The next morning, Hermione woke up with a smile on her face, and she couldn't figure out exactly what was putting her in this mood. She had gotten some bad news yesterday; and she still didn't know what to do now. They still had permission to go out, but who would she go visit? Should she stay at Hogwarts, waiting, perhaps, for another attack?

She got out of bed and walked past the wardrobe to get the clothes she'd be wearing today, grabbing her clothes from the night before that she hadn't put away yet. She dipped her nose into the jumper. If she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, she could still smell wind, wilderness and cotton. His scent, intermingled with the breeze. She had felt good in his embrace, surrounded by his protective arms that would never allow her to fall.

She raised her eyebrows to herself, lowering her jumper, when she realised that she now unquestionably trusted him. Was it mutual?

Part of her still doubted his perception of her. Did he just see her as a weak little animal that he had to protect because she had no way to defend herself?

Her jaw tightened. That thought had succeeded in dampening her mood. She walked out of her room and came upon Draco, sitting at the table. He was doodling something and as soon as she emerged from her room, he straightened up and hid his parchment under a book.

"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Good morning."

"Good morning," he replied.

He loved to see her just after she had woken up. Her hair still a little crazy, her eyes a little smaller, pillow marks on her face. It was in this state, pure and natural, that he enjoyed taking in all her gorgeous simplicity. Hermione noticed at that moment that there were two full cups of coffee sitting on the table. Draco followed her look.

"I've made some coffee," he said. "There's something I need to tell you."

The Gryffindor felt her heartbeat quicken and she felt slightly dizzy. Here we go, she thought. She bit her tongue nervously and realised that she should have said something by now. Her partner grimaced and rolled her eyes.

"Hermione, I have not announced that you're gonna fail your N.E.W.T.S. I only said that I wanted to talk to you! Come here and sit down. Please."

"All right."

She took the chair in front of him and he invited her to take the cup of coffee before her. She dipped the tip of her lips into the brew, which was just the right temperature. She always did that before taking the first sip to make sure she wouldn't burn herself.

"Did I... did I do something wrong?" she asked, avoiding his gaze.

Draco couldn't help but smile and chuckle. Why was she so willing to blame herself?

"For God's sake, breathe," he said without any malice. "You haven't done anything wrong. I just wanted to talk to you about what my mother told me. You're part of the team, remember?"

The brunette sat up a little lighter in her seat. "Oh, sure. I guess I had forgotten about your mother."

"Well, actually, my mother is worried, because Ravona, Blaise's mother, wrote to her about the robbery she had and the others that happened afterwards. Ravona told her she had just found out that an Auror had been killed that night. My mum did some research and finally unearthed the Daily Prophet article. She never liked Skeeter, so she always reads The Great Emporium. Anyway, when she found out it was Samuel Granger, she immediately made the connection with you. And since she knows you're at Hogwarts, just like me, she was worried about how things were going."

Hermione blinked. "What did you tell her?"

Draco gritted his teeth and ran a finger over the rim of his cup. "I hate lying to my mum. She would have pulled me out of school if she knew I was looking for a thief or a murderer, possibly the same one as Ravona's. Besides, I feel like this story belongs to you and it's your choice who you tell it to."

The Gryffindor blushed slightly and took a sip of her coffee. "I would never ask you to lie to your mother for me…"

"I know."

"But thank you," she breathed. "Do you have any more details about Madam Zabini's thief?"

Draco shrugged. "Nothing she didn't tell Blaise, I think. She only caught a glimpse through the window of the thief running away…"

"I feel a bit guilty," she said suddenly.

The Slytherin frowned. "Why?"

"Because we spend all our time looking for 'my' watch thief and my brother's killer. But we don't do much to find Blaise's mother's thief."

Why did she feel guilty about Blaise? Why did she have to care so much about another Slytherin? Draco thought bitterly.

"I think that if Blaise had been unhappy, he would have taken matters into his own hands. He's convinced we're looking for the same thief, in fact. Yours and his."

"Are you convinced?"

He shrugged. "Frankly, after what you told me last night, I don't know what to think anymore."

"Neither do I. It was probably a dead end all along."

"But Ivana was threatening, right? You don't think she's... connected to this story?"

"I don't know. I think she's got a lot of pain and hurt in her. For some reason, she seemed to hold a grudge against Samuel, from the way she talked about him. And by extension, she was very cold to me."

"I don't want you to go back alone," he said seriously.

"That wasn't my plan," she breathed, shaking her head.

"Look…" He began, unsure if he really wanted to bring it up. "I know you're angry with Blaise."

"I'm not... it's—"

"Hermione, come on," her partner laughed sarcastically. "I was there yesterday. All I'm saying is, you can't really blame him for trying to exhaust all our options. That's how investigations work."

Hermione blushed, as if she'd just been admonished by a teacher. She knew Draco was right, she would make sure to go and sort it out with Blaise.

"I'll fix it," she finished. She took a last sip of coffee and stood up. "So... thanks for the morning coffee. I'm going to take a shower."

Draco raised his own cup to her as if to toast her. He gave her a smile that would make her blush for the next full decade.

The whole week went by in an absolutely normal and almost boring way. Except for the nights. The closer it got to winter, the more her sleep was filled with gruesome dreams. She dreamt of her friends screaming in pain. She dreamt of Draco's fingers being cut off, Ginny's eyes being gouged out, and Blaise being dismembered. She would wake up sweating, gasping for breath, and couldn't get back to sleep. I know what's dear to you. Watch out. The hunter can become the hunted. Eventually she would get up, her heart racing, and sneak behind her partner's closed door to listen to his breathing. Eventually she would calm down, matching her breathing to his, and go back to sleep.

No mysterious attacks occurred, and Hermione had no more leads. There was Ivana, but Hermione didn't know if the young woman was suffering from grief or a genuine grudge against her. Why would she contact the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol and have them invite themselves into Ivana's home and tell her about the suspicion she was under for Samuel Granger's murder? Was this the one and only next step?

As the days passed, Hermione felt that she and Draco were developing a closer bond, where they were comfortable with each other, sharing regular morning coffees and evening study periods. Silences were less frequent, and when they occurred, they were no longer awkward. The Slytherin realised that he found all his classes with the other Houses boring except for those with the Gryffindors.

They exchanged smiles, and even Ginny and Blaise noticed that those smiles were a little wider, a little more sincere, a little warmer. Hermione and Draco were not only an outstanding Head team, they were also becoming a fun and complicit duo. They still spent all their meals at the table of their own Houses, and other than that, they were rarely seen without each other relatively close by. Blaise and Hermione had found back their ease and the misunderstanding was quickly forgotten. Blaise had never been the type to hold a grudge, and indeed Hermione had never aroused his anger.

December arrived quickly and the excitement in the castle for the Christmas Ball and the holidays was palpable. The Heads assisted the two Prefects in decorating the castle; garlands of holly were wrapped around columns or placed on stair railings. Snowflakes fell from the enchanted sky of the Great Hall, disappearing several metres above their heads. Outside, a thin layer of snow had fallen, but had already melted. The Ball's theme had been settled on 'The Last Waltz' and the ladies' gowns would be in all shades of blue. Hermione had decided that she would use the dress she had bought for the Halloween Ball, only changing the colour. She didn't want to make things difficult for herself.

On Saturday the 5th of December, Hermione was in the Gryffindor common room putting up the house-themed Christmas tree. Ginny was helping her to decorate it, without magic, because that was Hermione's favourite way. Climbing on a small bench to reach the higher branches and hanging the ornaments here and there. Wrapping the glittering garlands around the whole circumference, with one person twisting to grab the other end.

Ginny, with a box of ornaments under her arm, handed a golden bauble to her friend, and took the opportunity to look at Hermione under her lashes. Hermione was humming softly.

"You look… better, Hermione," Ginny smiled. "You don't seem to be worrying so much anymore."

The brunette blinked and hung the golden bauble on a branch. She stopped humming. "Oh, uh... Yeah, I'm fine. I think so. I still want to find evidence and solve this story, but…"

She sighed, but her spirits did not wane. "Right now, I don't know what lead to follow. So I'd rather focus on our upcoming midterms and what's going on in the castle."

"You mean Draco," Ginny couldn't help herself and bit her tongue, but she had time to see a smile briefly and subtly light up her friend's face.

"I meant about the attacks that have been happening recently," Hermione clarified, deciding to ignore what the redhead had just implied.

Yes, it was true, she spent a lot of time with Draco and she was amazed at how far they'd come together to finally be able to stop being so headstrong. Her partner was starting to call her by her first name more and more regularly, often 'Granger' when they were being stubborn and teasing. She was discovering a complex, mysterious and endearing personality in him. The only time she recalled seeing him smile was when he was parading around with Crabbe and Goyle and terrorising the first-year students.

"It's been a while since we've had one of those," Ginny pointed out, handing her a small griffin. "An attack."

"I agree," Hermione huffed. "But I'm not letting my guard down. I'm just trying to..."

"…Enjoy," her friend finished in her place, offering her a smile.

"Yes... enjoying what I have here," the brunette murmured.

When they had finished hanging all the ornaments, Hermione left for her own dormitory. She had a meeting with Draco to decorate their own dorm, just before dinner. It was the Saturday that the Prefects, Heads and teachers took on the titanic task decorating all the castle. The Gryffindor entered the portrait. The tree box was already there, probably delivered by some House Elves during the day. She repeatedly said she never agreed to them doing any work for her. They didn't listen.

She busied herself opening it and began to pull out the trunk. Boy, was it heavy. She grunted under the effort and put it down. She didn't want to use magic when it came to Christmas and decorations. It was a way for her to remember her time with her family.

Sam put the tree up and a shower of spruce fell on the ground. Hermione burst out laughing and Sam sneezed.

She tried again to lift the tree with all her might. Obviously, it was at this ungracious moment that Draco decided to enter the dormitory. "What are you doing, lumberjack?" he said.

"I'm... just... trying... to... lift... this... bloody... tree."

He approached, undoing the knot in his tie, and stopped right next to her, and kept watching her. He crossed his arms as she grunted. "You know, you're a witch," he said, "You have a wand."

She gave up and stood up, panting. "You might as well help me! I'm trying to do it without magic."

Draco looked at her for a few seconds but didn't need to ask her why. He suspected it had something to do with her strong connection to the Muggle world, and especially her family. He shrugged and leaned towards the base of the trunk.

He waited, bent uncomfortably. "Well then, Granger, do you want me to do this alone? I'll break my back."

"Come on, you're not that old," she chuckled, nevertheless moving towards the tip of the tree.

She held on to it and together they lifted the tree out of its box. Draco straightened it so that it was upright on its stand.

"Finally!" exclaimed the Lioness, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

Sam threw a bauble across the room at Hermione, who fumble the catch. The bauble shattered on the floor and they stared at each other motionless, waiting for their parents' scolding. Finally Hermione threw a bauble at him too, which he caught deftly. He smirked.

Draco pushed the tree into a corner of the living room, near the fireplace. Hermione finally took her wand and cast some small magical lights, as electricity didn't work at Hogwarts. Slowly, small bright golden sparks emerged one after the other, scattered among the branches. The blonde wizard looked at them for a moment, before resting his eyes on her profile. Small patches of light illuminated her focused face. Her skin was smooth. Her cheeks were no longer hollow, only well defined. Her eyes held a playfulness he didn't know she had and that he loved to see arise. She was, simply and ultimately, extraordinary.

He shook his head and looked away, following the line of her outstretched arm to her hand. He frowned. "What is that?"

He reached out to her arm and gently touched the hand that held her wand to examine it. As if being burned, she gasped and quickly pulled away by reflex. He froze, unsure if he had really hurt her.

She avoided his gaze and pulled her sleeve over her hand. "I'm sorry... I have... It's a scar."

"Let me see," he whispered.

She didn't move and clutched her sleeve tightly in her palm. She shook her head at him to indicate her reluctance.

Hermione placed the star on top of the tree. Sam shook the bench she was standing on and she let out a cry of fear. Sam burst out laughing. "Idiot!" she growled.

"Hermione, please."

Slowly he leaned slightly towards her and took her hand with great gentleness. She finally loosened her grip and he pulled up her sleeve. With his fingertips he brushed against her scar, which stretched from her little finger to her wrist.

"I never noticed," he murmured. "When did this happen?"

The brunette cleared her throat, a little embarrassed. She was not ashamed of her scar, but rather of the way she had inflicted it on herself. She swallowed and lifted her chin. She didn't want to hide anything from him anymore. She hadn't been afraid of how he would react for a long time anyway.

"When I learned that my brother was dead, I broke a mirror. I didn't want to react that way, but... it's just the way it is."

Draco nodded and kept his hand in hers. He wrapped her fist in his large palm and with his other hand continued to gently brush her scar. Hermione shivered and bit her lip. His touch was... fantastic.

"Don't be ashamed of your scar," he told her. "You were on your own battlefield. This, right here, is a battle scar. It proves to you that you survived and continue to survive every day. But..."

He paused and Hermione hung on his every word, waiting eagerly for the next part of the sentence, eyes locked on him. He raised his eyes to hers. "There's only one scar I'd like to remove from you."

Almost sensuously, he slowly pulled her sleeve up to her elbow to reveal her entire forearm. Hermione had the reflex to pull her arm away, but she stopped herself, sensing her heart quicken. There, on her slightly paler skin, a swollen, purple scar marred her arm. Mudblood. The Gryffindor remembered every detail of that torture, every laugh from Bellatrix.

"That one," Draco said. He took a long breath, unable to take his eyes off her scar, still forming the outline of the letters. A tremor took shape inside him and rattled in every corner of his stomach. A deep sadness overcame him and the bitterness soured his saliva.

"And not because you should be ashamed of it. But because I should... I should have done something that night. I—"

The witch blinked away her agitation. The tree lights flickered on their faces. The corner of the Serpent's mouth twitched. He put his whole hand against her scar to hide it completely.

"I should have prevented this from happening to you..." he said, his voice suddenly hoarse. "I…"

Hermione tried to catch his gaze. "Draco—"

"Wait. I was stuck. There are no excuses, but I still think about it a lot. I hear you screaming in my dreams. I deeply regret it."

"You had to survive, too..." she whispered softly.

She didn't know how long it had been since she last blamed him for that episode at the Manor. Somewhere inside her, she had always known that Draco's actions, or rather his inability to act, were not out of cowardice. Voldemort had held a sword over his head and his entire family. The slightest false move and he could have lost those he loved or lost himself.

Draco clutched her arm, his throat tightening. "Hermione, I'm so sorry. Forgive me, please. Forgive me..."

The brunette's heart filled with a tender empathy. She had stopped hoping for this moment, and had even managed to get past it, but the fact that he would show such humility towards her surprised and touched her beyond measure.

Sam stuffed a gingerbread cookie into his mouth. "At Christmas, I think angels come down and comfort some people." Hermione dipped her biscuit into her glass of milk.

She gave him a warm smile. "Of course I forgive you, Draco Malfoy. You are my friend and I would never want you to feel guilty any longer."

Their eyes locked together before Draco quietly released her. Hermione left her sleeve rolled up. The shadow of a smile grazed her lips for the rest of the day.

On the Sunday of the following week, December 13th, Hermione was sitting in the library with Blaise and Ginny. Their table was covered with scrolls and books. Draco had decided to take a quick flight at the Quidditch field before the teams came to practice for the evening, and would join them when he was done. It was just after dinner, and Ginny had a meeting with Luna a little later to help her with her choice of dress for the Ball. This fabulous evening was going to take place on Monday, December 21st. The last exams would be held the Friday before. The students would have the whole weekend to prepare for the evening, which would mark the beginning of the holidays.

Blaise often let out comments, but they quickly rebuked him. Ginny smiled broadly at his jokes.

"So, when are we going to talk about the elephant in the room," Blaise said in a low voice.

Hermione looked up from her parchment. "What elephant?"

"Who are you going to the Ball with?" he said with a sly smile, full of innuendo.

The brunette rolled her eyes. That wasn't on her mind right now. She still had plenty of time to find a partner, and she didn't feel compelled to go with anyone. Nevertheless, Draco's face popped into her mind, and she sighed.

"It doesn't matter, Blaise," she replied. "We'll see."

"I have a feeling that Draco would kill anyone who would want to go with you."

Hermione put her quill down abruptly. "Why do you say that?"

Blaise rolled her eyes. "Come on, Mia, you're not blind, are you?"

Ginny froze, immediately feeling the tension rising. She too had noticed what was going on between Draco and Hermione, but she knew her friend well enough to know that this was not the best way to confront her about it.

The brunette blushed and glared. "What are you talking about? Draco and I are friends!"

Blaise laughed, but there was suddenly no humour on his face. Someone, somewhere, let out a loud hush. "Mia, you're kidding, right?"

"Hey, guys..." tried Ginny.

"No, I'm not joking!" retorted Hermione.

"He'll do anything to get your attention! And he smiles stupidly as soon as he gets you!"

"Gets me?" she snapped. "Nobody has me!"

"You know what I mean," he growled.

"Uh..." Ginny said, "guys... I have to go meet Luna." She started to gather her things, but neither Blaise nor Hermione were paying any attention to her at the moment. They were sitting on the same side of the table and glaring at each other.

"No, I don't, actually," Hermione blurted out.

"He's into you!"

"No... That's not—"

"Mia. I know it's hard to admit, but—"

"Why don't you mind your own business?"

"Well," Ginny said. "Goodbye, I guess." She left the library, leaving them to their argument. She didn't want to get involved. On her way out, she passed Draco, books in hand, on his way in. She stopped right in front of him.

"Oh, hi," she said.

"Hey, Freckles. Leaving already?"

"I have to see Luna. Um... Blaise and Hermione…"

"What?"

Ginny bit her lip. "I don't know... they're fighting."

Draco rolled his eyes and waved to Ginny. He walked into the library.

"It's not that I don't want to mind my own business," replied Blaise, "but I just want you to open your eyes! Draco fancies you!"

Hermione continued to shake her head, red from head to toe. When Blaise looked up and saw that Draco had just entered the library and that he would soon spot them, he turned quickly to the Gryffindor girl.

"Mia, I'm sorry, but I can only think of one way to prove it to you. I'm sorry. Please don't freak out and please don't hit me..." The next second he was kissing her, sliding a hand behind her head. The witch, in shock, did not know how to move. She just stood there, eyes wide open.

Draco turned into a row of books and saw Blaise and Hermione kissing at the far end of the table. All thought left his head, but his emotions roared with strength. Somehow he was witnessing something he had been dreading for weeks, and refused to face the possibility. They couldn't be together. Not these two. He lost complete control of himself.

He rushed to their table, dropping his books, and grabbed Blaise by the collar of his shirt to pull him off his partner and straighten him up.

"THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" he shouted. He punched him right in the jaw, but Blaise didn't fall, held by Draco's grip on his shirt.

Hermione shrieked and leapt to her feet, knocking her chair over. What the hell had just happened? Had Blaise kissed her? Was Draco hitting Blaise?

"Draco!" she cried, grabbing him by the arm to try and hold him back. "Let him go!"

Draco ignored her completely, mad with rage, and threw another punch in Blaise's face. He let go of his collar and Blaise fell backwards, his lip dripping with blood. Three chairs fell over without anyone having touched them and Hermione looked at her partner, dumbfounded. Madam Pince ran towards the turmoil.

"I knew it," muttered Blaise, still finding a way to smile bitterly.

Draco was still lunging at him, but Blaise was ready. He fought back and tried to push the blonde Slytherin's hands away. "Don't be ridiculous, Malfoy! Calm the fuck down!"

Madam Pince stumbled onto the scene and pulled out her wand. "Boys! Stop it right now!"

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" Draco shouted. He pushed Blaise hard against a bookshelf, and several books fell to the floor. Books on nearby tables also fell to the floor and Hermione scrambled to pick them up to avoid the suspicion of the others.

"DRACO!" roared Hermione. "I'll explain! Stop it!"

But he still didn't listen to her and swung his fist to get ready to hit Blaise again.

"Immobulus!" intervened Madame Pince pointing her wand at Draco. He froze immediately, fist suspended in the air. Blaise pulled away and wiped the blood from his chin. Hermione looked at Blaise, Draco, and Madam Pince with her mouth agape. A few curious students had gathered, peeking from behind the shelves to see what was going on.

"Mr. Malfoy, this behaviour is unacceptable! You will be given detention. I would have expected more from our Head Boy! And you too, Mr. Zabini, detention. This is no place for such behaviour."

Blaise said nothing.

"I will ask you to leave for the evening," continued Madame Pince. "You too, Miss Granger. Now, Mr. Malfoy, I shall remove the enchantment. I hope you can behave yourself. Finite!"

The Slytherin regained his mobility but stood trembling and breathless.

"Let me explain..." Hermione began.

"Whatever," he cut off.

He turned on his heels without a glance at her and Blaise. Hermione stood there for a few seconds, feeling helpless, and turned to Blaise. "Why did you do that?"

"You'll see soon enough," he replied.

She frowned and decided to launch herself behind her partner. "Draco, wait!" she called out.

Blaise stood there. Somehow, he knew he had just done them a favour. It was definitely worth detention.

Draco walked down the corridors, with no destination in mind, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the library. Why? Why hadn't he seen this coming sooner? He should have expected it. He should have prepared for it. Bitterness still filled his mouth and boiled in his blood. What had gotten into him to hit Blaise? What was the name of the painful feeling that filled his stomach and twisted his every muscle?

"Draco! Stop!" Hermione was gaining on him.

He didn't stop.

"DRACO MALFOY!"

He finally stopped in the middle of the deserted corridor, but did not turn around. The Gryffindor finally came up to him, panting. "Why did you do that to Blaise? He's your mate!"

Draco's irritation increased tenfold at her words. It was Blaise she cared about. He should have expected it. He should have been ready for it. He clenched his jaw and shifted his stance.

"Since when, Hermione?" he exclaimed.

"Since when what?!"

"Don't play games!"

"There's NOTHING going on between me and Blaise!" she huffed.

"I know what I saw!"

"NO, THAT'S JUST IT! YOU DON'T!" She was about to say something else, but suddenly she was very aware that they were having a public argument. She opened the first door beside her.

"We can't do this here," she snarled. "Come in."

He stomped angrily into the room. It was an empty classroom and Hermione raised a Silencio at the door. She turned to her partner. Her lips were still swollen from the spontaneous kiss and her cheeks were red and hot.

"Blaise kissed me to see how YOU would react!" she exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him. "But I don't understand why you did that! You could have hurt him!"

Draco couldn't hear any more. He closed his eyes and placed his fists against his forehead. Every time she said Blaise's name, it pained him.

"STOP IT, HERMIONE!"

"Tell me what's going on!"

"BE HONEST WITH ME!"

"I ALREADY AM!" Her tone was becoming hysterical. How was she going to make him understand? How could she convince him? "There is nothing between Blaise and me…" she repeated. "I swear to you. He wanted to prove that you—"

"Stop saying his name, I beg you…"

"What is it, Draco? Tell me why you did this..."

The Head Boy let his fists drop. He couldn't stand it any longer. He couldn't bear to see her standing there, so far away, with her amber eyes begging him for some unknown request. The image of Blaise glued to her was driving him mad.

"Because I don't like being second!" he exclaimed

She blinked. "Second?"

"Hermione, I—" Draco shook his head and took a few steps away, turning his back on her. He leaned his palms against a desk and tilted his chin towards his chest, heaving. He couldn't stand having her there, so close and so far, with her scent haunting the room and tormenting him.

"I wanted to be the first," he gritted his teeth.

"First at what? Draco, I—"

"The first to do this."

To hell with everything else.

He turned sharply and closed the distance between them, crushing his mouth against hers. The world tumbled over. Like ocean waves crashing on a beach. Walls collapsing in on themselves. Breathing spring. Drowning in a vortex. It was hot and frosty like a rose breaking through the snow. The sun and the moon sharing an embrace. Dusk and dawn drinking each other in.

Hermione opened her mouth and let him entwine his tongue with hers. He pushed her against the nearest wall, trapping her face with his palms. And he never let go. This... This was what he needed. He'd never realized that the craving to drink her lips was so powerful.

"Draco..." she whispered between breaths. "Oh..."

He captured her lips forcefully and bit down on her bottom lip. A moan rose in Hermione's throat and she surrendered to the kiss, so unplanned but so long awaited. She slid her hands against his shoulders, behind his neck, into his hair. She clutched at his shirt, his arms, his whole body. He pressed his weight against her and revelled in the shape of her against his chest. He buried one hand in her hair and slid the other on her hip. The brunette shuddered with pleasure.

"Hermione," he rasped, pulling himself away from her to look at her. "I should have been your first."

"It didn't mean anything... I promise. Please…"

She pulled him back to her and pressed her lips to his to prolong the torrid moment. She had no idea she wanted him so much. A pleasant heat tingled in her lower abdomen. Her mind was frantic. She throbbed with pleasure under him and heard him sigh with satisfaction. He ran his hand over her thigh and lifted her leg, caressing it with an energetic but gentle movement. His hand slid closer and when he squeezed her arse with his passionate grip, she dug her nails into his shoulders, lifting her head back. Draco dipped his head into her neck and sucked on a sensitive patch of skin just below her ear. Finally, he thought excitedly.

Hermione closed her eyes and scratched his back. "Draco... I have..."

"Let's not talk."

"I... We have to stop."

He continued to kiss her, moving his hand up to her hips and gripping her even harder. He slid his palms down to her neck and placed his hands on her sternum, close to her neck. Very gently, he moved his hand down slightly until it grazed the top of her breasts. A hoarse, primal growl escaped from his throat. Hermione felt him harden against her and a surge of excitement ran through every fibre of her body. Her lower abdomen twitched with the flutter of burning butterflies.

"You're..." he growled. "Hermione, fuck, you're simply—"

"We are in a classroom. Draco, please."

She began to push him away, begrudgingly, her breath ragged. She would have continued. Finally he stopped kissing her, but he didn't pull away. He put his hand against the wall right next to her face and pressed his warm forehead against hers, breathing in the last hints of the kiss that wafted between them. His chest rose rapidly with his breathing.

Hermione didn't know what to say, not knowing exactly what that kiss had just implied. She just stood there, enjoying the still electrifying sensation of Draco's hands on her. Was he going to leave in a hurry? Had she ruined everything? Her mouth went dry. She couldn't bear for him to turn away so easily from her and the divine moment they had just shared together. Had she been too forward?

She grew so worried so quickly that she almost didn't realise that Draco had just drawn her to him again, but this time in a tender way. He hugged her. He buried his face in her hair and breathed her in again. This. This was what he needed for so long. This was what he knew he would need from now on, constantly.

"How did it happen that their lips came together? How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill? A kiss, and all was said."

Victor Hugo

oOoOoOo

This is it! This is it, guys! Are you screaming "finally"? Are you dancing? Did you spit out your water? I'm furiously biting my nails right now, anticipating your reactions. I really hope this lived up to your expectations. Thank you so much for reading, don't hesitate to review. I'm actually dying to know what you think, since we FINALLY reached that first kiss!

Love,

Axiomea