Author's Note: A quick little drabble for Ravenclaw-Sass' birthday. Belated, but it's the thought that counts…right? *drops this and skips away* And some credit to CourtingInsanity, who says she didn't beta, but found three mistakes and corrected them in her read through.
A Dragon's Kiss
"Do you ever stop working, Granger?" The bored drawl drew Hermione's attention from the pile of essays on her desk to where Draco Malfoy casually leaned against the door frame.
A quick glance at her watch told her it was well after eight, and her stomach's loud growling reminded her that she had skipped dinner. Dropping her quill, she rolled her shoulders and massaged her neck with one hand. "I hate knowing I have unfinished work waiting for me."
"It's Friday. You can grade these essays on—" he crossed to her desk in three strides and lifted the top scroll of parchment to read, "—the differences between the Agrippan Method and the Chaldean Method tomorrow."
She narrowed her eyes at him, taking in the heavy cloak he donned. "What about you, Professor? You look like you're headed down to the enclosures."
Malfoy huffed a laugh and bounced on the balls of his feet, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Well, my class exhibits need feeding. Why don't you take a break and walk with me, at least? Some fresh air might clear your head."
Hermione glanced from the pile of scrolls on her desk and up to the professor's face. A crooked smile graced his features, causing butterflies to flutter wildly in her belly at the sight. This dank classroom must really be messing with my head. Shaking her curly mop to clear her mind, she stood and retrieved her traveling cloak. "I think you may be right. I've been at it since my last class ended."
They fell into a companionable step as they made their way out of the castle. When Hermione had returned the year prior to claim the Arithmancy Professor's position, Draco Malfoy was the last person she expected to be working alongside. After the War, he had fought valiantly to return his family's name to its former glory—a name worthy of praise and pride. There had been rumors that he had taken the position as Care of Magical Creatures professor after Hagrid's death, but she hadn't ever put any stock into such gossip. That is, until he slid into the seat next to her at the professor's table.
Hermione found Malfoy to be far more subdued than he had been in his childhood, polite and cordial. Overcoming his own trials during the War had turned him into a man worth knowing—a fact that pleased Hermione greatly. He was intelligent and quick witted, snarky and flirtatious. Not to mention, he had really grown into his pointy features in an appealing manner.
"I just got a new pup," his throaty voice commanded her attention once more, "and he is quite the handful."
As they crossed the grounds and moved toward the large enclosures where the magical creatures were kept, Hermione caught sight of Draco's "new pup." A dragon, the size of a Great Dane, was flying about within the dome. Though he held his students' safety above all else, and though he would never admit it, Draco and Hagrid shared one particular attribute—their blind-eye to the true danger of a particular animal. She often heard him refer to some of the level three creatures as "misunderstood" or "gentle when tamed."
"Draco, is it safe to have a dragon roaming about?" she asked, dragging her lip between her teeth.
"He's not roaming about, for Merlin's sake. He's enclosed," Draco held his wand up to the magic dome, emitting a jet of purple light as he whispered the spell to gain access. "Not to mention, he's just a baby."
He raised an excited eyebrow and held out his hand. The butterflies were back—those infuriating little buggers—as she slid her hand into his. With an impatient tug, Draco stepped within the magic barrier, pulling her with him. The warmth of the magic he had used to erect the dome washed over her, tickling and plucking at the magic that coursed within her own veins.
The dragon's wings flapped as he circled overhead, the sound petrifying her momentarily. "Are you sure this is safe?" she questioned again, stepping slightly closer to him as they watched the beast.
Draco had yet to drop her hand and he gave it a reassuring squeeze. A heat spread from where they were connected, engulfing her from head to foot. "What are you so afraid of, little witch? A scant little dragon like Smigren?"
"Getting eaten, more like," Hermione muttered under her breath.
Draco let out a throaty, deep laugh and ran his thumb over her knuckles. "Don't be ridiculous—everyone knows that dragons don't actually eat people, Granger."
Unconvinced, Hermione simply hummed in response. "Watch," Draco commanded lightly, placing his fingers between his lips and whistling a long breath.
The dragon flapped thrice more and began its descent, aiming straight for the ground near them. When he landed, Hermione swore the ground shook under her feet. Smigren opened his mouth and emitted a roar—weak in his youth, though a plume of fire filled the space between them. Draco tugged her hand lightly and held out his other as he approached the young dragon. "Smigren, this is Hermione. She wants to pet you, so don't be obtuse," he warned, petting the reptilian snout as the dragon bowed its head in consent.
He ran his hand over the dragon's iridescent turquoise scales. "Come closer," he whispered to Hermione, beckoning her forth.
Gathering her courage, like the Gryffindor she was, she stepped in beside him, extending her hand for the creature to sniff. The rough scales were like sandpaper beneath her fingertips, but the beast seemed to enjoy it if his purring were any indication. Little tufts of smoke left his nostrils periodically and he leaned into Hermione's touch.
"See? He's harmless," Draco told her, smiling widely. "Most dragons are just misunderstood—you just have to give them a chance."
"You would say that," Hermione teased, rolling her eyes. "You are named after the dragon constellation."
"Well, how about it?" he asked, and when Hermione looked up, she saw him swallow hard.
Mesmerized by the way his Adam's apple bobbed above his collar, she licked her lips involuntarily. "How about what?"
Draco shifted his weight from one foot to the other and his eyes dropped to where her tongue dragged along her lip before he looked into hers once more. "Are you willing to give a second dragon a chance tonight?"
Her brain was refusing to fire on all synapses. Stricken stupid by the alluring tone of his voice and the curve of his cupid's bow, all she could think to say was, "Huh?"
Draco's grin turned into a wicked smirk and he dropped her hand. She was about to protest the loss, until he closed the space between them. He tucked the hair over her shoulders and placed his hands on either side of her face, his thumbs tracing the soft line of her jaw. A quick bounce of his eyes toward her lips told her his intentions a millisecond before she registered what was happening.
His lips on hers were gentle, a mere brushing to begin. Hermione closed her eyes and placed her hands on his shoulders, pressing back with equal fervor. Draco pulled away a hairsbreadth, smiling as his nose ran along hers. When Draco pressed his mouth to hers again, he allowed his tongue to glide along her bottom lip, pleading for permission.
A tiny squeak left the back of her throat and she curled her fingers into his collar, pulling him to herself. Her tongue danced a delicate, sensual dance with his as his hand slid back to thread into her hair. Hermione took delight in the way his other hand went to her hip, pulling her flush to himself.
Hermione was so caught up in the taste and feel of Draco Malfoy, she momentarily forgot where they were. A large, scratchy head nudged against her arm and an impatient huff sounded. Opening her eyes and pulling away, she noticed a hole singed into the sleeve of Draco's jumper. Smigren sniffed around his pockets as Draco groaned. "Smigs, you were supposed to be a good boy until after we got the girl."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic container, housing a medium rare steak. He vanished the container and tossed the meat away from himself, a deep frown marring his features. Hermione giggled at his indignance, threading her fingers with his. "So, you planned this, huh?"
Draco smiled at her playful tone and lowered his face to hers, eager to recapture her lips. "Smigren helped a little." He shrugged, his breath playing over her face before he kissed her once more.
o-o-o
A/N: I hope I can rein in the plunnies that are threatening to overtake me here. Please review!