AN: Again, thank you to everyone reading, following, favoriting, and commenting on this story. It really helps motivate my writing! Things get mature in this chapter so be warned. Special thank you to my alpha reader: LaDeeDaa and beta reader: astrangefan both of which help me be a better writer and without whom i could not do this story.

Gryffindor Common Room

Theo and Draco were fidgety.

In the entire planning of the move to Hogwarts for the removal of their Marks, she hadn't considered this would be the first time they'd returned to the school since the traumatic events of the Battle of Hogwarts. She still remembered her first trip back and how emotional that had been. Hogwarts was home not just for her and her Gryffindor friends - the Slytherins grew up there too. As much as Draco complained about the injustice of the House Points system and Dumbledore, Hermione knew he actually loved the place. As for Theo, she could only imagine it was his only refuge from a sadistic and abusive father.

She was packing a bag for each of them when she noticed they'd become more withdrawn and observably anxious. If they'd been Harry and Ron, she'd have immediately stopped what she was doing to assure them that there was nothing to worry about. Draco and Theo, however, did not need a mother hen. Besides, who was she to tell them to relax?

Instead, she made small talk, which she absolutely hated. She was in the middle of noting that they'd probably need warmer clothes for the draughty bits of the Castle this time of year in Scotland while folding a shirt when she felt Draco's strong hands wrap around hers.

"Hermione, it's fine," he said. "We've both been through worse. Relax."

She smiled a little and sighed. "Okay," and with that she gave up filling the silence.

"If you don't want to do this, Hermione, I understand," Theo said after a beat.

"It's not that at all," Hermione shook her head quickly. "I know that Hogwarts isn't the place either of you'd like to be right now…"

"Granger, we've spent five years in hell. Bring on Stick-in-the-Arse McGonagall and Peeves any day," Draco said. Hermione snorted at that.

"We could be there a while. Depending on how the first counter-curse goes, it will dictate how long I have to wait before I can perform yours, Draco."

He shifted uncomfortably and she saw his jaw tighten. "You said you'd try," she reminded him before he could so much as protest the idea of her removing his Mark. "If I remove Theo's Mark safely, you will let me remove yours."

"I don't know if we can call the agreement valid. It seemed coerced," Draco quipped, but the upturn of his lips showed that he wasn't going to argue with her again - at least not at that moment.

"I've told McGonagall we'd arrive at nine," she said. "Let's have dinner before we Floo there. I hate having the elves prepare us food while the castle is essentially empty as it is."

Theo and Draco rolled their eyes in unison. "Hermione, the elves will be beside themselves to do something. If the school is to be closed for three weeks, as you say, they are probably distraught."

"I'm not going to debate elf rights at the moment," Hermione replied haughtily.

"Oh good. Let's save it for later," Draco said, his tone dripping in sarcasm. "Bring it up right as you slice into our arms. Might as well get all the torture done at once."

Hermione giggled and slapped him in the chest. "Shut it, you prat."

Draco caught her hand and pulled it up to his mouth placing a soft, sweet kiss on her knuckles and she was like putty in his hands. She smiled at him through her lashes, and he kissed her hand once more before lowering it again.

"I'll make dinner. You and Theo finish packing," Draco instructed.

"Yes, sir!" Theo muttered at his blond friend's back as Draco moved out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen.

"So, hand kissing now…" he said slyly as he dropped his down pillow into the magically extended bag.

Hermione blushed. If he only knew what Draco and she had gotten up to when he was passed out in a cannabis coma…

"It's okay. Don't tell me anything. I love watching this whole thing play out like a 19th century romantic drama. Neither of you give me all the information but I get just enough titillating material to keep me interested."

Hermione laughed at that. "Theo, don't pretend you don't know more about this situation than either of us."

"It's true. The two of you are hopeless," Theo admitted.

"Well, I can't wait to get Pansy over here so we can watch you flounder for once," She shot back.

"Fair point," Theo said. But the mention of Pansy did that thing to him, the thing where he got contemplative and introspective. She hadn't meant to bring her up, to be honest. She still wasn't sure what went on between the two. She only knew that Theo cared for Pansy a great deal and was desperate to see her. Draco used more colourful language to explain Theo's pining.

"I will bring her here when the Mark is removed," Hermione promised. "I can't risk her finding out anything about the work. I know you care about her, but I am still not sure I can trust her."

"I understand," Theo said, smiling. "I hope one day you can see Pansy for who she really is, but the truth is, most people - even fellow Slytherins - have never known her. She doesn't let just anyone in."

"I know," Hermione assured him. "Give me a month to get you both on the mend, and I'll invite her over for tea. With any luck she won't hex me."

"Thank you," Theo replied. "Now, don't forget the teeth brushes." Hermione giggled, but went to the bathroom to get the 'teeth brushes'.

Minerva McGonagall always had sort of a pinched expression. Even in the years after Hogwarts, even as Hermione was obviously her favourite pupil, she wasn't a woman who looked pleased even when she was. Her face reached a new level of distaste when Hemione, Draco, Theo, and Harry stepped into her office from the giant fireplace at the far end.

"Headmistress," Hermione greeted pleasantly. It was a testament to how little McGonagall approved of this plan that she didn't even correct her by asking her to call her 'Minerva' as she almost always did.

Draco was looking at his shoes, but Theo had the presence of mind to greet the woman. "Thank you so much, Headmistress," he said.

McGonagall waved off the thanks. "It's no trouble, dear."

Theo nudged Draco who shot him a glare. "Thank you," he said in a clipped tone.

McGongall said nothing.

It might be a long three weeks.

Hermione couldn't help but notice Dumbledore and Snape, right behind McGonagall's shoulders, eying the situation. Snape made all the appearance of boredom, but Hermione knew better. As head of Slytherin House, he had always looked out for his charges. There was no denying that, despite his best efforts, he cared for the children he basically raised in Slytherin House. Nott and Malfoy were no exception.

Dumbledore's bloody eyes were twinkling, and she got the feeling that she might be ill prepared to suppress the urge to hex the painting at some point if he didn't stop. The very least he could do since he orchestrated Draco's Sixth Year turmoil would be to cut the tension and offer some kind of apology. But he just smiled placidly and remained silent.

The silence itself was thick like a curtain hanging over all the occupants of the room. Harry must have noticed.

"Eh, Minerva," he said awkwardly, "Would you mind showing us where we'll be staying for the night?"

"Of course," she said, straightening up and attempting to make her expression friendlier. She was only marginally successful. "I've arranged for you all to stay in the Gryffindor Common room. The elves have prepared sleeping arrangements. You can, of course, go up to the top dormitory for privacy, but the rest are occupied by students' possessions while they are on holiday."

"Of course," Hermione said, smiling. "Thank you, M-Minerva."

"The password is: loyalty," she said, and Hermione didn't know if that was an intentional slight or a coincidence. She decided to be generous and assume the latter. She'd have to talk one-on-one with the Headmistress at some point - clear the air.

As the foursome made their way out of the Headmistresses' office, Theo let out a long sigh of relief. "She's still bloody terrifying," he said, and Hermione and Harry just laughed.

"This from someone who had Snape as an ersatz father figure," Harry joked.

"Fair point," Theo conceded.

"McGonagall is a good woman," Hermione defended, "but she is confused."

"She's not that confused," Draco finally said, the first time he'd spoken since they arrived. "She doesn't have much of a problem with Theo, and I'm happy to see it. She knows exactly who she doesn't want in her school. And there is no use trying to change her mind. I did cause the death of her mentor and favourite Wizard. I did let Death Eaters into this school who attacked and even killed people. She's not confused at all. She's reasonably upset."

Harry looked awkwardly down at his hands and Hermione was at a loss for what to say. He wasn't wrong. She knew McGonagall would never stand for the injustice done to Theo by the Wizengamot and Azkaban. She'd probably petition the Ministry for mercy herself once Hermione told her the whole story. But Draco…

McGonagall loved nothing more than she loved Hogwarts, and Draco had defiled it. It didn't matter that he was a child. It had taken her a full year to place Snape's portrait in her office even after she knew the truth about his sacrifice. She wasn't going to forgive Draco easily - or perhaps ever.

Hermione placed a gentle hand on Draco's back and he flinched slightly but allowed her to keep it there. "Draco, you've done bad things. It doesn't mean you can't have redemption."

At that, he shook her hand off and walked slightly forward, saying nothing. Harry and Hermione exchanged a look and Theo trotted up to meet his friend whispering something in his ear that neither of the Gryffindors could hear.

Hermione decided to let Draco decompress and adjust to being at Hogwarts with a little space and, instead, linked arms with Harry and let the two Slytherins walk ahead. "Weird being back, isn't it?" he said.

"We've been back a few times," she pointed out.

"Yeah, on some quick mission or for a meeting in McGonagall's office," he said. "We haven't been back to Gryffindor Tower since it was rebuilt."

It was true. Walking the same old halls - or reconstructed halls - with Harry, did have her feeling nostalgic, with a bittersweet sort of yearning for that time. Sure, they were constantly worried about being killed every year, but Hogwarts was home. It always would be home - at least for Harry and Hermione.

For Ron, it had been a bit different. Sure, he loved Hogwarts. But Ron had a home full of wizards and witches who could date their families back thousands of years. They might have been poor, but they made up for any material lacking with love and comfort.

Hermione loved her parents to her bones - she loved them so much she let them go completely. But still, her parents never really knew her - not all of her. Hogwarts was the first place she'd ever been able to be her true self. The restriction of magic until coming of age made it so she was always restricting herself with her parents. Hogwarts let her be free.

Harry…Well, Harry felt Hogwarts was home for so many obvious and varied reasons. Hogwarts was the first place Harry ever got to have a home at all.

But they were grown now, and as much as it felt good to revel in their childhood home, they knew that times had changed, and Hogwarts had changed. More than anything, they had changed. Still, arm wrapped in Harry's as they made their way up the steps to The Fat Lady's portrait, she let herself feel sixteen again even if only for a moment.

It wasn't until they were standing in front of the portrait that Hermione realised that Draco and Theo had led them there. "Hey, how did you know where our entrance was?"

Draco rolled his eyes and smirked - which was at least a good sign that he'd moved past his melancholy for the moment. "Do you really think we don't know where all the common rooms are?"

Hermione huffed. "It took us forever to find yours," she admitted.

"Slytherin, remember," Theo said with a grin. "Most of us knew every corner of this castle by Halloween First year."

"Loyalty," Hermione recited, and the Fat Lady swung the portrait open to let them in. Hermione and Harry moved past Theo and Draco who seemed to hesitate now that they'd approached the room, but they quickly followed the Gryffindors inside and the portrait shut behind them.

"McGonagall outdid herself," Harry said with a chuckle. The large common room was as they remembered with the exception of six, large four-poster beds like spokes of a wagon wheel coming out from the walls at impeccably measured intervals. The fire was already roaring, and the lounging couches and chairs were set up around it while the study desks had been moved to the far end of the room, pushed together like Hermione remembered them when she was hosting a mass revision session.

Home.

The four of them each went to a different bed, Theo closest to the fire, then Draco in the next bed, Hermione next to Draco, and Harry next to Hermione leaving Ron and Padma the beds between Harry and Theo. They dropped their bags at the floor of the beds in almost comical unison.

"Tempus," Hermione said, tapping her wand in the air.

"If it's already ten, we'd better go over the plan," Harry said. "Tomorrow is going to be a long and stressful day, I imagine."

"Padma and Ron should be here early tomorrow morning," Harry added, handing out parchment that included the plan for the next day. "Here, Nott, Malfoy," he passed over copies for them as they approached the desk and slid into high back chairs.

"You know, this is a lot cosier than Slytherin common room," Theo said, with a pout.

"I know, all that leather…" Harry said.

"Potter, how the hell do you know what the Slytherin common room looks like?" Draco asked, his eyebrows nearly disappearing into his head.

"Oh, uh…" Harry sputtered.

"It's a long story, probably best for another time. But Harry and Ron used Polyjuice Second Year to become Crabbe and Goyle because they thought you'd admit to being the Heir of Slytherin," Hermione summed up. Harry went red with embarrassment.

Draco's eyebrows reached new heights. "They what?"

Suddenly he was laughing. Draco threw his head back and laughed in such a carefree, elated way that Hermione couldn't help but grin in response. Theo chuckled too, as he watched his best friend cackle with glee. "Me, the heir of Slytherin!"

"Oh, Potter. That made my night. I'm sure the two of you made an abysmal Crabbe and Goyle. I wish I could remember this," Draco said between laughs.

"And where were you," Theo asked Hermione, quirking an eyebrow at her.

Harry bit his lip and Hermione blushed. "I think I was otherwise engaged," she said primly. Harry snorted but kept her secret.

"Anyway, back to task," Hermione quickly said, peering down at the parchment Harry had created. "This all looks good, but I'd like to make sure I've eaten twice before we start. So, let's plan to move to the Hospital Wing just after lunch."

Draco and Theo read through the paper, their faces growing whiter with each sentence. "You are going to put someone else's blood inside of you?" Theo asked, trying very hard not to sound judgemental - though he failed.

"Muggle blood," Draco corrected in a tone that indicated he was sceptical of such a plan.

"Yes," Hermione answered patiently. "Muggle blood is the only chance I have for insuring the blood typing has been done correctly. Magical folk don't do blood transfusions and therefore do not type their blood."

"Yes, we do," Draco said. "Pureblood, Half-Blood, Mu- Muggle-born Blood."

Hermione shook her head. "That's not the same. The idea of 'pureblood' is more like the Muggle concept of Royalty or Nobility. Old families, marrying old families. But the magic in the blood, the DNA, it varies. You might be Muggle Type O negative. You wouldn't know because with Magical healing you've never needed to know. The Muggle Blood typing is based in science. My blood, for instance, is B negative. This means that if I were to receive A positive blood, my body would reject it and I would likely die. It's complicated and actually very interesting science, but it is the reason we had to go with Muggle Blood."

"There was also the concern that if we used Magical blood that did not come from a Muggle-born, it would affect the ritual," Harry supplied.

"So, when you do this, you'll lose your magic," Draco asked, his voice seemed to be verging on barely restrained panic.

"No!" Hermione quickly reassured him. "No. Magic is not 'stored in the blood' like is often believed in Pureblood culture. My cells - all of them - are magical. When I take in the Muggle blood, my body will infuse the new blood with magic. When you cut yourself and bleed, you aren't losing magic, your body will repair itself and your magic will be unaltered."

"It's amazing," Theo said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Muggles can do all of this? They can replace someone's blood?"

"They can," Hermione said, "though, an Exchange Transfusion isn't as common as a partial transfusion. My hope is that I'll only need some of the blood because the ritual will not require a full sacrifice, but I do have enough for two total transfusions if it becomes necessary."

"And this is safe, Potter?" Draco asked, turning to Harry. His eyes were wide and pleading. Hermione saw that Harry was at once shocked by the openness and somewhat confused as to why he was being asked. He was hardly the expert.

"It is," Harry said. "Admittedly, I don't know as much about it as Hermione, but total transfusions are done in hospitals in the Muggle world all the time. Padma and Madam Pomfrey are being briefed on the procedure at length. I believe they even did a test run at it yesterday with a simulator. It took some doing, but the Hogwarts Medical Ward has been outfitted with Magical dampeners so that the Muggle technology will work for our purposes."

Draco's shoulders slumped in what appeared to be mild relief and Hermione felt her own relief at his seeming acceptance.

"Okay, so tomorrow after lunch," Theo said, swallowing hard as he read through the procedure once more.

"Madam Pomfrey is going to numb your arm completely," Hermione said. "We aren't completely sure if this will keep you from feeling anything, but we are hopeful it will lessen the pain from the incision."

"That's not really my primary concern," Theo admitted. "Hermione, this could be a lot of blood."

"It could be," she said, not willing to lie about it. "Which is why I have a lot of blood on hand."

"I want to be in the room," Draco said, looking once again at Harry. Hermione looked between the two, a mixed feeling of defensiveness and endearment. Draco was scared. He was scared because he cared.

Harry stared back at the blond for a long moment before nodding. "You can be in the room so long as you don't interfere," he acquiesced. "We don't want to do anything that might endanger Hermione. Padma and Madam Pomfrey are the only two people qualified to intervene."

"Fine," Draco agreed.

Hermione caught Harry's eye and saw the questioning look in his eyes. She blushed under her friend's gaze. There was so much she needed to talk to Harry about, but now hardly seemed the time. Eventually, she'd have to come clean about just how close she and Draco had gotten. It wasn't a conversation she was particularly looking forward to. She planned to have it with Harry and Ron together so as not to have to do it twice.

The four split up after that, Harry going down to the grounds to check on the Dark Energy, Theo went directly to his bed after requesting a pain potion, and Hermione and Draco sat on the plush couch nearest the fire.

Hermione leaned against the arm of the couch, turning to face the fire with her feet up on the couch next to her. Draco, moving in a bit closer, picked up her feet and rested them in his lap. Hermione smiled at him before tasting her cheek on her hand and looking back into the fire. "It's weird having you here," she admitted.

"Weird being here, to be honest," Draco replied. "I never thought I'd be back, and I certainly didn't expect to be in the bloody Gryffindor Common Room."

Hermione chuckled. "I don't know what it's like for you," she said, turning her body back around to face him. "I know this was your home as much as anyone else's, but I also know there are bad memories for you here."

Draco shrugged, "There are some not great memories for you here too. In the end, it's still home, isn't it? I hated Dumbledore. I hated the bias. I hated the way it seemed like Potter walked on air and could do no wrong. But besides being away from my mum, there wasn't much for me at the Manor. I got up to some great times here."

"Tell me," Hermione requested. "What's one of your favourite Hogwarts memories?"

Draco looked up for a moment, thinking about his answer. His lips suddenly turned up into a slow smile. "You aren't going to like it…" he warned.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "I would expect no less."

"Well, honestly, as a House, we had a blast up until Sixth Year. But I remember Fourth Year in particular. Everything with the Triwizard Tournament was exciting, and we had new students on the grounds. I'd really made a name for myself in creating those 'Potter Stinks' badges. I hear you lot tried to amend them and never figured out how."

Hermione laughed, "That's true. The Creevy Brothers finally got them to say, 'Potter really stinks' before giving up."

Draco chuckled. "Well, the night before the First Task with the Dragon, all of Slytherin Fourth through Seventh Years got together for a little party. Being honest, we were kind of rooting for Potter's failure. But I remember that night and the night of the Yule Ball being some of the most carefree times of my childhood. We were united, and we had a common purpose.

So often, even in Slytherin, I was regarded as a spoilt child…"

Hermione's snort interrupted him. "Sorry, but you very much did behave like a spoiled child."

"Fair," Draco conceded, "but I was hardly the only one. One problem with Slytherin attributes is that we don't trust - not even each other. And we thrive on competition. The Malfoy name protected me, but my liberal use of it to get my way didn't make friends. Starting Fourth Year I made some headway in gaining respect from my housemates for something more than the brooms my father could buy."

It made a lot of sense, actually. Hermione remembered that as the year that Draco had really started to excel in Potions and Charms. Those badges alone were well above their year in Transfiguration skills. "It's hard to think of what my happiest time was," Hermione admitted. "Happy times coincided so often with mortal danger."

"Certainly the Yule Ball was memorable for you as well," Draco said. He was rubbing circles up her ankles, idly sending delightful sparks up her legs. "You did attend with the most eligible bachelor after all."

Hermione rolled her eyes again. "Are we talking about exes now?" she asked. "If so, you'll be bored by the story. Viktor was a very nice boy who was rather thick. He asked me to the Ball after having spent nearly an entire term watching me study in the library. I had a great time at the Ball until Ron got jealous. Krum and I kissed a few times, but it was relatively innocent. I don't really have a lot of desire to know about your Hogwarts conquests, if I'm honest."

Draco snorted. "Such as they were," he said. "If it's jealousy you are worried about please know there is hardly anything to be jealous of. By the time I was Marked, I'd had two partners and that was the end of Draco Malfoy's sexual life. I was conscripted into the cult of a mad man and then carted off to Azkaban."

Hermione was quite surprised not only at his candour but that he hadn't been more experienced. Slytherin girls gave the impression that they'd all bedded Draco at some point or another.

"I know that look," Draco said, sitting up and moving her legs out of his lap so that he could tuck a stray curl behind her ear. "I was not, in fact, 'Draco Malfoy Sex God' at Hogwarts. But my money was quite a draw for many Slytherin witches, so they tried to stake some claims."

"Oh yes, your money," Hermione said. "Not the fact that you look like a literal model."

"Find me beautiful, do you, Granger?" he said with a cocky grin.

"Piss off," she replied with a roll of the eyes.

"You're beautiful, you know," Draco said, his tone suddenly serious. "It sounds sappy in the extreme to say it, but you are. Not because you have this insane, maddening, gorgeous hair, or that your eyes literally look like they are made of toffee candies. Not because your skin is soft and yearns to be touched."

Hermione's breath hitched before coming out in pants as he leaned in closer. He had such an effect on her. She looked around and saw Theo was already in asleep and Harry had left the room without her even noticing. She moved closer, leaning into him as he continued.

"It's not because your body rivals the most erotic images I've ever seen in filthy magazines, or that your lips look like they belong around my cock."

Hermione literally moaned as his fingers brushed against her lips ever so slightly.

"You are beautiful because you are the person who had no reason to help me or show me kindness, but you did anyway."

"Let's go to bed," Hermione said abruptly.

Draco's eyes widened with surprise momentarily before he nodded firmly and took her hand, pulling her with purpose to his own bed where they both climbed in. Hermione immediately closed the curtains and cast a silencing and privacy charm around them.

She dropped her wand over the side of the bed and launched herself at Draco, pulling his face to her and capturing his lips with her own. "This is mad," she said, pulling back just slightly. "How did everything change so quickly." She was talking to herself, but Draco pulled her tighter, nuzzling into her neck.

"One day, nothing. Then, all of a sudden, I can't stop thinking about you," she panted as she pulled his head back up and kissed him again.

"I saw you," he said. "I never saw you before. What you did for my mother, what you are doing for Theo - for me…" Draco was equally out of breath as he gripped her right around the waist. They were on their knees, facing each other on the mattress, their breath ghosting over each other's overheated skin.

"Draco…" she breathed against him before pulling him in again. His tongue deftly parted her lips and she sighed as he tasted every part of her. She loved the way his hands moved up to her hair, cradled the back of her head so gently but sure. "Please…" but she hadn't a clue what she was begging him to do.

Long gone was the notion that this was irresponsible. In the light of the morning, she could chastise herself and try to attempt boundaries. How in the world could anyone expect her not to fall into a puddle at his feet when he spoke to her like that - when he told her she was beautiful. This Draco Malfoy could get her to agree to anything, to go any lengths for him. She knew it was dangerous the effect he had on her, but she also knew - deep down - that she could trust him.

She pulled at the hem of his shirt, and he pushed back long enough to rid himself of it, tossing it toward the end of the bed before he assaulted her neck again - seemingly his favourite spot on her body.

She felt her thighs begin to quake and knew her knickers were utterly destroyed. She groaned with a rush of arousal as his deft fingers pushed her own shirt up and over her head in one quick motion. Had she known things would escalate, she might have chosen a better bra. However, there she was, wearing a thoroughly mundane white cotton number. It didn't much matter, he pulled that off her only seconds later.

Draco's eyes took in her torso, that dark, gunmetal hue in his eyes made her pussy clench. He gently laid her down before settling between her legs and kissing her softly and slowly again. He held up his weight with his left arm and used his right to explore her body, starting gently at her collarbone before moving with feather light touches down to her breast.

"Please…" Hermione sighed against him again, her nipple growing hard as he palmed her breast in his hand. She felt how hard he was against her thigh and would have given almost anything to feel him inside her.

She felt his fingers against the edge of her scar - the one she'd received at the Department of Mysteries her Fifth Year. He kissed a path down her neck, between her breasts, stopping at each one and lapping at her engorged peaks. She moaned as her nails bit into his right shoulder, ever so careful not to touch his left shoulder.

His tongue darted out to lick the full line of the scar on her chest, between her breasts, under the right one and to her side where it ended. It was the most intimate thing Hermione had ever experienced in her life.

He didn't linger, though. His destination became obvious as he tugged at the sides of her pants, indicating he wanted her to lift her hips. She obliged and Draco removed both her pants and knickers in one, tossing them somewhere in the heap near the edge of the bed.

Hermione watched as he pushed her thighs apart. Suddenly his eyes were on hers, begging for her consent. She nodded and his dark, intense eyes looked down between her thighs taking in her dripping wet arousal.

Settling on his forearms and reaching under her to hold her hips and bum in place, he looked back up into her heavily lidded eyes and licked her slit slowly and deliberately, never breaking eye contact.

Holy Fuck.

Hermione was torn. Part of her was desperate to watch him eat her out and part of her wanted to throw her head back, moan and lose herself in the sensation of his mouth on her. She ended up somewhere between propping herself up on her elbows to watch Draco devour her while moaning unintelligible words as she felt a soft wind could knock her over into oblivion.

He gripped her hips from underneath, his blunt nails digging into her skin, and she loved the pressure. She felt herself near orgasm over and over, every time she'd get close, he'd back off again. "Draco, please…" she moaned, grinding her hips into his face and he finally took mercy on her, doubling his efforts on her clit until she cried out.

She nearly sobbed. The weeks of tension finally came to climax as he sucked and licked her more expertly than she'd ever experienced before.

Her breath stuttered and her legs shook as she came undone, waves of pleasure watching over her as he milked her orgasm out of her for nearly a minute. Finally, when she lay back, spent and shaking, he moved up the bed and back to her side, his fingers dancing over the warm skin of her stomach.

When she could make words again, she rolled over to face him, smiling lazily as she pulled him close. "I can't believe I've been talking myself out of doing that."

He chuckled. "I hardly think Theo would have approved."

"Probably not," Hermione agreed, kissing him again. She tasted herself on his lips and she couldn't believe she was still aroused even after coming that hard and that long. 'Let me return the favor,' she breathed against him, her hand moving to the top of his trousers.

But Draco stopped her, pulling her hand back up to his mouth, placing a chaste kiss on her fingers. "I'm not ready for that," he said. At Hermione's confused look, he let out a deep sigh and pulled her to his chest as he laid back on the mattress.

"I still don't think I deserve you. I'm not ready to let myself…"

"Draco, if you aren't ready, I understand that. But please don't tell me this is about you believing you don't deserve pleasure. When are you going to learn that mistakes don't define you?"

"I can't. Not right now. I wanted this to be about you," Draco explained.

"It is about us," Hermione insisted. "One day, Draco Malfoy, you are going to understand that I don't do things I don't want to do. If you are in my bed, I want you there."

"Actually, you are in my bed," he quipped.

"Insufferable," she replied lazily, but she snuggled into him and let him pull the covers over them. She was asleep within moments.