Driven

Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter, but Blessings to JKR for creating it

A/N: For all of the Ron lovers out there I apologize in advance but with two Slytherin Princes do my loyalties lie.

Chapter 8: A Weasley Scorned……


The first thing Hermione noticed when she woke up was the rosy hue cast about the room by the impending sunset. The second thing she noticed was lips moving against her neck. She was warm and cozy cuddled up against someone big and solid. She smiled as the events of that morning came back to her in vivid detail. It didn’t hurt that Draco was doing interesting things with his mouth and the hand he had wedged between her legs.

He felt her wince as he pushed a finger into her, and reached for his wand muttering a pain relief charm. He pulled her top leg up and over his thigh, “Draco….” She said with a question in her voice. He silenced her with a kiss as he slid into her from behind, and she groaned though not in pain. He moved his hands back down to the apex of her thighs and matched the rhythm of his strokes to that of his fingers. She panted, “Merlin again….,” as the first waves of her climax washed over her. Draco’s smirk was quickly wiped off his face as he felt her clamp down on him, “Mione,” he groaned as he pulled her hips tightly against his own and flooded her.

They stayed that way until their breathing evened out and then he rolled her onto her back and looked down at her. ‘The thoroughly shagged cat that got the cream,’ he thought with a smirk. Her hair was a royal mess, her lips were swollen, and her skin mimicked the rosy hue in the room. She quite literally looked like she was glowing.

Hermione sat up suddenly, “Bugger all!” she said.

“Okay….. Care to elaborate,” Draco replied.

“It’s Harry’s birthday today,” she said looking over at the clock, “I’m supposed to be at headquarters in two hours for his dinner and I haven’t bought a gift yet!” she exclaimed.

“Calm down love,” he said soothingly, “we live on Diagon Alley,” he continued scooping her off the bed and walking into the bathroom, “I want you to sit in the tub for half an hour, trust me, then you can pop downstairs buy a gift and apparate as close as possible to Grimauld Place, okay,” he finished depositing her in the steamy tub, she hadn’t even noticed him mutter the charm that filled it.

She sighed in spite of herself, the water felt glorious, and she sank back against the wall, “don’t let me go back to sleep,” she said closing her eyes.
******************

She walked up the steps to the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters; she had made it with twenty minutes to spare. She loved Harry but she honestly couldn’t wait to get back to Draco.

She let herself in and headed for the kitchen, setting her gift, a book on battle strategies, down on the table with the others. She crossed the room and gave Molly, who was hard at work with dinner preparations a kiss on the cheek.

Molly looked up and smiled, “Mione you look lovely this evening, your new position must be agreeing with you, or is there something else?”

“I’d rather not say yet Mrs. Weasley, it’s kind of complicated.” Hermione replied, “Where’s the birthday boy, and his partner in crime?” She asked.

“They’re upstairs having a lie down, I insisted as they’re both utterly nackered,” Molly explained, “Actually I believe I hear my son thumping down the stairs now. He wasn’t in a good mood when he got here but I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Hermione muttered under her breath, she then turned back to Molly and began to assist her with dinner preparations while telling her about her first few days at the ministry, and living with Malfoy and Zabini, conveniently leaving out the juicy bits.
****************

Ron was not in a good mood when he woke up from his nap. He was still exhausted; Moody had been working them to death, their only reprieve the days when Lupin stepped in so they could learn different tactics.

“Constant Vigilance! My skinny white arse!” He grumbled, stomping down the steps in search of coffee. “Bugger Off!” He shouted as the portraits reacted to his gross noise violation.

He came to a dead stop outside the kitchen. He had forgotten that Hermione would be there for the party, ‘blimey she’s bloody gorgeous!’ He thought. He knew that he had agreed to the breakup, all that if you love them set them free nonsense, but he figured that after the war was over that they would get back together. They were Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger for Merlin’s sake, it was expected.

Looking at her smiling, chatting with his Mum, he felt an icy fist twist round his heart. ‘Something’s different,’ he thought, his mood darkening further, for the first time in six years something big had happened in her life and he wasn’t a part of it.

He overheard her tell his Mum that she was rooming with Malfoy and Zabini and he curled his hands into fists. He counted to ten before plastering a fake smile on his face and walking into the kitchen to greet his ex-girlfriend.
***************

They sat around the table, piled high with Harry’s favorite foods. Even though the war raged, this rag-tag dysfunctional family was all smiles: all except for one very tall lanky red head. Ginny and Harry kept stealing glances at each other, and then looking away and smiling. Even though they had put their relationship on hold, their feelings were evident. Hermione was chatting with Kingsley about the coming week of work. The twins were telling some joke, probably gross, that had Arthur, Bill and Charlie in stitches. Molly was discussing something with Tonks who was holding hands with Remus under the table.

Moody stood up and tapped his knife against his mug of Butterbeer, “Everyone. Right, I’ve given these two lads the weekend off in honor of Potter’s birthday. Shall we drink a toast? To Harry, may Merlin smile upon you. And never forget. Constant Vigilance!”

Everyone lifted their mugs and in unison, “To Harry!” They then proceeded to throw their napkins at Moody, who had used his catchphrase one too many times.

Molly flicked her wand and the remnants of dinner disappeared from the table, to be replaced by a large chocolate cake. Another flick of her wand and the cake slid down the table to Harry, and the candles burst into life. Various off key versions of “Happy Birthday,” were sung and Harry closed his eyes briefly before blowing out his candles.

After they had all gorged themselves on cake, the table was cleared again, and Hermione and Ginny collected all the gifts and set them in front of Harry. Hermione had noticed that Ron didn’t eat very much, which was odd, though she knew he was exhausted, and decided to ask him if everything was all right after Harry had finished opening his presents and before they all went into the parlor to watch the movies that Arthur had rigged to play on a blank wall.
*************
Ron grabbed Hermione’s arm as she was leaving the kitchen, “Mione, can I ‘ave a word?” It wasn’t really a request. She was startled but had been planning on talking to him anyway so she smiled up at him and nodded, “‘course Ron.”

He didn’t let go of her arm as he led her into an unused study at the back of the house, where he backed her up against a wall and attempted to kiss her. She gently but firmly pushed him away from her, “I’m sorry Ron but I can’t do this. I just wanted to see if you’re okay, you seem off color”

He was still a bit to close for comfort as he ran his hands through his too long red hair. “No Mione I’m not okay. I’m bloody tired. I’m sick to death of Moody and his drills. I miss you terribly, and you push me away like you can’t bear the thought of kissing me anymore,” he said rather harshly, and the look in his eyes was making her very nervous. She was very familiar with his temper.

Looking down, she took a deep breath and whispered, “Ron, I’m seeing someone.”

She gasped as he practically slammed her back up against the wall, “you mean you’re shagging someone,” he shouted, “you let someone touch you.” Her eyes filled with tears and she tried to speak but he was just building up steam, “I want you to understand something, Hermione Jane Granger, you are mine! Never again, do you get me?” He was shaking her in earnest now and her head banged up against the wall.

“Stop it Ron!” She sobbed desperately trying to reach her wand.

“Who the bloody hell is he?” Ron screamed, she just shook her head she couldn’t form words around the sobs, “tell me Damn it!” he continued as her head hit the wall again, then he stopped. Breathing heavily he glared down at her obviously waiting for her to collect herself enough to answer.

“Draco Malfoy,” she whispered, and then screamed as she was slammed into the wall again. Things seemed move in slow motion as she saw him draw his arm back before backhanding her across the face.

Her knees gave out and she was sliding to the floor as Harry, Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George burst through the door, and Ron was hit with several hexes all at once. She barely registered the fact that she was bleeding before she slipped into blackness.
************

Hermione groaned as she slowly regained consciousness, she could tell that she had been moved into the parlor and was lying on the couch with her head in Ginny’s lap. Looking up into Ginny’s tear streaked face she said, “It’s all right Ginny, I’m all right.”

“No you’re not ‘Mione, you’re black, blue and bleeding. We’re waiting for Pomfrey now so lie still.” Ginny sniffed, “why’d he do it?”

Hermione laughed mirthlessly the action causing pain to shoot through her head, “he’s a right possessive git, and he’s jealous that I’ve met someone…”

“Shut your ferret kissing face!” Ron shouted, he was obviously in the same room but there was a wall of men between them so she thankfully couldn’t see him.

“What happened in there Ronald?” Arthur Weasley asked his son who was bound to the chair that he was sitting in, “What would posses you to do such a thing. She’s your best friend.”

“No Dad, she’s really not. She’s sleeping with Draco Malfoy.” Ron hissed.

The shocked silence was thick and was only broken when Hermione groaned as wave of nausea overtook her. Mme. Pomfrey chose this moment to appear in the doorway, her expression serious as she saw the condition of the girl who was among her more frequent patients. She waved her wand over Hermione muttering a diagnostic charm, “Well you do have a small fracture and a slight concussion but I don’t think you need to go to St. Mungo’s I should be able to take care of this myself.”

“Leave her, the traitor deserves worse,” Ron interjected.

Molly stalked across the room pushed through the men, and slapped her youngest son across the face. “Ronald Weasley, I did not raise you to treat women this way! So help me if you weren’t so big I’d turn you over my knee!” She shrieked in a perfect imitation of a howler.

Mme. Pomfrey finished with Hermione and helped the girl to sit up. “I’ll give you a potion to put on those bruises but they will take a day or so to fade completely” she explained handing her a jar with a potion laced salve in it.

“I think I’d like to go home now,” Hermione said quietly, standing and walking across the room to where Ron was bound. She bent down so that she could look directly into his eyes so he would take what she was about to say seriously, “I may someday forgive you for this. But I will never forget it. You are very lucky I don’t Crucio your ass right now.” She turned and slowly walked out of the house.