Hermione's first reaction to Draco's confession was to really wrap her arms around him and kiss him until he forgot his worries, but she figured that he had wallowed too long in self-pity and that he needed a little but stern push instead. He really was a better person than he let on, than anyone let on, and in reality, ever since he was a little boy, he was just hiding his insecurities behind a spiteful persona. Even then, Hermione thought he had potential, but he was too consumed with his pride and prejudice.

But that episode was behind them now and he walked taller and straighter after she told him off and this observation had made her a little proud of herself as well. She knew there's nothing she would want to change about Draco Malfoy, except at how he looked at himself. She always assumed that he was always sure of himself, but apparently, she was wrong, so wrong.

They went to Bristol for dinner, because Lenore hated to eat alone, but they flooed back to Little Starling and drove back to the hill she missed.

Like before, they went to the now mildly dusty cottage, having not cleaned for two weeks at most, and Draco made love to her with a desperation that took her breath away. She could have sworn that she saw him shed a tear or two, but then again it could have been sweat, but she wasn't really sure.

He woke her at dawn to make love again and for the longest time, he kissed her and caressed her and held her before he joined their bodies. She realized that event though he made sure that she reached her climax, it was more for his benefit than hers. She fell asleep almost immediately, but not before she heard him whispering 'I love you'.

For the first time in a long time, Hermione woke up before Draco did. As the usual position, they were sleeping on their sides and facing each other, but not touching. She smothered a yawn with a hand and then rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She gazed at Draco with heavy-lidded eyes.

"Hey," she mumbled, poking him on his bare shoulder, which she knew he found irritating but unable to help herself. "Wake up. You overslept. Your meeting's in two hours."

Draco swatted her hand away and continued to sleep.

"Lazy arse," she mumbled and rolled away from the bed with the intention of standing up from the bed, but his hand snaked out and gripped her wrist, stopping her.

"Yeah," he adhered sleepily. "I feel like playing hooky today."

"I think that's unwise." She let herself fall against his chest as he continued to pull on her by the wrist. "But then again, you're the boss, so I guess you have the privilege to play hooky any time you want... I still think that's unwise. You have a responsibility to your clients and to your employees. It won't do well for your company's reputation as well as considering that you plan to cancel a meeting with a client which is in two hours, mind you, they will be disappointed with your lack of productivity and- "

He slapped a hand over her mouth. "Shut up, will you?"

Her eyes flared and flashed with anger.

"Who cares if I lose one client? - which I won't, mind you. The company's faring well, you know. After we finalized the beach house in St. Ives, the contracts and everything, the client recommended me to his friends and I'm now looking over ten project offers. Ten! I think we deserve a break, don't you? And besides, I just want to be with you. Is that too much to ask?"

Her expression immediately softened and she grabbed his wrist to wretch it away from her face. "I hate it when you do that."

"Do what?" he asked, his expression perfectly innocent, maneuvering their joint hands so he could lace their fingers together. He knew she loved it when he did that.

She scowled. "Start out as a complete arse and then become sweet in the end. It makes it very hard for me to stay pissed at you."

His body shook with silent laughter. "Does that mean I can stay with you?"

"Guess so. I was planning to go to Diagon Alley today so I can buy a wedding present for Lisa and Cade today. I never had the chance to get them one a month ago. You up for it?"

He shrugged and let go of her so he could turn on his side with his back facing her. "Later... afternoon, I think. I'm going back to sleep."

She left him then and hopped into the shower.

There were times she was tempted to thwart him in the head with a large frying pan sometimes. His tendency of irresponsibility left her feeling a little resentful because as for herself, she had nothing to do at all. He should be grateful for his responsibilities - he was needed somewhere - whereas she was not.

Actually, in her free time, she had been writing.

Some kind of a novel, in fact.

It was about an ordinary woman who stumbled in an extraordinary town. She had an encounter with her neighbor, a gorgeous man with flowing blonde hair and strong features with the body that she acknowledged as a brick wall, had been ethereal and peculiar. He saw her and then he kissed her in a raw and primitive way that shook her entire core. Since then, she'd gotten to know him and eventually he revealed that he was a berserker. Later it was revealed that the kiss he gave her had been his claim on her...

And then she was thrown in the middle of a challenge - it was either death or eternal glory - she had no choice but to participate. Since his claim on her, she developed the powers of a berserker. As the challenge wore on, she learned that the other competitors were different creatures as well - Valkyries, elves, land spirits, the undead, and so on and so forth.

That part had been inspired by the Triwizard Tournament, of course.

The woman thought she had died five days into the challenge... but a god had favored her and saved her where she found her berserker powers developed even more and she won after seven more days.

The god had turned out to be her neighbor. The one who claimed her. The one who lured her into the town. The one who watched her in her ordinary human life and decided that she didn't belong there, but instead she belonged with him.

It was romantic, funny at times, mysterious and intriguing, at least to her. It was well-written, really, and she thought it had potential.

She wasn't sure that it would actually pass off as a novel. Perhaps she could have her mother have a look at it, but then her mother had never been much of a reader. Perhaps Draco? But then she didn't dare. Draco was a bookworm and she was a little afraid of constructive criticism and knowing Draco, he could make fun of it.

Hermione was startled out of her thoughts when a pair of arms snaked around her from behind in the shower. She stiffened, but then she remembered Draco.

She elbowed him on the ribs hard.

"Ow!"

"You startled me," she explained, but she wasn't at all bothered or angry by what he did. "I did not appreciate it. Next time, try knocking."

He chuckled and pulled her back against him, making her realize that he was as naked as she. He kissed her shoulder. "But where would be the fun in that?"

She found that she couldn't answer, because one of his hands traced a path from her stomach to betwixt her thighs. She gasped, her stomach already fluttering with sexual anticipation the minute she felt his hand. "You're insatiable."

"Only with you," he whispered in her ear before he bit her earlobe. "I am desperate for you." He flexed his hips. A small movement, but the action caused both of their already heightened awareness for each other to flare even more. "Do you feel it?"

"I feel it," she gasped again, because it was impossible not feel him, hard against her, gliding along smoothly on her wet skin. How was it that she couldn't resist him? How was it that the minute he touched her, her body's response was immediate? How was it that even after sleeping with him countless times, that it felt like she was never going to get enough of him?

Thoughts dissipated and conversation disappeared as they let themselves get lost in the heat of the moment.

Ever since their declaration of their love for each other, the sex wasn't just sex anymore.

It was intense and deep and moving.

It consumed them.

It overwhelmed them.

It was completely unexplainable.

Their eyes closed. A feeling of contentment fell upon them even as the water from the nozzle fell down noisily. Hermione still had her legs wrapped around tightly his waist, her arms loose about his neck and he was still deep inside of her, his arms about her to support her against the wall, his forehead resting on her shoulder. They were out of breath, sensitive and alert despite they reached their climaxes that shook them to the core.

For what seemed like forever, he lifted his head from her shoulder and kissed her softly on the lips. "I think I should go to that meeting but I'm coming back home right after."

She smiled languidly at him, regarding him with half-opened eyes. "I knew you'd see it my way. Now kindly remove yourself away from me so I can leave you to get ready for your meeting in peace."

Offended, he scoffed at her, but did as she asked... slowly and lazily, their brief encounter in the shower had left him feeling a walking human jelly. He was, however, wearing a smug smile when Hermione drew a sharp breath as he did so.

She slid to her feet with weak knees. She turned to him with a pout that he found somewhat a little enticing, because her lips were still red and swollen from his fierce kisses. "Hold on... I haven't finished washing when you suddenly barged in here."

"Let me finish that for you then," he said throatily, the smug smile still in place, a washrag already in hand.

A little more than an hour later, Hermione finally managed to kick him out of the cottage. It wasn't as though he lacked in trying. He was kissing her to distraction, touching her to aberration. She did welcome his advances again but her eyes fell on the clock and she freaked out on him about the meeting as if she was the one who was already to be late for the meeting.

A warm fuzzy feeling settled all over her as she remembered the way Draco threw her a longing look before he walked out of the cottage.

It made her feel needed... wanted... knowing Draco Malfoy who was always a man of imposition and standing, to need someone like her, well, that made her feel a little more than pleased.

Funny, her thoughts suddenly drifted to her relationship with Ron. When it was still a bit new, Ron was so clingy that it made her want to scratch his eyes out. It was as if he wanted to mold the two of them into one person. For him, it was always Ron and Hermione this, Ron and Hermione that. It drove her crazy. Ron wanted them to have a relationship like Harry and Ginny, who didn't mind being acknowledged as a pair and not individuals, who were always joined at the hip, who were always sharing secret smiles and who were always escaping the room for some alone time.

Hermione always thought her relationship with Ron was conventional, because they liked each other for so long and when they finally happened, it was not as grand as they had expected but they chose to look over that fact.

Perhaps that was why she acted the way she did for several years with him - instead of being with him, she took to her career as a hiding place, until he got the message. Oh Merlin! She knew at the back of her mind that she had never been truly in love with Ron. Her actions had indicated it.

That was also why she wasn't bothered much at all about their break up.

It was clear to her now.

She forced these thoughts away from her mind. It didn't hold any significance now. There was no used crying over spilled milk. And besides, if they had broke up years ago instead of months ago, she might not even be here right now... she didn't want to think about that.

Hermione didn't think of anything else significant as she proceeded to clean the cottage.

She was overwhelmed of how much she missed living here. She loved this little cottage as if it were her own. She loved every moment she woke up and feeling that that day was going to be great. She loved every memory that she made here with Draco. She loved living next door to a private beach.

Draco was back faster than she could say 'Little Dunwoodie'. He hadn't been gone for an hour.

He barged inside the cottage with an impish grin carrying three bags of food. Shaking her head with reluctant amusement, she proceeded to smother him with kisses. The bags were forgotten on the counter and for the second time that day, she found herself up against the wall.

She would never get enough of him.

Past two in the afternoon, they flooed to Diagon Alley from Draco's office in Little Starling.

It was clear that he didn't want to be recognized (if he would be at all), so he wore a baseball cap, where he got she had no idea. But then again, he occasionally wore muggle clothing and used muggle equipment and appliances, so she wasn't completely surprised. It was tilted low on his face, so half of his face was shadowed.

"Are you sure you can see?" Hermione asked playfully peered at his face from underneath the cap.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I can see."

They were walking down the crowded streets of Diagon Alley. So far, they had yet to see any familiar face. Draco who hadn't been in London for two years, winced as they squeezed themselves in the much too narrow street of the alley.

"Why is it," she said, partly amused and partly curious, "that when we were walking along the crowded beach in St. Ives, full of muggles, mind you, that you didn't look as if you were in physical pain as you do now?"

"I'm not entirely sure," he replied. "I think, it's because we might bump into someone we know... like the Weasel for example."

"Oh," she said in a small voice. "I was going to suggest dropping by Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."

Draco looked down at her and scowled. "There's no way in hell I'm going inside that shop."

She sighed. Of course. "Sorry," she muttered, "After we find a present for Cade and Lisa, I'm going inside the shop for ten minutes. How about you look around in Flourish and Blotts and I'll meet you there? I'll be quick."

"Fine."

"You're angry."

"No, just annoyed."

"Why?"

"Why the hell would you want to go and see that Weasel anyway?" he said, his expression taut and his annoyance quite evident in his tone. "I can't imagine you two have anything to talk about."

"I just wanted to say hi."

"Write him a bloody note then!" he bellowed, making the people standing close to them turn to look at him curiously, but it was either he didn't notice or he didn't care, because he suddenly stalked away from her before she could retaliate, leaving her standing looking like an idiot with her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

She certainly hadn't been expecting him to walk away from her in the middle of an argument.

Quite miffed now, she stalked after him with a scowl on her face. Despite the crowd, she easily spotted him less than ten paces away ahead of her.

When she finally caught up to him, she was, however, startled when a body suddenly slipped between their bodies from the side and she cried out in surprise as her nose bumped a masculine back.

The back suddenly became a chest and she stepped away from the imposing figure. She paled considerably as soon as she recognized the man who was standing in front of her.

"My apologies," he said coolly. "I did not see you there."

She paled even more and took a jolting step back.

Draco suddenly came into view as he squeezed himself between the imposing man and her girlfriend. "Are you alright?" he murmured. "Your nose is red."

Her hand flew up to her nose and touched it gingerly. She didn't feel anything. "It's fine. I'm fine. It's just..." she trailed off, her eyes, slipping past Draco's shoulder.

Draco whirled around to face the man with a ready glare. However, it disappeared as soon as he recognized who it was as well. "What a surprise," he said dryly. "What are you doing here, Father?"

"Draco! My goodness!" Lucius Malfoy exclaimed, putting his hands on Draco's shoulders. "What are you doing here?"

Draco recoiled from the affection his father was showing him and couldn't seem to find his voice. If he took one step closer to him, they would be in an embrace. That thought gave him the willies so he stepped away from him and stood beside Hermione, where he wrapped an arm around her waist.

Lucius gaze narrowed in mere slits. "And who is this?"

Hermione's eyes widened.

"This is my girlfriend, Father."

"I can see that, with the way you're clinging to her," Lucius said wryly. "Are you going to introduce us?" His narrowed gaze travelled slowly down Hermione's length.

Draco's arm tightened around her as he felt her squirming slightly. "Yes, of course. Where are my manners?" Draco said silkily, a mischievous smile slowly creeping to his face. "Father, this is my girlfriend, Hermione Granger. You remember her, don't you? I remember telling her all about you ever since first year in Hogwarts, I believe."

Hermione met Lucius' stare with defiance, her chin tilting up.

"Of course, I know her, Draco," Lucius responded coolly. "Your name's all over Daily Prophet not too long ago, Miss Granger, rumored to be kidnapped, disappearing from London right after you resigned from the Ministry."

Draco turned to her, his gaze questioningly. She shrugged and turned back to Lucius. "Rita Skeeter, I presume?"

Lucius nodded and then his gaze drifted to his son. "Your mother will be here soon. She's buying her, uh, beautifying potions from Madam Primpernelle's. How about coming to the Manor for afternoon tea, Draco?"

It was clear that the invitation didn't extend to Hermione. In her mind, she was bristling. As if she would set foot on that place ever again. Malfoy Manor? Not bloody likely! Draco would have to spend a whole day at The Burrow with all of the Weasleys in attendance before she would consider going to that dreadful place again.

"I'm going to have to decline, Father," Draco said. "We have some shopping to do. Besides, my birthday is in three days. I will talk to you then."

Lucius pursed his lips and turned to Hermione with a fake smile. "You will be there for Draco's party, won't you, Miss Granger?"

"No," Hermione said firmly just as Draco had said "yes." She glared at Draco for a brief moment before she turned to look back at his father. "I'm afraid I have previous engagement I cannot break."

Lucius raised an eyebrow at them as if he was amused as Hermione and Draco looked again at each other angrily this time. Lucius then looked towards Madam Pimpernelle's shop. "Alas, here comes my wife. Say hello to your mother, Draco."

Draco was still in the staring contest with Hermione when his mother's delighted shriek reached his ears, which made him, his father and even Hermione wince.

Narcissa Malfoy was, in truth, a snobby and cold person to everyone except for her husband and her son. She had open disdain for muggleborns and purebloods who associate themselves with the former.

Hermione wasn't sure to expect with this confrontation, nor had the possibility had ever crossed her mind. Now she had an idea how Draco must have felt during her father's funeral, with all the Weasleys in the gathering.

So far, it had been surprisingly well.

Lucius Malfoy was pointedly rude to her, but didn't make any derogatory remarks about her parentage, which what she had been expecting.

Maybe he was keeping all of his rage inside, waiting until he had Draco alone before he beat him to a bloody pulp for pursuing a relationship with a famed muggleborn.

Maybe it was because they were in public and there were a few people looking on at them curiously.

Maybe it was because that he was under scrutiny of the Ministry of Magic even after all these, waiting for the right moment so they can finally catch him and lock him up in Azkaban.

Hermione was thrown away suddenly from Draco rather rudely when Narcissa engulfed her son in an embrace. She also noticed Draco returned the embrace briefly before setting her away from him.

"Oh my darling boy," Narcissa cooed as she stood in front of Draco, holding his hand. "I can't believe you're here. I've missed you so much. You look well and I'm glad that you've finally gotten rid of that dreadful beard of yours."

"I liked the scruffy look," Draco said defiantly. Hermione hadn't been partial to the beard either, but in her mind, she would prefer Draco with a beard just to spite that odious older woman.

"It didn't suit you," Narcissa said cryptically. "Now I want to know what you are doing here."

"Shopping," Draco said smoothly and dropping his mother's hand to take Hermione's, who was standing a bit away from the circle that the three Malfoys had formed, "with my girlfriend."

Narcissa's blue eyes swept towards Hermione, her expression morphing into distaste as if she was smelling something unpleasant.

Hermione met her gaze with a hard one of her own, reminiscent of the look she gave Lucius earlier; a look that she used for when dealing with the Hit Wizards who worked under her. She felt Draco's thumb rubbing the top of her hand soothingly, but it was ignored.

"Oh, dear," Narcissa said, her voice clear and cold. "Astoria will be displeased."

Hermione's famous hard stare crumbled and was replaced with a stricken look. Thoughts of the day of the wedding suddenly resurfaced.

Draco looked ready to kill.

Much to the shock of everyone, Lucius put a straining hand on his wife's shoulder before Draco could react. "My dear, why don't you get that notion out of your head? Astoria made it clear that her affections for Draco are nothing but platonic. It has been nine years after all. Besides, isn't she married?"

Narcissa smirked triumphantly. "Not anymore, my dear. Her marriage bonds with Otis had been annulled just a couple of days ago. Haven't I mentioned it? She caught him in their marriage bed with his mistress." She turned to her son, her expression softening considerably. "You should go and visit her, Draco. She needs all the comfort she could get."

Hermione's upper lip curled up in distaste but decided not to say anything.

"I don't think so, Mother," Draco said neutrally. "I don't think she'd appreciate my comfort, knowing that I jilted her in the past." He cast a brief side-along glance at Hermione. "We should go. We have to yet to buy what we needed and we have a party to attend to later this evening."

"I had hoped you would come to the Manor with your father and I," Narcissa said wistfully.

"I'll see you in three days. We'll talk then." Draco turned away from his mother and father, pulling Hermione along by the hand.

"But Draco- "

"Let it go, Narcissa," Lucius intervened.

Draco silently thanked his father and quickly walked away, putting Hermione in front of him. He encouraged her into an empty alley where he caught Hermione by the shoulders and whirled her around to face him.

Hermione tried to smile but failed. "Now I know what it's like to be put on the spot," she said shakily, her eyes wide and bright with unshed tears.

"I'm so sorry," Draco said solemnly, his hand cupping her cheek. "I had hoped nothing like this would ever happened."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," she said.

Author's note: The next chapter is the continuation of this event in the story. My, my. Things are starting to become difficult for our favorite couple. I know, you must be appalled at how agreeable (but at the same time irritating) the Malfoys were.

I'd like to point out that it is generally known that they are very indulgent when it comes to Draco and that they care for him very much. Do you agree?

I would also like to point out that in this fic, they have already acknowledged Draco's business and willing associations with muggles, choosing to view this as an act of rebellion as I had mentioned previously, which was why they all but dismissed Hermione upon meeting her. They decided that she was part of their son's rebellion.

Thanks for still tuning in. Love reading your reviews as usual x