A Hard Year

16

Hermione's POV

It had been a few days since Draco had spoken to me in my room but the memory was still raw in my mind. It was so hard not to ignore logic when he said and did things like that.

I watched myself in the mirror as I fastened my top, I seemed so different to the girl I was when I first came here. But underneath all the experience...my condition I was still the 12-year-old girl I was when I first arrived here. Still just as vulnerable, still just as hopeful.

I hadn't realised how long I had actually been looking in the mirror until the mechanical chime of the grandfather clock from downstairs echoed into my room. My eyes left the reflection staring back at me in the mirror and to wand residing on my dresser. I stowed it safely away in my bag before leaving the room and heading downstairs to meet Draco.

He was standing in the middle of the common room tall and muscular, hands casually buried in his trouser pockets. His muscles rippled through his shirt even with the slightest move of his body. I reluctantly pulled my eyes away from his body and remembered the reason why I was actually here.

"Draco, I'm ready."

He met my gaze, looking slightly shocked by my sudden announcement. His eyes seemed to linger on me a little too long before he replied.

"Ok...let's go."

The walk to the hospital wing was usually a quick on but for today it felt like an eternity. I didn't know what to say to him and he probably didn't know what to say to me. I felt myself slipping away once again into my never ending spiral of thoughts but just before I was consumed I was pulled away, pulled away by the sensation of his fingers intertwining with mine. My heart pounded against the constraints of my chest as he held my small hand in his. I felt a warmth flow around my body at the feeling of our hands intertwined, warmth that felt so perfect and so right that I forgot what it was like not to feel like this.

We carried on walking to the hospital wing without a word between us but our hands still firmly joined. I didn't know why I hadn't untangled my hand from his minuets before now but I hadn't and I couldn't. The idea of letting him go was almost painful.

I was convinced that our journey to the hospital wing would remain in silence until we approached the double doors. I jumped slightly as his unoccupied hand found a certain place on the flare of my hips that made me shiver. My body was pulled to face him; our hands still joined and one on my hip.

His eyes searched into the depths of mine and he broke our joined hands as he stroked my sides just brushing the curves of my breasts.

Knots began to form in my chest, tight uncomfortable knots, as I longed for something more. His lips were slowly descending onto mine I knew I had to stop myself and prevent the surrender to his persuasive hands, that was fast encroaching.

"Stop..."

I whispered reluctantly but necessarily. His hands stilled but did not leave their place. His dissension on my lips was suspended.

"Why?"

He could tell that even I wasn't convinced by the sincerity of my request. My eyes almost fluttered closed as the smell of his musky cologne intoxicated me.

"Because if I don't stop you now then I won't be able to stop you at all"

This time my attempts to be slightly bolder and more confident succeeded, partially. I could still tell that he wasn't convinced in the slightest.

"Then don't"

His nose brushed against mine as he eyed me searchingly, his lips neared mine until they were almost touching and his breath ignited the skin of my neck.