Treasure Hunt | Dramione ✔

Chapter Eighteen

After what seems like an eternity, Draco pulls away and let's go of her. Hermione steps back, her hands falling limply to her sides.

She licks her swollen lips, her throat running dry. "Draco," she whispers his name again and looks at him in the eyes.

He lifts his face a little, and keeps his eyes trained on hers.

"I didn't kiss him," she says, her voice shaking slightly, because her heart is still beating way too fast.

"I was about to push him away, but then he did something. I'm pretty sure it was something quite similar to the Imperius, but it wasn't it. One moment I wanted to punch him in the face, and the next all I wanted to do was kiss him. This....That wasn't me....He did something, Draco, I would never want to kiss him," she doesn't know why she's rambling, or why she can feel tears forming in her eyes.

Draco finally exhales a breath and uses his index finger to tip her chin up. "I believe you," he says. "But you shouldn't be clarifying this to me," he clears his throat and pulls his hand away.

"Oh," Hermione says, covering her disappointment. She had thought he was jealous, and considering that they'd just snogged for an hour, she had felt the need to justify what had almost happened with Krum.

"Oh," she repeats and the fire is back. "Right," she says, louder this time. "Guess I was wrong then," she lets out a teary chuckle and clenches her fists.

Draco turns away from her, but she's quicker and she grabs his arm, hauling him back to where he was. "Wha-"

"Shut up," she snarls at him. "I will do the talking now, Draco Malfoy," she hisses at him, poking his chest with her index finger.

"You listen to me, and listen well," she whispers fiercely at him, moving her face closer. "I'm not a fucking toy," she hisses and punctuates each word with a poke.

The fact that his face is a mask of indifference only adds to the raging fire, and Hermione explodes.

"Just who do you think you are?" She yells at him, eyes tearing up a bit.

He narrows his eyes at her, but remains silent.

"Draco Malfoy," she yells. "Answer me!"

"Stop acting like a child, Granger," he says. She can see the vein throbbing on his forehead.

"I'm acting like a child?" She asks incredulously, and then explodes.

"I'm acting like a child? You bastard, how dare you?! How dare you come up to me, kiss me, make me feel everything I shouldn't be feeling for you, and then toss me away like I'm a useless....a useless toy!" Her chest heaves and his eyes follow the rise and fall of it. Blush creeps up her neck, but she keeps herself steady.

"I'm up here, Malfoy," she snarls at him.

He looks up at her, and then swallows.

"You stopped me," he whispers, and it's anything but soft. It's aggressive and possessive.

"What?"

"You ended the kiss, Granger. The kiss that I initiated," he replies.

"So you're salty over the fact that I stopped kissing you? I stopped because I couldn't breathe, you moron. Did you expect us to keep kissing all day?" She asks and her cheeks turn red.

"Nevermind, Granger," he turns away from her, but she grabs his arm.

"Stop," she says. " We need to clear this."

"Clear what?"

"This...," she motions between the two of them.

"What about us, Granger?"