Several hours later at Hermione's childhood home, Draco was so thankful that the Weasley army had shrunk in half and he almost sobbed in relief, much to Hermione's amusement. Draco made polite conversation with Harry and Ginny even if it was very awkward. Ron had left early, but only to get Fay and bring her back with him. Besides this, Hermione kept to Draco's side and he escaped outside of the house, to the garden, in case any Weasley approached her.

Much to his surprise, it was quite easy to avoid them. Hermione revealed to him that they had been wanting to meet her 'mystery man' as one particular George Weasley had dubbed him. She and Draco agreed that they would pass off as 'just friends', seeing that now wasn't the time to reveal anything. The people who really mattered already knew, so why go through so much trouble again? At least, to Draco.

The hours seemed to pass by as if in slow motion. Hermione was too emotionally drained to socialize and she found herself in the garden with Draco, sitting on porch steps from the back kitchen. There was nothing to see in her mother's garden except for a tire wing on the maple tree, a wall that barricaded their property from the neighbor framed by rose bushes, a few garden tools scattered about.

Draco had his arm wrapped around her while her head rested comfortably on his shoulder.

"I never got to tell you what happened to me the other day," Draco said, breaking the companionable silence between the two of them. "It was so eventful."

"Tell me."

"Vera quit so she can have sex with me," he revealed in an off-handed tone, as if he was saying something about the weather.

"What?" she hissed as she straightened and faced him, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Wait, wait," he said in between chuckles, taking hold of her shoulders. "Don't be so hasty. I told her to go away, but she said a lot of things I can't remember now, eventually she told me that her family associated with mine and before I ran away from home, she was always present at the parties my parents threw. She tried to make me notice her, but only because she wanted to steal something of Astoria's."

"Oh..." Her shoulders slumped. "Were you Astoria's?"

Draco chuckled again and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "No. Not really."

"So Vera... I thought no one from your past knew of your whereabouts. How did she find you?"

"She's a resident of Little Starling and I used to walk around a lot, so I assume that's how she saw me. Eventually she applied for a position in my company... anyway, that fateful day in my office, she sent a note to Astoria to floo into my office, thinking by the time Astoria gets there, Vera and I are apparently - her words, not mine - fucking. She hadn't anticipated that I would refuse her second offer."

"There was a first one?"

"Uh... yeah," Draco muttered uncertainly at her sharp tone. "I threatened to fire her, but I gave her a second chance."

"Hmm," Hermione murmured. "Lisa had all along suspected that Vera knew who you really were." She chuckled as she recalled the day when Lisa was pissed at her when she just laughed. "She'll be thrilled to learn that Vera's gone."

"What about you?" He lifted her hand to his mouth to nibble at her fingers. "Are you glad she's gone? I used her that night of the party, you know, to see if you'll be jealous... but instead, you were having fun with Gavin."

"I was a little jealous," she confessed in a small voice. "But I was more upset with you because of your ill treatment of me. I merely used Gavin as a distraction."

"I'm pleased to know that."

"Course you are," she replied with a roll of her eyes. "I thought Vera was your girlfriend and the argument we had before the party, you told me you were trying to do the 'honorable thing' so I assumed that was because you were with someone else already."

"I was referring to the fact that Dane Mackenzie was merely a farce and if you knew I was Draco Malfoy, you were going to freak the bloody hell out. I also didn't think you would appreciate being deceived."

"You're right, I definitely wouldn't. And I do think that things are so much better now, don't you?"

"Definitely."

"Sorry about that episode with Ron earlier. He can be a git sometimes."

"It's nothing I didn't expect. Actually, I expected much worse."

"He wouldn't dare. Not at my father's funeral..."

Draco smiled when he suddenly remembered something. "Potter said you told them I make you happy. Do I really?"

"Very much."

"Good." Pleased with this revelation, he cupped her cheek and turned her to face him fully before he leaned in to catch her lips in a long and lingering kiss. "You told me your secret this morning," he said when they pulled apart. "I won't let you push me away, Granger, not anytime soon. You'll have a dirty fight on your hands."

"I don't want to push you away," she whispered back sadly. "But..."

"No buts," he interrupted firmly. "Just let things alone."

She fell into silence, trying to find the words to tell how she felt - but she didn't know exactly what she was feeling - therefore she didn't was unable to say anything.

Did she love him?

Yes, she realized. But for how long?

How do I know this isn't some hole-in-the-end relationship, just like her previous relationship with Ron? How do I know if this thing with Draco would last?

She sighed. "I have to stay here with my mother," she told him quietly.

"I know. I hope you won't hate me when I tell you this," he responded reluctantly. "I asked Potter to connect your fireplace to mine, the one in my office."

Hermione gave a start. "I don't know what to say."

"I did it for you. If you ever need me, come to me. I'll be there... or I'll come to you. Whichever you want."

She nodded, touched by his thoughtfulness. "Do you think you'll be having an attack tonight or at least a nightmare?" she asked. "Seeing the Weasleys and Ron referring to your being a Death Eater..."

"I think so... not unless you're with me."

"Stay with me here tonight then," she whispered. "Don't go back to Little Dunwoodie. Not yet."

"But your mother..."

"She won't mind... and we don't have to do anything tonight. I'll be here for you and you'll be here for me." She smiled. "It's win-win situation, Malfoy, you can't refuse that."

"You're right, I can't," he sighed exaggeratedly. "If I really have to do."

She laughed and kissed him sweetly on the cheek. Since when had she become so affectionate? Truly, she wasn't like this with him normally. "You know you want it."

"Oh, I want it," he growled softly.

"I didn't mean that." She rolled her eyes. "But of course, what else would I expect from an oversexed fiend?"

He smirked. "Exactly... d'you think we should go back inside? Your mother might be worried."

"I love how you always think about my mother," she admitted softly. "But you're right, they'll be probably looking for us and Ron's bound to be back with Fay any minute. I can't wait to meet her again."

"Who?"

"Ron's new girlfriend... she's an old Gryffindor classmate. They bumped into each other at a Quidditch game not long after I left London and they hit it off."

"Like how you and I hit it off?"

"Did you hit your head or something? We didn't hit it off, you buffoon, we were arguing the minute we first spoke to each other. Not to mention you ran away."

"Oh yeah... and you don't mind that he's with someone else now?"

"Of course not," she said indignantly. "Why does everyone assume that?" She shook her head firmly. "I already have you... I mean, I am very pleased with our arrangements," she said repeating his words from a little over three weeks ago with a mischievous smirk on her face. "And I wouldn't trade anything or anyone else for it."

"Bitch," he murmured teasingly, smiling to let her know that he didn't really mean it.

"But I'm not a bitch," she muttered, her eyes wide and innocent this time. "I'm just really annoying and high strung sometimes, but I'm not a bitch."

"How the hell do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Remember the things I said to you before. Word per word!"

She shrugged dismissively as she stood up from her place on the step and offering her hand to him which he grasped quickly without hesitation. "Get up, my oversexed fiend and let's face the music."

Hermione felt better in Draco's presence. Although the knowledge of her father gone never left her mind, Draco would keep her from crumbling on a ground.

She was still feeling guilty with the fact that for the past few years she never took the time to spend more time with them. She was always either busy at the Ministry or with Ron and the other Weasleys. She had taken her parents for granted and now, her father was gone and she never even had the chance to tell him that she loved him... and the last time she even acknowledged him was the time when her father complained that she never had time for them anymore and she retorted with 'my job is very hectic, Dad' and they left it at that.

As she thought about it, her pain lay heavily in her heart, but Draco's reassuring gaze kept her going throughout the evening. He did a disappearing act on her though whenever a Weasley was nearby and she wouldn't see him for at least half an hour.

Funny how one would think that Draco Malfoy would choose to converse with her muggle relatives instead of a wizard family even if they were the Weasleys.

Hermione made excuses for him when George had asked, "why does your mystery man keep running off every time I come around?" she had snorted and said, "no, George, my relatives are fascinated with him and therefore hogging all of his attention. You'll meet him later."

It was true though, what she had said. Her aunt, Lucy Berkley, had taken a liking to him as well as her twin cousins who were a few years younger than her, Claudine and Christine. Their feeble attempts at flirting with him had him weary though, and when she noticed, she laughed at him to which he responded with a scowl.

Hermione's mother had hinted at her that she liked her choice of man... but why did the name seemed familiar? Hermione told her that she would tell her later.

Hermione found herself near the table where the desserts held and Draco cornered her there. "Take me away from your cousins, please," he said as he snatched a piece of brownie from the table and stuffed it in his mouth.

"Oh, I don't know," she said teasingly, snatching a piece of brownie as well. "You seem to be enjoying their company."

"They're annoying."

"They're my cousins."

"So?" She rolled her eyes and grabbed another brownie, but Draco snatched it from her. She responded with a scowl. "Stay with me, Granger."

"I don't think so, Malfoy. I thought you want to avoid the Weasleys? Bill, George, Ron, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are fussing all over me. They won't even leave me alone for three minutes."

"I don't care anymore," he muttered. "Tell them it's me then."

"Real- "

"Finally," George Weasley exclaimed from behind her. She turned around slowly to face him and so did Draco. Both were looking at the old man with wide eyes. "Think I haven't been noticing? I already know you're Malfoy." He rolled his eyes as the pair gaped at him. "You two are making a way big deal out of this."

"Out of what?" Draco asked.

"That Hermione is going out with you, Malfoy."

"This is getting old," Hermione sighed. "You're right, but given the history- "

"Everyone has a history. You gotta give the people some credit," George interrupted, "Nine years had passed. Things aren't the same. Stop hiding, you bloody cowards." And then he walked off, leaving Hermione and Draco staring after him in astonishment.

"Wow," Draco muttered dryly while shaking his head.

"You can say that again," Hermione said and she laughed for a few moments. "George is the gentler twin and he was always the sensible one between the two. He changed drastically when Fred died. He had withdrawn for a time, which scared the entire family, but they backed away, not knowing how to handle him."

"You like him, don't you?"

"Yes," she admitted softly. "We've grown closer when we see each other frequently at their joke shop in Diagon Alley, since Ron decided to work there with him. Everyone insists that I had helped him come to terms with Fred's death, not that I agree fully. I was merely doing the best I can, repeating what my therapist had told me. Now... he's married to Angelina and they have a son named after his lost twin, Fred."

"Hmm," he murmured. "Good thing you told me he's married and with a kid, or else I'd be kicking his ginger arse in about five seconds more."

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed another piece of brownie from the table.

He grabbed it from her and quickly devoured it in one bite.

"Stop taking my food," she complained and then she elbowed him on the ribs hard.

"Ow," he whined. "Damn it, Granger."

She ignored him and grabbed another brownie. Before he could attempt to steal it again from her, she walked away from him but he trailed after her lazily. He caught up to her in the hallway that led to the living room where the others were gathered. He stopped her before she entered by catching her arm.

"The ginger arse is right, Hermione," he said when she turned to face him. "We are probably making way too a big deal out of things. I'll stay by your side the rest of the evening."

"You just want to avoid my cousins," she accused.

"That too," he replied with a smile.

"Fine."

That earned her a kiss.

He winced and pulled away when they heard a throat clear from behind them. Thinking it was her mother, he turned with a ready apologetic smile on his face, but disappeared as soon as he caught sight of Weasel and an unknown woman.

He scowled. "Oh. It's you."

Ron glared at him and turned to a blushing Hermione. "Hermione, Fay wants to say hello."

Fay Dunbar's boyish figure softened considerably since their Hogwarts days. She looked pretty even, with her light brown hair let loose and a bit of makeup adorned her face. She looked a little weary, quite unsure if she was welcome. Hermione smiled welcomingly at her. "Hello Fay," she greeted softly.

"Hermione," the other woman said in relief. "I'm sorry for your loss."

She nodded. "It was quite unexpected." She fell into silence unsure of what to say next. She turned to look at Draco to find him looking at her worriedly. She smiled at him before she turned back to Fay. "Fay, you remember Draco Malfoy, don't you?"

Fay's blue eyes widened before her expression turned into unmasked distaste as she looked at him. "Of course, I do," she said sneeringly.

Draco pursed his lips. "Can't say the same for her though," he said bitingly to Hermione.

"Fay Dunbar," she supplied with a sigh. "Gryffindor from our year."

"Can't recall. Sorry."

Ron glowered at Draco but smartly didn't say anything. Fay glared at him. "How come you're with him, Hermione? Surely you can do so much better."

"Now I know why you and the Weasel get along so well," Draco sneered. "You have the same irksome disposition. Now run along and stop bothering Hermione at this time in her life. She could do well without your hypocrisies and judgments at this time. You call yourselves her friends," he spat out with a fixed glare at Ron.

Hermione first reaction was jump to Ron and Fay's defense, but she had to stop and think about what he just said. He's right, she thought in shock, he was just defending me. It was Fay who threw the first punch after all.

Blood rushed to Ron's face - even his ears turned red. "How dare you," he said through clenched teeth.

"Stop it, Ronald," Hermione said quietly, turning partially away from him to face Draco. "He's right. I don't need any one of your tantrums right now... and Fay, you were deliberately wicked earlier with Draco while he didn't say anything to you." Her tone was low as if she didn't have the strength anymore and Draco seemed to notice as he placed his arm around her waist. "My father died yesterday afternoon and he's now buried six feet under the ground. I can't do this right now."

"Go," Draco barked at Ron and Fay.

They hesitated, feeling quite ashamed of themselves as they saw Hermione tremble in Draco's arms. Ron feeling worse, considering the fact that he was her ex-boyfriend and fiancé, and he was the one to put her in such a state. Now she was in the arms of another, Draco Malfoy, one of his most hated people, in fact.

"Go," Draco barked again when he felt her shudder in his arms.

Ron threw one last glare at him before he urged Fay away by wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Draco fumed in silence as he watched them away. He really didn't like Ron Weasley and he felt a strong urge to hit him with his favorite muggle building tool - the sledgehammer - in the face. He thought that Fay Dunbar wasn't also an engaging character. She was quite contentious from the beginning and he really was telling the truth when he said he didn't remember her. Her looks were passing, there was nothing extraordinary about her that would make her unforgettable.

He turned his attention back to the woman in his arms. Now this woman is unforgettable, he thought to himself. "Hey," he said softly. "Come on, let's go back to the garden."

"No," she said, the single word muffled by the material of his chest. "I'm fine. I can handle their arguments usually, but not today. I'm physically tired and emotionally drained."

"I could hex these halfwits," he offered.

She shook her head frantically.

"Fine," he relented with a chuckle. "I really don't like the Weasel or that poor excuse of a woman with him."

"I don't like them right now either," she said sadly. She took a deep breath before she straightened in his arms. "I have got to stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Falling into your arms."

"Oh, I don't really mind."

"But I do," she said indignantly. "I feel horribly helpless. It's a feeling I'm not quite used to."

"It's alright to feel like that sometimes, you know," he assured her softly. "You don't always have to be strong. I've got you." His lips quirked in a smile. "Every time you feel like falling, I'll catch you."

Oh, Merlin, another bomb. Pink tinted her cheeks and she smiled up at him. "I'll do that."

"You make sure you do."

She laughed softly. "Thank you for being here with me. I really don't know what would have happened to me without your presence here today."

"You don't have to thank me, Hermione. You would have done the same thing for me, wouldn't you?"

"Yes..." she said slowly. "I definitely would have."

He smiled down at her. "It's past nine in the evening, just an hour or so and everyone will be gone. Can you wait?"

She snorted. "S'not like I have a choice."

They shared a secret smile and they went back inside the living room, but deliberately avoiding the other people this time. They sat down on one end of the long couch in front of the lit fireplace while the others milled about the front yard, the living room and the dining room. Thankfully, the others stayed away and were only interrupted by Harry and Ginny who were the only people who seemed to be in both Hermione's and Draco's good graces.

Two and a half hours later, they were lying side by side quite uncomfortably in Hermione's twin-sized bed, but they didn't seem to mind the lack of moving space. Her mother was now sleeping at the other end of the hall - the guest room - because she couldn't take sleeping alone in her marriage bed without her husband.

"Asleep?" Draco whispered in the dark.

"No."

He sighed and leaned over the other side to switch on a lamp. He hovered over her, because there wasn't much room in the bed to accommodate the two of them comfortably. "Try."

She shook her head. After a moment, she took his face in her hands and pushed his head towards hers. She kissed him languidly, wrapping her arms around his neck to bring his body down on hers. He tangled one hand in her hair while the other went automatically to her chest where he started to massage her breast.

She moaned and their kiss turned fierce, their tongues dancing intimately in erotic movement. She urged him to pull off his shirt and he obliged quickly, before ridding her of shirt as well, followed swiftly by her bra. He captured her lips again in a deep kiss before he trailed openmouthed kisses to her neck, the valley between her breasts, before lavishing attention on both of her breasts, using his hands to plump each one as he kissed them. She cried out when he flicked his tongue against her nipple before he sucked hard and then doing the same thing to the other one.

He moved back up to kiss her on the lips again and she greedily kissed him back, sucking on his bottom lip, biting it, drawing blood, tasting it. He groaned before pulling away to trail his lips down her body, pausing briefly on her breasts and resuming down her navel, making a detour on her hip bones.

Her breath hitched when he leaned up and pushed down her pajama shorts along with her panties. His eyes steady on hers as he threw away her clothing aside. He lifted her legs over his shoulders. He kissed his way from her knees, down the inside of her thighs before he reached his destination.

She gasped when she felt his tongue. Never done this before. She wanted to tell him to stop, but she couldn't, not unless she wanted to die. All she could do was hold onto the pillow that was on either side of her head. He was relentless on his onslaught on her senses. She couldn't even produce a coherent thought. All she could focus was him, his mouth and his tongue and she felt like dying if she didn't have him inside of her soon.

But right now, he could keep up with what he was doing.

Her hips lifted off the bed and she felt a little ashamed, but to her surprise, he clutched her hips and pressed his face more firmly against her. He hummed. Her eyes rolled at the back of her head at the vibration. She thought she was falling, that was until she felt two of his fingers enter her, creating a steady rhythm.

She let out a high pitch moan as she let go, her body convulsing. His mouth continued its task until she was finished.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He responded with a throaty laugh, as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Ready for another one?" he teased as he settled himself between her thighs.

"Oh my," she whispered in a frenzy when he entered her, gliding in smoothly. He smirked at her and carefully maneuvered them on the bed, so he was lying on the bed and she was on top of him.

He groaned low in his throat. "You set the pace, love."

She braced herself against his chest. She cried out when he unexpectedly slammed his hip up against hers. "Oh, that's good," she groaned before she caught his lips in a searing kiss as she moved her hips in a slow, unhurried rhythm.

He pulled away from the kiss long enough to say with low groan, "What are you doing to me?"

"The same thing you're doing to me."

His hands took hold of her hips and he met her thrusts with hard strokes of his own. Soon, she followed his rhythm until it grew into frenzied thrusts. Their lips once again collided and they ate each other's shouts and cries of pleasure as she climaxed, her back arching. He savored the feel of her muscles clenching him before he let go as well.

She came down on his chest gently, her face buried in his neck and her hands clutching him.

It took him a moment before he realized that she was crying.

He felt her hot tears sliding down his neck, mixing with sweat. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Let it all out, love," he whispered, but he wasn't sure if she heard over her loud uncontrollable sobs. "I've got you."