It was a Saturday night and the wind was cold. Hermione pulled her cloak tightly around her body as she made her way to the apparition point of the Burrow. On reaching there, she gripped her wand tightly and apparated back home.

She was having a wonderful time chit-chatting with her friends when a hell of migraine started taking roots in her head. So she quickly excused herself by announcing that it was time for her to leave as she had some work piled up that was necessary to be submitted on Monday and with her being the Head of Foreign Relations Department , no one stopped her. So all of the Weasleys and the only Potter in the Burrow wished her a Merry Christmas and bid her goodbye.

For Hermione, Christmas always meant surprises and surprises meant gifts! Oh how she loved getting gifts and presents, especially if they were books. And as she had expected, she had received a lot of books this Christmas, too. Molly had also given her a pale green hand woven scarf. The Weasleys always reminded her of her long lost family.

Even though the war had been over for an year, the twenty-year old Gryffindor had not been able to pluck up the courage to meet her parents and give them back their memories. She was afraid that they might be angry with her for she had kept them away from herself for the one most significant year and the year after that. She was afraid that they might not fully accept her again. She was even afraid by the thought that they would try to cut all ties with her after knowing what she had done.

And, she wasn't ready for all (or any) of that.

As soon as she reached home she flicked on the lights and accio-ed a pepper-up potion to relieve her of her headache. Flicking the bottle open, she gulped down all its contents in one go. She felt the pain receding and thanked Merlin for all the potion supplies in her home.

She sighed and sat on her couch and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Yes she was feeling sleepy but one glance at the clock told her that it was just ten minutes past nine. She had no work that required her attention urgently, so she picked the Daily Prophet and started skimming through its pages.

One particular article caught her attention.

'Malfoy Heir Inherits His Fortune'

A picture just above the article showed a man of Hermione's age looking tiredly at the cameras. Hermione could make out the dark circles under his eyes and his unnatural blond hair even through the monochrome picture.

Looks like someone has been having a bad time, she thought. He had escaped Azkaban, true, but was kept under house arrest for 6 months. Along with him, Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy had been under house arrest at the manor after Harry Potter himself asked the Wizengamot to give them a second chance. They felt relieved upon hearing; anyone could say that just by looking at their faces, that they were sentenced to house arrest for 6 months. He didn't say it aloud, but the glance that Draco Malfoy exchanged with Harry Potter told that he was truly grateful.

She missed him, truly. She remembered their affair which had lasted for a half year. It had begun on some random day in their sixth year. She had told Harry to come in the Room of Requirement so that they could discuss about Malfoy's untimely disappearances. Unaware that someone was following her, she hastily climbed the stairway leading to Seventh floor. Just as she arrived at the tapestry, someone coughed. She froze and in a second an incarcerous was cast upon her. A split second later a silencio was cast upon her and she was being dragged to the other side of the floor. She could not see her captor; obviously he would have dillusioned himself.

You have been caught! How could you be so foolish, Hermione? She reprimanded herself. Her captor dragged her to a secluded corner which she hadn't even noticed before. Then her captor revealed himself.

She gasped; it was none other than Draco Bleeding Malfoy. Oh great, now he would have her reported to that greasy haired Snape.

He gave her an amused expression upon seeing the horror on her face.

'Meeting Potty, eh, Granger? I thought you had essays to complete rather than shagging the Boy-who-wouldn't-fucking-die.' He had drawled. She had rolled her eyes at his comment, unable to do anything else.

Then he had wordlessly cast finite incantatem, and freed her from her restraints.

'Pity, Granger. You thought that I was going to turn you in right? Well, I would do that if you don't show me your cooperation.'

'Sweet dreams, Malfoy. Cause I wouldn't show any cooperation to you while I'm awake.' She had replied haughtily.

'In that case Granger, I would force you to sleep so that you could cooperate with me.'

'No need to force me, ferret. I have a very soft bed in my dormitory on which I can whenever I wish.'

'I've a better idea, why don't you sleep with me?' His last words were spoken so huskily, that Hermione felt that she would swoon. But no, she couldn't let the ferret control her mind. She wouldn't allow it...

Her inner ramblings had been cut when his soft lips descended on hers. She nearly registered what was happening when his hands had snaked down to her waist and pulled her closer to him. It felt too good. But it ended in a few minutes. He had left her standing there, flushed and breathing heavily.

But before he had completely disappeared, he had quoted teasingly, 'Don't tell anyone, Hermione.'

One thing had led to another and they had shagged each other numerous times throughout their sixth year.

On one such Friday, when they had agreed to meet in the RoR, she had received a letter from him.

HG, do not leave your dormitory today, please. Meeting cancelled.

It was a mere parchment, but it was enough to tell her that he had cared for her. She hadn't left the common room that night, but she had understood from Harry afterwards in late midnight that he had fled Hogwarts with Professor Snape after the latter had murdered Dumbledore.

She had next met him at the Manor, while she was hunting for Horcruxes with Harry and Ron. She could see in his eyes that he was helpless. She had also noticed the lone tear rolling down his cheek when that dreadful word was carved on her skin.

Just his name brought back memories, wanted and some unwanted, too.

Hermione sighed. She didn't want to think of all that now. She read the title again and skimmed trough remaining pages. Sighing once again, she searched for Crookshanks, who was fast asleep on her bed. She unzipped her light pink dress and changed into a pale blue satin gown.

Just as she was getting ready for bed after brushing her teeth, she heard her doorbell. Who might've come to me at this time?, she wondered. She hastily made way to her door and opened it.

To say that her world spun would be an understatement.

'Draco?!' she gasped.

He gave her a smile that she made her heart swell. 'Hello, Hermione. Long time no see, huh?' Upon seeing her puzzled expression he added, 'I know you haven't been expecting me, but its quiet important. May I come in?'

'Yes...Um ...sure.' she said, her cheeks a lovely shade of pink. She moved aside so that he could enter. 'Make yourself comfortable.'

Hermione sat down on her couch and Draco did the same. He sat so close to Hermione that she could smell his cologne, which took her back to her Sixth Year in Hogwarts.

Draco observed the witch sitting beside him. To say she was gorgeous would be an understatement. She was beautiful in her own way. She had a small nose, beautiful chocolate eyes, full lips, long legs and her small waist that made every man turn his head. He was damn sure that many would be lusting after her and felt proud to say that he was one of them. Not to mention her massive intellect hidden inside the mass of curls.

To Draco, Hermione was perfect. And he wanted to be perfect for her, too.

Hermione realised that he was staring at her serenely for a long while. He looked much more at ease than he had in the picture printed in today's edition of the Prophet. She silently observed his lovely grey eyes, angelic blond hair and pale pink lips. She also realised that he had the same lean but strong and muscular body and how good it felt to be pressed against him after long hours of wild sex.

Blushing crimson, she cleared her throat mainly to gain attention of her own mind (which seemed to be engaged in memories of them doing things that would be too hot to mention openly) and his, too.

'I wasn't expecting company, you know. You might've already guessed that from my... attire.' She chuckled nervously, absently while twirling a curl.

'Oh yes, you were going to sleep before I came in right?' As she nodded in reply to the question he added with a wink, 'Blue suits you, but I prefer...' he leaned forward and whispered huskily in her ear, 'that you wearing nothing.'

Shocked by his words, she looked in his eyes. And within the blink of an eye, he crushed his lip onto hers. For a moment, Hermione stayed still but as her mind started working once more, she responded eagerly by pulling him closer to her. Draco then cupped her check and asked her for entrance which she granted quickly. His hands travelled lower until they reached her waist and then pulled her on his lap. Hermione moaned in mouth as she felt his erection against her wet core.

After they broke their kiss, he sighed heavily and placed a soft kiss on her nose.

'I've missed this, Hermione. I've missed you, a lot.' He said as he placed another kissed on her nose.

'I've missed you, too, love.' She replied as her breathing became normal. 'Is that why you have come? To show me how much you've missed me?' she added after a while.

There was a long pause.

'No, to tell you that I love you'

'Oh, Draco..'

'And, Hermione Jean Granger, will you grant me the honour of becoming your lawfully wedded husband?' he asked as he removed a beautiful Platinum ring from his pocket.

She was ready, he could feel it reflecting from her eyes, but he was desperate to hear it .

'Yes,'

Upon hearing it, he kissed her so passionately that her knees buckled. When they finally broke the kiss, gasping for air, she purred:

'But I have a condition.'

'Anything you want, love.'

'I want my Christmas present.' She replied with a wink.

On seeing his puzzled expression, she added, 'A present of you and me, on my bed without our clothes...'

She was cut off by Draco's lips kissing her passionately.

Oh, how she loved presents.