Chapter 16

"Who's there?" She demanded, getting her wand from her pocket and pointing it at the shadows.

"No need to use that, Granger," a cold familiar voice echoed in her room as candle lights gleamed after a loud clap.

"Malfoy! You scared the hell out me!" she shrieked. The light illuminating from the flames of the candle brightened the dark room and made funny moving shadows on the walls.

"Oh, I did, didn't I?" He made his way towards her.

"What do you want --- and how did you get in here?"

"Through the door, I suppose."

"Which door? There are only two doors leading inside my chambers and you do not know the password…" her voice trailed off as Draco stopped in front of her. Hermione buttoned her blouse hurriedly, but Draco stopped her.

"There is actually another door leading to your room; well, it's not actually a door," he stated, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"W-what? W-where?"

"A secret door connects me to your room, Granger, aren't you aware of that?" Hermione opened her mouth, but couldn't find words to express herself. "I thought so," he said after a few seconds of silence. "It's right over there," he said, pointing at a full-size mirror just near her bed, which was situated between two large windows. The mirror, which was magnificently framed by abstract carvings, hung a little farther from the door that leads to her bathroom and opposite the door leading to her sitting room.

Hermione glanced at the tapestry and turned back up at Draco who stood a good 8 inches taller than her. Draco looked down on her and felt the anger he stored inside him ebb away into oblivion. It was amazing and at the same time annoying what this 5-feet-and-4-inched girl could do to his feelings with a blink of an eye.

"Damn!" he cursed under his breath as he leaned down his head to take her lips into his. "Why?" was his last whispered word before his senses left him.

^~^~^~

A heavy hand landed on Hermione's shoulder, making her jump. She turned and faced Harry. "Oh, Harry, it's you."

"Yeah, it's me --- are you all right?" His forehead furrowed into concern as he asked the question.

"Of course I am." Hermione smiled.

"Well, I've been calling your name for the past 5 minutes, but it seems that you didn't hear me," Harry pointed out. At that same moment, Draco Malfoy passed right behind Harry. Hermione caught Draco's eyes. He winked and walked off. Hermione's eyes followed his back. "Hermione?"

"Oh, Harry," she looked up at Harry abruptly. "I'm really sorry. I was just really…um…preoccupied. I've been wandering the castle and checking on the new arrivals."

"Do you need any help?" He asked.

"Oh no, not really. This work is not very stressful…well, not yet actually," she chuckled. "So what're you up to?"

"Oh, um…nothing; just walking around. Where're you heading?"

"Library…to return some books," she answered, raising the books she was carrying for Harry to see. Harry walked her to the library before proceeding to the Great Hall.

20 minutes later, Hermione settled down in an empty area with a book in her hand. She opened the book and started reading. After a few seconds, she found herself unable to concentrate. Her thoughts kept on drifting to the events last night.

She then felt silly smiling, chuckling and even laughing at herself in the middle of the library.

Last night, she was close to having sex with Draco. They made it to at least second base; and it was the first time she ever got there.

Her thoughts took her back…

She could feel him so close to her. She could feel his hardened body against hers; his hands caressing her; his lips tight against hers; his chest rubbing against her breasts.

Hermione crossed her legs, suddenly aroused by a mere memory. Stop it! She scolded herself and focused on the book she was reading, but the words she read were not the words written. The pictures she saw in front of her were not the real photos in the book. She closed her eyes and pushed the book away.

She then was drowned completely into the memory of last night.

Warm hands landed on either of her shoulders, massaging her neck and her back. She moaned. It felt so real; it felt wonderfully real. The hands crept down in front of her, unbuttoning her blouse. She groaned. The hands moved down to cup and caress her breasts. She felt warm breath on her neck. She moaned. Someone was planting hot kisses on her neck. The hands crept on her back to undo her bra.

"Draco?" She moaned in a low whisper.

"Shhh…I'm here." Hermione's eyes fluttered open immediately. She turned and saw Draco right behind her. She blinked a couple of times with disbelief as if Draco was only a hallucination. She felt blood rushing to her cheeks when he did not disappear. Draco grinned shadily. She stood up, got the book and went to some shelves at the back of the room, bumping on some tables and chairs along the way. Draco followed her. She returned the book in a shelf and sighed. When she turned, she bumped into Draco.

"I cannot believe this. Were you…" her voice trailed off. She blushed hotly again. Draco chuckled, seeing her discomfort. When he had spotted her in the library, she was all hot and sexy. She also had her eyes wide shut. He got it: she was daydreaming. She did not repel his touch, instead she encouraged him. He gave her a lopsided grin. "This is very embarrassing…"

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about," he answered, pinning her to a bookshelf. He leaned his head and caught her lips.

10 minutes later, they heard footsteps nearing. They did not stop making out though. Draco had his hands on Hermione's backside, carrying her up to rub against his arousal. Hermione was pinned against the shelves with her legs around Draco's hips and her hands around his neck. They were locked together in a tight embrace and their mouths only parted for a second to catch their breaths.

"Hermione?" A voice echoed, but Hermione and Draco were too engrossed with each other to notice the call. "Hermione Granger, where are you?" Said the voice. "Hermione!" The third call penetrated through their ears and they jumped with alarm. The voice belonged to Harry Potter.

"Shit," Draco groaned. Why does he have to interrupt?

"Oh no," she exclaimed under her breath. "Put me do---" Draco covered her mouth with his to silence her. When he parted, he let her down. "We can't let him find us like this."

And why not? I would love to see Harry's face when he finds out. His head bobbed with laughter at the thought.

"Draco?" She whispered, pulling him back to reality. For a moment, he actually considered Harry finding them right there and then, but the thought faded away. Somehow he just couldn't risk it.

He leaned his lips close to her ears and whispered, "we'll finish this later." He then walked away, not looking back. A few seconds after he disappeared in a corner, Harry materialized.

"There you are --- didn't you hear me?" Harry asked, making his way towards her.

"Oh, I heard. I was just---"

"Preoccupied?" Harry finished and Hermione gave a laugh. "Hermione, are you sure you're all right? You're sweating and your buttons are halfway open…" Hermione glanced down and started fumbling with the buttons of her blouse. She felt her head turning red like tomato.

"It's really…um…warm?"

"Yeah, around this area…it is rather warm," he replied, totally ignorant of the unlikely scene. Hermione wondered if he suspected, but Harry didn't seem to show any signs. In fact, he looked pale and sad.

"Harry, are you all right?" It was her turn to ask the question.

"Oh, um…yeah…well, Ron and Ginny are back; that's all. They want us to join them in the Great Hall for lunch," he replied nonchalantly.

Draco watched them from a hidden corner. He was trying desperately to listen, but their voices were hushed so he contented himself in beholding the ravishing goddess.

When Harry and Hermione left the library, he slammed his head softly a couple of times against a bookshelf. Damn! Why am I so attracted to her? The question continued to linger in his head as he made his way out.

By the time he reached the Great Hall, he had come up with at least a dozen answers to his question, but none seemed to really satisfy him.

"Draco Malfoy," a sexy feminine voice whispered in his ear. He didn't turn; he knew exactly who it was sitting right beside him. "I'm back, and I miss you. You didn't owl me. We should get together…um…let's say, tonight?" Pansy ran her fingers on his shoulders up to his cheek then to his lips. Draco looked at the Gryffindor table and focused his eyes on Hermione who was laughing with Ron and it looks like she's flirting with Harry who looks really sick. He was supposed to laugh at Harry's pale and uncomfortable face, but the way Hermione nudged and touched him made him really angry and jealous.

They're just friends, idiot! He told himself, but he wasn't convinced. There was something more to it; there was definitely something there between her and the wonder boy.

Hermione turned and caught his gaze on her. She smiled; he gave her a murderous look before turning to Pansy and gripping her fingers. "I'd love that," he said. Pansy giggled and flirted some more; Hermione furrowed her brow and turned her attention back to her friends.

"Your place?"

"Is that a question?" Pansy silenced at Draco's words. Rendezvous are always in Draco's room. She gave him a smile and sneaked her fingers under the table and on his lap.

He wished it was Hermione doing that.

He stood up and left in disgust.

^~^~^~

"We need to talk." Hermione lip-read what Ron said to her across the table. She wrinkled her brows with confusion, but nodded. She looked to where Draco was seated and saw Pansy getting closer to him. Hermione wrinkled her brows some more, but when she noticed Draco leaving the little slut, she sighed with relief.

"Listen, um…I'm a bit tired of the journey. I think I'll go up to my room. I'll see you later," Ginny excused herself and walked out. Some minutes later, Harry followed. Hermione turned to Ron with a curious look on her face.

"What?" She asked.

"What have you noticed with those two?"

"Um…they were awfully silent. They did not sit side by side and hardly glanced at each other," Hermione observed.

"Exactly."

"What are you saying?"

"You know what I mean."

"Oh no, don't tell me they…" she couldn't finish.

"I'm not exactly sure. Ginny did not tell me anything when she turned up on the Burrow's doorstep. Did Harry say anything?"

"No, not at all. Do you think…" She couldn't finish still.

"I don't know! They're acting really weird and I… I…it is possible that they have broken up," Ron conjectured. His last words hit Hermione hard.

Harry and Ginny…they…they… they've broken up? Possibly! Her heart leapt a bit, but her sudden feelings of excitement were drowned by her guilt. How could she, Harry's best friend, wish that?

Harry is possibly single again!!!!!!!!!!!! She pushed the thought aside and concentrated on what Ron was saying.

"Anyway, I heard her crying all the time. She locked herself in her room, refusing to talk to anyone. I tried to talk to her, but…" Ron didn't finish. He just shrugged his shoulders.

"I wonder why ---if they've really split up," she said quickly.

"We'll just have to wait and deal with them all awkward and silent until they're ready to tell us."

The thought of Harry being single again didn't leave Hermione's head the rest of the day. Every time she caught up with either Harry or Ginny, she tried to listen for clues and look for signs. There were none; they just acted calmly. There was a possibility that they were just cooling off or just plain fighting over something.

What am I doing? She asked herself that night in her room. I'm a very bad friend! I want them to split up!!!!

Shut up!!! She reprimanded herself. "Hermione, just stay calm. Unless they announce it themselves… there are still possibilities." It was really silly talking to herself. Harry, single! A thought would jump into her brain and she'd rhapsodize again for the possibilities.

2 and a half years! She's been waiting for this moment! She's been waiting for Harry to be single again!

"This is bad! And I'm very, very bad! They could be really sad and in pain if they have really broken up and here I am, being really selfish. Besides, I have a boyfriend!" She chided herself.

All I need is a distraction to get these very selfish thoughts out of my head!

Draco was the right distraction! When he gets here, he'll drive the thoughts away!

But her distraction never came that night.

Then it suddenly hit her: there she was, dating a very nice guy, pretending to love him when in truth she's still in love with her best friend who loves someone else (possibly); then waiting in her room for the biggest rake, who makes her lose her head by planting poisonous kisses and venomous love bites on her body, to appear.

She felt sick in the pit of her stomach. She was disgusted with herself.

Harry, single!

Draco, where are you?

Seamus will be back in school any time this week!

^~^~^

A/N: Hehehe!!!