Hermione’s POV
“You feel it too don’t you?” He asked quietly after another lapse in silence. I had tried my hardest to ignore the tension and electricity crackling in the air around us but it seems I wasn’t the only one who was feeling the heat so to speak.
“Yes.” I whispered as I tried to look away but I found myself unable to look away from his eyes. Had they always been that colour? They weren’t quite grey but not quite blue either.
“Hermione… you can’t look at me like that.”
“Hmm?” I hummed as I lost focus on what he was saying but rather concentrating on the sound of his voice. It was mesmerizing, frightening and soothing all at the same time.
“Stop.” I blinked hard and rapidly as his words suddenly cut through the spell. I found myself looking around, noting I had left the safety on the couch and was a mere arm’s length away from Draco. I gasped in shock as I met his gaze, his eyes darker, reminding me of where I was and who exactly he was.
“I’m… I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.” I stumbled and I slowly retreated backwards.
“It’s our connection. I need to mark you, but I…can’t.” He stressed and I gulped looking away feeling somewhat…rejected.
“Don’t.” He snapped angrily. I gasped loudly as his body suddenly covered every inch of mine and pushed me against the closest bookshelf. His eyes blazing in anger as I looked up.
“I am not rejecting you. Don’t even think it. I’m just trying to give us both time.” He growled before he buried his face in the curve of my neck and breathed in. His breath tickling the sensitive skin on my neck making me shiver.
“You can’t do that Hermione.” He groaned.
“I can’t help it.” I whispered.
“I need to go before I do something we both regret.” He forced out through his teeth and I knew as he raised his head that he was barely in control.
“When?” I asked quietly knowing I didn’t need to explain what I was asking.
“Not today.” He spoke quietly before fleeing the room, the door closing softly behind him with a small thump.
I closed my eyes and tilted me head back, letting it rest against the book case while I blew out a shaky breath. Why hadn’t he just marked me?
Draco’s POV
“I don’t understand? You had her there and willing. Why didn’t you just mark her?” Blaise asked as I shook my head just as confused as he sounded.
“I… I don’t know.” I groaned as I hit my head none too softly against the stone wall of the potions room.
“You don’t have time to ease her or yourself into this Draco. The sooner you mark each other the sooner you’ll be more stable.” I made a strangled noise in the back of my throat, fully agreeing with what Snape said.
“I know but I couldn’t just take her…not right there.” I argued getting angrier by the second.
“Okay okay I get it. Then what are you going to do?” Blaise asked with a sigh.
“I was hoping both of you had some ideas.” I muttered, pressing my head against the cold hard stone wall once more.
“You’re going to have to talk it out with one another. Decide on a time, there is no way around it.” Snape spoke and I made a noise of disagreement.
“Oh yes because today’s little talk with one another went oh so well. We can’t even be in the same room for more than thirty minutes without wanting to…argh.” I roared angrily as I trailed off.
“Calm down.” Snape ordered as they both took a step away from me.
“I. Am. Calm.” I forced out.
My whole body tingled making me shiver just before a knock sounded at the door.
Hermione.
“It’s Hermione.” I mumbled, feeling her presence wash over me like a tidal wave.
“Do not mark her in my classroom.” Snape muttered before I heard him walk towards the door.
“Miss Granger.”
“I’m sorry professor but I was wondering if you-“
“He’s here.” I heard the door open wider before closing again with a loud bang.
“Oh.”
“Hermione.” Blaise spoke as he greeted Hermione, I could hear them shuffling around the room but I had yet to turn around.
“Blaise.”
“We’ll leave you two alone to talk.” Snape spoke and I waited until I heard both Blaise and Snape retreat before I turned to greet her.
“I’m sorry I just felt…” She explained as she struggled to find the words but I cut her off with a nod.
“I get it. I’m sorry that was my fault.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked tentatively and I couldn’t stop my smile.
“Funnily enough now that you’re here, yes.”
“Oh. Good.”
“Hermione we need to talk but I couldn’t stay with you long enough earlier to do so without… consequences.” I spoke and she nodded, looking around the classroom before resting her eyes back on me.
Hermione’s POV
“Yeah… Look Draco this situation, it’s not ideal. Neither of us asked for this but we’re in this for a long time right?” I asked and he nodded once.
“I would love to wait. I would love to wait months, years, hell I would even settle for a couple of weeks but that’s not an option. We need to get this over with so why are you avoiding it?” I asked shakily trying hard to calm my nerves and mask my feelings so he couldn’t tell just how afraid I was.
“You don’t need to be afraid of me. I can’t hurt you. Ever.” Draco spoke softly and I nodded.
“I know, I know. I’m trying.” He watched me closely before letting out a sigh, running a hand over his face as he thought over his words carefully.
“You’re right I would love to give you- us, weeks, months or even years but I can’t. I’m struggling to give you now.”
“I know so why haven’t you already marked me?” I asked quietly. He said nothing, silence falling over us and I said nothing, leaving the ball in his court.
“I may be wrong but my Veela instincts tell me otherwise but you’ve never….have you?” He asked and I immediately feel my face heat up.
“What has that got to do with anything?” I splutter turning away from him as I pace in front of a desk.
“Thought so.” He muttered and I glare, but wisely keeping my mouth shut.
“It matters to me. I need to know. Surely Fleur told you what would happen.”
“She said it sometimes happens like that, I was under the impression that wouldn’t need to come into it.” I snap, my voice rising in volume after each word until it felt like I was yelling.
“You’re my mate for life. Surely you’ve thought about this? You’re it for me just like I’m it for you. Marriage, house… kids?”
“No we are not going there. Not yet. One step at a time.” I yell pointing at finger at him before leveling him with a glare.
“I’m not meaning right now.” He grit out.
“I should think not.” I snap.
“Anyway,” He forced out after a long pause in silence.
“Back to what we were originally talking about. What did you expect me to do? Throw you against a wall and bite you then be done with it?” He snapped, throwing his hands up in the air while I sucked in a breath as the room suddenly seemed to get a lot smaller.
“Well… honestly yes.” I shakily forced out as I went back to pacing.
“Veelas are… sexual creatures. It’s actually very rare that the marking process takes any other form. Feel free to ask Snape or Dumbledore if you don’t believe me. I would say Fleur left that part out for your own peace of mind but I can’t do that. You need to know everything.” He explained as he took a calming breath, his hands clenching at his sides as he forced his eyes shut.
“Our emotions and bond will stabilize. It won’t be so… erratic like it is now. You’ll be able to tell Potter and Weasley. In fact you’ll have to because I don’t fancy the idea of them hexing me when they catch me around you or touching you. After I Mark you, we’ll find it hard to be apart. At least for a little while. Dumbledore already has an idea of giving us a room to ourselves. We’re both heads no one would really question it.” He explains without me having to ask.
“I have plans… goals for after Hogwarts-“
“Nothing. Our bond will affect nothing. I will support anything you want to do.” He interrupted as he took a step closer to me, his face showing how much he hated the conflict I felt.
“I don’t want kids…yet.” I added hastily when I saw his face drop.
“Then we’ll wait.” He nodded, taking another step forward.
“I don’t want to marry right after Hogwarts either.” I whispered and he sighed as he paused right in front of me. We were close enough to touch when we breathed.
“Again we can wait.” He shrugged as he brushed away a random hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear.
“Okay.” I spoke as I felt myself lean into his hand slightly. He smiled and trailed a thumb across my cheek.
“Anything else?” He whispered.
“The Marking.” I blurt out suddenly as I ring my hands together.
“You won’t feel any pain. I’ll be gentle and I’ll take care of you.” He promised and while my face flushed at his words I shook my head.
“It’s not that… well okay it’s not entirely that.” I amend at his pointed look.
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t want it to hurt you either. The more I think about it the more I don’t want it to happen.”
“Hermione.” He spoke looking extremely uncomfortable.
“I can’t help it. Ever since Fleur told me it’s been playing on my mind. Why do you have to take everything?”
“Because you’re my mate.” He said simply.
“That makes no sense Draco.”
“It does to me and to my Veela. We protect you, always. We would rather die than to see you hurt, even at our own hands.” I sigh giving in, remembering what Fleur said about how they don’t think of it like I would.
“Give me a date. A date within the next seven days and I will try and hold off until then. I can give you a week to get organized and well… prepare yourself. Till then we can spend as much time together as I can handle getting to know one another and then I’ll Mark you.” He whispered while I chewed my bottom lip before nodding in agreement.
“Okay. Give me three days.”
“You can take the full seven.”
“No, three is fine. Saturday.”
“Okay. You should probably head back to your dorms before curfew.” I nodded but made no effort to move.
“I would walk you but I think I’ve just about met my limit for the day.” He spoke as he stepped closer to me, his chest brushing against mine as he stared down at my lips. I let out a shaky breath and nodded but still didn’t move.
“Hermione.” He warned as his head bent down to meet mine, our lips a mere breath away from each other.
“Hmm?” I hummed as a warm feeling spread over me and I couldn’t focus on anything but him.
“Go. Goodnight Hermione.” He ordered, his lips gently brushing against my cheek before his hand gently pushed me away effectively breaking whatever spell had taken over us.
“Uh… right. Bye.” I mumbled before making a mad dash out of the room.
“You feel it too don’t you?” He asked quietly after another lapse in silence. I had tried my hardest to ignore the tension and electricity crackling in the air around us but it seems I wasn’t the only one who was feeling the heat so to speak.
“Yes.” I whispered as I tried to look away but I found myself unable to look away from his eyes. Had they always been that colour? They weren’t quite grey but not quite blue either.
“Hermione… you can’t look at me like that.”
“Hmm?” I hummed as I lost focus on what he was saying but rather concentrating on the sound of his voice. It was mesmerizing, frightening and soothing all at the same time.
“Stop.” I blinked hard and rapidly as his words suddenly cut through the spell. I found myself looking around, noting I had left the safety on the couch and was a mere arm’s length away from Draco. I gasped in shock as I met his gaze, his eyes darker, reminding me of where I was and who exactly he was.
“I’m… I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.” I stumbled and I slowly retreated backwards.
“It’s our connection. I need to mark you, but I…can’t.” He stressed and I gulped looking away feeling somewhat…rejected.
“Don’t.” He snapped angrily. I gasped loudly as his body suddenly covered every inch of mine and pushed me against the closest bookshelf. His eyes blazing in anger as I looked up.
“I am not rejecting you. Don’t even think it. I’m just trying to give us both time.” He growled before he buried his face in the curve of my neck and breathed in. His breath tickling the sensitive skin on my neck making me shiver.
“You can’t do that Hermione.” He groaned.
“I can’t help it.” I whispered.
“I need to go before I do something we both regret.” He forced out through his teeth and I knew as he raised his head that he was barely in control.
“When?” I asked quietly knowing I didn’t need to explain what I was asking.
“Not today.” He spoke quietly before fleeing the room, the door closing softly behind him with a small thump.
I closed my eyes and tilted me head back, letting it rest against the book case while I blew out a shaky breath. Why hadn’t he just marked me?
Draco’s POV
“I don’t understand? You had her there and willing. Why didn’t you just mark her?” Blaise asked as I shook my head just as confused as he sounded.
“I… I don’t know.” I groaned as I hit my head none too softly against the stone wall of the potions room.
“You don’t have time to ease her or yourself into this Draco. The sooner you mark each other the sooner you’ll be more stable.” I made a strangled noise in the back of my throat, fully agreeing with what Snape said.
“I know but I couldn’t just take her…not right there.” I argued getting angrier by the second.
“Okay okay I get it. Then what are you going to do?” Blaise asked with a sigh.
“I was hoping both of you had some ideas.” I muttered, pressing my head against the cold hard stone wall once more.
“You’re going to have to talk it out with one another. Decide on a time, there is no way around it.” Snape spoke and I made a noise of disagreement.
“Oh yes because today’s little talk with one another went oh so well. We can’t even be in the same room for more than thirty minutes without wanting to…argh.” I roared angrily as I trailed off.
“Calm down.” Snape ordered as they both took a step away from me.
“I. Am. Calm.” I forced out.
My whole body tingled making me shiver just before a knock sounded at the door.
Hermione.
“It’s Hermione.” I mumbled, feeling her presence wash over me like a tidal wave.
“Do not mark her in my classroom.” Snape muttered before I heard him walk towards the door.
“Miss Granger.”
“I’m sorry professor but I was wondering if you-“
“He’s here.” I heard the door open wider before closing again with a loud bang.
“Oh.”
“Hermione.” Blaise spoke as he greeted Hermione, I could hear them shuffling around the room but I had yet to turn around.
“Blaise.”
“We’ll leave you two alone to talk.” Snape spoke and I waited until I heard both Blaise and Snape retreat before I turned to greet her.
“I’m sorry I just felt…” She explained as she struggled to find the words but I cut her off with a nod.
“I get it. I’m sorry that was my fault.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked tentatively and I couldn’t stop my smile.
“Funnily enough now that you’re here, yes.”
“Oh. Good.”
“Hermione we need to talk but I couldn’t stay with you long enough earlier to do so without… consequences.” I spoke and she nodded, looking around the classroom before resting her eyes back on me.
Hermione’s POV
“Yeah… Look Draco this situation, it’s not ideal. Neither of us asked for this but we’re in this for a long time right?” I asked and he nodded once.
“I would love to wait. I would love to wait months, years, hell I would even settle for a couple of weeks but that’s not an option. We need to get this over with so why are you avoiding it?” I asked shakily trying hard to calm my nerves and mask my feelings so he couldn’t tell just how afraid I was.
“You don’t need to be afraid of me. I can’t hurt you. Ever.” Draco spoke softly and I nodded.
“I know, I know. I’m trying.” He watched me closely before letting out a sigh, running a hand over his face as he thought over his words carefully.
“You’re right I would love to give you- us, weeks, months or even years but I can’t. I’m struggling to give you now.”
“I know so why haven’t you already marked me?” I asked quietly. He said nothing, silence falling over us and I said nothing, leaving the ball in his court.
“I may be wrong but my Veela instincts tell me otherwise but you’ve never….have you?” He asked and I immediately feel my face heat up.
“What has that got to do with anything?” I splutter turning away from him as I pace in front of a desk.
“Thought so.” He muttered and I glare, but wisely keeping my mouth shut.
“It matters to me. I need to know. Surely Fleur told you what would happen.”
“She said it sometimes happens like that, I was under the impression that wouldn’t need to come into it.” I snap, my voice rising in volume after each word until it felt like I was yelling.
“You’re my mate for life. Surely you’ve thought about this? You’re it for me just like I’m it for you. Marriage, house… kids?”
“No we are not going there. Not yet. One step at a time.” I yell pointing at finger at him before leveling him with a glare.
“I’m not meaning right now.” He grit out.
“I should think not.” I snap.
“Anyway,” He forced out after a long pause in silence.
“Back to what we were originally talking about. What did you expect me to do? Throw you against a wall and bite you then be done with it?” He snapped, throwing his hands up in the air while I sucked in a breath as the room suddenly seemed to get a lot smaller.
“Well… honestly yes.” I shakily forced out as I went back to pacing.
“Veelas are… sexual creatures. It’s actually very rare that the marking process takes any other form. Feel free to ask Snape or Dumbledore if you don’t believe me. I would say Fleur left that part out for your own peace of mind but I can’t do that. You need to know everything.” He explained as he took a calming breath, his hands clenching at his sides as he forced his eyes shut.
“Our emotions and bond will stabilize. It won’t be so… erratic like it is now. You’ll be able to tell Potter and Weasley. In fact you’ll have to because I don’t fancy the idea of them hexing me when they catch me around you or touching you. After I Mark you, we’ll find it hard to be apart. At least for a little while. Dumbledore already has an idea of giving us a room to ourselves. We’re both heads no one would really question it.” He explains without me having to ask.
“I have plans… goals for after Hogwarts-“
“Nothing. Our bond will affect nothing. I will support anything you want to do.” He interrupted as he took a step closer to me, his face showing how much he hated the conflict I felt.
“I don’t want kids…yet.” I added hastily when I saw his face drop.
“Then we’ll wait.” He nodded, taking another step forward.
“I don’t want to marry right after Hogwarts either.” I whispered and he sighed as he paused right in front of me. We were close enough to touch when we breathed.
“Again we can wait.” He shrugged as he brushed away a random hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear.
“Okay.” I spoke as I felt myself lean into his hand slightly. He smiled and trailed a thumb across my cheek.
“Anything else?” He whispered.
“The Marking.” I blurt out suddenly as I ring my hands together.
“You won’t feel any pain. I’ll be gentle and I’ll take care of you.” He promised and while my face flushed at his words I shook my head.
“It’s not that… well okay it’s not entirely that.” I amend at his pointed look.
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t want it to hurt you either. The more I think about it the more I don’t want it to happen.”
“Hermione.” He spoke looking extremely uncomfortable.
“I can’t help it. Ever since Fleur told me it’s been playing on my mind. Why do you have to take everything?”
“Because you’re my mate.” He said simply.
“That makes no sense Draco.”
“It does to me and to my Veela. We protect you, always. We would rather die than to see you hurt, even at our own hands.” I sigh giving in, remembering what Fleur said about how they don’t think of it like I would.
“Give me a date. A date within the next seven days and I will try and hold off until then. I can give you a week to get organized and well… prepare yourself. Till then we can spend as much time together as I can handle getting to know one another and then I’ll Mark you.” He whispered while I chewed my bottom lip before nodding in agreement.
“Okay. Give me three days.”
“You can take the full seven.”
“No, three is fine. Saturday.”
“Okay. You should probably head back to your dorms before curfew.” I nodded but made no effort to move.
“I would walk you but I think I’ve just about met my limit for the day.” He spoke as he stepped closer to me, his chest brushing against mine as he stared down at my lips. I let out a shaky breath and nodded but still didn’t move.
“Hermione.” He warned as his head bent down to meet mine, our lips a mere breath away from each other.
“Hmm?” I hummed as a warm feeling spread over me and I couldn’t focus on anything but him.
“Go. Goodnight Hermione.” He ordered, his lips gently brushing against my cheek before his hand gently pushed me away effectively breaking whatever spell had taken over us.
“Uh… right. Bye.” I mumbled before making a mad dash out of the room.