Just Pretend

This chapter was beta-ed by my wonderful beta Molls. Thank you!


Hermione sat on the couch, still in her pajamas, just staring at little Tommy. The baby looked up at Hermione with his big blue eyes. Hermione smiled in response at the baby. Draco came downstairs and smiled to himself at the scene before him.

Hermione looked up at him. "Hey, um, could you watch him, while I go make his bottle?" Hermione asked. She didn't wait for an answer. "Great! Thanks!"

"No, Hermione! Wait!" Hermione kept walking towards the kitchen. Draco looked down at the baby. Tommy cooed at him. Draco raised an eyebrow.

A baby....yeah and he was supposed to do what now? Draco was guessing the baby was about a year old or so. As he stared at Tommy uncertainly, Hermione walked back in the room with a bottle. She sat on the edge of the couch and tested its temperature by shaking some milk on to her wrist first.

The baby grabbed the bottle from her and held it to his own mouth. Hermione stood up and went back to the kitchen to grab a towel. Draco followed. Hermione turned around and bumped right into him.

"I told you to watch the baby!" Hermione yelled.

"Don't you think we need to talk?" He asked.

"No."

Undeterred, Draco followed her into the living room. "What are you, my shadow?" She asked snidely.

A yelp stopped the argument. They both looked over at the baby. Tommy had Cheeko in his evil clutches. "My baby!" Hermione shrieked. Draco just laughed. The dog was stupid to go near the kid in the first place.

Tommy was pulling on Cheeko's ear and tail at the same time. Hermione intervened and rescued her "baby" from further torture. Tommy started crying as Cheeko ran back upstairs. "Hermione, now he's crying," Draco scolded.
"Give him back Cheeko."

Hermione turned around smacked him in his arm. "The kid is a monster," Hermione mumbled.

"He's actually pretty cute." Draco countered while leaning down to pick him up. As soon as Tommy could reach, he pulled on Draco's blonde strands of hair.

"Ow! Ow Ow OW! You want to help me out here?" He asked Hermione. Hermione eased Tommy's little hands away from Draco's hair. It had only been about a half an hour and Hermione was already wanting to get rid of the kid.

Unexpectedly, Dennis came back through the door. He saw Hermione and Draco. He glared at Draco. "It was only a false alarm...My mom is screaming that the baby is never going to come out. So your parents are staying at my house for a little bit," Dennis said, walking over to Tommy and picking him up before grabbing his bag of nappies.

"Yes!..." Hermione exclaimed. Draco and Dennis stared at her. "I mean...awwww, I was just bonding with him." Hermione gave a fake smile.

"Nice cover up," Draco whispered.

"I'll see you later, Hermione. Thanks." Dennis made his way out the door with Tommy on his hip and shot one final glare at Draco. Hermione just realized that she was going to be alone with Draco.

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Hermione kept herself busy all day. She was avoiding Draco and he noticed. He assumed it had to deal with Ron kissing her. He had to know.

When he went down stairs, he found her standing on a ladder above the front door, trying to hang the mistletoe. "Hermione..." Draco started. Hermione let out a little scream of surprise, she hadn't heard him come down the stairs. In her surprise, she lost her footing and stumbled off of the ladder. But Draco was at the base of the ladder and caught her easily. They shared a long stare, faces just inches apart. The stare continued, yet neither said anything to the other -- yet the stare said everything.

A tap on the widow got their attention. They both looked over at the window to see a owl. Before they could get there to open the window, another owl joined that one. Draco set Hermione on her feet slowly. She went over and opened the window.

Hermione took the letter from the owl and gave it a treat. The other owl went to Draco and he did the same. Draco opened the letter.

Dear Mister Malfoy:

I would like wish you Happy Holidays. I would also like to remind you of just one thing. People sometimes build walls not to keep people out--but to see who will break them.

Yours truly,
A. Dumbledore

Draco didn't understand what the fuck the old man was talking about. Why did he have to be such a puzzling man? He was confused enough on his own and he didn't need any help of this kind.

Dear Miss Granger,

I would like to wish you Happy Holidays. I would also like you to remember just one thing. People build walls but not to keep people out--but to see who will break them.

Yours truly,
A. Dumbledore

Only one thing came to her mind. Were my walls breakable?

"Hermione, we need to talk," Draco said determinedly, putting the letter in his pocket. Hermione did the same. Then yet another owl flew in the window that was still open. He dropped the letter and left without waiting for a treat.
Draco opened the letter.

The only promise in life, Draco, is...death.

Draco glared at the letter. He knew it was from his father.

That just made his need to talk to Hermione even more determined.

"Draco, I don't want to talk to you right now," Hermione said suddenly.

"Hermione, we have to talk," Draco replied stubbornly.

"Draco, not right now. I promise we'll talk later," she pleaded. If he really wanted her to listen to him, to understand what he was saying, he would have to have her full attention and he would only have that if she voluntarily agreed to sit and listen to him.

"Alright," he quietly, but reluctantly, agreed.

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All of the company was over at the house now. Hermione hated people. She had to dress up to sit at home to watch her family exchange gifts and talk. She couldn't do this in a sweater and jeans?

Everyone was talking about how good Draco was with Hermione. Molly, her aunt, mom, a few cousins. How 'good' he was for her. How good looking he was. What beautiful kids they would have. Blah Blah Blah.

Ron and Dennis were lost in their own conversation. Harry and Ginny were talking. Draco was talking with Mr. Weasley and her father. Hermione sighed deeply.

She escaped stealthily into the kitchen, hoping no one saw her. She made a quick exit through the back door. She wanted to be outside with the cold night air. It calmed her to watch the snow fall gracefully.

Draco wasn't even paying attention to what they were talking about. He just nodded his head now and again. All he could think about was the letter his father sent him and how badly he needed to talk to Hermione.

"Draco? Did you mind if we talk?" He turned around to see Harry. Harry noticed that Hermione and Draco weren't talking. He could think of one reason why.

"Listen, Hermione was just drunk. So you really can't blame her. I know you must hate that we snogged. And-"

"You what...??" Draco said in disblief. Harry eyes widened with realization. Hermione hadn't told Draco yet.

"Um...I don't know what I'm talking about, Draco...Don't listen to me." His cover was so pathetic.

"Is that why she won't talk to me?" Draco asked. Why was everyone getting to snog Hermione but him?

"Please just go talk her. She is going to kill me for telling what I just did," Harry groaned, think of how she would kill him.

Harry could imagine it now--"Ginny, we can't have kids 'cause Hermione ripped off my balls. So, how is your morning dear?"...Yeah, that definitely wouldn't go over too well.

"Do you know where she is?" Draco asked.

"Yep, she snuck out the back door about ten minutes ago." Harry told Draco.

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How could she tell Draco that she was willing going to fuck Harry? Oh, by the way, Draco, I was a heartbeat away from shagging Harry. Would you like sugar or milk? Hermione sighed.

"We have to talk now." A voice was right behind her ear. Hermione spun around to see Draco.

"I told you I would later," Hermione said dismissively. Draco grabbed her and pinned her against the house.
What was with everyone pinning her?

"No, we talk now. You snogged Harry? Is that why you aren't talking to me?" Draco asked, as Hermione struggled against his grip--which was pointless. At least she tried, right?

Hermione didn't even look at him, but kept her eyes on the snow-covered ground. "Answer me, Hermione." Draco said sternly.

"Yes! Yes, dammit! Yes. We got drunk. I just wanted someone to want me. Hell, I don't remember it too well, but I do know that I sure I came close to raping him." Hermione admitted to Draco still not looking at him.

"I want you." Those simple three words made her look at him.

"How, Draco? How?" Hermione asked softly.

"I love you, Hermione, that is how. I love you. I have never loved anyone like I love you. Am I not enough for you? Why did you have to kiss Weasley? That hurt me in a way you'll never know. A way I can't explain to you," Draco said.

"You need to understand. He kissed me. He told me that Pansy told him that she found out you were fucking me. He claims to still love me," Hermione explained cautiously, realizing she still couldn't move. Why was she still being pinned to the damn wall?

"That isn't true! The lying bitch! You remember when Snape had us working on that research thing? I told her I was busy with you and she didn't have anything to worry about. She called me a liar. I called her a stupid bitch. She kicked me in my balls and than ran out of the room crying. I would have gone after her if I wasn't too busy kissing the floor. She didn't talk to me for like three days. Then I found out she was shagging Weasley. Then I went to tell you," Draco explained.

He paused. "Hermione....Do you still want me?" Draco asked. Minutes felt like hours. Hour felt like years. The years were an eternity.

Hermione looked up into his face with widened eyes, "I can't believe you would ask me that. Of course I do, Draco."

As soon as those words left her mouth, Draco buried his face into her neck. Hermione tilted her head to give him more access to her neck. Hermione moaned softly as he continued his lips' ministrations up and down her neck.

"You are mine, Hermione," Draco said sternly. It excited her to see him this possessive over her. Maybe she would have to kiss Harry more often!

The sensations that coursed through her body were amazing--and he was only kissing her. Draco ran his hand up her thigh, under her dress. He moved from kissing her neck to her lips and devoured her with such urgency.

With one hand on her hip and the other hand having worked its way up her thigh to its destination, Draco moved her panties aside and began to stroke her weeping sex. He was rewared when Hermione moaned loudly. Soon his other hand found her breast.

Hermione was grinding herself into Draco's hand. She arched her back off the wall, breathless. She was getting so wet and hot for him now. Hermione couldn't bare the overwhelming passion building inside of her.

Draco unexpectedly slipped two fingers into her wet pussy. She gasped. He gave her a little time to get to his fingers. Draco began to pump his fingers at a slow pace.
Hermione grinded into his hand harder. "Please, Draco," Hermione begged. Draco pumped his fingers a little faster.

"You're mine. Say that you're mine, Hermione." Draco told her against her neck.

"I'm yours," she moaned.

He added another finger. "You're whose?" He asked, picking up speed.

"I'm Draco's, only Draco's," Hermione moaned breathlessly.

"Look at me now, Hermione," Draco commanded. Draco let his thumb rub against her clit as he continued to pump his fingers into her.

Hermione opened her eyes to see lust-filled blue and gray ones. "Draco who?" He asked through clenched teeth, she was making him so hard.

"I'm Draco Malfoy's!" Hermione came so hard it was unbelievable. The only time she stopped looking into his wonderful eyes was when she threw her head back as she came.

"Never forget it, Hermione." As Hermione came down from orgasmic high, she slowly opened her eyes. Nothing excited her more than to see Draco sucking his fingers clean. He savored her taste. He opened his own eyes and looked at Hermione lazily.

"I think we should finish this inside," Draco said softly, before roughly kissing her. He had only just begun.