I do not own Harry Potter…only the plot.

Chapter 8

Hermione pulled back when she realized what was happening. She was flushed; she was hot; and she wanted Draco Malfoy again. But she couldn't let herself go. No, she couldn't do this again. She saw Draco looking at her with a curious look and trying to catch his breath. She pushed him away from her and crawled out from under him.

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

"I…I can't…I just can't do this right now, Draco." She stuttered. "There will not be a replay of what happened five years ago! At least not right now. If anything is going to happen, we're going to go slow. There will be no jumping into bed together every chance we get." She stopped and looked over at him. He was still propped up on his elbows; trying to get his breath.

God, he was so handsome like that.

Hermione! Get your mind out of the gutter. You remember what the result of that night was. And you definitely don't want that happening again.

She was startled out of her trance by Draco speaking.

"If that is what its going to take then I'll do it." He said as she stared at him in shock. "Don't look so surprised. Hermione, after that night, I looked all over for you. But I mean you like literally disappeared without a trace."

She looked at him; wanting to tell him why she had left England; wanting to tell him her deepest secret that no one knew. But she knew she couldn't do that. She just couldn't. "I know I did. I took a much needed holiday."

"For a year?! Hermione! I searched for you for a year after you vanished! Tell me. Where did you go for a year? How did you keep your job?" He asked. She could tell he was aggravated and wanted to just have some answers.

"I went on holiday to the States. At first it was just to do some research for the Minister, but then something came up and it became a holiday." She whispered with tears running down her face. "You looked for me for a year? Why would you do that? I mean, well back then, I thought it was just a one night stand. I thought you were drunk. That's why I left your house before you were up…" She trailed off.

He was sitting at his desk now; looking at the woman he had been in love with for years. How could he make her realize it wasn't just a one night stand back then? How could he tell her that he had been planning on asking her to be his the following morning? How could he tell her she was all he had thought about over the past five years? He knew it would be tough to tell her all of this but he knew he could do it.

"Hermione, I never thought of it as a one night stand. If I had thought of it as that, I would have got you completely plastered and after we had sex I would have sent for a taxi to take you to the nearest hotel and leaving a note for you telling you thanks and where you were at. Now, what happened between us was not a one night stand." He said as he watched her make her way back to her desk across the room.

"So, it wasn't a one night stand? Well that's nice to know." She said. She flicked her wand at the door to unlock it. "But what about the others? Would you have freaked out if you had woke up with me, Hermione Granger, sleeping in your arms?" She gave him a look that said you better tell me that truth.

He took a deep breath. He knew with this next statement that a lot could happen. He thought of where they could go from here. "Hermione, I…"

He was cut off by the door to their office opening. There stood Pansy Weasley. She was staring open mouthed at him and then looked to Hermione. She finally got it together and shut the door behind her and conjured a chair in between the desks and sat down.

"Okay. Will one of you please explain to me why you all have not killed each other yet?" Pansy said. Again, looking back and forth between the two of them.

Hermione froze. She didn't know how to get out of this one. Draco, however, recovered quickly to reply.

"Well, Pans, we decided we needed to come to a truce since we are co-heads. I'm sure the Minister wouldn't like it if one or both of heads ended up dead." Draco smirked. "Besides, I don't want to have to go to Azkaban for murdering one of the Golden Trio members."

Hermione was glaring daggers at him. He was going to pay for that later…he was sure of it. Pansy was making that face she always gave him whenever she didn't believe him.

Dear God! Pansy knows exactly what is going on between us. I can see that in her eyes. I've known her too long. And she's up to something. She has that gleam in her eyes and that smirk. Lord, protect me from whatever she has planned.

Hermione finally spoke, "Pansy, why are you here? I thought you and Ron were going away for your anniversary."

"Oh no, darling. We leave tomorrow for that. Why on a Tuesday? I have no idea. That's the last time I let Ronald make the travel plans." Pansy said with a snort at the end.

"Oh I see. Well, Pansy, I hate to kick you out but we do have work to do." Hermione said with a smile. "Besides, I still have to unpack. And knowing you, you still have to pack for your trip…am I right?"

Pansy looked at her guiltily. "You know me too well for my own good, Hermione. Yes I do have to pack still. Well, ta-ta for now loves!" She said as she pranced out of the room.

(A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! And feel free to check out my other stories as well!)