AN: Whelp, here… this is. I don't know what to make of this chapter. I always think this story is going one way and then it goes another! I guess that's just what happens with writing! This chapter is also a shortie and FYI - Easter break in this fic happened in late March, right before the story begins. Cheers to you all, beautiful readers! Thank you so much for your continued support!

Coming of Age
Chapter Four
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April 19th, 1997 – the Great Hall, Hogwarts Castle

It was Friday, the school week was almost over and Draco and Hermione had been completely ignoring each other since their steamy incident in the library that Monday.

They'd both been content to leave whatever had happened between them end right then and there… or at least, that's what Hermione assumed.

Yet as she was munching down her breakfast, she felt a pair of eyes on her. Not Harry's or Ron's, not Ginny's or any Gryffindor's but his eyes.

Inconspicuously Hermione dared herself to glance over at the Slytherin table. Their gazes locked – silver to gold. Electric waves of excitement and anticipation were instantly rolling through their bodies simultaneously.

Draco was smirking like a devil and one of her eyebrows quirked up, furious at him that he thought he could just willy-nilly look at her like that but also very intrigued at the notion this gave her.

Mostly this made her very frightened… what if he'd decided he was going to come after her? She couldn't tell whether he'd come after her to kill her, or take her… or both.

Not that she'd ever let Draco Malfoy maim her in any way before she'd hex his balls to melt clean off. Hermione would keep her wand very, very close until this all blew over.

Throughout the rest of the school day, during classes and at meals Malfoy had stared her down when no one else was looking. He would sneer, his eyes would gleam dangerously and his lips would twitch in disgruntlement at the impeding hours.

Hermione didn't think she fancied herself alone, but after dinner she'd needed to get on with sending a letter she'd procrastinated on for two days already. It was a letter to her parents that held a great deal of information on what they needed to know for when she'd be arriving back home for the summer holiday.

At the very start of break, Hermione was going on a trip with her family to Menorca in the Balearic Islands of Spain for two weeks. She honestly couldn't wait to get some decent sunshine and get away from it all for a little while.

She hoped she'd survive Hogwarts long enough to get there.

When dinner was through, Hermione set off for the Owlery on her own, her wand tucked into her skirt.

There, she found Pigwidgeon – Ron's owl. She was quite certain he wouldn't mind if she borrowed Pig to deliver the letter, having done so several times before. Hermione fed the clumsy creature a treat and he was off, flying to Hampstead.

She descended the stairs, returning to the outdoors where it was inching towards dusk. It would be time soon, to follow through with her duties as prefect and meet up with Harry to do rounds.

Suddenly a dark, hooded figure grabbed her and pushed her into the stone-walls of the tower she'd just exited.

Hermione let out a shriek, she was so startled but his fingers were over her mouth in a millisecond. She was still trying to reach for her vine-wood wand when he was already raising his black hawthorn, speaking the incantation, "Muffliato," to hoist a silencing-shield all around them.

Draco's black hood was casting a darkened shadow over his face, but she could see his churning grey eyes glistening from beneath. He was almost chuckling, a ferocious way about him as his released his big hand from her lips and clasped it behind her head instead.

Hermione glowered up at him, her teeth grit as she bit the inside of her cheek in anxiety.

His body completely pinned hers to the wall, his pelvis pressed against her, almost lifting her whole arse up with his hips. Draco eyed his prize all around before letting his other hand travel underneath her cloak where he palmed the underside of her pert breast over her white button-up.

A mewling moan fell out of Hermione without her permission and this seemed to encourage Draco even further as he continued to the waist-band of her black skirt. Once there, he found her wand immediately and disposed of it, tossing it to the side so she couldn't get to it.

"Just what in Merlin's name is your plan this time, Malfoy?"

"Hm, so… back to just Malfoy again, is it?" he sassed her and she was unamused.

"You've long-since crossed the line into criminal territory, you know," Hermione ground out, indignant and ready to punish him. "I could have you expelled, straightaway."

Draco was snickering darkly, finding humor in her threats. He grasped her long braid that was behind her and brought it in front, smoothing it down over her chest. "Well, why would you go and do a thing like that?" he drawled hazy-like, reaching to her buttons where he unfastened several in one swift motion, sending two of them dangling from the seams. This revealed to him the white-satin brassiere that was hiding two very perky, very soft looking globes underneath and she gasped, trying to cover herself. "Where is that Gryffindor bravery you're so proud of now, Granger?" He batted her hands away and he lightly brushed the tips of his fingers at the space in between them but to her, he'd felt like fire to the touch. "I don't think you're going to do anything to stop this…" His caresses seared her skin as he slowly let his hand ravish over her softness. She felt so good to him, he was breathing so heavy. He was gyrating his hips against hers, rocking his tremendously ridged manhood straight into her sex like they'd done in the library. Hermione's lips were parted, as she blinked up at him, her eyes lidded seductively. "To stop me from…" he gulped hard, and ever so gingerly his thumb grazed across her pebbled nipple, right over the thin material of her bra. She cried out in delight, pleasure surging through her as her entire being was sent hurdling into space. "Mmmf," he purred, slipping her tiny, sensitive earlobe in his mouth.

Instantly she got the chills, her body acting on its own and grinding herself back against him. He didn't stop his meticulous assault on her nipple, pinching and pulling on it as he licked the outer shell of her ear. Hermione couldn't stop herself from the small sounds emitting from her throat as he wetly kissed a trail from collarbone to chin, pausing and giving her a feverish expression.

Gently his nose skimmed hers, their mouths barely an inch apart. Draco shuddered, groaning at the feel of her against him and he roughly bucked his hips again, crushing his throbbing stick into her as close as he could get through his pants.

He was holding her jaw, about to say something else, something unnecessary but Hermione had enough. She brought one of her hands up to the collar of his cloak, pulling his lips straight onto hers. At once he was kissing her back and their mouths melded together in a fierce, rhythmic tandem. They were so flushed, and Draco whimpered lightly as she sucked at his bottom lip, giving it a nibble. His hood had fallen down and her hand was wrapped up in his silvery-blonde hair. His tongue crashed through her entrance and laved along the crevices of her mouth, tangling with hers in a scorching bond that stopped time.

The sun had set over the horizon and Harry would be wondering where Hermione was. Really, she'd rather be thinking of the beautiful snake Prince that somehow slithered his way into her arms but if she didn't want to raise suspicion, and if she wanted to be Head Girl next year, she'd really have to get her rounds responsibilities over with for the night – and so did Draco.

Reluctantly, she stopped him, their lips unsticking as she edged her face away from his. He looked down at her, puzzled. "We… have to get on with rounds," she told him. They were breathing so hard, their chests rising and falling together and then he released her.

Draco brought his hood back over his head and whispered, "Meet me in the Lounge when you're done," Hermione could tell it was an order and she found herself desperately willing to comply.

Before she realized how many questions she had for him, he was already sauntering back to the castle. She guessed it could wait until later. Hermione didn't think she wanted to ruin the mystery of what the hell was even going on between them but just as well, she was dying to know if he could also feel the same enrapturing but confusing emotions she did while his mouth was devouring hers.

In the shadows of the darkened sky, behind the corner of a wall lurked Theodore Nott. They hadn't ever noticed him but he'd watched the entire thing, having followed Malfoy on a whim led by his curiosity.

Draco had been acting strange all week and when he'd slipped off in silence after dinner, Theo couldn't help but want to know what kind of secret shenanigans his fellow pureblood pal was up to.

And sweet, Salazar's luck, he did not regret it. Nope, not one bit. He could not wait to play head games with Draco later. It was everything he could do not to go barreling after him right that second.

Momentarily, he thought about catching up with Granger and messing with her, getting her feathers ruffled up a bit but in the end, he let the opportunity go. Theo headed back inside and straight to the dungeons where he hadn't yet decided whether he would keep his lips zipped for now, or tell at least Zabini of his most scandalous discovery.

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April 19th, 1997 – the Astronomy Tower, Hogwarts Castle

Draco Malfoy had made his mind up about Hermione Granger.

Well, he had.

That was until his lips were on hers and he was kissing her.

All week he'd went back to ignoring her, only… she was all that was filling his mind.

When he awoke that morning, he found he'd come to a decision, or a goal rather. He wanted to bed Granger, at least once. This way, he thought he might be able to rid himself of this preposterous infatuation he'd somehow achieved over the past couple of weeks.

His plan was simple. Find her alone, ensnare and ravish her until she gave into him. It wasn't like he couldn't tell how much she seemed to want it when they were in the library. She may have been playing like she was some sort of devil's advocate or whatever you may, but Draco knew. Granger had a damn good poker face, however not when he'd had his rock-solid length jutting against her clothed slit under her skirt while they were pressed together behind the stacks.

She'd moaned from that.

Draco didn't want to ignore her. He wanted to make her moan again.

However, when he'd callously pinned Granger to the wall, rubbing her shapely body all over he couldn't help but think how right it felt, the two of them. When they shared that kiss, there was nothing stopping that certain… spark he'd felt, and he knew she felt it too.

It terrified him. He wasn't sure if he could go through with his original plan. He didn't think he could trust himself to forget about her afterwards, positive he was already growing to care for her in some sick way.

Now Draco was feeling sorry for himself, sulking up the stairwell, following Tracey Davis to the Astronomy tower. When they reached the top they circled about, checking over the entire space.

He didn't want to stop this thing he'd started with Granger but if he didn't… oh, he could just see it now – it would be the end of the Malfoy pureblood dynasty.

A prickling thought occurred: what if that was a good thing?

"Drake," Tracey was cooing, stepping closer to him. "Please come back to Earth. You've really been zoned out tonight, what's the deal?" He refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Nothing," he replied. "No deal. Just thinking a lot,"

"About what…?"

Draco groaned in agitation. "Just because I tell you I'm lost in thought, doesn't mean I want to give you the details,"

Tracey wasn't going to give up tonight. Her grin widened, her lashes fluttering over her blue eyes. "Perhaps I could give you a healthy distraction," she clutched his forearm, forcing him into her petite frame.

"Trace, no. I thought we'd been over this," he tried to pry her fingers away, but she wouldn't budge and only held on tighter. "I thought you understood."

Without his consent, she positioned herself in front of him on her knees and began unbuckling his trousers. "Trust me, you need it Drake,"

"Stop that this instant!" he growled down at her, but she'd already gotten his pants disheveled at his knees, working on his briefs underneath. "Do you have any idea…? What about Theo, huh? Are you really gonna do this to the guy you dated for a year and half, our friend?" He couldn't believe the nerve of her. She released his half-limp manhood, which was only partly hard from how amped up he was with Granger only an hour ago.

"You're doing it to him too," she murmured, smacking her lips and putting her mouth around him.

Draco's head swung back in the mild pleasure this moment brought to him, but this was not what he wanted. He grunted, frustrated as she skimmed her tongue along him, slowly swallowing him up again as she pumped him up and down. He was getting harder from what she was doing and immediately, he was drowning in his shame and regret.

Swiftly, he pulled himself out of her mouth and turned away from her as he readjusted his clothes. "Wh-What the hell…?" she was squeaking.

He harrumphed, "That's the last you'll ever get out of me Davis," the only reason he'd allowed it to go as far as he did was because of how out-of-whack he was feeling about Granger, about everything. He felt like such a shitty fucking friend right then, he wanted to jump off the tower to his death. "You better not say a word about this, I'm warning you."

"Alright, yeah…" she grumbled, clearly dissatisfied. Tracey wasn't going to wait around and walk back to the dungeons with him now, she surmised as she collected herself and made a break for the exit. "Just… I'll just… see you later."

And she was gone. Draco heaved a sigh of relief.

Damnit, why him?

Now he'd definitely have to follow through with plan B, and he hated plan B.

He was still going to greet Hermione in the Lounge like he'd said he would but he wasn't going to try and bed her – he couldn't. He was going to have to make it so she wouldn't want to speak to him afterwards. Draco needed her to be thoroughly repulsed by him, needed her to never want to even look at him again.

It was for the bloody best.

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AN: So much angst! Yay, I love angst. I hope I'm doing it well, let me know you lovelies, you. Its midnight on Wednesday and I hope you're all having a fantastic week! :0)