Draco
When Granger sits next to me in arithmacy, my alpha recoils at the reeking scent of oranges and cloves. I can't help the sour look on my face but stare forward. As usual, she doesn't say anything to me as she prepares for class. From my periphery, there isn't anything physically different about her, which I'm thankful for. I'm unsure how my alpha would handle seeing a love bite on her neck. My hackles are already raised from the scent alone. Ridiculous .
I'm also pleased to note that she doesn't seem to be airheaded now after spending time with an alpha. And not just any alpha, Viktor fucking Krum.
Through the day, I'm followed by the stench of him as Granger and I go through our classes and I'm very much not looking forward to our flying lessons today. The only thing that makes me feel a bit smug is that Nott has the same pinched look on his face, that I know I have on my face, when she sits next to him.
Even with my annoyance, I still wait for Granger in my usual spot.
A small smile tugs at her lips, "hey."
"Granger," her name is clipped coming from my mouth.
"What's the plan today?" She asks as I fall in step with her.
"I'm going to try and get you to actually get from one point to another," I answer, my voice more controlled than before.
Nodding, she digs in her bag and pulls out her shorts and boots from her book bag before placing them on the ground.
Keeping my eyes on the sky in search of my broom, I give her privacy to pull on her shorts and change her shoes. I want to ask her why she doesn't wear shorts under her skirt. Isn't it a little dangerous for her not to? Once my broom is in my hand, she looks at me expectantly.
"You are able to go up and down without me now, which is great. The broom mostly comes to your hand when you call it. So now," I point my wand at a bush about ten feet away and turn a branch into a flag, "go from here to there. Just one way for right now."
A thick swallow comes from her but she nods, "okay. Yeah."
"Start with calling the broom up." I lay down the broom and transfigure my textbook into a chair knowing this can take a while.
Her voice commands the broom up and very slowly it rises to meet her hand. She looks at me with a grin as it does and I can't help the upturn of my lips even in my state of annoyance.
"Great, now mount," once she does I nod, "and kick off. Try to not go more than a few feet off the ground."
Granger's anxiety plays out on her face but nonetheless, she's in the air. Her boot-clad feet are only a couple feet off the ground.
"Now, just like when you go up and come down, use that energy to go towards the flag."
Her eyes close and her brows furrow in concentration.
"You need to open your eyes to see where you're going," I remind her.
Her eyes open and she gives me a look.
"Just focus on the flag, c'mon Granger," I sigh heavily, leaning back into the chair a bit more. I'm sure if it was Krum helping her, she'd have no problem . No, I can't let my alpha become irrational during her lesson. It doesn't work for either of us when it happens. Regardless, irritation starts to eat away at me. My fingers are digging into the wood of the chair before relaxing and digging in again.
Slowly, but surely, Granger starts to move in the direction of the flag. Her eyes are glaring at the flopping fabric. She only manages about five feet before she comes crashing to the ground. My alpha tenses and an overwhelming urge to take her into my arms to examine and comfort her have me by the throat. I forcefully ignore it as I dash out of my chair and hurry towards her, "all right, Granger?"
She shifts from being on all fours to sitting on her bottom. Her stockings are ripped, her knees and hands are scraped, and she looks furious .
"Shit," I murmur and kneel next to her. My hand comes to the back of her knee, gently grasping the silk-covered leg. Pressing my fingertips a bit harder, my alpha wanted to leave a mark on her soft body. Bloody moron. I only spare a glance at her face before casting a healing charm over the bloody knee and repairing her tights before going to the other leg.
My hand is between her legs now, my fingers spread carefully over the tender spot of the back of her knee with my thumb lightly rubbing along the side of the injury. Another wordless wave of my wand and the scrape is healed and tights are as good as new.
My mouth is dry, I feel my eyes are blown, and all I want to do is sink my teeth into her thighs and–"There." I meet her angry eyes, ignoring my alpha.
"I'm trying again," she huffs and stands up, picking up the broom, and storms off to her original spot.
Hermione
I can smell and feel Malfoy's annoyance all day. I'm unsure as to why he could be in such a mood but I don't let it affect my happy mood. Even if my omega has spent the day telling me to comfort him, I just ignore it. Besides, he's most likely not irritated with me. I'm a bit nervous about our lesson though, because if he's annoyed he could end up taking it out on me during our lessons.
But he doesn't.
He's sitting casually in the transfigured chair, eyes on me as he gives directions. Now, just a few feet off the ground he's telling me to start towards the flag.
Over the course of the last couple of weeks, I'd greatly improved in bonding with his broom, it answers my call and takes me off the ground, and comes back down. Even the time away I spent during my heat didn't impact my progress, thankfully.
Getting from one point to another is proving to be a lot more difficult than getting off the ground.
"Now, just like when you go up and come down, use that energy to go towards the flag." He calls out from his spot.
My eyes close and I frown in concentration. Think it, will it, visualize it.
"You need to open your eyes to see where you're going," he reminds me and I grit my teeth.
I finally open my eyes and give him a look. Pushy prat .
"Just focus on the flag, c'mon Granger," his tone sounds a bit exasperated and I try to shove off the embarrassment that's creeping in.
I helped defeat a "dark lord" and have been dubbed "the brightest witch of my age" and I can't get this bloody stick to fly. Cursing out Professor Onyx in my mind, I focus that irritated energy toward reaching the flag.
The broom starts moving slowly and I'm feeling relieved that I'm moving. I'm doing it, I'm riding a broom and it's listening.
But just as fast as the relief came in, it comes crashing down when the broom drops out from under me. I land hard on my hands and knees, causing pain to shoot up my arms and down my legs. "Fuck," I mumble.
I'm shifting to sit on my ass when Malfoy runs up, "all right, Granger?"
My hands and knees are bleeding and the stockings are torn at my knees. Embarrassment and anger flood me and I feel my face getting hot.
"Shit," he murmurs and kneels in front of me. His hand braces the back of my leg and I almost jerk my leg out of his touch. He is touching such a sensitive part of me with his light touch. The anger and embarrassment I feel are too great and have my omega cowering in the back of my mind. The pressure of his fingertips on my thighs causes me to pause in the unfiltered cursing that is going through my mind. His gaze briefly meets mine before he heals my knee and fixes my tights. Once he goes to the other knee, I feel his thumb rubbing along the side of my knee and now my omega is feeling a bit more brave in coming out.
Once both tights are fixed, he meets my gaze, "there."
His eyes are blown and he smells tempting . My omega tries to firmly push her way in at the attention of Draco but that's quickly put away as the embarrassment burns off and my anger remains. The flag isn't even that far away!
"I'm trying again," I huff and stand. I grab his broom and stalk off to my starting spot. Malfoy's eyes are on me and I don't let that keep me from getting back on the broom.
He starts to talk to me as he closes the distance between us. "It's okay if you want to take a break and-"
"No, I'm getting to the flag," I cut him off and study his silver eyes, "I don't care how long it takes me."
An amused look comes to his face, " Gryffindors ," he tries to tease, I presume but I'm really not in the mood for it. "We do have supper and I have evening plans so hurry it up." He waves his hand but doesn't go back to his seat.
I glare at him and resist the urge to tell him to go fuck himself.
Kicking off the ground, I'm in the air again. I swallow thickly and focus on the flag in the distance. Again, the broom and I fall out of the air. And again, scraped palms and knees. I get to my feet, not bothering to repair my tights or heal my wounds. It's going to happen again and again.
"Granger?"
"I'm fine, Malfoy!" I snap and grab the broom and storm to where he's still standing and get back on.
"Hermione," he puts his hand on my shoulder, "let's move the flag closer. I think I was too advantageous putting it that far out."
My name coming from his lips and the warmth from his hands stops me from kicking off, "I should be able to get to it." He's touched me a lot out of his own accord today and it makes me start to internally panic. Did my scent inhibitor wear off already? There's no way! My mind quiets as he speaks again.
"We've been working on the broom answering your call and getting you up and down," he squeezes my shoulder lightly, "you're getting at least a few feet away from your start point and that's growth ." All my mind can focus on is the soothing tone of voice he's using with me which causes my anger to subside.
I blink at him a few times before finally nodding. He pulls his hand back and points his wand towards the flag and makes it appear five feet away, "you got that far the first time, let's try this."
Nodding again, I grip the broom a bit tighter and kick-off. He's still near me and looks up, "great. Just a few feet." He encourages.
I lean forward and focus on the red flapping fabric. Please, please , I repeat in my head and start moving slowly.
Closing the gap, I feel the smile on my face until the broom drops out from under me, but this time I'm able to land on my feet.
Malfoy walks to me with a grin, "see?" He pulls my scraped hands into his and heals the shallow scrapes before kneeling and healing the ones on my knees. This reminds me of when we were in year three and I knelt to pick up my books and he said it was my place... He doesn't look so bad on his knees before me either. At this point, I feel like his hands have been all over me. My hands, my legs... Gripping the back of my leg again, he points his wand against the torn tights and they repair themselves once again. "There you go," he stands and dusts off his knees.
"Thanks," I murmur and hold the broom out to him.
He takes it and shrugs, "anytime."
"Tired of your community service hours yet?" I ask as we walk back to where our bookbags are.
"Hmm," he picks up his book bag, "not yet. Ask me again when we need you to go ten feet."
A laugh comes from me before I can stop it, "I'll check in then, I guess." I shake my head and pull my backpack on. Now that I'm not angry or annoyed, my omega ventures back out. All she wants to do is sink her claws into him and not let go.
He laughs as well, "thank you so much."
"But uh," I clear my throat and dig the toe of my boot into the ground, "I appreciate it. I wouldn't be able to graduate without this. So uh, thank you." Even if it's community service he has to do, he could have made this the worst experience and he isn't... My face is aflame again and I feel it blossoming across my chest but I keep my eyes on him.
His own flush blushes his nose, "don't thank me yet. We need you to be able to run the first-year course without falling."
"You have a lot of work ahead of you," I hum and start towards the castle.
Malfoy falls in step with me, "you'll get it. I'm sure."
Draco
I know Gryffindors are stubborn but Granger takes the cake. She was willing to tear up her hands and knees to push herself into doing something that she just isn't capable of at this point in her lessons.
She falls again and I call out her name just for her to snap back at me, "I'm fine, Malfoy!" She grabs the broom and stomps over to me and mounts again.
At this point, I know she's going to push herself to the point where she's going to be bruised and battered. Neither my alpha nor myself will allow that. Before I can stop myself, my hand comes to her shoulder, "let's move the flag closer. I think I was too advantageous putting it that far out."
"I should be able to get to it," she responds in frustration.
"We've been working on the broom answering your call and getting you up and down," I squeeze her shoulder lightly, "you're getting at least a few feet away from your start point and that's growth ." I don't want her beating herself up over this. We still have so much time for her to get this.
After a few beats, she nods and I pull my hand back to grab my wand. Pointing it to the flag, I flick my wrist and it moves to be only five feet away, "you got that far the first time, let's try this." Once she's in the air, I look up at her, "great. Just a few feet."
I stay close to her in case she drops down unexpectedly again in hopes I can catch her to avoid further harm. Slowly she inches towards the flag before the broom drops out but she lands on her feet. The smile on her face melts away a bulk of my annoyance. Ridiculous . I walk over and smile at her, "see?" Gently, I take her hands into mine and heal the shallow scrapes before kneeling in front of her. Want to run my hands up the thighs and up to the lace, playing with– no. After healing her knees I repair her tights, again. She has experienced plenty of things being ruined and cuts much deeper than scrapes because of me. Taking care of her now is the least I can do. "There you go," I stand and brush the dirt off my knees. I know my father is turning in his cell in Azkaban right now.
"Thanks," she holds the broom out to me.
Taking it, I shrug, "anytime."
We start towards our book bags when she speaks up again, "tired of your community service hours yet?"
"Hmm," I should be, but I'm not. "Not yet. Ask me again when we need you to go ten feet." I tease and hope it actually comes across as such because it usually doesn't.
When she laughs, my alpha is on the edge of letting out a rumble of appreciation. My girl laughed for me . I pinch the top of my thigh harshly. She's not my girl and she's not laughing for me . Dolt of an alpha.
"I'll check in then, I guess." She shakes her head as she pulls her backpack on.
My own laugh comes out, "thank you so much."
"But uh," her tone makes me look up at her and my heart squeezes at the sight of her self-consciously toeing the ground, "I appreciate it. I wouldn't be able to graduate without this. So uh, thank you." Her face is a lovely pink shade that is traveling down to her chest and all I want to do is cover the soft pink in kisses- no I don't .
Between my out-of-control alpha thoughts and the flushing girl I feel my own face warm, "don't thank me yet. We need you to be able to run the first-year course without falling." That is better than any of the lewd things my alpha wants to propose.
"You have a lot of work ahead of you," she hums and starts towards the castle.
"You'll get it, I'm sure," I say as I fall in step with her, peeking at her profile.
We walk back to the castle together, not feeling the need to fill the comfortable silence with mindless chatter.
Granger doesn't smell like citrus anymore and my annoyances have faded.
Maybe it's because she smells more like me now.
Maybe.
Maybe not.