Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you
It's inevitable, it's a fact that we're gonna get down to it
So tell me
Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you
For the next two days, Hermione moped about the house, never leaving it, not wanting, yet desperately wanting, to bump into him. She had a few messages on her machine from Shane, but she was yet to call him back because when she did, she knew what would happen.
She dragged a stool over to her wardrobe and stood up on it. She got down a large photo album, full of pictures from her time at Hogwarts. She liked to look at them from time to time, to bring back memories of when she was still a child and had no cares or worries in the world other than passing her N.E.W.T.S at the end of seventh year.
She sat down in the middle of the floor Indian style, with the album lying out in front of her. There were pictures, mostly of her, Harry and Ron, all the way through from First year to Seventh. She flicked through the album, so many friendly faces smiled up at her and waved from the moving pictures. But the one face that she really wanted to see wasn't there.
Then finally she got to the end of the album and she spotted him immediately. It was the whole Class of 2003. He stood there, a scowl on his face. How different he looked. Hermione thought to herself and allowed a little chuckle as she saw Ron gawking at some blonde Hufflepuff that he had never noticed until that photo was being taken. Men, they are so unobservant.
Ginny walked into her room. "Hey, what are you doing?"
"Oh, nothing, just looking at old photos."
"Looking for Malfoy?"
"No!" she replied defensively.
"Then why is your finger running over his face. If you are not careful, you'll wear it out and you won't be able to look at him anymore." She teased.
Hermione sighed. "I just… he's so…"
"Hermione, I think you really need to get out of the house, why don't you go for a walk?"
"No, what if I see him?"
"So what if you do?"
"Well… I don't know. What about Shane?"
"Like you said, it's practically over."
"I guess you're right. I probably won't see him anyway."
"Exactly. Don't hurry back, I'm cooking tonight, and don't forget Shane is coming over for dinner. We invited him last week remember?"
Hermione gulped and nodded.
"I'll see you in a bit then."
"Have fun!" Ginny called after her as she walked out the door, grabbing her coat as she did so.
Hermione had barely been walking for five minutes when she heard her name being called out above the bustling noise of the busy London streets. She quickly turned around, but she knew it was him immediately. As she turned her arm thumped into something soft, yet firm.
"Watch it Granger, that's my stomach you're rudely bashing."
She felt all the blood rush to her cheeks but when she looked up at Draco, he was smiling down at her.
"Sorry about that." She replied, "Although if I knew you were standing so close I would have made sure to have hit you harder." She told him playfully.
He raised one of his eyebrows and Hermione could not remember anyone ever looking so sexy.
There was an awkward silence as both their thoughts drifted back to the last time they had been alone together… and this close.
Hermione took in a deep breath, and she could smell the sweet scent of his cologne.
"So…" Draco started off, breaking the silence.
Hermione shook her head. "What have you been up to the past few days?' she asked politely.
"Not much, just staying at home. What about you?"
"Yeah…" she trailed off. "Staying at home." Thinking about you.
Draco looked at her strangely for a moment and Hermione felt herself redden, hoping against hope that she had not said that last part out loud.
"I broke up with my girlfriend." He told her abruptly, his eyes averted.
"Really? Are you okay?" she asked him, surprised to find herself concerned for him, despite the jealousy she also felt.
"Yeah, it was coming to an end anyway, and after… recent events, I found that I didn't like her as much as I thought."
"How long had you been together?" she asked him.
"Eighteen months. We got together just after we graduated."
"Wow, that's along time."
He nodded his head, but did not say anything in reply. "So, what about your girlfriend, oh, I mean boyfriend." He teased, lightening the mood significantly.
She glared at him.
"My apologies, a mere slip of the tongue. How long have you been with your boyfriend?" he asked her.
"A year tomorrow actually."
He raised an eyebrow. "Got any special plans?"
She shrugged. "Not really. He's coming over for dinner tonight."
"Well I better not hold you up then."
"No," she replied, almost a bit too quickly. "It's alright… I don't mind."
Draco smiled that smile that made Hermione's heart melt and she found herself stepping in closer to him. They were standing so close now; she could feel his heart beating fast in his chest. She shivered slightly as he lifted his hands up, resting them on her hips, and he gently pulled her in even closer. He kissed her lightly on her temple and she shuddered. Images of Shane ran through her mind, she had never felt like this before with him, even when they had first gotten together. There had never been this thrill, this excitement, this longing. She had never felt like she couldn't breathe, or that she had no idea what to say around him, not like the way she felt when she was with Draco. She knew she shouldn't be feeling this, it was so wrong, what would her friends say? But for once Hermione didn't care. She had lived her life dictated by the thoughts of others, doing what she thought would please them instead of what would please herself. In time she had forgotten what she wanted, and believed that what the others wanted of her, was her own hopes and aspirations.
"What are you thinking right now?" he asked, his face nuzzling into her hair.
She closed her eyes and had to suppress a moan from all the feelings he was evoking in her. This was not normal Hermione behaviour, she was not one for public displays of affections, such as she was now, but being here with Draco like this, made her forget all that.
"Well," she whispered. "I am asking myself why is it I find it so difficult to breathe around you, why I can barely speak, why I can't think straight when I am near you, and why I can barely finish my sentences when I speak about you."
"You think too much." He chuckled.
She let out a small laugh. "Perhaps you are right."
As she looked up into the grey depths of his eyes she was lost. And she knew that there was nothing more she wanted in the world than to feel his lips against hers, even just one last time. So she leaned forward, and Draco knew exactly what she wanted and quickly closed the gap between them. Once a fire is lighted, it is difficult to put out. And so there they stood, in the middle of the London streets, engrossed in each other. The fire burning within keeping away the cold of night.
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