::four::

Fifth Year, Part 2

If there was one place that Hermione Granger did not want to be at the moment, it was here, alone with Draco Malfoy on their last day at Hogwarts before summer holiday. Hermione wouldn't see many of her friends again until autumn, when her sixth year would begin, and she would much rather spend her time wishing them farewell than alternating between glaring and ignoring the blonde Slytherin.

Because they both were such good, responsible students, they were charged with checking on the animals that Hagrid kept near his hut. Said giant was nowhere to be seen, probably already in the Great Hall, talking amongst the other professors before the feast began.

"I don't understand what exactly I did to cause you to ignore me." Malfoy complained as they neared the cages.

"It's the fact that you're such a stupid, no-good, rotten, bloody Slytherin that's the problem—the fact that you're a Malfoy that's the problem." She spat angrily as she stomped her way over to one cage.

"Hey," Malfoy defended bitterly, "it's not like I'm the one who killed Potter's Godfather."

Hermione paused, wondering how on Earth he had found out. It really shouldn't have been a surprise, though. His aunt probably had written him a letter, wanting to share the wonderful news and congratulating herself for having killed Sirius Black.

Hermione spun around to face Malfoy as she glared at him so hard she wanted him to burst into flames. "It doesn't matter whether it was you or your deranged aunt! I still hate you and your entire family and I want absolutely nothing to do with you!"

Malfoy glared at her in return. "It's not like he was related to any of you."

"So?" Hermione practically yelled. "He was still a good friend of ours and it is absolutely killing Harry now that he's gone."

"May I repeat that this has nothing to do with me?" he said through gritted teeth. "Do you think I care whether or not Potter's sulking somewhere? The answer is no, I don't. Does it make a difference to me who my aunt has killed this time? No, it doesn't. Does it bother me that you're taking this all out on me? Yes, it very well does. So shut up about the subject of Potter's dead Godfather, and stop bloody blaming me for his death, which, let me repeat one final time, I had nothing to do with."

Hermione's jaw fell open sometime during Malfoy's speech.

"You arrogant, slimy, foul, disgusting ferret!" shrieked Hermione.

"Oh get off of your high horse, Granger." Malfoy sneered, undeterred by her string of insults. "What makes you think you're so much better than me? Hmm? You and Potter and Weasel all trot around Hogwarts like you're all so special." Malfoy then proceeded to "mimic" Harry in a high voice and with a funny expression on his face, "Oh, I'm Harry Potter, I'm the Boy-Who-Lived. I'm Dumbledore's favorite student, I won the Triwizard Tournament last year, and Gryffindor always wins the House Cup because of me, the best seeker in the entire world. All bow down before the almighty Harry Potter, because I'm so much better than you all are."

If he had been mocking anyone else, Hermione might have found Malfoy's act comedic, but she only glared at him as he made fun of Harry.

"Shut up before I make you shut up." Hermione growled.

"Oh no, I'm so scared that a mudblood girl is going to hex me—or worse, punch me!" Malfoy said sarcastically. "Well there's no Viktor Krum to 'save' you this time, and your friends are all getting ready for the feast. And just because you're Harry Potter's girlfriend, it most certainly does not give you the right to accuse anyone you like of thing that they most certainly did not do."

Red instantly colored Hermione's cheeks. "What is with you? Last year you called me a slut because of my liking of Ron more than a friend, and now you have the nerve to make the assumption that I'm Harry's girlfriend—which I am not, by the way." Hermione said, her hands balled into fists.

"I'm sure you wish you were, though." Malfoy said, before rolling his eyes. "Every girl wants to be the great Harry Potter's girlfriend."

"I have never, nor will I ever, want to be Harry's girlfriend. The very thought of it is outrageous. I don't like him at all in that way." Hermione defended.

"Then who do you like?" Malfoy asked slyly.

"I—" Hermione glared at him, angry that she had almost confessed who she liked. "It's none of your business who I like, but I can assure you that it is definitely not you! Now can we move away from the subject?" She turned to check on the different, strange animals in the cages, using her wand to refill their water and food supplies, and cleaning up their living areas while she was at it.

"Why, Granger?" Malfoy whispered, extremely close to her, his breath tickling the back of her ear. "Does it make you uncomfortable?"

Hermione shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. She refused to look back at him as he placed his hands securely on her shoulders.

"I won't let you kiss me again, Malfoy." Hermione muttered lowly.

She heard a soft, deep chuckle next to her ear. "It's not like you've done well to stop me in the past. You always just give in and let me."

Hermione's cheeks flamed, and her eyes widened. The very thought that she would willingly let him kiss her was appalling! "I would never!" she whispered fiercely.

"Oh, but do you remember last year, before Krum so rudely interrupted us?" Malfoy whispered, his voice giving away his smirk so obviously to Hermione. "You kissed me back."

"I…I would never…" Hermione repeated weakly, although she clearly remembered last year's kiss—she hadn't forgotten either of the kisses she'd had with Malfoy. She had lost herself in the kiss, and hadn't remembered who was kissing her when she timidly returned it. She had been dancing all evening, and her head was low on oxygen. She had not been thinking right when she had replied to his gesture.

"Oh, but you would, and you did." He whispered, actually grinning in mischievous delight. "You turn to putty as soon as my lips make contact with yours—maybe even sooner. You kissed me back last time, albeit just a smidge, and you'll do it again this time."

"No I won't," Hermione replied, forcing herself not to fall to his will. Draco Malfoy had an excellent way of manipulating people—especially girls—into doing what he wanted. "Because you're not going to kiss me again."

He chuckled again briefly. "Watch me," he replied.

Hermione was about to reply, when she was suddenly turned around and pulled to Malfoy's chest, his arms wrapping around her torso and waist and trapping her against his Quidditch-honed muscles as his mouth crashed down onto hers, his eyes closed.

It wasn't even like he gave her a chance to become putty in his hands, seeing as how she was unable to move, let alone try and push him away.

Hermione shook her head, making it hard for Malfoy to hold her lips with his. A deep growl emanated from his throat, and Hermione's eyes widened. Malfoy nipped her lip, drawing up a dot of blood, before sucking on it, and Hermione whimpered at the act.

"Kiss me back," Malfoy murmured softly against Hermione's lips before catching them again, and Hermione fought with what to do. She really didn't want to give him the satisfaction of giving in to him, but he was such a good kisser that she could already feel her eyelids begin to slide down against her will and better judgment.

And, before Hermione knew it, she was kissing Draco Malfoy—of all people—back with almost as much determination as he was kissing her with. Kissing him just felt so good…

It felt like hours before Malfoy unwrapped his arms from around her and stepped back.

Hermione was left with her eyes half-open and her lips swollen and red. She ran a hand through her hair, too stunned to say anything.

Malfoy, however, was smirking widely. "See, now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"You…" Hermione started slowly. She shook her head to clear her mind.

"Still numb with desire?" asked Malfoy, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"I…" Hermione looked around her surroundings, the world slowly seeping back in. She turned back to face Malfoy, although she kept her eyes down. "W-We should go up. The feast will probably be starting any minute now."

"Awe," Malfoy pouted, "but I'd much rather stay down here with you."

Hermione shook her head again and turned away. "Do whatever you like, Malfoy, but I'm going back to the castle." She started walking away, not really caring if he followed or not.

She heard footsteps behind her a few seconds after she started climbing up the hill, though. And, to her utter humiliation, her knees wobbled and she almost lost her balance and fell. She heard Malfoy laughing behind her and glowered up at the castle.

"Glad that I made your knees weak!" he called, reminding her somewhat of something she had said to him earlier in the year.

Hermione did not reply to him, and kept on trudging back up to Hogwarts. She was going to go in, stuff her face during the feast, go up and finish packing her belongings, say good-bye to her friends, and then get on the train with Harry and Ron and Ginny and she wasn't going to think about him—not even once. She wasn't going to think about him at all the entire summer.

However, Hermione was very doubtful in her goal of pushing the ferret's existence to the back of her mind and out of her thoughts.

Because, with said guy only a few steps behind her, she knew that she still hated him, but she could not lie to herself and say that he was not one heck of a good kisser, because he was.

And, Hermione admitted to herself begrudgingly, Draco Malfoy was one sexy beast—and he knew it.

Haha. I got a good laugh out of that last sentence, and I hope you did too. :D And Hermione really shouldn't beat herself up about it. Draco Malfoy is a sexy beast. She just needs to get over that little tidbit and move on. ;)

I want to thank all of my wonderful, wonderful reviewers. Dramione fans are the absolute sweetest when it comes to reviews! All of your reviews made me smile, and I appreciate each and every one I get. You guys are too kind. :D Hugs!

(What? Hermione didn't punch Draco this chapter either? Even after he KISSED her? How outrageous! And she enjoyed the kiss? Gasp! Never fear though, Draco will get hurt plenty in the future. You'll definitely be seeing more punches, and maybe even a few kicks to the groin. Ouch!)