A/N: Thanks to the people who reviewed! Lucinda, I'm not really sure I
understood what you asked. I THINK you asked if you could edit my chapter,
but not positive. And, I'm sorry the silly paragraphs keep running
together. Microsoft Word is giving me problems. I'll try to fix it because
I know how annoying that is. Thanks again everyone!
It had been exactly a year since Hermione had laughed in Draco's face about being happy and enjoying life; it was again Christmas Eve and the season had never felt more cheerful. For four months, Hermione and Draco had been meeting once every other week in the astrology tower and just sat there, talking. None of their meetings had been as intimate as the first and while part of Hermione regretted that, a much larger part was relieved. It was hard enough, after all, trying to conceal a friendship and keeping a relationship a secret would be twice as hard.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione had decided to stay at Hogwarts over the Christmas break, as did Draco. The castle was decorated with large trees and Christmas paintings singing carols, as usual, however, there were also new additions, the most obvious to the students being the mistletoe that hung over most of the doorways in the castle. The mistletoe would purposefully move across the doorway to be over the heads of students, and it was quick enough that it almost never missed. Everyone walking through the hallways would go one by one through the doors, making sure to be at least thirty seconds behind whoever went before them, unless, of course, they wanted to be kissed. Hermione had grown used to the annoying plant and would simply freeze it so it could not move over her head and then she would go around it.
Hermione was particularly excited today, and not simply because it was Christmas Eve. Tonight, she was meeting Draco again. The day seemed to drag on monotonously, as if it knew she had something she looked forward to doing and was holding her back, but she was convinced to make the best of it. That morning, she had carried her present over to Hagrid, who ripped into it, not seeming to care that Christmas was the next day. He was exceptionally thrilled when he opened his giant-sized teakettle, due to the fact that the week before he had melted a hole in the bottom of his somehow. He gave her a bone-crushing hug telling her that he hadn't known how he was going to get through the winter without his cup o' tea and that now he didn't have to worry about it. Hermione smiled happily at him and wished him a happy Christmas before staring back off to the castle.
On her way back, she saw a little blur zooming over the Quidditch field and she walked over to settle her curiosity of who was mad enough to be flying in the snow. The black figure slowed down enough for Hermione to see the silver hair crowning his head and Hermione sighed and mumbled, "who else?" under her breath.
"Malfoy!" she screamed into the air, "What the hell are you doing up there?"
Draco looked down at Hermione and she caught a glimpse of his perfectly white teeth smiling at her before he dove down to the ground. He pulled up on his broom just before he hit the ground and sped to Hermione. She was just about to run in the other direction when he stopped miraculously fast a foot away from her.
"That was way too close for comfort," she breathed in deeply, "what inspired you to come out here and fly? Isn't your nose about to fall off?"
"Nah, I just felt like flying. I'm fine," he smiled behind his blue lips.
"When someone comes out here and finds your body in an ice cube, don't blame me. I warned you," Hermione rubbed her hands together and watched her breath come out in tiny little clouds.
"Want a go?" Draco held out his broom to her with a childish grin on his face.
"Er - no thanks. Me and brooms don't mix well."
"Have it your way," he chuckled and kicked off the ground, his broom underneath him. He was magnificent on a broom. He flew more gracefully than Hermione had ever seen anyone fly before, even Harry. If he only flew like this during Quidditch, Slytherin never would've lost a match. He had an unmatchable speed and complete control over the Nimbus 2001. After almost thirty minutes, Draco swept down next to her again and smiled playfully.
"You going to sit out here and goggle at me all day, Granger, or are you going to go inside and defrost those icicles off your nose?" his gloved hand gently brushed her nose.
"You wish I was staring at you, Malfoy," she laughed, "I was goggling at your flying skills. No part of you interests me at all."
"Sure it doesn't," Draco raised his eyebrows and took her by the elbow. "You're going inside. Your lips are turning a horrible plum color."
"Yours aren't looking very bright either," Hermione pointed out, following him into the warmth of the castle.
"Looking at my lips, now, are we, Hermione," he smirked. "You know, physical attraction isn't everything and I would appreciate it if you would look a little deeper down," he pretended to be hurt.
"Shut up, Draco," she punched him lightly in the stomach. The two of them walked in the entrance of the school and were about to separate their different ways when a tiny voice called after them.
"No way, you passed under me. You're not getting away that easily," Hermione and Draco turned around to see.well, no one. "Up here," the little voice called impatiently and the two of them looked up to see the mistletoe with two little branches on its hips. "C'mon," I have other doors to move over and more children to humiliate," the mistletoe snapped. Draco and Hermione looked at each other curiously and then back at the mistletoe. "There's no way around it, so just go already," it called down to them.
Hermione looked up a Draco and squinted up her nose, "He's right, you know."
"Yeah."
"Get a move on it!" the branch yelled again.
"We're going, we're going," Draco yelled back.
Draco put his hand tenderly on Hermione's cheek and moved his face closer to hers. Their breaths mingled with each other and Hermione felt her knees go shaky as his finger traced her jaw line and, then, it happened. Their lips met in the most amazingly soft kiss that sent an incredibly warm, pleasurable rush through both of their bodies. The mistletoe sighed above their heads and muttered, "about time," but for the two of them, the rest of the world had disappeared. Slowly, Hermione pulled away.
"Draco, that was - " Hermione was cut off by his lips capturing her own in a quick, passionate kiss and then he pulled away, grinning.
"Sorry, I just didn't." his voice trailed off and he looked down at Hermione.
"Want it to end? I know," Hermione smiled and took his hand. "Come on, let's go before that bloody branch starts yelling at us again."
"Well, if he's yelling the same thing, it wouldn't be so bad, would it?" Draco chuckled.
"No, I suppose not."
"Wait a second, is Hermione Granger admitting to enjoying kissing me?" he looked down at her, smiling his mischievous smile.
"Maybe just a little," she grinned. "I better go now. Don't want people getting suspicious," and with that, she pecked him quickly on the cheek and hurried off to the Gryffindor common room.
Hermione walked all the way to the Gryffindor common room with her fingers against her tingling lips, smiling giddily. When she reached the Fat Lady, her smile hadn't faded a bit. She giggled out the password, Tarrytown, and watched the portrait slide to the side.
"May I ask what has you so happy?" the woman asked her with a nosy look on her face.
"I'm in love," Hermione laughed and entered the Gryffindor common room, plopping down on the sofa. "Oh. My. God. Did I just say." she spoke to herself, stunned. "I'm in love with Draco Malfoy? NO WAY!" she frantically started pacing the room, trying to reason things out in her head. Her mind bounced back and forth, portraying the idea of a good angel on one side and an evil on the other, arguing over her problem, only, in this case, she didn't know which was good and which was evil.
"It was just a kiss, no real feelings," one side said.
"Yeah, the feeling that ran from your head to your toes and made you feel like you were floating on clouds on your way up here doesn't mean ANYTHING," the other side retaliated sarcastically.
Hermione gave up and sank onto the sofa, letting her mind battle out the problems and extracting herself from the argument.
"You can't love him! It's just an illusion."
"Oh, but I DO! I LOVE HIM!"
Hermione yanked at her hair, completely frustrated and gave up. She went up to her dorm and wrapped Draco's present and then picked up a random book off of her dresser to read. Six PM would come soon enough.
It had been exactly a year since Hermione had laughed in Draco's face about being happy and enjoying life; it was again Christmas Eve and the season had never felt more cheerful. For four months, Hermione and Draco had been meeting once every other week in the astrology tower and just sat there, talking. None of their meetings had been as intimate as the first and while part of Hermione regretted that, a much larger part was relieved. It was hard enough, after all, trying to conceal a friendship and keeping a relationship a secret would be twice as hard.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione had decided to stay at Hogwarts over the Christmas break, as did Draco. The castle was decorated with large trees and Christmas paintings singing carols, as usual, however, there were also new additions, the most obvious to the students being the mistletoe that hung over most of the doorways in the castle. The mistletoe would purposefully move across the doorway to be over the heads of students, and it was quick enough that it almost never missed. Everyone walking through the hallways would go one by one through the doors, making sure to be at least thirty seconds behind whoever went before them, unless, of course, they wanted to be kissed. Hermione had grown used to the annoying plant and would simply freeze it so it could not move over her head and then she would go around it.
Hermione was particularly excited today, and not simply because it was Christmas Eve. Tonight, she was meeting Draco again. The day seemed to drag on monotonously, as if it knew she had something she looked forward to doing and was holding her back, but she was convinced to make the best of it. That morning, she had carried her present over to Hagrid, who ripped into it, not seeming to care that Christmas was the next day. He was exceptionally thrilled when he opened his giant-sized teakettle, due to the fact that the week before he had melted a hole in the bottom of his somehow. He gave her a bone-crushing hug telling her that he hadn't known how he was going to get through the winter without his cup o' tea and that now he didn't have to worry about it. Hermione smiled happily at him and wished him a happy Christmas before staring back off to the castle.
On her way back, she saw a little blur zooming over the Quidditch field and she walked over to settle her curiosity of who was mad enough to be flying in the snow. The black figure slowed down enough for Hermione to see the silver hair crowning his head and Hermione sighed and mumbled, "who else?" under her breath.
"Malfoy!" she screamed into the air, "What the hell are you doing up there?"
Draco looked down at Hermione and she caught a glimpse of his perfectly white teeth smiling at her before he dove down to the ground. He pulled up on his broom just before he hit the ground and sped to Hermione. She was just about to run in the other direction when he stopped miraculously fast a foot away from her.
"That was way too close for comfort," she breathed in deeply, "what inspired you to come out here and fly? Isn't your nose about to fall off?"
"Nah, I just felt like flying. I'm fine," he smiled behind his blue lips.
"When someone comes out here and finds your body in an ice cube, don't blame me. I warned you," Hermione rubbed her hands together and watched her breath come out in tiny little clouds.
"Want a go?" Draco held out his broom to her with a childish grin on his face.
"Er - no thanks. Me and brooms don't mix well."
"Have it your way," he chuckled and kicked off the ground, his broom underneath him. He was magnificent on a broom. He flew more gracefully than Hermione had ever seen anyone fly before, even Harry. If he only flew like this during Quidditch, Slytherin never would've lost a match. He had an unmatchable speed and complete control over the Nimbus 2001. After almost thirty minutes, Draco swept down next to her again and smiled playfully.
"You going to sit out here and goggle at me all day, Granger, or are you going to go inside and defrost those icicles off your nose?" his gloved hand gently brushed her nose.
"You wish I was staring at you, Malfoy," she laughed, "I was goggling at your flying skills. No part of you interests me at all."
"Sure it doesn't," Draco raised his eyebrows and took her by the elbow. "You're going inside. Your lips are turning a horrible plum color."
"Yours aren't looking very bright either," Hermione pointed out, following him into the warmth of the castle.
"Looking at my lips, now, are we, Hermione," he smirked. "You know, physical attraction isn't everything and I would appreciate it if you would look a little deeper down," he pretended to be hurt.
"Shut up, Draco," she punched him lightly in the stomach. The two of them walked in the entrance of the school and were about to separate their different ways when a tiny voice called after them.
"No way, you passed under me. You're not getting away that easily," Hermione and Draco turned around to see.well, no one. "Up here," the little voice called impatiently and the two of them looked up to see the mistletoe with two little branches on its hips. "C'mon," I have other doors to move over and more children to humiliate," the mistletoe snapped. Draco and Hermione looked at each other curiously and then back at the mistletoe. "There's no way around it, so just go already," it called down to them.
Hermione looked up a Draco and squinted up her nose, "He's right, you know."
"Yeah."
"Get a move on it!" the branch yelled again.
"We're going, we're going," Draco yelled back.
Draco put his hand tenderly on Hermione's cheek and moved his face closer to hers. Their breaths mingled with each other and Hermione felt her knees go shaky as his finger traced her jaw line and, then, it happened. Their lips met in the most amazingly soft kiss that sent an incredibly warm, pleasurable rush through both of their bodies. The mistletoe sighed above their heads and muttered, "about time," but for the two of them, the rest of the world had disappeared. Slowly, Hermione pulled away.
"Draco, that was - " Hermione was cut off by his lips capturing her own in a quick, passionate kiss and then he pulled away, grinning.
"Sorry, I just didn't." his voice trailed off and he looked down at Hermione.
"Want it to end? I know," Hermione smiled and took his hand. "Come on, let's go before that bloody branch starts yelling at us again."
"Well, if he's yelling the same thing, it wouldn't be so bad, would it?" Draco chuckled.
"No, I suppose not."
"Wait a second, is Hermione Granger admitting to enjoying kissing me?" he looked down at her, smiling his mischievous smile.
"Maybe just a little," she grinned. "I better go now. Don't want people getting suspicious," and with that, she pecked him quickly on the cheek and hurried off to the Gryffindor common room.
Hermione walked all the way to the Gryffindor common room with her fingers against her tingling lips, smiling giddily. When she reached the Fat Lady, her smile hadn't faded a bit. She giggled out the password, Tarrytown, and watched the portrait slide to the side.
"May I ask what has you so happy?" the woman asked her with a nosy look on her face.
"I'm in love," Hermione laughed and entered the Gryffindor common room, plopping down on the sofa. "Oh. My. God. Did I just say." she spoke to herself, stunned. "I'm in love with Draco Malfoy? NO WAY!" she frantically started pacing the room, trying to reason things out in her head. Her mind bounced back and forth, portraying the idea of a good angel on one side and an evil on the other, arguing over her problem, only, in this case, she didn't know which was good and which was evil.
"It was just a kiss, no real feelings," one side said.
"Yeah, the feeling that ran from your head to your toes and made you feel like you were floating on clouds on your way up here doesn't mean ANYTHING," the other side retaliated sarcastically.
Hermione gave up and sank onto the sofa, letting her mind battle out the problems and extracting herself from the argument.
"You can't love him! It's just an illusion."
"Oh, but I DO! I LOVE HIM!"
Hermione yanked at her hair, completely frustrated and gave up. She went up to her dorm and wrapped Draco's present and then picked up a random book off of her dresser to read. Six PM would come soon enough.