Chapter Six-Deal

Hermione had spent all night convinced that there was an underlying meaning in what Malfoy said. She tossed and turned all night and when she finally did fall asleep her dreams were haunted with the memories of Harry and Malfoy. She woke up and felt tired. She regretted getting up for classes that morning, but she forced herself out of bed and got ready.

X

Malfoy sighed as he got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. He was lucky that he managed his own room this year, living with the other Slytherins would be too much for him. He had enough trouble blocking out Voldemort and putting up a façade when around his housemates, but he couldn't keep it up all the time. Even his partnership with Hermione was putting a strain on him. Snape had known that being with a Golden Trio member would be refreshing for him; however Hermione was not making it easy. Every time she walked in looking lost and confused, every time she shed her robe, or even when she concentrated Malfoy felt a pang of lust rush through him. And that stupid comment he had said to her before he left, what the hell was that about? He didn't even know what he was saying until it had left his mouth and know he regretted it. He shouldn't take an interest in her or her life. It would only bring him trouble.

X

Hermione walked into the potion's room for the third time this week and she seemed a little off the moment she walked in the door. Malfoy couldn't help but see the worry in her eyes. "Something wrong Granger?"

"No, we should start the potion." She said quickly and sat down on the couch.

Malfoy turned, crossed his legs and faced her. "I'll ask Snape for an extension. I'll make up some bullshit and it will be okay. But I can't let you start brewing a potion when you are like this."

Hermione turned to look at him, noticed his position, and matched it. "When I am like what? There's nothing wrong with me."

Malfoy reached up and grazed her cheek with his fingertip. "You look sad."

It felt like he had burned a path down her cheek with his touch and she inhaled sharply. She didn't know what caused her reaction but it was unlike anything she'd ever expected. "I am. Aren't you?"

Malfoy smiled. For a minute he thought she would withdraw to his touch. "I don't get sad Granger."

Hermione mimicked his motion and ran her fingertip down his cheek. "You look sad," she whispered. "I won't tell anyone if you admit it."

Malfoy grabbed the hand she had on his cheek. "I admit that this spy thing wasn't exactly how I thought it would be. I thought that you three would see the change."

Hermione looked down at her hand as he held it. It felt comfortable to be near him and his shell seemed to be slipping around him. "I'm sorry they don't."

He let go of her hand and sighed. "What makes you sad Granger?"

"The obvious Malfoy, you know this war is hard on all of us. It's just the feeling I get when I wake up and don't know if today is the day that I will die." Hermione sighed. "It sounds stupid cause no one will ever know that, war or not, but I just feel so helpless sometimes."

Malfoy saw the tears forming in her eyes before they began to fall. "Don't cry Granger, it's not worth tears. Just make every minute worth living for or at least try to."

Hermione looked up at him and stared straight into his cool grey eyes. Without thinking she began to lean towards him, her eyes focused on his. She saw him lean towards her and soon the gap they had had was gone. Their lips touched and Hermione felt a jolt of some strange feeling run through her. She leaned back slightly and looked at him. "Malfoy…"

"Do you remember what I said yesterday? I basically asked you how can you tell if Harry was in love with you or not." She nodded and he kept talking. "I didn't just mean Harry, I meant in general. How can you tell if someone is in love with you, if you don't give them the chance to fall in love?"

"You don't need to have sex to fall in love." Hermione said in a whisper.

Malfoy smirked. "It doesn't hurt." He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her towards him. He captured her lips with his and kissed her deeply. She kissed him back, all the feelings she had swimming through her. He pushed her backwards slightly, until she was lying back on the couch. He never broke contact as they changed from sitting to lying down. As they pulled away for air, he looked down at her with a smile. "It doesn't always have to be black and white Granger."

Hermione saw lust in Malfoy's eyes and wondered if her own eyes showed the lust she felt. "If that's true, then what is the middle?"

"I could fall in love with you Granger, you know that right?" Malfoy said and then kissed her before she could respond.

She felt his hands move down her sides and back up again. He moved his mouth down, kissing and sucking her neck lightly. She let out a moan as he bit her softly and the shock caused him to stop. "What's wrong Malfoy, didn't think I would respond to your touch?"

He smirked and his eyes flashed with fire. "You haven't responded the way I want you to, at least not yet."

Surprise filled her eyes as his hands played with the hem of her shirt before he began to slowly pull it up. He kissed along the flesh he exposed until he reached her neck. He pulled her shirt off and kissed her lips again. She felt her hands pull his shirt up, as if she had no control over them. She ran her hands along his chest, then leaned up and trailed kissed up his chest and neck. She felt him shiver and smiled into his neck. "I want you to let go Malfoy, and be the person you truly are when you are with me."

"How do you know," he began as he pushed her down lightly and pinned her arms above her head, "if that's the person you want to see?"

Hermione smiled. "I know people Malfoy. If you let go, I'll let go."

He smirked and brought his lips back down to hers. "Deal."