Punishment?

Sorry guys, I just finished school yesterday, which is why there was such a long gap. I’ll try and be a little better behaved with my updating during the holidays 


Hermione wrapped her hands around the warm mug of tea for comfort. She didn’t look up from the spiralling steam even though she could feel Molly surveying her, willing her to talk.

“Hermione…” Molly began uncertainly, “I’m not going to try to analyse your feelings, I’m sure you are capable of doing that yourself.” Hermione looked up, relieved. She was sure the more people tried to persuade her out of love with Lucius, the more she would fall in love with him.

“Thank you.” Hermione sipped at her tea and waited patiently for Molly to gather her thoughts.

“But Hermione, I have to ask your rational side, where is this going to go?” Hermione shifted uncomfortably, in all the time she had spent working out her feelings she had always skirted around this question.

“I don’t know.” Hermione said this dully but the compassionate look on Molly’s face filled Hermione with a sure feeling that Molly wouldn’t laugh at her or scold her, she took a deep breath. “Molly, I… I don’t think I can live without Lucius… I know there is no way he could or would…have me, but I can’t stop hoping that something will happen.” She turned her head away and angrily wiped a tear. Molly reached across the table for her hand.

“Hermione… I won’t pretend that I don’t have the same misgivings as everyone else. I do believe in you though, and if you really think about this, and I mean really, I will do everything in my power to help you be happy.” Hermione smiled gratefully at Molly who was smiling too, albeit a little uneasily.

“Thank you.” Hermione left her half empty mug of tea on the table and made as if to go up to her room. Half way up the stairs she stopped and crouched down, listening until she heard Molly banging pots and pans in the kitchen. Hermione tip-toed back down the stairs and crept through the hall that led to the basement. She fumbled for her borrowed wand and whispered,

“Alohomora!” She inched the door open and squeezed inside.

It was dark in the basement, but she could dimly make out a bed at the bottom of the stairs and a figure on top.

“And still you come crawling back.” Lucius sounded tired and bored. Hermione’s heart gave a flutter and the carefully organised speech she had constructed flew out of her mind as the voice brought back memories. She felt her heart melt a little and she became uncomfortably aroused. Obviously there were other things she needed to take care of before she could talk to him. She stepped carefully through the gloom until she made it to the bed where she stood, breathing shallowly.

“We need to talk.” She whispered. Lucius propped himself up on his elbows and looked at her, eyebrow raised.

“It doesn’t look like talking is what you’re after. So, even the wonderful Order of the Phoenix rapes their prisoners.” Hermione blushed and sat down hard on the bed, arms crossed.

“Well, some of us have self-control!” She said angrily before taking a deep breath to calm herself. “Anyway, we do need to talk whether you like it or not.” Lucius nodded slowly before grabbing Hermione around the waist and pulling her onto her back.

“We can talk later.” He purred.