I do not own any part of HP, alas, alack. Also, this story was inspired by Drivelicious' And Two Must Love, available on Granger Enchanted and the plot is used here with her permission.

Hermione felt like she was on fire, from the top of her head to her toes which were currently curling in their stockings. Draco's mouth was firm and warm and he was kissing her exactly the way she'd hoped Ron would, but didn't. Like she was the only girl in the room and not just the only available warm body. Like he had wanted to kiss her his entire life- which was ridiculous, really, because there was no way Draco Malfoy had wanted to kiss her, a muggle born witch, his entire life. It was simply too-

Oh, yes. That right there.

She let her head fall back from his mouth as he trailed it over her cheek and down her jaw to the tender skin of her neck, his hands doing their best to keep them both from toppling over the edge of the sofa upon which they were perched. Precariously. Fortunately, the floor was carpeted and without any more thought, Hermione grabbed the front of his robes, twisted them in her hands, and pulled him over. He landed on top of her with a slight "oof," but it didn't seem to hinder his mouth much. He simply brought his hands from under her back, bringing her down the rest of the way to floor ever so gently and then propped himself over her with his forearms, his lips still skimming over her neck like he intended to take a bite-

Oh, oh.

Hermione let out a gasping sigh and wriggled beneath him, to which he finally pulled back and looked at her properly. She smiled up at him dreamily like she'd just discovered an entire stash of old potions texts in the restricted section and he tried not to let his mind over-process the situation. He was lying on top of Hermione Granger, pregnant by another bloke, in a hotel room in Paris and he'd been kissing her like she was the answer to his prayers.

Which she technically was, but his heart didn't need to beat so wildly at the thought. Honestly. What was becoming of him?

Her face was flushed, his lips were swollen, and their hair was thoroughly mussed. Hermione, Draco thought, looked like she had never been kissed properly before in her life. He shrugged as he realized she probably hadn't, and he was actually doing her a very large favor. But there was still the matter of her being pregnant. She wriggled again as the look on her face grew impatient and he stifled a groan before dropping his head into the crook of her neck. She smelled like sweat and apples and now him and he wanted very badly to keep kissing her…but something held him back. He didn't want this to happen. At least, not this way. Draco Malfoy might have had sex before, yeah. And he might have had it with more than one partner…but he was a serial monogamist, not a sexy beast. Well, he was that too, but damn it, he had standards! He wasn't going to deflower Hermione Granger all over again without so much as a by-your-leave. He wanted to give her more than a fantastic shag on the carpet of a Parisian hotel, if that's what was going to happen between them.

She wriggled again and he saw stars.

"Hermione…" he groaned and she giggled. The filthy minx actually giggled. "Shush," he said and she stopped giggling. Draco lifted his head and kissed her again, more slowly, savoring her lips like they were a delicacy. Hermione moaned into his mouth and he rolled off and away from her finally, breaking the kiss.

"What is it?" she asked softly. He looked over at her, recognizing the look on her face. The look of a girl who doesn't want to stop, who thinks she can handle sex without consequences or emotions. He looked away.

"That was a good first kiss."

"I'll say," she breathed.

"But if we kept it up…" He turned to look at her again, propping himself up on an elbow. The glance he gave her was significant and sexy and Hermione was certain Ron had never, ever looked at her that way.

"Oh," she said in a small voice. She glanced away and stared up at the ceiling. "Yes, it's best we stop there, then. Although," she added, her voice mischievous, "it's not as though you could get me in any more trouble than I'm already in."

Draco snorted and got to his feet before holding out a hand to Hermione. She sat up and took it solemnly, though her eyes were sparkling.

"Let's save that discussion for a later date, shall we?" he suggested. "I can't say it doesn't appeal to me, but under the circumstances…"

"I understand. I'm pregnant, not made of glass."

"You are hormonal," he pointed out.

Hermione smiled again. "So are you," she said archly with a pointed look at a certain area of his anatomy. He flushed and rolled his eyes.

"Merlin, Hermione. One kiss and you're all over me. I shudder to think what the entire package would do to you."

Hermione chose to remain silent after that and eventually joined Draco back on the sofa where he sat gazing out the window again.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked after some length.

"It's snowing," he said.

She peered out into the dark and finally turned off most of the lights in the room, leaving only the magical fireplace flickering in the sitting area. "So it is," she replied softly.

"Tomorrow's Friday. It's already gotten quite late," he responded, casting a glance at her. She was seated beside him again, her feet tucked beneath her, her skirt and sweater rumpled. She pursed her lips and returned his glance speculatively.

Hermione could tell what was going on. Draco didn't want to go back to school. Life for him there wasn't any safer than it was anywhere else. He had a terrible burden he was carrying and yet he'd taken her on as well. No matter what his original reasons for it were, he was doing his best to take care of her, to be her companion and friend now. If he wanted a short holiday away from the stress of school and their daily roles of snake and golden girl, she was happy to give it to him. He was going to be the father of her child, after all, and regardless of that, she wanted people to be happy. To love and laugh and live peacefully. She wouldn't be working so hard with Harry to overcome the evil in their lives, otherwise.

"I've read ahead in Arithmancy. The material we're covering tomorrow isn't difficult. I wouldn't feel terrible skipping, would you?" she finally offered.

He immediately shook his head. "Not me. And after that we have…Charms?"

"That's not even worth attending, really," Hermione said.

"And Potions…hardly our worst subject," Draco replied, a smirk hovering about his lips.

"Besides, it is snowing. I don't want to catch cold, it could be bad for the baby. We might as well-"

"Stay here," Draco finished for her, stretching his arms along the back of the sofa.

"And then it's Saturday," Hermione reminded him, scooting closer to him with a tentative glance.

He looked over at her and smiled leisurely. "That's right. We'll hardly be missed."

She finished scooting and snuggled against his side, tucking her head on his shoulder. His arm came away from the back of the sofa to curl about her shoulders.

"We'll hardly be missed," she agreed, sighing happily at his warmth and the contact.

Draco leant his head against hers and they continued to gaze out the window; watching the snow fall gently on the sleepy district while lights blinked on and off all over a city that was settling in against a cold front. He knew what she was doing, but it didn't bother him. If his problems got her to humor him once in a while, well. He was alright with that. The fact that his heart was beating a little faster at having her sitting next to him so intimately had nothing to do with his joy at facing an entire weekend off…with her. Nothing at all.

She made small noise and he looked down at her, curled against him, one hand gripping his sweater, curls falling across her face.

His heart raced.

To say that Snape was furious with him for taking the weekend away with Hermione was an understatement. More like…enraged. Possibly apoplectic.

It was almost hilarious.

"We came back on Sunday," Draco pointed out. "Got our homework finished. Made up for the work we missed and," he added gratuitously, "we still made Sunday dinner."

"That is NOT the point, you imbecile!" Snape roared at him, inasmuch as Snape ever roared at people. "You could have been followed! Stalked! Murdered in your beds, why, oh WHY do I always get saddled with the ones who think they know everything," Severus said in one breath before collapsing in his chair with his head in his hands.

Draco waited until the man had regained some of his normal color before commenting. "Isn't it the point to be followed and seen? So that people think we're together?"

Snape's color began to change again and Draco backed away. "Not that you're entirely wrong, sir, I just don't see why we shouldn't spend a little time together every now and then-"

"Spending time together is not the issue, Mister Malfoy, it's where you spend time together and flying off on a lark to someplace like that without consulting anyone is-"

"I sent owls," Draco objected. "And I sent some more once we knew what our plans were. If you had such a large problem with it why didn't you come and get us yourselves?"

"That is still not the point, Mister Malfoy-"

Draco's jaw dropped. "Dumbledore let us! He okayed it and told you to bugger off and stay out of our business, didn't he?"

Snape's color hovered dangerously around purple.

"Didn't he?" Draco insisted, stepping forward again, grinning like a madman.

Something that might have resembled "Dumbledore is an interfering old bugger" crossed Snape's lips and Draco crowed with glee.

"That's it, then. I'm out of here, unless you have something more constructive to say, you bat," Draco told Severus as he headed for the door.

"Just- try not to be so spontaneous next time, Draco, please," Snape pleaded.

Draco turned to look at him strangely and then broke into a smile as he hauled open the door to leave. "Why, Professor," he said sweetly, "I didn't know you cared."

By the time Snape found his voice again, the younger man was gone.

"So? How was your holiday?" Ginny asked, poking at Hermione's arm insistently. Hermione batted her hand away and frowned.

"Lovely. Now, isn't there something else to talk about? Quidditch? Anything?" Hermione asked, desperate for a change of subject. All anyone had done all week was make lewd hand gestures at her or kissing faces, boys and girls. Only the girls, at least, followed it up with questions about Paris and said things like, "how romantic!" in terribly breathy voices. And now it was a week and a half before exams and then break and all Hermione wanted was to study and revise in the library in peace. She had enough to think about, what with her impending visit to the manor and the fact that she now had- although it was small, which Madam Pomfrey had assured her was perfectly healthy for a girl of her age, size and activity- a baby bump. It was just one more physical sign of the tiny life growing inside her and she found it extremely unsettling. She couldn't imagine what it would be like once she felt it- her, she reminded herself. Her. At any rate, once she felt her kicking about.

Still…when Draco had cried on her shoulder over their weekend he'd laid his hand on her stomach, on her bump, ever so gently…so tenderly. She mimicked his actions then and smiled softly to herself.

Ginny snorted. "Earth to Hermione," she said, snapping her fingers, though she was smiling as well. "Not that you don't look awfully sweet doing that- it's enough to make a girl jealous, and I'm only fifteen!" Ginny rolled her eyes and Hermione looked up and laughed a little.

"Trust me, Gin, wait a while. There are a few perks…but mostly it's hellish."

Ginny noticed her friend's hands stayed splayed across her abdomen, however. She smiled again. "Well, then, if you're done revising, tell me all about it."

"Paris?" Hermione sighed. "Frustrating. Wonderful, but frustrating. I don't know where Draco will be from one minute to the next. He can be really sweet and kind, and thoughtful…but then he'd shut me out again and I can't get him to talk for minutes at a time."

"Ooo- whole minutes at a time?" Ginny teased and Hermione frowned.

"You know what? I don't think I am done revising- hand me that text, will you?" she said, voice brisk once again.

Ginny laughed and passed the book over. "Sure, Hermione. I'm sorry for teasing you. I know you're trying really hard to get through this."

Hermione eyed her, but didn't say anything and they went back to their studies until Ron arrived and dumped his books next to theirs.

"It's official," he announced. "I'm going to fail everything. Hermione-"

"No, Ron."

"Ginny-"

"Merlin, can't Harry even help you?"

Ron looked alarmed. "But- he told me to talk to you!"

Ginny frowned. "He what? I'm going to murder him. Excuse me, Hermione, Ron, I have something to take care of. Back in a bit." Hermione glanced up to see Ginny leave their table and walk away determinedly. She looked over at Ron at the same time he eyed her and they broke into laughter.

"Think Harry will stop and think before delegating like that again?" Ron whispered.

"Not a chance," Hermione responded, smiling.

"Me either," Ron agreed before breaking open his own books. "So, what's first?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Potions. And before you go asking me to write something for you, I suggest you consider what Ginny might be doing to Harry."

"Who, me? Ask you to write my Potions essay? Hermione, how could you even suspect such a thing?" Ron asked melodramatically as Hermione snickered.

"Rather easily, I imagine," came a voice from behind him. Hermione shook her head and turned back to her books.

"Come to study with us, Draco?" she asked as Ron bristled beside her.

"I would," he began as he slid into the seat Ginny had just vacated, "but someone's in my seat."

Ron glared at him as Hermione flushed. "It's a free country, Malfoy. I'm not moving."

"Ron-"

"Now, now, Hermione. I wouldn't ask him to. Just merely stating a fact, earlier. I'll sit here until your friend comes back. That is, if you don't mind," he added, looking from one of them to the other. Noticing Hermione's cheeks were still pink. "Besides, I think I like this view better."

"Oh? Why's that?" Ron challenged, his voice rumbling in his chest.

Draco leaned forward in his seat and slid one of his feet between Hermione's and she looked up at him, startled. The pink in her cheeks darkened.

"It's easier to gaze into Hermione's eyes this way, of course," he said softly before reaching a hand across the table and taking her free hand.

Hermione flushed all the way to the roots of her hair and her lips fell open slightly before she looked back down at her book. "Don't be ridiculous, Draco," she muttered. But she didn't remove her hand from his.

Ron looked from one to the other, clearly struggling to keep the frown off his face when all he really wanted to do was pound Draco's face into the floor. Draco smiled at him and then flicked his glance over Hermione one last time before he opened up his own text book one handed and began to read. He was still holding Hermione's hand, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand lightly.

Ron thought he might be sick and thanked his lucky stars Ginny would be back soon and force the git to vacate his seat and leave them in peace. After all, even if he wasn't officially the father anymore, he was still the biological one. That should give him bonding rights with Hermione and the baby, shouldn't it? Right? It wasn't his fault if the sodding, miniature Death Eater had fallen in bloody love with the former love of his own life. Ron deserved to spend a little time with his would-be godchild. (Not that he'd bothered to ask Hermione her opinion on that subject, either.) Draco and Hermione seemed to ignore him easily enough, though, and the awkward trio studied in relative silence, but for the shuffling of feet and turning of pages.

Ginny, who had seen Draco lurking in the shadows and was now determined to do some lurking of her own with Harry, did not return to the table for a full two hours. When Ron demanded to know where she was that entire time, she only smiled mysteriously.

Harry didn't smile at all and it didn't occur to Ron to wonder when his friend had learned to blush that way.

AN: Whew! Sorry the update took so long. I'll try to be better, promise. And for those who haven't read The Better Claim, it has just been nominated over at the Dramione Awards on Livejournal. You can help me get through the seconding process by voting for me starting in just a couple days. You don't have to be a member of the comm to vote, so no excuses! Unless you genuinely don't like the story. :)