Silencio

Chapter 10

Draco didn't know what to think anymore. Didn't know how to feel. One minute Hermione was avoiding him or snapping at him; the next she was being hotter than any Sex Goddess he could ever have thought to imagine, sucking him off, and licking her lips as if wanting more. He could have come again right then and there. And then watching her touch herself... he wanted to groan just at the thought.

'So... was it worth it, Malfoy?'

She had no clue how much it had been worth. She had no clue how much he'd been willing to give. He couldn't think of a single thing that would have been worth denying her – and she had no idea. He'd like to keep it that way.

Dangerous.

But what could she possibly want from him that might endanger him? She didn't want her friends to know, either. She might not be in any danger, and he rather liked it that way, but she still had something to lose. No, she wouldn't ask anything from him that he couldn't give.

Breaking it off with Pansy would be a very small price to pay for this. He needed to break it off with her anyway. This farce was serving no purpose anymore and even though she might not want to admit it, Pansy would be much happier on her own. That Hermione had demanded it had, however, stunned him. He had known it bothered her, of course, but he'd never thought she'd come right out and say it.

Hermione had laid back down and snuggled up against him, clearly exhausted. He extinguished the light, once again enfolding them in darkness, and she sighed contentedly, snuggling closer, putting her head on his chest. It had taken him days to get her to do that—or rather, nights. He didn't understand why it was harder for her to share body heat than to share sex.

"You know," she mumbled sleepily, her voice slightly muffled. "You don't have to do it."

"Do what?" he asked, a little distracted.

"Break it off with Pansy. I mean, if you even really meant to."

He frowned. What was this, then? "I said I would, didn't I? We made a deal."

She made a dismissive sound. "I would have done it anyway. I was just testing you."

"What kind of test is it if I don't have to go through with it?" For some reason he couldn't explain, he was beginning to feel upset.

"A silly one." She yawned and sighed again. "Thanks for saying you'd do it, though."

Something sliced at him, tore at his insides. She didn't care if he did it or not? "I'll do it," he said angrily. "Just give me a few days to figure out how."

She shrugged lightly. Shrugged.

"Why did you ask for it if you didn't want it?" he asked, fighting hard to keep his tone civil. "I'm sure there were any number of things you could have chosen to test me with."

"I don't know..." she said, sounding a little more awake. "Why does this upset you?"

He clenched his teeth. It upsets me, because I offered you anything, and you apparently chose you wanted nothing from me. "It doesn't."

"You're lying to me," she said. "But you always do that." She had sat up, robbing him of her touch.

"Not everything I say is a lie!" Why did she have to ruin this?

"No... You only lie about the important stuff." She was sounding put out now. What reason did she have?

"It's not important. None of this is important." He tried to brush her off.

"Then why are you upset?" she persevered. Annoying little bitch.

"I am not upset!" he all but shouted. He was well aware that it had been a mistake as soon as the words left his mouth. "You're just bugging the hell out of me. Give it a rest, will you?"