In a few days, it will be a year since I published the first chapter of this story. Thanks to everyone who has been with me on this journey! It's getting close to the end :)

Chapter Thirty-Two

Unwanted Advice

Granger had agreed to accompany Potter to Hogsmeade on Saturday so Draco reluctantly signed up.

The night before, a few minutes after his mother had left again to have dinner with Andromeda, the flames in the fireplace had risen again.

Draco looked up from his book just in time to see his three best friends dusting their jackets.

"Why do the three of you always come together?"

"Because it's more fun," Pansy replied as she sat down next to him and crossed her legs.

Theo leaned his back against the wall next to the sofa.

"We knew you'd be lonely and bored."

Draco narrowed his eyes in his direction and Blaise chuckled, taking a seat on the other armchair.

"Granger told me she was having dinner at the Burrow today, so I figured you wouldn't be willing to join her," Theo added with a shrug.

Draco's brow furrowed a little more.

"When have you ever spoken to her?"

"Sometimes she sends me letters," Theo muttered with a small smile.

Draco clenched his left fist without noticing it.

Granger exchanging letters with his friend? Since when?

Jealousy was about to cloud his thoughts when he heard Pansy's voice.

"To me too."

Draco blinked, confused, and glanced at Blaise.

"Not to me," he said with a pout.

Pansy let out a high-pitched giggle.

"I'm sure she still hasn't forgiven you for what you did when Draco told us he had Veela blood," she commented, waving a hand to play it down.

Blaise pursed his lips.

"She's forgiven him all right," he grunted under his breath, glaring at Draco.

He held his gaze unblinkingly.

"She knows I'm sorry."

Blaise rolled his eyes and leaned back against the armchair, huffing in annoyance.

His friend rested her head on his shoulder as she sighed. She held one of his hands and squeezed it, speaking softly.

"I appreciate it, you know. That you'd given us another chance."

If Draco was completely honest, the thought of forgiving his friends probably wouldn't have crossed his mind if Granger hadn't appeared right then and there to help him calm down and control his anger.

She had been able to forget everything bad that had happened between them in the past, so he could do the same.

Draco sighed, resting his cheek on Pansy's head.

"It's like Granger says. Everyone deserves a second chance."

Having his friends by his side again was a great relief. Pansy squeezed his hand one more time and lifted her chin, looking him in the eye.

"Speaking of Granger... How is everything going with her?"

Draco cursed himself for mentioning her name in front of her.

"Good."

"The big day is coming up, isn't it?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

He sighed wearily.

"Pansy..."

"You're looking worse and worse, Draco. You can't wait any longer."

"I know."

She folded her arms.

"We should go over the basics, so you're prepared."

Draco closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"No."

"I wasn't asking your opinion," Pansy commented in a mocking voice.

He opened his eyes again when he heard the creak of a door opening.

"I'm going to get something to drink," Theo said, standing under the doorway.

Draco frowned.

"There's wine in that cupboard," he replied, pointing to the cabinet next to the fireplace.

His friend clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

"I prefer something stronger."

It was an excuse. Theo didn't want to hear the conversation they were about to have, and everyone knew it.

As soon as the door closed, Pansy patted his shoulder impatiently.

"You know the most important thing is foreplay."

Draco rested his elbows on his knees, hiding his face in his hands.

"Not again," he said with a growl.

He heard Blaise laugh.

"Well, I want to hear it again."

Draco shot him a hateful glare and he shrugged as his grin widened.

Blaise liked Pansy's sex talk too much. He had seen him more than once taking notes.

She ignored them both and cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Remember, Draco. You have to use your fingers first, and then your mouth."

Draco gasped, staring at her with wide eyes.

"What?"

If she saw his blush, it was no use. The words continued to pour from her lips at full speed.

"Use your tongue to find her clitoris and then..."

That was too much. He was so flushed that his whole face burned.

"Enough!"

Pansy paused and stared up at him defiantly.

"Stop, please," he added in a whisper.

His friend let out a long sigh.

"Sex is natural and there's a lot you need to know."

"I don't want to talk about my girlfriend's vagina with you anymore, Pansy!" Draco shouted, running a hand through his hair and tousling it.

Blaise was holding in his laughter. Or trying to.

"I'm the only one who can help you stop Granger from shivering every time she remembers your first time," she said in a hard voice, jabbing an accusing finger at his chest. "And you should listen to me."

"I do get chills every time I remember your bloody drawing," Draco protested through his teeth.

Pansy wrinkled her nose and stood up.

"I give up," she announced, walking towards the main corridor. "Come on, Blaise. We'll be waiting for you at the pool."

The two friends exchanged a glance and Blaise followed her without a word. Draco folded his arms and stayed on the sofa, waiting for Theo to decide it was safe to return.

He appeared a few minutes later with a bottle of whisky in his hand and furrowed his brow at the sight of him alone.

"Where are they?"

Draco pointed down the central corridor with a jerk of his chin.

"Swimming."

Theo nodded, twirling the bottle in his fingers as he sat down next to him. Draco gave him a sidelong glance.

"You're not going to try to give me advice?"

His friend's lips curved upwards.

"I could do that."

He'd never heard Theo mention anything sexual before. He joked about it from time to time, but he was never serious about it with anyone.

Well, maybe with Pansy. But no one else.

Theo sighed as he met his curious gaze and averted his own, twisting his lips.

"The first time is... complicated."

Draco felt his shoulders tense. The thought of having sex with Granger made him very nervous and hearing his friend say that made him even more uneasy.

What if he wasn't able to do it right?

"Why?" he asked worriedly.

Theo laughed at his expression and nudged him in the ribs.

"Because it feels too good, Draco. You won't last long."

That wasn't the answer he'd expected. He let all the air out of his lungs and leaned his head back against the back of the sofa, fixing his gaze on the ceiling.

"Fuck."

"Exactly."

"So not only will I hurt her, but it'll practically be over before she's even realised what's going on," Draco summarised, sighing regretfully at the thought of having to mark her as well. "Great."

He had spoken to his mother earlier that morning about it, and Narcissa had explained the best way to do it after showing him her mark. It was right at the base of her neck, in a place where she could easily cover it with her hair.

No one could see it but she and Lucius knew it was there. And now Draco did too.

He sighed again, biting his tongue to vent some of his frustration.

Every day he was more and more certain that it was going to be the worst first time ever.

"I don't think Granger will mind," Theo replied with a shrug.

He was probably right. She wouldn't mind if it was a disaster at first, but...

"I do care."

"Why do you say that?"

The image of Granger suffering because of him popped into his mind. A second later it was replaced by her surprised and somewhat disappointed face.

And the worst part was that he was going to be able to feel every single one of her emotions.

"Because I don't want to make a fucking fool of myself with her. I want it to be okay, I want... I want her to enjoy it, and to forget about the pain when she can only think about me."

Theo blinked.

"Wow."

"Shut up," Draco snarled.

His friend opened the bottle of Firewhisky with a snap of his fingers and took a large gulp, passing it to him.

"There's a way to hold on a little longer."

That piqued his interest. Draco turned his head, wrinkling his nose at the sight of Theo's red-tinged cheeks.

It was not a good sign.

"If I were you, I'd take a long shower just before I was with her," his friend commented absently, glancing sideways at him. "You know what I mean, right?"

Surely Draco's blush matched his own.

"Yes."

Theo nodded, looking away again and taking another sip.

"Then you'll be calmer and it'll be easier to control yourself."

It wasn't bad advice. Draco ran his tongue over his teeth as he thought.

Anything that would help him relax was more than welcome. He knew he was going to be on edge that day.

"And as for the pain... listen to Pansy and everything will be fine," Theo added in a whisper.

Draco rolled his eyes, muttering a curse between his teeth.

"At what point did we all end up talking about my sex life?"

Theo laughed softly, passing him the bottle.

"This is much better than when we were talking about a possible death at the hands of the Dark Lord."

He shrugged reluctantly.

"If you say so."

The two were silent for a moment until Draco turned his eyes back to his friend.

"Was it painful for her?"

He'd never stopped to think that Pansy was speaking from experience. Would she have had a hard time?

Theo rubbed his face with a hand, sighing regretfully.

"Yes," he took one last swig and set the bottle aside. "And I hated myself when I saw her trying to hide it so I wouldn't notice."

Just what Draco had feared the most, though Granger wasn't going to be able to hide how she felt no matter how much she wanted to.

His friend patted his shoulder when he saw the look on his face.

"It's not all bad news," he assured him with a small smile. "Having that level of intimacy with someone you love is like a dream come true."

The pressure he felt in his chest eased a little at his words.

"Really?" Draco asked with interest.

In just a few months his relationship with Granger had progressed by leaps and bounds, and he couldn't imagine it getting any better. What they had already seemed incredible to him.

There were still nights when he dreaded waking up and discovering that he was still locked up in Azkaban, that it had all been a very cruel dream.

Theo nodded, his smile widening.

"Every day that goes by Pansy gets more and more affectionate with me."

And so was she with Draco, though much more so since they'd reconnected. Pansy had never been very affectionate, but she was slowly changing.

And it was probably due to the healthy and happy relationship she had with her boyfriend.

"Yes. I've seen it."

"We can all change if we want to," Theo added seriously. "The most impressive change is yours, though."

Draco snorted, trying to contain his grin.

He couldn't be any more different from the spoiled, stupid boy who had devoted all his efforts to humiliating Harry Potter and his two best friends.

And it was a relief not to be like that anymore, even if the change had come by making mistakes, some of them unforgivable.

"I know."

"Narcissa has improved a lot, too," Theo commented, arching his eyebrows.

His mother's friendship with Potter still gave him a headache, though he had learned to accept it. And his heart raced every time he saw her hold Granger's arm as they walked together through the grounds of the manor.

Narcissa would do anything for him, from renouncing all her beliefs to giving up her life to protect him. That was why she was the most important person in his life, even though Granger was climbing the ranks at a rapid rate.

Come to think of it, the two of them had been tied for the first position for a while.

"You're right," he admitted, returning his smile. "You know, when Granger touches me or holds my hand, I... it's like my problems disappear."

As troubled as he was, her presence was like diving into a sea of calm. And the touch of her skin instantly extinguished the fire of his anger.

"I love it when she touches my hair," Draco confessed in a whisper.

'Shit.'

The whisky was starting to kick in. He cleared his throat and fixed his gaze on the wall, pursing his lips.

"Fuck, yeah," Theo's sigh made him look back up at him, surprised. "That's the best."

They both glanced at each other and burst out laughing.

"It'll be fine," his friend said, giving him an affectionate punch on the arm.

Draco stood up and followed him down the corridor towards the huge pool.

"I hope you're right."

Ginny was waiting for them with her arms crossed and her back against the wall of one of the Hogsmeade houses.

A huge smile spread across her face at the sight of them and she ran to them, jumping into Harry who instantly threw his arms around her.

After a greeting too intense for his liking, she took a step back and glanced at Draco.

Her smile widened as she took in his appearance, Granger's work. Long, dark hair with eyes as blue as his mother's.

"You look very handsome, ferret."

He gave her a sneer.

"I can't say the same for you, Weasley."

He hissed as Potter and Granger elbowed him at the same time. Ginny chuckled.

"You should just call me Ginny already."

Potter snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Good luck with that. He's still calling Hermione by her surname."

Draco blushed as all eyes fell on him.

"I like Granger," he admitted seriously, challenging them with his gaze.

He felt something strange in his chest and looked at Granger, watching her blush.

It had been just under an hour since he had come to find her at Grimmauld Place and cornered her against the corridor wall, kissing her until she was breathless and whispering her name several times against her lips.

And, having seen (and felt) her reaction, he knew Granger was thinking the same thing.

She liked hearing her name, too. Almost as much as he liked hearing her say his.

The Weasley girl's eyes fell on the three people at his back and her face hardened.

"What are they doing here?"

Draco glanced sideways at his friends. Pansy was wearing a black coat and Blaise and Theo flanked her.

"They wanted to come."

She shrugged, relaxing her posture.

"I guess this was bound to happen sooner or later," she replied, surprising Draco by accepting their presence so easily. He was even more surprised when she walked over to them, stopping in front of Pansy and offering her a hand. "Shall we start from scratch, snakes?"

Pansy accepted it, shooting Draco a confused look as she shook it.

After all, she had been the one screaming for her boyfriend to be handed over just before the final battle against the Dark Lord. No one thought the Weasley girl was capable of forgiving her.

Granger's fingers stopped his spiralling thoughts as they brushed his gently.

"Ginny has a good heart. You should give her another chance," she murmured as he looked into her eyes.

If she knew he'd do anything she asked...

Draco sighed, lifting his chin.

"Fine."

Her big smile altered his heartbeat.

Eating together at the Three Broomsticks was awkward at first, but they all ended up telling embarrassing stories of their student years and laughing loudly as they shared a jar of butterbeer that refilled itself every time they finished it.

Draco barely spoke, though he admitted that he had overreacted when the hippogriff attacked him and that he still had nightmares of the familiar curse the Weasley girl had used against him more than once.

Leaves crunched under their feet as they stepped back out onto the streets of Hogsmeade.

Pansy, Blaise and Theo said their goodbyes, heading off in the direction of Honeydukes.

Granger and Potter turned to Weasley to say goodbye but she interrupted them by raising her hand.

"Wait," her brown eyes fell on Granger. "You have to come with me to the castle."

She let out a gasp of surprise.

"Why?"

"McGonagall knows you're here and wants to talk to you."

Draco frowned. What was the new headmistress up to?

He could feel Granger's nerves and he didn't like it at all.

Could it be something bad?

"You can come too," she added, looking at the two boys. "So you can see what Hogwarts looks like after the reconstruction."

Potter tensed immediately and she moved to stand beside him, holding both of his hands.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," she whispered, oblivious to Draco's great hearing since his first transformation.

Maybe she didn't know. He glanced sideways at Granger, smiling as he realised that she hadn't told any of his secrets to her friends.

She was so perfect for him that she didn't seem real. Sometimes he wondered if his father would have felt the same way when he found out Narcissa was his mate.

Maybe he should listen to his mother and visit him for once. He was the only one who understood what he was going through.

Potter shook his head, lacing his fingers with Weasley's.

"I'm ready," he replied, glancing at him.

Draco swallowed at the scrutiny in his green eyes. Neither of them had set foot in Hogwarts since the fall of the Death Eaters, and he wasn't sure what kind of memories walking its stone corridors again might stir.

He gripped Granger's hand tighter and nodded in his direction.

"Me too."

Potter gave him a small smile and glanced back at his girlfriend, who had her eyes fixed on the tallest tower of the castle in the distance down the path.

"Good. Let's go."