Hello again! It's been a long time, I know, but with the summer here I finally have time to continue my writings :) This chapter is a bit short but it is the beginning of me getting back into gear with writing. And I figured my fans deserved an update :)


There was something about the way she walked that infuriated him to no end. There was an unnecessary bounce to it, like she was lighter than air. It was carefree. It was happy.

Draco used to be the reason for that extra pep in her step, and sometimes the limp when those tutoring sessions ran late into the night. Now he couldn't help but despise who was the reason now.

It had been about three weeks since Hermione had ditched Draco as some one under her tutelage. Now he was grasping at straws, going over and over what he had done to drive her into the arms of someone else. Into Weasley's arms.

In part, he knew that it was because he was a Slytherin and she a Gryffindor. Two polar opposites. As much as it pained him to think about, Hermione probably jumped at the chance to be back together with Weasley. He was the good guy. The right choice. And Draco was simply not.

With this knowledge constantly circling in his mind his dismal grades had dropped to a point of no return. He was assigned many new tutors but drove them away with his heightened state of fury. He ignored his teachers' pleas for his attention. He all but exiled his friends from his presence.

"You'll be a Death Eater soon anyway."

"I'd be skipping classes everyday if I were you."

"You're so lucky."

That was all Draco ever heard from his classmates and he was getting sick of it. Even though he was getting closer and closer to leaving Hogwarts he still had to be here for a few more weeks. Maybe months. He didn't want his remaining time here to be cloaked in a silent, simmering anger.

Draco hated himself for succumbing to these wild emotions. They possessed his thoughts, his body, all that he was.

But it was all her fault.

And now, Draco was going to do something drastic to change everything.

Or so he hoped.

The sun was setting on a seemingly ordinary day at Hogwarts. The warmth of the approaching spring months remained in the air even with the sun slowly disappearing. Any students still on the grounds were quickly filtering into the Great Hall for dinner. Hermione had just finished her final class and was rushing across an empty bridge towards the delicious smells of a feast wafting through the air.

Hermione neared a courtyard and stepped into the shadows created by the stone statues and hallways that were arranged around the large wooden doors. As she hurried forward the books in her arms were jostled and a notepad fell to the ground. Hermione groaned and stopped, stooping down to retrieve her possession.

A cool breeze ruffled her hair, exposing her neck and that's when she felt it. Her heartbeat stumbled and she felt as though she was being watched.

Suddenly she was hoisted by the waist to a cold, stone, hallway corner, her books falling to the ground, and all the air in her lungs knocked out of her. She drew in a raged breath to scream, but a large hand covered her mouth.

Hermione felt her head spin and all of her nerves tighten in fear when she felt her attacker's body blanket hers against the walls. Then she looked up to see two smoldering gray eyes.

"Hermione," Draco breathed heavily, his body heaving against hers creating an intense heat between them. Hermione stared up at him wide eyed, her heart still beating at an increased pace but for slightly different reasons. What did he want? When was the last time she'd seen him that close?

"That name got me into trouble last time," he whispered, slowly releasing his grasp on her lips and creating a barrier with his arms to keep her in place. Upon hearing this Hermione felt her eyebrows furrow. She didn't have time to ponder, however, because Draco's burning stare was too much to ignore.

"You know I'm surprised," Draco began with a cool smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "You had an incredible amount of leverage over me. We could have had passionate sex without commitment for quite a while longer."

Hermione felt herself flush. It gave her mixed emotions to hear the truth of what had transpired between them stated so simply. She felt a nagging twinge of guilt but a more logical part of her rationalized that she had nothing to feel bad about.

She had explored her sexual side. So what? She had chosen a fine, although irritating, male specimen to practice with. Even better. And most importantly she had been safe. It had been… fantastic to be honest. It was… fun. But now…

"You know, it really baffles me," Draco said with an incredulous chuckle, "of all the people in this damn castle, if you were going to pick someone over me I would have never ever expected it to be Weasley."

Hermione wanted to protect her friend like she knew she should, but she knew she was in the wrong. She could feel the pain in Draco's voice. A sadness that mirrored her own. Her heart hurt when she remembered that night in the dungeons. She wished desperately that things had ended differently. After all, despite the fact that she and Draco had never been on good terms she was still a caring person. Hermione couldn't help it.

But what choice did they have? This was how things would have gone anyway. Hermione just ended it a little sooner than it would have naturally. It was better this way… or at least, it should have been.

Suddenly Hermione felt a warm hand press into her lower back while another gently cupped her neck. She looked up and felt a shudder pass through her as two dazzling gray eyes drank her in.

"I'm a tad bit insulted, I must say," Draco whispered, his warm breath wafting against her lips. She could almost taste the sharp spearmint flavor that was usually on his tongue. "Or I would be if I thought Weasley could even compare to me as a lover."

Draco practically purred this as he brought her hips to meet his. Goose bumps shot down Hermione's legs to her toes and back again. Her eyes cinched shut as she held her breath. Draco's lips just barely touched her neck. They hovered against her pulse that was now picking up.

"Does he compare?" he murmured, his words vibrating cross her skin. "Or are you kept awake at night thinking of me?"

Hermione felt a jolt snap through her uncontrollably. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep a gasp from accompanying the convulsion.

She could hardly think, hardly breath. What was he doing here? What was all of this for? No answers presented themselves. Hermione flushed with embarrassment, her heartbeat so loud she worried that Draco could actually hear it.

Then, to her surprise she felt the hot hands on her body shift. Draco adjusted his position as the hand on her lower back slid to her thigh, his thumb lightly tracing the lace beneath her skirt.

Hermione's mouth fell open as Draco's fingers tickled their way along the thin fabric of her underwear. Her head tipped back and her eyes closed tighter as she anticipated his movements, his forefinger slowly but surely pinpointing the exact location of her arousal.

A tremor rocked through Hermione's body as he just barely brushed against her. A feeling that had become a distant memory yet was oh so familiar. She pondered for a moment why she had decided to reject her meetings with Draco.

But then the teasing pressure disappeared and Draco stepped back. Hermione met his eyes unable to hide the pure confusion in her expression, biting her lip sharply to keep her eyelids from sinking and her body from shuddering as intense déjà vu consumed her.

She remembered all the moments like these too well.

Draco held her gaze for a few moments before crouching down to scoop up her fallen books. He held them out for her as she hesitantly reached for them. It was strange to see a simple gesture of concern come from this selfish, pureblood wizard. Hermione held the books close to her chest like a shield to protect her from Draco's unusually soft expression.

A small smile turned up his lips. Draco slowly turned to walk away but he stopped. He looked back for a moment with that same smile.

"I hope I run into you again sometime… Hermione."

As the blonde receded into the distance the witch felt all of the air in her lungs leave with him. She was beginning to have all sorts of regrets about the past month. She clenched her fist as she wondered why. Why did she really get back together with Ron? Why was Draco pursuing her so suddenly? And of course, why did she feel so tied up in knots?

In her heart she knew the answers. Like little whispers in her ears the truth was making itself present with gentle tickles against her consciousness. The question now was: would she acknowledge it?

And what would become of them if she did?


And so the question 'why?' is not something only Draco wonders about now :)

See you next chapter!