I promised that I would not give up on this story. I am planning on keeping that promise. I am very sorry for the wait. I do not have the ability to guarantee quick updates, but I can guarantee a completion. Someday.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.


"Have you considered that maybe it's, I don't know, not in one of these books?"

"A library has never failed me once, Malfoy, so I think you should simply shut it."

Hermione was sitting at the table in the Black library, engrossed in another book. Malfoy stood behind her, leaning over her shoulder, and watching her eyes skim across the pages of the most recent volume she was rifling through. It was a position he had held many times over the last week, becoming more comfortable every passing day. Ever since their conversation that the stars alone had allowed, Malfoy had been assisting her in the library like he'd offered.

The arrangement had been doing them both wonders; it allowed company since they both were barred from leaving the house, albeit for different reasons. So they researched.

Hermione was researching the mark on her arm. Draco was researching her.

"I just mean," he said, reaching over her shoulder and flipping another page of the 13th century manuscript she was sifting through. "You've barely left this room since you got grounded. Have you gotten even a smidge closer to cracking the case?"

"Well, Malfoy," she responded stoutly, her eyes scanning over the words. "Until I can explain why I have a new tattoo and an undeniable increase in power supply, I've got no other choice."

He sighed dramatically and walked around the table to take a seat at the opposite end. He picked up another volume from their pile on the table. "Can't we take a break? I feel like my eyes are about to fall out from reading about magical symbolism. This is why I stopped taking History of Magic."

She glanced up at him over the top of her book, cocking an eyebrow. "Do you have another suggestion on how to fill our never-ending cavern of disposable time?"

He shrugged. "We could chat."

"Chat?"

"Chat."

He could've sworn she started chuckling, but her face remained stony. "Have you forgotten that we are in the middle of a war?"

"Oh, my mistake. I thought we were blind dating."

Hermione rolled her eyes, and looked back at the manuscript. "I wouldn't take a blind date to a library, Malfoy."

"That is the most dishonest thing you have ever said to me, Granger. I thought we were past that."

She couldn't stop the chuckle this time. It burst forth, quickly turning into a full out guffaw. She smiled at him, the tension in her face relaxing. "I would do that, wouldn't I?"

He smirked before standing back up. He walked over to his original position right behind her chair, his hands grasping its frame near her shoulders. She turned back towards him, raising an eyebrow. Without warning, he leant down towards her, his voice a whisper dancing across her ear.

"At least you're self-aware," he murmured, as his gaze stayed a second too long on the hollow of her neck.

They had grown more comfortable around each other over the past week, as practically all their waking hours were spent together in the cramped space of the library. But this was a proximity she was not expecting. It was a proximity that was approaching the borderlands once again.

The line she was dancing around was dangerous. A single misstep could send her tumbling over it.

She was overwhelmed. Turning away quickly, she hit Malfoy in the face with her braid. "We should keep researching."

He sighed dramatically once again and let his head fall onto her shoulder in exasperation. He made the move before he realized what he was doing or before she could move out of the way. Hermione stiffened in her chair as his body tensed up.

It felt like a moment out of time. Hermione stayed frozen, unsure what to do as the breath in her throat caught. Draco swallowed, but refused to lift his head from where it met Hermione's bare shoulder.

Just as Hermione began to break the spell and move away, to fall safely back into her territory, away from this unknown point beyond the line, something changed. Slowly, softly, gently, shimmers began spreading outwards from the place where their skin touched, like fairy dust dancing across her body.

"Merlin." She let the word slip through her barely parted lips. Slowly, her eyes fell close as if there was no force in the world that could keep them open.

"What in the fuck," he whispered, barely aware of anything but the feeling of his skin touching hers, a razor focus as everything besides her blurred around the edges of his vision.

Neither of them moved.

The sensation pulsated softly across his skin. From their contact point, it spread down his body, until he could feel her everywhere as if it were her hands on him and not just a mirage. She was like water droplets; running down his skin and tracing new patterns as she went.

Resistance was futile; he fell into the sensation helplessly, his eyes closing until fireworks exploded behind his lids. Like a man enchanted, he moved his head forward until his lips were grazing her shoulder, the space separating them the size of a grain of sand.

They were at the mercy of the pounding sea above them.

She didn't say anything. She didn't need to. Whatever was sending him spinning had also entrapped her in the whirlpool.

He felt her give a very small nod against his jawline.

Permission.

They tumbled across the line, not even bothering to deny it a second longer.

He pressed his lips onto her skin, kissing her shoulder gently. Sparks erupted from where his lips tasted her as a gasp ripped out of her mouth. He lifted his hand to grasp the side of her arm, holding her a little closer to him, her back pressing against his chest.

Heaven almighty.

His lips started trailing towards the hollow of her neck which he had eyed earlier, kissing her with a tenderness neither of them suspected was possible of him. A man dying of thirst taking his first sip of water; her skin was holy and his lips revered her.

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move, she couldn't think about anything but the lips marking her, shocking her, and worshipping her with every touch. The world disappeared until all that was left was this man holding her flush against him, as if any separation would destroy them altogether.

Slowly, she lifted her trembling hand to reach back and curled her fingers in his hair, pulling him tighter against her body. Binding them together.

He felt like a lifeline.

"Merlin, Hermione," he whispered, his voice dancing across her skin.

It felt like ecstasy.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, shattering the spell into a thousand pieces.

He jumped back, his lips ripped from her skin. The shock from the separation set her off balance, nearly sending her tumbling off the chair. For a moment, she wasn't able to discern anything but the overwhelming emptiness stamping out every other emotion.

Without a moment to recover, the library opened to reveal Lupin, who strode in quickly.

"Oh perfect, you're both here," her old professor said, unaware of the monumental moment he had interrupted.

Normally, the energy in the room would have been a dead giveaway. However, Lupin was panting, obviously on edge and in a hurry.

"Is everything alright, Remus?" Hermione asked, praying he wouldn't notice the breathless quality of her voice. She had to pull herself together. She could sense Malfoy behind her, trying to do the same.

"One of our scouts tracking the Lestranges discovered that the Death Eaters are moving massive amounts of supplies into their manor on the South Shore," Lupin stated, running his hand nervously through his pepper-grey hair. "The supplies include the missing wands from Ollivanders and some of the potions lost after the raid of Knockturn two years back."

"Are you serious?" Hermione exclaimed, sitting up very straight, all thoughts of Malfoy lost as her brain made space for this new information. "Getting those wands, and especially some of those potions would be incredibly vital. We're losing more supplies with every mission."

"I know," Lupin replied, nodding vigorously. "This is huge. We haven't had this big an opportunity to win back an advantage since the botched Ollivander rescue."

"Full team, then?" Hermione asked, her face going white.

Lupin nodded.

The Slytherin in the room watched the two Order members exchange a serious look. Still trying to calm his pounding heart, he asked. "Sorry there?"

"The entire Order is going," Hermione answered briskly, not turning to look back at him. The emptiness Hermione had felt descended on Draco as he realized her snub.

"Not the entire Order," Lupin responded, dropping his eyes and still unaware of anything odd in the room.

There was a moment of silence as Lupin's statement made its full impact on Hermione.

She knew this was coming, she had to have.

However, the reality of it struck her like a battering ram.

It was one thing to be on house arrest during a lull in missions when no one was out and everyone was together. It was another to know that her entire side was entering a potentially game changing battle and she was benched.

Some of them might die, and she was stuck in a library with Malfoy.

A Malfoy she had just allowed to kiss her neck.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Lupin muttered, his eyes downcast. "But we can't risk it, not with this willow tree still such a clear question mark."

She took a deep breath, trying to shake the odd feeling that had arisen in her after realizing the nature of her current situation. What could she possibly say in this situation? Was this goodbye? Would they be fine without her?

Would they die while she sat here doing nothing?

Steadying herself, she finally spoke. "Please, just please send a patronus if it…if it doesn't work out."

Remus had no real response, but nodded, acquiescing to her wish.

"When are you all leaving?" Draco asked, leaning back on one of the bookcases, strategically putting more space between him and Hermione. It was strangling.

"Now," Lupin replied, standing up straight. "I just sent out the mass patronus. Anyone who is not at headquarters is going to meet us there."

"Estimated time period?" Hermione asked, struggling to use mission language while keeping her eyes forward.

"Three days if we're lucky. Longer if we can't break the wards."

She looked up. "Will you be able to break the wards?"

Lupin nodded. "With enough time and manpower, it shouldn't be an issue."

There was another pause.

"Take care of yourself," Hermione said quietly, trying to express all of her complicated emotions in four little words.

Remus nodded solemnly, giving her one final look before turning and exiting the room. Right before he closed the door, he turned back.

"If…if I know I'm not going to make it out, the last thing I'll do is send you my patronus."

Hermione took a shaking breath. "Thank you, Remus."

He nodded once more, and disappeared from the library. The two remaining occupants sat in blanketed silence as they heard doors open and close all throughout the house, followed by running footsteps for a few moments. After that, several pops in succession, and then complete silence.

Everyone was gone. And she was alone.

"Granger?" Draco asked after a few moments, timidly breaking the quiet spell. "Are you alright?"

She didn't turn to look at him, unsure of what she was going to see.

"It's okay if you're not," he said, approaching her from behind. He reached up to place a hand on her shoulder.

The contact set them both alight with pulsating flames once again.

Hermione jerked forward, away from the hand reaching out to her. "Why does that keep happening?" she spat out, wrapping her arms around herself protectively, but turning to face him at last.

She wouldn't meet his eye, but he could tell she was panting.

Draco looked down at his own hand, his eyebrows scrunched in concentration. "That was less erotic than last time."

A blush crept up her features. It struck him as beautiful. Unexpected. She was magnificent.

"We don't need to talk about that," she muttered, her eyes concentrated on the floor.

"Really?" he asked, a flash of daring driving him forward. "With us being alone in this house for three days, we should probably discuss our apparent inability to touch each other without moaning."

"We won't be alone," she shot back, ignoring the last part of his comment as she felt her cheeks turn bright red. "Blaise will be here as well."

He shook his head. "Blaise was just promoted to full Order member yesterday. Do you not pay attention to gossip?"

"I've been in here, remember?" she nearly snarled back.

"It's slightly depressing that the pariah of the house is more in the loop than you."

"Shut up, Malfoy," she snapped, causing him to smile at the normalcy of her comment.

Familiarity. That's what they needed.

"There," he said, trying to force his chest to relax when it felt on the brink of collapse. "That's my girl."

The words escaped his mouth before he could stop them. It was as if they became tangible, living things upon entering the air. He could see them spin towards Hermione, before hitting her full force, causing the princess to stand up from the chair and stumble backwards into the table.

"Excuse me?" she whispered angrily, tightening her arms around her chest. Protectively. Protecting herself from him. "Your what?"

"That came out wrong," he floundered, trying himself to comprehend the incomprehensible moniker that had escaped from the deepest part of his subconscious. "I just meant…it was…familiar… you insulting me reminded…reminded me of the girl I used to know." He stammered his explanation out quickly, trying to ignore his pounding heart screaming his own dishonesty back at him.

"I am anything but the girl you used to know, Malfoy," she spat, leaning against the table directly opposite to him.

Her sharpness set him on edge, irritation overtaking his mind. "Figured," he replied. "The girl I used to know would never have moaned if I kissed her neck."

The blush reappeared on her features. Gods, she was shockingly beautiful. Had she always been, he wondered.

He shook his head, confusion triumphing amongst his conflicting emotions. "Got an explanation for that, princess?"

She looked down for a moment, before her green eyes shot up to meet his grey ones at last .

The only word he had for the connection was magnetic.

"The only thing I'm wondering," he said, finding himself starting to take a couple steps towards the frozen girl. He couldn't fight off the magnetism. "If I have the power to make you moan by kissing your neck, what could I make you do by kissing other parts of your body?" He lets his gaze trail over her form.

Gods, how could he never have noticed? She was glorious.

"What do you know about my body, Malfoy?" she shivered, her voice softer than she initially anticipated. She was fighting to keep her breathing in check, but her heart was hammering out of her chest, its palpitations sending her to an early grave. Merlin, help her.

She was expecting a smirk, but the look on Malfoy's face was almost desperate. Begging. Hopeless. Wanting.

Longing in its purest form.

"I know what it feels like," he whispered, stepping still forward. "I know what it feels like to have you pulsing through my blood. To feel your power and magic in my veins. I know what it feels like to feel you with every heartbeat. Your magic, princess, it's indescribable."

He rested his hands on her hips, pulling her right up to his chest. The shockwaves surprised neither of them, but she sucked in a shocked breath regardless.

"That's not my body, Malfoy," she whispered, feeling as if she was drowning in him. He was the water pushing her downwards and the oxygen allowing her relief.

"No," he said, shaking his head, his eyes piercing. "It's everything you are."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"Why is this happening?" she asked again, without trying to move from her place in his arms. "How did we get here?"

"I think I know," he murmured, after a few seconds, tightening his grip on her hips, his fingers nearly bruising her. "It has to be because of the transfer. We're connected, Granger. And that connection is causing us to nearly disintegrate every time we touch. Think about it, princess. We hadn't touched since the transfer, since everything changed."

He was right. He had to be. She remembered what Fred had said about magic transfers. The most primal, natural part of her was her magic. And she had shared it with Malfoy.

No wonder the reaction was primal.

"Not everything's changed, Malfoy," she said as her only response.

He gave her a disdaining look before pulling her flat against his chest. "What did I say," he murmured. "About dishonesty?"

The stars she saw in his eyes would've blinded Venus.

"You're right," she whispered, in a willing defeat.

He smirked. "I often am." With those words, he lowered his lips back to her neck.

"I…," she stammered, trying desperately to focus, but being unable to think about anything but his lips tracing constellations on her skin. "I…I'm spoken for, Malfoy."

He chuckled, his breath leaving goosebumps in its wake. "We both know that's a massive exaggeration. Pretty boy didn't even come say goodbye before leaving for this mission, did he?"

Malfoy was right. Seamus hadn't come to say goodbye.

"What are you trying to do?" she shot back, before sitting up on the table. Malfoy slipped his hips between her legs but didn't stop kissing her neck.

"I'm not sure," he answered, letting his tongue caress her skin. "I'm not thinking a lot right now. I'm just doing what feels good, princess. And you can't deny that this feels incredible."

Unconsciously, she tilted her head back, allowing him access to her pulse point, her blood threatening to break through her skin at the stimulation. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Hmm?" he murmured, his tongue darting out to taste her.

"Princess," she nearly moaned it, giving up any form of resistance and wrapping her legs around his waist. Merlin, her entire body was shaking.

He steadied her, wrapping one arm around the small of her back.

"I don't know, princess," he muttered, trying to not say too much so as to not give anything away. "You've always been the Gryffindor princess, the princess of the resistance, princess of a lot of things."

"Merlin, Malfoy," she gasped, suddenly grasping his shirt in her fist. "What is happening?"

"I have no idea," he whispered, his own heart hammering. Could a beautiful woman kill a man? He had never thought it possible before now. "But I don't want it to stop."

"What is it?" she whispered, eyes closed, only focusing on Malfoy's trailing lips. "You kissing my neck?"

He pulled back from her for a moment. "I can kiss any part you asked me to."

She shook her head, ignoring the sudden ache between her thighs. "We can't do this."

"Why not?" he murmured, getting a little closer to her, not allowing an atom of air between their chests. "We're alone for three days and you can't deny that this feeling," he pulled her against him once more. "Is extraordinary."

"Seamus," she gasped out, trying to focus.

"You know you don't give a damn."

"It's the two of us," she tried again.

"The stars have declared otherwise."

She gained enough autonomy over herself to shove him a bit away. "Draco," she whispered.

Her name on his lips in this position was like nothing he had ever experienced before. Blinding. Debilitating. Deadly and reviving simultaneously.

"If just our skin touching causes this reaction, this sensation," she continued. "Anything more will destroy us. It's too much power. It's too much magic."

"Are you sure about that, princess?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Last I heard, you enjoyed magic and intimacy."

She blushed, recalling that Draco had overheard her and Seamus.

"Well," she started, trying to regain a steady head. "This wouldn't be intimate."

He blinked, pausing for a moment. "What are you talking about?"

She stared back in response. "Sex. Us having sex. What are you talking about?"

His heart nearly exploded at the possibility. "We are on the same page, princess, I just don't get what you mean. How would that not be intimate?"

She shuddered. Focus, Hermione. Focus. "Because it's us. If the two of us were to shag, it would be for ten minutes in the middle of a war. Not what I would call intimate."

He blinked at her, stunned into shock for a few seconds. Before he really knew what he was doing, he had reached down and grabbed her arm. Slowly, not breaking their eye contact for a moment, he raised her willow tree mark to his lips and kissed it softly, his piercing silver eyes on her green orbs.

It was as if she had never felt anything before in her life. It was as if she had never been touched, never been made love to, never cried, never cheered, and never cared about anything. Everything before that moment was a patch of monotonous grey, broken finally by this beautiful man, with his veins full of her power, kissing her arm with a tenderness she had never dared dream for. The universe exploded under her skin, sending her tumbling through galaxies.

"Draco," she gasped, his name escaping her lips once again.

He stared at her with an intensity befitting the gods.

"Now," he murmured, smirking slightly. "How's that for intimate?"

For once, in a very long while, she had absolutely nothing to say in response.


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