DISCLAIMER: Everything belongs to Her Highness Rowling.

A way to make Draco realise

It is a quite corridor, almost evening now and the sunlight falls in slants from the huge ornate windows. The sky is peach in colour and there is a subtle interference of blue. There are wisps of clouds present swirling and making charming shapes.

Nobody disturbed Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy as they stood kissing near the window, leaning against the wall, peaceful and oblivious to the world.

They have been together for a month now and finally Hogwarts was accepting their relationship. Finally people weren't critical and they looked at the pair in awe, jealousy even for those who had no one to love. Draco's charm and personality were equalled by Hermione's grace and intellect. They were both intimidating and embracing with their stature and nature. The talk of the school was the happy couple's love story and yet nobody knew anything of their little secret.

Draco had never ever said 'I love you', even when he had proposed to Hermione. He had not even had the courage to look directly in her eyes. It had been in this corridor, the sun had set to be replaced by a glowing full moon. Hermione had been gazing at the moon, with her cheek on her palm and elbow on the windowsill. Stood there, cursing her rotten love life and her unrequited love for Draco when she had heard footsteps behind her. Draco had hesitantly walked up to her and had poured out his heart.

"Hermione, I know you think of me as a jerk and you hate me and rightfully so! But I just want to say that I like watching you when you are in the class, how your hair falls in curls and you try to blow them away. I tend to smile when you are laughing and it does something to my heart that I do not comprehend. I feel like a giant monster is eating me from inside, clawing me with fire and tearing me with its venomous fangs when…" *Inhales deeply* "when someone is flirting with you"

He had looked up nervously and their eyes had met. Hermione's lips had formed a perfect 'O' and her eyes were blank with shock. Draco had lost his courage and had looked away again. He was all sweat by now and had held his hands behind his back and he had been rocking on his heels. Hermione was flabbergasted with all that was happening. She had never imagined that she'd live to see the day when Draco 'pureblood' Malfoy confesses to him liking her. She had had dreams where they have a 'happily ever after' but... WAS THIS FOR REAL!? She had wanted to pinch herself to make sure but had decided against it as it'd appear rude. Her mind was as dumbfounded as she and hence it had taken a mighty effort for her to open her mouth to say something only to be interrupted by Draco.

"Hermione, I know I have always rallied for purebloods but now I know how naïve that was. All I know now is that you deserve a better treatment from me along with an apology also better boys on your side than Wonder boy and Weasley" *cough* He had looked at her shiftily to gauge her reaction and continued. "I personally believe that I am a suitable candidate and I am not so much of a jerk now. I will never call you anything foul baby.. er… Hermione" He was fidgety and was tracing the crevices on the wall with his finger. Hermione's heart had faltered and restarted at the word 'baby' and redoubled her efforts of staying sane. "I want us to be together Hermione and I want to be perfect for you… I have not really felt this way before, nor am I aware of what I feel. But would you please care to…" *gulp* "help me know?"

Just then he had met her eyes and her knees had almost buckled. Draco had never looked so vulnerable and his hand fell at his side and he walked a step towards her. She had felt deep in her heart a soulful tug that had made her limbs move and she had stepped up to Draco, taken his face in her hands and had placed her lips on his. Draco had been rooted to his place he had been unable to pick his arms let alone place it around her waist. Hermione had stayed in that position for 5 seconds, in those 5 seconds their heart beats had seemed to be reverberating in the empty corridor. She had moved her lips to the corner of his lips and pecked it gently. Draco could feel the moisture on her eyelashes and had suddenly found his strength back, had wrapped her in a tight embrace and had kissed her like there was no tomorrow.

In this particular corridor stood the couple right now, they had no care in the world as they savoured each other's presence. Hermione sighed contentedly at the flashback and held Draco tighter. Draco had his arms around her waist and Hermione had her arms around his neck, her fingers curling into his soft hair. He has his head nestled in the crook of her neck and she is whispering sweet nothings in his ear. Hermione had never even hoped for such happiness and miraculously, somehow, here it was! But somewhere it had always pricked Hermione that Draco haven't said the 3 magical words to her yet. While she was revisited the old memory and pondered over their relationship she had become overly mushy today and she ached to be closer to Draco even though it was nearly impossible owing to their embrace. She wasn't looking for passion today but serene sweet love.

She involuntarily let out a long sigh which had Draco look at her with concern. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and held her cheek in his left hand with the right hand still on her waist. "What's wrong baby?"

Hermione gazed up at her handsome 6"1'boyfriend and her heart swelled at how endearing he had looked at that moment.

"Draco, do you... do you love me?"

She shrunk back a fraction when he closed his eyes and pulled a long breath. Draco saw fear in Hermione's eyes when he opened his eyes. Draco felt ashamed and angry at himself, to see what his indecision was doing to her. He managed to smile a little and assumed his previous position with his lips on the crook of her neck and whispered "Hermione, my baby doll, my precious possession and my pride. I know for sure that you are what keeps me happy and makes me want to be a better man but… but I am not truly sure of this feeling yet. Love is something I have never felt for anyone before and I am not sure it has happened to me yet or not… but baby, I feel for you what I have felt for none. You have made breathing easier and pain less hurtful. I am sorry I hurt you so much." Hermione's heart broke upon hearing the pain in his voice and she felt guilty for pushing him to confess. They had time for this. They still need to go a long way. She nuzzled his hair and made Draco look into her eyes. She drew him closer to her and shivered inwardly as she loved the fact how Draco being as tall as he was made her feel petite and delicate. She kissed his neck once and her heart melted in the delicious scent of his cologne.

"Draco, let me kiss you today the way I want, okay baby? Just follow my lead." she whispered.

She started by softly blowing on his lips. She loved his lips, they had the perfect shape and they were full and pink.

Hermione licked his lips from corner to corner and then gave his lower lip a soft bite. The place instantly swelled and she sucked on it gently. An act that made Draco sigh both on the inside and out. He pulled Hermione flush against him and his breathing picked up. Hermione continued to place fluttering kisses on his lips and biting them gently. She took her time with chewing on his lower lip and then kissing them full. Hermione poured all her love, devotion and admiration for Draco in to this kiss. She just wanted him to know how much he meant to her and her life would be impossible without him. Draco's breathing was getting hitched and he felt in his hearts emotions he had never before. He could feel in his heart an unknown yearning to make Hermione his for the rest of his life. He remembered every little thing she had done to establish a good image of him when even her best friends had turned their back on them. He remembered how it made facing the hostility easier when Hermione had held her hand. Most of all he remembered the time when she was not there, when life was not much beyond abuses, bullying and cowardice but most of all he knew what he felt now. Inside his heart how it wasn't lonely anymore. How he felt vulnerable around her and yet Hermione made him comfortable. Crabbe and Goyle had never been people with good advises but Hermione has changed it all. He missed her when he wasn't around and how he missed her now even as she was kissing him. In the past Pansy had gotten his blood boiling with passion but never has she made him feel love and protectiveness like Hermione did. Never has she made his knees go week with a smile and never made him want to hug her tight to hear her giggle. Like 'his' is Hermione did.

And Draco knew that he was falling deeper for her, as scared as he was he wanted to give his all to her, a feeling he was alien to when he was with all the girls who came before Hermione. It tore him inside when he thought of her ever leaving him and at last his thumping heart and elated mind said in unison what his lips had never said, what he has never realised. But now he knew.

He ran a hand through her dishevelled hair and pulled her in into a deeper kiss and took command. Hermione sensing a change in him gave in to him. Draco kissed her like she was his revival and heaven and she was the only one that meant life.

In the dim evening light, in that empty corridor something happened that has never before. Draco drew back enough to let her breath; he placed his forehead on Hermione's and felt tears in his eyes. He smiled with his eyes still closed and mouthed her, his heart's verdict. Their lips still touching, Draco not wanting to separate. One would have not understood or heard what he said but Hermione felt those words on her lips and in her heart. Words that steadied her world and gave wings to her feet.

"I love you"