Hey Guys! Here is the next chapter. It's a bit long. I truly hope you enjoy it.
Please leave a review letting me know what you think!
Take Care!
February 3, 1999
On his way back to the dormitories after Slytherin's Quidditch Practice, Draco ran into both of his Healing Magic Professors in the Entrance Hall.
"Draco, I'm glad that we ran into you." Professor Jennings said, "Chief Healer Tufin sent us a letter yesterday about you. He is expecting letters of recommendation from both of us for your application for the Healer Training Program at St. Mungo's. Have you completed the application yet?"
"Not yet, sir." Draco replied, nodding for Theo and Blaise to go on to the dorms without him. "I will be completing it tonight though."
"Okay. We'd like to look it over before you send it in." Professor Jennings said.
"We simply want to ensure that it meets all the qualifications because we know that you deserve to be in the program." Professor Bachmann added.
Draco nodded, "Thank you. Would you like me to bring it by tomorrow or should I wait until class on Tuesday?"
"You can wait until Tuesday." Professor Bachmann said, which gave Draco the rest of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to finish and perfect the application.
Professor Jennings also nodded, "Is there anyone else you know that would send in a recommendation letter for you?"
"I could ask the Minister of Magic, but I'd hate to intrude on his time."
"No, you should!" Bachmann said, "You created a cure for a curse that has been a dreadful torment on the entire Wizarding community for centuries. I believe that the Minister would be thrilled to write one for you. I actually have no doubt of it."
"Okay…I'll ask him." Draco said with a nod.
As he entered the Eighth Year Common Room a few minutes later, he found Hermione sitting on one of the sofas with the Captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, Brady Miller.
Brady was a nice bloke but seeing him sitting so close to Hermione sent a shot of pure jealousy and anger through the Slytherin that he despised.
Hermione, sensing Draco's presence as well as his feelings, turned to look at him. "Draco, Love, come here." She said, knowingly.
Draco swallowed and walked over to them.
"Brady here was just telling me about something that may help you with the Ravenclaw versus Slytherin Quidditch match." She said, pointedly taking his hand, pulling him down to sit right behind her. "Continue, Brady." She said, wrapping Draco's arm around her waist.
Brady grinned and nodded, "Okay, well, you know how Ravenclaw completely kicked our arse last month?" He asked referring to the Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw game.
They both nodded.
"Okay, so, I noticed something during that game that, had I known about it before the game, I think we could have won or at least not been so brutally beaten." He said with a sigh. "The Captain, Nadia Radder, struggles, terribly, to control the Beaters. They both tend to go a bit rogue when on the pitch. Andrew Lockhart is an Eighth Year and Braylon Sackett is a Fifth Year. Both blokes seem to feel the need to prove themselves all any and all who are nearby. It could easily cripple their chances of winning so long as you use that piece of information against them in the proper way." He finished with a nod.
Draco nodded, thinking over the Hufflepuff's words.
Hermione smirked, "He's considering the best options of how to do that." She told Brady, who nodded, sympathetically.
"I understand." The Hufflepuff Captain replied.
Draco furrowed his brow and looked at the other bloke, "My apologies, but I've got to ask…why are you helping us?"
Brady nodded, "Well, in all honesty, I've seen how much you, and a lot of the other Slytherins have changed since the war ended. It's the rest of the school that can't seem to alter their behaviors…the Ravenclaws, in particular."
Draco was a bit stunned by the response but nodded and said, "I appreciate that, Miller."
Brady smiled, "Well, I hope it helps you out. Hermione, I'll see you in class on Tuesday, yea?"
The brunette smiled and nodded, thanking the kind Hufflepuff before he stood up and walked away.
"You two are in class together?" Draco asked quietly, looking at Hermione from behind her.
The witch leaned back against her 's chest and turned her head to the right and up a bit, pulling him into a surprisingly deep kiss. Draco was amazed but responded immediately, cupping her jaw.
After a moment, they separated. Draco pressed his forehead against her temple and inhaled slowly before asking, "And to what do I owe that to?"
She smiled, "You were jealous." She remarked.
He swallowed but didn't speak.
She shook her head, "Darling, you ought to know that is utterly absurd. You never need to feel jealous…for any reason."
He nodded, "I know, but if you walked in and saw me sitting on the sofa, in close proximity of a female, chatting with her…how would you feel?"
She nodded, biting her bottom lip, "I take your point."
He nodded, "Could we go up to my dorm and talk? I could use some advice, but I also need to shower."
"Absolutely." She smiled and stood up.
The couple made their way up to Draco's dorm where Blaise and Theo were just stepping out into the corridor.
"What are you two up to?" Draco asked, seeing that they had both freshened up a bit.
"We're going to grab some food in Hogsmeade with our girlfriends." Theo replied with a grin.
Draco nodded and bid them farewell before he and Hermione stepped into his room.
Hermione sat down on Draco's bed and looked over at the wizard, who was wearing his practice jersey. She smiled to herself as she loved the way Draco looked in his Quidditch jerseys.
He finished grabbing some clothes from his school trunk and turned to her. He smirked, seeing the slight blush that adorned her cheeks.
"What?" He said, though he already knew.
She bit her bottom lip and shook her head, "What did you need to talk about?"
He chuckled quietly and nodded, "Well, I ran into Professor Bachmann and Professor Jennings on my way back from practice. They're both going to write recommendation letters for my application to the Healer Training Program."
"That's wonderful, Draco!" She smiled.
He nodded, and licked his lips, "They've also suggested that I contact the Minister of Magic and ask him to write one as well."
"Draco! That's a brilliant idea!" Hermione said excitedly, "I'm certain Kingsley will write you a recommendation letter. He's awfully fond of you and knows how bright you are."
The wizard grinned, "Well, I suppose I'll write to him and ask."
She nodded, "Good now, go on and shower and then you ought to do that."
Chuckling, he said, "Am I that disgusting?"
"Quite the opposite, my love." She sighed, her eyes admiring him, "If you continue to stand there, looking that fit in your practice jersey, we'll never get any actual work done." She said with smirk.
He grinned and nodded, "I'll keep that in mind for a later date." He murmured as he walked to the ensuite to shower.
She groaned and shook her head, attempting to focus.
When Draco was clean and dressed in a tee, jumper, and jean trousers, he and Hermione walked over to the table in his room and sat down.
"So, how do you request a recommendation letter?" He asked as they gathered quills, ink, and parchment.
She smirked and grabbed a quill before jotting something down on some parchment. When she finished, she slid the parchment over to him. Draco grinned and looked down at it.
Minister,
I am writing to you because I am applying to the Healer Training Program and would truly appreciate a recommendation letter from you. As you know, I have worked hard to nullify the things my family has been known for in the past.
"This is an example of what you could begin with." She said.
He nodded, "I like it." He said, leaning of and kissing her lips, "Thank you." He whispered before grabbing a quill and getting to work on writing his own.
She watched him in silence, smiling at the handsome expression of concentration his face held.
When he completed it, he slid it over to her and waited.
She looked down and began to read.
Minister,
I am applying to the Healer Training Program at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am contacting you in hopes that you will write a recommendation letter endorsing me for the program.
Over the past 8 months, I have worked diligently to abolish the status of my family's name and alter the way people see the Malfoy family. My actions over these past months, I believe, have proved that I have changed and hope to be a valid and useful element of the magical society.
I desperately want to help people and I believe, with all my heart, that being a Healer is the path that is meant for me to do that.
I understand that some people are hesitant to trust me, but I hope to prove that I mean to be nothing but good, and beneficial for our society.
I appreciate your consideration on this topic.
In the greatest regards,
Draco Malfoy
"Draco, this is perfect. There is absolutely no way he will say no." Hermione smiled.
Draco nodded, anxiety filling his chest as he sealed the letter in an envelope. He walked over to the window and whistled for Athena.
The owl arrived after a brief time, landing on the windowsill.
"Athena, please take this letter to the Minister of Magic." He said while Hermione read over the Healer Training Program Application that she had retrieved from Draco's school satchel.
"Before I get started on that…" Draco said, walking over to her and pressing a lingering kiss to the top of her shoulder. "I was wondering if you'd care to grab a bit of lunch with me in The Great Hall?" he asked, feeling peckish.
The brunette nodded, smiling, "Sure." She said as she stood up and walked over to him.
The couple made their way down to the Common Room and out of the portrait hole. They walked to The Great Hall and sat down together at the Slytherin table as it had fewer people sitting around it than the Gryffindor table.
While they ate, Draco spoke up and asked Hermione about her job applications.
"I have filled a few out over the past couple days. Would you be willing to look over them for me?" She replied before taking a sip of her pumpkin juice.
The wizard nodded, "I'd be happy to."
She smiled, "Thank you, Love."
He winked at her and reached across the table, taking her hand in his.
"Seeing as we have all day tomorrow to work on our applications, would you care to go on a date with me tonight?" He asked.
She smiled and nodded, "I'd love to."
Draco grinned, "Brilliant!" He said, having been planning that date for a while.
They hadn't been able to celebrate their eight-month anniversary after coming back to school from Christmas Break. The Seventh and Eighth Years had been bombarded by massive amounts of schoolwork for the first four weeks, following their return to the castle, which had given Draco and Hermione no time to celebrate their special day.
"So, how about we work on you application for a bit today, then have our date tonight?" Hermione asked as some Butterbeer Biscuits appeared on the table in front of them.
The wizard nodded, "We can do that, but we don't have to work on my application today."
The brunette shook her head, "Darling, let's work on it a bit. We'll take our time and perfect it."
"Thank you." He replied quietly.
After lunch, the young couple strolled back to the Eighth Year Common Room, hand in hand.
"Oi! You two!" They heard and looked over toward the corner of the Common Room, seeing some of their friends sitting there.
"Yes, Ron?" Hermione smirked.
"We're planning a bash for Luna's birthday." Pansy said.
They helped plan the bash for a while before telling the group that they had to go work on some applications.
"Oh, bloody hell!" Ron huffed, "I've got to send in my Auror Training Program Application. I completed it yesterday. I just forgot to send it in."
Harry rolled his eyes, "Ron, you know better."
"I know." The red head huffed.
Hermione told Draco that she'd meet him in his dormitory. He nodded and headed up there while she went up to her own dorm.
While in her dormitory, Hermione grabbed some extra clothes, and the job applications she needed to fill out.
She made her way back down to the Common Room and began to walk over to the staircase that led up to the boys; dormitories but was stopped by Luna and Cordelia as Blaise and Theo rushed up the steps.
Draco was sitting at the table in his dorm, reading over the application when Blaise and Theo entered the room.
The blond wizard turned and looked at them, "Everything okay?"
"Bancroft got into a brawl with Goyle and has been suspended from playing the n the Ravenclaw game later this month." Theo said as Blaise raged, pacing throughout the room.
Draco nodded, realizing that they would have to use their Reserve Beater for the game.
"Have you spoken with Rosetti yet?" He asked Blaise.
Alexander Rosetti was one of their reserve players who they used mostly for a Beater position.
Blaise shook his head, "Rosetti is nowhere near as good as Bancroft, Draco."
"I know, but at least we've got some time to work with him before the game." Draco said before turning to Theo, "You're the Leading Beater, you'll have to show him the best ways and figure out how to work well with him."
Theo nodded, "I know. Blaise, mate…" He said, looking at the Slytherin Captain, "We've got this. Let's go speak with Rosetti now, yea?" He suggested.
Blaise nodded, "We don't have the Pitch tomorrow, but we can practice on Monday, after classes and have a late dinner."
Draco sighed, realizing that he was going to be even more exhausted over the next several weeks.
After the two other blokes left, Hermione entered the room and walked over to Draco.
"Are you ready? She asked.
He nodded and they both sat down at the table to begin working on Draco's application for the Healer Training Program. They spent the next couple hours discussing the best possible answers to each question on the application.
Once they had completed the first section of application to Draco's satisfaction, he turned to her and asked if she was ready to go on their date.
She smiled and nodded, "Yes. Just let me get changed." She replied before grabbing her beaded bag and going into the ensuite.
When they had both changed their clothing, Hermione turned to the wizard, "So, what are the plans?" she asked.
He grinned, "Come on." He held his hand out for her to take, "I'll show you."
She smiled, taking his hand while also grabbing her beaded bag.
Draco led her out of his dormitory and down to the Common Room. Their friends noticed their departure and chuckled quietly.
"I suppose Blaise will have the dorm to himself tonight." Ginny smirked.
Pansy nodded and winked at the redhead, knowingly.
Draco and Hermione made their way to the seventh-floor corridor, where Draco proceeded to pace in front of a wall before a doorway appeared.
He turned back to Hermione and grinned, "Come on, Love." He said, holding one hand out for her to take while opening the door with his other.
He led the way through the door. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise at what they saw. It was different than she had expected but she wasn't disappointed in the slightest.
"This is lovely, Draco." She breathed, admiring the space.
He grinned, looking around to make certain that everything was correct. He was pleased to find that it was better than he could have anticipated.
The room as quite large while still being cozy. It had an open floorplan with three different sections within it. The first section was a lounge area with two large sofas, a massive fireplace, and a pile of muggle boardgames. The middle section of the space was the part that surprised Hermione the most…a lovely, well sized kitchen that contained a table for two people, as well as anything they could possibly need to make whatever they desired. The final section of the space had a walnut, canopy bed with dark blue curtains and a fluffy, feather-stuffed grey comforter.
"So…" Draco grinned glancing at his wristwatch and nodding approvingly before meeting her eyes, "You wanted to know what the plans are, correct?"
She laughed and nodded, "Yes, please."
"I'm glad you've asked." He said as he took the beaded bag from her hand and set it on the bed.
"Tonight, is all about enjoying ourselves and relaxing a bit. We've got quite a lot going on outside that door…" He said, nodding to the door they had entered through, "what with applications and preparing for the NEWTs. However, in here…tonight, we get to have some fun together." He smirked, pulling her into his arms. "Is that alright with you, my love?"
She smiled and nodded, "I adore that idea."
He nodded and leaned down, kissing her lips softly.
As they separated, he inhaled, "Alright, so…I thought we could make our dinner. If you don't want to, that's fine, but I thought it'd be fun to…"
She quickly nodded, "Absolutely! What are we making?"
His smile warmed her heart.
"I thought we could make a pizza. And Tiramisu for dessert." He said before adding, "But we can make whatever you want."
She smiled excitedly, "Those are perfect! I love Tiramisu, but we should probably make it first because it's better once the flavors have melded together for quite a while."
He nodded, "Okay that works." He said with a grin. "Would you care to get started?"
She nodded and walked over to the kitchen with Draco following her.
"So, are we using magic for this or…?" Hermione asked the wizard as she washed her hands in the kitchen's sink.
He grinned and shrugged, "I figured we should go 'All Muggle' on these recipes."
She laughed and nodded, before noticing two cooking aprons hanging on the wall opposite of Draco. They were both striped, blue, and black with their names embroidered in silver.
"I figured we could use them." She heard him say as he walked past her to get them.
He slipped her apron over her head and kissed her lips as he tied it around her waist. When he finished, he slipped his own apron on. While tying it Hermione smiled at him.
"You look quite dashing, Draco Malfoy." She said with her smile in place.
He grinned, "Thank you, Lovely."
She blushed and they began gathering the ingredients for the Tiramisu. Once they were ready, Draco began working with the cream and sugar while Hermione dipped the lady fingers in the coffee and Liqueur mixture.
"I love the smell of coffee." Hermione remarked while working.
The wizard nodded, "It does smell marvelous." He said over the loud sound of the mixer.
Once they were both ready, they began layering the soaked lady fingers and cream mixture upon once another. After they had finished, Hermione swiped her finger along the edge of the empty cream bowl, gathering a bit of leftover cream mixture. She sucked it off her finger, nodding.
"That's brilliant." She said.
"I hope so." Draco said while dusting cocoa powder generously over the top of the dessert.
She smirked and gathered a bit more on her finger before holding it out for him. He met her eyes and grinned before taking her finger between his lips. He slowly sucked the cream off the digit, working his tongue along the tip of her finger as well.
Her breathing became slightly raspy as she watched him, feeling herself getting worked up.
When he pulled back, Hermione licked her dry lips and swallowed. He grinned, though he felt the same heat and desire as his girlfriend. The brunette cleared her throat and leaned in, kissing his lips while cupping his jaw.
As they separated, Draco nudged her nose with his own, "I love you."
She nodded, "I love you too, Draco."
She licked her lips and gathered herself while Draco grabbed the Tiramisu and placed it in the Muggle refrigerator.
"Would you like to make our pizza now?" He asked, turning back to face her.
Hermione looked around at the dirty kitchen.
He chuckled and waved his wand, causing the kitchen to suddenly sparkle with cleanliness.
She laughed and nodded, "Yes. Let's make the pizza."
He smiled and pulled her close, kissing her lips as he pressed her against the closed refrigerator. She moaned and cupped his jaw, pulling him closer to her with her other hand on his lower back.
She nipped at his bottom lip causing him to groan. He slipped his left knee between her thighs and Hermione let out a whimper.
She pulled back from the kiss and swallowed, trying to control herself.
Draco rested his forehead against hers, "Sorry, Love…" He said, pulling his knew back.
"Mm…" She hummed, a smile on her face as she shook her head, "Don't be." She said, "And we will continue this soon."
He chuckled, nodding, "Most definitely."
They got to work on making the pizza dough, laughing when they spilled flour everywhere.
"Oh blimey!" Draco groaned lightheartedly, making Hermione laugh as they set the dough aside to let it rise.
Hermione smiled, "This is when magic is the most helpful." She said, waving her wand, causing the kitchen to, once again, sparkle with cleanliness.
"While we wait for the dough to rise, would you like to play some of those Muggle board games?" Draco asked, wiping his hands on a rag while nodding toward the lounge area that had the stack of games.
The brunette nodded eagerly before following the wizard over to the lounge area.
The couple sat down, facing each other, and looked through the game options,
"What is Scrabble?" Draco asked, noticing one that intrigued him.
Hermione's eyes lit up, "Ooh! That one will be fun! Let's play it." She said, "It's a word game." She began explaining the rules while Draco listening carefully.
With a wave of her wand the game set itself up on the table between them.
He nodded, "That sounds intriguing." He said, looking at the game.
They played for an hour, until the dough finished rising and the timer went off.
"Would you like to continue this after or tally the score now?" Hermione asked with a smirk on her lips.
Draco chuckled, "Either way, my love, you will win the game."
She blushed and rolled her eyes, "Come on. Let finish making the pizza. I'm hungry."
He nodded and they made their way back over to the kitchen area of the room. Working together, they flattened the ball of dough and rolled it with a rolling pin.
"This is looking marvelous." Hermione remarked after they got the sauce spread over the center of the pizza.
Draco nodded, "So, this is the type of pizza we had in Australia, correct?" He asked while they were adding the toppings.
"Yes." Hermoine said, "It's called Margherita. It's one of my favorite kinds."
"That's what I was hoping." He said, remembering when the two of them went to Australia during the Summer to locate her parents.
She smiled, "I remember how greasy your hands and even your lips got while eating that pizza."
Draco chuckled, "It was delicious. I do hope that this one turns out tasting good."
While the pizza was in the oven, Draco set the table with two plates and plenty of napkins. Hemione watched him for a moment, simply admiring the charming man she was in love with.
"We've got all sorts of drink options." He said before turning to look at her. "What would you like?"
"Well…what are you going to have?" She asked, trying to make up her mind.
"I think I'm going to drink a Dragon Scale Ale." He replied.
She nodded, "I'll have one of those as well."
He nodded.
They both leaned against the counter and sipped their Ales while they waited for the pizza to finish baking.
"It smells wonderful." Hermione remarked with a smile.
Draco nodded, "It does." He stepped closer to her and kissed her cheek, "I love you." He said quietly.
She smiled and cupped his jaw, "I love you too, Draco." She said, looking into his eyes.
He leaned his forehead against hers. "You mean more to me than I could ever properly express, you know."
Hermione set her Ale down on the counter and cupped the other side of his face, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs while tilting her head and kissing his lips.
He leaned into the kiss, his hands coming to land on the edge of the counter on either side of her.
The timer went off and he slowly pulled back with grin, "Pizza time." He muttered, making her laugh and kiss him once more before nodding.
As they sat down together at the table, Draco looked over at her and smiled, "You go first."
She laughed and took a bite of her slice of pizza. Nodding, she said, "Yes, we're definitely skilled in the kitchen."
The wizard chuckled and nodded, as he took a bite as well. "Mm…that is quite good."
The two of them chatted as they ate their dinner.
When it was time for dessert, Draco asked if she wanted to continue their game of Scrabble while they ate their Tiramisu.
She nodded and walked over to the sofas while he served up their Tiramisu.
When Draco sat down, across from Hermione, she smiled at him and nodded towards his dessert, "You go first."
He smirked and took a bite, "That is quite tasty." He remarked with a nod, surprised by just how good it had turned out.
Sometime later, they had finished the game and tallied up the score, finding that Hermione had won.
"No surprise there." Draco smirked.
She blushed and stood up, walking over to him with a smirk on her lips, "Well, second place wins an awfully good prize, you know."
He grinned, "Oh yea? What sort of prize?" He asked, admiring her as she got closer.
She grinned and straddled his lap as he scooted back on the sofa.
Draco swallowed, his hands instantly moving to her hips as she leaned down and kissed him. He could taste a hint of coffee liqueur on her tongue and found that the Tiramisu tasted even better than he had originally thought.
She moaned as his hands moved around to cup her arse and pull her firmly against his body. Her nails dug into the base of his skull as she instinctively ground her hips against him, feeling him hardening through his trousers.
Draco reached for his wand, about to place a Contraceptive Charm on Hermione but she stopped him, grabbing his wrist and shaking her head.
Confused, he met her eyes, "Wha…?"
"Not just yet, Love." She smirked, before kissing him again, causing him to groan against her lips.
She began unbuttoning his blue shirt before dragging her nails down his bare chest, licking her lips as she admired his scarred yet muscular torso.
He clenched his jaw, a bit confused but extremely aroused as she pulled his shirt down. He tugged his arms out of the shirt before pulling her back into a deep, passionate kiss. She ground down against him again causing them both to moan.
Hermione pulled back a bit and tugged her blouse off her body, revealing a black lace bra, causing Draco to gulp at the sight.
She smirked, and grabbed his hand, lifting it up to her left breast. He cupped the lace covered mound and groaned.
"Fuck, Hermione." He groaned, gently squeezing her breast, feeling her pebbled nipple which only made him grow harder.
She moaned and kissed him again before pulling away completely and standing up.
Draco moved, about to stand up, thinking they were moving to the bed, but instead, he was pushed back down on the sofa as she got down to the knees in front of him.
Draco inhaled shakily as Hermione undid his trousers. His cock twitched when she met his eyes with a smirk on her lips.
He reached down and cupped her jaw, "Are you certain?" He asked quietly.
She nodded and turned her head, kissing his hand. He had never seen her more aroused as she was in that moment. Her eyes were nearly black as she took his thumb between her lips and sucked.
Draco clenched his jaw and traced the tip of his wet thumb along her lips, "Gods you're so beautiful." He muttered.
She tugged his trousers down his thighs before lowering his boxers. His rock-hard cock stood straight up, and she bit her bottom lip, wrapping her hand around it with a quiet moan.
Hermione leaned up her knees and slowly took him into her mouth, causing him to groan.
"Ooh gods…" He muttered, finding her mouth to be more skilled than ever before.
She hummed and bobbed her head slowly; gradually taking more of him each time.
His eyes closed, unable to watch for fear of climaxing embarrassingly early.
She pulled back but continued to pump her fist along his slick cock, "Love…" She said, moving her other hand from his knee, up his thigh and up to his chest before dragging her nails down his torso.
"Hmmm?" He hummed, unable to speak.
She smirked. "Draco?" She said while swiping her thumb along the slit on the swollen tip of his cock.
"Ye…ye…yea?" He stuttered, meeting her eyes.
"I love you, Draco." She said quietly before licking up the shaft and taking him back into her mouth.
The wizard whimpered as his head fell back, "I…I love…you." He muttered.
She bobbed her head faster until he was just about to climax.
"Oh gods! That's it." He groaned, looking down at her.
She pulled her head back, her lips slightly swollen as she continued to pump her fist faster and faster.
"Ah fuuuck…" He hissed and she smirked, feeling proud of herself as he came with force, in her hand, thrusting his hips.
Breathing heavily, he leaned forward and immediately pulled her into a deep, unexpected kiss. She was surprised but moaned, cupping his jaw as they both stood up. He grabbed his wand as they both stood. He cleaned her hand off and placed a Contraceptive Charm on her.
She leaned up on her toes and kissed his lips while he undid her trousers. After pulling them down, he kissed her stomach and chest, moving back up.
She reached down to take off her knickers, but he stopped her.
"I'll take care of that." He whispered before lifting her up by her thighs, wrapping them around his waist before carrying her to the bed. Draco set her on the mattress and cupped her jaw with both hands, kissing her with deep passion.
Hermione moaned as her hands traced the muscles in his back.
He moved his lips along her jaw, neck, and down her right shoulder, before gently sliding the bra strap off her shoulder. He snapped his fingers, and her bra came undone. Slipping it off, he met her eyes, "You are beyond beautiful."
She pulled him back into a deeper kiss. They snogged as he reached down and lowered her knickers, pulling them down her legs without disconnecting their lips.
The wizard traced his fingertips along her inner thighs, gently spreading her legs. Hermione inhaled shakily as his moved his hands further up, ghosting them over her drenched core. She breathed his name into his ear, causing him to clench his jaw in arousal.
He could feel Hermione's legs shake with desire before he lightly circled the tip of his middle finger around her clit and kissed his way down her body.
The witch bit her bottom lip in anticipation, threading her fingers through his hair as she watched him move down her body.
She licked her lips and whimpered needily, "Please, Draco."
Kissing her left breast, he sucked her nipple between his lips circling his tongue around it before moving down to her stomach. He lifted her left thigh over his shoulder and lightly licked her soaked slit.
Hermione whimpered and gripped his hair as he began to gently suck on her clit, lightly lapping at it with his tongue, making her legs shake.
"Oh…gods, Draco!" She moaned loudly, hearing the crude yet delicious sounds he was making as he devoured her.
He groaned and pulled her harder against him before moving his left hand under her, slowly pushing two fingers into her core. At first, he gently thrust his fingers but began to gain speed before finally curling them.
"Fuck!" She moaned loudly, falling back as her hips moved against this face. "Oh! Draco!" Hermione whimpered as she came, flooding the wizard's mouth with her essence.
He groaned and lapped at her core lightly, not wanting to overstimulate her, simply wanting to pleasure her.
After a few minutes of lightly licking her, he left a gentle kiss on her clit and pulled back. He stood up, raising her legs to have her ankles rest on his shoulders. He turned his head, kissed the inside of her ankle, and met her eyes as he carefully slid his fully erect cock into her core.
She moaned, "Ahh…yes…", still looking into his storm grey eyes.
"Fuck, do you have any idea how gorgeous you are, Hermione Granger?" He muttered, slowly thrusting his hips. "You are bloody stunning. And the sounds you make…" He clenched his jaw, thrusting slightly harder.
"Oh!" She moaned before biting her bottom lip. "Draco…hold on." She said.
He stopped moving and she whined quietly before saying, "I'm going to flip over, okay?"
He swallowed and nodded, watching while pulling out.
Hermione turned over, getting on her knees on the edge of the bed.
The wizard stepped behind her and cupped her breasts as she turned her head.
"Kiss me." She whispered in a desperate tone.
He instantly kissed her lips as he squeezed her breasts, gently pinching her nipples.
Hermione reached between her legs and guided his cock into her core, moaning as the thickness of his cock felt different at that angle.
Draco began thrusting his hips, his hands moving down. One gripped her hip to keep her in place while, with his other hand, he reached around and circled her clit.
"Oh!" She moaned breathlessly against his open mouth. "Don't stop! Please, don't stop!" She quietly pleaded, reaching back, gripping his arse with her right hand while gripping the back of his head with her left.
"Never." He muttered in response, pressing his forehead against hers.
When he felt her squeezing his cock, he thrust harder but not faster.
They climaxed together, moaning each other's names at the same time.
Afterward, they simply remained still, unable to move or speak. Draco wrapped both of his arms around her smaller body and pushed his face into the crook of her neck, holding her close and breathing her in. Hermoine leaned her head back, against his as they both caught their breath.
February 4, 1999
Hermione woke up on Sunday to the smell of breakfast in the air and the sound of Draco quietly humming as he made it. She looked over in the kitchen area and saw him in front of the stove wearing jean trousers and his apron but no shirt. She couldn't contain her smile at the scene.
"Love, I know you're awake." Draco smirked as he flipped the bacon in the skillet.
She rolled her eyes, smiling, "I could get used to this."
He chuckled and turned around to look at the brunette.
She was still completely naked, lying under the dark blue sheets on the bed.
He smiled, "What is it that you could get used to?" He asked.
"Waking up to you making breakfast without any kind of shirt on." She replied. "It quite the sight."
He chuckled and nodded, his eyes drifting down to her chest as the sheet fell, "I know what you mean."
She blushed with a smirk on her lips.
"Would you care for some breakfast?" He asked, glancing at the bacon before looking back at her. "It should be ready in about ten minutes."
She smiled and nodded, getting out of the large bed. She could feel his eyes on her as she moved around the bed, and if brought a smile to her lips.
While searching thought her beaded bag for some clothing, she suddenly felt large, strong hands on her waist and soft lips on her neck.
She inhaled, letting out a quiet, unintentional moan.
"Sorry." He muttered against her skin, raising goosebumps. "You're just so bloody beautiful."
She hummed, biting her bottom lip, and turned to face him, "Breakfast is going to burn."
He shrugged, leaning down as he waved his wand, turning the stove off, "I'll make more." He muttered before capturing her lips with his own.
She hummed and kissed him back as he reached down, lifting her up by the back of her thighs.
It was sometime late that they were lying in bed, both sated as they snogged lazily. Hermione's stomach let out a low rumble and Draco smiled, pulling back from a kiss.
"Hungry?" He asked.
Blushing, she nodded, "A bit peckish, I suppose."
"Give me a couple minutes to make us some breakfast, yea?"
She smiled and leaned in, kissing him.
While Draco made them some food, Hermione gathered the applications they were going to fill out.
After they finished eating breakfast, they decided to stay in the Room of Requirement to fill out the applications so that they wouldn't be bothered by anyone.
They took their time filling out the applications. When they had completed the forms to their own satisfaction, they had one another read through them.
"This looks wonderful, Draco." Hermione said, after looking over his completed Healer Training Program Application.
He smiled and nodded, "As do yours. Do you have anyone writing recommendation letters for you?" He asked.
She nodded, "Several of my professors said they would."
"Of course, they did." He grinned, "You deserve it."
She smiled and thanked him.
It was nearing one in the afternoon when they decided it was time that they leave the room.
"Draco…" Hermione said, pulling him closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Last night and this morning…it's all been amazing."
Draco smiled, "I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it. I had a marvelous time as well." He said, leaning down, pressing his forehead against hers.
She smiled, lightly caressing his stubble-covered jaw, "I love you."
He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, "And I, you."
When they left the room, they headed down to The Great Hall to join the others for lunch.
"I'm guessing that you two had a nice night last night." Theo smirked.
Draco rolled his eyes while Hermione spoke quietly with Pansy.
"I do hope you guys remembered to use a Contraceptive Charm." Ron remarked.
Hermione huffed and turned to look at the red-haired wizard, "I appreciate your concern, Ronald, but no need to worry. We did use it." She said, a smirk forming on her lips. "All three times."
Harry and Ginny chuckled as Ron's jaw dropped and Draco smirked, while smearing some butter on a roll.
"The pride I feel in this moment…" Blaise said, looking at Draco with a grin.
Hermione rolled her eyes but still had a smirk on her lips.
After lunch, the girls split up from the blokes.
"Where are we going?" Ginny asked.
Pansy smirked, "Let's go to Luna's dorm."
Luna nodded, "That's fine with me."
The girls all made their way to the Head Girl's dormitory.
When they got there, they all sat down in the Common Room.
"Where's the Head Boy?" Pansy asked.
"Oh, Spencer is in the library. He spends every Sunday studying for the NEWTs." Luna replied.
"So, then no one will walk in here?" Ginny asked.
"No one should. Why?" Luna replied.
Pansy smirked, "Gin and I have been talking." She said.
"Oh Merlin…this ought to be interesting." Hermoine muttered, making Ginny grin.
"We've been talking about Valentine's Day." Pansy said. "You all remember my friend Nirvana? She owns the spas in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley."
The others nodded.
"Well…" Pansy continued, "She opened a new shop in Diagon Alley on the first of February. It's called Nirvana's Negligee. Now, obviously we cannot go to Diagon Alley before Valentine's Day, but I spoke with her yesterday and she agreed to bring a large amount of her inventory to the Hogsmeade spa on the eleventh."
"So…you're saying we get to buy some lingerie for Valentine's Day?" Hannah asked.
Ginny nodded, "Yea. We'll even get a discount."
"A week from today we'll meet up in The Great Hall and go to Hogsmeade together." Pansy said. "We can help each other pick out the proper outfit."
Luna nodded, "That's good because I would have no idea what to get."
"We'll all help one another out." Cordelia said, while the others nodded.
"So…Hermione…" Ginny said with a smirk. "Are you going to tell us, or must we beg?"
With a furrowed brow, Hermione asked Ginny what she meant.
"I mean…what the bloody hell happened with Draco last night?" Ginny asked.
Hermione blushed slightly, "Well…he's the best at planning dates."
Ginny laughed and rolled her eyes lightheartedly.
"At lunch, you mentioned 'three times.'" Pansy smirked.
Nodding the brunette witch replied, "I did."
"Ugh!" Ginny groaned, "You are utterly impossible."
Hermione laughed and shrugged.
When Hermione arrived back at the Eighth Year Dormitories, she, Pansy, and Hannah found the blokes sitting by the fire, drinking butterbeer and chatting.
"Mate, please shut up, before he throttles you." Harry chuckled, looking at Theo.
Theo rolled his eyes, "All I'm saying is that I bet last night was…"
"Theodore…" Draco said in a tone of warning, "I truly suggest that you don't finish that sentence."
Theo held his hands up in surrender.
Draco nodded and looked over, noticing the girls for the first time. He smiled and set his Butterbeer down while standing up.
"Is Theo okay?" Pansy asked, confused as to why Theo was acting so odd.
"He's incredibly intoxicated." Draco muttered before pulling Hermoine close, "Hey." He said.
"Hey." She smiled. "Love, I'm about to go to bed. I'm exhausted and we've got class tomorrow."
Draco nodded, "Me as well. I just wanted to see you once more before going up to my dorm."
She leaned up on her toes and kissed his lips before saying, "I love you, Draco."
"I love you too." He replied, "Sleep well."
February 6, 1999
After breakfast on Tuesday, Draco headed to his Healing Magic course. When he arrived, he handed his application for the Training program over to his Professors.
"Draco, you've done a marvelous job on this." Professor Bachmann said after looking over the application.
"Thank you, Professor." Draco said.
"Here are our letters of recommendation." Bachmann said, handing over a folder with two pieces of parchment in it.
Draco nodded, "Thank you. I truly appreciate it, Professor Bachmann."
After having such a busy day, it was only after their Astronomy class that Draco and Hermione were finally able to talk. They had remained in the Astronomy Tower afterwards, wanting a few minutes alone.
Hermione was looking through the scope when she spoke up, "I received a letter of recommendation from seven different professors."
Draco's eyes widened, "Truly? Seven? Bloody hell, Darling." He grinned, "That's marvelous!"
She smiled, standing up fully, "I am quite pleased."
He chuckled, "I sure hope so, otherwise your standards would concern me greatly."
She laughed and kissed his jaw, "What about you recommendation letters?"
He huffed, "Well, let's see, I didn't get seven, but I did get one from each of my Healing Magic Professors, one from the Headmistress, one from Madam Pomfrey…which surprised me a bit, and the Minister sent one as well."
"Draco, that's five! That's wonderful!" She beamed.
He smiled and pulled her close, "I am quite pleased." He muttered, causing her to roll her eyes lightheartedly.
He leaned down and kissed her lips.
"I suppose we ought to send them in tomorrow." He said.
She nodded, "That's a good plan."
"It's a bit odd, you know…" He remarked, looking up at the sky before meeting her eyes once more, "Knowing that sending in these applications is the beginning of the next step in our lives."
She smiled, "Odd…yet thrilling, you know."
He nodded, grinning. "Yea." He said spinning her around, "Life with you, Hermoine Granger, is most definitely a thrill."
February 10, 1999
The six blokes were strolling through Hogsmeade Village on the last Saturday before Valentine's Day, discussing their plans for the upcoming holiday. They had been shopping for the girls' gifts all morning and were headed to The Three Broomsticks for a round of Butterbeers before they planned to return to the castle.
"I'm setting up some flowers, candles, and chocolates in Luna's dormitory." Theo told them.
The others nodded approvingly.
"Hey Harry…" Ron said, "Can I have the dorm that night?"
Harry sighed but nodded, "Sure, I'll figure something out." He said with a shrug.
Blaise looked at Draco, unsure how to ask to use their dormitory for a night alone with Draco's sister.
The blond wizard chuckled, "Blaise, mate, you can have the dorm that night. It's fine."
Blaise exhaled, relieved, "Thank you, mate."
"What about you, Nev?" Ron asked.
Neville shrugged, "I haven't got a clue just yet, but I'm working on it."
Draco looked over at Harry and Neville with a thoughtful expression before something occurred to him. He suggested to Blaise, Theo, and Ron that they go on ahead and get a table at The Three Broomsticks.
"We'll be a bit." Draco said, nodding to the three blokes.
Harry furrowed his brow but didn't speak until after the two Slytherins and his dormmate were out of earshot.
"What's going on, Malfoy?" He asked, knowing Neville was just as confused.
"I've got an idea." Draco grinned, "I think it may actually be quite brilliant, but we've got to speak with someone first. Come on. I'll explain on the way."
By the time they arrived at The Hog's Head Inn, Neville and Harry were both eager and grinning, both fully approving of Draco's brilliant plan.
"Hey Aberforth!" Draco grinned, seeing the Inn owner.
Aberforth Dumbledore nodded to them, "How are you three doing?" He asked with a smile.
"We're doing well." Harry said, "We've actually got a favor to ask on you."
That evening, when they were all relaxing in the Eighth Year Common Room, Parvati Patil walked over to Hermione.
"Hey Hermione, could I speak with you for a moment?" She asked.
Hermione nodded, standing up, off Draco's lap and walked over to the other side of the Common Room with Parvati, "Is everything okay?"
"Yes." Parvati replied, "I erm…well, Seamus and I were going to spend the night together tonight and I was wondering if I could have the dorm?"
Hermione nodded, "Of course. I'll stay with Draco. Let me go grab a few things from the dorm and then I'll be out of your way." She smiled.
"Thank you so much for being so understanding."
Hermione waved her remark off, "It's perfectly fine."
Hermione walked over to Draco and leaned down, whispering in his ear, "May I stay with you tonight? Parvati needs our dorm."
He nodded and turned his head to meet her eyes, "Of course you can." He whispered.
She smiled and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips before telling him that she was going to go grab a few things from her dorm.
When she got back, Draco pulled her aside, "So…tonight is going to be a bit…different." He muttered.
She furrowed her brow, "What do you mean?"
"I mean that one of Cordelia's dormmates is kicking all of them out for her 'date', so Cordelia needs a place to sleep. She'll be crashing with Blaise…which means…"
"Which means you and I will be sleeping the bed that is next to the bed Blaise and your sister will be sleeping in." She muttered.
He nodded, "Silencing Charms are a definite requirement tonight."
She raised her brow, "Love…I don't think we're going to do any…"
"Oh no, we aren't." he huffed, "I just meant that I do plan to snog you." He smirked, making her laugh.
She nodded, "And who knows what they plan to do…"
He shook his head, "Hermione Jean Granger, do not even go there."
She smiled and cupped his jaw, "I love you."
He huffed but smiled and nodded, "I love you too."
When the two of them arrived in the dorm room, they discovered Blaise and Cordelia in the middle of a row, shouting at one another from across Blaise's bed.
"No Cordelia! I haven't done anything wrong! I don't understand why you're so bloody mad right now!"
"I found this in your fucking satchel!" Cordelia screamed, slamming a piece of parchment down on the bed. "You bastard! Who the fuck is Althea?"
Blaise froze, his eyes widened, "She's no one, Cordelia. It doesn't matter."
"No! It does matter! Tell me who she is!" She shouted; fury evident on her face.
Neither had noticed Draco or Hermione yet.
Draco looked at Hermione and she could immediately see that he knew exactly what was going on.
The brunette pulled him out into the corridor and looked up at him with concern in her eyes, "What's going on, Draco?"
The wizard sighed, "He's been talking to Althea Taffet lately. She's a Hufflepuff Chaser. The Hufflepuffs got their arses handed to them during their match against Ravenclaw last month…" He explained. "We're playing Ravenclaw later this month and Blaise is stressed out about it so he's been asking her for advice."
Hermione furrowed her brows, "Why doesn't he just tell Cordelia that?"
"Hermione, he hasn't even told the team. He's utterly ashamed to be asking another team for advice. He just doesn't want to lose the Quidditch House Cup this year. I'm not exactly sure why, but it means so much to him, but I'm rather certain it's got something to do with the baby."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…" He sighed and looked at her, "Hermione, a man wants his children to look up to him and be proud. It might be misogynistic but it's something that every man wants…needs. I know that when we have children, I need them to be proud of me. Besides you, they are the reason I am working so bloody hard to be a good person and make a good, worthy impact in the wizarding world. Blaise is the exact same. He's not proud of his past and he has significantly less time than I to correct those mistakes."
Hermione nodded, beginning to understand, "He needs to tell her the truth. I think Cordelia would understand."
"Hermione, Blaise is one of the most stubborn people I know."
Hermione let out quiet sigh, "If he continues to be this way…he could lose her, Draco."
Draco nodded, "I know." He sighed.
They went back into the dorm and found Blaise leaning against the wall next to the door the led to the ensuite.
"Cordelia, please come out here." Blaise groaned, rubbing his face frustratedly.
There was no response from behind the door and he sighed.
Hermione looked at Blaise and nodded. He nodded back, understanding her request.
"Hey Cordelia…" Hermione said quietly. "May I come in?" She asked.
The lock clicked a moment later, and Hermione opened the door, sliding into the loo before closing the door behind her.
The half-veela was sitting on the floor, leaning back against the tub with silent tears rolling down her cheeks.
Hermione walked over and sat down beside Cordelia, "Hey Sweetheart." She whispered in a comforting tone.
Cordelia sniffed, "Hey."
"Do you want to tell me about what's going on?" The older witch asked.
"I…I think Blaise is cheating on me." She said with a sniff. "I found a note from a girl named Althea. I don't know what to do. I can't take it. He won't give me any real answers about what's going on."
Hermione sighed, trying to decide if she should tell Cordelia the truth.
"I think…I think I'm going to break up with him." Cordelia sobbed. "It might be for the best."
Hermione turned toward the younger witch, inhaling deeply, hoping Draco didn't get mad at her.
"Cordelia, I need you to listen to me." Hermione said.
Cordelia nodded, still crying.
The brunette swallowed, "Blaise is not cheating on you. He is a good man, and he truly cares about you."
The half-veela looked over at Hermione, confused, "How do you know that?"
"I erm…" Hermione sighed, "Cordelia, I'm not supposed to tell anyone about this, but…but…Blaise is struggling a bit right now."
Turning to fully face the older witch, Cordelia's brow furrowed, "In what way?"
Hermione licked her lips, regretting her decision but knowing she had to tell the girl otherwise Cordelia would possibly end one the best things that had ever happened to her.
"Blaise has been talking to Althea Taffet. She's one of the Hufflepuff Chasers. He's been asking for advice on how to beat the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Typically, Blaise doesn't doubt himself in Quidditch but right now…well, Draco explained it to me quite well. He said that he and Blaise have both made several mistakes in their lives and both are trying desperately to fix them. Draco said they both want their children to be proud of them and Blaise only has a short amount of time before his first child comes into the world."
Cordelia swallowed, "Hermione…I erm…I haven't told Blaise yet, but erm…Narcissa and I have been working on finding a home for the baby that will allow me and Blaise to still be part of her life…but we won't raise her ourselves."
Hermione's eyes widened, "Why haven't you told Blaise?"
"Because he's become so attached to the idea of being a father…but Hermione, I cannot be a mother yet. I care for her…" She said, placing her hand on her flat stomach, "and it breaks my heart, but I want what's best for her and I truly believe that this is it."
"You need to tell him, Cordelia." Hermione said, "Tonight." She added, "I know it'll be extremely difficult, but he needs to know."
Cordelia nodded and they both stood up. She steadied herself before nodding to the brunette.
Hermione opened the door and they both stepped out.
Blaise jumped up from a seated position on the floor. The moment Draco saw Hermione, he could tell something was wrong.
"Blaise…" Cordelia said quietly, "I need to talk to you."
Blaise looked at her, completely confused, "Erm, okay. What's wrong?"
The blonde swallowed. "I've been working with Narcissa to find a home for the baby."
Blaise furrowed his brow, taking a slight step back, "Wha…what? But…"
Cordelia sniffed, "We can't take care of a baby. Blaise, I'm going to be at Hogwarts for another year." She said, "But Narcissa has found a family that is willing to do an open adoption with us."
Blaise swallowed.
Hermione could see in his eyes that he was heartbroken.
The dark-skinned wizard nodded, "Oh…okay. If…if that's what you want to do. If that's what you think is best."
Cordelia sniffed and nodded, "I do. Blaise, I truly do. But I don't want us to miss out on her life, so, this way we'll be some part of it."
"How can you be certain that this family will truly allow us to be present in her life?" Blaise asked, his voice breaking slightly as he held back tears.
"Because I trust Narcissa. I don't know who they are yet, but I trust Narcissa."
Blaise swallowed, nodding, "Okay…okay. I erm…" he shook his head as if remembering something, "Listen, Cordelia, about Althea…"
"It's fine, Blaise." Cordelia sighed, "I trust you."
He exhaled and nodded, "I erm…I need a little…a little time to…to comprehend this entire thing. I'm going to go out for a bit." He said, walking toward the door.
Cordelia reached out for him but stopped herself.
Blaise sighed and looked at her, "I'll come back, Cordelia, but I need some time." He said, his eyes dropping to her stomach for a moment before leaving.
Cordelia let out a sob and Draco walked over, pulling her into a brotherly hug. He looked over, meeting Hermione's eyes with a frown on his face. After calming Cordelia down a bit, Draco left her with Hermione and went after Blaise.
When Draco got down to the Common Room, he found two Hufflepuffs on the sofa, snogging heatedly. He sighed and looked around, searching for Blaise but still never found him.
He furrowed his brow, becoming concerned until he thought of something.
Carefully, Draco made his way out of the Common Room and up to the seventh-floor corridor. He paced in front of the wall, silently requesting for the room his friend was in until a door appeared. He opened it and stepped through, finding a lounge room with a large fireplace, two sofas and a large wet bar. Blaise was on a sofa, sipping Firewhiskey with tears in his eyes.
Blaise huffed, "Am I so predictable?" he muttered bitterly without even looking over at Draco.
"No." Draco said, "I just happen to be your best friend, so I know you rather well."
Blaise laughed a hollow laugh before taking another sip.
Draco walked over and took a seat on the sofa across from Blaise.
Blaise shook his head, "Am I a terrible person for wanting my sixteen-year-old girlfriend to have my child?"
"No." Draco said, "No, you're not."
"Did you know that she and Narcissa were doing this?" He asked, looking at the blond.
Shaking his head, Draco replied, "No, I didn't." He sighed and waved his wand, pouring himself some Firewhiskey and hovering it over to himself.
Blaise took a large gulp from his glass as a tear slipped from the corner of his eye, "You know, Draco…"
"Hmm?" The blond hummed.
"I think…I think I actually would have made a decent father." He said, his voice cracking a bit.
Looking over to meet his best friend's eyes, he nodded, "Mate, one day, you'll make a brilliant father. For now, though, at least you'll get to be a part of the girl's life…"
"Yea." He replied with a sigh.
It was extremely late when the two of them made their way back to the Eighth Yea Dormitories. They headed up to their dorm, finding Cordelia asleep in Blaise's bed while Hermione was awake, reading a book, in Draco bed.
Blaise looked at Cordelia, his eyes held deep sadness within them. Shaking his head, Blaise conjured a cot at the foot of his bed and laid down on it.
Draco sighed and joined Hermione in his bed.
February 11, 1999
The next morning when Cordelia woke up, she found that Blaise was gone. She walked over and shook Draco awake.
Draco groaned, "What is it? Are you okay?" He asked, his right arm still wrapped around Hermione's waist as she slept.
"Where's Blaise? Did you find him?"
"Yea, he's…" Draco furrowed his brow, looking at the empty cot. "Erm…I don't know where he is. He probably went flying." Draco muttered, sitting up.
Hermione began to stir and opened her eyes, "Is everything okay?"
"Yea." Draco muttered, pressing a kiss to her shoulder before sliding out of bed. "Cordelia, I bet he went flying to get some air."
Cordelia sighed.
Hermione stood up, "We're supposed to meet the other girls in The Great Hall."
Cordelia sighed and nodded, "I'll erm…I'll get changed. Draco, could you please keep an eye on Blaise?"
"Yea." Her brother replied.
Hermione and Cordelia met the other girls in The Great Hall before they all made their way to Hogsmeade Village. They went straight to Nirvana's Nest Spa and met with Nirvana who had brought a large portion of her inventory from her new store in Diagon Alley.
"Hello ladies!" Nirvana smiled when they entered the spa.
"Hey Nirvana!" Pansy replied, hugging her friend.
"So, how much time do you all have?" The spa owner asked.
"Well, it'd be best if we were back at the castle by two." The dark-haired witch replied.
Nirvana nodded, "Well, I have everything set up in here." She led them to a back room where there were floating racks of lingerie.
"You may change in those rooms back there." Nirvana continued, "I've also set out some light refreshments." She indicated a round table that contained several different kinds of fruit water along with champagne and a few other beverages.
"Thank you for this." Hermione said, "We truly appreciate it." She said, glancing at Cordelia who had remained mostly silent since they had left the castle.
Nirvana nodded, "It's my pleasure, ladies. Just let me know if you need anything at all." She said before leaving the room, returning to her office.
"So…" Ginny smirked, looking at the others, "Let's look around."
The girls all stepped closer to the hovering racks and beginning looking through the options.
"This is cute…" Luna remarked, pulling a pale-yellow babydoll negligee from a rack.
"It is…" Ginny said, "But do you want to be cute…or lush?" She asked, genuinely curious.
Luna nodded, "Good point." She replied, placing the yellow piece back on the rack.
"Here, Luna." Pansy smirked, holding a light blue corset piece that tied around the back of the neck and had pearls sewn into the edging. "This is cute and lush. Theo would go barmy, seeing you in this."
Luna looked thoughtful, "I'll go try it on." She said with a nod.
Pansy nodded, handing it to the blonde witch as she walked by.
While Luna tried on the corset, Hannah found a matching pair of floral-patterned knickers and brassiere.
"That is perfect for Neville." Ginny smirked.
Hannah nodded with a smile, "I'm going to go try them on." She said before making her way into one of the changing areas.
Shortly after, Luna stepped out and Ginny beamed, clapping her hands while Pansy nodded.
"That's got to be it, Luna. He simply won't know what to do when he sees you in this." Pansy said, admiring the corset.
"I do hope he can figure it out." Luna remarked, making Hermione and Ginny laugh while Cordelia simply smiled and focused on looking through the racks.
Hermione turned back to the rack she was looking through just as her beaded bag began to buzz. She furrowed her brow and reached inside, pulling her cellular phone out.
"Hello?" She answered quietly, getting odd looks from the others.
"Hi Minnie!" Jean said.
"Hi Mum! Is everything alright?" Hermione asked.
"Yes. You father and I were just wondering if we could come to Hogwarts and watch Draco in his next Quidditch match? Your Headmistress has said that I am allowed on the castle grounds due to the circumstances."
Hermine nodded, "Certainly. His next match is on the twenty-fourth. You'll need to floo here in the morning. The match will begin at ten in the morning, so you'll need to be here at least an hour prior to that."
"Wonderful! We're eager to see him play. Your cousins will likely want to come along." Her mother replied.
"That should be fine." Hermione smiled.
She spoke with her mother a bit longer before bidding her farewell and turning back to the others.
"What is that?" Hannah asked and Hermione realized then that she had stepped out of the changing room, wearing the brassiere and knickers.
"It's a cellular phone…a muggle device that allows me to speak with any other muggle that has one from great distances." Hermione answered.
"I honestly had no clue muggles had such things." Hannah said, "I don't mean to sound…"
"I understand, Hannah." Hermione smiled. "Draco was surprised as well. He has one now as well so that we can speak on if I'm around my muggle relatives." She said, "And you look wonderful. Neville might forget how to breathe."
Hannah blushed and looked in the mirror. "It's not too bad."
"Not too bad?" Pansy said, "Hannah, darling. You are lush as fuck."
Hannah's blush deepened and she thanked the girls before going back to change her clothing.
"I think I've found one for Cordelia." Ginny said in a sing-song tone, holding up a beautiful, purple negligee chemise with a lavender ribbon that tied around the front and a pair of matching knickers.
"That is perfect!" Pansy said eagerly.
Cordelia nodded, clearing her throat, "I like it a lot. I'll go try it on as well as this silver one that I found."
When she disappeared, Pansy turned to Hermione. "Do you think she's alright? She's been rather quiet all morning and I'm a bit concerned."
Hermione knew it wasn't her place to tell anyone about what was going on with Blaise and Cordelia, so she simply said, "She'll be okay. She's just having a tough day."
When Cordelia stepped out of the changing room in the purple chemise, she cleared her throat.
"Oh Cordelia, you look lovely!" Hermione said.
"Blaise will go barmy!" Ginny nodded, "You've got to get that one."
Cordelia nodded and went back to change.
Ginny frowned, "Hermione?" she whispered.
Hermione sighed and nodded, "She'll be okay." She said, though, she was terribly concerned herself.
The other girls nodded with confused expressions.
Pansy could tell that Hermione needed the topic changed and cleared her throat, "Hey Gin, I think I've found one that Potter will stutter at." She smirked, "And one for me as well."
Ginn grinned and rushed over to the raven-haired witch.
Both Pansy and Ginny went to the changing rooms to try on the lingerie.
"Okay Hermione." Hannah smiled, "Let's find you something."
Hermione smiled and nodded.
By the time they left, Ginny had purchased a black piece that didn't leave much to the imagination which she knew Harry would love, Pansy bought a red and black piece with a suspender belt, and Hermione had purchased an emerald green bosque with lace sides.
"I'm telling you, Hermione, it may be a bad idea to wear that before the NEWTs because I'm nearly certain that all of Draco's knowledge will simply depart his brain upon seeing you in it." Pansy smirked.
Hermione blushed but had to admit that she looked lush in the outfit and knew Draco would go barmy on Valentine's Day.
When the girls got back to the Eighth Year Common Room, all six of the blokes were sitting in there, playing chess on three separate chessboards.
Hermione took her lingerie up to her dorm and turned to walk out but ran into Draco who had followed her up.
"Hey." She said, "Are you okay?" she asked.
He nodded, sighing, "It's been a rather…tiring day. How was your day?"
Hermione exhaled, nodding, "It went well. Cordelia is still struggling quite a bit. How is Blaise?"
Draco swallowed, "He contacted Mother."
"Oh wow. What happened?"
"He asked her bluntly who it is that she found that is willing to have an open adoption."
"And?" Hermione asked.
Draco inhaled, shaking his head, "She said that she would talk to both him and Cordelia at Cordelia's two month check up on Friday with Madam Pomfrey."
"How did Blaise take that?" She asked.
With a huff, Draco said, "Not too well. He, of course, was respectful toward Mother, but afterwards, he let me have it."
A stag Patronus came gliding into the room and spoke in Harry's voice, "You two need to get back down here now!"
They looked at each other before rushing back down to the Common Room.
"You spoke to Narcissa? How could you do that, Blaise?" Cordelia asked angrily.
Blaise huffed, "What? You mean go behind your back and make plans for my child's life?"
Cordelia went silent, her lips trembled slightly. "Blaise, I only did that to…"
"Yea." He said with an angry exhale, "I know. You think it's best and you're not ready. Well, what if I am?!" He shouted.
"So, you want to do it without me then?" She shouted back. "Raise her without me?"
"No!" He said in a desperate tone, "I want us to be a family. I'm in love with you, Corelia and you're the mother of my child!" He said.
She went silent.
Sighing, he shrugged, "I want us to be a family, but evidently, you don't."
Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she looked at the dark-skinned wizard with sad, grey eyes.
Neither of them paid any mind to the other people in the room who were witnessing their row.
"Blaise…Blaise, I love you too, and I want to be a family. I desperately want that." She sobbed, "But I just…I wish we were more prepared. Older, out of school and more prepared." She said as a desperate tear fell from her eyes.
"I know." He said, "And I am so, terribly sorry that I fucked up that night. But Cordelia, here we are." He said, his eyes dropping down to her still flat stomach, "And she's real and she's coming, and I don't want to abandon my child. I cannot be that father that quits on her because it was too hard. I cannot fail her before she's even born."
She shook her head, "I can't do this." She said, leaving the Common Room and going back to the Ravenclaw Dormitories.
Blaise's chest heaved with emotion as he stared at the portrait hole she had just exited through. He shook his head and cleared his throat before glancing at his friends.
Draco walked over to him, "Mate…" he said, concerned.
Blaise's jaw clenched, "I'm sorry…I erm…I'll be in my dorm." He mumbled before walking up the stairs to the blokes' dormitories.
"Well…bloody hell." Ron muttered.