TITLE: Blowing out the candle. AUTHOR: Mexx EMAIL: mexx@wild-dystopia.net DISCLAIMER: All IHarry Potter/I characters mentioned within this fic are property of JKR. FANDOM: Harry Potter. PAIRING: Draco/Hermione. RATING: PG-13 SUMMARY: Hermione's twenty-fourth birthday party. Fluff ensues. AUTHOR'S NOTES: Happy Birthday Mel! Thanks also to EleniAngel for the beta.

"Hermione, come out of the bathroom, would you? Potter's bringing out the cake in a minute!" Draco growled into the door to the ladies' room, impatiently awaiting his girlfriend.

"Just a minute," Hermione called back through the door as she finished reapplying a touch of make-up.

It was Hermione's birthday. Twenty-four today, and the wonderful day she'd had so far had got the best of her; she'd ended up crying tears of happiness over dinner.

It was a surprise party, organised by Harry, Ron and Draco in a surprising moment of friendliness among the three men. They'd sought out every friend from her past and present to celebrate with her, booked a beautiful venue and gone so far to include all of her favourite dishes and wines, and a selection of her favourite music which she was well aware that Ron and Draco despised, but were putting up with especially for her.

Every detail of the party was perfect, and Hermione knew they must have spent months planning it. Yet, what was even more surprising was that up until Draco had lead her into the party she'd had no clue about it. Her friends were obviously far more capable of deceiving her than she'd ever had suspected.

Finally, after dabbing away her smeared mascara and reapplying her lipstick Hermione joined Draco in the hallway, slipping her fingers through his. She smiled at him, slowly.

"Are you going to be ok, now?" He grinned, and began leading her down the hall back to the party. "No more tears?"

"I'm fine, you know how I get. I was just so overwhelmed." She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Thank you so much."

"Mmm," Draco moaned, and turned slightly so her kiss pressed directly against his lips. It had been a long day, having spent the majority of the morning and the afternoon making last minute preparations for this evening, and he'd had hardly anytime to spend with Hermione. Slowly, he opened his mouth against hers, moving his tongue to sweep over her warm lips and seek entrance into her mouth.

Hermione turned around further, so that her body was directly against Draco's and she was pressed against his lean torso. Her arms slowly moved up his body and looped around his neck, her fingers threading loosely through his blonde locks. Draco responded to his girlfriend moving closer to him by wrapping his arms tightly round her narrow waist.

Hermione shifted as he held her tighter, and attempted to jump up and wind her legs around Draco's hips. He stopped her, and released her slowly. "We've got to get back; Potter told me to get you because he was getting the cake."

Hermione pouted. And pecked him on the lips.

"Don't you want to blow out the candles?" he asked softly, rubbing his nose softly against hers like the "Eskimo kisses" she remembered from her childhood.

"Hmm..." Hermione smiled sweetly, and then, after a moment's thought her smile became devious.

"What are you thinking?" Draco asked, suspiciously.

Hermione broke eye contact, and gazed wickedly at a door labelled "supply closet". Before Draco could say anything to her unspoken request, she thrust her lips against his, heatedly resuming their previous kiss.

Draco drew away, and stared at her desperately. "You know this isn't fair. Potter sent me to get you so you could blow out the candles."

"Hush," Hermione admonished, leading him toward the closet and opening it with a quick swish of her wand. "Stop thinking about the bloody cake, and think about something else I can blow instead."

Draco grinned, following Hermione into the small closet.

**

Fifteen minutes later, the couple emerged amongst their crowd of friends to welcoming smiles, except from a suspicious smirk from Harry. Hermione wiped her chin self-consciously, and Draco surreptitiously checked his fly.

Draco's arm was around her shoulders as he guided her further into the room. Then, to Hermione's confusion, he pressed a small jewellery box into her hand. Hermione opened it slowly, and when she saw the engagement ring inside gasped in amazement.

"Happy Birthday, love." Draco smiled.

-- finis.