Untitled
Written in reply to Challenge #2 at FN
Chapter 1.
His lips were soft but firm against hers. His tongue swept, seeking entrance, and obligingly her mouth opened beneath his. Each loving the incredible sensations that were rippling through their bodies. She emitted a barely audible moan, a tiny purr of enjoyment from the depth of her throat and he smiled against her mouth, something surging through his veins at the knowledge he was creating this reaction. His hands moved up and tangled loosely in her curls, stroking them, running them through his fingers. Her hands clasped around his neck, and then one hand traced his jaw line, her fingertip trailing lightly along, grazing the flawless skin. Mind reeling from the intense heat of her lips, the dizzy feeling the lack of oxygen was having on her, and the phenomenons he was producing with his mouth, she drew away.
Hermione Granger gazed down, taking in the sight, although it was now oddly familiar it never ceased to astonish her. Draco Malfoy stared back at her. His ice blonde hair was tousled, the natural curls, usually restrained by gel, were free and tumbled across his face, tickling his eyes and giving him an almost angelic appearance. His slate grey eyes were radiating an intense mixture of passion, lust and an underlying, and as yet, unrecognisable emotion. The porcelain complexion, the chiselled cheekbones, the full lips, Hermione couldn't suppress a smile. He was undeniably beautiful. It scared her. He looked so perfect and faultless. Yet she knew the boy underneath was anything but.
Draco Malfoy's eyes took in the girl hovering above him, her glossy, chestnut hair fell in loose curls to the small of her back, at this moment a few were brushing enticingly against his jumper. Her peaches and cream skin had acquired two rosy flushes on the apple of her cheeks. He lingered for a moment on her lips, thinking idly how incredible they felt when they were on his own, then his gaze flicked up to connect with hers. Chocolate brown bored into glacial grey.
"Time to go," Hermione said quietly,
"Walking out on me?" He asked, arching a silvery eyebrow. Hermione frowned at him,
"Seems so," she retorted, rising slowly and purposely off the sofa.
"Stay..." Draco reached for her hand. A fleeting look of longing sped across her face.
"I can't, Harry will wonder where I am,"
Draco eyes iced over, he dropped his grip and set his jaw.
"Oh shit," he drawled his voice retaining its cold tone, which recently was rarely directed at Hermione. She flinched, then regained herself and scowled at him.
"We've been through this. We're friends – just friends,"
"Mmm," Draco muttered sounding utterly unconvinced. Hermione glared at him,
"What's that mean?" she snapped angrily.
"Come on, you think I can't tell? You're with him day in day out, you flirt, you constantly touch him, you're endless private jokes –!" Draco yelled, red patches flaring on his cheekbones. Hermione stared at him,
"Why do you care Draco? This –," she gestured between them, "– was meant to be fun! Nothing serious – you always told me that!" she said her voice shaking with anger. There was a loaded pause.
"I. Don't. Care." Draco said slowly, "Do what you want," he said, and spinning around he strode out of the room they were in. Hermione gaped after him, what the hell? She thought frustratedly, running a hand through her hair. Angrily she grabbed her robe and slippers and sped out of the door. Draco wasn't in sight, and listening intently Hermione couldn't hear his footsteps either, deciding against attempting to find him, she turned resolutely and carefully shut the door behind her and set off down the corridor.
Creeping along Hermione ran through the argument in her mind, she let out an irritated huff as she came to Draco's departing sentence, instantly a loud miaow made her freeze. She stood perfectly still, and terrified. Stupid, stupid she berated herself in her mind, she hadn't been paying attention to her footsteps, over confident in her stealth abilities after her endless night time crawls she'd now attracted Mrs Norris, which meant Filch wasn't far behind. She had paused right in the centre of a hallway, Mrs Norris had rounded the corner at the end, and Hermione stared helplessly in the only possible direction, a dead end. She crept to the end and pressed herself into the shadows and watched Mrs Norris' yellow eyes observe her blankly. Filch's footsteps echoed closer, he would round the corner any second now and catch her, could he withdraw her Head Girl status? She wondered absently. She saw the toe of Filch's brown leather shoe appear around the corner, she squeezed her eyes shut, and felt someone slide in front of her and something brush her hair lightly.
She opened her mouth to scream, but a large hand immediately smothered it, as Filch stood at the end of the hallway squinting into the gloom, Hermione felt a pair of lips at her ear and a familiar voice whispered almost inaudibly,
"It's me. Stay still." Hermione relaxed, it was Harry and his trusty invisibility cloak. His hand dropped from her mouth and lightly clasped her hand, starting slowly; he began to lead her down the hallway. They moved painfully gradually, halting every few seconds.
"Where are they, my pretty?" Filch cooed to his scrawny cat. Mrs Norris mewed, her blank eyes swivelling around and fixing on Harry and Hermione. Harry was squashed against the clammy stone wall; Hermione was pressed against his chest. Harry was trying hard not to think about the feel of her body against his, and to concentrate on getting out of the hallway. Hermione stared in horror at Mrs Norris; her unblinking yellow eyes were fixed on them. Swallowing Hermione moved her hand slowly to her pocket, careful not to rustle the cloak, she drew out her wand. Glancing up the hall at the distance they had already moved she spotted a broken quill lying on the stone slabs. She raised her wand and just as Filch spoke another croaked question at Mrs Norris, she whispered,
"Wingardiom leviosa..." the quill rose off the floor, Hermione snaked her free hand to clutch Harry's to signal her plan. Counting down in her head Hermione gulped then flicked her wand. The quill fell to the floor with a clatter and Mrs Norris' eyes flitted to it, as it bounced, the cat pounced and Filch shot after her fumbling around at the end of the hall. Hermione squeezed Harry's hand and they slipped around the corner, and then set off speedily away down the corridor.
Eventually they reached a heavy oak door upon which a large bronze plaque glittered; Head Boy & Girl Quarters. With a sigh of relief Hermione muttered,
"Fluffy," and she and Harry fell into their small common room in exhaustion. They collapsed into plush armchairs around the small fire which had roared into life as soon as they entered the room. Hermione avoided Harry's gaze for as long as possible, until he cleared his throat meaningfully.
"So," he said raising his eyebrows at her. Hermione decided to play for time,
"So what?"
At her reply Harry let out a snort that sounded like a mingle of amusement and anger.
"Aren't you going to tell me where you've been, that was such a pressing issue you couldn't tell me and that made you almost get caught by Filch?" said Harry trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. Hermione swallowed, she couldn't lie to him, he always knew anyway.
"Yeah, thanks for that. Good job you were there," she said smiling briefly, Harry narrowed his eyes at her.
"I'm always there for you. You know that," he said quietly, Hermione jumped up from her chair.
"I better be getting to bed – lessons tomorrow and all that –!" she said quickly, heading for the mini staircase that led to her room. Harry caught her wrist and pulled her around.
"Hermione." He said looking hard at her, she wilted under his emerald gaze, tiredly she flopped onto the sofa, and Harry left his chair to sit beside her.
"Okay..." Hermione said taking a deep breath, "I was with Draco."
"Malfoy?" Harry said in confusion, Hermione resisted the temptation to roll her eyes, how many other Draco's do you know?
"Yes,"
"Why?" He asked. Hermione flinched, and here was the problem. She couldn't muster the courage to say it outright, instead she met his eyes. Harry's mouth dropped open.
"You – Malfoy –?" he stuttered in disbelief, Hermione bit her lip.
"Yes," she replied, reaching out to touch Harry's hand. He tugged it free absently, staring at her as if he didn't recognise her.
"But – I thought, me and you..." he gestured vaguely between them; Hermione swallowed and tried to will down the tears that were springing in her eyes. She had two options, to run away and leave an awkward situation behind her till morning or try and turn the state of affairs into a more positive light. She'd have to deal with Harry. She decided on the latter, after a second's contemplation, after all, she didn't need Draco. It had been fun. But fun was it, the first stolen kiss had been such a shock, a jolt to the system, and that had led to the peculiar relationship, comprising of passionate and heated exchanges in empty classrooms or the room of requirement. It was an experience, Hermione told herself, everyone loved a bad boy, right? But it had got a little too deep that evening, lost the blithe quality and added a huge sledge load of problems to her. Gulping again Hermione summoned a smile and decided to overlook Harry's indistinct gesture that represented their hazy relationship.
"Okay. Harry." She began holding his hand within her two, "It was just – a thing, you know?" Harry nodded not understanding a tiny bit.
"It was after I broke up with Justin, I was really upset and Draco was being a prat as usual – but it just went funny – and we kissed." She said distractedly, Harry frowned.
"So tonight. When I saw you were missing. When I worried for half an hour before coming to find you. When I rescued you from Filch, you'd just been with Malfoy... curing his sexual frustration!" Harry said angrily. Hermione felt something in her stomach twinge at that, if the conversation hadn't been so serious it would have been funny. She nodded then caught herself,
"No. Well... we had a fight. It's over, whatever 'it' was." She said quietly. Harry took a deep breath and seemed to be struggling with something. Eventually he pulled her towards him.
"Are you okay?"
Hermione nodded bleakly and let him pull her into his arms. He rocked her for a few minutes before releasing her.
"I better go to bed..." Hermione said with a tiny grin at him, "Thank you Harry," she added planting a quick kiss on his cheek, before darting away up the stairs and into her room.