She watched out of the corner of her eye as he tucked an arm underneath his head so he could look over at her. A soft smile crossed her lips but she didn't say anything. She was enjoying the feeling of his eyes roaming over her body, lingering once again at the exposed skin of her shoulder and collarbone.

"S0 what would you like to talk about?" He asked, his gray eyes taking on the silver hues that she had only seen accompany a joke.

She wondered what he was thinking as she turned her head so she could return his look. Lounging across the black blankets he somehow figured out how to make relaxed look graceful. She sighed before answering honestly. "Pansy..."

"Why would you want to talk about her?" He inquired, his eyebrow raised from his curiosity.

"I guess... I was just wondering how you could go from wanting to be with girls like her to me." She asked, knowing that the answer had the potential to change everything. She wasn't sure how she would respond if he just wanted a change from the same old thing or something equally insulting.

"That would have many answers Kitten. But first and foremost- It has always been you that I have wanted. Well pretty much always... I can remember sitting there a couple weeks after you struck me in Third Year and I could not get how your eyes lit up out of my mind. It kept replaying over and over. And instead of feeling the disgust I was supposed to feel... I kept imaging being able to see it again. I found myself doing anything I could to get that look from you, because no one reacts like that if they don't care on some subconsciouss level... I couldn't have you, for so many reasons, but I could have that... That illusion that you cared."

Her eyebrows came together as she realized what he was telling her. Another surreal moment in a long line of them when it came to them. Conformation on an unrequited crush. At least until recently...

"As for Pansy or any other girl I might have hooked up with... They were the exact opposite of you and that was the point. I needed girls who could keep me from imaging you in their place. They needed to be overtly sexual and dominate so that I could get lost in the experience. Which is too bad really." He said a soft smirk playing on his lips. "I like being in control..."

"Oh." She barely got out, the instant spike of need at his words overwhelmed her.

"Not what you expected pet?" He questioned that teasing smirk widened, it was obvious he knew exactly what he was doing to her.

She shrugged. "I didn't know what to expect. You always surprise me Draco."

His smirk lifted to a full blown smile that caused crease lines around his eyes. "Good."

Hermione smiled back at his response. Go figure that he would want to surprise her. Like it was a wonderful thing that he wasn't fulfilling her predictions. In his case, he was probably right. She still couldn't get who he was out of her head. She was still expecting the switch to flip and not come back down after a few moments of heated discussion... Or lack there of. They had been lucky so far that neither had said something that would cause all the carefully laid bricks to fall. But the thought kept wiggling in the back of her mind. That a major blow up with inexcusable insults thrown at each other was how this was all going to end.

His eyes darted down and focused on her hands as she absentmindedly wiped the perspiration that collected on her palms on to her jeans. He literally missed nothing. If he was as perceptive as he had proven himself to be and it really was true that he had been watching her for years, he would have know that her wandering mind was causing her to get worked up again. She could feel the metal bands wrapping around her chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Hey. Where did you go Granger?" He asked, an underlying hint of concern tainting the nonchalance he tried so hard to sustain most of the time. When she didn't answer he reached over and grabbed her wrist, giving it a gentle tug. "Come here."

She stared at his lips, unable to maintain eye contact while her anxiety skyrocketed at the realization that even if they didn't have some massive blow up. He would eventually tire of this and run away screaming. She couldn't fight the tears that sprung to her eyes as she came to the conclusion that she would only have herself blame. A shaky breath entered her lungs as she tired to get control enough to respond.

He gave another placid jerk on her arm. "Please. Just come here. No funny business. I promise."

The muscles in her shoulders and neck tighten even further but she let him pull her into the crook of his arm. Her body was pressed up against his side and she could feel her breasts rubbing against his ribs as she struggled to get air back to her brain. She cushioned her head against his chest so she could hide the embarrassment that came along with allowing him to see her like this... Twice.

Her started rubbing small circles on her shoulder. Giving her brain some other input other than the absolute fear that chilled her veins. She didn't know how to be this vulnerable with someone else. She didn't know how to give herself so completely to someone who might not even be there tomorrow. She didn't know... She didn't know...

"Shhhhh... It's okay. You will be okay. Concentrate on my voice, alright? Concentrate on right now, in this moment with me, okay? We are going to take slow deep breaths." He said leisurely before he started breathing. He let his lungs expand underneath her, giving her something to pace her own against. She drew in the breath with him as he continued to rub the bare skin.

"Good." He said on their shared exhale. "Now we are going to do it again."

With the next inhale she felt her heartbeat start to return to normal at the rush of oxygen, no longer struggling against the deprivation her own mind created. By the time they hit forty-five breaths she was feeling better. Still shaky and a little light-headed but she could breathe again.

She whispered, unable to find the volume control for her voice. "Thank you."

"For?" His fingers had worked from the small circles to running along the tender skin from the crook of her neck all the way down to her shoulder. And back again... Something that had felt comforting just seconds before suddenly ignited that deep burn in her stomach. The abrupt shift in hormones left her even more dizzy than when she was dealing with the attack. It was as if her body was in sync with her mind, unable to figure out exactly what it wanted to do.

"For... Being so understanding, I guess."

"I told you. I have been there, shit gets hard sometimes and that is okay." He whispered back, his fingers still running that slow path on her skin, making it very hard for her to focus. "How about we try thinking of some happier things... What is you favorite memory?"

"Of all time? Or right this moment with my head in a fog because of what your fingers are doing to me?" She asked. Unsure of what he wanted from her, she was probably reading too far into the question but her brain wasn't working on making those kinds of distinctions.

Draco laughed at that. The heaves from the action jostled her against him. and she smiled into his sweater. It was kind of funny... When he was done he sighed and said. "Both. Without a doubt both."

"Of all time would have to be McGonagall showing up with my acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Everything that didn't make sense, suddenly did. I really had turned all of the flowers in my Mum's garden purple at four because 'I was having a purple day'. It was me that burst all of the balloons at my cousin's birthday party because that creepy frickin' clown would not leave me alone... It opened the door to a world straight from one of my Fairy Tales. For the first time I truly felt like I belonged somewhere." She brought her arm around his waist, pulling herself even tighter against him.

"And the one from the brain fog?" He nudged, trying to keep her talking.

She blushed scarlet. Thankful that he couldn't see the traitorous act carried out for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "Well... Ummm... The... The first night that we kissed, actually..."

The sound of him swallowing hard reached her ears before he let out a breathless. "Oh."

Hermione felt a rush of giddiness at being able to cause the boy to come up short. No wonder why he was continuously doing the same to her. It was almost as good as the feeling of power she had when he would finally relax into their kisses. Not quite, but close. She did not want the feeling to end so she made the rash decision to carry out her fantasy from earlier.

Without warning she hitched her leg up so her knee was across his hip. She vaguely registered that he had choked on a breath at her sudden movement before she slid herself over him, until she was straddling his hips. Her eyes found his just as his jaw fell open. There it was, the lighting bolt of power that sent after-sparks across her skin and down into her pelvis. The feeling caused her back to arch slightly, pushing their hips even closer together.

He groaned and moved his arm from behind his head. His hands found the knees on either side of his hips and inched their way up until they were at mid-thigh, when he shifted slightly underneath her. The movement caused the growing bulge in his pants to press against her instantly aching sex.

She stared down at him over the curves of her breasts, straining against the knitted stitches in her sweater as she tried to catch her breath for a whole different reason than moments before. She leaned forward, placing one of her hands on either side of his head. Her curls fell around them, brushing the blanket underneath him, blocking out anything but them. Their lips were only inches apart as she continued to gaze down at him. The surprise and hunger made an interesting mix as they fought for dominance inside his head.

Bending even further forward she brought her lips to the side of his neck. The perfect mixture of bergamot, cedar and parchment flooded her senses, overtaking the normal lavender from her shampoo. She kissed her way up to his earlobe and took the sensitive shell between her teeth. Ever so gently she ran her teeth along the delicate skin. A trick she had learned from him, and she was rewarded with the same response she had given... A shuddered breath escaped from his chest. His fingers slid up another few inches on her legs before digging into the fleshy skin. His thumbs caressed her inner thighs.

And she knew it that moment that she was going to do this. She wanted it more than the air that rasped into her lungs from her blatant need. She didn't just want to have sex. She wanted him. The one who could set her on fire with a few simple touches. She did not just want him... She needed him. She was the princess he had wanted from afar for far too long. And he was the dragon fighting every instinct to lash out and destroy everything, including her... He was sacrificing himself to try and save his mother... Draco Malfoy was an hero. There was no doubt about it. Even more so than the ones for whom it came easy.

She was his princess. He was her dragon. Together they would figure it out. In the end any hardship would be worth it.

Right then and there they were committing themselves to seeing their story through, no matter what...

She sighed at the thought, causing her hot breath to warm the tender skin of his ear. He groaned and pulled her forward by the grip his hands on her. The tug caused that wonderous friction she hadn't even known she had been craving. She smiled against his neck as she worked her way towards his lips for a kiss.

This was really going to happen...*

-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-

Afterward she laid with him under the mindboggling soft covers, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, almost as if he was protecting her. He held her hip against his manhood in such a way that she wouldn't be able to move without waking him. It was a good thing she had no plans of going anywhere, anytime soon. She was basking the glow of the perfection of the night.

He had made her feel cherished. Not just lusted after... But honest and truly cherished. Her needs had been paramount, each and every step of the way. He had even kissed her scar... Multiple times. A reassurance to her that it didn't mar her beauty in his eyes. And now, somehow she was lucky enough to be falling asleep in the arms of her hero instead of having resort to memories.

Something told her she wouldn't be having any nightmares tonight. And even if she did... He would be there to help her get through them...

-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-

So... What did you think?! I know it took a long time, by my normal standards. Especially for something that isn't much more than what I normally do.

BUT...

I spent a lot of time fleshing out the parts of the chapter you guys won't be seeing over here. Almost 4,000 more words for ya'll! Considering it was my first erotic segment ever I am once again super nervous over what people are going think. So yeah... Please head on over there if you are old enough and like the naughty stuff.

Anyways... Hope you liked it! I really do!

As Always...

Much love,
SlytherclawLuv

*If you want all the lemons head on over to AooO (Archive of Our Own). I am super easy to find, just search for my Pen Name or "Anyone But Me". You will not be missing anything other than good ole smut if you don't. So don't feel obligated to go for the sake of keeping up with any storylines or anything like that.

The only thing that you might be missing is an in depth description of Hermione's scar, but I do plan on touching on it again in later chapters. So no worries!