She moved to the Christmas tree and eyed the small selection of gifts; the ones from Harry and Ron, three from Ginny, McGonagall and Neville, and a bulky envelope - no doubt filled with money - from her parents. From the Headmistress she received an advanced book on Transfiguration (which she couldn't wait to dive into), a selection of wonderful and exotic fragrances from Ginny, and a box of delicious chocolates from Neville.
Harry had sent her a photograph of the three of them; a stunning picture that had been taken last Christmas, with them surrounded by snow and looking completely immune to the cold spin of the world. Set in a charmed frame, with ivy and holly that sparkled and moved, she adored it, and reminded herself to place it right next to her bed.
She moved on to Ron's, peeling away the hastily-wrapped paper and eyeing the jewellery box with trepidation snaking up her spine. The locket was beautiful; heart-shaped silver and flecked with yellow gem-stones that winked by the light. It was striking and feminine and…just not her. She studied it with guilt rising in her throat, when the familiar voice made her start.
"It's from Weasley, isn't it?" Draco questioned bitterly. "I had assumed that you two were just friends-
"We are just friends," she cut in quickly, rising to her feet.
His jealous eyes shifted to the offending object. "That necklace says otherwise-
"People give gifts at Christmas-
"So do lovers-
"Draco-
"Look, Granger," he growled, taking a step towards her. "I don't share-
"This is ridiculous," she scoffed, shouldering him out of the way and moving towards the other side of the room. "I'm not listening to this-
"Where are you going?"
"For a shower!" she snapped over her shoulder, slamming the door behind her with a shrill smack.
Draco snarled into the empty room and clenched his fists until his palms burned and bled. What did she expect from him? He was hardly accustomed to their complex and unorthodox circumstances, and he was struggling to absorb it all; he had been so certain that his interest in her would simmer after a couple of rounds on the mattress, but almost every night, he returned to her bed.
Her lack of experience was so oddly charming, and now she had finally reverted back to feisty ways, he just couldn't help himself. She was his first sexual partner with whom he just seemed to…click. Something about their biology or…Merlin knew what, just worked, and it wasn't just the sex. Her kisses, her touch…her very presence made him react and shiver inside, and he had no clue what that meant.
He heard the waterdrops pulse against the tiles and her flesh, and something possessive ignited in his gut. Weasley had barely been an issue in their isolated dorm; merely an outside entity that was easily forgotten in here, but now a part of the Ginger Tumour - that ugly sodding locket - was in the room, and subsequently in Granger's thoughts, and he despised that.
Call it that male instinct to claim what was his, or something more profound, but his feet carried him to the bathroom door. He discarded items of his clothing, tossing his bed-vest and pyjama bottoms to the side as he mused that another tryst with his witch under the shower was long overdue.
Just as he had before, he remained as quiet as possible, slipping in behind her and studying her with reluctant admiration. Opportunities to observe her unexpected beauty were rare and short-lived, as her insecurities always made her shield her body from his eyes. He inspected every inch of her; from her toffee-tinted curls, to the wave of her hips, and the tips of her toes, but he had yet to discover a single flaw. If it weren't for her blood, then…
"What are you doing, Draco?" she shattered his thoughts, turning her head to peek at him from under the water-gems tucked between her lashes.
"I also needed shower," he lied casually, pressing his chest against her back and rubbing the shadows of his fingers up her waist.
She made a half-hearted attempt to brush away his hands. "I am still angry at you-
"You are always angry at me-
"Have I ever given you the impression that I would just…you know…
"Fuck?" he provided with a slight shrug. "Shag-
"Have sex with," she corrected with a blush. "Do I honestly strike you as the kind of person who would have sex with just anyone? Or sleep with someone when I was in a relationship with someone else?"
He clicked his jaw. "No," he admitted tensely, attempting to dampen her chagrin with tactical strokes of his hands. "But you and the Weasel have a history-
"I have never quizzed you about your previous conquests-
"Pansy and Astoria," he supplied blankly. "But your…relationship with Weasley is different-
"That's enough," she sighed, slowly twisting to face him. "I am…I am sleeping with you, and that is it. I would never even consider having another lover, and I would hope that you would offer me the same level of respect, even if you weren't stuck in here."
He said nothing, but lifted his hand to move aside some of the sodden strands that clung to her forehead, and leaned down to place an almost chaste kiss on her lips. It was soft and firm; the kind he had never dared to give her before, and even though the first tastes of passion began to mingle between their mouths after a few moments, Hermione knew it was different, and she felt her insides warm.
.
.
.
📖For everyone who wants to read it in full📖
👇🏼It will be available on my Ko-Fi and my Patreon👇🏼
‼️ko-fi.com/skyarc/shop‼️
—————————————————————
✅Subscribe now if you want to get all the PDFs available on my page.✅