Meddle not

by FictionalLizzy

Five years after walking out on Draco, Hermione shows up at Hogwarts as the new Ancient Runes Professor. Draco can't forgive her for leaving without an explanation, but all isn't as it seems. Hermione is harbouring a whole slew of secrets that Draco knows nothing about. This is a story about the consequences of meddling parents and friends. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE

7. Chapter 7

A/N: This is a long chapter, but there was a lot to cover in this one. Definitely NSFW.

Hope you enjoy.

This was one of my favourite chapters to write so far.

Songs to listen to:

Ella Henderson - Body

A Great Big World ft. Christina Aguilera - Say Something

Imagine Dragons - Demons

Birdy - Let it all go

Hozier - Take me to church

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home

Guy Sebastian ft Lupe Fiasco - Battle Scars

Lifehouse ft. Natasha Bedingfield - Between the Raindrops

Chapter 7:

September 2005:

When Hermione's ire over this morning's argument with Draco finally tempered, she decided to take a stroll around the school grounds to clear her head.

A lot had been revealed since last night, and the divide between them felt even wider now. She'd thought Draco would be more understanding and forgiving after hearing the truth. Some of the truth, at least. It was not the case, however.

Harry found Hermione sitting with her back against a tree trunk, staring out at the lake while she contemplated how she'd fucked up her marriage. She hadn't trusted Draco to be faithful to her, because of his history with women. Instead of having faith in Draco's love for her, she'd immediately taken Lucius at his word. She'd never felt that she was pretty or sexy enough. And her actions harshly underscored her own insecurities.

But worse than her lack of faith was the fact that she'd never given Draco a chance to tell his side of the story; explain why he was absent so often; why he'd spent so much of his time with Astoria. She hadn't given him the choice between a perfect life with wealth in abundance and an acceptable pure-blood wife or a perfectly average, working-class life with her by his side. A life that would have been filled with love and devotion and genuine happiness that had nothing to do with materialistic goals. In the end, it boiled down to the fact that it had been Draco's decision as much as hers to handle Lucius's threats as he saw fit because they were supposed to be a team. She shouldn't have walked away before giving him a choice. She shouldn't have left without confronting him about the things his father had told her. And now he hated her even more for how she'd thrown his love for her back in his face; for all the secrets she'd kept from him.

"Jesus, Hermione," was Harry's response after she shared the truth with him. All her secrets. Everything he should have known about right from the moment she walked out of Malfoy Manor.

Maybe that was her problem: She didn't communicate with the people she loved.

Harry turned his head to look at her, ruffling his hair. "That's a lot to unpack."

"Yep," she agreed, plucking absently at the blades of grass between her outstretched legs and rolling them between her fingers. She gave him a sideways look to gauge his reaction.

"I think I understand why you never told anyone. Not even me. You were being selfless, albeit in an uncharacteristically stupid manner."

She shot him a glare.

"You do know that it's okay to expect the people closest to you to listen to your problems and support you, right? You're allowed to be weak sometimes. To show that you're hurting. And it's okay to ask for help."

"I didn't want help back then. I just wanted an escape so I could leave all the pain behind. But I'm trying now. As for being selfless…" She hung her head and sighed. "Draco doesn't see it that way. I think he sees my actions as cowardly instead of brave and selfless. And I think maybe he's right."

"Have you told him everything you told me?"

She looked up. "Most of it. Not everything. He wouldn't give me a chance this morning to talk."

"He's probably still processing. It was a lot of information to absorb at once," Harry suggested and pushed his glasses higher up onto his nose. "Look, in my opinion, you get credit for putting Malfoy's needs before yours. It had to take a lot of balls to walk away from the man you loved because you wanted him to have the life you thought he deserved. But Lucius has had so much more experience playing manipulation games than you or Malfoy and he exploited all your insecurities to get what he wanted."

She nodded.

"And it's fucking sad that what Malfoy wanted didn't matter to Lucius at all. It's still the same, tired blood purity nonsense as always. You'd think after being locked up in Azkaban and then being released a year later when the Healers discovered that he'd been poisoned would have been enough to make him change. You'd think he'd want his son to be happy. But all he's still focused on is the sanctity of the Malfoy bloodline and nothing else."

"It's always been this way, and Draco and I were naive enough to believe Lucius when he said Draco's happiness was his priority. That he was glad we decided to move into the Manor to help out. But all he wanted was to keep an eye on us so he could find our weak points and use them to his advantage. And it worked like a charm. He used my love for Draco and my insecurities to his advantage."

"I just wish you would have called me when you lost the baby, at least. I would have taken care of you. Supported you. But you hardly came over for a visit. And all the times Ginny and I came over, you kept mum about what you've been through. Pretended you were fine when we could see you needed help. We tried so hard to get you to confide in us, but you were extremely closed off. And that one Christmas we managed to get you to come to the Burrow…" He gave her a pointed look. "You know…with the whole George incident…"

"Yeah," she grimaced. "Not one of my finest moments."

"Ginny says Molly still brings it up every Christmas. But at least they're laughing about it now."

"I was drowning in depression back then, Harry," she shrugged, downplaying the seriousness. "And believe it or not, that Christmas was one of the times I was doing a little better." She turned her body to face him. "But I didn't involve you, because I was preparing to end it all. I didn't have the strength to talk about it; couldn't deal with everything and I didn't want to burden anyone with my problems when taking my own life would have cleaned up my mess better than any other plan I could think of. But after I started therapy, I came back to you, didn't I?"

Harry gave a suspiciously wet sniffle and wrapped his arm around her, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "Yeah, you did. And I was so grateful to have you back that I feared probing too much into what you had gone through would have pushed you away again."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Through all of my issues and struggles, you always made time to come see me. You were always there, even if you didn't know how to fix me. It wasn't your job to fix me. But I couldn't stomach the thought of visiting you and running into Theo. Or Draco."

"Yeah. That's what I thought."

"Draco is very pissed with me right now," she whispered to Harry, blinking away the threat of tears. She hated the way he'd looked at her this morning: with so much disappointment, distrust and disdain.

"He is. But he's also hurting. He's trying to reconcile what he'd believed about your divorce with what really happened, just like you are. He's spent years harbouring anger and resentment towards you, spent years hating you, and now he has to regroup. Change his perceptions. And I don't think he's faring all that well right now. He's taking it badly because you were the only woman he's ever let in. The only one he loved. You saw what he was like before he fell in love with you. He never mixed sex and love. Until you."

"I know, Harry. It's killing me to see what I've done to him. The way he's lashing out. How he's going about coping with everything. And I wish I could make it better. But he won't allow me in. He's combative and he's keeping me at arm's length, and I will never get through to him like that."

"Give him time. Let him process what he's learned last night, and when he's doing better, you'll have to tell him all of it. Tell him exactly what Lucius said to you to make you leave."

"I'll try. But right now, it feels pointless when it won't fix what we had. Maybe I should just let him hate me. It seems easier for him to hate me than forgive me."

"It's your choice. But give him time, as I said. He might surprise you."

She gave him a skeptical look.

"You changed him, Hermione. When no one—not even his friends—thought he'd ever fall in love, never mind settle down. The Malfoy who was in love with you was a really good guy. And I liked him."

She tried to squash the tiny flicker of hope in her heart. She didn't think she could handle it if she clung to the hope that things would get better and ended up crushed by disappointment. So, instead, she shifted the spotlight to Harry. "You and Theo are back together again, huh?" She nudged him. "Seems like you've been holding out on me too."

He blushed, affording her a sheepish grin. "Yeah, well, I didn't think you'd want to know. Theo and I have been doing this dance for way too long. It's nothing new."

"It matters to me, Harry. It will always matter, even when I'm dealing with my own shit. I know you love Theo. And I know he loves you. So, when are you two going to stop this nonsense and commit? Get married? You've been on and off for almost ten years. That's a long time."

Harry grimaced. "I-" he huffed. "Marriage is a bit of a stretch right now. We do love each other very much, and I know he's the one for me, but he's got a lot of baggage thanks to his father. And I'm still fucked up after the war. After losing so many people who were important to me. I'm scared to death that I'll marry him, and then I'll lose him too." "That's not how it works, Harry. The people you love don't die because of you. You're not cursed or bad luck. I mean, I'm still here. Ron and Ginny are too, and we're not going anywhere. You're allowed to let yourself be happy."

"Thanks, Mione." He wrapped his arm around her for a sideways hug. "The rational part of me knows this, but the past will always haunt me. That being said, I think I'm going to ask Theo to go to therapy with me. See if we can start addressing our issues so we can move on. Together. As you said, we've been together a long time, always skirting around commitment. But there will never be anyone else for me."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea, Harry. It's a very good place to start if you want to have a real go of it with him."

"What about you? Would you consider going to therapy with Malfoy?"

"Err, no." She gave him a disbelieving look. "Draco barely talks to me as it is, and with everything that was said last night and this morning, I'm pretty sure it'll be even worse now. He's convinced himself that we don't stand a chance of getting back together. So, therapy is not the answer right now. At least not couples therapy. Maybe Theo should suggest Draco attempt therapy on his own? So he can at least deal with what he's going through right now."

"Yeah. I'll see what I can do. But for now, my goal is to get Theo to agree to his own round of therapy with me. Maybe if it works, Malfoy will be more amenable."

xxx

On the Tuesday after her argument with Draco, Hermione headed to Theo's classroom where they've been conducting their tutoring sessions since the start of September. These sessions were tailored to the curriculum of the seventh years to help them prepare for their N.E.W.T.s.

Theo's classroom was larger than hers and had been the obvious choice right from the start. They'd found it easier to accommodate all four houses and move around between the students when they had practical sessions.

Theo was already there when she arrived, and he looked up with a warm, genuine smile. "Hi."

"Hey," she blushed, still embarrassed for letting herself into his room the other morning without permission. She'd been looking for Draco everywhere and couldn't find him. Theo's room had been the last place she could think of and his wards had recognized her for some weird reason.

Hermione left the door open for the students who would be arriving in the next ten to fifteen minutes. A loaded silence enveloped them and instead of standing there idly, looking awkward, she walked over to Theo and asked, "Anything I can help with?"

"Nope, all done." He sent a stack of notes floating to the rows of tables for the students and turned to her. "By the way, I haven't thanked you for the Transfiguration notes you made. The ones for easy ways to memorize all the symbols. I'm sure the students are going to appreciate those."

"You're welcome," she nodded, looking down at her feet. "It was nothing."

Why was their attempt at small talk so painfully awkward?

Theo and she had become fast friends during Draco's and her relationship, once they'd started to get to know each other. Not counting the couple of times she'd seen him at Grimmauld Place with Harry, their first proper interaction had been at the Three Broomsticks the afternoon Cormac had tried to dirty-talk her into bed with suggestions that were too gross to think about. Theo had been the one to walk her back to the castle when Draco had been too stubborn, and their conversation on the way to her room had been easy. And from there, it blossomed into a beautiful friendship.

But when things had gone belly up for Draco and her, he'd retreated and she supposed she understood his reasons. Draco and Theo had been best friends for a very long time, and when the time came, he chose to be loyal to his oldest friend first and foremost. He'd never reached out to her after the divorce to maintain their friendship, but then, neither did she. The idea of seeing Theo and finding Draco there had been a real possibility, and she hadn't been strong enough to face him; the man who regretted marrying someone like her.

Theo was feeling the tension too. She could tell from the stiff set of his shoulders and the way he chewed his cheek as if he wanted to say something.

He cleared his throat, and while shuffling the papers on the table before him, he said, "I apologize for being distant during our previous tutoring sessions." He looked up suddenly and grimaced. "For being distant in general after you and Draco divorced."

"You don't have to apologize, Theo." She offered him a feeble smile. "You chose your best friend, just as you should have."

"You deserved better from me. I know we weren't friends for long, but we were good friends. Or at least that's how I felt."

"Yes," she agreed, remembering how well they'd clicked since the moment they'd had their first proper conversation. Theo had a very sharp and extremely witty mind, and his particular brand of humour had her screaming (in a very unladylike manner) with laughter at times. "We were great friends."

"I should have reached out to you. Asked you to tell me your side of the story. I admit I was so mad at you for what you did to Draco that for years, I wanted nothing to do with you. Things with Draco were bad for a long time, Hermione. He didn't take the divorce well and I felt it was my duty to protect him. I thought Draco would feel betrayed if I reached out to you, or even confronted you about what you did." He pursed his lips. "But it meant that I abandoned you when you needed your friends the most. And that was my mistake. I should have known better than to believe you'd be ashamed of him and his past when you gave all of us a second chance without judging us. Every time I saw you two together, it was obvious how much you loved him. How much he loved you. I guess Pansy, Blaise and I believed you two would be able to weather anything life sent your way. You and he were the epitome of true love. As cheesy as it sounds."

"Even though it hurts, I understand. And I think if you did that to Harry, I would have reacted the same way. I would have protected my best friend too." She shrugged. "How could you not blame me for hurting your best friend when you didn't know the truth?"

"I should have fucking asked," he hissed, eyes flashing with regret. "What did it say about our friendship when I refused to give you a chance to explain?"

She reached out and pulled him in for a hug. "There was a lot of miscommunication. A lot of lies and secrets. It was hard on all of us."

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her fiercely. "Please give me a chance to redeem myself. I've missed our friendship more than you'll ever know."

"I've missed us too."

Theo pulled out of their hug and cupped her cheek. "Draco misses you too. And I know he's being stubborn and combative—that's just how he gets when he feels vulnerable—but he's still not over you."

Hermione swallowed thickly, squashing the sudden urge to cry. "Neither am I, Theo. But I'm not sure Draco has the capacity to try again. Even if it is just friendship."

"Look," he sighed and pushed his hands through his dark hair, reminding her so much of Harry. "Draco struggled to accept the divorce." Theo scrunched up his nose in distaste. "Until very recently, he's been on what seemed like a crusade to shag any witch who looked his way. I think it was a ridiculous coping mechanism, which I've told him countless times, but it honestly seemed to help him get by. So, I tried not to judge or interfere. God knows he's had enough people meddling in his life. I still maintain that you two belong together, but I honestly don't know if he'll ever open himself up to a relationship again. He barely survived it the first time."

"Yeah," Hermione nodded and pursed her lips.

"He spent years avoiding feelings and relationships, and when he fell in love with you, it changed him for the better. But the divorce emphasized why he'd avoided relationships in the first place."

It wasn't what she wanted to hear, but deep down she knew this. "I don't think I can blame him for it, Theo. I just wish I knew what to do to make it better."

"Why did you come to Hogwarts, Hermione?" He surprised her with this particular question. She should have expected it to come up.

"Honestly?" She sighed, feeling weak for what she was about to admit. "No one knows about this, except my therapist and now Harry, but I almost committed suicide about a year ago. The war, the nightmares, the divorce, and losing my baby just culminated in a depression that I couldn't seem to escape. I was really lost, and I started entertaining different ways to make it all go away. And the most appealing solution seemed to be a permanent escape. I even researched the different ways I could do it without leaving behind a mess for someone else to clean up. And I think that's when I realized how far gone I was."

Theo recoiled.

She offered him a jaded smile. "So, I entered into therapy. It was the best thing I could have done for myself if I'm being honest. And one day my therapist asked me what I thought I needed to regain a sense of peace and contentment. I realized I needed to find my home again. I needed a safe space where I could start rebuilding my life piece by piece. Hogwarts is that place for me. It's where I found myself fitting in for the first time as an eleven-year-old, and that hasn't changed even all these years later."

Theo remained silent, watching her with rapt attention. He wasn't judging her or mocking her, and it gave her the courage to continue.

"I don't mean to sound heartless, but even though I knew Draco would be here, coming back had absolutely nothing to do with him. I had my own demons to exorcise; still do. I never came here with the intention to fix our relationship. And even if I've recently started hoping he'd give me a second chance, our argument the morning after I told him what happened emphasized how averse he is to that idea."

When the first students started trickling in, Theo lowered his voice to ask, "Do you think we could continue this conversation at some point? Maybe grab a drink in Hogsmeade over the weekend?"

"Sure," she agreed, excited about the prospect of rekindling their friendship. "I'd really love that."

xxx

Edging closer to October, there was a definite temperature change. The trees had shed almost all of their leaves, the icy wind carrying it across the school grounds in swirls of colour. The usual rain had been absent since the start of September, but for the past week, the downpour had been relentless.

She didn't mind it much. She loved when heavy sheets of rain pelted against the windows at night, loved the howling wind as it sliced around the corners of the castle and bled through the smallest cracks and imperfections it could uncover. The icy temperatures gave her the perfect excuse to dress in her pyjamas straight after dinner on nights she didn't have to patrol or tutor; get into bed with a book, her planner, or even the essays and tests she often had to grade in the evenings.

She'd started tackling the arrangements for the Masquerade Ball with gusto the weekend after her heart-to-heart with Theo, meeting up with the prefects on a bi-weekly basis to stay abreast of their progress.

Theo had asked to reschedule their date, claiming something had popped up unexpectedly.

It suited her just fine since she still had a mile-long to-do list before the ball. Most of the bigger details had been sorted in the weeks before: The where, when, and what.

The only venue big enough to accommodate the students and staff without shelling out money was the Great Hall. It hadn't been a difficult choice to make; having the Masquerade Ball at Hogwarts left them with more money for music, food and decorations.

They'd decided on All Hallows Eve for the ball. The theme: After Dark. The dress code would be formal, but the masks could represent anything from creatures, sentient or not, to plants or flowers, as long as they thrived after dark.

At this point, they had rough ideas for the decorations and food, the colour scheme black, purple and silver. The seating had been sorted out first and foremost to ensure they had enough room to accommodate everyone, while also allowing space for a dance floor and an area where the live entertainment could set up and perform.

The head boy and the rest of the male prefects were tackling the entertainment and would help Hagrid set up the tables and place the enormous pumpkins throughout the dining hall, while the girls were in charge of the table decorations, crockery and food.

Hermione had decided to forgo formal invitations and instead, designed hundreds of flyers that the prefects were going to hand out on Monday morning, hoping to give everyone the opportunity to find suitable robes and masks in time for the event. And as she was wont to do, she kept a colour-coded record of all their ideas and progress in her planner for maximum precision and efficiency.

For the flowers, she wanted black roses and purple calla lilies. It would go perfectly with the theme. She even knew where she could get these flowers. The problem was, her ex-mother-in-law, Narcissa Malfoy, would sooner Avada herself before donating her spectacular flowers to Hermione.

But if she could work through Draco and have him ask instead, she might be able to pull off the idea.

Another spanner in the works was the fact that Draco was ignoring her completely after their argument. He didn't look her way or even acknowledge her presence whenever they passed each other in the corridors or sat down around the staff table during mealtimes.

But she had to ask.

She hoped that, because the flowers were for the ball and not for her, he'd be inclined to help her out.

xxx

Early Saturday morning, on the weekend of her rescheduled date with Theo, Hermione knocked on Draco's door, working herself up for their encounter.

He would likely be pissed to find her standing at his door and asking for a favour.

She'd procrastinated with the idea for the flowers until the last possible moment, trying to avoid the daunting conversation with Draco, but she had to get an answer from him today or go with plan B. There was no more time to waste. There was now exactly a month left until Halloween.

The door opened to reveal a delicious, freshly showered Draco, half-dressed in a white button-down that hung open to reveal his muscled abdomen and a peek at his tattoos. Just a hint of a happy trail disappeared under the waistband of his trousers, accentuated by a well-defined Adonis belt that cut deep into either side of his hips.

Her mouth watered at the sight, her fingers itching to touch and her tongue eager to taste everything on display. He looked like dessert. And he smelled so, so good.

God, it's been so long since...

When she looked up, blushing guiltily, she found him sneering as he towered over her, tall and intimidating.

"What do you want, Granger?"

His biting tone highlighted the fact that he was no longer hers to desire. She didn't have the right to stare at the perfection that was his body anymore.

Just when she opened her mouth to answer him, a leggy blonde beauty came tottering up behind him, arms enveloping his waist. The witch leaned up onto the tips of her stilettoed toes and pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw before letting go and pushing past him through the door. She afforded Hermione a disdainful arch of a perfectly shaped brow before looking coquettishly over her shoulder at Draco. "Owl me, Drakie. I had fun last night."

She wanted to snort at the nickname; she bet Draco just loved that.

Unfortunately, her eyes were stuck on the blonde personification of Jessica Rabbit, all her insecurities rearing to life.

When Hermione was finally able to tear her eyes away from the sashaying blonde's perfect arse, she turned back to gape up at Draco in shock. It was clear what he'd been up to last night. And she couldn't even blame him or yell at him. He was completely within his rights to screw whomever he wanted. But it didn't hurt any less to catch the tail-end of Draco's activities from last night. Or see the kinds of women he found worthy of his time and fleeting attention these days.

At least he had the decency to look moderately disconcerted, before locking away his emotions behind a well-worn mask of impassivity. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaned against the door frame, and cocked a brow at her, still waiting for an answer.

Oh, good. They were just going to ignore the elephant in the room, were they?

"She seems so nice. Really smart, too," Hermione said with a syrupy smile, batted her eyelashes mockingly and motioned towards her chest with cupped hands and widespread fingers. "More your taste, right?"

She knew she was being mean and petty, but she had this sudden, overwhelming itch to piss him off. "I'm very relieved that we got divorced before you realized I wasn't your usual type. But I suppose that was my mistake for believing you would ever be satisfied with an average-looking mudblood like me." The words slipped out before she could stop herself, but she was drowning in her insecurities and choking on the bitter taste of jealousy.

Draco's jaw clenched and he fisted his hands at his sides, flaying her with a look so contemptuous it made her sick to her stomach. It reminded her so much of the boy he used to be. In a dangerously low and controlled voice, he repeated his question. "What. Do. You. Want?"

"Flowers," she snapped, feeding off of his hostility. "I need flowers."

"Really, Granger?" He arched a brow. "You want flowers from me?"

"Yes," she affirmed with a brisk nod but quickly realized how her request must have sounded to Draco. "I mean, no! Not like that." She backpedalled, "I don't want you to buy me flowers. Unless you want to, of course."

Oh.

My.

God.

What the fuck was wrong with her? This was such a facepalm moment that she wished the earth would open and swallow her. Not the time for verbal diarrhoea.

"Not that you'd want to, of course," she amended like the idiot she was. And yet, she couldn't seem to stop. "We're not married anymore. I mean...shit..."

She took a large breath to compose herself and squared her shoulders. She looked him in the eye and tried to clarify. "That's not why I'm here."

Draco, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying her mortification immensely while he watched her with a crooked smirk on his lips.

"I would like for you to please ask your mother if she'd be willing to donate some of her black roses and purple lilies for the Masquerade Ball."

"And you think my mother would be willing to simply donate some of her rarest flowers? To you?"

"Yes, if you asked. If you kept my name out of it, of course."

"I don't think so, Granger," he said and shut the door in her face.

The fucking nerve of him!

xxx

Theo found Hermione sitting at a table in the back of the Three Broomsticks, sad, alone and drunk. Very drunk.

Theo, on the other hand, was none of those things. Not sad, not drunk, and certainly not alone.

Pansy and Blaise walked toward her alongside Theo and joined him to take their seats at the table.

"I thought you said we were going to have a drink?" She slurred and shot Theo an accusatory scowl. "Just the two of us."

"Blaise and I asked to come along," Pansy interjected, as unflappable as always.

"Oh, gods..." Hermione groaned and dropped her head into her hands, mortified when realization dawned. "Theo told you, didn't he? About what he and I discussed the other night." She hadn't opened up to Theo so he could announce it to all and sundry. It was incredibly personal. "That's just fucking perfect."

"Of course, Theo told us," Blaise said with affront. " It's not like you were going to tell us yourself. And we were your friends too, at some point. Or have you forgotten?"

Hermione hooked two fingers over the lip of her glass and dragged it toward her across the glossy wood of the table. She lifted the firewhisky to her lips and muttered darkly into her drink. "I remember very well, Blaise. Perhaps you were the one who forgot."

"Ouch." Blaise flinched at her words.

And maybe that was mean. She wasn't trying to be a bitch, but that was a dumb question, even for him.

Pansy tutted disapprovingly, pulling the glass out of her grip. "Okay, I think you've had quite enough for one night, darling."

"No, no," Hermione tried snatching her glass back. "I wasn't done with that."

Ignoring her protests, Pansy snapped her fingers at the barmaid, indicating with a tip of her head toward Hermione. "A butterbeer for this one, please?"

"You're no fun," Hermione pouted at Pansy, closing one eye to stop the woman in front of her from blurring.

"I'm loads of fun, thank you very much," Pansy defended, "But you're going to be sorry in the morning if you keep going like this."

"Doesn't matter." She muttered.

"Do you know whom she reminds me of?" Blaise interjected with a sparkle of amusement in his eye. "Draco. He's just as fond of getting blind drunk and having pity parties. She must have learned it from him."

The others chuckled at this.

She, however, did not find it funny. "I'm not having a pity party." She glared at Blaise. "Parties imply fun and I'm certainly not having any."

"Yes, well," Pansy accepted the butterbeer from Madam Rosmerta with a graceful tip of her chin and handed it over to Hermione. "Be that as it may, you're cut off from the whisky for the rest of the night."

"Can I just ask," Theo leaned toward Hermione. "What's got you looking like your cat just died?"

She took a sip of butterbeer, offhandedly wondering if she could turn it to firewhisky if she concentrated hard enough on it. Instead, she sighed miserably. "I found Draco's flavour of the week leaving his room when I went down there this morning."

Blaise hissed sympathetically and Pansy raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"I'm sorry, Hermione." Theo covered her hand with his and she found herself suddenly very enthralled by the smattering of dark hairs on the back of his large hand. "I thought he was done with all of that. He toned down a lot in the last few months. Was it Turpin again?"

Hermione scoffed dramatically. "Nope, apparently Turpin is old news. This witch was blonde with a Jessica Rabbit body, perfect eyebrows, and fantastic tits." She took another large gulp from her butterbeer, dipping a toe back into self-pity for a moment. "How do you expect me to talk about Draco Malfoy and his perfect bloody conquests while I'm only allowed butterbeer?" She shot Pansy a reproachful look.

"No firewhisky!" Pansy exclaimed, standing her ground. "I know this is tough, but you'll feel even shittier in the morning with a hangover to accompany your broken heart."

"Quick question," Blaise lifted his hand into the air, interrupting. "Who the fuck is Jessica Rabbit?"

"Oh, I think she was that hot blonde from Ravenclaw who used to date Bletchley. A year behind us, wasn't she?" Theo offered up.

"No," Pansy disagreed, shaking her head. "You're thinking of April Davies. Roger Davies' younger sister."

"Oh, right," Theo said, snapping his fingers and nodding.

"Then who's Jessica?" Blaise persisted.

"You're like a dog with a fucking bone, you know." Pansy shook her head, exasperated. "And on a related subject, don't you have a girlfriend?"

"He and Ginny are open to inviting third parties into their relationship," Theo explained, waving away Pansy's concern like this revelation was no big deal.

Pansy hummed with intrigue, contemplating this information.

"We're really digressing here," Hermione pointed out half-heartedly and sneaked Blaise's firewhisky right out from under his nose while he wasn't looking. She took a big mouthful and sighed with satisfaction. Much better.

"What the fuck, Granger?" Pansy scolded and took the glass from her. Again.

"Jessica! Rabbit!" Blaise pounded his fists on the table. "I demand answers this instant!"

"She's a fucking cartoon character with red hair, big, perky tits, and legs for days," Hermione snapped. "And apparently, Draco shagged blonde Jessica Rabbit's brains out last night because that's the type of women he's actually attracted to. Not stupidly short, bushy-haired brunettes with small tits and big brains. He likes them pretty, but dumb as a post."

"Awfully judgemental of you, Granger," Pansy grinned, delighted by the cattiness. "For all you know, she might have been smart."

"I know for certain that she wasn't, because she asked Draco to owl her back as she took her sexy walk of shame this morning."

Pansy conceded with a cock of her head. "Touché."

"Just so you know," Theo stated earnestly, "Draco loved your tits."

Pansy spluttered into her drink, taken by surprise. She recovered herself with a restrained cough and dabbed a cheap paper napkin demurely against her plum-coloured lips. "You're a fucking idiot, Nott." She shook her head, appalled at Theo.

"How do you know?" Hermione asked, intrigued, instead of shocked.

"It's the things he says sometimes," Pansy answered.

Hermione snorted a laugh. "No, I was referring to Theo's inappropriate comment."

"He talked about your tits way more than was socially acceptable," Theo explained with an even expression, but she could see his lips twitch almost imperceptibly.

Blaise nodded in agreement, serious when he said, "I bet I could sketch a perfect representation of them with all the detail Draco's shared."

"Stop fucking with her, Blaise," Pansy scolded. "He's making it sound much worse than it was," she reassured. "But he did mention it once or twice."

"Possibly more than once or twice..." Theo winked.

"That's nice..." Hermione groaned, dropping her head to the table a little harder than she'd intended.

"Please," Pansy rolled her eyes. "Like you didn't give She-Weasel the low-down on Draco's cock."

Hermione looked up at this, grinning like the drunk idiot she was. "Fair point," she conceded. "But, my God, he does have a truly magnificent cock. I mean, have you ever-"

"Can we possibly talk about something other than Draco's penis?" Blaise cut her off with a whine, looking pained. "I'm afraid I might vomit if we don't change the subject immediately."

"Before we digress yet again, I'd like to circle back to the reason Blaise and Pansy came along tonight," Theo interjected.

"Right," Pansy cleared her throat and turned to Hermione. "We're all very sorry we deserted you when things ended between you and Draco. We never should have cut you out of our lives before coming to you for answers."

"You did it out of loyalty, I get it," Hermione interrupted her, still smarting after all these years. They'd abandoned her for her ex-husband when she was at her lowest, but at the same time, she understood their reasons. "I'm not holding it against you. You were loyal to your oldest friend, especially after I hurt him. But Theo and I already discussed this and I don't particularly feel like rehashing it tonight."

"Yes, well...at the risk of sounding sappy, Blaise and I need to apologize to you too. We deserted you when you needed us the most because we blamed you for breaking Draco's heart. But we should have confronted you instead of ignoring you."

"It seems to be a common thread amongst the lot of us—a lack of communication. And I can't fault the way you reacted. That would be very hypocritical of me, considering that's exactly what I did to Draco."

"Why didn't you confront him, though?" Theo finally chose to address the elephant in the room.

"I guess I was insecure enough to truly believe what Lucius told me," Hermione said, shrugging. "I mean, Draco is this incredibly attractive guy. Tall, with great hair, lovely eyes, and an unbelievably perfect body. He's smart and kind and he has a great sense of humour. It didn't hurt that he was a fantastic lover either. And I'm just this average-looking, book-obsessed, big-haired muggle-born with inadequate physical attributes as I've mentioned earlier. I was always feeling like Draco would wake up one day and wonder what he'd seen in me."

"You're fucking blind if you think you're average-looking, Granger," Blaise stated emphatically. "And I'm going to refrain from pointing out all your perfections because then it might seem like I'm flirting with you. But I can assure you that Draco was irrefutably attracted to you physically."

"And," Theo added, "He loved you very much. Still does."

"That's irrelevant," Hermione said dismissively. "I mean, I appreciate you guys for trying to make me feel better, but Draco will never be able to look at me the same way he did back then. I did too much damage by running away. He said so himself."

"Just give him some time." Theo wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulder, pulling her in for a hug. "And show him that you have faith in him. I think that's his biggest insecurity and his biggest obstacle to forgiving you. He thinks you didn't feel secure enough to come to him when there were things that bothered you. And that maybe you don't think he'll acknowledge your concerns."

Hermione nodded, knowing that this had been one of her biggest mistakes.

"And one more thing," Theo was grinning now, trying for a little levity. "Stop wearing those heels. You're killing him."

"She'll do no such thing!" Pansy objected passionately. "If Draco can't keep from pitching a tent every time Granger wears heels, that's his concern. She deserves to look good and feel empowered, and if those heels do the trick, I'll be damned if she stops wearing them to make him feel better." Pansy took the last mouthful of her drink and pushed her chair back gracefully.

Blaise and Theo stood like the good little pure-blood boys they were raised to be.

"I have to get back to Astoria," Pansy excused herself, pulling Hermione in for a brief hug. "But let's please keep in touch, okay?"

Hermione nodded, feeling better, despite having started out her day disappointed and sad. It made her realize how much she'd missed her Slytherin group of friends with their brutal honesty and their strange ways of trying to make her feel better.

**FLASHBACK**

End of April 1999:

Sitting next to Draco in potions was torture.

Seeing him at mealtimes and in corridors on her way to class was painful.

They'd kept their friendly rapport, but it was awkward, their conversations stilted.

She missed him so much that it physically hurt. She missed feeling his arms tighten around her when he hugged her. Missed the smell of him. She missed that unique taste of him when they'd kissed. She missed their easy conversations and innocent bickering. And most of all, she missed the way her heart fluttered and how her body hummed when she was with him as if she belonged nowhere else but in his arms.

Knowing it was better to end things now didn't make it hurt any less. He'd become such a big part of her day, that without him she felt empty and off-balance.

In an attempt to avoid this perpetual ache, she focused on preparing for her N.E.W.T.s instead. Most nights found her in the library, her nose buried in her books and scribbling hasty notes while she read. She was satisfied that she'd at least walk away from Hogwarts with good grades, even if she did leave with a broken heart. Because she had stupidly gone and done the one thing they swore they weren't going to do. She'd fallen in love with the notorious Draco Malfoy.

So, when the man in question showed up at her table in the library one evening, looking adorably unsure of himself, her traitorous heart skipped a beat and her stomach did flip flops.

"Hi," she greeted breathlessly, trying not to seem as desperate for his company as she felt.

"Would you mind a study partner?" He asked with a weak smirk.

"Sure, let me make some space for you," she said, trying but failing to appear casual as she moved her books out of the way. She knocked over her inkwell, spilling ink all over her parchment. "Shit!" Why was she such a bloody klutz?

Draco chuckled but intervened with a quick Evanesco. "I'm nervous, too," he admitted quietly, looking sheepish.

"I'm not nervous," she denied too enthusiastically and clasped her hands together on her lap under the table to hide the way they were shaking. Merlin, why was this so painfully awkward?

"Right," he grinned, giving her a facetious nod.

"Fine," She huffed. "I'm so nervous that my hands can't stop shaking." She lifted her hands to show him.

"If it makes you feel any better, my heart is beating a mile a minute right now."

"God," she whined and dropped her head into her hands. "We're terrible at being cordial but distant, aren't we?"

"I miss you, Hermione." He said it so softly that she wasn't sure if it was her broken and desperate heart making her hear things.

Her head snapped up and she looked at him, her pulse kicking into overdrive. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

Draco's silver gaze locked on hers as he repeated his words, a little slower and louder this time. "I miss you..." He squeezed his eyes shut for the briefest moment, "So fucking much."

"You do?" Her body sagged with relief.

"I can't stop thinking about you." He pushed his fingers through his hair, pulling at the platinum strands in frustration. "I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can't even focus on my schoolwork. All I can think about is you, and it's killing me not being able to touch you. Or hold you. Kiss you."

Hermione frowned down at her copy of Defensive Magicks: A comprehensive guide to the Darkest Arts, trying to find the right words to express herself without sounding pathetic.

"And you don't feel the same…" Draco groaned, misinterpreting her silence. "Fuck. I'm so sorry, Hermione." He pushed himself up from his seat beside her to leave, but her hand shot out to stop him.

"Of course, I feel the same, Draco. I miss you so much that it hurts. You're all I can think about too, but that's not the issue here," she explained gently. "We both know why we had to end things."

"I just-" He shook his head, struggling to express himself. "I just need a little more time with you. I'm not ready for things to end."

"Draco…" She breathed his name and implored him to understand. "Things will be so much harder if we don't stop now. You know that. It will be so much harder than it is now."

"I don't care, Hermione. I don't care what comes after. All I care about is getting just a little more time with you. Please?" He pleaded. "Please say yes. Fuck the consequences."

"Okay," she whispered, still trying to convince herself this wouldn't end in disaster.

"Really?" His eyes widened with surprise.

"Fuck the consequences," she mirrored his words.

With an ecstatic smile on his face, he looked around to make sure no one was watching them, and pulled her behind him through rows upon rows of bookshelves until they reached a dark, secluded corner.

He backed her up against the shelves and lowered his mouth to hers to kiss her as if he'd been starving.

The kiss was gentle yet insistent at first, but with every pull of his lips and slide of his tongue against hers, it grew more frenzied.

Gods, she'd missed this so much.

He tasted incredible and his smell was still as intoxicating as ever. His body felt warm and solid against her. And Merlin...how was she ever going to walk away from this?

Without breaking their kiss, Draco's hands curled around the backs of her thighs, he hitched her up and wrapped her legs around his hips. He pressed tightly into her, and she could feel how much he wanted her.

She felt like she was drowning in him, feverish and needy. Her hands eagerly slipped under his robes so she could tug the back of his school shirt out from his trousers, desperate to feel his warm skin under her fingers. She'd been so sure she'd never get the chance again.

They continued to rediscover each other for what felt like hours, so wrapped up in each other that the world around them could have fallen away and they wouldn't have noticed.

It wasn't until a screeching Madam Pince found them practically rutting against the shelves—books tumbling to the floor with every buck of Draco's hips against hers—that they broke their kiss and ducked out of the library, gasping with laughter just outside the doors. They could still hear the shrill accusations of desecration and sacrilege coming from somewhere inside.

"Thanks for that," Draco mock scowled. "Now she'll never let me in there again."

"Me?" She gasped. "You were the one who started all of this. If you hadn't 'kissed' me as enthusiastically as you did, none of Madam Pince's precious books would have fallen from the rattling bookcase. You know the shelves in the back of the library are older and much less sturdy than the newer ones in the front. Madam Pince wouldn't have been half as outraged when she found us in the position she did if you'd just minded her books."

"Fine," he shrugged. "Next time I try to steal your virtue against the shelves in the library, I'll test their sturdiness before I press you into them."

Hermione scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Please, Draco. As if you could even locate my virtue without the aid of a map and a four-point spell."

"I beg your pardon?" He gaped at her with feigned affront. "I believe I could find your virtue while blindfolded."

"So you say, but I'd like to see that for myself." She teased. "Because, at this point, my untainted virtue is evidence to the contrary."

"I was merely trying to be a gentleman." He lifted his chin in an attempt at appearing noble.

"Right. Of course, you were. How silly of me to think you were intimidated by my innocence."

"Darling…" He leaned closer, his chuckle of amusement puffing across her neck. She shivered. "You're anything but innocent. You try so hard to pretend you're this bookish do-gooder witch who..." he pressed a kiss to the underside of her jaw. "...only cares about her schoolwork." Another press of his lips. "You may have the entire wizarding world fooled," he sucked her skin between his teeth and bit down gently. She moaned. "But don't think I don't know better. It's all just a smoke screen." He dragged his lips from her neck to her collarbone and sucked harder this time. Her eyes rolled back and she gasped. "And I'll admit I fell for the act too before I got to know you better."

"Oh, but you see…" she said breathily and pulled away from him to gain some control over her body. She was wet between her thighs, extremely turned on.

With a sugary smile, she said, "I am innocent." She trailed a finger across his chest and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "There's this arrogant, sexy-as-sin wizard who refuses to take me to bed to rectify the situation. And as long as he keeps stalling, that's what I'll remain. An innocent little witch who's extremely curious to know what it would feel like when he makes me his for the first time..."

"Listen here, you cheeky vixen. I'll have you know that-" He cut off abruptly when Mrs Norris' meows came from right around the corner. "Oh, fuck!" He cursed. "What do we do? If Filch finds us and Madam Pince hears the inevitable commotion, she'll surely rat us out. As much fun as we had together during our week with Slughorn, I promise you don't want detention with Filch. He's a sadistic arsehole."

Hermione scanned her surroundings hastily, spotting a suit of armour in the corner. "Hide behind there." She pointed. "I'll head back to my room and distract Filch on the way. It's not after curfew yet, and he'll be less suspicious of me."

Draco started to protest, but they were running out of time as Mrs Norris' meows grew louder by the second.

"Go!" She insisted, pressing a brief kiss to Draco's lips before pushing him towards the suit of armour. "I'll see you tomorrow."

xxx

May 1999:

Hermione felt miserable, irritated, and sore.

Her period had decided to arrive today of all days. She was hoping she and Draco could finally have sex soon; this week if she had her way. Things between them were heading towards a climax—no pun intended—and now mother nature had come to intervene, giving her the finger.

She grumbled when there was a knock at her door, and she reluctantly pushed off the covers, climbing out of bed.

She slipped on her slippers, shuffled to the door while trying to tame her wild hair, and opened the door. To her utter mortification, it was Draco.

He was leaning against the doorframe looking tall and handsome and ridiculously sexy.

And he was grinning...

At her.

"What?" She scowled, fighting a blush.

"Nice pyjamas, love," he lifted a teasing brow, grin shifting to a smirk.

Hermione blushed even redder and looked down at her fluffy bunny slippers and her ice cream-themed pyjamas. The top said 'lick me'.

"It's my favourite set." She pouted.

"May I come in?" He asked, sneaking a peek over her shoulder.

"I-" She hesitated, blocking him with her hands against the doorframe. "It's messy right now. I wasn't expecting company."

"I don't care if your room is messy, Granger." He rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to see you."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." She stepped aside to let him in.

Draco walked into her small sitting area and stopped suddenly, taking in the mess on her bed. There were Honeydukes' finest chocolate wrappers, an empty ice cream tub from Florean Fortescue's, a hot water bottle, a cold cup of tea and a half-eaten sandwich littering her duvet and bedside table.

"Wow," he turned to look at her, wide-eyed. "You weren't kidding."

"I wasn't feeling well," she shrugged.

"Is that why you weren't at dinner?"

"Yep," she nodded.

"What's wrong?" He asked. "Are you sick? Because, let me tell you, eating loads of sugar this late in the evening is bound to give you a stomach ache on top of everything else."

"I needed it, Draco," she insisted with a sulky moue. "I had an insane craving for chocolate."

"So I see. But I still don't understand why?"

"Oh my god, babe. I'm on my period, okay," she moaned her embarrassing admission, needing him to stop probing, and most of all, stop judging her choice of dinner.

"Oh..." Realization dawned and he blushed. "Sorry, love."

"I just want to go to bed. I'm not really in the mood to go somewhere tonight."

"Do you want me to stay with you? Keep you company for a bit?" He looked so sincere. And it was sort of sweet of him to offer.

"I mean...only if you want. As I said, I'm not going to be great company tonight."

Draco walked over to her bed and vanished the wrappers and the empty ice cream tub. He then dumped her sandwich in the dustbin of her small kitchenette, rinsed her tea cup and placed the plate in the sink. "Get in bed," he said over his shoulder. "I'll make you some tea."

"Are you sure?" She hesitated. "Draco, you don't have to take care of me. I'm sure you've got much better things to do."

"I missed you a lot today, love. And if I just get to hold you for a bit while you sleep, I'd be more than happy. As long as you're comfortable with that? Because, if you want me to go, I will." He looked so earnest that she wanted to melt into a puddle right there and then.

"I'd love to snuggle with you right now," she admitted with a shy blush, biting her lip.

"Then snuggle it is," he said. "Now go. Get in bed. I'll be with you in a minute."

Hermione kicked off her slippers, pulled back the covers, and climbed into bed, dragging her hot water bottle with her underneath the covers. She placed it over her lower belly and groaned her relief.

Draco walked over to the bed with two steaming mugs in his hands, placing hers on her bedside table. He placed a kiss against her temple and she hummed her appreciation.

He proceeded to the other side of the bed and set down his mug. He shrugged off his outer robes, and pulled off his shoes, leaving him in only his white dress shirt, trousers, and socks. "Is it okay if I get under the covers with you?" He asked hesitantly, looking completely out of his depth.

She supposed it made sense. From what she'd heard about him through the Hogwarts grapevine, he wasn't the post-coital snuggle and stay-over kind of guy. He got down to business and left straight afterwards to avoid any misconceptions or...unwelcome feelings. But here he was, about to snuggle with her. And it made her feel warm and fuzzy and very happy.

"Sure," she said, trying to appear casual about it. She was afraid he'd retreat if she made a big deal of it. "That would be nice."

Draco got in, scooted right up against her and coaxed her onto her side, her back facing his front. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, hand sneaking under her pyjama top to cup a breast. "Mmm..."

She chuckled indulgently but didn't ask him to move his hand. It felt way too good being in his arms that she didn't dare complain. Instead, she wiggled her bottom against him in an attempt to get even closer to him, and...oh! "Draco?" She whispered.

"Hmm?" He murmured against her hair.

"Is that...?" She flushed, not quite knowing how to broach the subject of his rather prominent erection pushing against her arse. She wiggled again, pushing pointedly into him, hoping he'd understand what she was trying to get at.

"Oh," he released a husky, rumbling laugh. The sound made her stomach clench. "Just ignore it and lie still. It will go away eventually. I think..."

"Is there something I should be doing?" She felt her blush heat her cheeks. "I mean...to help?"

"No," she felt him shake his head slowly, warm breath puffing against her ear. "Just relax and get some sleep. I didn't offer to snuggle to get something from it." He squeezed the breast in his hand. "Other than copping a feel, obviously. It'll be enough to tide me over for the time being."

"Okay," she closed her eyes. "Thanks for staying with me for a bit, Draco."

"Thanks for letting me, " he murmured, pressing his lips to her hair for a soft kiss.

xxx

Hermione was sitting at the Gryffindor table, deep in thought. The others were chattering away next to her, but she didn't hear a single word they said.

She was thinking back to a few nights ago when Draco had come over and stayed to snuggle with her while she'd been on her period. How he'd taken care of her and how sweet he'd been. How, the next afternoon, just before dinner, she'd come back to her room after a long day of classes to find a bouquet of yellow roses with red tips on her bedside table. Next to it had been a bar of her favourite Honeydukes chocolate—nut and honeycomb—and a small card with a sweet note hoping she felt better, signed with his initials. She could have melted at the gesture.

She was grateful for the fact that the eighth-year students had their own rooms in the castle this year. Since there were enough rooms available and so few students who'd come back to finish their N.E.W.T.s, it had been relatively easy to accommodate them. It made sneaking around with Draco a little easier, although they still had to keep an eye out for wandering students. And sometimes Draco and she were simply reckless with their affections when he came to get her for a secret date.

She'd been very surprised the morning after he'd stayed with her to find him in the same position as the previous night, sleeping soundly with his arm wrapped around her. His hand had slipped to her belly during the night and their legs had ended up tangled, but other than that it appeared he hadn't moved.

And she didn't recall having any nightmares...a rarity for her.

He'd looked so adorably dishevelled and bleary-eyed when she'd woken him up with kisses to his neck and face, a lazy grin tugging at his lips.

She was in so much trouble. She was falling harder for him with every single day that passed.

They'd been back to the room of requirement during the week, unable to do anything but snog. And so, that's exactly what they'd done. They'd snogged in front of the fire. They'd talked. She'd read The Secret Garden to him. And they'd snogged some more. But the sexual tension between them was very apparent. Every touch and every kiss lit her body on fire, and she was just about ready to combust.

So, now that she finally found herself relieved of her monthly predicament, she was on a mission to get what she wanted, planning different ways to seduce Draco. She was determined to have sex with him tonight, and she'd be damned if he stopped her again.

His gentlemanliness was becoming ridiculous now. He wouldn't even let her touch his cock to help him let off some steam.

Feeling eyes on her, she lifted her head and found Draco staring right at her, fire in his eyes.

Her stomach flipped and her heart stopped. It appeared he was thinking along the same lines. Or, at least she hoped he was.

They weren't planning on making their relationship public knowledge. Not yet, at least. Draco's mother and father were still an issue they had to work out, and until then, they had to keep things a secret, lest word ended up making its way to Lucius and Narcissa. But right now, Hermione wanted nothing more than to walk over to Draco at the Slytherin table and snog him senseless in front of everyone in attendance. Show them she loved him and that he was hers. But if this was the way it had to be, she'd be patient until they could be alone again.

xxx

Draco leaned into her during Potions, keeping a careful eye on Slughorn. The professor was very attentive to their interactions these days, trying to keep them from either fighting or snogging. "Are you feeling better yet?"

She supposed this was his way of asking how long her period was going to last. And she was excited to share the good news. She grinned. "I'm back to my old self again."

He pulled back in surprise, grey eyes bright and mischievous as they flicked between hers. "Really?"

Her stomach clenched and she rubbed her thighs together at the look in his eyes and the roughness of his voice. Gods, she really wanted to drag him out of class right now and lead him to her bed. She was so, so bloody ready to have sex with him. And with the way he was looking at her, he wanted it just as much. "Yeah, all done."

With a clearing of his throat, Professor Slughorn called the class to attention, beginning his brief outline for their assignment of the day, ending Draco's and her conversation. But for some unsettling reason, Draco appeared quiet and withdrawn for the rest of their lesson, eyes staring blankly at the same page every time she looked at him from her periphery.

She couldn't understand him. One moment he was hot, the next cold. Was the idea of sex so intimidating for him? Or revolting, maybe?

Unsure of what else to do, she focussed her attention on reading up on Veritaserum, as Slughorn wanted them to write an essay on the truth serum and its counteracting potion. The professor also hinted at the possibility that a portion of this specific assignment might end up in their N.E.W.T.s exam, along with the common pitfalls when brewing Veritaserum they'd previously covered.

At the end of class, Draco was packing away at a snail's pace, still quiet and eyes averted. It was more than obvious that he was stalling.

Determined to appear unaffected by his cold demeanour, she flung her bag over her shoulder and kept her head up, leaving for lunch so he could get his shit together and decide what he wanted from her.

The corridors were empty by the time she walked back from dropping her bag in her room, briefly considering skipping lunch to go to the library instead, when she was pushed against the door to an abandoned classroom.

"Draco! What are you doing?" She puffed out a startled breath, clutching at her chest.

He lowered his lips to her mouth in a fierce, demanding kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth when she gasped her surprise and relaxed against him. His hand skated up her thigh and over her arse, squeezing a cheek when he ground himself into her.

Oh, gods...

Draco's hand moved slowly from her arse to the apex between her thighs, slipping under her knickers and to her clit. Her body jolted when he swirled his thumb over and over against her, belly clenching with delight. She moaned loudly, unconcerned that they could be caught by anyone in this extremely compromising position, more focused on keeping her knees from buckling.

The door against her back fell away and they stumbled into the empty classroom, her lips clinging to his as if her life depended on it. She was vaguely aware of the door being shut and then being walked backwards, Draco's hard body flush against hers.

When the backs of her thighs hit a desk, Draco picked her up by her hips and sat her down on the cool surface. His teeth tugged briefly on her bottom lip before resuming their feverish kissing, trailing his large hands down to part her thighs.

He stepped in between them, standing flush against her. "I really, really want to take it slow with you, babe," he whispered, breaking their kiss. His eyes were liquid steel, lids heavy and cheeks pink.

He looked so sexy with his messy hair, and she struggled to remember when exactly her hands had found their way into his hair.

She heard the tell-tale sound of a zipper, and her heart rate spiked in anticipation.

This was happening…

It was finally fucking happening.

And she didn't care that he was going to shag her in a dank, dusty classroom on a rickety wooden desk. She didn't care that there was nothing romantic about it. All she knew was that she needed him so badly that the location no longer mattered.

Draco pressed his lips to the underside of her jaw, sucking hard against the sensitive skin, and then she felt his cock pushing against her entrance. But it wasn't what she wanted. Her knickers were still on and he was pushing right over it, not even slipping it to the side so he could gain access to the part of her that was slick and burning for him.

"Gods, Draco. Please stop teasing me!" She whined.

"I'm trying, babe," he whispered against her neck. "I am trying not to rush this, but I'm drowning."

She wanted to scream at him that he had been taking it slow. Way too slow. That enough was enough. But his sinful lips against her skin and his cock pushing against her cunt through her knickers had her speechless and clinging fiercely to him.

"I'm just so fucking tempted right now." His hand slipped to her breast, squeezing and kneading the flesh. "It's all I can think about lately. It took everything not to fuck you on your desk back there in Potions. Bend you over your desk, and flip up that skirt of yours. Just pull your knickers to the side and fill you up with my cock."

"Oh fuck!" She moaned loudly. "Please," she begged, arching her hips into him to spur him on. She was trembling and throbbing and so fucking close to coming just from the feel of him against her. She only needed a little bit more.

Her head tipped back as she reached for her orgasm. It was almost in her grasp. If he would just...

And then he pulled away from her, stepped out from between her thighs and hastily zipped up his trousers.

"Nooo!" She cried, reaching for him to bring him back to her, but he was standing too far away, struggling to maintain his composure. "No, no, no! Draco! Love, please. I need you. Don't do this to me again."

He didn't come closer. He just stood there, breathing hard and watching her with that fire still alive and burning in his eyes. "Fuck!" he cursed and scrubbed his hands over his face a few times to get a hold of himself.

She dropped her face into her hands in response, feeling like she could sob right now. "You're killing me," she mumbled into her hands.

She jolted when his arms suddenly wrapped around her, flat palm rubbing soothing circles on her back. "Not like this, Hermione." He kissed the top of her head. "Not for your first time. I have to do this right. It matters to me more than you know."

"So let's go to my room. Or yours, " she suggested hopefully. "No one will miss us at lunch. We could even skip the next class. I don't even care if I get detention because of it. It will be so worth it."

Draco chuckled, "As much as I'd love that, I want to make it special for you. For us. And I don't want to rush this. Besides, we're going to need much longer than half an hour." He pulled back to look at her with his chin tipped up in determination. "Tonight." He declared and captured her lips briefly. "I promise."

"Okay," she agreed with a nod, stomach doing flip-flops. "Tonight then."

"Let's go get some lunch. Before I change my mind and take you right here."

He carefully helped her down from the desk and fixed her hair and robes, planting a soft kiss against her lips when he declared her ready.

xxx

Hermione was a wreck.

She was so nervous and excited for tonight that she could barely function. She had knocked over her inkwell during Arithmancy, gotten the name of a plant wrong in Herbology, and spilt pumpkin juice all over herself during dinner.

And Draco was there for all of it, watching with a knowing smirk.

She wanted to march over and shake the smug bastard. Ask him how he could be so calm about this. How was he not a trembling mess of anticipation and nerves?

But she supposed having shagged as many girls as he already had, this wasn't such a big deal for him. It was just another chance to get laid.

But then again, it would be with her this time, and there were feelings involved; he seemed to want more than just sex from her.

Earlier he'd said he wanted to make it special for her and she truly appreciated the gesture. It meant the world to her that he treated her with so much care and respect.

When Draco finally showed up at her door a few hours later, she was still a mess.

She grabbed her beaded bag from the coffee table and hurried to open the door for him. Her stomach was tied in knots and her hands were shaking so badly that she had to clench them to her sides. But she was ready. She's never wanted anything as badly. She was buffed, shaved, and smelled nice. She had her sexiest knickers and bra on—something she'd bought a while back in the spur of the moment, in case she'd ever need it, and right now she was thanking her lucky stars that she had.

She felt somewhat calmer when Draco pulled her into his arms, his body trembling as well. He was nervous. And it made all the difference in the world to know that this was affecting him just as much as it did her.

With a quiet "hello" against her temple, he pulled in a lungful of her and groaned. "Merlin, you smell good. And you look so beautiful."

Hermione pulled back to look at him, doing a quick circuit of his face to gauge his mood. His eyes were warm, and despite the slight tremble in his body, he seemed determined and unreserved.

"Ready?" He asked, reaching for her hand to lace their fingers together. He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Yes." She squared her shoulders, making sure she appeared calm and confident. She couldn't let him see how nervous she was, or he'd never go through with their plans. "Where are we going?"

"The River of Light. If that's okay with you?" He watched her carefully, trying to make sure they were making the right decision.

She smiled her delight, glad that he'd chosen somewhere special for their first time. "I couldn't have asked for a better place."

With her hand still firmly clasped in his, she followed a step behind Draco as they walked quietly but quickly from her rooms on the fifth floor down the stairs while keeping an eye out for Peeves, Mrs Norris and Filch, and anyone else who'd decided on a late-night stroll about the castle. It honestly felt like the longest trip ever to get down the white marble staircase without their footsteps echoing loudly in the quiet castle.

They exited through the oak front doors and headed into the forest, the world outside calm and quiet while everyone else was tucked into their beds and sleeping soundly.

It was agony walking quietly beside Draco while she thought about what they'd be doing soon. Instead of trying to fill the loaded silence with trivialities, she chose not to talk, too afraid of saying anything that might ruin their night. She was nervous enough to know that she was in real danger of blurting out stupid things.

She squeezed Draco's hand when the blue light of the river started bleeding through the trees and her heart rate picked up speed, beating a tattoo against her ribs. She didn't know how long she could wait anymore. She was ready and she was anxious and she was so turned on by him. By the smell of him and his hard body so close to hers.

As they entered the clearing, three magnificent unicorns lifted their heads simultaneously, briefly watching them before continuing their grazing on the other side of the river. Hermione turned her head to look at Draco with amazement, and he grinned in return, looking pleased.

He'd told her about the unicorns when he'd first brought her here, but this was the first time she'd seen them for herself.

Draco found them a spot as Hermione pulled two large blankets from her bag. One to cover the grass where they were going to sit, and one to provide some heat if they were cold. It was still quite chilly at night, even though summer was a month away.

"How often do the unicorns graze here?" She asked when Draco sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I've seen them four or five times before tonight," he said, looking out over the blue waters of the babbling river at the unicorns. "I've seen seven of them here at one point, and sometimes they even bring their foals with them to graze."

"It must be amazing to see the young ones." She turned to look at him with awe.

"Quite," he agreed, watching her with eyes so hot she squirmed where she sat next to him, so ready for him that she wasn't sure how long she could keep up with small talk before she combusted.

Draco's eyes flicked down to her mouth, and he swallowed nervously before leaning down to capture her lips for a brief, intimate kiss. He pulled away slowly and their lips parted with a gentle smack. He dragged his lips across her cheek and pushed his nose to the underside of her jaw to drag in another lungful of her.

She shivered in anticipation. Maybe he was struggling just as much as she. Wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

"Are you cold?" He asked, nose trailing down her neck, lips following with soft presses to her skin while goosebumps rippled out over her body in waves.

"No," she shook her head and moaned, tipping her neck to the side to allow him better access. "Not cold."

He chuckled and pulled the delicate skin between his teeth, sucking hard to mark her.

She moaned again, louder this time, feeling the tell-tale signs of arousal pooling between her thighs. He was going to make her ruin her pretty, new knickers, but she didn't mind in the least.

She slipped her hands over his strong shoulders and pulled him closer to her so she could bite his earlobe softly, tugging at the flesh with her teeth.

Draco let slip a string of curses that would make a sailor blush and pulled away to push her jacket from her shoulders. "You're playing with fire witch," he growled.

"Good," she grinned deviously, eager to make his composure crumble before he changed his mind.

He was watching her intently, eyes blazing. His chest rose and fell with laboured breaths before he resumed his task of undressing her.

Slowly, he dragged his hands up her arms, over her shoulders and breasts, making her nipples tighten painfully in response. Trembling hands stopped at her hips to lift the hem of her cashmere sweater, pulling it up and over her head and casting it to the side. "Are you sure about this, Hermione?" He whispered and leaned in to brush his lips against hers.

"Please, Draco. Don't stop. I'm so ready for this," she responded with certainty.

"That's good," he huffed a quiet laugh and pushed her gently down onto her back against the soft, warm blanket beneath them. "Because I'm done taking things slow with you." He pressed his mouth insistently against hers, and she parted her lips willingly, allowing him to kiss her slow and deep.

He tasted as exquisite as always, maybe even better tonight—minty with a hint of smokiness and one hundred percent Draco.

He leaned back, kneeling between her legs and carefully unbuttoned the small black buttons on her silk top, eyes following each movement of his fingers as he went. When he finally released the last button, his eyes were rapt with attention as he slid open her top to reveal a Gryffindor-red bra.

He stared silently at it for a moment before squeezing his eyes shut and groaning. "Gods, you're going to kill me."

"Do you like it?" She asked, smirking. She'd hoped for this kind of reaction. She wanted to make sure he wouldn't be able to find a reason to stop tonight.

"Very much," he nodded slowly, eyes jumping up to hers. "Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are?"

She blushed and bit her lip, unsure if he expected an answer.

When she didn't say anything, he hooked a finger in her bra and dragged the lacy cup down to expose her breast to him.

"So perfect," he whispered and lowered his head to pull a rosy nipple into his hot mouth, swirling his tongue over the sensitive flesh.

Her eyes rolled back in her head and she moaned without restraint as Draco slowly lit her body on fire.

He repeated the move on the other breast and pulled back just enough to slip his hands behind her back to unhook her bra.

Hermione pushed up to sit, and shrugged off her shirt and bra, adding to the small but growing pile of their clothes. It was now her turn to undress him, and her mouth watered at the mere idea of seeing him naked.

She helped him out of his thick coat, tossing it aside, and then unbuttoned his thick sweater while her lips found purchase against the underside of his jaw. She dragged her tongue over the roughness of his five o'clock shadow and scraped her teeth against his skin, belly tightening at the taste.

His breath hitched in response and it made her smile against his jaw. It bolstered her confidence whenever she made his composure slip.

When she was done with the sweater, she pushed it down his arms and proceeded to unbutton his dress shirt, dragging her lips to his collarbone where his Sectum Sempra scar peaked out beneath the white vest. She kissed it gently, remembering how close he'd come to death the day he got these scars.

Her hands trailed down over the hard plane of his abdomen and her fingers curled around the hem. And without hesitation, she pulled his vest over his head with some assistance from him as he lifted his arms.

She was momentarily side-tracked by the large red and black tattoo of a dragon covering most of his shoulder, the side of his pectoral, the whole of his upper and most of his forearm, stopping just above his wrist. She'd caught glimpses of it every time he'd rolled up his sleeves in Slughorn's class when they were brewing and chopping ingredients, but she hadn't anticipated the amount of skin it covered. It was so fucking sexy she could cry.

Draco hummed in approval, hands slipping into her hair to fist her curls when she continued her perusal of his muscled chest and abdomen with her lips, following the largest of his scars down to his hip. Her fingers lazily drifted to the button on his trousers, undoing it and dragging down the zipper over the prominent bulge.

Draco hissed at the contact, hips jumping in response, but he pulled away and flipped her onto her back, gripping the waistband of her denims. He impatiently popped the button and unzipped her, pulling the jeans off when she arched her hips to assist. Her knickers followed soon after, leaving her naked in front of him.

No one had ever seen her in this state of undress, except her parents when she was much younger.

She wanted to cover herself up with embarrassment, feeling self-conscious. How many women has Draco seen naked before? Would she even be able to measure up? But the sight of Draco as he finally pulled down his underwear side-tracked Hermione.

Her eyes snapped to his hips and she flinched at the size of him as his cock bobbed up and down from where it had been released.

She wasn't particularly familiar with the male anatomy, other than the occasional medical books she'd browsed in the past, or the statue of David she'd seen when her parents had taken her to the Accademia Gallery in Florence one summer. Even so, she knew he had to be way above average as his thick cock jutted out proudly for her, a bead of clear fluid glistening at the tip.

She rubbed her thighs together in anticipation and wondered if her body would ever be the same after she'd had him inside her. If he could fit inside in the first place.

He was going to ruin her…in every goddamn way…

Before her thoughts could run away with her, Draco gently tipped her chin up with a finger, seeking out her eyes. "You're overthinking this, Hermione. I can practically hear the wheels turning in that beautiful brain of yours."

"Yes, I know," she started to protest. "But how-"

"Shhh," he soothed, brushing his lips against hers. "I promise it's going to be fine." Another kiss on her lips. "I'll do my best not to hurt you. Just try to stay relaxed, and tell me if you want me to stop."

"Okay," she nodded, breathing out slowly to calm her nerves. "I trust you."

Draco leaned back and gripped his cock in a large fist while Hermione watched in fascination, yearning to touch him.

Her hand stretched out, eliciting a hiss from Draco as one finger stroked gently over the swollen head. She smeared the pearl of fluid down the shaft as she went, tracing the veins that were standing out against the dark pink skin. She kept going, briefly looking up to find him watching her from under heavy lids as her finger trailed through the patch of hair at the base of his cock, and then slipped lower to cup his balls. His cock twitched and a groan slipped from his lips. It felt like silk stretched over steel, skin impossibly soft.

His hand caught hers suddenly, stopping her from exploring further. He swallowed heavily; voice rough as he pleaded, "You've got to stop now, babe. Or I won't even last long enough to get inside of you."

"Oh!" She whispered, biting her lip as a blush crept onto her cheeks. "Sorry. I didn't realize."

"Don't be sorry," he smirked. "It feels incredible." His tongue peeked out to wet his lips and he looked down for a moment as if contemplating whether he should say what was on his mind. "It's just that I've fantasized about this for a while now, and while I've wanked to thoughts of you more times than I should feel comfortable admitting, it's been months since I've had sex. And wanking is just not the same. So, at the risk of sounding like a complete tosser-"

"No pun intended?" She winked.

Draco huffed a laugh and shook his head, "No pun intended." He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, he had a determined look in his eyes. "I just really want to make love to you, Hermione. More than you'll ever know."

"Then take me, please," she begged, arching her hips to spur him into action. "I've wanted you just as badly. Ever since our first kiss, I've been imagining how it would feel to have sex with you."

"Yeah?" He flashed her a cocky smirk, his confidence returning.

"Please, Draco," she encouraged again, gripping his hand and guiding it to her soaking cunt. "We've waited long enough."

Like a wild animal, Draco's eyes snapped down to where her hand covered his, helping him push their fingers into her core. His feral gaze locked between her thighs as she worked their fingers in and out of her, watching him as he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

If it weren't for the uninhibited look in his eyes making her feel beautiful and desired, she might have given in to self-consciousness at that exact moment and clamped her legs shut. As it were, the way his eyes drank her in made liquid heat pool between her thighs. No one had ever looked at her like he did right at that moment. Like he was taking in every inch of her and trying to commit it to memory.

Draco stroked a gentle hand from her cheek, down her neck, coming to rest on a breast. His other hand slipped out from between her folds, joining in to knead her breasts and roll her nipples between his fingers. A gentle tug on her nipples had her hissing in pleasure and she could feel her pulse throb between her thighs.

"So beautiful," he whispered hoarsely, lowering his head to graze his lips over her ribs. He pressed them softly to each dip and swell as he went, taking careful inventory.

Hermione jerked in surprise, a moan tumbling from her lips when he stroked the head of his cock through her folds, before pushing the tip slowly into her core to stretch her open.

She was panting, breathless, and her pulse accelerated in anticipation, eager to feel more of him.

Draco cursed and groaned as he pushed a little deeper, eyes squeezed tightly shut as if he were in pain.

"What's the matter?" She whispered, concerned that she was doing something wrong.

But when his eyes fluttered open, they were blazing. He stared at her, holding perfectly still, and then the most beautiful smile kicked up on one side of his mouth. "Absolutely nothing," he assured her, dipping his head to capture her lips for a brief kiss. "You have an incredible cunt, Granger. So tight, I worry that I might come the moment I've completely buried myself inside of you."

Hermione flushed at his crudeness but found a thrill pulsing through her at the thought that she was giving him this much pleasure. That she was the reason he might lose control. "Oh, the shame..." She teased.

Draco grabbed her calf and hooked it over his hip. Hermione wrapped her other leg around him, and when she dug her heels into his arse, she accidentally forced him a little deeper inside of her.

Draco's eyes rolled back and his mouth popped open.

Her breath hitched in surprise.

He felt so good. The fit was tight, and the stretch teetered on the edge of pain, but she couldn't wait for more. For all of him.

Pulling his hips back slowly, Draco pushed back inside with deliberate but shallow thrusts, gently working her open. He slipped deeper each time and it made her toes curl with pleasure.

Fighting to stay afloat while this exquisite feeling threatened to pull her under, she dug her fingers into his arse and attached her lips to his neck to pull the skin between her teeth. She lifted her hips to him, seeking out more of him, begging silently.

Draco complied, giving a deep, hard thrust into her.

She cried out when he bottomed out deep inside of her with a groan of pleasure against her ear, her walls burning painfully in protest as her body stretched to accommodate his significant size. It was simultaneously the best and worst feeling ever, but she needed him to keep going so she could get used to him. She wanted to chase the pleasure that was buried under all the discomfort.

His eyes snapped open at her cry, hips stilling. He cupped her cheek with his hand to force her to look at him. "Are you okay?" He asked, already beginning to pull out of her.

"No, I'm fine! Please don't stop, love!" She begged, digging her heels into his arse to pull him back inside her.

This incredible fullness was something she could never have anticipated, even though she'd spent countless nights imagining it. The reality of him hot and thick inside her, stretching her so, so tight, was something else altogether. It was the best kind of pain.

"Holy shit, Hermione," he slurred, eyes rolling back with pleasure like he was drunk off her. "You feel so fucking good." He pressed butterfly kisses against her shoulder and slowly resumed his languid thrusts.

Her fingers traced every dip and swell of his muscled back, legs tightening around his hips while she met him thrust for thrust, keeping their bodies as close as possible.

She searched for his mouth, their lips meeting with messy, breathless kisses while her body thrummed each time he bucked his hips and grazed against her clit. Her body climbed higher and higher, and she wondered why they'd waited so long to do this. No wonder everyone loved sex so much. There was no other feeling in the whole world that could compare to what she was experiencing while Draco moved so deep inside of her. And now that he's given her a taste…

"You need to tell me if I'm hurting you," he murmured against her lips, the pace of his thrusts increasing little by little. She could feel the way his body trembled with restraint. "Because I don't know how long I'll be able to keep up this pace. Your cunt is driving me insane."

"Then just let go, Draco," she stroked his cheek and arched her hips to meet his thrusts at a faster pace, encouraging him to take what he needed. "We have all the time in the world. If I don't get to come this time, you can make it up to me with our second time."

He puffed a laugh, and nodded, "Yeah. I promise I will." And then like a flip of a switch, his eyes squeezed shut and he bit down on his lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

He snapped his hips into her once as if testing to see if she could take it, and when she moaned and her back arched, he finally gave up his saintlike control.

She tightened her grip on him, dug her nails into his back and bit down on his shoulder while he thrust harder and deeper into her, the slickness of her arousal making every push and pull effortless.

Where minutes ago, there had been a lot of discomfort, she was left with only this overwhelming pleasure now. Her blood sizzled in her veins, her breath raced over her lips and there was an insistent throbbing in her clit. It felt as if her body was preparing for fireworks, the push and pull of Draco's cock causing sparks deep in her belly.

When he suddenly unhooked her legs from around his hips and lifted them one by one over his shoulders, careful to keep himself steady above her with one arm for support, her mouth popped open in surprise.

"Oh f-fuck, Draco!" She cried and screwed her eyes tightly shut, reeling from the exquisite feel of him pushing even deeper.

With each thrust, he was hitting a new spot that made the coil in her belly wind tighter and tighter, ready to snap.

"Hermione…" he growled through clenched teeth, his thrusts turning turbulent and uneven. The vein on his forehead strained under the skin, prominent now as he battled to keep his focus. His grey eyes were glassy when he looked at her. "I can't hold back anymore. I'm going to come." And with that declaration, he threw his head back and squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a string of curses through gritted teeth.

With a handful of deep, bone-jarring thrusts, he filled her with his cum until it leaked out between them, her thighs wet and sticky.

When he eventually stilled above her, his eyes snapped open and he scowled with frustration. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I tried to wait, but you were so tight and fuck-" He brushed his hair from his eyes and huffed. "It's never felt this good before."

Even though the throbbing between her legs was still there, she smiled indulgently at him, beyond satisfied with her first time. She'd heard so many horror stories from the girls she used to share a dorm with when she was younger, that her first time with Draco had been way better than she had expected. And getting to watch him peak; feeling the way his body tightened when he came; feeling the spreading warmth as he spilt his cum deep inside her was the most amazing thing ever.

"It was really, really good, Draco." She craned her neck to capture his lips, stroking a hand down his back.

Their lips clung together for a moment, before parting with an intimate smack, and she grabbed his chin gently, forcing him to look at her. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

She was startled when Draco's cock softened completely and slipped out of her, followed by a gush of warm liquid running down between her thighs. It was the strangest feeling.

He reached for his wand and cast a cleaning- and- contraceptive charm. "If you give me a few minutes, I promise I'll make you come too," he vowed and dropped down beside her, pulling her into his chest. His lips brushed her temple once, twice, before he pressed the gentlest of kisses against her damp skin. "Hands down, best sex of my life." He declared.

"You can't be serious," she scoffed, tipping her head up to look at him. "You're telling me the best sex you've had was with a virgin? What about all those other witches? What about Katie Bell?"

"Oh, I'm serious, Granger. You're a phenomenal shag," he insisted and pushed her hair behind her ear with a gentle stroke of his finger. "All those other times were nothing compared to tonight. I never realized what a difference it would make when there was an emotional connection."

"You're sure it wasn't just because I was a virgin? Tight cunt and whatnot." She teased.

"Look at you!" He chuckled, turning on his side and pushing up onto his forearm to look at her with amusement. "Using words that would make a sailor blush."

"I was only repeating your words, Malfoy."

"Mmm," he hummed, scratching his chin in mock contemplation. "Perhaps I should mind my language a little better when I'm around you."

"Too late for that." She shook her head. "Besides, do you even know what comes out of your mouth in the heat of the moment? You say the most scandalous things. But it's so fucking sexy."

"What a cheeky witch!" He teased her, nuzzling her neck until she squealed and pleaded for mercy. "Seriously though, you weren't my first." He clarified, "Virgin, that is. So that's how I can say with certainty that it isn't just because it was your first time. It's a combination of a lot of different things for me: Is my partner passionate and responsive during sex? Does she want it as much as I do, or is she meek and restrained? Does she reciprocate touch? What kinds of sounds does she make in the heat of the moment? Is she quiet, or worse, is she pretending to be loud because she thinks that's what I want from her? Or," he pressed a kiss to her lips, "Does she gasp softly when something surprises her, whine when it's too much or not enough? Cry out when it feels really good, unable to stop herself from reacting to everything she's experiencing in the moment?"

The throbbing was back between Hermione's legs, and her heart hammered in her chest. Who knew it could be such a turn-on to hear Draco talk about what he wanted from his lovers? What he liked.

"You tick all the right boxes. You're such an amazing lover, because every touch and every sound was real. You were right there with me in the moment, an equal participant. And it was a mind-blowing experience. Especially since this was your first time."

"It wasn't a conscious thing," she tried to argue, feeling unworthy of his praise. "I'm not even sure exactly what I did. I just went with what felt natural."

"Exactly," he said with a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You were real. Perfect." He pushed up and hovered over her, dragging his eyes over her naked body to catalogue every inch of her. "God, you're so fucking delicious," his eyes flicked up to hers for a second. "How I've never noticed still astounds me."

"You were an idiot before," she tried for levity.

He dipped his head to capture one of her nipples between his fiery lips, humming his agreement, and she keened when he tugged gently on the flesh with his teeth. "Think of all the time we wasted hating each other," he breathed against a rosy bud and dragged his lips down toward her stomach. "I could have been enjoying all of this perfection for years…"

"Such a shame…" She panted, toes curling with pleasure when Draco dragged his fingers through her soaking folds, stroking and teasing. He thumbed her clit before pushing one finger inside of her.

"Oh god, yesss..." She hissed and curled her head back, fingers clutching at his shoulders. "More..." She pleaded, thrusting her hips into his hand, eager for friction. "I need more."

Draco's lips returned to her chest, this time affording her other nipple some much-needed attention. He bit down harder than before, and her breath hitched, relishing the sting. He skilfully slipped a second finger into her and pressed down hard on her clit. Even as he worked her body to the brink of ecstasy, she was fully aware of the way his cock grew harder against her thigh, the tip pressing insistently into her.

"Please, Draco," she begged and slipped her hand down his side, over his hip, wrapping her fingers around his cock. He made her feel wanton and desperate, but she couldn't give a damn at the moment. She only wanted one thing right now, and she mentally kicked her dignity to the side. "I need you inside me."

"Not yet," he denied her request, working his fingers diligently in and out of her in a steady rhythm. "I need…" His words cut off when she dragged her hand slowly up and down his thick shaft. "Fuck, you're not playing fair, Hermione," he huffed and closed his eyes while she kept her hand working over him. "I need you to come before I shag you again. I want you ready. I need that tight little cunt squeezing around my cock until I'm ready to burst."

"I'm ready, Draco," she insisted, fingers squeezing him tighter and working his cock faster the longer he denied her. "I promise. I'm so, so ready."

"Stop it, witch," he growled a warning, curling his fingers deep inside of her to hit that special spot that made her see stars.

Her legs shook and her mouth popped open in surprise when her walls clenched once.

He smirked and his grey eyes sparkled with amusement, knowing exactly what he was doing. And then he repeated the move again and again like he wanted to torture her with pleasure until she relented.

It worked.

The coil in her belly snapped, her back arched and her eyes rolled back, completely losing control of her body.

"Oh, M-Merlin!" She cried as her walls fluttered and contracted around his fingers, her orgasm hitting her so suddenly that it left her breathless. She grabbed blindly for Draco, helplessly trying to anchor herself to him while her climax strung her along in a riptide like a useless rag doll.

Her hips bucked against his hand and her thighs squeezed tight to keep his fingers inside of her as she clenched convulsively around him. She was babbling, her lips forming words that her ears couldn't hear and her brain couldn't fathom, body shaking and sweat beading on her forehead while every muscle in her body pulled tight.

"That's it..." Draco praised against the shell of her ear, easing her down with slower movements while electricity crackled and sparked in her belly and her lungs heaved painfully. "You're such a beautiful sight to behold when you come for me, love."

When her body finally stilled, she felt momentarily disorientated and boneless.

Draco pulled his fingers carefully out of her and to her utter surprise, slipped them between his lips to taste her. "Mmm."

Hermione's eyes snapped to his mouth; her attention singularly focused on him. Her lips parted in fascination, watching as he sucked his fingers clean one by one and then popped them from between his swollen lips.

"What?" He asked, completely at ease with what he'd just done.

"Are you-" She faltered. "I mean, I-" For a moment she just watched him again, unable to form a coherent response to what she'd just witnessed. Never in her life had she imagined Draco Malfoy of all people, licking her cum from his precious fingers.

"You wouldn't be so shocked if you knew how good you tasted," he offered simply, seeing that she was struggling with what he'd done. "So much better than I imagined."

"It doesn't gross you out?" She finally managed to string together a full sentence.

"If you ever suck my cock, would you swallow my come? Or would you spit it out?" He asked, trying to make a point.

She flushed as she imagined wrapping her lips around his beautiful cock. "Swallow, I guess," she shrugged but rubbed her thighs together at the mere thought that she could make him lose control with just her mouth. The idea of him coming all over her tongue had her completely aroused within seconds. "I haven't thought about it until now…"

He raised a challenging brow.

"I haven't," she insisted. "If you hadn't noticed, my mind's been a little preoccupied with sex. But to answer your question, I'd definitely want to swallow. The idea is arousing…knowing I could make you come with my mouth."

"So, do you get it now? Why I find it so appealing?" He asked. "I've imagined burying my face between your legs so many times. Thought about how you'd taste. What sounds you'd make for me when you came?"

When comprehension dawned, she bit her lip, curious now. If she were to accept that he liked her taste; wanted more in the future, and be comfortable with him putting his mouth between her legs, she needed to know what she tasted like, too. "So, if I kissed you right now, would I be able to taste myself on your lips?"

Draco groaned in response and dropped down onto the blankets, covering his face with his hands. "Christ, Hermione..." He mumbled from behind his hands. "You're fucking killing me."

She watched as Draco dropped one of his hands to his cock, already hard again, and stroked himself lazily.

"Does it turn you on to know that I want to taste myself?" She grinned, crawling slowly towards him.

"Very much so," he nodded slowly but emphatically, his other hand still partially covering his face.

"Then kiss me," she demanded, pulling his hand away from his face.

Draco pushed himself upright, looking at her a little wearily. "Killing me," he repeated.

Having had quite enough of Draco's histrionics, she pulled his face toward hers and covered his mouth with hers, hesitantly flicking out her tongue for a taste. The moment her tongue touched his lips, Draco opened his mouth to her, allowing her entry.

She tasted him first, a subtle but ever-present minty taste that probably came from his toothpaste. And then, a tangy taste that had her deepening the kiss to find more.

"Mmm..." she hummed, enjoying the taste of herself mixed with his. Draco slipped his hands into her hair as she stroked her tongue against his one final time, just to be sure, and hummed again. She grinned against his lips when his only response was to tighten his grip on her hair. "I think I like it," she said.

"Right," Draco groaned, abruptly breaking the kiss. He slipped his hands from her hair, curled his fingers around her hips and shifted her onto his thighs to straddle him. "Since you enjoy being such a little tease, I want to watch as you fuck yourself on my cock."

Hermione whimpered, her stomach fluttering at his words. She had never imagined she would get this aroused from dirty talk, but she loved hearing it fall from Draco's lips. It turned her on very much knowing she could inspire these types of responses from someone as experienced as him.

"What do I do?" She asked as she lifted her hips and gripped his cock to line it up with her slick core.

"Just move your hips up and down as you take my cock," he explained. "You'll soon discover what feels best, and then you keep chasing that feeling. Until you make yourself come." And then he helped lower her slowly onto him, making both of them groan when he bottomed out deep inside of her.

At first, Draco kept his eyes trained on her face, watching as she slowly rode him up and down, trying to find a rhythm that worked for her.

She sighed and keened every time she leaned back just a little, the angle making Draco's cock drag over that special spot inside of her that he knew just how to touch to make her come in a matter of seconds.

Her walls fluttered when she maintained that angle, shifting up and down a little faster to chase more of that feeling.

"That's it, baby…" He encouraged her when her eyes screwed shut, her mouth popped open and she grabbed onto his hips to steady herself. "Take what you need."

"So good…" She breathed, fucking him harder now. She could feel the familiar tightening in her belly, the trembling in her legs, and ignored the burn of her thighs.

Her eyes popped open when he murmured, "Fucking sexy," and caught him staring at the juncture where their bodies joined, his eyes on fire. "Do you have any idea how good you look taking my cock like this? Watching it stretch that tight little cunt of yours over and over again while you fuck me is probably the best thing I've ever seen."

His eyes flicked up to hers for a second, and then back down. He took one of her hands, placed it between her legs and said, "Feel how well you take me, love."

To say that she was aroused before was an understatement. Feeling herself slip up and down onto Draco's cock was something else. His shaft was slick from her arousal, thick and hard as it disappeared inside her, and it made her go even faster, aching for release.

"I-" She whined and her hips faltered. She was so close to coming, but she needed more skin-on-skin contact. As fantastic as this position felt, she missed the intimacy of being pressed against his chest.

"What do you need, love?" He asked, lifting himself up and leaning back on his arms.

"I need you," she said. "I need you closer to me. And I want to kiss you."

He complied, sitting up fully so that she was straddling his lap. Their chests pressed together and she sighed her appreciation, loving the feeling of his warm skin against hers. His fingers curled around her hips, digging into the fleshy swells on either side, and he dipped his head to kiss her slow and deep.

She started to move again, and as if Draco knew her legs were tired and sore, he helped her by guiding her up and down, setting a brutal pace that had her crying out against his lips.

The effort of their lovemaking had sweat beading against her skin in a light sheen, and her heart thundered in her chest, but she was so close now. This angle offered her the much-needed friction she was chasing, her clit throbbing as she ground her pelvis into him with every downward thrust.

"I think I'm close, babe," she whispered against Draco's lips, trembling with the promise of release.

He bucked his hips upward and into her as she met him thrust for thrust, keening with pleasure. "Such a good girl," he praised, keeping up with her to help her toward her crest. "Look at how eagerly you're riding my cock."

Hermione moaned at the praise, eyes rolling back when his lips found her nipple, sucking first the one peak, and then the other, rolling his tongue over the rosy buds.

"I think-" She panted, hips struggling to maintain an even rhythm as she teetered on the edge of climax.

He picked up speed to help her reach her peak, whispering the dirtiest words in her ear as he claimed her body for himself; ruining her for all other men.

"Oh my god, Draco!" She cried out when her release claimed her. She shattered into millions of pieces while her walls contracted around his cock, dragging him with her over the edge.

She was vaguely aware that she was chanting his name between a string of yeses, too blissed out to care what she was saying. She clung tightly to him as he pushed his face into the crook of her neck, his ecstasy a muffled groan tattooed into her skin.

"Jesus…" Draco panted as they finally drifted down from their high, buzzing with the residual magic of their enthusiastic lovemaking. "I don't think I'll ever get enough of you. Of this," he motioned between them with a lazy hand, the other squeezing her hip.

"Nor do I," she puffed and pressed her cheek against his chest while she heaved air into her burning lungs, neither of them ready to separate. She planted a string of soft kisses against his chest before continuing. "This is-" she struggled to find the right words. "I never thought sex would feel like this." She pulled back to look at him, stomach flipping at the sight of his bright grey eyes, flushed cheeks, and platinum hair damp and sticking to his forehead and temples. "There's nothing in this world that has ever felt as good as making love to you."

"I told you so," he smirked and pulled her mouth down to his for a slow, intimate kiss.

A/N: Thoughts on this chapter?
xxx