When she opened her eyes (she always closed her eyes when she apparated because she hated the sensation), she didn't recognize where she was. Draco stepped away from her and her eyes followed him as he went over to the large desk in the corner. The room was tastefully decorated, the furniture heavy, the curtains full length and hung perfectly and the wooden floor gleamed. Wherever she was, Hermione was sure that Draco had had something to do with how this room looked.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked her. She smiled at him and nodded.

"Yes, of course. I was just admiring this room. Where are we?"

"This is my study."

"In your house?" Hermione asked, her tone giving away her slightly shocked reaction to this.

Draco gave her a sideways grin. "Yes - of course in my house! Why the disbelief?"

Hermione shuffled a little. "Oh, it just feels weird that I'm in your house. Where is it?"

"You don't know? I would have thought you'd have heard about this!"

Hermione frowned at him. "Heard about it?"

"It's just that when I built it, there was a lot of interest."

Hermione wrinkled her nose. "Well, I hope you're not upset when I tell you this, but when I saw any story about you, I stopped reading."

"Charming."

Hermione shrugged. "I didn't want to know about you...or your love life so that was the easiest way."

"You really did hate me, didn't you?" Draco asked, his beautiful eyes were on her face now but Hermione shook her head.

"No - I didn't hate you."

"See I think you did because I read every single story about you."

Hermione felt her face stretch, her eyes wide at this little piece of information. Why would he read every story about her? "Why would you do that?" she asked.

Draco shrugged. "I don't know." He looked around the room. "You're standing where Malfoy Manor was. I knocked it down and built this place."

"Oh - I really didn't know!"

"Would you like me to show you around?"

Hermione smiled at him. "Ginny would never forgive me if I didn't answer yes to that!"

"Come on then."

Hermione followed him through the door, stepping into a wide hallway with large windows. To the right, the hallway seemed to open out and Draco walked this way, Hermione following behind him. She had been right about it opening out because this part of the hall was two stories high with a wide, sweeping staircase and glass windows right at the top.

"Wow!" Hermione exclaimed and she received a grin from Draco.

"You like it?"

"Of course I like it! How could anyone not like it!" Hermione answered. "It's beautiful."

"Better than the Manor then?"

Hermione grinned back at him. "Just a bit!"

Draco now walked across the hall and into another, smaller room that lead off it. It was circular with doors off it. He opened the first one and Hermione stepped into a huge room, with a wooden floor and chandeliers.

"This is a ballroom?" she half asked and he nodded. "You have a ballroom in your house?"

Draco grinned. "Yes - totally extravagant, I know."

The tour continued and Hermione enjoyed every single minute of it. There was a beautiful room with full length windows that lead out into the gardens, a large kitchen and several rooms to relax in. She absolutely loved it - it was large, some of the rooms had huge proportions, but at the same time there were cosy corners and rooms that felt intimate. The house was big but it didn't feel too big and there was nothing ostentatious about it.

"Do you want to see the bedrooms?" Draco asked, with a cheeky grin. He had stopped at the bottom of the large staircase.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his implication. "I want to see everything..." she said in an equally suggestive voice. Draco laughed and grabbed her hand.

"That might take a while!"

They were both still chuckling as they climbed the stairs. At the top was a long landing and Draco showed Hermione several bedrooms that lead off it. A couple of them had balconies and they were all dressed elegantly. At the end of the corridor was another, smaller staircase and Hermione followed him as he ascended it.

There was now another smaller landing with a large skylight and Draco pushed open a door and indicated that Hermione should step inside. The room she entered wasn't particularly large but it was long and had full length windows running the entirety of one wall. It was dark but Hermione could tell that the view was lovely, over the gardens. The sofa's that filled the room looked so inviting that Hermione flung herself on one.

"This is incredible!" she said.

Draco grinned and sat down next to her. "Make yourself at home," he said, teasingly.

She leant forward. "Your house is amazing, Draco," she said. "It's beautiful, really beautiful. I absolutely love it."

Draco smiled such a lovely smile at her that she had to look away. "Thanks - I told you I had impeccable taste."

"I mean, it's huge and everything is so elegant but it still feels homely. I love all the different shaped rooms and the hallways and corridors..."

"I'm glad you like it," Draco smiled at her again.

"I'm gushing aren't I?" Hermione asked, sheepishly.

"Just a bit."

"Does it feel strange living here alone?" Hermione put her hand across her mouth, realising this was such a personal question. She watched the expressions pass across Draco's face and when he didn't answer her she spoke again. "I'm sorry - I shouldn't have asked that."

"This house is better with people in it," Draco answered her.

"You need to throw some parties!" Hermione tried to lighten the mood and Draco looked up at her and gave her a smile.

"Yeh - I do," Draco paused. "You know what? It's really late - why don't you stay here?"

Hermione was on her feet in a second. "Oh no! No - I'll go home, thanks anyway."

"If you go home, then we won't talk," Draco looked up at her. He seemed as if he wasn't bothered either way but Hermione knew that this was a big step for him. Not only was he inviting her to stay, he wasn't forgetting about them needing to talk.

"We will - we have to, but I think it's best if I go now."

"I have clothes you can borrow - or we can apparate and fetch some of yours."

Hermione stared down at him, not quite sure what to make of his offer and insistence that she stayed. He wasn't begging her or desperate (she could never imagine him being like that with anyone) but there was no doubt that he didn't want her to leave. She didn't know how to respond because, if she was honest, the thought of staying in this amazing house with Draco was tempting beyond belief, plus she knew Draco was right. They needed to talk and if she went home it would be a lot more difficult to do that. Tonight it was as if they had hit the pause button and she knew they would have a more honest conversation. Yet, staying here also terrified her because it was definitely stepping over a line and Hermione had a feeling that once she stepped over it, there would be no going back. She realised she'd been standing there, silent for a long time and she should say something.

"I don't know."

"Don't worry - if it makes you so uncomfortable maybe you should go home," Draco answered her, his words a little dismissive but his tone held no recrimination.

"I don't think I want to..." Hermione bit her lip and then sat down heavily on the sofa.

"You don't want to stay or you don't want to go?" Draco's faced showed a little amusement now and she knew he was finding her indecision funny.

"I don't know!" Hermione answered and then the pensive look on her face changed because Draco was grinning widely at her. The next moment she was giggling at herself and this whole situation. Draco joined in and soon they were actually laughing, at nothing at all, but it felt like a relief - a release of tension and uncertainty. After a few moments, Hermione composed herself and rubbed her eyes. "I'm sorry! That was completely pathetic!"

"Yep!" Draco didn't bother to contradict her and she hit his arm. "My bed's a kingsize so you'll have plenty of room." Draco sounded perfectly innocent. Hermione grinned at him and he looked up at her, raising his eyebrows. "What's the matter?" he asked, knowing full well what was the matter.

"I was just thinking how nice it was for you to offer to give up your bed for me," Hermione answered him, cleverly turning his words around so they meant something entirely different. "But I'll be absolutely fine in a guest room."

"Clever, Granger - very clever," Draco answered her. "You know very well that I don't give up my bed for women - I only share it with them." His eyes were intense on her face, as if he was testing her reaction - seeing if she could deal with the teasing. She met his eyes unwaveringly.

"What I know, is that a lot of what comes out of here," she pointed at his mouth, "is bravado. If I believed it all, as I did when we were at school, then I'd still hate you." She now did something unthinkingly, on instinct and she reached forward and placed the palm of her hand on his chest. She wasn't thinking about what she was saying and it wasn't until the words left her lips that she realised that they were laced with meaning. "Luckily for you, I know that it's what's in here that's the real Draco."

She'd forgotten the affect them touching had on her, and she immediately felt a warm glow starting, the tingles following swiftly behind. Draco's expression was deep, his eyes dark behind his lashes, his lips parted. Hermione felt her heart rate rise as their connection kicked in and it wasn't just the magical one because they'd never looked at each other like this - as if they could see behind each other's eyes. She knew Draco was unsure about how this whole thing as she was because it was like being on a knife edge. They were making it work but it could easily all fall apart.

When Draco reached up and covered her hand with his own, pressing it to his chest she suddenly became aware of the flesh beneath the shirt he was wearing, the muscles moving underneath her hand. The tingles were intense now and Hermione was having trouble concentrating - what had they been talking about?

They may have kissed, it may have been the most incredible kiss Hermione had ever experienced, but this feeling now was surpassing it. A feeling created by nothing more than a gentle touch, a stare and some simple words. A feeling that she couldn't pin point but at the same time it seemed so familiar.

She wasn't quite sure how their situation had graduated from a simple invitation to a ball to this. Somehow, things between herself and Draco seemed to stagnate or move at a million miles per hour. The million miles an hour made her head spin. She had somehow ended up the instigator of this change of mood but she didn't regret it because right now she needed something other than the confusing bickering that seemed to be a constant factor between them. Draco's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I didn't know you knew me so well, but I'm glad you know that I don't mean half of what I say, because I wouldn't like you to hate me."

She didn't think she'd be able to speak, her mouth was so dry that she felt like her tongue wouldn't work, so she nodded, her eyes never leaving his. Draco had paused and his awkwardness told her that this was an important conversation. Draco was rarely embarrassed or awkward. "After Longbottom told us about the spell I suppose it freaked me out. I mean eternity isn't really my thing."

"It's funny, but I'd noticed that already," Hermione joked, glad she could still manage to do so in light of this conversation and the weird, charged atmosphere. She was glad to see Draco smile warmly back at her. "And it doesn't matter - it freaked me out as well."

Draco moved closer, just the tiniest of movements but it made Hermione feel weak as her arm bent, his hand pushing hers to his toned chest, their position more intimate. "When we touch, it feels incredible," Draco said and Hermione gulped. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting tonight but it hadn't been this.

She felt his free hand slip around her waist and pull her almost up against him. Hermione's eyes fluttered closed as she dealt with a fresh wave of sensation. This almost embrace felt more intimate than any full on embrace ever had. His beautiful, clean, refreshing smell filled her senses and she knew that she wasn't going home tonight. She didn't want to leave this house or it's equally astounding owner.

"I'll fetch my own clothes," she said, her voice a whisper close to his ear. "If that's okay?"

Draco pulled back a little and nodded, his eyes sparkling.

Things are warming up - more next. x