A/N: Yes...I'm a few hours late. Sorry about that.
Nevertheless, here is your chapter.
Hope you enjoy ;)

Songs to listen to:
Paula Cole – I don't want to wait
Betty Who – I love you always forever
Daisy Gray – Wicked Game
Stereophonics – I wanna get lost with you

Chapter 15:

November 2005:

"I am incredibly proud to tell you Hogwarts won their first match against Durmstrang yesterday. Three hundred and sixty to sixty," McGonagall announced at breakfast early on Thursday.

Her perpetually severe expression had been exchanged this morning for a rare smile. There weren't many things that could put an outright smile on the Headmistress' face, but Quidditch was one of the few that made the list. "I received an owl from Professor Malfoy early this morning to inform me of their victory."

The Great Hall erupted in applause and cheers, students clapping and hugging each other with excitement, the professors around the staff table joining in with enthusiasm.

It was quite an impressive score, and Hermione was proud of Draco for the tons of effort he'd poured into Quidditch training to ensure that the Hogwarts Championship team was up to scratch for the month-long competition.

While she'd never gone to watch any of the training sessions, she'd heard from Theo how much time Draco had sacrificed. How good he was with the Championship team.

"It's only their first match, and there are many more to follow. I don't want to get your hopes up, but I think our team will do very well at the Championships with the necessary focus and dedication," the Headmistress continued, eyes shining with pride. "I've attended a few training sessions and I must say that our team is rather good. I will keep you updated on the results for Hogwarts in the upcoming matches. The next one will take place this following Monday against Castelobruxo, a school Professor Malfoy has informed me are possibly our biggest competition. According to him, it should be a nail-biting match."

The latest letter from Draco had waited for her this morning when she'd gotten out of bed. But unlike the one she'd received along with the flowers on Tuesday evening, she'd responded before she'd come down for breakfast today.

This time, she'd been unable to remain as indifferent as she had with her previous response. While she was still angry with him, the fact that he'd so proudly written to her about the team's victory against Durmstrang as if he couldn't wait to share his excitement with her of all people had prompted a slightly warmer yet rather short letter from her. And as pathetic as it was, she liked that he'd been the one to initiate contact all the way from Massachusetts and was keeping it up.

She'd deny it vehemently if confronted about it but she missed him so much, and he hadn't even been gone a week yet.

She missed just seeing that flash of blond in the corridors during the day. She missed looking up during meal times to catch his eyes on her, even if his gaze was nothing close to soft and welcoming. At least she knew he was watching her. Knew she was on his mind. And selfishly, that's where she wanted to remain so he'd get used to the idea of her again. Maybe even soften towards her. Love her again.

But he had a lot to make up for if they were to work their way up to something that resembled friendship or a relationship. The tulips had been a start, at least. A month ago, he never even would have considered sending her flowers, never mind a letter.

Her nights were busy for the rest of the week. She had to tackle the tutoring sessions on her own and split her time between Potions and Ancient Runes. The time turner around her neck was a semi-permanent fixture lately; it would continue in the same fashion until the team returned home.

In the evenings she stayed up well past midnight to decipher the latest jumble of symbols her students had crammed together on a piece of parchment for their assignments and after that, she would move on to the Potions homework.

Draco hadn't assigned many essays for the time he was gone, mostly sticking to quizzes or practical assignments to make it easier on her. Unfortunately, the essays couldn't be avoided entirely and it took a lot of determination to remain focused as one essay bled into another and the words on the parchment started to blur. She'd caught herself nodding off a few times and had to re-read several sentences as a result.

It.

Was.

Tedious.

And gods, she was so fucking tired.

Her mind drifted to the response she'd written Draco yesterday, wondering if it had been the right decision. Perhaps writing back was sending the wrong message. She had no intention of letting him off the hook completely, but then again, it was unlike her to hold onto grudges forever. But didn't she deserve some grovelling from him at least? Were flowers and a short, written apology truly enough to let go of her anger?

xxx

Hermione jolted awake at twenty to nine on Friday morning, Potions essays still in her lap. She hadn't gotten far last night, having fallen asleep on the couch with her legs stretched out across the seat and an inkblot on her pyjamas where the quill had dropped into her lap.

She stacked the essays on the coffee table in a haphazard pile and rubbed at the kink in her neck. That was what happened when you fell asleep on the couch with your head resting at an awkward angle for the whole night.

Hermione cursed when she hit her knee against the coffee table and tripped over the rug in her hurry to get to the bathroom. She hobbled off to catch a very quick shower, struggled to get into her robes since she hadn't towelled herself off properly, and gathered her hair in a bun atop her head since there was no time to brush it, let alone tame it.

She growled in frustration when she looked down to find a ladder in her stockings as if her morning hadn't been riddled with mishaps already. With a snappily whispered Repairo, she grabbed her satchel and ran for her class. At least it wasn't far.

There was no time for breakfast today. Or coffee. And it didn't bode well for the people around her. Merlin have mercy on any idiots that crossed her path today…

Luckily, her first class went off without a hitch. It was as if her students could somehow sense that she was not to be messed with today. There were no idiotic questions, no one gave her lip and from their answers to her questions on the subject matter, it was clear they'd done their reading homework yesterday.

So, without preamble, she dived into the process of deciphering Proto-Sinaitic script and left the class to carry on, walking through the rows of desks to offer help if needed.

When the class ended and the last student drifted out, Hermione flipped her time turner and hurried to the dungeons for Potions lessons with the second-years.

"For today's lesson, we will be brewing a fire protection potion. So, if you would please open your books to page ninety-one, you'll find the required ingredients and recipe. You may collect the Bursting mushrooms, Salamander blood and Wartcap powder from the stores and proceed to brew your potion in a neat and timely manner." She continued when no one spoke up, "I implore you to mind the Wartcap powder. Make sure you wear your dragonhide gloves while handling the powder unless you want to come away with crusty skin."

When the students returned with their ingredients in hand, ready to start their brewing, Hermione addressed a fumbling student who looked like he was moments away from dropping his ingredients. "Mr Selwyn, be careful. If you can't manage, try levitating your potion ingredients to your workstation. And if I see any of you being reckless, I will deduct house points."

She heard a muttered "Professor Malfoy is much nicer than her" come from somewhere in the middle of the class.

Frankly, she didn't care. Teaching and brewing potions were not her forte, and she'd had a shitty start to her day. Add to that the fact that she was tired, starving and in dire need of her caffeine fix, she thought she was handling things quite well.

"Your potion should be close to ready by now," she informed the class near the end of the lesson, walking between the tables to inspect the students' cauldrons. "If your potion is not red, you've skipped a step or miscalculated the amount of each ingredient to be added in each step. That being said, you will still bottle and label your potion, even if it doesn't look as it should. I will reward you marks for the steps you did manage to follow correctly."

xxx

During lunch, Hermione wolfed down a buttered bun, two sausages, a lamb chop, and three cups of coffee.

She looked up to find Septima Vector watching her with pity.

"I overslept," Hermione explained after swallowing the last mouthful of her coffee.

Septima nodded knowingly. "Yes, that was how my day looked yesterday. The back and forth between my Arithmancy classes and Lisa's Alchemy classes has me spread thin."

"Just three more weeks exactly like this one, and then we can return to our normal schedules," Hermione groaned and rubbed her temples. The kink in her neck was affording her a proper headache.

"Try some headache tonic and a vitamin vial from Professor Malfoy's bottom left drawer in his classroom," Septima offered helpfully. "He keeps it on hand for the staff in case of a rough week. Especially around N.E. exams when we're all a bit stressed and overworked. I'm sure he wouldn't mind you helping yourself."

"Thanks," she offered a half-smile and pushed her chair back. "I think I'll go right now. There's still a long way to go before the end of classes. I have forty minutes until my next class. Hopefully, I can manage to pull myself together before then."

xxx

Hermione knew she shouldn't snoop through Draco's things, but she couldn't help herself. She'd already taken the vials from his desk like Septima had suggested and had downed them in rapid succession on the spot. But she hadn't expected to find Draco's bedroom door unwarded and only locked with a simple Coloportus charm.

She also hadn't expected to find her ruined purple knickers from the masquerade ball peeking from underneath the pillows on his bed. The same ones he'd pocketed before he'd shagged her brains out against a wall in one of the dark corners of the cloister out in the courtyard.

What did he want with her knickers anyway, if he didn't want her?

Her wand buzzed in her hand, warning her that she had ten minutes to get to her classroom or she'd be late.

"Shit!" She cursed under her breath and put the knickers back where she'd found them. If she took them, Draco would know she'd snooped.

They were useless to her now, anyway. As for him…who knew? Maybe he got off on sniffing them for some perverted reason.

She powered through the rest of the day sans headache and with much more energy than this morning, hoping that she could find the time to go back to Draco's bedroom for another, more thorough 'inspection'. Snooping sounded like she was doing something wrong. Which, admittedly, she was. But she had the overwhelming desire to get a peek into the man that Draco was now. The one she didn't know anymore.

Sadly, Hermione didn't get the chance to go to his rooms as she'd wanted, instead spending the afternoon after the end of classes marking the essays she'd neglected on Thursday. She wanted it done before she had to leave to meet her friends for drinks in London.

She was meeting Ginny and Pansy at The Leaky Cauldron and there was no way she would be late.

Pansy was very pedantic about punctuality, and Hermione refused to be lectured by her tonight.

At half seven, Hermione was done marking, slipped into a pair of black palazzos, a pink top and a black pea coat, donning her recently acquired glittery pink platform stilettos with the gold heels.

A tap tap at her window gave her pause, and she was surprised to find two owls with a letter and a large package tied between them.

It was from Draco...

Unfortunately, there wasn't time to read the letter and open the package. It would have to wait until she got back. Unless she wanted the wrath of Pansy Parkinson released upon her.

One thing was certain: until she got back to her quarters after drinks with her friends, she would constantly be wondering what the letter and package contained.

When Hermione arrived at the Leaky with three minutes to spare, Pansy was already seated at a table in the far corner of the pub.

With her perfectly fitted long-sleeved dress, and hair smoothed into her signature bob without a hair out of place, she looked every bit the pure-blood she was raised to be.

Hermione never had that kind of luck with her own hair; she practically had to beat her curls into submission, and then it still left a lot to be desired.

"Hello, darling," Pansy greeted with a kiss on Hermione's cheek, squeezing her arms gently. "How have you been?"

Hermione puffed out a heavy breath and took a seat as she realized Ginny was late.

Oh boy…

"Good," she pushed thoughts of Ginny and the verbal beating that awaited her out of her mind for the moment. Instead, she turned her attention to Pansy, contemplating telling her all the naughty details of the past few weeks, but opted to ease into their conversation. "I've been good. Just very busy with Draco's classes on top of mine and tutoring the seventh-years without Theo's help."

"Hmm," Pansy hummed, her calculating blue eyes dancing between Hermione's as if she had something specific on her mind.

Hermione poured herself a glass of the wine Pansy had ordered for the table, sipping slowly as she maintained eye contact, waiting…

"I heard you're shagging Higgs," Pansy said, uninterested in Hermione's lamentations about her busy schedule.

Hermione choked on her wine.

"How was he in bed? Was he good? He seems more like the gentle type rather than a beast who pushes your face into the pillows and fucks you until you're limp and incoherent. And don't think I don't know your preferences."

Hermione knew Draco and his friends were very open about the details of their sex lives, and it wasn't a surprise that Pansy knew how much Hermione had enjoyed Draco's proclivities in the bedroom when they'd been a couple.

"Firstly," Hermione said, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. "I was shagging him, as in, no longer shagging. Secondly, how do you even know about Terence? Did Theo tell you?"

"No, Draco told me."

"Draco?" Hermione blinked, momentarily surprised. "Our Draco?"

"Yes, Granger. Draco Malfoy. Blond prat and ex-husband of yours," she snapped impatiently. "Do try to keep up."

"Don't be bitchy," Hermione tutted. "It makes you look constipated."

"I'm always bitchy." Pansy lifted a brow. "And I'm not constipated, thank you very much."

"You know I love you regardless, right?"

"Regardless of the constipation...or?"

"Now who's being slow?" Hermione chuckled.

"Okay, so details. Was Higgs good in bed?" Pansy brought them back on topic. "Or was he slow and sweet? I bet the first time he fucked you he came after a minute inside you. Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're wrong," Hermione deadpanned.

Pansy's surprise coaxed Hermione into elaborating. "He was really good in bed, actually," she admitted with a wink. "Stamina like a racehorse. Very thorough. And nothing about it was particularly sweet. He was more the slow and hard type if that makes sense. Sometimes just shy of too rough."

"Really?" Pansy leaned forward, curious. "I did not expect that."

Hermione shrugged. "Yeah. He liked to mix things up."

"Well…was he better than Draco?"

"I don't think anyone will ever be better than Draco. At least, for me. But Terence was really good, though. Sometimes he just lacked Draco's intuition when it came to things like my g-spot. And his dirty talk could use some work. The orgasms were great but not nearly as intense as I've had with Draco. That being said, Terence was certainly the best shag I've had since Draco."

"So why did you break up with him, then?"

"It was a mutual decision. Sort of. Draco might have had a hand in it too."

"Sorry I'm late," Ginny interrupted the conversation with a breathy greeting and flung herself into a chair. She grabbed the wine bottle, and briefly inspected the label before filling her glass. "What were you saying? Draco's hand was where?"

"Why are you late?" Pansy cocked a displeased brow.

"Please don't lecture her, Pans. Let's just continue the conversation."

"You and Blaise have way too much sex to be considered normal," Pansy accused. "That's why you're never on time."

"It's clearly been too long since you've had a Slytherin wizard between your legs. But ask Hermione," Ginny tipped a chin in her direction. "She knows how insatiable they are. Their skill is downright sinful." She fanned herself dramatically.

"Agree to disagree," Pansy waved away the comment. "Besides, they're bound to be good since they've both fucked half the school by the time eighth year rolled around."

Ginny scowled, and while Hermione wanted to do the same, she supposed what Pansy said was true. Nevertheless, those skills had afforded Hermione countless exquisite, earth-shattering orgasms. And for that, she couldn't manage to hold a grudge against Draco for the way he'd honed these skills.

"Hermione's just been telling me how good Terence Higgs was in bed and why she broke it off with him," Pansy continued, unaffected by Ginny's ire.

"You had sex with Higgs?" Ginny asked, affronted. "And you didn't think I needed to know?"

She shrugged. "It wasn't for very long."

"So, the break-up?" Ginny prompted and Pansy nodded in agreement, folding her hands and resting her chin on top, eager for the details.

"Oh my god!" Ginny gasped when Hermione had given them a play-by-play of the masquerade ball disaster. "What a fucking arsehole!"

"Did he apologize to you?" Pansy asked, tapping a finger speculatively against her chin.

"He came by the next morning, yes."

"And?" Ginny prompted. "What did he say?"

"That he was sorry. That he shouldn't have lost control the way he did and that I deserved better than how he treated me." She bit her lip, blushing. "And there were the flowers he sent from Ilvermorny."

"Okay," Pansy pursed her lips, "We'll get to the flowers in a minute. What did you say to him when he came over on Sunday?" She narrowed her eyes menacingly, "Please don't tell me you gave in. The way you melt at the sight of him is quite pathetic."

"I'll try not to take offence to that last part." Hermione scowled. "But I didn't melt, as you put it. I told him to leave. To go and fuck as many American women as he pleased."

"Good girl!" Pansy chuckled, mollified. "He deserves to sweat a little for what he did."

"I think Malfoy was jealous," Ginny stated with confidence. "And he couldn't handle your relationship with Higgs, because he still wants you."

"No, Ginny. That's not-"

"She's right," Pansy interrupted. "Draco hasn't gotten over you. And I think he just needed to see you with another wizard to open his eyes."

"Nothing is going on between us, Pansy. Draco's been very clear about that."

"Was that before or after you started shagging Higgs?" Pansy asked.

"Before."

"Well, there you have it." Pansy sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, shooting Hermione a smug look.

"You wanted to revisit the flowers Malfoy sent…" Ginny reminded Pansy.

"Yes, right." Pansy straightened up. "What kind of flowers did he send you?"

"Tulips."

"Colour?"

"White," Hermione said.

"Not bad." Pansy nodded to herself, satisfied with Hermione's answer.

"What does the type and colour of the flowers have to do with anything?" Hermione wanted to know.

"Pure-bloods were raised to know the meaning behind flowers. The importance of an arrangement. It's a basic part of etiquette training."

Hermione should have guessed this. For her, the meaning behind flowers had always depended on the occasion or the situation. Was it flowers given before a date? Was it an apology after a fight? She'd never really looked deeper. "So, what do white tulips mean, then?"

"It very aptly denotes a sincere apology."

"Fair enough." Hermione shrugged. "But the fact that he took extra care to pick out the perfect bouquet to apologize still doesn't mean I'm going to simply overlook what happened. It's going to take a little more than that."

"Good. You shouldn't cave. At least, not yet," Pansy agreed, pleased.

"Make him sweat a little more if you can," Ginny chimed in. "Let him grovel so he'll understand that you're not just another slutty witch he can screw whenever and wherever he wants to without there being consequences."

"He sent me a package and a letter earlier. It arrived just as I was about to head out," she told Ginny and Pansy.

"Oh, Jesus," Pansy rolled her eyes. "And now you are going to brush aside his shitty behaviour. Aren't you?"

"Well, no," Hermione bristled. "I don't even know what he sent me. And anyway, I thought we just confirmed that I wouldn't make it that easy for him."

"To be fair," Ginny interjected, "You always go soft whenever he's being sweet."

"This wasn't just a regular argument, Gin," Hermione said. "His actions hurt me deeply. And he has to realize that he needs to decide what he wants from me. Either he walks away or he gives our relationship a real shot. But I'm not going to sweep it under the rug. Have some faith in me, for god's sake."

"Fine, fine," Ginny lifted her hands in supplication.

"So, before we move on to what you two have been up to, I need to tell you something," Hermione lowered her voice.

"Don't tell me you're pregnant with Higgs' love child?" Ginny winked.

"Of course not," Hermione rolled her eyes at the comment. "I'm on the potion." She cleared her throat, gathering courage for what she was about to say. "I may or may not have snooped around in Draco's room when I went to get a few potions from his classroom during lunch."

"So?" Pansy shrugged, unconcerned.

"So..." Hermione glared at Pansy because of her aloof response. Did she not realize that most people (non-Slytherins) didn't go snooping around in other people's rooms because it was a breach of privacy? "I came across the knickers he pilfered the night of the masquerade ball."

"No!" Ginny gasped, eyes shining with glee. "Where was it?"

"Peeking out from under the pillows on his bed."

"Sweet Circe!" Pansy cackled in delight and clapped her hands. "Who knew he was such a little pervert?"

"He does have that weird fetish with Hermione and her shoes," Ginny pointed out with a smirk as if this explained the issue of the stolen knickers.

"Point taken," Pansy conceded with a huff of laughter. She shook her head and smiled down at the table. "He's clearly not done with you."

"Just…" Hermione eyed her friends pointedly. "Don't tell him I found the knickers. I would very much like to bring it up at the most inconvenient time possible just to mess with him a little."

**FLASHBACK**

June 1999:

"Draco," Hermione gasped, gingerly touching the blindfold over her eyes. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," he murmured in her ear and pressed his lips to the underside of her jaw for a soft kiss.

She shivered with pleasure.

Somehow, that low rasp of his voice so close to her skin, the quiet of the forest around them and the blindfold robbing her of sight had her senses and reactions heightened, and right now it was wreaking havoc on her body in the most delicious way.

When she'd woken up this morning, it had been to a warm body pressed against hers and a strong arm wrapped around her waist.

Other than telling her they had a portkey scheduled for six to take her on a date, he'd been tight-lipped and in an unusual mood. He'd seemed edgy and irritable, and even if he hadn't exactly taken it out on her, it had left her in a constant state of unease.

Couple that with the fact that his mood had been severe enough that the idea of sex couldn't even get his cock hard, and it had left her worried and doubting whether they were doing the right thing moving in together. Moving away.

But as soon as the clock had struck six and their portkey signalled that it was time for departure, she'd seen an overt difference in his mood, as if half of his tension had evaporated in the blink of an eye.

"Mind the step, love," Draco said after a few minutes of navigating her through the forest. He had a steady grip on her elbow as he guided her up a set of what seemed to be wooden steps if the sound her shoes made was anything to go by.

"How much further, baby?" she whined impatiently. She had no idea what he'd planned, but her best guess was a restaurant of some kind, private and out of the wizarding public's eye. Hence, the forest.

"Almost there," he appeased and lifted the back of her hand to his lips as a means to distract her while he ushered her further toward some obscure destination.

"Okay," he announced, halting her with a hand on her shoulder. "We're here."

She swore she heard a tremble in his voice, but her own pounding heart was so loud in her ears that she could have been mistaken.

"Ready?"

This time she could hear the grin in his voice when he spoke and it made all the difference in the world. If he was smiling there was nothing she had to be afraid of. She trusted him implicitly.

"Yes, yes," she nodded eagerly. "So ready."

Draco lifted the blindfold from her eyes and gestured to a large oak door with a bevelled glass transom and sidelites.

Her mouth popped open in surprise when she realized where they were and turned to him. "Draco..."

"This is the house, love." He gave a cautious, hopeful smile, watching her reaction intently.

"Can we go inside?" she asked, curious and overwhelmed with excitement.

"Of course, we can. It's ours now, but," he cupped her shoulders and looked her dead in the eye. "I need you to be honest if you don't like it. We have a two-week cooling-off period, so I can still back out of the contract if that's what you want."

"How could I not love it, Draco?" The idea was preposterous. She knew he had good taste, and even if it weren't the case, she'd still happily move into a tiny, one-bedroomed shack with him if it meant they would be together.

"I'm sure you will, but just in case you don't, I want you to feel comfortable telling me."

It was odd seeing Draco this nervous. He was usually so composed that she envied just a drop of his confidence.

"Okay," she agreed and linked her fingers with his. "I promise I'll tell you. Now show me our house, please."

When Hermione walked inside, she gaped at the interior. Whatever she'd expected, it hadn't been this rustic haven of wood and glass. It was opulent in an understated way, like a massive version of a luxury log cabin.

Although the place was void of any carpets, furniture or decorations, she could already picture the end result.

The house was large—much larger than she'd anticipated, especially for a couple just starting a life together—but she supposed to a bunch of Slytherins it likely qualified as 'quaint' or 'modest'. Despite the size, the stone fireplace, warm woods and high beam ceiling gave it a cosy feel.

"It's going to feel like we're on vacation all the time," she told him. "Like spending summer at the lake."

"Can't say I went on many of those kinds of vacations," Draco stroked his thumb over her hand. "But I understand what you mean."

Hermione continued her perusal of the house, taking in as much detail as she could. They would need to decorate the house as soon as they moved in. Tomorrow.

Her stomach jolted with excitement at the prospect that they were graduating tomorrow and leaving for their house—this incredible house—straight afterwards.

She was already compiling a mental checklist of things they'd need to buy. Decorations. Furniture. Curtains.

A large, rustic wrought iron chandelier was suspended from the rafters in the living room and large windows gave it a light, open atmosphere.

She could already imagine a cool breeze blowing through the windows on a hot summer's day. Could imagine cuddling up with Draco in front of a crackling fire in the winter; making love on a thick rug in front of the fireplace for hours.

She added a plush rug to her mental list.

Draco watched her in silence, worrying his bottom lip, but when she afforded him a brilliant smile, he seemed to relax. Marginally, at least. Was he truly this nervous about her reaction? Afraid she might not approve?

He showed her the kitchen next, an absolute masterpiece that consisted of marble, stone and cherry wood. She did, however, note that it was a distinctly muggle house when she saw the sleek silver oven with an eight-burner stove top built into the stone wall with an arch of lights above it.

There was a lovely downstairs bathroom off to the side of the living room, and a back porch, large enough to fit a few couches and a big coffee table. Even a porch swing if they decided they wanted one.

But her favourite part of the house, she discovered quickly, waited up the staircase and onto the second floor.

The master bedroom was massive. She was quite certain that the entirety of her room at Hogwarts—open-plan bedroom and living room, kitchenette and small bathroom—could fit into this bedroom. With a sloped roof on one side, low-hanging lights, and wood quite a bit darker than the rest of the house, this was the perfect combination to create an intimate atmosphere.

The hardwood floors were double herringbone patterned, and one entire wall was dedicated to a painted woodsy scene, adding to the gorgeous nature that already surrounded them as she looked out of their bedroom windows.

The en suite bathroom had a circular shower with dark stone tiles on the walls, sporting a massive floor-to-ceiling window that looked out over nothing but the lush green forest that surrounded their house, affording them plenty of privacy.

Dark slats of wood lined the shower floor, gaps large enough between each to allow the water to drain easily from a big rainfall showerhead connected to the ceiling above their heads.

"I'm definitely having dirty shower sex with you at least once a day," she murmured in a dark, sultry voice, aroused by the idea of him pushing her up against the glass and having his way with her. "All we need is a bench in here."

Draco nodded and swallowed thickly, voice husky when he agreed. "A bench. Yes, definitely." He scratched his head, looking a little lost. "Why exactly do we need a bench in the shower? Is there some muggle thing I don't know about?"

Hermione chuckled, amused. "Imagine all the things we can get up to in the shower if we had a bench."

"Christ, Granger," he said when realization dawned. He shook his head and looked up at the ceiling like he was praying for mercy. "What am I going to do with you?" And then he let out a strangled groan, adjusting his trousers at the crotch as he walked out.

Grinning victoriously, Hermione followed him out.

Next were three more bedrooms, all lovely and big, but significantly smaller than the first.

"And last but in no way least," Draco said, opening a door at the end of the hallway.

Hermione clapped her hands over her mouth, awestruck at what she saw.

Draco had mentioned a library, but she hadn't expected this…

Two large walls were covered with bookshelves, a long couch was tucked in against a large window dissected by two separate beams of wood, running vertically from the ceiling to the floor, and another running horizontally from one end of the window to the other, also overlooking the forest.

On the opposite end of the room, in a corner below two large bay windows was another reading nook with a double bed mattress sunken into a wooden frame and small lights hung from the ceiling. It would create a lovely, intimate atmosphere at night.

"I suspect you'll be spending most of your time in here," Draco said, smirking. "Once we move all our books in, of course. And there will be plenty of space for more."

"I love this house, Draco," she said with reverence and leaned in, pulling his face down to hers for a slow, heated kiss. He couldn't have picked a better house for them if he'd tried.

"Before we get distracted," Draco murmured against her lips, slipping his hands to her arse to give a firm squeeze, "There's one more surprise."

He slid open the stacking French doors next to the bed, and lead her outside onto a big, covered balcony lined with yet another bookshelf. A romantic set-up with rose petals and thick blankets covered most of the floor, and there was champagne in an ice bucket and a bouquet of daffodils in the middle.

"You knew I'd like the house, didn't you?" she smiled and tucked herself into his side. "You already have the celebration set-up going on here. You didn't have to be this nervous for my reaction."

Draco pulled away from her, looking extremely pale and unsettled.

"What's going on in that head of yours, love? If it's because your friends are paying for the house and the furniture, we can always…" she stopped talking when he held up a hand.

He shook his head, blew out a short, steeling breath and reached into his trousers pocket. He got down on one knee and looked up at her, a ring box firmly clutched in his fist.

Hermione clapped her hands over her mouth, eyes widening with realization. His edgy mood, the nervousness suddenly made perfect sense.

"I'm so fucking nervous, Hermione," he whispered. "So just let me get everything out before you give me your answer."

"Okay," she said and nodded her head frantically. Her heart pounded so hard against her ribs that she was sure he could hear every beat.

"You and I got off to a bad start," he said, maintaining eye contact with her.

He was the picture of composure when he spoke, even though she knew, inside, he was anything but.

"I'm not even referring to first year. When I came back to Hogwarts for our eighth year, I was angry with the world and especially with myself for all the things I'd done. And then you showed up that night on the Quidditch pitch with your annoying comments, and your refusal to leave me alone. You opened up to me. Made me laugh for the first time in a very long time. You listened to me, saw through me and you didn't judge me for what I told you. You showed me a completely different side of you in return. After that, I couldn't get you out of my head, no matter how hard I tried. Then you gave me that kiss in the supply closet during Potions, and I was done for." He hesitated for a moment.

"Look, I know we've been fighting for our relationship since the second we stopped fighting against it, and I know we're going to have to keep fighting, but I know what it feels like trying to live without you. And if you're up for my moods and my brooding, and everything else that comes with being with me, please say you'll marry me. Be my wife so I can spend forever with you?"

"Yes," she nodded and dropped her hands to her sides. "Of course, I'll marry you, Draco."

"Really?" He seemed genuinely surprised by her answer.

"Yes, really," she grinned and kneeled on the floor in front of him. "What did you expect me to say?"

"I thought you'd say we should wait a little longer. That we haven't been together long enough and that we're moving too fast."

"Are you trying to talk me out of this, or?" She pushed his hair out of his eyes, trying to get him to relax.

"No!" He shook his head vehemently. "I just want you to be sure."

"I am love. You know me. You know I never do something without thinking about it first."

"And have you?" He asked. "Thought about it?"

"It's embarrassing how much I've thought about marrying you." She blushed at her admission, but it didn't matter. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. "Now put that ring on my finger so I can kiss my fiancé."

"Yes, right. The ring." He grinned sheepishly and opened the box to reveal a delicate rose gold band with a large teardrop diamond flanked by three smaller ones on each side, angled to resemble leaves.

"Wow..." she breathed, eyes jumping to his intense silver gaze. "It's gorgeous, Draco."

"Good," he smirked, finally regaining some of his cocksure composure. "It took me forever to pick the perfect one for you." He gently plucked the ring from the velvet cushion, took her left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.

She beamed at him and leaned in to press a kiss to his lips. "We're engaged," she whispered against his mouth, still trying to wrap her head around it all. The house. Draco's proposal.

"We are," he agreed, eyes flashing with pride and something a little darker that made desire coil in her belly. "I get to marry the love of my life."

"God," she bit her lip, staring at him. "I can't believe I get to keep you. I'm so in love with you it's insane."

"What do you say we go break in that reading corner of yours? Set the tone for the rest of our lives together in this house."

"Yes, please," she agreed with a hint of a smirk, heat pooling between her thighs just from the look he was giving her. It was blatant hunger, dark and sticky sweet, promising the sweetest rapture.

Draco helped her up and proceeded to throw her over his shoulder, making her squeal. He summoned the blankets, levitated them to the bed and walked her inside, leaving the champagne for later.

He spread her out over the blankets on what she would henceforth refer to as their love nest, and undressed her slowly, leaving just her heels.

He pulled back to stand up, unbuckled his belt first and then unzipped his trousers, pushing them down along with his briefs. He kept his eyes on her as he kicked his clothes to the side, and started on his shirt.

"Let me," Hermione said and pushed up to stand flush against him.

His cock was warm and velvety soft against her skin, pushing insistently against her belly. It did nothing but stoke the embers of desire into a blazing inferno.

If she had one wish for their future together, it was that this feeling between them would never fade. She never wanted to stop wanting him, stop loving him. If this was all they got out of their life together—their house, each other, this intense love and desire—she'd be the happiest woman in the world.

And then, with the signature Malfoy smirk she'd picked up from him, she grabbed his shirt and yanked hard, making the buttons skitter to the floor like raindrops.

"Christ, Hermione. You're going to be the death of me," he growled and shrugged his shirt off.

He palmed her arse between large, scorching hands, lifted her to his hips and grabbed her calves to wrap her legs around him as he sank into her, forcing a loud moan to tumble from over her lips.

"I'll never get enough of you," he vowed breathily and captured her lips, lowering them onto the mattress.

He made love to her with deep, lazy thrusts, kissing her everywhere he could reach while she trembled beneath him.

The slow buck of his hips, the way his pelvis dragged against her clit and the lecherous praises he tattooed into her skin were too much and not nearly enough, keeping her just out of reach of her orgasm.

Draco pushed her hands above her head, twined their fingers together and lowered his head to kiss her deep and slow as if nothing was hurrying them.

Their fingers curled together with pleasure and her thighs squeezed tighter around his hips in a plea for more.

"Faster baby, please," she begged. "I'm close…so close. Just please…"

Her muscles tensed even as he refused to pick up his pace, ready to fall to pieces with the way he shifted his hips to thrust with that perfect angle into her, hitting that exquisite spot inside her over and over.

Her back arched and her fingers squeezed tighter around his, ready to slip over the edge as her core started to flutter around his cock with the tell-tale signs of climax.

"What in Merlin's name is taking so long?" Pansy scolded as she burst into the room with long strides, followed closely by the rest of their gang of friends.

Hermione froze.

Draco froze.

Pansy stopped in her tracks, and like a six-car pile-up, Astoria slammed into Pansy's back, followed by Ginny, Blaise, Theo and Harry. And every single one of their gazes swivelled over to the bed where Draco and she were wrapped around each other, eyes widening with surprise.

Oh, sweet Salazar. This was not happening right now…

All traces of her impending orgasm died an abrupt death at the intrusion of their friends.

"Oh fuck, sorry!" Pansy grinned, no hint of embarrassment or genuine contrition on her face. "I guess this answers my question."

Hermione blushed a spectacular crimson, burying her head against Draco's chest to hide her mortification.

Up until now, Draco had been the only one to see her so intimately exposed, and she thanked Merlin his body was large enough to cover most of hers.

"Do you think you could possibly give us a few minutes to finish up here?" Draco asked over his shoulder, unconcerned by the interruption.

"We'll be outside," Blaise said with what sounded very much like a smirk.

She couldn't see the looks on their faces while her face was buried in the muscle and silk of Draco's bulky chest, but she could only imagine the horror on Harry's face and the smug look on Ginny's.

"Nice arse, by the way," Pansy called before she, too, left the room. The click of her heels faded down the passage and then blessedly disappeared after a minute.

When everything was quiet again, Hermione looked up at Draco, heaving a sigh of relief. "That wasn't awkward at all. Thank Godric they interrupted when they did. A second or two later and they would have been privy to a very raunchy display of my o-face and the accompanying sounds."

Draco's whole body shook with suppressed laughter, and had she not felt the vibrations all the way to where they were connected, she would have noticed the hint of pink that stained his cheeks from embarrassment.

Instead, she clenched involuntarily around him.

His head snapped up and his eyes darkened to the same animalistic intensity as before.

"We were supposed to meet them for lunch in town to celebrate," Draco explained, eyes dragging lecherously over her breasts. His casual words contradicted the desire in his eyes. "Or, I guess it would qualify as dinner for us since it will be late when we return home. But I guess I lost track of time."

"We're never going to hear the end of this, are we?" She laughed, cheeks still flaming.

"Definitely not," he agreed and pulled his hips back slowly. He held completely still with just the tip of his cock inside her, watching her intently.

Her heart fluttered with anticipation and her clit throbbed in time with her racing pulse.

When she bucked her hips to nudge him a little deeper, desperate for him to move, his smirk hitched up against one corner of his mouth, crooked and sultry. And then he snapped his hips roughly into her.

A moan tumbled from her lips, and suddenly she was right where they'd left off, teetering on the edge again.

"Let's make this really good, so the teasing will at least be worth it."

Another snap of his hips and she was crying out against his shoulder, tightening around his cock as her climax rolled through her body in unrelenting waves.

"That's it, witch," he praised in her ear. The deep, rumbling bass had her eyes rolling back. "I love it when that tight little cunt clenches around me."

When she settled back into the here and now, she became aware of the slow strokes of Draco's cock in and out of her, the slick sounds every time he pushed in and the sparks of pleasure the friction afforded her.

He dipped his head to pull a nipple into his mouth, tongue laving the sting of every bite into her sensitive flesh.

A loud keen slipped free, and somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she had to be quiet, but the way he was playing her body made it impossible.

When he popped her nipple from between his lips, hot breath fanning across the valley between her breasts, her hands broke free from his grip to fist in his hair. "Don't stop," she panted and pulled his mouth toward her other breast, begging him to continue this delicious torture.

She was close enough that a few more sucks and bites and a few more deep thrusts would send her careening over the edge again.

Draco's deep chuckle told her he knew exactly how close she was. Without hesitation, he complied, and with a handful of choppy thrusts and rough tugs of his teeth against her nipple, they crested together until he'd pushed every last drop of his cum deep into her clenching cunt.

Dinner was going to be torture and their friends insufferable. But she'd gladly lapse into a mental replay of today if their teasing became too much.

She had so much to look forward to that she'd grin and bare the innuendos she knew they'd fling at Draco and her during dinner.

Right now, nothing could dampen her mood, because she was going to marry Draco Malfoy.

It was funny how things worked out.

Never in her wildest dreams could she have envisioned falling in love with and getting engaged to Draco. Now, she couldn't imagine anything but marrying him.

A/N: What did you think of drinks with Pansy and Ginny?
And the proposal and Draco and Hermione's house?
Let me know.