Warning: lemony goodness for the first half of this chapter. You have been warned. If you wish to keep your eyes and mind virginal, turn away now!!! I will not put up some signs in the middle of the text going "HOLY SHIT! HE IS ABOUT TO PUT HIS PENIS IN HER VAGINA TURN AWAY!" and "OKAY IT'S OVER!!!!!!! NO MORE SEX!" Sorry, it just interrupts the flow.

So read at your own risk. Do NOT complain to me about the lemon if you don't like it, you've been warned. If you complain, I will laugh at you and tell you to stfu.

For all of the perverts who've been waiting for this: ENJOY!!!

Chapter 24

Unleashing the Fire

They slowly separated from the kiss, as though they never wanted to let go. His hands cupped her face, thumbs gently tracing her cheeks as he smiled down at her.

She was so beautiful; he couldn't believe he had ever wanted to hate her for the rest of eternity. Her eyes glistened with tears, hair tousled around her blushing face, and her lips full and ripe, perfect for kisses.

How come he hadn't seen it before? How come he had been so blind for so long?

"Draco…"

"Hmm?" He leaned down to place butterfly kisses along her jaw. "Yes?"

"I really do love you," she replied softly, holding his body closer to hers. "I love you so much."

He nuzzled her throat, listening to her soft mewl of pleasure, enjoying the way she arched her head back, giving him easier access. "You do realize how insane we are, right?"

"Yes," she gasped out as his lips found a nerve. "Quite insane. In a matter of weeks we managed to fall in love with each other, I would say we're quite insane. But it's a good insanity."

"Why?" He slid his tongue out, tracing the path of her jugular, from the back of her ear down to her collarbone. She tasted so good, so damn delicious…he wasn't sure if he would be able to contain himself this time.

"Because if we weren't so insane, we wouldn't be in love," she replied with a laugh. He bit back a groan at the sound; it was such a throaty, sexual laugh.

"Hermione," he murmured against her throat, "I…dear Gods…I don't think that I'll…"

Her felt her smile as she pulled him in for another breathtaking kiss, groaning as her tongue snaked it way between his lips, dancing a timeless mating dance with his. Her hands dug into his hair, pulling him closer, pressing him harder against her. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, blood heating up as desire began to rush through his veins.

"Don't worry," she whispered as they separated from the kiss, "I don't think I can wait much longer, either."

"But," he muttered between kisses, pushing her body against the wall of the staircase, planting kiss after kiss all over her ivory throat, "don't you…think that…it's a little…fast?"

"I love you," she gasped out as his teeth latched onto her earlobe, "that's all that matters."

"I love you too, Hermione," he groaned, moving his mouth down to suckle onto a particularly sensitive part of her throat. "You taste so good."

She laughed again, that sensual laugh that made his groin hot and tight with need. In seconds, he pressed her harder against the wall, pressing every single crevice, every little part of his body against hers, needing to feel her all over him. He silenced her laughter with a searing kiss, one that shook them to the cores, like lightning striking over every single nerve ending on their body at once.

His hands moved down, tracing her ribs, sliding down the curve of her stomach to rest on her hips, fingers digging into the denim of her jeans. They slowly tucked into the belt loops and he aggressively yanked her closer, pressing his aching member against her tantalizing core.

"Draco!" she gasped, his mouth tugging her bottom lip within its hold, sucking until her lip was a brilliant red.

Her hands ran down his back, nails digging into his shirt and flesh as she yearned to feel every single inch of his body. Her eyes were shut in carnal bliss as he assaulted her mouth with kiss after passionate kiss, her breasts heaving against his chest, nipples twin peaks of pleasure.

"Again," he groaned, digging his fingers into her hips, almost bruising her flesh.

She dragged her nails down his back a second time, this time tucking them under the hem of his shirt to pull it up and expose his heated flesh. Moaning into his mouth as her fingers made contact with his skin; she raked her nails across his lower back, marring his pale skin with bright red lines.

His hands slid around her hips, thumb tucked into her jeans as his fingers trailed over the denim covering her legs. Urging her closer, needing her to be as close as possible, he slid his hands down to cup her buttocks. She whimpered loudly when he dug his fingers into her skin, sliding his hands down her thighs just a bit in order to lift her against his body.

Her back hit the wall, the railing digging into her lower back, but she was too consumed by need to notice it. His hands were touching her, rubbing her, all over, everywhere…she couldn't get enough of his touch, of the feel of his skin under her hands.

Her head fell back as he latched onto a rather sensitive spot along her collarbone, a loud cry escaping her lips as he sucked and bit the flesh. Her legs spread wide, beckoning him closer, needing his member to be pressed against her core.

She cried out his name as her womb clenched with pleasure, liquid heat pouring out to soak her panties, and she swore that he could feel it through her jeans. She didn't care…back a few weeks, she might have given a damn, but now…it felt too good. Hell, it probably felt even better now…since she knew that he harboured the same feelings for her.

"Gods," she gasped out as his lips traced her collarbone.

Her hands tore at his shirt, aching to tear it away from his skin and feel his burning flesh against hers. She jerked under his touch, revelling in the sensation of his lips against her skin. So warm, so soft…such a wonderful feeling.

"Hermione," he gasped, pulling away to trail kisses along her cheek, "I…I don't think…"

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer, nuzzling against his throat. "Don't think," she whispered, tongue reaching out to tease his earlobe.

"I can't…I won't be able to hold back this time," he managed to groan out; the feeling of her breath against his ear was almost too much to handle.

"Then don't," she replied, nipping his lobe with her teeth, tucking it into her mouth to suckle on it.

His hands twitched at her side, flexing tightly before gripping onto her hips, thrusting her body against his. His nails dug into her skin, bruising her flesh, causing her to whimper against his mouth.

"Hermione," he warned, pressing her harder against the wall, "I promise you…I won't be able to be gentle; I've been waiting for so long…"

She lifted her hands to gently drag her nails down his cheeks, pulling away to gaze up into his stormy eyes. "I don't care, so long as it's with you." Leaning forward, she did something she never thought she would ever do or say. "Fuck me, Draco Malfoy."

She was blushing as she said it, unable to believe that she was actually saying something like this. She had never thought she'd say it, never would have believed that, at any point in her life, she would be asking for someone to do such a thing.

Her embarrassment quickly flooded away as he let out a loud growl, crushing his lips down against hers in a searing kiss. Her body ached and groaned, her hands moving all over to slide under his skin and mark his skin with her nails. Her legs tightened their grip around his waist, hips gyrating that pressed his aching length harder against her core.

His hands tore at her shirt, tearing apart the material as though it were butter, exposing her flushed skin, her full breasts that were aching and straining against her bra.

He didn't know why, but the simply cotton bra aroused him even more. Hissing against her lips, he started down at her chest, muttering various curses.

"You have no idea what you do to me," he groaned, lowering his head to press his lips against the curve of her breasts.

She ground her hips against his, smirking in a way that would have made him proud. "I think I do."

"You're so naughty," he groaned, sliding his tongue against her skin.

She was burning for him, writhing against his body as he slowly dipped it into her bra, sliding down to curl around the tight nub of her nipple. Crying out, her hands clenched his back, holding him closer to her, and her fever increased. Sweat began to bead along her brow, sliding down as his tongue curled and teased her nipple in ways she had never imagined a tongue could do.

"I don't know why I love this," he groaned, tugging at her bra. "It's so simple but so fucking sexy. But," he looked up to her with a fierce stare, "I want it off."

It seconds, the material fell to the ground in pieces and she managed to let out a cry of indignation before his mouth completely latched onto her breast. One hand reached up to grab her other breast, teasing and rubbing her, his palm gently brushing against her tight, aching nipple.

Hissing with pleasure, her hands reached up to grab hold of his hair, fingers sliding through the silken locks to keep him pressed against her. She moaned and cried out, pressing against him as his mouth did things she never thought a mouth could do. Such a wonderful combination of teeth, tongue, and lips that made her want to scream with pleasure.

Her hips began to grind against his, needing to feel his pressed harder against her core, aching for him to find a way to release the pleasure-pressure building up inside of her.

"Don't stop," she moaned as he sucked, flicking his tongue back and forth across the nub. "Don't…don't stop…"

Whimpering loudly, she actually growled when he removed his mouth, only to hit her head against the wall when he took her other nipple into his mouth. A small scream escaped her lips as he teased her sensitive peak, pleasing the other one with his hand.

Her nails scored his back, hands trying to find a way to tear off his shirt.

"Off," she gasped, yanking it up, "take it off…I need to feel you…"

He pulled away to comply, tugging it off of him before tossing it aside and resuming his earlier task.

Purring with contentment, she ran her hands over his back, enjoying the sensation of his skin flexing and tightening under her touch, tracing every muscle as his mouth created an indescribable amount of pleasure.

He groaned out her name, pulling away from her buds to take her mouth in another heated kiss, and she let out a loud moan at the feeling of his bare chest rubbing against hers.

His hands delved into her hair, holding her head in place as he plundered her mouth, shifting his body ever so slightly, enjoying the feeling of her breasts rubbing against his chest, her tight nipples forming hot, burning trails along his heated flesh.

Her hands dragged down his chest, murmuring words of pleasure as she traced every muscle, dancing along his abdominals in a way that made his skin tighten reflexively. Muttering a series of incoherent words, he took her bottom lip into his mouth and suckled it as she dragged her nails over his skin, grazing against his nipples.

"Don't like," he mumbled, moving from her lips to bruise her neck with his mouth and teeth.

Nodding, unable to think of a single proper thing to say, she continued her journey of memorizing every part of his body. Her hands slid over his soaked skin, tracing, outlining; burning every single groove and bump of him into her memory.

His body was so strong, so rugged, so purely masculine, that it made her womb quiver with anticipation.

Her fingers found his belt and began tugging aggressively at it, managing to half undo it before let out a groan of frustration and performed the rest of the task for her. Once it fell to the floor, his lips fell on her throat, licking and nipping the overly sensitive flesh as she writhed under him, trying in vain to unzip his pants.

"The couch," she gasped out, undulating against him. "Now."

Pulling away, he looked down at her, eyes smouldering with need. She looked ravished; her lips full, rosy and wet, her eyes hooded and the colour of aged whiskey, her cheeks flushed brightly against her ivory skin. Her chest rose and fell with each panting breath, and it aroused him even more.

He ached for her, his body wound tight, ready to snap at any second. He wanted to take her in the more primitive way, wanted to have her and all of her, to take her and keep her in his arms for the rest of eternity.

"Hermione," he murmured, lowering his head to press his forehead against hers. "I thought…on the bed? Wouldn't you want it to be romantic?"

She smiled up at him and rubbed against him. "What we have…it's not just romance. I don't need flowers and candles and all of that lame stuff. I don't care where it is…how it is…I just want it to be with you."

Kissing her eyes, he smiled against her face. "Really?"

"Yes…sex…sex isn't really romantic, is it? It's primitive; it's a mating ritual, the feeling of you on me…I don't need candles and fancy stuff to make it feel better." She reached up and kissed him on the lips. "Hard, passionate love making…throwing away all logic…it's the best it can get…right?"

"Hermione," he groaned out, "you…you have no idea how much that just turned me on…I need you so much…"

"Show me," she whispered, taking his mouth in a hard kiss, "show me how much you need me."

She had no idea they were moving until her back hit the couch and cushions were sent flying about. A book was tossed aside and she didn't even care; she was too focused on the feel of his body lying down on top of hers, pressing against her, to give a damn about anything else.

Their kisses grew in passion, the fire between them increasing as the tempo of their touches grew faster and faster. The world around them became a whirl of colour, the only solid thing in their vision being one another. Sweat poured down their bodies, their skin feverishly hot as they touched and caressed, bruised and bit, unable to get enough of each other.

His pants fell to the floor first and he nearly roared when she hesitantly took his burning member into her hand.

"I've never done this before…" she said, the blush on her cheeks reminding him of how intimate and special this moment was for her.

"You're doing great," he ground out, burying his face in her neck as she slowly began to slide her hand up and down his length.

"It's big…but, well…we're biologically made to fit so…it will fit," she added almost mechanically.

She was nervous, he realized; probably more afraid that she would do something wrong than of the pain she might experience. Just as he was about to tell her that she was doing an amazing job, she rubbed the tip of her thumb over the tip of his erection, tracing it down a bit to tease the small spot just where the tip formed into the shaft.

He shouted against her throat, eyes shut with ecstasy as his hips jerked violently. Damn it…that felt so good…

"Did I do something wrong?"

Lifting his head, he smiled down at her, wanting to scream at her for removing her hand. "No…no damn it…don't stop…"

"So it felt good?"

"Fuck, I told you to not stop, didn't I?" he groaned, taking her mouth in another fiery kiss.

As her hands explored his length, his slowly made their way down her body, tracing every little curve until they came to rest on her jeans. His movements were jerky; every so often she would find a particularly sensitive spot and rub on it until he swore he saw stars.

He was almost afraid he might die of pleasure before he even got to please her.

"Stop…" he gasped. "If you keep it up…I won't be able…damn it, Hermione, stop it before I come."

Her cheeks reddened and she quickly withdrew her hand, smiling up at him. "Sorry…"

"Don't," he murmured, slowly kissing his way down her chest, taking an aching nipple in his mouth. "Let me…please you…"

She had no idea he had even unbuttoned her jeans, hell, she had barely been aware of his hands removing them; all she knew was that, in mere seconds, she was completely naked.

His hands…his hands were…

Her head fell back as a scream escaped her lips when his fingers began to trace her lips, brushing gently against the swollen bud nestled in her folds. Pleasure shot through her body in electrical pulses, vibrating in her core.

"Draco…Draco that's…"

He laughed quietly against her breast, teasing her bud even more with the flick of his fingers, rubbing and caressing it, increasing her pleasure as he increased the tempo. She began to grow wilder beneath him, clenching and convulsing, crying and moaning, gasping for him to never stop.

Suddenly, she went completely still as he slid his finger into her moist depths. Grinning, he looked up at her and watched as her body slowly began to break apart. Her eyes fluttered shut with ecstasy, mouth slowly opening to let out a loud scream as he began to slowly wriggle his finger.

She cried for him to never stop, thrusting her hips up to meet each movement of his finger, consumed by the burning need that poured through her veins and filled her body.

His cock twitched at how tight she clenched around his finger, how it made a slight squishing sound every time he moved his hand, and he almost came on the spot when he heard her cry out his name. Grinning, he moved his head down to rest on her thigh, lowering half of his body to floor; wanting to have the best view he could in order to witness Hermione Granger's complete loss of control.

Pressing a kiss to her thigh, he slid his finger out completely, listened to her whining for a total of five seconds, before sliding two inside of her. Closing his eyes, he let out a loud groan as she fell back with a scream, her walls clenching rhythmically around his fingers.

"Fuck," he growled, unable to resist the temptation of slamming his fingers deep inside of her, tracing the insides in an attempt to find that little button that would make her cover his hand in liquid pleasure.

"Again." He slid his fingers against that little spot, watching as she grew wilder and wetter beneath his touch. "Again and again…"

He began to scissor his fingers, stretching her, not just to accommodate his size, but also because the sight of her losing control, succumbing to the pleasure, made him slowly grow more and more insane with need.

Slowly, he climbed back on top of her, spreading her legs, fingers always moving in a quick tempo. She writhed and twisted beneath him, eyes shut with sheer ecstasy as she let out cry after cry.

"Come for me," he growled, leaning forward to whisper the words in her ear.

Her eyes flung open as her body wound tight, all movement stopping except for the slight jerking of her hips as a tremendous wave of ecstasy washed over her. Pulled under by the force, her body began to shake, thrusting up to meet his hand, convulsing violently around his hand.

In a swift move, something she hardly noticed while lost in the throes of the orgasm, he withdrew his fingers and pressed his cock to her center. In a second, he slid into her moist passage, experiencing little to no difficulty.

Hermione was too lost in pleasure to even note the slight, very minor, pain that came from him filling her. All she felt was completion; as though a part of her had finally been filled. The sensation of him stretching her, the feel of his bare cock sliding inside of her body, threw her over the edge once more, falling into an ocean of pleasure.

Gritting his teeth, burying his face against her throat, he tried his damn hardest not to come on the spot. The feel of her, so wet and tight, velvet heat surrounding him, was the most pleasurable experience of his life. It felt so good…so damn perfect.

"Draco?"

Her voice pulled him out of his concentrated state and he lifted his head, finding her staring curiously up at him.

"What are you doing?"

Arching a brow, he frowned down at her. "What do you mean?"

Again, that delicious blush of timidity and embarrassment flooded her cheeks and she gestured downwards to where their bodies were joined. "Well…I thought you were supposed to move to have sex…maybe I read wrong or…"

Grinning at her, he slowly ground his hips against hers. When she let out a soft cry, his grin widened. "Hermione, I don't think I've ever told you how fucking adorable you are." Leaning forward, he licked her lobe, grinding his hips again. "Or how fucking sexy you are."

"I…I think you've…said the second…oh shit…one before…" she gasped out between thrusts.

Dear Gods, the feeling of him sliding in and out of her was indescribable. Her body felt so tight, so damn sensitive, and she couldn't get enough of it. He was filling her time and time again, his pelvis grinding against her sensitive nub with each movement. But…but he was still holding back. She felt it, felt the way he was unsure of his movements, as though afraid of hurting her.

She didn't want him to hold back, didn't want him to stop…damn it, she wanted him to be rough, aggressive, to make love to her like he'd never fucked another woman before.

Raking her nails down his back, she moved her head up to gasp out; "I'm not made of glass…fuck me hard…" before latching onto his throat in a brutally pleasurable bite.

She had actually never heard a man roar in ecstasy before, no matter what she thought or watched, and the experience was more than sexually gratifying. Especially since she had been the cause of such a primal sound.

His body jerked, almost as though the very thought of it made him lose absolute control for a short period. The next thing she knew, her legs were thrown over his shoulders and he was thrusting deep inside of her, hard and fast, touching places she had never even realized she'd had.

It was deliciously probing, a wonderful pressure that touched every little part inside of her body, rubbing against every little sensitive inch of her core. His hands bruised her already marred hips, his breath coming in gasps as he moved harder and faster, needing to fill her, needing to be surrounded by her for ever and ever.

Her body tightened, muscles beginning to spasm in anticipation, and she reached up, digging her nails into his shoulders, crying out his name.

"I…I can't….Draco…don't stop, don't fucking stop!"

Falling forward, his movement became erratic; he couldn't hold back anymore, could withstand the velvet heat of her, and his hips jerked violently against hers.

"Hermione…I….can I?"

Pulling his head down to rest beside hers, she snaked her tongue to rub the little spot behind his ear, letting out a mewling cry as he rubbed against one particularly sensitive spot.

"Fill me, Draco, be the first to fill me," she whispered.

"Shit."

Her legs fell from his shoulders, barely clinging to his waist as he slammed hard and fast inside of her, before his body began to spasm. It stretched, grew in thickness, as it began to fill her with his seed.

The sensation, the wonderfully amazing feeling of him filling her, the warmth it created, was more than enough to push her off of the precipice. Crashing into a world of ecstasy, she screamed out his name, tightening around him to keep him buried deep within her.

His body collapsed on hers; panting heavily into her hair, heart hammering a wild tattoo against his chest. Hers matched his' tempo, her hands slowly falling away from his back to hang limply at her sides, eyes shutting as something beyond bliss began to slowly creep into her mind.

It was such a wonderful feeling, having his body lying on top of hers, both spent from the passionate act, She loved the feel of his body pressed against hers, so warm, so comforting…so perfect.

"Oh Gods," he groaned into her ear, sending shivers rushing down her spine. "Don't…don't move…"

"I can't," she replied with a quiet laugh. "I think I lost the ability to."

She felt his smile against her ear, felt the rumbling of his chest as he quietly laughed, and she loved every second of it.

"You…you know," she said softly, managing to move a hand to run through his hair, "you're kind of crushing me."

Lifting his head, she watched a lovely blush cover his cheeks, and couldn't help but giggle. He began to shift, replying, "Sorry, I didn't realize."

"It's okay; it was comfortable for a bit, but now I think you're crushing my lungs."

Laughing, he began to slide out of her, and the two groaned in unison at the feeling. Hissing softly, he leaned down, burying his face in her breasts as he fought for control.

"So…fucking good…"

"My thoughts exactly," she murmured, trailing a nail down his back, watching him shiver uncontrollably in response.

"I…we should roll over or something," he suggested as soon s he was able to think coherently.

Nodding, they began the difficult process of rolling over on the couch, her pressed against the back, him practically hanging off of the ledge. It was going well until he lost his balance and fell hard on the floor.

She burst into laughter, holding her sides tight at the sight of him lying sprawled on the floor by the couch, grumbling about how couches were far too small to accommodate two people.

"Are…are you all right?" she giggled, leaning over to look down at him.

Before he responded, his hand reached out, grabbed her shoulder and yanked her down on top of him, earning a shriek of surprise.

"Draco!" she cried, leaning back to elbow him in the ribs. "I could have hit the table!"

"Yes, I know."

"And you don't give a damn?"

His hands gently cupped her face, thumbs rubbing her softly. Leaning up, he placed a kiss on her lips before pulling away and smiling tenderly.

"I want you to know…I'm all right now."

Unable to hold back the smile, she fell on top of him, hugging him tightly to her. Nuzzling his chest, she let out a soft laugh.

"So am I."

So perfect…unbelievably perfect…

"Do I really have to go?"

"You have no choice; you made a promise."

Sighing heavily, Hermione leaned back on the couch, tilting her head so that she could look back to Draco, who was currently eating a bowl of cereal.

"But…"

Glancing over to her, grinning at the silly way she was seated, he shook his head. "Don't you find it a little odd that you're not excited about visiting your 'friends' on Christmas Eve?"

"No…not after what they've done."

Gesturing to her with the spoon, he narrowed his eyes. "I hate to say it, but we should be thanking Potty for intervening. If he hadn't, then the sex wouldn't have been so good."

Scowling at him, she flipped the same gesture Ron had taught Aphrodite, earning a loud laugh from the blond.

"I don't care," she replied. "I think that it would have been just as good either way; we had so many pent up feelings."

Swallowing a mouthful of cereal, he shrugged. "I suppose that you're right, but still…you should be thanking him. The way we were, it would've probably taken forever."

"No, not forever."

Arching a brow, he paused mid-bite and gave her a questioning look. Smiling, she shifted on the couch, turning around so that she was not looking at an upside-down version of him.

"To be honest, it probably would've happened Christmas day."

"How horribly cliché," he sighed, stuffing the spoon into his mouth.

Laughing, she resisted the urge to throw a pillow at him. "I know, but that's when I originally planned on giving you your Christmas present."

He grinned through his food, not even waiting to swallow before saying; "Were you going to lie naked under the tree, wrapped only in a bow?"

"Where the hell did you get that idea from?" Grabbing a pillow, she whipped it at his head, grimacing when he easily dodged it. "Pervert. Have you been talking to Luna?"

Moving to pick up the pillow, he tossed it back to her, grinning when it hit her straight on the head. "Why would I be talking to Luna? About what?"

Glaring at him, she picked up the pillow and quietly enchanted it, before continuing to glare in his direction. "Because…" the glare faded as a blush began to cover her cheeks. "Luna…Luna suggested that I do that for Christmas."

"Really?" His grin broadened and the cereal was left forgotten. "Well, it is a brilliant idea. You should go see her more often; she might have other ideas."

"Pervert!"

She tossed the pillow back at him and, roughly a second or so before it was about to reach his head, she muttered a single word and it exploded in a shower of water, soaking the blond sitting at the table.

Wiping water out of his eyes, he managed to glare at her. "That was a dirty trick."

"You deserved it."

"No, I did not."

"You were being a perverted prat, you definitely deserved it. Consider it a way of cooling off."

"I am not a prat," he snapped, slowly getting up from his seat.

"So you do acknowledge that you're a pervert." She began to remove herself from the couch, knowing fully well that he intended to get his revenge.

"Only when it comes to you," he replied with a smirk, slowly making his way to her.

Backing up, she began to weave her way out of the sitting area, slowly trying to make her way towards the door. "Well, while I find that quite flattering, I do wish that you could stop talking about your perverted thoughts every time we're together; it's a little creepy; I don't need to know what your hormones are thinking every two seconds."

"Oh, do you know what I'm thinking now? I'll give you a hint, it's nothing perverted."

She was almost at the door, but he was closing in on her, stalking her like a predator would stalk his prey, and her mouth began to water. Damn, it was such a powerful, confident and damn sexy walk.

"I'd rather not know." Her hand snuck behind her, grasping the doorknob.

He moved in closer, a couple feet away now. "Are you sure you don't event want to make a little guess?"

Swallowing thickly, she began to turn the knob. "I suppose it's safe to assume that you want revenge."

"Exactly."

He lunged at her the moment she opened the door, sliding through it just time to avoid his grasp. Spinning around, she began to rush away from it just as something was thrown on top of her, dragging her to the ground.

Letting out a loud cry of outrage as her clothes began to grow wet, she struggled in his grasp as he let out something close to maniacal laughter.

"Not fun now, is it?" he laughed, holding her close to him, successfully soaking her clothes.

"Let me go; you're getting me all wet" she snapped, managing to finally move around in his arms.

"Oh, but, Hermione, I know how much you love being wet under me."

Her mouth snapped shut as arousal and embarrassment made her face a bright red. Any crude retort she had in mind faded away and she stopped struggling in an attempt to regain her bearings.

Damn Draco…bastard always had a way with words.

He ground his hips against hers and she felt his hard length through the silk of his pyjama pants. Her head slowly fell back, eyes shutting his pleasure at the feel of his rubbing her through the silk and cotton. Damn him…they just couldn't get enough of each other. Hell, they had made love about a dozen times throughout yesterday afternoon, night, and this morning.

Each and every time, it felt like it was the first.

Right now was no exception.

"You should get that fixed," she managed to say, quite proud of herself that her voice did not sound breathy or aroused at all.

"I know one way we could fix it."

Opening her eyes, she looked up into his, watching the stormy grey swirl brilliantly. She loved his eyes; they changed so much with every emotion he felt; dark and wild when aroused, bright and silvery with happy.

Damn him and his beautiful eyes.

This was how Blaise found them, Draco resting on top of her, the two staring off into each other's eyes, completely oblivious to the world beyond.

Just as the dark-haired man was about to speak, Draco lowered his lips to Hermione's in a passionate kiss.

"Ew, mate, I don't need to see that first thing in the morning."

Hermione pulled away so fast that her head cracked against the floor. Draco rolled off of her and glared over at Blaise, forgetting about the woman grasping her head in pain.

"Give me a little warning next time," he snapped.

"Give you a little warning?" Blaise laughed, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "How about you give me a little warning before you two start a snog-fest?"

Draco let out a loud 'oof' as Hermione finally managed to knee him in the solar plexus, causing him to fall on his side in pain, making him unable to respond. Crawling out from under him, the brunette's cheeks blushed a bright red as she got to her feet, dusting off her clothes.

"I would prefer it if you forgot you ever saw anything," she said softly. "Until…"

Grinning, the darker man nodded. "I'm not that daft, Granger. I know that your friends are little…special. I'll pretend I never saw a single thing. I may not be your friend, but you can still trust me to keep my word."

Sighing with relief, she smiled up at him. "Thank you." Tugging her hair out of her face, she gave him a harder, questioning look before speaking again. "What are you doing here so early in the day?"

Uncrossing his arms, he moved over to nudge Draco with his foot, wondering whether the blond was ever going to get back up. "Luna sent me."

"What?"

He glanced over to her, still pressing his foot into Draco's side, digging it slightly into his ribs. "She said that Ginny said that you were supposed to go to the Burrow today. I bumped into her at Hogsmeade yesterday and she asked me to tell you not to chicken out."

"What makes her think that I was going to chicken out?" Hermione snapped. "Why would I chicken out? It's just visiting my family and friends."

"Because of what I saw just a few seconds ago…you know, that thing I'm supposed to forget I saw."

Draco's hand reached out and grabbed a hold of Blaise's foot and the blond attempted to yank the brunet to the ground.

"I…uh, well…I suppose…I mean…" Fumbling over words, she completely ignored the scene before her; Blaise trying to kick Draco's hand away as the blond kept a tight grip around the other man's ankle. Both men were letting out a few random curses, Draco proclaiming that, since Blaise had kicked him in the ribs, he had every right to make Blaise fall.

"To be honest…I'm just afraid of what will happen if Ron tries to kiss me," she admitted with a heavy sigh, leaning against the wall to let her head fall back.

"If that…fuck Blaise…damn ginger tries anything – would you fall already?! – I'll fucking kill him," Draco snapped, letting out a hoot of triumph as the other man fell hard on his butt.

"Bastard," Blaise cursed, placing a well aimed kick to Draco's ribs. Sitting back, quite satisfied with the way he had just winded the blond, he looked over to Hermione. "I know that…we haven't been on amazing terms in life. Hell, I'm surprised you took my damn advice the other day. But, would you mind me giving you a little more advice?"

Sitting down, she hugged her legs to her body and nodded. "I suppose that it doesn't hurt. I mean…if Luna trusted you enough to send you up here, then I guess I can trust you. A bit…"

"That's enough for me." Crossing his legs, he brushed his shirt and looked over to the brunette. "You and this blond git love each other, don't you?" She nodded, her face a bright red. "Your friends a little…prejudiced when it comes to the blond git, too. That wasn't a question," he added when she nodded a second time. "Obviously you're smart enough to know that you can't just show up, Christmas Eve, and announce to everyone that you are shagging the git." She opened her mouth to retort and he tsked loudly, "Don't lie, it's not attractive. I see those hickeys on your neck, Granger. It's quite obvious what happened last night between the two of you."

He had no idea she could move that fast. One minute, Hermione was against the wall, the next, she was kicking Draco in the shins. "You bloody prat! How dare you? Now I have to hide them! Do you know how hard it is to hide hickeys?! Hell, I don't even know how I'm going to hide them!"

Sighing softly, he waited for her to pause in her shouting before cutting her off, "Granger, focus on the task at hand, not the idiot." When she stopped to look at him, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Honestly, control yourself. Very well…I think that you should just act normal around those idiots you call friends. Don't worry about your relationship with Draco; don't focus on that at all. Just think about having a good time."

"He's right." Draco rubbed his head, sitting up, looking quite dishevelled after his attack. "Don't worry about us; just think of the now. I told you, Hermione, you think too much. Go there, have fun, be happy, if you want, tell your parents, but don't tell anyone else. To be honest, the only people in that group who won't be prejudiced at all are your parents."

"I suppose you're both right…I'm just worried that Ron might try to trick me or something…"

"If you fall for one of his tricks, I'm leaving you," Draco replied with a hard look. "Honestly, that idiot couldn't trick a rock if he tried. You're too smart to fall for any 'Come and look at my room' or 'Hey, come stand beside me and ignore the mistletoe' tricks."

"Besides," Blaise added, "I heard from a certain blonde girl that you made a promise. I didn't know Gryffindors broke their promises."

Sighing heavily, her head fell into her hands. "I hate you two; I would really rather spend my day here."

"I know," the blond replied. "But, you have no choice. You promised that Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Fucking-Die, and a promise is a promise. Go, have fun, enjoy yourself, and don't worry."

Getting to her feet, she rubbed her face. "Why does it still feel like I'm going to my funeral?"

"Because you now know that your friends are real prats," Draco offered, getting to his feet as well.

Blaise was already on his feet, brushing his pants off. "Just listen to us Granger; we're smarter than we look. If you want, I'll keep the git occupied until you come back."

Draco finally glared at the brunet at the insult, resisting the urge to kick the man in the shins. "Fuck you, Blaise."

"I don't mind, you'll be the one stuck with him. I'd really like it if you could bake cookies or something," she added with a mischievous smile.

"No baking in the Heads' Tower, I already told you that," Draco snapped.

"But…I have a lovely pink apron for you," she added as her smile grew at the look on Blaise's face.

"We'll bake you fifty batches of cookies," Blaise replied, grabbing hold of Draco's arm. "Won't it be fun?"

"Fuck you even more, Blaise," he spat, elbowing the man in the ribs.

Heading to the statue of Aphrodite, she smiled over to Draco. "You know, I really like cookies."

"I'll only bake those damn cookies on one condition."

"That is?"

He moved over to cup her face, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. "You have to be back before 9 o'clock. No later, but I'm fine if you decide to come back sooner."

Hugging him to her, she smiled into his neck. "You know that I am going to miss you, right?"

"I'll miss you too. Just don't let Weasel do anything; I'll hex his balls off and magic them into his nose."

Laughing, she turned and spoke the password to the statue, gesturing for Blaise to come as well. Maybe today wasn't going to be her funeral after all; life couldn't be that bad if she knew that the man she loved would miss her. Hell, she hated to admit it, but she thought that she had just made a new friend.

"I have a pink apron for you, too, Blaise," she added with a smile, watching the man pale at the idea.

Maybe things weren't going to be as bad as she'd thought.

There we go, Chapter 24 is completed. We have just Chapter 25 and the Epilogue left, and this fic is done.

As I've stated on my profile page, I will, once this is complete, be posting a poll asking the readers what the title of my next fic (the sequel) should be. I have a few ideas in mind, but I'm just not 100% sure.

I hope that this fic was super enjoyable for you all. I want to say a quick thank you to everyone who wished me a happy anniversary. It was amazing, fancy dinner in a Portuguese restaurant, homemade dessert, watching a movie. Very nice, very relaxing…a perfect night. (The pumpkin pie crisp turned out quite nicely; it was very good!)

Anyway…I wasn't 100% sure about the last bit, but I just felt like I needed to add it. Consider it to be filler of sorts, I suppose.

So, review overview and then the recipe

Flames: while nonexistent, any flame that might have been given up to do has been used to fuel the fire in this chapter. And all future chapters.

Adoration/Love: they increase my ego and decrease the amount of time it takes for me to post the next chapter. It's because you guys that I was able to go so far.

Critical criticism/editing: very much appreciated. Please, if you see mistakes, specify where, what chapter, and what the mistake was in your review.

Thank you guys. Really, thanks!

Recipe!

Strawberry LEMON Slices

Ingredients:

Crust

1 ½ cups (375 mL) all purpose flour

½ cup (125 mL) icing sugar

¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

¾ cup (175 mL) cold butter, cold

Filling

4 eggs

1 can (300 mL) regular or low fat sweetened condensed milk

½ cup (125 mL) lemon juice

2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon zest

1 jar (250 mL) pure strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Line a 9" x 13" (3 L) baking dish with parchment paper, overlapping the longer sides for easy removal.

Crust: Pour flour, icing sugar, and salt in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade. Pulse until blended. Add cold, cubed butter and process mixture until it looks like little crumbs, about 15 seconds. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press firmly onto the bottom of pan.

Bake in preheated oven 15 – 18 minutes, until edges are golden.

Filling: In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a handheld whisk until they are well mixed. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until it is fully incorporated. Whisk in lemon juice and zest.

Spread jam over hot crust. Pour filling over and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until filling has set.

Cool bar in the pan on wire rack. When cold dust with icing sugar and slice.

Enjoy. I think I chose a good recipe, eh? Lol.

Thank you!