It's Draco's 28th birthday today. Had to release something for my favorite boy's birthday!
Oh, and as far as what's currently going on in the fic at this point... In all the reviews on all the sites I post, one person presented the right theory. -sniggers- But what can I say? Everything happens for a reason...
Draco's eyes widened and his brain stopped functioning as he couldn't process this new development. Granger didn't willingly kiss him. It was unheard of! And wonderful. He had never felt such intense pleasure rush over him so fast. Her lips weren't just softly giving way, they were moving against his, caressing and branding him. He pulled her closer, needing to feel her close to him. She followed, her arms coming up around his neck, her body molding itself to his.
Is this real?
Wasting no more time, he tightened his grip with one arm around her waist, letting the other hand bury itself in her hair, as he deepened the kiss, pushing the boundaries, tempting fate.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders and her response was beyond anything he could have imagined.
He felt it. The blinding light that was their combined passion. It was there. He had never thought he'd feel it again, but it was there, more powerful than ever. She wanted this. He didn't understand why or how, but somehow something just changed.
He decided not to think too much about it but just enjoy this unsuspected turn of events.
She whimpered against his lips, it was a sound born of need and frustration. She had to strain to reach him and she didn't like it. He gently maneuvered her the one baby-step it took for her back to hit the wall again, and then lifted her up so they were eye level. Now she was more comfortable. She eagerly wrapped her legs around him, making him moan softly at the mere thought of… No. Just a kiss, he'd said. It would probably kill him, but it had to end there. He had promised not to try anything. At least he'd managed to keep the bed out of this.
She was moving her body against him. He knew she couldn't help it, that she needed the small relief it gave, but it was driving him insane. He tried to steady her hip on another moan, but she just took his hand and placed it on her breast and continued moving against him.
'No groping.'
He tried to remove the hand from her tempting soft flesh, but she wouldn't have it. He couldn't take much more of this. It felt so good, he never wanted to stop, but he knew he had to. Things were rapidly spinning out of control and in a few minutes' time… he wouldn't be able to control himself anymore. There was nothing he wanted more than her and it seemed like he'd have to be the one to stop this from proceeding. It was so ironic that he'd laugh if he hadn't been so busy trying to memorize every detail about her lips.
She moved against him again and he knew he had to stop her now.
"Granger…" The name was nothing more than a gasp as she moved once again. Did she even have any idea? He looked into her eyes. Oh, yes, she did. And she liked it. This wasn't fair; he burned to take it further, but what if she regretted it later and blamed him for making false promises? He wanted her, but not like that. Not when she most likely wouldn't want to acknowledge that anything had happened between them once her hormones cooled down. "Granger," he said again. "We have to stop now."
"Why?" she asked in a throaty voice. Her hands travelled down and began slowly pulling his shirt from his trousers.
"No, please don't," he murmured, steadying her hands and stepping back, letting her slide down his body. The little witch deliberately slid down slower and closer to him than she had to. He had to close his eyes and pray for fortitude. "We're going too far," he whispered once he trusted his voice again. "It was only supposed to be a kiss."
"What if I don't mind?" she asked with a sultry look.
He almost moaned again. "Then come back tomorrow and we'll do anything you want."
"But not tonight?" She pouted at him. Merlin, how he wanted to just nibble that lower lip of hers.
"No," he choked, cursing himself for being ten kinds of fool.
Reluctantly, he stepped back from her before he forgot himself. He needed more than a step to be between them. He staggered to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, cradling his head in his hands. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this worked up and he desperately wanted release. Telling himself that he couldn't have it was extremely hard. He hoped she would appreciate it when she regained her senses.
"Do you understand me better now?" he finally asked in a hoarse whisper.
"I'm not sure…" she murmured. "This is all rather confusing. Too many impressions all at once."
"Whenever you're ready… just… just come here and I'll take it off you."
The realization that he'd lose this feeling that was purely her in a matter of minutes, or maybe even seconds, hit and with it came a sharp pain that for a second completely overrode his need.
He would never feel her again.
She would never spend time in his room again.
She would never bother to spend her time nagging at him again.
If he had to be completely honest with himself, there would never really be any reason for her to as much to say 'hi' to him again.
Not unless she really did suddenly want this and came back the next night… He desperately hoped she would, but he rather knew she'd come to her senses before then. He had no idea what had happened just now, but he knew it wouldn't last. He knew that even though she might want him right now, she didn't care about him on any level that mattered. He would have sensed it sometime during this last month if she did. Once she came to her senses, she'd feel guilty for physically wanting someone other than Theo, and she'd probably threaten Draco to keep his silence.
The funny thing was that he would never dream of telling Theo. True, Theo had said she would never want him and he could prove him wrong, but… he didn't want to hurt Hermione. He actually rather wanted to see her happy. She'd proven to be so much more than just some stuck-up know-it-all during these past four weeks, and he just couldn't ruin her relationship to the one boy she actually seemed interested in. Besides, if he did, she'd really hate him and, even though it hardly mattered, he didn't want that.
Yes, she'd been kissed by a lot of boys lately, but… it was all very circumstantial. Draco hadn't been lying yesterday when he'd told her he understood that. The Weasel had wanted her for ages, so of course he'd be making a move. Blaise had just been proving a point and, besides, with him she had seemed more confused than anything. Theo made her feel all warm and tingly, with him it was something real. And Draco himself… well, he was as pathetic as Weasley, it seemed; making moves on her and hoping that she might open her eyes and see him. The problem was… she did see him, didn't she? And she didn't like what she saw all that much.
"What's wrong?" she asked, sounding even more confused. "Why are you… sad?"
"It's nothing," he said, his voice sounding hollow even to himself. "Just come here and give me your wrist. It's everything you've been looking forward to, isn't it? Finally you'll be free of me." He couldn't help but feel bitter. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't he feel this way about Pansy instead?
"Malfoy?"
"No, Granger. I don't want to go there. You kissed me. It was nice. Better than nice. I don't have to tell you because, as promised, you felt exactly how I felt. You truly earned your freedom."
"You also promised me understanding! And I don't understand. I mean, yes, I understand that you're for some warped reason attracted to me, but I do not understand why you're suddenly acting so different from just a week ago." Her thwarted lust and his lack of cooperation were making her irritable.
He swallowed. He couldn't let her know the whole truth, but he had to give her something. "It's nothing. It just becomes rather addictive to have this bond. Comforting, really. One never feels alone, you know? I'll miss it."
"The Great Draco Malfoy gets lonely?" she mocked, obviously not feeling very gracious.
Draco scowled at her. "Everyone does. Even you, Granger. I've felt it."
She shrugged. "I can't help it if human emotions in you still surprise me."
"Maybe it should stop surprising you," he said more sharply than he'd intended. She didn't have to take her temper out on him when he was trying to do the right thing. He was frustrated too! "I am human through and through. A smart girl like you should have seen that a long time ago!"
"And what else should I have seen? That is what I want to know!"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Are we done yet?"
"Oh, we're doing that again. Ask you one question you don't like and you're dismissing me!"
"What do you expect? You're inside my feelings and still you poke fun at my humanity. I thought you had more class than that."
She was silent for a few seconds. "I'm sorry," she then quietly said. "These… feelings… they affect me. I mean, right now I can feel both yours and mine, and I don't really know which are yours and which are mine. I feel your annoyance and I have to remind myself that it's not my own. Do I affect you like this as well?"
He shrugged, a little mollified by her admission. "Yeah, I guess. A bit. But one gets better at separating the feelings with practice."
She walked closer to him. "I think I'm ready for you to take it off now."
He nodded, unable to voice a response.
Please… don't leave me.
He was really glad she couldn't read minds; he didn't know where that thought had come from. Unfortunately, he found it much harder to hide the pain that was rapidly increasing as taking the bracelet off seemed more and more inevitable. He felt like he should do or say something to make her keep it on, even though he knew it was perfectly useless. It was maddening.
"You'll get someone else to wear it," she said as she reached out her arm.
"Yes," he said, unable to look her in the eye as he spoke the lie. Instead he focused on her wrist and reached for it.
She snatched it back. "Do you always feel guilty when you lie?" she asked, tilting her head.
Damn. "I just don't see any point in arguing with you. No one else will want to wear it, I told you that."
"You're lying again."
He was. Wearing the bracelet would most likely mean marrying millions of galleons. Quite a few girls wouldn't mind. "What do you want me to say, Granger?" he asked.
"Would the truth hurt?"
Yes. "The bracelet is a dangerous toy," he carefully said. "I'm not playing with it again."
"Because it makes you addicted?" she softly inquired.
"Yes," he whispered. "You don't know what it's like, Granger. The void when it's gone…"
"And the kissing doesn't make up for it?"
He swallowed and shrugged. "Maybe." Yes. If she'd agree to wear it, he'd risk facing the void of loneliness any day. It was just putting it on someone new that put him off. He'd do anything to have her kiss him like she had been just before.
"I want to do it again!" she suddenly exclaimed.
"Huh?" he lamely said. Please, no. It's so hard to turn you down…
She went over to him and knelt between his knees. "I want to kiss again."
"No, Granger—" He was confused and almost desperate for the torment to stop. Why was she suddenly so aggressively wanting to kiss him? Just before he had to beg and bribe her for even one short unreciprocated kiss, and now she didn't seem to want to end it.
"Just a kiss…" she whispered and reached up, putting a hand on his shoulder, slanting her lips over his. He lifted a hand and burrowed it in her hair once again, cradling her neck, pulling her closer.
My sweet, well-meaning, cruel little tease.
He was aching to pull her up into his lap, to lose himself completely in the kiss, to make her forget that she had ever wanted anyone else… He couldn't say no, he wanted it too much, but it was just another taste of what he couldn't have.
She broke the kiss and frowned at him. "Why are you feeling sad now?"
"It's nothing."
"Malfoy!"
He groaned. "Stop playing with me, Granger! You know how much I want this. Do you get off on knowing just how pathetic I am being attracted to the most unlikely witch at this school? Is that why you suddenly want this?"
"Are you answering me or scolding me?"
"Did you want the bracelet off now?" he ground out instead of replying.
She scowled at him. "No, I think not."
She knew this was hard for him, yet she stubbornly refused to cooperate. He didn't know whether to shake her or to kiss her again.
Crossing her arms in front of her, Hermione grabbed a hold of the edges of her blouse and pulled it off over her head, leaving Draco to stare at an awful lot of skin. He closed his eyes, afraid that the vision was burned in his mind forever. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked in the most annoyed voice he could muster.
She laughed. It was low and teasing and gave him gooseflesh from anticipation. Damn her for doing this.
"I know you want me," she throatily said. "I can feel it. I'm just getting rid of your nonsensical objections."
"Don't think I haven't seen it before," he said, edging a bit backwards on the bed, away from temptation.
"Oh, you haven't seen me…" she murmured.
He smiled sardonically. "I haven't? Does that mean you don't have a star-shaped birthmark on your left hip?"
She stared at him, surprise momentarily overriding her determination. It would be comical if he wasn't kicking himself for letting her know.
"How do you know?" she asked.
Well, if he was in for a sickle… "I thought that was obvious – I've seen you naked before." His smirk was not entirely acting – after all, the look on her face was quite priceless.
Something to tide you over (or whatever it does) the next week or so:
"What is it?" she asked, concern flickering in her. "What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "You have to believe that I didn't know. You have to."
"Didn't know what? You're not making any sense again," she quietly said, touching his cheek.
