Practice
Hermione was anxious. But this feeling was not for nothing. Draco would study with her to practice the option phases for the practical exam they had tomorrow.
It was strange to think of Draco with her, let alone studying. After the war, after
Voldemort lost, they somehow became friends and returned to Hogwarts to finish their school year. They did everything together, from studying to taking walks in the surroundings. They would go into the forest and stay there for hours, but they were not afraid, they lived too long to be afraid of anything.
Time and space were theirs and they could do whatever they wanted. Nobody would get in the way, nobody could.
At some point along this trajectory, Hermione began to harbor feelings for Draco. She didn't know how or when it started, but it happened and she couldn't control this flame growing inside her. Her chest ached whenever she was near him. Hermione just wanted to hold his hand and feel its warmth. She wanted to feel him in very different ways.
Hermione was smart enough to know that this wasn't just friendship, at least on her part. There was something else she was dying to explore and the day would be today.
Her palms were sweating and she felt her heart beating wildly against her rib cage. It was a pump pump pump that reached her ears aggressively.
She would kiss him, for Merlin, she would or she wasn't called Hermione Granger—the golden girl.
Wasn't that what everyone called her? She would have to live up to the name she was given.
Hermione would kiss him and know if the feelings were mutual. What she hoped to be, if she wasn't, would be an absolute shame for her entire teenage and pre-adult life.
10:45 am
Okay, he would arrive in 5 minutes.
He was never late and he hated anyone who did. Typical of Draco.
Hermione took one last look in the mirror. She adjusted her skirt and t-shirt by opening one more button, smoothed her curly hair so it wouldn't be too high, and added a little more perfume that she knew he liked. He always—always—stopped to sniff him when he entered her room.
The fresh morning sun streamed in through her window and the birds were singing, the day was perfect. Everything would work out. Had to give.
Two rings. It was him. He always knocked with two firm taps.
"Hi! Come in!" Hermione tried to cover it up by arranging her books and her study table.
"I took a book from the library that can help us memorize the potions more easily", he said as he went to her bed already sitting in the middle and opening the book.
"Oh cool," she sounded uncertain, damn it, but the anxiety was eating at her. She should just ask.
Ask. Ask. Ask. Knife. Kiss him soon Hermione—fuck.
"Granger," he looked at her and she turned to him, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, sure, just a little anxious about tomorrow," Bullshit.
He gave a nod and started flipping through the book, Hermione had to act, and it would have to be now. If she didn't act now she would never have the courage to do it again.
She went to bed and sat beside him. Close. Too close. But it was completely normal, after all they were friends. Just friends.
For a while.
He was leafing through the book and Hermione began to notice his big white hands. Totally big. She'd always imagined what one of her hands would be like around her waist and the other around his neck.
She'd always imagined what his hand would feel like choking her while...
"Let's start with the hardest part, you—"
She didn't.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
She didn't.
She pulled his face to hers and brought her mouth to his. She could feel him pulling away a little, his face covered in confusion.
"What the fuck—"
But she didn't have time. The world stopped. The sun got brighter. The birds had stopped singing and she was sure if she opened her eyes she would see the dust cuticles breaking down the oxygen.
She went calmly, like she was scared. She kissed him softly and let her tongue come to his.
The world exploded.
He let out a groan and pulled her onto his lap as he kissed her fiercely. With aggression. Like she was hungry. Hungry for her.
One of his hands went to her hair and pulled it up, exposing her entire neck. He kissed her there and then bit and sucked on her.
"Oh Granger, you don't know where you've gotten yourself..."
But she knew. She had heard several things about him.
And she wanted it all.