Hogwarts on Shuffle

Hermione was on a mission.

No, not a mission for the order, that was so last year. No, Hermione Granger was on a mission for herself. That’s what this whole year had been about hadn’t it? Eighth year, the battle was won, and Hermione had sacrificed everything to get them there. Parents who no longer recognized her face, her innocence, all of it, gone for the greater good. Hermione had given everything she had to the war, and when it finally spit her out the other end, she had nothing left. She used to believe in the light, the difference between good and evil, and now she understood that nothing was that simple, so instead she chose to believe in herself, and that’s what she decided to make this year all about, her.

Harry and Ron had rejected this new Hermione. They had called her selfish, mean, a slut. But they didn’t understand. Harry had nothing to lose to begin with, and was basically the eighth Weasley child, and Ron still had a family to go home to every break. Hermione had not only given everything she had to the war, but she had also given herself. The day she cast her first Avada Kedavra on the battlefield, she knew she would never be the same. The war had changed her, inside and out, and the new Hermione didn’t fit into her friends small minded ideologies of what was acceptable.

Hermione had made her peace with her new self, she grew to trust her instincts, and began to explore the parts of herself that she had always suppressed during her tenure as the golden girl. And that’s how she had found herself underneath Draco Malfoy of all people.

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Draco had been a pariah all of sixth year, his secret isolated him from everyone around him. And when Hermione had walked through the doors of the great hall on the first day of her eighth year, she knew she was no longer among her people. Dark magic had seeped its way into her blood, and she felt like a sore thumb everywhere she went, so she sought out the only other person she could think of that had experience with being a pariah and dark magic.

She had followed him around for weeks, creeping from shadow to shadow, watching him. She thought she was being descreet until one late evening in the dungeons he whipped around and pinned her to the wall by her throat and demanded to know why she was following him.

“I’m a prefect Malfoy, wandering the hallways at night is literally my job” she had countered with a roll of her eyes.

He scoffed, “nice try Granger, but that doesn’t explain why you have been tailing me for 6 weeks now. Don’t fuck with me, I saw you behind me on the road to Hogsmeade, at the astronomy tower, even in the transfiguration courtyard, you might think your being sneaky, but I’m sneakier, and I know when someone’s following me”.

“Did Draco Malfoy just say sneakier?”

He rattled her hard enough that her head hit the stone behind her, and she quickly shut up. Her laugh died in her throat and instead she tilted her head back against the cool wall of the castle behind her and took him in with her eyes. He had grown into his pointy features, and now looked every bit the pureblood aristocrat that he was born to be. She could feel the dark magic simmering right below the skin of his hand pressed up against her windpipe, and she wondered if he could feel her own dark magic singing within her veins between his grip.

She reached a tentative hand out and touched his face, lighter than a feather. He looked at her hand like it was a bug before shaking her head against the wall violently again.

“WHY are you following me, Granger?”.

Hermione saw stars. “Because were the same Malfoy…” she choked out as blackness took over the edges of her vision.

Draco stared at her for a second, his eyes swimming with a vulnerable confusion before he burst into laughter. “The same? You and me? I don’t know what you have been smoking since the end of the war Granger, but you and I have nothing in common” he said, releasing her neck and turning away.

Hermione sucked in air with large coughing breaths, “I know that somedays the pain on your left forearm is the only thing that reminds you that you are alive.”

Draco froze mid step in the hallway.

Hermione took this as an encouraging sign, so she gulped down more air and continued. “I know that some nights that pain is the only thing keeping you grounded”.

Draco whirled around, looking completely bewildered and slightly murderous. “You have no idea what you’re talking about granger”.

Hermione yanked her sleeve up, exposing her mudblood scar to him.“I know, because I know”.

Draco seemed to be at a loss for words. He stared at her scar like if he made any sudden movements it would pounce on him.

“It’s not the same” he choked out, never breaking his gaze with the ugly words carved into her arm.

Hermione’s eyes lit up with the prospect of a challenge, “how?”.

“Because you didn’t have a choice” he spat with venom.

“And you did?” she spat back.

Draco’s mouth snapped shut at that one, just like she knew it would. He stared at her for a few seconds before finally responding, slightly less venomous than before.

“Nobody was holding a wand to my head Granger”.

“But we both know they might as well have. You forget I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your father, your mother, your aunt” she emphasized by pointing to her scar. “Maybe nobody was holding a wand to your head, but anyone really paying attention knows you about just as much of a choice in the matter as I did”.

Draco stared at her like he was seeing her for the very first time, and it occurred to Hermione that perhaps he was.

“Mudblood… reformed Death Eater… at the end of the day, we both walked away scarred, we both walked away and into a world that will never truly accept us. We may have been on opposite sides of the war, but now were both silently fighting a new one. And this one, there’s no right or wrong, no light or dark, no good or evil, and worst of all, there’s no winning this war. It’s fucked up and lonely, and I thought of all people, you would understand. So that’s why I’ve been following you Malfoy, because I thought you would get it, but I can see now that this has been a monumental waste of my time”.

Hermione whipped around before he could see the embarrassment on her face, fully ready to stomp off and never look his way again, but before she could, a hand shot out and grasped her wrist.

Her breath caught in her throat as he slowly pulled her to face him. Her honey eyes locked on to his steely grey ones, and she realized this was the closest she had ever stood to Draco Malfoy. His eyes where cold, but something was stirring behind them; something angry, but also distinctly vulnerable. She could smell him, leather and some expensive muggle cologne, hah, the irony. It was intoxicating.

Then he kissed her.

It took Hermione a moment for her brain to catch up, at which point she had already opened her mouth in shock. Her first instinct was to fight, but then a voice inside her head whispered why, isn’t this what you came for?

Was it what she came for? And she was only now just realizing it? The remaining parts of her still clung to idea of right and wrong were screaming to run, but she couldn’t think or a good reason why anymore. This felt good, and Hermione couldn’t think of the last time she had truly enjoyed anything since before the war.

Before Hermione’s brain could continue to overthink, Draco hooked his fingers underneath her chin and tilted her head up so that he could take a step closer, deepening he kiss. Merlin he was tall, and he tasted like smoke and citrus. All doubts Hermione had disappeared in into the euphoric haze that was taking over her mind.

Fuck it.

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

Draco and Hermione relationship was turbulent to say the least.

When they were good, oh god were they good.

Draco lived up to his Slytherin reputation, he wasn’t afraid to break the rules in the name of a little fun, and coaxing Hermione out of her shell and pushing her limits became his new favorite hobby, and although she would never admit it, Hermione was having more fun that she had in her entire life.

Hermione had always been a stickler for the rules, but the was done with that part of her life. Now she wanted to let her hair down, stop caring, and most of all, she wanted to think about only herself for a while. So, she snuck out after curfew to go on moonlight broom rides, holding onto his strong shoulders as he soared over Hogwarts Valley, she allowed him to persuade her to skip class so they could skinny dip in the black lake while everyone was in class, and she let him fuck her against the stacks in the library.

The sex, oh lord the sex.

Hermione wasn’t a virgin when they had started dating, but she might as well have been, and she realized that the very first time her and Draco became intimate.

Draco had been around the block, hell he had probably jogged around it a few times, and Hermione’s bumbling tryst with Ron couldn’t even hold a candle to the experience that Draco had. He knew what she liked before she did, and he would give it to her every time. He fucked her all over the castle, in positions Hermione had only read about.

Draco was rough, which Hermione was surprised to discover she liked. When someone else was making decisions for her, she got to shut her brain off and just feel. And feel she did. They fucked against walls, library shelves, and once even on Snape’s desk in the middle of the night.

When they weren’t fucking, they were either talking or studying magic. After months, Draco opened up and talked about his childhood, and what it was like growing up with such a cold family, and in return, Hermione shared stories from her own childhood, which were noticeably less depressing the Draco’s. Hermione helped Draco study for the final exams, he had lost so many months of studying during the war, and in return he taught her magic that she didn’t have access to in the Hogwarts library. Dark magic.

Dark magic was rooted in her just as deep as Malfoy was, and she figured she might as well lean into it and learn about all forms of magic.

When they were good, oh god were they good. But when they were bad…

Draco had a mean streak, no doubt a learned trait from his peach of a father, and Hermione was noticing a pattern. Draco would open up and allow himself to be vulnerable in front of Hermione, and then would instinctually shut down out of fear and overcorrect by saying or doing something foul. Usually he would regress to calling her a mudblood, or insult her hair, but sometimes, he would leave and do something stupid. And that’s exactly what had happened today.

Hermione knew today was going to be a bad day with Draco, he had opened up and spilled a particularly rough story about the one of the first times his father had beaten him, and Hermione knew that his nature was going to take over and that he would act out. It’s what he did.

What she wasn’t expecting was to find his hand threaded in Astoria Greengrass’ hair as she sucked him off in the library.

Her sympathy and patience with him died on the spot, fuck him, just because he opened up doesn’t give him carte blanche to go stick his dick into the first thing that he crosses paths with.

To be fair, they had never explicitly had a conversation about whether they were exclusive or not, but their relationship was more than just sex, and Hermione knew that Draco wasn’t stupid enough not to realize that.

So, if that’s the way he wanted to play it, then so be it. If Draco Malfoy didn’t want to be exclusive, then Hermione would show him just how unexclusive she could be, and she knew just the place.

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Halloween was in full swing; Hermione arrived in the dungeons well after the festivities had started, she could hear the thumping of the bass clear through the stone walls. She was wearing a red velvet mini dress, with red horns and a matching red mask. Her lips were crimson and her eyes where smoldering underneath a generous helping of kohl. Hermione Granger looked nothing like herself, which was exactly the goal, tonight she was letting her darkness take the reins. If Draco Malfoy wanted to play, then that’s exactly what she would do.

Her eyes scanned the room, and a few things caught her attention. Firstly, Draco was seated at one of the plush couches, with a particularly smitten looking Astoria seated next to him making stupid eyes in his direction. Hermione internally groaned.

The second thing she noticed, was Draco Malfoys best friend and fellow reformed death eater, Theodore Nott, sitting alone and looking mighty handsome just a few couches over from Draco, in his direct line of site of course. He was dressed to the nines in a well-tailored suit, but his face was completely painted as a day of the dead skeleton, and his hair was gelled back in the most delicious way.

And suddenly Hermione knew exactly what she was going to do to even the playing field.

First, she hunted down three shooters, she downed the first one and brought the other two with her as an offering. She crossed the dancefloor and made her way through the clouds of smoke, finally coming to a stop and unceremoniously dropping herself into Theo’s lap.

Strong arms gripped her waist and held her steady against an equally strong torso, “hey there, I got you, are you alright?”.

Of course, he was a nice guy. Hermione goes out in search of another death eater to play her shithead boyfriend and he ends up being a nice guy? That would be her luck.

Oh well, if Hermione had learned anything these last few months, it’s that everyone has a dark side, they just need to the right motivation to bring it out. Hermione could be that right motivation; she could use all the skills Draco had taught her. It would be quite poetic, using his own lessons against him.

Hermione sunk down deeper into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders, “I’m perfectly fine, exactly where I want to be actually” she purred seductively, wiggling her butt against his groin to run her point home.

Theo’s pupils dilated, and she knew she had him. All men were fools.

“Is that shot for me?” he asked, reaching for the vial that was still in her grip.

“Maybe” she quipped with a wink, passing the shot to him and clinking her own glass vial against it.

They downed their shots and his grip around her waist tightened.

“So why is Hermione Granger of all people down in the Slytherin dungeon at midnight on Halloween, doesn’t Gryffindor have their own festivities?” he asked with a smirk.

Hermione cocked an eyebrow, “who?” she responded with feigned innocence.

Theo chuckled, “cut the shit Granger, I would recognize that hair anywhere, and you didn’t stumble into the dungeons by accident, you’re here for a reason”.

“Can’t a nice girl just be looking for the company of a nice guy?” she said with a flutter of her lashes.

Theo barked out a laugh, “okay first of all, if you came down to the dungeons in search of nice guy, then you’re looking in the wrong place sweetheart, but I have a hunch you already knew that” Theo slipped his hand lower down her waist until it was resting firmly on her bum, hmmm maybe not such a nice guy after all, Hermione could work with this. “Secondly, you don’t fool me Granger, you’re here to make Draco jealous”.

Hermione stopped at that. “I don’t know what you’re talking about” she said defensively.

Theo rolled his eyes, “please, you aren’t exactly quiet”.

Hermione gave him a questioning look, she was confused.

Theo leaned in to whisper in her ear, his hot breath tickling the side of her face. “Let’s just say, it sounds like you like it best when he takes you from behind”.

Oh, that’s what he meant by quiet. She could feel herself blushing profusely. Maybe her and Draco weren’t as much of a secret as she had previously thought.

Theo’s other hand began to slide up her thigh, “no shame sweetheart, you sound like a fucking angel when you cum”.

Hermione blushed even harder and dipped her head down in shame but was stopped by Theo’s fingers tilting her jaw up to look at him. “Chin up lovely, you have nothing to be embarrassed about, plus, look, your little plan is working”.

Theo tilted her head in Draco’s direction, and he was right, Draco had most definitely spotted them. He was positively fuming. That certainly did lift her spirits.

Hermione turned back to Theo, “you’re not afraid?”.

“Of Draco?” he asked. “No, Draco and I have been friends since we were in our nappies, this wouldn’t be the first time we have fought over a toy” Theo finished with a wink.

Hermione’s jaw dropped open and she smacked his arm with a chuckle of disbelief.

“Plus, I’ve seen worse” he said with a hint of melancholy.

“Right, ex death eater and all that” Hermione said, throwing her own wink at him.

Theo pulled her down harder on his lap, “you seem to have acquired quite a taste for dangerous men”.

“Are you saying your dangerous?”.

Theo just gave her a crooked smile and she felt a shiver run down her spine, a man that doesn’t feel the need to announce he’s dangerous, is usually the most dangerous of them all.

With a flick of his wrist, two more shooters flew into their hands.

“Bottoms up Granger” he cooed, throwing back his own shot. Hermione couldn’t help but be transfixed by his Adams apple as it bobbed up and down while he swallowed the burning liquid, something about Theo was so sexy.

Hermione threw back her own shot before he could catch her staring.

“So what do I get out of this whole scheme?” Theo asked lazily.

Hermione hadn’t thought that far ahead, “uhh the pleasure of my company?” she offered a little sheepishly.

Theo scoffed, “you’re going to have to do better than that Granger”.

“Well what do you want…?” she responded nervously.

Theo pretended to think about it hard, even tapping one of his elegant fingers against his chin.

“I’ll play your little game, but in return I want a kiss”

“A kiss? That’s it?” she asked a little skeptically.

“Yep, just one, tiny, little, innocent kiss”.

Hermione played with the idea in her head for a moment. Theo was very attractive, and she had caught Draco with someone else only hours ago. Fair was fair.

“Okay” she squeaked.

Theo grinned, and for a second Hermione regretted everything, because in that moment he looked downright evil, but she didn’t have long to think about it because Theo had threaded his fingers into the hair at the nape of her neck and was pulling her face towards his.

Their lips connected and Hermione felt a fire ignite underneath her skin, right below the surface. His lips tasted like cherries and whiskey, and Hermione couldn’t get enough.

Theo pushed her face against his harder and pressed his tongue into her mouth, which she lapped at like a woman starved. His free hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her nearly flush against his chest. Hermione fisted his tie and used it to pull him as close as possible. She could feel Theo smiling into the kiss, and for a fleeting second, she began to wonder why, but then a pair of arms wrapped around her and suddenly she was in the air. Her bum collided with something soft, and upon closer inspection, she realized she had been deposited into one of the many armchairs.

Hermione looked back up at Theo in alarm, only to find him sprawled out on the ground, laughing, blood pouring from his nose and staining his white teeth, with Draco standing over him panting in anger.

“Looks like our times up Granger, but it was truly a pleasure” Theo laughed.

“Do not fucking speak to her!” growled a very irate Draco.

Theo’s smile dropped and he stopped laughing. He stood up and walked over to Draco, stopping only a few inches away from his face. With zero expression, Theo wiped some of the blood from his face and proceeded to pop his digits into his mouth one at a time, cleaning the blood from each one in an impressive, if not disgusting, intimidation technique. Only once his fingers were clean, and Draco was sufficiently silenced, did Theo break eye contact with him.

Theo turned to Hermione and smiled again, “find me when he fucks up again” and left a speechless Hermione and Draco behind as he walked away.