Chapter Eleven: …And into the fire
They arrived at Draco's apartment's fireplace in each other's arms. It was inevitable since Draco's fireplace was somewhat smaller. But still, Draco wished he hadn't overlooked that minor detail, as it was becoming very apparent that being in such close quarters with Hermione was arousing his...uh senses.
Hermione released her grip on Draco's collar; she had never liked travelling by floo powder and couldn't have helped clinging to him if she had tried- which she had. And being this close to him was dangerous. She might do something stupid like throw her arms around his neck and kiss him until he forgot how horrible she was…but seeing as she was so close to him, she could feel first hand the anger pulse through his body and thought better of it.
"Granger," Her name came out gruff on his lips so he didn't blame Hermione for biting her lip in a nervous fashion…although he wished she didn't. It made it harder to concentrate.
Hermione cursed herself for not jumping out of the fireplace then, Draco just looked so powerful, intimidating, dangerous and just well…goddam sexy to Hermione, the way he stood there, demanding her attention just made her legs tremble. Sure he was probably furious at her, but still, her mind was never far away from the gutter where he was concerned. Hermione blushed when she met his eyes and she looked away quickly, it was wrong to feel so aroused in this situation.
Draco was curious. Why was Hermione so susceptible to blushing around him lately? She could kill him and anybody else twice his side without much effort, yet he reduced her to a blush just by looking at her….
But enough of this, his mind snapped out of it, he had to get some answers. With a throat clearing cough, Draco stepped out of the fireplace, making to help Hermione out after him. She didn't look at all steady on her feet and Draco couldn't help but be concerned, after all she had fainted not too long ago after he had kissed her.
Hermione hated how he was looking at her. Like she was some delicate flower, which made her feel so much worse, he cared for her still, after all that she had done to him- what a massive guilt trip.
"Well on with it Malfoy," Hermione prompted impatiently, pulling her hand free of his and getting out of the fireplace herself, unsteadily but determinedly.
Draco frowned, why did she always have to be hot and cold, she really threw him for a loop sometimes. He didn't know whether to yell or kiss her sometimes.
"Ok fine, tell me why you did it?" Draco asked in a quiet way that had Hermione shivering. She would've much preferred it if he had yelled.
However before Hermione opened her mouth he answered it for her, "I'll tell you why you did it, You knew, I suppose, that I wanted you and you concocted this ideal man for yourself to deliberately taunt me," Draco went on fervently, "You wanted me to get jealous didn't you Granger? You wanted me to be driven crazy by the thought of another man and I can only assume that your flirtation with Black was for that object as well; well it worked and now I hate myself for it."
Hermione felt her jaw drop. He had it all wrong and the passion in which he spoke made her tremble, he was furious…but of course her feisty temper always overcame any other sentiment.
"You are wrong, I didn't make it all up to torment you, i made it up so Lavender would stop trying to play match maker," Hermione cried, "I didn't know that she had spread it around, did i?"
"Oh really, you're telling me that you didn't know that the world's worse gossiper was going to spread it around?" Draco found himself shouting.
Hermione swallowed. It did look bad, but she hadn't thought when she had told Lavender…
Draco watched as she paled, maybe she really hadn't realised what damage Lavender was going to do.
"Ok I'll give you the benefit of the doubt there, but then tell me why did you play along?"
Hermione looked up sharply, "There was no reason why I should not have." Which was true enough, why would she expose the lie when all that would get her was a conversation like this?
Draco couldn't speak for a few minutes he was so angry. No reason that she shouldn't have; what about him?
Hermione could feel his anger but she went on stubbornly, "It wasn't in my best interest that I should have exposed the lie."
"Not in your best interest?" Draco repeated and Hermione clicked her tongue in annoyance, had she not just said that?
Draco paced around the room, trying to think of something to say that didn't consist of a string of profanities. Was she deliberately baiting him?
"Why do you insist on playing games with me?" he asked accusingly, as he couldn't think of any other reason why she would put him through hell, but for her own amusement.
Hermione glared at him, "Oh but you've already answered that question earlier, to deliberately taunt you," she retorted.
"Well it bloody hell looks it."
"Are you done? I think I'd like to go home now," Hermione announced fed up.
Draco ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. Why had he brought her to his apartment; now she had invaded his private haven, he knew he wouldn't be able to help but picture her here even after she was long gone and that would be enough to drive him crazy.
Hermione coughed meaningfully, her announcement had obviously fallen on deaf ears.
"Look there's nothing more to discuss here, you heard a rumour that I didn't mean to start, you got jealous, I'm the bad guy and you don't want me anymore or you don't want to want me anymore…whatever it's complex and sad, but let's move on, I'm going home now."
Draco raised an eyebrow, "It sounds really simple when you put it like that."
"Oh but it is Malfoy, and I'm really glad we had this talk," she replied sourly, hoping he'd move from her path to the fireplace, but he didn't.
"I hate it when you do this, you are so infuriatingly stubborn Granger, because even when you're in the wrong you try and make it seem like it's someone else's fault," Draco accused.
"I'm not," Hermione rebuked offended, "I honestly don't know what you mean."
"Yes you do, you played along with the lie so as to have something to hide behind, because face it, you want me as much as I want you but you are too much of a chicken-shit to actually do something about it."
Draco smirked when he saw that Hermione was at a lost for words. He had clearly been close to the truth.
"Shut up Malfoy I don't want you at all," Hermione said unconvincingly. He was right of course, about everything, but it'd be a cold day in hell before she admitted it, or so she thought.
"Your problem is that you want me to get down on my hands and knees and beg," He accused angrily, "Fine I will."
And with that he dropped onto his knees and looked up at her angrily, "Isn't this what you wanted?"
"Don't be stupid Malfoy!" She hissed at him, feeling her face go scarlet in anger and embarrassment. Why must he be so over the top and difficult? She looked down at him critically, maybe if this gesture wasn't so mocking, she'd have found it romantic... but alas it was and it was a hateful sight.
"Well tell me what you want; you want me to be Eric O'Malley?" He didn't know what he was saying but he was just so angry he kept shouting.
"Shut up Malfoy!" She shouted back.
"What's that, you want me to be as perfect as Eric O'Malley?" Draco went on ignoring her.
"Shut up, shut up!" she shrieked as he continued to taunt her, until she finally snapped.
"You are fucking Eric O'Malley, I invented him based on you, are you happy now Malfoy?" She yelled, "Are you fucking happy now?"
Draco got up and gave her a long hard look as he stood barely inches away from her, keenly observing her rosy cheeks and the fire in her eyes, as if she was daring him to say yes.
"You are transparent."
Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Good to know, now get out of my face."
"Why would I do that, you obviously want me here," Draco pointed out with a smirk, "Although you are too scared to admit it, hey but maybe if you call me Eric you'll be able too."
Hermione raised her hand to slap him, but he was too quick and he easily grabbed her wrist raising his eyebrow at her but this time allowing her to pull her wrist out of his grip. He knew she wouldn't try it again, he felt her shiver at the contact his fingers had on her skin, and no doubt she wanted to avoid that.
"But one thing bothers me," Draco went on much to Hermione's chagrin, "I'm not exactly a good person, and this Eric character…he was practically a saint, do you wish I was as good like that then, is that what you would have me to believe?"
Hermione's pulse quickened as he loomed over her, his eyes never leaving hers, in that piercing gaze of his. She desperately wanted to step away but she just couldn't seem to move, she could barely hold herself up.
Draco leaned in so his mouth was next to her ear as he spoke his next line huskily, "Why don't you answer me dammit?"
Hermione pulse quickened and she felt herself panicking, he was much too close to her, she could feel the heat radiate of his body and his warm breath tickle her neck. She let out an involuntary shiver and cursed herself for it.
Draco leaned back with a smirk; her reactions to him were always pleasing. He could tell that Hermione was torn between arousal and anger, which didn't help his own arousal, as the sight of her, all pink cheeked and pissed off, had him sweating and short of breath.
"I-I like bad more."
Had she just said that? Hermione gasped, horrified with how wanton that made her sound. She saw that Draco was also taken aback by this.
Draco was stunned silent for a heart beat before he spoke, "Fuck Granger, you don't know what's good for you."
Hermione frowned, her impatience causing her to speak bluntly, "You are so contradictory, I start to tell you that I want you and you tell me that you're not good for me, what do you want me to say to that, do you want me to agree and then call it quits forever?"
Draco just managed to restrain himself from kissing the feisty witch, did she realise how hot she had sounded when she had said those three words?
"No, not at all, it's just that was a really…sinful thing to say and I'm trying not to be bad at this particular moment if you must know."
"Oh." Hermione said slightly shocked.
Draco walked over to a chair and sat down, he had to calm down or else he'd blow it.
But Hermione had other ideas. After a slight pause, she walked over to where Draco was seated and promptly sat down on his lap, her face inches from his.
Draco groaned out loud, making to push her off, "Fucking hell Granger are you trying to kill me, I'm not exactly known for self control when it comes to you."
Hermione ignored him and slapped his hands away, she could feel his arousal hard as a rock between her thighs, straining against the expensive material of his pants and the sensation was enough to make her groan out loud too.
Draco swallowed painfully as Hermione fanned out her dress so only her underwear and his pants separated them, she could be so wicked sometimes, and it drove him crazy. Reaching down, he rubbed his hands up her thighs until they were right under her dress and above her underwear.
"Granger, are you hitting on me?" Draco quipped and was rewarded with a sharp rock of her hips.
Hermione smirked when he swore and was about to consider herself triumphant until he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
"Remember this position?" Draco asked huskily and Hermione pounded his back as he went on caressing her bottom, just like last time, "I think it's time I show you into my bed room."