The Spring of the Satyr

"Come for me."

With the words Hermione arched her back off the forest floor and howled with passion. She clenched the head between her legs with iron thighs and drew the mouth in closer against her. She felt him struggle for breath against her skin but didn't care. The sharp edges of desiccated leaves stabbed the skin of her naked back painfully - bliss. As she descended from the wondrous heights a falling leaf settled in her hand. "Rowan" she thought carelessly. She looked down to take in the face of her lover. She couldn't see it. It lay as always, hidden from her self-conscious in the deepest obscurity. A calm wind blew across her sweating face bringing with it the unmistakably sweet scent of strawberries. Her lover moved away from her and stood up. She admired the hardness of his body, the pale muscular arms and chest, the swinging manhood that was quickly showing signs of new life.

"I promise I will not hurt you." The phantom spoke to her as if through a long tunnel, voice distorted, unrecognized.

"But you will." She responded. "You did. I just don't know it yet."

**************

Hermione woke with a start. That was new! She reached for the journal that lay beside her bed. Her hand closed on air. Alarmed, she sat up and looked around the room, then sighed. She wasn't in her school dormitory; she was at home for the Christmas holidays. The journal hadn't been unpacked from her trunk. Hermione made a mental note to write down these new dream developments later. She smiled as she took in the lump next to her under the cheery yellow bedspread. So, he'd finally shown up! Pulling the covers away from his face, Hermione looked at Draco's sleeping visage with affection. What time had he finally broken down and come to her?

Last night would have been the first time the two hadn’t slept together since it started over a month ago. Truthfully, she would have appreciated a night on her own. She looked at the clock on her bedside table. 7 a.m. Ugh! Too early to get up on a weekend. She stared at Draco again. A lock of pale blonde hair fell forward into his eyes and she brushed it away, a wistful smile on her face.

They'd planned to spend the holidays apart - he with his family, she with hers. She guessed he’d chosen to hide out here in her room rather than to go home. Knowing his parents, she didn’t blame him. Draco had wanted to spend the holidays together alone somewhere, but Hermione had insisted that she couldn’t disappoint her parents. He’d sulked for several days before forgiving her.

The more time they spent together the more the “old” Draco seemed to emerge. An only child who’d never been asked to share anything, he was jealous and possessive. He’d pout shamelessly when he didn’t get his way,,, but when he did,,,, he was wonderful. Hermione marveled at his intelligence, which sometimes she thought matched her own. It was blissful to not have to work so hard at explaining her thoughts, he always seemed to understand.

Silently, she slid from the bed and slipped on her bathrobe. "Where are you going?" The sleepy voice pulled her back to the bed.

"To get some coffee. Dad always makes it on the timer the night before so it's ready in the morning." She sat down beside him and smoothed the long hair out of his eyes again. "What time did you get here?"

He looked sulky. "Around 3. I had a hard time finding it; all the streets look the same. I wish you'd let me put that tracer on you, it would have saved me hours."

"Draco, having a tracer on me so you know where I am every single minute is just,,, creepy." She paused at his pained expression. When he let down his facade he had an air about him of someone who had been deeply hurt by the people in his life, and expected no better from her. She knew he was in love with her, though he hadn't actually said it yet. Her own feelings were a bit more confusing. She’d surrendered her body to him completely, relishing the passion they shared together. Yet, her heart remained oddly detached, as if it weren’t hers to give. "I'm very glad you're here." She said soothingly. "I missed you last night. Why didn't you wake me?"

Feeling mollified, Draco grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down to lie beside him. "I kissed you, but I think you just thought it was part of your dream."

"I was dreaming? How did you know?" She asked, hoping she wasn't giving away the nature of her dreams to Draco. He would not be happy to learn that every single night she dreamed of another man, even if she didn’t know who the man was. No, not happy at all.

"Hermione, if your eyes are closed, you are dreaming." He answered, eyes questioning. "Sometimes I try and make out what you mumble in your sleep but I never can. Whatever it is, you always seem happy, so they're obviously not nightmares. What do you dream about?"

It wasn't the first time he'd asked the question. At first she'd considered telling him, asking for his help in getting to the bottom of it, but then had thought better of it. Some things were just better kept private. "You." She lied, and then changed the subject. "Are your parents going to be angry with you? They expected you yesterday."

"I sent an owl. I think as long as I make an appearance at the Christmas Ball there won't be too many problems." Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he pulled her close against him and looked into her face beseechingly. "Come to the ball with me Hermione. I know you've had some,, unpleasant experiences at my home, but"

"Unpleasant experiences? Draco, I was nearly tortured to death in your library!"

He shrugged it off. "Please Hermione, it would mean so much to me."

Terrified at the thought of going back to the mansion where she'd known such horrors, Hermione returned his gaze stubbornly. There was no possible way! She saw him frown sadly and felt her resolve crack. It WAS flattering that he wanted to show her off, wanted his parents to know about them. She wondered if the elder Malfoys were ready to accept her. She doubted it. But when he looked at her like that! "I'll think about it."

Draco smiled and kissed her happily. His thoughts mirrored her concerns about his parents, but in his mind it was a delicious bonus. It was absolutely luscious to think what his father would say when he told him that his only son and precious heir was in love with a "mudblood". Ha! But what could the man really say? Draco was, after all, only doing what he'd been told. He was showing the world that the Malfoy's had changed. What better way for his parents to advertise this amazing change of heart than by warmly accepting Hermione as their future daughter-in-law?

******

At breakfast that morning, Hermione sat stonily in her chair, not even tasting the delicious pancakes her father had made especially for her. Why did everything always have to be so confusing? She looked at the food and thought about how to smuggle some of it up to her room for Draco. Her father was asking her questions about her classes this year. He was always so interested anything to do with magic. She looked at him fondly and told him all about the flight charm she’d now mastered. He was fascinated.

A knock sounded on the front door of the house and her mother got up to answer it. A few seconds later she came back to the table, Draco behind her. "Hermione, this young man says he's here to see you." She said, a question in her eyes.

Oh heavens! She hadn't been sure she was ready for this. She wished that he would have discussed it with her first. "Mom, Dad, this is my,,, boyfriend, Draco Malfoy."

Draco beamed his most winning smile and shook her father's hand. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." He said charmingly.

Mrs. Granger looked at him curiously. She was sure he looked familiar, but she didn't know where the recognition came from. "Have you and our Hermione been together long?" She asked.

"No ma'am. Not long." He replied. "Just a bit over a month." He accepted her father's offer of breakfast and sat on the empty chair beside Hermione.

Hermione watched in silent admiration as Draco set her parents at ease, as if he breakfasted with muggles every day of his life. He answered their many questions candidly, and asked many of his own. When her mother brought out the family photo album and began showing him her baby pictures she wanted to crawl under the table. She'd been such an ugly baby! Draco laughed delightedly at the one of her naked in the bathtub. She wanted to smack him.

Draco surprised himself by spending the whole day with Hermione’s family, even watching a football match with her father. Mr. Granger asked if he'd ever played and Draco explained about Quiddich. By the time he'd finished, the older man was beside himself with excitement to see a match. Promising that one day soon he would take him, he squashed a small, painful burning in his stomach. Her family was wonderful. He only wished he could have shared even a bit of this comfortable, uncomplicated camaraderie with his own father.

It was late when he finally thanked her parents and said goodnight. Hermione walked him outside, feeling warm and proud that things had gone so well. At one point in the evening she'd thought her father was going to ask him to move in! “Poor Draco.” She thought sadly. “What would you have been like if you’d had parents like mine?” She gasped when Draco suddenly smiled radiantly and pulled her into his arms to kiss her. "I think they liked me." He whispered, heart showing in his beaming eyes. "Don't you?"

Feeling it hard to concentrate with his tongue licking her lips so deliciously, Hermione giggled. "You know they did.” The emotion that filled her as she absorbed his boyish, surprised happiness felt deeper than usual, and suspiciously like love. Will I see you later?" She asked.

"Of course."

*********

Hermione had made up her mind that she would indeed attend the Malfoy Christmas Ball with Draco. It was against every fiber of her being to actually choose to return to that house of horrors, but it obviously meant so much to him.

Over the last few days her parents hadn't shut up about how wonderful they thought Draco was. She thought her mother was already planning the wedding! Yes, there she was, staring at the bridal gowns! "Mother!" Hermione called anxiously, getting the older woman's attention. "What do you think of this one?" Hermione held up a strapless gown of midnight blue satin. Miniscule iridescent beads were sewn on to give the illusion of the night sky. Hermione thought it was the most beautiful gown she had ever seen. She stared at the price in horror, but her mother smiled.

"It's perfect dear." Mrs. Granger said a few minutes later; tears actually welling in her eyes as Hermione modeled it for her. Her daughter had grown so lovely! And what a nice, handsome young man she was seeing! With a gasp, the older woman finally pinpointed the source of her recognition. "I've got it!" She exclaimed.

"Got what?" Hermione asked quizzically.

"I know who your young man reminds me of! It was the man in the restaurant in Bath!" At Hermione's blank expression, her mother continued. "You know dear, the one who spilled juice all over your lap. It was the day of that strange toothache epidemic. I remember thinking how striking he was. Your Draco could be his son."

Hermione's heart fluttered as she realized she had absolutely no memory of this. To the best of her recollection, she had enjoyed a quiet breakfast with her parents until they were called away. She’d spent the rest of the day reading Rebecca in the forest. She'd fallen asleep and been lost for two whole days. When she'd finally found her way back her mother had been in tears, begging a local policeman to call out the dogs. There was no man in the restaurant! "Please describe the man mother." She asked, fighting to keep her breathing even.

Mrs. Granger closed her eyes and smiled. Could she describe him after all this time? Oh yes, he'd been unforgettable. "Well, he was about 40, tall and muscular, dressed very nicely, he had this amazing blonde hair that was much too long but he had it tied back in a ribbon, and his eyes,,," the older woman paused, remembering, "his eyes,,, his eyes were the most extraordinary things I've ever seen!" She paused and sniggered. “If it hadn’t been for your father,,,,”

Knees buckling, Hermione sank on to a padded bench in the shop. "Lucius Malfoy!" She thought dazedly. What in the hell had Lucius Malfoy been doing at that restaurant, and why in the fuck couldn't she remember it? She felt herself hyperventilating and forced her breathing to slow. "Would you please get me this dress Mother?" She asked, her voice as calm as she could make it. "I'll also need some shoes to match, size 6." She kissed her confused mother on the cheek. "I've just thought of something I have to do before the ball tonight. Thanks!"

Hermione ran from the shop, heart thundering. Theories, suspicions and suppositions swirled through her agitation. Lucius Malfoy had been in Bath. Lucius Malfoy had spilled juice in her lap and met her parents. She didn't remember any of it! She raced down an empty alley behind the line of shops and concentrated upon the Bath Spa Hotel. She apparated.

*********