Sex and Carnations

AUTHOR’S NAME: BobotuberPus

TITLE: Sex and Carnations

SUMMARY: Draco and Hermione discover romance with a little help from a few unlikely wizards

RATING: NC-17

AUTHOR’S NOTES: Heartfelt thanks to Croft who was the invaluable beta for this fic. Your feedback, suggestions, and attention to detail are much appreciated. Writing this was a challenge, but I appreciate the opportunity. I hope that whoever requested this fic wouldn’t be too disappointed.

***
For the second time that week, Severus Snape wondered if he had made the right decision in hiring Hermione Granger as Senior Apprentice. The former Hogwarts Potions Master now directed the premier potions laboratory in Wizarding England, and the selection process for the year-long position of Senior Apprentice was highly competitive. Although Hermione Granger did graduate at the top of her class and was well-qualified for the position, it wasn’t the main reason why it was offered to her. Severus Snape had capitulated to the unspoken demands of his laboratory’s financial supporters. And while Hermione Granger was the best candidate for Senior Apprentice, it still annoyed Snape to no end that he didn’t have full control over her hiring. Snape had been having a particularly annoying morning and the last thing he needed when he walked into his pristine laboratory was for his path to be blocked by pink carnations. But there they were.

Sickeningly sappy pink carnations covered every available surface of the room. Countertops and shelves that didn’t store bottles of ingredients now held vases of carnations. Unused cauldrons were teeming with them. Pink carnations in bloom and little pink carnations in buds peeked from every available nook. The sink itself was overflowing with the ubiquitous flowers and much to Severus’s annoyance, upon looking down, he found the floor covered with pink carnation petals.

Severus Snape surveyed the room quickly and found the former Hogwarts Head Girl standing in one corner of the room clutching a parchment and sporting a flustered expression.

“Ms. Granger, “ he said in a very unamused tone, “Care to explain to me what all this is?”

“Professor, I’ve been here…for over two hours… but I can\'t seem to Vanish them…” she began.

“Well, do it qui—quickly…” he said almost desperately, before he was interrupted by a bout of sneezing.

Any efforts to regain the aloofness undermined by his rather undignified sneezing was cut short when he couldn’t even see past his rapidly watering eyes.

With what he hoped was a sufficient enough glare at his senior apprentice, he growled, “Either these blasted flowers go within the next five minutes, Ms. Granger, or you can find yourself another position somewhere else.” Severus Snape then fled the room in search of a quick end to his allergic reaction to carnations.

Hermione could only gape at the former Hogwarts Potions Master. This can’t be happening. She had fought hard to earn this position as Senior Apprentice. Despite having been one of the top two students in Potions at Hogwarts in her year, Severus Snape was reluctant to grant Hermione the post. To him, she was just one among the string of brilliant students to go through his Potions class. He doubted her commitment to the Advanced Potions program, citing that she had studied Transfiguration at University. Snape ignored the fact that it was Hermione’s insatiable intellect that lead her to pursue an advanced degree in a new field. The Senior Apprentice position involved a year-long commitment and he expected that whoever was hired would make it their top priority. He went so far as to insinuate during the interview that her switching fields was an indication of her lack of commitment. He had made it clear during her interview that he preferred to take on someone who had studied Potions. Hermione had left the interview feeling disheartened. She would have to seriously consider an offer made by a U.S. Academy for a similar position. Therefore, it came as a surprise to her when his office contacted her a few weeks later to offer her the position.

On her first day at the lab, the Potions Master had been coolly civil to her. While he was a demanding task master, he did not micromanage her. He did not spend as much time at the same laboratory as she, preferring the sanctuary of his own private one. Therefore, for the most part, Hermione was free to do her work and take her assigned projects in whatever direction she deemed fit. However, in the back of her mind, Hermione knew that one mistake would be all it took for Severus Snape to send her packing. She had been careful to be as precise and diligent with her work. However, she had no control over the actions of her friends. Or soon-to-be ex-friend. If this morning’s unexpected display of affections cost her this hard-fought apprenticeship, there was going to be hell to pay.

Sparing another glance at the parchment she held, Hermione muttered, “Ron Weasley, I’m going to kill you!”

***

At the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes (WWW) headquarters in the heart of Wizarding London, Messrs. Fred and George Weasley, WWW founders and twin co-conspirators, were enjoying a quiet afternoon to themselves. Two months before, they had opened their second international branch of WWW, in Ireland. At twenty-five, they were two of the most sought after bachelors in Wizarding Britain. The success of WWW had brought a welcome change to their fortunes and their entrepreneurial skills were hailed by Wizarding Industry News (WIN) magazine as short of miraculous. Their fame brought new renown to the Weasley name and witches from all over were eager to meet them. Althoughy day dated frequently, neither Fred nor George were anywhere near settling down. Not that they got any pressure from Molly Weasley to do so. The matriarch had her hands full with three precocious grandchildren from Bill and Fleur Delacour, and hoped that one would soon be on the way from Charlie and Nymphadora Tonks.

Presently, Molly Weasley’s twin sons, of whose futures she spent an inordinate amount of time worrying while they were at Hogwarts, could be found relaxing at one of their well-appointed offices. They each had their own private office on the top floor of the WWW building. The offices shared a common sitting area, where they were now, as well as a smaller laboratory/”idea room”, where the twins often tried out new spells and pranks for WWW. Even with their success, the twins agreed that the one part of the business they enjoyed most was developing new products. Other witches and wizards ran the daily operations of WWW, with Ginny Weasley acting as the Director of Administration. The basement laboratory of the building was where products for WWW were mass-produced after Fred and George had perfected and copyrighted them.

“Fred, a toast to the success of our newest venture,“ said George affably, raising a glass of Butterbeer to his twin.

“I would’ve loved to have seen the look on Hermione’s face when she walked into the lab this morning, “replied Fred.

George’s brows furrowed. “Come to think of it, we should have gotten the magi-lert now. Are you sure you configured that thing right?” He pointed to a glass orb sitting near Fred’s feet that were propped up on the desk. The orb had a gray misty substance inside it. It was called a magi-lert, and functioned similar to a Muggle alarm clock, alerting the owners when a spell or charm had been cast successfully on a specific remote target.

“Of course! Dear twin brother, how can you doubt me? Give it a little time; that glass will eventually turn purple. We’ve waited ten years for this, what’s a few more days? You can’t really expect Hermione and Ron to fall madly in love right away, can you? After all, they’ve skirted around the issue for a decade…”

“Do you think we sprayed enough of the aphrodisiac on those flowers?“ asked George.

“George, even if we didn’t, we sent enough carnations to suffocate a dead man. Don’t worry, it’ll work. Besides, it’s not like we’re making Hermione fall for Ron by slipping her an illegal love potion; we’re just helping them along the process. Mixing Weasley blood in that aphrodisiac merely guarantees that her attentions aren’t directed elsewhere. And they’ve been best friends for years; naturally, she already loves him. “

“Right. Poor Ron. Even with being a famous Auror, he never could gather the courage to ask his best friend out. I wish we would\'ve thought of administering the aphrodisiac on Hermione sooner. She was always the aggressive one out of the three of them.”

“Well, it’s not too late. It’s not like they’re in their thirties or forties or something. Besides, Hermione didn’t date much while she was at University. I think now is the best time for them to receive help from us, now that Ron’s established a good career as an Auror and she’s graduated from University.”

“You really think now’s the best time, though? You know, now that they’ve captured most of the Dark Wizards, there’s not much to do as an Auror. Ron’s been seriously considering taking a couple of years off from being an Auror to play for the Cannons. Plus, Hermione just began an apprenticeship with Snape and it’ll be a couple of years before she finishes her Advanced Mastery of Potions-Making degree.”

“Speaking of which, can you imagine the look on Snape’s face when he saw the flowers? That I would’ve paid Galleons to see!“ exclaimed Fred gleefully.

“By the way, did you know that Snape’s severely allergic to carnations?” asked George.

“Indeed?“ cried Fred, “I wondered why you chose to send carnations, when we both know Hermione’s favorite flowers are tulips.” He took a final gulp of his Butterbeer, and set his glass down. His eye caught sight of a garishly decorated book on the coffee table. He held it up for his twin.

“George, best get rid of this. If Hermione figured out what we did, there’ll be hell to pay.”

“When Hermione finds out that we helped her and Ron along their relationship, this incriminating evidence will be long gone.” George Weasley pointed his wand at the book and muttered, “Incendio!”

Gilderoy Lockhart’s “Every Wizard’s Guide to Capturing a Witch’s Heart” promptly burst into flames and was no more.

***
The Second War of the Wizarding World had devastating effects on wizard families who supported Voldemort or the Dark Arts, with the exception of the Malfoys. Lucius Malfoy was regarded by many as Voldemort’s right hand man. Many of the surviving Death Eaters looked to him for leadership in the short week following Voldemort’s defeat by Harry Potter and Lucius’s own demise under mysterious circumstances. The elder Malfoy was found dead in a seedy hotel room in Muggle London, with nothing but a broken wand and a torn copy of Gilderoy Lockhart’s “A Wizard’s Guide to Winning Witches with your Wand.” Touted as the premiere sex manual in Wizarding Sex Industry, the book had reclaimed Lockhart’s popularity after spending 13 years at St. Mungo’s recovering his memory. Certainly, it wasn’t difficult to obtain a copy of the book, but for a prominent member of Wizarding society like Lucius Malfoy to be found with it made the story even more titillating. The most bizarre aspect of the whole sordid affair was that Lucius Malfoy’s body would not have been found had the male prostitute he was with not tried to sell off the rest of the book at an internet site. The prostitute hoped to make a quick pound off the book with the moving pictures. Someone alerted the Misuse of Magical Artifacts Office, Arthur Weasley’s former Department at the Ministry, and an investigation into the issue lead to the discovery of Lucius’s body. Apparently, the Death Eater had died of a heart attack following a vigorous night with the prostitute and the manual. The prostitute, ignorant to the fact that his client had died, stole the book while he thought Lucius was sleeping.

Only a select few witches and wizards were privy to the whole affair surrounding Lucius Malfoy’s death. The general Wizarding public was lead to believe that the elder Malfoy died peacefully in his sleep. If wizards and witches found the rather short obituary in the Daily Prophet surprising, they didn’t say anything about it. To many, Lucius Malfoy got more than he deserved, dying a dignified death despite his atrocities as a Death Eater. As a result, the Malfoy reputation remained intact and the family was not as adversely affected by the War as many families of former Death Eaters.

With his father dead, Draco Lucius Malfoy, aged 23, was in control of both the Malfoy and the Black fortunes. Perhaps to assuage her mortification over the circumstances of her husband’s death, Narcissa Black Malfoy decided to limit her appearances in society for a while. She never concerned herself with the management of finances or estates while her husband was alive, and she was more than happy to leave all that in the capable hands of her son.

Possessing a sharp mind and Slytherin instincts, Draco Malfoy slid into this role with ease, proving he was rightfully born into it. With Draco at the helm, Malfoy business ventures doubled. A few businesswizards who were leery of dealing with Lucius Malfoy were more willing to give the benefit of the doubt to his son. As soon as Draco proved he was as astute, or even more so, than his father, it was as if the floodgates of business deals were opened. Reputable businesswizards joined the risk-takers in aligning themselves with Malfoy Enterprises. As a result, the goblins had to assign larger vaults in Gringotts for the Malfoys.

To the outside world, Draco Malfoy had everything he needed and could get everything he wanted. But Draco Malfoy knew that there was one thing he might have to live without in this lifetime. A bushy haired Muggle-born witch he’d had a crush on for the better part of a decade. The snide remarks and mocking comments directed at her and her friends in school were designed to earn her attention. They now had a civil relationship, but it was far from what many would call a friendship. Not that his interactions with her had been limited over the years. They’d attended the same University though he specialized in Potions Making and she in Transfiguration. Unbeknownst to Hermione it was Draco who\'d arranged her apprenticeship with Severus Snape, who now had his own state of the art Potions Lab with full endorsement from the Ministry of Magic. Malfoy Foundation was also Snape Laboratories’ largest financial contributor. Though it was one of several research ventures supported by the Foundation, Draco’s direct involvement with Snape Laboratories didn’t increase until Hermione Granger joined the staff as Senior Apprentice.

On this particular morning, Draco Malfoy found himself at said laboratory. Since Hermione had begun her apprenticeship, he had shown up at the lab biweekly, on one pretense or another. He knew, Severus knew, and knowing Granger’s perceptiveness, she probably knew as well, that Draco did not need to be there. The reports he received from the lab’s fiscal staff gave a thorough accounting as to what the grant funds from the foundation were being used for, if he had ever had any doubts to begin with. He showed up to be around Granger, but he’d admit that only under Veritaserum. At best, she had tolerated his presence during these “visits.” She often bustled about the lab, monitoring different cauldrons or was preoccupied with compiling reports. He generally stayed out of her way, though he’d make a few snide remarks now and again, all of which she deftly ignored. Once in a while she’d agree to his invitation to lunch or a coffee break, and their conversations at these had been pleasant. He sensed that she liked to keep most of her personal life private and she never offered him much of a perfunctory glance as befits business associates. He never pushed it, enjoying their civil lunches and coffees together, though those always left him wanting more.

“Nice flowers,” he said as he sauntered in. He surveyed the room full of carnations with an arched brow. “Tell me, Granger, are you trying to cover up the stench of this lab with those flowers? Because it isn’t working…”

To Draco’s surprise that morning, Hermione answered him back cheerily.

“Oh, hush, Malfoy! Why don’t you make yourself useful and help me Vanish these? I’ve been trying all morning.” While on most mornings she tended to have a passing tolerance for his presence, she couldn’t understand the sudden jolt of excitement she felt when he walked in the door. Hermione ignored her racing heart as she focused on the task at hand: getting rid of the annoying flowers. She waved her wand one more time and to her surprise, the pink carnations disappeared without a trace.

“Well, that’s odd…”

“Tsk, tsk, losing your touch, Granger? If your spells only work in my presence, perhaps I should come around more often. “

“Malfoy, if you’re here to annoy me this morning, take a number. Somebody’s already beaten you to it.” She bustled about the lab, readying her equipment for the day. She tried to convince herself that if she worked twice as hard today, she could redeem herself in front of Snape and manage to forget about the unexpected heat she was feeling around Malfoy.

“I can see. Is Weasley still that dumb as to not have noticed that tulips are your favorite flowers?”

Hermione looked up sharply. “How did you…?“ Upon seeing Malfoy smirking at her, she decided not to give him the satisfaction of validating his oversized ego by showing she was flustered. Right, she was flustered because of the carnations that might cause her to lose her apprenticeship. She was not flustered because Malfoy’s nearness was arousing. Certainly not. She turned to the cupboards to gather some ingredients and decided it was a good time to change the subject. “What are you doing here today, anyway? You’ve already paid us a visit this week.”

“I’ve got the remaining documents Snape needs to sign to complete the Foundation’s continued support of this lab for the next fiscal year. “

Hermione chuckled. “You really are out of luck today, Malfoy. Professor Snape ran out of here an hour ago. Did you know he’s got a severe allergy to carnations? I don’t expect him back here until this afternoon. But you can probably find him in his office.”

Draco didn’t give any indication that he was leaving soon. It wasn’t urgent that Severus sign the documents. In fact, Draco didn’t really need to deliver those personally. He had plenty of lawyers and assistants at his disposal to do that. But he needed an excuse to see Hermione. Either Hermione saw through his lame excuse or she had gotten used to seeing him around the lab so often, but she didn’t make any further comments about where Draco could find Snape, or any efforts to kick Draco out.

Truth be told, Hermione really didn’t mind having him around. Apart from his snarky comments, he never got underfoot. Having him in the laboratory made her work go faster and it was less lonely. Draco had a genuine interest in potion-making and his presence guaranteed another working brain that could potentially double-check her work. Not that she ever needed him to. But it was comforting to know that he was there in case she had to run something by another person. She certainly could not expect that out of Snape, else the Potions Master might think she was not competent.

On this day in particular, Hermione knew that she would feel a loss if Draco left to find Snape. Could it be that after all these weeks of him hanging about in the labs, he’d finally grown on her? But why would she be feeling rather….aroused?

Draco was making his way around four bubbling cauldrons to take a seat at one of the chairs, when Hermione asked, “Malfoy, I’m going down to the cafeteria for some tea. Would you like to come along?

Now that was a first. She’d never initiated any of their lunches or coffee dates, if you could call them that.

“Sure,“ was all a befuddled Draco could say. He looked at her oddly, noticing for the first time the blush on her cheeks. Clearly the witch needed a break from working with bubbling cauldrons.

Hermione noticed him throw a skeptical glance at the cauldrons. “Oh, I’ve set these on automatic brew so the fire will turn off once the potions are finished. Let’s go,” she said nonchalantly, grabbing his hand. Draco had never seen Ms. Know-It-All Granger so flippant about her work, especially when it involved work for Snape. He felt a jolt of electricity pass when she pulled him by his hand. Apparently, Hermione felt it, too, because she looked down at their intertwined fingers and promptly let go, pretending it never happened.

They walked down the hall in silence, Draco throwing a surreptitious glance at the witch beside him. She seemed to be in a good mood, quite chatty and very different from the usual reserved Hermione Granger. Silently musing on his companion’s change in attitude, Draco Malfoy was therefore unprepared when said companion pushed him against the wall and kissed him roughly.

***

Fred Weasley had just returned to his private office when George burst in, holding up a now glowing magi-lert in his hand.

“It worked!” they both said in unison.

***

Merlin, you’re kissing Draco Malfoy!, a small voice squeaked in Hermione’s head. I’m not Merlin, you twit, and I’m going to do more to him than just kissing, she answered the voice back. Her arousal had only increased with Draco’s nearness as they walked down the hall. She couldn’t understand why, but her senses were heightened. She felt a tingling sensation in her stomach and she knew her knickers were wet before she felt them clinging to her. She could feel the heat emanating from him. She could smell him, a nice blend of expensive cologne and something uniquely male and Draco. Her magical senses were heightened as well, feeling an affinity for Draco’s power. I wonder if this is how Veela mates feel, she thought fleetingly. Her hands were aching to touch him. She knew she’d find no peace until she did. So Hermione Granger succumbed. Making a quick survey of the hallway to make sure no one else was about, she mustered all her remaining strength to push him against the wall and kissed him.

Draco quickly got over the initial shock of Hermione’s unexpected kiss. He wasn’t about to step back and question something he’d been dreaming of for years. Not caring that they were in the middle of a hallway, Draco gave in to the moment. He returned her kiss with equal passion, sucking on her bottom lip and reveling in the taste of her. She was both soft and forceful. As their tongues dueled for control, he let his hand roam from where it clutched her waist, up her side to cup her breast. This elicited a moan from Hermione, which she didn’t even attempt to quiet down. In response to Draco’s roving hand, Hermione moved her hands from Draco’s chest to around his neck, pulling him closer to her. She sucked on his tongue, clutching a fistful of his platinum locks in the process. The dual sensation of pain, from his hair being pulled, and pleasure, from Hermione caressing his tongue, served to arouse Draco even more. His hardened cock twitched in anticipation. He rubbed her nipple with his thumb, earning him another moan. So he pulled her flush against him, rubbing his erection against her aching center. She surprised him again by wrapping a leg around his waist, murmuring against his ear, “I want you.” Brown eyes stared at grey, each filled with unbridled desire.

“Not here, love. Let’s go someplace more private.” At her nod, he Apparated the both of them to his penthouse suite.

***

“Are they both in there?” An attractive woman with purple hair asked Madalena Jinx, the appropriately named Administrative Assistant to Fred Weasley.

“Yes, Mrs. Weasley. Go right on ahead. Mr. George just got here a few minutes ago, but they’re not in a meeting.”

“Great. And please, call me Tonks. The only Mrs. Weasley around here is my mother-in-law.”

When Nymphadora Tonks entered the office, she found her two brothers-in-law dancing around a coffee table. One of them was holding a glowing orb. While this scene was nothing unusual to her, given the twins’ penchant for mischief , she couldn’t find herself partaking in the jovial mood of the office. At least not until she told them the reason for her visit.

***

While Narcissa Malfoy continued to live at Malfoy Manor, Draco had moved to the penthouse apartments custom-built to his specifications on the top floor of the headquarters building of Malfoy Enterprises.

The apartment was opulent but tastefully decorated. Prominent interior designers had created a place that would serve to host a reception for business partners and dignitaries.

Not that any of this mattered to Hermione. She didn’t even spare a moment to glance around, focusing all of her attention on Draco. Instead of his bedroom, he had Apparated them to the middle of his study. He blamed his throbbing cock for missing the Apparition location. After removing their robes, he started to steer them towards his bedroom, but Hermione had begun to unbutton his shirt. When she started giving him butterfly kisses on his chest, he lost any strength or motivation to move them anywhere. His study had not been decorated to create a sensual environment unlike his bedroom. Not that it mattered to this witch. Hermione had successfully taken off Draco’s shirt and was now kissing him once again. She languidly cupped his throbbing erection, causing him to groan into her mouth. He couldn’t take her shirt off fast enough, and he practically ripped off her bra with it. Deciding that it was high time he returned her favors, he bent down to suckle one of her waiting nipples. He cupped her other breast with one hand and with the other, caressed her thigh slowly up to her wet juncture. Her moaning spurred him on, and he snuck his hand into her knickers and inserted a finger, then two, into her slick center. Hermione bucked at the intrusion, but soon adjusted to his fingers. He pumped her slowly, then faster, matching her pace as she rode his fingers. Her own fingers weren’t idle. Finding that cupping him through his trousers was lacking, Hermione deftly unzipped him and slipped her hands down his boxers to grip his aching member.

Merlin, she wanted him. All of him.

“Draco…” she moaned in his ear. “Draco…please…”

“What, love, tell me what you want.”

“You…I want you…inside of me…”

“But I am inside you, love…” he teased.

“I want to ride you, “she panted. “Please…I want your throbbing cock inside of me.”

How could a wizard say not to that? He grabbed her under her bum and she seemed to understand his intentions as she wrapped her legs around him. He carried her towards his desk, his leaking cock nestled firmly against her stomach. He set her down on the desk as he removed his trousers and boxers. When he looked up, he realized that she had taken off her knickers but kept her skirt on. She sat on his desk, knees apart, watching him with hooded eyes. She leaned back on her elbows. Draco had never seen anything more sensual in his adult life than a topless and knickerless Hermione Granger sitting on his desk. His cock twitched impatiently, but he wanted to do one more thing before he let her ride him. He sat down on his chair and pulled his chair against the desk. Then, he pulled her legs so that her knees rested on his shoulders and he proceeded to feast on her.

Hermione should have expected that. She was watching Draco pull off his trousers, waiting for him to sit down so that she could climb onto his lap, when he pulled her legs around his shoulders and proceeded to lap at her aching wet center.

“Ooooh…oh, Draco, oh yes…” Hermione laid on her back and proceeded to enjoy Draco’s velvety tongue on her clit.

Encouraged by how his name rolled sensually across her lips, Draco continued to taste her, to nip her wet lips, and to fuck her with his tongue. She began to thrust her hips against his mouth and he could only respond by lapping furiously at her wetness. He suckled her swollen clit until she screamed her release.

As soon as she was able to calm down her breathing, Hermione sat up andwly wly climbed down from the desk. She watched Draco lick his lips as she languidly made her way to his lap. She straddled him, kissing his neck, his jaw, then his mouth. She could taste herself on his lips, further arousing her. Without further ado, she impaled herself onto his waiting cock. He was rock hard. She felt her muscles accommodate his girth. He filled her but she wanted more. She needed more. Slowly, she moved up and down on him, savoring the feeling of fullness inside of her. He buried his face at the juncture of her neck, nipping her shoulders. She was already panting desperately when she felt him meet her thrust for thrust. She’d never felt anything this pleasurable in her life and she knew she was close to the edge.

Draco was trying to control his release. He wanted this to last as long as possible. He wanted to imprint the memory of Hermione Granger bouncing up and down on coc cock in his study, her breasts jiggling, her eyes rolled back in the throes of passion. But he was fighting a losing battle, so when he felt her orgasm for the second time that day, he followed soon after, shooting his full load into her while crying out her name.

Hermione clung to Draco, each of them trying to catch their breath. Each wondering, ”What now?” but not voicing it to each other.

And if they had wanted to, they didn’t have a chance. Green flames burst in the fireplace across from Draco’s desk and an attractive blonde woman’s head appeared. “Draco!” she called out as she scanned the spacious office. Her blue eyes widened at the sight by the desk.

“Draco, darling… I didn’t realize you had company,” Narcissa tried to peer at the witch sitting astride her son, to determine who she was. She recognized her immediately when Hermione turned around to find out the cause of their post-coital interruption.

Draco grabbed one of the robes on the floor and covered Hermione with it.

“Mot wha whatever it is, it can wait.”

”Of course, dear. Get me by Floo when it’s more, erm, convenient for you. And, oh, Ms. Granger, you’ll be having tea with me tomorrow. The Dueling Daisies in Diagon Alley. I trust you know where that is. “

Without giving her a chance to refuse, Narcissa’s head disappeared in a burst of green flames.

Hermione turned to Draco. “How did she know it was me?” Draco could only shrug.

An awkward silence followed. Hermione felt like she came out of a fog and was suddenly embarrassed at the position she found herself in with her once-nemesis. They were nearly naked, sweaty, and sated. She was straddling Draco Malin hin his study. Worse yet, he was still buried inside her. She felt him hardening once again, most likely spurred from her wriggling as she attempted to extricate herself from their rather intimate position. He held on to her waist rather firmly, preventing her from unstraddling him.

“Draco…”

“Hmnnn…” he breathed into her neck. He was rubbing her back slowly, and she didn’t ever want to leave his embrace.

“Draco, I need to go back to the lab. Snape will probably have sacked me by now. It’s not like me to just…erm…leave things unattended.” Reminding herself of her daily responsibilities, and the repercussions of her rather spontaneous activity was enough for Hermione to take her mind away from thoughts of continuing her rather lustful morning with Draco Malfoy.

Reluctantly, Draco allowed her to get off his lap. He watched in silence as Hermione put her clothes and robe back on, though he himself made no attempt to get dressed. As soon as she was dressed, she turned back to him.

“Well, erm, I guess I’ll see you later then.” Why was this so awkward? She felt a blush creeping back on her cheeks. She couldn’t even look him in the eye. Did she really just spend the morning having mind-boggling sex with Draco Malfoy?

Yup, a smug little voice answered her.

He stood up and pulled her to him. “Come have dinner with me tonight.”

“Tonight? I don’t think I can. If Snape doesn’t sack me, I’ll be spending a very late night at the labs to make up for this morning. I don’t think I’ll have time for dinner.”

“Fine. I’ll just have to come by and bring dinner myself, then,“ he said with a smirk.

“Malfoy, you’re just so confident I’d want to see you again, aren’t you?” she teased.

“Who wouldn’t want to see me again?” He hadn’t released her and he was beginning to nuzzle her neck again. She knew that if she didn’t get out of there within the next few moments, she’d end up on the desk once again being fucked senseless by the blonde. Not that it was a bad thing, but considering she’d just jeopardized a hard-earned post to indulge in a quick romp with the attractive wizard, she needed to step back from the situation.

“I’ll see you later this evening then.” She smiled seductively at him. With a quick peck to his nose, she Disapparated back to the labs.

***
”What do you mean you replaced the ingredients? How could you have known what was in that vial?”

“The smell was unmistakeable, Fred. I know you and George were brewing some sort of attraction potion that was just shy of an illegal love potion. I know how to brew the same kind. We had to learn it in Auror training, in case we had to use it as part of interrogation.”

“Love potions as part of interrogation? How?” George Weasley was suddenly intrigued.

“George,“ reminded Fred, “Let’sort this mess out first, alright?”

The mess they were referring to was their sister-in-law’s admission that, in her infernal clumsiness, she had knocked over and broken the vial that contained the aphrodisiac that was meant to have been sprayed on the carnations sent to Hermione.

“Tonks, just what exactly did you mix together to put in that vial?”

“The usual, Fred, a dash of liverwort, 5 newt eyes, crushed sunflower petals, two dozen rose thorns…”

“I don’t understand, Fred,” George interrupted, “We would have known if the contents of the vial were altered before we applied them to the carnations. The color would have been different. As it was, it was the same and so I didn’t know it had been changed.”

“Blood!” cried Fred, “Tonks, did you get any blood in the solution?” He asked rather desperately.

“I don’t think so. But I did have a cut from the broken glass. Perhaps there was still some blood left in the vial when I repaired the glass. I wouldn’t have noticed, though, as I was busy trying to get the ingredients together? Why? Why is it so important? And what’s this about carnations?”

Fred and George Weasley didn’t answer her. They looked at each other, realization dawning on them that the “assistance” they\'d meant to provide to their little brother might have backfired and provided an inadvertent advantage to a certain arrogant pure-blood who happened to by Nymphadora Tonks Weasley’s last living closest mrelarelative.

***
“Miss Granger…may I call you Hermione?”

“Yes, please, there’s no need to be so formal…”

“I suppose not, given the position I found you in with my son…”

Hermione had the decency to blush. She didn’t know what possessed her to honor Narcissa Malfoy’s demand to meet for tea at the Dueling Daisies, a rather snotty teahouse she would never have patronized on her own. Not that it readily admitted Muggle-borns in the first place.

“Anyway, I’m glad it was you I found.”

“Excuse me?”

“Hermione, there’s something you need to know about my son.” She paused and Hermione wondered when the atmosphere between them had shifted from being wary acquaintances to almost confidantes. “Draco has not been in a real relationship with a witch and for the longest time, I was afraid that his inclinations may have been towards the other sex.”

“What would make you think that?”

“When he was a boy, before he attended Hogwarts, he had an unhealthy obsession with his godfather.”

“Severus Snape?” Hermione knew her mouth was in a rather unladylike gape.

Narcissa assented with a slight nod of her head. She seemed to ponder things a bit as she sipped her tea.

”What kind of an obsession? And what does that have to do with me? That was ages ago!”

“The kind that worries a mother’s heart, Miss Granger. You see, I didn’t discover this…fascination he had with Severus until he had entered Hogwarts. I found several poems written to Severus in Draco’s room at the Manor. They were the sort you write to a lover, not a mentor. When I confronted him about it during the holiday break, he didn’t deny it at all…”

“But he was only eleven!” protested Hermioneurelurely you can’t have thought this was anything to be concerned about?”

“Perhaps not, and I never mentioned the matter to him again. But I was always attentive whenever he spoke about his life at Hogwarts. I was somewhat relieved that he didn’t speak of Severus any more than he spoke of his Slytherin friends. Or the other Hogwarts students. As a matter of fact,” she laughed, “He spoke a great deal about you, Miss Granger. Even if it was mostly to complain how you’d beaten his marks.”

Hermione snorted, remembering that time at Diagon Alley when she’d first met Lucius Malfoy.
“So after entering Hogwarts, Draco didn’t pay Snape any special attention. And you’re still concerned about a perceived unhealthy obsession about his godfather after twelve years because…”

“I admit, Ms Granger, that I had all but forgotten about Draco’s interest in Severus until recently. My concern over the situation returned after finding out that Snape Laboratories is fully fiscally supported by Malfoy Foundation.”

“Mrs. Malfoy, with all due respect, Malfoy Foundation also supports the Society for Witches on Ogre Narcotics, the Centaur Divination Project and a host of other agencies. The Foundation’s support of Snape Laboratories could be nothing more than a former student’s grateful endorsement of his Hogwarts Potions Master’s change in career.”

“Yes, well, Draco doesn’t spend nearly as much time at those other agencies’ offices as he does at Snape Labs, does he?” Narcissa sipped her tea.

She had a point there, Hermione thought. She felt confused. Could Draco be as confused as she was? Could he be confusing his feelings for Snape with her? But that can’t be, she reasoned internally, not after last night, when he’d brought her dinner as promised, and then…

“Look, Miss Granger, I didn’t ask you here today so you can play Devil’s Advocate to my maternal concerns. Though I would rather see my only son taking up with a pure-blood witch, I’m still quite relieved he’s taken up with a witch at all. After Severus Snape, you’ve been the one constant in Draco’s life since his Hogwarts years. What I want to know is if this…liaison you have with him is just a fling or could be more permanent.”

The memory of Draco fucking her roughly as she was bent over an empty cauldron the night before quickly left Hermione.

“Mrs. Malfoy, as strange as this meeting has been, I certainly couldn’t have imagined a stranger question than that which you’ve just posed. I’ve only been sort of seeing your son for two days. I hardly think I’d be able to give you a proper answer to that question, even if I were to decide right now that that was any of your business.”

“You’ve got fire, Miss Granger, I like that. It makes up for your lack…well, the requisite background to marry into the Malfoys.”

“Mrs. Malfoy, really, it’s much, much too early to speak of marriage. Draco and I have been enemies longer than we’ve been lovers. I don’t harbor any fantasies of marrying him.”

Narcissa Malfoy only smiled in response.

***
After tea with Narcissa Malfoy, Hermione returned to the labs. It was a wonder, really, that Severus Snape had not sacked her following her unexplained absence the day before. When she returned from her mid-morning romp at Draco’s study, she’d hoped Snape was still off taking care of his allergies and wouldn’t notice she’d left the premises. Unfortunately, he was there waiting for her in the labs. Before she could come up with a reasonable excuse for her disappearance, she heard the unmistakable crack of a person Apparating into the foyer, followed by Draco’s familiar drawl requesting a private audience with Snape in Snape’s office. Half an hour later, Snape reappeared in the labs as Hermione was writing up a report. He barked new instructions for her to brew a different batch of potions, left a list of ingredients that needed to be purchased, and tersely informed her that he was going to be enconsed in his office for the rest of the day doing paper and and that he wasn’t to be disturbed. No further mention was made of her mid-morning absence. Hermione figured that if he wanted to sack her, he’d have done so already. Today, she’d made sure Snape was informed that she’d be leaving for a bit in the afternoon for tea with Narcissa Malfoy.

Hermione sighed, still mulling over her conversation with the older witch. Honestly, she didn’t know what to think. What was the whole point of tea, anyway? Why would Narcissa reveal such intimate aspects of Draco’s life? Was it her underhanded attempt to cut short his liaison with a Muggle-born? Hermione’s thoughts drifted to Draco. She shook her head, marveling at the fact that in the past 36 hours, she’d had sex with him twice. Last night’s dinner, if it could be called that, was nothing more than them eating food off of each other. In the labs, no less. The memory of Draco sucking slices of peach from her navel his his tongue wandering lower made her wet. She didn’t think she’d ever get enough of him, but she knew that before there was a repeat of last night and yesterday morning, she needed to speak to him about the nagging questions left from tea with his mother.

Hermione had her back to the door when Draco showed up that evening. It was nearing eight, and while her work hours ended at 6:30, Hermione had stayed to complete a few reports. She was so engrossed in her notes that she wasn’t aware of him until he’d wrapped his arms around her waist and placed a lingering kiss on her neck.

“Hey,” he said huskily.

She nearly fell of the stool she was perched on. “Draco, you startled me!”

“Sorry, love,” he said unapologetically. One wandering hand cupped her breast and the other was beginning to unbutton her robe.

Hermione swiveled around to face him but before she could speak, he’d captured her lips in a searing kiss. She gave in to him for a moment, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers, his tongue seeking entrance. She reveled in his scent and his maleness but pulled back eventually.

“Draco, I need to talk to you.” She’d placed both her hands against his chest to keep him from kissing her again. She could feel his heat through his robes, but she chose to ignore it for the moment.

“Are you in love with Snape?”

That stopped him short from making another attempt to further disrobe her.

“What?!” he exclaimed, looking utterly incredulous. “What are you on about, woman?”

Hermione told him about her tea with Narcissa that afternoon.

“I am most definitely NOT in love with Severus Snape. What that was, when I was a boy, was adoration. I idealized my father, believed everything he told me. What my mother didn’t see fit to tell you was that my father had an affair with Snape. I caught them once, in a spare guest room. I was maybe 7 or 8 years old. I didn’t understand it then, but I did know that if my father loved him, I should love him, too. Their affair had ended by the time I went to Hogwarts, but not my misguided feelings for Severus. I was home schooled, you know. Did you know that all my tutors were ghosts? And that I was forbidden to socialize with guests when my parents had dinner parties at the manor? You also know it was not until the last couple of years that I’ve rebuilt a relationship with my cousin Tonks and my Aunt Andromeda. They weren’t around whilwas was growing up. Snape was my only social exposure outside of my parents while I was growing up.”

Hermione’s heart broke upon hearing this. She hadn’t realized what a lonely childhood Draco had. No wonder he was such a git when he got to Hogwarts. Having Crabbe and Goyle follow hioundound and the rest of Slytherin deferring to him quickly got to his head. Hermione held his hand and brought them to her lips, urging him to go on.

“My father never showed my mother half the affection I found him showing Snape. So I thought that was the way of the world, and that if I aspired to be like my father, I should act that way to Snape as well. I was an utter brat towards my own mother. If my father hadn’t been sent to Azkaban after fifth year, I wouldn’t have developed the kind of relationship I have with my mother now.”

“So, when did this “interest” in Snape go away?”

“As soon as I got to Hogwarts and developed new relationships with my peers. I suppose my mother was quite worried, Snape being my Head of House and all. But things with my father had just ended and I think Snape was cognizant of the fact that those who knew about their affair would notice if Lucius’s son received special treatment from him.”

“ But he did that, anyway…” she teased

“You Gryffindor lot are so paranoid. And who didn’t get in trouble with the Headmaster despite all their rule-breaking…?”

Hermione just laughed and gave Draco a quick peck on the nose.

“For all I complained about Hogwarts, I was able to do a lot of growing up in those seven years. If I’d gone to Durmstrang, I probably wouldn’t have met a know-it-all Muggle-born who’d challenge everything my father taught me to believe. “

He tipped her chin up. “And you did, you know. Proved to me that pure-bloods aren\'t superior to Muggle-borns or half-bloods, that Malfoys aren’t always at the top of everything, and that witches are just as good as wizards in Arithmancy and Potions.”

“And when I slapped you third year…?”

“You showed me that some things are worth fighting for, even if the scales aren’t tipped in your favor. You stood up to me like none of my housemates ever did, and not even Potter or Weasley, with their penchant for trouble, could do the same. You intrigued my thirteen-year-old self and I haven’t looked at another witch quite the same way since.”

He kissed her then, a slow and sweet kiss which she returned languidly.

“What about your mother’s concerns that you’re spending more time here at the labs than you do at any of the other agencies supported by the Foundation?”

“Hermione, by the time my mother found out that Snape Laboratories was one of the grantees of Malfoy Foundation, you’d already begun as Senior Apprentice here. Had she begun her scrutiny of my activities in relation to Snape Labs from the point the Foundation began to support it, she’d have noticed I didn’t start hanging about here until a certain Hogwarts classmate became Senior Apprentice.”

“Oh.”

“Now is the inquisition over, or do you have other lingering doubts about me?”

“No, my other questions can wait.” She smiled sheepishly up at him, and he couldn’t resist kissing her tenderly.

He wrapped his arms around her and because she was still seated on the stool, she had to place her legs on either side of him to return his embrace. They stayed that way for a moment, not talking and just holding each other.

“Draco…”

“Hmmm…?”

“Come home with me tonight?”

“It’d be my pleasure.” And she Apparated them to her flat.

Sometime much, much later, as Draco lay naked on Hermione’s bed, with Hermione sprawled lazily on top of him applying butte kis kisses to his chest, Draco made another revelation.

“Weasley didn’t send you the flowers.”

She looked up. “What? How do you know?”

“I paid him a visit this afternoon. You know, to scope out the competition,“ he declared half-jokingly.

She sat up, thus straddling him on his stomach. He could feel her wetness from their recent activities and he knew he was getting harder. She glared at him, “Well?”

“He denied sending them, of course, saying it would have been a strange way to break his good news to you. And I believe him.”

“What good news?” Hermione knew Ron had been thinking about taking a break from being an Auror to join the Chudley Cannons, but she hadn’t heard from her best friend in over two weeks. She wondered whether this good news had anything to do with that.

But Draco didn’t say anything else. Instead he placed both his hands behind his head and smugly regarded the witch sitting astride him.

This only served to peak Hermione’s curiosity further. “Draco! What good news did Ron have?”

He shrugged those sexy broad shoulders, “Oh no, you’re not going to hear this from me. I can’t believe I’m not taking advantage of this opportunity to ruin the Weasel’s surprise.”

Hermione grazed one hand on his chest, and proceeded to tweak one of his nipples, “C’mon, Draco, just spill it!”

“Ow! Alright, alright, here’s part of it: he’s going out with Gretna Jones. You know, one of the Chasers of the Holyhead Harpies. Her older sister, Gwenog, is the Beater and Captain. I saw Gretna in Weasel’s office this afternoon. They were engaged in some celebratory public display of affection.”

“But that’s not the good news you were referring to, is it?” Hermione persisted. “Nope,“ said Draco. “That, my dear, is something you’ll have to wait for the Weasel to tell you himself. There’s only one thing I intend to spill tonight, and it’s not Weasel’s good news, I can assure you that. “He smirked and promptly flipped her over so that now he hovered over her and she was pinned beneath his hard body.

“So who sent the flowers?”

“Dunno, love, do you care?”

“Not really,“ she said, as she wrapped her legs around him and ground her hips against his eager hardness, demonstrating to him just what she cared for at that moment.

The End (or rather, Their Beginning)



Rating(s) of the Fic: R to NC-17

3-5 Things to Include in the Fic:

1. Hermione & Draco being paired up by Fred & George. Can be a blind date, matchmaking as a prank or whatever.
2. Severus Snape as Draco\'s former love interest and as a major character in the story. Can be involved in a slash relationship as a side pairing with whomever.
3. A sex manual authored by Gilderoy Lockhart
4. Narcissa & Hermione meeting to have a little chat - the subject of which is your choice.
5. Pink carnations

What Not to Include in the Fic:
- Mary Sues (at least not as major characters)
- One sided or unrequited love
- Excessive fluff, out of character mush or Plot-what-plot
- Non-con sex. Roughness is okay but not rape. Also no pairings involving animals or incest pairings. Slash is fine but nothing illegal, please.
- A neat and simple ending