Chapter 18
Harry looked down to see Hermione fast asleep on his shoulder, while Draco looked to see Ginny's head perched peacefully on his shoulder. He then looked up at Harry. "Great…now what to we do?"
"I don't know," he murmured as he tilted his head towards her and sighed as he brushed away strands of her hair that fell across her face. "I guess…wait awhile? They might eventually wake up."
"So, now we have to suffer through this movie?" he asked in an exasperated whisper. "We were only tolerating it for them, and now they're unconscious."
"Come on, Malfoy," Harry said as he gestured to the screen. "Don't you want to see what happens when Joe Fox and Kathleen what's her name…"
"Kelly," Draco interrupted. "Kathleen Kelly."
Harry pressed his lips tightly together to hold in the laughter. "Right…don't you want to find out what happens when they realize they're the ones that are talking to each other?"
"What I want is to go upstairs to bed, but I have a redhead temporarily pinned to my shoulder."
"And I have a brunette…so? Let's just give it till the end of the movie, then we'll figure out what to do later."
"Fine," he grumbled as he gave one last uneasy glance down at Ginny. A curtain of red was covering her face and since she didn't want her to suffocate-what other reason would there be?-he reached down and brushed the curtain aside and gently tucked it between her ear. He watched her sleep, only for a moment, before returning his attention to the screen.
Harry saw the gesture and the lingering look and wondered to himself how he felt about it? Did the rough and tough Draco Malfoy have a soft spot for his ex-girlfriend? For a Weasley? If that was the case, shouldn't he have felt jealous? Annoyed or angry? Maybe if he still had feelings for her he should be feeling all those things, but he didn't. He didn't feel any of those things.
As Harry watched the charming Kathleen Kelly put Joe Fox in his place in a tiny café, he finally realized that his feelings for Ginny were where they belonged. In the past. And wasn't that a relief? Not that his feelings were gone, Ginny was a fantastic girl, and he would have been lucky to have her. It was a relief that he knew now for sure that she wasn't the one for him.
Who was? he asked himself as he looked down at Hermione. Maybe…just maybe. But, then again, maybe not. It was a question he couldn't answer at the moment and it was a question he didn't want to answer…at least not at the moment. Right now, all he wanted to do was finish this movie he would never admit to Malfoy he liked, while he enjoyed the feeling of Hermione asleep on his shoulder. Even if his it was starting to go numb.
"Thank god that's over," Draco murmured once the credits began. It wasn't so bad. "That was brutal."
Harry chuckled softly. "I hear you." It was pretty good.. "Well…still asleep."
Draco looked down at Ginny, whose head had shifted down to his chest during the movie. "Yeah. Any ideas?"
"Just one." Harry shifted gently in his seat as he curled the arm of his numb shoulder around her back and threw off the blanket. He then gripped the back of her knees and gave it a gentle tug until she was cradled in his lap. "I'll get the brunette, you get the redhead."
Draco blinked. "Get the redhead what?"
"You know…get her. Carry her upstairs." He then stood up on his feet but paused when Hermione stirred slightly as she let out a soft moan. Merlin help me. "Well…come on. I'm tired and want sleep."
"You…you want me to pick her up and carry her upstairs?"
"Isn't that what I just said?" he asked, raising his voice an octave but still at a whisper.
"Then what do I do?" he asked, completely terrified.
"She can sleep in what she's wearing, Malfoy. Just carry her to her room and put her in the bed. It's not rocket science."
"You trust me to do that? To not…take advantage of her?"
Ah, there we go, Harry thought as he looked down at him. He looked almost shocked…and maybe a little embarrassed. "I wouldn't have asked you to do it if I didn't. Now, just-"
"Because I could," he said he slowly positioned Ginny until she was on his lap. "Easily."
"I know you could, Malfoy," Harry said quietly. "But you won't. It's not in your nature. Even when we were enemies," he added when Draco was about to comment. "Even then, I don't think you would do something like that."
"I've abused you…all of you…for a long time."
"Yes…yes, you have," he said calmly. "And it's something I'll probably never forget, but Malfoy…it was all verbal. Mostly, anyway. We had our fair of duels and shed each others blood." Harry paused a moment, both of them thinking of the time in sixth year, when Harry used a violent, vicious curse on him…causing him to bleed and bleed on the bathroom floor. "But, mostly your threats and attacks were verbal…and that's a huge difference."
Draco didn't say anything for a moment as Harry watched him, waiting for him to comment or do anything. He glanced down at Ginny, who had yet to stir during their discussion, before finally nodding slowly as he tightened his grip on her. "Okay then," he said as he got on his feet with his arms full of Ginny, who even dead weight, barely weighed anything. "Let's go on up."
Harry just nodded as he shifted Hermione higher on his chest as he let Draco take the lead out of the room. They were silent as they went down the hall and up the stairs, but when they were at the top, Harry turned to him. "Draco, about the spell-the one I cast on you in sixth year-I want you to know that I didn't know it was going to do that."
"I know," he assured him. "I always knew."
Harry blinked. "How?"
"Please," he scoffed. "That spell was far too dark for Saint Potter."
Harry's lips curved. "Right…of course."
"Enemies or not, I knew how you were built," he said with soft laugh, but it shortly died when he saw the look on his face. "Look, Potter, if there's a part of you that feels guilty-and I know there is because that's the kind of person you are-kind of annoying really, but anyway-just don't. Don't feel guilty, because you were just doing what you thought was right and protecting yourself and the people you care about."
"Thanks, Malfoy," he said after a moment.
He just nodded and quickly changed the subject. "I guess I better get this one to her room before she starts drooling on my shirt-she's already cried on it."
Harry chuckled. "Right. I'll see you tomorrow."
"See ya."
Both men then turned and headed down the hallway in opposite directions.
Draco told himself to keep it quick. Just to go in there, dump her on the bed, throw the covers on her and leave, scamper, skedaddle…just don't linger. Keep it professional, like a Healer putting a patient to bed.
That's what he told himself to do, and he was doing a fairly good job of it so far. He didn't dump her on the bed though, that would have been rude, plus it would have woken her up. So he placed her gently on the bed, then slowly pulled down the comforter and tucked her legs under it.
There, he thought as he tugged the comforter back up and to her shoulders. That wasn't so hard. Quick and efficient. Completely harmless and now all he had to do was kill the lights and walk out. But instead he stayed where he was, sitting on the side of her bed by her hip as he watched her sleep-and felt like an idiot.
What the hell was he doing? He had no business having these feelings and damn her for putting them there. Damn her and the rest of them for crowding these unwanted feelings inside him. He had never felt like this before in all his years and he didn't know what the bloody hell to do about it. It was all so unfamiliar to him. Caring about someone else-other than his mother-and having friends-real friends-the idiots he had at school did not count.
He wasn't quite sure he was cut out for this. He didn't know what to expect when he had accepted Harry's invitation, but he sure didn't expect this. He didn't expect to actually start liking these people, let alone care for them.
For so long he had lived in the dark, it was all he knew, all he was raised to know. Even the last year with his mother, although it was the first time he felt free, there was still a darkness looming over him. All that changed when he nearly apparated on top of Ginny Weasley. The moment he had looked into those angry blue eyes, a small spark erupted inside of him and if he continued to let her in, he knew it would only grow and grow…and he wasn't sure if he was ready for that.
He let out a shaky sigh as he scrubbed his hands over his face. He was just tired…he needed a good nights sleep and worry about all this later. But instead of getting up and walking out, he found himself reaching over and lighty, lightly, grazing his knuckles across her cheek. It was stupid of him, of course, to let himself touch her…even a harmless touch like this. He just couldn't resist, he had to touch her…just once. And that alone terrified the hell out of him.
She stirred and before he could snatch his hand away she murmured something as she turned and nuzzled her cheek against his palm. His heart twist painfully in his chest as he gently removed his hand and then cursed when her eyes had fluttered open. "Draco?"
He flew to his feet. "Yeah…sorry." He stuffed his hands safely in his pockets. "Go back to sleep."
She shifted under the covers as she stayed at that dreamy place between sleep and awake. "Movie over?"
"Yeah….yeah, the movie's over."
Her eyelids were heavy with sleep, but managed to keep them open. "How'd it end?"
"Joe and Kathleen lived happily ever after…go back to sleep."
"Hmm…okay," she murmured before rolling to her side and drifted back into her dreams.
"You're killing me, Red," he said aloud as he turned on his heels and walked out. "You're absolutely killing me."
Harry slipped quietly into Hermione's room, careful to move as little as possible so he wouldn't wake her. He went over to the bed and put a knee on the edge of the mattress as he slowly leaned her back on the bed. He loomed over her a moment as he brushed back her hair, caressed her cheek, and just as he was pulling away, her whole body jerked and her eyes flew open on a gasp.
"Hey, easy," he murmured as he cupped the side of her face firmly as her eyes flew around the room. "Easy…you're okay."
"Harry," she whispered as she looked up at him. "Sorry, I…" She sighed as she relaxed back into the pillows and closed her eyes. "I'm okay."
"Nightmare?" he asked as he shifted until he sat close to her hip.
"No, no." She let out a small laugh. "It was one of those dreams where you're tripping or falling and you jerk awake."
Harry winced. "I hate those."
"Yeah…me, too." She patted her chest urgently. "My heart is always racing after one of those suckers."
"Do you want me to get you anything? Water or something?"
"No, I'm fine," she assured him as she scooted up on her bed. "But thank you. I'm in my room. How did I get here?"
"You and Ginny fell asleep. We carried you up."
She lifted a brow. "We?"
He grinned. "I carried you, Draco carried Ginny."
"I see," she said after a moment. "That's…interesting."
"It was actually," he said and gave her the quick rundown of everything that happened after they fell asleep.
"Very interesting," she said when he was finished. "So, you really think you're not getting back with Ginny?"
"I don't think, Hermione…I know."
"Well," she said with a shrug. "You may think that now, but a lot can happen, Harry. We're only going in to our third day."
Harry opened his mouth to argue, but decided it was a lost cause. "You're right," he sighed as he waited a beat until she looked at him. "A lot can happen till the time we leave."
Hermione managed a smile. "Right…you never know." She started nervously fidgeting with the tip of her hair. "So…you really think Malfoy might be feeling something for Ginny?"
"Maybe," he said as he casually placed a hand on the other side of her and leaned on it. "Haven't you noticed something?"
"Yeah," she admitted with a slight shrug. "Maybe I have noticed a bit. I think they might have bonded on that ferry or something. He seems to be more comfortable with her than anyone else."
"Ron would flip if they hooked up."
Hermione winced. "Yeah, that wouldn't be pretty."
"No," he said with a chuckle. "But it would be entertaining. Plus…we've been absent of drama for awhile, maybe we're in need of some?"
"Yeah, right." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Please, let's have more of that? We didn't get nearly enough of it during our last few years."
Harry grinned. "Okay, you're probably right. We've experienced too much drama to last a life time."
"Definitely," she said and then stifled back a yawn.
"You're getting tired again," Harry said as he pushed off his hand to sit up. "And I could use some sleep myself."
"What time is it?" she asked looking at the clock. "Wow…just shy of three."
"Yeah, it's late." He placed a friendly hand on her knee and kept it there. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Okay." She leaned up and in for a hug and he easily accepted as swooped in and circled his arms around her back. "Have a good night," she murmured as her hand caressed his back in slow, leisurely circles.
"You, too," he whispered as one hand went up until it was lost in her untamed hair. He loved how her soft curls automatically wove possessively between his fingers so he lingered there as long as he could. When felt her tremble against him he had to press his mouth urgently against her shoulder to hold back a moan that desperately wanted out.
They pulled away slowly, inch by inch as hands slowly began to slide away, but at the moment when they would have broken contact, they both froze like statues. Harry's hands were on her hips while Hermione's rested gently on his shoulders as their eyes couldn't help but connect in a passionate gaze.
"Draco and Ginny aren't the only couple with something going on," Harry finally said as his eyes danced over her face, then lingered on her mouth.
Hermione's heart lurched to her throat. "Y-yeah," as she stammered as she began to inch away. "Ron and Luna probably have…"
"That's not who I was talking about," he said as he gripped her hips tighter to prevent her from moving. "And you know it."
He was so close. She couldn't think properly when he was this close. "Harry…"
"The kiss you gave me this morning," he started as he reached up and cupped the side of her face. "It wasn't as harmless as we both thought it would be."
Her eyes fluttered close at his touch and couldn't help but place a hand over his to keep it there. "No…there was nothing harmless about that kiss."
"And in the cave," he continued quickly when he felt a "but" coming on from her. "I wanted to kiss you…I would have kissed you…if Ron hadn't interrupted."
Hermione let out a shaky breath as she nuzzled her cheek against his palm before slowly pulling his hand down. "I know," she said as she looked down at their joint hands and watched as he easily laced his fingers with hers. "And I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed when it didn't happen."
"We're alone now." He cupped her chin and tilted her face up and waited until their eyes met. "No one here to interrupt us now."
"No." It was all she could say as she felt hear heart pounding furiously in her chest. "No, there's not."
He moved his hand from her chin to the back of her neck. "Then can you give me any reason why I shouldn't kiss you right now?" She was silent…eerily silent as she could only stare up at him with those wide chocolate brown eyes. "Okay, then."
"I'm scared."
She had whispered it when he was only inches away from her mouth and it was the only thing she could have said to make him stop. "Scared?"
Hermione hopelessly shook her head as she tried to find the words. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry…Talk to me, Hermione."
"Harry…the moment you kiss me things will change drastically."
"They already changed when you first kissed me," he said softly as he ran his hand lovingly through her hair. "You can't deny that."
"No…no I can't, I'm just…You mean so much to me Harry, and I don't know what I would do if I lost you."
"Hermione," he said with a soft smile. "You could never lose me…you're a part of me. You always have been and you always will be. No matter what happens here between us."
"You make it sound so simple."
"I don't mean to." He reached up and lightly grazed a knuckle across her cheek. "Nothing between us would ever be simple, Hermione."
Completely undone, she dropped her forehead to his chest. "I don't know what to do, Harry…what to do with you. It's not that I don't want you to kiss me, because I do…very much."
He moaned in agony as he bent his head and nuzzled his cheek against her hair. "You're killing me, Hermione."
"I'm sorry."
"If you say you're sorry one more time, I'm going to strangle you." When that didn't get a laugh out of her as he hoped it would, he lifted his head back up and firmly took her face between his hands. "Hermione, I get it…you need time, I understand that. And you're probably right, it might be best if we take it slow…you were always the one with the more reasonable mind."
She let out a weak laugh. "Yeah…right."
He smiled softly as he swept his thumbs across her both cheeks, then let out a sigh as their foreheads touch. "I know what's between us came out of nowhere…but I guess that's why I trust this. Some of the best things that happen are unplanned…don't you think?"
Hermione's lips twitched. "When did you get to be so smart?"
He chuckled as he shifted up and placed a sweet kiss on her forehead. "I have my moments." Because he respected her wishes and because he didn't trust himself if he spent another moment in her arms, he gave her another kiss, this time on her temple, this time lingered, before letting her go and shooting to his feet. "I better go…let you finally get some sleep."
"Harry-"
"It's okay, Hermione…really. I understand." He backed away from her, heading towards the door. "Have a good night and I'll…see you tomorrow."
"Harry, wait."
He had made it to the door with his hand gripping the doorknob and when he heard the rustling of the covers, he knew she was getting out of the bed. On a sigh he turned around to see her walking towards him. "Hermione…really, you don't have to…"
His words faded as she got closer and then were all the way cut off when she grabbed his face firmly between her hands, leaned up on her toes and tugged his lips to hers. His hand on the knob tightened and the one hanging by his side clenched as he let her continue to be the one to control the kiss.
She kept her eyes shut tight and her lips firm against his as she took a moment to let her self feel. His lips were so soft-so warm-and then there was his hair, she thought as she let her fingers dive into it. All soft, full and thick. She gripped strands of it as she pulled back an inch, only to come back more…and more…and more, before finally parting her lips.
A groan crawled out of the back of his throat as their tongues met, then slowly caressed and soothed, tasting each other for the first time. Harry finally let go of the knob and fell back against the door, bringing her with him as he let himself touch her for the first time. He went right for her hair, burying his hands into those wonderful clinging curls. Thank Merlin. It was all he could think as their tongues plunged urgently into each other's mouth again and again.
Hermione hadn't planned on the kiss getting this out of control, all she was going to do was allow one sweet kiss for both of them to enjoy, before they decided what to do. But this was beyond her control. She should have stayed away…far away, but Merlin it felt too bloody fantastic to convince herself of that. His mouth…it was ridiculous how well skilled he was with that dangerous mouth. She wanted that mouth…not just on hers, but everywhere-and that was a warning to pull away.
"Wait," she gasped as she finally tore her lips away.
Both gasping for breath, Harry tilted his head back against the door, while Hermione weakly dropped her forehead to his chest. "Not…that I'm complaining, but…what's with the sudden change of mind?"
"I hadn't meant for that to happen," she said as she took a moment to settle her nerves. "I just…wanted to see if it was worth thinking about what I had to think about…if that makes any sense."
Harry's lips curved as he continued to stare up at the ceiling. "Surprisingly, yes. So, what's the verdict? Is it worth it?"
"Oh, hell yeah."
Laughter bubbled out of him as he finally lifted his head while she looked up at him with a weak smile. He then framed her face with his hands and as he swept back her hair, leaned down and kissed her forehead, her closed eyelid, then the other, before finally her lips and lingered their as they absorbed and melted together. "I better go," he murmured against them.
Hermione nodded in understanding. "Yes, you better." They allowed themselves one last, enduring kiss, before finally pulling away. "I need to take this slow, Harry."
"Don't worry," he said as he shifted forward and gently pushed her with him so he could turn to the door. "I think in a way, I do as well." He opened the door and stepped halfway through before turning around while she leaned against the edge of the door. "I don't think it'll hurt though if I admit I'm already looking forward to the next time I kiss you. No matter how long that is."
"No, it doesn't hurt at all."
"How bout one more?"
"Uh-uh." She placed a firm hand on his chest when he leaned forward. "Not a good idea. Say goodnight, Harry, and then walk away."
"For now?"
Hermione's heart shuddered. "For now."
"In that case…good night, Hermione."
He then took her hand and kissed the back of it, gave her a wink and flashed that to die for smile, before turning on his heels and walked away.
XXXXXX
AN:
Well, I certainly did not plan for that to happen when I started this chapter, but there you go! It's like Harry said in this chapter, "Some of the best things that happen are unplanned." Hope you guys enjoyed it! Don't know when I'll get the next one up, but until I do enjoy this one!
-->