Count Your Blessings

A/N: The ending of this chapter was a tad bit hard to write. So much emotion was thrown into this. *Sigh* Hope you like it!

margaritama – You will have to wait and see what happens!!! I already wrote the epilogue and it was tons of fun to write muahahahaha.
ginnylovesharry07 – Yey! So glad you really like this story. I’m starting to like it too. HAHA
chunkymonkey – Thanks! I find describing moods far easier than the rest of it – merely because I write how I feel if I was in the position. Gotta love being such a bleeding heart.
Dreamweaver – I always despised Umbridge and thought it’d be great for her to get a real comeuppance. The books never really gave her what she deserved hah, I know it’s evil but oh well! You’ll see more between Draco and Snape in later chapters. In a way, Snape is more of a father than Lucius will ever be and both he and Draco are totally finding it awkward.

Thanks to everyone who rated and reviewed. Without you, there’d be no story!
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The day started off rather slow. Hermione woke slathered in warmth from the large fluffy blankets and in the warm embrace of a man she would have never considered before. Now, it was a different story. She had never realized how much they held in common, even with their fears. He loved his family, just as she had, but he wasn’t raised with unconditional love. Hermione was more than eager to give it to him; yet, a part of my mind was telling her that they had begun their tumultuous affair too soon. It would only lead to heart ache, was what her logical side told her. Secretly, she hoped her mind would be wrong – for once.

She inhaled the clean crisp air that held a sort of cinnamon sweet glaze scent in the air. Fluttering her eyes open, she rolled onto her back. She blinked several times, trying to rid herself of that morning blissful gaze and stared up at Draco. His eyes were closed but he looked worried. With a scrunched forehead that had small beads of sweat beginning to form, Hermione sat up and looked at him. She wondered if she should wake him, if he was having a nightmare, but she hesitated. Slowly bringing her hand to his face, Hermione caressed his jaw and brushed a few strands of his silver blond hair that had blocked her view. To her surprise, his face relaxed some what and his eyes began to quiver until they opened.

Pure cobalt blue eyes stared at her with wonder or did she see worry hiding beneath them? Never the less, Draco’s usual Slytherin smile grew on his lips and she soon forgot all about the worry that seemed to poke daggers into her chest. He leaned up, propping up onto his elbow with the side of his face resting neatly on his palm. Hermione could clearly see the Dark Mark dancing across his skin, blazing with evil. Yet, his face was far from it. It was calm in demeanor but still mysterious. Draco brought his hand to the side of her face and caressed her skin until he reached her ear lobe and gave it the tiniest of tugs.

“Good morning,” Hermione whispered, her voice cracking just a little.

It didn’t seem to bother him as he merely smiled wider and repeated her same words. She found herself leaning down into a kiss; which was very wet but yummy. He moved slightly from the kiss and found his lips a nice spot on her neck where he traced feather light touches across her skin. Unable to hold herself back, Hermione let out a string of giggles and leaned as far back as she possibly could. Draco moved with her until she was on her back and he towering over her. His hand rested gently next to her ear while his other hand traced over her navel. Hermione squirmed in delight again and rolled over onto her side; Draco close by. He brought his lips to her shoulder and began kissing down her arm until he reached her fingers.

She looked at him as he grabbed her hand and brought his lips to each finger and buried them against her wrist. He released her and leaned over her again, his mouth seeking hers. This time, Hermione let him. Their kiss was soft yet full of passion; something that was intoxicating and very addictive. She found her hands streaking through his hair, brushing it back as he deepened the kiss. Their tongues massaged one another before he, quite literally, sucked on her tongue and pulled himself from her.

“I don’t think I’ve ever woken up to something like that,” Draco grinned egotistically, sitting back against the headboard.

He reached out and pulled Hermione to him, both facing opposite directions. Hermione smiled back at him and moved until she sat on his lap, her thighs on either side of him. Draco draped one arm around her waist as she leaned in and brushed her lips against him.

“I don’t think I have either,” she said against his lips, giggling when he smirked and raised an eyebrow

“You better not have. Or else I’d have to shove my wand up Weasel’s arse for trying to score with my girl,” he teased, laughing a little.

Hermione looked at him seriously but even she couldn’t find reason to be mad at him. “Your girl?”

Draco’s eyes darted away at that moment and he seemed to be mulling over what to say. He cleared his throat but kept his eyes away from her.

“I mean. You know.” He began and Hermione was quite sure he didn’t mean to let that whole ‘my girl’ thing slip but it had. “We’re not official or anything…”

“And you’re technically still with Pansy,” Hermione reminded him, watching him twitch at the name.

“Yeah. Well you’re technically supposed to hate me.” He added with a raised eyebrow, “It’s not every day Hermione Granger is caught sitting in Draco Malfoy’s lap naked as the day she was born.”

“Just like it’s not every day Draco Malfoy admits that he likes a Muggle-born,” Draco rolled his eyes but he smiled.

“I guess that’s true too,” he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, nipping at her bottom lip, “But we all change, don’t we?”

Hermione smiled into the kiss and nodded, leaning against him. She felt Draco bring his hands to her waist, deepening their kiss. A small moan escaped her lips when she felt him slowly rolling her hips against him with his hands, his growing length rubbing against her folds. Hermione brought her hands to his and felt his motions stop instantly. He pulled back and looked at her but she merely bit her lip and looked at him under her eye lashes.

His closed his eyes and leaned back against the head board when she took initiative and began rocking her hips against him. His grasp on her waist lessened until they slowly climbed to her lower back. His other hand traveled to the side of her face, just as his eyes fluttered open and he leaned in. His kiss was possessive and it seemed as if he were claiming her at that moment. Little did he know, he already had her.

Hermione moaned into the kiss but stopped, only to feel the rush of cool air graze over her body when Draco pulled down the white sheet that covered her body. She moved against him, rising slowly and brought his length to her, slowly sinking onto it. Draco and Hermione let out a simultaneous moan as his length buried deep into her heat. Hermione started to rock her hips against his, almost a little lazily but it felt so good.

When she tilted her head back, she felt Draco’s lips and teeth against the center of her neck, urging her hips to rock faster. She could hardly contain the vibrations of her moans, which only sent shivers up her spines whenever Draco nipped at her neck in the middle of one. His hands were pressed firmly against her back, one resting on the lower and the other in the center. Hermione herself found her hands gripping onto his shoulders, one draped loosely around his neck.

They had leaned away from the head board and some how found themselves in the center of the massive king sized bed; Hermione rutting away on top of him. The soft sounds of their collective groans, moans, and his very deep grunt echoed across the room. It was followed by the slight tapping of their skin against one another. Draco’s kisses lead down her throat and to her collar bone, resting lightly on her right shoulder before traveling to her chest. She let out a louder cry when she felt his lips directly over her heart.

Her rocking only grew more intense after that moment. Both had their lips parted, breathing into each others ears as Hermione’s warm center collapsed around Draco’s manhood. He grunted into her ear and slowly began pumping his length into just, just as she fell onto him. Their unison movements caused the normally quiet bed to squeak every so often; something that almost made Hermione laugh if she wasn’t too busy moaning with pleasure.

Draco tilted his hips upward just a little, reaching that spot that caused her to dig her nails into his shoulder and tilted her head back. She arched herself into him and let out a devastatingly sexual moan mixed with his name and a certain curse word he normally never heard from her. Hermione rocked against him with more force, both panting and grunting with they ground against one another. It lasted twenty long, very pleasing, minutes before Hermione let out a final cry of ecstasy, followed by Draco, and fell against him completely winded.

They held each other for a few moments, both trying to catch their breaths. He could smell the sweet scent of strawberries in her hair and buried his head further into her neck, inhaling the scent. His eyes closed but Hermione couldn’t tell what was wrong, whether he was starting to become upset or if he were merely exhausted. She thought it was the latter and merely clung to him. Draco was the first to release her and slowly move her from him. He brought his lips back down to her own, only briefly before he moved.

Hermione watched him walk bare butt into the bathroom, which had grown in the Room of Requirement for the both of them. She sighed and fell back against the bed, tapping her finger against her stomach lightly. It began to growl and rumble as if she had eaten Hagrid’ three headed dog, Fluffy. The water ran for a good ten minutes before Hermione decided to get up. She threw her blankets onto the bed, and nearly fell to the floor when her leg got caught in one, before walking slowly to the bathroom. Her legs were stiff but she had a good ache between her thighs. As soon as she reached the bathroom, the water shut off.

Standing at the threshold, Hermione watched Draco climb out of the shower with a white towel wrapped around his waist. He turned and smiled at her, but suddenly it disappeared. Hermione averted her eyes slightly when he approached.

“What’s wrong?” He asked suddenly, tilting her chin upward.

“Nothing.” Hermione said quickly, before rethinking her words, “I just thought we’d…”

He grinned, “As much as I’d like to spend an entire day in the shower with you, Granger. I have to meet Professor Snape about some late assignments. How about after dinner?”

Hermione had almost forgotten that they spent most of their day in the room and that she was being, maybe a little, selfish when it came to having Draco. She always used the logic that once school started up again, their time would greatly shrink and she wanted as much of him as possible.

“Ok,” she replied brightly, smiling at him, “I’m sorry I’m being…”

“Don’t apologize. You can’t help wanting to be with me. I’m irresistible.” Draco beamed sarcastically, grinning from ear to ear

Hermione stifled a laugh and nodded, “Sure you are,” before moving past him to get into the shower.

Draco disappeared from her view and once she stepped into the shower, she couldn’t hear him any longer. It felt great to spend some time to soak up all the water and bathe. It took a few more minutes longer than Draco, but she had massive amounts of hair and it required at least two shampooings and conditioning before it looked good enough not to branch out as if she had been electrocuted.

When she got out, she found Draco missing, but didn’t think anything of it. Dressing in silence, Hermione took a look at herself in the mirror and frowned. She looked frumpy with her large gray sweater, made by Mrs. Weasley and lacking the large H that normally would appear if she were one of the family, faded blue gray jeans and trainers. She shrugged, no one would see her anyway and it wasn’t like she worried about how she looked. People liked her for who she was, not how she looked. Hermione found herself nodding at that statement as it passed through her brain.

She made her way out to the Great Hall to eat breakfast, alongside Professor Flitwick and McGonagall. No one spoke but once Dumbledore arrived it became a little crowded at the table. Hermione watched suspiciously, in jest, as Dumbledore stole her lemon toast and replaced it with raspberry. She didn’t mind, over the past week everyone seemed to sneak their hands onto others plates to try what they had. It seemed as if the holiday spirit was beginning to wear off as a few students were preparing to go to the library to study.

Hermione had made a note that she needed to study for the final examinations and had been far too…busy…to properly study with them. As much as she enjoyed Draco’s company, she found it hard to study with him. It wasn’t him. He studied quietly, just as she had, but she found herself constantly looking at him and staring into the side of his face. He was distracting, but in a good way.

Bidding good day to the professors, Hermione slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way to the library. She stopped half-way and contemplated on whether she should get her potions book. Deciding that it would be best if she had all of her books, Hermione swung a loop and headed back to the Room of Requirement. She walked down the corridor and the stairs that lead straight past the dungeons. Hermione stopped dead in her tracks as she heard two arguing voices.

She was hardly one to pry but when she realized one voice belonged to Draco and the other to Snape, she just had to find out what was going on. She’d blame Harry and Ron for making her like this. Hermione squatted down near the edge of the staircase behind a large pillar and listened.

“I will not do it,” Draco snapped, sounding as if venom was dripping from his tongue, “He has no right to put this upon me.”

“You have received your orders, Draco,” Snape replied nonchalantly, “Would you rather not follow the Dark Lord’s bidding and risk his wrath or do what he says and spare your family humiliation?”

Draco’s voice got lower and the tone sent shivers up her spine, “By ‘my family’ you’re talking about my father.”

“You will do what is required of you. Don’t take the oath and bearing of the Dark Lord’s mark in vein. This is not a child’s game, this is real life.”

“Bloody hell I won’t. I won’t do it.” Draco seethed, his eyes narrowed at Snape, “She is not a pawn in his, Snape.”

“Get a hold of yourself, Malfoy. You’re putting your emotions ahead of you.”

“This has nothing to do with my feelings.”

“This has EVERYTHING to do with them. Your attachment to the Granger girl has compromised our entire mission. Or did you forget that I swore to protect you and help you with this?”

They said her name. HER name. Hermione inched closer, feeling her heart begin to pump and pound wildly against her chest. She had to hold her breath each time they stopped talking, afraid they’d hear her. What were they talking about? Was this some kind of Death Eater thing? What did she have to do with any of it?”

“You can just forget it, because I won’t do it.” Draco was silent for a moment, “I won’t let her get killed.”

Hermione’s heart stopped. She was dead. Right then and there. Call the paramedics and haul her away. They were talking about her and death. Hermione and death was not a good combination. As much as Hermione wanted to stand up and run away as fast as she could, she didn’t. She was frozen in place with wide eyes.

“Draco,” Snape’s cold voice broke her back into reality, “There is nothing you can do. You will lure her to the Forbidden Forest and she will be taken. She trusts you enough to follow.”

Draco’s voice grew cold and emotionless, “And what if she doesn’t?”

“Take her with force. I’m sure you can come up with an idea. No matter how you feel, Hermione Granger must be captured. For your sake, your father’s sake…”

“Right.” Draco’s word felt like hot steamy iron piercing into Hermione’s flesh.

Her eyes grew blurry and she was fighting back tears, a heart attack, and the awful cramp she developed in her shin. The last of their conversation went unnoticed but before Hermione to escape Draco had made his way back up the stairs. Hermione rose from her spot and he nearly tumbled back, looking back into the shadows where he was hiding.

“Hermione,” Draco said quietly, extending his hand out to her. “Listen. I can…”

“Explain?” Hermione forced her voice out of her, “Explain what, Malfoy? How you and Snape planned to k-kill me?”

Her voice was quivering and she took a reflexive step back when he stepped forward. Draco’s eyes were soft and pleading with her, but she knew. She just knew that he was faking it. Everything…everything was a lie. Her heart broke more at that conclusion. Was it Snape who gave her the potion? Just so Draco could come to the rescue and weasel his way into her heart? Was anything he ever said true?

“It’s not like that. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he pleaded, or it sounded like pleading.

Hermione continued to take steps back when he stepped forward. She gripped tightly onto her bag and wished, for once, that she had brought her wand. Stupid Hermione. Stupid. Stupid.

“What is it like then? Lure me away from the castle? Capture me? Torture me? Use me against Harry?” Her voice became more demanding and heated, “Everything you said. Everything we were…It was just a lie. A flawed perception of what my delusional mind was telling me.”

“Hermione, no it wasn’t. I wasn’t lying to you when I told you…”

“Save it, Malfoy!” Hermione snapped at him, her eyes narrowing, “If you think I’ll believe ANYTHING you tell me after this…you’re wrong. Dead wrong.”

“Hermione.”

“STOP calling me by my name!” She shouted at him, her nostrils flaring with anger, “Stop pretending you’re a nice guy, Malfoy. We all know what you are.”

“No.” Draco whispered, his face screwed up into something that looked like heart break, “Don’t say it. Please, don’t.”

“You’re a clone of your father. You’re just like him. A sick twisted bastard who uses people, lies to them, cons them into believing you…c-cared.” Tears had begun to stream down her face at that moment, mixed with hatred, spite, heart break, and most of all sadness. “You’re…nothing. A pathetic fool who thinks he deserves something more than what he’s worth.”

Draco looked as if he were having a mental break down. His face was sweating and a slight shade of pink, but Hermione could care less. He was evil. Her logical side was right and her heart was wrong. Oh the pain. Hermione let out a vocal sob and turned on her heel, racing down the corridor. She was wrong. Her world was falling apart and, worst of all, she had never felt so much hurt and anguish in her life. What was wrong with her?