Living in Darkness

Chapter 6: Sudden Realization

Warning: Fairly graphic sex. Finally, right?

Draco flew above the thick white clouds as she slept leaning against his chest. Never before had he felt so peaceful and relaxed. The dark sky had morphed into twinkling stars that were now fading quickly to the twilight moments before dawn. He could feel the rhythm of her beating heart reverberating against his skin. He had cast a warming charm so they did not freeze at such an altitude. She had clutched him tightly up until the point that she fell asleep. She had started to slide, but Draco reflexively grabbed her and gripped her tightly to keep her steady against him. The sun was about to rise and they were almost there. Draco woke her up.

"Are we there yet?" she asked, sleepily. Draco laughed lightly.

"Yes, open your eyes, the sun is rising." She did and saw Draco looking out into the sky. He seemed tranquil, a far cry from his state earlier. His deep silver eyes looked different to her somehow... not as dark... She snuggled her head into his chest and looked out at the sunrise on her right. It was a beautiful sight. Deep shades of orange, hues of pink, and bright sunflower yellows. She smiled.

Suddenly the broom went into a dive and Draco looked at her mischievously. In a matter of seconds he had released her from the broom. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized he had just dropped her... on purpose. She felt herself plunge into the clouds the mist enter her lungs. It was actually quite refreshing had she not been screaming bloody murder. Once she was out of the clouds, she felt herself magically slowing down and being caught in Draco's strong arms. He caught her in a way that she now had her legs wrapped around his waist. As Draco looked at her with an enormous grin on his face she slapped him.

"I cannot believe you just did that! You dropped me... on purpose, I can't believe you did that!" she said in shock. Draco simply burst out laughing.

"It's not funny, stop laughing, what if you didn't catch me?" she asked, accusingly.

"I wouldn't have done it if I wouldn't have caught you," he said, recovering from laughing. He tried to look at her seriously.

"Oh come on, you know it was fun. Admit it."

"It was not fun, stop laughing... I mean it, never do that again. Your lucky I got on this thing in the first place."

"You didn't though, I pulled you one. Admit it, it was a rush, god your high strung," he said, holding her close, "Just admit it." She looked him in the eyes for a long moment and realized, aside from the terrifying factor of what had just happened, Draco was happy. He was playing with her. Draco Malfoy was laughing. Something about that seemed too good to be true.

"Fine, alright... it was a tad bit fun," she said, as she started to laugh, "but only a little." Draco looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, it was thrilling," she exclaimed, "but I still could've died."

"Shut up, you could have just apparated." Hermione looked at him thoughtfully.

"You know, I've never thought of that... And all these years, I've been afraid of flying." She chuckled to her self.

"Look down," Draco said, "We're here." She did and what she saw was amazing. The city of Venice was breathtaking. St. Mark's Square was clearly visible, along with the many canals and boats.

"Did you know that Venice is the only city decreasing in population?" Draco asked. She looked at him curiously and shook her head.

"People can't afford to live here anymore. Tourists flood the area, taking away from the locals who have ancestry lines here. Local artisans can't afford to stay either because there aren't enough citizens. It's sad," Draco said. He soon cast a disillusionment charm on them as they landed.

"Come on, I'll take you to my flat."

XXX

Draco's flat actually turned out to be the suite at the Hotel Bonvecchiati. It was one of the most sought after hotels in Venice and Draco permanently rented that room to come and go as he pleased. As they ascended the stairs Draco ran into several staff members who greeted him warmly. Finally, they reached the top floor where his room was.

It was gorgeous. So very unlike the old castle they had been in. There was a lot of green and black shades, but it was elegant. Much more to her taste. There was also a balcony.

"Can we go out on the balcony," she asked, turning around. When she spotted Malfoy, he was already laying down on the bed asleep. She smiled as she saw him lying there, he had been awake all night while she slept. She walked out onto the balcony anyway.

So much had happened in the last few days it made her head ache thinking about it all. A week ago, she would have hit Malfoy with a very painful curse and handed him to the Azkaban guards. Now, however...well, here she was, with Malfoy sleeping, and vulnerable, outside of the prison where she had been. Her mind pushed her to leave, to go back and help the Order to end this war, but her body wouldn't budge. Something was keeping her here, something stronger than her mind... and that was not normal for her. She knew everyone would think she was crazy, but she wasn't the kind of person to turn her back on someone. Malfoy was finally showing signs of crossing sides and possibly being an asset in this god-forsaken war. He wasn't that stuck up ferret that he was when they were in school. He was someone who needed help. And what would the world be like if people didn't help each other?

That wasn't all of it though. That was the worst part... Somewhere along the line, she had actually missed him when he left and feared he wouldn't return. His nearness was an instant increase in her pulse. And the intensity with which he kissed her was unbelievable. He seemed to radiate the heat that intoxicated her system and yet... he was so cold... She wanted to save him... from the frozen hell he was trapped in.

Somehow she knew that if she could just stick it out, he would listen to her...and when she finally told him who she was, that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't hate her.

XXX

Four hours later, Draco awoke in a sweat. His sleep was diluted with visions of his mother's corpse burning as Malfoy Manor fell to the ground. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. He noticed she was out on the balcony reading a book happily, so he left her undisturbed while he went to the bathroom to shower.

As the burning water poured over him, he decided he would leave tonight. The sooner it was done, the sooner he could forget it.

He turned the water off and quickly dressed in fresh black slacks and a black long sleeved, button down, collared shirt and black robes. As he reentered the main parlor, her noticed that she was still immersed in the book. God she's Granger worthy, Draco thought with distaste.

He slid open the glass door and she looked up from the book.

"Oh, your up. I didn't expect you to be awake for a good bit longer," she said frowning.

"Does that disappoint you," he asked.

She smiled and said, "No, you just didn't sleep very long. It's unhealthy." She stood and set the book on the patio table and walked back inside the flat. Draco followed.

XXX

They spent much of the day talking about Draco's mother and how she was the only person in his family he would have ever saved from certain death. He tried to ask her questions about her life but she would always change the subject. The day passed quickly and the sun was soon to set.

"So how much longer are we going to be here," she asked him, as she pulled off her sweater she wore over her tank top. Draco took an extra moment to admire before answering.

"Not long, we will leave as soon as I get back," he said, standing. She looked at him sharply as if she were trying to read his mind.

"Your leaving?" she asked, with a strange accusatory tone in her voice. He looked at her trying to understand what she was feeling then.

"Yes, I told you, I'm going to Slovenia," he said, "I should be back by morning." She looked desperate for something to say as he pulled gloves onto his hands.

"But why, what are you going there for?"

"There is a group there who claim to be Death Eater's, but they are not under the Dark Lord's command. My father tried to restrain them and force them to follow our orders if they were to fashion themselves as Death Eater's. They took this as a threat. My mother's death was an obvious retaliation to my father's orders," he said icily, "They have various hideouts and underground clubs, but I know where one is. That's where I'm going."

Draco nodded to her in finality as he took solid steps towards the door.

"How do you know I won't leave," she asked, finally able to cough that up to postpone his departure. She didn't know why this was affecting her so much. But her temperature was drastically rising and she wanted him to stay more than she could admit to herself.

"Because you haven't done it already," he said, reaching the door. She stood as she watched his gloved hand grip the door threateningly. She knew this was her last chance, knew it could be the last time she ever saw him...

"WAIT," she yelled desperately, rushing to his side. Draco had barely turned around before he felt her soft lips capture his. To say she caught him off guard was an understatement. Draco felt every move she made...her delicate hands clinging to his shirt beneath his robes frantically, as if to keep him there...

Her kiss was tentative, like she was extremely nervous, but daring in the way she kissed him at all. In his shock, Draco didn't kiss her back, too intoxicated by her touch. She slowly pulled her mouth from his bottom lip and looked up into his eyes fearfully, her lips slightly parted. Draco soon registered what she was thinking...that he didn't want to kiss her back.

As he looked into her eyes, he realized that it was she who wanted this, not just him and it was she who had kissed him... He took only a moment to firmly place his gloved hand on the side of her face and wrap his fingers around the side of her neck beneath her ear. Her eyes were deep and rich in color and full of emotion.

He could feel her grip on his chest start to loosen and he knew it was now or never. So he kissed her. His lips forcefully took hers, alleviating any previous fear from her mind. He kissed her with all the passion he had never felt before. It felt like every nerve ending in his body had caught fire from her warmth.

His kiss was powerful, so powerful, she knew that she was feeling the magic in his veins flowing into her... She had read about that before... it was possible to transfer mana... and in powerfully emotional situations, it was possible to do it unintentionally. Her blood was boiling as he deepened the kiss. His lips caressed her in a way she found exotic... not that she had anything to compare it to really... but it was intoxicating. The way his tongue was sweetly lining her lips and the way his hands grasped her tightly. His right had moved from her cheek to become tangled roughly in her hair as the other had slid under her shirt and caressed the small of her back. He held her just right and kissed her desperately. The intensity was rising and all she could do was let it.

Draco could feel himself getting harder by the second. His head throbbed from the instant rise in temperature. It wasn't long before Draco abruptly pulled out of the kiss and tore of his gloves and robes. She was breathing perhaps as heavily as he was, if not harder when she looked at what he was doing. She seemed to be watching him, waiting for him to take the next step. So the shock Draco felt when she leaned towards him and began to unbutton his shirt was quickly turning to bliss. When she finished, she smoothed her hands over his toned chest, breathing his scent in deeply and obliged when he pulled her tank top over her head. His hands roamed her skin as he pressed his lips to her again as he subtly shifted their bodies and pressed her into the door previously behind him.

Her body was flat against the door as Draco saw her close her eyes before he began to kiss her neck. Each time his lips touched her body, she felt the heat in her midsection rise. He reached down to unfasten the clasp of his slacks to release his aching erection. The second it touched her lower stomach her eyes flashed open and looked at him. She could feel it's enormity pressing against her only causing the heat to build more.

Her skin was so soft Draco felt himself get ever harder as his dick pressed into her. He reached behind her, easily unclasping her bra and removing it. He looked her in the eyes the entire time as he pulled it off of her until he couldn't stand it anymore and broke eye contact to look at her chest. Her breasts, while not too large, and were of decent size. Each pick nub was seemingly as hard as he was, which pleased him. Without patience, Draco took her breast in his mouth, roaming his tongue and gently sinking his teeth into her nipple. A small moan escaped her lips as she grasped several locks of his hair in her hand. Draco knew he couldn't keep this up much longer so he grasped her legs and pulled them around him as he picked her up and pushed her down into the bed. He sat up for a moment admiring her natural beauty. Her soft curls fell into her face and around her shoulders creating a stunning effect. Draco saw her eyes shift curiously down to his hardened cock. To his surprise she reached down and touched her soft fingertips to it. Draco's response was to immediately pull her dark jeans off of her. She was left underneath him in only black silk panties with Draco quickly pulling them off. Her chest rose and fell gently as she watched the man above her eagerly undressing her. Somehow her mind had yet to register that this was still Malfoy. Somehow he had changed into someone she cared for, someone she wanted to make love to her.

Her legs parted before him was the most glorious sight he had ever laid eyes on. His eyes travel up her body until she was looking directly at him. She looked calm and collected, like there was nothing in the world she was surer about than this. Draco found that slightly discomforting considering how much she didn't know about him. But he pushed it aside and leaned down to envelope her in a kiss.

His blonde hair dangled slightly on her forehead as he kissed her. It was only moments later she felt his hand on her thigh slowly moving up. When he touched her, she bit his bottom lip involuntarily, slightly drawing blood. He didn't seem to mind, only kissed her deeper as he easily slid a finger into her wet folds. She was so tight. Her lips parted in bliss at his action and she moaned enough to make Draco push in another finger, just to make her moan loader. And she did. He began to massage her breast with his free hand while he pushed into her harder each time.

Draco stopped his thrust as he looked into her face waiting for her to open her eyes. When she finally did, she saw the desire in his eyes. And she knew what he wanted. She slightly inclined her head and that was all Draco needed. He kissed her mouth gently, as he knew she was about to experience much pain. She felt the tip of his cock rub her wetness. She kissed him back, loving every second he gave her attention, and focused solely on his lips and tongue in her mouth when he pushed into her. Something about the intimate action of his body inside of hers made her heart melt. She could feel the pain, but she felt incredible relief and high Malfoy did more. She wanted to make him feel like this, she was surprised that she was what caused this to happen in the first place. He pulled his lips away from hers and whispered in her ear.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his brow furrowed, sweat forming on his forehead. She nodded into his shoulder and smoothed her hands over his tightened muscles as he pulled back gently and thrust forward into her again. She felt her body flinch but wouldn't allow herself to whimper. She had no intention of letting him stop.

After several moments the pain subsided somewhat and she felt his thrusts quicken. He stopped kissing her and rubbing her, now he was focused. The way he moved inside her was in itself an art. She didn't know exactly what he was doing to make her make her to incredibly hot, but he was good at it. She felt tremors overtake her body as he grinned at her wickedly. She barely understood what he was grinning about as she drifted into a wonderful high. Her head spun until she finally began to feel Draco's thrusts fill her once more... not that he had stopped. He suddenly closed his eyes tightly and grasped the back of her head tightly.

Her thighs had long since been pulled around Draco's waist when he had cut loose and finally began fucking her with the force he needed to climax. She loved how he looked like this, so raw... so real... nothing in the world mattered except them here right now. His cock sliding in and out of her was a feeling she never wanted to end. His eyes were clenched tightly and she felt his hand brace her neck as he spoke.

"Say my name," he said huskily, looking up at her. His eyes were heavily lidded and drunk with lust. She felt herself grow wetter with his demand.

"Malfoy," she moaned, the fluid motions causing the beginning of her second climax.

"Tell me you want me to fuck you harder," he said slowly, between thrusts. He spoke the last word as if it were a sentence on it's own.

"I want you to fuck me harder," she cried, gasping in breaths of air as he pounded her into the bed.

"Now say my name again," he said.

"Malfoy."

"No, my name," he said, desperately trying to hold on a few more seconds. She looked at him slowly letting it sink in. Draco.

As the euphoria began to wear off, she whispered, "Draco." That was all it took.

Draco climaxed harder than he had ever before. She could feel his muscles relax as his eyes unclenched when he finally looked at her, his dick still buried inside of her. He breathed heavily as he rested his forehead on her chest. They stayed that way for a few moments before Draco lifted his head and pulled his cock out of her.

"I hate to leave you, but I must go," he said, looking at her, truly sorry.

She looked away from him. She may not have not have liked what was going on, but she understood it.

"I'll understand if you're not here when I return," Draco said, clearly telling her she was free to go. He steadily rose from the bed and redressed. As if nothing had happened, he pulled his gloves back on and left the room in silence.

Hermione sat up in the bed her mouth agape in sudden realization.

She had just let Draco Malfoy fuck the life out of her. And the worst part... she wanted him to do it again. Maybe her appearance wasn't the only thing that had changed about her.

XXX

AN/ The first scene of them flying is to show how they are when not surrounded by the darkness of war and hate; it's to show that the darkness isn't just within, but that the darkness surrounding them can control as well. (And I thought a fluffy scene would do my dark mind some good, lol) I hope you all enjoyed it.

Also, I just posted the first chapter of a story I've already written. Check it out, you may like it!

Please Review!!!

Thank you to those of you who to continue to review!! You know who you are!!! Any chance you guys could tell me how to remove that *Beast* warning in my summary without deleting the whole story. I can't find a way to do it, maybe I just can't. Thanks.