Living in Darkness

Chapter 20: Somewhere in a Distant Memory

Draco was staring at her. She was just so beautiful. Every stunning feature about her appealed to his taste... he found he even liked her hair dark more than blonde... it made them fit together better...

Hermione shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. She stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Draco called after her.

Hermione stopped, unsure of how to react to Malfoy speaking to her civilly.

"To get something to eat..." she turned around, "Would you like something?"

To her surprise, Draco stood up and followed her into the kitchen. She did her best to act as if nothing was out of the ordinary, but the more she tried, the more she realized how very out of the ordinary it was.

"Malfoy... what happened to you?" Hermione asked rather cautiously. She fully expected to get a negative response from him as she watched him slowly look up at her.

"What makes you think something happened?" he said, shaking his bangs out of his eyes.

Hermione stared at him incredulously for a few moments before replying.

"Okay, first of all, you just saved Ginny at your own expense. Secondly, you have yet to call me a mudblood and act rude and arrogant. What was it, did you get overwhelmed at what they wanted you to do and decide to come running to the Order?"

Draco let out a hollow laugh as he looked up at her.

"I wish..."

Hermione was on the verge of flipping out. She was actually trying to make him mad now and couldn't believe he was maintaining his calm demeanor.

Draco stared at her for a few seconds before he finally spoke in a deathly calm tone.

"Would you have rather me stabbed her repeatedly until she bled to death, Granger?"

Draco watched as her anger melted away in an instant and was replaced by an expression of horror.

Her voice was only a whisper as she said, "Is that what would have happened?"

Draco's eyes gave nothing away as he diverted his gaze from hers.

Hermione sat down in one of the chairs across from him and looked at him closely.

"Thank you... you don't know what it means to us," Hermione whispered.

Draco glanced at her and saw her staring at him, like she was trying to understand what he was thinking.

In truth, all he was thinking about was pulling her out of that chair and stripping her clothes off of her and fucking her on the kitchen table. Unfortunately, he knew that would be unwise.

XXX

Draco spent the next several days out of the way of the Order. He stayed in the parlor where he had transfigured something into a bed. There had been a lot of commotion with the Order about him, but he did his best to ignore it. Draco wasn't sure what he should do now...

XXX

Hermione laid in her bed at three in the morning staring out the window. Something wasn't right. Harry and Ginny had got married the previous day. They were going to discuss plans for retrieving the horcrux the next. Everything seemed to be going smoothly... except Malfoy.

She just couldn't understand why he was now on their side... none of it made sense.

Hermione's thought were broken when she heard soft music through the wall... She turned her head to listen better.

It was a piano...

She rose from her bed without thought and went into the hall. It was like a distant memory she just couldn't grasp.

She wracked her mind trying to remember why it was familiar...

She suddenly realized it was coming from the parlor... Malfoy's room...

She stepped closer to the door and pressed her ear against it.

It was such a depressing tune... why did she recognize it so much...

She slid down the door gently, putting her hands to her temples. She knew she shouldn't be sitting outside Malfoy's room like this, but she couldn't seem to pull herself away from the eerie tune...

She breathed deeply as she braced herself for what she was about to do. She stood up and opened the door quietly. As she gazed into the room, she saw Malfoy playing the piano without looking back. She didn't even realize it worked until now.

As she pushed open the door she flinched as she heard it creak.

Damn old house, she thought as Draco stopped playing and turned to look at her curiously.

Hermione froze on the spot as he turned towards her and stood up. He was only wearing loose, silk and of course, black, boxers. Hermione felt he face flush instantly as she willed her body to run, but couldn't move, all she could do was stare...

She had never really seen a man barely clothed and definitely not one that looked like Malfoy. His toned muscles couldn't have drawn more attention from her if he was trying. But what really caught her off guard was the dark mark glaring menacingly at her and the bruises it was creating on his wrist...

Draco looked at her, trying to read her thoughts as she stood in pure shock. She looked gorgeous. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck and she wore a fitted t-shirt and short pajama shorts. Her long legs were exposed brilliantly to his gaze.

Draco saw when she finally made a move to leave and spoke quickly, "Wait... don't go."

She froze again, intentionally not looking at him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come in without knocking... I just heard you..." Draco finally realized why she was so nervous and found a black t-shirt and pulled it over his head.

"It's safe to look now," he teased, watched her slowly glance over to him.

Her eyes shone brightly as she glanced back at his wrist.

Draco moved to sit on his bed as she spoke.

"Does it hurt..."

Draco glanced at the mark, so irritatingly burning him.

He shrugged.

Hermione found every last shred of courage she had as she inched over to his bed and sat down taking his wrist in her hand.

Draco watched her, highly amused that she had so innocently wandered into his room at three in the morning.

She pressed her palm against his flesh and began muttering a healing spell under her breath. Draco felt the pain slowly lessen until it dissipated entirely. She looked up at him as the last of the bruises disappeared.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked quietly.

Draco shook his head and held her gaze.

"Why did you come in here?" he asked her. She looked uncomfortable, unsure how to answer him.

"I ... I don't know. I heard the music and..." she looked at him helplessly.

Draco lifted his arm and slowly flicked his wrist and startled Hermione as the door shut behind her.

She looked at him strangely...

"You can do wandless magic?" she asked, oblivious as to the fact that he had just shut the door.

Draco smiled at her... a real smile and Hermione noticed.

She shifted trying to understand this new Malfoy she wasn't used to...

"You should smile more, it suits you," she said, standing up. Draco caught her hand and pulled her back down into his lap. Her feet dangled off the bed as she twisted to look at him and before she knew what happened, he kissed her.

It was s soft kiss that he pulled out of immediately and looked up at her. Her shock was evident, but not hostile. He reached his hand up to her face, touching it to her cheek.

Hermione wasn't sure why she didn't get up, but when he touched her, it was like a distant memory she couldn't make out. His cold fingers sent chills up her spine as he entangled them in her this hair like he had done it a hundred times. He gently pulled her head down to his lips and kissed her more forcefully this time.

Hermione was hardly aware of anything but his tongue moving into her mouth... and her letting him... his cold hands moving up her skin, making her shiver.

Draco kissed her harder with each passing second as he felt her respond with urgency that he didn't think would be there...

He broke the kiss long enough to pull her legs around his waist and lean her back gently onto the bed as he kissed her, enclosing her small body in his strong arms. He pressed his lips to her neck and sunk his teeth into her soft skin enough to make her shudder.

Hermione could barely think straight as Draco pulled her shirt over her head without resistance.

It felt so right...How could this be wrong if it felt so right...

Draco pulled her bra over her head as well, not bothering with the clasp. He knew he was taking a risk, but it was a risk she was enjoying.

He pushed himself up on his elbows to look at her.

"You are so beautiful, Hermione," he muttered, looking at her perfect breast, her rosy nipples hardened for him.

Hermione suddenly open her eyes and looked at him.

"Hermione," she asked, looking at him as if seeing him for the first time...

She suddenly started breathing very hard and tried to get out from under him until Draco grabbed her arms and looked her in the eye.

"Wait..." he said, begging her to calm down. He felt her breathing become less staggered and her heart rate calm slightly.

She looked up into his eyes, "Why would you call me that... What do you know that I don't..."

Draco looked at her and realized how scared she was.

She was looking at him, her beautiful eyes wide and terrified.

"Do you want me to let you do," he asked. The dilemma he saw in her eyes was unmistakable.

"I want to know why I feel like this is where I belong," she said, staring into his silver eyes, searching them.

Draco leaned down to whisper into her ear, "Because it is where you belong... with me."

Draco didn't waste another second as he pulled his shirt off and tugged her shorts down her legs. She watched him with a slightly excited, yet horrified look on her face as he pulled his aching erection out of his boxers.

Draco took her soft lips in his mouth as he pressed his body close to her warmth. She felt so extremely good underneath him... all he wanted was to push his hard cock into her tight, wet cunt and fuck her senseless...

Draco grabbed her breast and massaged it with his hand as he took her other into his hot mouth. Hermione kept her eyes open as she heard the soft moans escape her mouth. The sight before her was tantalizing and terrifying at the same time.

Malfoy's bangs was tickling her breast as he nipped at her hardened nub, creating the most erotic sensation she had ever experienced. She ran her fingers through his hair, marveling at how soft and silky it felt. He pulled his head up to look at her with a sexy smirk on his lips.

"You are the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen," he said to her in a hushed, lust -drunk voice.

Hermione looked at him with passions filled eyes and realized just exactly how very strange this was.

"Malfoy... you do realize who I am... right?" she said, her voice trembling slightly.

A small smile crossed his face briefly as he looked at her.

"I am very aware of who you are... but I don't think you know who I am," he said quietly. She looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"I don't think I could be any more aware of the fact that I am in bed with a Death Eater... at least until a few hours ago," she said, her eyes lingering on his mark for a second.

Draco suddenly sat up and leaned back against the wall away from Hermione. She wrapped an arm across her chest as she sat up and looked at him.

He wouldn't look at her directly as he spoke.

"I don't think this is a good idea... you should probably go back to your room."

Hermione looked at him hard, trying to figure out what exactly was going on in his head.

She silently dressed and went to the door. She glanced back over at him and opened her mouth like she was going to speak, but seemed to think better of it as she closed her eyes for a moment. A tear slid down her cheek as she opened the door and quietly left Draco alone to his thoughts.

Draco closed his eyes... it had taken all his restraint to not fuck her like a whore... but that wasn't how she fell in love with him... She had come to him.

He thought back to that night in Venice... she had come to him...

She definitely wasn't ready yet. If he had pushed her, she would only run away.

He took his rock hard erection in his hand... god he wanted her...

He remembered that passionate night in Paris... the rough sex they had in Amsterdam... and the love they shared on her apartment floor in London...

He had to do this right... He had to get her to remember...

XXX


AN/ Okay guys, my updating suck lately because I have been rather busier than normal. I leave for Okinawa tomorrow and will be there for two weeks, so don't expect any update 'til after that. It kinda works out for everyone because OMG ITS HARRY POTTER WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will see the movie on the 20th, (my birthday) and then get the book!!!!!!!!!!
What a birthday right?!?!?!

Yay!!!!!!!! I'm so PUMPED! Did you guys see the possible beginning of book 7 on Mugglenet? It hasn't been declared authentic, but it could be!~! It is from the Guardian, a British paper, or something.

Okay, I'm off to pack, because I'm the biggest procrastinator in the world... like 12 hours before my flight leaves...lol.