Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!

The next day, Draco woke up before he opened his eyes. A grin stretched across his face, feeling the coarse curly hair of Hermione's under his chin and against his naked chest. His body was tangled with Hermione's and he rubbed his hands up and down her back, smiling at the memory of what they had done to each other the night before.

After they had gotten back to Hermione's flat, they practically tore each other's clothes off and went straight into the bedroom and haven't left yet. They were up for hours, making love and simply just holding each other. During the lull moments between their lovemaking sessions, they talked to one another.

They talked about everything—their hopes and dreams and the future—things they haven't said to one another yet. They talked about how they fell in love with one another and mock-scolded each other for not saying anything sooner.

Draco grinned, feeling Hermione's wet mouth kissing his neck, leading up to his mouth. When he felt her hot breath right over his mouth, his eyes shot open.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked her, playfully. He slid his hands up and down her arms.

"You," she answered, leaning down and kissing him. She climbed on top of him and they resumed where they had left off just a few hours ago.

"Well, well, well. What exactly have I walked into?"

Draco's eyes shot open and he pulled Hermione off of him, throwing the blankets over her. She wrapped herself into the sheets and buried her face into Draco's back.

"What the hell, Blaise?" he yelled.

Blaise smirked at them. His eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Don't look at her!"

Blaise turned around and faced the door to the bedroom. "When I got in this morning, my wife told me that the pair of you got into a huge row last night, at the Ball. Evidently, my wife failed to tell me the whole story."

"Why are you here?" Draco demanded.

Blaise laughed, still facing the open door. "Pansy told me Hermione was beyond inconsolable and since I was apparently the only who hadn't tried to comfort her yet, I should be the one to come and make sure she's okay. Obviously, she is."

Draco could just hear the smirk in Blaise's voice. He lightly knocked his head against Hermione's and smiled at her. "Yes, well, she's fine," he said irritably. "So you can go now."

Blaise nodded. "Have fun, you two." He walked out of the bedroom and shut the door without looking back at them.

"I'm gonna kill Pansy, Blaise!" Hermione yelled after him.

Blaise chuckled and Hermione and Draco didn't move until they heard the familiar popping sound of an Apparition.

Hermione groaned. "I'm seriously going to kill her."

Draco laughed and he turned around so he was nearly on top of her. "So what were we doing before we were so rudely interrupted?" He kissed her and pulled her legs around him.

She grinned and laughed. "I'm hungry." Hermione kissed him and pushed him off of her. "I'll make us breakfast."

"Wait, are you planning on burning the kitchen down?"

Hermione pulled on Draco's dress shirt from the night before. "I could make pancakes."

"Just make sure your wand is nearby."

"Shut up, Draco."

Draco moved his legs over the edge of the bed and pulled on his black, silk boxers. "Actually, I better watch you."

"What, you don't trust me?" Hermione teased, running barefoot into the kitchen. She started pulling the things that she needed out of the cabinets.

"Not in the kitchen!" Draco said, following her.

He watched her every move, loving that they had finally admitted their feelings to one another and acted upon it. He loved the way she moved around the kitchen, even though she didn't really know where anything was or how to use anything. He nearly laughed out loud when she tried to mix the batter with a teaspoon.

"Really, Hermione?" he asked, with a cheeky grin on his face.

She cast him an angry look and turned away from him, picking up another spoon to mix the batter with. He stood behind her, his breath hot on her neck, and watched as she tried to concentrate on making pancakes. He brought his arms around her, hugging Hermione as he put his hand around hers to help her stir.

"Gently, Hermione," he said softly, kissing her neck.

"I can't concentrate with you right behind me," she said irritably.

Draco laughed. "I wonder why."

She turned around so she was pinned between him and the counter. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a long kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Why did we wait so long to tell each other?"

"Cuz we're both idiots."

She gave him another kiss and pulled back from him. She pushed him away from her, putting a slight space in between them and smiled at him.

The only smile that was reserved for him.

"What?" Draco asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Thank you."

"For what? Last night?" Draco's eyes twinkled mischievously and he smirked. "We could pick up where we left off."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but continued to smile at him. "For everything. For coming back into my life and for making me feel better about myself. For making me accept my parents' death. For pushing me back to my friends. Thank you." She kissed him again. "I love you."

Draco grinned. "Forget the pancakes, Hermione."

"What?"

Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione again and easily picked her up. She grinned at him and wrapped her legs around him, kissing his neck. He carried her back towards the bedroom and carefully laid her on the bed.

"I love you, too," he said softly, staring deeply into her eyes. He leaned down and gave her a long kiss.

Draco and Hermione both reluctantly went back to work after a couple of days.

Draco returned to the hospital with a noticeable bounce in his step, enough for the chief of surgery to even comment on it. Amanda had given him a sly smirk and he merely smiled at her, confirming her suspicions. He went through his rounds and his surgeries better than he ever had before, impressing his attendings more than he ever had in the past.

Hermione returned to the Ministry, noticeably happier than before. She smiled and grinned at everyone, making conversation with witches and wizards she had never spoken to before. She even apologized to the witches and wizards under her department for her actions and behavior in the past months.

One afternoon, after she and Draco met for lunch in Muggle London, she found her office crowded with people.

"What do you guys want?" she asked, irritably. She was still thinking about her lunch with Draco and wished she was still with him.

Ginny, Pansy, and Blaise laughed at her.

"Why have you been avoiding us now?" Ginny asked with a smirk. "Just because you and Draco finally—"

"Get it on," interrupted Blaise. "I know, I saw."

Pansy laughed. "You're welcome."

"Finally get it on," Ginny continued. "You haven't been around."

Hermione furrowed her brow. "It's only been a couple of days since I came back to work! And I had to catch up on everything." She glared at Pansy. "Besides, I was already planning on avoiding you."

Pansy laughed. "Hey. I had to get back at Blaise for making me walk in on his mum and her latest husband."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "That was funny, though."

Ginny cracked up. "I still can't believe you did that, Pansy! I was in tears when you Flooed me!"

"You did look like you were enjoying yourself, Granger," Blaise said with a wink. "Sounded like it, too."

Pansy hit him and Hermione groaned, turning pink in the cheeks. She buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe you walked in on us!"

Ginny laughed again. "Well, we just wanted to come around and make sure you didn't forget about us just because you and Draco are finally—"

"Getting it on," interrupted Blaise.

"Getting it on," repeated Ginny. She and Pansy laughed again. "We'll leave you to your work now."

Blaise winked at Hermione again as he walked out. She buried her face in her hands and waited until she heard the door shut to look up again. Ginny sat before her. She looked like she was trying very hard to not squeal out loud.

"What, Ginny?" Hermione asked, trying to avoid the redhead's eyes. She busied herself with her work.

"After you and Draco left the Ball together, Pansy and I wanted to give you two some space. You know, all that built-up sexual tension between the pair of you must've taken days to get out."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You could've told Pansy to leave her husband at home."

Ginny laughed. "That was quite funny when she told me what she did."

"No, it wasn't. Draco and I were in the middle of—nevermind."

"It was late in the afternoon!"

Hermione shook her head and looked back at her work. Ginny leaned forward. Her long, red hair brushed against Hermione's desk. "So, how was it? I mean, not all the sex and stuff, I don't think I could look at my son's godfather again if I hear any of that, but how was it? The pair of you finally admitting your feelings to one another."

Hermione leaned back in her chair and thought back to her lunch with Draco. They had gone to a Muggle restaurant since Draco was technically still on duty, though he was on break. She remembered how he was always touching her—whether it be his hand on the small of her back, or his arm around her shoulders or her waist, or his thumb stroking her hand—and grinned.

"It's nice," Hermione answered. "Draco was always very affectionate with me, but…he does it a lot more now. I like it."

"Well, he wasn't trying to be overly affectionate with you before. He was trying to hide his feelings, after all." Ginny grinned. "I'm happy for you, Hermione!" she exclaimed. "And I could tell that you're truly happy, too. Your face has this…peaceful look that's never been there when you with Ron. Even when you and Ron were going through the good times."

"Oh, Ron!" Hermione brought a hand to her face. "I've forgotten about him. I just left him that night."

"Well, I think he got the picture when he came down to the Atrium and saw you leave with Draco."

"Was he angry?"

"Of course he was. He's my idiot brother who never realized something good when he had it."

"But he and I were friends once. Do you think we could ever be friends again? We've been through a lot together."

Ginny furrowed her brow. "Would Draco want you to be friends with him?"

"Draco would just want me to be happy. And he was the one who was pushing me towards you guys. I just didn't listen to him."

"Maybe one day," Ginny answered. "I think the…hurt is still too fresh for him."

"Even though we've been broken up for months?"

"I think when he saw you leave with Draco that night, he realized that you and him really don't have a future together."

"Is he all right?"

"He'll be fine. Harry tells me he's taking it better than when we told him that he wasn't James' godfather."

Hermione grimaced. "Did you tell him that it's Draco?"

Ginny nodded and frowned. "Yeah. He didn't take it well. But he'll get over it. I know Draco will take care of James as Harry and I will. You, too."

"It's probably best if we kept our distance from one another then, isn't it?"

"That'd probably be best. Harry told me he asked for a transfer to Romania. He said he needs to be away from here for a bit. He'll probably stay with Charlie."

Hermione looked sad. She knew that he really meant he needed to be away from her.

"Just give him some time, Hermione," advised Ginny. "It's my brother. He runs away and then he comes back. That's how he's always been."

Hermione thought back to when Ron walked out her and Harry. She remembered that time all too well, but knew that Draco would never do that to her. She nodded at Ginny. "I know. It's a shame he couldn't grow from that."

"Yeah. We're not at Hogwarts anymore," said Ginny. "We have to grow up sometime."

Please let me know what you think of the chapter and review if you have the chance! The story's not over yet! Thanks for reading!