Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

No one could party like the Slytherins that was for sure.

Because they had all of the proper funds, they were able to provide not only a variety of alcohol both magic and muggle, but decent food as well. A long table near the back of the room had several hors d'oeuvres, a few meats, sweets galore, and spiked punch. One of them decided to take over as DJ for the night, and made sure good music was blaring at all times. A large portion of the room was actually charmed to look like the scene of a club and couples had been dancing and grinding on it for a few hours already. The party was open to all the houses, but only for seventh and eighth years.

For her part, Hermione was able to look past all of the people getting sloshed and focus on not only letting lose and enjoying herself, but also seeing firsthand how her and Draco coming out with their relationship had an effect on Hogwarts. Since taking their relationship public a month ago when they'd made up, people had been a lot more accepting than either had thought (with the exception of Pansy and a few girls from Draco's fan club, not that either of them cared) and to their surprise, more secret couples started coming out as well.

Padma Patil for example, had been dating Ernie MacMillan for a while, having been partners with him in Care of Magical Creatures. Graham Montague, the keeper for the Slytherins, had begun dating Lisa Turpin, a Ravenclaw chaser, shortly after their game against them last term. Blaise, Ginny, Harry, and Daphne had also been dating openly, and though the papers were starting to have a field day once word reached them, they had the support of their friends and classmates and they were happy, so they knew they could face whatever the media threw their way.

Theo was glad for his friends, but he'd be lying if he said they weren't starting to get on his nerves. He'd had the bright idea to get a game of Higher or Lower started, slightly altering the rules to instead of drinking if you guessed incorrectly, you had to intensely snog the dealer for a spell. It had been going great, until Draco and Blaise decided to cheat. When they were the dealers, they cast an x-ray charm on the individuals so that they could see the card underneath, until they got to their girlfriends. Once it was off, Hermione had incorrectly guessed lower and with a devilish grin, Draco had pulled her into his lap and snogged the living daylights out of her, earning a number of cat calls and wolf whistles. Theo had to eventually pull them apart with an irritated expression while Hermione made it back to her spot with a furious blush. Blaise had been much worse. Once Ginny had guessed incorrectly, he too pulled her so that she was straddling his lap and kissed her fiercely. However, his hands started wandering as well, having no regard for the other people in the room, and Ginny was only too happy to comply to his actions. Once his hands reached under her dress and grabbed her bum, a red faced Ron threw a separating spell at them, while Theo exasperatedly exclaimed "That's it! Couples are hereby banned! Only singles from now on!"

The game went a lot smoother now and Theo had even gotten to snog three lovely girls, each from different houses. He seemed to like being a 'bachelor' and wasn't interested in a committed relationship. In fact, earlier in the week Ginny had asked about trying to set him up with someone, to which he'd adamantly refused and told her, "I have trouble remembering my own birthday, let alone someone else's. You girls tend to freak out when we forget those, so I really shouldn't take any chances."

Harry and Daphne were sitting on one of the couches by the fireplace, talking with Ron, Lavender, and Daphne's younger sister Astoria. When Draco and Hermione first became an item, Astoria had been a tad put out, but seemed to get over it especially when she realized that even if they weren't together, she and Draco would never be because he still saw her as one of his best friend's little sisters rather than the young lady she was growing up to be. However, in the last couple of weeks, she'd been getting closer to Adrian Pucey and it was predicted that they would get together shortly. She and Harry got along fairly well, though Harry's status in society had a lot to do with it, and she agreed to help ease him into their family once they got out of school. Though the younger Slytherins had pretty much tossed the pureblood supremacy beliefs to the wind, their parents were having a bit of trouble, but with time they were sure they'd come to accept those of other blood statuses.

Thinking over this, Hermione felt lucky that she wasn't facing the same problem. While he may not be thrilled with her muggle background, Lucius saw how happy she and Draco were and respected that. After all, he was paying all of her expenses so that she could have her dream career, and on top of that, had gotten the board of governors to accept scholarship funding. Next year more of them would be presented by different individuals, businesses, and organizations, but Lucius had decided to continue funding one solely from the Malfoy family. It was a grand gesture showing the world how much he'd changed, but he'd also got his wish in it being reported on in the papers (especially when they found out he was funding a muggleborn) and their image was slowly but surely recovering. It would at least be well enough for him to attend the graduation ceremony tomorrow without having to worry about being attacked.

All around them, people were making out, stumbling around, dancing, or playing some kind of risqué drinking game. At this rate, more than half of them were going to have killer hangovers tomorrow at graduation, but Hermione was willing to bet that Draco, Blaise, and Theo had taken care of securing quite a few hangover cure potions. Her inner self was cringing a little, but not enough for her to intervene. This was their last night in the castle, and they were all just trying to squeeze in one last unforgettable memory. After all, how many previous Hogwarts students could say they attended a Slytherin party where all houses and individuals were welcome? Besides, she was enjoying herself just as much, so she decided not to be a spoil sport. That was largely to do with Draco, seeing how the blonde had been such a huge influence on her this year, and vice versa. The party had been going on for a while, but Draco had only had two shots of fire whiskey and wasn't interested in getting sloshed, regardless of having hangover potions. He seemed more than happy to just be with her.

"This isn't your scene, is it?" his husky voice whispered in her ear, making her come out of her thoughts, and turn to him. They were sitting in a corner near the portrait hole with Draco's arm around her and her snuggled into his side. Every now and then he'd lean down and steal a kiss or plant one somewhere, and she couldn't deny that it made her heart race. Their passion for each other had continued as though they hadn't broken up, and the strong lust was still there, although love was present as well. Stopping or pulling away was becoming harder and harder for the both of them, but she was hoping to remedy that tonight.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked with a small smile.

He chuckled at her, and the deep throaty sound sent a mix of pleasurable emotions through her, causing the lust to return full force. "Yes. But as you seem to keep forgetting Granger, I know you quite well" he said, pulling her closer to his side. "Curfew's in a half hour, but if you want, we could go to the courtyard or perhaps take a spin on my broom?"

Hermione shook her head, stood up, then pulled him to his feet. "Actually, I have a better idea" she replied, ignoring his questioning look and leading him out of the portrait hole.

Once they got into the corridor, instead of going up towards the library or outside like he'd expected, she pulled him over to a tapestry that served as a cover up for a secret passage. He was no stranger to this passage, having taken it numerous times back in his sixth year. It came out close to the Room of Requirement, saving those in the dungeons the trouble of having to trek up seven floors to get there. Sure enough, once they reached the seventh floor, Hermione let go of his hand, paced the wall three times, and a door presented itself. She opened it and began walking in, but paused to turn back and give him a sensual smile before disappearing inside.

He swore under his breath and took a few seconds to compose himself. Though he loved that maddeningly beautiful and intelligent witch, it probably wasn't a very good idea to be alone with her right now. Their snogging sessions had picked up in intensity, hands roamed more freely, and even flirting had increased, making his self-control nearly snap. She had no idea how sexy she was nor how much he truly wanted her, but he knew she was a virgin and didn't want to pressure her in any way.

However, seeing her in her Slytherin-green halter style cocktail dress that ended a few inches above her knee and hugged her in all the right places, along with her silver strapped sandals was not doing him any favors and he knew that if they got started on one of their make outs, he wouldn't be able to stop. With a resigned sigh, he forced himself to accept the fact that he had to stay in control and not push any boundaries. It was a testament to how much she'd changed him, because before her he had no problem charming his way into girl's knickers, regardless of if they were virgins or not, and sneaking out once he'd gotten what he wanted. He couldn't and wouldn't do that with her because he didn't want her to regret it. No matter how badly he wanted to take the next step with her, he could not lose her again and for the sake of their relationship, he'd do his utmost best to remain a gentleman. Once he finally stepped into the room however, that line of thinking pretty much vanished.

The lights were dimmed low, but there were candles and rose petals everywhere. A fire was going in a corner fireplace, though it wasn't giving off any heat. (Not that it was needed since it was now June.) The floor was a soft plush carpet and on a nearby table a plate of fruit was placed, making the room seem like a setting straight out of one of those romance novels she and his mother were so fond of. But these things weren't what caught his eye. In the middle of the room, a huge canopy bed was situated with dozens of fluffed up pillows, and a dark mahogany frame with wooden rails at the headboard, perfect for hands to wrap around and grip tightly while being pleasured. The comforter was a soft gold, but was turned down revealing silver sheets. The two colors, on opposite sides of the spectrum, clashed together perfectly. They were the undertones of their respective houses; Slytherin and Gryffindor. They represented him and her.

With a small blush, Hermione sauntered over to him and placed her hands on his chest. She felt rather than heard his breathing hitch and looking up in his eyes, she could see the desire he had for her. Having someone as gorgeous as Draco Malfoy looking at her like that pushed her nervousness to the side and gave her the courage to lean up on her tiptoes and place a tender kiss on his shapely lips. Immediately he began responding, and wrapped his arms around her. Tentatively, she began to move her hands down his chest, inching closer to his pants until they rested right on top of his belt buckle.

"Hermione" he groaned, making her stop and look up at him. Was she doing something wrong? His eyes were closed and he took a deep breath. "If we start this, I won't be able to stop myself" he told her outright.

"What if I don't want you to stop?" she asked, relieved that he wasn't pushing her away.

Again his breath hitched, but his hands started creeping down her back, getting dangerously close to her bottom. He opened his eyes and stared straight into hers, his lust magnified tenfold in them as she was sure hers reflected as well. "Are you absolutely positive?" he asked, giving her one last opportunity to back out, though his hands reached their destination and squeezed. "There's no going back after this. I don't want you to regret anything."

His concern deeply moved her, but also cemented her decision once more that this was right. Boldly, she unbuckled his belt and pulled it out of his trousers. She could see the tent in his pants and brushed a hand against it, earning a hiss from him. "I love you Draco" she said looking back up at him. "And you love me. Isn't this what people do to show each other their love?"

"Bloody hell yes" he breathed, bringing his head down and capturing her lips. At once she opened her mouth, her tongue rising to meet his. They battled for dominance for a few minutes, though she was becoming absorbed in just his taste alone. Sweet, like the treats he always consumed, but also strong like the fire whiskey he had been drinking. His cologne and natural scent filled her nostrils, overwhelming her senses. In fact, she hardly noticed when he picked her up and walked her over to the bed.

Once he'd placed her on the satiny cover, he began trailing kisses down her neck and running his hands all over her body. Hermione was lost in the powerful feelings he evoked within her, but somehow managed to unbutton his shirt and slide it off of him. His torso was all hard muscle with pale skin and a trail of platinum blonde hair leading into his pants. Fascinated by it, she ran her hands all over his chest and abs. When she ran a nail over his left nipple, he sucked in a sharp breath, letting her know that he liked that. Again, she ran her nail over it, but this time he retaliated by circling her own, causing a shiver to run down her spine. When had he even removed her dress?

Finding out that she hadn't been wearing a bra turned him on even more. Although her breasts were not large, they were perky and fit her petite frame. He cupped them with his hands and ran a thumb over her hardened peaks, causing her to arch her back and pushing them closer to him. He latched onto her right breast and suckled, making her moan deeply. When he was satisfied with that one, he turned to the other and gave it the same treatment.

An ache was forming in between her thighs from the pleasure he was creating, and she began instinctually rocking her hips trying to soothe it. He gave a throaty chuckle at her impatience and eagerness, and moved a hand down to stroke her center. She gasped at the unexpected contact and jerked when he started rubbing her clit with the pad of his thumb, having been unprepared for such a delicious assault. Feeling how wet she was, he wasted no time inserting one long finger inside of her and smirking at the moan she let out. She was incredibly tight and he couldn't wait to be buried in her depths.

He slowly moved his finger in and out of her, allowing her time to get used to the unfamiliar feeling before he added another one. A pressure had started to build inside of her, and she felt like she was on the edge of something. She was almost there, but didn't know how to convey it to him. He seemed to know though, because he again started rubbing her clit, finally pushing her over that edge as waves of pleasure washed over her.

Watching her orgasm overtake her was incredibly erotic to him and he couldn't hold off any longer. Quickly, he dropped his pants and boxers, and aligned himself with her entrance. Usually it took a bit of foreplay to get him this ready, but it had been so bloody long and he had craved this witch so fucking much, that he was now hard as granite.

He waited until she opened her eyes and looked at him before whispering, "This may hurt, but I promise it will get better." She nodded once, her eyes showing total trust and love, making his heart flutter as he pushed into her and straight through her barrier.

There was pain, as she had expected, but the after effects of her first orgasm was still present enough for her to feel an underlying pleasure. The pain began to reduce to a dull sting as she adjusted to having him fitted within her so snugly. The only way to describe it was that she felt full and complete.

Draco grit his teeth and fisted his hands in the sheets beside her head as he tried to keep himself from shagging her into the mattress. She felt better than he'd imagined; so tight that her inner walls were naturally clenching around him. He was glad he'd given her that first orgasm, because he honestly didn't know if he could hold out long enough to give her a second. This was just too perfect and it would be a gift from Merlin if he could keep from coming right now like some inexperienced fourth year.

The ache had come back, and she desperately wanted to relieve it. Hoping to cause friction, she moved her hips and let out a gasp while Draco moaned. Looking her in the eye, he began pulling out only to thrust right back in. Ginny had told her that making love felt good, but she never imagined it could feel like this. Their bodies seemed perfectly in synch with each other, and every time he thrust forward, her hips rose to meet him. Soon their pace became faster and more frenzied and she felt the pressure again building inside of her, threatening to hurl her off the edge this time.

"Please" she cried, begging him for that release once again.

"Hold on to the headboard" he said through clenched teeth, his earlier mental picture of her gripping the rails as he pounded into her coming to the forefront of his mind. Once she'd done as he said, he let out an almost animalistic growl as his pace picked up even more, building upon the pleasure filled moans and cries she gave off. She would probably be sore in the morning, but he couldn't think about that right now. Instead, he was focused on the picture she made; head thrown back, eyes closed, back arched, and mouth forming the perfect 'o' shape, she was his fantasy coming to life. It filled him with pride knowing that he was the only one to ever see her like this, and he silently vowed that he would be the only one to ever have her in this way from now on. With that thought in mind, he reached a hand down between them, found her bundle of nerves, and lightly pinched it between his thumb and forefinger. Instantly, her walls squeezed around him in a vice like grip as she shouted her completion at the top of her lungs, and a second later he followed her into utter bliss.

XOXOXOXOXO

The afterglow was almost as perfect as the consummation act had been itself. Draco was lying on his back with one arm behind his head while the other played with her hair. Hermione rested her head on his chest and let one arm drape lazily across his torso, a small smile across her features. Never in a million years did she think she'd be lying naked atop Draco Malfoy or that she'd give him her virginity, but now she wouldn't want it any other way.

The silence between them was comfortable and the perfect way for them to think about just how much they loved and cared about the other. However, it was disrupted when out of the blue Draco stated, "I won."

She furrowed her brows for a moment, not understanding what he meant, until it suddenly clicked and she smacked his chest. He grunted, then had the audacity to chuckle. "Too soon?" he asked innocently.

"Git" she huffed, sitting up and fixing him with a stern look. "Way to ruin the moment!"

"Oh come on Granger, you know I'm just teasing" he said with a smirk while his arms circled around her and pulled her back into him. She tried to remain annoyed, but he started placing kisses randomly from her ear to her neck, making it downright impossible. Curse him and his talented lips!

She relaxed into him and he continued his ministrations, breathing in her familiar scent. Languidly, he traced patterns over her hips and stomach, causing goose bumps to break out across her flesh.

"By the way" she questioned after a moment. "What did Blaise and Theo have to do if they lost?"

"The same thing as me basically. Confess their undying love to Potter and Weasel-er-Weasley" he answered, quickly correcting his mistake. Despite their female counterparts being such good friends, the boys had not and most likely would not reach that level. But for the most part, at least around her, they could at least be civil and the nicknames had stopped. It was all about picking your battles, and she was pleased enough with the efforts being made by both sides to make a fuss.

"Can't wait to see them looking like idiots at breakfast" he said cheekily, earning another smack, only this one was much harder. "Ow! Stop hitting me woman, it was a joke!"

"You're such a prat!" she exclaimed.

"And you love it" he countered smugly.

"Sometimes" she muttered, closing her eyes as his fingertips trailed gently over her arms and shoulders. "Besides, you called it off, so everything got dropped. And it probably wouldn't be wise to embarrass them…for your sake."

He paused what he was doing and looked at her in confusion. "Why? I can outsmart those nitwits any day. And in case you haven't noticed, Theo isn't exactly known for being clever. I'm surprised that tosser was actually smart enough to cheat his way through school."

She rolled her eyes at that. Honestly, sometimes it was hard to believe they were all best friends with how mean they were to each other. "They were kind enough to drop the bet when it looked like you were going to lose-"

"-Nice my arse, they took my treats!"

"And" she continued as though she hadn't been interrupted, "we've just gotten to a point of acceptance within the castle, although the papers are still creating a circus with all of this. The last thing we need is for them to get word of that and do a story on cheating and scandal, cementing the older pureblood's beliefs that we're in the wrong."

"Okay, okay" he said exasperatedly. "I wasn't going to make them do it anyway. No need for the lecture."

"Good" she said with a slight smirk, watching him with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "And just so you know, Theo isn't as dumb as you think. Slytherin was definitely the right house for him."

He didn't know if he liked the sound of that. Though academically Theo wasn't the sharpest, when he wanted something, he knew what angles to work to achieve it. Curiously, Draco asked "Really? How so?"

Hermione paused, building up the curiosity and anticipation in Draco. "Well…let's just say, he may have had a feeling you would win the bet, so as a way to insure his safety, he told me a rather…hysterical story."

"Did he now? And which one was that" Draco asked with a sneer. He racked his brain, thinking of all the embarrassing stories Theo knew and which one he could have possibly told. She already knew the one about the dog in heat, but there was so many more…

She was fighting to contain her giggles, making Draco grow increasingly annoyed. "Just the one about the time you were eight… and walked in on your parents together one night…and your dad told you they were wrestling…so the next day in front of all your friends and their parents, you loudly asked if you could join them in wrestling naked that night."

Draco's eyes widened, and color drained from his face. That fucker had told Granger his most embarrassing story! Seeing her boyfriend's enraged look, she couldn't help but continue to poke fun at him. It wasn't every day that the ever cool and suave Draco Malfoy lost his composure.

"I thought it was so adorable" she said sweetly, still desperately trying to hide her amusement. "Though, I'm sure it scarred you a little, once you realized that your parents were actually-"

"Granger, do NOT finish that sentence" he growled at her. Having seen his parents doing the deed was enough, but bringing it up especially after what they'd just done was a sure fire way to ruin the post coital bliss.

She couldn't contain her snickers now as she watched him mutter obscenities under his breath and could practically hear him plotting a horrific revenge against his mate. Younger Draco was so adorable and naïve that she actually wished she'd known him then. He shot her an annoyed glare and she couldn't help but prod at him once more. "You know, I'm sure that story would be a nice little addition tomorrow in my speech-"

Now she'd gone too far. With a growl, Draco flipped them over and pinned her beneath him, though the minx was now openly laughing at him. Seeking retribution, he started tickling her sides causing her to squirm and twist trying to get out of his grasp. "Draco, stop I can't breathe!" she gasped out.

"Promise me you'll never tell anyone that story" he demanded. She tried to put up a bit more resistance, but when he increased his tickling she finally complied by shouting "ALRIGHT! Alright, I promise I won't tell anyone!"

Satisfied, he stopped tickling her but remained in his position as he stared down at her. There was still a gleam of mirth in her eyes, her cheeks were flushed red, and she was panting, bringing his attention to her heaving breasts. The sight was incredibly hot and he found himself getting aroused once more.

"Good" he said with a smirk, running a hand erotically down her body and causing her breath to hitch. He leaned down to trail kisses along the expanse of her throat and said, "Now then. How about we pick this back up?"

"Again?" she asked in surprise, though she let out a moan when his hand brushed against her center, making liquid heat pool between her thighs.

With another deep chuckle, he replied "Of course Granger. Don't you remember me telling you I'd do this to you all…night…long?" He punctuated each word with a kiss, and thrust a finger inside her on the last word. Listening to her soft whimper, he smiled and took joy in the thought of how much he was going to enjoy teaching her the ways of making love. Because every Sex God needed a Sex Goddess.

AN: Come on, you didn't think Draco was actually going to lose the bet did you? : ) I kid you not, this little embarrassing story actually happened to one of my brothers and my parent's friends still like to bring it up when they come over. So naturally, I had to include it! Well, I don't feel right just ending the story here, so I've decided to do one more chapter to kind of wrap everything up. I want to have it out as soon as possible, so be looking for it within the next few days. Please review!

Side Note: For anyone who doesn't know, Higher or Lower is a popular drinking game at parties. One person is the dealer and has a stack of cards. They flip the first card over, and the person to the right or left has to predict if the next card will be 'higher' than the one turned over, or lower. If they guess correctly, the dealer has to drink. If they guess incorrectly, that person drinks and if three players in a row guess incorrectly, a new dealer is picked. I hope I explained that well enough for you to understand : )