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Chapter 3
After the kiss ended, both teens sat quietly, trying to figure out what would happen now.
Hermione wasn't sure what to really think. Draco Malfoy had just snogged her! Her head spun with that thought alone but then the whole situation started trickling through the cracks of her mind and she almost laughed. How in Merlin's name had her day gone from being typical to becoming so atypical? It wasn't that she had never looked at the Slytherin Prince; he was difficult for her (or anyone for that matter) to miss. BUT! She never thought he would ever be nice to her or show her any sort of concern and she definitely never thought he would ever willingly snog her, that there would be such chemistry between them.
His reaction to what Ron had tried to do and said had shocked her. She had really expected him to laugh at her or make some snide comment about knowing her place but he hadn't, instead he had reacted very differently. She never thought he would show concern. She hadn't considered he would be anything other than nasty to her. She supposed she should have expected the unexpected when he invited her in and only sat across from her with his eyes closed.
What in the hell had happened over the summer to change Draco so much? She desperately wanted to ask but was afraid it would be asking too much from him and he would push her away instead. Hermione was quite enjoying being in his arms and pressed against his side. She hadn't realized when she entered just how much he had grown over the summer. He was much taller. At first look, he seemed lanky but being pressed against him, she could feel the muscles hidden beneath his robes. She wasn't ready for any sort of physical interactions, well, except for snogging, that she wouldn't mind doing again.
However, should she allow herself to indulge or should she put an end to things now before they really got started? On one hand, Draco was a pureblood and she a muggle-born. Then there was the fact that he was in Slytherin and she Gryffindor. Better yet, the friends (or fans in his case) they kept would never understand their attraction, especially his. What was she going to do? She knew what she should do but that wasn't a very comforting thought.
They could make it work, it would be difficult and would have to be kept completely secret until the war was over but it could work.
Right?!
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Draco made no move to leave Hermione's side. He was quite enjoying holding her and feeling her body pressed to his. However, he would let her dictate how fast or slow their relationship would go. He knew she wasn't ready for anything sexual and he was cool with that. Yes, he had used his charms to have his fair share of the female population at Hogwarts but Hermione would be well worth the wait, a worthy witch always was. Of course, he wouldn't turn her down if she chose to take things further but would never deem to pressure her for more than she could give.
Of course, their relationship would have to stay hidden. No one, and he knew absolutely no one, could know.
Would she allow that?
Could he allow that?
Yes, yes he could. This very could be his only chance. What better way to stick it to his sire and those like him than to secretly date Hermione Granger; if she allowed it that is. He had the witch he had been wanting since the end of fourth year in his arms and wasn't about to let her go without a fight. Draco had no doubt that his witch was having roughly the same conversation with herself he was having. Their friends would never agree to them being together, at least, not right now. Hell, his father alone would kill him if he knew what his son was doing; not to mention all the others helping themselves to his home. However, Draco didn't care. He was finally feeling something positive and planned to hang on to it for as long as she would let him.
It would take a lot of work on both their sides to make a relationship work but, in his opinion, it would be so worth it. Hermione was the first person to touch him with no expectations of anything more. She would never use him for his name, wealth, status or anything even remotely petty. No, she would only ask for his time, secrecy and honest effort; he could do that, especially if it meant he would feel this happy and content. Merlin only knew that he would need someone like her in the coming year.
The only conundrum Draco had was whether or not to tell her about being marked; about his missions? Would she shun him when she learned, because she would eventually? Would it be better to get it over with now? Could he take a chance that she would keep his secrets? Slytherins weren't known for trusting many, if any, with such things. Could he with her? Would she offer to help him? Would she turn him in? Would she be able to keep it from Potter?
As they sat in silence with their own internal battles raging, neither noticed when they changed positions. When Hermione finally broke through her mental fog, she realized she was stretched out on the bench, curled into Draco's side with her head on his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around her. It was comfortable and should have scared her but it didn't. She felt protected for the first time in years and wasn't in any hurry to end the feeling. Not to mention, he smelled really good and felt even better. She had a small smile quirk her lips at the thought. Who would have thought she would feel so safe in her "nemesis'" arms? She would have hexed anyone to Hades and back if they had suggested such a thing just that morning. Now, though, she quite liked it and found it easy to accept. Strange that.
Draco smiled a genuine smile when he felt Hermione snuggle into his side more. He had no clue when they had changed positions but couldn't complain either. She felt really nice lying on his chest and she fit perfectly under his chin with one arm under his shoulder and the other playing with his robe with one of her legs thrown over his, it felt incredibly right. It was a position that could be read wrong by so many but for Draco, it was comfortable and cozy. It was then he realized he would walk through any level of hell to be with her. Nothing that felt this good and right could ever be wrong. His father and all those like him could go straight to Hades for all he cared. That didn't mean he would share what had begun with anyone but, one day…one day he would with pride.
When they both let out soft sighs was when Hermione decided to break the silence.
"As much as I am enjoying this, and I really am, we need to talk this through before we get to Hogwarts." She said as she raised her head to look in his eyes. Were they always so beautifully intense?
Draco let out another sigh before nodding his head. "You're right, we really should. Does that mean we need to move?" he asked with a hopeful voice.
Hermione chuckled, "No, well, I wasn't going to."
"Good." Draco replied as he started to caress her arm. "There's much we actually need to talk about but for now, we both know no one can know of the turn in our relationship."
Hermione nodded her head in agreement, thinking that was the understatement of the year. Then she propped her head up on her hands over his chest so she could look at him while they spoke.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before asking, "How serious are you about this Draco? I need to know."
"Very, if you'll have me." Was his response.
"Good." She breathed out on a relieved breath. "Because this feels too good for me to just let you go." She gave him an impish smile.
Draco chuckled as he kissed her forehead. "I agree. However, we will need to be very careful, Hermione. No one can ever suspect, not even a little."
"Oh, I completely agree. I have no idea what all will happen this year but if it's anything like the past years, something will happen." Hermione said before noticing the slight worry in Draco's eyes.
"What is it Draco? Do you know of something? Please tell me, don't keep me in the dark." Hermione pleaded with him. When he remained silent, she continued, "If this is going to work then we will need to be completely honest with one another."
Instead of answering right away, Draco leaned forward and kissed her with everything he had. If it was the last snog he would get with her, he wanted them both to remember it. When he pulled away, he gently pushed her up and moved to sit up himself. When he caught her worried look, he gave her a sad smile.
"What I know may cause you to never want anything to do with me again." Draco told her.
"Draco, please tell me what's wrong, you're worrying me. What makes you think I would want nothing to do with you? I just told you that this felt too good to not fight for. What happened this summer to change you so much?" Hermione asked, concern heavy in her voice.
Draco gave a mirthless laugh. "What didn't happen to me this summer would be a shorter list, Hermione." He said before running his hands through his hair before he leaned his arms on his knees.
"What if I was to tell you that I got branded this summer? That I now have the dark mark?" Draco asked her while staring at the wall across from them.
Hermione sat silently for a time before she shook her head. She was appalled at first but then thought about what he had said before, about being jealous of her family. She sighed sadly when she realized that Draco was most likely branded against his will. That Lucius Malfoy probably served his only son up to the despot to try to make amends for the debacle at the Department of Mysteries the year before as she subconsciously rubbed her chest. The prophecy that wasn't stolen but broken instead.
She knew then what had changed for him. It wasn't a hypothetical question, it was a test. A test for her to see if she would shun him or if she would continue with their relationship. Well, if he thought that would scare her away then he didn't know her very well after all. She squared her shoulders and stood to kneel in front of him so she could break his gaze from the wall.
"Draco, I won't say I'm pleased that this happened, that you were forced to wear his mark but know this, it will not be the reason I let you go." Hermione earnestly told him.
"Who said I was forced?" Draco bit out.
Hermione smiled at him before answering, "You." She said. When he continued to just look at her, she continued, "This entire train ride is what proves you were forced and did not willingly offer yourself up." At his disbelieving look, Hermione continued, "Oh come on Draco, if you had volunteered for the mark then you wouldn't have invited me into your compartment. You definitely wouldn't have shown concern and anger at what happened to me earlier. Then there was the snogging." Hermione blushed and then chuckled at Draco's smirk.
"Prat!" she said as she swatted his leg. "Anyway, you would not have listened to me, held me or snogged me if you truly wanted to be marked. You would have seen me as a mudblood, someone well and truly beneath you, and would have scoffed at me or made a snide remark, not invite me in and then speak so civilly to me. So I can only guess that Lucius served you up as an apology of sorts for the failure last year."
"He did" Draco sighed as he leaned forward to touch his forehead to hers.
"Let me see it." Hermione told him in a soft voice. Draco jerked back with a horrified expression as he shook his head.
"Draco, it is a part of you now, eventually, I will see it. I will never be afraid to touch you, Draco. Just because I'm not ready anything sexual doesn't mean I won't ever touch you." Hermione told him.
Draco studied her a moment before he slowly nodded his head and rolled his sleeve up, showing the ugly tattoo that was the dark mark. Hermione studied it a moment before she ran a finger over the ugly mark and looked back to his face with a smile, thoroughly confusing Draco.
"You're wondering why I'm smiling?" at his nod, she continued, "Because, when the time comes, a tattoo artist could transform this into something else, something that is nothing like what it is now."
"How do you know this?" Draco asked, intrigued by her suggestion.
Hermione chuckled at his curiosity before she unbuttoned her top two buttons so she could pull her shirt over her shoulder to show the tattoo of a small emerald green dragon. Draco smiled and ran a finger over the little creature. It was beautiful and he couldn't help but enjoy that she had his namesake on her skin, permanently a part of her. It was sexy as hell in his opinion and he wondered if she had any more anywhere else.
"Before you ask, no, I don't have any others." Hermione winked at him when his eyes snapped to hers with a knowing gleam.
"Pity, I would have enjoyed wondering where they might be and what they were." Draco told her, the mood lightened a bit.
Hermione chuckled and shook her head, wizards!
"Will you tell Potter about me?" Draco asked, bringing the levity down.
Sighing, Hermione answered, "Not right away, no. I'll need to see how he is when I see him again. I may not be able to tell him until everything is over but there is a slim chance I might be able to tell him before then. I really don't know Draco but know I will not tell him unless I am completely sure he will keep our secret. I will not put either of us in any undue danger." Hermione explained while looking him in the eye.
Draco nodded his head, he would have to trust her, something he wasn't used to doing but they had to start somewhere. Hermione smiled at him before shocking the blond by climbing onto his lap and snogging him. Draco wrapped his arms around her and snogged her for all he was worth. She was amazing and he didn't care what hurdles they had to overcome to be together, they would be worth it. She would be worth it. When Hermione broke the kiss for some much needed air, she was pleased to see Draco as affected by their snogging as she was.
Just as she was contemplating snogging him again, her wand alerted her it was time to do rounds, being a prefect and all. She sighed sadly and climbed off Draco's lap but not before he pulled her in to hold her tightly to his chest as he whispered they would work it out. She nodded her head and gave him a quick peck on the lips before she straightened her uniform and robes and stepped out of the compartment.
