A/N- Thank you for all the kind and encouraging words about the last chapter! Since I made you wait for an update again, this chapter has a delightful lemon!
Chapter 9: Valentine's Day - February 14, 2008
A sweet floral fragrance was the first thing that Hermione noticed as she slowly roused from her dream. The second thing she noticed was the cold spot where her husband should be. She groaned in frustration. They'd hardly seen one another since he'd disappeared from his parent's house on Saturday. He came home after she'd fallen asleep at night and was back at work before she woke every day since.
The poor man had been working himself ragged trying to solve the three cases involving children with cursed toys. The Auror department finally had a breakthrough when they realized all three victims had been Squibs. They hadn't noticed with the other two cases because the first victim had just turned the official age to determine magical status. It was only this past Tuesday when the parents came forward to reveal the child's suspected status as a Squib. Though only five, this boy hadn't given the slightest sign of magic, and his family had been in denial.
With a bit of reluctance, Hermione opened her eyes and smiled at the bouquet of her favorite flowers, pink and purple peonies, lying next to her. She read the attached card.
For my beautiful wife on Valentine's Day,
It physically pained me to leave you this morning, but I wouldn't be the man you love if I didn't try my best to solve this case as soon as possible. Most likely, my original plans for us this evening will have to change, but I'll make it up to you sevenfold. If I can't break away to take you out properly, please come to my office instead. Knowing I'll see you later is the only thing getting me through this day! Kiss our babies for me and tell them I miss them so very much.
With all the love I possess,
Your devilishly handsome husband
She sighed as she brushed her fingers over Draco's familiar neatly written script. As she lay there, Hermione felt his strong emotions flooding through her. The guilt and determination he emanated were overwhelming. Without a doubt, she knew he would eventually break these curses and help solve this case. He had to.
"Mummy! Look at what Daddy sent me!" Cassie squealed as she ran into the room and jumped onto the bed. Grinning widely, she held up a heart-shaped box of chocolates that Draco had charmed to say 'I love you!' in his voice with every bite. "Each of us received our treats with our very own owl!" the young witch beamed.
"Daddy must love you all very much to send you each your very own post," Hermione assured her with a smile.
"I miss him," Cassie said sadly, crawling into her mum's lap for comfort.
"Me too, love," she kissed the top of her daughter's unruly curls.
"Look what Daddy gave us!" Scorpius announced, sweeping into the room with Ori in his wake.
"Daddy in here!" Ori grinned as he held up a piece of chocolate from his box. Judging by the boy's face, he'd already eaten quite a bit of his Valentine treat.
"I love you!" several charmed candies exclaimed simultaneously in Draco's voice as the children bit into them.
"Will he come home after we've finished the very last candy?" Cassie wondered excitedly.
"No, no. It's just a charm," Hermione explained. "We may have to surprise Daddy at work for a moment before I take you to your grandparent's house today." Cheers erupted all around her. Although she hated to interrupt Draco at work, she knew her husband wouldn't mind this type of interruption. He needed them as much as they needed him.
An hour later, armed with their homemade Valentines, the children followed Hermione through the Ministry to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's Auror Office.
"Good afternoon, Nigel," Hermione greeted the receptionist. "Is Auror Malfoy available for just a few minutes?" she asked. The wizard stared at her nervously with wide eyes. He was afraid of Draco. No matter how sweet her wizard was at home, he maintained his snarky attitude at work. Only close friends and family were privy to his softer side.
"I'm not sure…-er...that is to say...he asked me not to disturb him today," he stammered, seemingly at war with himself over whether he wanted to deal with the wrath of an angry Auror Malfoy or a disappointed Mrs. Malfoy. Hermione honestly felt bad for the bloke, but her children hadn't seen their father since Saturday, so she pressed the issue.
"I'm sure he won't mind if he is interrupted by his family," she said sweetly. The nervous wizard stared at her, his eyes pleading. Hermione smiled back at him, fully aware he wouldn't deny her to her face. He swallowed down his fear and flicked his wand at a crystal ball. The name, Auror Malfoy, glowed in a deathly red followed by the message, 'You're lucky I'm not allowed to fire you!' and a sinister-looking skull.
"He's quite busy on a case…" Nigel trailed off, awaiting the fallout of interrupting the intimidating Auror. He didn't have to wait long. A door slammed and petulant footsteps stomped toward the reception area.
"What the bloody fu-!" Draco snarled as he came around the corner with his eyes pinned on a white-knuckled Nigel.
"Daddy!" the children squealed. They ran toward him and wrapped their arms around his legs. The scowl that marred the Auror's face was quickly replaced by a tenderness he reserved only for his family.
"Why you look messy?" Ori asked, looking up at his father's disheveled hair and stained black robes. Dark circles crept around Draco's eyes, reminding Hermione of the way he'd looked during their sixth year at Hogwarts.
"I've been working too hard, Son," he said truthfully as he lowered himself to his knees to properly hug his children. When Draco looked at his wife and winked, she practically melted. Good Godric, did she love this man.
Hermione couldn't help but tear up as she watched her husband allow himself to be dragged to a set of chairs in the waiting area while each child presented him with their homemade gifts. They held onto him as if he would disappear at any moment.
The short visit was over too soon because he had to return to work. The children kissed him and sat quietly as he finally stood to greet his wife.
"Sorry for intruding, but we all missed you so much," she murmured. He wiped away a stray tear with his thumb and kissed her softly.
"Please don't apologize, Love. It's been a long few days, and I've missed you all terribly," he assured her as his hands drifted to her stomach. Draco bent down and started speaking to their unborn son. "Daddy loves you too, little man," he murmured. Nigel's mouth audibly popped open at the sight of the ever-brooding Auror Malfoy cooing and caressing his wife's pregnant belly. Hermione ignored the staring receptionist because the rare sight of the intimidating wizard in any sort of vulnerable state was completely contrary to the man Nigel knew.
"Will I still see you tonight? Or did this interruption set you back too much?" Hermione asked when Draco rose to kiss her goodbye. If it wasn't his answering smirk that set her skin tingling all over, it was definitely the way he leaned over with a lascivious gleam in his eyes, his mouth hovering just above her ear. Delightful shivers ran down her spine with each of his warm breaths.
"The hounds of Hell couldn't keep me away from you tonight, witch," he said in a low growl, causing her to fist his robes and pull him closer. "I'll owl over the details as soon as I have a better idea of when I'll have time for a break." With that, he gave her another kiss, pulling away too soon, so he could return to work.
My irresistible wife,
Bring my present wrapped in red to the Auror's office around 6:00 p.m. I'll have dinner for us.
All my love,
-Your Slytherin sex god of a husband
Time ran away from Draco as he slowly made progress on the case. Seeing his family earlier in the day had lit a fire under him, providing a fresh perspective on his task. He'd finally spotted a flaw in the impeccably cursed toy from the last attack. Once he saw it, he found the same flaw in the previous two objects they'd collected from the other cases. This criminal had unintentionally left a signature on his work. It only took one small discrepancy to begin dismantling a series of curses. It was exactly the breakthrough Draco needed, and he'd set to work breaking through curses the rest of the day. About a half an hour before Hermione was scheduled to meet him, he heard a knock on his office door. He quickly checked the time in hopes that his wife hadn't yet arrived and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he still had about half an hour.
"Are we still doing this or not?" Harry asked, somewhat annoyed. The blond wizard grinned at him.
"Of course, we are, Potter! Quit your sulking."
"You picked a heck of a time to call in a favor. You know Ginny is going to kill you after she kills me, right?"
"You can inform Mrs. Potter that if she is upset with me, you both can find another person to cover for you when you disappear for your little sexcapades," Draco proposed with a smirk. As it turned out, Ginny had quite the kink for Harry in his Auror robes. Over the years, the couple had asked Draco on several occasions to cover for their disappearances or hide the evidence.
"That won't be necessary," Harry said, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Anyway, I'm sure you won't take too long since it's been a while for you two," he snorted. The blond rolled his eyes.
"Get comfortable guarding that door tonight because I plan on taking my sweet time with-" The Gryffindor immediately closed his eyes and shoved his fingers in his ears.
"That's enough. The witch is practically my sister; I don't want to hear about it!" he whispered. "Now, go shower in the locker room before she gets here because you look like a right piece of shite."
As Draco approached the reception desk just after six o'clock, he stopped short when he saw his wife. She was a vision in her fitted, red trench coat and deliciously matching high heels. Hermione blushed when Draco deliberately ran his eyes down her body from head to toe.
"Follow me to where adventure awaits," he purred into her ear. The curly-haired witch placed her hand in his and let him lead her through the maze of Auror cubicles, stopping every once in a while to kiss her properly. By the time they'd reached the restricted elevator at the back of the large office, they were both breathless with need for one another.
"I've never seen this elevator. Where will it take us?" she asked as the elevator doors closed behind them.
"A place I've been waiting to show you since I first discovered it," he smiled down at her.
"You've been keeping something from me?" Hermione gasped in surprise.
"I have to keep some tricks up my sleeve, or I'd never be able to shock you," he explained with a smirk. The doors opened to a dank hallway with a few unmarked doors. Draco pulled his wife all the way to the end of the hall in front of a plain door with the word 'library' carved into it. Hermione looked at him skeptically, but he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. Slowly, he opened the door, revealing the most extensive library she'd ever seen. For a moment, the witch just stood there staring at the room before her.
"Why would you hide this from me?" she finally asked, smacking him on the arm.
"Not hiding, just saving it for the right time." Draco countered. "Come on. I want to show you my favorite spot," he said as he tugged her down the wide center aisle and toward one of the larger alcoves. The secluded area was five levels high of floor to ceiling books. Charmed windows showcasing the night sky were placed sporadically throughout the space. A study table was centered on the bottom level where a takeaway bag from Hermione's favorite Indian restaurant sat at one end.
"Why is this your preferred spot?" she wondered, still entranced by the opulent space before her.
"This section is all about Curses and Curse-Breaking, so I spend most of my time here researching for my cases," he said, motioning his hands around them "It's my favorite because something about this area reminds me of us studying together in the Hogwarts library," he pointed to the table in the center of the space.
"Yes, I can see that," she smiled. As Hermione took in her surroundings, Draco snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle.
Leaning down, he whispered into her ear, "You know that it has always been a fantasy of mine to have you in a library like this." Her breath hitched and her body stilled.
"What if we were caught?" she worried, biting her bottom lip. Little did she know that hardly anyone used the library this late in the evening, and Harry was guarding the door for them just in case.
"Isn't that part of the fun, Granger?" he cajoled, turning her in his arms to face him. His wife's face flushed, and her eyes darkened with desire. Before she could overthink it, Draco bent down to kiss her hard. His fingers threaded through her hair while his palm tenderly caressed her neck, her pulse racing. The desire to crush her against him overtook his thoughts. His other hand squeezed her hip, and he pulled her closer to him. Without breaking the searing kiss, he lifted her up and swallowed her surprised yelp. Draco carried her to the table, placing her on top of the smooth surface. He slithered his hand between them to untie the belt of her coat. It fell open as she leaned back and allowed him to take in the sight of her.
"I wrapped your present in red as you requested," Hermione said seductively, raising a challenging eyebrow. The blond wizard's Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. Fine red lace covered his witch's curves in the most exquisitely tempting ways. As soon as he had seen it in the lingerie store the month prior, he knew she would look perfect in it for this moment he'd planned in his head since he'd first set eyes on this library years ago. He only wished he could have seen her face when she opened it earlier this afternoon. His eyes drifted down to his favorite part of his wife. The sexy garment left an opening so that her perfect quim was exposed to him. In an invitation for him to continue his adventure, Hermione leaned back on her elbows and spread herself open for him.
"Fucking beautiful," he whispered before diving into her center. Draco nipped and kissed her thighs as she tried to push herself closer to him, but he held her in place. He would take his time with this part. When he finally worked his way to her center, she was writhing beneath him.
"Draco, please…" she moaned over and over again.
"Have patience, love," he smiled at her obvious desire. The wizard withheld from using his fingers, so she would yearn for him to fill her up, but he continued to assault her core with his tongue until she finally exploded. Her legs squeezed his head, but he pushed them wide open to lick her through her completion. Hermione's incoherent screams reminded him that he should have cast a silencing charm before they started, but the thought of Harry's misery at having to hear his best friend make these delicious noises made Draco smile. It wasn't as if the Potters always remembered to silence themselves either.
"I need you now!" Hermione commanded, pulling him up forcefully by his hair. Their mouths collided in desperate kisses of prolonged absence. Her fingers struggled with the buttons of his robes before ultimately resorting to ripping them open. Draco would have laughed if he weren't as eager as his wife. Shrugging off his torn robes, he removed the rest of his clothing and sat in the chair at the end of the table.
"Come here and show me how much you've missed me," he said, reaching his hand out to her. The curly-haired witch took hold of him and swung her leg over Draco's lap. She sank down maddeningly slow onto his hardened cock. "Fuuuuuuuck…," he groaned. Merlin, this woman felt amazing! "So fucking wet for me, Love."
"I've waited too long for this," she moaned as she grabbed fistfuls of his hair. Without warning, she began to ride him hard and fast. Grabbing her hips, he pushed up into her, desperate for her. As if she knew he'd come at any moment, she slowed down and leaned back, holding onto his shoulder with one hand. She moved her other hand to her center and allowed her fingers to explore her wet folds. Draco watched her through heavily, lust-filled lids. There was nothing as beautiful as his witch gratifying herself with his dick deep inside her.
"Come for me, Granger, so I can fuck you against those bookshelves!" he demanded before taking one of her taut nipples into his mouth. His words spurred her on, and she came apart almost instantly. As she tightened around his cock, he scooped her up and pushed her against a cushioning charm he'd cast against the hard planes of the shelves. After only a few vigorous thrusts inside her, Draco erupted with pleasure. He could hardly stand but still managed to carry her back to the chair.
"I love you," Hermione breathed as she leaned into him. In reply, he kissed her on the top of her head.
"So, you…-er liked that?" Draco asked nervously, his fingers stroking her back soothingly and their magic passing easily between them. Since their days at Hogwarts, having his wife in the library had been his fantasy, so he was anxious for her to enjoy the experience as much as he did.
"It was perfect…" she said softly. "This might be my new favorite place," Hermione laughed, kissing Draco on the cheek.
"Fuck, Granger! I'll never get anything done in here again except fantasizing about you," he grinned and leaned his forehead against hers.
"I can't believe we just did that! What if someone walked in?" she giggled as she looked around them, suddenly realizing they might have been caught.
"Every second of making my greatest fantasy a reality was worth getting caught," the blond assured her. He knew her brain was starting to kick into high gear, so he vanished the mess, fixed his torn robes, and they both dressed. As if on cue, her stomach growled, and they ate before Draco had to return to work.
February 22, 2008
"It's about damn time you showed your face around here!" George yelled as Draco entered the Leaky Cauldron.
"Let me guess what I missed last weekend," the blond replied. "Was Potter still bragging about what he heard on Valentine's Day?" he joked. The dark-haired wizard pinched his face in disgust.
"You. Are. Vile! She's like my sister!" Harry exclaimed. "Hearing her screaming your name was like a knife cutting through my brain. I'd rather listen to Voldemort's voice in my head than that ever again."
"It was probably the first real orgasm you've ever heard in your life, Potter. You should be thanking me," Draco chuckled as Blaise choked on his drink.
"You've made it very clear that my wife and I have forgotten to use a silencing charm on occasion, so you know that's not true," Harry countered, looking quite pleased with himself.
"Gross!" Ron looked worse off than the time he'd regurgitated slugs.
"Ugh! She's our sister, Harry!" George griped as he punched his brother-in-law in the arm.
"Sorry, mates," the bespeckled wizard apologized, looking properly chastised.
"I'm thinking of moving up our wedding date," Blaise announced out of the blue, something he often did when the attention wasn't on him.
"You can't wait three more weeks?" Ron asked in surprise.
"And what does Luna think of this little change?" George questioned knowingly. The Italian wizard glared at him.
"Celibacy isn't for everyone, gents," the Slytherin explained to his laughing friends. "I know she wants me as much as I want her, but she is hellbent on sticking to her rule to wait for our wedding night."
"So, she is letting you move the date of the wedding?" George pressed.
"She told me that we would not be changing the date under any circumstances," he grumbled.
"What's that? Does Blaise Zabini follow orders from a witch now?" Draco teased. His best mate rolled his eyes.
"I hate my friends," the Italian wizard sulked.
"What do you make of all this, Potter?" The dark-haired wizard began giggling in his drunken state.
"He sounds whipped to me!" Harry announced.
"No, that couldn't be it. Blaise said he would never fall under the spell of a woman," George chimed in.
"And I quote, 'If I ever look as lovesick as Weasley does with Pansy, just Obliviate me!' Isn't that what you said?" Ron questioned with a grin.
"Merlin be damned, I love that woman and I want her to be mine as soon as possible! Fuck the lot of you!" Blaise exclaimed.
"Should we Obliviate you now or do we need Luna's permission first?" George chuckled as he reached for his wand.
"Sod it all," Zabini raised his glass. "Man-whore Blaise is dead and Whipped Blaise is king now!" the Italian wizard announced before downing the rest of his drink to an eruption of cheers. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to cuddle with my fiance for the rest of the evening." With that, he staggered his way to the floo and disappeared.
A/N - Please take the time to let me know what you think in the comments! The next chapter will feature Blaise and Luna's wedding.