Born The Day You Kissed Me

CHAP SIX

". . . .The wind was crisp against his pale skin. Draco was running, he had been for sometime because it was getting harder to breath due to the cold night air. He stopped for a moment, and at the sound of leaves crunching, he spun around. 'Who's there?' he shouted. Nothing. He turned around and began to run towards the lights he saw. He came upon a small house, and little twinkling lights decorated the trees and bushes that lined the walkway. 'Muggle house,' he muttered to himself. Suddenly, he felt an eerie sensation as every hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He slowly turned around and 'CRUCIO!' was all he heard before he screamed in agony and crashed to the earth, his insides freezing and burning simultaneously. The pain was too intense and he passed out, oblivious to all that was around him. 'That'll teach the little bastard a lesson or two,' an inimical, unsettling voice spoke roughly . . . ."

Draco sat up too quickly for his body and his vision went black. He had fallen asleep and had a nightmare that was causing him to experience a feeling that was too familiar for his liking. He racked his brain to try and remember why that whole situation felt so real. He remembered that house...he'd seen it before. But what Muggle house had he seen before? "None," he said out loud. "Well, save for Grang-" he stopped mid-sentance, realizing that it had been Granger's house. His brain began to race. Why was he at her house? Someone brought him there...and someone was trying to kill him? It was beginning to frustrate him because nothing made sense. Sighing loudly, he stood to stretch and realized that Granger was still in the bathroom. He saw that Tish had already returned with food for them, and had washed her clothes, so he impatiently went to get her since his stomach was beginning to rumble with hunger.

* * * *

Hermione stared down at her long slender fingers and realized that their wrinkly appearance meant that it was time for her to get out of the bathtub. She picked up a heavy emerald green towel with "Malfoy" embroidered on the front and began to dry herself off, as the tub slowly drained the water. "I sure did enjoy that bath, even my toes look like raisins," she laughed to herself. As she began to towel dry her hair, her mind couldn't help but to flashback to yesterday when Malfoy had walked in on her changing. Her stomach recoiled when she recalled his facial expressions, but a grin swept over her face as she remembered how she'd handled the situation. After she was dry, she began to look for her clothes only to discover that they were missing. She shook her head, a little confused as she distinctly remembered laying them on Malfoy's porcelain toilet. A sudden knock at the door startled her.

"Hey Granger, you almost done in there?" he asked, humor evident in his voice.

She saw a robe hanging on a hook and threw it on before she opened the door.

Draco's breath caught in his throat upon seeing her. Her hair was an untidy wet mess, sticking to her face and neck, but he found it oddly attractive. He had shared a dormitory and bathroom with her for half of a year now, and not once had he seen her so insouciant. It almost intimidated him.

"Malfoy, what's wrong?" she asked when he didn't say anything.

He blinked a few times before he thought of something clever to say. "I-I never thought I'd see you wearing my bathrobe," he finished lamely.

"Oh," she whispered, a small blush creeping over her cheeks. She pulled the robe tighter around her chest, and cleared her throat. "I can't find my clothes," she said, her eyes meeting his.

"I had them cleaned them for you," he replied, turning to point to his bed where they were piled and neatly folded.

"Thanks," she said smiling. It was a small gesture, but it was the thought that counted.

"I got us some food too," he said. "That's why I came to get you; I'm starving."

Hermione laughed and Draco watched her face light up pleasantly. She scurried to get her clothes to change. "Faster!" he joked. He walked over to his enormous window and saw that it was snowing outside. His hot breath was causing the window to fog up, and when Hermione finished changing, she laughed at him for looking so juvenile.

They each sat down on the couch and began to eat the huge meal Tish had brought them. When they were done, Hermione leaned back stretching her arms above her head.

Draco couldn't help but glance down and spy on the creamy flesh her stomach exposed as her shirt rose when she extended her arms. She yawned loudly, and turned to Draco.

"Thanks for dinner," she said, sinking into the couch and pulling a large blanket over her lap.

"No problem," he said, scooting closer to her and taking half of the blanket for his own lap.

"You know, I need to be getting home soon. My parents are probably worried sick," she said, biting her lip. She looked at her wristwatch and saw that it was late into the evening. "How's the weather?"

"Horrible snow storm," he said as he finished his mug of hot tea.

Hermione stood up and walked to the window to see for herself. She placed her petite hand on the freezing glass and shivered. It was an absolute mess outside, and she could hear the wind whistling through a tiny crack in the corner of the windowpane.

"Doesn't look like you'll be able to leave anytime soon," Draco murmured, coming to stand beside her.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" she asked bluntly, continuing to stare out the window at the blizzard.

When he failed to answer her, she smiled up at him coyly, her eyes challenging him. It seemed as though he accepted the challenge, for he turned his body and began to lean his face towards her. When she felt his sweet hot breath sweep across her face, her eyes fluttered shut. She felt him snake an arm around her waist, and she could acutely hear their synchronized heartbeats match the crackling fire as both of their senses were intensified. Hermione could feel that his lips were a breath away, and when she could absolutely not stand it any longer, she arched her head up to softly meet his lips. She felt electricity shoot to every nerve in her body, and when his lips timidly began to move her knees gave out. He stumbled back at her sudden weight crashing into him, but he caught her slim waist between his strong hands. She shivered violently as he swept his tongue across her bottom lip and just when she was about to open her mouth and let him in, a furious voice was heard echoing through the mansion.

They leapt apart while Hermione's shivers of lust instantly transformed into shivers of fright. "Quick," Draco hissed wiping his mouth, and leading Hermione into a huge closet that was past his bed. Once inside, he opened yet another passage door.

"How many secret passages do you have in this place?" she whispered.

"This isn't a passage, it's just a hidden corner."

"In your closet?" she rhetorically asked, stepping into the hole.

"You stay here, I'm sure that was my father's voice. If I don't show my face soon he'll come looking for me, and trust me, that can only lead to disaster," Draco said under his breath.

"Lumos," Hermione whispered, a low glow accompanying her. "How long will you be?"

"Not long I hope. Now just stay in here until I come back," Draco ordered.

"Okay," she said softly, listening to his footsteps fade. She leaned back against the wall, her heart racing. She felt feverish, and realized that the kiss mixed with the panic she was feeling was reaching havoc on her body. She had never felt like this before, she felt like she was on an emotional roller coaster, and she really wanted to get off. Hermione was the kind of person who always wanted to know exactly what was before her so she could be prepared. Unfortunately with Draco Malfoy, that was never going to happen. "He's too spontaneous for me," she thought out loud. "It's just hormones, that's the only reason I'm drawn to him. Hormones," she told herself over and over again. She silently vowed to herself that she would not get mixed up with Malfoy, and would omit the kiss from her memory...yet the longer she sat there, the harder it became to forget.

* * * *

When Draco heard the hall echoing with another irate voice, he hurried to the door to investigate and low and behold. It was Lucius' vile voice. It appeared that he was in the West Wing Den. "So, you finally found Crabbe and Goyle. Nice work, dad," he said, sarcasm dripping in his voice and strongly emphasized on the last word.

Draco stepped out into the hallway. He cautiously made his way down the hall to where the voices were coming from, and stood right outside to peek in through a tiny crack in the door.

"I have been waiting for almost an hour!" Lucius roared, his voice echoing in the halls.

"We apologize Lucius, we-err, we were trying...well, it was Crabbe who-"

"Bullshit, Goyle," Lucius interrupted. "Stop trying to make excuses. You two were too shit-faced to know left from right, now everyone has been waiting to get this meeting over with, and I come to find you both too drunk to stay conscious."

Crabbe and Goyle lowered their heads in shame.

"The Dark Lord will be here within the hour and we haven't even had time to analyze how our plan failed. Not to mention, Draco is nowhere to be found. He is a vital part of the plan. Though, once again, he has failed me."

"Plan? What plan?" Draco thought frantically. His mind was reeling. He had absolutely no idea what Lucius was talking about.

"Our apologies, Lucius," Crabbe spoke up finally.

"Just get yourselves together and get your sorry arses to the East Wing Den!" Lucius bellowed, storming out of the room.

Draco stooped as low as he could in the shadow of the door, hoping to go unnoticed. Luckily for Draco, Lucius was too angry to notice Draco cowered behind the door, and he disappeared around a corner.

"I told you it was in the East Wing," Goyle snapped at Crabbe as the two men followed Lucius out the door. They quickly caught up with Lucius, and the sounds of their whispers were lost.

Draco stood up to his full height. The situation was worse than he thought, and he had a hunch it had something to do with how he ended up in Granger's backyard. He had to find out, so he quickly ran back to his room to get his invisibility cloak that he had inherited, and made for the East Wing Den.