Two and a half years earlier...
"Malfoy? Are you kidding? How is that working out?" she asked Harry, who had just told her that Malfoy joined his team of aurors.
"It isn't without its challenges" Harry said with an interesting grin as he sipped his butterbeer.
They were both working in the ministry of magic's department of magic law enforcement, Harry as senior auror and Hermione as head of the research department. They had taken traineeships straight out of 8th year at Hogwarts and somehow managed to fall into their positions by being the right person at the right place at the right time.
Of course, loads happened simply because of who they were; war heroes, the golden trio, they called them. Though, to Harry, it was still purely the talents of those around him that got him through life.
Ron didn't venture into the ministry, nor did he even return to Hogwarts after the final battle to complete his studies. His family had needed him in the wake of Fred's death, to help with the shop, to get it up and running while George battled his immense grief.
He and Hermione attempted a romance but with the grief of war, it fizzled out quickly. They had fumbled their way through their first awkward sexual encounter together, and it was that which had solidified the end of their relationship. Their desire to be friends won out in the end, and while there was some initial awkwardness, they were able to put it in the past and move on. They were now as much best friends as they had ever been.
Ron simply laughed in response as Harry surveyed Hermione over his usual Friday afternoon drink.
"What am I missing here?" she asked, looking from Harry to Ron and back again.
"Hermione, Malfoy has been working with Harry for ages" Ron said, as Harry gave him a friendly jab to the bicep.
"But... Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, confused. It was nothing to do with her where Malfoy worked.
"Well, you had a history, he was horrible to you more than anyone else. He made amends to me on day one and asked me not to say anything to you till he knew how to make things right" harry said, confusing the hell out of Hermione.
"I still think he's a git" Ron said.
"So why tell me now? Why break this odd secret now?" she asked.
"Well…" Harry began, looking around nervously. Hermione wondered why he was acting this way with her. It was certainly up there in the list of odd Harry Potter behaviour. "I invited him here this afternoon. He doesn't really have anyone to hang out with. I wanted you to be prepared for us to be…" Harry continued, looking over her shoulder and stopping his sentence.
"To be what…? Harry?" she asked, as she watched Harry stand from is chair.
She turned in her seat and watched as Malfoy entered the muggle pub they had come to claim as their own.
"They're pretty close mates Hermione" Ron said, looking from her to the greeting between Harry and Malfoy.
She sat there with her mouth agape, staring at the way Harry had just greeted his previous enemy, her high school bully. They shook hands and did that one-armed hug that men do. She turned back to Ron with a raised eyebrow and narrowed her eyes at him hen she shrugged.
"Weasley" Malfoy said in greeting to Ron, receiving a polite nod in return. It was clear that Ron wasn't as friendly with Malfoy as Harry was. "Granger… It's been a long time" he said.
"It certainly has", she said in response.
There was a moment of silent awkwardness as Malfoy stood at the edge of the table.
"Sit down, will you?" Harry said, prompting Malfoy to nod and take a seat across from Hermine at the 4 person table. It was now obvious that they had been expecting someone.
"I'll go grab us a round of drinks, come on Ron" Harry said.
"Harry!?" Hermione exclaimed as her two best friends stood and left her there with her high school nemesis.
"They could have been more subtle" he said.
"What do you mean?" she asked, finally looking over to Malfoy for the first time since he arrived.
He had certainly changed since their high school years. He was not as lean as he had once been and his features had become more prominent but in a good way. His hair was cropped short, which was a relief. It separated him from his father. He wore muggle clothes which made him seem… almost normal.
"I wanted to do this more… formally, I suppose" he began, looking from Hermione to the bar where Harry and Ron were standing with their backs to them.
"Do what? What is going on?" she asked.
"I want to apologise. I was a real prat at Hogwarts, just doing what I thought was expected of me, and for that, and for…" he coughed, "…everything… I'm sorry" he said, looking into her eyes. He seemed genuine, he seemed remorseful. But Hermione couldn't forgive someone who had bullied her for 6 years after just a few words of apology.
"I appreciate that Malfoy" she said, not accepting nor declining her apology but acknowledging perhaps the difficulty he might have had in saying it out loud.
"I don't expect forgiveness, I just needed to say it. I've spent a lot of time trying to change and I am trying to make amends for all that I've done" he said.
"Well, clearly Harry has been able to forgive you, so who knows" she said, offering a very small smile, which he returned. Certainly an experience that she hadn't expected having when she had arrived at their usual pub.
Harry and Ron returned with drinks and Hermione watched as, clearly, three had become four. After a while Hermione realised that Malfoy filled a gap in conversation that she didn't know existed and pretty soon, she had begun discussing things with him that she hadn't been able to talk about with Harry and Ron.
Malfoy was clearly her intellectual equal.
"So, if you truly feel this way, why aren't you in a field that allows you to use your skills and knowledge, rather than out catching the bad guys?" she asked him, as Harry and Ron had drifted off into conversations of their own.
"I like it. I work well with Potter, and it keeps me fit" he said.
She looked him up and down, agreeing, in her tipsy state that, yes, indeed he is quite fit. She felt herself blush as she realised he had noticed her appreciate his physical form, and excused herself to go and die quietly in the bathroom.
It wasn't unusual for Harry, Ron and herself to get tipsy during their after work drinks, but she found herself desperate to sober up. She wasn't ready to forgive Malfoy yet, but she couldn't deny that, not only was he intellectually stimulating in ways that no one else had been in so long, but the part of her that had been locked away for so long had actually appreciated his physique. It was disturbing.
She returned to the table nursing a class of iced lemon water and staying quiet while listening to the conversation ebb and flow. Ron had said he wasn't fond of Malfoy, but it was clear that the three of them got along like old friends.
"What do you think, Mione?" Ron asked, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Sorry, I was a million miles away" she said, tearing herself from her thoughts.
"Theo's club. It's been open for a few weeks now and I've heard good things" Malfoy said.
She had known about Notts Palace, so it had been named. She had in fact been invited there by someone she had had one date with and had politely declined.
"I've heard good things too" she said.
"So we'll go?" Ron asked.
"Go? When?" she asked.
"Tonight" Harry said. "Merlin Hermione, where has your head been these last 15 minutes?" he asked.
"Work, I'm looking into a new research topic and just thinking, is all" she lied.
"So you up for it, Granger?" Malfoy asked with a smile that she had rarely seen on him. Dare she say, it looked good.
"I don't know… I have some things I should probably do" she said, tying to get out of going.
"Laundry doesn't count. Just use your wand" Ron said, frustrated at Hermione's Friday night routine of Thai food at the laundromat on her own with a book.
"I like doing it the muggle way" she said quietly.
"No. You're coming out with us and that's that" Harry said.
She attempted to retort, to tell him that she really didn't want to, but part of her did. Part of her was desperate to be a 20 something adult and go out and dance the night away. She had just put so much of herself into her career that she hadn't really had the opportunity to act her age. Then again, she hadn't ever really acted her age. Battling a troll at 12, breaking a person out of death row at 14, duelling competent adults at 16 and again at 17, surviving a war and fighting in battle all before 20.
"You're right, I need to let my hair down" she said.
"Must you? I remember your hair from Hogwarts…" Malfoy said, earning a laugh from Ron and Harry.
"Oh, that's funny" she said, rolling her eyes. She had tamed her hair over the years, needing to do so to appear more professional. She stood to leave and frowned in confusion when Malfoy stood too.
Malfoy looked at the three of them and sat back down when they appeared to judge him on his actions.
"What? It's polite to stand when a lady stands" Malfoy said.
"Hermione isn't a lady, she's one of us" Ron said.
"And that is why you're still single Weasley" he said.
"So tell me Malfoy, if you're such an expert, why are you still single then?" Ron asked.
"He hasn't found anyone who can tolerate his swottiness. He gives Hermione a run for her money" Harry said.
"Well, I suppose I will see you at the club then?" she asked, changing the subject and receiving nods all around.
Thanks for the drinks, Harry, Ron, always a pleasure, Malfoy, good to see you again" she said, genuinely.
It had been good to see him, to put the past behind her and see him in a whole new light. To know that he and Harry are close friends and are supporting each other while out in the field gave her some comfort. Harry was a fantastic duellist, he knew spells that Hermione wouldn't think to use and Malfoy had intelligence that, she didn't want to admit, may very well be greater than her own.
She returned home to her apartment and heated up a quick meal before taking a shower. She couldn't go out on an empty stomach. She'd learnt that when she had skipped dinner at The Burrow and drank with Ginny, resulting in her vomiting up the minimal contents of her stomach then proceeding to heave for the rest of the night.
She apparated to the closest known place near Nott Palace and then walked the short distance to the club. She had picked out a decent outfit, well, she thought so anyway. She was generally pretty conservative with her choices of clothes and tonight was no exception. A sleeveless turtleneck top and some muggle jeans, accompanied by some boots, were all she felt she needed. Her hair and make-up, she supposed, made up for it. She had become quite skilled at glamor charms, taming her hair and getting her make up spot on.
She saw Harry and Ron at the entrance and hugged them both when she arrived.
"We ready to go in?" she asked.
"Just waiting for Malfoy" Harry said.
"Oh, right, I forgot about him" she said, the lie rolling off her tongue easily. In fact, she hadn't thought of anything other than him since she had left the at the pub.
She had thought about how different he was, about how much he had changed physically and how he had matched her intellectually and conversationally, leaving Harry and Ron in the dust. She wondered if it was all a game, if it was some ploy. To do what? She didn't know.
"Where is the git, I need a drink" Ron said, looking over to the apparition point that was marshalled by a security guard to prevent splinching.
"He'll be here soon, I'm sure he's just trying to look his best" Harry said, smirking at Ron.
"What are you both smirking at? Don't think I didn't notice this afternoon at the pub. Something's going on" she said, crossing her arms and raising a perfect brow at them both.
"Nothing that you need to be worried about" Ron said.
"So there is something?" she asked.
Harry looked at her and to Ron, narrowing his eyes in a manner that said 'what did you say that for?'.
"It's nothing Hermione, honest. We're just glad you and Malfoy are getting along" Harry said.
"I don't like this. You're up to something and I'll figure it out" she said, walking away from the pair and heading for the line-up.
"What are you doing? We're on the list, just waiting for Malfoy" Harry said.
"Why use our names to get ahead of everyone else? They're just as deserving as we are to get in" she said.
"Here we go again" Ron said.
"No Ron, it's not right. We shouldn't get special treatment. It's been years" she said.
Harry took her hand and walked them to the head of the line, to Hermione's absolute disgrace.
"Potter, Weasley and Granger", Harry said to the head guard. "We're here with Malfoy" he added.
"Right, there you are" he said, looking at his sheet of paper. "Have a good night" he said, letting them in beyond the red rope. Hermione rolled her eyes at the indignity of it all.
The club was dark and loud. She already hated it.
"Bar" she said, pointing to a bar where there were some people scattered, waiting for drinks.
"Don't be silly Granger, we have a VIP area, fully stocked" Malfoy's voice came from behind her, making her jump.
"Merlin, Malfoy, don't come up behind people like that" she said, turning to admonish him.
"Apologies…" he said, stopping to look her up and down. "The hair Granger… its different" he said.
"Well, I did warn you" she said with a smile, cringing internally when she realised she might have been flirting with him. She looked him up and down as he turned around and was intrigued at how good he looked in muggle clothes. Again, she cringed at her vulgar appreciation of him for his looks, while completely overlooking how much of an ass he had been to her in the past.
"VIP area sounds good" Ron said, looking around.
"This way" Malfoy said, leading them up a few stairs to a mezzanine level, where there were curtained off booths and bottles and glasses on tables.
"This looks nice" she said, sliding into the back of the booth. Harry and Ron slid in beside her to her right and Malfoy to her left. Malfoy poured them all a drink from the bottle in the middle and handed them out one by one. Hermione slapped Ron's hand when he impatiently went to drink his as soon as he got it, demanding they all wait. It seemed not to have gone unnoticed by Malfoy.
When they each had a glass, Hermione raised hers and called for a toast, "To new friends" she said, receiving a round of cheers in response, as well as, what seemed like a genuine smile and nod of thanks from Malfoy.
The conversation was flowing nicely, as was the alcohol. They were visited by many school friends who initially thought it was odd that the 'Golden Trio' were sitting at a table with Malfoy of all people but as soon as anyone got talking to them, it was easy to see that he just fit.
After a while, her desire to get to her feet was winning over her desire to stay and chat, so she excused herself, requiring Malfoy to stand and let her out of the booth.
When she stood, they came face to face and for the briefest of seconds, she thought she saw his eyes dart to her lips.
"I'll be right back" she said to the group and made her way to the bathroom to freshen up. She passed by people she knew and some she didn't, but everyone seemed to want to say hello. She was polite, she made small talk and he excused herself at the right time, but before she could return to the VIP area, she bumped into the last person she wanted to see.
"Hermione Granger, fancy seeing you here tonight" Cormack McLaggen said, with a drunken slur and a raised eyebrow.
"Cormack, lovely to see you" she said, trying her hardest to seem genuine as he pulled her to him and kissed her on the cheek. It made her want to vomit.
"You said you were busy tonight" he said.
"I was… I am. I had plans to come here with… Friends" she said, recalling the day before when he had asked her to dinner.
He had been persistently attempting to coerce her into dating him for months, if not years. She had reluctantly agreed once and successfully brushed him off time and time again since, yet he always came back. He had his hand on her arm and was intruding upon her personal space, making her feel more and more uncomfortable.
"Where are they? Seems like you're alone to me. Seems like you need someone to spend the night with" he said, pressing himself against her. He made her skin crawl.
"Cormack, I…" she began, but before she could continue, she felt an arm around her and a different body pressed against her.
"Merlin Granger, what took you so long? If you keep getting accosted like this, I won't be able to take you anywhere anymore" Malfoy said, planting a kiss to her temple.
She saw what he was doing.
She smiled a sweet smile.
"Cormack, you remember Draco Malfoy from Hogwarts?" she asked.
"Of course" Cormack said, taking a step back and sizing up his opponent, who was, it seemed, much bigger than he was.
"Good to see you again" Malfoy said, extending his hand.
Cormack accepted the handshake and Hermione watched as they shook, neither of them letting go first. Clearly a fight to the death for masculine superiority.
"Hate to steal her away, but she is a tough one to get time with and I would hate to waste another minute" Malfoy said, taking Hermine by the hand and leading her towards the stairs to the mezzanine.
"I owe you one" she said, stopping on the stairs.
"You looked like you'd rather have been anywhere than near him" Malfoy said, casually letting go of her hand and leaning on the handrail.
"I went on one date with him and he's been trying to get me to go out with him since. Honestly, he just doesn't get it" she said, resuming their trajectory back to the booth.
When they arrived, Hermione slid in, around to her seat, and took a big drink while Malfoy remained standing.
"Potter" he said, indicating with his head for Harry to follow.
Harry rolled his eyes and left with Malfoy, and Hermione watched as they made their way down the stairs, but she lost them quickly in the crowd.
"Now Ron, I know you know what's going on. Tell me, please?" she asked sweetly.
"Ron rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his. She knew she had him. Years of friendship with Ron Weasley told her that he was easily manipulated.
"Fine, I'll tell you, but you didn't hear it from me" he said.
"Promise" she said, shuffling closer to him.
"Malfoy asked us to set you and him up" he said.
"What? Set us up?" she asked.
"I mean, he wanted us to arrange for you two to be in the same place at the same time so you could talk, but he has a thing for you. Apparently, he has for a while" Ron said.
"A thing? Like… A crush or something?" she asked.
Ron shrugged.
"I didn't approve at first, but Harry said… well, Harry made me see. I think Malfoy is a git but he's kind of alright" Ron said. "You didn't hear it from me" he added, taking a swig of his drink.
"No, of course" she said.
How utterly absurd. She hadn't seen nor heard anything about Malfoy in years. How could he have a thing for her? When she thought back on the insane day she had had so far, it made sense. He had flirted with her, he had been respectful and kind, he saved her from Cormack and pretended they were dating. And she went along with it. Had she led him on? Did she want to lead him on? The thought intrigued her. She certainly wasn't immediately opposed to it. He was fit, they were both single. She hadn't dated anyone in years, in fact. Not really since Ron.
But he was still Malfoy. Still the same person who had sent her to her 4 poster with silenced wards around so she could cry herself to sleep. Still the same person who made fun of Buckbeak when he was sentenced to death, still the same person who tried to Avada Harry in Myrtle's bathroom.
But then, she couldn't deny the tingling feeling she had when he had sidled up to her and placed his lips to her temple.
She couldn't deny the fact that Harry forgave him. He forgave him so much that they were now mates. They worked together, had a bond, it seemed. If Harry could forgive him, and Hermione trusted Harry explicitly, then shouldn't she?
She got up from the booth, now a little more drunk than she was previously, and headed for the dancefloor. She wanted to dance, to alleviate herself of these thoughts. On the way, she spotted and dodged Cormack who threw her a wink and she made a bee line to where Harry and Malfoy had been talking.
Harry was now being accosted by an amorous Ginny while Malfoy was standing there looking slightly awkward.
"They do this quite a lot" she said.
"Mid-sentence?" Malfoy asked.
"Mid anything" she said.
A silence overcame them, and she nervously shuffled from foot to foot.
"McLaggen is watching us" he said.
"He's onto me" she said.
"Well, I'm not surprised, we don't make a very convincing couple" Malfoy said.
"Probably because we aren't one" she said.
"That's quite true" he replied.
"Anyone who ever knew us would agree" she said.
"Does anyone know us though? Truly?" he asked.
"I suppose not. Not anymore" she said.
"It's all about appearances" he said, moving closer to her.
"Is he looking" she asked.
"He hasn't stopped" Malfoy said, standing incredibly close to her so she had to tilt her head to look up at him.
"Let's dance" she said, taking him by the arm and leading hm to the dancefloor.
She found a comfortable place in the middle of the dancefloor and started dancing. It's what she had been craving when she left the booth and now, here she was dancing with Draco Malfoy of all people. The strangest thing was, that she was starting to enjoy herself.
Malfoy took her by the hand and spun her, he danced awkwardly to the modern music, but somehow, he seemed to fit right in. She rolled her eyes internally when the music changed, slowed to a style that would probably be more suitable to Malfoy's tastes. Cliché much? She wondered.
She placed a hand on his shoulder and allowed him to pull her close to him, take her other hand in his and place his other hand on her hip. It was very intimate, very close. She didn't hate it. Or him.
She spun slowly at the appropriate times and allowed him to lead her around the floor, seeing eyes all around the room on them.
"We're being watched" she said.
"I noticed"
"People would think it would be awfully strange seeing us like this" she said.
"People are stuck in the past"
"I suppose they are" she admitted.
"Are you?"
"Am I?"
"Stuck in the past?" he asked.
She was silent as she pondered this.
"Can you forgive me? Can you honestly say that you feel at ease with me here, like this? After everything?" he asked.
"I don't know" she said with a frown. "I am more at ease here with you than I think I would be, anywhere, with McLaggen" she added.
"He wasn't a death eater who tormented you at every turn" Malfoy said.
"He is a serial sex pest who hasn't stopped chasing me and asking for a date and a shag since 6th year" she clarified.
"I don't know what's worse" he said.
"I'm still undecided" she said with a smile.
"Yet, here you are, dancing with me while he's over there sulking into his drink" Malfoy said, spinning her and dipping her backwards slightly so their faces were close.
She held her breath, knowing that the things he was saying were true. He had been horrid to her for so long, he had tormented her, he had been a branded death eater. He was Draco Malfoy, but somehow, he wasn't. Not the Draco Malfoy she remembered at least. And although it had only been a few hours that she had been in his company, somehow, she knew he was different. Somehow, she knew that the person he seemed to be right at this moment, was real.
Before he pulled her back to stand upright again, she did what she thought she would never do. She leant slightly forward and softly placed her lips on his.
The spark was instantaneous. Like a connection had been formed. The kiss lasted a split second, but it was enough to set her heart racing and her soul on fire.
They returned to their previous upright position and without a word, without looking away from her eyes, he kissed her hand and walked away.
The feeling of abandonment after such a revelation, such an intense experience, was horrible.
He had left her standing in the middle of the dancefloor alone, feeling… was it shame? Embarrassment? Why did he openly flirt with her only to walk away when she made a move?
She turned and headed for the ladies room, where she gave herself some time to think.
As soon as she shut the cubical door, tears fell, from her eyes.
She had taken a chance on Malfoy; she had let herself talk with him earlier that day and found him to be her intellectual equal. She had bantered with him, she had let him pretend to be her date to save her from the clutches of Cormack sex-pest McLaggen, she had danced with him, and she had kissed him and hoped he would kiss her back. If it were anyone else, it would have been great. But it was Malfoy. A new Malfoy, but Malfoy, nevertheless.
She wondered if she really could get past everything that he was, everything he did. All the comments, all the slurs. It was years ago, yet sometimes felt like yesterday, but with everything that happened, with deaths, tragedies and torture, somehow, bullying didn't seem too high on the impact list.
Draco Malfoy was now, just another teenager who had been caught up in Voldemort's terrible reign over generations of witches and wizards. He wasn't that person anymore. And if Ron was right, he fancied her. And if Ron could so openly discuss it, he and Harry were both obviously ok with… whatever it was that wasn't happening between them. So why did he run away? Why did he leave her alone on the dancefloor?
This was something she would have to find out, but she couldn't do it sitting on the lid of a toilet seat in the ladies bathroom with tears tracking her make up down her cheeks.
She got up and left the stall, washing her hands and cleaning herself up, before making her way through the now over-crowded club.
The VIP area was empty, the occupants having abandoned it for other opportunities. She saw Ron chatting with some girls she had seen somewhere before, and Harry was still being mauled by Ginny. There was no Malfoy to be seen anywhere.
Having caught the gaze of Cormack once again, she hastily made herself disappear into the crowd as she headed for the exit. She was done here. She had embarrassed herself by kissing him, when clearly Ron had been mistaken and Malfoy was just being polite by having Cormack assume they were on a date.
Malfoy was probably disgusted by her having pressed her lips to his and left in as polite a manner as she could so it wouldn't upset Harry if she told him. He was obviously very keen on his job and wanted to remain in the good graces of his senior worker.
Once outside, the thumping of the music was almost non-existent and the smell was gone. The fresh air was like a wave of relief as she walked away from the entrance of the club towards where she knew there to be an apparition point.
There were people milling around on the street, but no one she thought to be wary of. She was widely known as a war heroine, no one was game enough to attempt to hurt her. She was untouchable by everyone except, it seemed, Cormack McLaggen, who she was grateful to have dodged this night.
When she arrived at the apparation point, there was somewhat of a line up. She contemplated going elsewhere, just illegally disapparating from a random place around the corner, but she was now beginning to sober up and her feet were aching. The thought of walking anywhere other than from her living room to her bed was not one she was willing to entertain.
As she waited, she heard the crunch of another person approach behind her and reluctantly turned around, thinking it may have been McLaggen.
When she saw Malfoy approach, her mind was torn.
She turned back to the front, waiting her turn, allowing her mind to take her down the dangerous path that seemed inevitable.
She felt the spark between them, it wasn't imagined, and she knew he must have felt it too. But… he had walked away. Left her standing alone on the dancefloor like some discarded item he had no use for.
The part of her that recalled the spark wanted to kiss him again, properly, to see if it would happen again, the spark, to see if it was mutual, but the part of her that was mortified at being abandoned wanted to run to the front of the line and disappear.
She heard him clear his throat and held her breath waiting for him to speak.
When he didn't, she turned to look at him and raised a brow, waiting for him to initiate conversation.
He simply stood there, smirking at her, as though the events of the day, of the night hadn't occurred.
She sighed in frustration as she turned back around to face the front of the queue.
Her heart was thumping in her chest, and she almost felt like she was back in the club, with the loud music. How had he done this to her in just an afternoon and a night? How had Draco Malfoy, of all people, managed to bury himself inside of her psyche and mess with her head?
She had been excellent in maintaining a level headed approach to her life until now. She had focused on her career, avoided relationships, and lived a simple mess free life. It worked for her. So why had she allowed herself to get so caught up in this? Why had she let it bother her that she had been seemingly rejected by Draco Malfoy? She laughed to herself, perhaps a little too loud, when she realised she had been taken for a ride. Harry and Ron had surely played some lame joke on her and convinced Malfoy to play along and now she had been caught.
"Something funny?" she heard him ask.
She turned to face him, a smile on her lips.
"You got me. Whatever game you three are playing. You win" she said.
"Game?" he asked.
"Yes, game. Garnering my interest with intellectual conversation, flirting with me, rescuing me from McLaggen, dancing with me. You got me. Merlin, and that dip? Holding on for just long enough, holding my attention so I would kiss you? And you of all people. Harry and Ron are great. They definitely won" she said.
"It wasn't a game. Not one that I was aware of, anyway" he said.
She froze. What did that mean then?
"So what was your angle then, Malfoy? Why did you run off?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I was being a gentleman" he said rolling his eyes.
"A gentleman? Flirt, dance, wait for me to kiss you and then abandon me on the dancefloor? In front of everyone. Oh please, if that's gentlemanly, I can't wait to see what happens next" she said with a roll of her eyes.
"If I stayed, I would have regretted my actions" he admitted.
"What actions?" she asked with a huff.
She held her breath when he stepped close to her. Almost too close. But she didn't back down.
"If I hadn't walked away from you, I'd have pulled you close to me, pressed your body against mine and threaded my hand through your hair. I'd have held a hand to your waist and felt the ghost of your breath on my throat before bending down and pressing my lips to yours. It would have been soft at first, but you would have consumed me, and I would have gotten carried away right there on the dancefloor. My lips, my tongue, my hands… I wouldn't have been able to control myself. I wouldn't have wanted to control myself. So I walked away" he said.
She felt herself blush at his words. No one had ever spoken to her like that before. No one had even been that honest before. Except perhaps McLaggen, but when he said it, it came across as sleazy. When Malfoy said it, it sent messages to parts of her body and ignited flames she didn't know had been smouldering under the surface of her skin.
She let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding before she spoke.
"Why would you have regretted those actions?" she asked, wondering why he had all those thoughts, but so much hesitation.
"I'm not Potter, I won't allow myself to put on such a public display in the middle of a crowded room. When I experience passion, I don't want people watching" he said, causing her to swallow and look away.
Somehow, she had made it to the front of the line, and it was her turn to disapparate.
"It was good to see you again, Malfoy" she said, before kissing him on the cheek and taking her place to disapparate. She held eye contact with him as she turned on the spot and when she landed in her living room, she held a hand to her chest and breathed heavily.
She had had the most bizarre day, which ended in… Only Merlin knew what that conversation was.
Once she was in bed, she tossed and turned, and laid there for what felty like hours. She could usually get to sleep easily, but tonight, her mind was filled with images of Draco Malfoy, the feel of his lips on her temple, the touch of his hand on her waist, the feel of his hand in hers, his muscular shoulder beneath his shirt, where her hand rested as they danced. Then, his words, his articulation of what he would do if he lacked inhibitions on the dancefloor.
She created ideas in her mind of what might have happened if Malfoy hadn't held back. If he had kissed her with one hand tangled in her hair and the other on her waist. If she had raised up on her toes so he could get better access to her, to her neck, to her sensitive pulse point. If his hands would have travelled down her body and grasped her backside. If he would have taken her to a bathroom and warded it off so no one could enter.
She let her own hands glide down her body, down her neck, over her breasts, down her stomach and beyond her belly button to where she was dripping with need. Her clit was already throbbing with pent up desire, and it took mere moments before she was crying out. She took a muggle vibrator from her bedside drawer and slid it in between her folds, slowly pressing it into her core. She closed her eyes and imagined it was Malfoy. Imagined he was in her bed, his body pressing against her, pushing her into the mattress, his throbbing erection pressing into her, filling her, claiming her. He would be only the second man to do so, with Ron having been the first, years ago.
Sex to her was so much of a mystery, but she knew, based on books what it should be like. She replaced the vibrator with her fingers and switched the device on, before pressing it against her clit. She felt her walls instantly contract, react to the feeling, to the sensation, to the thoughts in her head. She wanted Malfoy. She cried out as she contracted around her fingers, almost convulsing as she slowly eased out of herself and stopped the vibrations.
She hadn't come like that on her own, ever. In fact, she had never come like that.
Sleep found her almost instantly and in her dreams, she replayed out the fantasy of Malfoy as if it were real.
She hurried about getting to work the following Monday, having spent the weekend cleaning out her closet and donating unused clothes to charity. She had surveyed her wardrobe and gone on a shopping trip to buy clothes and ended up spending a fortune, but being happy with her change in style.
Her interaction with Malfoy had prompted a spark in her self-esteem and she wanted to dress the part. She toed on her black heels and turned in the mirror to survey the red that lined the bottoms. Her black figure-hugging skirt was accompanied by a black and white checkered v neck top which hid her cleavage with a cleaver tie at the front.
Her appearance was certainly different to the usual long skirts and comfortable shoes she would normally wear and she wondered if people would talk. Then it occurred to her that it didn't matter. People would always talk. They always did.
She wanted to be noticed, she wanted to be wanted. She wanted Malfoy to notice her. She wanted Malfoy to want her. She wanted to play out his depiction of what might have happened the other night on the dance floor and she wanted to play out her own depiction of what she had imagined each night since, in her own bed.
They hadn't come face to face in the office since he joined Harry's team, but something told her that would change. She rode the elevator to the fourth floor and exited the lift, making her way down the corridor to her small office where her name indicated that she was head of research. Usually she closed her door, shut herself away and worked through lunch, but today she left her door open and sat at her desk. She didn't expect him to come to her office. She didn't expect anything to change, but something told her that things may be different now.
It was lunch time and she had barely gotten anything done, when a memo flew n through her door. It was from Harry, asking her to meet him by the lift in 10 minutes for lunch. She neatened up her desk and put on appropriate robes, before leaving her office and heading for the lifts. She had so much to talk about with Harry, she was grateful for the lunch request.
"Hermione, Merlin am I glad to see you" he said, as she approached.
"You look horrible Harry" she said, noticing that he looked as though he hadn't slept in days.
They rode the lift to the cafeteria and joined the hordes of people lining up to collect a meal.
"Me and Ginny are officially together" he said.
"Officially?" she asked.
"Ring and all" Harry said with a smile.
"Engaged?" she asked, as she collected a sandwich, an apple and a drink.
"That was fast Harry" she said, knowing that the two of them had been dancing around their feelings for years.
"I finally said to her, marry me or we need to end it" he said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Was she mad?" she asked, knowing Ginny's temperament.
"She cried a bit, pushed me, grabbed the ring, put it on her finger and we haven't really had a lot of sleep since then" Harry said.
"When was this?" she asked.
"Saturday morning" he said.
"Well… good on you both. It's about time. Even if it was fast. You two have basically been together since school" Hermione said, acknowledging the only time Harry and Ginny had been in an actual relationship.
They spoke about work and day to day ministry things for a while, as they ate, but Hermione knew the conversation was coming. She felt it whenever Harry changed the topic.
"So, you and Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"You set me up" she said.
"I didn't" Harry said.
"Ron said Malfoy fancies me" she said quietly.
"That's not a lie" Harry said.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.
"I wanted to see if you would hit it off. Without all the Hogwarts stuff hanging over your heads" Harry said
"Well, we did… until we didn't" she said.
"I saw you dancing with him" he said.
"How could you have seen anything? Ginny was practically mauling you on the dancefloor" she said.
"I'm a well-trained auror, I see things. I can multitask" he said
"Well, I asked him to dance with me to drive Cormack away" she said.
"Is he still bothering you?" he asked.
"More than ever"
"So you danced with Malfoy"
"I danced with Malfoy, he dipped me, I tried to kiss him, he ran away" she said.
Harry spat out the small sip of pumpkin juice that he had just taken and looked around, aplogising to people for being rude.
"You kissed him?" Harry asked.
"The slightest, smallest, peck on the lips" she said.
"And he ran away?"
"He stood me up, kissed my knuckles and left" she said.
"Then what?"
"I went home. I saw him at the disapparation point and he said things like 'he doesn't do public displays bla, bla, bla'" she said.
"So did he say he didn't want to? I'm sorry Hermione, I'm struggling to make sense of it. He has told me things" Harry said.
"Like what?"
"Like, that he fancies you"
"Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but that's probably no longer true"
"And how do you feel?" he asked.
"It's Draco Malfoy! But at the same time, it's not" she said.
"I know what you mean"
"He seems different. And he was great to talk to… I mean, intellectually" she said.
"He really seems like he's changed. We've become good mates. I trust him with my life. I have to" Harry said, frowning into his drink.
"So he told you he fancies me, flirts with me, dances with me and runs off when I try and kiss him, then tells me he doesn't do public snogging? It's not like I wanted to shag him on the dancefloor, I was hoping for… well, Merlin, I don't know what I was hoping for. I had put all ideas of Draco Malfoy out of my head in 1998 when we gave evidence at his trial. I never thought I would think anything about him, let alone thinking of… well, anything. He made me think about him" she ranted.
"So you're feeling… rejected?" Harry asked.
"Of course I am. He told Cormack McLaggen that we were on a date, we danced together in front of, well, everyone. Word would have started spreading by now" she said.
"What are you afraid of?" Harry asked.
"Nothing Harry. He is clearly the one who is afraid" she said.
Harry changed the subject and the two finished their lunch in easy discussions about other things. Somewhere in the back of Hermione's mind, she was in fact seething. Rejected by Draco Malfoy. But part of her couldn't get the things out of her head that he said at the apparation point.
He didn't outwardly say he didn't want to kiss her, he said that he doesn't want to do things he would regret and that when he is passionate with someone, he doesn't want people watching. What did that mean anyway? She struggled through the rest of the day, with Malfoy a constant feature in her thoughts. In fact, the rest of the week carried on in much the same way, without a sight nor sound of Draco Malfoy
By Friday, she was well and truly frustrated. She had let her mind run away with her all week, ruminating over the things he had said to her, the things he hadn't said and the things she wanted him to say.
In the end, as she made her way to her end of week drink with Harry and Ron, she had come to the conclusion that clearly he had realised his mistaken affections for her and had decided to let her down gently. She laughed at the absurdity of it all. A week ago, she had not a single care in the world abut Draco Malfoy. She could surely go back to that.
When she entered the bar a few minutes late, she saw Harry and Ron sitting at their usual table, but she froze when she saw Malfoy sitting with them.
She walked over to the table, eyeing Harry, who sat there with a stupid grin on his face.
"Uh, what a week" she said, as she shrugged out of her coat and slung it over the back of a chair. "I'm getting a drink, if anyone needs a refill?" she asked, looking around the men sitting before her but desperately not making eye contact with Malfoy.
"Beer for me" Ron said looking into his glass and downing the rest of the contents.
"Same here" Harry said.
She would have to do it, have to look to Malfoy.
"Malfoy?" she asked, looking in his direction.
"I'll help you" he said getting up from his seat.
"Its fine" she said, but Malfoy had joined her on the trip to the bar anyway.
She kept silent, not wanting to alter the decision she had come to over the course of the last week. He didn't matter. He was Harry's friend and she could handle it. She could handle Ron and he was as hopelessly single as she was, so why should Malfoy be any different.
She requested 3 beers and looked to Malfoy with a raised brow as he nodded and she changed the order to 4. It became awkward as they stood there, and even moreso when he pulled out a handful of cash and sat it on the bar, leaving a ridiculous tip.
"Do you realise you just tipped more than the drinks cost?" she asked.
"These waitresses make minimum wage. We earn a decent income. It's only fair" he said.
She nodded in agreement, knowing that he was right. That he was kind.
They awkwardly made their way back to the table, Hermione feeling grateful to have avoided small talk with Malfoy.
"So, what have I missed?" she asked.
"We're finally expanding to Hogsmead" Ron said.
"That's great, Ron, you've been wanting that forever" she said.
"Most of our mail orders come from Hogwarts anyway, it makes better business sense to expand" he said with a shrug.
"Harry?" she asked, turning to him.
"We cracked a pretty big case this week" Harry said.
"That's great" she said, knowing that Harry never divulged the nitty gritty of the cases he was working on.
The group went silent.
"You going to ask me, Granger?" Malfoy asked.
"Of course, Malfoy, how was your week?" she asked.
"Well, I helped crack a pretty big case" he said with a smile to Harry who just laughed.
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Are they always like this, Ron?" she asked.
"Every time I've hung out with them they have been" he said.
She found it interesting that Ron showed no signs of jealousy. He and Harry had been best friends since they were 11, and for Malfoy to just enter their circle, it would surely be difficult for him. She made a note to check with him later.
"How about you Granger? Anything interesting in the research department?" he asked.
"Nothing worth mentioning" she said, knowing that they didn't usually talk about her work much. Why should anything change?
"Well, you said you had a big week. Surely its worth mentioning?" he asked.
"Its just not very interesting, that's all" she said.
"Not to them" he said, indicating to Harry and Ron who appeared to be slinking away a little.
"Well, I won't bore the group Malfoy, surely there are other things to talk about" she said.
"I want to know" he said, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Why?" she asked.
"I'm interested" he said.
"Well just go to the bar" Harry said, pulling Ron up off his seat by his shirt and hastily heading for the bar.
She just rolled her eyes.
"I mean, I'm looking into new tracking spells for certain dark magic signatures. There's some in the works, but getting the dark magic to be cast is proving quite difficult" she said.
When he didn't say anything, she continued.
"See? Boring. No one cares about the research that goes on in the background" she said, sipping the beer in front of her that she couldn't stand the taste of.
"I don't think its boring" he said, as Harry and Ron came back from the bar. "Are they serving anything other than this cat piss?" Malfoy asked, raising his beer glass to Harry with a look of disgust.
Hermione stifled a chuckle at his phrase.
"Let's get out of here. Hogshead is probably better than this" Ron said.
"I should go" she said, standing and collecting her things.
"I'll come by your office on Monday" Malfoy said quickly, looking to Harry for confirmation.
"Its ok by me, you two are probably the best brains in the department. Makes sense that you collaborate" Harry said with a shrug.
"Harry, everyone has the brains, I just apply myself" she said, a repeat of what she had been saying for years.
Unlike the week before, she went straight home from the muggle pub and spent the weekend focusing on her housework, laundry and reading for leisure. By Monday, she was refreshed and ready to take on the week, remembering that Malfoy was going to drop by her office.
She chose another new outfit and combined it with what had become her favourite heels, the ones she wore all the week before. The ones that people saw as you walked and knew they cost a fortune. She didn't care. The flashy red underneath of them made her feel scandalous. Like she had something to hide. It was the complete opposite, she in fact, was probably the most boring person she knew.
Monday morning flew by with no sight nor sound of Malfoy. When it was almost lunch time, she had just about given up, when she heard a knock on her door.
Having left it open the week before for the mere idea that he would drop by, she abandoned that this day, knowing that when he knocked, she'd need a moment, she she now took, to compose herself.
She neatened her skirt and sat up high in her chair behind her desk before calling out "come in".
The door opened slowly and he stepped in, shutting it behind him. He had in his hand, two containers and two bottles of what looked to be orange juice.
"Thought I'd bring lunch. Thai ok?" he asked, taking a seat opposite her.
"Thai is great" she said, taking the container and cutlery that he was handing to her.
The silence between them was palpable. It had been so easy to talk to him that first day at the pub, the conversation flowed so easily. They had spoken many times since then, but now, here in her office, alone… particularly after the things she had thought about in the dark of night whilst laying in her bed… She felt awkward.
He had somehow managed to get her favourite dish, her usual. She ate it, closing her eyes, savouring the flavours, forgetting he was there watching her appreciate the food.
"That good?" he asked.
"So good" she said.
"I'll remember that" he said.
"What for? Future lunch dates?" she asked.
"Is that what this is?" he asked. "A date?" he added.
"No… I mean… no that's…. That's not what I meant" she stammered.
"Relax Granger, if I wanted a date, id ask you on a date" he said, causing her rejection issues to come to the forefront of her mind.
"Ok, well… great. Now we have that sorted, here's what I've been working on" she said, getting up and heading to a round table across the room where there were parchments spread out.
They spent the next hour discussing her research. It was easy conversation. When they had a topic, it was easy. Effortless.
"So, I guess the only issue now is not having dark magic to track. I certainly am not eager to perform it" she said.
"There is a way" he said, unbuttoning the cuff of his sleeve.
She watched as he rolled his sleeve up, past his wrist, up over his arm, revealing the dark mark that existed there, still clear as ever. She gasped, not knowing why. Perhaps she had expected it to have disappeared with Voldemort, or perhaps lightened with time.
"Here's all the dark magic you need" he said.
"Its… I mean… I haven't really seen one up close before" she said, eyeing it as if it may explode at any moment.
"It doesn't burn anymore, not since he was defeated. But its still there" he said.
She took a closer look at the mark, examining it, desperate to touch it, to run her fingers over it, to see if it felt different to the rest of him, not that she knew what he felt like.
It made her sad, in a way. He was just a child when he received this. He had no way to know what he was getting into. He had been brainwashed to believe everything that his father had instilled in him his whole life.
"Its not fair" she said softly. "You were just a child" she added.
"I did what I had to. I had a choice, I took it" he said.
"Take the mark or die. Some choice" she said.
"No, more like, take the mark or watch us solely kill your mother and then die" he corrected her.
"I'm sorry Malfoy. I'm sorry you had to go through that" she said, looking into his eyes.
"It wasn't your fault" he said.
"But still. Someone needs to acknowledge what this is. What this stands for. You took this to protect her. You sacrificed yourself, your soul, your childhood to save her" she said.
"None of it mattered" he said.
"It did though. You were instrumental in so many parts of the war being won. You didn't identify us when snatchers bought us in, you threw Harry the wand that helped him defeat Voldemort" she said.
"If not me, then someone else" he said.
"Stop. Stop being so hard on yourself" she said, walking away and pacing the room. She now more than ever that she forgave him. For everything. She walked back to where he stood, silence taking over him. "I forgive you Malfoy. For all of it. Its time you forgave yourself" she said.
The silence stretched out, she waited for him to respond. It had to be him, he had to say something.
"Dance with me?" he asked, confusing her.
"Dance?" she asked, watching him take out his wand and aim it to a small music player she had in a corner of her office.
"Yes, dance" he said, as a song played. The same song they danced to a little over a week ago.
"Ok" she said, stepping into his waiting arms.
He felt good, safe, strong. He felt natural.
They danced the same steps, the same routine, the same way they danced previously. She knew what was coming, she twirled at the right times and relaxed into his arms when he dipped her.
"This is where you kissed me" he said as he straightened them up.
"And where you ran away" she responded.
"I was scared" he said.
"Of what?"
"Everything"
They looked into each other's eyes for the first time, perhaps, ever. She saw his vulnerability, his fear. He was afraid. Afraid that he would get in too deep, feel too much. That he may reveal himself to her and she would stomp on his feelings.
"Don't be afraid" she whispered.
He leant in slowly, closing the distance between their lips at an agonisingly slow pace. She heard him moan ever so softly in the brief second of hesitation before their lips touched. It was soft and slow, warm, patient, tentative… And then it wasn't. He had been right that night at the apparition point. He had no restraint. His tongue sought entrance beyond her lips and she allowed it without hesitation. His hands moved up her back, pulling her to him, into her hair, cupping her face, as she tried to keep up.
He was right, this was not something fit to be seen in the middle of a crowded dancefloor.
After an eternity, or perhaps no time at all, time was irrelevant now, they parted, panting and out of breath.
She had no words. She had no conscious thought to express in this moment.
"You will ruin me, Granger" he said.
"I'll try not to" she said, looking from his eyes to his lips, the soft lips that she wanted pressed against hers as soon as they stopped.
Their lips crashed together again, harder, faster, more than before. She wanted to tear her clothes off, she wanted to live out the dreams she had had since their first encounter, but she held back. She showed restraint.
Eventually she pulled away, stepped away, held her fingers to her swollen lips.
"I should… go" he said.
"Yeah, probably for the best" she said.
He rolled down the sleeve of his shirt and did up his button before collecting his robe that she must have missed seeing him hang on the hanger by the door.
"We'll do this again some time" she said, unsure of how to express to him that she would like nothing more.
He nodded with a smile before he let her office and shut the door carefully behind him.
She returned to her table to sort through the notes they had made together. He had come up with some impressive ideas that she needed to research.
At the end of the day, Hermione packed up, having failed at getting anything done. Her mind was solely occupied by thoughts of Malfoy, his lips, his hands, the small sounds he made as he ran his hands over the more appropriate places of her body. He didn't stray, he stayed within the bounds of appropriate, but in her head, she wanted nothing more than to having him ravish her.
As she opened the door to her office, she almost ran into Malfoy, who appeared to have been waiting for her.
"Merlin you scared me" she said.
"I'm taking you out" he said.
"Out?" she asked.
"Yes, out"
"Like, on a date?" she asked.
"If you insist" he said with a smile.
"Can I go and change?" she asked.
He looked her up and down with an appreciative smile.
"Absolutely not" he said, as they walked to the lift together.
The left was crowded, and they were separated as they entered.
They were ushered out in the crowd on the apparition floor, and eventually came together again near the apparition area.
"I'll be quick, I want to get out of these clothes" she said, offering her his hand.
It was a bold move, offering to take him to her place so she could change. But she didn't see any other way. Unless they were to meet somewhere, or she were to have him collect her at a later time in the afternoon.
Either way, she turned on the spot, taking him with her, feeling her wards adjust to his magic and let him in. They landed in her small living room, that was lined with bookshelves that contained all manner of books and framed photos of her life.
"Cosy" he said.
"I live here alone, I don't need much" she said, letting go of his hand so she could shrug off her robes and toe her shoes off.
Before she could turn to her bedroom to change, he took her by the hand and pulled her back to him. She was now much shorter, without her heels on.
He leant his head down to hers and kissed her. It wasn't as passionate as the kiss earlier in the day. Not as urgent. They had time, they were alone and could take their time. Get to know one another.
She allowed her hands to run up his torso, to feel is toned chest, feel his shoulders, glide down his arms and eventually link her fingers with his as they kissed. It was sweet, it was nice. It felt real and relaxed and easy.
It was nothing like her brief snogs with Viktor Krum or the fumbling kissed with Ron or the messy sloppy romance that Cormack had attempted to offer her.
This felt real. It felt good. She had known him, the real him, only a week but she felt like it had been forever.
Eventually, they parted, but she pulled him close to her and just stood in his embrace for as long as she could with her head on his chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat slow to a normal pace.
He felt it too, he was affected by her as much as she him.
"I'll just change. Anything particular?" she asked.
He looked at her questioningly.
"I just thought we'd go for a walk on the seaside" he said.
"Perfect. I'll dress casual" she said. "Make yourself at home" she offered as she headed into the bedroom. She closed the door half way, certain that if he could see her getting undressed, she'd have no hesitation about him coming in and making the most of it. However, she glimpsed at the crack of the door and saw that he was perusing her shelves, looking over her book titles. She saw him smile to himself, she watched him frown, smirk, and look questioningly at a few titles before she realised she was staring at him rather than getting herself ready to go… on a date? It sure felt like one.
She made her way back to the living room where he was flipping through a muggle book. He smiled when he saw her and she knew they were both done for. She had stared at him browse her book collection and he had smiled appreciatively at her in casual jeans and a jumper with her hair in a messy bun atop her head.
"Shall we?" she asked.
She saw a glint in his eyes before he nodded ad held his hand out to her.
"I actually live right by the seaside, so if you want to walk…?" she asked.
He still held his hand out to her and she gave a little giggle when she took it.
This was Draco Malfoy, she had kissed him now more than once, she had thought about him, dreamt about him, fantasised about him and now she was about to walk out of her front door with him, holding her hand.
The conversation between them was no longer awkward. It was almost as thought some invisible barrier had been crossed, which opened the floodgate of small talk and real conversation.
They wandered along the shore, seeing families walk their dogs and push their strollers. Hermione avoided the topic of children, as she had never thought about having kids of her own.
They arrived at a small take away shop where Hermione ordered them some fish dinners. She had been there many times before and knew the food was good, so they wouldn't be disappointed. She led them to a nice semi covered table and chairs so they could eat and talk, which they did. It felt so natural, so normal. It wasn't like a first date at all.
They spoke about their Hogwarts days, about the things neither of them knew the other had gotten up to. They spoke about Malfoy's efforts to get into the ministry for work and about his stint at MACUSA in their magical law enforcement department. Malfoy spoke about how he lost touch with most of his friends in the years since the war ended, not that he minded so much. Theo Nott and Blaise Zabini were about the only people who he saw, and even then, it wasn't a regular event.
They were deep in conversation when the rain started. It was light at first, not causing any stress, but soon, it started getting heavier and she suggested they leave.
With her house only a few minutes away, she led him there, through the now pouring rain. By the time she opened her front door, they were both soaked through, drying spells having very little effect.
"Here, take off your shirt I'll dry it" she said, helping him unbutton the front while he did his cuffs.
Initially, her intentions were pure.
She tossed his shirt over the drying rack she had in her bathroom and came back to find him shirtless in her living room, drying himself with a towel she had given him. It was like she had been hit with a lust potion, all at once, she just needed to get her hands on him, to touch him and have him touch her.
She all but flung herself at him, pulling her own wet shirt off as their lips joined, parted to get her shirt over her head, then joined again.
She fumbled for his belt, trying not to show how inexperienced she was, but at the same time, making her intentions quite clear. His pants crashed to the floor and coins came flying of his pockets, causing them both to stop and laugh at the absurdity of it all.
She pulled him to her room, her in her pants and bra and him just in his trunks.
He was kissing her, his hands were everywhere, he picked her up as if without effort and sat her on the edge of the bed as he climbed on top of her, kissing her from her bellybutton, up the middle of her chest, to her neck as he went. Her heavy breasts tingled with disappointment.
She let out gasps of approval, desperate for what she knew she wanted. She was so inexperienced, it had been years since Ron claimed her virginity, however, she hadn't exactly been free from penetration in this time. She had used toys, she had pleasured herself, especially over the course of the last week and a half.
She was ready for this, ready for him. She wanted this.
As soon as she made up her mind, however, he spoke.
"We don't have to do this" he said, still kissing her.
"I know" she said, reaching down to undo the buttons on her pants and shimmying them off.
"We've been on one date" he said, stilling his lips and pulling away from her.
"The date isn't over yet" she said.
"Even more reason to stop" he suggested, rolling off her and onto his side next to her.
"If this is some noble thing Malfoy, trust me, I appreciate the sentiment, but honestly, I'd rather continue what we're doing" she said, out of breath.
"This isn't why I asked you out. I mean, my intentions were not for us to end up here" he said with a frown.
"I know" she said, realising that today was probably not going to be the day. She ran a finger over his chest, up his shoulder and down his bicep. It felt natural just to touch him.
"You are exquisite, and I want this more than I want oxygen in my lungs…" he looked down to the large bulge in his pants, "…obviously… but maybe it's a good idea to take this slow. Whatever this is" he said.
She looked to him without speaking and nodded her head in agreement, even though she wanted nothing more than for him to drive into her and press her hard into the mattress.
"I like you Granger. This isn't just some fling. Not for me anyway" he said, kissing her once when she smiled across at him.
"You ought to stop kissing me if you want me to believe that you want to stop" she said with a smile.
"That's the problem, isn't it? A large part of me definitely does not want to stop" he said.
"So don't. I'm not interested in a fling either Malfoy, but I don't waste time when I know something feels right" she said.
There was a long drawn out silence where she could basically hear the cogs turning in his head. She wasn't going to beg him for this, but at the same time, she wanted to make it perfectly clear that she knew what she wanted.
It felt like an age before he crashed his lips back to hers, rolling back so that he was hovering above her again.
She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him close, feeling him hard against her. She moved her hips so she could grind him against her, feel the friction, pull him against her then push him back. It felt natural, it felt instinctual.
His hands ran down the length of her torso and she reached for her wand to vanish the remainder of her clothes. Now completely naked, it was clear that this was going to happen. It was clear that she would finally feel what its like to have great sex.
Leaning on one hand, his free hand ran a finger from her lips, down the centre of her chest and cupped her breast. No one had touched her like this before, no one had put their hands on her in this way. Her brief encounters with Ron were clumsy and inexperienced mutual fondling of each other before they dove right in and had sloppy awkward sex.
Now, Malfoy seemed to know what he was doing. He knew what would feel good to her. He thumbed a hardened nipple before moving his mouth towards it and slowly tonguing it. It was sensational. Her body was on fire and her core throbbed with need.
His hand slowly, torturously made its way to her waiting centre, a finger trailing up and down her slit.
"I couldn't stop now if I wanted to" he said, as he slid a finger inside of her soaking core.
"Don't. Don't stop" she moaned.
He kissed her mouth, her neck, her jawline. His lips were everywhere as he expertly sent her chasing her first orgasm that wasn't brought on by herself. With a finger deep inside of her and his thumb on her clit, it took no time at all before she was fisting the sheets, panting, moaning, and crying out through the bliss.
"I want to bury myself in you" he whispered, as she felt his hand withdraw from her.
"I want you to" she said back, unsure of how this whole sex talk thing went. It seemed to do the trick because he had now removed his trunks and was pressing the head of his throbbing erection against her.
He was warm and hard as he entered her. He was certainly larger than her vibrator, but she accommodated him easily. He stretched her, filled her, claimed her, so so agonisingly slowly. It was exquisite bliss once he was completely sheathed.
"Merlin" she whispered.
"Uh huh" he agreed, and he started to move.
She could feel every incredible inch of him, pressing deep into her, then pulling back, before pressing into her again. It was heaven. She was completely lost in the sensations, completely overcome by the fire that had now been ignited within her, she barely noticed when he ever so slightly changed his angle.
He was now grinding against her, pressing his pubic bone hard against hers, grinding against her clit. She clawed at his back, certain that she would feel embarrassed about it later but currently without a care as wave after wave of orgasmic bliss overcame her. She had no idea that a person could feel this way, she had lived her life oblivious to the sweet sweet bliss that came with oblivion. She wondered how anyone could go a single day without this feeling, and realised that now she had it she wouldn't let it go.
She was all in. She was smitten, she was now addicted to Draco Malfoy in every way. His intellect, his banter, his concern for her feelings and the pace at which they were rushing whatever this was that they had gotten themselves into was everything to her. He was everything to her.
His motions became harder, faster. He was truly fucking her now and she relished it. He pounded into her again and again and she laughed as the headboard slammed against the wall over and over. He made to stop but she urged him to keep going. She didn't want this to end, she couldn't stop. She needed to feel him experience his own release, she wanted to come apart with him, to cry out together.
She felt him quicken his pace, his erection throbbed deep inside of her. He was close, she was closer. She squeezed her eyes closed as another orgasm took hold and she heard him groan out his own release as he filled her with his final thrusts.
He collapsed on top of her as he softened inside of her. She didn't want to let him go. She wanted to stay like this. As he laid on her with most of his body weight, she stroked his hair, feeling perhaps for the first time how soft it was. She had always thought it might have been rough from the product he had used to keep it slick, but now that it was cropped short, she supposed he didn't need to use any of that. She used her fingernails to scratch at his scalp and was reminded that she had clawed at his back only moments ago. She wondered briefly if he minded.
When his body became heavy, she carefully slid out from underneath him and they lay side by side, basking in the afterglow of their intense love making. She had always hated the phrase, love making, but in this moment, she finally understood it. Making love. As though she were making a potion that would take several weeks to brew. They had all the ingredients for love, they had everything that was necessary, they just needed to combine it, to brew it, to make it.
A tingle inside of her chest told her that this was right. That somehow, Draco Malfoy had become that person she could see herself with, she could see herself loving. The act of making love had been completed for the first time and hopefully not the last. They just needed to let it simmer and see what eventuated.
"Hey" he whispered to her.
"Hey" she said back, as she leant forward and kissed him.
"Sorry that was a bit… hurried" he said.
"Are you kidding me?" she asked, shocked.
"I'm not usually that eager or quick. You took me by surprise" he said.
"That was complete perfection. I don't know that anything could top that" she said.
He raised a brow at her, as if questioning her statement.
"That was by far completely not my best work" he said.
She just giggled at the absurdity of it. That was by far the most incredible physical sensation she had experienced in her lifetime and here he was, telling her he wasn't performing at his peak. She wondered for a brief moment about the women he had given his all to, shown his best work to, but she stopped that train of thought before it ran away down an endless track.
"I've only been with one other person… once" she admitted.
"Merlin…" he said, seemingly shocked and afraid. "Did I… I mean, I didn't know. Was that ok?" he asked.
"It was beyond ok. I'm not exactly a virgin, I mean… I've kept myself entertained. Just never wanted to be with anyone till now" she said.
"Well I'm glad it was me" he said.
"Me too" she said with a sincere smile. And she knew it was true.
Trigger warning - the next chapter features infant death.