So funny thing, I started this chapter and then the world kind of went to shite, as they say. Unfortunately, I have not found the pandemic to be very motivating creativity-wise, but I really wanted to get this chapter out before I go "back" to school (who's ready for online learning! ((it's not me))).

This chapter is dedicated to all the first responders, essential workers, and everyone who has kept the world running these past five and a half months. It's also dedicated to all the people who lost their jobs - I did, and it really, really sucks - and kept going. And it's 10000% dedicated to everyone who left a comment or in any way supported this fic. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to know people out there are reading and enjoying this. So here's to you!


Changing Scenery

Chapter 31: ...pation

Hermione started to feel nervous when they landed in her flat. She could feel her hands growing clammy and she was glad she was holding onto Draco's arm so he couldn't feel it. He must have felt something because he turned her gently until he was looking down at her.

"You okay, Granger?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening her eyes again and looking up at him. Don't be nervous, it's silly to be nervous. "Of course."

His lips quirked. "You don't need to lie to me. We don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I want this," she said, but even to her own ears she sounded unsure.

He looked at her silently for a moment before one of his hands came up to gently cup her cheek. "I want you, Hermione. Don't doubt that for a second. But I'll wait however you long you need to be ready."

She felt something tight inside her chest relax. "I'm ready. I promise." She slipped off her coat, letting it drop to the floor. I'll pick it up later.

He smiled and leaned down. He started at the edge of her jaw. If Harry had been in a rush, then Draco was acting as though he had all the time in the world. He kissed his way toward her mouth. She let her head tip back, her eyes slipping closed.

She shivered, remembering him leaning in to whisper in her ear at dinner. It had been maddening. And she knew he knew what he was doing, if the look on his face had been anything to go by. Her thoughts were derailed when he reached her mouth, his lips hovering over hers.

"May I kiss you, Hermione?"

Her eyes flickered open to meet his. Barely any grey showed. He looked like he wanted to devour her.

"Yes," she breathed.

She'd barely gotten the word out before his lips were on hers. He kept it chaste for a moment before his tongue was running along her lower lip, teasing her. She let her mouth open beneath his and he took the invitation, slipping his tongue in to taste her. His arms came around her, one hand on her lower back, pressing her into him. She moaned, slipping her hands up his arms. She tangled her fingers in his fine hair, tugging gently. He groaned and the hand not keeping them together pulled at the knot she'd tamed her hair into until her curls spilled free.

He buried a hand in her curls and tugged gently and she gasped at the feeling. He grinned against her lips and then tugged again, harder this time. She shivered, inadvertently grinding into him.

Draco groaned and slid a leg between hers. He continued kissing her, teasing her and slowly driving her mad. He moved to her neck, tracing the length first with gentle kisses and then with his tongue. When he reached the spot where her neck met her shoulder he nipped her and she gasped.

She hitched her leg over his hip to bring them closer. He caught her leg with the hand that had been in her hair. Without missing a beat his other hand slid from her back over her arse and then brought her other leg up, supporting her weight easily. She could feel his cock where she was wrapped around him, hard beneath his trousers.

They kissed until she had to pull away to drag in a breath. Draco smoothly moved to kissing her neck again. She had one hand in his hair and the other pressed against his back. She could feel his muscles tense as she gasped and ground against him.

He pressed his forehead to her neck. "Bedroom?"

"Yes," she gasped. "Hall, right side."

He turned and started walking them down the hallway. She took the moment to return the favor and kissed his neck. Remembering how it had felt when he did it, she bit gently at the curve of his shoulder. He stumbled but didn't drop her.

He tugged on her curls. "Trouble," he muttered.

She grinned against his skin and sucked a mark into the skin of his neck. He groaned again but managed to get them safely into her bedroom. It was dark but her curtains were open and the moon was bright.

He didn't set her on the bed, instead slowly letting her slide down until she was standing in front of him. They were both still fully dressed but it didn't matter. He was easily one of the most attractive men she'd ever seen, and she didn't think it was the Veela that made her think that. She'd thought he was fit before, but until she and Harry had rescued him, she'd only seen him in Diagon Alley a few times in passing since the war, never close up.

"You look gorgeous," he said. He traced the strap of her dress down to her neckline where it dipped into a deep vee.

She trembled at the feeling. She knew the dress was a little scandalous for the wizarding world, but when she'd seen it while out shopping with Ginny in Muggle London a few months ago she couldn't resist buying it. It had sat in the back of her closet since but this had seemed like the perfect excuse to wear it. The expression on Draco's face said he appreciated the effort.

"You look great too," she said belatedly, distracted by the finger that was slowly tracing the neckline of her dress.

He grinned. "I'm glad you think so."

He pulled his hand away only to pull her closer with a hand on her back. He traced up the back of her dress to the top where he found the zipper. He raised an eyebrow.

She bit her lip, nodding. His eyes looked silver in the moonlight, reminding her of his wings. "You didn't have your wings out tonight," she murmured.

He pulled on her zipper, the sound loud in the silent room.

"Do you want to see them?" he asked quietly.

Yes. "I might," she admitted. "But only if you want to."

She couldn't read the look in his eyes as he slowly stepped back. She could feel the cool air on her back from her now-undone zipper. A long moment passed before a soft shushing sound filled the air as his wings emerged. There wasn't a lot of room in her bedroom, but he still flared them out a bit before tucking them in.

She hesitated before stepping forward. Carefully, she reached out a hand. She knew how sensitive a Veela's wings could be and she didn't want to make him uncomfortable, but she couldn't deny how much she wanted to see what they felt like. In the moonlight they glinted like metal.

He brought one wing around to meet her curious fingers. The feathers were soft – so much softer than she'd anticipated. He shuddered, eyes closing, as she slid her hand down his wing gently. She repeated the motion, letting the feathers sift through her fingers.

After a moment, Draco groaned, pulling his wing away. "Any more of that and this evening will be over rather sooner than I'd hoped."

Good to know. She let her hand drop. She belatedly realized that Draco was still fully dressed. Just like Harry all over again. She resisted the urge to smile, not wanting Draco to think she was laughing at him.

Taking a deep breath, she shrugged, the straps of her dress slipping off her shoulders. The fabric caught at her hips and she carefully pushed it down until it puddled at her feet.

Draco didn't say anything. He just stared at her with eyes as silver as his wings as he shrugged off his outer robe. Slowly, he started unbuttoning his shirt. She gasped as she felt phantom fingers brush down her stomach. He grinned sharply. With quick movements he undid his cufflinks and pulled off his shirt.

She was already breathing heavily as he stepped up into her space, nearly pressing their chests together.

He leaned down and kissed her, whatever restraint he'd possessed earlier gone. He devoured her and she gripped his shoulders and hung on for dear life. His tongue swept into her mouth, stroking against hers and drawing a moan out of her, the sound lost as they kissed.

She wasn't aware of them moving but suddenly the backs of her legs were against the bed. Gently he guided her down until he was leaning over her, one hand cupping the back of her head and the other tracing a slow path down her side.

He paused in kissing her to look down her body. His hand traced back up to cup one of her breasts.

"Very nice, Granger," her murmured in her ear.

She smiled. She'd picked the black satin set partly because it created a smooth line under the dress, but also because she'd thought he'd appreciate it.

He pulled back until he was standing at the edge of the bed. Carefully, he lifted one of her legs, setting her foot against his thigh. "But I like these even better," he said, running a finger along the inside of her foot above the green satin of her high heel.

Hermione smirked, trying to hide how breathless she felt. "I thought you might."

He looked down at her, eyes dark. "You don't know what it means, how it feels that you wore these for me."

She was starting to get an idea, with the way his feathers were ruffling and he was staring at her.

He set her foot down, leaving the shoe on, before leaning down again. His hands came up to cup her breasts before his left hand slide beneath her to unhook her bra, neatly undoing the clasp and then helping to slide it down her arms.

She braced her hands against his chest, feeling the muscles there and shivering when his wings flared out, casting shadows on the bed and reflecting the moonlight against the walls.

He cupped one breast with his right hand, fingers gentle, and then his other hand started tracing light patterns on her other breast, the touch so light she shivered and her nipple puckered. He leaned down and took it in his mouth, sucking and then biting down lightly.

Her head fell back against the bed at the feeling. He sucked harder and then let go, the cool air on her wet skin almost another caress. He switched sides, giving her other nipple the same treatment before moving down, kissing down the center of her stomach until he reached the edge of her underwear. He looked up at her from beneath his lashes.

She could feel how wet she was, and grew wetter at the sight of him kneeling between her legs, wings extended to either side.

"Yes," she gasped, not quite sure if he'd asked the question out loud.

He grinned sharply and then pulled her underwear down, throwing it somewhere behind him. She didn't have the time or energy to care about where it landed when his mouth descended a moment later. She moaned at the first flick of his tongue against her clit and then she quickly lost track of everything but him – his tongue, his hands, the way his shoulders pressed against her thighs.

His tongue alternated between flicks against her clit and licking down to her slit. Her breathing grew unsteady.

"Please, Draco," she said, voice breathy.

He didn't respond, but she felt the edge of his teeth as he smiled. A moment later she felt the slight press of a finger and her legs fell open further in encouragement.

The press of his finger was welcome but not enough and she tilted her hips. In response his other arm came up to hold her against the bed. She moaned as he began thrusting his finger in and out, adding a second a minute later.

He crooked his fingers as he flicked his tongue back and forth rapidly over clit.

"Oh, oh god, Draco!" she gasped, gripping the bedspread.

Her back arched as he continued his efforts and she felt the world start to fade. All of a sudden she felt something and she was thrust over the edge.

"Draco!" The world burst into glittering silver stars behind her eyelids and warmth rushed from her center out to every part of her.

She was breathing heavily as she slowly felt the world come back into focus. He was petting her softly, his tongue soothing her, when she finally opened her eyes.

"That was…" she trailed off, not sure how to describe it. "What was that?"

He stood up, pulling out his fingers gently, before leaning down to kiss her. He pressed her down into bed, his hands gripping her waist, as he kissed her like a drowning man. She could taste herself and his own need as he licked into her mouth. She could also feel the fabric of his trousers that he had yet to take off.

"That was allure," he replied finally, pulling back slightly.

"Oh." She licked her bottom lip. "It was, uh, really nice," she said, panting a bit. An understatement.

He smirked. "I'm glad." He traced her lower lip with his index finger. "You are delicious, Hermione."

She blushed and his smirk grew.

"You're still dressed," she muttered.

Draco laughed. "I noticed."

He stood up and quickly shucked off his trousers, leaving him in just tight black boxer briefs. He climbed onto the bed, arranging them so that he was sitting against her headboard, her head on his chest and one wing curving around her.

She looked up at him through her lashes. "Don't you want me to…" she trailed off, letting her hand slip down towards where his erection was pressing against the fabric of his underwear.

His hand caught hers, lifting it so he could press a kiss to her palm. "No, not tonight."

"Why not?"

He laced their fingers together. "Because, when we consummate our relationship, as it were, we should all be together."

"But…" she trailed off again, her cheeks growing warm as she thought about her date with Harry.

He grinned. "I didn't mean between you and Harry. You've been building up to this for years. But the three of us, I think, should be together the first time."

She blinked at him and then squeezed his hand gently. "I like that idea," she said softly.

"I'm glad," he said again, voice serious, looking at her with more than lust. If she had to put a name to it, she might call it love.

He adjusted their position, sliding down until his head was resting on a pillow and wiggling the bedspread from beneath them to pull over her. She wasn't cold, not with his wing blanketing her, but she appreciated the thought.

She fell asleep with the sound of his heart beating steadily beneath her. She dreamed of silver stars, silver wings, and silver eyes.

Hermione groaned when her alarm went off the next morning, nuzzling her head down into her pillow. When it didn't give properly, she lifted her head, squinting slightly. She blinked at the sight of Draco looking like a hungover angel with his hair sticking up every which way and his wings ruffled. And then she started giggling, unable to stop.

"Good morning," he murmured blearily.

"Morning," she said, propping herself up on his chest.

He smiled softly at her.

"What?"

He reached out and pushed back a lock of her hair. "I could get used to waking up like this."

She blushed, not sure how to respond. It was such a big thought – that this was the beginning of forever. She was it for Draco. She and Harry. He'd never love anyone but them – not that he'd said the words yet.

"You make a good pillow," she replied, smiling awkwardly.

He huffed out a laugh as though he'd guessed her thoughts but didn't mention it. She appreciated the temporary respite. She glanced at the clock.

"Damn it, I have to get to work."

Draco glanced over as well and then smirked at her. "You could always quit."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Very funny. I have less than a week left, I can't just skive off."

His eyes brightened at her statement, but all he said was, "Well you don't have to be there quite yet."

He leaned down and made it a very, very good morning. He kissed the breath from her lungs, until all she could feel and think of was him. Their tongues tangled and she swore she could feel his tongue further down as well, on her neck, on her nipples, and even further. She gave back just as much, nipping his earlobe and sucking a mark into his neck.

When they finally pulled apart, she bit her lip at how he looked – like nothing so much as an angel of sex. The mark on his neck was rapidly darkening, and higher than she'd meant it to be. She wasn't sure it would be covered by a shirt.

She looked at the clock again. "Oh Merlin, now I really need to get going!"

Draco laughed as she nearly fell as she scrambled off the bed. She rushed around trying to get ready. She didn't have time to take a shower, so she made do with a harsh Scourgify before pulling on trousers and a shirt she hoped would cover the mark she could feel on her neck. She managed to look at least somewhat presentable with two minutes to spare.

Draco, meanwhile, had lazily put back on his clothes from the night before, leaving his shirt partly unbuttoned.

He followed her into the living room as she headed toward her Floo.

"I'll owl you, alright?" he said, giving her a quick kiss.

"Okay," she said, breathless from both rushing and the kiss.

He kissed her again, his tongue flicking out to taste her for just a moment, and then stepped back to Disapparate, his grin the last thing she saw.

She took a moment to smooth down her shirt and take a breath before Flooing to the Ministry, thoughts still stuck on Draco.