Hello, my lovlies. Sorry, it took so long to update this one. Work has been crazy. Anyhoo, it's a Christmas story, so we have a year people. This chapter begins the true 'R' rating so you have been warned. As always, I'm still new at this so let me know what you think.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
CHAPTER 4
PRESENTS AND POSSIBILITIES
After the Christmas Eve feast was over and everyone had their dessert, Hermione got up from her table and said goodnight to Harry, Ron and Ginny and went back to her common room. They had decided during dinner that they would have Christmas Day brunch with her at 11:00am tomorrow and then exchange gifts in the Gryffindor common room.
Walking back to the dormitory, her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Malfoy. His actions before going down to the feast were out of the ordinary, to say the least and Hermione didn't know what to think. She knew how to handle a hostile Malfoy, but a kind, thankful and kissing Malfoy? She was at a loss at where to begin. His kiss was totally out of the blue and certainly not normal even after he switched sides last year.
Malfoy had spent most of the evening staring at her and it made Hermione so uneasy about their whole encounter before dinner, she barely touched her food. 'Maybe he realized his mistake and was going to make her pay somehow? He was probably planning something all through dinner. Still, he definitely went through a change last year with the death of his father, but to kiss me? It just didn't make any sense'.
She arrived at their dorm and walked through the portrait hole. Brought out of her haze regarding Malfoy, she was forced to smile to herself. The room did look wonderful and she was extremely pleased with herself. She glanced at the fireplace and unconsciously lifted her hand to her lips thinking again about the kiss. 'Why did he have to pay me such compliments about the way I looked…it would have been so much easier if he had just insulted me or kept his mouth shut. Everyone at the Gryffindor table said I looked nice, but not to the extent of Malfoy's ravings. But Ron and Harry just had to comment on the color of her dress…. "of all colors, why did you pick green 'mione? Yeah, you look like a Slytherin".'
She shook her head and sighed, walking out onto the balcony. 'Ugh, stop thinking about it. He was probably caught off guard when I started speaking for him that he had to say something to throw me off.'
It was a very clear, crisp December evening and it was just starting to flurry. Hermione lifted her head to the heavens, poked her tongue out and caught a snowflake on it. She giggled to herself…she hadn't done that in years.
Hermione turned when she heard someone clear his throat and found Malfoy leaning against the doorframe. He looked so debonair standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. He was still wearing his formal robes from dinner. Hermione realized that until this moment, she hadn't really allowed herself to truly see how handsome he looked tonight. His silken blond hair stood out so prominently against his jet-black attire. Standing in the doorway with the soft common room lighting behind him gave him this heavenly glow, like a fallen angel.
"Malfoy", she said coming back to her senses, "you startled me. I was just getting some fresh air before bed". She nervously smoothed out the front of her dress.
"I can see that", he replied. Pushing away from the doorframe, he walked out onto the balcony. "I was pestered through most of dinner with questions about the party. I just wanted to get some peace and quiet before bed".
"Oh. I'll leave you to it then. Goodnight Malfoy". Hermione headed toward the door.
"Relax, Granger", he said standing in front of her, "you don't have to leave on my account, there's room for both of us out here".
"Yes, well…..alright", she said feeling a little nervous.
They both turned and walked to the railing, looking towards the lake.
"It's beautiful out. I love it when it first starts to snow". Hermione said.
"Yes. Beautiful". Malfoy wasn't looking at the lake he was looking at Hermione.
Hermione sensed his eyes on her, but was too afraid to look directly at him. She was getting uncomfortable again and didn't know how to deal with him like this. She shivered but not only from the cold, from the heat radiating off the closeness of his body.
She hugged herself in a deluded sense of protection.
"Cold?", he asked.
"Not really", she said quickly.
He smiled to himself then took off his dinner jacket and draped it around her shoulders causing her to jump a little in surprise. "You're a horrible liar, Granger", he said softly. His hands lingered a little too long on her shoulders and she turned to look at him.
"Thanks", she said simply and he shrugged moving back next to her.
"I'm used to the cold…father always had me practice my flying no matter what the weather was." He turned away from her. "This isn't cold to me".
"It's going to be a white Christmas", she said softly trying to get the conversation back to a happier topic after the mention of his father.
"Why didn't you go home for the break Granger?", he asked suddenly.
"My parents are vacationing in France, sort of a second honeymoon".
Now she turned to face him and asked in all seriousness, "Why didn't you?"
His hands clenched the railing. "I didn't want to spend it alone".
"But your mother…?"
"…is spending it away from the manor. She didn't want to deal with another holiday without father. Last year was too hard for……her. She's spending it with friends in Scotland".
"Malfoy….", she began putting her hand on his arm.
He abruptly pulled away from her. "Yes, well it's getting late. Big day tomorrow and all that…"
"Malfoy…."
He turned and walked towards the doorway. "Goodnight Granger".
"Malfoy wait", she said following him back into the common room.
"Really Granger, I've had enough sharing for one evening. I'm spent", he said dismissing the subject
"Oh, uh….of course. It's just…."
"Just what", he said growing a little impatient and wishing she would drop it.
She pressed on a little embarrassed, "it's just that it's Christmas Eve and in my family we always got to open one gift before bed".
He looked at her clearly confused, though happy she did actually drop the subject of HIS family.
She bent down and picked up a gift that was hidden underneath the tree. "Happy Christmas Malfoy", she said with a huge smile and held the package out to him.
It was wrapped in shimmering emerald green paper and was decorated with a silver ribbon and matching bow.
He was shaking his head as she forced him to take it. "Granger, I didn't think we were exchanging…I didn't expect…"
"Forget it. It's about giving not receiving".
He gave her a look like she was speaking a foreign language.
"Honestly Malfoy, it's not going to bite you", she said with a twinkle in her eye.
Malfoy opened the package. "A 'Hex a Day' calendar?"
"Yes. Each day, the witch or wizard pictured teaches you how to cast their most famous hex. I hope you don't mind, but I went through it and marked a few that I wouldn't mind be on the receiving end of".
"Really?", he said in what almost seemed delight.
"No", she said smiling "but I did buy its companion for myself. 'A Counter-Curse a Day'…just in case".
She removed his jacket and draped it over her arm.
"I…..what a thoughtful gift….thank you".
"You're welcome….and thank you", she said handing him back his jacket.
"You only wore it a few minutes, it's no big deal".
"I know, but it's the fact that you offered it…..to me", she finished turning away so he couldn't see the blush in her cheeks. Hermione reached up and took two long pins out of her hair. It all came tumbling down around her shoulders as she walked towards the fire.
"Wow", he said a little speechless. He was amazed she only had 2 pins holding up all that hair.
She looked over her shoulder at him and gave a little laugh. "The poor pins are exhausted from the effort", she said holding them out to him so he could see how bent out of shape they were.
"They worked hard all night and might I say they did a fantastic job", he said with a bit of a purr in his voice.
She smiled. "I think they deserve to be put out of their misery" and threw them into the fire.
"A moment of silence?", he asked with a spark of mischief in his voice.
"Why not?", she said shrugging.
They both stared as the pins in the fire started to glow red and then disintegrated. He looked at her, asking a silent question. "I enchanted them to help with the hold".
"Ah", he said.
They both continued to stand there in uncomfortable silence until Hermione sighed and said, "well….I guess we should get to bed. You're right. Tomorrow is going to be a long day with the party and all".
"Yes", he said flipping his jacket over his shoulder.
They both headed up the stairs and came to Malfoy's room first. "Goodnight", he said reluctantly. He didn't want this night to end. She looked so beautiful and she was being so nice to him. And the present…'I should have gotten her something. Why didn't I get something for the head girl?'
"Goodnight Draco", she said and leaning in, gave him a kiss on the lips that matched the one earlier in the evening. He was caught off guard, not only by her kiss, by the use of his first name. Before he had the time to react she had already pulled away. He stared at her and she could see how intense his eyes were. They had somehow gone a shade darker.
She held his gaze and pointed up. "Mistletoe", she said and gave him her own smirk.
"That's not how it's done", he said quickly.
"What do you mean?" she asked a little breathless caught in the depths of his deep blue eyes.
"Kissing under the mistletoe", he explained.
"I did it exactly as you did before", she said feeling a little defensive after being told her kiss was wrong.
"I was being polite", he said with a slight growl in his voice. She watched, as his eyes grew even darker.
"This", he said grabbing her around the waist and pulling her against him, "is how it's done".
He leaned down and took her mouth with his. Not fast and hard, but soft, slow and deliberate. She didn't know how long he kissed her and she didn't care. Any questions she had about his earlier actions flew out of her head. This felt unbelievably right. She was melting into oblivion at the touch of his lips on hers. Instinctively, her arms found their way around his neck.
Malfoy moved one hand behind her neck, holding her to him. He was lost in the taste of her mouth and the touch of her body against his. He couldn't get enough.
They pulled back for some much needed air. "Merlin, Granger. I've watched you all night hoping for some chance to do that". He leaned his forehead against hers and tried to catch his breath. "You look fantastic in Slytherin green. Seeing you in that dress..…it does something to me". She was still breathing hard as he moved her back against his bedroom door. He still hadn't released her.
"What does it do to you?", she asked a little surprised at her own boldness. He let out another low growl as he lowered his head to her neck. Finding her pulse point, he kissed and licked and nibbled while grinding himself against her. She couldn't hold back a moan of delight.
"That's what it does to me".
He began nibbling her ear. Their hands were now fisted in each other's hair. "What are we doing?", she asked trying to hold onto what was left of her rational mind.
"I don't know….what have you done to me?" His voice was filled with passion, he didn't know what was happening…all he knew was he never wanted to let her go.
"I didn't do anything", she said in between kisses.
"Yes you have. So beautiful….. you've made me want you".
"Oh, God.", she moaned again, "Malfoy…"
"No", he whispered against her lips, "call me by my first name".
"Draco…"
"Oh God". He was trembling now, trying desperately to control how badly he wanted her.
He reached behind her and opened his door, walking her backwards into the room. "I should have gotten you a gift…stupid. I'll give you whatever you want, just tell me what you want". He was babbling while kissing her, totally caught in the moment.
"Draco", she said trying to regain some of her common sense. "Too fast", she said quickly. "This is going too fast for us to….to…..for…."
"Shhhhhh, it's okay. We won't. This is about you….I just want to do something for you. I want to please you. If you don't like it, I'll stop".
He sat her on the edge of his bed and knelt down in front of her. He took one ankle and removed her shoe. Then did the same to the other. She was looking down at him and he was smiling up at her. He slowly moved his hands up her stocking clad legs to her thighs. Surprised by what he found, he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes trying to get himself under some semblance of control.
"Granger, you're killing me here". She was wearing thigh high stockings with garters to hold them in place. He opened his eyes and found hers twinkling with amusement. She reached forward and untied his tie and unbuttoned his top button. Then she reached down to grab some of the velvety fabric of skirt and began to pull it up slowly revealing her ankles, then her calves. When she got the dress past mid-thigh, he let out a small whimper.
His hands were still under the hem of the dress tracing circles on her thighs waiting to see what her underclothes looked like. As the hem passed the apex of her thighs her matching green panties were revealed. Draco's mouth was watering and he let out a deep growl. Hermione continued to lift the dress as if to remove it, he stilled her.
"No. The dress stays on. Now, lie back".
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
mwwwuuuuuuhahahahahahahahaha. Sorry kids, I had to end it here while I decide where to take this one. Don't worry. They'll well, you know. I'm just not sure how to make it interesting without being redundant. I will update, but give me a little time to come up with something worthy to be read by you. As of this post….294 days until GOF premiers.
