My Darkest Hour

He was angry. No, that was an understatement. He was livid, cross, resentful, and wrathful. She wasn't home yet. She said she'd be home an hour ago. But where was she?

Draco knew exactly where she was. She was in his arms. It disgusted him to even think about it. He didn't understand why it had to happen this way. He gave her everything she could ever want and more. And she decides to go and do this to him? It was—disgraceful.

Draco paced around his study. He was sure he should have worn a path into the carpet and set it on fire with his ever moving feet. But he couldn't stop. He couldn't stop thinking about her and what she was doing to him.

His 'loving' wife of two years was off with another man. She had no cares in the fucking world right now. She was too occupied with her lover. He should have recognized the signs months ago…

She always gave him an excuse.

"I have to work over tonight, Love. I have a ton of paperwork to look over before tomorrow."

"I have to help the new girl in the office. She's almost got the hang of things. It won't take me long."

"I'm meeting up with Harry and Luna for a quick drink. I'll be home before you can miss me."

And they all sounded plausible to him. His little bookworm has been nothing but an overachiever since he met her all those years ago. So of course working overtime was nothing to him. Yes he missed her terribly and wanted her to spend more time with him, but something always came up. Always.

It didn't start to click to him until two months ago.

Whenever she would return home, she always seemed tired. When he would try to embrace her or kiss her, she would reject him. Claiming she was tired and smelled of the office or bar. He would let her go, letting her shower and lay down. Once Draco finally exhausted himself—not the way he wanted of course—he would take his nightly shower and then crawl into bed. His wife's back to him already, her deep inhalation and exhalations showing she was fast asleep. That was the only time Draco could hold and be near his wife without her constant excuses.

It was sad that it has come to this. They haven't even been married long and she was off in another man's arms. They were so happy. What had changed?

Draco stopped pacing when he heard the floo activate. Draco stiffened. Did he want to go out there now or let her come to him? In the end, Draco decided to let her come to him.

"Draco? Love? Are you home?" Her voice called from the den.

"In here."

He heard her heels click clacking down the hallway. Hermione opened the door and gave him a smile. The smile didn't reach her eyes. It hadn't for a long time. She opened the door more and walked into the office.

She stopped a foot in front of him.

"What took you so long? I thought you said you'd be home an hour ago?"

"I got caught up. You know me, my work is my life."

Draco agreed. Her work had been her life. He had never been her life.

Draco gave her a smile that he didn't feel. "Of course. I've made dinner, hungry?"

She shook her head. Typical behavior when she had been with him.

"All right. Going to take a shower?"

"Mhmm. I need to loosen these knots from bending over my desk for hours at a time."

"All right, Love. I'll see you in a few minutes."

She gave him one final smile and a quick, barely there peck on the cheek before she turned on her heels and left the room.

Draco let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. He loved her despite everything else and that's what hurt him the most. He had sacrificed everything for their love and she cheats on him. It was vile; unforgiving.

Draco's anger drove him forward. He was propelled to walk—without thinking—to the bathroom where he knew she would be washing off his scent that she masked from him. When he reached the door, he twisted the knob and let the door swing wide. He could see her outline. She was humming to herself as she washed her sin away. She had no idea that her husband was stalking towards her like a predator after its prey.

"Hermione…"

"Oh! Draco, you frightened me. I didn't hear you come in."

I know.

Hermione stilled for a moment, but rinsed herself off quickly and turned off the shower. She grabbed a towel and wrapped around herself before she got out of the shower. Draco found it odd. She never had a problem before. It only fueled his anger.

"There you go, all yours," she told him side stepping him.

"That's not what I want." His voice was calm and quiet.

"Oh? What did you want then?"

"We need to talk."

He could see his wife stiffen. She must know what was coming next. "Let me put some clothes on and we'll sit down and talk, all right?"

Draco gave her a nod and let her exit the bathroom and into their room.

Draco silently walked to their room and leaned against the frame of the door. Watching her, with minute details. When she was done getting dressed, she folded her towel and turned around. Her hand came up to her heart and she squeaked in surprise.

"You're sneaky tonight," she said giving a nervous chuckle.

"No, I'm not. You simply don't pay attention, Love."

Hermione's brown eyes bore into his until she finally couldn't take it and averted her gaze. She wrapped her arms around herself and bringing the towel to rest on her chest. She slowly walked towards the door, her eyes downcast as she walked closer to her husband. When she passed him, it was quick. She dare not linger.

He followed her as she put her towel back into the bathroom and then into the den when she took a seat on the sofa. He followed suit and sat on the opposite end.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"I just want to know why," he said simply.

"Why what?"

"Come now, Hermione, don't play dumb. I know what's going on."

Hermione's eyes darted to his grey ones and then back to her lap where her hands lay clasped. Draco heard her take a breath in and then let it go between her teeth.

"I don't know why."

"You don't know? You don't know why you'd hurt me? We've been married for two years! If you didn't want this, you shouldn't have accepted my proposal! So, excuse me if I don't believe that you have no idea WHY you decided to cheat on me for the last six months!"

Hermione flinched. Draco didn't understand why. She had been caught. She should expect his anger.

"I still love him." She said it so quietly that Draco had to strain to hear it.

"I see." He said the words so calmly, but that didn't really match up to what he was feeling inside.

Draco was seeing red. How could a woman, one of the only women that were near and dear to his heart, the woman that he let see ALL of him, do this to him? His heart was so vulnerable in her capable hands and she just crushed it like it was a piece of paper. She needed to pay for this. Draco Malfoy was indeed still a Malfoy. Yes his old beliefs had died years ago along with the war, but his pride hadn't. He was still as prideful as he was when he was in school. That would never change. And this woman had the audacity to fuck it all up. She was going to pay.

"I love you though. I won't go to him again. I promise! It was a lapse of judgment. I needed to get him out of my system."

"And you have plenty of time before we got together, Hermione!" He said standing up.

She looked at him, fear prominent in her honey colored eyes. Draco smirked. He was glad she feared him. For what was going to happen to her, she would tremble and beg. And he would take the great satisfaction from it.

Draco took his wand from his pocket so fast that she barely registered it until it was too late. Draco barely moved his mouth as he bound her with rope like a pig. Just like the filth she was after all.

"Draco? What are you doing?" Her voice raised an octave.

"Exactly what you deserve," he smiled down at her. His eyes were wild and crazy with hate.

"No, Draco! We can work this out!"

"No we can't, Hermione. You have crossed me and I will not stand for this. I put my heart and livelihood out on the line and you took it for granted. I will not stand for this."

"Mobilicorpus."

Hermione lifted into the air and followed Draco as he made his way through their home.

"You know Hermione; it didn't have to be this way. All you had to do was tell me you didn't want this. All you had to do was tell me everything, but you didn't. You would be so naïve to think I wouldn't notice. I admit, I believed you readily because you're my wife. I shouldn't have to suspect you of doing something like this. But after awhile, I noticed you demeanor changed towards me. You were reluctant to touch me some days and it finally clicked to me. You were having an affair, an affair with Weasley. How original. I should have known you would never have been over the fool, but silly me, right dear?"

They were in the basement. It was a nice basement, but as they walked further into the cellar, it went from being completely finished to rock. Large stones that were older than both of them put together. This is where they kept their wine cellar.

"I just don't understand, Hermione. I gave you everything and more. Maybe that was the problem. I gave you too much. I know how you are, independent and such, but I was just happy I had you. The girl I had been secretly pining for several years, but once again, silly me for thinking I could really have you. You are no one but yourselves. I should have known…"

"Draco, please."

"No. You had your chance and you blew it. It's not three times the bloody charm with me, Hermione. It's once and you're out."

He opened the door to the wine cellar. It creaked with old age and lack of use. They hadn't even gotten around to actually putting wine into the cellar. What a shame. Draco was now about to make better use for it.

He set her down, albeit ungracefully, in the middle of the room. He didn't untie her.

"I loved you. Hell, I still love you. It disgusts me that I do, but with time that inane notion will cease and I will be emotionally free of you as I'm about to physically remove you from my sight."

Draco walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"I believe you'll have plenty of time to think about what you've done. You shouldn't have crossed me."

Draco could hear Hermione's screams of panic. He smiled. It was like music to his ears. Draco lifted his wand and cast a Silencing Charm upon the chamber. Her screams were no longer an issue. He locked and enchanted the door so no one, except him, could get in or out. He blacked out the bars and the room itself so no one could see in or out. And he made sure it wouldn't smell when her body would finally decompose.

Draco turned his back to the woman he loved. She had betrayed him and now she had to pay the ultimate price. And they doubted him when he was a sniveling sixteen year old who couldn't kill an old man. If they could only see him now.

Author's Note: The crazy things I think about at 5 am. Definitely borrowed from A Cask of Amontillado by Poe. One of my favorite stories by the man. Anyway, I've never written anything like this, so yeah. Yay for trying new things!