Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter series. Thank you to J.K. Rowling for bringing us the wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Author's note: WARNING! Lemon scenes in this chapter. 😉 Finally! It has taken me AGES to get this chapter right. I truly hope it has been worth the wait. Thank you to those of you who have stuck with me this far. Please enjoy! And as always, comments and messages are always welcomed.

The Doting Rival

Chapter 37

Adelyn trembled as she stood at the top of the spiral staircase to the astronomy tower. She was frozen in place, hesitantly reaching out for the gold doorknob. She took a deep breath, held it for four seconds, then exhaled shakily through her mouth. There is nothing to be nervous about, Adelyn. This is Draco. Just Draco. The butterflies fluttering in her stomach argued with the "just" part.

Before her thoughts became intrusive, she opened the door. She walked through the entranceway to find Draco just across the room. His back was angled her way as he pointed his wand toward the ceiling, scanning through the stars. His other hand was in his left pocket, lifting his grey slim-fitted jersey ever so slightly, creating an emphasis on his backside.

Who knew jeans could be so flattering on a guy? Adelyn thought, smiling coyly to herself. It was hard to believe she had once assumed he was just flaunting his status. It was evident now that wasn't the case. In this candid manner, Draco had an ease of sophistication she found quite alluring. The butterflies had transitioned inside, racing toward her heart.

And her feet. Impulsively, Adelyn strode to where Draco stood. He met her gaze with a bright smile. "There you are!" He extended his free hand, asking for hers in return. She obliged without hesitation, being pulled closely into his embrace. "Come," he said, escorting her to their usual cushioned set up. "I have something new to show you." Draco offered her a pumpkin juice as she settled propped up next to him in the center of the room.

"Thank you," she said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"It's not hard to nick things from the kitchen when your Common Room is on the same level," he shrugged in explanation.

"Apparently not." She took a sip of the refreshing drink.

Draco proceeded to finish what he was originally doing when Adelyn entered the room. He drew five lines in the skyline with his wand, connecting the stars in the constellation he already was focused on. It was not very obvious what it was meant to resemble, not that it ever was. But Adelyn suspected it was animal related based on the directions of the line.

Draco looked at her asking her for a guess. Being as their relationship was always based on competition, it was no wonder that poured over into the romance aspect as well. When Adelyn's eyes darted around lost, Draco gave her the answer. "Monoceros. The unicorn." He swished his wand, causing the rest of the textbook drawing to display.

"They are never literal, are they," Adelyn pouted.

"No, they're not," Draco chuckled.

"The top line doesn't match up with the horn at all," she said in defense.

"It is just a filler between Orion and Hydra," Draco continued. "It doesn't have a story behind it." He drew in the neighboring constellations as he spoke. "But we are looking beyond Monoceros today."

With an elegant swoop of his wand, he recited the incantation, "Propix Adducer."

The stars darted past the pair as they traveled further into the sky. Zooming through the face of the unicorn, the dark sky turned a hue of red, growing in intensity and brightness as they got closer. This was not a star, but a nebula. Red clouds filled the ceiling in layers formed by dark filaments of dust extending toward a bright star-filled center. A rose. "It's breathtaking!" Adelyn gawked transfixed at the image before her.

"The Rosette Nebula," Draco elaborated. "The petals are sculpted by the young cluster of stars at its core. They ionize the clouds, giving it its color."

The center of the nebula was bright white from the large cluster. The gaseous petals glistened ruby red. Adelyn could almost feel the heat radiating from it. A long stem of hydrogen gas extended below until it faded into the dark vast universe.

Draco interrupted her thoughts. "Perseus need look no further to find a flower fit for Andromeda."

"You must be Perseus, then," Adelyn remarked.

"And you, Andromeda." Draco smiled and made a motion of plucking the flower from the sky.

Adelyn couldn't stop herself from staring at his profile. His sculpted jaw jutted toward the ceiling, the soft smile enhancing his cheekbones. His skin smooth without the scowl he often wore in front of others. "You should smile more," she whispered.

Draco's attention shifted as he turned to hand her the invisible rose. She caught him off guard. A rarity. She barely noticed the shock on his face before he covered it up with his suave demeanor; a smirk and raised eyebrow. Leaning towards her on one arm, he asked, "Like what you see, do you?"

"Yes," Adelyn responded instantly, her eyes fixed on his.

The air suddenly became heavy with anticipation. Her eyes wandered down to his lips, now slightly parted from the short breath that escaped them. A throbbing ache emerged between Adelyn's thighs. A need. She shifted them closer together as she returned her gaze to his grey eyes.

In one swift movement, Draco's slender fingers wrapped around the back of Adelyn's neck and pulled her forward until his hungry mouth met hers. He was commanding as he snaked his tongue between her lips. He bit her lower lip, his breath quickening. He used his body to coax her down into the purple cushions, straddling her to continue his fervent exploration of her neck.

Adelyn lifted her chest in response, moaning. Her mouth hung open as her head tilted back, begging for Draco to continue. His hands answered, trailing down her sides forcefully finding their destination. Her breasts overflowed from his hands as he groped them, rhythmically thumbing the top to perk up the nipples entrapped below. He sat up and growled, "I want to see you."

Draco switched paces instantaneously. His fingers slowly inched towards the top button of Adelyn's red button down. His breath came out in pants as he gazed into her eyes. His usually pale skin flushed pink with desire. He waited for an answer. Trembling with anticipation, Adelyn's head softly nodded up and down. "Okay."

He refocused his attention, his fingers making easy work of the glossy black buttons. Adelyn noticed him gulp as he gently peeled away her blouse to reveal a modest black cotton bra. A steady bulge grew firmer against her pubic area. She thought she would be more nervous having him look at her so intimately. But as his eyes widened intensely, she found herself shamelessly reaching behind her back to undo her clasps.

Adelyn's large breasts sighed with relief as they bounced with the change in restraint. Her arms now free of her sleeves, she took Draco's hand in hers and guided him to her straps. She let him take over, relishing his touch as he dragged the bra from her body. Her nipples tightened further upon exposure to the air.

"Mmmm." Draco hummed a delicious sound as he bowed back down. He held one breast erect as he filled his mouth with it, letting his other hand fondle the free breast. Adelyn's hands combed the platinum blonde hair in front of her face, encouraging him to continue his pursuit of her. Even though he was eager, she noted his restraint through his gentle tongue and slow kneading. However, her appetite grew, and soon, she was pulling at his merino jersey.

"My turn," she said brazenly, eliciting a chuckle from him. He looked up at her with a grin, still settled between her breasts. He teased her, dropping further down her torso, leaving kisses in his wake. It wasn't until she gasped at the change that he sat up to do as she bid.

Draco grabbed the base of his jersey and pulled it over his head. His chest expanded forward with the motion, straining the muscles along his sides. The starry sky reflected off his bare chest. His tousled hair fell slightly forward into his eyes. His hungry smile complimented by the crimson hue of his skin. He was stunning. Adelyn brushed her fingers along his abdomen, tracing the subtle two bands etched there. Cautiously, she grazed lower. His breath hitched as she reached the top of his dark-washed Meccanica jeans. She undid the button.

Draco dropped to ravish her lips once more. His restraint now gone, he quickly renewed his original trail down her body, smothering every spot with his mouth. His hands flew from her arms to her breasts to her stomach. At last, they found their destination. Her belt. He unbuckled it promptly and let out a guttural, "So many buttons!"

Adelyn giggled. Her black flare midi skirt was lined down the front with matching buttons. She did not foresee how much of an obstacle her outfit would end up being tonight.

"Are you laughing at me?" he teased.

"Entertained, is all. . ." she replied shyly. "They don't ALL have to be undone to come off." She reached down to assist him.

"No, no," Draco warned her. "I very much want to do this part myself." He gently pushed her hands away and lowered himself. As he worked on the tedious task, he kissed along her hips, traveling further south when each button exposed more of her skin. Adelyn moaned, consumed in his exploration of her body.

Draco kneeled slightly, grabbing the waist of her skirt simultaneously with the top of her tights. Adelyn bit her lower lip with yearning, watching him as he focused on his work. With slow, deliberate tugs, he coaxed her free of her bottoms. She lay bare to him, save her lace trimmed black cotton panties. Instinctively, she covered one breast and reached below her hips. She needed to touch something, but Draco was out of reach.

His eyes darkened as he drank in the sight of her lying before him. Adelyn shivered under the feel of his hands creeping up her legs, followed closely by his lips. "Oh," she exclaimed shakily as his hands brushed her inner thigh, grazing very close to her most sensitive area. Her mind was screaming for him to touch her there, but she couldn't form the words.

But Draco didn't need her to ask. He inched onward, his palm contouring from her thigh along the crease until, finally, reaching his destination. He cupped her fully with one hand. Between clenched teeth, he whispered, "Yes."

Adelyn let out a stream of repetitive moans as he brushed his thumb in circles along her opening. Her head fell back with the foreign touch. His mouth returned to her thigh, following in the steps his hands already made. "Draco!" Adelyn gasped; his mouth was on the edge of her panties.

Draco smirked and grabbed them with his teeth. He closed his eyes momentarily and inhaled deeply before replacing his hold with his hands. "I need to taste you," he said vehemently.

Without waiting for a response, he rolled away the last article of clothing from her body and pounced back into position. His breath was hot against the wet mound between her thighs. Adelyn gulped as he spread her open with two fingers, examining his prize closely. She licked her lips as she looked down, his eyes disappearing below the height of her breast -

- Adelyn inhaled sharply and sat up. She breathed heavily as she took a moment to adjust to her surroundings. The curtain of her bed was drawn shut, allowing her privacy to collect her bearings.

"Adelyn?" Hermione called out. "Are you alright?" He voiced grew closer.

Adelyn sighed heavily and pulled back the curtain of her four-poster bed. The daylight filled the room causing her to strain her eyes to adjust. "Just a dream," she replied.

"What did you see?" Worry filled Hermione's voice and she swiftly approached.

"No! Nothing bad." Adelyn smiled in recollection.

"Oh!" Hermione's interest was piked. "Well, that's a relief." She sat at the foot of the bed waiting.

Adelyn peaked around the room to ensure they were alone. In a hushed tone, she detailed, "It was about Draco." A blush swept across her face.

"Uh - oh!" Hermione blushed as well. They had talked about boys before, but it was obvious based on the look on Adelyn's face that this was more than she was anticipating in the moment.

"Hermione," Adelyn proceeded cautiously. "Do you recall those few short weeks of lessons last year with Professor McGonagall? About. . . sex. . . education?"

Hermione's face shot up in shock. "Did you – last night? And Draco!" Her hands rushed over her mouth. "Adelyn!" she squealed.

"No!" Adelyn lifted her palms up, shaking them side to side. "No. Things didn't get that far. . ." She was suddenly nervous talking about it out loud.

Hermione sighed with a breath of relief. Her hand moved to her chest to calm her racing heart. "Good! Because this is not something you should add to your plate to be worrying about right now."

"Exactly," Adelyn continued meekly. "That's why I need your help. I need your lesson notes. To refresh my memory. In preparation. . . for. . ." She trailed off before finishing.

Hermione stared at her sternly. "The only thing you should be preparing for is the next task."

"Hermione, please!" Adelyn pleaded, gripping her friend's arm. "There's no one else I can go to with this." Her eyes begged.

"Oh, alright!" she replied with annoyance. "But! You must promise to wait as long as you can."

"It's not as if I have been planning on this. I didn't even keep my lesson notes on the matter."

"That is not a good defense, you know," Hermione said with disapproval.

"I just meant that I'm not PLANNING on anything. I just want to be prepared. After last night -" She cut herself off abruptly, eyeing Hermione from her lowered gaze.

"What do you mean? What happened last night?" Hermione whispered.

"Nothing, really. I mean – not much. . ." She paused longer than usual, nervous to continue.

"Adelyn. What EXACTLY happened?" Hermione's face read more worry than intrigue.

"Draco didn't let it get that far. . . " Adelyn's voice trailed into a mumble. "Just our tops came off."

Hermione cleared her throat to collect herself. "Well."

". . . That's it? That's all you have to say?" Adelyn looked at her puzzled.

She blinked rapidly a few times before responding. "He appears to have been quite a gentleman, it seems."

Adelyn smiled. Hermione had adjusted to the news. She knew she could elaborate. "Oh, yes! I was even the one who initiated taking off my bra. -"

Hermione's eye grew wide again.

"- In fact, it wasn't until I started undoing his jeans that he stopped -"

"You WHAT?" Hermione shrieked.