So got caught up in playing blitzball on FFX this weekend and completely forgot to update! So here is the next chapter for all my followers and the newcomers. I'm so happy you all love it and will try my best to update as often as possible.
Sneak Peek for those who want more Dramione after this one is done. I am already thinking up ideas for a BuffyCrossfic that I think is going to be something you can really sink your teeth into! :-[
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.
Lady of the Wood: Chapter 9
The kiss played on Hermione's mind for the rest of the night and over the weekend. During that time she steered clear of Malfoy and his questioning eyes. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the kiss. At first it was just a way to shut him up so they wouldn't be caught by Filch, but after Malfoy got over his initiate shock and started to respond back it somehow became more.
Opposite to popular belief, Hermione had been kissed before. Everyone thought she and Viktor Krum were dating back in fourth year, but he never even made it out of the friend zone. No, the only time Hermione had dared kiss anyone was when she was nine and she would sneak kisses with an elven boy behind their parent's backs. Innocent as those kisses were nothing could have prepared her for the Malfoy's.
The closed mouth press of her lips against his hadn't been enough for him. One hand slid into her hair to slant her mouth against his as his other pulled at her waist, this time Hermione was the one in unsure of what to do. Malfoy used her gasp at their new found closeness to slip his tongue into her mouth and stroked it with his own.
If anyone had asked her opinion on what it was like to kiss Malfoy, she would say that he kissed like he fought. Forceful and all consuming, finding just the thing to bring her to her knees. It was hard to think of anything else when his hands tugged on her trying to bring her even closer. Even thinking about it days later still caused Hermione's breath to quicken. She was lucky she pulled away from him when she did or she could have kissed her virginity goodbye.
Since then Hermione has been avoiding Malfoy like the plague. If she went anywhere outside of the common room she made sure she was in a group so he couldn't approach her. When she was at Hogsmeade that weekend she let Ginny pull her into every clothing store possible, anywhere she knew he wouldn't think to look for her. But if she thought he had been persistent when he was after the cabinet's location before, nothing compared to the number of notes bombarding her hourly after the 'incident'.
"Merlin Hermione, he is persistent. That's the fifth time that owl has been by to drop you a note today!" Ginny watched as Hermione shoved the note into her bag without looking at it. Hermione didn't need to see it, she already knew what it was going to say. Another plea for her to meet Malfoy somewhere and she had no intentions of doing so.
"It's nothing, Gin." Hermione looked through the pile of books she had on the common room table and almost cursed out loud when she realized she was missing a tomb from the library. She glanced up at the clock seeing that it was only seven, the library would still be full of students, so she could run down there, grab the book, and be back without Malfoy getting a chance to corner her.
"It can't be nothing Hermione! Malfoy rarely owls a girl, least of all so many times! What did you do to make him so interested in you?" The redhead eyed the pile of notes shoved into Hermione's bag greedily.
Hermione scooped it up into her arms and stood up. She really needed to start burning his notes. With the quickest route to the library in the forefront of her mind she started towards the door.
"Hermione?" The brunette stopped at the doorway to look at the young Weasley.
"It's nothing, Ginny. Really. He's just being a prat, as always, trying to get me to do his part of the potions assignment so he can go out with some girl. Now please will you drop it?" Ginny shrugged and lounged back on the couch, seemingly satisfied with her answer, but Hermione was so focused on getting out the door she didn't notice the note crumpled up in the younger girl's hand.
With the door closed firmly behind her, Hermione heaved a sigh of relief. It was getting harder and harder to pretend like things were normal. She couldn't begin to comprehend how she would explain the Malfoy situation, let alone her being an elven princess to everyone. She knew she would have to eventually, especially since after Christmas break she and Malfoy would be mated and with that it would be harder than before to hide their relationship from them.
As Hermione stepped into the library she let the sounds of students whispering amongst themselves fill her ears. Almost every table in the room was filled with students trying to get some last minute assignments done before Monday morning. With so many people around there would be no way Malfoy could corner her now without someone noticing.
"Good afternoon, Madame Pince." She smiled at the older woman at the front desk.
"Good evening, Ms. Granger. You checked out half the library this morning, you couldn't possibly be back for more?" Amusement played in the older witch's eyes.
Hermione blushed, "Sorry. I did forget one."
"Well, don't doddle. I have my hand full as it is with the procrastinators. Thank goodness one of our students has the good enough sense to work ahead!" Hermione smile broaden at the dark haired woman's praise and hurried down the Herbology aisle.
She scanned the shelf for the tomb on "The Benefits and Terrors of Caring for Fanged Geraniums". When she got to the spot where she saw it this morning she huffed at the empty spot left in its place. She was about to return to Madame Pince to see if she had another copy when the voice she had been avoiding spoke next to her.
"Is this what you are looking for?" She was half afraid to turn around and see that the person in the aisle with her was indeed Malfoy, but she really did need that book.
"Actually, it is. Are you finished with it?" She avoided his gaze and instead chose to stare at the book in his hand.
"Now that's a funny word isn't it? Finished. Such finality to it," Malfoy languidly flipped through the book, "as if I would never want it again."
Hermione peeked up at his face from underneath her eyelashes and gasped at the heat that radiated from his grey eyes. She took a step back fully ready to dart out of the aisle and forget the book all together, but Malfoy's hand dashed and grabbed hers. Before she knew it he had somehow maneuvered her between the bookshelf and himself. Part of Hermione was really getting tired of being caged in by him, while the other half wondered what it'd be like without any clothing.
"I thought you wanted your book?" His fingers laced with hers against the shelf, while the other one waved the book in her face.
Embarrassed by their close proximity, Hermione cleared her throat, "It's not worth it."
Malfoy's eyes hardened and she winced when his hand tightened on hers, "Not worth it, you say. You thought it was worth it enough to come back for it. Or do you just let anyone have your books?"
She wasn't stupid and knew very well that they weren't talking about the book anymore, if they had been in the first place. There was a time and place to discuss such things and in a crowded library was definitely not one of them. Being alone with him was a bad idea also. He affected her far more than she had ever thought possible.
If she went too far with him it wouldn't just be her she was effecting, but him as well. For the sharing of her lifespan to work she had to be pure at the consummation or it wouldn't work. It was the Elders' way of making sure that the person she was giving part of herself to was worth a lifetime.
Maybe if she told him where the cabinet was he'd back off?
Her free hand grasped the book in his hand as she locked her eyes with his, "Well, I am finished with the conversation and if you are not using the book for your homework, I need it to finish mine." She jerked the book out of his hand and used a small amount of her magic to push him off of her, not holding her smirk back this time when he stumbled at the force.
"You can't just pretend it didn't happen."
Hermione stopped at the end of the aisle and gave him a sad smile, "I'm not. I'm just remembering there are more important things than how I feel."
Malfoy frowned at her, "She can't have picked someone for you already?"
His concern for her betrothal caused part of her heart to warm. She only hoped he still cared enough when he found out it was all a ploy to keep him from his mission. "Not officially, but soon. Your cabinet is in the Room of Requirements, just think about it and it will come." She gave him one more lingering look, before she disappeared around the shelf corner. If her magic could grant her any wish, she wished he wouldn't go looking for it.