"With Friends Like These" - Part One - Draco/Hermione
Title: With Friends Like These
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Draco/Hermione
Summary: Hermione liked the library for many reasons, the biggest one being that Draco was there.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count Part One: 9564
Spoilers: None. AU Post-War. Not HBP-compatible.
Distribution: Link only please.
Written: May 2006 - For shag_me_draco for my The Fantastic Clichés And Why You Should Write Them Fic-A-Thon. Her request will be at the very end.
Edited: October 2006.
Part One
The sun shown down brightly on the frozen lake and the snow-covered grounds glittered in the morning light on this first Hogsmeade weekend in November when this story begins; with a kiss.
On this particular morning, our heroine, Hermione Granger was late for breakfast. In true teenage boy fashion, her two best friends had neglected to send someone up to wake her and had simply gone down to eat without her. Hermione wasn't too concerned about it - after seven years she knew how important food was to them in the mornings, especially on Hogsmeade and Quidditch weekends. It was a beautiful day, she'd been able to sleep in and if Hermione had known how, she would've whistled as she walked.
She didn't know that in only a few moments, Draco - who was lurking around the corner - was planning something that would change their lives forever.
And truly, even if she'd known what would happen, she would've whistled. If she'd known how.
For Hermione was in love with the hero of this particular story, Draco Malfoy, and if she'd known what was waiting for her around the corner, she would've walked faster.
It had all started when Headmistress McGonagall, overfilled with a need to make Dumbledore's dream of a united school a reality. With the War over, she decided upon the reopening of Hogwarts that all students should have a study partner from another house. Rather than letting the students pick their own partner, thus partnering with a friend, she and the other teachers assigned a study buddy to everyone, with the help of the students grades.
Hermione had ended up with Terry Boot, the Head Boy to her Head Girl. It had been a good choice, the best, as not only would they be working together quite a lot, but they were on the same wavelength when it came to their academics. Hermione had been glad to have found someone who enjoyed learning as much as she did herself.
Then one day, barely a month into the semester, Terry became ill. It wasn't by any means fatal, and despite the lack of Madam Pomfrey's presence it wouldn't be long before he was back up on his feet. But in the meantime, Hermione was left without a study partner. It had been dumb luck, that the day she went to the library alone for the first time in almost a year, was the day Draco ended up in the library without his partner, a quiet Hufflepuff by the name of Wayne Hopkins. That of course wasn't uncommon Hermione had found out not long after. The two boys didn't get along, and only spent five hours together every week as it was required of them. And even then they only spoke to the other if they had to.
That fateful day, Draco and Hermione had both planned on writing their Advanced Potions essay, for which they needed the same book. With only one copy left in the library, and neither wanting to relinquish their claim on the book in question, the two decided, after spending an unknown amount of time arguing, to share the book. And share it they did. While there had been no hateful words between them over the course of the War, nor after, and they had more or less accepted each others presence in the world and at Hogwarts, they had also never spoken to each other on their own before. But when they finally did, to their mutual surprise, they found in each other a kindred spirit.
Over the week and a half that Terry spent recovering in the Hospital Wing, Hermione and Draco ended up spending several more hours in the library, more or less studying together. The first time after the incident with the Potions book, they simply sat at the same table due to lack of other available tables, as far away from each other as they could. Then Hermione asked if she could borrow a quill from Draco, as hers had mysteriously gone missing. He'd lent her one, after which they began to talk to each other. And from that day forward, the two sat next to each other and talked as they worked. And as they were both proud, they rarely asked the other for help with their school work. But if either noticed the other one struggling, they offered their assistance without taking no for an answer. They talked and sometimes laughed so loudly together that Madam Pince threatened to throw them both out. Hermione felt that they had connected and she was surprised to realise that Draco wasn't bad at all, like she'd been lead to believe over the years.
She kept their new budding friendship from her best friends, as neither of them would understand. Likewise, as far as Hermione knew, Draco kept their meetings from his friends, but she wasn't sure if it was for the same reasons. The people who visited the library during the hours they spent in there either didn't care or didn't notice that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy not only sat next to each other, but seemed to get along.
Once Terry was well again, he and Hermione resumed their study sessions. Often, Hermione would find Draco at a table nearby while she and Terry were in the library, glancing up every so often at the two of them. Whenever her eyes met his, he looked back down at his table, or pretended he was looking at something behind her.
One day, Terry left earlier than usual. Over the past couple of days since he'd returned, he and Hermione spent less and less time together. They did their duties as Head Prefects, and spent the required hours doing homework together, but before when they would've spent additional hours together, just talking or working on extra credit, Terry now spent his free time with Hannah Abbott and Hermione hers doing homework and debating on whether or not she should approach Draco.
While the two had connected, and Hermione felt that they had been on a path to become friends, good friends even, now it was like nothing had happened between them. Draco continued to ignore her, and only looked at her when he thought she wouldn't notice. And when she did, he continued to feign disinterest in her. She wanted to approach him, just sit down next to him again in the library and strike up a conversation, but she wasn't sure how her actions would be received by him.
Fate played them another good hand, in the form of Professor Vector's end of year project. As neither Terry nor Wayne were in their class, the Professor decided that they should just work together. Draco hadn't seem very happy about it, glaring and giving Hermione the silent treatment all through class. Hermione, fed up with him and his ridiculous mood swings and behaviour, replied in kind.
It wasn't until class was over and they began to pack up their books and quills that Hermione decided to say something.
"I think we should just start as soon as possible. We may have over a month to complete this paper, but why leave it until the last minute?" she'd asked, to which Draco had simply shrugged without looking at her.
"Fine," he'd said. "I'll meet you in the library after our last class." With that, he'd left the classroom without as much as a backwards glance.
Some hours later, Hermione had arrived in the library, before Draco. She hadn't been surprised or concerned about it, as her last class had been just around the corner and his had been Divination. As she'd waited for him to arrive, she'd begun planning out the new Prefect's schedule that she and Terry were going to go over after supper.
Having forgotten to cancel her study session with Terry, he'd arrived just moments later. Hermione had told him of the change in plans, but then figured that as he was there, and she didn't know how long Draco would take, they might as well begin with next weeks patrol schedule.
Barely ten minutes had passed before Draco had arrived. He'd taken one look at the two of them, sitting close together, bent over a paper and left. Hermione hadn't found out about that until the next day when she'd stopped him in the hallway to ask why he hadn't showed up. He claimed that they 'looked so cozy together' and that he 'didn't want to interrupt the two love-birds'. Hermione had laughed, called him a stupid git and just like that, all was forgotten.
They resumed their sneaky study sessions, hidden away amongst the bookcases at the back of the library. They became friends and began to spend most of the time they'd planned on using for studying, just talking to each other.
No one had been as surprised as Hermione and Draco were at the turn of events and the fact that they were now friends. Of course, they were the only ones who could be surprised about it, as no one else knew.
Hermione was thinking about the upcoming Christmas Holiday the beautiful morning her life changed forever. Ron and Ginny were going home to see their family. Harry had been invited - and pushed and prodded - to spend the break with Remus, Tonks and their newly born son, Sirius James Lupin, Harry's godson. It didn't take a mind like Hermione's to realise Harry would not be spending Christmas at Hogwarts that year. She was also sure that Harry would end up at the Weasley's for New Years, and while Hermione had been invited to join them as well, she'd kindly said no.
As she rounded the corner, Hermione contemplated returning home for the holiday. Her parents insisted that she came home, but while she was sure she'd be lonely, spending Christmas and New Years on her own at Hogwarts, part of her wanted to stay. It was her last chance to spend Christmas at Hogwarts, and the amount of studying she would be able to do for their upcoming NEWT's wouldn't hurt either. If she returned home, her parents would want her to actually spend time with them, and not with her nose stuck in a book. And when she wouldn't be spending all her waking moments with her Mum and Dad, there were other relatives who wanted to see her again.
And while Hermione loved them the best she could without really knowing them as well as she would've liked, she just didn't know what to say to them. No one but her parents knew she was a witch, much less how close they'd all come to being killed or enslaved by a madman, or Hermione's part in killing him. They just wouldn't understand.
Hermione was pulled out of her thoughts as suddenly, out of nowhere, someone grabbed her arm. Before she was able to hex the person in question, she'd been pulled into the broom cupboard just off from the Entrance Hall. The door closed with a click and for a moment all was dark and quiet. Hermione heard the shifting of her kidnapper's robes as the person took a step closer to her. She began to back away, but when her back hit the wall after only half a step, she began to panic. In her panic, she couldn't remember if she'd put her wand in her bag or in her robe, and she began to frenetically pat her pockets, hoping to find it, all the while aware of the figure that now stood right in front of her.
A male figure, she realised as the scent of expensive cologne hit her. She knew that scent.
"Hermione."
It was only a whisper, but as Hermione had already figured out who it was, she easily recognised Draco's voice. She visibly relaxed before she glared up at him in the darkness, despite the fact that she knew he wouldn't be able to see it. "Don't scare me like that," she said, swatting him lightly on the closest part of his body she could find, which happened to be his right arm.
She was about to chew him out further when he cupped her chin in one of his hands, bent down and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss barely lasted for a second before Hermione jumped back in surprise, forgetting that there was a stonewall just behind her. She banged her head hard against it and groaned quietly in pain as her skull almost vibrated from the hit. Draco hadn't moved, although the hand cupping her chin just moments ago had fallen back to his side at her reaction.
Hermione swallowed, lightly rubbing the spot that hurt the most at the back of her head. "What?" she asked, once the silence in the small space became too much for her to bear. Her voice sounded odd and faint so she tried again.
Draco took a step back. "Nothing," he replied quickly.
"Don't nothing me. You just kissed me!" Hermione exclaimed. Softer, she continued. "Why?"
"I-" Draco hesitated. "I've got to go. Right now."
He didn't give Hermione a chance to respond before he fled the cramped cupboard, leaving the door open in his wake. Hermione blinked slowly, not entirely positive what had just transpired between them had actually happened, or if she'd just imagined it.
Hermione stayed in the broom cupboard, her eyes still on the empty doorway, until groups of students began to exit the Great Hall. Some looked in as they walked by, curious as to why the door was open and then when they saw her, what their Head Girl was doing inside. After a particularly large group of Ravenclaw's walked past, Hermione exited the cupboard. She walked in the other direction, her head held high, ignoring the curious glances and speculative whispers that followed in her wake. She entered the Great Hall, suddenly starving. She still hadn't had breakfast and it was almost time to leave for Hogsmeade. She could think about Draco and what had happened after she had some food in her belly.
Even so, the moment she'd stepped into the Great Hall, her eyes were immediately drawn to the Slytherin table. She searched the entire table up and down, in hopes of finding Draco. She didn't, and came to the conclusion that he'd already had breakfast before he pulled her into the broom cupboard and kissed her.
She still couldn't believe he'd actually done it. Granted, it hadn't been much of a kiss: she'd been too shocked to respond and it had been too short for her to properly enjoy it, but it had still been a kiss.
Their first.
In what she hoped would be a long line of many other kisses between them.
She found Harry and Ron, their heads close together, immersed in a whispered conversation. When she sat down heavily in front of them, they quieted. Hermione raised an eyebrow at their behaviour. "Good morning," she said after a few moments of silence.
"Morning," they replied in unison, glancing at each other.
Hermione poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice before she looked up at the two of them. They were engaged in what looked like an intense silent conversation, complete with glares and pointed looks. Hermione frowned, feeling left out. It wasn't the first time that they'd gone down to breakfast without her, and she was sure it wouldn't be the last, but today she felt very much like an outsider. Like they had a big secret she wasn't privy too. In all their seven years, she'd never once felt that way. She knew, both of them being boys and her being a girl, that there were things neither wanted to talk to her about, which she was more than happy to accept. She was sure it wasn't things that she actually wanted to hear, especially not coming from them, and yet, she felt very much like she was on the outside looking in. The same way she felt ignored after a particularly gruesome fight between her and Ron, and they pretended they couldn't see her for a few days. But never before had they made her feel like a third wheel for no reason whatsoever.
After another few moments of silence, during which Hermione pretended she didn't notice what Harry and Ron were up to, the two stood as one.
"We'll see you later Hermione," Harry offered in a way of explanation as the two disappeared from the table, leaving her without a backwards glance or a chance to say anything in reply.
Hermione looked at their backs as they walked away, stunned at their actions. "But...wait..." she called, too late. For her two best friends had already left the hall.
"I'll wait with you," Ginny said, moving down the bench towards Hermione, away from the group of friends she'd been sitting with. She offered the older girl a smile once she was seated comfortably beside her.
Hermione smiled back. "Thanks Gin."
"Well, you know, us girls have to stick together," she kidded. "Boys! Bah! Who needs them?"
Hermione didn't answer, choosing instead to simply smile at Ginny, hoping it didn't look as strained as it felt.
~*~
Less than an hour later, the two girls were in Hogsmeade. Hermione and Ginny walked around the village for a while, but Hermione saw no signs of Draco. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, because while she wanted to confront him and ask him what had gotten into him - and possibly share some more enjoyable kisses - she was quite nervous and she wasn't sure what she was going to say when she did meet him.
She didn't see any signs of Harry or Ron either, but she wasn't too concerned. She wasn't even sure if they'd gone to Hogsmeade yet, and with the way they'd just left her at the breakfast table, she wasn't sure she even wanted to spend her day with the two of them.
"Come on, I could use some fudge right about now," Ginny said, linking her arm through Hermione's, forcing the other girl to walk down the street towards Honeydukes with her.
"I thought you said you wanted some Butterbeer?" Hermione asked, glancing over at The Three Broomsticks as they passed, watching as Terry and Hannah entered.
"Candy first, drinks later," Ginny replied, smiling.
"Sounds good to me. I've been craving their nougat bites for days."
They laughed as they entered the sweet smelling shop. It seemed that every student had chosen that exact moment to buy their candy as well, filling the store to the brim. Hermione and Ginny shared a look and without a word decided to split up and meet outside once they'd purchased their candy of choice. Hermione looked towards the chocolate section of the shop as Ginny walked towards it, only to find a large group of young students in front of it. Not in the mood to wrestle through that herd of younglings, Hermione decided to find some Toothflossing Stringmints for her parents before she ventured in that direction. Both of her parents seemed to enjoy the candy, and if she decided to stay at Hogwarts she could always owl it to them in time for Christmas morning.
Hermione quickly bypassed excited thirteen year olds, high on excitement over their first visit to Hogsmede, before she finally entered the aisle the Stringmints could be found in. Luckily, it wasn't nearly as crowded there as in the main portion of the store, and she quickly grabbed a few packs. She turned and as she ventured out of the aisle, she decided to get some Ice Mice while she was at it, hoping that her parents would enjoy them as well. They were located in another aisle, and Hermione turned, figuring it'd be safer to go the way around.
Only to crash straight into Draco Malfoy.
"Oomph," Hermione involuntarily let out as she took a step back, not wanting to fall flat on her arse in the middle of Honeydukes.
"Oh, it's you," Draco sneered in response, his grey eyes cold and his face a perfect mask of indifference.
"I'm fine, thank you for your concern. It's touching really how much you care for my well-being," Hermione replied sarcastically, rubbing her forehead where she'd bumped it against the hard box he held to his chest. When Draco didn't reply, she rolled her eyes. She sidestepped him easily and continued down the aisle, only to come to a stop after only a few steps. She turned, only to find that Draco had turned as well and was watching her. "Oi, you were the one standing just behind me, not the other way around. How could you not have known it was me?"
"Well I..." he trailed off. "I- Oh, bloody hell. Fine. I might've, I don' know, followed you?"
Hermione walked up to him. "You're stalking me?" she hissed, mindful of the students lurking about the store. While no one important enough cared to look in the direction, or let their eyes linger long if they did, there was no need for her to draw unnecessary attention to them by causing a scene.
"I'd hardly call it stalking. I saw you and Weasley enter the shop and I thought I'd..." he trailed off and shrugged vaguely, as if that was answer enough.
"You thought you'd what?" Hermione pressed on, taking a step closer when Draco didn't elaborate.
"I thought maybe we needed to talk?" he hugged the box in his arms closer to his chest, and seemed very interested in the row of Cockroach Clusters bags lined up on a shelf next to his head.
"All right. Yes. I think that might be a good idea," Hermione replied, nodding. Not knowing what else to say, she looked at him expectantly, figuring that since he'd been the one to bring it up, he should be the one to start the conversation. Never mind the fact that she really wanted to speak to him as well, and had he not suggested it, she would've. Eventually.
"I think it would be best if you and I stopped studying together," Draco said quietly. His face betrayed nothing, his calm façade making it difficult for Hermione to read him.
She glanced down at their feet briefly before she looked back up, meeting his eyes. "I see."
When she didn't say anything else, Draco continued. "I just think it's best, with what happened earlier."
"You mean when you kissed me," Hermione said, taking another step towards him, her voice lowered as a small group of students passed by at the end of the aisle. She looked up at him through her lashes, hoping he wouldn't catch her rather oblivious attempts at being flirty. More to the point, that he'd respond to them without really figuring out what she was doing, least he reject her outright.
Draco visibly swallowed as he looked down at the girl before him. Hermione bit her bottom lip and his eyes were drawn to them. "I um, yes." His knuckles turned paler as his hands gripped the box he was holing even harder.
Hermione could almost feel the muscles in his arm tense underneath his clothes, she was standing so close to him. Their breath mingled as they both inched forward slowly. The anticipation brewed heavily in the air between them and Hermione felt a rush of excitement race through her from the look in his eyes and the closeness of him, as her breathing deepened. She was sure he was going to kiss her again, and just as his eyelids fell shut, and he moved in closer to her lips, Hermione noticed a movement from the corner of her eye. It was Anthony Goldstein, who'd just rounded a corner and was now standing not too far away, looking at the candy displayed on the shelf in front of him. He hadn't noticed the two of them, but Hermione pulled away, taking a small step back.
Draco's head followed hers a few inches as she backed away. Then, when he noticed that she was no longer there, his eyes opened and he too pulled away. As he took a step back, avoiding Hermione's eyes as he seemed to close into himself. Hermione wished more than anything at that moment that they were alone so that she could snog him senseless, something she'd been wanting to do for far too long.
"Draco-" Hermione was about to reach out as he began to pull away further, but he stopped her with a look.
"No, no. You're right. We shouldn't." Without another word, he turned. When he saw Anthony, he stopped short. He blinked slowly before looking back at Hermione in understanding. "Maybe we should just talk somewhere else?"
Hermione nodded. "I'm meeting Ginny outside as soon as I'm done in here, but give me ten minutes to get away and I'll meet you around back?"
"All right."
Hermione watched him leave sadly, his stiff posture and carefully indifferently masked face indicating that he hadn't reacted too well to what had happened. Or not happened, as Hermione hoped.
Once he was out of sight, Hermione quickly found some Ice Mice, and after buying the hoards of students to get her hands on some of Honeydukes famous nougat, she paid for her purchases. Outside, Ginny was already waiting for her together with Luna. Hermione breathed in the clean, fresh air, glad to be outside as she walked up to the two girls. As she got closer, she realised they were engaged in a conversation about the newest edition of the Quibbler, which Hermione herself had not actually read.
"There you are," Ginny said once she noticed Hermione's approach. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd been trampled by the little beasts."
Hermione smiled. "I decided to pick up some candy for my parents as well," she replied. "Hello Luna."
"Hermione," Luna replied, smiling. "You look happy today."
"I am." She smiled. "You up for some Butterbeer?" Hermione asked, realising she'd just found the perfect distraction. If it had just been the two of them, Ginny would've gone with her to the post office, rather than wait for her alone in The Three Broomsticks. But with Luna there, not only could Hermione sneak away sooner, the two always got so caught up in their conversations that they wouldn't even notice how long she'd been away.
"I was just on my way," Luna answered.
"Of course you were," Ginny said with a smile. She linked an arm with both girls, forcing the two to walk with her as she started down the street towards the pub, easily striking up a conversation about the upcoming Quidditch Game.
Hermione didn't mind in the slightest. She might still not be overly fond of the sport, but she'd learned to live with it, and the importance it had in her best friends lives. And, after the War, anything that made people - her best friends in particular - happy and excited, was good in her book.
Luna had just finished telling them that she was now the official commentator for the fifth time since finding out just three days before, when there was a small gap in the conversation. They'd yet to enter The Three Broomsticks, and as she glanced behind them back towards Honeydukes, she saw someone she hoped was Draco sneaking into the alley beside the store.
"Oh, I forgot," Hermione said, stopping in her tracks. "I was planning on sending a letter to my mother. I'll catch up with you two as soon as I'm done at the post office."
They said their temporarily goodbyes, and as the two girls entered the pub, Hermione turned and walked back the way they'd come. Sneaking a glance back in the direction of the pub, Hermione ducked into the alley after the Draco shaped figure.
Luckily for her, it actually was Draco. She found him leaning against the back wall of Honeydukes, the box he'd carried with him in the store no where to be found. He hadn't noticed her arrival, and Hermione took the opportunity to observe him, something she'd before never been allowed to do properly. There'd usually been someone else there, who'd wonder why she was staring at the boy, or Draco himself, whom Hermione imagined would've taken much delight in making fun of her if he ever found her staring. And, after they became study partners and friends, and he was much closer than he'd ever been, it would've been all the more awkward for her if he'd ever realised what she was doing. Or, wanted to do.
But now his eyes were closed, his hands shoved down his coat pockets. He seemed to be mumbling something to himself, as if preparing a speech. Hermione refused to linger on that train of thought as she watched him shake his head briefly, frowning slightly.
Hermione had always found him beautiful. Even back when she detested him and the clothes he wore, she wasn't completely immune to his blond hair and grey eyes. Especially not when he'd actually grown taller than her and she started to become interested in boys as more than friends. He wasn't as broad shouldered as Ron, and leaner than both he and Harry. When she'd hated him, it'd been easier to pretend that she didn't find him attractive. The fact that his face was usually twisted in a sneer whenever she saw him certainly hadn't hurt, but now that they were friends and spent time together, and she saw a different side of him, it was harder and harder to lie to herself.
"Hey," she called, walking closer. It wouldn't do for him to open his eyes and find her standing there, staring at him like a love-sick teenager.
Draco was visibly startled, jumping up from the wall and his eyes flying open, meeting hers. "Hi, hello." He leaned back against the wall, giving her a welcoming smile.
Hermione walked up to him and leaned against the wall next to him, smiling back. She frowned however, when he jumped up again, taking a step forward before turning to face her. She raised an eyebrow at his actions. "You wanted to talk?"
"I did. I mean, I do." He sighed and began to pace in front of her. "We need to talk about what happened."
"You mean the kiss."
Draco looked at her. "Yes. The kiss." He took a deep breath. "As you might remember, it wasn't exactly a-"
"Success?" Hermione interrupted innocently.
He stopped in his tracks, his amused gaze meeting hers. "Not quite what I was going to say, but yes, it was unsuccessful," Draco agreed. He then resumed pacing, taking three steps forward before turning and walking three steps back.
Hermione followed him with her eyes. "Did you want it to be a success?" she asked hesitantly, not entirely sure why she was asking him.
Draco stopped in his tracks once more. "I- Well, of course. I didn't kiss you to show you how bad I was at it."
"So why did you kiss me?"
Draco hung his head, evading her curious gaze. "I can't tell you that."
"Can't, or won't?" Hermione challenged, standing up from the wall.
"Is there a difference? Either way, I'm not going to tell you."
"Why not?" Hermione asked quietly.
Draco looked up at her, finally meeting her eyes. "You wouldn't understand."
Hermione took a step towards him. "So help me understand." Another step.
"Not now," he replied, shaking his head. "Another time."
Hermione nodded, accepting it. There wasn't much else she could do. "All right." Another step. "Do you regret it?"
"I had hoped that it'd turned out better than it did, but I don't regret it," he answered, smirking. "Do you want me to?"
"No." Hermione shook her head for emphasis. She was standing close to him now, closer even than she had in the store. She'd tipped her head slightly backwards as she walked towards him, not wanting to lose eye contact. "No I don't want you to regret it."
"I'm glad to hear that." Draco looked down at her, his eyes seemingly darker than she'd ever seen them before.
Hermione took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly as she gathered all the bravery that'd put her in the Gryffindor House rather than Ravenclaw where many thought she belonged. Her eyes opened to take in Draco's expression, only to fall shut moments later as she raised herself up on her toes and kissed him.
Draco gasped lightly at the contact, and Hermione took the opportunity to open her own lips underneath his. Her hands slid up his coat covered arms, into his hair, and as Draco's tongue hesitatingly met hers for the first time, big flakes of snow began to fall around them.
He tasted of Butterbeer and Honeydukes chocolate, his tongue warm and wet against hers. Hermione groaned as he took charge of the kiss, his soft lips and tongue causing all kinds of tingles to rush through her. His hands rested lightly at her sides, as if he'd forgotten he even had arms, too caught up in the kiss. Or, he simply didn't know what to do with them, but Hermione didn't mind.
The snow began to fall heavier. Draco broke away from the kiss, letting them both suck in some much needed air. "This is more like how I wanted our first kiss to be," he whispered, his face to close to hers that their lips touched as he spoke.
Hermione smiled, feeling herself blush despite the chill in the air. Draco, noticing the snow falling all around them, began to back Hermione up against the wall, where the low roof would help protect them from being completely covered. Their eyes held the entire time, and when Hermione felt the rough wall against her back, Draco bent down and claimed her lips in another kiss.
Their heavy, clumsy coats and the rows of buttons meeting in the middle, while protective from the cold weather, made it hard for them to press up against each other properly, the way they wanted to. As much as Hermione was glad to wear it, she wished she could feel his chest against hers, and actually feel his arms around her waist, instead of feeling like it was just as some weight resting against her back.
She yearned to feel the beating of his heart against her palm, or at the very least, the heat of his body against hers. She wanted to be able to explore his body, but while wearing their outer clothing, she was unable to do so.
Hermione moaned into the kiss as one of Draco's hands came up and cupped her chin, angling her head slightly to the side as he pulled her closer for a deeper kiss. The snow fell even heavier, but neither noticed, wrapped up in each other and their own little world.
~*~
"Oh Hermione, it's positively dreadful!" Lavender exclaimed the moment Hermione slipped into their dorm room. "Why didn't you warn me?"
She'd just come back from the library to drop off her books before dinner. Her lips were still tender and sensitive from Draco's heated kisses, and her mind still reeling from his touch. She was in no mood to hear whatever it was that was bothering Lavender now, even if she supposedly had something to do with it. The girl had a thing for dramatics, and Hermione just knew that whatever it was that she wanted to say, it'd kill the happy mood Draco had put her in.
"What's dreadful?" she asked anyway, brushing past the taller girl, hoping that her bored tone and dismissive actions would make Lavender realise just how uninterested she was and encourage her to find Parvati instead.
"Harry!"
Hermione paused, frowning. "Harry's dreadful? Since when?" Just earlier that same morning as she once again ate breakfast with Ginny, she'd overheard Lavender and Parvati gossip about Harry. In all fairness to them, it had started out innocently enough, as the two friends tried to decide on what to give him for Christmas, and how to give it to him as it was only one week left of the semester. But, as things always go, one thing had lead to another and the next thing Hermione knew, the two girls were discussing the colour of Harry's underwear. She'd left the table not long after that, and didn't want to even think about what had come next in their so called discussion.
Lavender huffed. "As if you don't know. It's all over the school."
Once she realised that whatever it was that was wrong was more likely gossip that Hermione cared nothing about, she once more dismissed Lavender. She began to unpack her book bag as she shook her head absently. "Know what?"
Lavender frowned for a moment when she realised that Hermione couldn't tell her any more than she already knew. She'd been hoping to find out some new, reliable information from the other girl, and it was certainly a disappointment to realise that she wouldn't be getting any. Lavender drew a dramatic breath as she realised that while she wouldn't find out anything from Hermione - today, - this was a golden opportunity for her to share what she knew, with someone who apparently hadn't heard a thing. And if was one thing Lavender liked, it was gossiping about Harry Potter. "I saw Harry kissing Hannah Abbott!"
"Hannah Abbott?" Hermione looked at Lavender, completely forgetting about her books and dinner. "Harry and Hannah?" Are you sure? I thought she wa with Terry?"
"Hermione, keep with the program. They broke it off weeks ago. And she'd been after Harry ever since." Lavender sighed, as if she herself wasn't after the Golden Boy. "I'm surprised you didn't know that they weren't together any longer. I mean, isn't he your study partner or something?"
Hermione shrugged. "Terry never said anything." Not that he'd had much of an opportunity to say anything, even if he'd wanted to, with the way Hermione now spent almost all her free time with Draco. The time she actually spent with Terry these days were spent doing actual work, not talking about either of their personal lives.
"He's a guy, what'd you expect?" Lavender shrugged. "I'm even more surprised that you didn't already knew about Harry and Hannah, considering how close you and Harry are."
Hermione ignored her, continuing to unpack her bag. She didn't want to admit that she and Harry - or she and Ron for that matter - hadn't spent a lot of time together lately. They just didn't seem to have a lot in common any longer, now that they didn't have the threat of Voldemort hanging over their heads. They'd always had their own interests - or, she'd had her own interests while Harry and Ron had Quidditch - but lately, they'd drifted apart. Hermione figured that it was part of growing up, and as she still loved them, she hoped that one day they'd all become the best of friends once more. She'd hate to lose either of them completely.
"Can you believe it?" Lavender continued when Hermione stayed silent.
"I really can't," Hermione answered, her mind now focusing on the Transfiguration essay she'd yet to finish thanks to Draco and his kisses. And touches. And the kisses and touches at the same time.
Those were nice.
"Poor Teddy, now he's all alone," Lavender said with a sigh, before she brightened once more. "Maybe you could put in a good word for me?" she asked hopefully, smiling her best smile at Hermione.
Hermione frowned, trying to figure out how the Lavender train of thought worked. "With Terry?"
Lavender laughed. "No silly, with Harry," she answered as if it'd been obvious from the start.
"Harry?" At Lavender's nod, Hermione frowned once more. "Why?"
Lavender sighed dreamily. "He's Harry Potter. It doesn't get any better than him."
Hermione snorted, but didn't say what she was thinking, that it did get better than Harry Potter; Draco Malfoy. "I'll see what I can do," she lied instead, smiling at Lavender.
With a quick hug and an even quicker thanks, Lavender was out the door. As soon as it closed behind her and Hermione was left alone in the room, her smile faded. She knew Lavender would bring her good mood down, even if it hadn't been on purpose. How was she'd suppose to know that Hermione didn't already know about Harry and Hannah?
She'd still been tingling from Draco's touch and she'd felt all warm inside, and even - dare she think it? - loved when she'd come up from the library, but now...
Her gaze fell onto the framed Muggle picture standing proudly on her beside table. It was from the victory party, a happy moment caught in the blink of an eye. Harry and Ron both had their arms around her as they all smiled happily at the camera. She couldn't remember who'd taken the picture, but she did remember the feeling of that moment. She'd been at the top of the world.
Hermione tipped the picture over, placing it face down on the wood surface.
She might've felt like nothing could stop her when the picture had been taken, that there was nothing in the world that she and her boys couldn't do.
But now. Now she just felt alone.
~*~
In an effort to push all thoughts of loneliness away, Hermione went down to dinner. But when she saw her supposedly two best friends sitting with Parvati and Lavender - Lavender looking quite put out over the fact that it was Parvati who'd managed to snag the other seat next to Harry, and not herself - looking relaxed and not missing her in the least, she changed her mind. She wasn't particularly hungry, but she knew that she would be later, so she grabbed a roll of a nearby tray. She searched for Draco's tale tale blond hair as she ate, and when she found him, she found him already watching her. Their eyes met and held for a few moments before Hermione turned and left, with a brief, hopefully un-suspicious, nod towards the door.
It wasn't the first time she'd done something similar - and Draco had done it himself on more than one occasion when he came looking for her in the library - and she knew that Draco would soon follow her, as soon as he'd be able to make his excuses without arousing suspicion.
She felt ridiculous for sneaking around with him, as if they were doing something wrong by being together. It should be nobody's business that they were together.
Though, were they? They might spend a lot of time together, snogging and talking and then snogging some more, but Hermione wasn't going to assume that they were together in the sense that she wanted them to be, just because she wanted it. It was something she was going to have to ask Draco, a conversation she was not looking forward to having.
Not even ten minutes later, Draco excited the Great Hall and Hermione swallowed the last piece of bread before calling out to him softly. He'd been on his way towards the stairs, and now he turned and faced her. While she'd waited for him, she'd leaned against the wall of the Great Hall, eating her modest dinner while listening to the sounds that filtered through the half opened door.
"I though you said you wanted to study after dinner and didn't have time to meet me?" Draco asked, once he was close enough for her to touch. He leaned sideways against the wall next to her, and Hermione was glad she'd picked the spot that she had, as they weren't visible from inside the Great Hall. Even students who left it would have trouble spotting them, as the large door cast shadows against the wall where they stood, easily hiding them from view.
"I can always study later," Hermione answered, smiling mischievously.
Draco returned the smile, ducking his head down as he did for a moment, before looking back up at her from underneath his fringe. "I'm glad to hear that," he said.
Hermione figured she'd waited long enough, and she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, even though she knew that it was risky to do so, so close to all the other students. While the shadows provided some cover for them, it was only so dark, and at least one student was bound to see them if they didn't find a better hiding place.
His lips were soft under hers, and he tasted of pumpkin juice. It was a simple kiss, their lips meeting for a moment or two. The only other touch that connected them, was Draco's hand on her neck, where it rested lightly. Hermione pulled away before the simple and rather innocent kiss could progress into something more and they once again were in danger of being caught, unable to pull away from each others lips as they often were.
Smiling she took a step away from the wall, towards the stairs. She threw a look back at Draco over her shoulder, and frowned when she realised the only thing he'd moved was his head, as he'd followed her with his eyes. "You coming?" she asked, holding out a hand towards him.
With a smile, Draco straightened from the wall and followed her, taking her hand without even a backwards glance to see if someone inside the Great Hall was able to see it. Laughing, the two hurried up the stairs, holding hands the whole time.
When they reached the second landing, Hermione had to stop to catch her breath, the laughing having prevented her from breathing as well as she needed while she'd run up the stairs. Taking a quick look around himself, and seeing no one but the various paintings hanging on the walls, Draco pushed her up against the hard surface and kissed her. Hermione gasped at the unexpected contact, so openly, then moaned as Draco's tongue slid into her mouth, and his hands slipped around her waist.
As Draco began kissing the expanse of her exposed neck, down towards her chest, Hermione threw her head back and ended up banging it into the side of a portrait. The frame rattled and the woman sitting in it snorted and mumbled something about teenagers and their bloody hormones before she went back to her knitting.
"Draco," Hermione gasped, as his tongue ran over her skin, just where her top began. It slid in underneath the edge, and Hermione feared that her knees wouldn't be strong enough to hold her up if he continued on with what he was doing. "Draco!" she called, louder, placing her hands on his shoulder to push him away.
He looked up at her, the confusion he felt at her actions shining through the desire that darkened his eyes. Hermione smiled. "Maybe we should take this elsewhere?" she suggested.
"Excellent idea my dear," Draco replied, taking her hand. Before she had a chance to change her mind - not that she had any intentions of doing so - he began to lead her down the first empty hallway he found. Reaching the end of it, he glanced back at her and winked, before opening the door to the Muggle Studies classroom. The room was dark, with only the rising half moon providing light through the large windows. The room was considerably smaller than most of the other classrooms. There were also fewer benches, mostly due to the fact that the Professor thought it a waste of space to have the usual number of benches, as several of them would never be filled.
Draco closed the door, and after placing a standard locking charm on it, he pushed Hermione up against the door, pressing his lips down onto hers. Her lips fell apart within seconds, and their tongues eagerly met. Draco groaned, Hermione moaned, and the next thing she knew, a certain hard part of Draco's anatomy was rubbing up against her already wet centre through their clothing, and his left hand was cupping her breast through her shirt.
Hermione felt her cheeks warm up as she blushed, this being completely new to her. While their snogging had often gotten intense to the point where she had to take a cold shower after their 'dates', both of them had been hesitant to step over the line from snogging to something more. And while Hermione certainly wouldnt have minded if it'd happened sooner, she herself was too shy to be the first one to take that particular step, so she'd waited for Draco to do it.
She smiled against his lips, pushing her chest against his hand in encouragement. Draco caught on immediately, and gently squeezed her breast, through her shirt and the simple pink cotton bra she was wearing. Her nipples hardened further at his actions, having been hard ever since their eyes met in the Great Hall in anticipation. Her hands fisted in the heavy robe covering him, holing him to her as their kiss became more intense and slightly out of control. It took over her senses, and her legs turned to pudding. It was a good thing that Draco held her up against the door, as she feared she would've slid down to the floor in a not so graceful heap otherwise.
"Merlin," she breathed against his mouth as they broke apart for air, his hand continuing with it's slow exploration of her fabric covered breast, creating havoc on her mind and senses. Her nipples had always been sensitive, and her rather thin clothing didn't provide much protection once Draco's fingers found the erect nub and focused his attention on it. Her clothes, while usually quite cold in the old castle, felt constricting and hot in the room. Hermione had no doubts that Draco felt even worse, being that he was still dressed in his robe.
Without thinking about it, she began pulling at it, pushing it down his arms and as far as she could reach, while Draco's lips once again found her neck and seemed to attach themselves to it, sucking and nibbling on the hot skin.
Draco didn't even glance up as his lips trailed down towards the edge of buttons holding her shirt together. He helped her remove his robe and it fell soundlessly to the floor behind them with little effort, as Draco's fingers found the top button and unbuttoned it. He did glance up then, as if he wanted to reassure himself that Hermione wanted this as much as he did. At Hermione's nod, one more button fell open as their eyes held.
Hermione held her breath, as one by one, the buttons were slowly opened. She shivered as the tips of Draco's fingers slid down the valley between her breasts and over her stomach, his lips following the same trail, in a slower, more sensual manner. When the last button had been undone, Draco was standing on his knees in front of her, his hands on her hips and his tongue on her soft skin. Hermione's head was thrown back as the air hit her exposed skin, the wetness from Draco's tongue making it seem even colder. Her fingers slid into Draco's fine blond hair, holding him to her as he explored her body.
Draco's hand curved around her hip as the other slid down, coming to a stop at her knee. There, it paused for a moment before Draco slid it back up again, this time underneath her skirt. Hermione felt goosebumps break out on her skin as his fingers trailed over the back of her thighs, his thumb coming to rest on her hipbone, just underneath the edges of her knickers, as his other fingers dug into the softness of her bum.
He looked up at her, desire shining clear through his dark grey eyes. He must've found a very similar look in Hermione's eyes, for he grinned up at her and with aching slowness, he slid his other hand up under her shirt, raising the fabric. Hermione bit her lip as she skirt rode up over her hips and her pink knickers were revealed. Draco's eyes were drawn to them, and Hermione tried to fight the losing battle with the blush she could feel spread across her cheeks as he took them in, the first boy to ever see her so exposed.
He licked his lips as one hand slid down from her hips, to caress the inside of her soft, pale thighs. Hermione shivered as the same hand slowly, with the lightest touch, trailed up her skin and in underneath the edge of her knickers. Hermione mutely heard Draco grunt in what she could only assume was approval as he encountered the wetness he most likely had already known was there, as she'd felt it begin to soak through her knickers.
Hermione closed her eyes at Draco's first hesitant touch, his long fingers awkwardly sliding into her wet heat. She spread her legs in encouragement, and moaned loudly as two of his fingers slid further into her, stretching her ever so gently. He pumped them slowly in and out, going slightly further each time. Her head fell back against the door with a dull thud, and she barely registered the slight sting at the back of her head as the overwhelming sensation of being touched so intimately took over.
Suddenly, the fingers disappeared from her opening, and Hermione opened her eyes at the loss. "Draco," she cried out in protest, glaring down at him.
"Don't worry luv," he replied, winking up at her. He hooked his fingers in the sides of her knickers and pulled them down her legs in one smooth motion.
With nothing to hold it up, the skirt fell down around Hermione's legs, and once Draco had full removed the knickers from her person, and discretely pocketed them for future use, he pulled it up again, making sure to caress her skin as he did so. He breathed in the heavy scent of Hermione's arousal, as it was finally presented to him without any offending fabric blocking the view of her glistening folds.
His eyes met Hermione's, as he looked for any sign of doubt or uncertainty. Finding only desire and want, and perhaps a touch of curiosity, his eyes trailed back down her boy as his fingers spread her open. Hermione's hips jerked in surprise as his thumb found her clit, unaccustomed to the pleasure it brought her. Draco glanced up at her face at her reaction, but when he found nothing that would suggest that she'd changed her mind or that the move had brought her anything but pleasure, he did it again.
"That feel good?" he asked huskily, grinning as Hermione could do nothing but nod her head. He did it again, this time pressing his thumb harder against her clit, making small circle movements as he did so.
The scent of her arousal drove him wild and the soft moans and gasps she couldn't prevent from escaping were like music to his ears. Hermione's legs spread even wider as he pushed lightly at her knee, indicating he wanted her to open up more. He licked his lips and after casting a glance up at Hermione's face - her mouth open, eyes closed and head thrown back in what had to be ecstasy - Draco leaned forward and tasted her.
Hermione's hips buckled in response to the wet, hesitant touch of his tongue, and Draco repeated the action, this time flicking his tongue across her clit before sucking gently on the small bud. Hermione mewed in pleasure, hardly believing this was actually happening, with him. Her legs felt weak and there was a very pleasant pressure building up inside of her. She was lost in a world where only the two of them existed, where only this was real.
She gasped as Draco slid two fingers back into her, his lips and tongue not ceasing their sensual assault on her sensitive clit. Hermione had never felt anything like it, and when the pressure that'd been building finally exploded, she cried out Draco's name as she came.
He continued to lap delicately at her moist folds as Hermione's body throbbed with enigmatic pleasure.
"That was..." she breathed as she came down from her high.
She opened her eyes, and found Draco standing in front of her, her skirt once more settled back down around her legs. His hands were on her hips, holding her up as she steadied herself, and even though she could feel the absence of knickers underneath the plaid, she found herself not caring in the slightest about the missing piece of clothing.
Draco grinned proudly. His fingers were slick with her juices and he licked them clean, all the while keeping his eyes locked on hers. Hermione blushed, unable to look away as he licked his lips slowly, teasingly.
Once they were clean, he leaned forward the few inches separating them and pressed his lips against hers, his hand once more having settled on her hip as he held her body to his.
TBC
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Draco/Hermione
Summary: Hermione liked the library for many reasons, the biggest one being that Draco was there.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count Part One: 9564
Spoilers: None. AU Post-War. Not HBP-compatible.
Distribution: Link only please.
Written: May 2006 - For shag_me_draco for my The Fantastic Clichés And Why You Should Write Them Fic-A-Thon. Her request will be at the very end.
Edited: October 2006.
Part One
The sun shown down brightly on the frozen lake and the snow-covered grounds glittered in the morning light on this first Hogsmeade weekend in November when this story begins; with a kiss.
On this particular morning, our heroine, Hermione Granger was late for breakfast. In true teenage boy fashion, her two best friends had neglected to send someone up to wake her and had simply gone down to eat without her. Hermione wasn't too concerned about it - after seven years she knew how important food was to them in the mornings, especially on Hogsmeade and Quidditch weekends. It was a beautiful day, she'd been able to sleep in and if Hermione had known how, she would've whistled as she walked.
She didn't know that in only a few moments, Draco - who was lurking around the corner - was planning something that would change their lives forever.
And truly, even if she'd known what would happen, she would've whistled. If she'd known how.
For Hermione was in love with the hero of this particular story, Draco Malfoy, and if she'd known what was waiting for her around the corner, she would've walked faster.
It had all started when Headmistress McGonagall, overfilled with a need to make Dumbledore's dream of a united school a reality. With the War over, she decided upon the reopening of Hogwarts that all students should have a study partner from another house. Rather than letting the students pick their own partner, thus partnering with a friend, she and the other teachers assigned a study buddy to everyone, with the help of the students grades.
Hermione had ended up with Terry Boot, the Head Boy to her Head Girl. It had been a good choice, the best, as not only would they be working together quite a lot, but they were on the same wavelength when it came to their academics. Hermione had been glad to have found someone who enjoyed learning as much as she did herself.
Then one day, barely a month into the semester, Terry became ill. It wasn't by any means fatal, and despite the lack of Madam Pomfrey's presence it wouldn't be long before he was back up on his feet. But in the meantime, Hermione was left without a study partner. It had been dumb luck, that the day she went to the library alone for the first time in almost a year, was the day Draco ended up in the library without his partner, a quiet Hufflepuff by the name of Wayne Hopkins. That of course wasn't uncommon Hermione had found out not long after. The two boys didn't get along, and only spent five hours together every week as it was required of them. And even then they only spoke to the other if they had to.
That fateful day, Draco and Hermione had both planned on writing their Advanced Potions essay, for which they needed the same book. With only one copy left in the library, and neither wanting to relinquish their claim on the book in question, the two decided, after spending an unknown amount of time arguing, to share the book. And share it they did. While there had been no hateful words between them over the course of the War, nor after, and they had more or less accepted each others presence in the world and at Hogwarts, they had also never spoken to each other on their own before. But when they finally did, to their mutual surprise, they found in each other a kindred spirit.
Over the week and a half that Terry spent recovering in the Hospital Wing, Hermione and Draco ended up spending several more hours in the library, more or less studying together. The first time after the incident with the Potions book, they simply sat at the same table due to lack of other available tables, as far away from each other as they could. Then Hermione asked if she could borrow a quill from Draco, as hers had mysteriously gone missing. He'd lent her one, after which they began to talk to each other. And from that day forward, the two sat next to each other and talked as they worked. And as they were both proud, they rarely asked the other for help with their school work. But if either noticed the other one struggling, they offered their assistance without taking no for an answer. They talked and sometimes laughed so loudly together that Madam Pince threatened to throw them both out. Hermione felt that they had connected and she was surprised to realise that Draco wasn't bad at all, like she'd been lead to believe over the years.
She kept their new budding friendship from her best friends, as neither of them would understand. Likewise, as far as Hermione knew, Draco kept their meetings from his friends, but she wasn't sure if it was for the same reasons. The people who visited the library during the hours they spent in there either didn't care or didn't notice that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy not only sat next to each other, but seemed to get along.
Once Terry was well again, he and Hermione resumed their study sessions. Often, Hermione would find Draco at a table nearby while she and Terry were in the library, glancing up every so often at the two of them. Whenever her eyes met his, he looked back down at his table, or pretended he was looking at something behind her.
One day, Terry left earlier than usual. Over the past couple of days since he'd returned, he and Hermione spent less and less time together. They did their duties as Head Prefects, and spent the required hours doing homework together, but before when they would've spent additional hours together, just talking or working on extra credit, Terry now spent his free time with Hannah Abbott and Hermione hers doing homework and debating on whether or not she should approach Draco.
While the two had connected, and Hermione felt that they had been on a path to become friends, good friends even, now it was like nothing had happened between them. Draco continued to ignore her, and only looked at her when he thought she wouldn't notice. And when she did, he continued to feign disinterest in her. She wanted to approach him, just sit down next to him again in the library and strike up a conversation, but she wasn't sure how her actions would be received by him.
Fate played them another good hand, in the form of Professor Vector's end of year project. As neither Terry nor Wayne were in their class, the Professor decided that they should just work together. Draco hadn't seem very happy about it, glaring and giving Hermione the silent treatment all through class. Hermione, fed up with him and his ridiculous mood swings and behaviour, replied in kind.
It wasn't until class was over and they began to pack up their books and quills that Hermione decided to say something.
"I think we should just start as soon as possible. We may have over a month to complete this paper, but why leave it until the last minute?" she'd asked, to which Draco had simply shrugged without looking at her.
"Fine," he'd said. "I'll meet you in the library after our last class." With that, he'd left the classroom without as much as a backwards glance.
Some hours later, Hermione had arrived in the library, before Draco. She hadn't been surprised or concerned about it, as her last class had been just around the corner and his had been Divination. As she'd waited for him to arrive, she'd begun planning out the new Prefect's schedule that she and Terry were going to go over after supper.
Having forgotten to cancel her study session with Terry, he'd arrived just moments later. Hermione had told him of the change in plans, but then figured that as he was there, and she didn't know how long Draco would take, they might as well begin with next weeks patrol schedule.
Barely ten minutes had passed before Draco had arrived. He'd taken one look at the two of them, sitting close together, bent over a paper and left. Hermione hadn't found out about that until the next day when she'd stopped him in the hallway to ask why he hadn't showed up. He claimed that they 'looked so cozy together' and that he 'didn't want to interrupt the two love-birds'. Hermione had laughed, called him a stupid git and just like that, all was forgotten.
They resumed their sneaky study sessions, hidden away amongst the bookcases at the back of the library. They became friends and began to spend most of the time they'd planned on using for studying, just talking to each other.
No one had been as surprised as Hermione and Draco were at the turn of events and the fact that they were now friends. Of course, they were the only ones who could be surprised about it, as no one else knew.
Hermione was thinking about the upcoming Christmas Holiday the beautiful morning her life changed forever. Ron and Ginny were going home to see their family. Harry had been invited - and pushed and prodded - to spend the break with Remus, Tonks and their newly born son, Sirius James Lupin, Harry's godson. It didn't take a mind like Hermione's to realise Harry would not be spending Christmas at Hogwarts that year. She was also sure that Harry would end up at the Weasley's for New Years, and while Hermione had been invited to join them as well, she'd kindly said no.
As she rounded the corner, Hermione contemplated returning home for the holiday. Her parents insisted that she came home, but while she was sure she'd be lonely, spending Christmas and New Years on her own at Hogwarts, part of her wanted to stay. It was her last chance to spend Christmas at Hogwarts, and the amount of studying she would be able to do for their upcoming NEWT's wouldn't hurt either. If she returned home, her parents would want her to actually spend time with them, and not with her nose stuck in a book. And when she wouldn't be spending all her waking moments with her Mum and Dad, there were other relatives who wanted to see her again.
And while Hermione loved them the best she could without really knowing them as well as she would've liked, she just didn't know what to say to them. No one but her parents knew she was a witch, much less how close they'd all come to being killed or enslaved by a madman, or Hermione's part in killing him. They just wouldn't understand.
Hermione was pulled out of her thoughts as suddenly, out of nowhere, someone grabbed her arm. Before she was able to hex the person in question, she'd been pulled into the broom cupboard just off from the Entrance Hall. The door closed with a click and for a moment all was dark and quiet. Hermione heard the shifting of her kidnapper's robes as the person took a step closer to her. She began to back away, but when her back hit the wall after only half a step, she began to panic. In her panic, she couldn't remember if she'd put her wand in her bag or in her robe, and she began to frenetically pat her pockets, hoping to find it, all the while aware of the figure that now stood right in front of her.
A male figure, she realised as the scent of expensive cologne hit her. She knew that scent.
"Hermione."
It was only a whisper, but as Hermione had already figured out who it was, she easily recognised Draco's voice. She visibly relaxed before she glared up at him in the darkness, despite the fact that she knew he wouldn't be able to see it. "Don't scare me like that," she said, swatting him lightly on the closest part of his body she could find, which happened to be his right arm.
She was about to chew him out further when he cupped her chin in one of his hands, bent down and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss barely lasted for a second before Hermione jumped back in surprise, forgetting that there was a stonewall just behind her. She banged her head hard against it and groaned quietly in pain as her skull almost vibrated from the hit. Draco hadn't moved, although the hand cupping her chin just moments ago had fallen back to his side at her reaction.
Hermione swallowed, lightly rubbing the spot that hurt the most at the back of her head. "What?" she asked, once the silence in the small space became too much for her to bear. Her voice sounded odd and faint so she tried again.
Draco took a step back. "Nothing," he replied quickly.
"Don't nothing me. You just kissed me!" Hermione exclaimed. Softer, she continued. "Why?"
"I-" Draco hesitated. "I've got to go. Right now."
He didn't give Hermione a chance to respond before he fled the cramped cupboard, leaving the door open in his wake. Hermione blinked slowly, not entirely positive what had just transpired between them had actually happened, or if she'd just imagined it.
Hermione stayed in the broom cupboard, her eyes still on the empty doorway, until groups of students began to exit the Great Hall. Some looked in as they walked by, curious as to why the door was open and then when they saw her, what their Head Girl was doing inside. After a particularly large group of Ravenclaw's walked past, Hermione exited the cupboard. She walked in the other direction, her head held high, ignoring the curious glances and speculative whispers that followed in her wake. She entered the Great Hall, suddenly starving. She still hadn't had breakfast and it was almost time to leave for Hogsmeade. She could think about Draco and what had happened after she had some food in her belly.
Even so, the moment she'd stepped into the Great Hall, her eyes were immediately drawn to the Slytherin table. She searched the entire table up and down, in hopes of finding Draco. She didn't, and came to the conclusion that he'd already had breakfast before he pulled her into the broom cupboard and kissed her.
She still couldn't believe he'd actually done it. Granted, it hadn't been much of a kiss: she'd been too shocked to respond and it had been too short for her to properly enjoy it, but it had still been a kiss.
Their first.
In what she hoped would be a long line of many other kisses between them.
She found Harry and Ron, their heads close together, immersed in a whispered conversation. When she sat down heavily in front of them, they quieted. Hermione raised an eyebrow at their behaviour. "Good morning," she said after a few moments of silence.
"Morning," they replied in unison, glancing at each other.
Hermione poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice before she looked up at the two of them. They were engaged in what looked like an intense silent conversation, complete with glares and pointed looks. Hermione frowned, feeling left out. It wasn't the first time that they'd gone down to breakfast without her, and she was sure it wouldn't be the last, but today she felt very much like an outsider. Like they had a big secret she wasn't privy too. In all their seven years, she'd never once felt that way. She knew, both of them being boys and her being a girl, that there were things neither wanted to talk to her about, which she was more than happy to accept. She was sure it wasn't things that she actually wanted to hear, especially not coming from them, and yet, she felt very much like she was on the outside looking in. The same way she felt ignored after a particularly gruesome fight between her and Ron, and they pretended they couldn't see her for a few days. But never before had they made her feel like a third wheel for no reason whatsoever.
After another few moments of silence, during which Hermione pretended she didn't notice what Harry and Ron were up to, the two stood as one.
"We'll see you later Hermione," Harry offered in a way of explanation as the two disappeared from the table, leaving her without a backwards glance or a chance to say anything in reply.
Hermione looked at their backs as they walked away, stunned at their actions. "But...wait..." she called, too late. For her two best friends had already left the hall.
"I'll wait with you," Ginny said, moving down the bench towards Hermione, away from the group of friends she'd been sitting with. She offered the older girl a smile once she was seated comfortably beside her.
Hermione smiled back. "Thanks Gin."
"Well, you know, us girls have to stick together," she kidded. "Boys! Bah! Who needs them?"
Hermione didn't answer, choosing instead to simply smile at Ginny, hoping it didn't look as strained as it felt.
~*~
Less than an hour later, the two girls were in Hogsmeade. Hermione and Ginny walked around the village for a while, but Hermione saw no signs of Draco. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, because while she wanted to confront him and ask him what had gotten into him - and possibly share some more enjoyable kisses - she was quite nervous and she wasn't sure what she was going to say when she did meet him.
She didn't see any signs of Harry or Ron either, but she wasn't too concerned. She wasn't even sure if they'd gone to Hogsmeade yet, and with the way they'd just left her at the breakfast table, she wasn't sure she even wanted to spend her day with the two of them.
"Come on, I could use some fudge right about now," Ginny said, linking her arm through Hermione's, forcing the other girl to walk down the street towards Honeydukes with her.
"I thought you said you wanted some Butterbeer?" Hermione asked, glancing over at The Three Broomsticks as they passed, watching as Terry and Hannah entered.
"Candy first, drinks later," Ginny replied, smiling.
"Sounds good to me. I've been craving their nougat bites for days."
They laughed as they entered the sweet smelling shop. It seemed that every student had chosen that exact moment to buy their candy as well, filling the store to the brim. Hermione and Ginny shared a look and without a word decided to split up and meet outside once they'd purchased their candy of choice. Hermione looked towards the chocolate section of the shop as Ginny walked towards it, only to find a large group of young students in front of it. Not in the mood to wrestle through that herd of younglings, Hermione decided to find some Toothflossing Stringmints for her parents before she ventured in that direction. Both of her parents seemed to enjoy the candy, and if she decided to stay at Hogwarts she could always owl it to them in time for Christmas morning.
Hermione quickly bypassed excited thirteen year olds, high on excitement over their first visit to Hogsmede, before she finally entered the aisle the Stringmints could be found in. Luckily, it wasn't nearly as crowded there as in the main portion of the store, and she quickly grabbed a few packs. She turned and as she ventured out of the aisle, she decided to get some Ice Mice while she was at it, hoping that her parents would enjoy them as well. They were located in another aisle, and Hermione turned, figuring it'd be safer to go the way around.
Only to crash straight into Draco Malfoy.
"Oomph," Hermione involuntarily let out as she took a step back, not wanting to fall flat on her arse in the middle of Honeydukes.
"Oh, it's you," Draco sneered in response, his grey eyes cold and his face a perfect mask of indifference.
"I'm fine, thank you for your concern. It's touching really how much you care for my well-being," Hermione replied sarcastically, rubbing her forehead where she'd bumped it against the hard box he held to his chest. When Draco didn't reply, she rolled her eyes. She sidestepped him easily and continued down the aisle, only to come to a stop after only a few steps. She turned, only to find that Draco had turned as well and was watching her. "Oi, you were the one standing just behind me, not the other way around. How could you not have known it was me?"
"Well I..." he trailed off. "I- Oh, bloody hell. Fine. I might've, I don' know, followed you?"
Hermione walked up to him. "You're stalking me?" she hissed, mindful of the students lurking about the store. While no one important enough cared to look in the direction, or let their eyes linger long if they did, there was no need for her to draw unnecessary attention to them by causing a scene.
"I'd hardly call it stalking. I saw you and Weasley enter the shop and I thought I'd..." he trailed off and shrugged vaguely, as if that was answer enough.
"You thought you'd what?" Hermione pressed on, taking a step closer when Draco didn't elaborate.
"I thought maybe we needed to talk?" he hugged the box in his arms closer to his chest, and seemed very interested in the row of Cockroach Clusters bags lined up on a shelf next to his head.
"All right. Yes. I think that might be a good idea," Hermione replied, nodding. Not knowing what else to say, she looked at him expectantly, figuring that since he'd been the one to bring it up, he should be the one to start the conversation. Never mind the fact that she really wanted to speak to him as well, and had he not suggested it, she would've. Eventually.
"I think it would be best if you and I stopped studying together," Draco said quietly. His face betrayed nothing, his calm façade making it difficult for Hermione to read him.
She glanced down at their feet briefly before she looked back up, meeting his eyes. "I see."
When she didn't say anything else, Draco continued. "I just think it's best, with what happened earlier."
"You mean when you kissed me," Hermione said, taking another step towards him, her voice lowered as a small group of students passed by at the end of the aisle. She looked up at him through her lashes, hoping he wouldn't catch her rather oblivious attempts at being flirty. More to the point, that he'd respond to them without really figuring out what she was doing, least he reject her outright.
Draco visibly swallowed as he looked down at the girl before him. Hermione bit her bottom lip and his eyes were drawn to them. "I um, yes." His knuckles turned paler as his hands gripped the box he was holing even harder.
Hermione could almost feel the muscles in his arm tense underneath his clothes, she was standing so close to him. Their breath mingled as they both inched forward slowly. The anticipation brewed heavily in the air between them and Hermione felt a rush of excitement race through her from the look in his eyes and the closeness of him, as her breathing deepened. She was sure he was going to kiss her again, and just as his eyelids fell shut, and he moved in closer to her lips, Hermione noticed a movement from the corner of her eye. It was Anthony Goldstein, who'd just rounded a corner and was now standing not too far away, looking at the candy displayed on the shelf in front of him. He hadn't noticed the two of them, but Hermione pulled away, taking a small step back.
Draco's head followed hers a few inches as she backed away. Then, when he noticed that she was no longer there, his eyes opened and he too pulled away. As he took a step back, avoiding Hermione's eyes as he seemed to close into himself. Hermione wished more than anything at that moment that they were alone so that she could snog him senseless, something she'd been wanting to do for far too long.
"Draco-" Hermione was about to reach out as he began to pull away further, but he stopped her with a look.
"No, no. You're right. We shouldn't." Without another word, he turned. When he saw Anthony, he stopped short. He blinked slowly before looking back at Hermione in understanding. "Maybe we should just talk somewhere else?"
Hermione nodded. "I'm meeting Ginny outside as soon as I'm done in here, but give me ten minutes to get away and I'll meet you around back?"
"All right."
Hermione watched him leave sadly, his stiff posture and carefully indifferently masked face indicating that he hadn't reacted too well to what had happened. Or not happened, as Hermione hoped.
Once he was out of sight, Hermione quickly found some Ice Mice, and after buying the hoards of students to get her hands on some of Honeydukes famous nougat, she paid for her purchases. Outside, Ginny was already waiting for her together with Luna. Hermione breathed in the clean, fresh air, glad to be outside as she walked up to the two girls. As she got closer, she realised they were engaged in a conversation about the newest edition of the Quibbler, which Hermione herself had not actually read.
"There you are," Ginny said once she noticed Hermione's approach. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd been trampled by the little beasts."
Hermione smiled. "I decided to pick up some candy for my parents as well," she replied. "Hello Luna."
"Hermione," Luna replied, smiling. "You look happy today."
"I am." She smiled. "You up for some Butterbeer?" Hermione asked, realising she'd just found the perfect distraction. If it had just been the two of them, Ginny would've gone with her to the post office, rather than wait for her alone in The Three Broomsticks. But with Luna there, not only could Hermione sneak away sooner, the two always got so caught up in their conversations that they wouldn't even notice how long she'd been away.
"I was just on my way," Luna answered.
"Of course you were," Ginny said with a smile. She linked an arm with both girls, forcing the two to walk with her as she started down the street towards the pub, easily striking up a conversation about the upcoming Quidditch Game.
Hermione didn't mind in the slightest. She might still not be overly fond of the sport, but she'd learned to live with it, and the importance it had in her best friends lives. And, after the War, anything that made people - her best friends in particular - happy and excited, was good in her book.
Luna had just finished telling them that she was now the official commentator for the fifth time since finding out just three days before, when there was a small gap in the conversation. They'd yet to enter The Three Broomsticks, and as she glanced behind them back towards Honeydukes, she saw someone she hoped was Draco sneaking into the alley beside the store.
"Oh, I forgot," Hermione said, stopping in her tracks. "I was planning on sending a letter to my mother. I'll catch up with you two as soon as I'm done at the post office."
They said their temporarily goodbyes, and as the two girls entered the pub, Hermione turned and walked back the way they'd come. Sneaking a glance back in the direction of the pub, Hermione ducked into the alley after the Draco shaped figure.
Luckily for her, it actually was Draco. She found him leaning against the back wall of Honeydukes, the box he'd carried with him in the store no where to be found. He hadn't noticed her arrival, and Hermione took the opportunity to observe him, something she'd before never been allowed to do properly. There'd usually been someone else there, who'd wonder why she was staring at the boy, or Draco himself, whom Hermione imagined would've taken much delight in making fun of her if he ever found her staring. And, after they became study partners and friends, and he was much closer than he'd ever been, it would've been all the more awkward for her if he'd ever realised what she was doing. Or, wanted to do.
But now his eyes were closed, his hands shoved down his coat pockets. He seemed to be mumbling something to himself, as if preparing a speech. Hermione refused to linger on that train of thought as she watched him shake his head briefly, frowning slightly.
Hermione had always found him beautiful. Even back when she detested him and the clothes he wore, she wasn't completely immune to his blond hair and grey eyes. Especially not when he'd actually grown taller than her and she started to become interested in boys as more than friends. He wasn't as broad shouldered as Ron, and leaner than both he and Harry. When she'd hated him, it'd been easier to pretend that she didn't find him attractive. The fact that his face was usually twisted in a sneer whenever she saw him certainly hadn't hurt, but now that they were friends and spent time together, and she saw a different side of him, it was harder and harder to lie to herself.
"Hey," she called, walking closer. It wouldn't do for him to open his eyes and find her standing there, staring at him like a love-sick teenager.
Draco was visibly startled, jumping up from the wall and his eyes flying open, meeting hers. "Hi, hello." He leaned back against the wall, giving her a welcoming smile.
Hermione walked up to him and leaned against the wall next to him, smiling back. She frowned however, when he jumped up again, taking a step forward before turning to face her. She raised an eyebrow at his actions. "You wanted to talk?"
"I did. I mean, I do." He sighed and began to pace in front of her. "We need to talk about what happened."
"You mean the kiss."
Draco looked at her. "Yes. The kiss." He took a deep breath. "As you might remember, it wasn't exactly a-"
"Success?" Hermione interrupted innocently.
He stopped in his tracks, his amused gaze meeting hers. "Not quite what I was going to say, but yes, it was unsuccessful," Draco agreed. He then resumed pacing, taking three steps forward before turning and walking three steps back.
Hermione followed him with her eyes. "Did you want it to be a success?" she asked hesitantly, not entirely sure why she was asking him.
Draco stopped in his tracks once more. "I- Well, of course. I didn't kiss you to show you how bad I was at it."
"So why did you kiss me?"
Draco hung his head, evading her curious gaze. "I can't tell you that."
"Can't, or won't?" Hermione challenged, standing up from the wall.
"Is there a difference? Either way, I'm not going to tell you."
"Why not?" Hermione asked quietly.
Draco looked up at her, finally meeting her eyes. "You wouldn't understand."
Hermione took a step towards him. "So help me understand." Another step.
"Not now," he replied, shaking his head. "Another time."
Hermione nodded, accepting it. There wasn't much else she could do. "All right." Another step. "Do you regret it?"
"I had hoped that it'd turned out better than it did, but I don't regret it," he answered, smirking. "Do you want me to?"
"No." Hermione shook her head for emphasis. She was standing close to him now, closer even than she had in the store. She'd tipped her head slightly backwards as she walked towards him, not wanting to lose eye contact. "No I don't want you to regret it."
"I'm glad to hear that." Draco looked down at her, his eyes seemingly darker than she'd ever seen them before.
Hermione took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly as she gathered all the bravery that'd put her in the Gryffindor House rather than Ravenclaw where many thought she belonged. Her eyes opened to take in Draco's expression, only to fall shut moments later as she raised herself up on her toes and kissed him.
Draco gasped lightly at the contact, and Hermione took the opportunity to open her own lips underneath his. Her hands slid up his coat covered arms, into his hair, and as Draco's tongue hesitatingly met hers for the first time, big flakes of snow began to fall around them.
He tasted of Butterbeer and Honeydukes chocolate, his tongue warm and wet against hers. Hermione groaned as he took charge of the kiss, his soft lips and tongue causing all kinds of tingles to rush through her. His hands rested lightly at her sides, as if he'd forgotten he even had arms, too caught up in the kiss. Or, he simply didn't know what to do with them, but Hermione didn't mind.
The snow began to fall heavier. Draco broke away from the kiss, letting them both suck in some much needed air. "This is more like how I wanted our first kiss to be," he whispered, his face to close to hers that their lips touched as he spoke.
Hermione smiled, feeling herself blush despite the chill in the air. Draco, noticing the snow falling all around them, began to back Hermione up against the wall, where the low roof would help protect them from being completely covered. Their eyes held the entire time, and when Hermione felt the rough wall against her back, Draco bent down and claimed her lips in another kiss.
Their heavy, clumsy coats and the rows of buttons meeting in the middle, while protective from the cold weather, made it hard for them to press up against each other properly, the way they wanted to. As much as Hermione was glad to wear it, she wished she could feel his chest against hers, and actually feel his arms around her waist, instead of feeling like it was just as some weight resting against her back.
She yearned to feel the beating of his heart against her palm, or at the very least, the heat of his body against hers. She wanted to be able to explore his body, but while wearing their outer clothing, she was unable to do so.
Hermione moaned into the kiss as one of Draco's hands came up and cupped her chin, angling her head slightly to the side as he pulled her closer for a deeper kiss. The snow fell even heavier, but neither noticed, wrapped up in each other and their own little world.
~*~
"Oh Hermione, it's positively dreadful!" Lavender exclaimed the moment Hermione slipped into their dorm room. "Why didn't you warn me?"
She'd just come back from the library to drop off her books before dinner. Her lips were still tender and sensitive from Draco's heated kisses, and her mind still reeling from his touch. She was in no mood to hear whatever it was that was bothering Lavender now, even if she supposedly had something to do with it. The girl had a thing for dramatics, and Hermione just knew that whatever it was that she wanted to say, it'd kill the happy mood Draco had put her in.
"What's dreadful?" she asked anyway, brushing past the taller girl, hoping that her bored tone and dismissive actions would make Lavender realise just how uninterested she was and encourage her to find Parvati instead.
"Harry!"
Hermione paused, frowning. "Harry's dreadful? Since when?" Just earlier that same morning as she once again ate breakfast with Ginny, she'd overheard Lavender and Parvati gossip about Harry. In all fairness to them, it had started out innocently enough, as the two friends tried to decide on what to give him for Christmas, and how to give it to him as it was only one week left of the semester. But, as things always go, one thing had lead to another and the next thing Hermione knew, the two girls were discussing the colour of Harry's underwear. She'd left the table not long after that, and didn't want to even think about what had come next in their so called discussion.
Lavender huffed. "As if you don't know. It's all over the school."
Once she realised that whatever it was that was wrong was more likely gossip that Hermione cared nothing about, she once more dismissed Lavender. She began to unpack her book bag as she shook her head absently. "Know what?"
Lavender frowned for a moment when she realised that Hermione couldn't tell her any more than she already knew. She'd been hoping to find out some new, reliable information from the other girl, and it was certainly a disappointment to realise that she wouldn't be getting any. Lavender drew a dramatic breath as she realised that while she wouldn't find out anything from Hermione - today, - this was a golden opportunity for her to share what she knew, with someone who apparently hadn't heard a thing. And if was one thing Lavender liked, it was gossiping about Harry Potter. "I saw Harry kissing Hannah Abbott!"
"Hannah Abbott?" Hermione looked at Lavender, completely forgetting about her books and dinner. "Harry and Hannah?" Are you sure? I thought she wa with Terry?"
"Hermione, keep with the program. They broke it off weeks ago. And she'd been after Harry ever since." Lavender sighed, as if she herself wasn't after the Golden Boy. "I'm surprised you didn't know that they weren't together any longer. I mean, isn't he your study partner or something?"
Hermione shrugged. "Terry never said anything." Not that he'd had much of an opportunity to say anything, even if he'd wanted to, with the way Hermione now spent almost all her free time with Draco. The time she actually spent with Terry these days were spent doing actual work, not talking about either of their personal lives.
"He's a guy, what'd you expect?" Lavender shrugged. "I'm even more surprised that you didn't already knew about Harry and Hannah, considering how close you and Harry are."
Hermione ignored her, continuing to unpack her bag. She didn't want to admit that she and Harry - or she and Ron for that matter - hadn't spent a lot of time together lately. They just didn't seem to have a lot in common any longer, now that they didn't have the threat of Voldemort hanging over their heads. They'd always had their own interests - or, she'd had her own interests while Harry and Ron had Quidditch - but lately, they'd drifted apart. Hermione figured that it was part of growing up, and as she still loved them, she hoped that one day they'd all become the best of friends once more. She'd hate to lose either of them completely.
"Can you believe it?" Lavender continued when Hermione stayed silent.
"I really can't," Hermione answered, her mind now focusing on the Transfiguration essay she'd yet to finish thanks to Draco and his kisses. And touches. And the kisses and touches at the same time.
Those were nice.
"Poor Teddy, now he's all alone," Lavender said with a sigh, before she brightened once more. "Maybe you could put in a good word for me?" she asked hopefully, smiling her best smile at Hermione.
Hermione frowned, trying to figure out how the Lavender train of thought worked. "With Terry?"
Lavender laughed. "No silly, with Harry," she answered as if it'd been obvious from the start.
"Harry?" At Lavender's nod, Hermione frowned once more. "Why?"
Lavender sighed dreamily. "He's Harry Potter. It doesn't get any better than him."
Hermione snorted, but didn't say what she was thinking, that it did get better than Harry Potter; Draco Malfoy. "I'll see what I can do," she lied instead, smiling at Lavender.
With a quick hug and an even quicker thanks, Lavender was out the door. As soon as it closed behind her and Hermione was left alone in the room, her smile faded. She knew Lavender would bring her good mood down, even if it hadn't been on purpose. How was she'd suppose to know that Hermione didn't already know about Harry and Hannah?
She'd still been tingling from Draco's touch and she'd felt all warm inside, and even - dare she think it? - loved when she'd come up from the library, but now...
Her gaze fell onto the framed Muggle picture standing proudly on her beside table. It was from the victory party, a happy moment caught in the blink of an eye. Harry and Ron both had their arms around her as they all smiled happily at the camera. She couldn't remember who'd taken the picture, but she did remember the feeling of that moment. She'd been at the top of the world.
Hermione tipped the picture over, placing it face down on the wood surface.
She might've felt like nothing could stop her when the picture had been taken, that there was nothing in the world that she and her boys couldn't do.
But now. Now she just felt alone.
~*~
In an effort to push all thoughts of loneliness away, Hermione went down to dinner. But when she saw her supposedly two best friends sitting with Parvati and Lavender - Lavender looking quite put out over the fact that it was Parvati who'd managed to snag the other seat next to Harry, and not herself - looking relaxed and not missing her in the least, she changed her mind. She wasn't particularly hungry, but she knew that she would be later, so she grabbed a roll of a nearby tray. She searched for Draco's tale tale blond hair as she ate, and when she found him, she found him already watching her. Their eyes met and held for a few moments before Hermione turned and left, with a brief, hopefully un-suspicious, nod towards the door.
It wasn't the first time she'd done something similar - and Draco had done it himself on more than one occasion when he came looking for her in the library - and she knew that Draco would soon follow her, as soon as he'd be able to make his excuses without arousing suspicion.
She felt ridiculous for sneaking around with him, as if they were doing something wrong by being together. It should be nobody's business that they were together.
Though, were they? They might spend a lot of time together, snogging and talking and then snogging some more, but Hermione wasn't going to assume that they were together in the sense that she wanted them to be, just because she wanted it. It was something she was going to have to ask Draco, a conversation she was not looking forward to having.
Not even ten minutes later, Draco excited the Great Hall and Hermione swallowed the last piece of bread before calling out to him softly. He'd been on his way towards the stairs, and now he turned and faced her. While she'd waited for him, she'd leaned against the wall of the Great Hall, eating her modest dinner while listening to the sounds that filtered through the half opened door.
"I though you said you wanted to study after dinner and didn't have time to meet me?" Draco asked, once he was close enough for her to touch. He leaned sideways against the wall next to her, and Hermione was glad she'd picked the spot that she had, as they weren't visible from inside the Great Hall. Even students who left it would have trouble spotting them, as the large door cast shadows against the wall where they stood, easily hiding them from view.
"I can always study later," Hermione answered, smiling mischievously.
Draco returned the smile, ducking his head down as he did for a moment, before looking back up at her from underneath his fringe. "I'm glad to hear that," he said.
Hermione figured she'd waited long enough, and she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, even though she knew that it was risky to do so, so close to all the other students. While the shadows provided some cover for them, it was only so dark, and at least one student was bound to see them if they didn't find a better hiding place.
His lips were soft under hers, and he tasted of pumpkin juice. It was a simple kiss, their lips meeting for a moment or two. The only other touch that connected them, was Draco's hand on her neck, where it rested lightly. Hermione pulled away before the simple and rather innocent kiss could progress into something more and they once again were in danger of being caught, unable to pull away from each others lips as they often were.
Smiling she took a step away from the wall, towards the stairs. She threw a look back at Draco over her shoulder, and frowned when she realised the only thing he'd moved was his head, as he'd followed her with his eyes. "You coming?" she asked, holding out a hand towards him.
With a smile, Draco straightened from the wall and followed her, taking her hand without even a backwards glance to see if someone inside the Great Hall was able to see it. Laughing, the two hurried up the stairs, holding hands the whole time.
When they reached the second landing, Hermione had to stop to catch her breath, the laughing having prevented her from breathing as well as she needed while she'd run up the stairs. Taking a quick look around himself, and seeing no one but the various paintings hanging on the walls, Draco pushed her up against the hard surface and kissed her. Hermione gasped at the unexpected contact, so openly, then moaned as Draco's tongue slid into her mouth, and his hands slipped around her waist.
As Draco began kissing the expanse of her exposed neck, down towards her chest, Hermione threw her head back and ended up banging it into the side of a portrait. The frame rattled and the woman sitting in it snorted and mumbled something about teenagers and their bloody hormones before she went back to her knitting.
"Draco," Hermione gasped, as his tongue ran over her skin, just where her top began. It slid in underneath the edge, and Hermione feared that her knees wouldn't be strong enough to hold her up if he continued on with what he was doing. "Draco!" she called, louder, placing her hands on his shoulder to push him away.
He looked up at her, the confusion he felt at her actions shining through the desire that darkened his eyes. Hermione smiled. "Maybe we should take this elsewhere?" she suggested.
"Excellent idea my dear," Draco replied, taking her hand. Before she had a chance to change her mind - not that she had any intentions of doing so - he began to lead her down the first empty hallway he found. Reaching the end of it, he glanced back at her and winked, before opening the door to the Muggle Studies classroom. The room was dark, with only the rising half moon providing light through the large windows. The room was considerably smaller than most of the other classrooms. There were also fewer benches, mostly due to the fact that the Professor thought it a waste of space to have the usual number of benches, as several of them would never be filled.
Draco closed the door, and after placing a standard locking charm on it, he pushed Hermione up against the door, pressing his lips down onto hers. Her lips fell apart within seconds, and their tongues eagerly met. Draco groaned, Hermione moaned, and the next thing she knew, a certain hard part of Draco's anatomy was rubbing up against her already wet centre through their clothing, and his left hand was cupping her breast through her shirt.
Hermione felt her cheeks warm up as she blushed, this being completely new to her. While their snogging had often gotten intense to the point where she had to take a cold shower after their 'dates', both of them had been hesitant to step over the line from snogging to something more. And while Hermione certainly wouldnt have minded if it'd happened sooner, she herself was too shy to be the first one to take that particular step, so she'd waited for Draco to do it.
She smiled against his lips, pushing her chest against his hand in encouragement. Draco caught on immediately, and gently squeezed her breast, through her shirt and the simple pink cotton bra she was wearing. Her nipples hardened further at his actions, having been hard ever since their eyes met in the Great Hall in anticipation. Her hands fisted in the heavy robe covering him, holing him to her as their kiss became more intense and slightly out of control. It took over her senses, and her legs turned to pudding. It was a good thing that Draco held her up against the door, as she feared she would've slid down to the floor in a not so graceful heap otherwise.
"Merlin," she breathed against his mouth as they broke apart for air, his hand continuing with it's slow exploration of her fabric covered breast, creating havoc on her mind and senses. Her nipples had always been sensitive, and her rather thin clothing didn't provide much protection once Draco's fingers found the erect nub and focused his attention on it. Her clothes, while usually quite cold in the old castle, felt constricting and hot in the room. Hermione had no doubts that Draco felt even worse, being that he was still dressed in his robe.
Without thinking about it, she began pulling at it, pushing it down his arms and as far as she could reach, while Draco's lips once again found her neck and seemed to attach themselves to it, sucking and nibbling on the hot skin.
Draco didn't even glance up as his lips trailed down towards the edge of buttons holding her shirt together. He helped her remove his robe and it fell soundlessly to the floor behind them with little effort, as Draco's fingers found the top button and unbuttoned it. He did glance up then, as if he wanted to reassure himself that Hermione wanted this as much as he did. At Hermione's nod, one more button fell open as their eyes held.
Hermione held her breath, as one by one, the buttons were slowly opened. She shivered as the tips of Draco's fingers slid down the valley between her breasts and over her stomach, his lips following the same trail, in a slower, more sensual manner. When the last button had been undone, Draco was standing on his knees in front of her, his hands on her hips and his tongue on her soft skin. Hermione's head was thrown back as the air hit her exposed skin, the wetness from Draco's tongue making it seem even colder. Her fingers slid into Draco's fine blond hair, holding him to her as he explored her body.
Draco's hand curved around her hip as the other slid down, coming to a stop at her knee. There, it paused for a moment before Draco slid it back up again, this time underneath her skirt. Hermione felt goosebumps break out on her skin as his fingers trailed over the back of her thighs, his thumb coming to rest on her hipbone, just underneath the edges of her knickers, as his other fingers dug into the softness of her bum.
He looked up at her, desire shining clear through his dark grey eyes. He must've found a very similar look in Hermione's eyes, for he grinned up at her and with aching slowness, he slid his other hand up under her shirt, raising the fabric. Hermione bit her lip as she skirt rode up over her hips and her pink knickers were revealed. Draco's eyes were drawn to them, and Hermione tried to fight the losing battle with the blush she could feel spread across her cheeks as he took them in, the first boy to ever see her so exposed.
He licked his lips as one hand slid down from her hips, to caress the inside of her soft, pale thighs. Hermione shivered as the same hand slowly, with the lightest touch, trailed up her skin and in underneath the edge of her knickers. Hermione mutely heard Draco grunt in what she could only assume was approval as he encountered the wetness he most likely had already known was there, as she'd felt it begin to soak through her knickers.
Hermione closed her eyes at Draco's first hesitant touch, his long fingers awkwardly sliding into her wet heat. She spread her legs in encouragement, and moaned loudly as two of his fingers slid further into her, stretching her ever so gently. He pumped them slowly in and out, going slightly further each time. Her head fell back against the door with a dull thud, and she barely registered the slight sting at the back of her head as the overwhelming sensation of being touched so intimately took over.
Suddenly, the fingers disappeared from her opening, and Hermione opened her eyes at the loss. "Draco," she cried out in protest, glaring down at him.
"Don't worry luv," he replied, winking up at her. He hooked his fingers in the sides of her knickers and pulled them down her legs in one smooth motion.
With nothing to hold it up, the skirt fell down around Hermione's legs, and once Draco had full removed the knickers from her person, and discretely pocketed them for future use, he pulled it up again, making sure to caress her skin as he did so. He breathed in the heavy scent of Hermione's arousal, as it was finally presented to him without any offending fabric blocking the view of her glistening folds.
His eyes met Hermione's, as he looked for any sign of doubt or uncertainty. Finding only desire and want, and perhaps a touch of curiosity, his eyes trailed back down her boy as his fingers spread her open. Hermione's hips jerked in surprise as his thumb found her clit, unaccustomed to the pleasure it brought her. Draco glanced up at her face at her reaction, but when he found nothing that would suggest that she'd changed her mind or that the move had brought her anything but pleasure, he did it again.
"That feel good?" he asked huskily, grinning as Hermione could do nothing but nod her head. He did it again, this time pressing his thumb harder against her clit, making small circle movements as he did so.
The scent of her arousal drove him wild and the soft moans and gasps she couldn't prevent from escaping were like music to his ears. Hermione's legs spread even wider as he pushed lightly at her knee, indicating he wanted her to open up more. He licked his lips and after casting a glance up at Hermione's face - her mouth open, eyes closed and head thrown back in what had to be ecstasy - Draco leaned forward and tasted her.
Hermione's hips buckled in response to the wet, hesitant touch of his tongue, and Draco repeated the action, this time flicking his tongue across her clit before sucking gently on the small bud. Hermione mewed in pleasure, hardly believing this was actually happening, with him. Her legs felt weak and there was a very pleasant pressure building up inside of her. She was lost in a world where only the two of them existed, where only this was real.
She gasped as Draco slid two fingers back into her, his lips and tongue not ceasing their sensual assault on her sensitive clit. Hermione had never felt anything like it, and when the pressure that'd been building finally exploded, she cried out Draco's name as she came.
He continued to lap delicately at her moist folds as Hermione's body throbbed with enigmatic pleasure.
"That was..." she breathed as she came down from her high.
She opened her eyes, and found Draco standing in front of her, her skirt once more settled back down around her legs. His hands were on her hips, holding her up as she steadied herself, and even though she could feel the absence of knickers underneath the plaid, she found herself not caring in the slightest about the missing piece of clothing.
Draco grinned proudly. His fingers were slick with her juices and he licked them clean, all the while keeping his eyes locked on hers. Hermione blushed, unable to look away as he licked his lips slowly, teasingly.
Once they were clean, he leaned forward the few inches separating them and pressed his lips against hers, his hand once more having settled on her hip as he held her body to his.
TBC