Chapter 15
After Hermione left, Draco turned to Crabbe and Goyle. "What is your problem?"
"Draco, she's a mudblood. You should know better."
"It's none of your business."
"Oh, but it is. Just leave her alone. You wouldn't want us to bring your father into this matter, would you?
"No.."
"Then stop. Just stop."
The two left the library, giving Draco time to think about what they had just said. It was true that she was not of pureblood. But did it really matter? After years of being taught that the only wizarding families who mattered were pure-blooded and rich, he was confused with why he suddenly saw things in a much different light.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Hermione lay in bed that night thinking of her and Draco's relationship. What was this? Just a fling? Was it anything more than physical attraction, or did they have a deeper connection? She really didn't know. They hadn't ever really talked before. They'd kissed multiple times, but she didn't know anything about him. She would talk to him tomorrow, she told herself.
She woke the next morning feeling very anxious about talking with Draco. She really wanted to know what he thought about "them" and what he was hoping it would turn into, or expecting it to turn into. She hurriedly showered and dressed, and was pouncing down the stairs towards the common room when Ginny called her name. "Oh, hey Ginny."
"What are you so excited about?"
"Not much. I'm going down to talk to Draco."
"Finally giving it up, I suppose?"
"Huh? No, no, everything is fine. Just.. talking."
"Oh," Ginny said, sounding saddened about Hermione's reply.
"Well.. see you later!" and she half walked-ran through the portrait and down to the Great Hall.
She burst through the doors and scanned the Slytherin table with her eyes automatically. An almost-silver head of hair caught her eye and she smiled and walked over to him. "Hey Draco," she whispered, "can we talk?" He nodded to her, and immediately he excused himself, got up from the table, and walked out of the room with her. She linked arms with him and smiled inwardly. This might turn out well. They walked down towards the dungeons and into an empty classroom. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" he asked, seating himself in a desk and looking up at her.
"Nothing really. I just realized last night that we've hardly talked since this whole.. 'thing'.. started."
"Ah ha. I see. Well, you can start I guess."
"Hmm. Ok," she said searching for words, "Hi Draco."
"Hi Hermione."
"How are you?"
"Just great. How are you?" He smiled with fake enthusiasm.
"Not bad," she said. This really wasn't going too well, she thought to herself. What she needed was to know how he felt about her. If he honestly cared for her, or if she was just something fun to snog. After a few moments of awkward silence, she said the only thing she could think of.
"Draco, kiss me." Immediately, he jumped from the desk and slid his arms around her small waist. Just as he was leaning in to kiss her, she stopped him. "No. I mean.. kiss me the way that you feel about me." He turned his head slightly, looking puzzled by her request. She dug through her brain, looking for a better way to word it. "Ok, ok.. look at me. Take your arms off of me, and look at me. Now, when you kiss me, I want you to translate the way you feel about me through the kiss. Know what I mean?" He nodded and stood still for a few moments. Hermione anxiously awaited his kiss. The way he kissed her meant everything now. This one kiss was to be the most important in her life. It decided everything.
He took his hands around to her back and ran his hands up and down her spine. Every small touch felt as if it were multiplied by ten, just because of the simple fact that it was Draco who was doing it. He then brought her into his embrace and rested his head on her shoulder. Hermione couldn't help but overanalyze every move he made, every breath he exhaled, and every beat of his heart. Her mind went crazy with questions. Does he just want to be friends? Does he not even like me? Does he find me repulsive? Will he push me away? What if he doesn't? Does that mean he loves me? What if he loves me? Do I love him? Is he ever going to kiss me? What if he doesn't? What if he never does again? What if he only kisses Pansy now? What if he does more than kiss Pansy? What if he never kissed Pansy at all?
The questions continued to race through her mind and what seemed like a mere few seconds were truly summed up to be more than five minutes. Draco was now lifting his head up from her shoulder. He brought his bright blue- grey eyes up to hers and it felt as if she had drowned in the incredible depth that his gaze held. She had never seen him look at her the way he was looking at her now. His eyes were full of need and compassion, an intensity that words could not describe. It seemed as if in the instance that they broke the gaze, he would surely die from lack of breath. It was as if she was his oxygen, and his eyes were taking in everything he needed to survive. He stayed like that for a moment and then leaned in for the kiss. Hermione's mind was going crazy, trying to foresee what kind of kiss it was going to be. The time seemed to go by so slowly it could've killed. His soft lips touched hers gently and remained there. He came up and within seconds, they were carefully pursed onto hers once again. The kisses were tender and with every time he came to shower her with a new one, it was even more delicate than the last. It continued until there was no amount of strength left in them at all, and Draco's lips had become a mere liquid ontop of Hermione's, dribbling kisses onto them slowly. Soon the energy had left the kisses, and had reduced to Draco's forehead leaning against hers, both eyes still closed and each breathing the other in and out. A warm tear silently ran down her cheek.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Draco pulled away from the most amazing kiss.. if that's what it could even be called.. he had ever taken a part in. He looked at Hermione, who's eyes were still shut peacefully. She blinked through her closed eyes and a tear ran down her soft, rosy cheek. Why was she crying? Was that not the way she had pictured the kiss? Did he do it wrong? All he had wanted was to show her how he felt. He kissed away the tear that slid down her cheek and took her tighter into his arms. "Did I do it wrong?" he asked her.
"No. It was perfect."
"Then why are you crying?"
"Because it was perfect."
After Hermione left, Draco turned to Crabbe and Goyle. "What is your problem?"
"Draco, she's a mudblood. You should know better."
"It's none of your business."
"Oh, but it is. Just leave her alone. You wouldn't want us to bring your father into this matter, would you?
"No.."
"Then stop. Just stop."
The two left the library, giving Draco time to think about what they had just said. It was true that she was not of pureblood. But did it really matter? After years of being taught that the only wizarding families who mattered were pure-blooded and rich, he was confused with why he suddenly saw things in a much different light.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Hermione lay in bed that night thinking of her and Draco's relationship. What was this? Just a fling? Was it anything more than physical attraction, or did they have a deeper connection? She really didn't know. They hadn't ever really talked before. They'd kissed multiple times, but she didn't know anything about him. She would talk to him tomorrow, she told herself.
She woke the next morning feeling very anxious about talking with Draco. She really wanted to know what he thought about "them" and what he was hoping it would turn into, or expecting it to turn into. She hurriedly showered and dressed, and was pouncing down the stairs towards the common room when Ginny called her name. "Oh, hey Ginny."
"What are you so excited about?"
"Not much. I'm going down to talk to Draco."
"Finally giving it up, I suppose?"
"Huh? No, no, everything is fine. Just.. talking."
"Oh," Ginny said, sounding saddened about Hermione's reply.
"Well.. see you later!" and she half walked-ran through the portrait and down to the Great Hall.
She burst through the doors and scanned the Slytherin table with her eyes automatically. An almost-silver head of hair caught her eye and she smiled and walked over to him. "Hey Draco," she whispered, "can we talk?" He nodded to her, and immediately he excused himself, got up from the table, and walked out of the room with her. She linked arms with him and smiled inwardly. This might turn out well. They walked down towards the dungeons and into an empty classroom. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" he asked, seating himself in a desk and looking up at her.
"Nothing really. I just realized last night that we've hardly talked since this whole.. 'thing'.. started."
"Ah ha. I see. Well, you can start I guess."
"Hmm. Ok," she said searching for words, "Hi Draco."
"Hi Hermione."
"How are you?"
"Just great. How are you?" He smiled with fake enthusiasm.
"Not bad," she said. This really wasn't going too well, she thought to herself. What she needed was to know how he felt about her. If he honestly cared for her, or if she was just something fun to snog. After a few moments of awkward silence, she said the only thing she could think of.
"Draco, kiss me." Immediately, he jumped from the desk and slid his arms around her small waist. Just as he was leaning in to kiss her, she stopped him. "No. I mean.. kiss me the way that you feel about me." He turned his head slightly, looking puzzled by her request. She dug through her brain, looking for a better way to word it. "Ok, ok.. look at me. Take your arms off of me, and look at me. Now, when you kiss me, I want you to translate the way you feel about me through the kiss. Know what I mean?" He nodded and stood still for a few moments. Hermione anxiously awaited his kiss. The way he kissed her meant everything now. This one kiss was to be the most important in her life. It decided everything.
He took his hands around to her back and ran his hands up and down her spine. Every small touch felt as if it were multiplied by ten, just because of the simple fact that it was Draco who was doing it. He then brought her into his embrace and rested his head on her shoulder. Hermione couldn't help but overanalyze every move he made, every breath he exhaled, and every beat of his heart. Her mind went crazy with questions. Does he just want to be friends? Does he not even like me? Does he find me repulsive? Will he push me away? What if he doesn't? Does that mean he loves me? What if he loves me? Do I love him? Is he ever going to kiss me? What if he doesn't? What if he never does again? What if he only kisses Pansy now? What if he does more than kiss Pansy? What if he never kissed Pansy at all?
The questions continued to race through her mind and what seemed like a mere few seconds were truly summed up to be more than five minutes. Draco was now lifting his head up from her shoulder. He brought his bright blue- grey eyes up to hers and it felt as if she had drowned in the incredible depth that his gaze held. She had never seen him look at her the way he was looking at her now. His eyes were full of need and compassion, an intensity that words could not describe. It seemed as if in the instance that they broke the gaze, he would surely die from lack of breath. It was as if she was his oxygen, and his eyes were taking in everything he needed to survive. He stayed like that for a moment and then leaned in for the kiss. Hermione's mind was going crazy, trying to foresee what kind of kiss it was going to be. The time seemed to go by so slowly it could've killed. His soft lips touched hers gently and remained there. He came up and within seconds, they were carefully pursed onto hers once again. The kisses were tender and with every time he came to shower her with a new one, it was even more delicate than the last. It continued until there was no amount of strength left in them at all, and Draco's lips had become a mere liquid ontop of Hermione's, dribbling kisses onto them slowly. Soon the energy had left the kisses, and had reduced to Draco's forehead leaning against hers, both eyes still closed and each breathing the other in and out. A warm tear silently ran down her cheek.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Draco pulled away from the most amazing kiss.. if that's what it could even be called.. he had ever taken a part in. He looked at Hermione, who's eyes were still shut peacefully. She blinked through her closed eyes and a tear ran down her soft, rosy cheek. Why was she crying? Was that not the way she had pictured the kiss? Did he do it wrong? All he had wanted was to show her how he felt. He kissed away the tear that slid down her cheek and took her tighter into his arms. "Did I do it wrong?" he asked her.
"No. It was perfect."
"Then why are you crying?"
"Because it was perfect."