"I told you not to touch it."
"I always thought you were brave, Granger."
"I am. And I'm also smart enough not to touch a flower that's glowing in the middle of nowhere, Malfoy."
Draco groaned as he collapsed onto the floor in front of the fireplace in the Heads' Common Room, clutching his side in pain.
"Malfoy!"
Hermione reached out to touch his shoulder, but Draco pushed her hand away.
"Don't touch me," he hissed.
"Are you seriously still worried about my hands dirtying you even while you're dying?" Hermione hissed back.
"It's not about that— Wait. Am I dying?"
"That's what it looks like."
"That's what it feels like too."
Hermione stared at him for a few seconds as he kneeled on the floor, hunched over in pain.
"I'm calling Professor McGonagall—"
"NO!" Draco shouted.
Hermione blinked at him in shock.
"Don't be so stupid, Malfoy."
"No, I just—"
He groaned again, leaning forward even more, almost pressing his forehead to the floor.
"I believe it'll pass in a few hours."
"You— You believe? Are you insane?"
Hermione lunged forward, this time gripping both of his shoulders. She bent her head down, bringing her face close to his.
"You want to just wait it out without even knowing what it is—"
"I know what it is."
"You do?"
Draco lifted his head, and suddenly, they were face to face.
"I can feel it."
Hermione studied his face. His ears and cheeks were flushed red, and his pupils had dilated.
"What— Oh."
Realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. She shot up, stumbling backward in shock. When her foot hit the loveseat behind her, she fell onto it with a gasp.
"How— Who—"
She could only watch as Draco trembled on the floor.
"Do you really think I care about the how, who, or what right now, Granger?"
Draco spoke through gritted teeth, his voice a low growl. He struggled to his feet.
"I... I'm going to my room."
He barely took a step before his legs gave out. As Hermione rushed forward to catch him, his weight dragged them both down onto the loveseat. Draco collapsed to his knees in front of her, his head falling against her lap. His whole body was trembling violently beneath her hands.
"Draco—"
Draco let out a low groan, pressing his face further into her lap. Hermione sat frozen, staring down at the boy who was shaking uncontrollably against her.
"I can't take it."
"What—"
Draco pressed himself even harder against her.
"Hermione..."
The sound of a zipper being undone made Hermione's eyes widen in shock.
"Draco? Are you—"
"Hermione, please..."
His voice was muffled against her lap, but Hermione could clearly hear the movement of his right hand.
When Draco let out a loud moan, Hermione's breath hitched. She sat there, her arms frozen at her sides, unsure of what to do. She could hear the rhythmic sound of his hand moving and felt his left hand settle on her thigh.
"Her— Hermione..."
Hearing her name like this made her toes curl inside her shoes.
"Hermione, please..."
Draco's voice cracked with desperation.
"Please."
Hesitantly, she lifted her hands. One tangled into his platinum blond hair while the other settled on his back. She could feel the tension in his muscles through his shirt. Slowly, she moved her hand across his back, feeling his body shift beneath her touch, almost as if he was reacting to her.
Hermione watched in stunned silence as Draco's back arched slightly under her touch. Without thinking, she tightened her fingers in his hair.
Draco let out a deep groan before turning his head and biting into her thigh.
Hermione gasped at the sharp sensation. She looked down to see Draco's right hand slowing down, while his left hand continued to grip and release her thigh. Hermione bit her lip, feeling an unfamiliar heat rise within her.
Draco's movements eventually came to a halt. He slowly withdrew his teeth from her thigh, resting his head fully against her lap. His left hand remained on her thigh but had gone still.
Taking deep, shaky breaths, Hermione tried to calm herself.
She still had one hand tangled in his hair and the other resting on his back. She could see the faint redness on his cheeks.
Draco cleared his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. He opened his mouth as if to speak but closed it again.
Finally, he let out a deep sigh.
"I suppose from now on, it would be wise not to touch anything that glows in the middle of nowhere... or anything that glows at all, really."