Once again sorry about the wait. Genie has hit a roadblock in her writing life at the moment and is going through a lot of things. So I'm (Lera) putting this section up to let everyone know we're not dead. Genie will have her section up when she can, but please give her a break, things are tough right now. Thanks for everyone's support. I'm sorry about not responding to reviews and such as well I've been busy with college. I'll be getting to those as soon as I can.

WARNING!!! There is slight nudity...well yes they are but they're covered up at the same time. GAH!! You get what I mean. We don't talk about the actual sex. You got that in chapter 10, this one's fairly clean.

Disclaimer: Ownage of the characters there is not. JK Rowling is the shiznips!!! She created them and owns them. Woots to her!

Chapter Eleven: Level of Comfort

Draco

I stood up from the large bed, stretching my muscles. Looking back at Hermione's beautiful sleeping form illuminated by the silver moonlight streaming through the window, I leaned down and softly kissed her cheek. I quietly left the room, closing the door gently behind me.

I rubbed my hand down my face. 'I need a fag.'

Not bothering to turn on the lights I walked to the coffee table in the den. Opening my mother's music box, I reached in only to be blocked by a piece of parchment. 'Clever girl.' I smiled, pulling it out I picked up the cigarettes and my lighter with my other hand. I exited the cabin, walking out onto the smooth wooden porch in nothing but my boxers. The moon was almost full, hanging in the dark depths of a nearly starless sky.

I placed the cigarette between my lips and lit it up, the fire lighting my face for a mere moment before receiving a quick death with the click of the lighter closing. Opening the parchment I read what she wrote.

Such a kind and simple gesture
That of which you gave to me,
You gently touched my hidden heart,
When I thought you couldn't see

Holding the cig gently between my fingers I blew out a puff of smoke into the never ending heavens above. Leaning against the railing I contemplated what happened. 'I wasn't drunk last night. I know I wasn't. It takes a lot more than what I had to get me drunk. I knew exactly what I was doing. She was so beautiful and I just couldn't help myself.'

I leaned my head against the post and replayed the recent events through my mind. I felt my face drain of color and a sudden cold wash over me. 'SHIT! Damn it, she was a virgin. Shitshitshit! I should have pulled away. I should have asked! I shouldn't have done that. Son of a Bitch! What if she regrets it? What if she really was drunk and won't remember it? She'll wake up naked and sore, she'll figure it out easy. She's a smart girl and then, she'll blame me! She'll say that I convinced her to do it. She'll hate me again! She might even claim I raped her!! What the hell have I done? How could I be so stupid?' I slammed my fist down on the railing, getting a splinter in the process. I gritted against the pain. 'I don't even know if I'm the enemy or not! I have no Fucking clue what I'm doing with my life! Now I've possibly destroyed one chance I had at figuring out what I want from all of this!' I felt tears starting to form and one slipped down my cheek. I punched the post and felt a knuckle split as one caught the corner of the wood. I gripped the railing and let the tears run their course, refusing to make a sound.

Snuffing out the cigarette I had dropped in my temper, I gathered the things and walked back into the house. Heading for the kitchen, flicking on the light as I went, I put all the objects on the island, and shuffled through a drawer for a needle and some tweezers so I could dig out the splinter before it became infected. Finally I found them and opened the cabinet above to pull down a band-aid and the Hydrogen Peroxide so I could sterilize the needle and my knuckle.

Turning back to the island, I sat on a stool and before I could begin I noticed a pen next to the parchment. 'Talk about coincidences.' I stared at the pen a moment longer before picking it up and opening the parchment. I didn't know what I was going to write but I put the pen to the parchment anyways.

It was hard to put all my emotions into that one little stanza, but I had to. She'd never know any other way. Once I had finished I still needed to write for myself. Shuffling through drawers again I found a piece of paper and sat down to write once more.

Fairies play harps and Imps the fiddles
Make me dance along the narrow path
Singing in alien harmony
Wary step young one
We've played this game longer than you
If I could stop I would
Take back the steps I've made
Close my ears
Dance to a different tune

The words are there
But I can't seem to grasp them
What am I trying to say?
Emotions cannot be explained
Let the aching heart cry
As the dry brook lies
Beneath the withered weeping willow

It doesn't matter how I change the clock
I can't bottle time
To alter the past of stone
Forward on the narrow path, dancing (1)

I heard shuffling in the hallway and quickly folded the parchment once more, tossing it on the counter as if it had always been there and shoved the paper back in the drawer. I picked up the needle hastily and looked up just as Hermione rounded the corner. I felt a deep blush slowly creep across my face and my breath quicken with my beating heart as my wide eyes took in the awe inspiring spectacle before me.

She stood, clad in nothing but the deep crimson sheet from the bed scandalously wrapped around her plump cream colored chest and draping down to trail on the floor behind her, a slit where the sheet met itself once again revealed a dainty foot and gentle curve of her leg. She clutched at the sheet with long delicate fingers holding it, barely, in place. Her silky lush brown hair cascaded down across her shoulders, and fell in soft disheveled curls around her lightly blushed cheeks. She gently bit her lower lip, causing it to redden to a deeper rose color, as she stared vulnerably at me with deep brown eyes through her long lashes.

"Draco?" Her soft voice brought me out of my trance. "Your hurt."

The concern in her voice came as a surprise. It meant she still cared for me, after what had happened. The fact that she had come into the room stated that she wasn't repulsed by me. She didn't blame me for what happened. 'Then again…does she remember?'

"Um…Yeah. I accidentally got a splinter." I stumbled on the words, holding up my hand for her to see. Her brows furrowed and she crossed over to me, taking my hand gently and holding it in the light so she could get a better look.

She hissed in through her teeth, "That's a big one and it's in deep," then she turned my hand over noticing the bruised busted weeping knuckles "and that's going to get infected if not taken care of soon." She shook her head and motioned to the stool, taking the needle from me, sitting on the other stool across from me, the blanket slipping dangerously low allowing me a glance at the secrets it kept tucked away within its folds.

Suddenly I felt a sharp stab of pain in my right hand and looked over on the counter to see Hermione digging out the splinter with diligence. I glanced at her face, noting that her hair was tucked behind her ears. Her brows were furrowed in concentration and she bit at her lip again, concern and determination filled her eyes. As I watched her an idea formed in my mind on how to tell if she remembered last night, or at least wasn't bothered by it.

"Hermione," I leaned close to her, gently taking her chin in my left hand, turning her towards me. I stared deeply into her eyes, loosing myself to their infinite depths. "Thank you." I whispered, before taking her lips with mine, kissing her with tenderness. To my surprise, she kissed me back, just as tenderly with a hint of passion. I trailed my hand across her jaw line and down her neck, following back along her spine until I could wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her closer to me, deepening our kiss.

And in that moment of perfection, I realized my decision had been made. I knew which path I was going to end up taking all along. As the kiss broke, I glanced out the window in time to see the first rays of sunlight announcing a new day. I smiled. 'Coincidence indeed.'

(1) If you want to see the entire completed poem I have posted it. Trust me it's a LOT better! I've posted it as Midnight Hallucinations! Thanks!

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