"Excellent Luna!" Harry praised as she cast a perfect patronus. Neville and I were practicing some duelling. We were in the Room of Requirement for our DA session. The room had been decked out with mirrored walls and padded floors. Harry had conjured duelling mannequins for us to practice on before we duelled each other. I was getting pretty good at conjuring a patronus, although my exploding charms skills could use some work.
Crack! The sound of someone apparating filled the air "Harry Potter!" We all stopped and turned to see Dobby in the middle of the room. "You must go now. Umbridge knows about your group and she is coming." He told us with great urgency.
"Everybody run." Harry said sternly. Ron, Neville, Luna, Ginny and I ran to him. "Let's go." He said once everyone else had made their way out.
We decided to split up and run down the halls back to our dorms. Ginny and I were in the East corridor when we ran into Parkinson and one of her friends.
"And where do you think you're running to Granger? Not respectable behaviour for a Prefect now is it?" Parkinson said as she grabbed my arm, her friend grabbed Ginny's. They pulled us along to Umbridge's office. In all of its vomit pink and cat glory. We saw Neville and Ron in there as well with Crabbe and Goyle.
Just then Harry and Luna were pushed in by Nott and Umbridge herself.
Who had sold us out? Oh Merlin. I thought a large pit began to form in my stomach. Malfoy. I am such an idiot. It had to be him. Just then Malfoy sauntered in, dragging Marietta Edgecombe, who had the word SNEAK across her forehead.
"Ah Draco good, you've brought the girl. Run along and find Professor Snape please." She said.
"You need me, Professor?" Snape's voice came from the doorway just as Malfoy turned to go.
I could feel Malfoy's eyes on me as he stopped and turned around. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of looking at him. If he did tell, why did he go to such great lengths to get the information from me? What was his game plan?
"What do you mean?" Umbridge's voice raised in that annoying screeching tone towards something that Snape said. "Fine, I have already contacted the Minister so he will be here shortly. Potter, you are coming with me." She walked over and grabbed Harry.
"What should we do with the rest of them, Professor?" Parkinson asked.
"You are all in detention. I will see all of you tomorrow night here in my office for your punishment. Miss. Edgecombe, please come with me dear. Inquisitorial Squad, please escort these troublemakers back to their dorms."
Professor Snape turned and walked away. Umbridge took Harry and Marietta out with her.
"I trust you all don't actually need an escort." Malfoy stated after they had left. He gave a nod to his friends and they released us.
"Come on Hermione." Ron touched my arm.
"You go along. I left something in the Prefect washroom." I said, my friends all headed out and Malfoy's friends left too.
We both stood there in her office staring at one another.
"I didn't say anything." Malfoy said at the same time as I asked, "Was it a dream?"
"What?" We both asked each other.
"You first." I murmured, walking closer to the door.
"I didn't say anything."
"I know. I charmed our coins to reveal the person who would betray us."
"Clever."
I looked at him and then turned and walked out of the office.
"Wait, what did you say?" He caught up with me, matching my fast pace.
"Nothing." I said, "I'm going to bed now. Just leave me alone."
He grabbed my arm and stopped me. "Granger, what did you say?"
"I asked if it was a dream," I said walking back and forth, arms flapping around as I continued, "what the hell Malfoy! What the hell is happening? Did I dream that?" the volume of my voice was rising with each question.
"No. I kissed you." He said in a hushed tone, glancing around before his eyes landed back on me.
"Why would you do that?" I hadn't yet lowered my voice, although I probably should. I had stopped pacing and stood in front of him.
"Because I wanted to see what it would be like to snog the Gryffindor Princess." He gave me his trademark smirk full of sarcasm and haughtiness.
"I've punched you once Malfoy and I'll do it again." I crossed my arms and glared at him.
His face turned serious at that moment, "I don't know, okay. I have been having all of these feelings towards you, these dreams about you. All summer. All of last semester. Dammit, I can't take them anymore. Do you think I want to feel this way? About you?" He said angrily. "I am stressed about OWLs and...other things, I thought that if I kissed you then I would realize it was disgusting and I wouldn't have these feelings anymore." He wasn't even meeting my eye anymore. He started pacing back and forth now his fists clenched in frustration, his robes flapping around him as he moved.
"You've been having thoughts about me?" I clarified, I was in jeans and a brown striped sweater, not in regulation with the uniform. I am sure Umbridge would add that to her list of punishable offences.
"Unwillingly. Yes." He choked out before clearing his throat. He slowed down his pacing, his hands in his pockets.
"Like fantasies?"
He rolled his eyes at me. "It's not that graphic Granger."
"I don't know what to say Malfoy. I...I...did it?" I was torn between running as fast as I could back to the dorms and assuring him that everything would be alright. But would it? I couldn't stop thinking about our kiss. How it felt. My mind...everything just went away. School, and everything with Harry and his dreams and Sirius and just...it all went away. How can Malfoy be the one who makes it all disappear for a moment?
"Did it what?" He asked, stopping in front of me..
"Did the feelings go away? Was it...disgusting?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing which answer would make me feel better.
"Which answer will scare you the least?" He asked, breathing deeply. I could just take the lie. I could just take it and pretend like that was the truth. It would be easier wouldn't it?
I sighed. "I don't know if I want any answer." I said and started walking away again.
"It wasn't." He said to me as my back was towards him. "It didn't make them go away. Look I don't know what I am thinking, okay. I just know that when I kissed you, I was there. I wasn't hearing what anyone else was saying, I was just in that broom closet kissing you." He exhaled loudly. "And, I think you felt the same."
I stopped, but didn't turn around.
"How did it feel for you?" He asked cautiously. I could hear him walking slowly towards me.
"I'm not sure. I don't know." I said, still facing the long corridor that was dimly lit by the moonlight streaming in the two windows.
"Wow," he chuckled, "I bet that's a first for you." He touched my wrist lightly. I closed my eyes as he turned me around, hands on my upper arms. I shook my head at him. I cannot do this. This is wrong. Everything about this is illogical. It cannot happen.
"How did it feel when I kissed you Granger?" He asked quietly. I could feel his breath on my face as he inched closer and closer to me.
"Please." I said, not quite sure what I was saying 'please' for, my eyes still closed.
"Please kiss you or please leave you alone?" He asked tentatively, moving his hands down so that he was holding mine lightly in his.
I opened my eyes to see him staring at me, his nose so close to mine, "Kiss me." I breathed. In an instant his left arm encircled me and pulled me close to him, while his right hand went up to cup my face and his lips crashed into mine. My hands went up to the collar of his robes and grasped them tightly.
It was like we had done this several times before. Our mouths were moving as though our minds just knew what to do. I moved my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He walked us over until my back hit the wall.
I moaned. Merlin, where did that come from? He moaned too. I gasped and pulled away, hitting my head on the wall behind me, again.
"You've got to stop doing that Granger. You'll give yourself a concussion." He gingerly put his hand on the back of my head, rubbing it slightly, while his forehead rested against mine.
"This is wrong." I whispered, trying to catch my breath.
"I know." He was breathing heavily. Mint, coffee, dark chocolate, all of it. I inhaled deeply.
"Clearly we are under some sort of curse." It was the only logical explanation to all of this. I was rubbing my thumbs up and down the back of his neck.
"Obviously." He played with a strand of hair.
"So what do we do?" I asked as I looked up at him, his eyes were a light grey, instead of their usual dark grey. The light from the moon shining through the windows in the corridor must be affecting their colour.
"I don't know." He kissed me softly, pulling me close again.
xxx
Merlin, what have I done? Why do I feel so out of control when I am around her? Her lips are the softest thing in the world. I've never snogged any witch like this before.
I pulled away and stared into those brown eyes. I took in her flushed face, mess of hair. She wasn't wearing her robes. Her sweater had risen up a little and the tips of my fingers could feel her skin underneath. "We can't do this...in front of anyone." I said softly.
"Obviously." She grinned at me, using my answer from before.
"We will need some charm of yours to send a signal then." I stated matter-of-factly.
"A signal? For what?" She asked, I do love it when she pretends to be all confused.
"A signal to snog Granger."
"I thought we had agreed to stop."
"Well until this, whatever it is, goes away I think we should keep at it. You can't honestly tell me it doesn't make you feel better."
"I have never felt so out of control." She said, and seems to regret saying it, "I mean, I...my mind...everything just goes away when you kiss me. It's like-"
"Everything stops for a moment." I finished. Bloody hell, I am sappy tonight.
"Yes." She breathed.
I dropped my forehead to her shoulder, pulled her closer, and breathed in. Parchment and citrus. That is what she smells like. "Think about it Granger. What if we were to meet up once in a while to make it all go away. To relieve stress and not deal with anything." I stared into her eyes.
"That's absurd. Of course we cannot do this again. What if someone catches us." Her body started to tense up.
"We are both at the top of every class Granger. I am sure that the two of us can think of a way not to get caught." I kissed her neck right behind her earlobe and she shuddered against me, releasing the tension she just had.
"What do we want to use as a signal then?" She asked. She is agreeing to this? I tried not to act too surprised by this usually level-headed witch's answer.
"Well I think your galleon idea is pretty clever." I continued to kiss down her neck, pulling her sweater away for a bit so I could have more access to her shoulder.
She gasped loudly, "Harry!" She gently pushed me away and sorted her clothes. "I'm sorry, I have to go. Yes, the coin idea should work. I will get you one tomorrow. I have to go see if Harry is alright." She said quickly and ran down the corridor.
"Dammit Potter." I cursed under my breath. Always ruins everything.
xxx
I didn't see her again until the next afternoon. The Weasley Twins had caused quite the commotion in the corridor. I saw her walk towards me. I inched to the side of my group, and I could feel her brush past me and slip something in my pocket. I reached my hand in and felt the shape of a galleon. I smiled to myself. I glanced over and could see Blaise staring at me with a questioning look on his face. I ignored it and looked back at the firework display as Umbridge shrieked.
xxx
"Oh I have been so stressed. What with OWLs coming up soon and McGonagall called me in today to discuss my career aspirations, my head has been all over the place." She rambled. From the moment I saw her in the hallway and pulled her into the broom closet she had not stopped talking.
I ignored her and kissed her neck, running my hands over her red sweater, across her waist, over to her back. I had pushed her robes slightly off her shoulders when she came in. She hadn't noticed of course. There were certain benefits to her being distracted.
"I mean, how can they expect us to know exactly what we want to do. We are only 15." Her hands were on my shoulders lightly, clearly not paying much attention. Okay, I guess I am working harder today.
"You're 16." I mumbled against her neck as I kissed it. She smelled like old books and jasmine today, with a familiar scent of citrus in her hair. Must have been in the library the whole day. My hands started to move to the edge of her sweater
"Well still, I mean it's a lot to think about and oh-" she stopped as I put one of my hands under her sweater on her soft bare skin. My fingers gripped at her waist.
"Granger," I kissed her neck, right behind her earlobe and she shuddered against me, her arms moved to around my neck, "I am trying to snog you senseless so you don't have to think. And yet, here you are thinking." I grinned at her as I pulled my head up.
"I know, I'm sorry. I'll stop talking. I just-"
"I know Granger," I silenced her with a kiss on her lips. She melted then, I moved my other hand under her sweater and gripped her tighter. Her skin was so soft. I gently moved my fingers up and down her sides.
"That tickles." She breathed against me, pulling my head closer to hers.
I smiled against her mouth and put my arms around her pulling her so that all of her was pressed against all of me. I knew she could probably feel my erection forming, but I didn't really care. I moved my tongue against her lips to see if she would let me in. Her lips parted slowly. We both moaned simultaneously before she pulled away, slowly this time.
"Too fast." she breathed heavily. I backed away, trying to cover myself with my robes.
"Sorry." I breathed, leaning against the opposite wall.
"It's okay. Maybe we should have rules."
I rolled my eyes. "Granger, this is supposed to be fun."
"I think having a nice set of clearly outlined parameters ensures the fun." She argued. She was still flushed from our snog, her hair a mess.
"I don't know why I put up with you." I laughed at her. "Fine Granger, rules?"
"We need some sort of word that I-we can say when I-we feel like things are going too fast."
"You want a safe word?" I raised my eyebrow at her
"Well we don't have to call it that." she said, her voice filled with irritation.
"How about you-we-just say no?"
She narrowed her eyes at me, "I feel like a no can easily be turned into a yes."
"I promise to immediately respect any 'no' you say Granger." I held my hand up as a gesture of a promise.
"Okay fine." She looked down and then back up at me, "How do you um...feel?" Her eyes flicked to my crotch area before looking up at the wall and the ceiling.
I laughed, "I'm fine Granger. Don't worry about that."
"How many have you kissed?" She blurted out suddenly, her eyes staring at mine.
I shifted for a second, "Um, three." I said, "not including you."
"Just snogging?" She confirmed and I nodded. She seemed satisfied with my answer.
"And you?" I asked her.
"One." She said confidently, "not including you."
"Who?" I heard myself demand. Where did that come from?
"Ah, nope, not this time Malfoy. I have to go." She pushed herself off the wall and straightened her clothes. "I'll see you soon." She kissed my cheek, drawing her fingers across my chest as she passed by me.
"Minx" I said after her as she walked about the door.
xxx
What do we think so far? I know it seems quite sudden but in my mind they sort of have this battle between them for all of 5th year before coming to a certain level of trust and feelings. I hope as I continue it will all make sense lol.