A/N: A slightly quicker update after your patient wait for the last chapter! Explicit content ahead. See end notes for some of my extra thoughts and ramblings.

December 1998—

The following morning, Hermione trudged down to breakfast feeling like she had been hit by a truck. Harry and George were already in the kitchen, and both pairs of eyes lit up when she entered.

"Ah! Special delivery for you," George said as he held a letter out to her. "Hermes dropped it off twenty minutes ago."

Matching grins split his and Harry's faces as Hermione took the letter and sat down to read.

Dear Hermione,

I hope this letter finds you well and recovered this morning after what I have learned was a very difficult night. As soon as I heard about what happened, I wanted to write you straightaway. Please know that, on behalf of the Weasley family, we do not condone the behavior you saw from my youngest brother last night. I have already written to him to explain in detail the mistakes he has made, and I have suggested to him many courses of action for how he might make amends. While I am sure that my letter was persuasive, the needed action rests in his hands. Because of this, I felt it important to make my feelings plain to you as well, rather than rely on Ronald to do what is right and necessary.

It is no secret to the family that Ronald has spent many months ignoring both his family and friends. As one who has made the same mistake of turning away from family, I can only hope that he follows in my footsteps and sees the error in his ways before it is too late. This alone is the way to right the wrong, and we can only hope that with due remorse on his side, as there was on mine, we can come together as a group with forgiveness. I include you in this group, as well as Harry, as we have thought of you both as honorary Weasleys for several years now. I know, and I feel confident even without the support of the gossip I have heard, that you are no stranger to forgiveness.

Please allow me, quite independently from the rest of this note, to offer you my congratulations in forging such a strong alliance and moving forward towards the future of progress. Your compassion and forward thinking exactly embody the feelings of the Ministry and the type of cooperation that we most prize in the Department of Transportation, where we see all witches and wizards around the world as equals. While the Malfoy family may have a bit of a black mark on them right now, you will see their influence resurface both at Hogwarts and at the Ministry as they likewise put everything forward to make amends with the wizarding community. You will find, in short, that your friendship and connection with the Malfoy heir will prove both useful and beneficial to you. Please do pass on my sincere and warm regards to Draco. If you or he are ever in need of my counsel, you need only to ask.

Yours truly,
Percy Weasley

"Well," said George, who had been reading over her shoulder. "Just when we thought Percy might grow out of being such a pompous twat, he writes a letter like this."

Hermione passed the note to Harry without a word, and Harry's eyebrows immediately screwed up in concentration as he tried to decipher it.

"Would Miss Granger like her coffee with the foamed milk," Kretcher asked in his gravely voice.

"Yes, thank you, Kretcher."

"I think a round for all three of us, if you don't mind," added George.

Kretcher nodded, and in minutes the kitchen was filled with the smell of coffee, eggs, sausage, and tomatoes.

"So," Hermione said in a small voice, "what do you both plan to do today?"

"Nothing," said Harry. "No plans."

"Me neither," said George.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at them. "I know perfectly well that Mrs. Weasley is expecting you both over for Christmas Eve."

"No, she's not," said George. "I reckon she needs a day away from me to cool off."

At that moment, the floo roared, and Ginny stepped out of the kitchen fireplace.

"Morning you lot! Fancy a game of Exploding Snap?"

Christmas Eve passed wonderfully between Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and George. The subject of Ron was dutifully avoided, and they managed to occupy themselves for the entire day. Kretcher was delighted to have people to wait on, and he bustled about humming an odd sort of tune while he fluffed up pillows, fixed decorations, and cooked more food than a herd of thestrals could eat.

That night, after she had her bath and was getting ready to write to Draco, Harry came to her door with a very serious look in his eyes.

"Listen, Hermione," he began, "I know you won't want to go to the Weasleys' tomorrow. Ron's got to be there, and, I'm sorry, but I really want to spend Christmas with Ginny."

"It's all right, Harry, truly. I wouldn't want you to be away from her tomorrow. You don't have to worry about me. To be honest, I think it's best if I have the time alone. I wasn't looking forward to being around all of Ron's family instead of my own anyway."

"That's the thing, I don't want you to be alone tomorrow. So, I've given it some thought, and I think you should write to Malfoy and ask him to come. I won't be here, so he won't have to worry about it being awkward."

"Oh, Harry, that's so thoughtful of you, but he's at home with his mother. I can't ask him to leave her on Christmas."

"Then ask them both to come. Kretcher would be beside himself to serve actual members of the Black family. It would be a Christmas treat for him as well."

"I don't know," she said hesitantly.

"Please, just write to him about it. Use that thousand galleon quill of yours, and just see what he says."

"It's not that expensive!" Hermione began to protest, but she saw Harry grin. "Oh, all right, I'll write to him, but I'm not promising I'll ask him. I'll just, sort of, feel things out a bit and see what his plans are."

"Okay. Night then. I'll still see you in the morning for breakfast." He gave Hermione a quick hug and shut the door behind him.

But Hermione did not write to Draco that night about spending Christmas together, and she did not tell Harry the next morning as she kissed his cheek and sent him off to the Weasleys' with her gifts and love. She spent the day alone reading and pretending there was no holiday. In the evening, after being spoiled with a delicious dinner by Kretcher, she decided to check in on Draco.

'Happy Christmas! I don't know how you and your mother celebrate, so I didn't want to bother you earlier.'

Draco responded at once. 'Happy Christmas. We don't do too much. Just a few family traditions that she wanted to keep to, and a delightful visit to see my father. She's already in her room for the night.'

'I'm sorry. That sounds difficult.'

'Eh. Back from the Weasleys' so soon?'

'Oh, well, I stayed home today.'

'Alone? Explain.'

'I didn't feel comfortable going after the fight with Ron, and to be honest, I'm not sure I'm good company for anyone today.'

'Nonsense.'

'Harry was rather adamant I spend the day with someone, even if it was without him.'

'Like who? Send an owl to Lovegood or something?'

'Actually, he suggested you.'

'The last thing you'd want to do is be over here. Plus, we had that awful shit of a visitation.'

'I know. He was trying to be sweet. Said to invite you and your mother to give Kretcher a treat too.'

'That's the elf? Barmy.'

'It is not! Kretcher has grown a lot over the past year.'

'I thought you'd be campaigning to set him free.'

'Yes, well, that was before I knew his greatest ambition was to have his head chopped off and mounted on the wall. I've sort of accepted that freedom isn't how you help Kretcher. Instead, we try to give his life purpose and fulfillment.'

'How quaint.'

The quill stilled. Hermione debated whether she ought to still extend her invitation. She loved the idea of seeing Draco, but they were both pretty tense after having emotional days. Was there any wisdom in inviting him over so late in the evening? The quill started writing again.

'Well, I don't like the idea of you being alone with just an elf for company.'

'Well, you see, the best company I could keep is currently shut up in his manor.'

'You know I'd be there in an instant if I could.'

It was now or never.

'Harry said the floo is open to you.'

It seemed like an hour before Draco penned his response. Hermione waited, holding her breath.

'Are you sure?'

It took her only a moment to feel her resolution grow firm. 'I am.'

Hermione waited as the quill stood poised, flashing. After a few moments, it fell lifeless on top of her journal. She gasped as she heard a great WHOOSH from downstairs seconds later. Someone had just arrived by floo powder.

Sparing only a moment to be sure she was decently covered by her robe, Hermione flew down the stairs to meet her visitor, trying not to get her hopes up too high, just in case. But, there was no need to worry. She hit the landing and was met with the sight of Kretcher bowing low.

"Kretcher welcomes Master Malfoy to the most noble house of Black. What can Kretcher bring the young master?"

"Thank you. Is Gr— Ah." Draco's eyes met hers and twinkled. "Perhaps two cups of your famous peppermint cocoa that my mother still raves about, Kretcher."

The elf bowed low again and left to the kitchen.

In her head, Hermione imagined that she would throw herself into Draco's arms. They would embrace, kiss, sit and talk, and then just see where the night took them. Instead, she was rooted to the spot, consciously aware of how little she had on under her robe. Draco was also dressed in a robe, pajama bottoms, and house slippers. Based on the way his chest peeked through, she presumed he was shirtless beneath. Suddenly, the idea of having him there felt rash and a little bit scandalous. Draco was standing quite still, and she wondered if he felt the same hesitance as her.

"You'll have to reacquaint me with this house, Granger," he said at last. "I was probably a toddler the last time I was here, and I can't say I remember much of it."

"Right," she said with a smile, and Hermione took him through the rooms on all the different levels. When they got to her door, the room she left for last, she glanced up at Draco and felt a blush creep up her cheeks. She had never invited a boy she was dating into her bedroom. Even Ron had never been in her room at Grimmauld Place. She only moved in with Harry the summer after the war had ended, at which point Ron had pulled away into himself—or so she had thought before Harry's slip about his dalliance with Parvati. She pushed that thought aside. With a quick glance over her shoulder to Draco, who looked at ease, she opened her door.

The room she chose to occupy was small and reminded her vaguely of the shape and size of her bedroom at her parents' old home. There was a good sized bed and one comfortable chair perfect for reading for lengthy periods of time. A small table beside the chair normally held Hermione's stack of current reads, but now it was set with two steaming hot chocolates on a silver tray. Kretcher had been up already, and she noticed with appreciation that he had made her bed and tucked away her journal and quill, most likely in her nightstand.

"Hmm," Draco hummed, "more comfortable than what I expected from this house."

"Yes, we worked all summer to clean it thoroughly. We split our time between here and Hogwarts, actually."

Draco nodded. They moved fully into the room, and, more for something to do with her hands than anything else, Hermione crossed to the table and picked up one of the hot chocolates. One sip warmed her to her toes, and Hermione made a mental note to ask Kretcher's help with all of her hot chocolate needs going forward. She heard the door click shut, and a moment later Draco was standing at her side.

"The cup will stay warm until it's empty, if my memory serves me right," he commented. The statement was innocent enough, but his eyes held a hunger that had nothing to do with chocolate.

Hermione shuddered pleasantly and set down her mug. Draco pulled her close, wrapping one hand around her waist as the other slipped into her hair to cup the back of her head. Wasting no more time, he kissed her. Somehow, Hermione felt both his need for her as well as his patience pour into her. Her body responded immediately, and she pulled him close and deepened their kiss. His tongue slipped into her mouth to caress hers. One step at a time, she inched him towards her bed. She knew exactly what that would imply to him, and in that moment, she welcomed where things could go. No, they had not been out together on any proper dates, but she had been spending so much time with Draco one-on-one that she felt quite close to him.

Without breaking their kiss, Draco scooted onto the edge of Hermione's bed and pulled her into his lap, straddling him. He began kissing down her neck, and she was reminded of a similar kiss in their Head common room just before parting for the holiday. This time, there was no interruption. She felt Draco pull the tie to her robe open, and he peeled one side over her shoulder to continue trailing kisses along her clavicle. She moaned quietly and traced her hands up his chest. She was delightfully surprised by skin on skin contact. He had opened his own robe at the same time he opened hers. For some reason, this small action made her core flood with warmth, and her lips began tracing their own path down his neck. This earned her a delicious moan from Draco, and she found she wanted to hear so many more sounds like that.

Following her instincts, Hermione slipped her robe off her shoulders and let it pool on the floor. She was left in a soft cami and her panties, since she had yet to put on her pajama bottoms after her bath. Then, she slowly inched Draco's robe off his shoulders, which he helped by discarding immediately. He pulled back long enough for his eyes to rake over her her body and back to meet her gaze.

"Merlin, you're gorgeous," he whispered, and he kissed her again.

This time, their kiss was desperate and intense. Hermione raked her fingers through his hair and down his back while Draco gripped her bum and rocked her hips forward into him. They both moaned at the stimulation. As if she weighed nothing, he wrapped her legs around his waist and pivoted them. He laid her down in the bed as he climbed atop her. Her hands were in constant motion, tracing up and down his chest and back and boldly gripping his bum, encouraging his length to rock against her core. His pace quickened, and Hermione felt her arousal build to new heights. It did not take long for her to come crashing over the edge.

As her breath came in pants, she felt Draco slow his movements and soften his kiss. He shifted to lay beside her and was tracing circles up her back and side. After her heart rate steadied, she felt her arousal return in a matter of moments. This was a new sensation for her, as any time she had stimulated herself enough to orgasm in the past, she felt sated and ready to sleep. She had never felt a burning need to continue. She met Draco's eyes and saw that they were dark with passion. Rotating slightly, she found his hand at her side and guided it to her breast. He responded instantly by rolling his thumb over her pebbled nipple through her shirt.

"Hermione, I don't know how far you want to go," he whispered to her, and his voice held a note of hesitancy.

"I want you, Draco," she whispered back. "I'll tell you if I want you to stop. Unless you want to stop."

"Merlin, no."

With that, Hermione kissed him again, then found herself climbing on top of him to resume rocking against his length. Both of his hands had found their way to cupping her breasts. She found herself moaning aloud and desperate for more. She quickly tugged her top over her head and tossed it—where, she neither knew or cared—then recaptured his lips. Draco moaned into her mouth as his hands slid slowly up her skin and resumed his ministrations at her chest. Without the fabric between them, his every touch was electric, and Hermione came again in seconds, this time with more intensity than the first.

Then, unsure which of them was guiding the other, Draco's pajama bottoms were discarded and he was on top of her again, but this time his fingers crept beneath her panties and began circling her clit. She cried out in pleasure, and his magic fingers persisted, slipping into her core and driving her mind to places she never knew it could go. She came against his fingers with so much intensity that she was left panting for air and clutching his arms for support, even though she was lying on her back.

Their pace slowed again to deep, sensual kisses. Draco trailed soft bites up and down her neck, pausing to take a nipple into his mouth or suck at the sensitive flesh below her ear before returning to her lips. Finally, when she could take no more, she wriggled out of her underwear and pulled at his waistband until he did the same. He cast a contraceptive charm on himself before he entered her slowly, and she felt a pinch as she stretched to accommodate a man for the first time. Draco's breath was stilted, and he seemed to need the time to calm himself every bit as much as she did to relax around his girth and length. Slowly, he began to slide in and out of her, and soon she found herself rocking her hips in time to meet his pace. Then, she felt a need to pull him deeper, and as she took in his full length, his pelvis met her clit. The combination of feelings was incredible. She encouraged Draco to move faster, and soon, he was thrusting into her with ragged breaths. He braced himself on one arm and began tweaking her nipple while continuing to thrust so fast and strong that Hermione felt like she was going to explode with pleasure. When she came for a final time, the orgasm that wracked through her was incomparable to anything she had ever felt. She realized her others from that night, which had seemed so strong, were only tiny peaks. This one was intense, earth-shattering, and quaked through her whole body until she was shaking with pleasure. She was dimly aware of him moaning in her ear, but his pace persisted and only began to slow as her own cries of pleasure died down.

"Wow," she whispered, when she returned to herself.

"Tell me about it," he whispered back.

"I've never, I mean, this was the first time I've, well, gone all the way. Is that a weird thing to admit?"

"You told me already."

She thought back to her confession of inexperience before the racy night they had by quill. That felt like ages ago with all that had happened, but it was just days.

"Gosh, I forgot."

Draco kissed her, then he whispered, "It was for me, too."

Hermione could not stop the broad grin that overtook her. She climbed under the covers as Draco turned to her bedside table, grabbed the glass that was there, and muttered, "Aguamenti." He took a long drink, refilled the glass, and handed it to her before following her under the covers. She fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her in seconds.

"Hermione, are you decent?" Harry's voice floated through the door with a single knock. The door opened at the same time as Hermione's eyes.

"NO!" both she and Harry yelled together.

"Harry, it's not what you think!"

"Oh my god, my eyes!" he shouted and ran from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Hermione started to panic and was about to tear out of bed after him when an arm wrapped around her and held her back.

"Well, good morning to you too," Malfoy drawled.

"Let me go! I have to go talk to Harry! He's going to get the wrong impression!"

"Granger, take a breath, and maybe start by putting on some cloths."

Hermione blushed. She was still naked, of course, and with the morning light streaming through the windows instead of the soft firelight of the previous night, Hermione was suddenly self-conscious. It did not help that Malfoy was smirking as he stared at her nakedness, drinking her in. In all her life, she had never pulled clothes on as quickly as in that moment. She completely ignored Malfoy's huffs in the background of, "Hey, quit blocking my view."

"Just stay here while I fix this," she commanded him, then she tore out of her room and down to the kitchen.

Harry was sitting by himself at the breakfast table as Kretcher was piling eggs onto his plate. To her horror, she saw that Kretcher had laid an extra place at the table.

"Will Mistress' betrothed be coming down for breakfast soon?" he asked her.

"My what?"

"The young Master Malfoy, Mistress' betrothed."

Hermione felt as though she would rather drop dead on the spot than answer, and by the look on Harry's face, he was wishing the same for himself.

"Oh my gods," she whispered, then said aloud, "Listen, Harry—"

"Kretcher, I think Hermione and Malfoy will eat a bit later."

"Right you are, Master. Kretcher will begin dusting and return later." He bowed low and exited the kitchen.

"Harry," she tried again.

"Don't." Harry rubbed his temples. "I don't know what to even think right now, and I don't really want my brain getting all muddled with this. I told you to invite the Malfoys over to spend time together on Christmas. I didn't tell you to shag Malfoy or set up some holiday booty call."

"Harry! You know perfectly well that's not what happened!"

"Do I, Hermione? All I know is that I let slip about Ron hooking up with a couple of girls, and suddenly I find you hooking up with Malfoy. Are you trying to get back at him or something?"

Hermione gasped in indignation.

"Cause if you are, that's pretty low."

"How could you think that!"

"Tell me I'm wrong! Tell me that Ron sleeping around had no influence over you sleeping with Malfoy."

"Of course it—"

CRASH!

"What in the blazes is it now?" Harry growled.

Both he and Hermione dashed out of the kitchen, but as she was closer to the door, she got through first. She was dimly aware of a stabbing pain in her foot as she trod on a shard of broken ceramic then slipped on an unmistakable puddle of magically warm hot chocolate. Instead, all of her attention was fixated ahead.

"Kretcher, where's the floo powder?" She heard Malfoy's voice in the entryway, and it was as cold as ice.

"Draco, please, don't leave! It's not what you think," she yelled after him.

"FILTH! MUDBLOODS AND BLOOD TRAITORS!" Mrs. Black had woken up at her shout.

"I think it's pretty clear, Granger."

"No, it's not. You have to listen."

"HALF-BLOOD SCUM!"

"Stupefy!" Harry's voice added to the tumult behind them, and Mrs. Black was silenced.

"You were looking for a good time," Malfoy said with unmasked bitterness. "I was happy to provide. Nothing more to be said really."

"That's not it at all." Tears began to prickle in Hermione's eyes. She limped towards him, and the shard of the mug dug deeper into her throbbing foot. Malfoy looked down at her sock, which she knew would be turning red with blood.

"You better tend to that, Granger," he said pitilessly. "I'll see you at Hogwarts." With that, he tossed the floo powder Kretcher had proffered onto the fire and was gone.

Hermione followed after him, threw her own handful of floo powder into the fireplace, and sobbed, "Malfoy Manor!" The flames roared green, then immediately turned to red before reducing to their normal yellow flicker.

"Noo!" she wailed as a strong pair of hands gripped her, pulling her away from the fire.

A/N: Holy long end notes, Batman! A couple things I want to comment on. First, I'm thinking about writing Percy's letter to Ron as a bonus chapter. :D Any interest in that?

Second actually has multiple parts. I'm not normally a fan of writing or reading "first time" scenes. I feel like it builds up even more pressure on something we already over-fixate on. However, I thought about it a lot, and I just don't find it realistic to their characters that either had this experience prior to Voldemort's death. You can disagree, but this is where my mind ended up.

Also, I do realize Hermione's enjoyment of this first time is not too high on the realism scale. Let's just all suspend disbelief here, cause I wanted her to have a damn good time. The girl deserves it! And I also think Draco needed the opportunity to make someone feel really, really good for once, instead of causing/spreading more bad (like the previous two years).

Finally, I want to jump on my soapbox and point out that I've intentionally made Draco cast a contraceptive charm on himself, NOT on Hermione. Everything I've read with a contraceptive charm involves it being cast on the woman. I've got a lot of opinions about female versus male contraceptives that you probably don't care to hear, so suffice it to say that I've imagined the wizarding world according to my desires. The men cast a simple charm that creates a situation of safe sex. I've only said "contraceptive" in the chapter to be simple, but I do intend it to prevent disease transfer and all that, too. Because, if magic can't do that, then what the heck is the point!?

Thanks as always for reading, and I look forward to your reactions! 3