Catalyst

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of Harry Potter and no profits of any kind are being made.




Hermione woke later that morning feeling much better than she had earlier. She reluctantly sat up and left the warm cocoon of her bedcovers and headed for the shower. After cleaning up and dressing, she shuffled down the hallway to find some breakfast, surprised and a bit apprehensive to find an owl fluttering outside her window.

After taking the parchment and providing the owl with a treat, she sat down at the table to read her letter.




Good morning Granger,

Though I doubt it is a very good morning for you if you are just waking up. I checked your stock of hangover potions before leaving last night- do be sure to make use of one and spare the world the terror of a hung-over Hermione Granger.

Contact me via the floo-network when you awake. I’ve got something to discuss with you.


DM

P.S. Potty and the Weasel did warn me about your insatiable lust for me, yet you still managed to surprise me. Just remember Granger, make that offer again sometime when you’re sober, and the evening may turn out quite a bit differently.




She dropped the letter to the table, allowing her head to follow with a dull thump. She was simultaneously mortified and wistful, due respectively to the fact that he was mercilessly mocking her drunken seduction attempts and that the fact that his postscript filled her mind with images of what could have happened last night. However, though it was true that Draco had more sex appeal than should be legal, on a deeper level she was quite relieved that nothing had happened. He was undeniably appealing on many levels, but he was also brooding and intense, and a bit scary. She knew that it would have been a mistake to push such the tenuous connection that they had been developing to that deeper level this soon, despite the rush of desire she felt considering the thought.

There was also the matter of whatever it was that Malfoy wanted to “discuss” with her. She lifted her head, annoyed with the situation. She hated wondering. The entire situation was irritating to say the least. She was weary of worrying about Malfoy’s reaction, about what he might want to discuss with her, what he might think of her. Deciding that she needed some distance from the situation, a few hours to herself, she grabbed her bag and headed for the front door.

* * * * * * * * *






“So you didn’t sleep with him?” Ginny sounded disappointed.

“No. Although not for lack of trying.” Hermione conceded.

“But you did kiss him?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And how was that?”

Hermione sat back in her chair, a dreamy smile crossing her lips. “It was nice,” she understated, remembering the taste of his mouth and the feel of his body pressed against hers, holding her tightly.

Ginny bit back a laugh at the goofy expression her friend was currently sporting. “Have you made plans yet to see him again?”

“I passed out before he even left. So no. But he did owl me this morning. Said that he wants to discuss something with me. I can’t even begin to imagine what that could be, but knowing Malfoy…” she trailed off, pushing the unpleasant possibilities out of her mind.

The two women were seated in a small booth in the café where they were eating. They’d met up earlier and had been idly shopping and chatting all day. The topic of Hermione’s date had been studiously avoided at her own insistence, until now. Ginny watched her the conflicting emotions cross her friend’s face, waiting for her to work through whatever was running through her mind.

“It just feels like there’s more at stake here than I can explain,” she sighed. “I mean, we’ve gone on one date. We’ve hated each other for years. It doesn’t make sense that he should feel so important to me. And it’s odd, because on the surface, not much has changed about our relationship. We still treat each other badly a lot of the time. But suddenly, there’s more to it. All the motives are different. And it all just feels sort of… important, in an exciting but scary way.”

Hermione paused and looked up. “Does that even make sense?”

Ginny shrugged. \"There’s a thin line between love and hate. It’s got to be scary because your feelings for each other have never been in moderation. You two went through an intense event together, and it probably forced you both to re-evaluate a lot of your feelings about each other. It makes sense that it would be confusing- you’ve got some pretty severe extremes battling.”

Hermione thought about that. It made sense. People crossed the line the other way every day. Every time a lover was unfaithful, or a couple divorced. Typically, those that loved the most passionately became those that grew to hate each other upon the demise of their relationship. She supposed that the opposite would be true as well, as Ginny had said. She and Malfoy had gone from hate to, well, maybe not love yet, but something very powerful. So if it seemed like there was a lot at stake, it was probably because they were playing with fire here- the very extremes of emotion. The thought made her shiver, both in fear and anticipation.

* * * * * * * * * * *





Hermione apparated back to her flat later that evening, having spent the entire day with Ginny. She was in better spirits upon her return home, feeling a bit more clarity about the situation.

“Where have you been?” The voice from the darkened room was irritated, and the upper-class drawl was unmistakable.

“Malfoy, what the hell are you doing waiting for me in the dark?” She snapped furiously as she turned on a light.

“Don’t change the subject. I specifically instructed you to contact me upon your receipt of my owl.” He was seated on her sofa with Crookshanks purring on his lap. “Your cat seems to have taken to me now,” he observed with a note of complacency.

“I was otherwise engaged today, Master,” she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “And what are you doing with my cat? Come Crookshanks,” she demanded.

Crookshanks shot her an imperious look and proceeded to knead Draco’s lap happily.

“He’s not a dog Granger,” Draco informed her, rolling his eyes. “And you could have flooed me before you left this morning. It isn’t really an unreasonable request, is it, considering what I endured last night? It’s generally not considered polite to sexually harass your dates and then ignore them because they refused to give in to your drunken advances.”

Hermione felt all the confusion returning in a whirlwind of emotions as she listened to him. Anger and embarrassment topped the list as she fought to keep her composure. She turned her back to him, forcing back hot tears. She knew it was dumb, knew that he was just teasing in his merciless way, but couldn’t stop the rush of tears as the confusion and uncertainty she’d been fighting crashed down around her.

Crookshanks, perhaps sensing her distress, leapt off of Draco’s lap and wound himself between her legs, meowing softly.

Draco, on the other hand, was oblivious to her distress. “You know, attractive as the view is, it’s difficult to hold a discussion with your lovely backside.”

She quickly swiped at her eyes, and turned back to him, praying that she could get a grip on herself. She had no idea why she was so worked up right now and was already slightly mortified facing him; she didn’t need to add unwarranted hysterics to the situation.

His grey eyes narrowed as he took in her flushed face and glassy eyes. “What’s wrong?”
He sounded almost angry. “What happened?” he asked, misinterpreting her distress.

She tried desperately to cling to her last thread of composure but failed miserably as she tried to speak, her voice cracking. “I don’t know!” she half-wailed, bursting into tears. “I mean, you weren’t being very nice to me, but you never are, and you’ve said much worse before, so I don’t know why I’m so upset now.”

She barely had time to register the guilty expression on his face before she found herself burying her face in his chest once more as he wrapped his arms around her.

He shushed her, holding her close, at a loss for words. He supposed he should apologize, but we wasn’t sure exactly what he’d done. Perhaps he’d pushed the teasing a bit far, but that was certainly nothing new, and was usually met with the rush of fury that he loved to witness in her. He held her silently, waiting for her to relax before speaking again.

“What’s going on Hermione?” She could feel the vibrations and hear his voice rumble as he spoke to her.

She was quiet for a moment, contemplating how to answer. “I’m just confused. I don’t understand this, what’s happening between us. And I’m so embarrassed about what happened last night, and so scared that this will turn out to be totally catastrophic.”

He listened to her talking, thinking how spot-on she was. There was good reason to worry that things would turn ugly: they were combustible together. The same things that attracted them to each other could easily create an equal amount of animosity between them.

He sighed. “I can’t give you any guarantees, and I can’t promise that we won’t hurt each other. But I can give you my opinion, which is that this,” he wrapped his arms around her tighter, “is something that is worth taking the risk.” His heart thudded wildly against his ribcage as he spoke. He’d never spoken so openly and devoid of sarcasm before and couldn’t explain what possessed him to do so now, except that the spectacle of her distress did strange things to him, and he very much wanted her to continue whatever it was developing between them.

She clung to him, painfully aware of how strange the situation was. They’d been on only one date, yet she was crying in his arms over her relationship fears. She realized belatedly that he’d not only refrained from taunting her, he’d been surprisingly gentle with her once again. Fortified by the knowledge, it dawned on her that this had a chance of working out, just as it had a chance of ending catastrophically.

She breathed deeply, inhaling his clean, warm, and very male scent once more before pulling away and wiping her eyes a final time. “I’m so embarrassed. You must think I’m terribly melodramatic.”

He laughed softly and she smiled self-consciously. “I think you’re human. And knowing what I do about the efficiency and moral conviction of Hermione Granger, it’s nice to see that you fall apart once in awhile.” He looked a bit disturbed as he realized what he said. “Not that I enjoy seeing you fall apart, it’s just that it makes me feel better…” he looked almost panicked now. “Granger, you know what I mean so quit looking at me like that.”

Now it was her turn to laugh. She watched him fondly, noting the tiny crinkles around his eyes when he really smiled, and realized that she was already in too deep to think about turning back.

She leaned into him once more, this time tilting her face up towards his and resting her hands on his broad shoulders. He smiled down at her, unsure of what she was doing until he saw her deep brown eyes rest on his lips. His smile grew into a lazy grin and he bent forward, pulling her closer and kissing her gently. She quickly deepened the kiss, impatient to reclaim the feeling of a sensory invasion by Draco Malfoy. As his tongue gently stroked against hers, she felt herself get lightheaded and pulled back briefly, pushing him onto the sofa and climbing into his lap without invitation, her legs on either side of his, bent at the knees.

He didn’t seem to mind, settling his hands on her waist and watching her intently, his silver eyes boring into her. She reached out, running her fingers through his white-blonde hair and finding it even softer than she’d expected.

“You know, there was a time when I would have killed to have hair like this,” she murmured before leaning in for another kiss. His hands were roaming more freely now, stroking up and down her back and sides, grazing her curves. They broke apart, both breathing heavily.

“There was a time when I didn’t appreciate just how sexy those wild curls are,” he answered her, watching fascinated as the curl he was toying with sprung back into place.

She snorted in disbelief and silenced him with another kiss, not wanting to ruin the moment by arguing the merits of her ridiculous mop of hair. She felt his hands run up her sides and stop, just barely grazing the sides of her breasts. Gasping against his mouth, she arched at the touch, wordlessly giving him permission.

His hands slid into place, stroking lightly across the curves of her breasts as he kissed a trail down her jaw and towards her neck. She shuddered, overcome by sensation and growing lightheaded once more. She could feel his swelling erection pressing insistently at the juncture of their bodies and the dizziness grew as she heard herself moan softly.

“Mrrow!”

The sudden indignant vocalization alerted them to Crookshanks’ presence as both their heads swiveled to the end of the couch. The huge ginger cat was perched a foot or so from where they sat, watching them reproachfully.

“Oh poor Crookshanks,” Hermione cooed, pulling away from a disbelieving Draco and moving to his side, ignoring his protests. “Are you jealous?” She motioned for the cat to move to her lap.

Ignoring her, Crookshanks made a beeline for Draco’s lap, settling in immediately and contentedly purring. Hermione’s eyes narrowed at the cat as Draco’s expression softened. She huffed and watched with an air of disinterest as Draco sighed in resignation and began to pet the giant cat.

“What did you want to discuss with me?” she asked, suddenly realizing that he’d not yet said.

“Oh, that.” He suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. “My parents would like you to come for dinner some time this week,” he finished, spitting the words out quickly, as if they were painful.

Her eyebrows shot up. “At the manor?” she asked slowly, as if in shock.

“Of course.”

“Would, er, both of your parents be present, I take it?”

“Yes…”

“And they’d like this to occur sometime in the near future?”

“Granger, I believe that I’ve made it quite clear that my parents, as in plural, which would include both of them, would like you to dine with us this week, as in the next seven days, in our family home, being the manor.” He was getting irritated now. He saw no reason to draw the discussion out for any longer than necessary.

“Why? I mean why do they want me to? And why are you agreeing to this?” She watched him suspiciously.

He lifted a hand to his forehead, massaging his temples. ‘Merlin, she was making this difficult’ he sighed inwardly.

“Look, I’m their only child, and therefore their only outlet for plotting and scheming now that they’re no longer minions of evil, and they want to meet the witch that I’m seeing so that they may feel they’ve properly interfered with every part of my life. I know that they won’t give me a moments peace until I’ve complied with their wishes, so I’m not fighting it. Also, I think it will be… entertaining. Simple as that.”

“Simple as that, huh?” Hermione, strangely enough, found herself mulling the possibility over. “Look, Draco,” she began finally, “in a normal situation, okay, I’d probably be delighted that you already wanted me to meet your family. However, this is anything but a normal situation, and honestly, as much as I like you, I’m also fairly attached to the idea of living past next week.” She looked quite serious. “In my own flat,” she added as an afterthought, “not the dungeons of Malfoy Manor.”

Draco snickered at that. “Look Granger, for reasons more complicated and embarrassing reasons than I care to go into at the moment, I can absolutely guarantee your safety. But if it will ease your mind, let Potty know and he’ll have a fleet of aurors ready at the signal.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I wouldn’t even entertain the idea if I thought there was any chance of it being dangerous to you,” he finished, his grey eyes sincere.

Hermione tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Okay,” she finally answered.

Draco looked relieved. He hadn’t been relishing the thought of breaking the news to his mum that she refused to set foot in their house. Actually, he was more than a little surprised that she’d given in so easily. Just as he began to grow suspicious, she spoke again.

“On one condition.”

‘Ah,’ Draco thought. ‘Here it is. Knew it couldn’t have been that easy.’

“You have to meet my family as well,” she finished, watching him smugly, fully expecting a full-fledged rant on the many reasons that he did not belong in a muggle home. Instead, he was looking rather pleased.

“Done,” he replied almost instantly with a wicked smile. “When shall we go?”

Hermione stared at him agape, trapped by the terms she’d set and shocked that he agreed. ‘This will definitely be an adventure, if nothing else,’ she thought to herself, wondering which evening was more likely to end in a total and complete disaster. As long as she escaped the Manor alive, she’d consider the night an unqualified success. She laughed a bit hysterically and wondered what she’d gotten herself into.

* * * * * * * * * *



A/N- All feedback is VERY much appreciated!


Thank you to all of you wonderfully thoughtful reviewers!

Michelle- I’m glad that you love them- thanks for reviewing!

Moxie- As always, my vicarious hormones will kick in soon enough. That’s a promise. Or a threat, depending on how you look at it. He is such a gentleman… sigh.

Senmornorom- I am glad you are reading, even if it isn’t your typical fare. The Malfoys are totally out-there- you are so right! There isn’t really a justification- just the fact that I love them that way. I’m so happy that you liked the washroom scene because I loved the idea of it! Thanks so much for reading!

Sommer- I love him too much for anything else to happen. Thanks for reviewing so often!

DB2020- Thanks so much- glad that there were some amusing moments! I aim for that but I think mostly I just amuse myself. My husband definitely thinks I’m crazy as I sit with my computer, cackling madly.

Audrey- It definitely is a bit strange- I just like it a lot. Glad that you are enjoying it- thanks!

Bek- No joke- Hermione with a hangover (shudder). I have a great weakness for Draco’s hidden softer side. Actually just a weakness for Draco. Thanks so much for reviewing!

Narcissa Black- I am really glad that you’re enjoying it. The disclaimer thing is incredibly annoying- it makes it a lot more work to check for updates. Thanks for keeping an eye out, and for reviewing!

Lemonade- Me too!

YumLovely- Ha! It’s not! Did I not mention that (looks innocent)? I’m glad that it is meeting with your approval- I was nervous. Music and dancing you say? Now that is definitely something to ponder. Draco is ALWAYS irresistible! I’m sending the love right back to you.

HiddenAllusion- You made MY day- I’m glad you enjoyed Draco’s little rendezvous with Crookshanks. I like the idea of it- it makes me smile. And of course, I do enjoy the intoxicated scenes. I realized as I reread it that it’s possible I have two drunken Hermione evenings in the first 6 chapters, which is hopefully not cause for alarm to anyone. They serve two different purposes in the story, so I’m justifying it that way. Thanks so much for reading!

Kristal- I will certainly try not to forget. Thanks for reviewing!

Lorett- I think I need a cold shower after that comment. Sir Draco riding about on a gigantic snake? (fans self frantically) If only we had a Draco to think untoward thoughts about our inebriated selves. I would surely toss my virtue at his feet with a lot more certainty than she did! Er, that is to say, I love my husband very much… Very much indeed.

John the heavy- I do like exploiting the possibilities of Crookshanks’ personality- probably because my cat is such a prominent force in our household. Glad that you like the flare between them- me too ☺

Lulu- Thanks for the input- it was something I was worried about, so that’s nice to hear. Thanks!

Sam- I love him too. Have I mentioned that too often? It’s true though. Thanks for the comments!

Liz- I do like the biting banter. It gets harder for me to incorporate it smoothly as they get more involved, but I would like it to keep up, as it seems like such a key point of their relationship, at least to me. Glad that the pacing is working for you, and thanks for reviewing!

SlytherinsWench- Draco is slick, but she’s slicker. I’m honored that you are reading!

Michelle- Is it blatantly obvious that I love all of their characters? I’m glad that you like them- and the second date is definitely coming.

Loziana- Er, not long at all evidently. Can’t hold them back much longer- they are incorrigible! Thanks for reading!

Jaxie926- Welcome, and I’m glad that you like it- thanks for reading!

Liz- LMAO! I loved the Oliver Twist voice! How can I resist that?

Chavela- I’m so glad that you like the story. I try with the humor, but as I’ve said before, my sense of humor is sometimes a bit warped so I often wonder whether I’m the only one laughing, so it makes me delighted that you enjoy the story!

Anon- Ditto. I cringe at some of the memories of what seemed like a good idea in my younger days, when I was, er, under the influence. Hermione got off pretty easy if you ask me…

Mandy Shades- Thank you- that is so nice to hear! I hope that you keep reading