A/N: Thanks for reviewing! :) This chapter is a little late but I hope that you enjoy it all the same! Happy reading!

Disclaimer: Same as previous chapters.

Chapter 11

December – The Head Girl's Tower

"Hermione, what are these?" Draco asked curiously.

Hermione spun around to see what he was referring to. She chuckled, "Those are muggle sweets." He was wondering about the batch of chocolate chip cookies that her mother had sent her.

"Are they any good?" He inquired as he closely examined one of the cookies.

"Yes," she laughed. She walked towards her desk chair where he was sitting and took the cookie out of his hand. She took a small bite before offering the rest to him. "Try it," she encouraged. He leaned forward and enclosed his lips around the remaining piece of cookie and her thumb and forefinger.

He grinned at her as he sucked on her fingers before releasing them from his mouth. "You were right, they are good." He pulled her down into his lap and placed a soft kiss on her neck. He sighed contentedly; he was so incredibly happy and he feared that his jovial mood would change over the Christmas holidays. Both he and Hermione were leaving Hogwarts tomorrow morning, (the Prefects that were staying for the holidays were taking on extra duties,) and he was nervous. Hermione was planning to end things with Ron over the break, but what if she changed her mind? He didn't know if he'd be able to handle that. As well, he was going to be away from her for a longer amount of time then he was used to. Not to mention the fact that he would have to return to the Manor to hear his father prattle on about Pansy Parkinson and taking over the family business. The thought alone made him sick. "We should have just both stayed for the holidays," he whispered into her hair.

"You know that I can't do that," she replied quietly. She was excited to spend time with her parents and Harry, but she was incredibly apprehensive about seeing Ron again. She really did not want to break his heart.

"I know." He sighed, this time in frustration, before kissing her neck again. "I love you."

Hermione smiled to herself. He hadn't said those three words since his first confession. Somehow, the fact that he hardly said it made it that much more special when he did. She knew that Draco did not like to show a lot of emotion unless it was passion. She turned her head and kissed him sweetly on the mouth. "I have to finish packing," she said as she hopped off of his lap.

Draco did not miss the fact that she hadn't said, 'I love you too.' He frowned to himself. Sometimes he felt as if Hermione had too much control over him. Her mind, her body, even her magic, everything about her drove him wild, and he had been growing frustrated and impatient as of late. The hold that she had on him was incredibly dangerous, especially when he was never one hundred percent certain if she returned, or even understood the high level of his feelings for her. He could reduce her to a quivering mess in his bed but she hadn't allowed anything physical between them since that first morning, day, and night. He smirked at the memory that they would hopefully build on in the near future.

"What are you smirking about?" She teased.

He laughed at being caught. "I'm thinking about you," he paused and stood, "naked in that bed," he finished as he glanced at her perfectly made bed.

She blushed furiously; sometimes it was a bad idea to ask Draco what was on his mind as it was usually about sex. "Knock it off," she spoke sternly.

He chuckled, "Are you getting angry with me? Because it's kind of turning me on."

She took a step backwards so that her four-poster bed was separating them. She could see the mischievous gleam in his eye. "Draco, I'm packing," she said warningly.

"I can see that," he grinned. "But there are better things that we can do with our time." He pulled his wand out of the pocket of his trousers and with one small flick all of the clothes that she had neatly piled on top of her dresser were perfectly situated in her trunk. "See," his grin widened. Hermione rolled her eyes. Draco grew up doing everything the "magical way"; of course he would take over her packing. "I just want a kiss," he pouted, "I won't even be able to see you over the holidays."

She sighed softly and instead of walking around to the bed to meet him she hopped up onto her mattress so that she towered over him. Though not as tall as Ron, Draco was tall and was currently eyelevel with her stomach. He pulled her towards him and lifted her into his arms. His large hands supported her thighs and she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He nipped at her bottom lip and smiled when she giggled. He hungrily captured her mouth and laid her gently down on her bed so that he could lie on top of her.

"You said that you just wanted a kiss," she laughed. She didn't have it in her to be irritated with him.

"You know that I always want more," he responded simply before moving his lips to her neck.

She caught the double meaning behind his words immediately. He wanted more from her physically and emotionally, and she wasn't sure if she was prepared to give him either. "Draco, you know that I care about you…so much," she said as she ran her hands down his shirt covered torso. "I just can't give you everything that you want right now and I thought that you understood that?"

He raised his head so that they were making eye contact. "I do," he groaned, "it's just frustrating when I'm use to getting what I want right away."

"I know that you were a spoiled child," she teased.

"I was an incredibly spoiled child," he agreed, "and when I wanted something I was given it."

"Well be patient," she advised as she ran a hand through his silky, blonde hair.

"I don't think that's a word in the Malfoy vocabulary," he grumbled.

She pulled him in for a passionate kiss and spoke after she broke away. "Well make it one." She lightly patted his cheek before pushing him off of her.

He rolled onto his back and grasped her hand. He brought it to his mouth and kissed her palm lovingly. "I will," he murmured. He kissed her hand again while inhaling the scent of her skin. "I'm going to go to my room and double check that I've packed everything. Come and see me before you go to bed please."

"I will," she smiled genuinely.

He kissed her hand one last time and she blushed at his moment of chivalry.


Hogwarts Express

Draco sighed as he sat down in an empty train chart. Hermione was with Ginny Weasley since they obviously could not be seen together in such a casual setting. It made him even more incredibly frustrated. Even if his wishes came true and Hermione broke up with the Weasel and came running into his arms, they wouldn't be able to act like a "normal" couple, like he wanted to, because she was the wizarding world's golden girl and he was Draco Malfoy. Very few people had been able to understand, and forgive, his actions during the war.

He exhaled loudly and rested his head against the cool glass of the window. Everything was simple when it was just the two of them in the privacy of one of their bedrooms. Last night she had visited him before she went to bed and it had lead to the most intimate and affectionate snogging session that he'd ever had. He couldn't stop thinking about her lips and the feel of her hands running through his hair and down his bare back.

Draco jumped slightly when the door to the train cart slid open. His pleasant thoughts had been interrupted. He raised his head and was relieved to see that it was Blaise.

"Good morning mate," Blaise smiled.

"Morning," Draco mumbled.

"Wow," Blaise chuckled, "you look like you're achieving quite a bit by brooding in here."

The corners of Draco's mouth twitched upwards into a smile. "Shut it Zabini," he laughed.

Blaise took a seat across from him. "What's going on?" He asked quietly. "You've been in a better mood since you started those Patronus lessons and broke up with Pansy." The dark haired boy paused for a moment and allowed all of the puzzle pieces that he had collected over the beginning of the school year piece together. "Those two things…aren't connected, are they?" His friend simply scowled at him. "Draco!" He scolded in a hushed tone. "You're skirt chasing Hermione!"

Draco shook his head furiously. "It's not like that Blaise. It's not a game," he whispered softly.

After a long moment Blaise spoke again. "Okay," he nodded, "I believe you." He had noticed so many changes in his best mate that he was unable not to believe something that he would have found absolutely absurd a year ago. Draco's words from his letters over the summer flashed through his mind.

I want to forget everything that I've ever known…

I see people in a different light now…

Sometimes I wish that I had been born on the other side…

I'd give anything not to be marked…

Draco was being sincere, he could tell.

The silent exchange of understanding that was being exchanged between Blaise and Draco was interrupted by the cart door being excitedly pulled open. "There you are!" Theodore Nott exclaimed.


"Will Ron be at the station?" Hermione asked nervously. She knew that they were nearing London now.

Ginny shook her head. "No, today is their last day of training before the holidays."

Hermione wasn't sure if she felt relieved or disappointed by Ginny's news. What she did know was that her hand was in the pocket of her jeans, under her robes, and she was holding the snitch that Draco had given her. She also knew that she missed him already. Some of her feelings were very clear while others were incredibly hazy.

Ginny mistook Hermione's faraway look as longing for Ron. "He's so excited to see you," she reassured. "But I'm sure that he's told you that."

And he had. He had written it in his last few letters. She nodded and forced a passable smile. "I'm excited to see everyone, it has been so long."

"It has," Ginny agreed.

Both girls changed out of their robes, with Hermione tucking the snitch safely away in one of its pockets, and waited for the train to come to a complete stop.

Hermione and Ginny saw that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were excitedly waiting for them. They stepped off of the train and were instantly enveloped in one of Mrs. Weasley's hugs. "Look at you two girls!"

"Young women, Molly," Mr. Weasley corrected with a chuckle.

As Mrs. Weasley let go of Ginny so that her father could greet her, she held Hermione for a second longer and whispered in her ear. "Ron has been bouncing off of the walls for the past week." She pulled back and tucked Hermione's wavy, brown hair behind her ears. "It's so nice to see you."

Hermione smiled because she was glad to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley since they had been like second parents to her since she started at Hogwarts. She subtly glanced down the platform to see Draco hugging his mother. She swallowed nervously and felt her whole body flush. Maybe getting away from him for a while would be a good thing. He dazzled her with his soft lips, perfectly sculpted body, and large, talented hands.

"Hermione, dear," she heard Mrs. Weasley say.

"Hmm? Sorry," she blushed. She knew that Mrs. Weasley had asked her a question but she hadn't caught her words.

"Where's your luggage dear?"

"Oh," Hermione blushed again. "This way."


"It's going to be so nice to have you home for the holidays," Narcissa crooned as she hugged her only child. "It'll be different this year," she added quietly.

"Where's father?" Draco asked curiously.

"He's working. Are you disappointed that just your old mother came to pick you up?" She teased.

"No mother," he laughed lightly.

"I have some last minute Christmas shopping to do in Diagon Alley; do you want to come with me or Apparate home?"

Draco thought for a moment. He knew that any form of shopping with his mother could drag on for hours but he did want to shop for a present for Hermione. "I'll come with you," he answered finally. Narcissa's eyes widened in surprise. Her son loathed shopping. "I need to…get something…for someone," he answered in response to her silent question.

A smile light up Narcissa's face upon Draco's words. "A Christmas gift for my future daughter-in-law, perhaps?" She questioned eagerly.

"Mother," he scolded quietly. He actually found himself embarrassed.

Narcissa wrapped an arm around her son's shoulders and began to lead him away from the platform. "Come on, tell me all about her."

A/N: Anyone else love Narcissa? Lol. Review and let me know! Happy holidays everyone! :)