Chapter 4No More
"Hermione?" he stepped towards her cautiously and she began to shift. Dropping to his knees beside her, he turned her over.
Her eyes flew open and terror filled her face, "He's here!" She struggled in his arms, "he's here, and he's coming for me!" She covered her eyes and shook, "I could see him, a hooded and cloaked figure, moving through the forest, and Hogwarts was within view. He's taunting me, Draco; he can get into my mind."
"Calm down, Hermione, it's okay. We'll go to Dumbledore. Shh," he helped her up and led through the halls to Dumbledore's office.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, come in, have a seat." Dumbledore motioned to the chairs in front of his desk and they sat. "What did you wish to speak to me about?"
Draco pulled the letter out of his pocket and handed it to the headmaster, "Hermione received this before yesterday's events. I believe the same person to be behind both."
Dumbledore read over the letter and sat back with a thoughtful expression. "This could be a problem. Well you did the right thing bringing this to my attention, the grounds and castle are being searched as we speak for any intruders. Miss. Granger, I would suggest you stay close to Mr. Malfoy and do not wander off alone. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter are, away right now, left this morning I'm afraid. Wouldn't leave until they were sure you were well, but alas, business with the order has called them away."
"Thank you," Hermione mumbled and stood to leave.
"Oh and Miss Granger, do you have any knowledge as to why this person wants you?" Dumbledore's voice was calm but his eyes were serious.
Hermione shook her head. "Very well then, be safe." They left and Draco stopped to pull her into an empty classroom.
"Granger, I want to apologize for my behavior earlier, I didn't mean to be rude." Hermione snorted and crossed her arms. "What was that for? I was trying to apologize."
"You don't need to, just as long as it's clear, you never touch me again." She looked into his eyes and he nodded firmly.
"Like I would have a problem with that." He followed her from the room and they approached the Great Hall.
"I would also appreciate it if you didn't follow me either," she snapped.
"I'm just following Dumbledore's orders, he said to keep you close by, and that's what I'm doing." The doors to the Great Hall opened.
"You're not my protector." She turned and walked in.
"Until Weasel and Potter get back I am," he said so no one else could hear and she glared daggers at him before hurrying to her table.
"How are you Hermione," Ginny asked hugging her tightly. "The whole school heard about what happened. It was frightening, I was I the hall when Malfoy came in with you; you were white as a sheet and completely limp; he was dripping wet and blood ran down his face. He pushed through the crowds and, Merlin, everyone thought you were dead!"
Hermione gave her a pained smile and began loading food onto her plate. Her thoughts wandered and Ginny's worried voice broke through, "Hermione, are you okay?"
She shook her head to clear hr mind, "um, yes, of course; why do you ask?"
"Well," Ginny said indicating her friend's plate, "you put, quite a bit of food on your plate." Hermione glanced down. A little bit, had been an understatement, her plate was covered; some not even foods she liked.
Her appetite left her and she pushed her plate back. "I'm not very hungry, excuse me, I'm going to go lie down." Ginny nodded to her and watched her leave suspiciously.
Hermione hurried to her rooms, the Great Hall had suddenly become stifling and she began to feel claustrophobic. Once inside her room she closed the doors and lay down on her bed.
Malfoy watched her from his seat in the Great Hall; she seemed to leave in a hurry. He excused himself from the table and followed her. He entered the dorms just in time to see her close her door.
Taking a seat on the couch he ran a hand through his hair and exhaled loudly. What was he doing here? He should be in the Great Hall finishing his dinner with his friends, not sitting in the common room. Why did he follow her? "Dumbledore," He said to himself, "That's the only reason I'm here." As much as he tried to tell himself that he knew it was a lie. "Merlin," he muttered and fell back. All he could think about was kissing her again, those soft, warm lips moving across his as his tongue swept along hers.
He could hear her talking and whimpering in the other room. Curious, he stepped up and pushed her door open. She lay sprawled out across her bed. He stepped up and looked down at her. A small smile spread across her lips and she sighed. He chuckled as she reached up in her sleep then arched her back.
A small gasp escaped from her lips and she murmured something under her breath. He leant forward in an effort to hear what she was saying.
"Merlin," she gasped. "Oh Draco," she moaned and he chocked on a breath. Her eyes flew open and she sat up. Their foreheads slammed together and he fell back.
"Malfoy!" she shrieked. "What the hell are you doing in here?"
He rubbed his forehead, "what the hell are you doing dreaming about me?"
A blush burned her face and she looked furious. "Get out! How dare you!"
He chuckled and stepped out pulling the door shut behind him. "I guess I'll leave now," he said. "So you can have some alone time with 'me'." He winked and closed the door.
Once inside his room he released the breath he had been holding and fell onto his bed. His heart pounded in his chest almost painfully. The knowledge that she felt the same way as he did caused his mind to spin. He had wanted so much to take her in his arms right then and there.
Shaking his head he stood and began rummaging through his wardrobe trying to find his nightclothes.
"Draco." The soft voice caused him to jump and he turned to see Hermione standing in his doorway. He hadn't even heard the door open, his father would kill him for being so lost in thought.
She stepped out of the shadows into the lamplight. "Hermione," his voice shook slightly and he looked down, "what- what are you doing in here?"
She sat on the edge of his bed plucking nervously at the fabric. "We need to talk."
He swallowed hard and sat near her but still a good arms length away. "About what?"
She took a deep breath and finally looked up at him. "Things have been happening." She stopped and seemed to trail off, at a loss for words. "The night I got the letter we- you kissed me, and I don't know; what I'm trying to say is, did it mean anything? Or was I just a helpless girl you could take advantage of? You're Draco Malfoy, we've hated each other, and you have a 'reputation'."
"Oh god," he said running a hand through his hair, "Hermione, not all of what you hear about me is true. I didn't do all the Slytherin girls in our year and above. I never went out with Pansy or so much as kissed her, she's creepy. I've only been with two girls and both had meant something at the time. Don't believe what you hear. And to clear some things up, I never hated you."
"What?" she interrupted. "Then what was with the mudblood this and mudblood that? "
"You are friends with Potter and Weasel, I couldn't stand them, so I use you to get at them. But I always kinda like you."
She looked at him suspiciously. "You're lying."
"I am not!" he replied indignantly. "And if that is how you are going to act after I tell you all of this, then I'll ask you to leave."
"I'm sorry," she replied, "It's just kind of surprising that's all."
He shifted closer to her, "good or bad surprise?" he asked playfully.
She smiled slightly, "good, now answer my question. Did it mean anything or were you just playing around?"
"Hermione, when I kissed you, I wasn't really thinking. I had felt bad about making you cry."
"Wait what?"
"I could hear you crying in the shower." She blushed not realizing he had heard that. "And when you came out all I could think of was 'kiss her'. Then you kind of freaked and left, after that I didn't really know what to think. I haven't really felt this way about anyone, Hermione, and it's confusing."
She placed a hand on the back of his neck and he looked up at her startled. "What-?"
"No more of this," she said, "I like you Draco. It's up to you."
He returned her smile and bent to touch his lips to hers. She ran her tongue across his bottom lip and slipped away as he tried to wrap an arm around her waist. She stood just out of arms reach and smiled mischievously.
"Oh would you look at the time, it's been a long day, I need to be getting to bed." She backed towards his door, stopping when her back touched the door frame.
"Hermione," he wined and held out a hand.
She smiled again, "goodnight Draco." She blew him a kiss and turned purposefully swaying her hips as she walked. He took in every inch of her until she disappeared from view.
"Teasing wench," he muttered and fell back.
His bed dipped and a warm body slid into his bed snuggling up to him. He turned and met Hermione's honey brown eyes. His arms went around her waist and pulled her against him. She kissed him fiercely and she rolled him so she straddled his hips. With a toss of her head she bent and began kissing his jaw while her hands ran under his shirt. He groaned and ran his hands up her thighs. She smiled against his neck and nipped playfully. Unable to stand her teasing any longer he flipped her off him and settled between her legs.
A loud beeping distracted him as he ran his hands along the waistband of her knickers. "What the hell?" It grew more insistent and he looked up.
Hermione stared at him from the doorway. He looked back to his bed, it was empty. Sunlight was streaming into his room. The beeping, he realized, was his alarm clock.
"That damn clock woke me up, turn it off Draco!" Hermione snapped and her eyes grew huge when she looked at him.
He looked down and realized the dream had left him hard as a rock. "Shit!" he cursed and turned over pulling his covers around him and turned his clock off. "Hermione-," he looked back at the door, she was gone. "Oh hell." He slapped his forehead and blushed.
"Hermione!" Ginny came running up to her just as she was entering the Great Hall. She had hurried out of the dorms after seeing Draco. She was embarrassed and sure he was too, deciding it was best to avoid him she left to get to breakfast early. "You left kind of abruptly last night, you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine, I was just tired that's all." They took seats beside each other at the table and Hermione began to snack on a blueberry muffin.
She was just starting on her second muffin when she saw Draco walk in and take a seat at the Slytherin table. He yawned and placed a pancake on his plate. She watched him, forgetting about her friend beside her.
He looked up and their eyes met. He smiled slightly and Hermione returned his smile.
"Hey," Ginny said, "what are you looking at?" She followed her friends gazed. "Malfoy, ugh!"
Hermione snapped out of her trance and acknowledged Ginny.
"What are you looking at i him /i for?" She sounded disgusted.
Hermione wanted to tell her friend about what they had shared last night but knew she couldn't when Ginny thought of him that way. She realized she wouldn't be able to tell any of her friends, they all hated him. Wanting to defend him she retorted, "Well don't you think that was really great of him to save me? It took a lot of courage."
"Oh Merlin, Hermione," Ginny rolled her eyes, "don't tell me you have a crush on Malfoy!"
Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "of course not."
"Good," Ginny replied oblivious to her friend's discomfort, and turned back to her meal. "Cause I heard, last night that he got the dark mark over the summer. Can you believe it! Dean claims he saw it when Malfoy was showing some Slytherins."
It was Hermione's turn to roll her eyes, "Ginny that's ridiculous, you can't believe all the gossip you hear."
She felt an arm snake around her waist and a hand covered her mouth, puling her into a dark room. She struggled and the lights came on.
"Calm down Hermione, it's just me," Draco said turning her to face him. He smiled and pulled her against him.
"Draco, about this morning," she trailed off.
He shook his head, "forget about it, I'm over it." She smiled at his casual attitude and froze as he bent towards her. Placing her hands on his wrists she eased the material up. "What are you doing?" he whispered into her ear. She looked down at his pale forearms.
"Just checking something."
"And is it okay?"
"Uh huh," she muttered as he began to place kisses along her jaw.
When he reached her chin he began to move up but she stepped back.
He looked at her confused. "Why do you keep avoiding kissing me? Do you not want to?"
"No it's not that," she wrung her hands nervously and looked down. "It's just suspicious."
"What is?"
"You; one minute you're acting like you hate me, the next you're telling me you have feelings for me; kind of fast transition from two completely different emotions. It's just hard to believe." She wrinkled her nose and turned away. "I should just go."
"No," Draco stopped her and wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her to him. "I know it's hard to believe, but for you, I'm willing to wait; I'll gain your trust any way I can. Until then, Hermione," he placed a kiss on her temple, "I'll be waiting." He released her and left. She released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
She left the room and began down the hall to her first class when a voice screamed out her name.
A/N: I hope you liked the chapter. It was mostly focused on their relationship, I know they are kinda OOC, but with a Dramione it's almost impossible to keep them in character. Draco was kinda mushy and fluffy in this chapter but I promise he will be more himself in the next one. I really appreciate reviews and especially constructive criticism; they help me improve the story! Thanks for reading! Ariel