A/N: I suck, I know!

Disclaimer: I continue to own nothing.

Draco paced around his flat, attempting to ignore the sound of his manic footsteps reverberating back at him. If anything, it only exacerbated his uneasiness but he felt far too jittery to keep still. He smoothed down his midnight blue shirt and spared an anxious glance at his watch.

It's seven already… why hasn't she arrived yet? Could she have possibly had a change of mind? Why wouldn't she let me know, though? It's not like her to—

A firm but gentle knock on his door startled him out of his rapidly escalating thoughts. He stopped and took a moment to collect himself before striding confidently to the door. Draco opened it swiftly, smile in place when he caught sight of her.

Merlin, it feels like this is my first time seeing her.

She wore a body-hugging scarlet dress that fell above her knees. Although it didn't show any overly naughty bits of skin it did flaunt her smooth, tanned shoulders all thanks to the thin straps along her shoulders and then another set of inverted straps that cut across her collarbones. It had see-through panels of red mesh right along the curve of her waist and a slit with an asymmetrical hemline, pointy at one end and squared off at the other. Her feet were clad in the highest heels he's seen her wear yet; thin straps hugged her slim ankles while equally thin strap ran just below her toes; he found it oddly appealing that her toes were bereft of nail polish.

This woman is going to instill a foot fetish upon me, I swear to Slytherin.

"Draco?"

Her soft voice shook him out of his reverie and he snapped his head up to look at her and felt his face redden, embarrassed to have been caught staring so blatantly at her. She gave him a tentative smile and he returned it, opening the door widely to let her through. She stepped through the doorway and just as she passed, Draco caught a whiff of the most delectable fragrance ever. He closed his eyes and groaned inwardly, shutting the door and composing himself before turning around.

"You look handsome," she smiled, eyes sparkling.

Draco cleared his throat and nodded promptly.

"Thank you," he murmured. "You look very… fetching."

Her full lips curled into a smile and she raised her brow at him.

"Thank you, Draco," she told him softly.

"For a moment there I thought you weren't coming. That you changed your mind last minute," he blurted out, sticking his hands into his pockets and stalking to his counter as he cursed his loose tongue.

"I would never," she told him, honesty radiating from her voice.

"Thank you," he told her, relieved. "I got our Portkey set to 7:05. Here… 30 more seconds."

"Portkey? Draco—"

The Portkey turned a bright blue and Draco shot Hermione an urgent look, pressing a finger against it. The last thing he saw was Hermione hastily touching her finger to the Portkey as well; suddenly Draco felt as though he was being jerked by his belly button.

Draco loved to fly and Apparating wasn't a problem for him, so while using a Portkey felt uncomfortable it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed to be whimpering.

Oh, shite. That's right… she's not a fan of this. How daft could you be, Malfoy? Honestly.

They finally landed with a hard thump and Draco reached out to hold her, pressing her firmly against his chest.

"It's alright, Hermione," he murmured soothingly into her ear.

She was trembling from head to foot, making Draco feel like an arse for scaring her.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I should have asked you—"

"No, no. It's okay. I'm fine," she warbled, taking a deep breath.

Seconds later, she stopped shaking in his arms and stepped away. Reluctantly, he let her but kept his hands attached upon her shoulders.

Her skin feels like polished marble and it's so bloody soft and warm…

"Are you sure?"

She blinked and nodded, giving Draco a brave little smile.

"Gryffindor through and through," he teased, grabbing her hand and tucking it into the crook of his arm.

Hermione laughed softly and bumped her shoulder playfully against his, sending a frisson of electricity throughout his body. She came to an abrupt stop, jerking Draco back.

"What's wrong?" he queried, turning to her worriedly.

"Draco… where are we? Is this…?" she turned to him, her brown eyes wide with disbelief.

"Italy? Yes. To be more specific, we're in—"

"Italy?!" she interrupted, mouth agape.

He chuckled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling smugly at her.

"Si, bella," he murmured into her ear.

Draco felt her shudder and suppressed the urge to himself.

"Is there a language you don't speak?" she teased, looking at him from under her eyelashes.

Draco cocked his head, pretending to think about it which made her laugh. Pleasure bloomed in his chest, warming him all over.

"Alright, alright… no need to stroke your ego," she chuckled, gently squeezing his arm.

"Oh, you think so? But it could be quite fun," he whispered just above her ear.

She shivered once more and Draco grit his teeth, screwing his eyes tightly.

Calm yourself, Draco. You're in public.

He snapped his eyes open and took in a swift breath of air.

"So… where are we, exactly?"

"Wizarding Rome."

"Draco!"

"Do calm down, Granger. We have a reservation. Come along," he told her easily, guiding her carefully through the streets.

Those heels of hers could easily get caught between the cobblestone and the task to pry it loose would, naturally, fall upon me. I'd have to grasp her slim ankle – I bet my fingers would easily overlap each other– and…

"Have you ever been here?" he asked conversationally, needing to get his mind off touching her.

"Never. I'd always wanted to, though. I just felt like I was busy with something or other," she shrugged, looking up at him. "As much as I love Paris, I think I might love Italy's culture and food even more."

"Maybe we could come back another time so you can sightsee," he suggested, easing her through the crowd.

"I'd… I… you don't have to do that," she told him quietly.

He frowned and looked down at her.

"Don't be ridiculous. I know I don't have to. But I'd like to," he shrugged, looking away once more.

He felt her watching him but refrained from looking back lest he get caught in her gaze and gave a slight smile when he spotted the restaurant.

"We're almost there," he told her, changing the topic.

The last thing I need is for her to fight me on something I'd love to do for her. Stubborn witch; she's Gryffindor to the core.

He glanced at his watch and sighed inwardly with relief, having arrived just in the nick of time. Draco sauntered up to the hostess and gave her brief smile before telling her that he had a reservation for two under 'Malfoy' in flawless Italian. He saw the girl give him an admiring look but Draco turned to the beautiful woman on his arm instead, turning to flash a smile at her. To his surprise and immense curiosity, he watched as Hermione clenched her jaw tightly as if she were barely able to refrain from giving the hostess a verbal lashing.

Interesting, he thought as he smirked inwardly.

The voice of the hostess broke his train of thought and told him that their table was ready, seeming to Summon a waiter from thin air. Like their Parisian waiter, he looked happy to see them and gave them a polite nod as he bid them to follow him.

They were lead to a cozy table (which was covered in a silk tablecloth) set for two; there was a vibrant red rose on the table as candles hovered in the air, casting a romantic glow upon the table. An enchanted mosaic window hung on the wall beside the table, depicting a night sky. Hermione seemed captivated by the moon, observing it change phases in rapt attention.

Recalling the gaffe from their first date, Draco hastened to pull out Hermione's chair and she smiled at him, sitting down gracefully. He finally took a seat across from her to see her brushing her fingertip against the velvety petals of the rose tenderly.

"I take it you've been here before?" she questioned nonchalantly, glancing down at the menu that appeared before her.

"Yes."

"Hmm."

"Jealous, Granger?" he asked silkily, leaning forward to catch her eye.

Her cheeks may have turned a rosy hue but she rolled her eyes at him.

"You wish, Malfoy," she snorted softly.

"Oh?" he smirked, resting his jaw against his knuckles.

She straightened her posture and set her menu down slowly. Draco noticed the glint in her warm eyes belatedly.

"You're here with me for a reason. You've been going out with me for the very same same reason. I don't know about you, but I can put two and two together," she told him confidently, a saucy smile growing on her lips. "They don't call me 'Brightest Witch of her Age' for no reason."

Draco grinned toothily and couldn't help but chuckle.

Confidence, I like that in a woman and she has it in spades. Merlin, the witch knows how to get my blood roaring.

"Speaking of which…" she trailed off, glancing around uneasily.

"What is it?" Draco asked, concerned at her sudden wariness.

"Why do you have money?"

Draco blinked and stared at her face, perplexed by the abruptness of her question.

"Erm… excuse me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," she blushed prettily. "I just realized how rude that sounded. I meant to say that I'd thought that the Ministry had frozen the Malfoy bank accounts."

"No, they never froze them. They were, however, put through a probation period of a year where they were watched to see if any… dodgy expenditures were made. The Malfoy name may not be worth much but you can bet that we're still obscenely rich," he grinned, lacing his fingers together.

"And humble," she smirked before looking down at her menu once more.

His heart fluttered at the sight of his smirk on her gorgeous face.

Looks like Gryffindors just might be corruptible. How fun.

Their waiter arrived but Draco noticed it wasn't the same one who led them to their table. He also noticed that he couldn't take his eyes off Hermione.

Can't say I blame him, she does look extremely enticing. Red is most definitely her color.

"Signore, bella donna," he smiled, nodding his head respectfully at the pair.

"Buona sera," she told him, flashing him a bright smile.

A jolt of irritation struck Draco and he resisted the urge to scowl at their waiter.

She's definitely too friendly for her own good.

Draco ordered them his favorite bottle of Italian wine, probably a little more snappishly than he would have liked but that got rid of their waiter. He turned to Hermione, whose eyebrows were high on her forehead. Still, she remained quiet and Draco appreciated that she didn't reprimand him.

"So what would you recommend?"

"Everything."

"What? Are you serious? You've tried everything on the menu?" she gasped, eyes as wide as galleons.

"And off the menu," he told her smugly.

"Wow," she whispered, looking down at the table.

"What is it?"

"I…" she trailed off, looking slightly dazed."I grew up relatively well off since my parents were both dentists and owned their own successful pratice. After the Second War Harry, Ron and I received a very handsome sum of galleons from the Ministry. Working for these past five years has definitely added to that amount and I thought I had more than I could ever know what to do with it. But to think of all the gold holed up in your vault—"

"Vaults," he corrected her helpfully.

"—I just can't imagine what that's like. Having the world, quite literally, at my disposal. No wonder you were such a snob!" she laughed, shaking her head.

He watched her peculiarly, the barb stinging him a little more than it ordinarily would have.

"It's never been all fun and games, Granger," he told her a bit stiffly. "You think most of the people that hung around me did so because they liked me? No! They never saw Draco Malfoy, the person. Rather, they saw Draco Malfoy the stepping stone to wealth and notoriety."

"I like you," she told Draco quietly, nibbling on her lower lip.

He felt himself relax and gave her a tiny smile in return.

"That took ages though, didn't it?"

She chuckled and smoothed her hair back nervously. He barely noticed that it was tucked back into a knot with strands framing her face.

"It was worth it, I think."

Her words warmed him greatly and Draco's lips curved into a genuine smile.

"You really ought to smile more, you know," she told him with a fiery look in her eyes. "You look even more attractive when you do."

Draco blushed and looked away, thankful for the dim lighting as he took a drink of the sparkling water. He was saved by the damn waiter, who opened their bottle of wine with an over the top flourish.

Undoubtedly hoping to impress Hermione, he thought sulkily.

He served them and gave Hermione a smile before asking if they were ready to order.

"You know what you want?" he asked her a little too brusquely.

She nodded, eyes narrowed and Draco motioned for her to speak which made her glare at him.

"Scallop pasta for me, please," she smiled sweetly up at the waiter.

He beamed at her and turned to Draco, who barked out his order. The waiter asked them if there was anything else before disappearing.

"Draco."

He turned to look at her with his trademark mask of impassivity and cocked his head slightly.

"Thank you for bringing me here," she told him softly. "It really is lovely and… I'd be delighted to come back with you."

Draco wasn't sure what he was expecting her to say, maybe to scold him. But that… it caught him off guard and he couldn't help but stare at her. Her words seemed to fill all the empty holes in his heart and he couldn't help but feel his affection for her expand.

"Good. Not that you had much choice in the matter," he added, hoping he sounded more like his normal self.

She laughed and bit her lip and he watched, fascinated by the way her skin glowed under the candlelight and how it shone off her dark, lustrous hair.

"Granger… Hermione."

Her laughter ceased and she watched him attentively.

"Thank you for being my friend. For giving me a chance, really."

His statement caused her to raise her eyebrows, a skeptical look coming into her eyes.

"Truthfully, I want much more than mere friendship but it has to start somewhere, right?" he asked softly. "I'm just… thankful that you see past my name or money, or even what I could do for you. It's… a breath of fresh air and I cannot begin to tell you just how much I appreciate it."

Her rosebud lips parted slightly and she watched him silently.

Did I say something wrong? Maybe she only wants to be my friend, after all. But that kiss…

To his everlasting surprise, she rose from her seat and crossed to his side before leaning down to press her lips against his. He froze for a second and felt her fingers caress his jaw tenderly. Draco must have remained still for too long because she began to pull away but that caused him to snap out of it; he snaked his arms around her and pulled her close, crushing his lips against her supple ones. She responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck before toppling into his lap.

Draco had never been one for modesty, so he didn't mind having her sitting on his lap and didn't care if people watched them snog. He knew that they were both famous (she more than him and for better things) but doubted they'd get recognized in another country. The dimness in the restaurant also helped them keep their identities anonymous.

She threaded her fingers through his hair which sent a delicious shiver through his body. The warmth radiating from her body was the sweetest thing he'd ever felt and he wrapped his arms more securely around her. He nibbled the same spot she'd bitten earlier, eliciting a soft gasp from her. Draco didn't hesitate to run the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips and he tasted a hint of the wine they'd been drinking. He groaned as she nipped his lip and felt strangely dizzy, screwing his eyes tightly to make it go away.

No, I don't want this to stop. Who knows when it would happen again?

Draco almost jumped out of his skin when he felt the tip of her velvety tongue brush gently against his, groaning a bit louder. That seemed to snap Hermione back to her senses and she pulled her lips away but pressed her forehead against his. They panted softly and he felt her sweet breath fan against his lips. He grew aware of how perfectly her body molded against his own and it thrilled him all the way down to his toes; he loved how intimate it felt, having her so close to him and he could swear he could almost feel her erratic heartbeat against his chest.

"Draco," she murmured, nuzzling her nose against his.

His heart sped up at the huskiness of her voice and fought the urge to snog her so thoroughly she'd forget her name.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"I also want to be with you. I want more than friendship too," she confessed, pulling her face away and looked at him.

Draco blinked and stared at her beautiful flushed face before meeting her intense gaze once again.

"Be mine."

The words slipped out before he could stop or even control them.

She looked shocked for a few seconds before breaking out into a radiant smile.

"Yes," she told him simply.

Draco felt like his heart could burst from the joy she gave him.

"You know what they say, third date's the charm," he joked, squeezing her.

She laughed softly and Draco watched her face grow even redder.

To his mild annoyance, the waiter arrived with their food. Although his eyes widened for a few seconds, his face didn't belie any expression other than one of pleasantness.

That's right you sod, she's with me. She's mine now.

He set her plate where she'd sat (before she'd made herself at home on Draco's lap, that is) and Draco's before him and disappeared.

"Smells delicious," she said dreamily, attempting to rise to her feet.

"No, no … how about you eat whilst sitting on my lap? I can even feed you if you'd like," Draco whispered softly into her ear, relishing her shiver.

She sputtered and Draco delighted in her reaction, giving her an affectionate squeeze before removing his arms from her halfheartedly. He did, however, press a quick kiss against her shoulder before she stood and had the strongest urge to give her cute bum a playful swat but he wasn't sure how she'd take that, so he didn't.

Hermione sat across from him, still red faced and gave him a shy smile before tucking into her dinner. She closed her eyes and moaned softly, sending a shiver down Draco's spine.

"If that's how you feel about dinner then just you wait until dessert," Draco smirked, winking at her.

"Oh, yeah? The dessert from Paris is going to be difficult to beat, sir. I hope you know what you're doing," she retorted cheekily, giving him an impish grin.

Draco's heart could only flutter as he watched her, feeling completely awed by the witch sitting before him. She raised her eyebrows at him and he flushed before busying himself with his meal.

Thanks for your continued support! Have a wonderful week. :)