December Prompt #10: Hot Chocolate
Hermione wiped away her tears as she tickled the pear that was in the painting that led to the Hogwarts' kitchens, sniffling under her breath. She scooped up her dress and entered the kitchens, ignoring the startled house-elves that were instantly on high alert at seeing her in their midst.
Hermione knew they hated her for what she was doing by fighting for their freedom, but at the moment, she didn't care. All she wanted was a mug of hot chocolate, just the way she liked. Her day had gone from wonderful to terrible in the span of a few minutes, and she desperately needed to recharge herself with a mug of her favourite treat.
But when she reached the middle of the kitchen, she was disheartened to find the house-elves running away from her, whispering under their breaths about how she was the bad "Grangy" who wanted to give them clothes. She looked around and found Dobby trying to push his way to the front.
When he finally managed to extract himself from the huddled group, he beamed up at Hermione and asked, "Harry Potter's Grangy! How can Dobby help the Grangy?"
"Can I have some hot chocolate?" Hermione whispered, still wiping away her tears.
Dobby's ears fell flat against the sides of his head, resembling a kicked puppy. He murmured, "Dobby's sorry, Miss Grangy, but we's out of hot chocolate."
Hermione's heart fell. "Wh-what? But how?"
Dobby tugged on his ear before pointing behind her. "Pretty Boy has the last cup of hot chocolate."
Hermione frowned, confused by the name until she turned around and found Cedric Diggory seated in an armchair at the back, his knees pulled up under him, a large mug in his hands. He was quietly reading a book that was balanced precariously on the armrest.
Hermione hesitated, not knowing how to articulate her need. She didn't know Cedric well enough to demand he give her his mug of hot chocolate. But she really wanted to drink some hot chocolate; her life depended on it.
Dobby tugged her hand and said solemnly, "Dobby is sorry, Miss Grangy. Can Dobby get Miss Grangy something else? We's have Winky's butterbeer—"
Just then, Cedric looked up and found her staring at him. He blinked slowly before smiling at her gently. "Granger, what a surprise meeting you down here," he said.
Hermione bit her lip as she formed an appropriate answer in her head. But when she reached his chair, her mind blanked and she blurted out, "I wanted some hot chocolate."
Cedric glanced down at his mug and seemed to think of something. He looked up at her and smiled. "Okay, I'll give you half of my hot chocolate if you do something for me."
Hermione didn't even have the strength to think his statement through. All she wanted was that damn hot chocolate and she would do anything for it. Immediately, she nodded and waited for him to tell her what he wanted.
As there weren't any other armchairs in the vicinity, Cedric patted the small space beside him and gestured for her to squeeze in beside him. She didn't care that she didn't know Cedric that well; she just wanted her drink before she went to sleep and forgot the Yule Ball.
She pulled her dress up and squeezed in beside him, huffing at the tight squeeze. Cedric's side was pressed against her own, so he shifted a bit to the side and allowed her a bit more space. When she was more comfortable, she looked up at him curiously. "Yes, what do you want?"
Cedric's lips twitched. "What if I had just wanted you close to me?"
Hermione knew she was being rude, but she rolled her eyes and scoffed loudly. "Please, be realistic when you lie to people."
Cedric placed his hand on his chest and gasped. "I'm so hurt you'd think so low of me!"
Hermione dropped her chin to her chest and mumbled, "I'm not in the mood to joke around. Please, just get to the point."
Cedric was quiet for a few moments before he placed his hand under her chin and tilted her head up. He had the most intense expression she'd ever seen on his face. "Who hurt you, Granger?"
Hermione pulled her head away from his hold, not meeting his eyes. "It doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does. I haven't seen you so sad before," he said angrily, his hand still on her chin. He dropped his hand to his lap and frowned. "What happened? Did Krum do something? Tell me and I'll do something about it."
Confusion clouded her mind. "Why would you do something about it?"
"Just answer my questions and I'll give you the hot chocolate," he stated, raising his mug and waving it under her nose. The scent of melted marshmallows and cinnamon wafted to her nose, and Hermione closed her eyes and moaned audibly.
Cedric choked. "Merlin, Granger, you really want this, don't you?"
Hermione shakily nodded, her eyes trained on the delicious-scented hot chocolate she was there for. She swallowed and licked her lips. "I need this, please. Just give it to me."
"I'll give it to you, I promise," Cedric murmured, placing the mug on the table away from him. She stared at it longingly, but he distracted her by turning her head towards him. He said calmly, "Who made you this sad, Granger?"
"Why do you care? Why are you here in the kitchen instead of with your girlfriend at the ball?"
Cedric shook his head. "Nuh uh,I said you have to answer my questions before you get what you want."
Hermione groaned but glanced at the cup longingly once more. It was so close, maybe she could Stun him and—
Cedric pushed the cup a bit farther away from her, and she scowled at him. He smirked. "Answer me, Granger."
Hermione's shoulders drooped and tears welled up in her eyes. "Please, just give me the hot chocolate and I won't bother you—"
"You're not bothering me in any way," he said firmly, placing his hand on her cheek. "Just tell me who did this to you and you can have your drink."
Hermione whispered, "It was Ron, okay? Can I have my drink now?"
"What did he do? Did he hurt you?" Cedric demanded, pulling the mug an inch closer to the edge.
"No, he just… He said something to me that didn't sit well with me. It was stupid—"
"It can't have been stupid if you're alone with me here without anyone coming after you," he interrupted her quickly. "What did he say to you?"
Hermione hesitated before admitting, "He said Viktor was just using me to get to Harry, that I was fraternizing with the enemy… that…"
"That what?" He pulled the mug closer.
"That… Viktor was just going to use me," she whispered and her face warmed at her own words.
Cedric scoffed and picked up the mug before handing it to Hermione. "That's ridiculous," he said. "Does Weasley even understand the meaning of the word fraternizing? What does he think 'international cooperation' means?"
Hermione knew she should defend her friend, but if Cedric Diggory, one of the nicest boys in school, was badmouthing Ron for his actions, it was a sign she should just keep her mouth shut—or at least put her mouth to better use.
She lowered her head and her curls fell forward, obscuring her face from Cedric's view, as she sipped on the warm beverage. An audible moan escaped her lips at the rich thickness in her mouth, and she swallowed with a heartfelt groan.
"Merlin, Granger… It's like…" Cedric trailed off shakily.
Hermione looked up at him and found him staring at her mouth with wide eyes. His hands were fisted in his lap and his shoulders were tense.
Cedric shifted away from her and said awkwardly, "Uh… At least you're enjoying your drink, I guess."
Hermione ducked her head and looked up at him from under her sooty eyelashes. "Sorry, I just had a terrible day."
"It's fine, it's fine," he said, wringing his hands. He didn't look at her as she took another sip of the warm drink, but his head snapped up when she let out another low moan as the perfectly melted marshmallows slid down her throat, warming her whole body. He choked out a husky, "Granger…"
"Yes?" Hermione noticed him staring at her mouth again and her eyes widened when she remembered the hot chocolate was his, too. "Oh! I'm so sorry! Here!"
She shoved the mug into his hands, her fingers brushing against his own. Cedric licked his lips but didn't drink from the mug like she had expected him to do. He cocked his head and continued staring at her mouth, making her feel a bit self-conscious.
She awkwardly raised her hand to wipe away any remnants of the drink, but before she could do that, Cedric's hand shot out and grabbed her chin gently.
"Let me," he murmured before he swiped his thumb over her lower lip, his eyes still trained on her mouth.
Her eyes instinctively lowered and she could make out the slight hint of a bulge in his trousers. Her lips parted in shock when she realised her moans had been affecting him. Her heartbeat quickened, and she quickly looked away, heat rushing to her cheeks. She had never been in such a situation before and had no idea how to react to it.
She accidentally bit her lower lip right near his thumb, and Cedric groaned loudly. "Granger, what are you doing to me?"
"I'm not doing anything," she stammered, leaning back in the chair. She suddenly found herself pressed against it with Cedric halfway on top of her. Her eyes widened at the sudden movement.
"Granger... If you don't mind, I'd like to kiss you now," Cedric said calmly, but his voice trembled a little bit at the end.
Hermione stammered, "I've never… I'm not—"
Understanding passed over Cedric's face. He nodded and slowly began to pull away from her, but for some reason, Hermione didn't like the idea. Her fingers wrapped around his elbow on their own accord, and his head snapped to look at her.
Hermione mumbled, "I thought you were dating Cho…"
"We weren't together since the beginning of the year because of… something," he admitted quietly, giving her a look that she didn't understand. It was as if he was trying to hint at something but didn't know how to. Before she could question him, he leaned in towards her. "I was enjoying my hot chocolate when someone barged in here like a whirlwind and demanded I give her my drink."
"I didn't demand anything. You were nice enough to offer it to me," she muttered, still a bit flustered at their closeness.
All of a sudden, she seemed to be surrounded by him. His pulse was pounding under her fingers, his muscles bunching under her touch. The scent of cinnamon, apples and the fireplace wafted off his dress robes, along with something incredibly Cedric. And his eyes… His normally grey eyes were so dark and filled with something Hermione couldn't decipher, but it made her heart thump against her chest in excitement.
"I'm not that nice," he murmured, ducking his head. His hair fell forward into his eyes, and Hermione's hand automatically reached up to push the strands away. She blushed when his eyes met hers.
As the tension between them began to rise, Hermione shifted to face him, her hand still on his forearm. She didn't know what to do or say in this situation, never having imagined she'd land in such a position with Cedric Diggory of all people.
Cedric sighed, leaned forward for a moment, and hesitated. He shook his head and murmured, "I'm making you uncomfortable, aren't I?"
"A little bit," she blurted out, unable to stop herself. Her face warmed at the suddenly heated look he gave her. She ducked her head to hide behind her curls, but Cedric stopped her.
He cupped her face gently and whispered, "I never thought this would happen."
"Obviously because you were at the ball with Cho," she muttered, her mind blanking at his close proximity.
Cedric shook his head. "I meant being this close to you."
Hermione mumbled, "I'm still not certain what's happening here..."
Cedric chuckled before he pulled away, the hesitation still visible in his eyes. He clenched his fists for a few moments before reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I'd like to kiss you, but I really shouldn't. I don't want to make you more uncomfortable than I already have."
Hermione gave a one-shoulder shrug. She admitted, "I don't really know how to feel about this situation, that's all. I mean you're really handsome and obviously experienced while I'm obviously not. I've never kissed anyone—not that I don't want to, but I haven't found anyone who wanted to kiss me, so I'm just—"
Cedric frowned. "How's that even possible? Didn't Potter or Krum try—"
"Please don't believe everything Skeeter writes in the Prophet," she said, rolling her eyes as anger rose in her chest at the thought of that awful woman who called herself a reporter.
"Oh. So… it's not true?"
"None of it is," she said, shaking her head angrily. She flailed her arms as she began rambling, "I don't know how she's getting all this ridiculous news, but I swear I'm going to get to the bottom of this, and when I do, I swear Skeeter will rue the day she ever crossed me. She keeps on writing all this nonsense about Harry and Viktor fighting over me when Harry's so obviously not interested in me—we're practically siblings, but no one believes us. They all think I'm cheating on Harry or some stupid rot—"
Cedric's mouth was suddenly on hers. Hermione's eyes widened for a moment before she closed them, relaxing into the kiss.
As far as first kisses went, Hermione decided that it was wonderful. She didn't have anything to compare it to, but the way Cedric cupped her face in between his hands was enough to make her melt into his gentle touch. He kept the kiss chaste but still firm enough for her to feel the pressure of his lips moving over hers.
When he pulled back, his brow was furrowed with worry, his lips slightly parted as he breathed heavily. He didn't let go of her when he said, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt you like that, but I melt every time you start rambling. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen, and I couldn't help myself. I swear I'm not this… this depraved! My mother raised me with manners, I swear she did, but you just—this doesn't excuse my behaviour, but Merlin, you look so beautiful when you're angry and you were moaning earlier and you were so close to me—"
Hermione's eyes widened to the point that the muscles around them began to cramp. She blinked rapidly and slapped her hand over his mouth to shut him up. "You… Have you been drinking?"
"No," he mumbled against her palm, his warm breath caressing the bottom half of her fingers.
Hermione slowly lowered her hand and stared at him for a few moments, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
Cedric had just kissed her. She had kissed him back.
It had been a wonderful kiss, and she wanted to kiss him again to see if the second time was just as good.
With that decision made, she announced, "I'd like to try that again, please."
It was Cedric's turn to gape at her.
Hermione thought that maybe he didn't want to kiss her again, maybe that first time was enough for him, but she was proven wrong just a second later when a beaming Cedric swooped in and kissed her again.
Hermione was wrong. The second kiss was even better. This time, she could taste the cinnamon on his breath when he took her lower lip into his mouth and sucked on it, sending her mind spinning at the tingles spreading through her entire body.
She was inwardly panicking about where to place her hands; Cedric seemed to notice it and reached down to take her hands and tug them up to his shoulders. She understood and immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, arching her back into his chest. Cedric let out a loud groan into her mouth as he gripped her tighter to him, startling her.
She pulled back quickly, worried she had done something wrong. She stammered, "Is… is everything okay? Did I hurt you?"
Cedric let out a breathless laugh as he pulled her flush against his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair slowly and gazed into her eyes as he whispered, "No, Granger, you didn't hurt me. I'm fucking fantastic."
Hermione blinked, surprised by the f-word escaping his lips. "You cursed…"
Cedric grinned sheepishly. "Please don't tell my mother, or else she'll whoop my arse for swearing in front of a lady."
Hermione laughed softly, her heart thundering against her ribcage in an attempt to escape. "You're lucky I don't know your mother, Mr Diggory."
Cedric smiled as he pressed a quick kiss to her mouth. "Hopefully, one day, you will. She'll love you."
Hermione's face warmed at his words. When they finally parted after a while, Hermione gasped and cried out, "Oh, no! The hot chocolate—it must have gone cold by now! I'm sorry you didn't get to drink it..."
Cedric turned to look at the mug of now-cooled chocolate. He wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders, tucking her into his side and kissing her head. He teased, "Who needs hot chocolate when they've got something even sweeter?"