Wounded

Chapter 11: Wanted

As Draco took another quick lick of his lips, he was able to still taste her. Soft, warm notes of honey and lemon played on his tongue as her sweet smell continued to cause his head to spin. Although the weight from her body had left his chest, he was sure he could still feel her lingering warmth making its way down to his skin. He was watching her intently as she stared at him in utter disbelief. Her eyes said what Draco was thinking.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Hermione was having trouble catching her breath as her wide eyes fixated on the dangerously temping blonde wizard standing in front of her. His mused hair made the tips of her fingers twitch, as if it was goading her to run them through. Partially astounded at the fact Draco had kissed her, she was even more startled at the fact that she had kissed him back.

Why isn't he saying anything? He's just staring at me. Did he mean to? Does he regret it? Oh Godric this could be really bad.

The flames of the fire had begun to dwindle, casting heavy shadows across the room. The crackles being emitted just barley masked the heavy, erratic sounds of their heavy breathing. Only a few feet away from each other, while neither wanted to be the first to make a move, they each held each other's gaze.

Hermione tried to steady herself, still feeling a slight pressure on her lower lip where he had bit. Yeah, this is bad. How could I have let this happen?

The silence was beginning to eat away at Draco. He was having no luck in reading how she felt about the situation. Her cheeks were flush, but was it out of disgust? Anger? Passion? But those few confessing sounds that had escaped her mouth made him think it was the latter.

She didn't pull away. Hell she even leaned into it, into me... and the way she sighed..

Her whispered moans had brushed against his cheek. They had been soft yet taunting, making him want to elicit more. He couldn't help but feel that if he hadn't of been so shocked at the fact that she hadn't objected, things could have turned out much differently.

Feeling the need to fill the unsettling silence between them, he combed his fingers through his silvery hair before speaking. "Look, Granger I-"

"You're staying, right?" Hermione's voice was quiet, almost afraid of hearing him say anything to the contrary.

Without hesitation, Draco quickly replied "Yeah, I'll stay." He watched as her eyes filled with what looked to be relief. Before he could say anything more on the subject, she had cut him off again.

"I need some time to think, about everything... I'm sorry." Without another word, she turned to grab her wand and bag and quickly left the room.

Unable to say anything in return, Draco simply watched as her long, bouncing curls disappeared around the corner and into the hallway. The room felt strangely empty now. Rubbing his hands over his face a few times he fell hard into the forgiving couch. Pressing a few fingers into the corners of his eyes, he closed them and slowly worked them back and forth. He knew going after her was a horrible idea. Trying to get her to talk now would only make the situation worse.

"But how much sodding time are we talking about here? She did ask me to stay, which I'll take as a good sign... I think.."

He let off a frustrated scoff. Shit.

Opening his eyes back up, he saw the still steaming cup of tea Hermione had been drinking before he had walked into the room. The soft aroma it was emitting only made him more frustrated. Its honey and lemon scent caused him to think about their shared kiss, again and again.

He had held her a few times now, either out of needing to comfort her or out of concern. All of them until now at least. This time it had been different. His hands were drawn to her, needing to bring her closer to him. He heard her strength, but he needed to feel it, to hold on to it for not only her sake but his own. He couldn't have helped himself even if he had wanted to, and that's what worried him the most. This need he felt towards her, to kiss her, to run his fingers through her hair and to feel the warmth her bare skin had to offer, was a feeling he had never quite experienced before with anyone else. There was no denying it now that he was attracted to her, but there was more to his actions than just lust. If he was honest with himself, he had been having these thoughts for some time now. The way she would speak to him, witty with a bit of bite to her words. How she knew exactly what to say to test him, but still somehow coming across as playful and amusing. He would have bet his entire family fortune on him going to his grave with his feelings for Granger before ever admitting them to anyone or even himself. But there he was, staring at her as she tried to comfort him, speaking with such determination that made him all but grasp for it too.

Leaning forward, he rested his head on the palm of his hand. His thoughts were now going back and forth between convincing himself there's no way she would be alright with what just happened, to reminding himself that she seemed to want more as well. Needing to find something to distract him, he noticed Hermione had left behind a pile of parchment on the coffee table. Curious as to what she had been taking notes of for the past week or so, he picked them up and began to read them. They were scattered across the wooden table top, but it didn't take long for him to recognize what they were.

"Why in Salazar's name would she have written out these stories? I haven't heard these in years."

But as he started to look closer at them, he realized they were slightly different to what he had heard as a child. In fact, they were very different. Furrowing his brow, he began to read the "so called familiar" stories Hermione had written well into the night, only to realize come morning that he was able to add yet another lie from his father to the list.

Hermione quickly shut the door to her room behind her. Placing her back against it she slid down to the floor in a flustered mess. She buried her face in her shaky hands and took deep, heavy breaths.

"What was I thinking? I can't believe Draco and I just.. kissed. We kissed... he kissed me and I kissed him back. Merlin what is wrong with me!"

Taking her hands, she pushed back her soft curls from her face and began twirling a lock between her fingers. She was still trying to catch her breath as she flicked her tongue across her still moistened lips. Her mind was clouded with confusion. The room was spinning as she tried to make sense of the last fifteen minutes.

"It meant nothing, absolutely nothing."

But as the words escaped her mouth, the thought of Draco's tongue caressing over top of hers made her body shudder in an innate response. The strength of his pull and the way he had caused her to tremble and moan with his lips made her question everything.

Shaking her head, she pushed herself up off the floor. Hermione flicked her wand to turn on the small desk lamp. She sat her bag on the dresser before sprawling out on her bed. Setting her hands on her still heaving chest, she closed her eyes.

The details of their kiss began to replay over and over in her mind. It had all happen so fast. One minute she had been watching him struggle with his own monsters, fear and pain filling his grey eyes. And in an instant, they had changed. Determination, strength, she even thought they seemed a little bit lustful as he pulled her into him. She felt the warmth of his lips press against hers as his tongue made quick work of entering her welcoming mouth. Even though he had taken her by surprise, it seemed her body instantly accepted his touch. The way his fingers pulled and tugged on her hair, weaving her soft curls between them as he tightened his hold.

Hermione's body shuddered again. The chills that set her body on edge made her think twice about the true meaning behind their actions. She hadn't denied him, pushed away or fought his advancement

I didn't back away. In fact I leaned into him... Oh god I think I even wanted more..

Her amber eyes shot open. The realization of wanting their all too confusing encounter to lead further made her stomach drop. Although their kiss only lasted a short time, Hermione had felt something different towards Draco. The warmth from his mouth had sent waves of pleasure down her spine, almost paralyzing her as her brain tried to catch up. But before it could, she had succumb to him, melting into his embrace. His lips had sought hers, using his tongue to delve father in. The taste of him was what made her lean in more. It was subtle, but hints of mint and spice drew her closer. She could feel his rapid heartbeats under her hand right before he had pulled away. All the pain, the fear and sadness had started to leave her for the briefest of moments. For once she had felt safe again. As her surroundings started to come back, her brain had a chance to finally catch up. It was then that Hermione had truly realized what they had done. Staring into the grey eyes of the person who had made her life hell up until recently caused her to panic.

A soft groan left her mouth. No matter how hard she tried to think about something else, the thought of Draco's lips on hers wouldn't leave. What would Harry and Ron think?

This thought made her stomach drop again. She felt as if she just stabbed her friends in the back. Draco had been their enemy since the first day at Hogwarts. And here she was thinking about how strong he had felt under her touch and how only a thin shirt separated his flesh from her curious fingers.

It had been almost two years since she had thought about anyone in such a way. She had kept the night of the Yule Ball a secret from everyone, even from her two best friends. After the party ended, Viktor and her had slipped away and took a walk around the castle to continue their conversation on how he had managed to retrieve the golden egg in the first task. He had told her a few times already, but she found it endearing how he loved to retell the story to impress her. As they had rounded a corner on the third floor, they had heard Peeves at the other end of the corridor. To avoid an endless serenade of taunts and jeers, they had hid in an unused classroom. The room had been pitch black, but it didn't take long for the two to find each other. She had been so captivated by his charm and the moment felt so right to give in to temptation.

But Hermione had always thought losing her virginity would have felt more special. Although Viktor had been caring and sweet, there wasn't that connection, at least not the way she had always thought it should have felt. After that night, they kept their relationship as friends, but nothing more. Harry and Ron had asked a few times if anything happened after the party. Her coming back so late to the common room sparked their curiosity, but she kept this secret to herself. She didn't need to hear their endless comments and assumed childish remarks on the matter. Some things were best left private.

She once thought she had feelings for Cormac, but they were short lived once she found out how terribly rude he was. His poor sense of humor and constant need to remind everyone how well connected his family was drove her insane.

But tonight, even though it was only a kiss, she had felt more of a connection with Draco than she had ever had with someone. Rolling to lay on her side, she tried to rationalize her feelings towards him. But all she could come up with was the simple fact that she was attracted to him, and it very well seemed that he was attracted to her.

Her head was now pounding. She was exhausted and needed rest. She had wanted to avoid anymore nightmares, but she could feel her tired body starting to give in to sleep. As she lay there, she began to dread the inevitable awkward conversation that was sure to happen between them.

Maybe I can avoid it, at least until I can figure out what in Godric's name is going on with me. Maybe we are both just lonely, and all of this uncertainty is starting to get the better of us.

Her eyes began to close. The soft bed and dim lighting were luring her into slumber. Her body was shutting down, but her mind was still racing with confusion. Trying to block everything out, one thought kept repeated itself.

I may not exactly understand everything, but I know one thing's for sure...

A small smile spread across her face right before sleep finally took her. I'm really glad he isn't leaving.

Draco had fallen asleep on the sofa sometime late into the night. He awoke to the soft sounds of rain hitting against the window panes. The smoldering embers in the fireplace were still sending up small clouds of pine scented smoke. Looking around he saw the time, realizing it was just a little past dawn. His neck was stiff having fallen asleep with his head slouched over the arm of the couch. Rolling his head side to side, a low grunt was caught trapped in his throat.

"Bloody hell this hurts."

He rubbed his neck as he stood up to stretch. He saw the pile of parchment he had read and reread a few times during the night until he became disgusted with the fact his father had fed him more lies throughout his life.

The brain washing starts young at the Malfoy Manor doesn't it?

Stretching to the side one more time before heading upstairs, Draco wondered when he would see Hermione next. He didn't really know how much time was enough time. But from his experience with the opposite sex, he knew it was better that he left them alone until they were ready to talk. The last time he tried to figure out what he had done wrong, Daphne Greengrass had yelled at him for a good five minutes before storming away back down to the dormitories. He never did figure out what the cold shoulder was for.

Come to think of it, Granger did say Parkinson was running her fucking mouth even after I had ended it... I wonder if that had something to do with it...

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. As he climbed the stairs back to his room, he stopped as he reached the landing. He stared at Hermione's door, wondering if she was already awake on the other side. He listened for any movements for almost five minutes before giving up to the sounds of disappointing silence. Heading to his bedroom door, he took a deep breath.

"I hope you don't keep me waiting too long Granger. Patience was never my strong suit."

...

Draco wasn't too surprised that she had avoided him on the first day. He had passed the time by reading a few books he had found hidden in one of the dressers by his bed. He had dozed off in the late afternoon and had awoken to the sounds of her bedroom door closing. Shortly after, the hush sounds of her shower told him he had missed her coming out of her room and he had a feeling that she was in there for the night. He had wandered downstairs to find Hermione had prepared dinner for herself and had left him a bowl wrapped on the counter. He took this as a another good sign, but he also knew she wasn't the type of person to not offer someone a plate no matter her feelings towards them. He had experienced her generosity multiple times now, some of which he knew he hadn't deserved. None the less, he took the bowl back up to his room, grinning slightly as he took a bite of the savory soup.

By the second morning, the same dreary drizzle that had persisted to stay since the first morning of their seclusion was depressing him and his patience was definitely starting to wear thin. His once hopeful notions on their shared kiss were turning to doubt, which began to agitate him even more. His thoughts were shifting from her needing time to come to the conclusion that she too had feelings for him, to her needing time to figure out how to tell him he was alone in this aspect.

When he came downstairs on the second morning, it was clear Hermione was still hiding out in her room. The gray sky and heavy rain filled the room with an almost somber tone. It had barely been two days since they last interacted with each other, but it felt longer to him. Although their talks could sometimes be a little heated, he secretly always enjoyed them. But lately, he had become almost infatuated with their new tongue and cheek tone with each other. With the solitude that had set in between them, he was beginning to realize that he was actually starting to miss their daily banters.

The house felt strangely empty to him this morning as he made his way into the kitchen. He wasn't feeling very hungry, grabbing a mug from the cupboard and making himself a cup of tea. Sitting down at on one of the kitchen island stools, he set his mug down and folded his arms.

I'm not sure how much longer I can wait on her to figure out whatever if going on in that head of hers.

He could feel the frustration building in his chest. If she's going to play this game of hiding out, then maybe I already have my fucking answer... damn what was I thinking? There's no way Granger could see me any different than she has before. If I remember correctly, the words she used to describe me were foul and evil... and there's no changing feelings like those.

Draco was slightly rubbing his cheek where she had slapped him just before she had spoken those words to him. He still could remember the sharp sting of the force and the loud smack it had made in his ears. If he was honest with himself, that was probably the first time he had felt something other than anger or frustration towards her.

A slight smirk crossed his face. I'll give you some credit Granger, you sure do know how to hold your own. I can respect that.

But the discouraging words she had used echoed again inside his head, causing his heart to drop. He was staring at his tea as he rocked the cup back and forth, watching the bag move from one side to the other. He clenched his teeth together, flexing his jaw as he did.

With a low grunt, he said "Why did I have to be such an arse."

He was fighting the urge to throw his cup against something hard. And why did I have to go and bloody kiss her. She didn't want me to stay because she actually wanted me to. It's just those sodding Gryffindor tendencies of caring and being generous coming out.

Needing to remove himself from chucking anything at a wall, he stood and left his full mug of tea on the island. He walked over to the fireplace and sat down on the couch. He noticed at some point last night Hermione had collected her notes, leaving the coffee table bare. Knowing that she had been down here and he had missed her made his nerves stand on edge.

That's it. I'm not moving from this spot until she comes down here. She can't hide up there forever. At this point I'd just rather hear it, that way I can finally concentrate on what in Salazar's name I'm going to do about mother.

Draco had been trying to come up with what his next steps would be. He knew hiding out at Hermione's cabin couldn't last forever. Or maybe it could. Hiding out from the rest of the world, never seeing his father again or the shitty life he had once called home, losing himself to the darkness seemed to becoming more and more appealing.

At least there no one can see me and all the mistakes I've made. Hell, I don't even want to see myself most days.

But he knew he couldn't leave his mother in the hands of her husband. Not after everything she had done for him his whole life. He had come up with a few ideas, all of which would probably end with him being caught and his death. But if he could just get these intrusive feelings shut down and out of his mind, maybe he would finally be able to figure out a real plan, a plan where both he and his mother could escape with their lives.

Settling himself into the chair, Draco began to wait for Hermione to finally make an appearance. Just get it out of the way, that way you can focus on more important matters.

But something was telling him once he heard her tell him how she really felt, it would only become more difficult to fully concentrate. This matter was, for some reason, becoming increasingly important to him as well.

Hermione's blood shot eyes were beginning to water. She blinked a few times as she rubbed the sting from them. She had been so intently reading, she had forgotten to blink. Needing to take a break, she pushed back her chair from her desk and began to slouch in it. Running her fingers through her hair a few times, she worked her hands and pulled her hair back into a loose braid.

The cool, summer drizzle had turned into a heavy storm. She had felt its approach all day. Ever since she was young, Hermione insisted she could feel when a storm was coming. The air would change around her, sending an almost electric charge through her, tingling her finger tips as it passed through her. Soft, damp smells played on her senses as floral and earth scents made their way to her nose. Hermione had opened one of her bedroom windows to let the soothing winds and sounds of rain relax her.

Listening to the sounds of the hard raindrops hit the house, she took a look around her cluttered room. Ever since the night of her and Draco's shared kiss, she had been hiding out here. She wasn't proud of the fact that she was avoiding him, but the thought of acknowledging her feelings for him and the fact that he had feelings for her all but confused her. Not to mention the enormous guilt she felt towards her friends whenever she began to admit to herself what she was feeling was indeed true.

The first night she had fallen asleep and had awoke to herself trembling, tears starting to run down her face. She couldn't remember what she had been dreaming, but she had an idea. After those few hours of terror filled sleep, she had not since allowed herself to give in to her tired body and mind.

Instead, she had been filling her time by reading. But she wasn't reading just any books, she was reading from the books she had used the Gemino charm on from Snape's library. The night Draco had caught her sneaking books from his collection, she had came back down once he had left and used the charm to replicate as many books as she could. Not wanting to risk Draco seeing her take another book and asking why she was so interested in them again, she thought it better to make copies and keep them in her bag. Now that they were stuck at her cabin for the time being, she was grateful she had done this and was still able to do as much research as she could on horcruxes. She needed to do something to still feel like she wasn't completely useless to her friends. If they were out looking for them, she could at least figure out how to destroy them.

But the hunt was slow, having to translate some of the books in Ruins by hand and having to even use other books to help translate those. She once thought she had found a passage with writing pertaining to a word with the ending 'cruxes', but after fully translating the ruins, into Latin then into English, the terms meaning proved to be nothing what she had hoped. Her room was scattered with Snape's copied books, spanning from her desk, the bed and all around the floor. Needing to take a break, she stood from the chair as she caught sight of her clock.

"I can't believe I've been reading almost the whole day and I still have nothing to show for it."

Before she took her first step towards her bed, a large gust of wind whipped into her room, causing her bedroom door to creek open. The sudden blast caused the startled witch to jump. The cool winds from the storm were now filling her room, causing her to slightly shiver. She walked over to her dresser where her familiar comforting green sweater lay. As she pulled it over her head, a small twinge of hunger made her groan.

"I can't remember the last time I actually ate something, I'm guessing that's not good." She glanced over to the still almost full bowl of soup she had brought up the previous day. Knowing she should have had more to eat by now, she took a seat on her bed. Her muscles ached and her stomach gave her another gab, reminding her it still needed to be fed.

Sighing, she caught sight of some parchment laying next to her. She had started making a list of places where Harry and Ron could possibly have gone to. The top two places she had written down were either Grimmauld Place or Godric's Hollow. She thought Grimmauld Place was a good bet, but she was worried what Snape may have told Voldemort. Knowing Snape still had to play the part, he could have easily told Voldemort the address to the Order's hideout. It would be risky to try and go there alone to look for the boys. Same went for Godric's Hollow. She had a feeling Voldemort knew Harry would want to go there and could have Death Eaters waiting for his return to his family home.

Frustrated that she still had no solid ideas on where to look for them without risking her safety too much, she took up one of the books that lay on her bed and began thumbing through the pages. Her stomach gave another growl making her think about the food she had left out for Draco.

I wonder if he actually took the soup I made. I hope he is at least eating something. I guess I could go down and check, but what do I say if I run into him? Bollocks, I can't keep avoiding him forever.

Setting the book in her lap, she leaned against her head board and closed her eyes. The image of Draco's grey eyes flashed across her lids. She had been watching him change for weeks now. Being able to see actual emotion from him, to see he could feel remorse, to allow himself be vulnerable and scared showed her he was so much more than she ever thought possible. He had helped her, comforted her when she had needed it the most and it was a genuine need to be the one to do it. The look he had given her right before he learned in to kiss her though has been her favorite she had seen so far. She knew she wasn't the most outgoing girl at school, hiding behind books most of the time and being the one to always follow the rules never helped her popularity much. A few times she had had boys show an interest in her, but for the most part she was too busy or not interested in the ones that did. But Draco had looked at her in a way that had made her heart stop. It was real, genuine and intense. She had felt noticed, respected and...

Wanted. He seemed like he wanted, even needed to kiss me, to pull me close. Merlin help me, but seeing him like that actually makes me want him more.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. If she kept them shut any longer she knew she'd fall asleep. The warmth from her sweater and the sounds of rain and distant thunder were creating the perfect atmosphere. Trying to fight the urge, she opened the book and started to scan the pages.

"You need to talk to him" she softly whispered to herself. "Just finish this page, and then go find him."

As the tired eyes read the same like three times, her heavy lids started to close again. Hermione's hands slowly let go of the book which slipped from her lap and landed gently next to her. The sounds of thunder were growing closer as the tired witch finally gave in.

Draco was still sitting in the same spot when the kitchen clock chimed seven times. The only thing that had changed was he was now holding his mug from this morning. Instead of it being filled with tea though, he had noticed an open amber bottle of English Malt Whiskey sitting on top of the wine cabinet next to him. He had been sipping a small glass for about an hour now, hoping it would help calm him. Waiting for Hermione to make an appearance was becoming harder and harder to not go looking for her himself. Draco hadn't heard a sound from her room all day and he could have sworn at one point time had decided to stop, just to make the pain of waiting last just a little but longer.

As the last chime of the clock rang, Draco let off a frustrated sigh. Fuck this.

He had had enough. The roaring thunder outside the walls was fueling his impatience. I'm not just going to sit around waiting for her to figure out how she feels. And if she already has then she can find some of that sodding Gryffindor bravely they always talk about so much and just bloody tell me.

Taking the last swig of whiskey, he set the mug down on the wooden table and stood from the couch. "Disappointment seems to be the theme to my life now."

The lightning was creating shadows across the walls. The foyer was dark, but he used its strobe effect to make his way up the stairs. He took each step with purpose, hoping a little that he would run into Hermione before making his way to his bedroom. The whiskey had taken just enough of the edge off and he was ready to tell her how he now felt. It was one thing if she had just told him his actions had bothered her, but to run away from confrontation was not the witch he knew. Draco knew she had faced far worse before, running head first into most of the situations. But hiding out over a momentary lapse in judgment?

No, that's not you Granger. If you can slap me you can sure as hell tell me to my face how you feel.

Coming to the landing, he was about to walk past her door when he suddenly stopped. The dark hallway was softly being illuminated by a small strip of light coming from Hermione's door. Although he had just told himself he wouldn't go looking for her, a realizing thought came into his mind.

It is a little strange I haven't even heard a sound coming from her room all day. She didn't even come down stairs to grab something to eat.

The frustration he had been feeling started to turn to worry. He was trying to convince himself that she was alright and he was sure nothing had happened to her, but something was still telling him to check. Slowly walking towards her door, he made sure not to make a sound, wanting to listen for any movement from her room.

Inches from her door now, he peered through the crack. Still not hearing any movement, he hesitated for just a moment before carefully pushing open the door. Taking a step inside, it didn't take him long to find the sleeping witch. A sense of relief washed over him, as the irritation he had just felt started to creep back in.

Sleeping, she's just sleeping. Well, at least she's able to find some rest.

He then noticed what she was wearing. The same flattering green sweater that had teased his imagination only a few days ago and a pair of grey sweats that hugged the curves of her hips. A small twitch below waist caused him to look away. The memory of their kiss came flooding back and he was sure for just a moment he could taste her lemon and honey flavor on his tongue.

Keep your mind on the reason you came in here in the first place. She is clearly alright and you know she doesn't feel the same way.

Wanting to subdue his taunting memories, he looked around her room. It reminded him of bedroom back at her parents' house. Decorated with splashes of crimson and gold, her large bedroom was also filled to the brim with books. Her desk lamp was proving minimal light, but he could tell her walls were filled with family pictures just like the rest of the house. Noticing her window was open, he crept towards it. The strong winds were picking up, blowing her sheer cotton curtains wildly around. Her window over looked the pond out back. Draco could just barely see the branches of the willow tree whipping about, hitting the top of the water as they did. With each strike of lightning, he peered out into the dense, dark forest. He knew they were safer here than anywhere else at the moment, and Hermione's protective spells would giving them more security. He couldn't help but think though that somewhere out there, there were people hunting them, wanting to be the ones to bring them in to the Dark Lord so he could take pleasure in killing them himself.

Disgusted by the thought, he turned away from the window. He was about to turn off her light for her and leave when something caught his eye. Picking up one of the books that were on her desk, he read the covers.

Dark Arts Through the Ages? What the hell...

Draco picked up another book on her desk, then another, and then another. I know these books, I've read them all countless of times. These are the same books that were in Snape's library. Why is Salazar's name does Granger have them?

He took a glance around the room. There were books piled on each other and scattered across the floor. It was as if Hermione had brought Snape's entire library with her, but he knew that was impossible. He had seen all the books in the shelves the day they had fled.

How is the world-

But then he realized how she had done it. A small smile spread across his face. You used a doubling charm didn't you when I wasn't around. How very sneaky of you. But why in the world would you want to bring these types of books with you?

He looked towards the still sleeping witch. He was very confused, but he knew this time when he asked what she was doing with the books he wasn't going to accept anything less that the truth.

Setting the book back on the desk, he flicked his wand and the lamp shut off. As he started walking towards the door, a soft sigh made him stop. Turning to look where Hermione lay, he could see her body trembling with each flash of lightning. Furrowing his brow, he walked to stand next to her bed.

He noticed her breathing had changed. It was shallow now, almost as if gasping for air. The expression on her face made Draco's chest tightened. She looked scared and it bothered him. But what bothered him even more was what he saw with the next flash of light. A small, glistening tear was rolling down her cheek, making its way past her chin before landing on her pillow.

As he saw another one start making its way down, he couldn't stop himself from reaching out and gently wiping it away with a brush of his finger. The chill of her cheek hit Draco's warm skin like ice. He could feel her body shaking under his finger. He was about to say her name in hoping to wake her up when a sharp crack of thunder caused him to jump.

Hermione's eye shot open. Awoken by the thunder, the room was almost pitch black and she was having a hard time catching her breath. As her eyes began to adjust to her surroundings, she suddenly realized she wasn't alone.

"Draco?" Her voice was soft. "What are you doing in here?"

The blonde wizard took a step back from the bed. Shit, she wasn't suppose to see me here.

He took a deep breath before he spoke. "Look, I hadn't heard a sound from you all day and was just making sure you were alright."

Watching her eyes grow wide, he quickly said "Don't read into this Granger. I'm not an idiot, I know that whatever happened the other day was probably just a mistake but.."

Hermione had stopped listening to Draco after the first sentence. He came to check on me? I hide from him and he still cares about me...

She was staring at him, his silver eyes almost glowing in the dark back at her. Lifting her hand to her face where Draco had unknowingly touched her, she could still feel some of the warmth from his skin on hers. And it felt familiar. Hermione had awoken from her nightmare in a panic, but the moment she had seen Draco standing next to her, a sense of calm had washed over. She couldn't keep denying how she felt about the blonde wizard standing in front of her. There was something there between them, exactly what she wasn't exactly sure yet. But the very real feeling of wanting him too was definitely there.

Draco finally noticed Hermione hadn't said a word yet to his rant. "Granger, are you even listening to me?"

Hermione snapped back to reality. Truthfully, she had barely heard a word he had just said to her. She thought she had heard something about how 'if she really didn't feel anything then they could just forget that whole moment ever happened.' But she didn't want to forget it happened, there was no way she ever could. And if she was honest with herself, she wanted more of those moments. The past few weeks he had been the one that was there for her when she needed someone, the one who comforted her and cared about her. Even after having a bad dream he somehow had shown up at the right time.

Her heart was racing. She had to say something to him, but her brain wasn't working properly. The harsh winds coming in from her open window were filling her mind with a low humming sound. Maybe it was her brain becoming clouded by this, or maybe it was just the fact that she wanted to be the impulsive one this time. She was always one to plan ahead, to calculate every action out, but she was sure the heat left on her cheek had been from him and she wanted more.

Draco was watching Hermione closely, waiting for her to acknowledge his question. Taking a step back towards her bed, he was starting to become worried that the dream she had been having took more of a toll on her than he realized when her sudden movement toward him made him falter.

She had stood from her bed and went for his lips in less than a heartbeats time. They were as she remember, if not better. They had that caramel, nutty taste to them this time which reminded her of the night by Snape's fireplace. She had wanted a taste then and it was deeply satisfying to know she was right in thinking it would have been delicious then just as it was now.

Her lips felt chilled just as her cheeks had, but it felt refreshing on his warm lips. The coolness of them sent shivers down his spine. He was about to allow reality to snap him back out of this moment, but he was adamant not to ruin it again. Quickly accepting her gesture, he tightly wrapped his arms around her, wanting to be the one to warm her. His hand rested just above her hip, reaching its way to the small of her back.

Hermione welcomed the heat she felt from his touch. She felt safe and protect with his arm wrapped around her, a luxury that was in short supply these days. All the pain, the confusion, everything that had been weighing on her mind was starting to fade.

His other hand found the back of her neck, pulling his kiss deeper into her eager mouth. The force of her kiss had told him everything he had needed to know. All the doubt, the questioning, everything that had been causing him to wonder if his actions had been a mistake were gone. She wanted this as much as he did.

Sucking her bottom lip, a soft moan came from her mouth. It was sweet and light, brushing his face as it escaped which only made him want to hear more. He gave her neck a little squeeze as he quickly swept his tongue back in between her moisten lips. Feeling her tongue stroke back over his, a low growl of approval came from his throat.

A rush of pure pleasure swept across her body. The heat that was being creating in between them was becoming almost blissful. Placing her palm against his chest, she balled a fist full of his shirt in her hand and slightly pushed back from him. Before her uninhibited feelings took her any further, she needed to hear one thing from him first.

Trying to catch her breath, she was barely able to speak in between each gasp of air. "Draco, you want this too, right?"

The lightning still hadn't let up yet, allowing him to see the worry in her amber eyes. Taking the hand from her neck, he slid it forward and cupped her red, flushed cheeks. Needing to bring her closer to him than she already was, he softly placed a kiss on her forehead.

More than you know.

Note: I'm super excited to be posting this chapter! I had a really great time writing it, I hope you all enjoy it as well!

School has been kicking my ass for sure, but I made sure to stay up past my bedtime to get this chapter done for you guys! (besides, who needs sleep when you can live on Monsters and RedBulls :) )

Mid terms are fast approaching so another two weeks for the next chapter. Thank you for all the amazing reviews!

-Toujours.