Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. That right belongs to the fabulous J.K. Rowling.
"You do realize, Granger," the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy began, "we're stuck in here because of you." He flicked his white blonde hair out of his eyes with his wand as he lay sprawled across the plush pink couch.
Hermione huffed. "Need I remind you, Malfoy, that if it weren't for your big-headedness, we wouldn't have found ourselves in this situation in the first place!" He simply rolled his eyes at her.
They were stuck in the Room of Requirement. It was after curfew, and Hermione and Malfoy found themselves seeking refuge in the Room after a near nasty run in with Filch. Hermione had been on her way back to Gryffindor Tower from a late night at the library when she ran into – literally ran straight into – Malfoy. In his brashness, he sent a curse whizzing her way, one that missed her completely and ended in a loud boom across the hall. Not wanting to get caught, Hermione dragged Malfoy with her into the Room of Requirement.
Unfortunately for the both of them, the Room of Requirement did not seem to want to let them out.
"Any luck Granger?" called Malfoy, as he lay on the light pink couch, shooting up sparks with his wand.
Hermione grumbled. She'd tried every spell she knew of and still the door would not budge. "Absolutely none at all. But if you could maybe, oh I don't know, help me, I think we'd be able to get out of here a lot faster."
"I'm perfectly fine right here," said Malfoy, not even bothering to look at her. "Although I have to say, the decor of this room is atrocious."
"You're atrocious," Hermione muttered. But Malfoy had a point. The room was oddly decorated with varying shades of pinks, reds, and whites. She paid no mind to it. Hermione still could not believe she was stuck in this room with that bloody bastard. She was going to lose her sanity, she was sure of it.
She mustered all her brain power to focus on the problem at hand. It really was quite odd how they were not able to get out. The Room of Requirement was supposed to satisfy the seeker's needs. Malfoy and she had needed a place to safely evade getting caught; that danger was now gone, so why couldn't they leave?
Hermione examined the door closely. It was quite plain The door was made simply of solid oak; the knob of fine brass. A knob that could not be turned. For the life of her, she could not figure out what aspect of magic was at play here. As she stared at the door, something peculiar began to happen. Faint, black lines began to etch themselves into the oak, forming the shape of little hearts.
How odd, Hermione thought. Little hearts. She pondered this new development, but could not make sense of it.
"Malfoy, do you happen to know what day it is?" she asked, turning to look at his sprawled form on the couch.
He thought for a minute. "The fourteenth possibly… yes, it is the fourteenth of February." He pointed his wand at the ceiling lamp and changed its red glow to one of a dark green.
February 14. Valentine's Day. A day of love for most people. Unfortunately for Hermione, she had spent hers alone. That is, up until she found herself locked in this room with the ferret. Hermione pondered the day's events. Ron's recent tirade with Lavender had left her feeling rejected and hurt. No matter how much she didn't want to admit it, Hermione craved attention from boys. She wanted to feel wanted, just as much as the next girl.
Oh bloody hell. Realization washed over Hermione. She thought back to the beginning of the night. When she had conjured up the Room of Requirement, she had been thinking of a place to hide. But she was also distracted with other thoughts. Her mind had been muddled with a desire for affection on this very special day.
That's why the room was covered in shades of reds and whites and pinks; to match the spirit of Valentine's Day. And now she was stuck here with none other than Draco Malfoy. Her enemy. The arrogant git who hates her so and she him.
Hermione felt herself turning a deep shade of red. She turned away so Malfoy wouldn't see. She breathed in deeply to steady herself. The Room of Requirement satisfied the seeker's needs. It was made with very old magic; no magic she possessed would help them escape. Logically, there was no other way around this. Her desire for a display of affection must be met, or they were never getting out of here.
She silently cursed herself for being so weak. Hermione sucked in a deep breath and turned to Malfoy.
Her chocolate-brown eyes met his stormy grey ones. "I think I know how we can get out of here," she said cautiously, her fingers twirling around her wand in a fit of nerves.
Malfoy sat up straight. "Well, go on, let's hear it," he said nonchalantly, though his eyes bore into hers intently.
Hermione felt her heart beat loudly in her chest. She broke away from his gaze, decidedly looking anywhere but his eyes. "I…I don't think you're going to like it very much."
"Why don't you tell me what it is and I can decide that for myself." Hermione heard a hint of agitation in his voice. "I want to get out of this bloody room."
Hermione swallowed hard. She had a feeling he wasn't going to receive her idea well. "Well…it's just that…you see here," she stammered, not able to find the right words to capture the essence of what she was trying to convey.
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Oh bloody hell Granger, just spit it out."
Hermione glared at him. "Fine," she huffed. "While conjuring up the Room of Requirement, my main goal was to find a place for us to hide safely, but I was also…preoccupied with thoughts regarding Valentine's Day.
She chanced a look at Malfoy. He just stared at her, not fully understanding the meaning behind her words.
She continued. "Consequently, the room took on this form and I believe if we are to ever get out, we must put on some sort of display of affection…" she slowly tailed off.
Malfoy was silent, an unreadable expression on his face. He ran a hand through his platinum blonde hair. Finally he spoke. "So you're telling me, the only reason we're stuck here is because you have a pathetic desire for love. And that the only way to get out is if we 'put on some sort of display of affection'," his face took on a look of disgust as he quoted her.
"Not exactly the words I would use, but yes, essentially, that is the gist of it," Hermione said.
"And what exactly constitutes a 'display of affection'," Malfoy asked slowly, eyeing her as he now stood standing, leaning with his arms crossed against the couch.
"Well, if it's a display of love the room wants then maybe we should, you know, kiss," she suggested hesitantly.
"Kiss," he stated, his eyebrows raised in shock. He burst out laughing.
Hermione ignored him. "Yes you know when two people lock lips in a display of –"
Malfoy stopped laughing. "I know what a bloody kiss is Granger I just never thought I'd have to share one with you," he snapped.
"Yes well, I don't suppose you want to be here forever, do you?" Hermione questioned.
Malfoy thought for a minute. Frankly, he was taking this better than Hermione thought he would. Nonetheless, she had no doubt he was conjuring up a rude remark to throw her way.
She spoke hesitantly. "Whatever happens in this room stays in this room. I can promise you that much Malfoy. You're not the only one with a reputation at stake here."
Malfoy eyed her, a strange spark in his eyes. "Well then, let's get a move on," he said.
Hermione's eyes bulged in shock. She quickly composed herself, acting like his words didn't faze her. "You're more willing than I'd thought you'd be," she stated casually.
"Yeah well you're not that awful a sight Granger," he said avoiding her eyes. "And I want to get out of this bloody room," he added quickly.
An uncharacteristic smirk formed on Hermione's lips. She decided to make the most of his confession. "Do my ears deceive me, a compliment from none other than Draco Malfoy?" she said playfully.
He frowned. "Don't get used to it," he growled.
Hermione rolled her eyes. A heavy silence ensued. Neither one of them knew how to proceed.
Hermione cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well I suppose we should, um," she started.
Draco took two swift steps towards her, closing the gap between them. Hermione felt her heart rate quicken. He lightly pushed her against the wall. His strong arms encircled her waist and his stormy grey eyes stared straight into her deep brown ones. She found it difficult to breathe under his intense gaze. Hermione felt entranced, hypnotized. Ever so slowly, he leaned closer, and his gaze shifted to her lips. Inches away from them he stopped; Hermione could feel his hot breath tickling her face. It was a strangely intimate moment. Then, gently, he brushed his lips against hers. The kiss was soft, genuine, sweet. So many emotions swirled in her head; desire to have him, confusion at the notion of wanting him. Malfoy pulled back, breaking up her thoughts.
They both turned to look to the front of the room. The door had not budged.
Hermione thought for a second. "I suppose," she mused. "It wants to see passion of some sort."
Malfoy turned to look at her. "Passion," he stated. "You want passion? I can give you passion," he said huskily.
Hermione was unprepared for what came next. His lips came down on hers hard; his mouth was hungrily searching hers. His hands were roaming her body; up her thighs, along her back, touching her, feeling her. When his hot tongue gained entry and swiped itself along her teeth, Hermione gasped. She returned the kiss with just as much intensity. Caught up in the moment, she bit down on his lower lip lightly; she smiled when she heard him groan. Their tongues danced together. Hermione felt electrified, as if sparks were going off between them. Her hands wove their way into his silky blonde hair, pulling him closer to her.
The door clicked open, signaling their ability to leave. Both Hermione and Malfoy heard the door open, but neither one of them broke away from their embrace.
They stayed in the Room of Requirement all night.
A/N - Hope you liked it! Reviews would be much appreciated.