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“Do you remember the first time we kissed?” Draco asked, looking at the brunette witch beside him.
Hermione smiled, “Of course I do,” she replied. “You had just come off the Quidditch pitch..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Good victory today Potter. Next time though…” Draco left the statement unfinished in the guise of a threat. However, since the students had come back for their ‘eighth’ year Draco and the Golden Trio made amends.
From then on their old animosity was all but forgotten and they existed almost as friends. The two once-enemies were now walking off pitch after a Quidditch game, Harry having caught the snitch by an inch, Draco nearly getting hold of it, but with maturity Draco had learned to accept his defeats graciously.
Harry smiled at him. “Thanks Malfoy, and well played today,” he said to the Slytherin boy beside him. They went to the changing rooms to wash of and get out of their Quidditch robes, then split to go take care of their Saturday plans. As legal adults in the wizarding world, the eighth years were allowed to go to Hogsmeade in pairs provided that it didn’t interfere with their school work.
Harry was meeting Ron in the main courtyard and then they were going to head to Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes for some tricks from the twins. Draco, however, was meeting Hermione in the library so they could work on their potions essay for Slughorn. Being the two top students in the school, they liked to work together on projects. They found good and intellectually capable partners in one another, often having debates for hours until one thing or another required them to leave.
Hermione had long since forgiven Draco for his treatment of her throughout school, and now he could quite confidently say that he and she were firm friends.
He opened the library door and went to the small nook near the back of the library that he and Hermione had claimed as ‘their area’. It was perfect because it was far enough out of the way the Madam Pince wouldn’t tell them off when they sometimes forgot to whisper. Also, it had a comfortable sofa and a good range of books in their little nook.
“Hey Mia,” Draco said, taking a seat next to the girl. She had hated the nickname at first, and nobody else was allowed to mess with her name, but she had grown used to, and
even fond of, his name for her.
“Hey,” she greeted back eagerly. “You ready to get started on our essay?”
Draco groaned. “Oh, Mia, I know we agreed to start it today, but can we just…not? I mean, we have until the Friday after next it’s due, and it’s not like it takes us much time
anyway is it?”
Hermione was surprised at him. Draco wasn’t typically the type of person to put off homework at all, so something had to be on his mind.
“Uhh, okay then. Fancy seeing if we can find a book neither of us have read yet?” Hermione questioned him.
“Sure, always love a challenge.”
They headed one aisle over to where some of the fiction books were held, as they knew it would be easier to find a new story book than textbook. Hermione checked one side of
shelves whilst Draco checked the opposite. Ten minutes later and they had still had no luck.
“Anything?” Hermione asked, turning around.
“Nothing here,” he replied, copying his friend’s actions.
They were now standing incredibly close due to the size of the aisles, barely inches between them. Draco visibly swallowed and his eyes flickered down to her lips then back up to meet her eyes. He began to lean closer, very slowly but surely.
Hermione was terrified. She didn’t want Draco to kiss her just because she was there and he perhaps felt it necessary because of the atmosphere in the aisles. She turned her head
and cleared her throat, starting to walk away to the next aisle.
“So, maybe we-” she was cut off by Draco grabbing her wrist and pulling her back to him. Smooth, pliant lips met in a soft kiss, and Hermione’s mind went blank.
Draco’s arms wrapped round her waist and pulled her closer. At the same time one of her hands cupped his cheek whilst the other came to rest lightly on his shoulder. They broke their kiss and rested their foreheads together, remaining as close as possible to one another.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for ages,” Draco admitted, slightly breathless from the kiss.
“You stopped me walking away. Why?”
Draco let out a reluctant sigh. “I may or may not have started enjoying reading teen romance novels…” he began.
“And?” Hermione prompted.
“Well, in all of those stories, the characters are about to kiss, then one of them moves away, and the kiss is further delayed. I don’t want this to be a cheesy romance novel, I just really wanted to kiss you.”
Hermione grinned again as their lips met once more in a kiss filled with compassion and longing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Draco?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you stopped me walking away.”
“Me too. And Mia?”
“Yes Draco?”
“I love you.”
“And I, you.”