Hermione awoke in a state of delicious nakedness and she wriggled her toes beneath the blankets before curling in on her side to observe Draco who was still lost in his slumber. He lay on his side, face turned towards her, his mouth partially open. She felt the urge to lean forward and kiss his pink lips, but the desire to watch him sleep for just a few moments longer was stronger. She contented herself with memorizing every aspect of his face, from the way his eyelashes nearly kissed his cheeks when his eyes were closed to the way his hair, the perfect shade of blonde, hung just over his brow.

The sheet which covered them hung low on his hips and her eyes travelled down the elegant curve of his neck until her eyes settled on the red mark on his collarbone. Her lips curved upwards at the memory of her giving him that particular mark the night before, and she reminded herself to kiss it when he woke. From the mark, her eyes moved to his impressively broad shoulders, and then to his torso which made her mouth water.

His physique was impressive to say the least. Each muscle was well-defined, and yet not overly so. The skin was a mere shade paler than that on his lower arms and face, and the body had been trimmed of all unnecessary fat. Though he was muscular, incredibly so, he was still soft to lie with, a quality which she felt was painfully necessary. The muscle came in handy, of course, and she loved feeling the firm planes of his chest beneath her hands as she clutched to him desperately.

At long last her eyes reached the soft patch of blonde fuzz which trailed downwards from his bellybutton. The hair was slightly darker than that on his head and a little bit more golden. She knew what she would find if she followed its path, for that's exactly what she had done the night before. She most certainly loved that discovery, and she was certain that Draco was aware of her love for it.

He began to stir, giving a final deep breath before his eyelids began to flutter. Taking this as her cue, she repositioned herself so she was straddling him, rolling his body onto his back in the process. The movement woke him entirely and he looked up at her through bleary grey eyes, his mouth contorting into his familiar smirk as he realized their position.

"Hey," she said quietly, pressing her lips against the mark on his collar bone. She bit down incredibly softly, knowing it would still be tender from the night before, and sucked on the spot until he moaned. She moved her lips upward until they met his, his tongue immediately tracing against her lip for entrance. She complied and he won their brief battle, and it was only when Draco's hands found her bare waist that she realized the sheet was gone from her body.

"You're so fucking beautiful," he murmured, breaking the kiss and moving her so she was sitting straight. She blushed under his heady gaze, his fingertips, which were now grazing up and down her sides, sending shivers up her spine. "Fucking perfect."

His hands found her breasts and she moaned once. Draco took this as a very obvious sign to keep going, but instead of remaining in their position, he carefully adjusted them so he was on top. She barely registered the soft thump of the sheet as it fell to the floor, exposing both of them in their entire nakedness to the sunlight. In any other case, with any other man, she would have been embarrassed, but Draco's lips were trailing down her neck and to the hollow at the base of her throat, distracting her entirely. She threaded her hands through the silky strands of hair, almost guiding his head as his lips left a burning trail down her body. His lips trailed down to her bellybutton, circling it slowly before he dipped his tongue in gently. Warmth pooled in her stomach and she pulled his head back up to meet her own, smashing their lips together fiercely.

He groaned as she ground their bodies together and, unable to wait even another moment longer, he pushed into her. They both cried out with utter bliss, her fingernails raking at the tender skin on his back and his body quaking with primal need. Their moans reverberated throughout the room each time either one moved, their actions speaking louder than their words ever could. They finished together, crying out each other's names in their moment of total ecstasy, and Draco collapsed to the side.

"I fucking love you," he managed to pant out and her smile at that moment was brighter than the sun.

"I think I love you, too," she breathed, rolling over to kiss him. He moved away after a moment and propped himself up on his elbow, turning on his side to face you. "What?"

"I don't want you to say it just because I said it," he said solemnly, his eyes dark and serious as he spoke.

She mirrored her position, though her eyes were much lighter than his. "Since when did I do things just because you do them?" she asked wryly and all at once his eyes brightened. "I love you."

He leaned over and captured her lips in a kiss that she would remember for the rest of her life. She allowed him to move over her once more, tangling his hands in her hair as though he never wished to let go. He kissed her lips as though they were water to an unquenchable thirst, pulling her against him with an unbreakable grasp. The fireworks which exploded behind her eyes at his touch seemed to burn into her eyelids, and she knew for the first time what love – true love – really was.

When Hermione managed to drag herself from the bed a few hours later (with great reluctance and many protests from Draco), she caught a glance of herself in the bathroom mirror. Her hair was in total disarray, her makeup from the night prior was smeared, and her lips were swollen and red. When her eyes strayed down to the rest of her body, she noticed that it was dotted with lovebites, Draco showing his claim on her to the whole world. Her fingertips softly brushed along a mark on her hip and a smile found a home on her lips.

She took a long, steamy shower, washing herself carefully and massaging shampoo into her hair for the longest time until at last all the sweat and smell of sex had finally swirled down the drain. She remerged into the bedroom wrapped in a tiny white towel and Draco groaned at the sight of her wet hair dripping rivulets of water down her upper chest. He was still sprawled on the bed but his eyes followed a particular drop which slid between the valley of her breasts, then hidden by the towel.

"Salazar's soul," he murmured, standing from the bed and embracing her, still stark naked. She wormed out of his grip.

"As much as I'd love to, you stink," she wrinkled her nose and he scowled. "Besides, we can't just laze around in bed all day. That'd get boring."

"As if," he scoffed. "I can think of plenty different things we can do to occupy or time. Positions, at least."

"The shower's in there," she laughed as he pouted, dropping the towel only when she heard the door close and the water start. She dressed simply, a pair of jeans and a cardigan over a plain shirt, and tidied her room whilst Draco showered. A quick scourgify to the sheets left them fresh and smelling of soap, cleaning Draco's clothes with the same charm, and she made the bed with another flick of her wand. Just as she finished by opening the curtains and window, the bathroom door opened and Draco exited in a flurry of steam.

The sight of him was enough to make her mouth water.

His towel hung low on his hips and she once again found herself floored by how immaculately muscular his torso was. The droplets of water clung to his pristine pale skin, the whiteness only marred by the curled black ink of the Dark Mark on his left forearm. She was not as revolted by the sight of the tattoo as she knew she should be. All it meant to her was that he had overcome something so utterly ghastly, and was still the man she loved.

"I cleaned your clothes," she pointed to the neatly folded stack of attire on the bed and she couldn't help but avert her eyes when he dropped his towel. He laughed at her reaction and she knew she was being childish. She had seen everything that the towel had hidden, but that was under different circumstances.

"You can look now," he said and she could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm decent."

She blushed at the taunting in his voice and snatched up the towel, hanging it up in the bathroom as an excuse not to reply. "I was thinking of seeing Ron today and asking how his date with Pansy went," she called from the steam-filled bathroom. The mirror was fogged up and she wiped a patch clear so she could tie her hair to the back of her head in a ponytail. "Want to come?"

"Must I?" Draco's response came as a groan and she rolled her eyes at him when she returned to the room.

"I never said you had to," she pointed out. "But you're welcome to join me. Unless you have other plans?"

He snorted. "I'm unemployed, have no real need nor desire to get a job, and my days are spent either shagging you or doing absolutely nothing. What plans would I have?"

"Fair point," she stated. "Would you like to come? Because if so, I'd like to go now. It's past midday, and I wouldn't mind going out to lunch afterwards."

"Lunch?" his ears perked up at the sound of food and she couldn't help but laugh. Men. "I suppose I should go anyway, just to protect you."

"And for food," she added and he grinned. "C'mon, we'll apparate."

After putting some food in Altheda's bowl (the cat looked awfully disgruntled at apparently having a rather disturbed night's sleep, and she had been unable to laze on Hermione's bed as she was used to), Hermione gripped Draco's hand and they apparated to Ron's home. The little house sat in the countryside, free of neighbours for at least half a kilometre in each direction, though it was close to The Burrow which had been a stipulation of Ron's.

Walking up the path, Hermione smiled and the smell of wildflowers which drifted over. She knocked on the door, an impatient Draco at her side, but had to wait for a few minutes before Ron finally answered.

"'Mione?" he asked, looking distinctly rumpled and clad only in a t-shirt and boxes. "What's the matter?"

"I just came to see how your date with Pansy went," Hermione said, trying not to laugh at his attire and ruffled hair which was sticking out in all directions.

"Yeah, it was good," he said absently. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm in the middle of-,"

"Ron! Unless Merlin himself is at the door, hurry the fuck up and get back here."

Hermione's brown eyes widened at the recognition of the voice and Draco was already doubled over, howling with laughter. Footsteps approached behind Ron and Pansy emerged, wrapped in one of Ron's dressing gowns. The scene looked familiar to Hermione, only the man who was currently clutching his sides with mirth was in the embarrassed redhead's place.

"Granger? Draco?" Pansy shrieked, clutching her robe closed. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing, we were just, um, going," Hermione leaned forward and wrenched the door closed, her face bright red. Draco just continued to laugh as she dragged him down the path.

"That...was...bloody...brilliant," he gasped out. "Your face, Granger! You should have seen it!"

"Shut it," she snapped, too embarrassed for a wittier retort at that point. Clutching his arm, she span on the spot and they reappeared in a muggle alleyway. "Now, do you want food or do you want me to castrate you, because your laughing will lead to the latter."

He sobered up immediately but his face was still tinged with pink from his fit of laughter. "Food please, ma'am," he mock saluted her and she rolled her eyes at his antics, turning away from him and marching from the alleyway. He ran for a moment to catch up with her, grasping her hand and bringing it to his lips quickly. "Sorry."

Her face softened at his actions. "You're forgiven, but only because I'm starving." Her stomach rumbled then as if to prove her point and they both chuckled.

Hermione lead the way as they wound through the muggle streets until they found a cafe which she favoured, mainly for their delicious steak sandwiches. They ate in silence, both too ravenous to speak during the meal. The hour was close to three in the afternoon when they emerged from the cafe but Hermione felt exhausted already, still worn out from their morning's activities. She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand.

"Tired?" Draco asked, his eyes dancing mischievously. He was perfectly aware of why she was so lethargic at such an odd hour.

"Exhausted," came her response. "I think I'd like a nap."

He agreed with the proposition and followed her home by means of apparition. They both kicked off their shoes and curled up on the bed together, Draco holding her tight against his body. She felt so right in that position, his lips occasionally pressing against her hair in an absent kiss. After barely five minutes she fell asleep only to be awoken what seemed like seconds later by Draco shaking her gently.

"Why'd you wake me?" she grumbled, rolling onto her back and squinting up at him through bleary eyes.

"It's almost seven and there's an owl at the window," he gestured to the pane of glass which was indeed blocking the path of an elegant looking bird with an envelope clasped in its beak. Draco let the owl in after Hermione granted him permission and it dropped the envelope on her chest and fluttered out almost immediately. "It looks like one of Mum's owls."

She tore open the envelope and a pretty piece of golden paper fell out, the text written in Narcissa's elegant script:

Miss Hermione Granger and Lady Malfoy cordially invite you to

The Annual S.P.E.W Gala Ball,

To be held on the grounds of Malfoy Manor,

May 30th

7 P.M.

Hermione's eyes flashed with excitement at the invitation and she pulled another letter out from the envelope:

Hermione,

I'm sorry I didn't wait to consult you further on this matter, but I've been planning all day and could not help but immediately start invitations. I do hope you are available on this date, and please let my Draco know about the event. I hope he will come along as your date for the evening.

Yours,

Narcissa

A/N: This is the second last chapter, and I really like it. I've been taking the advice and ideas of some of my reviewers, so I'd like to thank you guys for your tips. After the next chapter there will be a short epilogue, and then that'll be it for this story! Expect the next chapter some time in the next few days. It should be nice and long, perfect to wrap everything up in.

Please, please, please review!