Sorry, it has taken me so long to update, have been mega busy, I know no excuse right. I hope you enjoy this chapter, not sure about a lot of things in it but here you go. Thanks so much for all the reviews and follows once again. I hope you enjoy and more will be following soon.

Finally, it was a mantra in his head as he once again slid his mouth over Hermione's and got a good long taste of that bottom lip that she'd been chewing so damn much in his company. He wasn't surprised to find that it tasted amazing; ale and chestnuts and – he was almost certain – remnants of melting snowflakes that cooled even as her closeness warmed him. The best kind of Christmas.

The owl bounced against the back of his head as she tugged him closer, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised by her taking control, each tug of his hair demanding more from him and he gave gladly, shaking hands moving up to unbutton her coat with infuriating slowness. He grumbled obscenities against her lips; small complaints about the sheer amount layers she'd chosen to wear, the fact that she'd decided to button her coat up all the way to the top with no thought to the bloke who was trying to get her out of it. Hermione smirked against his complaints hardly giving him time to breathe before she was pressing her lips back on his, the patterns her tongue traced enough to make his legs wobble.

"Malfoy." She gasped his name as his hands finally found their way inside her coat and circled her waist. He swore that his name had never sounded so good, worth all the damn lectures he'd received from his father about its importance. It was important that he hear her say it again, just like that. He pulled her closer to him, a groan escaping him at the eruption of magic around each and every connection. He blinked past the haze of dizziness, brought back to reality by the icy metal of the owl slipping down the back of his coat and pressing against his skin as Hermione adjusted her grip on his neck. Her other hand pushed needily against his shoulder for leverage, priceless book still gripped in her fingers, all but totally forgotten. Draco felt his chest puffing with a certain amount of pride that he, of all people, had made Hermione Granger forget about a book, her favourite book at that.

A small whimper emanated from her throat and Draco was certain he would melt, ripping his mouth from hers and leaving a trail of open-mouthed adoration down the pale skin of her neck that had been teasing him all night. She gasped again, her fingernails digging into his skin, head thudding against the wooden arch as she tipped her head back.

"Ow." He glanced up at her with concern and Hermione sucked in a breath at the sight that met her. She wasn't sure it was possible for Draco Malfoy to look so good, but he did; hair all tousled, cheeks and lips the reddest she had ever seen them, eyes a vibrant grey and chest rising and falling quickly in pants as he searched her face. She had done that to him, she had made him look like that, all thrown off and imperfect but so wonderfully handsome that she just couldn't seem to get any air in her lungs.

"You okay?" His voice was gruff and deep, words hardly more than a whisper in the air, she nodded lifting her hand to rub the back of her head, the owl hitting her in the face reminding her of where they were, why they were there in the first place.

"Yeah, I just…" Draco watched Hermione search the ground for her words, wondering how such a crazy mane of hair could look so utterly out of place but still somehow be the most desperately attractive things he'd ever seen. Hermione Bookworm Granger definitely looked her best all ruffled and thoroughly kissed and he decided it was his solemn duty to keep her that way at all times, regardless of the slaps he would have to endure. She looked up at him suddenly, her brown eyes wide with wonder, in a way that made him feel incredibly naked. As if she could see right into the very heart of him, right down to all the messy feelings he had for her. Luckily for him at that moment his thumb found its way under the extortionate number of layers that she'd worn and grazed the soft skin of her hip. She sucked in a sudden breath, pupils blown wide and lips parting in the most inviting way.

He smirked at her reaction, leaning down and delicately kissing her neck, opening his hand and spaying it against her warm back, fingertips tracing his name there as he murmured to her.

"Is this where you start asking questions?"

"I don't…I'm not…" Draco grinned as her sentence tapered off to a sigh, both hands gripping his shoulders as his other hand found its way underneath all her sweaters and joined in the merry job of making Hermione melt.

"Merlin, why did I wait so long to do this?" His forehead pressed against hers as he muttered his question into the space between them, instantly regretting it as Hermione's eyes widened and her face filled with a determination that he knew preceded questioning on par with the Spanish Inquisition.

"So long?"

"Figure of speech, Granger." He quickly answered, desperately trying to press his lips onto hers, only to have her move her head away. He shrugged, moving back to her neck, grumbling in frustration when she pushed at his shoulders.

"No, it wasn't, what do you mean?" He sighed and stepped back, shoving his hands in his pockets and refusing to look at her. Kissing her was good, being pressed up against her and feeling the wealth of soft skin she had to offer was fantastic, this whole talking about feelings was not. He had prepared himself for such an eventuality and he'd promised himself that he would duck out and lie through is back teeth if such an occasion were to occur. But now that he was stood before her, all the tell-tale signs of their kiss still lingering in the shade of her lips, the state of her hair and clothes, he found himself resigned to telling the truth.

"What do you think it means?" piteously hanging onto the hope that evasion might work.

"I don't know, that's why I asked." He would have appreciated how wonderfully Slytherin-like she'd countered him if it wasn't for how uncomfortable he felt. How he managed to find someone who enjoyed talking about their feelings so much attractive was beyond him.

"Let's just say, for argument's sake, that I've been thinking about this," he gestured between them, "for a long time."

"How long?"

"I don't know, how longs a wand?" Hermione gave him a disapproving glare and turned away clenching his jaw as the words crammed into his mouth and he tried to keep them locked away. "There was ice cream involved."

It took a moment for his words to register and even longer for Hermione to work out what exactly it meant. When she did her eyes became somehow wider, her mouth dropping open in shock as Draco eyed her uncomfortably, his mask of indifference falling into place a little, however lopsided.

"That long?"

"Yeah well," he cleared his throat, "insert witty comment here." He muttered it sardonically and flushed.

"I can't…so that first kiss?" Draco's head lowered, running his hand over his face. He knew she would bring it up, that was just the way she was. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at her.

"Yes."

"But you…why did you…you ran away."

"You didn't exactly react well to it." He muttered, kicking the snow at his feet.

"But I didn't understand."

"Yeah well, now you do."

"Now I do." Hermione clarified, smiling at him and making his heart hurt a little in his chest. "But what about, Daphne?"

"What about her?" Hermione sighed in exasperation, placing her hands on her hips.

"Why did you go out with her if you didn't like her?"

"That was someone's bright idea to make me forget about you."

"That's terrible."

"I know, who in Merlin's name thought that could work." Hermione blushed at his words.

"That's not what I meant." She admonished half-heartedly.

"I know, but its true."

"What about Snape?" Draco's brow furrowed in confusion, wondering why she was bringing up all these people right at that very moment when all he could think about was continuing where they left off. "You said that he couldn't see us together, why is that?"

Draco's face fell. He thought that this would change everything, that he would finally shake off the doubt and just be with Hermione, but he knew now that he couldn't. everything that had been reason enough before was still a reason now.

"I can't tell you that, Granger." He closed his eyes, preparing for the onslaught of questions, of admonishments but froze when they never came. He opened his eyes a little, squinting at Hermione who was looking at him curiously, her lips pressed into a thin line, so many questions glimmering in her brown eyes. He wondered if she was going to ask them all.

"You said that, if…if you could tell me you would." Draco nodded, "and…I can't believe I'm saying this…I trust you." Draco felt his heart swell at those words, breath catching in his throat. Had he ever really had anyone trust him? Had it ever really meant so much to him? He supposed he had gotten so used to people assuming that his Slytherin nature would always win out that he'd given up on the hope that anyone would even slightly find it within themselves to trust him.

"That's a bad idea, Granger." He joked, hoping she didn't hear how his voice cracked.

"Probably." She grinned, placing the book and necklace on the wooden slats that jutted out the side of the arch to form a small bench. She turned to him, stepping forward and gently fingering the lapels of his coat. "Promise me something?"

"Depends on what I'm promising." His voice was gruff as he looked down at her. he shivered as her fingers brushed aside the collar of his shirt and danced across his neck. She frowned at his statement, but he could see her fighting back a smile.

"Promise me that, when you can tell me, whatever it is, that you will." Draco grinned at her, slipping his arms around her waist and tugging her back against him.

"I think I can manage that."

"If you don't, I may have to hit you again." He leaned closer, smiling at the absurdity of it all, the giddiness of happiness that seemed to be shifting and growing inside of him, making him feel so powerful and, at the same time, so shudderingly small and out of his depth.

"You never know, Granger, I might enjoy it." She closed the gap this time and he let himself fall back against the archway, his hands once again working their way to feel her skin, gripping her hips and tugging at them desperately till they felt as though they could have been melding into one person.

"Lumos." The tiny voice shattered the silence around them and Draco pulled back slightly, searching Hermione's face in confusion.

"Was that an involuntary reaction or…"

"Oh crap, Ginny." Hermione spat, moving away from him and kneeling down to fumble in her bag. Draco's confusion only increased when she pulled out a toy; a tiny wizard popping up out of a box, his little hands waving in the air.

"What's the ginger got to do with anything?" Hermione cut her eyes at him but quickly turned back to the toy.

"She's my lookout." Draco quickly glanced around, wondering if one of the Weasley clan was, in fact, hiding somewhere, watching everything they were doing. The thought made him just a tad uncomfortable.

"Lookout for what?" The little wizard suddenly popped back into the box and Hermione let out a sigh of relief, pushing it back into her bag and rising to her feet.

"Remember I said my parents were going away for Christmas," Draco nodded slowly, "well they did, and I convinced them that staying with Ron and his family would be better, because of all the work I had to do." Draco was about to ask why she did that, but his brain caught up and he noticed the dark blush on her cheeks. She had done it for him so that she could sneak away and meet him. Sure, he supposed a lot of it had to do with the fact that she wanted to find more things about the past, but he hoped a little bit of it was her want to see him again. "So, I've been staying with them and I…"

"Had to sneak out to meet me." Hermione nodded and Draco grinned, running the pad of his thumb against her bottom lip.

'You're such a Slytherin, Granger."

"I beg to differ."

"I know you do, doesn't stop it from being true though." He paused, frowning at her, "How in Merlin's name did you get here? I imagine the Weasley's don't exactly live walking distance from here."

"Well no." Hermione looked a bit sheepish.

"What?"

"Well I'd have to show you."

"Show me what?" He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, laughing when she smacked him half-heartedly.

She packed her book and necklace away in her bag before gesturing for Draco to follow her as she headed towards the church. Draco hesitated only a moment before shrugging and stooping down to pick up his broomstick, smiling slightly when he thought about how it had got there.

"You er…mind explaining a little here, Granger." He mumbled as Hermione stopped at the large dark doors to the church, raising her fist to the wood before turning back to look at him.

"Durie."

"What now?" Hermione knocked the door three times, opening the door slightly and stepping through the gap, reaching to tug at Draco's sleeve and yank him through too. She almost chuckled when she watched a look of wonder descend on Draco's face. She knew how he felt, seeing Durie's home for the first time had been a shock for her too and she'd had somewhat of a warning with seeing the outside of it, seeing Durie herself.

"Wasn't quite what I was expecting." He mumbled to her drily and Hermione covered her mouth, stifling a rather embarrassing giggle.

Durie floated around the corner in all her ethereal beauty and Hermione found herself suddenly swallowing the panic of Draco seeing her and being instantly enthralled, as all the Weasley boys seemed to have been on their last visit. She realised her worry was stupid, Durie was ancient, as old as the ring that rested against her heart, as old as the daggers in Draco's coat. But she was still beautiful, and she noticed that Draco's mouth had dropped open slightly at the sight of her.

"Your friend, Hermione? I'm thrilled that you brought him to visit me. She wasn't too late, was she?" She asked, taking Draco's hand in hers and smiling at him warmly, her eyes seeming to see so much more than just his face. Draco found himself drawing away a little, certain that the strange and beautiful woman was finding out everything she needed to know about him, flitting through his thoughts and memories in the same way Snape had in his first experience of Occlumency.

"No, not too late." He managed to mutter, turning to Hermione for some help.

"You have the scent of history about you, of earth and ice and the past." She looked at his coat and the string around Hermione's neck a small secret smile curving her lips.

"I…we found a lot about old magic, about what happened to witches and wizards." Durie held up her hand to silence Hermione, shaking her head slowly.

"If I could know everything I would, I'd fill up my head with all the nonsenses of the world. Unfortunately, such stories are not mine to know, but they are yours, so you should keep them. Both of you."

"Who are you?" Draco asked suddenly, his eyes still wide and bewildered. Durie let out a laugh that was so bright and melodic that Hermione almost winced at its perfection. She wondered why she felt so insecure, so imperfect next to Durie. She had not felt this way the first time they had met.

"My name is Durie and I am many things, old being one of them."

"Right," Draco muttered suspiciously, shifting ever closer to Hermione, their shoulders bumping, the Sensieves' magic sparking between them.

Durie clasped her hands together in front of her, tipping her head, new vines twisting around her hair, small silver and gold flowers blooming here and there.

"You remind me so much of them. Ah how the world works, this and that happening, magic linking it all." She clapped her hands happily and Draco frowned at her.

"Like them?"

"Oh, you must see." She waved her hand for them to follow and Draco looked nervously at Hermione.

"Where in Merlin's name have you brought me now?"

"It's fine, she's pretty awesome."

"Pretty crazy, Granger."

"She knew Mina and Edward."

"What?"

"Just…just come and see." Hermione almost jumped when he slipped his hand into hers, interlocking their fingers as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I get turned into anything nasty, I'm holding you responsible." He muttered, letting her lead him.

It wasn't that Draco hadn't known his fair share of weird and wonderful magic, Merlin, he'd grown up with it being the commonplace, the every day. But Durie wasn't that, her magic felt like so much more, so much heavier and powerful. It was unnerving. He was almost jealous of Hermione, all magic was new and exciting to her, and so the feeling of Durie's home, of the strange being herself didn't seem to frighten her. It was the same with the magic back at Arden's vault; sure, the light show he'd put on for her had been beautiful, there was no doubt, but underneath all that there was a raw power that never ceased to tie a knot of fear in his stomach. When he'd looked at Hermione though, there was not a trace of that fear, only pure delight, only the wide-eyed innocence of seeing something so perfect and wonderful for the very first time. The sight of her amidst the light had been so breath-taking that he'd found himself ashamed of his own fear and now, he once again he felt it; that sinking shame that, while Hermione ventured forward bravely, he stumbled after all the while wishing he could cower back and away.

Durie stood before a trunk of a tree, glancing down fondly at a picture existed in perfect clarity on its surface.

"My mother wed these two. A ring to bind their love." She reached out pulled at the string around Hermione's neck. The ring popped up into view and Durie cradled it in her palm. "There was such love. Simple silver and not a touch of magic, but she looked at it as if the world resided in its centre. Ah, and what a world."

"You knew them?" Durie grinned happily at Draco's question, nodding her head so vigorously that gold dust seemed to shake from the flowers blooming on her head.

"My mother married them, and I blessed them. When I first met Hermione here there was just a hint of something around her, Old magic just shimmering about her, but now…now I see that you both have the past within and without. Tis a pleasure to see, it's been so long."

Draco wondered whether Hermione was getting much sense from Durie's words, though said with such delight and joy they were a jumble of nonsense.

"You blessed them?" Hermione asked, leaning forward expectantly.

"I bound their souls. Love should always be that deep, be that real and lasting. My mother always spoke such words and I believed them, though I've never experienced such things myself. I wanted to give it to them though and with him having no magic to speak of, well it was only right that I help." Hermione gripped his hand turning to him with wide eyes.

"That's how Arden made the Sensieve if he had Mina's soul and she was bound to Edward…"

"Then both their memories…" Hermione nodded, and Draco's heart ached at the pure delight in her eyes, he wondered if he could keep that look there forever because she looked beautiful and happy.

"Such stories, such tales, can I interest you in a spot of tea?"

Hermione actually looked genuinely upset as she answered.

"I'm afraid I've got to get back, it's late and Ginny has been looking out for me. Not sure how long she will manage to keep people away."

"Say no more, Grimmauld Place is it not." Hermione felt herself freeze as Durie said those words, feeling her chest tighten. She knew she shouldn't have met Draco, he might have been innocent, had no part to play in any nefarious plot, but his father did and now Draco had the name of where they were hiding.

"Do you want me to walk you back?" Draco turned to her and she searched his face for lies and deceit. Maybe he wanted to walk with her, so he could find out where the Order was hiding once and for all, report back and finally be accepted into the ranks of death eaters.

But his face was so honest, his grey eyes full of insecurities and hope, his thumb brushing against the back of her hand as he held it gently. Everything about the way he was, told her that it was just for her, there was no other reason or hidden meaning, everything was just for her.

"To the end of the alleyway." She could have screamed at herself, very nearly did. Nothing was worth jeopardizing The Order, absolutely nothing, except maybe having him look her like that for just a few seconds longer, except maybe having him kiss her again as he had before.

"Alleyways again, Granger?" His one eyebrow rose, and Hermione blushed as she thought of the last alleyway they'd been down, the insinuation of what they'd been doing and the fact that she hoped they would actually be doing something similar for real this time.

"Well, it's this door when you're ready. Stop by at any time." Durie held the front door open and Hermione hugged her goodbye, stepping out into the cool air, Draco's hand still in hers.

They hadn't made it that far down the alleyway before Draco had pressed her against the wall, his mouth swallowing her protests. Hermione gave in, weaving her fingers in his hair and closing her eyes. Draco wondered how a kiss could taste even better, but it did, it really did. He lifted her leg, fingers digging into her thigh as he pressed right against her, very nearly seeing stars at how good it all felt, how much there was to feel.

"I want to see you again, soon." He muttered gruffly, and Hermione nodded.

"We could meet at Durie's. Knock three times and think of her." Draco nudged her scarf and coat out the way, nibbling on her collarbone gently, smirking when she gasped and pressed her hips against his.

"Tomorrow." He managed to choke and was surprised when Hermione simply nodded, tugging his head so his lips once again aligned with hers.

Pulling away was difficult, walking back towards Durie's house was even harder. When he finally made it out into the graveyard, after persuading the strange creature that was Durie that he needed to fly back for his own sanity, he realised that one very specific problem was going to make it difficult to fly. It did, but somehow, he managed it, the cold air calming him eventually.

He floated down the corridor of Malfoy Manor, opening and closing his bedroom door without really registering the movement. He could still feel the outline of her lips and he traced the brand with his fingertip, smiling softly to himself. He slumped back against the door and allowed himself to sink to the ground blinking at the small unicorn that had been woken from his slumber and, in his own way, appeared to be scowling moodily across the room. Draco chuckled at him and then at the whole evening, the whole magical, wonderful evening that had flown by at an astonishing rate but at the same time had felt as though they'd crossed years. He supposed they had in their own way, jumping as they had into the past and drawing together in spite of everything they'd been through.

He sucked in a shaky breath when his stomach knotted with how awesome and scary it all was. With shaking fingers, he took out his ancestors' wand and stared at it. It wasn't that he didn't know, he did, but the evidence, the proof…

He focused on his memory of the evening, the feel of her skin, her sighs ghosting his ear.

"Expecto Patronum." Blue light burst out the end of the wand and flew through the air, thoroughly scaring the unicorn, until he was forced to retreat behind a stack of books, his whole little body shaking. The glittering light told him all he needed to know and when the small otter sat at his feet, coking its head to one side, he grinned at it, because there it was.

And he'd known, as soon as the thought, the feeling had settled within him when she'd been surrounded by all that light and magic; as soon as she'd pointed her own magic out to her, he'd known, everything else that evening had just solidified it. Clarified it. Till that was all that remained in his mind, all that was felt, all that he wanted to feel.

He was in love with Hermione Granger.