Essence of Hermione

Chapter 8: To Trust a Slytherin

As Hermione stepped into the Ball her eyes scanned the crowd as she frantically looked for Ginny. She saw her almost at once, her flaming hair and stunning robes giving her away. She was standing next to her brother and arguing about something. Hermione's eyes flew open as she saw exactly what they were arguing about. Was that Blaise Zabini on her arm? True to her word, Ginny had succeeded in distracting her brother, at least until Hermione got a chance to gather her wits about her. She took a deep breath and looked up at Draco.

"Well?"

"Shall we go for the general public first," Draco asked, nodding at the dance floor, "the Slytherin's, or the Gryffindor's?"

"Might as well get this over with," she said and tugged Draco in the direction of her friends.

They managed to get all the way up to their table without being noticed, close enough to hear the tail end of Ginny and Ron's argument.

"Ron, I know he's a Slytherin, and despite what you may think, that does not make him a bad person. It is none of your business who I date, and frankly, I don't care what you think anymore. I'm never going to please you anyways."

It was then that she caught sight of Hermione and gave her a little wave. Ron turned to see whom she had seen and as he caught sight of the unlikely pair he dropped the glass of punch he had been holding.

"What the hell are you doing, Malfoy?" he hissed once he had gotten his voice back. "Get away from her!"

"I wasn't aware that she needed you as a spokes person, Weasley," he drawled, and Ron's face turned crimson in anger.

"Boys! Ron, I'm here with Draco. He's my date, so I'm quite sure that it is acceptable for him to be here."

Ron spluttered as he heard this, and rubbed his finger in his ear.

"Must have forgot to clean out my ears," he said, a bit uncertainly. "I thought for a minute there you said that that scum was your date."

"He is."

Ron spluttered some more and seemed to be trying to say something, though he couldn't get the words out.

"What did you do to her!" he yelled finally. "What dirty spell did you put on her? I swear, if this can't be reversed-"

"Ron! There is no spell. Draco asked me to the Ball and I said yes. If you can't deal with that then... I'm sorry."

Ron gaped at her, mouth working soundlessly. She reached out a hand to his shoulder but he jerked away as if bitten.

"Don't touch me," he said venomously. He looked her up and down as if trying to see some physical change in her and upon seeing none turned his back on her. "The Hermione I knew would've known better then to associate with Death Eater spawn, wouldn't have pushed away her best friends for Slytherin scum. But I guess you never really know a person until they show their true colors," he spat and then turned back to her very slowly. "You look like a princess. Go dance with your Slytherin prince," he said before he strode away.

Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill. She felt Draco's arms go around her.

"You okay?"

She nodded and hastily wiped at her eyes, determined not to cry.

"Let's go dance before I have to deal with anyone else," she said shakily, allowing herself to be led out onto the floor by Draco.

The entire Ball went silent except for the slow, haunting waltz that was being played by Magical Force, the band Dumbledore had hired. Hermione could feel a thousand pairs of eyes on her as they danced, and she buried her head in Draco's shoulder so she didn't have to look at any of the stunned faces. Titters broke out, whispers and angry outbursts, and Hermione chanced a look up. Ginny and Blaise were dancing nearby, as well as Kendra and Griffin, and they gave her reassuring smiles. Hermione sighed heavily and looked away, straight into the shocked eyes of her closest friend. Harry stood not five feet away, his green eyes radiating disbelief and betrayal. She untangled herself from Draco and started slowly towards him but he shook his head, taking a step beck before turning abruptly and striding quickly away. Hermione felt the tears well up again, but this time she knew she couldn't stop them. She turned and looked up at Draco with tears staining her face.

"I thought I could do this," she said softly. "I thought I was strong enough but... I can't. I can't take this, everybody staring at us."

"Do you want to leave?"

She nodded and he propelled her back towards the door. They were just exiting when she caught sight of Pansy Parkinson, who was glaring at her with the most hateful look she could muster. Anger sparked in Hermione. In no way at all was this fair, she didn't deserve to be treated like she had done some terrible wrong. Tears streamed down her face, though whether they were from despair or rage she couldn't tell. She closed her eyes to try and stop the flow, letting Draco guide her, not knowing where they were headed. She didn't really care. After a while he stopped her and she opened her eyes slowly. They were in a small, comfortably furnished room. A small fire crackled in the fireplace on one end of the room, with two chairs positioned close to it. A couch and several large cushions were at the other end, with a small table in the middle of the room. Hermione walked over to the couch and collapsed into it, curling up into a ball. She felt Draco sit next to her, not touching her, just a quiet, reassuring presence. She could have laughed. Whoever would have thought that she would've thought of Draco Malfoy as reassuring. But he was, and she found herself spilling her feelings to him there and then, unable to keep them in any longer.

"It's not fair. Everyone was looking at me like I was some terrible person, scum of the earth or something. It's stupid. Stupid! And Harry and Ron, you'd think I turned them over to Voldemort or something the way they looked at me. Like I'd disappointed them. Well let me tell you, I DON'T CARE ANYMORE. If they can't accept that I have a life other then them then that's fine, I'm THROUGH with them! You can put away your differences for me, so why can't they?"

She was sobbing heavily now, and Draco reached out a hand to stroke her hair softly.

"It's Potter," he said hatefully. "Everything is black and white to him, he's good, I'm bad, so therefore anyone and everyone who associates with me is scum of the earth. He thinks he's so fucking noble that he can't look past his huge ass ego to see anyone else besides his chosen few, and when someone steps outside the loop, well then, that's it. He's a bastard and you shouldn't waste your time with him."

Hermione sniffed and sat up slowly.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For making me feel not quite so terrible," she said, and then laughed softly.

He looked at her with serious eyes and she reached up to kiss his lips lightly. Need over came her, more powerful then she had ever experienced, and she kissed him again, harder this time. As their lips touched she knew that this was it, there would be no going back this time.

~~~

Draco could feel Hermione's need throughout his entire body, just as strong as his own. Slipping her diamond straps down over her shoulders he slowly undressed her with nimble fingers, savoring each bit of her pale skin he uncovered. She tugged at his robes, pulling them off and dropping them unceremoniously on the floor. He paused his assault to bring his lips back up to hers and she pushed him down onto the couch, working at the buttons of his shirt. She discarded it next to his robes and then slowly rubbed the smooth muscles of his chest, using her lips and hands to massage the pale skin, working her way steadily downwards. His mouth had gone dry as he watched her, a moan escaping his lips as she started to undo his trousers. Pulling him free of them, she ran her hands over the sculpted muscles of his legs, massaging her way up again. He went hard under her touch, every muscle in his body tingling and aware. He couldn't remember ever wanting anyone as badly as he wanted her right then.

Looking at her he saw the silver sparkle of her necklace and in some insane, impulsive urge, reached behind her to unclasp it. For reasons he didn't want to explain, he knew it would be unacceptable for her to do this without really choosing to. If she didn't truly want this then he wasn't going to force it on her, plan or no plan. He brought her back up to his lips and then paused to look into her eyes. What he saw there almost stopped his heart. Trust. That's what it was, and he suddenly felt ashamed.

"Hermione," he said, his voice a low moan, "we don't have to if-"

She stopped him with a finger to his lips.

"Shh," she whispered, but he could feel her shaking. "I want to."

Taking her head in his hands he kissed her gently.

"Have you ever-" he began, but he saw the truth in her eyes confirming what he had thought. "I'll be gentle," he whispered and then entered her, pausing to wipe away her tears as he did.

~~~

Hermione never would be able to explain the impossible mix of emotions she felt at having Draco inside of her. She found a rhythm deep inside her, the systematic clenching and unclenching of muscles building to unimaginable sweetness. When it came it was like nothing she had ever imagined. She cried out and he pressed himself against her, she clutching at him, raking her hands over the smooth skin of his back. She gasped for breath, her sweat mingling with his. They were no longer two separate people, but one of a whole.

Afterwards they lay together, exhausted, stroking and exploring each other's naked bodies. Somehow they had ended up on the floor with a blanket and she now lay under it, her head against the rippling muscles of his chest. Her eyes closed and her breathing became measured as she fell asleep.

~~~

Draco opened his eyes slowly, done reminiscing, to find himself back in the present. He had thought that thinking everything over would clear his head, but it had only made him even more unsure. He remembered Hermione's words, You can put away your differences for me, so why can't they? and felt guilt flood through him. One thing was clear. Whatever he felt, he couldn't go through with his plan. Hurting Potter wasn't worth destroying what he had with Hermione, for he had realized something. Through it all, through the arguing and snogging, through the tears and the laughter and the confessions, Hermione had become his friend. Probably the only real one he had. He sighed. He couldn't believe he was being so weak. His father would beat him, no doubt, if he could see him now.

"But dear old dad is in prison," he muttered to himself.

He looked down at the sleeping Hermione in his arms once more before glancing at his watch. Eleven o'clock. If he was going to abort he had to do it now. He took a deep breath, his mind made up, and reached down a hand to wake Hermione.

~~~

Hermione had fallen asleep with ruby and emerald eyes swirling through her head. She had started to dream. She felt as if she were watching TV, as if it were her life put on screen for her to see. She stood in this room watching herself and Draco as they were now, curled up together in slumber. There was no clock present though she knew that it was now exactly 11:30. As she watched, two forms appeared through the wall, one with flaming red hair and the other sporting glasses in front of lively green eyes. They stared at hers and Draco's forms, Ron extracting his wand from his robes and yelling something as he advanced towards them, but Harry held him back. She saw herself open her eyes and, as if the volume had suddenly been turned up on the TV set, heard herself scream in horror. Disgust and rage were written across the features of the two boys.

"You dirty piece of scum, what have you done to her?"

Draco laughed.

"It's called shagging, Potter. Screwing if you like. Sex. Not that you'd know anything of that, homosexual that you are."

Ron looked as if he were going to throw up.

"Let's go," he said.

"Take your little Mudblood with you," Draco said. "She's of no use to me now that I've had my way with her. Then again, I guess she's of no interest to you either now that I've... deflowered her, as it were."

Hermione watched herself look at Draco in horror and saw the tears well up in her eyes. Draco stood up, taking the blanket with him, and motioned to something behind her. She turned and her eyes went wide. The entire wall that Harry and Ron had come through had disappeared and now most of the school was there, watching the spectacle.

"Let it be known," he announced, "that Draco Malfoy takes whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and follows no rules but his own. Here you see your precious hero and his devoted sidekick stripped of their pride, their wits and their girl by none other then yours truly. Now I'm leaving, but please, if you want to find out how this little soap opera turns out, by all means stick around. Good night."

Hermione watched helplessly as Draco pushed his way through the stunned crowd. She shook with rage because, just as she knew that this was a dream, she also knew without a doubt that this was the future, a very real future, and something Draco, no, Malfoy, had been planning all along.

"Hermione. Hermione, wake up!"

Hermione opened her eyes slowly, and upon seeing Draco's face in front of her immediately slapped him as hard as she could.

"You bastard," she hissed as he rubbed his face and raised her hand again.

He grabbed her wrist easily and held her down, much stronger then she.

"Listen to me," he hissed at her, anger in his eyes. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but you better do what I say or it's not going to be pleasant for any of us."

She glared hatefully at him.

"I know what you're trying to do," she told him. "I know how you're trying to make Harry, Ron and I look like fools."

Tears welled up in her eyes. She had trusted him. He looked at her in surprise then looked at the hand he was holding. Her serpent ring was glowing softly and she saw comprehension dawn on him.

"I should have known that that ring was more powerful then I thought," he muttered and then shook his head. "Look, I know you probably hate me right now, but whatever that ring showed you will come true very quickly if you don't listen to me."

Hermione stopped trying to fight him, going very still. Why is he doing this? she asked herself as she listened to him but pushed the thought away angrily. It didn't matter. Ron was right, he was Slytherin scum. She had trusted him and all along he had been acting, nothing that had happened between them had meant anything to him. He had probably laughed himself to sleep every night at the thought of what a sucker she was. It hurt. It hurt more then she could have ever imagined and if she hadn't been focused on what he was saying she was sure she would have fallen apart. Because, though she wouldn't admit it to herself, she had become close to him. He hadn't judged her or expected anything of her. He had opened up to her and she to him. She had thought they had developed a trust of some sort, some kind of understanding, and now to find out that it had all been one sided... she was a fool. She shut herself off from her emotions and thoughts, becoming an empty shell. For tonight she had to be strong, she had to get through this. Tomorrow she could let herself feel.

At 11:30 Hermione stood alone in the small room, fully dressed, hair in place, waiting. She watched as her friends emerged through the wall, as she knew they would, and then felt the tears come as she saw their guarded expressions.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I made a huge mistake and I understand if you hate me. I just... I'm just-" she couldn't finish as emotion choked her voice and sobs racked her body.

Harry and Ron were next to her in an instant, enveloping her in hugs.

"Shh," Harry said. "It's okay; everyone makes mistakes. We're here now."

Ron patted her hair awkwardly, looking as if he had no clue what to do with an emotional female.

"Yeah, it's alright Hermione. We forgive you just... just stop crying. Ok?"

Hermione choked out a laugh and nodded.

"I love you guys," she said and Harry smiled as Ron turned crimson.

"Ready to go back to the common room?"

She nodded and then paused as they headed out.

"Just give me a second, okay?" she asked and they agreed to wait for her outside the room.

Hermione looked down at the ring she wore, remembering Draco's words.

I have never taken it off. I couldn't, not until I had someone to give it to.

She had no one to give it to but she'd be damned if she was going to wear it any longer then she had to. She tugged at it and it came off surprisingly easily. She tossed it on the floor and then without a backwards glance headed through the wall to where her friends were waiting.

~~~

Draco Malfoy stood in the shadows, unknown to the trio. He was hidden by a concealing charm and as he watched the scene in front of him his face contorted in anger. He watched as Hermione discarded his ring and waited until she had left before striding out into the center of the room. Picking up the ring he looked at it carefully before throwing it as hard as he could against the wall.

"Fuck!" he cried angrily before throwing himself into a chair and putting his head in his hands.

After a while he went over to the table and opened a drawer, taking out the flask that was there. Opening it, he held it up.

"Cheers," he said before taking a huge swig and falling back onto the couch, ready to drink his emotions away.