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Chapter 24 -
Hermione sat on Ginny's bed, with her eyes closed, and her hand held out, waiting for a present from Draco. She didn't think Draco really had anything for her, but she would play along. She waited, and waited, and finally, she opened one eye, and then the other. Where the hell did he go? She stood up and said, "Draco?" She went to the door and opened it, looked out in the hall, and in hushed tones, but more urgent, she said, "Draco?" She walked over to the twin's old room, and opened the door. There was no sign he had ever been in there. She went to the bathroom, rapped on the door, and said, "Draco, are you in there?"
The door opened, and Charlie stood there in a towel and said, "Sorry, sweety, he's not in here. He might be downstairs." He shut the door and Hermione stayed out in the hall for a moment, and frowned. She trotted downstairs and saw Harry and Ginny making out on the sofa.
"Honestly, they can make out, but I can't?" she said to herself. "You would think they weren't married."
She went back to the kitchen, and opened the back door. She placed her nose right up to the screen door and said softly, "Draco Malfoy, are you out there?" She shut and locked the door, and leaned against the counter. Did she do something wrong? Why would he leave like that? She didn't think that was a nice present at all.
She slowly walked back upstairs, opened the door to Ginny's old room, and screamed.
"Quiet, Granger, you will wake the whole house!" Draco said. He was sitting on the bed, legs crossed, and a small white box in his hand.
"You scared me!" she said, her hand on her chest. "Where were you?" she asked, more than a little put out.
"Where were you? That's the question. I told you to shut your eyes, hold out your hand, and I would give you a present, and when I came back from retrieving the present, you were gone," he explained.
She sat beside him and said, "Well, goodness, Malfoy, I had no idea you were going to be gone an eternity."
"Slight exaggeration. I believe I was gone four and a half minutes," he said.
"No, it was a good ten minutes," she argued.
"I beg to differ, it was five minutes, tops," he said back.
"Whatever, the point is, I thought you weren't coming back. I thought you left," she argued. She felt a constriction in her chest, and her voice hitched in her throat.
"I would never leave like that," he said, now a bit upset himself. He was upset with her, however. How could she think he would just leave? Granted, they didn't really know each other well, but hadn't he proved himself to her in the last twelve hours? Okay, twelve hours wasn't a long time to prove anything, but still. "I'm sorry, Granger," he finally admitted, and he was.
She didn't know what to say, so she looked at him, and he was looking at the small box in his hand, moving it back and forth from his right hand to his left. "Is that for me?" she asked.
"Could be, if you still want it," he replied.
"I do. I never refuse presents," she said.
"I'll have to remember that, and tonight when I come to you wrapped in a big bow, and nothing else, I will remind you that you said you never refuse a present," he said, laughing.
"If you only have a bow on, where will it be tied?" she asked.
"You dirty minded little minx," he said. "It will be a self-adhesive bow, and will be stuck right in the middle of my chest." Hermione laughed so hard, she snorted. "There's that snort I love so dearly," he said. "Now, open your present." He started to hand the present to her, but then took it back and said, "Remember, it was last minute, so don't get your hopes up." He started to hand it to her again, only to close his fist once more.
"Come off it, and give me my present," she snapped.
"One more reminder," he said. "This is a monumental occasion, so please, remember this fondly when you are old and grey, and I have left you for a much younger model. Remember that I once gave you a wonderful present, a sort of first anniversary present."
"Give me my present," she whined, holding her hand over his lap. He started to put the box in her hand, but then drew it back a third time. "You prat!" she hissed. She turned around, and jumped on him, knocking him back to his back. She straddled his chest, as he lay back on the bed, and put her hands on his shoulders. "Give me my present now, or suffer the consequences!"
"I just had one more thing to say!" he said. "Boy, Granger, your lack of strength is pitiful. You do realize I could push you right off me, don't you?"
"Oh, yeah, try it," she said, leaning down, so her nose touched his.
"I would, but I rather like this position. I always thought you would be aggressive in bed, and I even imagined you on top," he said, crudely. He put his arms tightly around her waist.
She kissed his nose, "Give," kiss to his cheek, "me," kiss to his other cheek, "my," kiss to his forehead, "bloody," kiss to his lips, "present," kiss to chin, "now," back to his lip.
"God, Granger, I love the violent side of you. I'm never giving you this present," he said.
She climbed off him, to lie beside him, as she propped herself up on her elbow, and she said, "I don't even want it anymore."
He held the box under her nose, waving it back and forth and said, "It's really good. You'll really like it, although it's no little white rock."
She frowned, and sat up. "I know that was stupid. I'm sorry; it was an impulse to give it to you. It doesn't mean anything," she said, embarrassed. She scooted off the bed, went to the door, and started to grasp the doorknob. He climbed off quickly, and stood in front of her, so she could not leave. He removed her hand from the knob.
He put his hand on her cheek, and stroked it feathery soft. He rested his hand on her neck. She looked hurt. "I love that rock, Granger. I'm not joking. Your story and your sentiment behind the gift means even more to me. I wasn't being dismissive when I said that what I have for you isn't as good as your rock. I meant that. It really isn't as good. In fact, it puts your rock to shame. Now I'm almost embarrassed to give you this, and I mean that sincerely." He leaned toward her, and rested his forehead on hers. His hand traveled down her arm, to clasp her hand. He led her back to the bed.
They sat back down, side by side and he said, "Let's start over. Shut your eyes, and hold out your hand." She did as requested. He placed the small white box in her hand. She opened her eyes, and took off the lid. She looked at him once before she looked in the box. Inside was a silver bracelet with a single pendant. The pendant was a diamond teardrop, which sparkled and shined as she held it up to examine it.
"This is lovely," she said. It was. It was breathtaking. "It's too much, though. Is it real?"
He laughed and asked, "What do you think?"
"Malfoy, if this is a real diamond, than it's too much. It's too expensive. Where did you even get it?" she asked.
"Let's take care of one thing at a time," he said, "First, it's real, but it didn't cost me a Knut, for I inherited it. Second, well, there is no second, because that one statement kind of settles everything. I want you to have it. I had always planned to give it to the woman I intended to marry someday, and that's you."
She looked at the bracelet once more, and then said, "You really want to marry me? After one day?"
"I told you at what, hour three or four that I wanted to marry you, so why would I feel any different on hour, almost thirteen?" he asked.
"Malfoy, I'm speechless," she said.
"There's a first for everything," he said and he grinned. She smiled back and held out her wrist. He took the bracelet from her hand and slipped it on her pre-offered wrist. He took her arm in his hand, and kissed her wrist lightly.
"I want to marry you, too." She took his hand, and gave it a squeeze.
"You know what I think would be perfect?" he asked.
"It's really hard to tell with you," she admitted.
He gave her a funny look and said, "I would be offended, but you have a point. What I think is that we should get married one year from today. Well, not today, since its tomorrow, but I mean yesterday."
"You sound tired, for you're talking gibberish, however, I think that's a wonderful plan. One year from the beginning of this relationship, we will get married," she said.
"We had better have had sex before then, I swear, or the bracelet comes right back to me!" he said, standing up and pulling her to him. He pushed her right up against the wall, and pressed his body against her. "Understand my conditions, Granger?"
"I more than understand, I think I can 'feel' your conditions, Malfoy," she joked. He pressed hard against her, and placed his thigh between her legs. He crashed his mouth on hers, kissing her avidly and ardently, and with a single mindedness which rocked her to her core. His hands roamed over her body, on top of her pajamas, and she felt weak in the knees. He lifted his mouth from hers, but his body remained flushed against hers, holding her up. She bit her bottom lip, her hands on his shoulders, and her breathing irregular. His breath was ragged as well.
There came a knock on the door. He put his head on her shoulder and hissed, "I swear if that's Potter, I will bloody well kill him."
"Me too," she said. She put her hands around his neck, and leaned in for another kiss. He obliged. There was another knock.
"Hermione?" It was Charlie. "Did you ever find Draco?"
"Yes, Charlie, thanks," she stated with a laugh. Draco continued to kiss her neck. His mouth went down to her collarbone. "Oh," she said.
"What?" Charlie asked.
"Nothing, go to bed," she said harshly.
Charlie laughed from outside in the hall and said, "Goodnight, Hermione, goodnight, Draco." He walked to his room and shut the door, laughing the whole time.
He drew his tongue across the exposed skin of her neck. He lifted her up, so she was several inches off the floor. His arms were around her waist, and he walked with her over to the bed. He continued to kiss her the whole way. He placed her feet back on the ground, and pushed her slightly so she fell back on the bed. His expression was a new one to her. She didn't know what it meant, but she could take a guess. He leaned one knee on the bed, and looked down at her.
Her hair, fanned out around her head, accentuated her beautiful face, which was flushed and glowing. One arm was above her head, the other, rested on her stomach. Her legs, which he had admired all day, were stretched out before him. He thought she looked like an offering from the gods. He dare not put more than just his knee on the bed with her, for if he did, he would not be able to keep his promise to be good tonight. He took the tips of his fingers, and touched one of her thighs, lightly, so lightly, that she might have imagined it. He drew the same fingers down her leg, to her knee, and then to her calf.
"You're beautiful. Do you know how much I want and desire you?" he asked. He looked back at her face, each hand resting beside her head on the pillow. He kept his arms straight, holding his body as far from hers as he could. He looked at her closely, and said, "Well, do you?"
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