Love Thy Enemy (Finished)

Schemes and Things

I don't realize how long I have been in the bathroom until Draco starts pounding on the door, asking if I am okay. Apparently I am not convincing in my "fine". He continues to pound on the door, sounding increasingly worried until he finally just walks in. All I have on is a towel wrapped around me, but I don't really think about that until later. For now, All I care about is Draco, standing there looking helpless with his arms open, inviting me into them. I quickly walk into his embrace and we both sink to the floor. He manages to keep everything important covered with the towel as he cradles me in his lap. He never once asks what's wrong, he doesn't ask if I am okay. He just holds me and lets me cry until I am all cried out. After that, we just sit on the floor. His fingers run over the bare skin of my shoulders and neck, soothing away the last of the days tension. And it is with my face nuzzled against his shoulder that the scent registers. It is perfume.

"Why do you smell like perfume?" I ask, pulling away just enough to look at him.

"Earlier, when I came back to get our cloaks, Nicola cornered me. She is the one that brought Ron here, she is the reason he came. She wanted to break us up. She was eager to console me and I had to curse her to get her off of me," he explains.

"She is a piece of work. I figured this was all her doing. But I am almost glad she did. It needed to be done," I shrug.

"Are you sure you are okay Hermione?" asks Draco, cupping my face and staring at me with worry filled eyes.

"It is hard, but I'll be fine. It would be much, much worse if it was you who left," I tell him honestly.

He leans in to kiss me, just a quick peck, but I don't let him pull away. I place my hands on his cheeks and hold his face against mine. One of his hands drops to the very bare, very exposed skin of my upper thigh. His other hand tangles in my damp hair. But before much more happens, Draco tenses under my grip and he pulls away.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I can't do this here, with you so...naked. I won't be able to stop," he says, his jaw clenched.

"Are you sure?" I ask, still a little fuzzy from the kiss and quite unsure about what I want to happen. It would be heaven to lose myself in Draco, if only for the night.

I can see his resistance waver and I lean in to kiss him again. His shirt is already unbuttoned, so I slide my hands under it. My fingers run over the strong, muscular planes of his back. The way I am sitting, cradled in his lap, makes it easy to feel his...excitement. Then his hands are on the flushed skin of my stomach and ribs as he pulls me harder against him. Lost in the burning heat of skin on skin, my finger nails scratch the smooth skin of his back. He gasps lightly against my mouth, and though it obviously isn't hurting him, it is enough to knock some sense back into my brain. This time, I pull back.

"I'm sorry I scratched you," I apologize. His stormy grey eyes are so full of burning hunger that I can barely breathe. 

"It's okay," he practically growls and I shiver.

"We should stop," I tell him, still not sure if that is what I want.

"I know. I'm sorry," he says, sounding more like himself.

"Don't apologize, this time its my fault," I remind him.

"Aye fair maiden, you are quite the corrupter, trying to weaken my manly virtue," he says, playing offended and we both laugh. I stand and help him to his feet.

"I guess I should get dressed," I say, finally realizing just how truly naked I am.

"If you must," he grumbles, leaning back against the sink and folding his arms across his chest. His smoldering eyes run down my barely covered body and back up to lock on my face. "Well..." he says suggestively. I laugh, half in humor, half in embarrassment.

"I don't think so oh virtuous one," I tell him and I grab his hand, pull him over to the door and shove him through it, closing it behind him.

"Damn my big virtuous mouth!" he sighs through the door and I laugh again. 

It doesn't take me long to pull on my tank top and pajama pants. I braid my hair back to keep it out of my face and to keep it from getting too crazy in the morning. The I head out into the common room. Draco is sitting on the small couch in front of the fire. When he sees me, a warm smile breaks over his face, like he hasn't seen me for years rather than minutes. He opens his arms and I sink into them. It is a tight fit, both of us on the tiny couch, but it is just fine with me. For a long time, we sit on that couch, wrapped up together, and we talk. We talk about what happened with Ron and with Nicola, we talk about what happened in the bathroom and have the overdue "should we wait or not" discussion. 

When we finally go quiet, we stare into the flames for a long moment. Then Draco breaks the silence. 

"I got you something today, for your birthday," he says.

"My birthday was over a month ago," I remind him.

"I know, but I didn't get the chance to celebrate with you then, so I want to celebrate now," he says, extracting himself from the couch and heading back into our room. I wait for him to return, full of curiosity.  When he returns, he is holding a black box in his hand that could be anything small. He comes over and takes the seat next to me.

"Happy birthday Hermione," he says and flips open the lid.

Nicola

I can't believe that slut! How could she ruin this? Draco should be in my bed right now, he should be begging for me, not pledging his love for that filthy mudblood! I can't stop pacing my room, obsessed with the fact that Draco is with her, right now. It isn't hard to know what they are doing, they can barely keep their hands off eachother! Well, this isn't the end, I just have to re-think the situation. I take a seat on my bed and put my head in my hands. I scheme and I plan until I have the perfect plan. I can't help laughing out loud at the simplicity of it, and this time, it really is fool proof. Draco will be mine before Christmas. That night, I sleep like a baby.