With Friends Like These

Title: With Friends Like These

Author: Reetinkerbell

Summary: Hermione liked the library for many reasons, the biggest one being that Draco was there.

Rating: NC-17

Spoilers: None. AU Post-War. Not HBP-compatible.

Written For: Jaqui (shagmedraco) for the The Fantastic Clichés And Why You Should Write Them Fic-A-Thon I\'m hosting on my LiveJournal. :) Her request is at the very, very end.

Warning: Fluff-ish. :)

Author\'s Note: This is currently - for most part - un-betaed. I\'d like to thank Thea (witchiepooh) for the beta - again, not the whole thing yet, so all mistakes are completely mine - and Sandi (sandi_wandi) for helping me with a read-trough or two. I hope you all enjoy the first part, and stay tuned for the next two. I might actually get them finished this year.

Part One


    The sun shown down brightly on the frozen lake and the snow-covered grounds glittered in the morning light on this first Hogsmeade weekend in November when this story begins; with a kiss.

    On this particular morning, our heroine, Hermione Granger was late for breakfast. In true teenage boy fashion, her two best friends had neglected to send someone up to wake her and had simply gone down to eat without her. Hermione wasn\'t too concerned about it – after seven years she knew how important food was to them in the mornings, especially on Hogsmeade and Quidditch weekends. It was a beautiful day, she\'d been able to sleep in and if Hermione had known how, she would\'ve whistled as she walked.

    She didn\'t know that in only a few moments, Draco – who was lurking around the corner – was planning something that would change their lives forever.

    And truly, even if she\'d known what would happen, she would\'ve whistled. If she\'d known how.

    For Hermione was in love with the hero of this particular story, Draco Malfoy, and if she\'d known what was waiting for her around the corner, she would\'ve walked faster.

    It had all started when Headmistress McGonagall, overfilled with a need to make Dumbledore\'s dream of a united school a reality. With the War over, she decided upon the reopening of Hogwarts that all students should have a study partner from another house. Rather than letting the students pick their own partner, thus partnering with a friend, she and the other teachers assigned a study buddy to everyone, with the help of the students grades.

    Hermione had ended up with Terry Boot, the Head Boy to her Head Girl. It had been a good choice, the best, as not only would they be working together quite a lot, but they were on the same wavelength when it came to their academics. Hermione had been glad to have found someone who enjoyed learning as much as she did herself.

    Then one day, barely a month into the semester, Terry became ill. It wasn\'t by any means fatal, and despite the lack of Madam Pomfrey\'s presence it wouldn\'t be long before he was back up on his feet. But in the meantime, Hermione was left without a study partner. It had been dumb luck, that the day she went to the library alone for the first time in almost a year, was the day Draco ended up in the library without his partner, a quiet Hufflepuff by the name of Wayne Hopkins. That of course wasn\'t uncommon Hermione had found out not long after. The two boys didn\'t get along, and only spent five hours together every week as it was required of them. And even then they only spoke to the other if they had to.

    That fateful day, Draco and Hermione had both planned on writing their Advanced Potions essay, for which they needed the same book. With only one copy left in the library, and neither wanting to relinquish their claim on the book in question, the two decided, after spending an unknown amount of time arguing, to share the book. And share it they did. While there had been no hateful words between them over the course of the War, nor after, and they had more or less accepted each others presence in the world and at Hogwarts, they had also never spoken to each other on their own before. But when they finally did, to their mutual surprise, they found in each other a kindred spirit.

    Over the week and a half that Terry spent recovering in the Hospital Wing, Hermione and Draco ended up spending several more hours in the library, more or less studying together. The first time after the incident with the Potions book, they simply sat at the same table due to lack of other available tables, as far away from each other as they could. Then Hermione asked if she could borrow a quill from Draco, as hers had mysteriously gone missing. He\'d lent her one, after which they began to talk to each other. And from that day forward, the two sat next to each other and talked as they worked. And as they were both proud, they rarely asked the other for help with their school work. But if either noticed the other one struggling, they offered their assistance without taking no for an answer. They talked and sometimes laughed so loudly together that Madam Pince threatened to throw them both out. Hermione felt that they had connected and she was surprised to realise that Draco wasn\'t bad at all, like she\'d been lead to believe over the years.

    She kept their new budding friendship from her best friends, as neither of them would understand. Likewise, as far as Hermione knew, Draco kept their meetings from his friends, but she wasn\'t sure if it was for the same reasons. The people who visited the library during the hours they spent in there either didn\'t care or didn\'t notice that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy not only sat next to each other, but seemed to get along.

    Once Terry was well again, he and Hermione resumed their study sessions. Often, Hermione would find Draco at a table nearby while she and Terry were in the library, glancing up every so often at the two of them. Whenever her eyes met his, he looked back down at his table, or pretended he was looking at something behind her.

    One day, Terry left earlier than usual. Over the past couple of days since he\'d returned, he and Hermione spent less and less time together. They did their duties as Head Prefects, and spent the required hours doing homework together, but before when they would\'ve spent additional hours together, just talking or working on extra credit, Terry now spent his free time with Hannah Abbott and Hermione hers doing homework and debating on whether or not she should approach Draco.

    While the two had connected, and Hermione felt that they had been on a path to become friends, good friends even, now it was like nothing had happened between them. Draco continued to ignore her, and only looked at her when he thought she wouldn\'t notice. And when she did, he continued to feign disinterest in her. She wanted to approach him, just sit down next to him again in the library and strike up a conversation, but she wasn\'t sure how her actions would be received by him.

    Fate played them another good hand, in the form of Professor Vector\'s end of year project. As neither Terry nor Wayne were in their class, the Professor decided that they should just work together. Draco hadn\'t seem very happy about it, glaring and giving Hermione the silent treatment all through class. Hermione, fed up with him and his ridiculous mood swings and behaviour, replied in kind.

    It wasn\'t until class was over and they began to pack up their books and quills that Hermione decided to say something.

    \"I think we should just start as soon as possible. We may have over a month to complete this paper, but why leave it until the last minute?\" she\'d asked, to which Draco had simply shrugged without looking at her.

    \"Fine,\" he\'d said. \"I\'ll meet you in the library after our last class.\" With that, he\'d left the classroom without as much as a backwards glance.

    Some hours later, Hermione had arrived in the library, before Draco. She hadn\'t been surprised or concerned about it, as her last class had been just around the corner and his had been Divination. As she\'d waited for him to arrive, she\'d begun planning out the new Prefect\'s schedule that she and Terry were going to go over after supper.

    Having forgotten to cancel her study session with Terry, he\'d arrived just moments later. Hermione had told him of the change in plans, but then figured that as he was there, and she didn\'t know how long Draco would take, they might as well begin with next weeks patrol schedule.

    Barely ten minutes had passed before Draco had arrived. He\'d taken one look at the two of them, sitting close together, bent over a paper and left. Hermione hadn\'t found out about that until the next day when she\'d stopped him in the hallway to ask why he hadn\'t showed up. He claimed that they \'looked so cozy together\' and that he \'didn\'t want to interrupt the two love-birds\'. Hermione had laughed, called him a stupid git and just like that, all was forgotten.

    They resumed their sneaky study sessions, hidden away amongst the bookcases at the back of the library. They became friends and began to spend most of the time they\'d planned on using for studying, just talking to each other.

    No one had been as surprised as Hermione and Draco were at the turn of events and the fact that they were now friends. Of course, they were the only ones who could be surprised about it, as no one else knew.

    Hermione was thinking about the upcoming Christmas Holiday the beautiful morning her life changed forever. Ron and Ginny were going home to see their family. Harry had been invited – and pushed and prodded – to spend the break with Remus, Tonks and their newly born son, Sirius James Lupin, Harry\'s godson. It didn\'t take a mind like Hermione\'s to realise Harry would not be spending Christmas at Hogwarts that year. She was also sure that Harry would end up at the Weasley\'s for New Years, and while Hermione had been invited to join them as well, she\'d kindly said no.

    As she rounded the corner, Hermione contemplated returning home for the holiday. Her parents insisted that she came home, but while she was sure she\'d be lonely, spending Christmas and New Years on her own at Hogwarts, part of her wanted to stay. It was her last chance to spend Christmas at Hogwarts, and the amount of studying she would be able to do for their upcoming NEWT\'s wouldn\'t hurt either. If she returned home, her parents would want her to actually spend time with them, and not with her nose stuck in a book. And when she wouldn\'t be spending all her waking moments with her Mum and Dad, there were other relatives who wanted to see her again.

    And while Hermione loved them the best she could without really knowing them as well as she would\'ve liked, she just didn\'t know what to say to them. No one but her parents knew she was a witch, much less how close they\'d all come to being killed or enslaved by a madman, or Hermione\'s part in killing him. They just wouldn\'t understand.

    Hermione was pulled out of her thoughts as suddenly, out of nowhere, someone grabbed her arm. Before she was able to hex the person in question, she\'d been pulled into the broom cupboard just off from the Entrance Hall. The door closed with a click and for a moment all was dark and quiet. Hermione heard the shifting of her kidnapper\'s robes as the person took a step closer to her. She began to back away, but when her back hit the wall after only half a step, she began to panic. In her panic, she couldn\'t remember if she\'d put her wand in her bag or in her robe, and she began to frenetically pat her pockets, hoping to find it, all the while aware of the figure that now stood right in front of her.

    A male figure, she realised as the scent of expensive cologne hit her. She knew that scent.

    \"Hermione.\"

    It was only a whisper, but as Hermione had already figured out who it was, she easily recognised Draco\'s voice. She visibly relaxed before she glared up at him in the darkness, despite the fact that she knew he wouldn\'t be able to see it. \"Don\'t scare me like that,\" she said, swatting him lightly on the closest part of his body she could find, which happened to be his right arm.

    She was about to chew him out further when he cupped her chin in one of his hands, bent down and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss barely lasted for a second before Hermione jumped back in surprise, forgetting that there was a stonewall just behind her. She banged her head hard against it and groaned quietly in pain as her skull almost vibrated from the hit. Draco hadn\'t moved, although the hand cupping her chin just moments ago had fallen back to his side at her reaction.

    Hermione swallowed, lightly rubbing the spot that hurt the most at the back of her head. \"What?\" she asked, once the silence in the small space became too much for her to bear. Her voice sounded odd and faint so she tried again.

    Draco took a step back. \"Nothing,\" he replied quickly.

    \"Don\'t nothing me. You just kissed me!\" Hermione exclaimed. Softer, she continued. \"Why?\"

    \"I-\" Draco hesitated. \"I\'ve got to go. Right now.\"

    He didn\'t give Hermione a chance to respond before he fled the cramped cupboard, leaving the door open in his wake. Hermione blinked slowly, not entirely positive what had just transpired between them had actually happened, or if she\'d just imagined it.

    Hermione stayed in the broom cupboard, her eyes still on the empty doorway, until groups of students began to exit the Great Hall. Some looked in as they walked by, curious as to why the door was open and then when they saw her, what their Head Girl was doing inside. After a particularly large group of Ravenclaw\'s walked past, Hermione exited the cupboard. She walked in the other direction, her head held high, ignoring the curious glances and speculative whispers that followed in her wake. She entered the Great Hall, suddenly starving. She still hadn\'t had breakfast and it was almost time to leave for Hogsmeade. She could think about Draco and what had happened after she had some food in her belly.

    Even so, the moment she\'d stepped into the Great Hall, her eyes were immediately drawn to the Slytherin table. She searched the entire table up and down, in hopes of finding Draco. She didn\'t, and came to the conclusion that he\'d already had breakfast before he pulled her into the broom cupboard and kissed her.

    She still couldn\'t believe he\'d actually done it. Granted, it hadn\'t been much of a kiss: she\'d been too shocked to respond and it had been too short for her to properly enjoy it, but it had still been a kiss.

    Their first.

    In what she hoped would be a long line of many other kisses between them.

    She found Harry and Ron, their heads close together, immersed in a whispered conversation. When she sat down heavily in front of them, they quieted. Hermione raised an eyebrow at their behaviour. \"Good morning,\" she said after a few moments of silence.

    \"Morning,\" they replied in unison, glancing at each other.

    Hermione poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice before she looked up at the two of them. They were engaged in what looked like an intense silent conversation, complete with glares and pointed looks. Hermione frowned, feeling left out. It wasn\'t the first time that they\'d gone down to breakfast without her, and she was sure it wouldn\'t be the last, but today she felt very much like an outsider. Like they had a big secret she wasn\'t privy too. In all their seven years, she\'d never once felt that way. She knew, both of them being boys and her being a girl, that there were things neither wanted to talk to her about, which she was more than happy to accept. She was sure it wasn\'t things she wanted to hear, especially not from them, but never had she felt like she was the third wheel.

    After another few moments of silence, during which Hermione pretended she didn\'t notice what Harry and Ron were up to, they stood up, like one. \"We\'ll see you later Hermione,\" Harry offered in a way of explanation as the two disappeared from the table, leaving her without a backwards glance or a chance to say anything.

    Hermione looked at their backs as they walked away, stunned at their actions. \"But...wait...\" she called, too late. For her two best friends had already left the hall.

    \"I\'ll wait with you,\" Ginny said, moving down towards Hermione from the group of friends she\'d been sitting with. She offered the older girl a smile once she sat next to her.

    Hermione smiled back. \"Thanks Gin.\"

    \"Well, you know, us girls have to stick together,\" she kidded. \"Boys! Bah! Who needs them?\"

    Hermione didn\'t answer, choosing instead to simply smile at Ginny, hoping it wouldn\'t look strained.

~*~

    Less than an hour later, the two girls were in Hogsmeade. Hermione and Ginny walked around the village for a while, but Hermione saw no signs of Draco. She wasn\'t sure if that was a good thing or not, because while she wanted to confront him and ask him what had gotten into him – and possibly share some more enjoyable kisses – she was quite nervous and she wasn\'t sure what she was going to say when she did meet him.

    She didn\'t see any signs of Harry or Ron either, but she wasn\'t too concerned. She wasn\'t even sure they\'d gone to Hogsmeade yet, and with the way they\'d just left her at the breakfast table, she wasn\'t sure she wanted to spend her day with the two of them.

    \"Come on, I could use some fudge right about now,\" Ginny said, linking her arm through Hermione\'s, forcing the other girl to walk down the street towards Honeydukes with her.

    \"I thought you said you wanted some Butterbeer?\" Hermione asked, glancing over at The Three Broomsticks, which Terry and Hannah were entering.

    \"Candy first, drinks later,\" Ginny replied, smiling.

    \"Sounds good to me. I\'ve been craving their nougat for days.\"

    The two girls laughed as they entered the sweet smelling shop. It was filled with students of all ages, and they decided to split up and meet outside once they\'d purchased their candy of choice. Hermione looked towards the chocolate section of the shop, only to find a large group of young students in front of it. Not feeling up to wrestling through that herd of younglings, Hermione decided to find some Toothflossing Stringmints for her parents. They often said they liked it and if she decided to stay at Hogwarts, she could always owl it to them.

    Hermione quickly bypassed excited thirteen-year-olds on their first visit before she finally entered the aisle the Stringmints could be found in. Luckily, it wasn\'t nearly as crowded as the main portion of the store and she quickly grabbed a few packs. She turned and as she ventured out of the aisle, she decided to get some Ice Mice as well, hoping that her parents might enjoy them. They were located in another aisle, and Hermione turned, deciding that she\'d take the back way.

    Only to crash straight into Draco Malfoy.

    \"Oomph,\" Hermione involuntarily let out as she took a step back, not wanting to fall on her arse in the middle of Honeydukes.

    \"Oh, its you,\" Draco sneered, his grey eyes cold and his face a perfect mask of indifference.

    \"I\'m fine, thank you so much for your concern. It\'s touching really,\" Hermione replied sarcastically, rubbing her forehead where she\'d bumped it against the hard box he held to his chest. When he didn\'t reply, she rolled her eyes. She sidestepped him and continued down the aisle. After a few steps she stopped and turned, only to find him having turned as well and now looking at her. \"Oi, you were the one standing just behind me, not the other way around. How could you not have known it was me?\"

    \"Well I...\" he trailed off. \"I- Oh bloody hell. Fine. I might\'ve, I don\' know, followed you?\"

    Hermione walked back to stand in front of him. \"You followed me?\" she asked quietly, mindful of the students lurking about. While no one important enough cared to look in their direction, or let their eyes linger long if they did, there was no need for her to draw unnecessary attention to them by causing a scene.

    \"I saw you and Weasley enter the shop and I thought I\'d...\" He trailed off and shrugged vaguely.

    \"You thought you\'d what?\" Hermione pushed on, taking a step closer when Draco didn\'t elaborate.

    \"I thought maybe we needed to talk?\" He hugged the box in his arms closer to his chest and seemed very interested in the row of Cockroach Clusters bags lined up on a shelf next to his head.

    \"All right. Yes. I think that might be a good idea,\" Hermione replied. Not knowing what to say, she looked at him expectantly, figuring that as he was the one who suggested it, he should be the one to start. Never mind the fact that she wanted to speak to him as well.

    \"I think it\'s best if you and I stop studying together,\" Draco all but whispered.

    Hermione glanced down at their feet briefly before she looked back up, meeting his eyes. \"I see.\"

    When she didn\'t say anything else, Draco continued. \"I just think it\'s best, with what happened earlier.\"

    \"You mean when you kissed me?\" Hermione asked, taking another step forward and lowering her voice as group of students passed by at the end of the aisle. She looked up at him through her lashes, hoping he wouldn\'t catch her rather oblivious attempts at being flirty.

    Draco visibly swallowed as he looked down at her. She bit her lip and his eyes were drawn to them. \"I um, yes.\" His knuckles turned paler as his hands gripped the box he was holding harder.

    Hermione could almost feel the muscles in his arm tense underneath his clothes, she was standing so close to him. His breath mingled with hers and Hermione could feel hers grow heavier by the second. She was sure he was going to kiss her again, and just as his head began to slowly lower, Hermione noticed from the corner of her eye that Anthony Goldstein had rounded a corner and was now standing not too far away, looking at the candy displayed on the shelves. He hadn\'t noticed them, but Hermione pulled away, taking a step back.

    Draco\'s head followed hers a few inches as she backed away, then, when he noticed what she\'d done, he too pulled away. As he took a step back, he seemed to close into himself and Hermione wished Anthony hadn\'t been such a sucker for Jelly Slugs.

    \"Draco...\" Hermione was about to reach out as he began to pull away further, but he stopped her with a look.

    \"No, no. You\'re right. We shouldn\'t.\" With that, he turned. When he saw Anthony, he looked back at Hermione. \"Maybe we should just talk outside?\"

    Hermione nodded. \"I\'m meeting Ginny outside as soon as I\'m done in here, but give me ten minutes and I\'ll meet you around back?\"

    \"All right.\"

    Hermione watched him leave, his stiff posture and masked face indicating that he hadn\'t reacted well to what had happened. Or not happened, as Hermione hoped.

    Once he was out of sight, Hermione quickly found some Ice Mice, and after braving the hoards of students to get her hands on some of Honeydukes famous nougat, she paid for her purchases and went outside. Ginny was already waiting for her, and Luna had joined her. The two were engaged in a conversation about the newest edition of the Quibbler.

    \"There you are,\" Ginny said when she saw Hermione approach. \"I was beginning to wonder where you\'d run off to.\"

    \"I decided to pick up some candy for my parents as well,\" Hermione replied. \"Hello Luna.\"

    \"Hermione,\" Luna replied, smiling. \"You look happy today.\"

    \"I am.\" She smiled. \"Interested in some Butterbeer?\" Hermione asked, having now found the perfect distraction for Ginny. If it had just been the two of them, Ginny would most likely want to go with her to the book store, rather than being left alone in The Three Broomsticks, which meant that Hermione would have to come up with another cover story.

    \"I was just on my way,\" Luna answered.

    \"Great,\" Ginny replied with a smile.

    The three girls started to walk towards the pub, talking about the upcoming Quidditch game. While Hermione wasn\'t overly fond of the sport, she\'d learned to live with it, as all her friends loved it. And, after the War, anything that made people – especially her best friends – happy was good in her book. Luna had just finished telling them that she was now the official commentator for the games until she graduated, when Hermione decided that now was her chance. They hadn\'t yet entered the Three Broomsticks, and as she glanced behind them, she saw someone she thought was Draco sneaking into the alley beside Honeydukes.

    \"Oh, I forgot,\" Hermione said, stopping in her tracks. \"I was planning on sending a letter to my mother. I\'ll catch up with you two as soon as I\'m done at the post office.\"

    After saying their temporarily goodbyes, Hermione began to walk down the street towards the post office. When she felt enough time had passed, she glanced behind her. Not seeing Ginny or Luna, she turned and hurried back down the street and over to the alley where she was to meet Draco.

    She found him leaning against the back wall of Honeydukes, the box he\'d carried with him in the store no where to be found. He hadn\'t noticed her arrival, and Hermione took the opportunity to observe him. His eyes were closed, his hands shoved down his coat pockets and he seemed to be mumbling something to himself. He shook his head briefly before he continued his silent conversation.

    Some part of Hermione had always found him beautiful. Even back when she detested him, she wasn\'t completely immune to his blond hair and grey eyes. Especially not after he\'d actually grown taller than her and while he was still not as broad shouldered as Ron, he was now lanky rather than skinny. When she hated him it was easier to pretend there wasn\'t a part of her that fancied him, but now that they were friends and spent time together, it was harder and harder to lie to herself.

    \"Hey,\" she called, walking closer.

    Draco was visibly startled, as his eyes flew open and he jumped up. \"Hi, hello.\" He leaned back against the wall, and gave her a welcoming smile.

    Hermione walked up to him and leaned against the wall next to him, smiling back. She frowned however, when he jumped up again, taking a step forward before turning. She raised an eyebrow at his actions. \"You wanted to talk?\"

    \"I did. I mean I do.\" He sighed. \"We need to talk about what happened.\" He\'d begun to pace.

    \"You mean the kiss.\"

    Draco looked at her. \"Yes, the kiss.\" He took a deep breath. \"As you might remember, it wasn\'t exactly a...\"

    \"Success?\" Hermione asked innocently.

    He stopped pacing. \"Not quite what I was going to say, but yes, it was unsuccessful,\" Draco agreed. He resumed his pacing, taking three steps forward before turning and walking three steps back.

    Hermione followed him with her eyes. \"Did you want it to be a success?\" she asked hesitantly.

    Draco stopped in his tracks. \"I- Well, of course. I didn\'t kiss you to show you how bad I was at it.\"

    \"So why did you kiss me?\" Hermione asked, looking expectantly at him.

    Draco hung his head. \"I can\'t tell you that.\"

    \"Can\'t, or won\'t?\" Hermione challenged, standing up from the wall.

    \"Is there a difference? Either way, I\'m not going to tell you.\"

    \"Why not?\" Hermione asked quietly.

    Draco looked up at her and their eyes met. \"You won\'t understand,\" he whispered.

    Hermione took a step towards him. \"So make me understand.\" Another step.

    \"Not now,\" he replied. \"Another time.\"

    Hermione nodded. \"All right.\" Another step. \"But answer me this: do you regret it?\"

    Draco smirked. \"I would\'ve hoped it\'d turn out better than it did, but I don\'t regret it. Do you want me to?\"

    \"No.\" Hermione shook her head for emphasis. She was standing close to him now, closer than she had in the candy store. Her head had craned backwards as she walked towards him, not wanting to lose eye contact.

    \"I\'m glad.\" He looked down at her, and his eyes seemed darker than she\'d ever seen them before.

    Hermione took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly as she gathered all the Gryffindor bravery she had in her body. Her eyes opened, only to fall shut moments later as she raised herself up on her toes and kissed him.

    Draco gasped lightly, and Hermione took the opportunity to open her own lips. Her hands slid up his coat covered arms, and into his hair, and as Draco\'s tongue hesitatingly met hers for the first time, as the snow began to fall.

    He tasted of Butterbeer and chocolate, and his tongue was warm and wet against hers. Hermione groaned as he took charge of the kiss, his soft lips and tongue causing all kinds of tingles in Hermione. His hands rested lightly at her sides, as if he wasn\'t quite sure what to do with them, but Hermione didn\'t mind.

    The snow began to fall heavier. Draco broke away from the kiss, letting them both suck in some much needed air. \"This is more like how I wanted our first kiss to be,\" he whispered, his face so close to hers, his lips touched Hermione\'s as he spoke.

    Hermione smiled, feeling herself blush despite the chill in the air. Draco began to back Hermione up against the wall, where the low roof helped protect them from the snow. Their eyes held the entire time, and when Hermione felt the rough wall against her back, Draco bent down and claimed her lips in another kiss.

    Their heavy, clumsy coats and the rows of buttons meeting in the middle made it hard for either of them to properly feel the other\'s body against their own. As much as Hermione was glad to have the protection her thick coat provided – not wanting Draco to find out just how much their rather innocent kiss had affected her – she wished she was able to feel his chest against hers.

    She yearned to feel the beatings of his heart against her palm or at the very least, the heat of his body against hers. She moaned into the kiss as one of Draco\'s hands came up and cupped her chin. The snow began to fall heavier, but neither noticed, wrapped up in each other and their own little world.

~*~

    \"Oh Hermione, it\'s positively dreadful!\" Lavender exclaimed the moment Hermione slipped into their dorm room.

    She\'d just come back from the library to drop her books off before dinner, and her lips were still tender and sensitive from Draco\'s heated kisses. She was in no mood to hear whatever it was that was bothering Lavender now. The girl had a thing for drama, and Hermione just knew that whatever it was she wanted to say, it\'d kill the happy mood Draco had put her in.

    \"What\'s dreadful?\" she asked anyway, brushing past the taller girl, hoping her bored tone and actions made Lavender realise just how uninterested she was and encourage her to find Parvati instead.

    \"Harry!\"

    Hermione paused. \"Harry\'s dreadful? Since when?\" Just earlier that morning as she once again ate breakfast with Ginny, she\'d overheard Lavender and Parvati talk about Harry. The two girls had been trying to decide on what to give him for Christmas, and how to give it to him, as it was only one week left of the semester. One thing had lead to another, and the next thing Hermione knew, they were talking about the colour of his underwear.

    Lavender looked shocked. \"You mean you don\'t know? It\'s all over the school.\"

    Hermione began to unpack her book bag as she shook her head absently. \"Know what?\"

    Lavender drew a dramatic breath as she prepared to deliver the most recent gossip in the Harry Potter saga. \"I saw Harry kissing Hannah Abbott!\"

    \"Hannah Abbott?\" Hermione looked at Lavender, completely forgetting about the unpacking and dinner. \"Harry and Hannah? Are you certain? I thought she was with Terry?\"

    \"Hermione, keep with the program. They broke it off weeks ago. And she\'s been after Harry ever since.\" Lavender sighed. \"I\'m surprised you didn\'t know they weren\'t together any longer.\"

    Hermione shrugged. \"Terry never said anything.\" Not that he\'d had much of an opportunity to say anything, even if he wanted to, with the way Hermione now spent even more time with Draco. The time she actually spent with Terry these days, were spent doing actual work, and not talking about either of their personal lives.

    \"He\'s a guy, why\'d you expect?\" Lavender scoffed. \"I\'m even more surprised that you didn\'t already know about Harry and Hannah, considering the two of you are so close.\"

    Hermione ignored her, continuing to unpack her bag. She didn\'t want to admit that she and Harry – or she and Ron for that matter – hadn\'t spent a lot of time together lately. They just didn\'t have anything in common any longer it would seem, now that they didn\'t have to depend on each other to survive. Hermione figured that it was part of growing up, and hoped that one day they\'d all become the best of friends once more.

    \"Can you believe it?\" Lavender continued when Hermione stayed silent.

    \"I really can\'t,\" Hermione answered, her mind now focusing on the Transfiguration essay she\'d yet to finish thanks to Draco.

    \"Maybe you could put in a good word for me?\"Lavender asked hopefully, smiling innocently at Hermione.

    Hermione frowned. \"With Harry?\" At Lavender\'s nod, she continued. \"Why?\"

    Lavender sighed dreamily. \"He\'s Harry Potter. It doesn\'t get any better than him.\"

    Hermione snorted. Except for Draco, she thought. \"I\'ll see what I can do,\" she lied, smiling at Lavender.

    With a brief hug and an ever quicker thanks, Lavender was out the door. As soon as it closed behind her and Hermione was left alone, her smile faded. She knew Lavender would bring her good mood down, even it it hadn\'t been on purpose. She\'d still been tingling from Draco\'s touch and she\'d felt all warm inside, and even – dare she think it? - loved.

    Her gaze fell onto the framed Muggle picture, standing proudly on her bedside table. It was from the victory party, a happy moment caught in time. Harry and Ron had their arms around her as they all smiled at the camera. Back then, she\'d been at the top of the world.

    Now she just felt alone.

~*~

    In an effort to push away all thoughts of loneliness, Hermione went down to dinner. But when she saw her two best friends sitting with Parvati and Lavender – Lavender looking quite put out over the fact that it was Parvati who was sitting next to Harry and not herself – she changed her mind, and instead of sitting down at the table, she grabbed some portable food to take with her. She searched Draco out, and when she found him, she found him already watching her. Their eyes met and held for a few moments before Hermione left, with a brief nod towards the door.

    It wasn\'t the first time she\'d done something similar, and she felt confident in the knowledge that Draco would soon follow her, as soon as he could without it looking suspicious.

    Not even ten minutes later, he exited the Great Hall and Hermione swallowed the piece of bread she\'d been chewing on, calling his name. He\'d been on his way towards the stairs, and now he turned and faced her. While she\'d waited for him, she\'d leaned against the wall of the Great Hall, eating her modest dinner while listening to the sounds that filtered through the half opened door.

    \"I thought you said you had to study after dinner and didn\'t have time to meet me?\" Draco asked, once he was close enough for her to touch. He leaned sideways against the wall next to her, and Hermione was glad she\'d picked the wall that she had, as they weren\'t visible from inside the Great Hall. Even students who left it might have trouble spotting them, as the door cast shadows against the wall where they stood, hiding them.

    \"I can study later,\" Hermione replied.

    Draco smiled, ducking his head down as he did, before looking back up at her from underneath his fringe. \"I\'m glad,\" he said.

    Hermione couldn\'t help but lean forward and press her lips against his, even though she knew she shouldn\'t. At least not there. While the shadows provided some cover for them, it was only so dark, and at least one student was bound to see them if they didn\'t find a better hiding place. His lips were soft, and he tasted of pumpkin juice. It was a simple kiss, their lips meeting for a moment or two, and aside from their lips, it was only Draco\'s hand on her neck that connected them. Hermione pulled away before their simple kiss could progress into something more and they once again were in the danger of being caught, unable to pull away from each others lips as they often were.

    Smiling, she took a step away from the wall, towards the stairs. She threw a look back at Draco over her shoulder, and frowned when he hadn\'t moved. \"You coming?\" she asked, holding out a hand towards him.

    With a smile, Draco straightened from the wall and followed her, taking her hand without even a backwards glance to see if someone inside the Great Hall might be able to see it. Laughing, the two hurried up the stairs, holding hands the whole time.

    Once they reached the second landing, Hermione had to stop to catch her breath, as the laughing had prevented her from doing so as much was needed while she\'d run up the stairs. Taking a quick look around himself, and seeing no one but the various paintings hanging on the walls, Draco pushed her up against the closest hard surface and kissed her. Hermione gasped, the moaned as his tongue slid into her mouth and his hands slipped around her waist.

    As Draco began kissing her exposed neck down towards her chest, Hermione threw her head back and ended up banging it into a portrait. The frame rattled and the woman sitting in it snorted and mumbled something about teenagers and their bloody hormones.

    \"Draco,\" Hermione gasped, as his tongue ran over her skin, just where her top began. It slid in underneath the edge and Hermione feared that her knees wouldn\'t be strong enough to hold her up if he continued what he was doing. \"Draco!\" she called, louder, placing her hands on his shoulders to push him away.

    He looked up at her, confusion and desire shining through his eyes, and Hermione smiled. \"Maybe we should take this elsewhere?\" she asked,

    \"Excellent idea my dear,\" Draco replied, taking her hand. Before she had a chance to change her mind – not that she wanted to – he began leading her down the first empty hallway he found. Reaching the end of it, he glanced back at her and winked, before he opened the door to the Muggle Studies classroom. The room was dark, with only the rising half moon providing light through the large windows. The room was considerably smaller than most of the other classrooms. There were also fewer benches, mostly due to the fact that the Professor thought it a waste of space to have the usual number of benches, as they would never be filled.

    After closing the door, and placing an ordinary locking charm on it, Draco pushed Hermione up against the door, pressing his lips down onto hers. Her lips fell apart and soon their tongues met. Draco groaned, Hermione moaned, and the next thing she knew, a certain hard part of Draco\'s anatomy was rubbing against her already wet centre, and his left hand was cupping her breast through her shirt. Hermione felt her cheeks warm up as she blushed, this being completely new to her. While their snogging had often gotten intense to the point where she had to take a cold shower after their meetings, both of them had been hesitant to step over the line from snogging to something more. And while Hermione wouldn\'t have minded it if it\'d happened sooner, she herself was too shy to take that particular step first, which was why she\'d been waiting for Draco to take it.

    She smiled against his lips, pushing her chest against his hand in encouragement. Draco caught on immediately, and gently squeezed her breast, through her shirt and the simple pink cotton bra she was wearing. Her nipples hardened further at his actions, having been hard ever since their eyes met in the Great Hall in anticipation of his kisses. Her hands fisted in the heavy robe covering him, holding him to her as their kiss became more intense and out of control. Her legs turned to pudding and it was a good thing Draco held her up against the door, or she feared she would\'ve slid down to the floor in a not so graceful heap.

    \"Merlin,\" she breathed against his mouth as they broke apart for air, his hand continuing with it\'s slow exploration of her fabric covered breast, creating havoc on her mind and senses. Her nipples had always been sensitive, and her rather thin clothing didn\'t provide much protection once Draco\'s fingers found the erect nub and focused his attention on it. Her clothes, while usually quite cold in the old castle, felt constricting and hot in the room, and Hermione had no doubts that Draco felt even worse. Without thinking about it, she began pulling at his robe, pushing it down his arms as far as she could reach, while Draco\'s lips once again found her neck and seemed to attach themselves to it.

    With a little help from Draco, who didn\'t even glance up as his lips trailed down towards the edge of buttons holding her shirt together, Hermione got his robe off of him. It fell soundlessly to the floor behind him as Draco\'s fingers found the top button and unbuttoned it. He glanced up, as if wanting to reassure himself that Hermione wanted this as much as he did. At Hermione\'s nod, one more button fell open.

    Hermione held her breath, as one by one, the buttons were opened. She shivered as Draco\'s fingers slid down the valley between her breasts and over her stomach, his lips following the same trail, in a slower, sensually manner. Once the final button was undone, Draco was standing on his knees in front of her, his hands on her hips, his tongue on her skin. Hermione\'s head was thrown back as the air hit her exposed skin, and her fingers slid into Draco\'s blond hair, holding him to her as he explored her body.

    Draco\'s hands curved around her hips as one hand slid down, coming to a stop at her knee. There, it paused for a moment before he slid it back up again, this time underneath her skirt. Hermione felt goosebumps break out on her skin as his fingers trailed over the back of her thighs, his thumb coming to rest on her hipbone, just underneath her knickers as his other fingers dug into the softness of her bum.

    He looked up at her, desire shining clear through his grey eyes. He must\'ve found the same look in Hermione\'s eyes, for he grinned and with aching slowness, he slid his other hand up under her skirt, raising the fabric as he did so. Hermione bit her lip as the skirt rode up over her hips and her pink knickers were revealed. Draco\'s eyes were drawn to them, and Hermione tried to fight the blush that spread across her cheeks as he took them in, the first boy to ever see her so exposed.

    He licked her lips as one hand slid down from her hips, to caress the softness of her thighs. Hermione shivered as the same hand slowly, with the lightest touch, trailed up her skin and in underneath the edge of her knickers. Draco grunted in what Hermione could only assume was approval as he encountered the wetness he most likely already known was there, as she\'d felt it begin to soak through her knickers.

    Hermione closed her eyes at Draco\'s first hesitant touch, his long fingers awkwardly sliding into her wet heat. She spread her legs in encouragement, and moaned loudly as two of his fingers slid further in, stretching her ever so gently. He pumped them slowly in and out, going slightly further in each time.

    Suddenly, the fingers were removed from her opening, and Hermione opened her eyes at the loss. \"Draco,\" she cried in protest, glaring at him.

    \"Don\'t worry luv,\" he replied, winking up at her. He hooked his fingers in the sides of her knickers and pulled them down her legs.

    With nothing to hold it up, the skirt fell down around Hermione\'s legs, and once Draco had fully removed the knickers from her person – discretely pocketing them for future use – he pulled it up again, making sure to caress her skin as he did so. He breathed in the heavy scent of Hermione\'s arousal as it was finally presented to him without any offending fabric blocking the view of her glistening folds.

    Draco\'s eyes met Hermione\'s, as he looked for any signs of doubt or uncertainty. Finding only desire and want – and perhaps a touch of curiosity – his eyes trailed down her body as his fingers spread her open. Hermione jerked in surprise as his thumb found her clit, unaccustomed to the pleasure it brought her. Draco glanced up at her face at her reaction, but finding nothing that would suggest she\'d changed her mind or that the move had brought her anything but pleasure, he did it again.

    \"That feel good?\" he asked huskily, grinning as Hermione could do nothing but nod her head as he did it again, this time pressing his thumb harder against her clit, making small circle movements as he did so.

    The scent of her arousal drove him wild and the soft moans and gasps she couldn\'t prevent were like music to his ears. Hermione\'s legs spread even wider as he pushed lightly at her knee, and Draco licked his lips. Casting a glance up at Hermione\'s face – her mouth open, eyes closed and head thrown back in what had to be ecstasy – he leaned forward and tasted her.

    Hermione\'s hips buckled in response to the hesitant touch of his tongue, and Draco repeated the action, this time flicking his tongue across her clit before he sucked gently on the tiny bud.

    Hermione mewed in pleasure, hardly believing this was actually happening, with him. Her legs felt weak and there was a very pleasant pressure building inside of her.

    Hermione gasped as Draco slid two fingers into her again, his lips and tongue not ceasing their sensual assault on her sensitive clit. Hermione had never felt anything like it, and as the pressure building inside of her finally exploded, she cried Draco\'s name. He continued to lap delicately at her moist folds, and Hermione\'s body throbbed with enigmatic pleasure.

    \"Wow,\" she breathed as she came down from her high. She found Draco was now standing once more, and that her skirt had once again settled around her legs. She could clearly feel the absence of knickers underneath it, but for once, she found herself not caring in the slightest.

    Draco grinned proudly. His fingers were slick with her juices, and he licked them clean, all the while looking into her eyes. Hermione blushed, unable to look away as he licked his lips. Once clean, he leaned down and pressed them against hers, his hands back on her hips as he held her to him.

More to (hehe) come.