A/N: I'm back with the next installment of Kill me or Kiss me. Yay ! I have to say I have been overwhelmed with the support and the reviews, favorites, and story alerts I have received from you all ! You guys rock ! xD This chapter was written while listening to Sugarcult "Pretty girl" which I find will be a reoccurring trend that most of the chapters will have a song that has influenced them tremendously and will be a major hint as to what the feeling of the chapter will be like. I will be most likely be either making the title of the chapter the song title or letting you know in the author's note.
Also sorry for the long wait, I was on vacation and then started a new job so I've been crazy busy and didn't have a chance to update but I'm thinking chapters will be but up on Mondays either every week or every other week depending on what going on in my life. Most likely every other Monday though.
Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Harry Potter or anything pertaining to it. It all belongs to JK Rowling and Warner Brothers.
Previously in Kill me or Kiss me:
Tisking at her he turned her hand over and placed her fingers against his lips and kissed each one. Ignoring her comment Draco kept eyes contact with her as he began speaking again pausing between each kiss to her fingers. "I believe any man would willingly take poison knowing your face was the last thing he would see." Looking up into her eyes once more he let her hand drop to her lap before he winked at her and walked out of the small back study area and out of the library leaving a slightly annoyed and flustered Hermione in his wake.
He challenged her in the worst ways, pushed her to the edge infuriated her and at the same time thrilled her. All in all he was bad and she knew the best thing to do was to avoid him and his antics saving her not only a headache but aggravation from dealing with his snobbish bigotries and close minded views. Then again he had been going against the norm and had been dare she say it, flirting with her. No. Draco Malfoy didn't flirt with mudbloods, half breeds, or muggle lovers, especially if they were best friends with Harry Potter. He tortured them mentally, physically, and emotionally, pushed them to the limit of their self-control and pushed them over the edge laughing all the while enjoying their discomfort. He was vile, mean, untrustworthy, and as of lately he made her slightly uneasy with his attentions suddenly directed at her. For six years now her and Malfoy had been at odds using magic, verbal insults, and physical retaliation on her part against each other, and now all of a sudden he was kissing her hand, staring openly at her when she walked past him and instead of calling her mudblood he simply used other names just as endearing and memorable to get his point across when no one was around. They fought just as much as they used to but something was different, he didn't sneer at her as much instead he would send her what she assumed was his best charming smile and would wink at her whenever she visibly got angry at him. She would roll her eyes and ignore him figuring it was just a new way for him to amuse himself and pass the time in classes as well as a way of bothering her.
She had gotten used to his name calling, his jabs at her blood status, her inability to be anything worthwhile in the world. She had accepted the fact that Draco Malfoy probably hated her and anyone who wasn't a pureblood, she had learned to tune him out and ignore the insults he threw at her under his breath when she walked by. But when they changed from insults to slight flirtations and seemingly civil banter she wasn't prepared for that. She knew she wasn't the most unattractive girl in her year or in the school for that matter but she didn't understand why now all of a sudden all of the boys wanted to pay attention to her. First Dean and Seamus talking about her in the common room and then to Draco's daily banter, it was good and all but she wished it was coming from the one person she actually cared about. It seemed that person had lost interest in her and was only staying with her to keep the trio together. Ron the boy she thought was the one she would be with forever even if it was a silly fairy tale notion was slowly distancing himself from he used to carry her books and compliment her now he seemed to almost ignore her to a point when ever certain people were around. Sure she was stubborn and was always first to say what she felt on a topic but when it came to Ron and her relationship she found herself unable to stand up for herself, unable to rock the boat scared he would in fact break up with her. She had been the ugly duckling for so long that she felt if he did break up with her that she'd be the only one out of the trio to not have someone. Harry had Ginny to love and support him, and she thought she had Ron. It was always assumed that they would be together, from the rumors of people wondering if they were to the full on far from subtle hints Mrs. Weasley threw at them it was unavoidable, so when they finally did make it official she wasn't surprised to hear people saying "about time, or knew that was bound to happen." Sure Ron had his down falls; his bad manners, his inability to chew with his mouth closed, his lack of motivation towards his studies and his quick temper but beyond that he was her best friend. But the things she loved about him was his loyalty to his friends, and his value on family and wanting to have one when he got out of school. All of those things and others kept her with Ron, kept her from saying anything about his blatant and obvious ogling of Lavender Brown when he thought she wasn't looking, it kept her from starting a scene and from ending something she felt she wouldn't be able to get again.
Walking through the halls on the third floor she passed by several classrooms as she walked past the open windows overlooking the lake, it was Friday and she had just finished her last class of the day. Holding her bag over her shoulder she smiled to herself as she walked down the stairs her destination on her mind and her plans of sitting in the prefects lounge with her favorite book "The Note Book" enjoying the quiet and peacefulness of everyone being in their own houses enjoying the impending weekend. Not hearing the footsteps of the person walking towards her she wasn't prepared for the hard body that she slammed into mere seconds after rounding the corner from the third floor stairs. Feeling herself falling backwards she braced for the impact of the stone floor against her body, and when it never came she realized that she felt large hands holding onto her upper arms tightly keeping her from falling to the floor. Opening her eyes she was met with the sight of amused green eyes she recognized instantly as belonging to her best friend Harry. After she had gathered herself and stood up right she smiled and blushed as she took her bag from his outstretched hand and then tucked her hair behind her ear.
"You ok Hermione? Sorry I didn't see you there before it was too late." He said scratching the back of his head something he always did whenever he was embarrassed. Hearing footsteps and voices becoming increasingly louder by the second she guessed he was headed to Quidditch practice and him and the teams were headed to the pitch. "It's ok Harry, my mind was elsewhere. You on your way to practice?" She asked as she started walking with him down the stairs, and then smiled when Ron finally caught up with them and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"Yea we have a game against Slytherin next week and we want to get in some extra practice before the game." Harry said smiling at his two friends as he watched Ron slip his arm around Hermione's shoulders. He had noticed Ron's attention had been diverted lately and he felt badly when he saw Hermione's sad face the week before after potions class. He mentioned it to Ron nonchalantly in passing and he was shocked Ron didn't even realize he was doing it in front of Hermione. Ron wasn't the brightest crayon in the box but he was his best mate and so was Hermione. Deciding to try and help the situation Harry suggested ending things with Hermione if he didn't want to be with her anymore, and immediately Ron became defensive and said he loved Hermione and had no intention of breaking up with her. Hoping he was honest and serious about his statement Harry let it go and for the past week or so he had become more attentive towards her. Walking with her to the prefects lounge Harry and Ron said their goodbyes and then went on their way after the rest of the team as Hermione watched them leave her heart a little lighter after Ron's affectionate embrace and kiss.
Walking into the Prefect's lounge she smiled when she noticed that it was empty and she would have the full place to herself, walking over to the window seat large enough for three people she sat down and opened her book. She was halfway through the book and she had noticed that while it was a love story it was a real one, it wasn't all fairytale bliss. They fought, cried, and even broke up. It was as real as she expected life to be and she often found herself drawn to stories like that, the ones that didn't always have the happy ending. It reminded her that even if her life wasn't the most normal and everyday as a girl her age expected it to be there was a love out there that was raw, passionate, true, and above all honest. Looking up from her book she yawned and stretched looking at her watch that was on her wrist she noticed had been in the lounge for almost three hours and was sure the boys had finished practice by now and were heading back to the common room. Debating on moving from her warm comfortable seat she stretched and covered her mouth as she yawned and stood from her place in the window, grabbing her book she slipped it into her bag. It was almost seven and dinner would be served soon so she decided it was time to leave the peaceful seclusion of the prefect lounge.
Walking down the third floor corridor about to cross out of an alcove and over one of the moving staircases when she heard footsteps and turned to see who it was, losing her footing at the stairs began to move she watched a hand shoot out and grab her arm before she hit the ground. Standing up she cursed under her breath and sighed as she straightened her skirt and jumper. "This gonna be a bloody daily reoccurrence now?"She said to herself not having looked up yet, adjusting her bag strap on her shoulder she looked up and was momentarily stunned when she met stormy grey eyes staring back at her in amusement. At first she simply stared at him unsure what to do and then he smirked and opened his mouth. "Well it can be if you want it to, I wouldn't complain." Draco said as he leaned against the wall behind them. Looking him over she couldn't understand him, why now did he decide to show interest, why now did he choose to pull a complete 360 and start this new and seemingly twisted game. Looking up at him she shook her head and a frown formed on her face as she tried to make sense of what she was going to say. "Why ? Why now after years of hating me and making my life a living hell." She said to him unable to understand his intentions or his reasoning behind his recent actions. Her question caught him off guard as he simply stared at her for a moment unsure as to how to answer her, he had never really thought about what he would say if she ever asked him. He should have known that she would eventually come to question his intentions and would confront him, but he never expected her to ask so soon. He expected her to try and ignore it for a few more weeks, or hell even wait until after holiday to say something to him, but never this soon. Looking at her he contemplated making some excuse up to try and throw her off but from the way she was looking at him he doubted she would believe anything but the truth. And what would he tell her to explain his sudden change in attitude towards her ? Would or could he even tell her that he actually didn't hate her and found himself pushing her buttons, making fun of her and simply torturing her because something about her got to him. Tell her that she got under his skin in a way that no one else had ever been able to, tell her that the simple knowledge that he could cause such strong emotions to rise from her with a simple expression drove his actions. Something about her intrigued him and pushed him to try and be better and smarter than her, she gave him something to strive for besides trying to be his father along with his insane dreams of power and glory. How could he tell her that he found himself admiring her not only because she had filled out the body that had been hidden for all these years but that he was attracted to her because he knew there would be things to talk about besides what looked better on her or how pretty she looked. He was used to hearing that and more from Pansy and every other girl he had ever managed to hook up with in his house and others and was tired of the cookie cutter repetition.
He wanted something that would keep his attention for more than the half hour that he was enjoying himself physically, he wanted the whole package and wasn't about to settle for something less. He wanted someone who wouldn't be afraid to put him in his place and tell him he was being a stubborn arrogant prick yet at the same time not back down when he challenged them mentally, physically or emotionally. Draco had lost count of all the times she had come back at him and had not backed down when he challenged her. It encouraged him and made him do it over and over again just to see her chocolate brown eyes light up in anger. He knew he had hurt her more than she let anyone see, and he knew she didn't trust him. But something in her eyes as she looked at him at the moment made him see that there was a chance that one day she could trust him, one day give him the benefit of a doubt that maybe there was a small glimmer of light in his otherwise black soul. Pushing off of the wall slightly he stood up straight in front of her towering over her looking down into her chocolate eyes, he knew it was bound to happen and felt there wasn't a better time than the present. "Why ?" He said as he looked at her the empty hallway providing an almost surreal atmosphere around them. "Because……whether or not you realize this Granger you're a force to be reckoned with. Potter may be the shining star of your little trio but you're the real reason he's even still alive, how many times have you saved his arse, how many times have you been the one to keep him from killing himself with his stupidity? " He asked looking at her with a stare that made chills go down her spine. "Yet there's a part of you that wants to be invisible, wants to just melt into the background despite how talented you are. There's a part of you that I know is dying to simply be someone that's not golden, and that part of you is dark Granger. That's the reason why, because I know there's a part of you that's thrilled by the thought of me touching you, that's wants me to continue to tell you every naughty little thing that a good girl like you shouldn't do." He whispered as he trailed his hand down her arm and smirked when she closed her eyes and looked away towards the stone floor beneath them. "Tell me I'm wrong and I'll stop, tell me you don't want me to touch you and I'll stop. Tell me that it doesn't thrill you to know that someone other than that prat of a boyfriend finds you simply intoxicating." He said as he stepped closer to her and played with a strand of her hair. The honey and vanilla scent washing over his senses a vision of his tangling his fingers in her hair flashing in his mind. Waiting for her to respond he let go of the curl that he had touched and remained close to her the empty halls providing an unintentional amount of intimacy something she wasn't used to.
Taking a shaky breath she wanted to tell him he was wrong, wanted to tell him that she hated him and his new found interest in her. She wanted to tell him that his voice that close to her ear didn't send chills down her spine and his touch didn't thrill her senses. No one but Ron had ever told her she was desirable and lately that had all but stopped happening to a point where she felt she wasn't beautiful since he wasn't paying her any attention. Draco was dangerous, something forbidden and completely wrong. She wasn't supposed to respond to him the way she did, she cursed herself for finding it hard to breathe when he was this close to her, for her heart beating so fast whenever he touched her skin. Unable to look at him she kept her eyes closed as she took a slow deep breath. "I…I don't want you to touch me." She said with a soft voice wishing it sounded more convincing. Hearing him chuckle softly she looked up when she felt his fingers under her chin. "Look at me when you say it and then I might believe you." He replied his eyes twinkling with amusement. Knowing she wasn't able to do that she was about to say something when the sound of footsteps met their ears. The sound startled her and the chance to slip away from him when he was distracted seemed all to promising. Looking at him she began to turn away from him when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. His lips met hers in an instant and the heat that ignited in her body consumed her and scared her all at the same time. They were soft , demanding, skilled and it made her knees weak. Fighting back the moan that threaten to escape her lips the kiss ended as quickly as it began and she was left standing in the small alcove watching his retreating form walking away from her and towards the sound of the approaching footsteps.
Walking into the dining hall after dropping off her books in the girls dorm she walked over to were Harry and Ron were sitting already eating dinner. No even looking up when she sat down Ron continued eating and mumbled a hello around his food filled mouth. Grimacing in disgust at the sight of it sat down across from then next to Luna and began adding food to her plate, taking her time since she found her hands shaking slightly. Hearing her name being called she looked up and met the worried green eyes of Harry. "You ok Hermione, your almost a half hour late for dinner." He asked as he took a sip of his pumpkin juice.
"I'm fine Harry, just got lost in the book I'm reading and didn't realize the time." She covered as she pasted on a fake smile as she took the first bite of her food. Seeing him nod accepting her answer she continued to eat and paid only slight attention to what was being said around her it was a mixture of Quidditch practice, Snarflers (from Luna) and having to listen to the loud and obnoxious voice of Lavender Brown four seats down from her. She fought the urge to roll her eyes when she heard her talking about the Christmas gift she had gotten someone at the table, who remained conveniently unnamed. Hearing Ginny begin to speak Hermione paid attention when she heard Lavender's name. "Lavender will you shut the bloody hell up! Nobody cares what you got your imagine boyfriend, so can it before I make you!" She snapped as she slammed her mug of pumpkin juice down on the table. Feeling herself smile she looked up at Ginny slowly and then smiled more when she saw her best friend smile back at her and wink.
Feeling slightly better that not everyone was as daft as Ron seemed to be she smiled and began eating again her mood slightly better after hearing Ginny. The rest of dinner went off without another outburst from either Lavender or Ginny and Hermione's encounter with Draco became a forgotten memory as she enjoyed the company of her friends. But when Luna leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear that Draco was staring at her she closed her eyes and hoped no one else had seen. Looking up from her plate she couldn't help it when her eyes looked across the room and landed on the one person who wasn't in conversation with people around him. His stormy grey eyes met hers and she couldn't help the shiver that went down her back as he slowly smiled at her, it was a smile that could only be described as the way a hungry wolf would look at a lamb before he pounced and devoured it whole. Breaking the gaze a few seconds afterwards she fought the blush that crept into her cheeks and tucked her hair behind her ear. The only thing that she could think of was that hell even if he was up to no good, she couldn't help the knowledge that if she wasn't going to escape her feelings for him she might as well throw caution to the wind and enjoy the ride.
A/N: Ok so that was the latest installment of Kill Me or Kiss Me. How did you like it? Let me know and help me keep this story going strong with feedback and ideas.