FAILSAFE

Chapter Twelve

Draco's heart pounded fiercely against his ribs, a wild rhythm echoing the chaos within him. Impulse guided his every move as he pulled Hermione into the secluded alcove, a sanctuary from the tumult of his mind. With a desperate yearning to break free from the overwhelming surge of his thoughts and emotions, he passionately kissed her, causing the world around them to fade into insignificance.

Each touch and kiss ignited a fiery inferno, incinerating the weight of his reality. He pressed her against the cool stone wall, feeling her yield to him effortlessly, as though she understood the depths of his turmoil without a single word spoken. The memory of their first clandestine meeting here lingered like a ghost, a poignant reminder of a time when everything had shattered around him. Yet, in her presence, he found a fleeting peace.

"Draco," her voice, soft and uncertain, pulled at something deep inside him as she spoke his name. He trailed kisses along her neck, feeling her pulse quicken beneath his lips, her skin warm against his. "Do you feel like talking about it?" she questioned, her breathless words providing comfort to his broken soul.

His mind swirled with the revelation Theo had delivered, a truth so harsh it threatened to consume him whole. That Pansy was gone, spared from the cruelty of the castle, but not his father. The experiences that he had in the room with Ginny and the maze with Harry were so surreal and unexpected that they completely shook his very foundation, forcing him to question everything he thought he knew to be real. Without those encounters, Theo's claims might have seemed mere fantasy. But now, faced with the undeniable horrors they had all endured, Draco could not escape the truth.

It was a revelation to him that Pansy had always been free from the castle's whims, a fact that brought forth a surge of conflicting emotions within him—relief mingled with guilt, a powerful force threatening to engulf him. With his eyes tightly shut, he fought to banish the intrusive thoughts, seeking solace in the sensation of Hermione's mouth against his.

"I want to forget, just for a moment," he confessed. The weight of what he said became palpable, filling the space between them. The instant they escaped, he instinctively pulled back, fully comprehending their gravity. She was worthy of something greater than this. Something more meaningful than a distraction. This was not merely anything to him, but something significant, perhaps even everything to him.

As he gestured vaguely between them, Draco's tone softened to a murmur, almost lost amidst the turmoil swirling within him. "That is not what I meant. You and I... it's..." His voice faltered, like the fragile thing between them was slipping through his fingers, as he perched on the edge of the lounge. "You deserve everything, more than I can offer. My intention was never to belittle your significance by reducing you to a mere escape. But that's what you've been, haven't you? A temporary reprieve from reality." He could feel himself rambling, the words tumbling out in a jumble of emotions he could barely contain. "I'm making a mess of this, aren't I? I simply wanted... I wanted to go back to when you were merely the girl across the Great Hall, with your overly sweet tea, and..."

A soft and melodious chuckle suddenly interrupted his self-deprecating thoughts, causing him to lift his head and find her standing above him, exuding a serene sense of confidence in her eyes.

"This is more than a distraction for me, too," she murmured, her voice a velvet caress against his senses. She gracefully manoeuvred herself, sliding her knee between his legs, sending a thrilling shiver of anticipation down his spine. He held his breath as she moved, lightly grazing the corner of his mouth with an enticing touch.

"Use me to forget, Draco," her words were a whispered plea, laden with a raw, desperate longing that ignited a fierce ache within him. The air crackled with unspoken emotions as she leaned in closer, her lips gently brushing against his. The sensation was electric, sending a ripple of conflicting emotions through his veins. He became lost in the overwhelming feeling as he felt her warmth against his skin, her breath mingling with his. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but before he could respond, his rationality collided with his desires.