Chapter 4: Signs of weakness
July 1996
July was incredibly hot that year and as Draco returned to the castle after quidditch practice he had felt uncomfortably warm. Usually he was incredibly well turned out but today he was too hot and bothered. Irritated by the heat he pulled his quidditch jumper over his head and slung it across his shoulders allowing some air to his overheated torso.
As he walked along the second floor corridor heading toward his common room he spotted a familiar bushy haired girl a little ahead of him. She was clearly feeling the heat too as, unaware of his presence, she had stopped to take off her school robes leaving her in just a plain white shirt which gave a glimpse of a plain white bra beneath. Draco scoffed to himself that she had about as much sex appeal as an erumpent. As he continued to watch she began to twist her hair up away from the back of her neck. Draco watched as she bared the nape of her neck which was rosy pink from the heat.
Time for a little sport with Granger he thought. He got as close as he dared silencing his foot fall until he was a mere meter from her back before he spoke.
"If you want to take anymore clothes off, Granger, perhaps you could do it somewhere where you won't make me feel sick".
He knew he was lying. Granger's petite form was actually quite alluring, but he couldn't ever bring himself to acknowledge that.
"Malfoy" she spun around immediately alarmed, but as she focused on him her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.
Draco had forgotten about his state of semi-undress, but he was undaunted by this, she however seemed even more uncomfortable around him than usual. Time to make her squirm he decided.
"Like what you see Granger?" he questioned expecting some witty repartee but her wit seemed to have failed her. There was something about the look in her eye, something timid and frightened. He took a step towards her closing the distance between them to less than an arm's length. If he had wanted to he could have grabbed her now.
He realised she was very uncomfortable. The normally feisty Granger appeared intimidated by his physical presence. He guessed she hadn't much experience of men, this could be interesting he thought. Prowling like a white wolf he edged a little closer, then a little closer still. She took a step back, so he took another step closer closing the distance. Again she stepped back but her back hit the stone wall behind her. He had her trapped. He smirked and moved closer still. He could feel her heavy breath on his skin.
Instinctively she raised her hand to push him away but suddenly realised that to do so she would have to place her hands on his bare chest. She went to draw her hands away just as he moved a little closer still. The narrowing of the gap caused her finger tips to graze the skin on his abdomen. Her fingers stopped as if frozen to the surface. She was barely touching him the surface area of skin touching skin was mere millimetres. He had expected her to whip away her hand as if scolded, but she didn't for the longest moment she just held her hand there as if she were transfixed by the contrast in the tones of their skins. He held his breath, there was barely a hair's breadth of contact between them, she was biting her lower lip now, and her eyelids lowered, eyes barely visible through long thick lashes. Fleetingly she dragged her hand down towards his waistband. The touch was feather light but it stirred something inside him he hadn't expected and he shivered.
"Oh, Merlin" she signed but then she snapped out of her reverie and moved to snatch her hand away, but he was too quick and caught her wrists before she could get away. He pinned her back against the wall. Now they were touching, properly touching, he could smell her hair, her skin, she smelt of jasmine, he inhaled deeply. His heart was pounding and so was hers. He could feel her breath on his skin; he could feel her breathing become faster. Was this fear or something else? Draco suddenly realised all the insults he had thrown at her were nothing, they had bounced off her shield of wit, but physical intimacy actually terrified her.
Knowing this he pressed the advantaged he bent to kiss her gently behind her right ear, the kiss was barely a whisper but she went rigid. Before he drew away he whispered "I have you now Ganger, this is your weakness."
He kissed her bruisingly on the lips then pushed her with slightly more force than necessary into the wall before he marched off down the corridor. The whole incident hadn't lasted more than a minute but curiously Draco had found it quite pleasurable up to the point when he realised she had not kissed him back.
What had been a mildly pleasurable experience for Malfoy had traumatised Hermione Granger. She relived the events of earlier that day over and over in her mind to try to make sense of it and calm her nerves. He had startled her, she had just been about to berate him for nearly giving her a heart attack when she noticed something different about him.
His hair had been ruffled, falling softly into his eyes but what had really taken her by surprize, was his skin, the vast expanse of it, so pale, so smooth but stretch finely over the well-defined muscle and ridged across his stomach. It had been breath taking.
Wow she thought to herself when had that happened?
He'd seemed to have read her mind.
"Like what you see Granger?" he had asked with that characteristic smirk on his face. Cocky bastard she'd thought, but then she had realised he was in her personal space, too close, she had been able to see the sheen of moisture across his chest and at his throat. She had stepped away from him but he had only followed. He'd trapped her against the wall and she had wanted to push him away but then she was afraid to touch him, afraid it might sting. Then her fingers had caught his skin. She had not meant to touch him, his warmth on her finger tips was electrifying, she had frozen her breath caught in her throat. Fascinated by the feel of him her fingers had ghosted down his skin.
"Oh Merlin" she had thought it out loud he must have heard her. The shock of what she was doing suddenly hit her and she had moved to pull away but he wouldn't let her. Before she could escape his seekers reflexes had allowed him to catch her wrist and then he'd pushed her back into the wall. She had felt his warm breath on her neck, and then she had sensed the spectre of a kiss brush behind her ear before he had whispered, his voice low and guttural;
"I have you now Granger, this is your weakness."
She had been terrified and then he had kissed her full force on the lips. She hadn't been able to breathe but before she had time to think about it, before she had chance to struggle or push him away he was gone, striding off down the corridor.
Had he looked back he would have seen her standing there, her fingertips on the lips he had just kissed a moment before looking completely and utterly lost and bewildered.
What confused her most was this time he was not drunk, this time he was not concussed, this time he had made a conscious decision to kiss her. She didn't understand why and she didn't understand why she had been disappointed when he had pulled away.
The whole kissing incident had last minutes but the aftershock lasted for hours and would have serious repercussions for the two young people involved.
For weeks afterwards Hermione was unable to concentrate in the lessons where he was present. Her mind wouldn't focus. In potions, that day he was sat in front of her, she found herself mentally examining the back of his neck. The short white gold hairs at his nape, the line of his jaw as it dipped away from his ear. The slight spot of blood at his jaw line where he must have nicked his face whilst shaving. Somehow Draco had sensed her eyes burning the back of his neck and he turned round, a smirk on his face that seemed to say " I knew you liked what you saw."
"Miss Granger, whilst I'm sure Mr Malfoy is fascinating…" Snape drawled
Hermione snapped out of her reverie suddenly aware that all eyes were focused on her. Draco's eyebrows rose suggestively, she tried to resist the blush that was spreading with searing heat through her body. She tried to stop it before it raced across her face but it was no good it shone out her embarrassment for all to see.
"I was just admiring the jar of hearts professor, are they dragon hearts?" she blustered desperately trying to deflect attention from the fact that she had apparently been day dreaming over Malfoy.
"Yes Miss Granger, one must be very careful with Dragon's hearts they are terribly difficult to steal and almost impossible to mend once broken."
Hermione stared at Snape stunned by his comment; whilst the rest of the students took no real notice of Snape's offhand remark Hermione understood the subtle warning. Draco had also caught Snape's meaning and although he would not openly dare to challenge Snape Draco's eyes would have lacerated anyone caught in their stare.
Again in arithmancy she couldn't concentrate now her earlier embarrassment added to her distraction she mulled over Snape's comment who was Snape trying to protect?
Then a little paper crane drifted towards her and landed gently in her lap. At first she determinedly ignored it but curiosity got the better of her.
The message was enchanted.
'Grant me one wish' the words appeared then disappeared to reveal another line 'that I can have one chance to show you I am a better man than you believe me to be.'
This line too disappeared as she read it to be replaced by two capitalised letters.
DM
It was written in a beautiful cursive hand she knew this elegant script was Malfoy's. The expensive parchment smelt wonderful. She loved the smell of parchment she raised it to her noise and realised there was another undertone to the smell a scent of spice that was somehow very alluring.
Hermione raised her eyes she was aware that he was sat to her left and as she looked in his direction she found he was staring at her. What game was he playing now? Was this some kind of trap? Would he try to humiliate her again?
Hermione told herself she needed to be brave. His note seemed like a cry for help and if there was any way she could help prevent Malfoy from becoming what Harry said he was destined to become, that is a Death Eater, she would try to help him. She found it mattered to her what became of him.
Almost imperceptibly she nodded her agreement. A hint of a smile ghosted across his face. As they left the class Malfoy shoulder barged her but she also felt his hand slip something into her pocket a small piece of parchment.
She waited until she reached her dorm before she read it. The note read:
'Astronomy tower –I'll be waiting.'
She dropped her books, spun on her heels and raced for the astronomy tower. Her eagerness to see him unnerved her. She could have told herself it was curiosity but that would have been a lie. It was more than curiosity and had been for some time.
She waited, but he never came. Somewhere in the dungeons she imagined him laughing.
Author's note
So hope you like this-the interactions will be much closer together in time now. Next chapter is one of my favourites some serious Dramione action but I need think I need some reviews by way of encouragement!
