Deception

Nights like these were rare. When calm breezes drifted down from the crisp mountains to waft through the branches of ancient trees. Rustling leaves chorused with gentle waves across the black lake.

Closing her eyes, Hermione breathed deep the autumn air. How she loved this place. This castle and surrounding countryside. How it whispered of secret things. This place of sanctuary where it seemed the outside world did not exist. Where people acted as though nothing was going on in the outside world.

She wanted to believe that. Wanted it to be the case. She didn’t want the war. She wondered how anyone could. Though in recollection she knew her two best friends needed it. Even though they would deny it.

Harry. The boy who lived. Of all the people that she could think that would not want the war. She knew he needed it. Not as much as others, no, but he was next in line.

Harry needed the war to feel useful. Ever since he found out that Voldemort had killed his parents he never wanted to feel useless. So he goes and fights the good fight. Does the good deed. Saves our world time and time again.

Their shared best friend Ronald Weasley needed the war to stand out. He is so used to be in the shadows. He thanks Merlin everyday he met Harry Potter. Now he has a chance to shine, and get his own light, sort of, other than his brothers. That’s all that matters. He would be content not to be in the full blasted spot light though. No, for Ronald Weasley being recognized as a part of the golden trio was sufficient enough.

Hermione didn’t want the war, she wanted the final battle. The end, the calm, that moment in time when you knew that there was nothing wrong, where you didn’t need to look over your shoulder or be afraid.

Being afraid was the worst for her. She wasn’t afraid for herself, she was afraid for others. She was especially afraid for the one who needed the war the most.


Him. Despite what others might think, He didn’t want the war either, but he needed it.

He had to prove to his father how much of a man he was. Show his prowess in leading and manipulating others. Show his father that he was feared and respected amongst his peers. He was pushed everyday to gain his fathers approval. It became second nature.

Only she knew this. Quiet observations paid off. That and invisibility cloaks.

~~~~~~~~~~~

When she first started watching him it had started as a reconnaissance. Gathering anything she could. Bits of conversations here. Moments of vulnerability.

She had become enthralled with his life. Stealing away any free moment for an excuse to don the cloak and observe him.

That’s when Hermione Granger became a stalker of Draco Malfoy.

It had been so quick and painless, that moment, THE moment. A single most vulnerable moment in which her heart went out to him. He never knew she was there.


*****Flashback****

3 Weeks ago


She had followed him out of the castle. Down into the Forbidden Forest. To a clearing. She had cast a light foot spell on herself to minimize detection. She followed with careful steps on the moist forest floor. Hoping not to miss step and break a stick or other noisy object.

She stopped when he stopped. Watched as he took a seat on a mossy log. Unsure of what he was doing she had carefully come around to where she was facing him. That’s when it shook her. Stopped her in her tracks.

He was crying.


In that moment she felt his pain. And she understood why he was the way he was.

So Hermione decided then and there that she was going to help distract him from the war.
*************************************************

The question came later.

What distracts Draco.

Instinctively she rolled her eyes. She knew the answer. She also knew it would never happen.

If she were to spontaneously grow a pair, and preposition Malfoy he would simply laugh and look at her disgustingly.

So she would have to find others who would.

She tried to think, tried to come up with a plan, but every time she started her mind began to wander. It started with simple scenarios, simple conversations that she played with inside her head. Pretending to be someone else and carry on a conversation with him. Imagining what he might say. Things he might do. Soon it became unbearable for her, because the more she tried to ignore it the more intense it became. Until there was no questioning it.

Hermione Granger wanted to have sex with Draco Malfoy.

She knew it wouldn’t be easy. Draco rarely took others to his bed. She had found out that he and Pansy were betrothed, and that was why he chose her so often as his partner. Not that he really liked her, it was just easier for him to manipulate her. She knew that while he needed the connection with Pansy, as distasteful as it was, he hated it. He only really honored the betrothal because it was his families wish.


She had made her decision, she would have him, and so began her research.

Late nights spent pouring over countless books, searching out a solution. Then late on evening during the end of 5th year. A potion not unlike a poly juice, it was more of a glamour while it changed out outward appearance, anyone who had looked at you closely and knew certain details of either yourself or the person you were impersonating then they might see through it, but was doubtful. She knew it was risky but if her plan worked and she was successful in her seduction then she wanted to feel him as though it was her own body and not that of another.

It had worked beautifully, but now her skin burned with remembered touches. Time was taking its toll on her. She wanted more. Soon. So she observed, watched his every move waiting for him to become unsuspecting, needing for him to drop his guard.

**************************************

It had been a couple of weeks since the incident, which was what Draco was calling it. His night of scandal.

He was positively going out of his mind trying to figure out who it was. Someone had impersonated Pansy, and then proceeded to have mind blowing sex with him.

This was not how things were supposed to be. HE left them afterwards, HE left THEM wanting.

Now he roamed the halls listening to them chatter, trying to catch remembered words trying to catch a hint of who it may be. Which was somewhat hard to do with Pansy’s incessant blabbering in his ear. Wondering what he wanted to do that night or what he was about to do over the holidays and such, he had trained his ear to ignore her nonsense, and he listened to those around. But he heard nothing and no one came to him. So Draco did the one thing that he could. He moved on and as the weeks went by, time slowly got quicker and he was able to return to his normal tasks.

********************************************

And then it was there, her opportunity came when she noticed during breakfast he was totally back to his old routine. There were no covert glances around the Hall. When he walked in it was with easy grace instead of shifty nervousness.

********************************************


He had to get out. He needed time to himself. So he went to the one place he could think of where no one would find him.

Quick strides led him across the lawn, deft reflexes led him past the trees. Lost in his own thoughts he barely missed the crack of someone stepping on a stick, breaking it.

He dodged behind a tree peering out he saw no one. Taking a deep breath he stepped out from behind the tree, and began to walk again.

Quickening his pace. He needed to stop being so jumpy.

*crack*

Abruptly he stopped. Turning to see who it might be he caught a glimpse of long blond hair as the owner ducked behind a tree.

“Whoever you are, come out now!”

All he heard were giggles, and then the unmistakable sound of retreat.

‘No way. NO WAY!’ Draco thought to himself. There was no way that whoever was following him was going to get a way.

And so began the chase.

He dodged through the trees after her. He deduced that the person was a female when her perfume perforated through the forest. It made him a little dizzy. The scent was slightly intoxicating.

Stopping a moment to catch his breath he bent over hands on knees. Heaving deep gulps of air to replenish his lungs and rest his aching muscles.

*crack*

Draco looked up in time to catch the person as she crashed into his arms, hitting him in the face, seemingly on purpose. Knocking him to the ground and then realization came to him. He noticed. The persons face was still attached to his, at the lips.

He noticed how their lips parted, sweeping his with their tongue in their silent plead for entrance.

Maybe it was because of the perfume, his senses heady, or the adrenaline that pumped through his veins making everything seem euphoric. Cause the next thing he found himself doing was parting his lips.

Soon his hands were guiding up and down her spine as the kiss was deepened.

Suddenly he pulled her up. Recognition crossed his face. His brows knitted in half confusion half bewilderment. He cocked his head to the side.

“Lavender?”

She just smiled down at him, and then she was off. In one smooth movement she had managed to extract herself from his arms and then get up and start running at breakneck speed back to the castle.


Draco’s shock was momentarily lived as he realized something might be amiss. In seconds he was on her trail. When he broke through the forest he saw her three quarters the way there.

‘Man, she can move.’ He thought to himself.

When he reached the three quarter mark she was just through the door it slowly sliding closed after her entry.

Struggling to speed up he made it to the door pushed it open just in time to see Lavender Brown walk out of the great hall with Pavarti Patil.

Walking up to her.

“Why did you run away?”

She looked up at him not comprehending.

“Run away? What are you talking about? I’ve been in the great hall for the last 45 minutes eating dinner.”

“What? That can’t be, I just saw you in the woods.” narrowing his eyes

“Huh? The woods? You mean the Forbidden Forest? Why would I ever go in there. Its dangerous. Seriously, I don’t know who you saw in there, but it wasn’t me.”

And she walked away. Pavarti stealing glances over her shoulder at him as they retreated.

Draco simply stared at their backs, and sighed.

It had happened again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Down the hall in an empty classroom peeking through the ajar door the scene unfolded beautifully.


Draco would be thoroughly distracted.

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A/N

I hope you guys like it so far please review. Ideas are always welcome!
Thanks

brayzen