The Muggleborn Vampire: A Dramione Story

Chapter 32: Third Time's the Charm

A quick Tempus told him it was ten minutes to nine. After a day full of studying and contemplating his life choices, it was now time to meet Hermione Granger, newly formed vampire, in the astronomy tower.

Draco was not one to normally admit his weaknesses, even to himself, but he couldn't ignore the sense of dread filling his belly as he climbed each creaking step up the tower. This would be the first biting that he would remember, for his memory was clouded with too much adrenaline during his initial bite and he was unconcious in the hospital wing for his second, and he was nervous about how it would transpire. He hoped it wouldn't hurt a lot; he wasn't a big fan of pain.

At least he didn't think he was, though that small voice in his mind reminded him of the...excitement of Granger pulling his hair during their kiss.

'But that was different,' he insisted, 'she wasn't stabbing my neck with her fangs at the time.'

'Although, she could...'

'Uh uh, no, don't go there.' He interrupted himself, 'that is not the thing to focus on right now.'

He finally reached the landing and took a few calming breaths to clear his mind. 'I'm being silly, worrying myself sick. It's just Granger, the irritating know-it-all I've known for six years. Not that much has changed, really.'

Feeling more confident, of at least pretending he did, Draco lifted his chin and walked into the tower with his normal elite swagger. That was, until he saw the beautiful girl - no, woman - waiting for him.

Dressed in dark blue jeans, knee high boots, and a Gryffindor-red jumper, Hermione Granger leaned against the railing, looking out onto the darkened grounds below her, with her back towards him. Her curly brown hair, which he had begun to highly appreciate, cascaded neatly down her back and her hands were folded on the railing in front of her, sporting her newly trademarked fingerless gloves.

She was breathtakingly gorgeous, and Draco couldn't help but stare.

Only a moment had passed before she seemed to sense him behind her, silently smelling the air and turning around to face him. Her brown eyes flashed red before she quickly blinked it away. She smiled shyly at him. "Hello, Malfoy."

"Oh, hi. Uh, Hello, Granger."

'Smooth, Draco.' He chided himself, internally facepalming. 'That was a very proper Malfoyic response.'

Her sweet giggle regained his attention and his eyes flicked up to meet hers. "Are you feeling any better?" She asked.

"Yes, I feel fine." He schooled his features back to an acceptable blank look as he fought back a surge of irritation.

He watched as her eyebrows furrowed and her head cocked in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." He answered. 'Nosy chit.' He mused.

Granger looked him over for a moment before stepping closer to him. Her fingers twitched by her side, like they wished to embrace him. "You really don't like me asking about your feelings, do you?"

"A Malfoy doesn't rely on or show their emotions with others."

"Ah, I see." He was a bit confused to see a look of understanding cross her face as she came to stand in front of him. "I must ask, though: do you ever do anything because it's what you want, or do you only do things that are required of you because you're a Malfoy?"

"Uh, I..." He stopped, finding himself momentarily speechless. She kind of had a point, didn't she? Wasn't that what he had been struggling with since the Dark Lord came to live with them in the Manor? Whether or not to do things that was expected of him by his family and society, rather then face his own wants and beliefs?

"I don't have the luxury to dwell on such trivial thoughts." He decided to reply. He received a frown in response.

"But, if they make you happy, are they really that trivial?"

Again, he found himself struggling for an acceptable response. He crossed his arms over his chest, not liking how uncomfortable this line of conversation was making him. "Can we just get this bite thing over with? We have classes in the morning and I must get some rest."

"Oh, of course." She seemed disappointed in his blunt manner, and he chose to blatantly ignore the twinge he felt in his gut for disappointing her. What was going on with him lately?

"Ok then, how do we go about this?"

"Well, you've never really been fully conscious before, and you're the only human I have ever bitten, so I'm not sure if you'll feel dizzy or anything." She ran a hand through her hair as she looked about the room for a moment. "Why don't we sit, just in case?"

"You want me to sit on the floor?" He scrunched his nose up in disgust. "Do you realize how expensive these robes are? I can't just go and sit on the floor and soil them with dirt and dust!"

"Would you rather sit by the edge on the stone, where you could fall off the tower if you were to pass out?"

At his grunt of disapproval, Granger rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand, pointed it at the floor, and spelled the section of the floor at their feet clean. "There, you Drama King. Is that better?"

"Much." He said smuggly, quite pleased that he got his way. She rolled her eyes as they both made to sit on the newly cleansed floor.

There that sat, criss-crossed across from each other, for several moments as an awkward silence filled the air. Though this was basically for his benefit, he wasn't planning on making the first move. This was all her fault, so she would need to start things, not him.

With a sigh of flustration, Hermione moved to kneel in front of him. "Well, come here, then. I'm not going to climb into your lap to reach you."

Draco fought back a feeling of embarrassment at the visual she planted in his head with a sigh of his own and moved to mimic her movements into a kneel. A shiver traveled down his spine as she placed a hand on his neck, pulling him gently but authoritatively towards her. And without another word, she lent down, pulled away the fabric of his turtleneck, and bit him where she had twice before.

Draco gasped as a sharp pain entered his muscles, followed by the best feeling he had ever felt before in his entire life.

Oh, he could get used to this. Definitely.