"Malfoy."
The tall blonde boy increased his pace.
"Malfoy!"
He started jogging.
The girl behind him started sprinting. She caught him, having silently caught up to him. Locking her hands like a seatbelt around him, she yanked him to a stop.
"Malfoy. You can't just wander around at night and think you're not going to get caught by me."
He remained silent, pensive, perhaps about how to get away. Perhaps about how his pulse was hammering in his ears at the touch of the Gryffindor. He hadn't always felt like this about Hermione Granger- only since they'd both returned to Hogwarts for their seventh year. She'd brushed up against him in the hallway, and a jolt of electricity had shot through him. When he realized who it was that caused his reaction, he revolted against his mind. For a while.
Now he couldn't help glance at her during meals, cringe when she linked arms with her friends. But he avoided her nonetheless- that was why he ran away at the sound of her voice.
"I'm going to take points away, and I think you should have a detention, too. With McGonagall." Hermione's arms were still awkwardly holding him in place. It was odd that he hadn't complained about being touched by a Muggle-born yet.
Draco closed his eyes slowly, and nodded. "Okay," he said softly. "I'll do the detention."
Hermione relaxed a little, glad there wouldn't be a fight. Then she tensed again and pulled her arms tighter when he added something. "On one condition," he said.
"What condition is that?" Hermione asked doubtfully.
His surprisingly warm hands touched her forearms, before dropping again as he twisted in her arm hold to face her. Their bodies were barely touching, but it was enough to make both teenagers lose their breath.
"What..." Hermione swallowed. "Condition?"
"This one," he whispered, touching her waist innocently, lightly, through the fabric. He pressed his lips to hers, softly, lovingly. Hermione's hands unlocked and her hands moved to his neck and lower back.
They kissed in the midnight blue hallway for some indeterminable amount of time- years, seconds? They pulled apart slowly, Hermione's eyes opening first. She gazed, awestruck, at the person she'd just kissed. His eyes were still shut, a tiny tear in the corner of each.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, and pulled out of her arms, about to run away.
"Wait!" Hermione cried out at the last second. "Draco…" She grabbed his arm and made him turn around.
"What?" He snapped. "I know you're just going to scold me and send me away, but can I please just leave? I can't listen to it."
"I wasn't going to yell at you." Hermione said, and pulled his face down to hers in a passionate, intimate kiss.