Chapter 7
Honestly, what was she playing at? Draco tried to ignore the Mudblood as best as he could but for some reason he seemed to be fine tuned to her now and saw her, smelled her, fucking felt her every time they were in the same room. He clenched his jaw, trying to pay attention to Professor Vector, but it wasn't long before he felt the pull of her and turned to meet her big doe eyes.
They opened wide, surprised that he was actually looking at her again. Her small mouth opened just slightly and he watched the light glimmer off of her bottom lip before she pulled it in between her teeth, causing a small indentation on the soft pink flesh. Sweet Salazar he wanted to bite that lip.
Want to grab it in between his teeth and pull; clamping down with more and more pressure until she finally gave in and cried. Draco turned quickly feeling a jolt run deeply through him and straight to his groin. He dropped his head into his hand, holding it for a moment while he regained himself. Granger was a distraction. He had spent the last week rolling their last encounter over in his mind and had accomplished little on the Vanishing Cabinet because of it.
He had to stop this. It felt like his brain had been scorched by her; it was sunburnt and it couldn't heal because every time she was around she seemed to shine right into him like the bloody sun itself. This couldn't go on. He wouldn't be able to function, wouldn't be able to accomplish his task and that was the most important thing right now. He had to do this. For his family. For himself. For his Lord.
He could feel the mark on him at all times. It wasn't a tattoo that peeled and healed, it was a brand and caused constant discomfort at all times. Bellatrix had said it was so they were always reminded of their pledge to their Dark Lord, but Draco thought that maybe the old man just got off knowing he was causing them all pain at any given moment.
Professor Vector finished his lecture and Draco slung his bag across himself, scowling at the people around him as they quickly moved out of his way. He had made it halfway down the corridor when he heard her call out his name.
He had half a mind to just keep walking; make that bitch chase him for once. He'd spent plenty of time chasing her after all, but after three tortuously slow strides he turned and Granger barreled into him.
His hands did not shoot up to steady her, instead her hands landed on his chest and he felt his skin burn underneath them in an all-together different kind of pain than his arm. He could smell the thick warmth of her vanilla cinnamon and it swarmed into his head, making him feel almost dizzy for a moment.
"Oh!" She gasped and looked up at him with deep, wide eyes.
"You're touching me again." Draco said in his best attempt at a voice of boredom.
"Sorry," Granger pulled back and his arm twitched, longing to reach and pull her back but Draco controlled himself. Granger might drive him crazy, but he had a lifetime's experience with madness and kept his expression stoic.
"What do you want, Granger?" Draco sighed, looking over the top of her head because, Sweet Salazar, if he kept looking at her fuck-me-please eyes he was going to do just that.
"I…" Granger took a deep breath and he fought to keep his gaze from sliding down to her chest as it expanded. "I wanted to see if we could… talk."
"Talk." Draco repeated.
"Talk." Granger shifted uncomfortably.
Draco crossed his arms and let his gaze drop back down to her as she tucked her loose curls behind her ear. "And why would I want to talk to you?" Granger opened her mouth to start on a lengthy explanation, he was sure, but Draco didn't give her the chance. "I thought I had made myself clear."
She hesitated and he saw quick thoughts pass through her deep eyes. "You were clear." She finally said, "No more questions. Fine. But I don't want to ask you questions, I just want you to listen."
Curiosity might have killed the cat, but Draco was a snake though and though. He looked down at her with hard, calculating eyes. Granger wasn't... devious, but she was clever. What did she have planned? Was this some scheme to get him to… what? If she wanted to fuck him all she had to do was say the word. So what was she playing at?!
"Fine." He said making sure it came out harsh. "Tonight. In the Restricted Section." Granger let out a low breath of relief. Draco leaned in close to her, taking a deep draft of her warm scent before whispering, "Knickers optional."
Crookshanks was curled up on her lap and that was the only reason she was still in the common room where Ron and Lavender had decided that a cozy night by the fire was exactly what they needed. She missed Ron. Even though he was aggravating and inconsiderable at times, he had been her best friend for years and now there was an empty part of her where Ron had once been.
She missed the way he could always pull her from her head when she got too worked up about classes and the way his freckles danced across his nose when he smiled at her. But he had changed since he had gotten with Lavender and whereas before he might have said something that offended her, he had never meant to hurt her. His crude impressions of her in class and his comments after Quidditch practice were enough to stop Hermione from trying to reconcile.
And over their years of friendship, she had developed deeper feelings for him as well. She had thought he had some of those same feelings for her, that was until the night he had kissed Lavender in the middle of the common room. Godric, that night was the night that started all this mess with Malfoy too. Had it really already been almost two months of this? In some ways it felt like yesterday and others like years.
Hermione ran her hand over Crookshanks and he sleepily opened his golden eyes, looking up at her before beginning to purr loudly.
"Are you still not talking?" Ginny asked her as she reached over to scratch Crookshanks behind the ear.
"Ronald has made no attempt to apologize to me and I refuse to be the one who makes the first move." Hermione said stiffly. "Plus, he seems like he has all the company he needs," She added under her breath as Lavender snuggled up under his arm and sighed wistfully.
"Look, no one knows better what a prick he can be sometimes, but, I mean, you've been friends forever. Are you really going to let this come between you?"
Hermione blinked in surprise. "Me? He's the one-" She scoffed. "He's letting her come between us!"
"Yeah, but…" Ginny sighed. "I get where you are coming from, I do," She said quickly as Hermione took a breath to reply. "You know Ron. If you just… Oh I don't know. I just don't want to see you end up doing something you'll regret."
Hermione stared at Ginny. Uncanny was what it was, that she chose those words, that phrase, to use in this moment. She hadn't told anyone, not a soul, about her and Malfoy and there was no way that Ginny could have figured any of it out. She glanced over at Ron, his hair bright red in the glowing firelight. Then Lavender's hand ran through it, pulling his face down towards hers. She closed her eyes before turning back to Ginny.
"I'm going to do anything I will regret. Trust me."
"Lectio Nefastus," Hermione whispered and the iron gate to the Restricted Section swung open with a loud creak. She stepped inside following the floating blue lights of the candles deeper in. She began to feel her nerves light up, starting in her fingers and traveling up her arms until they wrapped tightly around her and her breath came in ever quickening gasps.
She peered around the tall stacks, hoping to catch a glimpse of his fair hair in the pale blue lights hovering amongst the dark shelves. After the fourth or fifth row the thought began to occur to Hermione that maybe she had beat Malfoy here. They had not set a time, after all, an oversight she felt a little foolish about now. Had he already come and left? Or was he going to make her wait here for him? Maybe he was standing her up.
It was unlike her to not plot out a specific time and even an exact place in the Restricted Section for them to meet. Although it was a part of the Hogwarts Library the Restricted Section was not organized like the rest of it. The stacks had a strange way of getting longer as you walked down them and sometimes the books on the shelves changed so you couldn't tell what section you were in. Hermione had gotten lost in here before and did not want to repeat the experience.
She turned back to wait near the iron gate that closed it off from the student's library, but the gate wasn't where she thought it should be. A large stone shelf of dusty books sat where in her path instead. Her heart beat a little faster and she tried to retrace her steps to get back to the entrance, but when she got to the end of the aisle, there was just another row of stacks in front of her.
"No no no!" Hermione whispered. "Not again…"
The last time she had gotten lost had been in her fourth year when she had been trying to find anything to help Harry figure out how to breathe underwater for the second Triwizard task. He and Ron were drooling and nodding off into their books and Hermione had slipped into the Restricted Section hoping to find the answer. It wasn't long before she had gotten turned around and could not find her way back to the entrance again.
Eventually she had tucked herself in a small corner, pulled her knees up to her chest, and waited until morning when she heard Madam Pince shuffling around. When she finally made it down to the Great Hall, Ron had asked her where she had gotten to and she brushed it off, saying she had gone back to her dorm to look at a book she had left there. She hadn't wanted them to know she had wandered off and gotten lost. She was Hermione Granger, after all, the brightest witch of her age.
The same nervous fear that had gripped her that night was tightening its hold on her again and Hermione raced down one of the long aisles, hoping to find some sort of clue as to where she was at the end of it. Instead she was greeted with more darkness. There were only a few candles that had drifted over here and the shadows were deep. Hermione didn't like to think of what might be lurking in them. She didn't fancy meeting a Boggart right now, even if she knew the incantation to repel them by heart.
She stopped running and took a large breath, trying to calm herself. This was the Restricted Section; she had been here many times. If she panicked, she would only get herself more lost. She had to think straight, be logical. She could get herself out of this; she had been in much more dire situations before.
A candle hovered above her, basking her in a pale blue light and Hermione breathed out slowly. All she had to do was keep moving and eventually she would find her way out, right? That was reasonable, that was practical. She came to the end of the aisle and looked left and right trying to decide which path to take. Well, one was just as good as the other at this point and Hermione was about to take a step forward when Malfoy turned from an adjacent aisle, taking long strides with a scowl on his face.
"Granger." He blinked in surprise.
Hermione had to stop herself from sighing in relief at the sight of him, but she was very relieved. It wasn't the exit, but at least she wasn't alone anymore.
"Where've you been? I've been all over this bloody place and-" Malfoy stopped talking and Hermione thought he must not have wanted her to know he had gotten lost too. He narrowed his eyes, adopting his harsh tone again. "It's impolite to invite someone somewhere and then hide from them."
"I wasn't hiding from you," Hermione admitted and took a step towards him. "I got turned around and I was trying to find my way back to the entrance-"
"Yeah, good luck with that." Malfoy muttered under his breath.
"Did you get lost too?" She took another step forward.
"No." Malfoy hissed. "I was… looking for you."
"Right." Hermione let a small smile play on her lips.
"What do you want, Granger? You hauled me out here for some mysterious reason and then decided to play hide and seek."
"I told you, I wasn't hiding from you-"
"What. Do. You. Want." Malfoy took a step in her direction with each enunciated word until he was in front of her.
Hermione looked up at him. He was striking in the blue white light that had followed her to him. He was like a marble statue come to life with pale skin that stretched over angled cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and silver grey eyes with irises that seemed to be expanding the longer he looked down at her. His white blonde hair was pushed back from his face, giving her a clear view of what centuries of Pureblood breeding could produce.
"I wanted to apologize for upsetting you. And..." she trailed off, nerves squirming inside her. Malfoy eyed her carefully. This is why she had come here, this was what she wanted. "I want to find out what I can be," Hermione breathed out. "And I want you to show me."
Malfoy stared down at her for a moment with his curiously unreadable expression. She watched the black of his pupils increase as he searched her own eyes for an answer to a question he hadn't asked.
"Not scared that I'm a Death Eater anymore?" he asked in a cool voice.
Hermione shook her head. She had been foolish to ask that question and it had stemmed from spending too much time with Harry without Ron as the third leg to their tripod. Together they all balanced each other out, but separate they were off kilter. She had argued with Harry more times than she could count that Malfoy wasn't a Death Eater and thought maybe she had asked him that in the moment hoping to prove herself right.
Hermione took the final step towards him, closing the remaining distance between them until they were mere inches apart.
"Good." Malfoy smirked a little and rubbed his thumb over her cheek, his palm cool against her neck. She couldn't help but notice that it was his left hand he reached for her with and fought against the urge to look down at his forearm. His white shirt covered it, but she might have been able to make out the shadow of a mark if she tried hard enough. But she didn't. She kept her eyes on his and was rewarded with the smirk widening a little. He had noticed she had behaved herself. "Good," he repeated, softer this time.
"You'll show me?" she asked softly. Then plucking up her courage added, "Tell me… what to do?"
Malfoy's rain-grey eyes lit up like lightning had struck in them. "Oh, my sweet little Mudblood," he cooed and brushed his thumb over her cheek again. "You have no idea how badly I've wanted to hear you say those words."
Hermione's stomach clenched pleasurably. Excitement churned in her and she found herself smiling back at him. She had wanted to say those words for a while now too.
She hated the feeling of being lost or out of control so she planned every minute of her life to stop that from happening. She had her routines and rules and kept to them. But when she was with Malfoy she could just relax and turn her brain off for a while. She didn't have to be in charge or worry that she wasn't doing what she should be. Malfoy would tell her what to do. And it felt good, so good.
She closed her eyes as his thumb grazed across her skin once more.
Malfoy shoved her back against the stack of books behind her and her eyes flew open just in time to see the dark desire swirling in his like storm clouds before his mouth was on hers. His hands… his hands were everywhere in a second. He grabbed her wrists, tight, and pulled them above her head. He easily held them in one of his and let his other roam over her without any interference.
Her whole body had tightened with nerves and excitement so she did her best to relax herself into his grip. She softened her body and felt him press further into hers, pushing her hard against the stacks and deepening their kiss with practiced pressure. Hermione tilted her face up a little farther and Malfoy's tongue slithered against hers, the taste of mint was sweet and crisp in her mouth. His teeth captured her bottom lip and she felt herself shake a little as a low growl came up from deep in Malfoy's throat.
He bit down a little harder and Hermione pushed her chest against his in response. Malfoy's hand slid between them and he had two of them undone before Hermione realized he was unbuttoning her shirt. His teeth sunk deeper into her lip as he reached the third button, his fingers brushing the skin of her stomach as it slipped open. The pressure on her lip increased as he reached the next button and Hermione felt the pain of his pinching teeth.
She tried to pull back, but that only made him bite harder. Her shirt fell open and his hand slid over her stomach causing her to inhale sharply as it quickly reached her breast, grasping it and pushing his hand over it. Another groaning growl and Hermione was sure that he was about to break the skin of her lip. A small high-pitched moan escaped her and Malfoy slammed his hips into hers where she could feel the hard length of him.
Malfoy released her lip and much to her surprise placed a few tender kisses against it before gently nibbling on the tender flesh. The feel of him against her and the sudden gentleness he showed her bruised lip made something sink deep into her and tighten her lower stomach pleasurably.
Malfoy hand slid back down her stomach and then quickly under her skirt, reaching between her legs and Hermione felt a thrill of excitement pass through her causing her to widen her legs a little to allow him easier access to her.
"Mmm, Granger," Malfoy's voice was rough and hoarse. His fingers trailed along her knickers and she suddenly wished she had opted not to wear them like he had suggested. "Let's see how wet you are," Malfoy said in a low voice and Hermione found herself nodding.
His long fingers slid inside her knickers, brushing against her center and she trembled at his touch. He pulled them down from the crotch until they were around her knees and Hermione shimmied out of them. His eyes shone like ash-covered coals and his grip on her wrists tightened as his fingers brushed over her again. She found herself twisting in his grip, trying to elongate his touch on her as he slowly ran two fingers on either side of her fold.
"Did you want something?" Malfoy teased her, running them over her again.
Hermione's breathing was labored and she was aching to feel him against her, inside her, again.
"Touch me," She breathed out. "Please."
Malfoy's eyes darkened and he let out a low breath before slowly dipping his fingers into her.
Hermione leaned her head back against the books and let out a shuddering gasp as she felt him leisurely slide his fingers in and out of her.
"Oh, Granger," His voice slid over her like velvet. "You're practically dripping for me."
Hermione gave another small moan as he continued to work his fingers a few more times. "But you don't want these," He said in his patronizing tone and slid his hand from her.
"What?" Hermione gasped.
He pushed her shirt open farther and reached his hand around her back to unsnap her bra and pushing it off her chest. She could feel the moisture on his fingers as he rolled her nipple in between them before pulling on it a little.
"You want something else, don't you?" Malfoy pressed his hips back into hers. "You little slut." He whispered into her ear. She felt a shiver run down her spine at his words. "Say it," He went on, gripping her wrists above her head harder. "Say you want me."
Hermione felt like she was on fire. Her body was burning with desire and there was no denying that she did want this. She couldn't understand why she had such an attraction, such a yearning for him, for Malfoy, but she did and she could not fight it anymore. She wanted to turn her brain off for just a few short moments and let her body have what it wanted, what it needed.
"I want you, Malfoy," Hermione breathed out. "I want this."
She felt his cock jump at these words and Malfoy's hand dropped from her breast to her knee, pulling her leg up around him rough enough to make her gasp out sharply. He wrapped it around himself and slid his hand back around moving it between them and Hermione heard his clank of his belt coming undone and then a deep sigh and he freed himself from his trousers.
He moved his hips against her a little and suddenly she remembered just how impressive his size had been when she had him in her hand. She felt him pressed against her lower stomach and could not help but feel a little worried about how he was going to feel inside her. She didn't have anyone to compare it to, but even with her limited personal experience with the male anatomy, she knew that Malfoy was well above average.
His hand was back on her thigh, holding her in place and he pushed her skirt up around her waist. "This will hurt more than that lip of yours," He grinned wickedly as her eyes widened a little. Malfoy leaned down and kissed her again and Hermione's lip flared with pain at the pressure he applied against it. She let out a small, shaky breath, but nodded when he pulled away and looked down at her for confirmation.
"I'm not scared," She breathed out and watched his grey eyes darken on her as his desire grew.
Malfoy grabbed her ass, lifting her up a little and positioned himself against her. She could feel the pressure of him at her entrance and bit her lip in nervousness before remembering its tenderness. His lips found her bruised one and massaged it with his own with that controlled gentleness he had surprised her with earlier. Hermione lifted her other leg and wrapped it around him as well as to let him know she was ready and Malfoy gripped himself before she felt his hip thrust and he was inside her.
Hermione cried out into his mouth the same time he let out a deep moan into hers. Her body tensed and tightened at the foreign object that had just entered her. He pulled back a little before pressing forward again and getting a little farther this time. Her hands reached out for what she didn't know, but his grip on her wrists stayed strong.
"Oh fuck," Malfoy muttered as he lifted her up further and buried his face in her hair.
"Oh my God, Malfoy!" Hermione gasped out as the pressure inside her built as he slid a little more of himself in.
Malfoy's voice was deep and commanding in her ear as he spoke. "I'm barely in you. You've got to relax." Hermione nodded and tried her best to loosen her muscles but as Malfoy moved a just little she winced and tightened up again. "Just listen to my voice, don't be nervous." Malfoy said in that same tone. "It'll hurt less once you relax. Yes, that's a good girl," He got further in as Hermione focused on his deep voice in her ear.
She closed her eyes and felt the warmth of tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. He was still in her, but that didn't stop the expanding pressure that was pushing her open. His fingers wrapped tightly around her wrists and he slid himself out half an inch and then an inch back in, gradually making his way deeper in her. Malfoy's breathing was slow and controlled and she used the sound of it to ground herself in this new experience. Slowly she felt herself unfold and loosen little by little as she accepted more and more of him inside her. Suddenly she felt a different pressure deeper within.
Hermione looked at Malfoy for explanation and saw his eyes clouded over with lust.
"It's about to feel so much fucking better," He said in a low voice. "But it's going to hurt again." Hermione took in a deep breath and nodded. "Here," Malfoy dropped his hand in between them and Hermione felt his fingers find the bud between her legs. She gasped as he swirled his finger around it a few times. "You like that, don't you?" He grinned a little at her.
"Yes," Hermione breathed out, giving herself over to Malfoy's touch.
The pleasure stemming from his fingers counteracted the pressure she felt from him and after a few moments found herself tightening her legs around him and angling her hips for him to move easier.
"Yeah," Malfoy slowly started to move in her again. "You want this cock?" He asked her in a gruff voice. "You want all of it?"
Hermione was breathing faster as her blood began to race. His fingers worked on her bud, teasing it in ever-smaller circles. "Yes," She gasped. "Yes!"
Malfoy thrust himself into her and Hermione arched herself against the books behind her as he broke through the pressure inside of her and she felt him enter her fully. Malfoy groaned loudly and she was afraid that her quick movement was going to make their precarious position compromised, but he held her firmly against him, pressing her hands hard into the books for balance.
"Fucking Hell, you're tight," Malfoy growled as he slid almost all the way out of her before plunging back in causing her to cry out. "You feel so good," he grunted and quickened his pace. "So fucking good."
Hermione could barely catch her breath and her legs tightened around him as he thrust in and out of her at a steady pace. She could tell he was holding back, keeping himself controlled, for her benefit. It was her first time and her body was still learning to accept him into it. Malfoy's lips found hers again and he swallowed her moans as he sped up gradually.
"Tell me," He panted, staring straight into her eyes, "what my cock feels like inside you."
Good. It felt good. Godric, it felt amazing. She was stretched around him and felt every inch of him inside her. Once she got past the initial discomfort she had started to feel small sparks of pleasure shooting up her. They grew with each of Malfoy's thrusts, reaching ever higher.
"Answer me." Malfoy growled and thrust harder into her.
Hermione made a kind of squeaking moan and tried to find her breath so she could answer him. "So big," She gasped out. "You're… filling me."
He made an almost purring noise at her response then dipped his head into the crook of her neck and pumped himself against her.
The sparks of pleasure were reaching her head now and Hermione was letting out moans with almost every breath. She felt herself tighten around him, but this time it wasn't painful, but pleasant. She could feel her heart beating faster and faster and knew that she was coming to the brink and soon.
"Oh fuck, Granger," Malfoy groaned and pushed himself in again. "Your pussy feels so good. I knew it would be. Even better than I-" Malfoy stopped talking suddenly and gripped her wrists tight enough to send a few shots of pain down her arms. But Hermione didn't care, in fact, they almost felt good combined with the pleasure racing in her blood. "Say my name." He ordered. "When you come, say my name."
Hermione leaned her head back as his teeth grazed her neck and he latched on, sucking at the skin there and nipping along it.
She felt the rising sensation in her body and moaned out loud enough for it to echo around them. Her thighs pressed against him, her back arched, and fireworks went off inside of her as she clenched his cock deep inside her.
"Malfoy…" She moaned softly as it built up inside her, growing and continuing as Malfoy moved quickly against her.
"My name," He whispered in her ear before dropping his mouth to just under her ear.
Hermione felt the pleasure explode in her and she gasped in breath and called out, "Draco!"
He groaned at the sound of his name and his teeth bit down on the tender skin of her neck, sinking in until she stopped shaking and her body fell back into his grip.
"Fuck, fuck!" Malfoy grunted and pulled out of her, holding himself right above her mound and tightened his hold on her wrists enough to make her gasp as he shot himself on her lower stomach, white blonde hair falling into his eyes as he watched, entranced.
He removed his hand from her wrists and wrapped his arm around her middle as she loosened her legs' hold on him and he set her back down on the ground. Malfoy kept his hands on her, leaning her against the shelves to make sure she was steady. She watched him carefully but his expression was stoic and gave nothing away of what lay behind those granite grey eyes.
They took a few moments to situate themselves and adjust their clothing back. Hermione had her shirt half way button back up when she watched as Malfoy bent down and scooped up her white knickers from the ground. She felt herself blush and reached out for them but he quickly pulled them back out of her reach.
"These," He said clearly, holding them up. "These are mine now."
Hermione felt herself wither under his steady gaze and merely said, "Okay," which caused a self satisfied smile to pass over his face.
She fastened another button of her top and tucked her hair back behind her ears before glancing up at him again. The smile was gone and the unreadable expression was back in place, but for just a moment Malfoy looked almost… confused? And... tired, no not tired, exhausted, as if he hadn't had a proper sleep in weeks. "Are… Are you okay?"
"What?" Malfoy's head shot up and the moment was wiped from his face with a quick blink. "What do you mean?"
Hermione shook her head. Maybe it had been a trick of the low light? She could say that, but she knew what she had seen in that half second that Malfoy had his guard down.
"Nothing," She tucked her hair back behind her ear again. "I didn't mean-"
"Don't go thinking that changed anything," Malfoy said quickly. "Between us."
It had taken all of two minutes for Malfoy to turn into a complete prick again. She glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "I know that." Hermione snapped.
"Good," Malfoy sneered. Then he closed the distance between them, staring down at her and licked his lips. He ran his fingers over her jaw and down her throat and Hermione stopped breathing. "So good," Malfoy said in his low voice and she felt a shiver run down her spine.
His fingers trailed down her chest and in between her breasts. "You should get back to your common room, Granger," Malfoy's mouth twitched in a smirk. "Wouldn't want anyone thinking you…" Her skin tingled under his touches and she watched his eyes drop to her chest. "Weren't a good little girl, now would we?" She felt a pull and looked down to see the Malfoy had finished buttoning her shirt closed. Then his mouth was at her ear again. "That is, anyone but me."
Hermione climbed through the portrait hole, rubbing her forehead. Too many thoughts tonight and her mind would not stop spinning. As soon as she had left the Restricted Section the thoughts had started and not stopped building on top of each other the whole way back here. She hoped that once she got into bed sleep would come fast. She could process all of this in the morning when the sun was shining. Tonight was too dark to work through all this and once she had come down off her cloud of bliss, her body had begun to feel sore from Malfoy's use. She was sure there would be marks on her wrists and neck tomorrow. Not to mention the deep ache in her center. But... it also felt a little... good.What was wrong with her?
"Hermione."
She spun around. She hadn't even noticed that Ron was sitting in one of the large armchairs by the fire until he had said her name. The common room was normally empty at this time of night and Ron was the last person she expected to see right now.
Hermione paused. They hadn't spoken in weeks and she wasn't sure if she wanted to start now, not right after…
"Where were you?" He stood up and took a few steps towards her.
"The Library," Hermione snapped.
Ron chuckled. "I should have known," He shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. Hermione noticed that his build had lost a little of the give it had and hardened after the long hours of Quidditch practice. Malfoy's body had been solid and firm. His arms had surprising strength as he had held her up and gripped her wrists tight… Hermione pulled at her sleeves.
"You haven't been around much though and I thought that… Well, maybe…" Ron stumbled over his words and his ears began to turn a little red.
"Spit it out, Ron," Hermione said a little harsher than she had intended. His blue eyes looked troubled for a moment before she sighed and said, "I'm tired, I just want to go to bed."
"I thought maybe you were seeing someone," Ron admitted. "Are you?"
Hermione's heart skipped a beat. Ron had been the last person she thought was paying her comings and goings any attention.
"Is it McLaggen?" Ron asked tentatively.
"I'm not seeing McLaggen," Hermione answered instinctively and Ron breathed out a sigh of relief. "But if I was," She continued, "It wouldn't be any of your business. You certainly didn't ask my opinion before you latched onto Lavender."
Ron's brows dropped over his eyes. "Look, I know you're still upset with me and I understand why." His shoulders slumped a little. "But whatever you're doing… sneaking out, disappearing for stretches of time…" Hermione scoffed and rolled her eyes. Ron didn't care about her, if he did he wouldn't have spent the last two months connected at the lips with another girl.
"Even Ginny says she hardly sees you anymore," Ron went on. "This isn't like you, Hermione. I'm worried about you."
A sudden pang of longing shot through her chest. Ron's clear blue eyes looked sad as he gazed at her and she fought the urge to hug him, finding comfort in his friendly arms as she had done many times before. But she could still feel Malfoy's arms around her, pushing her and holding her as he-
"Worry about your girlfriend, Ronald, not me." Hermione said firmly and turned, climbing the steps to the girls dormitory quickly before he could respond.
A/N: So this is a day late, but I was a bit preoccupied last night with the fate of the world and all that. Anyways, you can't be mad at me for posting late when I give you a chapter like this one, can you?
Please remember to review! I am trying to decide to do weekly or biweekly updates and if you know me from my other fics, then you know how much reviews inspire me to write more. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed and a special thank you to Snickerdoodle-sensei for their wonderful amazing review, thank you so much!
