw dropped open.

Blood rushed to my head.

I felt like I was in a wind tunnel.

I sat in the chair beside Draco’s desk. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t real.

“But he was in the Ministry cells,” Harry said.

“I know where he was, Potter.”

Draco’s tone was as lethal as the rage flowing from him.

“How?” I managed to gasp.

“Suicide,” Dean said.

His trial had been delayed two weeks. Now, it would never happen. He was gone. And so was another level of Ron’s accountability. Astrid was all we had left. And even she was proving to be difficult while in captivity.

I looked over at Harry, reading his face. But I saw nothing. He stared at the carpet and adjusted his glasses in the way he always did when he was disassociating.

“Perhaps now is your chance to come forward, then,” Draco said. “A statement corroborating what you know about his character could only help.”

I stared at Harry. I held my breath as I waited for his answer.

“It’s not that simple,” Harry said. “I didn’t know anything about what he and Goldstein talked about.”

“But you know Ron’s character. A statement about how he treats his best friend would go far.”

“You still have Astrid,” Harry said, pacing the room. “Her statement will be plenty.”

“And if she doesn’t cooperate?” Draco’s impatience rose. He was barely hanging on to his composure.

“You have the forged contract,” he said. “You have the quill.”