Disclaimer: Yada yada yada, I don't own anything that's J.K. Rowling's. Yup. That's the way the cookie crumbles, cookie. *grins*
Please R&R. It makes me VERY happy.
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Once they were within the confines of the willow, Hermione flicked Draco a contemptuous glance that immediately banished the lingering thoughts of the way she had looked in the moonlight. It raised his shields in an instant, and he sneered back at her. Finally Hermione turned resolutely to face him. She tried not to notice that the broken moonlight that filtered through the branches turned his face into an array of fascinating planes and angles that showed his icy masculine beauty. Despite that Hermione despised Malfoy, she wasn't going to deny to herself that he was a good looking guy.
Shoving those thoughts away, Hermione said firmly, "All this stuff needs to stop, Malfoy."
Arrogantly, Draco arched one eyebrow at her. "What stuff?" he asked, deliberately playing dumb, just to watch her get riled up.
Sure enough, she nearly bristled. "This little war that we've got going on," she said through gritted teeth. "It's progressing beyond just us, Malfoy. When it starts involving the points for my whole House, then it's getting out of control."
Draco's mouth quirked in a ruthless movement. "And what makes you think I'm going to stop because I'm getting points taken away from Gryffindor, Granger? That's my dream come true." The sarcastic amusement at her expense made Hermione grit her teeth.
"Because," she said with exaggerated slowness, "if you don't stop, I'll put a hex on you."
Draco laughed insolently and gave a mock shudder, holding his hands out as if in supplication. "Oh no! The mighty mudblood Granger's going to put a hex on me!" He simpered and held one hand to his head as if in terror.
Hermione's hands dove into her pocket for her wand. Her fingers had just closed around the smooth wooden grip when she was shoved back against the trunk of the tree, her hands imprisoned by Draco's. His face was very close to hers, his gray eyes boring down into hers. "I wouldn't do that, Granger," he said dangerously. "I don't take kindly to threats."
"I wasn't threatening you," she shot back venomously. "I was going to actually do. . .something!"
He laughed nastily. "Oh really? And how were you going to explain away the fact that I was outside school grounds when you had sent a summons for me to meet you here?"
"Nobody knows you're out here," Hermione said hotly.
He raised one eyebrow at her. "Oh really? How do you know I didn't tell Crabbe or Goyle where I was going?"
"Because they're too stupid to remember it five minutes later," Hermione said in disdain.
"True," Draco muttered under his breath. Then he returned his attention to her. "That's not the issue here, Granger. I don't take kindly to being threatened, whether or not you're going to do it."
Hermione glared at him. "I don't give a damn what you 'take kindly to', Malfoy. Let go of me!" She struggled briefly, but he easily pinned her with his greater strength. When she subsided, panting slightly, he just stared at her with a bored look in his gray eyes.
"Done?" he asked, his tone just as bored as his facial expression.
She fumed impotently, but didn't say anything. If she had been free, she would have crossed her arms militantly over her chest. "I want your word that you'll stop, Malfoy!" she said in annoyance. She ignored that he still had her pinned up against the tree, because it was so undignified that she didn't even acknowledge that it was happening.
"But I'm not going to give you my word, my sweet," he leered. "Because it doesn't benefit me to leave you alone. As far as I see it, it's all pros on my side for me to continue to bother the hell out of you."
Hermione fumed, her eyes flashing sparks. "You might be safe now, but you can't keep me up against this tree forever!" she said furiously. "And I'll get you, Malfoy! If you don't stop, then you won't be able to keep up your man-whoring."
Draco blinked, startled at the turn the conversation had abruptly taken. "I beg your pardon?" he asked, genuinely baffled.
Her eyes nearly spit sparks at him. "Your man-whoring," she said with disdain. "Don't think that your reputation hasn't preceded you, Malfoy. You've had almost every witch in Slytherin, and a few in other Houses." She lifted her chin proudly. "But not Gryffindor." She flicked her eyes up and down his lean, muscular form and her eyes obviously dismissed him as a waste. "Because Gryffindors have taste."
Draco's eyes fired. "Oh really?" he asked silkily. "Then why is one of those oh-so-perfect Gryffindors outside in the middle of night with the Slytherin Stud?"
"I see you keep up with the tales of your exploits," Hermione said distastefully, choosing to ignore his question as a ridiculous one.
Draco smirked at her. "Why shouldn't I?" he asked nonchalantly. "Have to make sure they get it right, don't I?"
"Or exaggerate it enough," Hermione said sweetly. "After all, there's obviously not much to work with, so I guess you'd have to expand a little in the stories to make up for it." Her obvious double entendre made Draco's eyebrow raise.
"Well well," he murmured. "Aren't we the clever witch?"
"It's what I'm known for," Hermione said sweetly.
Draco nearly smiled. "Now back to my man-whoring," he mused. "How are you going to stop this most enjoyable facet of my life?"
Hermione smiled viciously and her eyes flicked downward. Draco suppressed the sudden urge to step away and cross his legs protectively. Then she crooned gently, "Why, Draco, I know some things that even ennervate can't bring back to--life."
Draco nearly choked, then he stared at her in shock. "Why, you little bitch." The words were said in a wondering tone. Although he was wary of the validity of her threat, he was surprised that she had even made it. He would never have thought Granger would be so delightfully vicious. It was so very. . . .Slytherin of her.
When he considered it, he nearly growled. There was just enough fire in her expression to make him wonder if she'd really do it. And he didn't like to think about the possible threat to his most precious--jewels. Which meant that he was going to have to actually do what she wanted. Just the thought of bowing under to a Gryffindor was bad enough. That it was Granger was another smack in the face. But if he didn't want to take the risk of incurring her wrath to that degree, he was going to have to agree.
"Fine," he muttered with little grace. "I won't bother you, Granger."
She looked at him with a pleased expression. "Thank you, Malfoy," she said serenely.
Now that they had solved their problem, they suddenly realized how close they were. Draco had her hands pressed above her head so that she couldn't claw at him or shove him away, and his body was pressed against hers to pin her against the tree. Every delightful curve in her little body was outlined against his much harder, stronger body. Their faces were so close together that he could almost see his reflection in her eyes. Involuntarily, his eyes dropped to her lips that were slightly parted.
He was pressed so closely against her that he felt her heart kick into high gear. He looked back up at her eyes again and saw that they were as wide as saucers. Whereas she had been as tight as wires beneath his hands before, her arms had relaxed. Her whole body had softened against him, nearly making him groan. Merlin, what was happening here? This was Granger, the witch who had just threatened him with impotency if he didn't do what she wanted. Besides that, she was a mudblood. He despised her. But his body wasn't thinking about that. All that his body was thinking about was that her curvy little body was pressed up against him and he was very happy to have her there.
Coming abruptly to his senses, he jumped away from her as if she were on fire. He stopped when he was half the distance away from her, staring at her with wide eyes. He wiped his hands on his robes, still a little shell-shocked. Hermione's arms dropped to her sides, and she stared at Draco just as intently as he was staring at her. She knew that she hadn't imagined it. She had felt Draco's body tighten against hers, felt his heart start to race. He had felt the sudden, weird attraction just as she had.
They stared at each other in silence for several moments until Hermione turned away abruptly. "I've got to get back," she muttered.
Draco swiftly turned on his heel. "Me too," he muttered, resolutely not looking at her as she did the same. He mounted his Firebolt and whizzed up to his window as Hermione trudged along back to the castle. Both felt a sense of disquiet as they left the willow, and as she walked, Hermione absently traced the fading lines on her wrists where Draco's fingers had clasped them.
