TWENTY-NINE
Putting her own observations together with what he'd said so far, she started, "So you … you didn't actually mean to follow me last night, then? Your shiny new impulse control issue at the helm, was it?"
A chuckle burst out of Antonin at that. New, certainly, but he was positive there wasn't much shiny about any of this. "I would have to think so. I hadn't intended it. I realized it was you, and that made me curious, but when I actually saw you, it was like I had no control over the decision to go after you."
Clearing her throat awkwardly at how this latest admission made her breath go all shivery as it left her lungs, she powered on. "And how did you get past the wards on the house? Does magic not affect you anymore?"
"I don't honestly know. I … I wasn't entirely …" he winced, one brow arching as he said the word like he was testing it out, "corporeal."
Her eyes shooting wide, she found herself shifting forward in his lap. Against her better judgment, she turned to face him fully as she asked in an awed tone, "Not corporeal? You mean … you did it? You really turned to mist just like the legend says?"
She rather immediately realized her mistake. The way his gaze traced over her features, the feel of warmth flooding her cheeks and her heart hammering against her ribcage ….
The sensation of his breath whispering over her lips ….
Hermione swallowed hard as he met her gaze, her own breath rushing out short and ragged suddenly as she felt him leaning closer. As she realized herself drifting to meet him.
Yes, definitely a mistake.
