Big thanks to my betas Wise_Owl26 and enchanted4life for your accuracy in correcting my chapters! Honorable mention to my alpha Angelina who supports me at every step of this project, who advises me and gives me ideas, and allows me to develop mine to their best. Thanks to all of my readers, ghost or not, who keep reading and putting up with the mysteries of this story!

Just a heads up : I've started my semester full-time at the beginning of this week. What does that mean? I'm gonna keep posting TWICE a week because I've already written 35 chapters, and I will be able to write the last of my fic in the next couple of weeks. For all those on the fence about WIPs, I'd like to reassure you that you won't end up with an unfinished story! I'm going all the way!

Cheers from Canada,

Axiomea

The next morning, the two Heads woke up with an unerasable smile on their faces. The sun looked a little more golden through the window, the air a little cleaner. Hermione stretched in her bed, keeping her eyes closed to take advantage of those few moments of serenity and quiet to replay the kiss with Draco in her mind. The imprint of his hands against her. His wild breath on her neck. His divine exhale intermingled with hers like two sensual fogs.

She swallowed. She didn't want to think about Blaise right now and how to fix this strange situation he'd thrust them into. If that had been his plan all along, she could admit that he had succeeded with great efficiency. She just had to tell him that he could have done it another way. The person she most wanted to talk to was Ginny.

Hermione sat up and put her feet on the floor, still sitting on her bed. She didn't get up, staring at her closed bedroom door.

How should they act towards each other now? If Draco was the one who had kissed her first, there was no indication that this morning he hadn't woken up full of remorse and would act as if nothing had happened. Could she hug him now? Could she take his hand? Would he want to kiss her again?

She sighed, ran a hand through her hair, and got out of bed. She quickly ran into the shower to avoid running into him right away. When she finished washing and stepped out of the bathroom, she found him sitting at the table, two coffees in front of him. Hermione concealed a smile.

"Good morning, you," Draco said brightly.

"H...Hello," she replied, taking a seat in front of him.

He pushed her cup in front of her and said nothing. Eyes on her, he realized how much he had missed her in the space of a few hours during the night. He turned his head slightly to the side, attentive to the expressions on her face. He knew she was self-doubting enough to guess that she must be completely obsessed with how he would act with her from now on. The truth was that he now wanted to stay as close to her as possible. He wanted to make her smile. He wanted to see her laugh and blush, he wanted to be the source of her joy. She was his Hermione. And he didn't know what to call the hypnosis that kept him hooked on her lips, on her body, on everything she was and meant. He had no words for what they had become after that kiss, or what they were not. He wanted her, and her alone.

His smile widened with tenderness as he thought back to her moans against him as their tongues danced together and his hands roamed over her body. Maybe talking about it again this morning wasn't the best solution. How could they avoid talking about it immediately, until they had fully processed what they had shared, without making her feel rejected?

He held out his hand to her on the table as an invitation. Hermione's eyes twinkled, but she didn't hesitate to slip her hand into his.

"Hermione," he said seriously, "I will never let anyone hurt you. Do you know that?"

She smiled warmly and looked down at their joined hands. Draco was stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. "I know," she whispered.

"I'm telling you this because I know you're still worried. I can read you."

The brunette pressed her lips together, and only the corners of her mouth turned up discreetly in a weak smile. The Slytherin gently squeezed her hand. The last thing he wanted to do was mess with her head with another person she had to worry about.

"Everything will work out with that mystery," he added softly. "It'll probably take a while, but it will."

She nodded, her heart trembling with the mixture of emotions she was feeling.

Draco's eyes flared with a sudden intensity. "One thing. Yesterday was the last time I let another man touch you."

Hermione swallowed and bit her tongue. "I never meant to... Blaise took me by surprise."

"I know." Draco clenched his other fist under the table. He was still struggling to cope with what his friend had done.

"I just wish you hadn't defended him so much," he grumbled.

The Gryffindor placed her other hand over both of theirs, revelling in the softness of his skin. "All I meant was that he's your friend," she said. "And you almost ruined a lot of books..."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I don't give a damn about the fucking books…"

He withdrew his hand, but his face softened as he looked back at her. He didn't want to hurt her. He finally got up and walked over to her. "I'm going to the shower. I'll see you later, okay?"

And just as Hermione thought he would simply turn away without further ado, he raised his hand to her and gently touched her cheek with the back of his index finger. Then he locked himself in the bathroom. The Lioness remained nailed to her chair in front of a coffee she had not tasted. Why hadn't they mentioned the kiss? Was it too soon? Clearly Draco was still disturbed by Blaise's behaviour, but she had sensed a certain grudge against the way she had reacted. Was it irreparable? Did he not want to kiss her at all? If he didn't want another man to touch her, why didn't he allow himself to touch her? His touch was all she wanted.

He was going to starve her, wasn't he?

After lunch, Hermione pulled Ginny from the Gryffindors' table and out of the Great Hall. They made their way to a deserted corridor, into an alcove out of sight.

"Merlin, what's wrong?" gasped Ginny. "Is everything alright?"

"When you left, Blaise kissed me. And Draco came in at the same time and rushed at Blaise and hit him. Madame Pince intervened and gave them both detention. I followed Draco to a room and he was furious. He kissed me. It was... Gin, it was outrageous and wonderful."

The redhead was speechless, not knowing which part of this fast-paced story to react to. Slowly, a strange feeling rose up inside her and she frowned. "Blaise kissed you?"

Hermione blinked, surprised that Ginny would dwell on that. "Blaise wanted to prove to me that Draco's into me or something, and he said that was the only way he could prove it."

"Blaise kissed you..." Ginny repeated under her breath, suddenly looking away.

The brunette frowned and looked at her friend. "What is it, Gin? "

"I—" Ginny sighed in annoyance. "I thought you knew."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Knew what?"

"I... I like Blaise. And I think, well I thought, that he liked me too."

Hermione froze for a moment. How could she have been so oblivious towards her best friend? Thinking back, she could actually recognize what Ginny was saying to her. All the glances they were exchanging, the little comments.

"Ginny, I'm so sorry," Hermione whispered. "I... I wasn't paying attention. I thought maybe you and Harry would—"

"You had your own Slytherin to ogle," Ginny teased with a mischievous smile. "I just... I can't believe Blaise did that. Harry and I decided to just be friends months ago, and we're fine with that."

Hermione said nothing and gently stroked her friend's arm. She had no idea. She promised herself that she would pay more attention from now on.

The redhead looked up at her and her blue eyes glowed. "I'm not surprised about you and Draco, though... How was it?"

"Told you. Outrageous and wonderful."

"How was he this morning?"

"I don't know," Hermione admitted, biting her lip. "I think he's still upset about what Blaise did, and how I reacted, because I criticized the fact that he hit him. He didn't kiss me this morning, but he made me coffee... I don't know how he is or how he wants to act towards me. He told me he won't allow any man to touch me again."

Ginny waggled her eyebrows twice. "That's hot."

"The Ball is coming up in a week and I don't know what he's planning to do! I would like to go with him, but I wish he would ask me. I don't know how long I should wait before I bring it up. I can't stop thinking about him, Gin, and all I want to do is kiss him again and again, and hug him, and smell him, and hear his voice."

"I'm pretty sure he's thinking the same thing, love," Ginny smiled. "Don't be too desperate. Let him come to you, I'm willing to bet he'll be throwing himself at you very soon."

Hermione sighed. Oh, how she hoped.

Hermione did not see Blaise all day. She had a couple of words to say to him. It was only the next day, Tuesday during Potions class, they were finally in the same room. But the Gryffindor refused to confront him when Draco was also in the class.

Their morning had gone the same way as the day before: Draco had made her coffee as soon as she was out of the shower, and they had sat down at the table together. This time, perhaps to avoid other topics of discussion, Draco had seen fit to review the Prefects' final plans for the Ball. Everything was ready. So their conversation had been very professional, but punctuated by lingering glances full of meaning and lust. Hermione didn't understand what he was waiting for to kiss her again or even ask her to the Ball. It made her angry. She was shifting in her chair, feeling her insides flare up with the need to press herself against him, to feel the strength of his lips on hers once more. And just like the day before, Draco had gotten up to shower and this time had caressed her arm briefly. She had swallowed her disappointment and run off to her classes, slamming the door.

After Potions class, during which neither Draco nor Blaise had exchanged a word, Hermione followed Blaise out of the classroom with her eyes. She made sure her partner was gone and hurried to catch up with Blaise in the hallway. She grabbed him by the arm and forced him to turn around. His eye was still a little swollen and purple.

"Hi!" he exclaimed happily.

Hermione gritted her teeth. "I'm angry with you, Blaise! Why did you do that?"

He winked at her, completely unfazed by her anger. "Come on, Mia, you know why! I've already explained everything."

"There's always other ways!"

Blaise smirked. "But did it work?"

Hermione blushed, but quickly pulled herself together. "That's not the point!"

"Yes, that was exactly the point."

The Lioness fell silent and frowned. The Slytherin's face gleamed. "It worked, didn't it? I fucking knew it!"

"It doesn't matter anymore anyway, because not only did you manage to piss me off, but Draco and Ginny too!"

Blaise froze. "Ginny?"

Hermione bit her lip and swore inwardly. "Forget I mentioned her."

Blaise smacked his forehead with his fist. "Bloody hell! I've got to go."

"But wait! Blaise! You have to talk to Draco! He's mad at me too and... he hardly does anything since—"

"I'm sorry, Mia. I'll talk to him, I promise. But I've got to fix something."

He raced back without waiting for her answer, Ginny's enchanting face crowding his thoughts. Hermione didn't have time to tell him that Ginny had History of Magic while they had Potions. Blaise didn't know where he would find her, but maybe he would run into Ron, or Harry, or Luna. He had expected to upset Draco, and even Hermione, for what he had done, but he hadn't thought about Ginny. Of course Hermione would tell Ginny...

He made his way to the Great Hall, thinking he would start on the first level and comb all the floors if he had to. Passing the Potions room again, he passed Pansy walking slowly with Millicent. Her eyes widened when she saw Blaise and she motioned for Millicent to walk on.

"Blaise!" she called out to him.

He stopped at her level, his breath coming in quick gasps and his gaze a little evasive. "Sorry, Pansy, I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Can't we talk for five minutes? We've barely spoken in weeks! You and Draco are always doing whatever!"

"But it' s not the—"

"Don't tell me it's not the right time!" she warned. "I thought I was your friend."

Blaise frowned and let his guard down. Finding Ginny could wait another five minutes. "You are. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Pansy gulped, and immediately her heart began to race with nervousness and anticipation. "You know, the... the Ball is next Monday and..."

Fuck, Blaise thought.

"I'd really like to go with you," Pansy finished, raising her green eyes to him, nibbling her lower lip. "I know it's a bit last minute, but—"

"Pansy..."

"I think we'd have a great time, and it's been a while since I—"

"Pansy."

The Slytherin witch paused and looked at Blaise. She was gathering her courage to not only ask him to the Ball, but to tell him she had her eye on him. What did he want to tell her? Blaise's eyes were filled with apologies.

"I... I had plans to invite someone else," he said in a breath, embarrassed.

Pansy clenched her fists. "If we're still talking about this Mudblood, I can't believe—"

"It's not her," he cut off sharply. "And for the tenth time, stop calling her that."

"Who is it, then?" she grumbled, feeling jealousy clouding all her thoughts.

"You'll see at the Ball if she says yes."

Pansy fell silent and looked away, staring at a blank spot on the wall. She crossed her arms over her chest and stopped her eyes from burning any longer. If she couldn't have him at the Ball, there was still one thing she could do.

"Then I won't let you go with her until you know what you're missing," she said.

Before he could even open his mouth, she leaned towards him, hoisting herself up on her tiptoes, and grabbed the back of his neck, drawing her mouth to his. She kissed him fiercely, immediately forcing her tongue through the barrier of his teeth. Surprised, he pulled away, eyes wide.

"What the fuck are you doing, Pansy?" he gasped.

She winked at him, not bothered by his shock. The imprint of his lips on hers had been wonderful, even if only for a few brief seconds.

"Keep that in mind," she said. "Now you can go to the Ball with this random girl."

Pansy turned on her heels, quite sure that her kiss would leave a striking impression on the Slytherin. Blaise stood staring for a few seconds, watching her walk away, his lips still tingling from that strange, brief kiss she had given him. How he wished it was a beautiful redhead who had pulled him to her like that... He continued on his way to the Great Hall with equal haste, hoping to dilute the taste of Pansy in his mouth.

Draco was drawing, sunken in the sofa, in the light of the fire and the Christmas tree lights. It was Wednesday evening, December 16th, and the day's exams were over. He was waiting for his partner so that they could start their last rounds of the week. The scratch of his quill against the parchment gave him peace of mind. His midterms were well underway, and he refused to think too much about the Christmas holidays. His mother was expecting him at the Manor to spend Christmas with her. He didn't know how to tell her that he would rather stay at Hogwarts. Hermione couldn't go back to her parents. He might have heard here and there that she would be spending the holidays at the Burrow, but he wasn't happy about it. She had to stay close to him, and he was never going to be invited to the Gingers Headquarters. He couldn't look after her and have any proper peace of mind if they were separated. And that made him angry.

The Ball was in five days. The next day, everyone would be leaving for the holidays. The atmosphere was feverish, and all the students seemed happy. There were snowball fights outside, where the thin layer of snow had finally stayed.

The portrait opened and Hermione entered furiously, setting her books down on the table with a thud. Draco gasped and instinctively hid his drawing in the middle of a book.

"How were your exams?" he asked politely as he stood up.

"Easy."

"I figured," he chuckled.

Hermione sighed and raised her arms in front of him. "What are you doing, Draco?"

He frowned. Had he made her angry? This morning, though, they'd had their coffee at the table as usual and had talked normally. Everything had gone well, and he had been gentle and considerate towards her. Why was she taking that tone with him tonight?

"Right now?" he replied. "Just a few things."

"No, I mean what are you doing with me? What's the problem? I thought you liked our... our—" She stopped and let out another sigh of frustration. Ginny had advised her not to be desperate. She hadn't meant to, but she couldn't take his aloofness and exaggerated politeness anymore. Take me. Hug me. Do something. Anything!

Draco took a few steps around the sofa. They were standing a few feet apart, she by the table, he by the living room. He frowned, shocked at the conclusions Hermione had come to. "Granger... you think I didn't like it?"

She stammered. "I... I don't know anymore! Ever since it happened, you've been so... formal with me."

He took a step towards her. "How can you think I didn't like it? Bloody hell, Hermione, it was... it was the best kiss I've ever shared with anyone."

A mighty blast of hope washed over the Gryffindor and her heart sped up. She blinked. "For me too," she said. "So why does everything have to be weird between us? Why do you make things so... professional? Why do you—"

"Hermione..." He took another step towards her.

"Let me finish! Why are you being so distant with me? I can't take it anymore, Draco! I'm not asking for a label on our relationship yet, there's plenty of time for that, but why are you acting like nothing happened? Why won't you ask me to the fucking Ball? If you really had no desire for me, then why—"

"Let's not make it weird anymore, then."

He threw himself at her after three long strides, crashing his lips on hers, finally giving in to all the instincts that had plagued him for days to do just this. He locked her face between his palms and pulled her even closer to him. Hermione opened up immediately and kissed him back with liveliness and passion. She put her arms around his waist.

"I couldn't take it anymore either, Hermione," he murmured against her lips before capturing her mouth again.

He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. His body, his head and his heart were all praising him for the delicious sensations that were igniting him and which he was finally indulging. It no longer mattered why he had refrained himself from kissing her again. He wanted her. And he wanted her to know how much he wanted her. Draco felt her quiver against him and an exhilarating electricity ran through him.

He bent down and slid his hands over her thighs in a motion to lift her up. Hermione clung to him, never breaking the contact of their lips, and jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Draco instantly noticed that he was no longer having difficulty carrying her weight. His workouts were finally paying off...

"I'm...sorry...that... I yelled," she mumbled, interspersed with kisses.

He moved so that he could set her down on the table, and she kept her legs around him. The Slytherin lifted himself off his partner so he could look directly in her eyes, holding her cheek in the palm of his hand.

"I don't care," he said.

She looked up at him with fiery eyes, lips red and slightly breathless. Merlin, if he could, he'd lose himself every hour of the day in those brown pearls.

He dropped a kiss on her temple and Hermione breathed in his scent against her cheek. He looked at her again. "It was a matter of fact for me that we were going to the Ball together... That's why I never asked you."

"Oh, Draco..." She put her hands behind his neck and leaned to hug him. The Slytherin pressed her against him, pleased to see her relief. The brunette finally released him, keeping her forearms on his shoulders.

"Are you still mad at me?" she asked in a small voice.

He slammed another kiss against her lips. "I never was. I was just... confused."

"Are you still confused, then?"

"Not about this," he finished, diving down again to catch her lips.

Hermione smiled against his mouth and returned the kiss. She didn't know how she could ever get tired of it. She didn't care what it all meant to them right now.

"I'll be proud to dance with you all night," he said.

Eventually their kiss lost its ebullience, but became slower, more languid, and more tender. Their lips brushed against each other with a kind of feverish shyness that activated the other's thirst every minute. Draco threaded his fingers through the brunette's thick hair, playing with her curls, caressing the base of her neck and the line of her thin jaw. His other hand wandered over her back, her hip, her thigh, her shoulder. Her heavenly shoulders...

They no longer knew how to measure the eternity they were spending in each other's arms. Maybe it was minutes, maybe it was hours. Each one more numbing than the next. After a moment, the Slytherin pulled his head back slightly and took her face in his hands, gazing into the golden nectar of his Lioness'.

"I'm done staying away from you, Granger," he whispered.

"Good, because I won't be able to stand it either, Malfoy," she replied.

He kissed her cheek briskly and stepped back, holding her hand to help her down from the table. Running a hand through her hair to comb it back a bit, Hermione cleared her throat.

"Ready for the rounds?" Draco said, his face still burning with pleasure.

This had been the longest rounds they had ever made. Nothing unusual had happened, thank God. They had been on the lookout, wands out, as they had been on every rounds for weeks. Draco had stood close to the Gryffindor, their hands brushing against each other with the rhythm of their steps. Eventually, by the end of the rounds, it was Hermione who had decided to tuck her hand into his, bathed in the darkness and stillness of the hallways.

Hand in hand, they returned to their dormitory. When they entered, they each went to their own rooms to change silently into their sleepwear. They brushed their teeth at the same time, exchanging glances but not a word. Hermione twiddled her fingers together nervously. She didn't know how things were supposed to go at night. Did they have to...? Of course she wanted to, of course she wanted to experience everything with him, about him, by him. But for some reason she didn't feel ready just now, and she didn't know if he was thinking the same thing she was, and if this was the only thing he was waiting for.

Draco, for his part, had no expectations. He wasn't a pessimist, not at all, but the last thing he wanted was to force himself on his partner. In spite of all the craving that wanted to consume him, he was trying to tame the sultry panther inside him that wanted to pounce on her. He craved her lips. Her shoulders. Her arse. Her thighs. Her hips. Her breasts... He could easily lose himself for hours in the feast that was her body, the way she looked at him, smiled at him. Even the little comments she could make drove him absolutely crazy. He was greedy for every word she said, every ripple in her voice. Hell, he could record her sneeze and he'd be charmed each fucking time.

"Erm, so... good night, Draco..." she breathed, one foot inside her room, one foot outside.

"Good night, Head Girl."

He leaned over, kissed her forehead, and went to his room, closing the door behind him. Hermione slowly closed her door and was plunged into darkness and loneliness. The Stranger's letter still on her desk, among Angela's, the blue diary, and Sam's watch. All the clues she had. She swallowed and sat down on her bed, absently sliding her finger against the scar on her hand, from her little finger to her wrist.

"What do you want me to do now, Sam?" she whispered.

Why didn't she know what to do to discover more answers? She knew that as soon as she closed her eyes and fell asleep, the nightmares would come back.

"Draco?" she called out, without moving.

She waited a few seconds and heard nothing. "Draco?" she called louder.

A few seconds later, the door to her room flew open, casting a cone of light into her room. The Slytherin entered quickly, wand in hand, and was beside her in a few strides. "Hermione? Are you all right? What's the matter?"

The Lioness realised that she had probably worried him and pressed her lips together.

"Oh, nothing—" she said hastily. "Sorry, it's just—" She tilted her head, embarrassed, not knowing how to broach the subject.

Curious, he frowned slightly and ran a hand through her hair. "Tell me," he asked.

"I... I've been having nightmares for weeks. Can you... would you stay with me tonight? You don't have to say yes, I don't want to force you to... if you don't want me to... I just—"

He silenced her with a kiss right on the mouth and said nothing. He had already agreed.

They slipped under the sheets and Draco closed the door with a flick of his wand before shoving it under the pillow. He wrapped his arm around her and pressed her against him. They said nothing more. The lull of darkness gave him better control over his breathing. His lungs swelled with exhilaration at the scent of her hair. The rhythm of both their hearts lost its frenzy. Quietness enveloped them like a blanket that sleep would warm, and all anxiety left their minds. They fell asleep, welded to each other.

Hear the fallen and lonely, cry out
Will you fix me up? Will you show me hope?
At the end of the day you were helpless
Can you keep me close? Can you love me most?

Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Someone to Stay