~nineteen~
Draco gave out a gruff sigh as he gradually became aware of an extremely pleasant sensation on his neck. He opened one eye to find that the tent was vaguely illuminated by the first light of dawn, and he could hear the sound of a rooster crowing in the distance.
Hermione was also most definitely awake and was nuzzling his neck whilst trailing her fingertips over his now bare chest, having seemingly undone several more of his shirt buttons as he slept.
"Merlin's balls, Granger," Draco croaked after realising the early hour. "Forgotten the school motto already have we?"
"No," Hermione replied with a sigh. "But that bloody rooster woke me up. These tents have been silenced one way only, unfortunately."
"Hmm, so that's why you're awake at such an obscene hour after consuming all that stolen firewhiskey last night."
"Eurgh, don't remind me," Hermione said, sitting up and stretching widely. She looked back at Draco with an apologetic smile.
"Draco, I'm sorry for falling asleep on you," she said as she reached her arms up and began rummaging around in her hair. She began pulling at the numerous hair grips that had been left in her hair overnight and had now become quite entangled among her wayward curls.
"Don't worry about it, Granger. I can always bring you up to speed on constellation mythology some other time. Here - allow me…?" he added, pulling himself up to sit behind her so that she sat between his legs facing away from him.
He reached up and began assisting Hermione in locating the last few grips from her hair, raking his fingers through her locks as they cascaded softly down onto her bare shoulders above her dress.
She craned her neck to the side with a sigh as he gathered her hair together and drew it gently forwards over one of her shoulders. He then leaned forwards and began placing soft kisses on the side of her neck, sliding his hands down to her waist as he did so.
Hermione hummed her approval and assertively and took hold of his hands, bringing them forwards and pressing them into her breasts as she arched into his firm grasp.
"Never tickle a sleeping dragon, hmm?" she asked suggestively, as Draco pulled her back towards his chest and continued to assault her neck, jaw and earlobe with nips and kisses.
"Sound advice," he whispered. "Or you risk awakening the beast and finding yourself at his mercy."
Hermione giggled at his reply and stood up off the bed to face him. The wild state of her hair was indescribable and her beautiful dress was all askew and crumpled from having been slept in. Her cheeks were blushed and a mischievous smile was creeping across her lips. Draco had never seen her looking more delicious.
"Forgive me, please, oh mighty beast!" she declared dramatically. "How can I ever make it up to you?" she asked with fake wonder as she reached around to her side and slowly undid the long narrow zip there.
After a moment, the thick fabric of her gown fell heavily to the floor. She placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head over to the side with a suggestive smirk.
Draco decided to take his time to savour this moment. He slowly looked her over from head to toe, involuntarily licking his lips. She wore only a small pair of lacy, peach coloured knickers. Her perfect breasts gently rose and fell as she drew in a deep breath, her nipples dark and pert.
He had been dreaming of what Hermione's naked body would look like, ever since that day he caught sight of her arse cheeks that morning at the student flat. His imagination was, of course nothing in comparison to her actual beauty before him and Draco was revelling in how playfully forward she was being.
Playing along with her, he shrugged slightly before musing: "Well, that's a good start."
Hermione laughed down her nose before taking a step towards him. She placed her knees on either side of him on the bed and straddled him, placing her index finger under his chin to tilt his face upwards before kissing him with a searching tongue.
Draco then felt her pushing him backwards and he naturally obliged, lying back onto the bed, groaning with pleasure as she rolled her hips and ground herself against his hard erection that was pressing against his trousers.
She continued to lean down, kissing and nuzzling at his neck and travelling downwards, further unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it open.
"And how about this?" she whispered in his ear, licking and blowing softly before taking his lobe between her lips and sucking gently. Draco could feel her taut nipples touching his chest.
"Hmmm…" Draco groaned again, his hands curving around the flesh of her buttocks and squeezing them lightly in response. "...definitely getting there."
He slid his hands further around the curves of her arse until his fingertips grazed the expanse of fabric between her legs, and traced along the line of her moist slit. Hermione let out a delicious moan of pleasure as he dipped his finger beneath the lace, making direct contact.
He carefully watched her reaction as she sat back and rocked her hips to increase the sensation, tossing her head back with a wanton sigh. She slid her hands up along her waist, bringing them to her chest and began to massage her breasts to create dual sensations of pleasure.
Draco sat up and threw her down onto her back in an instant, diving to hungrily take her nipple in his mouth, sucking and lapping with precision as his fingers stroked and caressed her between her legs.
Hermione cried out and arched into his touch.
"Oh Gods, Draco…" she moaned loudly.
Draco opened his eyes and raised his gaze upwards to find Hermione craning her head forwards, watching him intently as he pleasured her nipple, her hands grabbing the back of his head to hold him in place.
He lapped at her breast like a hungry cat drinking milk, maintaining eye contact throughout, before releasing her breast and sitting up to slowly peel away her soaked knickers, tossing them carelessly across the tent.
He was breathing heavily, his hard length desperate for relief. Draco had dreamed of this moment for so long. The one night stands and ridiculous relationship with Astoria had been nothing but a distraction to him, and at every recent sexual encounter he had had, he had found himself imagining Hermione's body, her beautiful face and the obscene sounds she would make as he made her scream his name.
The reality of his fantasies coming to fruition was igniting a passion deep within him and he became determined to ensure her pleasure in every way possible.
Draco pulled Hermione's knees up and pushed them towards her chest and outwards, slowly exposing herself to him more fully. Without a moment's hesitation he dived into her with a hungry tongue, reaching up to simultaneously squeeze and play with her breasts.
Hermione arched and keened, crying out in unbridled pleasure at the sudden contact. She grabbed hold of his hands and pressed them more firmly to her chest, rocking and arching her pelvis to ride against his mouth.
Draco hummed in response to her unbridled reaction and began to deftly circle her clit with his tongue. She moaned wantonly at the thrilling sensation before Draco brought a hand down from her breast and slowly, oh so slowly entered two fingers inside her, curling them upwards.
She gasped loudly and Draco felt her raise her torso up and crane her head forwards. He raised his eyes again to meet her gaze, finding her watching him intently, with reddened cheeks, her pupils blown wide and her forehead and glistening with a light sheen of sweat.
He continued to circle and suck at her clit, gazing intently into her eyes.
"Oh Gods! Oh yes!" she cried out, rocking and grinding to ride against his hand and mouth once more. "Oh Draco… Draco… I'm… I'm…"
Feeling him give her bud one last suck, Hermione tensed and came with a powerful clench. Her thighs gripped around him as she arched and keened, crying out and riding the waves of her orgasm.
Draco continued to gently lap and move his fingers inside her as the waves gradually began to subside. He slowly removed his fingers, feeling a pool of her wet slick draw from her as he did so.
Hermione lay spread eagled and limp, breathing heavily with her arm draped across her eyes. Draco stood up to remove his clothes, taking his time and watching her intently.
He noticed how she continued to shudder occasionally from the further dying waves of her climax. He had never felt more aroused in his life. He knew the task ahead was going to take a huge amount of effort on his part to not come as soon as he touched her.
He climbed over her and she removed her arm from her eyes to look at him with a satisfied smile. He paused above her and gazed intensely into her eyes as she propped herself on her elbows to kiss him passionately. She explored his mouth hungrily with her tongue and Draco knew that she must have been able to taste herself on him. The thought made him almost come there and then.
Pulling away from the kiss, Hermione reached up with a hand and placed her palm delicately on the side of his face, running her thumb gently across his open lips.
"Take me Draco," she whispered, opening her legs and rolling her pelvis so that his hard length became coated in her arousal.
Grabbing his wand from the bedside, Draco quickly cast a contraceptive charm before taking her knee and pushing it back to present her to him at a more accessible angle. He slowly entered her, fully and deeply, pushing inside to the hilt.
Hermione closed her eyes and tipped her head back with a gasp at the sensation, still being swollen and sensitive from Draco's earlier accomplishments. Draco paused and groaned gruffly.
"Oh Gods," he whispered, getting himself in check and concentrating hard on not making an embarrassment of himself. "Hermione, you feel so good."
The feeling was like nothing he had experienced before. The emotional link he had with the witch was proving to heighten the pleasure of love making immeasurably. He gently began to move within her. She felt heavenly, so tightly sheathed with her wet arousal all around his length.
Hermione was now moaning and keening as she rode herself against him once more. Draco kissed, licked and nipped at her neck and breasts, before sitting more upright on his knees. He began massaging her breasts and nipples with one hand, while caressing her sensitive clit with the other, all the time moving himself in and out with rhythmic precision.
Draco couldn't take his eyes off Hermione as she cried out, writhing and moving against him. She opened her eyes widely and leaned forwards to watch his ministrations.
"Is that good?" Draco asked intensely
.
"Mmmmmm," was all she managed to reply.
"You like to watch, don't you?"
"Mmmmm yes…"
Draco gave a low chuckle of understanding. Seeing her taking him in as she rocked and thrust herself against him was a beautiful sight to behold. He could feel the crest of his burgeoning release approaching, but it seemed Hermione had beaten him. She grabbed his hand that was at her clit and ground herself against it with a gasp before crying out once more.
"Oh Gods. Oh Gods. Draco, I'm coming again. Oh yes, yess!"
She all but screamed as she became tense and came once again, and he could feel the wave of her climax clenching and tightening on his length and leading him to his own end.
He gave a loud groan as he came with a forceful thrust deep inside her, collapsing forwards and panting heavily at her ear as he continued to thrust forwards to spill the last of his come within.
Hermione continued to whimper and writhe as the waves of her orgasm continued, Draco feeling the mild clenches of her aftershocks as he remained seated inside her.
After a few moments, he withdrew slowly, feeling the deliciously warm cascade of their shared release being freed from within and lay down at her side. He pulled her towards him with a soft kiss on her temple and drew the bed sheets gently over them.
They both fell into a pleasure-induced slumber, legs and arms entwined in a close embrace.
An hour or so later, the tent had gradually lit up with the rays of morning sunshine and Draco and Hermione were roused by the sounds of wedding guests moving around and talking in the field outside.
"I really hope that one-way silencing charm worked" Draco muttered with his eyes still shut.
"Relax, Draco. I put the charm on myself" Hermione replied with confidence as she stretched and yawned.
"Really?' Draco countered, mischievously before shouting out: "Justin Finch Fletchley has a maggot dick!" at the top of his lungs.
Hermione gasped with a smile before laughing loudly, throwing her pillow to hit Draco directly in the face.
The couple spent a lazy morning in their tent, enjoying a sensual shower together in their ensuite bathroom and another round of lovemaking in bed, before eventually relenting and getting dressed to face the day ahead.
They emerged from the tent and were greeted by the tempting smell of fried bacon and sausages that were being grilled on a huge fire pit outside The Burrow by Mr Weasley. Mrs Weasley was sitting in the nearby shade of the porch, looking a little worse for wear and wearing a large pair of dark sunglasses.
Draco and Hermione indulged in a breakfast feast together to abate their burgeoning hangovers and made pleasant chatter with the guests.
Harry and Ginny emerged from their secluded love-nest in the late morning to a raucous cheer and round of applause.
"Thought you honeymooners were staying in bed all day?!" shouted Seamus Finnegan as the newlyweds sat down with matching blushes.
George and Charlie Weasley were busying themselves, trying to arrange a friendly game of Quidditch down in the orchard. They were doing all they could to convince Draco to come and join in. Draco had to regretfully decline.
"I'm spending a few days up in Scotland this week to prepare for the opening on Saturday," he explained before turning to Hermione. "I really need to think about heading back soon to organise a few things."
Hermione smiled broadly at him.
"It's so exciting, Draco. I'm really happy things are going so well for you."
Draco couldn't help but compare her reaction to that of Astoria after he had announced the expansion of his business. Hermione's total acceptance of him was completely non conditional. He found it so beguiling that her feelings for him were so genuine and not borne from any ulterior motive of personal gain. How had he ended up being so lucky?
"I think I'll head back home too, Draco. I'm am feeling a bit tired for some reason," she added with a sly wink.
Draco and Hermione finished off their coffees and grabbed their overnight bags, making their way over to Mr and Mrs Weasley and Harry and Ginny who were seated together on the porch.
George and Charlie whooped and shouted "Malfoy, you pussay!" in disdain at him turning down their challenge of Quidditch.
"Scared of losing, ferret features?"
Draco gave them a withering smile.
"No. Just don't want to upstage you in front of all your relatives, Weasleys," he shouted back. "I'll thrash your arses some other time!"
The boys crowed at his comeback but Draco quietly ignored them as Hermione shook her head at their childish antics, stepping up onto the porch.
"Well, we're heading off now," Hermione announced as Ginny jumped to her feet and made her way over to hug her friend. The girls shared a long, tight embrace.
"Thank you so much, Hermione," said Ginny. "I couldn't have got through the day without you."
"It was my absolute pleasure, Mrs Potter!" Hermione replied with a big smile. "I loved being your bridesmaid. You were the most beautiful bride I've ever seen."
Draco and Harry smiled awkwardly at each other before shaking hands.
"Potter."
"Malfoy."
"Congratulations. And thanks again, for having me."
"Think nothing of it," Harry replied earnestly. "Erm… have you seen the Prophet this morning?"
"No." Draco and Hermione answered in chorus.
Ginny stepped briefly into the kitchen and retrieved the morning's news that had arrived by a very early owl. She held it out for Draco to take, and Hermione leaned in as he carefully unfolded it.
'MALFOY-GRANGER SHOCK REVELATION AT FRIENDS' WEDDING' read the large headline. It was accompanied by a photo of the pair holding each other closely at the front of the group shot, with all the other guests conveniently cropped out.
"Oh Merlin!" Hermione groaned. "I can't believe we made it to the front page!"
"Well Potters," Draco added with a laugh, "...it looks like you've been relegated from the title of 'Wedding of the Year' to simply 'Malfoy And Grangers' Friends' Wedding'"
"We know!" Ginny chimed gleefully. "It's bloody brilliant!"
"I mean; we do actually feature inside. There's a double page spread on us. But this is just fantastic! You've totally taken the spotlight off us. We owe you big time!" Harry added.
He then became slightly more regretful in his tone.
"You know, I'm afraid you two might well be in for the full paparazzi treatment for a while now."
"Yes, I suppose that's to be expected," Hermione agreed, slipping her arm around Draco and looking up at him with a small smile.
"It's nothing we can't handle," Draco stated, pulling her in towards him.
"Well just let us know if you want us to return the favour for your wedding," Harry added with a wide grin.
"Yeah," Ginny added, wading in on the fun of making her friends squirm awkwardly.
"Perhaps Harry and I could announce we're having triplets at your nuptials?" she suggested with deadpan seriousness.
Draco noticed Harry's eyes widen momentarily as his Adam's apple bobbed with a heavy gulp at his new bride's suggestion.
"Good luck with that Potter!" Draco called out with a laugh as he and Hermione made their way over to bid farewell to Mr and Mrs Weasley, thanking them for their hospitality. Mrs Weasley looked more than a little embarrassed when Draco leaned in to peck her cheek, thanking her for their dance together the night before.
Finally the couple went inside The Burrow to access the floo. Petrov and a smaller team of his men were sitting around the kitchen table, with one colleague carefully monitoring the fireplace. Draco shook Petrov's hand, expressing his sincere thanks to them all and handing over his final payment.
"Petrov, I may be needing you for future personal security work, if you're interested?"
Petrov was indeed very interested and the two men parted ways with an agreement for Draco to be in touch soon. Hermione pulled Draco over to the floo and the pair departed to Strawberry Fields together. Ever the gentleman, Draco wanted to see her home safely, as well as spending every second he could with her before their imminent separation.
They stepped through and into the cosy little living room of the cottage, throwing their bags down on the sofa as Hermione stretched and sighed loudly. She turned to face Draco with a smile.
"So.. that's that, then! Wedding Of The Year - done!"
"I think you'll find it's 'Malfoy And Granger's Friends' Wedding - done!' actually!" Draco corrected with a smirk.
Hermione laughed and slipped her arms around his neck.
"So, you think we might need some security now that the press are interested in us?" she asked tentatively.
"It's very possible," Draco acknowledged. "We'll be fine at home as they are bound by magical restrictions to not come near us unsolicited there, but they might take to following us around in public for a while. Especially at any larger events."
"Like your shop opening next week?"
"Yes, that's what I was thinking. But hey! It'll be great for business! Think of all that free publicity," he said with a shrug.
"Every rusty cauldron, hey?" Hermione replied.
"Exactly. Right then!" Draco announced with assertiveness. "I'll be off."
He released Hermione briefly to retrieve his bag, quickly explaining that he would be in Hogsmeade until Wednesday and promising to owl her the minute he returned.
He quickly turned back to peck her on the lips.
"I love you. See you later," he stated without thinking, before stepping past her and towards the fireplace.
He paused suddenly as he realised what had just happened. Hermione was also standing stock still, staring wide-eyed at the back of his head.
Draco berated himself inwardly. The words had just fallen so naturally from his mouth, like a reflex. He'd told her that he loved her just like that! No romance. No thought or consideration about choosing just the right moment. It was out there. The words were hanging in the air between them like a fluttering golden snitch.
It was Hermione who broke the silence first.
"Draco. Did… did you just…?" she trailed off, her voice laden with disbelief.
'Shit,' Draco thought. It was too much, too soon. Draco scrunched up his eyes in a grimace before letting out a loud sigh. He turned slowly and allowed his eyes to meet hers with a tentative gaze.
"Yes. I did." he admitted openly. "And actually, I know it might seem a little soon for you but I'm not sorry for saying it. And I'm not expecting you to…"
He was cut off abruptly as Hermione launched herself at him, jumping up and wrapping her legs around him as she crashed her lips against his. Then she pulled away, holding his face closely to hers.
"Draco, I love you too."
They kissed again with a searing passion that Draco had never felt before, as her hands found his hair and his grasped her bum, pressing to one another needily.
Pulling back Draco whispered: "Bedroom Granger," as he kissed and nuzzled her neck.
"Hmmm, yes…" she replied, tossing her head back and losing herself to the sensation. He gave a low chuckle as he realised she had missed his meaning.
"Where, Granger?" he asked more pointedly.
She paused momentarily, before realising that Draco had never been to her room.
"Oh! Right!" she said quickly, before planting another kiss on his lips and apparating them both away upstairs with a rather rough and bouncy landing, directly onto her double bed.
Draco pounced onto her the moment they got their bearings, kissing down the slender column of her neck as he unbuttoned her flowery blouse.
"Draco, don't you have things to do?" she asked breathlessly.
"Oh believe me," he whispered in her ear. "I definitely have things to do."