Chapter 24

Love Is In The Air

Hermione startled awake when she heard a bang. She looked around her room then, BANG BANG BANG! She looked at the window and saw Draco hovering there presumably on his broom.

"Hermione let me in! Come on will you just give me a chance to explain!" Draco yelled from outside of the window. Hermione stood up from the chair and walked forward but stopped a few feet short of the window debating if she should or not. "Come on! Please? I love you and if you loved me or felt anything towards me you would let me in! Just… listen to me." He started off loud then quieted as he spoke resting one hand on the window. When she heard him say that he loved her she realized she did love him back. She went to the window and opened it.

"Okay, I'll let you in but you better have a really good explanation. I believe in second chances but for some things I don't." Hermione said as she helped pull him in. The feel of his hand sent warm tingly sensations throughout her body.

"Thanks, look Hermione what you saw last night was not what you thought you saw. That girl and I were just talking. Honestly, the reason we were so close was because we had to keep quiet, so no one else could hear what we were talking about. She was confused on something that the Dark Lord had talked about and was getting upset with me because I wouldn't tell her there so she backed me up against the wall and got in my face. I really wanted to smack her as she was getting on my last nerve. I didn't feel comfortable talking about it, especially right there. That is all it was I promise, please believe me." Draco explained. He was so sincere, his eyes looked a little watery. "Wow I never thought I would ever see Draco Malfoy like this." Hermione thought to herself.

"So she is one two?" Hermione not really asking him, but he answered anyway.

"Not yet, but will be in the future…" He didn't finish because Hermione cut him off.

"You don't have to say anything about that stuff. Looking back, yeah I guess that is probably was what was going on. I am so sorry for jumping to conclusions." Hermione said as she stepped closer to him.

"That's not the only thing that was jumped to. What were you thinking when you jumped onto that moving staircase, you scared the bloody hell out of me?" He said pulling her to him. It felt so nice to hold her again.

"I wasn't the only one to jump and if I recall you did have further to jump than I did." She said as she looked up at him. Her eyes meet his and they laughed.

"Hey, I meant what I said just now when I said that I love you. I wasn't just saying that you know. That's what I was going to tell you on New Years before I was interrupted and you had to run back. I love you." Draco said.

"I know you meant it. So that was what you were going to say." Hermione paused. "I love you too."

He smiled then grabbed the back of her head and kissed her. That was all it took. Seconds later they were in the bed stripped of all their clothes.

When Draco had fallen asleep Hermione got up and changed the password back to secrets, then headed off to the bathroom to ready for bed. When she was finished she climbed back into bed next to Draco and smiled when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him and fell asleep.

Soon it was Valentines Day and they were going to Hogsmeade. When Hermione woke up that morning she found that Draco had gone and there was a letter in his place. She picked it up and read it. In the letter Draco said that he wanted to meet her back there by eight o' clock that evening. She put the letter on the desk and went to the window to open it up so she could feel the weather. It was still chilly outside so she headed to her closet and put on a pair of khaki pants and a scarlet red shirt. She grabbed her coat, hat and scarf and headed down to breakfast to meet up with her friends.

Hermione sat down next to Kiara who was sitting next to Ron, of course.

"Good morning Hermione." Kiara said pleasantly. Hermione really liked Kiara, no one could have been better for Ron. A little over a year ago Hermione would have been really jealous but not now. Like Harry, Ron was just like a brother to her.

"Morning Kiara, morning all." Hermione couldn't help but be cheerful today. But they didn't seem to mind that for they were also looking forward to the day. Especially Ron because that was the day he was going to ask the big question to Kiara.

"Morning!" They all said back.

They ate their breakfast as fast as they could so they could proceed to the rest of the day. Hermione looked over at Ginny and realized that there was something that Ginny had said that she wanted to tell her, but hasn't had the opportunity. Hermione couldn't help but wonder what is was. "Did Harry and Ginny do something?" Hermione thought to herself.

Before the group left the table Jasmine Jackson sat next to Hermione.

"Two things: one have you talked to Dumbledore about us playing at The End of Seventh Year Ball? And two, I think I almost got Severus to see me for more than a just a student. I mean of course nothing will happen while I am still attending the school and for as long as he is my teacher, but when school is out he is mine!" Jasmine said with a wild smile.

"Um… well I will talk to Dumbledore soon about it, but I don't see why you won't be able to. Professor Dumbledore really enjoyed United. And um, good luck with um… your man?" Hermione replied extremely grossed out by the whole Jasmine having a thing for Snape thing, but not showing it by giving Jasmine a smile.

"Okay and thanks. I won't be going to Hogsmeade today I have 'volunteered' to help Professor Snape organize some things. It is going to be hard not to make any passes at him, but I'll try. See you guys later and don't get into too much trouble." Jasmine winked and walked off smiling.

Hermione turned around to a bunch of faces nearly turning green. Ron who had grabbed extra food found himself putting it back. They just sat there for a minute in silence with the occasional fake vomiting sound and shudders. Then at once they started to laugh.

"I don't get it. She is a pretty girl. Why would she want to be with that … that ….oh what ever he is? It's absolutely appalling!" Kiara asked.

"I guess you can't help who you love." Hermione answered for she knew very well what that was like.

"I guess, but why Snape?" Harry asked. The rest of them shrugged.

They made their way down to Hogsmeade and they all hung out for a while together. After a few hours they split up. Hermione spent some time with some of Kiara's friends from Ravenclaw that had become her friends as well. After a while they said their goodbyes and Hermione went shopping for Draco as quickly as she could before anyone realized she was still in Hogsmeade and buying stuff for a guy. She picked out a pair of satin silver pajamas, some massage oil, and a photo album to put all of those pictures he has in other than a box. She found it easier to shop for him this time since she had gotten to know him pretty well. She bought a few things for herself for that night. In no time she bought her stuff and headed back up to the castle and went to her room to prepare for that evening.

It was seven o' clock when she got to her room and was surprised to see that there was a big white box sitting on her bed with a note on top of it. She walked over to the bed and read the note. It told her to put on the dress in the box and wait until eight before she came out. She really wanted to get a shower in and brush her teeth because she had been walking around all day and didn't feel all that fresh. She decided that she was going to use the secret passage and use the Gryffindor girls' bathroom. Before she got to her closet she heard Draco's voice right outside of the bedroom door.

"Are you in there?" Draco asked.

"Yeah…" Hermione answered. Stopping in her tracks. She didn't tell him about the passageway.

"Okay just making sure. Don't come out until eight!" He said yelling through the door so she could hear.

"I won't!"

"Okay then!"

"Okay!" With that Hermione heard him walk away. She then went into her closet climbed into the passage and made her way down.

She went as fast as she could and returned to her room. She used the drying spell on her hair and made her way over to her bed pulled open the box that Draco had left her. She then pulled out a slip like gown, a pair of silver sandaled stilettos and put them on. Hermione looked at herself in the mirror and saw the beautiful gown that was red, the top was satin with spaghetti strings, the satin part went down to her mid-thigh on one side and slanted up to her lower hip. The bottom was see-through sheer that went down to her ankles. Around the edging and the part where the satin turned to the sheer material was silver lacing. She brushed and fluffed her hair, which now was down to her mid back since it had been a while since she had gotten more than just a trim. She brought some hair around the front letting it fall along her chest. She put the box on the floor then sat down on the bed and put lotion on her legs and the rest of her body. She then put a light bit of fragrance on herself and some lip-gloss and sat there waiting.

Finally Draco yelled for her to come out. Hermione took one last look at herself and was pleased at how the dress showed off her womanly body. She opened the door and walked out seeing Draco right away. His eyes almost popped out of his head as she walked down the stairs towards him. The room had changed. The furniture was gone and in its place was a small table set for two sitting in front of the fireplace. There were candles and roses on the table and it looked incredible to Hermione. The room was filled with pink, red and white glowing orb like things just floating in mid air, sort of like a mix between glitter and glow bugs.

He grabbed her hand and led her to her seat. He sat across from her and commented on how beautiful she looked and how beautiful she was. They had a lovely meal and then they exchanged gifts. She gave him his first then he gave her hers to open. He had given her a silver necklace with a big heart shape that dangled from the necklace from one side; the heart had diamonds that bordered all around the front of it. She kissed him and thanked him for all what he had gotten her. He stood up and led her to the bathroom.

Draco turned the water on in the tub and put in some bubbles and some salts. When the tub was full they stripped and got in. There were floating candles in the bathroom and he had two champagne glasses with a bottle of sparkling cider because Hermione didn't drink. He also had a platter of white chocolate covered strawberries.

When they were full they started to kiss. Draco tried to climb on top of Hermione but slipped on her legs because of the wet lotion. After a few attempts they got out. Hermione dried off with a towel and then wrapped it around her body. Draco wanted to put on the pajamas she got him. They made their way back to the bedroom and went in. Draco was so excited to get it on that he ran and jumped on to the bed and before Hermione could stop him he slid off the other side of the bed and onto the floor. Hermione was laughing so hard she could hardly stand up. Frustrated he took off his clothes, walked over to her, ripped off her towel, picked her up and dropped her on the bed. He jumped once again onto the bed and onto her and was finally getting what he wanted, what they wanted as they whispered 'I love you' into the night.

A/N: okay I'll make this quick I am answering questions currently in the next chapter I am prepping it to be put up tomorrow if I get at least 15 reviews I know that won't be hard but if you guys want the next chapter up in the morning, review. I will also put up the chapter after that tomorrow night if I get at least 15 reviews for the next chapter. And it will be like that for the next few days until the rest of the story is out. I just want to make sure it's worth putting in all the effort of putting them out so fast, It is a lot of work. So I don't care if it is just a simple "update" just review lol. Love you guys! Keep r/r!