On Friday afternoon, the tense, frosty atmosphere in the office had reached its peak
There were no fights anymore. No snide remarks. No jokes on behalf of the other person. They simply acted like the other wasn't there.
It was gnawing away at Hermione's sanity; if someone had told her a year ago that she would miss her daily quarrels with the blonde prick, she would have laughed at them, just to get genuinely worried if sickness had compelled them say such an absurdity.
Now, Hermione wasn't certain how or why, but the lack of hostility, even of a friendly kind, made it near impossible to work with a straight mind. There was for one, the impossibility of exposing the dom on her own. She had substantial evidence now, that was for sure; the half-built machine in her living room emitted an ominous aura that made her scared to come close.
But anxieties had crept up on her like a cat pouncing on its prey; Rabnott's visit had left Hermione rattled and paranoid. Harry was barely ever available anymore; suffocating in heaps upon heaps of Auror work and wedding preparations, she hadn't met up with him for lunch or just a coffee in weeks. Even within the ministry halls, if she did see him, he was always on his way, sometimes even too hurried to say more than "Hullo how are you good okay gotta go bye".
Hermione would never admit it, but the loss of Draco's help had left her timid to pursue this mission further. He had blown all of the confidence she'd gathered away, leaving her with nothing but a half-built machine and sleepless nights.
But, she weren't Hermione Granger if she wasn't already working on her next plan, despite being forced to act alone: This Saturday, an event organized by their department was to be held later in the evening in the Ministry halls. It was one of many events they had no choice but to attend, and for the first time Hermione didn't lament the cozy lecture evening lost to the grips of bureaucratic nonsense.
She had already devised her next step in finding more information, and the event was a godsent amongst this horrible week.
There was yet another matter of her stupid brain that would literally not shut up, not ever, no matter where she was or what she was doing; because if she wasn't worrying about the potential evidence in her living room, the only other thing occupying her mind was Draco and his stupid decision to stop helping her, his stupid arrogant attitude, his stupid face and his stupid hair and his stupid lips kissing hers.
Hermione missed spending time with him, curled up on the couch in her living room, relishing in silence or talking about whatever either of them could think about. She missed looking up to find his eyebrows adorably drawn together in concentration as he read, sipping Earl Grey from her favourite mug. She missed discussing technicalities and brainstorming theories; eating take-out while drinking whiskey.
She couldn't stop missing him, and Hermione hated it.
Hermione had not gotten a good rest since Monday, and the awfulness of her day continued when she came to the office where Draco stiffly greeted her, not even looking up to meet her eyes.
For almost a week, the only sound in their office were quills scratching over parchments and at her nerves, and the chirping of golden snidgets and Fwoopers from their respective aquariums and cages. The silence was tense; filled to the brim with fights not had.
It was no surprise then that on Friday, Hermione left ten minutes early for her lunch with Ginny, if just to escape for a short while.
After meeting up in the ministry's entry hall and flooing to the Leaky Cauldron, they entered a sandwich shop on the other side, all while Hermione asked incessant questions about the wedding. Ginny answered absent-mindedly.
Ginny ushered Hermione to a far corner in the back, where other patrons grew scarce, and slapped the menu out of her hand right as she picked it up.
"You know the bloody colour scheme, now stop beating around the bush. No offence Hermione, but you look terrible. How has it been with him? What's going on?", Ginny started talking before Hermione could think of another, mindless question. Hermione sank back into the squeaky chair, burying her face in her hands.
"I have barely slept since Saturday", she mumbled then, and looked through her fingers at the cheap plastic cover on the table, the kind that always felt a bit sticky.
"Why? Have you been up all night, shagging? Please tell me you climbed that swot like a tree- "
"Merlin, Ginny, no!", Hermine squeaked, her cheeks growing hot as she glanced around, hoping no one had heard. Ginny seemed entirely unbothered.
"Then tell me", she insisted.
And with a sigh, Hermione told her everything, though censored; she couldn't risk Ginny knowing about the corruption, so she made it out to be a confidential case they were disagreeing on.
With a heavy heart and lowered voice, she even admitted her incessant, nonstop thoughts and the fact that she, Hermione Granger, did in fact, miss spending time with Draco Malfoy.
Ginny did not interrupt her once, listening intently while nodding every once in a while.
Once the words stopped tumbling out of Hermione's mouth and she finally fell silent, her head hung low. The dark cloud that had grown over the past week surrounded her, pushing her shoulders down like a dead weight.
"I'm not gonna pretend this all doesn't suck", Ginny said with a dead serious expression, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh a little, still wiping her eyes.
"-but for the record, I believe this will blow over in no time and he's just a really awkward piece of ass that will get over himself soon enough", she finished, and Hermione, despite the burden on her heart, burst out into giggles.
Ginny smiled at her, sweetly.
"How about some distraction? Lavender and I wanted to grab a drink later tonight, but she invited Cormac and Parvati too, so I don't think she'll mind if you join. I feel like you need this."
Hermione stared at the menu discarded besides Ginny, considering the offer with a sigh.
"Cormac though…", she lamented, and Ginny waved her hand dismissively.
"Who knows? Maybe he'll be able to distract you", she mused and Hermione looked up slowly, meeting the ginger's sly eyes.
Both witches burst into laughter at once.
40 minutes later, they walked down the halls of the ministry, laughing and chattering, and Hermione felt lighter than she had all week. Ginny was going to stop by Harry's office so she'd insisted on accompanying her back to her office, if only just to make sure that she would make it there.
When Hermione opened the door to the office, laughing at Ginny reenacting Harry burning his hand on the stove just a few nights ago, she remembered all at once why Ginny had been a much needed break from her week.
Draco was sat at his desk, his boots nowhere in sight, actually working, and as soon as he looked up at the two witches entering the room, his brows drew together disdainfully.
"Hey, Malfoy", Ginny chirped, entirely unbothered while Hermione trudged to her desk.
"Afternoon", he said dryly. Hermione sat down, regarding the little work she had left for today. Thank goodness.
"Tell me Malfoy, are you always so sweet to your visitors? I'm almost melting with the candor", Ginny continued as she plumped down into the chair by Hermione's desk. Draco looked up for a moment, a weak sneer written across his features.
"Did you think that one up this morning? I'm truly impressed, your wit is impeccable", he jeered. Hermione sighed. The two always fought.
"Don't flirt with me love, I'm already taken. You're in an awful mood, aren't you?"
Hermione started organizing her piles wordlessly.
"Your investigative skills barely trump your fiancée's, and that's hardly a difficult task."
Ginny was looking at Hermione with a scheming spark in her eyes, one she immediately recognized, and before she could intervene, the redhead spoke again.
"Well then, why don't you join us for a drink tonight? It's just me, Hermione, and some other old classmates", she blurted, like Draco Malfoy joining them for drinks was an event that had ever happened before.
Hermione's heart froze in place as she watched for Draco's reaction. He was staring at Ginny, actually stunned at the outrageous offer. He cleared his throat after a few moments.
"I… no, I'm not free tonight. I can't come", he said, and Hermione's eyebrows shot up high. She had never seen Draco anywhere near this flustered before; he wasn't blushing like a normal person would, but for his standards, he was barely legible right now.
Ginny shrugged non-chalantly.
"Bugger. Well, I'll be off. See you later!", she said, waving at Hermione as she jumped up and like the whirlwind she was, she was already out of the office before Hemrione could blink twice.
Her eyes wandered to Draco's, expecting him to look back, just as perplexed, to share a moment of mutual bewilderment.
He had already turned back to his work again.
And when Hermione sat in the Leaky Cauldron that evening, talking without listening to her words, laughing at jokes she hadn't heard, pretending to be on a fun night out with her friends, she could practically feel her hear shatter the moment she spotted a pale blonde head across the room.
Draco was sat with who she could recognize being his old Slytherin classmates. And when Cormac laid his arm around her and pulled her closer, she didn't even notice it was happening.
Wait until everyone's distracted. Sneak off and put on the cloak. Take the elevator to the ninth floor. Find the room with the doors. You're Hermione Granger, you can do this. Wait until everyone's distracted…
Exactly 24 hours, a sleepless night and unhinged mental repetitions of her plan to the point of cracking away at her sanity later, Hermione stood in the same dress from Zurich in the large, open office space on the fourth floor that had been cleared out. At the far end of the dark-tiled, slightly grimy room was a little stage for whoever this event was for to hold a speech later in the evening.
The entire Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was present in their nicest evening-clothing, flimsily holding champagne glasses while swaying from side to side, chattering and flirting with colleagues they'd usually never flirt with.
Hermione tended to despise these events. Men used the alcohol as an excuse to shamelessly eye her up and flirt, and there was never any productive, work-related talk going on; more so mindless chatter about trivialities and things that should in most cases, stay private.
Alcohol really shouldn't be allowed at these events.
Tonight would be different though, which was why Hermione was barely minding the usually grotesque motions playing out around her; she had spotted Draco from across the room, still looking devastatingly handsome in an all-black, sleek suit that accentuated his tall, lean form to the point, holding idle conversations with colleagues she knew he couldn't stand. The rigid line of his brows was so distinct, she knew that he was hating tonight more than usual.
Because usually, they would spend the evening at some table; Draco would stare anyone away who came close enough to attempt a chat and Hermione's presence kept, as Draco put it, 'the hyenas away'. She was not sure why, but it had always worked until now.
Until last night, when the sight of Draco's arm around Pansy Parkinson in a booth of her favourite pub almost sent Hermione into an anxiety attack. After a night of tossing and turning, dreaming of haughty kisses along her shoulder and promises whispered against her skin, she was not sure if she could ever look at him the same again.
You're Hermione Granger, you can do this.
Her feelings were out of control, and Hermione absolutely needed control to keep from falling apart. She could feel the seams at the edges of her mind expand and thin out every time she saw him across the room, every time the ghost strands of soft hair slid between her fingers, every time she smelled phantom oak.
She was a smidge away from being completely unhinged, and she felt ready to burst.
You're Hermione Granger, you can do this.
Hermione was stood at one of the high tables, an emptied plate once filled with crab snacks in front of her, twirling an empty champagne glasses she had picked up from another table. Her eyes roamed over the room; drunk colleagues and superiors standing in circles, gesturing with half empty champagne glasses. A loud buzz of dozens of conversations filled the room to the brim.
She never saw Cormac coming.
" 'Mione! So good to see you here. Last night was fun, eh? You should join more often!", the young man's voice suddenly sounded right next to her ear, and Hermione flinched violently as she turned to face Cormac.
A shit eating grin was plastered on his handsome face and he was lightly swaying, just barely avoiding crashing into her side; instead, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. The smell of something definitely not champagne hit her face and she just barely kept from scrunching her nose.
"Hey, Cormac. I know, it really was", she stammered, unsure what to say.
"Oh, come on! You loved it! I could tell", he grinned, throwing her a cheeky wink. Hermione pressed her lips tightly together; his dramatic antics could sometimes be entertaining, she had to admit.
She waved her hand dismissively and laughed.
"You're right, I did. I'll think about joining again, okay? I definitely will", she smiled, and Cormac's hand fluttered to his chest as he closed his eyes, turning his face toward the ceiling.
"Thank you, Merlin, for this present. I shall cherish it every day now, for that Miss Granger has finally enjoyed a fine evening with her friends out" he spoke in a deliberate, slow tone, as if he were praying.
Perhaps it was the stress of last week or just that she was desperate for distraction, but Hermione laughed, genuinely.
Cormac opened one eye a bit, peering at her reaction with a bright smile.
Then his lips moved but Hermione heard nothing; a loud voice boomed through the room.
"Sonorus! Oh, good it worked. Hello everyone!"
Gethsemane Prickle, Head of their department, stood on the small stage, holding her wand to her neck as she spoke. She was dressed gloriously odd as always; several necklaces and bracelets were layered on top of each other, clanging and clinking with her every move, paired with a well-used, patched up but lovely cloak she always wore.
Cormac had already completely forgotten whatever he was going to say; at full attention for their Head's speech.
Hermione put down the empty champagne glass and looked around; everyone in the room was focused on Prickle, whose words of encouragement and pride bounced around the walls with the power of the Sonorus spell.
You're Hermione Granger, you can do this.
She started moving towards the large archway leading to the elevators and office to her right. Nobody was paying her attention.
Until she was just about to turn the corner, throwing a last glance into the populated room of distracted people, meeting a pair of attentive, grey eyes.
"Dammit", she cry-whispered, quickly walking down the hall. Draco had seen her leave. She had to get the cloak on soon she thought, opening her purse as she was about to cram her arm in to the armpit, when suddenly she ran into someone.
"Oops! Look where you're walking, Miss Granger!", Milla chirped in an annoyingly chipper tone. Hermione hadn't seen her coming the other way; the evening halls of the Ministry were simply too dark.
"Don't worry", Hermione laughed nervously, smiling until Milla decided to leave.
Hermione's heart was pounding fast as Milly kept walking toward the room. The girl had cost her time.
She buried her arm deep within the purse, desperately feeling around for the silky fabric of the cloak.
There it was. She pulled it up.
"What have you got there, Granger?"
With a small yelp, Hermione swirled on the spot to face Draco leaning non-chalantly against a pillar in the middle of the hallway, arms folded across his chest, stern eyes watching her with a raised eyebrow. She let go of the cloak and clicked the purse shut.
Hermione exhaled through her nose, lips pressed tightly together, grinding her teeth.
"Do you always follow alone women down dark hallways, Malfoy?", she spat.
He pushed himself off of the pillar and stepped closer.
"Only when they're obviously gonna do something stupid."
"You conceited prat! You don't know that!", Hermione erupted with a terrible squeak in her voice, but Draco continued.
"-do you really think I don't know you after years of working together? Don't be ridiculous."
Draco was looking right at her and Hermione breathed, formulating an answer in her head before she could push it past her lips.
"I'm ridiculous? Aren't you the one who lied yesterday? Parkinson looked right busy on your arm, you're right."
Not a single muscle moved in his face as her words hung in the air.
"So was McLaggen, wasn't he?"
Hermione mouth fell open. Her mind was blank with blind anger at his words. Too many thoughts were flitting through her mind, and not enough words to force them all out at once.
"I didn't lie. I really wasn't planning on going out with them, they basically forced me to."
Words returned to her mouth as Hermione scoffed.
"Please, that's the worst excuse I've ever heard. They forced you? As if anyone could force you to do anything."
The shadows on his face grew shorter as he stepped even closer, and Hermione could see the muscles in his tense jaw shift.
"I tend to lie even less."
"I'm not doing this. I'm leaving."
Hermione turned around and walked away, down the hall, towards the elevators. She had to find a way to get rid of him, her thoughts of him, and the cloak on her. She was already in bad timing.
Draco followed her without missing a beat.
"Leaving? Where?"
"That doesn't bloody concern you, Malfoy, because if I remember right, you said you weren't 'doing this anymore'!", she shouted, then stopping in her tracks as she realized what she'd admitted.
"So you were going to try and do something reckless."
Hermione could feel his presence behind her, like a magnet she was trying so hard to resist.
She was strong. So she started walking again.
"Where are you going?", he repeated, the sound of his shoes clacking as he followed her.
Hermione was staring at a fixed point on the horizon when she answered.
"Home."
A haughty chuckle that sent shingles up her spine echoed through the hall.
"I have a hard time believing that."
"Well, believe it", she forced through clenched teeth. They had almost reached the elevators, the noises of the event far away now as the faint clapping of the crowd bounced off the high walls.
"If that's the case, then you surely don't mind me making sure you get you home safe."
"I do mind actually, I don't need a bloody babysitter. Stop bothering me."
She picked up her pace as she steered towards the nearest elevator, her legs trembling. It seemed that her efforts were fruitless, because Draco had entered behind her before she could close it.
"For Merlin's sake, will you leave it!", she shrieked then, shaking with the efforts to contain herself. She had turned around to face him, crossed arms and scornful look.
The bright light of the elevator didn't hide the rigid, displeased line of his brows like the shadows in the halls did. Hermione stared at him, begging her eyes not to move an inch away from his eyes, nowhere near his light stubble, his lips or the sharp suit he wore.
"I'm protecting you from yourself. You promised me you'd stop this!"
"I didn't promise you anything! I just said I'd stop for now, and- "
"You stopped for five fucking days!"
Amongst their screaming voices, the elevator was rattling loudly as it started moving downwards. Any plans of entering the Department of Mysteries had finally disappeared; even if Hermione did manage to get rid of him, she was far too mad to continue her original plan now.
"So what?! You don't get to have a say on what I do, Malfoy!", Hermione yelled. Right before he could shout back, the elevator doors opened with mechanical clattering and Hermione rushed past him before he could even turn. She felt his hand grip her upper arm, but his fingers slid away before he could hold her back.
"Don't run away from me, Hermione!"
Hermione speed-walked through the empty atrium, her heels clacking angrily on the floor.
"Oh, I'll run away! I'm done being bossed around!"
"Bossed around?! I'm saving you from yourself!", he shouted, but Hermione was ignoring him.
Suddenly, his fast steps grew near and before she could match her speed, her purse was snatched from where she had been holding it tightly.
She stopped so abruptly, she almost tumbled, swirling on the spot.
"Give me back my fucking purse!", she cried, but Draco was holding it high above his head.
"Not until we talk this out", he gritted through his teeth.
They stared at each other for a few moments. Hermione was contemplating her choices.
Then she lunged at him, almost pulling him down with her as she tried to yank his arm down. He was ridiculously strong; where did he hide all those muscles?!
After a few moments of hard breathing and panting, trying to overpower the other, Hermione let out a frustrated screech.
"Merlin help me, I'm stupid!"
She pulled out her wand, but Draco was ahead of her.
"Protego!"
"Accio!"
Hermione watched slack mouthed as her spell bounced off the force shield in front of him.
Draco was watching her expectantly, waiting for her next move.
"Fine. Keep the purse. It matches your suit."
She turned on the spot and marched to the fireplaces.
"What?!", he shouted, exasperated.
"You heard me. Add it to your collection."
She had almost reached the fireplaces. Fast steps were growing closer.
"You'd rather have me your purse with whatever stuff in it than talk this out?!", he yelled. Hermione grabbed a handful of Floo from the pot next to the fireplace, stepping inside and turning to face Draco.
"No. I just want to go home and forget this ever happened."
Draco skidded to a halt a few meters away, watching stunned as she threw down the Floo powder and shouted her address, swirling away as green flames engulfed her body.
When Hermione stepped out of her fireplace into the barely lit living room, the low glim from the aquarium the first thing she saw and besides, a sleeping Crookshanks, she could almost think that her heart wasn't racing from the stupid fight.
She couldn't believe she had joined his childish antics. She knew he wasn't going to look through her purse; even then, there was little in there he couldn't buy himself.
The pit in her stomach was burning with the tight ball of feelings he triggered; she was mad at him for trying to control her, yet she missed him, she missed the person she was around his usual self, and there was this bloody pulse of excitement rushing through her whole body as her cursed mind kept reminding her what his form felt like pressed against hers.
Hermione might explode with all the sensations all over her body; she couldn't stop trembling.
With a sigh, she walked to the sofa, plopped down as she took off her heels. Crookshanks meowed offendedly and jumped off, stalking out of the room with his tail raised high.
She had just lain back, wondering if it was worth obliviating herself, when rapid, erratic knocks rapped on her door.
She raised her head, blinking through the dim light at the door. It couldn't be-
"Hermione, just take your damn purse. I shouldn't have taken it."
His words were muffled through the door; he sounded mildly out of breath, still a temper in his voice. Yet, it kind of sounded like he was begging her.
Hermione rose to her feet, staring at the door, contemplating.
"I know you're there, Granger."
With a stutter in her heartbeat, she walked towards the door and switched the light on, then performed the spells to unlock her wards. She opened it wide enough to see him in the unforgiving light of her apartment buildings hallway.
His cheeks were still tinged a pink colour from the shouting and his brows were drawn in a manner that told her he was still furious, but nonetheless, he held out her purse.
"Here."
Hermione took it.
"Why didn't you come by Floo?", she asked, looking at her purse, then up at him.
He raised an eyebrow.
"You were willing to leave me alone with your precious purse. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have hesitated hexing me up to Scotland if I had just come into your living room."
"That's true."
They looked at each other. The electrical ball was tossing and turning behind her chest; she couldn't help but huff and draw her eyebrows again.
"You're still an idiot."
Draco laid his head back and closed his eyes, his nostrils flaring.
"Merlin help me. You're more bloody stubborn than it does you goo- "
"Oh, don't tell me I'm stubborn!", she interrupted, agitated, turning away to walk back to her living room, not bothering to close the door. He wouldn't leave until they had it out, and she'd rather have it out on her apartment than out in the hallway. She felt wildly uncomfortable, thinking about escaping again – but a hellish week had made her weak.
"I'm being reasonable if anything! Whatever brilliant bloody plan you had for tonight, I am absolutely sure it wouldn't have worked out anyway!"
He followed her inside and Hermione turned on the spot, glaring.
"You don't bloody know that! And why do you care so much anyway?! You said you weren't gonna be involved in this anymore!", she screeched, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I do bloody know that, because there is no way to get into the department without getting into danger! And just because I'm not willing to risk my own life for this case doesn't mean I'll let you risk yours, and- "
"Oh, aren't you a knight in shining armor?! I got in there when I was fifteen, I don't think I'll get killed doing it now! You're just so bloody controlling it's- "
Draco stepped closer, his neck and cheeks flushed as he interrupted her.
"And don't you think they upped their security measures now?! Even then, you should have asked me for help-"
"Ask you for help?! You barely looked at me all week! You don't get to stop working on this case and then be offended when I don't consult your High Honour- "
"Just because I didn't want to work on this anymore doesn't mean you can put yourself in danger!", he shouted. The mingling of their screaming words filled the room to the brim.
"Why do you even worry so much, Malfoy?!", she cried, hands balled to fists at her side.
"Because I bloody care about you! Is that so hard to understand?! I thought you were- "
Before Draco could finish whatever he thought she was, his voice broke, mouth frozen in a stunned O, his eyes focused on a point behind Hermione.
Hermione watched him, completely confused, before she turned to look what had stopped his tirade.
Her heart stopped.
The aquarium was swirling with red and yellow fireflies, dipping the room into a deep, orange glow. Her mind retraced the conversation to who said whose name last.
As the realization hit her, the ball in her chest constricted, pulling away all and any thoughts, plummeting them into a deep hole that opened in the depths of her stomach, sucking her down with it. The lightness in her head made her feel dizzy and sick all of a sudden; hot, white panic was deafening her ears.
Her face rushed with hot, flush embarrassment. She wished for nothing more than the ground to swallow her up and never spit her out again. Her heart was beating so fast and loud, she wondered if her neighbours could hear it pumping wildly.
The moment stretched on forever it seemed; in her mind, an hour had passed when she finally turned back towards Draco again, every movement so slow, it felt like pushing through freshly poured cement.
Hermione liked to think that she could read Draco Malfoy better than most people.
However, she had never seen a look of absolute, pure… awe.
Her mind was sluggishly wondering what it might mean when he suddenly surged forward, grabbing her head between his hands and crashing his lips to hers.
For just a second, Hermione was stunned, her eyes opened as her brain caught up with reality.
Then, like a dam had been released, she kissed him back with more fervour than she'd previously believed herself capable of: Suddenly, her hands were in his hair, pulling at the silky strands, pretty sure it must be hurting him.
He emitted a low groan as he peppered her with kisses, over and over, until Hermione arched into him, scratching his neck, and his tongue pushed past her lips and pinned her bare. She could barely feel them moving backwards.
Her toes curled, all senses surrendered, no thoughts in her mind left. His hands were roaming her body almost desperately, like he couldn't decide where to hold her, what part of her wanted to touch first. Her skin was on fire, electricity shooting from his every single touch.
Hermione's hands slid down his neck to the front of his suit jacket, her fingers greedily traveling underneath to feel his solid, broad chest through his shirt. He squeezed her waist, hip, bum and she sighed as his lips moved down a path she could still remember all too well.
His hands were pulling and yanking on the tight fabric of the dress.
"Bloody dress driving me crazy", he breathed through kisses peppered along her bare shoulder as he pushed said dress away to reveal more skin. Hermione was grabbing at his jacket like an impatient child; there was far too much clothing still separating them.
Her lips found his again and suddenly Hermione's back hit the wall, and she braced herself against it as she clumsily pulled off his jacket and shirt, their lips disconnecting for far too long.
"Hasty, are we?", he chuckled as her trembling fingers pulled the shirt over his head and he emerged with swollen lips, flushed cheeks and completely tousled hair.
"Shut up", she mumbled, pulling him back into a kiss. His hands started running over her body again, leaving a hot trail in their path that burned all over.
"Where is the bloody zipper?", he whispered as he pulled back to look down her back over her shoulder, desperate.
"Left side", Hermione replied out of breath as she finally focused on his creamy white shoulders and toned chest; planting a trail of hot kisses from his neck to his shoulder, sucking and biting down lightly as she felt like it. He was breathing heavily, his movements sluggish, and Hermione relished in the sounds she could draw from him, focusing all of her might into leaving as many marks as possible on his now wet skin.
"Merlin dammit- ", she heard after his hands patted her sides down wildly, before the sound of tearing fabric made her jolt back from where her mouth had been connected to his neck.
"Draco!", she gasped, but he was kissing her again, over and over, and she'd already forgotten about the dress.
"I'll buy you ten new ones", he breathed.
From where he had ripped the dress, it was draping down leisurely, exposing her shoulders fully and coming to a rest on the swell of her breasts. For a second, Hermione worried about the basic, mismatched underwear she was wearing, but all worries disappeared with a shudder as he explored the newly uncovered skin, completely unbothered.
She didn't even notice when one of his hands hitched her leg up to wrap around his hips, and before she knew it, she was pushed up against the wall being held by nothing by his hands on her bum, the wall itself and her arms wrapped around his neck.
Without missing a beat, lips still sealed together, Draco lifted her off the wall, swallowing her yelp as he grunted.
The trip to her bedroom was clipped; later, Hermione would only remember how they clumsily crashed into several obstacles along the way, leaving a trail of chaos behind, before they even reached their destination.
And once Draco dropped her on the sheets, climbing over her to reconnect their lips, nothing mattered anymore but the sheets wrapped around them and how his burning skin felt against hers.