All characters belong to JKR
Chapter 29: Admissions:
"About the note," he said.
She said, "Hold that thought." She scrambled out from under the sheet, dipped down to the floor, grabbed his shirt, threw it quickly over her body, and ran to the bathroom.
He propped himself on his side, on his elbow, to wait for her to come back. He only had about two hours before he was set to leave. He had a very important meeting this morning, and he couldn't miss it. He was to finalize the buying of this very resort. She opened the bathroom door, peered out at him and then sprang back to the bed. She threw the sheet over her and then mirrored his body. She propped herself on her elbow, on her side, facing him.
Lying side by side, staring at each other, Draco on his left, Hermione on her right, he sucked in a breath, about to tell her the truth about everything…the note, a slight falsehood that happened last night, and one other thing, when she said, "You make me so happy."
That little admission shocked him a bit. He felt in awe of the woman by his side. He knew that she made him happy, but seriously, did she really feel the same? He reached over and tucked her hair behind her shoulder. He said, "What really made you want to change things in your life?"
"Unhappiness, hence my recognition of my present happy state," she said lightly. She answered plainly, and succinctly, and he wondered what had made her so unhappy in the past. That one word, 'unhappiness' was both vague and yet broad at the same time. It could mean so many things, to so many different people.
He asked, "You were unhappy?" He entwined his fingers with hers, and placed their joined hands between them on the bed.
"I was," she said. "I was stuck in one place. I was complacent, and something was definitely lacking in my life." She moved to her back, and he let go of her hand, to place his on her stomach, over his shirt, which she still wore. "I thought if I changed my job, my hair, my clothes, my house, that I would find what was missing in my life."
"And did you?" he asked. He brought his hand up and twirled a piece of her hair around his finger.
"No, I didn't find what I was missing by any of those things, but I did find what I was missing in my life, when I came here this weekend," she said.
He grinned, pointed his finger toward his chest, and said, "Might that be because of me?"
"Award five points to Mr. Ego," she said with a small laugh. "Yes, I was wrong to think that those types of things would make me happy. Happiness can't be bought or borrowed or bartered. It must be given freely, and received the same way."
"I don't know. I've bought happiness before," he joked. He leaned forward and bit her shoulder, and then kissed her neck. "I know that when I buy shiny things, I feel immense happiness."
"True happiness?" she asked.
"Oh well, now true happiness, that's different. You're right, there, Granger. You can't borrow or beg or barter true happiness." He put his nose next to hers and said, "True happiness can only be stolen."
She giggled. "No, it can only be given freely by one person to another."
"Or stolen," he amended.
"No stealing," she declared. She propped back up on her elbow and said, "I think I was empty, more than unhappy. Something was definitely missing from my life."
He couldn't help but smiled. She stroked his face and he moved his mouth to kiss her palm. "I've always thought you were a smart lass, but now I think you're brilliant to come to such a conclusion," he herald. He reached over to stroke her face. He found that he couldn't stop touching her, nor did he want to. "You make me happy, too. More than I deserve, I'm sure. You fill me with happiness. I'm full up to there," and he put his hand above his head to illustrate.
"I always knew you were full of something," she remarked with a laugh.
He tickled her and she swatted his hands away, pulling her knees up to her chest and laughing aloud. "STOP!" she said between laughs. She put her hands in her hair and said, "I look a mess, don't I?"
He examined her for a moment and said, "I was going to make a joke, and say yes you do, and that I'm shocked at you, but I have to admit that you look very sexy this morning. You're sexy with your hair all mussed, your face free of makeup, your freckles showing, your eyes bright and shiny, and my shirt over your….no, that part is a lie. Take the shirt off and you will be completely sexy." He tried to unbutton the shirt and she hit his hands again.
She continued to laugh, and sat up in bed. He soon joined her and she said, "No one would ever describe me as sexy. You don't have to say it either. I know you love me. But, no more lies, okay?"
"I just described you as sexy, so don't say that no one would ever do it, and I would never lie about something so important," he defended, "And I have to tell you, I am an expert on sexy things."
"But you lie so often and well," she said lightly, "as you've proven time and time again this weekend. You are a proficient liar, but I do think that your avowal about being an expert on sexy things is true, since you're the epitome of sexy."
"Stop using big words and tell me what's sexy about me," he said, excited. He put the pillow on his lap, over the sheet, and placed his back up against the headboard. He put his hands behind his head and said, "I'm waiting."
"What words were big words?" she asked, getting off track. "Epitome? Proficient? Avowal?"
"Take your pick and move on to the matter at hand. What's sexy about me?" he urged.
"Okay," she began, "The way you stand. The way your hand goes in your hair. Your smarmy smile. Your cocky attitude and swagger."
"You're barking mad!" He laughed. "The way I stand? Please clarify! I stand upright, and I don't drag my knuckles, like other Homo sapiens. What do you mean about the hair thing?"
She hid her face in the pillow on his lap and laughed. She looked back up at him and said, "Okay. I like the way you lean against things, as if you don't have a care in the world. It's barmy of me, I know, but I think that's sexy. I love the way you are always messing with your hair. Do you even know that you do that?"
He took both his hands and messed up her hair. "Like this?' he asked, still messing.
"No," she said. She moved her head to the side to get out of his clutches.
"So, I lean, do I?" he asked.
She said, "Oh never mind. It's like you're confident in the way you look, and you carry yourself with so much poise, and it's sexy."
"Do you like any of my physical attributes?" He raised his eyebrows up and down. He removed the pillow from his lap and pointed at the slightly tented sheet. "And be specific, because you don't want to hurt his feelings."
"You're the mad one," she said. She scooted back down in the bed and yawned.
He scooted down and said, "Don't have the false impression that you're going back to sleep, missy. I don't have to leave until another hour, so I'd like to have sex again, before I shower." He raised his eyebrows up and down again.
"I also like the way you raise your eyebrows when you say something sexy or suggestive," she said, tracing one of his eyebrows with her finger. "I love the way your mouth goes up on one side when you smirk." Her finger traced his mouth and lifted the corner. He bit her finger lightly and she yelped.
"It's called a smile, not a smirk, thank you, and I realize its one of my sexist qualities," he lauded. He leaned toward her and kissed her neck. He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed each finger before saying, "I love your hand."
"I realized that a while ago," she said with a slight grin.
He ignored her snide remark and said, "It fits so perfectly in mine."
"You know, that first day in the lift at your company, you held onto my wrist after you stepped on my toe, even after you knew it was me," she reminisced.
"I did?" he asked. "I honestly don't recall that. I did?"
"Yes, and you held my hand after the staff meeting last Wednesday."
"I recall that one. I didn't want you to escape," he said wistfully. "I still don't."
"Then you better hold on tight," she urged.
He held both her hands and pulled her over to lie on his stomach. Her body pressed into his and he said, "I intend to. I'm never letting you go, you know."
Suddenly she said, "Shall I read the note before you leave today?"
He hadn't changed the effing note yet! He had totally forgotten about it. "No, it can wait until I leave," he suggested. And it could wait until he changed it to a marriage proposal.
"I thought it was part of my birthday," she said with almost a whine. She really wanted to read it, and show him how happy she would be with his suggestion. She wanted to show him how much it meant to her.
He answered, "Well, your birthday's officially over, so you might as well wait until we get back to read it." He started to scramble out of bed and said, "Why don't I just take it back with me, and keep it safe, and when Tuesday comes, you meet me in my office, and read the stupid thing, once and for all, right?"
She sat back up and held onto his arm, so he couldn't leave the bed. "Why wait? You originally wanted me to read it last night."
"I changed my mind," he said.
"I've changed mine, too," she said. "Come back to bed and let me show you." He cocked his head to the side, and then climbed back into bed. Desire started anew between them and small caresses and gentle kisses began to build in intensity, and soon their kisses were passionate and long, and their hands insistent, and they made love again. The pleasure and passion was beyond compare the second time.
Hermione fell immediately back to sleep.
She rested her head on his chest, and he put his arms around her back. He was about to initiate sex a third time, when he caught a glimpse of the clock. He really had to get a shower. He groaned. "Hermione, I'm sorry, but I really have to shower and get ready to go." He moved out from under her. She remained on her stomach and reached for his hand.
"Don't go," she said in her sleep-induced stupor.
He leaned down, and kissed her cheek. "I have to. Tell you what, why don't you stay here in my room. Relax, read a good book, have a long bath later, and you can even do some nude sunbathing out on the balcony. I'll have your things brought here. One of the bellhops can pack your things up and bring them here. You just stay here, get some more sleep, and then enjoy the rest of your day, and then I'll see you tomorrow at work." He kissed her cheek. "You will come back to me, Granger, so I don't want to tell you goodbye, ever, so this is merely a see you later."
He leaned over her; she turned to her side, and he gave her an unforgettable kiss.
"Thanks for the best birthday I've had in thirty years, and the most perfect blind date, Draco," she said to him with the sweetest smile he had ever seen.
He leaned over her once more, and with his mouth near her ear, he said, "No, I should thank you, but I won't. Not yet." He would wait to thank her when she accepted his marriage proposal.
She decided she would thank him soon, too. She would thank him for making her finally feel like a new Hermione.
He took his suitcase, which he packed the night before, and slipped off to the bathroom. She admired his body as he went.
She sat up, got out of bed, and decided that she would rather go get her things herself, instead of having a bellhop pack them. She slipped out of the bed, looked at her dress, and decided it would be too much trouble to put it on again. She walked out to the outer room, saw his jacket, and slipped it over his long white shirt. Then she went down to her room.
He showered and slipped out the door, anticipating seeing her again tomorrow.
She packed up her belongings and brought them back up to the penthouse. Then she slipped out of his jacket, kept on his shirt, and settled back into bed. She hugged his pillow. It smelled like him.
He totally forgot about changing the note before he left. It was still in the pocket of his jacket. She forgot about it, too.