"Time for my fourth kiss." He murmured on Christmas day.

"No. More sleep."

"Come now, Granger."

"Women can't just do that on command, you know."

"Really? And here I was thinking my powers of seduction were without limit." He teased. I smiled.

"If there was a man capable of that, men would die out, because women would only go to him."

"What about babies?" he asked.

"Bit early for that, don't you think?" I replied.

"Very droll. I suppose you're right though, since we are yet to have our fourth."

"Baby?" I mumbled, blinking my eyes open.

"Kiss. We did cuddle all night though."

"Don't believe the rumours – that can't get you pregnant. Just like the rumour that you can't get pregnant if you do it on a boat – completely false."

"Who on earth would believe that?"

"Morons. That's why I felt I should clarify the truth for you."

"Hilarious, you. Have you seen my wand?"

"I'm not ready for that yet." I laughed.

"You're really on a roll today, aren't you?" he grinned at me.

"As I said, I'm not quite ready for that." I repeated.

"Oh, god, I've rubbed off on you haven't I?"

"I certainly hope not; I haven't given you permission." I was shaking with laughter/

"Bloody hell! I've possessed you! Hermione! Come back!"

"Stop shaking me, Draco!"

"I will if you give me my fourth."

"Fourth..."

"Don't play with me."

"Make up your mind! First you ask me to kiss you, then you say don't..." I said, annoyed.

"Stop it, Hermione! You're freaking me out! I'm the smart arse! I'm the innuendo master!"

"I'm just as good at it as you, I just happen to possess more decorum and social grace."

"We have privacy at the moment, so please, by all means behave as disgracefully as you please... Hermione? Er... Granger? Why are you staring at me like th— MMMF!"

"Disgraceful enough for you, Draco? I'll take that panting as a 'yes'. Shall I kiss you again?" I said playfully.

"... I..."

"I just shut you up again! That's twice in twenty four hours! If I'd known that kissing was the most effective way of shutting you up, I'd have done it years ago. Merry Christmas."

"Are you going to kiss me again, or should I start talking a lot?"

"No, you don't need to trick me into it anymore."

"Mmm... Granger— Mmm... Hermione, wait."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, you say you just spent five years trying to seduce me, and then as soon as I'm throwing myself at you, you want to chat!"

"I just... I need to know."

"Need to know what?"

"Why you're kissing me."

"Well, you did ask me to..."

"Because, I know when I kiss you, I'm full of jokes and innuendo and teasing, but Hermione... When I'm kissing you, Hermione, I mean it. Really... mean it."

I stayed silent, thinking…

"Granger?"

"I know you do... I heard you."

"Heard me what? It was just a tiny one, Hermione – "

"Draco! Disgusting! I meant that I heard you last night when I was drifting off."

"Oh... I thought you missed that."

"Did you mean it?"

"Tell me what you heard."

"You know what I heard. You're being silly."

"No, I'm being adorable."

"Yes, you are."

"Hermione, why do you want me to repeat what I said?"

"Rampant curiosity?"

"Big eyes don't let you get away with everything, you know. Hermione, I'm being serious."

"Which is why I'm currently terrified. Okay, okay, don't glare."

"You're cheeky in the morning."

"Well, if you will insist on removing my knickers 'to make me more comfortable'." I teased, his arm around me, warm and protective.

"Okay, so you're two types of cheeky this morning. One is more pleasant than the other. Granger, tell me why. What will your response be if I repeat what I said last night?"

"It might... resemble what you said."

"... Why, all of a sudden?"

"I'm... I'm adept at academics, not..."

"Being emotional?"

"Of course I'm bloody emotional! I'm just not adept at dealing with... feelings!"

"You just shuddered when you said the word 'feelings'. Well, I'll deal with them for you if you give them to me."

"... That was... bizarrely poetic. Do you understand the words you just said?"

"Not really, but they sounded bloody brilliant, didn't they?"

"Yeah..."

"... You've never done anything like that before. You've never stroked my cheek... or my hair."

"Say it again, Draco. Say what you said last night."

"I really like you. A lot."

I thought about it some more as he shot me a questioning look. I replied, "All those years?"

"Most of them."

"Why?"

"There's no why. It just is. I couldn't stop it if I tried."

"Did you try?"

"At first, of course. What'd you expect?"

"Why didn't you keep trying?"

"I didn't want to."

"You didn't..."

"No..."

"Why?"

"I enjoy liking you. Even if you were to never reciprocate, and even if I had to deal with the constant pain of knowing you never would, I would still not want to give up loving you. MMMF!"

"Mmm. Draco... I lo—"

"Don't."

"What?"

"Are you going to mean the next words out of your mouth? Or will they be a result of my outrageous kissing skills?"

"They will be partly due to the latter, but mostly the former."

"Well...That's good enough for me. Say them."

"I love you."

"... Bloody hell, I didn't think I could love you more, but now you've said it to me..."

"It's just because I've fed your ego some haute cuisine."

"What ego? Stop laughing."

"I can't! Ow! Don't tickle there!"

"Why not? What kind of tickle is it when I tickle you there? Is it a normal tickle or a naughty tickle? Oh! Judging by that noise, it's very much a naughty tickle! Nrrgh! Ooh, bloody hell, Granger, that's foul play! But by all means, keep being foul!"

"It's payback! Or reward, whichever. Just keep tickling and kiss me, you perverted, egotistical, delicious perv, you!" I nearly screamed.

"Gladly, my wanton little strumpet. Wh— Hermione! Come back! I was joking! I didn't mean it, honestly!"

"I know that, you silly boy, I'm going to have a bath. Why, may I ask, aren't you following me?"

"Oh... Ohhhh! Coming!"

"Indeed... soon." I joked, and decided a shower would be better. Because that way, I'd keep my virginity a little while longer, therefore our relationship intact. As I showered, I thought, 'Draco's a little out of character…even if this is just a series of books or whatever. What is the author thinking? Maybe she's just some fifteen year old girl whose mind is wandering and quite fancies an Innocent smoothie…did I just seriously think that? Where's the shampoo?"

(Hehe, it is true! You now know I like smoooothies! :P I know Draco's been OOC, but once the hols are over and Harry and Ron return, do not despair, he'll be back to normal in no time! How will Hermione react? Love, hate, confusion, despair, it sounds like an episode of Eastenders!