Rosalynn

Title: The Bet

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairings: Hermione/Draco

Disclaimer: All HP characters and plot references belong to J.K.R.

The dungon that held the green and silver draped common room was filled with students preparing for summer break. Draco sat with Crabbe and Goyle lounged on the couch with all of the first years trying to inch their way close to the popular trio.

"I'm telling you guys, I have had any girl I have ever wanted. The Malfoy's don't know what rejection is. We get what we want, when we want it," Draco boasted as he looked to his friends. Draco comes from a very prominent family within the wizarding community, the dark wizarding community. The idea of anyone telling him no was abhorrent.

"Draco, not every woman is going to throw themselves at you. Eventually you will meet someone you have to work at getting," Pansy Parkinson said as she walked by including herself in the conversation.

"Pansy, just because you were a fuck and chuck for Draco here doesn't mean there is a woman that has better taste than you!" Goyle laughed loudly at his own joke and scowled at the first years until they joined in.

"Shut it, Pansy! I could get any woman and you know it!" Draco said. He stood and started pacing the common room. He had been questioned in front of the first years, and he couldn't be questioned by anyone if he wanted unwavering allegiance from them next year. "Alright, you pick any one, and I will have them eating out of the palm of my hand by the end of summer," he suggested then turned to face them. Thinking he had thought of the perfect way to entertain himself over the summer and shut the group up, he gave them his patented Malfoy grin.

"What are the stakes?" Crabbe asked. Crabbe was a larger boy and had it not been for Draco he wouldn't really be all that popular. He was large, smelled, and was a bully. He didn't know any other way to be, but that didn't mean he liked being in Draco's shadow. He knew the one woman who wouldn't fall for Draco's charm and he planned on using this bet to get out of the shadow and cast one instead.

"You choose the girl, and don't try to pick anyone that would get me arrested for being too young or some shit or too old either. Pick an actual girl in a year under, our year, or a year older and I have the summer to sleep with her. If for whatever reason I don't, like it would ever happen, but lets just say if for the bets stake, I will give you each one thing, whatever you want as long as I can get it without having to dip into my Gringotts vault." Draco had no doubt he would win the bet, so he offered them anything. He had no problem with spending money, but if he had to get into his vault, his bloody mother would start asking questions and he didn't want to discuss his life with her.

"Alright, what if you win?" Goyle asked. He wasn't the brightest person in the world, but he knew that if Malfoy was offering up anything to him and Crabbe if they won, he would want something just as big.

"If I win, I get first dibs on any girl, so even if you twerps see her first, if I want her, you step back. I get first dibs on beds next year and you creeps have to tell Potter what a great job he did after his first quidditch match and actually shake his hand!" He knew he could have any girl he wanted anyway no matter who saw her first, but there was no way he was going to give up the good bed in their room next year just in case one of them got there first. And to have to shake Potter's hand, well that was just to humiliate them.

Goyle was certain that the girl he had in mind would win him the bet but wanted to throw one more provision into the pot. "No magic."

"No magic? We are wizards for bloody hell, and you say no magic?" Draco scoffed.

"That's right, no magic potions to make her horny, no magic spells to make you look different, no polyjuice potion to make you into a different person, no magic to make the date go perfect, just you taking the girl on dates and impressing her enough to get into her knickers," Goyle said.

"Fine, it's not like I need it anyway! No magic, you pick the girl. If you win, you get to pick whatever you want, if I win I get first dibs on any girl, on next year's beds, and you have to shake Potters hand. Deal?" Draco stuck his hand out to his friend to shake. Goyle shook first, then Crabbe. Pansy looked on with disinterest even though she knew that the poor girl would end up heartbroken just as she had.

"So, who is the girl?" Draco asked looking around the common room at the female slytherins.

Goyle whispered into Crabbe's ear and the two let out hearty laughs. "Oh no, she is not a Slytherin, did you think we were going to make this easy one you?"

"Alright, alright, then who is it?" Draco asked impatiently.

"Hermione Granger!" The boys yelled simultaneously than laughed at Draco's disgusted look.

Meanwhile back in the Gryffindor common room, Harry and Ron were having fun teasing Hermione about her lack of boyfriends since 4th year. After calmly reminding them both of the fact they they too have only had one relationship since starting school, they begin coming up with excuses.

"Well, I don't want to date anyone!" Ron yells out, getting very defensive. He stands and starts pacing the room.

"Hermione, you know that with me being, well me, the one person I do want, I could never be with without putting her in danger, why should I do that?" Harry asked calmly if not a little sullenly. Hermione felt bad. She stood from her seat and went over to Harry. She knew that his love for Ginny was dangerous and that he was alone by choice. It didn't help though that they had chosen to pick on her about her life.

"Sorry, Harry, but cut me a little slack. You both have been being nothing but giant pains about my love life for weeks. I could date if I wanted to but I don't." Both Harry and Ron seamed to find her statement funny because both began to laugh and mimic her words.

"Cut it out! What is so funny?" Hermione demanded to know.

"Like you don't want to date, sure, that's the reason!" Ron all but choked on his words.

"Fine! You pick the guy and I will be dating him by the end of the summer!" Hermione didn't typically go for bets, and she felt somewhat bad about dating someone just to prove she could, but if these two boys wouldn't shut up, she had to do something.

Harry and Ron sobered up at the thought. They began to talk in hushed whispers, discussing who to choose for her. They couldn't make it easy because they knew that if she managed to actually pull it off they would never hear the end of how she was right and they were wrong. When the boys pulled away from each other they had a mysterious grin that only makes an appearance when they are up to something.

"Ok, you guys decided, let's hear it," Hermione said.

"Draco Malfoy." Hermione gasped at their simultaneous response but quickly hid her nerves and disgust and accepted the challenge.

The Hogwarts express pulled away from the station and began its decent back to London. Hermione was monitoring the cabins and was trying to think of a way to speak to Draco. She may have been sure of herself while talking to the boys about the bet, but on the train when she needed to say something, anything, to him to at least get her foot in the door for a possible summer romance with Draco she had to start now. She looked into each cabin, checking on the students excited for summer to start. She had to remind a few that magic was no longer allowed but for the most part she left them to enjoy the ride home.

The last cabin door opened at the time her hand was about to grab the knob to open it herself and Hermione found herself face to face with none other than Draco Malfoy. She knew that for this to work she had to be nice and hide the disgust in being so close to him.

Draco was surprised to see Hermione on the other side of the door, but figured that it was as good a time as any to lay on the charm. While he couldn't stand the girl, or her friends, he had to admit that she had a nice body and was easy on the eyes ever since she had her teeth fixed in fourth year and learned how to manage that hair of hers. Over the years all the boys noticed how she was changing, but no one approached her because of her connection to Harry and Ron.

"Hermione, I was wondering if I could speak with you a moment," Draco said. He was quite proud that he used her first name instead of calling her Granger like he normally did. Hermione was a bit surprised at his words, she thought she was going to have to work a little harder to get him alone to speak with him.

"Um, sure," she squeaked out. She took a step back and he walked out of the cabin and crossed the little hall to the only empty compartment. He opened the door and walked in. She followed him but left the door open, wary of what the situation she could find herself in with a potential death eater.

"Gran…Hermione, look, I know that we don't really get along, but I would like to think that's because of the others, and not because you don't like me," Draco said breaking the silence.

"Um, I guess we don't really know each other do we?" she responded.

"I think if we had a chance to talk outside of Hogwarts, away from all of our friends, that maybe we could, I don't know, get to know each other and actually, I don't know, be friends?" Draco thought he would have a better chance of wooing this girl if he played the friend card. If he just asked her for a date she would be see right through him and know he was up to something.

"I think your right. There is no reason for us to hate each other when we know nothing about the other," Hermione responded sweetly. She wanted to flirt a little, without it being over kill. Draco was one of the most good looking boys at Hogwarts and she would be blind not to see it.

Draco was taken by surprise at her sweet voice and calm demeanor. He had truly believed he would have to work harder at getting her to speak to him. He knew that no girl could resist him, not even Hermione Granger. He was going to take her out on a date or two, pull at Fuck and Chuck, and bask in his winning glory as he watched Goyle and Crabbe shake hands with Potter.

What neither of them expected was the spark that flowed through them when Hermione was thrown into Draco as the train came to a stop alerting them they were pulling up to Kings Cross station. Her skin brushed against his and the small spark ran throughout her body. They both looked at each other with wonder and pulled apart quickly.

"So, I'll, uh, send an owl your way this summer? Maybe we could get together or something? Your, uh, parents won't mind an owl will they?" Draco asked. He knew that Hermione was a mud blood, but he was trying his best to hide his disgust.

"My parents know of our world Draco, they may be muggles, but I am not. They know what goes on and I have owls arriving all summer long." She had taken offense. Hermione had known that getting past her lineage would be a struggle. What surprised her was him making the first contact. She couldn't believe what she was hearing and feeling when he looked at her like that, or when she felt the sparks run through her.

"Hermione, I didn't mean it like that. I don't know anything about the muggle world. I didn't know if you even received owls at your parent's home."

"Oh, sorry. Yes I can receive owls. We better go, the train seems to be emptying," she said. Hermione took a step back into the walkway and headed to her compartment to gather her belongings and let Ron and Harry know that the bet was most certainly on.

Draco got his belongings as well and walked out with Crabbe and Goyle, bragging the whole time about how easy this was going to be.

~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~two weeks later ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*

Hermione was sitting in her family's living room reading when she heard a small pecking at the window. She tore her eyes away from her book and saw that it was 1130 at night. She stood and stretched and walked to the window in her pajamas. All she slept in was a small pair of boxers and a white undershirt that left nothing to the imagination. She was home alone so being in the living room dressed as such was not a big deal. Well, it wasn't until she read the letter the owl was carrying for her.

Hermione unrolled the parchment and gasped as she read that she soon wouldn't be alone.

Hermione,

I am sending this owl about 5 minutes ahead of me. I wanted to see you, but I didn't want you to be able to pretend not to be home either. I meant it when I said I wanted to get to know you. I hope you are awake to receive this letter. I am bringing some butter beer with me, I thought you might miss it being in the muggle world for the summer.

Draco

Just as Hermione set the note on the table and went to run upstairs to dress, there was a knock on the door. Sighing in frustration she walked to her front door and opened it with a forced smile on her face.

Draco stood on her front step with two to-go cups in his hands. She really did miss butter beer and she took it from him with a much more genuine smile. She stepped back to let him into her home. Draco stepped in and looked around the room in awe. He found he was really curious about many of the muggle inventions in the room, but stayed quiet on the matter.

"Hi," Draco said truly looking at her for the first time. He noticed her tiny frame was barely covered. He noticed her long legs were almost bare because the little boxers she wore were rolled at the waist. He noticed her slender stomach that lead up to her perky breasts that were not being held in place by a bra of any sort, and because of that, he noticed the dark circles showing through the thin white cotton. Draco realized his mouth was slightly open and he was openly gawking at her. He snapped his mouth shut and returned his eyes to hers.

"Hi," Hermione said, amused. The grin on her face told Draco he had been caught ogling her, but he didn't really care. The whole point was to make her feel wanted. He didn't think he would enjoy winning this bet, but if she looks like that under her school uniform, he couldn't wait to see what she looked like without the little she was wearing.

"Sorry to just show up, but I didn't know if you would see me or not. I needed to get out of my house for a bit and I didn't want to hang out with Crabbe or Goyle. They get really annoying and immature after a while, Do you know what I mean?" He found himself easily talking to her, and being honest to boot. He didn't understand why he felt like he could talk to her, but he did.

"Yes, I understand. I love my parents and the muggle world, but I no longer go to school here or can share my life with anyone here, so my summers are very lonely. I would love to get out of the house, But Ron and even Harry can get rather annoying or child like." Hermione moved to close the door and then led Draco into the living room to sit down on the couch.

Draco and Hermione stayed up and talked well into the night. They talked about school, about their families, about their reputations and how they were less than accurate. They even talked about their friends without making snide remarks.

Draco left right before sunrise with a lighter feeling within him that he didn't quite understand, but he knew he liked it. Hermione had agreed to see him again the following night and she found herself very excited at the prospect of spending more time with Draco.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~One Month Later ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Draco and Hermione had spent neary every night together since his impromptu visit a month prior. They had moved beyond spending time talking at her home, they never went to his, and had begun to go out to magical and non magical outings. They each had found solace in the other and had nearly forgotten the bet had it not been for the intense guilt they felt whenever they thought about it.

Draco had picked Hermione up on his broom and they were flying to go see a Twisted Sisters concert in Diagon Alley. They laughed and chatted the whole way and Hermione reveled in the feel of her body pressed against his. He still hadn't tried to kiss her and she was growing impatient. Draco would hold her hand and put an arm around her waist while they waited to see a movie (which Draco was fascinated by), but he had yet to make a move to push them past friends.

Draco landed the broom and they walked hand in hand into the pub. They laughed and danced and cuddled together all night. Hermione knew that her parents were aware she was out on a date and knew they would wait up for her. She didn't have a curfew, but she wanted to be alone with Draco. She genuinely wanted to move past this friendship and just kiss him to see if they had something, and if the spark she felt anytime their skin brushed against one another was any indication, they definitely had something.

"Do you want to go home, or would you like to go somewhere else?" Draco asked as they walked out of the pub. He pulled her close and dropped her hand but wrapped his arm around her waist. She smiled at him and enjoyed the contact. Her smile was contagious because as soon as Draco saw her smiling at his actions, he felt himself smile as well. He knew that there was something different about Hermione. He felt at ease with her, he felt happy with her. He hadn't felt happy in many years and he enjoyed it.

Draco didn't want to take her home. He wanted to spend more time with her, he wanted to kiss her and hold her and make her feel as happy as she made him. He never spoke these feeling out loud to anyone and had a hard time admitting it to himself. He was Draco Malfoy, son of one of the most prominent pure blooded families and Malfoy men never let a women take them over to the point of feeling vulnerable around them. Hermione knew him better than anyone, and that made him vulnerable. She could use anything he had told her against him. Hermione knew about his father abusing him, she knew about his mothers drinking problems, She knew that while he talked big game, he never intended to join the death eaters. But, when he was truly honest with himself, he didn't want to feel rejection. He knew that Hermione may not be a pure blood witch, but she was the most powerful and beautiful witch he knew.

"No, I don't want to go home. I want to spend more time with you." Hermione steped in front of Draco and was almost pressed against him. She was tired of waiting for him to make the first move, she knew she had to be assertive or nothing would come of this summer romance. She hoped it was more than a summer fling, but she knew that school would change things. Slytherns didn't date Gryffindors and Death Eaters sons did not date Harry Potter's best friend.

Draco looked into her eye and felt the draw to her. He leaned his head towards her slightly in a question, and he let his eyes drop to her lips and back to her eyes. Hermione licked her lips and raised her arms to wrap around his neck.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked. He was not only asking about staying out later, but about the kiss he was fighting to hold back.

"Most definitely," Hermione whispered. Draco closed the distance and their lips met in a firey hunger that rivaled the fires in the depths of hell. Their kiss was hungry and intense, full of feelings and longing and it ended much too quick. Draco pulled away and looked at Hermione with an almost pained expression. He knew that he had to tell her about the bet if he wanted to keep seeing her after the summer. He needed her to know that although it started out as a bet, she meant so much more to him now.

Hermione was stunned at his sudden withdraw. She felt the rejection creeping into her. She had not kissed anyone since Krum and he was her first kiss. It wasn't like she had a lot of kissing expertise, unlike Draco, who was amazing at it.

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" She felt herself on the verge of tears and had to hold them back. Draco saw the wetness pooling in her eyes and he felt even worse. He took Hermione into his arms and held her close.

"No, you did nothing wrong. I did, I didn't realize how wonderful you were and I didn't know how well we would fit together, we are great together, and I don't want us to be over when we get back on the Hogwarts Express, but I need to be honest with you. I need you to know something before anyone else can tell you. If you never want to see me again I will understand, but just know I am telling you because I do want you. I want you so bad." Draco was rambling and Hermione was getting scared.

"Draco, just tell me. Please," she pleaded with him.

"The reason I asked you to be friends with me on the train that day was because I was bet that I couldn't get you to sleep with me by the end of the summer," He grimaced as he spoke the words. He was waiting for her to yell and scream at him, maybe even slap him. Instead, she laughed. "What's so funny?" he asked

"Draco, I need to be honest with you. Harry and Ron bet me that I couldn't get you to date me. That's why I was outside of your cabin that day on the train. I promise not to be mad if you do," she said. To say Draco was stunned would be an understatement. He didn't think Hermione had a conniving bone in her body and he had to admit it was a turn on.

"That's a promise," Draco said chuckling a little. He then pulled Hermione back into him and kissed her again. Hermione was so relieved to know that Draco wanted more than a fling, and found it quite funny that they each had the same intentions in the beginning of the summer.

When Hermione pulled away to take a much needed breath, she stared into his steal grey eyes. She saw his once dark and dreary eyes come to life and become bright over the summer. She likes to think that she had something to do with it.

"So what do you win, Draco?" Hermione asked him while keeping her arms around him.

"I haven't won, Hermione. The bet wasn't for me to fall for you, the best was for me to sleep with you. I don't care that I didn't win the bet, because I have you," he said smoothly. He almost cringed at his own sappiness, but every word he said was true. The way her face lit up when he spoke those words to her was worth every bit of pansy-ness he felt for saying them. "What about you, What have you won?"

"There were no stakes laid for our bet. It was simply for I told you so's," Hermione stepped closer to him and they were nearly touching at every part. She wanted to be clear with him, she wanted him to know that her next statement was a real and honest suggestion. "What if you did win your bet, Draco?"

Draco's eyes widened in shock. He wasn't sure if Hermione was actually offering herself to him or if she just wanted to know what he would win. "Uh, if I, uh, won I would get my pick of next year's beds, girls, and Crabbe and Goyle would have to shake Potter's hand after a quidditch match."

"Well, I think you deserve the best bed, and it would be rather interesting to see Harry have to shake hands with those two, but the girls thing, yeah, I'm not so sure I should let you win that bet if they are part of the equation," She leaned up and kissed his neck softly. Draco let out a groan.

"My choice of girls is what is in the bet, and my choice is you, so that part doesn't really matter does it?" Draco was trying to fight off the erection that was growing in his pants, but if Hermione continued to kiss and lick his neck, it would be a futile effort.

"Are your parents still traveling?" Hermione asked stepping away from him. Draco nodded his head and took her by the hand to lead her to his broom.

Draco opened the door to his home and Hermione looked around at the mansion in awe. She had never been inside a home so large. It was beautiful. She wasn't sure what she expected to see here, but this sure wasn't it.

"Do you uh, want a tour or something to eat?" Draco asked rubbing the back of his neck. He was nervous for Hermione to be in his house. He had had other girls over before, but none had meant anything to him.

"No, thank you. Did you want to go listen to some music in your room or something?" Hermione really wanted to go to his room, and she felt like a little hoe-ish for being so forward with Draco, but she knew that she wouldn't be this way with anyone else.

"Yes, I think that's a good plan." Draco led Hermione by the hand up two flights of stairs and opened a door that led to a large room, completely decorated in silver and green. "Uh, I didn't do all this, my parents did it."

"It's fine Draco, you are a slytherin. The boys have all gold and red in their rooms, it doesn't bother me." Draco felt his jealousy flair when she spoke of Ron and Harry's bedrooms. Had she been in them? Had she been with them?

"So, have you and Ron ever, uh," he couldn't finish his question because he knew that it didn't matter if she had or not, he had been with many other girls and they were all in the past.

"No, we haven't. We are just friends." She looked him straight in the eyes so he could see her truthfulness. "Harry either. I have not ever, with anyone." She whispered the last part embarrassed at her lack of experience.

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with that. Are you sure you want to be here now?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded her head and then took her shirt off. Draco stared at her in her little pink lace bra and swallowed hard. "Wow."

Hermione stepped closer to him and Draco closed the distance. His mouth found hers yet again. They were ravenous for one another. Hermione pulled on Draco's shirt and the buttons popped open. She pushed the material off of his shoulders so their skin could touch. His hand wrapped around her and popped open the clasp on her bra. It was soon discarded and Draco pulled away to just look at her.

The hunger in his eyes was apparent and that made Hermione even wetter knowing that she did that to him. Draco led them to his bed and laid her down. He pulled her jeans from her body and then her little cotton panties that were the same color as her bra. A beautiful naked woman was laying on his bed and he could just stare at her.

Hermione sat up and opened the fly of Draco's pants and pushed them down his hips. He stepped out of them and pushed his boxers off as well. Hermione openly gawked at his large member before attentively taking in her hand and learning how he liked to be stroked. His moans became longer and rougher after a while and Draco had to stop the girl before he lost it before he was even inside of her.

Draco placed himself above Hermione on the bed and kissed her hard. He let his lips move along her jaw and down her neck. The brown tips of her breast were calling to him so he spent ample time worshiping them with licks and sucks and fondling. Hermione was moaning and begging him for more. She had never felt so good, or so turned on in her life.

Draco place himself at her entrance and looked into her eyes. He wanted to be sure that this is what she wanted. When she lifted her hips to try and take him into her, he knew the answer. He pressed himself into her slowly until he reached her barrier. "I'm sorry this will hurt. Tell me to stop and I will." He then thrust hard to break the skin. Hermione tensed up at the pain and Draco held still to let her get over the pain.

"More," she whispered after a minute. Draco kissed her again and began to thrust into her. He has had many women before Hermione, but none were as good as her.

After she cried out in pleasure, Draco allowed himself to cum as well. He rested his forhead against hers and kissed her nose.

"Hermione?" he whispered.

"yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too"

The kissed and made love again later that night, ignoring the world, and the hard road ahead of them. They were together, and they were happy.