A.N Naughty chapter! Finally, finally, for those who've been waiting for the Dramione smut, here it is!

'I'm going with the Ministry,' Hermione told the Healer, wrenching her arm free.

'Miss Granger, you've been through a terrible ordeal.' the Healer said in a gratingly soothing tone. 'We can't possibly allow you-'

'You can't keep me here against my will,' Hermione said, her hair flying as she strode out of the room. The Healer looked shocked and somewhat reproachful.

The Healers had given her and Regan a quick lookover and a half-dozen potions each before Hermione managed to get away. She was grateful for her restored strength and glad Regan was being safely transferred to St Mungo's, where she could rest, but she needed to get back to Draco. She hated to think what might happen to him if Croaker got free.

'Harry!' she cried, seeing him emerging from the Auror Headquarters and starting to jog towards him. 'Thank Merlin I caught you before you left!'

'You can't-'

'Don't even think about it,' Hermione warned. 'I won't accept it, not from you.

He managed a smile. 'The portkey's going to take us to the island in two minutes. We better hurry up.'

Draco and Croaker still hadn't moved from their original positions except for the fact that the latter was now awake and struggling in vain to free himself. Hermione felt her whole body sag from relief as the Aurors took control of the situation.

They were safe, they were finally safe!

Croaker gave her a look of intense loathing as he fought like a rabid dog, but there was nothing he could do anymore.

Harry came up to talk to her and Draco.

'You two will be wanted for questioning at some point in the next few days but for now you can just go home. The Ministry will be sure to let you know when you're needed.' He couldn't suppress an eye roll here.

Their portkey took them back to London.

The city was damp and smoggy and a busy stranger immediately collided with Hermione as soon as she walked into the street. She had never loved the place more.

'It hasn't changed,' she murmured to herself. 'London, I mean.'

Draco looked at her hard for a moment before pulling her into a warm hug. He smelled of sweat and soap, coffee and coconut, of normality. Hermione couldn't begin to wrap her head around what normality was anymore. She'd been a slave, unsure of whether she would survive the next day or if Croaker would have a mood swing and murder her.

'It's over now,' Draco whispered into her hair. In response, she tightened her grip on the back of his shirt. When he said it, it was easy to believe.

Hermione managed to hold herself together until she got home. Sitting in her living room, a place she'd always felt safe, she wondered if she would ever feel safe again.

She sat down on the couch with no idea what to do with herself. She'd fallen out of the habit of managing her own time.

Draco lit the fire in the grate and sat down next to her, pulling a blanket over her shoulders.

'I'm not cold,' she whispered.

'No,' he agreed. 'It just seemed to be the sort of thing I should do. What – what can I do?'

'I don't know,' she said. 'Just hold me, please.'

She buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing until his shirt was soaked through.

Hermione couldn't remember falling asleep but when she woke up the embers were burning low. Draco was dozing next to her on the couch, feet pulled up slightly because it wasn't quite long enough for him.

Careful not to disturb him, she got up to get a glass of water and sat in front of the dying fire, sipping it.

Draco looked peaceful asleep, just like sleepers were supposed to look. Hermione couldn't imagine managing to let her muscles untense like that, leaving herself exposed.

Some primordial part of Draco must have alerted him to the fact he was being watched, because he began to stir, opening his eyes. Hermione forced a smile at him.

'You should try and get some more sleep,' he said. 'You look like you haven't slept properly in months.'

She hadn't but Hermione shook her head and put her water to one side. Uncertainly, gingerly, she reached for Draco and pulled him towards her, finding his mouth in the half-darkness and surrendering herself to his kisses.

After a few moments of wariness, she felt him give in, too, melting into her embrace. His shoulders pushed against her palms, all earnestness and need.

He lifted her, pulling her onto his lap.

Hermione had wanted to feel safe, wanted to bury herself in Draco. What surprised her was the burn of desire which accompanied her need for closeness.

He exhaled sharply as her fingers trailed over his crotch.

With desperation, they took off each other's clothes, grasping and kissing wherever they could reach. His body was exactly as she remembered, slender, with long, graceful muscles and so pale it seemed to glow in the low light, contrasting against her darker skin. With unbearable gentleness, Draco leant Hermione backwards and took her nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue in circles.

Hermione yanked at his silky soft hair and whimpered.

'Bite me!' she breathed.

Draco didn't need asking twice. Grey eyes studying her reaction with delight, his teeth grazed her, softly at first, and then harder, until she cried out, heat blooming between her legs.

Unable to wait any longer, she bucked her hips with a petulance that made him smirk, then took his hand and guided it downwards. The amusement left his eyes as she took his erection in hand and started pumping steadily. Lips parted, he shuddered and kissed her on the mouth hard, making her lips bleed. He placed his free hand on top of hers, adjusting the rhythm slightly. Immediately, he felt even harder and Hermione heard a sigh of longing escape her own lips.

'Merlin,' he groaned in her ear.

She pulled back so that they were facing each other. She wanted to look him in the eyes as she lowered herself down onto him, pulling him deep inside her for the first time. His expression didn't disappoint; he looked both overwhelmed and fierce with passion.

Hermione couldn't help but moan as she took him all the way in, filling and stretching her in a way that made her whole body hum.

They moved together with urgency, each roll of the hips sending a new current of pleasure racing through Hermione.

'I can't last,' Draco murmured, his face crunching. 'It's been too long.'

Before she could respond, he rubbed his thumb along the meeting of thighs, massaging the swollen flesh until it seemed to sing. Her orgasm had a strangely cleansing effect on her, like cauterising a wound; the heat rippled along her extremities as she felt Draco join her, throbbing inside her and clawing at her hips.

She sank weakly against him, tangling her fingers in the transparently fair hair on his chest.

'I needed that,' she said quietly.

'I think we both did.'

Still shaking and looking slightly dazed, Hermione thought she had never seen anything as beautiful as Draco naked, the tenderness in his eyes belying his smirk.

She ran her hands lazily over his body, gently exploring. She frowned as she found a raised groove on his back.

'What's that?' she asked, sitting up so he could see it better. A large, angry-looking sore had opened up on his back, a few inches below his left shoulder.

'I don't know,' Draco said in surprise, reaching his arm around to feel it for himself. 'It must be where Croaker caught me yesterday. I didn't feel it at the time.'

Hermione relaxed. It didn't look too bad. They would just have to make sure they got the right potion for it the next day.