One Last Kiss: Chapter 7
Disclaimer: Anything sane that has been read in this fiction belongs to, non other than the great author who created the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling. Anything off from the real series belongs to non other than the peculiar mind of mine.
Thank you so much for the reviews, 1Ambree, df4519, deaflo11, me D, AnnieLoveSweet, MuggleBorn97, and NCIS-Warrior-Princess.
Please read and review, my beautiful readers. :) please review. :)
I am still writing chapter 8, you guys.. :) please don't hate me..
DH********
Christmas morning, they ate breakfast in the living room where they opened their presents. Blaine received Thomas the Tank Engine things from all of them. He especially liked Draco and Hermione's present which he immediately wore and refused to have it laundered before he could actually start wearing it. He gave all of them a tight hug and a kiss, with Draco and Hermione getting 2 extra kisses.
Then it was Hermione's turn, but their parents gave her presents together with Draco's, so it became Hermione and Draco's turn. They both received identically wrapped presents from Narcissa and from Hermes and Jane. The two opened their presents from Hermione's parents, first. They both received perfumes. Hermione received the Amorelle Moon Natural Collection which contained different scents of vanilla, a light scent she always loved. Draco received Zoticos Heat, a spicy perfume almost as close as the one he used to wear. Hermione hugged her parents tightly, very excited about her present and couldn't stop saying her thanks while Draco shook Hermes' hand and thanked him and kissed Jane on the cheek and hugged her. When Hermione had settled down, they moved on to Narcissa's gift. It was a box, the kind of box where a very expensive bracelet or wrist watch would be placed. They both looked at Narcissa and were reluctant to open the gift. Both knew it was something she shouldn't have bought knowing the state she and Draco were in.
"Go ahead," said Narcissa when she saw the expressions on the 16 year olds's face.
The two opened it and saw the most beautiful quill they have ever seen. The stem and feathers were silver with gold streaks here and there. Hermione touched the feathers and found them soft and smooth. She ran her finger through the stem and felt an engravement on it. She looked at it closely and saw her name, engraved on the quill. She jumped from her seat and hugged Narcissa who was already hugged by Draco.
"You shouldn't have, Mrs. Malfoy," she said, still quite shy about the expensive gift. "Thank you, it's really beautiful." Hermione kissed Narcissa on the cheek and hugged her again.
Narcissa received an Ellis Kiscelle hand bag from Hermes and Jane while she gave them a couple's watch.
Hermione and Draco got their present for their parents. Each received an envelope. It was a gift certificate to an all day spa which delighted them. Hermes thought he does deserve a relaxing day all to himself after the holidays.
After they exchanged presents, in the afternoon, Hermione helped Jane and Narcissa with their Christmas dinner. Draco helped Hermes and Blaine deliver other gifts to their neighbors.
They had a nice Christmas dinner, with holiday stories from the Grangers and childhood Christmas stories from Narcissa. Draco was all ears with his mother's stories. He heard those before when he was a little boy and it was like hearing it again for the first time.
After Christmas and Boxing day, everything went by in a blur. Hermes and Jane went back to work in their clinics and Narcissa, who was given a job in the Ministry of Magic started her work. Hermione woke up early every morning to cook breakfast for her family and their guests and Draco woke up early, too, because he wanted to help around and didn't like to be treated as a guest.
Draco, asked Hermione if he could be of any help and she taught him the things she usually did like feed Blaine, give him a bath, play with him, do the laundry, fold clothes and tidy the house. The next few days, Draco took care of Blaine until the little boy wasn't shy around him. Blaine also started to ask Draco to play games with him. He called him "Draygon" which Hermione found very amusing and no matter how many times they corrected Blaine, the stubborn little Granger stuck with Draygon. When it was time for laundry, Hermione, who was uncomfortable to do the Malfoys's laundry, let Blaine play in their laundry room while they washed their clothes with both teenagers careful about the other seeing their delicates.
After New Year and with just 2 days before Draco and Hermione went back to Hogwarts, their parents decided to use the gift certificate they bought them. That afternoon, the three were left alone again with nothing else to do since everything was taken care of the past few days.
Before dinner, Blaine asked Hermione if they could play in the snow. Hermione told him to just watch the telly with his Thomas the Tank Engine DVDs but he already finished the whole DVD. So Blaine used his best tactic against his big sister, his puppy dog eyes and his hands under his chin, just like a puppy begging for a walk or a treat. Draco, who was in the kitchen, watched in amusement as Hermione gave in to the clever little Granger. Blaine grabbed his hand as he was being led out by Hermione. They wore their coats and boots and went to the front of their house to play in the snow.
They had a snowball fight where Blaine chose to team up with Draco against Hermione because they're both boys. When they got tired of the snowball fight, the three decided to build a snowman. Hermione built Draco and Blaine while the boys built Hermione. Blaine's laughter could be heard around the neighbourhood because of how Draco was making Hermione. Not able to use magic, Hermione rummaged through the old chest in her room for a short blonde wig and short brown wig she wore in a play during her primary schoolyears, a scarf and she got carrots as a nose.
"Well?" she said once she was satisfied with her Draco and Blaine snowman. Draco snowman's nose was pointed upwards and had a frown while Blaine snowman looked like it was dancing and had a smile.
"Hooray Hermy!" Blaine said excitedly and posed like his snowman.
Draco looked at the snowman. "This doesn't look anything like me," he said, pointing out the hair, the nose and the frown. "And I don't wear a Gryffindor scarf," he said, smiling.
Hermione stuck her tongue out at Draco. "Get over yourself, Mr. Malfoy because my little brother loves it," she said pointing, to Draco, a dancing Blaine. "Where's my snowman?" she asked the two.
Blaine, who was too young to make a good snowman and Draco who was never good at making a snowman showed a disheveled looking snowman. "I'm too small, Hermy, and Draygon not good like Hermy," said Blaine, quite embarrassed with their snowman.
"Aww, come here you cute little man," she said as she sat down on the snow and gave Blaine a hug. "Remember, anything you do, if you gave it your best, is always a great work, alright?" said Hermione. Blaine smiled and nodded at his big sister. "Now give me a kiss and let's take photos with the snowmen."
Draco, who was standing behind their disheveled Hermione snowman, smiled as he watched the siblings. He felt grateful that Hermione was letting him see her like that. At school, she always had her guard up and at home, well, it was like she was vulnerable and much more relaxed.
A very excited Blaine gave his sister a peck on the lips and started to pose beside the snowmen while Hermione got a polaroid camera, a present from her parents years ago. When she came out, Blaine was pulling Draco and was telling the sixteen year old to practice poses for the photos. He told Draco to copy the poses he made which Draco did while laughing. Hermione took photos without the two knowing it.
"Camera's here!" said Hermione, finally showing herself to the two. Blaine and Draco made different poses and faces. Hermione kept laughing while she took photos of the two. They also had a photo where Blaine spanked Draco's butt, a photo where Draco was chasing Blaine, a photo where Draco caught Blaine and tickled him and a photo where they made faces at the camera. And then Draco and Hermione switched places. They had a photo of Blaine laughing at their Hermione snowman while Hermione made a sad face, a photo where Hermione carried Blaine playfully, a photo where Blaine kissed Hermione on the cheek and a photo where they made kissy faces at the camera.
Now, Blaine, who wanted to feel useful, asked Hermione if he can be the photographer. Hermione checked the instant film and it contained three more so she let Blaine take photos. They had a photo, upon Blaine's demand, where Draco and Hermione were on each side of the snowmen and a photo where they were sitting on the snow so Blaine didn't have to tilt the camera up. The last film, Hermione decided, was to take a photo of the three of them upclose.
After their fun, Hermione brushed off the excess snow from Blaine's coat and pants and led him inside. She was about to go up and give Blaine a warm bath when Draco insisted that he do it since he knew, she would cook dinner after.
"Thank you for playing in the snow with Hermy and me, Draygon," said Blaine as he gave Draco a hug. Draco also took a bath in his boxers with Blaine. He smiled and tousled Blaine's hair. "You go back in summer?" he asked and sat back down in the tub and played with his toy boat.
"Do you want me to?" Draco asked while he lathered the shampoo on Blaine's head.
But it seems, the little man didn't hear his question because the words that came out from Blaine's mouth surprised Draco. "Do you want to kiss Hermy?"
Draco's hand slipped from Blaine's head. "Aren't you too young to be asking that?" he said and rinsed off the shampoo from Blaine.
Blaine, who didn't seem to care continued on. "Because when you look at Hermy you look like papa when he kiss mama," he said without looking at Draco. He just continued to play with his boat and let Draco give him a bath.
"Alright, little man, let's get you dressed," Draco said and wrapped Blaine around a towel. He, too, put a towel around his waist. "You talk like an old man. Don't tell that to Hermy, alright?" Blaine smiled excitedly and nodded then he put his finger on his lips. After they got dressed they proceeded to dinner with Hermione.
After dinner, Hermione put Blaine to bed who was obviously tired from their play day and once he fell asleep, shetook a warm bath. When she went down to wash the dishes, Draco was sitting on the sofa in the living room watching the telly.
"I've finished washing the dishes while you were in the bath," said Draco when he heard her footsteps.
"Thanks." Hermione smiled and sat down on the sofa beside Draco. "What are you watching?" she asked then looked at the telly avoiding Draco's smile. "West Side Story. Mum always said it was nice." Draco, who felt Hermione's uneasiness, turned his head to the telly and watched with her.
"Have you ever been in love?" asked Hermione, a quarter way through the movie. The uncomfortable silence between her and Draco was getting even more uncomfortable. And since they already talked about almost anything, this was the only topic Hermione thought about.
Draco looked at Hermione, surprised. He thought this topic was off limits. He saw her expression, she was waiting for his answer. Draco cleared his throat. "Have you?" he asked, not knowing what to say.
Hermione's waiting expression turned to a surprised expression. She didn't expect Draco to return the question. "Well, I," she started, reluctant to say anything on the subject. "Promise not to poke fun at me after this."
"I promise," Draco smiled and raised his right hand.
She breathed deeply and looked at the telly to avoid Draco's eyes which were boring into hers. "I help out mum at her clinic every summer and he accompanied his uncle, a regular patient of mum's, and he asked permission from mum if he could take me out and she agreed." Draco looked back at the telly and ran his hand through his hair. Hermione continued. "He was 19, I was 14 and he just swept me off my feet. Everyone said no, telling me all kinds of stories but my feelings said yes so I didn't listen." Finally, she sat in a way that she was facing Draco. "We went out for 3 weeks until school and continued until I got back home for the holidays."
"3 weeks? That's pretty long, Hermione. How am I your first kiss?" Draco asked, quite confused. He, too, sat down in a position where he was facing Hermione.
Hermione was taken aback. "Sorry, Mr. Sexgod, but to mere mortals like me, it's just a start," she blurted out. She clapped her hand to her mouth when she realised what she just said.
Draco smiled slyly at Hermione. "Are we calling each other sexy names now?" he asked, snaking his fingers on Hermione's arm which she slapped away mercilessly. She crossed her arms across her chest and turned her head back to the telly. "Ok, I'm sorry. Do continue, please," he said, trying to persuade Hermione. "I'm not going to talk until you've finished. I promise." She looked back at him, skeptical expression on her face. "Promise."
"There's not much to tell anymore because the first day I got back and went to the cafe where he worked, I saw him kissing another girl," said Hermione who still had her eyes on the telly. It was the scene where Tony told Maria to meet him somewhere so they can run away together. "Everyone was telling the truth afterall and I was too swept by him to notice." Hermione smiled weakly as she looked at Draco. "I thought maybe because we were never alone in a place and I was too shy to be kissed or to kiss him. So I told myself that I would listen first to others before my feelings."
"Is that why you were nervous at the Patil's when I-"
Hermione nodded. "Can we, uh, not talk about that? Yeah, okay," she said when she saw Draco nod. She breathed deeply, trying to let the memory out and be buried back again where it belonged. "And you? Have you ever?"
"You don't want to hear this," said Draco and looked back at the telly.
"How unfair can you get, Draco Malfoy?"
Draco sighed. "This is very unmanly, Hermione," he said, embarrassed.
"There's nothing more manly than a man who knows how to talk about his feelings."
"She was all the firsts any guy could have," he started slowly, still reluctant. Hermione just continued to look at him. "I reckon that's love for a 14 year old boy to a 21 year old woman who pleasured him for a summer in Ireland."
Hermione's mouth dropped open. "Isn't that illegal?" she asked, very, very surprised.
"Not if no one knew about it," said Draco. Hermione nodded but still had a confused expression. "But don't think I'm that shallow. I tried to get her. Flowers, chocolates, perfumes, jewelries, even poems by a muggle poet." Hermione absorbed everything Draco just said. The image that popped up in her mind the moment he said pleasure was something that could haunt her forever. "But she brushed it off and every day just ended the same, in bed. After the deed, I tried to talk to her about how I felt about her and she always dropped the subject and said that a real man never talks about feelings," he continued and smiled weakly at Hermione. "That's what father always told me and hearing it from someone you have feelings for just makes you think that they're right."
Clearing her throat, Hermione held Draco's hand. "Well, then, maybe she isn't your first for everything," she said as Draco placed his other hand on top of hers. "You deserve better." She gave him a tight hug and then quickly pulled back. "Wait, is this the truth? Because if you're lying I'm going to Crucio you," she said, thinking how sly the Slytherin could be.
Draco let out a laugh. "It's the truth, Hermione," he assured her. "You're the first girl I talked to about this and I'm just glad you acknowledged it." Hermione smiled at him.
"Who knew I would be the first girl you'd ever talk feelings about." Not wanting to keep the heavy feelings in, Hermione got the photos they took earlier and they both looked at it, laughing at each photo. And then they saw the photo that Blaine took of them sitting in the snow. They didn't realise their heads were close together and Draco's other arm was behind Hermione so it looked like she was leaning against him. "Why do you want Louise so bad?" she finally asked the question that had been lingering in her head ever since he kissed her. She looked at him, waiting for a response.
He was surprised with Hermione's question. It all started just because he wanted to get her into his bed. Draco looked at Hermione. Her nose, her eyes, her eyes that sometimes he thought could see right through him and her lips, oh yes, her pink lips always caught his eyes. Her smile, when she bit her lower lip, when she played with her lips when she's bored. "I don't know anymore," he answered, not taking his eyes off of her.
Hermione noticed how Draco was looking at her and she started to feel shy. No one really looked at her like that yet. His eyes were boring into her own, as if he was reading her every little thought. She loved his eyes. Every time she looked at it, it never failed to make her feel special even thought they were only pretending.
"Why did you never kiss him?" Draco asked.
"Because he never looked at me the way you do," Hermione answered unknowingly. They let their emotions take over them and this was the conversation that came out of it. They didn't stop looking at each other as their faces grew closer together.
"Will you kiss me again if I -"
Their faces were so close, they closed their eyes and their lips met before Draco could finish his question. He could taste the raspberry lip balm on her lips which he loved on her. He snaked his hand to her nape and the other to her waist, pulling her a little closer. Hermione parted her lips, letting Draco's familiar tongue play with hers and explore every crevice of her mouth. She climbed her hands to his shoulders, between his arms, with her one hand touching his earlobe. They kissed each other, softly yet passionately, stopping inbetween to catch their breaths and kiss again.
"I love you," Draco whispered when they shortly parted and leaned their foreheads against each other. Just when they were about to kiss again, the front door opened and they immediately separated from each other.
"This was a very relaxing day, wasn't it, Cece?" said Jane as she removed her coat and hung it on the rack.
"Yes Jane, very relaxing indeed, thank you to our children," answered Narcissa, clearly very satisfied with how her day went.
Hermione, just then, recalled what Draco had said before their parents came home. She looked at him, with her hand slightly covering her mouth since she was biting the nail on her thumb. Draco turned his head to her and smiled. His face was flushed but it suited him. Maybe he didn't realise he said it, she thought, seeing no trace of uneasiness in him.
"Hermione, princess, are you alright?" Hermes had been asking Hermione the same question four times already and she was just blanked out. He snapped his fingers in front of her and she was brought back.
"Oh! Hi dad," said Hermione and kissed her father on the cheek. "Mum, Mrs. Malfoy." She stood up to kiss the two elder ladies. She looked at Draco who was already standing beside his mother. She stood beside her dad.
Hermes kissed his daughter on the forehead. "We thought we lost you there for a second. How was your day?" he asked his daughter.
"Blaine asked if we could play outside so we did and we made snowmen," she said and divided the photos and handed it to the three. Narcissa noticed Hermione was wearing a very familiar ring. "We took some photos since Blaine was very happy earlier."
"That's very lovely, dear. I'm glad Blaine got to play outside today," said Jane and she handed back the photos to Hermione. "Oh, we almost forgot. Thank you very much to the both of you for the wonderful gift certificate to a spa," she said, pulling the two for a hug.
"That place you chose was very beautiful indeed and very relaxing," said Narcissa, also hugging the two when Jane let go of them.
Hermes pat Draco on the back and put his arm around Hermione. "You have an elegant taste in presents, you two."
Draco smiled. "Nothing but the best for wonderful parents, Mr. Granger."
"Best be off to bed then. I'm sure you both are tired."
They locked the doors, checked the windows and they went up together. In the guest room, Narcissa sat on Draco's bed when he came back from brushing his teeth. "I saw Hermione wearing your ring," she said to her son.
Draco, who forgot about the ring, made up an excuse. "I, uh, she admired it before so I just let her wear it, mother."
Narcissa smiled at her son and motioned him to sit beside her. "Darling, that ring, is something rare. It was the first ring given to me by your father," she explained as she remembered the ring worn by Lucius. "Hermione is a special girl and I don't know what is between the both of you but please be careful, love. Hermes is very protective of Hermione and - Well, the ring identifies with your feelings, Draco. Even the ones you don't know yet or the ones you don't admit to have. When that happens, it can't be removed and it turns a different shade of silver."
"I'll take note of that, mother," said Draco. He was tired from the day and he knew his mother was, too. "I'll be careful." Narcissa nodded and smiled. He kissed her good night and proceeded to bed.
DH********
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