What I\'ve Always Known

Disclaimer: I still don\'t own anything but the plot. And the new Head Boy and Girl. Kinky hahaha.

A/N: I love you all. :D

What Do You Want?

The day of the Hogsmeade visit seemed ages away the next day at breakfast. Hogwarts was taking Ron’s proclamation of his and Hermione’s ‘relationship’ very seriously, and Ron kept trying to make moves on her in public. She finally snapped when he reached for her hand on their way to Potions.

“Ron, enough!” She jerked her hand out of his grasp, and stormed into the dungeons, earning a reproving glare from Professor Snape, but she couldn’t have cared less. Ron’s behavior was enough to give her a twitch; he had tried countless times to throw his arm around her shoulders, and at breakfast, she had caught Draco glaring at Ron with something like jealousy in his eyes.

Hermione gritted her teeth and kept her head down in her lessons that day, only talking to Harry, who seemed to find the whole situation kind of amusing. That night at dinner, Hermione thought she would die if Ron kept throwing her those sappy glances, when she was rescued.

“Excuse me, Granger?” Hermione turned to find Draco looking down at her, his hands behind his back, looking utterly relaxed. “Professor McGonagall has called us to her office.”

Hermione’s eyes widened. She couldn’t imagine why McGonagall would want to talk to only her and Draco, instead of all of the Prefects. She opened her mouth to question him, but Draco silenced her with a seductive wink. She grinned before turning to Harry
and Ron.

“Sorry guys, I’ll guess I’ll see you later in the Common Room. Oh, and Harry, I meant to tell you, the fourth ingredient in the Athabasca Solution is Bile of Belladonna, not Birch Bark. I can help you with it later.” Harry grinned widely at her and reached under the table for his Potions essay.

Then Harry did the strangest thing; he glanced pointedly from her to Draco and back, and then he winked. Hermione filed the mysterious wink in the back of her mind to go over later.

“Hermione, we should go for a walk later, in the moonlight” Simpered Ron and it was all Hermione could do not to retch. She made a noncommittal noise in her throat, and followed Draco between the tables.

Draco must have sensed Hermione’s annoyance at the Ron/Hermione rumors flying around, because as they left the Great Hall, he possessively splayed his fingers across her lower back.

As soon as they had turned the corner out of the Hall, Draco seized Hermione’s hand and dragged her off to the nearest corridor. They ended up in the dungeons, and he very purposefully led them into an abandoned classroom.

Hermione just had time to process one wall lined with unlighted torches, and empty desks, before a pair of hands spun her around.

“Draco, what-?” Hermione started to ask.

“Shh, we don’t have very long” Draco whispered, and promptly lowered his mouth onto hers. Without hesitation, his tongue demanded entrance to her mouth. She happily obliged, and he plundered her mouth thoroughly, running his tongue along her hungrily.

All Hermione could do was wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him back. Her knees started to shake as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her further into his mouth.

Draco was not content to keep his hands on her arms, letting them roam her body freely, lingering on her curves. When he brought his hand up to cup the full weight of her breast, Hermione couldn’t help but moan against his lips. He let out a low chuckle in his throat, and let his firm palm and strong fingers take over from there.

Too soon, their time was up, and the floor above thundered with thousands of footsteps. Dinner was over, and they had to leave before they were found. Draco gave her one last lingering kiss on the lips, and stroked her flushed cheeks with his very skilled hands.

Hermione slipped out first, walking as fast as she dared towards the marble staircase, and towards what was fast becoming her second life.


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


Hermione awoke to a brilliantly sunny Saturday morning, trying to remember why she felt so excited. Then it hit her; today was the day of the Hogsmeade visit, and her first time being alone with Draco outside school. Hermione grinned to herself before jumping up and starting to dress, extra carefully. Since Hogsmeade was outside school grounds, students visiting the village were allowed to wear muggle clothing. Hermione glanced out of the window; sunny, but a little chilly.

She therefore pulled some jeans and a red t-shirt out of her trunk and dragged them on, grabbing a black sweater as an after thought. She slipped on her hiking boots and ran a comb through her hair, amazed at how well her new straightening potion (Madam Frizzbee’s Wild Locks Solution) was working; her shoulder-length hair was completely straight.

Looking around to make sure she was alone, she pulled a bag out of the bottom of her trunk, and pulled out her very tiny stash of muggle make-up. Blushing a little, she brushed on some mascara and concealer, stuffing a shiny red gloss into her pocket after gliding some over her lips.

Giving herself a once over in the mirror, she decided she looked better than usual at least, and made her way down to the Great Hall. As she made her way towards Ron and Harry, already at the Gryffindor table, she noticed several heads turning her way; including Draco’s at the Slytherin table. She had agreed to meet him behind the Hogs Head Pub later that day. Leaving together would be much too conspicuous.

“Oh please Ron, the Chudley Cannons have no chance what-so-ever of-“Harry stopped in the middle of his argument, his fork of bacon halfway to this mouth, when he saw Hermione. Ron twisted around in his seat to see who Harry was gaping at, and let his fork fall with a ringing clatter to his plate when he spotted her.

Hermione seated herself next to Ron and poured herself a goblet of pumpkin juice.

“Morning!” She said brightly. Harry gave himself a little shake.

“Hey ‘Mione! Good sleep?” He said, grinning at her in a supportive way. Hermione felt an overwhelming rush of gratitude towards him, who seemed to have sided with her for once.

“What are you doing?” Ron suddenly demanded, looking at Hermione as though she had just said she had decided to become a transvestite.

Nonplussed, Hermione said nothing. So Ron continued.

“What are you dressed like that for?”

“Like what?” Hermione snapped, bristling at the tone of his voice. Judging by Ron’s reaction, you would think she was dressed in a bikini.

“Like that” Ron gestured to her clothes.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m meeting someone in Hogsmeade.” Hermione said, helping herself to Harry’s leftover toast. She was too excited to eat much anyway. Harry was already staring at Ron over the top of his daily prophet, chewing unhurriedly. She glanced at Ron to see how he was taking this news. Her answer came when he abruptly stood up, seized her forearm, and walked her very forcefully from the Great Hall.

“Ron? Ron stop it! You’re hurting me!” Hermione yelped as they passed many staring students. Ron’s grip on her arm was so tight; her eyes were watering from the pain. She glanced back at Harry, who looked far too stunned to even move. Ron tightened his grip on her forearm when she tried to twist away; he was really starting to scare her.

Ron dragged her into the Entrance Hall and stood her up against the wall, holding her there by one shoulder.

“What’s going on? Why are you being all secretive, what was that thing with Malfoy, and why are you meeting someone when we are going out?” Ron asked, his tone accusatory. Hermione’s vision went red. In one sweep of her arm, she brushed Ron’s hand off her shoulder, and leaned in close to him.

“Alright, you listen and you listen good. We are not going out, we never were going out. It is none of your business who I meet and when. It’s my life Ron, so let me live it. Now leave me alone, I have somewhere to be.” She threw the vicious words in his face.

“And Malfoy?” He said, his ears reddening at a rapid pace. Hermione was starting to shake she was so infuriated by him.

“I do believe she asked you to leave her alone.” Ron and Hermione both turned towards the doors to the Great Hall, where Draco stood, clad in muggle jeans and black sweater. He had allowed his silver hair to simply fall into his eyes and across his forehead, instead of the usual slicked back do.

Ron’s mouth fell open at the sight of him. Hermione’s too, but she thought their reasons were probably quite different. Draco stepped closer to Ron, power radiating from him with his every step. Hermione now understood why most people were intimidated by the Malfoy family.

“What do you want?” Ron spluttered. Draco gave him a cold sweep with his eyes, and then turned to Hermione. He also swept her with his eyes, but with a very pleased look. He gave her a small smile before donning that cold power and turning back to Ron.

“Something you also want. It’s time to let Hermione be-” Ron’s eyes almost popped out of his head as Draco let Hermione’s name roll smoothly off his tongue”-Weasley. So if you don’t mind…” He stepped forward and took Hermione’s hand in a gentle grasp.

“Ready?” He asked as though Ron had already left.

“Definitely Draco.” Hermione smiled up at him, and scowled back at Ron. As Draco walked her down the road towards the front gates, Hermione couldn’t help but rub her still stinging arm where Ron had clutched it. Draco abruptly stopped her and rolled her sleeve up to where she was rubbing.

“Are you hurt?” He asked, running his cool fingers delicately over the red mark. Hermione shook her head, and Draco smiled, while continuing his work.
“No, of course not” He said, sounding amused. “You wouldn’t say even if you were.”

“Tell me how you know me so well so soon” Hermione said, tilting his chin up, trying to reassure him she was fine.

Draco smiled and turned his head to kiss her palm before rolling her sleeve down and taking her hand again.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, before something struck Hermione.

“You know, I’m pretty sure Ron will guess what’s happening from that little…er…meeting back there” She said, kicking a
pebble with the toe of her shoe. Draco was quiet for so long, Hermione was sure he wasn’t going to say anything.

“Is that such a bad thing?” He asked, so quietly, Hermione wasn’t entirely sure she heard him correctly. Her brain finally caught up with her ears, and she tugged on his hand, bringing him to a stop just outside the limits of Hogsmeade.

“What did you say?” She asked softly.

“I said would it be so bad if people knew?” He looked her straight in the eye, his voice strong, but wary.

“But-but Draco, can you imagine how people would react to you being seen with me? Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Pureblood, going out with Hermione Granger, Gryffindor Mudblood? What about the Slytherins? What about your father?” She asked, tears inexplicably
swimming in her eyes.

“One, never, ever call yourself a Mudblood again Hermione Jane Granger.” There was such conviction in Draco’s voice, Hermione lost hold of a tear. She swiped it away while he continued. “Two, let me worry about people like my father and-“he took a deep breath “-my friends.”

“Draco, are you sure I’m worth that?” Hermione asked, wondering how badly his reputation would be damaged. Draco’s eyebrows drew together in a frown.

“You’re not worth it? I’m not even going to comment on that one it’s so ludicrous” He said, drawing a smile to Hermione’s face.

“Draco, are you sure about this?” Hermione asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer or not.

“What do you want, Hermione?” Draco asked quietly. Hermione looked up into his icy blue eyes, and opened her mouth
to answer.