November 13th, 2000

Draco is late to his shift and he can tell the moment he walks in that he won't be getting laid that day. Granger is practically running around the shop, bouncing between shelves and customers in need of purchasing their books. He quickly takes his place behind the counter, ringing up the first person in line.

After nearly two hours, the influx of customers finally begins to slow, and Draco feels hunger gnawing at him as he slides a textbook into a paper bag, wrapping it tightly.

"Thank you," says the customer, a boy his own age, and Draco gives him a curt nod as he leaves the shop. The bell clings as the boy opens the door, pausing to let in a witch before he exits and Draco exhales loudly, almost in annoyance.

She rolls her eyes at him. "Don't worry. I'm only here for a book," Pansy snaps, taking in his scowl.

"What's the book?" he asks, crossing his arms over his chest. He spies Granger walking down one of the isles, shifting slightly when he spots the flask in her left hand, the cap unscrewed.

"Moste Potente Potions," she replies. She raises her eyebrows and slowly leans forward on the counter, her breasts clearly visible as she gives him a small smile. "Think you can help me?"

"Of course. It's my job," he says stiffly, and beckons for the obviously desperate girl to follow him.

They pass Granger down the aisle, and for a moment he catches her eyes. They're large, rimmed with the slightest of red, and Draco sees there is a sadness laced within them. Pansy coughs, shattering the moment, which makes him roll his eyes as he leads her to the Potions section.

"This is the one, I believe," he states, grabbing the book and handing it to her.

She takes it, flipping to the table of contents, eyes scanning quickly. She shuts it, leans forward, and presses a chaste kiss to his cheek. "I'm not giving up on you," she murmurs, pulling away and saunters back down the aisle the way they had come.

He waits a few moments before he returns to the front of the store, eyeing the area to make sure Pansy had left. Granger is wiping down the counter top, her hair wild over her shoulders, eyes fixed downward.

"Sorry, girlfriends don't get discounts," she tells him, her voice tight as a cord.

Draco quirks. He's up to play this game. "Good thing she isn't my girlfriend, then," he retorts, walking slowly around the counter, intentionally dropping the octave of his tone. "I've set my sights on something...clever."

She gives him a quizzical look, her brows drawn. "Was that another compliment?" she inquires, her tone laced with laughter.

He shrugs, smirking. "Maybe."

-

November 15th, 2000

Draco makes her knock twice before he opens the door to his flat. When he does, Granger gives him an incredibly annoyed scowl. She's holding a bottle of wine, something cheap and quick, he can tell by the label, and she pushes her way inside before he says anything.

"Long day at the office?" he jokes, knowing full well the bookstore is more exciting than any office could ever be.

"Sort of," she replies, placing the wine on his table as she takes out her wand, pointing it at the top of the lid. "Some kids from Hogwarts were there. Did you know that Susan Bones had to repeat her eighth year multiple times? She applied at the bookstore. I think she'd be great for the position, even if she did have to repeat it."

Draco grabs two wine glasses from his cabinet, places them on the table as well and watches her pour the contents. "I didn't pay much attention to Susan during my time at Hogwarts."

"You didn't pay much attention at all during your time at Hogwarts," she counters, and he takes a sip of the wine. It's bitter as it washes around his mouth, and he inhales sharply as he watches Granger down the entire glass in two gulps. Eyes trained on her face, he empties his glass as well, and she grins, brows raised. "Care for another?"

The bottle is almost completely gone by the time he has her pressed into the couch, her face against the pillow and his hands bracing her backside. He slides in and out of her quickly, his blonde hair sticking to his forehead as his hips move rapidly. She groans, and he rewards her with a light smack on her rear.

Pushing on her elbows, she arches her back as she turns to look at him."Harder," she gasps, and he bites the inside of his cheek as he smacks her again, this time the sound echoing around the walls.

Taking his right hand, he digs his fingers into her curls and yanks her up, forcing her back flush to his front. "You want it rough, Granger?" he says, voice deep and breathy. "Have you done something and need to be punished?" A strangled sound comes from her throat and he takes that as a yes.

Shoving her back down, Draco pulls out, pressing her flat against the couch as he moves her left leg upward, making it dangle, followed by him sinking back into her warmth. He begins a hard and fast pace, his thighs screaming from exertion. He grins as she begins to tighten around him. Slipping a hand beneath her, he presses against her clit, making the movements soft but precise. She mewls, squirming as she comes, and he groans at the sound. He slows slightly, dipping his head down so that his nose is in her hair, and as he inhales he feels the coil snap in his lower abdomen.

"Goddammit," he moans, sliding out of her with a sigh. "That was definitely needed."

She sits up, leaning against his shoulder, her sweaty skin sticking to his as she nods her head. "I agree."

Draco quirks an eyebrow. "You? Agreeing with me?"

She rolls her eyes, stretching her arms above her head and he dips his mouth to her neck, kissing the pulse point. Granger rakes her hand through his strands as he licks the salt of her skin, his hand cupping her breast slowly, thumb brushing beneath them. "You are sinful," she mumbles into his hair, and he pulls back slightly to see her eyes are closed.

He chuckles, beginning to trail his lips down the valley of her breasts, then back up her neck, and to her mouth. Kissing her, he cradles the side of her face, whispering "I know."

She has her fingers laced behind his neck before pulling back, staring intently at his face. "Are you really a sin, Malfoy?"

He shrugs, pulling away to stand. "The best kind, Granger."

When she leaves, he watches her close the door behind her in hopes that she'll change her mind. As the door clicks into place, he huffs a sigh, and gathers himself to prepare for bed.

It's the first night he dreams of her in a mundane, non-sexual manner. It makes him awake with a smile he doesn't recognize, and he shakes his head, trying to clear the thought of him and her enjoying a night out with friends...together...out of his head.