The month of August passed by quickly, in a haze of heat and luxury for Hermione. She continued to stay at Malfoy Manor at the behest of Draco, who wouldn't hear of her selling her flat for any less than it was worth and demanded that she remain with him until it was one hundred percent livable again. She was grateful for his help and had to admit that she really enjoyed living at Malfoy Manor, so she was happy to stay.
She hadn't heard from Ron again since their little incident in Diagon Alley, and of that she was glad. She had decided that she was done with him in her life; while she would have been willing to reconcile and be friends, or at the least civil with him after their break-up (after a while), since their argument she didn't want to hear from him again. He, and his friendship were in the past and she had moved on.
She and Draco, although stealing a touch or a kiss here and there, had still not progressed to a real relationship nor engaged in sex. Hermione felt that there was still too much surrounding them, too much emotional baggage and family politics, and she didn't want to have to deal with the fallout just yet. Draco was understanding, if a little impatient, and let her have the time she needed, which she was grateful for.
It was the last week of August when things began to really change in that regard for Hermione. Narcissa had contacted Ginny about the French shop, and they had agreed to go and see the dresses on August 26th, two weeks before Ginny left for her Quidditch tour. It was an early morning appointment so they had agreed to leave the day before, to give themselves time to get there in the morning. Draco, being the master of the Manor and a gentleman at that, had of course insisted on accompanying the three women to the French chateau, despite Narcissa's protests that they didn't need him there. So Hermione found herself holding Draco's hand in the London Portkey office on the evening of August 25th as the three of them, accompanied by Mimsy and Dinky, waited for Ginny to arrive.
Hermione was quite excited. She knew it was only for a night, and it was primarily Ginny's trip, but she hadn't been on a holiday since sixth year in Hogwarts. After that, there had been the war, then there had been so much work to do afterwards, and she had got her job at the Ministry, and there never seemed to be a good time or a good reason. Now, she realised how much she missed the excitement of going abroad, and was looking forward to spending a night and a day somewhere else for once. Particularly, she had to admit to herself, with Draco - this would be the first time that she had gone away with anyone except her parents, and it made her heart flutter with excitement to think about being in a foreign country with him. When they were together properly, she made a mental note to book a trip for just the two of them, a romantic weekend away together.
In due course, Ginny arrived, looking flustered and out of breath. "Sorry, sorry!" she said as she ran in the door, "It took me ages to find everything I wanted to pack...you know what the Burrow's like."
Hermione laughed and embraced her friend. "Yes, I'm actually amazed you were only five minutes late. Punctuality is not a Weasley trait."
Ginny hit her lightly on the shoulder and grinned. Narcissa and Draco greeted her in a much more refined manner, and then the four of them lined up to acquire their Portkey. The wizard at the desk wrote down their names and the time and date, and then fetched them an old tin can. "It will activate in four minutes," he said in a bored voice. "Please ensure you have all your belongings with you before the Portkey activates. Have a nice trip and we hope to see you again soon."
"Yeah, sounds like it," Draco whispered in Hermione's ear, and she giggled.
They passed the four minutes in silence, everyone holding each others' hands and gripping their bags the best way they could. Luckily, they hadn't had to bring too much with them, as Draco and Narcissa kept the chateau ready to live in at a moment's notice, clothes and toothbrushes included. It must be nice, Hermione found herself thinking, to have one's own castle in a foreign country. Her parents had never been short of money and she had always had small luxuries as a child, but she could never imagine owning the kind of grandeur that she saw every day at Malfoy Manor, and she marvelled that she was about to see it duplicated. She wondered just how much money the Malfoys had; it must be astronomical.
Her train of thought was interrupted by the familiar jerk behind her navel that signalled the Portkey's activation. She was pulled into a vortex of swirling colours and light, and she held tighter onto Draco's hand, and just when she felt she was about to be sick, she was suddenly lying on some soft green grass and staring up at a darkening sky. The air was pleasantly warm as she sat up and rubbed her head.
"Welcome to Chateau du Malfoy," Draco announced as he held a hand out and pulled her up from the ground. He pronounced his surname with an absurd French accent which made her laugh, and swept his arm out in an arc to display the Malfoy holiday home in all its glory. It was gorgeous, Hermione had to admit; like a miniature version of Hogwarts, all turrets and spires and round towers. It was probably smaller in dimension than Malfoy Manor, she estimated, but of impressive size nonetheless.
"It's beautiful," she said.
"It's been in the family for generations," Narcissa chimed in, smiling at her wonderment. "The Malfoys bought it in the 1100s following the beginning of Norman rule in Britain, and it's never been out of our possession since."
"I suppose having French connections and property would have been useful," Hermione said.
"Indeed. All the aristocracy were buying up French land, to forge a closer relationship with those on the throne. It was all about politics then; now it stands as a beautiful holiday home, and a preservation of family pride," Narcissa replied.
Ginny hadn't said a word so far; she was staring open-mouthed at the scenery around them. "This is huge," she managed to stammer out. Hermione felt a sudden and unexpected pang for Ginny; she too was from a wizarding family as old as the Malfoys, but the divide between them was impossibly wide. The Burrow was a wonderful, homely, friendly place to be, but nobody could deny that it was far too crowded; and by contrast, the Malfoys had two houses of such enormous proportions, for just the three (now two) of them.
"Come on Gin, let's go and explore the inside, shall we?" Hermione asked, taking her friend's arm and picking up her bag, and with a smile at Draco, she left him and his mother with the house-elves.
"Meet us in the drawing-room for dinner!" he shouted after them as they made their way across the sweeping lawns. "And pick whichever rooms you want!"
"Malfoy really has changed, hasn't he?" Ginny mused. "I mean, letting a Muggle-born and a blood traitor into his swanky French chateau...the eleven-year-old Draco would have thrown a fit about it, but he's being as charming as can be."
"All that stuff's behind him now," Hermione answered as they approached the wooden doors. "I know I'm biased but I honestly can't even see that spoiled little brat in him anymore. He's grown up into the perfect gentleman."
"It's good," Ginny said. "Harry had trouble believing it at first, too, but even he can see how much Malfoy's not the idiot we knew in school. I hope one day the four of us can hang out together, as couples. I miss doing that with you and Ron."
They entered the main hall of the castle and were temporarily struck by its beauty. Glass chandeliers hung from every ceiling, and warm, glowing candlesticks adorned the walls. The archways were high and finely crafted, but it wasn't draughty at all, the whole area suffused with a warm presence.
"Wow," was all Hermione could say, and Ginny nodded beside her.
They continued up the stairs, footsteps echoing into the grand space, and Hermione tried to trace back the thread of their conversation. "Where were we? Oh. Yes. Well, you know that Draco and I aren't officially together yet..."
"Oh, please, Hermione, don't give me that," Ginny said with a cheeky smile. "You may not be 'officially' together but you know you are. You kiss him, and hold his hand, and whisper into each others' ears, and you're living at his house, and you spend every spare moment with him. I love you, sweetie, but don't try to pretend that that is anything but a relationship."
"We haven't discussed it. Not since everything with Ron."
"That was nearly a month ago. You can't tiptoe around Ron forever; him and his little gold-digger girlfriend are a total waste of space and shouldn't stand in the way of you being happy. I know Draco wants it too - I can see the way he looks at you, it's like you're the only person in the room."
They turned left into a wide corridor and Hermione began peering into doorways. "I think these are the bedrooms."
"I know you heard me," Ginny grumbled, "and I want you to think about it!"
"I will, I promise," Hermione said. "Now, which room do you want?"
An hour later, all unpacked and sorted out, Hermione picked out one of her new dresses, a beautiful dark purple long silk gown, and tied her hair up in a knot at the back of her head. She wanted to look nice for dinner in such a prestigious place, and she had come to learn from life at the Manor that the family dinner was very important. She didn't want Narcissa to think she was underestimating the gesture she had made in inviting them both there. She popped across the hall to Ginny's room and knocked on the ancient wooden door.
"Come in!"
Hermione quickly entered and shut the door behind her. "Wow, Hermione, you look stunning!" Ginny commented, her gaze moving up and down her best friend's rippling dress. "I didn't know we were supposed to dress up!"
"It's alright, that's why I came across to get you," Hermione said with a smile. "The Malfoys usually like to have a proper family dinner, at the table with everyone present and dressed up. I don't know if they'll expect us to do it here but I thought it was best to be prepared..."
"You worry too much," came a male voice from outside the door. Hermione went to open it and found a smartly-dressed Draco with an open-collar shirt and black Muggle suit standing in the corridor. "Mother and I would never expect you two to worry about looking presentable for dinner while we're on holiday. In fact, Hermione, I was hoping that you might dine with me tonight - just the two of us. I know an excellent place down in the village."
Hermione lit up at the idea of spending an evening alone with Draco, but then she hesitated and turned to Ginny. She didn't want to leave her friend alone, in a foreign country with a woman she didn't know very well. "Gin?"
"What are you asking me for? I'll be fine, go, go, enjoy yourself for once, woman," Ginny said, making a shooing gesture with her hands. "I have to dig up something to wear downstairs anyway, now I know we're all supposed to look like we're attending the Oscars."
"The Oscars?" Hermione asked pointedly with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah...all glamour and high heels and shiny make-up. Harry makes me watch it every year," she sighed.
Hermione laughed and turned back to Draco. "Well then, since Ginny doesn't mind, I'd love to spend the evening with you."
Draco flashed her a grin which was at once both predatory and softly charming, and made her heart jump in her chest. Merlin, she had it bad. "Wonderful," he said quietly, and offered her his arm. "Are you ready?"
She nodded and took it, and he led her away down the corridor. They walked in silence to the front doors, just enjoying each other's company, and the anticipation of an evening together in relative anonymity, out in a tiny village in another country where nobody knew them.
When they arrived outside into the warm French evening, Draco turned to Hermione. "Would you like to Apparate?"
"No, let's walk," Hermione replied, looking around her at the beautiful sweeping lawns. "It's such a nice night, it would be a shame to miss out on it."
Draco smiled warmly at her, and held her arm tighter. "I've never met anyone who has a world view quite like yours, you know that?"
"How so?" Hermione enquired as they began to descend towards the main castle gate.
"I don't know...you're so focused on everything. You appreciate all there is in life, but at the same time, you have such a drive to change things and make them better. I noticed it back at Hogwarts, only then it was disguised as bossiness." She hit him lightly on the arm and he laughed. "No, but I mean it, Hermione. The way you see the world is amazing. To be as career-driven and hardworking as you are, but not let that take away from the small pleasures in life, like walking through a field on a warm summer's eve...that's special."
"Thank you, Draco," Hermione said, touched by his words. "But I don't think I'm really as career-driven as people think I am. I know I work hard, and I'm good at what I do...but honestly, I never wanted to do it forever, and I never wanted to get to the stage where it takes over my life. Honestly, I think the Ministry is beginning to get to that stage now, and I don't know how much longer I really want to stay there. It's just...too much."
"I get that," Draco replied quietly. "It's great when you make it in the corporate world, but at the end of the day, you have to make sure that you still retain that little childish part of you that likes to watch a sunset or splash in the ocean. You can't let your job become who you are. If you feel like that's starting to happen, then please, take a step back, because who you are is far too beautiful to lose."
Hermione didn't respond; partly because she was lost for words at how romantic Draco could be, and partly because she knew, deep down in a small part of her, that he was completely right. She couldn't become like so many other bureaucrats, sucked down into their desks and never surfacing. She wasn't about to quit her job right away, but soon, it would be time for a change.
"What do you think you might do instead?" Draco asked.
"How do you know I would do anything?" Hermione countered.
Draco looked at her with an exasperated expression in his stormy grey eyes. "Hermione Granger, sit around the house all day and do nothing? Preposterous. That's not you. You'd be bored in twenty minutes without work to do, or a cause to promote."
That simple statement took her breath away. The fact that Draco, whom she had been friends with for less than a year, and involved with for only a month, was so tuned in to her personality that he could predict her actions, understand her mindset and talk about the feelings within her that she didn't even know she had, was astounding. She couldn't believe she had wasted so much time and energy on Ron, when the real deal had been there in the background the whole time. It was like he was attuned to her every sensation. She thanked her stars that Draco had become the man he was today, so that she hadn't missed her chance to be with her soulmate.
She stopped him in the pathway, and he turned to her questioningly. Without saying a word, she took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. He responded enthusiastically, wrapping his arms around her body and pressing his chest against hers, eager to communicate what neither of them could say in words. Boldly, Hermione flicked her tongue out and it was met with Draco's, and the two of them were lost to their own desires, forgetting all about the world around them. Hermione wished they could go on forever.
When they finally broke apart, panting, Draco pulled her in to his body and rested his chin on her head, simply holding her, treasuring the moment they had shared. She looked up at him, and the passion and intensity in his gaze was overwhelming, though she was fairly sure it was mirrored with her own.
Suddenly, Draco stepped back. "Mimsy!"
Confused, Hermione stared at him, but he didn't meet her gaze, and spoke instead to his house-elf who had appeared with a deafening crack. "Please bring out some of the food from the castle. Miss Hermione and I will be dining out here tonight."
"Yes, Master Draco," Mimsy replied, nodding enthusiastically, and was gone.
"Weren't we going to a restaurant?" Hermione asked bemusedly.
"Yes," Draco replied, "but I don't think I want to share you with anyone else right now. This is perfect; right here, on the grass, just you and me and the stars."
She grinned at his spontenaity and leaned up to kiss him again, this time gently, just a peck on the lips. "I agree. It's perfect."
Before long, they had a collection of food and blankets brought down from the castle, and were sitting on the fresh grass enjoying their meal. Hermione had to admit, it was lovely just being out in the warm night air, in Draco's company, secluded from the world. He truly was a romantic man, she thought, and again marvelled at the difference between her life a year ago, and the happiness she was experiencing today.
"I want to be with you," Draco suddenly burst out. "I want everyone to know. It's too much for me, Hermione, these stolen kisses in the dark and flitting around each other in public. I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine, and damn anyone who thinks it's wrong."
"Agreed," Hermione said, and he seemed surprised by her abrupt answer. "I'm about to reach breaking point too. I don't want us to be in this semi-relationship limbo any longer. For too long I've been unhappy and that ends tonight."
Draco moved across the blanket towards her and she met him halfway, kissing him thoroughly and passionately. There was no need for more words; he could sense, as she had sensed, that this was the time, that this was it. There was no point in staying apart any longer, not when such a perfect union of souls could occur; not, as Hermione thought to herself, though she knew she could not repeat it out loud - not when she loved him as she did.
They broke apart once more and Draco returned to his original position, picking up his meal where he had left off. "You make me want to be a better man, Hermione. Thank you for that."
"You are a wonderful man already," she responded. "To think that we've gone from Hogwarts to where we are now...I'm so lucky that I really got the chance to know you."
They finished their meal in silence after that, but there was a note of something different in the air between them now. What had previously been a subconscious acknowledgement of attraction had become manifest; the thrumming atmosphere had become thicker, and as they finished the last morsels of their meal and their gazes met once more, Hermione knew something serious had shifted, now that they had finally allowed themselves the freedom they desired.
Almost simultaneously, they moved towards each other and the food was swept out of the way as Draco pushed her down onto the blankets. Months of built-up sexual tension was released as they became tangled up in each other, forgetting everything but the sensation of being together. Draco's tongue moved masterfully against hers, and Hermione couldn't think of anything but him, and her, and us; the flood of emotion and pleasure washed through her brain and tore any rational thoughts asunder.
Draco moved his hand to his shirt, but she batted it away and began undoing his buttons herself. He growled deep in his throat and moved his hips against her, letting her feel his arousal. She ripped off his jacket and shirt, and ran her hands over his finely sculpted chest, reveling in the feel of his hot skin against hers. She moaned in disappointment when his touch disappeared, only for the moan to turn into a gasp as she felt him rip the front of her dress and begin attacking her breasts, kneading them in his hands.
"Draco," she managed to pant out, "should we not go somewhere more...private?"
He did not stop his ministrations for a second. "Fuck it," he growled, "these are my grounds and I'll do what I like on them."
After that, Hermione did not protest, encouraged by his brazenness and his evident desire for her, which was pushing all other condsiderations aside. His masculinity excited her - the raw passion he obviously felt was being communicated to her in a very primal way. She let herself give in to the feeling of his hands running over her body, as he slowly slid what remained of her dress down and off her completely, leaving her lying at his mercy in only her underwear. Surprisingly, she didn't feel nervous or self-conscious at all under his hungry gaze, which raked over her body and left her tingling.
Eager to feel more of him, she reached down to unbutton his trousers and he moved his hips to make room for her hands, never hesitating with his ministrations. She pulled his trousers down and they pooled round his ankles as he ground into her, kissing her furiously all over her neck and breasts. The sight of his gorgeous white-blond hair all tousled as he worshipped her body made her moan in anticipation and arousal.
At this vocalisation of lust, Draco could stand it no longer and roughly pulled her knickers down, flicking her bra off with a quick swipe of his fingers.
Hermione reached down once more and tugged at his boxer shorts, revealing his quivering, erect member to the night air. She took it in her hand and began pumping it, causing Draco to emit a strangled moan of pleasure and resume his vociferous attacks, this time using his tongue to play gently around her nipples. She bucked into him uncontrollably, and before she knew it his hand was at her entrance, fingers ghosting over her clit and caressing the sensitive flesh.
"Take me, Draco, take me," she managed to gasp amid a haze of pleasure and sensation.
"Gladly," he replied in a deep, throaty voice, and before she knew it she was hit with a wave of ecstasy as he pushed himself masterfully inside her, without missing a beat. She couldn't help herself and let out a euphoric moan as the feeling of his length filling her pushed her over the edge of orgasm. A sea of pleasure washed over her and she heard Draco grunting as he neared his own climax.
As she surfaced, she opened her eyes and found Draco fully atop her, looking down at her face with the ghost of a smile, even as he found himself on the brink. She leaned up and captured his mouth in a fierce kiss, and that proved too much; his whole body jerked as he emptied himself inside her. She lay beneath him, kissing him for all she was worth, and felt a swathe of emotions pass over her. It had all felt so right, so natural, like they were built for one another, and it had never felt like that before, not ever. She wondered again, as they broke apart and she ran a hand through his silky blonde locks, how it had ever come to this, but she was indescribably happy that it had.
Draco smiled at her and rolled away, still panting, settling beside her on his back. "How was that?"
"I'd give it a B plus," Hermione joked, and caught his eye with a smirk. "I'm afraid we'll have to keep practicing."
"Now that," he said, pushing himself up onto an elbow and leaning in once more, "sounds like it could be fun."
She laughed, then complied and kissed him tenderly once again. "I've never done it outside before, you know," she said thoughtfully. "Never done it anywhere exciting, if I'm honest."
"That, my darling, is going to change," Draco said firmly. "You are far too sexy to be allowed, and now I know the things I have permission to do to you, I don't think I'll be able to hold it in when the mood strikes me."
"As long as it's not in public," Hermione said with a wink.
"I make no promises," he responded, elicitng another laugh from her, and rolled closer to her, landing on his front and leaning up on his elbows. "I mean it, though, Hermione. Thank you for everything. Thank you for being mine."
"You've no need to thank me for anything, you silly man," she said gently, "I know I'm lucky to be here with you. Although I can't imagine what our old schoolmates would say if they could see us now."
"Mine would be congratulating me," Draco said. "You were the unobtainable Gryffindor Princess, who would never even imagine having sex with anyone. I've managed to turn you into this sexy vixen I see before me."
"You did that, did you?" Hermione said with a quirk of her eyebrow.
"Well it certainly wasn't your idiot ex," Draco said with a snort, and her amused expression broke out into another smile at the thought. "No, definitely not," she agreed.
"Shall we head back?" Draco asked. "We've got a busy day tomorrow."
"It's only ten-thirty," Hermione said in a puzzled tone.
"Yes, and after I've had my way with you a few more times, it'll be twelve-thirty," Draco commented, and pushed himself up, grabbing her hand and pulling her along with him. "Maybe even later."
"You're ambitious," she said, but didn't fault his logic, and with a wave of her wand she packed up the remains of their meal and muttered a quick Scourgify to clean the grass.
As they walked away, the remnants of the picnic floating along beside them, Draco reached out and took Hermione's hand, kissing it gently and looking at her with serious grey eyes. "This is it now. This is us. No more hiding."
"No more hiding," she agreed with a smile, and took his arm, intertwining their fingers and holding on for all she was worth.
The next day, the four of them headed down to the dress shop that Narcissa had booked. Hermione and Draco had big bags under their eyes, since it had in fact been almost three a.m. when they had finally decided to go to sleep. She didn't regret it for a moment, though; the sheer ecstasy of being with Draco, their bodies moving in unison and their hearts melded together, was addictive and she couldn't wait to get him back to the Manor after their trip. She had never seen sex as anything but a bit of a chore before - something which was mildly enjoyable and kept Ron happy. Now, it was like she had been introduced to a whole new world of lovemaking, and she couldn't help but want more. She caught Draco's eye and the feral look in his gaze told her he was evidently feeling just as suppressed as she.
Now, though, they had to focus on Ginny. She was talking happily to Narcissa about the wedding, and Hermione had to force herself to concentrate on her friend's words. This was her day, and all her thoughts about Draco and what they might do together afterwards would have to wait. She summoned all the skills she had learned during the long History of Magic sessions with Professor Binns, pushed all naughty imaginings to the back of her brain and bent her thought processes onto what Ginny was saying.
"I just don't want one that's too revealing," she was saying to Narcissa as she gestured a rounded shape with her hands. "I do have quite a large chest compared to my waist size, and I'm worried that with too low a neckline I might not have enough support."
"That won't be a problem here," Narcissa replied. "She can tailor any changes to the dress you'd like, and remember, they're all magical so it can be altered very easily if a particular aspect doesn't fit you. I honestly think you will find something very nice. Here we are now."
Narcissa gestured ahead and Hermione and Ginny peered down the narrow path to see a small row of shops in the distance which marked the entrance to the wizarding village.
"Right," Draco announced from the back of the group, making them jump, "as much as I would love to spend all afternoon in a wedding shop sipping champagne and gossiping, I fear I don't have enough estrogen for such activities. I have some business about town, so I'll meet up with you back at the chateau later before we head to the Portkey office."
"Lovely, darling," Narcissa said, kissing her son on the cheek.
"See you, Draco," Ginny said.
"Bye you," Hermione whispered, and kissed Draco quickly on the lips, aware that both women were watching them. "See you soon," he responded tenderly, and drew back, letting her go and waving farewell to the others.
When Draco was a safe distance away, Hermione turned to the other two and faced their wry grins. "So that's what I heard from across the corridor last night," Ginny commented, and Hermione went red as a beetroot, causing her friend to burst into a laugh. Narcissa said nothing, but the grin was permanently etched on her face until they got to the shop, and Hermione could tell she was pleased that her son finally seemed to be settling down.
Narcissa's instincts had been absolutely right. Within minutes of entering the shop, Ginny had become enchanted with a number of the elegant wizarding dresses on display, and it took them only an hour to find the perfect fit. She had chosen a dress with a sweetheart neckline and a flowing gown at the bottom, which ended in a long silky train. It fitted her beautifully even without magical enhancement and Hermione privately thought Harry would be absolutely gobsmacked by it.
The three women decided to head back up to the chateau for the afternoon; though Ginny expressed an interest in having a walk around the town, it really was too hot in the sun and so on balance they opted to go back and relax in the Malfoys' garden with some refreshing cocktails. It was wonderful, Hermione thought, to be enjoying herself so much for once; she was usually working so hard, she didn't have a chance to just sit, rest and watch the world go by. She didn't like to be idle, but once in a while it made a nice change to have time to sit in the sun.
Draco returned around half past four, without any shopping or apparent change in demeanour, so Hermione wondered what his 'business' in town could have been. She didn't pry, though, simply welcoming him back with a quick kiss and allowing him to sip her drink as he sat down heavily beside the three women. The day whiled away, with the four of them sitting and talking and laughing out in the gardens, in the beautiful French countryside, and Hermione couldn't remember a time when she was happier.
All too soon, though, it was time to go home, as Hermione had work in the morning, and Ginny was leaving for her Quidditch tour the next week and had a lot to do. They wistfully packed away their things, looking around the beautiful castle, and Hermione found herself hoping she would be able to come back here with Draco soon. It really had been a life-changing trip for her, and she would always remember it as the place she and Draco had finally taken the leap.