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Chapter 4 Plunging into the Shadows

When Hermione and Draco had finished, he hung around in Hogsmeade while she left for Hogwarts. She guessed it had been nearly 2 hours she had spent behind the Shrieking Shack. But what would she tell the others?

Hermione arrived at the school an hour before dinner. Of course, when she got to the Griffindor common room, Harry and Ron asked her questions.

"Why were you gone so long?" Harry asked.

"What did Malfoy do now?" Ron said, fighting the urge to yell.

"Malfoy?" she said, trying to think of a cover story. "No, no, it was Pansy Parkinson. She had my bag in The Three Broomsticks. I saw her walking out and told her to give it back to me. She wouldn't listen to me so I body-bound her and took the bag. But she still wouldn't leave me alone."

"Oh, all right then," Ron said, easing up. If a guy was messing with Hermione, those two had full right to butt in, but with other girls, they knew Hermione could take care of it.

"Suppose we can finish some homework before dinner?" Harry asked.

"Of course we can!" Hermione said, enthusiastic to get off the subject of what had happened. "Let's see, History of Magic!" Harry Ron groaned that they had to work on the most boring subject of all.

At dinner, they sat at the norm, near their Griffindor friends. And this time, Malfoy stared even more at Hermione. He was smirking, but his eyes told nothing, as usual. The icy gray eyes felt nothing, and only let the cold seep into her. She looked back at him and felt that feeling again. Now she needed him. She fought against reason to just go over their at that moment. Those eyes. She found them piercing every part of her, grabbing every single thought from her mind. And then he grinned even more.

After dinner, Hermione, Harry, and Ron made their way to the seventh floor. That night they stayed up late, finishing homework they had put aside. First came History of Magic, then potions, and finally defense against the dark arts. They went to bed, yawning and saying good night. When Hermione got up to her dormitory, Parvati and Lavender were already asleep. She was about to get into her nightgown when there was a tap at the window. Hermione turned towards the sound and saw a black owl with a letter in it's beak. She opened the shutters and let it swoop down onto her bed. Hermione took the letter from him and he flew back out the still-open window. Opening it, she pulled out the parchment inside and unfolded it.

Tonight. Dungeons.

Hermione had the slightest idea of what it meant. She put on her robes and left the room silently. Exiting the portrait hole, she went down corridors and staircases until she was in the Entrance Hall. Turning right, she opened a door that lead down into the dark and gloomy dungeons. Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the door. As soon as she closed the door, she had plunged into darkness. The only light was from the few low torches set on the wall. She walked cautiously, in case a Slytherin student was to come out in front of her. She was now well past the potions classroom now. There was an open door on her right. She looked inside it but no one was in it. Hermione made to continue past the door, but a strong hand came from behind her and pushed her into the room. There was no light in there, the door closed. But then a faint light came from all the way across the room. Hermione saw a shadow move across the room towards her. It grabbed both her arms with strong hands and stroked them, up and down. A head came down to her right ear and rubbed against her cheek before whispering.

"I knew you'd come," it was Draco. He moved his hands so that they were smoothing over the length of her thighs. Hermione shuddered. He had her against the wall now, but was not quite crushing her. Hermione closed her eyes, breathing deep at the feel of his cold hands.

"No, don't close them," he whispered to her. He lowered his face down her neck to the base of it and kissed her there. The kiss turned into a soft bite and then one of his arms was back on top of the other shoulder. Hermione gasped. He was back up to her ear now, with the other arm moved up to grip onto her waist.

"You want to be here," he said. "You want to be in the dark, in the shadows." His hands, both of them, were touching her bare skin, one under her robes, massaging her shoulder, the other under her shirt, rubbing over her hipbone. He continued kissing her neck, occasionally biting again to grin at her shudders and gasps. "Don't you?" Draco moved his face back, now an inch from her face. She slowly nodded her head, and he kissed her, now on the lips. She kissed him back, with all the force that he had given her. He now grasped tightly onto her waists and slammed her (what's new?) into the stone wall. She didn't care. In fact, she wrapped her legs around him, one arm grabbing his robes, pulling him toward her, the other gripped affectionately around his neck. They kissed, and kissed, and kissed some more. He had touched nearly every part of her body with the strong, cold hands of his.

She had plunged into the shadows, Draco and his darkness enveloping her. From