The candles flickered lazily in the late night stillness of the Hogwarts Library. Hermione blinked at the book in front of her, positive that what she had just read was wrong. Sighing in disgust, she flipped the book closed and pushed it away before running her hands over her hair. She plucked out no less than three quills that become entrapped in the wild curls.
Shoving her chair back, Hermione tossed the extra quills on the table and stood, pausing to stretch her shoulders before deciding that she could stay just a little while longer. She needed to find the book she'd glanced through earlier in the week. Why she hadn't just checked it out at the time, she didn't know; perhaps it was the stress of the upcoming NEWTs.
When she reached the section where books on ancient Greek agricultural rituals were kept, she discovered to her mounting irritation that the book was missing. The NEWTs were only three weeks away, and Hermione was more annoyed than ever that the Hogwarts library only kept one copy of each book. It didn't matter that, often, there only existed one copy in the first place; she needed this book and she needed it now.
In a small show of anger, Hermione stomped her foot and growled audibly. Her temper was well-known, especially when it came to academics. Whoever had taken her book was going to be very sorry. She whirled on her heel and began stalking back through the aisles. She wracked her brain, trying to think of any alternative angle she could research tonight until she could track down her book, but she kept getting stuck on the indignancy of it all.
Hermione turned a corner around the stacks near her table and collided full-force with someone who gave a loud 'oof!' at the same time she shrieked. Last she had checked, she'd been completely alone in the library. The silence and darkness never bothered her; after all, the library had escaped the Final Battle relatively untouched and unscathed. It was her safe place.
"Fucking Salazar, Granger, what the fuck are you doing in the library at one in the morning?" Hermione removed her hand from where it had clutched the shirt above her heart and glared at her surprise company.
"I could ask you the same, Nott," she replied with a sniff. She stepped back and smoothed her shirt down before glaring up at the Slytherin.
He shrugged casually. "Couldn't sleep." His voice was too calm now, too controlled. She recognized it from all the times she replied "Oh, I'm fine" when asked how she was. Theo held up a book and added, "I came to get a book for the Ancient Runes essay."
Hermione gasped when she saw the cover. "You!" she exclaimed. "You took my book!" She rushed forward and stretched out her hand for the item in question.
"Your book?" Theo had the audacity to laugh and hold the book up over his head where Hermione couldn't reach it. "Last I checked, books were available to check out from the library first come, first served. And unfortunately for you, princess, I was here first." He smiled down at her smugly, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement.
Hermione spluttered in indignation. Unfortunately, he was right, and that only served to irritate her even more. She narrowed her eyes at him, stepping even closer without realizing it. "And what if I ask for it nicely?" she ground out. It took everything in her not to admonish him for the horrendous pet name, and she suspected he knew it by the way the sparkle in his eyes grew more pronounced.
One of Theo's eyebrows arched, an ability that Hermione secretly envied, and his face grew positively mischievous. Her stomach dropped at the sight. "I'm not sure you could ask nicely," he replied, his voice slightly huskier than before in challenge, "...princess." He smirked at her as he lowered his arm to hold the book behind his back.
Well that did it. Hermione Granger did not grow up best friends with danger-magnet Harry Potter, survive a year on the run being hunted, live through torture at the hands of a crazed Death Eater, and fight through a nightmare-inducing battle in which she lost multiple friends, only to be outwitted by a Merlin-be-damned Slytherin her own age.
Straightening her shoulders slightly, she closed the lingering gap between them and rose up on her toes. Her hand went to his chest for balance as she stared him straight in the eye. The smile slipped off his lips when she grabbed his tie and tugged. She figured later that shock was the only reason he allowed himself to be drawn downward.
Without letting herself think too much, Hermione brought her face right up to his ear, pressing their cheeks together. "May I please," she began in a whisper, making sure to draw out her words slightly, "have my book back…" She paused and brushed the bottom of his earlobe with the tip of her nose before finishing in a purr, "...Theodore."
Before she could second-guess whether this was going too far, Hermione flicked out her tongue and sucked his earlobe between her teeth. She bit down softly, then let it slip gently back to its natural place. Her breath ghosted down the side of his neck as she turned her face further into his. The corners of her lips brushed the stubble on his jaw, and her fingers tightened around his tie that she still held.
"I would be ever so grateful," she whispered against his skin. Her brain short-circuited for a moment as Theo moved, the scent of his skin and his cologne combining to set her stomach swirling and her head spinning. When she caught up to reality, Theo had his free hand buried in the hair at the nape of her neck to hold her lips to his as he kissed the ever-loving magic out of her. Hermione completely forgot about the book she had wanted as months of academic competition and flirtatious comments came to a head in the single most passionate kiss she had ever experienced.
In no time, Hermione had wound both arms up around Theo's shoulders, clutching him closer. A dull thud registered in the back of her mind. When she felt both of Theo's hands on her back, she knew he had dropped the book to the ground. What was left of her rational brain vehemently protested this blasphemous action, but Hermione decided that she could worry about it later. Right now, she had better things to do.