Draco and Hermione return to Hogwarts and try to get back to normal, but soon realize that someone is talking out of turn about the previous nights revel.

Hermione and Draco returned to Hogwarts and made their way to the Room of Requirement. Hermione’s magic was swirling like a current along her body and she could feel Draco’s magic responding in kind. They barely made it through the door to their room, when they started ripping each other’s clothes off in a frenzied need of lust. They stayed that way for the entire night and well into Sunday afternoon.

Hermione was insatiable and Draco was enjoying every minute of it.

When they finally returned to the Slytherin Dorms on Sunday afternoon, the common room was filled with students from all the years. Theo, Blaise and Daphne were in their usual spot by the fireplace where Nagini was curled up asleep. Crookshanks had taken to sleeping under the chair near Nagini over the last few weeks. Her silly half-kneazle had spent the better part of the past two years away from the dorms as Crookshanks didn’t like any of the students here, and barely tolerated Draco, which Hermione found amusing.

But for some reason in the last few weeks, he’d taken to sleeping near Nagini and Hermione had to wonder if it had taken this long for her two familiars to finally learn to accept each other.

She’d felt a bit sad at first when Nagini had come to Hogwarts at the beginning of the year and she hadn’t seen Crookshanks for nearly a month. At Malfoy Manor and McKinnon Manor, the two never had to interact much. Crooks really didn’t seem all that enamoured with anyone but her. Nagini however, spent quite a bit of time with her Father and seemed to enjoy Draco’s company too.

Crookshanks was, simply put, a one person familiar. So it made her happy to see that at least Nagini and Crooks were trying to get along.

When she walked over to the sixth year group with Draco, Nagini raised her head and hissed softly, before lying back down and going back to sleep. Crookshanks on the other hand, meowed indignantly and jumped up onto her lap, purring loudly and begging for a bit of attention.

Draco scowled at the cat when it hissed at him.

“I don’t get it, love? Nagini loves me, but this evil orange fur-ball seems to hate me.”

Hermione giggled. “Perhaps Crookshanks is less forgiving than Nagini.”

Crooks stretched on Hermione’s lap and meowed loudly, causing her mistress to smile affectionately at him.

“Well, I just don’t get it.”

Hermione shrugged and petted Crookshanks for a few minutes more, until he’d decided he’d had enough attention and jumped down—curling up in his new favorite spot and going back to sleep.

“You know,” Theo stared softly, “familiars are usually only loyal to their one human companion. It’s fairly unusual for a familiar to have more than one master or mistress.”

Hermione gave Theo an interested look. “I did read that somewhere, come to think of it. But I’ve never really considered why Nagini has bonded with me—perhaps it has something to do with my Father ordering Nagini to protect me above all others. He apparently didn’t make an exception for himself.”

The shocked looks within their small group was telling.

“Your Father bade his own familiar to protect you? That is, simply put—unheard of, Hermione.”

Theo rubbed the back of his neck, trying to process that bit of information, while everyone but Draco just seemed unsure of what to say.

“Well, for whatever reason I’m glad of it.” Stated Draco firmly. “I can’t think of a better protector than our Nagini here. She’s terrifying, when she wants to be.”

Hermione gave her wizard a quick peck on the cheek. “You just love Nagini because she protects your sorry arse.”

“Hey!” Draco growled playfully, nipping at Hermione’s neck, while their friends laughed at their antics.

“It’s alright, love. I don’t mind sharing Nagini with you. Besides, we both know she’d kill you in a heartbeat if you ever tried to hurt me.”

Draco smiled fondly at his little witch. “True enough, lucky for me I have no plans of ever hurting you.”

“Good to know, handsome.”

Their friends all groaned at their display of lovey ickleness, which caused Hermione to huff softly. She then watched as Theo threw up a silencing charm and wrung his hands together nervously.

“Where did you go last night, Draco?”

Draco gave his friend a harsh glare, while Hermione raised en eyebrow at the question.

“Why do you ask, Theo?” It was Hermione who inquired.

“Well...” Theo cleared his throat a bit, “I overheard Avery, Vaisey and Bletchley talking last night. Avery mentioned something about a revel, and from what I’d overheard, his Uncle was supposedly taking part.”

Draco’s eyes darkened as he glanced over at the seventh year boys, who were trying very hard to be inconspicuous, but were watching their group closely. Looking down at his witch, who rolled her eyes in response, Draco kissed her forehead and turned to face his friends.

“I wasn’t aware that the Dark Lord was allowing his followers to broadcast what happened last night. That being said, yes...there was a revel and to my knowledge? It was a one-time concession from Our Lord. He had some family business to resolve and I believe he wanted to make a statement to his followers where Hermione was concerned.”

Theo sat back and nodded, while Blaise and Daphne looked a bit unsettled.

“Did you have to participate, mate?” Blaise inquired softly.

“Yes, Blaise. I actually made the request of Our Lord to allow me to hand out my own form of retribution on the most notable offender. He saw fit to grant my request, thankfully. I suspect he might have a thing or two to say if he knew that certain people were talking out of turn about last night.”

Blaise nodded thoughtfully while Theo grimaced. “My Dad never mentioned it to me, so I was surprised when I’d overheard. But your right, mate. Avery has a big mouth and likes to think he’s more connected than he really is.”

Hermione sighed unhappily. “I sincerely doubt that any of my Father’s followers are idiotic enough to speak out of turn. That being said, thank you for telling us, Theo. I’ll have to decide how to best handle this.”

Theo bowed his head. “Of course, Hermione.”

Hermione stood up and smiled at Draco. “I’m going to go take a bath, love. I will see you all down in the Great Hall for dinner.”

Draco stood up and gave his witch a short, yet possessive kiss. When he pulled away, Hermione beamed up at him. “Did you make your point?”

Chuckling, he nodded. “Minx.”

Winking at her intended, Hermione left their group and headed upstairs to her room to freshen up. Draco then sat back down and sighed, tilting his head back on the rest of the couch.

Theo, Blaise and Daphne gave their friend curious looks.

Daphne decided to ask the question all three of them were wanting to ask. “The Muggle boy...is he dead?”

Draco moved his head forward and stared at his friends before his gaze hardened. “Not yet, but he will be soon enough. He’s being slowly eaten to death my dermestids as we speak, buried alive. I thought it was a fitting punishment...well, one of many.” Draco smirked at the memory of what he’d done to the filthy Muggle.

Theo coughed in shock. “Salazar’s balls, mate...seriously?”

Draco nodded, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his thighs. “Yes. The whole thing was brutal, mate. I was worried for Hermione on how she’d handle it, but she was amazing as always. She never gave away any of what she was feeling. I swear, I don’t think I’d realized just how many sick fucks there are in the Dark Lord’s inner circle.”

Theo nodded in agreement. “My Dad told me once about McNair and Rookwood. Told me to never be alone around either one of them. Apparently McNair has a penchant for torture. During the first Wizarding War, he particularly enjoyed raping and torturing Muggles.”

Draco nodded, rubbing his hands over his face as he recalled just how much McNair had enjoyed himself last night.

“I can confirm what your Dad told you, Theo. If I hadn’t witnessed it first-hand, I don’t think I could’ve believed that someone could be that perverse.”

Daphne queried shakily. “And Hermione had to watch that?”

“She kept her eyes focused on me nearly the entire time. I wouldn’t look away and neither did she. Nagini was there too...wrapped around her. I could hear Nagini whispering in Parseltongue to Hermione. I don’t think she was any happier about Hermione being there than I was.”

Daphne sighed in relief. “Well, that’s something then.”

Draco gave his friends all a haunted look and proceeded to tell them about the Muggle girl, Meghan Connor. When he was done, Daphne had tears coming down her cheeks, while Theo and Blaise looked like they both were going to be sick.

“That’s fucked up, mate!” Blaise said angrily.

“Yeah it is.” Draco confirmed. “If it hadn’t been for Hermione, I don’t think the girl would’ve wanted to live. Merlin, I can’t imagine how she’s managed to do so for all these years.” Draco shook his head incredulously at the thought.

All four Slytherins were quiet for a bit until Draco noticed the time.

“I’m going to get cleaned up and head down to dinner. I’ll see you guys there.”

Cancelling the silencing charms, Draco headed for the boys dormitory leaving Blaise, Theo and Daphne to ponder their conversation.

When dinner time arrived, Draco waited for his witch to emerge from the sixth year girl’s dormitory. Theo, Blaise and Daphne had left already, and except for a few underclassmen, he was the only person in the common room.

As he sat there, Draco’s mind filtered back to the previous evening and went through what had transpired in his mind, analyzing the actions of all those present. McNair, Rookwood, Avery, Goyle Sr., Crabbe Sr., and the Carrows particularly enjoyed the torture they’d inflicted. Draco simply hadn’t realized that his two friends fathers, were that demented. Goyle’s mum had passed away at the end of their second year, but Crabbe’s mum was still alive. Both men had taken part in the rape of one of the Muggle women.

That didn’t sit well with Draco at all.

His own father had participated...tortured the brother of Bentley Connor. He was quite skilled and inventive with the torture and it had opened Draco’s eyes a bit to how ruthless his father could be when he wanted to. He knew his father had been livid when it was discovered what had happened to Hermione all those years ago. He had even written to him about how devastated he’d been on Hermione’s behalf—more so because he had been there when Yaxley had shown the Dark Lord and Marlene the memory from Daphne’s conversation.

The guilt His Father harbored was something Draco could empathize with.

He hadn’t been lying when he told his friends that he’d kept his eyes focused strictly on Hermione during the worst of the torture...but he’d heard...everything. He had desperately tried to shut his mind closed, using his Occlumency to help buffer the screams of pain and horror. But he’d been so focused on Hermione, that it was near impossible to do. He’d heard every scream, every laugh, every one of the pleas for mercy and while he couldn’t say he was sorry that the Muggle Family had gotten what was coming to them? Inside he knew that if it had been his and Hermione’s daughter? He’d have burned the world down to protect his own children...

...but still?

Shaking his head out of his morbid thoughts, he glanced up just in time to see his witch walking into the common room looking achingly beautiful in those Muggle jeans she favored and a pretty amber colored jumper that brought out her gorgeous eyes. He smiled as he walked over, enveloping his witch into his arms and kissed her breathless.

“Merlin, you’re stunning.”

Hermione blushed prettily as she took her hand and ran it over Draco’s cheek and into his hair. “As are you, handsome. Let’s go get something to eat. I’m starving.”

“Hmmmm...nothing like working up an appetite, is there?”

Giggling at her wizard, Hermione grabbed his hand and lead Draco out of the common room, heading for the Great Hall.

“You’re incorrigible, but yes...I agree with that sentiment. We missed both breakfast and lunch doing unspeakable things to each other. I for one, need sustenance before I can even think about entertaining a repeat.”

Draco laughed. “Well then, my Lady, lets get you fed. I don’t want to be accused of being a wizard who fails in his duty to take care of his witch.”

“You are very attentive, handsome.”

“I am at your service, my Lady.” Draco bowed formally, smiling at Hermione’s laughter which echoed down the hallway as they made their way into the Great Hall.

Once they were seated and Draco dished up Hermione’s favorites, conversation at the table consisted of the upcoming Quidditch Match against Ravenclaw. He had practices scheduled this week for Tuesday and Thursday after dinner.

Hermione reminded him of her study session with Smith and Cho Chang, which would be taking place that Thursday evening in the Library before she left to go to the owlry. He couldn’t help the scowl that flittered over his features, but wisely didn’t comment on it.

Theo and Blaise both gave him looks of amusement, knowing that their best mate didn’t trust Smith anywhere near his witch.