Title: A girl like me

Genre: Romance, Slight humour? You be the judge.

Author: Curse Weaver

Rating: M Just to be safe.

Summary: At Hermione’s graduation ball she decides to finally give in to a certain school governor’s advances. Against the odds she fell fast and hard for the sneaky Slytherin but has her denial and refusal done more damage than good? The gorgeous brunette on his arm gives her the impression the damage is beyond repair. PRE-HBP

Author’s notes: My very first challenge fic. My first one-shot. My second ever story! Well, I’m suffering writer’s block from hell and Amaya gave me a nice little remedy. Here you go and hope you all enjoy it. Challenge was to write a one-shot, pairing of my choice using the song “A girl like me” by Rihanna. Having never heard the song… I’m just going by lyrics. Pairing is sort of obvious for me and although “put me in there somewhere” isn’t what she had in mind… I give you my version of Amaya. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t how I perceive her… this is me having fun creating a character in her mischievous image. Might use her in dreams, never know.

A girl like me -

Hermione Granger stood at the base of the grand staircase, staring into the distance and absently smoothing out the silk of her new grey dress robes. Hermione tried to think of a time she felt less comfortable but couldn’t. Her robes were exquisite, she knew this having heard a gushing hour of compliments from the elderly lady at Gladrags as she was pinned, tucked, and fitted.

Her robes were fitted under her breasts and pushed said breasts up to the point she couldn’t look down without wincing. Hermione mumbled under her breath as she slid her right hand around her flat stomach to her left hip in a semblance of a self hug.

Harry and Ron were already inside the great hall with their dates for the evening. Shockingly, Harry was accompanied by Pansy Parkinson who he had been sharing interesting pillow talk with the previous year leading to Voldemort’s downfall. It had been only a month since the most evil wizard ever to have lived had died at the hands of a seventeen year old and many surprises had followed.

Pansy was privy to inside information being her father’s only child. Either out of conscience or love, she decided to share everything she knew with the boy who lived and coupled with the Malfoys who came straight to Dumbledore with the death of Narcissa… Voldemort hadn’t stood a chance.

The pendulum tilted in Harry’s favour the moment Lucius Malfoy left Azkaban and pledged his service to the Order of the Phoenix. Being a school governor, Dumbledore thought it safest to offer Lucius room and board inside Hogwarts with his son and put him to work with Hermione deciphering the many dark texts and journals Lucius had stored for his “Master.”

Lucius turned out to be highly intelligent, cunning, and had an amazing ability to read between the lines and pick out details that Hermione herself hadn’t noticed. Between the two of them, they located and obliterated the last four horcruxes. The night they travelled to number twelve Grimmauld Place to search for Slytherin’s locket…

Hermione’s eyes glazed over as she stood alone at the base of the grand staircase and remembered the first night he showed interest in her.

FLASHBACK –

Hermione flew out of the fireplace, landing braced on her elbows with her nose an inch from the dirty carpet under her. She let out a scream as Lucius’ cane landed right beside her right hand and a muscular body ploughed into her. She could almost appreciate the awkwardness of the situation, almost. A white hot pain was radiating up her leg from where Lucius’ knee landed in her thigh and her hair was tangled in the top button of his robes.

“I told you not to jerk away from me you silly little girl! The way you act, you would think I’m going to murder you any second!” Lucius said while attempting to roll off of Hermione but froze at her scream. Hermione was extremely tender-headed and he was yanking her hair out of her scalp!

Hermione whimpered and explained, “You have my hair caught in something. Can you get it out?” She dropped her forehead to the floor with a clunk and promptly sneezed, sending vibrations through both of their bodies which caused Lucius to tense and grab for his cane over her shoulder, in turn yanking her hair again.

“Ouch! Do you honestly have to be so rough?” Hermione whined and kicked up her left leg, hitting Lucius on the inside of his left thigh with her heel.

Lucius jerked and hissed, “Be still!” in Hermione’s ear as he made a mad grab for his wand and in one smooth flick, severed at least 4 inches off of her hair. As he was rolling off of her Hermione felt something… strange. Now Hermione’s knowledge of the male body was limited at best but even she knew Lucius was unlikely to have a flashlight in his pocket.

The rest of that night was tense and strained and she kept catching Lucius staring at her with one eyebrow raised and a look of contemplation on his cursed perfect face.

END FLASHBACK –

Hermione was snapped out of her daze as her name was called and looked up the stairs to see Luna Lovegood walking slowly down the stairs towards her. “Hermione, you look wonderful tonight, why aren’t you at the dance?”

Hermione couldn’t resist smiling at the unusual witch whom she had come to like a great deal. “Hello Luna, you look lovely yourself. Are you going to the dance?” Hermione asked her, Luna was a 6th year Ravenclaw and only 7th years were allowed to attend the dance unless they had dates.

“Oh yes, Neville invited me. He couldn’t find a date and asked me this morning. I’m glad I had my old dress robes cleaned last week. Professor Trelawney told me I would need them soon.” Luna explained. She was wearing sunshine yellow dress robes with the strangest red sash Hermione had ever seen. It was covered in suns and little creatures Hermione couldn’t identify and they were gliding over the sash as if they were alive.

“Have I told you I love your hair shorter? It looks much curlier and it bounces when you walk.” Luna told Hermione with a thoughtful look on her face. Hermione subconsciously ran a hand through her curls which she left down for tonight because he told her he liked it that way.

Hermione shook her head and smiled at Luna while holding out her arm. “Thank you Luna, want to accompany me into the great hall? Neville is probably already there.”

The girls linked arms and walked into the great hall while Luna told Hermione all about the labstrenezles, little fairies who live in long hair and love nothing more than tangling your hair as soon as you’ve brushed it. Hermione couldn’t hold back a smile at yet another outrageous story of creatures that didn’t exist.

One look toward the dance floor and that smile slid off of her face and her jaw clenched. Lucius Malfoy was dancing very closely with a long legged, slender witch with perfect hair.

Excusing herself from Luna, she hurried to the concession table and partially hid behind a tall Hufflepuff whose name she couldn’t remember.

“You aren’t obsessed with your looks Hermione, you sparkle without the spells and makeup.”; “If only Narcissa had had your brains, I would have stayed home for the conversation and would have never become a Death Eater to begin with.”; “You are probably right, you always are. I wouldn’t change anything.”; “Would you STOP playing hard to get! You know very well you want this as much as I do!”

Lucius’ words kept running through her head as she watched him dip the beautiful woman low and her heart stopped. He hadn’t meant them, he wanted her in his bed, true, but that was all he had wanted. Well, two can play this game.

While Hermione was glaring daggers at Lucius and his date, the literal son of the devil had snuck up behind her and noticed exactly where she was glaring. Draco had his lips to her ear and exhaled a deep, “Boo!” before she knew he was there.

Hermione spun around so quickly she bumped into Draco who crashed into the table, sending the punch bowl and several platters full of sweets and cakes tumbling to the floor. Draco, being the idiot he was, found this exceedingly hilarious as he caught Hermione and pulled her to his chest. Draco Malfoy absolutely loved being the centre of attention and smirked down at the flustered witch in his arms.

“Now Granger, if you wanted to cuddle you needed only to ask! Come on, I want to introduce you to someone.” Draco smirked and began dragging her onto the dance floor. Hermione dug her heels in and did her best to stop his progress as she realized exactly where they were headed.

Hermione’s face was blood red as she looked up and saw Lucius and his companion regarding their progress from the middle of the dance floor. Lucius had that blasted eyebrow raised and a smirk on his lips while the beautiful woman hanging on his arm was practically beaming at her.

In a last ditch effort to get Draco to change direction Hermione did the only thing she could think of to get his attention, she pinched him. She pinched him hard. She pinched him on the arse.

Several things happened in rapid succession. Draco Malfoy screamed, much like a girl and yelled, “Bloody hell Granger! Keep your nails out of my arse!” Lucius Malfoy’s brow dropped, his lips formed a tight line and he looked furious. The woman with Lucius looked slightly shocked but amused and the rest of the great hall burst into laughter. Ok so pinching Draco Malfoy’s arse got his attention alright but not in the way she planned for he was only feet from his Father now. He hadn’t even slowed down.

‘Okay, so this could be worse. I could have pinched Voldemort’s arse.’ Hermione thought to herself as she was jerked to a halt in front of the couple. One looked murderous, like a pissed off angel of vengeance and she had a feeling he was going to give her an earful. The woman with Lucius on the other hand was captivating up close.

The woman had to be around Lucius’ age, or had a very tough time growing up for she held herself with a crisp sophistication you only find in older pureblood women or someone who conquered incredible odds. Her eyes though; they held a sparkle much like Dumbledore’s and she radiated mischief. Hermione was shocked to feel herself drawn to this woman who was dancing with the man she had planned on making hers by the end of the night. Fate was bloody cruel and could bite Hermione’s arse.

The woman was talking, and her voice was deep and seductive, even to Hermione and Hermione had never had any type of attraction toward other women before.

“So this is the young woman I’ve heard so much about Luc?” she said while staring Hermione down. Hermione jerked her hand away from Draco and thrust it in the woman’s direction while forcing a smile.

“I’m Hermione Granger, and you are?” while shaking the woman’s elegant hand.

Hermione heard a snort from Lucius’ direction but ignored it and continued staring the woman down as she covered their joined hands with her other and pulling Hermione closer. “I’ve heard such wonderful things about you love. I’m Amaya and I suppose I owe part of my freedom to you.” Amaya said with a smile.

‘Her teeth are perfect. Great Merlin, would one part of this woman not be perfect?’ Hermione thought while edging back a little. “What do you mean your freedom, and don’t you have a last name?”

Amaya smiled that blasted perfect smile again and explained, “Oh, I did dear. My parents however were naughty little Death Eaters and disowned me when I blew up their house. So just Amaya would be wonderful, come and walk with me darling.”

Hermione was reluctant to just leave with this woman she didn’t know but as she looked back and saw the face of Lucius smirking at her she stuck her tongue out at him and turned her back, giving Amaya her undivided attention.

The taller woman had Hermione’s arm in a tight grip and was walking slowly toward the doors as she said, “Tell me Hermione, you don’t mind that I call you Hermione right?” After literally leaving Hermione no chance to reply she rushed on. “What exactly is it between you and our Lucius?”

Hermione instantly bristled at the term ‘our Lucius’ and instantly drew the wrong conclusion. In hindsight, it was a very stupid thing to assume but the only thing Hermione was thinking was ‘How could he love someone like me when he has someone like her?’ Therefore her automatic response was, “There is nothing between us, and we simply worked together.”

Amaya’s eyebrows shot into her perfect hair and she drew Hermione to a halt on the steps outside Hogwarts. Perhaps Hermione was a trying person, who knows. Apparently Amaya was at the end of her rope and had heard first hand of Hermione’s denial. “Now you listen Hermione, and you listen well. No man will put up with a tease for long. If you want him you had better stand up and say so because I will tell you right now, men like Lucius are one in a lifetime. Be stubborn if you wish, but I can tell you from experience you will end up regretting it for the rest of your life.”

Amaya gave Hermione one last look which softened considerably before turning and rushing back into Hogwarts.

‘Ok, obviously Amaya isn’t with Lucius.’ Hermione started back into the school but stopped. ‘Bad idea Hermione, the crowd is huge and do you really want an audience when you humiliate yourself?’ She needn’t have worried. The front doors were opening and out came Lucius with that superior smirk on his face.

“So, are you ready to cease your stubborn hard to get act, my dear, or would you prefer to tell me the death glares you threw Amaya all night were simply indigestion?” Hermione winced at his silky tone. The one he used to get under her skin and oh Merlin was it working.

‘Well, time to swallow your pride and get it over with old girl!’ Hermione braced herself by looking at his shiny black boots and quietly said, “I’m sorry. I meant to tell you tonight but I thought Amaya was here with you and well…” she trailed off and just stood waiting for his response.

A deep chuckle met her ears and she looked up to see laughter dancing in his usually cold grey eyes. “You weren’t jealous, were you my dear?” he asked while capturing her arms and dragging her petite body against his much larger one.

Hermione immediately stiffened in anger and opened her mouth to yell at him when his lips covered her own. She issued an undignified squeak which was caught in his mouth and whimpered as his tongue took advantage of her surprise to dance seductively against her own.

As far as first kisses go it was far from tender but Hermione felt she owed him that much for having held out almost a year.

With bruised lips she pulled back and whispered, “How could you want…” but he stopped her with a single gloved finger over her lips and replied, “A girl like you?” with a smile.

Hermione nodded and tried to drop her head to hide her sudden blush. “Hermione, look at me. Amaya is one of my closest friends and has been since our Hogwarts days. There never was and will never be anything between us other than a deep affection and almost sibling love.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed.” Hermione said as she laid her head against his shoulder and smiled.

Lucius’ deep chuckle resounded against her ear as he whispered to her, “I have all I’ll ever need. Now let me spend the rest of our lives proving that to you, my dear.”

As their lips met once again, two sets of mischievous eyes disappeared behind the school’s door and it closed with a soft click.