Enemy, Friend or Lover

..Home..

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Dictionary is at the bottom of the page.

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Hermione felt as if she were floating on a soft and fluffy cloud. She felt relaxed and had not a care in the world. Her eyes slowly opened and she almost laughed. No wonder why she felt like she was on the heavenly cloud nine. The car was up in the sky, utterly surrounded by puffy clouds.

Still in a hazy fog, Hermione could imagine tiny children sitting on the clouds with harps in their hands singing softly. It was Hermione's heaven.

She was soon crashing down to hell as she turned her head to the right and peered at Draco being the wheel of her car. The memories came flying back like a pesky mosquito trying to suck her blood. The dead man in her den, Draco and Mark throwing punched at one another, lying to Aunt Annabelle, and oh God, running away with Draco.

"I've gone mad," Hermione stated to no on particular.

Beside, her Draco chuckle. His low, soft laugh brought goose bumps to her arms and sent shivers running down her spine.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked, looking back out of her window.

"Home."

Hermione frowned at the short, blunt answer. "But wont they look for us there? Plus, I don't want to scare your mum either."

Draco shook his blonde head. "No, Hermione, our home."

Hermione was going to ask another question when she remembered the beautiful house made of red bricks and a yard large enough to scream and nobody to hear you. Hermione closed her eyes and imagined the large garden with many exquisite flower, the beautiful stone sculpture, and the gorgeous fountains placed among the gardens. There were all sorts of exotic trees to block out the warm sun, some of the property was even some of it was forest.

The house was silent as stone as the two went inside the gorgeous house.

"You still know where everything is?" Draco asked from the kitchen. Hermione nodded and stood still in the front hall entrance.

Draco went to her and snatched her hand. Her trunk in one hand and Hermione's in the other, Draco took them up to the third floor- the master suite.

"You can stay in here. Feel free to use the clothes already in the closet and the food from your little kitchen here." Draco motioned to the new mini-bar.

"Where are you sleeping?" Hermione asked, concerned.

Draco chuckled at her tone and gave her an reassuring smile. "I'll be in the blue room on the second floor. If you need me, I'll be in there."

Hermione nodded and watched at Draco went to the counter and pored her a glass of water and then handed it to her.

"You get settled in and then go to sleep. It's already past one in the morning."

Again, Hermione nodded and held in the glass of water hard enough for it to break. Her face was ashen and her body had a slight tremor to it.

"Hermione?" Draco questioned. "Are you alright?" This time Draco go no response. Taking the glass from her hand, Draco wrapped Hermione in his arms. Hermione stayed stiff is a board of wood even as Draco started to gently rock her back and forth in his embrace. Draco set the water down on the nightstand and then sat down, trying to tug Hermione down with him. She didn't move.

"Hermione, do you want to tell me what is wrong?" No answer. "Can I get you something?" Draco pleaded her with his eyes and reached out to grab her hand. He brought her palm to his lips and then turned her hand to cup his cheek. "Hermione baby, please tell me what is bothering you." Draco stared in her unfocused eyes. The hollow depths, the frightened turn of her brows and the vacant expression on her face scared the hell out of him.

"Hermione, come to me. Tell me what has you so worried? Let me help you."

Hermione's mouth opened and then closed again. Opened, then closed. Her hand came up and was waiting for him to take it.

Draco understood her small sign of need. Draco stood up and swept her into his arms. Hermione trembled so hard Draco was at the point of panic. Draco gently leaned back to peer at her face but Hermione let out a terrified squeak and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. Her body flat against his own, Draco was at loss for words.

Instead of the comfort of his words, Draco used his body to comfort her. Reaching down, Draco gripped the back of Hermione's thighs and lifted them up and he fell to the bed.

Hermione's legs clamped on the sides of Draco thighs and she sat on his lap. Draco wrapped both arms around her tiny waist and held her tight as he could without actually hurting her. Hermione's face pushed into the curve of his neck and Draco had no choice but smell her sweet hair of shampoo and woman.

Draco ran a hand up her curved spin and gently kissed the top of her head. Draco knew she was terrified out of her mind and had no choice but to listen to him. She was at the top of the roller coaster and would not let herself cry even if she was mere inches from death and she knew it.

A short time later, Hermione's arms loosened and her sharp, shallow breathing became deep and even. Draco stood up and folded his arms under her bottom and went around the other side of the bed and pulled the covers down. He stripped her of her pants and then pulled the warm blankets over her sleeping form. Leaning down, he kissed the soft skin of her forehead and whispered her a good night.

With a long backwards glance, Draco left the room and went down to his own. He took off his clothes and got into the hot shower. He let the water dribbled down his chilled skin and breathed in deep. This was killing him. Having Hermione so near again and could not make love to her no matter how much he wanted to. He could barely comfort her without getting a hard on. It was hurting so much knowing that he could not protect her fully against the Dark Lord as he wanted to. She was suffering - again - and it was his fault. He would do all he could to keep her safe. Even to sacrifice himself if it came to that.

Draco stepped out from the warmth of the shower and dried off. Exhausted from his thoughts he turned to his room and fell into the bed and drifted off right away.

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Hermione opened her eyes to find Draco watching her. The sun brightened his face as she stared right back at him. His lips stretched into a light smile and Hermione felt her own tugging into a grin.

"Did I fall asleep?" Hermione asked sheepishly.

Draco nodded, the smile still on his face. "Not that I minded though." he reached over and touched her cheek. "You look almost angelic sleeping."

Hermione blushed and sat right up. Clearing her throat, she stood up and went closer to the glittering lake.

"More than half of these fish I've never seen before," Hermione said softly. Hermione went out on the deck and took of her shoes. Sitting down, she let her toes twine with the water. Again, the warmth of the lake startled her. Fish of all sorts came to Hermione's feet. A few tried to suck on her toes and some others tried to nibble on them, which the few of them that did so, did not succeed.

Draco came to side beside her and of course brushing against her on purpose. "Wait until you see the mermaids. The most gorgeous things I have ever seen."

"What about the mermen?"

Draco's eyes darkened. "Oh, them. They don't like me much."

"Oh? Why not?"

Hermione stared at Draco as he turned away from her and reached down to twirl his finger around a rainbowed fish. "Let's just say the females happen to like me."

"Draco!" Hermione gasped teasingly. "Don't tell me you hit on the poor girls."

Draco shrugged. "Well not really. They like me and then they envy my feet." Draco lifted his feet from the lake and examined them. "They aren't that great though, are they?"

"Oh, I understand."

Just then a mermaid popped her had up from the water, her gorgeous ruby red hair glistering with drops of water.

Another popped her head from the surface as well. Her hair was blonde and so straight Hermione was instantly jealous.

"I told you I knew where he was," the red haired one snapped at the other.

The blonde turned her head away and lifted her chin higher. "I never said you couldn't, Amina."

"They are so beautiful," Hermione whispered.

The blonde turned towards Hermione. "Of course I'm beautiful. Compared to you I'm a goddess."

"Desdemona!" Amina gasped, her face having a shocked expression.

"What? It's true!"

Another mermaid came to the surface of the water. "Will you two cut it out? Why must you always fight? And in the sight of humans?"

"Hello, Sheehan," Draco called.

Sheehan turned and swam closer to Hermione and Draco.

"Good day, Draco. And who is your companion?" The two others swam closer to hear what Draco had to say about Hermione.

"This is Hermione."

The three mermaids stared at Hermione and them the red head smiled. "Oh, you're wife!"

"Oh, n-"

"That's right," Draco smiled, cutting Hermione off.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Sheehan smiled.

"And you as well."

"Well, Draco. I would have thought you would find a more beautiful bride," Desdemona said sweetly.

Sheehan shot her a glare. "Why must you be like that?"

Hermione cut in and turned to Amina. "Doesn't your name mean honesty?"

Amina's face lit up. "Why yes, it does. Our names are our main quality. Sheehan means peacemaker, you know."

"What does Desdemona mean?"

Amina laughed. "It's just a nickname we merpeople gave her. It mean of the devil."

Hermione frowned. "I find that very mean."

"You haven't met her really," Sheehan added.

Hermione gave Draco a look out of the corner of her eye and shook her head. The mermaids were beautiful now wonder Draco loved to sit out her for hours and talk to them.

"Your protector is going to come soon. I think you ladies should be leaving."

"Yeah, and Kamali will get mad at you again." Amina turned to the others. "We should go."

"Why?" Desdemona asked. "Draco can take him on."

Just then a merman came rushing towards them just underneath the surface of the water. "I told you three to stay close to the gate and I'd take you up to the surface."

Hermione right away figured Kamali meant protector.

Amina flinched. "We're sorry, Kamali."

"You are not," snapped a new head bubbling up from the water. "You must listen to us or your father with have our heads." The blonde merman turned towards Draco. "And you, human, stop calling upon them."

"Devlin, we did not call them to use." The merman then looked to Hermione, his eyes into slits to glare through.

"I don't care. Stop coming here and attracting our kind," Devlin said fiercely.

Draco stared at him hard. "This is my land, Devlin. You swim in the lake I own as well. I may come and go as I wish. And can you not see I am here with my wife? Why would I call on your woman when I have my own with me?"

Devlin was out of words to that but kept his fierce glance.

"Desdemona, Sheehan, Amina, you three get going," Kamali ordered and started to swim off with them.

"Nice to meet you, Hermione," Amina called.

"Leave them alone." With the last fierce remark, Devlin left as well.

Hermione and Draco sat quietly for a moment or two and decided to go and eat the lunch they had brought with them that morning. The day went by quick and soon enough it was nightfall, the sky bursting with vibrant oranges, yellows, and harsh purples.

As dark fell around them, Draco suggested they start to head back to the house. Before they knew it, Draco was saying goodnight by Hermione's bedroom door.

"Thank you for taking me to the lake," Hermione whispered.

Draco touched her cheek, bent his head and very softly kissed her. Hermione's hands came up, fluttered helplessly for a moment, then flattened against his chest. Beneath his coat, she felt his muscled tighten. He deepened the kiss, drawing her closer against him, and she felt the hard length of his arousal.

She should have been frightened and a part of her was. He was still not to be trusted, a man determined to have her, keep her safe and then throw her away. Another part revelled in the heat he stirred, the desire she had not once had experienced with another man but Draco.

"Invite me in," he whispered softly, enticingly. "Let me make love to you."

Her stomach contracted. It was one thing to experience physical desire. The notion of actually giving him her body - and her soul - allowing him to make love to her, was another matter entirely.

Hermione shook her head, feeling the unexpected burn of tears and an off stab of regret. "I can't. Please, Draco. I'm not ready for that." Why didn't she just tell him no? That she had no interest in his lovemaking? She wasn't his wife anymore, or his girlfriend and she didn't belong in his bed.

Instead, when he kissed her again, for an instant she pressed herself against him. Hermione breathed in the scent of salt spray and man and tasted the depth of his hunger. An answering need arose, so she had to force herself to pull away.

"Thank you again."

His smile turned hard at her obvious attempt to push him out the door fast as she possible could. "No problem.

Before Hermione called him back and let him make love to her, she slammed the door and locked it.

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That night, Hermione couldn't fall asleep. Her mind kept on wondering to Draco. After what felt like hours, Hermione got up from her bed and wondered down the stairs to the second floor.

What room was it that Draco said he was in? The yellow one? Checking each on, Hermione finally found him. He slept on his side, his back towards her. Hermione slowly crept towards him and quietly stood by the side of the bed watching him sleep.

Finally, she reached out and was about to touch his shoulder to wake him up. All she wanted to do was to sleep beside him and share the warmth and comfort of his body. Lightning fast, Draco's hand was clamped around her wrist and a knife was pressed against her neck. The cold blade slightly cut in.

Hermione let out a small cry of fear and then knife was instantly dropped to the floor with a clunk.

Draco was scrambling up in his bed and reaching out towards Hermione. Hermione was pulled down to the bed and the white sheets of Draco's bed was held against her throat.

"My God, Hermione! What in hells name were you thinking?" Draco snapped quietly, his breath warm on her cheek.

Hermione blinked away her tears and angrily shot Draco a look. "What am I doing? I think the question is what are you doing with a knife under your pillow?"

"Protecting myself if someone comes into my house. And you didn't answer my question."

Hermione was angry with herself for coming into Draco's room. She pushed his hands away and held the sheet to her own neck. "I only wanted to sleep with you. But I didn't realize that I'd be attacked by a madman."

Draco sighed and got up from the bed. Totally naked, he went to the bathroom and turned the tap on and rinsed a face cloth.

Hermione closed her eyes to stop from staring at his beautiful body. A little pale but sleek with muscle and male harness. It was all she could do to not admire his body.

Draco knelt in front of Hermione and pulled the sheet from her hand. Hermione's face was tilted back and the cool cloth was placed against the cut.

"Next time just knock on the door or call my name."

Hermione refused to open her eyes and to meet Draco's. "I wanted to slip in unnoticed."

Draco's low laugh startled her. Against her better judgement, she opened her eyes to search Draco's. "That wont happen, baby."

Hermione pulled her gaze away and tried focusing on anything but Draco's being.

"Okay, you're all cleaned up now." Draco stood up and brought the rag to the dirty clothes basket. Coming back he brought another blanket to the bed and spread it out over the covers. "Get into bed," he said softly.

Hermione sat frozen on his bed and realized what she had just done. She opened her mouth to argue what Draco placed a finger over her lips.

"You got this far now go all the way." Hermione still did not move. Draco crouched down a little and look her in the eye. "Nothing has to happen, Hermione. I'm tired and so are you so just go to sleep with me." With a small nod, Hermione got into the bed and rolled over to her side and into a ball.

Draco slid in behind her and the blankets fell over them both like a cloud. Draco pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her small body.

Hermione closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep. Seconds turned into minutes and soon she started to doze off. Snapping back awake, she peered around and realized she was still in Draco's bed. Behind her, Draco's warm body was warm against hers and his breath warm on the back of her neck and his finger drawing lazy circles over her hip.

"Draco-"

"Shh. Go to sleep, Hermione."

Hermione closed her eyes again and found herself snuggling closer to Draco. His lips brushed against the back of her head and that's when she finally went to sleep.

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Hermione sat up and looked around the room. Of course, Draco was not around. Hermione laid back down and closed her eyes. Hermione knew Draco was hiding something from her. Last night they had both awaken and talked for and hour or so and there was something that Draco was not telling her.

Hermione leaned over in the warm bed and opened the night stand. Sure enough, a letter lay in the drawer. Curious about what he wasn't telling her, Hermione took the small envelope out of the drawer and opened it up. Another piece of paper tumble to the bed.

"Hermione? Are you awake?" Draco called down the hall.

"Uh, yeah. I'm just going to go and have a shower." Hermione quickly got up from the bed and hastily went to her room.

She took a shower and got ready for the day before finally opening the letter. Hermione gasped as she started to scam the letter. Draco was in contact with Voldemort! Hermione sped to read the other letter. It was Draco's bold writing and he was setting her up, pretending to protect her when really he was going to bring her to Voldemort!

Hermione threw the letter to the bed and didn't move until she figured out what she was going to do. She had to confront him but how would she do that when he could just grab her and take her to Voldemort like he promised? Hermione peered around the room knowing that she needed to protect herself. Hermione went to her drawer and took her small knife from the middle drawer and tied it to her ankle. Her pants were baggy enough so nothing would be seen.

Taking one deep breath, Hermione headed down stares, the letters in her hand.

"Hermione!" Draco greeted, a smile on his handsome face.

"What are these?" Hermione asked.

Draco turned to look at what she was talking about. "Hermione, I can explain!"

"You damn bet you can! You're going to sell me out!"

"No!" Draco cried. "It was the only thing I could do, Hermione. I couldn't tell him that I was protecting you! He would kill me!"

"Oh, yeah! That's great, let's let him kill me instead!"

Draco frowned at her. "Of course I wasn't going to let him have you! My god, Hermione. I'm protecting you and I'm not going to give you to Voldemort!"

"That's bullshit! I trusted you, Draco and now you can't even tell me the truth that I could be dead tomorrow!"

Hermione turned from the kitchen and was caught by the wrist. Spinning around to face Draco, Hermione glared at his face.

"Don't touch me, you bastard."

Draco instantly dropped his hand and stepped back. "I was-"

"Stop it! Why must you lie and tear me apart like this? You lied to me and wont let you take charge of me like this!" All of her courage gone, Hermione ran out the front door.

She couldn't see a thing as she peered around the massive property. Taking the knife strapped from her ankle, she ran. Her breathing was laboured; she was in pain in a million places. Her heart thundered but she ran as fast as she could towards the forest. Still, no sign of a living soul came into her line of vision. She slowed, desperately gasping for breath.

Then she heard the snap of a twig behind her. She jerked around. No one was to been seen. But there, by the river, was someone for sure. She had to get out of this place but instead going after that someone, that someone was coming after her.

In sheer terror, she bolted into the darkened forest.

Terror threatened to close her throat, to choke her. Draco had been right, they were soon to run about of time and would be under attack. Their time was now.

A cry sounded the woods. Her heart thumped to a stop. He was calling out to her, trying to find her. She should stop, go to him because surely he would not kill her here in the forest. Would he?

Franticly Hermione peered around her. The forest turned dark and haunting. She prayed for Draco to find her and she could even slightly hear his voice.

She heard her name shouted again. It was Draco's voice, for sure it was him!

She heard a wolf's howl and she was off again.

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Draco ran out of the house at full speed. Running to the stables, he grabbed the black stallion and got on him, steering him towards the darkened forest.

Draco reached the river in no time at all, following it down towards the lake, he found Hermione.

"Hermione!"

There she was, at last, before him. She sprung and faced him, and the way she looked at him made his heart sink.

"Hermione! Hermione, please, come with me. Come with me now," he spoke softly, his hand reached out towards her.

They were both aware of the snap of branched just a few feet away in the opposite direction. A man stepped out and strode instantly for her.

"Touch her and you're a dead man."

The man narrowed his eyes at him and stepped forward. His hand curved around Hermione's arm in a tight grip.

Draco strode towards him and wretched him away from Hermione, flinging him around. The man took a swing at Draco and there was no mocking the man's ability.

He was muscled and strong, had fought with Voldemort, and traveled far and wide, learning to defend himself. But he swung too quickly, too widely. Draco avoided the blow easily, ducking below it. When he straightened back up, the man was already swinging again. Draco caught him with an upper jaw to the lower jaw as the man's fatal blow hit his shoulder. He staggered back and as he did, Draco had tackled him.

Before Hermione's eye's the man was atop of Draco, a knife held to his throat.

"No!" Hermione screamed and ran towards the man. With all her might, she rammed into the man and jerked him off of Draco.

That was a mistake. The man got right to his feet and snatched Hermione's upper arms.

"Gotcha."

Hermione was about to scream when his eyes widened and he slumped forward and toppled over on top of Hermione, dead.

Hermione scampered out for under the dead man and stood up, facing Draco.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whimpered, tears brimming.

Instead of anger she expected, he simple reached out and swept her into his arms.

"Sweet God, Hermione. I thought I had lost you!"

Hermione clung to him, grateful for his warmth, for the solid feel of his body, and the steady beat of his heart as she holding him as tightly as he was to her.

Finally, letting go, Draco swept Hermione up in his arms and mounted the horse.

The horse left off at once and headed back to the house.

Draco brought Hermione into the house after placing his horse securely in the stables and then took Hermione's up stares to clean off all of the blood and mud.

Hermione sat on the bed, shivering uncontrollably. Draco knelt in front of her and held on to her frozen hands. "Talk to me, Hermione. What's going on in you're head.

"I'm so sorry, Draco. I could have killed us both."

He tipped her chin up and saw the tears rolling down her cheeks, "Christ . . ." And then he was kissing her, taking possession of her mouth, and he crushed her against him. He molded his lips to hers, shaping them, tasting them, kissed her one way and then another, as heat washed over her. His tongue plunged in and fire seemed to scorch through her veins. She found herself clinging to his neck, kissing him back as wildly as he was kissing her.

She told herself it was just that she was alive. That he was a man and she was a woman and they, again, survived death by inches. Whatever it was, heat and need swept over her, unlike anything she had ever remembered.

They seemed to fit perfectly against each other. His chest was a hard wall pressing into her breasts and beneath her bloodied clothes, her nipples tightened and began to throb.

She felt light-headed, almost giddy. Her heart was racing, pounding so hard that she wondered if he could hear it. Her finger slid into his hair and she could feel the soft, silky texture at he nape of his neck.

He kissed and kissed her, and insane as it was, Hermione didn't want him to stop.

"Dear God, Draco!"

Draco jerked away from her, his breath rapidly coming out in puffs. "I'm not going to take advantage of you, Hermione."

Hermione was taken back. "But you aren't."

Draco shook his head, his blue eyes filled with emotion. "But I am. We will not do this until you have gotten over the shock."

Hermione stood frozen and looked terribly wounded and confused. She knew he wanted this but why turn her away when she wanted him and would show it?

Draco picked Hermione up and brought her into the bathroom. He started the shower and stripped her bare of her clothes and usurer her into the hot drizzle of the shower.

Scurrying back into the bedroom, Draco grabbed clothes from drawers and quickly put them into their trucks. As soon and Hermione was out of the shower they were leaving again. Draco didn't know if this crazy chase was ever going to end.

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Hi everyone. Sorry about the wait. Again. I'm also sorry about the horrid grammar and spelling errors. If you have anything to ask about my story, ask in the review, which I hope you'll all use anyways.

If you have an suggestions for my story line or plot, again, say so in the review and I might be able to fit one or two it. I hope you all like this chapter, and thanks!

Chebetta

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.Enticingly- attract by arousing hope or desire; to lure.