Chapter 8
Hermione was snuggled in bed enjoying a book, something she hadn’t been able to do in so very long, when Pansy burst into her room proclaiming “Get dressed bitch, we’re going out”.
“But Claire already said she’d cover tonight so we could have a night off.”
“Yes and I don’t have any matches this weekend so we’re taking advantage of that,” Ginny followed Pansy into the room, and proceeded to throw herself onto Hermione's bed.
“But I just want to-“
“Nonsense, Draco invited us to his club tonight and we’re going.”
“Pans I just want-“
“Harry’s going,” Ginny cut in.
Hermione's mouth fell open, “Harry doesn’t do public appearances, none like this anyway.”
“I invited him,” Pansy replied. “That man is too wound up, he needs to relax a bit.”
“He wasn’t wound up when he had you bent over the kitchen island yesterday.” A shudder ran through Ginny at the memory of seeing her ex-boyfriend's pale ass again.
“Oh it was the kitchen this time? It was the couch a couple of days ago.”
Pansy inspected her nails before answering, “I’m just doing my due diligence to bring the chosen one fully back to life.”
“You could do that where the rest of us won’t see, I’ve seen enough of that ass to last a lifetime,” Ginny appeared as though she would vomit again.
“Same here, I’m all for freedom Pans but that’s a sight nobody wants to see…well, almost nobody.”
Ginny and Pansy stared at Hermione after that statement, Ginny with her mouth slightly open, Pansy with her eyes narrowed at her best friend.
Hermione rolled her eyes, “We spent a year sharing a tent while on the run, not much room for modesty in that scenario.”
Pansy let out a rather loud sigh, Ginny closed her mouth and shrugged.Pansy walked into Hermione's closet and began rifling through her clothes telling Ginny “Do something with her hair, leave it a bit wild, Draco likes it that way.”
As Ginny began on her hair and Hermione asked “I really don’t have a say in this do I? I’ve so been looking forward to this book you know.”
Pansy only cut her eyes at her before continuing her perusal.
“What about security, how can we be sure we’ll be safe there? What if the press get in? What if word gets out that we’re there?”
Pansy actually stopped her searching, full body turned and glared at her best friend once again, “If you think that Draco didn’t put the best wards up before he even opened you’re not as smart as we all believe. He has his own enemies Mi, and I’d bet my largest vault that he strengthened them tonight knowing you’d be there. Now stop with the excuses and sit still so Ginny can resume her work.”
Ginny snickered, Hermione wanted to properly pout, instead she did as told and sat while Ginny fixed her hair.
Pansy stepped out of the closet holding a red halter top dress, it was one of Hermione's favorites. Mini skirt, shimmery silk, with the proper spell worked in to keep her breasts in place, it flowed on her body as if it were liquid. She loved everything about it, how she looked in it, how it made her feel, the color.
She almost shot a curse at Pansy as she changed the delicious red of the dress to a dark green, one would say Slytherin, green. Pansy smirked as Ginny cackled while Hermione sat there attempting to be the first witch in history to shoot a curse from her eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“Putting you in a color he’ll enjoy.”
“I’m not a present to unwrap, Pans.”
“Oh my darling, you are the present, the best gift he’ll ever receive, the only one he’ll ever care about. I’m just reminding him of how perfect you are.”
“You’ll change it back.”
“I will not.”
“I’ll change it back.”
Pansy promptly cast a charm making the dress inalterable.
Hermione almost screamed, Ginny cackled again as she put the final touches on Hermione's hair, “Give in Mi, it’s fun to see the ferret flustered and I promise he’ll be rendered stupid seeing you in that. Don’t remove my chance to make fun of him tonight.”
Hermione let out a rather aggressive sigh mumbling something about “I hate you both” under her breath.
__
The girls walked to the entrance to the club, skipping the line completely, not having to wait for even an instant in the chilly weather and were greeted by the bouncer who met them with a wide smile “Misses Granger and Weasley, Lady Parkinson, welcome to The Dragon’s Den, Lord Malfoy has been waiting for you,” he then opened the door with a ridiculous bow and flourish. Pansy’s nose went higher, Ginny snorted, and Hermione just gave the man a small smile.
Hermione was pleasantly surprised walking into the dance club, on their immediate left was a coat check, ahead on their right was the bar that took up the entire length of the building. From the end of the bar started private booths that ended at a staircase, which led to a balcony that overlooked the dance floor and bar, and held more private booths. The dance floor held a multitude of sweaty gyrating bodies. The girls stood looking around until Hermione felt a nudge on her arm, Ginny had grabbed her attention and was pointing to the balcony.
There he stood gripping the railing of the balcony in all black, his tattoos peaking through the top of his shirt and down onto his hands, looking like sin personified. And he watched her, he watched her as though nothing else in the world existed. The sight of him immediately caused Hermione’s core to warm, she felt her breath catch at the look in his eyes: hungry, possessive. His eyes left hers and roamed down her body, she swore she could feel them perusing every inch of her skin, and when his eyes came back up to hers he had a smirk in place, looking like a man who just had all of his dreams come true.
He let go of the railing, straightened up, and began walking towards her. His steps were sure, confident, predatory. Once again she felt like his prey, she didn’t run this time though, just stood stock still and waited for him to catch her.
Once he reached her he put an arm around her waist, pulled her close, and practically growled into her ear “You look divine, a vision, every dream come true in that color,” the feel of his lips on her ear while he spoke had her fighting a full body shiver.
She turned and spoke into his ear “Pansy chose the color, I had little say about anything I was doing tonight.”
She felt more than she heard his chuckle and he turned to thank Pansy, they both found her enveloped by a wild haired zombie savior. Hermione couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped her at the scene.
Right behind the couple was Theo, Adrian, Blaise, and Ginny, all laughing. The music dimmed and Hermione realized someone had cast a muffliato over them so they could hear each other and then Ginny yelled “Potter! Let her breathe for Merlin’s sake we just got here”
Harry finally released his mouth from Pansy’s and looked around, Hermione noted his glassy eyes immediately “How much have you had to drink so far Harry?” She asked with a chuckle.
Harry held up his thumb and forefinger to his eye as a response.
“We might have allowed him to dabble in some of the twins creations; the man is wound up tighter than a watch,” Adrian said with a shrug.
Hermione shot Adrian a glare, Ginny and Theo were laughing, Blaise and Draco were simply watching the interaction asPansy was attempting to hold the man upright.
Hermione was finally feeling good about coming out, a fun relaxing night is just what they needed. And then she felt Draco stiffen next to her “The wards.”
“Here?” Blaise asked
“The manor.”
And then Hermione was being pulled in a side along apparition. They landed at the manor to find the wards lit up like a Yule tree. They could hear the bellows and roars of Artmenis coming from the back of the property, multiple pops of apparition met their ears as they pulled their wands. Including one from an elf “master, master I don’t know what happened, Artemis started screeching and then the wards went wild!”
“Maisy it’s ok, I’m here now. Where is mother?”
“In her rooms sir, Maisy did as she was told and locked down her rooms until you got here.”
“Thank you Maisy, keep her there for now until I figure out what’s happening” and hearing the slurs of ‘is so purdy’ Draco also requested a sober up potion for the drunk defier of death.
Hermione was already casting detection spells around the wards, Adrian, Theo, and Blaise adding their own. Draco was whistling to gain Artemis’s attention and Ginny was holding Harry while Pansy poured the potion down his throat.
“Nothing Draco, whoever was here left already,” Hermione told him.
Artemis was rounding the corner of the house, at the same time the potion was working on Harry causing him to exclaim, “Fucking Hell, Malfoy! You really do have a dragon”
“Yes Potter, I told you. And she’s agitated right now so i suggest you keep quiet until I can get her calmed down”
Draco started approaching Artemis, not letting Hermione’s hand go. He held his other hand up to the raging dragon and began crooning to her. Hermione felt her nerves perk up, every breath Artemis released was full of fire, she had stopped running but was now pacing in place, her head raised and still scanning for the threat. Hermione wasn’t sure she should be walking towards this dragon at the moment but everytime she tried to pull her hand from Draco’s he gripped harder.
“Calm my girl, calm down now. I’m here, we’re here, it’s just us, nobody is left but family, I need you to calm down for me. Artemis, look at me,” Draco had said that last part with some force behind it. He had finally gotten Artemis’s attention. She dropped her head and began aggressively sniffing both Hermione and Draco, scenting them to ensure they were safe. Once she was sure of their safety her body relaxed some and she leaned her head into Draco’s abdomen, he used his free hand to scratch her favorite spot. “You did so good my girl, protecting the house and mother like you did, such a good girl, I can’t thank you enough.”
Artemis began her rumbling at his declarations “Can you show me what happened?” And then Draco went stiff, Hermione stood stunned, legilimency between wizards and creatures was unheard of as far as she knew.
After a minute or two Draco finally relaxed “fuck” was all he said at first, Hermione waited for him to say more. “She couldn’t see them, they were covered from head to toe, she scented them though. Them and the explosive devices they used to try and get through the wards”
“Bombs? They used bombs?”
“Yea,” Draco answered as he ran a hand down his face. “Theo, Adrian, look at the corners of the properties, see if you can find whatever is left of what they used to attack the wards.”
Both men looked deadly serious for once, only releasing small nods before running off, before they could get too far though Hermione, Pansy, and Ginny all froze.
“What is it?” Both Draco and Harry asked at the same time.
Hermione turned to look at him “It’s our wards this time”
“Fuck, Adrian, Theo stay here with Blaise, protect mother and the manor. And go grab Artemis a cow,” then he turned to the dragon, “I’m sorry sweetheart, but you’re grounded until I figure out who did this." The dragon huffed once and then nudged Draco, and then they were off again.
This time they found themselves standing outside of the girls apartment, once again the wards were lit up, once again the detection spells showed no persons around. Once the initial sweep was completed Harry spoke up “Do you want a full investigation?”
Draco looked at Hermione who shook her head “No, I don’t want this getting out. Find out what you can but do it quietly please.”
Harry nodded before turning to Pansy, who’s hand he hadn’t let go of and said “I’ll be back later love, I’m going to collect one or two of these devices and take them in to see what I can find” and then he kissed her before he apparated away.
Draco was running his hands through his hair when he said “No one goes anywhere alone from here on out, buddy system in full effect.”
Hermione nodded once “I agree, someone found out about our potential team up and they’re not happy about it. We need to be careful until this is dealt with. Gin, you’re with the team or you’re with us. I’m not worried about you at matches, they’re too publicized but otherwise…”
Ginny only nodded in response. Tonight’s events had everyone slightly rattled, they had been taken by surprise and the one thing Hermione hated most was surprises, and bullies.
She would find out who had attacked them and make them suffer for it.