shelby - breaking the ice

7/30/2019 Shelby - Breaking the Ice

1/27

Breaking the Iceshelby

Published: 2012Categorie(s):Tag(s): "Harry Potter"

1


2/27

Holding up the two canisters in her hand for inspection, Hermione de-cided that weighing the merits of cocoa mix with marshmallows versuscocoa mix without marshmallows was much more difficult than peoplerealized.

Sure, the little white specks looked more like the rocks used to line thebottom of a fish bowl than marshmallows, but it would cost nearly twopounds less to purchase the cocoa with the marshmallow impostorsalready mixed in than to buy a separate bag of marshmallows andmanually toss them in herself. Of course, buying a bag of marshmallowsand adding them to the hot cocoa tasted better, but she would have tocarry two items back to her lodgings instead of just the one. And thatwas another thing, why didn't her bed and breakfast have hot chocolateto begin with?

Hermione shook her head. This was taking entirely too long. Eachminute she used to make this decision was another minute of enjoymentlost from her mini-holiday, which was not allowed. She had given her-self a strict set of rules for this vacation, and the most important one(designated so by the way each letter of said rule was written in a differ-ent color and underlined five times) was relax and have fun. Granted,these were things she could have done easily from the comfort of herhome, but it didn't seem quite as exciting as coming to this cozy littletown on the fringes of nowhere. In any case, it was time to make a

decision.Cocoa mix with marshmallows had economy and efficiency. Cocoa

mix without marshmallows that had authentic marshmallows added infrom a bag had taste.

Well then, that was that, she thought mournfully. Hermione's left hand,the one with the marshmallow-less cocoa mix inched closer to the shelfas she looked longingly at the bag of fluffy white confections. She was

just about to deposit the rejected canister on the shelf when her tastebuds overthrew her common sense. Not allowing herself to think aboutit, Hermione flung the cocoa mix with faux marshmallows back onto theshelf, grabbed the bag of genuine marshmallows and bolted for the cashregister with her prizes in hand before she could change her mind.

"Good evening, Miss. Terrible weather we're having, isn't it?" the olderman behind the counter said, peering at Hermione over his horn-rimmedglasses as he took the items from her. She suspected he was the owner ofthe small grocery store. As the name on his name tag, Stewart, wasidentical to the one painted on the door, it seemed a safe assumption.

2


3/27

Handing over the money she owed to Stewart, Hermione smiled."Actually, I think it's perfect. It makes reading in front of a fire that muchmore enjoyable."

"While that may be true, right now you aren't in front of a fire. And

from the looks of things when you entered, you have a bit of a walkback." At Hermione's confused look, he elaborated. "You were coveredwith snow when you first arrived."

"Oh."Being a muggle, he couldn't have realized she cast a warming spell on

herself during her walk. Inside she felt downright balmy, whichprovided the most interesting sensation when the wind and snow lickedat her face and ears. The frost melted upon contact with her skin, leavingsmall tingles in its wake.

"It's only a mile, give or take. I can handle it," she said, adjusting hercoat and scarf. She was in the process of putting her wallet back into herpurse when the sound of tinkling bells drew her attention to the frontdoor and subsequently to a very handsome specimen of the opposite sexwaltzing into the store.

Whoever he was, he certainly knew how to present himself. Smartlydressed in black slacks, boots, and overcoat, the beautiful man stopped

just inside the door and scanned the aisles. His neck was wrapped in agray scarf, and a matching hat sat on his head. The light dusting of snow

on his person made Hermione wish for a powdered donut. Her eyesmoved to his face, latching on to his cheekbones, which at the momentwere the loveliest shade of rose. Merlin, he was gorgeous.

"Good evening, sir. Just so you know, we will be closing shop in aboutfive minutes," Stewart called out across the way.

Hermione forced herself to look down at her cocoa mix and marshmal-lows as if they were the most interesting things in the world, lest themystery man catch her stalking him.

"Just came in for some liquor. Where is it?" the beautiful man said.That was interesting. His voice sounded familiar. Almost likeHermione's head snapped up and to her horror, she realized that the

voice belonged to none other than Draco Malfoy. Immediately droppingher gaze, she fervently prayed he had not noticed her.

What was he doing here? In a muggle shop? In the middle of nowhere? Looking physically attractive to her? Impossible. She must bemistaken.

3


4/27

"Now that's one way to keep warm on a cold night," Stewart said,winking at Hermione. "You sure you don't want that instead of your co-coa, Miss?"

"No thank you," Hermione mumbled quietly, keeping her head bent

over her purse."The liquor, sir?" Malfoy asked again."Oh, yes, I had forgotten. It's at the very back of the store, lining the

wall. Just head straight that way. You can't miss it.""Thank you."Certain Malfoy's doppelganger was facing the other way, Hermione

stole a quick glance over her shoulder. The light of the grocery storeshone on top of his head, highlighting the pale, silvery strands, whichwere now exposed by the doffing of his hat. No question about it. It was

Draco Malfoy.Bollocks! Though why she should find this upsetting, she did not

know. After all, it had been eight months since she'd seen him last, whenthey had graduated from Hogwarts. That last year of school spent to-gether had been markedly quiet. No name calling or bullying. He keptout of her way except for the few classes they had together. And their in-teractions in those classes, few as they were, were always formal and po-lite. Yes, public humiliation and family dishonor suited Malfoy well, ifHermione did say so herself.

"Here is your change, Miss," the clerk said cheerfully.Hermione blinked, startled by the man she had all but forgotten. "You

can keep it," she mumbled again, determined to keep her voice low soDraco could not identify her.

"Take care."Grabbing her things, Hermione hurried out of the store, but darted

down a nearby alley. Perhaps she was acting slightly unhinged, but shehad to know what Malfoy was doing here. It couldn't be for innocentpurposes, could it? And even if it were, she had to admit she was a littlecurious to see what he had been up to these past months. It was like hehad fallen off the face of the planet since graduation.

A few minutes later, she heard the store door open with another tinkleof bells. Though she could not see him, Hermione assumed the sound ofcrunching in the snow emanated from Malfoy's dragonhide boots as hemade his way past the alley that was concealing her.

Casting a quick silencing charm on her shoes, she waited thirtyseconds after he had gone by before sneaking out after him. There wasno one on the small sidewalk, which abruptly terminated 30 yards ahead

4


5/27

into a small country lane that in certain spots only permitted one car.Hermione had learned that the hard way.

As she reached the end of the side walk, she debated whether follow-ing Malfoy was truly worth it. Her lodgings were back in the other direc-

tion. Should he turn around, there would be nowhere to hide. Howwould she explain herself if she were caught? Well, you see, Malfoy, I justhappened to see you in the market and was struck with an insatiable curiosityconcerning your altered physical state, which for some reason I find attractive

for the first time in my life. No. That would not do. And yet, she did notturn around and walk the other way, which was stupid since she wascold and growing increasingly more so by the second. In all her rush tospy on Malfoy, she had forgotten to cast her warming spell.

Well, that was easily remedied. Pulling out her wand, she had just

voiced the first syllable of the incantation when the stick of vine anddragon heartstring evaporated from her hand and her skin felt like it haddropped thirty degrees in temperature.

Hermione stared down at herself in shock. Everything but her bra, un-derwear, boots, cocoa mix, marshmallows, and purse had disappeared.Poof!

Malfoy spun around fully and said, "Thought I wouldn't"Hermione stared at Malfoy, speechless for one of the few times in her

life. Malfoy stopped mid-sentence, clearly as gobsmacked as Hermione,

though recovering much more quickly. His eyes focused in on the top ofher head and slowly made their way down to her boots, and though shewas standing in the freezing winter air, Hermione began to feel warm allover.

He finally made his way back to her face, and for the space of a fewmoments they just stared at one another. Finally, Malfoy broke the si-lence. "Well, I do believe I've caught a Granger."

The sound of his voice triggered something in her, and she jumped toaction, clamping her thighs together and folding her arms across herchest. "Malfoy!" she screamed. "Give me back my clothes."

"No can do," Malfoy said, pocketing his wand and walking towardsher, hands raised in surrender. "The spell is irreversible."

"Why would you do this?" she accused, trying to stifle the chatteringof her teeth.

"I thought you were Zabini.""Are you in the habit of undressing Zabini on cold winter nights?" she

said, lending her voice the most withering tone she had available.

5


6/27

If Malfoy understood her insinuation, he didn't seem to mind. "No, ac-tually, this would have been the first time," he said, casually sweepingoff some snowflakes from his left shoulder.

Hermione's anger and embarrassment and whatever other feelings

Malfoy elicited from her were beginning to wear off, and she realizedshe was starting to lose feeling in her fingers. "Well, don't just standthere, you idiot. Give me your coat."

Draco shook his head at her as if she had the brain of a small child."Bad plan, Granger. I would catch my death of cold."

"It won't matter, because if you don't fix this in the next thirty secondsI will kill you myself."

"You will forgive me if I find your threats less than compelling. It'snothing personal, I assure you. I just find it difficult to take the words of

someone in their underwear very seriously. You understand, don't you?"Releasing the tight hold she had around her body, Hermione threw

her hands up in the air. "You are impossible! Just conjure or transfigureme some clothes. Do you think you can handle that, or is it beyond yourlimited capabilities?"

Malfoy broadened his stance, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "No,I don't think I will. I dislike your tone."

"You would really let me just freeze to death out here?""Of course not. That would be barbaric."

Hermione's palm met her forehead and she groaned. "Then why am Istill in my underwear?"

Draco laughed loudly, the sound echoing off the nearby trees. "Andyou think I'm the idiot? How often do you think a wizard finds himselfin this position?"

"I can't speak for other wizards, but it would seem this doesn't happenvery often for you at all."

Again, Malfoy ignored the slight against his manhood. "I wasn'tspeaking of witches in general, but of Hermione Granger. Tell me, domost people know you like your bra and knickers to match? I suppose itwould be a safe assumption, since you seem so anal about everything,

but I never envisioned your meticulousness extending this far."Even the thought of Malfoy picturing her in her underthings could stir

no outrage inside Hermione. The cold was turning painful now, andHermione dropped her head, tired of these immature exchanges. "You'vewon whatever game it is you're playing at. My toes are freezing, and I'mstarting to hurt. Please, Malfoy."

6


7/27

"Why didn't you say you were cold?" he said, voice loud with accusa-tion. Instantly his wand was in hand and a warming spell was cast overher. As the heat returned to her body, it brought another kind of pain,and Hermione flexed her fingers and toes to relieve it, glaring at Malfoy

all the while.At least he had the grace to look abashed. "I thought someone of your

intellect would have mastered a simple warming spell long ago," hemuttered.

"I forgot to cast it when I left the store, and then some prat had thenerve to steal my wand."

"Still, you should have said something sooner.""Look, Malfoy," Hermione rounded on him, finger nearly touching his

nose, "I refuse to have this argument in my underwear. So unless you

want me to sic Harry and his band of merry aurors on your arse, I sug-gest you fix this. Post haste!"

Before he could reply, the sound of honking and a flash of headlightssignaled the arrival of someone else on the country lane. As the car drewcloser, Hermione saw it was inhabited by two guys. One of them waswearing a red jumper and a black cap, which would normally have beendifficult to see on this dark winter evening but for the fact he was leaningout the window, howling and whistling at her like a deranged primate.

The car slowed to a stop, and Hermione felt herself pushed behind

Malfoy. "There's nothing to see here," he said, waving them down thelane.

"Obviously you're not looking at the same thing we are, mate," theguy, clearly drunk, slurred out. The driver, while not intoxicated, was

just as perverted. Hermione could see him leering at her as she snuck apeek from behind Draco's coat.

Malfoy's hands clenched to fists at his side, and Hermione placed atentative hand on his arm. The last thing she needed were the authorities

being brought in over some wizard-muggle altercation. There werealready too many people who had seen her in her under things today.

"Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. There's nothing for you to see here.Now if you'll excuse us," Malfoy said curtly, pointing his thumb in thedirection he wanted them to go.

After some protesting they took the hint and sped towards the smalltown. Just as they were entering, Malfoy pointed his wand, whispered afew words, and smirked as both of their back tires blew out.

7


8/27

The look of triumph was wiped off his face the instant Hermioneripped the wand from his grasp. Pointing it menacingly at its owner, shehissed, "I need clothes, and I need them now."

"Which do you prefer, joining me inside my coat or apparating to my

place?""What do you think?"Draco opened his jacket and gave her the friendliest and most inviting

smile she had ever seen grace his face. Hermione promptly pushed himover into the snow.

"Alright, apparition it is. If you would be so kind, my wand." From hisseat on the ground, Malfoy offered up his open palm.

Thrusting the wand into his hand, Hermione waited for him to standand take hold of her. His gloved hand wrapped around her wrist, and

the next second her stomach twisted as they apparated into his lodgings.The sudden movement sent Hermione stumbling, and she would haveended up sprawled on the floor if not for Malfoy's grip on her arm.

"Watch your step," he said, smiling down at her as his fingers slippeddown the length of her arm.

Pushing him away, Hermione reached for a blanket and wrapped itaround herself. "You're just as bad as they are, and don't pretend youaren't," she shrieked, venting her ire at Malfoy.

"Than whom?" he asked, calmly. The placidity of his countenance

made Hermione want to break something."Than thosejerks in the car," she spluttered, clutching at the blanket

around her."Once again you're wrong, Granger. I have your best interest at heart.

Those two hooligans were only concerned with the gratification of theirbaser instincts."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Spare me. You had me standing around inmy underwear for ages." The second the words passed her lips, she

blinked. All the events of the evening hit her with the force of a snowdrift landing on her head. Malfoy admitted to picturing her in her under-wear. Had looked her over as she froze in her panties and bras. Hid herfrom the sight of other men and acted possessively towards her. The en-tire situation was highly unusual, but for it to happen to her and withMalfoy was inconceivable. And what did it all mean? Was Malfoy attrac-ted her or was this some sick joke of his?

Ugh. Why should she even care! He was a slimy pervert, and it wastime for her to leave.

"Clothes. Now," she demanded.

8


9/27

"Of course." Malfoy disappeared down a hallway and returned a fewmoments later with a small bundle of clothes. "The bathroom is thatway," he said, indicating a room just off the hallway.

Hermione snatched the clothes and rushed to the bathroom, slamming

the door behind her. Unwrapping her new outfit, which consisted ofnothing more than a a t-shirt, boxers, and robe-all black-she angrilyyanked on his underwear, uttering very unladylike things in the process.

Through the door, Malfoy's muffled voice pestered her. "I would havegiven you more clothes, naturally, but they wouldn't have fit." Hermione

bit her lip, holding back another curse and a reminder that he could ma-gically alter his clothes. Obviously, he already knew that. And just as ob-vious were his attempts to upset her. Well, she would rob him of thatsource of entertainment by no longer rising to his bait.

Reining in her temper, Hermione slipped on the black robe, tying itfirmly around her waist. Her reflection in the mirror caught her eye, andshe stared at herself. Her hands went straight to her hair, tucking unrulystrands behind her ears. Taking a step back, she looked at her outfit. Theclothes fit perfectly, which meant he had altered them to fit her, since hehad a good six inches and forty pounds on her. Cheeky bastard. Whenshe was satisfied with her appearance, Hermione opened the door.

Stepping back into the room, she noticed that in her absence, Malfoyhad removed his winter outer wear. He was now before her in a light

gray sweater, black slacks, and pale, bare feet."As you can see, I like for my under things to match too," he said.Hermione threw the blanket at Malfoy, who promptly folded it and set

it on the couch."I do not care, and I am leaving. Just give me a pair of boots and I'll be

on my way," she declared, gathering the marshmallows, cocoa mix, andpurse that had fallen to the floor when they had apparated in.

"Leaving? But you've only just arrived. And you still haven't explainedwhy you were stalking me."

"Stalking? I was not stalking you!""What other reason do you have to be in this remote region other than

to follow me around? Last I checked, this is the only house available forrent on this lane for the next five miles. So unless you were planning towalk that entire distance to your lodgings, I will have to go with myearlier assumption that you have been sent to spy on me."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're not that important," she said with a laugh,relieved that he assumed she had followed him because of work and not

9


10/27

some compulsion related to the unsettling stirrings he'd produced in herat the market.

Malfoy opened his arms wide, gesturing to the cozy cottage surround-ing them. A fire crackled quietly in one corner of the living room, and

there were a few books laid open on a coffee table. Really, it was all quiteharmless. In fact, the only thing that wasn't innocent was the look onMalfoy's face. "As you can see, I have been up to my usual nefariousactivities. No doubt the Ministry will be expecting a report, so I give youleave to search the premises. We can start in my bedroom."

"I'd rather not.""Good, because at the moment I am only accommodating pleasure.

You see, Granger, I'm taking something called a holiday. It's a timewhere people relax and have fun, a concept I'm sure is foreign to a work-

aholic like you."Not true! Relaxing and having fun was number one on her list of holi-

day rules! "I know what a holiday is! I'm on one right now!""Then why are you so uptight? And constantly yelling?""I AM NOT-" Hermione cleared her throat, modulating her tone. "I am

not uptight, and I am not yelling all the time. But if I were, I have cause.You stole my wand and clothes and made me stand in the freezing coldwhile you ogled me for ages."

"I told you, I thought you were Zabini."

"Yes, but that excuse only works for the first second. After that, it wasquite clear I wasn't Zabini!"

"Yes, there are a few very noticeable differences between yourphysique and his. Namely, you have"

"Malfoy""I was only going to say you have light skin, and he has dark skin."Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Of course you were. But why would

you have a spell like that for Zabini in the first place?""He hid all my liquor and socks," he said, wiggling his toes. "This was

my retaliation.""But that doesn't explain why you kept me out in the cold for so long.""No, I suppose it doesn't," Malfoy said, turning away from her and

heading toward the kitchen."Wait, where are you going?" Hermione asked, scrambling after him.

His habit of changing the subject was confusing and more than a littleannoying.

"I'm famished. Would you care for some dinner?"

10


11/27

Hermione was hungry; it was thirty minutes past her usual dinnertime. But she did not feel comfortable accepting anything from Malfoy.However, if she could broker some kind of exchange

"Fine. You make dinner, and I'll make some hot chocolate. Where do

you keep your mugs?" Before he answered, she started opening and clos-ing cabinets until she found what she was looking for. Taking the mugsto the sink, she filled them up with water. When she turned around, shefound Malfoy looking at her cocoa mix.

"What is this?" he said, a sneer forming on his mouth."Hot chocolate mix."Malfoy took another look at it, then threw it in the trash."What do you think you're doing!" Hermione cried, outraged. She had

spent nearly ten minutes deliberating over that canister of cocoa, and it

was now a symbol of her spontaneity and recklessness, two qualitiesHarry and Ron were always complaining she lacked. That cocoa canisterwas proof that they were wrong.

"That is not hot chocolate," Draco said."Obviously. I still needed to heat up the water and stir it in!"Draco shook his head, then called out, "Snotface!" so loudly, Hermione

jumped.With a loud pop, a light gray house elf appeared before them.

"Snotface is here, Master Draco," the spindly creature said, bowing low

to the ground, the tea towel he had tied as a cape around his neck fallingover his face in the process. "Snotface is ready to make your dinner,Master Draco."

"While you are at it, prepare some hot chocolate as well.""Yes, Master Draco. Of course, Master Draco," the house elf said.Hermione walked over to the trash can, pulling out the unopened can-

ister of cocoa. "I refuse to drink anything made by a house elf.""And I refuse to drink anything made by a Hermione Granger.

Especially wrongly-prepared hot chocolate.""Just because it's made by a human does not mean it's wrongly-

prepared."Draco took a seat, sighing exasperatedly. "Snotface, show Miss

Granger how genuine hot chocolate is made.""Yes, Master Draco," the house elf said, bowing once again to the

ground before shuffling to the refrigerator and pulling out some milk.After gathering a pan and a block of milk chocolate, Snotface began tomelt the chocolate in the pan, then added milk, bringing the concoctionto a light simmer.

11


12/27

When it was ready, Snotface poured the liquid into two mugs andplaced the glasses in front of them. "Snotface is going to Malfoy Manor toprepare dinner. Snotface will return shortly."

"Thank you, Snotface," Malfoy said, and then the house elf

disapparated.Malfoy held his mug under his nose and inhaled deeply. "Hmmm.

Vastly superior to your muggle powder."Hermione rolled her eyes. "I could have made that. There was nothing

magical about it.""I never said there was. But no wizard would think of creating a dis-

gusting powder as a substitute for the real thing."Hermione watched Malfoy as he enjoyed his hot chocolate, still refus-

ing to partake of the slave-made drink. Normally, she would not have

been so rude as to blatantly stare at someone, but she figured after whathe had put her through, he deserved a little discomfort. Unfortunately,Draco was an exhibitionist. After the third time he had run his tongueslowly over his upper lip, Hermione could no longer take it. She giggled.

"I'm glad you find me so amusing," Malfoy said."I just don't understand. During seventh year, you hardly said ten

words to me, and now you're flirting outrageously with me.""Am I?"Hermione drew back, suddenly uneasy. He had been flirting with her,

hadn't he? Oh, Merlin, she didn't know! And this is why she hated deal-ing with men. They were always so confusing. Trying to save face butfailing miserably, Hermione stammered, "Well, uh"

Malfoy reached across the table and took her hand. "Have you everconsidered that I've always been an outrageous flirt, and you never no-ticed because you never really took the time to get to know me?"

Of course she hadn't. "Why would I think that? You obviously hatedme."

Relinquishing her hand, Malfoy pushed the mug towards her. "Drinkit."

Hermione closed her mouth, firming her lips into a tight line and shak-ing her head. Well, that explained the flirting. A nice diversionary tactic,she had to admit, but she would not drink Snotface's hot chocolate.

"What if I told you Snotface is a free elf?" Malfoy asked, looking keenlyat her.

"Really?" she said, scooting towards the edge of her seat in interest."No," he said, holding up his hand to forestall Hermione's anger.

"Before you embarrass yourself by yelling at me, I did try to free him, but

12


13/27

he would not accept it. Apparently, he likes my family. Well, at least meanyhow."

"Hmph. I can't imagine why. Did you really have to name himSnotface?"

"Granger, Snotface is at least a fifty years old, so I had no part in givinghim his real name, which is Goober. Snotface is just a nickname I gavehim as a child, and he doesn't have any objections to it, so neither shouldyou. We both consider it a pet name."

"Thank Merlin I could never be your house elf. I could only imaginethe horrible names you would give me. Rat's nest? Bucktooth?"

Malfoy crossed his arms on top the table and rested his chin on hisforearms. It was the most informal pose Hermione had ever seen himstrike in all the years of their acquaintance. "I think you would like be-

longing to meI would call you Smartypants."Hermione laughed. That was actually kind of cute. Then remembering

who she was speaking with, she mentally scolded herself. Reaching forthe still warm cup of chocolate, she took a sip.

"Good, isn't it?" Malfoy asked."Hmmm," Hermione answered noncommittally, though it was

delicious."But I think it's missing something." Picking up both their mugs,

Malfoy went to the living room, Hermione hot on his heels. Once there,

he began rooting around his coat, and pulled out his acquisition fromStewart's Market: a bottle of Baileys. Opening it, he poured a liberal dashinto both their cups. Raising his mug, he tapped it against Hermione'sand said, "Cheers."

Hermione eyed the glass suspiciously. She was already feelingstrangely. Alcohol was probably not a good idea.

"Since when do you drink Muggle alcohol?" she asked."Since I discovered that it tastes bloody terrific." Pouring some more

into his cup, Draco took another sip of what was by now more Baileysthan hot chocolate.

Hermione sat down on the nearest seat, which happened to be thecouch. Draco soon followed, and while there was plenty of space forthree people, he was so close to her their knees were touching. Hermionesat entranced, studying the contrast between the black of his slacks andthe white of her legs. Black and white. A trite, but apt, summation of thelast eight years of their interactions. For so long he had been such anasty, repellent little toad, fighting on behalf of the greatest evil she'dever experienced, fighting against her and everything she knew to be

13


14/27

right. And now here he was, vacationing amongst muggles, attemptingto free house elveswell, one house elf-being friendly in a very off-beatway, and flirting with her. And yes, he was flirting with her, she de-cided. What she couldn't figure out, though, was how she felt about it.

Or him."Granger?"Hermione lifted her head, only to find Malfoy's eyes mere inches from

hers. His gray gaze arrested her, and she studied all the flecks of colorshidden there. Gold, blue, white. Who knew? It occurred to her then thatthere were many things she hadn't noticed about this man, because, as hehad earlier said, she'd never taken the time to get to know him. But now,there was all the time in the world. If she came closer to him, really got toknow him, what else would she discover? The possibilities were

terrifying.And exhilarating.Draco blinked, and the sudden movement broke the enchantment. Not

wanting him to see her confusion, Hermione shielded her eyes, loweringthem to his mouth. A leftover bead of moisture from his drink rested inthe indentation of his upper lip, and she could smell the mixture of chocolate and Baileys on his breath.

"Granger," he repeated again, his voice lower and softer than before.She felt the couch shift as he leaned closer. Was he going to kiss her?

Would she let him?Before Hermione could determine that answer, a loud pop from the

kitchen told her Snotface was here with dinner. And just in time, too. Itwasn't safe here any longer. Not when she was hallucinating that kissingMalfoy would actually be a pleasant occurrence instead of the end of theworld. Hermione jumped to her feet and said,"I really should be going."

Draco didn't move from the couch, but his hand wrapped gentlyaround her wrist. "Can't allow it. Those two lechers are probably waitingfor you in town. I insist you stay here, for your own protection."

"I wouldn't need protection if I had my wand. And they're most likelystill occupied with trying to fix the tires you blew out," but even as shewas protesting, she settled back down on to the couch next to Draco,knees touching and all. "And they're probably no worse than the lecherwho won't let me leave his house and has me dressed in his own under-wear," she said pointedly. "Who is to protect me from you?"

Draco merely smiled. Turning towards the house elf, he said,"Snotface, Miss Granger and I will be taking dinner in the living room."

14


15/27

The house elf walked towards them, setting both their plates, utensils,and wine on the coffee table in front of the couch. Before Hermionecould thank Snotface, he popped away.

Now it was just her and Malfoy. And dinner. At least that was safe.

Hermione tucked in, hoping Malfoy wouldn't press her for conversationwith her mouth full. Thankfully, he didn't. But the reprieve ended thesecond her plate was clear.

"So, Granger, are you finally going to tell me why you were stalkingme?"

"I was not stalking you. I was merely curious about what you were do-ing in a Muggle town. And I still am. Why are you on holiday here?"

"Can't I be curious too? Or is it only Hermione Granger who has beengranted that privilege?"

"Stop being evasive. We both know how much you hate Muggles. Sovacationing amongst them makes no sense at all."

Malfoy shrugged, resting his head against the back of the couch andstaring up at the ceiling. "It seems you have it all worked out. Any fur-ther explanations from me would be redundant." Lolling his head to theside, he looked at her. "How long were you following me?"

Hermione forced herself to look at him, telling herself she had nothingto be embarrassed about. "I saw you in the market."

"Why didn't you say hello?"

"Yes, because in the course of our relationship we've always been per-fectly cordial to one another."

"That last year at Hogwarts went well.""Hardly."He closed his eyes momentarily, and a tiny smile appeared on his

mouth. "Hmm, I remember it differently."Hermione searched her brain, trying to remember that last year with

Draco. Unfortunately, for a few months she had been too preoccupiedwith her long distance relationship with Ron Weasley to notice anything.Ugh. What a waste of her time. In any case, there weren't many memor-ies she could conjure. But he did seem a constant presence in her lastyear. They shared many of the same classes, and she did remember thathe would always sit behind her. At first, it had set her on edge, as she ex-pected him to insult her or hex her while she wasn't paying attention.But neither of those things ever happened. He was a quiet and industri-ous student.

"You barely ever spoke to me," she said.

15


16/27

"But we didn't fight. And we aren't fighting now. That must count forsomething."

Hermione chewed her lower lip, thinking it over. "I suppose you'reright, but it doesn't count for much."

"It's a starting point at least."Hermione nodded her head in assent. And in an effort to be charitable,

she said, "So, you are curious about muggles. As you are well aware, I'mmuggleborn, so feel free to ask me anything you like."

"Do you normally wear matching under things, or was this a one off?"Hermione gasped, then smacked him on the arm. "That question has

nothing to do with being muggle," she said, laughing."Then perhaps you should be more specific when granting your

favors."

"Next question, Malfoy."Malfoy reached for his wand, which was resting on the coffee table,

and with a flick of the wrist, he produced a sprig of green with whiteberries. At the sight of the mistletoe, Hermione's stomach plummeted tothe vicinity of her feet.

"Where were your conjuring skills when I actually needed them?" Her-mione grumbled, pretending not to be affected.

Twisting the mistletoe in his fingers, Malfoy looked at Hermione, eyeswide and innocent. "What is this?"

"You know what that is. Professor Flitwick would hang it everywherearound the Christmas holidays."

"Yes, but that is what wizards used it for. In muggle tradition?"Malfoy pressed.

If he was going to play stupid, so would she. Rattling off the facts shecould remember, Hermione stated, "Mistletoe is a parasitic plant. Theorigin of its name is uncertain, but there are arguments that the mist ofmistletoe comes from the German word for dung. In Norse mythology,the god Balder was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe. Andthat's it."Hmm, now that she thought about it, why would anyone choose a plantwith such a gruesome and unromantic background to be the symbol un-der which festive couples locked lips.

"That's all?" Malfoy dangled the sprig between them, slowly turning itbetween his thumb and index finger. "There's nothing else associatedwith this thing you call mistletoe?"

Would it really be that bad if she showed him the other use for mistle-toe? As she weighed her options, the number one rule flashed before hereyes in all its rainbow and underlined potency: Relax and have fun.

16


17/27

Relax and have fun. Relax and have fun. Relax and have fun. The refrainpounded in her head at nearly the same speed as her overtaxed heart.

Taking her life in her hands, she said, "Just one more thing." Then shegrabbed onto Malfoy's gray sweater and pressed her mouth to his.

It was supposed to be brief. No more than a few seconds. And therewasn't supposed to be any use of teeth. Or tongues for that matter. Butabout ten seconds into Hermione's brief holiday from sanity, that all gotthrown out the window.

Everything seemed hazy. Things would register slowly, but she couldnot focus on them all at the same time. At one point or another, she knewMalfoy's fingers were in her hair. One instant he smelled of pine, anotherof cinnamon. Then there was his mouth, which tasted like Baileys, hotchocolate, and shortbread. And his skin and sweater felt so warm and

soft, she wanted to pillow her head there.Hermione sighed, allowing Malfoy to pull her into his lap. His mouth

moved to her neck, and she felt more than heard him whisper,"Hermione."

At the sound of her name, she pulled away and looked into his eyes.His pupils were dilated, the silver-gray of his irises thin rings. The darkfringe of lashes fluttered once, twice, but he stared steadily back at her,

breathing heavily.Her hand went to his face and caressed the stubble she felt but could

not see on his cheek. "HiDraco," she said, smiling tentatively. He re-turned her smile tenfold, and it was such a breathtaking sight, Hermioneresponded in the only way possible: she snogged him senseless.

This went on for some time, though for how long Hermione did notknow. What she was certain of, though, was that they would not be stop-ping any time soon. No, she would kiss him till the sun rose. And shewould have too, if not for a loud banging sound from the kitchen, whichdrew her attention from Draco.

"What was that?" she asked, trying to turn her head to look behind her.Draco shrugged, "Who cares?" And with even more persuasive move-

ments of his mouth, he coaxed Hermione into a lovely state of ambival-ence to anything besides him. Really, she thought, his kisses are more effect-ive than an Obliviate. She threw her arms around his neck and pressedherself against him, ready and willing to forget she had heard anything.

"Helping yourself to your presents a little early, aren't we?"Hermione instantly drew back, embarrassed to be caught in this posi-

tion. And when she saw Blaise Zabini's smirking face, she blushedharder.

17


18/27

"Granger?" her former classmate and current coworker at the Ministryexclaimed. Hermione groaned, burying her face in Draco's neck.

Zabini chuckled, no doubt amused by the spectacle of her crawling allover Malfoy. "I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. After all-"

"What do you want, Zabini?" Draco interrupted."While I do hate to crash your merrymaking"Draco cut across Zabini again. "Then by all means feel free to leave.""As I was saying, I apologize for my intrusion, but it was unavoidable.

While I was in my room, and most definitely not watching you both eateach other's faces off-"

"Get to the point," Draco bit out harshly."Where's the eggnog?" Blaise asked.Hermione felt Draco's hands on her waist clench. "You drank it all

yesterday."Finally composed enough to speak, Hermione volunteered some in-

formation. "There is a store not more than a mile away. Just down theroad. I'm pretty sure I saw eggnog for sale there." She neglected to tellBlaise it was already closed.

Blaise laughed, seemingly onto her plan to be quickly rid of his com-pany. "So, Granger, what brings you to this neck of the woods? I assumeit wasn't for a tryst with Malfoy," Zabini paused, smirking at Draco,"though one never knows these days."

Hermione could hear a low growl in Draco's throat, and she looked athim, surprised. He never struck her as a man of strong emotions. Ofcourse, after that passionate snog session on the couch, she probablyneeded to revise her views.

Hoping the sooner she answered Zabini, the sooner he'd leave, Hermi-one said, "I wanted to do something a little different for the holidays,and the bed and breakfast I'm staying at looked so lovely in the bro-chure, I decided to pay a visit."

"How fortunate for you to bump into Malfoy in so isolated a place,"Zabini said. "If I didn't know better, I'd almost say it was planned."

Hermione coughed, remembering how this night had started with herfollowing Draco out of the store. "I can assure you, it wasn't planned." Atleast that part was true. Never in her wildest dreams had she imaginedthat following Malfoy out of that store would end with her cradled in hisarms and swathed in his boxers and robe.

"Perhaps this wasn't planned from your end," Zabini said. " ButMalfoy's been thinking up this little rendezvous from the instant I in-formed him you were spending your holiday here."

18


19/27

Hermione's head snapped to Draco, who was now scowling at his (ex)friend.

"That's enough, Zabini."But Zabini, much to Hermione's relief, ignored Draco. "He'd never tell

you this, but he's fancied you since last year." Zabini chuckled, his mirthgrowing the more upset Draco became, and Draco was livid. "Just aboutcried with joy when you broke up with the Weasel. Tried to free hishouse elf, but that was an utter disaster. And he's been pestering meabout muggle culture so he could prove to you he's changed. As if Iwould know more than him about muggles."

Malfoy stood to his feet, sending Hermione onto the couch. Snatchingup his wand, which had fallen onto the cushions during Hermione's les-son on mistletoe, he pointed it in the vicinity of Zabini's throat.

"Leave. NOW.""And where do you suggest I go? We rented this place together, re-

member?" As an aside, he said to Hermione, "Malfoy needed my moralsupport before he finally confessed his love to you."

"Go back to your Manor. I'm sure your mother misses you," Dracosaid.

Zabini looked like he was about to protest, but the mischievoussparkle in his eye alerted Hermione he had changed his mind. "I'll go,

but you owe me, Malfoy. Again."

"The only thing I owe you is some broken bones, and you will receivethem with interest."

Zabini winked at Hermione. "Be kind to him. I've never seen him thisenamored of anyone except himself. And give Potter and Weasley mygreetings. I'm sure they'll be as delighted as I am of your and Draco's

budding relationship," and then he disappeared in a glow of red, barelymissing the hex Draco sent his way.

Hermione turned to Draco, who was shaking and cursing under hisbreath.

"Is it true you've liked me since 7th year?" she asked."Of course not! Zabini is a Slytherin. You can't trust a word he says.""But you are also a Slytherin, so it follows that I can't trust you when

you say you haven't liked me since 7th year," Hermione smugly pointedout.

Draco said nothing."And did you really cry when I broke up with Ron?"As she expected, that got a response from Draco. "Honestly, Hermi-

one, what do you take me for? A Hufflepuff?"

19


20/27

"And did you come here just to see me?"Clearly agitated, Malfoy began tugging at the edge of his collar. "If I

did, what of it? This is a free country, and if I want to holiday in somebackwater muggle town, I will!"

It was in this instant that Hermione realized that Draco Malfoy wasmore to her than a way of obeying her number one holiday rule. Morethan a hundred canisters of cocoa mix. With or without marshmallows.In truth, she was well on her way to being as enamored of him as he wasof her.

"Draco, no one is stopping you from holidaying anywhere youlikethough in the future I hope it's with me."

The change in Draco's demeanor was instantaneous. He smoothed hishair, which she had earlier ruffled, and walked towards her, pulling her

into his arms. "Before I commit to anything, I will need to consult myschedule. But out of curiosity, where will you be this New Year's?"

"Why?""There is a muggle tradition known as the countdown I would like

some more instruction on. Actually, we needn't wait till New Year's. Mylessons can start right now."

Hermione placed her finger against Draco's over amorous but lovelymouth. "Just one thing more."

"Anything," he said, kissing the pad of her index finger.

"The whole underwear thing wasn't planned, was it?""No, that was just a bonus. I really did think you were Zabini. And I'm

sorry for not realizing sooner that you were cold." Draco's finger lazilytraced the seam where her neck and the robe's collar met, causing her toshiver.

"It's alright," she whispered, drawing closer to his warmth."I didn't even plan on seeing you until tomorrow, so finding you in

your knickers was a bit of a shock. Not that I'm complaining.""Of course you wouldn't complain. You were fully dressed.""If it bothers you so much, I could teach you the spell. Even up the

score, as it were.""You forget I don't have my wand.""Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the same effect can be achieved

manually."Hermione raised herself on her tiptoes and kissed him briefly on the

mouth. "Later." Leading him to the couch, she pushed him down andsettled on his lap. "Right now I think it's time for you to confess yourlove for me. Starting from the beginning."

20


21/27

Draco wrapped his arms around her and she felt him smile as he res-ted his cheek on top of her head.

"As you wish, Smartypants."

The End

21


22/27

From the same author on Feedbooks

Make a Wish (2012)Harry has learned the prophesy and he does not believe that a

schoolboy can defeat Voldemort, so he decides that if he is goingto die then he is first going to live.Written by Rorschach's Blot on fanfiction.net

The Hunt for Harry Potter (2012)A Sequel to Make a Wish: Takes place directly after the events of'Make a Wish,' Harry Potter is missing and his friends are determ-ined to find him. Written by Rorschach's Blot on fanfiction.net

The Painting Knows (2012)"Well, I vote we prove destiny wrong. There's no way we're meantto be together or any nonsense like that," Draco said. Hermioneforced a smile, knowing that it probably looked like a grimace. "Isecond that."Written by frostykitten on fanfiction.net

1,001 NIGHTS (2012)Captured by Death Eaters, Hermione attempts to save herself

through the use of an old magic. Written by Jocemum on fanfic-tion.net

A Product of the Imagination (2012)Seven kisses, seven moments, and a love that will last a lifetime.Written for the Seven Kisses Challenge over on the HPFC Forum.Completed oneshot. Written by VivusEtIterum on Fanfiction.net

An Ache I Still Remember (2012)

"But, nevertheless, he was an ache she still remembered every timeshe let her guard down" - Rose/Scorpius one-shot. Written by00Verisimilitude00 on fanfiction.net

Blood magic and other mating habits (2012)An accident in the Black library causes Hermione to face herfate...or better her mate! Hermione/Salazar Oneshot

Final Battle (2012)

22
http://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26159.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26160.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26161.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27230.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27231.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27232.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27233.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27234.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27234.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27233.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27232.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27231.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27230.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26161.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26160.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26159.pdf


23/27

Sometimes the final battle takes longer then one would think. AU.JK Rowling is a goddess and this is just for fun. Written by burma-frd on fanfiction.net

Hermione and Luna Prepare a Memory (2012)Harry suffers under the weight of his responsibilities. Hermioneand Luna endeavor to help him forget his troubles. Rated M forgraphic sexual encounters. written by RummyStarlight on fanfic-tion.net

Searching for More (2012)"What Viktor and I decided to do during our time together wasnone of anyone else's concern." Her clipped tones only served to

highlight the gasps that echoed throughout the kitchen once more."I was talking about Oliver Wood." Sirius growled. One Shot Writ-ten by SheWolf06 on fanfiction.net

The Thirteenth of Friday (2012)And all of the sudden, Scorpius knew why this Friday the 13thwould be the worst of all. 'Well, if that doesn't take the cauldroncake,' he thought bitterly. 'Figures that I start fancying Rose Weas-ley on Friday the 13th.' Written by 00Verisimilitude00 on fanfic-

tion.net

A Year and A Day (2012)It's one thing to marry your enemy but it is completely idiotic toactually fall in love with him. Could it be Stockholm Syndrome? Idoubt it. It could have been necessity, I mean I was abandoned byHarry and I felt alone. That must be it. DM/HGWritten by Mistrus on fanfiction.net

Print Warfare (2012)Taking advantage of her position at the Prophet, Hermione getscreative with her revenge on a certain blond. Unfortunately, thingsget a little out of hand when he retaliates.Written by frostykitten on fanfiction.net

The Devil's Secretary (2012)Malfoy ran his eyes over her from foot to hair. "I told her big

breasts," he muttered irritably before putting his head back down

23
http://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27235.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27236.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27237.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26239.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26240.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26241.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26241.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26240.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26239.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27237.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27236.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/27235.pdf


24/27

on the desk, looking entirely uninterested and hungover. Hermi-one added sexual harassment to the growing list against him.written by frostykitten on fanfiction.net

Simply Irresistible (2012)Draco gave a cocky grin. "I am going to give you a makeover.""I'm sorry what?" "You heard me Granger, I'm going to give you amakeover that will make every man want you,and make Weasleydie of regret. You will be simply irresistible."Written by bookworm1993 on fanfiction.net

Ground Hog Day (2012)Harry lives the same day over and over again. Written by

Rorschach's Blot on Fanfiction.net

Past lives (2012)Hermione has a spell to help harry.Written by Rorschach's Blot on fanfiction.net

Let's do the Time Warp Again (2012)A potions accident throws Harry back in time into his youngerself's body, he decides to go nuts and do everything he's ever

wanted to do . . . and get revenge on everyone.Written by Rorschach's Blot on Fanfiction.net

Honestly, Headmaster (2012)Harry has to explain what happened last night to HeadmasterDumbledore. short storyWritten by Meteoricshipyards on Fanfiction.net

Harry Potter and the Freak Parade (2012)Starts as parody of the formula most independant!Harry storiesfollow. Overly friendly Goblins, Manipulative Dumbledore, ashopping trip, a will from Sirius etc... Then it gets weird.Written by The-Caitiff on Fanfiction.net

The Indirect Approach (2012)Sometimes the direct approach doesn't work, therefore you musttry . . .Written by Rorschach's Blot on Fanfiction.net

24
http://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26243.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26065.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26067.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26068.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26069.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26071.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26072.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26072.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26071.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26069.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26068.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26067.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26065.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26243.pdf


25/27

Steve the Hufflepuff Death Eater (2012)Aka The Power the Dark Lord never saw coming. This is my final

battle fic. Harry doesnt really care about Voldemort anymore, Vol-

demort has to deal with incompetant followers, and we all learnthe truth about the Hufflepuff house.Written by The-Caitiff on Fanfiction.net

If I Were a Superhero, I would be (2012)ONESHOT: Hermione goes on a one week exchange. Back at Hog-warts, wacky hijinks ensue.Written by Rorschach's Blot on Fanfiction.net

Hermione the Harem Girl (2012)Hermione read 'One Thousand and One Arabian Nights' as ayoung girl and it gave her a rather . . . odd dream.Written by Rorschach's Blot on Fanfiction.net

Luna's Hubby (2012)7 year old Luna wants a husband, and she wants one now. Withthe unintended help of her befuddled father, she kidnaps HarryPotter. Idea and 1st chapter by Roscharch's Blot

Written by Meteoricshipyards on Fanfiction.net

All the Dementors of Azkaban (2012)Alternate CoS: When Luna Lovegood is condemned to Azkabanprison for her part in opening the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Pot-ter is the first to protest. Minister Fudge is reluctant to comply, butthen again he never really had a choice in the first place.Written by LifeWriter on Fanfiction.net

Between the Tears and Laughter (2012)He had found her in the library, drinking wine and readingShakespeare at 2 am, curled up in Sirius's old leather chair. She al-ways did love that chair. And he quickly found that he loved her.Written by Angelically-devilish at fanfiction.net

Temporality (2012)In order to prevent the destruction of the wizarding world, Hermi-one Granger goes back in time to work behind the scenes.

25
http://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26073.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26074.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26075.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26076.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26077.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26335.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26336.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26336.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26335.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26077.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26076.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26075.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26074.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26073.pdf


26/27

However, she underestimates two very important factors: refash-ioning her life in a completely different reality... and Sirius Black.Written by fangirlwithak on fanfiction.net

Persephone (2012)When the Twins ask Hermione what her problem with them isthey get a very surprising answer, shocking everyone. What ex-actly is Hermione hiding from everyone that is tearing her apartinside? Short Story.Written by Lily of the Sun on fanfiction.net

The Skeleton in the Closet (2012)The skeleton in the closet. Everyone has one. What's Hermione

Granger's? Three-Shot. Post-Hogwarts, EWE. COMPLETED.Written by Geeky-DMHG-Fan on fanfiction.net

Many Thanks (2012)James Potter would never forget the first time he met HermioneGranger. Nor would he forget just how much he owed her for allshe had done for him, his family, his world, and his future. HHr,through the evolving eyes of James Potter. HHr/JPLEWritten by Madn05 on Fanfiction.net

Oh God, Not Again! (2012)So maybe everything didn't work out perfectly for Harry. Still,most of his friends survived, he'd gotten married, and was aboutto become a father. If only he'd have stayed away from the Veil, hewouldn't have had to go back and do everything AGAIN.Written by Sarah1281 on fanfiction.net

26
http://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26337.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26339.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26340.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26092.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26092.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26340.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26339.pdfhttp://generation.feedbooks.com/userbook/26337.pdf


27/27

www.feedbooks.comFood for the mind

shelby - breaking the ice

Documents