The Given Choices

Hermione sighed as she stared at the flames that danced in the fireplace of the Gryffindor common room. In her lap, the Potions text laid open but had been untouched for the past half-an-hour. There were a few younger students at the table behind her but most were up in the rooms getting packed for the train ride home tomorrow for the holidays.

Her thoughts consisted of a young man with gray eyes and silvery-blond hair that made her skip a beat just by being near him. It had been two weeks for their first date and when she had fled from his kiss. Yes, they ran into each other at the library but neither had said anything to the other. She missed her time with Draco Malfoy. Her heart missed the heart-to-heart conversations, the way they studied together quietly, and the subtle touches and looks that told her how much he liked her. During some of their classes, she felt his eyes on her or during meals he often looked up to make sure she was there.

The tap on her shoulder brought her out of her sorrowful thoughts of her unsure love. Ginny took a seat next her as Blaise sat in the armchair closest to the fire. He was becoming a common visitor in the dorm but always with the youngest Weasley at his side. Hermione had yet to see them kiss in front of others, like most couples did. But they usually held hands openly or kissed on the cheeks before they departed each other's company. They made a charming couple and she felt truly happy for them. Ron was often found watching them to ensure his sister's safety and Blaise had hinted on a few threatens for various brothers, if he took advantaged of the only female Weasley.

"Man, the heat is something I truly miss this place when I return to the cold dungeons." The handsome Slytherin raised his hands to feel the warmth of the fire as he stated, "Well besides the lovely company of you two...of course."

Ginny chuckled and winked at him as she replied, "Very smart of you to add that in."

"What's got you down, Hermione?" he asked even though she was sure he knew.

Blaise was turning out to be a very supportive friend as she was for him. Once he has declared that if Ginny ever gained her senses and dumped him for someone truly worthy of her, then he would give Draco a run for his money to win Hermione's heart. Of course, both laughed at the statement but it was sweet of him to say that, especially since she doubted herself a lot since how she ended the date with Malfoy.

"I'm just worried about Draco and I. Do you think I should go to him before he leaves tomorrow?" Hermione asked as tucked the book between her and the couch as Crookshanks jumped on her lap to claim his territory.

"Actually, Draco is not leaving Hogwarts for the holidays. He owled his parents this morning and told him that he had some things here that needed his attention," the Slytherin explained and folded his hands behind his head as he smiled brightly at her.

She grinned at that and bit her lip with hopes that she was what he was referring to. In the landscape portrait above the fireplace, the guard of Gryffindor tower appeared and stated, "Miss Granger, there is a delivery for you on the other side of the portrait hole."

Several of the students started to whisper amongst themselves. Hermione got to her feet with Crookshanks tucked into her arm and opened the door. Her head peeked out and to the left side of the hole was a black glass vase with a dozen, tall white roses in it. A huge smile appeared on her face as she bent over to pick it up and she looked around the corridor but no one was in sight. But she had a good idea who it was from.

After she went back into the common room and took her seat next to Ginny, she placed the vase on the side table and noticed silver markings on the flowers. The glittery marks were painted on in shaped of wispy curves and small snowflakes. A silver ribbon tied around the lip of the vase and a small piece of parchment was attached to that. She pulled off the note, which had her first name on it, and read it silently to herself, as she recognized the Slytherin Prince's handwriting.

Dear Hermione,

Since we have come back to school this year,

I have done nothing to harm you.

I have done nothing but want to be with you.

I have done nothing but attempt to melt my ice, cold heart.

I have done nothing but try to give you a bit of happiness.

I admit that in the past I have done you wrong.

I admit that times have changed and so have I.

I admit that not all people will be happy about us being a couple.

I admit that things like this are hard for me.

I know that you are special in so many ways.

I know that I was blind to not have seen it before now.

I know that just being near you makes me feel at ease.

I know that your heart is still fragile.

I know that I want the chance to mend it and make it beat with happiness again.

Just know that I am here for you when you are ready for a chance at more.

Yours truly with hopes of spending many more tomorrows with you,

Draco Malfoy

There was a female sigh of delight from behind her, as Ginny seemed to have read the note over her shoulder. Hermione folded up the small poem and tucked it into her jeans pocket. "Those roses are beautiful, especially with those silver designs on them."

"I suggest you take them up to your dorm before two certain friends of yours come down," Blaise's voice whispered from her other side.

With a dash, she grabbed the vase and bolted upstairs before Ron or Harry saw them. It would be lucky if they didn't find out about them before they left tomorrow. After a simple shrinking charm just till the rest of her dorm mates left tomorrow, she placed the tiny glass vase of roses in an empty corner of her trunk. Hermione slipped the note under her pillow as she lay on her bed and looked out her window at the clear night sky. A smile seemed permanently etched on her face as her hopes of Draco became a lot brighter.

After a few uncharacteristic giddy moments, Hermione decided to treat herself to a bubble bath in the Prefect's bathroom. With robe and necessities in hand, she practically skipped down the stairs and out of the common room as she ignored the chuckle from Blaise, who had Ginny sitting on his lap as she read to him. The corridors were empty but she still had an hour before curfew was to hit.

Once she entered the empty bathroom, Hermione turned on her favorite tap of heavenly scented purple clouds of Jasmine bubbles and began to undress. Her pajamas and robe was laid on the white marble bench and she placed her bottles of shampoo and conditioner on the side. After securing her long hair into a French knot with her wand, Hermione slowly entered the swimming-pool-sized bath. The hot water wrapped around her body, as she almost seemed to dance within the bubbles.

Hermione muttered the charm to make the room filled with piano music and then release her curly locks to the water as she placed the wand on the edge. The water stayed warm as she swam a couple laps and then floated on her back to relax her body. A thick layer of light purple foam covered her more private body parts as she hummed along with the music that vibrated slightly under the water, which was where her ears were.

If she had had her eyes open, Hermione would have noticed the bathroom door open and realized that she was no longer alone. Quietly, the new arrival charmed the floor not make a sound as he walked over to the bench and placed his nightwear next to hers. The person completely undressed as he kept his eyes on the foam-covered Hermione Granger, who continued to hum in tune with the piano music. The prefect slowly entered the tub but made sure not to make ripples in the water to alert the floating goddess of the intrusion.

The well-defined male body, which was chiseled perfectly from plenty of Quidditch practices over the past four years, waded to the edge that was near the Gryffindor prefect but not too close. His silver eyes focused on her perfect lips and beautiful thighs that peeked above the water. Of course, Draco wished that those bubbles would disappear so he could have a full view of her gorgeous body. But that was sure to earn him another slap across the face, if just being naked in the large pool was not already enough to earn him one. He hoped that she would be more forgiving of him, since Blaise, who he'd ran into in the hall, stated that she had appeared to love the roses he sent.

Hermione lowered her body down into the water and came back up with as she ran her hands down her hair to get out the extra water. Draco smirked as her back was to him but she had raised her body up out of the water to reach her hair supplies, which gave him a partial view of her perfect bare arse.

She hummed along as she lowered herself back into the water. A little water dripped into her ear but she shook it out and then turned to start washing her hair but gasped when she noticed that she was not alone. Hermione shouted as she lowered her body into the water, "What in Merlin's name are you doing in here?"

Draco raised an eyebrow as he looked down at his body within the foam-covered water and stated, "It looks like I am taking a bath."

"Obviously, but you could've come back later. I'm naked here!" she proclaimed as she double checked to make sure that her chest was not able to be seen by the sexy, wet Slytherin, who just happened to be her love interest.

He pushed off the edge and took two steps toward her as she raised her arm as if to stop him. Draco paused in the spot as he watched her blush as she ogled his firm, bare chest. "What a coincidence, I am also naked."

Hermione's brown eyes went wide as she realized that he was not in his trunks that she had assumed he was. Of course, she realized it was foolish to have assumed he was clothed when he could tell from small glimpse of her flesh that she was not.

"Okay, Draco. I'll turn around as you get out and get dressed," she stated and tried not to start babbling because the fact that he was naked so close to her was making her burn with desire.

Malfoy took another two steps toward her as he huskily replied, "I don't think so. Look, I won't do anything that you don't want me to do and I'll do anything you do want me to do."

She was nibbling on her lip as she tried to focus her mind on some other opinions that did not include snogging him naked. Because Hermione was certain it would go a lot further and she was not ready for that. The wand to her side got her attention and an idea came to her. "Accio pants."

"You don't-" Draco began before she stopped him from speaking as she raised her hand. He watched her transfigured her pants into red bikini bottoms for herself and turned his pants into swimming trunks. Hermione tossed over his new apparel as she pulled on her bottoms under the water out of his view. She was about to summon her top, when he swam up right behind her. "I promise to behave, if you don't put a top on."

She looked over her shoulder at him as she crossed her arms over her naked, foam-covered chest. He brushed a strand of her long, wet hair behind her ear as he whispered, "Please, love. You are so beautiful. I would swear on the moon not to touch you inappropriately."

"O swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon that monthly changes in her circled orb. Unless that your love prove likewise variable," she returned as she quoted from one of her favorite love stories, Romeo and Juliet. Hermione lowered her body into the water, so it came up to her shoulders and turned to face him.

Draco watched her eyes, as he seemed to comprehend where she was quoting from, and took another step closer to her. A soft grip on one of her hands, he pulled her slowly to his body as Draco asked, "What shall I swear by?"

"Do not swear at all. Or if though will, swear by your gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry, and I'll believe you." Hermione tentatively stepped toward him as she continued, "I did not know you were a Shakespeare fan."

He shrugged his shoulders as he brought her closer to him and almost felt her against his body. Draco stopped her body there as the romantic atmosphere and music wrapped around them. Those lips of hers beckoned his to kiss them and claim her as his but he fought off for the moment. "Blame that on Blaise. I lost a bet to him and he made me read his favorite books. Last summer, I read Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, some Socrates, and The Hobbit."

"Really, did you enjoy any of them?" she asked as he lowered his body into the water to be at the same height as her. Hermione sighed as he placed his hands on her lower back and guided her through the warm water with him.

His eyes held her eyes as they moved perfectly motion with each other in the body of water. The scent of Jasmine had always suited her and her skin felt so smooth under his touch. Their words spoke of books and knowledge but their bodies spoke of love. "Yes, I did but don't tell him that."

"I have the books that follow the Hobbit, they're up in my room. Ginny and Blaise will both be gone during the holidays and you can read them undisturbed," Hermione commented as she courageously brought her soft chest against his firm one. She was dying to feel his flesh against her own and she would hold him to his word about inappropriate touches.

Draco closed his eyes as he tightened his hold around her waist and took in the perfect fit of Hermione's body to his. He bent down to lightly kiss her and would not let her go this time but she had no intentions of running. They took several minutes to map every spot of each other's lips and taste every taste as their tongues came out to join in. After a few more kisses, he pulled back and smiled at her slightly swollen lips. "As long as your company comes with your books, I would love to read them with your head resting in my lap at the same time."

Hermione kissed his cheek as she replied, "That sounds like a second date is planned for tomorrow night in my common room. Since, I am the only Gryffindor to stay over."

"Really, that does have many opportunities there. But it will be our third because I consider this as our second date," he said as she nibbled on his ear and his hands rested on her curvy hips. "Now, I'll return to my dungeons and let my angel finish her bath. Unless, you would like my help." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and gently squeezed her bottom.

Hermione splashed some water at him as she took a step away from his delicious body and watched him pull himself out of the water. He dripped water from his trunks as he raised his wand to dry them and transfigure them back into his pants. From by the sink, he grabbed a fluffy towel and pulled it around his damp shoulders. He winked at her as he caught her eyeing the thin line of blond hair that lead from his navel down into his pants.

She rested her head on her forearms as she leaned along the edge and watched Draco drape his things across his arm. He walked over to her and kissed her sweetly before he stated, "Good night, darling."

"Good night, good night. Parting is sweet such sorrow. That I shall say good night till it be morrow," Hermione spoke as he reached the door.

He pulled open the door and turn to her once more as he said, "Hermione, you are no Juliet. For you are fairer and more intelligent, than she ever was. Later, I'll be glad to show you how much more Romeo still had yet to learn. Sweet dreams, my dear."

Hermione sighed contently as she knew her dreams would be filled of being in Draco's strong arms and kissing his soft lips. She quickly washed her hair and finished her bath before she dashed to the common room without a minute spare before curfew.