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You don’t like kissing?” Theodore Nott’s dark eyebrows disappeared into his untidy hair as he snorted incredulously. “Whyever not?”
Hermione grimaced, wondering what had possessed her to say such a thing in a room full of semi-drunken Gryffindors and Slytherins. Blaise Zabini lifted an elegant eyebrow but left it to Theo to comment, while Draco Malfoy just laughed before returning his attention to Harry.
“Come on, ‘Mione, don’t be grumpy. It’s only spin-the-bottle,” Ginny scoffed. “You obviously don’t like kissing because the main person you’ve kissed is my brother, and that would put anyone off.”
“There’s nothing wrong with Ron’s kissing ability, I’ll have you know!” Lavender admonished dreamily.
Hermione laughed as Ginny pulled a horrified face, and the game continued with Parvati’s spin. “I don’t dislike kissing in general, I suppose,” she admitted, as Theo continued to eye her speculatively. “I just don’t like the idea of kissing random people or taking part in a spin-the-bottle game!”
Theo leaned over and topped up her drink with a smirk. “Bet I could change your mind on one part of that,” he said, standing up and turning away from the rest of the group. “Come over here if you don’t want to play the game.”
Wordlessly, Hermione followed him to a sofa and then sat down beside him, feeling surprised when he took her hand in his. “You should be kissed often, and by someone who knows how, Hermione. Your problem is obvious. In the past, you’ve only kissed people who don’t know what they’re doing.”
Startled, Hermione blinked. “I didn’t know you liked muggle films!”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Theo said before giving her a charming smile. “And I would imagine the same is true the other way around. Gone With The Wind is a classic. I’ll watch it with you sometime if you like. Anyway, let’s play a different game. I’ll say a word that I associate with kissing, and then you can reply. I’ll start. Kissing is sensual.”
Hermione licked her lips, still feeling caught off guard. “Kissing is wet.”
Theo laughed loudly. Hermione sipped her wine then chuckled despite her embarrassment. “Merlin, you really have been with some terrible kissers! Kissing is sexual.”
“Kissing is surprising.”
“Tactile.”
“Hmmm,” Hermione said, thinking hard for a moment. “Demanding.”
“Debauched. Delightfully so, and I’m counting that as two turns.”
Hermione frowned as she thought further. “Lecherous. Alarming.”
Theo laughed again. “Lascivious.”
“I’m running out of words,” Hermione admitted, giggling as she sipped her wine.
“Seriously?” Theo laughed, “I thought you never ran out of words! I could go on all night. Arousing. Thrilling. Awakening. Inflaming. Hedonistic. Want me to continue?”
“Yes, please.” Hermione took a shaky breath then used the tip of her tongue to moisten her lips. How had she never noticed how beautiful Theo’s eyes were before now? They were a burning, brilliant, cerise blue. Why was this the first time she’d ever noticed his deep, seductive voice? Had he always looked at her this way? “Wait though,” she said, voicing a thought she would have kept private had she not been two glasses of wine into the evening, “do you really believe all of this? These words you're using, do you really think a kiss can be all of those things?”
Theo frowned as he studied her intently. “Do you honestly think it can’t be?”
Hermione bit her lip in consternation. “I’m starting to think you might be right. I might have been kissing the wrong people,” she agreed weakly, still wondering why Theo was affecting her so strangely.
“And how would you feel about me rectifying that?”
Hermione hesitated. Theo was looking at her with such intensity that she feared she might combust. “I think,” she began slowly, “I might be okay with that.”
Theo nodded, and for a moment, Hermione was frozen in place, transfixed by the way his dark lashes framed his eyes. He reached a hand out to gently cup her chin and she held her breath as he leaned towards her. Hardly believing what she was doing, she mirrored his moves, waiting, watching him hover with a half smile, half smirk a millimetre away from her mouth. “You're beautiful,” he said, then he brushed his lips over hers, and her whole world faltered on its axis.
Theo’s lips were soft and warm as they pillowed against hers. Hermione kissed him back, gently, hesitantly, and as she opened her mouth to let out a soft gasp, he moved in to claim her fully.
As the kiss deepened, a delicious swirl of desire pulsed low in Hermione’s belly. She inched nearer to Theo, mewling as he moved his hand from her face up into her hair. She whimpered as he tangled his fingers in her curls, pulled her tighter against him, then crushed her lips with his own.
Hermione had never, ever, been kissed like this. Her blood heated, and her skin tingled. Her head spun, and all she wanted to do was get as close to Theo as was humanly possible. This kiss was every one of the descriptions he had used and none of the ones she had. It felt incredible.
Theo finally pulled back, smiling as Hermione attempted to regain her composure. “See,” he grinned. “It's different when you kiss me, isn’t it?”
“This is ridiculous, Theo,” she gasped. “I’m eighteen years old. How is this the first kiss I’ve ever truly enjoyed?”
Theo's lips tugged up into his signature smirk once again. Apparently, it wasn’t only Draco who could pull that expression off so elegantly. “I already told you why. Every other man you’ve kissed has been an imbecile. I’m not. Just so that you know, I plan to kiss you like that as often as you’ll let me.”
Hermione ignored the raucous game of spin-the-bottle that was continuing on the other side of the room, and nodded. “Good,” she whispered. “Please, make sure you do just that.”