Causes and Effects

Hermione didn't even bother going to dinner that night. After quelling her initial anxiety of the idea, she'd decided she was going to talk to Draco, whether he liked it or not. Instead of hoping to catch him after dinner, she headed directly from her last lesson to the common room and waited.

Draco noted that Hermione wasn't at the Gryffindor table when he sat down at dinner. He hoped she was in the library doing some extra research or something along those lines, and not where he thought she was. If it were otherwise, he anticipated some serious badgering when he returned to the dorm.

And he was right. As soon as he entered the Heads' portrait, there she was, sitting on the couch by the fire. Hermione opened her mouth to speak; Draco ignored her and walked over to his staircase. Hermione stood and followed as he climbed the stairs. Just as he was about to close the portrait, she reached out and grabbed it, then stepped inside.

Draco sighed. "What are you doing, Granger?"

"We need to talk," she replied.

"Well, maybe some other time." He walked into his bedroom, and Hermione followed.

"No. Today."

"Why today?" he asked.

"Because," she said, taking a step closer, "today I heard some very interesting things in your head. Things you don't want to tell me that I want to know."

"How do you know that I wasn't just playing with you?"

"Don't lie."

"Fine. I have nothing else to say to you."

"Then you'll listen to me."

"Just—"

"I'm not going anywhere!" she yelled. "Why can't you just listen?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Go ahead."

"What I said I didn't mean," Hermione began. She took a seat on the bed and continued. "Harry and Ron wanted an explanation. I didn't even have time to think about what I was going to say. And I didn't want them to freak out, so I told them something that would make them leave it alone. But I never meant to lie. But I did…but I didn't really believe what I said." She looked up at Draco. "And I don't believe it now."

"Well?" he asked after he could no longer stand looking at her.

"Well what? Wait, why are you the one saying 'well'? Did you hear what I just said?"

"Yes…"

"Well?"

"Well, that's nice. I think you can go now."

"I told you, I'm not going anywhere. Do you want me to apologize? Did I forget to say that I was sorry?"

Draco gave her a blank stare.

"Well, I am," Hermione said, rising from the bed.

"Ok, so I've listened to what you had to say. What else do you want me to do?"

"Draco, please just understand that this is all a big mistake." She'd looked like she was going to leave when she stood up, but instead she sat back down in one of his chairs. Draco sighed and tried changing the subject.

"I'm starting to think that you're only in my room because you really want that shag," he said.

"Why would you even joke about that?" Hermione stood up again and headed towards the exit. "You know that's not what I want." She disappeared into the corridor.

Draco sat down on the bed and waited for the click of the door. It didn't come. Hermione reappeared at the entrance of the bedroom.

"You know what," she said, "maybe I do want that shag." Draco looked up to see her walking back into the room, and beginning to unclasp her robe.

"What!" Draco watched the robe drop to the floor.

"Yeah, maybe it'll help. And this way we'll both get what we want." She reached down and loosened her shoes, then stepped out of them. "Because you won't have to wonder what's under my clothes anymore, and after we do it, maybe you'll be so mean to me that I'll hate you forever and I won't be able to stand thinking about you." Hermione pulled off her knee-highs next.

Draco watched and made no move to stop her. I can't have sex with her…

Well then, if your pride is so important, stop her, his conscience said.

Draco stood and walked over to her clothes. He picked up her robe, shoes, and knee-highs as Hermione began unbuttoning her shirt.

"Stop," he said, and grabbed her hands. "You don't want to have sex with me." He placed the clothing in her hands. "You should go."

Hermione ignored his words and kissed him. She dropped the clothes and wrapped her arms around his back. Draco didn't move at all. Don't touch her, or else you won't be able to stop…

Draco pulled away from the kiss and took her arms away from his shoulders.

"Herm—"

She wriggled out of his grasp and pulled him closer to her.

"Please Draco, just let me do this." Hermione pushed him onto the bed and then settled on top of him. She bent down and began kissing his neck. Draco closed his eyes as her mouth trailed down to his shirt collar. Gods, but she was quick, he thought as she reached down to unbutton his shirt. Finally Draco opened his eyes.

"Hermione, do you really want to do this?"

"I do." She moved her gaze to his face. "And I'm so sorry about everything. I don't know how it happened, but everything just turned into one big mess. But I'm telling the truth, I really do believe you."

Draco was speechless. Here she was on top of him, saying that she was ready to give herself to him, and he couldn't even think of what to say. He didn't speak for a long time, and so Hermione leaned back in and kissed his lips. His eyes closed again as Hermione began placing kisses all over his face. Her hands continued the job of unbuttoning his shirt. She discarded the fabric on the floor and turned back to him. Then she stopped.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, opening his eyes.

"Well, I don't really know what I'm doing." She removed her hands from his chest.

"Wait—you were doing just fine." Draco took her hands and put them back on his stomach. "Go ahead," he said and closed his eyes again.

Hermione didn't move. "Could you help me…?"

"Sure."

Draco reached up and took her mouth with his own. He licked her waiting lips and grasped her by the waist, pulling her body onto his. Hermione mumbled into his mouth as Draco began pulling the uniform shirt out of her skirt. When this was accomplished, he rolled her body onto the bed and kneeled above her. His hands quickly unbuttoned the blouse and pulled it off.

He sucked hard on her now swollen lips as his hands moved to caress her body. In another moment his mouth was at her neck. A breath escaped her lips as he gently pulled on her collarbone, and she gasped in surprise as his teeth began to graze her shoulder.

Hermione's insides exploded in a surge of heat as Draco's lips passed over her skin. She fidgeted under him in an attempt to make herself more comfortable, but only succeeded in becoming more desperate for his touches to her body. Draco however, didn't seem to share in the discomfort and was still nibbling away at her shoulder and seemed in no hurry to do more.

Hermione reached down and unclasped his belt, then began to unzip his pants. She tugged at them and pulled them down to uncover his boxers.

"Not so fast," Draco mumbled. He let her finish pulling his pants off and then she threw them on the floor, and placed her hands on the waistband of his boxers.

Draco rolled off her body and watched as she slid the green fabric from his waist at an almost painful pace. Her eyes went wide at the sight of his body now completely revealed to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Hermione's gaze moved up to his face. "Well, it's just that I've never been in front of a naked person before."

Draco smiled at this. "Obviously," he said watching her expression. "Do you still want to continue?"

He prayed that she wouldn't resist; not now when he was so painfully ready. She nodded her assent and he reached for her arms, pulling her once more completely onto him. He had been trying not to go as quickly as his body urged him, but gave up the effort at the irresistible way she was looking at him. His hands moved to her thighs and slid up to her underwear, which he ripped off without a second's notice and cast off the bed. She yelped in surprise and he grinned; if she thought that was surprising she obviously didn't know what was coming next. While one hand moved to separate her thighs, the other slid in between them, and without hesitation pushed into her entrance.

"Uhnhh…"

Her legs clamped shut around his hand as she collapsed in shock onto his body. Hermione breathed heavily and squeezed her eyes shut. Draco whispered to her to relax; she could barely find the breath to respond that she was trying, but that it was such a weird sensation.

"Just let me pull out, then."

He waited for her legs to relax and removed his finger. It's supposed to help, he said, and she nodded as her breathing began to slow to a more normal pace.

"Let me go slower ok?" and then he pushed back into her, slowly, trying to control himself and make her more comfortable. Soon enough she relaxed and he began to speed his motions, until his fingers were wet with her release. He removed them and positioned himself under her, unable to restrain himself anymore.

"Clothes," she mumbled.

She was right; take off the clothes. He reached around her back and fumbled with the clasp of her bra until she pulled it open herself and threw it away. Her hands moved to her skirt—why was she taking so long to remove it—and then finally it was off, and Draco pulled her down for another hungry kiss.

His hands eagerly began their exploration of her now exposed body; he turned her underneath him, and then paused in his movements to simply gaze at her.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered.

His lips touched her navel and trailed up from there until they reached the valley between her breasts. Hermione sighed as he placed the softest kisses onto her and began to gently massage her breast with his mouth and hands. She never wanted him to stop; his gentle touches were pushing her to almost unbearable heights of excitement. But stop he did, and held her face with his hands. Her eyes fluttered open—he was waiting for her consent—she gave it wordlessly and closed her eyes again.

"Don't…please, look at me."

She opened her eyes once again and moved their focus to his face. And then Draco pushed into her. Hermione gasped and fought the urge to close her eyes, and instead, a pained expression crossed her face.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"Yes…"

"Gods I'm sorry." Draco hurriedly lifted his body up and looked into her eyes.

"No…it's just—I wasn't expecting that."

"Well, it doesn't hurt for very long. But we can stop."

"No. No stopping."

Draco shook his head and leaned into her for another kiss. When he was sure that she was ready again, he let himself back into her. It was such a painfully slow pace, when he wanted nothing more to have her as quickly as possible; but he waited until he could feel her beginning to relax around him.

"It doesn't hurt so much anymore," she breathed.

Draco took this as his cue to pick up the pace, and he did; slowly, so he caused her no more pain, but more urgent, deeper with every second. She clung to him as he rocked her, pushed her until she could take no more. The sighs and gasps that she could hardly contain only pressed him to continue, until Draco himself was spent and finally lowered her onto the bed. He rested on her, Hermione's arms limp around his back, but still clinging to him as she drew in ragged breaths. Finally he let her go and rolled onto the bed beside her. She shifted on her side, turning to face him, and waited for him to speak.

"I dare say you liked that." Of course whatever he said would be something cocky.

"Maybe," Hermione joked. "I guess we'll just have to try again to be sure."

"Of course," Draco said and lifted a finger to stroke the side of her face. "Of course."