CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRIES

Hermione woke up alone. She didn't notice that Draco had left in the middle of the night. She was slightly disappointed but didn't expect him to stay in the first place. She rolled over to get a few more minutes of sleep when she found a note laying on her nightstand.

Prefect duties. See ya around, Granger.

D

Hermione smiled and rolled over holding the note to her chest. She couldn't wait to see him again. Sure enough, at the end of the day, Draco snuck into her room again.

This went on for weeks. After dinner, Draco would come over. They would make out, fool around, then he would leave before the sun came up. Probably so that nobody would see him leave her room in the morning. Hermione let him do whatever he wanted to her. It was intoxicating to keep a dirty little secret. Although, She did tell him she would only keep it up if he didn't give her any more surprise love bites.

Out of the bedroom was a different story, though. When Hermione would try to get his attention in class, he would blatantly ignore her. Look off to the side. Start random conversations with whoever was next to him. When she would stare at him across the Great Hall, he would avert his eyes as soon as he noticed her. She gave up after the feeling of desperation took over. She was so frustrated with him. What was so wrong with people knowing?

She also had a hard time during defense practice. Her Patronus charms were not as effective as they have been in the past. She struggled to think of happy thoughts. Her brain was occupied thinking about him. And most of the time, those thoughts weren't always particularly joyous. She would bounce back and forth through ideas.

His eyes.

He ignores you.

His notes.

He hates mudbloods.

Warm sweaters during Christmas.

He's using you.

She was playing ping pong with herself and she wasn't even winning.

Once Professor Snape reminded her that her grade dropped from 110% to 100% in potions, she decided she would call it off once and for all. The only thing she was getting out of this relationship was getting off.

She looked at him through the smoke of her cauldron. He was looking extremely handsome today. Hermione scripted the conversation in her head. She was going to tell him that he wasn't allowed in her room anymore. She looked away for a split second and when she looked back up, he was gone. It was just like him to foil her plans.

She figured he left so when she turned in her homework, she asked to use the bathroom. Maybe she would catch him in the hallway. On her way out the door, someone grabbed her and pulled her into the supply closet. She wasn't phased this time. He was becoming a little too predictable with these sneaky grabs. Draco pushed her up against the wall and started to kiss her. Hermione pushed him off.

"What are you doing?! We're in class!" Hermione tried hard to whisper but it came out as a quiet shout.

"You look so good today. I couldn't wait for tonight." Draco went back to kissing her. Hermione pushed him off again.

"Aren't you the one who doesn't want to get caught?"

"What can I say," He smirked. "I like to live dangerously." Draco pulled her head close to hers and kissed her again. She finally kissed back but only for a moment before breaking it off again.

"What are we doing, Draco?"

"We're snogging." He looked at her as if she was stupid.

"I mean like what are we doing together."

"Dunno. Maybe I like you." Draco pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. Hermione tried to stay stern.

"Really? I don't believe you. You don't even look back at me during the day. You act like I don't exist."

"Huh. I guess I didn't realize." Hermione saw right through his lie. "How about I make it up to you. Let's say, Friday night?"

Friday was Valentine's day which completely threw Hermione off. She didn't peg him as the romantic type. She told him that she had no plans.

"Meet me at the Astronomy Tower at ten. I'll have a surprise for you."

"After hours?" Hermione looked concerned.

"We're prefects. Remember? We're supposed to be out after hours." He nudged her playfully before leaving the storage closet. Hermione waited five whole minutes before sneaking out herself.

***

It was Valentine's day and Hermione couldn't contain herself. All she thought about for the past few days was meeting Draco. He seemed more interested in her lately. In fact, he actually smiled at her in the hallway today. That was a lot different from the usual look down as she passed him.

It was almost ten o'clock and Hermione just finished getting ready. Under her robes, she wore a silky, scarlet dress. The sleeves were strappy and crossed in the back and the middle hugged her perfectly. Under the dress, she wore black lace underwear and a matching strapless bra. She picked it out for him.

Hermione climbed up the stairs to the tallest tower. It was a perfect night. Not a cloud in the sky and the constellations were glowing. She had been up here a million times and every time it took her breath away.

She walked to the ledge and looked down at the lake. It was still and the moon was a spotlight. She looked over at the clock tower. It was a quarter past ten. She was late and he wasn't even there yet. She started worrying this was all a stunt and maybe she was the punchline of a sick joke. She waited a couple of minutes before bailing.

When she turned around, his presence frightened her. She didn't even hear him walk up the stairs. His sneakiness was unsettling. Draco stood in front of her with one hand behind his back. He smiled then revealed one red rose. He was dressed to the nines in a black suit that made Hermione weak. She took the rose from him.

"Is this my surprise?" She admired the flower.

"Actually, I'm the surprise," Draco said coolly. "That is just a little something extra."

Hermione chuckled. Even when he was trying to be sweet, he still managed to be as cocky as ever. They both looked up at the sky. They were at a loss for words at the view. Hermione could gaze for hours and never get bored.

Draco broke her focus and turned her head to look at him. He stared into her eyes. Hermione stared back. His eyes were almost as pretty as the night sky. Draco bent down to kiss her. It was sweet until he got a little too handsy, grabbing her hips and forcing them closer to him. She struggled to get out of his grip.

"Is this why you asked me here? For another shag?" Hermione was perturbed. "I bet you thought you could win me over by being romantic but you honestly only want one thing."

"That's not true." Draco held her by the wrist. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself…" Draco said earnestly. "I actually do have a surprise for you. Come with me."

Draco led her past the staircase and into the darkness. He waved his wand, making a set of floating candles ignite. The dim light revealed a picnic that he had set up for them. There was an empty vase in the center of the blanket. Beside it was an extravagant box of chocolates and the most delectable chocolate-covered strawberries Hermione had ever seen.

Draco took the single flower from her hand and placed it in the vase. Hermione was speechless. She let him pull her to the ground to sit with him. He gestured to the setup as if to say 'this is all for you.'

"I really do like you, Granger. I can't imagine why you think I don't." Hermione crossed her arms.

"Maybe because you ignore me all day and the only time I see you is when our clothes are off." Hermione was perplexed by his comment. He hasn't done a single thing to show her that he liked her in the slightest.

"Well, I don't want to be obvious. I got to hold onto some pride."

"What are you saying? That being with me would ruin your reputation?" Hermione furrowed her eyebrows.

"You know how my dad is. Some feelings I'm not allowed to show. You could just give me a chance?" Draco reached across the blanket and held her hand. Hermione didn't answer. She just looked at him in disbelief. Draco pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. That always seemed to ease the tension. The longer he looked at her, the more he convinced her.

His hand stroked her cheek then down to her chin. He traced her soft lips with his thumb. He noticed her chest was bare under her robes. He slipped a sleeve off her shoulder, exposing her silk dress. The chill of the night gave her goosebumps. He gaped at her in awe.

"Woah." He said while checking her out. "Looks like you had a surprise for me as well." Draco couldn't believe how stunning she looked tonight. He even noticed she was wearing a little bit of makeup.

He got on his knees and took off of her robe, exposing the rest of her dress. He held her head with both hands and kissed her softly. This was a type of kiss that Hermione had never gotten from him before. It was gentle. He felt the back of her neck and ran his fingers up and through her hair. She was hypnotized by his touch.

He pulled away and reached for a strawberry. He pressed it to her lips and fed it to her. She took it in her mouth. Without breaking eye contact, she bit down on the hard chocolate and let the juices of the strawberry seep onto her tongue. Draco imagined he was the fruit.

He took the strawberry out of her mouth and leaned over to lick her lips. He tasted the sweet nectar that dripped down her chin. He caressed her cheek with his fingertips and brought her closer. He opened his mouth so he could taste all of her. She let out a quiet moan as he bit her bottom lip. She had to catch her breath when he broke away.

"I want you to know that I don't only want you for sex," He started. "But, if you don't mind, I'd like to make love to you." He pointed at the sky and looked up. "Under the stars."

Draco saying 'make love' caught Hermione off guard. Draco didn't know, but at that moment, she was starting to fall for him.

Hermione made the first move for once. She leaned into him. He held her back of her head and kissed her back. Hermione's heart fluttered as his fingers ran through her hair, pulling her into his mouth. The passion was something that both Hermione and Draco were unfamiliar with.

Hermione pushed his body down. She climbed on top of him without taking her lips off of his. She straddled him and his hands fell on her hips and wandered up her dress. He felt her soft waist before he tugged on her underwear. Hermione sat up and pulled her dress over her head. Draco's eyes lit up when he saw her matching set. She looked so alluring, he didn't want to take them off.

He ran his hands up her thighs and around her hips and waist. He touched every part of her skin before bringing her back down to his lips. He didn't think he could get any harder until Hermione started grinding on him. Draco let out quiet moans as she rubbed herself on him. Draco dug his fingers into her skin, trying to contain himself.

Hermione moved her mouth from his lips to his neck. Her teeth and tongue lightly brushed his skin and his moans got louder. She unbuttoned his shirt one by one. With every button she undid, her mouth strayed lower. She kissed his stomach all the way down until she ended up at his belt. She looked up at him suggestively. She traced his abs with her fingers and slowly undid his belt. His erection pushed up against the fabric of his jeans begging to get out. Hermione unzipped his pants revealing his length. Her eyes gleamed and she licked her lips making her way down.

She grasped the shaft lightly as she placed her tongue on the tip. Draco gaped, then threw his head back. She gripped a little tighter as she took him into her mouth. Her soft lips caressed him and she looked up. Draco had never seen anything more desirable in his life. He had never even dreamed of something as erotic as this. She blinked at him as she sucked the excess saliva into her mouth. He wondered how she knew how to do it so well.

Draco sat up and laid her on the blanket so that he was on top. He was shaking from the pleasure. He carefully removed her underwear and positioned himself in between her thighs. He gripped them as he pushed himself in slowly. Hermione let out a moan. He leaned down to kiss her. He penetrated her as his tongue made its way into her mouth. Her moans were muffled now. He broke away and looked straight into Hermione's eyes. He didn't blink or break eye contact for a few very long minutes. His eyes burned with intensity. Hermione could make out his heartbeat pounding on her chest. Hermione got so lost in his eyes, she didn't realize he was pulling her hair and spasming. He slowly came to a stop.

He sat up and tried to catch his breath. Hermione remained in the same position as she tried to catch hers. She looked down at her clean stomach and was surprised at the lack of a mess. She looked up at Draco. He looked worried.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I meant to-" He stumbled over his words and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.

"I'm sure I'll be just fine." She gave him a half-smile. "If not, I know some spells that could make it like it never happened." Draco helped her sit up. Hermione looked up at him. "You're lucky I like you too, or I'd be furious."

"Oh, she likes me now does she?" Draco jeered as he buttoned up his shirt. "That's good to know."

Hermione gave him a playful shove and then got herself dressed. She stood up and looked down at the blanket. It was a mess. Strawberries and chocolates were everywhere and the vase had spilled its water out on the ground. Draco picked up the flower off the ground and handed it to Hermione.

"Well, If you like me so much, what do you think about a proper date?"

"A date?" Hermione looked down at the rose and twirled it in her fingers. "I guess that depends on time and location."

"Sunday. I'll take you to Puddifoot's for tea." Hermione looked up.

"I can't Sunday." She said it like a reflex.

"Why not?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

"I have a thing."

"Are you running off with Potter and those gits again?" Draco scoffed. "God knows what."

"It's erm… book club." Hermione prayed he wouldn't see through her white lie.

"Book Club? Really? I didn't know half of those idiots knew how to read."

"That's why we're reading." Hermione forced a smile.

"Well if that's it, then I guess I can join."

"No!" Hermione looked around nervously. "I mean we're already halfway through the book. You'd be completely lost." Draco narrowed his eyes.

"I have a feeling you're not telling me something." Draco touched her arm. "You can tell me. Don't you trust me?"

"Well…" Hermione avoided eye contact.

"You don't?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Why should I?" She looked up.

"Why don't you?" Draco got closer to her face.

"Maybe because you have harassed me and my friends for years now. Maybe because your father is a known ex-Death Eater." Hermione crossed her arms.

"My father has changed." Draco raised his voice. "I have changed." He was yelling now.

"I don't know that."

"After everything we've done, you don't know that?" Draco pressed his pointer finger to her chest and glared. "You're fucking crazy."

Draco shoved Hermione out of the way and marched down the staircase. Hermione stood there paralyzed until his footsteps faded away. She finally let out the breath she was holding. Her hands trembled as she picked up her robe from off the floor. She tossed it on to warm her chilled bones. Nobody has ever talked to her like that before.