Healing the Heart (Dramione)

26 || Stay

A painful silence stretched out before them as they drank their tea. She tried to find something around the flat to distract herself from her thoughts as the kiss replayed in her mind. The feeling of his hands in her hair remained. His lips brushing her neck, her arms wrapped around his waist- "I'm sorry but I need to leave. I can't-" She shot up and grabbed her shoes. "Goodnight, Draco." She wrapped her fingers around the doorknob and twisted.

"Don't." She paused her departure and turned towards him. "Don't leave." His eyes were full of desperation. "Look, I know that we can't let anything happen, but this can just be like any other night. We made a cup of tea and fell asleep on the couch. Nothing will happen."

"Draco..."

"I just," He padded over to her and took her free hand. "I don't want you to leave. Not yet." His lips brushed her palm. "Don't go." He murmured against her wrist.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she nodded stiffly. "I don't have anything to sleep in. I-I only have street clothes here."

"You can just grab something from my room." Relief colored his voice. "You can take my bed, I'll sleep on the couch."

"Won't Blaise wonder why you're there?"

"Nah," He grinned. "He won't be back till later and I doubt he'll be sober enough to realize I'm there. I'm gonna shower." Hopefully clear my head.

"Okay, I'll find something to wear." She backed into his room and shut the door.

He knew he shouldn't have asked her to stay. It was a stupid effort to make the night last but he still wanted to try. The Director, was a kind hearted man, but he had told his staff, and Draco specifically, many times that relationships with coworkers only caused trouble and weren't allowed.

In the end, the shower did little to clear his head if anything, it made his thoughts cloudier, thicker. "Hey, 'Mione, I was wondering-" She was standing in his room, wearing a sweater of his and a pair of boxers. "What are you wearing?" He gulped.

"Oh, I..." She pulled at the hem of the sweater. "I just... Stay with me." Meeting his perplexed expression, she took a step towards him. "Don't sleep on the couch. I don't want tonight to end either. Please. Stay with me." She pleaded.

He was over to her in an instant, running his fingers through her hair. "We can't."

"I know. Just sleep in here. Sleep. Nothing more." She ran a hand across his jaw and then down his neck.

His thumbs traced her features till he brushed over her cheeks. "Your confidence in my control is astounding." He leaned closer to her till his lips hovered just above hers, waiting for her to close the gap. Without hesitation, she pulled his mouth to hers. This kiss was different than the others. This one was filled with desperation and longing. They both knew tonight would be the end of it. Morning would come and things would go back to the way they were.

As the kiss deepened they ended up backed into the room till her legs hit the edge of the bed. "Draco." She warned against his mouth. He responded by running his teeth over her bottom lip causing a sensation she felt down to her toes. "Draco," Hermione lay her hand against his bare chest, fingers spread, and pushed lightly. He moved immediately, though reluctantly. "We should just go to bed."

He tilted his head so his eyes were covered. Groaning in frustration, he paced in a circle. "I'm going crazy. You are driving me to insanity."

She ran her fingers through her hair. "I know." She pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. She was driving herself crazy as well. She was basically asking to sleep next to temptation and hope she was strong enough to resist him and that he was strong enough to resist her.

He groaned deeply before grabbing a shirt from his dresser and joining her. "If I get institutionalized tomorrow, it's your fault." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. After placing a kiss on her ear, he buried his face in her hair and curled his knees behind hers. This position, her pressed firmly against him, wrapped in his arms, felt so right to him. So natural. "It would be worth it." He sighed.

Hermione closed her eyes and leaned against him."Goodnight, Draco."

"Goodnight, Hermione." He breathed into her hair. He intended on savoring this moment. Tomorrow it would be different. Everything would go back to the way it was before.  He closed his eyes and let the smell of parchment and rain slowly lull him to sleep.

~~~

Hermione woke the next morning and groggily rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Draco's arm was wrapped around her waist, his lips pressed against the top of her head. At some point during the night she had rolled over and hitched her leg over his hip. Her own arms were curled against her chest. She brushed her fingers down his chest before snuggling closer to him. "Oh!" She bolted upright, smacking Draco's chin with her head on the way up.

A hiss of pain escaped his lips. "Ow, what was that for?" He sat up in bed, rubbing his jaw in pain.

"Sorry, we need to get to work." She started to climb out of bed only for him to snake his arm around her waist and pull her back.

"Let's ditch." He pulled her onto his lap and pressed his forehead against hers.

She giggled and lightly kissed his nose. "Sarah's getting released today. We have to be there for that." Giving a gentle peck on the lips, she swung herself out of bed. "I'll see you at work."

What had The Director called it? An addictive kind of pain? Yes, he could easily become addicted to this. He groaned and fell back into the sheets. Last night never happened. He told himself. This was a new day, a new year, and he had to pretend like nothing had changed between them.

No. Draco sat back up. Why did he have to pretend like he felt nothing? She obviously felt the same way that he did. Why should they hide?

"Uh, Draco?" Blaise was standing at the doorway with a raised eyebrow. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't that Hermione running out of your room?"

Draco shrugged. "What of it?"

"Well, I recall a conversation happening not too long ago that went something to the effect of 'Hermione's just a friend'."

"What's your point?"

"This might just be me but I don't usually treat my friends the same way you're treating yours." Blaise tilted his chin down and raised his eyebrows. "Also, I'm pretty sure I've seen the pair of boxers she was wearing on you."

"Get out! I need to get ready for work." Draco threw a pillow towards his friend.

Blaise shrugged and walked down the hall. "Just saying."