I'm so glad you all liked the last chapter - I was drinking on a beach the other day and the thought about making Mitchell the muggle magician hit me and after I got over my drunk giggles - I got to writing and the rest of it was history. I figured if I introduced the guy, I had to use him some how :P I hope you all enjoy the latest chapter!

Hermione sat inside a small coffee shop in muggle London, sipping her hot chocolate as Narcissa sat across from her, doing the same with her cup of tea. She waited a good two weeks to talk to Narcissa, mainly for her own personal sanity. Every time she thought she could go over to her house and have a civilized conversation, she lost her courage and put it off for another day. Convinced she'd never figure out a way to summon the courage, she found herself in Harry's office yesterday during lunch to ask his advice - which was to make Narcissa come to her, somewhere that Hermione felt comfortable. Harry pointed out that a confrontation certainly wouldn't happen in her house, or Draco's for that matter, with a result that Hermione could live with.

Of course, Hermione's intention wasn't to make Narcissa uncomfortable, but Harry had a point. It was easy for Narcissa to say one thing and do another in Hermione's presence because she was usually in her house when she did it. In public - muggle public no less - Narcissa would be forced to actually think about what she said before blurting out something she'd ultimately take back.

"I must say, this is very good tea," Narcissa said, taking another sip from her cardboard cup. "A rather odd way to drink it, but it's very good."

Hermione laughed. "Muggles like to take their coffee and tea on the go. That's why the lids are the way they are."

Narcissa nodded. "I know Draco was never much interested…but I must say that sometimes, the way muggles do things absolutely fascinate me. Like this brown ring around the cup - I like it. It keeps my hand from getting too hot. It's brilliant, really."

"That's exactly what it's for," Hermione replied, taking a sip of her drink.

The two sat in silence, each of them politely sipping their drink. Draco told Hermione if she waited long enough, his mother would eventually crack and apologize first, which was what Hermione wanted. She didn't want to pull an apology out of her, nor did she want to be the one who would up apologizing, which Hermione knew she would do despite the fact that she didn't have anything to apologize for. She was a people pleaser at heart, but if Hermione didn't figure out a way to put her foot down now, it would be exhausting later.

Sure enough, Draco was right, and Hermione sat up in her chair a bit as she saw Narcissa look at her, setting her cup of tea down. "Hermione," Narcissa began. "I can apologize all I want for my behavior, but we're both smart women. I know it isn't an apology you're looking for."

Nodding, Hermione held her drink close to her chest with one hand, crossing one leg over the other. "I know all of this happened incredibly fast for you - "

"It isn't any excuse," Narcissa replied, cutting her off. "I took what should have been a happy moment and ruined it. It was incredibly rude and selfish of me."

Hermione gave her a small smile. "It's done and over with. Dwelling on it won't change anything. I just need us to be on the same page and if we find ourselves not on the same page, then we need to discuss it like rational human beings. This wedding…it's just a day. There will be bigger milestones in the future and Draco and I will want your input on, but that's just what it is - input. We get to decide what happens with our life together. But you're the one that is holding the cards on whether or not you want to be a part of our life."

Narcissa nodded. "I understand."

"Ok," Hermione replied. "Because I honestly just cannot talk about it anymore. It's been eating at me for weeks and I just want us to be fixed. Can we be fixed? Please?"

Laughing, Narcissa reached a hand across the table and Hermione grabbed it with her free hand. "Consider us officially fixed."

"Good," Hermione said, grinning. "Because I have a wedding to plan, and I cannot for the life of me figure out a way to get started. But Draco says you used to throw quite a party back in the day."

Narcissa finished her tea and set her cup aside. "To be honest, Hermione, throwing a party might very well be the only thing I was ever good at."

"I don't believe that for a moment," Hermione replied with a smile. "Draco's been pestering me, or well, I shouldn't say pestering really, but I know that he wants to start planning things despite the fact that we won't be getting married until next March or April…but every time he asks me what I want, I just don't have an answer."

Narcissa sat back in her chair, her hands folded together properly in her lap. Hermione could see her pondering what to say next, and with her, Merlin only knew what it could be. She fiddled with her cup for a moment longer, her attention brought back when Narcissa began to speak again. "You don't seem to me to be an extravagant girl - and I don't mean that in a condescending way."

"I'm not," Hermione replied. "I've never really been over the top with anything, except my emotions, maybe." Hermione laughed, sipping the last of her hot chocolate. "I also know that tradition is important to you, so I want to kind of find a way to maybe not go completely over the top but also kind of find a way to blend it all together."

Nodding, Narcissa clasped her hands together on the counter. "I'm sure we can figure out a way to have a simple, yet elegant wedding. However, may I ask…why the long engagement? If it's because of me - "

"You were a small part in it," Hermione confessed. "But it's mostly me. I'm sure if Draco had his way we'd be married by Easter. But I still have a lot to figure out with me, and our relationship evolved rather quickly."

"Can I tell you a secret?" Narcissa asked. Hermione nodded for her to continue. "I truly believe that if things had been different when Draco was younger, you two wouldn't have been much different than Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley."

Hermione arched an eyebrow and laughed. "I'm not so sure about that."

"You're both brilliant," Narcissa continued. "Both the top of your class, incredibly hard working. You two seem to really…get each other, as they say nowadays, and I don't think that's entirely due to having to grow up a bit faster. Lucius and I, we were very old school in a sense that he was my husband and I did what he asked of me without question. You and Draco spar with each other on equal footing. I was never able to do that with my husband. I'm not sure I could have even if the opportunity existed. Intellectually, emotionally, physically…you two match."

Hermione's cheeks blushed a pale shade of pink. "We did manage to sync up rather quickly…once we got over how awkward it was at first. It was funny too…there was a time where I never thought I'd ever be able to forgive him. I often wondered what would happen if I ever ran into him and then out of nowhere, of course, thanks to Harry's scheming, there he was."

Narcissa nodded, her lips turning upward. "Everything happens for a reason, or so they say. I've come to embrace that saying when I think of you and my son. I never thought I'd be in a place where I could watch my son make his own choices. It's been an adjustment, as you've witnessed, but after a lifetime of not having a choice, I'm proud to see that he knows how to make the right ones. You, Hermione, are one of those choices."

"Thank you," Hermione said, accepting her words. "I appreciate you saying that."

"I'm also glad he didn't give you the family ring," Narcissa admitted. "After thinking about it, Draco made the right decision. Your mother's ring is beautiful, and suits you better than the Malfoy ring would have. It's an extravagant piece of jewelry. I remember when Lucius gave it to me. I thought he was kidding. But he wasn't. Neither was his mother."

She rubbed her thumb against the band as Hermione glanced at her engagement ring. "My mum rarely wore jewelry. This is the only piece I ever remember her wearing. I'm like her in that regard. I've never worn a lot of jewelry, but now I wear these earrings and this necklace - both of which came from Draco. I told him the other day he has to find something different to give me the next time a holiday comes around because I'm just not a person who coordinates jewelry with my outfits."

"That's the best thing about diamonds," Narcissa said with an airy laugh. "They coordinate with everything."

Draco was out and about with James in Diagon Alley a few days later, holding his mitten-clad hand as his other was shoved into the pocket of his wool coat. He was looking for a Valentine's Day gift for Hermione, and he also had to pick up food for Z - who wouldn't eat any food other than what was sold at Magical Menagerie. It drove Draco mad, the damn kneazle, how it would constantly dart between his legs when he'd walk down stairs, or how he'd wake up in the mornings with the ball of fluff perched on his chest, staring at him with its beady, judgmental eyes. Hermione swore that Z did like him, but there were days that he had his doubts.

"Uncle Draco," James asked, pulling on his hand. "Uncle Draco someone's following us."

Draco paid the man for the kneazle food and shrunk his purchase so it would fit in his pocket. He looked at James, who was pointing towards the window. "Don't point, James," Draco said, gently lowering his hand. "Where is this man?"

James lifted his arms and Draco obliged, picking him up as he pointed again towards the window. "There," he whispered in his ear. "He was in the ice cream shop and at the bookstore and now he's there."

He turned to see where James was pointing, and didn't see anyone. "Are you sure, buddy?" he asked, tugging his knit cap down so it covered his ears as they made their way back outside.

James nodded as Draco opened the door. Leaving the shop, he saw a familiar man from his youth - only he was taller, and a little less lanky. As the man turned around, Draco locked eyes with him. Shifting James so he had a better hold, he gave his back a reassuring pat as he and the man walked towards each other. Draco extended a hand to shake his. "Hello, Theodore."

"Hello." He looked at James, who had his arms wrapped around Draco's neck. "I just got back to town - Pansy and I, we were in Italy for a spell with Blaise. I didn't realize you had a son…who bears an uncanny resemblance to Harry Potter."

Laughing, Draco shook his head. "This is James - Harry's oldest. James, this is Mr. Nott. Can you say hello?"

James nodded. "Hello, Mr. Nott. Were you following us?"

Draco and Theodore laughed awkwardly, and James looked thoroughly unamused. "I was," Theodore admitted. He looked at Draco. "Pansy's over trying on clothes at Twillfits - and she swore she saw you with a child. I told her she was out of her mind, but I was intrigued."

"Uncle Draco - I'm cold," James whispered in his ear.

Draco nodded, pulling his hat down a bit more as he snuggled his head into the crook of Draco's neck. "Right. Well, Mr. Potter and I have a few more errands to run. It was good to see you - maybe we can catch up at a later date."

Theodore looked at Draco, as if he was a bit confused at the sight before him. "Bloody Hell - Blaise was right."

"Excuse me?"

"He heard a rumor that you were all chummy with Potter and the Weasleys. I told him he'd gone right off his rocker. I can't even believe what I'm seeing right now. Your father would be completely appalled!"

Draco felt his jaw tighten a bit. "Blaise is right - I must be off my rocker. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have errands to finish." He pushed past Theodore and made his way towards George's shop, trying to keep his seething to a minimum. "Let's go see what kind of trouble we can get into at Uncle George's," he said, lightening his tone.

"Mr. Nott is still following us," James said. "I don't like him."

"Me neither," Draco mumbled.

The two of them disappeared into George's shop, maneuvering around the various love potion displays for the lonely hearted for the either utterly romantic or incredibly depressing holiday, depending on who you were. They found George behind the register, cashing out a customer. "Well, well, well," George said as Draco pulled James' hat off, setting him on the counter. "What do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Keep an eye on the door," Draco instructed. "Let me know if Theodore Nott walks in."

"I doubt that git would walk into my shop," George joked.

"I literally just ran into him," Draco said. "He and Pansy are back in town. Apparently they'd been keeping out of sight with Blaise in his Italian brothel."

"What's a brothel?" James asked.

"Nothing," George and Draco replied in unison. Unzipping James' jacket, he lifted him off the counter and pointed towards Lee, who was stocking shelves with a fresh batch of Headless Hats. "Why don't you go see if Lee needs help?"

James grinned, as it was a rare treat to do more than keep his hands to himself inside the store. He looked at George. "Can I really?"

"Just don't tell your Mum," George said with a wink.

"I promise!" James exclaimed scampering off towards Lee.

Draco headed back towards the door, and George followed. "Keep an eye on James," Draco instructed.

George grabbed Draco's shoulder, stopping him. "What do you think you're going to do, mate?"

"I don't know." Out the front door, he saw Theodore walking with Pansy, the two of them clearly arguing over what Theodore was saying as he pointed towards the shop. "There was a moment - a fleeting moment where I thought just maybe, seeing him back here would mean he changed." He tried to move but George's hand kept him in place. "Weasley, let go."

"Fine, but I'm coming with you," George warned.

"I don't think that's in your best interest."

"Malfoy - you need a wingman."

"What the bloody hell is a wingman?"

"Someone who has your back. I'm an excellent wingman," George said with a smirk. "Besides. I could use a bit of fun today. It's been positively depressing in here with all these sad blokes on Valentine's Day. I'm in for some excitement."

Arguing with George was pointless, so he motioned for George to follow, and the two went outside. Theodore and Pansy stopped in their steps as Draco and George walked out towards them, the bitter February wind scraping against the bare cheeks of anyone in its way.

"Let's get this done and over with, shall we?" Draco spat.

"Hello to you too," Pansy sneered. "Long time no see, traitor."

"Honestly?" Draco barked out with a laugh. "Traitor? Look around you, Pansy - whatever world you want to keep yourself in no longer exists." Passersby were beginning to point and stare, but Draco's ability to rationally think had already existed his frame of thought. "I'm not letting either one of you make trouble for me now that you're back," he warned.

"How could you possibly be friends with…that?" Theodore hissed, gesturing at George.

"What do you mean?" George asked. "I'm a handsome bloke. Even with a missing ear, I'm still devilishly handsome, aren't I Draco?"

Draco stared at George. "What the fuck kind of a wingman are you?"

"The humorous kind," George responded with a smirk. "Why do either you care what Draco does nowadays anyway?" George asked Theodore and Pansy.

Pansy ignored George. "Does this mean the rumors about you engaged to that filthy mudblood are true?"

Before Draco could pull his wand out, George was between Draco and Pansy, towering over her with a seriousness rarely displayed by the good-natured Weasley. "Say that word again about Hermione Granger and I guarantee you'll regret it."

Pansy scoffed. "I'm not afraid of you, or anyone else in your filthy blood traitor family."

"But you're afraid of me," Draco spat, clenching his wand as he stood toe to toe with both Theodore and Pansy. "Come near me again, or the Potters, the Weasleys, or Hermione and I promise you that I will kill you and not think twice about it."

"Because you're so good at the killing curse," Theodore taunted. "Couldn't even kill the one man you complained about for years. Standing there, sniveling like a spineless -" Theodore stopped talking, the end of Draco's wand pushing against his Adam's apple. "Awfully brave now though, threatening me in a public arena."

"No one would miss you," Draco sneered.

"Draco, let's go," George said, pulling his arm. "He isn't worth it."

"Stay away from me," Draco warned. "Do you understand?"

Theodore nodded once, and Draco retreated, shoving his wand back in his pocket. "You're a coward," he called out to Draco as he and George retreated back to the shop. "A complete disgrace!"

Draco turned around and laughed. "That's where I beg to differ, Theodore. If anyone's a disgrace here, it's the two of you."

As they got to the door, Draco yanked it open as he heard Theodore call out. "Oh - and in case you were curious - Monica and Wendell Wilkins - completely confused by the intrusion. Didn't understand a bloody thing that was happening, that's what Dad said anyway. Didn't know who Granger was, or why she would cause them to be attacked. You want to talk about a coward and a disgrace - "

By the time Draco registered Theodore's words, George was in Theodore's face, throwing a punch so hard it knocked Theodore Nott out, his body collapsing to the ground, photographers from The Daily Prophet and Wizards Weekly capturing the entire altercation as it unfolded.

Hermione shook her head as she healed George's hand in the kitchen of Draco's house. James was perched on Draco's lap in the other room, James watching cartoons while Draco appeared to be seeking comfort from the child as he held onto him. She peeked into the room again before muttering episkey. George yelped as the broken bones in his hand reset themselves.

"Blimey, 'Mione!"

"Well what did you expect?" Hermione asked. She gently cleaned off his hand and placed a few drops of dittany on the gash across his knuckles. "I cannot believe you hit Theodore Nott. Honestly, George, your temper is almost as bad as Ron's sometimes."

George laughed. "Yes, well, I guess us Weasley men can't help but lose it when it comes to you."

"Me?" Hermione asked. "What do I have to do with any of this?"

He shook his head. "Believe me, you don't want to know."

"George Weasley, you will tell me this instant!" Hermione demanded.

"I won't," George replied. "Don't ask him either. He won't tell you."

Hermione's shoulders dropped. "It's that bad?"

"It's that bad," George stated. "Honestly, Hermione, I wouldn't press him on it. You didn't see him today."

Sighing, Hermione cleaned up the counter. Jori appeared out of nowhere, taking the mess from Hermione. "Jori, really," she said sweetly. "I can take care of this."

"Jori helps Missus Hermione," Jori said. "It makes Jori happy."

"Alright then," Hermione replied, allowing the house elf to putter around the kitchen, putting away the healing supplies Hermione had out and tossing the rags she used in the laundry. Hermione poured George a cup of coffee, handing it to him as she poured herself a cup. "So…Theodore Nott is back."

"With Pansy 'Pugface' Parkinson," George quipped.

"Lovely," Hermione said with another sigh. "Do I even want to know what James was doing while you and Draco were making a scene?"

George laughed. "We're not complete dolts. We left him with Lee - who let him try on every Headless Hat in the store just to make sure they worked. James is excellent when it comes to quality control."

Hermione sipped her coffee. "You better not tell your sister."

"Granger, you must be confusing me for someone who has a death wish."

"Right," she said, laughing. "Ginny should be here any moment, actually."

"Well that's most definitely my cue to leave," George said with a smirk. "Why did Draco have the mini-Harry today, anyway?"

"Harry got your sister a spa day as a Valentine's Day gift, since he's working a mission all week," Hermione said. "Draco had some 'errands' to run today, and took James along for what was clearly quite the adventure. Albus is upstairs napping if you'd like to peek your head in. He should actually be waking up any second."

George rubbed his hands together as he walked towards the back stairs. "Just so I'm clear - if he's not awake, you're saying I can wake him - without repercussion."

"Yes," Hermione replied. She grabbed her coffee mug and walked through the house into the living room, where she found Draco now lying on the couch, holding onto James as he lightly snored against his chest. He was staring mindlessly at the telly. Bending down, she gave him a soft kiss, deepening it just a bit before pulling away. "Hi," she whispered, brushing her lip-gloss away from his lips with her thumb.

"Hi," he said, giving her a small smile.

"You want me to move him?" Hermione asked, lightly rubbing James' back.

He shook his head no. "He's fine."

"You look uncomfortable," Hermione said.

"I'm not," Draco reassured her as he carefully shifted to a more comfortable position as James snuggled closer. "He'll be too big to do this soon."

Hermione sat down on the edge of the coffee table, setting her cup next to her. "Good thing Albus is still little."

"I know," Draco said with a grin. "James and I used to spend most Saturday mornings together. Harry would drag Ginny somewhere, just the two of them for a few hours, and James and I would go get ice cream, play in the park, and then come back and do this."

Clasping her hands together, Hermione rested her hands on her knees. "Sounds like fun."

Draco lightly scratched the back of James' head, his fingertips barely grazing his scalp. "It is." He looked at her, and knew what she had sitting on the tip of her tongue. "Don't ask," he said. "Because I won't discuss this with you."

His voice was soft but stern, and Hermione could see that whatever happened today clearly had an effect on him. "Ok," she replied.

"I'm not kidding," he warned.

"I know you aren't," she replied. She reached for his hand closest to her and laced her fingers with his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I will say this though - George must really like you if he threw a punch for you."

"That gangly ginger has cat like reflexes," Draco stated. "I was still processing what was said and then wham - Weasley laid him out. Those Weasley men are awfully protective of you. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it, to be honest."

"Deal with it," George said, walking down the front staircase and into the living room with a babbling Albus. "We all love Aunt Hermione, don't we Albie?" Albus babbled as he gnawed and slobbered on his chubby fist. "Does that taste good?" George teased, tickling Albus' belly, making him laugh before handing him off to Hermione. "I'm going to head back to the store." He looked at Draco. "You know - you're not a bad wingman yourself."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot."

"Please - you're making me blush," George teased.

"Honestly…thanks," Draco said.

"Any time, mate. Besides - I'm probably going to need a lawyer once Nott charges me with assault."

"I highly doubt anyone will convict you for defending the Gryffindor Princess," Draco teased.

"Probably not. It's good to be Granger, eh mate?"

Draco winked at Hermione as she balanced Albus on her knees, his tiny hands clutching her index fingers. "It doesn't look like a bad gig to me."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Both of you are ridiculous." She lifted her up head and kissed George's cheek as he bent down to do the same. "Thank you for defending my honor," she teased.

"Anytime, Granger," George said.

Draco initially had plans later that evening to take Hermione out to dinner, but after today, he wasn't feeling up to it. She of course, understood, and instead made the two of them a lovely spaghetti dinner that they shared together with a bottle of wine his mother sent over when she came to visit the other day to discuss the wedding. Draco could tell Hermione felt better with Narcissa taking the planning reins, and he could see that the two of them were genuinely beginning to get along. An official date had been picked - April 3 of next year - and with the date selected, his mother was off and running.

He found her after dinner in the study, her side of the library completely undone with stacks of books surrounding her as she held her wand, pondering about Merlin knows what as she stood in her black nightdress that fell just to the middle of her thighs. Holding her Valentine's Day gift in her hand, he leaned against the doorway and watched her.

"Like what you see?" she teased, stacking a few books up in midair before directing them to their new place on the shelf.

"Always," he teased. "Do I dare ask what it is that you are doing?"

"Reorganizing," she said, as if it were completely obvious. "Initially, my books were alphabetized just by title. But I've now decided to separate them, you see, into topics and subtopics, and then alphabetizing them within their topics and subtopics. It makes much more sense this way."

He laughed, making his way through the stacks of books. Kissing her, he brushed a few locks of her hair behind her ear. "I love you - and I think that only you would find some kind of enjoyment out of reorganizing books. Just do me a favor."

"I promise I'm resisting the urge to do the same to your books," she replied.

"Thank you," he said with a sigh of relief. Draco handed her the neatly wrapped gift he held behind his back. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Hermione took the gift and eyed it peculiarly. She began to tear away the paper before finding a rare copy of Beauty and the Beast in her hands - one of her favorite muggle fairytales. Crumpling the wrapping paper with one hand, she tossed it into the wastebasket across the room. "Draco…where on Earth did you find such a thing?"

"I have a guy at Flourish and Botts who keeps an eye out for rare books for me," he said.

She opened the hardback cover and found a piece of parchment inside with a familiar scrawl. A fitting fairytale, I do believe, for the likes of you and me. Love, Draco. "It's perfect," she said, leaving the note inside the book. She gave him a kiss, clutching the book to her chest. Stepping over a pile of books, she grabbed his gift off of his desk and handed it to him. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Draco took the small gift and pulled the paper back, revealing a black velvet box. Cracking it open, he found a set of silver, monogramed cufflinks. "They're perfect," he said, giving her another kiss.

"You sure?" she asked. "I never quite know what to get you, and your mother gave me the idea."

"They're wonderful," he promised. "I love cufflinks - and I actually don't have a monogramed pair."

"Excellent," Hermione replied. "Now…" she said, walking backwards towards the chaise lounge in the study. "Are you ready for your other present?"

Intrigued, he set his gift down on top of a book stack and followed her. "Depends on what it is."

Hermione waited until he was well within her grasp. She unbuttoned his shirt, and he helped her out, untucking it from his pants as she peeled his shirt towards the floor. Grabbing at his belt buckle, he went to help her again but she swatted his hands away. She discarded his belt quickly, tossing it to the floor with his shirt before unbuttoning his khaki pants. Draco pulled his socks off of his feet with his toes before stepping out of his pants. Hermione removed his boxers for him to step out of as well before pushing him back into the chaise, taking note of his erection. He looked up at Hermione and watched her as she was trying to decide what to do next.

"If you're confused…" he started to tease.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm not confused. I'm just…I've never done what I'm about to do."

Draco raised his eyebrows, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "Hermione you don't - "

"No - I want to - I just -"

He sat up, grabbing her hands and pulling her towards him. "Just do what I do," he whispered, pulling her onto him. "Start at the top…work your way down."

She relaxed with his touch, and took his suggestion. Starting with his lips, she cupped his face with her hands and kissed him deep, moaning as his tongue folded into hers. Breaking away breathlessly, she placed tiny kisses along his jaw and down his neck, watching as goose bumps moved down his skin with each touch of her lips. She didn't care if she didn't get anything out of tonight. Hermione watched him speak with Ginny earlier, the tension in his body from his encounter with his former friends hanging with every movement. Even at dinner, she could tell that despite his best efforts, whatever happened today was going to stay with him for a while. She moved her lips down his chest, her fingertips dragging along the outlines of his muscles as he inhaled sharply. As Hermione inched her way down, her hands found his thighs and began to slowly massage them as she dropped kisses along his stomach. His erection was felt against her chest as she pressed herself into him.

Moaning, Draco jammed his eyes shut as he concentrated on anything except what she was doing with her hands. His hips involuntarily bucked at the touch of her hands pressing into his inner thighs. If she was trying to torture him, it was clearly working. He felt her hand finally wrap around his erection, slowly pumping it a few times. "Hermione," he managed to speak, looking at her while she contemplated her next move.

Before he could speak again, Hermione moved her hand to the base of his shaft and placed her mouth around him, taking as much of him in as possible. She moved her hand in sync with her mouth, finding a slow rhythm she could increase at her own speed. Draco writhed underneath her, and as she opened her eyes, she could see him clenching the cushion of the chaise with his hands. She used more pressure with her hand and mouth, speeding up carefully as he moaned her name and other inaudible sounds.

"Hermione," she heard him say several moments later, his voice strangled. "Stop."

She looked up at him. "Am I doing it wrong?"

"Merlin no," he groaned, grabbing for her. "I just want you."

"You have me," she said.

"No," he said, standing up. He pulled at her nightdress and found that she had on nothing underneath. He motioned with his head and she shimmied to where he was previously laying, completely exposed. He hovered over her, his erection teasing her wet folds. "What you did was brilliant," he whispered into her ear. "But I want you."

She gasped as he pushed all of him into her in one swift thrust. His feet balanced on the floor as he held her hips at an angle she'd yet to experience. Whimpering with pleasure, she was certain she wouldn't last long as his thrusting speed increased. Hermione could see his eyes were locked with hers, staring straight into her as she watched the stress of his day chip away. He groaned as his speed increased. She knew he was close as she clenched tightly around him.

"Draco," she panted. "Harder - please - harder."

He did as he was told, and as he felt her clench again, screaming his name as she released, he sped up his thrusts before he felt himself spilling into her, his fingers digging into the flesh of her hips as he held her flush to his body. Catching his breath, he pulled out of her and sat down on the chaise, straddling the piece of furniture. Standing back up, he grabbed her nightshirt from the floor and handed it to her, knowing she'd want it to sleep. A quick scourgify between them, he reached for his boxers and slipped them back on, snapping the waistband low on his hips. "Come here," he said softly, bending down to scoop Hermione off of the chaise. She wrapped her arms around him as he carried her through the maze of books in the study and down the stairs to their bedroom on the second floor.

Hermione kissed him as he laid her down in the bed, keeping a hold of him as he crawled on top of her. She loved kissing Draco, running her hands through his platinum blond hair as he caressed his hands down her side. It was like when they first started to date - that is, if you could call it dating - probably better classified as cohabiting and snogging. They were a tangled mess of arms and limbs as they whispered words in each other's ears, rolling around like carefree teenagers. Draco rolled over so he was on his back, pulling Hermione with him as his hands rubbed her back. "I love you," he whispered as they broke apart. "You completely overwhelm me."

She smiled, crossing her arms and resting against his chest, her chin propped up on her forearms. "The feeling's pretty mutual, Mr. Malfoy."

"I don't know what I'd ever do without you. I know I've said it, but I just…"

"Draco," Hermione whispered. "Let today go. I know you don't want to talk about it and I completely respect that - just let it go. It's over with. Tomorrow's a whole new day."

He laughed, wrapping his arms around her. "You sound like a therapist."

"Well I've certainly been to enough therapy to pick up a few things," she teased. "I've actually thought about going again."

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "I felt better when I went."

"Do you feel bad now?"

"No," Hermione said. "But planning a wedding is stressful, work is stressful…I don't know. It was just a thought." She slid off of him and curled into him like she did every night, a leg draped between his, her head on his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "I'll support whatever you want to do. Especially since you're new favorite thing to do on holidays is apparently shagging me senseless."

Laughing, she rolled her eyes as she looked up at him. "I had to do something drastic - you were tense all day."

"Sex is a drastic measure in your book?"

"It was today," she replied. "And did it work?"

"Yes," he answered without a second thought.

"You want to know why it worked?"

He looked down at her and saw her smirking. "Because you're brilliant?"

"I knew you'd catch on sooner or later," she teased, playfully tugging his chin. "Handsome and smart. I have found quite the catch."

"Ridiculous," he muttered though a chuckle as he pulled the blankets over them. "Completely and utterly ridiculous."

She playfully scoffed at him as she closed her eyes. "Please. I'm the least ridiculous person on the planet."

"How you even said that with a straight face is beyond my level of reasoning."

"Whatever. You love me."

"Because you're brilliant."

"Among other things," she said through a yawn. "Good night, Draco."

"Good night, Hermione." He kissed the top of her head again. "Love you."

She lightly scratched his chest with her nails. "Love you more."

He was pretty sure that was entirely impossible as he closed his eyes, the two of them drifting off to sleep.