Choices

Chapter Ten: Her Choice

"I love you so much, Hermione, more than you will ever know," Lucius whispered softly to her.

Hermione, whose attention had been focused on her feet, looked up at him and said, "I love you too, Lucius."

The blond man leaned down a placed a soft kiss on her lips and moved his hands to begin unbuttoning her blouse. He had almost gotten the offending garment off before Hermione realized what he was doing and quickly moved to help him remove it. He gently massaged her breasts through her bra, thoroughly enjoying the soft gasps and moans he was eliciting from her. Hermione decided that two could play at that game, and had his robes and shirt off almost before he had a chance to realize what was happening. Lucius kissed her deeply and passionately, and before either knew it they were naked and on the bed. Lucius slowly moved his hand down her body to her center. He felt how wet she was and moaned in pleasure.

Moving between her thighs, so his throbbing member was at her entrance, he asked, "Are you sure you want this, Love?"

"More than anything," she answered, all the love and trust she had for him shining in her eyes.

He moved into her slowly, savoring the feel of her warmth around him.

Bang! Hermione's door slammed open and she was snapped out of her dream. She pulled the blanket over her head and tried to get back to her dream, knowing it was a futile effort.

Elkara bounced into the room and sang, "Good morning, Sunshine."

Hermione pulled the blanket down just enough to glare at the other girl and to be heard as she muttered, "I hate you so much right now."

"What did I do this time?" El asked with a mock pout on her face.

"You interrupted the most wonderful dream," she answered, pushing the blanket off of her and climbing out of bed.

El looked confused for a moment, then, grinning, said," Oh, it was that kind of dream. Was it with the person I think it was with?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Hermione answered blushing lightly.

"OH MERLIN IT WAS!" El shouted, then began laughing hysterically.

Hermione desperately wished she had something to throw at the girl. As it was, all she had at the moment was the socks in her left hand and the bra in her right. She settled for glaring daggers at her friend as she set about getting dressed.

"I take it you're still undecided about whether or not you want a relationship with him," Elkara said, sitting down on Hermione's bed.

Hermione sat down next to El and pulled her shoes on, taking a moment to think about it. Finally she said, "I do want to pursue a relationship with, but I'm worried about the backlash."

"What backlash, Hermione?" El asked, knowing full well what the other girl was talking about, but wanting to hear it from her.

"Harry and Ron will be furious, as will Ginny. The press is going to have a field day with it, if they find out, which they will. Hermione Granger, one third of the Golden Trio, dating her teacher, not to mention a known Death Eater."

"A reformed Death Eater," Elkara pointed out. "And besides, you heard what he said to Snape, he only did it to protect Draco."

"And that's another thing, what is Draco going to think about this?" she asked. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a bad idea.

"What will Draco think about what?" The blond in question asked, opening the door just enough to stick his head through.

Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered, "Great." To Draco she said, "Nothing, Dray. I'm just having an emotional dilemma."

Draco nodded in understanding, then said, "If it's about my father, go for it. He adores you, but I must warn you, if you hurt him I'll kill you."

"Well, there you go, Hermia. That’s one less thing to worry about. Harry and Ron will be fine as long as you give them time to get used to the idea. Meaning, you should warn them about what you plan on doing before you do it. As for the press, well, everyone now knows that the Prophet can't be trusted, so that shouldn't be an issue. And if you're worried about one reporter in particular, just remember that bugs are a birds favourite food,” Elkara said, watching her friend's mood lighten as she spoke.

Hermione had to laugh about Elkara's implied threat to eat Rita Skeeter. She sobered again, asking, "And what about you? I promised Professor McGonagall that I'd look after you. How am I going to do that if I'm having alone time with him?"

"Oh, Hermione, you worry too much. You've left me alone with Ginny plenty of times and nothing has happened," El answered.

Hermione rubbed her eyes, wishing the whole mess would go away so she could go back to being the bookworm that didn't have any kind of interest in anything sexual. "El, I'm scared. What if he doesn't like me like that and only wants sex? What if I'm not good enough for him? What if he decides I'm too young and inexperienced? What if he decides that he can't be with a Muggleborn? What if..."

Her next 'what if" was cut off by Elkara shaking her and telling her to get a grip. "Mia, he adores you, Draco said so himself. If he had even the tiniest problem with your age, experience, or blood status, he wouldn't have let Draco know how he feels about you. And as far as him only wanting sex, that's crap, Hermione, and you know it."

The brunette nodded, and tried to pull herself out of the fear and self-doubt that had settled over her. She was being ridiculous, she knew that, but it was hard for her to accept that a guy might actually like her for her. After all she was Hermione Granger, know-it-all extraordinaire, and best friend of the Harry Potter. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she stood, grabbed her bag and left her bedroom with Elkara right beside her.

---

"'Mione, it's time for Defence," Harry said, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

It was lunch and Hermione had spaced out, her thoughts floating to her new favourite professor. She was just starting to fall back into the funk from that morning when Harry had snapped his fingers in front of her. She forced herself to push the thoughts aside and do what she did best, focus on school.

"Sorry, Harry," she said, reaching under the table to grab her bag.

She, Elkara, Ron, and Harry walked to Defence in virtual silence, only talking to the few people that said hello to them first. Hermione was lost in thought again, trying to decide the best way to get Lucius alone. Elkara was thinking about what mischief she, Ginny, and the boys could get into that night. Harry and Ron were thinking about their respective love interests and the best way to ask them out.

When they got to Defence, they were so lost in their own thoughts that none of them noticed their professor standing in the doorway waiting for them. Hermione and El walked into him and all three hit the ground.

Hermione blushed and immediately began stammering apologies. Malfoy held up a hand to silence her and pulled himself to his feet. He offered one hand each to Elkara and Hermione to help them stand. The girls accepted and pulled themselves up.

"Now that the theatrics are done with, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, you are to report to the Headmaster's office at once. Miss Granger and Miss Shidu, you will join them there after class," the blond man informed them, smoothing his robes. He turned and strode to the front of the classroom.

"Wonder what the Headmaster wants with us," Ron said, looking completely baffled. The other three just shrugged, not knowing the answer.

Ron and Harry left for the Headmaster's office and Hermione and Elkara walked into the classroom and took their usual seats.

“Today’s lesson will be a practical one. You will partner up and practice the Protego Altro charm. I trust you all remember how to cast it,” Professor Malfoy told them.

“Hermione, I’m going to partner Draco. Is that okay?” Elkara asked her friend.

Hermione nodded, saying, “That’s fine. It will give me a chance to talk to Hannah.”

Fortunately for Hermione, the blonde girl hadn’t found a partner. The two girls made eye contact, Hermione silently asking if Hannah wanted to partner with her. The other girl nodded, and the two met in the front of the class room near the professor’s desk.

“Okay, no that everyone has a partner, let’s begin,” Professor Malfoy said to his class. He thought it odd that Hermione and Elkara had decided not to partner up for the lesson, as the two girls were normally inseperable.

“Hannah, can I ask you something kind of personal?” Hermione asked.

The Hufflepuff girl looked nervous, but answered, “Sure.”

“Protego Altro!” Hermione cried, casting the shield around herself and Hannah perfectly. She then turned to Hannah and asked, “Do you like Harry?”

Hannah blushed brilliantly and nodded. Then she said, “Please don’t tell him, Hermione. I don’t think he even knows I exist.”

Hermione chuckled, saying, “Trust me, he definitely knows you exist.”

Hannah looked flabbergasted. “He does? Does he like me?”

“Yeah, he does. Would you go to Hogsmeade with him if he asked you?” Hermione asked.

“Oh, absolutely!” Hannah replied.

Hermione dropped the shield and told Hannah that it was her turn to cast it.

“Protego Altro!” Hannah cried. The shield appeared around them and the two girls grinned at each other. It was the first time Hannah had managed to cast the charm perfectly without assistance.

“I must warn you, though, if you’re only interested in Harry because he’s the Boy-Who-Lived I will seriously injure you,” Hermione told the other girl in a conversational tone.

“I really hope I don’t come across as being that shallow,” Hannah replied, looking hurt.

“You don’t, but Harry’s my best friend. I just need to be sure,” Hermione told her.

Hermione looked around just in time to see their professor walking toward them, wand drawn. Hermione wondered if Hannah’s shield would hold up to whatever he was planning on doing. She watched as he waved his wand in a circular pattern and a pale blue light shot out of it. The light hit the shield, and bounced off. It hit the wall, taking a small chunk out of it.

Hermione dropped the shield and started yelling at her professor. “What the HELL were you thinking? If that shield hadn’t held you could have a seriously hurt one of us!”

“Do you really doubt Miss Abbott’s abilities that much?” the blond man asked her.

“I have the utmost faith in Hannah, but that still doesn’t give you the right to be firing dangerous curses in a classroom full of students,” Hermione answered, trying to regain her calm.

He smirked at her and said, “Miss Granger, all of these students were well protected by their own shields. Now are you done, or am I going to have to give you a detention?”

“You can give me a detention if you want to, it’s not going to make me change my position or back down from it,” she answered, glaring at him.

All of the other students in the room were shocked at this. The last time any of them had seen Hermione this angry at a teacher had been third year Divination when she’d walked out. The Gryffindors in the room wondered if Hermione was going to walk out of this class like she had Divination.

“Miss Granger, you will watch your tone when you speak to me,” Lucius growled.

She continued to glare at him as she answered, “I’ll watch my tone, Professor, when you stop acting like a git.”

There was a collective gasp from the other students. They wondered if this would be the end of Hermione Granger.

“Detention, Miss Granger, for the next week,” he ground out, trying to control the urge to throw her up against the wall and do all sorts of deliciously evil things to her.

“Fine. Are we done now? It’s time for class to be over and Elkara and I have an appointment with the headmaster,” Hermione asked, regretting her loss of control, but refusing to back down.

Lucius looked around at the assembled students and said, “Class dismissed. Miss Granger, you will stay behind for a moment.”

The rest of the class gathered their belongings and left the room, each of them giving Hermione a look of sadness and, in some cases, respect for standing up to a teacher. Elkara and Draco were the last to leave, and Hermione knew they’d be in the hall waiting for her when she was done.

As soon as the door closed, Hermione turned to her professor and said, “Sir, I’m sorry for calling you a git, and for my attitude. I was out of line.”

“Miss Granger, I do believe you’re the first woman that has ever stood up to me like that. As much as I admire that fighting spirit, there is a time and a place for it. In my classroom is neither the time nor the place. Do you understand why I ‘attacked’ you and Miss Abbott?”

Hermione resisted the urge to make a smart-ass remark, settling for just shaking her head.

Lucius sighed. “I thought not. I did it to teach you, all of you, that an attack can come at anytime, anywhere, and you need to be prepared for it.”

“Professor, I’m sorry. When do you want me to serve my detentions?” Hermione asked, now seriously regretting her loss of temper.

Lucius sat down on a desk near Hermione and rubbed his face tiredly. It was the first sign of weakness Hermione had seen from the man and it worried her a bit.

“Every night after dinner and you won’t be going to the Quidditch match this Saturday,” he told her.

Hermione laughed and said, “Professor, forbidding me to go to a Quidditch match isn’t a punishment.”

He gave her a half-annoyed look and told her to get out of his classroom.

Hermione gathered her things, then turned to him and said, “Professor, you owe me something.”

“What?” he asked, wondering what on earth the little witch was up to.

She set her bag down on a chair and walked over to him. She put her arms around his shoulders and kissed him firmly. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. She was terrified that he was going to push her away. She was surprised when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. They both moaned softly at the increased contact. Hermione brought her hands up and buried them in his hair. It was just as soft and silky as she’d imagined it to be.

She finally pulled away from him, though she didn’t want to. She said, “I have to go. Elkara’s waiting for me, not to mention the headmaster.”

Reluctantly, Lucius let her go. He watched her go, a small smile gracing his features. Hermione turned and gave him a wink and blew him a kiss before she walked out the door. She saw Elkara leaning up against the opposite wall, waiting for her. The two girls just grinned at each other, then headed up to the Headmaster’s
office.

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A/N: Wow, I think that may be longest chapter so far. Thank you for the lovely reviews, and please keep them coming.
Should I pair Draco with someone or leave him single?