Draco watched as Blaise Zabini sauntered up to a sixth-year Ravenclaw in the Three Broomsticks and whispered something in her ear. The girl made a disgusted face and turned in her chair so that her back was to the dark-haired Slytherin, barely breaking from her conversation with her friends. Blaise returned, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"Rinsed, mate," Draco smirked.
Blaise glared at the blond. "Yeah, like you're so hot."
"I could get any girl in here if I wanted."
"Really? Willing to bet on that?"
Draco wasn't sure if this was a very good idea, but if his inkling was correct… And a Malfoy never backed down from a challenge.
"Yup."
"Ten galleons?"
"Make it twenty."
"All right, you're on. Hermione Granger," Blaise instructed, pointing at where the Gryffindor sat laughing with her friends.
"Easy," the other Slytherin proclaimed, trademark smirk spreading over his face.
That night, as Draco slid under his duvet, Blaise called over from the next bed. "You have a week. All the way."
*****
Hermione turned to look in the direction Harry had nodded in and saw, strolling easily towards them, one Draco Malfoy. Her heart beat faster.
"Granger," greeted the boy, looking her up and down and wrinkling his nose as if there were a bad smell. "I need help with my transfiguration homework and McGonaggall told me to ask you."
Hermione groaned. "Can't Zabini help you? Or Parkinson?"
"She said you," the Slytherin insisted.
"Are you sure being near me so long won't taint your perfect blood?" the curly-haired girl asked sarcastically.
"I'll cope." When Hermione didn't reply he continued through gritted teeth. "Just help me, Granger, and then we can have nothing more to do with each other."
"Or you could go away and we could have nothing more to do with each other from now." The Gryffindor appraised him. "Say please."
"I will not degrade myself like that."
"Well that's just too bad, because I guess you're not getting any help then. Now scamper along, ferret." She made a shooing motion with her hands and then turned to leave, but the boy grabbed her small wrist with his pale fingers.
"Fine, please," Draco spat.
"Five 'o' clock, the library." Hermione instructed before the two parted ways.
"I can't believe you just agreed to help Malfoy!" Ron announced, shaking his head.
His friend shrugged her shoulders. "McGonnagal wouldn't exactly have been happy if I'd refused, would she? I guess I can cope with him for one hour."
*****
Draco breezed into the library a little after five. He finally spotted Hermione seated at a table near the back of the huge room. He turned a chair around and sat down next to her but facing her, arms crossed on the back of the chair. Wordlessly, he shoved a piece of parchment (containing the questions he had had absolutely no problem with) in front of her.
She began explaining quickly, though he was not following what she was saying, and scribbling notes ferociously for him. A few minutes later Draco reached out and placed a pale hand over her frenzied quill-hand.
Hermione stiffened and stared at where they were touching. The Slytherin traced his thumb lightly over the back of her hand and after a moment she relaxed.
The Gryffindor turned to look at him. Their eyes locked. What should his next move be? Draco reached out and cupped her face in his hand. Gently stroking her cheek he said "You're so damn beautiful, Granger."
As he spoke the words he knew they were true. Her gentle curls, her big chocolate brown eyes, the way she didn't even try to look good, her full lips. Oh Merlin, her lips. She was chewing absent mindedly on her bottom one now. It was so enticing. He couldn't take it any more. Completely forgetting his subtle, cunning approach, Draco stood up abruptly, shoving his chair out of the way with a clatter.
The blond grabbed Hermione around her waist with both hands and pulled her to standing. He pressed her against the table and shoved his mouth hard against hers, tongue tracing her bottom lip impatiently. The girl obligingly parted her lips and he explored her mouth passionately. Draco pushed his hips harder against hers and she fell back onto the table, the Slytherin climbing on top of her. He dragged his lips away from her mouth and planted furtive kisses on her jaw, her neck, her collarbone, eliciting small gasps and shudders from the surprised girl.
"Not … here …"she breathed unsteadily and without much conviction.
"Yes here," Draco murmured, smoothly undoing the top buttons of her shirt as his quick kisses moved lower and lower down her porcelain chest until his tongue found her right breast. With a final gasp, Hermione summoned all of her willpower and sat up, pushing the blond off her.
Adjusting her shirt she glanced around the deserted area and whispered "Room of Requirement."
Draco understood her immediately and grabbed her wrist, dragging her off at a run in the direction of the library doors. She pulled him to a halt.
"Come on," he moaned impatiently.
"No. What if people see us?" The Gryffindor gestured round the corner at a group of second years. "It's a bit of an invitation for rumours, isn't it?"
"OK, ten minutes," Draco conceded. He straightened his robes and walked rather unsteadily towards the door.
A few minutes later Hermione followed, attempting to flick through a book nonchalantly as she walked. Her insides, every nerve in her body was on fire. As soon as she was out of the library she threw the book aside behind a nearby suit of armour. She finally found an empty corridor and almost immediately the door to her destination appeared.
Draco was already sat on the bed completely naked, robes discarded on the floor. The only light in the room came from a few candles scattered around and Hermione thought she could smell incense. The room really didn't do things by halves.
She walked over to the bed very slowly, shrugging out of items of clothing as she went. By the time she stood in front of the very excited looking Draco she was wearing only her underwear. He grinned and pulled her onto the bed, grabbing the frill on her knickers with his teeth and delicately removing them. His hands and mouth greedily sought every crevice of her body, and she moaned with pleasure. As he nibbled gently on her earlobe her hand slipped down and she caressed him but he needed no help – he was already stiff and hot against her.
It was a good job the Room of Requirement has soundproof walls.
*****
A small drop of veritaserum pilfered from the potions room proved Draco was telling the truth and Blaise grudgingly slapped him on the back and handed over the twenty galleons.
*****
Hermione was hurrying towards the Great Hall for dinner when a porcelain arm reached out of a handy broom cupboard and pulled her inside. Strong arms crushed her against a hard chest.
"Missed you," whispered Draco, kissing the top of her head.
"Missed you too." She looked up into his stormy grey eyes.
He grinned. "Yesterday was fun."
"I think I should get some of the profits. And when are we telling people about us? It's been almost six months, the secrets are getting tedious."
"I think it's quite exciting. My dirty little secret…" The blond-haired teenager kissed her forehead.
Hermione glared.
"Besides, I'm making quite a bit out of all of these bets I'm winning…" he smirked.
Hermione looked so hurt he instantly wanted to take it back. She pulled away and attempted to look dignified as her eyes filled with tears.
"Sometimes I think you're only with me for the sex and money. You're just like I thought you were – a selfish bastard!" With that, she stormed out of the cupboard and down the corridor. Draco rushed out after her "Hermione," he called, but she had gone. He finished in a whisper, "I love you."
*****
He knocked urgently on the Gryffindor seventh year girls' dormitory. He really hoped she was in there. And she better be bloody alone. It had taken Draco enough effort to get through the common room without being noticed.
"Come in," she called. Merlin, even her voice was beautiful.
Mercifully, she was alone, standing at the window and facing away from the door. He walked up behind her quietly and produced something from a pocket, before encircling her from behind with both arms.
"Hey beautiful," he whispered in her ear. Hermione stiffened. "I love you."
Her voice when she replied was harsh. "No you don't."
"Let's be honest – I don't need the money. And if I was with you just for the sex, why would I have this?"
Draco opened his hands, which had been clasped in front of his girlfriend, to reveal a small, deep blue velvet box.
"Hermione Jean Granger, I love you so much. I love you so much it hurts. I have never felt and will never feel like this about anyone else. Everything you do is perfect, even the way you worry too much and the way you bite your right thumbnail." He touched the relevant thumb and then laced his fingers with hers. She had small, delicate hands and his were quite large and it gave him endless pleasure that his hand wrapped around her fist perfectly, like two pieces of a jigsaw. "I want to wake up with you every morning for the rest of my life."
The Gryffindor had softened considerably in his arms and in one smooth moment he spun her around to face him and knelt down on one knee, flipping open the box to reveal a ruby and emerald ring.
"Will you marry me?"
*****
Just over a year later, the second summer after their graduation, a familiar tune started to play on the organ and Draco turned to see a beautiful girl whose glossy brown curls were surrounded by a halo of light from the open church door. As she proceeded elegantly up the aisle, everything else faded out of his sight. The only thing that mattered was the woman walking towards him. He made to run forward to meet her, but his best man Blaise placed a restraining hand on his arm. The other Slytherin leaned forward and whispered in Draco's ear.
"I still think I should get my twenty galleons back."
A/N: I hope that you liked it :D
Feel free to let me know what you think!