Trial by Fire

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~Ivy

‘Good Night my Angel, time to close your eyes…’

Hermione wasn’t entirely sure if she was only hearing the familiar song in her head. As she drifted off to sleep that night she heard piano cords in the background.

The next morning dawned bright and early; Hermione awoke fully rested for the first time in weeks. Glancing around her room she really took in her surroundings. She had fallen asleep on a queen sized four poster bed. ‘Hard work truly did pay off’ she thought snuggling between her satin sheets. The fabric in her room was a deep maroon, a starting contrast to her fair complexion especially when she was in bed. She briefly imagined what it would be like to share these great sheets with Draco. The thought warmed her heart, but made her brain a bit uncomfortable.

All of her clothes had been unpacked and hung in a free standing armoire of dark oak. Her books had been set upon shelves along with some of her favorites for the Hogwarts library. She smiled at the fact that Madam Pince had remembered. One whole wall or her room was bookshelves. They met her armoire in one corner and a dressing table in the other. The two remaining walls held doors, one leading to the common room, and one leading to the bathroom.

Looking at the clock, it showed she still had the better part of two hours before she had to go down to breakfast. She grabbed her robe off the back of one of the doors. Both her and Draco could shower and dress in the bathroom without ever having to look at one another. There were shower stalls and dressing rooms, one in each corner at the back of the room. Hermione put her things in her dressing room and turned on the shower.

As she showered she tried to figure out when the best time to make use of the tub would be, most likely when Draco was at quidditch practice. The tub sat in the middle of the bathroom, big enough to invite a few friends in for a swim. When she was finished enjoying the luxury of a private shower at Hogwarts, she bundled herself up in her robe, spell dried her hair, and started back to her room. As she passed by the aforementioned tub, the door to Draco’s room opened. Draco strode in a towel precariously low on his hips, her body stopped moving.

Draco continued on his way, sparing only a glance at Hermione. He turned on the taps to his shower and without even closing the curtains dropped his towel. Hermione promptly ran to her room, fighting a very severe blush that was creeping up her cheeks.

‘If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I’d like to do
Is to save every day till eternity passes, and then I would spend them with you.’

Hermione hummed the words as she dressed. She had only caught a very brief glimpse of his cheeks, but still she could get the flush to go away. Plus, it really was quiet a view.

‘If I had a box just for wishes, and dreams that had never come true,
The box would be empty, except for the memory of how they were answered by you.’

Hermione shot straight up from dressing, she wasn’t singing that song. She could hear it in her head, but it wasn’t her voice, Draco was singing a muggle song in her head. ‘Well, that will just have to stop!’ Hermione thought as she marched into the bathroom. She kept right on marching until she had him pinned against the twin sinks.

“Why do you keep singing in my head?”

Draco looked down at her and boy what a sight. “I don’t keep singing to you. It just kinda happens. I can’t help it if you hear me. And for the love of all things magical put some clothes on your killing me!”

Hermione looked down at herself and flushed scarlet. She tried as best she could to cover herself, stepping away from him. “Well, I … it’s just…” she turned to go back to her room but Draco grabbed her arm and reversed their positions.

“Don’t leave on my account. You seem to have a lot to say at the moment.” Draco leaned down to whisper in her ear and caught the scent of something very alluring. “The songs just pop into my head sometimes, normally when I’m thinking of you. I didn’t realize you could hear me. I’ll find a way to block it.”

“Thank you, could you possibly let me go get dressed now?” Hermione asked sheepishly.

“I could, but this is more fun.” He moved his hands from her wrists to her waist. Instantly they both felt the electric charge. “You know sweetheart we could get this over and done with fairly quickly.” Draco suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You know Draco just because I can’t sleep with anyone else with out killing you doesn’t mean we will. By the way your death is starting to look more and more appealing. You think I’ll just hop into your bed and be done with it. You’ll be my first and I’m kind of ok with that to an extant, but you could at least make it memorable.”

“I will be your only. And it will be memorable, trust me on that. You’ll walk through the clouds and sign with the wind when I am inside you, the first time and every time. I was making a joke trying to lighten the mood considering the fact that seeing you wearing almost nothing is making it hard for me to breathe. I cant think, you cloud my brain every moment of the day, and your standing here yelling at me wearing little more then nothing and I can’t touch you, I can’t have you.”

“I’m not something to be had Draco, I am woman, a person, it would do you well to remember that ever now and then.” Hermione brushed past him and went to get dressed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I really don’t see the downside Hermione.” Ginny stated on the way to lunch. “He is gorgeous, well versed in sex and you love him.”

“Just because I’m supposed to love him doesn’t mean I do…”

“No, that’s where you’re wrong. You love him sweetie, your brain just won’t acknowledge it yet, but your heart knows honey. I think you may be to smart for love.”

“Ginny,” Hermione started as they sat down for lunch, “We hated him for so long. I just can’t jump into love with him.”

“Here is what I think, love and hate are very passionate emotions, and you dear are a passionate person. Yes, we hated him for sometime; we also worked with him over the summer. Most important of all though, is that your heart already does love him and by refusing to acknowledge it all your going to do is make yourself sick.”

Hermione looked up and saw that Draco was sitting next to Pansy. She could see that Draco was making it a valiant effort not to touch her. Pansy had other plans it seemed. Hermione turned to Ginny, “You know Ginny, you may be right, I’ll be right back.” Hermione got up and rage carried her most of the way to the Slytherin table. Professor Snape took note of Hermione’s determined pace and raised an eyebrow at the Headmaster. He intern looked and gave Snape the sign to let it run its course.

As Hermione approached the table several of Draco housemates started watching Hermione. Pansy looked up and glared at Hermione.

“Draco darling, it appears the Head Girl needs a word with you. Do make it quick love.” Pansy’s voice rang out across the table.

“This will only take a moment Pansy.” Hermione turned to Draco, leaned down and kissed him firmly in front of every house. Draco barely had time to enjoy the kiss before Hermione broke it and turned back to Pansy. “Play with your own toys Pansy this ones mine.” Hermione leaned in so only Pansy could hear what she was saying, “Pureblood or not Pansy you know I can outwit you and have far more advanced magic then you. I however believe in giving the handicapped and fighting chance, so I’d kick your ass across this hall in more conventional ways. Make no mistake, touch him again and the fall fashions will be the least of your worries.”

Hermione walked straight back to her table picked up her bags and walked right out the doors of the Great Hall. “Well, good for her!” Harry said to the rest of his table and they all went back to eating. Draco however, was not making out as well as Hermione had been.

“I demand an explanation Draco!” Pansy shrieked.

“Let’s forget he fact that you don’t demand anything from me and get right to the point. I believe Hermione just stated the explanation clearly enough. Hermione and I are developing a relationship, she would prefer it if you kept your distance. As a matter of fact I would enjoy it as well.”

“But Draco, what about everything we had together?”

“Consider it a learning experience. I did.” Draco collected his things and left the Great Hall and Pansy with whispers and rumor trailing his cloak. He found her exactly where he thought he would. He entered the library knowing where she was, he could smell her everywhere. He found her near the restricted section thumbing through a book on potions. “Well darling that was quite a show you put on back there, care to explain?”

She placed her book on a nearby table, “She was about to jump you in the middle of lunch, I chose a preemptive strike.”

“You were jealous!”

“I actually know what happens to me when anyone else touches you, I just didn’t want to be sick the first day of classes.”

“Bullshit! You were jealous, besides I thought you had decided it would be better if we kept this under wraps?”

“No, actually the professors decided that and I disagree. If we are meant to be together like everyone keeps saying what does it matter if people know now or later?” a sick thought had just dawned on Hermione. He was ashamed of her. “Unless of course you didn’t want people to know about me at all, am I your dirty little secret Draco?”

Draco was raging in a instance a pushed her against the table where she landed on her butt. He stood in between her legs seething with anger. “I am not ashamed of you Hermione. How many times do I have to tell you that I want this? I want you I have since the third year.”

“You have not!”

“Yes I have, why do think I started digging in to the Dark Lords beliefs. Because I wanted to find out what was so wrong with you that you were unfit for me.” Draco leaned in and rested his cheek against hers. “There has always been something about you that I just couldn’t wrap my mind around.” He brushed a gentle kiss against her ear.

She melted slightly. “I’m trying Draco you have to understand that.”

“You have until Christmas after that I will be out of your life forever. Then again with me gone there is very little left for you to live for.”

“That is just it Draco. I have trouble believing that my life isn’t worth living if you’re not in it.” She paused a moment trying to gather her thoughts and courage. “I told Ginny today that I loved you.”

“Don’t you think that might be something you wanted to tell me first?” he leaned his forehead against hers.

“Well, I told you that should be the important thing.” Hermione looked into his eyes and saw everything she wanted reflected back at her.

Draco kissed her with more passion then he had ever shown her. As their lips met, tongues entwined she felt her dreams come true in her heart. Somewhere off in the distance the bells rang for class. They were both slightly later for Potions class.