The full scene is much better… and a lot spicier…
I made my way down to the kitchen, where a large spread of fruits, nuts, meats, and cheeses – my favorite – was laid out as if Trixie knew I was coming. The elf was nowhere to be seen, but I still called out, ‘Thank you,’ just in case.
I was making myself a plate when footsteps sounded in the doorway behind me.
“Gods, you’re here early,” Malfoy groaned behind me.
I turned to find him in sweaty workout attire, a towel hanging around his neck, leaning in the entryway.
“You stayed the night then?” He continued, looking me up and down.
“Good morning to you, too, Malfoy,” I replied, skin heating, as I turned back to finish making my plate. “I lost track of time last night and figured it was easiest.”
He didn’t respond; just continued to watch.
“If Trixie continues to serve me charcuterie, I may never leave.” I chuckled as I turned around, just in time for him to find my eyes as he stepped forward.
His glare was icy and mischievous as he walked past me before turning to get a glass of water.
“Remind me to ensure she never bakes for you,” he mused, downing the water in a couple of gulps. “You’ll never eat Honeydukes again.”
His eyes returned to mine, gray and intimidating. He smirked like he knew it, too. I choked on a breath and averted my eyes. After days of working with him, I still felt… what was this… awkward, unsure, tense, nervous?
“I’m going to take this upstairs. Then, when you’re ready, I’d like to review your notes from yesterday.” I managed, taking my plate toward the exit.
“Notes?”
“Yes, your notes on the journals you read yesterday. You did take notes, didn’t you?”
“No,” he mused haughtily as if it was a preposterous thing to do.
“We’re supposed to be keeping track of things, exchanging information, data, looking for patterns and…” I started, getting annoyed.
He simply watched in amusement, sliding grapes in between his lips one at a time. My annoyance his favorite form of entertainment.
“I’m serious, Malfoy. I need your help with this.”
He studied me for a moment more.
“What will you do with these notes when your time is up here?”
“I, er, I don’t know. I suppose it depends on—“
“Wouldn’t your investigation notes go into a ministry file, accessible by anyone with clearance? Notes and information about my family that could potentially get leaked to the press… Isn’t sharing that information exactly what you said you would refrain from doing just yesterday?”
His tone was playful and teasing, but his eyes were daggers, revealing his true feelings.
Surprisingly, he waited for my response, perhaps not wanting a repeat of yesterday’s silencing charm.
“Our agreement still stands,” I mused, taking on an air of confidence and stepping toward him. “For all I care, we can make a grand show of burning the notes when I successfully solve and break your curse,” with less than a foot of space between us, I glared directly into his silver irises, determined to make my point blatantly clear, “but I still expect you to take notes.”
He looked me over once more, perhaps sizing me up.
“When I come upstairs, I’ll tell you about what I read, and then you can take notes.”
I could feel wrinkles deepening between my eyebrows as they furrowed at his response.
“That’s hardly fair.”
“And…I’ll take some notes moving forward. You might live to regret it, though; my handwriting is atrocious.” He smirked, sliding another grape between soft lips.
“Well, that seems to be a common Malfoy trait; the journals I’ve read so far have hardly been legible,” I complain before stepping back toward the entryway with my plate. “See you upstairs shortly?”
“You’re already using a bed; you might as well utilize the breakfast nook. I trust your team of treasure-hunting goblins tested it and deemed it curse-free.” He continued to tease, adding an annoyingly attractive wink that made me grimace.
He clearly lived to get on my nerves, and it was far too early in the morning for his nonsense.
“The sooner I get your summaries, the sooner I can get to reading,” I responded, reaching for my wand to accio my notebook from upstairs.
“All business and no pleasure.” He tutted, sliding another grape into his mouth.
“What possible pleasure could you offer me, Malfoy?” I scoffed back quickly, too quickly to realize my mistake before it was too late. Heat bloomed across my cheeks as I tried to recover. “In the breakfast nook, er, over breakfast, I mean.”
“Hmm,” he chuckled in response, seemingly arching an eyebrow in consideration before a mischievous smirk angled his mouth.
His eyes narrowed on my lips before slowly trailing up to meet mine. Every second lasted longer than it should as I resisted the urge to slam my palm into my forehead or hide behind my fingers.
Miraculously, I managed to maintain eye contact as he stepped forward. One step, then another, until he was hovering over my shoulder.
“Use your imagination, Granger, if you dare.” He breathed above my ear before brushing against my shoulder on his way out.
I stiffened all over, struggling to compute what the bastard was bloody playing at.
“I think I’ll stick to business, thank you.” I managed quietly, just in time for him to disparate away.
Looking back over my shoulder, I sagged in relief once I confirmed he was gone. Then I looked into the breakfast nook just to my left.
Without my permission, surpassing all self-control, irreverent images flashed in my mind.
My bare skin lay across the round table, knees spread wide, ready, impossibly ready. Malfoy leaning forward between my thighs, then dragging the tip of his tongue upwards between my folds torturously slow before finding my eager bundle of nerves.
A tremble down my spine abruptly forces me back to reality, and then I shake my head so hard I almost dislodge my chignon. I needed to get my shit together, fast.
Appetite lost, I discarded my plate and headed toward the stairs. Hopefully, the burn of climbing up three flights of the grand staircase will help me forget the wetness that had so quickly developed at my core.
My phone started ringing just as I entered the library.
I accept the call with a breathy ‘Hello,’ eager for anything or anyone to talk to but him.
“Merlin, Mione, if I’d known you were going to be fucking when I called, I would have—actually, no, I still would have called. TELL ME EVERYTHING!!” Ginny exclaims, ridiculously overjoyed.
“I’m not,” I look both ways to ensure I’m alone before whispering the word, “fucking! I just walked up a bunch of steps.”
“This is no time to keep secrets; you know how desperate I am right now! I’m practically dry-humping the furniture!”
“Godric, I’m not keeping secrets! I’m just working; I’m sorry that’s not so exciting.”
“Well, the moment that changes, I better be your first bloody phone call. Deal?”
“You’re raving,” I laugh, absentmindedly spinning around the library.
“I mean it; promise me that as soon as you break your vow of celibacy or monkhood or whatever drought you’re experiencing and let someone screw your brains out, you better be calling me!”
“I’m not a monk or all that; I just, er,” I didn’t have the time or patience to try and explain myself to Ginny right now. “Fine. I promise to call you if and when I let someone screw my brains out. But don’t get your hopes up; I hardly have time for anything but work, let alone a man. As you should well know by now.”
I could almost hear Ginny’s eyes rolling through the phone.
“Do you have time to visit me on Sunday? And possibly bring me frogs?”
“Of course,” I smile, an idea lighting up in my head. “I’ll do you one better; I’ll bring you some really smutty muggle books.”
“You know I’m not much of a reader; it makes me nod off.”
“Trust me, these will keep you entertained. If you get tired, read the book aloud to the baby – the appropriate parts,” I quickly add. “I think that’s supposed to be beneficial.”
Ginny’s laugh that followed was a contagious symphony of joy. I giggled back as I finally meandered around to the alcove with the hidden door.
I damn near collided with Malfoy’s foul, nosey, no-good, eavesdropping body as I rounded the bookshelf; I just barely managed to spin out of the way as Ginny spoke.
“Mione, what would I do without you?” She asked as I glared daggers, no, fire, at Malfoy. “See you around 11 o’clock on Sunday?”
“Er, yes, see you then, got to go bye,” I rapidly strung together each word into one long, garbled mess before ending the call.
“QUIT DOING THAT!” I yell, not only pink in the face but burning all over.
My rage and mortification scorch deeper as his hand moves to cover his mouth as he turns away, a failed attempt at hiding his shit-eating grin and chuckle.
He recovers quickly, hand gone and smirk firmly in place as he turns back to face me.
“Quit doing what?” He asked, thickly laying on his mock confusion.
“Quit listening to my phone conversations! This house is so egregiously big, yet you’re always right around the corner!” I seeth, barely pausing to refill my lungs as I realize he’s still in his gym attire. “I thought you’d gone to take a shower or something; what are you doing?”
“Do you… want me to take a shower, Granger?”
I blink once, then twice, while his eyes sparkle back with mischief.
“No, I, er, I want you to stop lurking around whenever I’m on the phone!”
“Well, next time you decline my breakfast invitation and demand my notes,” he turns toward the desk, retrieves a short roll of parchment, then turns to face me again. “I’ll try to remember that that’s my cue to leave so you can talk on the fucking phone.”
His teeth linger on his lips as he drags the abominable word out, and there’s no denying he heard my entire conversation. My cheeks somehow chill and then reheat as he steps forward and hands me the parchment. I don’t have to open it to know it’s his stupid, bloody notes.
“I assume you’ll be borrowing from your own arsenal of muggle smut; I’m afraid this library’s collection will disappoint you. Perhaps, an expert like yourself could make some recommendat—“ he teased as he walked past.
I groaned loudly, cutting him off before he could embarrass me further.
“I get it; you heard everything. Ha ha, SO funny. Great, now we’ve all had a good laugh.” I managed through my teeth, decidedly not turning to speak in his direction as he walked toward the exit. “Maybe now I can finally get some work done.”
“Whatever brings you pleasure, Granger.” He droned sarcastically as he left.
I could hex him, I think, as I allowed myself to sink into a chair; I could easily damage that chiseled jawline permanently. I could. I should. That’d teach him. Teach him to leave me alone. To stop making me so…
I wracked my brain, trying to find adequate words to describe what this man was doing to me.
Pleasure.
Fucking.
Use your imagination.
Granger.
If you dare.
I gulped loudly, then launched myself out of the seat and forced myself to get to work and get him out of my head.
Hermione answers unhinged/prego/horny Ginny’s call at work and Draco overhears everything.
GINNY: Merlin, Mione, if I’d known you were going to be fucking when I called, I would have—actually, no, I still would have called. TELL ME EVERYTHING!!
HERMIONE: I’m not…fucking! I just walked up a bunch of steps.
GINNY: This is no time to keep secrets; you know how desperate I am right now! I’m practically dry-humping the furniture!
HERMIONE: Godric, I’m not keeping secrets! I’m just working!
GINNY: Well, the moment that changes, I better be your first bloody phone call. Deal?
HERMIONE: You’re barking.
GINNY: I mean it; promise me that as soon as you break your vow of celibacy or monkhood or whatever drought you’re experiencing and let someone screw your brains out, you better be calling me!
HERMIONE: I’m not a monk or all that; I just, er…Fine. I promise to call you if and when I let someone screw my brains out.
HERMIONE: Actually, I’m just going to bring you some really smutty muggle books.
—
DRACO: I assume you’ll be borrowing from your own arsenal of muggle smut; I’m afraid this library’s collection will disappoint you. Perhaps, an expert like yourself could make some recommendat—
HERMIONE: 😖🤬
The Best Kept Secrets Are Curses
Ao3 and FFN
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