Anyone But Me

Chapter Seventy

Exactly one week later, Hermione found herself staring at the body in the mirror. Contemplating the eight discolored fingerprints that framed her hip bones. There were two more, one on either side of her lower back, where his thumbs had dug in... Yet, those didn't give her the same uncanny light-headed wooziness that the slowly healing bruises that splattered her front did.

She pressed a finger to one of the still-purple centers and watched the flesh pale under the pressure. It didn't hurt... Anymore. Those first few days had been brutal. The nearly black bruises and welt of a handprint on her bum had been the least of her worries. The latter being easily soothed by the gifted lotion that sat in her shower bag.

No, the real issue was trying to move when every single action caused a spasm inside of her. Followed by a deep ache that lingered far longer than was acceptable considering how she had been the one to beg for it. Her reward had turned into some perverse self-flagellation and she'd had to feign the stomach flu to cover up her refusal to leave her bed the morning after.

Days, it had taken days for her to be able to make it to her next destination without having to swallow her groans. At first they were of pain, she would never deny that, but by the time that forty-eight hours had come and gone the second part of her request had been fulfilled. Every time she had shifted her panties would flood as forbidden memories danced in her vision.

She let go of the skin and watched as the red and purple blotches slowly filled back in. Her eyes automatically moved over to the rope of raised scar tissue that the bruising sat next to. Only the debut of the shattered ruination of her torso, she tried to skip over the worst of the damage. As she had done dozens of times before but the black mecca drew her gaze to the entry point of her attacker's twisted loathing.

A shiver ran down her spine as the look of shock that had crossed Harry's face flashed in front of her. His terrified green eyes wide as he froze, watching her fall in a broken heap on the Ministry's floor. Thankfully, her descent into madness had been swift and easy, like turning out a light. All that she'd had to do was succumb to the darkness...

Hermione trembled as she tore herself away from the distorted reflection. Blinking away the tears that threatened to cloud her vision. She refused to let the melancholy seize its relentless hold and took a few calming breaths through her nostrils. Quieting her mind, she went to finish with her preparations.

It was another night of answers to her enigma of a boyfriend and she would be foolish to leave him waiting. No matter how tempting the thought was.

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"There you are..."

The warm welcome brought an involuntary smile to her lips. "Hi."

"Hello." Draco replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug. "I've missed you, Kitten."

"Mmm... Who wouldn't?" She teased. His jovial disposition instantly rubbing off on her. Her hands were caught up in the fabric of the cloak she had been folding when he embraced her, otherwise she probably would have pulled him down for a kiss.

He laughed at her poor attempt at a joke and stepped back in pretend offense. "The feelings are not mutual?"

"Oh, stop it!" She rolled her eyes and finished with her task for something to do. There was no sensible reason to inflate his already oversized ego.

He scoffed, and the movement of air from his lungs hit her like a punch to the gut. Rather than the expected peppermint overwhelming her mental capacities, the sharp stench of alcohol had her nose twitching.