A/N: Sorry, another short chapter…but it was needed alone before I went on.

Chap. 26 Words and Actions in the Infirmary

After another day in the infirmary, Madame Pomfrey told Hermione that she did not have to stay there anymore. She could go to a vacant room that was in the dungeons, but on the opposite side of the castle from the Slytherin dungeons. She was promised privacy.

Hermione, however, declined the offer.

'I would like to wait until Draco is allowed out of the infirmary, before I go.' She told Pomfrey.

Pomfrey looked a bit uneasy about her reply, but said nothing in response to it. She simply nodded and said, 'Well, Mr. Malfoy will probably be able to join you in the dungeons tomorrow evening.'

'All right, thank you.' Hermione replied with a smile.

Pomfrey then left the two former students without another word.

'You didn't have to do that.' Draco told Hermione.

Hermione just smiled prettily, well at least Draco thought it was pretty, and shook her head to disagree.

'I did not want to sit in the dungeons all by myself; I need someone there to protect me just in case a Slytherin with a "bad-ass" complex decides to come pester me. And I prefer my protector to be a former Slytherin, because then he'll know how to handle it.'

'You seem to know how to take care of yourself, my dear.' He replied, even though he was very happy with her explanation.

'Sometimes I want someone there to protect me. I've put up with enough snobby Slytherins to last me a life time. There was this one, in particular, he really knew how to piss me right off, but I showed him.'

'Oh, yeah?' Draco mused, 'And how did you accomplish such as task?'

'I made him fall in love with me.' She answered without a second thought.

'How did you do that?'

'I used my feminine wilds, of course.' She said with a wink.

Draco chuckled and nodded for her to come sit with him on his bed.

She smirked, one worthy of a Malfoy, and acquiesced. She padded over to his bed as he moved more to one side to make room. She sat Indian-crossed, her hands gathered up by his. He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them softly, closing his eyes for a moment as he did so.

When he looked up he saw her grinning mischievously.

'What are you thinking about?' He asked curiously.

She laughed softly and then said, 'I was just thinking about what you said the other day, when you woke up.'

'And what was that?'

'What you'd do to me if you weren't confined to this room.'

He smirked in return, showing he understood what she was talking about.

'I can give you a preview now, if you'd like.' He said huskily, drawing her close to him.

She moaned softly as he pulled her down, so she was lying beside him.

With one arm under her head and the other slowly sliding down her thigh, Draco leaned in and captured her lips possessively. Hermione snaked an arm around his neck, pulling his body against hers. He managed to pull her hospital robe up her legs and now his hand was caressing the soft flesh of her inner thighs. She moaned in the back of her throat, her hips grinding into his hand. Hermione pulled away to get air, but Draco just moved his lips to her neck and sucked and nipped tenderly.

'Draco…' She moaned ever-so-softly.

'Mmm.' Was all he said in return.

Hermione then felt Draco remove his hand from her thigh, and bring it up to caress her breast.

Hermione made a sort of guttural cry of pleasure. He hadn't touched her like this in weeks.

With a shaky hand, she grabbed hold of his hair and pulled him from her neck and crashed her lips to his passionately.

She bit softly on his lower lip when he pinched her nipple. He laughed softly before sliding his tongue into her mouth. A battle began, but of course after a minute or so Draco won. He directed her head on the angles and his tongue was deep in her mouth, controlling her every move. She seemed fine with that. (Who wouldn't be?)

Suddenly Draco moved his hips slightly, allowing his hard erection to press against her wet mound. This caused Hermione to break away from Draco's lips and groan loudly.

'Gods Draco…' She gasped.

He quickly took this opportunity to move down slightly and take her thin robe-covered nipple into his mouth.

'Draco…please…not right n--oh Merlin…'

Both of her hands were gripping a pillow tightly, she didn't notice when one of Draco's hands went under her robe, inside her panties and into her wetness.

She cried out loudly when she felt his finger inside her.

'Draco!'

She panicked; they were inside Hogwarts' Infirmary anyone could come in.

She twitched and pressed away from him until he removed his, now seeping wet, digit from her.

'Draco! What were you thinking?'

'I was thinking I was preparing you since we haven't fucked in some time. I was trying to be considerate; what were you thinking by stopping me?'

'We are in the hospital wing of our old school!'

'Yes, and they wanted us to relax and have privacy…no one will come in, and if some one is coming we'll hear them.'

'It's not a good idea, Draco…we can finish this when we're in the dungeons tomorrow night.'

'Oh fuck, but Hermione…you felt was you did to me…I can't just stay like this…'

She could swear she heard a whine and beg in his response.

Hermione sighed, contemplating something.

She looked down the bed at the sheet.

'I'll help you out there…you better warn me if someone is coming though.' She said quickly.

'What?' He asked, not understanding what she was implying.

She then pushed him back against the pillows and sat between his knees, pulling the thin sheet over her.

Draco then felt her small fingers push up his hospital robe and pull down his boxers, exposing his engorged self to her. He gasped when he realized what she was going to do. He quickly grabbed hold of the sides of the mattress when he felt her hot mouth enclose on him.

She ran her tongue under him, then sucked him off and blew on the tip, causing Draco to shutter under her. She smiled and continued.

A minute or two into Hermione's ministrations- Draco sensed someone coming and gasped. Hermione mistook this gasp for pleasure, even though it partly was, and didn't sense any danger.

Like a slow motion replay, Draco watched the infirmary doors open. Draco couldn't process anything. All he could think to do was hit Hermione hard on top of her head… which, in turn, caused her to accidentally bite down on him…he obviously didn't plan this out.

'Ahh!' He cried out in pain, taking hold of himself gently.

'Draco! What did you do that for?' She exclaimed, popping up, the sheets falling behind her. 'I'm sorry, but what were you—'

She then noticed Draco's eyes were wide and staring toward the entrance.

Hermione turned white. She couldn't make herself look to see what caught Draco's attention…she knew. Someone had just witnessed what happened.

'Oh gods…' she gasped.

'Uhh…' Draco faltered with words as he pulled sheets up around his waist.

Slowly Hermione turned her head, eyes closed, to face the doors. She opened one eye and saw two young students, donned in Hufflepuff uniforms no less, staring at her and Draco agape. They could not have been older than third years.

'Oh my god…' Hermione gasped again.

'Now go on!' Draco called out abruptly.

'Draco,' Hermione scolded under her breath.

'W-w-what were you doing, lady?' the smallest of the two asked, a little boy.

'Oh dear,' Hermione muttered.

'I dropped something and this nice girl was just helping me find it!' Draco said suddenly.

'Sure…' the older student, a girl, said.

Draco narrowed his eyes at her.

'Who are you?' the girl asked, 'I've never seen you before. Are you new professors?'

'Umm…no. We used to go to school here.' Hermione answered.

'What are you doing here then?'

'I don't think that's any of your business.' Draco snapped.

'I think doing what you just did in public makes it my business, and the Headmaster's… don't you think?'

Hermione quickly got off of Draco's bed and stood beside it.

'We're both sorry,' Hermione stated, Draco huffed, 'we didn't think anyone would be coming in.'

'Pretty risky.' The girl shrugged, 'whatever…c'mon, James, let's go. Obviously Madame Pomfrey isn't here right now.'

The two left, leaving Draco and Hermione in an uncomfortable silence… until the sound of flesh slapping flesh was made.

'Ow!' Draco cried grabbing his upper arm gently, 'First my prick, now my arm! You're brutal today!'

'I didn't mean to do that the first time, but the slap was for making me… do that to you in the first place!'

'I didn't make you do anything! It was of your own accord.'

'You made me feel bad! You guilted me into it!'

'I did no such thing!' Draco protested.

'Yes you did! You made it sound as if you couldn't go on without relieving yourself!'

'I still never asked you to- or hinted it!'

Hermione groaned angrily, sat on her bed and threw her pillow on him.

He caught it and threw it onto the floor.

'Well, I'm not hard anymore if that makes you feel better!' Draco announced.

'I could care less!' Hermione snapped back. 'Ugh! I'm so embarrassed!'

'You should be.' He replied in a low tone, 'That was a pathetic excuse for a blow job.'

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. How dare he say something like that?

When she didn't reply, he could sense she was angry and possibly slightly ashamed. He actually didn't mean it whatsoever- he was actually just angry that they were interrupted and he took it out on her, as usual.

He sighed and whispered, 'Hermione?'

'What?' She snapped back.

'I didn't mean that, you know I didn't. I was frustrated- I am frustrated- that you weren't able to finish. It felt fucking good, baby, it was a nice surprise. I am really sorry I said that.'

She didn't respond. Draco then sat up and slowly walked over to her bed. He lowered his head to look into her eyes, which were desperately trying to avoid his.

'C'mon,' he cooed, 'you can't be upset with me forever.'

'Yes I can.' She rebounded childishly.

'Even when I do this?' He asked in a tone that sounded like a low growl.

He then kissed her jaw, right below her ear. He took her earlobe into his mouth and sucked on it softly just before nipping at it.

Draco smiled when he heard Hermione sigh softly.

Then she whispered, 'Oh, I hate you.'

He laughed, his hot breath tickled her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

Draco raised a hand to her face and moved her head so she was looking at him.

She smiled softly in submission.

Draco stared at her thinking about how wonderful she really was. He then kissed her forehead and lightly on the lips.

'I love you, Hermione Granger.' He said softly.

She smiled and grabbed his hand from her face and held it in hers.

'I love you, too, Draco.' She replied placing her forehead against his.

'Would you be mine, Hermione?'

'Always, Draco.'

'Do you mean it?' He asked.

'I wouldn't lie about that.' She responded, not taking her forehead from his.

'Would you marry me, Hermione?'

Quickly Hermione sat back and looked him in the eyes.

'Did you just propose to me, Draco?'

'After all this is over, after peace is back in our lives, I would love for you to be my wife, Hermione. You are my constant- the only thing I've ever been sure about. I know it's not the most romantic place, but I have never felt more certain of anything. Will you be mine?'

Hermione's eyes teared up as she continued to stare at him in amazement.

'Hermione?' He questioned, 'Are you all right?'

'I told you, Draco… I'm yours forever.' She finally said, a small smile donning her beautiful face.

He laughed happily, then took her face in both of his hands and kissed her soundly.

'I'm sorry, my love, I don't have a ring for you right now, but—'

'I don't need a ring, Draco, all I need is your word.'

'I promise after we're out of here, I'll buy you the most beautiful ring.'

Hermione just nodded. She was so entirely at peace- as was Draco- no more words were needed.