No Longer Helpless

Chapter Seventeen
Look But Don’t Touch, Okay, No Looking Either

An empty bed was not something of a surprise among some of the older students at Druids Mantra. Most of the time Mr. Fabriano could simply assume the student was in one of the president’s rooms.

Sarah and Michael were quite the puppet masters. More than once he found himself wondering if he too was nothing but a figurehead. But he had a few secrets up his sleeves, which neither of the youths knew about. His influence and control was more than they imagined. And, letting them have a false sense of security, thinking they ran the school, gave him even more control.

Fabriano highly doubted Miss Valor’s absence had anything to do with either president. She was far too innocent to be lured into someone’s bed in just a day. He had a sneaking suspicion of where she might be, or rather whom she might be with.

It had not been mentioned in their record that they were seemingly inseparable, and finding such circumstances to be true was most annoying. Of course had the file said that Vera couldn’t be away from her protective brother’s side for more than two seconds, he probably wouldn’t have cared in the least, but now that he had seen her he cared a lot.

The next place he headed for was the third year boy’s dormitory. Being fairly confident in his conclusions, he didn’t plan on having to look anywhere else for the young woman.

Various ideas swarmed his mind. There seemed to be an unlimited array of possibilities with this one. He could use his findings to drive a much needed wedge between her and her brother. But doing so might lessen his chances, or at least delay the inevitable, of possessing the pretty little angel.

The decision of what to do would have to be made when he found her.

He rolled his eyes as he entered the boy’s dormitory. He should have known she’d be there and not wasted a trip to the girls dorm. Now that he thought back, what had his excuse for visiting her so early in the morning on a weekend been? Ah, yes. He was going to give her a formal tour of the city. Take her around Genova personally, an honor her sweet little heart couldn’t refuse.

The fact that her brother wouldn’t be joining them was something she wouldn’t be privy to until the last moment. Now though, he wondered how he could manage to extend his invitation without the brother knowing, since he would be in the same room as Vera.

He sighed, thinking, ‘Anything truly good is always worth working for.’ Indeed he would have to work. It seemed his plans would keep coming across speed bumps.

Raising his hand, Fabriano knocked on the door. It wasn’t until after he resorted to soft thudding that he felt slightly irked at his actions. This was his school and yet here he was essentially asking for admittance. While he didn’t make habit of barging in on other’s privacy, he also didn’t think it right for him to stand there in the early hour waiting for the occupants to groggily allow him inside. However, he remained standing there, as if compelled to wait.

Draco was awake the second he felt the wards on the door breeched. Seconds later he heard the resounding thud of knuckles on wood. While his body screamed for him to ignore the caller, his mind knew that the list of people it could be was small and none of those people should be kept waiting for long. He deduced that it was most likely one of three persons. The principal, Sarah, or Michael. Michael was his first guess.

Gently, Draco extracted himself from around Hermione. Again he felt a pang of loathing to leave for even a second, and wanted nothing more than to huddle closer and go back to sleep. But, as it was, he couldn’t just call out for this intruder to come in. The knocker already dared to intrude upon a blissful sleep, he wouldn’t allow them to waltz in as if they belonged.

His barely perceptible movements caused Hermione to stir. She began to wake up slowly, not jumping to as if detecting danger. This observation only confirmed his own instincts. Had any part of her subconscious felt danger, she would have sprung up and been ready at the drop of a dime, much as he would have too.

Lately, he didn’t even trust his own instincts completely, not until they were confirmed on both their ends. He felt no danger, but would not let his mind declare it until Hermione seemed to agree, even if she didn’t know she was agreeing to something.

Stretching slightly, Draco’s mind began to calculate the situation. It wouldn’t be long before he’d have to answer the door, though a delayed answer to the knock would be more than justified.

It was probably Michael, perhaps even another boy from the dormitory, though he couldn’t figure and reason for them being there. Regardless of who it was, he was fairly certain that they were outside his door looking for Vera, which meant there would be no use in hiding her somewhere.

Draco reached for the doorknob, not bothering to say whether he was on his way. Opening the door, he was faced with Mr. Fabriano.

Val raised his eyebrows at the principal standing outside his bedroom door. “Sir?” he questioned, completely oblivious as to why he was being paid this visit.

Fabriano smirked. The boy had no clue. For anyone with a little bit of common sense and the ability to observe, it wasn’t surprising that Vera would be staying with her brother. “Mr. Valor, I do believe you have a late night guest,” he stated lightly.

In an attempt to think through the fog of sleep, which he had just come from, Val furrowed his brows to think for a moment. “Vera, sir?”

Nodding, Fabriano took a cursory glance past the boy, trying to discern where she lay in the room beyond.

All the while Draco answered the door, Hermione had her brain working overtime. It was like playing chess. You had to read the movements of the opponent and yourself ahead a little ways, sketch things out, look for traps to set or avoid.

Now, she thought she might have seen a move only a couple movements away, giving her a chance to inquire about the missing students without suspicion. When it came right down to it, the opportunity to ask everyone would come about, one way or another.

So, Hermione set her little scheme into action, hoping things panned out right, and that Draco followed her lead.

Vera lay on Val’s bed, sleeping soundly, curled up slightly on her side. Hair fanned out on the pillow beneath, her chest rose and fell with each breath. The shirt she was wearing rode up, exposing her flat belly and back. The shorts did very little to cover her, just managing to conceal her petit round arse.

This was what Fabriano saw when he finally saw into the darkness of Val’s room. ‘Oh Merlin,’ he thought. How he would like to just go over there and take her, ravish and possess her. It was all he could do to not throw Val out into the hallway and lock the door behind, leaving him to do what he wanted with Vera.

Draco saw the emotions of lust cloud Mr. Fabriano’s eyes. This was a look he was becoming more and more used to seeing on men who looked at Hermione. This was the look he cracked his knuckles over, just waiting for any excuse to beat the bloody hell out of each and every guy who gave his partner this look.

While Draco knew why the perverted principal was practically drooling at the moment, he still wasn’t quite prepared for what he saw when he turned around. Moments ago Hermione had been about to stand up fully awake, now she lay in a most indecent fashion sound asleep.

Throat dry, Draco gulped, suddenly remembering that before Fabriano’s intrusion he had been closely wrapped up against that. His heart beat faster.

“Vera,” he managed to croak out, finding his voice didn’t work so well when he saw his partner in such a state.

Vera stirred slightly, moaning gently.

Coughing Draco cleared his throat to call her name a little louder, she couldn’t actually be asleep he knew, but what she was playing at was anybody’s guess. “Vera,” he called a little louder this time.

Again she moaned in protest, though somehow it sounded so different. Both men would have agreed that it was the sort of moan given off in bed for wholly different reasons than just waking up.

She thrashed a bit, turned onto her back and stretching her arms above her head. The only trouble was, as her arms made their way up, they slid along her sides, snagging her shirt and hitching it up even higher, now exposing her ribs and barely covering the amble curves they could see outlined.

Next she groaned, much like one would if they were finally coming to, but wanted to complain and ask for just five more minutes. Her back arched in one final stretch, leaving both Draco and Fabriano holding their breath as they wondered if her shirt would slip higher still to reveal her breasts.

The shirt held however. Draco sighed in relief. That was the last thing he wanted at this point.

Fabriano stood stock-still. Since he had heard that first sound come from the girl’s throat, he found himself rooted to the ground watching in anticipation. Once she had finished thrashing, leaving little to not be seen, his pants felt suddenly too tight.

For a wizard as experienced as he was, it was most unbecoming and unnerving to find himself unable to control his body because of some young witch. He chose to blame it on the fact that it had been a long time since he last had an affair with such fresh meat, and hadn’t seen someone of her stature in quite a while.

There was nothing Draco could do, but he was absolutely livid at the moment. He wanted to blind Fabriano, never allowing him to look at Hermione like that ever again. He wanted to yell and scream at Hermione for daring to show any of herself to any other man.

Livid or not, there was nothing he could do. He could just imagine what Moody would say, ‘Damn fool! Ruin the mission because someone else ogled your kitten!’ He cringed slightly, that would be a career disaster. Instead he settled for not calling out to her again, afraid that if he did, she’d wind up wearing absolutely nothing.

Fabriano was slightly hesitant to approach, but made up his mind and moved forward slowly. Whatever was appropriate flew out the window the moment he first pictured Vera writhing in pleasure beneath him.

“Vera, dear,” Fabriano called gently, shaking her shoulder. A shock went up his arm, he wasn’t sure if he liked it or not, it was decidedly like a bolt of electricity. His fingertips felt slightly numb, but all that was forgotten as Vera looked up at him from under her thick lashes.

Her eyes gleamed in the dim room. The only light came from the hall and dawning sunlight through the windows. It seemed before she could recognize who he was or where she was, she smiled brightly in an automatic morning greeting.

Gods, how her smile drove him to the brink. A few more minutes and he would have no choice but excuse himself and find relief in the nearest bathroom.

“Mmhmm… Mr. Fabriano?” she questioned, starting to grasp her surroundings.

“Yes. Could you wake up Vera?” he asked, reluctant to lose the sight he had, but knowing he couldn’t take it much longer.

Bolting upright, Vera fixed herself, flushing slightly at the realization that she was a bit indecent during her nighttime tossing and turning. There was also the added factor that the school’s principal had been the one to see her. “I’m terribly sorry sir, I didn’t expect you to be here,” she began in a mortified tone.

“Ah, well, no harm done.”

Her head was bowed, hair falling to mask her beautiful face. He reached a hand down and cupped her chin. This time he felt the same shock, and agreed that it was not pleasant, it must have been static or something.

Regardless, he tilted her chin up and gazed into slightly watery eyes. “Come now, everything is just fine. You’re not in trouble.” She sniffed a little, and seemed to ask the question in her eyes before speaking it.

“Really?” she asked, bottom lip pouting slightly in a tantalizing manner.

Fabriano’s eyelids drooped slightly as he fought the urge to take her right there. “Yes, yes. I was just worried, since you weren’t in your own room?” he said in a questioning tone. Had it been any other student, such rule breaking was enough to cause expulsion depending on the terms they were found in. But, he would do nothing to Vera, for now.

Her eyes widened a little. “Oh, I’m so sorry, really. I know I shouldn’t have left, but I find that I just can’t sleep alone. I need someone to sleep with… and…” The next part was most obviously going to be something along the lines of, ‘And I knew Val was here, so I went to him.’ She left it hanging there.

Hermione was unaware of the effect she had on men, or males in general, but Draco had told her she could do something like this, so she was trying. She left her innocent sentence open for any possible twists of thought.

The older principal gulped audibly, almost in sync with Mr. Valor behind him. ‘What do you say to something like that?’ he wondered, while his mind raced with all the lines he’d use on any other witch. Not Vera though, her words were as true as her beauty. She wasn’t some slut like the set of presidents they had, she was untouched and pure, waiting for him. Clearing his throat he decided to explain himself to her. “I understand, but you must know that there is a greater cause for concern as of late.”

Vera’s brows shot up in a loss.

He chuckled, how like her to not have a clue. “Several students have gone missing dear. I don’t know what I’d do if you were one of them.” He let his thumb snake out and stroke her jaw, but retracted his hand when that static shock went through him again.

Vera’s hand shot up to cover her mouth in feigned surprise. “Oh my! Those poor dears, what happened to them?” Her words were as sincere as any mother’s for her lost child.

Draco’s mouth fell open, as he stared at Hermione. He was lucky he was behind Mr. Fabriano, so that his short display of unmasked emotions went unnoticed. ‘How the bloody hell did she manage that one?’ he wondered. One second she puts on an innocent striptease and the next she’s moved the topic exactly where they had been trying to get it all day.

Forgetting all about his jealousy, he sulked instead. ‘Yeah, well, anyone who had those breasts and arse and legs and… everything else, could have done it!’ he argued, trying to sooth a slightly dented ego. ‘She could have at least told me her plan, before making me act the fool and drool as much as pervert man over here.’

“Well, it’s nothing to worry about really, just some hazing gotten a little out of hand is all. They’ll turn up in no time,” he answered nonchalantly, not really wanting to strike up an entire conversation about it.

“What is hazing? Will I have to do something like that?” she asked slightly fearful.

“No, no, no. Don’t worry my dear. There was a particular club which had a hazing period, that is a time of trials before they let knew members in, and things just got a little out of hand. But, you have nothing to worry about, you don’t have to do anything like that,” he assured her.

“What did they do?” she questioned, slightly interested.

He waved his hand as if dismissing it before answering her. “It was something silly really. They just apparated to various checkpoints and pieced clues together… like a series of riddles to test their worth for the club. They’re simply lost at the moment, no doubt still trying to piece those clues together.

“That sounds kind of fun,” she admitted more to herself.

“Indeed, I’m sure it was meant as such. But, I’m afraid things have taken a slight turn for the worse.

“What club was it for?” she knew her window of opportunity was closing and needed this one last question answered.

Fabriano’s brows furrowed, and Hermione was afraid he was suspicious, but he apparently had just been trying to remember. “Ancient Runes I believe. Most our classes also have clubs for the more zealous of our lot who want to learn more.”

Vera just smiled up at him, not pressing the matter any further, for fear of treading too far. “Were you trying to find me before sir?”

“Uh, yes.” He had lost his train of thought after going off on that tangent. When he looked into her eyes, he felt open to talk about or do all sorts of things he ought not to. Once he remembered his initial reason for searching her out, he brightened. “I thought perhaps you’d like a tour of our lovely city,” he proposed.

Vera’s eyes lit with joy as Hermione’s heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. Hadn’t she done enough? Already she wanted to take a shower and scrub her skin raw from having him rake his eyes over her.

She would never have done that if Draco hadn’t told her she was capable to something like it, though once she got the information from him so easily she wanted to kick herself for the little stunt. Obviously he was willing to dish out any information, she didn’t need to do what she did in order to get him to talk. There was no excuse for her to behave like that. It was now sickening and she definitely wanted a shower. But, instead she was going to get a whole day filled with nothing but the principal.

She felt sick yes, but with herself. Hermione was still not one to notice lust or sexual emotions in anyone. She didn’t conclude that Fabriano had made casual conversation of confidential information on account of the fact that he was thinking with more than one head at the time. Instead she concluded that she had acted like a slut for no reason. Now, she’d have to go the rest of the day feeling this way.

While the sick and dirty feeling came from the fact that Fabriano was indeed thinking about her in a manner that would make her cringe in disgust, her mind surmised that she was sick over her own actions.

Draco knew better, he saw the revolt in her. He knew what it was from. And he wasn’t about to let her feel that way all day long. “That’s a wonderful idea sir, we were just discussing a trip through the city last night, weren’t we Vera?”

Vera nodded in delight.

Fabriano glared at the floor. This was what he had been afraid would happen. Making the offer in front of the brother meant that they would both come along. Perhaps he could employ Miss Giovanni to help distract the over protective brother.

**

Mr. Fabriano left the two with promises to meet after breakfast that morning and explore the finer points of the city.

The moment the door was closed, Draco cast a quick ward with a swish of his hand, sealing their voices in and intruders out. “What the bloody hell was that!” he shouted.

Hermione shivered, she felt terrible right now, her skin was crawling. And it would seem Draco agreed with her. “I think I’m going to be sick,” she stated.

Biting back his anger, Draco softened. For her sake he would speak truthfully, personal feelings aside. “Moody would be proud,” he stated, earning a surprised look from Hermione as she stared into his eyes. “That was a brilliant tactic really. I’m glad you listened to what I said before. It wouldn’t have worked without you doing that.”

He was always hard pressed to dish out any complement, but something told him she needed to hear it. Now, as he watched her eyes water slightly, he wondered if he was wrong. In a swift leap, Hermione jumped into his arms, clinging to him, just like the kitten had. “Hey,” he said gently, as she sobbed into his shirt.

After a few incoherent mumbles he stroked her hair and managed to have her calmed down before asking what was wrong. “Don’t let me do that again. I feel disgusting, I’m simply horrible.”

Such emotions were not what the little Gryffindor was used to feeling, and most certainly not something most Slytherin’s were capable of feeling. She felt violated. While she had put herself out there, asking for it, he’d invariably caused it to occur.

He was the one who had told her she was attractive and had an appeal to turn eyes. He had told her to be more aware so she didn’t fall susceptible. He had told her she could use this as an advantage in certain situations. Okay, so he had more chastised and reprimanded her in angry words rather than tell her, but the same idea was expressed.

Now, she was feeling the repercussions. The only trouble was, she was getting things a little twisted, so he’d have to set things straight.

“Granger, it’s because of the way he was looking at you. You feel sick, cause you feel violated, not because you’re disgusted with your own actions.” He made sure to stare right into her eyes as he said this, willing her sweet demeanor to accept his words as truth.

On a final note, he added, “Besides, the students’ lives may depend on us. The faster we find out what’s going on the better. You only did what you had to in order to get some information. There is no shame in it.”

Somewhere between Hermione clinging to him and his assuring words, he vowed to protect her from such negative feelings. He wouldn’t let her feel this again, to be around men like Fabriano and feel unwanted lust.

If she felt wronged, so did he. Mr. Fabriano would have another thing coming if he thought he could get away with touching her. The man had served his purpose. They didn’t need him anymore.


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