Over the throbbing in his head, Draco let out a frustrated groan and sat himself back against the farwall of the cupboard; a small 6x6 foot space that now felt even smaller.
All he could hear at the minute was the doorknob turning and Grangers incessant pleas for help, allof which were doing absolutely no good whatsoever. Most workers within the Ministry werealready gone for the weekend, which meant that the chances of someone actually coming to helpthem was very small.
Typical that Granger did not have her wand. Even more typical was it that neither did he. Ironicwas it that he had only sent Mr Biggin's a note not ten minutes ago to the man's desk, asking himto fix the offending door as soon as possible come Monday morning, of the highest importance.
If only he'd have said tonight...there might have been light at the end of the suffocating tunnel thathe suddenly found himself in. Not that it was all bad... from his current position propped upagainst the wall, he was able to get a very good view of Granger's legs...did her dress appearshorter? Or was he just imagining things?
She shouted again, still throwing herself against the door without sending herself off-kilter in hershoes. Draco watched her with one eyebrow raised, wondering if she knew how fruitless of anexercise it already was. Draco had already accepted his fate, to an extent.
Of course, she wants to get out... she's got a hot date with a fuckboy who is going to play her like afiddle and probably bend her into all manner of sexual positions that you could only ever fuckingdream of...
That thought process was not helping.I
t's true, though...
"Give it a rest Granger, no one is going to hear you." He sighed to himself, rubbing the back of hishead again, the pain not quite subsiding. "Everyone's gone home for the night... so unless youhave a chainsaw or an ability to pick locks with your mind, then I wouldn't bother...we're stuck inhere."
She looked down at him frantically, a hand on her hip as the other rattled the doorknob again."Why are you not frantic?" She asked him in a high-pitched voice. "We could be stuck in here – inthis small, cramped, awful little space – all night for all we know! How does that not bother you?"
The truth was it did bother him.
It bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
But he currently had a view of the tops of her thighs that was far more interesting that his currentpredicament. Definitely shorter than the last time he had looked properly earlier...more exposedflesh... toned thighs just begging to be parted.
"Jesus..." He let out quietly to himself, hitting his head back against the wall and closing his eyes,hitting the same sensitive spot as before, groaning again.
"What?" She practically hissed at him as she still stood there by the door. Granger had not movedfrom her spot for the last twenty minutes, one ankle demurely crossed over the other as she leanedagainst the door slightly. Did she enjoy immense discomfort?
He had to think of a reason for his outburst. He had a feeling that the words 'Sorry, I was justimagining the things I could do between those thighs of yours and accidently let out a breathymoan', would somehow not be acceptable in their current situation or relationship.
"Got somewhere to be, Granger?" He decided on instead with a small smirk. Yes, that'll do... rileher up. At least then she could concentrate on wanting to hurt him instead of the overwhelmingissue of being stuck in a tiny cupboard with barely any light besides the very dim one over theirheads and the small sliver that was showing through the crack of the jammed door.
"Oh yes, I forgot... Pucey. The 'Big Date' that you didn't want me to know about, though Godonly knows why." His fingers made quotation marks with the words 'big dates', and he saw heranger bubble to the surface as soon as he spoke the words.
He loosened his tie, opening the top two buttons of his shirt. That way, if she dived at him with theintent to strangle, then she would have a harder time.
"Why would I tell you anything about my private life, when all you do is mock my date choicesand put me off with your stupid stories?" She asked him pointedly, looking down at him now withher arms crossed over her chest. He could see the peek of her what appeared to be black bra justjutting out over the top, causing his mouth to go dry.
Jesus... how maddeningly frustrating it was to find someone so insanely fucking attractive, butnever be able to tell them, no matter how much you had wanted to.
He almost did, once.
About six months ago on a night out with their work friends, they had all gone to a Muggle Tequilabar together near Christmas and Draco had not quite understood just how strong the alcohol was inthose tiny little glasses...
And Granger had been wearing this off the shoulder red top with a pair of Muggle jeans thathugged her arse. Her hair was all tousled and her cheeks were flushed from laughing all night. Shehad caught him looking at her, to which he gave her the smallest of smirks and told her that she'scrubbed up well'...
... "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" She asked from beside him, their voices both alittle raised from above the din of the bar.
Draco shrugged, already regretting his words. He might as well have told her that she looked likea pig the rest of the time but looked good when she made an ef ort. Which was untrue... she alwayslooked fucking good.
"That you look alright." He answered her, knocking back another Tequila and sucking on thelemon that came on the side of his drink. For a moment he could have swore that he thought hesaw her eyes watching him lips draining the juice from the citrus fruit, but when he looked backover at her, she was watching her own drink carefully.
"Well thank you... I suppose." Her voice was a little quieter, which made him chuckle.
"Learn to take a compliment when it's of ered, Granger." He told her with a small smile, notbeing able to help himself. "Half the blokes in here are probably thinking the same thing, to behonest."
Draco's eyes found Pucey at the bar, who had been looking in their direction once of twice thisevening. Draco knew what the man was up to, but he just hoped that Granger was not stupidenough or drunk enough to want to go in that direction by the end of the night.
"You, too."
Draco snapped his head back around to her, almost missing her words as her quiet tone continued.
"Come again?" He asked, his eyes meeting hers and she smiled back at him slightly.
"I said you, too." Granger shrugged, before knocking back her own shot and making a face. Whenshe sucked on her lemon, the only image that popped up in his mind was one of her doing thatexact same pout with her lips, but around his cock.
Fuck...
"But then, you must have already shagged half of the population of this bar already, so the otherhalf are just patiently waiting their turn, I suppose."
She always had to have the last word, didn't she?
Draco dragged his eyes over her for a second, before the smirk that he knew she hated so muchappeared on his features. "I didn't realise you were in the que, love?"
She rolled her eyes at him and snorted. "Oh please, even if I was, there's no way –"
"No way what?" His voice was quiet, and his eyes could not help but focus in on her lips. "Noway that you would? Or that I would?" She was looking at him...eyes darting over his face."Because if I had you in my que, I know exactly what I would do..."
He watched her take in a deep breath, her eyes looking between his and his lips now."And what would that be, exactly?"
Draco leaned forward, drinking in her scent. Fuck, why did she always have to smell so good? Shewas looking at him expectantly, as if hoping for a particular answer from him. Shit ... he wanted totell her that if she was in his que then there would be no one else... she would be the front, middleand back of it. He needed to tell her that he thought she was irritatingly beautiful and that shedrove him fucking mental.
He wanted to tell her –
"Jesus! It's hectic at that bar!" an arm came between them both, pushing them apart as CollinCrinkle put a round of drinks on the table. "Hermione, there is a Gentleman at the bar askingabout you – he is with the Head Division apparently... I think you're being head-hunted for amanagement programme."
Draco knew then that the spell was broken, losing his chance to take his conversation withGranger any further. Her eyes had lit up with delight, her attention now taken by looking aroundthe bar until her eyes homed in on a very business-like man looking very out of place in a MuggleTequila bar.
Her eyes finally turned back to Draco with excitement lighting up her features. "I'll be back assoon as I can, let me just go and see what this Gentleman wants!"
Draco did not see her again for the rest of the night, choosing instead to drown his sorrows with abottle of Tequila, instead of seeking out the former Gryf indor Golden Girl and spilling his feelingstowards her... no good could come of that...
Draco had kept schtum since then, choosing to just watch her build her career over the last fewmonths until she was offered her new job. They acted like their little conversation had neverhappened. They acted like their usual sarcastic selves around each other. It was easier that way, hesupposed... easier to hide things. Easier to hide feelings.
She was pacing a little now, back and two. He was not sure whether it was her panic over enclosedspaces that was causing her to do it, or whether it was Draco's words that may have left her raging.Somehow, he always managed to say the wrong thing where Hermione Granger was concerned.
Truth being, he never knew how to speak to her like a normal human being. He did not know howto engage without a sarcastic comment or a smirk, which would always drive her a little mental. Ithad been that way since school really and had never really changed.
"Will you sit down?" He asked her. "You're making it worse by pacing like that, you know."
She stopped, looking down at him once again. "I am fine, thank you."
Draco shook his head. She did not look fine. She looked like she was struggling to keep herself onher feet in those heels of hers...those heels that made her posture straighten and her shoulders pullback. With her shoulders back, her breasts seemed to jut out a little more... which Draco had neverreally noticed before because she wore baggy work shirts... but in that tight dress, they lookedamazing.
"Suit yourself, but we both know that those heels you're wearing were not made to keep you onyour feet all day..."
And then the idea of her wearing nothing but those heels whilst he had her on all fours on his bedhad ravaged his mind, causing him to close his eyes again and put his head back against the wall.
How the fuck was he supposed to do this?
How the fuck was he supposed to survive her like this?
________________________________________________________________________________
Her feet were hurting.
An hour later, her legs were tensing with the need to sit down and relieve the pressure as she stoodin a pair of heels that were going to give her blisters, she was sure of it. She had shifted a fewtimes, between leaning against the door and the little wall opposite Malfoy's, but God, did shereally need to sit down.
The floor looked uninviting, but in her current state she almost welcomed the thought of thehardness beneath her arse... at least it would take the ache away from her thighs. She could takeher shoes off, but Malfoy had already joked about her tottering around like Bambi on Ice if shestayed on her feet much longer... so of course, she had to prove him wrong, didn't she?
She had taken to pacing in the beginning, taking deep breaths to calm herself against the walls thatshe felt were closing in on her. Why could she not be calm and collected like him? Why could shenot act like close spaces did not bother her like him?
And, you're going to be late for your date... Adrian is going to think you stood him up.
Oh, brilliant... guilt.
Oh, to be Malfoy in this situation. With the ability to just sit there and wait this whole thing outwithout an adult care in the world. Even if he himself had a date for this evening, it was highlyunlikely that he would even give two hoots about the lady he was standing up.
Malfoy never appeared to work in that way.
Not that she knew of, anyway.
He had his eyes closed. He had been silent for a good five minutes now, and Hermione halfwondered whether he was sleeping or not. His breathing was even, and his eyelids fluttered everynow and again. Was this what he looked like while he slept soundly at night? Did he lie on hisback or his front? Did he wear Pyjamas or choose to forego them instead to sleep with nothing on?
Dear Lord... stop yourself, right now...
"Granger..." Ah, shit... he was smirking. He knew she had been watching him. "You are makingthe place look untidy... just sit down, for the love of everything Holy."
And he opened one eye, looking her up and down as she leaned against the door, stretching one ofher legs to relieve the slight cramp that she appeared to be getting. His gaze never left her as sheshifted again, rolling her shoulders against the wood and stretching out her neck from side to side.
"How many times... I am fine." She managed to grit out, her stubbornness refusing to show herdiscomfort.
"Is it because of the dress?" His voice could not hide the little grin on his features as he looked ather properly now, his legs bent and his hands wrapped around his knees, viewing her. "Because Ican assure you, I would somehow be able to contain myself if you managed to flash your knickersat me on your descent to the floor..."
Knickers...
If only it were her knickers, she would be flashing...
"Oh please," She retorted before she could help herself. "Like you could contain yourself."
He quirked a blonde eyebrow up at her. "I've seen a pair of Bridget's before, love.. I'm not afourteen-year-old boy, I can control myself." She glared at him for assuming he knew what shewore. "However, if you were to disclose that you've got a G-String tucked away up that short littlenumber you're wearing... then that would be a dif erent story."
Hermione felt her heartbeat quicken a little at the way he worded the last part of his sentence, likehe would take great interest in what underwear he thought she was wearing if it was sultry... evenif he was only winding her up.
"Oh, how stereotypical of you, Malfoy." She looked at him side on, her back pressed against thedoor and her arms folded defensively again, trying to rid herself of the sudden anxiety that she wasfeeling. "I might have known you would only be interested in a woman who wore uncomfortable,sultry underwear every day. Us mere mortals who prefer plain briefs are probably never evenconsidered on your radar, are we?"
She heard him chuckle a little at her words. "I never suggested your knickers are plain, Granger...you're giving yourself away here."
"I am most definitely not."
"Go on then." His voice was bating, and his eyes were goading. "Surprise me... tell me what thefamously private Hermione Granger wears underneath her usually conservative and reservedoutfits."
Nothing... she really wanted to tell him the truth and watch his eyes pop out of his head. But no...that would just a majorly awkward air in the room and she did not need any more awkwardnessright now.
Hermione eyed him for a few seconds, wondering whether she should start his little game or not.She knew he was calling her out... he always did this. However, he was never usually discussing atopic this intimate. It usually started with him pressing her on something that he knew she wouldhave the opposite opinion about, Politics or House Elf Liberation, usually.
But this... this was different.
And he wasn't backing down.
Fine then... game on.
But he was going first.
Suddenly giving herself ammunition, Hermione faced him head on and bit her lip with a smirk. Sheknew that he was taken back, because he was eyeing her suspiciously from his place on the floor,the low light from the ceiling making the shadows on his face dance. His cheekbones really weresharp in this light.
"How about you tell me first, Malfoy?" She asked him with a cock of her head, meeting his gazebravely. "You tell me what you think I wear beneath my clothes when you see me every day?"
He had clearly not been expecting her to come out with that. She watched him swallow as hepondered her question, as if he were thinking about it in great detail. The thought made her skincatch fire.
No. Absolutely not.
Once you get out of here, none of this matters... maybe Adrian will understand and just take youstraight home and give you one instead? That's all you need... sex. Just sex. Nothing but sex...
"Something with a little lacy frill at the top," His voice was a little lower than usual, and his eyesflickered between her face and her thighs, she noticed. "Something that lets you move aboutwithout getting stuck up your arse during the day... so a thong or a G-String are probably out..."
Hermione admired that he really had taken care to ponder upon the question. The mere fact that hehad taken her comfort and the fact that she hates annoyances and therefore would not wearanything less than French Knickers made her realise than in a strange way, he was a gentleman toconsider all of her elements.
"French knickers." Like he had read her fucking mind.
Those were her favourite.
Modest, still sexy and very moveable.
"Lace though," He added, and it was Hermione's turn to raise her eyebrow now. "Because it stillmakes you feel powerfully sexual beneath your pencil skirts and your pinstripe trousers. I'm right,aren't I?"
Hermione swallowed.
And wasn't that just the truth of it.
"But you're going on a date tonight-" He smirked at her and rolled his eyes. "-or were-" Hermionemade a pinched face at him. "- So I am led to assume that you would forego the French in favourof something a little more provocative-" His eyes glanced to her thighs again. "Not that Frenchknickers aren't sexy as fuck...I'm quite partial to them self, if I'm honest."
God help her, her legs trembled slightly at his words. He did not miss it, the smirk on his lipsapparent as he knew he was getting to her... goading a reaction out of her. Though this time, shedid not think that anger would be the aim of the game for him. But what was? What response didhe want?
Her pulse was not helping. The air in the room seemed charged all of a sudden.
"So, am I right?" His voice was thick with some sort of tension that he seemed to be keeping tohimself, like the idea of thinking about her in her underwear was doing something to him. Shehoped it was...she hoped it was doing all manner of things to him. "Because if I'm not, then now isthe time to air your grievances...take a seat, Granger... prove me wrong."
She bit her lip again, thinking of the best comeback that she could give him that would wipe theknowing smirk from his lips, but he didn't give her time to.
"Just as I thought," His head was back against the wall now and he stretched his neck on both sidesas he kept his eyes firmly upon her. "You don't have the stones to speak about yourself sointimately."
Hermione gave him a dark look matching his own. "Oh, I've got the stones." She retorted. "I'vegot plenty of-" For want of a better word? "Stones." Her tone was clipped. HowHow dare he bate her like this. Tell her exactly what she liked to wear and then goad her intotelling him that he was right.
You do have one trick up your sleeve though ...
No.
You'll shut him up if you do it ...
And he would probably never look her in the eye again.
...but imagine the look on his face when he realises...
Utter repulsion for him and utter embarrassment for her?
He's thought about you in your underwear in great detail... I somehow doubt he's going to laugh atyou for telling him a little secret that could quite possibly let you win this little game he has goingon... and you'll give your legs a break if you tempt fate and get down onto the floor... give him aglimpse...
She was not Sharon Stone.
But, it was a thought.
He had been thinking about her underwear. He had gone into great detail. It had been him who hadstarted this. It was him who was studying her closely now, wondering what she would do next.
And her eyes brightened then as she looked down at him. Oddly, he seemed fascinated by the hemof her dress. It was as if he was warring with an inner monologue regarding what might lie just pastthe hem... what he might discover about her if she retorted.
"You're not wrong," She told him finally as she uncrossed her ankles casually, pushing herselfslightly away from the door. She turned to him and walked backwards a little until her back cameinto contact with the stone wall behind her, directly opposite Malfoy who sat looking at hersmugly.
"About the French knickers, anyway." She shrugged casually when she saw his eyebrows raise ather, before his expression turned dark. "But you got my date attire all wrong..."
In for the kill ... victory will be mine...
But was she brave enough? Could she do this? Did it really matter to her that much to win this sillylittle game that he had invented for them?
Why wasn't she even remotely arsed about missing Adrian's date anymore?All questions she could answer when she wasn't worried about how to get herself down onto thefloor without flashing the goods at him before she could finish her sentence.
"And how exactly did I get it so wrong, Granger?" his tone was dark and a little dangerous. It wassomething she had never heard from him before... it sounded good on him.
"Because-," And as she said the words, her back eased down the wall slowly and his eyes neverleft her as she crossed her legs demurely as she went.
Her thighs were now showing right up on both sides as her dress rode up, her bottom hitting thefloor softly as she kept her legs together... hiding everything from him from view as provocativelyas she could.
His eyes were on fire looking at her.
She smirked challengingly. "-When I intend on going on a date purely to fuck somebody," Shewatched him leaning forwards off the wall, hanging on her every word. "underwear only gets inthe way..."
She saw him move a little, his back hitting the wall as his eyes stayed on her. She watched himswallow and he absentmindedly loosened his tie a little. She could have sworn that she saw hischeeks turning a little pink, but her own heartrate was going so fast that she was sure that she wasprobably looking a little peaky too.
His eyes shifted from her face to her knees... he took in her thighs and she saw his head dip just aninch, as if he was searching her for the truth.
"You're lying." But his voice was like gravel and his eyes were burning.
She had never seen Malfoy like this before. She had only ever imagined that she would get this sortof response from him. He was looking at her like he wanted to eat her. He was looking at her likehe wanted to own her.
Did she really have that sort of effect on him?
Hermione only smirked at him and shrugged. "Think what you like." She told him casually. "Ican't exactly offer you proof –"
"-and I would never expect you to." But his eyes were still looking at her thighs. "But I don'tbelieve you." He glanced back up at her. "Why Adrian?"
Hermione faltered for a minute. Adrian what? Oh...
She had almost forgotten for a second...
Well... no time like the present to be honest, she supposed. Maybe gage his reaction and see whathappens... she was he says or does. Malfoy hardly ever gave himself away...
"Because I just wanted sex with someone who knows what they are doing." Her answer wascasual, and she shifted her arse on the floor slightly, making sure she was still covered.
Malfoy scoffed.
"Oh please, and the only man you could think of to take care of your womanly needs was Adrianpissing Pucey? Jesus Granger, there's a million other blokes out there that would love to get you inthe sack-"
"Like who?" Quick fire, catch him off guard.
Malfoy sputtered a little. "Well... I can't think of names right now but-"
"Exactly." She answered pointedly, squeezing her thighs together as his eyes roamed over heragain. "You can't name anyone worth my time that could show me around the bedroom likeAdrian-"
"Me."
She thought she had missed it.
It was quiet. So quiet that it was barely there... but she did not miss it.
Nor did she miss the way he put his head into his hands for a second before rubbing his neck.When he looked up at her again, he was checking her composure for repulsion or some othernegative vibe that she thought she might have given off.
Quite the opposite. Instead, her breath came to her quicker and all of the imagery that she neededwas now laid out in front of her.
"Me, Granger." He repeated again as he looked her dead in the eye with more confidence than hehad just a few short seconds ago. "I could."
The air was sucked out of the room as the pair of them sat on opposite sides of the small cupboard,eyeing each other up dangerously. It was deathly quiet... something had to give and break the nowunbearable tension.
And it was her.
Brave face on. Game face on... challenge accepted.
"How?" She asked him, taking in his parted lips and the way he kept swallowing to keep himself incontrol. "Tell me how."
________________________________________________________________________________
Draco felt like his body was on fire.
"Tell me how..."
Fuck, did she know what she was doing to him?
Of course, she did...
His current view of her didn't help, either. She was fucking glorious, Sat there opposite him, herankles crossed over each other and her thighs firmly brought together. The dress didn't help...showing off more flesh than he had ever seen of her ... those legs... Jesus... what he would give tohave them wrapped around his waist now.
And now she wanted him to what? Tell her what he would do to her? Tell her what he had wantedto do to her for so long that he had so many different scenarios that he could tell her about? Fuck, ifonly she knew...
She was waiting for him.
He knew it must have taken her a shit load of courage to bring this up... to ask him. Maybe shewas just doing it to call his bluff, but the Granger he knew was never usually this forward... heliked it.
Right then... if she wants a show...
Then maybe she might forget about fucking Pucey and the disappointing sex that she would haveprobably got at the end of the night. Eugh ... the idea of Granger having sex with other men didnot settle well with him... it hadn't for some time.
"For a start," He began in a low voice, taking a breath to steady himself as he watched her eyeslight up in victory to know that she had made him play along. "There's a difference between goingto someone for a casual fuck and going to someone for good sex."
He watched her frown for a second.
Oh dear, dear Hermione... you don't get it, do you?
"Adrian is the type of man who dips his wick with absolutely no regard for whether the woman heis with will find any relief or not..." He shrugged a little. "...he's not there for her."
He watched her bite her lip and fuck, if he didn't like the way she did that.
"You go with someone like Pucey and you're getting a casual fuck."
He saw her knees tremble a little and her breath hitched. She knew what was coming.
"If you want good sex, you go to a man who watches your reactions to make sure he can give youeverything you need in that moment..." He could not help his eyes scraping down her formagain... fucking dying to see what lay past those thighs of hers, but she was giving nothing away.
"You go to someone who knows all of those little tell-tale signs that signify what turns you on...what makes you whimper and what causes your thighs to shake when you can't hold your orgasmback any longer."
He did not miss the small moan that she made in the back of her throat. She tried to mask it with asmall cough, but he knew it was there. He knew he had her... if he could make her imagine then hewas halfway there already.
"And that I suspect, would be you?" Her voice was shallow as she asked him, her eyes flittingbetween his face and taking in the rest of his body as he still sat against the wall.
Glad that he still had his legs bent, he could hide his erection as it strained against the confines ofhis work pants. The woman was bringing out so many fucking emotions inside of him... the thingshe wanted to do to her... tell her that he wanted to do to her...
Hypothetical of course because she would never allow it.
But still ... if he could get the thought there...
"Granger, if it were me I'd have you saying my name before I even spread your thighs and hithome inside of you."
She breathed low.
He matched her.
Their eyes never left each other's.
"Take right now, for example." His voice was practically a whisper. "A man like Adrian Puceywould probably pick you up, bend you over and dive right into you... you might get close, ifyou're lucky."
"And a-" He watched her stutter over her words for a second, before finding herself as she shiftedagain on the floor. "-a man like you?"
Draco smirked.
A man like him...
"A man like me would take my time with you, love." He told her in a low tone as her eyes flashedwith an emotion he was sure was akin to lust. "I'd take in the way your skin blushed when I usedthe right words... I'd take in the way you looked at me when I told you I'd like to spread your legswide for me..."
His eyes flicked down to her thighs again, catching her rubbing them together in the smallest ofmovements.
"And- and then what?"
Fire met ice as their eyes connected.
Fuck... she wanted him to tell her everything? She wanted this from him? Surely this was all just toget a rise out of him? ... but the look on her face told him something different. It was a dangerouslook. It was a look that told him that if he started this, then there was a possibility that neither ofthem would be able to go back anymore.
Make the decision...
She was asking for this... she wanted to know...
... fucking do it.
"Do you like dirty talk, Granger?" He waited for her eyes to widen slightly as she held her breath.
"Because I do."