A/N: Hey hey! Thanks so much to everyone who leaves comments - it's very encouraging! Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Hermione rifled through her closet, tossing things over her shoulder and throwing an ugly sweater down onto the floor. She stomped on it just incase it needed to know how frustrated she was, and then huffed to herself, her breath puffing up and tickling the short hairs around her face. She was having one of those annoying 'I-have-a-whole-closet-full-of-clothes-but-nothng-to-wear' moments, and every minute that ticked by just made her more irritated.

She tried to be rational as she slumped down on her bed. This wasn't a date, at least she didn't think it would be a date. She didn't even know if she wanted it to be a date. She liked Theo, he was quiet, friendly, and rather good-looking, but not in the way that made her chest flutter and her knees weak, not in the same way that Draco—

Hermione groaned, tugging her hair away from her head until she could feel her scalp begin to sting. Now was not the time to think about boys — or one particular boy — now was the time to hurry up and put some clothes on because she only had one hour to go before she had planned to meet Theo.

She sighed, grim determination setting itself into her pursed lips, and picked up a pair of jeans, flattening out some creases which were the result of being shoved into the back of a wardrobe for five months. Hermione's mum had gotten her these jeans, they'd been on a spontaneous shopping trip in the city and had been half buried beneath clothing in the changing rooms when she'd told her daughter, "honey, wow, your butt looks amazing in those jeans!" It was probably one of the most un-motherly like things Hermione had ever heard come out of her mum's mouth.

Now, Hermione smiled as she pulled them on, turning to flaunt herself a little in her full length mirror. They'd have to do, and she couldn't help but smirk a tiny bit as she acknowledged that yes, they did make her bum look somewhat… nice. Not that she was trying to look nice for Theo, that is… But she supposed, if he did end up thinking she looked nice, then there was no harm in that… right?

She picked out a pretty blouse she was fond of, a cherry coloured one that was slightly snug fitting around the waist and had glossy buttons that Hermione liked to run her fingertips over when she was nervous. No doubt she'd be feeling nervous tonight. Meeting a boy was something she had never done before, apart from their completely innocent and studious library sessions… and that one time with Draco.

Hermione shook her head, mentally berating herself for letting her thoughts once again stray to Draco. She combed and smoothed out her hair, and then touched up her lashes with a light coating of mascara.

There, she thought as she turned her face this way and that to study her reflection. She'd do. Now all she had to do was make her way to the Theatres for her sort-of-but-not-really date with Theo.

Draco met Pansy a block away from the cinema. She was standing on the curb, every male head within a ten metre radius turning towards her as if she was the light to their wide moth-like eyes. Draco didn't think she looked beautiful, no one looked beautiful compared to Hermione, but he couldn't help but admit Pansy looked attractive, even if she seemed as if her five inch heels were about to send her face first into the pavement. Oh well, Draco wouldn't be helping her up if she fell.

"Hey," he greeted as he waltzed up to her, his knuckles grazing against the rough fabric of his jeans. He felt somewhat underdressed next to Pansy, who was nearly as tall as he was in her stilettoed attire and her figure fitting black dress.

"Hi, Draco. You're early."

He pulled on the sleeves of his jumper, glaring at the way her stare made him uncomfortable. "Yeah, so?" He needed to be early, he needed to know which movie Theo would be taking Hermione to see, he needed to be in the dark room when the bastard decided to make a move on her.

"Nothing," Pansy shrugged her slim shoulders, then slid her eyes to the side to peer at him.

"What?" He snapped.

She giggled. "Nothing. You just seem nervous. Don't worry, I am too, a little. I just never thought you'd be the one to ask first."

"Wha—?" Fucking hell. "Oh, right. Ugh— It's not a date, okay? Gee, I just wanted to see this movie and had no one else to go with."

She looked put out. "Really? Not even Greg or Vincent?"

"No."

"Must be some movie then, beyond their comprehension."

"Yeah, some movie."

"What is it, then?"

Shit. "Er — let's go in — it's a surprise. 'Sides, it's fucking freezing." He didn't wait for her to catch up, he didn't offer her his hand. She didn't ask, and that was good, because this wasn't a date.

The theatre was warm, Theo's voice was warmer. "You look nice," he said. Hermione's blush was the warmest yet.

They stood side by side, relishing the yellow heat that radiated from the churning popcorn behind the glass.

"Thanks," Hermione muttered, too low to be heard, "so do you."

Theo's lip pulled up at the corner, and Hermione tried not to stare. He was looking over her head, at the flashing movie display, his eyes flitting from side to side and reflecting some of the glow. Hermione found her eyes stuck to the prominent point of his adams apple, and had to make an irrelevant remark about math homework, just to distract herself.

Theo's chuckle made her feel better, she didn't know why, but then some of the nerves untwisted in her stomach, and she realised being with him was easier than she'd thought.

They chatted animatedly, Theo picked the movie, and Hermione just nodded, her hands wrapped around the warm box of her popcorn.

Draco felt his stomach coil as he watched the two of them stand far too close to each other than what was necessary. The growl in his throat barely made an escape as he angrily shrugged his way out of Pansy's innocent grip, her rejected hand falling limply to her side.

"Draco—?"

"I'll get the tickets," he managed. "Er— you have— your lipstick's a bit smudged." He gestured vaguely to her face, which was hidden beneath an immaculate slather of makeup, but still Pansy's eyes widened and she began to fret.

"Oh, shit. I knew I should've worn the lighter red. Dammit, I'll just be in the bathroom then. See you in a minute." She made a movement forwards, extending her neck towards him as if she were about to peck him on the cheek. Draco immediately stepped away from her, trying to keep his scowl from sneaking back onto his face. Thankfully, Pansy took his retreat as him not wanting to be smothered in red lip imprints, so she giggled and made her way back to where the bathrooms were.

As soon as she was gone, Draco stepped out from behind the carpeted pillar, shoving his hands back into his pockets and strolling over to stand just behind the sickeningly close couple.

Theo was quiet, listening, his long back blocking Draco's view of the screening sessions. Hermione was talking, more like rambling, and her voice seemed to bounce with something. Maybe it was excitement. Hopefully it was nerves. Crap, nerves weren't a good thing though, if she was nervous then that meant—

Draco cleared his throat. Once, twice, louder for good measure, and made sure to raise his eyebrows, quirking his lips to the side to feign innocent surprise as his friend turned around to look at him.

"Draco." Theo didn't sound surprised, the fucking prat. In fact, something about the way his eyes glinted, made him seem almost… smug. "Fancy seeing you here? Catching a movie are you, mate?" If the way his face twisted into a knowing smile wasn't already enough to set Draco's irritation alight, then the unspoken certainty behind his question was the fuel to the fire.

"No, just thought I'd sit in the foyer for a few hours. Nice and airy, you know?"

Theo chuckled, then seemed to right himself, his features flinching as if he suddenly remembered something very important, and moved a little to the side, bringing Hermione into full view. Draco desperately tried to stop his gaze from roving greedily over Hermione's figure, but then he caught the way her hands were clasped tightly together, securing a bucket of popcorn closely to her chest, and the way her bottom lip was caught between her teeth.

"On a date with Granger, I see." Apathy, perfectly laced with every word Draco spoke, yet Theo still looked at him suspiciously, that annoying smirk still firmly in place. Hermione's shoulders twitched when he said the word, "date." Interesting.

"And you, Draco? Out by yourself, or—?"

"Draco! Sorry I took so long— I dropped my lippy and—" Pansy froze at his side, her eyes darting from Theo to Hermione and then back to Draco again. "Oh. Well, hi." She nodded at Theo, but then her eyes slipped down to Hermione, and her whole face turned into a picture of disdain. "Hermione Granger. What a surprise. Found a new boyfriend already, have you?"

Draco guarded his features, but his eyes still narrowed a fraction when he looked at the girl he wanted to throw up against the nearest wall and kiss senseless. Every line in Hermione's body had gone almost rigid, and she had to clear her throat a little to find her voice. It made Draco want to smooth her hair away from her face, to ask if she was okay, but all he could do was wait with baited breath for her answer.

"Um—"

"Well, it was nice to see you two, but Hermione and I need to find our seats. Our film's about to start," and then Theo's hand came up to circle around Hermione's elbow, and he was leading her away— away from Draco, who wanted to clip his friend in the jaw for even touching her!

Draco didn't bother replying to any of Pansy's indignant questions, like "What is she doing here?" and "Is Theo really dating someone like her? Doesn't he know what a filthy slu—"

"Pansy. Shut. Up. You're being fucking annoying." He didn't even stay to witness her shocked expression, he only marched up to the ticket box and demanded, "Two for whatever the last couple were seeing. Thanks."

Hermione repeatedly told herself to calm down as she took her seat beside Theo and placed the popcorn on the arm rest between them. The black screen widened as countless people began to mill in and grab their own chairs, and then the adds began to play. Hermione couldn't even remember what movie they were seeing. In fact, she thought she could hear Theo saying something in her ear, "are you okay, Hermione?" She nodded, at least, she tried to nod, but the movement only came off as jerky and unsure.

Maybe a little water would do her well, or some fresh air, was what Theo told her softly, and Hermione couldn't help but agree. She got up, her legs a little shaky, and left her handbag on her seat as she ambled along the row to get out of the cinema.

She didn't know why she was overreacting. She didn't even know why she felt funny. She supposed she was super embarrassed because now Theo probably thought she thought it was a date, that they were going as more than friends. She was also slightly confused, and even a little hurt, at what Pansy had said. She'd thought Pansy and her were on okay terms, until just now. They had a few classes together and managed to pass each other in the halls with nothing more than a vague friendly nod of acceptance. Maybe old wounds were harder to heal on Pansy than they were on Hermione.

She tossed all these thoughts around in her head as she made her way across the lobby and down a dimly lit corridor that gave way to several bathrooms. She was just about to push open the door to the ladies' room when someone yanked her wrist, an arm coming to wrap around her waist and drawing her backwards until she was pulled into a wheelchair access bathroom. The door clicked shut behind them, a little red light flitting against the handle to show anyone on the outside that the toilet was occupied.

Hermione hardly had time to focus her eyes on the small flash of colour before her back was roughly pushed back into the door, and a warm weight came to settle against her front, a warm, hard body with a scent that was entirely familiar. His breath was hot, stirring the hairs at her neck as he nuzzled his face against her throat. His hands were still at her wrists, the pads of his thumbs dancing in circles over her skin. Then they were moving up, skating over the creases at her elbows and finally resting on her upper arms, surrounding her flesh and grasping tightly— almost too tightly — but the sensation sent every one of her nerves into a frazzle, she couldn't think — she could barely get enough air into her lungs due to shock — all she knew was that Draco was pressing against her in all the right places, and she never wanted to move away.

She wanted to move her head up, just a little, just enough so she could graze her nose against his, seal their lips together like she'd been dreaming of doing for weeks. She needed to feel him, all of him, needed to have his tongue sliding against hers— but then he was softly speaking into her ear, his lips delicately grazing her sensitive skin, and she could barely register what he was saying.

"—you like him? Theodore, do you like him, Hermione? Please tell me you don't…"

Hermione couldn't answer — she could only gasp, because there was Draco's tongue, tracing the shell of her ear, gently — barely there.

"I… I—" His hands were skimming over her belly, around to her back, pulling her closer, and then his fingers were pushing against the curve of her bum, holding her to him, aligning their hips so she could feel — really feel, every inch of him. She couldn't suppress her moan, and it ended up coming out as another strangled gasp. This wasn't fair, she needed to think, needed to ask him something—

"Hermione?"

"I— I don't… Why? Why do you care?"

A pause.

His lips at her ear again — his teeth around her lobe, his voice thick and rasping — nearly a growl. "Because. Because you're mine."

Hermione felt her heart hammer violently against her chest, she could hear her mind reeling, wanting to dominate the passion that was rapidly brewing in her stomach, ready to spill out at any second and demand that she just kiss Draco already.

His? Something inside her melted at the thought, but a bigger part, her logical, and in this case, very unwanted side told her that something didn't add up.

"B-but—" dusting kisses across her jaw, over her cheek — it wasn't enough. "—you said… you said there wasn't—"

"Fuck what I said. I need you, Hermione." Draco's breathing was uneven, just like hers, and then suddenly his forehead was against her own, their noses touching. They stood like that for a few moments, maybe even minutes, their breath mingling in the darkness. His voice, calmer now, broke the silence, "Tell me, please tell me — do you like Theo?"

It was an odd question, everything about this situation was odd, and Hermione was only now beginning to realise what they'd been doing and where they were standing, and how there was another boy waiting for her back in the theatre, a boy who was concerned for her health, a boy who she'd pretty much walked out on. "Crap. Theo." Then everything came to bombard her — the room was too dark, Draco was too close, it was far too hot, she thought she might suffocate. She was confused, beyond confused actually, and she just needed to get out.

Draco had already taken several steps back during her silence, and Hermione quickly turned to unlock the door and pull it open. The light from the corridor threw skewed light across Draco's tall form, and Hermione stood for a second too long as she admired the pale halo of his hair and the way his eyes watched her with a detached desperation. "I…" Her vocal cords knotted together, she couldn't say anything, she didn't know what to say.

So she left him standing in the blackness of the bathroom, and it was only when she was halfway down the hall when she thought she heard the sudden thumping of a fist against a door.

"I'm so sorry — I, I just felt really dizzy all of a sudden. I'm okay now, though. What have I missed?" Theo looked at her strangely, his eyes brightly lit with the moving pictures across the screen, yet the way they seemed to drill into her head made her shiver.

But then he smiled, and she managed to relax a little. She listened quietly as his whisper filled her in on the beginning of the movie.

Hermione heard the words Theo spoke, but she couldn't remember what was said, maybe it was nothing, maybe it was a good deal of important things, she'd never know. Her mind was back in the dark little bathroom, where she'd left Draco, the boy whose scent clung to her like the past, whose face was the only thing she could see throughout the two hour film. Draco, the boy she… loved.