Chapter 24

The next night, Granger's Flat in Kennington

Draco's steps faltered as he made his way up Granger's staircase. She'd sent his address that afternoon but he'd found himself unsure of how to get there without being completely awkward. He wasn't sure if she had a fireplace, so he wasn't able to properly floo over, and apparating into a girl's flat seemed rather ungentlemanly. So his solution was to try to walk up, but with her door now in sight, it seemed like a stupid idea. If he hadn't been so hellbent on staying coolly aloof he could have asked her the best way.

At least he looked decent. After work, he'd changed into a soft silk shirt with a relaxed collar and black trousers. He wasn't normally able to dress up properly, he went out so infrequently to nice places anymore.

He took a deep breath and strode up to the door, knocking before he had the chance to hesitate.

The door opened, revealing a smaller than expected living room, decorated simply, and even a little spartan. Granger stood, mouth agape. She was wearing tight black exercise pants and a (Merlin help him) dark purple camisole that framed her fabulous tits to perfection.

" Did you… drive here?" She asked, incredulous.

He reeled back a little, " No, I apperated in the alleyway, of course."

She shook her head, " I have a fireplace connected to the floo network. Of course, I have a fireplace, Malfoy."

His eyes glinted, " You're so good at small talk, Granger, as a guest I'm completely at ease. May I?" He gestured past her to her living room. She shook her head again but moved aside.

The room was dominated by a large grey couch covered in a soft looking fabric. The walls were plain white, although a few photographs, some muggle, some wizard, hung above the couch. There was a small cabinet with an ominous black box on top of it, a short bookcase stuffed with books, and a squat blue armchair. Past the couch there was a dark hallway that seemed to lead to her bedroom, and to his left was the open door to an empty kitchen.

" Not too much magic in here, please?" She said briskly, walking around the simple square coffee table and perching on her couch.

" I thought I'd save that for later," He quipped, " Or did you mean with this wand?" He held his wand aloft.

She demured, " Would you like some wine?"

" Wine, Granger? Trying to get me drunk so you could have your way with me?"

" I thought it would relax us, break the tension a little," She responded, a blush staining her cheeks.

" Do I make you nervous, Granger?" He asked, his voice a low growl.

She blushed a little, but looked up at him brashly, with a defiant little tip of her chin, " Yes, but you're nervous too. Just look at the way you've dressed yourself."

" What's wrong with how I've dressed?"

She swept her hand out, showing him the room, " Just where did you think you were going?"

He laughed, a little chuckle, " I'm sorry, Granger. I just didn't want to disappoint. I know how much you admire my good looks."

She looked away from his face sadly, " I just meant you needn't wrap the package so prettily."

" Why, Granger, are you saying you're in a hurry to see what's underneath?" He dramatically put a hand to his chest, " So forward."

She smiled at that, " I'm going to go get the wine."

" I'm going to make you laugh again, Granger," He followed her into her spacious, plain kitchen, leaning on the small dining table as she retrieved the wine and two glasses.

" Not possible," She stuck out her tongue at him, " For that, you'd have to be funny."

Draco felt a little of his nervousness dissipate. This wasn't quite the awkwardness he'd been expecting. They hadn't progressed past their normal banter, but at least they weren't sitting in silence.

He raised his eyebrow, " Would you rather I have come in the door and immediately begun to tear your clothes off?"

She froze like a deer in the headlights, halfway between inserting the corkscrew, " Wow, I bet you never thought you'd say that, huh Malfoy."

" I'm nothing to you," He countered, " No matter how long I live, nothing I say will be as surprising as you saying you want to fuck me. I could live a million years, and it would still astonish me. I've been walking around in a haze trying to figure out if it's real or not."

She uncorked the wine and poured two precisely equal glasses, " It's real. I'm not sure how I feel about it being real, but it is."

" I'm still not sure, Granger, I think you might have to prove it to me."

She blushed, but her voice was cross, " Stop teasing, Malfoy."

He smiled at her, and her eyes widened in surprise, " No, Granger, I don't think I will."

" Why not?" She asked warily.

" Why, because I'm testing a theory of course."

She sipped her wine, " What theory?"

" My previous theory was that teasing and flirting only annoyed you, but since you've said you wanted to fuck me, I'm revising my methodology," He said proudly.

She rolled her eyes, " I never should have told you that. Look at what a fat head you're getting."

He smiled indulgently, " Protest all you want, you want to fuck me."

She blushed, " Okay, stop saying 'fuck' so much."

" Oh, I'm sorry, Granger, would you prefer I use another term?" He took a step forward so he was much closer. She smelled the same as before, just the soft scent of soap and bare skin, perhaps a hint of lavender.

Her hand played with the stem of her wineglass, " I'm not sure."

" Come on, Granger, you can do better than that? What happened to the saucy minx who agreed to my fifth rule."

She laughed nervously, " I'm sorry, I'm just… it seems very real, now that you're here."

He was taken aback, " That's true it does."

She gazed up at him for a second longer, and then looked away, " Do you want your wine?"

He laughed, " Still trying to break the tension."

" Well, yes That's the whole reason I had you over to my house," She responded, turning back to him with devilish eyes.

" Oh, dear me that's right, Granger, I'd almost forgot," He mirrored her expression, " I thought I was here to exorcise a pixie infestation."

She grinned sexily, setting down her wine, " Can't it be both business and pleasure, Malfoy?"

" Oh, my lady disdain," He sighed, catching her and pulling her close, his hand curling around her waist, " Thou hast been practicing thy flirting, and verily, it is paying off." She blushed bright red and her mouth formed into a surprised little o.

Without preamble, he kissed her. Her lips were soft and full, and slightly parted. He ran his tongue just along the curve of her lower lip and had to fight himself from moaning. She tasted… not at all like he expected, though she was delicious just the same. Her mouth was sort of sweet, and tempered with the wine, but something else about it was… almost comforting and thrilling at once.

He swept his tongue into her mouth, and she sighed, her hands winding their way around his neck. Their tongues explored, tasting and touching gently. She ran the tip of her tongue along his upper lip and his knees felt weak.

He pulled her more tightly to him, felt her press against his aching erection. Suddenly, he wanted to fall to his knees before her. And at the same time he felt a surge of heady power, as though he were standing twelve feet tall.

" See," He pulled back and looked down at her wide eyes and well kissed lips, " I don't need wine to break the tension."