Hermione and Draco spent an hour setting up wards, cushioning the ground; transfiguring rocks into make shift pillows and turning leaves into blankets. They also cast a warming charm in the area they were going to sleep in.

Hermione continued to act like camping in the Dark Forest was the most normal thing in the world, while Draco continued to look at her like she had lost her mind. She was a mystery to him even though he had known her for 7 years, a mystery that he hadn't quite figured out yet.

There was also the small matter of consummating the marriage. They had talked about it here and there, but he knew she was uncomfortable with the situation. When he would bring it up, she would blush madly and sometimes even stutter, but in the end, they both knew it was unavoidable if they wished to remain married. They had also discovered from Dumbledore that there were two more people watching for the consummation, which was disturbing to say the least.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXX

Pansy smiled as her owl flew in the direction of Malfoy Manor. She and Lucius had a little talk earlier in the week via Owl, and Pansy promised to inform him of the happenings of his son and the Mudblood.

One of the Slytherins had informed Pansy of Hermione and Draco's trip to the forest and reported that they had crashed and had yet to return. Pansy was initially worried about her future husband, but decided he was probably all right and this was something his father would want to know about.

Once she returned to her room, Pansy lay back on her bed with a smile, Lucius would stop this sham of a marriage one way or another.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXX

Dark Forest...

Hermione and Draco had settled in the small area they had arranged. The noises from the forest that once sent Draco running away like a banshee was now oddly comforting in this awkward situation he found himself in. He glanced over towards Hermione a few times and could tell that her mind was thinking about the same thing that his was... the consummation. Draco hung his head, he knew he would have to bring it up before she bit her bottom lip off.

"Hermione... come here."

She looked over towards him like a deer caught in headlights, "Now??"

"Yes now.. You're chewing your lip raw and there is really nothing to be worried about." He replied.

Hermione looked down towards the ground, "Easy for you to say... you've done this before." she said in almost a whisper.

"What does that have to do with anything? It's human nature to do this."

Hermione lay back on the ground and attempted to look at the sky through the trees, "I am aware it is human nature... but this is different." She sighed and looked over towards Draco, "You have been my enemy for years and while I did agree to marry you, not only for your sake but that of The Orders...-- I guess I am having a hard time losing something so dear to me to someone I'm not in love with, to someone who until recently, gave me nothing but a hard time." She finished softly.

Draco wanted to smack himself, He had forgotten somewhere along the way the Hermione was not like the typical girl and didn't throw her self at him every chance she had... He would have to treat this one differently.

"Come here Hermione" he said again, this time in a more somber voice.

Hermione was reluctant, but what good was fighting something that was going to happen one way or another. She knew Draco had been doing his best to make things easier for her and she did appreciate it... she was just – uncertain.

She sat up, then stood, wiping her bottom off before going to his side of the ' fort '. Hermione stopped in front of him and looked down to his sitting figure as in asking ' What now? '

Draco reached his hands up and pulled her into his lap so that she was eye to eye with him. He was going to try and calm her down a bit, but he was not the best in the world when it came to feelings and such.

"Look at me Hermione" he stated when he noticed she found the rock to the left more interesting.

Hermione turned her head towards him and tried to meet his eyes.

"Hemione.. I know this is not your ideal situation. I know you and I are not in this relationship because we have feelings towards one another and I will stick with what I told you a few days ago... I will not force this on you – it's entirely up to you if you want to go through with it or not."

Hermione nodded to him, she already had this battle with herself over the last few days and decided she would go through with it – it could always be worse after all.. at least he wasn't Goyle.

"I told you I would not let your Father win this one." she muttered, "I agreed to marry you and for now, married we will be."

"Then are you ready?" he asked

Hermione didn't trust herself to talk, so she settled for nodding.

Draco reached his hand up and gently brushed his knuckles across her cheek before lightly pulling her lips to his. Gentle was not his normal M.O., but Hermione was not the normal either and being that she was giving something else of herself up for his sake, he felt he owed it to her to make it as special as he possibly could.

For the first few minutes, Hermione didn't respond to the kiss, she just let him do the work until she became more comfortable with the situation. Draco patiently kept kissing, not to rough but with enough pressure to silently tell her he was trying to deepen the kiss. Hermione responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and started to move her lips in time with his.

"This isn't so bad" she thought to herself as the kiss continued to deepen.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Malfoy Manor...

Lucius had received Pansy's owl and smirked, this could be his chance to end things before they had a chance to ' seal the deal '.

He dressed quickly and apparated to the edge of the Dark forest, he had discovered a while ago that he had access to the grounds as he was on the Board of Governors.

He made quick work of the tracking spell he had looked up before he left the Manor and set off into the forest, they were only about a mile out and it wouldn't take him long to reach them.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Draco rolled them so that she was underneath him. He had already managed to remove her clothing and most of his. Hermione had stopped fighting this a while ago when she discovered that she was actually enjoying it and some of Draco's gentleness was wearing off – she was responding to him and that pleased him.

"Are you ready?" He asked for the second time

Hermione nodded and spread her legs, allowing him to position himself. Once their bodies were lined up, he bent his head down and kissed her as he slowly pushed inside her.

He could hear her voice hitch as he slid inside and reached her barrier.

"I'm sorry" he whispered before he gave a slightly harder thrust and entered her fully.

She expected pain and had prepared herself for it. The pain was not terrible, but it wasn't exactly pleasant either.

"Are you still okay to keep going?" he asked, silently begging her to say yes.

"Just move" she said breathlessly with closed eyes.

Draco complied and started a slow pace as he stretched her body with his. Draco's concentration was on her and her only; he didn't see the pair of eyes that matched his own, flare in anger at the sight before him.

Lucius stood behind a tree on the edge of the wards, silently cursing as his son and The Mudblood, sealed their marriage. He knew he would have to take action and figure something else out... The Dark Lord was already angry enough and this was not going to make things better.