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Chapter 20 -

Draco was leading Hermione off the dance floor, to places unknown, when she literally skidded to a halt. He turned, still pulling her arm, and said, "Come on!"

She was laughing and said, "Where are we going?"

"I don't care, just as long as I can get my groove on," he said, laughing as well.

"What the hell?" she said. She bent over and laughed harder than she had all day.

He was giddy as well. "Fine, anywhere were we can go to 'Funky town'."

She now had fallen over to a nearby chair, and was laughing so hard she was wheezing. He was trying hard not to laugh, but her laughter was contagious. He kneeled down beside her chair, and put his arms on her knees. She said, "I have laughed more today than I have in ages."

"You and I having sex is really not a laughing matter," he said, smiling at her. He tickled the underside of her knee, and she kicked at him, knocking him over. She reached down for his hand, but he refused to take it. He sat on the ground and said, "No dignity, I swear."

Bill Weasley walked by and asked, "How much have you two had to drink today?"

Hermione shook her head, held up three fingers and said, "Four drinks." She was playing around, and Draco for one thought she was hilarious, so he laughed at her little joke.

She bent her head down to look at Draco and said, "How much have you had, Donald?"

Playing along, he said, "Not very many, whatever your name is. Now, would you stop this damn ride from spinning? I want to get off now." She laughed so hard she snorted.

"Mum," Bill yelled, "You're right." He walked away.

Draco pulled Hermione off the chair, onto the ground next to him and she said, "I wonder what she was right about?"

"Maybe they were taking bets how long it would take for us to have sex?" Draco said.

"Malfoy," Hermione chastised. "Remember our conversation from earlier? NO SEX! Just making love."

He thought she was so sweet. He touched her face with his index finger and said, "Of course. Now, let's go have sex." He pulled her over and she landed on top of him.

Harry walked up to the pair and said, "What are you two doing on the ground?"

"Having sex, Potter," Draco said.

"For goodness sakes," Hermione said, slapping Draco's chest. She struggled to stand, as he was still groping her. She kept slapping his hands, and he started slapping hers as well. Harry finally reached down and helped her up.

"Mrs. Weasley told me to tell you both that you must spend the night, for she doesn't want you apparating home, drunk," Harry said. Draco finally stood beside them.

"Harry," Hermione chastised, "We aren't drunk. We were just acting silly, and pulling Bill's leg."

"Tell the truth," Draco said, "We are drunk, Potter. We are drunk on love." He laughed again.

Hermione gave him a strange look and added, "Okay, maybe he is drunk, but I'm not, seriously. I don't need to stay the night."

"Yeah, Potter, we aren't spending the night," Draco said, putting his arm around Hermione and kissing her cheek.

"Whatever, Malfoy. You may leave if you wish. If you split yourself to pieces disapparating while drunk, then so be it, but Hermione's spending the night," Harry decided. He turned to Hermione and said, "There's plenty of room, and we're all getting up early tomorrow, having a big breakfast, and a fun game of Quidditch, just like old times. It'll be fun. There's tons of room, so just don't argue. You are spending the night." Harry kissed her cheek and went back over to the large table.

Hermione sat back down on the chair and said, "Well, your antics are to blame, Malfoy. No sex for you tonight, because I have to spend the night here."

"NOOOO!" he whined. She smiled. He sat on her lap. She grimaced, but put her arms around his waist. "Then, I shall stay as well."

"Whatever you want, Malfoy, but we can't do anything in this house, okay. Anyway, I think maybe you did have too much to drink," she said.

He looked down at her and said, "I told you, I'm drunk on love."

"No, you're fat. Get off my lap, please," she said.

He put his arms around her neck and said, "I'm not fat, Granger."

"You're pleasantly plump," she smiled. He got off her lap and pulled her up from her chair. "I would like it if you did stay tonight, though. It will be fun. Maybe we could spend the whole night talking."

He scowled and said, "I've talked to you enough today. I want some quality snogging time, at least, if I don't get sex."

"If I promise you I'll snog a while, will you spend the night with me tonight, here, at the Weasley's, but just talking, and maybe falling asleep in each other's arms?" She suddenly felt embarrassed, so she looked down at the ground.

He came up to her, took her hands, and said, "What a capital idea. Why didn't we think of it before? I would love to spend the night with you, talking, and holding you tight, all night long." He bent his head, to look into her downcast eyes. "Is that a plan?"

She looked up and said, "A wonderful plan. The best plan ever."

"No, the best plan ever would be to have sex, but this will be the second best plan," he revised. He took her hand and started walking with her toward a rope swing, which was on a tree, out in the back garden. "Let's go have fun, Hermione, while the night's still young."

"It must be after 11pm, so the night is old, and I don't swing that way, Malfoy," she joked, pointing to the swing. He continued walking her toward the swing, and sat down. He pulled her to sit as well, on his lap. "I don't think this old swing will hold us both. The ropes look pretty frayed, and the board is pretty weathered," she said. He ignored her and they started swinging. "Seriously, Malfoy, you already had burrs in your bum tonight, do you want splinters from the board as well?" He didn't respond with words, he merely swung them higher. She put her hand on the rope above his. He had to lean back farther than normal, so she wouldn't slide off.

He whispered in her ear, "How high shall we go, Granger?"

"As high as you dare," she said, breathing hard. He slowed the swing down, to a complete halt.

"That's not fun," she said, turning her head to look at him.

"This is as high as a dare, with you. I don't ever want to do anything to hurt you, physically or otherwise. I won't take chances with you. I'm playing it safe, from now on," he said, quite seriously.

"Where's the fun in that?" she said.

"Oh, I plan to have plenty of fun with you, don't you worry," he said. He put his arms tight around her waist, and kissed her ear. He said softly, "I won't risk losing you, Granger."

"I'm glad," she said, no longer looking at him. He started walking the swing forward and backwards, just minuscule movements, as he continued to kiss her neck, moving his lips to her collarbone, and her shoulder. He reached his hand up across her chest, and held her neck, pushing her face back to him, so that her head lay back on his shoulder. He kissed her cheek, and then her mouth. "That's nice," she said, when he removed his mouth.

"I thought so," he said smoothly.

She moved slightly on his lap, so she could look at him better, and as soon as she turned, the ropes on the swing gave away, and they both came down on the cold, hard ground with a resounding thud.

Silence ensued for a second, and then Draco started to laugh, and Hermione, though shocked as she was, joined in.

"I told you that you were fat," Hermione said, trying to get off him. He was on his back, and she had turned to face him. She placed her hands on each side, and pressed upward to try to stand. He put his arms on her back, so she couldn't move.

"Where are you going?" He grinned.

"I'm starting to get chilly," she said. "I want to go borrow a sweater from Mrs. Weasley."

He said, "Absolutely not. I refuse to hug you in an old lady sweater." She hit his chest, and made to get off him, accidentally kneeing his groin on her way to standing.

"OWW!" he exclaimed, holding his crotch.

Hermione kneeled back to the ground and said, "Oh goodness, I'm so sorry. Did that hurt?" She reached down to remove his hands.

"Watch your hands, Granger! And, yes, that hurt," he said, smacking her hands away with one of his, the other still holding his damaged goods. She winced and mouthed, 'sorry'. He said, "I already told you that I was up for just snogging and cuddling tonight. You didn't have to put me out of commission altogether."

He sat up, still protecting himself, and she asked, "Do you need some ice?"

He said, "Maybe if you just massage it for a while, it will come around."

She giggled and said, "I'm sure it would. No dice, though, Malfoy, just ice." She started to stand up to get some ice but he stopped her, by grabbing her wrist. She sat back down beside him.

"You might have permanently damaged me, Granger," he whined. She took her wrist from his hand and touched his hair.

She leaned over and kissed his lips and said, "There, does that make you feel better?"

He smirked and said, "I thought you were supposed to kiss the injured body part." He smiled widely.

"Old wife's tale," she said. She stroked his hair again and said, "You have the softest hair."

"You have the prettiest eyes," he said back, suddenly recovered. He touched her face.

"You're the one with the pretty eyes. They're an amazing shade of grey. I've never seen another person with your colour of eyes," she said back, settling down next to him. Their positions on the ground were such that they were facing each other, with their legs pointed in opposite directions. They were quite close, and unconscious of the fact that they each were tentatively touching the other, here, there, and everywhere.

"You have an amazing mouth. Soft, smooth, and very kissable," he said, leaning over to demonstrate, he kissed her softly, and quickly.

"You have an incredible smile," she said. She outlined his lips. "Even in the darkness of the night, your smile is bright and booming."

"How about your beautiful face?" he asked. He took his finger, slowly tracing it from one temple, across her forehead, to the other temple, down to her chin. He kissed her chin.

"Speaking of beautiful, you are the most beautiful man I've ever seen," she said sincerely. He smiled at her.

"Are men beautiful?" he asked.

"You are," she responded. She put both hands on his face, and kissed his right cheek, then his left, then his mouth.

He took her hands from his face, and held them in his. He looked at her hands, palm side up and said, "I can't believe this day is real."

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