He attacked her more violently than he would have ever expected from himself.

It proved to be worth it, however, as she gasped at his domination. Draco captured her wrist against the wall behind her, the pressure causing a slight pain. She didn't notice, though; she was too distracted with his heated kisses. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out everything. But as she relaxed, she found she didn't have to. Draco Malfoy took everything away. All of her worries were nonexistent. Draco, concerned that she was thinking too much, ran his hand up her side to distract her further. She ran her hand through his hair to reassure him.

The Slytherin Prince took a step closer to Hermione, arching slightly. He pulled away from her lips and nibbled her earlobe, eager to make her feel high with intensity. Nudging her jaw with his nose, he growled, trying to figure out how to best satisfy her. Draco gathered her hair in the back of her head and massaged the nape of her neck. He noticed she could barely make a sound, and he smirked.

Everything about her was exquisitely phenomenal. Her hair, her lips, her teeth, her beautifully roaming hands—oh!

"Oh, God," Draco nearly shuddered. Hermione had reached for his belt. Immediately, he yanked himself away from her.

He ruffled his hair, his belt still half-way undone, and sighed. "Are you still convinced I don't care about you?" he asked softly.

Hermione avoided his eyes. She knew the intensity she would find there would be unbearable. Draco tilted her chin up, forcing her to look. His eyes brimmed with tears, and she tilted her head, shocked that she could cause such a strong…indifferent being to cry.

"Don't you get it, 'Mione? You mean the world to me."

Hermione drew back, slightly ashamed of herself. This boy really loved her, and she was being cruel.

She bit her lip, and then took a step forward. Her heart sped as she realized what she was forcing her shy self to do. Leaning to stand on the tips of her toes, Hermione softly pressed a kiss to Draco's cheek. It was brief, and she kept her eyes open, watching his flutter shut.

It was strange that such a chaste gesture could be so scary to her, after how he had just kissed her. But somehow, it meant more than the previous kiss. It meant something more important to their future than Draco's kiss. This time, it didn't mean "please". This time, it meant "yes".