XXV.
Hermione felt like a bus hit her. Malfoy’s weight sank against her as she struggled to escape. He’d trapped her with his great, hulking self. His head rested on her chest, his face buried between her breasts. One hand snaked through her hair and clung to her neck. The other arm rested under his jersey on her hip. He had one hip thrown over her and his other leg tangled around her. She was trapped. And too warm.
She looked down at his sleeping form and marveled at how different he looked here. He was so soft and vulnerable. Nothing like the severe glares and the composed look of Occlumency he usually wore. She mused that this was the most authentic representation of who he was. He didn’t have to perform or mask here.
She lifted her hand and brought her fingers over his wavy blonde hair. It was even softer than she thought it would be. It was nothing like the curls that she or Theo had, but the slight wave gave his hair a perfectly disheveled look. He could have been a model. His chin was perfectly angular, with a strong jaw and perfect, full lips. She slipped her fingers through the tendrils of his hair and let the pads of her fingers drag along his scalp. She let her other hand linger over the large dragon on his spine. The vibrant coloring and details were fascinating to look at. She traced one finger along the outstretched wing.
Hermione thought back to his Patronus yesterday. It’d been so magnificent, so strong. She wondered what memory he used to conjure such a stunning creature. It had to be powerful to bring forward a Patronus of that size. Her fingers continued their ministrations along his scalp and spine.
She needed a shower. The memory of handling Murtlap tentacles with Theo yesterday was still fresh. She had wanted to take one last night, but she fell asleep. She didn’t even remember coming to bed. Malfoy or Theo must have placed her here.
Malfoy’s soft snores elicited a smile from her. She closed her eyes. She would not find him charming. She would not find him adorable. She repeated the mantra over and over in her head as she untangled herself. She tiptoed toward the shower and shut the door behind her.
She had an obsessive love for Malfoy’s shower. It was sublime. The Parisian products that filled the space were one thing. But the actual shower? She felt as though she’d died and gone straight to Heaven. Seven different nozzles in all directions, with varying degrees of pressure. It was a dream. And the towels? She practically moaned each time one wrapped around her.
She finished rinsing the conditioner out of her hair and jumped when she saw a figure standing in front of her glass shower door. Malfoy.
“Malfoy!” she shouted and turned away from him.
“Don’t stop on my account, Granger.”
She growled at him and turned the water off.
“Hand me a towel,” she said, looking over her shoulder at him.
“You know, Granger,” he drawled. “We should be showering together. You know. For conservation purposes.”
She snorted.
“I’m just thinking of the environment.”
“Towel, Malfoy. Now.”
She looked back over her shoulder and saw that he was standing there with a towel wrapped unreasonably low around his hips and another one in his hand. She looked covetously at the towel in his hand, and he took a step back. His salacious smirk sent chills up her spine. She straightened herself. She had nothing to be ashamed of. He was goading her, and she wasn’t a child. She steeled herself, took a big breath, and turned around. His eyes ignited at her forward movement, and his face broke into a huge grin. She stepped through the glass door, reached for the towel, and wrapped it around herself.
“That was a hell of a good morning, Granger,” he purred.
Why was his voice so bloody aggravating in the morning hours?
“What do you want?” she asked. “I am trying to shower in peace.”
“So am I,” he said with mock innocence.
But then Draco Malfoy did the unimaginable. While she stood there in her towel, he dropped his to the floor. She heard the thud of the soft fabric hit the floor, and her eyes shot up toward his. She had to crane her neck because of how close she was standing to him. But she refused to let her eyes droop. She knew he heard her audibly swallow.
“You could always shower again,” he said. “Just to make sure we’re both very clean.”
His gray eyes looked even lighter than usual this morning. Perhaps it was because they were still a little heavy with sleep. He gave her a dreamy look propelled with lust. Her tongue was weighed down with stones in her mouth. All she could think about was looking down.
She gave a haphazard attempt at clearing her throat.
His hand drifted to her shoulder, and his fingers traced their way down her arm. His hand wrapped around her wrist. Her breath was nothing more than shallow pants. His other hand hovered near her face. He wiped the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip. Then his fingers danced along her chin and to her neck.
“Do you trust me?” he asked as his fingers settled around her neck.
She blinked rapidly and forced her head to stay upright. She would not look down. It would ruin her resolve.
“Words, Granger,” he said as he leaned closer. “Use your words. Do. You. Trust. Me?”
“Yes,” she panted.
“Good girl.”
Her core tightened. Her eyes fluttered closed.
“I trust you, Hermione.”
She expelled a soft moan. He’d never said that before. He was so close. She could feel his breath against her lips now. She parted them. Her heart thumped against her chest as it desperately tried to break out of her skin.
A soft clink sounded on the tile, and her eyes flew open. Malfoy’s hand shifted around her neck, and her choker returned. He’d removed the cuff and returned her magic.
“Condition?”
She nodded, absolutely stunned by the generous offering he’d presented her.
“You wear this.”
He took the hand that originally held the cuff and lifted it to his chest. He slid a silver ring over her ring finger. It fit her finger perfectly. It was the same signet ring he wore on his hand; a large M covered the front.
“Your signet ring?”
“A duplicate,” he said. “It will allow you past all the wards around the property.”
She looked at the silver band on her finger. The last ring that had been there was a simple gold band, and it didn’t last long. She nodded her head, pushing the memory aside.
“And I want the Manor added to your portkey watch.”
“I can’t adjust my watch with wandless magic,” she said. “I’ve tried. Theo and Pansy usually help me with it.”
“Good,” he said. “I’ll happily add it. Which one would you like removed?”
“Seven.”
He brought her hand up to his lips and pressed the softest kiss to the ring.
“Activus,” he whispered against it.
She bit the inside of her cheek in a desperate attempt to ignore the throbbing she felt elsewhere.
“Last chance to join me, Granger.”
She was screaming at herself to get back into the shower. Drop the towel and go. Give way to her inhibitions. She wanted to follow him. But she didn’t.
He stepped away, and she wanted to cry. She exhaled a shaky breath and turned toward the mirror. She finally had her magic back. She sighed with relief as she transfigured herself some clothes. She turned back to the shower, and her eyes immediately focused on the center of Malfoy’s naked body.
She’d never seen anything like it. His perfectly sculpted abs led to a deep cut in his groin. Dark hair sparsely led from his navel downward toward his cock. Which was rock-hard. She’d been with other men. None of them had been particularly small, but this? Him? Godric. She forgot how to breathe. Krum had been something to marvel at. But Malfoy? It looked like it would sever her in half.
“See something you like, Granger?”
Her eyes met his, and a wave of embarrassment washed over her like a wet blanket.
“Come on in,” he said, turning to face her.
He lathered a sponge with soap and began dragging it over his core and down toward his stiffening erection.
“I could use help getting the soap on those hard-to-reach areas.”
Hermione’s face flamed under his forwardness. She turned toward the mirror to fix her hair and cast a cloud of bubbles around his entire body. Including his face.
His booming laughter filled the space. And she fought against her smirk.
***
Malfoy was irritatingly enjoyable to work with today. His light and jovial mood had completely befuddled and disarmed Hermione. Theo had to work at the shop, so Malfoy was helping Hermione with the potions. They spent the first hour or so transfiguring her into different jumpers. He insisted on green, and she would change it to other colors. They went back and forth until she finally gave up and wore another green jumper. Though this one did not have his name or number on the back. Malfoy spent the entire rest of the time finding any and every excuse to touch her. He’d brush his hand against hers, lean his thigh against hers, and all of them were driving her insane. More infuriatingly, she found herself leaning into the touches.
She’d also forgotten how stunningly brilliant Draco Malfoy was. He was so quick to catch up on the hours of work she and Theo had tirelessly done yesterday. And his memory? She marveled at it. He can recall specific details about Snape’s lectures from second year. When Nott joined them after he closed the shop, Malfoy’s flirtatious behavior still didn’t stop. The touching, the staring, the smiling. It was all so unnerving.
Theo’s eyes glinted with a smile when he saw Hermione’s magic had been returned to her neck. But he also grinned when he noticed her new ring. She pretended not to notice.
They eventually left their spots at the potion’s table and sat on the comfortable couches and seats in the center of the library. Malfoy poured them all wine and joined Hermione on the couch. She had her feet tucked up on the cushions, and Malfoy lifted them and placed them across his lap while he tinkered with her watch.
“She came into the shop today,” Theo said. “I could barely form cohesive sentences.”
“Who?” Hermione asked.
“Lovegood,” Malfoy said as he twisted his wand and pulled at an invisible string connected to the watch.
Hermione’s eyes widened as she looked at Theo.
“Really?” Her face lit up in surprise.
Theo groaned and placed his face in his hands.
“What does that git have that I don’t?” he asked.
“Morals?” Malfoy suggested. “Ethics?”
“Very funny.”
“Oh stop, Theo has all those,” Hermione said. “Who is the git?”
“Her boyfriend, obviously.”
Hermione made a face.
“Luna hasn’t got a boyfriend.”
Theo’s head snapped up.
“Longbottom?”
Hermione threw her head back and laughed. She laughed so hard that it hurt. Tears leaked out of her eyes.
“Longbottom and Luna?” she giggled delightedly.
“What is so bloody funny, Granger?” Theo asked.
Malfoy shrugged.
“Luna would devour Neville! And not in a fun, sexy way. She needs someone who is strong-willed. Neville’s too gentle. Not to mention Luna’s got the wrong parts.”
Malfoy and Theo exchanged confused looks. Hermione laughed again.
“Neville Longbottom dated Percy Weasley for years,” she said. “Last I heard, Neville broke up with Percy and was rumored to be seeing Oliver Wood.”
“He took Ginny to the Yule Ball fourth year,” Malfoy said.
“Yeah, and you took Pansy Parkinson,” she said.
Theo cried out triumphantly.
“He’s gay!”
“He’s gay,” she agreed. “And she’s single.”
“She’s single!”
“Talk to her,” Hermione urged. “I think you’d be a really nice couple.”
“Would she devour me?” Theo asked. “Godric, I hope so.”
His eyes darkened as he stood up. He chugged the rest of his wine and put it down on the table. He walked over, took Granger’s face in his hands, and kissed her square on the lips.
“You’ve become my favorite human today,” he said. “You magnificent, bloody witch.”
Hermione smiled and pushed him toward the door.
“Go and write to her,” she said. “Have dinner. Enchant her.”
Theo left, but the smile didn’t leave Hermione’s face. Malfoy was grinning to himself as he continued to work on the watch in his hand.
“What?” Hermione asked.
“It was nice to hear,” he said.
“What? That Luna was single?”
“No,” he said, looking at her. “Your laugh.”