The Morning After
Draco woke in bliss, his witch was practically melted and draped across his chest with her nose in her neck. He’d taken her four times last night and he was already ready for more, his cock tenting the sheets beneath her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her and reveling in the softness that was Hermione. Her smell surrounded him in her flat from the moment he had broken her wards and walked in, it was heaven.
He pressed his nose into her hair, allowing her sweet scent of apples to calm him. Only for movement on the bottom of the bed to interrupt him. He groaned softly, the orange piece of dryer lint was awake and staring at him expectantly from his seat at the foot of the bed. Draco’s head dropped back onto the pillow, no desire to move from the witch currently clinging to his chest, but it was too late, the beast saw the movement and walked closer.
The cat sat directly behind her back, meowing for his breakfast.
“Hush, you mangey mutt, she needs the rest,” Draco began untangling himself from Hermione and the blankets wrapped around them, evidently not fast enough, the orange fur ball began climbing over the witch to get directly in his face, meowing at him insistently. Hermione rolled over, wrapping her arms around the pillow he had been using, pulling it down to wrap herself around it.
“Later Crooks,” Her words were slurred as she buried her face into his pillow. Draco chuckled at the dismissal of her animal as he pulled his forgotten pants over his erection. He watched in amazement, hopefully, he would be able to convince the stubborn woman to move into the manor tonight to avoid more attacks, but he’d doubted it. A wave of victory washed over him, his potion had been forgotten during their first round, crashing together like animals mating, but he’d remembered it before ‘waking her up’, as per the doctor’s prerogative. And there was no doubt in his mind that soon enough she would be on his doorstep with news.
Anger rose in him again as he looked down at her curled around his pillow, he was so close to not having this. And where were the men he had posted to look after her? His fury peaked at the thought, the orange cat dancing at his feet with another meow. Draco felt his face twist with a sneer that was familiar, taking one more soft glance at the witch in bed, her bare leg outside the sheets as she pulled it up on the pillow and he left the room leaving the cat to follow. He had calls to make.
Filling up the dish of the orange beast, he made his way out to the balcony, lighting up a dart and pulling out the muggle mobile that he struggled to use. Quickly dialing a person picked up the other line.
“Good morning, boss,” the gruff voice belonged to a man in his employ, Eldon Cragg, someone he paid very well to perform surveillance.
“Where the fuck were you and your team?” He snapped, his patience had run out, “Who was supposed to be watching Granger last night?”
“That would’ve been Tom Vanity,” the man grunted, “Did something happen?”
Draco stood up, pacing the tiny balcony, “Yes, my witch was attacked last night, an attack that she had to fight off on her own because your man wasn’t there,”
The line went silent as Eldon sat taking in the news, “Shit, I’m so sorry Mr. Malfoy, is she ok?”
Draco huffed a breath of amazement, “Of course, she’s not ok, you moron, five wizards attacked her just off diagon alley and no one was there to protect her,”
“Mr. Malfoy, I can’t tell you how sorry I am for this, Tom will be fired immediately for his negligence,”
“That’s not enough, Eldon, consider your entire team replaced, go find new employment, and send Tom Vanity to the Manor at 12,” Draco snapped his phone shut, shaking with rage. He would not walk away from this so easily.
Leaning on the balcony, he heard a groan from inside the flat, calming him just slightly, she was alive and that was all that mattered now. He cast a Tempus while he finished his cigarette, there was enough time to feed his fiancee before heading out for the day.
“Moppy,” He called out softly, a pop of apparition following behind him a few moments later.
“Master Draco!” She called out as the small elf walked onto the balcony with her flowing dress.
“Moppy, please bring us breakfast and cancel my meetings for the day, I’ve got a few issues to take care of urgently,” She nodded eagerly in response, “And set up regular food delivery to this flat, I want to make sure Hermione is eating enough,”
The thought warmed his chest the second it left his mouth, the thought of her swollen with the next Malfoy heir.
Moppy’s smile was radiant, “Of course Master Draco, anything we can do to help!” with that she disappeared with a pop, leaving Draco’s rage quelled by the thought of his witch in the next room.
Taking a deep breath, he pulled out the horrible muggle contraption again.
“ ‘lo,” what sounded like a sleepy Theo answered, “Drake?”
“Theo, get your arse up, I need a favor,”
Hermione awoke gently, surrounded by the warmth and softness of her sheets. The scent of Malfoy enveloped her, almost lulling her back to sleep. The sheets slid across her naked skin as she rolled over, struggling to open her eyes, the events from the night before hitting her like a freight train.
She groaned, pulling the pillow over her head, not wanting to face the events of the day. Her bed at least was empty, so hopefully that was one conversation that she didn’t need to have.
Her entire body was sore. Malfoy must’ve been aware of the implications of a concussion because he woke her up every few hours. The first time, she woke to his mouth between her legs, she orgasmed before she’d known she was awake. The man acted possessed as he pounded his cock into her, over and over again. She’d had more sex in the last eight hours than she’d had in the last eight months. Every time his eyes met hers in the darkness, it was like he was trying to hold onto more like he was trying his best to make every second last as long as possible. His mouth met hers in a frenzy, communicating his desperation through his movements and proclaimed possessions. She didn’t think she’d like having a possessive man in her bed, but even thinking about it made her grow warm.
Evidence of their activities still squelched between her thighs and she shivered as she rubbed them together. She was going to need a bath and a break if the oversensitivity of her clit told her anything.
Hermione sat up in bed as gently as possible, the jostling of her head brought back the headache now that the pain medication had worn off. Her room was bright from the sun outside, luckily the Aurors from the night before communicated her message to Kingsley that she wouldn’t be able to come in today. Her sheets were nearly torn off the bed and she winced at the thought of his intentions to court her, how was she supposed to tell him ‘no’ now? Rubbing her face, it didn’t matter, they were both adults and she would figure out the right way to kick him out of her life, once and for all.
A faint burning in her arm made itself known as she moved more, looking down at her revealed scar it looked surprisingly better. The protruding veins had faded more and the swelling looked considerably better, but every time she’d been around Malfoy, the scar seemed to get considerably worse afterward. She frowned in confusion examining it, and if the burning was any indication, it seemed this time would be no different.
She rubbed her arm gently as she began to hear a voice in the next room, she fell back in the bed throwing her arm over her eyes, looks like she didn’t avoid the conversation after all.
Finally rolling out of bed, gently, trying not to move her head more than she needed to, Hermione threw on some sweats and a T-shirt. It felt like going into battle without armor, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Her head was throbbing, her arm burned, she couldn’t even summon enough energy to throw a glamour on her arm. Trudging into the hall, she stopped, numerous plates had been deposited on her counter, Malfoy sat at the table shirtless with a copy of the prophet.
Her mouth immediately watered seeing him. The muscles under his skin flowed like water even just drinking his tea. Hermione did her best to focus on anything else, the most recent budget proposal for the corruption department seemed to do the trick of calming her suddenly out-of-control libido.
“Sit down before you fall down,” his sharp words snapped her back into herself as her mind started wondering at the budget proposal. Realizing how shaky her legs were, she bit her tongue and sat across from him at the cramped table.
“What’s all this?” She tucked her feet underneath her in the chair, looking at the plates in confusion.
His nose peeked over the Prophet, eyebrow rising, “Breakfast,”
She groaned, rubbing her temples, “Where did it come from, Malfoy?” She didn’t have patience for this today.
He set the prophet aside with a sigh, “Would you believe me if I said I made it?”
She shot him a glare over the table.
“Relax, the elves brought it by,” Malfoy refilled his teacup, setting one out for her as well.
Fuck, this was too much. She pressed her eyes into her head, trying to will away the headache on pure spite.
“What are you doing?” she pulled her hands away, confused more than ever.
“Making sure you’re fed,” his eyes narrowed at her.
“Really though, what’re you doing?” she insisted, watching his eyebrow raise in a question, “The coffee at work, bringing me lunch, coming to my rescue, telling the prophet that we’re courting?” her voice raised, as she shook her head “What is this? Why’re you doing any of this?”
His eyes dulled as he went to sip his tea, “We’ve already had this conversation, love,”
“Have we? You’ll have to refresh my memory, Malfoy, because I seem to recall asking, but you never answered,”
A sigh left his lips as she stared him down, “What would you like me to say?”
“The truth would be appreciated,”
He buttered some toast, “Pass the marmalade,”
Hermione saw red, her anger overflowing, “Malfoy!”
He scowled “Fine, I’ll get it myself,” standing he bent over the small table, pausing as he towered over her, “I’m doing this,” He gripped her chin, “because it’s always been you,”
She rolled her eyes as he sat, content to drown his toast in the disgustingly sweet orange jelly, “I’m tired of the nonsense, Malfoy, cut the cryptic shit,”
The butter knife clattered as it hit the table, he’d crossed the room invading her space in the span of a second. Malfoy’s hand gripped her chin, forcing her rolling eyes to meet his, “Allow me to spell it out for you then, you have made yourself a pain in my ass since we were kids, and I took notice. Every swotty little comment, every time you bested me at school work, every award you received or achievement you made, I took notice. The tears you cried in my courtroom, I noticed. It took me a long time to fully understand, but I made my peace and I’ll be damned if I sit around waiting for you to figure it out too,”
His thumb stroked down her lips before releasing her chin to sit back down to enjoy his breakfast. Her head spun with his declaration, Sure, he’d been attractive in school, but with the personality of a Venomous tentacula.
She leaned into her hands, make it make sense, “So, what? You’ve known this for years?”
He leaned back in his chair, eyeing her, “It’s not quite so simple,”
Kids often picked on each other in order to gain each other’s attention or gage interest, even emotionally healthy ones, and it was more than reasonable to presume that Malfoy didn’t have the emotional security or coping mechanisms that a healthy child would have. Her head throbbed at the line of thought, “So, now you just expect me to go along with it?”
He chuckled eating his toast, throwing a telling glance to the bedroom.
“When did you know?” her throat was closing, she already knew the answer.
“My trial,” his demeanor was calm, her brain felt like it was on fire as her head screamed in pain. Every cell in her body wanted to curl up in his lap and let him soothe her pain.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” her voice came out in a gasp, hands going to her temple.
“Enough,” his voice echoed around her small kitchen, “You’re in pain, you’ve been shaking since before you sat down,” he was at her side again, pulling her into his arms and striding back to the bedroom.
“I need to know,” she felt the tears on her face as he laid her down. His hand stroked her hair and she hear the pops as he removed corks from potions.
He lifted them to her mouth for her to drink. She couldn’t think anymore, just needed the answer. And sleep. She didn’t care what he was giving her, just drank it, completely submerged in his scent once again. The pain ebbed as the potion kicked in.
His large body lay down next to her as her eyes began to close, “I wanted you to live a happy life,” Malfoy’s arms wrapped around her as she settled into his chest, letting the potions and the beating of his heart lull her back to sleep.
Draco fumed, twice in one day he forced himself out of his witch’s bed rather than into it. He strode around the manor keeping an eye out for the workers setting the rooms back to rights. The manor felt alive again, slowly reviving as though life was being breathed into it.
The stale air was moving again with the windows and doors opened in the fall weather, the sun shining into the previously melancholy areas of the house. It was all coming along nicely, the curse breakers gave him a report letting him know most of the blood wards on the house had been broken and some of the last, nastier, blood-purity wards would be finished within the week.
Regardless, Tom Vanity standing, twitching in front of his desk put him in a foul mood. After leaving his witch nestled in bed with a pain potion nearby and Theo eating breakfast in her kitchen, he’d felt his blood pressure steadily rise. Now his head pounded and he nearly saw red looking at the coward's face while he fidgeted before him, staring silently, fear emanating from his pores.
They’d been sitting in silence for nearly fifteen minutes and with every passing second of silence Draco’s plan included more blood. His eye was starting to twitch from the tension coiled in every muscle of his body, he finally flipped his hands up, waving to the irritating man to start talking.
Tom’s eyes widened, mouth opening to say something before it was caught in his throat, mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish.
Merlin, he was an idiot, he propped his ankle on his knee, “Right, I’ll start us off then,” Tom’s mouth shut with a click and Draco felt his eye twitch again, pillock, “Where were you last night?”
The wanker’s throat bobbed in his throat, “I-I was watching her – from a distance, l-like you asked, sir,”
Draco’s eyebrow went up, “And?”
Tom’s eyes widened, this conversation wasn’t going well and he knew it, “And what, sir?”
Draco nearly let out a laugh, letting his head fall back against his chair, “And you then saw her get attacked?”
His shoulders almost dropped completely, his face almost softening with relief, “Of course not, sir, she got home perfectly fi—“
Draco’s anger finally won out, cutting off the moron as his magic swept him across the room, pinning him violently against the wall. Framed photos fell, shattering on the ground below where he was pinned, “My witch was attacked by five wizards as she walked home last night,” he spoke through gritted teeth, trying to keep his anger in line, observing the offending wizard prone against his wall. Slowly putting his feet on the floor, he walked around the desk, pulling out his wand, letting it hang loosely from his fingers, “So, I ask again, where were you?”
Tom struggled against the wall, trying to pull his arms free, “P-please, sir, I swear, she was a block from her flat when I left,”
The idiosyncracy was only cute for so long, Draco rubbed at his temples, feeling a headache start to form. His wand whipped around, throwing slicing hexes through the air.
Tom screamed, tears starting in his eyes, “M-Mr. Malfoy – please--,”
“Alot can happen in the span of a block, Tom,” His wand tapped against his forehead in annoyance, “Where’d you go?”
“I- I just went down to meet the boys at the pub, I swear Mr. Malfoy,” he whimpered as Draco threw another slicing hex across his cheek, “Please, please, I swear,”
Draco’s blood froze, “A pub?” his eyes scanned the fool, “A pub was more important than the safety of my witch?”
Tom’s whimpering amplified as Draco stepped closer, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please—“ his struggling got wilder as Draco took another step, “Please, please don’t hurt me,”
Draco closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as his head pounded, “Get the fuck out of Europe, or I will kill you,” his wand came down a final time, slicing clean through the muscle, tendons, and bones of his wrist. His magic lifted without a sound and Tom fell screaming to the ground as his wand hand fell with him.
Draco’s fingers snapped and three house elves appeared next to him, “Clean up this mess, please, a bonus will be in your accounts for it by the end of business today,” turning on his heel, he walked out, he had more important things to do than deal with a quivering bastard who didn’t know his ass from his elbows.
The dragon den was officially finished, Draco watched as Severus coasted in on an updraft and he didn’t seem happy with being moved. The ground shuddered under the massive animal’s weight, he released a very unhappy gust of flames as he observed the den.
Draco chuckled watching him, “Don’t be like that, Sev, it’s twice the size of your old one,”
Severus fixed him with a look that could kill before blasting him with a cloud of sulfur.
“Oh, relax, you beast,” the Blond sputtered, coughing up the smoke, “You’ll get used to it soon enough,”
The Hebridian Black threw one last glare over his shoulder before marching in the opposite direction and curling up in the field adjacent to his new den.
Draco rubbed a hand down his face muttering, “First the witch, now the dragon, I swear if everyone in this family is going to have attitude problems I’m not going to survive,” his attention turned back to the dragon, “Sev, if you try out the cave, I’ll give you a treat,” Severus’ head peaked around his tail, interested in the trade offered.
He nodded his head in the direction of the cave, “Go on,”
The dragon’s tail thrashed around as he released another burst of smoke and grumbled slowly towards the cave before plonking down unhappily in the entrance, glare plastered on his mug.
Draco smiled, “Close enough,” pulling the severed hand out of his pocket he threw it for Severus to catch, he swallowed quickly before turning to curl up in the cave. Draco chuckled again, turning to leave as an elf popped into the space next to him with his ringing muggle contraption.
He groaned taking it as he walked through the grounds back to the manor, “ ‘lo,”
“Hey Drake, just checking in,” Theo’s voice rang tinny through the line.
“Theo, what happened,” he asked blankly, that man never checked in, he did something.
“So, she kicked me out,”
He paused on his walk, pulling out his cigarette case before lighting it up and taking a deep breath.
“Drake?”
“Yeah,” he drawled over the inefficient speaker, “She’s like a meter and a half tall, how the fuck did she kick you out?”
“Well, she woke up and kinda flipped shit, mate,” Theo sounded out of breath.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to rein in the urge to throttle his friend, “What do you mean she ‘flipped shit’?”
“Well, after she finished yelling, she reset her wards,”
“Her wards wouldn’t have thrown you out on your ass, Theo,” He was nearly growling.
“Well, I guess she decided to take a note from some old- magic book, she added her blood into the wards,”
Shit, blood magic wards were the strongest. The most powerful families used them to guard their properties nearly permanently, and the longer they were up the stronger they were, and more magic was added to them. Not even mentioning their tendency to drain a witch or wizard dry if not performing them correctly “Well, it’s going to be near impossible to get back in, do you have eyes on her?”
Theo’s heavy breathing seemed to even out, “I just got into your flat across the street, looks like the wards took it out of her and she went back to sleep,”
Draco could feel his headache rising again, “Just keep eyes on her, I’ll be back there soon, I’ve lined up a meeting with a new supplier tonight, I’ll need you to go in my place,”
He could nearly feel the twat’s smile through the phone, “You got it, boss,”