The Passion of a Dragon

By: xKatx

Author's Notes: I'm having so much fun with this story! Thank you to EVERYONE who has put me on their "Author Alert" list and "Favorite Stories" list! I love you guys so much and thank you for all of the support!
Someone asked me if I came up with all of the poetry; the answer is yes, with the exception of the poem in Chapter 9—I got that from a website. Other than that, I rhymed all the other things, including the introductory poem. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own HP stuff—I'd be in the mountains right now if I did—I own everything you don't recognize.

Characters You Will Meet In This Chapter:

no new characters

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"What the hell is going on with you and that Xander?" He asked her the minute she walked into the common room.
She raised her eyebrows, "Excuse me?"

        "You heard what I said," he hissed from where he stood just in front of his door.

        "Since when the hell does it matter to you who I talk to."

        "It doesn't. I want to know what's going on with those looks you keep sending to him. You think I don't see you, Granger, but I see you."

        "What the hell are you playing at? You're getting all jealous and angry as if I was-"

        "--As if you were mine?"

Her eyes widened. How had he known that's what she was going to say? She tried to look as confident and un-ruffled as possible.

        "Exactly," she replied, "I'm not," she moved toward the bathroom.

        "One minute you're in my bed the next you're sending 'looks' at another man?"

        "Let's get one thing straight," she said, stopping in front of the bathroom door and turning to look at him, "We did not have sex last night; stop making it sound like we did. For another, I was only looking at him to smile. It didn't mean anything except a friendly hello."

        "I realize we didn't have sex. But you were just as willing as I was-"

        "I plead temporary insanity," she said as she turned to enter the bathroom.

Draco Malfoy took two steps and was in front of the bathroom door, blocking her way.

        "Get out of my way, Malfoy," she spat, hate filling her eyes.

        "No," he told her.

She tried to push him out of the way, but he caught both of her wrists in one of his hands, holding her hands above her head.

        "You can talk and yell and curse all day long," he said, "But you know just as well as I do that this isn't just temporary insanity--this isn't just a fling."

        "What is this 'this' you keep referring to?" She hissed.

He smirked and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek, "This," he said as he pressed his lips to hers in one smooth, debonair movement.

Hermione had the right mind to bite the hell out of his lip and run, but before the logical side of her mind could do that, the other side began to speak up.

In one second flat, she pulled her hands out of his grip. He was ready to pull back and trap her again, but before he reacted she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her, her tongue teasing the seam of his lips.

He wrapped his arms completely around her waist and invaded her mouth with his tongue, revering in the vanilla taste of her mouth, her lips; the warm scent radiating off of her skin and her hair. When they broke apart for oxygen, she glared at him.

        "God, I hate you," she managed, not being able to speak above a whisper because of her lack of oxygen.

        "If you hate me, why are you still here?" He whispered to her, his lips meeting with the skin of her neck, leaving tender kisses on it.

        "Oh, by the way, I saw your handiwork," she said, pulling her shirt down enough to show him where the blood vessels in her skin had broken, resulting in a hickey, "Very nice, but not very cool."

He smirked at her, "I had to mark you somehow. You didn't complain much."

        "Not until I woke up and realized I had to go to school with that thing on there," she said.

He raised an eyebrow, "What? Ashamed to show people you're messing around with a Slytherin?"

        "You mean the Dark Prince of Slytherin? Considering I'm a Gryffindor, yeah, I am a little."

His eyes sparked for a minute, "You're a Gryffindor, but not much like one."

It was her turn to raise an eyebrow, "And what makes you a professional judge on what makes a Gryffindor, and what doesn't?"

He let his lips run up her neck to her lips, "Because I've been with many," he whispered against them.

        "Many?" She questioned with a bemused look, "Any I might know?"

        "Probably, but I'm not going to name them," he said, pressing a kiss to her lips.

She shook her head, "I swear, you are one of the horniest-"

        "No," he said, looking at her, "I'm not, generally. But I just can't--"

        "-Seem to get enough? Good, I thought I was the only one."

        "What is this?" He questioned her, his deep gray eyes piercing into hers.

She shook her head, "I don't know, but whatever it is, it's wrong."

He pressed his lips to hers, and she eagerly responded. Their mouths danced together, their arms embracing each other, their breaths always running short far before they wanted to pull away.

        "If it's so wrong, why do you keep kissing back?" He questioned, breathing heavily.

She shook her head, "I don't know. You're just so…"
        "Devilishly charming?" He suggested with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes, "No. I just… I don't know. What are we now? We're not enemies…"

        "I don't know," he replied, pressing his lips to hers again, savoring the vanilla sweetness of her mouth. She kissed him eagerly as his hands slipped under her shirt and rested on the skin of her waist.

        "You know," she said, panting as he pressed kisses on her neck again, "There is that whole... prophecy thing..."

The thought didn't sink in considering she pressed her lips to his and said against them, "Not here."

He nodded and slowly moved them to the couch, their lips never separating from each other's as she pulled him down ontop of her. He smirked at her, "I thought this was wrong and you pled 'temporary insanity'?"
She rolled her eyes, "Figures you would taunt me while beginning what I fear to be a very long snogging session."

He just smirked again as she unbuttoned his school shirt and pulled it off as he watched her. She was so innocent, even as she pulled his wifebeater off of his torso; she never once looked like the lust-craved Hogwarts whores he'd frequented before. In fact, she looked at him as if he was a prize--a priceless treasure that should be protected with her life. It gave him butterflies to see someone look at him with more than just jealousy, anger, or lust in their eyes.

        "What?" She asked, her fingers making lazy circles on his back, "What's wrong?"

He shook his head as he kept looking at her, taking in every little detail of her face. He knew this simple snogging "relationship" they'd begun would eventually either end or become more one day, but he had decided to treasure every night he had to feel the butterflies he'd wanted since he was a kid.

        "You're..." he paused, pressing a kiss to her lips, before running them down her neck, "So... beautiful..." he finished, continuing to kiss her neck.
Hermione thought she would pass out with the intense pleasure of it all. Kisses on the neck had always been a total aphrodisiac for her, and he'd figured that out the first night. In the time span of a little less than forty-eight hours, he'd managed to learn everything he needed to make her skin crawl with anticipation and her breath catch in her throat.

They spent the next two hours in a casual fashion--long, intense kisses interrupted by caresses and short conversation; slowly, the two worst enemies in Hogwarts History since James Potter and Severus Snape, began to slowly fall in love, and learn what they never thought they'd know: each other.

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Hermione arrived in the Great Hall the next morning with butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She still feared facing him, but the fear had changed; now she was afraid to see him because of their now two secret snogging sessions in the privacy of the Heads Dorm.

She'd worn the regulation uniform with her hair swept up and held in the twisted fashion it was in with a silver clip; she had on subtle silver eye make-up and plain gloss on her lips. She still received many stares and gapes from the male student body at Hogwarts, but there were only two gazes she really felt: Draco's and Xander's.

As her friends began with their usual mindless chatter, Hermione stared off into space, her finger running around the edge of her glass of pumpkin juice. So she'd snogged him twice--now what? Would they just be the one each other went to when they needed to work off some of the raging hormones half of the student body was experiencing? Or were they fated to be more?
She shook her head; was she even sure she wanted more? He'd freaked out when she'd looked at Xander--imagine how he'd react if he ever saw some of the boys flirting with her! He'd be sent to Azkaban for murder before he was twenty. Besides, she didn't even know what her feelings were for him now; what if he hadn't felt anything?

Before her mind could find a logical answer to this question, someone called, "Look!"

All of the sets of eyes in the Great Hall flew to the ceiling. The message had changed again.

'Tis the first of November,

And all through the school,

Rumors are spreading,

Of a midnight duel.
No spells have been cast,

No insults've been thrown,

They want nothing more

Than to be each other's own.
Their time is growing short,

Little than two months till the day,
They'll learn to love together,
Or die their own way.

Hermione didn't have to ask her friends' opinions like all the other students were; she had a very good idea of who the two were, and her mind was telling her she'd better talk to Malfoy as soon as she could.

Draco saw the message as well, and he nearly swore out loud. It all made sense; one day he'd hated her, and the next he couldn't get enough of her; her eyes, her hair, her taste, her feel--she was the drug, and he was the addict, and this was a very new position for him. Usually it was the other way around, but this time she held the power.

The only question was: would she put him through withdrawal, or give him what he needed?

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You only see what your eyes want to see,
How can life be what you want it to be?

Your frozen, when your heart's not open.

The school day passed far too quickly for Hermione and Draco. Both spent all their time trying to figure out how they had been chosen for the Coalesces Oracle. Why hadn't it been any other Slytherin or Gryffindor? All of the students in those two houses were avid enemies of each other; why had the oracle chosen them? The two worst enemies of their year?

You're so consumed with how much you get,
You waste your time with hate and regret,

Your broken, when your heart's not open.

All during dinner the two caught each other glancing at the other, but they didn't give any of the other students a reason to be suspicious. They were cautious; if the school found out the Head Boy and Girl had snogged twice in twenty-four hours, there would be no stopping the rumors. After all, neither Hermione nor Draco were sure they wanted anything to become of this little fiasco they'd begun.

Mmmmmm, if I could melt your heart

Mmmmmm, we'd never be apart

Mmmmmm, give yourself to me

Mmmmmm, you hold the key

Little did either of them know, two pairs of eyes were watching them with piqued interest. The man's eyes flicked between them both, but the woman's eyes watched Draco intently. She noticed his expression     was blank. However, his eyes said it all; he was looking at the Gryffindor with a keen eye.

The woman scoffed, and the man turned to look at her. She nodded, clearly saying, "Yes, I'll do it."

The man smirked at her before he stood and made his way out of the Great Hall; he and the woman had a rendezvous, and he wouldn't be late.

Now there's no point in placing the blame

And you should know I suffer the same

If I lose you, my heart will be broken.

Hermione was partly thankful that Professor Binns had assigned a long essay on the Elf Wars of 1245; this meant she had to spend that night at the library--and not in the common room with a particular blonde haired Slytherin. She shouldered her bag and bid her best friends goodbye before throwing one final glance at the man she was falling for and leaving the Great Hall.

Love is a bird, she needs to fly,

Let all the hurt inside of you die
You're frozen, when your heart's not open.

        "Hello, Hermione," Xander said as he caught up with her a few seconds later.

        "Hi, Xander," she said, a little hesitant to give him a hug, considering what a controversy a simple look had caused with Draco.

        Who cares if it pisses him off? At this moment, we're not together; we just occasionally make out.

She smiled at the man next to her before stopping and giving him a hug.

        "How have you been?" She asked as they pulled apart.

He smiled down at her, "I've been quite well; getting ready to go home for Thanksgiving. How about you?"

        "I'm getting ready to as well; all of my friends are going to Ron's house the night after Thanksgiving, so we'll all be spending time together."

        "Sounds like fun. You do have a delightful group of friends."

She smiled, "Thanks, I happen to agree."

        "Well, I have to catch up with an old friend, and it looks like you have a lot of work to do."

She nodded, "Thank you. I'll see you later."

        "Have a good night, lass."

        "You too."

Hermione waved as she entered the library and Xander continued walking down the hall.

Mmmmmm, if I could melt your heart

Mmmmmm, we'd never be apart

Mmmmmm, give yourself to me

Mmmmmm, you hold the key

        "You okay, man?" Blaise asked Draco as they entered the Slytherin common room and chased a few first years out of the corner.

        "Yeah, I'm fine, why?"

Blaise shrugged, "You seem a little preoccupied."

Draco sighed as they set up the Wizard Chess board, "I suppose I am a little."

Blaise looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, "Anything you want to talk about."

Draco didn't answer right away. His father had taught him not to depend on others; and he never did. The only two exceptions to that age-old Malfoy rule were Blaise, his best friend in which he held more confidence than anyone in the world, and... Hermione. He was beginning to depend on her, and it was annoying him. He depended on her for the butterflies, for the excitement, for the pleasure... he hated that she held all of these things that he needed.

But at the moment, she wasn't where he was. Blaise was.

        "Well," Draco said, slowly, "There's a new girl..."

You only see what your eyes want to see,

How can life be what you want it to be?

You're frozen, when your heart's not open.

The man smirked as he saw her sitting on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower.

        "So?" He questioned, walking over to her.

She stood and walked closer to him, "I'll do it. That bitch is going down, and he's going to go with her."

He gave her an evil smile, "Both of them will pay; it's a shame she has to suffer because of him."

        "It's her fucking fault," the woman spat, "Mudblood trash trying to get with a pureblood. It's never been right, and it never will be."

        "She's never done anything to me," he said, "Except make the mistake of giving me her trust."

The woman scoffed as she ran her hands down his broad chest, "Stupid whore trusts everyone."

He smirked, "In this case, it's a good thing."

        "One question," she asked, "Why did you pick me to do this?"

He shrugged as she backed up to the ledge and sat down, pulling him with her by his tie, "Because you want revenge as much as I do, and I know you can help me destroy them."

        "Damn right I can," she said, "That asshole has screwed with me one to many times, and I'll only be too happy to watch that bitch die with him."

The man smirked as she put her hand on the back of his head and pressed her lips to his, her tongue lashing out against his lips.

        "What do we do first?" She asked in a sigh as he ran his tongue down from her mouth to her neck.

        "First, we wait another week to see if it looks like they'll fulfill the oracle. If it looks that way, we'll start to create distrust between the two. If it doesn't look that way, we'll start to create anger between them. I already know they're the two to fulfill the oracle; if they don't fall in love and admit it by the New Years' Dance, they both die, and our job is done."

She smirked, "You know, you don't look as cunning as you are."

        "That's the idea," he told her as their lips met again, evil smirks on both of their faces.

Mmmmmm, if I could melt your heart

Mmmmmm, we'd never be apart

Mmmmmm, give yourself to me

Mmmmmm, you hold the key-y

        "So you're falling for her and don't want to?" Blaise questioned after Draco explained his predicament.

He nodded as they packed up the chessboard, "What do you think?"

Blaise stretched and yawned, "Well, I think you should wait it out and see if you think she feels the same."

Draco nodded again before standing, "I better get some sleep."

        "Me too," Blaise said, shaking his friend's hand, "See you tomorrow, Dragon."

        "Same to you, Fire."

Draco left the common room with more to think about than when he'd entered it.

If I could melt your heart,

Mmmmmm, we'd never be apart

Mmmmmm, give yourself to me

Mmmmmm, you hold the key

        "He's just too difficult," Hermione told herself as she stared out of her bedroom window at the full moon, "Give me a sign that it's worth it."

She turned over and fell into a very uneasy sleep. Who wouldn't be uneasy? Evil was brewing at Hogwarts, and little did she know she was right in the middle of it.

If I could melt your heart.