A/N: In honour of Harry Potter's birthday...here's a chapter that doesn't involve him in the slightest. :p It does, however, live up to the story's M rating, so be warned: if that's not your cup of tea, you won't miss anything too substantial if you choose to wait for the next chapter (which is coming early next week).

*** 25 – Reunion at Home ***

With a small pop, Hermione found herself staring up at the familiar front door that she'd spent a mere year of her life behind. The sleek wood finish of the door and shutters on the house gave it a dignified look. It was small by her husband's standards, but for her it was perfect. She took a deep breath and carefully climbed the steps. She waved her wand a few times to clear the security wards, and aiming her wand at the doorknob, she muttered a quick "Alohomora," and was thankful to see that the security measures hadn't been modified since she'd been gone. Only five people in the world could access their house last she remembered, herself included.

The door swung open quietly, and she felt tears spring to her eyes as she took in her home for the first time in years. He hadn't changed a thing, her husband, and she felt another rush of memories invade her mind. She gazed fondly at the pictures on the walls in the hallway, of weddings and parties, and simple times when she hadn't a care in the world. It was heaven on earth being able to remember them again. Hermione smiled happily as she turned to close and lock the door behind her.

As soon as the lock clicked into place, she heard a sound from upstairs, as if someone had suddenly stopped moving. Her wand was ready at her side, and just as she moved her eyes upwards, a pop sounded in front of her.

Silver eyes were alight with fire as they gazed at her from under a fringe of blonde hair. The warrior look on his face vanished instantly as he realized who he was staring at. She knew that he'd been angry at her for making him leave, but she didn't care. Before she could think on it further, he was holding her in his arms tightly, his wand cast aside. "Liz," he breathed, as he held her close.

He felt her smile into his neck, and she pulled back slightly. "Draco?" she asked, her sweet voice music to his ears. He looked at her expectantly. "It's me."

She could see the confusion in his eyes for a few seconds until realization set in. His eyes widened as he fully understood what she meant. "Mi?"

Hermione's smile grew broader as she nodded. "I'm back."

Draco gazed at her, stunned, for a moment as her words sunk in. He had his Hermione back. When he finally got it, he pulled her in by the waist again and kissed her much like he had just a few minutes earlier at the facility.

Hermione smiled into his kiss and threw her arms around his neck, dropping her wand and pressing herself closer to him. He tasted spicy, just like she remembered. Tilting her head slightly, she teased his lips with her tongue until he allowed her entry into his mouth. Their tongues dueled passionately for dominance until they were both breathless. They pulled apart for only a second, taking in a bit of air before attacking each other's lips again.

Draco's arms crushed her to him, and she held on for dear life as his fingers began traveling up and down her back. Delicious shivers flew along the curve of her spine, and she arched into him. He kissed her again and again, gently tugging on her bottom lip with his teeth. She let out a moan, grabbed his face and pulled him down for a proper kiss. His hand slipped under the hem of her tank top, and his fingers skimmed the small of her back. She gasped at the sensation, causing them to break apart again.

"I'm sorr-" he started, but she cut him off by grabbing his collar and yanking him back to her. Their lips crashed together, and the momentum of his body sent them slamming into the wall behind her. He had felt them flying towards the wall, and slid his arms up her back to cradle her head and shield her from the impact. With her now trapped between him and the wall, he decided that a little torture was in order. He'd waited for this for so long, and didn't plan on rushing anything.

His kisses travelled slowly from her lips, along her jawline, and up to her ear. Her breath caught in her throat as his tongue tickled her lobe, causing her to shudder violently. She slipped her hands into his silken hair and fisted it as he languidly trailed his mouth down her neck and over to her shoulder. He slipped the strap of her tank top down onto her arm, and lightly sucked on the newly revealed skin. Her grip on his hair tightened as she tried to get as close to him as possible. His lips slid along her collarbone to the other shoulder where he repeated his actions before guiding his lips back up the other side of her neck to connect with her lips again.

They both moaned as their lips came together again, and his grip on her back tightened. Her arms slipped from his neck down to his waist where they grasped the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it upwards. Their mouths broke apart as his shirt was dragged over his head and tossed to the side. As he raised his head to finish removing the offensive clothing, her own mouth dropped to his neck, and she began her attack on his skin. Her fingers slowly trailed along his chest as she kissed every bruise that'd he'd obtained over the last few weeks.

Draco's control had long shattered, and he revelled in the heady feeling of Hermione's lips caressing his torso. His fingers had tangled themselves in her curls, and he breathed heavily as she continued her pleasurable torment. She eventually pulled herself upright, and he wasted no time in ridding her of her own shirt. The tank top was thrown carelessly over his shoulder as she reached for his trousers. His hands slid sinuously down her sides as he felt his pants slip down his legs. He stepped out of them easily, and gripped his wife's waist tightly. Draco lifted her off the ground, and she wrapped her legs around his hips. He trailed his fingers along her thighs and over the curve of her bum.

Hermione threw her head back and groaned loudly at the feel of him pressed against her in such an intimate way. Her skin felt like it was on fire wherever he touched. His tongue danced back down her neck and he gently tickled the smooth skin of her chest. He loved to kiss her everywhere, and was planning to do just that. Draco ran his rough hands over the sensitive skin of her back, stilling them when they came to rest on the clasp of her bra. She squeezed her hands into the flesh of his own back, wanting to be closer to him. He took the hint, and slowly, teasingly, removed the garment from her beautiful body. Bare skin met bare skin and they were completely lost.

Blindly, Draco moved them away from the wall, and walked them down the hall to their favourite room, with Hermione still completely plastered against his upper body. Despite the five-plus years that had passed since they'd last been here together, he remembered the exact number of steps needed to get to his destination. Still kissing and nipping at the bare skin in front of him, he managed to get them there, and sat himself down on their favourite couch. She was straddling his lap now, shifting slightly back and forth in a manner that was making them both insane with desire. Now that he didn't have to hold her up anymore, he drew his hands around to her taut stomach and began stroking his way up her abdomen. She sucked in a deep breath as his hands moved upwards and his lips came down. They met in the middle as he lovingly ran his fingers and mouth over her breasts.

Hermione was drowning in the sensations he was creating within her, and was panting heavily. His lips and tongue switched left to right, alternating their ministrations with his hands. She cried out when he bit down gently on her nipple and sucked it up to the top of his mouth. Her movements over his lap were becoming more agitated and frantic as she tried to assuage the ache that was growing inside of her.

After what seemed like hours of torture, she felt Draco grab her around the back and lay her down on the plush cushions of couch, still suckling at her breasts. The warm fabric connected with her back, and she tried in vain to get her body to relax. She slipped her hands from his neck to his sides and gently stroked the skin that covered his ribs.

"That tickles," he murmured against her body.

"I know," she whispered hoarsely, continuing to tease his sides with her fingers. She felt an involuntary flex in his muscles, and smiled to herself.

"I'll have to get you back for that later," he whispered, trailing his lips down to her stomach. This moved his ribs out of range of her hands, so she settled them back into his hair. She would never tire of feeling it under her palms. She felt his fingers tuck into the sides of the scrub pants she wore and she sighed in bliss as he slipped them down her shapely legs.

She opened her mouth to respond to his threat, but her words turned into a desperate cry as his lips closed over her navel and he plunged his talented tongue into its crevice. Something inside her snapped and she saw sparks behind her eyes as she unconsciously bucked her hips up to his chest. In response, he slid his body up along hers, sinfully putting pressure on her skin as he closed in on her lips. It was his turn to moan as he explored the deep recesses of her mouth, his fingers moving back up to her breasts.

Hermione was drunk off his kisses, and knew that she wanted to do something to make him feel the same. Wordlessly, she flipped them over on the couch and began her own exploration of his delicious body. They were now down to the bare essentials of clothing, and while she knew that she couldn't hold out much longer, she was determined to make him just as desperate as she was.

As she kissed her way down his smooth chest, she could feel his heartbeat racing. It thrilled her to know that she had that kind of effect on him, even after so many years apart, and her mind went through different ways that she could exploit that power later. She kissed all the way down past his navel to the top of his boxers, and then proceeded to lick a path from his stomach back up to his lips. As she passed over his throat, he let out a groan. Hermione felt the vibration through his skin and sighed blissfully.

Just as their lips met again in another searing kiss, Draco took charge once more and flipped her onto her back in one smooth, fluid motion. She sank into the couch under his weight, relishing in the warmth surrounding her. He pulled back for a moment, still kissing her ardently, and when he brought his body back down to hers, a guttural moan escaped both their mouths. She'd been so distracted by his kiss that she hadn't even noticed that he'd removed what little clothing they'd had left.

Hands were everywhere, reacquainting themselves with each other's bodies. Hermione was torn between feelings of pleasure and near pain at Draco's desperate touches. She could feel his emotions through the connection they shared, and knew that he was very close to completely snapping. It was time for him to join her in her in the insanity they'd brought on.

She reached between their bodies and stroked him gently. He let out a hiss of breath and froze at her movements. She continued her actions, using the pace of his breathing as indicators of when to speed up or slow down her hand. He'd thrown his head back, and she attacked his throat with her lips. She felt him start to move against her hand, and smiled into his neck.

Her euphoria was short-lived as, without any warning at all, Draco had her hands pinned above her head with one of his own, and his other hand had snuck down to prepare her for his next assault. His fingers caressed her most intimate of places, and she felt her brain get even fuzzier than it had been, as she was completely consumed by his hands. His fingers played teasingly with her sensitive flesh, stroking and rubbing at various speeds as she thrashed beneath him. Suddenly, his hands both left her body, and as she opened her eyes to see what was happening, he brought his mouth down to replace his hand on her swollen flesh. Hermione was so shocked by this latest move that she threw her head back and screamed out his name in ecstasy. He plunged his tongue into her repeatedly as his fingers stroked the skin above. She whimpered with want, and clawed at his back as she prepared to slip into oblivion.

Draco finally paid heed to her screams, and rose from his position between her legs. A split second later, he was kissing her as he entered her. She tasted herself on his lips, and it only added to the intoxication she was already feeling. Both of them moaned blissfully as they were finally and completely joined as one, and Draco stilled his movements as they both got used to the feeling again. It had been five years since they'd done this, and he didn't want to hurt her.

After a moment of heavy breathing, he felt her stir beneath him. She thrust her hips towards him, experimentally, and he responded gently by pushing into her further. He then slowly withdrew and mimicked her slow thrust. They fell into a hypnotic rhythm together, which quickly sped up. She called out his name in between kisses as he moved inside her, both becoming more frantic with need as each moment passed.

Their actions were no longer slow and loving, but fast and desperate. He drove into her madly as he brought his lips down to attack her neck once more. She scratched at his back with her short nails, panting heavily and moaning loudly. She was so close. The ache that had previously resided within her stomach was now spreading throughout her entire body, and she knew that she wouldn't last much longer. His thrusts managed to touch that sensitive spot deep inside her, and the exquisite pleasure of that combined with his lips on her neck brought her to the brink.

Just when she thought that the elastic band inside of her couldn't stretch anymore, Draco bit down on her neck. Hermione's eyes widened for a split second and then slammed shut as she exploded beneath him. Tremors wracked her small body, and every muscle inside of her clenched as she cried out. She felt Draco slip over the edge a few seconds after she did, shouting her name as he rode the waves. They held each other tightly as they came, gasping and crying out for the other.

Gradually, the passion subsided and he collapsed onto her, exhausted. Breathing heavily, they laid there for a moment, basking in the afterglow of their actions. With a soft kiss on her shoulder, Draco carefully slipped out of her, and repositioned their bodies on the couch so that he was lying on his back, and she was curled up against his side with her spine against the back of the couch.

Mi?

Yeah?

I love you.

I love you too, Draco.

Hermione smiled at his thoughts, and felt him reach around her. She then felt the soft warmth of her favourite blanket surround her. Once satisfied that they were sufficiently covered, Draco let his arms settle around her protectively. As she listened to the gentle thumping of his heart and felt his slow intake of breath, she thought one final thing as she drifted off to sleep.

I'm home.