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Off Limits	By : avari20 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 31376 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, though I wish I did.

Progress?

The adrenaline rush receding, Draco began to take note of Hermione�s limp form. Why wasn�t she waking up? �Is she alright?� Draco asked worriedly, looking into Hermione�s still face. Blaise nodded. �She�s fine, Draco. I think my spell and the potion�.� He waved a hand, as if to indicate the entire situation. �It took a lot out of her.�
Draco sagged in relief, finding his knees too weak to hold him. He slid to the wooden floor with a sigh, closely joined by Blaise, who held Hermione. Energies were drained far more than expected, but Hermione had gotten the worst of it. She�d become a living conduit for their magic. Draco felt a prickling of anger that she�d suffered, but when he turned to look at her lying in Blaise�s arms, he couldn�t muster any regret for what he�d done. He would do it again in a heartbeat, he thought fiercely, his jaw hardening. A thousand times over he would do this, if it meant she would be this close to them always.
He reached out and lifted her gently out of Blaise�s embrace, gathering her closer until she sat on his lap with her head tucked in the curve of his elbow. Blaise leaned his head on Draco�s shoulder, and both spent a moment marveling at the sight of their girl in silence. �I think she�s out for the night,� Blaise remarked finally.
Draco nodded. �I can�t believe she�s really here.� His eyes caressed every inch of her face, the lines of her neck, the curves of her body. �She�s finally in my arms.� He rubbed his cheek on Blaise�s hair in rare tenderness. �And all it took was a fist fight with you, two with the Gryffindor Gorillas, a love potion, and a hand fasting ceremony.� He chuckled. �And here I thought I had trouble getting you.�
Blaise smiled, but his eyes were darkening in thought as Draco continued. �Should we start a family right away? I�ve read up on pregnancies and giving birth, and let me tell you, Blaise, it�s a messy business. The dangers involved are appalling, even in the wizarding community! She could fall down the stairs, or trip over a doorway, or the baby could take so much of her energy that she�ll be bed ridden for the entire nine months!�
Blaise was listening, but thoughts were crowding his mind. Tonight�s whirlwind events kept repeating themselves in his head, and now that it was done, doubts were resurfacing. What had they done? He should have trusted his instincts more, they should have thought about this longer�..�Draco-� Blaise said hesitantly, but Draco was on a roll.
�And childbirth! Blaise, the baby could get turned wrong and they�ll have to perform surgery and she could die from an infection!� Draco shuddered at the thought, hugging Hermione protectively.
�Draco, I�m sure all of those are rare cases-�
�Well, of course they are! But one never knows. Then again, maybe we should start right away. She couldn�t very well leave the fathers of her babies, could she? Then it�s settled. We�ll take her traveling and have a baby in every country,� Draco declared. �We�ll just make sure she doesn�t tax herself. She�ll be thrilled with the library we�ll give her. I have three houses to choose from, you have four, surely she can find something to read-�
�Draco, we�ve made a mistake.�
Draco stilled. Utterly. The look he gave Blaise suggested that he explain and posthaste. Blaise stroked Hermione�s cheek as he spoke. �We did too much too fast. It galls me to admit this� but it was rash, and if we don�t erase her memory and court her properly without the stigma of tonight, it will destroy any chance we have of winning her.�
�Blaise, my love� Draco asked calmly. �Have you lost your fucking mind?� He said it as only the English could, in a perfectly pleasant tone usually reserved for comments like �wonderful weather we�re having� and �would you like sugar or milk with that?�
Blaise squinted at his lover in irritation. �How do you do that?� He absently brushed a lock of hair away from Hermione�s face. She lay perfectly still, so much so that Blaise had checked her breathing twice. The ceremony had taken a lot out of her, an unforeseen complication. He was upset that she had to suffer when he would have gladly shouldered the burden, but he was forced to push away emotion to pay attention to a more immediate issue. Namely, convincing a very stubborn Slytherin to deny his nature just a little longer.
Draco waved the question away with careless grace. �It�s a talent. Now,� he said. His voice turned steely, and his eyes hardened perceptively. �What�s this nonsense about erasing her memory?� Draco aimed a very intimidating stare at his lover, although he realized that it was more to let Blaise know the extent of his displeasure rather than an aggressive stance. Blaise, and now Hermione, would never truly feel the feared Malfoy wrath. And the bugger knew it, he thought with fleeting irritation.
Blaise met his gaze head on. He looked like a Roman warrior, framed in moonlight and ready to battle for love and life. His black hair blew lazily in the night wind and his breathe came out in puffs, though neither had paid much attention to the cold as they faced off over their sleeping bride. �Tonight was a disaster. Even you must admit that.�
Draco grunted. �We got what we wanted.�
Blaise shook his head. �At what cost? I want her to love us, not fear us. If we leave her like she is, take her back to our room and make love to her, we may lose everything in one night.� He looked into Hermione�s sleeping face, and the desire that had never really cooled flared to new heights. He dragged in a ragged breath. �I cannot be gentle tonight.�
Draco snarled. �And if we don�t do it tonight, we�ll be letting her slip through our fingers!� Why was Blaise doing this?! Couldn�t he see? Draco pointed at Hermione. �We take her tonight, and she has no choice. She�s ours in every sense of the word. She can never truly run away!�
�She�ll hate us!�
�I don�t care, Blaise!� Draco shouted furiously. Anger, shame, fear, and possession warred for supremacy within him, making him lose his tight grip on control. �I don�t care! I want her any way I can get her!� He stopped and took a deep breath, struggling against the maelstrom. His voice dropped dramatically in pitch, making it sound as though every word ripped itself out of his throat. His eyes had darkened to a deep painful blue that reflected acute longing in their depths while they caressed Hermione�s silent features. �Tonight didn�t change a thing. The only one who would benefit from erasing her memory��is you.�
Blaise couldn�t help it--he flinched as though Draco had slapped him. He stared back when Draco lifted his gaze to glare at him. He felt the look like a stab in the heart. What was Draco saying? He wondered dazedly. Was that accusation in those beloved silver eyes? �Draco-�
He was cut off when Draco abruptly turned his face away, barking a humorless laugh. �Stop,� he said harshly. �It�s not-- I just-- I don�t--� He ran a hand in his hair and slumped against the abandoned pillar. �It�s not your fault, Blaise. Hermione Granger would hate me with or without her memory of tonight. She always has, and Salazar knows I never encouraged anything else. And then you told me you wanted her.� A small rueful smile appeared. �You were right, you know. I was angry that you had a chance with her when I had none. But, Blaise,� he said softly, �I was afraid of losing you too.�
Blaise had an epiphany. �You�re afraid we�re going to leave you behind,� he said in amazement. �You think Hermione will love me more than you, and that we�ll forget about you.� Draco looked at the floor silently. There it was, the bald truth. How utterly disgusting that he should be so insecure-
Blaise leaned over and kissed him. It was a deep kiss that expressed all of Blaise�s abiding devotion and love. He moved his mouth with tender roughness, parting Draco�s lips to delve inside. Draco�s eyes went wide, finding his head pressed firmly against the wooden pillar.
Just as he was about to kiss his lover back, Blaise released his mouth and leaned away. Draco actually found himself breathless, completely surprised by the raw honesty in those violet eyes. �You listen to me,� Blaise growled. His accent thickened with every word. �I love you. I love Hermione. It doesn�t matter who came to me first, or who came to me second, who is a man, or who is a woman. What matters is that I love.�
A second of silence that lasted eternity.
Blaise straightened and looked down his nose at Draco. �We will erase Hermione�s memory. We will conceal the mark, and we will court her until she gives herself to both of us freely,� he said imperiously, making it obvious that he would accept nothing less than complete acquiescence. The die was cast. �Is that clear?�
Very, very slowly, Draco�s mouth stretched into a smile. �You know, Blaise,� he teased quietly. �You can be extremely bossy sometimes. What am I to do with you?�
Blaise smirked cheekily, relieved beyond words. �I�m sure you�ll think of something.� He lifted Hermione higher in his embrace. �Now get your wand.�
***************************************
After that rather embarrassing display on the bridge, Draco had pulled it together long enough to perform the necessary magics on Hermione immediately. Then they had to sneak her back into the Gryffindor common room without the benefit of a Polyjuice Potion, not to mention the extreme hardship of getting her safely tucked away in the girls� dormitory. Now that had been an emotional experience. Only through the grace of Salazar had they done it, but that hadn�t been the end of it.
The moment they had returned to the relative safety of the dungeons, Blaise had roughly tossed him into their private room. Draco had rapidly found himself thoroughly shagged, roughly fucked, and tenderly made love to in an exhausting marathon of sex and emotion. To put it bluntly, Blaise had worn him the hell out.
It had begun with a long, hot, open mouthed kiss that made the world constrict to just the two of them. He�d been pinned forcefully to the bed, Blaise straddling him quickly while they dueled with their tongues. Never one to play the submissive, Draco had fought for dominance even as he reveled in his position. He was so hard, so ready for this. To have Blaise taking over and sweeping him away from the pain of reality into a world of pleasure always thrilled him, though Draco never admitted it out loud.
One of the sexiest things he had ever seen was Blaise ripping an obscenely expensive shirt off of Draco with effortless strength before tossing it aside and latching onto Draco�s chest. He sucked hard enough to leave a mark right over his lover�s heart, a mark that Draco would never be able to stop himself from touching at random moments throughout the day.
He heard more ripping, and felt his pants being roughing pushed out of the way. Blaise�s dark hand reached between them and gripped Draco�s cock hard, dragging it roughly up and down. Once, twice, just enough to bring Draco from �full attention� to �ready to explode�. To Draco�s frustration, Blaise let go to return his attention to removing Draco�s clothes entirely. He was still fully clothed, Draco noted with frustration. �Get those clothes off,� he growled. He grabbed Blaise�s shirt, ready to rip it off in a like manner, but Blaise captured his hand and pressed it hard onto the bed. �No,� Blaise commanded, rubbing his erection on the skin between Draco�s thighs. With his free hand, Blaise reached around to delve into the crease of Draco�s arse.
A single press onto his prostate tortured Draco, and all the while Blaise licked and sucked on Draco�s nipples. But the sensations, made more intense by the sheer force of will and control Blaise was exhibiting, set Draco�s teeth on edge. He bucked his hips insistently, urging his lover on. Draco was now naked, but still Blaise had only pushed his own pants out of the way, his cock bare and ready. Draco tried to drag that dark head up, wanting those smooth lips back on his own so badly he could taste it. The little bugger resisted with a laugh that infuriated Draco. �Blaise,� Draco growled. �Stop�playing�and�fuck� me!�
Things progressed with stunning speed at that point. Blaise paused long enough to chuckle at Draco�s remarkable impatience, and then got down to business. Between one breath and the next (�Gods!�) Blaise had gripped Draco�s hips and thrust deep enough to startle a gasp of pleasure. Draco pressed his hands to the headboard to protect his head out of instinct (�Harder, Blaise-!�). Each thrust elicited a moan that would not hold back no matter how hard Draco tried to stay silent, and he couldn�t help but eagerly drink in every expression that crossed his lover�s face. Blaise shifted until Draco�s legs were bent, one hand holding his foot while he fisted Draco�s cock and pumped furiously in counter time to his thrusts. Draco never broke eye contact with his Italian lover. Those piercing eyes, those damned feminine lips that took his with such perfection, the- the- (�Oh, oh, Oh, OH FUCK!�) It all happened so fast, so intense, that Draco came within moments.
It infuriated him. He�d wanted to enjoy this, take his time, really get Blaise- Dear gods, when had he been turned on his side? Why was Blaise lifting his leg? Surely he wasn�t-

Ahhhhhh, he was.
Blaise was a madman, pounding into his lover as if his life depended on it �Mmmm, you like that, don�t you, Draco?� One arm wrapped underneath Draco�s athletic body, his hand spread wide over the heart. �Moan for me, that�s it.� He bit Draco�s shoulder hard. The sound of skin slapping skin in an intense beat erotically assaulted his ears. With a growl of sheer animal feeling he forced Draco onto his stomach, ignoring his token struggles and using his weight to keep Draco�s arms on the bed. His lover was helpless while he watched himself gliding in and out of Draco�s anus with primal satisfaction, teeth bared. Blaise knew he wasn�t really hurting Draco, that the protest was more for show than anything, and somehow that spurred his ardor on.
Draco was panting. �Fuck!� he gasped out.
�Take it all, Draco,� Blaise commanded. He shifted until he was pressing his sweaty chest onto Draco�s pale back, grinding his hips and changing the rhythm. He pressed his lips to the back of Draco�s neck and laved it ardently. �I�m not the only fuck toy around here, Draco, and you had better remember that. I can take you anywhere, anytime, and you love every second of it.� He slapped a hand over Draco�s arse for emphasis, gripping it hard and relishing Draco�s over the shoulder glare even as he gasped in pleasure. Blaise kept him easily on the mattress, savoring the reversal in roles. �You like to think that you dominate me, that you are the one who is stronger.�
�No-�
�Don�t deny it,� Blaise snapped. His fingers dug into Draco�s hips. �I let you dominate me, because I know you need to. I know that you think that domination means strength, and that only a show of strength will keep me by your side, when in truth I stay by you because that is where I want to be.� Abruptly he circled the back of Draco�s neck with his hand and gently squeezed, meeting Draco�s startled gaze. He stilled his thrusts completely. �Know this, Draco Malfoy,� he vowed darkly. �You belong to me. If you ever try to leave me, I will make� you�pay.�
Draco searched those violet eyes that had come to mean to much to him and saw the savage feelings beyond the brutal façade. It hit him straight in the heart, making him catch his breath. Somewhere along the way Draco had forgotten that Blaise felt just as deeply as he. That the Italian mirrored his possessiveness, but hid it under deceptive serenity. Blaise, he realized, was just as afraid of losing him�as he was of losing Blaise.
�I belong to you,� he acknowledged softly. Then more harshly, �Just as you belong to me.� He lifted an eyebrow in challenge.
Blaise said nothing. He simply kissed Draco�s shoulder, then bit it again, and this time he held on. He pulled out until only the very tip of his cock rested inside Draco, before surging back again in a deep thrust that nearly knocked the breath out of his lover. And then he did it again, and again, and again. Faster, faster, louder, harder, dear gods-- until he came in one long, explosive orgasm that had Blaise seeing stars.
And that wasn�t the end of it.
Physically sated, but emotionally thirsty, Blaise spent the next hour tenderly making love to Draco. Hundreds of kisses found their mark all over Draco�s body (�Right there, Blaise��), and Blaise could not stop his hands from touching every available inch of skin. He licked, he sucked, he worshipped. And then he gasped with his own pleasure when Draco returned the favor. A very talented tongue swept over Blaise�s nipples lazily, which equally talented fingers wrapped themselves around his cock. Blaise groaned helplessly, then pulled Draco�s hair until his lover looked at him. �I love you, Draco,� he whispered. His eyes were solemn, sincere.
Draco stopped and lifted his head. �I love you, Blaise,� he answered quietly.
There were no words after that. What more needed to be said?
*****************************
If Blaise had been an emotional wreck before the ceremony, then Draco could only be described as a catastrophe after it. He paced the room restlessly, growling every few feet. He hadn�t sleep worth a damn (except a brief nap after that last round of sex play), his mind entirely focused on the coming days. Anticipation and dread pooled in a heady mix in his belly, and all he could do was stare at the ceiling and drown in his sense of helplessness. It had sent him out of the bed in the wee hours of the morning, and he hadn�t sat down for long.
Except during classes. And Hermione hadn�t shown up for them today. Her uncharacteristic absence had been more fuel for the fire, driving Draco�s anxiety level ever skyward. They had performed the ceremony on a Thursday night, and Friday had been pure torture for Draco. Blaise hadn�t appeared outwardly disturbed, but Draco knew that he had noted Hermione�s absence the same moment he had, a small but telltale flicker in his eyes the only indication.
Draco turned smartly and paced over the same stretch of floor for the thousandth time, his mind in an uproar. While Blaise sought solace in his books when he was nervous, Draco usually turned to more active avenues. Had this been any other occasion, he would have been out on that Quidditch field, or swimming in the pool that came as a perk for the Slytherin Room of Requirement, or some other such thing.
But there was a heavy expectation in the air that held him, with Draco convinced that Hermione would come bursting through the door at any second to hex them into oblivion. Or worse, not come at all. Then he and Blaise would be forever tied to someone who wanted nothing to do with them, which could have been neatly avoided if the bloody bugger had just listened to him!
Draco grabbed the nearest thing to him and sent a valuable, if not priceless, antique vase smashing violently into the wall and shattering in a thunderous explosion of ceramic. Breathing hard, he turned to where Blaise sat on the sofa, daring him to do�.well, something! Anything that would distract Draco from the turmoil inside him, to get rid of all this restless energy that was plaguing him.
Blaise, damn him to the deepest hell, merely lifted an elegant eyebrow and returned to his reading.
Draco almost howled in frustration. He was going mad! �I can�t take it anymore,� he growled, stalking to the door. To hell with this waiting. �I�m going out,� he tossed over his shoulder. Not waiting for a reply, he slammed the door on the way out and went in search for his much needed diversion.
Back in the room, Blaise slowly closed his book and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. �Idiot,� he sighed. �Great, big, lovesick idiot.�
Three years ago, before Blaise had finally given into Draco�s peculiar courting style, Draco had begun by portraying himself as the suave sophisticate. Nothing had ruffled his feathers but Gryffindors (and only three specific ones, actually) and Mad-Eye Moody. Other than that, he had been the epitome of smooth. He paid careful attention to every detail, he was witty, and he never let a hair get out of place in Blaise�s presence. But the longer things had gone on, the more often Blaise could sense that beneath Draco�s civilized exterior beat the heart of something wild and primitive.
Draco was possessive, jealous, and dominating. He had been raised to guard his heart carefully, but once given, Draco considered the entire thing a done deal. He had determined that he and Blaise would live happily ever after, and Blaise�s resistance had infuriated him. Instead of quietly going along with Draco�s wishes, he�d led the Malfoy heir on a merry chase. But Draco would only be pushed so far.
That last scene had been quite the revelation. Blaise had always known Draco to be a ruthless bastard, just as he himself could be if provoked. But somehow Draco�s attention had made him believe that the Slytherin Prince would never turn that ruthlessness upon the one he cared about. He�d been right�up to a point.
They�d been alone in the Slytherin dungeons, everyone else having left for the Christmas holiday. Blaise�s departure had been delayed a few days, and he was fairly certain that Draco had spotted an opportunity and stayed behind longer than he had to. One moment Blaise had been standing and staring into the fire, his mind worlds away, the next he had found himself being stalked by a very determined Draco. He hadn�t been quite as tall as Draco then, giving the paler boy an unfair advantage. Draco had given no quarter, and Blaise had refused to run. Draco had pushed and pushed and pushed until Blaise had broken and lashed out, calling Draco every name he could think of, accusing him of perversions. Draco had angrily reached out and pushed Blaise hard enough to send him into the wall, not to hurt him, but to truly corner him. Blaise would never forget the sight of Draco�s angry face pressed close to his, or the angry hiss that demanded to know how falling in love with someone could be a perversion.
Love. Something wholly unexpected, a word Blaise had been unaware existed in Draco�s vocabulary. And now it applied not only to him, but to someone else. Hermione.
Blaise knew that this was different from the situation that had brought Draco and himself together. They had had nothing separating them but fear of getting hurt. Hermione was stood on the other side of a chasm created by years of house rivalry, and personal contention. Draco had been a major ass, and Blaise had simply been everything else.
The Italian freely admitted to himself that he was worried. He hated knowing that Hermione was just beyond their reach as much as Draco did, but the thought of a marriage, free of fear and anger, was too sweet to pass up. They had to take this chance, he thought to himself. Their future depended on it, and in Blaise�s opinion, it was worth fighting for.
****************
�I just don�t understand, Hermione,� Jonathon Albright said. He wasn�t stupid, just bewildered. Hermione gave him a watery smile as she quickly brushed away an escaping tear. �I don�t either, Jon,� she admitted.
They stood in a deserted corridor, well away from Gryffindor territory and well after curfew. The lack of Gryffindor familiarity didn�t both Jonathon, being a Ravenclaw. Hermione would normally never have entertained the thought of breaking a rule like curfew to be with her�.friend, but she hadn�t been able to think of any other way to do this. So she�d chosen the most remote spot she could think off, one where no one really went even in the daylight hours. There was very little chance of anyone walking in on them, which was the way Hermione wanted it. She didn�t want anyone else witnessing her at her weakest but Jonathon.
She sat at the stone foot of a statue that dominated the corner, hands tightly gripped in her lap, staring up at Jonathon with resignation as he tried to sort the situation out. It hurt her to see him like this. He was a handsome fellow, not too tall, and quite slender. He had the scholarly look down pat, with a habit of pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose when he didn�t understand something.
He had reddish brown hair and nice brown eyes that usually held a gleam that told her he was dying to tell her something new and interesting he�d read about that day. Now the gleam was gone, and in it�s place was confusion and not a little hurt. He pushed a stray lock out of his face. He really needed to get a haircut, she thought faintly. He was always so engrossed in books he usually forgot about life. �I thought you liked me,� he said. �Did I-was I-?�
She shook her head firmly. �No! No, you weren�t wrong. I do like you, Jonathon. I had every intention of telling you that I wanted to be your girlfriend tonight.�
Around the corner Draco froze mid-stride. Dear gods, he thought in shock. Did he just hear what he thought he�d heard? With the stealth of the inherently sneaky Draco edged up to the corner and, propping his arm up to the wall, peered around. There was Hermione, sitting at the statue, her profile to him while she looked up at a boy Draco didn�t recognize. Draco�s fist tightened, anger and jealousy beginning to boil in the pit of his stomach. Hermione Granger was breaking a rule deliberately, and not to be with the two buffoons, but to be with a boy that wasn�t him or Blaise.

And she�d just said she wanted to be his girlfriend.

Draco had to grit his teeth to keep from growling out loud, wanting to hear more, wanting Hermione to say something that would tell him that she�d meant it as a joke�.before he barged in there and ripped the Ravenclaw to pieces for daring to want her.
Unaware of their audience, Jonathon crouched in front of Hermione to look her directly in the eye. �But that�s not what you�re saying now.� His voice was gentle. Even if he didn�t quite understand what was going on, it was plain to see that something had Hermione visibly upset, and it wasn�t just because she was giving him the brush off, either.
�No, that�s not what I�m saying now. I mean, it�s strange,� she laughed bitterly. �I thought it out and everything. We�re very good together. We like the same things, and we get along quite well. It made sense that we should be a couple. And then this morning I woke up and I just---I couldn�t.� She looked at him pleadingly. �Do you see?�
To her surprise, Jonathon started to chuckle. �Hermione, Hermione,� he admonished. �You�re not supposed to be my girlfriend because it�s logical. You�re supposed to be my girlfriend because you get this feeling inside you that tingles whenever you�re near me.� He blushed a little sheepishly. �Or something like that.� He grabbed one of her outstretched legs and shook it a little. �Idiot.�
�What would you know about it?� Hermione sniffed, more than a little interested how an admitted bookworm like Jonathon knew about tingly feelings.
�Hey, I�ve felt tingles a time or two,� Jonathon said haughtily. A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. �And it might also have something to do with the fact that I snuck a peek at one of your romance novels.� He pretended to fan himself. �Hot stuff, that!� He laughed and dodged Hermione�s flying fist. �Temper, temper,� he teased.
Hermione folded her arms across her chest and glared, trying to suppress the smile that kept tugging at her lips. �So you�re the one,� she accused.
�Yes, I�m the one.� He looked at the enormous grandfather clock resting on the other wall. �I�m also the one whose going to get in a lot of trouble if I don�t finish my essay soon.� He glanced back at Hermione, earlier humor tempered a bit. �I�ll see you around? Same time, same place?�
�Of course,� Hermione returned. �I have to rescue my romance novel from you, after all.� Just as Jonathon turned away, Hermione reached out and grabbed his hand. She was glad when he didn�t look back, because she was afraid she would have ruined the entire moment by bursting into tears. Instead she squeezed his hand, trying to impart half of the relief or regret or gratitude she felt at the moment. After a moment Jonathon simply squeezed back in silent acceptance, and then he was gone.
She stayed where she was, sitting on the statue�s base, hugging herself in an attempt at comfort. Hermione would never be sure how long she would have sat there, because scarce moments later an all too familiar voice interrupted her solitude. �Well, that was certainly heartwarming,� Draco Malfoy drawled. Hermione�s gaze snapped over to see him leaning arrogantly against the wall, arms crossed and one foot propped to the stone. �I must say,� he continued, �I�m touched.� He patted his chest. �Got me right here.�
Hermione stiffened and came to her feet. Never let your guard down with him, she reminded herself. Her hand shifted so that her wand was within easy reach. For some reason she�d been unable to let it out of her sight today, although she had to admit she hadn�t gotten much farther than the common room all day. �You should take notes, Malfoy. That was a classic example of a nice fellow. Maybe if you follow his example, you might meet someone fairly decent.�
Malfoy chuckled humorlessly and pushed away from the wall. He watched her like a hawk while he sauntered ever closer. �Doesn�t look like the nice guy act did all that well for him,� he said, indicating the direction Jonathon had gone with a jerk of his head. �Think I�ll stick with my own approach, thanks.�

�Suit yourself.� Hermione had started to sidestep, anxious to get as far away from this boy as possible. �Do excuse me,� she said sarcastically. �Homework and all that.� The way he was looking at her reminded her of a predator. His eyes flickered hotly over her body, making her extremely aware of the fact that she�d left her robe behind. He could see her legs, and Hermione found that strangely�.something. Disturbing didn�t quite capture the feeling. But she wasn�t going to stick around and figure this out right here. There would be plenty of time for that in the safety of her room. She turned to go-
Only to find the exit block by a muscular arm. �Not so fast,� Malfoy said. A new light had entered his eyes, causing a shiver to run down Hermione�s spine. �I�m not quite through talking with you.�
Somehow she wasn�t entirely convinced that talking was all he wanted to do, and that notion alarmed Hermione more than anything. She backed up a step before stopping and raising her chin defiantly. �I, on the other hand, am quite through with you, Malfoy.� She knew it was illogical, this feeling that he was mentally undressing her, but it was one she couldn�t shake. He hadn�t called her one filthy word in the entire exchange. While admittedly short, Draco Malfoy had never before wasted a single moment to insult her. And then there were his eyes. They pierced her, like they saw something in her that she couldn�t. Hermione didn�t like that at all, didn�t like being trapped, didn�t like the way Malfoy�s behavior was affecting her, didn�t want to be there anymore.
So she didn�t waste anymore time on chitchat. Hermione neatly stepped to the side and charged right past Malfoy. She�d almost made it past him when his other arm suddenly snaked around her waist. Hermione found herself sort of slung back in the general direction of the statue, into the corner formed by the wall and foundation meeting. Malfoy braced a hand on each side, effectively bracketing her in. �I said,� he hissed. �That I�m not through talking to you.�
Then he did something completely unexpected--He backed off. �I just want to talk. That�s all.� He sat down on her vacated spot, but Hermione was well aware that he would tackle her if she tried to run. That much was obvious from his stance, the coiled muscles ready to spring. �Why were you with that boy?�
Hermione glared. �You have a lot of nerve, Malfoy!� she spat. But she didn�t run.
�Fine. I�ll just have to make my own assumptions then. You met your lover for a clandestine meeting, and he broke it off with you?� Draco watched her every move. He knew that it wasn�t true, wasn�t sure why he said it, except that he needed to hear the denial from her own lips.
�Why the sudden interest, Malfoy? Not enough going on in your circles?�
Draco shrugged. �Indulge me.� Gods, she was so beautiful. Not classically beautiful, but the kind of beauty where love turns a pretty girl into the only one a bloke ever wants to look at all day, every day. He wasn�t sure how he�d expected their first encounter to go, but now that he had her with him he was reluctant to let her out of his sight.
Hermione reached up and twisted a lock of hair around her finger, obviously agitated and unsure of what to do about it. What game was he playing? Maybe he was bored. Maybe the best course of action was to do as he asked for once. Then he�d surely lose interest and get out of her way without Hermione resorting to hexing. �Jonathon isn�t my lover. He asked me to be his girlfriend, and�well, I said no.� There, she thought with satisfaction. Now he�d snort, make a rude comment, and let her pass.
�Why?�
Hermione stared. �Why?� she repeated. Was he really asking her the reason? Oh, but this was terrible, she thought with growing panic. She was an awful liar. What was she going to say? �I just�well, it wasn�t right.�
Malfoy was contemplating her closely, his expression inscrutable. �There are only two things that prevent a girl from saying yes. Either you found him completely abhorrent, or-� his eyes got that predator�s look again, like he was going in for the kill- �you like someone else. And judging from that little display earlier, I doubt it was the first.� He leaned forward, pining her to the spot with only the power of his presence.
�So tell me, Hermione,� the devil said silkily, the words flowing over her skin in invisible waves. Hypnotizing her. �Are you in love with someone else?�
Hermione was frozen. Just like that, he had targeted her weakness and shattered her defenses with nothing more than a few carefully chosen words. They stood in that silent corridor with no one for company but a massive grandfather clock that ticked the eternities away. He looked into her very soul with those silver eyes, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn�t seem to gather her barriers up again and shut him out. She couldn�t think. Her breath couldn�t seem to reach her lungs, and she couldn�t look away from him. Gods, how had he known? Was she that obvious? Was it-was it that pathetic?
Very silently, the tears that she had thought she�d cried away today welled up in her eyes once more, tipping over her eyelashes, and gliding quietly down her cheeks.
Draco was absolutely shocked by her reaction. Hermione looked more broken in that one moment than she had, even while fighting for her freedom just one short night ago. �You can see it, can�t you?� Hermione whispered. �That�s why you used my name. Because you know. Because I can�t-� a small sob choked her. �Because I can�t hide it.� And with that, she buried her face in her hands, crying in little heartbreaking sounds, shoulders shaking.
Draco couldn�t stand it. He lurched up and stumbled toward her. �Don�t cry!� he commanded feebly. He took her by the shoulders and tried to look into her face. She turned away, trying to get away from his hands, but he held her fast. Her crying wasn�t the loud kind, but it ripped through him nonetheless. �Stop!� he told her. Inside he was aching. Hermione was in love with someone, he thought dully. And it wasn�t him.
It would never be him.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, and later he would rage about it. Later, when he was alone with nothing but his own sorrow, he would shed a few of his own tears, but right now she needed him, whether she wanted to admit it or not. So he grabbed her wrists firmly and dragged them away from her face, pressing them to his chest so that the backs were flush against his heart. �You have to stop, Hermione!�
�I can�t,� she cried. �I can�t stop. Please, I�m sorry, I want to stop! I�ve tried. I couldn�t stop crying this morning when I realized how I felt. I could have forgotten if you hadn�t noticed, if you hadn�t realized-� her hands took on the gesture of supplication, as if she were begging him for forgiveness. �I didn�t want to fall in love with you but I just couldn�t help it-�
Draco reeled backward. �What?!� he gasped. Hermione continued to cry. �Hermione,� he said, shaking her a little. �What did you just say?�

She shook her head, not wanting to say it again. He shook her harder, his heart pounding now in hope, in fear. �Tell me!� he said harshly. �Tell me!�
�I said I�m in love with you!� she cried out. Her shoulders sagged. �I�m in love with you, Draco Malfoy.� She fell to her knees.
�I�m in love with you.�
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