Chapter 11
"Darling, you look absolutely smashing." Katherine Granger said as she approached Hermione for a quick kiss and hug. When she and Evan arrived at the opening of the latest Tate Gallery exhibition, Katherine had immediately scanned the room for her daughter. She had not seen Hermione from the entrance but she spotted Draco's white-blond head towering over most of the guests from afar. She and Evan headed straight to where he was standing, confident that they would find their daughter beside the young man.
"Thank you, mother." Hermione smiled and then turned to her father to give him a quick kiss and hug, too. She had worn the black evening gown that Ginny convinced her to buy from Madame Malkin's at Diagon Alley. She had wanted to buy a new dress for this event and had been thinking that she would find the perfect dress at Harrod's. She wasn't really planning to buy anything from Madame Malkin's, thinking that she had enough Wizarding clothes in her closet for her rare trips to the Wizarding World. But when she saw this dress, she knew she had to have it. The dress was black and was made with the softest and finest Chinese silk. The design was simple, which suited Hermione's tastes. The form-fitting upper bodice had a simple tube-type design that ended just below her waistline before flaring into a floor-length skirt. The only unique detail to the main dress was the thin black strap that started from the left side of her upper chest, stretching across her bare upper chest and curving along her right shoulder to end at the right side of her back. The asymetrical effect of that strap provided a tasteful and elegant quirk to the dress, which Hermione loved. Accented with a deep red Chinese silk shawl that came with the dress and a pair of pointed black satin mules, the overall effect of Hermione's outfit was sophisticated and posh. She topped her elegant attire with a sleek chignon and a pair of diamond and platinum earrings.
She convinced herself that the main reason she bought the outfit was because of the temperature-regulating charms on the dress and the shawl. The charms were supposed to make her dress and the shawl respond to the wearer's body temperature and the climate around her by warming up or cooling down to make sure that the wearer would always be comfortable. This was one of the charms that she and Draco had worked on for their book, and she was quite pleased to know that it was being used by Madame Malkin. Professional pride and practicality, combined with the sedate beauty of the dress, made Hermione purchase the dress, turning a blind eye to its price tag. But tonight, when Draco showed up to pick her up for the event, the pleased look that flared in his eyes and his slightly gaping mouth followed by a blushing smile at her and his whipered "Nice", Hermione realised what really made the dress worth the galleons she paid for it.
"Brilliant job on tonight's opening, Draco. From the looks of it, the event's a success." Evan shook the younger man's hand, smiling. Both men looked good in their tuxedos.
"Oh yes, Draco, congratulations." Katherine chipped in, giving Draco a quick hug. She was wearing an emerald green Armani gown that showed off her trim body.
"Thanks. Have you had the chance to see the exhibit yet? Katherine, I think you would particularly enjoy Ian Miles' work." Draco smiled back at Hermione's parents. He genuinely liked the Granger couple, who were both as kind-hearted, warm and brilliant as their only daughter. Katherine and Evan had a highly-successful joint dental practice, which included clients like the current Prime Minister and his family, other members of Parliament and some members of the British Royal Family. Yet, they had remained down-to- earth, often volunteering for medical missions in poorer countries and shunning the snobbery that was so prevalent among their peers and social circles. The only luxuries the Granger couple had were travelling and collecting art. But for Draco, the one thing that showed Katherine and Evan's quality as people was Hermione Granger. The fact that Hermione managed to keep a close relationship with her parents, despite growing up a celebrated witch in the Wizarding World, only proved to Draco that Katherine and Evan Granger were loving parents, who had been able to raise a daughter who valued the same things they did - fairness, respect for others, social awareness, and excellence in all of their undertakings.
Draco offered to give the Grangers a tour of the exhibit when they told them that they had not had the chance to see it. When Katherine and Evan said yes to his offer, he led them to the main exhibit area, keeping Hermione close to him with a hand on the small of her back.
"Are you giving the welcome speech tonight, Draco?" Katherine asked.
"Fortunately, no, Katherine. Mr. Reilly, the head of Tate Gallery, is stuck with that task." Draco answered.
"But surely, they should give you your chance in the spotlight, Draco. After all, you're the person responsible for organising this event. Give credit where credit is due, I say." Evan said, shaking his head at the thought of someone else upstaging the young man who had worked so hard for the exhibit.
"Oh, it's quite alright, Evan. Public speaking has never been my forte, and I'm quite pleased that I won't have to get up on stage and deliver a speech." Draco replied.
"Don't worry about it, dad. Malfoy really is horrid at public speaking. Remember how he was when he delivered his Head Boy speech at our graduation? He was all green and pasty before, during and after that speech." Hermione laughed, earning her a glare and a quick pinch at the waste from Draco.
"Stop teasing him, Hermione. You get nervous at delivering speeches too." Katherine admonished.
"Yes, Granger, listen to your mother. Besides, have you forgotten how nervous you were weeks before your Head Girl speech? You almost tore your hair out and drove me insane with your incessant mumbling and panic attacks." He smiled, recalling the moments where he had caught her pacing and mumbling to herself in the office they were required to share as Head Boy and Girl.
Katherine and Evan laughed. They both knew how panicky their daughter got at the thought of public speaking and can imagine the scene Draco had just described.
"When are the two of you ever going to stop teasing each other anyway?" Evan asked, shaking his head at the wizard and witch who seemed to derive so much pleasure from being mean to each other. When he had first witnessed their interaction, he found the exchange of smirks and snide comments a bit disconcerting. But he had long since realised and accepted that underneath the verbal battles those two young people loved engaging in was genuine respect and fondness for each other.
Hermione and Draco smiled at Evan in response. "Never." They said at the same time.
Katherine and Evan had turned away to admire one of the paintings. Draco leaned down and whispered to Hermione in a low voice, "Yes, Granger, when are we ever going to stop teasing each other?"
Hermione bit her lower lip at the rush of warmth that coursed through her body at the sound and feel of Draco's whisper. She gave him a small smile and leaned up to whisper back, "Do you really want to stop, Malfoy?"
In response, Draco leaned back down and brushed a soft kiss in the area below her right earlobe, "I don't ever want to stop, Granger."
Hermione wrapped an arm around his waist to pull herself closer to him and to keep herself from turning into a shaking puddle on the floor. Her knees were threatening to give out from the sensations that were short-circuiting her entire body. "Good. I don't want to stop either."
Katherine and Evan turned back to them to ask Draco a question, unwittingly interrupting the thrilling exchange between Hermione and Draco. With a final whispered "We'll continue this later", Draco faced Hermione's parents to answer their question as he stepped away from Hermione. Before she could be properly disappointed at the loss of his physical closeness, he took her hand in his and held on to it for the rest of the evening.
~~~~
The rest of the exhibit opening was a hazy blur for both Hermione and Draco. They had smiled their way through the evening, showing no signs that the two of them had retreated to their own little world, where nothing else existed but the blossoming thrill and excitement over the thought of that time when they would finally be alone. They had nodded and responded politely to the people around them, hiding their growing impatience for the event to end so that they could finally get to the event they both knew would start as soon as they got home. They had kept their hands clasped as a reminder of what the rest of the night held in store for them, but also to tide them over until they can touch each other freely.
And now, after three of the longest hours in their lives, here they were, finally alone after an agonising night of small touches and whispered hints, standing in the hallway of Hermione's apartment, avoiding each other's eye in the middle of the first uncomfortable silence they had shared in over six years.
"So... uh.." Draco cleared his throat. Draco thought that, as soon as they were alone, they would immediately start devouring each other and not stop until the middle of next week. He had certainly felt that way during the exhibit opening and he was sure Hermione felt the same way. Her dress had steadily gotten cooler as the evening progressed, and he knew enough about temperature charms to know that that meant that underneath that exquisite dress, her body was slowly heating up. So what the hell are we doing here acting like teenagers on their first date? Has she changed her mind?
"Umm..." Hermione blushed and bit her lower lip. What's going on? Why won't he look at me? Why won't I look at him? Has he finally come to his senses? Maybe he really doesn't want me anymore. Maybe it was just this silly dress. Maybe now he's remembered who I am and... and... he doesn't want me anymore. Well then, better get it over and done with now. She inhaled deeply and breathed out slowly, preparing to wish Draco good night and lead him out the door.
He heard that familiar deep breath. She's going to kick me out. NO WAY!
As Hermione finally looked up to give him her brave smile and a quick good night, she heard Draco mumble "Bugger this" before he strode to where she was standing, put his hands on her nape to bring her closer as he leaned down and devoured her lips. She had a milli-second of shock before she closed her eyes and gave in to his kiss.
It was not a gentle kiss. Draco descended on her with his mouth open and took that small space she had unintentionally given him when she gasped in surprise to plunge his tongue into her mouth as deeply as he could. She opened her mouth wider to give him more room, her tongue coming alive and playing with his. He moaned. Merlin, she tastes good.
Hermione's arms reached up to hold to his wrist which were resting on her shoulders as she stood on her toes to press her body closer to him. She gave a long slow moan at the pleasure of having her front pressed to his. He feels sooooooo good.
The kiss slowed down gradually, their mouths moving from each others lips to place tiny kisses on each other's faces.
"Granger, if we don't stop now, I won't be able to control myself." Draco dragged his lips to her right ear.
"I thought you didn't want to stop, Malfoy." She whispered back, gently nipping his right earlobe and dragging a low groan from Draco.
"You sure?" He raised his face from her neck to look into her eyes. "I need you to be sure, Granger. I don't want you to have any regrets about this. Tell me to stop and I'll stop. It won't be easy, but I will stop. You mean too much to me and I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."
She met his eyes and looked deeply, seeing the honesty in those beautiful silver eyes. And she smiled at him. "I'm sure, Malfoy. Never been surer of anything. I won't regret this, I promise."
Draco looked at her for one more second before commanding, "Put your arms around my neck" as he reached down and grab her bottom. He squeezed and then pushed her pelvis up towards him, "Wrap your legs around me."
She opened her mouth over his as she followed his command, swirling her tongue against his. She felt him move and gasped when his hardness made contact with that part of her that was all heated up and wet. If this was how he could make her feel with their clothes on, she could only imagine how could it would feel when they were finally naked.
"I don't think I can make it upstairs," He said, gently biting the spot where her neck met her shoulder. He walked to her living room, carrying her, and trying not to faint at the pleasure of being pressed so tightly against her core. When they reached the couch, he sat down with her astride him, lifting his hands to touch her chest. "This strap has been driving me crazy all night."
"The strap?" She moaned when his lips grazed the bare skin of her upper chest.
"I've been thinking about how to get it off." He whispered, licking her skin. His hands roaming around the covered area of her torso. She let go of his shoulders and guided his right hand to the small clasp on the left side of her chest that held the strap in place.
"The dress is super cold now, you know." He said before releasing the clasp and pulling her dress down to bare more of her to him. He leaned down to take a nipple in his mouth, sucking gently, as his other hand reached up to caress its twin. Hermione made a soft gasp of pleasure as she buried her fingers in his soft blond hair. After what felt like a lifetime of pleasure to the two of them, Draco finally lifted his lips from her breasts and moved to place her on the couch as his body covered her.
"Damn, you're beautiful, Hermione." He said reverently as he bared the rest of her body.
She reached up to kiss him as she started peeling his tuxedo coat from his shoulders. She worked on his shirt buttons, kissing the skin that was bared as she went along. When his shirt was finally off of him, she wrapped her arms around his back to pull him tight against her sensitive breasts. "Love me now, Draco" she whispered urgently.
"I already do", he whispered back before dipping his head downwards to give her a searing kiss, his tongue plunging in and out of her mouth, giving her a taste of things to come.
~~~~
Hermione brushed a strand of hair that had fallen across Draco's forehead as she watched him sleep. He looks like an angel. A beautiful angel who could do the most devilish things with his mouth, hands and body. She blushed when images and sensations of the previous night came flashing back into her mind and her body. There were no words to fully describe the previous night as far as she was concerned. It was more thrilling than taking a night-time ride on the back of a Hippogrif. It was more exciting than getting her first Hogwarts letter and finding out that she was a witch. It was more delightful than receiving the letter saying she was the latest Hogwarts Head Girl. It was more exhilarating than all of her childhood and adolescent adventures put together.
"You are aware, Granger, that if you don't wipe that satisfied smile of your face soon, I won't be responsible for what I'll do to you, right?" Draco, who had opened his eyes to see Hermione staring at him with heavy- lidded eyes and a small private smile, drawled. She jerked her head to re- focus on him, startled that he was awake. She had been so lost in the remembrance of making love with Draco that she had not been aware that he had woken up. She blushed as she met his blurry eyes, her smile growing bigger.
"Have pity on me, Granger. Do you have any idea what that smile of yours does to me?" He groaned as he reached out to bring her closer to him.
"I didn't, but I think I have a pretty good idea now, Malfoy." She continued smiling at him, feeling the growing hardness below his waist as she pressed herself to him.
"You know that only sixteen year olds can do this more than four times in less than twelve-four hours, right?" He smiled back at her, tightening his hold, and nibbling on her neck.
"So you're saying you're only sixteen?" She said, laughing silently before burying her face in the curve of his neck. Merlin, he smells so good.
"That's it, you brazen hussy, you asked for it." He chuckled as he pulled her underneath him and pushed her thighs apart. "Good morning, Hermione." He said before gently pushing himself inside her.
She gasped, bringing her legs up to wrap them around his waist. "Oh I think the morning's about to get better, Draco."
~~~~
They eventually got out of bed after a few hours of cuddling which always led to more passionate touches which always led to them groaning and calling out each other's first names. But their descent to the kitchen for a late breakfast was delayed when they decided to save water by taking a shower together which led to another round of pleasure and fulfillment. Finally, their stomachs grumbled loud enough to get them out of Hermione's bathroom and into the kitchen.
"Hey, Granger, I'm going to take a quick trip to my apartment to get fresh clothes." Draco had retrieved his clothes from the living room, and came back into the kitchen wearing only his trousers.
"Sure, Malfoy." Hermione was standing by the kitchen counter, chopping vegetables for an omelette. "But be quick, I'm starving."
"How romantic, Granger. Can't you even pretend that you want me to be quick because you can't bear to be away from me and my body for very long?" Draco teased as he hugged her from behind and placed a soft kiss on the side of her neck.
Hermione giggled. "OK, Malfoy, get your butt back here as soon as possible because I need to have my way with you again. Will that do?"
"Love the sentiment, but you need to work on your delivery. Next time, punctuate that bossy tone with a black leather corsette and a whip, and it just might work." He waggled his eyebrows at her.
"You are seriously depraved, Draco Malfoy." She turned and pushed him away. She stood up on her toes to give him a quick kiss. "Now go. The sooner you get out of here, the sooner you'll get back."
Draco headed for his apartment, using the backdoor of Hermione's place to get there quicker. He was amazed at the ease with which the two of them were handling the major change in their relationship. He knew about Hermione's minimal sexual experience, so he knew that she wasn't the type to get physically intimate with anyone lightly. The only time she had been involved with a man sexually was three years ago, with some bloke from the university she had dated for a few months. When she realised that the only reason why she had slept with that guy was because she didn't want to be the last living virgin in Britain, she quickly broke things up with the sap, claiming that she didn't want to be intimate with a man for the wrong reasons. So Draco was pretty sure that this was a big deal for Hermione. It was a big deal for him, too. Last night, they took a huge gamble on their deep friendship. When Hermione finally went to sleep lastnight, he had watched her and agonised about how they would face the morning after. He had been in the middle of debating between pledging his undying love as soon as she woke up and putting on a casual act before he, too, succumbed to the fatigue that always followed a few hours of pleasure and multiple orgasms.
So why were they acting like they had been doing this for a long time? Why were they acting like old lovers? Why was everything going smoothly and pleasurably this morning?
Their relationship had been building up over the past six years towards this, towards lastnight, towards this morning. Their physical intimacy had grown over the years, starting with quick hugs and pecks on the cheek, growing into softer and fonder caresses like the way she would brush his hair off his forehead or the way he would casually wrap his arm behind her back. Their feelings for each other had developed parallel to their deepening physical bond. They started off as enemies at Hogwarts, yes, but by the time they had met each other again that day at Chip's, the two of them had developed a tacit camaraderie and respect for each other based on their shared experiences as Hogwarts Head Boy and Girl and as warriors against Voldemort. From that, they had grown into real friends, and as they had begun to live their lives together, they had become more and more important to each other.
Draco concluded that the reason why everything seemed so natural this morning was because what happened last night was a result of the natural progression of their relationship. It was the next step to their ever- growing bond, so they fell into it as easy as they fell into a friendship six years ago.
Draco's romantic heart added that the reason for their actions this morning was because he and Hermione had been lovers for a long time. Unconsummated lovers, yes, but lovers just the same. Over the years, he had found her to be more and more beautiful in much the same way that his respect and loved for her had grown and evolved the more he got to know her. There was no mistaking it. He, Draco Malfoy, was completely and utterly in love with Hermione Granger -- a feeling that had been building up for the past six years.
With that happy thought and feeling, Draco headed back to Hermione's kitchen for their long-delayed breakfast. He would talk to her today about his feelings and her feelings. He would tell her that he loved her over and over again, and then command her to say the words back. They would settle everything between them and then they could plan out the rest of their lives together. Maybe after another lovemaking session. Hmm. Maybe on the kitchen counter. Or the dining table. I'll let Granger decide.
Hermione was standing, leaning against the counter with a letter in her hand and a strange expression on her face when Draco re-entered the kitchen. She looked up at him with teary eyes.
"Granger?" He approached her tentatively, dreading the news. I hope there's nothing wrong with Katherine and Evan.
She didn't say anything, she just handed him the letter. Her eyes never leaving his face.
Dear Hermione,
Hello. I've been staring at this parchment for an entire day and all I've written down until this moment was "Hello". I don't know where or how to begin. My thoughts are a jumbled mess right now with only one clear thing in my mind: I want see you again.
When you left us in the antechamber during the Gala, I wanted to run after you. I wanted to run after you to tell you that I'm sorry for hurting you. I wanted to run after you to tell you that I've forgiven you for your disappearance in my life. I wanted to run after you to grab you and never let you disappear from my side again. But I was too shocked to do that.
Since then, I've been thinking a lot about you, Hermione. I have so many questions about you and about myself. When you told me how you felt for me and how my failure to return your feelings had led you to leave us behind, I didn't know how to feel. There were just too many emotions running through me. Too many questions. I still don't have answers to those questions. But I've come to realise that I will never get the answers to those questions if I don't see you.
So please, Hermione, please agree to see me soon. Tell me when and where and I will be there.
your friend, Harry
"Will you see him?" Draco spoke up, but continued looking down.
"I have to, you know that." Hermione answered, hoping that he would look at her.
"I see. Yes, I understand." Draco nodded, and handed the letter back to her, still not looking at her.
"Draco, please look at me." She said as she took the letter back from him.
He straightened up and met her eyes, and for the first time in six years, Hermione couldn't read what was in them. His face was impassive.
"Don't worry about anything, Hermione, I'm sure things will go well with Potter."
"That's not what I'm worried about, Draco." She stepped forward to get closer to him, hoping that maybe up-close, she would be able to read his eyes.
But he turned to the side and headed for the kitchen table where she had placed their breakfast. "Don't worry about anything, Hermione. Everything will be fine. Let's have some breakfast, I'm famished."
"Darling, you look absolutely smashing." Katherine Granger said as she approached Hermione for a quick kiss and hug. When she and Evan arrived at the opening of the latest Tate Gallery exhibition, Katherine had immediately scanned the room for her daughter. She had not seen Hermione from the entrance but she spotted Draco's white-blond head towering over most of the guests from afar. She and Evan headed straight to where he was standing, confident that they would find their daughter beside the young man.
"Thank you, mother." Hermione smiled and then turned to her father to give him a quick kiss and hug, too. She had worn the black evening gown that Ginny convinced her to buy from Madame Malkin's at Diagon Alley. She had wanted to buy a new dress for this event and had been thinking that she would find the perfect dress at Harrod's. She wasn't really planning to buy anything from Madame Malkin's, thinking that she had enough Wizarding clothes in her closet for her rare trips to the Wizarding World. But when she saw this dress, she knew she had to have it. The dress was black and was made with the softest and finest Chinese silk. The design was simple, which suited Hermione's tastes. The form-fitting upper bodice had a simple tube-type design that ended just below her waistline before flaring into a floor-length skirt. The only unique detail to the main dress was the thin black strap that started from the left side of her upper chest, stretching across her bare upper chest and curving along her right shoulder to end at the right side of her back. The asymetrical effect of that strap provided a tasteful and elegant quirk to the dress, which Hermione loved. Accented with a deep red Chinese silk shawl that came with the dress and a pair of pointed black satin mules, the overall effect of Hermione's outfit was sophisticated and posh. She topped her elegant attire with a sleek chignon and a pair of diamond and platinum earrings.
She convinced herself that the main reason she bought the outfit was because of the temperature-regulating charms on the dress and the shawl. The charms were supposed to make her dress and the shawl respond to the wearer's body temperature and the climate around her by warming up or cooling down to make sure that the wearer would always be comfortable. This was one of the charms that she and Draco had worked on for their book, and she was quite pleased to know that it was being used by Madame Malkin. Professional pride and practicality, combined with the sedate beauty of the dress, made Hermione purchase the dress, turning a blind eye to its price tag. But tonight, when Draco showed up to pick her up for the event, the pleased look that flared in his eyes and his slightly gaping mouth followed by a blushing smile at her and his whipered "Nice", Hermione realised what really made the dress worth the galleons she paid for it.
"Brilliant job on tonight's opening, Draco. From the looks of it, the event's a success." Evan shook the younger man's hand, smiling. Both men looked good in their tuxedos.
"Oh yes, Draco, congratulations." Katherine chipped in, giving Draco a quick hug. She was wearing an emerald green Armani gown that showed off her trim body.
"Thanks. Have you had the chance to see the exhibit yet? Katherine, I think you would particularly enjoy Ian Miles' work." Draco smiled back at Hermione's parents. He genuinely liked the Granger couple, who were both as kind-hearted, warm and brilliant as their only daughter. Katherine and Evan had a highly-successful joint dental practice, which included clients like the current Prime Minister and his family, other members of Parliament and some members of the British Royal Family. Yet, they had remained down-to- earth, often volunteering for medical missions in poorer countries and shunning the snobbery that was so prevalent among their peers and social circles. The only luxuries the Granger couple had were travelling and collecting art. But for Draco, the one thing that showed Katherine and Evan's quality as people was Hermione Granger. The fact that Hermione managed to keep a close relationship with her parents, despite growing up a celebrated witch in the Wizarding World, only proved to Draco that Katherine and Evan Granger were loving parents, who had been able to raise a daughter who valued the same things they did - fairness, respect for others, social awareness, and excellence in all of their undertakings.
Draco offered to give the Grangers a tour of the exhibit when they told them that they had not had the chance to see it. When Katherine and Evan said yes to his offer, he led them to the main exhibit area, keeping Hermione close to him with a hand on the small of her back.
"Are you giving the welcome speech tonight, Draco?" Katherine asked.
"Fortunately, no, Katherine. Mr. Reilly, the head of Tate Gallery, is stuck with that task." Draco answered.
"But surely, they should give you your chance in the spotlight, Draco. After all, you're the person responsible for organising this event. Give credit where credit is due, I say." Evan said, shaking his head at the thought of someone else upstaging the young man who had worked so hard for the exhibit.
"Oh, it's quite alright, Evan. Public speaking has never been my forte, and I'm quite pleased that I won't have to get up on stage and deliver a speech." Draco replied.
"Don't worry about it, dad. Malfoy really is horrid at public speaking. Remember how he was when he delivered his Head Boy speech at our graduation? He was all green and pasty before, during and after that speech." Hermione laughed, earning her a glare and a quick pinch at the waste from Draco.
"Stop teasing him, Hermione. You get nervous at delivering speeches too." Katherine admonished.
"Yes, Granger, listen to your mother. Besides, have you forgotten how nervous you were weeks before your Head Girl speech? You almost tore your hair out and drove me insane with your incessant mumbling and panic attacks." He smiled, recalling the moments where he had caught her pacing and mumbling to herself in the office they were required to share as Head Boy and Girl.
Katherine and Evan laughed. They both knew how panicky their daughter got at the thought of public speaking and can imagine the scene Draco had just described.
"When are the two of you ever going to stop teasing each other anyway?" Evan asked, shaking his head at the wizard and witch who seemed to derive so much pleasure from being mean to each other. When he had first witnessed their interaction, he found the exchange of smirks and snide comments a bit disconcerting. But he had long since realised and accepted that underneath the verbal battles those two young people loved engaging in was genuine respect and fondness for each other.
Hermione and Draco smiled at Evan in response. "Never." They said at the same time.
Katherine and Evan had turned away to admire one of the paintings. Draco leaned down and whispered to Hermione in a low voice, "Yes, Granger, when are we ever going to stop teasing each other?"
Hermione bit her lower lip at the rush of warmth that coursed through her body at the sound and feel of Draco's whisper. She gave him a small smile and leaned up to whisper back, "Do you really want to stop, Malfoy?"
In response, Draco leaned back down and brushed a soft kiss in the area below her right earlobe, "I don't ever want to stop, Granger."
Hermione wrapped an arm around his waist to pull herself closer to him and to keep herself from turning into a shaking puddle on the floor. Her knees were threatening to give out from the sensations that were short-circuiting her entire body. "Good. I don't want to stop either."
Katherine and Evan turned back to them to ask Draco a question, unwittingly interrupting the thrilling exchange between Hermione and Draco. With a final whispered "We'll continue this later", Draco faced Hermione's parents to answer their question as he stepped away from Hermione. Before she could be properly disappointed at the loss of his physical closeness, he took her hand in his and held on to it for the rest of the evening.
~~~~
The rest of the exhibit opening was a hazy blur for both Hermione and Draco. They had smiled their way through the evening, showing no signs that the two of them had retreated to their own little world, where nothing else existed but the blossoming thrill and excitement over the thought of that time when they would finally be alone. They had nodded and responded politely to the people around them, hiding their growing impatience for the event to end so that they could finally get to the event they both knew would start as soon as they got home. They had kept their hands clasped as a reminder of what the rest of the night held in store for them, but also to tide them over until they can touch each other freely.
And now, after three of the longest hours in their lives, here they were, finally alone after an agonising night of small touches and whispered hints, standing in the hallway of Hermione's apartment, avoiding each other's eye in the middle of the first uncomfortable silence they had shared in over six years.
"So... uh.." Draco cleared his throat. Draco thought that, as soon as they were alone, they would immediately start devouring each other and not stop until the middle of next week. He had certainly felt that way during the exhibit opening and he was sure Hermione felt the same way. Her dress had steadily gotten cooler as the evening progressed, and he knew enough about temperature charms to know that that meant that underneath that exquisite dress, her body was slowly heating up. So what the hell are we doing here acting like teenagers on their first date? Has she changed her mind?
"Umm..." Hermione blushed and bit her lower lip. What's going on? Why won't he look at me? Why won't I look at him? Has he finally come to his senses? Maybe he really doesn't want me anymore. Maybe it was just this silly dress. Maybe now he's remembered who I am and... and... he doesn't want me anymore. Well then, better get it over and done with now. She inhaled deeply and breathed out slowly, preparing to wish Draco good night and lead him out the door.
He heard that familiar deep breath. She's going to kick me out. NO WAY!
As Hermione finally looked up to give him her brave smile and a quick good night, she heard Draco mumble "Bugger this" before he strode to where she was standing, put his hands on her nape to bring her closer as he leaned down and devoured her lips. She had a milli-second of shock before she closed her eyes and gave in to his kiss.
It was not a gentle kiss. Draco descended on her with his mouth open and took that small space she had unintentionally given him when she gasped in surprise to plunge his tongue into her mouth as deeply as he could. She opened her mouth wider to give him more room, her tongue coming alive and playing with his. He moaned. Merlin, she tastes good.
Hermione's arms reached up to hold to his wrist which were resting on her shoulders as she stood on her toes to press her body closer to him. She gave a long slow moan at the pleasure of having her front pressed to his. He feels sooooooo good.
The kiss slowed down gradually, their mouths moving from each others lips to place tiny kisses on each other's faces.
"Granger, if we don't stop now, I won't be able to control myself." Draco dragged his lips to her right ear.
"I thought you didn't want to stop, Malfoy." She whispered back, gently nipping his right earlobe and dragging a low groan from Draco.
"You sure?" He raised his face from her neck to look into her eyes. "I need you to be sure, Granger. I don't want you to have any regrets about this. Tell me to stop and I'll stop. It won't be easy, but I will stop. You mean too much to me and I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."
She met his eyes and looked deeply, seeing the honesty in those beautiful silver eyes. And she smiled at him. "I'm sure, Malfoy. Never been surer of anything. I won't regret this, I promise."
Draco looked at her for one more second before commanding, "Put your arms around my neck" as he reached down and grab her bottom. He squeezed and then pushed her pelvis up towards him, "Wrap your legs around me."
She opened her mouth over his as she followed his command, swirling her tongue against his. She felt him move and gasped when his hardness made contact with that part of her that was all heated up and wet. If this was how he could make her feel with their clothes on, she could only imagine how could it would feel when they were finally naked.
"I don't think I can make it upstairs," He said, gently biting the spot where her neck met her shoulder. He walked to her living room, carrying her, and trying not to faint at the pleasure of being pressed so tightly against her core. When they reached the couch, he sat down with her astride him, lifting his hands to touch her chest. "This strap has been driving me crazy all night."
"The strap?" She moaned when his lips grazed the bare skin of her upper chest.
"I've been thinking about how to get it off." He whispered, licking her skin. His hands roaming around the covered area of her torso. She let go of his shoulders and guided his right hand to the small clasp on the left side of her chest that held the strap in place.
"The dress is super cold now, you know." He said before releasing the clasp and pulling her dress down to bare more of her to him. He leaned down to take a nipple in his mouth, sucking gently, as his other hand reached up to caress its twin. Hermione made a soft gasp of pleasure as she buried her fingers in his soft blond hair. After what felt like a lifetime of pleasure to the two of them, Draco finally lifted his lips from her breasts and moved to place her on the couch as his body covered her.
"Damn, you're beautiful, Hermione." He said reverently as he bared the rest of her body.
She reached up to kiss him as she started peeling his tuxedo coat from his shoulders. She worked on his shirt buttons, kissing the skin that was bared as she went along. When his shirt was finally off of him, she wrapped her arms around his back to pull him tight against her sensitive breasts. "Love me now, Draco" she whispered urgently.
"I already do", he whispered back before dipping his head downwards to give her a searing kiss, his tongue plunging in and out of her mouth, giving her a taste of things to come.
~~~~
Hermione brushed a strand of hair that had fallen across Draco's forehead as she watched him sleep. He looks like an angel. A beautiful angel who could do the most devilish things with his mouth, hands and body. She blushed when images and sensations of the previous night came flashing back into her mind and her body. There were no words to fully describe the previous night as far as she was concerned. It was more thrilling than taking a night-time ride on the back of a Hippogrif. It was more exciting than getting her first Hogwarts letter and finding out that she was a witch. It was more delightful than receiving the letter saying she was the latest Hogwarts Head Girl. It was more exhilarating than all of her childhood and adolescent adventures put together.
"You are aware, Granger, that if you don't wipe that satisfied smile of your face soon, I won't be responsible for what I'll do to you, right?" Draco, who had opened his eyes to see Hermione staring at him with heavy- lidded eyes and a small private smile, drawled. She jerked her head to re- focus on him, startled that he was awake. She had been so lost in the remembrance of making love with Draco that she had not been aware that he had woken up. She blushed as she met his blurry eyes, her smile growing bigger.
"Have pity on me, Granger. Do you have any idea what that smile of yours does to me?" He groaned as he reached out to bring her closer to him.
"I didn't, but I think I have a pretty good idea now, Malfoy." She continued smiling at him, feeling the growing hardness below his waist as she pressed herself to him.
"You know that only sixteen year olds can do this more than four times in less than twelve-four hours, right?" He smiled back at her, tightening his hold, and nibbling on her neck.
"So you're saying you're only sixteen?" She said, laughing silently before burying her face in the curve of his neck. Merlin, he smells so good.
"That's it, you brazen hussy, you asked for it." He chuckled as he pulled her underneath him and pushed her thighs apart. "Good morning, Hermione." He said before gently pushing himself inside her.
She gasped, bringing her legs up to wrap them around his waist. "Oh I think the morning's about to get better, Draco."
~~~~
They eventually got out of bed after a few hours of cuddling which always led to more passionate touches which always led to them groaning and calling out each other's first names. But their descent to the kitchen for a late breakfast was delayed when they decided to save water by taking a shower together which led to another round of pleasure and fulfillment. Finally, their stomachs grumbled loud enough to get them out of Hermione's bathroom and into the kitchen.
"Hey, Granger, I'm going to take a quick trip to my apartment to get fresh clothes." Draco had retrieved his clothes from the living room, and came back into the kitchen wearing only his trousers.
"Sure, Malfoy." Hermione was standing by the kitchen counter, chopping vegetables for an omelette. "But be quick, I'm starving."
"How romantic, Granger. Can't you even pretend that you want me to be quick because you can't bear to be away from me and my body for very long?" Draco teased as he hugged her from behind and placed a soft kiss on the side of her neck.
Hermione giggled. "OK, Malfoy, get your butt back here as soon as possible because I need to have my way with you again. Will that do?"
"Love the sentiment, but you need to work on your delivery. Next time, punctuate that bossy tone with a black leather corsette and a whip, and it just might work." He waggled his eyebrows at her.
"You are seriously depraved, Draco Malfoy." She turned and pushed him away. She stood up on her toes to give him a quick kiss. "Now go. The sooner you get out of here, the sooner you'll get back."
Draco headed for his apartment, using the backdoor of Hermione's place to get there quicker. He was amazed at the ease with which the two of them were handling the major change in their relationship. He knew about Hermione's minimal sexual experience, so he knew that she wasn't the type to get physically intimate with anyone lightly. The only time she had been involved with a man sexually was three years ago, with some bloke from the university she had dated for a few months. When she realised that the only reason why she had slept with that guy was because she didn't want to be the last living virgin in Britain, she quickly broke things up with the sap, claiming that she didn't want to be intimate with a man for the wrong reasons. So Draco was pretty sure that this was a big deal for Hermione. It was a big deal for him, too. Last night, they took a huge gamble on their deep friendship. When Hermione finally went to sleep lastnight, he had watched her and agonised about how they would face the morning after. He had been in the middle of debating between pledging his undying love as soon as she woke up and putting on a casual act before he, too, succumbed to the fatigue that always followed a few hours of pleasure and multiple orgasms.
So why were they acting like they had been doing this for a long time? Why were they acting like old lovers? Why was everything going smoothly and pleasurably this morning?
Their relationship had been building up over the past six years towards this, towards lastnight, towards this morning. Their physical intimacy had grown over the years, starting with quick hugs and pecks on the cheek, growing into softer and fonder caresses like the way she would brush his hair off his forehead or the way he would casually wrap his arm behind her back. Their feelings for each other had developed parallel to their deepening physical bond. They started off as enemies at Hogwarts, yes, but by the time they had met each other again that day at Chip's, the two of them had developed a tacit camaraderie and respect for each other based on their shared experiences as Hogwarts Head Boy and Girl and as warriors against Voldemort. From that, they had grown into real friends, and as they had begun to live their lives together, they had become more and more important to each other.
Draco concluded that the reason why everything seemed so natural this morning was because what happened last night was a result of the natural progression of their relationship. It was the next step to their ever- growing bond, so they fell into it as easy as they fell into a friendship six years ago.
Draco's romantic heart added that the reason for their actions this morning was because he and Hermione had been lovers for a long time. Unconsummated lovers, yes, but lovers just the same. Over the years, he had found her to be more and more beautiful in much the same way that his respect and loved for her had grown and evolved the more he got to know her. There was no mistaking it. He, Draco Malfoy, was completely and utterly in love with Hermione Granger -- a feeling that had been building up for the past six years.
With that happy thought and feeling, Draco headed back to Hermione's kitchen for their long-delayed breakfast. He would talk to her today about his feelings and her feelings. He would tell her that he loved her over and over again, and then command her to say the words back. They would settle everything between them and then they could plan out the rest of their lives together. Maybe after another lovemaking session. Hmm. Maybe on the kitchen counter. Or the dining table. I'll let Granger decide.
Hermione was standing, leaning against the counter with a letter in her hand and a strange expression on her face when Draco re-entered the kitchen. She looked up at him with teary eyes.
"Granger?" He approached her tentatively, dreading the news. I hope there's nothing wrong with Katherine and Evan.
She didn't say anything, she just handed him the letter. Her eyes never leaving his face.
Dear Hermione,
Hello. I've been staring at this parchment for an entire day and all I've written down until this moment was "Hello". I don't know where or how to begin. My thoughts are a jumbled mess right now with only one clear thing in my mind: I want see you again.
When you left us in the antechamber during the Gala, I wanted to run after you. I wanted to run after you to tell you that I'm sorry for hurting you. I wanted to run after you to tell you that I've forgiven you for your disappearance in my life. I wanted to run after you to grab you and never let you disappear from my side again. But I was too shocked to do that.
Since then, I've been thinking a lot about you, Hermione. I have so many questions about you and about myself. When you told me how you felt for me and how my failure to return your feelings had led you to leave us behind, I didn't know how to feel. There were just too many emotions running through me. Too many questions. I still don't have answers to those questions. But I've come to realise that I will never get the answers to those questions if I don't see you.
So please, Hermione, please agree to see me soon. Tell me when and where and I will be there.
your friend, Harry
"Will you see him?" Draco spoke up, but continued looking down.
"I have to, you know that." Hermione answered, hoping that he would look at her.
"I see. Yes, I understand." Draco nodded, and handed the letter back to her, still not looking at her.
"Draco, please look at me." She said as she took the letter back from him.
He straightened up and met her eyes, and for the first time in six years, Hermione couldn't read what was in them. His face was impassive.
"Don't worry about anything, Hermione, I'm sure things will go well with Potter."
"That's not what I'm worried about, Draco." She stepped forward to get closer to him, hoping that maybe up-close, she would be able to read his eyes.
But he turned to the side and headed for the kitchen table where she had placed their breakfast. "Don't worry about anything, Hermione. Everything will be fine. Let's have some breakfast, I'm famished."
