Wicked Deception

Wicked Deception

Chapter Six

After New Year's Day, Draco visited Hermione every day for the next four weeks. He would bend her over her desk at work, or catch her in secluded hallways around the Ministry. Sometimes he would show up in her kitchen when she was waiting for Harry to come home from work. Other times she only felt his steady gaze on the back of her head as he watched her shopping or running errands. The days melded together in a tangle of kisses, touches, and caresses. Sometimes he was gentle and other times he seemed to pour out his frustrations on her; his touch angry and rough. Sometimes she resigned herself to his appearance, other times she tried to fight him off. Sometimes she would hungrily return his kisses but she always pulled back before she went too far. Sometimes it was Draco who pulled back when he thought things weren't proceeding on his terms. Each time, before he left her, he repeated his demand that she come to him.

Hermione's waking moments began to fill with thoughts of Draco, his touch, his kiss. She dreamed of him and had to resort to solitary means to bring herself some relief from their sordid encounters. As every day passed and she did not stop Draco from coming to her or tell anyone about their affair, the guilt grew inside her. She was getting tired of fighting him off. She had even thought once or twice of surrendering to him so he could have her on his terms and release each other of this sexual tension. Then perhaps he would leave her alone. Only her love for Harry prevented her from doing this.

Hermione was slightly relieved that Harry was working so many long hours. She feared that any time he touched her she'd only think of Malfoy, but Harry was so tired from work that he rarely made any sexual advances of his own. At the same time she wondered that if she could just release some of her sexual tension with Harry she might be able to handle Draco's advances. However, the thought of making love to Harry while she pictured Draco, just burdened her with more guilt. That would be too much for her to handle so she avoided any sexual contact with Harry.

The first Saturday in February was upon them when Harry pulled her into his embrace and asked, "Hermione, let's have lunch together! We've barely seen each other all month. Let's go skating! We haven't done that in ages."

"Harry, you know I meet with Ginny for coffee every Saturday." She hated to turn him down as she truly missed Harry but for her own sake she needed to keep her distance from him until she resolved her situation with Draco. She untangled herself from his arms and moved a little ways from him, avoiding his gaze.

Harry looked disappointed. "All right," he sighed. "I should probably be at work anyway."

Hermione wondered if she could possibly feel any guiltier.

***

As February progressed Hermione seemed to be able to catch her breath a little. Although she was busy with work and had started to plan out her and Harry's wedding details, Malfoy's visits became sporadic, bordering on rare. Apparently Dumbledore was making all the aurors work double time this month and Draco felt the brunt of his extra workload. Surprisingly, Harry was given a little bit of time off. It gave Hermione breathing space to take stock of her affair and to spend some much-needed and long-awaited time with her fiancé.

Harry sometimes met Hermione for lunch and they were having dinner together again. They talked about their wedding plans, they sat together and read the paper, and they even went to the movies. Hermione had truly missed Harry and enjoyed having him around again.

During lunch one day Harry asked her, "Have you found your wedding dress yet?"

Hermione was startled and frowned, "I thought I told you. I already found my gown." It disturbed her that she had forgotten to tell Harry about her dress because of her encounter with Malfoy at the boutique.

Harry smiled warmly at her, "I'll bet you look gorgeous in it." He reached over to squeeze her hand, brought it up and kissed the back. She looked at him closely and noticed that he had dark smudges under his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him, suddenly concerned that Dumbledore was working him too hard.

"I'm good actually. This extra time off I'm getting is really helping. How about you? You look tired yourself." He moved closer to her, cupped her chin with one hand and gently rubbed at the smudges beneath her eyes.

"I'm fine." She looked at him directly and buried her guilt deep down so he couldn't see it as he fixed his eyes on her.

"Hermione, Dumbledore's giving me the weekend off. Let's go away together for a couple of days," he looked at her expectantly.

She just stared at him at first and then a huge grin spread across her face. "Yes! Let's do that, Harry! We'll go somewhere and not tell anyone where we're going!"

He grinned back at her and started to rhyme off some weekend getaway ideas.

"Harry, why don't you surprise me?" she winked at him. "I'm up for any place you want to go. Just promise me you won't tell anyone where we're going. No one at all!" She pressed the point adamantly, hoping that Draco wouldn't get word of this.

"Sure, honey, I promise. I'm going to take you away somewhere romantic. You'll love it," he assured her.

Hermione felt anxious relief at the notion of going away. She thought that if she could have just one weekend alone with Harry she'd feel normal again.

Harry surprised Hermione with four days on a remote wizarding island in the Polynesians. True to his word, Harry had told no one about their plans and their rented cottage was so isolated that it felt to them they were on their own deserted island. They lazed about on the beach, chased each other in the water and spent countless hours swinging lazily on the hammock outside their cottage. It was so clichéd but she just wanted to do normal, romantic things with the man that she loved. There were times when Harry would put his hands on her in a certain way that she was reminded briefly of Draco, but each time she pushed it out of her mind. She was determined to give Harry all her attention this weekend.

It had been such a long time since Harry, someone who actually loved her, touched her and kissed her. Given the seclusion of their location, Hermione found herself easily letting go of her inhibitions. They made love under the stars, up against coconut trees and in fields of fragrant hibiscus.

By the end of the weekend she felt like herself again and wished that they could extend their holiday. Upon their return they looked fit, tan and rejuvenated. Harry mentioned several times that it was like an early honeymoon.

Were it not for the short time away she had with Harry, Hermione thought she might not have made it through March. Harry's schedule became erratic and he was gone sometimes all through the night. Draco resumed his visits also appearing at erratic times, seemingly during the breaks he was able to get from work himself.

So soon after being with Harry, she found it easy to spurn him. This angered and frustrated him and he made it clear to her that he was going to make her sorry for having left town.

Thus by the end of March, she saw less and less of Harry and more of Malfoy and she quickly found herself returning to that state of being unable to resist him.

She thought increasingly of going to Draco and letting him have his way with her but she cursed herself for even thinking of giving into him. Every visit he was now taking her to the very brink of ecstasy using only his hands and fingers and well-murmured whisperings but then would depart before she could reach that apex. She moaned and whimpered for that release but took care never to explicitly ask for it. When Draco was gone she berated herself for her behaviour. She alternately wished she could be stronger against Malfoy, that Harry was there for her and that Draco would either take what he wanted or leave her the hell alone.

***

In the three months since New Year's Eve, Hermione only sporadically kept her coffee dates with Ginny. On the occasions they did meet, Ginny's first question was always if she was well. Ginny had been concerned in January because Hermione seemed always lost in thought and she looked into the crowds constantly as if looking for someone. She looked over her shoulder frequently and often lost track of their conversation. Ginny was glad to hear when Hermione cancelled one weekend in February to say Harry was taking her somewhere for the weekend. She had word from Ron that Harry was working hard and thought the getaway would be good for them both. She was a little taken aback at Hermione's repeated insistence during their short conversation not to tell anyone of their plans. When Ginny saw Hermione again after her weekend away, her concern vanished as she remarked at how terrific Hermione looked. She appeared to be the same Hermione as ever and spoke animatedly of their vacation.

However as March was drawing to a close she hadn't seen Hermione much and Ginny finally got her to come out and meet for coffee. Hermione had cancelled two of the past weekends and Ginny just wanted to see that she was all right. She was alarmed at the decline in Hermione's appearance in only a few weeks. She had dark circles under her eyes and she hadn't bothered with makeup or glamour charms. Her face looked gaunt and her shirt hung loose across her thin frame. It looked like she wasn't sleeping or eating. As she sat down, Ginny quickly put her arms around her and looked into her eyes. "What's going on, Hermione?"

"I'm just tired," she smiled wanly at Ginny and then sighed, "I miss Harry."

Ginny didn't know whether to believe her and pressed her for more information. "Honey, I hate to say it but you look simply awful. This can't be just from missing Harry. Please tell me what's been bothering you."

In the short time before Hermione gave her answer Ginny could see her undergo an internal debate. The look in her eyes wavered from wistful to forlorn to helpless to guilty and then to resolute.

Hermione attempted a warm smile and said, "Thank you for asking, Ginny, but really I'm all right. You just caught me on a bad day and I feel I'm coming down with something. Don't worry about me."

Ginny nodded reluctantly but she was resigned that there wasn't any more information she could get out of her. Hermione then gave her an excuse about needing to get some rest and asked for a rain check on their coffee date. They hugged and Ginny held her a little longer than usual, wanting to tell Hermione that she could confide in her, but Hermione pulled herself away and Ginny could only watch her leave the café. As Hermione left, she looked inquiringly into the crowd before she headed off into it.

Ginny immediately pulled out a quill and some parchment and wrote a quick note to Harry to drop what he was doing and make sure Hermione was all right.

***

Draco sat in his study at Malfoy Manor. He was oblivious to all the tasteful furnishings surrounding him as he had only one thing on his mind. He was thinking of Hermione and of what he was doing to her. At first it had really just been a game, but now he had waited for three and a half months for her to stop resisting him and come to him of her own free will. He admired her for her willpower but he knew he was close to breaking her down. She didn't stop him touching and kissing her and hadn't told him to stop seeing her in weeks.

More and more he could feel her press against him wanting more but he knew that she still held back and so continued to visit her day after day. He was wearing down as well though. His control was waning and he would find himself so overcome with his desire for her that he would need to get away before he gave in to taking her. He was utterly surprised that both of them held out for this long, and he could see the effect it was having on her. She had grown thinner in the last three months and she looked tired; dark smudges underlining her eyes. He wondered briefly if Potter even noticed what was going on with his fiancée.

Regardless of Harry Potter, Draco still wanted her. As he sat looking into the fire he figured he would give Granger ten more minutes to come to him then he was going to her. He still held on to the belief that she would appear on his doorstep begging for him. Just then an owl swooped in through the window and dropped a piece of parchment in his lap.

Draco,

Come to the house as soon as you can.

Harry

Draco immediately stood up from his chair and walked towards the door. He picked up his cloak from a chair beside the door and Apparated away.

"She's sick." He paced before his fireplace, wringing his hands, a genuine look of concern on his face. His voice was low so his words would not carry upstairs to the bedroom. "She's sleeping now."

Malfoy didn't say anything and looked at Harry, a little alarmed but curious as to why he would call Draco to tell him that Hermione was sick. Draco wondered if she had told Harry about them but Potter only seemed agitated about her health and didn't seem to be angry. He watched expectantly as Harry paced before him.

Harry stopped suddenly and turned to Draco, "Do you think she knows about Dumbledore's plans?"

Malfoy slowly let out a breath of relief and said, "Don't be ridiculous, Potter. Only the Aurors know about it and they wouldn't tell a soul. Not unless they wanted the whole thing to fall apart before we send you out."

He watched as Harry first nodded his agreement then furrowed his brow once more. "She looks as if she's been up for days. And I don't think she's been eating." He continued to pace.

Draco smiled inwardly and thought to himself that she would indeed be the first to break down, but as he looked at Harry he felt a slight gnawing in his stomach. This cannot be guilt that I'm feeling, he told himself.

He quickly dismissed the thought and said to Harry, "Perhaps she's having second thoughts about marrying you, Potter." He privately cringed at his own cruelty but outwardly gave Harry his most sinister smirk.

"Don't think I haven't thought about that, Draco." Harry sat in his armchair in front of the fire and buried his head in his hands. He mumbled from out of his hands, "I haven't been around for her lately and it will be even worse when I have to leave for good."

Harry was silent but Draco made no attempt to comment on this statement. He was somewhat stunned that Harry had so readily agreed with his cruel statement. The crackling of the fire filled the room.

"Draco, I need to ask another favour of you." Harry looked up at Malfoy and this time he wore a grave look upon his face.

As the night wore on, Harry and Draco discussed Harry's request.

"I think I made a big mistake asking her to marry me." Harry sat deflated in his chair, more than a little tipsy. Malfoy was pouring them drinks and knew that Harry already had one too many.

Harry kept speaking, not caring whether Draco was even listening to him anymore, "I wanted this for myself, you see. I shouldn't have proposed, it was stupid of me, and now I'll have hurt her more than if she had just become an Auror herself. I tried to protect her by asking Dumbledore to deny her becoming one. She was disappointed but I think she accepted it. But this? She won't understand why I lied to her or couldn't tell her what was going on. And it kills me that I'm simply making her my wife so that she'll be here when I come back. Argh! ...if I come back!" He ran his hands through his hair, not helping the already unruly mess. He continued, "I've wanted to marry her since the day we left Hogwarts but I couldn't put her through that then. And I ask myself that I can put her through it now? What a bastard I am."

He was rambling but Malfoy again made no attempt to comment. Now he understood why Harry had proposed at such an inappropriate time. It amused him that Harry was incapable of relishing his single selfish act.

"Why are you smiling, Malfoy?" Harry slurred.

"I was just noticing that the great Harry Potter is actually human," he drawled.

Harry gave Draco a brief smirk then asked, "So given all our musings so far tonight, how am I going to leave the one person I care about most in the world without hurting her any more than I absolutely have to?"

"Well, Potter, again you've come to the right person for help. I think I have a plan for you." Harry perked up his head, interested in what Draco had to suggest.

"Potter, whatever you do, Granger is going to be hurt but my plan minimizes that pain and I can guarantee that she'll still be here for you when you get back."

Malfoy's eyes sparkled and he was amazed at his cunning for having thought of it, truly worthy of a Slytherin, and he wondered whether it would work. If it did pan out, Harry would get what he wanted, Hermione safe and well if he ever returned, and Draco would possibly end up with that which he had been waiting for the past three months. He started to relate the details of his plan to Harry.

***