Pretty to pretend

heres a long one guys to make up for that short chapter i posted before. hope you like it. let me know. it took me a little while to write, to figure out what was going to happen.

Chapter 14

Hermione sat in the headmasters office looking at nothing but her hands clutched rigidly in her lap, her fingers white and bloodless from how tight she was squeezing them together. She did not want to look up at the portraits on the walls feigning sleep, their pretend snores driving her mad as she crossed her bare feet and ankles and pushed them farther beneath the Victorian chair she sat in, slumping her shoulders and hiding more of her face beneath her dark hair. She did not want to look at the new headmaster in an office that should not be his. She did not want to look at the disgusting blond boy sitting beside her, also refusing to look in her general direction. She was refusing to listen to anything that the new headmaster had to tell her about her position now to the dark lord, refused to listen to him demand answers from her.

Snape slammed his hands down on his deep red oak table, frustrated at her lack of response to what he was telling her, what he was trying to get across to her. He stood and leaned over his desk, looking like the vulture she always pictured him as, she pulled back and stared up at him, startled by the sudden show of violence. Her face white and her eyes huge and black, no gold showing through this time, dark smudges beneath them showing how tired her poor body and mind really was, despite her brave front.

“You don’t seem to understand the situation you are now in! The Dark Lord will make you tell him where they are, despite how you feel, show how big that bushy brain of yours is and just give in now, don’t turn this into some long benign process, don’t make him get the information from you. Tell me and your life will be much easier.” He was towering over her, trying to intimidate her as he had in years prior, not realizing that this was not the Hermione “Book Worm” Granger he was used to. She huffed up at him and rolled her eyes to the side, angry at the hours of questioning she was being put through, she had been dead for gods sake and here she was being given the 3rd degree by the very man she despised and hated for destroying her life and the lives of those she loved, he was pushing her too far and she was about to push back in to his ugly hook nosed face. She rolled her eyes up to his face, the look menacing and would have been quite scary where she looking upon any one else. Draco was shocked from his seat beside her, only a foot or two between them he had never seen her look this way, the cruel twist in her eyebrows as looked his master strait in the eye, something even he was hesitant to do.

Her voice was low and gravely as she had not spoken a word in hours, not since the floor of the bathroom where he had left her, frightened away by his own feelings and reactions. It sounded unused and as if it hurt to speak.

“Even if I knew where they were do you honestly think I would tell you or any one else, Murderer, betrayer? Do you think I am like you, that I would sell out those that believe in me, that depend on me?” Her face was no longer shocked, her face was angry, her eyes glowing. “You think I would stab my friends in the back and hand them over to you? We really have nothing in common Snape.” She sat not three feet from her headmaster and challenged him as she had never challenged any teacher before him.

“You will refer to me as headmaster! You are in my office and will show some respect to those better than you!”

Hermione laughed at him, her hair flying out behind her as she stood from her chair, a cruel light showing in her eyes as she smirked. “Better than my self? Don’t make me laugh any harder Snape, I just might die. From what I found out last year you are no better than I, in fact from what you have been trying to shove down my throat for the last 7 years, I am better then you with my oh so lily pure blood wouldn’t you say, Snape?”

He charged around the desk sending his chair skidding to the ground behind him as he reached forward to grab her by the throat and throttle her. Draco jumped out of the way as he shoved past him. Never before had he seen his cool and collected mentor in such a rage, driven to the violence that he himself detested in others.

Hermione jumped back sending the chair crashing in to the wall as she alluded his grasp, smacking his hand away when he lunged for her again, easily moving aside from the older man. “What are you going to do Snape? Are you going to kill me too?” She screamed in to his face when he finally had her backed in to a corner ready to raise his hand and slap her. “Are you going to murder me and take me away from all those that I love, all those that love me?” Tears were coming to her eyes now, tears from anger, tears from the pain that she had not allowed her self to shed all summer long over her lost innocence, at her loss of trust in those around her and in her self even. She did not get the chance to thank her headmaster for all that he had taught her, all that he had shown her. He being the first to tell her that she had a right to belong just as much as those around her when she cried or shied alone in the hallways embarrassed that she was a muggle born and not knowing why she was hated for it. Her voice was hitching now as she tried to breath in, closing her eyes she pushed the tears from her eyes that were blurring her vision, sending them running down her heated skin. “Go ahead and do it, save Voldemort the trouble, do it for him. Just like you did everything else.” She slid down the wall as the sobs racked her body as she cried, cried again that night for another reason, cried because she had not died, had not taken the cowards choice and bowed out when she had had the chance, she had fought and taken the chance when it arose to come back to her body, to fight for her cause. To fight for Harry and to fight for Ron, for Ginny and Luna. She cried harder thinking of them, thinking of what might become of them if she failed, when she failed.

Snape backed away from the crying girl at his feet, in a flash the evil smile had been gone from her eyes and mouth, her face crumpling a few inches from his own, sending ice down his back and deep in to his heart. That hurt him more than any of the cruel but true words she had thrown at him, she was broken suddenly before his eyes.

He turned his back to the girl as she hyperventilated in the corner of his office, as she cried out her anger and pain. Her loss. He looked over at Draco who was staring at Hermione as if he had never seen her before. Glancing behind him he saw that she had her knees drawn up to her chest and her face buried in them her arms thrown over her head. She was saying things low against her knees. Her voice sounded painful.

“I’m no better than you are, no better than them. I killed that death eater, I killed two at least, I know their dead, I threatened that one, I would have slit his throat, I would have killed him. I would have…” She broke off suddenly and wiped her face against her arms and looked up at them. Eyes and nose red. “I’m disgusting., aren’t I?”

Snape hesitated only a second before he replied is a voice softer than he had ever used in her presence before. “In times of war we some times do things we are not proud of. Draco take her back to your shared quarters and put her to bed.”

“Shared quarters? But I thought Blaize…”

“Don’t bother me with your silly questions, Draco is only there to take care of you and to watch you like a hawk, to make sure you take no sudden flights in to the night. Blaize was given the Head-ship and I will not take that from him unless he gives me reason to, in which case I will happily replace him with Draco. Or will you miss him too much?” He sneered as he waved his hand and righted the chairs in the room and sat behind his desk. “Now leave me to my thoughts, we will discuss the further tomorrow.”

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Draco was walking a few feet in front of Hermione, leading her along the dark corridors. He knew she was back there from the tired scrape of her bare feet on the stones. He had not given her longer than the time to put her skirt back on before Snape had summoned him and he had rushed her to the Head masters office.

Her shirt was still just barely hanging on, her bra very visible, her skirt very much askew. They stood out side of the portrait in what felt like no time, the short walk like a fog in his memories of her kissing him, then huddling in the corner, her pink panties visible as he tried not to stare her legs partially open at one time, her asleep on the train, and her laughing in his face. Suddenly it clicked. He spun on her suddenly, she did not expect it and collided in to his chest. She looked up at him dazedly about to fall down from exhaustion.

His voice was low. “You knew on the train that you were a pure blood didn’t you? That was why you felt the need to laugh at me wasn’t it?”

She looked at him tiredly, knowing that she was about to use the last of her energy for a reply to a suddenly stupid and annoying question, ‘of all times to ask‘ she thought to her self.

“Yes, Malfoy I knew, I found out this summer from my mother and father. We’re cousins from what the papers say, so you can see how I found humor in the situation when you started spouting off at the mouth about blood purity and all that garbage. Now can we please go inside so I can get in to my bed and sleep.” her tone was very clipped as she got right to the point and tried to push past him the to portrait of Little Linda.

“Good evening Hermione, or should I say good morning.” she smiled faintly at the little girl and said “Nihility.” The painting swung forward and frowning Hermione walked through. Walking up to her portrait she realized something. Ginny. Neville. Were they still in there? They couldn’t be, hadn’t she been sleeping in her room alone in the dark. She puzzled over it for a second before she heard the voice close behind her. “We let your little friends out Granger, the Headmaster opened the door and sent them to their tower.”

Hermione turned quickly and nearly swooned from the flood of dizziness that it caused. “They were unhurt, Granger.” he had to reach out and steady her, to keep her from falling. Her eyes drifted closed for a second, before they fluttered open and stared at him, the close proximity making her dizzy again, trying to focus on his face from how close they were. “Hmmm…”

“Yes, real intelligent conversation granger, now I’m tired and would like to get to bed my self. Now come on, open you door so you can get all tucked in.’ Draco rolled his eyes when she turned and almost tripped over her feet. He reached out and helped her open the door, one hand wrapped around her bare bicep to hold her up. Her skin was freezing to the touch, and he hissed when she placed a hand over his and snuggled closer to his body, trying to leach away his body heat no doubt, he thought to him self while she shivered against him. He sighed and pulled her deeper in to the room, pulling his wand from his wrist sheath he lit her fire easily and pulled her along to her bed and pulled the blankets back. She turned as if to crawl in when he stopped her, grabbing her hand. She looked back at him with her eyes mostly closed and he rolled his.

“I’m sure your used to living in filth, but your dirty and your clothes are still wet to the touch.” He raised his wand, ready to spell them clean and dry when Hermione shocked him in to a frozen silence by slowly pulling her shirt over her head tossing it to the ground at his feet. She leaned over, her hair hanging in her face and shimmied out of her skirt, slowly she stood up strait, her hair still in her face her arms hanging limply at her sides. Her eyes were closed and she seemed totally unaware that she was standing there is naught but her panties and bra before the guy that had made her life miserable for the last 7 years.

Draco’s breath caught in his lungs as he forgot how to breathe, staring at her mostly naked body, only a foot from him.

Sure he had seen tons of naked girls, most of Hogwarts had been naked in front of him (let alone beneath him) but he was blown away by the reality of it all. The untouchable Hermione granger was practically naked in front of him, and of her own command, her own hand had done it. Her milky white skin contrasted well with the bright pink muggle underwear she was wearing. Her breasts were swelling over the top of her bra, more now then when her shirt was barely hanging on to her. Her body definitely did not look like he had expected, the image that she usually portrayed. When they had been in the bathroom he had been so concerned for her that he hadn’t really fixated on her body, on the color of her skin, how soft it looked. Her body was amazing and voluptuous, shapely waist and wide hips. Her expression was not visible as he reached out and brushed her hair back with his hand, exposing her face and long neck. He smoothed his hand through her soft hair and down the side of her face as her eyes opened and she gazed up at him, face weary and eyes clouded.

Draco stepped closer to her as he threw his wand on to the bed behind her and brushed his now other free hand up her arm and over her shoulder to her neck. Her skin broke out in a rush of goose bumps as his rough skin grazed along her soft skin. One hand on the back of her neck, the other on her chin he gazed in to her face as he felt him self grow very warm. Her body was only inches from his, his sweater and pants the only barrier between their flesh. His heart hammering in his chest he was sure that she could hear it as she stared back at him, her eyes a dull gold in the flickering fire light and darkness.

Forgetting where he was or who we was he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers, his hand gripping the back of her neck, the other hand now gripping her chin between his fingers. Closing his eyes he wanted nothing more than to push his body against hers, wanted to touch the skin along her body, through the thin material of her bra, feel the softness of her panties. He groaned deep in his chest and fought for control. He could not touch the virgin Granger, even if she had been the one to take off her clothes, even if she had kissed him earlier and was allowing him to kiss her now. He skipped his lips over hers again, running his tongue lightly over her lips, pulling her closer to him self.

Her whimpering brought him back to his senses, his hand had slipped up in to her hair and his fingers had knotted there in to a fist a little too tightly.

Her eyes were huge, her face very close to his when her hands pressed against his chest and she tried to step back away from him. “I don’t think we should be doing this. I would like to go to bed now, please can I just go to bed now. I would like to…” the back of her legs hit the bed and she fell back sprawled before his. Her hair in a halo around her head. She stared up at him, as if afraid of what he would do.

Stepping back, Draco rubbed his hands against his face, he had forgotten him self for a second, had wanted to push her down on the bed and take her, despite weather she wanted it or not, he was going to force her to like it, to take everything he was willing to give to her. He was not that type of person, he did not believe that that was ok to do, he was against forcing girls to do anything, he was against forcing other people to do anything for that matter. He looked back at her.

“You need to get some sleep, Professor Snape will want to speak with you tomorrow morning, get some rest and be ready to tell him what he wants to know. I wouldn’t make him take it from you if I were you.” spinning on his heel Draco swept through the room quickly, forcing him self not to run, not to give away the confusion that he was feeling when he reached the door ready to finally be free of her overwhelming presence.

“Draco…you forgot your wand.” her voice was small and far away. Mentally kicking himself for the second time that day he quickly turned around and stalked back to her where she now sat on the bed, the sheet pulled up over her lap, her hair over her still partially exposed breasts. His wand was clutched in her hand loosely as she slowly brought her hand up and offered it to him, her eyes turned away and down cast only slipping up to meet his when he tugged it from her hand silently. She stared at him as she turned and fled from the room, not caring if he looked like he was running this time.