The Family Jewels

Chapter 15
A rose by any other name

Hermione felt like she was being watched. In her dream, she was in the library, sleeping on her arms at her favorite table. She was happy and comfortable; she didn’t want to wake up. But all her instincts were screaming at her that danger was coming to get her. She forced herself up into consciousness. She jerked herself awake and opened her eyes to find two sets of eyes, watching her intently, waiting for her to come back to them. Incredible indigo eyes were looking at her tenderly; silver grey eyes betrayed a certain impatience. Blaise and Draco. “Thank Merlin you’re awake, Hermione. Blaise was starting to make me crazy,” Draco said haughtily.

“Prat,” was all Blaise said, getting out of bed and helping Hermione up. “Draco is hungover and he doesn’t want to drink Snape’s potion because ‘it tastes like panther sweat,’” Blaise said, doing an eerily accurate impression of Draco.

Hermione had to smile as Blaise drew her to his chest, his cock making itself felt against her stomach. They both looked down at it, then at each other. “I can’t always control it cara, you are naked,” he said softly.

“I think you control it just fine,” she returned.

“It took all my control to keep my promise to you last night, bella.”

“What promise?” Hermione was wracking her brain.

“No one had sex in your bed during the party, Hermione, not even you,” Blaise kissed her lips gently.

“Why are you two whispering? This is my room you know,” Draco was indeed hung over and rather testy, it seemed.

Hermione went over and smoothed the hair on Draco’s forehead, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek before making a rather loud squeak, “Is that the time? Breakfast starts in ten minutes.”

“Ugh, don’t mention food,” Draco begged.

“You are drinking one of those vials, taking a shower and going to class,” Hermione said bossily. “I promised Professor Dumbledore that your party would not get out of hand. That means that we will all be going to class today.”

“Fine, Princess, if you go get it for me,” Draco wheedled.

“I’ll get it for him, you go get in the shower,” Blaise said, giving her rump a small push toward the bathroom. “I need to hurry if I’m going to get down to the dungeons, get cleaned up and make it back before breakfast is over. Don’t they have soft boiled eggs on Fridays?”

He laughed at the green pallor of Draco’s face at his words. Blaise threw his clothes on, removed the wards with his wand, and then ran downstairs to retrieve a vial for Draco. He heard the shower running as he returned to Draco’s room and tossed it to him. “Drink up, Draco, I’ll see you later.”

“You mean if I’m still alive,” Draco responded, wishing Blaise wasn’t so damn cheerful.

Blaise merely waved a casual hand at him over his shoulder as he left for the dungeons. Draco uncorked the vial of purplish liquid, and tossed it back in one swallow. Almost at once he began to feel better. He went into the bathroom where Hermione was in the shower. There wasn’t a lot of time, so he brushed his teeth and got his shaving gear out. He had lathered his face and was about to start with the razor when the shower stopped and Hermione stepped out, wet, beautiful, and very, very, naked.

“Oh,” she said seeing him in front of the vanity. Draco merely threw her a towel and continued shaving. She watched him for a minute, then asked, “Why don’t you use the charm?”

“It’s not as good. I don’t think you want to add razor burn to those love bites on your neck,” he said with a grin.

“What love…AAAK,” she screeched as she moved to the mirror and took a look. “I thought you two were wizards, I didn’t realize you were vampires,” she said darkly.

Draco splashed water on his face, looking down at her. She had at least six purple marks on her neck that would be visible in her uniform, not counting the ones the ones on her breasts, stomach; he cocked his head, and her arse. “Since you are such a sweet child, I am going to help you,” he said, grabbing his wand. He cast several glamour charms and the marks disappeared, then he said the drying charm over her hair. He thought for a minute, then he cast another glamour charm over her hair and it fell in soft ringlets down her back. “There, that’s better. I don’t need anyone wondering what the Head Girl does in her off hours. Blaise has enough of a reputation as a Casanova as it is,” Draco tried to say the last part unemotionally, but he wasn’t looking at her, and Hermione knew that he was more than a little hurt that everyone now knew that she was in a relationship with Blaise, but that he was still merely Blaise’s best friend.

She turned to him and snuggled up to his chest, sliding her arms around his waist. Hermione looked up into his face and saw the uncertainty in his eyes. “Draco, love, we are still working this out. I love you. Please don’t turn away from me now that I’ve found you.”

His arms tightened around her and his head dropped into the soft hair on her shoulder. “Just don’t make me feel like I’m on the outside looking in,” he said.

“We knew this would be complicated, but let’s just feel our way, all right?” she said.

“Oh I can feel my way just fine,” Draco smiled, his hands beginning to roam her still naked body.

She merely gave him another bossy look and pointed to the shower. “I’m going, I’m going,” he said over his shoulder as the door to the shower slammed.

Hermione went into her room and got dressed. She looked into the mirror and was surprised by what she saw. Her hair had never looked as good as this, not even at the Yule Ball in 4th Year, her eyes sparkled, and her lips were still a dark red and slightly swollen. She looked like she had been thoroughly shagged last night. She remembered the couples who had left together last night and thought, ‘I bet I’m not the only one.’

Hermione picked up her bag and walked through the now empty bathroom to Draco’s room. He was tying his tie as she came in and sat on the bed. “Why aren’t you at breakfast, you’re going to be late.”

“What does it look like? I’m waiting for you. People are just going to have to get used to seeing us together,” Hermione said, looking through her bag to make sure she had the right books with her. After she was done with her bag, she started on Draco’s, exchanging the texts from yesterday with the ones for today, when she found the two letters and packages that he had not opened from yesterday morning. “Draco you didn’t even open all your presents.”

He continued to tie his shoes, “I opened all the important ones, love.” He looked her straight in the eye and she blushed scarlet, but found her voice eventually.

“No, Draco, look,” she handed him the mail she found in his bag.

“One of those is from Uncle Sev, I don’t know who the other one is from,” Draco said putting them on his desk.

“Uncle Sev?” she questioned.

“He’s my godfather,” Draco informed her with a slight smile on his face.

“That explains a lot,” she said, half to herself. “Well, go on then, open them up.”

“I thought we were late for breakfast,” Draco challenged.

“Open your gifts. I don’t see how you can stand there and not rip the paper off,” Hermione loved presents and had to be watched quite closely around Christmas.

Draco shot her a thoughtful look, then opened the card that he recognized carried his godfather’s hand, then the small box that accompanied it. He opened it to find a small, flat silver and onyx box set with the Malfoy crest. It contained calling cards with his name engraved in silver on heavy vellum paper. “Your godfather says that these should have come from your father, but that he would have to make do in a pinch,” Hermione read from the card. “It’s beautiful, Draco.”

“Yes, it is,” Draco said, sliding the box into his pocket. He took the other card from his desk, and broke the wax seal on the back.

Draco,

Your mother and I have been friends for many years, so I am sure you are not surprised that I am her Secret Keeper. If this separation has been hard on you, you have no idea how devastating it has been for her. She loves and misses you very much. Happy Birthday.

Rose Parkinson

Draco picked up the box that accompanied the card with hands that shook slightly. ‘Why does Mother need a Secret Keeper?’ he thought. His brain was whirling so fast, he was having trouble even tearing the green paper off the box.

He dropped the paper on the floor and opened the box to find a photograph of himself and his mother on his first birthday in a silver frame. He watched as baby Draco dug his hands into the cake in front of him as his mother laughed for the camera. “Why is she doing this? Does she think she’s reminding me of the good times?” Draco said angrily.

Hermione removed the photograph from Draco’s hands before he threw it at the wall. “I had wanted to see how adorable you were as a baby,” she commented, holding the picture up to see Draco now stuffing handfuls of cake in his mouth.

“Let’s go to breakfast, we’re already late,” Draco said, picking up their bags and holding the door for her.

“But Draco, what does your mother say?” Hermione was confused.

“The gift isn’t from her, it’s from Rose Parkinson,” Draco said leading her into their common room and opening the portrait hole.

“Pansy’s mother? But why…?” Hermione left her question there are Draco’s brows drew together into a frown.

“You don’t need to know every detail about how screwed up my life is, do you?” Draco asked, very quietly.

“Well, yes actually, I think I do,” Hermione forced herself to be brave. “I want to be with you for the good and the bad. This is real for me Draco, I’m not playing.”

Draco pushed open the doors to the Great Hall, “Good, because I am not playing either. But this is not the time or the place. I’ll see you in class.” Draco handed over her bag with the best smile he could come up with and went to sit next to Blaise at the Slytherin table while she walked to her place at Gryffindor.

“What was in those shots last night, Hermione?” Ginny asked with a mischievous smile, “And where can I get more?”

“That good, huh?” Hermione said looking over at Harry, whose ears were turning slightly pink.

“You have no idea,” Ginny laughed. “Oh, I might,” Hermione said, looking over at the Slytherin table. Blaise gave her a very sexy smile and a wink.

“Okay, perhaps I stand corrected,” Ginny said, catching the wink. “Are you really serious about Blaise? He’s a Slytherin.”

“That didn’t seem to stop your brother last night when he had his tongue down Pansy Parkinson’s throat,” Hermione said, looking around for Ron. “Where is your brother, anyway?” Hermione noticed that Pansy was also missing from the Slytherin table.

“He didn’t make it back to the dorm last night,” Harry jumped into their conversation with both feet.

“All night?” Hermione asked.

“Well, at the time, I was just glad that he was somewhere else,” Harry said, giving Ginny a special smile. “But now I’m starting to get a little worried.”

With only ten minutes to spare before breakfast was over, Ron hurried in to sit next to Harry at the Gryffindor table, robe hanging off his shoulders, tie undone. He immediately began stuffing food into his mouth as quickly as he could. “Worked up an appetite last night, did you?” Harry asked.

Ron was silent for a minute, which was probably good, since it gave him an opportunity to chew. “Yeah, all night, how is that even possible?” he asked Harry in a low voice.

“I believe that would have been the Blue Devils,” Hermione said, clearly listening to their conversation. “The blue shots you took? They had a lust potion in them.”

“But we all took them,” Ron said slowly, turning to his best friend, “Even you, and then you left with my little sister.”

Harry and Ginny shared a glance, then she spoke up. “Ron, you know I love Harry and he loves me, right?”

“You really love her?” Ron questioned Harry, holding on to his temper.

“Yes, I really love her,” Harry reached across the table and held Ginny’s hand.

“Should I give you the usual speech about killing you if you hurt her?” Ron asked.

Harry shook his head, then shrugged. “If it makes you happy, I’ll listen to it, but know that I would never, ever, hurt Ginny.”

Ron nodded once, then addressed his little sister, “The usual deal, then.” They shook hands quickly.

“What is that all about?” Hermione asked with raised eyebrows.

Ron and Ginny said at the same time, “Don’t tell Mum.”

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A/N – Next up, the small velvet pouches. I know what is in some of them, but if anyone has any suggestions about the others, please feel free to drop me a note.

Petalsoft – They are pretty yummy, aren’t they?
I love What a Witch Needs, so if you haven’t read it, don’t waste any more time, do so now.