Chapter 5

"Falling in love and having a relationship are two different things." -Keanu Reeves

RECALL ON IZZ FIZZ'S HAIR REGROWTH PRODUCTS! CUSTOMERS DISCOVERED LARGE BURSTING BOILS ALL OVER THEIR SKIN, MULTIPLE ALLERGIC REACTIONS, SEVERAL HOSPITALIZED

You can hear the cries of dismay from miles afar. "I just wanted to restore my eyebrows former glory!" shrieked Seamus Finnigan, whose potions experiment went south and singed off his eyebrows. Wizards and witches alike are traumatized by the large bursting boils assaulting their skin-

"So I was thinking-" Hermione began as she sauntered out in her slippers to the kitchen counter. It had only been two days since she and Malfoy had officially become roommates, and she supposed partners as well, though she didn't want to think of that at such an early time in the morning. Speaking of which, something was definitely tickling her nose and making her empty stomach growl…

"Yes?"

Hermione's eyes swept the small kitchen before they settled on a half naked blond standing in front of a bowl of pancake batter, an egg and a whisk in hand.

Great, he can cook too, Hermione thought bitterly. She was done for.

Mind you, it took her a bit more time to realize that he was making pancakes, seeing as her eyes had gravitated and locked on his torso, which he was so proudly putting on display.

Draco lifted an eyebrow at her hesitation, not commenting on her blatant staring. "You were thinking…" he prompted before trailing off. With regret, Hermione tore her gaze away from the defined pale plains of his stomach and chest, almost whimpering as the sun caught and glinted on his white gold hair. Draco non-too-subtly coughed at this point, forcing Hermione into a blushing fit. But she was yet again distracted when he cracked the egg and artfully spilled its contents into the bowl.

"What are you making?" Hermione asked, sidetracked as she went to stand next to him. It was only after she asked that she realized she already knew the answer. The pleasant smell of the batter was coaxing her stomach into a happy dance.

"Pancakes," he said in a way that let her know it should have been obvious. And it should have. But again, let us keep in mind that there was a semi-nude Adonis standing before her.

"Right," she muttered, mentally slapping herself a few times. Shaking her head to clear it and the morning fuzz that had settled in it, Hermione inquired about her earlier question. "I've been wondering…how should we be making this believable?"

Ash grey eyes stared at her in bewilderment. "The pancakes? That's a philosophical question for this early in the morning."

Hermione wanted to smack him. "No, you git. Us," she stressed, gesturing wildly between the two of them until Draco got the memo. When she finally say the light of recognition flash through his eyes and facial features, she leaned against the gleaming granite counter, satisfied that she had gotten him thinking.

"Maybe we should go through steps," the man suddenly suggested, and Hermione was shaken out of her daze once again. Who knew that Malfoy smelled so good? Up close, his natural scent was assaulting her nose in the best possible way.

Now is not the time to be pondering Malfoy's natural musk, Hermione berated herself.

"Like what, steps to learn how to date?" she joked, showing no signs of her inner turmoil. Draco shifted slightly so he was facing her, their arms grazing against each other softly.

"Exactly." He seemed pleased that she had come to the conclusion herself.

Brown eyes widened in confusion and surprise. "I was only joking about that…"

Draco ignored her with a wave of his hand. "We have to make this believable, and if we suddenly act as if we are in love with each other, no one will believe it. We should set up some guidelines to ease our relationship along," he said with a finality in his tone that made her uneasy.

"Our fake relationship," Hermione emphasized this by swiping her finger along the inside of the bowl, capturing some batter and sticking it in her mouth. Draco's eyes locked on the motion and lingered on the way she teasingly sucked on the digit. Was it her imagination or was his face rapidly becoming red?

When she went back for more- it was heaven to her taste buds- he batted her hand away. Pouting, she resumed her spot beside him, noting with disappointment that the color had left his cheeks quickly. It was a shame, seeing as the rouge did fit him quite nicely.

It didn't escape her notice that he never commented on her last statement, either.

"How about we just make it simple and let ourselves be seen together?" Hermione proposed, and the blond nodded.

"You'll be ready for seven o'clock tonight. Dress nice."

Hermione's eyes bugged. "Tonight? I didn't mean- where are we- what do you-?"

He laughed, the sound light and making her insides flutter in a cliché yet absolutely wonderful way. "Just relax. I've got everything under control. You just sit back and enjoy," Draco winked at her before his attention was diverted to a tap on the window where an owl was waiting with a letter.

"Put this on the stove, will you?" he pushed the batter bowl into her hands- a meaningful look wordlessly ordering her not to take any- and he ran to get the post. Pulling a face, Hermione did as she was told, though her eyes kept wandering to where Draco was standing by the window. Hermione watched curiously as the blond ran a hand through his hair, a frown suddenly marring his face as he scanned the contents of the letter. She frowned, too. Whatever was in it was upsetting him. Knowing Malfoy, though, Hermione knew she probably had no hope of discovering what it was.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, her back completely on the batter now sizzling and bubbling. Draco's eyes snapped up to hers as if he were startled.

"No." He said tonelessly, turning his back on her to aggressively shove the window shut. Hermione bit her lip and took a hesitant step towards him.

"What's going on, Malfoy?" she asked, becoming worried for him despite her mind telling her not to. The blond shook his head again, silvery strands of hair swishing back in forth and seeming to collect the sunlight streaming in through the windows.

"Draco," the man corrected as he sensually slid back towards her. Something thick lodged itself in Hermione's throat and Draco adopted a predatory look.

This was not good.

If it was his intention to make all thoughts of the letter flee her mind, then he was successful. Because the only thing occupying her senses at the moment was the warm blooded body closing in on her. Hermione nervously took a step back, suddenly very aware of her pajama shorts and old tee shirt. How Malfoy hadn't already confiscated these somewhat ratty items was beyond her; the man had insisted on raiding her wardrobe and throwing out anything that didn't speak sexy or classy. With him singing to this tune, the blond had gotten rid of the majority of her clothing.

Hermione should have known better than to allow this man to become a fixture in her life.

Without warning, said fixture was directly in front of her, his body heat radiating off his flesh and consequently increasing her heart rate. "You're burning them," Draco told her, peering over her shoulder. Hermione meanwhile stared dazedly at his bare chest- was it weird to consider a collar bone sexy?

"Huh?" she breathed dumbly, and Draco repeated the declaration calmly.

It was like someone had flipped a light switch. Hermione whirled around in an instant. "Oh!" The pan was removed from the heat, yet the damage was done. She stared in despair at the disheartened mess of blackened pancake.

"Were you…distracted?"a low voice said from behind her. God damn beautiful people.

She muttered, "Course not."

"I hope not. You can't be a competent cook if you get distracted too easily," Hermione turned to find his silver eyes crinkled at the corners with the challenge. Butterflies erupted in her stomach at his playful tone.

Hermione thrust the bowl into his hands. "Well then, mister high and mighty chef, you do it," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and jutting her chin towards the stove once more. Draco laughed again before saying,

"I will, and I won't get distracted and burn them." With that, Hermione was left to admire his shapely backside.

It was when he turned his back to her that a feeling she wasn't used to hit her. Regardless, her lack of experience with this particular sentiment didn't lead her to misplace the unmistakable burning sensation that had begun below her navel. Hermione's eye twitched as she assessed the situation and came to a conclusion.

Maybe it was all of his exposed skin

Maybe it was because of her pent up sexual frustration with Ron.

Maybe it was because she wanted to.

All thoughts of why she was doing what she was doing fled her mind as, on their own accord, her hands rested on his back. Under her hands Draco instantly stiffened, but he didn't turn around. Hermione shuffled even closer to him, experimentally pressing her palms into the slight sway of his lower back. She brushed her thumbs over the warm flesh, letting her fingers drop and playfully dance around his pale skin. Flashing her eyes up to the back of Draco's head found that he was staring straight forward, his shoulders tensing with every movement of her fingers.

"Distracted?" she asked, and before she could convince herself it was a bad idea, she brushed a single finger down his bum where she knew his crease would be. The spoon clattered into the pan noisily, accompanied by Draco's gasp.

Hermione was giddy with the power she suddenly had over him. It made her wonder just how far he would allow her to go. Trying to tamp down on her own rampant thoughts, Hermione slid her hands up his back, his muscles unconsciously flexing underneath her fingertips. Blood was rushing through her ears as she smoothed her hands around to the front of his body, splaying over his chest and allowing her thumbs to brush over the pert pink nipples. A small noise escaped from the back of Draco's throat, which persuaded Hermione to repeat the action. A much louder sound came deep from his chest, encouraging Hermione to settle on rubbing the rosy buds to prominence before taking each between her index finger and thumb and squeezing gently.

His heart was beating erratically, thrashing against his ribcage as her hands drifted lower and lower, his breath hitching wonderfully when she didn't stop, even when she reached the waistband of his pajama pants. Hermione allowed herself a second to appreciate the hard abdomen heaving under her attention.

Her own heart was performing jack hammer tricks in her chest and she felt as though she were going to burst open at the amount of excitement she was feeling. Reservations that she may have been feeling were eliminated with the thought: if they had already slept together, why the hell not?

Her fingers deftly played with the elastic, snapping it around his slim hips while he shuddered. "You're supposed to be stirring," Hermione purred in his ear. That did little to snap him out of the spell Hermione was casting over him. Shakily, Draco resumed his former task, though his fingers didn't seem quite as nimble with the kitchen tool as before.

Slowly, she guided her fingers down to the growing ridge pressing against the fabric of his pants. A soft moan escaped Draco's lips. Lightly, Hermione applied more pressure, sweeping her fingers in a way that elicited a shudder. His thighs were shaking as she eased him around so that he was facing her. Despite the brave face she was putting on, she was terrified to meet his eyes. They had never done anything like this before, consciously, at least. What if she found disgust blazing in the grey depths? Or if he ended the deal with her because of this?

Steeling herself, Hermione lifted her gaze to meet his own. Her breath caught in her throat. The silver was blown out of his eyes, as if a black curtain has descended over them in his lust for her. Hermione had always thought that his eyes were his best feature; they were the most expressive, the most honest, and could always tell her what was going on in his crazy mind. And now the effect was jarring. His arousal was evident, if not in his eyes then in the flush that was spreading from his cheekbones down to his neck and chest, his rapid breaths and the stiff evidence Hermione's hand was currently resting on.

The two stared at each other for a long moment, the only sound being their matching heavy pants and the lasting sizzles of the long forgotten breakfast. Apparently Draco had the mind to turn off the stove, because Hermione was certain that by now the pancakes would have been burning down his kitchen.

Now suddenly unsure of her actions, Hermione crept up to the waistband and slid a few digits underneath the elastic. Draco caught her wrist and tugged her hand out so it was in both of his own. She gasped slightly, not knowing if she had just been rejected. His fierce grey gaze was undecipherable.

"Granger, unless you want a repeat of two nights ago, you need to leave," Draco rasped, still encasing her small hand in his. Hermione's eyes widened, and she felt completely unprepared for that statement. With a moments hesitation, Hermione pulled her hand from his own, trying to ignore the slightly crestfallen look that flashed across his features.

Putting some distance between them right now could only do her good, Hermione decided. Her mind definitely needed to be clear from the haze that had settled over it before she did anything she might later regret. Giving the man one last lustful glance, Hermione spun on her heel and all but ran to her bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Hermione regrettably noted that her growling stomach had been looking forward to the pancakes. Not that she was upset with the turn of events, really. But she couldn't deny the hunger pangs she was now experiencing, for both some food and the delectable looking Malfoy she had left in the kitchen.

Get it together, girl, it's not even ten in the morning yet, Hermione scolded herself as she sashayed down the street of River Haven, the small Wizarding community near London Bridge. Hermione let out a contented sigh. River Haven was a smaller version of Diagon Alley, with an elite cluster of shops and housing, and looked as if it came out of a fantasy. It was tucked away and hidden from muggle eyes, and ultimately, Hermione secretly thought it made the perfect dating location. There were several cute boutiques and restaurants that would add the perfect charm to a date. But she was getting off track. The visit to River Haven today was for slightly nerve-wracking purposes; informing Harry and soon to be Ginny Potter of her 'relationship', and of course checking in with them about all of the recent events. An uncomfortable, sharp feeling lodged itself in Hermione's chest at the thought, and though she tried to fight it, the image that had graced the front page of the article that had changed her life for forever appeared in her mind. A stinging sensation burned at her eyes as Hermione quickly rubbed them with her fists. She wouldn't break down because of this. Besides, she was probably better off without the red headed abomination anyways.

Or at least she could keep telling herself that.

The brunette witch wrapped her arms around herself as she continued down the street. Harry lived in an apartment just a bit farther down the road, and she felt the anxiety building inside her. She wasn't exactly sure how she was going to say: "Hey, guys, so I know last week I was completely in love with Ron, but now I'm dating Draco Malfoy! Remember, the guy we've hated since we were twelve? Yeah? Him."

Well, she supposed she could say it like that, if she wanted to be skewered with a stick and paraded around for the rest of the Wizarding world to see.

Slightly disgruntled, Hermione found herself in front of the red door of Harry's apartment. Before she could even knock, the door nearly flew off its hinges and Ginny Weasley's face appeared inches from her own.

"Hermione!" a flurry of red and arms was suddenly tangled around her. It was all Hermione could do to continue breathing through the added pressure. "Are you alright? I heard what happened. Well, everyone heard what happened. Are you alright? I can't believe Ron would do such a thing. I've been so worried about you. Both of us have! We tried to track you down but you've been of the grid for the past few days. Where have you been? And are you alright?" Wide brown eyes examined Hermione in worry and stared at her as if she were a lab rat just recently tested on with a product.

Hermione's eyes shifted to movement behind the woman, and she focused on her best friend, his raven hair as unruly as ever and a sad smile on his face. "Harry," she said, smiling when she felt her childhood friend wrap his arms around her.

"It's been too long," he said before pulling back. Ginny gripped Hermione's hand immediately and tugged her into their home.

"You look great by the way. Is that cobalt eyeliner? It brings out your eyes. And your outfit is to die for…" Ginny chattered away as she hurried Hermione through the living room and practically shoved her into a chair. The couple sat down on the love seat opposite, and Hermione suddenly felt as though she were in an interrogation.

After the two exchanged a somewhat apprehensive look, Harry cleared his throat awkwardly. "Hermione, what happened?"

Clasping her sweaty palms together, Hermione relayed what had transpired with Ron. She decidedly left out the part about her and Malfoy sleeping together, but knew she had no choice but to tell the duo of their plan for revenge. Ginny was grinning evilly by the end of it, but Harry looked slightly concerned.

"I'm not stupid enough to think that you can't take care of yourself, Hermione. But just be careful. I know that Malfoy has redeemed himself in the public eye, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous. In fact, I think he poses more of a threat now then he ever did in school, because now he's playing with your heart. Just take care of yourself and don't take pity on those who don't deserve it. I know he's in the same situation as you are, but don't let him force you into anything you don't want to do."

Hermione winced at the last bit, as Harry had said it a bit forcefully. "Thanks harry, but I'll be fine, really." She assured him, smiling at her friend.

The man leaned back against the love seat shaking his head slightly. "You always see the good in everyone. You know, you're a bit like Hagrid in that way, always trying to tame the beast." Harry chuckled softly before he turned serious again. "But just remember, dragon's don't make good pets."

Ginny cut in, "Unless they're attractive dragons. Attractive dragons with muscle and hard-"

"I mean especially if they're attractive," Harry growled, and Ginny patted the back of his hand. Hermione refrained from snorting loudly at the display, and the red head sent her a wink.

From there on out, the day passed nicely. Hermione hadn't realized how much she needed to spend time with her friends. She missed joking around with them and catching up. Before she knew it, glancing at the clock revealed that it was 5:30, and she excused herself from the home, promising to visit again soon.

But for now, she had a date with Malfoy to attend.

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