{ 9 }
Sleep evaded me for the rest of the night. By the time I rolled out of bed Monday morning, my head was pounding. I had replayed the events of the previous day over and over in my mind. I took my shower and combed my hair without any thought to the process.
Time to see what fresh Hell awaits me today.
My stomach growled at me as soon as I entered the Great Hall. A reminder that I missed dinner last night.
Theo was sitting at the table when I got there. He looked more well rested, but still just as sour as he had been yesterday. If I had to guess, dreamless sleep was involved. He looked at me, but quickly averted his eyes. Honestly, I'm too exhausted, mentally and physically, to deal with him today.
I took a seat several places down, almost to the end of the table. If he noticed, I wasn't paying attention enough to know it. I kept my focus on my plate and ignored everything around me. The dull throbbing in my head started to subside as I ate my sausage and egg breakfast.
Still, I felt like I was simply going through the motions as I stood and headed towards the Arithmancy classroom. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Granger move towards the door at the same time. We met up at the entryway.
"You seem a bit off this morning," she said in greeting. I cracked my first wry smile of the day.
"Yes, well, I couldn't get a certain witch out of my head all night last night."
Her face flushed and she bit into her lower lip to keep from smiling.
As we climbed the stairs, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was a little worried that after our quasi-argument in the library she would push me away.
"Granger?" Her name was called out from behind us just as we stepped onto the second floor landing.
Hermione visibly tensed, clenched her hands into fists before turning slowly around to face him.
"Nott." Her voice was emotionless. The humor and teasing from a moment ago was gone.
Theo wiped his hands on his pants legs nervously. He averted his eyes, staring past our feet rather than at either one of us.
"The things I said yesterday morning were awful and I didn't mean it." He said it in a rush. How many times had he rehearsed that in his head before he got up the nerve to say it out loud?
She crossed her arms over her chest and popped her hip out.
"I didn't mean to break your nose." She tilted her head to the side and raised her brow. "It still hurt like hell, though, didn't it?"
Damn.
Theo ran his palm over the back of his neck and muttered a soft "yes."
"Let's just call it even and move on." She watched him for about two seconds before turning around and resuming her walk to the classroom.
I find it hard to believe she would forgive him that easily. She still isn't talking to Potter for whatever he said on the train weeks ago, and I know for a fact he would never have called her a mud…well, that word.
I watched her go. Her hair swayed back and forth with every step she took. So did her arse, for that matter.
She may have let Theo off easy, but I have no intention of doing so. As soon as she was out of sight, I turned on my fellow Slytherin. My lip curled up in disdain.
"Just to be clear, we are not even." I gestured between Theo and myself. "I swear to Merlin and Salazar, if you ever call her that word again, a broken nose will be the least of your worries."
His eyes widened and his face paled. I had never threatened Theo before. He was arguably my best friend. I meant every word, though, and by the look on his face, he knew it.
Hermione sat beside me again, much closer than she had last week. I held my quill in my right hand. My left hand rested on the table, right next to hers. Every time she tapped her fingernails against the wood, her arm would rub against mine.
It was distracting.
Fifteen minutes in, I couldn't take it anymore. She started tapping again as I was trying to write out the next step. She might be able to do these damn things in her head, but I cannot.
My hand covered hers, just to make her stop with the tapping. I finished writing out the next step, then I glanced over, to make sure she was okay. She looked at me. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks were pink.
"Sorry," she mouthed. She started to slide her hand out from under mine.
My hand tightened around hers, just a little. Just enough. I held her gaze a little longer, then resumed taking notes.
She could have moved her hand away. Instead, she flipped it over and intertwined her fingers with mine.
I'm not sure which was more distracting, though. Her incessant tapping, or her fingers wrapped around mine for the duration of the class. I can only hope that the notes I took will make sense when I look at them later. I know I did not comprehend a single word that Vector was saying.
When class ended, she released my hand and stood while I packed up my notes. As soon as I was ready, I stood and reclaimed her hand. I could feel Vector's eyes on us as we left the classroom.
"What do you think you're doing?"
We barely made it out of the classroom when the sharp voice stopped us. I looked up to see three of our classmates blocking our path. Ernie MacMillan, Dean Thomas and Justin Finch-Fletchey. It was MacMillan that had asked the question. His eyes were narrowed and he was glaring at Hermione.
Odd. He should be glaring at me, not her.
"The plan was to go to Herbology, then lunch." She blinked at him, feigning confusion.
I smirked at her response. If nothing else, this should be entertaining.
"Why are you holding hands with a Death Eater?"
He whispered 'Death Eater'. I tried to contain my laugh, but it escaped anyway.
She looked down at our joined hands, then up to me, then at our hands again before refocusing on Ernie.
"Why do you think?" She rolled her eyes. "Obviously he's imperiused me into thinking I'm his girlfriend or something."
I choked on air. Dean hid a laugh behind his hand. Justin's eyes doubled in size.
Ernie pulled his wand.
"You think that's funny? Because it looks to me like you're fucking around with a Death Eater."
She squeezed my hand so tightly my fingers tingled.
"So what if I am?" She tilted her head to the side and let her lip tilted up in a sinister grin.
His nose curled up in disgust.
"I just thought you were better than that. I never saw you as a slag before." He took a step closer. His eyes raked down her body. She tensed, coiled, ready to strike.
"You should think long and hard about the next words to leave your mouth, MacMillan." My tone left no question whatsoever about the threat that underlied my words. Not that I would be the one he had to worry about.
He turned his glare on me.
"What are you going to do about it, Malfoy?" He sneered at me.
"Me?" I smirked at him and rubbed my thumb over Hermione's wrist. She relaxed a tiny bit. Maybe. "Not me. I'm going to stand back and watch her kick your arse. I'll enjoy every second of it."
"She isn't denying it, though. Are you?" He gripped his wand tighter, preparing to need it. Then he looked her up and down again. "If I had known you were that easy, I might have gone after some myself."
Dean and Justin both stepped back, exchanging looks and shaking their heads.
Hermione released my hand and crossed her arms over her chest defensively.
"Then again," I stepped forward. "I might just kick your arse myself."
Because as much as he deserved it, she could not afford another trip to McGonagall's office.
He flinched. Interesting. He wasn't scared to intimidate her, but he was scared of me. Because I'm a Death Eater? Or because she's a girl?
"Don't." She found her voice. "He isn't worth it."
I glanced back at her and met her gaze. She can't afford McGonagall's office, but I can't afford Azkaban, which is exactly where I would end up if I killed this twerp.
"That was way out of line, Ernie." Justin spoke up. "You should apologize."
Dean nodded in agreement.
"We just wanted to make sure," Dean spoke to Hermione for the first time.
"You wanted to make sure of what?" She raised her brow and glared at her housemate. "You wanted to stick your noses somewhere it doesn't belong. None of you give a damn about me. We are not friends. Why would you give a fuck who I choose to spend my time with?"
"Why would you choose to spend your time with him?" Dean fired back.
"That's none of your business." In the blink of an eye, her wand was in her hand. "This conversation is over. Move."
Reluctantly, the three men moved to the side so we could pass.
"But, you are a muggle born." Justin's voice was quiet as she passed him. She paused and met his eye.
"I am a witch, Justin. If the war we just fought should have taught us anything, it's that lineage does not matter." She glanced at all of them before continuing on.
"No, but the dark mark on his arm does." Dean shot back again.
My arm itched uncomfortably. That damn mark would be with me for the rest of my life. I never should have gotten it. I know that now. But then…
My stomach rolled. I was a different person then.
"Does it?" She challenged, staring hard into each of their eyes in turn. "Whatever that mark once represented, it clearly does not represent anymore."
She slipped her hand into mine once again.
She was right. I don't believe in anything the mark stands for anymore. I haven't for a very long time. And yet it remains.
Pain. Fear. Death. Destruction. That's what the mark represents for me now. It's ugly and twisted. A black mark on my skin and on my soul.
With a final look at each of them, I led her down the stairs. It wasn't until we got to the ground floor and stepped outside that she took a long, shaky breath.
"Assholes." She let go of my hand and fished her cigarettes out of her bag. We ducked behind the equipment shed by the greenhouses before she lit the end of it with her wand.
"You know everyone is going to be thinking the same thing, one way or the other. The two of us don't make sense." I tried to warn her, didn't I? Last week, when she sat next to me for the first time. Her answer was that she did not give a shite what anyone else thought of her. "They just had the stones to say it to you instead of behind your back."
She took a drag and tapped her fingers against the metal building.
"I think we make perfect sense," she said finally. I rolled my eyes. Of course she would.
"Yes, well, you are brilliant. You can look beyond face value. Most people cannot."
The air around us was damp. The clouds were low and dark. It wasn't raining yet, but it would be soon. The pounding in my head had only increased.
"Do you think we make sense?"
I nearly snorted at the absurdity of the question. No. No, we do not. But at the same time, we really do. It's crazy. Sheer insanity. Then again, maybe that's the whole point?
"Of course not." I rolled my eyes. "Where would the fun be in that?"
She laughed. Her face brightened. Her shoulders relaxed.
"Fair enough, Malfoy." She finished off her cigarette just as the bell indicating the start of the next period sounded.
"You are a bad influence, Granger. This is the second class you've made me late for in the last week."
"Whatever. I didn't force you to stop." She grabbed my hand and pulled me out from behind the shed.
We slipped into the open greenhouse and blended in with the rest of the class while Sprout was explaining the dangers of belladonna.
Sprout may not have noticed our late arrival, but there were others that did. Potter and Weasley to name two.
I met Potter's gaze. The glare he had tossed at me for the last month was gone. In its place was mild irritation. Progress, I suppose.
We stood towards the back of the greenhouse, leaning side by side against an empty table. In this instance, neither of us needed the instruction on how to harvest the poisonous plant without dying in the process. We half listened while watching the other students in the class.
The hour flew by quickly. We waited until everyone else had filed out of the greenhouse before picking up our bags and following.
"Mr. Malfoy. Miss Granger." Professor Sprout's shrill voice stopped us before we made it out the door. "Since you were both late coming in, you can put the belladonna away in the back room. Don't forget to lock the door when you are done. And do be careful. I certainly hope you were paying closer attention to the handling instructions than it appeared."
Hermione bit into her bottom lip, but still managed a short laugh.
"Of course, Professor." I answered for both of us.
She raised her eyebrow before nodding at us and leaving.
"I knew you were a bad influence." I joked with her, nudging her shoulder as her giggles broke free.
We made short work of levitating the plants into the back storage room. We locked it as instructed and made sure there were no stray poisonous leaves lying about before we left the greenhouse.
Rain had finally started to seep through the clouds. A steady drizzle fell. We stood together in the doorway just watching it, neither of us moving to step out into the rain.
Hermione searched through her bag for a minute, then pulled out a plastic bottle. She opened it, tipped it on its side against her palm, and shook out two brown tablets.
"Here." She held her hand out to me. I looked at the small round objects in her palm for longer than I should have. I've never seen anything like them. "It's for your headache."
My eyes met hers. How did she know? I hadn't said anything about the dull throb behind my eyes all morning.
"Please. I'm an expert on headaches. I think I can recognize when someone else has one." She lifted her palm again.
"What is it?" I asked carefully. I didn't want to offend her, but what the hell am I supposed to do with those?
"It's ibuprofen. It's a type of muggle medicine." She reached into her bag again and pulled out a bottle of water. "Put it on your tongue, then drink some water to swallow it. Do not chew it up. Trust me on that one."
"Is there anything you don't have in that bag?" I joked as I took the bottle from her hand.
"Pain relief potion." She smirked at me. "I'm allergic to it. Hence the muggle medicine for my migraines."
I took one of the pills from her hand and followed her instructions. Seemed easy enough. I did the same with the second pill.
"It didn't work." My head was still pounding.
"It takes a little longer to work than a potion. You'll feel better by the time lunch is over."
That seems like a long time after taking the medicine for it to work. Maybe I should get a pain relief potion from Pomphrey anyway? Just in case this muggle medicine does not work.
"Are you going to tell me about your migraines now?" I asked as we stepped out into the rain.
"Not much to tell, really." She pushed her hair back and tilted her face up into the rain. "I've had them my whole life. As long as I can remember, anyway. They used to be pretty rare. One every few months that would last a few hours. As I got older, they came on more frequently and lasted longer."
I opened the door to the castle and held it open until she stepped past me.
"What about now?"
She sighed as she ran her hands through her wet hair.
"Now, they hit about every two weeks. Some are worse than others. Friday's was pretty bad."
"Pretty bad?" I scoffed. I had only seen her look that terrible once before. On the floor of the drawing room. A shudder passed down my spine. "You looked like death warmed over."
"Thanks." She smirked and rolled her eyes.
Ahead of us, just before the Great Hall, there was a group of students. As we neared them, I could hear raised voices. I looked closer and noticed Ernie MacMillan, Dean Thomas, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
Ernie laughed at the redhead.
"Maybe she needed you and Harry to tag team to keep her satisfied."
Ron had him shoved against the wall with his wand at the other boy's throat before I could even draw my own wand.
"I will curse you to within an inch of your life if you say anything like that about her again." His voice was calm. Cold. No question that he would do exactly that.
"Hey! It's not my fault you lost your girlfriend to Malfoy."
"She was never mine to lose." He dug his wand further into Ernie's throat.
Hermione stood next to me, frozen, watching the scene unfold. My eyes met Potter's for a long moment. I think he was waiting for me to step in. I was just waiting for Weasley to curse him already. If it had been me, he wouldn't have hesitated.
"Ernie. I'm starting to think you have an unhealthy obsession with me." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to one side. "If I didn't know better, I would think you are jealous."
"That's absurd." He didn't sound quite as haughty with a wand at his throat.
Ron glanced back and saw us standing behind them. Reluctantly, he relaxed his grip and stepped back. His wand stayed firmly in his grasp.
"Two years ago, I walked in on you and Penelope, remember?" His face turned red as she took a step closer. "What did you say to me that night? After you pulled your pants up and I took fifty points from your house? Do you remember? Because I do."
He glared at her menacingly.
"I remember. I told you that you were the least desirable witch in this castle and no wizard would ever want to be with you."
I cringed. That was harsh. It also sounded like something I would have said, in my past life.
"And yet now you think I'm a slag. What changed? Is it the hair? The tattoo? That you saw me holding hands with someone?" She advanced on him with every question until she stood only inches in front of him. She had to look up to keep her gaze on his.
"I stand by what I said. You're even less desirable now. You look like a freak. Probably why Malfoy's into you. He's a freak, too."
"That's enough." It was Potter that spoke up. "Hermione, ignore him. Nobody thinks you are a freak."
Her hand twitched. The only outward indication that she was bothered by the whole ordeal. I suddenly remembered the day on the train. Overhearing Potter tell Weasley, " you need to apologize for telling her she looks like a circus freak."
"No worries, Harry. I am who I am. Think whatever you want about me, Ernie. I would be careful which lies you choose to spread about me and my friends, though. Unless you want people to know the truth about you."
She tilted her head once again and appraised him. Then she smirked and winked at him. Actually fucking winked.
Which only begged the question, what dirt does she have on MacMillan?
His face paled, so whatever it is, he does not want it spread around the school like wildfire.
"You wouldn't dare," he whispered harshly.
"Keep telling people that I'm a slag and find out." Her eyes narrowed. "Or you could do us both a favor and stay the fuck out of my life."
He visibly swallowed. His eyes darted around to each of us, then back to her. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something. Then he thought better of it. His mouth snapped shut. Fire flashed in his eyes before he pushed past her and stormed away.
"Don't all of you jump to defend me at once," I stated sarcastically, drawing attention away from Granger. "He called me a freak too, you know."
Hermione grinned at me, then laughed as she rolled her shoulders back.
"It's not funny. That was insulting." I smirked at her and she laughed harder. I fucking love the sound of her laugh. It's the sound of hope and joy and everything good in the world.
"Don't worry, Malfoy. We can come up with better insults for you than that." Potter rolled his eyes.
"Let's just get lunch, yeah? I'm starving." Weasley shook his head in what could almost be amusement as he walked away.
"You're starving?" Hermione gave him a wry smile. "I'm shocked!"
Weasley froze in place. Potter's eyes widened. Even Hermione seemed to stop, surprised at the easy banter that had slipped out.
Ron turned slowly to face her. Otherwise, no one moved. Hermione was next to me, her hand found mine and squeezed. I squeezed back.
His eyes searched hers for a long moment before his mouth lifted on one side.
"Welcome back, Mione." He nodded his head in acknowledgement, then turned and walked away.
Harry grinned at her before following his sidekick to the Great Hall.
"Fuck." She released a deep sigh.
We were alone in the hallway now. I leaned closer to her.
"So what do you have on MacMillan?" I asked quietly.
"Not a damn thing," she admitted with a smirk. She shook her head to herself and seemed to deflate as the weight of the entire encounter settled. She leaned her head against my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist in a brief hug.
So, she had threatened him with nothing to back it up. Nice. A very Slytherin thing to do.
"Is today over yet?" She sounded tired. Done.
"It's only lunchtime." I hated to break that to her. She whimpered against my chest. "If we don't get moving, we'll miss it altogether."
She sighed again, then stepped away from me. She rolled her shoulders back, flipped her hair over her shoulder and popped her hip out.
"Fine. Let's go eat before we starve to death." Just like that, the snarkiness and laughter was back. I could see it for what it was, though. A mask.
How long can she keep this act up? I know from personal experience how exhausting it is, to pretend like everything is fine when in reality it is anything but.
"After you." I held the door open for her and we parted ways.
Without thinking about it, I sat in my usual seat next to Theo. Hermione sank slowly into the empty seat by Potter. Harry turned to look at her, his face breaking out in a smile. Weasley even stopped shoveling food into his mouth for a moment to acknowledge she was there. Her eyes lifted and met mine. My gaze stayed locked on hers for several heartbeats.
"I thought you weren't talking to me anymore." Theo snarled from beside me. I blinked quickly and turned to look at him for a brief moment before filling my plate with food.
"I didn't." I shrugged my shoulder. He talked to me, not the other way around. Besides, he's still my best friend.
"Why aren't you sitting with your girlfriend?" The sarcasm dripped from his voice.
"At the Gryffindor table?" I nearly snorted with laughter. I can't believe he suggested that. I would be murdered before I even sat down.
I could feel the weight of his stare. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him watching me. His lip tilted up in a smirk.
"At least you aren't denying it anymore." He released a deep sigh and ran his hand through his hair.
"Like you were listening anyway." I rolled my eyes. I have to face the fact that I just don't have the energy to be angry with him. In fact, I don't have the energy to do much of anything. Bone deep exhaustion settled over my whole body.
This must be what Hermione felt, in the hallway. That brief moment where she collapsed against me before pulling herself back up. My eyes met hers again. She was watching me as she nibbled on her food.
"I don't know why I said that," he mumbled softly. "If she didn't hate me before, I'm sure she does now."
I paused in eating my chips, turned to look at him for a second. I could see the remorse in his eyes.
"If she can find it in her heart to forgive me, I'm sure she'll forgive you. It'll take time."
I still haven't figured out why she would have forgiven me. Hell, had she forgiven me? I'm assuming, but she's never said it. I've never asked. We should probably have that conversation.
"It was so fucking stupid." He pushed the food around on his plate, then pushed the plate back.
"No shit." I hope he wasn't expecting me to argue the point with him. It was fucking stupid. "What were you thinking? I have never heard you refer to her like that before. Never."
"Of course, the one time that I do and she's standing right behind me. Aside from the slur, I meant what I said. She could be up to something. Watch yourself." He pushed away from the table, got up and left without another word.
What did he think she would be up to? I tried to step back and think through it objectively. If she had an ulterior motive, what would it be?
She could be spying on you for Potter.
Not likely. If that were the case, he wouldn't have tried to warn me away.
She could be plotting to put you in Azkaban.
More likely. She certainly had reason to hate me from a former life. So many people had told me I deserved to rot. People that I had never personally affected. If they could wish me ill, she could as well.
She could be plotting to bring down the entire Malfoy family.
Entirely possible. If she held a vendetta against anyone, it would be my family. She was tortured on my drawing room floor, by my deranged aunt. I am the last of the Malfoy family bloodline. If I become a blood traitor…too late…the line would end. If I settle down with a half blood or muggleborn, the pureblood Malfoy and Black lines will cease to exist.
Hell, she might be thinking bigger than just taking down the Malfoy family. She could be plotting to take down all the pureblood families, starting with mine.
The plan seemed to be rather ambitious and devious. Something a Slytherin would embark on. I had never seen her back down from a challenge, though. And I had just witnessed her blackmail MacMillan into keeping his mouth shut under threat of revealing his secret - a secret that she doesn't even know.
Ambitious and devious.
Okay. It's plausible. Hermione Granger could be using me to take down the entire pureblood establishment, starting with the Malfoy and Black bloodlines.
If that's the case, do you even care?
Do I? I am plotting with my aunt to defect from my family anyway. With or without Granger by my side.
You would rather she was with you.
Yes, I would.
And no, I don't care if that is her ultimate plan. I would gladly help her with that pursuit.
And when you succeed and she doesn't need you anymore?
I looked up from my plate. She was finished eating and watching me. She lifted her brow and tilted her head towards the door.
The hard questions can wait till later. I pushed my nearly empty plate away and stood. She followed suit, leaving her friends sitting at the table. We met at the door.
"You looked like you were deep in thought." She stepped out into the hallway ahead of me.
"I was, I suppose." We began the trek towards the history of magic lecture hall. "Theo thinks you are using me somehow. I was thinking through different scenarios in which that may be the case."
She smirked and shook her head.
"Slytherins," she muttered under her breath. Then she slipped her hand into mine. "Did you come up with anything good?"
"A few plausible ideas." I don't see any reason to lie to her.
"And yet?" She held our joined hands up between us.
And yet….you are still standing beside me. Still holding my hand. Still being nice. Still…
There was an alcove ahead on the right. I stepped inside, pulling her in with me. It was in shadows, dark. Her hand that was not clasped in mine came to rest against my chest. My hand rested against her waist. She looked up at me, her eyes shining. She held her breath.
This alcove is a popular spot for snogging. I could see why. Even though students passed by on their way to class, we were hidden from anyone that wasn't specifically looking.
Not for the first time, I wondered if she would taste like strawberries, like the scent that overwhelmed me in the small space.
She licked her lips.
Why had we stepped into the alcove to begin with? I pulled us in here. Why? To answer a question without everyone else overhearing.
That's right.
Now, what was the question?
In the dim light, I could see her lips tilt up. Merlin and Salazar, I want to kiss her. It would be so easy. But I can't. Not right now. Not yet.
I closed my eyes, replayed our conversation in the hall quickly through my mind. Right. And yet.
"If you are somehow plotting against me, I deserve it. Do your worst." I opened my eyes when she released hand. She was staring at me intently with wide eyes. Her hands lifted and settled on both sides of my face.
"You listen to me, Draco Malfoy." Her eyes and her voice were hard, almost angry. "You do not deserve to be used or hurt. Not by me. Not by anyone."
My hands curled around her waist. My forehead dropped to lay against hers.
The weight of her words. The conviction in her voice. It hit me hard, right in the chest. She believed it.
It was almost enough to make me believe it as well.
"Granger." My breath caught in my throat.
"I mean it, Malfoy. I will personally kick the arse of anyone that thinks differently." She pulled back so she could stare into my eyes. "That includes you."
"Did you just threatened to kick my arse?" I huffed out a short laugh at the absurdity of that statement.
"You know I'll do it." She raised her eyebrow in challenge.
Yes. She would.
"I do not deserve you." Probably the truest statement I have ever made. "And you deserve someone much better than me."
"Why don't you let me decide that?"
"Because you are obviously delusional." I rolled my eyes and released a deep breath. I need to put some space between us before I do something stupid.
"Obviously." Her tone was teasing. I wasn't really joking when I said it. She is delusional if she thinks I deserve to be happy with her. "Aren't you the one that told me to trust myself? "
Her eyes flicked to my lips. Her tongue darted out to sweep across hers. My hands slid across her back, pulling her closer.
Any second now she will tell me to stop. Any second she will pull away.
Except…she was sliding her hands up my chest and around my neck.
My heart was beating so loud I could feel it pounding through my veins. Or was that her heartbeat, where she was pressed against me?
"Hermione." I whispered her name against her lips. We were so close I could practically taste her. I needed to break this spell between us. Before she lets me do something that she'll regret.
"Draco." She whispered back.
Fuck. The sound of my name falling from her lips, coupled with her proximity was almost more than I could bear.
She took a ragged breath. Then she muttered a quiet 'fuck it' under her breath.
I didn't even have time to smirk at her choice of words before her lips were pressed against mine.
For several heartbeats, neither of us moved. She started to pull back. My hand slid up to cup the back of her neck. My thumb brushed across her pulse.
Our eyes met for a moment. I did not see any hesitation or fear reflected back at me. No doubt or concern.
We moved at the same time. My mouth covered hers. She released a soft whimper against my lips.
Before I could pull back, she was moving her lips against mine. Her hands gripped my neck almost desperately.
I inhaled deeply. The smell and the taste and the feel of her against me was overwhelming, and at the same time it was not enough.
As our lips and tongues danced together in a heated kiss, the tension that had been building between us for days, weeks even, seemed to drain away. My magic, my core, calmed in a manner that I had never felt before.
The sound of a bell ringing seemed to pull us back.
Holy fuck.
I leaned my forehead against hers as we both tried to catch our breath.
"Chocolate."
Fuck. Did I say that out loud?
"What?"
Yep. I did.
"You smell like strawberries, but you taste like chocolate."
Shut the hell up.
"Was that the first bell or the second?"
Right. The bell. Class. We need to go.
I took a deep breath.
"First, I think. We need to go before you make me late for another class."
"Or you could kiss me again."
She could possibly be the death of me.
"See. You are a bad influence." I smirked at her before leaning down and kissing her again. I kept this one short, a brief meeting of our lips that was over before it started. Then I pulled back.
"If I get sent to Azkaban for truancy because of you, I am not going to be happy." I took her hand in mine and we stepped out of the alcove into the deserted corridor.
"Maybe that's my nefarious plan." She laughed, but followed without hesitation.
"It is on the short list of possible scenarios." I smirked and winked at her.
We slipped through the lecture hall door right before the second bell rang.
I have no idea what the lecture was about. I did not hear a single word of it. All I did for the next ninety minutes was replay that kiss over and over in my head.
AN: First kiss. *sigh* I would love it if you drop me a line and tell me what you think. Also, let me know how you came across this story.
Have a great one!
Until next time.
-mezy