Love Wears a Mask

Hermione gazed up at the glistening specimen of young manhood above her. She distantly realized that her breathing had become short, and she dimly wondered why. The eyebrows of the face above her were drawn together in a worried expression, and it moved suddenly. She attempted to protest, but found it difficult to speak. She ended up uttering a sort of plaintive whimper, and the face returned briefly.

"Shhh...." it said, and stroked her hair before disappearing once more. The light faded....

***************

She awoke once more, much more clear-headed. The sun was lower in the sky, and her handsome stranger was sitting nearby. He moved swiftly to her side as he saw her attempt to stand up. He moved his hand beneath her back and aided her until she was sitting. She frowned at him in confusion. "What happened?" She glanced down and gasped. Crimson blood was pooled on the tennis court where she had lain. "And whose is that?" She quickly scanned his body with her eyes. "Are you all right?"

Ocard looked distinctly uncomfortable. "It's... it's yours, my dear. But don't worry. It... healed... while you slept."

A smile slowly suffused her features. "It's all right, my dear hero. Thank you for taking care of me." And with that her hand reached forward and snatched the wand from his pocket before he had a chance to react. He stared at her, dumbfounded, as she performed a simple cleaning charm to get rid of the blood. She handed it back to him, the tennis court sparkling beneath her and her lips twisting in a knowing smirk.

His expression changed; he now appeared-- intrigued? Hermione only had the chance for this one thought before she felt his arm wrap around her shoulders and the world shift around her. When it settled back down, his strong arms caught her as she fell, but he made no sign of releasing her. As she caught her breath, she took in her surroundings-- they were beneath the willow tree on the fourth green. She looked up only to have her breath taken away once more as her eyes met Ocard's intense gaze.

"I brought us here so we could talk more privately," he remarked, his voice low and husky. He added, offhand, as his eyes twinkled with bemusement, "Besides, it's more romantic."

Hermione laughed lightly, the heavy mood broken. "But why, my darling, when there are such better things to do?" He raised his eyebrows in surprise but quickly acted, pulling her into a deep kiss. They parted at last, breathless.

"Could you love a man named Ocard, Candy?" he whispered huskily. The wind stirred softly in the willows above their heads, and Hermione heard whispers of accusation in the rustling. How could she expect the heart and soul of a man to whom she had told nothing but lies. She longed to run her fingers through his hair and beg for his forgiveness. "Ocard," she breathed, "how can I love a man of any other name?" The expression in his eyes clouded briefly. "Ocard. I'm not--fond--of that name, my dearest."

"It is your name."

He sighed huskily, drawing her to him. She felt the muscles of his chest and slim neck ripple under his tight black t-shirt and designer jeans, felt his arms travel slowly up from her waist, gently caress the small of her back, and tighten almost painfully as they reached her shoulders--

"But Ocard--" her voice stopped as she drew in a deep breath-- "You-- you cannot love me. I have not revealed to you who I truly am."

"Oh, Candy, I--" He paused for a moment, as though steeling himself, and then leaned forward the slight inch it took for his lips to meet hers-- Hermione was drowning in his kiss, in his mercurial gaze, and then her mind was drawn irresistibly to the moment in which she had first laid eyes on those silvery, penetrating orbs.

She pulled back from him slightly, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. He frowned in concern and reached up to brush it away. As he did so, she caught his hand and her tears flowed more freely. "Oh, Ocard. My name isn't Candy. That's just a silly nickname my father gave me when I was little. I just wanted, " she took a deep breath, trying to speak through her anguish, "I just wanted to have fun. I wanted to be someone else, just for a little while. I never realized I would... " She sniffled, trying to hold back her tears, and she was unable to go on.

"Oh, darling," he interrupted. "Don't say it. There's no need to apologize, for in truth I have concealed a great deal about my own past for the time I have known you."

She managed a lighthearted chuckle through the lump in her throat. "Including the fact that you are a wizard. I wondered, that first night--but then you healed me, Ocard, and my suspicions were proven beyond doubt. But you needn't have concealed that, you see, for I am as aware of the magical world as you are."

He laughed himself, a chagrined look accepting the validation of her arguments. "But I had no way of knowing that, dear Candy; the mere thought of finding a likeminded soul at an amateur golf tournament in Southern California would have seemed quite impossible, had it ever occurred to me to imagine that I could find such a person."

"Please, Ocard," she interrupted, "I would like to hear you say my true name. Please call me Hermione."

He stared at her in astonishment, his features turned to a look of shock and surprise as his face blanched to a paler shade. She leaned forward and placed her other hand gently on his cheek, terribly concerned at his reaction. "Are you all right?" she begged of him.

"I--I'm perfectly fine," he assured her, though her fears were hardly assuaged by his tremulous assertion; it seemed to her as though he were weighing two profound alternatives in his mind, as though contemplating some deep inner conflict of morality and emotion. "I only--but no." He shook his head with an air of finality. He stared at her intensely for a long moment, his gaze at once searching and confused. Suddenly he reached forward and gripped her shoulders forcefully. He pulled her to him, kissing her much less gently than he had but a moment before. She could taste his hunger, and she willingly fed him. Eventually, he released her, leaving her weak and gasping for breath. "I'm sorry, my darling--my darling Hermione." She felt her knees nearly give way again at the unexpected wave of tenderness and excitement that the mere sound of his beautiful, velvety voice pronouncing those short four syllables aroused within her.

She leaned her head against his chest, the beating of his heart echoing through the chambers of her head and comforting her inexplicably. He enfolded her in his arms, and they stood, together, on the fourth green as the wind swirled around them.

A/N: No, that's not the end! Chapter six will be coming soon. For those reviewers who were worried about this fic not falling under the Draco/Hermione section, don't worry! Draco will show himself later... *grin* Also, I noticed some reviews asking where the fic takes place... it's in the Santa Barbara area. Thanks for all of the excellent reviews! You guys are so great! I hope you keep checking back!