Claiming Hermione

It was so quiet.

Muffled and misty grey.

Fat snowflakes were slowly falling, straight down, unhurried, as if they all the time in the world to make their way to the ground. Hogwarts was encased in a hush.

Large flakes clung to Draco’s dark lashes, or hit his cheeks and melted. His nose stung from the cold. The Quidditch match was over. Potter caught the snitch.

Draco just wanted to fly, fast, but the lazy pace of the snow wouldn’t allow it, so he guided his broom next to the trees at the edge of the dark forest feeling sheltered, at least on one side.

Her moan repeated in his head, sounding far away right now. For almost an entire week it had been playing, over and over, testing his resolve.

Pansy was right. The last time he’d had sex was over break before the term began. There was a curvy Ravenclaw, Victoria, at the end of sixth year, and Daphne came to the Manor a few times over the summer when his mother was in France.

Granger felt different than both of them. She was shorter. Tinier. Like a little bird. But she had more spark, more energy, more fire. And that fire lived in her kiss. God that kiss…

It was just a goddamned kiss! It was unreasonable for him to be so affected.

Draco wondered about Viktor Krum. Had the Quidditch star felt like he was drowning when he kissed her outside the Yule Ball? Had he struggled to not pin her to the castle wall and take her right there?

Draco did everything he could to push it away. He only talked to her when absolutely necessary. He only went to the HCR when he was sure she wouldn’t be there. He avoided looking at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. He even tried to keep his eyes on his parchment in classes they had together.

It was a lost cause. Every time that curly mop came into view, he was inundated with his thoughts of her. Of kissing her, of claiming her mouth, in that glowing room swarming with fairy lights. Of kissing her again. And of what it might be like to make love to her.

Make love.

**************************************************

Draco stood just outside the HCR, staring at the painting. It was unlike any other in the castle and Draco wondered why Dumbledore chose to have it be the entrance to the Head’s Common Room. The exotic woman’s look was strange…knowing. And he didn’t understand about the floating umbrella. But for some reason, Draco felt this painting was about him.

The square of parchment in his pocket had begun to lose its crispness and Draco flicked at a bent corner.

He didn’t know what to say to her.

**************************************************

Hermione drummed her nails in a fast staccato on the frosted glass of the window, her mood out of sync with the quiet landscape. In the stillness of the heavy snowfall, the pitch appeared as a ghost of itself, an idea that hadn’t fully formed.

Malfoy lost again. While she didn’t want her best friend to lose, it tugged at her heart. She’d learned what it was like to never be good enough. Malfoy had been her teacher.

Hermione was confused. He did kiss her, and he seemed to like it – a lot, so why was he avoiding her? She wondered if her laissez-faire attitude earlier than week had backfired. But what was she supposed to do? It wasn’t like she wasn’t in love with him.

Maybe he regretted kissing her. Maybe she was right about him not wanting to lower himself to touch a mudblood. Maybe he was cursing himself for letting his hormones get the best of him.

Hermione looked around the room for something to occupy her nervous energy. She made herself a cup of tea in the kitchen, decided the fire needed refreshing, walked back to the window to see the grounds still coated in the haze of misty white. A book was out of place on the bookshelf, or it would have been if they were in alphabetical order. Tennyson, Thoreau, Tolstoy…. The portrait door squeaked as it opened and Hermione paused at the sound, and then turned around.

**************************************************

Draco leaned against the edge of prefects’ desk with his arms folded across his chest protectively and held her gaze.

Right. This is why he was avoiding her. He was alone with her. Secreted away in this private room. All he wanted to do was walk over there, grab the hated curls and sink into the heat of her mouth.

From across the room he could almost see the sparks flying off her. He could feel his cold cheeks prickling as they thawed from being outside for so long. Apparently he wasn’t the only one at a loss for words. He waited.

For many long moments they just looked at each other across the room. Both knowing the unsaid things between them, once brought out, could change everything.

Finally, Draco raised an eyebrow and Hermione squared her stance. Summoning her courage, she charged in.

“Do you think that avoiding me will make me take it back?” she said plainly.

His eyes focused on her, but he didn’t respond or move. His jaw was set hard and Hermione watched the tiny muscles there pulse. When it appeared that he wasn’t going to answer she said quietly, “I meant what I said...I still do.”

Draco just stood there with a hard expression. She threw her arms up in exasperation.

“Jesus Christ Malfoy! I didn’t ask you to hold my hand and declare your love for me! You’ve probably stuck your dick in half the girls here, but if I’m so repulsive to you, you could just say ‘no’.”

His eyes narrowed suddenly. He had NOT slept with half the girls at Hogwarts and he was insulted that she still thought he did. And repulsive? Did she remember that he kissed her? It was less than a week ago and it was fucking brilliant! Wasn’t it painfully obvious that he’d used every ounce of restraint he had to not touch every inch of her? Didn’t she know how badly he wanted to do it again? Now? Draco ground his teeth together, trying to control the irritation buzzing in his veins.

“Get your facts straight Granger.”

Fine, so he wasn’t a slag. He just thought she was disgusting. Super. She rolled her eyes.

“Well. Then let me apologize. I’m sure I must have offended your pureblood sensibilities. I’m sure it must be awful for your superior mind to have to listen to such a vile suggestion from a mudblood!” She glared hard at him and felt years of hurt and anger, hidden in deep recesses, swell and rush over her. Her hands balled into fists and her face transformed into a fierce scowl. “What? Isn’t there some comment about my inherent inferiority dying to come out of your thick pureblood skull?”

The icy fire in Draco’s eyes sparked and his mouth set in a tight line. So it’s finally come to this. The karmic build up of all his past wrongs. In her eyes he hadn’t changed, and he found the idea cut him deeply.

In an instant he was standing before her, gripping her arms tightly and shaking with anger. The amber, orange, and jasmine were suddenly there too. He clenched his teeth.

In a menacing growl, he told her what he thought of her assumptions. “Granger, you’ve beat me in every subject for almost seven years and you’re the best person I know. So, I think I’ve got it through my thick pureblood skull that the whole mudblood business is crap!”

Hermione’s eyes were wide as she stared up at him, the expression of hurt and indignation still on her face, but her eyes confused and searching. She felt frozen in place, with her head titled back, fixed on her awareness of how close he was and on his hands wrapped tightly around her arms.

He moved forward ever so slightly and Hermione thought he might kiss her. And then, it was over. He let go and moved away.

He sat down tiredly in the leather chair and leaned forward, running his long fingers through the silky blonde hair. Sighing, he looked up at her.

“I’m sorry.”

The apology hung in the air between them making up for lost time. The wounded expression slipped off Hermione’s face and she felt like she her insides were rushing onto the floor. There it was. The apology she had secretly hoped for, for years. Now it seemed so small, so unimportant. She already knew.

“Me too,” she said softly dropping her eyes.

Draco wondered what she was sorry for, but let it go. That wasn’t really what this about. He just needed to tell her so that she knew without a doubt, that none of this was about blood for him, and nothing would ever be again.

They were both silent of several long moments, and when Draco looked up again she was still looking at her feet. Something in her expression and posture, an awkwardness maybe, reminded him of her inexperience. It was endearing and sexy at the same time, in a way that Draco couldn’t begin to explain.

For most people, sex was the culmination of series of experiences, an erosion of innocence over time. But not for Granger. For her it would be a singular destruction of her purity. One swing of the sword to catapult her to the other side.

“You do know that people usually work up to their first time, right?”

Hermione’s head shot up and she blushed, but then thought better of it, and lifted her chin. She refused to be embarrassed about it. “I know… but… I’m ready.”

Draco considered. That could be true. She might be ready. But Draco doubted that she was ready for him. His fantasies involving the Gryffindor Princess were not exactly the sweet and tender sort. The image of a heavy blush staining her neck and chest as he whispered dirty words in her ear flitted through his mind. He wondered what she imagined it would be like.

“Granger, you need someone gentle and good, who will whisper romantic platitudes in your ear. I’m not that guy.”

“I think we both know you’re not that guy,” she said still blushing, and almost smiling at the mention of whispers. She looked down again. “I told you that wasn’t what I wanted,” she said softly. She started to fidget under the strain of the uncomfortable subject. Hermione looked over at the window and then back at Malfoy.

Draco brows bunched in a scowl. The war raging in him was making him lose his patience. He needed her to confirm in some way that his reasons for saying ‘no’ were spot on. But not only was she not giving him anything to work with, she was making it harder for him to deny her. He lowered his face into his hands, pressing his palms to his eyes. He felt beaten.

“Why me?”

Hermione paused before answering. In her mind, it was very simple. “Because you’re my friend, you’re experienced, and I trust you.”

Draco looked up at her. She trusted him?

“Look Malfoy, I’m not looking for a relationship or a regular thing, or something like that. I just...I want to do this, and I’d like it to be with you. If you don’t want to, just say ‘no’ already and we can forget about it. I’ll find someone else.”

The scowl returned. Her blithe attitude about the whole thing irked him, but as much as he was insisting that he wasn’t the man for the job, ‘I’ll find someone else’ irked him even more.

Draco stood up, frowning and headed for the door. He stopped with his back to her just before pulling the handle.

“You don’t know what you are asking for, Granger.”

**************************************************

Wednesday was the Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw game. The sky must have exhausted itself because it hadn’t snowed since Sunday. It was bright and crisp and freezing. The streams of students walking back to the castle after Hufflepuff’s surprise victory were heavily bundled and moved quickly for the warmth of the castle.

Ahead of him, Draco could see the mess of curls exploding out from under a grey knit cap. Though it didn’t make sense to Draco, things were easier for them after their talk. He resumed his use of the HCR for studying and his head duties, albeit not quite as often, and they’d had many conversations since then. They kept to light topics, school, prefects, and the Yule Ball that was a week away. It seemed as though they had come to some kind of unspoken agreement not to discuss it again. Which, unfortunately, didn’t stop Draco’s imagination one bit.

His fantasies of her grew exponentially, both in frequency and in depth. He imagined everything from small touches, a lick on her wrist, a bite on her ankle, to more explicit scenes. Her hands bound over her head, or pushing her over a school desk in the small Arithmancy classroom and pounding into her ruthlessly. He imagined her legs tied open to a chair in the library. Taking her against the wall of his bath. He imagined shoving his fingers into her while she stood behind a table at the back of a full potions classroom. He imagined fucking her in front of Potter.

But most of all, he imagined what he would do that first time, if he did say yes. There were a hundred ways Draco wanted to take Hermione Granger, and his mind eagerly explored all of them.

A tinkling laughter caught his attention and he looked ahead to see Granger with her face turned to the side. Her little nose was red and her cheeks were stained prettily. The Boy Wonder was laughing too and Draco wondered what kinds of things made Gryffindors laugh.

A boy in Ravenclaw colors jogged up next to Granger and said something. Terry Boot. Draco watched her say something to her friends and then pair off with Boot. He was beaming smiles at her and she was politely smiling back. Draco’s eyes narrowed as he placed his hand at the small of her back.

They were walking slowly, and the majority of students had already rushed ahead, leaving only a smattering still making their way to the castle. Draco slowed his pace so that he could stay behind them.

He remembered hearing that Granger had turned Boot down for the Halloween Masque. Would she turn him down again? Would he be her ‘someone else’? From what he knew, Boot was also experienced, and he wondered if Granger knew that.

The doors to the castle were wide open to accommodate the returning students. He watched Boot pull Granger by the elbow to a corner of the Entrance Hall. A swell of anxiety filled him. Her back was to him and he wished he could see her face.

As he neared he saw Boot’s arm drop to his side and Granger’s hand go to his sleeve. Boot’s face fell. Draco knew at once what had happened and the anxiety was replaced by a wave of relief. He watched boot walk away quickly and then snuck up behind the small girl in the grey cap.

“Now Granger,” he said speaking low in her ear, “if you keep turning guys down like that, all the broom closets at Hogwarts will go to waste. I’m sure he had a special one picked out just for you.”
She turned around and gave him the warmest smile he he’d ever received.

**************************************************

Harry bounded down the steps two at a time and came to a skidding halt at the base. Alone in the Entrance Hall were his best friend and former nemesis, Draco Malfoy.

She was laughing.
He was laughing.

He felt like shouting out “Aha!”

For the last couple of months, Harry Potter had begun to suspect that Hermione and Malfoy were becoming friends. And as unlikely and strange as that would be, he was more intrigued than mortified. Ron would be mortified. But Harry’s curiosity was peaked.

Since that day in the Quidditch stands, after they’d had a fight, he started to observe closely. She was behaving the way she did when she and Ron had a fight. Only in that case, she wasn’t as upset – probably since she was usually in the right. Malfoy, Harry thought, probably provided more of a challenge for her quick mind than Ron did.

He knew he should be upset, or feel betrayed. But instead he felt hopeful. If two people from such opposite ends, who had despised each other as they had, could become friends, maybe the war, maybe giving his life, would be worth it.

Harry watched Draco smile softly down at Hermione, and she dropped her eyes shyly to the floor. He kind of wished he could hear them, but he didn’t like the idea of eavesdropping on his best friend, so he walked toward them.

**************************************************

Draco turned at the sound of the footsteps. Potter. He felt like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Draco Malfoy gallivanting around with one of Potter’s prizes. But Potter only gave him a brief glance and maybe a kind of half-smile, half-smirk.

“Hello Malfoy,” Potter said as if he’d said it a hundred times before.

“Potter.”

“‘Mione,” Harry kissed her on the cheek and Draco’s brows furrowed. “Ginny’s looking for you. Something about dresses and the Yule Ball, I think,” he said with a bit of a grimace.

Hermione returned the grimace. Dress-up wasn’t her cup of tea, but she loved Ginny and was starting to actually like Lavender, so she hurried off leaving the two former enemies alone. They looked at each other awkwardly for a second and then Draco looked away.

It was time.

**************************************************

“Where are you heading, Potter?”

“Meeting with Dumbledore in ten minutes.”

Draco nodded and took a deep breath. “Can I walk you up? There’s something I’d like to discuss.”

The questioning look that Potter sometimes sent Draco over the House tables made an appearance for a brief second and then was gone, replaced by a closed expression a Slytherin could be proud of. He nodded and turned up the staircase.

**************************************************

Draco hadn’t really prepared for this, and now that the time was here, he struggled for how to begin. By the time they made it to the third floor, he still hadn’t said anything.

Harry gave him a sideways glance and wondered what this was all about. Hermione flitted through his mind, smiling shyly, and a streak of concern bolted through him. He was getting impatient.

“Maybe you should just spit it out, Malfoy.”

Draco looked up at the ceiling, taking a deep breath, and then turned to Potter.

“I’m with you,” he blurted out.

“What?”

Draco really wanted to say something smart, but this was too serious. He needed Potter to understand. “I mean, I’m on your side,” Draco was actually shaking with nervousness and he fought to not let it show. “I’ll help fight Voldemort.”

Harry stopped dead in his tracks. That was so not what he was expecting. He blinked at the tall blonde, who was looking hard at him, defiantly, daring him to laugh, or punch him, or reject him.

The questioning look came back, and Potter didn’t try to hide it. Rather, he stared into Malfoy’s eyes for a long time, as though he could see something there that no one else could. Draco shift his weight from one foot to the other, desperate to look away, but determined not to.

Then, without warning, Harry’s expression changed and he nodded once like he’d made up his mind. “There will be an Order meeting over break. I’ll send you an owl with the details.”

Draco was gob smacked.

“That’s it? I thought you ‘d…I don’t know, make me take veritaserum or something.”

Harry shrugged and turned to continue walking. “I don’t need it, but some of the other Order members might.”

When Draco didn’t object, Harry was even more sure that the Slytherin was telling the truth. For the remaining two floors, Harry tried to find out what Malfoy knew from living at the Manor. It wasn’t as much as he’d hoped for, but there were a few nuggets of potentially useful information. He didn’t tell Malfoy anything that wasn’t easily found out about the Order. He did believe him, but he’d wait to see how the Order wanted to proceed.

When Harry got to the gargoyle, Draco turned to look at him. An incredible weight had been lifted off him, and that alone gave Draco the gratitude he needed.

“Thank you, Potter.”

“Thank you, Malfoy,” Harry responded, because he understood the value of having Malfoy on their side. He climbed into the rotating stairwell, and just as the column began to move, he called out.

“Malfoy…don’t hurt her.”

**************************************************

Draco walked down the stairs leading to the sixth floor corridor. Would they make him take veritaserum? He was okay with that. He thought he should continue to be ambiguous about his allegiance – especially around Slytherins. Did Potter know? What exactly did Potter know?

As he rounded a corner, the door to the decorations room came into view. A stroke of brilliance hit him and he whispered the password.






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All of you who leave reviews are fantabulous! Thank you so much for continuing to fan the fire:

Thank you to: Crescentmoon, tootsie, Anonymous (is that a moniker, or ?), meakochan, Dedra, WriterChick1990, and Gryffindor_Slytherin for the encouragement! As well as:

DrpnBlood4U
I’m sorry if you feel that you are being teased. It’s not my intention. Just to write a realistic interaction between two people who have a lot to overcome, despite their attraction to each other.

SoftObsidian74
LOL@ Make him talk...and then jump his bones!
“A normal and completely appropriately awkward progression” Thanks. And don’t worry, Draco is losing the battle FAST!

smurphy
“i think draco is fighting a losing battle with himself.” LOL! See, Soft, I told ya so! ;P

Dreamweaver
* sigh * I don’t even know what to say, but Thank You!

kazfeist
Muwaahaahaahaa!

sheryne
Thanks! I’m glad you reviewed! Can’t wait to get your reactions on the next chapter!

luv2cusmile
*grumbles about cliff hangers* - sorry, honey, there are a fair few coming up.

Really happy you liked the “can I retake it?” It’s one of my fave spots! Yes, SO Hermione.

Yeah, a bit young for Draco, but well, it happens and you don’t think Draco would want to be “behind” in anything (snicker, snicker, okay, maybe in some things – but he had to have sex first to know that! LOL!)

I think that Draco tucking her hair behind her ear was his instinctual reaction. I think that naturally he is much more caring and tender than even he knows. But, then his mind kicks in and well – that’s what happened to make him avoid her. Pansy sort of kicked his mind into gear. LMAO @ “let that sink into your mind.” Yes, if Hermione tackled him, it would be all over wouldn’t it.

molly
Ohhh, don’t cry. I’m pretty regular. I try to get a chapter up at least once a week. Wait, you read the whole story in an hour?

ichi.ruki
True, a girl can only stay away for so long, and HELLO! She was seriously kissed by DRACO-freakin’-MALFOY! Give it up! LOL! Love your speculations. A “dark and dirty secret that he burns deeply ashamed over” would be great – but I don’t have it in me, besides that, I think in this case, his “feelings” are much harder for him to deal with then a dark secret. Love that that line stuck out for you. I was really hoping someone would catch it. ☺

gabby1234
I’m trying for once a week, even during the busy month (three weeks to go, whoo hoo!), but this last one was HARD! ☺

sugypunk
OMG! You are SO right. Needs the sexy brit voice with it. A deep one!

Special thanks to dyno for inspiring some of Draco's "list" *wink*

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Pretty please review! Tell me what you think! XOXO - ilke

Oh yeah, I made a banner:

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