The Slytherin and the Hufflepuff

Chapter 7: the forbidden forest

Classes were over for the day and Emma had gone looking for Draco. They had their last class together but they didn't speak to each other the whole time. After class, Draco had disappeared into the crowd of people leaving.

Emma eventually spotted him and tried to catch up. She followed him all the way to the entrance of the castle. Draco walked out and Emma trailed behind.

"Wheres he going?" She thought.

She noticed that Draco was heading towards the Forbidden Forest. She hesitated before following him because, you know, it's the Forbidden Forest.

Her curiosity overtook her and she followed.

It seemed like they had been walking though the forest for at least 10 minutes. Emma was still following behind Draco, and Draco seemed to have no idea she was even there.

Draco stepped out into a clearing in the forest. The place was foggy with a little pond in the middle of it. The pond had steam coming from it. It looked like a nature made hot tub, including a dense sand bench against the wall of the pond to sit.

Emma watched from behind a tree as Draco started to remove his robe

"Shoot", Emma said to herself, "I shouldn't be here"

She looked back over and saw that he wore what looked like swimming shorts underneath his clothes. He slowly lowered himself into the "hot tub".

"Care to join?" Draco said, looking out into the pond.

Emma stood there. "Is he talking to me?"

Draco then turned his head in her direction. Emma quickly went back behind the tree.

"You think I didn't know you were stalking me, Emma?" Draco waited for her to come out. Emma slowly poked her head out from behind the tree.

"Hi", Emma said, slowly.

"Hi", Draco smiled at her, "well?"

"Well what?"

"Care to join?", Draco repeated.

"Um, I don't have a swimsuit", Emma walked towards him.

Draco shrugged, "your loss. It's really nice in here. Very relaxing"

"What is this place?" Emma asked.

"I found it last year on a walk", explained Draco, "I went to clear my head and I didn't even realized how deep into the forest I had gone. I stumbled across this place so now I come here whenever I want to just be away from everything"

"Oh, sorry I interrupted", Emma put her head down and turned to walk away.

"No, stay", Draco almost stood up. Emma turned back around.

Emma walked to the pond and sat down on the edge. She removed her shoes, rolled up her robes, and put her feet in.

"Ooh that's hot!", Emma exclaimed.

"You'll get used to it", Draco laughed, "why don't you come further in?"

"Are you just trying to get me to take my clothes off?" Emma narrowed her eyes.

Draco shook his head, "no no. I have no interest in seeing you naked. I'm just offering a nice and relaxing time. I think you need it".

Emma wasn't super self conscious of herself, she was just confused why Draco had suddenly switched his tone towards her in the past couple of days.

She stood up and slowly started to remove her robe. Draco looked away, but his eyes would occasionally glance back over. Emma striped down into her bra and underwear before slipping into the hot pond. She slowly lowered herself, getting used to the heat. Emma sat a foot away from Draco, slightly turning her body away from him.

"What if someone catches us here?" Asked Emma, remembering what Crabbe and Goyle had said to her.

"No one will. Nobody even knows this place exists", he sat silent for a second. "So why'd you follow me here?"

"Oh, I- I don't know", Emma looked away, "I was going to ask you how you were doing. You were pretty quiet during class. But then I saw you come into the Forbidden Forest so I- I was curious why"

"Ah. Well I'm doing alright, thank you very much"

"I don't believe that", Emma crossed her arms.

"What? I'm fine"

"If you're fine then why did you come here to your secret little sad boy pond?"

"It's not a 'sad boy pond'" Draco scoffed. "I just wanted to be alone"

Emma turned to him, "then why did you want me to stay?"

"Why did you stay?" Draco turned back to Emma. They looked at each other, both trying get a read on the other person. Emma noticed as Draco's eyes glanced down to her lips.

"No one ever really stands up to me", Draco started, "why did you?"

They continued to look at each other.

"Because I think you put on a tough exterior but deep down you aren't as bad as you want people to think you are", Emma stated.

"Interesting theory", Draco smirked.

"Look at me and tell me I'm wrong", Emma intensified her stare. She hadn't even noticed that the gap between them was almost closed. Their faces stared at each other only a couple inches apart. Their hips almost touching.

Draco's face softened as he thought about what she said. Emma noticed.

"Everyone sees me as this big bully. My own father is proud of it", Draco said, breaking the eye contact. "No one ever sees me as anything more" he looked back up at Emma whose face had now softened.

They're eyes locked again as Emma slowly moved her face closer to Draco's. Their noses were a hair apart. Draco placed his hand on Emma's bear knee. He took one last look into her eye before grabbing the side of her face and pulling her into a kiss.

Emma was taken aback but didn't resist. She kissed him back while placing one hand on his cheek and the other on the back of his head.

After a minute, Emma pulled away.

"Oh, uh, was that alright?" Draco asked.

"Yeah", Emma breathed before pulling him back in.