Title: The caretaker
Prompt: Dangerous
Notes: Inspired by the Sectumsempra scene in Half-blood Prince.

...

She can’t believe that Harry left him—and who knows what Snape’s done to him?—but she finds him alive, hunched over a washbasin, his shirt open, his pale chest covered
in angry scars.

“Cleaning up Potter’s mess again, mudblood?”

He staggers, and she catches him, her hands on his bare flesh.

They’re both shocked.

Then he attacks—his arms crushing, his mouth devouring.

It’s real. It’s adult. Something clenches deep inside her; she wants more.

But he pulls back. “No, Granger,” he pants, “it’s too dangerous. I’m…”

His hand lingers by her cheek.

Then he turns, and limps away.

...

Title: Love Fever
Prompt: Heat
Warnings: Swearing; possibly dubious consent

...

“What did you give her?”

Goyle holds up the potion bottle.

“Love Fever! You fucking moron!”

“I thought—”

“She could die, you tosser!”

Draco grabs her hand. She’s burning up. “You’ll be all right, Granger.
We’ll get you to the Weasel and he can—”

“No,” she shrieks. “Not Ron!”

“Fuck, Granger,” he yells, “I can’t do it!”

But she starts to convulse, so he has no choice.

The sex is frantic.

...

Later, when they’re lying together, and he’s surprised how good it feels to hold her,
“Granger,” he sighs, “we need to talk about that potion, and pure-blood husbands.”

 

Title: A partial surrender
Prompt: Surrender

...

She opens the window. “What are you doing, Malfoy?”

He swoops round, rushes back, and stops on a galleon: he hasn’t lost it.
“Want a ride, pretty lady?”

“Go to bed.”

“What’s the point, without you?”

“Think of tomorrow night, and use your hand.”

He loves it when she’s crude.

“Seriously, Malfoy, it’s bad luck.”

“No, seeing you in your wedding robes was—”

“You ferret! When?”

“Come on my broom, and I’ll tell you.”

“No.”

“Please.”

“No.”

“Hermione...” he pleads.

It never fails.

“Alright,” she sighs, climbing onto the sill.
“But don’t imagine you’re getting sex on this thing, Malfoy.”

Title: I bet I can...
Prompt: A gamble

...

He corners her in the book stacks. “I want my reward, Granger, for saving your life
at the Quidditch World Cup.”

She scowls.

“And I must be a pervert,” he continues, placing a hand either side of her body,
and caging her between the shelves, “because what I want’s... a kiss.” He leans in.

Her wand stabs his throat. “You never learn, do you, Malfoy?” She forces him back.
“But you’re right, I should have thanked you, so, thanks.”

Draco watches her go, rubbing the usual spot on his cheek.

...

Later, he finds Zabini, and tosses him a single galleon.

 

Title: Lucky
Prompt: Luck

...

The Polyjuice potion fizzes, and turns blue.

“Sure you don’t mind doing this?” asks Harry.

Hermione nods, and downs the sludge in a single gulp.

…

The Slytherin Common Room’s busy.

“Come and play, Pans,” says Malfoy.

Hermione joins the circle, pushing in between him and Goyle.

“Spin the bottle,” he says.

She does, watching it turn past Zabini... Crabbe... Goyle...

It stops.

She’s barely had time to sigh with relief when Malfoy’s snogging her senseless.

He ends it reluctantly, pulling back, and staring down at her. “You been practising?”

“Yes,” she says, hiding the letter she’s lifted from his pocket.

...

Title: Whoops...
Prompt: The truth

...

“House elf inspection?” says Malfoy, incredulously.

“Annually, from now on,” says Hermione. “I’ve brought the paperwork...”

Malfoy dismisses it with a wave. “I’m too busy,” he says. “Binky’ll show you round.”

“That’s not how it’s done.” Hermione takes a vial from her briefcase.

“Veritaserum? You intend to interrogate me?”

“I have the necessary permit...”

He’s angry, but he drinks the potion.

“Now,” says Hermione, “is there anything you want to ask me before we begin?”

Malfoy’s eyes widen, and his hand flies to his mouth, but the question spills out anyway: “Have you any idea how shaggable you are, Granger?”

...

Title: Star-crossed
Prompt: Amazing
Notes: See later*

...

Ron, rooted to the couch, mumbles a sullen Hello.

Hermione sinks wearily into a chair, and closes her eyes.

…

She thinks of Draco Malfoy, greeting his fiancée with a peck on the cheek,
one elegant hand hovering at her waist.

(It’s not love, she thinks, it’s possession—he’s showing the world that Astoria’s his).

He’d glanced at her then, and caught her staring, but—instead of the sneer she’d expected—his lingering gaze had held an invitation: You and me, Granger—how about it?

His arrogance had amazed her.

...

But now—tonight, with Ron—she’s wishing she’d said yes.

...

Title: Mid-air collision
Prompt: Flying
Notes: inspired by the glimpses we've recently had
of Hermione and Astoria in the film epilogue.

...

Granger corners him after the match. “Your son,” she says, “is dangerous.”

“Scorpius,” he replies, coldly, “is a born Seeker. It’s your precious girl who’s
the menace on the Quidditch pitch.”

They glare at each other—her, ferocious in her cardigan—and, Merlin, he thinks,
she’s turning into her mother-in-law!

He thanks the gods that Astoria will never let herself go. His wife wouldn’t risk
ruining her perfect figure...

Not even to give me a daughter.

He drags his gaze away from Granger’s womanly curves.
“All right,” he concedes, softly, “I’ll tell the boy to be more careful in future.”

...

Title: Total denial
Prompt: Divination

...

After a moment, Draco rouses himself and, breathing hard, smiles down at her.

His eyes are bright and his cheeks are flushed; his long, pale hair’s escaped from its binding and hangs about his face like a Romantic hero’s; his shirt’s torn open, and there’s a love bite on his neck...

Hermione smiles back, pulls his head down, and kisses him senseless.

...

She steps back from the crystal ball.

“Did you see anything?” asks Ron.

At the far side of the classroom, Malfoy’s tormenting Goyle, holding something
just out of his reach.

“Nothing,” she growls, “except the usual death omen.”

...

Title: Friends without benefits
Prompt: Need

...

Outside the bedroom door, the party’s in full swing.

“Never seen a girl adjust her tits before,” says Draco. Granger’s lipstick bounces
off his head. “ Ow!”

“Smoking under a bed,” she says, “you could set the house alight!”

“One, Granger: I wasn't under the bed; two: I was only thinking about smoking.
Why’ve you been crying?”

“Why d’you think?”

“It’s been almost six months.”

“They’re showing off her engagement ring.”

“Ah.” He makes a real effort: “Would a shag help?”

“From you?”

“I am your date.”

She huffs, but she sits down beside him. “Just give me a cigarette, Malfoy.”

...

Title: The rest of his life
Prompt: Waiting

...

When the cell door opens, she lays her hand upon his arm.

A year ago he would have shrugged it off, called her ‘Mudblood’, and accused her
of trying to infect him. Now, he’s grateful.

“Come on,” says the guard.

No, he thinks, I can’t.

But she stands and, somehow, he stands with her.

At least, he thinks, it’s nearly over. (He’s never been good at waiting).

…

The verdict’s unanimous.

Shocked, he stumbles from the courtroom amidst a barrage of camera flashes,
but it’s only when she throws her arms around him, sobbing,
he understands that he’s a free man.

 

Title: Christmas Past, Present and Future
Prompt: A gift

...

She slips outside.

He’s waiting for her. “Granger...”

“Weasley.”

“Whatever.” He takes her in his arms.

“Where does Astoria think you are?”

“My study.” He nuzzles her neck.

“She won’t look?”

“No.”

She stalls: “You know, we were kids when we made this vow.”

“So?”

“It needn’t bind us now, Draco.”

But his lips brush hers, and she knows she’s lying, knows how much she treasures
this gift—a kiss, just one, every Christmas—that makes the rest of her life bearable.

She clings to him.

He pulls back, reluctantly. “Next year, Granger,” he breathes.

Yes, she thinks. Next year.

 

Title: Malfoy Manor
Prompt: Veritaserum

...

“That isn’t working, Bellatrix,” says Lucius, suddenly sounding more confident.
“Draco, fetch your potion.”

When Draco returns, his mad aunt has dragged Granger onto a chair.
She pulls back the girl’s head, pinching her nose hard, and Draco pours the clear liquid
into her gaping mouth.

“Now,” says Bellatrix, menacingly, “tell me where you got the sword!”

Granger’s startled eyes meet Draco’s, asking a question.

Almost imperceptibly, he shakes his head, No.

For a moment, her gaze lingers and, though her expression hardly changes,
he knows she’s thanking him. Then, “I’ve already told you,” she lies.
“It’s just a copy.“

...

Title: A turning point
Prompt: Murder

...

Heart pounding, Draco races through the trees, getting ahead of the trio.
He’s just enough time to catch his breath, and adopt a suitably casual pose,
before they stumble into view.

“Hadn’t you better be hurrying along,” he drawls.
“You wouldn’t like her spotted, would you?”

Potty and Weasel threaten him; Granger looks at him like he’s shit on her shoes.
None of them seems to realise how serious things are, how far things might go...

“Keep that big bushy head down, Granger,” he warns.

And, as he watches her drag her friends away, he wonders what had possessed him.

 

Title: Stubborn fools
Prompt: Fools

...

He’s been avoiding her for months.

Then Fortune brings them to the same restaurant, at the same moment in time,
and contrives to place his hand upon hers as they both reach for the door, and it’s as if a Stunning Spell had stilled his heart.

Their eyes meet, and his breath catches—he remembers their secret trysts,
the long, blissful nights of making love—

“Table for two?” asks the Maître d’.

Draco’s startled back into reality. “Certainly not,” he sneers. “I’ve reserved
a private chamber—”

“And I’m meeting my fiancé,” Hermione retorts.

Fortune sighs. Stubborn fools! Perhaps next time...

 

Title: Win-win
Prompt: A year

...

The pile of Galleons, placed neatly on his desk, looked ominous. “What’s this?”

“My winnings,” said Hermione. “First prize in the ‘how long will Draco keep his job
this time’ sweepstake. Ron said a week, Harry three months; I was right
with a year. But I don’t need the money...”

She handed him an official-looking envelope and, in his mind’s eye, he could see
a tiny Draco (arms waving frantically) swirling down the toilet bowl.
“Bollocks! What’re they saying I’ve done now?”

“Read it.”

He did. Three times. “Promotion?”

Hermione grinned. “So, Assistant Director Malfoy, the drinks are on you.”

...

Title: My daddy
Prompt: Father

...

My daddy calls his daddy Father. But when I called him Father, he was sad.
I asked my mummy why. She said it was because it made him think of Very Bad Things.
I asked, what Bad Things? She said, Things a Father shouldnt ecspect his son to do.
Things your daddy will never ecspect you to do.

Then she gave me a hug and said, your daddy loves you, Scorpius, and he
will always keep you safe.

I dont know what Very Bad Things my daddy had to do.

But Im glad I have a daddy, not a Father.

 

Title: Farewell
Prompt: Lipstick stain

...

Hidden by a strong Disillusionment Charm, Hermione pressed her face to the glass,
and watched as Draco asked Astoria Greengrass the question he should have been
asking her, heard the answer she should have been giving, and slipped the ring
that should have belonged to her onto Astoria’s finger.

She tried to remember all the reasons why she and Draco could never be together,
but—at that moment—not one of them made sense to her.

...

Draco, bending to kiss Astoria’s hand, glanced suddenly at the window,
and the print of Hermione’s kiss broke his heart with its final farewell.

 

Title: Sparkly
Prompt: Fire flies

...

The door wouldn’t open.

Hermione considered her options. Alohomora... Deprimo... Confringo?

In the end, she simply put her shoulder to it, and shoved until the gap was
big enough to squeeze through.

Inside, her apartment was a jungle.

Literally.

“Malfoy,” she growled, struggling through the ferns, “I’ll Avada you—”

“Surprise!” he cried, as innocent as a pointy cherub.

He’d set a table for two in a grove of Hibiscus trees, under a wide, inky sky lit with
dancing fireflies. It was impressive magic.

Hermione refused to return his smile.

But, maybe, she thought, I’ll leave killing him till after dessert.

 

Title: A helping hand
Prompt: Weather the storm

...

Twelve years of marriage ends in the time it takes to sign her name.

Fleeing the solicitor’s office, she shelters from the rain in Flourish and Blotts, but not even leafing through Hogwarts, a History can make her feel better.

“Granger?”

No one’s called her that in years.

“Malfoy!”

She doesn’t mean to tell him everything but, somehow, it all pours out over coffee.

“Things must seem unbearable right now,” he says, and she realises he’s speaking from experience, “but you’re the toughest woman I know, Granger. You’ll survive this.”

And, when his fingers touch hers, the sun comes out.

...

Title: Lucius's worst fear...
Prompt: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

...

The wrapping was a work of art; Hermione could have turned professional.
Excitedly, Draco ripped it open.

“The Tales of Beedle the Bard,” he said.

Hoping to hide his disappointment, he added, “My father wanted this banned
from Hogwarts’ Library, you know. He thought the ‘interbreeding’ between
Amata and Muggle Sir Luckless might corrupt me.”

“You’ve absolutely no idea why I’ve given it to you, have you, Draco?”
said Hermione, laughing.

“No...”

She leaned in, and whispered in his ear: “Because, my love, in nine month’s time,
you’ll be proving your father right, and reading it to your own son.”

 

Title: Get your coat, Malfoy
Prompt: Boxing Day
Warnings: A bit of swearing

...

The shadow moving beneath the door sends terror through Draco’s vitals.
He draws his wand and, readying himself to fight, throws the door open
and leaps inside—

“Merlin’s BALLS, Granger,” he cries, “you scared me half to death!
What the fuck are you doing at work today?”

“I, um,” she stammers, “you know...” Then she eyes him, shrewdly.
“What are you doing here, Malfoy?”

“Oh,” he says, putting his wand away, “this and that...”

They both sigh.

“Two saddos,” says Draco, “with nothing better to do on Boxing Day.”

Hermione sighs again. “Get your coat, Malfoy,” she says. “You’ve pulled.”