Title: Challenge me

Author: peach12blossoms (LiveJournal); iDontKissAndTell (fanfiction sites)

Fic Word Count: 2 188 words

Pairing(s): Draco/Hermione; Blaise/Ginny

Rating: M (R/MT)

Warnings (if any): Mild sensuality, mild swearing, one rude hand gesture and fluff.

Summary: Draco Malfoy challenges Hermione into playing a childish game of 'Who Can Kick the Hardest?' Now, Draco is learning that by challenging Hermione, he might just get something more than what he bargained for (which was not necessarily a bad thing).

Author's Notes: This one-shot is my contribution to RZZMG's DramioneLove Valentines Fic and Art Fest in LiveJournal, under the username peach12blossoms. It is the first Dramione fic that I have ever published and it's also my very first LJ Community Fest contribution. I've also made some very minor changes so don't be alarmed if you see anything different. Thank you for reading :)

Beta Readers: First, Thank you to rzzmg who went over this fic for basic mistakes and made it presentable enough to include in the DramioneLove fest. Second of all, Thank you to swirlsofblack from H&V who really got into it, spotted all the grammatical errors and corrected all the things I thought were right but weren't. Thanks ladies for making my very first Dramione fic A-okay :)

Disclaimer: No profit is being made from the making of this piece of fan fiction and no copyright infringement was intended. This is made purely for my own enjoyment (and others) and anything you recognize from the "Harry Potter" series is not mine and is solely the property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.

Friday Evening, February 13, 1998

The Day Before Valentine's Day

As could be predicted at this time of the year, Hermione was in the library studying for her N.E. that were only fifteen weeks away. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically, but was afraid that if she didn't study enough, she would fail. Thanks to the Boggart in her third year, she finally realised that failure was her biggest fear. Her friends, her wonderful friends, thankfully understood and left her to study in peace, only coming into the library to either call her down for meals that they knew she often forgot about or to stay and study with her.

That Friday evening was one of those days. Ginny Weasley and her boyfriend, Blaise Zabini – yes, Hermione was surprised too – were with her. Ginny was sitting beside her and they shared a Transfiguration book between the two of them while Blaise, who was sitting across from Ginny, was reading a book on Quidditch. When Hermione asked him if he intended to study at all, he answered with a knowing smile that she didn't really understand and assured her that she would as soon as his friend arrived.

In retrospect, Hermione should have had an idea who the supposed friend was because Blaise only had one best friend that he always hung out with, and that was Draco Malfoy, the Head Boy to Hermione's Head Girl. A boy who was an incredibly arrogant git but who had his good points, if he cared enough to show anyone (he never did). The boy she loved to hate...or was he 'the boy she hated to love'? She wasn't sure anymore. Hermione refused to dwell on that thought. It was simply too ridiculous to even contemplate. She forgot all about the decision to ignore it once Draco Malfoy arrived and her previous musings came back full force. She tried to ignore the butterflies that erupted from somewhere deep inside her stomach and the way her heart started beating faster as he greeted Blaise and Ginny. Stop it, Hermione! she scolded herself. Get a grip. You feel nothing. — Fuck, he's looking at me.

Draco cleared his throat. "Good evening, Granger," he greeted as he took the seat across from her, his legs brushing against hers. She had touched him before – punching someone entailed touching – so why did the butterflies insist on fluttering their wings faster when they brushed against each other? It was all very confusing for Hermione and frankly, irritating. When had this started happening to her?

She moved her leg away a bit. "Good evening, Ferret," she greeted back, feigning nonchalance as he frowned at the nickname. "I'm surprised to see you here. Aren't you the kind to get O's even when don't do anything?"

He turned to Blaise and Ginny. "Did you know that if I'm lucky, I get a 'Good evening, Ugly' from her?"

Hermione scoffed and Blaise thumped Draco on the back, chuckling as he did so. "In all honesty, she might just be on to something, mate. Hermione's very insightful," he teased, sending her a wink.

Draco punched Blaise on the shoulder and turned back to Hermione. He nudged her foot with his under the table. "I don't appreciate the nickname, know-it-all. And just because you don't see me studying, Her-mi-o-ne, does not mean that I don't."

She let out a short sarcastic laugh but stopped when Draco shot her a look... and continued to stare. It was unsettling for Hermione, to say the least. Draco, for some reason unknown to her, had recently taken to staring at her and she had the hardest time trying to decipher the meaning of it. She wondered if maybe, just maybe, there was a chance he was staring because he also had feelings for—Nah, Hermione thought, quickly banishing that thought to the deep recesses of her mind, that's just ridiculous.

Blaise spoke up. "He hides away in his poster bed and if we didn't know any better, we would have thought he was engaged in some other... activities." Hermione chuckled and Draco punched Blaise again.

"Will you three just start studying? Please!" That, shockingly, did not come from Hermione. She looked to her right with wide, surprised eyes and found Ginny glaring at them (the boys more than her thankfully).

Hermione shared a look with Draco and Blaise once Ginny went back to studying the book. Draco reached for Hermione's parchment and scribbled something on the side. He gave it back to her and it said: It's that time of the month. Then he added a winking face next to it. Hermione shook her head, meanwhile glaring at him and mouthed, You're an idiot.

So it's your time too? He mouthed back with a tilt of his head. Hermione gave him the finger and Draco's shoulders shook with silent mirth.

"I know you're still talking," Ginny announced, her eyes still locked on the book as she wrote down notes. "Hermione, I expected better of you."

Hermione pursed her lips, rolled her eyes, and decided just to let it go. She got comfortable in her seat and quickly un-crossed her legs but without meaning to, she kicked Draco hard on the shin. Their legs were closer together than she thought. He jumped up and bumped his knee against the table in the process. Ginny and Blaise looked up at his exclamation of pain. Draco glared at her as he reached down to soothe his leg.

"I'm sorry!" Hermione whispered. "It was an accident, I swear!"

"Yeah, right and I found myself putting trousers on this morning by accident too," he growled, and then looked back down at his books.

One of these days, Malfoy's sarcasm would kill her. Every word out of his mouth was sarcastic. It was enough to make her want to pull out her hair. Damn Slytherins.

Not even two minutes later, Draco gave her a swift kick in retaliation. "MOTHER—! Ow!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing the culprit a death-glare as she rubbed her leg.

Draco smiled at her, plastering on an 'innocent' look. "I'm sorry. It was an accident. I swear," he drawled, throwing her words back at her.

Hermione growled. "You're an accident, you wanker!" she retorted, still glaring at him. "And I really did kick you by accident earlier, Ferret. Kicking me was completely unnecessary. " She was certainly going to bruise. Damn, why do I have to bruise like a peach? she thought. Maybe I still have my old stockings somewhere in my trunk.

"If you two can't behave, I will personally see to it that you don't set foot in this library for the rest of the day. So help me, I will do it," Ginny warned, her tone dangerously low.

Properly warned, Hermione and Draco both went back to their respective books. Hermione was vaguely aware of Blaise trying to cover up a laugh as she continued her revision. She had only managed to read two lines when the need for a last-minute revenge struck her. She felt her foot aiming for another shot at Draco's legs. As her foot collided with his leg for the second time, she looked up to see Draco already looking at her with narrowed eyes. He didn't jump the second time, as if he had anticipated that she would do it and he was ready for it.

Their eyes locked on each other and something unspoken passed between them: Game on. Both took off their shoes and then it began. For every kick given, there was a kick received. Miraculously, they managed to have a war under the table without crying out in pain, moving their upper bodies or making any eye contact. Hermione's legs were throbbing. There was not a part of them that Draco hadn't kicked. Fuck stockings, she decided, aiming a particularly hard kick at his knee, I hope Madam Pomfrey has something for bruises.

Without warning, the kicking stopped. She looked up slightly from her book and watched him with narrowed eyes. He surrenders? Does that make me the winner? she wondered as she watched him lift his head up. He stared right back at her and, ever so slowly, his mouth twisted up into a mischievous smirk. A familiar smirk that told her he was up to something and that she should be nervous. Hermione gulped when he winked at her and then went straight back to his books. What the hell? Something is not right... Merlin, he'll do something really dreadful later. I just know— Oh!

She was still mulling over what had just occurred when she felt it; a gentle and barely-there slide of his foot against hers. She froze and her hand stilled mid-sentence as a shot of electricity went through her and made her heart beat erratically and almost painfully against her ribs. That must have been an accident. It had to have been. Draco Malfoy wouldn't do... Oh yes, apparently he would. His foot brushed against hers again, less subtle this time, making it obvious that the first time was no accident and this was no different.

Hermione glanced up, peaking at him through her lashes as he gently massaged her foot with his. His brow lifted – a silent challenge – and his mouth twisted into another inviting and alluring smirk. Hermione's heart sped up at the sight and her hand tightened around her quill. Calm your self, Hermione, she scolded herself as she looked away. She bit her lip and responded with a caress of her own. She heard Draco shift on his chair. She looked up again to find him bent over his work as if nothing was happening under the table. He didn't stop like Hermione suspected he would once she responded. Instead, he continued to stroke her. If he was surprised that she gave as good as she got, he didn't let on.

Hermione was not satisfied by his indifference, so she did what she had to. She rubbed her foot upwards, giving his possibly bruised leg a soothing stroke. He cleared his throat. That was all she needed to take things further. On her way back up his leg, her foot slipped under the fabric of his trousers – Oops! – and stroked his bare leg. Tiny hair tickled her feet and it, surprisingly, titillated her. She couldn't help but look up at him again to see his reaction to her brazenness.

She wasn't disappointed. She was pleased to see him seemingly flushed and rigid. In his hand, he was holding a broken quill and it was clear that it was due to his tight grip. She boldly met his gaze. His eyes were dark as he stared at her with lust clear on his face. Her foot continued its ministrations.

Satisfied, Hermione leaned back in her chair and this time it was her who challenged him with a lift of her eyebrow. Her foot slid higher to the back of his knee and to his thigh, between his legs. Apparently, that was his limit. He jumped up suddenly and started gathering his things. Hermione's foot fell to the floor. She was victorious and she smirked at Draco's pink cheeks. He was flustered. How endearing!

Blaise looked up at Draco as he jumped up from his seat like he had been bitten by something. His gaze darted down and watched as the left leg of Draco's trousers fell down to its original position. Then the boy surreptitiously slipped his feet back into his shoes. The wheels in his head turned as he caught the look of desire on Malfoy's face. Subtly, he shifted his gaze to Hermione. The girl was smirking smugly at the blond.

After exchanging a look with Ginny, he chose that moment to speak. "Where are you going, mate?" he asked with a knowing smile.

Draco's head snapped up. "I just remembered something that I have to do. Head student stuff. Patrol schedules and all that," he said, flapping his hand around as if that helped to explain his lie.

Blaise watched him closely as he went on his way. Before he turned the corner, however, Draco paused and looked back, his eyes finding Hermione's. Blaise watched as his friend's brow lifted, as if he was challenging her. Blaise's head then snapped back to Hermione and found her staring right back at Draco. She averted her eyes when Draco left and he watched her as she stared down at the table. She seemed to be making a decision.

Blaise counted down. Three, two, one and...

"You know what?" Hermione exclaimed as she, too, jumped up off of her chair and started gathering her things, "I just remembered that Malfoy can't be trusted. I'm going to go... lend him a hand." She flushed at her interesting choice of words.

Blaise sniggered as he watched her hurry away in the direction that Draco had gone. He smiled sweetly at Ginny. "It happened before Valentine's Day, love. Pay up."

Ginny glared at him and grumbled to herself, all the while digging around in her bag. She grudgingly handed him five gold coins.

*FIN*

A/N: Thank you for reading :)

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