Merely Misunderstood

Chapter Fifty-Seven

My breath caught in my throat. Tingles ran down my spine, lingering in the area between my hips before continuing down my legs.

Draco smirked at my speechlessness, and he leaned forward, his lips just barely tickling mine before he pulled away, teasing me. His breath fanned out over my face, his scent overwhelming with every breath I took.

Already annoyed by his teasing, I grabbed his tie in my hand, pulling him toward me. He met my lips eagerly, chuckling at my impatience, but his smirk quickly vanished as our kiss grew passionate. His lips moved against mine slowly, and he gently pushed me down against the cushions, holding himself above me.

I untucked his shirt from his pants, slipping my hands under his shirt, and his muscles tightened wherever my fingers touched, his breathing quickening. He let out a quiet gasp when my fingers slid beneath the waistline of his pants, and I smiled, enjoying the effects I had on him from just touching his skin beneath his clothes.

He seemed to want to make me feel the same way, because he suddenly pulled away from me, his hands slipping beneath my skirt and up my thigh.

I gasped sharply, and he grinned, leaning toward my ear and whispering, "I can do that, too." His fingers glided beneath the hem of my panties, and I clutched his shirt tightly, my heart racing as my stomach clenched.

I didn't know what he was reacting to — maybe it was the way I gripped his shirt, or possibly my ragged breathing — but he suddenly came down on me, kissing me roughly, almost desperately.

I allowed myself to be completely and entirely mesmerized by him, forgetting entirely about the Room of Requirement, the cabinet Draco had fixed, the fact that Harry had gone to talk to Dumbledore — wait a moment.

Something suddenly occurred to me, something I was stupid to have neglected.

Fear settled in my insides. Harry knew....

"Wait, Draco —"

"Is something wrong?" Draco's tone was anxious, so I shook my head vigorously, meeting his eyes when he pulled away to read my expression.

"Dumbledore's coming," I told him, unable to think of a better way to explain it — my mind was oddly muddled.

Draco looked relieved for some reason — maybe it was because I wasn't technically telling him to stop what he was doing. "No, he's gone," he said.

I frowned, my whirring thoughts coming to a halt. "Gone?"

"Yeah, he left Hogwarts."

"Left Hogwarts? Where did he go?"

"For a drink in Hogsmeade, probably —" Draco suddenly gasped, his eyes lighting up with an idea. He didn't speak this idea, though; he just met my eyes with an excited and yet fretful expression, his breathing heavy as his thoughts ran wild with whatever he had in mind.

One thing was clear; opportunity had struck.

He pushed himself away from me, hurriedly standing up. He held his hand out to me once he was standing, and I took his hand reluctantly — I didn't really want either of us to leave the tent; I wished we could both stay here and forget about the world outside.

Draco pulled me up into a standing position, and apparently my disappointment was obvious, because he smirked, chuckling.

"Don't worry," he said, brushing his fingers lightly against my cheek, "after tonight, there'll be more than enough reason to celebrate."

I smiled shyly, blushing, and Draco laughed, his thumb caressing the blush on my cheeks. His silver-blue eyes roved my face, and his wide smile went soft, his eyes filling me with warmth as I met his gaze. "I love you," he whispered, his fingers lightly brushing along my cheekbone, and as he said these words, a warmth like none I'd ever seen appeared in his eyes.