I'm guessing Draco must have been as keen to see me as I was him, because he was waiting on the platform when the Hogwarts Express rolled into Hogsmeade station.

I observed him from the window before he saw me, watching as he stood shivering, pulling his overcoat tightly around him against the cold winter wind. I was shocked at how much more ill he looked, at how tired and gaunt his face appeared since the last time I had seen him.

But not his eyes. His eyes which were lit with a kind of hungry anticipation as they roamed along the long body of the train, a spark of something alive in them as he searched for the sight he was longing to see.

I quickly stepped back out of view before his gaze reached the window of my compartment, not quite ready for him to see me yet.

My heart was racing, wanting so much to believe that he was there for me, but not daring to get my hopes up.

Taking a few deep breaths, I grabbed my luggage, holding my head high as I made my way to the nearest exit.

However, the way his face immediately lit up when he turned to see me hopping down from the train, and the way his long legs instantly began striding towards me, told me that I hadn't been wrong at all.

"Draco," I breathed, my heart singing with joy as the white-blond haired Slytherin reached out to relieve me of my trunk. "What- what are you doing here?"

A smile flickered across his lips as his eyes danced in the early evening twilight. "I just thought you might like the company."

I didn't miss the flick of his eyes over my shoulder as a shadow crossed his face. I turned around and saw Cormac stepping down onto the platform further up, and suddenly understood the real reason why Draco was meeting me off the train.

"I have my wand, you needn't have worried." I assured Draco as I turned back to him. "I've got a good few hexes up my sleeve that would have him running off crying to his Mummy in no time."

"I've no doubt you have, Granger," he drawled, a smirk twitching at his lips. "But all the same... I had a free moment and I thought why not?"

He kept his eyes trained on Cormac, edging slightly closer to me as his face hardened in an angry scowl. As the Gryffindor neared, I heard a low growl emit from the back of Draco's throat, causing Cormac to look up, alarm flitting across his features at the menacing sight of the protective Slytherin.

"Prick," Draco muttered, once he'd passed. Changing his demeanour at once, he lightly touched a hand to the small of my back, lowering his lips to my ear. "Come on," he murmured softly, the faint aroma of his cologne making me shiver, "let's get you back up to the castle, it should be dinner time by now. I just need to sort your trunk-"

He looked around just as a house-elf waddled by, laden so high with cases that the poor thing couldn't see where he was going.

Draco, spotting this, immediately placed his index finger and thumb in his mouth, giving a whistle so loud and piercing, that the startled house-elf threw the cases into the air and went flying with them.

A horrified gasp left my lips. Draco looked at me and immediately froze.

"Shit," he said, slowly lowering his arm, a pink tinge colouring his cheeks. "I forgot. SPEW. Never mind, we'll just take this trunk ourselves..."

Five minutes later, we were sat squashed in the last carriage, along with my trunk, a dozen other bits of luggage that had nothing to do with us, and the house-elf (who I insisted should save his legs and join us).

As I advised the house-elf on the importance of elf pension schemes, Draco sat thoroughly disgruntled in the corner, looking as though he had very much regretted the decision to accompany me back to the castle.

"Thank you for that," I said afterwards as we made our way up the stone steps to the oaken front doors.

"I wasn't going to let you risk being cornered by that twat again," he muttered fiercely. "Guys like him need their dicks cutting off."

"No," I said, halting in my tracks. He stopped too, glancing down at me curiously. "I meant with the house-elf. You didn't have to do that, but you did. And I know how you really feel about them, that - like Ron - you think I'm just wasting my time. But you saw how much it meant to me and helped him anyway. So... thank you."

There was a slight look of embarrassment in his eyes, and he rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away. "It was nothing," he mumbled, "really."

We continued up the steps in silence, not saying another thing until we reached the interior of the Entrance Hall, where, through the doors to the Great Hall, we could see that dinner was indeed in full swing.

We hovered, knowing that as soon as we entered the hall, we would be going our separate ways again.

"I loved the quill, by the way," I said, suddenly not quite ready to part yet, "I've never seen one as beautiful as that, thank you."

"Indian Peafowl, one from my father's collection," he drawled, a hint of a smile to his voice, "Feathers of an angel, voice of the devil and walk of a thief. Rather fitting that it happens to be his favourite animal."

Our eyes met and I found my heart give a maddening flutter. I itched to lean in and close the gap between us, to feel the softness of his lips upon mine and the strength of his arms wrap around my body.

His gaze lingered on mine as his tongue darted out and swept across his lips. I watched as his Adam's apple gave a prominent bob in his throat, all the while sweat began to prickle in my palms and, despite the draughtiness in the castle, I was starting to feel uncomfortably hot.

"Did you... uh-" I said, struggling around for something to say. "Um- did you have a good Christmas?"

Again he shrugged, his eyes never leaving mine. "It was okay, I suppose," he murmured. "Would have been better if you were here, however."

Now I knew my cheeks were almost certainly blushing, and I had to look away out of sheer embarrassment, cursing myself for getting so easily flustered around him.

He gave a soft chuckle, entertained by my discomfort. I tried desperately to search around my suddenly fuzzy head for a safe topic of conversation.

"Did you manage to get that Transfiguration assignment done?"

He said nothing at first, just looked at me. Something flashed in his eyes, his mouth twitching up at the corners. "If I say no, would you come to my room after dinner to give me some extra tutoring?"

The smile pulled at my lips at once, aching my cheeks, and I turned my head from side to side, trying childishly to avoid his penetrating gaze, in the end hiding my furiously blushing face behind my hands.

"I'll take that as a yes, then," he chuckled, and I could see the amused expression on his face through the gaps between my fingers. "You know, Granger, you're awfully cute when you get embarrassed. I'll see you in an hour."

He turned to head towards the Great Hall, but then paused, just as I had lowered my hands, my face still hot and flustered.

"Oh, and one more thing," he drawled, eyes glinting mischievously in mine, "don't forget your toothbrush, I'm sensing there's a lot I'm going to be needing your assistance with tonight."

*****

The hour ticks by slowly as Draco Malfoy sits in his room and waits.

He is already hard for her, wanting her so much, but knowing his conscience will not allow himself to have sex with her whilst she is still in the dark about who he really is.

He has thought about it a lot during her absence. Never before has he felt such a forcefulness of lust for anyone. Each time he stepped into the shower, he thought about her as he took care of himself, most of the time his fantasies not even reaching much beyond ripping the clothes from her body before he is already washing the mess off his hand.

This does not bode well for his timing, he thinks wryly. He just prays she is the sort of girl who loves a quickie.

When he finally hears the gentle knock, five minutes before the hour is up, he rushes to the door, the anticipation fuelling him with a surging energy.

And then, suddenly, Hermione Granger is flinging herself into his arms, their lips crashing together as though driven by a magnetic force.

Kicking the door firmly shut, he lifts her off the ground, kissing her hungrily, his heart soaring at finally being able to touch her again. Her legs wrap around his waist and he immediately starts to carry her towards the bed, before quickly changing his mind and moves to the sofa instead.

Safer. Or so he thought.

Their gasps and grunts fill the room as they fall down upon the black leather upholstery, still locked in a wrestle of lips and tangled limbs.

He positions her so that she is straddling his lap, running his hands zealously up and down her back as they continue to kiss with hungered fervency. He longs to rip the clothes from her body, to feel her soft skin beneath his fingers. He longs to touch her in her most intimate places and watch her unravel as he brings her to the peak of pleasure.

But he settles for this now, making out on his sofa, because it can't be anymore yet.

But suddenly she is tearing her lips away from his, sitting up breathlessly as her fingers begin to fumble with her shirt buttons. And before he can stop her (because really, he doesn't want to), he is faced with Hermione Granger on his lap, skirt risen up around her middle and shirt falling open, revealing a pink lacy bra - oh fuck, the pink lacy underwear that he has been fantasising about ripping off her everyday since that night.

"Draco?" He feels himself throb as the name falls from her lips. When he looks into her eyes, he sees nothing but lust and hunger for him, and right then he never wants to be a virgin less.

"You're so fucking beautiful, Hermione," he murmurs, reaching up to catch her lips back in his, leaving a path of bruising kisses down alongside her jaw, not stopping until he reaches the pulse point on her neck, nibbling and suckling her sweet skin so that she is reduced to a whimpering and trembling mess, begging him for more.

He finds himself pulling her shirt clean off, wanting more of her, not getting enough. Then his fingers find the clasp of her bra, carefully watching out for any sign that she wants him to stop.

But she doesn't object, and when he pulls down the straps and lets it fall away, her gasp of pleasure matches his own feeling of desire at the sight of her perfect breasts. They are everything he has imagined and more. Driven completely by lust, he dips his head and takes one delicious nipple into his mouth which hardens instantly at the flick of his tongue. A strangled moan passes her lips as arms fly around his neck, enabling her to arch her chest towards him, wanting more.

She rocks on his lap, her skirt rising higher. As he continues to devour her breasts, his hand roams down to her thigh and he realises she is wearing no tights. Pleasure bolts through him as his fingers skim the silk of her underwear, and he dares inches them closer until they reach her crotch, where the underwear is soaked in dampness.

Fuck, she is wet for him. It drives him crazy. His eyes fly open and he releases her nipple from his mouth, lifting his head up to kiss her again. She moans softly as his thumb adds pressure, and she juts against him, telling him she wants more.

His heart racing, Draco slips his fingers beneath the silk, trying not to cum in his pants as he strokes the warm folds of her pussy, carefully sliding a single finger beneath them where he can feel just how much she truly wants him.

She groans into his mouth as he begins to penetrate his finger inside of her, making sure to circle his thumb over her clit for good measure.

She begins to shake in her impending orgasm, her body hot, feeling like a giant ball of energy on his lap. His other arm holds her to him as his finger and thumb work expertly to unravel her.

She is gasping his name as she bucks and writhes against him, and it is only when she shudders and collapses against him in a panting mess does he know she has gotten there, and he feels oddly proud that it was him who did it.

As she recovers, he slowly removes his hand and surreptitiously wipes his glistening wet fingers on the sofa beside him.

"Are you okay?" He murmurs in her ear, wrapping both his arms around her and holding her.

She lifts her head and nods and smiles, and he can't help but catch those beautiful full lips back in his, kissing her sweetly.

The pressure against his cock caused by her squirming on his lap mixed with the tantalising sight of her breasts causes Draco to want chase his own pleasure.

As he intensifies the kiss, he finds himself encouraging her to grind against him, his hands now tightly on her hips, pulling her harder down on his lap, the pleasurable burn in his lower abdomen becoming more like an unbearable ache.

"Fuck," he moans into her mouth as he grinds her over his lap harder and faster, lifting his own hips to get that friction, wishing more than anything that there weren't clothes between them and he was sinking deep inside her pussy.

Breathing becoming too intense for kissing, he throws his head back against the sofa. As his balls begin to tighten, he lifts his head ever so slightly and opens his eyes just enough to see the rhythmic bounce of her breasts as they continue to dry hump, and the sight is what makes him tip over.

Body stiffening, he lets out a loud groan, finally getting that relief he has been so desperately chasing, the orgasm rushing through him in one big euphoric wave.

"Fuck," he can hear himself rasp as he unloads inside his trousers against her crotch, his fingers digging ardently into her hips as he juts beneath her.

The orgasm rolls over him in waves which he thinks will never end. Never has he had one like it before. It literally leaves him spent and breathless, his heart almost bursting through his chest as he hisses and rasps through his teeth.

When it eventually dies down, he releases his grip on her hips, and lowers his hands so that his fingers are now resting lightly against the tops of her thighs.

He looks up into her face, seeing her eyes widen with some sort of fascinated horror as they glance down to the large damp patch rapidly spreading across the crotch of his trousers.

He tries to get his breath back, realising he's going to be owing her an explanation and quite possibly an apology too.

But before he can do either of those things, there is a loud and furious banging at the door, making them both startle.

"MALFOY! OPEN THAT DOOR BEFORE I BLAST IT DOWN! I KNOW YOU HAVE HERMIONE IN THERE WITH YOU AND I'M NOT LEAVING UNTIL I SPEAK TO HER!"

Draco's eyes meet Hermione's, and he knows that they are thinking the same thing.

Fucking Potter.

And then the door blew off its hinges.

*****