Chapter 21

Breakfast was painful for Hermione the next morning. There was no way she could rationalise away what happened if he confronted her. But luckily he didn't. He wasn't gloating or goading her about it.

Technically it wasn't a bad thing. Maybe they just had to be grown up about it. Sex was innately pleasurable after all and she had just felt it. Keenly. With Draco Malfoy. But there is something that sits very badly about losing control with your school nemesis. She guessed she couldn't roll her eyes and give him a scathing look now that he claimed all she wanted was to get in his pants. Pretty hard to deny it convincingly now.

And now he would assume that her insistence that they do it every night was a bit of a ruse so she could get more of him. Which wasn't exactly true, technically. Alright maybe that last few days but embarrassment cooled her ardour significantly. Well, the teasing hadn't started during breakfast. At least he was gentlemanly enough not to do it in front of his parents.

Towards the end of breakfast, she locked eyes with him, expecting some gloating, but it wasn't there. He was just looking back at her for what seemed like ages. And then he broke eye contact.

He broke eye contact first, Hermione repeated. He is displeased. Maybe even disgusted, she realised. Hermione wanted to cry. She excused herself and left the breakfast room. She ran back to her bedroom and locked herself away. She half expected him to confront her and she wasn't expecting a teasing confrontation, she was expecting more of an accusation, but it didn't come. He didn't come.

Hermione couldn't concentrate the rest of the day. She kept on thinking about what happened and what the implications could possibly be. He might kick her out again. She started planning for that eventuality. The elusive baby was out of reach again and she started to cry again.

It was just sex, it didn't mean anything, she told herself, it could have been anyone. But she wasn't sure it was entirely true because she couldn't imagine having sex with anyone else. She fell apart when he kissed her, admittedly it was always under duress on his part, but it still made her lose grip on reality when he did. And yesterday, she'd gone into his room and smelled his clothes like a pervert.

The worst part was that he would think she was in love with him and the evidence was kind of on his side. Finally she was the stupid little mudblood who was in love with him. The one who had to be borne until she produced an heir and then what? Discarded?

No, he hadn't given any indication that he planned that. He hadn't given any indication that he didn't. He had agreed no arranged marriages for the child, but that didn't mean anything. She didn't think he would be so cruel as to separate her from the child. But that didn't mean he wouldn't stash her and the child somewhere. Find some way to divorce her.

She had to come to terms with it. He would do as he pleased and she needed to be ok with any of his choices. What else did she want, to be here with him, live like man and wife? She needed to get a grip. She wasn't sure how things had gotten so out of control.

She had to go out with him tonight. There was a do on and she was needed to hang of his arm as he did his networking. Well, if he did divorce her, she didn't have to do that anymore, which was something.

She didn't see him until it was time to leave for the event. He watched her walk down the stairs, he didn't look hostile. He didn't look much of anything, guarded maybe. The serious, distant man she'd seen when she first woke up here.

They didn't say anything, but apparated them to their destination.

"Do you want a drink?" He asked and she nodded. He waved over a waiter and grabbed a glass of wine for her. "You can't drink much."

"I know." She said, acknowledging that she might be pregnant and unaware of it. In truth, she hadn't drunk even moderately in years in the faint hope that she might be.

The games began, but Hermione couldn't pay attention. She was too aware of him, trying to guess what was on his mind, but he was being charming which she knew was complete acting. He was very good at it.

They did the circuit around the room.

"Drakie darling." They heard as they moved and found Pansy. "I hope this party isn't boring you to tears. I know how tedious you find them. Astoria, you look... Actually Draco, I have someone you should meet. You should run along Astoria and chat to some of your old class mates, I hear your company has been missed. I will take good care of Draco."

I am sure you will, Hermione said to herself.

"She stays with me tonight." Draco said without humour.

"Oh, alright." Pansy said with a plastered on smile. "Completely understandable, she is less than trustworthy, isn't she?"

"Pansy." Draco warned.

"Oh come on Draco, we all know she is easily distracted." Pansy said, which was a nice euphemism. "And some of those distractions are here tonight."

Hermione guessed that Astoria was supposed to throw a hissy at this point and stomp off. Or maybe Draco, according to Pansy's plan, was supposed to blow up at her, send her away. But none of that happened, they just stood there. Confusion showed through in Pansy's eyes.

"I think maybe some finger food would be nice, Draco." Hermione said. "I had a very light supper this evening, could you wave down one of those canopies bearers for me."

"Certainly darling, next time the waiter comes by. I saw some caviar blinis before, I know you're a fan of those." It wasn't true, but she would eat caviar blinis until she turned green if she had to.

Pansy was staring at one of them then the other.

"You can't be serious Draco." Pansy said. "Has she got your balls in her purse?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"She's fucking everyone under the sun and you're fetching her blinis?" Pansy said with complete incredulity.

"He is such a darling." Hermione said with the sweetest smile she could manage.

"Well Pansy, my wife might have erred in the past, and I am pretty sure I have you to thank for a fair chunk of it, but we have come to an understanding. She is a new woman now." Draco said.

Hermione wanted to laugh.

"You can't put aside the things she's done." Pansy said.

"You know, I find that I don't regret anything that's happened." Draco said matter of factly.

"That's a bit strong." Hermione said to him. "A pretty broad statement."

"I categorically don't regret anything that's happened." He said facing her now. Her heart started beating strongly.

"You need to get rid of her." Pansy said through gritted teeth. "Look at her, she looks awful, she's completely letting herself go. Look at what she's wearing. Look at her hair. She's an embarrassment."

"I don't know," Draco said to Pansy, "just because she isn't showcasing herself to all and sundry. I think its an enviable quality."

"Even me." Hermione said to him. "Being here."

"No." He said back to her.

"What is wrong with you?" Pansy said.

"What happened to me being too far beneath you? What about all those years when I was the scum of the earth."

"Well, I think we have gotten over any concerns about you being beneath me. We've had some good practice lately." He said. "And from what I gather, you have started to really like our... social standing. You certainly weren't complaining last night."

Hermione blushed.

"You've completely lost your mind, Draco." Pansy said.

"Why are you still here, Pansy?" Hermione finally said to her with annoyance. Pansy huffed and stalked off.

"She might be right, are you sure you know what you're saying?" Hermione asked. "You hate me."

"I have come to appreciate some of your qualities."

"Like what?"

"Loyalty." He said. "You're relentless optimism. The things you think are important. The way you believe the best of people. The way you just charge into situations, sometimes without any strategy for getting yourself out."

"Sometimes you just don't need to get out." She said quietly.

Something seemed to sink behind his eyes and he pulled her close.

"Did you keep my picture?" She asked, he was so close to her. "From the Prophet?"

"Yes." He said, she felt his breath on her lips.

"Why?" She asked and he didn't answer.

"Did you wish for me?" She whispered.

He was quiet for a moment. "Yes."

The hard pit of tension in her stomach seemed to explode and flood her. He leaned in that tiny bit further and kissed her. Electricity flowed through every cell in her body, fusing her to him. Hermione lost track of everything except the feel of him, the feel of his body, of his lips. Her body seemed to lose its structure and consistency. All she needed for the next eternity was to be melted into his body.

He broke the kiss and he looked undone. Looked like she felt. He grabbed her wrist and started walking towards the entrance way. He literally dragged her behind him. He grabbed her waist as apparated without a word as they got to the entrance way.

He didn't break step as they arrived at home, he kept walking and she tried to keep up. They went up the stairs, but instead of turning left to her room, they turned right. He was taking her to his room.

He closed the door behind them, pushed her up against the wall and leaned into her.

"Now, where were we?"

"Here." She said and leaned into reclaim his lips. It was a slow, deep kiss that reverberated throughout her. It went on forever, but eventually they were out of air.

"I think, Granger," He said, "that you have a thing for me."

"I could perhaps be accused of such." She said and he beamed.

He brought his lips down to her neck and ran them lightly over her skin making her shudder.

"There are a few things I've been wanting to do to you." He said. "I have been trying so hard to restrain myself." He brought his hand up to her breast and massaged it lightly. Singeing heat flared in her core.

"But I think I need to here you say it." He said in a rough voice.

"Say what?" She managed through breaths.

"Lets see." He said and smiled. She could feel his smile at her collar bone.

"Oh, now comes the teasing." She stated with amusement.

"I am perfectly happy to tease, you'll see, but I need to hear you say it."

"Say what?"

"Say – Fuck me Draco."

"So eloquent." She said with a laugh.

"Say it." He said. "No, no, no, I've got a better one. Say – Fuck me, husband."

He pulled back and looked her in the eye. The amusement retreated to a more serious note. Hermione searched his eyes for deception, but she didn't find anything.

"Fuck me, husband." She said.

His lips claimed her and he pressed her into the wall. The kiss was rougher, needier. Her legs came up and circled his waist.

"Too many clothes." He said and started to tug them off. Hermione was pretty sure the zipper had just given away. But she was too distracted by his hands on her skin to worry about a ruined dress.

She tugged up his shirt and allowed her hands to explore his waist. His skin was so warm and smooth. She wanted to kiss it, taste it. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt before he lost patience and ripped them out too.

Hermione sighed when she got him skin to skin. She felt herself being laid back on the bed and soaked in the feeling of his weight on her. His hands roamed her body and hers were busy clasping him to her.

His mouth roamed her chest, licking, tugging, teasing. But he returned to her lips for another deep kiss. Exploring her mouth.

"I can't wait." He said as he pulled back for air. He placed himself at her entrance and pushed inside. He kissed her again and Hermione moaned into the kiss.

Hermione couldn't get enough, she needed his deeper. She grabbed his hips and guided him back as he pulled back. A few smooth strokes and Hermione was feeling her release overtaking her. She grabbed his hips harder to get him as deep inside her as possible. He kept kissing her as his release claimed him.

He lay on her with dead weight as he recovered his breath. Hermione struggled to breath with the weight, but she wouldn't move him for the world.

"You know." He said as he recovered enough to talk. "I think I can, as you suggest, do this every night. But I think I need to try again to be sure."

Hermione laughed.

"Now, what to do? There are so many things to try." He said and pulled her up to sitting.