DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters. All J K Rowling's genius work.

This story was inspired by wishimight's Bella/Edward story, Dangerous Affections. Unfortunately, that story was pulled down, but I would still like to thank wishimight for creating such a lovely story, and inspiring my own.

Chapter Twenty-Five – Feelings and Emotions

"Thanks so much, Ginny," Hermione said as Ginny was walking towards the driver's door of her red Honda.

Ginny had spent the afternoon helping Hermione store the stuff they had bought. Hermione knew Draco would have gone by the time she came back, so had no qualms about Ginny opening the pantry to store more stuff into it.

Ginny had declined Hermione's invite of dinner, promising to come tomorrow instead. She and Harry were planning to eat out to celebrate their three-year anniversary.

So Hermione walked back into the kitchen when Ginny had pulled out of the garage and screeched away with a honk and a wave. She pulled a pot of water on to the stove and was about to boil it when she heard the doorbell.

Traipsing back to the front door, she opened it to find none other than Draco Malfoy.

"You said I had to let you know I was in your house, so here I am," he drawled.

His clothes reminded Hermione of the man she had seen while she was shopping that afternoon with Ginny. Realisation dawned on her.

With a huff, she stalked away from him towards the kitchen.

"Hermione?"

She heard the front door close, and decided she had had just about enough with Draco Malfoy, the bouncing ferret who had no respect for her privacy. She wheeled around, and fury was clear on her face.

"You stalked me shopping, didn't you?" she hissed.

"What?"

"Don't try to deny it!"

She stomped back towards him, and pushed her face into his. He looked slightly afraid.

"I told you! I don't want you stalking me! It feels creepy, seeing your face everywhere I go. I can look after myself."

She crossed her arms and was about to walk back into the kitchen when Draco reached out to grab her shoulders. He turned her around, and with both hands, gripped her upper arms.

"And don't you see?" he shouted. "I'm only doing this to keep you safe!"

Hermione's crossed arms fell limply to her sides as she watched Draco in shock. His eyes were positively burning with the need for her to understand his point of view. His entire face had two primary emotions on it; determination and hurt. He seemed hurt that Hermione couldn't understand why he was protecting her.

"I'm only doing this for you," he reiterated, his voice strong, shaking her slightly as he tried to get her to understand.

His grip on her arms had turned painful, and she cried out at the pain. "Draco, you're hurting me!"

Draco's face turned shocked, guilty, and pained. Without another word, he crushed her to his chest, his arms around her waist instead.

"Oh gods," he whimpered. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I'm so sorry."

She began crying into his chest, and he stroked her hair, all the time mumbling his sorry. Draco's heart almost broke when he realised that this time, she was crying because of him. He never wanted her to cry for him again.

The feeling in him threatened to overwhelm him, and he knew of only one release to it. Keeping his left arm around her waist, he pulled her face back and cupped it with his right hand.

She was still so beautiful, even with the tear streaks down her face. Again, Draco felt the emotion in him building up, and without another word, he bent his head down and kissed her.

Her lips were full and soft, and they trembled a little as they felt the force Draco had. But he didn't use it. It was only a gentle kiss, to reassure her, to apologise to her, to show some of his feelings for her.

He knew she wouldn't appreciate it if he went too far. He pulled away, and contented himself with staring into her eyes.

After a minute or two, Hermione blinked and looked down, suddenly shy. She proceeded to walk towards the kitchen to gather her thoughts and begin making dinner. She turned the stove on, and tapped her finger on the table top.

She pulled dry pasta and pasta sauce from her pantry, and opened the black pepper packaging. She also opened the fridge and retrieved the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Five minutes later, she dropped the pasta into the boiling water. She ignored the stare she knew was burning a hole into her back.

"Did you want to eat here?" she asked ten minutes later, when she had drained the pasta and had finished her sauce.

"If that's okay with you," he said, the shrug clear in his voice. "Do you mind if we invite Blaise? He's been wanting to see the inside of your house for a while."

Hermione nodded, busily stirring the sauce. There was silence behind her for two minutes, and she was about to wonder when he was going to call Blaise, when all of a sudden, a pair of cold arms coiled around her waist from behind.

She almost dropped the pan of pasta sauce.

She placed it carefully back on to the stove, before turning around to scold Draco. He had a smirk on his face.

"Do you mind?" she hissed.

"Mind what?" Draco asked, the smirk still there as he stared into her eyes.

He pulled one hand up to touch her face again, when she batted it away. Draco's smirk grew wider. With his free hand, he tucked both of her small wrists aside, and again reached up a hand. She had an angry, 'I-dare-you' look on her face, but it disappeared when Draco's hand came into contact with her face. She closed her eyes lazily and leaned her head on his comforting palm.

Draco was fascinated. He never knew that she would show contentment, and he was glad that it was he that brought it to her face. He could watch her face like that forever.

Of course, their moment was ruined by the doorbell.

Both of them sighed as Draco dropped his hand from her face. She opened her eyes, and stared into his own blue-grey ones. Slowly, a wicked grin began to appear.

"Saved by the doorbell," she smirked at him.

Draco stared after her, flabbergasted at her teasing. Why, that little…

AN:

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