Love Is The Darkest Art

Part 18: Danger In Town

Scene 26:

Hermione thought the meeting had went well. In fact, she was very happy with the turnout. There had been more students than she thought interested in learning Defense Of The Dark Arts the right way instead of Umbridge's heavily watered down lessons. Hermione had spent many hours secretly telling others about this gathering. But attendance had exceeded expectations. She felt most of this was due to Ginny's boyfriend Michael Corner and his connections in Ravenclaw. Regardless, the word had spread, and though there some concerns and squabbles she felt a leap in progress had been made.

A few things had stood out to her at the Hogshead gathering. One of course was the fact that she, Harry, and Ron were not the only ones unhappy with the new curriculum at school. Another was that getting involved in this took her mind off Draco. At least, for the most part. She did think of him and missed him greatly. She'd wished he was the type of person who would have wanted to be a part of this. Despite the affection they had secretly shared however, she knew deep down this wasn't him and he'd never be in the same room with Harry exchanging pleasantries. Draco was a part of her life she couldn't share with anyone. Or at least he had been.

While the meeting had gone well, and Draco's presence would have created division, it did have its moments of uneasiness. The venue hadn't exactly been the safest place for kids to be hanging out. It was a dingy, dirty place that catered to all manner of questionable patrons. It was the place to go if you didnt want to be seen. And there were plenty of shady characters there in the midst of their meeting.

A hooded witch, their face completely hidden under veil in the shadows, sat in the corner. There was no telling if the figure was listening in but it made her uneasy. A man with a scarred face sat at the bar laughing with the bartender over some unheard yet undoubtedly baudy joke. A few times he had glanced in Hermione's direction and she'd quickly averted his eyes as his gaze was so penetrating she almost felt naked. And then there was a hag of a woman who kept casting hateful glares in her direction as if youth repulsed her. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but it seemed that everyone was staring at her and it gave her a claustrophobic feeling. The only thing that put her at ease was returning her attention to the meeting and ignoring the rest.

Afterwards, standing outside the Hogs Head, she didnt see any of the ones that made her feel uncomfortable.  She and Harry and Ron discussed the great turnout, while Ron had been in shock over the news his sister was dating someone and he was the last to know.     Hermione wanted to say she was glad she found someone to be happy with. After all Ginny had crushed on Harry like forever and he paid her no mind. Hermione couldn't blame her for giving up on Harry. It was clear he had eyes for Cho Chang anyway. Hermione had seen them casting quick glances and nervous smiles in each others direction and it made her miss Draco even more. She had to try and make amends with him somehow. Perhaps she'd get him a gift.

She told the others she was going to do some shopping before heading back to Hogwarts, the boys look less than thrilled. "It will be okay. I think I can manage by myself," she explained, much to their apparent relief.
Something about boys and shopping just didn't seem to work unless you were at Zonko's Joke Shop. But she had something else in mind. Though Draco could be a prankster, for this occasion something more special was required. She wanted to go to Madame Boffery's, a shop of mature men gifts. She didn't know what she was looking for exactly but it sure wasn't an exploding whoopee cushion. 

She watched Harry and Ron saunter away happily. They looked back a few times, and each time she waved. When she couldn't see them anymore, she turned and made her way in the opposite direction.

Scene 27:

Hermione hadn't lied. She had every intention of going to the shop and getting Draco a small present to act as a peace offering. But she never made it. As she rounded the corner from The Hog's Head, Malfoy was already waiting. Wearing his usual black attire and a cloak emblazoned with the Slytherin crest, he was leaning against the wall. It was obvious he'd been waiting for her outside the meeting because he gently pushed himself away from the wall and stepped towatd her, a confidant swagger to his walk.

"Hermione," he said. "You are absolutely..."

"I'm sorry Draco," she blurted out, cutting him off. She couldn't hold  it any longer. Her guilt was overflowing inside her, and she had to offer whatever apologies she could to restore  things to what they had been. "I didn't mean to hurt you, really I didn't," she tried to explain, her voice cracking.

At first he looked confused, as if he'd forgotten and put the incident behind him already, but then he smiled. "It's okay," he breathed with a sigh. "It was nothing really."

"Nothing? You haven't spoken to me for days."

Again that smile of his that made her weak. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

She could have slapped him. Absence what? How dare he put her through all this misery for nothing? She had been distraught and empty without him. If it hadn't been for the meeting, she'd probably be back at her dorm beating herself up and trying not to cry her eyes out.

"Draco Malfoy," she scolded, "you are the biggest..."

He took her in his arms and kissed her hard on her mouth. At first she thought of pushing him away as punishment, but she surrendered, welcoming his lips upon hers. He clutched her tightly, opened his mouth against her own, his tongue probing hungrily past her lips. The urgency surprised her. It was a little different than their other times together, but she liked it. Perhaps absence didnt just bring fondness, but desperation as well.

The world seemed to spin in his arms, but then she realized he was the one spinning, turning her, pushing her back against the wall. She felt herself pleasantly pinned and then his hands trailed down her body, across her breasts.

"Draco, wait, what are you...?"

"I can't wait any longer," he whispered in her ear. One hand moved down to her stomach and lingered there. "I've waited too long to make love to you again."

She closed her eyes. She knew they were in public, down a side street. Someone would see them. But the sensations threatened to overcome her. This was Draco. Wonderful, sexy Draco. He was kissing her. Touching her. Wanting to make love to her again. Suddenly, her mind snapped awake, as if out of some kind of hypnosis. Again?, she thought. But we've never made love. How can we do that again if we'd never gone that far in the first...She struggled in his grasp. "No, Draco. Stop."

He didn't listen, but leaned his body against her restricting her struggles. "I know you want to," he whispered.

She wasn't sure what she wanted from Draco, but it wasn't this. She had to admit she'd thought of adult intimacy with him, but never ugly or violent. Lovemaking should be beautiful, not forced upon you. "Stop it!" she shouted. "Let me go, Draco!"

"Silencio," he commanded, and all sound left her. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. She called for help, but all that came back was a vaccum of quiet. She began to cry and Malfoy grinned wickedly. "Oh yes, cry, Hermione. I like that," he sneered.

She closed her eyes against the assault, squeezing them shut, wishing more than anything that Draco would stop. And then he did. Not because she had willed it, prayed, or wished it though. For upon opening her eyes, she saw the point of a wand pushed into Draco's cheek. At the other end, someone demanded angrily, "Get your damn hands off my girl."

Draco froze. His hands relaxed.  He was going to let her go. After all, why wouldn't he?  It was another Draco at the end of the wand. This one grimaced in disgust at the horrible version that had attacked Hermione. "You okay, baby?"

She sighed in relief. She nodded, signaling her yes, for her voice was still stolen.

"You should be grateful she is unharmed," the real Draco said,  his wand hand steady, his silver eyes glaring. "Otherwise I'd have to peel that devilishly handsome face right off you by hand."