The two lay smiling at each other, happy that they felt the same way about one another. Hermione had placed the ring on her index finger on the left hand; she felt putting it on the engagement ring finger would just be too odd for the time being.
Draco leaned over slowly so his body lingered just above Hermione's. He bent slowly, planting a deep gentle kiss on her lips. She returned the kiss eagerly. The couple lay on the bed kissing, just kissing. Savoring every moment with each other. Slowly Draco straddled himself on top of Hermione still kissing her deeply. She ran her hands through his hair; she loved to mess it up so it stuck out from all different directions on his head.
The kiss depend, more hungry for each other, Hermione grabbed the back of his head hard pulling him in closer to her. She pulled him so close she was able to wrap both arms fully around his neck. Both parted their lips instantly feeling the rush of temptation. Hermione groaned in the back of her throat enjoying the excitement of being with Draco.
Slowly he reached a hand down, allowing the feeling of temptation and thrill to fill him. Slowly he reached up Hermione's knee length skirt. Hermione instinctively clenched her legs together then relaxed when Draco kissed her deeper, and she gave in to his touch. He began stroking her upper thigh stimulating the sensation. Hermione released a shaky breath, shivering from the pleasure. Slowly he reached his hands further lightly feeling her cotton knickers.
Draco stopped kissing Hermione for a moment looking into her eyes as if asking permission to take the intimacy further. Hermione took a moment to think, both staring into each other's eyes. Neither would admit it, but both had raging butterflies in their stomachs, both for nervousness and longing. Finally she decided she wanted this, she loved Draco, and he loved her.
She nodded her head quickly and he grinned slyly, bending to kiss her again. Slowly his hand slid into Hermione's underwear touching light dampness. Both of their breathing quickened, as the kisses grew harsher as Draco pleasured her, making every molecule of her body scream in pleasure.
"Draco…" she whimpered, as the feeling intensed. She arched her back slightly as both pain and pleasure fought it out, until finally it felt as though a large knot inside of her was released and she laid back flat onto the bed softly panting into Draco's mouth.
Draco rolled off Hermione and onto his back next to her. He turned to face her and she instantly flushed with embarrassment.
"That was fun," he said fighting a burst of chuckles. Hermione looked at him sharply fighting a smile herself
'I suppose" she said and Draco rolled his eyes
"Oh I'm pretty sure you enjoyed it," he said with a wink, jumping on top of her playfully. Hermione squealed with laughter as he tickled her sides.
"Stop, stop! Please stop!" she shrieked laughing uncontrollably. Quickly she grabbed his shoulders and flipped him over so she startled him and attempted a tickle
"Sorry Granger, I've out grown my ticklishness" Hermione frowned at this fact, then realized what he had called her.
"Why'd you call me Granger?"
"I don't know, trying to be flirty?" Hermione chuckled once.
"Flirty? Should I be calling you Malfoy then?"
"No. No, Draco, I like when you call me Draco" they smiled to each other as Draco stroked a hair that had fallen in her face, behind her ear. Then pausing, holding her right cheek. "You really are beautiful Hermione" she leaned into his palm, more happy then she had ever felt.
"This feels so right" she whispered "why don't we just stay here. Not even bother going back Hogwarts," she said pouting slightly
"Miss Hermione Granger!" exclaimed Draco "how VERY, irresponsibly of you. I see who is going to have to be the responsible one in this relationship," he said in his best rude voice crossed-over with maturity. Hermione scowled him
"It was a joke! I am mature," she said slapping his chest.
"Mature people do not slap their partners"
"Sorry" she smiled flirtatiously at him and he returned it with a crooked grin.
"Come on" he said sitting up, Hermione now in his lap, legs wrapped around his waist. "We need to get back to the castle, before anyone gets suspicious"
"I think it's a little late for that. But yeah, we should be going back now" the couple stood from the bed, Hermione hiding under the cloak, the two left their secret home and entered Borgin and Burkes
"Ah!" a voice called from the corner of the store, making both Draco and Hermione jump, Draco motioned for Hermione to get into the cabinet, watching the door open slowly then close. "Draco Malfoy, what brings you to my store young man? Where is your father?"
"I don't know where my father is, I'm just here to look," he answered sharply
"Don't you have school?" the store worker cocked an eyebrow at Draco
"What's it to you? You wouldn't dare tell someone anyway, would you?" he asked threatingly raising his wand
"Of course not sir" said the clerk backing away
"Good. Now I'll be going, you won't dare tell a soul I was here, lest you want to be coughing up bees for the rest of the year" Draco backed up with a scowl into the cabinet. Hermione squirmed at the sound of what her boyfriend had been saying.
Soon they were back in the castle, the two left the room of requirements, and were soon back in their common room.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that" said Draco suddenly as Hermione made herself a cup of tea "I could tell you were uncomfortable, but I do have a reputation to maintain, you know that" he tried a weak smile and she nodded her head.
"I understand. It's just so odd hearing you speak that way, when you're so kind and gentle with me"
"Well I guess you're just lucky then aren't you" they smiled at each other from across the room. Draco walked towards his bedroom door then stopped holding the doorknob, then turning to Hermione. He raised his eyebrows to her and she felt the raging butterflies again, and her face flush a dark pink. Slowly she placed down her tea and walked into her bedroom holding a finger to Draco as to say 'one minute'.
Two minutes later Hermione emerged from the bedroom wearing a light pink tank top and grey fabric shorts. She knocked at Draco's door "come in" he called. She opened the door and Draco lay on his bed, sheets covering only his lower half so Hermione had a good look at his wonderful shirtless glory. She trotted over to his bed closing the door firmly behind her, and locking it, as they wouldn't want any unexpected visitors during the night.
Hermione climbed into the bed next to Draco, draping an arm across his stomach holding him tight. He bent and planted a kiss on her forehead, then blew out the candle on his left bedside table and darkness claimed the room. The couple soon fell into a dead slumber, wrapped in each other's embrace.
One week later
"I don't get it," said Goyle to Blaise who sat waiting in the Slytherin common room "why have we waited a whole week, a whole week of pretending we know nothing, before busting the traitor?"
"Because, Lucius wanted to teach his son a lesson. It's very cruel actually, when you think about it. Allowing the boy enough time to fall in love with her, then ripping it all away from him" Blaise chuckled darkly "and something tells me the plans working out just fine. Did you see that ring she was wearing today in potions?" Goyle shook his head no "well she was wearing one, and it was one I caught Draco with last week. Told me he found it and would give it to his mum" Blaise snarled.
At that moment Pansy and Crabbe entered the common room "Draco and the twat just left through the cabinet. Its time" said Pansy with a sly grin.
Hermione and Draco entered the small home, hand-in-hand. Draco reached up and pulled Harry's cloak off Hermione and grinning when their eyes met. "Be right back, have to use the loo" he released her hand and disappeared behind the door to the right.
Not much had happened within the last week. They would have occasional dates at meal times or after hours, where they would come to their small house. Draco had been acting quite strange lately Hermione noticed, as if he were frightened... or keeping a large secret from her. She didn't think much of it, he was a human being and she didn't need to know every detail of his life.
Quietly Hermione had an idea. She had been thinking for a long time now about what she wanted with Draco. She loved him, she really did and every time she admitted it to herself she would flush a bright pink. She couldn't believe she had fallen so hard for him, that her only love grew from her only hate. She grew tired with each other's teasing. They would snog; feel each other slightly bringing large pleasure then for some reason it would all stop. Perhaps they were frightened, Hermione couldn't help but feel it was almost her fault their relationship hadn't taken the next step. She had always told herself she would wait until she was in love with someone who loved her back, and now she was. So she made her decision, feeling those pesky butterflies awaken inside her, along with the tingling sensation of anxiousness and excitement.
She crept into the bedroom quietly as to not notify Draco of her movement. She ran lightly to the small side table to the left of the bed, opening one of the drawers where she had left some belongings, for when they spent large amounts of time there. She pulled out a small lime green nightgown. The gown only reached the upper half of her thigh, and had thin spaghetti straps. She threw off her clothing and pulled the gown over her head. She then slithered under the covers quickly into her side of the bed, turning over the sheets on Draco's side so he could slide in next to her.
Hermione heard the bathroom door open then followed by footsteps quickly she raised her wand diming the candles so the room glowed with a dark orangish light. She raised her wand again and flung the door open, where Draco stood reaching for the doorknob, he looked up to her lying almost seductively in the bed. Draco half grinned as he entered the room
"Going to bed already Granger? it's not yet ten O'clock" he said pretending to be confused and arching his eyebrows
"I was hoping you would come join me, and I wasn't really planning on sleeping…" she blushed at her flirtatious comment. Draco fought at an urge to smile brightly at her.
Slowly he crawled on top of the sheets, ignoring the area where Hermione had opened for him to lay next to her as he positioned himself on top of her. The two gazed into each other's eyes, savoring the wonderful moment. Draco bowed his head slowly plunging a deep but soft kiss on Hermione's lips. Slowly the kiss grew larger, their mouths opening as to let each other in, their breathing quickened.
As their kissing intensed, she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. She struggled as she attempted to pull them off, when he helped her stopping once his pants were removed and the two lay, Draco on top of Hermione. Hermione's hands had a tight grasp on Draco's broad shoulders, when she slid them down slowly stopping at the hem of his black jumper. She yanked it over his head slowly along with the white boat neck shirt he wore underneath, and all that remained was his toned muscular upper half. Hermione ran her hands along his upper body, taking in every feel. She opened her eyes slightly to get a glimpse at the boy when she noticed something odd on his arm; she drew in a sharp gasp. Draco then realized what she had seen and shot off of her quickly covering his left arm.
"D-Draco. That's the dark mark," she panted heavily slightly frightened by her finding.
"Hermione…" he sat gap mouthed, not able to find the proper words "Hermione please understand. M-my father, he's a death eater. He forced me, I was forced into getting the mark I swear it!" Hermione shot her gaze from the marking to his face. His eyes were desperate and he seemed almost on the verge of crying. She couldn't tell whether that was a lie or not so she just sat. Dazed. "You always got mad at me for hating half-bloods and muggles," he said suddenly breaking her from her daze
"Wha- yes and?" she said confused
"I was prejudice. Please don't act like I did Hermione, this marking… it was a mistake, it doesn't define who I am" he said still desperate for her to understand. Hermione was more then a partner to him, she was a friend. And he didn't want to lose her. She nodded quickly to say she understood
"It is just a mark…" she said quietly. What would Harry say if he could see her now? She imagined the scene 'just a mark? Hermione are you mad! That's the dark mark, voldemort's mark. Don't be a stupid love sick little girl' Hermione shook harry from her mind. She knew Draco. She knew his new personality and she knew that the tattoo like mark didn't mean a thing. She shimmied towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down into a kiss.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked once he lay on top of her and she begin fiddling with his underwear.
"Yes. Yes Draco I'm sure" he smiled softly at her beautifully large hungry eyes
slowly the kissing continued and the two now lay over top the covers. Cautiously Draco reached down from holding her hips and grasped tightly the bottom of her nightgown. He drew a hungry breath as he began to pull the gown over her body Hermione sat up straight as too help him. Draco threw the gown to the floor, it landing on top of his jumper, pants, and now his underwear.
The two sat motionless, enveloped in each other's arms, analyzing each other's bodies. Hermione bit her lip hard as she brought her gaze back to Draco. Slowly she pulled him back down so the two lay flat on the bed. She moaned with pleasure as she felt him enter her. A low growl escaped from the back of his throat as their intimacy began.
The experience lasted about an hour, the two only breaking a kiss once as they each whimpered and moaned when they reached the highest point of pleasure and climaxed.
Hermione lay sweaty and panting on top of Draco. Her head rested on his chest, her arm draped across his stomach, legs entangled with his underneath the linens, and her long brown curls a tamed mess, where Draco's hand lay stroking her hair calming to the two of them.
Quickly and soundlessly the two fell into a deep sleep as Draco kissed Hermione's forehead goodnight, just as the last time they slept together, only this time Draco felt closer to Hermione and more happy then he had felt in quite some time. And this time he whispered a short phrase into her sleeping ears "I love you Hermione" his words held large meaning, as he had never really felt this strongly before and he wanted to be able to experience every last bit of the emotion.
Little did the couple know as they slept blissfully, what horrors the next morning would bring them both. What horrors would change their relationship, possibly forever.