They stood there pretending to be just friends when all the while everyone in the room could plainly see that they were only existing for each other.

The wedding was big, but that was to be expected. I mean it was two very rich and well known pureblood's getting married. The wedding was silver and white, which surprised me I was expecting green.

Draco had dressed up rather nicely, he had his face shaven, not by me he didn't trust me enough to do that, however he let me trim his hair so his hair was finally an even length and slicked back. His suit was solid black, including the undershirt and all that stood our was an emerald green tie that he wore that matched perfectly to the dress he had picked out for me to wear. I knew I didn't look as good as him, even though I had tried to tame my hair and actually did the small amount of makeup I knew how to do.

The wedding itself wasn't long, which I was thankful for. We had shown up late and sat in the back, so we were the last to show up and the first to leave. Minus the wedding party of course. I stayed as close to Draco as I possibly could, mostly because of the wondering eyes from all of the former Slytherins. However, I just had a gut feeling they weren't looking at me. Draco didn't seem to notice, or I am sure he noticed, he just was pretending he didn't care. Which he may not have. Pansy looked stunning of course, but Draco looked the best I had seen him since I started the job, which meant he looked outstanding.

They would have been a beautiful couple to be married. And I could tell Pansy knew that, just by the side glances I kept seeing her do towards Draco as he talked to old teammates and housemates. Later when the reception started we finally took our seats and speeches started, which I didn't listen to, I wasn't surprised to know Draco wasn't listening either, for he leaned over to me and kept telling me who everyone who spoke and people he would see walk by.

Eventually everyone wished the bride and groom the very best of luck and every one clapped, including Draco. Then the first dance started and the chatter started back up through the large magical tent we were inside of.

"Hermione, why don't you go get some punch." Draco said. He had a sweet look on his face, one I had never witnessed before, but it made me smile back and get to my feet.

"Do you want some?" I asked.

"No, you need some." He winked and then turned to his left and talked to the older woman who wore all green and black. She seemed to personally know Draco, I could tell just by how she smiled at him and hugged him before they even had conversation. I walked over to the punch bowl where a small crowd had gathered.

I kept my head down, I was brave. Very brave, but I was braver with the Slytherin's when Draco was around me. Now their attention was on me and the whispers were about me. I had gotten use to whispers about me though, so I tuned them out. I reached for the ladle in the punch bowl and poured myself, and Draco because I knew he would want something later, a cup. I turned around and directly behind me was the woman in all white.

She was radiant and her smile was as white as her dress.

"Hermione Granger."

"Hi, Pansy Zabini."

She smiled even more, "Has a ring to it doesn't it?"

"It's perfect." I lied.

"You here with Drake?" She asked.

"Yes. He wanted me to come with him."

She shook her head then, and slightly rolled her eyes, but in a very playful way. Then a man tall dark and handsome took the space beside her.

"Hello, Ms Granger."

"Hi, Blaise."

"Fancy you coming. Are you enjoying yourself?" He asked as he placed his hand on Pany's shoulders.

"Very much. Thank you for inviting Draco."

A sad smile crept into his, "Thank you for bringing him here. I know it isn't easy on him, he's still my best mate though and I'm so happy to see him here."

"Well, you'll be happy to know coming was all his idea."

"Was it?" Pansy asked.

"It sure was." I took of a sip of the punch.

Pansy looked up at Blaise and then back at me. "I'm going to go talk to him really quickly, Blaise care to join?" Pansy asked.

"Sure, darling."

They turned and I chugged down one of cups of punch fully. I had a bad feeling about this. I turned back around and filled my cup again. When I headed back to the table they were all three briefly talking. When I walked up I heard Pansy ask which gift was his and he nodded and said mirror.

She replied how much she loved the mirror.

He didn't get her a mirror.

He saw me and motioned for me to walk through Blaise and Pansy and take my seat beside him again, I did and started drinking my second cup. They stopped talking and Pansy looked sad for a split moment and then her white smile flashed again. "Well, enjoy yourselves. Enjoy the punch and the food and the music. Granger, your dress is beautiful."

I smiled back, "Thank you, Pansy. Draco picked it out."

"Of course," She looked down shyly. "Drake has the best taste in just about everything."

"Goodbye, Pansy. Enjoy your wedding." Draco said with a tone that ended any more conversation.

She turned and returned to Blaise. I drank the rest of my cup, "I thought she would never leave." I breathed a sigh of relieve.

"She has a way of hovering." Draco said and then turned back to the woman who had witnessed the whole thing.

"Draco you're doing so well. You look fantastic." She said. I looked up at her then and she met my eyes and gave a warm smile that made me think of chocolate chip cookies. I nodded and looked in my empty cup of punch. I hadn't offered Draco his cup yet, and he had said he didn't want one. Plus it was really sweet and when I'm anxious I like to sup and drink things. So, I reached for the other cup and started to sip on it slowly.

I tuned out what the pair of them talked about until I heard her telling him how well he was finally getting over his hump he had gotten stuck on. He was trying so hard and he was someone to be admired.

I agreed with her.

"Oh yeah?" Draco asked and looked back at me. Had I said that out loud?

"What?" I asked him.

"Granger, how many cups of punch have you had?"

"Enough to have to go the bathroom extremely badly." I also admitted.

"Oh dearie, the bathroom is right out there." The woman said and pointed to elegant gold doors.

"Wow…." I said as I stood up. When I stood my head suddenly felt light, I grabbed the back of Draco's chair to keep myself steady.

"Dearie, are you okay?"

"Granger, how many cups of punch have you had?" Draco asked and looked up at me the best he could.

"Um, I lost count after three to be honest."

A surprised look came on his face. "You do realize there's alcohol in there right?"

"Yeah." I lied. I had no idea, I hadn't even had the burn of alcohol.

"Granger, you're lying. You're looking all around."

"No." I said and continued to look around. "I have to go to the bathroom."

I sprinted off before he could say another word to me. Yes, I was drunk. And I could easily tell just by look in my eyes in the mirror.

"Shit." I whispered. There was no way I could get us back home drunk. And I knew Draco couldn't, he didn't have the energy to travel at night.

I had to tell him.

I felt like I was doing a walk of shame back to him. I stood between him and the woman, who later I found out was Theo Nott's mother.

"Draco." I said, he stopped talking but held the smile as he looked up at me.

"I'm drunk."

He laughed, I had never really heard such an effortless laugh. Certainly not from him. "Yeah, no shit, Granger. That punch has a ton of alcohol in it."

"Then why'd you tell me to drink it?"

"You were looking too stressed. Now sit down."

"I can't take you home."

He looked bored with me then, "Yes, I know. That's why I told you to drink it. I've already made us reservations at a quaint motel down the road."

"When-"

"Sit down. You're hovering."

"Sorry. Why did you want me to drink it though? I wasn't stressed, in fact I was very much at ease until you sent me over there alone to get punch."

He sighed, "Just drink, Granger. You were tense I could sense it, and now nothing would delight me more than you getting fucking wasted at Pansy and Blaise's wedding."

"Language Draco." Mrs. Nott said to him but smiled.

"Okay." I said before I walked back to the punch bowl to get two cups. I returned less than two minutes later. "If I drink, then you do too."

Draco reached for his cup without even arguing.

"You two are the cutest couple." Mrs. Nott said. I started to say we weren't a couple but Draco beat me to speaking.

"Aren't we?" Was what he said.

I slowly took a seat beside him and drank about four or five more cups until around ten when the slower songs started to play and the couples started to sway back and forth. It was just a few songs before I found myself swaying in my seat. Mrs. Nott and Draco had finally finished their conversation by this point in the night and she had wandered off to the other Slytherin house from our year.

I leaned over so I could whisper in his ear, "Let's dance."

"Granger," He moved away so he wouldn't have to whisper, "I don't know if you're too drunk to notice but I can't dance, not anymore."

"Nonsense." I said and jumped to my feet. He watched me get up and hold out my hand to him. He just stared at it, "Fine. You win." I admitted. I didn't take my seat though. Instead, I climbed into his lap before he could push me away.

"Granger, what are you doing?" He asked as I settled.

"We're going to go dance."

He sighed, and I thought he would protest more, but instead he moved his chair out towards the dance floor. Sitting here in his lap, I could fully smell him. I smelt his aftershave, and the scent of spearmint that I had smelt a few weeks ago. Before I was drunk with alcohol and his scent I opened my eyes to see everyone watching us go in circles in a chair on the dance floor.

The moment was perfect.

No one else in the world mattered to me, the eyes on us didn't matter to me, the rumors that would happen didn't matter to me. The words he had once spoken to me didn't matter to me, the hateful things were gone. Ron didn't matter to me anymore, none of my friends opinions mattered to me.

Everything that mattered to me was here in this moment, and it was Draco. And he let me sit in his lap and put my head in the crook of his neck.

Of course, I was drunk and I didn't know how well I could actually trust what I was thinking. It was-

"Almost like fourth year, huh?" I heard him whisper in my ear.

"No. This is so much better."

"Oh yeah? Do tell." He asked, I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Well," I leaned back and we continued to spin but all my focus was on him, "for one I'm not crying."

"Oh yeah, dear Ronald made you cry that night didn't he?"

"Don't act like you don't remember." I said and smiled at him, I knew he remembered. He probably remembered it just as clearly as I did.

"I don't, do remind me." He teased.

"Ron, the bastard, made me cry on the staircase at the yule ball. You found me, crying, picked on me about it and when I pushed you to get away from me, you grabbed my wrist. You said you were sorry that Ron ruined such a night. That girl's dream about it and he was a bloke for ruining it. Then, this was my favorite part, you guided me up a little bit into the shadows, you could still hear the music and you told me to shut up and if one guy would mess up the night, maybe one could fix it. You did fix it, but the next day you were cold to me again, and it never happened."

I had never told anyone that story. Sure, I had thought about it for years but never told a single soul.

"However, I don't want to compare the two." I continued and rested my head back where it had been.

"And why is that, Hermione?"

"Fourth year doesn't even compare to this."

We spin a few more times before I speak again, "I just want to forget everything and go away."

"Me too."

"I just want to go away with you. Somewhere just the two of us."

Silence falls between us. I knew my drunken self, who wasn't so drunk anymore, was just rambling. Even if I wasn't drunk now though, I could blame it on being drunk. My heart pounded though, because I remembered the last time I had brought up the idea of travel. It had ended with him saying I needed to leave.

Although, in this moment I could sense that the answer might be different.

But I got silence from him.

"I'm sor-"

"Okay." He whispered.

I sat up then. "What?" I couldn't hide the surprise anymore. I stared into his blue gray eyes as they stared back at me. Something was there I had never seen before, a guarded emotion that rarely showed its face.

I was captivated. I couldn't look away. "Right now." I said.

He nodded, the look never leaving, "Okay."

I could feel it in my entire being then. I wanted to kiss him again, a much better kiss than the one that had been a forgotten accident. One that he remembered, one I enjoyed. One we both mutually wanted to happen. I leaned in, never breaking eye contact with him. He seemed to sense what I wanted though because his expression changed. Suddenly his chair lurched forward and before I knew what was happening we were going full speed ahead off of the dance floor and out of the tent.

I laughed and giggled all the way to inn that was only about a mile down a paved road. I checked us in and got the one bedroom room that Draco had reserved ahead of time. When I heard it was one room though, I got butterflies in my stomach, that meant we would sleep in the same room together. Maybe even the same bed.

However, he had made the reservation so if he wasn't uncomfortable than I wouldn't be. Plus, he may have wanted me to stay in his room in case something happened. Although, only one sentence he had told me once kept playing in my head.

I didn't want to think about it though.

Maybe I was still a little drunk.

Although, I knew I hadn't been in a few hours.

He didn't have the energy to get himself out of his chair, so I would have to help him tonight. Which I didn't mind, he always helped the very best that he could. Once he was on his back and as comfortable as he could get I asked if he would need help with undressing to get more comfortable.

"Just wanting to undress me, Granger?" He smirked.

"No." I replied and hovered only a few inches from his face to reach down and start to undo his tie. He watched me intently, as I slowly unknotted the fabric. Once it was completely undone I looked back at his eyes, the same look was in them from the dance floor. Then I glanced down at his lips. I wasn't going to let him stop me this time, I wanted to feel those butterflies that had never fully gone away.

When I leaned in, he didn't stop me this time.

Our lips touched, and they were a lot softer this time than the last. He seemed hesitant at first, unsure of how I would react I'm sure. If I would pull back quickly, or if I would continue. I did the latter. He could have stopped me, but he didn't.

And then, he pushed back against my mouth with his. He wanted this as badly as I did. I could tell that now. I don't know how long he may have wanted this to happen, but did it matter? I had wanted it to happen for weeks if I was honest.

I reached up to grab his face then, slipping my hands into his gelled hair that had started to lose its style from the night. His forearms brought his hands to my arms and he squeezed. I imagined he hadn't even kissed someone sense Pansy left him. Which, with that thought made me lean in even more to him, he always deserved to be kissed like this, but whomever he wanted. He may have been a crippled ass at first, but once you got through that layer he was a gentlemen who would do anything to keep those close to him happy.

He had defended me against his past friends, he had stood his ground with me, fought Ron off for me, protected me even when I didn't know I needed to be protected.

Before I knew what I was fully doing, I felt my hands starting to unbutton his black undershirt. I helped him get it off and I could feel his hands starting to pull my shirt up, showing me he wanted my shirt off too.

I did what he wanted.

Things escalated from that point on. Before I knew it we were both in our underwear and I was straddling his hips. I had never wanted something so badly before. And once again the same sentence I had thought about at the front desk came to my mind.

He could have sex.

But no one wants to shag a crippled man.

Well, Draco Malfoy, I, Hermione Granger, was about to prove you very wrong.

I quickened up the kiss and started to do what I thought I was suppose to, I mean I had only done this with Ron ever, so where I wasn't a virgin, I wasn't exactly skilled. Draco must have sensed my intentions rather early, but he hadn't stopped me, not until now when it was actually about to happen.

He made me look at him, straight in his almost black eyes. "You're not too drunk are you?" He whispered.

"I'm not drunk anymore, Draco." I leaned back in to continue, but he stopped me again.

"You don't have to, I'll understand. I-"

"I want to. I'm not someone who sleeps around." I said and leaned up to where I felt something rather hard against me. "It seems like you want to, too."

He didn't respond to me, but looked blank. He was hiding his emotions, which he hardly ever did nowadays. Mostly because his emotion was angry, annoyed, or civil.

"Draco…." I whispered.

"I just don't want you to feel obligated. I can't do much, Granger."

"I know." I said and started to kiss his neck. "I don't care."

He didn't stop me again.

Hey! Thanks for the read, I'm sorry if you wanted details or anything over what happened next, but I just can't write those things for some reason. It gets jumbled and makes no sense at some points. So, I'm just going to leave your mind to make up how their night goes from there.

Don't forget to REVIEW please.

Also, there's a poll on my profile! I have some new ideas for other stories and would LOVE if you would help me deicide which one to start planning first.

Since this one is coming to a close soon. Only a couple chapters left

Sad I know, but thank you to everyone who has stood by this story.

Love you all!