The Great Hall was full of people. Hermione tried to wake up early, but the
lack of sleep last night didn't let her. She rushed to a vacant space near
her friends, in the Gryffindor table.
She had just started to help herself when she noticed that from her place she could easily see Draco Malfoy, who was in the Slytherin table looking at her. He started to put food on his plate and she tried to look away.
But she couldn't. What could possibly be so special about the way he spread jelly in his toast? But it was. 'Oh, damn Malfoy, he's doing that on purpose!' She couldn't help but notice the way he carefully spread the jelly, as if it was a very important thing, the way he bit his piece of toast slowly and cautiously, and... he was looking at her! Why in the hell was he looking at her? What does he mean with that? 'Argh, I lost it. I'm completely nuts. Damn Malfoy, it's entirely his fault. That's it, stop looking, Hermione,' and with that she started to eat a piece of her cake, eyes still straying to the Slytherin table every so often.
***
'Goddamnit, Granger, stop looking away.'
Draco Malfoy couldn't believe it. He was not used to care that much about what Hermione did. 'Hermione? Bloody hell, I'm not supposed to call her "Hermione". It's Granger, Malfoy. Granger. Just a potential shag.' Why did she have to eat like that, anyway? She should eat like a pig, not open her lips carefully, putting the cake she was eating so slowly in her mouth and barely moving her chin to chew. That was just not fair. Her lips were glistening. She wet them before each bite.
She looked at him. Was she blushing? He thought so. Maybe not. And... Oh, those lips. He could think of a thousand better uses for them than eating.
He glanced down at his toast. He took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. She did have nice eyes. And lips. He never noticed that before. His eyes strayed down, and he noticed that she also was very well... endowed. Or so he thought.
He saw her looking down, than back at him. She caught him staring. 'Oh, grand. Now, she thinks I'm a bloody pervert.'
He picked up his cup of tea and drank, hiding his own blush. He never was that clumsy with girls. Where was his bloody Malfoy charm, anyway? Hermione was supposed to be begging for him. 'Granger,' he corrected himself angrily. 'Bloody Granger.'
"Draco, are you going to eat or stare at Granger's breasts all breakfast?" Blaise asked with a whisper.
Controlling his impulse to spit his tea, Draco carefully set down his cup.
"Blaise, shut up."
***
'He's ogling me! What a pervert!' she thought to herself. He shouldn't be looking at her like that. 'I mean, it's Malfoy! How could he analyze me like that in the middle of the Great Hall! What happened to the world lately?'
Despite the indignation of having her body measured like that, a shiver passed through her spine at the thought of Malfoy checking her out. She wasn't used to the feeling of being attractive to a boy, and a handsome boy at that. She blushed again. He was indeed interested on her. For a moment, she tried to imagine how it would be to be with him, but quickly banished the thought away. 'It's Malfoy. I'm-too-good-to-breathe-the-same-air-as-you- Malfoy. Humph. He's the one that doesn't deserve me, that arrogant git. My hormones must be getting the best of me. Honestly, Hermione. You're the smartest witch in Hogwarts, you shouldn't be acting like that!'
She picked her things up and left for her classes, not looking back to see a pair of grey eyes on her, following her figure.
***
After that day in the breakfast, she decided to put in practice her resolution of avoiding him at all costs. It wouldn't be so hard. She could wake up earlier. Maybe even have dinner later. The meals would be the easiest part. Since both of them left Care of Magical Creatures, the only class she'd see him would be in Advanced Potions on Thursday. And she would have Harry as her partner if she needed one, so that wouldn't be a problem too; she would just ignore him, not even look at his direction.
In spite of being a bit tired for getting up earlier, her resolution was quite effective, and she followed it straight away. On Thursday, she walked to the dungeons determined, and got into the classroom carefully not looking elsewhere but her usual desk, and concentrated in the potion they were brewing.
Some days passed and her new arrangements turned out to be a routine, she got used to them. On Saturday, she even decided to go to Hogsmead with her friends. It was a perfect idea to relax a bit, spend more time with them and a perfect way to avoid another Saturday on the castle like the past two.
They chatted animatedly all the afternoon, and Hermione was very cheerful. She had missed talking to Harry and Ron. Some time with them made her realize she was overreacting about Malfoy. She was probably only stressed after all. She needed to sleep better, eat better, be more productive in her study time and even take Ginny's advice and get a social life, and start enjoying her last year a bit. Why not? Feeling safe and more confident, she slept imagining how it would be to date someone. She just had to find a nice guy, unlike bloody Malfoy.
It was a Tuesday evening, and she went to the library to look for some books for her Potions essay. Snape was being more rigid than ever this year, and she felt she'd have to dedicate a lot of time to her essays. When she was going back to the Gryffindor Tower, she turned a corner into a small corridor and crashed into someone. Her books all fell to the floor.
"Ouch, why don't you--" he let his phrase unfinished. "Granger".
"Malfoy?!" He was the last person she expected to crash into near the library at night. All her feelings of safety seemed to have vanished her with the collision.
"That would be my name, yes. I see you still remember it," he answered, irritatingly calm.
"What are you doing here?" she asked angrily. Why was she angry? He must have a natural skill to get on her nerves.
"Last time I checked, this was a public corridor, Granger," he pointed out.
"Yes, but this corridor leads to the library, and it's a Tuesday night, and you should be at your dungeons now. What are you doing here?" Just after she finished the phrase, she realized that it sounded a bit paranoid. She decided to change from her confronting posture and started picking up her books.
"Well, I happen to have the same rights to use the library as you do. However, you seem to talk about my schedules with property, Granger. Are you stalking me?" He asked.
She stopped picking up her books to stare at him.
"You're avoiding me," he said, with realization shinning on his features.
She frowned.
"Why would I be avoiding you, Malfoy?" Her voice was less convincing than she wished.
"You must be afraid of something," he smirked.
"Of you?!" she asked indignantly.
"Of you," he stated.
She went back to staring at him, unsure of what to say. Using the opportunity, he bent down to pick up a book.
"The 'Great Manual of Mind-Affecting Potions'. That's exactly what I was looking for."
"Don't even think about it, Malfoy. Give it back, now," she ordered.
"I never said I was going to keep it. However, now that you mentioned..."
"Give it back, Malfoy! I'm serious!" she threatened irritated. She tried to seize back her book, but his free hand caught her wrist and pulled her to him, and she suddenly felt his warm lips pressing against hers. She tried to struggle a bit, but he pressed her against the wall, holding her wrist against it and keeping her body entrapped with his. She could feel his body touching hers everywhere, and the shivers that passed through her must have caused a short circuit in her brain, because she couldn't think anymore.
She felt his tongue trying to make its way through her lips and let it pass, and soon it met hers in a harmonic dance. The feeling of his body so close was comforting and thrilling at the same time. The kiss was hot and passionate, pulling her into a state of bliss that wouldn't allow her any thoughts but those of him, of his presence, of his smell. She could smell him better now, his exquisite scent intoxicating her. She never felt so aware of all her body like that; it seemed that every little part of it was on fire.
A far away noise denounced that all the books must have gone to the floor by now, but that didn't seem to matter at the moment. She felt a hand in her waist, rubbing it, and a wave of heat passed through her. He was kissing her neck now, and biting it a bit, and she had to fight back a moan. She wanted to touch him, to pull him closer, although that was almost not possible. His hand moved to her back now, while the other held her neck, pulling her towards him. He seemed to have the same urge to be as close as possible, and every time she tried to move away from him, he would hold her wrist firmly and grab her harder, like a hunter holding his prey. He started kissing her everywhere, her mouth, her neck, her nape, her shoulders, biting here and there, as if he was digesting something he longed for centuries. He went for her tummy now, rubbing it while he kissed her, and started moving upwards. At this point, she realized, alarmed, what was going on. 'Dear God, what am I doing? I'm snogging him! Snogging Draco Malfoy! Bloody Malfoy! I must be insane!'
She broke the kiss, pushed him away, grabbed her books without looking anywhere else, and rushed to the Gryffindor Tower without looking back. An amused Malfoy watched her as she ran away.
*** 'I can't believe it! I snogged Draco Malfoy! I most certainly lost it!' She thought, rolling in her bed. Well, she couldn't deny he was a great kisser, even if she hadn't had much base of comparison. She had kissed Victor Krum in her forth year, and in her summer vacations after that, but that was all. Although she liked Victor as a friend, she never felt anything special for him. And no other boy interested her since then. But Malfoy... everything in him was thrilling, mysterious, instigating. She felt cold in her stomach just by remembering him. Kissing Malfoy was a whole new thing. 'Yeah, he knew what he was doing. And he's handsome, very handsome, and he smells so good...and what if I hadn't stopped him?' She felt a shiver through her body at the thought. She couldn't help but imagine it. To face the truth, she wanted it... 'oh, God, but it's Malfoy! Harry's enemy, Malfoy! Not that they showed too much animosity nowadays, but...what if Harry and Ron find out? What would they say? Would they feel like I betrayed them? Well, they probably won't know unless I tell them. Or would Malfoy use it just to get at them? Argh, what have I done? I don't want to lie to them, or hide things; I don't want them to think I betrayed them either.'
And with that, she had a very sleepless night.
***
Next morning, she spent her entire class tormented by the same thoughts of the night before, and decided to do something about it, for the sake of her internal peace.
At lunch, she entered the Great Hall in a rushed pace and stopped Harry before he seated to eat.
"Harry, I need to talk to you."
"Okay, let's just have lun--"
"No, I need to talk to you now!"
"But--"
"I need to talk to you now, damnit!!" she yelled, attracting some attention.
"Er... okay," he said in a low tone, his green eyes wide.
They left the Great Hall and entered an empty room. She closed the door.
"What is it, Hermione? You're scaring me," he asked, still a bit startled at her behavior.
"I--I don't know where to start. Please, sit down." she suggested. He did.
"I-I-don't-know-what-to-say, I- need to talk to someone about this, but I don't know who, and I need to talk to you about it, and I'm afraid you'd get mad at me, I wanted to talk to Ron, but he wouldn't understand either, I want you to, but I'm not sure you can, and I--"
"Hermione, calm down. I can't understand you like this. You think I'll be mad at you because of what, exactly? I promise I'll be comprehensive. I mean, you know I like you as a friend only, don't you?"
"What? No, Harry, that's not it, I... I kissed someone," she confessed.
"Hey, that's great!" He said, relieved and embarrassed. "I mean... I haven't seen you with anyone since Krum and... was it your first kiss?" He asked, a bit embarrassed with the subject.
"No, but that's not the point," she said quickly.
"What is it, then? Who was it, by the way? Do I know him?" He asked, curiosity getting the best of him.
"Well, that's the problem," she said, avoiding his eyes.
He frowned.
"Harry, I... I kissed Malfoy," she said, sparing him from the details.
"YOU KISSED MALFOY?!" he repeated loudly, not believing his ears.
"Shhh, there's no need to tell the whole damn school! I'm sorry, Harry, I-- "
"Haha, I can't believe it, Pansy was right then!"
"Ahn... what?" She asked, shocked at his reaction.
"She told me some time ago that she thought he fancied you," he informed, amused.
Hermione just blinked, confused.
"You-you're not mad, then?" she asked.
"Of course not, Hermione. You may kiss whoever you want. Besides, I don't think Malfoy's that bad, his barks are worse than his bites. But I never thought you'd even consider him!" He laughed. "Cool!"
"Cool?! Cool?!" She asked indignantly. "Are you mad, Harry? It's bloody Malfoy, and I don't 'consider' him! I was out of my mind!"
"Hermione, there's no need to be so harsh with yourself. So you kissed Malfoy, what then? I'm dating a Slytherin myself. It's about time you--"
"I can't believe you're suggesting such a thing! Excuse me," she said and left him alone in the room. With an amused smile, he decided he had some news for Pansy. And plans to make.
***
She had just started to help herself when she noticed that from her place she could easily see Draco Malfoy, who was in the Slytherin table looking at her. He started to put food on his plate and she tried to look away.
But she couldn't. What could possibly be so special about the way he spread jelly in his toast? But it was. 'Oh, damn Malfoy, he's doing that on purpose!' She couldn't help but notice the way he carefully spread the jelly, as if it was a very important thing, the way he bit his piece of toast slowly and cautiously, and... he was looking at her! Why in the hell was he looking at her? What does he mean with that? 'Argh, I lost it. I'm completely nuts. Damn Malfoy, it's entirely his fault. That's it, stop looking, Hermione,' and with that she started to eat a piece of her cake, eyes still straying to the Slytherin table every so often.
***
'Goddamnit, Granger, stop looking away.'
Draco Malfoy couldn't believe it. He was not used to care that much about what Hermione did. 'Hermione? Bloody hell, I'm not supposed to call her "Hermione". It's Granger, Malfoy. Granger. Just a potential shag.' Why did she have to eat like that, anyway? She should eat like a pig, not open her lips carefully, putting the cake she was eating so slowly in her mouth and barely moving her chin to chew. That was just not fair. Her lips were glistening. She wet them before each bite.
She looked at him. Was she blushing? He thought so. Maybe not. And... Oh, those lips. He could think of a thousand better uses for them than eating.
He glanced down at his toast. He took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. She did have nice eyes. And lips. He never noticed that before. His eyes strayed down, and he noticed that she also was very well... endowed. Or so he thought.
He saw her looking down, than back at him. She caught him staring. 'Oh, grand. Now, she thinks I'm a bloody pervert.'
He picked up his cup of tea and drank, hiding his own blush. He never was that clumsy with girls. Where was his bloody Malfoy charm, anyway? Hermione was supposed to be begging for him. 'Granger,' he corrected himself angrily. 'Bloody Granger.'
"Draco, are you going to eat or stare at Granger's breasts all breakfast?" Blaise asked with a whisper.
Controlling his impulse to spit his tea, Draco carefully set down his cup.
"Blaise, shut up."
***
'He's ogling me! What a pervert!' she thought to herself. He shouldn't be looking at her like that. 'I mean, it's Malfoy! How could he analyze me like that in the middle of the Great Hall! What happened to the world lately?'
Despite the indignation of having her body measured like that, a shiver passed through her spine at the thought of Malfoy checking her out. She wasn't used to the feeling of being attractive to a boy, and a handsome boy at that. She blushed again. He was indeed interested on her. For a moment, she tried to imagine how it would be to be with him, but quickly banished the thought away. 'It's Malfoy. I'm-too-good-to-breathe-the-same-air-as-you- Malfoy. Humph. He's the one that doesn't deserve me, that arrogant git. My hormones must be getting the best of me. Honestly, Hermione. You're the smartest witch in Hogwarts, you shouldn't be acting like that!'
She picked her things up and left for her classes, not looking back to see a pair of grey eyes on her, following her figure.
***
After that day in the breakfast, she decided to put in practice her resolution of avoiding him at all costs. It wouldn't be so hard. She could wake up earlier. Maybe even have dinner later. The meals would be the easiest part. Since both of them left Care of Magical Creatures, the only class she'd see him would be in Advanced Potions on Thursday. And she would have Harry as her partner if she needed one, so that wouldn't be a problem too; she would just ignore him, not even look at his direction.
In spite of being a bit tired for getting up earlier, her resolution was quite effective, and she followed it straight away. On Thursday, she walked to the dungeons determined, and got into the classroom carefully not looking elsewhere but her usual desk, and concentrated in the potion they were brewing.
Some days passed and her new arrangements turned out to be a routine, she got used to them. On Saturday, she even decided to go to Hogsmead with her friends. It was a perfect idea to relax a bit, spend more time with them and a perfect way to avoid another Saturday on the castle like the past two.
They chatted animatedly all the afternoon, and Hermione was very cheerful. She had missed talking to Harry and Ron. Some time with them made her realize she was overreacting about Malfoy. She was probably only stressed after all. She needed to sleep better, eat better, be more productive in her study time and even take Ginny's advice and get a social life, and start enjoying her last year a bit. Why not? Feeling safe and more confident, she slept imagining how it would be to date someone. She just had to find a nice guy, unlike bloody Malfoy.
It was a Tuesday evening, and she went to the library to look for some books for her Potions essay. Snape was being more rigid than ever this year, and she felt she'd have to dedicate a lot of time to her essays. When she was going back to the Gryffindor Tower, she turned a corner into a small corridor and crashed into someone. Her books all fell to the floor.
"Ouch, why don't you--" he let his phrase unfinished. "Granger".
"Malfoy?!" He was the last person she expected to crash into near the library at night. All her feelings of safety seemed to have vanished her with the collision.
"That would be my name, yes. I see you still remember it," he answered, irritatingly calm.
"What are you doing here?" she asked angrily. Why was she angry? He must have a natural skill to get on her nerves.
"Last time I checked, this was a public corridor, Granger," he pointed out.
"Yes, but this corridor leads to the library, and it's a Tuesday night, and you should be at your dungeons now. What are you doing here?" Just after she finished the phrase, she realized that it sounded a bit paranoid. She decided to change from her confronting posture and started picking up her books.
"Well, I happen to have the same rights to use the library as you do. However, you seem to talk about my schedules with property, Granger. Are you stalking me?" He asked.
She stopped picking up her books to stare at him.
"You're avoiding me," he said, with realization shinning on his features.
She frowned.
"Why would I be avoiding you, Malfoy?" Her voice was less convincing than she wished.
"You must be afraid of something," he smirked.
"Of you?!" she asked indignantly.
"Of you," he stated.
She went back to staring at him, unsure of what to say. Using the opportunity, he bent down to pick up a book.
"The 'Great Manual of Mind-Affecting Potions'. That's exactly what I was looking for."
"Don't even think about it, Malfoy. Give it back, now," she ordered.
"I never said I was going to keep it. However, now that you mentioned..."
"Give it back, Malfoy! I'm serious!" she threatened irritated. She tried to seize back her book, but his free hand caught her wrist and pulled her to him, and she suddenly felt his warm lips pressing against hers. She tried to struggle a bit, but he pressed her against the wall, holding her wrist against it and keeping her body entrapped with his. She could feel his body touching hers everywhere, and the shivers that passed through her must have caused a short circuit in her brain, because she couldn't think anymore.
She felt his tongue trying to make its way through her lips and let it pass, and soon it met hers in a harmonic dance. The feeling of his body so close was comforting and thrilling at the same time. The kiss was hot and passionate, pulling her into a state of bliss that wouldn't allow her any thoughts but those of him, of his presence, of his smell. She could smell him better now, his exquisite scent intoxicating her. She never felt so aware of all her body like that; it seemed that every little part of it was on fire.
A far away noise denounced that all the books must have gone to the floor by now, but that didn't seem to matter at the moment. She felt a hand in her waist, rubbing it, and a wave of heat passed through her. He was kissing her neck now, and biting it a bit, and she had to fight back a moan. She wanted to touch him, to pull him closer, although that was almost not possible. His hand moved to her back now, while the other held her neck, pulling her towards him. He seemed to have the same urge to be as close as possible, and every time she tried to move away from him, he would hold her wrist firmly and grab her harder, like a hunter holding his prey. He started kissing her everywhere, her mouth, her neck, her nape, her shoulders, biting here and there, as if he was digesting something he longed for centuries. He went for her tummy now, rubbing it while he kissed her, and started moving upwards. At this point, she realized, alarmed, what was going on. 'Dear God, what am I doing? I'm snogging him! Snogging Draco Malfoy! Bloody Malfoy! I must be insane!'
She broke the kiss, pushed him away, grabbed her books without looking anywhere else, and rushed to the Gryffindor Tower without looking back. An amused Malfoy watched her as she ran away.
*** 'I can't believe it! I snogged Draco Malfoy! I most certainly lost it!' She thought, rolling in her bed. Well, she couldn't deny he was a great kisser, even if she hadn't had much base of comparison. She had kissed Victor Krum in her forth year, and in her summer vacations after that, but that was all. Although she liked Victor as a friend, she never felt anything special for him. And no other boy interested her since then. But Malfoy... everything in him was thrilling, mysterious, instigating. She felt cold in her stomach just by remembering him. Kissing Malfoy was a whole new thing. 'Yeah, he knew what he was doing. And he's handsome, very handsome, and he smells so good...and what if I hadn't stopped him?' She felt a shiver through her body at the thought. She couldn't help but imagine it. To face the truth, she wanted it... 'oh, God, but it's Malfoy! Harry's enemy, Malfoy! Not that they showed too much animosity nowadays, but...what if Harry and Ron find out? What would they say? Would they feel like I betrayed them? Well, they probably won't know unless I tell them. Or would Malfoy use it just to get at them? Argh, what have I done? I don't want to lie to them, or hide things; I don't want them to think I betrayed them either.'
And with that, she had a very sleepless night.
***
Next morning, she spent her entire class tormented by the same thoughts of the night before, and decided to do something about it, for the sake of her internal peace.
At lunch, she entered the Great Hall in a rushed pace and stopped Harry before he seated to eat.
"Harry, I need to talk to you."
"Okay, let's just have lun--"
"No, I need to talk to you now!"
"But--"
"I need to talk to you now, damnit!!" she yelled, attracting some attention.
"Er... okay," he said in a low tone, his green eyes wide.
They left the Great Hall and entered an empty room. She closed the door.
"What is it, Hermione? You're scaring me," he asked, still a bit startled at her behavior.
"I--I don't know where to start. Please, sit down." she suggested. He did.
"I-I-don't-know-what-to-say, I- need to talk to someone about this, but I don't know who, and I need to talk to you about it, and I'm afraid you'd get mad at me, I wanted to talk to Ron, but he wouldn't understand either, I want you to, but I'm not sure you can, and I--"
"Hermione, calm down. I can't understand you like this. You think I'll be mad at you because of what, exactly? I promise I'll be comprehensive. I mean, you know I like you as a friend only, don't you?"
"What? No, Harry, that's not it, I... I kissed someone," she confessed.
"Hey, that's great!" He said, relieved and embarrassed. "I mean... I haven't seen you with anyone since Krum and... was it your first kiss?" He asked, a bit embarrassed with the subject.
"No, but that's not the point," she said quickly.
"What is it, then? Who was it, by the way? Do I know him?" He asked, curiosity getting the best of him.
"Well, that's the problem," she said, avoiding his eyes.
He frowned.
"Harry, I... I kissed Malfoy," she said, sparing him from the details.
"YOU KISSED MALFOY?!" he repeated loudly, not believing his ears.
"Shhh, there's no need to tell the whole damn school! I'm sorry, Harry, I-- "
"Haha, I can't believe it, Pansy was right then!"
"Ahn... what?" She asked, shocked at his reaction.
"She told me some time ago that she thought he fancied you," he informed, amused.
Hermione just blinked, confused.
"You-you're not mad, then?" she asked.
"Of course not, Hermione. You may kiss whoever you want. Besides, I don't think Malfoy's that bad, his barks are worse than his bites. But I never thought you'd even consider him!" He laughed. "Cool!"
"Cool?! Cool?!" She asked indignantly. "Are you mad, Harry? It's bloody Malfoy, and I don't 'consider' him! I was out of my mind!"
"Hermione, there's no need to be so harsh with yourself. So you kissed Malfoy, what then? I'm dating a Slytherin myself. It's about time you--"
"I can't believe you're suggesting such a thing! Excuse me," she said and left him alone in the room. With an amused smile, he decided he had some news for Pansy. And plans to make.
***