Round 6, Challenge #1: Voting
Confused about which fork to use? Generally speaking, you start with the outermost one, and work your way in. Don’t forget to put your napkin in your lap … It’s time for the week one Feast of Love!
Welcome all to the sumptuous buffet of "Great Food."
A couple of things to remember when deciding which drabbles to vote for (most and least favorite):
Guidelines:
As a voter, you have the option of leaving a brief statement about why you voted the way you did, for both most and least favorite. Your feedback will then be given to the drabble writer (if they want the feedback) ANONYMOUSLY.
Example: Most - #40: the ending was brilliant - OR - Least - #57: the ending fell flat
Please remember writers, that you may not vote for yourselves.
Here we go for week one!
Choose your favorite and least favorite drabbles. Favorites will receive +1 point per vote, and least favorites -1 point per vote.
Voting ends at 11:59pm, Friday, February 19th.
"Great food is like great sex. The more you have the more you want." ~Gael Greene
Drabbles MUST incorporate EITHER picture OR quote, though writers MAY do both.
1
Title: The Dreaded Pie
Author: hpfangirl71
Rating: PG 13
Warning(s): Very brief sexual scene, light bantering and experimental cooking
Word Count: 337
“So what’s for dessert?” Draco quipped as Hermione came out of the kitchen carrying a dish that had a lovely apple smell.
“It’s Pralie Apple Pie!” she stated proudly.
Draco looked at the golden pie before him and inhaled its wonderful scent.
“A traditional Irish dish made of apples and potatoes” she continued.
Draco looked at the pie with a sudden feeling of dread. He was used to his wife’s experiments in the manner of cuisine but this was utterly baffling.
“You put potatoes in an apple pie? I think I’ll pass on dessert.” he informed her.
“Draco Malfoy! Don’t you dare turn your nose up at my pie until you’ve at least tried it!”
“But Mione, its potato… in an apple pie! You really don’t expect me to eat that!” he whined. He flashed her a sexy smirk in a valiant effort to dissuade her.
“It won’t hurt you to try something different for once! When it comes to the bedroom, you’re all into experimenting but when it comes to your palate…” she let out an exasperated huff, as her anger rose at the stubborn blonde she had married.
“Well of course love, that’s sex not my stomach.” he smiled cockily at her.
He made her so angry and it wasn’t fair that he used his devilish good looks to win every argument. Instead, she decided to use bribery in order to get her way.
“Well…” she cooed in his ear, “If you take a chance on my pie then maybe I’ll take one after dessert, if you get what I‘m saying.” she blew lightly in his ear and continued. “After all, there must be some dirty little fantasy in that head of yours that you’d love to try out.”
With that as encouragement, Draco resolutely took a bite of the dubious pie. An image of Hermione naked, covered in honey, and handcuffed to the bedpost was working its way into his mind. Yes, it seemed that some experiments were well worth taking a chance on.
2
Title:Second Thoughts
Author: fourth_drink
Rating:PG
Warning(s):None
Word Count:205
"What are you doing, Malfoy?"
Draco threw a glance towards the witch hovering over him.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm plotting Pottyboy's demise."
Hermione could feel the steam rising up from her head.
"Malfoy!"
"Hell, Granger! I'm chopping the bloody apple!"
"That's not how you chop, Malfoy! You're going to ruin the potion if you don't do it properly!"
"Then why don't you bloody do it!"
"I think I will!"
"Fine!"
Draco picked up the remaining half of the apple and bit off a hunk of it.
"MALF-!"
Draco threw caution (and all semblance to sanity) to the wind and shoved the apple into Hermione Granger's mouth.
Hermione angrily took a bite, lest she choke on the damned thing.
The two nemeses glared at each other, both chewing away in silence.
"Out with it, Granger. What's got your knickers in such a twist?"
Hermione scowled at him.
"Nothing, Malfoy."
"Stop lying to me."
Draco stared down Hermione until she finally relented, her shoulders sinking slightly.
"I'm sorry...really...I'm just-"
"Having second thoughts?"
Hermione looked up at him, afraid of how he would take it.
Draco pulled her towards him and kissed her, seeking out the warmth of her mouth.
"Still having second thoughts?", he whispered breathlessly against her ear.
Hermione shook her head slowly.
"No...but-"
"But what?"
Hermione leaned back and smiled mischievously.
"But you really were hacking that apple to pieces and-"
Draco kissed her again, shutting her up effectively.
Oh, how he loved potions with the Gryffindors!
Well, with one Gryffindor in particular.
3
Title: Lost, Found
Author: terrayn
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): some profanity
Word Count: 496
When they see the endless dunes of the desert they are portkeyed to, only a canteen and one green apple between them, they agree to split the burden.
Hermione is so far past hunger she hears throbbing beneath sore ribs and is used to its unsteady cadence. "One slice," she says.
Malfoy passes her with limping footfalls. "No."
"One bite, then."
"No."
"Malfoy," she snaps, jerking to a halt. "I'm going to faint in the next ten minutes. What's the point if we're too weak to eat it?"
A fist spasms against his thigh, and he turns, face burnt, contorted in a facsimile of condescension. "You mean, if you're too weak."
"Right," she says, voice thick with scorn and dry heat. "Between the two of us, I'm clearly the selfish one."
"We agreed tomorrow-"
"We won't last that long!" she shouts, hoarse. "The water's gone," she throws the empty canteen into the sand, "so we've got what? A day, two at most?"
Malfoy clenches his jaw and lurches toward her, digging callused fingers into her arm. "I don't have time for childish histrionics. We have to keep moving."
A horrifying epiphany dawns on her. "Oh my god," she breathes. "You ate it, didn't you?"
He flinches, as if slapped. "That's the kind of man you think I am?"
It's worse than listening to a voice cracking from thirst, low and hollow in a way that has nothing to do with three days in an arid wasteland. Her first thought is retreat, but she's already trudged through miles of changeless desert, punishment for a mistake so amateur she'd Avada herself if she weren't already dying, while he's been silent, a beacon of sanctimonious suffering, and there's only so much she can take.
"I don't know," she answers. "Show me. Prove me wrong."
Malfoy's grip is so tight their bones gnash together, a dull pain she welcomes. "So the entire time, this whole partnership," he snarls, "this is what you really thought of me. All those times you said you trusted me, you were really thinking, fuck you. I'm good enough to track Dark artefacts with, and get pissed and shag in secret, but not-"
"What are you on about?" she yells.
"You fucked up, Granger. And I didn't say anything, because you were already flogging yourself. But you can't handle being in the wrong, can you?"
"You're mad-"
She rears when he yanks her close, pressing something brittle between her teeth. It bursts juicy and sweet in her parched mouth, ecstasy, but Malfoy is walking away and she discovers that lashing out at the man she trusts-may one day love-more than anyone hurts magnitudes worse than stupidly touching a Dark artefact.
Hermione runs and clutches fistfuls of sandy shirt. "Draco, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
She wants to apologize for what remains of forever but he takes her hands, heart in her throat choking sound, and then continues walking and doesn't let go.
4
Title: All Good Girls Deserve...
Author: vox_rowan
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): a few Magical swears, implied sex
Word Count: 414
“Niume’s tits, that was good, Granger.”
Hermione watched Draco stretch himself in the fading amber hues of summer sunset, a lean, pale, self-satisfied cat. The bedroom was too small to contain their passions and disagreements but it was the only flat they’d been able to find with a short term lease and a view of the ocean.
“Must you really swear so crudely?” she groused, turning over and propping up on her elbows.
“After that romp you expect me to be mannerly and polite, you savage little Gryffindor?” Draco replied, raising an eyebrow. His slender fingers skated along the light sheen of sweat that coated her back and he lifted them to his mouth to taste. Hermione repressed a shiver at the caress and the sight of his tongue flicking delicately over his fingertips.
She huffed air between her lips and pushed her mass of brown curls back in frustration, “It’s just that this feels sordid enough without you adding your special touch.”
“Right,” he bit the word out and shifted off the bed, tugging his pants on before heading towards the door.
“Draco! I didn’t mean to imply-I mean I know that-“
“There’s nothing sordid about this for me, Granger. You’re the one who wanted to run away from home. I just wanted you.”
She hung her head as the door closed with finality.
******
“Oh, my... oh my... mm, this is soooo good, Merlin’s balls this is good” Hermione moaned, closing her eyes with bliss.
Draco snorted, “Hypocrite. And you call me sordid. Nothing less pleasant than thinking about that old codger’s hairy balls.”
Hermione looked up at him and opened her mouth to begin a heartfelt apology, when Draco jammed another bite of the apple tart they were sharing into her mouth. Her eyes closed in rapture once again as she chewed the pastry which was a blend of light, buttery crust and well-spiced apples. She knew that he had probably raced to the little bakery where they sometimes ate breakfast in order to get a fresh pie before close.
“After you’ve finished your nosh, Granger, you can show me how sorry you are with the same enthusiasm you’re expending on chewing,” he remarked dryly. Hermione nodded, helplessly caught in the throes of the perfect sugar rush.
“Yes, I promise, I will just don’t stop!”
Draco laughed and put another forkful into her mouth, “And see, Granger? I can be wholesome. As wholesome as good, ol’ homemade American apple pie.”
5
Title: Change of Plans
Author: bookishwench
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): innuendo
Word Count: 468
“I thought you had to work this weekend,” Hermione said, startled, when she opened her flat’s door to find Draco standing on the steps.
“Complaining?” he asked, giving her a sly grin as he stepped inside.
“Only if your clothes stay on for longer than the next five minutes,” she said, shutting the door behind him with an abrupt bang and pouncing on him before he could even take his coat off.
“Easy there,” he said, eventually getting her at arm’s length. “Control yourself, woman! You’ll bruise the merchandise at this rate. Besides, we have plans.”
“And what plans might those be?” she asked with a pout. “More importantly, do they agree with my previously mentioned and highly brilliant suggestion of rapid nudity?”
“You’re insatiable! I shagged you not five hours ago,” Draco said, feigning shock.
“And I ate not five hours ago yet am hungry again right now,” she shot back, wrapping her arms tighter around him and edging them towards the stairway that led to her bedroom. “Complaining?”
“Not on your life, but hold on for just a few more seconds, pet,” he said, laughing, then produced a fountain pen from his pocket and glanced at the hallway clock. Quickly, he grabbed her hand and joined it with his on the pen.
The familiar pull behind her navel told her that the Portkey was sending them somewhere, and fairly far from the time it was taking, but she couldn’t help being a little disappointed that this obviously meant they weren’t going to be heading upstairs as quickly as she’d hoped.
When the swirl of colors stopped, though, she was more than pleased with their destination. They were inside an extremely posh hotel suite by the look of things. On a gorgeous dining room table sat dishes of roast chicken, salad, hot rolls, and chocolate frosted cake. An open doorway beyond revealed a bathroom with a heart-shaped Jacuzzi, foaming over with bubbles and sprinkled with crimson rose petals, a bowl of strawberries and whipped cream resting on its brim. The bedroom itself was dominated by an almost embarrassingly large and opulent bed, decorated in highly refined satins and velvets.
“Where are we?” she asked, her jaw dropping open as she looked out the window at the skyscrapers and twinkling lights of the city around them.
“New York City,” Draco said, obviously pleased at her reaction. “Curuthers in International Travel owed me a favor. Now what was it you said about being highly disappointed if I wasn’t naked in less than five minutes?”
“And you’ve got exactly ten seconds left,” she said, pulling her wand from her sleeve and brandishing it in a flourish. “Accio clothes!”
As she raced him to the gigantic bed, Hermione was absolutely sure she was going to love being in the Big Apple.
6
Title: The Art of Seduction
Author: open_atclose
Rating: R
Warning(s): Naked Draco, kissing, sexual insinuations.
Word Count: 484
"Draco, do you think we've become too comfortable in our sex habits?" Hermione asked nonchalantly as she sat beside him in bed, the latest issue of Witch Weekly held in front of her nose. Draco scoffed, not looking up from his own magazine, Quidditch Today.
"Of course not! Malfoy's don't get comfortable with sex, Malfoy's are always wild and young and spontaneous," he replied absently.
Making a small noise in the back of her throat, Hermione put the magazine down on her lap and frowned slightly, her mouth twisting in concentration. "Well according to this magazine, after around three years in a relationship, the couple usually begins to fall into a routine, a rut if you will, and I'm starting to see that same pattern with us. We don't have nearly as much sex as we used to, and while it's always wonderful, there just doesn't seem to be the same spark that we used to have."
As she was talking, Draco had dropped his magazine, staring at Hermione with an expression of utter shock on his face. He snatched Witch Weekly from Hermione's hands, ignoring her protests, and scanned the article quickly before throwing it across the room.
"Rubbish!" he declared emphatically, hunching down in the bed and flicking his wand to switch the lights off, the bed spread pulled up to cover his shoulders. Hermione, bemused by his reaction, followed suit and soon was asleep. Draco, however, stayed awake all night, planning.
The next evening, Hermione walked into their bedroom and stopped still in the doorway, her brown eyes wide in shock. Draco was sprawled across the bed, completely naked except for the drizzle of chocolate that started from his chest and melted downwards to his pelvis. Strawberries, also covered in chocolate, dotted his chest and in his hands he held two brilliant green apples. He looked up at her, a mischievous light glinting in his grey eyes, and beckoned her forwards.
"You know, Hermione, I read today that 'great food is like great sex. The more you have the more you want', so I think you should come on over here and dabble in the great food that I've - erm, - arranged for you," he said, his voice a low, drawl.
Hermione gaped at him but didn't move, and after a moment he gave up the seductive act.
"Really Granger, you said we're having boring sex, so I spiced it up. Now in Merlin's name, get over here and lick this chocolate off me, it's starting to really hurt."
Laughing now, Hermione crossed the room and crawled onto the bed, pausing at her husband's side. She straddled his body and leaned down to capture his lips in hers, running her tongue gently across his bottom lip.
"You are daft, Draco," she whispered throatily, pulling her shirt over her head before she licked her lips. "Lucky I didn't have lunch today."
7
Title: Midnight Snack
Author: hathorx
Rating:PG-13
Warning(s):none
Word Count:498
“What the hell, woman?”
Hermione froze on the spot, quickly choking down her bite from a chocolate-chip muffin. “Mwat?”
“Don’t you ‘what’ me, Granger,” Draco reprimanded, sitting up half-naked in her bed. “We just had the best sex ever and then you leave me by myself to sneak off and get food?”
He stared seemingly horrified at all the junk food stacked in her arms, and sudden guilt caused Hermione’s stomach to flip… or perhaps it was hunger.
“But I’m starving,” she whined, dumping everything she’d snatched from her kitchen on the duvet. “And besides, I brought you some.”
She smiled as sweetly as possible, knowing exactly the effect it had on him, but still he kept his brows furrowed.
“I took you out to dinner,” he pointed out, shuffling to make space as she climbed back into bed with him.
“I know and it was really sweet of you,” she told him, quickly scavenging through the pile before her. “But you always pick these fancy restaurants where they hardly give you anything to eat!”
As if to prove her point she ripped open another wrapped up muffin with her teeth and heartily dug in.
“I mean seriously,” she continued, taking another bite. “That salad I ordered should have been served as a side dish. It was delicious for sure, but well… after what we did tonight, I can’t help it - I’m still hungry.”
“You could have ordered more, you know,” Draco retorted, although Hermione noticed the ghost of a smile on his lips.
“Oh sure,” she said with a dry laugh, “and have people think that I like to stuff myself?”
Draco gave her a pointed look towards the muffin in her hand, but she merely shrugged. “It’s different with you.”
“How so?”
She turned to face him; a grin spread over her face, and kissed him soundly. “Because you love me.”
Draco remained silent, feeling a soft tingling spread through his bones. Hermione returned to her midnight snack and he finally examined the food spread between them.
His hand reached for the only fruit in the pile.
“Not the apple,” Hermione warned him, licking off the crumbs from her fingers.
“But there’s nothing else I like,” he told her. “You know I don’t eat sweets.”
“What, not even rum toffee?” Hermione asked with a sly smile.
Draco’s head immediately snapped to attention. “You have some?”
“Maybe.”
“Where is it?” he asked impatiently, looking through the various items.
Hermione laughed in response, her brown eyes gleaming with mischief. “I brought some with me, but I never said it was in the food pile. You’ll have to look elsewhere.”
Catching her meaning, Draco pounced on her, one arm snaking around her waist as the other disappeared up her nightgown.
Hermione squealed beneath him in delight.
“Using my weakness against me, Granger,” he whispered huskily, kissing his way down to her breasts. “Didn’t think you had it in you.”
He smirked before he finally disappeared under the covers.
8
Title: Temptation
Author: queen_violet
Rating: G
Warning(s): none
Word Count: 373
Some author had once said, “Adam was but human- this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple's sake, he wanted it only because it was forbidden.”
Back then, he'd brushed it off. Nothing had been forbidden to him, at that point, and he'd been raised to regard anything forbidden as unworthy.
And so, he had.
He realized, now, how naive he'd been, how trusting. He'd truly believed that his father could be a kind man. But that illusion had been violently shattered in 5th year.
After the Ministry incident, he mostly kept to himself. He became slightly anti-social, never bothering to start up a conversation outside of a few close friends, and he spent much of his time watching people, especially the Golden Trio.
It was amazing, how they lived their lives, making their own decisions and standing up for their beliefs, even though the press was constantly after them these days. And he'd wished that he had that kind of power over his life.
So, little by little, he began to slowly reassemble his world, based on his own decisions.
It was harder than it looked.
Now, he frowned out at the sunny day, and watched Ganger read. She was currently sprawled out on the grass. In one hand, she held her book. In the other, was an apple.
How ironic that she held the same object he was comparing her to.
And she was, he had realized, the personification of what he wanted his life to be. His personal forbidden fruit. Maybe he didn't want to constantly be in Potter or Weasel's presence, but he wanted the choices and options that she had.
He thought about what little he gleaned from five years of near-constant bickering, and one of silent observation. She was passionate, opinionated, stubborn, and a little prissy at times.
He wondered what it'd be like to discuss their latest Potions lesson with her and what kind of jokes would make her laugh, what her favorite flower was, all the little things about her.
And, watching as she took another bite out of her apple, he decided.
He pushed himself away from the pillar, and wandered over to join Granger out in the sunshine.
9
Title: Beyond Any Doubt
Author: savepureness
Rating: G
Warning(s): None
Word Count: 294
"This is unacceptable! We do live in a very respectable neighbourhood in London - how can they not have any delivery service working at this hour?"
"Hermione." Draco's voice trails lazily from the armchair where its owner half lays, half sits, unsure yet whether he's ready or not to doze off with the newspaper crossword on his lap. However, he's certainly amused. "Let me remind you that this is the Muggle side of London. It doesn't work as quickly as by magic, and -"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Hermione's voice is more than annoyed; it borders anger, and it smells like fight. That, Draco would like to avoid. So instead of pretending that he didn't hear her question - which pretty much sounds like a threat - he stands up and walks slowly to the kitchen, stopping briefly to muffle her hair on the way.
"Better come here", he says. "We can patch something to eat."
She does come, albeit reluctantly. Her eyebrows arched as far as they can reach, she scans the kitchenette; it's the modern definition of chaos. Folding her hands, she grimaces. "It looks promising to begin with."
"Oh, you." Draco reaches for her, his fingers daftly removing a curl off her forehead. "There was a Muggle of yours who said something witty and memorable about great food - if I recall it correctly, it had something to do with -"
"Great sex."
"Spot-on. So think, Hermione. If we made that work, and I wouldn't say we made a bad job of it… we could work miracles in the kitchen." He gets even closer, leaving no space between them, their bodies pressed together and their breaths mingling. "And I daresay you could get addicted to cooking, if I follow the same pattern - right, love?"
10
Title: Nightly Ritual
Author: ayane_tsurugi
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): Implied Harry/Ron, references to sex
Word Count: 315
Ron pulled the door open with a sigh, not acknowledging the person smirking at him from across the threshold, and turned to walk back into the kitchen. “Hermione,” he called, “I get that you’re dating the ferret now, but why does he have to show up for dinner every sodding night?”
In the kitchen, Hermione was sitting at the table and pouring over some book or other, and Harry was busy at the stove, shaking his head. “Perhaps for the same reason you ask me the same question every sodding night, Ron,” she said without looking up, and Draco grinned at him before kissing Hermione’s cheek and grabbing an apple from the bowl that acted as the centerpiece.
“I just can’t resist,” he said, tossing it in the air and catching it. “Potter is a damn good cook, after all.” Ron saw Hermione smile into her reading and frowned.
“Don’t worry about it, Malfoy,” Harry said over his shoulder. “Ron’s just upset when he doesn’t get his fourth helping.”
“Shut it, Harry,” Ron said with a scowl. “I honestly don’t care if Malfoy’s here as long as he clears out after pudding.”
Draco laughed. “What’s wrong? Worried that I’ll be getting all hot and sweaty with you just down the hall? Or is it poor Hermione’s honor you’re protecting?”
Ron grimaced. “Can we not have the ‘hot and sweaty’ imagery there, Malfoy? I’m about to eat.”
Draco shook his head. “I don’t see why you’re being such a prude, Weasley. At least we weren’t the ones who forgot the silencing charm last night.”
Ron’s eyes widened and Harry turned on the spot. Hermione’s snort of laughter was all the confirmation they needed, and they both blushed a deep red. Draco smirked into the silence of their embarrassment and took a large bite of the apple.
“So,” he said after he’d swallowed, “what are we having?”
11
Title: Office Delights
Author: dracodew17
Rating: PG
Warning(s): EWE
Word Count: 498
It was Tuesday morning again in the office, and Draco Malfoy knew what that meant: time for another sweet delight straight from the kitchen of Hermione Granger.
They’d been working together in the Arithmancy Research Department for almost six months now, and for about three of those, she’d spent her Mondays off taking some culinary course she found challenging.
That was Granger, always trying to learn something new.
Draco had tried his best to be civil and ignore her presence as much as possible once he was reassigned to the department, but a few weeks into her little cooking class, she started turning up on Tuesday mornings with the loveliest delicacies he could imagine.
A highly-developed sweet tooth was one of his strongest weaknesses, and Hermione’s endless parade of cookies, cakes, and other pastries from week to week made it hopeless for him to deny himself.
Most of the time, he strolled casually by and swiped one stealthily when nobody was looking. He tried to time it perfectly where it was after Granger had already headed to her office down the hall but before most of his co-workers had clocked in for the day.
However, it seemed luck was not on his side this particular Tuesday when he was delayed getting to the lift by one of his father’s old friends, and he was one of the last people to arrive for work. Disappointed by this turn of events, he quickly organized the papers in his inbox before making a swift detour to the break room, feeling his sugar fix just out of reach.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single sweet in sight. The only thing sitting on the break room table was Granger’s decorative platter, its surface scattered with pastry crumbs.
Crestfallen by the lack of treats available, he was surprised to hear Granger call his name from behind where he stood in the doorway.
“Draco, can you come into my office for a minute?”
Not able to think of anything they were working on together right now, he crossed the corridor into her office feeling puzzled. Once he sat down in front of her desk and saw what she was handing him on a small napkin, he felt relief overtake his confusion.
“I saved one for you, since I know you always try what I bring.”
He bit carefully into a corner of the triangular pastry and tasted the tangy flavor of apples and cinnamon mixed with icing and the flaky texture of the crust.
“They’re apple turnovers. I made them with Granny Smiths since their tartness doesn’t overpower the rest of the ingredients.”
“They’re delicious,” he stated, trying not to get crumbs on his work robes.
“Maybe you should come to my flat and let me cook for you sometime. If you enjoy what I make that much.”
Shocked, he looked up from his treat. “Are you asking me out on a date, Granger?”
“Maybe I am,” she replied, a soft smile playing across her lips.
12
Title: The Subtle Art of Seduction
Author: alexajohnson
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): Sexual innuendo
Word Count: 320
Hermione Granger had never thought there was anything sexy about an apple until she sees Draco Malfoy eat one.
She associates apples with her father, because the journey to the core is a loud, messy affair that leaves her struggling not to wince. But Draco actually looks elegant. The apple is nice and round, and the fingers of his right hand are gently curved around it. He’s been taking gentle bites, placing his lips almost tenderly against the skin before piercing it with his teeth.
But it’s his tongue she can’t take her eyes off of.
It makes occasional appearances swirling around the juice on the apple, and then there are the instances where the juice drips actually down his chin. Instead of using a napkin-which is what she would’ve done-he gives it a seductive swipe with his tongue.
He’s completely transformed that apple, and she wishes she were in its place.
And she never thought she would say that about an inanimate object.
“Hermione. I just asked you a question.”
It’s actually a bit of a challenge to focus on his face, and she hopes he hadn’t noticed how far away she’d been. But she knows that’s just wishful thinking. He’s far too observant for his own good.
And for hers.
“I’m sorry, what?”
The suggestive smirk on his face tells her he knows exactly what had been on her mind. Oh sweet Merlin.
“I asked you if we have any more of these apples.”
Shaking her head weakly, she manages, “That was the last one.”
He gives the remainder of his apple an appraising look, sighing wistfully.
“That’s really just too bad. But you know what they say… good food is like good sex. The more you have the more you want. Wouldn’t you agree, Hermione?”
She’d just taken a bite of her own piece of fruit, and he quirks his lips smugly at her when she chokes.
ooo
REMEMBER: Vote for the NUMBER of the drabble, NOT THE NAME. It just makes it easier on the mods!
Please leave both a MOST favorite and a LEAST favorite vote. We must have both in order for your votes to count.
Poll Round 6 Challenge 1
For readers, supporters, lovers of everything dramione -
Copy & Paste from the Box
http://community.livejournal.com/dramione_ldws/66507.html">
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q243/pokeystar/comms/ldwsvotingbannercopy.jpg">
Eat, Drink and Be Merry at the Feast of Love!
Click the Ticket to Read & Vote!
This Week:
Voting ends 11:59 EST (GMT -4) February 19th
To Get this Pretty for your Journal - Spread the Drabble Love!
Eat, Drink and Be Merry at the Feast of Love!
Click the Ticket to Read & Vote!
This Week:
Voting ends 11:59 EST (GMT -4) February 19th
Please spread the word and thanks for dropping by!
Welcome all to the sumptuous buffet of "Great Food."
A couple of things to remember when deciding which drabbles to vote for (most and least favorite):
Guidelines:
- Which drabble best incorporates the prompt?
- Is the drabble clever, different, fresh? Does it evoke an emotional response (good or bad)?
- Does the drabble contain grammar, canon or spelling errors?
As a voter, you have the option of leaving a brief statement about why you voted the way you did, for both most and least favorite. Your feedback will then be given to the drabble writer (if they want the feedback) ANONYMOUSLY.
Example: Most - #40: the ending was brilliant - OR - Least - #57: the ending fell flat
Please remember writers, that you may not vote for yourselves.
Here we go for week one!
Choose your favorite and least favorite drabbles. Favorites will receive +1 point per vote, and least favorites -1 point per vote.
Voting ends at 11:59pm, Friday, February 19th.
"Great food is like great sex. The more you have the more you want." ~Gael Greene
Drabbles MUST incorporate EITHER picture OR quote, though writers MAY do both.
1
Title: The Dreaded Pie
Author: hpfangirl71
Rating: PG 13
Warning(s): Very brief sexual scene, light bantering and experimental cooking
Word Count: 337
“So what’s for dessert?” Draco quipped as Hermione came out of the kitchen carrying a dish that had a lovely apple smell.
“It’s Pralie Apple Pie!” she stated proudly.
Draco looked at the golden pie before him and inhaled its wonderful scent.
“A traditional Irish dish made of apples and potatoes” she continued.
Draco looked at the pie with a sudden feeling of dread. He was used to his wife’s experiments in the manner of cuisine but this was utterly baffling.
“You put potatoes in an apple pie? I think I’ll pass on dessert.” he informed her.
“Draco Malfoy! Don’t you dare turn your nose up at my pie until you’ve at least tried it!”
“But Mione, its potato… in an apple pie! You really don’t expect me to eat that!” he whined. He flashed her a sexy smirk in a valiant effort to dissuade her.
“It won’t hurt you to try something different for once! When it comes to the bedroom, you’re all into experimenting but when it comes to your palate…” she let out an exasperated huff, as her anger rose at the stubborn blonde she had married.
“Well of course love, that’s sex not my stomach.” he smiled cockily at her.
He made her so angry and it wasn’t fair that he used his devilish good looks to win every argument. Instead, she decided to use bribery in order to get her way.
“Well…” she cooed in his ear, “If you take a chance on my pie then maybe I’ll take one after dessert, if you get what I‘m saying.” she blew lightly in his ear and continued. “After all, there must be some dirty little fantasy in that head of yours that you’d love to try out.”
With that as encouragement, Draco resolutely took a bite of the dubious pie. An image of Hermione naked, covered in honey, and handcuffed to the bedpost was working its way into his mind. Yes, it seemed that some experiments were well worth taking a chance on.
2
Title:Second Thoughts
Author: fourth_drink
Rating:PG
Warning(s):None
Word Count:205
"What are you doing, Malfoy?"
Draco threw a glance towards the witch hovering over him.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm plotting Pottyboy's demise."
Hermione could feel the steam rising up from her head.
"Malfoy!"
"Hell, Granger! I'm chopping the bloody apple!"
"That's not how you chop, Malfoy! You're going to ruin the potion if you don't do it properly!"
"Then why don't you bloody do it!"
"I think I will!"
"Fine!"
Draco picked up the remaining half of the apple and bit off a hunk of it.
"MALF-!"
Draco threw caution (and all semblance to sanity) to the wind and shoved the apple into Hermione Granger's mouth.
Hermione angrily took a bite, lest she choke on the damned thing.
The two nemeses glared at each other, both chewing away in silence.
"Out with it, Granger. What's got your knickers in such a twist?"
Hermione scowled at him.
"Nothing, Malfoy."
"Stop lying to me."
Draco stared down Hermione until she finally relented, her shoulders sinking slightly.
"I'm sorry...really...I'm just-"
"Having second thoughts?"
Hermione looked up at him, afraid of how he would take it.
Draco pulled her towards him and kissed her, seeking out the warmth of her mouth.
"Still having second thoughts?", he whispered breathlessly against her ear.
Hermione shook her head slowly.
"No...but-"
"But what?"
Hermione leaned back and smiled mischievously.
"But you really were hacking that apple to pieces and-"
Draco kissed her again, shutting her up effectively.
Oh, how he loved potions with the Gryffindors!
Well, with one Gryffindor in particular.
3
Title: Lost, Found
Author: terrayn
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): some profanity
Word Count: 496
When they see the endless dunes of the desert they are portkeyed to, only a canteen and one green apple between them, they agree to split the burden.
Hermione is so far past hunger she hears throbbing beneath sore ribs and is used to its unsteady cadence. "One slice," she says.
Malfoy passes her with limping footfalls. "No."
"One bite, then."
"No."
"Malfoy," she snaps, jerking to a halt. "I'm going to faint in the next ten minutes. What's the point if we're too weak to eat it?"
A fist spasms against his thigh, and he turns, face burnt, contorted in a facsimile of condescension. "You mean, if you're too weak."
"Right," she says, voice thick with scorn and dry heat. "Between the two of us, I'm clearly the selfish one."
"We agreed tomorrow-"
"We won't last that long!" she shouts, hoarse. "The water's gone," she throws the empty canteen into the sand, "so we've got what? A day, two at most?"
Malfoy clenches his jaw and lurches toward her, digging callused fingers into her arm. "I don't have time for childish histrionics. We have to keep moving."
A horrifying epiphany dawns on her. "Oh my god," she breathes. "You ate it, didn't you?"
He flinches, as if slapped. "That's the kind of man you think I am?"
It's worse than listening to a voice cracking from thirst, low and hollow in a way that has nothing to do with three days in an arid wasteland. Her first thought is retreat, but she's already trudged through miles of changeless desert, punishment for a mistake so amateur she'd Avada herself if she weren't already dying, while he's been silent, a beacon of sanctimonious suffering, and there's only so much she can take.
"I don't know," she answers. "Show me. Prove me wrong."
Malfoy's grip is so tight their bones gnash together, a dull pain she welcomes. "So the entire time, this whole partnership," he snarls, "this is what you really thought of me. All those times you said you trusted me, you were really thinking, fuck you. I'm good enough to track Dark artefacts with, and get pissed and shag in secret, but not-"
"What are you on about?" she yells.
"You fucked up, Granger. And I didn't say anything, because you were already flogging yourself. But you can't handle being in the wrong, can you?"
"You're mad-"
She rears when he yanks her close, pressing something brittle between her teeth. It bursts juicy and sweet in her parched mouth, ecstasy, but Malfoy is walking away and she discovers that lashing out at the man she trusts-may one day love-more than anyone hurts magnitudes worse than stupidly touching a Dark artefact.
Hermione runs and clutches fistfuls of sandy shirt. "Draco, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
She wants to apologize for what remains of forever but he takes her hands, heart in her throat choking sound, and then continues walking and doesn't let go.
4
Title: All Good Girls Deserve...
Author: vox_rowan
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): a few Magical swears, implied sex
Word Count: 414
“Niume’s tits, that was good, Granger.”
Hermione watched Draco stretch himself in the fading amber hues of summer sunset, a lean, pale, self-satisfied cat. The bedroom was too small to contain their passions and disagreements but it was the only flat they’d been able to find with a short term lease and a view of the ocean.
“Must you really swear so crudely?” she groused, turning over and propping up on her elbows.
“After that romp you expect me to be mannerly and polite, you savage little Gryffindor?” Draco replied, raising an eyebrow. His slender fingers skated along the light sheen of sweat that coated her back and he lifted them to his mouth to taste. Hermione repressed a shiver at the caress and the sight of his tongue flicking delicately over his fingertips.
She huffed air between her lips and pushed her mass of brown curls back in frustration, “It’s just that this feels sordid enough without you adding your special touch.”
“Right,” he bit the word out and shifted off the bed, tugging his pants on before heading towards the door.
“Draco! I didn’t mean to imply-I mean I know that-“
“There’s nothing sordid about this for me, Granger. You’re the one who wanted to run away from home. I just wanted you.”
She hung her head as the door closed with finality.
******
“Oh, my... oh my... mm, this is soooo good, Merlin’s balls this is good” Hermione moaned, closing her eyes with bliss.
Draco snorted, “Hypocrite. And you call me sordid. Nothing less pleasant than thinking about that old codger’s hairy balls.”
Hermione looked up at him and opened her mouth to begin a heartfelt apology, when Draco jammed another bite of the apple tart they were sharing into her mouth. Her eyes closed in rapture once again as she chewed the pastry which was a blend of light, buttery crust and well-spiced apples. She knew that he had probably raced to the little bakery where they sometimes ate breakfast in order to get a fresh pie before close.
“After you’ve finished your nosh, Granger, you can show me how sorry you are with the same enthusiasm you’re expending on chewing,” he remarked dryly. Hermione nodded, helplessly caught in the throes of the perfect sugar rush.
“Yes, I promise, I will just don’t stop!”
Draco laughed and put another forkful into her mouth, “And see, Granger? I can be wholesome. As wholesome as good, ol’ homemade American apple pie.”
5
Title: Change of Plans
Author: bookishwench
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): innuendo
Word Count: 468
“I thought you had to work this weekend,” Hermione said, startled, when she opened her flat’s door to find Draco standing on the steps.
“Complaining?” he asked, giving her a sly grin as he stepped inside.
“Only if your clothes stay on for longer than the next five minutes,” she said, shutting the door behind him with an abrupt bang and pouncing on him before he could even take his coat off.
“Easy there,” he said, eventually getting her at arm’s length. “Control yourself, woman! You’ll bruise the merchandise at this rate. Besides, we have plans.”
“And what plans might those be?” she asked with a pout. “More importantly, do they agree with my previously mentioned and highly brilliant suggestion of rapid nudity?”
“You’re insatiable! I shagged you not five hours ago,” Draco said, feigning shock.
“And I ate not five hours ago yet am hungry again right now,” she shot back, wrapping her arms tighter around him and edging them towards the stairway that led to her bedroom. “Complaining?”
“Not on your life, but hold on for just a few more seconds, pet,” he said, laughing, then produced a fountain pen from his pocket and glanced at the hallway clock. Quickly, he grabbed her hand and joined it with his on the pen.
The familiar pull behind her navel told her that the Portkey was sending them somewhere, and fairly far from the time it was taking, but she couldn’t help being a little disappointed that this obviously meant they weren’t going to be heading upstairs as quickly as she’d hoped.
When the swirl of colors stopped, though, she was more than pleased with their destination. They were inside an extremely posh hotel suite by the look of things. On a gorgeous dining room table sat dishes of roast chicken, salad, hot rolls, and chocolate frosted cake. An open doorway beyond revealed a bathroom with a heart-shaped Jacuzzi, foaming over with bubbles and sprinkled with crimson rose petals, a bowl of strawberries and whipped cream resting on its brim. The bedroom itself was dominated by an almost embarrassingly large and opulent bed, decorated in highly refined satins and velvets.
“Where are we?” she asked, her jaw dropping open as she looked out the window at the skyscrapers and twinkling lights of the city around them.
“New York City,” Draco said, obviously pleased at her reaction. “Curuthers in International Travel owed me a favor. Now what was it you said about being highly disappointed if I wasn’t naked in less than five minutes?”
“And you’ve got exactly ten seconds left,” she said, pulling her wand from her sleeve and brandishing it in a flourish. “Accio clothes!”
As she raced him to the gigantic bed, Hermione was absolutely sure she was going to love being in the Big Apple.
6
Title: The Art of Seduction
Author: open_atclose
Rating: R
Warning(s): Naked Draco, kissing, sexual insinuations.
Word Count: 484
"Draco, do you think we've become too comfortable in our sex habits?" Hermione asked nonchalantly as she sat beside him in bed, the latest issue of Witch Weekly held in front of her nose. Draco scoffed, not looking up from his own magazine, Quidditch Today.
"Of course not! Malfoy's don't get comfortable with sex, Malfoy's are always wild and young and spontaneous," he replied absently.
Making a small noise in the back of her throat, Hermione put the magazine down on her lap and frowned slightly, her mouth twisting in concentration. "Well according to this magazine, after around three years in a relationship, the couple usually begins to fall into a routine, a rut if you will, and I'm starting to see that same pattern with us. We don't have nearly as much sex as we used to, and while it's always wonderful, there just doesn't seem to be the same spark that we used to have."
As she was talking, Draco had dropped his magazine, staring at Hermione with an expression of utter shock on his face. He snatched Witch Weekly from Hermione's hands, ignoring her protests, and scanned the article quickly before throwing it across the room.
"Rubbish!" he declared emphatically, hunching down in the bed and flicking his wand to switch the lights off, the bed spread pulled up to cover his shoulders. Hermione, bemused by his reaction, followed suit and soon was asleep. Draco, however, stayed awake all night, planning.
The next evening, Hermione walked into their bedroom and stopped still in the doorway, her brown eyes wide in shock. Draco was sprawled across the bed, completely naked except for the drizzle of chocolate that started from his chest and melted downwards to his pelvis. Strawberries, also covered in chocolate, dotted his chest and in his hands he held two brilliant green apples. He looked up at her, a mischievous light glinting in his grey eyes, and beckoned her forwards.
"You know, Hermione, I read today that 'great food is like great sex. The more you have the more you want', so I think you should come on over here and dabble in the great food that I've - erm, - arranged for you," he said, his voice a low, drawl.
Hermione gaped at him but didn't move, and after a moment he gave up the seductive act.
"Really Granger, you said we're having boring sex, so I spiced it up. Now in Merlin's name, get over here and lick this chocolate off me, it's starting to really hurt."
Laughing now, Hermione crossed the room and crawled onto the bed, pausing at her husband's side. She straddled his body and leaned down to capture his lips in hers, running her tongue gently across his bottom lip.
"You are daft, Draco," she whispered throatily, pulling her shirt over her head before she licked her lips. "Lucky I didn't have lunch today."
7
Title: Midnight Snack
Author: hathorx
Rating:PG-13
Warning(s):none
Word Count:498
“What the hell, woman?”
Hermione froze on the spot, quickly choking down her bite from a chocolate-chip muffin. “Mwat?”
“Don’t you ‘what’ me, Granger,” Draco reprimanded, sitting up half-naked in her bed. “We just had the best sex ever and then you leave me by myself to sneak off and get food?”
He stared seemingly horrified at all the junk food stacked in her arms, and sudden guilt caused Hermione’s stomach to flip… or perhaps it was hunger.
“But I’m starving,” she whined, dumping everything she’d snatched from her kitchen on the duvet. “And besides, I brought you some.”
She smiled as sweetly as possible, knowing exactly the effect it had on him, but still he kept his brows furrowed.
“I took you out to dinner,” he pointed out, shuffling to make space as she climbed back into bed with him.
“I know and it was really sweet of you,” she told him, quickly scavenging through the pile before her. “But you always pick these fancy restaurants where they hardly give you anything to eat!”
As if to prove her point she ripped open another wrapped up muffin with her teeth and heartily dug in.
“I mean seriously,” she continued, taking another bite. “That salad I ordered should have been served as a side dish. It was delicious for sure, but well… after what we did tonight, I can’t help it - I’m still hungry.”
“You could have ordered more, you know,” Draco retorted, although Hermione noticed the ghost of a smile on his lips.
“Oh sure,” she said with a dry laugh, “and have people think that I like to stuff myself?”
Draco gave her a pointed look towards the muffin in her hand, but she merely shrugged. “It’s different with you.”
“How so?”
She turned to face him; a grin spread over her face, and kissed him soundly. “Because you love me.”
Draco remained silent, feeling a soft tingling spread through his bones. Hermione returned to her midnight snack and he finally examined the food spread between them.
His hand reached for the only fruit in the pile.
“Not the apple,” Hermione warned him, licking off the crumbs from her fingers.
“But there’s nothing else I like,” he told her. “You know I don’t eat sweets.”
“What, not even rum toffee?” Hermione asked with a sly smile.
Draco’s head immediately snapped to attention. “You have some?”
“Maybe.”
“Where is it?” he asked impatiently, looking through the various items.
Hermione laughed in response, her brown eyes gleaming with mischief. “I brought some with me, but I never said it was in the food pile. You’ll have to look elsewhere.”
Catching her meaning, Draco pounced on her, one arm snaking around her waist as the other disappeared up her nightgown.
Hermione squealed beneath him in delight.
“Using my weakness against me, Granger,” he whispered huskily, kissing his way down to her breasts. “Didn’t think you had it in you.”
He smirked before he finally disappeared under the covers.
8
Title: Temptation
Author: queen_violet
Rating: G
Warning(s): none
Word Count: 373
Some author had once said, “Adam was but human- this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple's sake, he wanted it only because it was forbidden.”
Back then, he'd brushed it off. Nothing had been forbidden to him, at that point, and he'd been raised to regard anything forbidden as unworthy.
And so, he had.
He realized, now, how naive he'd been, how trusting. He'd truly believed that his father could be a kind man. But that illusion had been violently shattered in 5th year.
After the Ministry incident, he mostly kept to himself. He became slightly anti-social, never bothering to start up a conversation outside of a few close friends, and he spent much of his time watching people, especially the Golden Trio.
It was amazing, how they lived their lives, making their own decisions and standing up for their beliefs, even though the press was constantly after them these days. And he'd wished that he had that kind of power over his life.
So, little by little, he began to slowly reassemble his world, based on his own decisions.
It was harder than it looked.
Now, he frowned out at the sunny day, and watched Ganger read. She was currently sprawled out on the grass. In one hand, she held her book. In the other, was an apple.
How ironic that she held the same object he was comparing her to.
And she was, he had realized, the personification of what he wanted his life to be. His personal forbidden fruit. Maybe he didn't want to constantly be in Potter or Weasel's presence, but he wanted the choices and options that she had.
He thought about what little he gleaned from five years of near-constant bickering, and one of silent observation. She was passionate, opinionated, stubborn, and a little prissy at times.
He wondered what it'd be like to discuss their latest Potions lesson with her and what kind of jokes would make her laugh, what her favorite flower was, all the little things about her.
And, watching as she took another bite out of her apple, he decided.
He pushed himself away from the pillar, and wandered over to join Granger out in the sunshine.
9
Title: Beyond Any Doubt
Author: savepureness
Rating: G
Warning(s): None
Word Count: 294
"This is unacceptable! We do live in a very respectable neighbourhood in London - how can they not have any delivery service working at this hour?"
"Hermione." Draco's voice trails lazily from the armchair where its owner half lays, half sits, unsure yet whether he's ready or not to doze off with the newspaper crossword on his lap. However, he's certainly amused. "Let me remind you that this is the Muggle side of London. It doesn't work as quickly as by magic, and -"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Hermione's voice is more than annoyed; it borders anger, and it smells like fight. That, Draco would like to avoid. So instead of pretending that he didn't hear her question - which pretty much sounds like a threat - he stands up and walks slowly to the kitchen, stopping briefly to muffle her hair on the way.
"Better come here", he says. "We can patch something to eat."
She does come, albeit reluctantly. Her eyebrows arched as far as they can reach, she scans the kitchenette; it's the modern definition of chaos. Folding her hands, she grimaces. "It looks promising to begin with."
"Oh, you." Draco reaches for her, his fingers daftly removing a curl off her forehead. "There was a Muggle of yours who said something witty and memorable about great food - if I recall it correctly, it had something to do with -"
"Great sex."
"Spot-on. So think, Hermione. If we made that work, and I wouldn't say we made a bad job of it… we could work miracles in the kitchen." He gets even closer, leaving no space between them, their bodies pressed together and their breaths mingling. "And I daresay you could get addicted to cooking, if I follow the same pattern - right, love?"
10
Title: Nightly Ritual
Author: ayane_tsurugi
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): Implied Harry/Ron, references to sex
Word Count: 315
Ron pulled the door open with a sigh, not acknowledging the person smirking at him from across the threshold, and turned to walk back into the kitchen. “Hermione,” he called, “I get that you’re dating the ferret now, but why does he have to show up for dinner every sodding night?”
In the kitchen, Hermione was sitting at the table and pouring over some book or other, and Harry was busy at the stove, shaking his head. “Perhaps for the same reason you ask me the same question every sodding night, Ron,” she said without looking up, and Draco grinned at him before kissing Hermione’s cheek and grabbing an apple from the bowl that acted as the centerpiece.
“I just can’t resist,” he said, tossing it in the air and catching it. “Potter is a damn good cook, after all.” Ron saw Hermione smile into her reading and frowned.
“Don’t worry about it, Malfoy,” Harry said over his shoulder. “Ron’s just upset when he doesn’t get his fourth helping.”
“Shut it, Harry,” Ron said with a scowl. “I honestly don’t care if Malfoy’s here as long as he clears out after pudding.”
Draco laughed. “What’s wrong? Worried that I’ll be getting all hot and sweaty with you just down the hall? Or is it poor Hermione’s honor you’re protecting?”
Ron grimaced. “Can we not have the ‘hot and sweaty’ imagery there, Malfoy? I’m about to eat.”
Draco shook his head. “I don’t see why you’re being such a prude, Weasley. At least we weren’t the ones who forgot the silencing charm last night.”
Ron’s eyes widened and Harry turned on the spot. Hermione’s snort of laughter was all the confirmation they needed, and they both blushed a deep red. Draco smirked into the silence of their embarrassment and took a large bite of the apple.
“So,” he said after he’d swallowed, “what are we having?”
11
Title: Office Delights
Author: dracodew17
Rating: PG
Warning(s): EWE
Word Count: 498
It was Tuesday morning again in the office, and Draco Malfoy knew what that meant: time for another sweet delight straight from the kitchen of Hermione Granger.
They’d been working together in the Arithmancy Research Department for almost six months now, and for about three of those, she’d spent her Mondays off taking some culinary course she found challenging.
That was Granger, always trying to learn something new.
Draco had tried his best to be civil and ignore her presence as much as possible once he was reassigned to the department, but a few weeks into her little cooking class, she started turning up on Tuesday mornings with the loveliest delicacies he could imagine.
A highly-developed sweet tooth was one of his strongest weaknesses, and Hermione’s endless parade of cookies, cakes, and other pastries from week to week made it hopeless for him to deny himself.
Most of the time, he strolled casually by and swiped one stealthily when nobody was looking. He tried to time it perfectly where it was after Granger had already headed to her office down the hall but before most of his co-workers had clocked in for the day.
However, it seemed luck was not on his side this particular Tuesday when he was delayed getting to the lift by one of his father’s old friends, and he was one of the last people to arrive for work. Disappointed by this turn of events, he quickly organized the papers in his inbox before making a swift detour to the break room, feeling his sugar fix just out of reach.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single sweet in sight. The only thing sitting on the break room table was Granger’s decorative platter, its surface scattered with pastry crumbs.
Crestfallen by the lack of treats available, he was surprised to hear Granger call his name from behind where he stood in the doorway.
“Draco, can you come into my office for a minute?”
Not able to think of anything they were working on together right now, he crossed the corridor into her office feeling puzzled. Once he sat down in front of her desk and saw what she was handing him on a small napkin, he felt relief overtake his confusion.
“I saved one for you, since I know you always try what I bring.”
He bit carefully into a corner of the triangular pastry and tasted the tangy flavor of apples and cinnamon mixed with icing and the flaky texture of the crust.
“They’re apple turnovers. I made them with Granny Smiths since their tartness doesn’t overpower the rest of the ingredients.”
“They’re delicious,” he stated, trying not to get crumbs on his work robes.
“Maybe you should come to my flat and let me cook for you sometime. If you enjoy what I make that much.”
Shocked, he looked up from his treat. “Are you asking me out on a date, Granger?”
“Maybe I am,” she replied, a soft smile playing across her lips.
12
Title: The Subtle Art of Seduction
Author: alexajohnson
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): Sexual innuendo
Word Count: 320
Hermione Granger had never thought there was anything sexy about an apple until she sees Draco Malfoy eat one.
She associates apples with her father, because the journey to the core is a loud, messy affair that leaves her struggling not to wince. But Draco actually looks elegant. The apple is nice and round, and the fingers of his right hand are gently curved around it. He’s been taking gentle bites, placing his lips almost tenderly against the skin before piercing it with his teeth.
But it’s his tongue she can’t take her eyes off of.
It makes occasional appearances swirling around the juice on the apple, and then there are the instances where the juice drips actually down his chin. Instead of using a napkin-which is what she would’ve done-he gives it a seductive swipe with his tongue.
He’s completely transformed that apple, and she wishes she were in its place.
And she never thought she would say that about an inanimate object.
“Hermione. I just asked you a question.”
It’s actually a bit of a challenge to focus on his face, and she hopes he hadn’t noticed how far away she’d been. But she knows that’s just wishful thinking. He’s far too observant for his own good.
And for hers.
“I’m sorry, what?”
The suggestive smirk on his face tells her he knows exactly what had been on her mind. Oh sweet Merlin.
“I asked you if we have any more of these apples.”
Shaking her head weakly, she manages, “That was the last one.”
He gives the remainder of his apple an appraising look, sighing wistfully.
“That’s really just too bad. But you know what they say… good food is like good sex. The more you have the more you want. Wouldn’t you agree, Hermione?”
She’d just taken a bite of her own piece of fruit, and he quirks his lips smugly at her when she chokes.
ooo
REMEMBER: Vote for the NUMBER of the drabble, NOT THE NAME. It just makes it easier on the mods!
Please leave both a MOST favorite and a LEAST favorite vote. We must have both in order for your votes to count.
Poll Round 6 Challenge 1
For readers, supporters, lovers of everything dramione -
Copy & Paste from the Box
Eat, Drink and Be Merry at the Feast of Love!
Click the Ticket to Read & Vote!
This Week:
Voting ends 11:59 EST (GMT -4) February 19th
To Get this Pretty for your Journal - Spread the Drabble Love!
Eat, Drink and Be Merry at the Feast of Love!
Click the Ticket to Read & Vote!
This Week:
Voting ends 11:59 EST (GMT -4) February 19th
Please spread the word and thanks for dropping by!