Vacivitas

Chapter Thirty-Five

Whenever he wants her blood.

"Well?" Hermione says, drawing her shoulders back and lifting her chin. She has nothing to be shy about when it comes to him. "Is it passable?"

Blaise bursts out laughing. "Passable? Five hundred points to Gryffindor, if you ask me."

"She looks amazing," Tracey says, and Hermione feels her patting her lightly on the back of her shoulder.

Malfoy doesn't take his eyes off of Hermione's face as he says, "You guys can go ahead without us."

"Well," Blaise says, sounding conspiratorial. "I guess we'll have to give the two of you some privacy then."

"Blaise, stop." Tracey pats his chest. "Hermione, we'll see you there."

"Yeah," Hermione says, watching them step into the Floo and disappear in a flare of green flames. Then, she looks up at Malfoy again. "You never answered."

"Answered what?" His eyes search hers.

"My question."

"What question?"

"I asked you if it's passable." Hermione frowns and puts her hands on her hips. "Are you even paying attention?"

"No," he says, breathing a laugh and giving her another onceover. "Not at fucking all."

Hermione's cheeks warm up and she lets her hands fall from her hips. She supposes that answers it well enough. She doesn't know how to reply.

Malfoy moves closer to her, still nursing his drink in his left hand. Hermione resists the urge to back up as he draws near, standing resolute and tilting her neck back more and more the closer he gets. He stops before her, reaching out to hold one of her curls in his hand.

"When did your hair get this long?"

"It's been long. I just haven't stretched it out before."

"It's so soft," he says. "I thought it was wet."

"It's called a wet look , Malfoy."

"Hm." His eyes flit up from the curl to her face. "I like it."

If he makes her blush one more Merlin-damned time...

"Do you have the necklace?" she asks, hoping the change of subject will cool her down. She glances around, as though she'll find it laying on a table or the back of the couch or the Floo mantle.

"I do."

"Then what are you doing?" She pulls her curls over the front of one shoulder and uses one hand to hold them up. She puts her back to him. "Put it on."

" Impatient, are we?"

"I just want to get this over with as soon as we can. It's not exactly going to be a trip to Hogsmeade for me."

"I know," he says, his voice low.

Hermione hears the dull clink of glass against stone as Malfoy sets his drink down, followed by the rustle of fabric. His arms lift over her head and she sees the emerald pendant descending into view. He pulls back on the two ends of the necklace, and the gold chain settles, feeling cool upon the flushed skin of her decolletage. She stares at the Christmas tree, trying and failing to suppress the violent shiver that ripples from her neck down to the middle of her spine when his fingers brush against the back of her neck.

"What's your favorite color?" she asks, blurting the words out before she can stop them from escaping.

His fingers pause. "What?"