State of the Union

Guys, I truly don’t know what to say. Thank you, all, so much; I can’t say how much all your reviews mean to me and my desire to continue writing, so all I can say is thank you.

I also thought I should try to respond to everyone and answer any of the questions people asked (or comments that I felt the need to defend), so here goes:

cherie - Thanks for the review and don't worry, fireworks you'll get. =0)

joanna - Thank you and no, Harry will never be a romantic figure in Hermione's life. I think J.K. and I both agree on that one.

bootz - Thanks and you're right, Hermione is OOC; that's the point! If she wasn't, all these folks wouldn't be worried about her, Draco wouldn't have tried to bring her out of it by marrying her and there'd be no story.

Given2Fly - Thanks and don't worry; a person like Hermione can only stay submissive for so long...

adri - Thank you!

Bree - Thanks and no worries; I'm one of those incurable romantic writers, so no affairs or on-the-side lovers... sorry, if that’s what you were hoping for.

kris.t!n.e - Thank you! I'm sure what's going to happen, yet, since I honestly just make this stuff up as I go, but I promise, I'll try not to disappoint!

The Charmed One - Thank you and I will!

Belladonna - Thanks; will do!

manda - Thank you; I'm glad you like it! They had one of those odd, testy friendships where all they really did was pick at each other, but hey, a friend is a friend, right?

Ashlee - Thank you and here you go!

J.S. - Not too soon, or the story ends!

Charlotte - Thank you very much! I was worried, myself. It seems rather overdone, but when the idea comes at me, I need to get it out!

Addie mae - Thank you! Stick around for the rest!

Karen - Thank you very much!

Lexy - Thanks! Wicked, huh? I'll get you, my pretty.... Just kidding; here's your update!

Ans - Thank you and thank you for the comment regarding the short chapters. They just happen sometimes...

baybevoyce - Thank you for the comments; I appreciate them immensely. I deliberately left Hermione's feelings a secret because the more the readers know, the less likely it is that they'll see it as a case of true depression. I didn't want anyone to know what she was thinking. I let people see what she thought in the bedroom only because her point of view served to remind folks that good sex doesn't necessarily need love and it also doesn't always create deeper emotion. In Hermione's case it's "Oh... nice... good sex.... " but it's not actually reaching into her any further. Harry and Ron didn't react as strongly as they might have out of fear of angering Hermione, or even Draco (since he would be 'owning' her in effect). Draco was trying to anger her; that was the point, which they discussed. Ron is angry, of course, but Hermione set him back on his heels. Harry was more worried for Hermione, but once she turned up fine, he's willing to trust that Draco hasn't harmed her.

Cara Morte - Thank you so much!

Madeline - Thank you for the review and here you are!

Malin - Honestly, if I could have thought of some great background reason for why Draco's changed and why he now works at the ministry, I'd have written it all down for you, but most of the time when I read such a thing, they seem completely fabricated. They seem out of character for him and so much so that I can't picture him anymore. So, I dumped that idea altogether and just left it up to the imagination, since it wasn't completely necessary to the story, in the first place! Glad you liked that decision and thanks for the review!

DA4life - Keep reviewing as I write and you're forgiven. =0) Glad you liked it!

Anon - Thanks!

WriterLady1031 - Thank you, so much! I have a story (under the same author name) at the site listed in my profile, however it contains no NC-17 situations as of yet. Please feel free to read and review if you don't mind the lack of smut.

That goes for anyone else, as well; please feel free to read my other story "Simplicity" (same author handle) at the site listed on my 'homepage' (as it is against the TOS to post it, here).

michelle – Thanks for the review and here’s your update!

Lucky101 – How about a chapter in exchange for a review? =0)

Anon – You got it!

michelle – (Again) O.k., O.k.! Here! =0)

Amy – I’ll do my best with finishing it, but since I never really though about how it ends, it make take me awhile… bear with me!

flynnie – You’re the first person who mentioned the fact that Draco is also stuck with a spouse that he didn’t necessarily want! Good show!

vivnow – Thank you, so much!

Lexy – (Again) I’m sorry you felt the need to beg, but I appreciate that you liked it enough to do so! Thank you, again!

moxie – I don’t know how good I am at smut, so I try not to add it in unless it seems to fit there, naturally. The wedding night/middle of the night just seemed right, but I don’t want to start tossing it all over the place, to the point that the story becomes PWP. I’ll try to work it in, though!

Kaija – LOL, not too fluffy, eh? Well, good, I’m glad you like him!

mandy-jg – I’m glad you like it! I hadn’t seen any for a while, either, so I figured I was safe from running into too many others.

lolita – After all the awesome reviews, just like yours, how could I possibly not continue? =0)

jaqui – Thanks for reviewing and here’s your update!

Soofija – Well, thanks! Now I can wrap it all up in one chapter! Just kidding, but thanks for the ideas and the review!

May – I would hate to be responsible for devastating someone, so I had to keep writing!

Again, I owe you all a debt of gratitude; I never would have thought anyone was interested in reading a story like this without all of you.

Obligatory No Ownership Clause: I obviously don’t own a single character portrayed here, but the situations and wording are completely mine.

Chapter 7 to the rescue.

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Although she was fairly sure that Draco had wanted her back in the morning room to play hostess to their guests as soon as possible, Hermione didn’t immediately leave the garden after Harry had gone. In fact, she did something that she hadn’t done since the night her parents had been killed; she simply sat, quietly, and thought about her situation.

Married. As of last night, she was officially a married woman. And, in the wizarding world, the bond was not to be broken by anything but death. Since neither she, nor Draco, were in anything but the best of physical health, the chances were quite good that their marriage would be lasting for many years to come. Draco had mentioned her finishing up her projects at the office, but did that mean that she’d be finishing them up to turn them over to someone else? Probably. Based on the contract provisions, she’d be out of work as soon as possible… to be sure that she was ‘making him a good wife’… whatever that meant.

Hermione was still contemplating exactly what that might mean, as well as being very careful not to let her thoughts steer towards the direction of what her parents might have thought about the whole predicament, when she felt a pair of warm hands rest on her shoulders through the thin material of the dress.

“You’ve been out here for some time,” Draco stated, blandly. Hermione said nothing in return, but offered a slight nod. “Potter left?” Again, a nod. “What did he want to talk to you about?” Their discussion certainly wasn’t any of his business, and Draco didn’t honestly care, but the more he pried, the more likely she was going to be to lash out. Or so he thought.

“He wanted to know how badly you’d hurt me, last night, and whether I was afraid to go to bed with you, from now on.” Her voice was as emotionless as if they’d been discussing the weather.

“And what did you tell him?”

“Not much, and no.” Draco couldn’t help the slight smirk that formed.

“That’s all? It seemed to me that you shared more words than that.” Ah. He’d been watching them, apparently, from the morning room window; a large solarium window that looked out over the gardens.

“I don’t remember the exact words that were spoken, but I suppose if you really want to know, we could always purchase a time turner and then record the conversation or you could dose me with a vial of Veritaserum and see if you can pry it from me word for word. Your choice, of course.” A slice of the Hermione he knew had finally broken free. Draco was pleased and he rewarded her by not prying any further.

“We need to discuss a few things,” he said, as he moved around to sit on the stone bench across from her. “Your job, this house and our children.” Hermione said nothing; didn’t even look surprised at the sudden initiation of the conversation over their previous subject.

“I’ve decided that you’ll continue with your current position until otherwise directed by me. I have servants or house elves for nearly everything, here, so there’s no point in you sitting around the house, all day. I doubt you’ve been trained in the proper way to run a household, as a pureblooded wife would have been, so you’ll only become a nuisance to the staff, if I force you to stay around here.” If Hermione had any comments, he either didn’t notice or didn’t care, for he continued on without pausing.

“At work, I expect you to generally continue the same way you always have, but I am number one. If I call you, you drop everything. If I come to see you during the day, I don’t care if you have the Minister of Magic in your office; you’ll tell him to go so you can attend to your husband.” Although she still hadn’t said anything, Hermione had gone slightly pale. She loved her job, but up until now, she hadn’t honestly thought that she’d be allowed to keep it. Suddenly, the pleasure of being able to continue in her career was being marred by the prospect of what he might expect her to do for him during work hours… She’d have gone further with that train of thinking, but she realized he was speaking, again, and she hadn’t been paying attention.

“— children fairly soon, here. We have a family doctor, but it’s my understanding that women feel better with someone they already know, or choose themselves. I must insist that it be a mediwitch rather than a muggle doctor; I see no sense in taking unnecessary risks with our children. Do you have a particular doctor you prefer?” Draco watched her, carefully. A few weeks ago, he’d have bet part of his inheritance that she’d have bristled at the idea of him designating who she would and would not be allowed to see in the way of OB/GYNs. Now, however, he wasn’t so sure.

“I have a regular doctor; a mediwitch that has a muggle practice in London,” she answered, quietly. “It was easier to see someone, there, since my visits fell over the summer months while we were still in school.” Draco, nodded, slowly, as if contemplating.

“Very well. Unless you have some objections, I expect you to schedule a visit with her as soon as possible to determine whether she anticipates any complications with a pregnancy or birth at this time.” Damnit, Hermione, object. Object to something… anything.

“I’ll call her, tomorrow morning, and make an appointment,” came the bland reply. “Have our guests gone?” she asked, suddenly.

“Yes. Your friend Potter was the last.” Draco realized that he hadn’t honestly thought about what to do with her for the rest of married life. He’d truly believed that she’d have snapped out of it, at least before the wedding night, so he hadn’t planned beyond the bonding ceremony. After several moments of silence from both parties, Draco finally stood and offered her his hand.

“Come along. I’ll show you the house.” Hermione took the proffered hand and stood, as well, smoothing down the material of her gown; she hadn’t seen the house except for the dining rooms, the gardens and the bedchambers, so the tour was appreciated, if not downright pleasing. Draco led her through the conservatory and into the main hallways of the manor, pointing out different rooms as they went, and occasionally entering a room here or there when he wanted to show her something. Hermione rarely commented, unless to state something that was very seriously in the realm of the obvious, and Draco found himself wondering if she was actually interested, at all, in this little excursion.

It wasn’t until Draco was pointing out a third set of family portraits, located in a remote hallway of the house, and Hermione began rattling off the names, already memorized from the first two sets he’d shown her, that he realized how rapt her attention had been. Due to his wealth and station, the women he had dated in the past had often apparently felt the need to try to impress him in some way. The standard female tactic had been sexual appeal, at first, however, since Draco tended to bring out the best in his partners, at least where sex was concerned, the avenue hadn’t been successful for most women. The combined result had been a disappointing string of women who had attempted to impress him with their lists of accomplishments… meaning that Draco was forced to listen to a woman go on and on about herself for the entirety of the evening. When he finally did get a chance to talk, the woman barely listened.

Hermione had been silent, but she had been listening; her knowledge of his family had been proof of that. Draco became conscious that he’d actually been enjoying the tour. He smiled as he came across a large wooden door to a room they hadn’t explored, yet. Dropping her hand, he pushed it open and then led her in with a hand on the small of her back.

“This is the library.” Hermione’s eyes lit up with some of the excitement that he’d seen, before, when she’d received a particularly interesting case at work, although the expression on her face didn’t change. Draco was actually pleased with himself for leaving this room for last as he watched her trail her fingers along the wall of books, occasionally stopping to tug one from the shelf to read the inset or to check if it was a first edition.

“I can… read any of these? Anytime I’d like to?” she asked, hesitantly; some of the books were quite old and more than a few had references to dark magic or illegal practices. The books, themselves, weren’t illegal, but she could see how a less influential family would have a hard time justifying the possession of such books.

“This is your home, now, Hermione,” he stated, gently. “These books are yours as much as they are mine.” That was completely opposite to what he’d had her sign in the marriage contract, and, even as confused as she was, Hermione was touched by the spoken gesture.

“…Thank you,” she murmured, softly. Still slightly in awe, she half sat, half leaned back against the large desk behind her to survey the enormity of the room. Right now, Draco thought, she looks at peace. Not happy, necessarily, but at peace with life… things…her situation. Calm and serene, as she’d been known for looking, lately, but also with a touch of contentment. Lovely. It was a good word for her. Beautiful brought thoughts of complete and utter radiance; unapproachable and cold. The woman before him was natural and attractive, but also angelic. Not sexy, exactly…just lovely. And that angelic quality made him want her, at this moment, far more than any of the beautiful, vapid women that he’d previously spent time with.

Well, once his mind was on sex, it was rarely deterred and, as a Malfoy, he was hardly one to be denied, particularly with his own wife. The train of thought had him striding towards her before he even realized what he was doing and, once his lips had covered hers, it didn’t matter.

Hermione was startled, first at how fast he moved and then, again, when he was kissing her within seconds of being close enough. He already had her upper arms in his tight grip, holding her still for the assault of his mouth, though, of course, she didn’t resist, aside from her initial surprise. When her hands came up to rest in the crook of his elbows, as close as they could get considering the placement of his hands on her arms, he immediately slid his hands down to lift her, bodily, onto the top of the desk, keeping her upright and letting her legs dangle over the edge of it. He gently tugged on the knot of her hair; his seemingly standard request for access to her throat, which she granted as his other hand fumbled with the ties holding the front of her dress together.

The material parted and Draco moved down to nuzzle her breasts, one hand clasped against her back to hold her steady and the other finding it’s way beneath her skirt to brush lightly over the material of her underwear. The scrap of lace was hardly adequate enough to protect the sensitive skin from the heat of his fingers and she gasped, softly, arching into him.

Draco didn’t bother undressing either of them, content to slide her dress high onto her thighs, rip the aforementioned bit of material from her and unfasten his pants to shove them down out of the way. His entry was fast and hard, thrusting forward as he pulled her against him, simultaneously, drawing a sharp gasp and then a low moan from Hermione as she adjusted to the sudden intrusion and the shock of immediate pleasure. Once he’d managed to steady his own breathing, he wrapped her in his arms and guided her back to lie flat on the desk as his body arched against hers in the beginning of what was starting to become familiar to her.

Clutching at his shoulders for leverage, a tiny part of Hermione’s mind reminded her that they were in a library and, while it wasn’t a public library, there were still houseelves and servants about; staff who might enter the wide-open library door at any moment. Hermione opened her mouth to offer a half-hearted protest, half-hearted in lieu of both the agreement she’d made to be obedient to him and also the fact that she didn’t want him to stop… even though she certainly wasn’t ready to admit it, even to herself.

Sensing her sudden comprehension of their situation, Draco moved back up to claim control of her mouth, scattering her thoughts, again, and he redoubled his thrusts, guiding one of her legs over his hip with a gentle hand. Pressed tightly to her as he was, he felt, more than heard, the breath catch in her throat as he felt her muscles tighten around him in anticipation of the oncoming pleasure and he deliberately slowed, drawing out the build up as she squirmed beneath him. He smiled against her lips and thrust, hard, triggering her orgasm and pushing him over the edge, as well. Draco drank what would have been a cry directly from her lips as he shuddered above her and rocked, gently, drawing out the contentment before resting on her, heavily.

Hermione’s eyes slid closed as she shivered, lightly, welcoming the weight of him above her. Her earlier concerns over someone catching them were long gone; she barely had the energy to breathe, right now, let alone worry. He nuzzled her jaw, for a moment, and then pulled her upright, taking a step back to fix his own clothing before smoothing the material of her dress down over her knees. He helped her slide off the top of the desk onto her slightly shaky legs and watched, with a smirk, as she released and rewrapped her hair into some semblance of order.

Draco caught her hand, again, once she’d finished and tucked it into the curve of his arm, tugging her, gently, along with him.

“Draco, where’re we going…?”

“The study,” he answered, glancing back, and after catching the confusion etched on her features, he elaborated. “The desk in there has a padded blotter.”

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For anyone who isn’t aware, a blotter is a piece of material that you place on the top of a metal, glass or wooden desk put there to be sure that no ink bleeds through to the desktop. They can be anything from a material covered piece of cardboard to a fancy leather setup.

This is the first chapter written with you, the audience, in mind, so I hope it doesn't disappoint. Review if you haven't, already, or would like to otherwise comment.

~§~ Duchess ~§~