Disclaimer: I don't own. If you don't get that by now... no comment.
A/N: I really did not know where to go with this chapter but I re-read the story (along with minor edits) and am figuring out what things need to happen.
Re-reading was what I needed in order to re-connect with the story because that was part of the update delay but I am determined not to let huge gaps pass in order to finish the story.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
"How crazy are we?" Draco asked. Blaise had left a good thirty minutes ago and now Draco and Hermione sat in the kitchen for no reason in particular. Within those thirty minutes, Draco changed his seat to the one beside Hermione. "That's the best we can come up with? Aren't we supposed to be... you know, smarter than that?"
"We're in a bind, it doesn't matter really now does it? The important thing is that it works." Hermione replied, hand resting on her chin, elbow on the table.
"You think it will work?" Draco raised an eyebrow.
"Don't you?"
"Well let's see, Blaise came up with it so in a nutshell, no."
Hermione smiled a little, "Give him some credit," she shrugged. "It could work."
"And if it doesn't?"
"Well then it was nice knowing you... sort of." she grinned.
"Feeling's mutual." Draco retorted with a playful smirk on his face.
Silence engulfed them. Draco kept thinking of something. He didn't know if he should say what was truly on his mind. The way that Blaise kept looking at her. It was silly. What was the purpose of bringing it up anyway? But he couldn't help himself.
"What was up with Blaise anyway?" he chuckled, faking his laughter the best way he could. He wasn't sure why he was bringing it up. Jealousy? Surely not. Malfoy's didn't get jealous. They had no reason to feel such an inferior feeling.
"What do you mean?"
"The way he kept looking at you and making comments towards you." he shook his head in amusement and grabbed his cup of coffee.
"Well, what about it." unbeknownst to Draco, this conversation was tugging at her strings and as she said this, she said it with a hint of an edge.
"It's like," he laughed "Like he liked you." he chuckled, "Isn't that funny?"
Hermione stared at him blankly, "Actually I don't find it funny at all. What? Am I impossible to like?" she spoke, words sharp.
Draco lost all merriment, this was NOT how it was supposed to go. He was expecting a denial or her to laugh because the thought of him and her was absolutely ludicrous. "What? No, wait, that's not what I meant."
"Then please, do explain."
"Well," he began "It's not like you would ever like him or anything."
"How would you know?"
Draco's face fell a bit but quickly regained his usual unreadable look. "Oh... so... so you like him?" he asked casually.
"What?" she grinned, "You jealous Malfoy?"
"Ha, now that's rich. Me? Jealous? Whatever for? I'm a Malfoy." he said proudly.
"It's not like you like me or anything."
"Surely not."
"Even though you tried and are trying to save my life?" Hermione questioned.
"So I'm trying to save your arse, big deal, doesn't mean I like you. Maybe I'm just doing it for selfish purposes."
"What if you're not?"
"Well what if I am?"
"What if it's both?"
"What if it's not?"
"What?"
"What? Granger, honestly, we're running around in circles."
"If you didn't like me, you wouldn't have done it."
"Even if I like you, doesn't mean I like you, like you."
"Do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Like me?"
"Excuse me?" Draco asked, taken aback by her bluntness.
"Do you like me?"
"Were we not just through this, I like you."
Hermione could have answered with something, anything that didn't cross the line onto uncomfortable but decided to go a different route. A more childish one at that. She beamed at him playfully. "Like me like me?" Hermione was having immense fun putting Malfoy on the spot. Part of her was in it just to tease yet, the other part... well, part of her was curious. She was sure he would say otherwise and didn't think of the consequences if he said otherwise.
There was a pause. Draco did not know how to respond. He looked at her, eyes sparkling with pleasure. There were so many answers, but she was looking for just one. The truth. "I'm curious about you." he spoke, a tad lofty.
"What?"
"I care enough to save you because I'm curious about you."
Hermione gave him a questioning look, what was he trying to get at? "Do go on."
"You deserve that much from me after all the things I've put you through. You're not as bad as I thought you were. You're annoying, that's a given but," he grinned and then turned serious "Whatever you do, you're passionate about it. You don't just back down and... and I like that about you." he shrugged. "You're not quite what I expected you to be."
"What am I then?"
"... More." Hermione smiled slightly. "What about me?" he asked.
She lifted her head quickly, completely taken off guard. "What?"
"What about me? Why haven't you cursed me out into oblivion?"
Hermione shrugged, "Sheer boredom and you're my source of entertainment." she grinned. "You're different. Everyone needs second chances and, well, here's yours. I suppose, like you, I'm curious. Who you really are versus who you pretend to be. You're quite fascinating."
Draco smiled, "You like me." it was his turn to tease.
"I said you were fascinating, that is not an I like you."
"Oh but you're thinking it, you're totally undressing me with your eyes." Draco winked at her.
"Am not!"
"Hermione, stop fighting what you feel." he said, leaning over, he put his hand on top of hers and gently stroked it with his thumb.
"Malfoy!-" she tried to take her hand back but he simply gripped it tighter and gave it a gentle kiss.
Goosebumps sprinkled her body and she tried to stop the shiver that tried to pass through her spine. She stared at him, a little dazed as he continued to kiss her wrist. "No witty remark?" he asked as his hand entwined hers.
Hermione opened her mouth to speak but no words formed. She had no words, she didn't know what to think. Her mind was literally blank.
"Good." he said and leaned in and parted her lips with his own.
If she didn't know what to think before, then she really didn't know what to think now. She was surprised, to say the least, and the only thing that ran through her head was ''He's kissing me, he's bloody kissing me!'' and didn't know if it was a good thing or not. None the less, she gave in. And as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, couldn't say it was something she regretted.
A/N: AHHH! They kissed! Finally, I know, I know. I hope it didn't feel rushed (it's been 27 chapters what are you on about?) or didn't feel right I felt like enough was enough, they needed a moment!
