A/N: Hi All! A thank you to BratGirl1983, burungmalam, lun27, and the Guest who commented on the last chapter. You're words light up my day!
A disclaimer, there is some lemons at the end of the chapter marked with ** for both the beginning and the end.
Also, I wanted to thank eveyone for the over 100 followers To Be Happy has! Thank you all so much for following me on this journey!
And as always, enjoy!
Chapter 5
Hermione didn't know how long she had been pacing. Harry had tried several times to get her to stop, commingling that she was probably going to wear a hole in the ground of Grimmauld Place if she kept it up.
The sharp glare from the brunette caused the Boy-Who-Lived to shrink into himself.
"Lucius Malfoy stole my jacket, Harry!" Hermione said, throwing her arms into the air, "My jacket!"
Ginny, who had been comfortably sitting on the couch eating a chocolate frog, spoke up, "You have to admit, Harry, it is odd… first Parkinson yelled at her and now Lucius Malfoy is stealing her clothes."
"Maybe its a Muggle-born fetish," Ron yelled from the kitchen, his mouth filled with food. He walked into the living room with a plate of chicken. "I mean, think about it. Its only been purebloods taking your stuff right? Nott, Malfoy, and who knows what else. Not to mention when Parkinson was yelling at you, she said that you don't know something… sounds kinda kinky to me."
Ginny promptly smacked Ron on the back of the head, giving him a look, eyes wide and jaw set, that Hermione couldn't quite understand.
Hermione stared at her redheaded friend in bewilderment whereas Harry was struggling for air, fighting his laughter.
"Oh, Merlin," Hermione said, "I hope I'm not a kink."
Harry burst out laughing.
Ginny rolled her eyes, "I doubt it."
Ron shrugged, filling his mouth with more chicken.
Hermione collapsed into the couch between Harry and Ginny. She buried her face in her hands, sighing deeply.
"Everything will be fine," Harry said, calming down slightly, a hesitant hitch in his voice "and anyway, this is your day! You've got a new job!"
Hermione looked up, "You're right, Harry, I just want them to leave me alone."
Ginny shrugged, throwing her arm over Hermione's shoulder, "They will," the red head said. When Ginny thought Hermione wasn't looking, she gave a look to Harry, who gave a firm nod in understanding.
Hermione furrowed her brows, making a mental note to ask them about it later.
"Does this mean we're going out again?" Ron asked, finally finished with his chicken.
"Of course!" Ginny proclaimed, throwing her arms into the air in excitement before anyone could say anything along the lines of 'no'.
Harry shrugged and stood, stretching his arms high above his head. "I'ma go get some sleep then… we have an hour and Merlin knows that my body will thank me tomorrow."
Ron muttered an agreement and took his plate to the kitchen only to follow Harry up the stairs. Ginny met Hermione's eyes and rolled her own before she arranged herself on the couch so that she was facing the brunette witch. Hermione stayed sitting with her back against the cushions.
"Are you excited to work for George?" The redhead asked softly.
Hermione smiles, "I think it'll be new… Merlin knows I need some kind of a change and working with George seems like a good start."
Ginny nodded enthusiastically, bouncing slightly in her seat. "Are you excited for tonight?" She asked.
Hermione turned to Ginny fully, her eyebrows disappearing into her hairline, "Why do you keep asking me if I'm excited for thing? And anyway, as long as I don't sleep with Cormac again, I'll have a splendid time."
Ginny throws her head back in laughter, gripping the couch as to not fall off. Hermione rolled her eyes, huffing out a laugh. Hermione sobered, remembering that she hadn't still hadn't bought up that she and Harry were no longer together. Hermione sighed, Ginny would tell her when she was ready.
"We'll try and avoid McLagan then," Ginny said, wiping tears of mirth from her cheeks.
Hermione grinned. She let Ginny pull her off the couch and lead her upstairs, busying herself with showing the brunette the different outfit options for the night. Hermione watched on with soft eyes, Ginny had always been a fiery person, but it had only occurred to Hermione recently that she was the most alive when talking about her family or things she loved to do.
And unfortunately, one of the things she loved to do was dressing Hermione up.
Not that she was complaining, it was nice having Ginny fully back into her life again.
Maybe she would take up the offer of moving back into Grimmauld Place.
At the end of Ginny's fun, Hermione was mostly ready for their night out, her hair being the main issue for Ginny to style.
Eventually Ginny gave up, simply gathering Hermione's hair into a messy bun atop of the brunette's head. Hermione just watched on as Ginny got her own hair up in a low bun, and by time the two had finished Harry and Ron had emerged from their respective rooms ready for the night out.
Hermione took a quick sip from a calming draught from the cabinet and followed Ginny out of the rickety old house. They apperated straight to the entrance of the club, and as always, the bouncer would let them in because— well— to put it simply they were war heroes, and though sometimes it was a burden, it did have some perks.
Ginny pulled Hermione straight to the dance floor, encouraging the brunette to move along with the beat. Hermione barked out a laugh when she turned and saw Harry and Ron dancing oddly in the middle of the room. Ginny pulled Hermione close and announced that she was going to go get a drink and if she wanted one. Hermione shook her head and went back to swaying her hips, the calming draught letting her loosen up bought to actually have fun. She closed her eyes and let the music take her.
After some time the music slowed, Hermione stopped dancing and moved off the dance floor, deciding that she wanted a drink. She headed to the bar and watched Ginny, who was with a strapping wizard, dance slowly. Harry was flirting with a young man Hermione couldn't identify at the other end of the club and Ron— Hermione froze— he was talking to what looked like Astoria Greengrass.
Fantastic. They're here.
Hermione quickly flagged down the bartender and ordered a non-alcoholic drink. The bartender, a young woman, gave her an odd look before handing her cranberry juice.
"Fancy seeing you here, Granger."
Hermione froze, her heart slammed against her ribs. She would know that voice form anywhere. She turned and met the grey eyes of Draco Malfoy.
"You're the one who's gone and disappeared, Malfoy," Hermione said, ignoring the fact that she wanted to squirm.
Malfoy shrugged, taking a step towards the bar to lean over it. Hermione watched the blond and noticed the small glint of an obvious glamor that was layered on his skin. Hermione's brows knitted together as she tried to see past the magic.
"See something you like, Granger," Malfoy said, leaning in a little closer.
Hermione tried to fight the blush that rose to her cheek, but she knew she failed when Malfoy gave her a mischievous grin though there was a certain nervousness in his eyes.
"Maybe," Hermione whispered as the music got louder once again. She should really stop slipping into the beds of men from the club.
He must have heard her because he pressed his lips to her ear and whispered "lets get out of here then."
Hermione swore she felt magic sink into her skin when they touched. Hermione nodded and she pulled him towards the doors. Malfoy looked back once before he let Hermione lead him towards the apperation point.
"Hold on," Malfoy whispered before Hermione felt a familiar pull in her stomach.
They landed in the middle of a large room. Hermione didn't really want to consider that it might be in Malfoy Manor.
She felt Malfoy's hands on her, but they were different then Cormac's. Malfoy was tender, caressing her skin as though she was someone he loved, as he slowly undressed her. Her heart clenched.
His lips found hers and she used the opportunity to undress the wizard. He took in a shuttering breath when Hermione unbuttoned his shirt and splayed her fingers over his skin. He was cold, his skin warming under her palm.
Hermione pushed the shirt off Malfoy's shoulders, her hands moving down to work in his belt.
Malfoy stopped her.
"Are you sure?" He muttered against her lips, his panting breath hot against hers.
"Yes," Hermione said, pulling the belt free from the loops of Malfoy's trousers.
**Hermione slipped her hands down Malfoy's hips, pulling his trousers and pants down with her. Malfoy pulled her closer, crashing his lips to hers, nudging her back towards the bed, encouraging her to lay on the bed. His mouth traveled down to the swell of her breasts, pausing at the junction of her neck and shoulder before he forced himself to move on. Malfoy's hands awkwardly flew to hooks of her bra, unhooking them and pulling the offending fabric before pulling her perked nipple into his mouth.
Hermione moaned.
This was new. None of Malfoy's touches hurt and Hermione was basking in them.
When Malfoy was one with one breast, he moved on to the other, his hands trailing down her sides to hook his fingers into the hem of her knickers, tugging them down her legs.
Malfoy followed her knickers down her legs, kissing the expanse of her skin as he did, igniting a fire in Hermione.
Is this what it was supposed to feel like?
"Granger," Malfoy groaned, crawling back up to her lips, his blown eyes burrowing into her own, "can I have you?"
Hermione made a deep, needy, sound at the back of her throat, "Yes."
"The charm," he whispered.
"We don't need it."
She claimed his lips with a passion that neither was expecting, clashing tongues and teeth as they tried to take in as much of the other as they could.
Malfoy slid his fingers through her lower lips, pushing a finger into her when she was ready. At the pressure of something in her, Hermione arched her back, her fingers tangling into his hair, her legs moving to wrap around Malfoy's hip.
He pushed in a second finger and pumped slowly into her. Hermione rose her hips to meet his hand, which on made Malfoy give an odd growl.
"Malfoy," Hermione gasped, "I want more."
He pulled his hand away, dropping his head into the curve of her shoulder, supporting himself in his left forearm, as he pushed his member into her. Draco panted, holding still as he tried to gain control. Hermione started to move her hips, encoring him to do the same, her nails massaging into his scalp and then moving down his shoulders to dig in his back.
"Oh Merlin, Granger," he gasped, "you're so good."
Malfoy was louder in bed that Hermione would have thought he was, his groans and gasps echoing in the room with her own.
She felt her climax building, a child tightening in her lower stomach, "I'm so close," she warned.
Malfoy's hand eagerly moved between them and the calloused pad of his thumb started to move in small circles on Hermione's clit.
Hermione's eyes squeezed together and called out Malfoy's named as her world shattered. Malfoy followed soon after, balancing all his weight on his arm as to not crush Hermione. He rolled off of her, giving her one more lingering kiss before he settled into the mattress. Hermione turned to face him only to find his eyes closed and a content smile on his face, his heavy arm draped over the curve of her hip.
**Hermione waited until his breath evened out, her when heartbeat taking almost as long to calm.
Hermione slipped out from under Malfoy's arm, and the familiarity of sneaking out of a man's house striking her. The brunette dressed none the less sparing Malfoy, who was reaching out in his sleep, only glance before she apperated out of the room and into her living room.
Post coital drowsiness taking over. Hermione cast a quick patronus for Ginny, telling the witch that she was okay, before the sleepy witch crawled into bed and promptly fell asleep.