All You Want

11) I Get A Little Nervous Around You

"So," Hermione said, shuffling nervously. "I wanted to start by saying thank you for everything you did on Friday night. I really, really can't express enough how grateful I am that you came—"

"Whatever, Granger," Malfoy said in a dismissive tone, "it a was just an instinctive response, any Alpha would have done the same."

Hermione stares at him, faltering. "Well... their idea of helping me nearly broke my arms, so I have to admit I doubt that somewhat," she said, feeling on edge.

"I didn't claim they were all intelligent, I just said they would have come," he said snappishly, eyes narrowing.

She stared.

"Fine," Hermione threw her hands into the air with frustration, "it wasn't anything exceptional but since you helped me twice I wanted to say thank you anyway."

"Gratitude accepted, may I go now?" Malfoy said, arching an eyebrow.

Hermione fought back a desire to growl. Good lord, she really was turning into a dog. She wanted to weep.

"No. That's not why I wanted to talk to you," Hermione said, huffing with frustration over how difficult he was making things.

He rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Fine. But if you dragged me into an abandoned classroom just to discuss our arithmancy project I reserve the right to throw a textbook at you."

Hermione glared at him. She'd forgotten what a prat Malfoy turned into the instant he opened his mouth.

"Why on earth would I want to discuss our arithmancy project in private? I wanted to talk to you..." her voice trailed off, and she flushed. "I wanted to talk to you about—about— about— "

Why was it that the moment she spoke to Draco Malfoy her voice starting climbing up toward the rafters? Every 'about' seemed to be half an octave higher-pitched than the one before. She coughed slightly.

"Did someone hit you with a triple tongue hex?" he drawled. "Spit it out. Some of us have classes and homework to get to."

Maybe she couldn't do this. There was possibly another option she hadn't thought of; something that didn't involve a git like Draco Malfoy.

There wasn't.

At least not any options Hermione could come up with that didn't involve the need for bodyguards. She already felt like it was only a matter of time before someone in the school noticed and the news leaked to the press. If she didn't want the whole world to find out and develop an even more rabid fascination with her sex life it was imperative that she find a solution that allowed her to carry on in with the academic year with a semblance of normalcy.

Malfoy was her best choice in the sea of misfortune she found herself cast adrift in.

At least he was pretty.

"I want to talk about Friday night when we were in the classroom," Hermione said, forcing the words out in a stiff, low tone of voice.

Malfoy's expression grew abruptly closed, his eyes narrowed further. "What about it?" he said, his voice was hard. Hermione fought against shivering.

"When we were snogging the first time and then you stopped because I was still stuck in a sub-space. You said that if I weren't you wouldn't have any objection to snogging me."

Malfoy stared at her and then slowly blinked.

"I am pretty sure I did not say that," he said, his arms still defensively crossed.

"Not in those words but it was implied," Hermione said, staring at him and feeling a shiver wend its way up her back.

He didn't deny it.