The Fractured Flame | Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter Twelve: A New Perspective of Him

 "Granger." He murmured quietly.

She swallowed, "Yes?"

His grip around her wrists tightened. Her voice had been husky. She had to focus on not moving her hips, desperate for something. She needed some sort of friction or she was going to go crazy with anticipation. She squirmed her hips again, looking up at Draco through her lashes. She could see the cracks in his mask forming, the blue seeping into his irises with blatant lust. What was she doing? Her mind almost felt foggy.

But just as quickly as the moment happened, Draco let her go, and stepped back. His eyes were still dark, but he was occluding again. The grey color wasn't as icy as it normally was. "The Muggle appliance. I want tea."

Hermione latched onto the distraction, walking past him and turning the dial on med-high. The kettle was already filled with water, all she had to do was put it on the correct stove top. Thankful that her back was turned, Hermione hoped that her face wasn't red. A warm sensation had pooled in her stomach and she felt hyper aware of Draco behind her.

"Pay attention." She commanded quietly, "The next time you're here you can make your own damn tea."

Draco said nothing, but it was a relief this time. Her heart was hammering from how easy the words left her lips. 'The next time.' Hermione was counting on there to be a next time he would be over at her apartment. She wanted him over again.

What was wrong with her?

A New Perspective of Him

Hermione was fighting a smile as she watched Draco tinkering with the Stove an hour later. She was in the middle of scrolling the internet for dinner ideas while Draco insisted on learning the inner workings of a stove.

"You said these dials control the temperature?" His eyes flickered between her sitting on the counter next to the stove and the appliance himself. His eyes were furrowed and he rubbed his jaw which seemed to be a habit when he was deep in thought or tired. "How do you know which number correlates with the fire's temperature? Would a cauldron even get hot with this contraption? Your potions must come out terribly."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, but kept her focus on scrolling through delivery places in her area. "There's an electrical current that flows through a coil underneath the glass, Malfoy. It's a metal coil which becomes hot and starts to transfer heat through the glass using a sort of infrared energy. That's the red glow you see when it starts to get hot." She made a hmm noise, "Is there any food you don't like?" Then a moment later added, "And don't be ridiculous, I use a flame for potion brewing. This is for cooking or making tea."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a know-it-all?" Malfoy mused, giving her a humored look before it turned curious, "Why do you cook?"

"Why do you breathe?"

His lip quirked up. "To annoy you, Granger. Why do you cook?"

"I'm a witch, but my parents are Muggles. I should have the same basic life skills they do." She replied curtly, waiting for his insult.

Draco snorted. Here it comes.

"I'm jealous." Seeing her surprise, he continued, "The basic life skills my parents thought to pass on were how to waltz, choose the perfect traits to pass onto the next Malfoy Heir, and don't let your real feelings on a subject ever be known."