After all that I didn't post the most up to date chapter 22 - which I just did. Thanks for all the new follows, favorites and reviews!

A/N: This chapter picks up with Hermione and Draco after the end of Chapter 20. I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter posted. It hasn't been proofread, except by me. I'm not entirely pleased with the chapter, but didn't want to hold it up any longer. Please let me know if you see any mistakes, or if you are interested in being a beta and helping me out that would be great! THANKS!

Another chapter that is rated M for a reason!

Reminder: Italics are for emphasis in dialogue, internal thoughts and spells/magic words.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 22

Draco is having a hard time believing Hermione just came apart in his arms. He has wanted her for such a long time, and had been content just to be a part of her life. It is surreal to hold her, even more so to be intimate with her. After she would not kiss him earlier in the week, he thought he would never have the chance. Now, feeling her straddling him, with her head laying against his chest, he smiles, satisfied just to hold her. Merlin, this witch is turning me into an emotional git. He laughs to himself as he kisses the top of her head. He wishes her hair was undone so he could run his hands through the curls that are so soft under his lips.

As Hermione comes down from her euphoric high, she hears Draco's thumping heartbeat, relaxing her into serenity. She has never experienced anything that felt so amazing. She is safe and at peace with his strong arms around her, as he places gentle kisses against her hair. His hands ghost over her back and she makes a contented noise. She snuggles against his bare chest, and takes a deep breath, and his scent permeates her nostrils. It's almost intoxicating, making her think about what she wrote in her journal when she dreamed about their encounter by the lake at Hogwarts. Amortentia? Was it Draco? Even then? She inhales again, shifting in his arms to place a small kiss over his heart. His body reacts to her movement, causing a moan to rumble in his chest and his hands tighten on her waist. Her breath catches when she looks up and meets his intense molten silver gaze, causing her to forget the thoughts of making a batch of the love potion to see if the smell is the same, him. He lifts his hand to caress her cheek, softly saying, "Hermione, you are radiant when you come, even more beautiful than in my fantasies." She is surprised that instead of being embarrassed, his words flip a switch turning back on her desire. Boldly moving her hips against him causing his cock to twitch against her, inflaming her furthur. "Your fantasies?" she inquires. He moves his hand, and twirls a loose curl around his finger, not meeting her eyes, he swallows and sheepishly replies, "Yes." With confidence she didn't know she possesses, she turns her head, nuzzling his hand and takes his index finger in her mouth, sucking on it lightly causing his eyes to roll back in his head and respond "Oh fuck." She releases it, then licks her lips, holding his gaze as she leans forward to reach his mouth, drawing in his bottom lip, biting it tenderly then deepening the kiss.

Draco pulls her closer, shifting her position to give them both more pleasure. He kneads her arse as Hermione grinds into him again and he practically growls in response. His tongue delves into her mouth like he's fucking it as she begins moving against him. Lost in the sensation, he meets her rhythm, thrust for thrust. She's so wet, she has soaked through her knickers and onto his silk boxers. Hermione needs to breath, leaning back Draco bends forward, chasing her mouth. She gives him a sultry look as she reaches behind her to find his hands. Draco is confused as she pulls his hands around her then laces her fingers through his. She stands, bringing him to his feet, releasing one hand she curls her index finger indicating he follow her. Draco goes willingly, hoping she can't hear his breathing and heart rate accelerating, as she starts toward her bedroom. She opens the door and guides him in her room and releases his hand.

Hermione carefully removes her time-turner necklace and places it in the portum. Draco wonders if she knows it is from him, but quickly forgets about it as he watches her transfixed when she pulls up her dress slightly to removes her wand from its sexy holster on her leg. She casts a silent spell, then the room becomes dimly lit with one of her small blue flames. She places her wand on the night stand and turns to Draco giving him a beckoning look. Draco walks toward her, stopping in front of her and takes her hand. The light hovering above her head makes her look ethereal. He realizes it is the same as the bright ones he noticed in the living room when he arrived. Of course Hermione created them. He marvels at the magic he has never seen, his voice full of awe when he says "You have recreated moonlight. You are amazing." She looks up at him with appreciation and says, "You are the only one to recognize the light for what it is." He smiles, a genuine one, and it lights up his whole face. With her free hand she reaches up and touches his cheek and teases, "You know, you should smile more often. It makes you even more attractive." He knows that he good-looking and fit, but to hear her say it makes his stomach jump. He replies, "You seem to be the only one that can bring it out." He takes her hand from his cheek, now holding both of hers then lifts them and places kisses on each of her knuckles before he releases them. He gently takes her face in his hands and leans down to kiss her again.

Their shared passion builds quickly and Hermione's hands are again exploring Draco's chest, sliding them over his shoulders taking his undone tie, suit vest and shirt with them down his arms. Realizing his cuff-links are in the way, she releases the clasps and his shirt falls free. She takes a small step back to admire him. Draco likes watching her do it, until he notices her eyes go wide. Draco realizes where she stares. Fuck. He quickly pulls his left forearm to his chest so she can no longer see, feeling desolate. His whole body deflates, shoulders slump and head bows. Everything had been perfect. How could she forget? How could I? She could never want me. Should never. I once stood for everything she fights against. He turns away not wanting to see the disgust he expects. He swallows trying to dislodge the knot that has formed in his throat, but his voice still cracks when he says. "I…I…" He bends over to pick his shirt off the floor. "I am sorry."

Hermione's heart aches for him when she sees his defeated posture and as he leans over to pick up his shirt, she steps toward him. His words of apology make the ache intensify and her love for him grow. When he straightens up she walks around to face him, she sighs, "Draco. This is over." Her words cut and he balls up the shirt in his hands, then freezes up. His eyes cast downward, looking at his expensive shoes. I deserve nothing less than her contempt. He decides to stand there until she is done venting her anger at him.

Hermione notices his whole body tense and realizes he misunderstood. She pulls his shirt free, tossing it back on the floor and takes his left hand, surprising him. "I'm sorry. I should have been more specific," she says, running her fingertips over his fading Dark Mark. "What I meant was that this part of your life is over. You know I've forgiven you for everything. I'm sorry I reacted to it, I just always assumed it would have faded."

Relief floods through Draco and he looks up when he feels her lips on his forearm. Hermione's tender kisses are like a healing balm spreading over the area marred by dark magic. Their eyes meet when she straightens. He sees caring and concern. She puts her arms around his neck and says, "I hate that you had to experience and participate in those horrors, but your past has helped shape you into the man you are today and I very much care about and respect the man standing in front of me."

Draco pulls Hermione to him, kissing her lightly then says, "You have no idea what that means to me. How much you mean to me." His words give her the courage to ask him for what she wants, "Show me then?" She glances to her bed and back to him.

In a husky voice Draco responds, "Merlin, Hermione. I will show you and give you whatever you want, just tell me." She holds his gaze and breaths, "I want you Draco." Lifting up on her toes she kisses him deeply and grinds into him, making him groan as she feels him grow hard again. He hitches her right leg up and over his muscular thigh, bending his knee slightly and balancing her so she can press herself against him as he kisses and caresses her until he knows she is once again on the brink. He stops, causing her to whimper and murmurs, "Patience my sweet, we have all night." Then gives her a soft kiss that she immediately deepens. All her senses are in overload when he breaks the kiss and she pleads, "Draco, please." He moves to kiss along her jaw and neck. He finds a place just below her ear that causes her to tremble and when she whimpers again when he moves up to her ear, his voice belies his need for her as he questions, "You are wearing too much. May I?" gesturing to her dress.

Hermione is so flustered with want it's hard to form words so her body responds obediently to his whispered request, turning so he can unzip her. Draco steps closer and wonders briefly if it is all a dream, until he notices his hand is shaking as he reaches for the zipper pull. His dream-self is too suave for that so he knows it is real. He slowly reveals the expanse of her back, exposing her green bra. He takes his time to kiss down her spine causing her to shudder, then straightens and places his hands on her small waist. He loves the way her body responds to his touch on her bare skin as he moves his hands up her sides. He steps closer to her and she leans back into him when he gently squeezes her breasts, they fit perfectly in his hands. He knew they would. She turns her head to the side while reaching up and around Draco's neck to pull him down into a kiss. He swirls his tongue in her mouth like he wants to do to her pebbled nipples he can feel through her bra. He continues to work them as she moves her hips so the causing her perky arse to tease his cock.

Draco breaks the kiss and abandons her tits, pulling her green silk dress over her head, then drops it. He lingers behind her a moment to admire her form. His dick twitches when he notices her matching green thong. Hermione is shaking under his scrutiny, not knowing what his reaction will be to her body with her scars exposed. His hand reaches out to caress her bum as he moves to face her. His lust-filled expression is enough to make her breath a sigh of relief.

Draco's gaze travels the length of her body and wispered the word, "perfection" causing her to flush and he shakes her head no. He reaches for her, murmuring, "Yes love, you are, because you are so many things." He kisses along the lines of some of the scars on her body, punctuating each with one of the many reasons he loves her, although he does not tell her that yet. "Not only are you are beautiful, inside and out..." Kiss. "You are strong." Kiss. "You are intelligent." Kiss. "You are kind." Kiss. "You are forgiving." Kiss. "You are loyal." Kiss. "You are brave." Kiss. "You, Hermione, are the most amazing woman I know." Before she can process his words, he kisses her mouth again and she lets her thoughts go and focuses on him.

Draco breaks the kiss and hooks his index finger underneath the black lace garter wand holster and moves it down her body, placing kisses and the occasional nip down the the path of the garter. He is on his knees when he reaches her ankle and looks up at her and instructs, "Lift up your foot." She gazes at the him in wonder and does as he requests. His attention is drawn back to his task as bends over to removes the black kitten heel on her left foot, before saying, "now the other," and he removes that shoe, then the scrap of lace that held her wand.

Draco straightens but Hermione isn't sure why he hasn't gotten up and is concerned that he can see and smell her arousal. She has no idea that it makes Draco heady with want. She also doesn't realize he loves that he has made her soak through her knickers. He uses his finger to push aside the fabric so he can taste her, but before he can she has wrenches away from him.

Draco looks up and is surprised to find Hermione facing away from him with her head down. He stands and puts his hands on her shoulders and feels her relax. Relieved at her response, he questions, "What is the matter?" She shakes her head. At a loss he asks, "Do you want to stop?" He feels her tense as shakes her head no again. He pulls her against him and feels her relax. He breaths in the smell of his Amortentia, but he is confused and sighs, "Trust me and tell me what is bothering you?" She takes a couple of deep breaths then squeaks, "You felt it." Confusion fills him for a moment, then he puts his hand on her stomach and begins to lower it until he feels her tense again. He kisses her ear then he lowers his hand under the band of her knickers cupping her as he asks, "You mean how wet you are?" She nods. He whispers in her ear, "It is a very good thing. A compliment to me, showing me how much you want me." He kisses her neck and makes her forget all about being embarrassed and brings her once again to the edge of orgasm before turning her around to face him.

Draco steps closer to Hermione, breathing heavily she stammers out, "have to…get rid of…these." He watches as the nails of her index fingers follow the v-line below his abs causing his muscles to contract and him to inhale loudly. Her eyes flicker up wanting assurance and he breaths out, "one second" so he can toes off his shoes and socks before offering an, "okay" for her to continue. She isn't sure how his trousers have managed to stay on his hips, but all it takes for them to drop is a little downward tug and he steps out of them.

She reaches behind her and opens her bra then pulls at the straps so it falls to the floor. Draco stares as she hooks her thumbs into the waistband of her underwear and peels them off. She steps out of them, toward him and places her hands on the waistband of his black boxers and carefully removes them. He watches her as her gaze is fixated on his cock. She reaches out and tentatively wraps her hand around him, loving how he feels so smooth are hard. She moves her hand up and down his length a couple of times, causing him to moan, "You have to stop doing that, or I will not last." She looks up at him and smirks before giving the head of his cock a pleasing twist.

Neither is sure who started the next kiss, or how they ended up in her bed, but it does not matter. Draco is on top of Hermione, his weight on his arms, their legs tangled together with nothing separating them. He can feel heat radiating from her core and all it would take to be inside her would be for him to shift his hips slightly. But he wants to be absolutely sure she is ready first. He adjusts his position so he is straddling her leg with his knees and hands bear his weight. He trails soft kisses down her neck and across her chest before flicking his tongue across one of her nipples, sucking on it and gently biting it then soothing it with his tongue while his hand works on the other and she moans in approval. He alternates between each nipple for several minutes until her back is arching into him and she rubs her throbbing cunt against his leg as she pants, "Draco." Desperately wanting release, she begs, "Draco, please." Repeating his name as she writhes under him. It is all he can do not to take her and slam relentlessly into her over and over but he wants their first time together to be perfect. He moves his mouth to her lips kissing her deeply as he slides one finger inside her wet heat, then another. He wants to bring her to the edge again so she will have an explosive orgasm and he almost loses control of himself when he thinks about what it will feel like when it is his dick moving inside her instead of his fingers. It does not take him long to find the spot inside her that makes her moan and she pants, "Draco, I want you inside me."

Draco kisses her as he changes positions and settles between her legs. He pulls back so he can look into Hermione's eyes as he guides himself into her for the first time. He does not move yet, relishing the moment. Because his emotions are on overload and mixed with pleasure of being together, he cannot stop himself from saying out-loud, "You are the only one that makes me feel this way. The only one that has ever made me feel this way." She notices his unchecked emotions and realizes she feels the same way. Reaching up, touching his cheeks, and says, "Me too Draco. Make love to me." Her words send a shot of bliss through him as he begins to move inside her.

Since Hermione is so tight, his pace is slow, making sure she is stretched enough to accommodate him. Their gazes are locked, connecting them as intimately as their bodies are as he slowly pulls almost all the way out before he dives into her again, grinding his hips before pulling back out. After a few minutes of tantalizing slow love making, he leans down and kisses her and she fists her hands in his hair. As their kisses sped up, so does the tempo of his hips. When he pulls away for air, Hermione moans and arches into him. She feels and looks so amazing he almost comes. To regain control, he slows his movements and closes his eyes for a moment to remind himself that he wants to show her how he feels about her. When he opens his eyes, his feelings are reflected back to him in hers. He is able to move inside her again, grinding against her and within a few minutes he has her body worked into a frenzy.

This is a new experience for Hermione to feel so connected to someone that is making her feel so good. "Draco" she murmurs, after he leans down to catch her lips, then neck. He alternates sucking on each of her nipples as he changes up his pace, quick then slow, fast then slower then faster. She is so close, she sqeezes her eye shut and tosses her head back. She isn't exactly sure what all she is saying but words like "yes", "more" and "harder" are spilling from her mouth. Her hips meet each of his thrusts, giving him as much as he gives her. Her heart is beating rapidly and her world feels like it is tilting. "So close..." she pants, making him feel a tightening in his balls. He reaches between them to tease her clit, wanting to make sure she come first. His voice is gruff when he asks, "Would you look at me love? I want to look in your eyes when you let go for me."

Hermione is lost to sensations and it takes her a few seconds to blink open her eyes. As soon as she focuses on Draco, he growls, "You look and feel so fucking exquisite." His words send her over the edge as wave after wave of pleasure wash over her. She manages to pant out, "Gods yes...You feel so so good...Draco..." Before his name turns into a scream as she wraps her legs around him. Even though she is watching him, his voice sounds far away when he says, "Oh Salazar, fuck, you are beautiful when you come." With her pulsating around him, it barely takes another thrust for him come inside her, crying out "Hermione!"

Draco presses down on Hermione, still connected, eyes, body, soul and heart. He does not want to move away from her and break the connection, but not wanting to hurt her, he pulls up slightly, hovering over her, looking at her in awe. Her pupils are dilated, her lips are bruised, and her hair is wild and coming loose from her updo. He's never seen her more beautiful. He gives her a lopsided, sexy grin when he realizes she looks thoroughly fucked. He does not have the words to say, so he places light kisses all over her face, then kisses her soundly. As his arms begin to weaken, he reluctantly moves off her. She continues to watch him, also at a loss for words. When he sits up, she stiffens, worrying he might leave, but she quickly realizes he is just arranging the covers before lying back down and pulling her to him. He kisses her softly, then asks, "Do you need anything or want to clean up?" She smiles at his concern, then says, "I'm fine." He arches a brow at her and says, "Just fine?" She giggles then kisses him before replying, "Perfect." He smiles, "Brilliant." Within a few mintues, they are both lulled to sleep, extremely content to be in each other's arms after making love for the first time.