Prologue pt 1

The Yule Ball – 4th year

Hermione collapsed onto the stairs, caring naught that the dirt and grime from so many of the other students' shoes would ruin her brand new, silk periwinkle gown. She loved this dress… loved how the silk folds highlighted her slim figure… how the lavender blue color made her complexion shine… But none of it mattered now. The dress, once a symbol of her transformation from ugly duckling to beautiful swan for one glorious albeit imperfect night, was now just a reminder of another special occasion ruined because of Ron Weasley. She tore at her velvet heels, unbuckling them from her sore feet to toss aside on the stairwell.

And then the tears came, trickling down her cheeks unwarranted, no doubt smudging her perfectly well-done makeup. She didn't even have the energy to swipe them away. She let herself have it… a good cry, as her mother would say. She hung her head, silently sobbing against the bodice of her dress.

Someone stepped up on the stair directly beneath her. Through teary eyes, she focused on the well-polished black patent leather of the man's shoes.

Great, she thought wearily, Harry Potter to save the day…again.

"Go away, Harry," she whimpered. "I want to be left alone."

"If you want to be alone, Granger, might I suggest having your cry somewhere a little more private?" the deep, silky, always mocking, voice sounded from above her.

Her head snapped up and she came face to face with Draco Malfoy. He had removed his robes, casually slinging them over his shoulder, leaving him in his impeccably pressed white dress shirt, black trousers and those stupid, shiny shoes of his. He placed his left foot on the stair in which she sat and leaned forward to rest his forearm on his propped knee. Her dark eyes clashed with his beautiful grey gaze and then fell to his lips almost immediately, which were suddenly very close to her face. Of course, he was smirking at her… his perfect pout turned up at the corners in that irritating sneer he had come to have in all their exchanges.

He reached forward and with the pad of his thumb, he caught a new tear as it rolled down her cheek, gently wiping it away.

She suddenly realized her mouth had dropped open and she quickly closed it. She abruptly shot to her feet, briefly knocking into him, causing them both to stumble. He stepped back on the stair, righting himself. She looked at him, her eyes as wide as a deer's stuck in headlights. She glanced around, clearly startled. She swallowed deeply then bolted… flying up the remaining stairs and whipping to the left to flee down a lesser used corridor.

One thought played over in her mind like a broken record… Escape.

Cool fingers gripped tightly to her elbow and she was thrust into an empty classroom, the door sealing shut with a conjured locking spell. Her brain froze at the sight of him…. his tall, lean figure tossing his robes and her shoes to the floor before stalking towards her.

She instinctively backed away, her back colliding with the brick wall of the room.

He closed the distance between them. His long, pale fingers encircled one of her wrists and he yanked her towards him, both his arms wrapping around her as she collided with his hard chest. She buried her face against the soft starched fabric of his shirt and the flood gates reopened. She wept into him, dimly aware this was Draco Malfoy…

Not Harry…

Not Ron…

Draco…

He didn't speak, just held her tight, his hands gently caressing circles at the small of her back, his chin resting atop her head.

They stayed like this for what seemed like an eternity, until she no longer had any tears left… until her breath was steady and her sobs had quieted.

Her mind slowly came awake then.

She suddenly became very aware of his male presence. Expensive cologne filled her nostrils… a heady yet clean scent that tickled her senses and started a strange fluttering low in her belly. His chest, all lean and hard muscle, rose and fell against her bosom with every breath he took. His heart a thunderous steady beat in her ears, picking up pace the more she moved against him. She licked her lips, the skin chapped and dry, and she pulled back a little.

For one brief moment, his arms tightened around her, almost as if he longed to hold her there against him. But his brain must have awoken too, for his arms fell away and he took a step back.

She openly stared at him. His white shirt was a mess… wet and smeared with her makeup. She instinctively wiped at her face, wondering how terrible she must look. She gave a hysterical laugh as she realized for the first time in her life, she cared what she looked like in front of him…

Draco…

He placed his hands on his hips, snapping "What's so funny, Granger?" Her last name fell from his lips as if it was disgusting for him to even say.

She laughed again, throwing her hands up, "Nothing…Everything… This whole fucking night…" She brought her hands to wrap around herself, half turning away from him. "Tonight was supposed to be magical…" she spoke quietly, more to herself than to him.

He snorted, "Every day of our lives is magical…" He sauntered over to where he dropped his robes, leaning down to pick them up. He paused, his hand hovering over her discarded shoes. He gave a quick shake of his blonde head before grabbing them too. He turned to look at her.

"Tell me what he did," he ordered, a sharp contrast to the person who only moments before was holding her in his arms, caressing her… comforting her.

Draco…

"What?" she questioned. "Wh-who?"

"Krum!" His fist clenched around the straps of her shoes. "The bloody oaf! Tell me and I'll make sure he gets what's coming to him."

"Wh-why do you care?" Her head was spinning at his words; she didn't even stop to correct his accusation. Viktor Krum had been nothing but a gentleman all night.

"Because I'm the one who pointed him in your direction!" he spat with intended malice. But not at her. He was angry with himself.

She swallowed, "I don't understand."

He gave her an incredulous look, "For someone who thinks she's so brilliant, you really are a daft bint, Granger." He looked down at her shoes clutched so desperately in his hand, a faraway look in his eyes. He released a shaky breath, still not meeting her gaze, "You deserved to know…" He stopped, gave a quick shake of his head then continued, "You deserved one night… away from those two… one night to shine…" He finally looked over at her, an unmistakable heat burning behind his grey eyes now, "I didn't force him to ask you…magic or otherwise… I only…" Again, he paused. "…I only encouraged him to look at you…"

She gasped. His eyes immediately fell to her lips.

"Now he's gone and ruined this for you…" More malice…more of that Malfoy anger.

She shook her head, the pins holding up her thick curls coming loose, setting her hair free to tumble down to her shoulders. There was no mistaking his sharp intake of breath. What the hell was happening here?

"It wasn't Krum," her voice pleaded, new unshed tears making her eyes glitter in the soft light.

Heat flooded his porcelain cheeks. "Weasley," he choked out.

She bit her bottom lip, her arms tightening around her.

Draco studied her for a moment. Then he dropped the things in his hands and closed the distance between them. His palms covered her cheeks and he leaned down.

Hermione reared back, "What are you doing?"

"Shut up, Granger."

He pressed his lips to hers.

Hermione froze, her mind completely going blank. She dug her nails into her ribs in a bleak effort to keep from reaching for him. But it was to no avail. He dragged her close and she stumbled into his embrace, her hands grasping now at his shirt, still wet from her tears. It clung mercilessly to his muscular form and she released a gasp at the realization of exactly what he had been hiding underneath his robes these past years.

He took advantage of her open mouth, sweeping his tongue inside, caressing her inner warmth. His soft lips moved against her own, sucking and bruising her tender flesh with hard kisses. Over and over, he kissed her… until he felt her resolve break and she finally leaned into him.

Hermione moaned into Draco's mouth, her tongue learning to move with his, their teeth biting and nipping at each other's lips. His hands fell to her shoulders then moved to her hips. He dragged her closer… if that was possible…and shoved his leg between her thighs to fit her against him. Her back hit the wall of the classroom with a bruising thud.

"S-sorry…" he stammered, briefly disengaging his mouth.

Draco Malfoy was apologizing to her, she thought wildly.

His lips reclaimed hers, his mouth moving with hers slowly, his kisses long and more drawn out now.

Fuck, Draco Malfoy was kissing her.

She tried to follow his lead, to copy his movements… to learn… After all, this was her first kiss.

Draco suddenly pulled back, "Relax, Granger. I've got you."

"Sorry." Now she was apologizing… to Draco Malfoy.

He lowered his mouth to her, his thumb at the corner of her lips, urging her to open for him. She released a breathy sigh and he smiled a moment before descending for another kiss. He softly tugged at her top lip, then dragged her bottom lip between his teeth, giving it a gentle bite before again driving his tongue into her mouth. His thigh pushed against her core, restrained by the tight fabric of her gown. She lowered her hands to drag the fabric to her knees… to give him more access. He growled and shifted his body, bringing his thigh higher to grind against her.

He swallowed her sudden cry of pleasure. The friction of his trousers against her warmth, combined with his wicked kisses had created a wetness between her thighs that left her feeling wholly unsure of what was happening. Then he repeated the movement, and she had to bite her lip to stifle her moan.

Her legs began to shake and she realized in horror that she was going to come. She was going to have her first orgasm with her arch nemesis.

You're fraternizing with the enemy… Ron's stupid voice screamed in her head. But it was enough to break her shaky disposition.

This was wrong.

She started to push against him, to free herself from his grasp. He must have assumed she had other intentions and he grinded against her once more, relishing in how she cried out his name.

Hermione needed for this to stop. She wasn't ready for this… especially not with him. She placed her palms against his chest, ignoring the warmth and feel of him through the thin material of his dress shirt, and shoved with all her might.

Draco stumbled back, catching himself on a nearby desk. He turned to look at her with shock and surprise. But the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew.

He took one wobbly step towards her, reaching to offer her comfort but she inadvertently shrank back.

Draco's eyes went cold. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, unmistakable fury uncoiling in his muscles. He abruptly turned and stalked over to gather his dress robes, practically ripping them from the ground. Then he hurried to the door, yanking it open. But he stopped just short of exiting.

He whirled on her. "If you tell anyone about this, you filthy little mudblood, you will live to regret it," he bit out. And then he was gone, disappearing into the corridor.

Hermione whipped out her wand, slamming the door shut. Then her legs gave out from beneath her and she sank to the ground, the tears tearing from her in broken sobs.