Chapter 7: In Hogsmeade (Again)

Draco breathed the warm spring air and walked smoothly to Hogsmeade, trailing the rest of the students. He hadn't come within ten meters of Hermi...Granger since the night of that detention, and he was beginning to feel good about most things again.

He couldn't avoid considering her, though. Draco wasn't sure what had caused it, but she seemed ever prettier. Her hair was shinier; her eyes were brighter. Her skin had a luminescent peach tone that he could look at for hours. Others had noticed as well, but they stayed away.

Possibly, this is what added to the normality of the spring term. She would spend time with Potter and Weasley, Lovegood and the Weaslette and study. He didn't have to worry about any others touching his mate. Things had smoothed out considerably. At least, this is what he'd thought until he came upon her and her friends at the Three Broomsticks.

Hermione could feel when her mate was watching her, and she'd been basking in his distant attentions since that detention. She'd been studying for NEWTs and voraciously devouring any text on Veelas she could find. Did he know that he'd extended their courtship to seven years? Did he know that his venom made her increasingly attractive and would continue to do so until he finished claiming her? Did he know that now that his venom was in her blood, she could walk into the Ministry of Magic whenever she chose and sign the marriage certificate to claim him?

Seeing him walk through the door of the Three Broomsticks, Hermione smirked. Given what she was wearing, she knew she'd get his attention. She wouldn't force him to take her, but she wasn't going to rest on her laurels either.

Over the Yule hols, she'd conceded to her mother's constant desire for a shopping spree. It was a girl's day, and Hermione had herself outfitted with a new wardrobe. By the end of it, her mother had begun to look at her knowingly. When Hermione opened her sock drawer the next morning, there were a variety of condoms resting under a note that read: It's about time. Be safe.

Hermione took a long drink of cider and smiled at the memory. She'd picked today's outfit especially to entice him. It was totally Muggle and in direct defiance of his instructions from earlier in the year. She wore dark blue denim trousers that she had modified by embroidering claw marks on the left hip. They rested over where her scars were. Her hip tingled when he was near, or when he was happy, or when he was angry, and she wanted to display them. Putting the embroidery on her trousers was the first thing she had thought of.

Her jumper was kelly green, made from fine cashmere, perfect for a spring day in Scotland. It also begged to be touched. The neckline scooped low, and with a little help from a molded bra, her bosoms peaked out over the top. Hermione's curls fell down her back, looking and feeling more manageable than ever. She had put on some mascara and lip stain, knowing that if her mate should happen upon her, as she planned him to, he would appreciate her efforts.

Hermione turned to chat with Harry, Ginny, and Ron, keeping her mate in her peripheral vision.

Draco watched her lean on the bar for a long moment, drinking in the sight of her before remembering himself. He looked around and found Blaise and Vincent at a table with an empty chair waiting for him. He weighed his options: hang out with his friends and be near her for the first time in months, or leave and not be near her. Only one of those promised that he could keep his sanity, so Draco turned around and walked out of the Three Broomsticks, deciding the day would be much better spent comparing broomsticks.

Coward. Hermione thought as she put coins on the bar and left to follow him. She barely managed to excuse her self from the company of her friends. She was too focused on one thought: he wasn't getting out of this that easily.

Draco paused inside the Quidditch shop when he felt the unmistakable sensation of someone flirting with his mate. He turned to look out the window and saw that seventh-year Ravenclaw chatting her up as she sat on a bench directly across the way from the shop. Hermione appeared to be telling him something about the text she was reading, but the Ravenclaw only had eyes for her neck and decolletage. Draco's lip curled, and a low growl left his throat.

Ripping the door open, Draco was thankful that it hadn't let out a loud bang. He stood on the steps of the shop and breathed slowly trying to rein himself in.

Hermione smirked, feeling the jealous stare directed her way as well as the irritated tingle of her marks. She distracted the boy by pointing out a passage in the book and passing it to him so that he was forced to take it. Then she flicked her wand at herself, and the boy's body began to lean away from hers. Within a few moments, he'd passed the book back to her and he was on his way.

Draco blinked. What had she done? Draco felt his pulse relax and he could breathe more easily. He watched as Hermione put the book on the bench beside her and stretched her arms along the backrest. She even had the gall to smirk at him as she crooked a finger, indicating that his presence was required by her side.

Before he knew it, his feet were moving, and he couldn't seem to stop them. Draco found himself perched on the bench a few inches from her. He could feel his fangs dropping into his mouth at her proximity. He was focusing very hard on controlling himself when her voice trickled into his ear.

"Help me help you," Hermione offered, daring to touch his bare hand lightly.

"There is no help. There is just me... and the blood," Draco croaked as he forced himself to pull his hand away from hers. He could feel his claws extending.

"I don't think that's true," Hermione leaned forward, pushing her lips toward his ear. Gods, how she loved his smell! It was becoming ever harder for her to keep her wits about her.

"What would you know of it?" Draco snarled. His hands were clenching the edge of the bench. He could feel his venom spreading to his fingertips from his claws. His head was bowed, and he looked everywhere but at her.

"Well... there was that night you changed me," Hermione whispered and smiled. She continued to invade his personal space, wanting him to take her, even if they were on bench in the middle of Hogsmeade. However, she'd made up her mind to only push so far. Luckily, she had magical aid.

"You aren't changed, not like me. No one approaches you anymore. It's wearing off."

"Is that what you think? That this will just wear off?" Hermione asked with complete incredulity.

Her mate had made her angry, and she wanted to scream at him. However, she knew he wouldn't listen. He'd have to be shown. Fortunately, Harry, Ron, and Ginny were walking up the way as they headed to the Quidditch shop. Hermione smiled evilly and stood up to meet her friends.

Draco noticed she flicked her wand at herself again, and then once at Weasley. Once she was within a few feet of them, Draco watched as Potter's attention immediately went to Hermione, even as his arm was wrapped around the Weaslette.

Hermione knew Draco couldn't see her wink at Ginny. This was part of her plan. After the Yule Ball, she'd been forced to out who her secret admirer was. When Hermione told them that Draco was a Veela and that she was his mate, it had gone surprisingly well. Ron looked a little disappointed but also relieved, and he quickly resigned himself to the fact. Ginny's eyes had grown round as saucers as she put all the pieces together. She'd sat up straighter and clapped her hands in excitement. Only Harry had been hard to convince.

Harry didn't like the idea of magical coercion, and who could blame him, really? He had similar, admittedly Muggle, views of how the world was supposed to work as Hermione had. However, the others had convinced him after a few days of reasoning, and he'd eventually got on board.

That's when Hermione took Ginny aside and came up with a plan. Well, several plans based on several possible scenarios. This one counted on Draco's rivalry with Harry.

Hermione couldn't shake the utter weirdness of having Harry look at her as though she was a nice steak and he was a starving man. Still, she accepted his one armed embrace and threw her arm around Harry's neck. Looking at Draco from over Harry's shoulder, Hermione waggled her eyebrows at him.

Draco was seething. Part of his mind was yelling at him, telling him Potter is with the Weaslette, Potter has no interest in my mate, and She is just doing it to make me jealous. The other part was yelling it is bloody well working! Draco had to get her away from him as expeditiously as possible.

Hermione watched the war wage on Draco's features. He was slowly becoming more creature than boy, and she marveled in it. Pheromones were pouring off of him, and she was drawn to him. However, she had a plan to execute, and she would do just that.

She pulled away from Harry and touched his face, smiling softly. She giggled softly when he whispered her name. He nuzzled his cheek on her hand. Hermione moved to touch Harry's mouth with her thumb, slowly stroking his cheek.

That was Draco's breaking point. He Stunned Harry as he charged forward off the bench. Ginny was the unlucky bearer of Harry's weight as Draco swept Hermione up into his arms and over his shoulder. He held her under her arse with one arm and hurried to the edge of the village.

Hermione waved at her friends, smiling silently as her mate carried her away.

Hermione could have done without the bump on the back of her head as Draco pushed her against the exterior wall of a business that had long since been closed.

"Never touch him again!" Draco screeched, his facial features distorted to near demonic proportions. His skin was practically clear and his irises boiled like liquid silver. Two coppery fangs protruded from his mouth.

Hermione had to admit she was afraid of her mate. She tried to control her breathing. She looked up at him with her mouth turned down in a pout as she whispered, "You wouldn't touch me." It was a petty offering, but it was true.

Draco charged the three steps between them. "You are cruel, Mate," he snarled.

"I just wanted..." Hermione started but was interrupted by the creature's hand on her throat. It didn't press at all; it wasn't uncomfortable. Still, it was threatening.

"You wanted this?" Draco's voice rang out, displaying his other-worldly appearance for her despite that he was now much more human looking than a moment ago. What would it take for her to understand what vile thing he had become?

Hermione blinked at him and swallowed dryly against his hand. They just breathed together for a moment. Feeling that the true danger had passed, Hermione gingerly grabbed his wrist and moved it from her neck down to her hip. Once his hand was spread open as it had been the night of the ball, Hermione allowed herself to moan in delight. Having his hand on her there made her tainted blood race.

Draco looked down at his hand, noticing for the first time what the embroidery represented. He practically purred in the delight of his revelation. He pressed his fingers in on those spots, watching as Hermione's head rolled back, a low moan loudly sounding.

Hermione pressed her chest out toward him, hoping to distract him further with her body. She looked up at him through heavily lidded eyes and gave him a coy smile. She reached for his robes and pulled him into her, saying, "I want this."

Draco could hear her voice trembling despite the brazen behavior. His cock swelled and twitched as the "s" sound dragged between her lips. Stepping into her, he kicked her feet apart and moved to stand in the gap. "You think you want it. It's a lie, Hermione."

Hermione grunted in anger and moved to open her trousers. She stuck two fingers inside her dripping pussy and pulled them out. They glistened in the afternoon light. "Is this a lie?"

Draco's face immediately dropped to her fingers as he was reminded of her perfect scent. Before either of them could blink, he had her fingers in his mouth, sucking them. Draco's eyes were closed in delight as he laved her fingers.

Hermione's nipples clenched and her breathing turned thick. His lips were tickling her knuckles and his breath was hot on her palm. She moaned quietly.

When Draco was sure that he'd gotten all of the juice from her fingers, he slowly pulled them from his mouth. His mind was split precisely in half. The creature inside wanted to claim her, and the boy wanted to fuck her swotty little brain out, but he wouldn't.

"You'll thank me later. You are destined to have a family with a nice wizard. A nice house with a nice human," Draco declared. However, he also moved her arms up over her head and bound them there so that he could put his attentions into pushing her denims and her knickers down to her knees.

Hermione arched as his claws gently traced down her thighs. She wanted to explain that no other had a hold on her heart now that she knew she was meant for her Mate. However, her brain was completely befuddled, and all she could do was moan Draco's name.

Draco lifted her jumper and found a shining silver bra to match the knickers he'd tried to ignore moments prior. He was purring again, delighting in the ways she had done herself up for him.

"Please," Hermione whispered, her lips trembling.

"Everything I could touch you with would poison you," Draco whispered back as he pressed her against the wall. His warm hands flamed against her skin as he stroked from her hips to her ribs.

Hermione could feel his hard cock on her belly. She wanted it in her. Still, the words wouldn't form on her tongue. Instead, she cried, "Not poison!" and looked up into his eyes.

Draco looked at Hermione's lust clouded face. He could smell her pussy getting wetter and wetter. If he had been a normal boy he would be bollocks deep in her now, but he wouldn't do it. "But it is, Granger." Still he lifted her up so he could pin her hips to the wall with his own.

Hermione had the vague awareness that her trousers were dangling from one foot and that she was pressed against a wall that was far from clean. Still, feeling his bulging trousers against her bare quim, she arched back. "Want you," she pleaded.

Draco scoffed. "I doubt that, Granger. You want me to believe that you lay awake at night frigging yourself while you think of me?" Draco laughed at the notion.

Hermione blushed for the first time at his words, closing her eyes tightly. She nodded and ground herself into his hips in desperation.

Draco was dumbstruck. And here he'd thought that he'd run out of new things to secretly wank to. Now his beautiful mate was telling him this? He couldn't believe it. "Show me." Draco unbound her wrists. He set her on the ground, and gracefully pulled his cloak from his shoulders, laying it on the ground. "Lie down and show me."

Hermione immediately obeyed. She'd never fantasized about this, but now that her mate knew, he would surely claim her wouldn't he? She peeled her jumper off and moved to take off her bra.

"Leave it," Draco quietly requested as he moved to lean against the wall where he'd just pressed her. Her scent was all over it, and he breathed deep again and again.

Hermione blushed again, but moved into her customary position.

Her feet were flat on the cloak, forcing her knees to bend.

It was the same position that Draco left her in on the battlement. He had to swallow as his mouth began to water at the thought. He watched her, two fingers on her left hand spreading her labia as she pulled delicious moisture from her opening up to her clit. Draco noticed for the first time that her nails were painted a dark silver color. All of the things she'd done to please him now added up to this moment.

One last thread of dissent flickered through his brain, and Draco had to voice it. Mostly to himself, he muttered, "Only because I scarred you."

His words sunk into her thoughts after a moment, and Hermione arched her back, hoping to give him a better view. "No. Before... ever since I hit you," Hermione panted. She gazed at him as he watched her finger spinning circles over her clit. Her blood was singing through her veins and she was getting closer.

Draco watched and thought about what he was hearing. Wasn't it also after that night that he had started thinking of her in such a way? It was the first time they'd ever been in direct contact. Draco had fantasized about two alternate scenarios. The first was that she would regret it immediately, and bow over him making sure he was okay, eventually taking care of his black eye. The second fantasy involved grabbing her wrists and forcing her to turn around so he could physically dominate her as he sunk his teeth into her neck. This was before he'd known that he was a Veela, and the imagery both shocked and scared him.

Coming out of his thoughts, Draco found himself kneeling between her thighs. He couldn't remember joining her on top of his cloak, but was delighted to feel her smooth skin sliding under his palms. He didn't even mind the swirling glow of white magical light around them as it lit her body beautifully. "What did you think about before..." Draco swallowed, wondering how to phrase it.

Hermione was awash in the pheromones as they rebounded off of the magical dome that surrounded them now. "Anything. Any fantasy that might put you in my bed."

"Were you ashamed?" Draco asked as he leaned forward and batted her hand out of the way. He'd been a right prat to her all those years, and it was one of the reasons he felt so guilty about who he was now. He should have treated his mate as a prize, and he'd treated her as a something far less. Moving carefully so as not to scratch her, he pushed his thumb over her swollen clit.

Her hips bucked and she moaned. "Yes!" Hermione turned to look at him apologetically, knowing that the truth had come out as soon as the ecstasy had forced her lips open.

"Because you hate me," Draco offered quietly. He continued flicking her clit, occasionally pinching her labia with his knuckles, always careful to avoid scratching her with his dripping claws. He was memorizing the way her body rolled as she worked her quim. When she pulled down the cups of her bra and began rolling her nipples, he nearly passed out.

"No!" Hermione moaned. "I knew I should hate you, but there was just... Oh! Yes! Draco!" Hermione's fists gently beat the ground as her head thrashed. Draco has switched hands so one teased her clit while the other stroked her mark. The ecstasy was unlike anything she'd ever felt.

After a long minute when Draco felt he could keep Hermione arched in orgasm as long as he chose, he began to smooth the nerves he'd just incited, and she eventually began to lay flat.

Once she caught her breath, Hermione began to plead with him. "Mark me. I will be such a good mate, I promise! Please, Draco, please; I need you!" Hermione had sat up and was somewhat successful in pulling him on top of her.

Draco smirked. He'd been manhandled like this on occasion, but there was something about her desperation for him... Once she was on her back stroking his arms and he was on his hands and knees over her, he began nuzzling her. "You would be the most splendid mate who ever was." Draco smiled as she writhed underneath him. "I mustn't, though. We are but children..."

"I'm of age!" Hermione moaned as she smoothed one hand down the slightly moist bulge in his trousers.

Draco fought hard not to cum on the spot. Instead he grabbed her wrists and forced them above her head once again. He was shocked when she moaned and arched against him. She was his perfectly wanton little mate. "Vixen!" Draco held her down and considered what he'd just heard. "You're of age?"

Hermione tried to press her body against him, nodding silently.

"Since when?" Draco scowled down at her. How had he missed that?

"Since my birthday." Inside her mind, Hermione snorted at the obviousness of that answer. However, she used Draco's moment of confusion to pull him down on top of her, timidly licking his lips.

Draco was pulled out of his thoughts by the perfect scrape of one of her teeth on his upper lip. Finally, he pressed his lips against hers. Every cell in his body sang with the rightness of it. When at last they broke apart to begin breathing again, Draco looked down at her and smiled.

"I still can't," he whispered.

"But I need..." Hermione rubbed his calves with her feet and smiled coyly.

Draco's eyes began to look like molten silver again. He smiled down at her. "I will make you a deal, Mate. Is that acceptable?"

Hermione nodded vigorously, eager to do whatever it would take.

"You are still pure, are you not?" Draco couldn't help but growl at even the idea that his mate was not a virgin.

Hermione's eyes shone and she nodded her head again.

Draco purred in response and chanced some kisses on her neck and shoulders. "If you stay true to me, stay pure, I will claim you on your next birthday if you still wish it."

Hermione's face lit up joyfully and she nodded her instant agreement.

Draco smiled back at her, looking down into her perfect face. Then he leaned over her and pressed a chaste kiss on her forehead, trying to ignore her heels as they pressed into the back of his thighs. He Summoned her discarded clothes, quelling her protests with a stern glare. Slowly he dressed her, luxuriating in the feel of her skin as he pulled her knickers and denims back on, and smoothed the sweater over her hair, teasing her nipples through the soft woven cloth..

By the time he was finished dressing her, Hermione was a puddle of girl in his lap. Her torso pressed completely against he, he could feel her breath leave her nose and breeze across his neck and collar. It was the first truly peaceful moment of his life since his transformation.

He allowed her to doze off in his arms for a few minutes, but seeing the spring sun approach the horizon, Draco gently shook her awake. They stood, Hermione still clinging to him gently. Draco smiled and lifted his cloak before he transfigured it into a dark green pea coat with a cinched waist which flared at the bottom.

He helped her put it on before turning her to face him one more time. Smoothing the hair back from her face he whispered, "I don't want people to know about us. It will change everything, and I don't want that to sway your decision."

Hermione simply nodded, feeling adrift on a sea of pheromones and nearly achieved fantasies.

"Walk back to the castle, and I'll follow you." Draco caressed the bridge of her nose down to her lips and chin before turning her and gently shoving her away. Once she was a few dozen meters away, he began his own trek back to the school.