Chapter five
Blaise walked into the common room and grinned at Draco. ''Haven't seen you for a while.''
Draco scowled at him, putting his quill to one side. ''What do you want?''
''No kind word for an old friend? My, you've gotten bitter.'' Blaise pulled a chair out opposite Draco and sat down. ''So you've had a week. How's your campaign going?''
''Why on earth would I want to talk to you about that?''
''That means you haven't succeeded yet.'' Blaise laughed at him. ''This must be a record – one whole week and you haven't managed to make a girl beg.''
''Actually I have. I've pinned her underneath me and made her beg to be allowed to get up. And then last night, we were kissing and she 'begged' me not to make her feel what she was feeling. So you can piss off.'' Draco picked up his quill again and turned back to his essay. But Blaise wasn't to be deterred.
''So how come you haven't claimed?''
''Because even though you were too stupid to specify what she had to beg for, I have some sense of ethics where bets are concerned. I'm going by what I'm assuming you meant.'' Draco added another sentence to his essay and blew at the ink to dry it. ''Granger isn't begging to do what I want her to do yet, therefore I haven't quite broken her, therefore I haven't won the bet. Yet.''
''But she's interested?''
''I got her straddling me yesterday. Because I told her to. So she does what I want, but she isn't begging to do it yet. I've got my strategy planned.''
''And you're enjoying yourself?''
''Sexual favours, and the chance of winning money? What's not to enjoy?''
''And you admit that Granger is gorgeous?'' Blaise grinned at him, pulled the parchment over to him and began reading it. ''Shit, I didn't put that in mine.''
''I admit that she has a certain charm.'' Draco's mind involuntarily flashed back to the sensation of Hermione across him, her lips touching his gently, then the embrace growing in passion and intensity. ''Charm will do.''
''She must be attractive, or you wouldn't be dragging this out. You would have got it over with as quickly as possible, like when I dared you to kiss Eloise Midgen.''
''You don't know what the hell you're talking about Blaise.''
''And yet that got your attention.''
''Of course it got my attention. She's a Mudblood. I am, as we have discussed many times, a Pureblood. To imply that I find some part of her attractive is insulting to be honest.''
''Draco, ditch the party line. Just admit that you find her attractive.''
Draco tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. ''Ok, there is some part of her that I find intriguing.''
''Attractive.''
''Fine. Attractive.'' Draco let the words come out him as though they were being dragged up.
''Good lad. Now, what's so good about her? Something must be interesting you.''
''This goes no further than this room Zabini.'' Draco warned him and sat forward. ''She turned me down first. And that has me interested. I know that she wants me, but she would put her morals above lust? Something's not right there.'' He chuckled softly to himself and then looked straight back up into Blaise's smirking face. ''And she's a bloody fantastic kisser. If Potter and Weasley didn't get in there ages ago, I need to now.''
Blaise leaned forward as well. ''You're serious? She's really good?''
''Unbelievably. Now, you know that I'm a gentlemen in some cases and don't kiss and tell, but she really is undeniably good.''
Blaise leaned even closer, about to ask for more details, but at that point Hermione walked in. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and she was clutching a large book to her chest. As soon as she saw the two boys sitting at the table, her eyes widened and her white teeth began chewing on her soft lip. Draco's eyes narrowed, and a slight smile curved the corners of his lips.
''Hi.'' Her words sounded unnaturally loud in the quiet common room.
''Granger.'' Blaise greeted her. Draco just stared at her, and she felt all her resolve not to find him attractive slowly melting. ''We were just talking about you.''
Hermione had been intending to flee straight to her room, but she was frozen at that snippet of information. ''Oh?''
''Yeah. Draco was telling me what a fantastic kisser you are. Any chance I could have a go?'' Blaise smirked at her.
Hermione's cheeks flushed angrily, and without thinking about what she was doing, she flung her book to the floor and pulled out her wand. Not waiting for a response from Blaise, she cursed him, and left the room calmly.
Draco stood up and walked over to Blaise. She had cast a stinging hex, and now Blaise's entire face was coming up in angry blotches that were slowly swelling to obscure his features. He pulled Blaise to his feet. ''Don't ever do anything like that again, or I'll curse you.''
''I…''
''Don't bother Zabini. Just leave.'' Draco pointed at the door. ''And I wouldn't try and tell anyone that Granger did that to you. She'll come out of it better than you.''
''You've only got about two weeks left according to the forecasts. I'd get a move on if I were you.'' With that parting shot, Blaise walked out of the room, clutching at his face.
Draco waited until he heard the door slam shut and then turned towards Hermione's bedroom. Now he would have to gain back all that ground. He knocked on her door.
''Get lost Malfoy.''
''Listen, Hermione…''
''You are not getting that off me! So don't even bother trying.'' Her voice was completely expressionless.
Draco sighed. He would need to get even more serious in order to get back the ground that Blaise had lost him. ''I was lying last night when I said that I only called you Hermione when I want something. Come on, we live together, we could try and be civil to each other.''
''What planet are you living on?'' Her door opened a crack and she looked out scornfully at him. ''Do you actually need psychiatric help?''
''Let me in. Now.'' Draco's voice took on the steely note that Hermione despised, the one that made it virtually impossible for her to ignore him.
''No.'' She slammed the door shut and locked it, only to hear 'Alohomora' and see the door fly open again. ''What are you doing? Get out!''
Draco didn't bother answering her, just advanced on her. She backed away, and snarled at him. ''How dare you talk about me to Zabini?''
''Zabini brought you up, not me! He seems to be under the impression that you're gorgeous.'' Draco looked at her and could almost see where he was coming from. Her hair was hanging around her face in curls, and her eyes were angry. She looked fierce, but undeniably sexy.
''I don't care what that greasy little rat thinks of me!'' Hermione ranted. ''I don't want you talking about me! I don't want you near me! Get out of my room!''
She snatched up a glass that was on her desk and hurled it at his head. Draco reached out his hand and snatched it up, showing the benefit of hours of Quidditch practice. ''Why do you keep doing things to upset me?'' He looked at her, and widened his eyes as though hurt.
''Get out.'' She spat each word, infuriated beyond belief that he had caught the glass.
''No.''
''Why not? You've already got what you wanted from me!''
''Not yet I haven't.''
''Well, what do you want?''
''I need you to beg for me.'' Draco's face, cruel but handsome in the flickering light stared at her.
''It's not going to happen.''
''You've begged me to get off you. You've begged me to spare your feelings. Who's to say that I can't get you to do that? I know that you want me.''
''I don't…''
''Don't even bother trying to deny it.'' His retort was almost lazy.
''Fine! I like kissing you! But that's all it is – kissing! I don't want anything else to do with you! I hate you, I hate what you stand for, I hate your arrogance, I hate the way you treat me, I hate who you are!''
''And yet you want me.''
''Well you want me too, or you wouldn't be doing this.'' There was a note of triumph in Hermione's voice, and Draco thought about telling her that he was just doing this for a bet. But then…there was something so satisfactory about forcing her to capitulate, time and time again. It was worth carrying on, he decided.
''Of course I want you. I agree with Zabini.'' He dropped the words casually into the smouldering atmosphere. ''The only difference is, he can't do what I'm going to do.'' He stepped forward, moving closer and closer into her personal space. Reaching out a hand, he moved it towards her cheek,
She slapped it down viciously, not wanting to give in to him again, wanting to show some of the courage that her house was renowned for. But her treacherous hormones came into play…wasn't it a form of courage to call his bluff? To see how far he would dare to take it? But she couldn't think any more. With one hand he was holding both her wrists, essentially keeping her prisoner, asserting his dominance. He leaned towards her mouth, licking his lips hungrily.
Suddenly, Hermione rebelled. Hooking her leg around his ankle, she yanked viciously, sending him off balance and tumbling to the floor. He pulled her down with him, but she was expecting it and landed right, making sure that while he was on his back, she was upright. She stared down at him, perfectly aware that she had the upper hand, perfectly aware that she could do what she wanted. She grabbed his wrists and pulled them above his head, and then leaned down into him. ''Don't think you control me Malfoy. Because you most certainly don't.''
Malfoy looked up at her in amazement. Where had she got the nerve to act like that? Then he came to his senses. She was not meant to be in control. They were not even meant to be fighting for control. He was in control. He lunged forward, sending her toppling back, and pinned her down with his superior height and weight.
She opened her mouth to speak, but he pressed a finger to her lips – now was not the time for talking. That was past. He reached down and pressed a kiss against her lips. Without even thinking about it, she opened her mouth, letting his tongue slip inside. She could taste him, smell him, feel him. Every single part of her existence seemed to be wrapped up in him for the time that they kissed. He absorbed every single part of her.
And while Draco would never have admitted it, these were the moments that he stored away, that he thought of when he was bored in class. They were the snapshots that came to him when he looked at Hermione in her robes, flicking her curls off her face as she worked. They were what turned him away from other girls when they winked and pouted at him. Hermione, demure, sweet, warm, welcoming, completely fierce, was exerting a spell on him without even knowing it. He knew that he had her captivated, but the fact that she had managed to do the same to him, without even thinking about it? That was too bizarre. They were too different. They hated each other too much. But when they kissed…
Hermione could feel his velvety lips on her neck, his soft hair underneath her hands as she stroked the back of his neck. He slid a hand under the heavy mass of curls and rubbed the sensitive scalp. She smiled into his mouth, forgot who he was, forgot who she was, forgot what was wrong and just thought of what was right.
Ooh, that was a longer chapter than usual. It didn't seem that long when I was writing it. So anyway, write me a review – you know I deserve it for updating so quickly! And I definitely want to know what you thought of it. I've had such a brilliant response to the past couple of chapters, and it seems a shame for that to stop now. So I thought I would say thank you to Hanna28, breezie, Fnicks-Gurlz, TennesseSweetheart, Hopeless4NonExistentLove, jdeppgirl4, WinnieThaPoo92, sexyslytherinbabe, pirateluver, swfap88, spikesilla and heidi191976, my fabulous reviewers. Obviously, if you leave me a review I will write you a response (as long as you don't do it anonymously, in which case I can't reply). But anyway, please feedback, please carry on reading the story and I hope you're enjoying it. Kisses etc, Petitesorciere x