Draco Malfoy thinks he understands the rules. Then Hermione Granger shuts a door, asks for more than a scent mark, and bolts the moment he says yes. What follows is a razor-edged tangle of want and restraint as Draco confronts the worst version of himself, endures McGonagall’s warning, and admits that he knew Hermione’s cry long before Hogwarts tried to forget Malfoy Manor. In the daylight he pretends indifference. In the library he becomes her reluctant partner. In the quiet, he remembers the rescue, the almost-kiss, and the accidental claim that turned a corridor riot into silence. Hermione chooses a practical shield over romance. Draco chooses patience, books on Omega lore, and a vow to learn every boundary she sets. The slow burn does not cool. It sharpens.