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Chapter 21 -
"I can't believe this day is real," he said, holding her hands, palm side up, to his face. He kissed one palm, then the other. He released her left hand, but held tight to the right one. "Let's go up to the house, and get you my jacket, since you're cold." They walked back to the partygoers, who by now were dwindling in numbers. Mr. Weasley sat in a nearby chair, with his feet in another, snoring away loudly. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were cleaning up in the kitchen. Bill and his family had gone home. Charlie and George were stacking chairs, with magic, but of course, and Percy was carrying loads of food into the house.
"Looks like the party's over," Hermione said, solemnly.
"Yeah, it does," he agreed. He went over to the chair in which he placed his jacket when they first arrived at the house and he said, "Do you still need my jacket?"
"No, let's just go inside," she said.
Harry was inside, listening to the wireless. He had already changed out of his tuxedo, and was in jeans and a t-shirt. He saw the two pass through the kitchen, as they made their way to the living room. Draco threw his jacket over a footstool, and stood by the fireplace, feeling somewhat out of place. Harry patted the place by him, on the couch, and said, "Come, join me Hermione."
She looked over at Draco, awkward as he was, and said, "I think I'll go out to the front porch for a while, Draco, are you coming?" He picked up his jacket, and put it over her arms. He smiled and grabbed her hand. They walked out the front door, letting the screen door swing shut with a squeak and a bang.
Hermione leaned on the porch railing. He sat on the railing beside her. She moved so she was between his legs. He put his arms around her shoulders. She playfully acted as if she was going to push him off, so he playfully held her tight.
Once he righted himself, he pulled her close, and she hugged his chest. Words seemed useless, and not at all needed, as she rested her cheek next to his heart, and he kissed her hair. Seriously, had they only been 'close' to each other for a little over ten hours? It felt like a lifetime.
She shut her eyes, and refused to open them, in case he disappeared. He looked down at her face and said, "Are you sleepy?"
"Not at all," she answered.
"Really?"
"Okay, a bit." She opened her eyes and grinned. "I like your jacket. It smells like you."
"Are you saying I smell?" He grimaced, hopped off the railing, but kept her in his arms.
"I didn't say it was a bad smell." She lingered, sniffing the actual person. She shut her eyes once again, as he swayed back and forth with her. "You have many hidden qualities, which were only revealed to me today."
"Do tell," he said, pushing her from him slightly. This time, she moved so she was sitting on the railing. She held tight to his shoulders for support.
"Okay, for one thing, I didn't know you had such a wonderful sense of humour," she said.
"I'm a virtual comedian," he deadpanned.
She smiled and said, "Also, I didn't know you could be so thoughtful, and so charming."
Draco said, "I admit, those are two of my favourite qualities about myself."
"Then there's your humility," she joked.
"Humble to a fault," he said.
"You're good looking," she said.
"You should have always known that," he quipped.
"You're smart," she added.
"The sexiest part of a man is his mind," he said, choking on his own words. "Sorry, I almost couldn't get that one out with a straight face."
"You're helpful and kind," she said, softly.
"Those are easy things to be, to you at least," he said, bending his head slightly to capture her lips in a swift kiss. "What else, Hermione?"
She leaned forward, and rested her entire weight on his body. Her arms wrapped tight around his neck, as he pressed closer, so that her legs slightly parted, and his body rested against the wooden balustrade, and against her chest. Their cheeks touched. She could stay in the soft recesses of his embrace for the rest of her life. He asked again, "Is there anything else, Hermione?"
"This. Just this. Being close to you, held by you, embraced by you, and loved by you. I have never felt safer in my entire life, than I feel the moment your arms go around my body. You are the only reason I've made it through this day, Draco Malfoy, and I thank you, from the bottom of my heart." She moved her face away from his, to see his expression. He was not smiling. What did that mean?
She started to ask him, when his lips assaulted hers with a fury that she had yet to yield to all day. He kissed her with more passion than she knew existed. He entered her with his tongue, as his hands went to her mass of hair. Her hands went from his shoulders to his chest. His hands went from her hair, with one resting on her leg, and the other slipping inside his jacket, which she was still wearing. His hand sought for her breast, when the unthinkable happen…she started to slip off the porch railing. He was no longer supporting her weight, and neither was she, and as soon as his hands left her back, to come to her front, she lost balance, and began to slip. He caught the lapel of the jacket, just in time. He saved her from a nasty fall. They both laughed, at what might have been, and he put his hands around her waist, and set her feet on the floor.
"You're so clumsy," he accused.
"That was your fault." She slapped his chest.
"Not hardly," he retorted.
"If you hadn't tried to feel me up, then I wouldn't have almost fallen," she explained, walking back toward the front door.
"Feel you up?" he asked, with mock annoyance, "Seriously, I was checking my pockets to make sure you hadn't stolen my wallet."
She gave him a dirty look, but took his hand and led him back inside.
"Draco, dear, would you like George to find you something you can wear to sleep in?" Mrs. Wealsey asked.
"I sleep in the nude," Draco said, unabashed. Everyone snickered, except for Hermione, whose face turned red, and Mrs. Weasley, who blushed as well.
"Fine, well, Hermione, would you like Ginny to find you something, dear," Mrs. Weasley asked.
"Yes, that would be nice, I would like to get out of this dress," Hermione said.
"I would like her out of that dress," Draco said, leaning over to George. George laughed. Harry, who also heard, glared at Draco with daggers.
Hermione and Ginny walked upstairs. Ginny said, "You will be staying in my old room. Harry and I are sleeping on the pull out in the living room, and Charlie and George will be in Charlie and Bill's old room."
"Where will Draco be?" Hermione asked.
"Across the hall from you, in the twin's old room," Ginny said with a gleam, leading Hermione to her old bedroom.
"What about Ron's old room? Why doesn't someone stay there?" she asked.
"I don't know, this was how mum arranged it," Ginny said, handing Hermione a set of summer pajamas. They were yellow; cotton shorts and a camisole top, and they looked brand new.
Hermione said, "These are new."
"So?" Ginny said.
"I don't want your new pajamas," Hermione said.
"I think Draco will like them," Ginny said, with a twinkle.
"Ginny! Are you out of your mind? He won't see them?" she said to her friend.
"Sure he will, for you aren't going to bed yet, are you. Now, get dressed. The colour will look very pretty on you." Ginny started to leave the room.
"Ginny," Hermione called out. Ginny turned around. "I'll take the couch, please, and you and Harry take this room. That would be better. I don't sleep very well at night anyway. Please. Otherwise, I'll feel like an annoyance."
"Sure, Hermione, whatever you wish." Ginny smiled at her.
Hermione walked into the bathroom. When she opened the door, Draco stood there, sans shirt, with only his slacks on, washing his face.
"Oh," she said, resignedly.
"Do you need the bathroom?" he asked.
"What?" she asked, looking at his well defined chest, and broad shoulders. He WAS beautiful.
He grinned wickedly, and closed the door behind her. She was directly in front of him, and his arm brushed her arm as it shut the door. He said quietly, "I asked if you neededthe bathroom?"
Instead of answering, she said, "Why did you shut the door?"
He leaned down, soap still on his face, chest still as naked as ever, and kissed her cheek. He said, "I shut the door, so I could do that."
She put her hands on his chest, and pushed him away from her. She still had the yellow pajamas in her hand. He looked down at them, and looked back at her and said, "I bet that's a lovely colour on you."
"What?" she asked, shaking her head.
"Granger, are you going deaf on me?" He turned from her and continued to rinse the soap from his face. "Hand me that towel," he said. She handed him the towel. He patted his face dry, then handed it back. She stared unequivocally at him. He liked that she wanted him as much as he did her. He started to brush his teeth, deciding to let her think he was ignoring her. She soon turned to leave, opening the door. He came up behind her, and shut the door again. His breath was warm against her shoulder. His body was hard and lean against her back. He kissed her exposed neck, and bit her shoulder lightly.
He stopped for a mere moment, and put both hands on the door, beside her body. He leaned as close as he could, so the front of her body was pressed flushed against the door. She felt faint. He licked her neck, and bit her earlobe. She dropped the pajamas from her hand. Now her hands were flat on the door, next to his. "You should get ready for bed," he stated. He brought his hand up to the zipper on her back. She leaned her forehead on the cool grain of the door.
He let his fingers glide up the zipper first, before clasping the end, and sliding it down slowly, letting his thumb glide down her back, as he brought the zipper down so her dress was completely open in the back. Even though it stopped at the top of the elastic of her panties, his breathing was becoming shallow, at the thought of what rested below that, and what he would see when the dress fell away.
She still did not move, or say a word. He put one hand on the smooth skin of her lower back, bending his head to kiss her spine. His hand went up to her white lace bra. He slipped his index finger under the clasp, rubbing it back and forth under the elastic. Her knees felt weak. His hands glided up to her shoulders, and pushed the dress away from them slightly. She took a ragged breath and pushed herself away from the door. She turned around. The dress fell to the floor. He stared at her, and he had never seen her look more beautiful than she did before him, in only her bra and knickers. He started to touch her shoulder, when there was a bloody knock on the bathroom door.
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