He broke his lips away from hers, both of them panting breathlessly as they tried to recover from their spontaneous moment of passion in one of the Ministry lifts. Thankfully it was very late at night and no one was around to question anything – not that they would have anything to question as they were both very good at hiding things.
"What are we doing?" Hermione gasped, the irritation clear on her delicate features as she threw the question at him, biting it out harshly. He was already reaching for her again, pulling her back against his delicious warmth as his mouth dove hungrily towards her neck.
"Granger, I'd have thought it was clear what we were doing here – especially to someone as intelligent as you. Must you question it?" Draco mumbled into her skin, smirking against her neck as she let out a soft cry of pleasure when he hit the sensitive spot beneath her ear.
"Yes I must…" Hermione gasped softly, not making much of a struggle to get away from him. "I have Ron… and you have Astoria… How would they feel if they found out?" He pushed her backwards, stumbling with her towards the wall of the lift which seemed to have sensed that they weren't getting off anytime soon and was just taking them for a random route between the floors.
"They aren't going to find out," he replied in a tone which allowed no room for argument. She growled but this was not a sound of passion, rather one of anger. Draco seemed to realise this as he pulled away so he could look at her, his expression both questioning and annoyed.
"Draco, this has been going on for too long," she said firmly, smoothing her hands through her hair and then down over her clothes, patting everything neatly back into place.
"You haven't been complaining," he muttered, his tone reverting to that of a school boy as he too flattened his hair and redid his tie.
"Oh Draco, don't you see?" Hermione burst out suddenly and he recoiled slightly from her anger. "We're like a circus – always travelling around and putting on different acts and just generally having fun but people are beginning to see it!"
"What's a circus?" Draco asked, momentarily forgetting his annoyance as his curiosity took over. Hermione almost smiled at him.
"It's a kind of muggle show which involves juggling and animals and clowns and such. You know, if it weren't for your superior attitude and habit of making fun of those who aren't pure blooded, I reckon you could have easily been a Ravenclaw."
"No, Granger. Never. Not after everything…" Draco trailed off, scowling at the floor and Hermione bit her lip. "Enough of that. Either go back to what you were saying, or allow me to continue in my seduction of a Gryffindor who wasn't been innocent for a long time. Preferably the second option." He made as if to move towards her again, a cheeky smirk on his face, but she held her hands up in front of her and he stopped, looking defeated. Both of them sighed.
"I think I'll continue on with the circus comparison. You see; we're both like muggle sweets that are consumed at the circus. I am the candy floss and you are the candy. The candy I'm talking about is hard, with a surprisingly tasteful centre. They're like Bertie Bott's in a way, but they're only sweet or sour instead of the multiple flavours you find in Every Flavour Beans." Hermione sank down to rest against the wall of the lift which was still moving through the floors with a somewhat cheerful purpose. Draco sat down across from her, their feet touching but only barely.
"So, how are you like candy floss, then?" This was one muggle thing that Draco was unusually acquainted with – he had had quite the sweet tooth when he was younger and still did. "Is it because you're light, and soft?" He seemed to suddenly appear next to her and breathed the words directly into her ear. "Is it because your cheeks go the colour of candy floss whenever you see me, whenever we're together? Or is it because you're so, so undeniably delicious and addictive that you liken yourself to it?" She shuddered as he drew his teeth across her earlobe.
"Oh, but we can't, Draco," she sighed, already leaning into him. She never could fight him for long.
"Did you know, you're practically the only one in the entire Ministry who calls me by my first name, Granger? I do rather like the way it sounds coming from your lips…" He kissed down her neck, doing wicked things with his mouth which made her shiver, until he paused. "Hermione," he murmured into her neck, smirking like the fiend he was.
"I guess… one more time wouldn't hurt…" she breathed and he laughed softly, the vibrations against her skin making her shiver.
The lift moved up and down and back and forth at its own happy pace, bearing the two inside gently as if they were babies and needed much love. Draco and Hermione continued their passionate tryst inside, oblivious to everything else. It had started almost two years ago now, suddenly, when Hermione had been in the lift trying not to cry over an argument she and Ron had had – one of their worst. Draco had appeared so suddenly and, strangely enough, he had been the only one to comfort her. It was both surprising and unsurprising – she had noticed the covert glances he had been sending her way for a few weeks now, heard about how unsteady his relationship was but this was Draco Malfoy; the hater of muggleborns and the proud Slytherin.
Yet somewhere, something had sparked and no matter their fights they always continued their secret love affair, and it always started with Hermione saying that they couldn't anymore and comparing them to something or another. Draco would then slowly persuade her to drop her argument and allow him to seduce her.
It was their pattern.