Pairing: Hermione/Orion
Prompt: You don't like marshmallows in your hot chocolate? Why do you hate love?
Hermione Granger inhaled the sweet scent of her hot chocolate and let out a deep sigh of contentment, beaming with delight. It was Christmas Eve, and as her parents had opted to go on a belated honeymoon together, she was still at Hogwarts. She didn't mind staying back for the holidays as she got to spend her days in the Hogwarts Library without anyone reminding her of the curfew. And as she was the Head Girl, she was able to visit the Restricted Section without a pass. To her, it was heaven.
When the portrait door swung open slowly, Hermione turned her head and caught sight of Orion Black, the Head Boy, walking in. "Good evening, Black," she called out absentmindedly, sipping on her warm beverage.
"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be holed up in the library again," Orion said, frowning at her. He flicked his long hair out of his eyes and pulled off his black coat, walking to the armchair near Hermione and warming his hands by the fire.
"This is my common room, too, you know?" Hermione rolled her eyes and leaned her head back. The creamy chocolate slid down her throat, warming her from the inside, and a goofy smile formed on her lips.
"Why are you smiling?" Orion looked suspicious as he inched closer to her, pondering over her unusual state. The two Heads were more than acquaintances but not exactly friends, and Orion had never seen her smile like that before.
"It's Christmas Eve and I'm having hot chocolate by the fire," she explained patiently. "What's not to smile about that?"
"Perhaps the fact that you're all alone on Christmas Eve might get you down?"
"Nope," she said happily, popping the 'p' and licking the chocolate off her lips. "Hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows is humanity's cure to loneliness." She noticed the peculiar look on his face and asked, "What's wrong?"
"You put marshmallows in your drink?" He grimaced at the thought.
"You don't?" Hermione stared at him with confusion, unable to comprehend why someone would not want to put the little pieces of fluff in their drink.
"No," Orion said haughtily. "I don't like them in my hot chocolate."
She gawked at him with horror and disbelief. "What? Oh, Merlin, why? You hate love, don't you?" she exclaimed, clutching onto her mug with both hands as if she could stop it from overhearing Orion's horrifying statement.
"You're even more dramatic than I am," Orion said, rolling his eyes. "I don't hate love — I simply despise marshmallows in my drink; that's all."
"Why? What could possibly make you hate these tiny pieces of love?" She gazed down at the pink marshmallows floating in her drink with adoration, and Orion's heart leapt into his throat. For a moment, envy coursed through his veins at the sight, and he wished for her to look at him the same way she looked at her hot chocolate.
"It always forms these strange lumps in the cup, and I detest having to chew on something in the middle," he explained, and Hermione frowned.
"Really? Maybe you could heat up the marshmallows and mix them in your drink beforehand," she suggested thoughtfully. "The marshmallows would make your chocolate lighter and fluffier, and that's a great bonus."
"I guess," he murmured, but he knew he would never like it. He leaned back in his armchair and obsessively watched her slowly savour her hot chocolate with a blissful look on her face. Something stirred within Orion's chest at the sight, and he shifted his legs as he tried to calm himself down. Nothing serious could ever happen between the two of them for obvious reasons: he was a Pureblood Slytherin, while she was a Muggle-born Gryffindor; they were both opposite in personalities and often ended up in heated arguments about their values and beliefs. But in spite of their differences, Orion's heart ached for something he couldn't put a name to.
"Do you want some hot chocolate?" she inquired, blinking at him lazily, and Orion's thoughts were interrupted. "If you want, I could make you some."
The hopeful glint in her eyes was too much for Orion to bear, and he accidentally nodded his head. The radiant smile that spread on her face was more beautiful than the moon, and Orion was hit with the realization that he wanted — no, needed — to see her smile at him again. And at that moment in time, he knew.
He knew he would never have her for himself, but he couldn't waste the opportunity. As she started to get up from the couch, Orion shot to his feet and stalked closer to her. He got down on his knees in front of her and said, "I want to sample this hot chocolate of yours first."
Hermione assumed he wanted to take a sip from her mug, so she smiled and pushed the cup towards his chest. But to her surprise, he didn't even look at it as he leaned closer, his striking grey eyes focused on her own. "What are you doing?" she whispered, cheeks tingeing pink at his concentration.
He didn't answer her as he lowered his gaze to her mouth, his eyes darkening with obvious desire, and Hermione's lips parted instinctively as he reached up to cup her face lightly.
Without any warning or permission, he kissed her. Her lips were smooth, falling open at the brush of his tongue, welcoming him instinctively, and Orion delved deeper into her mouth, his eyes falling shut as waves of pleasure washed over him. A fire lit within his bones as he tasted the natural sweetness of her mouth combined with the damned marshmallows, and he knew he couldn't go back from this. He may have stolen a kiss from her, but she had ruined him for anyone else. With one sensual kiss from the brunette, Orion knew those were the lips he longed to kiss for the rest of his life.
When they parted to breathe and Hermione's eyes slowly fluttered open, Orion couldn't help himself. "Hmm, I might be persuaded to try adding marshmallows," he murmured, his forehead pressed against hers. Hermione let out a strangled chuckle as he captured her mouth once again.
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A sequel with this pairing is in the works.