"But you're following your heart, aren't you?"
"I sure hope so..." she said.
Draco and Hermione heard a group of girls talking. They couldn't see them, but they were headed towards the couple.
"Goddamn Pansy," said Draco.
Hermione hopped up. "Come on, Draco, let's go," she said, grabbing his hand.
The two quickly crunched through the trees, heading back towards the village. They reached the edge of the forest.
"You go first," he told her. "It'd look weird if we were seen together."
"I'll see you when you get back to the room," Hermione said. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him.
Hermione headed down the lane, hoping not to run into Harry. She left the village and went back to the castle, finding the grounds virtually empty. There were two second years sitting under a tree, and a young Hufflepuff hurrying away from the greenhouses, but other than that, Hermione was alone. She wanted to sit down, but thought better of it when a cold blast of wind ran across her bare legs.
When she was back in the castle, she stopped and asked the house elves in the kitchen if they could bring her some hot chocolate before going up to her room. She changed into a pair of pajama pants and a tight, green t-shirt. A house elf appeared at her side as she searched for a sweater. He reached up to hand her hot cocoa to her, and she thanked him, and he disappeared.
A swishing noise from the common room told her Draco was back, so she went out. His cheeks were pink from the cold, and his hair was windswept.
"You changed into pajamas?" he asked. She nodded. "Hold up."
He disappeared into his room and emerged a minute later sporting only a pair of loose gray sweatpants. It took every bit of self-control she had not to jump on him right there. His sweatpants were low, and muscles rippled when he moved. She took a sip of her hot cocoa and set it down on a table as she walked over to him.
"I really like your shirt," he told her. Hermione looked down and realized how low-cut it was. Thank you, Kelly.
"I love those pants on you. They go with your eyes."
"Thanks." He took her hand and they sat down on the sofa next to them.
"So what were we talking about earlier?" he asked.
"I just have to know...do you really like me or is it something else?"
Draco looked confused. "Like what?"
"Like do you have a bet on me...or do you just want to say you've slept with every single girl in school...or something?"
"I'm not like that! I'm so tired of people saying that! I might be a player I guess, but I haven't been in the sack a million times!"
"But you've had sex?"
"Yeah...I guess."
"You guess?"
"Yeah. Twice."
"Who?"
"This girl. You don't know her. She has a vacation home near mine. And I didn't really want to."
"Really?"
"If I could do it over, I wouldn't have done it. I was so frustrated and stressed out, and it just felt so good to do it at the time. I shouldn't have. So please don't think all I ever want to do is fuck girls."
"I'm sorry."
"It's ok, it's a common misconception about me. And I'm glad now you know it's not true."
"Cool."
"So...yeah. I really do like you. No bets, no machoness."
Hermione laughed nervously. "Cool."
Draco's eyes darted around the room. "Yeah."
He leaned towards her, getting very close. "I think I'm falling in love with you," he whispered.
"I think I'm falling in love with you," she whispered back.
Draco kissed her for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. It still set her senses on fire. His lips were soft, and he tasted like peppermint. She kept her eyes closed, but she could still imagine him standing there in his pants, naked above the waist.
She pushed him away gently with her hand that was on her chest. "Do you really go to bed like that?" she asked.
"Actually, I sleep in the nude, but I didn't think you wanted to see that," he said, winking.
"Maybe I do..." Hermione said, raising her eyebrow. She slid her fingers under the loose waistband.
"Woah, I don't think it's very fair that you're going to leave me in my boxers, and you still have all of your clothes on."
Hermione grinned mischievously. Draco took the hint and removed her hand from his pants, and gently slid his hands down her hips, pulling her pants down. She was wearing light green boy shorts.
"Hey, why'd you change this year?" he asked her. "You never would've worn this stuff before..."
Hermione smiled. "My friend was tired of me being pretty but not taking advantage of it. So she threw out all my old clothes and we bought new ones...and yeah."
"She did a good job," he told her right before they kissed again. Draco opened his mouth and Hermione followed suit, allowing him to explore her mouth. Her hands were planted on his chest and in his hair, and his hands roamed her body as they kissed passionately. Hermione allowed her better judgement to be pushed into the back of her mind and she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his pants again. He pulled away.
"Are you sure?" asked Draco.
"Ok, right...boundaries. I'll just say stop if I get uncomfortable. What about you?"
"Same here...but I'm pretty sure I won't get uncomfortable."
"Alright." She leaned in and tried to kiss him, but he turned his head down to her neck. He kissed her and gently nibbled the crook of her neck. Hermione allowed a small moan to escape her lips.
She started to pull at his sweatpants, and he stopped, allowing her to slowly pull them off, revealing green boxers.
"My turn," said Draco, running his hands up her sides as he pulled her shirt off. Hermione was wearing a bra that matched her green underwear. She laid back on the couch and he crawled on top of her. He slowly worked his way down from her neck, allowing her to feel his erection against her thigh. He was kissing his way down in between her breasts while holding her waist gently. When he slid a hand up to unhook her bra, she stopped him.
"I'm not ready yet," she said as Draco regarded her hungrily.
"That's ok. Whatever you're ok with is fine," he said, kissing her on the cheek.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"For understanding. And for...well, everything you did."
"I've never been thanked before..."
"Well people should thank you. It felt way good. Like nothing I have ever felt before. It took everything I had in me to make you stop."
Draco laughed. "Well, it took everything I had in me to stop. You're so beautiful...I wanted to keep going."
"Well now I feel bad. And I didn't get to do anything to you..."
"Have you ever done anything to anyone?"
Hermione pulled her bra strap up. "Not really."
"Oh wow. That makes me just want to strip you down right now."
"Draco!" she playfully slapped him.
"Hermione!" he mimicked.
"You said my name..."
"You bet I did. What, should I still call you mudblood?"
"No, Hermione's fine."
"Ok. So I'm Draco and you're Hermione now."
"Yep."
"So we were at the point where you were going to 'do something' to me."
"Oh, right," she said. "Forgive me if I suck at this. I've never done it before."
"Oh, I'll forgive you if you suck..." he said, smirking.
"Oh, that famous Malfoy smirk. You pervert."
"Thanks."
Hermione leaned forward onto Draco and pressed her lips up against his. He kissed back hungrily and she pulled away, placing her lips on his neck. She sucked gently and moved her way down to his shoulder, and she gently nibbled. Her fingers gently traced his six-pack, and Draco's erection grew next to her thigh. She continued kissing and sucking her way down his torso, letting her hands move along his sides. She reached his navel and he moaned, bucking his hips. Hermione stopped. "Sorry."
Draco sighed and sat up. "It's ok. But I hate how you just stop! I can't live like this forever, you know."
"What?" Hermione said, batting her eyelashes innocently.
"You know what."
"Oh, does wittle Drakie need some sex?"
"Wittle Drakie can live without if he has to."
"Is he sure?"
"As long as he stops referring to himself in the third person, then yes."
"Ok," Hermione giggled.
"So yeah. What are we going to do about...us?"
"Us? Is there an us?"
"If you want there to be an us."
Hermione grinned and kissed Draco on the nose.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"So should we keep it confidential?"
"Yeah. My dad would kill me. Literally."
"Ron and Harry would kill you. And lock me in a closet forever."
"Ok. So obviously we can't go public."
"And definitely no first names."
"And no telling Potter or Weasel, even if they are your friends."
"I wasn't going to. And you can't tell anyone, either."
"I'm not stupid."
"I know that." Hermione looked up at the clock on the wall. "Hey, it's dinner time."
"Do you really want to go?" asked Draco.
"Why not?"
"Because of what happened today?"
"Crap. I guess you're right. You can go."
"What, and have Pansy try to blow me right at the table?"
"I guess not. Let's go down to the kitchens and have the house elves bring something up."
"Ok." They got up, untangling their legs and Hermione took a step towards the door. "You know, Hermione, one this that will attract attention to...this...is you walking out of this common room in your bra and panties."
Hermione blushed as she watched Draco pull his sweatpants back on. She walked back to the couch and grabbed her clothes, hastily pulling them on. Draco went into his room and emerged wearing a green sweater.
"Ok, if anyone asks why we're walking through the hallways together, it's Head business," Hermione said as she slid her bare feet across the floor. They walked out through the tapestry to find students coming back from Hogsmeade in large groups. One such group consisted of Pansy and her Draco-loving friends.
"Drakie! Oh what are you doing with that awful mudblood?" she said, running up and hugging him. He looked at Hermione, pleading for help with his eyes, and Hermione raised her eyebrow, remembering that they couldn't be friends in public. Or more than friends for that matter.
Draco pushed the simpering girl off of him. "Head business," was all he said, and they went down the stairs. Unfortunately, Harry was just at the bottom of the stairs talking to Ginny Weasley.
"Oh my god, Dr—Malfoy! Hide me," she said, trying to duck behind him.
Draco turned his head slightly and whispered, "I can't. He definitely saw you." Hermione looked around Malfoy's shoulder and found Harry looking up the stairs at her. Ginny was walking away.
"Hermione!" Harry called, waving her down. She breathed heavily and walked down the stairs to meet him. Draco found Blaise Zabini and talked to him at the top of the stairs while he waited.
"Hi Harry," she said.
"Hi Hermione," Harry said, looking at her as though he was searching for an answer.
"Do you need something? Cause I need to go get dinner from the kitchens."
"Good that I caught you then. Was there something wrong earlier?"
"I don't know. It just felt too weird. I think I like you better as a friend. And I hate saying that because it sounds so harsh."
Harry smiled sadly. "It's ok, Hermione. I understand. I really like you, but if that's what you want to do, then I'm fine with it."
"Thanks, Harry. Well, I have to go," she said, kissing him on the cheek.
"Bye, 'Mione."
Draco came down the stairs and walked behind Hermione until they got into a deserted hallway. Draco came up behind her and whispered, "What makes you like me?"
Hermione turned around. "Do all guys have to know?"
"Yes."
She sighed. "Fine. It's a lot of stuff. One thing is how you're nice to me now. And some other stuff. I feel really stupid. It's really just a feeling I get."
"Hmm."
"What about me? Why do you like me?"
"Well, honestly, I get that feeling, too. Nobody has ever made me feel so good before. And it definitely doesn't hurt that you're way hot," Draco said, pinning her in a corner. Hermione regarded him innocently. "And you're so pure and innocent."
"It's not just that you want to do me 'cause I'm a virgin?"
"I wouldn't care if you weren't."
"What if this is just all hormones?"
"Then we're screwed."
Hermione nodded. He let her free and they went to the kitchens, ordered their food, and went back up to their room. While they were waiting, they got comfortable on the couch that faced the fire. Draco sat on one end and Hermione stretched out, putting her head in his lap.
Draco twirled Hermione's hair around his finger. "How did you get it to be so sleek?" he asked her. "It was never like this before unless you count the Yule Ball in fourth year."
Hermione stared into the fireplace, watching the fire crackle. "I dunno...all of a sudden this year it started behaving after my friend fixed it over the summer."
"I never realized how beautiful you were before," remarked Draco. Hermione turned her head to look up into Draco's eyes.
"I didn't either," Hermione mentioned. The truth was she hadn't...not until Draco came along, at least.
A familiar house elf entered the room, along with another, and both were bearing trays with the heads' suppers on them.
"Thank you, Dobby," said Hermione as her food was placed on the table beside the couch. Dobby's mouth hung open in surprise as his eyes flickered from Draco to Hermione. Hermione realized how odd this scene must have seemed; Dobby's savior's friend lying happily in the lap of his ex-master. The two students that hated each other the most seeming to tolerate each other pleasantly.
Dobby and the other house elf bowed deeply before exiting the room quickly. Draco looked confused. "How do you know that elf's name?"
"Long story short, Harry knows him," replied Hermione as she dug into her food.
"Oh yeah, Potter freed him," Draco said through clenched teeth as he stabbed his fork into his turkey.
"Ok, Draco, you're gonna have to chill out about my friends a little."
"Yeah, well, it'll be hard. I've spent every minute of my life despising Potter for landing my father in Azkaban. No matter how much I hate my father, he's still family."
"Sorry," Hermione replied, unsure of what to say.
They ate their dinner in an awkward silence, and Hermione banished their plates back to the kitchens. After summoning a blanket from her room, she returned to her original position, lying on Draco. He stroked her hair absentmindedly.
"Do you think this is gonna work?" Draco asked Hermione.
"I don't know. But I'm going to try," she replied. Draco remained silent, and the couple's eyes drooped as the fire warmed them. Soon, they were both peacefully sleeping.
A/N: Ahh, I love you guys and your positive reviews! Keep them coming! And I always need input! I'll try to get another chapter up this weekend, too. Maybe even tonight...I can't sleep at all.