Twisted Lust

"Was someone at the door?" she asked, descending. Tousling her wet hair in a black towel.

"Just some stupid door-to-door salesman. That's all."

"Oh. Well isn't it a bit late for that?"

"Yeah. I sent him packing. Didn't need disturbances this late at night."

"Oh ok."

She walked back up the stairs.

"Dinner is in five" he called back up.

No answer. Just a slight nod of her head as she disapeared into another corridor.

The house was so big. It was a manor after all.

Dinner was eaten in silence. Hermione wasn't even eating the food in her plate.
Just moving it around with her silver fork.

While Draco, lost in his own thoughts. Was angrily spearing at the food,
eating it. It didn't even look like he knew what he was eating.

They finished. Their little nightly clean up. And off to bed.
The massive double king size bed. Lined with the finest silk you could find.

She took one side.

He took the other.

______________________________________________

It had been three weeks since Draco's encounter with Potter.
August had just passed.

And his relationship with Hermione had been going worse and worse.

She never spoke. Hardly ever spoke for anything.
And yet he still had to burn the letters Potter sent her.

He wouldn't let her out of his site.
When they were grocery shopping, when they were going for a stroll.
She wasn't allowed to stray too far. He wouldn't allow it.
So no matter where she went, he always followed.

She did have a job, but since it had been summer, there was very little to do.
But now September was starting, and perhaps she'd work longer hours.
Be more independent.

That is. If Draco didn't install some sort of watching device where she worked.

She was having her nightmares again.
They were coming back strong. Stronger than before.
In August they had been the worst.
But Draco wasn't holding her. He was waking her and going back to sleep.
She would sleep eventually. But that wasn't until she spent an hour staring at the
black draped canopy overhead. The tiny details that were barely visible.

She didn't really mind Draco's over protectiveness at the beginning.
She was paranoid, every time she went out. She thought a hand would come and
grab her into some dark room. But he had the only hand that would ever grab her.

________________________________________________

For the first time she was alone. It had been so long, she didn't even remember what it
felt like. Work had been canceled, Draco didn't know, he was working too.
So she'd decided to spend the day in Hogsmeade. It's sad shutters hid,
but there was still some sort of mood. Like the first time she'd been there.
As she strolled through the street she passed a little stand selling sweets.

Handing a few coins to the old man, she bought a pumpkin pasty.
She walked down the street, quite deserted.
After all, it was a Tuesday morning.

And she heard her name being called, something encircling her and
dragging her away into some remote spot behind a tree.
She began to panic. Started trying to kick free.

"Shhhh Hermione, it's just me."

She turned. It was Harry.
She threw her arms around him, clutched him tight.
It had been so long, too long. And she missed him.

But she pushed back.
"Why don't you ever write? Why didn't you call? Why didn't you visit!?"
she said, temper flaring in her voice.

She looked at his face closely, it had marks.
Very faded, but she could tell.

"What's this?" she asked, affection and curiosity surging in her voice.
Lightly rubbing her hand over them.

He held her hand to his face. As if he were trying to memorize her,
as if he were trying to memorize her touch.

"Harry what is this?" she asked again.
"Did you do some war stuff. Please tell me you didn't have a brush in with death."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Harry I believe anything you tell me."

"Let's just get a drink or something ok?"

They walked back to the small town, swinging their hands as they walked along.
She felt a little happier than she'd been in forever.

They chose Madame Puddifoot's. Nice and crowded, the only crowded.
Who knows why.

She began laughing a little.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, I half expect some sort of couple contraption to come flying at us."

"Yeah. Never did like this place much. But I just need to talk to you."

"Fire away. Fire away."

They ordered some butterbeers, warming up to them.

"How have you been?"

"You know. Same, same. I'd be much better if you told me where you got those
bruises from!" she said.

"You don't sound that happy. I can tell."

"I forget you know me. But answer me.
Why didn't you write or call, or anything? You don't understand
how much I've missed you."

"Oh Hermione" he whispered, shaking his head, putting it in his hands.
he looked like he wanted to cry.

"What is it Harry?" she rubbed his shoulder, trying to make him look at her.

He could feel her intense stare, looking straight into him.

"I have been writing. I have tried to visit. I've written and written and written,
but you never answer."

"What? You've written?! I haven't seen a single letter since I left school.
That's impossible that you've written all these letters."

"I swear to you, I wrote all those letters. And I know they got delivered.
I told Hedwig not to come back until they were accepted."

"But then how could I have not seen them?"

He looked up at her, fixing his stare with hers.

Her tone changed. Dead serious.

"Where did you get them?" staring fixedly at the marks.

He kept looking at her. He knew she understood.

And she shook her head, shook her head, kept shaking it back and forth.
"No, no no no. That's not possible. No. no no no."
she kept whispering, over and over. Trying to convince herself.
But she knew he was right.

_________________________________________________________________

Draco was mad. He had come home expecting Hermione to be waiting for him.
But she wasn't there. He searched the whole house. But to no avail.
She was no where.

He called her work. Asked why she was still there.
It had been canceled. No work today.
And she didn't tell him.

So now he was pacing.
He was worried. How could she have escaped.
What if she was hurt? What if she was cheating on him?

A million ideas flashed through his head.
And each sent him on a mini panic attack.

Finally. At a quarter to ten. He heard the door squeak open, heard the keys being
dropped on the foyer.

The shuffling of feet on the floor.
But not just her feet.
He knew it. She was cheating on him
His heart already breaking. He walked to the entrance hall,
ready to face the nightmare.

But it was an altogether different nightmare.
It was Potter.

His heart jumped from sort of despair and sadness to a mix of fear and hate.
Both emotions were battling for dominance.

She looked up at him, some form of hate crystallized in her eyes.

There was an awkward silence, broken only by short breaths.
They kept staring at each other.

And finally she spoke.

"Well Draco, look who I managed to meet today."
her voice was wobbly, like she'd been crying. Something like that.

He didn't reply, just kept staring. Ignoring Potter. She kept going.

"imagine my surprise. the one person I've been wanting to see forever.
the one I've told you a million times, time and time again.
how much I missed, how it was killing me. And today I just have that chance."

He turned and walked out of the room, closed the doors behind him in the parlor.
She pushed them open, leaving Potter alone.

"And IMAGINE MY SURPRISE AT HEARING OF ALL THE LETTERS.
OF ALL THE LETTERS THAT WERE SENT TO ME!"
a scream quavering on anger and sadness.
"AND NOT ONLY THAT DRACO. NOT ONLY THAT.
BUT YOU BEAT HIM. YOU BRUISED HIM. YOU MARKED HIM."
Anger had replaced everything else.

She walked up to him and pushed him slightly.
"Did you hear me Draco? Did you hear what I said?"

He kept staring at the floor.

"Why would you do that? What would possess you to do that?
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"

Silence.

"Well I don't care Draco. That's it. That's it. I can't take it.


It's over."

She turned to leave, turned to leave the room forever.
But he wasn't going to let her go that easily.

He did something fast, something she couldn't catch.
But the doors sealed shut, they wouldn't open any other way.

She tried to pull them open, shaking them.
Trying to shake the doorknob off. Willing it to open.
Trapped again,
about to call for Harry.

When he came behind her, spun her around.
Pressed her against the wall, his arms on either side.

"I didn't want to lose you."

She turned her head, trying to look away.

"I didn't want to lose you. I thought you'd go away.
I was selfish. I was selfish.
I don't trust you. I can see it in your eyes,
you regret this. You regret this marriage every day of your life."

He bent down, trying to kiss her. But she turned away. Trying to push him away.

"Just let me go Draco, please."

He raised his head,

"look at me"

she wouldn't.

"i said. Look at me."

she turned, ever so slightly. So her eyes were tilted up to meet his.

"When I told you I loved you. I meant it.
And that's forever."

He turned, letting the door open, leading himself off to another room.
And she stood there.
Stood there contemplating what he had said.
She began walking, walking away. Walking back to Harry.

Potter bundled her up, grabbed her arm and led her out. He had to take her away from there.
Hermione let him. She didn't make any movement. She didn't help. She didn't resist.

And as they walked off the manor, Harry setting up some way of getting back to his flat,
She looked up.

Looked up to the bedroom window, looked up at the man in the window.
The man she would always love.

Potter was ready to leave.


So she looked at him once last time.
He held his hand up to the window, the finger with his wedding ring.
She nodded, her eyes never leaving the window.

It was far from over.




______________________________________________________

personalized answers::
Kay- well maybe this might take some possession out
extraho- there's lots left to make it happy. but i cant promise anything
Lady Lynn- well know Harry can learn that Draco doesn't
Lillium- YES! you remembered a trivial hint i left earlier on.
this will come into play very soon.
sticky- well she finally sort of saw. but i dont think hes going
to become percy anytime soon.
pickles87- you almost read my mind.
missy2- new draco is scary i agree

PLEASE REVIEW> I LOVE REVIEWS MORE THAN LIFE
i love all your reviews
i edited the left hand wedding thing
and...........
thanks for the reviews do far

what do you think? what will happen next?