Hermione lost track of her time with every day being a flurry of activity, having to juggle Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and her Ministry job while trying to keep her relationship with Draco in the happy honeymoon phase, days got lost.
A rare date night in May, Hermione was at a restaurant whose name she couldn't pronounce because the font was unreadable. Blaise sat with her and Pansy, the final seat momentarily unoccupied as Draco had disappeared into the restrooms.
"Granger. Did you want to plan something for his birthday?" Blaise blocked his mouth as though he expected Draco to apparate back to the table. Hermione blinked.
"His birthday?" Hermione tried to count the days in her head. It wasn't June already, was it?
"It's next week, and I know the twat would rather spend the day with you, but, usually we have big bashes, all of us." Blaise explained as he pushed a piece of basil around.
"Any excuse for him to party." Pansy rolled her eyes at Blaise and gave Hermione a tentative smile. They were getting along as best they could given their history, but Hermione figured, she forgave Draco so why not Pansy. Pansy was like a scared cat at the moment, so Hermione would try to engage her when she wanted to be engaged; let Pansy come to her lest she be scared away. So she smiled back at Pansy and almost startled when Draco pulled the chair back so he could sit.
"What are you lot going on about?" Draco asked as he reached for his whiskey and took a swig.
"You were going to allow me to forget your birthday, weren't you?" Hermione leaned into him and kissed his cheek. He gave her a shy smile.
"I know you're busy, I wasn't going to ask you for anything." Draco pressed his lips to her temple and murmured the words against her skin.
"So…" Hermione leaned into him and laughed. "You were going to let me forget it then?"
Draco looked a little guilty and Hermione pressed a kiss to his cheek. She looked at Pansy and Blaise, grinning as they both glanced at her, pretending to be nauseated by them. "Let's do it." Hermione nodded. Pansy's face was overtaken by glee.
"Really?" She was holding in her excitement.
"Yea." Hermione nodded. That was all the pair of them needed and Hermione felt like the carpet was pulled out from under her. They got to planning.
Hermione was not prepared for precisely how extravagant they could be.
She was also not prepared for the elegance of Blaise Zabini's mansion. Everything about it screamed modern, with smooth pale surfaces, slivers of gold, marble and stone finishes. Completely opposite to Malfoy Manor's old money, old magic. It was bare, but furnished at the same time, open floor space in expanse that no one, sober or drunk, would knock anything to the floor. There was magic on everything anyway, holding things into place. Hermione had discovered this when she turned suddenly and tipped a vase, except it didn't tip. Pansy and Blaise laughed heartily, tears forming in Blaise's eyes with stifled laughter as he tried to taper off. Hermione was mortified.
"Where's Draco?" Hermione blinked and servers were busybodying around the floorspace. A hand snaked around her waist and Draco pressed a kiss to her temple.
"Sorry, love. Mother wanted a chat before I completely lost my mind tonight." Draco hugged her back when her arms curled up his back. Moments together hardly happened like this anymore and Hermione sank against him and sighed.
They walked into a room that sank in the middle with a fireplace at the head of a circular couch. Or where Hermione remembered seeing a couch and now it was bare, streamers began to unravel as they looked on. This was the main room.
None of it mattered because once the band began playing an hour later, enough booze had been drunk for Blaise to be swinging his blazer above his head as he whooped to Pansy tipping back her fourth glass of champagne. Hermione was laughing and grinning enough that her face was numb and in pain at the same time. Draco was a steady body behind, or beside her as they swayed and bounced, his hand never leaving some part of her body as waves of people told him happy birthday.
Hermione placed her third empty glass onto the floating platter and closed her eyes as her mind softened and her body filled with warmth. Draco ducked his lips to her neck and inhaled, she could feel him smiling before he kissed a trail to her jaw.
"I think I might have spent enough time showing my face, don't you Granger?" His voice purred into her making her squirm at his implications. She turned her face to look at him and found his pupils blown wide, his eyes hooded. He brought his hand up to her throat and she loved the feel of it, firm and encompassing; her pulse fluttered against his palm and he tilted her chin to him where he kissed her and kissed her and didn't stop until they were both panting.
No one cared. The music was loud and intoxicating, the alcohol was free flowing and delicious, the food floated around the room unasked, and enough bodies filled the room that no one noticed them sneak away.
"Where are you taking me?" Hermione giggled as Draco looked left and right through the corridors. There were stragglers and intimate conversations everywhere. It reminded Hermione of that one muggle movie she watched with her parents and was left mortified at the sex scene that happened at the house party.
"Here." Draco pushed her into a room and a woman squealed. Hermione blinked in the darkness and found a half undressed couple scrambling to cover themselves.
"I think all the bedrooms might be occupied." Hermione said breathlessly as she stifled laughter. Draco levelled the couple with his glare, his eyes flashing dangerously.
"Out." He commanded. The couple grabbed their clothes and scuttled out the door. Hermione looked up at his broad shoulders and commanding presence, inhaling all of it like she was starving. He was so attractive when he exercised such control..
Draco pushed her against the wall and kissed her as he kicked the door shut and turned the lock. "We can just go back to the Manor." Hermione suggested because his hands had begun to trace her ribcage, his fingers delicate on the underside of her breasts.
"I don't think I want to wait, Granger." Draco skimmed his teeth across her throat.
"So you want to make out in a random bedroom?" Hermione laughed even as his hands cupped her breasts, a finger flicking her nipple.
"Are you afraid of getting caught?" Draco kissed her earlobe and pressed her flat to the wall. His hand laced into her hair and tugged her head back, the other closed around her throat and held her firm. "The door's locked."
"I am not." Hermione admitted. She could feel him stirring against her, the humidity between her own thighs a betrayal of her mind saying not here, lacking true privacy where they can get caught.
"I'd very much like to make love to you, Granger." Draco kissed along her jaw before hovering over her mouth. He was waiting for her approval. Her body had already agreed and she squirmed under him, against him.
"Wait." She reached for her wand and Draco didn't budge. She flicked her wand and muttered a ward she had used many times while studying and not wanting to be found. No one should be able to see the door at least for a little while. She put the wand away and arched her back, draping her arms onto his shoulders. "Okay, love. Make love to me."
Draco kissed her hungrily, he tasted of champagne and a lingering spice from a whiskey she had seen him nursing. His fingers cupped her and she wrapped one leg around his hips so he had direct contact with the sensitive part of her, thrumming with want of attention. Her dress slipped and exposed her thigh, his fingers found her wet and slipped into her easily. She gasped against his mouth and he curled into her, pressing against sensitive and heightened pleasure.
Hermione fumbled with the front of his dress robes having not quite familiarised herself with the designs before. Finally, she found the seam and slipped her hand into his robes and grasped his shaft; her palm was instantly slicked as he warmed her skin. She eased him through the opening of his robe and with one easy thrust, he slipped into her and she gasped at the ceiling.
"You never cease to amaze me," Draco trailed kisses down her neck and hiked her leg higher with one arm. He tilted her chin back and sank into her. Her eyes fluttered shut and she bit back a moan. "Look at me, Granger." Hermione did. His eyes were piercing and bright, even in the darkness of the room. Music rose in the background and cheers erupted, but the sound was nothing. She was acutely aware they could be found and her senses heightened, the pleasure intensified. "Don't close your eyes."
Draco whispered unheard words against her, and she clawed at him through his dress robes, combed her fingers through his hair and pulled. He groaned at the pressure. He thrust harder.
At times like these, Hermione appreciated magic. The clean up for a quickie was easy, with the flick of her wand and some household magic, the guarantee of no stains was put into action. The calming of her heart rate though, was not as easy.
"Draco!" Blaise's voice echoed along with the music down the corridors when Draco cracked the bedroom door open. "Birthday boy!" His voice was sing songy and slurred. Draco stepped out into the corridor as Hermione gave herself a once over, placing strands of her hair back into their delicate curls, uncrumpling her clothes, calming herself.
"Merlin's teet. I hate this part." Draco laughed as he wrangled Blaise from going any further. Hermione peaked out and approached them.
"What part do you hate?" Hermione asked curiously, making Blaise jump. He composed himself.
"Draco here absolutely hates being the centre of attention." Blaise practically choked him and Draco pushed him off him laughing. Hermione loved seeing him like this, carefree and young again, like a normal man. Blaise turned to walk backward, his hands in his pockets. "But the man is just so photogenic, so he needs to suck it up I think."
Hermione had to agree. He was quite a beautiful man. And he was hers.