*made some strong lemonade bc Hermione got THIRSTY in this one... heheheheheh *ehem* hehe. proceed with caution. *

Chapter 28

The room was annoyingly silent, and Hermione thought she might go mad if Draco continued to ignore her. It had been a week since the issue with Pansy PugFace Parkinson, and she decided giving him space would be a good idea for right now... but when one day turned to three, and three turned to six, Hermione decided she'd had enough. Even in the book shop he avoided her, with the exception of a quick kiss hello and goodbye. It was maddening. Even Luna remarked that he was behaving more out of sorts than herself!

Hermione jumped to her feet in their shared office and schooled her most determined face. She was going to confront him. Right now.

"Draco Malfoy! You come up here right this instant!" She had leaned over the banister to yell at him, causing him to drop a small stack of books he was about to put away. He scowled looking up at her and when she shot him another stern glare, he grunted and nodded his head, bending down to grab the abused tomes. Satisfied, she spun on her heel and waited in her desk chair for him to come up.

"Hermione, have you lost your mind? What if we'd had customers downstairs?" he chided upon entering the office and shutting the door behind him.

She huffed in response. "No, I certainly have not lost my mind, however, I do fear I am losing my boyfriend."

He snapped his eyes on her, and she folded her arms across her chest looking at him expectedly. His expression softened immediately and he closed the distance, falling to his knees before her. She sat bolt upright in her seat, completely unprepared for this reaction from him. He grasped her hands in his and looked deeply into her chocolate and caramel eyes.

"I couldn't protect you. Again, Hermione! Again! It was like that night all over!" His eyes sparkled with moisture, and she felt her heart clenching in her chest for him, her own tears suddenly falling freely. The screaming in her head and the awful cackles from that deranged witch had threatened to return several times over the past week, but Hermione fought very hard to remember she was alive and well and it had helped. She also wrote an almost novel length update to Raul, to which he responded with equal fervor. He'd comforted her, offered advice with her own demons as well as Dracos and even made her laugh several times with his letter.

"Id not have needed protecting if I hadn't shown up stampeding about like a hippogriff. I didn't even think to watch my own back. I put myself in that predicament, and honestly, I'm glad it happened that way. You were about to do something you would have regretted for the rest of your life, Draco. You have worked so hard to be the wonderful man I know you are... you cannot let one ghost from the past destroy all the incredible progress you've made."

"Hermione..." his head dropped into her lap and she could tell he was fighting a monumental war within himself. She stroked his hair.

"You do not need to prove anything to me, my love. I see you." She replied and pulled him up to his feet. "I've missed you, git." She stood and gave him a tight hug, nuzzling her nose to his chest and took in his scent.

He turned her face to look at him again. "I love you, Hermione. So much. I'd do anything for you."

"Oh, really now? Anything?" she said, cheekily raising her brows at him. He was laughing into her neck now.

"Sly witch, what are you thinking about?" He laughed quietly and kissed her gently. She moaned into his lips, pressed into his chest and lazily slid her tongue across his.

"Don't you remember? You said we could play later. Well, I think it's been enough waiting time, my love."

Draco made a noise, as though he was confused by what she meant, until she had him lean against her desk, and she made quick work of undoing his belt and trousers. His eyes grew wide as she slowly slid them down his thighs a bit and she pressed her hand to the bulge of his growing erection through his briefs. He groaned, his head falling back slightly as she groped him and caressed his chest under his shirt with her other hand. He felt a flutter in his belly and bucked forward a couple times in anticipation.

She slid down to her knees and pulled the waist band of his underwear down, exposing his cock to the cool office air. He hissed through his teeth when her hands clasped around his shaft, massaging upward and down again in alternating directions. She continued her hand movements slowly, and lifted her eyes to his. He was watching her with his lips parted and his breathing uneven. He had a sexy tinge of pink across his cheeks and nose, and his hair was falling loosely in his eyes. Those perfect swirling silver grey eyes, full with lust and love and all for her. She never took her gaze off him when she flicked her tongue out and slowly moved it over the tip of his moistened cock. He twitched and she could feel him getting harder in her hands. Her own pussy was leaking now with the desire to have him filling her completely with this incredible dick.

She smoothly took the head into her mouth and sucked gently, swirling her tongue along the edges and rubbing him off with one hand, her other busy cupping and stroking his balls. She watched his eyes flutter, and he let out a low groan. He wanted to continue staring at her, but was struggling to focus. Slowly, she lowered her mouth over his cock, and took in his shaft. Every new pass, she would throat him further and further until she was gagging and choking on it. She didn't care, she could taste his precum and knew this was driving him wild. She could feel his hand move to grip the back of her head lightly. She could tell he was nervous. She looked up at him through her teary eyes, and quickly swallowed his cock, causing him to gasp. She quickened her pace, bobbing her head up and down, taking as much of him as she could, coming off the head of his dick with a pop, before taking him whole again. His hand was entangled in her hair now, and every so often he would press, forcing her to linger with his cock shoved down her throat. She moaned and crooned every time he did that, and she could feel his thighs tingle and shake. She sped up again as his moans filtered through the office walls, and she could feel him trembling with the effort to remain standing.

"Oh fuck, Hermione. I'm about to- about to-" he was gasping now and she felt him try to push her away, but she gripped her hands on his arse and pulled him into her mouth. She let out a deep, guttural moan, and that did it for him. He groaned loudly, hips jutting forward, and let his seed burst into her mouth and throat. He moved his hips to fuck her mouth gently, allowing her to suck whatever he had left to offer before she backed away and watched him from the floor.

He was breathing erratically, and cupped her flushed face in one hand.

"Shit, you're the sexiest witch, Hermione. Oh my god. I cannot believe you just did that."

She smiled and rose to her feet, hugging him tightly while he calmed down.

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"So, are things better between you two?"

Hermione had met Ginny for an early lunch the following day and they decided on a little muggle bistro in Edinburgh. She nodded over her tea cup, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks as she remembered their little office tryst.

"Yes, we talked things out yesterday. He's very hard on himself, Gin. He thinks himself a coward..."

Ginny pressed her lips into a thin line, trying to carefully choose the right words to say and not offend her friend.

"Well... He is definitely not a Gryffindor, but he loves you, and he tries in his own way to keep you safe. I think he has a rather narrow opinion on what bravery and courage really mean. I heard from Harry that Malfoy told him he was too afraid to move, because whenever he did, Pansy found some way to hurt you again. It was driving him mad not knowing what the right move was. Harry told him he did the right thing not to provoke Pansy once you'd shown up. Harry told him that he really did save you, but I don't think he sees it that way."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, whenever he pissed her off, she would yank on my hair again and twitch that bloody knife just so..." She sighed, pushing her green peas around on her plate. "You know, she asked Draco to get her pregnant in exchange for my life. Oh yeah, and money, obviously."

Ginny choked on her water. "What!?" she hissed, hastily wiping at her face with the back of her hand. Hermione hummed in acknowledgement.

"In that precise moment, all my fear vanished. I looked right at him, knife digging into my throat and all, and told him he better not shackle himself to her that way. I didn't say it aloud, but I was ready to die to keep him free of that fate. He knew it, too."

Ginny placed a comforting hand over Hermione's. "You really are a remarkable witch, Hermione. Always devoted to the happiness and well being of others first."

She gave her friend a small smile in reply. They sat silently for a few more moments, taking the last few bites of their respective meals. Wiping her mouth with her napkin, Hermione felt a subject change was a good idea and decided to ask Ginny something that she couldnt ignore any longer.

"Enough about my relationship issues. What about you? Have you spoken to Harry about the way you've been feeling?"

Ginny eyes widened momentarily and she shook her head. "No.. I decided to leave it alone. I'm holding onto something that didn't even really have much substance to begin with. He's so busy, and now that I've made the Harpies team- oh, yes forgot to tell you, I made the team- I am going to be busy as well."

Hermione congratulated her about making the team, and they continued to talk on various other topics.

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Draco swirled the ice around in his empty firewhiskey glass, and looked sideways at his friend, tipping it towards him. Blaise leaned over in his seat and refilled the glass before slumping back in his chair. Draco took another large drink of the liquor and relished the burn of it.

"Heard from Potter this morning."

Blaise remained silent, waiting for his friend to continue.

"Pansy doesnt know the real name of who she hired. They attempted Legillimens, but she is an adept Occlumens apparently. They also tried veritiserum, but she only had an alias to provide, which was obviously an intentional decision."

"What was the alias?"

"Tome."

Blaise scoffed. "How original." He rolled his eyes. Draco sighed.

"She was able to tell them that she placed a parchment in Borgins requesting someone's assistance, what the task would be and where payment would be located once the task was complete. She never even met the bloke."

Draco slouched further into his seat, frustrated that they were not any closer to figuring out who it was that vandalised the shop.

"Maybe it was just some poor fool that needed money. You said Pansy seemed disappointed by the results. The guy must have been terrified of getting caught, did the bare minimum and left. I don't think you have to fear another attack, Draco. I do hope he's caught, though. Bloody wanker..."

Draco frowned at his glass, swirled the ice again and took another large drink. He sighed and closed his eyes, focusing on the burning liquid flowing downward and warming his entire body. Pansy was a complete lunatic. He told everyone he didn't know who it could have been, but had the sneaking suspicion it had been her. Now to learn someone else was involved, well, he was unnerved to say the least. He was also still whirling from the brief talks he'd had with Potter and than with Hermione. Both told him to let go of his guilt. Both told him he really had saved her life. Still, he had a hard time reconciling those thoughts.

"Ginny and Potter are not together." Blaise said abruptly, pulling him back to the present.

"Pardon?" Draco was stunned, and looking quizzicly to his friend.

"She told me. In passing conversation. I said she looked very nice one day, and she said 'yes, thank you, finally quit pining after a man I can't have.' I just kind of stood there and she went on to tell me she made the Harpies team."

Draco nodded slowly, knowing full well his feelings for the girl.

"So... does this mean you will seek her out more frequently?" Draco asked carefully, not wanting to embarrass or upset him.

Blaise refilled his glass of firewhiskey and took a sip. That had to be the fourth one, already. There was a long silence while both men sorted through their own thoughts before Blaise spoke again.

"I think I will make myself more available, yes."

Draco nodded, leaning his head back on the seat again. Another long and quiet moment filled the room. Draco softly cleared his throat and spoke in a whisper that still echoed along the walls.

"Good on you, mate."

End Chapter 28