Triumvirate

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the songs included in this fanfic nor do I make money off them. These stories are for entertainment only
~~~~

Did I disappoint you or let you down?
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.
So I took what's mine by eternal right.
Took your soul out into the night.

Goodbye My lover - James Blunt

~

Draco was across the room before she could flee, grasping her arm and swinging her back around to face him. Pressing them chest to chest. Her eyes, how he wished they were copper once more stared up at him.



Wide and luminous. Full of desire, full of fear. Fear of him?



“What was that?” he asked, lowering his face towards hers.



Hermione swallowed hard, determined to be brave. “I said what if I did?”



Draco wanted to crow with victory, “That’s all right then” he murmured, his lips pressed against hers once more. A moment later her own blossomed beneath his, her little hands sliding along his chest to twine in his hair, her hands finding his nape.



He groaned as she opened herself fully to him, giving him free reign of the kiss, and then dueled with him.



This was not the cold kiss of a bookworm, but the passionate fire of a woman with earthy desires much like his own. He tilted her head and took the kiss deeper.

Her taste was sweet like her scent, driving him to distraction and he wanted desperately to walk her backwards to the bed and rip the costly gown from her perfect from.



Wanted to kiss and lick and nibble every inch of her, branding her his own. His large hands threaded into her hair, cursing the crimson that covered his fingers like smooth silk.



She whimpered against his lips and Draco groaned. This had to stop. They had a mission to do for Merlin’s sake.



Slowly, reluctantly, he broke the kiss. Her eyes fluttered open slowly. Her lips were red and swollen from his kisses and he had to rip his mind from the gutter thinking of the many ways he could achieve the same look from her.



“Go take your shower pet” he murmured to her, turning her back towards the bathroom.



“What was that all about?” she asked breathlessly.



He gave her a light swat on her bottom to get her moving, “Thought you should know the difference between an act and the real thing.”



She flipped him off with a grin and shut the door in his face.



Hermione leaned against the bathroom door, feeling the heat slowly fade from her body. This couldn’t be happening. Wanting Draco was one thing, not many witches hadn’t had passing fancies or fantasies about the Malfoy heir.



But to WANT him. To want a relationship with him was like a romantic suicide. She couldn’t develop feelings for him, she couldn’t.



Sliding down the door to sit on the floor she buried her face in her hands. ‘What now Harry?’ she silently asked, ‘What now?’



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ball was beyond extravagant in Hermione’s opinion. The walls and ceiling enchanted to sparkle and shine as though silver snowflakes were raining down on them.



The amount of food laid out on the tables was staggering but Draco made sure they ate before arriving. “Death eaters are known to lace anything even among their own.”



His warning rang like a siren in her head. She would be eating and drinking nothing here. Just to be safe. She was dressed in Slytherin green gown, it clung to her curves before flaring around her hips.



Draco had of course picked it, she would never drench herself so completely in his house colors. The silver and emerald baubles at her throat and ears had also come from him. They had been his mothers.



Her red hair had been piled high in artful disarray. Draco had taken one look at her and said with a smile that she was beyond lovely and that he meant it.



His compliment made her stomach flutter oddly and now as they entered the hall, she was glad for him. Her hand on his strong arm. His presence soothing as they played the part of master and pet. Death eaters.

They were announced and descended the stairs to murmurings and curious looks. Hermione kept her shields firmly in place as he led her through the room.



It took an hour for things to get in motion. Draco played the part of touchy lover and she allowed it. Saying nothing without his permission as her persona would have done.



He drew her tight against him in a complicated turn on the dance floor and whispered in her ear.



“My target has arrived. Top of the stairs, I will have to leave you soon. Have you gotten a hint on the horcux location?”



She shook her head, clasping the back of his neck to draw his closer. “I may have to look around a bit. Do me a favor and spin me around the perimeter of the ballroom, so I can at least get a fix on a direction. From there it will be easy.”



He frowned, hiding it by pressing his mouth against her temple, “I don’t like this.”



He swung her wide, until only their fingertips were connected and then pulled her back.



“Well?”



“Not that way”



He spun her in each of the four directions, carefully gauging her reaction. When she winked at him, he laughed and drew her closer once more.



“That way leads upstairs to the library and the personal study of Mr. Bruzetto. For a death eater he is nearly harmless, it’s his son you should watch out for. You are in luck, the guest loo’s are up there too.”



She nodded, burying her face against his neck, his hand combing through her curls. “How long will it take you?” she asked.



He lifted his eyes to the stairs again where his target stood staring down at him. “A few minutes at best. Most likely half an hour. I have to chat her up and get her away from everyone. Meet me in the foyer in forty five minutes. And pet, remember… no magic. Understood?”



She nodded and he walked her to the refreshment table, making some pretty looking excuse before slipping away from her. He didn’t like this at all.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Florina watched him come. Draco Malfoy. Her best lover. Though she was four years his senior, she didn’t look it in the least. He strode up the steps to greet her, his swagger in effect.



“Draco” she said softly, extending her hand.



He clasped that small, pale part of her and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist. “Florina” he said, “Its been too long.”



“Indeed it has” she agreed, “When I heard that you had finally returned from America I was sure you would visit”. She pouted prettily.



He cupped her neck, “Busy as always you know how it is. That damn upstart Potter has all of London in a real snit. Makes doing business so much more difficult.”



Her blue eyes narrowed for a moment, “Yes I can see how that would be the case. Shall we go somewhere private to catch up?”



He smiled though it didn’t really reach his eyes. He had expected this to take longer than this. Taking her arm, tensed for danger he led her down the darkened hall towards one of the bed chambers.



“There are rumors Draco” she whispered to him, pulling him closer. Her hands delving into his hair, drawing him closer. Pressing herself against him, she fused their lips together, her tongue lapping at him.



“There are those who question your position in this war” she purred against his mouth.



Draco grabbed her upper arms and slammed her hard against the wall, “My position is solid I assure you my dear. The dark lord need only command me and it shall be done” he growled against her mouth in a brutal kiss.



He fumbled with the door knob, pushing a door open and kicking it shut behind him.



“That is good to hear” she gasped as his hands caught the hem of her gown, lifting it.



He pinned her with his wide shoulders to the wall. His hands finding satin and lace, moist and heated. Pressing his hand against her sex, he watched her head fall back against the stone of the wall.



“You were always beautiful” he said quietly.



She panted as he worked her to orgasm, fingers dipping just beneath the fabric to tease and stroke her. She clung to him, whimpering.



“I know Draco” she whispered against his neck, clinging to him as she crested, “I know why you are here.”



Her lust hazed blue eyes locked with his liquid silver, “Quick and painless?” she asked, tears gathering at her lash line.



He traced her cheek, “You don’t even have your wand” he whispered back to her.



She smiled that sad smile that had been haunting him, “Of course not. YOUR dark lord wants my death. Hurry Draco, Zabini has plans for her.”



Draco pressed his mouth over hers, and whispered into the kiss, “Avada Kedrava”.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione rushed up the steps, glancing over her shoulder to the friendly woman below who had kindly directed her towards the loo. Once out of sight, Hermione felt the pulse of the ring again and followed it away from well lit areas to the more private sections of the house.



She hurried past several doors but the ring didn’t react to them. At the very end of the hall was another door. Looking around and glad she saw no one, she tried the door to find that it was locked. How she itched to use her wand, but Draco was right.



They would know her magic unless Draco had already killed his target and she couldn’t be sure. Couldn’t put either of them in needless danger like that. Besides Harry had taught her a few tricks in their adventures.



Reaching into her hair she pulled out a hairpin and a slender silver stick then turned back to the lock with a grin on her face.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



The lock caught with a slight twinge and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She had been looking over her shoulder to much while toying with the lock that she had a crick in her neck.



Carefully, she entered the room. The only sound was the rapid pounding of her heart. She glanced around and didn’t see the Horcrux right away. Raising her hand, she let her invisible ring pulse softly and then with more urgency as she spun slowly.



There!



On the mantle was a tiny bit of yellow stone. An earring she mused. How very anti-climatic. Still, mission was done. Taking it, she carefully hooked it through the material of her dress, just between the swell of her breasts. On the inside it was impossible to see, but easily kept safe.



She turned and left the room, making sure to flick the lock on the inside of the door as she went. She had just silently shut the door and turned when she saw them.



Crabbe and Zabini.



‘Shit’



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Draco had arranged Florina carefully in her bed, she was lovely even now. Carefully he pressed his captain’s ring to her forehead. He hated to mar her, but it was required.



Whispering softly, he stepped back, watching as the lightning bolt scar appeared on her brow. The same as all his victims. A message.



“Goodbye love” he whispered, pressing a final kiss to her dark hair.



He’d never cared that Potter sent him to kill. It was the duty he bore. For the sake of his mother’s memory. He would never support someone so cruel as to see to her demise.



Lord Potter killed, yes. Out of need. He was not cruel. Never that.



Draco didn’t look back, he couldn’t afford to. Her words made him worry for Hermione.



Damn that Zabini. What did he know?



He hurried back to the great hall and the ballroom. Madam Brunai pulled him to a stop, “Draco dear” she said quietly, “Your pet ran up the stairs some time ago but she hasn’t come back down. I do hope she is feeling well.”



He nodded, “She doesn’t have a strong stomach for alcohol” he mused, sounding bored, “I shall go and see to it.”



He tried not to run, but the his brisk clip, caused people to move from his path.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



“Well there you are Tabby” Zabini drawled, “Draco let you off your leash then?”



Hermione bit her tongue on the caustic retort that leapt to life. “Master Draco allowed me to come up and use the facilities” she said quietly.



Zabini shoved his hands in his pockets, “Is that so?” he asked, looking around, “Well you know as much as I would like to wait for him before we get started… I just can’t seem to help myself. Here pet, come to me.”



She shook her head, feeling dread curl in her stomach, “Master Draco wouldn’t like that” she said.



Zabini and Crabbe laughed at that moving towards her, “See pet, now that’s just not true. Draco has always shared with us.”



Hermione wanted to take her wand and hex him, “Leave me be” she said coldly, “Or I shall hex your jiggly bits right off you.”



They both laughed all the harder, “Did you hear that Crabbe? Jiggly bits. Damn if she didn’t sound like Granger for a moment!”



Hermione inwardly cursed but the two sots were too drunk to know they’d hit on the truth.



Zabini withdrew a red package from his pocket, “Here pet this is for you.”



She backed away, “No thank you” she said, “master Draco doesn’t allow me to accept gifts. I am going to be in trouble for even speaking to you.”



She hoped her act was convincing.



Zabini moved forward, “You won’t be. I assure you. Now just open it and we’ll go. Think of it as a peace offering.”



She eyed him uncertainly, she didn’t trust him.



But if she could just buy a little time.



Slowly, she took the gift from him, and pulled the ribbon.



A glittering shower of red filled the corridor, and Hermione coughed and waved her hand before her face.



“What is this the newest gag from Zonko?” she asked, put out that the sparkling dust was on her skin, hair and clothing. She had inhaled some of it to, if the cinnamon and clove flavor on her tongue was any indication.



She felt the first stirrings of itching heat a moment later. “What is this?” she whispered, not feeling like herself at all.



Zabini stalked forward, “Lust powder love. I hear it can be quite unbearable if left too long. But don’t worry, Crabbe and myself are going to scratch that itch for you. We certainly are.”



Hermione's body began to tremble from head to foot and she stepped backwards, her breaths growing ragged.



"I don't want this" she told them, even though her body throbbed.



Zabini drew very close to her, trailing his fingers over her cheek, "But you do."