Iniquity

Part XIV

December 10th, 2000

Draco wakes to the sound of pounding coming from his front door and swears under his breath as he gets up with a groan. Groggily, he walks to the door, swinging it open.

"Who the fuck is awake at bloody seven in the fucking morning on a Sund--"

"Save the lecture," Granger snaps, her arms crossed in front of her.

Draco gives her the once over, drinking in her appearance. Her normally wild hair is braided down her back, her brows drawn together in defiance. Her back is straight, kitten heels pressed together as if she's a soldier standing at attention.

The only thing that gives her away is the rim of red around her eyes.

"And what can I do for you on this fine morning?" he drawls, leaning against the frame. "Or did you just come here to bitch about something I give two shits about?"

She blinks, and it's then that he notices the suitcase packed neatly behind her.

"I'm leaving, Malfoy," she said, her knuckles white. "I handed in my resignation at Flourish & Blotts."

Her announcement causes his chest to sting, and he shifts uncomfortably.

"Good riddance," he mutters. "Been counting how long that would take."

"Goddammit, Draco!" she cries, and her eyes brim. He pales at her outburst; the Granger he went to school with would never allow him to get under her skin, not that easily, anyway. "I know..." she takes a deep breath, a slight pause. "I know you do not love me, but I never thought your iniquity would allow you to cast me aside so lowly."

The sting in his chest grows to a burn, and he recognizes it as a want. Want for her. He tries to scoff but finds a lump in his throat that if he tries to move, he'll crack.

Silence lingers between the two of them, and her eyes grow moist as she stares at him, her fingers trembling against her thighs.

Fight this! You don't want her to leave.

"Well," she sniffles, turning away. "That's all, I suppose. Goodbye, Malfoy." Grabbing the handle of her bag, she turns on her heel, and begins walking back the way she came.

Clearing his throat, Draco opens his mouth to stop her, to yell, scream, anything. To apologize, to beg her to stay, to say he loves her.

"Hermione," he whispers, clutching the doorframe in a death grip.

Her stride pauses, and she turns to look at him over her shoulder. Tear streaks run down her freckled cheeks and he thinks he's never seen her look so lost. "Have a good life, Draco," she says, giving him a watery smile. "I hope you find that peace you couldn't find in me." She continues walking until she turns the corner of the hall, out of his line of sight.

Draco closes the door to his apartment, the lock sliding into place, and he falls to his knees, shoulders shaking as he wraps his arms in a feeble attempt to hold himself together.

-

Pansy stays the night, draping herself over his thighs as their heartbeats begin to settle to normal pace. Breathing deeply, she inhales his scent, smiling to herself, and traces a finger across his bare chest.

"Granger quit," Draco mutters, and Pansy feels herself stiffen. She sits up from her place next to him, squinting in the shaded light of his bedroom. Then, in a quiet tone he says, "Why did she quit?"

"Really?" she asks, avoiding his eyes and instead focuses on his mouth. She pauses, mentally weighing her options, before asking, "And how do you feel about it?"

Draco doesn't answer, merely staring straight ahead at the wall of his room before rapidly blinking with a swallow. "It's fine. Bones better be ready for more responsibilities since it'll fall on us now."

Pansy nods, leaning into him.

They lay together in silence until she hears his breathing even out, chest rising and falling slowly in the depths of sleep, and she slowly inches her way off of the mattress. Padding across the floor softly, she opens her work bag, pulling out her copy of Moste Potente Potions, flipping it open to her marked page. Placing her newly manicured nail on the text, she skims down to the bottom wording beneath the text of her newly conjured potion.

In order to obtain the acquired love, one must take no more than a singular portion. If brewed correctly, the love potion will have the desired effects of making the targeted individual fall for the owner of the hair used within the brew. It should be noted that if more than the correct amount is ingested, the individual may begin to experience amnesia, forgetfulness, and in severe cases, grow to distant others they are fond of. To reverse these effects, while not full-proof, the tainted individual must cease use of the potion and begin positive interactions with the person they were poisoned to hate. However, if use of this Memory Potion continues longer than half a year, permanent damage can be implemented.

Pansy's eyes scan over the text quickly, soaking the information in as she presses her finger harder into the page.

Seems easy enough.

Just five more months of slipping it into his tea. She could handle five months, and now with Granger quitting her job?

She could most definitely handle five months.

The End