Author's Note: I really appreciate all the support. Please enjoy :)

Chapter 32 – Seduced

Monday, March 15

Draco

Draco took notes at the lab table while Granger loudly described the properties of the school's aconite plants on the other side of the greenhouse. Professor Sprout had given them the period to do independent study for their project. She'd tentatively approved their research plan and said she would give them the seeds they needed to grow as soon as they came in the post. Growing the object of their research wasn't strictly required, but Granger never did anything less than peak overachiever.

Things had gotten easier. Granger had become a little bit more friendly and less professional. She was still very stiff around him, but she actually engaged in conversation not related to school. It was a breath of fresh air.

He'd accepted that she just wanted to forget The Incident and this was her way of saving his pride. He wasn't particularly over the moon about it. But he'd made his shot. His feelings hadn't waned at all, but the semester would be over soon, and he doubted they'd see each other very often.

Irritatingly, Mandy had written off to her idol potions professor who had invited him to apprentice in the United States next year. She'd even gotten the Ministry to agree to waive his two-year ban of traveling out of the country so long as he checked in with an American probation officer for the remainder of his probation. He'd been embarrassed she'd gone to all the trouble but flattered all the same. Slughorn had written him a hell of a recommendation. And the American professor was one of the more distinguished in the field.

Perhaps getting out of the country would be good him. Maybe he could find some nice American pure-blood or aristocratic half-blood who didn't know about his shitty history. Not that the blood status of his future wife particularly concerned him. It would just make the transfer of the Malfoy estate easier. He didn't care about the money. He had enough valuable trinkets in his room right now to pawn and be comfortable the rest of his life. But the Malfoy estate could go a long way to making the world a better place. He didn't know exactly what that meant, but he was determined that his father's version of the Malfoy reputation would die with him.

He'd never really expected to marry for love anyway. Before the Dark Lord, his parents likely would have set up some arrangement with some family. Arranged marriages were a thing of centuries past, but highly encouraged and economically and politically advantageous marriages were still very much a thing. When he'd gone home for spring break Fourth Year, it had sounded like it would either be one of the Greengrass sisters or some French girl four years his junior. He was thankful neither scenario was likely pan out.

It was all set to transfer upon his 40th birthday, the death of his father, or his marriage to an upstanding pure-blooded witch (or one to whom his father gave a stamp of approval), whichever came first. There were ways around the contracts, but they were costly (not that that mattered) and tedious. They also would require some blood magic that was likely to land him in the hospital if not handled—

"Why did you kiss me?" Her soft, yet croaky voice sliced through the air.

He cocked his head at Granger. She was staring at him from across the room, practically paralyzed in terror.

Had she really…? He would honestly have tried to tickle a dragon before expecting her to ever bring up The Incident.

"I'm sorry. What?" he asked, still stunned.

"You heard me," she whispered.

He stared at her. She was chewing on her cheek and picking at her fingernails. Her eyes were wide and face aflame.

"Um," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I suppose… because I wanted to."

"Oh. Well, okay then." Her eyes flitted between their surroundings and onto his face several times, and then she turned around abruptly and continued her description.

He just stared at the back of her head for several moments before realizing he was supposed to be labeling the diagram according to her dictation.

He'd been writing so fast, trying to catch up, that he barely noticed when she went from describing the plant to something else in one short, breathy sentence.

"…palmate, or hand shaped… Most here are light green, but a few are dark green. Seems like it is thriving in the morning sun, just like Professor Sprout said… So, why… haven't you done it again?" She asked, so quietly he was sure he had imagined it. But she'd stopped talking about aconite. It had to have been real.

Draco considered his words for a moment. "Well… You fled and haven't brought it up. I assumed you wanted to forget about it. A bloke can only take so much rejection." He chanced a glance up at her. She was still statue still, facing the other direction. In for a knut… "Plus, I figured since it broke up you and Weasley, you didn't want much to do with me."

She whipped around.

"What are you talking about? Ron and I broke up over break."

Fireworks exploded somewhere in a back corner of his brain.

"Oh."

"But he is mad at me about you. He suspects something," she said quietly.

Draco scoffed internally. Red haired git was smarter than he looked.

"Oh?"

"He thought I cheered too aggressively for you," she said. Though her voice was quiet and nervous it was still laced with sarcasm.

More fireworks.

"I haven't made up with him because I didn't know what to tell him. I wanted to be honest with him about… So I thought… Well… If you wanted… If you were going to… If it was just an isolated in—You know what? Never mind. It doesn't matter."

She blushed furiously and turned back around, staring out the greenhouse window.

Draco's mind was working in hyperdrive, trying to read through the lines and connect the broken thoughts.

Wanted… Going to… Isolated…

Why would she tell Weasley about it? It's not like he'd be supportive. And if they weren't dating, then it wasn't his business.

Isolated In…

Incident.

Isolated incident.

If he wanted to kiss her again. If he was going to do it again. If it wasn't just an isolated incident.

If it wasn't an isolated incident, then she'd want to be honest with her friends.

She hadn't made up with Weasley because they'd fought about her feelings for him. She didn't think she could make up and be honest without telling him about it as a friend if it wasn't an isolated incident.

Unless she expected it to happen again.

He held his breath. He didn't dare to hope.

"Granger…?" She didn't respond. "Did you… want me to kiss you again?"

His question hung in the humid air of the greenhouse like mist. It permeated everything around them and made it hard to breathe.

She said nothing, but finally moved her shoulders slightly in the tiniest shrug.

He stepped forward slightly.

He wanted to rush forward and grab her hand and turn her around and push her up against the blasted magically reinforced glass aconite case and finish what he'd started.

But like the unicorns Hagrid had showed them, he didn't dare spook her.

So, he stood very still, letting her acclimate to his presence.

"Hermione?" He practically whispered her name. He didn't think it was possible for her to go any stiffer than she already was, but she did. "Would you be disappointed if I never tried again?"

There was at least six feet between them, but he felt like he was pressed up against her.

Very slowly and deliberately, without turning around, she nodded her head twice.

Tuesday, March 23

Draco

It had been eight days.

Eight days since Granger had admitted she'd be disappointed if he never tried to kiss her again.

Eight days since the bell had rung and they'd both hurried off as though nothing had happened.

Eight days of watching her in class, studying with her, lying awake overthinking, and trying to control himself.

But it wasn't like Draco was counting or anything.

He'd thoroughly intended to continue The Conversation at his earliest convenience. That had proved difficult due to a surprise Arithmancy paper, a mysterious illness on Granger's part, and her increasing awkwardness the further they got from the prior Monday.

He'd tried to keep his distance. She seemed abnormally stressed. One evening, when Granger had abandoned their table to "run to the library really quick" and not returned for over an hour, Ginny Weasley had informed him she always got this way towards the end of March. Something about "impending" exams. Draco had always been a good student, but he personally felt three months was still more than enough time to prepare for end of year exams. But he wasn't about to argue this with her.

The last thing he wanted to do was get on her nerves for distracting her. So, he'd given her plenty of space. But he couldn't help taking the long way out of the library on his way out past where she usually studied when she was feeling particularly solitary.

"Are you leaving for the night?" she asked, sitting up in her armchair.

She must have seen him pass by. He didn't know why he had been trying to be sneaky.

He nodded.

"Okay, then I'll see you later."

"Night, Granger."

She smiled and turned back to her work. He got a few steps away when she piped back up.

"If you have anything else to work on, you can join me."

Draco debated. He really didn't have any more work to do. He'd had a lot more time this year to do schoolwork, what with not being immensely popular and not trying to fulfill some outrageous task for the Dark Lord. Anything he could still work on would be working so far ahead that it was comical.

But she had invited him.

So, he thanked her and sat down in the armchair across from hers and opened up a book he'd been reading.

They sat for a while like that. Her huffing to herself and scribbling furiously in some of the worst handwriting he'd ever seen. He read his book.

"Oh my god I just can't take it anymore!" she said loudly, with a frustrated sigh.

Draco looked at her alarmed. He was pretty sure he'd been very quiet and polite.

"What?" he asked defensively.

"You. If you're going to… You know, our conversation. I'm so nervous all the time." She looked over at him pleadingly.

"I'm sorry? What?" Draco was being an ass and he damn well knew it. But if she was going to be the first one to bring it up, he was going to make her do it right.

She glared at him. "You know very well what. I'm very stressed."

Draco shut his book and put it in his bag, sitting up and turning towards her.

"Why?" he asked innocently.

She rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air. "Oh, I don't know, Draco. First you up and kiss me out of nowhere when I wasn't expecting it. Then you just allow me to ignore it. Then I told you that you could kiss me again and I've just been a nervous wreck the whole time, waiting for you to pop out of a corner and ambush me."

Draco stared at her in disbelief for several moments. "First of all, Granger, you did not tell me I could kiss you. You said you might be disappointed if I didn't try again. That's hardly the 'enthusiastic yes' I was looking for. Second, what were you expecting? Me to just attack you?"

"WELL, I DON'T KNOW!" she said loudly her voice echoing off the stone pillars and bookcases. It was late and they were likely one of the last few in the library for the night. She clapped her hand over her mouth and looked around wide-eyed for a moment before continuing quietly. "I don't know how these things work. I've been freaking out for a week now. I've been waiting for… well, I don't know what I've been waiting for. But every time we study together, I can't tell if it is just because we work well together or because… I just am a nervous wreck. I keep waiting… I just don't know how it works. I'm just on guard all the time that you're going to try to seduce me or something."

Merlin, she was just the most adorable person he'd ever encountered.

He chuckled. "Granger, let me assure you, the last two months have been the longest of my life. And that includes my time in Azkaban. Besides, I didn't think you'd enjoy overly flirtatious behavior in the middle of the Great Hall. You strike me as a bit more private than that."

She started picking at a loose thread on the armchair and blushed.

He continued.

"Now rest assured, I have been thinking about that kiss quite a bit. And I am very excited about the opportunity to do it again." She blushed deeper. "But, if I was going to try seducing someone, as you suggest…" He scooted forward in his seat so that their knees were almost touching. "It would be something much more intimate. Perhaps a stroll around the lake and forest. Or in a quiet corner of a bookstore." He was patiently quiet until she was brave enough to look up. Once he had her gaze, he held it for as long as he thought he could.

"Bookstores are pretty crowded. And Hagrid is usually tending the grounds around the lake," she responded quietly.

"Perhaps in the middle of the Quidditch pitch after a nice long sunset flight," he said, leaning just a little bit closer.

"I don't fly," she said breathlessly.

"Hm," he hummed, pretending to look perplexed. "Then, maybe… A deserted library, long after students should have been back in their dormitories?"

She inhaled sharply, not breaking eye contact.

"No complaints on that scenario, Granger?"

She shook her head.

"Well then," He stood up, straightening his clothes. Her eyes followed him the whole way up, still sitting primly in her chair. "Would you like to be seduced?"

Her eyes widened to an almost impossible size and she sucked in a short breath, leaving her lips parted slightly.

Her lips were just barely wet. Draco could hardly control himself.

She was still just staring at him silently.

"Granger? Would you like me to kiss you right now?" His voice came out low and heavy.

She nodded.

He leaned forward, putting his hands on either side of the chair, his face closer to hers than it had been in almost two months.

"Use your words, Granger."

"Yes," she whispered.

Hermione

Draco was smirking down at her like she was his prey.

Did she want him to kiss her?

Yes. So much.

He was leaning down over her.

Good lord.

"Use your words, Granger," he said.

To use the language of the absurd romance book she'd accidentally read, his gravelly voice went straight to her core.

Yes. Yes, she wanted to kiss him so badly.

Only now did she realize how comfortable he had to have become with her. His trademark smirk had returned – cocky and proud. She'd seen it before. But this was the first time the full weight of it was directed at her and he meant no harm. Before, it was a promise of torment. Now, it was a promise that, whatever was about to happen, she was going to enjoy it.

She thought over the last two and a half years. From watching him practically deteriorate Sixth Year to watching him build back. She thought back to the cruel boy who had yanked her out of the floo in Umbridge's office and held his hand over her mouth and physically paralyzed her body with his while she tried to warn Harry. She never thought she'd be thankful to see that stupid smirk.

But now that it was back, she realized how much it had been missing. It was almost like a breath of fresh air. She couldn't explain it, but it made everything make more sense. The last few weeks had been so unnerving. Some boy had kissed her outside the castle and then acted like a different person. She didn't realize until now how much that had clouded the whole situation.

It was such a trademark part of him. Just like Harry's propensity to be a martyr. Like her stubborn inability to believe anything that couldn't be explained by logic. These things didn't always serve them well, but it made up who he was.

So, she summoned every ounce of Gryffindor courage she had and whispered "Yes."

She held her breath as he leaned in even closer.

She was sitting straight as a board in the chair, caged in by Draco, paralyzed by apprehension.

And then he was kissing her, and it was just as good as before. He certainly knew what he was doing. Hands in her hair. Fingers ghosting along her face and shoulders. Kisses on her mouth and jaw. Teeth on her lips and earlobes. His tongue in her mouth.

She gripped his shoulders and slid one hand up into his hair.

He moved an arm down to her back and pulled her forward into the chair, tilting her chin up even further. No sooner had she started to be concerned that this angle was uncomfortable for him, when he released her mouth and started trailing kisses down her neck and to the center of her collarbone where she'd shed her school uniform tie and loosened the top two buttons earlier in the evening.

She essentially stopped thinking altogether.

A bang echoed in the silence of the library.

She pulled back ever so slightly. She'd thought they were the last two in the library.

"We should probably go before Filch comes around for his curfew sweep," she whispered.

He let his neck relax and dropped his head in irritation and resignation, his hair flopping forward and dusting her face.

It did make it difficult to want to move when the smell of him was caging her in, arguably more effectively than his arms.

"Yeah, alright, Granger," he said softly, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ears. She practically melted into his touch and hummed and wanted to melt into the floor in embarrassment.

Real cool, Hermione.

She gathered up her things, trying not to act too… well, too anything.

Her mind had started to race, chasing thoughts, scenarios, and what-ifs around like a tornado.

"I can hear you thinking," Draco said as they exited the library.

She huffed. "Yes, well there's a lot to think about, isn't there?"

"We can talk about it if you'd like."

"I very much doubt you'd be interested in the revisions to my study schedule."

He barked out a laugh. "We both know that's not what I was referring to."

Well, yes. That was obvious. She was starting to think she preferred the time when he was less comfortable with her and didn't call her on her bullshit. She already had Ginny for that.

But there was a lot to think about.

What did this all mean? Now she'd kissed him twice. What did that mean? She didn't even know if he liked her or if he was just bored. And he was certainly attractive and intelligent and interesting. She enjoyed spending time with him. But did she want to date him? Did he even want to date her? Maybe he just wanted to make out… and other things. She blushed. She hadn't ever had sex.* She'd really never done anything besides some heavy petting. She was sure he had. She'd always imagined her first time being with a long-time boyfriend. If she was being honest, she'd always imagined it being with Ron. She was grateful now that it hadn't been. But would she want it to be with Draco? She shivered with a brief conjured image of Draco shedding his button down and covering her with this body.

No. She was getting too far ahead of herself. Much too far ahead.

Besides, he didn't really seem like the "boyfriend" type. And she didn't think it would be a good idea to engage in something casual. Plenty of girls did, and that was fine – no shame on them. But she had a feeling she wasn't the type that would survive a casual affair.

And plus, this would likely interfere with their studies.

One of the main reasons she'd been relieved to break up with Ron was that she knew it would make whatever she decided to do after Hogwarts easier. She had all but decided she would attend muggle University before entering into a career in the magical world. She'd originally intended to start in the fall, but she wanted to take the fall semester and spend it with her parents. She would spend the time studying for and taking some advanced placement courses so that she could reduce the amount of time at university.

She knew Draco had an offer to go off to America to study with a potions master there. He'd mentioned it during one of their study sessions. She thought it would be a great opportunity for him. She would hate to keep him from that because they were in some kind of relationship.

She grimaced internally at her own presumptuousness. It was quite conceited to assume that he would consider upending his life and building it around her when all they'd shared was two kisses.

Besides, she hadn't even fully decided she would attend university in England. If her parents wanted to stay in Australia, she might as well. She'd also applied to schools across Europe and one in the United States (though she'd already decided she didn't want to move there – and she'd decided that before hearing about Draco's opportunity, mind you).

And what would people think? She didn't think Ginny would care. Probably not Harry either. She suspected it would be weird for him, but he'd get over it. Ron… would probably not react well. But he had a fast temper. The magical world would have a fit. It had been hard enough to avoid the gossip about she and Ron. This would be worse.

And her parents. Her mother would likely explode with smugness. Her father would not approve, assuming he continued to remember. She'd heard her parents arguing about it when she was younger. Somehow between conversations with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, reading some of her newspapers, and complaints from her, they'd deduced out that there was a fair amount of bigotry she'd been subjected to. She'd definitely complained about Draco. Mostly it was just about him being an annoying bully to Harry. Her father had wanted to write to the school and demand these bullies be reprimanded or even removed from school. She'd begged them not to and they'd obliged so long as she kept them apprised. She hadn't, obviously. After that, she had been careful not to mention Draco or anything else unpleasant about Hogwarts again.

And his parents. Was he engaged to someone? She knew that pureblood families often arranged marriages. She suspected the Malfoys were no different. His father had shown absolutely no remorse during his trial. She doubted almost a year in solitary confinement with nothing but his thoughts and anger at the Order had done much to change his mind. Narcissa had been nothing but pleasant towards her. But that was when she was a friend of Draco's. A friend that was very socially and politically advantageous. She wasn't sure Narcissa's tolerance would extend beyond a platonic friendship.

But it didn't matter what anyone else thought fiercely. It only mattered what she thought. What he thought.

What did she think?

"I don't know," she said quietly.

"Hm?" he asked.

They rounded the corner and turned up to the stairs towards Gryffindor.

"What are you doing? Slytherin's the opposite direction." She'd just realized he should have turned in an opposite direction a way back.

He shrugged. "You're Hermione Granger. Figure I'll get in less trouble for getting caught out after curfew if you're with me."

"That's absurd," she rolled her eyes. "Now you'll just have to go twice as far as you would have anyway."

"Thanks for your concern, but I'll be fine."

"You'll get into trouble!" she demanded.

"Just because you lot always did doesn't mean the rest of us don't know how to wander around without getting caught."

"But I still think—"

"Merlin, Granger," he glared at her. "Can't a bloke just walk a girl back?"

Hermione blushed and shut up. She still thought it was stupid. But kind of nice.

"Anyway, what is it you don't know about, Granger?" he asked.

She stared at him and almost walked into a pillar. She'd completely forgotten she'd answered her own internal dialogue out loud. She stayed quiet. They passed another pillar and Draco grabbed her wrist and pulled her to a halt.

She stared up him, hoping he couldn't hear how loudly her heart was pounding.

"Please tell me what you're thinking," he pled softly.

She sighed and shrugged. "I don't know what I want. I don't know what this is, and I don't know what I want it to be. I don't know why you keep kissing me."

"I told you, Granger. Because I want to. And I'd like to keep doing it, as long as you'll let me, preferably when we're not going to get interrupted," he said, stepping very far into her personal space. He was massaging her wrist with his thumb and she tried to remember what she was confused about. "Go out with me? Just once?" he whispered, then stepping back out and tugging her wrist along, effectively towing her down the hall.

"But we spend so much time together already."

"That's just studying, Granger," he mused, a little frustrated.

"What's the difference?"

She could tell he was getting annoyed. "I'd like to spend time with you with the very specific intention of enjoying your company sans textbooks and snogging the living daylights out of you. You know, maybe buy you a meal."

She blushed and her breath caught in her throat.

Okay. Well, that didn't sound horrible.

"I… I just don't know what I want. What is this supposed to be?" She asked.

He studied her as they approached the entrance to Gryffindor.

"I don't know, Granger," he said. "I don't know what it's supposed to be."

They came to a halt in front of the Pink Lady who was glaring at Draco. She clearly remembered the last time Draco had been in her corridor. How long ago that seemed. How different things had been then.

"I… I just don't know what to expect," Hermione said.

He was still massaging her wrist. "I don't know either." He closed his eyes for a long moment. "All I know is one day you were an annoying know it all. Then the next you were practically the only person outside of Slytherin who was nice to me. Then I had a—" He snapped his mouth shut and chewed on his cheek for a beat. "And then one day I was imagining what it would be like to kiss you. And now I have. And I'd like to keep doing it. And all those irritating things are cute now. Like how your hair is always all over the place. It's wild. And you know all the answers. How you carry around that much trivial knowledge is beyond me. And you're loud and obstinate and have absolutely no sense of decorum. But you worry about everyone else constantly and I started to wonder what you'd be like if someone was actually taking care of you for a change."

Oh. That was… quite sweet. She couldn't help but smile.

"Well, I don't think you're awful anymore either."

He rolled his eyes but smirked down at her all the same. "Be still, my heart."

She giggled. It was all very silly, and it felt like a scene from someone else's life.

"C'mon, Granger. I'm not asking you to marry me. I'm just asking for a little time. One afternoon. You might even have a little fun."

"Okay, fine."

He grinned and pulled her into a tight hug before planting a long kiss on her mouth, cupping her chin with his hand and wrapping his arm around her lower back and pressing her into him.

When he pulled away, she was breathless and blushing.

"Night, Granger." He winked and strutted off.

She gave the password and had to endure a solid 20 seconds of the Pink Lady staring at her disapprovingly before she let her in.

*Some people love the blushing virgin of Hermione and the ones who hate it. I like both and this is just I envisioned for this story. Sorry if you're disappointed.