Hermione mentally cursed at herself. The number of times she had been pinned against Draco this year, alone, was far under belief. You would think she would be used to it by now. But it was nearly impossible to ignore how her body practically melted into his.

She felt his grip tighten, pushing her chest into his lower abdomen. His eyes were an abyss of iron coldness battling the heat from the collision of their bodies. Hermione had never paid much attention to Draco's frame. She was aware he was taller and slimmer than Ron and Harry.

But she was beginning to learn more about his body these past few days considering their recent circumstances. She could feel how muscular he'd gotten by the surface of his chest. And the way he squeezed her waist. Its pleasurable pain was something she would never admit to enjoying, to anyone. Not even herself.

And as difficult as it was to ignore the way he was making her feel, she couldn't ignore the voice in her head telling her this was absolutely wrong. Forbidden

"Malfoy. Let go of me." she gritted.

Hermione grasped onto his arms that were holding her against him.

He didn't even flinch. "Try me."

She groaned the second his fingertips pressured into her backside. Her eyes widened at the noise that escaped her lips.

Draco shed a slight smirk before leaning closer to her face. His forehead was on the brink of touching hers.

"Are you enjoying this?"

Hermione scoffed at his amusement. She drew her head back before spitting right into the blonde's face. "You're disgusting."

Draco closed his eyes at the contact of Hermione's spit and took it as if she slapped him. And before he could respond, he charged at the stone wall with the brunette still in his arms.

When he slammed her backside into the wall she groaned again. This time louder.

He got a kick listening to the soft groans slipping from her mouth. It drew his attention to her perfectly pink lips that hesitated to part in case she groaned again.

"Did you enjoy that?" she referred to her spit still glistening by his mouth. "Tasting my dirty spit?" she challenged.

Draco could only chuckle at the fiery girl who smirked back at him. She let out a small gasp the second she saw him lick the outer corners of his mouth. Very slowly. He was savoring it.

He leaned forward so that his lips were practically on her ear. "I like it dirty."

Hermione couldn't help but feel a jolt that struck her stomach and in between her legs at the contact of Draco's husky voice. She accidentally groaned again at the sensation.

He pulled his head back and stared at her mouth.

She was annoyed at her vulnerability and the attention she was giving him. She bit her lip in case another groan happened to slip from her mouth again.

Fuck. Draco was mesmerized at the sight of her mouth. His mind gave way to the filthy thoughts about those perfect pink lips. Her groans were so sultry and smooth. They echoed throughout his body and Draco wanted nothing more than to give in to his urges.

She was breathing hard. Hermione couldn't detect what Draco was going to do. His eyes were holding onto her lips as if his life depended on them. She felt his arm snake around her entire waist. He had one free arm now and pressed her further into the wall with his body to secure her.

He brought his free arm to her chin. The tips of his fingers slowly caressed her chin. Hermione grasped at his arm again. And unfortunately for both of them, an uncontrollable noise cascaded from the brunette.

This time, a pleading moan. "Draco."

That was it. His lips came crashing down onto hers. And in an instant, Draco scoured the depths of her mouth with his. Hermione's eyes widened at the contact of his tongue. And could barely breathe at the battle brewing in her mouth.

She couldn't deny how good he tasted, no matter how many times she felt her mind attacking itself. This was wrong. She felt it. But she felt him, even more. Her eyes shut close at the sharp tinge dancing inside her mouth. She grabbed onto the back of his head and pulled at his hair. She wanted more.

Draco could feel his grip loosen on the girl and slammed her against the wall again with his body.

She moaned into his mouth this time. The vibration caught Draco off guard.

"Fuck." he groaned.

Her knuckles were white as she held onto dear life. Draco couldn't get enough of the taste of honey as he deepened the kiss. He was hungry.

She inhaled sharply as soon as she felt him dig his fingers at her waist. And she couldn't help but acknowledge the man that was making her feel this way.

"Draco."

The second his name left her lips again, Draco's eyes snapped open.

His mind no longer focused on the taste of honey. Instead, it rushed inside the girl in front of him.

Hermione gasped and pushed him away. Her mind was flooded with thoughts of Ron. The night of the Yule Ball. The Christmas at 12 Grimmauld Place. And the summer night at the Burrow. Nights she had purposely made room for in her mind.

A night where she had wanted Ron to sweep her off her feet from Viktor Krum. A night where she was hoping to receive a gift from Ron after gifting him her favorite books with markings inside of them. A night where the two were forced to share the bathroom whilst brushing their teeth. Ron wiped the toothpaste from her lips and she had waited for a kiss that never was. On all those nights.

She was reminded of her pathetic attempts at swooning the boy. His obliviousness scratched at her ego and broke her down. She heard him chant the names of countless other girls and not once did she hear her name.

And finally, she was relieved of those thoughts. She gasped for air and slid down the stone wall before looking carefully at the boy in front of her.

Draco stood before her, only a few feet away. He had a blank expression on his face.

He had seen everything.

Hermione felt like the walls around her were inching closer to suffocate her, she was breathing heavily. Malfoy had invaded her mind. She felt extremely violated. And mentally exhausted. The first tear hadn't fallen from her eye before she stood up dizzily on her feet, and rushed out of the tower.

The blonde boy stood in his spot staring blankly at the stone wall before him. He could hear Hermione's footsteps fading below along with her almost quiet whimpers echoing to the tower.

But before he could even process anything he had just witnessed, the taste of honey still lingered on his lips. And it was nothing like what he had ever come across.

Had Weasley never tasted the addiction clouding his thoughts? Like an apple to a pig. The sweetest apple perhaps. Right fucking in front of him? He knew Weasley was as daft as a pig but had he been at least sensible enough to realize what he had right in front of him? It scorched Draco's skin.

Even when he got to the dungeons, Draco was still completely captivated by the revelation. And most importantly, the savor of Hermione Granger.

He was traveling to his dorm when he reminisced about the rumors between Granger and Krum. He had always wondered what the Bulgarian brute had seen in the prude. And tonight, he discovered the fascination. And the fixation.

The obsession behind the lips of the mudblood.

He opened his bedroom door and glared at the sight on his bed. Pansy, was sprawled onto her side, wearing her best green lingerie.

"I was waiting for you." she softly said.

Draco scoffed before loosening the collar of his black shirt and turning to his mirror. He could see the girl get up behind him from the reflection of the mirror.

"Draco. Please. It's been a few days." he felt her finger slide up and down his arm.

"I don't fucking want you, Pansy." he spat still maintaining his eyes on himself.

He heard her whimper and her arms clasped around his stomach. She pressed her face against his back.

"But I need you."

He cringed at the sight of her hands running along his stomach. He had enough of her and getting quite bored of the same fucking mouth.

His hands were about to prowl hers off of him when he stopped himself. Had he not been looking at himself he would've missed the bulge from his pants still lurking from a certain brunette.

His eyes traveled up to his face in the mirror. And he noticed something glistening on his cheek.

Whilst Pansy began moving her lips on his back, Draco carefully scooped the liquid from his cheek with his middle finger. And without hesitation, he brought the finger to his mouth and tasted honey once again.

"Draco."

He closed his eyes and turned around so that he faced the girl before him. Without looking he clamped his hand around the roots of her head and pushed her down on her knees.

He opened his eyes again and she wasn't visible to him. He felt the girl unbuckle his pants. Draco smirked at the sensation and threw his head back while thinking of brunette locks.

Hermione had been staring at herself in the mirror for a few hours now. Her hair was dry and frizzy and the tears that stained her face were cold and stale now.

She had spent almost two hours scrubbing at her skin in the hot shower. It was an attempt to forget about the way she felt about Ron. Reliving his constant rejection made her feel pathetic. She wanted to peel away at her skin. But the second she stopped and threw her head back at the scorching water, her eyes shut, and imagined Draco's fingertips caressing her body.

It was the way she bit her lip whenever she pictured his veiny hands slipping lower and lower. It was the only way to prevent her from moaning at the thoughts of Draco. Her chest would heave up and down at those silver eyes eating away at hers.

Thinking about him made her thoughts of Ron scour from her head. It was a lose-lose situation. How could Draco Malfoy make her feel things unimaginable? All those girls she was judging at the beginning of the year, she was no different.

Hermione scrubbed harder at her skin. She had willingly let Draco inside. Let him dominate her tongue with his. It made her feel even more desperate the more she thought about it.

What would her friends think of her? Would Ginny still be laughing? Would Ron still look at her the same? Would Harry even trust her?

One single night. Could ruin all her relationships.

To say that she was disgusted with herself was an understatement.

It had been a week. And Hermione hadn't felt this terrible in a long time.

She avoided Ginny and Ron. In the common room, during class, and at meals. On the few times she bumped into Ginny and Ron, they bombarded her with countless questions she turned down. But in her vulnerable state, she would've accidentally revealed what happened between her and Malfoy. The most painful part, Harry was doing this voluntarily.

He wouldn't even make eye contact with her if they passed each other in the halls. Hermione would find herself crying in the broomstick cupboards before class would start. It would only get worse from here.

Because she would do everything in her power to avoid all contact with the certain blonde boy that tasted her lips.

She didn't want to face him. To see his victorious stance or feel threatened in case he decided to tell her friends what happened that night at the astronomy tower. And when she had no choice, she would keep her head down the entirety of potions class.

She sat in the library in the furthest corner. The book occupying her hand was a mere decoration. Hermione knew she couldn't avoid her friends forever and needed to come up with a solution about her discretion.

And the truth was not an option.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by the screeching of the chairs in front of her. She looked up and saw Ron, dressed in his Quidditch uniform.

She couldn't help but smile. "Ron."

Hermione admired the way Ron's long sleeve fit tightly against his chest. He must've been training really hard.

"What's going on with you, Mione? I'm really worried." He directly said. Ron reached out and grabbed one of her hands.

Hermione couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty. She furrowed her eyes at her small hand laying in Ron's. God, this was everything she wanted.

"Me and Gin are concerned. Terrified. For you." He leaned closer. "Did something happen between you and Harry?"

"Why would that cross your mind?" she projected.

"He's not speaking to us either." Ron carefully removed his hand and hugged himself. He looked distressed.

"That's insane, Ron. Harry is your best friend." she scoffed.

"Our," he emphasized. "He's our best friend, Mione."

Hermione looked at Ron. His eyes were serious. And he was practically shaking. She assumed that he was nervous about the match.

"You're going to do great today, Ron."

"How would you know?" he nervously rushed out. Hermione leaned back out of shock. "You've been ignoring the lot of us."

"Hey!" she snapped at him. "I'll always be here. For you. For Ginny. For Harry." Hermione reached out for his hand again.

Ron hesitantly connected his with hers.

"I just needed space."

"From what?" he leaned forward again. This time his tone was more persistent.

But Hermione was silent. She knew she couldn't lie. It would hurt their friendship and she needed Ron in her life. But until she could find the courage to tell him the truth, her silence was the only acceptable answer.

Ron sighed. "Okay. Just tell me when you're ready."

She looked at Ron with a small smile. And he returned equally as small. He gave her a little squeeze before pulling his hand from hers and standing up from his chair.

Hermione felt guilty leaving Ron feeling so unsatisfied. So she dropped her book and leaped up from her seat.

"Ron," she called out from behind him.

The red-head had just turned around before she planted a small kiss on his cheek.

"Good luck today." she blushed.

Ron's small smile slowly transcended into a big grin. He couldn't even speak. He looked like an idiot with his hand on the spot Hermione had just kissed, his lips moving but no words coming out.

She had to quite literally push him out of the library whilst giggling.

And when she returned to her chair, still blushing, she didn't even notice that her book was missing from the table.

The Gryffindor common room was ignited with loud cheers. Seamus and Dean were cosplaying lions whilst carrying Harry and Ron on their shoulders.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh from the corner of the room. Gryffindor had beaten Hufflepuff in a landslide. Ron was glowing with cheers from his fellow housemates and Harry, he looked so happy.

It warmed Hermione's heart knowing that the smile on Harry's face was genuine. She couldn't help but think whether her small absence from his life was beneficial.

"Hey stranger." she heard from behind her.

She turned around and much to her dismay, the voice happened to belong to Cormac McLaggen.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably when he stood next to her. Closer than what she would've appreciated.

Awkwardly, she brought her pumpkin juice to her lips, her eyes still in the center of the room.

"Great match wasn't it?" he poked at her.

"Magnificent." she slyly replied.

Her eyes were scanning the room for Ginny. Anything to avoid McLaggen who was currently eyeing her up and down.

"Say, Granger," he started. She tried her best not to look at him but he was staring directly at her. "I was hoping we could get on first name bases."

"Sure, Cormac." she dryly said.

Cormac scooted closer to her which caused Hermione to finally face him. She furrowed her eyebrows at him once he lightly played with one of her curls.

It reminded her of him.

But when she looked at Cormac's face, she felt immediately obligated to smack his hand away from her. Before Cormac could respond, the room burst into louder cheers.

Hermione looked up in time to see Lavender all over Ron, pleated in the middle of the room on some sort of stool, snogging.

She gasped for air as soon as she felt her stomach drop. And with his arms, Ron tugged Lavender closer to her.

The noise of the room got quieter and the sight of Ron faded from Hermione's vision. She didn't want to believe he was kissing Lavender. She couldn't.

"Well, who would've guessed? Brown and Weasley." she heard Cormac chuckle.

Before Cormac could turn to face Hermione again, she was gone.

She brushed through the halls of the castle with harsh winds on a stormy night. It justified the downpour coming from her brown eyes.

Hermione didn't know where she was going. But she knew what she was searching for. Air.

But if she was being quite honest with herself, searching for an escape became rather difficult with the tears in her eyes blurring her vision.

She stopped in the middle of a hallway to quickly swipe at her eyes. They weren't even fully clear before her feet began moving again. However, when she could finally recognize her surroundings, she halted.

Even in the darkest hour of the castle, his platinum blonde hair could be easily spotted. Even from a hundred feet away.

Hermione noticed the boy she'd been avoiding at all costs, down the corridor. She quickly leaped from her spot in the middle of the hall to a crevice protected by the corner of the wall. If she was lucky, he hadn't seen her given the distance advantage.

But with each footstep echoing closer, she held her breath and swallowed any leftover sobs that threatened to escape from her mouth. All thoughts of Ron and Lavender had vanished because of Draco.

Crazy, isn't it?

He was nearing closer, and his pace slowed down. Her hand flew to her mouth and she shut her eyes. No. He couldn't have known she was there. There was no chance. But if she was able to spot him, couldn't he have done the same?

His feet eventually came to a direct stop, only a few feet from her.

Hermione braced herself for the encounter she had been dreading ever since she flew out of the astronomy tower the night they kissed.

Her eyebrows crinkled together when she heard his sigh.

And then a yelp. A rather higher pitched one.

"Draco."

It was the voice of Pansy Parkinson.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open. Pansy sounded like she was in pain.

"Fuck. Off." Draco spat.

"I can't do that." the girl whimpered. "I-I care about… you."

At this point, it sounded like Pansy was crying. Hermione wished she could see what was happening but instead she heard Pansy gasp.

"Does it look like I care?" he scoffed. "It doesn't give you the right to fucking stalk me."

Their feet shuffled quickly and Pansy gasped. Hermione's eyes widened when she could see the girl practically fly into her peripheral vision. He had shoved Pansy.

For what little she could make out of Pansy, the Slytherin girl looked as if she'd been crying for hours.

Pansy stood there desperately waiting for something. And when Hermione saw a glimpse of blonde in her peripheral, her hand flew to her mouth. She silently watched the pair of Slytherins and prayed they wouldn't notice her, hiding in her dark spot.

"No, no, no! You can't do this! You were using me!" Pansy cried out.

Draco walked closer to the girl and was practically bulldozing her body with his.

"Yes. And I got tired of you." he tilted his head and Pansy fearfully backed away slowly. They were fully in her sight now.

"Did you honestly think we were going to get married? All because you've taken me in that pathetic mouth of yours?" he humored.

Hermione flinched at his words. And they weren't even directed at her. She almost wanted to feel pity for Pansy. The girl looked down at her feet as she was backing away. Hermione's stomach churned, she knew that feeling. Inferiority.

"Listen, Parkinson. When I do take a wife," Draco grabbed Pansy by the waist, preventing her from backing up and he took a hold of her chin in his hands. "She won't be a pug-faced slut with no self-respect."

He flung her chin away from his hands and on cue, Pansy was bawling and getting as far away from Draco as she could.

Hermione no longer felt pity for Pansy. Or about herself. Draco was the problem. The way he treated Pansy. The same way he treated her. And the similar treatment she received from Ron.

Her chest was heaving up and down with all her thoughts fuming inside her head. She looked at the end of the hallway where Pansy had disappeared from. Something needed to be said.

She took one foot out from her hiding space before a whiff of vanilla and vodka struck her the way Draco's fair face nearly attacked her own.

Hermione gasped and he leaned forward with his hand against the wall, trapping her. He was so close. Again.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop. Hermione."

His face was serious and his body was not so much further away from hers.

"You have no right calling me by that." Surprisingly, Hermione shoved him off of her.

Draco raised his eyebrows at her. She was stepping closer to him.

"Are you truly that heartless?" she asked.

He didn't say a word. And it irritated her. She scoffed and began inching herself closer to the boy.

"How dare you call Parkinson a slut? When you're boasting around with an ego diminishing any girl you've ever slept with!"

He chuckled, whilst slowly backing up to mirror her steps. "I didn't pick you as the girl who'd pay attention to the gossip."

"Gossip? Not when half my dorm mates have the audacity to call you some sex god when all you are is an entitled brat who can't control his hormones!" she cried out.

Draco chuckled in response and stopped moving. Hermione did the same in an attempt to not crash into him.

"Why? Are you jealous?"

He smirked at her before turning on his heel and making his way down the corridor. Hermione took a deep inhale before going after him.

"Jealous?" she almost laughed. "Why would I ever be?"

"Why do you care so much?" he responded quickly.

They both turned the corridor. He was walking very fast much to her dismay. Damn his long legs.

"Because if I didn't, I would be enabling your nasty behavior. To which no one deserves, including Parkinson."

Hermione collided with Draco's back. He stopped in his tracks and turned around swiftly causing the brunette to back up.

"It's none of your business," he said. "Should I have started with that?"

Hermione let out a humorless chuckle. She folded her arms and frowned at him. "Even if you did, I wouldn't have tolerated your actions. You would still be hearing the same lecture from me and therefore-"

"Have you been crying?" he interrupted.

She stopped mid-sentence with her mouth still agape. He tilted his head and stepped closer to her. She could see his eyes search her face. Weirded out, Hermione turned her head to face the other direction so Draco couldn't see her tear-stained cheeks.

But she gasped at the contact of his hand brushing up against her cheek. Immediately, Hermione unfolded her arms to push his hand away. She backed up so she wasn't too close to him.

"Weasley. Hm?" he speculated.

She turned to face him with a sour look. "And why do you care?"

"Because it's none of my business." Oh, the irony. Draco chuckled and looked down before squinting his eyes at her. "Don't tell me you targeted a lecture for him, towards me?"

She scoffed. "Why would that ever be?"

"Because he was snogging Brown."

Hermione felt her stomach churn again and a sharp tinge strike at her heart. She took a breath in. "How do you know?"

He was silent. Other than a small smile dancing on his face. Draco shoved his hands in both of his pockets and neared Hermione again. But this time she didn't move.

"You know, I thought I would never be able to get inside a head like yours," he whispered. "And if you weren't so sensitive and vulnerable, maybe you'd be smart enough to block me out."

He was leaning forward, his lips almost touching her ear. "There's just so much to discover in that pretty little head of yours my lioness."

Hermione shoved him away from her. "Stupefy!"

Her satisfaction was cut short when Draco got back on his feet after he was sent further into the corridor.

"Locomotor Mortis."

Her legs buckled and she fell to the floor with her wand clattering next to her. She searched for it amidst the darkness of the castle ground. And was horrified to see Draco pick it up with one of his hands.

With his other, he grabbed her by the arm and shoved her back up. Her legs were still numb and therefore she grabbed onto Draco for support.

"Look at you. It's pathetic. Really."

She felt him slide her wand back into her hands before letting go of her. Thankfully, she could make it on her own feet, and Draco smirked at her stumbling stance.

Come on. She thought to herself. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her struggle.

"If this is the only way you can make a woman's legs shake uncontrollably," she breathed out while maintaining her balance. "Maybe Parkinson is better off without you."

Her comment made her snicker. She could see the smile on his face fading downwards into a frown.

Hermione smirked the instant he grabbed her by the waist. Because she knew this was his retaliation whenever she successfully got under his skin.

"Wouldn't you like to know the feeling? Hm?" his voice tickled down her ear. "The virgin prude?" He grinned at her. "Too bad you don't have Weasel-bee to teach you. Because who else would fucking touch you?"

She brought her hands up to his shoulders and leaned forward into his face. "You know something, Draco,"

Hermione's stomach was bubbling with confidence. Something she had never experienced with the blonde boy who was holding her. And she was going to take advantage of it.

"It seems as if you can't get enough of me." she felt his grip tighten. "Here you are, always pressing me up against you. Grabbing at my waist as if it's yours to take. And as we speak I can feel your grip growing stronger and stronger."

His eyes were watching hers very intensely. And he didn't utter a single word yet. So Hermione got on her tippy toes and whispered into his ear.

"I guess you do like it, dirty."

Hermione gasped the instant her eyes were met with his again. Draco had a handful of her hair in his knuckles and forced her to look at his stormy silver eyes.

"You're playing a very dangerous game, Hermione." her name rolled off his tongue like silk.

She knew the butterflies in her stomach were not authentic. Yes, Draco was the cause of them. Not for the right reasons. But for everything wrong. And deep down in her mind, somewhere he could read too, she knew this was a disaster bound to happen. And maybe she wasn't thinking straight after storming out of the Gryffindor common room.

But never in her life, had she felt this powerful. To make of all people, Draco Malfoy, crumble at his feet. A small smile tugged at her lips.

"May the best man win."