AN
shesmyfavorite asked for a long chapter, unfortunately it's only a little longer than the last. But, I delivered on the Draco/Hermione interaction, which I hope you all enjoy.
All the reviews so far have made me giddy, so I want to thank all my reviewers and Gabby, my wonderful beta.
Things Can Only Get Better
Chapter 6: Tastes, Smells and Stairwells
"Why, in Merlin's name, did you choose this profession? You're worse than Longbottom."
"Who?"
"Never mind, I'm going to get some coffee."
"But the Healer isn't here yet."
"You're a grown… man, I'm sure you can cope without me holding your hand for at least ten minutes."
A pout, "What, don't you love me anymore?"
"I don't think I ever did?"
"Ouch, that hurt."
"It's a shame you won't ever get over me, I'm just that irresistible."
"Don't worry, I just might."
"Oh yeah?"
"In fact I think I already have." the young man in the hospital bed smiled.
Draco just flipped him off with a wave of his hand, and left the room.
Oh how he hated hospitals. He never really had to deal with the place before, however, after being partnered with a clumsy newbie, he had been to St Mungo's five times in the past three months. Cyprian should have been given a desk job, instead of working out on the field. From what he had made of the establishment in those five visits, was that he was glad he'd had a private family Healer since he was born.
All the infected air was making him feel ill. He wondered how Granger coped with the patients coughing all over her and taking up all the breathable air. Draco could literally taste the sterilization on his tongue, very much like sucking on a wet wipe. If you weren't sick before you arrived, you would definitely feel it when you entered. The smell was just about bearable, although he still had to refrain from holding a handkerchief to his nose.
The walls were so white they reflected the light coming through the windows, and Draco felt the burn on the back of his eyeballs, causing him to squint slightly. He figured he should fill out a form suggesting that everyone should be provided with sunglasses upon entrance. Unfortunately, glancing around the corridor, he noticed that no one else had a problem with the glaring walls and the foul tasting smells.
Coming to the foot of a stairwell, Draco started to ascend them.
Perhaps he had overly sensitive senses, and perhaps it was these senses that helped him pick out the faint fragrance of vanilla over the sharp stench of disinfectant.
Looking up, Draco saw a Healer, who was most definitely a woman, judging by the way the lime green robes clung to her figure, descend the staircase.
On her feet she wore white flats, leading to, tan coloured, stockinged calves. As his gaze travelled further upwards, the robes abruptly cut off at the knee, not allowing Draco a glimpse of her thighs or, more preferably, her knickers. Merlin, did she have a tiny waist, which only helped make her hips seem wider and rounder. He continued to follow the line of buttons keeping the hospital uniform together, to her chest. Rather small in Draco's opinion, as he had quiet large hands, but the rest of her appearance made up for that. Her left hand was lightly grasping the banister rail as she made her way towards him. In the other, she held a clipboard, which no doubt told of a patient's medical details, obscuring his view of her face. Damn!
Healer robes weren't necessarily alluring, but the way this fine specimen of femininity was wearing them definitely raised his temperature, and caused him to tug on his collar.
As the Healer neared, the vanilla scent grew stronger, and he most definitely preferred it to St Mungo's stench. When she was only three steps above him, making her only a couple of inches taller than himself, her hand left the rail to flip a page of her patient chart.
Draco was sure time had slowed down as he saw her tip forward, from a misplaced footfall, and tried to grab onto the nearest object, which ironically was himself. Instinctively his hands wound themselves around the woman's waist and hugged her towards his chest. Being in such close proximity to the desirable body, he could now taste the vanilla in her hair and on her skin. He wouldn't have minded staying in this position, if it wasn't for the clipboard digging in the side of his abdomen.
He tried settling her back on her feet, one-step up from him, however her hold on him only tightened. Draco cleared his throat, because her breathing was not only wet and warm on the side of his neck, but her lips kept brushing against the sensitive area of his pulse point as she kept mumbling apologies and 'thank yous'. This of coarse rose his temperature even more.
He had to get her away from him very quickly, before anything else started to rise!
Draco cleared his throat once again as he pushed her hips away from him, and the rest of her body followed. As her head straightened into a more central position, her lips came within a hairs breath distance to his own. The startled but grateful gaze of her eyes immediately ignited a blazing fire.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!"
Draco snatched his hands back from their resting place when her clipboard struck his shoulder.
"Bloody Hell Granger, I just saved your neck, and you repay me with violence. You might want to show some appreciation, once in a while." Sometimes he hated the women of his generation. They show no gratitude at all. Well Granger didn't anyway. Draco was sure, if she was born in a previous era, she would have been parading outside of the Ministry of Magic waving a placard, and shouting about women's rights. That definitely would have been worse than when she started that house elf liberation thingy at Hogwarts.
"I will show some appreciation, when you show me some respect."
He was just five minutes ago, but he wasn't going to voice his thoughts out load and especially not to her. Who knew Frumpy Granger could look like one of those Muggle kiss-o-grams? Draco certainly hadn't.
"Like that will ever happen," he said with a roll of his eyes, contradicting his earlier thought.
Like a raging bull, she puffed hot air out of her nostrils, making the tendrils of hair, framing her face, flutter and tickle his cheek. Her scent was becoming too intoxicating.
"Move."
"Now that's not what you say to the man who just saved your life. What's got you're knickers riding up your arse today Granger?"
Her reply was to whack him with her clipboard again, and maneuver herself around him, continuing on her path down the stairs. When she reached the bottom she shot over her shoulder, "Just leave me alone Malfoy, its bad enough seeing you at the flat, let alone at work."
Before she was out of earshot he shouted, "Same goes for you, Miss Prissy."
Having finally achieved what he set out to do twenty minutes ago, Draco bought a steaming cup of coffee, which tasted just as bad as the hospitals air, and wasn't worth the galleon he paid for it.. Coffee now in hand, he made the return journey towards Cyprian's room. Who at that moment was leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.
"What took you so long?"
Merlin, did he have to make it sound so much like a whine?
"I had a run in with a beaver."
"Here?" Cyprian replied as they made their way to the exit.
"Yeah. What's the matter with your face?"
"What? Have I got food on it?" Cyprian said as he started rubbing his mouth and cheek.
"No. You have the most stupid grin imaginable on it." said Draco and took a sip of his beverage.
"Oh," he grinned even wider. Really, it was nearly enough to make Draco retch, "I got myself a date."
Draco raised his recently scarred eyebrow, thanks to the aforementioned Granger. "Oh yeah."
To be honest he couldn't give two monkeys, the chap dated so often Draco automatically tuned out anything female or sex related that came out of his mouth. All of it went in one ear and out the other.
"Yeah, with Hermione." the git said, still grinning like he'd won the Quidditch World Cup.
Now that piece of information got stuck on the way to being thrown out, and Draco promptly dropped his cup.
AN
Next chapter - Libby makes an appearance. Ohhhhh!
