Shell of Darkness Broken

Shell of Darkness Broken

Chapter Four

Hermione, with shaky legs, approached the foyer with great caution. No one was there.

He's in the house, she thought wildly. He's already in the kitchen, somewhere...

She realized that she should turn now and run back to the living room, but it was too late. Draco grabbed her from behind and held her tightly in his arms.

She screamed, but was only squeezed harder.

"You were too late to realize I was already here, Hermione," he drawled dangerously, right in her ear. Then he curled his hands around her bare midriff and stroked it gently, his hands traveling lightly over her lower back and stomach. Hermione feebly fought the shivers that ran up and down her spine as his lips barely brushed her neck and below her ears.

"Please," she whispered.

"Please what?" Draco murmured, his hands traveling under her tight tank top.

"Please leave me be," she said softly. Draco smirked.

"Leave you alone? After four years of torturing myself over the mere thought of the pleasure you gave me? Never," Draco hissed in her ear, then started to kiss her neck.

"But that's all it was, Draco," Hermione persisted steadily, determined not to give in to the mad desire she was feeling right now. "It was simply pleasure. Nothing more."

"You obviously didn't think so the other night," he responded, still occupied with her body. Damn, she's so beautiful.

"You saw me? When?" He could hear the panic in her voice and smirked.

"This is the third night I have come to see you, darling," Draco informed her. "I cannot count the times you said you loved me in your sleep."

"It's because you haunt me, Draco!" Hermione finally willed herself to break away from him and back away three spaces. He was wearing his Death Eater robes, with his wand poking out of his pocket. She finally saw him whole, after four years. He hadn't changed a bit. There were still the cold grey eyes that had grown used to scorning the world. His silver blond hair had maintained its usual length, with some strands falling into his face.

No, she told herself silently. I cannot fall for him again. I can't, I can't...

"You have ruined my life," she said bitterly, tears welling up in her eyes. "You killed my parents, you betrayed me at the end of school, and still! Still, I..." Don't break, she thought.

Draco looked at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes. Finally, he responded. "I had stolen something from your parents' house."

Hermione looked at him, tears running down her cheeks. He pulled out her seventh year portrait her parents had made, now creased, and held it in front of her. "You haunt my dreams, too," he said huskily. Hermione's eyes widened slightly. "I've had this these four years. I've driven myself mad over you, of when I would finally be able to touch you again. You are the only person who has ever made me feel vulnerable, Hermione. There was no one else."

Hermione was speechless. Draco came closer, and looked deeply into her eyes. "I am so tired of wanting you, so tired of imagining your taste, so bloody tired of wanting the feeling of your body against mine. But I've put up with it for four years, and now I do not intend to."

She gasped as she realized she was against the wall and Draco was getting closer. Get out of the way! she screamed at herself, but couldn't will herself to. Draco pushed himself against her gently, moving his hands so they were soon tangled in her curly hair. "Scared?"

"You wouldn't," Hermione whispered. "Not against my will, you wouldn't."

"But it won't be against your will. You know you want me as much as I want you," Draco said, coming closer. He inhaled deeply and realized that she still even smelled the same, of jasmines.

"No, please," Hermione used her last ounce of energy to fight him. "Please, not tonight."

Draco ignored her and caught her on her lips, gently, then more passionately as he warmed up.

Hermione gripped his arms as he kissed her, then found herself responding to his kisses. Energy poured through her veins, making her tingle with excitement and fear. Desperately she pulled him closer and slid his cloak off. His hands were still buried in her hair as she deepened the kiss. They released, and he kissed her neck. A soft sigh escaped her lips, and she could feel him smirk.

Draco hungrily searched her with his mouth as they made their way to the living room and collapsed on the couch. Neither of them had felt alive before this night. During the night, when Hermione had fallen asleep, Draco stayed awake, unable to take his eyes off of her.

Gently, he pulled her closer to him, and with his breaths shaking, he ran his mouth over her, hungry for more. He contented himself with resting his head against her bare shoulder, and fell asleep.

At about 2:20 a.m., Hermione woke up, unaccustomed to where she was. Oh my God! Her mind raced when she felt Draco's firm arm around her underneath the thick comforter. She was pushed against his chest, and his face was hidden in her mass of curls. She turned around to face him, careful not to wake him up. Silently she looked at the man whom she was sleeping with. Why did he come back? she asked herself tearfully, as she looked at his beautiful form in the moonlight. Why do I love him? Why do I want to call him mine forevermore?

Leaning forward, she gave him a gentle kiss on the lips, trying not to wake him. But when she pulled away, his grey eyes were blinking back at her. She sharply inhaled, startled.

"I'm a lighter sleeper than you are," he said simply. He raised himself up on one elbow and looked at Hermione, who had turned over on her back.

"I should have remembered," Hermione answered, her voice trembling.

Draco came closer, and it became evident to Hermione that he was going to kiss her again. It was a soft and brief kiss, and she felt fireworks go off in her heart.

Draco pulled back, and got up to get dressed, but Hermione pulled him back by the arm. "Come back."

He stared into her chocolate brown pools of color. "I intend to," he answered, then kissed her once again, got dressed, and Disapparated.

Why did I do that? Hermione asked herself over and over again, as she put her black tank top and pajamas back on. I'm supposed to forget him, I'm supposed to scorn him!

But she knew that she would never be able to, because she was in love with him. In love with a Death Eater.