Disclaimer: I am not JKR

Liberation

Chapter 13

The Henri IV, Dudognon Héritage Cognac that Hermione was saving for a special occasion sat on her dining table along with two snifters and a tray of with sweet pecan caramels, dark chocolate covered strawberries and cherries on one side, and savoury Lugano olives and shaved Iberico ham on the other. The ham was an indulgence just like the bourbon and she'd dropped eighty quid on the pound she'd gotten, but it was something her father got once a year for his anniversary and once he'd given her a piece. Tonight was a special occasion of sorts for Hermione and Harry was just about back to normal and Draco was coming over for the first time since he'd left to retrieve the Ankh.

The Henri IV and Iberico were out to celebrate two things; first Draco's success, and second, Hermione and Draco's relationship. She wasn't sure where the night would lead, but over the last week Hermione had learnt not only that she was beginning to fall in love with Draco, but that she was able to be on her own as well. Not once during the time that he was gone did her confidence in their relationship waver, and not once did she think that he might not want to be with her because of what happened when she was kidnapped. That did not mean she did not start to get nervous about those things in the waning minutes before he was due to arrive, but her life was finally beginning to feel freer. She felt less shackled from the concerns of before, and more, well adult was the only word she could think of.

Regardless of what happened that night she was going to enjoy the feeling of finally being liberated from her anxiety and enjoy what comes. Retrospectively, Hermione could see that there was no epiphany that led to her current contentment; she just needed time to heal. Having her world turned upside down by the addition of Draco in it helped, but even Hermione wasn't naive enough to know that he had everything to do with it.

Hermione turned the platter with appetisers on it slightly left so it was more centred on the table, stepped back, cocked her head, and then nodded in satisfaction. Afterwards she went to her room where she changed into a powder blue thin gauzy skirt that fell just below her knees and a comfortable white fitted cotton shirt with sleeves just to her elbow. It was the perfect spring outfit for an unusually warm early April evening. She toyed with her hair for a moment before deciding to put it up in twist with loose curls framing her face. It was a casual hairstyle to complete her casual look. No sooner had Hermione finished up when there was a knock on the door.

Hermione had to check the smile on her face before opening the door, she did not want to appear too happy to see Draco, plus she figured her grin probably looked a little foolish.

"Hermione!" Draco exclaimed the moment she threw open the door. Draco was grinning as foolishly as she tried not to and he looked tan and very well from his time travelling. He held a bottle of Chateau Laffite and a smartly wrapped package in the other. Draco threw his arms around Hermione, gifts and all, to give her a warm hug.

"It is so good to see you!" Hermione said as she relieved Draco of the Bordeaux. "Is the Ankh in there?"

Draco closed the door behind him and held up the silver package in his hand. "This? No, this is something I picked up in France for you. The Ankh is in my pocket, but I was kind of hoping you might be more interested in seeing me."

Hermione blushed at Draco's jest, but quickly leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Of course it is you I want to see, I just wanted to see the thing that occupied so much of you for all this time. Well? May I?" Hermione held out her hand.

Draco was actually quite pleased that the first thing she asked for was the Ankh. He was very much looking forward to talking about it and showing her, but when he saw her even that left his mind for she was breathtaking. He didn't realise how much he'd truly missed her until he saw her again and it was not until the tiny voice in the back of his head reminded him to tread gently with her did he pull her into a hug rather than the deep kiss he actually wanted. Shuffling those thoughts aside, Draco led her to the couch and held her hand as he told her the story of the Ankh.

Hermione gasped and exclaimed at all the right moments not for one moment forgetting how dangerous the mission actually was for Bill and Draco. It was not until the very end when Draco pulled the Ankh out of his pocket did the gravity of his accomplishment really seek in.

"We are very lucky, you and I," Hermione murmured quietly as she turned the Ankh slowly over and over in her hand. It was polished and the gold shone jewel bright in the dwindling light from her window. The large crack in the middle had revealed a ruby inside that was the deepest crimson Hermione had ever seen. It looked like pure blood frozen into place and then burnished to the point that it almost glowed.

Draco shifted closer to her and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "How do you mean?"

"To have succeeded so young." Hermione handed the Ankh back to Draco. "I can feel you in that gold beetle just as much as I can feel the other magic that was in it. I can sense how important it is to you and how good it feels to have succeeded in finding it. It is how I feel about my work at St. Mungo's. It was like nothing else mattered but the work I do there."

Draco's eyebrows drew together in a slight frown. The hand on her shoulder moved to Hermione's hairline and he pushed some stray strands away from her eyes. "Why do you sound so sad? I would think that is a good thing."

Hermione sighed deeply and turned to look at him. She spent a moment truly studying his face. It was tanned, but she could still detect its normal paleness, his white blonde hair was clean cut, but not necessarily fashionably, his body, she knew was well sculpted and always well clothed. His nose and chin were still a little pointed just as they had been in their school days, and if she had to be honest his looks were more aristocratic than handsome. His eyes were different than she remembered, more steel in them and less indignation, but as imperfect as some of his features may be she wouldn't give any of them up for the world. Some of the contentedness she felt earlier began to ebb away as possible realities settled in.

Something that Hermione asked Draco about just before she left him Egypt resurfaced in her mind. "It's just that with us being so young, it kind of feels like we are too lucky, that something terrible is going to happen to make up for all this good. I have great friends, my dream job, and a wonderful boyfriend, I can't help but worry that someday it is all going to fall apart. I mean what about you? Now that you have the Ankh, what's next? You never really answered me before."

"I did tell you, I want to write a history book. I am going to write one, and I was kind of hoping you would be there with me when I did." Draco leaned away from Hermione a little, but gripped both of her hands with his. "I am not moving forward with anything in my life without you beside me, love. And what is this nonsense that something terrible is bound to happen? Terrible things have happened already to both of us; it is time for some good. Sometimes I don't think I deserve it, but I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth."

Hermione laughed feeling silly for letting her insecurities show. She didn't say anything though. Instead she got up and opened the bottle of bourbon. Draco whistled when she handed him his glass.

"This is classy stuff," he commented looking at the bottle.

Hermione raised her glass and Draco followed suit. "Here's to moving forward."

"Moving forward," Draco repeated as he tapped his glass against hers. The liquor was smooth and perfect. Draco could taste oak, fruit, clover, and allspice in just a few drops. It was a truly well-picked bottle of Cognac.

"This is impressive," he commented. "Nice spread too."

Hermione smiled at him as he took in the view of the table. Her grin grew when he picked up a small slice of ham and savoured it with his eyes closed. When he opened them it was to look at her in utter surprise.

"Why Granger, I had no idea your taste was so refined," he said playfully.

Hermione mock scowled in reply. "I may have been raised in a Muggle household, but my parents did have some class."

"Forgive me for behaving like such a barbarian." Draco bent low to kiss Hermione as deeply as he'd wanted to the moment he walked in the door. He was pleased to feel her melting against him so he pulled her tighter and moved the kiss forward until he felt her stiffening and he abruptly stopped.

Breathless, Hermione pulled away. Draco was making her feel things in places she wasn't even aware of until now. Places that she'd never experienced any real pleasure in before anyway. Before she completely lost her control and he saw how aroused and insecure he was making her, she pointed at the gift he'd brought. Changing the subject, she hoped, would help her gather her nerve to do the things she wanted to do with him.

"What did you bring me?"

Draco was all too aware of her signals and perfectly understood her reticence. He walked back to the couch and picked up the silver package and handed it over. "I picked this up from an acquaintance in Paris. He is a bit of a book collector like you, and I thought you might like this. I remember you mentioning a long time ago, I think at some party at Pansy's, that you liked this story."

Hermione looked at Draco with confused wonder written all over her face. He had been at several parties, but she didn't recall having a conversation with him at any of them, let alone over her favourite old stories. In fact, the only time she could remember anything like that happening was when Pansy and Ron tried to set her up with an older gentleman who taught literature at a local Muggle college. He was a Squib, which Hermione did not mind, but he was incredibly pompous and disagreed with every one of Hermione's favourite choices. She'd specifically said that Candide was her favourite story in all of French literature, and he'd said that comedic tragedies were and insult to contradictions even. Draco couldn't have possibly remembered that, he wasn't even listening after all.

When Hermione opened the package her heart nearly stopped. It was not a printed book like she'd expected, but what appeared to be an old leather-bound journal. The faded initials F.A. were still visible on the front etched into the leather in an elegant script. Gingerly Hermione opened the cover. The first page said, 'Candide' in Voltaire's own handwriting.

"F.A. for Francois-Marie Arouet, more commonly known as Voltaire," Draco said unnecessarily. "I was going to get you an original edition, but my friend came across this and helped me acquire it. I hope you like it."

Hermione nearly scoffed in reply. "Like it? I don't even know what to say, I uh, I, wow."

Unable to verbalise an adequate thank you, Hermione put the book down and practically launched herself at Draco. Nobody in her life had ever taken such care to remember something she'd said before and they weren't even friends when she'd mentioned that book and he still remembered. It felt as if all the time they were carefully not associating with each other, they were just preparing for the time when they would finally be together. Hermione kissed Draco with the kind of abandon that he was longing for and it wasn't long before they were in Hermione's bed near naked and panting.

"We can stop now if you want to," Draco whispered as he traced his thumb along the waistband of Hermione's panties. "I completely understand."

Draco didn't need to mention the conversation they'd had the night that they decided to give each other a chance. Except for the unfortunate incident at the castle at the Loch, Hermione was otherwise a virgin.

"No, don't stop, I have to know what it feels like to do this in the heat of the moment. I care about you, and I think it's time." Hermione felt slightly chagrined at her response. She might as well have said 'I'm too old to have not had sex so let's just get it over with.' That wasn't what she felt at all though.

Draco didn't need any further encouragement and had them both naked in two swift movements. With her underwear off her felt oddly exposed even though they were underneath her blankets. Goose flesh broke out over every square inch of her body and Draco touch was feather light as he retraced the skin around her breasts a few times before rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. After a long lingering kiss Draco broke away from her mouth and tasted a trail down her throat and into the sweet junction between her breasts before taking the left nipple fully into his mouth. Hermione arched her back and unsure of what to do with her hands she gripped his hair and pushed his face harder into her chest. After giving equal attention to her right breast he came back up to her mouth.

While he was kissing her he reached down and slid on finger in between her slick folds. She nearly squealed with pleasure and opened her legs a little wider to accommodate him more. The feelings of apprehension at being touched there again were gone and she just wanted more. Draco was harder than a rock and was ready to take her, but the small scar he felt on the delicate skin beside her vagina encouraged him to get her even more ready than she already seemed to be. He wanted to climb under the covers and kiss the places she was hurt, but now was not the time for that. Instead he inserted his finger inside of her and hissed with pleasure as she arched up against him. He didn't even realise she was moving her hands until he felt one of them shyly close around his shaft.

"Gentle, Hermione," he purred. "I won't last if you do that."

Hermione grumbled a small protest, but obediently withdrew her hand. His cock was hard, hot, and as smooth as silk and she was eager to feel it inside her.

"Draco..." she moaned. Taking it as a sign that she was ready, Draco climbed on top of her and gently pushed himself inside her. Once there he closed his eyes and breathed deeply for a moment so that her body could adjust and he didn't come inside of her at once. She was tight and wonderful.

"Ohhh, Draco," Hermione repeated spreading her legs even wider. "Move, please."

Draco obeyed and very slowly started to move in and out of her. It was after only a few strokes when Hermione was matching him and they sped into a comfortable rhythm. Hermione cursed loudly just before she came eliciting a smile from Draco as he lost himself inside her. The whole moment could not have been exquisite. It was if the Fates had orchestrated it just for them. Unlike Hermione, however, Draco could not release his fear that she was going to have a flashback of being raped until the act was over. They lay in each other's sated and comfortable for some time before she spoke.

"I'm glad I wasn't a virgin, now that we've done it."

Draco looked at her in surprise. "Excuse me?"

Hermione was blushing from head to toe as she spoke. "I wish the circumstances were different of course, but I wouldn't want my first time with you to be marred with the pain of losing my virginity. I prefer to remember it this way."

"Do you really think you're over it? I kind of expected a bit of a scene," Draco said honestly as he twirled a piece of her hair around his finger.

Hermione pulled her hair free so she could prop herself on her elbow and look down into his eyes. They were still stormy and dark from his passion. "To be truthful, Draco, so was I. I guess I am stronger than I thought."

Draco leaned over and kissed her spurring another session of lovemaking, this time longer and more hands on as he let her explore him a little more than last time. When they were finished and Hermione lay drowsy in his arms, she tried to remember the words of warning Harry had given her about Draco. About his inability to show his commitment to a relationship or something of that sort, but his words were faded and jumbled in the back of her mind as Draco's arms tightened around her.

"Stay with me tonight, Draco," Hermione requested sleepily.

Hermione was too tired to notice the short pause between when she spoke and when he answered.

"Of course, Hermione." He kissed her gently on the lips just before they both fell asleep.

The next morning when Hermione awoke, it was to find the spot on the bed beside her was empty and cold.

A/N: I am so completely evil and I know it. I can't wait for your reviews to see what everyone thinks might have happened! Thanks for reading and reviewing! This chapter is unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine. Sorry for the delay in updating, but we had a power outage where I live for almost a week and I just got behind on everything. Thank you for your patience!!!!