10
Chapter 10 of 20
PyttanHer forced, unhappy and loveless marriage had ended when Draco Malfoy was lost at sea. Now he's back.
10
One day after the encounter in the pergola, Hermione found the library empty, none of the other inhabitants of the Manor being present. Not even a house-elf was dusting the books or the furniture.
She worked her way through the shelves as fast as she could go without missing anything, finding books on every conceivable subject, except any even touching on the Muggle world. Not all that unexpected, but she had thought she would find at least something in the vein of know thine enemy.
When she had searched for a couple of hours, she'd found three heavy old tomes that looked promising. One of them was about hexes used to disfigure your enemies. The hexes ranged from the one which had your victim sprout antlers to hexes that tore parts of the face away.
The second book dealt with hexes deceiving the eye rather than changing a person's real appearance.
The third one was a peerage of sorts, describing all the pure-blood families in Britain. The book described the family connections, assets, and hereditary traits. Just browsing through it made her realise how few pure-blood families actually existed, and how many people called themselves purebloods without matching the very strict and precise definition of the term the book presented.
And she would just have to make do with what she'd already found, since she didn't dare to stay any longer.
She picked up the books and was just about to leave when she heard Lucius and Draco's voices coming towards the library. She looked around, trying to find somewhere to hide. There was only one possibility, so without hesitating any further, she went down on her hands and knees, pushed the books under the sofa, and then she crawled behind it herself. She was forced to lie flat on her stomach. The fit was tight enough for her to feel claustrophobic.
"...what your intentions are toward your wife," said Lucius as he entered the room. Two sets of black boots made their way through the room. She heard crystal clinking and something was being poured. They were having a drink, so this would probably take a while.
One pair of boots returned into her field of vision, and someone sat down in the sofa. Black bootlaces. That would be Draco then.
"I assumed you would enlighten me, given time. But, since you haven't ..."
The silence that stretched between the two men was of the kind that made you aware how loudly clocks tick, and Hermione was desperate to control her breathing. She couldn't be found like this, not with the books beside her.
"What you don't seem to realise, Father, is that I told you the truth at the meeting. I have forgotten my marriage. I remember her only from school." Draco chuckled. "Did I ever tell you that she slapped my face in our third year?"
"She slapped you? You did retaliate, didn't you?"
Hermione could hear how furious Lucius was at the mere thought of her slapping his precious son and getting away with it. She shivered.
"Do stop it, Father. Besides, I elongated her teeth in fourth grade. I was really aiming for Potter, though."
Lucius laughed. "She got caught in the crossfire then. Poor thing." The mock pity made her want to punch Lucius, instead she had to settle at poking her tongue at his silver laced boots, now visible to her again.
"They grew past her collar. She took it badly when she was told that it didn't make much difference."
"You are digressing. Is it deliberate, one has to wonder? You see, I still want to know what you meant at the meeting," Lucius said.
"As soon as you have told me how and why Hermione and I ended up married. It is a bit disconcerting not knowing, since I disliked her when we went to school together. And that's still not taking into account that she detested me in return. So, how did you manipulate a marriage? A marriage she isn't happy with, apparently. I have a fair idea about why you'd want it, but not how you went about achieving it."
She heard Lucius draw a deep breath, and then he started to pace. She could see his boots moving back and forth. He wasn't all that willing to tell the story then. But then again, he shouldn't be. He had sacrificed Draco, after all.
He wouldn't look good.
"It was difficult after the war," Lucius said. "The trials ... we expected the worst, but Potter spoke on your mother's behalf. Your situation during the Dark Lord's reign let you off the hook, thank Merlin, and at this point I still had some useful connections." Lucius stopped pacing. She heard liquid being poured again.
"Then The Quibbler, The Daily Prophet and the Skeeter woman started their campaigns. We lost business. We weren't invited to the functions where we needed to be. Then Potter and that Weasley girl got married. And it all became clear. You needed to marry one of the heroines of the War. A Mudblood heroine. Preferably the most renowned one."
"And she agreed to that?"
Lucius started to pace again but slower this time. And he chuckled.
"Of course she didn't. Whatever her heritage might be, she is a smart girl."
"Amortentia, then," Draco said.
"You're starting to remember!" Lucius sounded pleased.
"Not at all. Deduction. Nothing obliterates free will as Amortentia does. I would deem it one of the most damaging potions there are. I always wondered why Slughorn chose to teach us about it."
"You are starting to sound like Severus."
Draco chuckled. "Perhaps. He was my Head of House, so why not? How did we administer it?"
Hermione shivered in revulsion at the memory.
"You went to her flat. She was too polite to throw you out, Merlin knows why. She is surprisingly well-bred that way. You invited her out for a drink and added a dose of the Amortentia to that drink. Rather straightforward."
"I've noticed the politeness problem too. She is a bit foolish that way, one must say. Too trusting."
He had been so persistent, she remembered, and rather than having him in her home, she had gone with him.
Lucius chuckled. "After that, she followed you like a puppy, and you were married within three months. A whirlwind romance, The Daily Prophet called it."
"Clever. When did we stop administering the potion?"
Lucius laughed: a deep, sensual laugh. So strange that someone so horrible had such a laugh.
"After the wedding. It wore off during the consummation, or so you told me. A little resistance always gives it an extra edge, yes?" Lucius laughed again.
Hermione swallowed hard. For a moment the memory of that night had made her want to vomit. She would get them somehow, even if it took her years.
"Ah. And that's why she's so eager for a divorce. And you are threatening her parents to keep her in line." It wasn't a question; she could hear that. Draco was just stating a fact.
"Clever boy," said Lucius, sincere in his praise.
Draco scoffed. "Please. You made an outright statement at the meeting. Very blunt, Father. I do hope your lawyer is trustworthy."
"He is loyal to the highest bidder, so no worries there. And it was a very good meeting, wasn't it? And you did notice that I ensured that you could lay claim to the pure-blood children you breed outside the marriage? Since you have that little memory glitch, I felt the need to have that fact brought to your attention. For a while I even thought ... but that would have been hoping for too much, I realise."
And doing it the way he had, at the meeting, had added to her humiliation. Merlin, how she hated the man.
"Now, Draco. Tell me." It was an order this time.
There was a long pause, and when Draco started to speak she could almost hear him measuring the words as he spoke. Something the New Draco tended to do, as opposed to the old one.
"I spent almost four years not knowing who I was. I lived with Muggles most of that time."
"Draco!" Lucius's shock was genuine. "I'm so sorry. You never told me that, and I didn't realise."
"When I started to understand what I was, it was difficult. However, when Plucky found me and recognised me, I decided to come back here."
"I understand. It will take time, but I'm sure you will get back to your old self, don't worry."
"I want this marriage, Father. And I want her. It's strange how I didn't see it before. How well we fit. The only thing that remains is how I'm going to undo the harm that was inflicted on her."
"You can't be serious!"
Draco rose.
"Of course I am serious."
Draco's boots disappeared, and again there was the clinking of crystal.
"Draco, we need to discuss this, this was..."
"...Not what you intended when you sacrificed me. I know." Draco sounded regretful. "However, what matters is what I want."
"I will not allow this to happen," said Lucius. He was angry now. Furious even.
"Allow? You seem to forget, Father, that I'm of age and have managed alone for years. I can do it again. I can walk out of that door..."
Hermione heard the sound of glass shattering, and something sharp cut into her cheek. She managed to keep quiet, putting her hand over her the wound to ease the pain.
"I know that Mother throws tantrums when not getting her way," Draco said. "But you too, Father? And here I was, thinking that we Malfoys were supposed to show decorum at all times. Unlike the Blacks."
Draco was goading Lucius? And she was stuck under the sofa when they were going to try to kill each other any minute now.
The clock was ticking again. Why would anyone let that loud, relentless ticking go on when there were perfectly good spells to deal with it?
"You are upset, Draco," said Lucius. "You're overwhelmed. I'm prepared to admit that I might ... have pushed too hard. We, your Mother and I, are just so very pleased you have returned. I'll leave you, and give you some time to think about this. I'm sure we can come to some ... understanding ... later."
Lucius walked out of the room and her tension started to recede a little. For a moment she had thought Lucius was going to choke on his last words.
Then Draco spoke.
"I know you're there, Hermione."
No.
"I'll be generous and let you choose: Do you wish to be dragged out from behind that sofa by your hands or your feet?"
At least, he sounded calm, so Hermione crawled out. She'd rather come out by her self than being forced. Draco was watching her as she rose, sipping at what looked like Firewhisky.
"You heard?"
She nodded.
"So that was the beginning? That's what I have to work with, and why you're so hostile?" When she nodded, he shook his head in what almost could be despondence.
"You even hate the way I look, don't you?"
"Yes," she said, and then she decided to finish it. "I might have detested you in school, but after what you and your father did, I hate you, and if I knew I could get away with it, I would ensure that you would never be able to father any children in your lifetime. It would be a fitting punishment."
Draco smiled.
"You don't have it in you, lioness. You might be able to fight to the death for survival, but I'm willing to bet you'd only do it facing a direct threat. Unlike me, I might add. I'm quite satisfied with using back-stabbing tactics, preferably preventive ones." He took a step toward her. "I'll make it up to you. Everything I did, everything my Father did and keeps on doing."
"No. Even if I believed you, which I don't, I'm not allowing you to." She pulled out the books from under the sofa, taking care to hide the titles, and then walked towards the door.
"You've cut your cheek. Let me help you," Draco said.
"No, thank you. I'd rather bleed."
"The view of our future together is very bleak if you choose this path."
Hermione smiled at him and nodded.
"Yes, isn't it? A divorce would remedy that. Pansy the Pure-blood Pug still pines for you, so the wife and heir thing would be easy to achieve by getting rid of me and marrying her."
This time Draco smiled, and the smile was genuine. Seeing it made the small hairs on the back of Hermione's neck rise. It wasn't Draco standing in the room with her.
The smile was all Draco's, yet at the same time all wrong. It was as if a photograph of Draco had been superimposed over someone else's features.
"Pansy? She would, wouldn't she? Your problem is that I don't want Pansy. You see, the more I learn about you, the more I want you. And I don't give up. I did once and that will not happen again."
Anger would have scared her less, and the walk back to her room had never felt longer.
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Latest 25 Reviews for Deception
175 Reviews | 6.25/10 Average
What an incredible adaptation! I love it. Im a huge Kleypas fan so it was an even greater joy to read. I love your Hermione. She was traumatized and damaged, but still recognizable. It was a verybelievable characterization. Your Severus was great, too.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Thank you so much! It's my very first story featuring HGSS, and I was quite nervous writing it. I'm a Kleypas fan too, btw ;).
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Thank you so much! It's my very first story featuring HGSS, and I was quite nervous writing it. I'm a Kleypas fan too, btw ;).
Haha! I love the ending--thank you so much for sharing, it was a wonderful read! :D
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Thank you for the kind words, and I'm so happy that you liked it.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Thank you for the kind words, and I'm so happy that you liked it.
Yay. Sounds like everyone gets their just desserts. With extra severus on Hermione's serving :-)
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Heh! Indeed and who wouldn't want som extra Severus? Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Heh! Indeed and who wouldn't want som extra Severus? Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
*Hugs you*
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
*Hugs you*
Well, that was an uexpected development. What with Severus being "Draco'. How is it that Severus was a metamorphagus? Why did you give him that particular talent? I can see that as being really handy for spying though.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
The truth is that when I wrote this story, my first idea had nothing to do with Severus at all. He strong armed his way into this story and just took over. As far as the metamorphmagus thing, well, my idea really is that if you meddle with Dark Arts, home made hexes and Potions and then get bitten by a large venomous (?) snake, you are bound to be affected by it in some very interesting ways. I had to cut that part out of the story though, since I didn't manage to fit it into the story very well. It ruined the pacing, and it felt very constructed and strange. Instead I let Hermione make the metamorphmagus connection, and then I left it in the hands and minds of the readers. I did concider a Polyjuice take on the situation, but that didn't flow very well either and left me with some major problems to explain away. And it would have been very handy talent for a spy wouldn't it? ;) Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
The truth is that when I wrote this story, my first idea had nothing to do with Severus at all. He strong armed his way into this story and just took over. As far as the metamorphmagus thing, well, my idea really is that if you meddle with Dark Arts, home made hexes and Potions and then get bitten by a large venomous (?) snake, you are bound to be affected by it in some very interesting ways. I had to cut that part out of the story though, since I didn't manage to fit it into the story very well. It ruined the pacing, and it felt very constructed and strange. Instead I let Hermione make the metamorphmagus connection, and then I left it in the hands and minds of the readers. I did concider a Polyjuice take on the situation, but that didn't flow very well either and left me with some major problems to explain away. And it would have been very handy talent for a spy wouldn't it? ;) Thank you for reading and reviewing!
love severus's personality in the story!! need another story....
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Thank you so much! Another story is on it's way sometime after new year, and I hope you will give it a chance.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Thank you so much! Another story is on it's way sometime after new year, and I hope you will give it a chance.
I hate when you want to be mad at someone, then something happens and you never get to vent your feelings. When he's better, she'll have to take it out on him in bed, lol. I haven't tried to take over your story for awhile, huh? I would love it if Draco was off on his own agenda trying to pose as Snape ;)
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Yeah. It is so very frustrating. And it's typical that Severus is the one to do just that exact thing. And as far as taking over the story ... nooo. Severus is still the man with the agenda. ;)
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Yeah. It is so very frustrating. And it's typical that Severus is the one to do just that exact thing. And as far as taking over the story ... nooo. Severus is still the man with the agenda. ;)
Uh, oh...Are the transformations causing the migraines?
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Nah. He's a tense man. He gets them on occation ;)
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Nah. He's a tense man. He gets them on occation ;)
Okey... Don't panic... breath... inside... outside... where is the rest of this chapter??????Please!!! where is it????? XD
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
*snickers* I thought a cliffhanger would be just the thing at this point ... ;)
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
*snickers* I thought a cliffhanger would be just the thing at this point ... ;)
She'll have to save the bollocking for later... ;)
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Yes, indeed :D
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Yes, indeed :D
i have to agree with moiramountain :) dear author you do leave us hanging with suspense! haha
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
i'm actually very happy to hear that. :D Thank you!
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
i'm actually very happy to hear that. :D Thank you!
And..... ????? Gods, woman, it's 1:45 AM here in Colorado - I'm already up much too late working on IHN (yes, really, I am, I am....) and you feed me this tiny morsel of intrigue ???? Oh, but can't we all empathize with Hermione, here - furious and frantic, all at the same time - and longing for another of those sob inducing sessions, no doubt. /g/
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
I want you all to keep reading! I needed to do somehing that would make you keep at it ;). And yes: you get so angry when a loved one behaves recklessly and here Hermione really has more reason than most to be angry. I would be livid from the worry alone and adding his highhandedness ... I would say he got off easy with the migrain. And I think the both need to sob a bit ;)
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
I want you all to keep reading! I needed to do somehing that would make you keep at it ;). And yes: you get so angry when a loved one behaves recklessly and here Hermione really has more reason than most to be angry. I would be livid from the worry alone and adding his highhandedness ... I would say he got off easy with the migrain. And I think the both need to sob a bit ;)
Ruh roh...
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Indeed. Is it Draco? Is it someone else? Will Severus find out? Is it really Severus? Check in for the next part of Deception. ;)
Response from cmwinters (Reviewer)
Same bat time, same bat channel! 
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Indeed. Is it Draco? Is it someone else? Will Severus find out? Is it really Severus? Check in for the next part of Deception. ;)
Response from cmwinters (Reviewer)
Same bat time, same bat channel!
Ahhh! I love how possessive you have written Snape, very "in character". Like Hermione, I (as a reader) feel simultaneously intrigued and frightened by him -- and I do love it when Snape is portrayed this way. I love the ambiguity of his nature, and the extremes his personality tends to fluctuate between.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
I love ambigous Snape too. The way his moral compass sometimes seem to point in the right direction for all the wrong reasons. And there is no doubt in my mind that he is prepared to do plenty to get his way. I'm very happy you told me this since it's exactly how I wanted to depict him. Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Response from KingPig (Reviewer)
"The way his moral compass sometimes seem to point in the right direction for all the wrong reasons." This is the best description of him and his nature that I've ever come across!
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
I love ambigous Snape too. The way his moral compass sometimes seem to point in the right direction for all the wrong reasons. And there is no doubt in my mind that he is prepared to do plenty to get his way. I'm very happy you told me this since it's exactly how I wanted to depict him. Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Response from KingPig (Reviewer)
"The way his moral compass sometimes seem to point in the right direction for all the wrong reasons." This is the best description of him and his nature that I've ever come across!
Problem solved - the real Draco is confronted with his own doppleganger and drops dead from shock !! Nice and neat...
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Nice and neat, that is true. But Severus wouldfind that so very unsatisfactory...
Response from moiramountain (Reviewer)
Yeah, if I were the real Draco, I'd be heading straight for that deep dark ocean that supposedly took me the first time - jump in, take in a lungful of water, and get it over with - far better than what Severus has in mind for me, no doubt.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Nice and neat, that is true. But Severus wouldfind that so very unsatisfactory...
Response from moiramountain (Reviewer)
Yeah, if I were the real Draco, I'd be heading straight for that deep dark ocean that supposedly took me the first time - jump in, take in a lungful of water, and get it over with - far better than what Severus has in mind for me, no doubt.
What a crazy position for Hermione to be in. She wants Draco gone for good, but is unwilling to use the one means at her disposal. And for Severus, she is important, so does he ignore her and kill Draco to ensure her safety (and his position), or does he respect her wishes, but take the chance that Draco show up to claim his old life and his wife? And just what is Draco doing anyway? If it really is Draco ...
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Horrible position, I agree. And you have just put me in a position where I can't answer even one of your questions without giving the plot away. ;)
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Horrible position, I agree. And you have just put me in a position where I can't answer even one of your questions without giving the plot away. ;)
ooooohhh..... nice!! :) hahaha love the possessive!Snape :)
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Thank you! And I'm very fond of possessive Snape too. anot sure I would want to be the object of his desire though ...
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Thank you! And I'm very fond of possessive Snape too. anot sure I would want to be the object of his desire though ...
what?? could be what reader76 said?? please!! don't let it be Draco!! He must to be dead!! poor Hermione...
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Yes. Dreadful thing if he has returned, isn't it? But you don't know yet. And I ain't telln'. ;)
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Yes. Dreadful thing if he has returned, isn't it? But you don't know yet. And I ain't telln'. ;)
Oh, my. That sounds more like a Draco reaction to me.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Now, if I were to acomment on that, I would give to much away ;).
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Now, if I were to acomment on that, I would give to much away ;).
Oh God! I like how make it Snape.... you can feel secure and happy with him, no matter that he is thinking how to kill to the worst of his enemies... hahaha... I love him!!
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Thank you so much! I was trying to convay that, so I'm glad you think so.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Thank you so much! I was trying to convay that, so I'm glad you think so.
Very well handled. *applauds* Love the dichotomy of both iof their feelings/needs. :)
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
I really wanted that to come through in the chapter, so I'm very happy to hear this. And thank you!
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
I really wanted that to come through in the chapter, so I'm very happy to hear this. And thank you!
I am intrigued by how eagerly he wants her. Is there a back story? Did he have an interest in her before all of this went down? Or is he just a man and by default, cannot resist being with her? I was torn in my feelings about him. On the one hand, he seems really seems forceful with her, but then he was also careful and considerate. I just don't know what to think. I do want to know more.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Severus decided to return in the guise of Draco after Plucky ran into him. He assumed Draco and Hermione were happy together, and since he really didn't mind having a nubile young wife he decided to try this little ruse (opportunist, yes indeed). Then, as it turned out, things got complicated, and he found himself attracted to the new Hermione, damaged as she is. And yes. He is both very domineering but still considerate, in his own way and when he choses to be. That is very much the way I see him ... And there is more. Five chapters to be exact and two of them are in queue. I hope you'll like them. Thank you! I love concrit reviews.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Severus decided to return in the guise of Draco after Plucky ran into him. He assumed Draco and Hermione were happy together, and since he really didn't mind having a nubile young wife he decided to try this little ruse (opportunist, yes indeed). Then, as it turned out, things got complicated, and he found himself attracted to the new Hermione, damaged as she is. And yes. He is both very domineering but still considerate, in his own way and when he choses to be. That is very much the way I see him ... And there is more. Five chapters to be exact and two of them are in queue. I hope you'll like them. Thank you! I love concrit reviews.
I want to say that was sweet... but it is not quite the right word. It was sweet for him to let her be in control to show he wouldn't hurt her, but I fear his possessiveness may be as strong as Draco's cruelty.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
I would say that your fears are very well founded. His sweetness is, after all, rooted in the desire to have her, to bind her to him, rather than anything else. And in a way he is very sweet, but Hermione is a very brave woman, taking him on. Thank you for reviewing. I might even dare to try writing erotica again.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
I would say that your fears are very well founded. His sweetness is, after all, rooted in the desire to have her, to bind her to him, rather than anything else. And in a way he is very sweet, but Hermione is a very brave woman, taking him on. Thank you for reviewing. I might even dare to try writing erotica again.
I love how strikingly vulnerable you have presented Hermione, all while allowing glimpses of her inner strength ring through during the more intense moments. I also really enjoy the slight struggle Snape seems to have between showing empathy for Hermione's situation and his innate need to dominate.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Thank you for telling me! That is exactly what I was trying to show the reader. After all Hermione has been through, she is still a very brave, even bold person. And Severus--dominant and devious as he is--is still working so hard to make this something that can bring them together, maybe for the first time making the right choises. I felt very uncertain about my ability to convey what I wanted as I wrote this chapter. I tend to avoid writing erotica, and I wanted to bring the characters and the story forward too, so your review makes me very happy.
Response from KingPig (Reviewer)
Please don't avoid writing erotica -- you do it so well!! You can manage what few writers can -- the ability to write a steamy scene that is not only very "hawt," but also actually propels the story forward, and portrays the delicate balance within your characters between a driving, instinctual need and the fragile fear of a deeper intimacy -- and you do it with a natural ease. You are a very talented writer, and if nothing else, this chapter proves that you can easily and deftly handle the double-edged sword that is Lemony Goodness.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
You made me tear up now. Thank you! I was so nervous about this, and I never expected it to be recieved so well. It means a lot to me. So much I might even dare to write erotica again ...
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Thank you for telling me! That is exactly what I was trying to show the reader. After all Hermione has been through, she is still a very brave, even bold person. And Severus--dominant and devious as he is--is still working so hard to make this something that can bring them together, maybe for the first time making the right choises. I felt very uncertain about my ability to convey what I wanted as I wrote this chapter. I tend to avoid writing erotica, and I wanted to bring the characters and the story forward too, so your review makes me very happy.
Response from KingPig (Reviewer)
Please don't avoid writing erotica -- you do it so well!! You can manage what few writers can -- the ability to write a steamy scene that is not only very "hawt," but also actually propels the story forward, and portrays the delicate balance within your characters between a driving, instinctual need and the fragile fear of a deeper intimacy -- and you do it with a natural ease. You are a very talented writer, and if nothing else, this chapter proves that you can easily and deftly handle the double-edged sword that is Lemony Goodness.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
You made me tear up now. Thank you! I was so nervous about this, and I never expected it to be recieved so well. It means a lot to me. So much I might even dare to write erotica again ...
It's heartbreaking finding out what Draco did to her. I wonder how Severus can be so sure he's dead? A million fiery deaths would still be too good for him.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Draco turned out worse than I thought when I started writing the story. And yes, I thing Draco snogging a Dementor would be a good punishment for him in this story ... Draco has been gone for a long time, so Severus is really only taking a calculated risk, which is what he tends to do I think. I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story. It's nice to have you along for the ride.
Response from Pyttan (Author of Deception)
Draco turned out worse than I thought when I started writing the story. And yes, I thing Draco snogging a Dementor would be a good punishment for him in this story ... Draco has been gone for a long time, so Severus is really only taking a calculated risk, which is what he tends to do I think. I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story. It's nice to have you along for the ride.