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Chapter 12 -
Hermione didn't know whether to laugh, cry, scream or run away in fear. He just said he had fallen in love with her. How ridiculous. They haven't even gone out on a 'real date', and he said something as preposterous as that!
They were pressed together in the tight, dark, pantry and he had told her that he loved her and she hardly knew what to say in return.
He asked, "Did you hear what I said, Granger?"
Had she heard what he said? Not only had she heard, but it also was causing her to have a mild heart attack. When she had not answered, he asked again, "Granger, did you hear me?"
"No," she lied.
He smiled. He brought her wrist up to his mouth, and kissed her pulse point. He felt how rapidly her heart was beating by the telemetry of her pulse. He brought his face up to hers, which in the cramp confines of the pantry, was only a hairsbreadth away. He said again, "I think I love you," and this time he brought her arm up to his mouth and kissed the inside crook of her arm, where her forearm joined her upper arm, behind her elbow. After the kiss, he draped her arm over his shoulder. He waited for a response, to either the kiss or the words he spoke.
Her eyes, wide with fear, had yet to blink. He smiled again, and said, "Earth to Granger, can you hear me?"
She shook her head. "You can't hear me?" he asked, amused.
She shook her head again. He smiled widely and said, "Then I must use sign language." He skimmed his fingertips down her face, to her neck, down her shoulder, to the tips of her fingers. He then reached down with his hand, and placed his hand on her outer thigh, below her hip, over her dress. He inched the material up with his fingers, until he touched bare skin. His hand remained on her leg; he bent his head and kissed her neck. He brushed his tongue against the long column of her neck. He looked at her again and said, "Does that help explain the simple words you refuse to hear?"
Again, she only shook her head. Malfoy decided she was not being dense, and she was not being coy, but that she truly was in denial of what he was saying. His hand, still on her thigh, reached down to her knee, and hooked her leg over his hip. He leaned against her, and pressed her back against the shelves in the small closet. He whispered in her ear, "I love you," and he nibbled on her ear, and then licked the outer rim. His right hand kept her leg over his hip. When he was assured she would leave it there on her own, his hand went to her backside, and pressed firmly, then went up to rest on her lower back. He kissed her mouth long and hard.
She pushed against him with her hands, leaving them on his chest, burning his skin, as she brought her leg down. She said, "I can't breathe in here. Can you breathe?"
Just then, the door opened. George Weasley reached between the pair, though they were standing closely together, grabbed a bottle of rum that was on a shelf, and closed the door again, as if he had not noticed they were in there. He shut the door and left them to their devices. Hermione reached for the latch, but Draco stood directly in front, to block her access.
"Hermione, did you hear me?" he asked, anxiously.
"No," she said, for the third time.
"You didn't hear me?" he asked, perturbed.
"I heard, I just mean, 'no', you don't love me," she said anxiously.
"I do."
"You don't."
"I think I do."
"I know you don't!"
"I know I do!"
"You're mad!"
"You're beautiful!"
"Stop it, Malfoy!" she insisted, pushing against his chest. He had nowhere to go. "What are we doing in a pantry, Malfoy?" she finally asked.
"I thought you might be hungry," he said with a laugh.
"Please, let's get out of here. What will people think?" Hermione asked frantically.
"That we're snogging in the cupboard," he said matter of fact.
What was wrong with her? Maybe she really didn't hear him, or if she did, she didn't believe him. She tried to open the latch once more, but his body was in front of the door, and she had to reach between his body and his arm. He clamped his arm down, trapping her arm between his arm and his body. She looked up at him, pleading.
"Granger, we aren't leaving here until you tell me what you feel about my proclamation," he stated, grabbing her hand in his.
She was still slightly in shock, and the normal reaction for her would be to scream, run and hide, hex his arse, or cry. Perhaps even all of those things combined. Those would be normal reactions. Why was she not doing any of those things? Instead, she felt a large grin spread across her face. She tried to hide it, but it broke through anyway. Next, she let out two short laughs. He smiled again and raised his brows. She threw her head back, laughed again, and said, "What the hell! I just might love you too, Malfoy."
He released her hand, which was a mistake, because she brought both her hands up to her face, and hid behind them.
He tried to pry them off her face, but she was stronger than she looked. He said, "Look at me, Granger."
"No!" she practically screamed in excitement. He thought the word 'no' was getting old.
He opened the pantry door and stepped out to the kitchen. She brought her hands away from her face, and all the giddy exhilaration she felt just a moment ago dissipated. She stood alone, in the pantry, confused, and baffled. She was also highly embarrassed. Lord, did she tell Malfoy she loved him? In addition, was his response to her returning his affirmation of affection, to walk out and leave her alone? Damn him.
Now she felt very awkward, standing alone in a cupboard. She frowned. She sat down on the floor, in the small cramped space, and brought her knees up near her face. She placed her head on the top of them and sighed. If she had her purse, and her wand, she would disapparate and go home.
With her face hidden on her knees, she didn't even look up when the door to the little cubbyhole opened once again. She felt someone separate her legs, pushing one next to the wall, as the person squeezed between them, with her other leg next to the door. She looked up, and he was somehow sitting on the floor, facing her. He had a bottle of champagne and two flutes.
He handed her a glass and said, "We need to celebrate."
"Is that why you left?" she asked.
He could tell she felt distressed. He didn't understand. He said, "Of course. Did you think I would make you tell me that you loved me, and then just up and leave you?" he asked.
That was exactly what she thought. She smiled, lied, and said her new favourite word, "No. I didn't think that."
"Sure you didn't," he drawled. He poured her some champagne, and then some for him. He clinked his glass to hers and said, "To, Granger, the only girl I would ever want to be in a store cupboard with."
She grinned and took a drink. The bubbles tickled her nose. She wrinkled it and said, "I really don't like champagne."
"More of a beer girl, Granger?" he asked.
"No, more of a tea girl," she amended. He took her glass, and sat it on a shelf over their heads, next to his. He reached for her upper arms, and he pulled her so close, that she was literally straddling him. Her dress, hiked up as it was, was almost indecent. His hands went around and cupped her backside, and he lifted her on his lap. With his legs folded under her, and her sitting on him, facing him, she was sure she was too heavy, and sure that she was causing him discomfort.
She WAS causing him discomfort, but of a different sort.
Hermione placed her arms around his neck, and this time she kissed him. She started slowly, hesitantly, pulling and playing with his lips. They soon found a mutual ease in their kissing. It was as if they had been kissing forever, but it was far from mundane. It was new, exciting, and full of anticipation. She parted her lips from his, and took a deep breath.
"No, you don't," he said, and he put his hand on the back of her head and pushed her toward him once more. He assaulted her lips with fury. A passion unbridled. She was overjoyed and jubilant.
She pulled her face away again, and said, "We have to get out of here."
"Do you want to go to my place?" he asked.
"What?" she asked, scooting back as far as she could, which wasn't far, as she brought her leg over his, so her legs were together. She tried to get on her knees, so she could stand.
He repeated, "Do you want to go to my place? Or we can go to yours. It doesn't matter, as long as there's a bed." He pushed himself off the floor, to stand. She was still on her knees, looking up at him. What did he mean?
"What are you thinking, Malfoy?"
"I'm thinking I want to have sex with you. Isn't that what you meant when you said we had to get out of here?" he asked, offering his hand to her to help her stand.
She took his hand, and stood beside him.
"No, I meant we shouldn't get carried away, and we should get back to the reception," she explained, offended that he would think she would just sleep with him without even having dated him. She said, "Do you think I'm going to sleep with you, just because you said that you loved me?"
"Just because I said that I loved you?" he asked indignantly, with knitted brows. "How often in my life do you think I've told a woman that I've loved them?"
"Oh, let me think," she said, sarcastically, "maybe every time you've wanted to shag them?"
"Never mind what you think of me, Granger, what do you think of yourself?" he said, pointing a finger right at her chest. This time, he did leave the pantry, and her. He slammed the door shut, and she stood there, alone, and confused.
Well, what would a normal person think?
She bit her lip, so hard that it hurt. She turned toward the shelves, and sat down once again, with her back against the wall, next to the door. She hung her head. She was so stupid. This was turning out to be an awful day again. She let her head bang back on the wall, and closed her eyes. The door opened again. It was probably just another Weasley getting another bottle of alcohol. She didn't even bother opening her eyes. She dropped her head forward. She felt a hand touch the top of her head. She kept her eyes closed. The hand went down to her chin, forcing her head up. The person said, "Look at me, Granger."
She opened her eyes.
"I apologize," Draco said. "I know you're not some slag who sleeps with a bloke after only one date. Hell, this wasn't even really a date, but please know this; I have never, and I mean never, said 'I love you' to a woman before. Not even to get them to sleep with me. I meant what I said, and I'm sorry if you thought it was just a ploy to sleep with you. I'm sorry if I offended you in any way. Please, tell me you've forgiven me."
She looked up at him, and she wanted to say so much, but no words would escape her mouth. She wasn't even sure she was breathing. He really did care, didn't he? He reached down and took her upper arms, and pulled her to stand beside him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her body. She laid her head on his chest.
"I'm sorry I questioned your character, Malfoy, and your intent," she said quietly.
"Do you know, I think we've jumped to date number fourteen," he said in her ear. He kissed her cheek, and then her mouth once more.
Just then, Harry opened the door and said, "Come on out you two, the happy couple is looking for you."
Hermione looked at Draco in shock, and he looked utterly appalled. They both looked at Harry, and Hermione said, "Why in the bloody blue blazes do they want to see us?"
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