Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny boarded the train and began searching for
an empty compartment. Ever since their second year, Mrs. Weasley had made
sure that they all arrived at Platform 9 ¾ early, so it didn't take long
for the four to find a space.
"Harry, do you mind just looking after Ron and my things while we go have our prefect meeting?" asked Hermione.
"No, it's fine," replied Harry. He had long since relinquished his resentment at being the only one of his three friends to have not been made a prefect.
"We'll be back soon," said Ron as he and Hermione slipped out the door of the compartment.
As Ron and Hermione made their way down the train toward the Prefects' car, another boy followed them, keeping close to the girl behind the red-haired boy.
"Well, if it isn't the Weasel and the Mudblood," said an icy voice.
"Malfoy," Ron grunted, gritting his teeth, as he spun around to face the smirking Slytherin.
"Well, well, well, the mudblood certainly has changed over the summer... wouldn't you say so Weasel?" teased Draco, openly staring at Hermione's chest.
Hermione stuck out her arm in the split second before Ron lunged, effectively barring him from strangling Malfoy.
"It's okay Ron. Stop! I can handle this myself!" she pleaded, remembering Ron's anger from past years. And then, turning to Malfoy, she punched him square in the jaw.
Draco reeled back, half from shock and half from pain. "You, you..." he trailed off, failing to find the words for what Hermione had just done.
"I changed in a lot of ways over the summer Draco. You don't scare me anymore," said Hermione fiercely as she grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him towards the Prefects' car.
"We'll just see about that," muttered Draco, smirking as he rubbed his sore jaw.
*****
Finishing up their meeting, Ron and Hermione got up to go find Harry. As she opened the door to the compartment, Hermione glared at Malfoy who was staring at her with his cool blue eyes.
"Granger," said Malfoy putting himself between her and the exit.
"What is it now Malfoy?" asked Hermione impatiently as Ron, oblivious to the scene behind him, walked off alone to find Harry and his sister.
Malfoy looked around. All the prefects had left and they were alone in the compartment. He reached behind him and locked the door, smirking at Hermione whose face was increasingly becoming paler.
"Malfoy, like I told you, I'm not afraid of you anymore," said Hermione weakly.
"So you say Granger. but I happen to think differently."
Malfoy put a hand on Hermione's shoulder and, as if a reflex, she jolted, snatching her arm away from his touch.
Hermione blushed, embarrassed by her actions. But the fact was, she wasn't the only one who had changed over the summer. Draco too had grown, in more ways than one. He was taller and more muscular, two qualities which Hermione couldn't help but notice. Looking up into his piercing blue eyes, she felt a shudder run through her body. But it wasn't a shudder of fear. No. What she felt was must stronger, much warmer. It was as if Draco's brief touch had ignited a spark that was now coursing through her whole body. Hermione's pulse was racing and her breath was coming up short. She looked up at Draco, holding his gaze, and found a smile creeping across her face. She was surprised to find how welcome she found his presence above her. She released her tense muscles, and raised herself up to meet him.
Malfoy could tell what was going on in Hermione's mind. He was fully aware of his looks and their effect, and was using them to his full advantage with the only girl he had ever craved. Malfoy smirked at Hermione's appreciative stare and tentatively tried once more to lay a hand on her shoulder. She didn't push him away this time.
Hermione bit her lip as Draco ran his fingers up and down her silky skin, raising goosebumps with his touch. She felt her whole body heating up and could feel the desire welling up within her. She reached out for Draco's body. She needed to feel him with her own hands.
She rubbed his chest with her slender fingers and could feel his heart beating just as fast as hers was. Draco slipped an arm around her waist and gently pushed her down onto a bench.
Hermione looked up at Draco. She knew he was going to kiss her, knew it could go much farther. and she wasn't doing anything to stop it. Her mind and heart were at war: his touch made her body erupt with passion, but she knew his true nature and it frustrated her. But although her mind was screaming for her to stop, her body was helpless, and she gave in to his warmth.
As he lowered himself on top of her, Draco leaned his face in towards hers. Hermione could feel his hot breath on her face and she let out a moan as he crushed her lips with his own. Malfoy stroked the silky insides of her mouth with his tongue and she reciprocated by entangling her tongue with his.
Malfoy drew his head up to look at Hermione. And then he did something disastrous: he smirked that same smirk that had taunted Hermione and her friends throughout their previous five years at Hogwarts; that same smirk that had called her a mudblood; that same smirk that had mocked her, made fun of her, and put her down endlessly.
As Draco leaned in once again, Hermione turned her head away and roughly pushed Malfoy away, pulling herself out from under him and rising quickly to her feet.
He looked at her quizzically, "What is it? What's wrong?"
"You are!" she replied, "This is! You have tormented me for five years and you suddenly expect all to be forgiven? I can't do this. I'm sorry."
Hermione looked both sad and angry as she turned the lock and went out the door, leaving Malfoy looking bewildered.
Hermione shut the door behind her and leaned back on it breathing heavily. What had she done? Draco was her worst enemy and she had. kissed him! Panicking, Hermione rushed off to find Harry and Ron.
*****
Finally sitting down with her friends, Hermione hesitated as they asked her where she had been. Should she tell them the truth? Would they forgive her if she did?
"I. uh. I was looking for some food," she lied, hoping that her past reliability would make this silly answer seem somehow plausible. It did.
Harry and Ron shrugged, but Ginny gave her a puzzled look, as if she didn't quite believe her. Hermione refused to meet the youngest Weasley's stare, and instead concentrated on the story Ron was telling.
Ginny continued to stare at Hermione. Something wasn't right, she thought to herself. Not only had they just had breakfast but. where was the food she had gone looking for? Ginny decided to forget it. Hermione would tell them if something serious was going on. Of course she would. right?
"Harry, do you mind just looking after Ron and my things while we go have our prefect meeting?" asked Hermione.
"No, it's fine," replied Harry. He had long since relinquished his resentment at being the only one of his three friends to have not been made a prefect.
"We'll be back soon," said Ron as he and Hermione slipped out the door of the compartment.
As Ron and Hermione made their way down the train toward the Prefects' car, another boy followed them, keeping close to the girl behind the red-haired boy.
"Well, if it isn't the Weasel and the Mudblood," said an icy voice.
"Malfoy," Ron grunted, gritting his teeth, as he spun around to face the smirking Slytherin.
"Well, well, well, the mudblood certainly has changed over the summer... wouldn't you say so Weasel?" teased Draco, openly staring at Hermione's chest.
Hermione stuck out her arm in the split second before Ron lunged, effectively barring him from strangling Malfoy.
"It's okay Ron. Stop! I can handle this myself!" she pleaded, remembering Ron's anger from past years. And then, turning to Malfoy, she punched him square in the jaw.
Draco reeled back, half from shock and half from pain. "You, you..." he trailed off, failing to find the words for what Hermione had just done.
"I changed in a lot of ways over the summer Draco. You don't scare me anymore," said Hermione fiercely as she grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him towards the Prefects' car.
"We'll just see about that," muttered Draco, smirking as he rubbed his sore jaw.
*****
Finishing up their meeting, Ron and Hermione got up to go find Harry. As she opened the door to the compartment, Hermione glared at Malfoy who was staring at her with his cool blue eyes.
"Granger," said Malfoy putting himself between her and the exit.
"What is it now Malfoy?" asked Hermione impatiently as Ron, oblivious to the scene behind him, walked off alone to find Harry and his sister.
Malfoy looked around. All the prefects had left and they were alone in the compartment. He reached behind him and locked the door, smirking at Hermione whose face was increasingly becoming paler.
"Malfoy, like I told you, I'm not afraid of you anymore," said Hermione weakly.
"So you say Granger. but I happen to think differently."
Malfoy put a hand on Hermione's shoulder and, as if a reflex, she jolted, snatching her arm away from his touch.
Hermione blushed, embarrassed by her actions. But the fact was, she wasn't the only one who had changed over the summer. Draco too had grown, in more ways than one. He was taller and more muscular, two qualities which Hermione couldn't help but notice. Looking up into his piercing blue eyes, she felt a shudder run through her body. But it wasn't a shudder of fear. No. What she felt was must stronger, much warmer. It was as if Draco's brief touch had ignited a spark that was now coursing through her whole body. Hermione's pulse was racing and her breath was coming up short. She looked up at Draco, holding his gaze, and found a smile creeping across her face. She was surprised to find how welcome she found his presence above her. She released her tense muscles, and raised herself up to meet him.
Malfoy could tell what was going on in Hermione's mind. He was fully aware of his looks and their effect, and was using them to his full advantage with the only girl he had ever craved. Malfoy smirked at Hermione's appreciative stare and tentatively tried once more to lay a hand on her shoulder. She didn't push him away this time.
Hermione bit her lip as Draco ran his fingers up and down her silky skin, raising goosebumps with his touch. She felt her whole body heating up and could feel the desire welling up within her. She reached out for Draco's body. She needed to feel him with her own hands.
She rubbed his chest with her slender fingers and could feel his heart beating just as fast as hers was. Draco slipped an arm around her waist and gently pushed her down onto a bench.
Hermione looked up at Draco. She knew he was going to kiss her, knew it could go much farther. and she wasn't doing anything to stop it. Her mind and heart were at war: his touch made her body erupt with passion, but she knew his true nature and it frustrated her. But although her mind was screaming for her to stop, her body was helpless, and she gave in to his warmth.
As he lowered himself on top of her, Draco leaned his face in towards hers. Hermione could feel his hot breath on her face and she let out a moan as he crushed her lips with his own. Malfoy stroked the silky insides of her mouth with his tongue and she reciprocated by entangling her tongue with his.
Malfoy drew his head up to look at Hermione. And then he did something disastrous: he smirked that same smirk that had taunted Hermione and her friends throughout their previous five years at Hogwarts; that same smirk that had called her a mudblood; that same smirk that had mocked her, made fun of her, and put her down endlessly.
As Draco leaned in once again, Hermione turned her head away and roughly pushed Malfoy away, pulling herself out from under him and rising quickly to her feet.
He looked at her quizzically, "What is it? What's wrong?"
"You are!" she replied, "This is! You have tormented me for five years and you suddenly expect all to be forgiven? I can't do this. I'm sorry."
Hermione looked both sad and angry as she turned the lock and went out the door, leaving Malfoy looking bewildered.
Hermione shut the door behind her and leaned back on it breathing heavily. What had she done? Draco was her worst enemy and she had. kissed him! Panicking, Hermione rushed off to find Harry and Ron.
*****
Finally sitting down with her friends, Hermione hesitated as they asked her where she had been. Should she tell them the truth? Would they forgive her if she did?
"I. uh. I was looking for some food," she lied, hoping that her past reliability would make this silly answer seem somehow plausible. It did.
Harry and Ron shrugged, but Ginny gave her a puzzled look, as if she didn't quite believe her. Hermione refused to meet the youngest Weasley's stare, and instead concentrated on the story Ron was telling.
Ginny continued to stare at Hermione. Something wasn't right, she thought to herself. Not only had they just had breakfast but. where was the food she had gone looking for? Ginny decided to forget it. Hermione would tell them if something serious was going on. Of course she would. right?