Chapter 6
The grounds were crowded with students, all enjoying the coming summer's warmth. Basking in the sunlight near the lake bed; some students were even swimming, the giant squid skirting the water along with them as if doing some sort of dance.
Squeals of laughter and pieces of conversation drifted up to her spot. She sat on a small hill overlooking the activities, not too close to the students that they would be uncomfortable. After all... she was a teacher.
Ungraded essays lay scattered around her, held down by rocks so the gentle breeze that picked up ever so often didn't take them away.
The sun felt so good on her cheeks; along her back; across her arms as she curled the sleeves of her dark purple robes up. The grass pressed into her palms, and she knew when she stood up their would be intricate dents all over them, maybe dirt between her finger nails.
She didn't care.
This was what it was like to feel free.
A little sacrifice was necessary...
"Enjoying your self?"
She turned at the familiar voice and she felt a smile stretch across her visage. She had been waiting for him to arrive all day.
After all this time he still made her pulse quicken and her throat dry.
Draco stood against the sun, his face and body darkened into shadow from his angle, but she could tell, by the sound of his voice that was he smiling. Not the typical smirk he held in school... but that non confident, almost insecure smile he didn't like to show much.
But he tried for her.
She patted the grass next to her and he moved to sit down, facing the lake as she was.
She turned to look at him; watched as the breeze played with his platinum locks and his grey eyes danced from the sunlight and scene in front of him.
He felt her eyes on him and he turned to meet her gaze. "How are you?"
"Good." It struck her odd momentarily, when she realized that she hadn't seen Draco outside his home since the one time at the funeral; small, short times after that. "You?"
He chuckled at their game and leaned back much the way she was doing, his palms pressing into the lush grass, his fingernails digging into the dirt.
"I'm fine, Hermione."
She nodded, unsure where to go from there.
It was different, talking to him face to face like this when she was only corresponding through letters all this time.
She remembered back to the last desperate kiss they shared...
After she had told him they couldn't see each other anymore.
"I was getting quite a lot of strange looks from the professors when I asked for you."
She grinned to herself and looked at him secretly from the corners of her eyes. She loved to look at him she realized. "I thought you might. Are you embarrassed."
He shook his head and turned to look at her, a small, genuine smile on his face. "No. And you'll learn I don't get embarrassed often."
Her heart raced at his words. She'll learn... because she would be with him. "Not in school?" She asked, feeling light headed and giddy.
Just like a girl again.
A Slytherin and Gryffindor conversing on the lawns in plain view of everyone.
He chuckled again, and his smile turned to that normal grin of his.
It always made her want him.
"Potter always managed to embarrass me."
"Don't forget, you often embarrassed him."
He shrugged. Playful.
And they lapsed into a comfortable silence.
Soon his hand found hers however, and in an uncharacteristically tender move he lifted her hand to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.
She found herself blushing.
Getting hot with need.
She needed this.
Because she was falling for...
No
Because she was in love with a dark angel.
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Her private quarters were messy. Parchment, ink, broken quills littered the room.
He smirked when he saw it all, but held onto her tenderly.
It was such a contrast to his impersonal house.
And when he bent down to kiss her forehead she felt that nothing really mattered... nothing was as important as that moment.
"Hermione..." He whispered her name as he ran his hand through her curls, and she shivered.
She loved to hear her name from his lips.
He bent down to capture her mouth in his, his tongue fighting for entrance which she granted easily.
Guilt free.
She felt light-headed as he easily slipped her robes from her shoulders, undoing the buttons of her blouse with such ease as he kissed his way down her neck and steered her towards the bed.
All the while she fumbled with his sweater and undershirt. Than his belt and pants.
Caught between needing him and wanting the moment to last.
But as they tumbled onto her unmade bed and he released her from the remainder of her clothing, she found herself not caring whether the moment lasted long or not.
There would be many more moments after this.
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He traced his fingers along her bare back and shoulders, his face inches away from hers, eyes shut to the early morning light filtering through her window. Trying to sleep a little longer.
His mind was a whirl of exotic flowers and fruits... and the smell of her... and he wished to lay like this forever.
But he couldn't.
Yet it really didn't seem to matter in the long run.
He would have her many times over like this if he had any say.
He grinned as he felt her press her lips to his cheek and over his eyelids, willing him to awaken to the morning.
And he did so.
For her.
He rasped out a good morning and opened his eyes to take in her beautiful face.
He never imagined waking up to it.
Well... he never thought it would actually happen at least.
She wasn't smiling. But he could see love in her eyes.
"What is it?"
She shook her head and carefully curled up next to her. Against him. Letting their warmth seep together.
He let his eyes droop closed for a moment.
But than she was speaking.
"I love you."
His eyes came open again, meeting her gaze as her hazel eyes bore into him.
Into his soul.
He felt exposed around her. But he didn't mind.
His heart pounded, and he fought back the urge to latch onto her and never let go. "I love you too."
She smiled, obviously satisfied with his answer and snuggled closer.
Silence enveloped them once more.
Comfortable, wonderful silence.
Until he felt a strong need to speak. "Does everything make sense now, Hermione?"
He felt her smile. He didn't need to open his eyes to see it.
Laughter was in her voice as she replied.
"No. But that's the way I like it."
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AN: hope you liked the story... I'D REALLY LIKE REVIEWS! HONESTLY PEOPLE!