Cold Hearts


The room was darkened, spare the dim, hazy mist surrounding a single candle. She had been here for what felt like hours, arms tied, face streaked with tears she didn't even realise had fallen.
"I suppose you're wondering how you've ended up here," a voice drawled from in the darkness. Malfoy. The superiority in his voice stung even more than the binds cutting in to her wrists. When she went to speak, she was surprised to find no sound passing her lips, save the hiss of her breath.
"Ah, yes. I'm taking all precautions to ensure we're not.. heard. I thought you of all people would be impressed with my handiwork, that spell took a long time to perfect," he whispered, raising an eyebrow. "And it's much nicer this way, isn't it? If only you were this quiet all the time, Granger." He stepped forward into the candlelight, reaching towards her and stroking her face. She flinched, desperate to cry out but not wishing to give him the satisfaction of watching her struggle to find her stolen voice. He walked around her, his pale eyes burning into her skin. Skin exposed without her consent.
"You know, Granger, you're not too bad looking.. For a mudblood, you understand. Obviously your tainting shines through a little but," he said, reaching up to stroke her hair, "you're none too shabby." A fervent humiliation ran through her, followed by a trickle of pleasure that disturbed her more than a little. Draco paused, noting the look on Hermione's face before reaching into his pocket and bringing out his wand.
"I can't help feeling like I'm toying with a bloody ragdoll with you not talking like this. Takes all the fun out of it," he purred before muttering an incantation under his breath and wafting his wand towards Hermione's throat. A tingling feeling enveloped her larynx, followed by what felt like a thousand explosions on her vocal chords.
"Tickles, doesn't it?" chuckled Malfoy.
"You absolute bastard!" yelled Hermione in an uncharacteristic show of anger, her voice surprisingly loud after it's enforced silence. "Untie me now.."
"Or what? You'll snitch on me to Dumbledore? Or run crying to Professor McGonagall? Do me a bloody favour," he spat back. "Right now, you're in no position to give orders." Hermione shrank back as he leant in to her face. "No one can hear you in here. No one is going to come in and find you. If you shout, it'll do nothing but give me a fucking headache and force me to put that spell back on you again." Satisfied that Hermione wouldn't be allowing herself any outbursts again, he drew back, smirking. Nothing could possibly give him more pleasure than seeing the oh-so-perfect Miss Granger like this.
"W... Wh- Why did you bring me here?" she asked, staring him dead in the eye. The fierce eye-contact that normally could pass for a show of bravery was cancelled out by her stuttering. Draco walked around her until he was out of her vision. She felt a cold finger run down her spine.
"Isn't it obvious by now, mudblood? I thought you were supposed to be smart," he said, lazily. He continued trailing his long finger up and down her back, savouring the uncontrollable shivers that it caused.
"Please... please don't," she mumbled. Her mind had wandered and, behind her closed eyes she saw images of herself, tangled up with him. Hands and mouths searching each other's bodies...
"And why not, Granger? You think I haven't noticed you watching me? How thick do you think I am? At that last Quidditch match, you might has well have been drooling all down your robes. It's pathetic." Hermione's eyes widened, bringing an even broader smile to Draco's lips. "What? Do you take me for a fool? You've hardly been inconspicuous. And you know," his tone turned to a mocking snarl, "it's only a matter of time before your little Weasel notices the way you keep gawping at me." By now, he was standing in front of her again, running his hand through her unruly hair.
"Mal.." she was cut off when Draco thrust his hand against her mouth. More intense images flashed through her mind. He acted like there had never been an interruption.
"I suppose even if I hadn't noticed your outrageous ogling, that truth potion I'd 'administered' when I first brought you here certainly let me in on a few.. secrets." That familiar smirk dashed across his face. Every word he spoke revealed more and more. She knew that if he'd had time to force her to take a truth potion, perform a memory charm after their chat to rid her of all memories of the event and then get her undressed and strung up like this, she must've been here a few hours. Someone would notice she hadn't been in her Arithmancy lesson earlier and...
"Hey, HEY!" he shouted, snapping his fingers in her face. "I get the feeling you aren't listening anymore. Don't try and drift off, mudblood. Be here, right here. Next to me."
"Are you expecting me to throw myself at you, Malfoy?" She asked plainly, surprising herself with her cockiness. Her voice was still muffled by the hand pressing against her lips.
"No, I'm expecting you to keep up this cool façade you've crafted so beautifully for use around me. But, you can't forget now.. I know that you want me. I know what filthy little thoughts run through that supposedly uncorrupt mind of yours when you see me because you spelled them all out for me a matter of hours ago. And I know that it tears you to pieces that you crave the one person in this entire school you claim to hate with a passion." The look that passed over her pale face was proof enough that Malfoy was right. He leant forward, his face barely inches away from hers. Her mind flashed with images of him being that little bit closer. Their lips clashing angrily, his tongue drilling into her mouth. A relief like no other as he kissed down, down, down...
"Granger! That one was positively disturbing!" Draco remarked, looking mock-startled. Hermione stared at him, open-mouthed. "Oh, did I neglect to mention the fact all your thoughts are laid out before me as you think them? Must've slipped my mind." He didn't move an inch, his eyes still hovering level with her's, wrinkling as he laughed derisively. "I've really been brushing up on my spells, haven't I?" he whispered before, slowly, he moved forward and brushed his tongue along her bottom lip. She let her guard down for a second, a groan escaping her lips.
"You know what, Granger? This thought will play on your mind every time you see me." Her brow wrinkled in confusion, drawing another laugh from him. "I do hope it tortures you that no matter how much you want me," he whispered, looking away coyly, "I would rather die than let a filthy muggle-born like you touch me." He jerked back, staring deeply into her eyes and, stepping back from her, laughed loudly before turning and walking out the room, leaving her tied and crying.



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