Hello lovelies! I originally wasn't going to continue with the Gala after the last chapter, but because of the wonderful ndavis77 I decided to do one more chapter with it.
To Alohamoraa, thank you so much for your review! I wasn't thrilled with my writing on the last chapter, but your words made me feel better about it.
As always, hope you all enjoy!
WARNING: The end of this chapter will have a detailed sex scene in it. If that's not your thing you can skip it. Any details that pertain to the rest of the story came before it. To those of you who do enjoy this thing, it's my first attempt of writing this kind of scene so any reviews would be helpful.
-x-
The evening wore on into the night without a hitch. Music flowed through the ballroom as Hermione and Draco shared many more dances with one another. She beamed with happiness at him as he twirled her along the dance floor. Everyone else in the room had disappeared in his mind and the only one he kept his eyes on were her. He had not planned on revealing what he did to her that night, but then again, that's how it always was when he spoke to her. She put him at ease, and made him feel safe to open up.
Hermione felt a warmth fill her at his admission of how he felt. His calloused demeanor that he kept with most, melted away with her. She knew that even if he remained only that way with her and no one else than it would be okay. If he could be himself, let the demons slip way, even if it was to one person only, it may be enough to set him free from the darkness he had encased around himself.
She had excused herself to the ladies room, leaving Draco at their table by himself. He was nursing a firewhiskey when the chair adjacent to him moved and a familiar black haired man sat down.
"Potter." He said as he raised a glass.
"Malfoy." He said nodding his head.
"If you're here to ramble on with some speech about her being your best friend you-"
"I'm not. You already know all that, besides, she's a grown woman capable of making her own judgements. She doesn't need my protecting."
Draco furrowed his brows. He had been anticipating the moment Harry could get him alone. "So then, why exactly are you here?"
"Because there's something else you need to know. Anything she says to you, know that she means it. Don't question her motives or actions, just trust her. You're not a bad person, she wouldn't be with you if you were."
Draco was caught off guard. He hadn't been expecting that. Still processing what his old school rival had said to him, he gave him a look of understanding.
"No offense Potter, but why are you concerning yourself with my own feelings rather than hers?"
"This is about her. If you don't trust that what she tells you is how she really feels, you'll push her away. She doesn't need that."
Draco kept his features impassive. Nodding again to signify his understanding. Harry gave a nod back. After he left, Draco took notice that Hermione had been gone longer than expected. He looked around the room, figuring she had been stopped by a former colleague or perhaps an old classmate. When he did not see her, he fixed his eyes on the door leading to the private hall. He wondered if maybe Parvati, who was reporting for the Profit that evening, maybe stopped his date. He realized this was not the case when he caught sight of her scribbling in her notepad as she chatted with another former Gryffindor whose name he didn't know. He set his sights back on the hall before decided to go and check to see if she was alright. After all, she did have a few drinks, more so than she normally would.
Upon exiting the ballroom, he paused when he heard a mans voice, a familiar voice that made him sneer when he recognized it. He listened closely to make out the words being uttered by the redhead.
"All I'm saying is you have to be really twisted to be with someone like him." he said.
"Let me reiterate this to you Ronald. Whom I choose to be with is none of your business." she spoke with an indifferent tone as if the conversation was boring her.
"It is when that's who you chose over me" he spat in a low voice.
"Excuse me!" she yelled. "I didn't leave you for anyone but myself!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You never accepted me. You never let me talk about anything that interested me by mocking my intelligence. I always tried to take an interest into things you liked. You made it abundantly clear that if we married I was to stay home with the children and give up my career. You wanted to change everything that made me who I was. Your reaction to my involvement with that law was just the last I could take."
Ron seemed to pay no attention to what she had said. "He's going to hurt you. You have to know that."
Rolling her eyes she made to leave, deciding not to waste her breath on her former lover any longer. Ron snorted before throwing in one last jab.
"I knew I was right. Spreading your legs for a death-"
His words stopped and a deep retching sound filled the hall. Hermione rounded the corner almost bumping into Draco, wand in hand and a devilish grin spread across her face. Draco peered around the side of the wall to see Ron on all fours, spewing slugs into a pile on the floor. Draco's eyes went wide as he slowly turned his gaze to her.
"Did you?" he whispered as he gestured to the corridor. She covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling as she tried to stifle her laughter. A large bright smile crossed his face before he mirrored her behavior. The sound of the bathroom door opening and closing, signifying Ron's exit sent them over the edge. The pair roared with laughter. Draco leaned against the wall holding his chest, Hermione's arms wrapped around herself as her head rolled backwards. Neither one of them attempting to quiet themselves. This carried on for a few minutes. As their laughter died down, they looked at each other. Hermione glanced to the ballroom before returning her eyes to his.
"You want to go? I think I've had enough small chat and questions for one night."
"After that little stunt you pulled, we can do whatever you like."
She turned to the ballroom and slumped her shoulders. "We still have to go through there."
He smiled at her. "Come with me." he said as he grabbed her hand. Lacing her fingers with his she followed him as he led her down the opposite corridor.
"Where are we going?"
"There's a separate floo connection up here for anyone wanting to make a quiet exit."
They reached an exquisite marble fireplace. "How come I never knew about this?"
"Do you have any idea how much the ministry gets donated at these things when you or Harry are here? They weren't going to let you slip out easy." he smirked.
Grabbing a handful of powder the two stepped in. In an instant they were stepping into her living room. Without warning, Draco spun her into his arms and kissed her deeply. As he pulled back she smirked up at him.
"What was that for?"
"I wanted to." he shrugged, a smirk upon his face.
She weaved her fingers into his hair and pulled him back to her.
The kiss started off gentle, but as Draco pulled her tight against him, it became frenzied. Driven by passion and need.
Hermione dropped her hands to slide them under his jacket, rolling them over his shoulders to push it off of him. Once it had fallen to the floor, she moved to his tie before his hands wrapped around her small wrists.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, once again searching her eyes for a hint of uncertainty.
She flashed him another devilish smirk before kissing the spot on his neck right below his jawline causing a shiver to run down his spine. She pulled back only enough to meet his eyes. "You didn't think I chose this color dress for myself did you?"
"How very Slytherin of you."
His lips practically crashed back into hers. His one hand placed on the back of her neck, the other firmly grasping her hip. In a fit of passion he pushed her up against the nearest wall as she attacked the buttons of his shirt. She pushed the fabric aside and lightly scraped her nails down his chest causing him to release a muffled growl. He dipped down as she dropped her head to the side allowing him access. He kissed and licked at her neck causing her to let out a series of soft moans.
He moved back to her lips as his hands trailed to the zip of her dress. He slowly dragged it down her back. With a small tug the garment pooled at her feet revealing her black and emerald lace bra. A smirk tugged at his lips. "I bloody love that color on you." He whispered into her ear before giving it a small nip.
He reached down to grasp the backs of her thighs, pulling her legs up and resting them around his waist. She could feel him hard against her. He dropped his head once more, trailing kisses along her breasts. She arched her back to push herself closer to him, causing him to release another low growl. He started on her lips as he unclasped her bra, quickly disposing of it. In a swift movement, he gathered her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
Without breaking their kiss, he lowered her onto the bed as she reached for his buckle making quick work of it and pushing them down leaving him in only his briefs. He rolled his hips once more, beckoning another one of her dulcet moans. He worked his way from her lips down to her neck, staying there for a moment before moving further down. He ran his tongue over one of her nipples before moving to the other. She grasped the bedding with one hand as she laced the other into his blonde locks, pushing herself into him once more.
He ran his hand down her side, slowly caressing her as he went paying extra attention to the lowest spot of her stomach. She began to move herself against him, silently begging him to go further. As if he could sense exactly what she was thinking, he slid his hand between her thighs, running his fingers slowly across the lace underwear she still had on. He could feel her excitement through them.
He came back to her lips kissing her with all he had. As he did it, he glided his hand underneath the fabric, in one motion he slid his finger up her slit before tracing circles around her most sensitive spot. She broke the kiss to cry out at the sensation, he relished at the sight of her. She was so wet already, he knew he wouldn't have to keep it up for long before she came undone.
'Not yet.' He thought to himself. He wanted to make it last as long as he could. He slowly inserted one of his fingers into her and continued the pace. Pumping in and out, but going as slow as he could. He refused to press upon the spot he knew would send her over the edge. She rolled her hips against his hand, trying desperately to get him to do what she wanted.
Reluctantly, he pulled his fingers away from her and she sighed at the loss. She didn't have time to think about it. He was now pulling the garment down, placing soft kisses down her legs as he went. He made his way back up her body, pausing once more to pay attention to her breasts.
Grabbing his hair in her fists, she pulled him to her. She playfully nipped at his bottom lip before kissing him. She ran her hands down his back. When they reached his hips, she hooked her fingers into the waist band of his briefs, pushing them down as fast as she could. He managed to move his legs around and get them the rest of the way down. She tried to roll against him, but he pulled away, smirking against her lips.
"Please." She panted out.
"Please what?" He whispered seductively in her ear.
"I need you."
His cock was throbbing with want, but he wanted to make it about her. He wanted to make her feel things he knew she had never felt before, just as she had, in a way, done for him. He continued on her neck before she spoke again.
"Please...I need you Draco."
At the sound of his name he lost what little control he had been clinging to. He pulled back so he could look at her. Her brown eyes were seemingly emblazoned with desire. Reaching between them, he grabbed onto his hard cock, running it along her slit slowly before pressing inside of her.
Her back arched off the bed as he entered her and her hands flew to his shoulders as she dug her nails into him. He felt her walls clench around him as they tried to accommodate his size. He hissed once he was fully inside of her. He wanted this to last but she felt fucking amazing. He stilled himself only long enough to let her adjust. He began to slowly pump his cock into her, matching the pace he had previously kept with his hand. He had one arm propping him up, as the other hand pinched and rolled at her nipple.
He managed to gain back some degree of control and kept his pace, despite his desire to pound into her. He quickened only a fraction to lesson her want. He could tell she was getting close. As she clawed at his back, her moans becoming more frequent. That certainly wasn't helping him to hold out.
He slid his hands behind her back and as he rolled back onto his haunches, he pulled her with him. He held her hips into place as he began thrusting deep within her, faster and harder then he had before. The new position was putting friction on her clit, and she could feel her release coming. As her muscles began to tighten around him, she dropped her head backwards. Draco watched as she began to come undone. Moonlight highlighted her every feature and he was loosing himself in her beauty. She rode out her orgasm, holding onto him with everything that she had.
"Draco" she cried out.
The sound of his name from her lips sent him spiraling out of control. He pumped harder into her as he felt the last traces of her orgasm begin to slip away. Once he knew she was finished, his own release came over him stronger than he had ever felt. He thrust into her one final time before slumping down, pulling her flush against him.
They could feel each others hearts pounding feverishly. Once the final remnants slipped away, and their breathing began to steady, she looked up at him. His eyes were closed and she realized this was the most at peace she had ever seen him. She kissed him softly as he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck. Keeping his forehead pressed to hers and his eyes closed he softly whispered.
"Is this real?"
She didn't need further explanation, nor did she take offense. She knew exactly what he meant. She had concluded already that she would often have to assure him of her intentions and she didn't mind.
"It's the realest I've ever been. Or felt for that matter."
He kissed her again and lowered her back down. They made love another two times before they both succumbed to their exhaustion in each others arms.
-x-
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