I am so sorry about the problems with the new chapters guys, I don't know what is going on. Thanks to all the lovelies who messaged me to let me know and thanks so much for being patient. More chapters will be coming soon so hopefully, this issue will be sorted by then. Hope you enjoy the chapter, thank you.

"Should I be concerned?" Hermione eyed the Shrieking Shack that loomed behind them. To Hermione, the windows and doorways looked like two eyes and mouth, stretched open in a silent scream. With a shiver, she turned away and watched Draco spread out a blanket on the floor.

"I assure you, best seats in the house, or outside the shack," Draco's eyes shone in the bright light of the lamp at his feet and Hermione found herself relaxing.

"I won't ask how you know that," Hermione murmured, smiling gently at how thoughtful he was being. Being privy to these gentler sides of him made her feel special, equivalent to witnessing a rare magical creature wandering down a muggle street in the middle of the day.

"I don't mind if you do. Have come here to watch them on my own several times."

"You've come here alone?" Draco shrugged

"Once you get over the haunted aspect of it, it's really quite cosy."

"And you say that I take unnecessary risks."

"Well let's put it into perspective, Granger, I come here to watch fireworks on valentine's day, not, you know, whipping some troll into shape," Draco waved his hand at her and she laughed.

"That one was hardly my fault, wrong place wrong time."

"You've made up for that since though huh? Can't say as I know many people that would actively go looking for a Basilisk."

"I can't argue with that one," Hermione conceded, pursing her lips. When he spoke about her many adventures, they always sounded much more dangerous than she'd ever really considered them to be.

Draco offered his hand and Hermione took it with a smile, settling down on the plush green blanket beneath them, a snake embroidered on it in silver thread.

"I'm impressed, you've really planned this out. Not sure how I feel about the propaganda though," she murmured pointing to the blanket.

"Unfortunately the Slytherin common room was all out of Gryffindor blankets, they're so popular this time of year."

"Ah well, it can't be helped, at least it's comfortable."

"Only the best, I am a gentleman after all," He handed her a flask and she greedily took a sip, pleasantly surprised as the sweet taste of butterbeer hit her tongue.

"Hmm yes, a gentleman that brings young ladies to the outskirts of haunted shacks with the promise of fireworks, sounds very gentlemanly."

"Well when you put it like that, it does sound a tad shady."

"Just smidge, but it's okay because I trust you." Hermione's heart raced as she watched his grey eyes warm, gaze flicking to her lips before shifting away. She found herself fighting back the disappointment of him not kissing her.

"I trust you too, you know that?" He asked, lacing their fingers as though it were the most normal action in the world.

"I had an inkling." Draco grinned and she did too, rubbing her thumb down the length of his. He had such big hands. She, rather embarrassingly, found herself staring at them a lot, remembering how they had felt getting lost and tangled up in her hair, or tucked underneath her top, cupping her breast.

"Sweet?" Hermione practically jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice, hastily digging her hand into the proffered bag and shoving whatever she grabbed first straight into her mouth, hoping the action would hide how frazzled she was.

Her thoughts of late seemed to be in a constant loop, always coming back to the fantasies of what would happen if they'd carried on at Christmas. Draco had been lovely about the whole thing, slowing to a standstill when she so much as hinted at being uncomfortable and, every time he did, she was astounded, wondering how she could have had him pegged so wrong. But she'd noticed that he'd stopped pushing and she wasn't sure she wanted him to. She was aware of how daft it all way, especially when previous experience had shown her that even a hint of anything beyond kissing had her wanting to run away and hide. But there was always afterwards, all alone with her thoughts and just the memory of his touch and how good it felt, there was the what-if. What if she didn't stop him? What if they carried on? She'd lost count of the number of dreams she'd had about him, his featherlight touch all over her body, delicate kisses warming her skin and those grey eyes glinting with mischief.

"Did you sort out what you needed to today?" The question was a bucket of ice-cold water tipped over her head, and she remained frozen as if from the shock of it. "Granger?"

"Umm, yeah. Yeah, I did."

The meeting with Rita had gone better than she'd imagined, for once the scheming of Skita had actually worked in their favour. Harry would get his side of the story out there and the wizarding world would actually get the warning they needed. It was the right thing to do, the only thing to do. But Draco's father had been on that list.

If she was honest with herself her relationship with Draco had always felt so separate from everything else in her life, and anytime that there'd been a brush of reality they'd both seemed to agree to let it pass without incident. They were Mina and Edward meeting at their lake, the rest of the world melting into a miasma of not mattering, building their small bubble of bliss. But when Harry had said Lucius Malfoys name she wondered if that state of affairs could really be sustained, would they ever be able to continue with pretending it the differences between them, between what they ultimately believed in weren't there.

"Hey, you okay?" Draco asked, thumb brushing her chin gently as he raised her head to look at him.

"Yeah I'm fine, just didn't really think this sweet through." She mumbled, moving the offending lozenge around her mouth and pulling her face.

"Yeah, you did sort of dive in there without much planning. Brave, but I have to warn you, Pansy picked out some of these and she doesn't have the most discerning palette."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably at the wave of jealousy she felt, pulling the sweet out her mouth and throwing it into the darkness. She knew it was daft, she had spent the day with her friends, for a particular reason obviously but it didn't change the fact that she had been with Harry when she could have been spending time with Draco.

"Don't get me wrong she's nowhere near as bad as Theo, but then only Crabbe and Goyle are quite on his level,"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, hoping that the images of him and Pansy together would stop. It was ridiculous and she knew it.

"Well Crabbe and Goyle will literally eat anything and that's not an exaggeration, I'm telling you those pair have a problem. And Theo, well he's eaten shit, like actual shit."

"I'm not sure I want to know."

"You really don't. Still, he's Daphne's problem now." Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock.

"What? As in Daphne Greengrass, your ex?"

"Yup."

"Isn't that weird?"

"Why would it be?" Draco turned to her tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "It wasn't her I wanted to be with in the first place, and them two, well they're good together." She supposed she couldn't argue with that one, she knew from experience that sometimes that's all there was to it, being good together.

"So what did you and Pansy do today?" She hoped he wouldn't realise how needlessly jealous she was being.

"Nothing really went around a few shops. I didn't want to go but she insisted that I was moping, and nobody wanted to see that."

"That's nice of her."

"It's Pansy, there was nothing nice about it," Draco chuckled, "I could show you the bruises."

"Why were you moping?" Draco blushed deeply refusing to meet her questioning gaze, waiting for a beat before clearing his throat.

"Well there was someone I wanted to spend the day with, but she was busy so…"

Hermione knew she would never get used to the way he left her breathless. Every time he opened himself up to her, showed how vulnerable he was behind the snooty veneer she was floored. Hermione gulped, her hands shaking around the flask of butterbeer when she realised what she wanted, what she'd wanted for a while she just hadn't had the guts to say it.

"Anyway enough about that, here," Draco shoved a small package into her lap, watching closely as Hermine picked it up, examining the neat wrapping with wonder.

"But I didn't…"

"Don't start, Granger, just open it." Hermione blinked a couple of times before nodding before pulling on the golden bow, letting the silken ribbon fall into her lap. The pink tissue paper fell off easily leaving a blue velvet box. With shaking hands Hermione opened it and gasped. Nestled on plush red velvet was a silver bracelet, small charms hanging off it that made her grin from ear to ear.

"It's just a little something to remind you of what we've been through, in erm – "Draco cleared his throat, "in case you forget."

Hermione couldn't speak, touching each of the small charms in turn: a little unicorn, a bowl, tiny jewels around its rim, a rose, a small bottle, a wand, a tiny dagger, a small ring and a little knight that she knew represented the stone giants. Her heart warmed when she noticed a tiny ice cream next to a sprig of mistletoe.

"Oh, Malfoy this is – honestly you need to stop being so awesome at giving gifts, you're putting me to shame."

"Calm down, Granger, its Valentines, a day literally made for women, enjoy it."

"Fine but prepare yourself to be wowed by the next present I give you."

"Noted. Do you like it?" Draco asked, hopefully, watching Hermione fumble with the delicate chain, "Here let me do that," Draco mumbled, kneeling in front of her as he wound it around her wrist and fastened it.

"I love it." Hermione breathed, leaning forward to kiss him, hands cradling his face delicately as if he were an apparition that could disappear at any time.

"Good," Draco grinned at her and she found herself disappointed that he wasn't carrying on, instead, settling back on the blanket and grabbing his flask of butterbeer.

She grasped her own flask and took a gulp. She knew what she had to do. Mustering all of her Gryffindor courage she looked at him.

"Malfoy, I want you to touch me." Draco spluttered on his butterbeer, eyes bugging out of his head as her words sunk in. she'd have laughed if she hadn't been so determined, or so nervous.

"I'm sorry what?" Hermione fought past the flood of embarrassment, mentally chastising herself for saying it so bluntly. She could see his own blush in the lamplight as she watched him wipe his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I er – I know that I've stopped you in the past when we've er…" she cleared her throat uncomfortably, placing the flask to the side of her and settling her hands in her lap, "my point is I don't – I don't want you to stop. I want you to…I want to be…" Hermione cringed letting her sentence taper off, hoping that the floor would open up and swallow her up, so she didn't have to sit in the thick silence that had descended on them. She chanced a looked at him and instantly looked away when she realised, he was staring at her like she'd grown another head. "I'm sorry that was stup…"

Hermione's words devolved into a gasp when his mouth smashed against hers in an insistent kiss. Shaking hands cupped her face, palms warming her cheeks as he slanted his lips against hers and let out a small moan. Hermione kissed him back, grabbing fistfuls of his hair to hold him to her and drag him down as she lay back. She heard him groan as he brushed up against her and she felt thrilled and fearful that she could have such an effect on him so fast, that he wanted her that much.

Her stomach somersaulted when gentle fingers lifted the hem of her top and she felt his touch spark against her skin as it always did, laden with the magic of the Sensieve. She arched into it, chasing the sensation as he moved to cup her breast. Hermione moaned at the hesitant squeeze, gazing up at Draco dazedly when he pulled back, breathless and looking down at her with wonder. She gulped, the nerves were back, he was beautiful in the moonlight and she felt far too exposed especially when she felt his fingers moving the fabric of her bra to one side.

She'd worn the sexiest bra that she owned, it was lacy and purple, and she'd felt like such an idiot when she'd tried it on, looking in the mirror and wondering at what Draco would think of it, think of her.

"Granger, by Salazar you're beautiful," He mumbled, eyes lingering over every inch of her; jumper bunched under her chin, the night air raising goosebumps on her flesh, the sound of his voice making her shiver. Hermione gulped as the fear returned; she couldn't be ready, the night air was too cold, and she was too exposed. But then his head dipped, and her nipple was in his mouth and she couldn't think, arching her back and gasping his name. She couldn't imagine why she'd been scared as his tongue traced patterns that felt like spells on her skin. He shifted to her other breast and Hermione clung to him, nails digging into his shoulder and hips lifting off the blanket to his making him grunt. Draco was breathless and unkempt when he lifted his head to look at her, eyes glassy with want. The thrill of the sight of him chased all the way to the pit of her stomach and settled there warm and wanting.

"You okay?" Hermione nodded kissing him gently, sighing happily when he peppered her neck with light kisses and lay his hand on her stomach slipping it down till his fingertips rested just above the top of her jeans. He watched her intently as he undid them, lowering the zip slowly and searching her face for any hesitation, any sign that she had changed her mind.

"Are you sure?" Hermione had expected the uncertainty, but she hadn't expected not to care. There was a promise to the way he touched her, a promise of something more and she wanted it.

"Yes," she nodded her head again and Draco kissed her, his hand slipping past the final barrier of her jeans and into her knickers.

"Merlin, Granger," Draco choked, but Hermione couldn't speak. The first firework squealed into the sky, painting them both in pink light. She felt as though it were mirroring her feelings as Draco's hand began to move and her body responded, moving to meet him, chasing that promise. As more and more fireworks burst across the sky Draco continued to touch her, sweet and delicate and so much more than she'd expected, pleasure sparking at every nerve till she was breathless beneath him. When the last firework crackled, shining colours burnt on the black, Hermione knew with certainty that she'd never fear him touching her like this again. How right they were together was burning through her and Hermione found herself crying his name into the empty night because she had never felt anything so wonderful in her life.