Chapter 58- Third Consecutive Perfect Christmas
Hermione sighed contentedly. She and Draco were out for a walk on the grounds after a delicious lunch, and were eagerly awaiting Christmas dinner. As a surprise, Draco had brought her to Hogwarts for a holiday visit. It was one of those rare occasions where most of the students had gone home. They had already taken a tour through the castle that morning. Then had come a house-elf-cooked meal, which was simply scrumptious despite being prepared by slaves.
They halted when they came to a familiar place; the tree under which they had sat numerous times together, both before and after they had become a couple. Well, a few times before, since that time had only spanned two months. The ground was dry enough for them to sit, her reclining against him, looking out over the lake.
Hermione peered up at the sky. It was gray and probably bleak to some, but she thought it was beautiful. Gray like Draco's eyes. "Looks like it's going to rain soon," she commented. Though it was late December, the weather had been warm as of recently. Against her nature, Hermione had placed a bet that it would not snow until the next year at least- which meant until January.
"Do we care?" Draco replied, his voice next to her ear.
She leaned into him some more, smiling. "Not in the least. I like you when you're wet."
"I like you all the time."
"Thank you, Draco. That's sweet."
She missed Harry and Ron. She would have liked to see them for the holiday, and yet it seemed that it was almost better with them not there. She needed to be alone with Draco. He had been spending most of his time at the Ministry since mid-October. Not that she thought Ron and Harry would be crowding them much. From reports she had heard, they took every opportunity to find a private place and- things she did not want to think about. She stroked Draco's hand to remind herself where she was.
Time passed as in a dream, as though there really was no time, and still it passed. Hermione stretched suddenly, straining her back, then began to get to her feet. Draco stood more quickly, taking her hand before she had a chance to take a step.
"Hermione, there is something I need to talk to you about." His face was unusually somber.
"What is it? It's not bad, right? That would be- well, bad. And I've been having such a good day."
He smiled slightly and shook his head. "No. It's not bad. But it is important."
"All right. What?"
Draco took a deep breath, gathering her hands in his, and began. "You love me, right?"
She nodded. "Of course I do. You know that."
"Right. I do. And I love you, more than I can put into words. But there is something else, something that recently occurred to me, and I've been trying to figure how to say it. I want to thank you for all you've done for me."
"Draco, really, I don't…I…I haven't done anything."
"Haven't done anything? What are you, crazy?"
"Crazy about you." She smiled, then bit her lip. "Okay, so what have I done?"
He tilted his head. He enfolded her in his eyes, wrapping her up in a warm wave of love. "You saved me, Hermione. You saved me from a life I would have been too helpless to reject. You gave me something to fight for. You, Hermione, are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I never would have expected it."
She was stunned. "I…well, I don't know what to say."
"Neither did I, at first." He looked toward the sky as thunder sounded, a rumble in the distance. "I've been trying to find the words for a month now, at least. I want to do this right."
The rain began to pour down. Draco sank with it to one knee, ignoring the mud that would appear on his pants. Her eyes widened, because she knew what must be coming. Her breathing quickened, and she felt a flush paint her cheeks as water ran down her body.
"Hermione, you are everything to me. I will do whatever I can to keep you with me, even if that means being your husband. Hermione Granger, the only woman I will ever love, will you marry me?"
Some of the words he said sounded odd to her, but she realized it was because they were unnecessary. She knew all this when she looked into his eyes, and desired that feeling deeply. It was strange to hear him say it, but felt wonderful, and the thoughts she knew he was having as his eyes roved over her increasingly clingy clothing made her tingle.
"Draco Malfoy, I am surprised at you."
"What?" His face fell slightly. She saw the beginnings of panic, and smiled placatingly.
"Do you even have to ask? Of course I'll marry you. What else would I do with you?"
A slow grin spread on his face, and he caught her in his arms, standing and swinging her around. They moved out from the tree, into the pouring rain, and proceeded to snog passionately.
When the passionate snogging had ended, they stood in each other's arms. Hermione sighed, with much more contentment than her previous sigh. "The wedding is going to be beautiful," she murmured happily.
"Oh, you're not planning it already, are you?" Draco groaned.
"Of course I am. I'm a woman, aren't I?"
"Well, come on, then. What's our wedding going to be like?"
She looked up at him, taking in his magnificent, lovely face as though it might go away any second. "Well, I'll be there, and you'll be there."
"Mmm. Good picture so far. I like it."
"And I'll become Hermione Malfoy."
"Oo, I like that as well. Has a nice ring to it. What else?"
"What do you mean, what else?" she berated him. "Isn't that enough for you?"
"You mean that's all you've got?"
She nodded, her smile growing. Draco smiled as well, a wicked, seductive smile that made her legs feel weak. "That's a good plan." He brought his mouth down to cover hers, and a deep kiss resulted.
"We're very wet right now," Hermione said, pointing out the obvious as she rarely did.
"Do you think I could make you any wetter?" he asked, tracing a hand down her stomach, just barely reaching a hand into her jeans.
"I don't doubt it," she whispered, with a sharp intake of breath. "But we should probably go somewhere more private for that."
Neither of them needed to say what they both wanted right then. They made for the Room of Requirement as nonchalantly as they dared. Their clothes were still soaked when they reached it. They had dispensed of their garments within seconds, but their skin was still wet through.
"Are you sure you want this now?" Draco asked.
Hermione's mouth curled into the slightest smile. "Positive," she returned. They sank to the floor, their lips locked together. She felt his hand travel down her body, then enter her. After her initial gasp of pleasure, they were swept up in a passion Hermione would never be able to describe.
The dinner that day was the best she had ever tasted, and that needed no exaggeration whatsoever. When she looked at Draco, she knew that this was not attributed to the quality of the food or the skill of the cook.
End Chapter 58
Hmm. What could they possibly have been doing? Getting it on, obviously. I'm not going to describe it, though. I think the poor kids deserve a *little* privacy, don't you?
You'll be relieved to find out that all that is left is the epilogue. That's right, darlings, we've reached the end. Sometimes I doubted we ever would, but our leads managed to pull through. Go them.
Review for some kind of confetti!
Hermione sighed contentedly. She and Draco were out for a walk on the grounds after a delicious lunch, and were eagerly awaiting Christmas dinner. As a surprise, Draco had brought her to Hogwarts for a holiday visit. It was one of those rare occasions where most of the students had gone home. They had already taken a tour through the castle that morning. Then had come a house-elf-cooked meal, which was simply scrumptious despite being prepared by slaves.
They halted when they came to a familiar place; the tree under which they had sat numerous times together, both before and after they had become a couple. Well, a few times before, since that time had only spanned two months. The ground was dry enough for them to sit, her reclining against him, looking out over the lake.
Hermione peered up at the sky. It was gray and probably bleak to some, but she thought it was beautiful. Gray like Draco's eyes. "Looks like it's going to rain soon," she commented. Though it was late December, the weather had been warm as of recently. Against her nature, Hermione had placed a bet that it would not snow until the next year at least- which meant until January.
"Do we care?" Draco replied, his voice next to her ear.
She leaned into him some more, smiling. "Not in the least. I like you when you're wet."
"I like you all the time."
"Thank you, Draco. That's sweet."
She missed Harry and Ron. She would have liked to see them for the holiday, and yet it seemed that it was almost better with them not there. She needed to be alone with Draco. He had been spending most of his time at the Ministry since mid-October. Not that she thought Ron and Harry would be crowding them much. From reports she had heard, they took every opportunity to find a private place and- things she did not want to think about. She stroked Draco's hand to remind herself where she was.
Time passed as in a dream, as though there really was no time, and still it passed. Hermione stretched suddenly, straining her back, then began to get to her feet. Draco stood more quickly, taking her hand before she had a chance to take a step.
"Hermione, there is something I need to talk to you about." His face was unusually somber.
"What is it? It's not bad, right? That would be- well, bad. And I've been having such a good day."
He smiled slightly and shook his head. "No. It's not bad. But it is important."
"All right. What?"
Draco took a deep breath, gathering her hands in his, and began. "You love me, right?"
She nodded. "Of course I do. You know that."
"Right. I do. And I love you, more than I can put into words. But there is something else, something that recently occurred to me, and I've been trying to figure how to say it. I want to thank you for all you've done for me."
"Draco, really, I don't…I…I haven't done anything."
"Haven't done anything? What are you, crazy?"
"Crazy about you." She smiled, then bit her lip. "Okay, so what have I done?"
He tilted his head. He enfolded her in his eyes, wrapping her up in a warm wave of love. "You saved me, Hermione. You saved me from a life I would have been too helpless to reject. You gave me something to fight for. You, Hermione, are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I never would have expected it."
She was stunned. "I…well, I don't know what to say."
"Neither did I, at first." He looked toward the sky as thunder sounded, a rumble in the distance. "I've been trying to find the words for a month now, at least. I want to do this right."
The rain began to pour down. Draco sank with it to one knee, ignoring the mud that would appear on his pants. Her eyes widened, because she knew what must be coming. Her breathing quickened, and she felt a flush paint her cheeks as water ran down her body.
"Hermione, you are everything to me. I will do whatever I can to keep you with me, even if that means being your husband. Hermione Granger, the only woman I will ever love, will you marry me?"
Some of the words he said sounded odd to her, but she realized it was because they were unnecessary. She knew all this when she looked into his eyes, and desired that feeling deeply. It was strange to hear him say it, but felt wonderful, and the thoughts she knew he was having as his eyes roved over her increasingly clingy clothing made her tingle.
"Draco Malfoy, I am surprised at you."
"What?" His face fell slightly. She saw the beginnings of panic, and smiled placatingly.
"Do you even have to ask? Of course I'll marry you. What else would I do with you?"
A slow grin spread on his face, and he caught her in his arms, standing and swinging her around. They moved out from the tree, into the pouring rain, and proceeded to snog passionately.
When the passionate snogging had ended, they stood in each other's arms. Hermione sighed, with much more contentment than her previous sigh. "The wedding is going to be beautiful," she murmured happily.
"Oh, you're not planning it already, are you?" Draco groaned.
"Of course I am. I'm a woman, aren't I?"
"Well, come on, then. What's our wedding going to be like?"
She looked up at him, taking in his magnificent, lovely face as though it might go away any second. "Well, I'll be there, and you'll be there."
"Mmm. Good picture so far. I like it."
"And I'll become Hermione Malfoy."
"Oo, I like that as well. Has a nice ring to it. What else?"
"What do you mean, what else?" she berated him. "Isn't that enough for you?"
"You mean that's all you've got?"
She nodded, her smile growing. Draco smiled as well, a wicked, seductive smile that made her legs feel weak. "That's a good plan." He brought his mouth down to cover hers, and a deep kiss resulted.
"We're very wet right now," Hermione said, pointing out the obvious as she rarely did.
"Do you think I could make you any wetter?" he asked, tracing a hand down her stomach, just barely reaching a hand into her jeans.
"I don't doubt it," she whispered, with a sharp intake of breath. "But we should probably go somewhere more private for that."
Neither of them needed to say what they both wanted right then. They made for the Room of Requirement as nonchalantly as they dared. Their clothes were still soaked when they reached it. They had dispensed of their garments within seconds, but their skin was still wet through.
"Are you sure you want this now?" Draco asked.
Hermione's mouth curled into the slightest smile. "Positive," she returned. They sank to the floor, their lips locked together. She felt his hand travel down her body, then enter her. After her initial gasp of pleasure, they were swept up in a passion Hermione would never be able to describe.
The dinner that day was the best she had ever tasted, and that needed no exaggeration whatsoever. When she looked at Draco, she knew that this was not attributed to the quality of the food or the skill of the cook.
End Chapter 58
Hmm. What could they possibly have been doing? Getting it on, obviously. I'm not going to describe it, though. I think the poor kids deserve a *little* privacy, don't you?
You'll be relieved to find out that all that is left is the epilogue. That's right, darlings, we've reached the end. Sometimes I doubted we ever would, but our leads managed to pull through. Go them.
Review for some kind of confetti!