Champagne Dreams

thanks for the reviews everyone! I appreciate it so much! sorry it has taken me so long to update
but It's been hard deciding where I want to go from here... and I've been a little preoccupied with my other fics particularly CAGED... that one has been springing out of my fingertips. You perhaps might want to take a look at that one... not to shamelessly plug another fic in here... but I digress... enjoy!
- Love Esme
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Draco was seething, he had to talk Hermione out of this. He felt betrayed by his father and his lover... he questioned if she ever actually felt anything for him in the first place or was he just something to pass the time till she hooked Lucius. He knew it sounded ludicrous, she was a virgin Gryffendor with no cunning, she wasn't even much of a temptress. He had wanted her from the start, and she only warmed to his touch when her head was spinning with wine.

No, he decided it was Lucius all along... and though he adored the man he knew how cunning and conniving he could be. He couldn't stop his rage from boiling over and wrecked the common room, toppling desks and smashing vases, he went to the book cases and started throwing them across the room. He wanted to make something hurt as bad as he did, the books were little reminders of her.

He was about to toss Hogwarts A History into the flames but he couldn't do it, the book that was clenched in his fists toppled to the ground. Draco sank to the floor, he couldn't take the pain that he was in, tears streaming down his beautiful face. He felt like someone was stabbing his heart with a red hot poker that seared the skin with each thrust. He thought back to everything she had said to him... said how much she wanted him and loved him. He wanted to ruin both of them and horrific visions of retribution danced in his head. His Slytherin mind had already devised a devious plan that would tear their worlds apart... but he knew deep down he didn't want to really hurt them...

He grabbed the only bottle he hadn't smashed, Lucius's fire whiskey... he retreated to the couch and drowned his sorrows.

The next morning when he woke with a horrible hang over... peeling himself from the couch he had collapsed in tears on last night. He decided that he would was not exactly ready to let go... so he buried his plans, his hate and his grieving under a cool mask of indifference. If she thought he was an evil git before... she wouldn't even know what hit her now... now that he had a reason for vengeance. He knew he would have to play upon her Gryffendor weaknesses... and guilt would be his weapon to get her back.

He left the common room just as it was, in utter disarray. Before he left, he folded up the vivid red letter of the brief howler he wrote for her. It was short and to the point he thought smugly as he attached it to her door. He noticed she was a little late for breakfast and could feel her eyes on him as she took her seat between Potter and Weasley, he avoided her eyes at all costs and decided that if she could replace him as fast as her bed sheets, he could do the same. He leaned into Pansy and flirted with her wantonly. Pansy felt like she was in heaven when Draco cast his stormy grey eyes on her. She loved the boy, she couldn't help herself from fawning all over him, fluttering her lashes and casting lustful gazes at him.

NONE of their flirtatious ministrations were missed by Hermione's watchful eye across the great hall. She felt rage creep into every vein... and her eyes almost turned as green as Harry's with envy and jealousy as the saying goes. She had no right to be jealous she chastised herself, he was free to do what he wanted, she knew she wouldn't be able to keep both blondes in her grasp. The thought that she might possibly lose Draco forever made her heart sink with heavy grief. She knew he was going to be furious with her, she knew she needed to talk to him and explain herself... but she hadn't expected this kind of reaction.

Draco knew most wizards would die for the chance to be the object of Pansy's desire... she had outgrown her pug stage and her raven hair had grown down her back. He eyes were clear and bright and she always smelled like jasmine. He thought she was attractive, but she didn't have "it"... that fucking "it" that Granger had oozing out of every pore, that something he couldn't really put a name to but he knew he would walk 5000 miles just to behold that "it" about her. He held Pansy's hand and gave her a chaste peck on her cheek. A beautiful blush spread across the apples of her cheeks, the raven haired beauty brushed her lips against his cheek before nibbling on his ear.

Hermione felt the heat creep into her face and her eyes stung from the tears that were about to fall. She blinked them back as best she could. Her Gryffendor intuition had told her this must be exactly how he felt when Lucius told him what she had done, who she had chosen. The guilt was there, but the jealousy was pushing it to the back burner, and the acute pain she felt took the thrown as the king of her emotions. She pushed herself up from the bench, muttered a lame excuse about forgetting a book to Harry and Ron and all but ran out of the Great Hall.

Draco didn't miss the tear fall down her cheek and the way the pain was written across her face as she zoomed out of sight. He felt ashamed of himself, he didn't get any joy of making her jealous... and the pain in her eyes tore at his heart violently. He lowered his eyes and just stared blankly at the table, wanting to just disappear. Pansy protested to his withdraw and nudged herself closer to him. He gently pushed her away "were in public Pans... have some decency". He heard the heavy sigh escape her lips and she retracted her hands from him in anger.

Lucius had noticed everything from the professor's table and had stopped listening to Snape drone on about a potion he was perfecting. "I realize I might as well be speaking to this plate in front of me than bother the high and mighty Lucius Malfoy with such trivial conversation" Snape said irritably. Lucius was resting his chin on his hand and had been drumming his manicured fingers across the table absently. "hmm? Oh I"m just a bit preoccupied, do go on Severus" he said casually. Snape chatted his ear off again and Lucius couldn't help but think how badly Snape must need a shag to be so miserable all the damn time. He sighed and added an "I see..." and the occasional "really?" so Snape wouldn't bite his head off again, all the time thinking of how he was going to pull the reigns in on his son.
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Hermione broke into a full run once she got out of the Great Hall. She ran up to the Head's dormitories and almost tripped over the books on the floor. Tears streaming down her face she took in the common room, books, papers, and furniture had been tossed about the room... it looked like a train had obliterated everything in its path. "Oh Draco... why are you doing this to me?" she said to the demolished common room.

The guilt crept back into her even more when she imagined what pain and fury he was in when he tore the common room apart. She was still angry with him for tricking her into confessing her deepest desires to him... she wasn't sure if she was in love with him... she cared for him, but she was still confused as to wether it was the potion he gave her or not. He was acting like a spoiled child none the less and the state of the room only proved it even more, and he was so out of control she decided that the more mature Lucius would provide her stability and means to further her much desired career.

She knew it sounded Slytherin, but there influence on her was seeping in to her train of thought.
She carefully stepped over the shattered lamps and books to her room, she took the red letter down from her door and unfolded it. She laid back on her bed in exhaustion, eyes widening at the realization that it was a howler letter. The letter fluttered out of her hand and turned into a mouth, very similar to the Howler she saw Mrs. Weasley send Ron. She was shocked to hear her own voice spout from the red paper lips.

"When we find the cure to this potion, I will make love to you every day for the rest of my life Draco Malfoy"

He used her own words against her, and the memory of when she said that to Draco came crashing back to her full force. That was all the "Howler" contained before it shredded into a hundred pieces. The bright red scraps nestling into her hair and falling all around her like confetti. She stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours, the dull ache in her heart was intensifying. She knew what she had done... she had tried to have her cake and eat it too, she wasn't the innocent virgin she once was and she didn't like who she was rapidly becoming. She needed to try to make amends with Draco, somehow. She had secrets, dark secrets that she was keeping from her friends, she couldn't tell Harry or Ron about the scandal she was in with the Malfoys... maybe someday she told herself, she would pay for her sins.

She eventually got up and went to class... the day dragged on and she kept envisioning Pansy nibbling on Draco's ear. When Lucius tilted her chin up in the middle of class to snap her out of her day dreaming she blushed furiously at the intimate act. His hand was still cupped around her chin and his silver eyes looked at her with sheer adoration, and a great deal of worry was etched across his beautiful face. "Miss Granger it would benefit you to keep your mind on this plane of existence" he drawled. She shook her head and mumbled an apology. Lucius took his post at the front of the class again, she heard the group of girls behind her sigh and swoon, she heard Pansy's voice ring in her ears "Merlin he's gorgeous..."she was shocked to hear Lavender Brown chime in and actually agree with Pansy "tell me about it... I can't sit still in this class". The girls giggled with excitement.

Draco shot daggers at his father, he was going to kill both of them for that little scene, he had been nursing his hang over with more fire whiskey he had hidden in a flask and he was feeling wonderfully numb... but THAT put the fire back in his rage. After class he followed Hermione through the hallways at a safe distance, when he realized she was on her way to his father's office he darted up to her and grabbed her arm roughly. He slammed her against the wall, Hermione could smell alcohol on his breath and saw the raw fury in his stormy eyes. He grabbed her throat with a vice like grip as he pushed himself against her "can't seem to get enough cock in you eh mudblood?" she couldn't speak and was grasping at his hands to try to loosen them off her throat. He was losing control... he knew he was hurting her but his mind couldn't tell his hands to stop. Draco relaxed his grip on her throat, only to place them on her shoulders. He shook her violently "did you like fucking my father?" tears were spilling down her face "DID YOU?" he raged at her, He was shaking her so hard, the tears were chocking her up "Draco...please" was all she managed to gasp out. "Did you suck him off too you little whore?!" she hit her head against the hard stone wall when he pushed her back up against the wall "how's it feel to be one of his many whores?!" his voice was hoarse now and tears were brimming in his eyes. "Draco please.. STOP" she screamed as she beat her fists against his chest. Suddenly Draco was ripped off of her, she looked up to see Lucius throwing Draco against the wall.

Lucius had a good 40 pounds on Draco, though both were the same height, Lucius had the upper hand of being a wall of muscle. He grabbed Draco by his collar and was dragging him down the hall, mere seconds from his office he threw open the door and flung Draco into his office before slamming the door shut. Hermione, for lack of better judgment, ran to to the door, fear of Lucius murdering his only son filling her mind. "What have I done?" she asked the large oak door. She heard them shouting at each other, only catching a few words here and there through the dense wood of the door. The word she heard being bellowed most frequently was her own name.

She heard the sound of furniture smashing against walls and glass bottles shattering. They were like two lions fighting to the death, Lucius trying to restrain his livid son, Draco trying to destroy whatever got in his way. She heard a sickening thud and the shouting match ended. Horror and panic flamed inside of her, she started beating on the door violently "let me in! what's happened?!" she beat furiously on the door till her hands ached. Suddenly Lucius opened the door for her and pulled her to him, he shut the door behind them "are you hurt?" he said with panic in his voice as he crushed her into his embrace, she could feel his powerful chest heaving into hers. "what's happened here Lucius?" she said as she looked around for Draco.. her eyes searching the disheveled office. She saw his blonde head resting on the arm of a sofa... she pried herself out of his arms and ran her eyes over Draco's still form.

She pushed back his hair and noticed the bruises appearing on his alabaster skin. "he's out cold... I had to do something... he was going insane" he gushed out, his chest still heaving, his hair everywhere. "Oh Draco... I'm so sorry" she began to sob and buried her head onto his chest, feeling the shallow breath leave his chest. Lucius cold eyes raked over her sobbing form, clutching his sons chest. "if I hadn't stopped him he would have done something he couldn't have lived with". Hermione felt Lucius hands on her thighs, he was kneeling in front of her, she looked up at him "he had alcohol on his breath, he wasn't himself" Lucius pulled her into his embrace again and petted her hair "he's stolen my fire whiskey, I should have kept a closer watch on him"

"He.. he hates me now" she sobbed into his neck "no love... it's me that he hates... I'm afraid his feeling for you have not changed whatsoever" Hermione sobbed in Lucius's arms for several minutes before pulling back and searching his silver eyes "we should get him to Madame Pomfrey". Lucius nodded before standing, gathering Draco in his arms and heading for the door. Hermione followed behind, wiping the tears from her eyes and smoothing her hair.

Lucius was grateful that Poppy Pomfrey did not ask too prying of questions as she looked over Draco. She had kept him overnight and Lucius and Hermione stayed by his side till Lucius had to get back to his office, intending on sending Narcissa a letter explaining what had happened... excluding a few key details he dodged silkily. Hermione stayed behind, Lucius giving her a prying glance, he tilted her chin up to look into her eyes, just as he did in class earlier, he gave her a soft, long kiss before withdrawing. "be careful my love... take care of my dragon" he said sadly. Hermione ran her hands down his shoulders and rested them on his powerful forearms "I love you, and I will take care of him". "I love you too... can I see you tonight?" Lucius asked gazing down at her. "I'll try... I need to take care of a few things" he gave her a quick peck on the cheek before turning to leave. Hermione could see the pain in his eyes, and it felt like her heart broke all over again.