Baton Rouge

- 35 -

He stared at the dark ceiling and sighed softly. He had been in his bed for over an hour and just hadn't managed to fall asleep. Neither the soft moonlight, nor the steady sound of the waves wafting through the tilted window helped him to turn off his head. His thoughts swirled inexorably as he recapitulated the events of the past few hours.

Draco turned on his side in resignation.

When Granger had sealed the Vow and returned Draco's wand, the tension in the small room had gradually eased. Even Draco had been kind of relieved. It had cost him nothing to take the Vow. His decision had already been made and he really had no intention of betraying Potter and handing him over to Umbridge. Potter himself had also remained fair. And now that the Vow actually had a firm grip on them, it allowed them to interact in a very different way.

After that, they had eaten a meager meal that both Granger and Draco had gobbled as if they had been denied food for days. At one point Potter had shown them two rooms upstairs that they could use to rest, and since then Draco hadn't left his assigned room. He had only sneaked into the hallway once to take a quick shower. Afterwards he had felt a little better, albeit still exhausted.

He had hardly slept the previous night as well - at the boardinghouse when he had been forced to share a room with Blaise. That fact was now taking its toll and Draco cursed under his breath. He just wanted to sleep and forget what had happened, at least for a few hours. But it just didn't work no matter how hard he tried.

A soft noise made him tense and prick up his ears. Someone was turning the knob of the door that separated his room from the stairwell. When it was subsequently opened, a surge of warm air flowed into the room. Draco stayed stock still. If it was Potter trying to throw a curse at him from behind, then Draco was ready. His wand was right under his pillow.

Trust, but verify.

The door closed again. He heard the pitter-patter of bare feet on the old wooden floor and realized it wasn't Potter who had just snuck into his room. Draco's heart began to pound unnaturally hard. The mattress behind him dipped. He still laid with his back to his late-night visitor, but now his nerves were stretched to breaking point.

She moved cautiously, probably thinking he was asleep and obviously not wanting to wake him. A few seconds later he felt her hands on his back. Light as a feather, they ran down his shirt, which he had left on. He regretted that now.

Then he felt her entirely. She snuggled up to him gently, wrapping her arms around his torso and burying her face in the back of his neck. One of her curls tickled Draco's neck and he stifled a longing sigh.

Granger trembled slightly and Draco grabbed one of her hands that had found its way to his chest and caressed it affectionately. He slowly turned to face her without letting go of her, and when he finally looked at her, the tips of their noses were almost touching. Her eyes shimmered in the moonlight. He reached out and brushed away a single tear caught in her lashes.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"Can't sleep?" Draco whispered and Granger shook her head. "Neither do I," he murmured, and she took a deep breath.

Then he leaned in and kissed her.

It felt just as good as the kiss in that little alley he had pushed her in a few hours ago. Exactly the same feeling rose up in him again. The feeling that he had - gods - missed her?

Her hands slipped into his hair. She kissed him back shyly and snuggled up against him once more, one of her legs between his, an ice-cold foot brushing his calf. Draco shuddered. He begged for entrance with his tongue, which her lips granted him immediately, and a soft moan escaped her. Draco felt his need grow and he wouldn't be able to hold it back much longer. But since Granger made no move to pull away from him, he slowly rolled over her.