Chapter 15: Interlude

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A/N: Love you all! Vices will start updating biweekly a week from today (so sometime next weekend). Contingent will shift to biweekly updates as well (so I'll be updating each story every other week, but I'll be providing weekly updates if that makes sense).

We're halfway there! Fifteen more chapters to go! Well, fourteen and the epilogue. Thank y'all for sticking around :)

Beta love to AlmondMilkTeaDoubleBoba and LeilahMoon – and a major thanks to samhuster.

Love always,

carm

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Days blended into weeks, and, before she knew it, her calendar said December the first. Her days had been a whirlwind, and her time had been very abysmally split between spending time with Malfoy – purely to do reconnaissance, you see – studying for exams, and trying (and failing) to see her friends.

Needless to say, Hermione was very stressed out.

Between Malfoy and Harry, she'd been overloaded. Malfoy often stole her away in secret for a quick shag here and there – usually at the most inconvenient times, in the most inconvenient places – and Harry had been asking her questions she simply didn't have the answers to.

And, contrary to what she knew she should be doing, she couldn't help but pretend the foreign feelings taking root and growing inside her weren't what she knew them to be. The glow that lit her up when he told her she was his, when he asked her to come for him, when he shot her a look from across the Great Hall that was for her and only her, was a telltale sign.

It was bloody dangerous. And, not only that, but completely irresponsible – not to mention severely misplaced.

Whatever the case, he had become incredibly possessive in recent weeks. Ever since the McLaggen incident – which, she had to give it to Ginny for that horrible, terrible idea that had worked exactly how she'd thought it would – he'd barely let her out of his sight. Their study sessions had grown longer and longer, barely giving her time for her other friends.

She should have seen it coming. She'd always been good at anticipating the impact her actions would have – that was a large part of the reason her, Harry, and Ron had been so successful all this time.

Which was how she found herself sat at their normal table, doing their homework individually. Their tutoring sessions – which she'd always suspected were a way to get closer to her – had turned into quiet study sessions.

He glanced over at her as she worked. He liked to stare openly at her for reasons she couldn't comprehend. Hermione wasn't even sure he knew he was doing it, to be completely honest. Whatever the case, something about it made her feel... secure, even though she knew deep down that feeling safe in Draco Malfoy's presence was not at all wise on her part.

It reminded her of the way Viktor Krum would do the same thing during fourth year. Although, the parallel was different. Viktor, while he had no ill intentions or anything of the sort, still made her shift awkwardly in her seat. Malfoy made her feel like he was analyzing her, like he was keeping watch or something.

Like he was waiting for a greater evil than himself.

She had always been inept at controlling her feelings. It was a weakness of hers, even though she played it off like she didn't have any. Hermione had always been very acutely aware of every weakness she'd ever had.

How could she be perfect otherwise?

Malfoy was still staring at her. She shifted her eyes up to meet his. "What?" she asked.

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