Prince of snakes | Dramione

Chapter 17

She sighed, closing her eyes, and a wisp of vapor escaped her lips.

"Perhaps by overthinking, you prevent yourself from feeling the unimaginable. And maybe in your search for a glimmer, you've forgotten that you already have one close by, within yourself?"

Hermione continued to observe the snowflakes with tenderness, feeling as though she floated in another galaxy. They stood apart from the other students, and through that distance, she sensed she was discovering a fragment of her long-awaited happiness, something she could almost reach out and touch with her fingertips.

Hermione turned away from her dreamy observation under Malfoy's warm palms against her hips. With a tender gesture, he grasped her chin, tilting her face toward him.

"I understand now. It's not the snow that keeps my feets on the ground. It's you. And even if I close my eyes, I still see you."

Hermione welcomed the caress of his lips with trembling limbs. The gesture was incredibly gentle, almost fearful. She clung tighter to his person under the tenderness of his kiss. She floated, her spirit light and when he detached himself from her, his eyes half closed, she burst out laughing. Euphoria shot through her heart with happiness. A little more and she felt like she had wings.

"Are you mocking me?" he asked.

"Not at all," she laughed, savoring the moment.

He pressed her closer, expressing his annoyance, and she giggled in response.

"I'm just content," she said. "That's all."

Forehead against forehead, Malfoy took a deep breath, his warm hands still on her hips. He didn't release her gaze. If he thought she would pull away, he was mistaken. Hermione wanted nothing more than to be in his arms, forgetting everything else. All her responsibilities and tasks faded away. She longed to meld into the warmth of his muscles and the softness of his caresses. Breathing near his lips, she felt as if there might be no tomorrow. Draco Malfoy had become her bubble of peace. The serenity of their secret encounters brought her a comfort she never believed she deserved. And there she was, smiling under the snowflakes' glow, eyes shining with tears of joy.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For sharing that memory of your mother with me."

He simply nodded, suddenly lost in thought.

His touch became more uncertain, as if he were trapped in the recesses of his thoughts, unable to hold onto reality. Their reality.

"You don't talk much about her," she added.

Her words tasted bitter in her throat. She felt like a traitor, even though she genuinely wanted to delve deeper and discover the world surrounding the prince of snakes. To uncover all of Malfoy's secrets.

"No. There are people we cherish so much that speaking of them stirs dull pains," he murmured.

He moved away from her, seemingly putting back on his mask of coldness. Hermione tensed as she analyzed him. Had she gone too far?

"I apologize," she hurriedly added, her breath catching. "I understand your reluctance to talk about it."

"Is that why you never talk about your parents?"

His voice was distant, almost challenging. Hermione flinched at his abrupt tone. Now it was her turn to create distance between their bodies. The snow had stopped falling, and the cold air turned into a shower of orange leaves. She shivered at the change in atmosphere, absentmindedly playing with her red and gold scarf to distract herself. Malfoy was aware of her state, his jaw clenched, and he didn't dare make a move.