Disclaimer: If everybody owned the characters of J K Rowling then there would be no need for Fanfiction!
Draco rolled over on the bed, shielding his eyes as the sun hit the many whites and pinks in the room, blinding him with girly colors. He missed his large house, his own bathroom and the darkness that was his room. The food here tasted strange and came from packets! There were no house elves and no maids, if he wanted something he had to physically get up and fetch it himself, or con Hermione into it. Despite the small size of the house he had to admit it was cosy, there was a sense of love that the Manor could never have. He was able to talk during dinner, lounge around all day in his pajamas and even leave without asking permission. It was a small sense of freedom.
Hermione had been out for most of the day, saying something about shopping? Apparently is was something you did in order have food in your house, you had to go to some large market and pick out the food stuffs you wanted. Hermione seemed annoyed at such a task but for Draco it sounded like a experience, the house elves had always brought their food and Draco had always been curious as to were they bought it from.
"I'm home" Hermione called as she struggled through the door, arms fall and to the point of snapping at the weight of the food. Draco appeared from the door to the lounge room, wearing some black sweatpants and a black shirt. He moved forward and took some of the bags from her, much to the relief of Hermione. He placed the bags on the kitchen table and immediately began to rummage through them, a smile on his face that would resemble a child at Christmas, placing all the foods he like to one side. Hermione came in and slapped his hands away from the food he was trying to scavenge, he pouted at her while rubbing his hands in mock hurt.
"I'm hungry" he said, rubbing his stomach to get the meaning across.
"Well you will just have to wait, I have to put all this away then I will get you something to eat."
"If everything is away quickly will I get food faster." He smiled as Hermione nodded, reaching forward to grab the milk and placed it in the closest thing to him, a cupboard.
"what are you doing?"
"Putting thins away! Like you said."
"But the milk doesn't go in there" Draco looked at her, confusion in his eyes.
"Well where does it go?"
"In the fridge" Hermione pointed to the large fridge and Draco proceeded to place the milk, as well as some other colds, into the fridge. With Draco helping it only took a few minutes for the food to be placed away, Draco stood in the kitchen, eyes locked on Hermione with a hopeful smile on his face.
"Food now?"
Hermione did answer, turning around the pulled two eggs from a cartain and a box with a cake on the front. Draco gave her a weird look, they had only just put them away so why get them back out. Hermione gave him a small smile of reassurance, and proceded to get out a large bowl, measuring cup and a baking tray. She turned and set the oven to the heat stated on the box, all while Draco stood watching her, extremly confused to what she was doing and how this result to getting him food.
"We're going to bake a cake Draco" Draco immediatly brightened at the mention of cake, he loved anything sweet and by the look of the thick icing on the picture it was going to be very sweet.
"Come here and i'll teach you how to cook the cheaters way" Hermione said, opening the box and pulling out two satchets. Hermione showed Draco how to crack the egg in a way that did not let shell into the mixture, she then got out a wooden spoon and started mixing, slapping Draco's sneaky hands as they moved forward to dip their fingers into the mix. "You can lick the bowl if you go sit over there"
Draco gave a laugh at the mock anger Hermione was displaying, she did not look threatning with her hand on her waist and a wooden spon in the other. He sat down on a chair and watched Hermione as she mixed the ingrediants, it reminded him so much of potions, except that this was more laid back and more enjoyable. Even with something as simple as cooking packet cake Hermione gave her full attention, sure it was not as testing but she did not believe in doing a half job, it just was not her style.
"Alright your turn" Hermione called, laughing as Draco lept out of the chair and rushed to the bowl, bringing the spoon to his mouth and taking a tentative lick. His face brightened as he tasted the sweet chocolate, he swept his tonuge over the spoon, taking a large glob of mixture off the spoon. Hermione burst into laughter when she turned from the oven to look at him, Draco had a slightly confused look on his face which only made Hermione laugh more.
"Draco...right here" Hermione tapped a finger on her nose.
"There is nothing on your nose Hermione!" Hermione laughed again, walking forward and ran her finger over the end of his nose. Draco pulled back, face set in shock until hermione held up her finger and showed the glob of mictxure.
"You had it on your nose." Draco wiped his face riggerously, paraniod he had more mixture on it. Hermione doubled over in laughter, eyes tearing. Draco smirked at her as she laughed, dipping his finger into the bowl and then wiped the mixture covered digit over the cheek of hermione. Hermione gave a squeel and dipped her own finger in and wiped it on his chin, dodging another of Draco's fingers before giving him another strip of chocolate on his cheek.
"Your going to pay for that one." Draco lunged at the laughing witch, who dodged him and took off at a sprint, rounding the corner and dissapeared. The two teens played a game of cat and mouse, running rampide on both levels of the small house, things being over turned in the midst of the choas. Draco had alot of practice with these sorts of games, take it that hermione was not a snitch but he still had the skills that was needed to judge and plan a stratagie in order to win, even in this simple game.
He was right behind her, still out of hands reach, if he reached he was just able to brush his fingertips against the ends of her bushy hair. Hermione turned a corner, at the speed she moved she was forced to take it wide, Draco used this to his advantage and cut the corner, wrapping his arms around the stunned witch and pulled them both to the ground. The two lay in a panting bundle, Hermione was lying atop Draco , her head unconciously laying on his chest. Neither seemed to realise the position they found themselves in, Draco was suprisingly comfortable with the witch lying in his arms, her head cradled to his chest.
"I think I win."
Hermione gave a snort, muttering something about cheating. Draco raised a fine eyebrow, his fingers brushed against her sides, tickling the soft flesh that was underneath the clothes. Hermione gave a screech of laughter, struggling to get off Draco but was unable, she was too absorbed in the feverish tickling she was receaving.
"You win...you win...please...STOP" Hermione gasped out, Draco gave a hearty laugh but stopped none the less. No longer did his fingers tickle the flesh but caressed it, a hand traveled up her body to cup the back of her head, edging it slowly towards his own. Hermione closed her eyes, heart thudding in her chest so hard she was afraid he would feel it, heat coursed through her body at the thought of the kiss she was being edged into.
Their lips were so close, each one could feel the others heated breath. Hermione felt her mouth dry up, how could this be happening, she was about to kiss Draco Malfoy...THE Draco Malfoy. It was something she had never thought would happen, not after all the taunts, insults, after all the abuse that each had thrown at the other. She was about to kiss the lips that had insulted her so much, to taste the one that made her blood boil.
It was then that the timer on the oven decided to ring, breaking the moment that had been shared, Hermione jerked away, rolling off Draco and jumping to her feet. Draco was as stunned as she was, he had just been about to kiss hermion and the damn oven had stopped him. They had just shared a moment, one that he was not sure would get repeated, he had been so close to touching those soft lips.
"the cake will burn" Hermione mumbled, not making eye contact with Draco who still lying on the floor.
"Hermione" Draco called softly, Hermione only shook her head and all but ran to the kitchen. She had expected the next few words that came from his lips were 'the kiss would have been a mistake' and she could not handle that, her self estem would not handle such a blow. The cake had been at no risk of burning, it was a pathetic excuse that she had used to avoid a awkward situation. She flipped the cake from the tin and onto the cooling tray, using this time to make the icing, focusing her complete attention on the mixture, not noticing when Draco had entered.
"Is it ready?" Draco asked softly, Hermione shook her head, moving to spread the thick icing on the cake. The joyful mood was ruined, the carefree attitude that had overtaken them a few moments ago came crashing down to earth at the sound of a oven timer.
"Here" Draco's nose was assaulted with the warm smell of fresh baked cake, the smell alone was enough to make him swallow, licking his lips in anticipation. He had been deprived of all things sweet for a few days, those days were torturous, this cake was like a light in the dark. He took the plate from hermione, giving her a thorough thanking, bring a smile to her lips once again. She took her own peice and they made their way to the lounge room, taking a seat on either side of the couch, eyes flicking between the tv and each other.
Dispite the growling of her stomach and the sweet smell of the cake Hermione found she had no desire to eat, she felt slightly queazy at the thought of putting any food item in her mouth. She played with the cake, using her fork to push it around, her mind focused on something else. The Kiss. What would it have felt like, what would he have tasted like, her mind was a whirl with questions that she found herself wanting to know the answers to. Would he kiss with passion, one of those breath taking ones that they play at the end of romance movies? Or perhaps it would be soft and sentual, one that made knees go weak and hearts flutter?
"Are you ok?" Hermione blinked twice, staring at the cake a little worried, thinking it to have been the cake that had spoke. The question came again and she looked over to Draco, his plate was on the ground, not even a crumb was left.
"Iguess im not as hungry as I thought I was."
"Are you feeling sick, you look sort of flushed?"
"No I'm ok, do you want my peice?"
Draco didnt need to be asked twice, he lent forward and accepted the cake, not bothering with a fork like hermione and proceded to dimolish it. Hermione found herself watching him as he ate, how his strong jaw moved and the way he licked his lips so softly to remove any food left behind. He had a blissful look on his face, like a man given water after weeks in a desert. The two's eyes met for a breif second, locked on for the fleeting moment before both dropped. Why was this so hard?
Draco was bubbling with emotion, he had felt something when he had gone to kiss her, at first he had been caught up in the moment but he found himself wanting to kiss her. He had wanted to so many times, even at the manor, when she was on her knees scrubbing his floor, when she was gardening, when she had been doing anything. He could not stay around her for too long, the temptation was too great, he had always prided himself on self restraint but she was all to good at pushing his buttons and she didn't even know it.
I apologise for the short chapter...I had promise ones that were longer but I havent been able to get it out. My nan passed away two nights ago and have found it extremly hard to focus on anything, this chapter was written to try and pull my mind away from her death but it did not work as well as I had hoped.
This chapter is dedicated to her, she always had a passion for cooking, as a little kid I always loved watching her cook. She would give me a large peice of cake and take me downstairs, I would sit on the floor and eat it while she played my favourite songs on the organ, she loved to play the organ and tried to teach me..but it never happened the way she wanted.