A/N: Sincerest apologies for the long wait. I had hoped to post this chapter along with the next one at the same time but since it's taking longer than expected, this one will have to do for now. Enjoy!

Year 5

"GRYFFINDOR!" The sorting hat shouted over the Great Hall as a young boy with sandy brown hair stood up from the wooden stool and took his seat with his new housemates.

Hermione Granger applauded along with her fellow Gryffindors to welcome him to their house. It was the start of the fall term in her fifth year at Hogwarts and Hermione was glad to be back at school again. As the sorting ceremony continued on, she, Harry and Ron watched eagerly as the groups of first years were sorted appropriately.

"They get smaller and smaller every year, don't they?" Ron commented as a small, skinny girl joined Hufflepuff house.

Hermione and Harry both nodded in agreement and turned their attention back toward the remaining children that approached the sorting hat in turn.

The summer had done Hermione well and she thought that over the break, she had gained a fresh new perspective on many things. Being another year older, her hair had also tamed significantly and was now much more manageable than her previously frizzy mass of curls. She had been lucky enough to do some traveling all over Europe with her parents and when she returned home she felt as though her new experiences had refreshed her sprits. She was eager to return to school once more to be reunited with her friends and see what the next chapter had in store for them.

One thing Hermione was feeling particularly relaxed about these days was her relationship with the red-headed beauty, Ron Weasley. She had developed feelings for him some time ago and during her fourth year at Hogwarts, she realized just how much she wished their relationship would turn into something more. It was rather disappointing for her to not have Ron step up to the plate, and she had been certain that he too was feeling the same way towards her, yet he never expressed it to take things to the next level.

Frustrated as she had been with this, Hermione was now another year older and felt much more at ease with him taking his time. The pair often shared small, unexpected moments in which it was clear that there was more to them than friendship and Hermione's heart soared with the excitement just wondering about what Ron would do next to impress her. Not only that, but Hermione's friends and family (Ron's too for that matter) consistently made remarks about how they were nearly inseparable and predicted that one day they would end up together. Until then, Hermione would cling to the little encounters her and Ron shared and enjoy the thrill of their relationship growing and changing-however long it might take to evolve.

Even though to outsiders they may have seemed like opposites, she knew in her heart that he was the one for her; she could tell by the way he made her feel. Ron had always been a comfort for her to be around, his silly habits and goofiness made him positively lovable and Hermione adored how he made her laugh. She felt grounded by Ron in a way that she did with no one else. Moreover, it thrilled her that Ron thought so highly of her, regularly praising her undeniable magical talent and helping to build her confidence. Ron needed Hermione's help and guidance as much as she needed him for support. Furthermore, Ron's lack of seriousness often reminded Hermione to relax and have a little fun. Best of all, he was always there to defend her honor or provide a shoulder to cry on when she was upset.

Sometimes she would imagine what their life would be like together. She'd dream about their first kiss and yearn for the day Ron would finally confess his feelings for her and then, they would live happily ever after. She often fantasized about Ron's soft lips grazing against hers, his arms wrapped tightly around her small frame and Hermione clutching to him like she would never let go. These thoughts were so powerful, so wonderfully magical that Hermione would get goose bumps and go weak in the knees just thinking about them. If Ron could make her feel this way without so much as trying, the day that he finally decided to take action was sure to exceed her wildest expectations and would give her feelings of delight that she had never experienced before and that, she supposed, was worth the wait.

It was the waiting that did her in though, and for that she had Draco Malfoy.

He and Hermione had taken up a rather curious relationship midway through their fourth year. What had begun as nothing more than a strange encounter on the night of the Yule Ball had led to many other meet-ups in which Hermione and Malfoy found themselves alone together. Away from the damning control of his father and fellow Slytherins, Malfoy was a completely different person who had revealed to Hermione that he was capable of exhibiting kindness and that there was far more to him than he ever let on. As their interactions progressed, Hermione found herself oddly drawn to him and couldn't suppress the curiosity that manifested within her whenever they would get lost in conversation.

Somehow, she and Malfoy had grown to be something of an item. Hermione still didn't know how exactly her feelings had shifted and this came to be but she did know that she was totally and completely addicted to him. For the remainder of the previous school year, the two of them would sneak away for hours on end, engaged in a steamy lip-lock that was their own perfectly guarded secret.

Draco had been a glorious distraction for Hermione. He had been there to take her mind off the fact that the entirety of the school was teasing her about how Viktor Krum had told Rita Skeeter that he had never felt the way he had about any other girl before Hermione. He, Draco, had been the one to slip Hermione a copy of Witch Weekly magazine beforehand to prepare her for keeping her cool when Pansy Parkinson attempted to embarrass her with a rather racy article about Hermione's alleged love life. And he had been there for all the times that Hermione needed to blow off steam with Ron's ignorance. Most surprisingly of all, she found that Malfoy was a great listener and that in addition to their insane sexual chemistry; they also had quite a lot to talk about.

Hermione had thought that her newfound perspective and wisdom would extinguish her desire for Draco Malfoy, but as she sat through the traditional welcome back feast, she found that she could concentrate on little more than her need to be near him.

As the night wore on, Hermione made chit-chat with her fellow Gryffindor's, getting caught up with everything that had happened over the summer holiday. Her eyes kept wandering over to the neighboring Slytherin table in-between conversations, where she watched as Malfoy repeatedly traded seats with people.

Harry and Ron were both beginning to annoy Hermione already. Harry had been particularly salty for weeks and had been brooding almost constantly about his recent hearing with the Ministry of Magic and how terrible his life was. As for Ron, he was much too distracted with the feast to care about anything else—Hermione was sure that food would always be his first love. As thrilled as she was to be back at school and reunited with them again, it was beginning to wear off and Hermione found herself suddenly hungry for a delicious taste of something forbidden.

Malfoy finally settled into the spot that was diagonal from her, sandwiched between two sixth year Slytherins. Their eyes met across the hall and Hermione chewed on her lower lip as she stared lustily back at him. She tried to act as normal as possible and picked at her food apprehensively, stealing glances over at Malfoy at every possible opportunity.

When the dinner plates had vanished from the four large tables and the array of delectable desserts appeared in their place, Hermione and Malfoy locked eyes again. This time he raised his eyebrows suggestively at her and jerked his head in the direction of the entrance to the Great Hall before rising to his feet and strolling away from the banquet.

Hermione forced herself to count to ten out of habit before getting up to follow after him.

"One,"

His eyes staring down at her.

"two,"

His silky voice whispering in her ear.

"three,"

His arms wrapped around her.

"four,"

His hands running though her hair.

"five,"

His hard chest pressing against her body.

"six,"

His fingers brushing along her skin.

"seven,"

His soft hair tickling her face.

"eight,"

His lips on her mouth.

"nine,"

His lips on her neck.

"ten."

His lips on her chest.

Hermione rose from the table hastily, nearly tripping over the long wooden bench as she slid away. "Erm—be right back." She said as convincingly as she could manage, though she was vaguely aware of the puzzled exchange of stares between Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George as she abruptly excused herself.

She began stepping hurriedly from the hall, unable to slow her pace to a normal speed. It had been far too long since she had felt the touch of Malfoy's hands all over her.

Hermione pushed open the heavy oak doors of the Great Hall and advanced a few steps beyond it, hearing them shut quietly behind her with a soft puff of air. She began scanning the surroundings looking swiftly to the left and right. Almost instantly, she felt a pair of familiar arms grab her from behind. She whirled around and fell into Malfoy's arms—her lips finding their way to his almost automatically.

It had definitely been too long.

The pair of them hustled out of sight into a nearby broom cupboard and Hermione felt her back collide fiercely with the door the moment they were inside. Malfoy's hands were moving all over her from the sides of her face, down her arms and to her hips. She tugged at his neck tie while biting his lower lip gently.

"You had an enjoyable holiday I trust?" Hermione asked breathlessly, momentarily surfacing for air.

Malfoy pinned himself against her as he continued kissing her, "Brilliant." He panted, separating himself from her for only a moment.

The summer had apparently been good to Malfoy too. Hermione guessed that he must have grown a full three inches over the last few months as she now had to stand slightly on tip-toe to get at him. His scrawny figure, although still slim and not bulky, had disappeared being replaced with a fuller, stone-like chest, broader shoulders, and stronger, muscular arms. His hair was as blonde as ever but it was styled in a sleeker, more sophisticated way than his usual longer locks from the years before.

Hermione's addiction was even more delicious than she remembered and the second she was reunited with Malfoy, her desire burned stronger than ever before. Her head rolled back as she let out a small moan when Malfoy's mouth traveled up her neck and he stopped to nibble playfully at her ear. She rewarded him by reaching up and gently pulling on his hair, something she had discovered he loved toward the end of last year.

It wasn't until they could hear Dumbledore's voice echoing from inside the Great Hall commanding everyone's attention that they broke apart. Hermione fussed with Draco's tie a bit before smoothing her hair back into place. Composed, she leaned in and planted one more kiss on his lips before throwing the door open and stepping outside.

Her high was overcoming her now as she stepped away from the closet, stumbling clumsily over her own feet. Hermione's head was spinning; her reunion with Malfoy left her reeling—greedy and hungry for more. As she yanked open one of the giant oak doors again she couldn't help but think that she would have to wait far too long for her next hit and that more than anything she wanted to sneak away as soon as possible to properly catch up.

Although not fully recovered, Hermione managed to slip back into her place at the Gryffindor table opposite Ron just as Dumbledore began his usual welcome speech. Ron eyed Hermione suspiciously as she drained her glass of pumpkin juice.

"Where've you been?" He said in a loud whisper.

"Hush Ron…." Hermione responded, pointing toward the head table where the headmaster was standing.

"Ugh." Harry scoffed, "Look at Malfoy waltzing in here like he owns the place. Wonder what appalling things he's been up to now…."

Hermione felt her face turn a bright shade of pink as Malfoy strode back into the hall and planted himself next to the two sixth years from earlier. By the end of the last year, Hermione had almost become a master of concealing her nervousness when Harry, Ron and Malfoy were in the same room. She found that the longer their relationship wore on, the easier it became to push the guilt she felt from her mind. Plus, it felt so good to act on her feelings that it overpowered the side of her that told her it was wrong to associate with her best friend's enemy. Now that a new year was upon them however, Hermione was feeling out of practice with the façade and instantly felt remorse tugging at her insides when Harry and Ron seethed with annoyance at Malfoy's appearance.

In an effort to brush them off she cleared her throat loudly and turned her attention to Dumbledore. That is, she tried to turn her attention away from the mounting urge to feign an illness so that she could pretend to retire to the common room early and meet Malfoy in an abandoned room somewhere in the castle.

Dumbledore began by introducing the new updates to the school staff and was quickly interrupted by the rather toad-like woman named Delores Umbridge who was to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. No one had ever dared interrupt Dumbledore's speech before and Harry, Ron and Hermione were all instantly uneasy about her new role at Hogwarts. It was clear that the Ministry of Magic was interfering with the way the school as run, and Hermione knew the changes that were certain to lie ahead would not go over smoothly.

Once Dumbledore had dismissed the students and Hermione had explained to Harry and Ron that the Ministry was surely meddling with school policies, she felt her desire to sneak away return once more. She had temporarily forgotten that her and Ron had been made Gryffindor Prefects this year and would be required to lead the first year students to the common room. Hermione's heart sank at the thought of not being able to get re-acquainted with Malfoy but she hoped that she wouldn't have to wait too terribly long.

"Come on Ron, we had best round up the first years." She said, getting to her feet as the rest of the school emptied from the hall.

Ron groaned and followed after her, "Alright you lot, over this way!"

"Gryffindor house is to come with us please." Hermione announced loudly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson gathering up the Slytherin students as well being that they too were now Prefects. Seeing this made her feel somewhat better about having to escort the first years and she supposed it was because she realized her and Malfoy both had other obligations to tend to first.

As they began to climb the grand staircase of the castle, Hermione looked back over her shoulder just in time to catch Malfoy's eye. "Damnit," she thought, "he looks better than I remembered." Malfoy stared after her and Hermione could have sworn she saw him give a quick wink in her direction before disappearing in the direction of the dungeons.

The first day of classes was absolutely exhausting. Harry had somehow already managed to land himself in detention with Professor Umbridge and Hermione was annoyed at his temper that kept popping up unexpectedly. She already knew she didn't care for Umbridge, but she would have liked to have stayed on her good side for as long as possible. Instead, her simple questions had provoked Harry into an outburst and now Hermione was sure that Umbridge would always associate them together and would not act kindly toward either of them. Potions was as grueling as ever, made even more unbearable by Malfoy's presence only feet away from her. When she wasn't attending classes she was busy helping first years about the castle and making them feel welcome. Before she knew it, the day was over and Hermione was forced to retire to the girl's dormitory and go to bed.

The next several days passed by in a blur. It was business as usual and Hermione was beginning to fall back into her regular routine, yet something didn't feel quite right. Even though she was back at Hogwarts, she didn't feel as though she had truly come back. Harry and Ron were busy talking her ear off about how terrible the homework load was, Hermione was working diligently on all her assignments each evening, and classes (with the exception of Defense Against the Dark Arts) were as challenging and intriguing as ever. Still, it seemed to Hermione that something was missing and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

On Thursday night Hermione was having difficulty concentrating on her herbology homework at her usual table beside the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Frustrated, she decided to go on a walk before students were required to stay in their dormitories. She climbed through the portrait hole and her feet carried her down the corridor almost instinctively. Before long, she found herself on the sixth floor near the entrance to the North Tower. The rest of the floor was practically deserted as Hermione pulled open one of the many doors and slid inside very discretely.

Sure enough, Malfoy was waiting for her.

"It's about time, Granger." He said, closing his books and getting up from the table in the center of the cluttered room.

"I know, I couldn't get away until just now!" She replied, hurrying to meet him.

Malfoy and Hermione reached one another at the same time.

He looked down at her, studying her fully for the first time in months. Hermione watched as a small smile crept across his face and he reached out to grab both of her hands. Her skin instantly tingled at his touch and she felt herself lean in closer to him. Malfoy studied her intently for another long moment before reaching up and brushing the hair from her face. Slowly, almost as if they were living in slow motion, he bent down and pressed his lips softly to hers. Heart racing, Hermione reached up and clasped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. She felt his hands wander, trailing down her arms and stopping to rest in the small of her back which sent shudders racing up her spine.

Malfoy pulled away from the kiss suddenly but stood planted firmly in place, "I've been waiting ages to do that."

Hermione smiled, "We've got a lot of catching up to do I reckon."

And at that, they fell back into another kiss. Malfoy pulled Hermione closer to him and lifted her several inches off the ground. When he set her back down again, Hermione was having difficulty standing properly and they inched their way over to take a seat on the wooden bench, still intertwined in a lip-lock. She ran her fingers through his bright blonde hair and took in the feeling of being pressed against him again at last. It was more tantalizing than ever and it suddenly felt as though it had been years since Hermione had felt the touch of Draco Malfoy. Everything was new and thrilling again, just as exhilarating and electrifying as it had been the first time they kissed. Hermione savored the feeling of his fingers brushing over her skin and the familiar cool scent of him rubbing off on her.

As Malfoy slowly made his way from Hermione's lips, to her neck, to her favorite spot behind her right ear, she began to feel more normal. Now she was back and everything was as it should be: Harry and Ron were off skulking about their problems, classes were back in session, and she and Malfoy were hidden secretly away from it all swept up in each other's arms.

Year five was off to an excellent start.