Chapter 3
Hermione returned to her hotel room feeling more restless then she had before she'd left for Harry's. She quickly surmised that she'd drive herself crazy if she sat around any longer waiting for the time to come for her to leave. She walked back out and decided to take the stairs from the 8th floor down to the lobby in hopes of relieving some of her pent up anxiety.
She got to the bottom floor and opened the door abruptly. Not feeling as though the stairs had done her the least bit of good, she quickly walked toward the front of the hotel, checked that she had money for a taxi as well as her wand, and then walked briskly out the door.
It was normally a twenty minute cab ride to the area near The Leaky Cauldron. She didn't want to sit in a cab quite yet either so she headed off in the direction of the wizarding establishment. She tried to take deep, calming breaths as she walked, clearing her mind of the task before her. She had no idea what was going on really. She didn't know what her costume would be, or whether things were going to be choreographed, or if they would dance by themselves, or if they'd do their own thing but with all of them together. The more she thought about how much she didn't know, the more anxious she got about it.
She'd walked about three miles before she realized that her pace had quickened and she was beginning to tire. No point wearing myself out too much before I get there, she thought as she stopped and looked around for a cab. Much to her amazement it only took a couple of minutes for a cab to appear. She gave the address and sat back for the ten minute ride. Once there, she paid the fare and jumped out of the cab almost immediately when it rolled to a stop. "Thank you," she called out quickly, dismissing the driver with a wave.
Once the cab was gone, she entered The Leaky Cauldron and apparated, without preamble, to Malfoy Manor. Upon arrival she was immediately ushered to the side entrance by an old sneering house elf. His expression was a remarkable impression of the one she remembered seeing on Draco's face for the seven years they were at Hogwarts and she laughed out loud at the comparison. The house elf looked at her oddly then led her down a long, quiet hallway and pointed her toward a room on the right. He never spoke and Hermione decided it was probably for the best, so she didn't question him as she walked the remaining steps and entered the room.
The moment she entered she could feel the excitement in the air. Hermione had shown up a half an hour early and all of the other girls were already there, along with Luna.
Ginny ran up to her and hugged her tightly the moment she heard the door close. "You made it!" she squealed. "Isn't this exciting?"
"Uh…yeah," Hermione stammered, taken completely off guard. She looked at Ginny and immediately smiled as the younger girl's energy and excitement seemed to seep through to her. She nodded her head, her eyes shining and replied, "Yes! It is exciting. I can't believe we're doing this."
"Well I still can't believe you're making that movie," Lavender said laughing as she approached them and pulled Hermione into a hug.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it," she muttered, laughing with her. "This is so wonderful, I haven't seen you guys in so long." She walked forward to give Parvati a hug and then looked woefully at Luna who was smiling brightly and looking quite of this world. She stepped toward her and gave her a huge hug. "I have something to tell you one of these days," she whispered in Luna's ear.
Luna pulled back and looked at her questioningly. Hermione nodded her head and blushed slightly. Luna tilted her head and stared at her a moment longer. "Very soon I hope," Hermione answered the girl's silent question.
Luna nodded and raised her arms to get everyone's attention. "Thank you girls for agreeing to do this. I know it won't be easy, but I will be forever indebted to each of you. A few of you have a guy out there of your own so I'm sure you understand how I feel about all of this."
Everyone, including Hermione, nodded their head in agreement. Then, realizing what she'd done, Hermione quickly caught herself and looked around at the other girls. Ginny and Luna were both watching her questioningly and she merely shrugged her shoulders and raised an eyebrow. "Caught up in the moment," she muttered softly.
Ginny watched her closely for another second then cleared her throat. "Okay, Draco got the costumes we'll be wearing for the evening. He's the only one who'll know who we are although he'll not recognize you because he doesn't know who's wearing what costume. The costumes are charmed so the person wearing them is unrecognizable to others. UNLESS," she emphasized, "you want them to know it's you. Which is how we'll be able to recognize each other once we're dressed." She pointed to a large bed about 15 feet away from them and they all walked over to find the costumes spread out beautifully atop the blankets.
"Take your pick," Ginny said, grabbing the bunny costume from the bed. "This is the one Draco picked specifically for me," she explained.
Luna picked up the lion costume, Parvati picked up the cat costume, and Lavender picked up the tiger. The material covering their legs and arms was see-thru in the colors of the animals they'd chosen. The main body of each costume was a two piece bikini with a thin stretch of the same clear material covering their stomachs. The costumes covered their entire bodies but managed to leave very little to the imagination. To top it off, each costume had a tail. "Once you're dressed, we'll pull your hair back into a slick ponytail and sprinkle glitter into it that will play against the lights Draco has set up on the stage," Luna said.
"Then we'll do makeup and a little easy choreography and we'll be ready," Ginny finished.
Hermione walked over to Ginny and touched her shoulder. "Uh, Ginny?" she asked. "Where's my costume? There aren't anymore."
Ginny smiled brilliantly at her and looked around at the other girls who were openly smirking. "You know Hermione," Ginny said conspiratorially, placing her arm around Hermione's shoulders, "since you're the only one without a guy out there, we have something special for you."
Hermione's hands began to wring nervously as she felt, more than saw, the other girls closing in around her.
"You know what would be really funny," Lavender piped in, a little too enthusiastically. Hermione felt a nervous twitch in her stomach as she realized she was being set up. She shook her head nervously from side to side. "I think you should dance for someone out there. You know, someone in particular. Anyone really," she added nonchalantly.
"Like Seamus," Parvati said eagerly.
Ginny shook her head. "Seamus would start sweating so badly and his accent would get so heavy that he wouldn't even be able to understand himself," she said.
The other girls began to laugh while Hermione stood frozen where she stood.
"What about Neville?"
"No, he might pee on himself," Lavender said laughing. "No offense to Neville, but he's not exactly the type of guy who would react well to a lap dance."
"Harry," Luna volunteered from somewhere behind the small crowd gathered around Hermione. The girls all turned to look at her and stepped back a little as Luna stepped forward. She stared right into Hermione's eyes. "How about Harry?"
The other girls quickly agreed. "Yeah, Hermione," Lavender said loudly. "We dare you to give Harry a lap dance."
"Come on guys," Hermione said in mild protest. Truthfully, she thought the idea was brilliant, especially knowing that Harry wouldn't be able to recognize her. "I can't give Harry a lap dance. He has a girlfriend. It wouldn't be right."
"Not according to Ron," Luna interjected. "They broke up yesterday."
Hermione looked at her in surprise. Maybe I should've hung around a little longer yesterday, she thought. "Well…I…." she stammered.
"There's no point in protesting too much Hermione," Ginny interrupted. "There's really no excuse not to do it. Unless of course, there's some other reason why you don't want to do it? Is there something you're not telling us?" she inquired.
"No," Hermione answered quickly. "I don't have any excuses or reasons. I'll do it." All of the girls exchanged knowing glances and Hermione looked at them all suspiciously. "Why do I have the feeling this is all a setup?" she asked to no one in particular.
Ginny placed a hand on her shoulder and winked. "Never Hermione," she said with a chuckle. "We'd never set you up on purpose."
"Hmph!" Hermione muttered. "So where's my costume?"
Ginny walked over to a closet next to the bed and pulled down a long black robe with a high collar. It looked like something Hermione had seen vampires wear in the old movies her mum used to watch.
She stared at it in disgust. "What is that thing supposed to be?" she asked hesitantly.
"This is just the cover," Ginny answered amiably.
Hermione eyed her suspiciously, almost afraid to ask the next question. "For what?"
"For this."
Hermione's eyes went wide and she gasped. Her hands went instinctively to cover her mouth and she began to giggle uncontrollably. "You've got to be kidding me," she somehow managed to choke out between hysterics.
Ginny smiled wide. "Nope."
"You want me to give Harry a lap dance wearing that?" she asked, still totally bewildered.
"He won't recognize you Hermione," Ginny said trying to reassure her.
She looked at Ginny with wide eyes. "Are you sure? What about Draco?"
"I told Draco that Luna would be wearing it to dance for Ron. So, since he'll be expecting to see her in it, he won't recognize you," she said firmly. "Trust me. The only woman Draco Malfoy will be recognizing out there is me."
Hermione laughed and slowly nodded her head. She'd lost the battle and she had no choice but to concede victory to the girls surrounding her…although she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that this had been planned from the beginning. "All right."
All the girls screamed and together threw their arms around her in a tight embrace.
"I can't believe it," Lavender squealed. "Hermione-Bookworm-Granger giving Harry The-Boy-Who-Lived Potter a lap dance! Thanks Luna."
Luna looked at her in surprise. "For what?"
"For allowing me to be here for this," Lavender replied as though answering the most stupid question she'd ever been asked.
The other girls laughed and Luna raised her hand and brushed them all aside. "Sure," she said as she walked away smiling.
The girls got ready quickly after Hermione finally agreed to wear the outfit Ginny had specifically picked out for her.
"Okay, this is how the stage is set up," Ginny said pointing to an area on the floor around them. For the next 45 minutes they practiced the opening part of the act. They would start out with a short routine and after that they'd be on their own.
Hermione was shaking with nervous anticipation. "Ginny?" she called to her friend.
"What is it?" Ginny asked, rubbing Hermione's shoulders in an effort to help calm her nerves.
"Are you sure he won't know it's me?" she asked nervously.
"Not unless you want him to," Ginny confirmed. "Since you and Harry haven't been intimate, I doubt that anything you do will make him recognize you. You have nothing to worry about, I promise. No one will know it's you. Why do you think I'm doing this? I'm Ron's sister, Hermione. How many sisters do you know who dance at their brother's bachelor party?"
Hermione looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean, 'since Harry and I haven't been intimate'?" she asked, ignoring Ginny's question and suddenly feeling anxious.
"Well, think about it Hermione. If you and Harry were intimate and you did something to him that maybe only you've done, he's likely to get a clue, don't you think?"
Hermione nodded slowly as she tried to process this new information. I really need to be careful out there!
"You have nothing to worry about. Won't it be neat though to see how he reacts to you?" Ginny asked. "You know, he may not recognize you as Hermione but however he reacts, he's still reacting to you. Only he won't know it! Sounds kind of cruel doesn't it?" she added with a whisper and a devilish grin.
"Yeah," Hermione replied distractedly, "cruel." He's not going to know it's me. I can do anything I want to him and he won't recognize me. This could be a great time to tell whether or not he really is in love with me or if he'll latch on to anything that comes his way. This could get really interesting!
A few moments later the girls were ushered out to stand behind the stage where they would be performing the first part of their act. The entire act came together surprisingly well and there was nervous excitement crackling in the air.
The four girls stepped up to their places and Hermione followed behind to hers. A large black curtain surrounded the stage and the girls giggled nervously one last time before they heard Draco speak.
"All right all you horny blokes," Draco began. "Now is the moment you've all been waiting for. Everyone settle down in those seats," he said pointing to a long row of chairs lined up around the stage. "The two in the middle are for Potter and Weaslebee," he added quickly. "And now, gentlemen, prepare to be entertained."
Everyone sat down quickly and stared eagerly at the stage. The room went dark and Draco pulled the curtain back slowly. The stage was dark and the silhouette of at least four girls could barely be seen by the faint light that shone from behind the row of men. The stage was round and Lavender, Ginny, Parvati, and Luna were lined up around the front with Hermione standing alone in the middle and to the back. They were holding onto poles and the circles they stood on rotated individually around the stage. With the push of a button the stage could rotate all the way around as well.
Together the four girls in front raised their arms and dropped them simultaneously. Brilliant colored lights, like fireworks, lit the dance floor. Together they raised their heads and looked out at the audience as the colors faded and the stage turned dark once more. The lone figure in the middle of the stage raised her arms and abruptly dropped them causing fluorescent lights to light the stage, bathing each of the five figures in their own personal spotlight. The girls in front rotated around their poles and kicked their legs high into the air, giving the men a small taste of what was to come. The boys hooted and hollered until the figure in the middle raised her arms and abruptly dropped them once more. The stage went completely dark and silently rotated until the lone girl standing in the center back was now standing at the front. She raised her head and a spotlight shined down on her. She was dressed in the black cape with the high collar, her face the only visible flesh.
She stood there silently, her eyes focused on the man sitting directly in front of her. Harry shifted in his seat though his eyes never left hers.
"Get on with it," Seamus shouted from a few seats away.
Hermione shook her head and took a deep breath. She raised her arms in front of her, the cloak rising with her. She threw her arms apart and the cloak flew to the back of her body, the clasp at her throat keeping it from falling to the floor. A collective gasp filled the room as her body was displayed for all to see. She was the seductress. She wore a tight, black leather bustier and tight, short leather bottoms. Unlike the others, she'd been left bare. Nothing covered her legs, torso, or arms. She wore high-heeled, calf-length leather boots and a leather collar. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and attached to her hip was a leather whip. Shouts and whistles echoed around the room. She reached up to unclasp the cloak and pulled it magnificently around to the front of her. She eyed Harry once more and whipped it toward him. Without removing his eyes from hers he caught it and pulled it onto his lap.
Ron smiled and clapped him on the shoulder while a few others protested, shouting, "he's not the guest of honor!" And "What's going on here? Why's she looking at Harry? This is Ron's night!"
Ron stood up briefly and told them to all pipe down. It wasn't like he cared if this woman wanted Harry. He had Luna after all. Hermione smiled as she thought about how wonderful Luna must be feeling at that moment. She'd have to remember to kiss Ron later for that.
Hermione raised her arms again and the rest of the stage lit up. As she dropped her arms the poles disappeared to be replaced by barstools which appeared next to each of the girls. They placed their hands on them and turned in slow, sensuous in circles, their arses high in the air. The men began their hooting and hollering again.
The dance routine went on for about ten more minutes then the stage went black again. Next, a dim trail of lights lit the stage down the center and across the floor to where Harry sat. Hermione walked onto the stage and followed the trail until she stood before him. She grabbed the cloak and flung it unceremoniously across the room. Slow, seductive music began to play loudly, the bass pulsating around the room. She placed a booted foot on his chair between his legs. At that moment the other girls entered and began to dance seductively around the other men as Hermione concentrated solely on the man before her.
She stomped down on his chair to ensure she had his attention. When she was sure she did, she inched her foot forward until it made contact with his crotch. She smiled provocatively as she lowered her foot to the floor and raised her arms into the air. She slowly lowered her body as she swayed her hips from side to side with the rhythm of the music. When she was nearly eye level with him she leaned forward to shake her breasts.
Harry felt himself begin to grow hard almost instantly. He'd always kind of prided himself on his self-control but there was something about this girl that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He'd only discovered in the last few days that there was one woman-only one-who could make him lose his self control before he even realized he needed it. Hermione. He watched the woman before him closely and although he could see no visible sign that the woman was Hermione, he couldn't keep himself from wondering.
Knees still bent she turned herself around and began rotating her hips again slowly, seductively as she raised herself up. Without realizing what he was doing, Harry reached up and placed his hand on her arse. For a moment she was taken aback. She was confident that he didn't recognize her and she couldn't believe that he would actually touch a stranger in that way just because she was dancing was for him. She turned back around and strutted purposefully behind his chair, determined to find out just how far he'd go. She ran her fingers through his hair and trusted that if he didn't recognize her looks, he wouldn't recognize her voice. "What do you want?" she whispered.
Harry turned his head back towards her, his hot breath tickling the side of her neck. "What do you have to offer?" he whispered back. He reached up and touched her face and she instantly closed her eyes at the feel of the gentle contact.
Her heart spoke before her mind had a chance to register her words. "Everything you'll ever need," she replied softly.
"Dance for me," he said hoarsely. She hadn't done anything yet…not really. But still the passion burned in him. She leaned forward and closed her eyes, gently touching his lips with hers. Tears filled the corner of her eyes as he tried desperately to pull her closer and deepen the kiss. He doesn't even know it's me! She thought angrily. All right Mr. Potter, you want me to dance? I'll dance.
Still enjoying the feeling of his hand against her cheek and his lips pressed to hers, she reluctantly pulled away from him. Before she stood, she looked into his desire-filled eyes and resolved to make him suffer for it.
"Give me your hands," she said demanded softly. "Down here." She pressed her hands against his arse and for reasons unknown he gave them to her. She pulled the whip from her hip and tied his hands behind his back. His cock twitched at the anticipation of what was to come. He was sure now that it was her and as far as he was concerned, she could torture him all she wanted. He'd just have to be sure she didn't find out he knew the truth until it was over. He could just imagine her jealousy and he began to smile as he anticipated the sex that was sure to come later when she thought she'd have to prove to him that she's the one he's wanted all along. Oh yes, Hermione, let's do this.
When she finished tying him up she stood behind him and raked her fingers down his chest and roughly over his nipples. His body convulsed of its own accord. She nibbled on his earlobe then ran her finger down the side of his cheek as she moved back to the front of him.
"Do you like what you see?" she asked.
"More than you know," he replied.
She raised her eyebrows at him and started to rub her hands across her stomach and down her thighs as she began to dance once more. Harry licked his lips when her hand ran slowly up between her legs and up her stomach until it reached her breasts. She moved forward, straddled his lap, and pressed up against him as she continued the slow movements of her hips. Harry laid his head back and sighed heavily. His breath coming in short gasps as she reached around behind him to rub his back and as much of his arse as she could reach. Her breasts were in his face and he nipped at the place where they swelled above the bustier. Harry began to fight at the whip that held his hands, desperate to feel her skin, to rub his hands all over her body. To take her right there in that semi-darkened room. He didn't care that all of their friends were there or that none of them would recognize this sexy seductress as Hermione. They'd all think he'd gone mad…and in all honesty, that wouldn't be far from the truth.
Hermione found that sensitive spot at the base of his throat and began to suckle it until Harry was worked into a frenzy. Anxious to get out of his bindings, he closed his eyes and concentrated as much of his magical ability as he could into breaking them. When at last his hands were free he grabbed her. His hands were on her back, pushing her shorts down slightly as his hands searched for the soft flesh of her arse. Unable to get his hands as far as he would have liked, he moved them to the front and teased her hardened nipples through the bustier. She threw her head back and moaned loudly as the sensations coursed through her and settled in her core.
She pressed harder against his erection, desperate for any feel of him. She needed him inside her. She took his hand and placed it between her legs and began rubbing it back and forth across her clit. He grabbed her head forcefully and pulled her into a burning, searing kiss as his hand rubbed her harder and harder through the leather shorts. She moaned into his mouth as she moved her arse up and down with the rhythm he'd set with his hand. Harry halted his movements when he felt something…something different. Slowly he moved his fingers back and forth between her legs until he found it again. The shorts she was wearing had a zipper that ran from halfway up the back to halfway up the front. Frantically he reached for the end and slowly he unzipped it, freeing her, opening her to his touch. His fingers entered her immediately and she cried out against his shoulder. By now she'd forgotten all about being angry with him for going so far with a stranger and gave herself over to him completely.
"Ah!" she cried in ecstasy. She began pumping up and down against his fingers and her head fell back, exposing the skin on her chest. Harry kissed the silky smoothness of her breasts where they swelled through the top of the bustier. He nipped and licked and kissed every part of her that his mouth could reach and she writhed against him in pure ecstasy…their friends long since forgotten.
Her orgasm was coming fast and she leaned forward into his shoulder as the first wave hit her. Harry pumped her harder and she bit his shoulder to keep from screaming too loudly. He could feel the vibration of her screams against his shoulder and through his arms, down his chest and stomach until it settled in his already throbbing cock.
"Oh my God, Hermione," he whispered unthinkingly.
She raised her head and looked questioningly into his eyes. The smile that dawned on her face hit him square in the heart. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him with the most passionate, intense, fiery, unforgettable kiss imaginable.
When she finally stopped clenching around his fingers, he slowly pulled them out of her and zipped her shorts carefully. He wanted to take her right there. It would be so easy to unzip his pants and slide right into her. But he didn't. He gathered every ounce of self control that he could muster and made sure the zipper on her shorts was closed all the way. He placed his still wet fingers against her chest then licked behind them, unable to control his desire to taste her. He put his fingers in the air and looked at her questioningly. She smiled then sucked them into her mouth, much like she had his erection only the day before. He knew the power of that mouth and although they were his fingers, he couldn't help but to be envious on behalf of his cock.
Hermione moaned as she tasted herself on his fingers. She sucked his fingers into her mouth once more while she stared deliberately into his eyes. She released him with a little bite to his fingertips then their mouths crashed together in a Hermione-flavored, endorphin-inducing kiss.
Reluctantly they pulled away. "That was quite a performance," he whispered next to her ear.
"It's too bad it has to be the last," she whispered back miserably. She stood up from his lap and walked away quickly.
She practically ran back to the room she'd been taken to upon arrival. When she got inside she slammed the door and leaned heavily against it. She placed her hands over her face and slid down the door until she landed with a thump on the floor. "Ow!" she groaned, leaning forward so she could rub her back. "Bare skin on wood…not too bright there Hermione."
She folded her legs against her stomach and laid her head down on them with her hands crossed at her ankles. She began banging her head against her knees. "Stupid," she muttered. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."
She raised her head and intentionally banged it against the door. "I'm getting myself in too deep," she said aloud to herself. "God I love him. All I want is to be with him. I don't know how he knew it was me, but do I really want this to be all about sex if he can't offer me more?" She banged her head against the door again then dropped it heavily to her knees. She raised her hands to her hair and yanked out the elastic holding her ponytail and threw it as hard as she could across the room. She put her hands back to her hair and fluffed it out. She hated the feel of it plastered to her head that way. She abruptly stood up and grabbed her clothes. There was a shower in the room and she was determined to use it before she left. She wondered briefly what would happen to leather if she were to take it in the shower with her. She was pretty sure she couldn't return it to Ginny in its current state.
She shrugged her shoulders and headed for the shower. She turned on the water and the moment she stepped into the tub her body fell limply against the shower wall. She didn't cry. There were no tears to be shed for anything that had happened. If nothing else, Hermione Granger was tough. She'd never cry out of self pity and right now there was no one else to blame for what she was feeling. If for only a moment, the feel of the water pelting softly against her skin soothed her spirit. She stood up tall and resolved herself, for now, to whatever fate had in store for her. She loved Harry and she realized now that the dangerous games she'd begun could potentially be her own undoing. Trying to 'make' Harry want her was the wrong way to go about things, and it was time to take a big step back and put some distance between them.
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Hermione stood in the doorway and looked back at the costume she laid neatly upon the bed. Her smile was tender as she thought about Harry and the way she'd walked away from him. They either needed to talk or she needed to find the strength to walk away before she got in any deeper. She could no longer bear to think their relationship would work on only a physical level. She needed more.
She stepped through the door with tears stinging the corners of her eyes and closed it softly behind her.
"Hermione," Harry said quietly from where he stood barely an arm's length away.
Hermione looked up in surprise. "Harry, I..."
He didn't wait for her to finish. He stepped forward quickly and grasped her hand. "Hermione, don't," he said tenderly. He placed his hand gently against her cheek and pulled her close.
She tried half-heartedly to pull away from him. So much of her wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms and lose herself in all that he had to offer…no matter how little it might be. The logical part of her, the part she needed to listen to now, told her that if she allowed herself to get lost in him this time, there was a chance she'd never make it back. "Harry I can't do this," she said firmly, determined to put some distance between them before it was too late.
She raised her hand to pull his away from her cheek. She looked into his eyes and he could see the heartbreak...and an overwhelming sense of guilt swept through him. Why do I feel guilty, he wondered. She started this. She put us on this path.
But do you want to stay on this path? His inner voice questioned.
Yes! Harry thought after only a brief moment's hesitation. He grabbed Hermione and before she could react he pulled her into a fiery kiss.
He wasn't prepared to tell her he loved her, but he wanted her to feel through his touch, through his kiss, that he wanted to try. That he wanted to be more than just her friend.
She fought against him and he pulled her in tighter and deepened his kiss.
Hermione moaned and for a brief moment relinquished herself to him...as the world around them disappeared.